The year is 1585 set in the Azuchi-Momoyama period during the feudal times where the forest are thick with greenery, animals, life, and dangers. The people are resourceful, hard working, patient, serve a purpose, and fearful of new people and things. The buildings are simple, warm, small, and home to many occupations such as medical, personal, and governmental.

Lurking in the surrounding area's of the working people is also a hierarchy of demonic beings, who are also on the top of the food chain and truly run the government of North, East, South, and West. Each area has a species to which rules and keeps peace or war over the people and the lesser demon. It is the leader's position and duty in each clan to uphold rules and laws over the human and youkai of their province.

With the tone set for the beautiful painful story that will unfold here let me begin by saying the words you will read are of love, beauty, hurt, anguish, and ultimate happiness here is the writing's of-

The shattered Teapot.

By: JJ

The rain raced down the frost covered window which sealed out the freezing temperatures from the four occupants in the warm yellow lit house, on what seemed like the most special of evenings that could grace the unlit shrine.

It was christmas eve and the family had just agreed to open all the presents early due to some family members having plans for the X-mas day the next morning. A young boy who was in his pre teen's was more than happy to go first, with an enthusiastic family waiting eagerly for his reaction to the gift.

"Go ahead Sota open it! Mother and I picked this one out for you, we knew it was meant for you right when we saw it!" A beautiful soft black haired girl bursted out excitedly as an older raven haired women nodded in agreement.

The young boy known as Sota tore into his present to reveal three new games for his gaming system, and just the ones he had been wanting too.

"Thank you mom! Thank you Kagome! These are perfect just what I have been looking forward to getting!" Sota jumped up and hugged his mother and sister with a pleased grin on his face all the while, he then turned his head when he heard a deep raspy voice from the recliner.

"No need to keep my present hidden then young man, it is a controller for your system to go along with those games. Although it wouldn't be a special present from me without a few charms and scrolls to go along with that to keep demons out of your room." With that another gift was handed to him from an elderly man in a light blue yukata as he smiled a wrinkled old grin.

The two siblings and mother just paused and laughed a bit as they all knew that what would a gift be from grandpa higurashi if it wasn't spiritual related. The laughing seemed to die down and Mama Higurashi seemed to slip her smile into a serious tight lipped look as she looked at Kagome and preceded to speak to her.

"Kagome, my beautiful daughter we worry about you in the feudal era fighting all those dangerous demons and not having much to protect yourself with but a bow and relying on friends. So your grandfather and I bought you this new, beautiful, and strong bow along with these arrows and a few new charm's to help you in your journey dear."

Kagome looked in awe at the pure pearl white bow made out of the strongest elk and moose racks, this bow was long, big, and beautiful with the tight string made of the finest horse hairs. The 15 arrows which seemed just as long as the bow itself, were white as a doves feather and light as one too, the body withered from the finest rhino horns, the fletching made of sturdy golden eagle feathers which added beauty, and the heads lasered out of pure diamond and tipped with brilliant goldened steel. The quiver was made of the toughest leather and adorned with beautiful smooth soft cream colored wolf fur to where not an inch of leather was showing.

"These arrows are so light and beautiful but seem like they should be so heavy! Oh mother you two are the best! I absolutely love these gifts! Tell me about the charms grandpa?" Kagome exclaimed as she hugged them both.

They smiled so pleased she was happy with the gift.

"The charms are to be used as barrier's, I will use them to bless and protect your weapons and your precious self, which will be done tomorrow before you leave back to the war zone you call a second home." Grandpa explained to her as he walked up the stairs once he had hugged everyone and told them goodnight while kagome was viewing her gifts. He felt exhausted after eating food, opening gifts, and explaining rituals and stories to the kids.

"I also got you a warm and beautiful outfit for you to wear while trekking on your missions sweetie, it is white and gold with-Oh just well take a look for yourself!" Mrs. Higurashi gushed as she pushed four boxes toward her daughter.

In the boxes was a completed outfit of a white silk kimono with a thermal underlayer, fitted to her snug enough to show her curves but breathable to the point she could run and jump if need be.

The linings, cuffs, and collar were covered with smooth white fox fur as well as a scarf made out of the same fur. She also had matching cloth/fur leg warmers kept up with gold leather ties and beautiful slender golden slip on shoes to match the golden stitching in the kimono. All these golden features were brought together all by the large gold moon designed on her back to compliment the large howling cream colored wolves stitched in gold and red on a dark hillside along the back as well.

There were also miscellaneous falling red, gold, black, and cream flowers and petals along her sleeves, the bottom, and the shoulders to truly bring everything together. Overall it was an exquisitely beautiful white fur kimono to compete with the cold weather in both era's.

Kagome held the kimono and gave a choked out dry sob while hiding her eyes by her bangs, she leapt into her mother's arms and cried proclaiming this the best present ever and that she will wear it the next day. They both hugged with smiles and said loving words to one another as they let go of each other.

"I will finish cleaning down here, why don't you go up stairs and go to bed I will see you off tomorrow. It seems with all the gift giving your grandpa and brother have gone off to bed dear, so merry X-mas and sleep tight Kagome I love you." "I love you too mom."

With that they both parted ways and as kagome drifted off to sleep she could only think of all the excitement and love she had for her family and how tomorrow would be just as nice. She was asleep before she could even finish her thought from the exhaustion of the evening.

Everyone was up, bathed, and busy with chores or personal things around 8AM the next day. It may have been Christmas day for most but for the Higurashi family they had to go about business as usual, minus Sota playing his new video games. The shrine was open to the public so after blessing the weapons and Kagome earlier that morning with barrier and protection charms, grandfather Higurashi took to sweeping the snow covered shrine incase guest were to arrive.

Inside the warm delicious smelling home, Mrs. Higurashi was preparing treats for the feudal era friends of Kagome's after packing her daughters signature school uniform, along with normal cold weather clothes and other female necessities to go inside the backpack.

While everyone was doing something productive Kagome walked the shrine grounds to get a peace of mind and a hold on her nerves.

'I feel as if something awful awaits me in the near future...Why do I have this uneasy twist around my heart as if it could break at any moment?' Her outer emotions wouldn't reflect the shaky inner voice she seemed to have to accompany the sharp nerves she was feeling since she had awoken that morning. She looked so graceful, enchanting, and dangerously dazzling in her snow white kimono, along with that tall bow threaded around her body and her gold feathered arrows peaking from behind her back, a goddess like appearance when the wind blew her long raven black ringlets of soft shimmering hair as she almost floated toward the back door, when she saw her mother appear with her backpack; signaling she was ready to go.

"Kagome you look absolutely breathtaking in that outfit, you look like a princess ready to be wed. I love everything about it on you. You're so strong and smart, I can't ask for a better daughter then you my beautiful perfection." Mrs. Higurashi paused as tears came down her face and hugged her daughter who stood a little shorter than her. She embraced her tightly, feeling her daughter from head to shoulder to hands as she preceded to let the tears flow making Kagome tear up as well.

"You feel the same mom? You have the strained heart as if everything will change-As if something is going to happen?" Kagome choked out than she began crying even more as her mother nodded.

"If the feeling is right, I know you won't shy away from it and not go I respect that dear. So if this is the last time I see you let me remember you just like this with all the laughs we have had, how much we have hugged like this, and how much we have said I love you." She slowly let her daughter's hair fall through her fingers and kissed the very skin that the tresses had just abandoned on her hand, with one more tear leaving her ducts she looked at her daughters flushed face and damp eyes.

"I have something for you, it was given to me by a visitor when you were just a child-" She stopped and dug into the side pocket of Kagome's yellow backpack, she pulled out a clear vial with dark purple liquid filled to the brim plugged with a smooth black cork with a simple magenta purple crescent moon on the top.

"Before you ask questions, I do not know if you will be coming back but this will ensure me and give me a peace of mind that you will be alive over there even if you never return. In this is a combination of herbs, demonic toxins, and the blood of a very strong youkai. It was made by a priest who loved a beautiful female youkai but before he could use it he was murdered, if you drink it dear then you will become a youkai, a powerful one at that. If you must live over there then when you feel you are about to die and will never return to us...Please use this and stay safe my dearest daughter. I love you, stay alive." With that Mrs. Higurashi put the potion back and handed the backpack to her stunned and saddened daughter.

"I hope our feeling is wrong mom, I have no idea who gave this to you but I hope I do not have to use it and I come back to see your smiling face. Tell grandpa and Sota I love them dearly and will see you all soon, I love you all so much." Kagome hugged her mom one last time and ran off to the well before she cried her eyes out and wasted more time with goodbyes.

'I will only use this odd concoction of demon essence if I feel my last breath upon me, lord please don't let these feelings turn to reality.' Were the last thoughts of Kagome's as she leaped into the well to be where she felt the most free; The Feudal Era.