His Will by Knight of Disorder

Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.

Beta: Ashley Snyder (Just so I don't get someone bringing it up. I asked, she said it was okay to use her name.)

Leaning against the wall, eyes closed, she sat near the entrance of her hut. Breathing in short, hard pants, a slight blue tinted her lips. It was cyanosis, or at least that was the phrase used in her books. Kagome was forced to sit when she got lightheaded, and it had only gotten worse in the past years. Slowly her breathing calmed, the blue of her lips fading into the dull pink that was normal. She never let anyone see these moments of weakness, these times when she knew they would worry over her.

It had been four years since the wish on the jewel, and five since she first came through the well. She smiled sadly at the thought. It would have been better if she'd gone home, if the jewel had let her go back home. She could have left her friends with the smile that they deserved. A hard shiver raced through her body, it just felt so small. Her skin was too tight and her bones felt like twigs. Kagome paid little mind to the approaching sound of padding feet.

It was the night that she'd wished the jewel away that she realized just what was happening, the first and last dream she’d had of the jewel.

Kagome was floating in the endless mass of light when the woman appeared. Wavy sheets of black silken hair cascaded over her shoulders in the space they found themselves. Kagome remembered the soft and apologetic smile that had made her heart hurt.

"I hope you can forgive me," the woman spoke, the woman that Kagome had only ever seen as a statue.

"What is there to forgive?" She reached out, stretching her arm out to grasp the woman.

The woman turned her eyes away, "I will help you as much as I can, but the time you have left is limited."

"You're going to send me back?" The question was asked with misty eyes as Kagome thought over what was going to become of her.

"No child," Midoriko shook her head, slipping through the space and coming closer to the younger woman. She reached out to rest her hand over Kagome's heart. "Power cannot be wished away. Our souls have moved on, but the emotions that gave the jewel its power remains. When you wished away it's vessel it choose another." Beckoning with her free hand, she summoned for Kagome to come closer.

Letting her body float closer, Kagome entered into the embrace of the woman that had forged the jewel, accepting the words that she didn't quite understand.

"Kagome," there was a pause, "a human body can't contain a soul so powerful. It will slowly destroy you in time. Far sooner then you could have imagined, you will die." Midoriko held the younger woman as she spoke, "we will do our best, but we cannot stop what has already been done. Forgive me."

Even as the tears spilled over her cheeks, as the words sank in, as the last piece of endless optimism withered under the words a weak smile still graced Kagome’s lips, and whether it was fake or not was only for the gods to decide. "It's not your fault, there is nothing to forgive."

After that dream she never saw Midoriko again, she had felt the power however, had woken the next morning trembling and in pain. At first she thought that would be the worst of it, so she continued to travel with her friends. Kagome slowly pulled the sleeve of her kimono back; she stared at the dark blotches, the bruises that came from nowhere. She'd not hit her arm on anything, for that matter, she did almost nothing. She pulled the sleeve back down when the mat was pulled away from the door of her hut.

"Kagome, are you alright?"

Rin, that was the only person that Kagome had told. The only person that should have known, but she knew better. Sesshoumaru probably knew, and more than likely Shippou as well. "Yes, I'm fine. I was just a little lightheaded."

Kneeling down, the preteen reached out, pressing the back of her hand gently to the older woman's brow. When she was sure there was no fever she took each arm in her soft grip, checking the dark spots which marred the pale skin. "It's worse than it was last week," her voice was grim.

"It'll be fine Rin." Kagome pulled the girl closer into a spot against her side, "Sesshoumaru is coming with Shippou today isn't he?"

"Yes, he is," Rin looked up at Kagome with shining eyes. "Lord Sesshoumaru can help you, I'm sure he can do something." She stilled her words when she saw the shake of the woman's head.

"It's fine Rin, I knew this would happen." Kagome patted the girl's head, petting her hair as she closed her eyes again. "I don't want help, I don't want to be obligated to anyone." She smiled slightly, "I'm just happy to have had time with you all." She turned her head slightly when she felt the over whelming presence of the demon lord. "Come on Rin, let's go greet Sesshoumaru."

---000---

"Marika," Sango said, waddling as she walked closer, her arms wrapped around her swollen belly. "Do you know where Kagome is?"

Marika brushed her chestnut hair over her shoulder, adjusting herself to take some of her weight off her knees, her own stomach was much larger than the slayers. "She’s gone with Rin to greet Sesshoumaru and Shippou. She should be back in a while." She waved her hand out, letting out a sigh. "Sango? Has Kagome been acting strange recently?"

Sango set her eyes on the woman who had mated their half-demon alpha, Marika, a local woman. Kagome acting strange had started long before now, but she couldn't discount the observation, "she has been tired."

Marika nodded slightly. "I saw bruises," she shook her head at Sango’s the questioning glance. "They were on her arms and there was no real shape to them. I don't know what caused them, but I saw them when she was checking me over yesterday."

Sango nodded slightly, looking down after a moment. Inuyasha and Miroku left the village regularly, in the beginning Kagome had gone with them, but only during the first year. Then she’d stopped going, and started pushing Inuyasha away. Sango remembered it well. After she and Miroku had married they’d all waited, and when nothing had happened they had asked. No answers were given, but they’d started noticing the attention that Inuyasha gave Kagome was all but ignored, and then there were the beads.

Sango had watched as she sat across the fire from them, she had thought it was strange to see her friends sitting so far apart. Especially when she thought about all the other times she'd seen them pressed against each other. It was weird to see the distance, but what had startled her was the hand that had reached out and grasped the beads without even looking at him.

"Kagome, don't," the words were pained.

White knuckled, Kagome gave a sharp tug. The magic holding the beads together gave and they fell away. "I don't want to do this anymore Inuyasha. No more." Then, without another word, Kagome rose and left.

That was the last time she had seen them act as though nothing had happened, but Sango was sure that even Inuyasha didn't know what had brought on the change. Even though Kikyou had managed to survive, she hadn't come around, since Inuyasha had made his choice clear during the final battle when he had turned his back on Kikyou.

Sango looked at Marika and said, "I don't know either, but I'll ask."

---000---

AN: This isn't going ot be a very long one. Ten chapters at the most, just an idea that I couldn't let go. This is essentially just a teaser. The real stroy starts next chapter. Hope you like it.