UXXXXXXXXXX

Too weary of life
And deceptions

XXXXXXXXXX

Inuyasha groaned softly as he awoke to the sensation of his head being split in half. Blood pounded through his skull with the same effect as a sledgehammer. Even Kagome's even breathing felt like a knife being repeatedly being stabbed into his brain.

Reluctantly sitting up, Inuyasha pressed his palm to his temple as his vision blurred and seriously regretted each and every time he had ever told his friends their illnesses weren't an excuse to rest. If he ever got back to the normal world, he would never make that mistake again.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome whispered thickly as she blinked open her eyes and the half-demon slowly shook his head as a pained grimace marred his features. Unbeknownst to him, faint purple marks has begun blooming on his cheeks but even in the near darkness Kagome could make them out. The fact that he had not fully transformed she took as a sign that it was more of a reaction to his illness than a sign that whatever was happening to him was life threatening. Well, okay, maybe that was hope talking but if he hadn't noticed, she wouldn't cause unnecessary panic.

"I wish I had some aspirin for you," she whispered quietly as she sat up and pressed his fingers to his temple earning a wince, "Is the headache really that bad?"

Giving her a half-hearted glare for just a moment, Inuyasha sighed in relief as he met her worried gaze. His expression softening slightly as his unnatural amber shone with affection few would ever see. Tinged with guilt though. Even in the darkness she could make out the slightly pained expression on his face that had nothing to do with his illness.

"I..." he paused and let out a soft grunt before continuing with a grimace, "I wish you had your face. Looking at you right now reminds me of Kikyo."

Snorting once despite herself, Kagome believed that was the weirdest comparison she'd ever heard. Normally she looked like Kikyo's twin so to hear him say that this face reminded him was bizarre to say the least.

Fingers continuing to rub soothing circles, Kagome opened her mouth to ask what he meant before he offered up an explanation.

"I know..." his breathing was slowly becoming erratic, "I know it's you but it feels like I'm doing something wrong."

"Is that why you haven't kissed me?" Kagome asked softly - earning a subtle flinch at her slightly raised tone. It wasn't accusatory - merely curious - and somehow the miko knew that reaction was one of pain. Moving her hands atop his head, she gently covered his ears with her palms earning a soft laugh.

"You always know what to do," he sighed evasively as he opened his eyes to look at her - an adoring smile playing on his lips, "Know what I'm thinking. How do you do that?"

"Magic," she teased barely above a whisper as Inuyasha's hand began caressing her thigh, "And this isn't forever. I'll get my body back..."

"If we're stuck here don't," Inuyasha cut her off as he let out a shuddering sigh, "I meant what I said. You might be in that body to survive."

"You're not dead," Kagome chided gently. Even though he didn't argue, she knew he didn't believe her.

"I just...I just can't do it again," he mumbled after a moment, "I can't."

"Do what again?"

Turning a sickly shade of green, Inuyasha grimaced at the tiniest bit of spit up that forced its way into his mouth and he leaned his forehead against Kagome's for support. It tasted like that soup they'd brought him but with a metallic tinge that made the already disgusting mixture impossibly more disgusting. Kagome had insisted he take the vile concoction and she'd take the small piece of bread since he was the one who was ill and 'needed more calories' - whatever that meant. As much as he'd like to think she was just paranoid, even he knew he'd lost weight since being in here. It had been gradual...

Oh god had it really been three years?

Gagging as anxiety decided to make an already upset stomach that much worse, Inuyasha tried to ignore the ringing in his ears as he focused on Kagome and her presence but even that was tarnished. It wasn't Kagome. It wasn't the same. Her mind, sure, which was amazing and wonderful and more than he deserved but...

God he was a selfish bastard.

"Just forget it. I didn't mean...I'll get over it."

"Inuyasha, it's alright if you don't like this appearance," she comforted, "We'll find a way to get my body back. Don't worry about that."

Inuyasha couldn't focus enough to give her a response. The ringing in his ears was growing louder and his consciousness was beginning to ebb and flow like the tide. Every fiber of his being screamed at him to lay down and let the darkness consume him. It wasn't until the warmth from his body was flushed out in one fell swoop that he began to sway.

"Hold on, I've got you," Kagome pleaded as she caught his suddenly limp form and lowered him onto the bed, "Just focus on me, okay?"

"'Gome," Inuyasha mumbled as he blindly groped for her hand - sighing in relief when she grabbed it.

"Stay with me, okay?" Kagome instructed him firmly - the fear in her voice almost tangible. His skin felt so cold all of a sudden and the way his breathing was hitching was sending alarm bells off in her head. This was bad. Inuyasha never showed this amount of discomfort. Hell she'd never heard him breathe like that even after Sesshomaru plunged his arms straight through his stomach. This place really was trying it's best to kill him.

And there was almost nothing she could do. Nothing. Her bag wasn't here with all its modern medicine tucked safely inside. She didn't know where the healer was and she didn't want to leave him. Have him die all alone - maybe even asking for her in his final moments. Her panic escalated when she felt a dribble to something warm and hot against her hand where it rested on his cheek.

"I'm going to go find the healer okay?" she explained gently - barely remaining calm as she tried to extract her newly bloodied hand. If she panicked, he'd panic and he didn't need additional issues at the moment. Giving him what she hoped was a reassuring smile, she whispered, "I'll be right back."

"No," he whined as he gripped her hand so tightly it almost broke under the pressure, "N-no point."

"Inuyasha you're hurting me," Kagome grunted as she tried to remove her hand - his hitching breaths increasing to an alarming pace as his legs began curling and unfurling in a rhythmic fashion, his neck arching as he gasped for air.

Her blood ran cold when she realized he knew he was dying and didn't want to be alone in his final moments.

"I won't.."

The door suddenly slid open and the sound of hurried footsteps faintly registered in her ears - it wasn't until the newcomer tried to force her aside that she reached.

"Who are...Wait, what are you doing?!"

The sound of a vial popping cut through the tension like a knife before a large masculine hand gripped Inuysha's jaw and pried open his mouth. The contents of a glass vial were being poured into Inuyasha's mouth before Kagome could fully compute what was happening. It was only after the second pop that she gained enough control over her body to move.

"GET AWAY FROM HIM!"

The odds of the moon falling out of the sky were higher than the odds that a bright pink barrier would suddenly erupt from every pore of her body. That this burst would not harm Inuyasha but certainly did some damage to the would be assassin. The resounding crash and soft cry of pain sure to draw the attention of somebody. It wasn't until something wet began reflecting the dim light of the hallway that Kagome realized that she might've just began world war z. The zombies of this palace might very well crash down to kill her right then and there for harming one of their own.

"He's been poisoned you stupid bitch," the newcomer groaned as he pushed himself up with one hand and rubbed the back of his head with the other, "I brought the antidote."

"Oh how convenient," Kagome hissed defensively as her mind raced a mile a minute. That was new. Sure she'd seen Kikyo create barriers that only let some people in and not others but never had she seen someone use a barrier as a weapon and she'd just used one to throw someone across a room. Then again most people with spiritual powers learned defense whereas she learned by fire during battles. All her tactics were offense related - why would barriers be any different? That's the explanation she gave herself but it didn't give her any real comfort. What was that?!

"I agree. I found the fact that our shaman had the antidote in such large quantities quite convenient as well," the man groaned as he unsteadily got to his feet, "A little too convenient if you ask me."

Awkwardly placing herself between the man and Inuyasha, Kagome stood at the ready as she prayed her impulse driven attack would magically happen twice if it came down to it. However, seeing as how she didn't know how she did that in the first place the odds were slim to none she'd be able to do it on command.

"When I asked our shaman about his stockpile, he informed me that one of the elders asked him to stock it," the man continued as he held his hands up in clear surrender, "The same elder who placed a young girl making some quite outlandish claims. It would appear there are no such things as coincidences, wouldn't you agree?"

Cringing, Kagome had a feeling she knew what was coming and took a second to make her defensive posture more sturdy.

"However what I find most interesting of all is that whatever you just did to me little girl made me remember something," the man continued - a little anger coming through clear as day, "About a certain little boy who ran away instead of trusting those whose job it was to protect him."

Completely confused are this point, Kagome opted to merely keep her guard up. That was a random statement clearly meant to inspire some reaction from her or the unconscious Inuyasha. When neither reacted, the man sighed.

"I'm not going to hurt him little girl," the man tried again - his tone weary and dejected, "I spent years of my life thinking I had failed him. That he'd been abducted or murdered or worse. I have no intention of failing him now that he has returned to us. Besides, his survival is probably the only way any of us are getting out of here."

"I...I'm confused," Kagome finally admitted as she tried to figure out what was happening, "Do you...do you remember how you got here or..."

"Let me give him the rest of the antidote first," the man interrupted, "You clearly have the power to kill me if I hurt him as I clearly have no defenses against demonic spells."

"I'm a miko not a demon!" Kagome huffed defensively before amending awkwardly and glancing down at the unresponsive Inuyasha panting heavily on the futon, "Not that there's anything wrong with being a demon but..."

"Are you his spouse?" the man asked awkwardly after a moment, "I'm going to presume you are not Lady Hana but that Kagome woman claiming to be."

"Uh yeah w-we're a couple I guess," Kagome explained poorly and awkwardly, "I've been traveling with him this past year or so."

"But he has been here these past three years," the man replied slowly, "Unless..."

"So, um, this place isn't, uh, real and time doesn't move the same as..."

"Of that I am aware," the man interrupted exasperatedly as he reached into his clothing and extracted several additional vials, "It is no matter. Even if this existence is a fallacy, the lord's illness is very much a reality and as such, he is in need of treatment so if you will be so kind as to not attack me, I believe his recovery takes priority over any other concerns I may have. Please. Move."

Kagome didn't budge as she tried to figure out of this was a trick or not. Inuyasha is dying and all of a sudden this guy comes out of nowhere in the nick of time with a cure? Randomly realizes everything around him isn't real and barely blinked an eye? Knows who she is and doesn't seem concerned? Wasn't the least bit concerned that a miko was hanging out his youkai lord? Come on, give her some credit. That type of thing just didn't happen. It was as the man put it earlier 'a little too convenient.'

"Drink one," Kagome challenged, "And then I'll let you see him."

"If you insist," the man sighed as he uncorked a vial and held it up so she could see it was full before downing it like a shot, "As you can see, nothing has happened."

Honestly Kagome wasn't sure what she hoped that would prove. She didn't even know if Inuyasha was poisoned or if maybe the poison only affected youkai or...

"Your love for him and your desire to protect his life would be admirable in any other situation," the man sighed heavily, "However, in this instance, it is infuriating."

"Fine. Fine, give him the vials," Kagome huffed as she stepped aside and glared, "But if he dies, you die."

"Such strong words from a miko," the man teased as he knelt down and uncorked one of his vials - administering the contents he glanced up at her, "Tell me. How is it that you met the lord?"

"He was pinned to a tree," Kagome mumbled awkwardly, "I unpinned him."

The man laughed softly at the mental image that statement provoked as he wiped away some of the blood dribbling down Inuyasha's cheek.

"And how did you get here?"

"Whenever I'm in trouble he finds me. He always finds me," Kagome sighed as she ran her fingers through her hair, "This time I found him."

Finishing up the last vial, the general chuckled at her turn of phrase, "He 'finds' you. Do you get abducted often Lady Kagome?"

"C-constantly," a weak voice replied as amber eyes fluttered open and a playful grin bloomed on his blood stained lips when Kagome scoffed indignantly, "W-what? It's t-true."

XXXXXXXXXXXX

"Yasumori knows," a somewhat disbelieved albeit well groomed man huffed as he slammed the sliding door closed behind him, "One of his little minions was just sent out to fetch a fresh supply of 'herbs' from the merchant in a neighboring village after the bastard took the half the supply from the reserves."

"As it is the dead of night, why could this have not waited until morning?" the elderly man groaned as he propped himself up on wizened hands. His oily peppered hair - untied and untamed - hung long on either side of his face and made him look somewhat deranged.

"Because we need to adjust tactics. Immediately," the vassal hissed as he lifted his candle higher, "None of us are strong enough to take Inuyasha on through physical strength alone. If he fully recovers and marries? Produces children?"

"None of those fathers want their daughters to actually marry him. If Inuyasha were to die, I am sure those girls would be happy to see him go," the elder hissed as he ran his arthritic hands over his face, "In any case, we have the boy..."

"A boy who runs off doing god knows what all the time. I haven't seen him in weeks," the vassal hissed, "That whore said he's in her quarters every night but no one has seen him."

"She does our bidding so I don't see a problem. The boy will show up. He always does," the elder replied dismissively, "For the moment it's safer to not bring attention to his absences. Years have passed before without any sign of him but he always reappears and I doubt a mother would be that calm if her son truly disappeared. No one is that good an actor and I've questioned her repeatedly myself. She knows whats at stake."

The vassal pursed his lips skeptically.

"Have you searched her quarters?"

"And have it be reported to the general? We can't bring too much attention to the boy," the elder sighed heavily, "Inuyasha would kill him in an instant. In any case, all will be revealed in time."

"One bastard rising to power is enough but two?" the vassal huffed, "We need to pick someone else. Are you absolutely certain the late lord not have cousins? Any other distant relation? Even a very dear friend?"

"He had a son," the elder replied coldly, "And yes it was with his concubine but the people will take our word for it if we say he is legitimate. Most would rather die than continue living under demonic rule."

"I will never understand why we didn't just put that boy on the throne as soon as the body was cold," the vassal huffed as he began pacing, "The other elders are lunatics."

"There were threats as you well know. Inuyasha's demonic relations are powerful in their own right but their methods were underhanded. Massacring villages to get their way," the elder sighed, "But we have set up powerful sutras and spells around our lands over the past ten years. No demons can enter."

"Inuyasha often leaves. What effective barriers," the vassal countered acidly and the elder chuckled.

"There are spells that allow some to enter and not others. Spells that can be altered to fit out needs when the time comes," the elder reassured the frazzled man before frowning, "As for the other elders, they will need to be taken care of before we transfer power."

"You should have just killed him," the vassal hissed, "He trusts you. It would have been all too easy to slit his throat when he came to you after his mother passed."

"He was a child and at that time, killing him would have brought too much attention to my involvement," the elder sighed, "I should have convinced him to leave before his guard tracked him down."

The vassal didn't disagree with his reasoning but at the same time, the other elders would not have punished one of their own harshly for the murder of an heir none of them wanted. Unless it had been staged in such a way that shifted the blame. Mother dead and child murdered. The case against involvement almost wrote itself. The plan had been executed poorly. One loose end that had come back to bite them all in the...

"Your plots and schemes are sloppy. We should have waited until the lord produced a child," the vassal huffed as he ran his fingers over his scalp.

"My only motivation was to protect these lands. How was I to know the lord had almost dictated the line of succession? Inuyasha is too stupid to have the foresight to do such a thing. Too stupid to suspect anything is strong enough to harm him," the elder hissed before waving his hand in clear dismissal, "We will discuss this more in the morning. Assemble the others so we may discuss next steps. Over tea perhaps."

"Tea?!"

"Inuyasha is a demon. I'm sure there are other tactics we can employ that will do the job nicely and much more efficiently."

"We never should've resorted to poison," the vassal huffed as he shook his head, "We were very nearly caught when the late lord died so suddenly. Now that blood traitor will be increasing security and..."

"Inuyasha has brought a girl into his bed. I'm sure with proper motivation, we can convince her to work on our behalf," the elder sighed as he lay back down, "After all, who would bed a demon willingly? I've always said Lady Izayoi must have been possessed."

"Izayoi spread her legs willingly and you're a fool to think otherwise" the vassal scoffed, "You had better come up with something old man or else it'll be your head on that platter. The blood traitor is relentless and its only a matter of time before he arrests you for treason!"

"He has no proof. At most he is aware that the powder has been added to the food," the elder sneered, "If he arrests the boy's mother, we know she will not talk. Confessing the plot would put her son at risk and she would rather die than see him harmed. More importantly as her son is the rightful heir..."

"You give her too much credit. She has never wanted her son on the throne," the vassal clipped back, "I wouldn't be surprised if the boy shows up dead."

"And why would she do that?"

"You may refer to her as a concubine," the vassal hissed, "But we all knew she didn't bed the late lordof her own was far too happy to see him dead and she'd do anything to prevent the boy from ascending. Almost to puberty and he doesn't even know who he is."

"Then why agree to help us?"

"If you knew someone had no scruples about murdering when it suited them, you would do anything they asked to save your own skin," the vassal sneered, "It is no matter. I'll arrange the tea but you better have a plan. If the general traces it back to you, you will be the only one who takes the blame."

"We will discuss this more over tea," the elder replied coolly, "Now if you will please leave..."

XXXXXXXXXX

The little boy sighed heavily as he entered back into the world he called home. Where no one seemed to noticed he wasn't aging because nobody aged. They all looked the same. Sure they all thought ten years had passed and there were times he suspected they believed they had aged but when he looked at them, all he saw was unchanged faces. For almost a century no one talked to him. No one looked at him. No one seemed to notice he left for extended periods. All those decades and to this day, how time moved for the others was a mystery to him. Since he'd kinda sorta accidentally damned Inuyasha to this place, he'd heard people throwing around 'ten years' and supposedly Inuyasha was supposed to be eighteen which meant Lady Izayoi died when the half-demon was eight. In life, the boy had been maybe three when that had happened and had no memory of it. Had been maybe nine or ten when everything went to hell. When he had died. It was hard to remember after so many centuries what was up and what was down much less how old he had been.

"You cannot disappear that like anymore," his mother's voice chided gently, "In the past, it was no matter but they have been searching for you now. It isn't safe."

Nearly jumping out of his skin at his mother's sudden and unexplained appearance, the boy tried to wrap his mind around that statement until one thought forced its way to the forefront of his mind.

"You knew I was gone," he blurted incredulously, "You actually noticed I..."

"When time stood still, it was no matter," his mother sighed as she gently took his hand and tugged him forcefully towards the servant quarters, "Now things are..."

Betrayal and pain reflected in the boy's narrowed eyes - their ebony depths rigid, cold, hard.

In that moment, his mother watched the boy who laughed often, the one who had been everyone's friend in life succumb to a level of bitterness few ever achieved. It was as if her son could read everything, understood everything and came to the decision that forgiveness wasn't an option. Perhaps if she had acted differently that day or confessed her sin sooner, things would have been different but as it was...

"All this time you've known," he accused - his voice flat and firm, "All this time I thought I was the only one who remembered and you..."

"Be quiet," she hissed angrily as she glanced at the small group huddled together on the far side of the garden, "There is much to explain and this is not the..."

"Were you the one who killed me?!"

"I said be quiet!" she snapped before cringing when one of the vassals suddenly glanced in her direction with a curious look, "I will explain but there are too many eyes and ears..."

"Let them listen! I don't care. Now answer my question!" the boy hissed and his mother gave him an exasperated look.

"Come," his mother instructed as she turned and began dragging him behind her, "All will be revealed in time."