Chapter 5: The Forest of Darkness.

Kagome smiled at Sango her shirt dripping. "You can tie me up…you can hurt me BUT NEVER RUIN MY SHIRTS!"

Sango sighed smacking her forehead. She thought Kagome was mad at the demon for other reason…she hadn't expected it to be something as stupid as a wet shirt. It's going to dry…and it didn't look good in the first place…Sango thought standing and grabbing her sword smiling. Doesn't matter…she's mad at the demon anyway and when she's mad…well now I'm more worried about the demon than her…

The demon looked at its hand then at Kagome. He smiled his eyes slowly beginning to glow.

Kagome felt pressure onto her body then looked over seeing Sango in the same situation. The two fell to their knees the pressure getting greater.

Lightning suddenly blasted from the trees striking the demon back. A young man with brown eyes, brown hair and a light blue kimono on landed from a tree. "You two ok?" he asked his voice deep.

Kagome nodded checking herself. Everything seemed right she wasn't hurt or bruised in any odd way.

The demon growled and quickly disappeared in a ball of fire.

The man smiled, "My name is Shorin."

"Um...I'm Kagome and this is Sango," Kagome said then blinked. "Inuyasha and Miroku!"

Shorin blinked and walked over to the hole. Inuyasha was lying beside Miroku. Both were alive but were burnt badly from the flames. Miroku (still switched with Inuyasha) stood his ears twitching. "W-We're ok…," he said helping Inuyasha to his feet.

Inuyasha nodded and winced falling forward to his knees. He looked to his side which was scarred badly from the flames. If they switched back Miroku would be feeling the pain in the morning.

Miroku looked to Inuyasha and picked him up carrying him on his shoulder staggering out of the hole.

Shorin looked at the two, "Lie down," he said holding his hand up. Both were beginning to glow faintly with a white light. The outline of his hand was seen but the rest was shrouded in the whiteness covering his hand.

The two obeyed and silently lay down.

Shorin placed his hands over Miroku's head letting the energy flow into him. Slowly Miroku's wounds began disappearing starting with his scar right below his dog ears. The pain began ebbing away as each wound disappeared with a thin line of smoke where they once were.

Now it was Inuyasha's turn. As Shorin placed his hands on Inuyasha he noticed him tense up. Smiling he let the energy flow through Inuyasha the same way. Each wound did the same then Shorin stood the energy disappearing. "White healing magic always comes in hand when you travel around in this day and age."

"So that's what it was…," Kagome said softly her eyes wide in excitement.

Sango knelt by Inuyasha and Miroku. They were completely healed.

"Amazing…," she whispered softly.

Miroku sat up his ears twitching. He no longer could smell the demon anywhere nor hear it. Now they were back where they started before they had heard Koga's clue.

Absolutely nowhere.

Shorin looked at the two and smiled softly. "Sorry I can't help anymore. I've dealt with the demon and know you two switched bodies. At least I was able to stop the two from getting switched. If I travel with you I guarantee though that we will find the demon."

Inuyasha cried out and smacked Shorin in the knee with his staff. "W-What're you talking about! Miroku and I never switched bodies!"

Miroku gasped and covered Inuyasha's mouth laughing nervously. "He means Inuyasha and me…"

Shorin rubbed his knee then looked at Kagome and Sango. The two were standing there their mouths wide open. He looked at the two and suddenly knew why they were keeping it from him. He could basically feel the bloodlust coming from their bodies.

"Switched…," Kagome began.

"Bodies?" Sango finished grabbing the 2 by their collars and shaking them. "What were you thinking keeping that from us! We've been letting you fight and you have no idea how to control each others powers? What kind of idiots are you better yet what were you thinking? Did you think we couldn't understand something like this? We almost got our bodies switched and it's because you couldn't even tell us that you were stupid enough to get your own bodies switched!"

"It's because we didn't want to put you in anymore danger than we were already in. If the demon knew that you knew we switched bodies and found out you would have been put in more danger. If he found out he may have killed you because you may have known someone who could switch you back," Miroku said.

"Yeah better yet if you knew in the first place you wouldn't have let us fight. And if you would have fought and gotten injured or possibly killed…we would have been at a loss…," Inuyasha said.

"Aw…," Kagome and Sango said in unison.

Inuyasha looked up and could see Shorin giving them thumbs-up from behind. He also seemed to be mouthing out the sword 'smooth' to them. Smiling Shorin watched the two hug. "There now that that's settled. I have an idea of where the demon may have gone. There's an active volcano not to far from here that he would like. It's a couple miles off but we have to go through a forest…," he said with a shiver.

"Why are you so scared it's just a forest," Inuyasha said with a raised eyebrow.

Shorin shook his head. "It's not just any forest…it's the Forest of Darkness. My lightning even has trouble penetrating its total darkness. Many demons thrive there because of these conditions. I dislike going through there at any cost I can but it looks like we have to this time."

"We? Who's we, none of us ever said that you were allowed to come with us. Just because you saved us doesn't mean anything."

"Inuyasha…I recommend you be quiet because as of right now your in enough trouble as it is," Kagome said.

Inuyasha lowered his head sighing.

The group walked to the edge of the forest and looked around muttering. This didn't look like it was going to be easy. As soon as the trees started the whole place was covered in complete darkness. If they wanted to get through here they would need to stay in a tight group.

"By the way, if there happens to be a problem just yell. Light doesn't penetrate it but sound does. I think demons use this to their advantage when there's someone close by that looks easy to pick off."

Kagome shivered and grabbed onto Miroku's body. "Inuyasha…I'm going to cling to you the whole trip so…if the blood flow leaves your arm don't be surprised ok?"

Inuyasha nodded, "Yeah…sure…," he said feeling about as confident as Kagome looked.

They all slowly stepped into the forest joining hands. The only one who had a hand free was Shorin who formed lightning in his palm to create a faint light that illuminated few trees and a short distance in front of him. If there was a fight here they would lose.

Seconds, minutes, and soon after hours ticked by. They had been walking for a while but nobody was able to see the exit. Inuyasha felt as though his arm was going to fall off, Miroku was hungry, Sango's legs were tired, Kagome was still scared to death and Shorin was running low on energy.

"I know this doesn't sound like a good idea but…we have to see up camp here...," Shorin said softly.

"No way!" Kagome cried. "We can't even see 2 feet in front of us!"

Miroku sighed looking up at the trees. He looked at the claws on his hand then back at the trees. Soon an idea formed. "Wait here," he said. Jumping up into the trees Miroku slashed the branches loose and kept slashing. Soon a beam of moonlight fell into the forest where they were standing. Now they had in idea of where they were, and where camp could be set up.

Shorin smiled and fell on his butt as the lightning disappeared from his hand completely. "Brilliant, just when I thought we'd be shrouded in complete darkness you come up with a plan. Good job, I have to say."

Inuyasha looked at the branches that fell and began picking up the heavier ones. He also found large rocks placing them in a circle and then set up the wood. "Can you light that wood on fire?" he asked. "If we have a fire then Kagome would be able to make us some food."

Shorin nodded and blasted the wood with a small jolt of lightning as a fire roared to life.

Kagome smiled having finally calmed down. She sat down pulling stuff out of her backpack. Soon she had chicken cooking over the fire, and Inuyasha's favorite. Ramen noodles.

Kagome stoked the fire and slowly handed everybody a piece of chicken and a ramen cup. Everyone hungrily accepted eating happily. The chicken was cooked just right and the noodles were great. Soon everyone was happy, full and sleepy.

Shorin added more logs to the fire as everyone slowly fell asleep. He watched the fire grow then lay down smiling. Soon he let sleep take over as his eyes grew heavy and he drifted off.

Sleep didn't last more than 3 hours as a loud crash was heard. It was right before sunrise.

Everyone stood blinking through their sleep. Nobody had thought that something would actually attack. They were kidding around when they said it. Even now right before an attack they were still having doubts. Those doubts wouldn't last much longer.

"What's going on?" Shorin asked.

"What are you stupid, we're under attack!" Inuyasha said pulling out his staff. This time he would be ready.

"Well maybe if we're lucky it'll go away before it decides to come here…," Kagome said hopefully.

"When have we ever had a demon decide that it would be better off not attacking us?" Miroku asked.

"Well…since you put it that way," Kagome sighed pulling out her bow and arrow. There was going to be a fight and everyone knew it.

The rumbling grew louder as trees began to fall. Something was coming, and it was big.

Slowly the figure emerged blood dripping from its hands. Large spikes came out of its back pointing in an upward curve. It looked around blinking, looking for the source of the yelling. When it looked down it seen the group slowly back away. Now it wanted more people to feast on.

Kagome covered her nose the smell of blood horrible. It covered every other smell in the forest. It seemed the more excited it got the worse the smell became.

Inuyasha smiled and charged. He was eager for a fight and wanted to prove he could finally fight in this body. Though the truth was he didn't know if he could fight in it. For all he knew he was standing up just to get knocked down again.

The fight was on.

(Editors note: If this keeps up the book I plan to publish will be easy to think of ideas to keep people happy. Thanks for letting me continue stories this far.)