Disclaimer: See Prolouge

Hey everybody-

Here's my new chapter, it's a little longer than my usual ones, and I think I'm finally comingout of my writing slump. But I'll let you be the judge. Please, please read and review!

Chapter Eleven

Downward Spiral

It was a strange feeling; watching your own body as it's guided by someone else. Akemi felt detached, almost apathetic, as watched herself dress in her sturdiest pants and shirt, strapping her dagger to her belt as she grabbed her boots from Kagome's closet. She didn't like the feeling of not being in control, trusting her life to anyone other than herself. But if I ever want to figure out what's going on, I guess I have to put up with it. Akemi resigned to her fate as she watched herself slip unnoticed down the stairs and out the front door.

"This way…" The voice seemed to trail beside her, tugging at her left ear and pulling her in that direction.

"Right." Akemi responded quietly. I'm answering the voice in my head, now I'm completely crazy. Akemi shook her head, slightly bemused by everything. What a completely ridiculous situation. And I'm just as ridiculous for getting involved.

Suddenly Akemi felt herself stop. She was outside a small building on the edge of the shrine. "Eh? Why am I here?" Akemi put her hands on her hips in confusion.

"Go inside…" Akemi felt her pendent grow warm as the voice whispered to her.

"Okay…but I don't think Kagome spends her time in a storage room two-hundred feet away from her house." Akemi snorted slightly.

But as Akemi opened the slider door she realized it wasn't a storage room. The small building was dark and almost completely empty. The only thing Akemi could find was a small staircase leading down a few feet into the darkness.

Carefully stepping down the old wooden stairs, Akemi began to feel hopeless, even if there was something there, it was far too dark to really explore. Despite the chill that had stayed by Akemi since she had arrived in Tokyo, she began to feel warmth around her that seemed to grow in intensity with every breath she took. Looking down at her pendent she noticed a small light glowing from its center, growing brighter with every pulse the pendent gave out; thu-thump…thu-thump… After a moment Akemi could see the entire building, her pendent illuminating everything with a soft pink pallor.

The only thing in the building was a very old well sitting a few feet in front of her. There had never been water in this well; the wooden opening was weathered but showed no significant water damage. Why would they build a shrine structure around an old well that never held water? It must be important to the shrine, but why?

As Akemi crossed the last few feet to the edge of the well, she felt a familiar chill run across her neck, bringing with it the distant whisperings of that unknown voice.

"It's here Akemi…look and see..." It's inhumanly frozen breath caressed her cheek, causing her heart to beat erratically inher chest.

Swallowing the rising bile in her throat, Akemi nodded slightly and edged her body over the side of the well. It was empty save for a ladder that ran down the side. Nothing…

Akemi wiped the sweat from her brow, turning and sitting on the rim of the well. Nothing… She felt small bubbles of hysteric laughter rising from her throat as she placed her head in her hands. All this time…I really have gone crazy… Small clear pools collected in her hands as she fought the urge to break down. After what happened, no wonder Papa sent me away like that…was I crazy then too?

Akemi didn't know how long she sat there, trying to pull herself together. But when she began to hear the movement of the small birds living in the trees around the shrine, she wiped the moisture from her eyes in exhaustion. It's almost dawn; I should go back and stop this stupidity once and for all, maybe Papa will listen to me and let me go home. She shook her head tiredly and leaned forward to stand and return to the house, when she felt the pulsing from her pendent stop, freezing her actions.

The light blinked out… Akemi watched as the building was once again flooded in darkness; the only sound her quiet breathing. Is it over? Minutes went by and still there was nothing, Akemi let out her breath slowly and turned from the door to take a last look at the well.

A single pulse rent forth from her pendent, a low vibration that shook her entire body and caused her to lean on the side of the well for support. Something is wrong… Akemi's body continued to shake, keeping her from moving. And as suddenly as it had blinked out, surrounding her in darkness, the light from her pendent exploded into a blinding white light, bringing with it an unearthly tempest that surrounded her, stinging her eyes with its force.

The voice that had haunted her and then abandoned her returned, speaking clearly for the first time. The speaker was a woman, not much older than Akemi was, and in a soft and rich voice she spoke soothingly. "Do not despair… the way to your answers lies here…"

The warmth she had felt since she entered this place had grown as the voice spoke, numbing Akemi's mind and quieting her heart. She had never felt such benevolence before, wishing internally that she could simply stay like that. But it was short lived, her euphoria replaced with terror as she felt the wind intensify, pushing her body forward into the well.

The light from Akemi's pendent enveloped her as she fell, unable to even produce the scream that was lodged in her throat. Her last thought before she blacked out was how strange it was that she hadn't hit bottom.

"" "" "" "" Some time later "" "" "" ""

Akemi was woken by the chatter of the birds above her. They seem much closer now… She thought vaguely, her eyes refusing to open due to the pounding in her head. It feels like I have a wicked hangover.

Something impossible had happened last night, but the fog surrounding Akemi's brain was blocking her from remembering everything. Was last night just a dream? I have had a lot of strange ones lately… The ground beneath her was cold and hard, so where ever she was, it wasn't in Kagome's room. So I really did take off last night…am I still crazy? The thought was a disquieting comfort for Akemi. If what had happened last night, had actually happened, then Akemi wasn't crazy, but she was involved in something that she had no prior knowledge or preparation for. But if everything was just all in her head then…Guess I'm screwed either way.

Akemi found that her current way of thinking wasn't making her want to wake up anymore than she had before, and something told her she shouldn't linger where she was any longer than she could help it.

The light from behind her eyes seemed much brighter than it should have been, the building was poorly lit and Akemi doubted that even with the door open it would be much better. Maybe it's just the hangover working one over on me. I can't imagine where I could have gotten liquor though…

Akemi's eyes remained shut as she propped herself onto her elbows. She could feel dirt underneath her. Dirt…am I inside the well? Akemi opened her eyes slightly and saw that she was, indeed, at the bottom of the well. Damnit, how the hell am I going to explain this one to Kagome and her family? Akemi began to grope numbly for the ladder she had seen last night but found nothing.

"What?" Akemi opened her eyes fully and realized how truly wrong this whole situation was. Above her the sky was a soft pink, the last of the sunrise fading into the blue sky. Sky...

Pushing her protesting muscles into action, Akemi began to search for a way up the well. There are some vines growing down the sides, maybe they can hold my weight long enough to get out of here. Grabbing a few and wrapping them around her left hand for added support, Akemi pushed her legs against the wall in front of her and her back against the opposite wall, pulling herself up as quickly as she could.

Despite her reservations about the vines strength, Akemi made it to the top of the well fairly easily, pulling herself over the side and landing head first in the grass. Grass…

Akemi lifted her head and took in her surroundings for the first time. I am in big trouble. The building, the shrine, everything was gone. As Akemi looked around her, she saw that she was sitting in the middle of a forest clearing. What forest it was, or why she was there, Akemi couldn't even begin to fathom.

Her pendent had returned to its normal, dormant state, hanging carelessly around her neck, unwilling to share its secrets with her at the moment. Quelling her heartbeat to a dull roar, Akemi stood up and began walking in a circle around the well.

"It's different somehow...newer maybe… But it's the same well… I'm sure it's the same well." Akemi continued to circle, trying to come up with any explanation. Shit, what the hell am I supposed to do now?" Akemi snarled in frustration.

The voice Akemi had heard since she had arrived was currently silent, maybe not even present. The one time I would want to hear it, it decides not to show up. Freaking great! Looking down, Akemi glanced over her outfit. All of my sturdiest clothing, my army boots, my dagger…she was preparing me for this. That woman…that, voice, she knew I would need them. She sent me here. Akemi's hand rested comfortingly on her dagger as she tucked her hair behind her ear with the other, nervously combing the stray hairs with her fingers. But what am I supposed to do now? Where am I supposed to go?

A random breeze blew past Akemi and as she breathed it in, she could faintly smell the creatures that lived around the clearing, and more faintly still, the ones that lived deeper into the forest. I shouldn't be sitting out here in the open like this; I don't know what I'm dealing with yet.

Intent on a clear course of action, Akemi walked silently to the edge of the forest, searching for any signs of civilization as she passed. I should probably pick a direction. Akemi thought to herself, looking around. As she searched through the endless maze of trees, Akemi noticed one stood above the rest. It was enormous, freakish even, compared to the size of the other trees in the forest.

"I'll go there then." Akemi nodded to herself as she took off towards the tree. As she walked through the forest Akemi noticed that even the air seemed different here, cleaner somehow. The atmosphere was so clear that Akemi found she could see in detail for miles around her.

I've never seen so much nature in one place before; even in the large parks at home, it always seemed as though they were fenced in by civilization. But this place…it feels wild, like it would swallow a city up inside it. Akemi marveled at the sheer number of trees, nothing was clear-cut, nothing was developed; "Amazing." Akemi breathed a small exclamation.

It only took a short walk for Akemi to reach her destination. The tree was surrounded by a small clearing, much like the well, as if the smaller plants and animals quaked in its presence and allowed it ample space to breath.

Vines had grown up around it, building outward as if cradling something against the tree. The largest cluster of vines were centered on a single point and looked to have been ripped apart by something. Though the damage wasn't terribly recent, it had happened in the last year or so.

"What could have done this? Or maybe, why did something do this?" Akemi muttered quietly to herself. Whatever had done it had broken away from the tree; meaning it had to have been there for a very long time, considering the vine growth around it, far too long for and living creature. "Mysteries upon mysteries eh?"

Akemi sighed deeply and sat down against the tree. "It's interesting, but, it really doesn't help me with my problem." She had to find out where the hell she was, and then hopefully find out why she was there as well. "This all has to do with Kagome, but I can't really ask her when she's back at her house and I'm…I'm wherever I am."

"Find the demon…find Inuyasha." It was only a stray breeze, at least that was what Akemi told herself as she heard the fain t whisperings of her invisible guide.

"Inuyasha?" Akemi wondered aloud. Inuyasha is here? Well I suppose that explains at least one thing. "I guess I should find him then, at least he's a mutual acquaintance." Too bad you tried to stab him last time he saw you. Akemi mocked herself, even if she could find Inuyasha, there was no guarantee he would help her, for that matter there was no guarantee he wouldn't attack Akemi as soon as he saw her. But as Akemi looked around her, she couldn't find any other solution, she would have to at least try and find Inuyasha.

People seemed to come around this tree fairly often; the ground was trampled smooth by the weight of many people upon it. "I'm sure there'll be a path close to here…" Akemi cut out in mid-sentence as she noticed a small path to her left. "A-ha," Akemi exclaimed slightly as she proved her theory correct. I bet this path will lead to a larger one farther down the path. It wasn't really a stretch to assume there was a larger path, but Akemi wasn't quite sure what she should and shouldn't assume in this place.

It was beautiful there though, more beautiful and natural than Akemi could ever remember seeing. Her Papa would have loved to see this place, he always talked sadly about there being nothing natural left in the world. Papa…I wonder what he's doing right now. I hope he's okay.

Akemi hadn't spoken with her father since she had first arrived in Tokyo. She wasn't surprised really, he was in the middle of a case when she had left and seemed more involved in that one than usual. If he could even manage to be more involved in his work than he already is.

Akemi pushed the thoughts of her father to the back of her mind; it wasn't the time to dwell on things. She had already gotten herself in trouble with her lack of discipline, if she wasn't careful, she could very well get herself killed the next time.

"At least I was right about one thing." Akemi curled her lip into a crooked smile as she saw an opening in the forest; the main path was just a couple yards away. "So there are people here."

Akemi felt her spirits lighten slightly as she walked down the road and saw a small village at the bottom of the hill. What a strange little village, it looks like it cam straight out of a history book. The village was made up of mostly small farm houses connected together by dirt paths. There was what looked like a shrine to the left. I know I'm still most-likely in Japan now at least.

Staying at the edge of the town, Akemi was careful not to let any of the villagers see her. All the men wore their hair in top-knots, and the women were dressed in simple kimonos, fit for farm and house work. Everything about the village was strange to her, no visible technology of any kind and no paved roads. Akemi began to feel less comforted by the presence of these strange people. Now I know I'm really lost, where on earth do you find this type of place, especially in Japan?

The shrine seemed like the safest choice in destinations, even if she was in danger here, a holy man was still a holy man after all, and she should be able to turn to him for help. But that still meant that she would have to walk where there were people.

Akemi looked down at her clothing worriedly, "I certainly don't blend in." She muttered. Her dark grey cargo pants were covered in the dirt from the bottom of the well, but her leather jacket had protected her tank top from harm and her arm sleeves were still intact. But her all black attire was troubling, there was no way she could make it less discrete.

Smoothing her hair out and tucking it behind her ears, Akemi took a deep breath and buttoned up her jacket. It will have to do.

People stopped in what they were doing to stare at her passing. "Who is she," was muttered among the crowd as well as; "another demon perhaps." Which was in turn was followed by, "not another demon! We have such bad fortune these days!" Mother's hid their children behind their backs until Akemi a distance away.

At the bottom of the shrine was a small hut next to the entrance, an old woman stood in its door as she approached, a look of concern etched on her face. "And who are ye?" She asked gruffly.

Ye? Akemi raised her eyebrow slightly as she took in the woman fully. She was dressed in traditional priestess attire that looked to be from around four or five hundred years in the past. A patch covered her right eye and a long bow was slung over her shoulder.

"Are you the priestess for this town?" Akemi asked shortly, her hand lightly fingering her dagger as she did.

"I am, my name is Kaede. Why are you here?" Kaede asked her, stepping a couple feet closer to her.

"My name is Akemi. And I am not a demon as the rest of your village seems to think." Akemi answered, letting her hand fall to her side.

Kaede nodded and crossed the last few feet to stand in front of Akemi. "You can never be too careful these days. Please forgive them; they are constantly in fear of losing their homes. Why are you here Akemi?"

"I don't know." Akemi begin, her defenses still erected around her. "Where exactly am I? I came from the forest at the edge of your home."

"You mean Inuyasha's Forest?" Kaede asked curiously, looking at Akemi closely.

"Inuyasha?" Akemi asked, her eyes widening slightly. "Did you say Inuyasha?"

"Aye, I did." Kaede answered carefully.

"Do you know Inuyasha?" Akemi asked, her heart suddenly beating faster.

"I do." Kaede answered shortly. How does this strange girl know Inuyasha?

"Do you know where I can find him?" Akemi asked, she could sense Kaede's willingness to tell her was fading, she feels protective for him.

"Well…" Kaede was cut short by voice coming through the trees.

"Looks like I found you whoever-" Inuyasha leapt in front of Kaede, his hand on his sword, ready to fight when he saw Akemi standing calmly in front of him. "YOU!" He exclaimed, falling back a step.

Akemi's cheeks burned, "hello again Inuyasha. I, uh, I'm sorry about the other night."