Episode 98

Kikyo and Kagome: Alone in the Cave (洞窟には桔梗とかごめの二人だけ) is the ninety-eighth episode of the InuYasha anime.

Synopsis

 * 1) Kikyō and Kagome are lured into a demon, disguised as a cave, that devours Priestesses.
 * 2) Kikyō is injured and close to death inside the demon after being cut off from her Shinidamachū.
 * 3) Kagome resolves she will help Kikyō, since Inuyasha would be heartbroken if anything happened to her.
 * 4) Using the Shikon Jewel shards Kagome puts them on her sacred arrow and destroys the demon's heart.

Summary
The episode begins with Kikyō being tricked by a demon posing as a young child lost in the forest and trapping her inside the demon as it appears to be a cave.

The following day Kagome gets angry at Inuyasha because he refused to eat her home made food even though she made it especially for him, even sweetening it so it wouldn't be too hot for him. She uses the sit command on him six times and angrily storms off to take a "walk", as the others watch in fear (Shippō, in particular).

While out cooling off, she senses a jewel shard and follows the sense to the same cave that entrapped Kikyō. She hears the same child's cry as she approaches and enters the cave on her own. She finds Kikyō who is on the verge of death (because she'd nearly exhausted all her souls). Kikyō reveals the cave is actually the belly of a demon that only allows priestesses (or at least people who possess the power of a priestess) inside it and lures them into it to drain them of their power. She then insists that she leave her behind to save herself, but Kagome refuses to leave her behind, much to Kikyō's confusion. The two then team up to find a way out.

Meanwhile, Inuyasha is anxiously waiting for Kagome to return, while the others wonder why he just won't apologize and tease him that maybe something happened to her to provoke him into looking for her. During this, Kagome and Kikyō are still trapped in the cave. Kagome remembers when Kikyō and Inuyasha kissed in front of her, while Inuyasha was under Kikyō's spell. Soon they encounter demons, but Kagome successfully manages to fight them off. They then approach the central core of the cave and Kikyō reveals that it is the demon's heart. Kagome fires an arrow, but nothing happens, sparking her realization that her spiritual power has been weakened during her time inside the cave. Kikyō begs her to escape and save herself while she still can, but Kagome refuses to leave Kikyō and insists they'll both find a way out. But then the exit to the cave then closes.

Back at camp, Inuyasha's patience for Kagome's return runs out and he goes out to search for her, even though he insists he is only going for a walk, and not going to search for Kagome. Kagome is meanwhile inside the cave desperately thinking of how to shatter the demon's heart, and decides to combine a jewel shard with an arrow and shoots it, but it has no effect. Kikyō instructs Kagome to bring over the remaining shards to combined them with their power to fuse the shards together. With the new shard, combined with an arrow, Kagome successfully kills the demon, which dissolves into nothing while the souls of past Priestesses finally escape. Standing in a meadow where the demon was, Kagome recovers the shards while Kikyō's Soul Collectors come to aid her.



As Kagome begins to leave, Kikyō asks Kagome why she didn't give up on her, asking how she could trust her. Kagome says she couldn't answer because she "doesn't understand it herself." Kikyō asks why she would save her, "a dead person." Kagome says, because "a certain guy they both know would be heartbroken if she (Kikyō) weren't around." As Kagome leaves, Kikyō muses with a small smile, "Same for you." Indicating she is aware of Inuyasha's feelings for Kagome.

Kagome then finds Inuyasha leaning against a tree and happily greets him, surprising him due to their earlier argument. She asks, "You, uh, came looking for me?" To which he blushes before saying they should get going. As they begin to walk Kagome begins to say something, but Inuyasha ignores her. Kagome then thinks back to her time with Kikyō and then wraps her arm around Inuyasha's arm surprising him again, but he does nothing and they continue to walk with her arm around his own.