Episode 126

Transform Heartache into Courage (心の痛みを勇気にかえろ) is the one hundred twenty-sixth episode of the InuYasha anime.

Synopsis

 * 1) The Infant is able to control Kagome, though she still has some semblance of control over herself; Kagome comes to the realization that she is in love with Inuyasha, before he bursts in the temple and saves her.

Summary
Back where the previous episode left off, Kagome is unable to resist a strange baby's control of her mind and slowly begins to give in to his control.

During this, Inuyasha is unable to find Kikyō unaware it was actually a trap to ensure Kagome's capture and begins to suspect Kikyō's sighting was a lie. He eventually comes upon Shippō who informs him of what has happened with Kagome, Miroku and Sango and they go off to help them. Meanwhile, Miroku and Sango fight off against the murderous guards and struggle to do so without killing any of them needlessly. Finally, Inuyasha comes upon it and defeats the guards knocking each one out cold with ease. After this, he detects Kagura's presence by smelling her scent. Miroku then tells him about Kagome's capture and Inuyasha rushes off to find her inside the castle with the others following behind him. However, once inside he finds it empty except for the dead body of the priest who told him about Kikyō's sighting and realizes it was all a trap.

Meanwhile, Kagura is taking Kagome to another castle where Kanna is waiting for them with a tainted jewel shard to take full control of Kagome and have her become a slave to Naraku. As she begins to try to implant the jewel shard into Kagome, the baby realizes that Kagome has regained consciousness and calls her "a stubborn one" and once again tries to take control of her mind by telling her Inuyasha isn't coming to save her this time.

Inuyasha, meanwhile, is rushing to the castle to save Kagome and realizes how he is "making the same mistake again." With this being he had lost Kikyō and assumed he was the only one hurting and acted selfishly and now is going to lose someone else who is important to him. He then yells out and demands Kagome to "wait for him" until he gets to her and further demands her "not to die on him," as he continues running for the castle.

The baby during this, is still trying to take control of Kagome by telling her that "whether dead or alive, Inuyasha's heart will always belong to Kikyō." Kagura then again tries to take control of her mind, but Kagome overcomes the control by refusing to let the bitterness of her jealousy to consume her and repels the shard back, surprising Kagura as well as the baby that she overcome his power. Kagome then realizes that her jealousy and anger towards Kikyō and InuYasha must mean one thing; she is in love with Inuyasha. She screams this out loud finally admitting her feelings. Inuyasha then seconds later crashes through the wall with the others in tow to save her. Kagome then thinks, "Inuyasha...you came for me," before passing out altogether.

Inuyasha quickly catches her and Kagura makes a comment saying how she "now realizes why Naraku hates that girl." Inuyasha demands to know what they did to her and the baby explains he just "rummaged around inside her soul a little bit." He then puts the blame on Inuyasha saying that since he wasn't able to get over Kikyō he was able to find "a speck of darkness in Kagome's heart." Inuyasha then demands to know what he (the baby) was. Miroku though then sees the baby was actually Naraku's human heart that he cut off since he had yearned for Kikyō; cutting it off so he could slay her. The baby then admits it saying how he could see into a person's heart and see their weaknesses and frailties and knew just what to do to make one suffer and feel sorrow and hate. But then adds he did not inherit the yearning for Kikyō that Naraku had and that the clumps of flesh they saw at the Mountain was what those were; and which is why he did not feel pain nor sorrow.

Inuyasha then uses his Wind Scar to destroy the Infant, but fails when it puts up a barrier and sucks it up and repels it back causing the group flees from the castle as the castle explodes from the Wind Scar. Kagura, the baby and Kanna all safely escape as well. Inuyasha, Miroku and Sango and Shippō then watch the three escape and the baby taunts Inuyasha telling him that he'll be back soon saying how since Kikyō was now gone, Kagome was the only one left who could see the sacred jewel shards. He then says that once Kagome's eyes become "theirs" the sacred jewel will become whole again; a sacred jewel shard filled with hate. Inuyasha then calls him crazy stating Kagome wouldn't do anything to help Naraku. But the baby simply chuckles saying there were "many ways to corrupt Kagome," as long he (Inuyasha) cannot forget Kikyō, before leaving. Inuyasha then silently apologizes to Kagome for leaving her alone and vows to never let her fall into Naraku's hands again and to suffer the way Kikyō did.

On their way back, the baby is exhausted and realizes that Kagome's soul was much stronger then he expected and used up "too much energy," attempting to control her mind. Kagura realizes that while the baby may be Naraku's offspring, he wasn't all powerful as Naraku himself is.

Back in Kaede's village, Kaede insists that Kikyō's soul can rest now and that she won't suffer any longer...and neither should Inuyasha who is upset Kikyō was killed twice by Naraku. He then goes to check up on Kagome who has been sleeping ever since they had returned to the village where she finally wakes up.

The two then go into the forest where he verbally apologizes for not being there for her. Kagome insists it's fine but Inuyasha says it wasn't since he had put her in serious danger, silently adding on that any longer and he would have lost her too. But Kagome states that if he heard news about Kikyō's whereabouts, he would instantly go off to look for her. Inuyasha denies he would, but Kagome flat out says he is lying saying she's been with him long enough to know "a few things about him" and that he would go without a second thought. She then says that if he did go, she'll get upset, but states, "but that's to be expected, right?"

This surprises Inuyasha who suggests she was really mad and Kagome says that she supposed she was. She then leans into his side resting her head on his shoulder thinking, "Inuyasha will never forget Kikyō. But I still love him, so there's nothing I can do." Inuyasha looks down at Kagome and smiles at her before wrapping an arm around her shoulder and silently thanks her as the episode ends.

Trivia

 * It's not stated, but implied that the Infant having a hold on Kagome's soul would cause her natural purification powers to become inert, given the incarnations' surprise that Kagome repelled the tainted jewel shard.
 * Kanna has likely been waiting for Kagura and the Infant since the previous night; since Naraku trusts Kanna to be obedient and follow his plans without question.