DISCLOSURE STATEMENT: This author has no financial or non-financial relation nor do they possess any right to "Inuyasha: A Feudal Fairy Tale" franchise. Full ownership of all characters is the sole intellectual property of Rumiko Takahashi.

Chapter 12

Little Miss Communication

Soft grey-violet eyes reflected the flickering light of the campfire as they stared into the warmth. As much as the monk wanted to believe otherwise, Inuyasha was right to be worried. Not necessarily to the level the half-demon had taken his anxiety but Inuyasha's concerns were not unfounded. It seemed like everything they'd encountered was off. Different. Strange. Naraku's marked lack of presence was disturbing to say the least. Even more so because it was abundantly clear the evil man still existed here. The more time passed the more questions arose without answers. As much as Kikyo had caused problems, there were many events which she had set in motion. The same could be said of Naraku. The world as they had known it was radically different and, in many ways, more dangerous.

"What was I to you?" Sango's voice suddenly spoke – cutting through his thoughts like a cauterized knife and causing the monk to startle subtly at the unexpected question.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Back in the time you and Inuyasha are from, what were we?" Sango clarified as she raised a single eyebrow and gave him an appraising look, "Friends? Acquaintances? Lovers?"

Miroku choked and shockingly a faint blush adorned his cheeks against his will. Hearing Sango, of all people, suggest so casually that her arguably modest self freely gave her body to a stranger while they were relatively unattached shocked even his perverted sensibilities. Even if the comment was thrown out there merely as a possibility.

"We were friends. At first," the monk replied slowly as his brow furrowed slightly in pain, "And at a certain point, something changed. It became more."

"What changed?" Sango pressed as Shippo slowly sat up from where he was laying atop Kilala with a look that could only be described as horror.

"Oh look. A beetle," the kit chuckled awkwardly as he quickly hopped down and began scrambling away, "Better go get it."

Miroku gave the retreating Shippo a withering glare before setting his jaw and turning his gaze back onto the slayer.

"I cannot explain what I do not know," the monk replied a little bitterly, "I'm unsure what changed. All I know is that something did."

Sango seemed to digest that explanation for a moment before continuing this bizarre form of torture. In the monk's opinion anyway. This was not a conversation he wanted to have truth be told. He had been hoping a relationship would manifest naturally as it once had. Forcing the issue seemed like it would hurt more than it would help. Sango was obviously attempting to figure out how someone like her could have ever fall in love or even tolerate someone she clearly loathed which killed any hope this conversation would end desirably.

"I've been told my village was destroyed and everyone in it," the slayer changed the subject, "Was I different?"

Miroku wince.

"Yes and no," the monk replied with a resigned sigh, "I am grateful Inuyasha had the foresight to prevent such an event from occurring twice. You are as strong as you ever were but more confident. Happier. There were times I was concerned…"

Trying to put the brakes on his little explanation, Miroku cleared his throat and shifted.

"In any case…"

"Why were you concerned?" Sango asked and the monk wished a stray demon would burst out of the tree line to prevent an honest explanation.

"Your brother was captured and enslaved by Naraku," Miroku replied in a strangely detached tone, "You were willing to sacrifice yourself to save him. Which was admirable in some ways and terrifying in others. Often there was concern that you would end your own life."

Sango paled a little but appreciated his blunt honesty truth be told. Perhaps he didn't think she was too delicate to handle hard truths after all.

"So I was weak," she concluded and Miroku scoffed.

"Sango you were many things but weak has never been one of them. You were in pain and you blamed yourself. Not unlike Inuyasha has been doing," the monk snapped harsher than intended, "The most notable difference between you and our friend is that you handled the loss with more grace."

Sango recoiled from that statement with a look of disgust.

"What is that supposed to mean? Is that why you've been so hard on him? You've been comparing him to me?" Sango asked with no lack of distain.

"Inuyasha is allowing his grief and guilt to consume him instead of focusing on the task at hand," Miroku tried to explain with a loud huff of frustration, "You used your grief to push yourself further. Harder. You were open to discussion on difficult topics. He refuses to acknowledge them."

"Everyone processes grief differently," Sango clipped back, "Inuyasha and my circumstances sound entirely different."

"I'm aware of that," Miroku snapped as his usually calm exterior began cracking, "I am also aware that you and, for that matter, Kagome only know Inuyasha as he has been since our unnatural return. You did not know him as he once was. Inuyasha used to be confident and fearless. Now he…"

The monk groaned and when he spoke next it was soft and controlled, "Whatever is occurring may ultimately be his undoing and I am afraid for him. In many ways, I wish your prior self was here. You had first-hand experience and would've known what to say to…"

As Miroku trailed off with a huff in frustration, Sango blinked a few times before she set her jaw and pressed the monk further. This seemed to be the first and only time the monk was opening up to her and, for that matter, being somewhat hostile. Much to her horror, she actually preferred this version of the normally controlled monk. It gave him depth she didn't think he had.

"Inuyasha has been…struggling," the slayer agreed awkwardly, "But in battle…"

Sango wanted to say that he'd been coping and doing what needed to be done but that wouldn't be accurate. More than once he'd frozen for some unknown reason or taken unnecessary risks when he felt Kagome might be in danger. It had been getting worse lately too which didn't bode well but she had never taken it for the warning sign the monk believed it to be.

Perhaps she should have.

"I understand your concerns," the slayer amended before sighing and shaking her head, "Thank you for voicing them."

Miroku closed his eyes and let out a long slow exhale.

"I would ask that you keep this conversation between us," the monk spoke after a long moment, "It…"

"Why keep this from the others?" Sango interrupted and Miroku had to bite back the urge to scream.

"By others do you mean Kagome, who shelters Inuyasha to an unhealthy degree, or Inuyasha himself who falls to pieces if you so much as mention Naraku in his presence?" he snapped bitterly, "Or should I confide in a child, a cat…"

"Shippo is…" Sango began knowingly as she glanced over at the kit who was waving his arms in a frantic silence motion which screamed 'do not involve me' and so the slayer amended, "A child. Yes. I can see your point."

The monk rolled his eyes as he glanced over at the little boy who was making an exceptionally good show of inspecting the grass for insects.

"I forgot myself for a moment," the monk admitted bitterly, "Forgive me."

"No, no that's not…" Sango tried to explain, "Its just you're usually so careful around me. This is the first time you've been honest."

Averting his eyes, Miroku laughed once - the bitter edge subtle- but didn't deny it.

"Were you always this careful around me?" Sango asked curiously when he didn't reply and Miroku laughed again – this time with obvious bite.

"No. No I was not," the monk admitted as he closed his eyes once more, "Is there a reason you're asking these questions?"

"Is there a reason you're avoiding answering what we really were to each other? More can mean a variety of things," Sango countered and Miroku sighed heavily as he ran a finger over his palm.

"We were engaged," he replied quietly as he got to his feet and looked to the treeline, "If that answer is sufficient, I believe I need to check the perimeter before we retire."

"Engaged? To be married?"

"Yes," the monk replied in a voice softer still before squaring his shoulders and adding with no lack of bitterness, "You saw no better alternatives and I was all too happy to agree. Now if you will excuse me…"

As the monk walked away, Sango stared after him with her mouth hanging slightly open. That…that didn't seem right. At all. As soon as that last statement was uttered, a part of her mind started screaming in frustration and the random urge to slap some sense into him became almost overwhelming.

"Miroku wait!" Sango called out, "Are you saying I settled for you or something?"

The monk paused but remained facing away. The slayer quickly got to her feet and moved until she stood before him and obstructed his path.

"That doesn't feel right," the slayer admitted awkwardly as she bent down slightly to look into his bowed face, "And that's not something I would do to someone if that's any consolation."

Miroku laughed under his breath and side-stepped her only to stop when she moved to block his way forward.

"Let me pass Sango."

"Not until you explain what you said," she insisted a little desperately, "Why do you think I settled for you back then?"

"Your family died," Miroku reminded her gently before a little bitterness entered his tone, "And you wanted a place to belong. I provided security."

"So I was like everyone else in the group then," Sango corrected before sighing and rolling her eyes, "Except Kagome. But, unless I'm mistaken, everyone else - you, Inuyasha, Shippo - had their family die and want a place to belong. What about that made you think I settled for you?"

"Because you despised me!" Miroku snapped angrily, "You left me with enough bruises and concussions to make that point clear. One day it changed, I don't know why, and then..."

Sango's lips parted as her eyes widened in horror.

"I beat you?"

"No!" Miroku hissed, "The point is that you disliked my behavior and it disgusted you to..."

"I want to be clear," the slayer pressed in an infuriatingly calm tone, "You said I left you with bruises. How?"

"When I would do something inappropriate you usually resorted to violence," the monk explained coldly, "Usually your hand or Hiraikotsu was aimed at my head. Not unlike the sit spell Kagome still uses on occasion."

"Did I ever knock you out?" Sango asked in a frightened tone and Miroku sighed heavily.

"Sango you did not abuse..."

"You didn't answer my question," the slayer pointed out a little desperately, "And it sounds like I did abuse you so I need to know what all I did."

Miroku felt his heart crumple up and die as Sango stared at him with something akin to pity and horror but notably without genuine affection. Yes, it was true that he was often the recipient of pain at her hands but she was blowing this wildly out of proportion.

"Sango it wasn't..."

"I'm sorry," the slayer blurted awkwardly, "I'm sorry I did that."

"I'm not," Miroku huffed as he attempted and failed to move around her.

"Why?"

"Because you made me a better man and I will not stand here and listen to you berate yourself over a situation you do not understand," Miroku snapped as he tried to move again, "Now if you will excuse me..."

For the life of her, Sango couldn't wrap her mind around what he was telling her. Surely she wouldn't have just beaten him over a few inappropriate comments. Sure, he saw it differently but...

"Well then make me understand because what you're telling me sounds like a ringing endorsement of my character," Sango replied acidly as she once again moved to intercept his path, "Nothing you could've done justifies..."

"I groped you constantly. Flirted with other women and groped them as well. I habitually lied and schemed and conned," Miroku scoffed as he sidestepped her once more, "You did what was necessary to curb that behavior and it worked."

"Again, that doesn't...why would you even love me after..."

"I have no explanation you would find satisfactory," Miroku snarled, "I was mistaken."

"About what?!" Sango hissed angrily as she followed him, "You want me to understand and I'm sorry I'm not like Kagome. I don't have dreams about what happened between us that would help. I'm sorry. I am but that doesn't mean you get to characterize my actions for me. They were my actions. Mine."

"You're right. I can't explain the differences between you now and then," the monk snapped as he finally stopped his attempts to leave, "You are clearly a different person."

"And that's probably a good thing! I don't beat you regularly. Isn't that a good thing?" Sango snapped without thinking, "And regardless of that, has it ever occurred to you that I might've actually wanted you the way you used to be? That the only reason I haven't liked you this time is because you're acting like I might break! Like you're afraid of me! Maybe I liked that you weren't afraid and that's why I did what I did!"

In her desperation to find an palatable explanation for her violent past, she hit a nerve she should've realized was raw and the monk visibly bristled.

"If I am afraid of you, it is only because you treat me like I am nothing. Less than an ant in comparison to yourself," Miroku damn near snarled making Sango's eyes widened in surprise, "The woman I knew was humble and knew her limits. Understood our group was a unit. A team. You act like every battle is a challenge for you to prove you're superior to us all. You refuse to accept help from anyone but especially not from me."

The slayer recoiled at the brutal observation that wasn't even true. She didn't believe she was better than them. She didn't.

"Miroku I don't..."

"I do not know you as you are. I have not known how to act in the face of the unknown," Miroku continued heatedly as his anger and hurt overrode his natural character, "I apologize if my actions have offended you. It was unknowingly done."

"Then act like you did back then," Sango interrupted softly – Miroku's breathing uneven and heavy as he tried to reign in his temper, "If you don't know how to act, act like yourself."

With a derisive laugh, the monk gestured like he was offering her to walk ahead of him.

"After you."

And with that the monk side stepped the slayer and quickly moved into the forest beyond.

"Welp that was weird," Shippo hummed as he suddenly jumped onto the slayer's shoulder making her jump, "I've never seen him get that angry before."

Sango nodded miserably before furrowing her brow and glancing at the kit, "Do you think I act like I'm better than all of you?"

"Sometimes," Shippo admitted with a wise nod, "He had a point. And you are mean to him for literally no reason."

Shifting her weight awkwardly, Sango rolled her eyes and sighed. Trust a child to just come out with the truth in blunt fashion.

"I didn't realize that...that I was cruel to him in my past life."

"He didn't seem to think you were," Shippo pointed out with an indifferent sniff, "Maybe it wasn't that bad."

Sango winced.

"I hope it wasn't."

"Well I mean, maybe after all this is done you two can..."

"But when this is done, I'll be back at the slayer's village. He wouldn't follow me there," Sango muttered distractedly as her mind replayed the altercation to see if maybe she misunderstood something and blindly headed back towards the campsite, "But I'd hate to..."

"Guess I was wrong about you," Shippo hmphed loudly as he jumped off her shoulder and bounded up to the fire, "I didn't realize you thought we were just a job."

A sick feeling settled in Sango's gut as she sat down and glanced into the tree line. It hadn't really occurred to her but that was the approach she'd been taking this whole time. This was a job. A task that would eventually end and she'd go back to her village. But that wasn't how anyone else saw it. Shippo, Miroku and Inuyasha had nowhere else to go. This was their family. The only family they perhaps ever had.

And in her past life, given that her home and everyone she knew had been destroyed, she must've thought of the situation in the same way. There was no going back. No next assignment. Rather than a group of allies for future battles, she'd found a family. In them, she'd found a home. Something permanent rather than a temporary situation.

Perhaps, given everything, that was a state of mind she should start adapting especially considering there was a lot of repair work to be done.

It was close to midnight by the time Inuyasha and Kagome made it to the well. Although the weather had gotten considerably warmer than it had been a few days prior, the miko's cheeks were chapped a rather ugly shade of pink and her nose was definitely flaking from the dryness in the higher altitudes. Strangely, her skin discoloration went completely beneath the half-demon's notice. Eye glazed over, Inuyasha appeared to simply going through the motions – helping her off Kilala, grabbing her backpack, heading to the well, kneeling down. Silently. Stiffly. Mind obviously a million miles away as his eyes focused on something only he could see.

That…that wasn't a good sign. Not terrible but not great.

"Thank you so much for letting me come back," Kagome hummed affectionately as she gently scratched the base of his ear earning a long-relieved sigh.

"Any time you want to go back is good by me," Inuyasha admitted distractedly as he subconsciously leaned into her touch, "Safer here."

Crinkling her brow a little at that strange comment, Kagome nodded before climbing onto his back and together they leapt in – the blue ethereal light surrounding them before they appeared back in the noisy, thick air of the modern era. Honestly, Kagome had never noticed before the quest but it was actually kinda gross here. It did smell even to her human nose and the air almost felt dirty. Slimy even.

Feudal era definitely had fresh non-polluted air working in its favor. She didn't remember it smelling this bad before. A wave of sympathy washed over her when she tried to imagine how heinous it must smell to him and yet he always came. For her. It boggled her how, according to him, she didn't know he loved her the first go around. If anything, coming to a world that smelled like death just to be near her should've at least given her some hint how deeply he loved her. Hell he almost died for her every other day and judging by how hard he took 'failing' her that reckless behavior was happening way back when. Surely she wasn't that blinded by Kikyo no matter what Inuyasha said the situation had been. It straight up wasn't possible.

"Why don't we go to my room and I can work on that headache, hm?" Kagome offered sweetly as Inuyasha leapt up into the well house – turning to head up the stairs before his hand took hers and tugged.

"It…it wasn't a headache," he admitted softly before adding hesitantly "And I think you know that. You didn't need to go and trick me or anything. You could've just asked."

Cringing Kagome slowly turned to face him with the guiltiest expression he'd ever seen on her face.

"I'm not mad," he amended quickly as his heart visibly broke behind his eyes for some unknown reason, "Just saying you don't have to lie to me."

"I wasn't lying. I do need to study," Kagome tried miserably, "But I thought you needed a distraction. Some time in a place you felt safe."

Inuyasha gave her an adoring yet chiding look.

"Its not my safety I'm worried about. You know that too," he snorted softly before shaking his head and taking a deep breath, "Its just...I was thinking about stuff is happening wrong and because of that my sword doesn't have the attacks I need. And...and I mean what am I going to..."

"Inuyasha I…wait what?" Kagome blurted as her apology came to a full halt in the face of this random bit of information, "Your sword doesn't work or…?"

Swallowing thickly, Inuyasha was strangely relieved she'd interrupted when she did. In his sluggish mental state, he'd almost confessed his selfish terror about what would happen to him if he failed again. That he was scared shitless about how much he loved her and the very idea of what hell awaited him nearly had him in tears.

"That's…that's why I was getting…upset," he tried to explain - his voice shaking from the effort of keeping his composure or, at least, what was left of it, "Before... last time we killed some people and…okay this one guy was already dead but…the point is I think Kikyo and Sesshomaru and even Naraku had a lot to do with what attacks I got. Powerful attacks I need to sa...to beat Naraku. Kikyo's gone. Sesshomaru is doing whatever the hell he's doing and Naraku hasn't shown his face. I just…

Mentally and emotionally exhausted, Inuyasha was struggling to keep his deepest fear hidden. Not that they were a secret per se. Everyone snd their mom knew losing Kagome was definitely up there but he was selfish, so selfish. What was he going to do, going to become, if he lost her again? He couldn't go back to that existence. To that feeling. So many times he'd screamed to the wind, condemning his everything for leaving him when she should've known how much he needed her. Sanity was gone within the first year and after that he was...functioning maybe. Organs still worked at least. Not well, his body slowly started to wither away which arguably was due to forgetting food was necessary, but his heart kept beating long after he'd begged it to stop. Thank the powers that be someone eventually killed him.

"I guess I'm confused?" Kagome interrupted awkwardly, "You're saying your sword is different this time?"

"Not really its just that…well….my sword absorbs things. Other attacks. Demonic energy," Inuyasha tried to clarify as his hands trembled, "So I'd gotten a couple attacks…"

"And they were useful," Kagome concluded effectively cutting him off mid-stream, "Okay that sounds like an easy fix then. We just need to find the things that…"

"There were events that happened that led to me getting the attacks," Inuyasha countered a little desperately as he visibly wilted and began breathing heavily, "Events that aren't going to happen because Kikyo isn't here and Sesshomaru…"

As Inuyasha continued rambling, he began running his claws through his hair. Breathing hitching as he spiraled out of his control. In response, bizarrely, Kagome's sapphire eyes suddenly widened as a strange grin bloomed on her lips and her hands clapped together.

"You could try the tree!" she gasped excitedly earning a startle and one very concerned look. Inuyasha was still panting as his mouth hung open and his mind struggled to make sense of her comment.

"What?"

"The tree. The Sacred Tree!" Kagome explained excitedly and Inuyasha's gave her a panicked once over.

"Are you feeling okay?" Inuyasha breathed as he anxiously followed her up the steps, "Like…like did you hit your head maybe or…or did something happen while you were with Sango and..."

"Weren't you sealed to that thing for like fifty years or something?" Kagome sighed exasperatedly as she turned to face him with her arms folded across her chest, "Doesn't it see everything? It could show you exactly where to go!"

The half-demon set his jaw as his breathing began evening out.

"What do you think I was doing all that time?" Inuyasha snorted as he rolled his eyes, "I was basically dead. You sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine Inuyasha. Its a good idea. Admit it," Kagome hummed as she turned to open the wellhouse doors. As he followed the miko into the courtyard, Inuyasha looked entirely unconvinced and a little disturbed. Strangely though, he did seem to perk up a bit and so the miko secretly smiled. Redirection was a beautiful, beautiful thing.

"Trees don't talk Kagome," he tried to explain – slowly and carefully like the miko was a five year old child, "They're...well they're trees."

"Normal trees maybe but this is the Sacred Tree of Ages," Kagome corrected defensively, "Its unique. Special."

"The tree ain't a god," Inuyasha chided affectionately, "It's a fricking tree."

To be fair, Inuyasha knew that the large ominous plant had some special abilities. He knew that better than anyone. The tree's powers were probably why he didn't die from the arrow that pierced his heart. That and there had been a few times when Kagome had communicated with him through said tree. However, the tree itself didn't go around talking to people. That wasn't how trees, power infused or not, worked.

"Where did you even get this hair-brained idea?" Inuyasha groaned as Kagome grabbed his hand and led him through the courtyard.

"Well I've actually been thinking about it a while. Seems like some supernatural thing we'd do, doesn't it? I mean, I'm sure we must've used it at some point, right?" she hummed thoughtfully and Inuyasha's eye twitched.

"Once. We used it once. Maybe twice and we didn't talk to the tree. We talked to each other through the tree," Inuyasha corrected begrudgingly and Kagome grinned.

"Like a phone through time which means the tree knows what's going on between now and then," Kagome chirped and Inuyasha was beginning to feel like this might be a fever dream.

"You just need a nap or something," he sighed as he glanced nervously around the courtyard in the hopes her sane mother would come out and save the day, "You're acting delirious."

"Just try it. If it doesn't work, you can call me an idiot and we'll call it a night."

And damn it all if this stupid woman didn't stop dead in front of the tree, grab his hand and try to force it onto the bark.

"Stop that. This is stupid."

"Probably," Kagome giggled – happy to see that he was coming out of his little daze and seemed more like himself. Whatever happened was worth seeing more pep in his step.

"Can't we do this in the morning," Inuyasha argued awkwardly as he effortlessly resisted her tugs.

"We're a tourist attraction. People might see and ask questions," Kagome pointed out even though Inuyasha knew from personal experience no one ever saw the batshit things he'd done here before and if they did, they thought it was some showpiece her grandfather put on. He'd even gotten compliments before on his 'historical cosplay'- whatever that meant - and one guy even wanted a picture. Handed him money and then asked if he took costume orders.

"Fine. Let go and I'll touch the stupid tree," Inuyasha snickered as he pulled his arm away and raised a single eyebrow, "But when this doesn't work, we're sharing the bed and I get the good pillow. You get the shitty one."

Kagome's lips twitched upwards at his demand and nodded her consent. She knew, full well, that this was a stupid idea but Inuyasha needed something to distract his frazzled mind. What better than something non-sensical and random to snap him out of his funk? Once he was more calm and not so dazed, they could have a conversation about his concerns and how to alleviate them but given that he was hyperventilating by himself a few hours previously and was still rather out of it when they first arrived, any discussion they could've had would have gone nowhere. Inuyasha would've gotten more upset and any comfort she could've offered would've gone in one ear and out the other.

And at the very least, she'd earned a genuine smile and even a laugh. That alone was worth every comment Inuyasha would undoubtedly make about her intelligence.

"Well, if it'll shut you up..."