InuYasha: Marked By Sorrow

by Cass Cole Jr.

 

Chapter 1: A New Face, A Restored Faith

            “I can’t tell ye enough, InuYasha how lucky you are to get away with these scuffles you endure with Naraku and his minions.” Lady Kaede sounded as if she meant to scold him for always getting himself into trouble. Especially dangerous when Kagome was absent, probably even more so when she was.

 

“Keep your mouth shut about things you have no ideas of, you old hag.” InuYasha snapped at her becoming fairly agitated with her bitching.

 

“No, InuYasha. Ye do not know of which you speak. You are a very rude, brash, and inconsiderate hanyou who is very lucky to be breathing. If you keep on ye hurtful habits you, it’ll lead to your demise. Kikyo and Naraku will get what they want and it will break Kagome’s heart.

 

InuYasha sneered and turned his back to her, content on ignoring her. “Whatever, you’re real bother you know that? What do I care about Kagome’s heart? I just want the Shikon Jewel. Feh…” He mumbled. “I just hope I did some damage to that, bitch.” He then decided to go to rest from his injuries.

 

Kagome had since arrived in the Feudal Era, but now she held a slightly hurtful expression spread across her face. Although she hadn’t really been surprised by InuYasha’s response to Kaede’s words it still hurt just the same. She wouldn’t allow herself to be angry with him, not at a time like this. Kagome forced a pleasant appearance on her visage and entered the hut, she hoped the cake would make up for the bad aura traveling around the hut.

 

A silver-serving dish containing small freckles of crumbs sat on the floor of Lady Kaede’s hut while Kaede herself, Kagome, Shippo, Kirara, Sango, and Miroku sat around the dish just having finished off the last of the cake that Kagome had brought with her while an injured InuYasha early claiming not to be hungry now lay dormant, resting in a separate area of the hut from everyone else. Shortly after traveling to the Feudal Era, Kagome had just arrived in Kaede’s village in time to hear about what had transpired in her absence. This wasn’t the first time InuYasha and the others had been attacked for their jewel shards or for whatever other reason Kagome could recall while she was gone, but she wanted to make it the last. She could recall the shocked expression she gave when she noticed Shippo, Kirara, Sango, and Miroku’s bandaged in certain section’s of their bodies; then InuYasha with his internal injuries. But Kagome wasn’t dwelling on it, she was only glad her friends were out of harms way. After another moment Miroku excused himself from the presence of the girls and quietly exited the hut, as he did this Kagome and Kaede shared a glance at one another as they could have sworn that they heard a soft sigh come from Sango. Just before any words could be shared between the three lasses, a few of Kaede’s villagers barged into her hut out of distressed excitement.

 

“Lady Kaede…Lady Kaede!” A winded villager exclaimed, gasping for oxygen, his thrashing frightened the three girls from their company.

 

“What’s the reason for this interruption?” Lady Kaede interrogated the disturbed villager.

“A few of the others that were on watch spotted an intruder!” He exclaimed nervously.

“You know our policy on intruders, so I don’t see what the problem is.” She stated blatantly.

“Yes milady, but the problem is that we cannot contain him.” He was quick to respond.

 

“Show me.” At Lady Kaede’s words the distressed villager ventured from the chalet to show Kaede the way. Kagome and Sango joined the two, offering their aid to her and the village in case it was a being beyond their power. With InuYasha sound asleep recovering from his injuries and Miroku off to his own business the three females swiftly followed the citizen.

 

Once the three and the villager arrived on the scene they’re instantly relieved to find out it isn’t Naraku or any of his horde’s of demons. However that didn’t mean that the situation wasn’t bad. A brawl had been ensued in the middle of the community and most of the township had gathered around to witness the episode, which would put some in danger if they speculated too near the dilemma. First thing was first; get the civilians away from the battle.

 

“Please stand back, we don’t want anyone injured now do we?” Kagome said keenly with a congenial smile. Using her pleasant traits and affectionate voice she preceded to back her half of the crowd of villagers back to a suitable distance. She concentrated on the pile of people who were in a ruckus; somewhere within that group of people she was sure that she sensed a shard of the Shikon Jewel. “Someone holds a jewel shard within those group of people.” She whispered to Sango.

 

“I’d bet anything it is the intruder who has it, that is usually how it works. They get power from the jewel and let it go to their heads.” Sango said in return.

 

Kagome was still unsure, but she would still bet her life that it was a shard she sensed somewhere among that group. “You go and settle down that other crowd of villagers and I'll try to pick out who has it.

 

“Right…” Sango quickly backed her end of the assembly up to the same distance of the others; she used her oversized boomerang as a makeshift guard barrier to make sure none of the villagers strayed near the scuffle. “Please, stand back.” The villagers carefully stepped back from the scene and decided to watch from the safe distance provided by the demon hunter.

 

Kagome, Kaede, and Sango regrouped and managed to get everyone calm enough so that she can know this person’s purpose. Reluctantly each of the village’s protectors backed away from the stranger to reveal a bruised, beaten, and fainted Teri. The guardian’s of the village had been attacking the boy with the hilts of their weapons. Even a few were wielding steel swords. “Teri!” Kagome exclaimed surprised by his appearance in this world and shocked by his current condition. In the back of her mind she was wondering if the jewel shard she gave him allowed him to travel through the well.

 

“You know this person, Kagome?” Kaede and Sango questioned in Unison, the two of them seemed just as surprised as she. Kagome clasped her hands over her mouth and only nodded silently.

 

As the group of three women returned to the hut carrying Teri’s collapsed form into Kaede’s place, InuYasha and Miroku were in conversation along with Shippo and Kirara in their presence but were quickly hushed when Kagome, Sango, and Lady Kaede entered again. The two had hushed just in time when the sound of plodding footsteps came into sound.

 

Kaede, Kagome, and Sango rushed the fallen Teri inside and laid him onto a comforter of fur. Immediately after everyone managed to settle down, conversation about the boy’s arrival begin to spark. The group only knew Kagome to have the ability to travel though the Bone Eaters Well and apparently the only possibility of Teri’s onset was the well.

 

“Well that’s what I want to know!” InuYasha exclaimed getting impatient, as usual being his uncouth self. “I want to know just as much as Kagome over there, but we ain’t getting no where!” He began to unsheathe Tetsusaiga. “I’ll wake him up and then we can get all of this situated…”

 

From outside the hut, the villagers had gone back to their everyday chores but they were quickly disturbed. “SIT BOY!” Echoed throughout the eventful village. The two words were followed by a small tremor of an earthquake.

 

“You aren’t going to lay not one finger on him, InuYasha…This is one person’s whose life I am going to make you care about!” Kagome was hovering over the now KO’d InuYasha. She sighed and sat back down. “Maybe with him “sleeping” again we can get somewhere.” She said sighing. That was probably the hardest Kagome had ever done that to him, but that was her best friend she was talking about. She sighed again knowing she would be paying for it when he was conscious again. Everyone was silent for a moment; slightly surprised at the rage Kagome had just showed.

 

Miroku took the chance to start the conversation again. “Ahem, well why InuYasha “rests” why don’t you tell us about your friend…Teri was it?” He used is ordinarily decent, charming conversation voice. All the while Kaede was silent and couldn’t help but staring at the features of Kagome’s colleague. She felt like she had met him before, not met but he did match a certain description.

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            “Go away, leave me alone…please.” A 9th grade girl with short jet black hair, charcoal eyes, and dressed in school clothes matching that of Kagome’s pleaded with The Three, a gang consisting of only the three strongest males in school who got off on womanizing the female students of the very same school that Kagome attended; Supposedly each of these three students were also supposed to have been graduating seniors from the previous year. They were Blake, Blade, and Harris.



Blake and Blade were identical twin brothers; they shared the same color black hair and brown eyes. They had the same chiseled facial features, light skin tone, and thin yet built body build. Harris on the other hand was only friends to the two but was the leader above that. He had a very rugged appearance to him through his brown hair dyed a red tint and menacing black eyes, he was much larger than Blade and Blake. They were thin, but Harris was built with nothing but muscle. Each of the three guys wore the school’s attire, but in their own fashion. Rips had been purposely forged into the clothing and even sleeves were missing. Needless to say the clothes were sloppily worn.

 

“Come on now, you know the policy.” Harris encouraged with a brute smirk spread across his distasteful mug as he tugged on the desperate girl’s slender arm and forcing her against him. Blake and Blade just stood back enjoying the show with their mocking laughs echoing throughout the empty hallway.

 

“I don’t have anything else to give! Please…” It was safe to say that the girl feared for her life, now on the verge of tears. She struggled against the force Harris held her now bruising arm with, her face only screening further desperation, which was like throwing gasoline on a fire. Her fear only fueled Harris’ ego, he got off on the girl’s dismay.

 

“Oh, I think you have a lot to give.” He said grinning. His mockingly cruel voice made the frightened girl shudder with disgust.

 

Unfortunately for The Three Teri was taken with the female student that they were harassing, and another unfortunate coincidence for The Three, he had just arrived at school, no later than usual. From under the green hat the only part of his face that could be seen was the smirk he had across his face. What The Three did really wasn’t any of his business; he was neutral when it came to these kinds of matters so he hadn’t had any previous problem with any of the guys before.

 

“Harris, Blade, and Blake…Who’s paying up today? Heh.” He said jokingly as each of the guys slapped him five casually as if the matter happening with the girl was of no concern to either of them and it nearly wasn’t.

 

“This fine little one here.” Harris smirked and pushed the girl forward for Teri to see, effortlessly keeping her prisoner with a single hand gripping her around her slender arm.

 

It took  the twinkling of her eye for Teri to realize and comprehend who the girl was. His hopes of a good day were instantly shattered and the cocky smirk slowly dissipated. “Her?!” He finally managed to cry out shocked and yet very angry.

 

“Yes…her, don’t tell us you know her.” Blade said as he eyed the girl up, her complexion was becoming food for his self-perversion.

 

Teri then pushed Harris away from her, freeing her easily of his grip. He turned to her, she was slightly in shock but she’d be good enough. “Will you be ok?” The girl nodded literally at a loss for words, previously she hadn’t given him the time of day, but now her eyes were pleading. “Stay behind me.” He told her before turning back to The Three. “I do know her…” He paused for a moment looking at all of the guys, they didn’t seem to pleased and Teri was convinced they weren’t going to be gentlemen about it. “Do me a favor and let this one go…I really think you should let her go.” Teri said plainly, he wasn’t expecting them to let her go and he’d soon find out he was right.

 

Blake shook his head, dismissing the thought with the wave of his hand while he flashed a grin to the upset girl. “You know we can’t do that…not even for you, Teri.” He gripped Teri on the shoulder in a friendly fashion but was sent flailing to the ground by a right hook thrown to his jaw by Teri.

 

“Then you know I'll do what I have to then…” Teri looked down to the KO’d Blake as blood trickled down the side of his mouth.

“Heh, smooth move.” Harris grunted as he stepped forward cracking the knuckles of both his left and right hands.

 

Teri watched Harris from beneath his hat; the flat bill hid his eyes though Teri could see perfectly fine. “Harris, just let her go…” Teri pleaded. He wanted to understand that large guys were just as intelligent as anyone else and some were, but Harris seemed to be a living stereotype. Teri found himself being distracted by his thoughts and was nearly too late responding to Harris’ actions, but he managed to turn and let his back absorb the panzer punches that he began getting hit with.

 

Teri elbowed behind him and found Harris’ chin, the hit made him retract long enough to give Teri another opening and he hit the bulky bully with a volley of right and left punches. Harris was barely affected and cockily knocked the green hat from his head then grabbed Teri by the neck with a single right hand tossing him back against the lockers where the frightened girl now stood. She gasped seeing Teri’s state, thinking that her luck had finally run out as Harris took hold of her and began forcing her down the hall. Meanwhile Blade had taken his brother in the opposite direction to the nurse’s quarters.

 

Teri became active again as he got to his feet smiling and stretching, particular cracking his back. “He hits real fucking hard,” he mumbled as he picked up and fixed his hat back onto his head over straight, glossy brown hair that flowed to his shoulders before chasing after Harris and his prisoner. Teri’s calm demeanor had diminished as he entered in on Harris’ escapade, towing his favored girl through the school’s courtyard. “Let her alone!!” The words boomed through the air as Teri watched through fiery eyes waiting for Harris to react.

 

Harris dropped the girl turning with a mock grin spread across his brute face. “You’re back for more? Heh…fine by me.”

 

Teri walked up to Harris in a sort of speed walk, staring him down all the while. Harris threw a large heavy fist at Teri, but it came to a halt when he caught his fist and countered with a right hook. The single hit put Harris out of it, but Teri was winded. As his adrenaline rush began to wear off he noticed the true pain of his back coming into effect and a sudden migraine added to his displeasure. The girl made an attempt to help him but he brushed away and left the school grounds with a limp.

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            “Around that time I had gone home for a few days, the next day at school I heard about what had happened. The girl he helped is one of my closest friends, Youka. She introduced me to him and didn’t mind going places with us or listening to our bothersome gossip. A lot like how we look for jewel shards together.” Kagome looked over to him with a smile. “He is calm, kind, funny, and only uses his strength when needed. He is a very collected person, deep thinker and feels deeply about himself and the world. I think it is safe to say helped me to better myself.”

 

“Sounds like a great person, Kagome.” Sango said in a supporting manner.

 

“Interesting story…you say he took on this gang? Maybe he could be of some sort of help to us in our search for the jewel shard, not to mention destroying Naraku.” Miroku proposed, his hand rubbing over his chin in thought contemplating how asset able he could be.

 

“What? Teri…stay here? I don’t think I could allow him to stay here.” Kagome said looking to him again, the thought of him being hurt in this era and possibly dying put her on edge. “I don’t know how good an idea that is…”

 

Sango got up to her feet and asked Kagome to step outside with her for a moment so that she may speak with her about her friend. Kagome nodded. “Lady Kaede, could you watch Teri for me?”

 

“Aye child, of course. Go ahead.” Kaede waved her off with a smile as she got to her feet, putting her hands behind her back before going over to Teri and standing over him.

 

 

Kagome turned and continued on to follow Sango out to the lake to talk privately. “What did you want to tell me, do you know something about him that I don’t?” She was very soft spoken as she clasped her hands together in front of her.

 

“Do you remember the tale of Midoriko?” Sango asked as she glanced over to her, wasting no time in getting down to her reason for wanting to talk to her privately. But if they were to get back to their travels by the next sun rise then she would have to speak her words without haste as to let them contemplate on what she was going to tell Kagome.

 

Kagome paused for a second wondering why that would have anything to do with her friend, she decided not to question Sango’s authority. She knew far more of these matters than she did. “Yes.” Kagome said through a gentle nod.

 

“Well, you see there is a side story to her legend. She had a prospect named, Misuteri. He was her most successful apprentice and surpassed her, though he was not ready to take her teachings on by his lonesome. It was said he was the most loyal and obedient any apprentice could be, but his path was never chosen. His soul was shared between both the good and the evil forces of their times. When her war with the demons amplified, Misuteri was nowhere to be found. His appearances were reported but they varied each time, eventually people forgot about him.”

 

Kagome was about to open her mouth to speak, but Sango continued on. “You see; what I am getting at is that aside from the odd attire he is dressed with, he matches the exact description of that given in his tale.” She finished looking over to Kagome wanting to see how she would respond but Kagome only stared down at the lake only seeing Teri’s smiling reflection, not her own.

 

Nearly a week had gone pass when Kagome first decided to allow Teri to stay and see if what Sango/Kaede spoke were true. At the first sign of trouble she was going to force him to leave. Once he awoke the next day though it was hard when it took two days to keep him calm enough to not go crazy and another two days to explain their whole plot to him. After that he showed to be a promising asset to their cause when she decided to believe Sango’s story. She gave Sango, Miroku, and InuYasha permission to train, but only on a controlled basis…

 

“We’re doing it again! So stop your bitching and get ready, you’re wasting my time.” InuYasha yelled aggravated as he held the over sized Tetsusaiga in his right hand, the blade of it resting on the ground as he gripped it by the hilt.

 

“Then do it, damn…” Teri mumbled to himself nearly fed up with InuYasha’s arrogant attitude. “Shit, it’s like he PMS’s everyday,” he thought solemnly to himself watching InuYasha’s movements closely.

 

“Oh, I’ll do it alright you little…” InuYasha mumbled as he lifted Tetsusaiga above his head and panned its blade into the ground sending a swell of Earth its debris towards Teri with mediocre force. Teri shook his head tired of having done the same rehearsal thoroughly enough to teach an infant how to perform it. The newcomer ran up and over the surf of dirt that was traveling his way just before it burrowed into a nearby tree. Miroku standing by swung his staff chest level at Teri, but Teri jumped back and stepped forward jumping onto his staff, jumping over his head and running at InuYasha. Attacking him wasn’t part of the plan, but if that’s what he wanted then InuYasha was going to make sure he got it.

 

“Here it comes!” InuYasha announced as he swung at Teri, luckily Teri slid between his legs and hopped up to his feet within the split second managing to dropkick InuYasha to his back making him stumble and fall forward due to the weight of Tetsusaiga. Teri climbed back up to his feet in time to notice Sango’s massive boomerang traveling at breakneck speed towards him. The adrenaline rush was getting to Teri and his over confidence led to him trying to stop it with his own strength. Strength he and the others were sure he didn’t have.

 

“Game over! Winner…” He trailed off as he cocked his left arm back and punched the boomerang making it fly off course and dig into the ground, halting to stop from the friction of the ground. “Teri.” He finished feeling slightly winded but with a cocky smirk. He tried to clap for himself in appreciation but a sharp pain traveled through his left hand as he attempted this and he recoiled his hand staring at his left one.

 

“I think you’ll be a lot of help to us.” Miroku admitted with a light pat to his back unaware of Teri’s now injured hand.

“Way to go.” Sango added.

 

InuYasha approached the group snickering. “Look at that, you broke your hand. With what skill you’ve showed today I'll say that you will probably make a good decoy or sacrifice which ever comes first…amateur.” He scoffed as he walked off and disappeared into the nearby woods of Kaede’s village.

 

“You broke it?” Miroku and Sango questioned in unison peering over Teri’s shoulder. They hadn’t noticed he was gripping and staring at his left hand. It was swollen little over the size of a Tennis ball.

 

Teri sighed and nodded. “I did break it, but that is what I get for messing around and attempting to show off…” He slowly closed and opened his hand. “Right now it is throbbing, once I calm down it’ll really begin to hurt.”

 

“We can help to keep the pain relieved and we’ll set it in a split.” Sango mused, still shocked at how well he did for a first day. As the three walked back to the hut, she couldn’t help but smile. It was like helping to train Kohaku all over again, it seemed like a wish come true. Her smile was quickly wiped away from her face when she felt something groping her backside, but before she got the chance to Teri hit Miroku with his good right hand in place of Sango’s slap.

 

“Got to have more respect for females than that, Miroku.” He stated as he and Sango left Miroku to his now aching cheek.

“Serves you right…” She picked up the boomerang and helped Teri with his hand on their way back to the hut.

 

Miroku had a dumbfounded look on his face, he was pretty sure it wasn’t worth it that time. “What the hell was that all about?”


 

       That night was as dark as any, but the torch burning in Kaede’s hut gave the place a sense of warmth and security as the group slept; Shippo and Kirara against one another, Kagome nearest to InuYasha who was leaned against the wall cradled up with his sword, and Teri’s spot would have been between Miroku and the still awakened Sango. After an hour of lying helplessly awake she forced herself up then appeared outside the hut. The wind was cooling to her pale skin as she stretched on the stoop of the hut before heading down to the river. Most likely the best spot to be with one’s own thoughts.

 

As she drew near she noticed Teri silently and calmly standing alone by a flourishing oak tree at the banks of the village’s lake; for once not being pursued by Miroku as much as she hated to admit it, it was good to see a new face and for the moment didn’t mind not being harassed by Miroku. Once she reached him, she noticed she really should have planned out something to say.

 

“So…how’s your hand fairing?” Sango started out.

 

Teri raised an eyebrow looking over to her, “It will be fine, I'll manage.” He said plainly lifting his hand to look at it. But soon the mood returned to silence as he drew his eyes back to the scenery before him.

 

Sango gave an exasperated sigh as she decided to move over to the nearby tree and position herself against its base, finding a comfortable seat. Her hair was free and sat around her, enveloping her body with its perfect black tresses in a gentle caress as it came to rest on the ground beneath her; flowing straight before her outstretched legs while she rested her hands in her lap smoothly. Attentively she began to look over to him again. “Finding the scenery enjoyable?” She solicited the question as she began to figure he greatly enjoyed the lake, the sky full of stars, and the vast glow of the moon on the present clear, crisp night.

 

“So you’re from Kagome’s time, right?” Sango spoke feeling suddenly embarrassed for herself for asking such a stupid question. But surprisingly Teri was smiling and she hoped he wasn’t going to mock her.

 

“Heh, yes that is right. I come from Kagome’s time.” He said through a light chuckle scratching the top of his head through his hat, Sango noticed from under his hat the flawless strands of hair that Kagome had once described were now suffering. Even partly hidden under the hat his hair seemed matted and tangled with strands nowhere in its own location. It appeared like he had just woken up from a nightmare, or rather the hair itself was the nightmare.

 

Sango yawned…now she was feeling sleepy. “Great, I come out here embarrass myself and then put myself to sleep.” Her eyes danced over to Teri and she felt her body heat up and a blush come across her face. Teri was staring at her. “W…What is it?” She asked nervously, shyly glancing the other direction though she could still see him due to the position she stood at.

 

He looked away then looked to her again and away again all the while hiding a light smirk. “What do you think? About me being here, Kagome told me some story and how I am related to it some how some way, I have learned a lot…a lot more compared to what I would have learned in my time.” He mumbled lightly as he began to look up at the stars. There were so many, much more than what were in the city.

 

For some reason Sango knew what he was speaking of as she too shared the gaze with him. “I…well, I think…no! I know that we will fair better with you here. I have never felt so confident before except for one other occasion and it was before I came across Kagome and the others.”

 

“Thanks, Sango…That means a lot to me.” Teri yawned and stretched as if reaching for the sky then wiped a few tears of sleep from his eyes. “I guess it’s your turn to be alone with nature. See you in the morning.” He gave a smile and a quick wave as he turned and disappeared into the dark.

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