Kagome hummed her acknowledgement of the approaching group, still sweeping with her back turned to them. She sensed nothing amiss in the group and so greeted them as she would any other guest, turning to face them with a smile. "Good afternoon, welcome to the Higurashi Shrine. Are you-"

Suddenly her brow furrowed at the sight before her: a group of young men, all fairly beautiful but diverse in their looks, stood before her. Kagome heard the departure of a car, and just beyond the first gate an expensive vehicle was pulling away. Clearly this group wasn't pressed for cash.

"...here for a tour..?"

But what had really caught Kagome's eye was the calm boy in the front of the group. He was obviously the most comfortable of the group, posture at ease as most of the others huddled behind him.

"Oh-! Excuse me, I just- Fujioka?" Kagome studied the boy's features, peering into their eyes. To the club's surprise, her face split into a happy grin. "It is you, Fujioka!"

The petite man wasn't a man at all, despite the boyish haircut. Haruhi had been a companion of Ayumi's in another middle school, sometimes meeting with them for a quick lunch when she could be convinced to abandon her books.

It had been a brief struggle for Kagome to reconcile the young woman in front of her with the sullen, studious Haruhi from way back when. The girl looked so much lighter, less shadows in her eyes.

Haruhi's mouth opened, then closed. She colored lightly and said, "I'm sorry, miss… do I know you?"

Kagome reeled back, realizing how awkward she must be making the other girl feel. After laughing out an apology, she said, "We've both changed a lot since middle school, huh? It's me, Higurashi Kagome. Class 1A, right?"

At Haruhi's continued lack of reaction, Kagome grew nervous. "Do I… you are Fujioka, Haruhi, right? I was… the sick girl..?"

Haruhi's eyes sharpened at that, and Kagome slumped. "Oh! Ayumi's friend, yes! Hello!"

"I see my reputation precedes me," Kagome joked. "Geez, you haven't changed at all, Haruhi. Straight to the point like always."

"Yeah," Haruhi answered, completely unaffected by the assessment. "How's Souta?"

Kagome visibly perked up, eager to brag about her little brother. "He's aiming for a soccer scholarship at school. They have him as a striker and he's amazing!"

"Soccer?" Tamaki questioned with his head cocked. "Striker?"

Kagome nodded at this, growing more and more animated as she spoke. She halfheartedly reenacted a brief highlight of Souta's last game, where he'd made a last minute goal with a tornado kick she taught him a few years back. The original reason was for training, so the game had left Kagome genuinely impressed at his application of her teachings.

She caught the eyes of the other hosts and broke off from her story with another embarrassed laugh. "Sorry, that's not what you guys came here for. Would you like a tour?"

Tamaki took her hands in his, his eyes sparkling excitedly as he babbled out an affirmative.

Haruhi blanked out as soon as Kagome started to blush, but blinked back in focus as Kagome artfully extracted her hands to fix her hair and pat herself hakama free of dust. The Kagome she remembered had been boy crazy, just like the other two girls Ayumi had often hung out with.

Before Tamaki could grab her again, Haruhi found herself saying, "So a tour, right guys?"

Smiling at them in a more subdued manner, Kagome grabbed what looked like a ring box, slipped it into her pocket and motioned the group to follow her.

After passing through the front gate, Kagome began explaining the shrine's history as she strolled down the flagstone pathway.

"Now, this shrine dates back a few centuries- I'd say around four or five, if memory serves right- so we have a decent amount of history… of course, we're nowhere near as established as other shrines such as Fushimi Inari, but we were built around the same time as the Ginkakuji and Sensoji shrines, if any of you are history buffs."

"Nope," the twins droned, already looking bored with the tour. Haruhi went to smack their arms for being rude, but Kagome only laughed.

"Sometimes the past is better left in the past," Kagome agreed, cheeks dimpled. "If you don't care for stuffy dates and history, how about a story, hm?"

Tamaki and Honey visibly perked in interest, and Haruhi sent her a grateful look at the skillful redirection. There were few people who wouldn't get irritated with her group of friends, and last that she remembered Kagome had quite the temper. Maybe the declination in health had had an effect on it?

Kagome walked them over to the purification fountain, and as the hosts took the time to follow her in rinsing her hands she tried to think of how to start the story.

"This story actually precedes the shrine," Kagome began, lovingly patting the head of one of the komainu stationed just after the second gate. "It starts about… six and a half centuries ago, if memory serves. No, maybe further than that… during a time where demons roamed and terrorized human settlements."

"Demons?" Mori asked, causing surprise to ripple through the group. Kagome flashed him a smile.

"Of course," Kagome said easily. "What would a shrine story be without demons?"

"Do you believe in demons, Higurashi?" Kyoya tilted his chin slightly, gunmetal eyes ever so observant. Kagome's reaction was an interesting one- the girl seemed to take the question genuinely, which was amusing.

"Well, what can I say?" Kagome's shoulders slumped, and a melancholic smile made its way across her lips. "I've met many people over the years."

Silent for a beat, she guided them through the grounds, pointing out to them the worship hall. "There's a few people in there right now, some locals. If you'd like to go in I would be happy to show you around, otherwise we can proceed with the story in the office."

When no one moved toward the building, Kagome took it as her cue. She led them to the shrine office and motioned for them to take off their shoes upon entering. Everyone made themselves comfortable, peeking around in a room they otherwise would not have been permitted to enter. Kagome switched on an electric kettle for some tea.

"There was once a great and powerful man named Toga. Toga was travelling the lands exploring settlements, and came across a kingdom with a beautiful princess named Izayoi. The two fell in love, to the point of elopement. There was only one issue..."

Kagome looked contrite. "Toga was a dog demon. A full blooded demon who was so powerful that his people called him the 'Demon of Demons'. Many viewed him as a monster wrapped in the form of a human. Izayoi was a human- a princess, but a mere mortal nonetheless. People opposed the union, sometimes violently. They viewed it as a degradation to both parties involved, but the genuine love and affection Izayoi bestowed upon the dog general was something he had never experienced for himself."

"And Izayoi?" Tamaki spoke quietly. "Did Izayoi feel the same?"

Kagome paused, having never been asked that. Every time she had told the story the questions she received were about the Inu no Taisho. No one else seemed to care about the woman he had loved so desperately.

The young man who had asked looked so worried about the human woman that Kagome couldn't help but soften towards him. She hummed happily.

"Yes, she adored him just the same. In fact, she bore him his second son, her own first child. While Toga's previous son was a strong, full blooded demon, this son was a half-ling. Izayoi named him InuYasha, half-dog."

Kyoya noticed Tamaki's reaction, and under the kotatsu, hooked an ankle around his for support. Tamaki sent him a small smile and Kyoya looked away.

"The day InuYasha was born," Kagome hesitated, cleared her throat and began anew. "The day InuYasha was born, his father had been out on patrol. As soon as word came to Toga about his son's arrival, he made his way to them, set on stopping for no one. When he arrived, the castle was beginning to go up in flames."

Honey, who had sat closest to her in an amicable manner, let out a small noise. Kagome instinctively raked her hand through his hair, ruffling the curls before catching herself and clearing her throat. Haruhi blinked; that easy affection was also new.

In truth, Kagome felt a need for comfort because of this story as well. InuYasha had told her the tale himself, and she picked up bits and pieces from his older brother on their travels. It was easier listening to the nonchalant cadence of InuYasha or the impersonal iteration of Sesshomaru than it was to actually face the tragedy of it all.

Eyes glazed over in memory, she leaned forward on the table.

"Inside he found his wife and son, murdered."

The kettle shrieked in protest, startling everyone. Kagome put a hand over her chest to calm herself, heart pounding as she hurried to prepare some tea. She raised the kettle in question, noted all those who nodded and set to her task, moving quickly to recover her nerve.

"But," she said, "in his possession lay a powerful sword, forged with his own fang."

"How did he forge a sword with only a tooth?" Hikaru asked, leaning forward. Haruhi ducked her head, hiding her smile. Despite having been rude earlier, it was clear Kagome had a good portion the hosts enthralled in her little story. Knowing her friends like she did, Haruhi had no doubt that they'd be back.

"He was the Inu no Taisho. The Demon of Demons. People called him a monster wrapped in a human form." Kagome repeated her earlier statements like she had been trying to tell them something all along. Her eyes stayed affixed to Hikaru's. "They were absolutely right. His true form was unimaginably large. Even his firstborn only managed a fraction of that strength until he was older than a thousand. Toga was three millenium."

Hikaru said nothing, but his eyes popped open, brow furrowed. Kaoru on the other hand had leaned backwards in his surprise. Kagome noted the difference before moving on.

"The fang had the ability to resurrect the dead, with conditions. Toga revived his family and sent them to flee before taking on the intruder. Ultimately, he died by his hand."

They took a brief pause as Kagome handed out cups, nodding in thanks to her. Kagome smiled pleasantly and sat down, sighing contentedly after taking a sip.

The tea set was old, Kyoya noted, shifting his cup around in his hands. His fingers brushed against a seal and he studied it closely. Unbidden, his words caught in his throat at the sight of it. Very old. He was about to bring it to light, but Kagome continued the story before he could get the words out.

Haruhi studied Kagome as she spoke of Izayoi lovingly raising her son until her lifespan finally petered out, and how InuYasha had had to steal and fight to fend for himself; a story that visibly moved Tamaki.

It was long, but engaging enough to entertain the others so Haruhi wouldn't voice any complaints.

Honey looked up at her curiously. "Gome, you said this was a story connected to the shrine, right?"

"Yes, you're right. I'm sorry for being so wordy today." Kagome smiled and dug the box out of her pocket. She set it on the table, and tapped a finger on it in contemplation.

"Fast forward a century. InuYasha tries to steal a sacred jewel called the Shikkon- a whole other story that goes along with this narrative. A shrine maiden stops him, but spares his life. This was unbelievable to the demon, and so he keeps coming back. She spares him time and time again, and soon enough they fall in love." She felt her eyes soften. "So in love."

"The maiden had been treating a bandit for his burn wounds. The bandit became infatuated with her and wanted nothing more than to possess her; after making a pact with a spider demon, he tricked the two with an illusion. He left Kikyo mortally wounded; subsequently, InuYasha was pinned to a tree and sealed indefinitely. Both without ever realizing they had been tricked."

Kagome looked up at her guests, smiling. She opened the box, and inside sat a crystalline pink marble. "This shrine is entrusted with the guardianship of the jewel. More specifically, I am. It was passed down to me, and I am it's keeper for the indefinite future."

The group made appropriate noise after the story's end, Honey leaning in to get a closer look at the shade of pink. Haruhi blinked in surprise. Perhaps that would explain the changes in her old classmate…

"That's so admirable!" Tamaki praised. "Taking on a responsibility like that must be very important to you!"

Kagome's expression momentarily betrayed her surprise, but she recovered quickly and grinned at him. "Thank you for your kind words, you're very sweet. There are many stories I have, if you ever want to come visit again. Maybe the others won't drag as much as this one, but it was on the forefront of my mind."

As the car came around, Haruhi found her eyes stuck to Kagome's waving form. She was beautiful, just as a silhouette against the setting sun. Haruhi lifted her hand, meaning to wave back, but she found herself distracted at the vision.

Maybe she would come by herself next time, she told herself. Just to see an old friend.