A Change

Disclaimer: Don't own it, not making any money from it, but I love it! :)

Now, some people asked questions and made comments when they reviewed, and so to some of them, but not all, I will reply. I don't want to take up a bunch of space that is not my story. :)

Junsei Hyakuhei: Thanks! Don't worry, Kagome will never be evil, she just needs that dark energy for the change to take place. :)

Chibi-Kerochan: Thank you so much for the boost of confidence, and I can leave cliff hangers because I'm the author!evil grin giggle

-*thoughts*

-Ba-san/ baba, is Inuyasha's nickname for Kaede. Means old woman or something. :)

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Chapter 3: A Beginning

Inuyasha held Kagome closer to him as the neared the village. The rest of the group had been walking back from the battle field in relative silence and it was making Inuyasha jumpy. Even Shippo had not tried to attack him so that he could see Kagome and that meant that they had seen what happened and didn't want to reveal what had gone on.

*What did you mean Kagome? How did you save me? And why did you collapse?* Inuyasha thought as he looked over to Miroku. Inuyasha growled low in his throat and caught the monk's attention. " Okay Houshi, tell me what the hell happened and what is going on?" Miroku looked over at the agitated hanyou and saw that his gold eyes were glowing like they were on fire. He was pisses. Miroku sighed and turned to face the half demon as they walked.

"When you told Kagome to leave she listened and took us with her. We had gotten only a few meadows when she heard you scream of pain and turned to come back, we couldn't stop her, she was to fast. We didn't see everything, but when we got there she was standing over you in the way of the miasma beam, and using the shard of the Shikon to purify it and send her own stream back at Naraku, hurting him and forcing him to retreat. We think she used a lot of her own energy because of what happened after she woke you up. She was right though. She did get to finally save your life, but it might have caused her great harm in the process." Miroku finished as he turned back to the trail and didn't see the Inu-hanyou's shocked look at the girl in his arms, the look softening as she burrowed further into his robes.

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Inuyasha sighed in relief as they approached the village. The only reassurance he had about Kagome still being alive was the fact that he could feel her breathing against him, because after she had moved against him she had gone deathly still and pale. Inuyasha sprang forward toward the Kaede-baba's hut as soon as it came in sight. He was worried about the normally vibrant girl, though he was trying his hardest not to show it the other's in his group. They were like a pack to him, but the pack was never exposed to it leader's weaknesses. As he pulled open the paper door to Kaede's house he called to the old women

"Oi! Ba-san! Ya' here?"

"Yes Inuyasha I'm here. Now what can I do for ye?" Kaede's voice echoed from here room as she emerged from it.

"It's Kagome. She did something crazy with the shards of the Shikon to help me and now she's gone all pale and still. You need to heal her." This was all said in his normal gruff tone, but inside he was shaking. *What if Kaede can't heal her? Or if something's gone horribly wrong and the Shikon does something to her? I can't, WON't, lose Kagome too! I've lost everyone else who's cared for me. I won't lose her too!* (an:TeeHee!) Inuyasha was still holding Kagome as he thought this and he squeezed her tighter as if he was afraid she would disappear. Kaede came over to the hanyou and looked at Kagome, her pale skin and soft breathing.

"Take the lass to her room and lay her out. I'll come take a look after grabbing some herbs. This does look serious, but I have no idea what's happening. I'll have to look at her more closely before I can decide. Go now Inuyasha, put Kagome down there." Inuyasha did as he was bade and place Kagome gently on the futon in her room he then moved to her side closest to the wall and sat, out of the way of Kaede, but close enough to react if anything happened. Kaede came in but didn't comment on his position, just went about her normal routine checking Kagome's vitals. Kaede was starting to remove Kagome's clothes to check for wound marks when she turned around. "Ye'll have to turn around Inuyasha. She maybe unconscious, but I'll not have you disrespecting her privacy." Inuyasha snorted at the old women, but did as was asked. He didn't want to get 'sat' by Kagome when she woke up for something as petty as watching her getting checked over by Kaede. He huffed an annoyed breath, "You done yet baba?"

"Patience Inuyasha, I'm merely resetting her clothes. You may turn around now." Kaede informed the disgruntled hanyou. He looked at her inquisitively and Kaede sighed.

"There seems to be nothing wrong with her, besides the fact that she needs to get a lot of rest. Her skin is pale, but that could be from the drain on her energy, and her breathing is shallow, but that could be her body's way of conserving energy so that it can rebuild its supply." Inuyasha looked sourly at the old women.

"That's not a good enough answer! She's laying there looking dead from an attack of Naraku's and you're telling me that nothing's wrong with her that's a load of crap!" He yelled not cussing at the old woman, because she was his only chance of making Kagome better. Kaede sighed at him again.

"I know that you are worried about her Inuyasha, but there is nothing either you or I can do for her right now. We'll just have to wait and see what happens, and hope that she awakes healthy." Inuyasha growled at her low in his throat

"Get out baba. Now." Inuyasha moved toward the sleeping Kagome and watched as she leveled herself off the floor and to the door.

"I will place food for you and Kagome, and Kagome's medicine outside the door for you. I will make sure no one bothers you." Inuyasha responded with a small nod of his head, but his gaze stayed with Kagome. He brushed here hair out of her eyes and looked sorrowfully down at her.*She got through my shields once and learned what I felt for her. And she got hurt, it won't happen again. I can't take back those words, but I must start finding ways to make myself stronger, to protect her. As soon as she wakes up, I'll look into doing just that.*

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Shippo sighed longingly as he looked at the door that led to Kagome's room. It had been a week now and Kagome hadn't woken up and Inuyasha hadn't appeared from that room. Kaede had left food and medicine at the door each day and when no one was around the food would disappear inside. The first time Shippo tried to get inside that room he had been soundly bopped. He had made it all the way to Kagome's bedside and had been about to pounce when Inuyasha had risen from his sleeping position next to Kagome and grabbed the offending ball of russet fur. Inuyasha had growled low and long at him, and Shippo had understood. Kagome was off limits, for as long as they were in that room tougher no one was to come in a bother them. It had seemed that Inuyasha had reverted to an almost Youaki state and Shippo was nervous. He might have been young, but he wasn't dumb. Inuyasha was that way because he was protecting Kagome and he didn't want anything happening to her, but that meant Inuyasha must have felt something for Shippo's surrogate mother and that he didn't like. What was Inuyasha going to do to Kagome? He was going to monopolize her time, just like he was doing now, and Kagome would forget all about him that's what! But he wasn't going to let that happen, oh no. As soon as Kagome got better and out of that room, he, Shippo, was going to distract all her thoughts from Inuyasha to him! Inuyasha was never going to take Kagome away from him, but if he asked really nice, maybe he'd be willing to share.

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Inuyasha rested on the floor beside Kagome, his arms where wrapped around his sword as that he could defend Kagome at a moments notice. His eyes were closed in what looked like sleep, shading his vivid golden eyes and his head rested on the top layer of his red fire rat robe, but his ears twitched constantly at every sound so one could tell that this hanyou was not actually asleep, but on high alert. This last week with Kagome out cold had left him irritable and high strung; this blasted girl just needed to wake up! Or at least twitch, Kagome hadn't moved a muscle in the whole week and he had keep her alive by forcefully feeding her and dribbling water down her throat. She accepted this easily and swallowed well, but other than that she had yet to make a sound. Inuyasha sighed as he rolled over onto his elbow and leveled himself up to look down on Kagome, that's when she twitched. Inuyasha had been staring at her so hard that he almost missed the minute movement, he was beginning to believe that he had imagined it when Kagome moved again, this time adding in a painful moan to accompany the movement. Inuyasha watched avidly, but she didn't wake, she only kept moving and moaning as if she was in pain. Inuyasha looked at her worriedly, "Kagome? Wake up. What's wrong with you?" Inuyasha moved toward Kagome and shook her gently. But instead of waking she clutched at his hand and hissed in pain. That's when the changes started. Inuyasha watched in surprise as Kagome's hair started to lengthen and slowly sliver streaks edged with blue appeared in her hair. It continued to grow until it reached her knees, and when that finally stopped he noticed that her ears were moving. They slid from the side of her head to the top and became the same shape as his, but they were black tipped with silver and blended perfectly with her hair. He was even more shocked when the nails on her hands sharpened and strengthened becoming more feminine claws with black tips. He noticed also that her feet seemed to have grown slightly along with the fact that her toe nails had formed into sharp, sturdy, claws as well. He was watching in rapt attention to see what else would happen when Kagome started to glow a bright white tinged with blue and though it was hard to look at he could see something settling into Kagome's body with her. He was so astounded that he couldn't move and when he finally tried to so he could stop that thing from entering her body, Inuyasha found that he couldn't. He strained against whatever force was holding him back, but it was no use. *NO goddamit! Why can't I move?! I'm supposed to help Kagome and protect her, but this thing is invading her body and all I can do is watch! Shimatta!* Inuyasha slumped in the magic's embrace and it released him, but as he went to cut the spirit with his sword he saw that it had already entered Kagome's body. Inuyasha snarled in rage, but all he could do was watch as Kagome's body changed. She seemed to grow up, was the only way Inuyasha could explain it. Kagome grew a few inches in height, though she was still shorter than Inuyasha, and she finally filled out in the chest and hips. Her faced changed as well adding a few years of maturity to her features along with a shadowing of a she-bitch youkai as well. Then at last she was coated from head to foot in a very light covering of slightly tan fur, making her skin darker and also making her look more exotic. Inuyasha stood stupefied and with his mouth hanging open at the changes as he watched her lower to the floor. *I'm glad Kaede left her in only loose robes and sheets* He thought inanely, *I wouldn't have liked to see her clothes burst with all these changes!* Inuyasha looked at Kagome fully and gulped as last of all her scent changed. Where before she had smelled like a human she now smelled like a hanyou, like him! And, her realized, she was like him now. Kagome looked like an Inu-hanyou, maybe a southern Inu-hanyou, but an Inu-hanyou none the less. Inuyasha grinned goofily at the girl and was still watching her when he noticed her eyes start to flutter. He sat down with a *thump!* at her side in surprise.

"In..uya..sha?" Came Kagome's weak voice. "Where are you?" She called breathily still not able to see him. Inuyasha reached out his hand and took hers. He spoke very quietly to her, knowing that her hearing would be very sensitive now. "I'm right here Kagome, you just have to open you eyes." He encouraged her. He had wanted to see her eyes all weak, because if he could see her eyes he knew she was awake and would be alright. Kagome's eye's fluttered some more and then, finally, slowly, opened. Inuyasha gasped as he saw her eyes had changed as well, they were still blue, but with flecks of silver and a darker blue were dispersed throughout. He smiled slowly at her and she grinned back at him.

"What..happened..to me?" Kagome questioned. Inuyasha looked at her and reluctantly replied, "You saved me from Naraku Kagome, but it turned you into a Hanyou for some reason." Kagome blinked at him in surprise, but he was shocked to find that a smile spread across her face.

"Oh yes, that's right." Inuyasha almost face vaulted. "Kagome what are you talking about 'oh yes, that's right'; you knew?!" Kagome looked at him calmly.

"I didn't know when I helped you that this was going to happen no, but as I lay sleeping I realized that I was sharing my mind with some one. We had an interesting conversation." Kagome was starting to sit up at this time and Inuyasha put an arm around her to steady her looking incredulous.

"An interesting conversation? Are you sure you didn't hit your head when you collapsed?"

"No Inuyasha, I really do have another person in my head. That's what took me so long to wake up, we had to come to an agreement. Two people can't reside in one mind at the same time and have it function properly." Kagome smiled at Inuyasha.

"Okay…So what did you all agree on, and who is this person?" Inuyasha demanded, Kagome only smiled at him again and turned toward him. "Her name is Astrid, princess of the Southern Dog Clan, and we agreed that I was allowed to keep control over my body and that she would fully integrate with me, no longer contesting for dominance if I agreed to one thing."

"Oh, and what's that?" Inuyasha snapped.

"That I kill Naraku with my own hands."

To be continued……….

DWC: Don't you all just love me Big grin, watches angry faces and grin slips as she ducks behind a table Don't hurt me! All I ask for is a few reviews and I promise to write again as soon as I can, but I have a few tests so It will either be like this Sunday, or not until like Thursday. So keep those reviews flowing and I promise that the chapters will keep flowing! :) Bye-bye And DWC Flees the scene.