Title: With Time Comes Changes

Summary: Lies, Deceit, Betrayal, Love. With half the jewel in her hand and Naraku possessing the other half, the gang goes through some changes. The final battle is near, but what happens after that?

Pairing: Kouga and Kagome.

Author's Note: This is a story on how I would want Kouga and Kagome to get together. This is a love story with lies, deceit, and betrayal. The first chapter is just an update on what's been going on and how everything is right now.

***SUMMARY***

It had been 4 years since she, the priestess Kagome, had fallen fatefully down the Bone Eater's Well. 4 years of collecting the shards of the Jewel of Four Souls she so recklessly shattered. Along the way she had managed to befriend a half demon, a demon slayer with a pet fire cat demon, a cursed monk, and an orphan fox kit. The priestess made many other friends and allies that she cared deeply about. Kagome had quite grown in the years she had been in the Sengoku Era. Back home, in the modern era, she graduated high school, barely, and now all her attention was on completing the jewel. InuYasha, the half demon, was happy because of this. Now they collected the shards faster and was closer to making the jewel whole agian. Kagome only went home from time to time to restock the supplies she needed. She put off going to college to concentrate on putting the jewel back together. But in the years she has been traveling back and forth, the modern era doesn't feel the same. It doesn't feel like home anymore. Here, in the past, Kagome has felt more at home. Like she belongs here, like this era was where she was meant to be.

Being one of the first demons she met in this era, Kagome came to the conclusion that what she thought was love for InuYasha was nothing more than a fascination she had with him. Over the years she had been here, Kagome realized InuYasha had never changed. He was still the same immature, overbearing, pig-headed half dog demon she met 4 years ago. His seriousness and the ability to not take a joke or even laugh at the little things in life had an impact on Kagome's feelings toward him. The fact that he couldn't let Kikyo go also played a part. Her duty to complete the shattered jewel is what kept her traveling with InuYasha. Even though Kagome grew over the years, she still loved the little things in and about life. She always seen the positive sides to everything and being with InuYasha had more negatives than positives.

Sure she loved InuYasha, but it was a love like she loves Sango and Miroku. She cared about their well-being and safety. They were her Sengoku family. The fox kit had managed to snuggle his way into her heart and she adopted the kit as her own pup. Kagome taught Shippo how to read and write, math and some science. He grew too. Shippo was now 11 years old, but he only grew an inch or two taller. Kagome didn't know if this was normal or not. They have not encountered many fox demons on their mission. Her only fear was what was going to happen to Shippo and her when the jewel shard was completed and a wish was made. Would she stay in this era? Could she? Could she travel back and forth like she does now after it is all said and done? The not knowing is what ate Kagome up inside. Sango and Miroku had a small romance going on, but they didn't show it. Kagome figured they were waiting for Naraku's defeat before they would tell anyone. At least she didn't have to worry what would happen to those two after her mission was completed.

With the 4 years gone by, changes also inevitably happened to Kagome. No longer did she look like the teenager she was when she fell down the well. She stood at 5'6 with tan, long legs. Her stomach was flat and soft, not too muscular. Her long arms were toned from years of shooting a bow. Her long, black hair reached to the top of her butt. Her forest green eyes shined with intelligence. She didn't wear the school girl uniform anymore. Now she donned on a pair of blue jean capris that went just below the knee, a white traditional priestess haori with a red juban and red sash. On her feet she wore white ankle socks and a pair of white tennis shoes. Her hair she normally kept in a long braid to keep from getting in the way. The haori she kept tight around her stomach but loose around her large bust with the red juban showing. Kagome, being from modern times, wanted to keep her outfit modern but with a little Sengoku Era style to it. She also didn't want to look too much like Kikyo, her enemy.

Kikyo only came around every once and awhile near the tiny group. The dead priestess usually stayed away, but close enough for InuYasha to sense. Every few nights InuYasha would sneak away from the camp they set for the night to go see the dead priestess. Kagome knew this and was fine with it, but for the last couple nights he went every time. This did not sit well with her. Kagome felt something was about to happen. Something big. And she had a feeling it was involving Kikyo and Naraku. Even though Kikyo swears that she is not siding with the evil half demon, Naraku, Kagome has always sensed something different. With InuYasha involved, she is afraid that he is going to be put in the middle of something terrible.

That foreboding sense that Kagome had came into play after the tiny band of shard hunters had killed a boar demon Naraku had put a jewel shard into each of his tusks, then Kagura had showing up with some surprising news that put them where they were at now.

Kagome looked at the glowing half jewel in her hand surrounded by blood. Her blood. The slash on her hand went across her knuckles and down her wrist from where he had tried to cut open her hand to get the jewel she held with all her will. How had it got to this point? What went wrong? Why was he acting this way? She knew what she had to do, where she had to go.

***END OF SUMMARY***

Author's Note: Sorry that is chapter was so short. It was meant to be that way. I just wanted to get it across what was happening and where everything stood at that point in my story. The next chapters will be longer.

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