Episode 83 - Girl Yorojok and the Great Promise
Sunset, and high on a cliff, a dignified wolf surveys the valley below. A sudden whirlwind materializes and young, fur-clad girl springs out of the maelstrom, kneeling in respect behind the creature. The shot pans back to reveal a line of wolves sitting at attention. The lead wolf signs and the entire group, including the girl, leap into action. Later that evening, we find Koga sparring with a group of strange wolves that have been chasing him. He yells at the wolves to ask them why they’re after him, and is answered by the girl from the cliff. Although the girl seems to know Koga, he hasn’t a clue who she might be. Hakkaku and Ginta arrive and recognize her as Ayame, granddaughter of the elder wolf of the northern mountains. Suddenly, it dawns on Koga who she is. Ayame tells him he’s been ordered to assume leadership for all the wolf tribes and she‘s been sent to bring him home -- as her husband. Koga is clearly not interested in either proposition; besides he’s already ‘engaged’ to Kagome, and says so. Koga flees, leaving a puzzled and heart-broken Ayame behind. Daytime finds Inuyasha and the team still trying to locate Naraku. They’re stumped, but decide if they keep looking for the Shikon jewel shards, Naraku’s bound to surface. In another part of the woods, Ayame recalls how she and Koga met: we flash back to a younger Koga carrying the child Ayame on his back. Little Ayame took Koga’s joking promise to marry her when she was older, seriously. Now that Ayame’s grandfather needs to unite the wolf tribes using Koga’s strength and the Shikon jewels in his possession, Koga’s cavalier promise has become serious business. Koga, meanwhile, has arrived at the ruins of Naraku’s castle. He finds the evidence that Inuyasha has been there and fought with Naraku. Koga figures if he can locate Inuyasha, he can get answers and a clue to Naraku’s whereabouts and he takes off running. Down in the basement of the ruined castle, something slithers in the darkness, and it’s getting bigger... Later, Ayame and her pack have trailed Koga to the castle, where they just miss him! The thing from explodes through the ground and attacks Ayame and her wolves. The creature is a gigantic hairball with huge lips and razor-sharp teeth. Ayame and the pack barely escape, running for their lives. Eventually Ayame catches up with slowpokes Hakkaku and Ginta. They’re still running after Koga, unaware there is monster on their heels. The hairball catches up with the trio, but Ayame is able to repel it long enough for Hakkaku and Ginta to tell her a little about Naraku and the monster’s origins. Further up the road, Inuyasha senses Koga’s approach. On arrival, the first thing Koga does is pay his respects to Kagome. Koga and Inuyasha then engage in their ritual bickering over Koga’s unwanted attention to Kagome. The ’formalities’ concluded, they get down to the business of discussing Naraku. Suddenly, everyone senses an evil presence. Hakkaku and Ginta sprint from the forest followed closely by the giant hairball. The hair creature wants the Shikon jewels, but Inuyasha isn’t backing down. Grabbing a lock of the creature’s hair, Inuyasha swings it around and then slams in back and forth before finally flinging it off a cliff. Koga, in the meantime, ’rescues’ Kagome from the danger and carries her off to a safe place. Unfortunately it isn’t that safe -- Ayame is waiting for him, and ambushes Koga with a whirling leaf attack. She’s furious to see Koga with Kagome. Kagome is furious with Koga about telling Ayame that she’s his finance when she isn’t. Koga is furious with Ayame for butting in between he and Kagome. Ayame reminds Koga of his promise to marry her. In a truly sweet flashback, we see how Koga rescued little Ayame from the “Paradise Birds”. To ease the child’s fears, Koga chats with her and promises to wed her when she grows up. Koga genuinely can’t remember any of what happened but the dejected expression on Ayame’s face gives the weight of truth to her story. Kagome believes Ayame and, sympathetic to her anguish, scolds Koga for hurting Ayame’s feelings by breaking such a sensitive vow.
