After the End: A New Beginning

Lady Moon-Chan

After Barasuishou's body crumbled away, her spirit was left alone in the N-Field. Until a mysterious doll identical to Barasuishou appeared. Her name is Kirakishou, the seventh Rozen Maiden, and Barasuishou has something she wants...Rated: PG, Warnings: spoilers for the end of Traumend, creep-factor, character death, possible OOC.

Disclaimer: If I owned Rozen Maiden, believe me, the third season would be here already.

Claimer: The plot of this story is mine. Steal it and Laplace and KunKun will "Get it on" on your pillow.

R&R!

fic start

Barasuishou awoke alone on the grass in the N-Field where the "Alice Game" had just been fought. She sat up and looked around. "Father?" she called. "FATHER!" The only response she got was her own voice echoing back at her. She flung herself face down in the grass, grieving. "Father...Father...Father..." she whispered.

She jerked her head up and to the left as the delicate rustling sound of satin on grass emanated from that direction. Sitting beside Barasuishou was another doll, identical to Barasuishou herself but for differences in her dress color, hair pieces, and the seal over her eye.

Her dress was a delicate peach-white color, her hair pieces were shaped like small white roses with vines trailing from them, and the seal over her right eye(the opposite of Barasuishou) was shaped in much the same way.

The other doll smiled. "Hello. What's your name?"

"What's...your name?" Barasuishou mimicked to mask her confusion at the appearance of a new doll.

The other doll smiled again. "I am Kirakishou, the seventh Rozen Maiden. Who are you?"

"I am Barasuishou, first doll of Enju." Barasuishou said, materializing her sword and preparing to strike Kirakishou.

"My Rosa Mystica won't do you any good." Kirakishou said matter-of-factly, dodging Barasuishou's first blow. "Even if you were to win and claim it, what good would it do you to have it when you're stuck here in the N-Field?"

Barasuishou stopped her attack. "Even if...what good would it do...when I'm stuck here..."

Kirakishou nodded. "That's right. Now put your sword away and come over here. I'll take care of you." she held out her arms.

Barasuishou hesitantly let her sword vanish and went towards Kirakishou, who hugged her and stroked her hair. "That's a girl. You'll be okay." Kirakishou whispered.

"I'll be okay?" Barasuishou whispered.

Kirakishou nodded. "That's right. You'll get used to it here. Now come on, let's play!" and she dragged Barasuishou off toward the sprawling manor house not far from where they stood.

Barasuishou sighed as she stared up at the endless sky of her N-Field.

"What's wrong, Bara-chan?" Kirakishou asked, sitting down beside her.

"I miss Father." Barasuishou said simply.

Kirakishou brushed the other doll's bangs aside and kissed her forehead. "I can take you to see him."

Barasuishou sat up with a jolt. "When?" she asked, her voice and face not betraying the excitement her body language belied.

"Tomorrow." Kirakishou said, kissing Barasuishou's forehead again. "I'll take you to see your Father tomorrow."

True to her word, the next day Kirakishou woke Barasuishou up with a small shake. "Come on." she said, her delicate porcelain hand never leaving Barasuishou's shoulder. "It's time to go and see your Father."

"Father." Barasuishou said with a smile, following Kirakishou out of the N-Field they normally resided in and into one shaped like a dark and broken child's bedroom. Kirakishou walked over to a cracked mirror and made to put her hand on it, then turned to look at Barasuishou.

"Bara-chan?"

"Yes?"

"Did the other six Maidens call your Father theirs?"

Barasuishou nodded.

"And how did that make you feel?"

"It...hurt. It really, really hurt. And...at the same time...I was so angry...I could have killed them all right there..."

Kirakishou rested her hands on the others shoulders. "That's called being jealous, Bara-chan. And you had every right to be. They were trying to claim your Father as their own. Tell me, do you hate them for it?"

"I...I want to see Father."

"And you will. Just answer my question first. Do you hate the first six Rozen Maidens for trying to take your Father away!?" Kirakishou asked, her voice rising.

"I need to talk to Father." Barasuishou murmured, her 'good' eye widened in shock and slight fear, though view of this was blocked by her eye patch.

"They tried to steal him from you Barasuishou, and you know it! They tried to make him theirs in our Father's place because he doesn't want any of them! But I know your Father belongs to you, Bara-chan, and I can help you keep him. Forever." Kirakishou said, hugging Barasuishou.

"Forever..." Barasuishou murmured. "I can stay with Father forever..."

"Only with my help, though. Will you let me help you?" Kirakishou went and touched the mirror, and Enju's face began to appear.

"Yes." Barasuishou whispered. "Help me stay with Father."

Enju sighed as he fitted the pieces together for a normal doll, putting a pair of silvery gray eyes into the pale porcelain face.

"Father...Father...Father..." Barasuishou's voice echoed through the new shop.

Enju turned toward the full-length mirror behind his bench, and within it stood Barasuishou, smiling at him.

"Barasuishou!" Enju ran to the mirror and kneeled, opening his arms. Barasuishou's smile faded to a look of pain.

"Father...I can't come through the mirror. My body is gone now, so physically, I'm nothing but a Mystica." she closed her eyes and rested her forehead against the inside of the mirror.

"So I'll build you a new body, just like your old one." Enju murmured, caressing the glass over Barasuishou's cheek.

"But Father...I still want to fulfill your dream of creating a doll better than the Rozen Maidens, and part of being better than them is being more clever. Going to them with a body the same as my old one would be very foolish of us."

"So then, what would have me do?"

"Build me a new body exactly the same as that of the real seventh Rozen Maiden, Kirakishou. If I look exactly like her, they won't suspect it's really me."

"But no matter how you look, won't the same thing happen to your body again once you absorb all of their Rosa Mysticas?" Enju asked.

Barasuishou shook her head. "That only happened because I had no Rosa Mystica myself, and now I've corrected that problem." she plunged her hand into her chest and withdrew a Rosa Mystica. "This is the Rosa Mystica I took from the real seventh Maiden. If you combine it with mine and place it in my body, I'll be able to absorb the other six with no problems. Do you understand, Father?"

"Yes." Enju said, kissing Barasuishou's "forehead". "I'm proud of you, Barasuishou. You're my doll."

"Yes, Father." Barasuishou murmured, closing her eyes.

Kirakishou stroked the sleeping Barasuishou's cheek. "I see now why you love your Father so, Bara-chan. He's a generous man who cares very deeply for you. Also, luckily for me, you have him wrapped around your finger." she giggled, a sound that would give a child nightmares.

Enju smiled as he put the finishing touches on the clone body of Kirakishou. It's finished, Barasuishou. What do you think?" he turned, holding the doll out to the mirror where Barasuishou stood waiting.

"It's beautiful, Father. Bring it over here." She gestured towards herself, smiling.

Enju brought the empty doll body forward as Barasuishou had instructed. It glowed softly when it got close to the mirror, as did Barasuishou within.

A mystica dove out of the mirror and into the doll body. The doll began to twitch and jerk, and then stood of her own accord, but kept her head down.

"Well, what do you think, Barasuishou?" Enju asked, picking her up. "How d you feel?"

"Thank you for giving me such a beautiful new body." she whispered, lifting her head and allowing Enju one final look into that solitary golden eye, crazed and hungry and cold, and one final thought, a realization of the mistake he had made. "Foolish, foolish apprentice of Father."

Kirakishou giggled, a high, evil, tinkling sound like the bells of hell. She was finally free. "Oh sisters," she crooned to other Rozen Maidens as though they were in the room with her. "How naïve of you, to think that Barasuishou's downfall was the end and that I would never appear for real." she smirked. "Let the Alice Game begin."

AN: Well, there's that. I have no excuse. Be gentle with the rotten fruit, okay?