A Lesson Learned is a Lesson Earned

By: FanggirlX

Disclaimer: Inuyasha is not mine.

Chapter 1

Birds were singing, children were playing, and the day was just beautiful. How could anyone work on a day when the sky was crystal clear, when the temperature was exactly right and when there was a tiny breeze dancing in the air that could gently lull anyone to sleep?

Well not Kagome, that's for sure. This was just not the kind of day one spent walking around looking for shards nonstop. And after a small argument, Inuyasha thought so to. Or he could have just wanted her to shut up; but it didn't matter to her because either way she was going to get to lay here in the soft lush grass under the shade of a huge beautiful tree and just simply enjoy the day that felt absolutely perfect.

And Kagome was laying there doing just that when a certain hanyou came over with a huff and effortlessly jumped into the branch above her. She opened her eyes to see that he was obviously unhappy about wasting a perfectly good day for shard hunting. Although she'd achieved her day of rest and relaxation, Kagome hated seeing him unhappy. So she searched her brain for an idea on how to cheer him up and finally came up with a way to cheer Inuyasha up as well as take his mind off of the fact that he wasn't shard hunting.

She looked to the kitsune child beside her who was happily eating a lollipop.
"Shippo, will you go get the story book I was reading to you last night?" she asked with a smile.
"Sure thing Kagome!" Shippo squealed excitedly and raced off to search her gigantic backpack for the story book.

"Kagome? This is the story you were reading last night?" Sango asked from where she sat in the shade. Kagome nodded with her smile slowly growing.
"Great. I still can't stop thinking about it. That poor girl, I really can't wait to see what happens to her." Sango said scooting closer to Kagome.

"This story, Sango, was it the one you were speaking of this morning?" Miroku asked as he leant against a tree.
"Yes. You should listen to, Miroku; you'd like it I bet." Sango answered. The monk shrugged and sidled over to sit beside the demon slayer.

Shippo came bouncing back waving the book around. "Is this it Kagome?" he asked plopping down in her lap and thrusting the book square in her face.
She giggled and tugged the book down. "Yeah this is the one. Good job Shippo." He nodded and settled further in her lap and waited for the story to begin.

Kagome gazed up into the branches of the tree they were all under and spotted the red of Inuyasha's fire rat clothes. "Inuyasha? Would you like to join us down here to? It's really a nice story." Kagome asked. She heard him 'Keh', and watched him turn his back to her completely.
"Ok then. Don't. I was just offering." She grumbled.

She then turned back to the rest of her friends and began reading where she had left off last night.

The story held everyone's attention and they only took a break from reading when Kagome needed a drink of water to refresh her voice or to give time for everyone to grab a snack to munch on. Soon the sun began to set and Kagome could barely see the words on the page in front of her.
"Well guys sorry but that's it for now. I can't read the book anymore." She said sadly.

"It's quite alright Kagome. Your wonderful storytelling has kept us entertained the entire day. I believe your voice deserves a rest now." Miroku said with a smile, "Though I really do want to know how it ends." He admitted with a small chuckle.

"Yes I do as well. I can't believe everything that has happened to this one girl and that prince." Sango said with a bit of a dreamy sigh standing and brushing the grass off of her.
"Shippo will you help me gather firewood?" Sango asked as she began towards the surrounding woods.
"Yeah." He hopped up and trotted after her and her presently pocket sized cat, Kirara.

Miroku stood, "I will go get some water from the stream we saw back a little ways." He said as he grabbed the travel bucket they often used for just such a task. Kagome nodded and watched as he went off into the woods. She then glanced up at the brilliant orange sky and saw the purple clouds as they drifted with the breeze.

"Inuyasha did you really not enjoy having such a nice day off to relax?" she asked quietly, knowing he was still above her and that his sensitive ears would pick up what she said even if she whispered it.
"No, I don't enjoy wasting time. We didn't need a day off. We just started off two days ago from our long rest at Kaede's place!" he snapped.
"It was not a waste of time! Such a perfect day barely ever comes along and who wants to miss it searching villages for jewel shard rumors?"
"Well who wants to waste a perfectly good day just sitting there when they can be doing something important like looking for the shards? They are important Kagome, or did you forget that?" he asked bitterly with a growl in his voice.
"I didn't forget! I just-"
"Just wanted to waste our time!" he cut in. "You do it all the time! Running off to places you shouldn't be and needing me to rescue you. Or bothering to help any poor sap with a sob story. Or running back home when you have one of those dumb test things even you yourself hate! Or constantly begging for a break because you're tired or you're thirsty! Or stopping to have little chats with that mangy wolf! Or doing exactly what you did today, when you make us stop just because you don't feel like looking for the shards! Well too bad if you don't feel like it! It's your fault we have to look for them so step up and accept the responsibility and quit delaying us." He finished his rant panting angrily.
"I'm not delaying us on purpose!"
"Well if you're not delaying us on purpose that makes you even worse because you really are so weak that you have to stop all the time. Even Shippo could go longer than you without a break! I swear the whole search would be easier without you!" he growled angrily. The minute the words left his mouth he wished that they hadn't but he would not back down.

Inuyasha listened for her angry reply but it never came. He glanced down to where she sat and saw that she was trembling. He took a tentative sniff and found his suspicions to be true; she was trying not to cry. Damn. He knew he'd gone too far but it really was frustrating. The longer the jewel shards were out there the easier it would be for Naraku to get to them. The more shards Naraku got the stronger he got. The stronger he got the more dangerous he became. The more dangerous he was the more damage he could do. Inuyasha just didn't want anything to happen to Kagome or the others.

So in his eyes the longer it took for them to get the shards the longer it would be until he knew they'd all be safe from Naraku or any other threat the shards brought along, and that was frustrating as hell. Especially when the main one-er one of the ones he was trying to protect was keeping him from doing so. He heard her sniff and then he smelt the salt. Yep. It finally happened. She was crying now.
Great. He bit back a sigh. No matter his intentions he could never handle her right and he always ended up with tears or her burning fury. Right now he'd gladly take the fury to the tears.
He watched as she stood up and he jumped down in front of her. Tears were streaming down her face. A painful sight to behold.
"Kagome…"
"If things would be better off without me, then so be it Inuyasha. I will leave. And I'm not coming back. I won't be here to delay things any more." She said sadly as she crouched and began packing up her things.
Inuyasha could do nothing. Nothing but watch. He felt completely numb. He hadn't thought she'd leave. But here she was getting ready to leave. She finished and slung her backpack onto her back just as Sango, Kirara, and Shippo returned with wood for a fire.

"Kagome what's wrong?" Sango questioned instantly once she saw her friend crying.
"Nothing really Sango. I'm going home now, can I borrow Kirara? I'm sorry I can't stay and finish the story with you guys." Sango was immediately at Kagome's side hugging her tightly.
"Don't worry Kagome I can wait until you come back, you just go home and rest."
Kagome's tears fell harder. "I'm not coming back Sango, this is goodbye."
Sango gasped, "What! But why Kagome?"
"I think the group would be better off without me delaying everybody. Please may I use Kirara to get home, Sango?"

"But you have to come back Kagome!" Shippo cried, jumping into her arms.
She snuggled into him, "Shippo I…I can't. This is for the best. Things will be easier this way." Shippo looked to Sango for help only to find that she was crying into her hands.

"I don't know where you got that idea Kagome but it's absolutely absurd. Things would definitely not be easier without you. You are the only one of us who can see the jewel shards, without you we're just searching blindly." Miroku's voice sounded from behind her.
Everyone turned to see he was standing just outside of the woods with a bucket of water at his side. Sango nodded fiercely showing she thought the same.

"Kikyo can do it." Kagome whispered, "In fact, she can probably do it better." She added, staring at the grass, unable to meet anyone's eyes.

"We don't want Kikyo to do it we want you to!" Shippo shouted clinging tighter to her shirt, afraid that if he let her go she'd disappear. Kagome sighed heavily as tears still cascaded down her cheeks.
"Tell her Inuyasha!" Shippo begged turning in Kagome's arms to face the one person he knew would be able to stop her, "Tell her we want her to do it!"
Kagome didn't move to look at him but he knew she was waiting to hear what he'd say this time.
He wanted to say Shippo was right, but something in him wouldn't let him. His throat tightened and the words that begged freedom were stubbornly denied by what he'd guess was pride.

Silence stretched out among the group.

"Tell her!" the child demanded again as his voice broke with the overwhelming emotion that filled him and overflowed out from his eyes.
"He won't do that Shippo because it's not true." Kagome said sadly.
Inuyasha could hear the hurt in her voice. He hated causing her pain and yet he still did it more than anyone else, maybe even Naraku.

"Kagome it is late. If you are going to leave please at least wait until morning, it's so dark now and it could be dangerous for you to travel this area at night." Sango pleaded sadly. Kagome knew she just didn't want her to leave, but she silently agreed to wait until morning for her friends' sake. A voice in the back of her mind added, it's for your sake too. Maybe if you stay through the night Inuyasha will come to his senses and apologize to you so you won't go.
Kagome willed that voice away. She couldn't bring herself to allow thoughts and hopes like that because it would break her beyond repair if they ended up not coming true. She just couldn't believe that Inuyasha really didn't want her to travel with them anymore. She'd thought they were at least friends. That he at least enjoyed her company and appreciated her ramen contribution if nothing else. It had almost killed her to find out how completely wrong she was and now she simply felt empty.

Everyone set out their beds and eventually went to sleep, the idea of dinner all forgotten now with the threat of loosing their friend in the morning.
Shippo clung to Kagome in his restless sleep. He refused to let her go. She smiled down at the young kitsune. She would really miss him. She sat up in her sleeping bag and looked around at her other friends.
Miroku was asleep leaning against a tree, and even in his sleep anyone could see he was deeply troubled and worried about something.
Sango lay between Kagome and Miroku and tears softly flowed from her eyes as she slept. Heart breaking further, Kagome turned away from the sight of her dear friend crying. She would miss them to. They were such good friends they actually seemed like family to her in most ways and she didn't really want to leave them, or this place. She loved it here in the feudal era. Here the stars could still be seen clearly. The air was clean. The land was beautiful and mostly untouched. It was here she had the closest friends she'd ever had before. And it was here she'd learned of love, and heartache she added bitterly.

She turned to look at Inuyasha who was resting up in the same branch he had been earlier and saw that he was watching her.
She started to turn away when what she saw in his eyes stopped her. His eyes were shimmering with unshed tears, tears that would probably never fall. His eyes held such pain in them and they seemed to be silently begging her to stay. She could see he didn't mean it. He hadn't meant what he'd said.
That made her feel a little better. At least he didn't really truly think she was such a bother, and such a nuisance. But he still couldn't tell her that he didn't want her to leave. Why? If he didn't mean it why wouldn't he just take it back and let them get on with traveling? Pride maybe? Was he too proud to admit he was wrong? Maybe. But it seemed to be a little more than that. Then what? Fear? Was he afraid it wouldn't matter if he apologized? Nah, that didn't seem right either.
What was the reason then? Try as she might Kagome could draw only blanks on the reason why. What she wouldn't give to be able to read his thoughts right now. She sighed softly giving up on figuring the stubborn hanyou out tonight and lay back down. Rolling over she waited to drift off to sleep.

Inuyasha heard her sigh softly and watched as she turned away from him. What he wouldn't give to be able to read her thoughts right now. He wanted to simply tell her he was sorry but he just couldn't make himself do it. What if she didn't care he was sorry. A hanyou's apology didn't really mean much in this world. But she wasn't really from this world though; which was also the reason she had trouble traveling so much, though, she'd gotten so much better since the beginning of their journey. She traveled better, shot better, ran better, camped better, and was better with her priestess powers. Reflecting on how well she'd improved made him smile to himself. He'd improved too since they'd started. He was better all the way around and it was all because of her, and the weird thing was, unlike Kikyo she hadn't tried to change him one little bit. He just changed. Maybe for her, maybe for himself he didn't know and it didn't matter. If he didn't get enough courage to take back his words she'd be gone as soon as morning came.

He huffed to himself in frustration and changed positions trying to clear the thoughts from his head and get comfortable enough to sleep.

After a while he found he couldn't. He relented to the fact that he wouldn't rest easy until he knew Kagome was staying. And he knew that wouldn't happen until he actually apologized. He hopped down silently and crept over to where she lay.
"Kagome." He whispered.
She tensed. "Yes?" she whispered back.
"Kagome come with me a moment."
"Why?" she asked suspiciously.
"Just come on." He was nervous, and he hated being nervous. It made him feel weak. And he hated being weak he had to make sure he was strong at all times.
She rolled over and glared at him. Through the anger he still managed to gather strength from just looking into her eyes, which confused him because being with Kagome made him weak and yet being with her also made him stronger too.
"Ok." She sighed gently pulling Shippo away from her and getting up to follow him.

Inuyasha led her away from the camp and into the dark woods.
"Inuyasha wait! I can't see." She said frantic. He heard her voice tremble with her fear and he walked back the few steps and hesitantly took her hand.
"Here. We're almost there."
Soon they came into a tiny area where there were less trees and he knelt down pulling her down with him.
"What's this all about Inuyasha?"
"Kagome I…"
He rethought his words and looked back on what she'd said this evening, and what he should have said then.
"Kikyo could do it better. She has more experience with these things." He began. Her scent was instantly spiked with anger.
"What?" she growled out. "You brought me out here to tell me-"
"Will you just shut up and let me finish?" he snapped. After a moment of quiet he began again.
"But what she couldn't do better is what you do better. You may delay us a lot but I guess you make up for it with all the good stuff you do. So I'm …. I'm sorry I said we'd be better off without you. We both know I didn't mean it really you just make me angry sometimes and then I say things like that."
"I know you didn't mean it I just wanted you to say you were sorry. That's pretty much all I really need when you say something like that. Nothing fancy just an 'I'm sorry Kagome' and I'm ok again."
"Really?"
"Yeah, well I could use other things to but they're probably not you're style."
"Oh yeah? Like what?" he asked cocking his head to the side.
She blushed, "I don't know, like maybe a hug or a flower or something. But its ok you don't have to because I know you mean it and that's all that really matters."

Filing that information away for future use Inuyasha asked the question that plagued him still.
"Would you have really left in the morning?" he asked quietly not meeting her eyes.
"I don't know Inuyasha. It really hurts when you say things like that, but then again I knew you didn't mean it so it's hard to say what I would have done. But I don't have to know now because you apologized and I don't have any reason to leave if you don't want me to."
"So you won't leave if I don't want you to?" he asked hopefully.
"Well yeah. I promised to stay by your side until you didn't want me to anymore and I'm going to stay true to that promise."
"Good. Then I don't want you to leave. Ever."
He could see her blush in the darkness. "What do you mean Inuyasha?" she whispered.
"I mean exactly what I said. I don't want you to ever leave me- er us again." Her eyes grew. He continued, "So that means no more tests and no more school. I say no more so its done."
Her eyes narrowed, "Inuyashaaa…." She drew out angrily. "Why you little-" He cut her short as he quickly pulled her into a tight hug.
"I hate it when you leave this world and… me behind. So don't. Don't do it anymore. You just said you wouldn't if I didn't want you to. And I don't. So don't"
"Umm…Inuyasha…" Her voice had lost all traces of anger and now only held confusion.
"Please Kagome. Stay…here… with me."
"Oh Inuyasha…of course I will. I've been waiting so long for you to ask me that. You just have no idea."
"Really?"
"Really."
He gazed at her watching as her eyes danced joyfully glistening with unshed tears. She was so beautiful. He could no longer resist the urges he'd steadfastly fought off for so long.
He slowly leaned in towards her.
Their lips were only seconds apart.

CRACK!

Inuyasha's eyes snapped open and he realized two things.

One. He'd been dreaming.
And two. The squirrel in front of him cracking nuts on the branch was going to die! How dare that thing stop the dream before he even got to kiss her. He swiped at the squirrel angrily. And watched somewhat satisfied as it scampered away shrieking.

So he hasn't really apologized then? And she's still going to leave in the morning? No! He had to stop her. He just hoped it went as easy as his dream did.

Snap.

He froze. Something was walking towards the camp. And from the sounds of it, it was a lot bigger than a damn squirrel that was for sure. He sniffed the air. Whatever it was had the strangest scent he'd ever smelled before. He jumped down soundlessly and set off to find what it was before it made it here to his sleeping friends. He crept stealthily along in the darkness until he came upon a short ugly old hag sitting on a stump with Kagome's book.
How the hell did she get that! He thought glancing around suspiciously. If she took that he wouldn't get to hear- er the others wouldn't get to hear the end is what he meant. He hadn't been listening to her read that stupid story in the slightest bit.
He shook his head. Oh hell it didn't matter right now.
"Hey you old hag! Give that book right now and I will spare you." He said cracking his knuckles menacingly.
She looked up to him calmly and asked in a casual tone, "You ever read this story? I love it. A good lesson this one holds. That it does."
Ok….

Obviously she wasn't going to be scared away so easily.
"Nah I ain't read it. But it does belong to Kagome so give it back now hag!"
"And this Kagome, does she want you retrieving her book for her? I'd say after what you said to her she wouldn't want anything from you." She said mockingly with a glint in her squinty eyes.
"What the-? How the hell do you know about that!" Inuyasha gasped.
"Oh I know quite a bit about you and your group. I also know you constantly tell that sweet child you're better off without her. And each time she forgives you after you rip her heart to pieces. She's more of a saint then I'll ever be that is certain." She cackled at her own joke that only she understood.

Inuyasha was shocked to say the least. He shook his head to clear his thoughts. It didn't matter. The hag, odd or not, had stolen from Kagome and that would not be tolerated. Not to mention she's been following them.
"What do you want! Why have you been following us?" he demanded.
"I will tell you what I want all in due time and I have not been following you." She answered sticking her nose in the air as she crossed her arms.
"Like hell! If you haven't been following us then how could you have known what all has been happening with us?" he argued haughtily.

This creepy old lady was wearing thin his patients.

"I watch you but I've never followed you. That would be creepy." She answered waving dismissively.
And this wasn't?
Obviously his definition of creepy and her definition didn't match.
"I'll ask you again, what do you want with us?" he bit out harshly. If she didn't answer this time he'd start swinging. He didn't like hurting the elderly but with this hag he may make an exception.
She cackled, "My you are an impatient one aren't you? Well alright we can skip to that part."
"Good." He growled softly. Something about this old lady didn't feel right with him.

"The thing is, Inuyasha, that you and your pretty friend back there argue quite a lot. Mostly about the same things just in a different way. And most of them start and keep on because of the same reason. And to be honest it is getting quite old for me."
"What's it to you anyway?" he snapped.
"Your arguments are loud and they block out everything else most of the time for me, you both have quite the set of lungs on you, which with you distracting me like that it can come to be a real hindrance I can tell you. So I am here to fix it so that I can get back to helping those I really need to. I was supposed to wait with you two but really truly I just can't because frankly I can't take it anymore. Fixing this one thing will fix almost everything else between you two."
"What are you babbling on about?"
"Inuyasha to put it simply, I'm here to teach you a lesson. One you need to learn most desperately."
"Oh and what could that be?" he asked angrily.
"You shall soon see Inuyasha."

She waved her hand and everything began to glow.
Dammit! Inuyasha tried to dive for her only to realize he wasn't. His feet were glued to their place making his legs immovable and his arms hung useless by his side.
What was she doing? Why couldn't he move?

"You see Inuyasha I'm putting you into a story book of your own much like this one here." She explained waving the book in front of his face, "So you can learn the lesson you so greatly need. All of your friends will be there as well but there is a catch. They won't know anything of this life and if you don't get them out they never will because they'll be stuck in the story forever. A little harsh I know, but a great motivator wouldn't you say? I find that people work much harder when not only their fate is on the line."
"How do I get them out?" he growled in frustration.
"Simple really, you follow the story and learn the lesson you are meant to, then use your new knowledge and bang bing boom the story's over and you are all back home. None the wiser, but you of course." She chuckled.

This was dumb. How would being in some stupid story book teach him anything? And what kind of crazy person did things like this anyway?

"Oh but there is one other catch I always love to save for last." She said with a pretty wicked smile.
"And what's that?" he asked impatient. He accepted that he couldn't get out of this but hey how hard could it be? He'd go into her stupid story and be back by morning like nothing ever happened. Simple.
"You won't know right off of any of this. You will think just like your friends will, that you were always in the world and life you are in the book and you won't know anything of me or my lesson or this world and this life."
"What!" his eyes doubled in size, "Then how will I be able to learn this stupid lesson of yours if I don't even know I'm supposed to be learning a lesson. Lady you're insane! Let me go!" he struggled against her invisible hold.
"You silly boy, its all part of the lesson. When you finally begin to learn this lesson you will remember everything you're supposed to when you're supposed to. Understand?"
"No." he said bitterly.
"Aw." She acted sympathetic. "Too bad." The woman added cackling.

Inuyasha really did not like this ugly old hag.

"Ok now. Here we go!" she declared.
Great…
"Have fun, Inuyasha, behave, and learn something." She said acting like a proud mother sending her child off to his first day of school as she pulled a hankie out of nowhere and dabbed her eyes with it. She then waved it and it seemed like she was getting further away. How could that be? She hadn't moved. Had he moved? He looked around and saw that indeed the trees were zipping by him and she was fading away in the distance. It was weird he couldn't feel anything. It was like he was in a bubble of some sort. Once the thought crossed his mind he realized he really was in a pinkish bubble like thing.

Just as he and his bubble thing came dashing back into the camp site there was a large flash of light.
A sudden surge of panic over took him.
No! The others! They had better not have been hurt in that stupid flash or that old witch was going down!

Damn that hag, was his last thought as his consciousness faded out to black.