Episode 97 - Kiara Who Didn't Return
Night time, deep in the forest and the gang is fast asleep around a roaring fire. Something moves through the tall grass towards sleeping campers and Kirara perks up at the sound of the intruder. The scene switches to the morning, and the team is going about his or her individual chores, but someone is missing, Kirara. Sango calls for her with no response so she asks the others if they’ve seen the feline. No one has seen the cat, nor do they seem overly concerned. Inuyasha tells Sango not to worry -- Kirara probably just went off by herself and she’ll be back on her own later. When later arrives, and Kirara fails to return Inuyasha is on the hot seat for his careless comment. Sango and the others initiate a search for Kirara, including forcing Inuyasha to try and ‘sniff’ out the cat, using the felines’ food dish. The plan doesn’t work -- it looks like Kirara took to the sky when she left. Kagome asks Sango if she remembers if Kirara might have been upset about anything, but Shippo interrupts with his own theory as to why Kirara disappeared: everyone treated her badly. Shippo tells everyone to examine his or her behavior towards the cat. He then proceeds to run down a list of wrongdoings involving everyone on the team, starting with Inuyasha. When Inuyasha was using Kirara to practice his Kaze no Kizu attack, he accidentally fried Kirara’s fur, leaving her with bald spots. Shippo then reminds Miroku that us used Kirara shamelessly to attract pretty girls. Miroku also used Kirara to scare away unattractive women with her “demon cat’ performance. Kagome receives the next accusation: she promised Kirara canned cat food from modern times in exchange for a ride to the well so she could visit home. Instead of coming right back, Kagome took her time, leaving Kirara waiting by the well, and then returned without the kitty treats. Everyone apologizes to Sango for mistreating Kirara, but even Sango feels guilty, too. Sango remembers all the times she took Kirara for granted as a battle partner, giving the cat no reward, rest or gratitude. Everyone admits they’ve done something that could have offended Kirara, including dressing the feline in one of Kagome’s scarves the day she disappeared. The team strikes out once more, searching for the missing cat. During the hunt, they encounter a very large, hostile -- and hungry, monkey monster. They also find the scarf Kirara was wearing when last seen, in the monkey monster‘s lair. Assuming the worst, they ask the monster if he’s eaten Kirara, but the big, stupid ape can’t remember. It’s even worse when, as they all fight the big dumb demon, Sango discovers a pile of bones that may be the remains of her feline partner. Inuyasha is just about to clash with monster when a furious Sango steps in and pulverizes the creature, taking her revenge. Next morning, Sango clutches Kirara’s dish to her bosom weeping bitterly in mourning. As the others try to comfort her, Inuyasha lets out a whoop of surprise -- Kirara just strolled into camp with Myoga. It seems Myoga borrowed the feline’s services for an errand. Myoga wonders why everyone was so worried about the cat: after all, he asked Shippo to tell the others where he and Kirara were going and when they’d return. Kagome asks Myoga about the scarf that Kirara was wearing when she left. Myoga recalls the cat’s scarf coming undone and fluttering off into the forest below. Shippo finds himself on the receiving end of the accusations for neglecting to relay Myoga’s message.
