Title: Helping Him Survive
Author: SakuraRyuu
Rating: K
Genre: Angst, Canon, Comfort, Family
Characters: Inuyasha, Izayoi
Author's Note: Inuyasha and all characters in this fan fiction are the property of Rumiko Takahashi.
Izayoi found herself worrying more and more about her son as she aged and he didn't. She had known he would outlive her but she hadn't expected this. Although she had aged well the signs of her aging did not go unnoticed by her. Her skin was losing its elasticity, her long hair was becoming brittle and grey, she didn't stand as tall as she used to, and her movements were slowing. While her son looked a mere 10 years old he had been born some 25 years ago. She was finding it harder to keep up with the boy's energy and he showed no signs of slowing down on her account.
As Izayoi faced her own mortality she had hoped her son would be closer to adult hood then barely more than a child when she passed on. She also hoped with a mother's heart Inuyasha would be okay and his future experiences wouldn't turn her treasured boy bitter. She knew he would have to harden himself to survive but it was her prayer his sensitive nature wouldn't suffer. He was a kind child, giving and concerned for others. He was social, enjoying the company of other children and watching the men in their company from afar, trying to learn all he could. He was naturally curious and attentive and his mother took this opportunity to educate him in any way she could.
Inuyasha understood his Mother aged differently than him because of his demon heritage and he understood she worried for him. To offer her comfort he would pay close attention to anything she tried to teach him so he would be able to provide for himself. He was an apt pupil and that made her proud. She had taught him manners, etiquette, and politeness. He learned about herbs and remedies so he could heal himself. She taught him how to read and write so he would be able to communicate. With her help he learned how to stalk and hunt prey, and then she taught him about cooking and recipes so he could feed himself. She taught him about making shelter in case he couldn't find a safe haven.
She had tried her best to prepare Inuyasha for a life without her by teaching him basic skills but that didn't keep Izayoi from worrying about what would happen to him after she was gone. She knew he could survive, but he was young and the world they lived in was cruel to creatures such as him. She had seen how humans treated him and could only imagine how much worse demons would be. Both species felt his death was the only appropriate course of action for her beautiful boy and she wouldn't be able to protect him from beyond the grave. She knew nothing about raising a demon and all the information they would need to function in that world but she hoped what she had been able to give him would be enough.