The Mysterious Springs

Chapter 1: The Legendary Youkai

Special thanks to @SaineDoll for having made the illustration that serves as cover to this story and its Spanish version.

*****

Shortly after the events in Hourai Island, Inuyasha, Kagome and the rest of the group continued with their journey in search of a way to defeat Naraku while they protected the last shard of the Shikon Pearl. This was a legendary jewel that had the special trait of increasing the strength of youkai: the demonic creatures of Japanese folklore.

But before that...

They decided to stop at Kaede's Village, as Kagome needed to return to her era to gather provisions for their next travels, and she also needed to take a couple of exams. This caused a large discussion between her and Inuyasha...

- "For the last time, Inuyasha, I've got to go back to my era to take these exams or I'm going to fail the year!" – Kagome said, and she was already from a very bad mood from this. She was a 15 year-old girl with long black hair, brown eyes, slightly pale skin, who always wore her school uniform: a long-sleeved sailor fuku that had the collar and sleeves colored green, brown school shoes and white socks. At that moment, she also had an enormous yellow backpack on her shoulders. She and Inuyasha were standing near their friends in a large plain surrounded by forests that also had a dried wooden well at its center: this place was also called the Bone Eater's Well, which served as the point of contact between present-time Japan and the Warring States era Japan - "And surely, you'd like to have more of that food I always bring with me, right?" -

- "Keh, I don't care, and I'm already sick of you always having to return to your time for stupid things like these, especially because Naraku could go after you to take the shard away!" – the half-demon answered with a terrible face filled with anger. He had the appearance of a 16-year old boy, and had long silver hair, golden eyes, and wore a variation of the clothes worn by the Shinto priests that was completely red, with a white kosode underneath the outer layer. He went barefoot, and his more distinctive characteristics were the dog ears he had on his head and the claws he had in both hands and feet, which were the proof of his demonic lineage, as he was the son of a princess and a powerful youkai. He also had a shabby-looking sword sheathed on a scabbard he had tied to his hip and a necklace made of black stones with a few white magatama (comma-shaped jewels) scattered between them around his neck.

- 'Can someone be so stubborn!?' – an irritated Kagome thought, and then she uttered - "Inuyasha..." -

Inuyasha felt some shivers going down his spine, as these words signaled what was coming to him...

- "SIT DOWN!" – Kagome finished.

The necklace Inuyasha had around his neck suddenly shone, and it made Inuyasha fall face-first and strongly against the ground at once.

- "Well, Kagome, come back soon! Good luck!" - Sango cheerfully said to her friend. She was a 16-year old tall girl that had long, dark brown hair, brown eyes, and was dressed in a white and pink kosode with a green apron and a couple of zori on her feet. She also wore black guards on her arms and had a massive boomerang strapped to her back: it was larger than she was tall.

- "Yes, we'll be awaiting your return" - added Miroku as he made a gesture to bid her farewell. He was a 17-year old Buddhist monk dressed in a black and purple garment typical of his profession. He had short black hair, black eyes, wore sandals and carried a golden shakujou: a staff used by the Buddhist monks, in his right hands.

- "And don't forget about these sweets I like so much!" – Shippou told her enthusiastically. He was a fox demon, or kitsune, that had joined the group after his father was killed by a couple of stronger demons. He was like a little boy with fox legs instead of feet and a fox tail that had short orange hair tied up in a bun above his head, green eyes, and was dressed in an aquamarine kosode decorated with light green leaves, a dark blue hakama, and had a vest made of orange fur above them. He was so small that he wasn't tall enough to even reach the knee level of the others.