Author's Note: Over the last few months I have been striving to be accepted into a private high school. I spent hours suffering over my appilcation, went to their school play and other school functions, talked to teachers about courses while visiting the school, and did anything else I could think of to make a good impression. Unfortunatly it seems like my efforts weren't good enough because I was put on the waiting list.
This story is my hope. Just as there's hope for Kagome, there's still hope that I will get into my high school. Therefore that is why this story is called A Story of Hope.
Wish me luck because from here on all I can do is pray and hope that I get accepted into the school.

Well I was trying to make the last chapter fully sad... but that just doesn't work for me. You saw how it just turned funny on me. In this chapter we're going to see what Inuyasha thinks about what is happening!
Thank you for the eight new reviews!

Inuyasha sat at the kitchen table in the Higurashi kitchen. He drummed his fingers against the wood, not noticing the five large indents he was making in it. The hanyou thought about what had happened in the past few weeks.
"Inuyasha," Kagome said sighing, "I've got to go home. There's a test that's coming up that I've got to study for."
"You can't go now." he insisted, "We've got to get going so that we can find Naraku and the rest of the shards!"
The girl sighed. "Inuyasha," she began, "It doesn't matter if I take a few days off from the search. We'll still get the rest of the shards and kill Naraku. Please let me go."
"No wench!"
"Don't call me wench!" Kagome snapped.
"I'll call you anything I want." Inuyasha retorted, "And it does matter if you take a few days off! That's a few days less that we have to search!"
Needless to say Inuyasha lost the fight and Kagome went through the well with the promise to return in three days. Three days came and went and Kagome didn't return. Growing impatient, Inuyasha went through the well.
"Where's Kagome?" Inuyasha asked, entering the Higurashi kitchen through the window.
Mrs. Higurashi, Grandpa Higurashi, and Souta looked up. They exchanged glances.
Finally Mrs. Higurashi spoke. "She's very sick Inuyasha." she said softly.
Inuyasha paled visably. "What?" he asked, "What's wrong with her?"
"We don't know." Grandpa said, "The doctor couldn't tell us."
"Can I see her?" Inuyasha half demanded. The idea of Kagome being very sick and no one knowing why scared him.
Day after day, Inuyasha went through the well to check on Kagome and everyday she was the same. She slept, almost never waking up. Even after a week of no responce from Kagome, or posiblity that she would get better, Inuyasha continued to come each day and watch her for hours at a time, under the idea that he was watching over her to keep her out of harm. Still her condition never changed.
It had been a relief when Mrs. Higurashi had told him that Kagome was going to be better, but he had never expected that it to be at the cost of her sight. Inuyasha blushed at the memory of when he had last gone to check on her. He had thought she would still be in bed. He never thought she would have been able to get up and take a bath. Kagome was a strong girl. Nothing seemed to keep her from doing what she wanted to do.
A shuffling sound from the hallway drew Inuyasha out of his thoughts. Kagome stumbled into the room, using the wall as a crutch.
"Kagome!" Inuyasha exclaimed, jumping up, "You shouldn't be moving around! You just woke up!"
"Why shouldn't I?" Kagome asked, her eyes looking right past him. "I'm healthy again. We can go back to searching for the shards and Naraku. I promised I'd only be away for three days right? I know it's been a whole lot longer than that."
"It's been four weeks." Inuyasha agreed, "But it doesn't matter! Your mom said that your doctor wants you to rest! I don't want you getting sick again while we're on the road... That would just hold us up more."
"I'll be fine!" Kagome insisted, "Stop worrying about me, Inuyasha."
"I'm not worrying." he grumbled. The hanyou sighed and looked Kagome over. She looked fine. Besides the fact that she wasn't looking at him while she spoke, Inuyasha suspected she didn't know she wasn't, Kagome looked as normal and healthy as ever. Her skin was a bit pale, but that was from being out of the sun so long.
"Fine." he finally said, "But we leave tomorrow afternoon, okay?"
"Of course." Kagome replied nodding.
Mrs. Higurashi walked into the kitchen, her hands full of groceries. Seeing her daughter, she dropped them and ran over. "Kagome! You're up!" Mrs. Higurashi exclaimed.
Kagome turned to her mother and smiled. "I am." she said nodding, "And I feel fine."
"Are you..." Mrs. Higurashi trailed off as she waved a hand in front of Kagome's face.
"She's blind." Inuyasha said sadly.
Kagome's mother gasped and hugged Kagome, crying silently. "Oh honey..." she said, absolute depression in her voice."
"It's okay mom." Kagome said, "It's not that bad. At least I can still get around."
"Are you going to keep going through the well?" Mrs. Higurashi asked.
"Yeah." her daughter replied, "There's no reason I shouldn't keep on going. I can still see the shards and that's what Inuyasha needs my help with."
"You can still see the shards!" Inuyasha repeated. Kagome nodded.
"That's great!" Inuyasha exclaimed. He stopped, confused. "But how can you? You're..."
Kagome sighed. "Just say it Inuyasha." she said, "It's reality. It's not going to hurt me anymore than it already has."
"It's hurt you?" Inuyasha asked.
"Of course it has!" Kagome retorted, "How would you like to go blind? Would you just go. 'I'm blind. Oh well.' Now just say it!"
"You're blind." he said.
There was a long silence following the statement. Mrs. Higurashi let go of her daugher and wiped away some stray tears. "Speaking about... that," she said, "Are you sure you still want to go? It's going to be much more dangerous for you now. I'm not sure I feel comfortable letting you go."
"Don't worry Mrs. Higurashi." Inuyasha said, "I'll take care of Kagome."
Kagome walked towards his voice to show her mother she trusted him. Seeing that she was walking towards the table instead of him, Inuyasha took her hand and pulled her gently towards him.
"Thanks." Kagome said, "Where was I headed?"
"The table." he replied.
"See?" Mrs. Higurashi said, "It's not that I don't trust you Inuyasha, it's just that I know you can't be with her all the time. What if she fell down a mountain or something? She wouldn't know until it happened!"
"I'll be fine mom." Kagome said, "I'm always with someone. If not Inuyasha, then Miroku or Sango. Shippo practically lives on my shoulder! He'll help me if he sees I'm going to run into a tree or something. And besides if I don't take a few risks, how am I going to learn how to live without my sight?"
Mrs. Higurashi sighed. "I still don't know..." she commented.
"Please mom?" Kagome begged, "I'll be really careful! I promise! I just can't abandon everyone!"
Her mother sighed. "Alright." she said. Turning to Inuyasha, she continued, "Just make sure she doesn't get into too much trouble, alright? I can trust you. You've done a good job of protecting her so far."
Kagome grinned. "Thanks mom!" she said happily, "I promise I'll come back safe and sound... I just can't say when."
Mrs. Higurashi laughed. "You never can honey." she said laughing, "Don't worry about it."