Episode 55

The Stone Flower and Shippo's First Love is the fifty-fifth episode of the InuYasha anime.

Synopsis

 * 1) Shippō meets a girl named Satsuki, who has a fake shard of the Shikon no Tama and wrongly believes that her deceased brother will some day return home to her.
 * 2) A Lizard demon appears and intends to use Satsuki and Shippō as a means to obtain a shard of the Shikon no Tama from Inuyasha and the others; the lizard demon proves to be incredibly weak and is easily defeated.

Summary
Shippō saves a young girl named Satsuki from bullies who accuse her of stealing. Satsuki then shows Shippō a "Sacred Jewel Shard" given to her by her elder brother to inspire hope in her before he left for battle. Her elder brother actually died during the Civil War, but Satsuki refuses to believe so and is determined that he will return to her.

Meanwhile, Miroku exorcises a lizard demon from the headman's house, much to the surprise of the others who believe he could not be anything but a fraud. Shippō takes Satsuki to the group, wondering if the Jewel Shard in Satskui's possession is real. However, afterward, Sango and Kagome confirm that it is actually just a "Stone Flower" (a piece of quartz).

That night, Kagome has a bad dream about Math, and Shippō tries to steal the real shards that they have in order to give to Satsuki. Just as he is about to escape with them, he is stopped by Inuyasha and Miroku. Inuyasha teases him about "falling" for Satsuki, Shippō retaliates by mentioning his love triangle with Kagome and Kikyō only to end up with another kick on his head.

The next day, Shippō goes to visit Satsuki, planning on saying goodbye to the young girl before the gang has to leave the village. He finds a demon pretending to be Satsuki's elder brother, and tries to save Satsuki by using his fox magic to create an illusion to distract it. While running away, he creates a flying horse for Satsuki to escape on, and when the illusion ends and she falls from the sky she falls right into the path of Kagome, Inuyasha, Miroku and Sango, who had been looking for Shippō. Shippō battles the demon, but his attacks don't seem to have much effect on it. Inuyasha appears and defeats it, but pretends for Shippō's sake that Shippō had done most of the damage. Miroku reveals that the lizard demon was the same one he had exorcised from the village headman's house the day before. In the end, Satsuki moves in with the kind headman, and reveals to everyone that she actually knew of her brother's death all along, but just refused to accept it. Shippō is seen staring into space, while the others discuss how even if he is a child, he is still a man. Kagome remarks that Satsuki was Shippō's "first love".

Music

 * Opening Theme — I Am — TV OST Vol. 2
 * Kagome tells Shippō to follow them to the village — Rin and Sesshōmaru — TV OST Vol. 2
 * Miroku goes on his own, Inuyasha disappointed that there is no jewel shard — Searching for the Shikon no Tama (Shikon no Tama o Motomete) — TV OST Vol. 1
 * Shippō introduces himself to girl — Swordsmith, Tōtōsai (Katanakaji Tōtōsai) — TV OST Vol. 2
 * The girl shows Shippō her jewel shard — Beautiful Memories (Utsukushii Omoide) — TV OST Vol. 2
 * Kagome asks to see Satsuki’s jewel shard; Kagome has nightmare about homework — The Hidden Well to the Sengoku Era (Kakushi Ido kara Sengoku Jidai e) — TV OST Vol. 1
 * Shippō walks, Satsuki finds him — Miroku’s Accomplice the Tanuki, Hachiemon (Miroku no Shatei Hachiemon-danuki) — TV OST Vol. 2
 * Shippō sees that Satsuki’s “brother” is actually a demon — Evil Spirits Desiring the Shikon no Tama (Shikon no Tama o Nerau Chimimōryō) — TV OST Vol. 1
 * Shippō uses illusion to save Satsuki, he has her escape on horse — Ryūkotsusei Resurrected (Yomigaeru Ryūkotsusei) — TV OST Vol. 2
 * Kagome and co. come across the destroyed house, they go to find Shippō — Shōki — TV OST Vol. 2
 * Shippō fights reptile demon, the demon smacks him down — Fierce Fighting (Gekitō) — TV OST Vol. 2
 * Inuyasha confronts demon — Inuyasha’s Metamorphosis (Hengeshita Inuyasha) — TV OST Vol. 2
 * Shippō bids goodbye to Satsuki — I Am (BGM/Recorder version) — TV OST Vol. 2
 * Ending Theme — Dearest — TV OST Vol. 3