Kagome hopped through the well at about ten in the morning, greeted as usual by an impatient Inuyasha and a very excited Shippo.

"Kagome, you're back!" Shippo squealed, jumping into the girl's waiting arms.

All Inuyasha had to say as he leapt out of his tree was, "It's about time, wench."

Kagome glared at him momentarily, thinking it was typical that even he'd try to ruin a special day like this. She wasn't allowed to dwell on that too long as the bouncing kit distracted her.

"How does it feel to be sixteen?" he asked eagerly.

Gently teasing her adopted child with a wink, she replied, "Well, I actually wasn't born until around two in the afternoon, so technically I still have a few hours to go yet."

"Oh okay...does that mean we don't get to celebrate 'til then?" he inquired, head cocked slightly to the side, obviously disappointed.

Kagome gave him an adoring smile, "No Shippo-kun, we can celebrate whenever you want to."

He literally jumped for joy before scampering off to tell the others of Kagome's arrival. She watched his form disappear over the hill before turning her attention back to Inuyasha; he hadn't moved at all. She watched as the breeze slightly disturbed his long, flowing hair as he stared off in the distance and couldn't help but wonder, did he know how much today truly meant to her? She had explained the future custom of birthdays and he understood that they were as celebrated as any other important holiday, but did he remember that a year ago today she first stepped foot in the Feudal Era. He probably did seeing as how that day had brought him freedom from his fifty year, coma-like prison. The most important question was, did he know how much meeting him had changed her and her life; how much she'd learned about herself because of him; how she'd learned what it meant to love someone and to have her heart broken. She sighed at the thought and crossed her arms over her torso, subconsciously trying to protect herself.

The reflective moment was broken by Inuyasha's unforgiving mouth. "Ya gonna stand around starin' all day or are we gonna head back to the village already?"

Kagome smiled fondly at his remark. That's Inuyasha for you.

"Yeah, let's go." They headed off to the village walking side by side. They hadn't gone too far when Kagome stated, "Something sure smells good. I wonder what they're making."

Inuyasha looked at her strangely, not that she noticed. "Yeah…I guess," was all he would say in response.

'Since when could she smell so good?' he pondered to himself.

~*~One Hell of a Surprise~*~

As it turned out, Kaede had made one of her especially delicious stews for lunch. In addition to that, they also ate an assorted amount of ramen, some homemade lunch boxes Kagome's mom had sent, as well as a few dishes sent by some of the local villagers who had heard that it was Kagome's birthday.

Now that they were stuffed from their meal, the group members each gave the gift they had gotten for their precious Kagome. Though she thought herself useless and a burden most of the time, all of her companions—whether a certain someone admitted it or not—knew she was the glue that held their little misfit family together. Kagome opened each one and paid the proper thanks to the respective person. From Miroku she received sacred beads to help her focus her spiritual energy. Sango gave her a set of daggers with a promise to teach her how to manage close-range attacks and some wonderful smelling perfume Kagome assumed she bought in the market. Shippo gave her a bouquet of handpicked wildflowers and a drawing of their whole group. Kaede gave her a sturdier bow and blessed arrows. Inuyasha gave her a modified kimono made out of the fur of the fire rat that looked to be tailored to her and more similar in design to Sango's slayer's attire than to Inuyasha's signature garb. Kagome hugged them all then proceeded to look over the few trinkets and kimonos the villagers had sent for her, the more expensive of the gifts coming from a couple of the richer villagers whom the group had aided in the past.

~*~One Hell of a Surprise~*~

The small, makeshift family thoroughly enjoyed their day off, sitting around just talking and having fun.

In the midst of everything, Shippo suddenly broke the casual flow they'd had going by asking, "Is it almost two yet, Kagome?"

She glanced down at the watch she wore and replied, "Just a few more minutes."

They sat much more subdued until Kagome looked down again to find it a couple of seconds away from two o'clock. "Here it comes," she exclaimed with an excited smile.

"Happy 16th birthday!" they shouted in reply.

No sooner than the words left their mouths, every one of them felt the sudden change among them. An immense and foreign aura sprung up from nowhere, putting everyone on edge and on lookout for the source.

"So then everyone else senses it too," Miroku stated as his eyes shifted from side to side on full alert.

Inuyasha placed a hand on the hilt of Tetsusaiga. "Damn right. How the hell could anyone miss that?"

"Yes, I feel it as well," Sango confirmed.

Shippo trembled in fear, "Wha- wha- what is it?"

"I dunno, but whatever it is, I'll kill it!"

Kagome was the only one who didn't say anything, so the others looked to make sure she was alright.

"Kagome-chan?" Sango asked, slightly worried.

When she still didn't respond, the group truly became concerned. Inuyasha grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her gently, trying to snap her out of her trance-like state. "Kagome, what's wrong?"

Suddenly he was thrown back and when he looked again at Kagome, a wind was swirling about her pulsing body.

"Whatever the source of this aura is, it's doing something to Kagome!" Miroku shouted over the winds. "We have to stop it."

"Well, how are we supposed to do that when we don't even know where the damn thing is?"

"More importantly, why aren't we able to pinpoint its location?" Sango readied her hiraikotsu.

The winds lifted Kagome into an upright position, hovering a few inches off the ground. Suddenly a blinding light engulfed her and the group could only sit and wait to see what happened to her. They all covered their eyes with their arms, as protection from both the intense light and the harsh winds. The light had started off white before taking on the color of Kagome's usual pink aura. Now, however, it was transitioning to a deep violet color.

It seemed like an eternity before the effects subsided, but when the group laid eyes on Kagome, they could only stare in absolute awe and wonder. They only had a brief opportunity to observe her changed appearance before the momentarily suspended Kagome fell in an unconscious heap upon the ground.

It took a moment for everyone to come to their senses, but soon the group was crowded around her. Inuyasha was the last to venture over; her change was completely inconceivable to him and seemed to hit him the hardest. 'How can this be? This couldn't possibly be Naraku's doing…could it?' he frantically thought to himself as he slowly approached Kagome and the others.

"Inuyasha, is she what I think she is?" Miroku asked as he studied Kagome's new physique.

After a pause he replied, "Yeah…she is."