Episode 15

Return of the Tragic Priestess, Kikyō is the fifteenth episode of the InuYasha anime. It first aired in Japan on February 12, 2001.

Plot
Back at Urasue's hut, Urasue puts Kagome in a tub and pours a lot of herbal water in it. Kikyō comes out in her priestess clothes, Urasue explains that the herbal potion will suck out Kagome's soul and transport it to Kikyō's body. Inuyasha and the others climb the cliffs as fast as they can. Kagome is almost paralyzed by the potion and it makes Urasue wonder why. The shards of the Shikon Jewel are in the water. As she gets close, light bursts and Urasue realizes that the soul is very angry because of the betrayal Kikyō felt before she died. Inuyasha and Kaede find Kikyō sitting and the light is bright, and Kagome feels sick. Kikyō doesn't want her name to be called, but Inuyasha can't help but say her name. With that one action the soul explodes and enters Kikyō's body. Kikyō walks towards Urasue and purifies her, burning her to a crisp. Kikyō asks Inuyasha why he's still alive. Inuyasha answers that he was sealed to the sacred tree for 50 years and he's ready to take her on again. A red light seeps through Kikyō's right shoulder which turns out to be blood, and he asks why she betrayed him. Kaede tells him that he hurt her. But Inuyasha doesn't know anything about killing her. Kikyō even asked him that he wished that he would become human. Kaede tells her that he wanted to be a full demon. Kikyō believed him, and went to him, the flashback shows 50 years ago of Kikyō hold the Jewel and all of a sudden a rustle sneaks behind and injures her. When she landed on the ground she tries to get the jewel, but Inuyasha steps on her hands and takes it from her. She believes it's true that Inuyasha betrayed her and that she had enough strength to seal him to a tree. She walks to him and grabs a hold of his robe and injures him in the process. Kaede pleads her to stops. Kikyō doesn't know who she is, Kaede tells her that it's her but 50 years later. She grabs her archery set, and shots an arrow at Inuyasha but it misses. Kikyō told Inuyasha he wished to be a human so he can be with her. Kaede tells Inuyasha to kill her for it's not going to good for her to stay in this world. Kikyō refuses to return to Kagome until she kills Inuyasha. She shoots the arrow, Inuyasha draws his swords but the arrow purified it and enters the same spot where she pierced his chest. The voice of Inuyasha's scream wakes Kagome up and she calls the souls from Kikyō to her. Kikyō doesn't want this to end. Inuyasha finds Kikyō running away from Kagome. Urasue still alive but just barely tells him that it's her hatred towards him, then she disappears in the dust. Kikyō slips of the cliff but her hand was grabbed by Inuyasha. He tells her that she has to return to Kagome's body. But if that's the case Kikyō won't exist to the world, and for that she can't find peace until she finds him dead. Inuyasha tells her to stop but she slipped off and she falls of the cliff and disappears in the clouds. Inuyasha tells the story of Kikyō for she was the guardian of the Jewel of the Four Souls, and used her spiritual power to protect it from demons even him. Inuyasha is struck to the tree by many arrows by Kikyō, She tells him to stop coming after the jewel for she doesn't want to waste any more arrows.

Inuyasha had no intention to hurt her when he wanted the jewel, and it came to show that she didn't wanted to hurt him either. Kikyō knows he was nearby and asked him to come join her. Inuyasha does. She asks him what he thinks of her. She mustn't show her weakness to no one, and no weaver. For deep inside she's an ordinary woman, and yet she can't do it, for it goes the same for Inuyasha, for they'd be both outsiders. Inuyasha walks away but he felt guilty, and from that point on he couldn't get her out of his mind. He right by her side, and she was by his. Kikyō tells him that he is both human and demon. If the jewel were turn him into a demon, the jewel would be tainted, but if it turns him into a human the jewel would be purified and cease to exist. Inuyasha had no second-thoughts for he can be a human for such life. The following day, Kikyō shots arrows at him and tell him to die. As so as he let down his guard, she tried to slay him, he managed to dodge the arrows and went to the village. He asked himself for this how it came to this as he lays on the ground injured, and it wasn't supposed to be what he and Kikyō wanted.

Trivia

 * We hear Kikyo's side of the story of what happened 50 years ago. However, it is contridictory to Inuyasha's version of the story.