Title: Followed
Author: Tsubasa Kya
Disclaimer: I do not own anything from the "Case Closed" universe, and neither do I own anything from the "Inuyasha" universe.

Chapter Fourteen

"His mother?" Mama looked at Inuyasha; they both knew it wasn't true.

Yukiko's male companion then spoke up, looking both perplexed and as though he'd struck gold. "This kid ain't Shin'ichi!"

"Of course not," Yukiko huffed, "Yusaku and I adopted Inuyasha four years ago. You were there, remember?"

Inuyasha looked helplessly at Kagome's mom, knowing already that what the woman said, she believed was the truth. The entity in the well was a powerful one and that power made shivers go up and down his back. It obviously altered this woman's memories. And it was very coincidental that 'four years ago he was adopted'. They hunted shards for four years.

"I don't remember you adopting anyone!" the man grumbled, "And I remember all my sober moments."

"Of which you can count on one hand, to be sure!" Yukiko snapped.

While the two argued, Inuyasha peeled himself away from the woman. Really he was more than uncomfortable letting Kagome hug him; as if he'd be comfortable letting some dumb broad from who-knew-where hug him! Thankfully the woman let him go. She giggled, "I'm sorry, sweetie," 'Don't you call me that!' his mind provided angrily. That was his mother's name for him. "I know you don't like public displays of affection."

The world was really mad. He should have never gone into the well. He should have waited for Kagome. It was becoming clear to him that Kagome would have returned eventually; he could have waited. After all, it wasn't like a sealed creature aged. They just simply were.

"Kudo-san, perhaps we could talk about this inside?" Kagome's mom offered, although she looked as confused as the man. Inuyasha supposed he'd have to explain things to Kagome's mom. After all, she was undoubtedly not psychic and wouldn't know he'd been visited by a creature that claimed to be 'many things, his mother among them'.

"We aren't here to stay and 'chat'," said the man. "I got work to get back to, so grab your supposed kid and let's go, Yukiko."

Inuyasha frowned and walked toward Kagome's mom, ignoring the man's obvious protests. He glanced back at the woman, who looked ready to start bawling again. "Ya might take tea or somethin' with Kagome's mom, 'cause I ain't ready t' leave yet." The woman was a good actor, he thought, as she attempted to hide the hurt she felt.

Go with her, child. She will not bite.

'Are you going to haunt me for my whole damn life? Go back to your dark hole in the ground and stay there!' he yelled at the creature. He'd already figured he had to go with this woman, but he wasn't leaving without his clothes of the fire rat and Tetsusaiga's sheath.

I am in my 'hole in the ground', the entity stated. But my eyes are following you; you're the most interesting creature I've granted a wish for yet. You're intelligent, but incredibly dense. I like that.

'Great, it has a sense of humor and dishes out backhanded compliments.' But he wasn't bitter, oh no, he loved the wish he made. Especially after finding out that this creature was going to follow him around like a dog with a… he would not finish that thought. It fell silent after that and Kagome's mom let them into the shrine.

"Excuse the mess," Mama said as they entered the perfectly clean shrine. They went into the kitchen; two paper bags sat on the table filled with clothes. She went to move them, but Inuyasha was quicker to help. He took them off the table and set them on the floor. "I'll just put on some tea. Have a seat."

The man and woman seated themselves at the table and Inuyasha disappeared out of the room to go up to Kagome's bedroom. He took the bandana off when he got upstairs; with it flattening his ears to his head, noise was dimmed slightly, but he wanted to hear exactly what went on in the kitchen.

Kagome's mom was bustling around the kitchen to make tea; the silence was likely uncomfortable. Finally it sounded like Kagome's mom sat at the table, probably to wait for the tea kettle to whistle. "Oh, I'm sorry, I suppose we have not properly introduced ourselves," Kagome's mom said. "I am Ai Higurashi, mother to Inuyasha's friend Kagome…"

The man grumbled, "I'm Kogoro Mori." He sounded as if he didn't want to give out his name.

"Oh! You wouldn't happen to be the Great Detective Mori, would you?"

"Yeah that's me, but this new case I'm working on, not that it's any of your business or anything, but I have no leads except long hair the color of moonshine, clothes as black as night, and eerie golden eyes colder than ice. Now, just you tell me, what the hell color is moonshine, I ask you?" he responded, and by the time he was done speaking he sounded really annoyed.

'Silver, moron,' Inuyasha provided silently. 'Other than black clothes, it's an accurate description of my half-brother…' He sat on Kagome's bed, listening. Then he thought, 'And me…'

"I'm sure you'll solve the case." Kagome's mom said in assurance. "Now, I'm sorry for asking this, but would you please explain to me how you came to be here now? I mean, it does seem odd, you have to admit…"

Yukiko sighed deeply. "Inuyasha and I argued the other night. I'm just… traveling a lot, and Inuyasha said he didn't want to travel any more."

"Inuyasha is welcome here. He's a delight to have around." Kagome's mom said.

"No, no." Yukiko insisted. "Yusaku and I are going to stop traveling. We're going to stay at home."

"Great!" Kogoro Mori said, "You can take that brat off my hands!"

"He's not a brat!" Yukiko insisted. Then she calmed down. "Higurashi-san, I thank you for taking care of Inuyasha, but I am his mother and I insist he comes home."

Kagome's mom said, "I'll go talk to him."

"I should…" Yukiko started.

"Please wait here." He heard Kagome's mom pick up the bags from the floor and start walking up the stairs. He got up and opened the door before she even reached it and she entered and set the bags on the bed. "She said she's your mother," Kagome's mom started.

"I know," Inuyasha frowned. "She believes it too. I have t' go with her."

"You don't have to go," Kagome's mom said. "We both know it isn't true."

"Technically… it is," he scratched at one ear. She gently swatted his hand away so he wouldn't scratch and took the white bandana off the bed. She reached up to replace it carefully on his head. Almost like… a mom, he thought. Worry lines creased her eyes. "I made a… wish," he admitted. "Th' loss o' my life on th' other side o' th' well was th' price I had t' pay. I can't go back."

"Mama!" Souta's voice cried throughout the shrine. "There's people in our house!"

"Oh…" mama brushed his shoulders. "You're welcome here whenever you want." She reached inside the clothes bag and took out a small envelope. "Here," she handed it to him. He opened it and let the contents fall into his hand; it was a key. He said nothing; the trust she placed in him by giving him that key was heartwarming.

"And you'll take your clothes, won't you?" she dug in Kagome's closet, pulling out an empty bag like Kagome always wore on her back. "I think this should hold them all." Mama didn't quite like the way things seemed to be happening, but she wasn't going to stop it. He knew better than her on what was dangerous.

It will be alright, she could have sworn she heard whispered.

She took the school brochures from where he set them on the bed and stuck them in the bag.

"You're set to go… oh, but do be careful." She fussed. "What should I tell Kagome if she calls?"

"Well, I donno," he scratched his head. "I guess ya can tell her I'll see her in school?" He'd already forgotten there was more than one school to go to. Mama nodded and Inuyasha hefted the bag of clothes and grabbed Tetsusaiga's sheath. It was more sentimentality that he brought it.

xXx

Street performers danced and played music. Bad things might be happening to the city—robberies, murders—but that didn't stop the city from thriving with life and happiness. Kagome smiled as she watched the performance out of her bedroom window. Heiji had decided on his school, but Kagome was taking her time—sweet time—on deciding.

She had so many options. Some of them were obviously out of the question, since the enrollment fee was more than her mother and father would ever make in a lifetime. Still, there were others.

She scratched the bandage on her arm. Though the deep cuts on her back that made the word pet and the self-mutilation on her arm were scabbed and the bandages replaced, they were at a stage where all she wanted to do was scratch at them.

She sighed; it had been a full day since her second encounter with Sesshoumaru, and she still didn't know what he wanted.

'Well, at least there's been no sign of Sesshoumaru returning.' She thought.

She massaged her ankle; it really sucked not having her miko powers because her aches and pains took so long to heal. When she was little she could remember healing faster than normal people too. She couldn't feel the power there anymore. The training Kaede had been giving her had taught her to concentrate power in her hand. She couldn't do that now.

Shizuka knocked on Kagome's bedroom door. The girl looked at her step-mother. "Yes?"

"I'm going to Teitan High School to enroll Heiji. Lock the doors if you go out." The woman stated.

Kagome nodded. Heiji insisted she didn't leave the house without someone with her, but that wouldn't stop her. She was probably stupid for thinking it, but she took pride in her training with Inuyasha. She might not have her miko power, but that was why Inuyasha was training her: in case her miko power ever failed.

She dressed in a tan tee-shirt and blue jean-shorts once Shizuka had left her and pulled on her knee-high stockings. She might not be strong enough to beat Inuyasha, and definitely wasn't strong enough to beat Sesshoumaru using Inuyasha's training, but an ordinary old human she had a chance against. After all, Kagome almost beat Miroku in an almost-fair fight.

Really, it wasn't fair of him to pull out his secret weapon: his cursed hand. Oh, he hadn't removed the rosary and tried to suck her up or anything. No, instead he threw her off by massaging her bottom. Inuyasha had ended that sparring session by knocking Miroku out with a single blow. Inuyasha had been pretty mad saying Miroku's trickery was awful and dishonest but it made her feel good to know he was protecting her.

She grabbed her crutches, picked up Heiji's keys (he'd only walked her as far as the corner) and walked out of the room. Of course, the tours with Heiji through the schools had come to an abrupt end this afternoon as Heiji got a call from someone. She wondered what the problem was; Heiji had been in quite a hurry as he left.

Down the hall, through the door, down the hall, round the corner, down the hall, down the stairs, stop by the front door to put on shoes. They'd passed a park on their way back, and she'd rather be in a public place than alone in a house if she could avoid it.

She greeted the neighbor kids who were playing in the small yard in front of their parents' house. She got the feeling that she'd end up knowing them by name soon. For a moment, she watched them wrestling playfully. The oldest couldn't be more than ten years old, but he was mindful of the others and if there was a problem, he was right there to resolve it.

Kagome made her way toward the park and just like she'd thought earlier, she found the park abnormally empty. It was dominated by older kids who looked more like gang members, and there she was, the cute picture of innocence in short-shorts and a tee-shirt and leaning on crutches.

Still, she'd met youkai thousands of times scarier than a bunch of gang kids. She'd faced down youkai sometimes alone and sometimes with the others. She was pretty sure a petty gang of humans was inconsequential. She walked over to the empty swing set and dropped her crutches in the sand before limping to the closest swing and sitting down on it.

'I could just go back to the shrine now,' she thought as she pushed herself with her good foot. 'Of course, with the well broken, what would I do? Besides, dad likes me here, and Shizuka is being tolerable for my twisted ankle and giving me petty stationary chores like dishes. And Heiji's fun, for all he's a big dork.'

She sighed as she thought about the other side of the well and looked up to watch the clouds. What would Shippou be doing at that very moment? Would he be complaining about his box of crayons being eaten by Kirara? She had decided that wax was tasty even though it constantly gave her indigestion.

She knew what Miroku would be doing. She could picture him being chased by stick wielding women who had been offended. The image made her smile. And of course, Sango would be wielding the longest, thickest stick. He'd get a good hiding spot, and the women would then pretend to give up their chase—at least until he came back into the village. Poor Miroku, he never knew when to give up.

She'd sat there for almost twenty minutes before shadows fell on her and blocked most of the sun; she could tell by the sound of movement that people had surrounded her. Her eyes left the clouds to fall on the face of who stood in front of her. He attempted a menacing glare; Sesshoumaru was way scarier. She simply smiled.

'I must be mad,' she thought.

End.