She paced back and forth quickly infront of the long mirror, muttering under her breath and then stopping to look at herself again in the mirror before going back to her pace, muttering and complaining. She finally stopped infront of the mirror and stood there for a moment, looking at her reflection, adorned in the beautiful amber dress and shoes, her hair done up into tiny ringlets with cherry blossoms tied into a crown around her hair. She stared at herself for a long time, tilting her head slightly to the side in ponder before looking down at herself in the dress and shoes, allowing a soft sigh to escape beyond those sparkly lip-glossed lips.

"I just don't...feel complete..." she whispered outloud, gazing back up at herself in the mirror. She knew exactly what was keeping her back, that twinge of pain and hurt that had been aching at her heart all day. She knew he was stubborn, more stubborn than many boys she knew at school, but even though he was stubborn, he always came around at the end. This was the first time that she had known him that he didn't come back to admit he was wrong and then quickly change the subject and somehow blame it on her, erupting the ever present argument they would always have that sealed the fact that even though they seemed to hate eachother on the outside, the truth of the matter was that they couldn't stand to be apart from one another. She felt a small tear break from the corner of her eye and roll its way down her cheek gradually overtop those now pouty soft pink lips. She quickly licked it away, and dispite the taste of cherry on her tongue from the lip gloss, the taste of defeat was there, coating her lips and mouth. Defeat..she had lost..to the one she couldn't bare to lose.

"Kagome! Rei, Ayashi and Keiko are here! You'd better hurry, the Limo is waiting!" Her mother called from downstairs, breaking the silence that had filled her room. Kagome wiped the rest of the tears away from her cheeks and quickly patted down powder over the tear streaks, clearing her throat and trying to make herself presentable again.

"Coming!" She looked to the mirror one last time..and then she glanced over to the window..only to be greeted by the emptiness that his form upon her window sill once filled. She turned away and hurried down the stairs to be paraded by flashes of cameras from both her mother and grandfather.

"Gah! Mama! Grandpa!"

"Oh Kagome..our little girl has grown up so quickly!" *flash flash flash* "You look so beautiful!" *flash flash* Both her mother and grandfather exclaimed as the flashes fromt he cameras almost made her blind and fall down the steps. A few more pictures were taken with her friends before Kagome finally prided her mother and grandfather off of her and hurried her friends out the door towards the limo.

"Bye Mama, Grandpa, Sota! I'll see you tonight!" Kagome hollered out the window as the limo drived away, her hand the only thing visible has she waved to her family before disappearing out of sight down the road. Her mother smiled as she watched the car drive away until it was finally out of sight. Her little girl really had grown up. She turned back to the house and walked in through the front door and back to the kitchen to finish preparing dinner. She could hear her father and Sota in the living room laughing at the cartoons on the television. She smiled and went back to placing the vegetables into the pot when all of the sudden she heard a sort of thud noise come from the mini shrine. She looked up from the cutting board and looked out the window that had a perfect view of the shrine. It was then that she heard the noise once again and wiping her hands off on her apron, she hurried out the back door and down to where the shrine was. She grabbed a flash light that was always up against the door to the shrine and upon turning it on, slowly opened the doors and peered inside, flashing the light all around. It was then that the form that lay on the ground caught her attention, trying to regain its composure and try to make its way up the steps. Thinking it was a ghost, Kagome's mother screamed and threw the flashlight at the figure, knocking it down off the steps and back onto the ground, followed by the usual beray of curses that was a voice all to familiar.

"Nani?! What in all the hells was that?! Ouch! My head!" Inu Yasha exclaimed, reaching up to rub the bump that was now ever so present on his head. Kagome's mother, hearing the voice, quickly hurried to the steps and found the flashlight, shining it down on Inu Yasha's face.

"Oh my goodness! I'm so sorry Inu Yasha! I thought it was a burglar or something! Here let me help you....oh...Inu Yasha..where..where are your ears? What happened to your hair?? I didn't know they had hair coloring back in the Feudal Ages.." Kagome's mother reached down to help the boy up, and upon taking her hand, he stood up and brushed himself off only to be followed by her mother combing his hair for those adorable ears that she loved so much. He quickly backed up and shook his head.

"Gomen ne..Kagome's mother but I have to see Kagome quickly..I will explain everthing later but I have to see her right away.." He couldn't believe the words that were coming out of his mouth. He sounded so...polite. Gah! Stupid human form! He always became soft during the new moon. Her mother looked at him and smiled a bit. She could sense that this wasn't the same old Inu Yasha.

"I'm sorry Inu Yasha..but Kagome isn't here..she left not to long ago to go to her Junior Prom with her friends..she will not be back until later tonight.."

Inu Yasha frowned after hearing those words. He missed her again..and this time, when he would go back, he would become a demon once again..he thought that being in this human form wasn't so bad. After all, he could probably tell her exactly how he felt..the human heart and conscience had a way of making him do that.

He looked down slightly and folded his hands behind his back. He remembered that night as if it were yesterday. He did love her smell..it smelled so sweet and so rare..like the scent of an Angel. He blushed a bit at the thought, and when he looked back up, he found her mother's gaze still on him and that quickly broke him from the memory.

"Oh! Well..I guess..I'll go then.."

"Nonsense Inu Yasha! If you have to talk to her that bad I'm sure she wouldn't mind seeing you at the dance tonight..!"

"But..but she..but she's probably with that Hojo whats-his-face and..and I don't want to ruin her fun.." "Actually Inu Yasha..she went to the dance solo tonight..she told me that the person she wanted to go with wasn't here.." Her mother said softly with a bright smile on her face. Inu Yasha slowly looked up towards Kagome's mother, a look of surprise and hope plastered all over that gorgeous face of his. Did she mean..him? Did Kagome truly want to be with him? Then..was what Kaede said..true?

"Really..?"

"Yes..infact..I think that there is a suit of my late husband's in the closet that you can wear.."

"Suit..?" ::Puzzled Look::

"Well ofcourse! You don't really think you'd be able to walk into the prom tonight wearing a 600 year old Kimono, now do you? You have to blend in or there could be questions asked that you cannot answer. And while we're getting you dressed, you can explain to me about your little change.." Her mother smiled, leading him out of the shrine and back towards the house. A small smile crept over his lips as he followed her out of the shrine. Her mother really wasn't so bad after all..ofcourse..that was suddenly crushed by the next words that came out from her mouth.

"Oh and we will probably have to give you a bath as well.."

"A bath?! Nooo! On second thought, I'll just come back later!" Inu Yasha tried to make a break for it but the ever present "mom hand" reached out and grabbed him by the shirt, dragging him inside the house, kicking and yelling.

"Nonsense Inu Yasha..we'll just make you look nice and wash your hair and give you a bath."

"Noo! Not the hair! HEEEEEEELP!" His yells could be heard all the way upstairs as Kagome's mother dragged him into the bathroom, filling the tub, and was quickly cut off by the sound of a large object being tossed into water. Sota and Grandpa looked up from their television show to hear the splashing from upstairs. Both looked at eachother in puzzlement before turning back to the cartoons, laughing.

"Hey, Kagome! Aren't you going to come out here and dance atleast one dance?!" Keiko hollered to her over the loud music of V6's "Made in Japan." Kagome looked up slowly from her seat at the table over to Keiko and gave a little smile and wave.

"I'll come out in a little bit!" Kagome tried to holler back, but the music was to loud for Keiko to hear. Her friend came over to where she was sitting, moving in and out between the people before sitting down besides her, a look of worry on her face. Kagome looked at her with a slightly puzzled look, especially when Keiko took her hand and patted it gently.

"Kagome-chan..is this..is this because Hojo decided to go with that other girl to the dance? Because if it is I'll go right over there and give him what he deserves!" Kagome gave a slightly shocked jerk back before regaining herself and laughing a bit. Well atleast no one had caught on just yet. It was true, Hojo had asked someone else..but that was only because Kagome told him to. Kagome looked to her friend and smiled gently, patting her own hand back before motioning her to go back out onto the dance floor.

"I'm fine, honestly Keiko-chan..I just have a little headache from the loud music I suppose. I'll come out onto the dance floor as soon as it lets up a little, alright? Now go have some fun before I give you what's coming!" Both of the girls laughed and Keiko smiled and nodded.

"Okay Kagome..but..if you need anything..don't hesitate to ask." Kagome nodded with a smile and wave as Keiko went back out onto the dance floor to regain herself with the boy she had been dancing with. Kagome watched her friend disappear into the crowd of people and she gave a deep sigh. She cupped her chin back into her palm, her elbow resting upon one of the wooden dinning tables, covered by the plush velvet and gold tablecloth, that had been set up all around the dinning and dance hall. It certainly was a very fancy place the school had decided on having the prom this year. Large, crystal and gold Chandalliers hung from the ceiling with the large disco ball hanging in the middle which reflected the many lights that had been shining at it all around the room, coating the dark walls like a star lit sky. The room was dimmed down to nothing, all except the lights they had fixed up all over the room and a few of the Chandalliers shone. Kagome looked all around the room in wonder. It had reminded her of one of the nights, back in the Feudal Ages, that they had slept out underneath the stars. The sky was so clear that night, and all she could remember was being able to see all the stars shine brightly without the smog or clouds in the way like in her time. She tried to tell Inu Yasha about what she had seen that night, but he really didn't pay much attention to it.

"I guess he takes for granted his time like I take for mine.." she whispered softly to herself as she lowered her gaze back down towards the ground. She tilted her head slightly as she looked to the shoes her mother had given to her. The rhine stones began to sparkle a little bit as she tilted her feet from side to side, catching the reflection off of the disco ball. She smiled a little bit at the sight. "They look almost like Shikon Shards.." she whispered. Her mother had given her these shoes especially for this night, hoping they would bring her as much luck as they had done for her so many years ago. Kagome's smile slowly dwindled into a frown at the thought. Luck..ha..that was funny. What luck did she have? She stumbles into a well only to find herself back in the Feudal Ages of Japan. She meets a half demon who turns out to be a jerk and then this large piece of glass gets broken all because of her. Now she is stuck with this half demon in trying to find the shards. Over time she begins to realize that he isn't as bad as she had thought, only to now have his old girlfriend show up. And then he goes on this entire rampage on "avenging" her while he then toys with her emotions. And now when she thinks that he may actually really care about her he tells her..

She could feel the tears building up along the edges of her eyes. She wanted to cry so much. The pain that had been in her heart ever since the day she saw him kiss Kikyou had been building up and up upon her fragile heart. She tried to be strong, she tried her hardest not to show emotion, but it seemed the more and more that she saw him or heard his voice, those barriers broke away. She needed him so much like a flower needs the sun to live. She needed Inu Yasha to be complete..to be whole..to live. And now here she was, on one of the happiest nights of her life before entereing into the world known as adult hood, and she couldn't be happy. Seeing all of the people at the dance, the couples or the newly couples, made her wonder even why she agreed on coming here in the first place..and it was then..the song came to an end.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen..I hope everyone here tonight is having a good time. We are going to end this night with a couple of nice slow songs for the lovely couples we have here before us. Our first selection comes to us all the way across the Pacific from the United States. Here are the Back Street Boys with their debut single, "It's True."

Kagome had heard the DJ announce the beginning of the slow songs for the night and her heart cringed. She wanted to get away, she had to get away. If she had heard one of those slow songs she knew exactly what it would've reminded her of and she couldn't bare to even think about it. She got up from her seat and turned towards where the large, open doors lay to her freedom. She wavered in and out of a few people, trying her best to get out as she heard the beginning notes of the song string up. She closed her eyes tightly and pushed her way through. She was so close, but it was then, that she had stopped frozen in her tracks. Everything around her had suddenly faded away and all that was there was her, surrounded by darkness and the ever present voice that rang softly through her ears like the whisper of an angel.

"Kagome...?"

The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end as chills ran down her spine, giving her goosebumps all over her arms. She wanted to turn around, and as she tried, it felt as if time was now taking forever. She slowly turned herself around to stand face to face with him, her voice now gone from her throat and her deep violet eyes full of surprise and happiness. He smiled gently at her and whispered once again.

"Kagome...I finally found you..."

It was then that the tears began to fall over the brim and spill down her cheeks like tiny rivers. Not tears of sadness but tears of sheer excitment and happiness. Both of her hands went to her mouth as she looked at him in sheer awe. He watched her for a moment before looking down to the floor, shuffling around and kicking the ground uncomfortably.

"What..? Do I really look that bad?" He muttered underneath his breath. He wore one of the old black suits of Kagome's father which seemed to fit him perfectly although it would've been a hard match to tell just with the eye. The jacket hung off of him loosely at the bottom, with both hands shoved into the pockets of the pants. There was no tie, however, but the first three buttons of the white undershirt lay open, exposing the top half of his bare chest and the rosary that hung around his neck. His feet were bare, as usual, and his long black hair was tied up in the back in a low hanging ponytail with the two loose strands hanging down against his face. He slowly looked up at her with those deep hazel eyes. He looked so innocent and so pure whenever she saw him with those eyes during the new moon. Not as though he didn't look innocent when he was a demon, but as a human she knew he was vulnerable. Not vulnerable in strength but in emotion. Of all nights, this was the night where he truly understood and came to the reality of what it was like to feel compassion and the hurt and vulnerability that a human would feel. His demon half gave him the advantage of being able to subside those feelings to the point where it didn't bother him so much, but on these nights, there was no advantage. He was now her and her now him. He looked at her, adorned in her long, silken Amber dress, her midnight black hair pulled up into those ringlets with the cherry blossoms surrounding her hair and face and realized, for the first time after so long, that his vulnerability to her only strengthened his desire to be one with her and these emotions.

Kagome moved towards him slowly as he watched her curiously. She went to reach out to touch him, to make sure that what she saw before her was not a dream. He looked so handsome in those clothes. Seeing him look so sophisticated in that suit with his hair actually fixed would've never crossed her mind when she thought of the wild spirit that was still inside of him. He smiled faintly and reached out as well, brushing the tips of his fingers over her own before grasping her hand gently and pulling her towards him until they were only standing an inch apart. She gasped softly in surprise as she felt herself barely against him. The sound of her heart pounding rang through her ears as she slowly looked up towards him, catching his own gaze staring into her eyes. She wanted to speak to him, to yell at him for not coming for her sooner, to cry into his shoulder and tell her how much she missed him, to hold him and speak the truth of what she had tried to hide for so long. She went to open her mouth, to finally speak the words that seemed a jumble in her mind, but when her lips went to move they were gently sealed with a single finger of his. She looked up at him curiously to see the look of both seriousness and yet sadness all over his face. He watched her for a moment before finally regaining his composure, pulling himself from the endless depths known as her eyes. As he spoke, the words of the song gently played around them, the almost complete silence of the room and the endless stars circling around them drew them further towards eachother until it was only them they saw.

"Kagome..I.."

Even a lover makes a mistake sometimes

Like any other

Fall out and lose his mind...

"I'm sorry...about..about everything that I said back at the well.." he whispered softly down to her. It was hard for him to make eye contact, afraid she might say the ever fatefull words and he'd be slammed to the ground. He could feel her eyes burning into him and he very slowly looked back towards her eyes, only to see the tears brimming at the corners. Those eyes..so full of..happiness..? He swallowed hard and he felt the sudden heat come to his cheeks and he tried to hide it away. She looked so..delicate..with those eyes.

"Inu Yasha..I..gah you stupid jerk!" She suddenly latched onto him, crying into his chest as she held him tightly. He stumbled back slightly and looked down at her in surprise, his arms suddenly going around her as if by instinct. She gripped onto the sleeves of the suit's jacket as she cried, muttering into his chest.

"Baka! I..I thought you'd never come back..I was so worried about you.." He held her tighter, resting his chin gently on the top of her head as he breathed in her scent. Even though his sensitive dog nose was gone, he could still smell the strong, sweet scent she gave off of jasmine and now, the blooms of cherry blossoms that adorned her head.

And I'm sorry for the things I did

For the teardrops over words I said

Can you forgive me and open your heart once again...?

He pulled her back from him slightly and looked down at her tear stained face. He gently wiped the tears from her cheeks away with the tip of his finger and twirled one of the ringlets around his finger. She watched him curiously for a moment before he looked back to her once again.

"I was stupid Kagome..I was very stupid..I didn't mean to tell you not to come back..infact..I didn't mean to tell you to leave in the first place. I was just...upset because...because..I need you.." he whispered softly. Her eyes suddenly widened in surprise.

"N..nani..?"

It's true

I mean it

From the bottom of my heart

Yeah, it's true

Without you I would fall apart...

"I mean it Kagome..I need you..when I heard that you were going to leave again..I couldn't stand the thought of having to spend an entire week without seeing you..smelling you..hearing your voice..even if you were yelling at me. Those words that I said..were said out of frustration..and out of sadness. Without you Kagome..I..I just fall apart.." He looked away from her and shuffled once again in uneasement. It was bad enough that he could feel her eyes on him, but the feeling of these pants and this shirt that were much tighter than his kimono. How did anyone in this age live wearing these clothes anyhow? It was then that he felt her finger tips upon his chin, tilting his head back up to look at her. She was looking deeply into his eyes, a look that he had never seen before. She looked as if she were studying a picture..his face..searching for that hidden answer that he had tried to hide away. But it was no use..only one person would ever be able to read him..and she was almost finished.

"Inu Yasha...?"

"Y..yes Kagome..?" He swallowed hard. What...what was she going to say?

"Can..can we go outside..?" He almost fell over with anticipation at the comment. He regained himself and nodded, taking her hand and leading her back outside from where he came in. The night air was warm and yet comfortable. They made their way over to one of the lunch tables underneath one of the lights on the campus, sitting down besides eachother on the bench, neither one speaking. There was a silence for a few minutes, each giving quick glances over at eachother and then looking away quickly. Inu Yasha scolded himself on the inside for having said those words. How could he give himself away like that so easily? It was her..it was just seeing her that made him melt like butter. He gathered himself up and took a deep breath. He had to break this silence, he had to do something to end this tension that was so thick that it could've been cut with a knife. He turned to her quickly, it was now time, it was now or never!

"Kagome, I-!" He was suddenly cut off and almost knocked off the bench as he felt Kagome leap into his arms, her warm lips pressing against his own gently and softly, and yet, full of a strong passion that seemed to strike through him like a lightning bolt. His eyes grew wide as they glanced down at her, her arms around his neck and her eyes closed, seeming to sink deeper and deeper into this which she had only dreamt about in her mind. The first time he had ever felt lips upon his own were those cold lips of Kikyou when she had kissed him that night so long ago. He remembered seeing Kagome's face when she was confronted about the fact that he had kissed Kikyou. She looked so sad..and so hurt..and even though he didn't say it, his heart broke when he saw those eyes. But now, as he watched her kiss him, his heart had finally began to mend, and he felt the pounding in his chest return of his heart. Was..was this it? Was this what he had so longed for when Kikyou was alive? No..no this couldn't have been it. Yes, he did love Kikyou, but that was in the past. When he had finally felt those lips on his own, all those dreams, all those hopes that he had wanted so long ago whenever he dreamed of finally being with Kikyou, were not there. It was as empty as her eyes. He had been sealed away in that frozen state until the warmth that he needed would unfreeze that heart. And now, he felt that warmth, and he wrapped his arms around it tightly and welcomed it with an open heart. He wanted to save this warmth, to bottle it up and away forever, but for now, all he wanted to do was meld with the warmth and close his eyes, never wanting to leave this moment of true love.

She finally pulled herself from the endless bliss she had just felt and brought herself back into reality. What was she thinking?! How could she have done something like that, so unprompted! She knew exactly what she was thinking, and surprisingly, it didn't scare her. All of her thoughts of dread and fear of him pushing her away where all pushed away as soon as she felt those strong arms wrap around her, his lips entwining with her own underneath the black sky, the new moon. It all had seemed to happen in one big blur, but as her eyes slowly opened to find his own looking right back into her own, it all had come together in those three simple yet powerful words.

Whatever happened

I know that I was wrong

Can you believe me?

Maybe your faith is gone...

But I love you and always will

So I wonder if you love me still

Can you forgive me and open your heart once again...?

"My..first kiss.." she whispered to him as a smile crept over his lips. She shook her head and looked away, scolding herself mentally. No! Wrong three words! She looked back to him with a little sigh. As much as she wanted to say it, it seemed as if those words would never come out. She went to speak but his finger slowly went back to her lips, tracing the outline of her lips lightly with his fingertip and then tucking it beneath her chin, drawing her closer until her ear was right against his lips.

"Aishiteru...Kagome.." Those whispered words and his breath against her ear made her whole body shiver. Her heart was pounding in her chest and she could feel her hands shaking a little. Had she just heard those words come from his mouth..? She leaned back so that she could look him in the eyes. Those deep hazel pools of his began to pull her back into their endless abyss but she fought it off long enough before giving back in. She had to know if this was the truth or just some cruel joke Kami-sama wanted to play on her. It was then that he reached into his pocket and pulled something out from it. She looked towards his hand and followed it until both hands went up behind her neck. She felt the strong aura around her as it fell down to the base of her neck, its familiar and strong glow casting a bright light in the dark night. She smiled gently as she looked down to Inu Yasha, staring up at her with a serious yet gentle look on his face.

"I need you to help me finish this...so that when it's finally complete..we can come back here to your school and have more of these things you call a 'prom.'" She blinked a few times in confusion and tilted her head slightly at him. What was he saying..?

"Inu Yasha..you know there is no way I could hide you in my world while you were a full demon.." She said quietly. He smiled at her softly and gently ran his fingers through those ringlet and then traced his fingertip along her jawline and then down to where the jewel hung.

"Why would you need to hide me if I were one like you..?" It was then that her heart had stopped. He..he wanted to become a human?! But..but after so many arguments..after so many times of hearing how he was going to become a full youkai, was he actually going to become a human..for her..?

"Inu..Yasha..?"

"Kagome..all my life I wanted to find a place to call my own..to actually find one side to be on. I couldn't be a human and I couldn't be a demon. Finding out about the Shikon no Tama gave me the hope of finally finding my place. When Kikyou protected it..I had wanted it to become a full demon, to know longer hear the jeers of the other demons of being called a 'half breed.' But I couldn't get it from her..and then she died..and I had become weak..thinking for that one moment that instead of becoming a demon I would become a human for her...but when you came back with the Tama, I thought I had finally found my second chance. But now I see..that I don't want the jewel at all..the only reason I want you to be here to help me find the jewel shards is because I want you here besides me. I need you with me..and I don't care if it takes another 50 years to complete this jewel..atleast it will be 50 years with you by my side..I want..I want to grow old with you Kagome..I never want to lose you..I lost Kikyou..and now I realize..that all this time it wasn't her I saw in you..it was you that I saw..and it was you that I helplessly fell for..she..she is now a moment in the past..but you..you are my future..and I will do anything to spend this future with you.."

She buried her face back into his chest and held him tightly, the tears of joy running down her cheeks and onto his shirt. He held her tightly against him and drowned once again in the warmth. She listened to the beat of his heart as she lay there, crying softly in joy and in disbelief. All those times that she thought he wanted the jewel were those moments that he wanted her to stay with him. She knew..then and there..as she listened to the gentle beat of his heart, the warmth around her in those strong arms and this person whom she had come to love so long ago, that her own mission was complete.

"Aishiteru Inu Yasha...I love you too..." She whispered softly to him and to the night..and the new moon.

When Kagome awoke, she found herself in her bed in her bedroom, still dressed in her Amber prom dress, the covers pulled up against her snuggly. She sat up slowly, stretching and yawning and trying to rub the sleepiness from her eyes. She then remembered what she had happened last night and she looked around quickly for him, hoping that he was still here.

"Inu Yasha??" She looked to the window sill and the tree but his presence was not there. She frowned slightly and slipped out from her bed, shuffling downstairs to find herself greeted by her mother who was making pancakes in the kitchen. She turned towards Kagome and smiled brightly, laying another pancake onto a plate and offering the plate towards her.

"Good morning Kagome. Hungry?" Her mother said cheerfully. Kagome looked towards the plate and shook her head slowly before walking over and sitting down in one of the kitchen table's chairs. Her mother turned away from the oven and set the plate down onto the table before sitting in the adjacent chair besides Kagome's, looking towards her daughter with a slight smile.

"Kagome..what's wrong?"

"Mama..what happened last night..?"

"Well..you went to the prom and then you came back here.."

"Did..did Inu Yasha show up..?"

"What do you mean Kagome?" Her mother smiled a little to herself. Kagome looked down towards her hands and then caught, in the corner of her eye, the glint from her mother's shoes that she still wore. She slipped the shoes off and handed them back to her mother with a tiny smile. Her mother took them and looked to Kagome as she saw her daughter try and avoid the question.

"Did they bring you luck last night Kagome..?

"I don't know mama..I thought they did..but I think that I was dreaming.."

"I'm sorry to hear that Kagome..you know..I think a nice walk around the Shrine will do you some good to help clear your mind. Who knows, maybe it will help your memory?" She said happily as she stood back up from the table and turned towards the stairs, walking back up to her room with a large smile across her face.

Kagome watched her mother leave and decided to take her advice. She probably was dreaming. Only something as perfect as that would only happen in a dream. She made her way back up to her bedroom and changed into her usual clothes and headed back down the steps and out the back door of the kitchen into the Shrine's area. She walked along the cobble stone path towards where the mini shrine lay. The warm light from the sun made her body feel much better against the cold feeling of realization that what she had hoped happened but actually just another dream. She finally arrived at the entrance of the minishrine and looked down inside until she caught view of the well that lead back to..to him. She looked down, away from it, her heart beginning to ache. She leaned herself against the side of the door and sighed softly. She wanted to just erase the pain that this was causing and just wake up from this nightmare that kept haunting her.

"So you finally decided to wake up.." She sat up startled at the voice and spun around, only to be greeted by those deep amber eyes and that body that only stood an inch away from her. She looked up towards him, stammering slightly for those words. He..he was here? Does that mean then..? She looked into his eyes and then followed the loose white strands of hair that hung down against his face. He had his old kimono back on with the faithful Tetsusaiga by his side. His face was stern as usual but as she looked closer, she found gentleness in his eyes. He reached out slowly and touched the base of her neck where the Shikon No Tama still laid against her smooth skin. She looked down at his hand and became startled, since she woke up, finally realizing that it had hung around her neck. She looked back up towards him and went to speak but his fingertip pressed against her lips gently and that soft smile appeared over his lips once again as he leaned down and softly pressed his own against hers. The feeling of warmth flooded back through them as was cut off slightly as he leaned back only a bit so that their lips barely touched as he whispered to her. "I've been waiting all morning for you to wake up so that I could do that again.." She felt her cheeks grow warm with her blush as she looked up towards him and smiled. This..this was no dream. He walked past her and went down the steps of the shrine until he was at the bottom. She raised her eyebrow curiously at him as he reached down and pulled her bag up from the ground and slung it over his shoulder. He smiled at her and extended his hand out towards her.

"Kagome..? Would you honor me in helping complete my mission..so that I can finally begin my destiny with the one who has mended this broken heart..?"

Kagome turned back towards her house and saw her mother standing in the kitchen doorway with a smile on her face. Kagome smiled back to her mother and saw her nod in approval before turning back to Inu Yasha, walking down the steps and taking ahold of his hand. Their fingers entwindled and held on as though they would never let go again as they both stepped up onto the well's lip. With one last look at eachother, they smiled and looked down into the welcoming darkness of the well and jumped inside, cutting through time but mending a future...together...