Episode 16: Yukuro's Determination
"I hate dogs, I hate them, I absolutely wish I could kill them!!!" the mist settler grumbled. A bunch of wild dogs had just driven off her from her home and a hunting dog had stole her food, which was preserved boar meat. Now she was starving in the middle of nowhere.
"If it weren't for that stupid dog demon, I believe I would still be living happily in my house. BUT he had to come with that stupid girl, with his stupid companions, and insulted me with stupid comments, and gave me the stupid dog smell that attracted those stupid dogs that ruined my house and pooped their stupid poop on my property!!!"
She pounded her angry fists on a nearby tree. "He will pay, oh yes, that stupid dog demon will pay! Acting so stupidly proud! Hmmph! Well someday he'll see. I'll go to his house and ruin it!"
And then Yukuro realized that she didn't even know where his home was, or that he even had one. He's more of a traveling type huh...
"ARGH! This is not going to get me back my home! And my precious herbs..." Yukuro sobbed. Second to her life was the herbs she collected and the experiments she did.
"Uh...I don't have time to yell about things like that... I've got to get some food..." She sat down to rest her legs, dreaming about food. She dreamed of fleshy meat and grimaced at the thought of not being able to find a human village and eat all the rice she could have.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, do you think it is a good idea to leave Rin all alone with that human in that abandoned forest? What if Naraku goes and kidnaps her? Then you would have to run all the way back and go save and have him escape..." Jaken said.
"He won't escape."
"You say that my lord, but he does manage to escape every time--"
"That's because Inuyasha is there."
"Is it really his fault? I mean, maybe you need something more powerful? Maybe a new weapon?"
"My sword is fine."
"Well..."
"Will you be quiet for a minute?"
Jaken nodded and followed him silently. Minutes dragged as they strolled along side the mountain. Jaken couldn't withstand the silence any longer. He longed for some noise. And then he got it.

"That voice... its that annoying toad that was traveling with that stupid dog demon!" Yukuro said and ran off in the direction of Jaken's booming voice. Heh heh, that dumb toad. Now that you gave away your master, I can now--
"AHHHH!" she suddenly screamed and fell down into a hole that was purposely dug out and covered with leaves and branches of dead trees. This was a lesson for Yukuro to look before walking, something that she never thought about in her long and happy life. She touched her sore back and stood up, looking at the sunlight that peeped through the openings made by the trees. Then she sniffed the branches. It reeked of human hands.
"Oh no. Don't tell me I got caught in a human trap??? Me? THE GREAT MIST SETTLER YUKURO???"
"Hey, we caught something!" a villager said.
"Uh oh," Yukuro whispered. She searched frantically around the ditch for any loose vines she could climb up. She whistled and waited for her snake-like creatures to come. Nothing came.
"Darn, they must have gotten killed or eaten by those dogs..."
"What is that thing down there?" a man asked his comrades.
"Doesn't look like food," another replied.
"I'M NOT EDIBLE!!!" Yukuro barked.
"Oh my gosh! It spoke..." a broad man with an axe commented.
"I think its some kind of mushroom," a large woman suggested.
"WHAT???" Yukuro shrieked. She huddled into a corner. "This is ridiculous," she said again.
"Are you sure it isn't a lizard? Can't you see that tail?"
Yukuro could feel the fury inside her. "How insulting..."
"It's a youkai you dummies!" a young voice shouted behind the crowding men and women.
"What?"
"Now they find out," Yukuro said. "Well, I'm not staying any longer." Yukuro knelt down, building the power in her legs and sprang up from her jump. Her snake-like creatures finally arrived and carried her away. As they set her down in another unknown part of another forest she felt the ground below her collapse.
"OH COME ON!!!" her voice boomed.

Rin got to work cutting the ropes on her feet. After a new found bunch of courage she had rubbed the ropes on the sharp rock. At last, the tight ropes that bound her broke free. Now she tried to slide her hands down the pole. It worked. She now twisted herself around the pole to where the rock was and began rubbing the ropes binding her hands. Soon, the ropes on her hands were loose. Now she undid the ropes holding her to her waist and removed the blindfold.
It was dark and gloomy in the dungeon, and for the first time in the cell, she noticed a smell in the air. It was horrid, and was not pleasant. She got up and collected a rock or two. Then she started to hack the lock on the bars of the cell.

When the mist settler finally climbed out of the hole she fell in for the second time, she spotted a nearby town. A grand manor and a small town was all that was needed to tempt Yukuro into it.
As soon as she stepped into sight, the guards pulled out their swords and directed them menacingly at her.
"Stop right there. Who are you?"
"I'm a weary traveler. I'm very hungry. Now let me pass," she explained taking another step forward.
"You're a youkai aren't you? Why do you think we'll let you pass? You'll just put danger to our people."
She chuckled and said, "I don't eat people; what are you talking about? Will you let me pass or not?"
"No," the other guard replied.
"Wrong choice," she spoke, and transformed to her true identity. (Which you have to read to find out!)
Walking in the town triumphantly, she looked around for any food stalls and took out the pouch of money she took from the guards.
Now I can eat whatever I want!

After a while, Yukuro finally had her fill, she saw the grand manor.
"Whoa! It's built beautifully! I love this castle! I want it to be my new home!" she squealed and stroked the structure of the building. "The limestone is perfectly smooth, the statues have a marvelous hue of gold, and the best thing about this is--" She paused to squeal. "--its in PERFECT SYMMETRY!!!" (Can you guess what this comment is from? Comment to tell me.)
"There she is! Get her!" a gruff voice said behind her. Yukuro reverted her attention to her back. Men wearing the same uniform as the guards were all rushing toward her with sharp, pointy, silver spears.
"Oh no," Yukuro said and raced into the manor doors. With the soldiers on her tail, she had to get away fast.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, was that voice of that woman we encountered at that castle?" Jaken asked, the question count reaching 121#.
"Who knows," he replied.
"Are you worried about Rin, Sesshoumaru-sama?" Jaken questioned. (Jaken, its a good idea not to ask again...)
The reply he got was five smacks on his head.

Yukuro ran in circles in the castle with the guards hot on her trail. No matter loop she turned they always seemed to be two inches away from her.
"Will you stop chasing me please?" she pleaded as she ran like a cheetah.
The guards replied the same usual "Stop right there" and did not stop the frenzy.
"Grr! I HATE YOU PEOPLE!" Yukuro shouted and ran into a room and transformed into her real form.
"Argh, that youkai hid cowardly. She's in this room somewhere! Search this place!" the leader ordered, and they began picking up blankets and baskets and leafing through things. But Yukuro was long gone.
She sneaked out of the room the unaware soldiers were inspecting and into a long hallway. She ambled to the other side and slithered through the opening of the door.