A Future Full of Beautiful Malice

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of the characters associated. This is for pure enjoyment and entertainment

~Chapter 4: Tenshi no Guntai~

~~~~~ooOoo~~~~~

It was beginning to turn into the late afternoon, the sun still high in the sky showing off the lands sun kissed landscapes. The clouds were slowly making their way across the sky to the other side of the world. But soon the sun would plummet behind the earth and gift us with the moons presence. On a long dusty trail west of the village, all that was heard was the soft hum of the wind and the locust's ongoing conversations.

The beautiful scene was interrupted by large footsteps marching in tune. The metal of their weapons collided with the metal on their uniforms, creating a clinking sound. It was like the sound of wind chimes except exceedingly louder and anything but peaceful. They marched on, in vast numbers. Never looking anywhere but forward. Two figures on horses trotted before them, easily riding to their destination.

"So," the female figure asked, "why do you think our lord wanted us to turn all the way around just to go to this village?"

"I don't know Ankan," the male general said with a hint of annoyance, "If I knew, I would tell you."

"I know. I just find it strange that we have to travel even further in the opposite direction of where we were supposed to be going, only to inspect another useless village. They probably have no one of any value, no one we can use for…"

"Shhh!" Ragaku immediately cut her off. "Shut your damn mouth and keep your voice down, do you want the troops to hear you?" He stated even more annoyed than before.

"Why is it a problem if the troops hear? They already know. We control them Ragaku, I don't understand…"

"You think that of all the troops we have that not one of them is a spy for the Western lands? Wake up Ankan, no one can be trusted. If a spy figured out what is to come the entire plan would go up in flames, and it would be both of our heads if it did." He spat back in a hushed tone.

"Okay, I'm sorry. I understand now." She said looking down at the back of her horse's mane.

"Get your head back in the game and stay focused. We will be arriving at the village shortly and I don't want to hear another useless question from you."

She nodded and slowly looked up. From the fading outlines of the troops and their two leaders, Ankan's voice was heard between the marching; "Well what if we just told half of the troops? You know, the cuter men, that would be fine right?"

A large smack rattled the land, scaring the birds from their trees.

Only a single voice belted far from view, "I said shut your filthy damn mouth!" All that was heard beyond that point were the faint marching of the troops as they disappeared into the distance.

~~~~~ooOoo~~~~~

Miroku's hut

"Ow Miroku! Be more gentle please." Kagome shifted uncomfortably in her chair and resumed her attention to the monk's story.

"I'm sorry Kagome, I haven't bandaged a woman up since, well, since Sango I think. I'm a little rusty." He admitted.

"Okay, so you have told me about your past times with women after I disappeared. Can you please start from the very beginning now and skip the drunken nights and sexual fantasies?" She was starting to lose her patience with the monk.

"Ahh, yes, okay fine." He cleared his throat, finished bandaging Kagome's last cut, and started from the very beginning like she asked.

"Well, you see Kagome after you disappeared we tried for many days to see what we could do to have Inuyasha pass through the well again, but it never seemed to work. We had Kaede try and work her energy into the well to bring it back to life, but that didn't work either. Months had passed of trying, and I'm sorry, but it just seemed like there was no hope of ever reaching you again. So we gave up." He admitted ashamed. Kagome's bottom lip began to twitch. Before she could say anything he quickly continued.

"Besides the fact of losing you, everything seemed to be okay. The peace was restored within the lands because of Naraku's defeat. The only threats that ever seemed to happen were the smaller, lesser demons, who were of course quickly defeated by others and of course by my spiritual powers," he said with pride and a wide grin. Kagome rolled her eyes; a bored expression plastered to her face, "Continue monk." "Oh, haha right… well besides those minor threats, everything else seemed to be running smoothly. But in time things started to fall apart." He looked to the floor with a look of sadness and defeat. "Sango and I, well...we obviously didn't make it," he confessed. "What did you do?" Kagome asked accusingly. "Hey, you said you would wait until the end no matter what remember?" pointing a finger in her direction. "Right, sorry…continue."

"Anyways, like I said, we didn't make it. Our paths were going in too many directions; we had too many goals that didn't seem to coincide with one another. Ever since Kohaku survived, which don't get me wrong was a blessing, had changed Sango in ways I cannot explain. She would never leave his side, never leave him when he slept, always the watchful eye during the night. I would try and take her away from the big sister role for just a little while, but she refused. It even turned into violent protests at times. The pain of losing her family and almost losing the only member she had left was too much for her. She grew too tired in the day from staying up all night to continue her normal daily routines or even to spend time with me, and she never left his side no matter how exhausted she was. She soon became an empty vessel, void of no emotion except the maternal instincts to protect her family. And Kohaku, him being a bright boy, saw the pain he was subconsciously giving his sister, even if he wasn't doing anything at all. So one day, he ran away, ran away to free his sister from the physical and emotional pain he was inflicting upon her. But his desired affect did quite the opposite in fact. Literally almost drove her mad. So about five years ago, Sango left without saying any goodbyes. I haven't seen her since. The only thing I have left of her was a note she wrote to me the night she fled. It said,

.~.~.~.~.~.

My dearest Miroku, I am sorry I could not be the person you fell in love with. I hope you find someone else that can fill your life with pure happiness.

-Sango

.~.~.~.~.~.

"I…I don't even know what to say. Miroku…" she said touching his arm thoughtfully. "We will find her and set things right."

"I don't know Kagome, sometimes it is better to just let the past be the past and move on."

'Hmm, nice choice of words monk' she thought to herself.

"We will see, the past can always be changed you know, obviously mine has."

He nodded and looked out his window into the vast distance, never letting his eyes focus on anything in the background.

She let his mind wander for a few more minutes before she spoke up again. "Uhm, Miroku, there is something I have been meaning to ask you."

"He too has changed Kagome." He stated knowing the question she was going to ask.

"Uh, I...well, uhm…" she stumbled over her words from being caught off guard.

"He too was depressed after we gave up hope trying to reach you," he said now looking back at her, "He couldn't deal with the fact of losing his first lover, and losing his new one all in the same time frame. He resumed fighting alongside us, killing the lesser demons, but in time he grew bored. He couldn't take the pain away by fighting anymore; it was too hard for him. So he went on journeys by himself across the land to fight bigger more menacing demons. He would make an appearance here or there, but it was never for very long, and the reunions were not filled with happiness. It was about three years ago, that he finally decided to end his solo adventures, and returned here for a while helping Kaede tend to the sick. He seemed happier, but still had a sullen look to him. Our conversations we had were no more friendly than a conversation a stranger has with another. They lacked meaning." He exhaled the end of his sentence and took a break for only a second before resuming the tale.

"When Kaede died, Inuyasha couldn't take more heartache. She was the only connection he had to Kikyo, and in turn the only connection he had to you. Right after her burial, he said goodbye; that we were to see each other again, and took off just like Sango did. But at least I got to say goodbye to him in person. So now, I've just been living my life and being happy the way I want to be. There's your story. Not a happy one is it?" The monk said while leaning back in his chair with his hands behind his head.

Kagome didn't even know what to say. She didn't even know if she could make words. How could all of this have happened since she left? She knew a decade was a long time but she didn't think her friends would change this much…She was expecting the land to have grown barren from chopping down trees. Maybe the village would grow in size, maybe another war would break out and become the gossip chatter in villages, only to have the war end and leave the land in peace once again…but not this. Not her friends. Not him.

Miroku noticed Kagome lost in thought, and removed his hands from behind his head and set one of them upon her shoulder. She looked up at him with weary glass eyes.

"It will be okay Kagome, it always will be. Let the past be the past and mo…"

"MOVE ON?" she roared shooting up from her seat knocking over her chair in the process. "How can you just move on? You loved Sango! You would do anything for her! She was to be the one and 'I' was supposed to walk her down the aisle and 'I' was supposed to calm her nerves and do her hair and 'I' was supposed to be happy with Inuyasha and live a full happy life! How can you say that Miroku, after everything that has happened between all of us? How?" She yelled, storming towards his bed and sitting abruptly on top of the bedspread.

Miroku got up from his chair and made his way next to her, slowly sitting down. He waited for her breath to even out and not be so hazardous. When it finally became normal he spoke, "Do you want to know why I like white?" He waited for a response, only to be answered in silence. "It's because it's innocent." She looked at him with confusion etched on her face. "To me, white is innocent. When I have my sexual adventures with women, it only reminds me further of how far I am from finding true love. But when I look at the white within these walls, I am graced by the innocent nature of love. In time, I began to believe that when I look at white, I found a connection between innocence, love, and Sango. She was pure in my eyes, in every aspect. And it tells me that I once knew what true love was. So Kagome, I want you to know that I have never forgotten about Sango, and not a day goes by where I don't think of her. When I am sad, I just look at white, and it makes me feel a little better inside."

A breeze blew by and twisted Kagome's hair from her face. "That was beautiful Miroku, it really was," she said with a minuscule smile.

She grabbed Miroku and pulled him into an embrace best friends share. It lasted for only a couple of minutes until Kagome quickly broke the hug and asked, "Miroku! I almost forgot! Where the hell is Shippo? Please don't tell me he ran away too."

"Haha no. The Kitsune still lives here. I was beginning to wonder when you were going to ask about him," he said with a toothy grin.

"Please! Tell me where he is! I have to see him!"

"Don't worry Kagome, he isn't going anywhere. But I bet you right about now he is helping Rin tend to some families in her hut. Will you grace me with an evening stroll?" He said standing up and offering an arm.

She smiled back at him and accepted the gesture.

~~~~~ooOoo~~~~~

The duo walked outside of Miroku's place and began their stroll to Kaede's old hut. On the way, Kagome took in more sights of her past time village. Miroku on the other hand, was eyeing the more feminine sights the village had to offer. While his sights were averted to a specific female, he didn't notice he stepped on Kagome's left foot until she yelped in pain.

"Oh Kagome, I'm so sorry. I wasn't look…uhm, Kagome" he said looking down. "Where are your shoes?"

"I uh, kind of left them at home," she said bashfully, "I was in such a rush to find out why there was blue light coming from the well, I grabbed the clothes I could find but forgot to put on my shoes I guess…haha."

"Well, before we go to Rin's house we must find you a pair of suitable shoes."

Although Kagome would normally protest against being bought gifts, she had to admit her feet were beginning to ache from the rough terrain she had been on, and decided to let Miroku use his 'hard earned' money to help his friend out.

He led her to a vendor selling linens, blankets, ordinary Kimono's, shoes, and other assortments.

"Good evening fine sir," Miroku said with his upmost charm. "I wish to know what types of shoes you are selling for today."

The husky old man who was considerably balding went to the back of his portable shop and rummaged around a bit. A few moments later he walked back to the front holding a rectangular piece of wood with different types of shoes painted on top. Kagome analyzed each one. 'Too fancy. Too dark. Too pink, Yuck! Too old fashioned. Oh…this one isn't bad.'

"I would like to see that one in a size seven please," she told the man.

He nodded and went to the back of the shop again, and returned with what she had asked for.

"Ah, a good choice Kagome," Miroku noted.

She took only one shoe from the man and slipped it on her right foot. It was a perfect fit. The small shoe was a slip on traditional; it was dark blue and had lighter blue, white, and black accents around the edges. It was simple yet elegant. She gave a nod of approval to Miroku and turned her attention back to her new shoe.

"That will be 467 yen", the man told the monk. Miroku's jaw dropped.

"467 yen? But my good sir, this fine young lady has traveled very far with no shoes on. You couldn't possibly put such a high price on a much needed object of clothing."

The man looked at Kagome admiring her new garment. He then looked back at Miroku, "467 yen." He stated again. Kagome pushed Miroku aside and decided she should try.

"Excuse me sir, but what the monk said was right. I have traveled a very long time wearing nothing but the skin on my feet for days," she lied. "The terrain has cut up most of the flesh underneath and it is not a pretty sight. I do not have enough money to pay for these fine shoes, but you wouldn't let a girl go barefoot and brace the harsh lands without these now would you?" She asked batting her eyelashes and putting on the most innocent mask she could muster.

The man looked down at her feet, the foot that didn't have the shoe on was indeed looking a little battered. He squinted his eyes, "400 yen," he said.

"385," Kagome spit back out.

"390," he retorted back.

"380,"

"385"

"370"

"375"

Miroku seemed to notice a pattern in her logic. 'What a moron,' he thought.

"350," Kagome said.

"No, 375, final offer."

"350 and ill throw in a week of massages by the finest maidens of the village."

"Deal!" He declared proud.

"Nice doing business with you," she said shaking his hand and picking up the other shoe at the vendors table. She slipped it on, now feeling much better that she didn't have to keep walking on the dirt laced with small pebbles and sharp rocks. Miroku handed the man the money and returned to his position with Kagome around his arm and began walking.

"So Kagome, I didn't know you knew how to bargain, or that you knew any maidens for that fact," he said looking at her.

"Oh I learned plenty of bargaining from my grandfather years ago. And I don't know any maidens…but you do," She chirped looking at him with a sly grin.

"Touché Miko…Touché."

~~~~~ooOoo~~~~~

Finally arriving at the hut, Miroku motioned for her to go first. She made her way to the door, and moved the matt out of the way. Inside she saw Rin grinding some herbs with her mortar and pestle, and an older couple sitting down on the cushions by the fire pit. Rin looked up and smiled.

"Oh good Kagome I'm so happy you're here." She finished grinding the herbs and took a small vial out of her pocket and filled it. She walked over to the couple that stood up as she came closer.

"Okay Mr. Hunjishi. If you take a small teaspoon of this and mix it into your morning tea, your arthritis pain should subside within three to four days," She said handing him the vial.

"Thank you so much Rin. I was beginning to think there would be no answer to the excruciating aches he has been dealing with," said Mrs. Hunjishi.

"Of course, it is no problem whatsoever. Come back if you need anything else okay? I hope you feel better," she said looking towards the older man. The couple bowed and made there way out of the hut. Kagome smiled at them and held the matt door open so they could pass through. "Thank you dear," the woman said. Kagome nodded and after they had passed she walked through followed by the monk.

"So Kagome, how are you finding your time back in the past?" She asked as she began cleaning out the residue in the mortar.

"It's uhm, quite different." She answered truthfully.

"Indeed," agreed the monk.

"So Rin, I was told I could find Shippo here, where is he?" Rin blushed, placed the mortar and cloth back on the table and turned around. "He was here about thirty minutes ago, said he was going to fetch me some berries that are used for burns just outside the village, but he hasn't returned yet."

"Hmm, I wonder where he is. But oh yes, Rin, I was also wondering, who gives you those glorious Kimono's? Whoever does has great taste, unless you bought them yourself of course. That saying then, you have great taste."

"Haha no your right, someone does buy them for me."

"Well then who?" She asked eager to find out who the man or woman was that was blessed with a good sense of style. Before Rin could answer, the blowing of a horn was heard from a distance. Rin and Miroku exchanged worried looks, and quickly exited the hut. Confused, Kagome followed suit.

The horn grew louder. It reminded her of a horn used for sounding the beginning of a battle. She hoped that this wasn't the case. Following Rin and Miroku, she made her way along the dirt path. The many other villagers were rushing towards the middle of the village. When they arrived at the center, a clearing with only a small tree decorated the space. The villagers surrounded the area, making an opening for their unknown visitors. Kagome watched in-between Miroku and Rin, but saw nothing.

"What's going on?" She whispered to either of them.

"They're here," stated Rin bleakly.

"Who is here?"

"The Tenshi no Guntai," Miroku now answered.

"What is a 'Tenshi no Guntai'?"

"The Tenshi no Guntai are ruthless. They thrive on the misfortune of others and often find pleasure in killing them. They take what is not rightfully theirs, and accuse those who are innocent. They claim what they do is right, that it is what the future needs. To eliminate the weak and transform the strong into their mindless soldiers so they can serve as one, under their lord," Said Rin.

"That sounds like a load of bullshit. How can they do that to innocent people and get away with it?" she asked.

"Because," said Miroku, "once Naraku was defeated, I told you many lesser demons tried to emerge and take his place, but none prevailed. A more sinister being, which had been plotting even before Naraku's defeat, began to make his appearance. No one knew what was to come until the day it actually happened, The Day of Red Fruits."

"And uhm, what the hell is The Day of Red Fruits?" she asked getting pissed off she didn't know about any of this before, or the silly title.

"The Day of Red Fruits was a tragic event, taking place right around the time after Kaede passed away. It was when their lord made his first move. He finally revealed himself as Ukaran, a relentless leader and founder of the Tenshi no Guntai. He and his army attacked a small miko village within the Lands of the West, Leaving only carnage and destruction in their wake. It is said that Ukaran left no one alive, and that he strategically placed the heads of the dead into numerous rows. The heads were then drenched in blood, showing no sign of a visible face. From high above the sky, the bird yokai recalled that the village looked like a vast field of red fruits, only to find out later the sickening reality of what the fruits really were," Stated Rin in a monotone voice.

"That is terrible, how did he even make an army this horrid?" Kagome wondered eagerly.

"No one knows how he acquired this army," replied Rin.

"Okay…so why hasn't anyone tried to stop them?" she asked angrily.

"Because they already tried. The Western Lands armies were no match for the soldiers strength, even though they were just humans. Something about the soldiers were abnormal, unexplainable, so instead of preceding further into war increasing casualties, Lord Inu no Taisho offered a sort of peace treaty. Ukaran's army was never to harm another village, and in turn The Western Lands would provide a village for Ukaran and his soldiers far from any other civilization."

"That is the dumbest treaty I have ever heard of. Why the hell would they gift a house to their enemy?"

"Because if Ukaran fails to comply, all four houses; The North, South, East, and West, would reunite; and emanate death would occur, no matter how supernatural or strong the army was."

"If you ask me, I think they made the treaty to buy time. I think they know they would be defeated by the Tenshi," whispered Miroku. Rin gave him a half-lidded glare.

"Okay, but it still sounds like to me that this army has already broken the treaty, am I right?"

"There are always loopholes in every contract Kagome. Unfortunately, Lord Inu no Taisho should have included in his treaty that the army shall harm no being, rather than village. But what's done is done I suppose." Rin held up her hand to stop Kagome from asking another question. "Yes, Kagome, I am sure The House of the West knows this. But to conduct a plan to destroy a whole army along with its leader will take time, we must be patient and hopeful that our protectors will make the right decisions."

Kagome nodded, agreeing with her. She then turned towards Miroku and gave him an icy stare.

"What?" he asked looking scared, "What did I do now?"

"You know, at your house when I asked you to start from the beginning, I meant it. You kind of left out the little detail that now we have a NEW ENEMY AND A NEW ARMY TO DEAL WITH!"

"I'm sorry, it just didn't seem like the right moment to…"

"Shhh you two!" Rin stated in a hushed tone, "the army approaches."

"One more question Rin," Kagome whispered, "What does Tenshi no Guntai actually mean?"

Only a select member of troops were chosen to make their stand behind the two generals on their horses. The others were to wait on the outskirts of the village, and were only needed if absolutely necessary. The two figures stepped down from their horses and began walking around the open area, judging and examining.

"Army of angels," Rin finally said after minutes of observing the scene before them. "That's what it means."

Suddenly, a loud husky voice interrupted the hushed tones accusing the intruders. "Hello villagers of the Musashi province. I have arrived with general Ankan to inspect your village and make sure nothing is out of place. Troops, begin your search," he gestured for the soldiers to make their way through the village. "Make sure you inspect thoroughly," he said adding emphasis to the last word. He slowly started circling the open area, leering at every face as he went.

"Today is a special day!" Ankan spoke with an angelic voice.

"Today you will witness the punishment for disobeying the rules," she continued with a smile. She pranced backwards a step or two and motioned for the two remaining soldiers to grant her the gift she wanted. Moments later they came back, dragging a body in between them. The limp body had a sac over its head, as a sign of humiliation. Shackles tightly bended the arms back in an uncomfortable position, not allowing the prisoner to move. There were also shackles around the ankles, forcing the captive to be roughly dragged across the terrain. The clothes were ripped slightly. Cream colored pants revealed that the one under the sac was obviously a male. He only wore a simple white undershirt, now soaked in sweat and small droplets of blood. The arms constricted behind his back were accented with toned work-ridden muscles. The soldiers dragged him to where Ankan was standing, and shoved him to the ground. The man hit the ground with a loud thud that made Kagome wince. Low gasps from the other villagers could be heard. The man was obviously conscious now, coughing and slowly trying to move around and deal with this new shock of pain that coursed through his body.

"Notice," Ankan bellowed pointing a finger accusingly at the body on the ground, "as he writhes around like a treacherous snake," her voice now spitting acid. "We caught this one stealing poisonous fruits on our way to your little village, and now he must deal with the consequence of his action."

She bent down and took the male's neck in her left hand, lifting him slightly off the ground. She put enough pressure to cause his windpipe to close, but not enough to where he turned blue. With her right hand she dramatically winded it back like a catapult, and released her hand that snatched the sac from the males face.

Gasps of shock and low murmurs were becoming louder. Kagome looked at Rin, who was looking in utter horror at the sight before her. Kagome couldn't recognize the male, although maybe she could if she really examined him. She put a hand on Rin's shoulder, "Rin, who is that? Tell me." She stated with impatience.

"Kagome," she quickly turned to face her revealing tear-filled eyes,

"It's Shippo!"

~~~~~ooOoo~~~~~

A/N: Another chapter for you guys! I have to develop film tomorrow for one of my classes so i hope to have the next chapter up within the next couple of days. Thanks for all of the support so far!