Oh…my…gosh, first ever fic! FINALLY! Got to finish before Mom gets home, but YAAAAY! *hyperventilates*

I: OK, Ms. Spastic, calm down…you'll have a seizure again, and Kagome and I DON'T want to have to drag your butt to the ER for, what is it, the 15thtime this week?

AG: Okay, don't hate me for this, but…KAGOMEEE, INUYASHA'S BEING MEEEEAN!

KAG: Inuyasha, SIT!

INU: ARGH!

AG: Hee hee…I love that necklace:)

Okay, this is my first fanfic, and the updates may be random-I'm in deep trouble with my parents as it is, so they can't know...so don't kill me if I update in an erratic fashion:)(by the way, I got the title from owl city's newest album. They rock my socks!)

I'm fifteen today! Best day ever-fish fingers in custard for lunch, and a new book! I haven't fallen down a well yet, but here's hoping!

Where Fire and Ice Collide

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I asked for him for my birthday, but when I jumped down the well, I broke both legs, which caused hallucinations involving gummy monkeys, hot air balloons and chocolate milk. One of the visions was the inspiration for this story. After I came out of the coma, I realized I do not and can never own Inuyasha until Rumiko-sama dies. I now happily eat fish fingers in custard on my hospital bed.

Prologue

"Are you sure, old hag?"

"Aye. Before the month is out, the intended shall appear. I know not what she will look like, but it matters not – ye will be drawn to one another. Your demon will recognize it. It is fated.

"What the hell does that mean? Explain, old woman! If you're wrong…" the shadowy figure let out a low growl.

"Patience, patience…only time will yield the answers ye seek. All will unfold according to the stars…"

Chapter one: The Dreaming

"Time's up! Please pass your tests up to the front."

The rustle of paper passed from hand to hand and the creak and scrape of chairs broke the silence. Students relaxed, and uncurled from their cramped, hunched over position at their desks. A dull murmur slowly filled the room as students chatted, complaining about the test.

"Aw, man, that was so hard. Did teach have to push…"

"…get question eight? I…"

"Oh nooooo! I forgot to show my work!"

Kagome blinked, and sighed. Really, math was the only subject she had to study earnestly for. It didn't come naturally, and it was murder trying to keep all the formulas and rules straight. Still, she thought with relief, the review she had done of the chapter last night had stayed fresh in her head after one of the few good nights of sleep she had had recently, and she felt she had done reasonably well on the test.

Kagome Higurashi was 15 years old; and the first thing you should know about her s this – she hated boys.

Reason no.1 - she was small for her age, with no signs of getting taller any time soon. Most of her classmates (even the girls) tragically dwarfed her 5'1'' frame.

Reason no. 2 – they would not leave her alone. By junior high, she was used to fending off proposals of marriage and untoward advances with a fist to the persistent suitor's face. This discouraged all but the most foolish of men.

She had no idea why anyone would be so stupid; but everyone around her did.

She was one of those girls who bypassed simply pretty and went straight on to beautiful. Her face was whimsically appealing in a childish way – big blue eyes (an unusual dark hue) that sparkled with a mischievous light, a small mouth perpetually curved into a wry smile, and a pixyish nose. Her skin was a shade of peaches and cream, and it had never sported a blemish in living memory outside of scrapes. Her hair was a shining well kept black (which exploded into a riot of untamed curls after a shower or rainstorm). She didn't know it, but she was a knockout.

What she cared about was what lurked beneath the surface; in her case, a will of steel and a fierce intelligence. But guys didn't go around saying, "Hey, check out the brain on that girl!" no, they were after something else – which was precisely why she ignored him. Ten times out of ten she'd rather be reading a book than so much as look at a guy.

Her disdain of men didn't extend to all experiences, though. She was perfectly polite and friendly to nearly everyone, if not exactly a social butterfly.

What really described her was sensible; yes, she exercised common sense to an almost painful degree. She wasn't self-destructive, got good grades, and stayed out of trouble.

You would think that her parents would be rigid; strict and demanding. But the opposite was true. They were a happy, loving group – her mother, grandfather, younger brother, and excessively obese cat named Buyo (who was the love of her life)

Her family owned the well-known Sunset Shrine, popular with visiting tourists and families during the New Year. Kagome helped out around the shrine when it was busy, manning the gift shop and occasionally giving archery lessons in traditional priestess garb to the visitor's children

"Kagome!"

Startled, she glanced up; it was her friend, Ayumi.

"Wow, that test was hard. How did you do?

"I think I did pretty well," she replied casually.

"Well then, you'd be the only one," her friend laughed, and plopped down at her desk.

"By the way, class, I have the bus list for the London trip, and the seating chart for the plane," said the teacher, waving a hand for quiet in explosion of excited babble that ensued. " Bus 1 people are as follows…Agehara, Akeno, Akitoki, Buhiro..." he continued as he handed out packets with information for the trip, walking down the aisle between desks.

"Higurashi-san," he glanced down, "you're on Bus 2, with Hotta-san. You sit next to her on the plane, as well." He moved on.

"Yay! We get to sit next to each other, Kagome-chan!" Ayumi cheered.

Kagome rolled her eyes good naturedly. "Just like every year since elementary school. We have the same first letter to our last name, so we sit together. Alphabetical order ring any bells?"

Ayumi pouted. "Geez, you make it seem like such a burden to have to sit next to me. Spoilsport. Well, whatever," she declared cheerfully, bouncing back. "It's Friday, and we set out for our transcontinental adventure tomorrow! Maybe we'll even find you a nice British boyfriend," she teased.

Kagome groaned. "Ayumi, you know full well how I feel about that particular subject. Yuck!" she stuck out her tongue, making her friend laugh.

"Just a thought. It was worth a try. I know soo many boys dying to go out with you. And you and Akitoki Hojo-kun would make such a cute couple…"she trailed off.

Kagome glared at her. "No. Don't even start. I will not go out with that stalker, and that is final."

"I'm sure the incident in seventh grade was just an accident—"

"Nein. Nicht. Not happening. End of discussion." She turned her head, signaling that that line of conversation was over.

Ayumi sighed, shaking her head. "I will never understand the way your mind works…"

Kagome flashed a grin. "And you never will," she said in an obnoxious sing song tone. Honestly, she thought, shaking her head. And to think people say I'm the dramatic one. Well, not really, she mused. People usually say I'm responsible and grounded…humph. Shows what they know.

Kagome mad a note to remember to finish packing tonight. She couldn't forget her cellphone, or the chargers. ..She drifted off.

"Kagome, the teacher's talking," Ayumi whispered. Kagome snapped back, hurriedly stowing her books into her backpack, stuffing the notes into a binder. Just in time. The bell rang, eliciting a cheer from the majority of the class. School's out! The teacher yelled to be heard above the roar of voices, stampeding feet, and chirping cellphones. "Make sure to be here by 5:30 tomorrow at the school entrance. Don't be late!" he cried.

Kagome groaned. She wasn't a morning person at the best of times though she had schooled herself to be an early riser over the years. Remembering to set her alarm would be challenging, and she'd be useless for the first half hour after she woke up, groggy and half asleep.

This could be a problem.

I'll have to set my alarm to 4:00, she thought grumpily.

She sighed again, making her way out the door and down the hall, Ayumi nattering on about something girly at her side. Kagome listened halfheartedly, but mostly ignored her. She was excited for the trip, sure…but the dreams she'd been having would complicate things.

The pervading sense of dread in the dreams made her uneasy. Her dreams were half daydream, half nightmare; howling winds, blurry indistinct figures darting in and out of sight, a shadowy presence hovering just outside of her ken. It was always the same: she was in a blizzard, and she was running from something. Sometimes she'd catch a glimpse of her pursuer out of the corner of her eye; but when she turned around, she couldn't see for more than a few feet, unable to distinguish anything amidst the swirling maelstrom of white and gray. Whatever it was chasing her, it was close, and she was utterly terrified of it. Recently she'd had the disquieting feeling that the figure was catching up. Often, she'd wake screaming and white as a sheet in a cold sweat after feeling hot breath on the back of her neck or something grabbing her from behind. It had gotten so bad, she was afraid to sleep.

The dreams seemed to follow her constantly. No matter where she turned to, she couldn't shake the visions off. It made it hard to focus. She was worried her grades would slip, and firmly resolved to ignore the nightmares. But it was impossible. She was strangely attracted to the dreams, as if they had some special meaning…

Maybe she was just stressed. The trip would be just the thing to take her mind off the issue.

She smiled, waving goodbye to her friend as she crossed the street, moving away from the school and leaving some of her worries with it.

It isn't far to the shrine now, and I bet Mama is fixing oden to send me off tonight, she thought, a new spring in her step. Her spirits lightened at the thought. Even if it meant climbing up over 80 stone steps to get home.

But something was niggling at the back of her mind. A horrible, nagging, suspicious feeling. She froze in her tracks, and her teacher's words echoed through the corridors of her memory. "…Our flight will connect north of Canada, where we'll make a brief stop, and then we'll continue on to Britain." She paled.

That meant something. But what?

She shook her head, attempting to dislodge the insidious thoughts. It was nothing to get worked up over, she scolded herself. Shaking her head once more for good measure, she started up the hill.

"…north…"

It was nothing…nothing at all….

AN: So, how do you think I did? Did ya like it? Did ya? Did ya? DID YA? XD I think I did fair for my first published story… sorry it was so short. The next chapter will be longer, I promise! Please message me with constructive criticism or any suggestions you have. I am very open to suggestion, and welcome any ideas you may have.

Inuyasha: mainly because she has no real ideas of her own. Take pity on the pathetic idiot.

AG: You ingrate! Shut up and FETCH!*Throws a ball in the direction of fantasyland, which Inuyasha chases eagerly* Snort. Who's the idiot now, Fido?

Inuyasha: (distantly)...Still…you...moron.

AG: *throbbing vein* Right. No more ramen, cookies, or Kagome lemons for you.

Inuyasha: NOOOOOO!

*Smirks*

Oh yes! Please review, or I WILL DEVOUR YOU WITHOUT SALT! Gasp! The culinary horror! Not to mention the calories:D. Ciao, my lovely new readers! Tune in next time!