Shippou was the first to wake up. He gazed around the room to see everybody lying on the hard floor. He was confused by how he ended up inside and how he was still alive. Listening closely he could hear strong healthy heartbeats from everyone in the room. Only one person went unnoticed by him as he lay back down to rest some more. It didn't take long before his eyes closed and he drifted into another deep sleep.
He looked around to see a large field and tall grass. A line of Sakura trees stood about fifty feet in front of him. Looking closer he saw all his friends sitting in the shade of the colorful branches. With his demon speed he was able to close the distance in a matter of seconds.
"Hey Shippou!" Sango and Miroku greeted as they smiled up at him
Inuyasha sat behind them on the other side of the tree. Kouga and Ayame sat next to each other under the tree to the right. Ginta and Hakkaku were sitting next to them as they all chatted happily. When he looked to the left a few trees down he saw Sesshoumaru with his back against the tree as he gazed upon the field.
Walking slowly over to him he sat down, not speaking a single word he too looked at the field before them.
After a few minutes of staring at the empty space ahead of them they felt a hand on their shoulders. Slowly they turned around not really knowing what to expect.
When they met their eyes with deep blue ones they jumped up. Staring at the smiling girl they couldn't think of anything to say. That was until Shippou smiled and started to jump excitedly.
"Kagome!" he said hugging her tightly
This caught the attention of everybody else and with the blink of an eye she was standing in front of everybody. After everyone hugged her they all took a seat to listen to her.
"What happened to us? Are we dead? Where are we?" Sango asked curiously
"You all died. But your lives were given back to you. I brought you here so we could talk. This is my dream realm." She responded slowly
"Why can't you talk to us when we wake up?" Inuyasha asked gruffly
"Because I will not be there." She told him
"Well what about you. Didn't you get your life back?" Shippou asked a little scared to know the answer
"No. I am gone from the land of the living. I used all my energy to purge the world of Naraku's evil. He will no longer be a problem for anybody." She explained sadly
"I assume you used your life to save ours, did you not?" Miroku asked
"I did. The last time we fought Naraku you were all killed. I wanted you to live your lives like you should have the first time. I didn't want you to die again." She said sadly
"But without you Kagome our life is not the same." Ayame said speaking up from her silence
"Don't worry about me. I will be able to see you soon. For now I just want you to live and be happy. I have expanded your lives so we may meet again." She said the last part looking to Sango and Miroku. "I hope you will all understand that I was supposed to die in the past. But now I can no longer escape death." She informed them
She stood from her spot as did they all and once again she hugged her friends. Slowly one by one they all vanished as they left the dream world.
Sesshoumaru was the only one who remained as he stared into her eyes with longing and sadness.
"I am sorry Sesshoumaru. But it must be done." She said softly with sadness laced in her voice
"I don't want you to leave me. I had lost you once, I can't lose you again." Sesshoumaru spoke with a shaky voice as his hand went to rest on her cheek
"I do not want this either, but it must happen." She leaned into his hand as she spoke
"I will resurrect you with Tensiega." He told her quickly
"It's not possible. My soul has left my body." He hand covered his gently as she kissed his palm
"But I need you with me. I need you by my side, to hold you close and feel your lips on mine." He said seriously as his eyes clearly showed the fear she never thought she would see
"I will see you again soon. I just wanted to tell you before I go that I love you and I will never forget you." She whispered as she put her head on his chest
"When will we meet again?"
"Soon my love." Was her simply reply
"How will I know how to find you?" he asked
"I will meet you hear." She said into his chest
Using his hand he brought her chin so that she was looking at him. She had tears in her eyes as did he. Gently she wiped his tears away not wanting to see him cry. Never thinking she would ever see him cry, she found her self saddened that she was the cause.
Sesshoumaru leaned down and kissed her tears away softly. When he pulled away so their faces we just an inch apart he looked into her eyes as if searching for something. Slowly he placed his lips on hers and kissed her sweetly and passionately. It didn't last long, but it didn't have too. It was such a beautiful kiss that was filled with a deep love that they both felt for each other.
"I will never forget you, my Kagome. You will always be mine." He said to her as they were once again staring into each other's eyes
"And I will never forget you Sesshoumaru. I love you with my whole being." She told him as tears glided down her face
"And I love you Kagome Higurashi. I will wait for you until the end of time." He told her as he kissed her again
The End