REVAMPED

When Kagome receives a strange jewel shard, is abducted from her kitchen during breakfast, and discovers her strange family history, she begins to realize that being dragged to the edges of the universe by a dog-eared demon and his master just might make her normalities scale a bit of the weird.

When I say AU, I mean alternate universe… cackle Curious yet?

Disclaimer: Okay, I don't own Inuyasha, but I do own anyone outside of the original story line. It all belongs to Takahashi-sama! sniffles and looks longingly at Inuyasha plushie Though I wish I did…

Reflections of Passion

Chapter One: Being Normal

By: Kaji-chan

You know how there are always those little bumps along the road in life? They're like obstacles placed sporadically in the course of your lifetime that obstruct your way… as if testing you. They make you stop and think; ponder which was you are going to go about to get over this obstruction in the way of your ultimate goal. Whether you decide to go around it, under it, above it, through it…

What if you come to a roadblock in life, and there isn't a way to get around it? What do you do? Do you just sit there and stare at it meaninglessly? Do you get frustrated and yell at it? Do you give up and decide to camp there, stuck in front of that looming brick wall for the rest of your natural being? Or do you keep hoping that an opportunity will suddenly present itself to you and allow you to bypass the seemingly impossible complication?

It would have been nice if I had that kind if hope left.

Let's just say that at this point, my life is a living hell. It seems like there's no point in living anymore. All I do is work for no compensation… following that bastard around like a lapdog, forced to obey every command uttered from his foul little being. Cleaning, cooking, washing, polishing, fixing… every kind of menial work he can think of, I attend to it.

I'm not in debt to him. I'm not related to him. Hell, I don't want anything to do with him.

I don't know why I'm here. I don't remember how I got here, anymore. I don't know why I was taken away to dwell in this stupid cell to rot—unless I'm doing some stupid chore for their amusement.

I don't know what they want me for.

I don't know what kind of power I have that would help them at all.

Sure, I might know why they want me, why I'm here. I have something they want, I can see something they can't. But what happens when another comes along who can do exactly what you can? That day may be coming, but for the sake of my existence, I hope it never does.

I don't know why they're still letting me live after all the stunts I've pulled in attempts to escape from the weird place that's holding me captive in a cage of interstellar steel.

I don't know anything anymore. The only thing that seems to keep me sane is looking in the mirror and telling myself that there's more to my reflection than my recollection is revealing, and that I can rest when I unmask it once again.

I am a fairly tall, slim girl with fairly long hair. It's black… a soft black… almost a blue-black, depending on how the light's hitting me. I have a strange eye color… it seems to shift according to my moods, but when I feel calm and normal, its usually a muddle of blue and grey. I'm seventeen. My birthday is only a month or so away… and seems so long since I woke up one morning and realized that I had lost all memory of anything preceding my arrival on this ship. The only thing I can hang onto is my name, and my new purpose. Through all the brainwashing, its all that seems to be left of my memories.

My name is Kagome.

I am a Detector.

Kagome's grandfather smiled as his grandchild blew out the candles on her cake, an old smile adorning his wrinkles. She sighed and looked up at him, an almost whine in her tone as she complained, "Jii-chan, aren't I a little old to be blowing out the candles on my birthday cake?"

Her grandfather chuckled and laid an old, knobby hand on her smoother one. "Of course not, child, you aren't too old to blow out your candles when you are seventeen years old. Only when you're my age are you too old." He paused, raising a hand to his chin in contemplative thought, almost as if he was recalling an old story. Kagome tensed as he took a deep breath. "You know… the history of the birthday cake ritual of—"

The sixteen-year-old's face tightened in a grimace as she clamped a hand on her grandfather's shoulder. "Jii-chan… you, ah, already told us that one…"

"I did?" he asked, his forehead creasing as he zoned out in thought again.

Kagome's mother smiled at her daughter, redirecting her attention from her confused grandparent with a tap on the shoulder. "It's your big day, honey," she said with a smile, wrapping her daughter in a tight embrace of motherly affection, not noticing the red-hot blush that flew across her daughter's face in humiliation. "We love you so much!"

Kagome's face seemed to flush in embarrassment and she instantly pushed against her mother's suffocating bear hug, nervously smiling at her mom as she slipped out of her hold. "Uh… thanks mama, but its not even my birthday today. It isn't until tomorrow..."

Ryuka smiled kindly at her friend from across the table. "Hey, should I go get the presents?"

Kagome looked up at everyone, quirking an eyebrow at them as she took a seat at the picnic table. Her whole family was there, and all of her friends; here to celebrate her sixteenth birthday. She continued to berate herself into acting mature and adult—having just turned sixteen—but she couldn't help the excited smile that tugged at her lips in anticipation. "Presents? Awe, you guys…"

Souta smiled and waved his hand in the air, clapping his older sibling on the back as he grinned. "Come on, Kagome-nee-chan. You think I wouldn't give a present to my favorite sister?"

Kagome raised an eyebrow at his comment, reaching up to grab his cheek and tug on it, earning a pained expression from her younger sibling. "What do you want, kiddo?" Her brother slapped her hand away, taking a cautious step backwards and cradling his abused cheek with an annoyed look. Kagome smiled back in innocence. "I'm your only sister, baka, so that little trick of yours doesn't work on me."

Souta laughed nervously, scratching his head sheepishly. "Oh, yeah… well, it's the thought that counts, right?"

Kagome sighed dejectedly and turned to face Ryuka as she returned with a pile of presents, setting them down on the table. "Here you go." Her friend said, smiling brightly.

The young teenager smiled up at her before reaching for the first present, from Souta. Kagome opened the small envelope, casting her brother a curious look before slipping out the piece of paper inside of it. It was a buffet ticket to her favorite Chinese restaurant. She rolled her eyes but smiled anyway. "Arigatou, Souta."

He smiled goofily, giving Kagome another friendly pat on the back. "No problem, nee-chan." Kagome smirked and patted his head, in which he swatted her hand away indifferently and went back to sit down. As the next few gifts were passed her way, she accepting them and thanked the giver.

The most interesting gift, however, happened to be from her grandfather. Her grandpa gave her a bow and some arrows, which she accepted gratefully, to everyone's mild surprise. Not many people at her party knew that she was into archery except Ryuka and her mother; and Kagome's boyfriend, of course.

Her cousin, sitting separate from the group on a lawn chair not too far off, raised her eyebrow at Kagome. "I didn't know you took archery, itoko."

Kagome blinked, peering over the gift towards Sayo's nonchalantly lounging form. "Yeah… I decided to try out the club—"

"I thought they'd be more selective about picking members for the archery club…" she regarded mildly, cutting Kagome off in mid-sentence with a rude, offhand remark.

Kagome flinched slightly but ignored her comment, thanking her grandpa for his troubles getting the gift and sitting back down at the table. Her comment didn't blow over Kagome's conscience as she let everyone else see, however. Sayo was two years older than herself, and until recently, they had always been the best of friends. Kagome would tell Sayo anything before she ever thought about going to anyone else; they were inseparable and high-spirited when they were together.

But something had happened. In the last year or so, Sayo had grown suddenly cold. It was practically overnight. She no longer spoke to her, and whenever she did, her words were unpleasant and hurtful. Kagome was too heartbroken to say anything to her, and didn't mention it to anyone mainly out of her respect for her cousin, hoping that time would eventually smooth over those rough edges.

Finally, there was only one present left to unwrap. Tyoushi, her new boyfriend, smiled and handed Kagome a very small package, delight sparking into her dark chocolate eyes. "I have two presents for you, but this one is the smaller one." he whispered into her ear. Kagome blushed as his warm breath brushed over her cheek, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips when he leaned forward and wrapped her in a friendly hug. Kagome bit her lip to hold back her widening smile and then turned her attention questioningly to the tiny package, before opening it, only to find a note nestled within its confines.

She looked cynically at her boyfriend, her eyebrow quirked in inquiry. "Put it in your pocket. We'll read it together later," he said, and she smiled warmly. "I still have one more present for you, Kag-chan." Tyoushi said, using her pet name and tickling her side teasingly, emitting a playful fit of laughter from her smiling lips.

"Another?" she inquired in between her short bursts of giggles. He nodded, a mysterious smile on his features. She mildly wondered if he might kiss her with his face so close to hers, and she flushed in embarrassment. Though the two of them had been "dating" for a few weeks, she has yet to have her first kiss. "What is it?" she asked, looking up at him with idyllic eyes and light blush on her cheeks.

He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small box, not wrapped, unlike the other gifts. It was a simple, plain maroon color, and had gold around the edges of the box. Peering closely, she noticed some gold lettering on the side of the box, automatically recognizing it as a type of English calligraphy. Kagome slowly reached out and opened the box, gasping as it revealed a small necklace within its precincts. It was a silver choker on a loose chain, with one solitary, light, pinkish-purple crystal in the center, surrounded by small pearls carved into teeth. The crystal looked almost as if it was a shard of a bigger jewel, cut carefully to fit within the surrounding ivory fangs. She stared at it, awestruck. "It's so beautiful…" she breathed.

"Only as beautiful as you." Tyoushi said, smiling as a red tint spread across her cheeks and an embarrassed look overtook her features once more. "Do you want me to put it on?" Kagome nodded, allowing him to take it out of the box, the pinkish gem glittering in the sun as he laid it around her neck. Kagome obediently turned and flipped her glossy, raven hair over her shoulder to give his hands better access to the back of her neck, Tyoushi locking the clasp into place. The necklace wasn't too flashy; it was very simple and elegant against the light tone of her skin, seeming to glow upon contact when she reached up to brush her fingers against its surface.

Kagome hugged him loosely, closing her eyes in contentment. This was who she was, and this was where she was supposed to be. This was where she belonged. "Arigatou, Tyoushi-kun."

He smiled softly and gave her a quick, affectionate peck on the cheek. "You're welcome, Kag-chan."

"Otou-san!" Mrs. Higurashi called from the doorsteps, "You forgot to unlock the door again! I need the keys if we're going to have any cake!"

Kagome's grandfather made his way towards the screen door with the keys dangling from the old man's hand, unlocking the door and ushering everyone inside. Kagome smiled up at her boyfriend, and they both followed the party goers into the house.

Kagome blinked softly, her lashes fluttering as her foggy vision refocused, finding herself staring sideways at her bedside table. She blinked again, this time a bit quicker, pushing herself upright and into a sitting position. Her comforter slid from her torso to collect at her waist as she stretched, a yawn rising in her throat.

She gazed lazily at her wall, her lips slightly parted as she slouched in her bed, a sleepy smile lighting her heavy expression.

Today was a her birthday.

Kagome stretched, smiling sleepily as she felt the rewarding tingle roll down her spine. With a soft sigh, she flipped her blanket off of her, sliding deftly out of bed. She padded over to her closet, opening the door and blinking at the array of clothes inside. "Hm..." she pondered aloud, attempting a decision on her state of dress; today was a special day, so she should wear special clothes, right?

"Kagome!"

Kagome turned her eyes from the hangers, glancing towards her door.

"Come on downstairs for breakfast!"

"Okay, mama!" she called back, smiling to herself. Today was going to be a good day. Pausing a finger to her lips in thought, she reached forward, grasping two items and shutting the closet door. Hastily pulling the dark blue shirt over her head, she shimmied out of her pajama bottoms and into the pale blue skirt. Running a brush through her hair a few times and smiling into her reflection in the bedroom mirror, she made to jog out of the room. "Ah..." she said, pausing, turning back to her school uniform lying over the top of her computer chair. "Mama needs to run that through the washer for tomorrow..." she mumbled to herself, quickly snatching the skirt and blouse and skipping out of her room, the uniform hanging from her arm.

She made her way down the steps of the stairs, smiling and waving at her grandfather by the door on the way to the kitchen, not paying much attention to him. "Mama, what's for breakfast this morning?" she questioned cheerfully as she entered the kitchen, bright and cheerful. Then she paused.

There were two strangers sitting calmly at the table, both looking up curiously upon her arrival. One of them, the man at the far end of the table, was sipping on a cup of tea, peering at her over the rim of the tea cup. The woman, who sat relatively next to him, was munching on a piece of toast as she entered, raising an eyebrow at Kagome and smiling oddly.

"Um... hello..." Kagome greeted hesitantly, blinking and confused. Who were these people? Did her mother work for them or something? She shifted a bit uncomfortably, unsure as whether to sit down or not, glancing towards her mother with questioning. Why were these people here in her kitchen? This wasn't some kind of birthday joke, was it?

Her mother smiled, wiping her hands dry on a towel and setting it down on the counter, gesturing to a chair with her free hand. "Please, sit down Kagome. Don't be rude."

She nodded, her smile faded, moving slowly to sink awkwardly into the chair opposite of the strange, black haired man.

"You have some guests this morning, Kagome," her mother continued, setting a bowl of rice in front of Kagome and smiling as she stated the obvious. Who were these people? "They are here from... where did you say again?"

The woman looked up at Kagome's mother, a small, almost unpleasant smile upon her features. "We are from Jinsou. It is a small town. You have most likely not heard of it," she replied, turning her gaze from her mother to Kagome. "Though, it is very important to your past."

Kagome blinked at her, politely covering the 'what-the-hell-are-you-talking-about' look that was pushing against her smile. "No, I haven't..."

The man set down the tea cup, smiling at her. "I'm sorry, Kagome. We have been rude." His smile was more natural than the woman, and his tone was comfortable and smooth. "I am Naraku, and this," he said, gesturing to the woman next to him, "Is Kagura, my wife."

Kagome blinked again, stuttering in spite of her manners, "P-pleasure to meet you..." Didn't they have last names?

The man, Naraku, folded his hands upon the table, bowing his head slightly as if in apology. "I know our arrival is quite unexpected, and probably a bit puzzling, as we are not familiar with each other," he spoke soothingly, "but we are very close friends of yours."

"You are?" Kagome asked, glancing at her mother, who's expression was light and trusting. She turned back to Naraku as he raised his eyes back to her, unsure. Should she trust this man as well?

"Yes," he continued. "We have traveled a long way to see you on your birthday."

Kagome's mother sat down across from Kagura, setting a cup of tea by the bowl of rice. "Why travel so far just to see me?" she inquired. She still wasn't quite sure who these people were, and was disinclined to believe them.

"We have something for you," the woman said, her unsettling smile returning. She picked up her teacup, bringing it to her lips with a curious expression, but it slipped incremoniously from her fingers, dropping onto the table. Kagura gasped, reaching for it, but it rolled off of the edge, falling to the floor and shattering against the kitchen tile. She put a hand to her lips, turning to Kagome's mother. "Oh, dear, I am so sorry about that!" Kagome felt her eyes narrow suspiciously. It was almost as if she had meant to do that...

"Oh, don't worry about it! I'll clean it up for you," her mother said immediately, standing from her chair and moving towards the broken cup and spilt tea.

"Oh, I feel so terrible..." Kagura said, touching her hand to her cheek. "It must be that terrible flight, it's turned me inside out and made me so clumsy."

Kagome's mother shook her head dissuasively. "No, no, I know how hard it can be on such long plane rides. It can make me feel so light headed." She opened the cabinet underneath the sink, peering inside. "Where did I put that dustpan?" She stood, smiling apologetically. "I'm sorry, I seemed to have misplaced it... will you excuse me?"

"Of course. Take your time," Naraku replied, nodding. Kagome's mother smiled in thanks, exiting the kitchen in search of a broom, Naraku's eyes falling back upon Kagome.

Kagome looked at Naraku, still a bit confused. He reached under the table, pulling out a plainly wrapped parcel and sliding it gently across the table to Kagome. She peered at it uncertainly. "What is it?" she asked, her hesitance slowly fading as she gazed at the package with interest.

Why is this happening to me?

"Open it," he replied, watching her.

She paused uncertainly, merely staring at the present with an almost reluctance. But something inside her was too curious to pass up such an interesting opportunity... though she was a bit unsure as to what kind of opportunity this was, exactly. She placed a hand on the parcel, turning her eyes up to the watching man across the table. He smiled at her, urging her forward. She felt herself smile back, and, loosing her hesitance, turned back to the package, her fingers working to untie the string, slowly pulling apart the brown paper covering it. A gasp paused on her lips.

She immediately grasped the necklace lying upon her chest, feeling almost as if it had become heavier, pulling against her neck. "This is..." she whispered, her eyes locked on the contents of the package with almost alarm.

"Ah, yes, you have seen this before, haven't you?" he asked. She was suddenly aware of how intently he was watching her. She tore her eyes away, looking up at the man across the table with wide, panicked eyes. He smiled. Though, this time, his smile was not pleasant.

"You can feel it, can't you?" he said, his voice quiet and cursive. "You are drawn to it, aren't you?"

This isn't real...

Kagome felt her fingers fall from her neck to brush over it, her eyes trailing back down to its soft glow. She felt herself being pulled towards it, as if it were drawing her forward, tugging softly on her and clenching her breath. It illuminated gently, radiating a dark, menacing incandesce that flickered across her features. Her hand reached up to wrap around the jewel hanging from her neck, looking away from the dark crystal upon the table to peer down at her necklace. A gasp shocked her as she realized that it was now as clouded and black as the one before her.

Her body was suddenly overtaken by a powerful, invisible force, pulling down on her chest and drawing her forward towards the table. Her hands shot from her necklace to grip the table, her lips parting to draw in a deep, haggard breath that barely filled what was needed in her lungs. Her eyes, wide and bloodshot, trailed heavily from the darkly pulsing shard to the man at the end of the table, her chest contracting sharply in attempt for air. She opened her mouth to speak, but had no air for words.

He smiled cruelly, folding his hands upon the table as he watched her convulse, sliding from the edge of her chair and raking her nails upon the edge of the table. "Is it painful, Kagome?"

This isn't normal...

Her fingers trembled, sweat pulling down her temples and mingling with the pain-stricken tears upon her cheeks as she fought for breath. It surrounded her... such heavy darkness that it constricted her throat and clenched around her heart. Her vision ran blurry, fading to an incomprehending haze, lined by dark purple hue and growing stronger with every second passing without breath. She had slipped from her chair to her knees, her head against the edge of the table as her hands grasped the corners with white knuckles.

The jewel burned into her neck, choking her as if the chain was twisting upon her throat. Kagome's hands slid up to her neck, clawing at the necklace in an attempt to rip it off of her. She had to get away from it... she couldn't breathe... she... she couldn't...

"My dearest Kagome..." began Naraku, his voice chillingly cold and uncaring as it brushed by her ears, "I'm afraid you only have two choices if you would like to live, and about a minute to make them."

Her eyes, half-lidded and drugged, pulled away from the floor to stare heavily into his, her chest now convulsing as it attempted to pull air through her open lips, strangling against her closed throat. Ch...choices...?

I want to be normal...

There was a rattling as someone outside of the door pulled against it, suddenly realizing that it was locked. "Kagome, dear... could you open the door? I think it's locked..."

Her head lolled against the table, turning her eyes slowly to the door, gently rattling. Mama... Her lips fell open, but she had no air for words, no strength to move them.

"Kagome... could you open the door, please?"

His harsh voice cut through the soft clittering at the shouji door. "You have about a minute left to live, I'm afraid. You're body won't be able to move without air, so I will prompt your choices now."

"Kagome?"

Her head rolled back, her eyes resting on Naraku's form, feeling her fingers becoming weaker.

"You could either come with us, in which I will lift the spell from you and allow you to live, but only if you will do as I ask and go quietly." Her eyes widened, and her fingers suddenly tightened again against the table's edge. "Or you can refuse, in which case I will wait until you fall unconscious and then kill every member of your family and leave you here alone."

Her struggling for air began to weaken, her eyes clouding so that she could no longer see the twisted smile upon his lips.

"Or, if you would like, I could allow you to continue to suffocate, in which you and your family, both, will die. Now, if you choose to come quietly, I may be gracious and allow you to return when I no longer have use of you, and your family will remain fairly unharmed. The choice is yours, Kagome." She might not have been able to see his features, but she knew he was laughing at her. "You have a little less than thirty seconds."

"Kagome... is everything all right in there?"

Her hands began to slip from the table, her vision so abstracted that she could no longer separate the table from the floor. Her head was swimming, her heart pounding loudly in her ears.

"You have about twenty seconds, Kagome."

Her lips fell open, fluttering.

"Kagome? Kagome!"

The soft rattling at the door suddenly became frantic, and Kagome twisted upon the floor, fighting even stronger for air.

"Kagome!"

Mama...

Why can't I be normal?

"Ten seconds, Kagome."

Her fingers clenched against the jewel at her neck, her lungs screaming and heart thundering.

"Kagome! What's going on in there!"

"Five..."

Her eyes pulled up to the vaguely shadowed feature at the ends of her vision, her hand slipping against the table as if looking for something to grasp.

"Four..."

"Kagome!"

"Onee-san, what's going on?"

"Three..."

Her lips trembled.

"Two..."

The rattling was frantic and sharp against her ears.

"Kagome! Open the door, Kagome!"

Her chin rested against the edge of the table, pushing her body forward as she mouthed one word.

Let me just be like everyone else.

'Yes.'

"Kagome!"

She fainted.

You like? Sorry to leave you on such a cliffhanger, but I thought I'd leave you in a nice little bout of suspense. Don't worry, the next chapter is already out! Hehe… Review!