"So what happened to you going after Naraku?" Sesshomaru asked; it had already been a month since their last encounter.
"Change of plans." she replied; avoiding eye contact. She hadn't been able to look him in the eye since Otaku told her about the light in her dark emotion.
"Come with me." Sesshomaru said; standing up.
"Where are we going?" Nayumi asked.
"For a walk." Sesshomaru replied.
"It's late. We should sleep." Nayumi replied.
"Let's walk. There aren't any demons around, so you don't have that as an excuse. We both know you're not tired enough to sleep around me, You got some sleep last night." Sesshomaru said.
Nayumi sighed, and followed him through the trees. Neither of them said anything, but Nayumi's mind was going crazy. She cursed Otaku for ever pointing out the other emotion. She never noticed it before, but now that she knew it was there she couldn't stop thinking about it. It was driving her crazy, and was making traveling with them hard.
"Sit." Sesshomaru finally said; she hadn'y realized they had stopped.
"Where are we?" Nayumi asked.
"The main river that runs through the west." Sesshomaru answered.
"The western lands are yours, are they not?" Nayumi asked.
"Yes, the only good thing my father left me." he replied.
"What about your Tensegia?" Nayumi asked.
"A sword that cannot cut is of no use to me." Sesshomaru said.
Nayumi didn't know what to say, so she didn't say anything. She decided to sit next to him.
"I never asked how you were feeling." Sesshomaru said after a while.
"Huh?" Nayumi asked.
"You used a lot of your spiritual power in the last fight. I've never asked how you felt." he asnwered; looking her in the eye. She stopped moving. She couldn't look away, but she really didn't want to.
"I'm fine." she whispered; still not able to look away.
"Promise me you'll stop fighting." Sesshomaru said; pulling her into a hug.
"Get off me, dog." Nayumi said, but her heart wasn't in it.
"You have to stop fighting." Sesshomaru said; tightening his arm around her.
"I can never stop fighting." Nayumi replied.
"You can." Sesshomaru said.
"I can't; too many demons want me dead." Nayumi said; giving in and hugging him back.
"I can protect you." Sesshomaru replied.
"Lord Sesshomaru! Did you leave me?" Jaken yelled.
At the sound of his voice, Nayumi shoved away from Sesshomaru. Only then did she sense the odd presence.
"It's one of Naraku's incarnations!" Nayumi yelled; running back the way they had come.
"Ah! Slayer! That means my lord didn't abandon-" Sesshomaru stepped on the imp as he ran after Nayumi. The sun was up now, and he could smell Naraku's scent.
As Nayumi ran through where they had all been sleeping; Kohaku, who had been traveling with them for a while now, woke up.
"What's going on?" he asked.
"Naraku." was Nayumi's only reply. She grabbed her sword as she ran by; never missing a step. Rin woke up as Sesshomaru ran through, and got on A-un with Kohaku.
"Master Jaken, hurry." Rin called as Jaken ran to catch up.
"Who are you?" Nayumi asked when she came across an odd looking demon.
"My name is Moryomaru." the demon said.
"I know you're in there, infant." Nayumi laughed.
"How did you know he was in here?" Moryomaru asked.
"I'm the only person alive that can sense the Fyoheki." Nayumi answered.
"You're Inuyasha's brother are you not?" the demon asked as Sesshomaru approached.
"You take care of him! I'm going on ahead!" Nayumi said; sensing Naraku.
She got there just in time to see Naraku pierce Kagura's chest.
"Kagura!" Nayumi yelled; over the past month she had helped Nayumi.
"She's free now. She got her wish." Naraku laughed.
"You're sick!" Nayumi yelled; drawing her sword.
"You refuse to use the dmeonic powers of that sword, so what good is it to you?" Naraku asked with a laugh.
"Guah. Kwan. Chiyori." Nayumi yelled, and jumped as Naraku started to fall.
"It still cuts!" she said as she sliced him in half.
"When will you learn. You cannot kill me with swords." Naraku said with a smug smile.
"That may be so, but you forget that I can destroy your soul! Kikyo told me that is the only way to kill you." Nayumi replied; she had been happy to find out Kikyo was still alive.
"You're foolish if you think you will get the chance." Naraku replied; standing on the ground now.
"You're pretty helpless without that barrier of yours." Nayumi said; sheathing her sword and charging Naraku.
"You're even more foolish than I thought! How can you think you stand a chance when you attack me barehanded? You're nothing but a mere mortal." Naraku laughed; wrapping around her with his tentacles.
That's right. Draw me in closer. Nayumi thought.
"You're coming with me." Naraku said when he had her against his chest. She didn't realize until she was already against him that the jewel kept her from being able to use her spiritual powers on him.
"Damn you!" Nayumi yelled; cursing the jewel more than Naraku.
"What do you want with me?" Nayumi asked as they flew; his barrier back.
"You will find out soon enough." Naraku said with a smile.
"I'm so sick of demon's and their vague answers!" Nayumi yelled.
"I have plans for you, and you will have no choice but following those plans." Naraku said.
"I don't listen to demons. I especially don't listen to half demons." Nayumi sneared.
"You will." Naraku said; voice cold.
"She was smiling." Sesshomaru said in answer to Inuyasha's question about Kagura's death.
"Where's Nayumi?" Kagome asked.
"That's wehre I'm heading next." Sesshomaru said; he could already smell Narkau's scent getting father away. Nayumi's scent was following it. With that, he started to fly.
She isn't following him. His smell is following her. Sesshomaru sped up at the realization that Nayumi may be running from Naraku.
Sesshomaru! Nayumi thought; feeling his presence.
"Your precious dog won't make it much closer." Naraku laughed.
"I figued you would sense him coming." Nayumi replied.
"I'm quite shocked that you still could. The jewel has your powers at a minimum." Naraku replied.
"Do you really think that jewel could lock up power like mine? I am stronger than the priestess that created it, thus making me stronger than it." Nayumi scuffed, "You merely made a barrier around you. You're the only thing out of my reach, and that is only temporary."
"Which is why you are going to bare me an heir. Your power mixed with mine will make for a strong child." Naraku said; shocking Nayumi to the point of silence.
"What? Nothing to say? I guess there's a first for everything." Naraku laughed.
"I will never bare your child." Nayumi said; voice so low and menacing that it sent a chill down Naraku's back.
"You will." Naraku shrugged.
"I will do no such thing!" Nayumi yelled; breaking free of Naraku's grasp.
"Fool! You will fall to your death! If you fall from this height not even Otaku will be able to take over your body!" Naraku said; sending a tentacle to catch her.
"Not on you life!" Nayumi said; now that she wasn't against Naraku her powers worked on him. She used her powers to disolve the tentacle before it could catch her.
"I'd rather die than birth your child!" Sesshomaru heard Nayumi yelled. The words shocked him, but seeing Nayumi falling through the sky caught his attention.
"Just let me fall." Nayumi said as Sesshomaru caught her.
"Not happening." Sesshomaru said.
"Dammit Sesshomaru!" Nayumi said; attempting to push away from him.
"Thank you Sesshomaru. You saved the woman who will bare my heir. For that I will spare you life if you hand her over." Naraku said.
"I will never allow her to be defiled by you." Sesshomaru said; not allowing her to push away from him.
"Is that becasue you wish to defile her yourself?" Naraku laughed.
"I'd much rather the dog than you!" Nayumi yelled; still trying to get free.
"I won't let him touch you. Can I put you on my back without you jumping off?" Sesshomaru asked.
Nayumi simply nodded, but she meant it.
"Guah. Kwan. Chiyori." Nayumi said from his back; breaking Naraku's barrier again.
"That's the last time I'll be able to do that." she whispered in his ear. Her breathing was heavy, and sweat was forming on her forhead. The amount of spiritual power it took was shocking. His barrier was stronger than most.
"You're weakening, Nayumi." Naraku smiled.
"Don't you dare utter my name!" Nayumi yelled; then flinched in pain.
Where am I hurt? Nayumi thought; trying to figure out when she got hurt.
"That would be the miasma." Naraku laughed, "You inhaled quite a bit when you where against me."
"You think your petty miasma has any effect on me?" Nayumi scuffed, but she was in pain. A lot of it.
It shocked Nayumi and Naraku when Sesshomaru suddenly headed towards the ground.
"What are you doing?" Nayumi asked; clenching her hands into fist on his robe.
"I'm getting you out of this." he replied; kneeling so she could get off his back, "Take this." he said and handed her Tensegia.
"What do yout expect me to do with this?" Nayumi asked.
"It will protect you. Now sit down and rest. For once in your life just rest." Sesshomaru said; turning his back to her to face Naraku.
"Bay. Sin." Nayumi said and fell to her knees.
"I thought I said rest! What was that anyways?" Sesshomaru said; turning around to catch her before she fell on her stomach.
"You'll find out." Nayumi said with a wicked smile.