Alright peoples. I know you all are out there. Ever since the malfunction of I've had at least 25- something people look at chapter ten alone, and I only got three reviews. -.- Not feelin' the love guys. However! I am extremely thankful to those three who reviewed: Priestessmykala, Kitsune Ryune, and Shadow-within. I have responses to your reviews at the end of the chapter, just waiting for you!

Yamaibara

Chapitre 11

Arigatou (If you don't know what that says, you probably shouldn't be reading something so fan-based as fanfiction)

By, Auroras-flame

Inuyasha found Kikyo in her room, bowing her head down at Tessaiga remorsefully. He hid behind the shoji and watched carefully. He winced as he saw her grip tighten on Tessaiga's hilt and sheathe. Her little sister, Kaede rested her hand on her shoulder and tried to comfort her. It was only two days after they had prayed together and she had announced it complete, but… it wasn't, apparently.

"Why didn't it work, Kaede? Inuyasha was neither able to use its power, nor even reveal its true form… why? Not even his father could wield, it burned his hand," she growled, "How could I have possibly failed like this?"

"It isn't your fault Kikyo!" Kaede assured her whole-heartedly.

"But it has to be," Kikyo said quietly, "If Inutaisho-sama can no longer hold the sword that was once his after my alterations, it is my fault. Not Tessaiga's, and not his own."

"No Kikyo, you probably just made it too good! That's all!" Kaede said, "Inuyasha probably can only use it if he has to save someone… a human."

Inuyasha's eyes widened, maybe, it was his fault. Maybe, that day he prayed he would use it to protect Kikyo; he made it think that it should only work if he was protecting her. He had to tell her… no, wait. He couldn't do that, how embarrassing would it be if he admitted that he had prayed for such a juvenile thing? He scowled, he would need to tell her eventually though, and as soon as possible would be the best time…

He would talk to her now, but bring up the praying thing later. He entered her room in full view and sat down next to her. She looked up at him briefly, but then bowed her head in shame, "I'm sorry Inuyasha. I'm sorry I failed."

"Stop it," he ordered, "Don't talk like that. It isn't your fault." It wasn't her fault at all.

She smiled weakly, "Thank you Inuyasha, that means a lot to me." Kaede who was telling Kikyo the same thing before gave Inuyasha a quick scowl before Kikyo continued, "But now we won't be able to spend as much time together as I thought, we must correct this problem."

"Well, why don't you take a break today, Kikyo? You've done a lot ever since you've been here and never had a day off, why not take one now?" Inuyasha suggested.

"No, no, no. I couldn't possibly consider it. If anything, I need to work harder more than ever to finish this. I don't even know how long it will take, but I will finish this, if not for you, for myself," Kikyo said looking down at the sword, "Sesshomaru's sword turned out to be a complete success, much to his dislike also," she chuckled bitterly, "but I really wanted to make your sword perfect Inuyasha, I really did. I tried so hard, but it wasn't good enough. Imagine how I felt when you weren't able to draw out Tessaiga's true form and then when your father tried too, his hand lit on fire! I felt so ashamed; I don't even know if I can look him in the eyes again. It was almost if I purified it against every demon in the world, but you, which wasn't what I wanted at all… I'm so sorry…"

Kikyo didn't shed any tears, but she might as well had after sounding so sad. He wanted to hug her and tell her it was alright, but the presence of Kaede and his unsure-ness on how Kikyo would react stopped him. She always looked too prideful to give in to the same type of thing he was feeling.

He bowed his head along with her, and they mourned her loss together.

O.o

"Shippo-kun, I wanted to talk about the Shikon no Tama," Kagome said awkwardly. Right after she brought up the wolves' breakfast, she went strait to Shippo's room to confront him about giving the jewel to Kouga. She was nervous, because she didn't want to sound untrustworthy of the jewel if Shippo was entirely against it, but she really didn't have a lot of choice.

"Yeah, Kagome? Do you want to guard it for me? I'd be really thankful," Shippo smiled. Kagome felt daggers of guilt poke her several times in the stomach.

"Well, you see Shippo, there was something I was wondering if you wouldn't consider doing instead of giving it to me," Kagome said.

"Hm? What is that?" Shippo asked.

"Well, Kouga said that if he wanted to be accepted back into his tribe ever again he was going to need the jewel, and if you give it to him, not only will he not cause you trouble, but he'll leave here and everybody would be all happy and stuff and wouldn't that be great?" Kagome said speedily.

Shippo narrowed his eyes and shook his head, "NO." Kagome frowned and Shippo went on, "'Wouldn't be accepted back into his tribe'? I can only imagine what bull he was feeding you, but no way. The jewel in the hands of a demon is bad news. That's why I want you to have it," he held it out, but quickly retracted it, "But maybe I should reconsider, you seem just a little too… easily manipulated. If I give it to you, you might give it to the next person who throws you a sob story."

Kagome stared at him disbelievingly at one point, but looked downward shamefully afterwards. Was she really tricked? He seemed genuine, but, anyone can lie… Kagome looked sharply into Shippo's eyes, "I understand Shippo. If you really want me to take the jewel, I'll take it and never let anyone else have it, but I can understand if you don't want me to keep it either…"

Shippo sighed, "Stop acting all noble and stuff, you can have it. I trust you, as long as you promise to never let anyone have the jewel. Don't even let them touch it," Shippo tossed the jewel over to Kagome who tried to catch it, but it slipped through her fingers. She quickly picked it up and held it in her hands tightly. (AN: If that doesn't inspire confidence, I don't know what will…)

"Okay," she nodded. Shippo nodded back, but then he snapped his head up as if he just remembered something and told her to wait a second as he turned around to shuffle through his haori until he found something. He handed her a necklace with many small teeth on it and a spherical ring on the front of the necklace. Shippo plucked the jewel out of Kagome's hands and laced it into the ring. It fit perfectly. He scampered around on Kagome put the necklace over her head.

"There," he said cheerfully, "Now you won't lose it easily or nuthin'."

Kagome smiled at Shippo, "Thank you Shippo. It really does mean a lot to me that you'd trust me so much as to keep a hold of your jewel."

"That's right, so you keep super extra good care of it, okay?" Shippo said.

"Right."

O.o

Inuyasha found Kikyo in her room concentrating on his sword again. He entered and looked down at her. Kikyo returned his gaze, only to look away suddenly, "I just don't see what's wrong with it…"

Inuyasha sighed and sat down, "I think I know Kikyo…" Kikyo glanced at him quickly, "Is that true, Inuyasha?"

"Yes, you see you know that day you had me pray...?" Inuyasha told her about his theory. He was waiting for Kikyo to laugh and call him either an idiot or even worse 'silly' and shoot down his idea, but Kikyo listened; and surprisingly, when he mentioned the part about him wishing to protect her, her eyes widened a little bit.

There was a brief silence in the room once he finished.

"That just could be it…"

Inuyasha snapped his head up at her comment. She was smiling too, smiling at him. Her smile was like the solitary delicate blue flower sitting in the snow; so subtle, but it made the rest of the world surrounding her seem insignificant. She was the only bit of life on a barren snow land.

"Thank you Inuyasha," Kikyo smiled so delicately, "Not only for showing me I wasn't wrong, but for wishing for me. That makes me really happy."

Inuyasha couldn't take it anymore, he pulled her into a hug. Kikyo stiffened at first, but then relaxed into his hug. They stayed like that for a while. She never returned his hug, just accepted it. She suddenly sat up and shook her head. Inuyasha frowned.

"No Inuyasha. I'm sorry, we can't," Kikyo continued to shake her head, "Although we know what the problem is, it doesn't change the fact that it is indeed a problem. Above all, my job comes first. My obligation must come over my feelings… and yours too Inuyasha."

Inuyasha felt like he got stabbed in the heart. Did that mean she didn't feel the same?

"Please leave me. I must work."

Inuyasha felt the same pain. It felt like nothing he ever felt before. Almost like he was being rejected. However, he obeyed her. He got up and opened the shoji out of her room. There stood Kaede, smirking up at him. He could care less.

"Inuyasha…"

He glanced over at Kikyo who was turned away from him. She continued, "Although my job comes before my feelings, that can never change the way I feel either. Remember that… please."

Both his and Kaede's eyes widened at the fact the prideful Kikyo had said such a thing. Inuyasha left the room smiling hopefully, and Kaede entered the room scowling.

O.o

At lunch that afternoon every single pair of the eyes in the room was focused at Kagome's chest. She ate her lunch awkwardly as she saw everybody, even Sango, stare at the Shikon.

She finally put down her chopsticks and yelled, "STOP THAT! You're all creeping me out."

All seemed to snap to their senses and return to eating. Kagome huffed and finished her meal quietly. She stood up to put her dishes away and saw that Inuyasha was done too, "Inuyasha, would you like me to put your dishes away too?"

Inuyasha gave her a weird look, "Sure…"

Kagome picked it up and said huffily, "Don't sound so suspicious. You just happen to be finished when I am for once. I'm doing it to be courteous."

"Oh…" Inuyasha said quietly, "Thanks."

Kagome stopped moving briefly. Did he just thank her for something? He looked up at her questioningly. She snapped out of her daze and smiled brightly, "Your welcome Inuyasha."

Inuyasha blinked a few times in confusion before blushing slightly. Sango and Miroku could be heard snickering in the back ground and Shippo sighed.

Kagome brought in Inuyasha's dishes and then prepared Kouga's. She went upstairs, but before entering his room, she slipped the jewel into her shirt.

"Lunch is here!" she chimed as she entered his room. Kouga immediately was staring at her strangely. She checked if she really did hide the jewel. She did… so, why was he staring?

"Uhhh… hi Kagome. Is the little kitsune with you or something?" Kouga asked, trying to look around her from his place on his bed.

"Um, no, what would make you say that Kouga?" Kagome tried to sound innocent as she carefully placed his tray in front of him and sat down, "You know I would never bring him up here… no offense."

"None taken…" he said slowly, he was looking all over her for something. This made her feel very awkward. Kagome coughed suggestively to catch his attention. He looked up but didn't change the subject, "Are you sure he didn't follow you up here or something… I sense something strange…"

"Strange how?" she must have sounded nervous because he started staring her down with suspicious eyes, "Kagome, you don't have the jewel right now, do you?"

Kagome sighed and mentally punched herself. She had forgotten that Kouga didn't need to see the jewel to know it was near by. Well, to hide it would be rather pointless now. She drew it out from her shirt and sighed, "Yes, I have it."

Kouga stared at it, mesmerized. He glanced at her and asked, "How did you get it?"

"Shippo gave it to me," she said. She started to explain the situation to him. He listened carefully, but after she finished he almost immediately pleaded, "I understand your predicament, Kagome, but please, may I have the jewel?" Kagome winced painfully as Kouga continued, "If I can just bring back the jewel with me, I can go back with honor and acceptance. Please don't make me go back there just so I can be shunned," he picked up her hands in his, "Kagome…"

Kagome sighed. She retracted her hands from Kouga's and shook her head, "No, Kouga. I can't." Kouga didn't look as hurt as she imagined him to be, but more like his kite got stuck in a tree, much more irritated than bummed out.

"Why not? Because I'm a demon?" his words had a subtle sharpness to them, but at the same time, a sorrowfulness that seemed to plague him, "Because demons are 'evil'? Like your little brother and fox said?"

"That isn't true at all," Kagome said, slightly defensively.

"Then how is it," Kouga snapped bitterly, "that you, the one in the exact same position as me, cannot find it in your heart to help someone in the same situation? You, who can throw your body out in front of wolves to protect your brother and two children you didn't even know, can't even help someone who is even asking for it. I thought you were different from most humans, Kagome… but now I see that you, like the rest, are quite… stereotypical…"

Kagome looked strait into his eyes as he said this. She heard him say his piece calmly, but at the same time looking at him with pity. "Kouga," she started, "How can I really explain the position I'm in to you?" she looked downward in thought, biting her lip as usual and snapped her head up, "Well, you are the leader of your pack, right Kouga? Well, try to imagine your tribe just suddenly comes down with a sickness which can only be cured by an extremely rare plant that grows in various places around in your area. You find just enough to heal the members of your tribe, but just barely. Then, a pack member from another tribe comes over and describes to you that his tribe is suffering from the same sickness and needs the same herb you're using the cure your own tribe members. You and the tribe are allies, so you should share at least some of your medicine with them, but you barely have enough for your own tribe; if you gave any to them, someone in your pack might die. However, you don't want to look selfish in front of the other tribe, otherwise, your alliance might be destroyed, or at least distorted. So you are faced with a dilemma: give some medicine to the other tribe, and let someone in your pack die, or keep the medicine and let the other tribe die out. Which one?" she looked at him as if she expected an answer.

Kouga watched her intently. She was truly trying to make him identify with her… it was a bad analogy, since wolves didn't easily get sick like that, but he humored her, "I would keep it for my own tribe of course. Alliances are nice, but in a pack, your own kin come first."

"Exactly," Kagome broke into a dazzling smile that struck Kouga in awe. No woman had ever smiled like that to him before. He felt a knot in his stomach, he figured it was from guilt for tricking her, but there seemed to be something more. Kagome continued explaining, "You would just be being loyal to your pack, not cruel to the other wolves. It's the exact same with me. Shippo really didn't want you to have the jewel Kouga. It wasn't like I didn't ask, but Shippo is part of my pack now and I need to honor what he asks of me. So, I'm sorry Kouga, but I can't give you the jewel."

There was an awkward silence from both ends.

Kagome stood up and bent down to pick up two rice bowls from the tray. The jewel was dangling from her neck, right in front of Kouga's nose. Both of her hands were full with the two rice bowls she needed to deliver to Hakkaku and Ginta. If Kouga wanted to, he could just snatch the jewel away from her now and run off with it. The situation was practically begging him to. But he couldn't even bring himself to even contemplate the matter.

"Well, I'm off to see Hakkaku and Ginta. I'll see you at dinnertime Kouga," she exited the room, leaving Kouga to feel like scum.

O.o

"So Inuyasha, was it just me or was there a little bit of a spark between you two, hm?" Miroku teased Inuyasha from the entrance of his room. Inuyasha's room was rather plain to tell the truth. However, there appeared to be many breakable things scattered across the walls of his room. Everything ranging from glass sake cups to bushels upon bushels of dried Yamaibara, ready to snap at any minute.

"Oh shut up Miroku," Inuyasha growled, "and get out while you're at it. I never invited you up here."

"But Inuyasha, it appeared that you made such wonderful progress with Kagome-sama. She smiled at you. Did you see that? I was so proud of you. It was but a week ago she hated your guts. At this rate, we might even be able to tell her what the curse is without her freaking out and distancing herself from you-"

"No we won't," Inuyasha snapped, "We will not tell her anything about the curse. Nothing. I don't want that to jeopardize what we're working towards."

"But Inuyasha, Kagome-sama is a very caring person, we all can see that," Miroku protested, "I'm sure if you two got a little closer, she wouldn't care."

"How am I supposed to get 'close' to her Miroku?" Inuyasha hissed. Miroku didn't reply. Inuyasha sighed and turned away from him, mumbling something. He finally asked Miroku to leave his room one last time. He didn't need to be told again.

O.o

Inuyasha heard someone enter his room. He glanced over to see Kikyo holding Tessaiga firmly in her hands. "Inuyasha," she said quietly, "May I speak with you for a moment?"

"Uhhh, yes, of course," he got up and faced her properly. She held out Tessaiga for him and smiled softly. It was nothing like the smile he saw on the day he told her about the praying, but it was a smile, none the less, and he accepted it gratefully.

"It is finished, I think," she said, "But I fear there must be one condition if you want to use it."

"What is that?" Inuyasha asked.

"You have to save me… from something," she said slightly murmuring. Her uncomforted eyes seemed out of place on her. "But you only need to do it once, so that will make it easier for everyone… but, I don't feel I need saving from anything and… in there lies a problem."

"Oh, I see," Inuyasha blushed. Kikyo's inability to show her feelings on the subject was making the air in the room feel awkward.

"I have already informed your father about-" she stopped when she saw the embarrassed look on Inuyasha's face. He REALLY didn't want his father to know about what happened, especially since if his father knew, he'd tell his mother, and then his mother would tell Sesshomaru and… oh gods… Kikyo gave a small chuckle, "Don't worry. I didn't say anything about the first flaw in the sword…." He wanting to protect her was flawed? "I just told him the conditions of what it is now. I didn't tell him why or how; just that you did."

Inuyasha gave a sigh of relief, despite himself. Kikyo gave another chuckle which immediately made him feel childish. She nodded, "So now I hope you understand…"

"Yeah, got it."

O.o

Okie-dokie. Now for some replies…

Kitsune Ryune: Nice to hear from you again. Hey, thanks for checking out all of my other stories and reviewing. It's really appreciated. I guess this means I'll have to start working on both of them more too… I hope to hear more from you!

Priestessmykala: Hiya! Thanks for reviewing! Nice to see you again. Well, in the fourth movie (apparently) Inuyasha receives four scratches on his back from some other half demons or something…. I don't know really. But it involved four scratches on his back that would only disappear if he filled out some sort of requirements… (Like defeating the big-bad guy or something) I just thought that was creepy that the scratches on Inuyasha would appear in more places than my story. O.o I hope to hear from you again!

Shadow-within: Hey, shorter reviews are better than no reviews at all. Thanks for the compliments!