On the soft, damp grass, Inuyasha slowly came to. Before him stretched a broad lotus pond, filled with round, emerald-green leaves and tiny white blossoms. A small pavilion stood at its center. The familiar yet unfamiliar scenery drew a quiet question from him. "What... where is this?"
"This is the boundary between the world of the living and the underworld." A beautiful woman in luxurious robes approached him slowly from behind, answering gently. "Your mother has to return to the underworld from here."
Inuyasha quickly turned and rose from the ground, looking a little forlorn. "To the underworld... right. You died a long time ago, Mom." As he spoke, his gaze drifted involuntarily aside, unwilling to look directly at the mother he was about to lose again.
The beautiful woman said nothing and slowly turned to walk away. Inuyasha glanced back at Kagome, who had yet to awaken. Seeing that she was still asleep, he followed his mother to talk to her first. After so many years apart, he had so much he wanted to say, yet he had no idea where to begin...
"You've grown into a man, Inuyasha." Her voice drifted back to him, full of affection.
"That's because... because I was only a child when you died, Mom." Inuyasha looked away, a little embarrassed.
"Back then, I couldn't do anything for you. I could only leave you to survive on your own. I'm sorry for leaving you with such painful memories." The gentle woman turned to gaze at him, tears in her eyes.
"That wasn't your fault, Mom." Inuyasha shifted awkwardly. It had been a very, very long time since anyone had treated him this way.
"Inuyasha..." The beautiful woman spoke his name tenderly, just as she had in his childhood.
Lying on the grass, Kagome slowly