Chapter 4

A/N: Thank you readers for the wonderful reviews!

Racing through the trees, Inuyasha and Kagome desperately searched for Naraku. It was more difficult than either of them could have imagined, trying to be each other. Kagome was having trouble tackling Inuyasha's abundant skills in tracking/hunting and Inuyasha hardly understood the feeling of sensing jewel shards. After some time, Kagome halted and said, "Inuyasha, I smell someone who smells kind of like you."

"Do you mean me as in how I am now, in your body? Or me as in my actual body which you are in?" Inuyasha said.

"I mean your actual body."

"Shit!"

"Wha-" Kagome was cut off by a sword strike that missed its target by inches.

"Kagome! Get down!" Inuyasha yelled, trying to protect Kagome.

"Inuyasha! I have to protect YOU now, remember?" Kagome countered, carrying Inuyasha to some bushes for shelter.

"What is this, little brother?" said a soothing voice, "Needing protection from this woman of yours? I thought you were taught better than that." The graceful youkai glided to the bush Inuyasha and Kagome had taken shelter in.

"Never!" shouted Inuyasha, forgetting he was in Kagome's body.

"Do not interfere, woman." Sesshomaru's voice grew harsh.

"What?! Kagome didn't even say anything, ya bastard!" Inuyasha continued on with his stupidity.

"Inuyasha! Stop it!" Kagome tried to shut him up, but it was too late. Sesshomaru stared at them, his expressionless face betraying nothing.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin was heard approaching.

"Lord Sesshomaru! Why haven't you killed that despicable hanyou?" Jaken was in tow as well. Sesshomaru made no answer. He kept looking at Inuyasha and Kagome. Rin reached his side first and grasped his robes affectionately.

"Lord Sesshomaru, what are you doing?" Rin followed his gaze, "oh! It's Inuyasha!" She looked from Inuyasha's unusually frightened face to Kagome's unusually scowling face. "What's going on, Lord Sesshomaru?"

"Rin," Sesshomaru said without moving his eyes, "Give Kagome a hug."

Everyone gawked as little Rin skipped over to whom she perceived was Kagome and threw her arms around her neck.

"Wha- get OFF me!" Inuyasha yelled, leaning away from the child. In an instant Sesshomaru had him pinned against a tree, his hand around Inuyasha's neck. "I knew it," he said.

"D-don't touch me!" Inuyasha struggled, "You'll just hurt Kagome's body!" Panic was in Kagome's eyes. Kagome, occupying Inuyasha's body, stood frozen, unsure of what to do.

"Get away from him!" She shouted, drawing tessaiga. Sesshomaru only glanced in her direction.

"You cannot use that sword properly," he said slowly, "Besides, killing Inuyasha is my goal." Kagome's face changed into something like confusion and shock. Inuyasha's face did the same.

"Inuyasha, I smell-" Kagome started but was interrupted by a whirlwind.

"KAGOME! I'll save you!" It was Kouga. He kicked Sesshomaru's arm and dodged his poison claws. He ran to where Kagome's body slumped against the tree and held her in his arms. "Kagome, I'm sorry I didn't come sooner. I should have known that mutt couldn't protect you," Kouga said. Sesshomaru stood back and decided to watch the scene, as it amused him.

"GET THE FUCK OFF ME!" Kagome's hand went SMACK against poor Kouga's cheek. He staggered back, bewildered.

"Inuyasha-" Kagome never got to finish for Inuyasha promptly rose and stomped over to where Kagome stood shouting, "You should know by now, wimpy wolf, that Inuyasha is the only man for me!" Smiling, he threw Kagome's arms around his neck and dramatically snuggled against his chest. Kagome stood gaping at all this, unable to believe that Inuyasha was actually behaving like this. Using her body to his own advantage. Kouga's jaw dropped. "K-Kagome…" he whispered.

"That's right, bastard! I love Inuyasha! So you can just-"

"Inuyasha! Stop it!" Kagome disentangled herself from her arms and stood away. "Tell Kouga the truth!" she snapped. Kouga glanced around, confused. Inuyasha didn't move. Kagome sighed and walked over to Kouga, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Kouga, Kagome didn't mean that. She is a little confused today," she said sneering at Inuyasha as she now gave him a taste of his own medicine, "I'm sorry she slapped you like that." Kouga didn't know how to react to Inuyasha treating him so kindly. It's...it's as if they've switched bodies or something…he thought, beginning to get frightened.

"Get the hell away from him, Kagome!" Inuyasha said, too angry now to pretend he was Kagome.

"Yes, do get away from him, Kagome," Sesshomaru's cold voice chimed in. He loped over to where she stood. "I wonder…if I kill you, occupying my younger brother's pitiful body, will it kill you or Inuyasha? Or should I destroy your body as he is currently occupying it?" He pondered this calmly while Jaken clamped a hand over Rin's protesting mouth.

Kouga gasped, now that the truth had been revealed to him, he screamed at Inuyasha, "Give Kagome back her body, you dog turd! If you weren't occupying her right now, I'd kill you!" He clenched his fists, growling.

"Well, that may be the case for the rest of their existence, so you'd better get used to it." A woman said from somewhere in the trees. Everyone glanced around, trying to find the voice's owner. Gracefully flitting down on a feather, Kagura smiled at each of them.

"Kagura! Naraku is behind this curse, isn't he?" Inuyasha shouted.

"Indeed, he is," Kagura grinned, "He knew that you two would never find the cure to the curse and so would forever be trapped in each other's bodies. This eliminates the threat of you two, you know. "

"There is a cure?" Kagome spoke quickly, "Tell us the cure or else!" Her expression darkened as she drew the transforming tessaiga. Kagura chuckled.

"You will not figure out the cure. I don't even know the cure. The only thing I can advise you to do is rethink the fortune teller's words."

"So he did control the fortune teller!" Kagome yelled.

"How?" Inuyasha demanded.

"Do I really have to explain it to you? A jewel shard, a puppet, who cares?"

"She has a point," Kouga admitted.

"One more thing," Kagura said, "I am permitted to give you a hint: Kikyo's died before she could do what will now break your spell." And with a whish of wind, Kagura was gone. Inuyasha, Kagome and Kouga pondered what Kagura's words could mean.

"Rin, come along." Sesshomaru turned to leave. Rin skipped cheerfully behind him.

"My Lord! What about me?" Jaken shrieked, trailing behind Rin. They disappeared behind the screen of trees.

"What did Kagura mean by Kikyo died before…" Inuyasha trailed off. Kagome froze, realizing what Kagura meant. "What?" Inuyasha asked, sensing her tension. Kagome flushed, not wanting to say the words.

"What is it, Kagome? Is it that we have to kill Inuyasha?" Kouga smiled.

Kagome looked at Inuyasha. "Inuyasha, do you remember that time Kikyo tried to pull you into hell with her?"

"Yes…"

"Well, do you remember what she did…before you two embraced?" Now it was Inuyasha's turn to blush.

"Uh…yeah."

"Well, after she…did that…she said, 'I always wanted to do this when I was alive.' So, maybe that means…" Kagome hesitated, "You know…" she trailed off. Both Inuyasha and Kagome stared at the ground, their faces rivaling tomatoes.

"What?" Kouga glanced between the two of them, "What does that mean?" Neither of them answered.

"It means they have to kiss." Kouga, Kagome, and Inuyasha jumped about thirty feet as Miroku emerged from behind a tree, Sango and Shippo following on Kirara.

"We saw you two running through the woods and began to follow you. When we caught up, we noticed something was…off. We decided to hang back and watch and we figured out you two were switched around when Sesshomaru made his entrance." Sango explained.

"Kagome! I feel so bad for you!" Shippo wailed.

"I envy Inuyasha," Miroku sighed, "If only I could switch bodies with my beautiful Sango-" he was interrupted by her boomerang.

"Keh! Well, it isn't as marvelous as you may think," Inuyasha grumbled, feeling some discomfort in Kagome's abdomen again. "Kagome, I think it's time…" Kagome snapped to attention.

"Absolutely. Come on, Inuyasha," she took his hand and led him away from the crowd, "Do NOT follow us." She warned the others.

"Better listen to her this once," Miroku said. Everyone nodded in agreement as a vision of Kagome using the tessaiga on them crossed their minds.

Once they were alone, Kagome began the usual task in silence. Inuyasha fidgeted. "Hey, Kagome, so all we have to do is kiss, right?" Kagome blushed.

"Yeah…I think so," she answered. Though I really don't know if I could stand kissing…myself, she thought. As if reading her mind, Inuyasha said, "Kagome, don't take this personally, but I don't know if I can kiss you when you look like me."

"Believe me, Inuyasha, I feel the same way."

"Maybe there's another cure to this," he ventured, "Let's rethink what the fortune teller said."

"Well, if I recall correctly she said, 'Your futures are bright and dark…filled with pain and happiness at the same time. Your happiness depends on a decision only the two of you can make. A time will come soon when you will come to know one another physically as you never thought possible before. The sunset is the key to your eternal relationship.'"

"How the hell did you remember all that?" Inuyasha said.

"Girls have good memories! Now come on, what could she have meant?"

"Well all the 'future is light and dark' is a no brainer, but what does she mean by that crap about the sunset?" Inuyasha wondered.

"Let's go ask the others!" Kagome said.

When they reached the group, they explained the story of the fortune teller to everyone and waited as they pondered what the woman had meant.

"Isn't it clear enough?" Miroku said, "She meant you have to break the curse by sunset or else forever be stuck in each other's bodies." Inuyasha cursed and Kagome flushed.

"Aw shit! This is a sight I never wanted to see!" Kouga fumed.

"Okay, Inuyasha! Let's do this!" Kagome faced him, determined.

"Right!" He said, grimacing. Everyone held their breath as Inuyasha and Kagome leaned toward each other, eyes tightly shut. Their lips met and they held the kiss for several seconds. Finally, they broke apart and stared into each other's eyes.

Nothing happened.