More About Kagome

Kagome begins as an average 15-year-old girl living in modern day Tokyo. She lives in her family shrine with her mother, her younger brother Sota, her grandfather, and a cat named Buyo. On her 15th birthday she stops by the well that's on the property (the Bone-Eater's well), and to her shock a centipede-like demon reaches out of the well and pulls her in. She manages to fight off the demon, but when she climbs out of the well, she finds she is no longer at the shrine, but in the clearing of a forest. From the local villagers Kagome discovers she is in Japan's Sengoku Jidai (or age of warring states) several hundred years in the past.

Kaede, the miko (priestess) of the village, tells Kagome that she is the reincarnation of her (Kaede's) sister Kikyou, a very powerful miko and the guardian of the Shikon no Tama. The Shikon no Tama, also known as the Jewel of Four Souls or the Shikon Jewel, is a round jewel which looks like a glass ball and has a good deal of power. Even a shard of it can increase the strength, speed, skill and regenerative abilities of a demon.

Fifty years ago, Kikyou was killed when Inuyasha (a hanyou -- half-demon) attempted to steal the jewel in order to become a full demon. After pinning Inuyasha to a tree with a magical arrow, Kikyou begged Kaede to have the Shikon no Tama cremated with her so that it would not fall into evil hands. This is how Kagome came to have the Shikon no Tama (unbeknownst to her) inside her body, and what attracted the centipede demon (Mistress Centipede) to her.

Mistress Centipede comes after Kagome again, and ends up forcing the Shikon no Tama out of Kagome's body by biting her in the side. With the villagers fading fast in their battle against the demon, and herself in mortal danger, Kagome makes the choice to remove the arrow trapping Inuyasha to the tree -- something only she, as the reincarnation of Kikyou, could do. Once released Inuyasha makes short work of the demon, then turns on Kagome in order to get the Shikon as he tried to so many years ago. Fortunately, Kaede was prepared for this and placed a magical rosary around Inuyasha that causes him to slam into the ground whenever Kagome says the magic word.

Kagome is quickly after kidnapped by a group of bandits on her way back to the Bone-Eater's well. Their leader has been possessed by a demon and he steals the Shikon no Tama from Kagome. While attempting to get it back, Kagome accidentally shatters the jewel with an arrow, sending shards all over the lands. Feeling responsible for what happened, Kagome takes it as her duty to collect all the pieces. Inuyasha comes reluctantly along due to his own desire to get the jewel and Kaede's prodding.

Personality wise, Kagome is usually bright, cheery and full of life. She does have a bit of a temper, though, and she's also fairly smart. Her bravery, determination and loyalty are among her strongest qualities.

More About Sesshoumaru

Sesshoumaru is a dog-demon, Lord of the Western Lands during the Sengoku Jidai. He is Inuyasha's half-brother, having the same demon lord father, though his mother was a demon while Inuyasha's mother was human. When their father died, Sesshoumaru became lord and took over control of all of his father's domain -- the Western Lands.

When Sesshoumaru first appears in the series he is (with the "help" of his retainer Jaken -- a small toad/frog demon) attempting to find his father's tomb. In it is said to be a fabled sword called Tetsusaiga. It was forged from his own father's fang and is so powerful it can kill a hundred demons with one blow. Unable to locate the tomb, Sesshoumaru decides to visit Inuyasha to find out if he knows anything. It turns out their father's tomb is actually hidden in a black pearl that is in Inuyasha's eye.

After retrieving it, Sesshoumaru and Jaken enter his father's tomb followed closely by Inuyasha and Kagome. Sesshoumaru is very displeased to find he can't pull the sword from the bones it's imbedded in. Inuyasha tries as well with the same result, and frustrated they start in on each other again. They are stopped when Kagome, much to everyone's surprise, pulls the sword out with ease.

Sesshoumaru tries to talk Kagome into giving him the sword, but when she refuses he sprays poison from his claws at her. Assuming she is dead, he and Inuyasha begin fighting again until Kagome climbs out of a pile of bones still holding the sword and unharmed. She hands the sword to Inuyasha, and Sesshoumaru transforms into his true form (his demon form, a very large dog). The brothers go at it again, the fight ending when Inuyasha manages to use Tetsusaiga to cut off one of Sesshoumaru's arms.

During his travels Sesshoumaru picks up both the Tenseiga (a healing sword) and the Toukijin (another, rather evil, sword). However, he continues to make attempts to steal Tetsusaiga, even going so far as to work with Naraku briefly.

Unsurprisingly, Sesshoumaru is every bit a lord. He is calm, controlled, arrogant and very powerful. Cold and ruthless are also words that come to mind. On the other hand, though he claims to hate humans, he does take in and care for Rin (a young human girl). It's quite obvious there is more to Sesshoumaru than an average villain, it's simply well hidden beneath his cool control.