Bittersweet

Tears.

Casting a quick glance to his small pack, he tested the air, sensed for any lurking danger, but there was only the radiant glow emanating from his young ward, Rin and the insufferable imp, Jaken.

He let his youki cover the small clearing, warding off any lowlife youkai that was foolish enough to trespass the camp they settled in for the night. To his surprise, a faint but strong spiritual energy subtly clashed the tips of his youki.

There it is again. The smell of tears.

Against his better judgment, he rose. Then, giving Jaken a sidelong glare, he said, "Stay with Rin. I will be back shortly." Ignoring the strangled noises of the imp, he ghosted across the woods, the sleeves of his silky kimono flapping against the wind. It didn't take long for him to reach the source of the spiritual power.

And the tears.

Gracefully, without sound, he landed on a branch of a tree just beyond the clearing where the Bone Eater's Well was. He masked his presence as his sensitive sight located the hanyou's miko. She was running towards the well. A small space distanced her from the pursuing half-breed, but Sesshomaru could tell that his excuse of a half-brother was swiftly gaining speed.

The miko stopped just beside the beaten down well. Her short, quick breaths matched the vibrations of her untrained power and when the hanyou broke into the clearing, it lashed out in careless waves of pink energy.

"K-Kagome…" the half-breed murmured.

"Don't follow me home," came the low reply.

From where he stood, Sesshomaru easily caught sight of a stray tear in the miko's left eye. Despite himself, he watched the scene unfold below, a silent shadow encroached in the safety of the woods. A contemptuous smirk played across his lips. What a shame, he thought in disgust. An abomination who carries the blood of my father is here, stooped low in front of a lowly human.

Without another word, the miko slung her legs over the mouth of the well and jumped. An ancient power surged impressively as the fabric of time tore itself, allowing the woman to go back to her own era. As fast as it had come, it had dissolved an instant later. The hanyou slowly walked to the well and for a moment, Sesshomaru thought he was going to follow her. But his claws merely caressed the exact spot where the miko's legs had been, and then, with a heavy sigh, he turned back towards the human village.

Sesshomaru waited until the half-breed's youki was but a sigh of the wind before he jumped down from his post. With a calculated step, he moved to the Bone Eater's Well and its mysterious connection to the distant future. He could still smell the hot, burning tears of the strange miko, along with an unfamiliar scent.

The spiritual residue was heavy, unperturbed by the wind. And his eyes narrowed as he caught a subtle, fleeting emotion. Sadness.

Hnn.

Curious despite his obvious resentment, he examined the sickening scent left by his half-brother. Clay.

Ah. He slightly inclined his head, understanding.

He roused himself and turned to head back to where his pack was waiting. Humans and their petty grievances. What a waste of time.