(Authors Note: Well, everyone. My first fanfic posted, but most defiantly NOT my first ever written. I would like to say that if you have any ideas for future chapters, please tell me in your Review, because I probably will take your idea and put it in my story. So with that said, read on!) (Disclaimer: Rumiko Takahashi owns this, I do not... sheesh, if I DID own this I would be living in Buckingham Palace! )

Chapter One: What the blind girl heard.

Terrible. That was the only word to describe a situation such as this. As a matter of fact, it was hard to imagine being in a worse one. Stranded on a desert island surrounded by sharks and only a stick of gum to live upon? Nah, definitely got that one beat. Being the only woman inmate in the prison? No, wasn't nearly as horrific. She had lost her sight. Her sight! For a whole month! They said that her eyes may be permanently changed... who cares?! Just give her eyes back!
As if her lot in life needed to be any worse, she was a hours away from home. In Tokyo, of all places! Yeah, she had been planning on living there, but now she just wanted to go back home to Osaka. But nooo... she was stuck here in a hospital bed with sweaty bandages covering her eyes. Yes, this was just wonderful...

"Miss Naoko Kashiwaki" She heard a male voice call out. I suppose I'll be relying a lot more on my other senses now...
"Yes, that's me." She heard the man walk over to her bed. Shuffling of paper, the click of a pen.
"Well, Miss Kashiwaki... I'd say you are a very lucky young woman. If those embers had been any hotter, you might never be able to see again. Luckily, you did the right thing and came to the hospital immediately. I'd give you my word that you'll be able to see in a month, tops." He said, the smile on his face seemed to carry into his voice. Naoko mumbled something about calling home.
"Don't worry, Miss Kashiwaki, I've called your parents and they are paying for everything. They also advise you not to push yourself, and to stay as long as you need to."
Another mumble, sounding vaguely like cd player and music.
"And I'll have your Cd's brought in with a player and headphones. Until then, I suggest you rest, Miss Kashiwaki." And with that, he walked away.

Naoko spent most of her time sleeping, the days creeping by, nothing interesting to set them apart. She ate the grotesque hospital food (something she should probably be happy she couldn't see.)and listened to her music while waiting for phone calls from mom and dad. Yup, nothing really changed until her second week at the hospital when another patient had been signed to her room.

Naoko had woken from her nap by the soft crying of what sounded to be a child in the bed next to her. She was surprised about not only the child (she had been asleep when they brought her in, and her presence was news to her) but to find the child crying. Turning her head to the side in a way to acknowledge her, she spoke.

"Why are you crying?"
The sniffles and sobs stopped for a second, then continued as the girl began to speak.
"B-because my h-heart is bad. I had to come in, and now the doctor says I have to stay h-here..." She said, erupting into a new verge of sobs. Naoko having always liked children, but only secretly (her brothers would of made fun of any apparent maternal instinct), felt her heart go out the child. The girl child, as it sounded.
"It's ok... I'm here for a while too. You're not hurting, are you?" The woman asked, her voice softer than her usual deep, yet feminine, tone.
"N-no... why are you here?" The girl asked. She heard shuffling of sheets. She had sat up.
"Well... I wasn't being careful and some embers got in my eyes. My eyes got burned, so now I have to stay here until my eyes heal." Naoko explained, hoping that talking about her own problems would get the girls mind off her own.
"Wow... so you can't see.. at ALL?" The girl questioned, seeming to be amazed at such a thing.
Naoko smiled. It was working. "Nope... nothing at all."
The little girl seemed to have cheered up a bit. Naoko could hear her moving around in her bed, but she could also hear the blips of a few monitors. They must have her hooked up to check on her heart...
A few minutes went by in silence, and then the girl piped up.
"What's your name?"
She answered. "Naoko, and yours?"
"My name is Rin Tsuyomi."
Naoko couldn't suppress the smile even if she wanted too. "It's very nice to meet you, Rin. If you wouldn't mind... would you be my eyes for me while you're here? I could really use the help." She asked, hoping the girl would say yes. She had been having serious problems with putting things down and not being able to find them again.
"Sure! Is there anything you want me to see for you now?" Rin asked, seemingly excited to do something. Naoko grinned.
"Well, I don't need you to see anything for me at the moment, but you could tell me about yourself. If you tell me, I'll tell you if you're interested."
Rin, who from the creaking of the metal bed had shot up at once, seemed more than happy to do so.
"Well, I'm eight years old and I'm in the third grade. I have a momma and daddy, and two big brothers. They aren't my real parents, but they are the only ones I've got and I love them a bunch!" She said enthusiastically.
Naoko would have blinked in a puzzled manner if she could have. "So you were adopted?"
"Yep! But I don't mind they aren't my real parents or brothers, because they love me anyways." She said happily.
Naoko smiled. "Well, why don't you tell me what they're like?"
"Well, my mommy is a writer for a magazine, and my daddy owns some company that owns lots of other littler companies. Both of them are kinda old, but that's only because they both had children when they got married. My youngest big brother is my mommy's son. His name is Inuyasha. He's got a kinda bad temper, but that runs in mommy's side of the family. He still lives with my parents and me. My biggest big brother is my favorite, but don't tell anybody that because my mommy says not to pick favorites." She said, whispering the last part. Naoko stifled a giggle. She was too darn cute!
"I promise I won't tell a soul. So what's your eldest brother like?" She asked, wanting to know more. She honestly enjoyed listening to the girl It was much better than sleeping the day away, at any count.
"He's tall and really quiet. People say he's mean, but that's just because they don't know him like I do. Just because you don't talk all the time doesn't make you mean!" She said as if asking for Naoko's opinion.
"I totally agree. So why is he your favorite?" She asked, leaning on her elbow.
"He is just the most fun to be around. Sure, he's not wild like Inuyasha, but I like to play chess with him. And he had the coolest house in the world."
"What's his name?"
"Sesshomaru, but I call him Sesshy."

And so Naoko talked to Rin everyday for the rest of the week. She was a brilliant little girl, and Naoko sometimes thought that the girl may be smarter than herself. They played chess (Naoko would tell Rin where to put the pieces, but due to her lack of sight, she usually lost.)and talked about everything. Naoko had shown her the picture she carried of her and her brothers, told her about growing up with five boys in the house ("And I thought two brothers were a lot!") and about searching for a place to live in Tokyo.
"You can live where Sesshomaru lives! He lives in this huuge building where lots of other people live. It's really nice, and that way, I'd have an excuse to come and see you!"
"If it's as nice as you make it sound, Rin, then I'm sure I can't afford it."
"Doesn't your job pay you enough?"
"Well... that's the problem. I'm looking for one."

But as the days passed, she wondered why nobody had come to see the girl. From the stories she told, she defiantly had a loving family, but where were they? It wasn't until Wednesday of the third week in the hospital did she find out. She and Rin had been playing 'Guess the song' when a nurse came in to announce that the little girl had visitors. Shortly after, Naoko heard three people walk in.
"Rin, honey! It's so good to see you! Sorry we didn't come sooner, there was a business matter your father and I had to attend to." Hmm... that must be Rin's mother.
"But we brought you back some french chocolates! Are you feeling any better, darling?" And father. But who was the-
"How are ya', squirt?" Ah... youngest brother.
Naoko vaguely listened to the family talk happily. She was just thinking about putting her headphones on and jamming to some techno when she heard her name.
"That's Naoko! She's been my friend since I got here. She can't see right now, but by the end of the month she'll be good as new! Isn't that right, Oko?"
Naoko smiled at the nickname that Rin had taken to calling her. "That's exactly right, Rin. It's nice to meet you Mr. and Mrs. Tsuyomi." She said, turning her head in their general direction. "I've heard a lot about you all."
Chuckles from the dad, a giggle from the mom. A 'feh' from the son. "I'm happy you entertained our Rin while we weren't here. I hope she wasn't too much of a problem." The mom said, a grateful tone on her voice.
"It was my pleasure. She's a wonderful little girl."
They agreed, then kept on talking to Rin. They stayed for about an hour before they left. Naoko was getting kind of sleepy, so when they said goodbye to her she didn't really give them the farewell they deserved. A mumble and a pathetic wave was all they could get from her as she slowly fell asleep. Before going under, she recalled Rin saying something about her brother coming to visit, but she didn't really care. Sleep was sounding very, very good at the moment.

She awoke to the sound of Rins high-pitched giggling mixed with the sounds of people in the halls. She sat up, wanting to rub her eyes but remembering not to just in time. She turned her head towards Rins bed and smiled.
"Rin, what are you laughing about?"Naoko asked, wondering what could make her laugh like that in a place like this. The T.V. wasn't on, she could tell.
"Oh! Sorry I woke you up, Oko. I was just laughing at my brother for letting me win this game." Rin said, sounding guilty.
"Brother? You mean-"
"Yep! Sesshy! Say hi, Sesshomaru!" Apparently she had pushed him.
"Hello." He said, his smooth deep voice coming as a surprise to her. She sat there with her mouth open for a second, then finally replied.
"Hi..."
"Yeah, Sesshy let me win, Oko! You never let me win, but I always beat you anyways!" She giggled. Naoko grinned broadly,
"Hey now! I can't even see, and I see that as an unfair disadvantage!" She retorted playfully. Her amazing ability to loose a game of Chess was astounding, but she could still defend herself.
"Peh! I bet that I would still beat you when you can see! Don't you think I could beat her, Sesshy?" She asked her brother. His reply came very simply stated.
"I don't know her abilities, so I can't really answer that question Rin."
Naoko wished she could see the man the she had heard so much about from Rin, but there wasn't much she could do about that. So, with a small smile, she turned her head in his general direction.
"So, Mr. Tsuyomi, Rin has told me a lot of good things about you. Any of them true?" She asked playfully. His answer came back the same as everything else he said. Short and to the point.
"Most likely not. Rin, I'm leaving now. I'll be back tomorrow."
"Ok, Sesshy! Love you, byebye!"
Footsteps as he left and the click of the door shutting. She heard Rin move around.
"Isn't he great, Oko?

Well.... he's something alright.