A/N: I would have had this chapter in earlier today, but basically, I came home from school today and slept until 8:30. I guess waking up early and late nights with work (AP is no joke) made me just incredibly tired, so the minute I thought I was finally free, I had to make up for a lot of lost sleep.

(OK, I'm not technically on summer vacation. All the underclassmen get out next Friday, but being an upperclassman, I am exempt from certain exams due to my grades, so I only have to go to school two days next week.)

But still, my usual hours were 6 AM to 11 PM, half the time midnight or beyond. Given the fact that I've always had to get at least 8 hours of sleep or be half-dead all day, I was dying this year. This is why I don't want an office job or my backup job, teaching either English or History to the next generation of high schoolers. I'd rather be a professional writer. At least then I could get away with not waking up until 9.

The Board of Education really does have a conspiracy against High Schoolers, since half the schools in the country start at 7, like my school. Maybe the reason Japan is kicking our butt in test scores is because they usually don't start school until 8:30!

Enough of the rant, enjoy the chapter and my evil twist!

Chapter 19: Revelation

Kagome held the Shikon no Tama in her hand, able to sense its pulsing aura beneath her fingertips. Faint, grey light had just come over the horizon, meaning it was time for her to leave to seal her fate.

Many times throughout the long night, she had contemplated not doing what she had been planning on, simply because she was too afraid to. Her plan had many risks, many chances of failure, and yet she had to take those risks to finally go back to her own body. Being Kikyou for so long made her realize how much she really had, despite her belief that Kikyou was luckier because she had Inuyasha's love.Kagome longed to be in her own body, in Inuyasha's arms again, and to know that he was looking at her instead of the dead miko.

History was bound to repeat itself, as it had shown. Kikyou would be heading out today with the Shikon no Tama in hand in order to change the hanyou Inuyasha into a human, so they could live together. Naraku, however, could not stand it that Kikyou and Inuyasha would be together since he lusted after the miko, and in the form of her beloved, would strike her down. While she made her way back to the village, gravely hurt, Naraku took the form of Kikyou to shoot at Inuyasha, making him enraged enough to steal the jewel in order to turn himself into a youkai.

And then in a tragic, fateful moment, Kikyou would see him, the one she thought betrayed him, and would shoot him with a sealing arrow because she still could not bear to fully destroy him.He would remain under a spell for fifty years, attached to Goshinboku, his last view of the woman he had loved killing him.She would die of her injuries, taking the Shikon no Tama with her, to then be reincarnated fifty years later into Kagome.

It would be terrible, painful, and a torture to do what she had planned on doing, but Kagome knew she had to bear it. She had to set time straight once and for all. It didn't matter that she could change everything for the better, so Naraku didn't exist, it would alter time so much that nothing would be the same ever again.

Second thoughts were forever in her head. Knowing that it was not Inuyasha would, at least, lesson the pain on her heart when she was fatally injured, but having to seal him to the tree would be doubly harder, knowing that he was innocent. She loved him, swore she would never hurt him, but having to kill the one she loved like that…

Shutting Kikyou's eyes tightly, Kagome fought back the wave of tears that were threatening to come upon her. She couldn't cry now, not at this important moment. Kikyou never cried.

When she reopened her newly dried eyes, she saw the grey sky had slowly lightened some more. She couldn't afford to wait all day, then her only chance at going back would be lost. She would have to leave now, despite how hard it was to follow through.

Standing up in the hut, with the Shikon no Tama in one hand, her bow in another and arrows strung on her back, Kagome crept across the hut, hoping not to wake the still sleeping Kaede.

"Onee-sama, where are you going?"

There was a small gasp as Kikyou's dark eyes opened wider. Too late. Turning back and forcing a smile on her face, she saw the little girl, still with the bandage over her lost eye, awake on her pallet. "Um…just going out." she supplied, hoping the girl would not make her go into the details.

Kaede nodded, and then gave a small yawn. Eyes softening, Kagome told her, "It's still early, go back to sleep."

Her younger sister started, "But—"

But Kagome broke her off, knowing she couldn't waste more time or worse, rethink her decision again with the innocent little girl asking where she was intending to go. "Don't worry, I'm just going to bring you more medicine." lied Kagome quickly, hoping she could buy it.

"Medicine?" asked Kaede, "If its medicine, there's plenty right here." she indicated to a pile of herbs and then the pitcher of water close by.

Right, how could I have forgotten…After all, she had picked those herbs herself. Turning away slightly, Kagome answered right away, "There might be better medicine than that. I'll go look one more time."

There was a smile on theinnocent girl's face as she answered, "Thank you, Kikyou onee-sama."

Hearing her say those words as she had every day for a year, Kagome felt a small pang in her heart hearing them once more. She had grown accustomed to having Kaede as a little sister, and now she felt the bond of sisterly affection as if she had grown up with her herself. The Kaede she had known was an old woman, but her as a little girl gave her one more reason not to leave this era.

Turning slightly back to the girl, wishing she didn't have to leave her, Kagome asked, "Kaede, does your eye hurt?" she felt guilt for it once more since it was her arrow that had caused her to become injured.

There was a smile on her face as she replied, "Not really, it's much better today."

Hearing that made the pain on her heart lessen and caused her eyes to soften. With a small smile, she answered, "I see. I'll be back soon." not wanting her to worry. Then Kagome turned away from her, and walked past the bamboo curtain out of the hut, to the village with the faint light of a new day, never once looking back.


Knowing she was going to be late for when Naraku had told her to come, Kagomespinted to Goshinboku, her heart pounding the entire time. The bow felt heavy in her hands, the arrows were hitting her back as she ran, and her duty became even harder as she reached the tree she would have to seal Inuyasha to in less than an hour.

Kagome was fairly certain that Kikyou didn't bring her weapons on this escapade, thinking that she would gain eternal happiness forever from it. But Kagome didn't how Kikyou had procured the bow and arrow the first time this all happened, and she didn't want to take any chances. Sealing Inuyasha against the tree and then dying herself was her fate, and she would not let it slip out of her fingers for one easy mistake.

Naraku was not here, and Kagome looked around for a flash of red. She had to place a hand over her racing heart, trying to keep the fear at bay, despite all her survival instincts telling her to run. This was her fate, and would go to it holding her head up high and proud, just as Kikyou had originally done.

Feeling that she should have already been attacked, Kagome walked away from Goshinboku to seek Naraku out. She didn't like having to come to him, it made herself seem even more crazy to willingly go to her death like this. She continued walking, her heart rate increasing with the well-hidden fear.

She ended up wandering until she reached a grassy field, a little way from the village. Clutching the Shikon no Tama to her chest, Kagome also felt the small shell of rouge Inuyasha had given her inside of her white haori…against her heart. No matter what horrors she faced today, she would never deny the man she loved.

Has Naraku already missed me? she wondered, glancing around the field. Did I ruin time unintentionally?

She was starting to get worried. Is this my fault? Did I really just destroy the flow of time because I was not quick enough in getting here? Is all that worrying I did and fear for nothing?

Kagome had just reached inside her haori to grasp the shell when she heard the sound of something moving fast through the grass behind her.

Her heart nearly skipped a beat as her eyes widened in fear, This is it…

The figure racing behind her had now begun laughing, with a laugh much like the one she heard from the man she loved…Her heart was beating franticly now, and she was hardly able to think from the fear…It would hurt, and she would die from this…

There was another, deeper laugh, much like the one Inuyasha gave when he was a youkai, and he was close now, so close that Kagome could faintly feel Naraku's evil youki. Closing her eyes as a tear of regret escaped them, she held the Shikon no Tama and the shell against her heart, ready to die without any regrets…no matter how horrible, no matter what the pain, at least there was the chance of seeing the man she loved…

Kagome felt the worst pain imaginable as iron sharp claws ripped into her shoulder with a yell of triumph…Inuyasha's yell of triumph. Her bow, the Shikon no Tama, and the shell flew from her hands as she saw a fountain of blood erupt from her shoulder…She began falling, unable to comprehend anything but the pain...

Until she thought she heard a familiar voice yelling, "Kikyou!" and the sound of a deep growl and slashing as something jumped behind her.

It didn't seem possible, and she assumed it was the pain making her believe this. How could Inuyasha know what had happened? "Inu…yasha?" she asked, opening her eyes, yet she was unable to turn and look at what was happening, conscious of the unending pain in her shoulder and the immense bloodloss from the wound.

There was a snarl, another sound of slashing, and finally, the sound of something running off. Kagome was unable tounderstand what had happened until she saw a red-clad figurelooking likethe angel of mercy running up to her, gasping in horror, "Oh gods, Kikyou! What the hell happened?"

He doesn't know what's going on…she realized, looking up into his concerned amber eyes. But how did he know to come here? The hanyou tried to shift her to carry her back to the village, earning a gasp of pain from her in response. He let go, his eyes wide in horror. "Inuyasha…"

"No!" he ordered, once again trying to pick her up to avoid her shoulder. "Don't speak, Kikyou." He had managed to move her with only slight pain in her shoulder so he could pick her up bridal style, the immense amount of dark blood staining his haori.

"But, Inuyasha…" she spoke, since she had to know. "How did you know to come here?"

The hanyoulooked as if it was obvious, and then told her. "Kikyou…you have been acing weird for a while. I wondered if you still wanted what you asked for last night and I came to seek you out, and then I saw that ...bastard taking my form and then he did this to you!" His voice was deep and growling, but Kagome could tell there was a lot of pain in there as well. He must be killing himself inside knowing he didn't get there fast enough…

But a new thought struck her. This is all my fault! she realized, cringing again and placing a hand against her right shoulder, slick with her blood. Because I was not Kikyou…I've ruined time! Now Kikyou will live, and things won't be as they should be…

Her eyes widened in the horrible realization. But…perhaps there is a way to fix this…

Right before Inuyasha took off to get her medical attention, Kagome stopped him. "Inuyasha…my things."

At first, he stared at her in incredulity, after all, unless she got the wound patched up she would die, worrying about things seemed to be something that wouldn't be so important. But, nonetheless, he complied to her wishes, gathering up her bow with a strange glance at her (her arrows were still on her back), while he gave her the Shikon no Tama. It didn't escape Kagome's notice that instead of giving the shell back to her, he tucked it in his own haori.

Maybe he thinks its too much for me to carry, with all of this…she wondered.

Then Inuyasha raced back towards the village at top speed, intending on saving her, until Kagome stopped him once more. "Inuyahsa, take me to Goshiboku."

Once again, he stared at her. "Goshiboku? But Kikyou, we have to get you back to the village, you'll die if you don't get back!"

Kagome closed her eyes once more, clutching her shoulder as another jolt of pain hit it. The blood was still flowing, not having stopped yet. "Inuyasha please…as my last request, take me to Goshinboku…"

"Kikyou…" his voice was now pleading with her, in the vain hope that he could save her. But there was nothing he could do. Naraku had done the deed and made sure he had hit her artery. She would die anyways.

"Please…Inuyasha…" Kagome begged one last time, looking deep into his pained amber eyes. "Please…"

Sighing, with regret, Inuyasha turned around and sped off towards the great tree, perhaps thinking if he got there quick enough, there would still be time to take her back and bandage her. Kagome felt slightly relieved when they were there, and he set her down gently near the tree, sitting down next to her.

Though, he didn't stop at begging with her. "Kikyou, we need to get you back to the village…"

Turning away sharply, one hand on her bow and the other on the Shikon no Tama, she answered, "No, Inuyasha…I have accepted my fate, and I want to be here when I die."

That made the hanyou lose his temper. His amber eyes wild, he grabbed her by the upper arms, not even being careful of her wounded shoulder as he yelled, "No, Kikyou! I won't let you do this! I won't let myself watch you die again!"

Kagome suddenly gasped at what he said, Again? But…that means…

His eyes aswent wide as wellat the realization of what he had just blurted out. Letting go of her, and shrinking back slightly, he looked back at the time tree with regretful eyes. "Kikyou…it's time I tell you the truth."

Also looking away from the hanyou, Kikyou's eyes were in shock. The truth? she felt her heart race once more, only this time it was out of realization.

"Kikyou…I'm not the Inuyasha you think you know." The hanyou plunged on, too afraid of her reatcion to look back at her. "I'm actually from fifty years later, Kikyou…and by some accident was sent back here. I've been like this the whole time."

There was another gasp to be heard from Kagome. The...whole time?

"Kikyou…on this day, the demon named Naraku, the one that wounded you before, tricked you into believing I did it, and then he tricked me into thinking you betrayed me, all because he wanted to taint the Shikon no Tama. We both died today, Kikyou. You from that wound, and me because you sealed me to Goshinboku because I attacked the village and stole the Shikon no Tama in revenge."

Fingers shaking on the bow and the jewel, all thoughts of the pain flew from her head as she processed the information given to her. Inuyasha…he's my Inuyasha! He's been here the whole time! And I never noticed…and I was going to kill him! The thought caused uninvited tears to fill her eyes.

"I had to act like I used to in the beginning so you wouldn't suspect me, Kikyou. At first, I wanted to try to save you, but…I couldn't go through with it." Inuyasha gulped, taking a glance back at her, while she still stared away from him in shock. "I thought that if I let everything be as it was before, I could go back, but…I realized I can't let you die again, Kikyou!"

Suddenly, Inuyasha put a hand on her good shoulder to make her turn around and look at him with her soggy eyes. "That's why you need to live, Kikyou! I don't belong here, I belong fifty years in the future. You're a great miko. You have to live to set things straight. You deserve the Inuyasha who truly loves you, Kikyou, and not me."

Unable to keep from asking, Kagome said, "And why don't I deserve you, Inuyasha?"

"Because!" he looked away once more, as if he didn't want to tell her the information. "I thought that I could just live with you like we planned, Kikyou. But last night, when we…" He blushed, glancing back at her, and Kagome blushing as well, knowing what he was referring to. "I realized that I don't love you like I used to. The only one I love…is Kagome!"

Kagome gave another gasp, Kikyou's eyes wide, as another tear fell down her cheek. He…loves me? And then she remembered, how she had fallen into his arms the night before, and she thought she had imagined his whisper "Kagome…" But he had whispered her name. All those times he seemed to not be thinking about Kikyou when she was in his arms…he was thinking about her. That look of regret when he had agreed to become human…it was because he wanted to be with her instead of Kikyou…

And that thought alone caused her to feel sadder than ever. Now I've really messed up time! All because he says he…loves me…now everything's going to be changed!

Inuyasha noticed how Kikyou was beginning to have tears in her eyes. Of course, telling the woman who loved him that he loved another was probably not the best thing to say, especially to a dying woman. "I know, Kikyou, I'm really sorry, but I—"

He stopped when he heard what Kikyou was incoherently muttering, "No, not this…he's not supposed to…no…loves me…I'll never…go back…"

She probably wasn't noticing she was voicing these thoughts, but Inuyasha heard and tried to set her confused mind right. "Kikyou, I already told you that I don't—" But he stopped as he rethought her words. 'loves me' 'never go back'.

Pausing, Inuyasha turned to look at her. Kikyou was crying. "Kikyou, you're crying…but, you never…" And then it hit him. All those times he had thought there was something odd with her behavior…The times when she reminded him of someone else…

"Ka…Kagome?"

Feeling a sob escape her chest, Kagome looked back up to the hanyou, looking completely bemused and slightly blushing, considering what he had just admitted to who he thought she was. Blinking tears from her eyes, she only mumured, "Inuyasha…"

Suddenly, he grabbed her by the arms once more, staring at her with the widest amber eyes Kagome had ever seen on the silver haired hanyou. "Kagome? It's really you? But you're here? How did you get here?"

Knowing it must feel odd to stare at the form of the woman he once loved and know that she was actually another woman, she replied simply, "I must have come the same way you did, Inuyasha. Through the time tree…"

He still looked confused, and afraid, glancing at her bleeding wound more frequently. "But Kagome…you were here the whole time?"

Nodding, she replied, conscious of Kikyou's voice escaping her. "I did the same thing you did, Inuyasha. I played the part of Kikyou for a whole year, never lifting my disguise. I had to, because I thought that you were like you were before…If I had known then…" Once again she gave a gasp of pain and clutched her shoulder, knowing she didn't have much time, her heart feeling sadder than ever now knowing that this Inuyasha was her Inuyasha.

Noticing her pain, the hanyou once more begged her. "Kagome, we have to get you back to the village, now. I won't let you die Kikyou's death, Kagome! Then we can figure out a way to get back safely, both of us. Just please, hang on a little bit longer!"

But that wouldn't work. She knew and felt it. There was only one way now to get back, and that was to set things straight. Once again, the pain she had felt this morning in her heart came up, but she could not let that hinder her now.

When Naraku had struck her, he had broken the string of the quiver, and now because of her position on the ground, the had fallen to the forest floor. Discreetly, hating herself as she did it, Kagome kept Inuyasha's eyes on her face as she grabbed an arrow, stringing it to her bow, hidden by the large sleeve of Kikyou's clothes. More tears filling her eyes, Kagome whispered, "Inuyasha…I'm sorry…"

He stared at her, unable to understand what she was planning. "Kagome, what do you mean?"

Lowering her eyes, not able to look at him right now, she whispered, "There is only one way to escape this place, Inuyasha…" Allowing herself only one second of pausing, she etched this image in her mind forever, Inuyasha here, looking at her with concern, telling 'Kikyou' that he loved another…her.

Then, faster than she would have thought from someone dying, Kagome swung around, raised her bow and fired with closed eyes, knowing she would hit after having filled the arrow with her remaining powers before.

His eyeswereshockedas Inuyasha gave a cry of pain as the arrow pierced him through the chest and pinned him to Goshinboku, the exact place he had been pinned before. His mouth still open, he looked upon the form of Kikyou, standing up now, her hands still in the position they were when she released the arrow, tears streaming down her face while she held a look of despair.

Finishing the sentence she had stared before, she murmured, "And it is to die the way our souls died fifty years ago."

Amber eyes open and afraid for her, Inuyasha reached out a hand to her, as if to grasp and lift her from this terrible fate. "Kagome, no! Please, I don't want to see you die!"

Lowering the bow as she looked upon him, the man she loved and who loved her in return, whom she had just shot to kill. "I have to, Inuyasha." she replied, resigned. "I have accepted my fate…But I'm sorry I had to drag you into this too…Everything has to end the way it did fifty years ago, Inuyasha."

She bent down to pick up the Shikon no Tama which had fallen from her grasp when she shot him with the purity arrow, while she desperately tried to control her tears…Kikyou never cried. Inuyasha still called for her. "Kagome! Kagome!"

The pain in her shoulder caused Kagome to drop the bow and clutch the wound, knowing her time was coming. That caused the hanyou to cry even louder, watching her suffering, "Kagome!"

His voice was weakening; she could tell that the spell was beginning to take effect. Glancing up at him one last time, seeing death in his eyes, she had to fight not to shed a tear. "I'm sorry." She replied once more, assuring him.

Voice smaller and trembling as he fought the spell of sleep, Inuyasha managed to get out, "Kagome…please…I…love…" before his hand dropped away and he closed his eyes, body sagging as he fainted away into the fifty year sleep.

Biting her lip against the tears, unable to keep the aching pain from her heart, Kagome murmured back, "And I love you too, Inuyasha…more than you will ever know."

She heard the sound of villagers running towards her and she turned, wiping her eyes on her sleeve for one last performance. "Onee-sama!" Kaede cried, running to her side. "Kikyou onee-sama!"

Others gathered around her, gasping at the blood staining her shoulder and the ground. "Kikyou-sama! What horrible wounds!"

"Onee-sama, those injuries…" Kaede started, but stopped as she realized her sister would not survive.

Kagome couldn't hear them, she was still suffering from shooting Inuyasha in order to correct time as it should be. She glanced back up at the sleeping hanyou, remembering his words that now ached in her heart, "The only one I love is Kagome!"

Looking away from him, she glanced back at the Shikon no Tama in her bloody hand. "The Shikon no Tama…it was all for this…" she whispered, as Kikyou had, before feeling another wave of pain from her shoulder and cringing against it, knowing her time was nearer.

As it passed she was still trembling, hardly able to control Kikyou's body. Kagome turned to her sister, still wearing the bandage of over her eye, wishing she could have known Kaede longer. She told her quickly, "Listen, Kaede…this, the Shikon no Tama, you must burn it with my body…"

"Onee-sama…" Kaede whispered, looking frightened, before Kagome cut her off.

"It must not fall into the hands of evil again…" Kagome held the jewel to her chest, knowing what must happen now. Her vision began to go dark, and the pain from her shoulder consumed her, causing her to cringe one more time as she closed her eyes, prepared for death as she had been the moment she had decided on this course of action.

She felt herself falling, the sound of Kaede screaming "Onee-sama!" in despair, but the last thing Kagome thought about before all she knew went dark was, a certain, silver haired hanyou whom she could never deny how much she loved. Inuyasha…


A/N: I'll admit, 3 people guessed my twist. I feel like I'm loosing my touch now…I hope no one will guess my twist in the next one I do…Though, don't stop guessing! It's fun to read your theories and see how close everyone gets…

There is one more chapter after this one, so please, read it!