Disclaimer: Still stalking Rumiko Takahashi, but now I have a group of armed men at my side.....so I might get the papers soon. I've got the black glasses, black coat, pepper spray, how can I lose??

 A/N: These chapters are a little short (though my chapters always have been) So I apologize. I won't keep you any longer, but thanks for the reviews!!

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CHAPTER 5
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"Where did you say it was Sango?"

"That's it right there, on the corner."

Kagome followed the direction of Sango's pointed finger to find the building. What she found wasn't expected. It was the most run down place in the entire city, at least in Kagome's opinion. It was five times smaller than the buildings on the rest of the block and Kagome had trouble locating it's door! The windows were dusty and had deteriorating posters blocking the view of inside the building and there were tables set out front with books piled on them. Kagome looked at them and wondered whether or not the would crumble below her fingertips if she were to touch them. Sango marched in front of her a few steps and turned to look at Kagome expectantly.

"Are you coming??"

"...."

"Do you want to save Inuyasha?"

"Fine! I'm coming!"

Kagome caught up to Sango and they walked to the front door, a look of disgust on Kagome's face. Sango knocked on the door and a woman's voice croaked from within, "Enter."

Sango opened the door and it let out a high pitched screech and the took their first step inside. Kagome looked around and found that the place looked like a fortune teller tent like the ones at the fair except that across from the sitting area were rows and rows of books and artifact on shelves. Kagome, a little braver, stepped past Sango and walked toward the stuff. She kept her hands to herself though, she could feel herself breathing in the dust and touching it would be worse. She walked along them and skimmed through the titles: Bewitchment, Possession, Potions, etc. Her eyes befell a certain book that caught her attention....it had a silver dog on it. She was about to read the title when--

"May I help ye?"

Kagome snapped her gaze to where the voice spoke from and found that the person was standing right next to her. Why hadn't she heard her approach. It turned out she had to look down a bit to see the woman, she had a slightly hunched back. Kagome studied the woman for a second and took in her grey hair tied back, her wrinkles, and her eye patch. The woman spoke again,

"I said, can I help ye?"

"Uh--Yeah! I need your help with a very important problem and I only have three days to fix it."

"Three days ye say....hmm, come and tell me all about it over here."

She walked to the other side of the room and sat at a small table with a few chairs around it. Sango and Kagome sat down across from her. The woman studied the two girls and they were a little uneasy about her gaze.

"Now, tell me your names. Mine is Kaede" She said in more of a statement than a request.

"I'm Kagome"

"and I'm Sango. Her best friend. Did I mention I am very strong and work out everyday?"

Kagome thought she saw the woman smile a little bit but before she could confirm it the woman scowled again.

"Now...", she said turning to Kagome, " Tell me everything."

So Kagome proceeded in telling the old woman her life's story. She described Inuyasha and told her in detail of the last conversation they had, by the end she felt like crying, " and then he said in three days he would disappear ::sniff:: and he took off."

Kaede nodded and Kagome waited to hear what she had to say. THe first thing she said took Kagome slightly by surprise, "Inuyasha is no imaginary friend...."

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"......at least to say he isn't a normal Imaginary friend. He is very special indeed and that can only be your doing. You see, I believe Inuyasha is actually the other half of your soul. When you were young, you say that you had no friends and was lonely right? So, your soul created an alternate form to keep you company. Now that you have made friends, such as the one sitting next to you, there is no need for the being anymore and he will disappear."

"Oh! I'm so sorry Kagome!" cried Sango

"It's fine Sango. I really like you as my friend." Kagome then turned her attention back to Kaede, " Is there anything I can do?"

"Hmmm......truthfully, I have never experienced this before, that was only a guess. There is only one thing I can think of that might help."

Kaede stood up and walked to the bookshelf, directly where Kagome had stood before. She took a black book off the shelf and handed it to Kagome.

Kagome looked at the book and stared into the amber eyes of the silver dog on the front. Above it where large silver letters engraved into the book, it read: Souls


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Kagome opened the book and looked at the Index and Kaede spoke.

" You see, I have dealt with returning souls to bodies, but never turning souls into living, breathing, beings. There is only one thing that might be able to help, turn to page 204."

Kagome turned the dusty pages until she reached page 204 and gazed at the picture at the top.

"That is the Shikon no Tama, or The Jewel of Four Souls. To have any chance of saving Inuyasha, you need that."

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A/N: I felt so bad for taking so long to post, I'm putting up another chapter. Gomen Nasai!!