Episode 12

The Soul Piper and the Mischievous Little Soul is the twelfth episode of the InuYasha anime. It first aired in Japan on January 22, 2001.

Plot
It's a hot day in modern day Tokyo when Kagome gets out of the Bone Eater's well in her school uniform, (which has short sleeves instead of long ones). She asks her Grandpa to run a nice bath for her. A voice is heard and it was Hojo. Grandpa gives him another lousy excuse of the fake illness that Kagome is having. Hojo gives him a little present. When Hojo leaves Kagome is asking how is her rheumatism. Kagome is at school and has a lot of catch up to do. If she told her friends for what she has been recently while out of school going to Feudal Era, they'd freak out After school Kagome and her friends Yuka, and Eri went to get ice cream along the way home. Her friend Eri realized that she had to take a makeup test in math. Yuka knew that she had great grades in math, but when Kagome has been going to the Feudal Era she's been flunking. She and Eri are wondering if Hojo is Kagome's new boyfriend since he has been giving her weird present for illnesses. Kagome tells them that she isn't his girlfriend and yet she mistakes for the illnesses her grandfather has been telling him. They come across a playground full of little kids playing with fireworks. In on of the openings of a circle a little girl in a heavy coat, and no shoes on, sets off a fire work, scaring them. Kagome goes to her and tries to get her to apologize to them, but the girl demands that Kagome stays out of her way, before disappearing.

Back in the Feudal Era Inuyasha is having Tessaiga repaired by Bees. The Bees fix it with their special wax to repair the crack in the sheath during the previous battle against the Thunder Brothers. InuYasha spots a benevolent yōkai called the Soul Piper, leading the souls of dead children with its tune; it's a good sign when its eyes are closed, but when they're open, the child is taken to hell.

Back in Kagome's time, Kagome is asked by her mother to take her brother Sota to the Hospital to take a present from his class to a good friend of his; Satoru. It turns of that Satoru has been in a coma for half a year since a fire at his apartment, which claimed the life of his sister Mayu. All of a sudden Satoru's life support equipment is sabotaged by the same girl who was the park the other day. Sota then tells Kagome that some of his classmates have been seeing a ghost from the apartment that Satoru, his mom, and sister lived in, and that many of them have been involved in near-accidents. He believe that it's Mayu who has been doing those terrible things to them. When they go to the apartment building a flowerpot is tossed of the porch and almost hit both of them.The culprit is indeed revealed to be the ghost of Mayu, who thinks that her mother didn't know that she died in the fire. During the confrontation, the soul piper appears in front of Kagome, its eyes slowly opening.

Kagome goes back to the Feudal Era to talk with Myoga. Myoga tells her that was the Soul Piper who entertains the children with its flute, if the eyes are closed it's ok, but if they're open the child is taken to hell. Kagome wants to help out Mayu but Inuyasha tells her to let it go, doubting that Mayu can be saved.

Kagome gets back to her time and has a talk with Mayu's mother to see what really happened. It turned out that Mayu had had an argument with her on the day of the fire, and had subsequently run away. She assumed that Mayu was simply at a neighbour's apartment. When the fire broke out, she managed to save Satoru, but the other firemen found Mayu dead; unbeknownst to her, Mayu had been hiding in a closet in order to play a trick on her, and had unknowingly caused the fire in the first place.Just then, they hear a disturbance from Satoru's room, and find Mayu wrecking the room. Kagome tells her to stop, and Mayu's mother realizes she's there. Mayu uses some force to throw her mother out of the room. Kagome tries to get her to understand what happened. More rage comes of her which cause the bed to fall out, but Inuyasha (who unknown to anyone had come to the present) manages to catch Satoru just in time. Inuyasha tells Kagome to give up and that Mayu will never make it to heaven.

At that moment, the Soul Piper appears, its eyes opening completely. It takes Mayu to the place of her death, where it will cast her into hell. Kagome and Inuyasha head to the apartment, but are separated. In the dark Mayu is in chains and hears the fire crackling, she opens the door and realizes that she is at the place of her death. Kagome calls her name and tries to save her. Mayu tells her that she's dead, but a portal to hell appears, with chains appearing to drag her to hell. Kagome quickly grabs her hand to save her and urges her to make up with her mother before she leaves for good. After hearing Kagome, and remembering the enjoyable times she had with her mother, Mayu realizes that her mother did indeed love her, and pleads for a chance to apologize to her. The chains then break.

The next day Mayu's mother goes to the burned apartment, and goes to the closet for where Mayu died. Mayu appears behind her and asks her to forgive for what she had done. She does and Mayu says goodbye. On the rooftop Inuyasha was worried sick that if Mayu took Kagome to hell, He would've been able to save her, but it was a risk she had to take. Kagome is her bedroom doing some homework, and then Mayu calls her. Kagome really loves her summer kimono her mother made for her. Kagome re-insures that she was just an ordinary little girl who loved her mother. Mayu goes and dances to the tune from the Soul Piper.

Trivia

 * The sheath of Tessaiga is being fixed by demonic bees; it was damaged in Inuyasha's previous fight with the Thunder Brothers.
 * One of two times the short-sleeved version of Kagome's school unifrom is seen; the second time is the next episode.
 * This episode and the previous one (much like the manga chapters) are the only episodes when something dark in tone happens in the Modern era; every Modern era episode afterwards become comic in tone.