Hiya! Okay, so I'm through my writers block, but you should still check out my other story, The Devils Rose. My friends all gave it 2 thumbs up. And one doesn't even know what Inuyasha is! I need to start the chpater! Well, here it is!

Akemi opened her eyes from her very deep sleep, but quickly shut them from the glare of the sun. 'Wait a minute. I'm in a hut, so why should the sun be shining in my eyes?' She thought. As Akemi went to scratch her head in thought, her hand was brought up to her head. 'Hang on... Why don't I feel my hand?' Her eyes slowly reopened, and looked around. She was in a small clearing, with a single tree in the center of it all. But the strangest thing was, everything was upside down! Then she looked at her hands. They were bound with rope, leading up to her feet, which were also tied, that led up to a branch. A broken bough was close by it. Akemi dumbly looked at the rope on the tree limb, then to her feet, then to her hands, and back up again. "AHHHH!" She yelled, the sleep finally wearing off. Akemi wiggled and wobbled in her rope constraints until she was dizzy. She suddenly stopped, hearing a noise somewhere off in the woods. B-bmp, b-bmp, b-bmp; Akemis heart the only sound, as she heard voices.

"I'm telling you, Miroku.... If you come near me again, I'll smack your head right off!"

"But my dear Sango! How can I be content without having you by my side?" Inuyasha, Miroku, Sango, Kagome, and Shippo burst through the forest into a little clearing, with a single tree in the middle. All five of them were looking at Akemi, their mouths agape, and utterly speechless from such a strange sight.

"It seems that I have visitors." Akemi said dryly. 'It's too early for this!' She thought.

"Excuse me, but what exactly are you doing?" Shippo asked.

"What does it look like she's doing, Shippo? She's having a little fun pretending to be a bat!" Inuyasha explained."Though I think it's a little to sunny for bats...." He squinted into the sun, all the while smirking.

"You four strangers. What are you doing here?" The voice called.

"HEY!!!!! I'm here too, y'know!" Shippo yelled while jumping up and down shaking his fist at the woods.

"Oh. Sorry, I didn't see you there little Kitsune." Sen emerged from the woods. Akemi recognized the priestess from the feast celebrating her win against the ogre when she arrived at the quiet village. But Sen walked right past Akemi, not even glancing her way.

"Hello, priestess! I am called Miroku. What is your name?" Miroku grinned devilishly.

"I am called Sen. I am the Priestess of the nearby village, just north of here."

"Ahhh. A beautiful name for a beautiful woman!" Miroku frowned slightly. Usually girls blush at his remarks to their looks, but Sen seemed unmoved.

"Please, come with me to the little hamlet. And bring your friends monk. We have plenty of food for all of you."

"Of course, of course! But what about the girl confined to that tree?"

"Oh, HER. She is but a demon held in place by sacred rope that none but a great preistess, like myself, can impair."

"WHAT!!!! I am NOT a demon!!!!" Cried Akemi.

"Come now, and leave this fiend." Sen turned, and started towards the village, while all followed except Shippo.

"I know you are not a demon." He said.

"Oh, well, thanks, Captain Obvious." Akemi replied. With that, Shippo turned and left, with thoughts buzzing with unanswered questions for the Elder of the nearby village.

Well, it's my bedtime, so I bid you all adeu!

Lady Quinn