Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha and company they are the creation of Rumiko Takahashi. I do however own the plot and the other characters there in.

A/n: Well thank you for all your reviews. I really appreciate the positive feed back. So thanks. Any way I figured I would get into the main part of the story instead of sticking to the finer details. So here is the story.

"Talking"; 'Thinking' ; (me)

Chapter Nine: Will Things Still be the Same.

Izayoi had sent her letters to Sesshoumaru and the Wolf demon tribe in the East. Now she

stood outside waiting for a reply from both. She knew it would take longer for the Wolf demon's to answer her than it would her step son Sesshoumaru. Just then an Eagle arrived. Izayoi knew that the Eagle was one of Sesshoumaru's faithful demon messengers. She raised her arm and waved to the Eagle. He started to come towards her and just before he hit the ground he changed into his human form. He walked over to her and bowed.

The Eagle said, "Hello Lady Izayoi. I have a message from Lord Sesshoumaru."

She said, "Hello Kado and thank you."

She took the letter and Kado waited for her to read the letter. To see is there was a reply to it that he would have to send back. Izayoi opened the seal which was the same as his father's seal. It was a shrine Guardian or more like it their true form.

Izayoi said, "You can go in the den and see the children if you want to Kado. You haven't seen Inuyasha since the day he was born and I have another son as well. I adopted the second one though."

Kado said, "Thank you Lady Izayoi."

Kado went into the den to see the children while Izayoi read the letter Sesshoumaru had sent her.

Mother,

Thank you for the invitation first off and I love you too. You are my mother as well whether you gave birth to me or not. I will take Inuyasha for one month to train him in our father's absence. I will not do anything to ruin his relationship with his adopted brother Kouga. I am glad Inuyasha has someone his own age that doesn't hate him for being a half demon. I know its hard because you know I am a half demon as well. My mother was a neko youkai. So I am half cat demon and half dog demon. So there is a lot of controversy as to whether or not I am going to be a great lord like my father.

Lord Ronin said it was you who turned him mind. So I want to thank you for allowing me the chance to prove myself as a Lord. I promise you I will make you and father proud of me. I will be a better Lord than father was.

I will personally come and get my little brother from you. I will come in three days to retrieve my ototo from you. That way you are there when I meet him and Kouga. I know it will take three days for Kouga to get there so send them off at the same time that way one doesn't get started before the other one. It will take me three days to get there on foot and it will take us three days to get back as well. That way Kouga and Inuyasha travel the same amount of time. I will see you in three days mother. Be well and live life fully.

Lord Sesshoumaru of the Western Lands.

(I know sesshoumaru is out of character but deal with it people.)

Izayoi smiled to herself. She knew it was hard for Sesshoumaru to admit his mother was not a dog demon like his father. He had always denied it when asked about it because it was hard not to. If anyone ever found out he was a half demon they were never seen again. She knew exactly what she was going to do for Sesshoumaru. Kado had come back outside and was just behind her.

She said, "Tell Sesshoumaru I will see him in three days and thank you."

Kado said, "Alright I will."

With that said Kado left back for the Western Lands. He left just before an arrow hit the ground not too far from where he had stood. Izayoi knew it was from the Wolf demon's so she went over and grabbed the arrow and took off the rolled up paper. She read the letter they sent her with intrigue.

Dear Lady Izayoi,

I am the leader of the wolf demon's my name is Taro. Riku and Rika were part of my tribe so our council of elders has said he can come and train with us since he is part of our tribe. There is one condition though. He can stay a month here then go home to you only if you switch them for a month. Your son Inuyasha will come train with us while Kouga goes to your step son Sesshoumaru for training. That is the condition our elders have set up. I know you said that he can make it here on his own but I will come and get him myself since he will be trained under me alone. He will be trained as our next tribe leader. That is what was foreseen by our seer. Our elders think this is the best thing to do so neither knows something the other doesn't.

I will personally come and get him from you. I will be there in three days time so please have him packed and ready to go. You must be very trust worthy person or else Rika would never have given you her son. So I am grateful that you have taken care of him. Riku was my little brother and I didn't know what happened to them so thank you for telling me what happened to my younger brother. Kouga is my oi or nephew in your language. Thank you for taking care of him for me. I will not tell him if he doesn't know that he isn't your child you can introduce me as what ever you please. I will see you in three days. I am leaving after I send this to you so please do not reply to it.

Taro leader of the ookami tribe of the East.

Izayoi put the letter away then went to get ready for bed herself. In the morning she was

going to tell her sons that they were each going away somewhere for a month apart. She knew this was going to be torture for them. And that they were both leaving in three days. She knew her step son had left after telling her he was going to come and get Inuyasha himself.

The next morning Izayoi was up making breakfast when the boys woke up. They both went over to their mother and hugged her tightly. They smiled because they missed her while they had been gone and her cooking.

Izayoi said, "After breakfast I am going to take you two somewhere special and I need to talk to you two and I hope you won't be mad at me or hate me for what I am going to say."

Inuyasha said, "Why would we be mad or hate you mommy?"

Kouga said, "We could never hate you or be mad at you mother."

Izayoi said, "I will tell you when we get to where we are going my sweets not before."

After breakfast they all headed to a place pretty far from their home. It was beautiful waterfall in it as well. Both Kouga and Inuyasha gasped at how beautiful it was. It was completely untouched by anything. Near the waterfall they saw two stone statues of the same symbol. They went over to the waterfall and looked into the pool of water.

Inuyasha said, "Its beautiful momma."

Kouga said, "Yeah mommy its beautiful just like you. Its just as peaceful as your heat and scent."

Izayoi smiled and said, "Thank you Kouga and Inuyasha. But I need you to come and sit with me for a minute."

Izayoi went over to the stone statues and sat down in front of them. Her sons went over to her and sat in front of her. To her right were the statues and she smiled at them. Izayoi knew it was time to tell her sons the truth about what had happened the night they were born and why she cared for them both.

Izayoi said, "Do either of you know what this symbol means?"

Both boys said, "Its Nina's symbol momma."

Izayoi said, "Who is Nina?"

They said, "Nina is our goddess. She is the one that watches over wolves and dog demons."

Izayoi said, "Do you know what these stones mean and why there are names on them?"

Both boys looked at the stones and saw the names they looked at there mom.

They said, "No mommy."

Izayoi said, "These are graves sweet hearts. These two graves are for people I met the day you two were born. They gave their lives to protect you two."

Kouga said, "Why did they do that momma?"

Inuyasha said, "Yeah why would they willing die to protect Kyodai and me?"

Izayoi said, "They did it because they loved you Kouga. There is something I haven't told you Kouga and you are old enough to know now."

Kouga said, "What do you mean momma?"

Izayoi said, "First off Kouga I am not your real mother. I took you in after your parents were killed. It is true that you two were born the same night at the same time but you two are total opposites. Kouga dear you are an Ookami while you Inuyasha are an Inu hanyou. These two graves Kouga are your real parents. They gave their lives to protect you and Inuyasha. Your mother's only wish was that I take care of you and tell you what they did for you and Inuyasha."

Kouga looked at the graves and knew he had no memory of them. He knew that it hurt for him to find out that everything he had known was a lie but he knew something else. It didn't matter who his real mother was the woman in front of him was his mother no matter what and so what if Inuyasha turned out not to be his real brother it didn't matter to him in one bit. Inuyasha was his Kyodai no matter what.

Kouga said, "I don't care if you are not the one who gave birth to me. I have no memory of these people. I know they are my parents but all I have is a memory of a scent and a heartbeat that is all and voices."

Kouga looked at Izayoi and smiled at her. She looked back at him and smiled a small smile.

Kouga said, "You may not have given birth to me like you did Inuyasha but I don't care you are my mommy and that will never change. Inuyasha is my Kyodai no matter what anyone says. No one will make me think different about that. You are my family now and always will be."

Kouga went over to his mother and hugged her tightly. Izayoi smiled to herself and hugged her son tightly. She looked at Inuyasha and smiled he smiled back at her and hugged her too. She held both her boys tightly while she cried silent tears which they noticed.

Kouga said, "Momma why are you crying?"

Izayoi said, "I have something else to tell you two. Please sit back down."

Both Kouga and Inuyasha sat back down in their spots to see what their mother would say. Izayoi wiped the tears from her eyes and smiled to herself. She had really brave and courageous children. They didn't care who they were to each other they were a family and that made her happy.