please note; this is set sometime after my one-shot Bedridden, which is set after Cherish.

It was so bright. And warm. Where ever Shiemi was smelled of honeysuckles, tulips, practically every flower in her grandmother's garden, and...something burning?

The blonde opened her eyes suddenly at the alarming smell that contrasted with the sweet floral scents. She looked at the surrounding area; it was breathtaking. There were vibrant, colorful flowers and beautiful trees everywhere. Shiemi glanced down at the grass below her. It was plush and healthy. This garden was obviously greatly taken care of.

Shiemi got up on her feet and investigated the area further. Rainbow colors spilled all over and a tranquil river flowed down a path on her right. With a gasp, she realized this is the Garden of Amahara. The blonde then became confused as to how she could possibly be there.

"The Garden of Amahara can only be accessed in two ways." She remembered her grandma's words. "Either by death or in dreams. Don't stress yourself out trying to dream about it, though. It only comes in your dreams when you least expect it."

Shiemi recalled telling her grandmother that she wanted to visit the garden with her. Her grandma, however, told Shiemi that the garden would be the one to decide who accompanied her into the garden.

"If you are lucky enough to visit the garden in your dreams, legend says that only a truly special person will appear in the garden with you. Whether it be a family member, significant other, or friend, they, dead or alive, will be by your side to also enjoy the garden."

Shiemi could imagine her younger self insisting that her grandma was the only one she wanted to visit the garden with.

"I appreciate that very much, honey. But I'm sure as you get older, another person will find their way into your heart and the garden might choose them to take my place. I can't always watch over you, Shiemi, but I know that whoever the garden chooses will love you until their or your last breath. The garden is never wrong."

Following her recollection, Shiemi quickly looked around trying to find who was here with her.

What if I'm all alone? The blonde frowned as she realized she couldn't see a soul. Then she remembered the burning smell. She focused on the scent until it came back to her senses. She followed the smell as best as she could, walking down a dirt path.

Finally, she reached a small garden. Well, it was more like a patch of dirt, but Shiemi could tell the intention was to make a garden. The blonde frowned when she realized the burning smell ended here, but there was no one to be found.

It's weird... She thought. That burning smell almost reminds me of...

The sound of a sneeze suddenly caught her attention. It came from behind a tree. She quickly ran around it and was shocked by who she saw.

"Rin?!"

"Hey Shiemi." The half demon said quietly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Are you the one that caused the burning smell?" Shiemi questioned, trying to remain neutral. There was no reason to alert dream-Rin that his presence in the garden with her had a deep significance.

"Ah, yeah. I was trying to fix some flowers that got dug up by a rabbit. I had a feeling you'd be here and I wanted to make it look perfect for you."

Wait. He had a feeling that she would be here? Just exactly whose dream was this?

"So as I was trying to fix this garden, more rabbits kept coming and messing it up. It's like they were playing a game with me! I guess I ended up getting a little too mad and my flames came out, burning the flowers." Rin finished his story, looking guilty. Shiemi offered a smile.

"That's ok, Rin. I believe that when flowers die here they-" As if on cue, the whole garden sprouted back up. Rin stared with his mouth agape at the newly formed garden as Shiemi's smile disappeared. Rin looked at her and his expression sobered.

"What's wrong?"

"Well...I..." Shiemi wasn't sure how to word it. The fact that Rin was here prior to her arrival confused her. "You said you had a feeling that I was coming?"

"Y-yeah. I don't know much about this place, but I do know that if you come here in your dreams, a very special person will be here with you."

Shiemi opened her mouth to affirm that he was right, until she promptly closed it again. If Rin's blushing was any indication, she knew exactly where he was going with this. The blonde stared at the half demon, knowing that her face was now also red.

Before either of them could speak again, the bright colors of the garden started to run together and the scenery around them was disappearing.

"Wh-what?! But we hardly had any time!" Rin protested and grabbed Shiemi's arm. He stared deeply into her eyes. "I-"

"I understand Rin." She smiled. "I-I feel the same way about you."

"Do you think we'll remember this when we wake up?" He asked with a pained expression. Shiemi could tell that however long Rin had been holding back his feelings for her pained him. She knew the feeling; having the person you care for the most only treat you like a friend. Shiemi frowned when she realized she was doing the exact thing back to Rin.

"I-I don't know. But if we do, we have to promise to tell each other our feelings. No more secrets, especially since we both feel the same way for each other." A newfound sense of confidence arose in Shiemi. Her mother had always told her to never be ashamed of her feelings.

"Agreed." Rin nodded and leaned in towards her, embracing her. Even though everything around them was turning to complete darkness, Shiemi could feel Rin's fingers under her chin prompting her face upwards. She lifted her head up and felt a pair of warm lips press against hers.

Shiemi flew up from her bed at the sound of her alarm ringing. She groaned as she grabbed the old fashioned clock and turned the crank on the back to shut it off. The blonde rubbed her face. She had a dream that made her wake up with a warm feeling in her heart. But, for the life of her, she couldn't remember what it was about.

"Good morning honey." Shiemi's mom greeted her as she walked in the kitchen. "My, you look like you slept well!"

"I...did." She paused for a moment. "Mom, I think I dreamt about the Garden of Amahara."

"Oh really? Did you see your grandma?"

Shiemi pondered for a moment, but shook her head. "I can't remember."

"Well I'm sure whoever was with you is someone that means a lot to you." Her mother remarked and went back to preparing breakfast.

Shiemi nodded absently to her mother, wracking her brain for who could've accompanied her in the garden.

to be continued...