(receiving his retrieved Shikon shard from his wasps) What a pitiful soul; I see he failed. Eh? (he notices Sesshomaru standing right behind him and jumps back hastily) Lord Sesshomaru! What a pleasant surprise.
(enraged) Naraku! You gave that miserable human arm to Sesshomaru in the hopes that it would destroy him!
You are mistaken. I merely wished to assist him... and, of course, to have my Jewel shard returned to me.
I suppose that makes sense.
Serves you right, for putting my master in such jeopardy!
Huh? (inspects Naraku's empty baboon cloak) Wh-where did he go?
(unseen) Lord Sesshomaru, I implore you to contain your anger. I may call upon you again... should another opportunity arise to destroy Inuyasha.
(to Shippo, watching Inuyasha) How is he? Notice any changes?
He's hardly moved, the entire time!
(thinking) Inuyasha said he wanted to be taken home. For him to say that, his injuries must be serious. (aloud) Shippo, tell me more about that hive.
According to the imp, it was Naraku who lent the hive to Sesshomaru. Naraku was the one who burned the Wind Tunnel into Miroku's hand, remember?
(thinking) Yeah- and, the demon that set Kikyo and Inuyasha against each other. Now, Inuyasha wants to destroy Naraku, to avenge Kikyo's death! (aloud) Does Inuyasha know about all this?
No- he needed all his energy to battle Sesshomaru, and I knew this news about Naraku would infuriate him- and the last thing he needed was a distraction.
Let's not tell him right away, okay Shippo? Otherwise he'll go after Naraku, and he's just too weak and injured to do it! We'll tell him eventually, but right now, let's concentrate on helping him recover.
(staring at his claws, thinking) Naraku... He's close at hand. Naraku, the cursed demon who disguised himself as me, to get close enough to end Kikyo's life! And now he's returned, and is hiding nearby. (a flashback of the disguised Naraku mortally wounding Kikyo is shown) It wasn't me. It wasn't me! I didn't betray you, Kikyo! He shows up when there's a shard of the Shikon Jewel to be found. He's near.
Kagome... I haven't asked how you're feeling. You're hurt, too.
Huh? It's just a little lump on the head. I'm sorry, Inuyasha. You told me to stay away from Sesshomaru, but I didn't listen, and only made things worse. If I had run away like you told me, you wouldn't have been so seriously injured.
No... in the end, it was you who saved me with your arrow. I'm grateful, Kagome.
(thinking) He's grateful? Okay, now he's officially freaking me out. (feels his forehead) You're acting totally weird, now; do you have a fever? (Inuyasha glares at her)
(watching covertly with Miroku) What's Inuyasha doing, taking Kagome so deep into the forest?
You heard the story. About how Naraku deceived me, fifty years ago. He's the one pulling the strings behind Sesshomaru.
(thinking) He figured it out! I guess it's no surprise; Inuyasha's more aware of Naraku's movements than anyone.
I've made a decision. Things are getting more dangerous by the day-
Yeah, you're probably right.
Huh? What's that mean?! Aren't you scared?! We're in serious danger! This time, we were lucky, but who knows about next time?!
Well, I'm not afraid. Naraku's a terrible demon! We've got to do what we can to destroy him- (Inuyasha pulls her forward and hugs her) Huh? (thinking) What's going on? Inuyasha... what are you doing?
... I was afraid. I thought I was going to lose you. I was terrified.
(having his face covered by Miroku) Lemme go! I wanna see-
This isn't something for children to see.
[After a long pause, Inuyasha suddenly stands and lets go of Kagome; as she sits up, she sees that he has taken her Shikon Jewel shards, and his expression is serious]
I'll hang on to the Jewel.
What do you think you're doing?
Kagome, go back to your own era!!
[he pushes her back into the Well; Miroku and Shippo, shocked, come running forward from their hiding place]
Inuyasha, what have you done?! (notices the Well is empty) Kagome is gone! What have you done?!
I've sent her back home... to her own time, on the other side of the Well.
I need to speak to ye. I have given much thought to this ever since my sister was revived by the evil witch Urassue. Kikyo had told it was ye, Inuyasha, who had stolen her sacred Shikon Jewel. Do ye not think it strange? The one who disguised himself as ye could have made off with the jewel.Yet, he did not. He tricked ye into terrorizing the village, and pursuing the sacred Jewel. Then Kikyo bound ye to a tree with her sacred arrow. Was the trickster attempting to pit ye against each other, or was it Kikyo who was the true object of his malice? Was he trying to fill her heart with hatred and bitterness?
In Kikyo's possession, the Sacred Jewel of Four Souls remained pure. But when her heart became tainted and hateful, the Jewel also became sullied and it, too, filled with a malevolent power. At the time, there was but a single person who wished for such a terrible outcome. Shall I take ye to see the place where this man once resided?
Answer me one thing before I avenge Kikyo's death: Naraku, why do you bear such a grudge against me!?
Good question. I suppose you wish an answer to that question, else eternal rest will surely elude you in death
Kaede [chuckles]. Age has not been kind to you.
Do ye know me? Aye, Onigumo, is that not your name?!
Onigumo...Heh. That name brings me such fond memories. Nay, I am Naraku, not Onigumo... yet it cannot be denied that I was born of Onigumo, fifty years ago. [flashback is shown] Onigumo was such a foolish man indeed. He began to foster desires for the kindhearted priestess who nursed him. Eventually, he succumbed to his weakness and called forth the demons.
OOnigumo
[in flashback] My soul is rancid to the core, yet it still holds value. Feast on my flesh! I must possess my former mobility... Then the Jewel will be mine, not to mention the lovely maiden Kikyo. Feast on me, demons! DEVOUR ME! And in exchange, bestow me with your mobility and strength!
And that, is how the many demons merged... to become one. A demon named Naraku... myself. It required countless demons to create my body.
Because the priestess Kikyo was so powerless, the region teamed with demons. Her power had diminished, because she had fallen in love with a worthless half-demon. She submitted to her childish desires, and attempted to use the Shikon Jewel for her own purposes. For that, she was punished. And, Inuyasha, you suffered the punishment as well.
You bastard! You are to blame for everything that happened! You deceived Kikyo and I! You tricked us into trying to kill one another!
Then tell me: how is it that the trust you held in each other was so easily destroyed?
It was anger- a bitter anger- that set you against one another. That, Inuyasha, is the true legacy of the trust you supposedly held for one another. Even Kikyo could not comprehend it. She should have chosen to live and used the power of the Sacred Jewel to save her. Instead she chose death. Had she pleaded for her life, her pathetic, wretched wish would have been easily granted. Then she would have understood the ultimate truth of darkness. Foolish woman. It is claimed that the sacred Shikon Jewel grows more beautiful, when it is tainted with malice.
Kagome, look inside him! How many fragments are there?
I know there are lots. Ten! No, twenty! Wait, there's even more than I can count!
Hey, Naraku, wanna see something really scary? I'll slit you from head to toe to show you what malice means!
Iron Reaver! [He slashes at Naraku, but only destroys his cloak and mask, revealing Naraku's form as a long-haired man in nobleman's robes with his face hidden behind his arm. Naraku smirks and releases a burst of toxic miasma, devastating the forest around them]
A cloud of destruction! Run!
Farewell, Inuyasha. It seems you've succumbed to my cloud of destruction.
Heh... think again! [he draws Tetsusaiga, dispersing the miasma]
[thinking] Impossible! How could he have broken through?
SSeikai
Are you unable to cross over? You are dead, young priestess. You must now pass to the Netherworld.
Will you not overlook my presence here? I merely wish to live in peace in this small village.
SSeikai
If you wish to live in peace, then why must you gather souls of the dead?
SSeikai
You require those souls in order to sustain that body of yours! [He lifts a seal shaped like a coiled dragon]
What action will you take? I take it you won't leave.
SSeikai
I shall return you to where you belong!! I shall do it for your sake! [A burst of exorcising energy fires from the seal, striking Kikyo and coiling around her in the form of a dragon] You cannot escape this demon-binding spell of mine!! I shall extinguish your light and save your soul from eternal misery!!
"Save me!?" A wretch such as you attempts to save my soul!?
You would've done better to leave me be, and not end your life.
SSeikai
[weakly] Priestess... tell me what your purpose is. Time continues for the living; they carve their futures with each passing moment. However, for the dead such as yourself, time stands still. Thus, the dead and the living cannot reside together. And yet... you insist on trying... How tragic.
[thinking] Tragic, you say? I am tragic?! [she hears someone behind her and spins around] Who goes?!
[softly] Sayo. Were you... did you witness that? [she approaches her and kneels in front of her] Sayo? [she reaches out to touch her face, but Sayo flinches away]... Forgive me. I did not mean for you to see such a sight.
Farewell, Sayo. Please forgive me.
Inuyasha has come. I fear he has not come to save you. His purpose lies in seeing me. You will not interfere.
Interfere!? Are you still planning to destroy Inuyasha!? He's not your enemy! Someone pitted you against each other on purpose! Inuyasha would have never taken your life, Kikyo.
From your competence, you expect me to be rejoicing.
Kikyo: Someone caused my premature demise. Will my murderer's death bring me back to life?
The dead have but one wish: to walk among the living once more. A wish that will never be realized. However, this dead woman can wish for one thing. I wish for a heart, the heart of the man whom I shall never allow to forget me. That is my desire.
You'll never allow him to forget about you? You mean Inuyasha?
It is clear Inuyasha wishes for my death. That is a good thing because it means he feels remorse for dispute. Let him feel remorseful. I shall never allow him to forget about me. Time will not advance. Thus allowing me to exist in a dimension where time is frozen. I can live on inside his heart during my frozen recreation.
You're always on Inuyasha's mind. Why can't you be satisfied with that? He hasn't forgotten you after all these years! He thinks of you all the time. Isn't that good enough?
When Inuyasha and I parted, we despised one another. The love you speak of is but a shallow emotion. Nothing can fuel the desire for enacting vengeance. Only bitterness can.
So you were the one doing it. Gathering the souls of the dead women.
This body is molded from the earth and ashes of my grave site. It must be sustained with human souls if I am to remain here. Inuyasha, you must despise me. I have drawn in the souls of the dead, and it is my hatred of you that fuels my actions.
That's just ludicrous! You many very well despise me but the feeling's not mutual. Kikyo...I never stop thinking of you! Not even for an instant!!
I could never hate you or think less of you. It's your spirit I care about, not your appearance.
Truly, Inuyasha, you wouldn't? You wouldn't despise me if I used these hands to steal the life from you?
Inuyasha, after meeting you, I renounced my position as a shrine priestess. I became an ordinary woman. I've longed to embrace you like this when I was alive.
Kikyo's sent is so familiar. Her fragrance is just as it used to be. The only difference is that she has no warmth. Her body is cold from death. And she's sad and lonely.
We are unable to turn back the hands of time. So please allow me to embrace you a little longer.
I can't save you. I can't do anything to help you, except stay like this. If only time could stand still.
Would you agree to that? If I did stop time?
Yes. I don't care as long as...as long as I'm with you.
