The Snow Angel by SunsetMiko

The Cave

Chapter 210 - The Cave

*Still I Have Hope to Live* (Stella's Soundtrack Challenge)

After some rather frantic thought, Kagura realized a few things. First, she really wanted to be involved in Naraku's defeat. Second, she had no idea how she could possibly find the witch to ask how to put her heart back in her body. And finally, she didn't really want her heart back in her chest yet.

So long as her heart was separate from her body, she could not be killed. That would be a great benefit in battle now that Naraku couldn't use it against her, to force her to fight on his side. She could be mortally wounded, even dismembered, and she would heal. Sure, she was eager to feel her heart beating in her chest once again, to know that she was truly alive and free, but it could wait until after she helped Sesshoumaru and Kagome defeat the monster that used to be her master.

Kagura decided that she needed to hide her heart until she was ready to figure out how to put it where it in her chest, and so she headed to her secret place. She found the cave, high in the mountains just outside of the Western Lands a long time ago, and she often used it to pass the time as she hid from Naraku. It was close enough to his most recent hiding spot to return quickly if summoned, but it was almost impossible to reach from the ground.

The kaze youkai headed there, certain her heart would be safe in such a remote place. She was tired, and she knew that the hunting party would not leave Sesshoumaru's palace for a while still, depending on how long it took the witch to alert them to her success in locating the dark hanyou. She hoped to meet them on their way so that she could warn them about possible tricks and traps.

She was slightly disturbed to realize that someone had been in her cave recently. Some of her woodpile had been used. Still, she had nowhere else to go, so she lit a fire in an attempt to warm herself up. The cold didn't really bother her, but the fire would feel nice all the same.

She lay down to sleep beside the roaring flames. She would be fully rested and ready for battle. She couldn't wait to see the look on Naraku's face when he tried to squeeze her heart and it did not affect her. She ached to see his expression as he realized that it was over, that he was going to die. She hoped to see true fear there, and pain as well, because he deserved it for all the pain and fear he had caused her over the years.

Kagura had no idea what she would do once this was all over. She had never experienced true freedom before, and never believed it was even possible, so she made no plans assuming Naraku would kill her eventually. Now her life was her own and full of possibilities. She was still disappointed that Sesshoumaru had mated the Shikon Miko, as she always dreamed of winning that place in his life, but it clearly wasn't meant to be. Now, she had all the time in the world to figure out what to do with her life.