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.
I GOT INTO MY HIGH SCHOOL! I'm so happy! And if anyone's wondering, no this won't mean that I will stop writing this story.
Maybe I should just stop appologizing. Oh well. I'll appologize again. Sorry for the long wait. From now on I should be able to update my stories more often. I've been wanting to use this idea for a while so the chapter should be good. The opinion's yours. Enjoy!
Inuyasha and Kagome started back towards Kaede's hut. They walked in silence, but it was not an uncomfortable one. It was quite the opposite. Kagome looked over to Inuyasha and smiled a bit. The shikon shard was glowing from somewhere around his neck she guessed. She didn't care where he put it as long as it was on him.
Kagome's foot caught on a root and in a blink of an eye, she was down. "Are you alright?" Inuyasha asked, concern in his voice.
The miko started getting up. "I'm just f-" She gasped and collapsed back on the ground.
"What is it!"
Kagome rubbedher ankle tenderly. It was already starting to swell. "Nothing I can't handle." she replied.
Inuyasha rolled his eyes, growling slightly. "Like hell you can." he said, scooping her up in his arms, "That looks painful."
Kagome relaxed in Inuyasha's grip. She knew that her ankle would keep her from walking. Even with the pressure off of it, it still hurt badly. How had she managed to hurt herself! She had to remain strong to show her friends that even if she was blind, they didn't have to treat her any differently! Why couldn't they get this!
"Klutz." Inuyasha scolded gently, "Why'd you go and trip yourself?"
"I didn't mean to!" Kagome insisted, "It was an accident!"
"Feh."
Inuyasha carried Kagome into Kaede's hut. This time everyone was on.
"Kagome!" Sango exclaimed, "Did something happen! Why is Inuyasha carrying you!"
"I tripped, that's all." Kagome replied.
"I think she twisted her ankle." Inuyasha replied.
"Inuyasha!" Miroku exclaimed, "How could you let Kagome get hurt like that!"
"Don't worry about it Miroku."Kagome said quickly, "It really wasn't Inuyasha's fault. It was mine for being so clumsy."
"Finally got something right, didn't you bitch?" Inuyashaasked, smirking.
"Inuyasha..." Kagome said scowling.
The hanyou pulled Kagome closer to him. "You won't sit me if I'm holding you." he said grinning, "That would probably hurt you more thanme because you'd be under me."
The miko sighed. "You're right." she agreed, "Is there something you could do about my foot? It hurts."
Inuyasha put her down gently on the ground, examining her foot. It was completely swollen by now. He frowned and looked up. Seeing Kagome's pack, he walked over to it, pulling out the first aid kit. After seeing Kagome use it hundreds of times, Inuyasha knew what everything in the box was for and how to use them. He quickly grabbed an instant icepack and squeezed it, feeling it cool down quickly. He then placed it on Kagome's foot.
"Thanks Inuyasha."
"Don't worry about it Klutz."
"Is that going to be my new nickname?"
Inuyasha looked over at Kagome, surprised. "Do you want it to be?" he asked.
"Not particularly." she replied, "But it's better than bitch or anything else you've ever called me."
"Yes." Miroku agreed, "Klutz almost sounds like a name of endearment compared to the other names you've called her."
In a second the hanyou was knocking the monk over the head.
"Hey Kagome, do you want to go to the hot springs while the boys beat each other up?" Sango asked her friend.
"Sounds good to me." Kagome agreed. In a moment she felt the gentle sense of being pulled up.
"How's your foot?" Sango questioned, "Should I carry you?"
"Don't worry about me." she insisted, "Just let me lean on you, I'll be fine."
"Alright." Sango said nodding, "Shippo, could you stay here and make sure Inuyasha doesn't kill Miroku, okay?"
"Okay." Shippo agreed.
"And find us ifInuyasha kills him." Sango put Kagome's arm around her shoulder and the two girls slowly made their way to the hot springs.
"Are you sure you don't want me to carry you?" Sango asked
"Please don'tfuss over me." Kagome said sighing, "I may be blind, but I'm still the same person."
Sango stared at her friend for a second. "Sorry." she replied, "I'll try to give you a little more freedom if that's what you want."
Kagome smiled. "Thanks Sango. You're a good friend."
Sango sighed and relaxed, letting herself slip underneith the water. Pulling herself back up, she glanced over at Kagome. "Feeling better?" she asked.
Kagome's expression turned to one of confusion. "What are you talking about?" she questioned, "I've been feeling better from being sick for a while now."
"Not your sickness." Sango replied, shaking her head, "You've seemed a bit upset lately, that's all."
"I'm fine." Kagome said laughing, "It's just that my blindness and sickness and everything got me a little stressed out. That's all. Inuyasha and the rest ofyou guys have been helping me through it so much. I don't know how to thank you."
"I'm glad to hear that we're helping." Sango replied smiling. Suddenly she stopped and frowned. "I think there's a pervert watching us Kagome." she said loudly. "I hope it's not Miroku. In fact, I think I'll go check the hut and if Miroku's not at the hut I'll be VERY angry."
Kagome laughed. "Alright." she said laughing.
"Would it be alright if I just left you here for a second alone?" Sango asked.
"Go ahead." the miko replied, "I don't really want a pervert peaking on us."
"I'll be right back, I promise!" With that said, the demon slayer jumped out of the springs and quickly got dressed, heading towards the village.
Kagome sat in the water alone.Had Miroku really been peaking at them? Probably. It wouldn't be the first time. But had he taken Sango's warning and left while he could? Maybe. It wasn't a hundred percent chance, but it was still pretty high. It wasn't hard to see that Miroku liked Sango. He wouldn't do anything to upset her... most of the time.
There was a rustle in the bushes. Kagome was pulled out of her thoughts. "Sango?" she called, "Is that you?" There was no response. "If it's Miroku out there you'd better get your butt over to village at rocket speed. Sango's already almost there probably." There was still no response. "Sango?... Miroku?... Inuyasha!..."
Sango burst into Kaede's hut. "Miroku!" she yelled.
"What?" Inuyasha answered.
Sango looked down at her feet to see an unconciousmonk. "Shippo!" she exclaimed, "I told you to find us if Inuyasha killed Miroku!"
"I don't think he's dead, I think he's just knocked out." Shippo replied.
"He hasn't moved from this spot?" Sango asked carefully.
"He wouldn't have been able to." Inuyasha replied, "Why?"
Sango frowned. "Then who was at the hot springs?..."
The rustling in the bushes was getting closer. "Inuyasha?" Kagome called. No, it wasn't Inuyasha. She didn't sense a jewel shard. "Sango? Miroku?" Her screams were muffled by a hand put over her mouth.It was followed by a sharpbang to her head.The screaming in Kagome's head slowly started to dissapate until itfinally stopped. She was unconcious.
Inuyasha and Sango ran to the hot springs. "Where's Kagome!" Inuyasha demanded.
"I don't know." the demon slayer replied, paling, "I left her in the springs. She should have been fine."
"You did what!" Inuyasha exclaimed. He dove into the hot spring, searching the water. There was always a chance that Kagome had hit her head and sunk to the bottom of the water. The hanyou appeared above water, his hands empty.
"If Kagome's been kidnapped..." Inuyasha whispered, his voice full of rage.