The Cold Chapter 1

Miyuki woke with a fright and found she was drenched in a cold sweat. "That dream again…" She spoke quietly to herself before gazing at the clock, which read three-thirty in the morning. She let a sigh pass her lips as she stood out of bed. "May as well pack some things for today…" She mused before doing just that. She was going to be spending a few days with her aunt and cousins at their shrine for old time's sake.

She then made her way into the bathroom, looking in the mirror at her mass of tangled black locks. She quickly brushed out all the knots before running a hot bath for herself. After about 20 minutes in the hot water, Miyuki redressed and headed back to her room. She pulled out her laptop and jumped straight into her e-mails. She saw one from her cousin, Kagome that said she was thrilled to see her older cousin.

"I'll probably get there when that poor girl's still asleep." She chuckled to herself before shutting the computer off and doing a few chores around the house. She completed most of them before the sun started to rise. Quickly, Miyuki went back to her room to climb out the window and watch the sun come up in all of its glory. She could still see the moon on the opposite end of the sky and smiled to herself. Her green eyes were twinkling with excitement as she watched the beautiful sky before her.

All too soon it was time for her to depart from the small home where she and her parents resided. She waved good-bye to them as she made her way down the street with a back pack filled with her essential needs toward the Higurashi Shrine.

Miyuki smiled as she quickly ascended the stairs leading up to the peaceful little shrine. As she reached the top of the stairs, she saw an elderly man sweeping dust off of a pathway. "Grandpa!" She smiled and hugged the old man.

"Ah, Miyuki it's been a while!" he smiled as he held her in a one armed hug. "Look at how tall you've grown, my my!"

"I only grew two inches in two years." The eighteen, almost nineteen year old spoke softly. "Is Kagome still asleep?" The old man nodded his head.

"Get her good, I want to be able to hear her scream from here." He chuckled as he saw the mischievous glow in the girl's eyes.

"You got it, Gramps." Miyuki giggled as she ran past him and into the small house. She slipped off her shoes at the entrance and quietly made her way up to her younger cousin's room. The perfect plan had formed in her mind as she saw the girl sleeping. She crawled into the small bed with her cousin, wrapped an arm around the girl's waist and waited. As soon as the girl stirred, she tightened her grip around her and whispered in the most masculine voice she could muster, "Mornin' babe, was last night as good for me as it was for you?"

Kagome froze at the sound of a voice and the weight wrapped around her waist. She had just gotten home from the feudal era and knew she was extremely tired, so much so she hardly made it under the covers. She screamed in alarm as the person holding her jumped out of the bed, but did not move beyond that.

Miyuki laughed quite loudly as her plan had worked. The younger girl looked around before she spotted the green-eyed menace that made her awakening quite rude. "Got ya, cuz!" she spoke between giggles.

"You scared me half to death, Miyuki!" Kagome scolded her older cousin. She then leaped from the bed and wrapped her arms around the slightly taller girl. "I missed you though! It's been what? Two years since we last saw one another? What have you been up to?"

"School mostly." The older girl smiled. Both girls stopped when they heard something on the roof. The window quickly opened and in jumped a boy with silvery white hair, with dog ears hidden in the flowing mess. His clothes were blood red and his eyes a hardened gold. His lip curled as he growled, looking at Miyuki as his hand went to the hilt of his sword.

"What happened, Kagome? Did this person try to kill you while you were sleeping?" his voice was gruff as he spoke, keeping his eyes focused on the female in front of him.

"No, no Inuyasha!" Kagome let out a brisk sigh. "This girl is my older cousin, the one that I told you was coming over." Now she had to explain to another person about the Feudal Era.

"Those ears!" Miyuki smiled as she noticed the little dog ears perched on top of Inuyasha's head. She dashed up and grabbed them between her index finger and thumb. "They're so soft!" she giggled hearing a growl from the boy. Gently, she released them and scratched behind them, the growling fading. The boy tilted his head slightly to into the touch. "Now that's a good boy!" Her eyes sparkled with amusement, the smile never leaving her lips.

"What? How are you not freaking out, Miyuki?" Kagome questioned looking dumbfounded.

"I admit, I am kind of confused." The older girl answered sheepishly as she took her had away from the boy's head, earning her a whine of protest.

"What the hell was that, you witch?" In that short time, Inuyasha had regained his composure. "What kind of damn spell was that?" He growled.

"Sit boy." Kagome spoke quickly, making the boy fall flat on his face into the hard floor. "I guess I need to explain some of the important details to you, cuz." The cousins sat on her bed as she told Miyuki the whole story, from her going to the Feudal Era to the present. The older girl was slightly taken a back but nodded in understanding why. "Well that's about it. Kagome finished and her stomach rumbled.

"Maybe you should get some breakfast before I start asking questions." Miyuki smiled. "I'll entertain doggy boy here while you freshen up." She made her way out of the room and da soft growl followed her comment.

The two made their way to the kitchen, where Mrs. Higurashi was making breakfast. "So you're the reason Kagome screamed, aren't you, Miyuki?" The woman smiled lovingly at her niece.

"Yup! I got her good this time!" She smiled at the older woman. "Then this fur ball showed up." She pointed her thumb over at Inuyasha.

"Fur ball? Why I ought a…" He froze when Miyuki started to scratch behind one of his ears.

"Such a good boy!" Miyuki laughed as she took her hand away, in which he growled at her.

"Knock that crap off, whatever kind of witch magic you're using." He spoke as he bared his fangs at her.

"It's better than getting 'sat' isn't it?" She smirked at him in which he crossed his arms over his chest and mumbled incoherently.

"You're both welcome to some breakfast." Mrs. Higurashi smiled a warm smile at them.

"Thank you, auntie!" Miyuki was famished. She hadn't eaten since being awake at such an early hour in the morning. She took a seat at the table and waited patiently.

Miyuki watched Inuyasha from the corner of her eye. She had to admit that he was cute, but knew he was off limits. Due to the tales Kagome had told her, she spoke of the boy with such a sparkle in her eye and knew that her cousin was head over heels for him. She could also tell that the boy had feelings for Kagome too, though he seemed shy to admit to them.

A few moments later and Kagome sat down at the table, and just as quickly Inuyasha took a seat beside her, far from Miyuki. She couldn't help but chuckle as she watched him try to sit awkwardly in the wooden chair. When the food was ready they ate in silence. After they were finished eating they cleaned up and went outside.

"So Miyuki, you must have some questions now." Kagome smiled as they sat under the Sacred Tree, while Inuyasha was in its branches. She watched her older cousin who stared into space thoughtfully.

"It's very lush and green there, isn't it? Trees for miles, beautiful lakes and rivers, peaceful little villages, am I right?" Miyuki smiled softly at the thought, turning her gaze to her cousin.

"Yes, it is very beautiful, with tall mountains and lush valleys. Natural hot springs even!" Kagome took in a deep breath and was filled with such excitement she could burst.

"Don't forget about the bad things too." Inuyasha scoffed from his high perch.

"Yeah… the demons." Kagome sighed, the luster leaving her eyes.

"Demons? Is that why Inuyasha has dog ears?" Miyuki looked toward her cousin, who nodded.

"He's only a half demon though, his mother was human." The younger girl earned a growl from the grouchy hanyou in the tree.

"Hmm… what about your other traveling companions? I know you've got to keep better company than fur ball up there." Miyuki chuckled as she heard a growl intended for her this time. "Down boy." Kagome giggled at her cousin's words for a second.

"Well there's Miroku, he's a monk with a curse set upon his right hand, Sango the demon slayer, and Shippo, a fox demon. We also sometimes get visits from friends of Inuyasha's father, Myoga and Totosai." Kagome concluded.

"So with the demons, do you guys fight them, from what you said earlier it seemed the case?" The emerald-eyed girl rested her chin on her knee as she pulled one of her legs to her chest.

"Sometimes yes, the one that we're going after we've battled many times. He always seems to get away somehow though." The younger girl looked down with saddened eyes.

"Must be a pain in the ass then." Miyuki sighed as she kept her gaze down, one final question reaching her mind. "Have you guys run into a demoness with pale skin, light green eyes and light blue, almost white, hair?"

"No not that I recall. Why?" Kagome looked over at her now saddened cousin.

"I keep having a dream with her in it." She sighed, not lifting her gaze. "All I remember from them is her anguished face at the end, it haunts me."

"So you wouldn't know what kind of demon she is?" The girls lifted their heads to the gruff voice. Inuyasha's gaze was curiously set on the older girl.

"No. All I know is she starts out the dream happy, but then it quickly turns to sorrow." Miyuki thought for a quick moment, another part of the dream passing through her mind. "The girl she was always with had white ears and a tail though. So maybe this other girl is a hanyou."

Kagome watched her cousin closely, seeing the dull expression in her normally sparkling eyes. "Inuyasha, I want Miyuki to come with us for a few days."

"What?" He growled softly but saw the look on Kagome's face and sighed. "Fine, but you're going to be the one looking out for her."

Miyuki stared between the two, slightly dumbfounded. "You mean to the other side of the well?" Kagome nodded a small smile gracing her lips. "What about my parents?"

"I'm sure mom can come up with an excuse for you to 'stay here' a little while longer. Besides, I miss hanging out with you!" The younger girl still had the sweet smile on her face.

"Let me gather up my things then. I'll be ready after that." Miyuki sighed, though she was very interested in going. 'I do have a sinking feeling in my stomach though.' She thought to herself as she made her way into the house to grab her things.

…

A/N- Yay the first chapter! I know it's a bit of a long shot that I'm absolutely incorrect with a lot of this stuff, but eh, details. If you like it, please don't hesitate to review! Criticism is welcome!

Miyuki- "Beautiful/Deep Snow"