The skies darkened as night approached, turning from a crystal sky blue to a deep indigo. The clouds drifted endlessly across their deepening seas. The city below, however, was brightening with the introduction of lights that would illuminate the darkest corners of homes and businesses. All of these events were natural occurrences as the night encroached the cityscape. The ensuing quiet of night, however, was not prepared for what would soon impede its approach.
An explosion of hot rose petals illuminated the sky above a skyscraper, turning the sky a sick violet from their red light. A small red figure darted across the sky, fleeing from a pursuing shadow, also shooting through the air. The duo snapped one direction, then another, the second form never losing its close proximity to the first.
The red form, a small golden-haired girl in a red Victorian dress, looked back at the form behind her. Her blue eyes were narrowed dangerously, and her doll-like face was contorted into a dangerous grimace. "Stop this at once! Stay away from me!" she shouted back.
The other form, a similarly small brown-haired man donned in a gentleman's frock, grinned at the girl he was chasing. The smile was not a warm one; his eyes were narrowed as well, his face twisting in what could only be conceived as "evil." "Come now, Aunt Shinku, surely you don't mean that. Do you not want to say hello to your nephew?"
Shinku dodged straight down, flying straight down the side of a skyscraper. Her pursuer, not expecting such a maneuver, continued flying above the city before doubling back to dive straight towards his prey. As he closed in, Shinku realized how futile it was to run in straight lines in an attempt to escape her predator's gaze. Shinku shifted her flight path to round the corner of the building, so that she was flying down between two close buildings. As expected, her chaser mimicked her movements. Soon the two were continuing to assist gravity by driving straight lines down, abreast the side of a building, mere feet from a second building overhead. Shinku looked back to make sure her pursuer was still behind her, then set her plan into action. Flipping head over heals, Shinku placed her feet on the building beneath her, pushing off to flip her feet onto the building overhead. Her downward rush had completely ended as she pushed off of this building as well, returning to the first building near the corner from which she had arrived. Shinku jumped one last time, dodging past the corner of the building overhead as her pursuer continued to attempt to follow her now-convoluted path. Shinku stuck close to the side of the building and darted straight across it to round the second corner. She stopped as quickly as she could, plastering herself to the side of the building inside a small window. As silent as she could, Shinku recovered her breath and listened intently.
"Aunt Shinku…where did you go?" The sound of fabric in the wind appeared as Shinku's pursuer continued to search for her, closing in on her position. Shinku stopped her breathing, more annoyed by his insistence than through fear.
"Aunt Shinku. Come on out. We both know that the Rozen Maidens are no longer the supreme beings. How ironic that it is, though. Your beloved Jun is my Father. For your dearest to create the very dolls that will be your undoing…that must sting, Aunt Shinku. Surely you feel some sort of anger towards him. Towards us. Towards me. Show me, Aunt Shinku, what a Rozen Maiden can do."
Shinku's brow furrowed, her eyes downcast. She shook her head, her resolve renewed. She was not an inferior doll. She was Shinku, the Fifth Doll of Rozen. She was the remaining powerhouse of the Rozen Maiden, and her honor was not to be pushed aside.
Shinku pounded the brick outlining the window in which she hid. She felt the power stir within her; a foreign power she did not use often. The sound of something whipping the air repeatedly told Shinku that her power was working. As her pursuer cried out in surprise, Shinku grinned. Her tactic had worked.
Shinku floated out of the window and looked about, taking in what she had accomplished. Her would-be predator had been snared by a series of strawberry vines that had magically erupted from the side of the building, entangling his legs, arms, and torso.
Shinku floated up to face her pursuer in person, her eyes taking in his features. "Umbros. Do not underestimate the Rozen Maidens. We have always been, and will always be, the perfect dolls, destined to become the perfect children. Jun's accomplishments are astounding. You and your siblings are amazing works of art. But you are mistaken if you believe that you can defeat me."
Umbros struggled against the vines that held him tight. "You say these things while keeping me at bay with the powers you stole from another doll. You are no better than I."
Umbros' answer came in the form of a hand stretching out and contacting him harshly in the left cheek. Shinku's eyes were dangerous slits in her porcelain face.
"You are not a doll of Rozen. Do not preach to me."
"You are a Rozen Maiden. Show some honor," Umbros spat. "Release me and face me as a fellow doll."
Shinku backed up, her face softened into a frown. "I pity you, Umbros. There is no respite for your anger. At least Suigintou had her love for Father, but you…you have no basis for your hate. Why do you chase the Rozen Maidens so?"
"The Rozen Maidens are inferior beings. I merely intend to prove this by destroying them all."
"And doing that will gain what? Jun's love? A sense of self-worth? Enlighten me, dear nephew." Shinku crossed her arms, watching her captive closely in the dimming light.
"Jun's love? Don't make me laugh," Umbros replied harshly. "My goal is to prove that I am the strongest doll to ever be created. Stronger than the legendary Shinku; stronger than Suigintou; stronger than Dae."
"Dae is not a Rozen Maiden, and you still intend on defeating her to prove an insignificant, invalid point?"
The strawberry vines tightened as Umbros struggled more violently. "Do not belittle my worth! I am not some lesser being! I will show you, Jun, and everyone else that I am the strongest!"
Shinku gasped as Umbros struggled even further, tearing his own clothes in his aggravated attempts. Soon, the vines were at their limits. The longer she stayed there, the more likely it was that Umbros would break free and attack her again. She turned her back to him, her eyes downcast once more, and she freely floated up over the city and up into the clouds. As the clouds converged on her form, Shinku thought of the mirror in the storage closet. The clouds began to glow as a portal appeared in front of her, a blue light engulfing the red-clad doll flying through it. In so many seconds, Shinku had disappeared.
The storage room was dark, as usual. The mirror shone blue for a moment, but as soon as Shinku removed herself from it, the glass cleared up and once again projected the goings on within the room itself. Shinku landed quietly on the wooden floor in front of the mirror and brushed her bangs out of her hair. She straightened her bonnet and walked out of the storage room into the main house hallway.
"Hey, Shinku, there you are." A young man in his early twenties appeared from the living room down the hall and gave Shinku a warm smile. This smile was contagious, as very soon Shinku was smiling warmly back at the man. Her servant, her master, her Medium, Jun Sakurada, was standing in front of her. She never knew despair when she was around him.
"Jun. I was lured to the N-Field by Umbros," Shinku explained. "He chased me down, but I trapped him and escaped. Neither of us was harmed."
"That's good to hear," Jun replied. "The ring had burned for a while, and I was beginning to worry."
Shinku walked with Jun back into the living room. Looking around, Shinku decided to inquire. "Where is Suiseiseki? She's normally tending to the gardens outside at this time."
Jun nodded. "She's spending the evening with Kanaria. I'm surprised she can stand her, honestly, but they seem to get along decently well."
Shinku looked out to the garden, but her eyes did not detect the beautiful flowers in the flowerbed. Instead, she saw the battlefield inside the N-Field where she, Suiseiseki, and Kanaria had tried to defeat Suigintou and Barasuishou. Suiseiseki had not done well against Barasuishou, and Kanaria had been the one to defend her after her defeat. After the battle was over, all of the surviving dolls had obtained a new sense of closeness, including Suigintou.
"You thinking about that day?" Jun asked.
Shinku nodded. "It was a terrible day. But we wouldn't be here if it weren't for you, Jun." The doll looked at her Medium with another warm smile. Jun smiled back.
"Is there any word about the Seventh Doll?" Jun asked.
Shinku shook her head. "It's been six years, but there is still no evidence that the Seventh has awakened. Perhaps we will be destined to sleep again…" Shinku sighed and returned her longing gaze to the garden. It helped her calm her mind when she felt uneasy.
Jun knelt down and lifted Shinku in the way she liked, suspending her body with his forearm. "With Hinaichigo and Souseiseki gone, it would make little sense to force you to sleep again. I'd be willing to bet that Alice will be born before you have to dream again."
Shinku looked up at Jun's handsome adult face and opened her mouth to speak, but the front door interrupted her. The announcement of "I'm home!" sounded through the house. Within the minute, a lithe young woman with startling gray hair appeared in the living room. She had a demure smile on her face as she viewed Jun and Shinku.
"Tomoe, you're back," Shinku observed a bit unnecessarily. Her face fell a little.
"Welcome back." Jun walked over to Tomoe, Shinku still on his arm, and gave Tomoe a small kiss. Shinku looked away, towards the floor.
"Did you find anything out?" Tomoe asked Jun.
Jun shook his head. "No. Shinku did encounter Umbros today, though. He contacted her."
Tomoe crossed her arms in thought. "Why are your dolls hostile towards the Rozen Maiden? It doesn't make much sense to me. They're practically siblings."
Shinku leapt down from Jun's arm and landed daintily on the floor. "Umbros calls me Aunt Shinku. He told me that he intends to prove that he is superior to every other living doll in existence, first by destroying the Rozen Maiden. I do not understand his reasoning, but he is dedicated to this goal."
Jun looked down at Shinku, his eyes sad. "Shinku, if I hadn't created those dolls, you wouldn't have to fight anymore. I'm sorry."
"Don't apologize for something that has already happened, Jun," Shinku replied. "There is nothing we can do. Your dolls, however close to we Rozen Maiden, are still imperfect. Umbros' main imperfection is his ego."
Jun chuckled. "Funny, hearing that from you."
"Don't make me kick you, Jun."
Jun laughed again.
Shinku looked up at Tomoe, this time in a businesslike manner. "I do believe that some ground has been gained today. I believe that, with Holie's help, I can recall Umbros' N-Field. Perhaps we can contact him when we want through the mirror."
Tomoe nodded. "That makes sense." She looked around as if something were missing. "Where is Suiseiseki?"
"She's at Kanaria's," Jun repeated. "Shall we move on to dinner?"