Note: I repeat...I do NOT own Inuyasha and co.!!!

Birthday Revelations

500 years into the future

Kagome hauled herself out of the well. Grumbling, she greeted her mother and ran off to take a bath before her mother could ask her any questions. For some reason, Kagome's mother always knew when Kagome wanted to be left alone so she let her go, only requesting Kagome to come back downstairs after her bath.

Kagome slowly stripped, revealing her well-muscled body. After 3 years in the feudal era, she was no longer a weak teenage girl. Her leg muscles were well toned. Not bulging, mind you, but curved in a delicate feminine way, acquired from walking so much. Her arms were also strong, her hands with a grip like iron, gained from stringing and using her bow.

Kagome sighed as she entered the soothing waters of her bath and let her mind drift to her journeys and training sessions. After a certain battle with Naraku, she decided to train with Kaede. Her miko powers were gaining in strength and growing out of control, so whenever they were visiting Kaede, they would take the time to harness her powers while everyone else was asleep. She also practiced at home to further her control over her growing miko powers.

Soon, she not only could handle the basics, such as a miko shield and minor healings, she also had control over advanced miko spells and could channel her powers into a destructive weapon. A strange talent was also revealed: Keade found Kagome could read the auras of demons and humans to see their intentions. With this newly discovered ability, she could sense when someone was lying and what he or she was feeling. So far, only Kaede and Kirara knew of her highly controlled and powerful miko abilities.

During her journeys away from Kaede, she had also trained with Kirara. A year ago, Kagome and Kirara had discovered a secret bond much like Kagome's sibling bond with Sango and Kagome's parent bond with Shippou, but a lot different. It was an invisible link that was discovered just a few days after her 17th birthday that allowed Kagome and Kirara to communicate in silence.

While everybody else was resting, Kagome and Kirara would sneak off to train, not only strengthening her aiming skills with her bow, but with other weapons and her endurance skills as well. Sometimes Kagome was surprise at how much Kirara knew, but what's to be expected of a demon? The intensive training paid off though. Kagome's eyes were a lot sharper, letting her catch details that other people would have missed. Her hearing was a lot sharper, not as strong as a demon's, but better than the average human. Her reflexes also improved, along with her speed, strength, endurance, and weapon control. Not only could she handle a light katana, she could also throw small daggers with amazing accuracy.

Sadly, Kagome couldn't use these acquired skills and powers during battle. If Naraku found out, who knew what would happen? Not only would it ruin the element of surprise, millions of people would be killed just so Naraku could get his hands on her power. No, she would have to keep her powers secret and pretend to be the weak ningen everybody thought her to be. Only useful with her bow, but without arrows, she would be defenseless and would only get in the way. She hated people thinking she was weak and defenseless, but she couldn't wait till the final battle, when everybody would find her secret. Then it would be too late for them. She reveled in the imagination of Naraku's face when he was fried by her power and finally destroyed.

She longed to walk to his castle (that she long ago sensed with her aura reading ability) and cast his soul to oblivion, but she couldn't. No way. For her, Naraku was an ally, gathering shards for her, while she could save her energy instead of finding the shards herself. Only, Naraku didn't know that. She chuckled at the thought. Naraku, her ally? Please...

She let her thoughts wander to her other friends. Sango, Miroku, and Shippou.... To her, Sango was her oneesan and best friend, always there for her. She knew all her secrets, fears and such. Only thing she didn't know was her powers and trainings. Kagome really wanted to tell her, but this was one secret she had to keep until the final battle. Miroku was still a hentai, but in her mind, her oniisan nonetheless. He was wise (unless it came to Sango) and always there to lighten the mood. Kagome considered Shippou as her kit. She had been waiting for the end of the final battle to tell him. She smiled as she imagined that day she would adopt him after Naraku was defeated.

Her smile widened as she imagined the final battle, when Naraku would finally be destroyed, Sango and Miroku battling the lower youkai while Inuyasha swung his Tetsusaiga.... Kagome's smile dropped and gave a growl when she thought about Inuyasha. For the past few days, he had been visiting Kikyo, thinking that Kagome didn't know. But she did. She would watch Inuyasha sneak off each night and would feel his aura flare in happiness and pleasure as it mingled with the aura of Kikyo. Kagome didn't want to think of what he was doing that gave him pleasure.

She knew whom he had chosen. Kikyo. Always Kikyo.

Kagome snarled angrily. After all these years and time together, she had really thought that Inuyasha had feelings for her. But in truth, all he considered her was Kikyo's replacement. That was all. Everything he said were just lies. But she couldn't let it hurt her until she heard it directly from Inuyasha's mouth. She knew deep inside Kikyo's dark intentions. She was just using Inuyasha, but Inuyasha wouldn't believe it. Kagome laughed dryly. Sometimes Inuyasha could be so stubborn, and it wasn't always a good thing.

She looked at her hands. Damn, she had let her thoughts distracted her and forgot that she still in the bathtub. Her hands looked like prunes. Quickly, she hauled herself out of the bathtub and dried herself off. Her mom had wanted her to go back downstairs after she was done getting clean, and here she was, turning into a prune. Her mom probably thought she had fallen asleep again.

Kagome rushed down the stairs, only to be surprised by her family, who had lavishly decorated the living room and dining room. She stared around in surprise as Souta launched himself at her.

"Kagome!! Happy Birthday!"

Kagome smiled. Although Souta had grown and was a moody teenager, he still seemed a bit childish and freely let out his emotions towards Kagome. She wasn't always available as she was in the feudal era.

"Yes, Happy Birthday Kagome! One's 18th birthday is always special in our family," Kagome's grandpa said while stroking his beard.

"I agree Gramps," said Kagome's mother as she led Kagome toward the dining room table that was filled with all of Kagome's favorite food.

"Oden!! Thanks mom! Thanks gramps! Thanks Souta!" Kagome cried gleefully, forget all about Inuyasha and Kikyo as she dived into her seat.

During dinner, gramps and mom explain the importance of one's 18th birthday.

"Everybody listen up!" Gramps rapped his chopsticks against the table. "This is Kagome's 18th birthday, and one should know why the 18th birthday is so important."

Kagome's mom hushed everybody down and placed her chopsticks down.

"Now, our family has always been different. We come from a different ancestry then everybody else. This is one tradition that serves a significant importance to one with the Hirugashi name," Kagome's mom intoned, "The 18th birthday of a Hirugashi marks a time of change. Time changes...new things occur...what you once knew, will not be..."

"Huh?"

Kagome's mom gave Kagome a look.

"Just what I said."

'...What you once knew, will not be...' Kagome pondered this. For some reason, this stuck out the most, but that had already happened for her 15th birthday, when she fell through the well. How could it change more?

Little did she know that it would...drastically.

"Okay, Kagome. It's time to open your presents!" Souta announced.

"Ah, presents...." Gramps said, "It marks the end of the occasion, and the beginning of change."

Kagome didn't pay much attention to gramps. She didn't know that her last present would mark the end of her life she knew, and began one anew.

From Souta, she received a gift certificate to her favorite store where she brought all her supplies for the feudal era.

"Thanks Souta! How did you afford this anyways?"

Souta gave Kagome a hard stare, as if trying to memorize every detail on her face.

"I gave all my savings to mom to put into this card. You'll need it..."

Kagome blinked. All of his savings?

"Wow Souta, thanks!"

She flashed him a smile and gave him a great bear hug. She turned to her next gift. It was from gramps. She tore away the wrapping to reveal a splendid bow complete with arrows. Next to the bow and arrows, lay a sheathed dagger. She drew out the wavy dagger and she marveled at the blue steel, the strange gleam underneath the metal and the jewel adorned handle. In her vision, both weapon shown with mysterious power.

"I thought you would need this on your journey in the feudal era."

She turned to her gramps.

"Where did you get this?"

Her gramps chuckled.

"Their heirlooms that were passed down from my father's ancestors. For some reason, I felt a connection between you and them and felt compelled to give them to you. Care for them well. Heh, their worth a fortune."

"I see...it'll definitely come into use," Kagome mused as she gave her gramps a grateful hug before turning to her final gift. Her last and final gift was from her mom. She removed the wrapping to disclose a simple jewel box. Wondering what was inside, she slowly opened it to reveal a beautiful necklace. A thin chain of an unidentified material sparked in her vision. She knew that the chain wouldn't break, even though it seemed thin. The chain pooled beneath a semi-large jewel, flashing multicolored underneath the many facets. As she eyed the jewel closer, it flared in her vision. She stared in awe. This jewel was almost as powerful as the Shikon no tama but unlike the Shikon, this one had a different purpose. She just didn't know what it was for.

She turned a wondering gaze toward her mother and was about to ask her about it before she closed her mouth. Her mother's gaze told her that all questions would be answered later. Instead, she smiled as her mother helped her put the jewel on and hugged her.

"It's beautiful..."

Bedtime

Kagome's mom pulled Kagome into the hallway.

"You want to know about the jewel, right?"

Kagome nodded.

"Before I tell you, please keep quiet, no hysteria, and no questions until I'm done, 'kay?"

Kagome nodded again. Her mother took a huge breath.

"You're adopted."

Kagome could only stare at her now adopted mother. It took her a few minutes to register what she had just said.

"What?!" She almost screamed. "Explain!"

"I was getting to it." She sighed. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. In truth, I wasn't allowed to."

"Wha...why not?"

"Well, let me explain what happened.... 18 years ago, we found you in the well house, crying. You were wrapped in an expensive cloth, with that jewel around your wrist, along with an explanation of what to do with you."

"And...?"

"Tsk...impatient aren't we?" her mother reprimanded before sighing. "It's time you know..."

"..."

"You're not human."

For the second time in the span of 2 minutes, Kagome was stunned. She was adopted, AND she wasn't human? What was she then?

"Not human?"

"No."

"Then what am I?"

"Youkai."

Kagome hadn't received so many surprises in such a short time span in her life.

"You're kidding...right?"

Her mother shook her head and launched into explanation.

"From the note, you are really from the Feudal era. You were only a few hours old when we found you. The note says that this jewel sealed away your youkai blood to help you blend in with this time. When the time comes, the jewel will slowly release some of your youkai blood back to you. Only people you have told will be able to scent the change, which is a plus for you. The jewel will only release all your blood back when you get the whole Shikon no tama in your grasp."

Kagome struggled to absorb the information. She laughed dryly.

"So that's what you meant when you said 'what you once knew, will not be..."

Her mother gave her a knowing look.

"What are we going to tell Souta and Gramps?"

"I already told them."

"Huh? Oh...so that's why Souta gave me that look and actually gave me all his money."

Kagome sighed sadly.

Kagome's adopted mother led her to bed. She kissed her daughter softly on the forehead.

"You better go to sleep now. You have to say goodbye to your friends at school."

Kagome shifted.

"Right... I forgot about school. Kami help me!"

Her mother chuckled.

"How can I explain? Should I say that I'm going to a different school?"

"Just say you are going to be home schooled because you are think it will be better."

"I'm gonna miss you guys...." Kagome murmured sadly and sighed.

"Don't worry. I'm pretty sure you can still visit us. I'm expecting you to."

"Mmm...you bet..." Kagome whispered as she drifted off to sleep.

"Sweet dreams..." Her mother replied.

That took a while to write...please review!!