The Suspicious Faith Healer and the Black Kirara

[ recap ]

Flashback from episode 89, when KAG was sick, and previous episode, when Sota confessed to Hitomi.

KAG:  (narrating) I caught a cold, and helped Sota on his love affair. These took up a bit of time. I finally went back to the Warring States Era with Inuyasha.

Cut to INU and KAG saying goodbye to Sota at the Dry Well.

INU:   See you, Sota! (jumps into well with KAG) All right then. Let's go, Kagome!

KAG:  Right!

[ End of recap: 1min 56sec ]

[ Title screen: The Suspicious Faith Healer and the Black Kirara ]

[ ACT I ]

Daytime. INU-gang is traveling again.

INU:   We finally can go seek out Naraku's whereabouts! We were held up by some stupid errands…

KAG:  (frowns and stops) I'm so sorry. My illness was a stupid errand, right?

INU gasps. SHI, MIR, SAN and KIR look at him.

SAN:  (sighs) Idiot! Digging his own grave again!

SHI:   Yes, an idiot!

MIR:   It can't be helped…

INU scoffs but MIR steps in to prevent KAG and INU from quarreling.

MIR:   Naraku ran away towards Northeast, which would be that way from here.

INU, glad that the quarrel has been avoided, leaps forth enthusiastically.

INU:   T-That's right! We can't delay any longer! Alright, let's go! Naraku, just you wait!

KAG:  Wait a second, Inuyasha!

In a village. The villagers surround an agitated two-tailed cat (looks a lot like KIR) with hoes and shovels. A faith healer, with scanty eyebrows and small sharp teeth thumps his staff on the ground.

Faith healer: Everyone, godly sign shown the two-tailed cat will bring great misfortune.

Villager 1: Two-tailed cat…?

Faith healer: When a cat's tail splits into two, it will possess supernatural powers. Unless you chase the two-tailed cat out of this village, great misfortune will come upon us.

The eyes of the faith healer flashes red and reflects off the eyes of two villagers. Their expressions turn dull and they start throwing rocks at the cat. The faith healer laughs to himself. The cat pounces onto the faith healer's head, pushes him over and runs off.

Faith healer: D-Don't ever come back! Two-tailed cat!

Evening in a forest near the village. A girl is looking around, worried.

Girl:   Kuroro…! Kuroro! Kuroro! Kuroro! Kuroro! Kuroro!

Cut to SHI with cute KIR in amidst tall grass. KIR runs ahead of SHI.

SHI:   Where are you going, Kirara? Kirara! (looks around) Where did Kirara go? Kirara! Kirara!

SHI reaches a river which runs through the forest. He jumps to the riverbank and washes his face.

SHI:   How refreshing!

The girl from earlier on looks at KIR, who is next to SHI.

Girl:   Kuroro! Kuroro…!

SHI: (blushes) What a cute girl… You heard her voice calling, didn't you, Kirara?

Girl:   Kuroro. So you were here. I was worried about you.

KIR walks to the girl.

Girl:   (kneels) Now, come to me. Come.

KIR jumps into the girl's arms.

Girl:   (patting KIR) Here you are. (laughs) That's great, Kuroro.

SHI:   (walks to the girl and clears his throat) That one is not Kuroro, she's Kirara.

Girl:   Let me put this on you. (puts a collar with a bell over KIR's neck)

SHI:   She's Sango's partner.

Girl:   Well, we're done.

KIR looks at the collar. The girl stands.

Girl:   Well, let's go home. Kuroro.

SHI:   (exasperated) As I said, that's not Kuroro, she's Kirara!

The girl looks in the distance and gasps. A bunch of villagers are heading their way.

Girl:   Everyone's coming. Run, Kuroro! (puts down KIR) Kuroro, you can't get caught! (runs off)

SHI:   I've told you she's Kirara! (to himself) She's cute, but a bit strange.

KIR growls angrily at the villagers.

SHI:   What's wrong, Kirara?

Villager 1: L-Look, it's that cat!

Villager 2: I thought I had been chased out from the village!

The villagers approach KIR angrily. KIR growls. The villagers throw rocks at her.

Villager 1: You! Get out of here!

SHI:   (steps in front of KIR) Stop it! What are you doing?

A rock hits SHI and he falls. KIR growls more angrily and looks like she's about to transform.

SHI:   (waves hands) Wait, Kirara! You can't attack humans!

The villagers continue throwing rocks and SHI shields himself.

INU:   (background) Hey, Shippo!

The rest of INU-gang arrives at the scene.

INU:   What's wrong?

KAG:  Shippo?

SHI:   E-Everyone…

Villager 1: A-Are they friends of the cat monster?!

INU:   (furious) Who are you calling a cat monster?

MIR:   (holds back INU) Well, Inuyasha…

INU:   W-What?

MIR:   (confident) Leave this to me. Villagers, violence is not advisable. (gets hit by a rock) If we talk, we can surely… (gets hit by two rocks, squeezes his staff angrily) You…!

KAG:  (appeasing) Well…

SAN:  (appeasing) Priest, calm down.

The village headman arrives at the scene.

Headman: Wait, everyone! Stop it! You must not engage in violence! We all believe that cats are spiteful. Besides, that cat is not Kuroro!

The villagers look at KIR.

A while later. The headman and the villagers are apologizing to INU-gang.

Headman: I apologize for the villagers' impoliteness!

INU:   It's all right. By the way, why are you all so obsessed over a cat?

Headman: W-Well…

KIR scratches herself. SHI holds up the collar with a bell (that the girl put on KIR).

SHI:   (thinking) What's wrong with that girl? She likes Kirara so much. She must have a kind heart. (smiles)

In the headman's house. INU-gang and the headman are having dinner.

Headman: In this village, there was a very wise cat named Kuroro. It got along very well with the village children. A faith healer came to the village few days ago. He passed us a message from the Gods. He said this cat will bring misfortune to this village, unless we chase it off.

Everyone looks at KIR, who is drinking from a saucer of milk contentedly.

SHI:   (thinking) I see. That's why that girl though Kirara was Kuroro.

Headman: I know that I did something wrong to the children, but we were afraid that misfortune will really fall upon us.

KAG:  Chasing the cat out will prevent misfortune…?

INU:   I find that faith healer a bit strange.

MIR:   We should probably meet him.

INU:   Yeah, you're right.

SHI takes out the collar and looks at it. He stands and walks off.

KAG:  What's wrong, Shippo?

INU:   Perhaps he has indigestion from eating these food.

SHI doesn't reply and walks out of the house.

Outside the headman's house.

SHI:   But, I wonder where should I search for that girl?

Girl:   (background) Kuroro.

SHI:   This voice…

The girl appears a distance away, walking.

SHI:   That's the girl…

Girl:   (worried) Kuroro. Kuroro.

SHI:   (runs to the girl) Oi! Is this yours? I'm Shippo. The one you put the bell on a while ago is not Kuroro, it's Kirara.

Girl:   Kirara?

SHI:   You're looking for a cat called Kuroro, right?

The girl nods.

SHI:   I'll look for her with you.

Girl:   (nods and takes the collar) I'm Koume.

SHI:   Koume, that's a nice name. (blushes)

* Koume abbreviated as KOU from now onwards. *

In a shrine in the outskirts of the village. The faith healer is chanting away. Suddenly his eyes flashes red and black fumes appear. It spreads out of the shrine and rises to the sky.

INU-gang is walking in the village.

INU:   Where did Shippo go, anyway?

SAN:  He was acting a bit strange.

KAG:  (notices the black fumes in the sky) Everyone, look!

INU:   What's that?

MIR:   It's a cloud with demonic energy.

SAN:  I guess that faith healer is not to be underestimated.

KAG:  Let's hurry! According to the headman, he should be in a shrine away from the village!

INU-gang starts to run.

KOU is walking in a forest.

KOU:   Kuroro! Kuroro! Kuroro! Kuroro!

SHI bursts out of some bushes suddenly.

KOU:   (shocked) Shippo!

SHI:   I don't think she's here.

KOU looks down disappointedly.

SHI:   You must like her a lot.

KOU:   (nods) Furthermore… Kuroro was pregnant.

SHI:   I see. I'm sure she's all right! I'll definitely find her for you!

KOU smiles and nods.

SHI:   Let's try looking farther.

The trees start to shake.

SHI:   What's this demonic energy…?

Black fumes appear above them. It gathers and strikes the ground, forming a big light. The light dissipates to reveal a huge horde of rats running towards them. KOU shrieks.

SHI:   (leaps) Fox magic, smashing top!

SHI throws his top which spins on the rats. The rats shriek. SHI lands and kneels next to KOU.

SHI:   Hold on to my back! (piggybacks KOU)

The top transforms to its original state in a puff and the rats rush forward.

SHI:   (jumps) Let's move higher up! (jumps up a slope)

Cut to village. A few villagers are on their way home.

Villager 1: What's that?

A large mass of rats move across the padi fields swiftly.

Villager 1: Rats! A horde of rats!

The villagers run off.

In a temple. A monk walks along the corridor and hears squeaking in one of the rooms.

Monk:  What is that?

He opens the room and finds rats nibbling on scrolls and climbing all over the Buddha statue.

Monk:  Why?! T-This is…? What's going on? Oh no, the sacred mantras…

The rats look at the monk, eyes flashing red.

Cut to shrine with the faith healer inside, at the altar. He looks into a mirror on the altar, which shows the rats eating grains in a storeroom.

Faith healer: (laughs) Stupid villagers! That fearsome cat is no longer here! Without that two-tailed cat, my rats will plunder everything!

The mirror flashes and the true face of the faith healer is shown. He is a huge rat.

Cut to SHI running from the rats while piggybacking KOU. He is panting heavily. Some rats catch up with him and bites him on the leg.

SHI:   (winces, thinking) I can't hold it any longer…

Suddenly Kuroro jumps out and lands between SHI and the rats.

* Kuroro abbreviated as KRO from now onwards *

SHI:   Kirara!

KOU:   Kuroro! That's Kuroro!

SHI:   This one has two tails too.

KOU:   Kuroro, so you are here!

KRO nods her head gravely. A red aura flashes around her and she leaps towards the rats. She kills the rats stealthily.

INU-gang arrive outside the shrine. A green barrier surrounds it.

KAG:  That's…?

MIR:   It looks like a barrier formed by demonic energy.

SAN:  So, the conjurer must be a monster in disguise!

INU:   Who cares! I must break that barrier! (unsheathes TET) Tetsusaiga!

TET throbs and turns red. INU swings it down on the barrier. Static ensues and the barrier dissipates. TET reverts to its normal state.

INU:   (scoffs) How was it?

The shrine explodes and a huge rat-demon appears, laughing.

INU:   Now you've shown yourself, stupid rat monster!

Rat-demon: If not mistaken, you're a half-demon, aren't you? Don't a half-demon like you dare to defy me, Lord Tesso!

* The rat-demon, Tessu, abbreviated as TES from now onwards *

INU:   What did you say?

KIR runs forward and transforms to her fearsome state. She growls.

TES:   (horrified) C-Cat!

MIR:   Despite his size, he's still afraid of cat.

KAG:  That's why he found the children's cat annoying!

INU:   I'll deal quickly with a rat monster like you! (swings TET) Wind Scar!

INU throws a Wind Scar at TES. TES shrieks and breaks into tiny pieces.

INU:   Not even worth the effort.

The tiny pieces join together and morph back to TES.

TES:   (sniggers) In the end, a half-demon's power is limited.

INU:   Wind Scar doesn't work on him?

TES:   What's wrong? Are you scared?

INU:   What?! (runs)

MIR:   (stops INU, low voice) Wait… that's not his real body.

INU:   What?

MIR:   He's most probably a congregation of demonic energy from individual rats. You can't even slash it with a sword.

INU:   What to do then?

MIR:   Just leave it to me. Let my Wind Tunnel suck in the rat monster!

MIR is about to open his Wind Tunnel when TES gasps and dissipates into red fumes.

MIR:   What?!

The fumes spread out and disappears.

SAN:  It has vanished!

MIR:   It has escaped.

Cut to SHI and KOU, who are following KRO.

SHI:   Kuroro, where are you leading us to?

KRO runs into a cave. She beckons SHI and KOU and they enter. KRO walks up to three small cats and licks them.

KOU:   Kuroro, your babies are safe!

SHI and KOU kneel next to KRO and her kittens.

SHI:   This is great!

KOU:   (nods) Let's go back to the village. (puts the bell around KRO's neck) From now on, nobody can break us apart anymore!

Cut to black fumes gathering and twirling in the night sky.

TES:   I smell it, I smell it… The smell of a human child! If I eat a human child, our collective power will be doubled!

Back in the cave. KRO growls angrily.

SHI:   It's a demonic energy!

KRO runs out of the cave.

KOU:   Kuroro! (follows)

SHI:   You mustn't go out! It's dangerous to go out now!

KOU:   But…

SHI:   Let Kuroro deal with them, and we'll look after these kittens!

KOU looks at the three kittens in her arms and nods.

Cut to outside of cave. Black fumes gather and form TES.

TES:   I found you!

KRO hisses at TES.

TES:   Little brat! Are you going to fight with me?!

TES flings his tail at KRO, sending her crashing to a rocky wall.

Inside the cave. KOU gasps as she heard the noises.

SHI:   Koume, don't leave this place. (runs out)

KOU:   Shippo!

Outside the cave. SHI peeps out and notices KRO.

SHI:   Kuroro!

KRO struggles up.

TES:   Are you tired of living? Go to hell!

TES flings his tail at KRO again, but this time she bites onto it.

TES:   (shrieking and shaking his tail) Let go!

KRO lets go and claws TES across the face.

SHI:   Good job, Kuroro!

TES:   You… Take this!

TES spits a pink light around him, breaking the rocks.

SHI:   Oh no! (goes back into cave)

The rocks collapse.

Inside the cave, SHI shields KOU as the rocks fall. The rocks completely covers the opening and the stop falling.

SHI:   Are you all right, Koume?

KOU:   But, our way out is blocked.

SHI:   Don't worry. (pats his chest) I'll rescue everyone for sure! (licks his finger and holds it up) This is the way out!

Cut to SHI digging his way through the rocks. He is cut by a sharp flint and winces.

KOU:   Shippo. (kneels next to SHI and holds his finger) Are you all right?

KOU sucks SHI's finger to take out the flint. SHI blushes. KOU then tears off a part of her clothes and warp it around his finger. The kittens mews and snuggle up to each other.

KOU:   Is it painful?

SHI:   Don't worry, I'm immortal! (continues digging)

Cut to INU-gang walking back to the village.

INU:   Didn't that rat bastard fear us and flee the village?

MIR:   No. He won't abandon the village easily after chasing the cat off.

KAG:  So, he's still near the village?

SAN:  Probably.

A few villagers run past them, holding torches and yelling.

Villager 1: It's Kuroro!

Villager 2: That two-tailed cat appeared again!

KAG:  Let's go!

INU-gang chases the villagers.

INU-gang arrives in the forest. KRO walks up to them, all battered and injured. The bell on her sounds as she walks.

KAG:  That's…?

INU:   That's Shippo's bell!

KRO mews and wobbles.

MIR:   So this might be Kuroro?

KAG:  She seems badly injured.

KRO turns around weakly and walks. She looks at INU-gang and raises her front paw, and continues walking.

SAN:  That cat seems trying to lead us to somewhere.

Back in the cave. SHI is still digging furiously. KOU is leaning against a wall, panting. The kittens mews in her arms.

KOU:   (weakly) Somehow… it's getting harder… to breathe…

SHI:   We can go out soon. Hold on, Koume!

KOU:   (closes her eyes) Okay… I'm fine…

SHI:   Almost there! Almost there! Hold on, Koume! Hold on!

Cut to KRO and KIR walking in front as INU-gang follows.

Back in the cave. SHI is still digging furiously. Some dust falls and an opening to the outside is seen.

SHI:   We did it! Koume, we did it!

SHI climbs out of the cave only to find TES looming over the opening.

TES:   (sniggers) Fellow demon, get out of my way. There should be a human child in there. Let me eat it.

SHI:   (runs forth) I won't let you do that!

TES:   Get out of my way, you flea!

TES slams the ground but SHI leaps and dodges.

SHI:   (notices TES's face which is intact, thinking) That wound inflicted by Kuroro is gone!

TES swings his tail in SHI's direction and SHI gasps. INU suddenly appears and claws at the tail.

SHI:   Inuyasha!

INU:   (lands and points TET at TES) Fancy eating human child to increase your demonic energy. How could you be so cruel?!

TES:   Stupid brat! Have you forgotten that your sword won't harm me?

TES's body glows with a red aura. A blue light appears on its broken tail and it morphs back to normal. The rest of INU-gang comes running into the scene.

SHI:   That one is fake! He doesn't have the wound Kuroro inflicted on him!

MIR:   I see. So this is what happened. (takes out a charm) Well…

MIR throws the charm. It flies towards a rock on the rock and hits it. The rock throbs and a mass of black fumes appear around it.

MIR:   Inuyasha, behind you! Aim for that rock!

TES:   (horrified) What?!

INU:   (spins around) Your real body is there! Wind Scar!

INU throws a Wind Scar at the rock and breaks the rock. The real TES appears, shrieking as his body is destroyed by the Wind Scar. The fake TES behind INU crumbles and dissipates into thin air.

KAG:  We did it!

KRO mews and collapses. KOU appears at the opening of the cave, holding KRO's kittens.

KOU:   Kuroro! (runs to KRO) Kuroro!

KOU kneels next to KRO. She puts down the kittens and holds up KRO.

MIR:   Kuroro tried to tell us about you two despite her own injuries…

KOU:   Kuroro… Thank you, Kuroro. (hugs KRO sadly)

SHI:   Koume…

[ End of ACT I: 20min 38sec ]

[ ACT II ]

Daytime in the village. The villagers send off INU-gang.

Villagers: Thank you! Thanks to you, we were saved!

SHI:   (looks at the village, thinking) Koume, take care.

Cut to KOU's house. The kittens are playing with each other. KOU opens the door.

KOU:   Everyone, it's meal time.

KRO walks into the hut. She is better, even though two of her legs are bandaged. The kittens rush to KRO and start sucking.

KOU:   From now on, we're going to be together forever. Kuroro. (smiles)

Cut to INU-gang traveling.

INU:   Hey, Shippo! You had done a good job!

KAG:  Koume has told us everything.

SHI:   (crossed arms, serious) A man is supposed to protect girls.

MIR:   It's great that he did it without any ulterior motive.

SAN:  I think someone should take note on this.

MIR grimaces.

INU:   (teasing) Hey, Shippo. Were you actually fond of her?

SHI:   Cut out your craps!

INU:   I shouldn't guess wrongly.

SHI:   (jumps up and down) No, it's not, not! (tearing)

INU:   It means yes if you're getting worked up!

SHI:   (agitated, crying) I said no!

INU sniggers jeeringly.

SHI:   Inuyasha is bullying me!

INU:   (jeering) Stu-pid!

KAG:  Inuyasha.

INU:   (looks at KAG) Huh?

KAG:  Sit!

INU:   (crashes to the ground) Why…?

The screen pans upwards to the bright sky.

SHI:   What a nice day.

[ End of episode 91: The Suspicious Faith Healer and the Black Kirara ]

[ Preview for next episode ]

It can't be wrong this time! There's the smell of Urasue's herbs here!

Urasue? The witch who revived Kikyo?

I smell Kikyo's scent… Oh no! Has Kikyo taken control of Urasue's army?

Oh gosh… There's really such a thing as using souls to control terracotta soldiers… ? Next on Inuyasha, "Ambitions of the Revived".

Is Urasue is alive?