Summary: She's a miko that is meant to stay pure and locked away all her life until the stars align so she may be sacrificed to save her people. He's a hanyou who is tasked to taint her. He was born to save demons from genocide. She's the tool to destroy them.
Note: POVs change throughout the first chapter only, the rest is pure third-person.
Rated: M for a reason, some language, and some naughty content in later chance.

{.x.o.} | Throes of Passion | {.o.x.}
{x}| Chapter 1: Traitor?|{x}

"This is Ishii Genji," I still remember the first day that my father said those four words to me exactly a year ago. I didn't think much about him, I have had so many personal guards since before I can even remember but none of them ever lasted long. They either protect me splendidly from whatever assault demons try to make on me and request to be transferred anywhere else, which my father always grants as an award, or they get killed… I try not to become too attached to them either way.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," the long, onyx haired boy replied with a bow of his head.

"And you," I had replied with the same bow of my head before I carried on with my daily schedule. It's been like that for three-hundred and sixty-five days now, he's been my shadow. Ishii Genji, a quiet and respectful man. I rarely spoke to him more than the simple formalities, greetings, and nods of conformation. He'd follow me wherever I went and I can't help but wonder if that bores him…

I wake at six in the morning every day, eat, dress myself, pray, and then headed out at seven thirty where Ishii-san meets me to escort me to the sanctuary where I pray from eight to noon to keep my soul pure and that the celestial world finally align properly so that I may save my people from the hell that has been unleashed upon them. Ishii-san is outside the door the entire time; I can feel his aura and know that he never leaves. Those before him didn't know that I knew that they would wonder away from the door sometimes to do whatever it is normal people do... Not Ishii-san, though, is he just an amazing solider or is not normal, like me?

I have a break in the day from noon to one where I usually eat lunch. Ishii-san leaves me for that time so that some other guards can watch over me. From one to three I go to the library—my favorite place in all the world—and study whatever I want, when I was younger my father hired private tutors for me but now… what does it matter? Those that have been trained to watch the heavens say that the starts are slowly moving into place, that soon I'll…

I'm fine with it. I am. All my life I have been told that I live only to die but isn't that how it is for everyone? All die, I will just die for a purpose. Isn't that better? For my life all of humanity will finally be safe, isn't that how… it should be? I try my best not to envy anyone, it taints my soul, but… I sneak out of my room late at night to climb to the highest point in all the castle, it's the only place that's high enough up that I can see out the towering walls that circle around the castle—that I have always been locked away in all my life—to see out into the town that loops around it. Sometimes I can even see people walking around on the streets at night, little daughters running to their fathers, giggling, playing, all of them are so happy… I watch joyful couples stroll around the streets, hands interlocked, kissing, laughing... They are all alive, all with real lives, and… and I envy them.

I've become highly skilled at avoiding my own protection, I've been going up to the top of the tower almost every night, but never before has someone caught me. Until Ishii-san, he caught me the very first time I tried to. Ishii-san, just like all of my previous personal guards, sleeps in a room right next to mine in case anything happens. I thought I was being so silent, too, but I guess he still heard me open my door.

"Oh… I… was going for a snack," I had stuttered out a lie—a rarity for me.

He didn't say anything, he just let his auburns move about me before escorting me to the kitchen and then back to my room. I'm afraid I'm stubborn and refused to give up, it was the night of the full moon which meant I'd be able to see the village better. I had to go. I tried again and got to the tower before I noticed he had been following me all that time.

"What are you doing?" He finally asked, scaring me half to death.

"I…" I tried to think of another lie but I just couldn't think of one, like I said, I'm very bad at such things… so I just told him the truth. I was sure he was going to laugh at me, to tell me that's the stupidest thing he's ever heard, but he just nodded and told me if I wanted to go there then just tell him and he'd escort me there. I assured him I'd done it a thousand times before and that nothing has ever happened and how I'd hate to trouble him with another task but he was very persistent, it turned out that Ishii-san's stubbornness beat mine. He stands on the other side of the stone room as I watch those below me, always. I chance many glances at him yet he never looks like he is judging me or that he thinks I'm odd…

It's been a year now of constantly having him by my side… and I'm afraid I'm very fond of Ishii-san.

|-{x}{o}{x}-|

"This is Ishii Genji," I still remember the day that her supposed father introduced me to her. It took so much work to get this far, to be awarded the position of Higurashi Kagome's personal guard. Rumors had been flowing for decades upon decades upon the prospect of a human girl being born that could annihilate all demons. As long as that story has existed there has been a council that has been watching for any omen that that child has been born. Twenty years ago all the stars in the sky glowed as if they had merged into one solid sheet of light, it only lasted a few moments before everything went back to normal.

It was the sign. It confirmed all the stories were true. It took a year of searching before the council finally found the child but it was too late, she had been acknowledged by the humans and taken to a castle that was nearly impossible to get into. The only reason I was born was in case the rumors were true, in case I would be needed to stop what she would do… it took nineteen years but everything was set up, the proper people were paid off, killed, or replaced so that I would be assigned as her person body guard.

One year, that was the silent period, the time I had to pretend to be the perfect guard and after that passed I would be able to make contact again with the council. I would be told what to do next, how they wanted me to handle her.

She's very rigid, she has a set schedule that she follows each and every day to the T expect for Sunday, she mixes it up a bit on that day, otherwise she's very boring and would be an easy target. If only someone could break through the barrier that consumed the castle, that is.

We don't really talk, we nodded to each other, greet each other daily, and other small things like that. She has this very strange habit, I caught her on it a little less than a year ago, she likes to go up in the tallest tower to people watch. She's never had a life; I suppose she gets some sort of pleasure out of seeing what a normal human life would be? I don't know… I can sort of relate, I've never had a normal life. My only purpose is to destroy her and I thought I wouldn't have a problem with it, when I was told she was finally born I was excited. After the problem was terminated I could move on to a normal life, right? Well… as normal I could have. I would probably even be a bit of a hero to all the demons out there.

Toashi Inuyasha, the hanyou that took down the shikon miko.

But… besides the fact that she's extraordinary boring I can't… find a reason not to like her. No, that's wrong, I don't like her, I don't have any real feelings towards her, but I don't not like her. She prays for her people each and every day—the very same people that are so eagerly awaiting her death, who can do that? She smiles, all the time, I don't know if it's a real smile but she still does. She smiles to reassure her personal servants that all will be fine. She smiles to be kind to everyone she meets. She smiles to her so-called father as he goes on and on about how grand the day will be when the heavens finally align. She smiles, somehow, in the face of death. I don't get it…

She's too good of a person, if anything, I can find a way to be irked by something so pure but… I am half-demon, I get it, I shouldn't have a problem with killing the girl or whatever it is I'm meant to do. I've killed people before but… I'm having troubles justifying this.

No, what the hell am I thinking? Obviously it's justified. If she is sacrificed than all demons will die. Does that mean I will? I'm part demon… will I die?

I hate this. I really hate this. I detest that I… I'm kinda fond of her.

|-{x}{o}{x}-|

"Ishii-san!" A voice that found a way to annoying the hell out of him each and every time he heard it shouted, causing a cringe to shot down his spine and him to speed up but a hand still grasped his shoulder to yank him to stop.

"Shimizu-san," Inuyasha muttered back as he turned to see the overly joyous man with a black rattail, "how can I help you?"

"Ishii-san, I would feel better if you called me by my first name, how often will I have to ask you that?" The man chuckled as he retracted his hand to mess lightly with his golden earrings, "anyway, it's not what you can do for me today, it's what I can do for you."

"Is that so?" Inuyasha sighed while his auburn gaze wondered away.

"Please come with me," he requested with a tilt of his head. Reluctantly, he followed him to the first empty room. The monk closed the door and let his violet gaze wonder around quite a bit before he walked all the way into the room to close the curtains.

"What is this?" Inuyasha inquired, his hand moved to grasp the loyal sword that was always at his side.

"No aru taka wa tsume wo kakusu."

That stopped him completely; his auburn eyes widened as he glanced around every inch of the room to verify that they were the only ones there. Did he hear that right? Should he say it back…? Shimizu Miroku… cousin of Higurashi Kagome was…? "I'm sorry?"

"Please," Miroku smiled, "don't make me repeat it. I know who you are and know you know who I am, so let's put the gears into motion finally, ne?"

"Anzuru yori umu ga yasashi," he finally replied, cautiously, the proper proverb that he had to memorize. In a year, his contact would find him and say 'the clever hawk hides its claws' but he had never thought that the inside man was so very, very... connected.

"Perfect," Miroku chuckled lightly, "now, I have a message to relay from your father—"

"Wait," Inuyasha raised a hand to him, his gaze moved all over the silent man, "you are my means for communication between the council? You? You, a direct member of the Shimizu family? Why?"

"What does that matter?" Miroku mused with an arched brow, "let's carry on with this, shall we?"

"Alright," he mumbled back before he sat down at the table in the room and Miroku did the same as he began to explain the plan of action.

For some reason, the hanyou was more disgusted with himself as he listened to the carefree monk explain what needed to be done that he ever thought possible.

A/N: I shouldn't be starting a new story but... again, I don't really care. I'll update stories when I get the inspiration/chance to do so. I've been mulling over this idea for an insanely long time, then I came across a great idea for the title so I decided to finally write it down. Spring Semester started up again, so I will not be updating as regularly as I am known for. I will try to do my best, though, and this along with Beauty & the Blood will be my main focus.

This chapter was also more for setting and background info so I swear the next chapters will be far more interesting. I hope you enjoyed and I hope you review, thank you.

No aru taka wa tsume wo kakusu:
The clever hawk hides its claws

Anzuru yori umu ga yasashi:
A wise man hears one and understands ten