Episode 175

Among the Twinkling Stars is 8th episode of InuYasha: The Final Act.

Summary
Love; the greater this emotion is felt, the greater the despair from losing the one you cherish.

Kagome successfuly returns from Mount Azusa with the bow needed to purify the miasma in Kikyo. However, Naraku is not willing to let Kikyo be saved. Will Inuyasha once more have to feel the loss of the one he loves?

Plot
Kagome falls from the sky of Mount Azusa, but Inuyasha catches her. Kagome realises that the Kikyo she faced was a phantom created by her heart. Once she confirms Inuyasha is real, she notices Naraku's spider webs are headng for the foot of the mountain. At the bottom of Mount Azusa, Kikyo tells everyone to run, but they don't listen. Naraku begins taking her away, but Miroku grabs Kikyo, allowing him to see the webs. Naraku laugh and entangels everyone in his webs. Inuyasha and Kagome arrive at the bottom mountain moments later, only to find everyone gone.

Being drawn to Naraku, Kikyo asks Koga why he didn't run away. Koga says she wanted Naraku to take his shards by using Midoriko's soul to mess with them. Kikyo sadly thinks to herself that she cannot help because things haev changed. The webs losen and everyone starts falling; Kirara transforms to carry Miroku, Sango and Shippo to safety while Koga lands near by. Kikyo is pulled by the webs, into Naraku's left arm; he asks her what it's like to die in the arms of the who she hates. Koga tries attacking with the Goraishi, but is blocked by adamant spears. Miroku cautions Koga, explaining he should save his strength. Koga doesn't listen and continues to fight Naraku, who says he cannot evade forever. Kikyo notices that Koga's shards are glowing with a pure light; Midoriko is purifying them. If Naraku took in those shards, he would be purified along with the jewel; Kikyo herself would also be purified thanks to the webs connecting her to Naraku. Naraku taunts Kikyo, telling her it must be hard for her to watch him take the final shards. Kikyo taunts Naraku in return, telling him it won't matter when Inuyasha arrives.

Elsewhere, Kagome explains to Inuyasha about the illusion of Kikyo she faced on Mount Azusa; it was the version of Kikyo right after her ressurection, being hateful and trying to kill them. Inuyasha tells Kagome that Kikyo isn't like thay anymore; however, Kagome says that somewhere in her heart, she must still see Kikyo as that. Inuyasha tells Kagome that her heart is pure by her desire to save Kikyo; she can only hope he's right. He then adds that he is getting worried about Koga.

In the meantime, Koga finds his legs are freezing up and becomes weakened by Naraku's miasma. Naraku captures Koga, just as Kikyo planned; she won't die in his arms. Thinking of Inuyasha, Kikyo watches as Naraku's tentacles try removing Koga's shards, but the purity in the shards destroy them. Naraku then holds Kikyo away from himself, saying his webs allow him to feel her emotions. Naraku once more taunts her, saying she will die in his arms instead of Inuyasha's. At the very mention of Inuyasha, he arrives and attemopts to chop off Naraku's arm.

Kagome is a short distance away, noticing she only has one arrow left. Remembering Kikyo said the bow is the only thing that can purify Naraku's contamination, Kagome prepares to fire. However,Kikyo telepathicly tells Kagome not to fire. This confuses Kagome, who is reunited with everyone else. Kagome then notices Koga's shards have been purified. Naraku taunts Kikyo, saying that Inuyasha made it in time to watch her die. Enraged by this, Inuyasha uses the Dragon-scaled Tessaiga to cut one of Naraku's demon vortexes, breaking the admant spike. Naraku regenerates, tauning Inuyasha. However, the adamant spike opens into a circular shape, inside which is the shikon jewel. To keep Inuyasha away until he can close his wound, Naraku tosses Kikyo away. Inuyasha caches her just as Naraku begins closing his wound. Koga decides to go along with Midoriko's plan and heads for the jewel. However, Kagome notices the jewel has vanished from Naraku's body.

Kagome tries warning Koga away, but it's too late; Naraku captures him with his tentacles. A confused Shippo asks Kagome where the jewel went, but she doesn't know either. Miroku and Sango go to save Koga, who is being swallowed by Naraku. Koga attempts to destory Naraku with the Goraishi, but is weakened by the miasma and sucked inside the diamond spike. Kikyo awakens, telling Inuyasha to save Koga. Miroku prepares to open his Wind Tunnel, being taunted by Naraku, who knows the monk will die from the poison before he gets sucked in. Miroku opens the Wind Tunnel anyway, but Naraku anchors himself to the ground. Naraku laughs, saying only miasma is getting sucked in; Miroku says that's what he was after, shocking Naraku. Now that there's no miasma in the diamond spike, Koga was regained his senses and uses the Goraishi on the diamonds. Miroku is forced to close the Wind Tunnel due to the poison, and Inuyasha takes over, hitting the diamond spike with Tessaiga. Unfortunately, Koga is being absorbed.

Kagome tries finding the jewel, asking Kikyo where it is; she finds it in Kikyo. Kikyo's soul collectors arrive and she telepatchily tells Kagome to fire an arrow at her to purify the jewel. The soul collectors save Kagome when Naraku knocks her off a cliff and she succesfuly hits Kikyo with her arrow. Kikyo fires the arrow at Naraku with the jewel on the arrow's tip. Naraku tries releasing miasma to purify the jewel, but it doesn't work; it piereces his heart. Thanks to Kikyo's spiritual powers, the diamond spike breaks and free Inuyasha and Koga. Unfortunately, Naraku takes Koga's shards, which he uses to defile the jewel again. Naraku laughs in triumpth.

Kikyo tells Kagome to protect Kohaku and the final shard; this confuses Kagome as Kikyo should have been saved by the arrow she shot at her. Naraku attempts to take Kikyo again, saying that he's won; however, Kikyo thinks to herself that Naraku will know if she lost when he dies. Inuyasha cuts off Naraku's arm, only for Naraku to taunt him; theres' only one shard left and noone will be able to protect it. Saying that Kikyo has lost to him, Narku flees. Kagome calls Inuyasha over to Kikyo, who is getting worse.

Sunset, Kohaku attempts to return to Kikyo despite not being fully recovered from Byakuya of the Dreams' poisonous snakes. Rin tries stopping him, but Kohaku says he can feel Kikyo is in trouble. Jaken yells that Kohaku should not expect to be brought along with them. Sesshomaru says the scent of the wind has changed, meaning it's too late to save Kikyo.

Elsewhere, Kaede is walking home with chldren helping her carry herbs. She notices the sunset is red as blood, an omnious omen. As the sun continues to set, Inuyasha holds Kikyo; he asks to be aloen with her. Kagome cries, feeling helpless for being unable to save Kikyo. However, Kikyo thanks Kagome for saving her soul; she will be able to die in peace. Night time, Kaede sees Kikyo's soul collectors fly by. An image of Kikyo appears before Kaede (who takes her childhood form), apologising to for causing her suffering due to dying young. Kikyo apologises again and vanishes, Kaede is left crying.

Miroku feels terrible, saying if he hadn't felt concern for his own life, he could have sucked Naraku into the Wind Tunnel and saved her life. Sango tells him Kikyo would have wanted him to live for her sake, saying that she hated Kikyo because of how she wanted to use Kohaku's shard. However, she now knows Kikyo was trying to save Koga and Kohaku. Koga thinks about being alive despite the loss of his shards, thinking it was Kikyo's plan all along. Kagome cries, saying that she failed to save Kikyo's life because the doubt in her heart delayed her at Mount Azusa. Koga curses Naraku, remembering he kept saying Kikyo would never see Inuyasha again; however, he made it time.

Kikyo asks Inuyasha if he remembers the happy days they spent together, before Naraku tore them apart; they had promised to turn him into a humand and her an ordinary person with the shikon jewel gone. Kikyo says that she is now a normal woman. Inuyasha says that she was the first person he loved or cared for, but he couldn't save her. Kikyo notices Inuyasha is crying, saying it's something he never did before. Inuyasha starts crying heavily, saying it's his fault for being too late to save her. However, Kikyo tells him it's okay; the fact him came to save her is enough. She smiles. A shooting star goes by and Inuyasha kiss Kikyo; she cries and thinks his name. Their lips part and Kikyo falls backwards turning into a lumunous light. The soul collectors take Kikyo's soul away; everyone feels that Kikyo is saying good-bye. The soul collectors then ascend with Kikyo soul.

Kagome goes to Inuyasha, who says Kikyo doesn't want them mourning her; she'll protect them, forever.

Trivia

 * It's odd that Kikyo's soul doesn't return to Kagome, given she's her reincarnation.
 * Kikyo dies a second and final time, freeing her from the torment of continuing on in the world of the living, where she didn't belong.


 * This marks Inuyasha and Kikyo's only kiss, possibly.


 * A speck of purity is left in the Shikon Jewel thanks to Kikyo.
 * The instrumental version of Dearest plays over Kikyo's final moments.


 * Naraku abandons the diamonds he gained from Moryomaru after this episode; however, as he's later seen shooting diamond spears coated with miasma, it's possible he just swallowed them inside himself.

Regrets

 * Inuyasha: He regrets that his heart was weak enough for Naraku to tear Kikyo and him apart fifty years ago. And that he wasn't strong enough to protect Kikyo against Naraku this time too.
 * Kagome: She wished that she had enough power to help to defeat Naraku and heal Kikyo. That way Inuyasha and Kikyo wouldn't suffer the same thing fifty years ago again. Kagome was also jealous of Kikyo and Inuyasha. She wasn't comforted by the fact that she had saved Kikyo's soul, but in the end she seem to be comforted by that fact.
 * Koga: Of his Shikon no Tama shards; but he regrets that he didn't listen to Kikyo in some ways, that he didn't run when they were at Mt. Mizuriyo. He wished he had listened the first time he had met Kikyo, who tries repeatedly telling Koga to give up his shards in order to prevent Naraku to taint his shards and allow Kikyo to be more able to protect the light of his shards. He also regrets his arrogance.


 * Sango: Just like Kagome and Inuyasha, she also regrets that she, a mere human and demon slayer, couldn't help the process of defeating Naraku avoiding the death of Kikyo. She also regrets that she didn't see that Kikyo merely wanted to save people when she can from the trap of the Shikon Jewel. In the past she sees Kikyo as a manipulator, causing Kohaku o think that using his shard is the only way to defeat Naraku and to end the tradgedies, involving the Shikon Jewel, which is what Kohaku and the others want: Naraku to be dead. (Kikyo also wanted to heal Sango's brother's wounded soul but apparently she was unable, because the Shikon Jewel shard was transmitted in his body---the only pure shard---the only light to defeat Naraku.)
 * Miroku: Just like Kagome, Inuyasha and Sango, he regrets that his wound in his Wind Tunnel held him back to help them more. He was saved by Kikyo, who is willing to sacrifice her body and strength to transfer the miasma into her body, which is killing him and later her when it gotten into her. He feared his death, and did not think to repay Kikyo by help save her when her need was dire.
 * Shippo: Shippo regrets that he is childish and could not help due to his age and ignorance.
 * Kirara: Although she is a full fledged demon she still nods her head in grief of unbreakable bonds. She sympathizes Kikyo because of her previous human companion, Midoriko. Midoriko seem to have similar tragedies, so it is most probable she sympathizes Inuyasha and Kikyo.