Hope and Change
Chapter One – A Cry in the Night
The gang was hanging around the campfire near the village. Kagome was going home tomorrow to finish some school work and get more supplies for the gang to use on their travels. All of a sudden they hear a woman cry out.
"What was that?" Sango inquired.
"It sounded like a woman in pain!" Miroku assessed.
"Let's go." Kagome said as she rose to her feet, bow and arrows in hand.
They walked a small ways by a river, Inuyasha smelled blood and immediately jumped further than the rest and what he saw next shook him inside.
Kagome caught up to him first and gasped as the others came behind her. There lay a woman, a demon, by the river. She looked up at them "please help!" she cried. As the group came towards her they heard a baby whimper and cry. Her body was pulled half way out of the river and she was curled into a semi fetal position as the river carried her blood away.
Kagome kneeled down to the woman, "What happened?"
The woman opened up and revealed a baby under her, from the looks of it the baby looked like a half demon. "Please take my baby! Take her to a good wolf tribe, tell her I love her"
Kagome took the baby in her arms and Miroku looked at the mother "Ma'am what happened?"
Her eyes glazed over "Naraku" she whispered and with that her eyes shut. Miroku grabbed her arm and looked to the rest of the group "She's passed."
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The group huddled around the fire, now quiet, all replaying the past events over and over in their heads. Kagome was the first to speak. "When I get back from home, we will take her to Koga."
"Why?! She said to take her to a good wolf tribe!" Inuyasha spat.
"Koga is a good leader, and will be the best place for her Inuyasha" Sango said solemnly.
"Keh." Inuyasha said as he sat down "Whatever, let's just get it over with and get back on track. This incident means Naraku is close by and is on a killing spree."
"Kagome, do you think we should try to find Koga before you go home?" Miroku asked curiously.
"No, I want get some stuff for Koga too for taking the baby, just a token of gratitude or something." Kagome looked down at the infant sleeping in her arms, she could tell she couldn't be even a year yet. "I wish we knew her name" She said as she rocked her back and forth.
"Yeah, her mother had so much pain in her eyes." Sango said thinking of the family she had lost while she stoked Kirara's fur.
"Why don't you name her Kagome? I'm sure you'll think of a really good one!" Shippo said as he looked at the baby fast asleep in Kagome's arms.
Kagome looked down at the baby and thought long and hard, after a long quiet pause she looked up at everyone and said, "Okay, everyone, meet Hope."
Everyone looked around confused and Kagome giggled, in my English language class we learned that Hope is English for Hōpu. Everyone's eyes lit up with happiness.
"That's a fitting name Kagome!" Sango said with a smile, while everyone else smiled as well.
Inuyasha rolled his eyes and sighed "Yeah, yeah, let's get some sleep. We have a long journey tomorrow."
Everyone looked at him "Tomorrow?" Kagome asked.
"Yeah tomorrow, when you get back we are going to Koga's den then back on track to finding Naraku."
"Inuyasha, I'm going to be at home for a day or two." Kagome said in a 'matter of fact' way.
"I'm not watching this kid for a couple of days!" Inuyasha yelled, awaking Hope in her sleep.
Kagome glared and began to rock Hope back to sleep "Don't worry Kagome, we will watch Hope" Sango said lightly. Kagome smiled at her friend, she knew Sango understood Kagome's duty to the baby and the promise she made with the mother.