Kikyo’s Stolen Ashes

[ ACT I ]

Nighttime in KAE’s village. A ball of light suddenly appears and zooms the village. It flies by and slices off two tree trunks. Cut to KAE sleeping in her hut. She is woken by the noise. Cut to the village courtyard. The light stops on top of the village gate and reveals a sinister looking old woman with a scythe slung over her shoulder. Kaede arrives at the scene and shoots an arrow at the woman. She shrieks and slices the arrow into pieces with a swing of her scythe.

KAE:  Who is that?!

More villagers arrive with their bows and arrows. The old woman flies towards the village temple. KAE and the villagers pursue her. Cut to the temple, where some of the villagers are slashed by the old woman. KAE arrives with other villagers.

Villager 1: (to the injured villagers) Hey, are you all right?!

Old Woman: (examining a grave) Here it is… Right here! There’s no mistake! (grabs some soil on the grave) Just enough moisture… (squeezes the soil) And the soil is good, too.

KAE:  (draws an arrow) Intruder! I asked who you are?! Identify yourself!

Old Woman: (digging at the grave) Silence! I just have some business with the urn buried here! Once I possess it, I’ll leave this sore sight of a village!

KAE:  (thinking) So… She knows what’s buried here!

The villagers point their spear at the old woman.

KAE:  Leave immediately! Else I’ll show no mercy!

Old Woman: (steps forward) You talk too much, you stubborn ignorant old woman!

The old woman scratches her scythe with her nails, making a sharp screeching sound. The villagers cover their ears in pain. KAE fires her arrow and the old woman slices it into two with her scythe.

Old woman: (angry) Didn’t I tell you not to interfere?!

The old woman leaps and swings her scythe. It sends blades which destroys the grave. An explosion ensues and destroys the temple gates. One of the blades hit KAE on her forehead and she winces, backing off.

Villager 2: (stands in front of her, blocking) Priestess Kaede!

The villagers are cut by more blades. The old woman reaches into the soil and takes out an urn.

KAE:  (struggling) T-that is my sister’s…! I will not let you have it! Not a demon like you!

Old Woman: (laughs) I am the demoness, Urasue! Kikyo’s ashes are now in MY possession!

She transforms into a current and flies off into the night sky.

* Urasue abbreviated as URA from now onwards *

[ End of ACT I: 2min 31sec]

[ Title screen: Kikyo’s Stolen Ashes ]

[ ACT II ]

INU sprints across a dark forest.

KIK:   Inuyasha!

INU turns around and is hit by an arrow, pinning him on a tree. He winces and reaches for the arrow.

INU:   (thinking) Damn! Who is that?!

A woman stands in front of him, with a bow.

INU:   (thinking) That’s…Kagome? No, it’s not… That’s Kikyo… The one who bound me to the tree!

KIK looks at him in hatred.

Cut to INU waking up suddenly. He is on a tree branch.

INU:   (relaxes and looks at his hand) A dream… (wipes his forehead) Brought back ugly memories.

INU looks down at KAG and SHI, who are sleeping next to a campfire. Cut to INU next to KAG, looking at her.

INU:   (thinking) They look alike… Kagome looks exactly like Kikyo.

KAG wakes and notices INU. She yells and slaps him. SHI looks for a while and goes back to sleep.

KAG:  (yawns) Inuyasha? (INU gapes at her in shock) Stop scaring me like that! I thought you were a scary demon.

INU points to the slap mark on his face.

KAG:  Huh? Did I punch you just now? Sorry!

INU:   Nope, not like her at all!

KAG:  What is?

INU:   Not one little bit!

KAG:  What’re you talking about?!

INU pauses and looks away.

KAG:  What is it, Inuyasha?

INU:   Nothing!

A gust of wind blows. URA flies across the sky above them.

INU:   What’s that?

KAG:  What? A demon?

INU:   (thinking) What is it? I’m getting the scent of new blood… Hold it… The smell of that blood…

Daytime in a forest. KAG is cycling, SHI in the basket. INU leaps onto a rock in a river.

KAG:  What’s the matter, Inuyasha? Why the sudden urge to go back to the village?

SHI:   (turns in the basket) I’m still sleepy! (yawns)

They approach KAE’s village. Cut to KAE getting out of her hut, with a bandage over her head and her arm in a sling. She is carrying a bow.

Woman: Priestess Kaede, you mustn’t move yet!

KAE:  Never mind! It’s not a serious wound.

KAG:  (reaches KAE) Granny Kaede!

KAE:  You…?

KAG:  What happened to you?

INU:   (lands and scoffs) So you’re still alive.

Cut to KAG helping KAE up the stairs to the temple. INU follows behind.

INU:   I guess not even a flesh wound will keep you down.

KAE:  So, you caught the scent of my blood on that demon.

INU:   Look, think of your age and take it easy!

KAG:  (thinking) So… He wanted to return because he was worried about old Kaede.

The group examines the remains of URA’s destruction last night.

KAG:  What’s this?

KAE:  This used to be my sister, Kikyo’s gravesite.

KAG:  A grave, here?

KAE:  I was not strong enough to stop her.

Flashback of last night when URA took KIK’s urn.

URA:  I take possession! (transforms into a current and flies off into the night sky)

Fade to present. INU looks at the grave intently.

KAE:  My sister had unusually strong powers, even for a priestess. If her ashes get into the hands of some demon, who knows for what evil purpose they will be used?

INU turns around and walks away.

KAE:  Inuyasha!

INU:   (stops) Forget it! Kikyo and I were enemies. (touches his chest) Have you forgotten who shot an arrow into my chest?

KAE:  You’re right…

KAG:  (thinking) I heard that happened fifty years ago…

Flashback from episode 1.

Villagers: It’s Inuyasha!

INU leaps into the sky while trapped in a net. He slashes at the net maliciously and frees himself. Grappling hooks are shot at him, but he dodges easily. Cut to a temple, INU grins evilly and looks at a necklace with a pink orb that glows. He grabs it. Villagers barge it, throwing spears at him. One of the weapons knock into a lantern and the temple catches fire. INU escapes through the roof. The temple roof explodes.

KAG:  (voice-over) Inuyasha the half-demon wanted to take the Sacred Jewel and become a full-fledged demon. When he came to the village to take the Jewel, the priestess, Kikyo, shot a sacred arrow which held him fast to a tree.

INU:   Hah! Now that I have this, I’ll become a real demon! (looks intently at the orb on the necklace, and lands)

KIK:   (drawing an arrow) Inuyasha! (fires)

INU turns back while running, and the arrow hits him in the chest, pinning him to a tree behind him. The necklace falls out of his hands. The priestess look at INU determinedly.

INU:   (weakly) Ki…Kikyo…! Why, you…! (raises hand, struggles for awhile and becomes unconscious)

KAG:  (voice-over) But in that battle, Kikyo would lose her life.

Cut o KIK wincing, clenching the orb on the necklace tightly and falls onto her side.

Young KAE: Sister!

INU sits under a tree.

INU:   (thinking) Demoness Urasue… She didn’t just steal Kikyo’s ashes. I could smell the dirt from the grave… Just what is she up to?

KAG:  (walks to INU) Let’s go, Inuyasha.

INU:   (looks away) Where?

KAG:  (sits next to INU, say nicely) Don’t you feel sorry for Kikyo, that her grave has been violated? Forget that you were once bitter enemies. Kikyo died long ago, right?

INU glance at KAG and looks away.

KAG:  (glares at INU and grabs his hair) Hey!

INU:   What?

KAG:  (mad) Since yesterday, you’ve been avoiding looking at me!

INU:   (glances at KAG, pauses and looks away) It’s nothing…

KAG:  I know! It’s because I look like Kikyo! That’s why you don’t like me, right?!

INU:   (grabs KAG’s hand) It’s not…!

KAG:  (looks at INU’s hand on hers, thinking) Huh?

INU:   (looks at KAG with soft eyes, gently tone) It’s not like that. (face moves closer to KAG’s)

KAG:  (thinking) W-what? (blushes, waves her hands frantically and shouts) W-what is it?! (pushes INU)

INU falls and rolls backwards. KAG turns to her side and clasp her hands to her chest, blushing.

KAG:  (thinking) W-what was that just now? What? What was that?

INU:   (stomps to KAG, yelling) Darn! What’re you doing?!

KAG:  (trembling) Y-you’re the one!

INU:   What did I do?!

KAG:  (noticing) Huh?

KAE walks towards them with a horse.

KAG:  Granny…

KAE:  I am also a priestess. I will take back my sister’s ashes with my own hands. Inuyasha, at least tell me in which direction Urasue is headed?

INU:   Do you wanna die, old woman?

KAG:  (chiding) Inuyasha!

KAE:  Well, I’ll have to go to find out.

KAG:  Granny Kaede, you mustn’t! You’re in no condition!

INU:   It’s useless to stop her! That’s why I hate dealing with old people! (takes the horse) I’ll get Kikyo’s ashes back. And I’ll be sure to bring home your bones, too. (walks off)

KAE:  Inuyasha, thank you.

KAG:  Granny Kaede, may I come along? (runs a few steps forward)

KAE:  Kagome?

KAG:  (looks at INU, thinking) Inuyasha’s eyes just now… He wasn’t seeing me…

Cut to sunset. The group travels along a Grand-Canyon like landscape. INU leaps among the boulders, KAE sits on her horse and KAG on her bicycle with SHI at the back.

KAG:  (looks at INU, thinking) He was seeing Kikyo inside me.

INU looks into the distance.

Night time. The group settles around a campfire. KAE is asleep in KAG’s sleeping bag. SHI is sleeping on KAE. KAG and INU sit across each other, around the fire.

KAG:  (softly) Granny’s asleep.

INU:   (closes his eyes, folds his arms and lies on a rock face) You’d better get some sleep. We’ll attack tomorrow.

KAG:  So soon?

INU:   I can smell it… She’s not far. (lies on his side)

KAG:  Inuyasha…

INU does not reply.

KAG:  He’s asleep.

Flashback from episode 1 when KAG first met INU by the tree where he was sealed.

KAG:  (voice-over) When I first saw Inuyasha, he was sleeping, too. Actually, he was bound to a tree… But to me, he looked like sleeping peacefully. I thought he hated Kikyo…

Flashback of earlier on.

KAG:  I know! It’s because I look like Kikyo! That’s why you don’t like me, right?!

INU:   (grabs KAG’s hand) It’s not…!

KAG:  (looks at INU’s hand on hers, thinking) Huh?

INU:   (looks at KAG with soft eyes, gently tone) It’s not like that. (face moves closer to KAG’s)

Background fade to a rosy pink, while INU continues holding onto KAG’s hand, looking into her eyes.

KAG:  (voice-over) Inuyasha’s eyes…weren’t the eyes of hatred.

Back to present.

KAG:  (thinking) My heart is still pounding. I wonder if Inuyasha… Maybe Inuyasha…actually was in love with Kikyo.

Daytime. SHI yawns and washes his sleepyface at a spring.

KAE:  (background) We must retrieve Kikyo’s ashes as soon as possible!

The group continues traveling. INU stands on KAE’s horse.

KAE:  I have a dreadful feeling about this.

INU:   Well, it’s too late now, isn’t it?! If you didn’t want the ashes stolen, why didn’t you just scatter the ashes into the river? You stayed sentimental and kept hanging on to them and see what happened?

KAE:  Inuyasha, how do you feel about a grave? A grave is not simply a place to bury a body or ashes. A grave is necessary for the hearts of ones who are left behind.

INU:   Hearts of those left behind?

Cut-scene of memories of KIK. She stands on a hill, overlooking the village.

KAE:  (voice-over) My sister was born a priestess. And she used her special powers for the good of the villagers. She kept demons away from the village and battle illness and famine countless times, encouraging the people around her. Even after her demise, the villagers have not weakened, they are resolved to live.

Cut to image of KIK’s grave.

KAE:  (voice-over) However, man is weak. Danger and uncertainty can weaken his heart. The grave was a place of reassurance. A place where hearts could find peace.

Back to present.

KAG:  (looks at INU, thinking) Hmm? Just like that time… Inuyasha is thinking of Kikyo… Inuyasha was in love with Kikyo. But she shot an arrow into him and he was bound for fifty years… (stops cycling) I feel really sorry for him.

INU notices KAG stopping and turns around to look at KAG.

KAG:  (looks at INU with sad eyes, thinking) It was unrequited love… Unrequited love…unrequited love! (starts to tear)

INU:   (squints and yells) What’s with you, Kagome?! (leaps onto the bicycle basket) That look gives me the creeps!

KAG:  Eh?

INU:   Why’re you looking so sorry for me?!

KAG:  (laughs uneasily) Oh, sorry! I was thinking nonsense.

INU:   Huh? What?

KAG:  Well…

INU:   (fierce) What is it?!

Cut to KAG cycling really fast. INU is on the back of the bicycle.

INU:   Well… What were you thinking?! Hey!

KAG:  Oh, shut your mouth!

[ End of ACT II: 14min 41sec ]

[ ACT III ]

URA walk into a kiln embedded into a mountain. She laughs and slashes the door open. A clay container is inside, baking in a fire.

URA:  Now then! Let’s see the result of my special magic… Kneading the earth from the grace with the ashes and baking it in my Demon Kiln! (enters) Hmm… Looks quite good! Now then… (takes a leaf from her hair) Let’s see…

URA throws the leaf onto the clay container and swings her scythe. She cracks open the container.

URA:  Arise! Open your eyes, Kikyo!

A naked girl in the container grabs the leaf slowly, sits up and opens her eyes. She looks like KIK.

URA:  Kikyo… I have heard that as a priestess, you foiled many an attempt by demons to possess the Sacred Jewel. I also hear that the Jewel is now in fragments and a demon who possess even one fragment of the Jewel doubles its powers! I want it… I want every fragment of the Sacred Jewel! Now, you will go and destroy every demon who seeks it… Burn and destroy them! You will serve me…the one who has brought you back to life! You will gather the fragments of the Sacred Jewel!

URA points her finger at KIK and sends a current at her which makes KIK stands up. URA laughs as KIK walks towards her slowly. The current dissipates and KIK fall sideways on the ground.

URA:  Huh… W-what is this? (grabs KIK’s hair and lifts her up) A soul… The soul hasn’t returned! There is no way my magic would fail to bring back the soul! (shocked) Does this mean that the soul has already been reincarnated in another body?! (yells) Then all I made was a hollow shape in the form of Kikyo! (throws KIK on the ground) Damn! Making me work so hard and wasting my time! Setting me up for a failure like this! How maddening! I can’t stand this! I can’t stand it!

The group travel slowly in a forest. A lot of clay containers are strewn around.

KAG:  What’s this?

SHI:   Earthen dolls? How creepy!

The group walks on. A long and narrow bridge connects the forest and the base of URA’s mountain hideout. Below the bridge is a deep valley.

INU:   Well, there it is.

KAG:  Huh?! We have to cross this?!

Cut to KAG grabbing the bridge nervously. INU is in front of her, KAE is behind.

KAG:  I’m so scared!!!

INU:   (turns around) You don’t have to come. I’ll go in and talk some sense into her.

KAG:  Don’t be silly! I refuse to be left behind on a bridge like this?!

INU:   So come… (turns around and walks)

KAG:  Wait!

Cut to SHI who is running in front of INU. A group of earthen dolls appear on the bridge, in front of the group.

SHI:   (stops) There’re more of the earthen dolls.

The earthen dolls cracks to reveal warriors in them. They tumble towards the group slowly.

SHI:   (taken aback) What’s that?!

INU:   Soldiers of the old demoness!

KAG:  Those are the dolls we saw… It can’t be…?! (notices warriors approaching them from behind) Inuyasha! Behind you!

INU:   Kagome, Old Kaede… It’s gonna shake a bit. (sprints and attacks the warriors in front) Iron Reaver Soul Stealer!

The warriors breaks, making sound of breaking pottery. The warriors are hollow inside.

INU:   Are these guys really made of mud?!

SHI:   Foxfire!

SHI attacks the warriors in the back with foxfire, which only chars them a little. KAE knocks them with her bow, breaking them.

INU:   (attacking more dolls) They’re not that strong! Just that there’re so many of ‘em!

In URA’s kiln.

URA:  What’s the ruckus outside? Oh, I can’t stand this! I’ll go out and work off this frustration!

URA grabs the leaf from KIK, but KIK holds on to it tightly.

URA:  Hey! Let go! This belongs to me!

KIK tilts her head and looks outside.

KAG:  (background) Inuyasha! Watch out!

URA:  What does this mean? Could it…

URA flies outside, above the bridge, and looks at KAG.

URA:  The resemblance! Such a close resemblance! What coincidence! Such good fortune! That face… No mistake!

URA flies downwards and slashes the bridge into two with her scythe. The bridge falls and everyone hangs on for dear life.

KAG:  (shrieking) Inuyasha!

URA swoops down and grabs KAG. SHI and KAE continue to fall into the valley.

SHI & KAE: Kagome!

KAG:  Granny! Shippo! (struggles) Hey, let me go!

URA:  (swings her scythe at KAG’s neck) If I let you, you’ll die. And now that I’ve found my reincarnated soul… As if I’d let you go! I need you! In order to fully resurrect Kikyo!

KAG:  Resurrect…Kikyo?!

[ End of ACT III: 20min 34 sec ]

[ End of episode 14: Kikyo’s Stolen Ashes ]

[ Preview for next episode ]

Kikyo is revived! The Sacred Jewel was really embedded in my body. So I really might be the reincarnation of Kikyo! I was drugged by Urasue's herbs and my soul actually left my body! After fifty years of separation, the meeting was not one of nostalgia, but feelings of hatred for Inuyasha from Kikyo! Next episode, 'Miko of Sorrow, Kikyo's Resurrection'!