Ice and Snow, Mind and Heart

Chapter 13: Full Moon

It was almost nightfall when Yuki and Kagome were shoved into a cell in the panther demons' castle. Yuki grunted as she landed with a thud on the floor, Kagome falling behind her as the panther demons closed the cell door on them, clanging it shut and locking it.

"Stay in there, and don't do anything foolish." Toran warned before she walked off, leaving the two furious women behind.

"Let us out!" Kagome yelled as she pounded on the cell door, glaring through the holes at Toran as the demoness simply walked away while Yuki slumped against the wall moodily.

"Of all the rotten luck." She muttered, and Kagome glanced at her.

"How come you're so... passive?" Kagome asked, trying to be delicate, but Yuki still glared at her.

"How'd you end up captured anyway?" Yuki asked instead, not answering Kagome's question.

Kagome frowned slightly, but she replied readily: "I was kidnapped by one of the panther demons: she used some kind of flowery spell to make me fall asleep."

"Typical." Yuki sighed and Kagome bristled.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kagome demanded, and Yuki deadpanned: "You may be a powerful priestess but you're still human. And despite everything, you can't deny that humans are physically weak, especially compared to demons."

"Then how come you got caught?" Kagome challenged, and Yuki glanced up through the tiny cell window and to the sky where the moon was starting to rise.

"Because tonight I'm as weak as you." Yuki answered quietly, and Kagome frowned before realization struck her.

She examined Yuki's sour expression, noting the half-demoness's tense muscles for the first time and she recalled how weak Yuki seemed. She hadn't even picked up on Koga's scent until he'd made himself known.

"Oh." Kagome gasped as she looked up where she could see the full moon just starting to rise into the sky.

"Say another word and I'll kill you." Yuki warned, and Kagome had to stifle a sigh.

Apparently, despite the fact that Yuki was usually easy-going, she was as testy as Inuyasha when it was her night of the month.

"You're just like Inuyasha." She muttered, and Yuki exhaled sharply.

"Sorry." She sighed, leaning her head back on the wall with a thunk. "I'm just... I don't like feeling so weak. It's disconcerting and uncomfortable, even after all these years. And I'm feeling just a little bit guilty."

"Guilty?" Kagome questioned, but Yuki didn't respond.

'That I didn't tell him. I didn't tell Sesshomaru.' She thought to herself instead, staring into space. 'I just didn't know how to tell him... and now, it looks like I'm paying for my cowardice.'

Sensing Yuki didn't want to talk about it, Kagome switched topics instead, saying as she moved to settle down beside Yuki: "Don't worry. I believe Inuyasha will come to save us."

"That's what I'm worried about." Yuki murmured, her brows furrowing worriedly. "I've heard of the panther demons, while I was in the East. Some demons came running away from a war that was brewing here with the panther demons, about fifty years ago. Although I don't know all the details, I heard it was a massacre, even though the panther demons were eventually defeated."

"You don't think Inuyasha..." Kagome began, also looking worried now, when something shuffled in the back of the cell.

Yuki jumped up instantly, moving to block Kagome as she stared at the back of the cell with narrowed eyes, calling sharply: "Who's there?"