This is sort of a companion to "Shards of Eternity," where I'm putting all of my LotR drabbles and ficlets. "Eien no Kakera" is translated as "Shards of Eternity" (why yes, I am that uncreative).
.-.
Shard 1: Ikebana
Genre: General
Summary: Ikebana is the Japanese art of flower arrangement. And though Kagome's arrangement does not follow the specific guidelines of that art form, the results, to her, are just as beautiful. Originally written for the Inuyasha Fic Challenge community, drabble theme "flowers."
.-.
Kagome knew that this would not be a work of traditional Ikebana art; but she had planned just as carefully as those artists, and she was certain that when finished, she would have an arrangement beautiful enough to rival any of their works.
First was a cluster of deep pink buds, still reluctant to bloom, still apprehensive of showing their true beauty to the world. Before these, Kagome placed a small but hardy white blossom, an ever-watchful companion. Behind the pink buds she set a group of calm blue flowers, resting tranquil against the vibrancy of their neighbors. Next were blooms of radiant gold, their rounded petals curling outwards to be kissed by all the sunlight they could reach.
Then at last there was a single rose of the brightest red. Not long ago, Kagome had held a dislike for this flower – she didn't understand why something so beautiful needed to be bedecked with such cruel thorns. But now she knew the reason behind the harshness of those thorns; she understood why they were there belying the gentleness of the bloom – to protect the soft heart of the flower from all but those who managed to reach beyond the thorns.
.-.
