Kikyo's Stolen Ashes is the fourteenth episode of the InuYasha anime. It first aired in Japan on February 5, 2001.
Synopsis[]
- A demon ogress named Urasue steals Kikyō's remains and soil from her grave with hope of resurrecting the deceased miko so that she will do her bidding and find the shards of the Shikon no Tama.
Summary[]
In the middle of the night in Kaede's village a blue fire flies over. It passes through some trees cutting them down. The rumbling wakes Kaede up and other local villagers. The blue fire lands at and it turns out to be a demon. Kaede shoots an arrow at her, but fails. The demon goes further in to the cemetery, the villagers follow her up the stairs. The Demon has come to Kikyō's tomb. Kaede figures that she's after Kikyō's remains. The demon pulls out her weapon and scratches it like nails on a chalkboard. Kaede shoots another arrow but it is sliced in half and the demon attacks them and the grave-site. She digs her hand into the ground and pulls out a pot and states her name is Urasue before she disappears.
Inuyasha is running the forest until someone calls his voice and he turns around and a sacred arrow strikes him and pins him to the Sacred Tree. Inuyasha thinks to himself who has it and thinks its Kagome and realizes it isn't her, but it is Kikyō standing there, the one who bound him to the Sacred Tree. Inuyasha then wakes up from a tree and realizes it was just a dream and looks down to find Kagome and Shippō sleeping soundly by a fire. He decides to sit by Kagome and stares at her thinking how she is almost identical in appearance to Kikyō and wonders if that is the reason why he had the dream. Kagome suddenly wakes up and slaps him in the face. She then asks him if he wanted to talk about something while yawning. Inuyasha then abruptly tells her that she doesn't look anything like Kikyō, confusing Kagome. He then sees Urasue carrying the scent of graveyard soil and Kaede's blood.
The groups returns to village and find Kaede injured. Inuyasha tells Kaede that she's still alive and guess not even a flesh wound will keep her down. Everyone walks up the steps. Kaede tells Inuyasha that he has caught the scent of her blood on the demon. Inuyasha says to Kaede to think of her age and take it easy. Kagome realizes Inuyasha wanted to return because he was worried about Kaede. They reached Kikyō's destroyed gravesite. Kagome asks Kaede what is this. Kaede tells Kagome that this used to be her older sister Kikyō's gravesite. Kagome questions that it was a grave. Kaede tells them that she wasn't strong enough to stop Urasue and Kikyō had unusually strong powers even for a priestess and if her ashes get into the hands of some demon who knows for what evil purpose they will be used. Inuyasha turns away. Kaede calls out to Inuyasha. Inuyasha tells to Kaede to forget it as he and Kikyō were enemies and asks has she forgotten who shot an arrow into his chest. Kaede tells Inuyasha he's right. Inuyasha continues to walk away. Kagome thinks to herself that she heard it happened 50 years ago but to Inuyasha his memories are fresh. The flashback shows the event where Inuyasha stealing the jewel and Kikyō pinned him to the sacred tree. Kagome thinks to herself that Inuyasha the hanyo wanted to take the Sacred Jewel and become a full-fledged demon and when he came to the village to take the Sacred Jewel the priestess Kikyō shot a sacred arrow which held him to the Sacred Tree but in that battle Kikyō would lose her life.
Inuyasha is then sitting by a tree thinking of not the only the scent of Kikyō's ashes but also graveyard soil that Urasue took and wonders what is she up to. Kagome goes to Inuyasha and tells him they have to go. Inuyasha asks Kagome where as he looks away. Kagome sits next to Inuyasha and asks him doesn't he feel sorry for Kikyō that her grave has been violated and forget that they were once bitter enemies and Kikyō died long ago. Inuyasha looks at Kagome for a moment before looking away again. Kagome becomes annoyed and grabs Inuyasha's hair to make him turn to her. Inuyasha questions Kagome, who demands to know why since yesterday he's been avoiding looking at her. Inuyasha looks at Kagome for a moment before looking away again and says it's nothing. Kagome then believes that its because she looks like Kikyō and the reason he doesn't like her. Inuyasha looks at Kagome and grabs her hand that was grabbing his hair and insists it's not like that with a glimpsed look on his face and attempts to lean in to kiss her. Kagome becomes shocked and thinks to herself what is Inuyasha doing and asks what is it before she shoves him away. Kagome thinks to herself what was that just now and finds it hard to believe Inuyasha tried to kiss her. Inuyasha climbs back up and angrily asks Kagome what was she doing. Kagome tells Inuyasha that he was the one. Inuyasha asks Kagome what did he do. Inuyasha and Kagome look to see Kaede coming towards them with a horse. Kaede says she's also a priestess and will take back her older sister Kikyō's ashes with her own hands and asks Inuyasha at least tell her in which direction Urasue is headed. Inuyasha asks Kaede does she wants to die. Kagome calls out to Inuyasha. Kaede says she will have to go find out. Kagome tells Kaede she mustn't as she's in no condition. Inuyasha tells Kagome it's useless to stop Kaede and that's why he hates dealing with old people before watching him walk away and the robe on the horse then says he'll get Kikyō's ashes back and he'll be sure to bring home her bones too and walks away with the horse. Kaede tells Inuyasha thank you. Kagome asks Kaede if she can come along and runs after Inuyasha. Kaede calls out to Kagome, who thinks to herself that Inuyasha's eyes just now and he wasn't seeing her. Inuyasha leads the directions of the scent of the ashes. Kagome thinks to herself Inuyasha was seeing Kikyō inside her.
That night Kagome lets Kaede sleep in her sleeping bag. Kagome tells Inuyasha that Kaede is asleep. Inuyasha tells Kagome she'd better get some sleep and they'll attack tomorrow. Kagome asks Inuyasha so soon. Inuyasha says to Kagome he can smell it and Urasue isn't far before falls asleep. Kagome calls out to Inuyasha but he doesn't respond and realizes he's asleep. Kagome thinks to herself when she saw Inuyasha he was sleeping as well but actually he was bound to the Sacred Tree but to her he looked like he was sleeping peacefully and thought he hated Kikyō. Think back to when Inuyasha nearly kissed her, Kagome realizes that the look on his face to her weren't the eyes of hatred and her heart is still pounding. Kagome wonders if Inuyasha was actually in love with Kikyō. The following morning Kaede tells them they must retrieve Kikyō's ashes as soon as possible and she has a dreadful feeling about this. Inuyasha tells Kaede that it's too late now and if she didn't want the ashes stolen why didn't she just scatter the ashes into the river and she stayed sentimental and kept hanging on to them and see what happened. Kaede asks Inuyasha how does he feel about a grave and a grave isn't simply a place to bury a body or ashes as it necessary for the hearts of ones who are left behind. Inuyasha questions about Kaede about this. Kaede says to Inuyasha that Kikyō was born a priestess and she used her special powers for the good of the villagers and kept demons away from the village and battled illness and famine countless times encouraging the people around and even after her demise the villagers haven't weakened they are resolved to live, however, man is weak, danger and uncertainty can weaken his heart and the grave was a place of reassurance and a place where hearts could find peace. Kagome thinks to herself just like that time Inuyasha is thinking of Kikyō and he was in love with her but she shot an arrow into him and he was bound for 50 years and she feels really sorry for him. Inuyasha turns around and becomes confused to see Kagome looking at him. Kagome thinks to herself that it was unrequited love. Inuyasha starts to become more confused. Kagome thinks to herself Kikyō didn't love Inuyasha in return as her eyes filled with tears. Inuyasha asks Kagome what's wrong with her before he jumps off Kaede's horse and onto Kagome's basket and says that look gives him the creeps and wonders why was she looking so sorry for him. Kagome tells Inuyasha she's sorry as she was thinking nonsense. Inuyasha asks Kagome what was it. Kagome doesn't answer the questions as she becomes nervous. Inuyasha demands Kagome to tell him what was it. Kagome rides her bike quickly as Inuyasha sits from behind. Inuyasha asks Kagome what was she thinking. Kagome tells Inuyasha to shut his mouth.
Beyond the mountains, Urasue enters her kilt cave where inside a tomb is surrounded by burning ashes. Urasue says now then let's see the results of her special magic kneading the earth from the grave with the ashes and baking it in her Demon Kiln and steps further into the room. Urasue says to herself it looks quite good and places the herb from her head on top of the tomb and the fires go out. Urasue then stabs a hole into it telling it to "arise and open her eyes, Kikyō" and the stabbing causing the tomb to crack open. The tomb cracks open and comes out a naked newly resurrected Kikyō, holding the herb in her hand and opens her eyes. Urasue tells Kikyō she has heard that as a priestess she foiled many an attempt by demons to possess the Sacred Jewel and also hears that the Sacred Jewel is now in fragments and a demon who possesses even one fragment of the Jewel doubles its powers and she wants every fragment of the Sacred Jewel and tells Kikyō she will go and destroy every demon who seeks it burn and destroy them and she will serve her the one has brought her back to life and she will gather the fragments of the Sacred Jewel. Urasue tries to make Kikyō's body arise but isn't able to move. Urasue asked herself what is this before she goes to Kikyō and grabs her by the hair to examine her up close and realizes the soul hasn't returned and there was no way her magic would fail to bring back the soul but she soon suspects that the soul has already been reincarnated in another body. Urasue becomes annoyed that she made was a hollow shape in the form of Kikyō before she angrily throws Kikyō's body to the side then says she worked so hard and wasted her time and setting her up for failure like this and couldn't stand it.
In the forest, Inuyasha and the group find tombs all around them. Kagome asks what are those. Shippō suspects they're earthen dolls and calls them creepy. Inuyasha says they've found Urasue's hideout. Kagome becomes disappointed when she realized they have to cross a bridge. As they are crossing the bridge, Kagome is so scared to cross over. Inuyasha tells Kagome she doesn't have to come and he'll go in and talk some sense into Urasue. Kagome tells Inuyasha to not be silly as she refused to be left behind on a bridge like this. Inuyasha says to Kagome to come and walks forward. Kagome tells Inuyasha to wait. Shippō is almost crossing the bridge when on the other side clay soldiers come out of the tombs from back on the ground before started to crack and become clay soldiers then started moving forward. Shippō asks what is that. Inuyasha says they're soldiers of Urasue. Kagome realizes those are the clay soldiers they saw and couldn't believe it. Everyone looked back to see clay soldiers coming from behind. Kagome calls out to Inuyasha and says behind him. Inuyasha tells Kaede and Kagome that the bridge is going to shake a bit before he moves forward and destroys the clay soldiers with Iron Reaver Soul Stealer then realizes they were made of mud. Shippō uses Foxfire on the clay soldiers before Kaede starts destroying them with her bow. Inuyasha continues to use Iron Reaver Soul Stealer and says they're not that strong but just that they're so many of them. Urasue hears the noise outside and wonders what's the ruckus outside and couldn't stand this and will go out and work off this frustration before she steps forward then grabs hold of the herb from the half-revived Kikyō's hand, but Kikyō won't let go of it. Urasue tells Kikyō to let go as the herb belongs to her. Kikyō turns her head to the noise outside and raises herself. Kagome calls out to Inuyasha and says to watch out.
Urasue questions what does this mean and could it before she goes outside and sees Kagome on the bridge and realizes from the close resemblance she is Kikyō's reincarnation and it's a coincidence but a good fortune as with that face there's no mistake. Inuyasha continues to use Iron Reaver Soul Stealer then sees Urasue, who uses her scythe to cut the bridge causing everyone to fall. Kagome calls out to Inuyasha. Urasue grabs Kagome and flies away. Kaede calls out Kagome, who calls out to her and Shippō. Kagome demands Urasue to let her go. Urasue puts her scythe to Kagome's neck and says if she let her go she'll die and now that she's found her reincarnated soul as if she'd let her go and she needs her in order to fully resurrect Kikyō. Kagome questions Urasue about resurrecting Kikyō.
Characters in Order of Appearance[]
Music[]
- Opening Theme — CHANGE THE WORLD — TV OST Vol. 1
- Urasue attacks villagers — Fang Sword, Tessaiga (Kiba no Ken Tessaiga) — TV OST Vol. 1
- Urasue steals Kikyō’s remains — Attack (Shūgeki) — TV OST Vol. 1
- Inuyasha recognizes a scent — Sign of Unrest (Fuon na Kehai) — TV OST Vol. 1
- Inuyasha refuses to help since Kikyō betrayed him — Dead Soul (Shinidama) — TV OST Vol. 1
- Kagome retells story of Inuyasha stealing jewel and failing — Dilemma (Kyūchi) — TV OST Vol. 1
- Kagome asks Inuyasha why he cannot look her in eye, Kagome thinks to herself at campfire — Beautiful Memories (Utsukushii Omoide) — TV OST Vol. 2
- Kaede talks about the significance of human graves — Misfortunate Miko, Kikyō (Hiun no Miko Kikyō) — TV OST Vol. 1
- Urasue revives Kikyō’s body — Evil Spirits Desiring the Shikon no Tama (Shikon no Tama o Nerau Chimimōryō) — TV OST Vol. 1
- Urasue orders Kikyō to help her, Kikyō’s body is soulless — Demon Charm (Yōen) — TV OST Vol. 1
- Clay samurai surround bridge — Attack (Shūgeki) — TV OST Vol. 1
- Urasue cuts bridge and kidnaps Kagome — Fight to the Death (Shitō) — TV OST Vol. 1
- Ending Theme — My Will — TV OST Vol. 1
Trivia[]
- Technically, Urasue's spell should have worked as Kikyō's soul is only reincarnated in someone from the future. Meaning that presently, it is not incarnated.
Differences from the manga[]
- The anime expounds upon Urasue's attack of Kaede's village.
- The anime leaves out Inuyasha's conversation with Myōga, asking about who Urasue is.
- In the manga, Kaede rushes off on horseback to get back Kikyō's stolen ashes without informing Inuyasha and Kagome. The two immediately chase after her. In the anime, she informs them before leaving.
- The group sleeping in a cave and having a conversation about the importance of graves only occurs in the anime.
- When Kikyō is first revived, Urasue uses her demon powers to make her stand up in the anime, whereas the Kikyō doll tries to get up on her own in the manga.
- Urasue first notices Kagome because Kikyō's doll stares in Kagome's direction in the anime. In the manga, Urasue notices Kagome when she hears the commotion of Inuyasha fighting.
|