This chapter has been edited and renewed…

Chaos Comes in Many Forms

Rating explanation:  For language (Inuyasha + etc. are potty mouths) and descriptions. Adult situations and violence in later chapters.  If it were a movie, I would say: Language, Adult content, Adult situations, Violence, Graphic injury, Nudity, and …Crude humor.

Author Note:  Well, it’s about time I wrote an Inuyasha story.  I got Inuyasha for my birthday (in May) sound weird?  I got ‘him’ as a present though because one of my friends gave me discs with the episodes on it.  Thus… I fell in love with the anime and went book shopping.  I’m surprised it took me this long to get around to writing a story for it.  I had been so consumed in ‘life’ in general and my other ongoing story ‘Safety found in Distance’ that’s 24+ chapters so far.   BLAH!!  This story takes place after book 23 and goes through all the way into 28+ , but don’t worry because there will be flashbacks if necessary.  Though, this story doesn’t particularly come directly from only the Manga or only the Anime.  Both.

There are many little plot lines intertwined in this story, so it’s not about only one thing happening, thus it’s hard to summarize, and also, thus comes the title of the story! (Chaos-…get it? Ack.)

Disclaimer:  Standard disclaimer applies to all chapters following this as well.  I don’t own or make any profit off of Inuyasha or it’s characters.  There are only a few Personal characters in this story… but no one big, because I don’t like stretching the story too far from believable.  So don’t anyone go and sue me for the hell of it because it’s a waste of money and time. 

This story will soon go up (yes, even if it’s nowhere near finished) on my site with illustrations, just as ‘Safety found in Distance’ is.  In other words you get to see pictures of what’s happening in the story as you read (duh)and drawn by me.  It will be a little while though.  There is an Inuyasha section on my site if ya’ wanna’ go.  The fanfiction and fanart section will take about a week to get up.  It’s at :  /evercoolclear/

NOW!  The story….

Inuyasha muttered to himself as he rested in the tree above his group and watched them.  They were, for the most part, highly inactive; being that it was deep into the night already.  Even still, as they all tried to get comfortable enough to sleep, he found amusement watching them.

The fire was burning, but not that great in size.  And all his friends below were arranged around it. 

Sango was making sure to stay out of Miroku’s groping reach, though she put no further distance between them than that.  He would occasionally inch himself closer to her, but she would mirror his movement and inch away equally far.  He would sigh, and she would settle down.  Then the process would resume about 20 minutes later- and continued until Sango was positive Miroku was asleep (he faked it once).  She could have just slept on the opposite side of the fire to avoid the trouble, but, as Kagome had whispered to him from below, she preferred remaining where she was.

Kagome, where his eyes spent most of their time any way, was on her stomach with her elbows on either side of the textbook she was reading and her hands cradling her face.  She read on and on, occasionally going back to start over because she apparently didn’t understand what was written.  Shippo was on the outside of her sleeping bag, but he was curled up like a cat in the dip of her lower back.  From the content murmurs he was producing it seemed he was perfectly warm remaining outside of her bedding.  There was a slight chill in the air after all…

He switched his gaze to the moon, looking out through a small opening in the leaves, which was barely visible behind clouds.  That was right.  The leaves were already starting to loose their green…  And autumn was just setting in.  The moon was also just full enough for him to be comfortable.  The new moon was still a good time away…

He snorted quietly, unconsciously keeping it down so the girl below him didn’t look up and ask what he was doing.  Sango had ‘OooOooO’ed at his human appearance the first time she had seen it.  Miroku had never said much about it, or questioned it much, since his first time witnessing it had been amidst battle.  Shippo, Myouga, and Kagome had found out together at once, again during ‘battle’.  His folded arms tensed with anger as he thought on.

He had been shaken when Kagome and Shippo had found out.  At the time he had wished they never had, but… shortly after the battle and after he had thought through the way Kagome took in the information and taken it seriously…  He had accepted the fact that she (he really could care less about Shippo & Myouga) knew his secret and that she would keep it.  He had never been angry about the fact that she knew after that, or at least when it had just been her (and Shippo & Myouga)…

But then Miroku knew.  And then Sango knew.  It had taken much longer to digest that fact.  Yet now that the members of their group were pretty much permanent, and they wouldn’t be leaving off on their own possibly starting rumors, he had come to deal with it.  Not accept it, DEAL with it.  But NOW that bastard Kouga, or as Inuyasha spoke of him- ‘the-little-shit-who-wont-just-give-up-and-admit-he’ll-never-get-Kagome’, knew.   AND Kagura. It was ridiculous.

He didn’t say it out loud this time, but he was still frustrated that the number of people who knew his secret was steadily increasing.  He kept a breath of air in his mouth that puffed his cheeks for a second while he seethed silently.  Kagome had told him ‘That’s okay though isn’t it? It means your number of friends is increasing.’  Keh!  Yeah, SOME of them were his friends.  Who ever said that weakling wolf Kouga deserved his friendship?  And how the hell did Kagura apply to ANY of that statement!?  Sure… she wasn’t really an enemy OR and ally… but God only knew how far from a friend she was.  ‘Forced to obey Naraku.  Wants him or his brother to kill Naraku.  Keeps getting in the way.  Keeps taking Kohaku back…’  Where the hell did Kagome come up with this crap!?

‘Erk’  It was then he realized how off track he had gotten in his thoughts.  One moment he had been watching Kagome…and his friends which he had planned to do the rest of the night and now the sun would be coming up in about two hours…  Shit. ‘ That’s what you get for thinking.’ 

“Wow Inuyasha, you actually thought things out” Miroku occasionally teased.  Yeah. Well, shows what he knew.  Thinking like that was a waste of time in this case.  No time for complaining, time for observing again…

He blinked.  Kagome was face down in her book.  He didn’t know how she could sleep in such an uncomfortable position.  Her nose was right in the seam of her textbook and her arms were stretched above her head, finger twitching now and then.  Her head was tilted just enough on the book so that he could see her face.  He smirked.  From the lazy way her lips were parted and the depth of her quiet snoring; she was going to start drooling all over her book any second. 

Though the picture was anything but pretty… he could get a good laugh out of it.  No… he would burst out laughing the moment she noticed herself and he would get ‘sat’ for not saying anything earlier since he would have obviously watched it happen.  Dammit.   

Inuyasha unfolded his arms and, without any further change in position, tilted and rolled right off the branch and landed silently on all fours without a sound.  He crawled quietly closer to crouch directly besides Kagome.  He cautiously eyed all of his companions to make sure they were still in dreamland. 

He had to keep an eye out now, because he knew that any of his other companions would drive him equally insane with their assumptions if he were in so much as grasping reach of the girl; especially if she were asleep… The last time he had been this close to her while she was sleeping he hadn’t had to be so cautious.  Now, as far as he was concerned, any one of his companions might just have eyes in the back of their head that he didn’t know about…

Satisfied with their slow breathing and heartbeats he turned back to Kagome.  He looked at the odd little lantern thing she had been using to still read in the black of night.  Figuring the way to turn it off was definitely not to smash it- he settled for poking the red button on its side.  Happy with his patience and ability to NOT smash it to pieces for merely being confusing, he set it aside. 

Then he frowned.  How was he going to get her nose and face out of that book without waking her?… Gods if he did that he hoped she wouldn’t smack him again when she woke up.  He decided it best if he didn’t cause her to wake and risk the possibility.  He immediately trashed the thought of just closing the damn book on her nose seeing no way of getting it away without waking her.  After all… the book was relatively thick and could hurt her…

He glared menacingly at the book.  If looks could kill…  He reached his hand out about five inches and pulled it back again.  Dammit.  This was impossible.  He wondered for a second why he was getting so worked up over her frickin’ sleeping position.  He glared at her lips, which were now closed, meaningfully.  His original ‘excuse’ had been so she wouldn’t drool all over her stupid book.  Now her mouth was closed and it was just a matter of how bluntly uncomfortable her position looked.  Was it worth changing just to help her sleep better?

He searched in his mind for a satisfying reason to continue.  ‘If she doesn’t sleep well she won’t be able to help search for shards as good.’  Yeah… That was it. 

She grumbled breathlessly and turned her head a little.  He tensed with the opportunity.  Only her cheek rested on the book now, her nose out of the crevice of its spine.  He scooted close enough to where the heels of his feet he was balancing on were almost touching her.  This was challenging.  He bit his tongue lightly and leaned forward grabbing the side of the book that her face was not on.  When he slowly started to pull the book away he noticed her cheek was still coming with the book.  He set it back down.  Shit! 

He thought again for a moment.  His eyes beamed into the darkness and he leaned over again.  He brushed her hair away from the cheek that rested on the book and tucked it behind her ear.  Good.  She didn’t react at all.  He then carefully slipped his hand in between the book and her face, gently cupping her cheek.  He just barely lifted her cheek and used his other hand to take away the book.  Success!  He picked up both of her arms separately; grasping her forearms, and placed them more orderly around her.  He leaned back slightly on his heels to see his work better and made the last adjustments.  He pulled her covers more tightly around her and made sure not to wake the sleeping kitsune on her back.  After about five seconds she sighed contently and snuggled her face into the softness of her bedding.  He snorted, trying not to smirk in spite of himself.

Crazy girl… even in her sleep she needed taking care of…Keh.  He jumped backward a few feet and then turned to jump back into his original spot from the tree above.  He settled back into the groove of the bark, which still tingled with a small amount of warmth from his body heat.  He allowed himself to sigh and let his gaze fall back on the '‘new and improved'’ Kagome.  Yep, that was a much more satisfying picture.  Hmmph, just watch her try to complain about not getting a good sleep in the morning.  He wouldn’t have it if she did.  He watched her with lazy but satisfied interest even as the sun began to rise and the land began to glow with morning light. 

Her breath was getting heavier and her movements more frequent.  She would be waking up soon.  He wanted to hear what comment she had about her sleep but then startled himself with a thought.  Did he want to be there when she woke up?  When she noticed the change would she automatically assume it was him?  She always thought he was such a jerk…  Nah.  Why should he worry about that?  What nonsense, that possibility shouldn’t even bother him in the slightest…. He leaned over more to contemplate this.  Why not just shake her awake?  That would make up for his earlier actions being so…

“My, my Inuyasha-sama, your changes never cease to amaze me!”

“DWAAAH!!”  Inuyasha yelped as he fell forward in the direction he was already leaning in shock. 

He barely managed to get a glimpse of the flea, who had somehow gotten onto his shoulder unnoticed, as Myouga also fell- having not expected to startle his Master so entirely.  The flea had been so close to his ear when he spoke that his words had shot straight through Inuyasha’s thinking like a fire alarm. 

OOMPH!

Inuyasha then proceeded to ignore the horrible ache that his head now had by replacing it with swear words that didn’t belong in the same sentence together.  “Awe flaming bloody hell fking damn shit of a bitch!!…”  He continued on and was interrupted soon after.

“Inu..yasha?” 

“Eh!?”

Inuyasha felt his face flush with dread and realization as he turned his eyes to meet the situation.  He was cheek to cheek with Kagome.  Except… he was upside-down and she was just on her back, having changed position while she squirmed in her sleep just moments before.  Everything below his torso was literally ‘up the tree’ and only his upper half was on solid ground.  Their eyes were almost right beside one another except his chin ended where the top of her head was and visa versa.  The top of her head was fit like a jigsaw puzzle in the curve of his neck and shoulder. 

He gulped, and her hair tickled his throat.  So that’s why it hurt so much on the way down… his back had scraped down bark and he had bonked into her head on the way down only to be stuck like this…

“Uh….”

Inuyasha wanted to jump up and escape the position but if he did it as fast as he wanted, he would probably rip the head right off her shoulders.  Plus, his body was aching and momentarily paralyzed just as it became with every ‘sit.’ 

“I-Inuyasha?  Are you…okay?”  She whispered, but even still he could feel her jaw move against his cheek.  They both got sweat-drops on the side of their faces.  This was so…awkward.

He growled lightly and tried to move back as best he could using his claw to pull him away and realized he was going up the tree backward.  It was more awkward than being face to face with her, so he dropped the effort and slid back down the tree from the small distance he had gone.  dnk  Great.  Now the tops of their heads had bashed together, the hair on the tops of their heads smashed together.  He tilted his head back and chin upwards only to see her doing the same.  ‘Sweat-drop’  What the hell was wrong with them? 

“AHEM dammit.”  He couched and sat up dizzily but quickly.  It wasn’t completely light yet, but even Kagome could see perfectly in the dim light.

“Sorry…” Kagome offered.

“For what?”  He asked, startled.

“Uh…I could’ve moved….I guess.”

“Keh…No, I was the idiot who fell out of the tree.” 

“Yeah, but…”

Jeez that was awkward, they both thought equally.  It was then Inuyasha remembered that Myouga was the one who had caused him to fall out of the tree in the first place.  Ooooh that flea was going to get it…

“Sorry if I hurt you Kagome….go back to bed.”  He said and leapt back onto his branch with his regained agility.  Kagome blinked and snuggled back into her bedding though she couldn’t seem to fall back asleep.

“Alright flea, where are you!?” Inuyasha hissed.

“Right here m’lord.” The flea called, relocating himself on Inuyasha’s rosary beads.

SQUISH

With no other thought Inuyasha flattened the flea as hard as he could without killing him, though it was tempting.  About five minutes later the flea had puffed back up and regained his spot on Inuyasha’s shoulder already wailing.

“Inuyashasama! What was that for!?”

“For you coming up out of the blue and yelling right in my ear!  I just fell out of a tree! I NEVER fall out of trees!!”

“But Inuyasha-sama… I was holding onto your rosary the whole time… I didn’t just appear.”

Dread.  “EH?”

“You must have been too…deep in thought to notice it before….”

“Oh SHUT UP!”  Inuyasha grumbled, though he had a slight sinking feeling in his stomach. 

“Ahem As I was saying before Inuyasha-sama…your changes never cease to amaze me!”

“What the hell are you talking about, flea?!”  Inuyasha growled, though he had a feeling he already knew.

“Just about all of the things you do now, that you never would have done before…”

Uh uh.  He wasn’t even going to ask for an example.  But, the flea continued any way.

“You took it so seriously too… getting down there and turning off the girl’s light… trying to get that knowledge-book out from under her without waking her… Covering her back u-

Inuyasha had been turning redder and redder with embarrassment and then even redder with anger. 

SQUISH  Myouga didn’t get to finish his observations.

“Damn stupid flea.  If I wanted you to take notes on my every move I’d have asked!  Jerk!”  Inuyasha flicked the flea-pancake to the branch two above him. Relieved that he got to vent at least some of his anger and frustration, his face faded down to a pinkish tint as he settled back down in a huff.

Below, Kagome was also pink.  She’d ask him about it in the morning.  She just hoped it wouldn’t turn into another fight; she wouldn’t let it.  She glanced at her apparently ‘set aside’ book and light. 

Yep. 

The area was now fully light with morning.  Inuyasha decided it was time to wake everyone for the start of a new search, and vent some more.

“Hey you useless cretins!! Wake up or we’ll fall behind!! How can you sleep so late with Naraku out hiding who-knows-where!!”

He gently kicked Shippo, not making eye contact with Kagome, and walked around the dead fire to Sango and Miroku.  He poked Sango’s shoulder with his foot and went over and kicked Miroku a pretty good one in the side.

“Stop dreaming smuck Miroku!”  He growled.

He got chilling glares from all three awoken rudely but he ignored them and stood at the edge of camp waiting for them to ready themselves to follow.  Myouga now clung to his sleeve, but decided against bringing up anything of their previous situation and conversation.  Smart flea.

“Great, watch out everyone, Inuyasha’s in ‘that’ mood again….”  Miroku grumbled as he stretched.  Everyone sighed heavily and Inuyasha growled at them all. 

Naraku was still nowhere to be found, so they would be heading back to Kaede’s to check in and discuss things.  Kaede occasionally had some rumors on either the shards or Naraku.  Hopefully, today they would be lucky.  The group was a little grumpy since Inuyasha refused to stop so they could find breakfast, but he convinced them the sooner they returned; the sooner they could eat. 

The usual walking arrangement had formed though, unaffected by everyone’s moods.  Sango had somewhat of a personal-space-barrier between them, but still walked alongside Miroku.  Kagome kept up with Inuyasha in the lead, but decided against talking with him since Miroku and Sango were close behind and she didn’t want embarrassment.  Despite being kicked awake that morning, Shippo still clung to Inuyasha’s shoulder that was parallel to Kagome’s.  Myouga had moved to the opposite side that Shippo was perched. 

A few stomachs growled, but otherwise the walk was peaceful so far.  Miroku rubbed his stomach a little, though he didn’t complain, and slowed down in pace a little so he didn’t disturb his stomach.  Sango unconsciously fell back in pace with him though she excused herself by saying her feet were tender.  With Sango and Miroku a bit further behind them Kagome turned to speak to Inuyasha…

To be continued…….

And there goes chapter one!  Not much action but it just gets you into the tone of my writing and the way I write.  Cliff hanger I know, but not a bad one, even though nothing TOO exciting is going on.  R&R please.  You guys are great.  And this is a fun story to write as well .