Disclaimer- No matter how much I want to, no matter how much I beg and plead, no matter how many times I apply for him at the IAI (International Association of Inuyasha)… they won't give him to me!

Notes- All right, so this is an odd topic. Inuyasha's mother. Really we only see her in a few brief clips throughout the series, no? So I thought I would write a fic about her… because there probably aren't many. Oddly enough, Inuyasha is telling this story and he's using a very mature, poetic voice (go figure). For those of you out there that haven't heard Inuyasha use five curses in the same sentence, this is NOT how he talks! Anyway and otherwise, I consider this one of my better pieces. It's very graphic and lyrical while not having as much eroticism as I usually use in my work. For those of you that are looking for a lemon, you'll be disappointed… just so you know. So, I hope everyone has as much a good time reading this as I had writing it!

A Mother's Triumph

The evening was full of blissful peace on the night I was born, contrary to popular belief. The crickets had been singing their happy song and the fireflies danced, oblivious to the fact that I was about to come into this world. My mother had been in her apartment at that time. She had been brushing her long, dark hair and thinking of names for me as I kicked within her. I wanted out, and she knew it! But she laughed and said to me, "Not yet, little one." And so, I lay in wait for the membrane surrounding me to break and for me to be able to leave my sultry prison. A little before my mother had gone to bed, she had peeked out the door, sliding it open nervously and letting in the cool spring air. She saw my father, still quite awake and sweating profusely, sparring with one of his underlings. My older brother Sesshomoaru, then about seven years old, looked on and smelled the air as my mother peeked out of her room. He looked at her with hateful eyes, and then back to our father. My mother recoiled silently and crawled into bed, "Be born soon, little one. I'm in dire need of a friend." And soon, she got her wish.

A few hours before the dawn, her water broke and she alerted her handmaidens with a muffled scream. They immediately surrounded her, and my father was notified. As he looked on to my mother giving birth, a blood red sun rose, filling the sky with unearthly redness. Then, just as the morning turned pink, I was born and my mother was exhausted. She lay in her bed, covered in the fluids of my birth, smiling contently. Her hair was matted from the struggle, but I suppose she had been beautiful to my father all the same. As soon as I was cleaned and wrapped, my silver-white hair freed from its stickiness and my tiny ears allowed to stand up on their own, my father took me from the nurse and held me for all to see. He looked at me and smiled secretively. Then, he nodded to my mother, as if commending her on having birthed me. "I like this one. He will make a good heir to my fortunes." Then, he crouched down to my mother and handed me to her, "Take excellent care of him… and yourself as well. Tonight, we will feast." Then, he left, followed closely by his best lords and his wife as well. However, Sesshomoaru stayed behind and looked at me closely, leaning in towards my mother to have a better look. Then, he said quite icily, "He's a half-demon. And I didn't ask for a brother."

That evening, even though I didn't know it or care, there was a feast in mine and my mother's honor. Still pale from childbirth, she sat in a loose-fitting kimono next to my father, who sat at the head of the table. His wife sat next to him, and Sesshomoaru next to her. Now, let me tell you a bit about my family before I go on.

My father, stepmother, and brother are all full-blooded demons. They're dog demons and, when provoked, all could turn into a gigantic dog and, well, wreak havoc. But, by some magical spell, the three of them were able to stay in a humanlike form. I liked my father the best of the three of them. He was very tall with waist-long silver hair and pointed ears in his human form. He had lime green eyes and milk white skin, and his claws were long and sharp, indicative of his high rank as overlord of all this land. But, what I liked the most about him, was the blue crescent moon that sat high on his brow. It curved elegantly and I often came to see my own mother tracing it playfully whenever she was within reach of my father. Sesshomoaru's mother, my father's wife, was very regal looking as well and, despite the hauteur of her features and the look that was forever on her face of someone that had just been presented with a foul smell, I guess you could say she was lovely. Her hair was silver-blue and, when left down, reached well past her waist. But, more often then not, it was up in some sort of classic geisha style. Her eyes were yellow and, when she smiled, she pressed her lips together in a pretty little rose bud, concealing her emotions from everyone. Her claws here longer than my fathers, and often dyed with special inks, and she had a moon shape on her head as well, though not nearly as elegant, or as blue. Then, there was my brother that, to this day, I despise. He was seven years older than me and took after his mother in looks, but with my father's hair. He wasn't very muscular, but his looks were refined beyond comparison and he was worthy of the title, prince. And, before I forget her, since this story is after all, hers, there was my mother. She was a human, to start off with. And so, she looked like one. Her eyes were lovely and almond shaped, and she had very long black hair, which she kept down as a sign of her lowly status as my father's mistress. But, unlike my stepmother, who wore elaborate kimono every day, at least my mother was made for the robes. My mother was on, I guess you could say, the full side. While her breasts were round and full and her stomach muscular and strong from her days as a peasant, Sesshomoaru's mother was stick-like in comparison, and that's all there is to it.

So here my family sat that night, feasting heartily on roasts of all sorts and drinking sake to their hearts content, when it was time for the naming ceremony. At this point, I hadn't yet been in the room, and my nurse brought me in, dressed in a white and silver robe to show I was a newborn and, thus, innocent. This ceremony was traditional among us dog-demons. Before a large audience, the mother and father, plus elders and priests and priestesses, decide on a name for the newborn. It was an exciting time, and people couldn't wait to welcome the new demon into the world. I was now handed to my mother, who held me as the first "wiseman" came forward. This "things" name was Jaken and, to this day, I hate him. He's about a foot tall and looks like a frog. He is also Sesshomoaru's trainer and guardian. Jaken walked up to the table that night and stared at me with some difficulty (the table was taller than he was). He nodded, "Yes, just as Lord Sesshomoaru told me. He' s a half demon." "And what, pray tell, would he be besides a half demon?" My father had asked this and Jaken recoiled quickly, bowing low, "Forgive my blunt statement, my liege! I merely wished to state the obvious so as to…" "Jaken. Continue." "Yes, my lord." This was what I liked about my father; how much power he had over people. No matter what he had to say to a person, they listened. Now, Jaken looked at me more closely and nodded, "Lord Inumoaru, perhaps this pup would be best suited for a name that is comprised of that of his two parents?" When my father looked at him coldly, the toad gulped nervously and recoiled again, "Um… right. So, that is all I have to say, my lord." Then, he bowed his head and scurried to the back of the room. My father looked at me for a moment now, and then he indicated with his hand that the next person to come forward, should. A priest by the name of Miroranai came forward next with his son, Mikaru in tow. They bowed low before my father and I was handed to the eldest of the two. They were the only two humans present at the feast that night, besides my mother. Both of them had been called on especially for this ceremony from very far away, because they had once been friends with my father, and he would trust them with his life (that, of which, was immortal). I also found it interesting that everyone in their family had names that began with the same two letters, M and I. When the father was done handling me, I was handed over to his son. And then, I was given back to my mother and bowed to. The father spoke, "He will be a very strong, healthy half-breed. And, I believe his name should begin the same as yours, Inumoaru-san. It should begin with Inu." And then, bowing again, they backed away and took their seat at the back of the room, away from all that would dare to eat them. My father nodded now and the next person came forward. And this was how it went on for what seemed like hours. Many demons from across my father's domain came forward to greet me and make suggestions for my name. And then, my father would curtly nod them away. My mother was getting tired by then, but I was still quite awake and full of wonder at being handled so much. So finally, the last guest came forward. Well, he hopped forward. His name was Myouga… a flea. He was a small thing, barely bigger than my little finger's thickness. But he came all the same, dressed in miniscule clothes and nodding his tiny head. The first thing he did though, was hop onto my chest and suck some of my blood, which he criticized like a connoisseur of fine sake. I had screamed at this, but he was done in a second and sitting before my father and speaking in a voice that seemed much too big for such a small creature. He bowed his head, "There is much iron in this one's blood. But I can also taste some of your own, my lord. So I would say he's gone equal both ways. He's quite dog-like as well, and I can see the looks that he's gotten from both of you. But, I sense a deep-rooted demon within him, which must be suppressed later in life. And so, I agree that his name should begin with Inu, our word for dog. But also, that it should be followed boldly with the recognition of his demon side; yasha, our word for demon. Thus, it would make sense to name him Inu-yasha, my lord, and hope that he never takes it to heart." And then, he bowed his head one last time and hopped away, despite the fact that my father hadn't asked him to do so. Myouga and my father had been friends for centuries, so Myouga could get away with being rude to his master. My father, Inumoaru, trusted Myouga greatly. And so, now that they had gotten all the suggestions out of the way (it had been suggested that I be called Chottoinu (little dog), Bishoujoyasha (pretty boy demon), Kazeki (wind spirit), Kawaiki (cute spirit), Ningeninu (human dog), Hanyou (half demon), and Sorayoukai (sky demon)) it was time for my parents to make a decision. My mother and father leaned together and spoke in hushed tone, so low that my newborn years couldn't hear what was going on only a foot above my head. And then, my father stood and spread his hands, "And so it shall be! Our new born son shall be named Inuyasha!"