Ruby found herself staring out at the retreating forum of Shiragiku, tugging anxiously at the braid in her hair as conflicting emotions stirred in her gut at the sight of the Pale Village. The time had finally come for them to leave the village and venture forwards, aiming to head towards the village of Mistral as soon as possible, according to Summer Rose.
"Are you okay, Ruby?" Kirakishou's soft tinkling voice whispered in her ears, the small doll clutching her hand in a supportive manner.
She turned away from the village, resuming her walk as she smiled tentatively at the diminutive little Rozen Maiden and nodded her head. They had been holding hands for practically the entire walk out of Shiragiku, and it had become something of a lifeline for her. She knew that it was a bit childish on her part, holding hands with the doll she loved, but she couldn't help it. The look that Kirakishou had sent her way when she first grabbed the doll's hand was enough to cement her choice and warm her heart.
Besides, there was nothing wrong with reminiscing. Holding hands with Kirakishou always made her mind wander, it seemed.
"Yeah, I, um, I guess I'm just a little surprised with how everything went at Shiragiku…"
Kirakishou gave her a coy, knowing smile that had her cheeks warming in response. That hadn't been exactly what she had been talking about, but Ruby supposed that it had been a surprising event for the doll as well. Considering her former nature as an astral being that was hunted by her sisters, Ruby supposed it didn't give her much in the way of time to search for potential suitors.
Let alone become intimate.
Plus the doll had been notably uncertain about her feelings during their coupling. As if she hadn't a clue as to why she was feeling the way she did. Given that she hadn't actually had a physical body Ruby could understand the reason for Kirakishou's innocence. It had become something of a game for Ruby during it to surprise the doll in whichever way she could. It also had the added benefit of hiding her own insecurity, as she had been able to slowly work towards finding an appropriate rhythm for the two of them without fear of embarrassing herself.
But, regardless, Ruby hadn't meant that when she spoke of Shiragiku.
"-You're talking about the acquisition of the other half of the Fall Maiden powers," Summer interjected, halting in her tracks. The two other girls followed suit, stopping in the middle of a long narrow road. Her Mother-turned-doll was frowning, an action that Ruby found herself mirroring.
"Uh-huh," Ruby tentatively answered, feeling a little bad for ruining the mood with her melancholy after Kirakishou had gone so far to steer her mind away from it. "...I'm just worried that there's more to being a Silver-Eyed Maiden then just having weird flame powers. Something about me feels different, compared to before."
"Well, you did only possess one half of the Fall Maiden's power before," Kirakishou reminded her with a thoughtful shrug and a tilt of her head. "It stands to reason that holding the full strength of the Fall Maiden within you would be different, would it not?"
"So it would seem," Summer agreed with the other doll. She seemed to pause, momentarily hesitant, before shaking her head and continuing. "I did notice that you were behaving strangely during the battle at Shiragiku. When you awoke, I could hear the Grimm Wyvern's roar from within the forest. Within moments it was gone, and you were beside me."
Ruby blinked, confused. "...Um…"
"-Which, to say, isn't out of the ordinary," Summer continued on. "You were always fast on your feet as a child, even before you activated your semblance. But that's not what I'm talking about. The way you acted, fighting those creep in the forest as we ran, you took pleasure in slaughtering them. Something that I suspect also occurred when you defeated the Wyvern."
Taken aback, Ruby looked over to Kirakishou, to see that the smaller doll was looking up at Summer in what looked to be as much bewilderment as Ruby herself was feeling at the moment.
It was obvious that Kirakishou was surprised, but there seemed to be an odd intensity hidden behind her eye as she stared at Summer Rose, one that made her heart clench in worry. She had only ever seen that look on Kirakishou when she focused on Yang, or when Kirakishou was speaking about her experiences with the other Rozen Maiden.
She found the words being forced out of her, seemingly desperate to push the conversation along. "So what if I liked it? You weren't there in the village. The Wyvern almost hurt Kira, Mom. So what if I-… if…" she trailed off, grimacing at the tears in her eyes as she sniffled. Kirakishou jolted at the sound, looking away from Summer Rose and moving to wipe her tears away, only for Ruby to yank herself away and out of the doll's grip. "They almost hurt you, Kira! I love you! I love you so damn much. The idea of something happening to you… I can't allow it, and I'll kill anything that tries to hurt you. Gladly. They all have to go, they all have to disappear. They deserve it, for trying to take you away. The damn Wyvern and those stupid creep. They all deserved what happened to them!"
"...Master…" Kirakishou murmured, helplessly lost as she stared at the tears no-doubt running down Ruby's cheeks at the moment, seemingly at a complete loss for words at her sudden emotional outburst. She didn't catch her Mother's expression, but the silence alone was telling enough. Dad had been much the same, whenever she got too emotional. What could be said?
Ruby pushed forward, despite the pain in her heart. "I-I know something's wrong. Ever since I woke up from taking in that half of the Fall Maiden power, I feel different. I-I just… I can feel it. The grimm. All they want to do is destroy. And I want to destroy them. To ruin all they stand for. It's inside every cell, present within every thought. Within them. Within me. They feel so wrong to me. I just can't help but…"
"Retaliate," Summer finished for her, effortlessly reading her thoughts as Ruby confirmed them with a small bob of her head, choking back her tears. "That's, well, unexpected, definitely. I would imagine that awakening and experiencing the thoughts of the Grimm Wyvern as it attacked Kirakishou must have been particularly unpleasant. I'm sorry that you had to go through that, and I can understand how such a feeling could have… provoked you."
Ruby nodded frantically. "It was horrible! It had lived for so long, Mom! Countless villages, just like Shiragiku, had fallen to its might. So many had been slain over the years, on a mere whim! An instinct! It had sensed something was happening at Shiragiku and went to investigate. It could sense me, somehow. But when it found Kira and realised what was happening it just… it snapped. And I snapped alongside it."
"...Thank you, Master," Kirakishou's simple sentence made Ruby's eyes snap to her Rozen Maiden. "Your doll did not know when you would wake, nor did she comprehend the threat that this particular creature represented to our bond. The fact you awoke to save me is a piece of knowledge that I, your doll, shall treasure greatly."
Ruby smiled, forcing back a brief surge of emotion as the image of a fear-filled doll mere seconds away from being torn apart flashed before her eyes, focusing on the smile of her doll in the present, thankful and loving and focused on her and her alone. "Y-You're welcome…"
She had been reminded at that moment that despite how powerful her doll had become, Kirakishou had little experience with the grimm. How could she, after all? What would have happened if she hadn't awoken? How would her doll fare against such a creature?
"Continuing on," Summer spoke up after a polite moment to let the younger girls gather their emotions. "This… empathetic link you possess to the grimm is cause for concern. Coupled with your untrained abilities and Kirakishou's chaotic N-Field leaking out into the surroundings, I worry that it will cause significant strife for us, moving forward."
Ruby's tiny little smile dropped, as she recognised what her Mother was implying. She had been taught in Patch that untrained semblances were as dangerous to a foe as they were to the user. Summer was implying that the same was true for these strange abilities that she had developed, as well as Kirakishou's own powers. Her Rozen Maiden was, of course, her own best teacher and would no doubt learn to control her powers in time, but for Ruby it was a different story entirely.
"Then what do I do?"
Summer gave a small chuckle. "That is simple, Ruby. We need to train."
Ruby perked up considerably. She had been avoiding mentioning it for fear of causing an awkward conversation, but there was no denying that she had been dying to ask for her Mom's help with a lot of problems, up to and including her Silver Eyes.
Her mother had Silver Eyes, after all. She had skirted around the topic for far too long, fearful of provoking her Mother at an already-troubling time. After fleeing Vale and pursuing some unknown agenda, asking about her power had seemed far too much like asking for trouble.
Only, it had caused her unbridled power to surge forth randomly, without restraint. What would happen if her Silver-Eyed Maiden powers activated at a bad time? What would happen if they didn't activate, when Ruby needed them most?
"Please," Ruby breathed. "I don't even know what it's like with just Silver Eyes, let alone how to handle these flames. I'd love all the help I can get! I'll be a good student, too, I promise!"
"Ruby," something in her Mother's tone caught her attention. "I can understand what you're suggesting, but it won't work. Not in this instance. I, specifically, cannot help you with your Silver Eyes."
"What?" Ruby blurted, eyes wide. "Why not?"
"I'm a composite of memories, Ruby," Summer explained gently, a fleeting expression crossing her face for an instant. "None of the memories within me knew of the Silver-Eyed Warriors to such a degree as to provide any worthwhile assistance, let alone anything regarding the topic of Silver-Eyed Maidens. Just meaningless names and titles, mixed with old myths. Even the name of Silver-Eyed Maidens is merely a placeholder to me. I don't even know if that's the real title, Ruby, nor how I learned of it in the first place."
Ruby looked down at the reminder, clenching her fists. That made an awful lot of sense. Even if she wished that it didn't. Kirakishou had already explained to her beforehand just how her revival of Summer Rose worked, though at the time she had been lacking any kind of background knowledge about it to fully comprehend the details.
Now, however, she understood. Kirakishou's N-Field was vast, but it couldn't supply memories from those it didn't hold inside. The Silver-Eyed Warriors and the Maidens were myths. Old myths. It stood to reason that those in the know were few and far between. Combining the two mythical abilities into a Silver-Eyed Maiden would have been an inconceivably rare event.
And as she had realised when speaking to Ozpin and Ironwood, people got weird when speaking about myths and legends.
"Wait, wouldn't that mean that you can't use your eyes?" Ruby clarified. She hadn't seen Summer use her own powers even once during their numerous bouts against the grimm. At first, she hadn't paid much mind to it, but as their battles became numerous it had started to get a bit suspicious.
...Part of her had just thought it had been due to her own superior skills that Summer's own ability wasn't necessary. Oum. Had she been wrong?
"Yes, that's correct."
The ensuing question came immediately, the only thing she could ask that wouldn't end in more tears.
"Then what are we supposed to do?"
Here, it was Kirakishou that answered, and her smile was positively radiant in the face of a dark moment. It was enough to drag Ruby out of her mounting anxiety, just by recognising that Kirakishou had the beginnings of a plan in mind.
"Master, all we need to train you are the proper memories. Thankfully, this topic had been brought up before. Summer believes that an old associate of hers would hold the appropriate memories."
Ruby supposed that made sense, as she looked to Summer and found her Mother nodding along with the doll's words, her lips curled into a thin line. Kirakishou had used the memories of others before, in order to make things easier for them all in the long term. Even the knowledge of Shiragiku's location and subsequent destruction had come from the memories of others. If they were to find someone with the knowledge of Silver-Eyed Warriors, Kirakishou could give it to Summer and it'd solve a whole lot of problems for them all.
It was a good solution to their problem. And, much to her surprise, Summer and Kirakishou had clearly already discussed it some time ago, likely in preparation for their future together. It was oddly heartwarming to know that both dolls were looking out for her well-being, even regarding such intricate details as the powers of Silver-Eyed Warriors and the Maidens.
There was, of course, the issue of actually finding someone who knew about the intricacies of an obscure myth and capturing their memories.
"Oh!" Ruby perked up when a thought came to her, looking at her little blonde doll inquisitively. "Kira, how are you going to take their memories? Are you going to, like, copy them or something?"
Kirakishou gave her a tiny little coy smile as she put her hands behind her back and twirled slightly. "...Whoever knows of Silver-Eyed Warriors may know of the Maidens as well, if we look deep enough. And if we look deep enough, we would likely see that such a person would have lived an interesting life, yes?"
She rolled her eyes. "You want to add them to your N-Field and view their memories that way," she realised rather than accused, hopelessly shaking her head. "Aren't all the people from Vale enough for you?"
Her Rozen Maiden giggled adoringly. "It doesn't work that way, Master. We need the memories, I simply want more than just the memories of Silver-Eyed Warriors. They are curious things, memories, and I have begun to enjoy learning about them following my experiences with Summer. We can even explore them together if you would like?"
Her thoughts flashed back to the duplicate bedroom in Shiragiku shaped like her own bedroom in Patch, that had been conjured up from her memories. Ruby and Kirakishou had conjured up more than a few memories of their own, nestled inside that memorable room together.
What would it be like, to kiss her doll within the memories of another? How many beautiful moments were out there, waiting to be explored?
"...Well, someone's clearly interested," Summer commented aloud, completely ruining the moment with an unabashed fox-like smile.
She blushed, glancing at her teasing Mother who'd once again read her like a book, and squeaked out a tiny acquiescence. "O-Okay…"
"Though, a doll cannot help but feel some degree of curiosity," Kirakishou continued, garnering Ruby's attention as she turned towards Summer Rose to continue speaking, "who exactly is this associate of yours? You never did tell me during our conversations."
Summer gave a brief, tiny frown, looking down. Eventually, however, she breathed a steadying breath and gave a calm answer. "Raven Branwen."
And it was a name that Ruby had heard before. Many times, in fact.
"...I can't believe you decided to do something so reckless without consulting me."
"Reckless?! You were there! You heard what Laplace said."
Suigintou watched the byplay with amusement flickering within her eyes, as the mother hen bickered with her rebellious daughter. A tale as old as time, really.
Her chosen medium, Yang Xiao-Long, had been arguing with her Mother, Raven Branwen, ever since Suigintou had first stepped into reality. The bandit leader, and hadn't that been a surprise to hear her medium was part of a group of bandits, had been less than pleased about a supposed enemy incursion into their silly little camp-site. As it would appear, Laplace-no-ma had left quite the impression on this ragtag bunch.
"So, what, you just listen to the first words some mysterious creature speaks to you, Yang? You couldn't possibly know if it's giving you the full picture, or even something approaching the truth."
A good point by Raven, Suigintou conceded. Laplace-no-ma was not the type of figure with which one used terms such as 'truth' and 'lie' with any degree of accuracy. Only the narrative existed for Laplace-no-ma. Everything else was irrelevant, to be edited or removed if deemed unsuitable.
"So what? Who cares what Laplace says! If I'm going to stop Kirakishou then I can't do this alone. Having a Rozen Maiden on my side is going to help."
Stop Kirakishou. She almost failed in stopping a snort of incredulous laughter from escaping her at what most would deem an inopportune moment. Stopping that pest would take a lot more than a woman scorned and some filthy bandits armed with stolen goods. Especially if the youngest Rozen Maiden was acting outside of the norm, supposedly taking a human lover of all things. There was no telling what a girl like Kirakishou would do, nor how the Master of the Seventh Doll would act. Yang had said that this 'Ruby' had grown rather possessive of Kirakishou, so the girl just had to have more than a few screws loose, so to speak.
An utter fool as well, to love a doll like that. Only the foolish and the crazy would love a doll, after all.
"Yang. You know that the tribe will help you," Raven said, much to the apparent shock of her medium who stilled quite noticeably at the statement. "What? You're surprised? Like it or not, you're Branwen tribe just like the rest of us. We look out for her own."
Yang snapped herself out of her funk with a shake of her head, looking up at her Mother with wide eyes as if she couldn't believe what she was hearing. "You'd really help me?"
Suigintou rolled her eyes, crossing her arms and looking away. It was obvious that this 'Raven' figure cared deeply for her medium. Why else would she have started this stupid argument in the first place if she didn't care about Yang? Humans were such oblivious creatures, unable to realise such blatant displays for what they truly were. Her Master was much the same, a demented little girl unable to recognise the pain in her Father's eyes every time he saw her, choosing instead to confide herself with a doll in the hope of escaping her own perceived torment.
Megu… You foolish little girl… Where are you? Why didn't you come back to me when Kirakishou shattered?
"Of course," Raven said, before jutting towards Suigintou. "She, however, she could easily be playing us, just like Laplace."
Suigintou didn't allow her medium to speak on her behalf, snorting quite loudly and stepping forward. "Me?" she spoke up. "Well, of course, I have my own reasons for choosing to partner with your daughter. I'm not going to hide it, that's the truth of the matter. I found that Yang was suitable to contract with, so I contracted with her. The deed is done, and the proof is in the ring that Yang now wears. Choose to disbelieve me all you want, but in the end, I am connected with Yang. Trust that."
True enough, a Rozen Maiden contract ring had manifested itself upon Yang's ring finger, proof that the powers with which govern Rozen Maiden worked in this world the same as the last.
"And for what reasons did you choose Yang?"
Suigintou narrowed her eyes and flared her wings, Meimei buzzing around her anxiously. The two Branwen members eyed the artificial spirit with some degree of trepidation, likely having never witnessed such a creature before.
"I have no reason to voice such things to you. Yang is already aware of them."
Raven did not respond, but her stance did tighten.
"Please!" Yang interjected before things could go further. "We're not getting anywhere by fighting. Mom, I've made my decision to partner up with Suigintou. Whether I trust her or not doesn't matter, because I trust her reason for wanting to fight Kirakishou. Can we just let matters slide for now and focus on what's actually important?"
The dark-haired woman reared back, looking surprised, before smirking. "Hah. There it is. That Branwen fire. I knew you were one of us, Yang," Raven complemented, much to Yang's visible confusion. "Very well then. I don't trust her, not in the slightest, but I trust your judgement in the matter. If you can vouch for her, then we're clear. We can move on."
And just like that, whatever tension that was in the air, meager as it was to a Rozen Maiden such as herself, dissipated almost immediately now that the three had found solid ground.
"Good…" Yang confirmed after a moment, some kind of emotion shining within her tear-stained eyes. Gratitude? Belonging? Suigintou wasn't sure. "Now. Back to it. As you can see by the ring, I've contracted with Suigintou and we've agreed to participate in the Alice Game and save Ruby."
Raven glanced at the contract ring on Yang's finger distastefully, before tearing her gaze away and nodding slowly towards Yang. "Yes. I see."
"Rozen Maiden are contracted using these rings," Suigintou explained aloud for the two. "Each Rozen Maiden has their own unique ring. Those contracted to a Rozen Maiden must wear their ring at all times. You will find yourself unable to remove it."
Yang shifted, tugging at the ring and frowning. "...Right. Are all other, er, Masters, unable to remove their rings or is it just a 'you' thing?"
Suigintou chuckled. As if she was that possessive. "It is the same for all."
"Then," Raven interjected, "we have a way of identifying those bound to Rozen Maiden, through the sight of rings they cannot remove. Are they always bound to the left-hand ring finger?"
Suigintou nodded.
"...Should make it easier to identify, yes," Yang grunted, looking away. "Rubes wore that damn ring everywhere she went. And here I thought she was just being sentimental. Psh. Shows how much I knew."
"You had no way of knowing," Suigintou dismissed the notion with a wave of her hand. "Don't bother blaming yourself for something you couldn't fix. You'll drive yourself mad."
Judging by the inquisitive look that Raven sent her, it was clear that the bandit leader was something of a good study, having clearly recognised that Suigintou was speaking from experience. Damn it all. She would have to be more cautious with her words when speaking around Raven.
Yang had also picked up on what was implied, as was her intent of course, but she hadn't even bothered to consider the Mother. A foolish oversight on her part.
"...Thanks," Yang muttered, before shaking her head. "Rubes was the only one I saw wearing a ring like that. Was the talk of the school for a while, with everyone thinking that Rubes was married or something. So, we can rule out practically everyone at Beacon Academy."
"Relying on mere schoolyard gossip doesn't make for good intelligence," Raven chided her. "However, in this case, I can agree. The ring is easily noticeable and would have been discussed by peers."
"We also have the factor of time to consider," Suigintou supplied. "Laplace could easily have visited any remaining students after you had left Beacon Academy following Kirakishou's release of her N-Field. They could easily have been contracted by this point."
Yang groaned. "...So, what you're both saying is that it's essentially a wild goose chase? Anyone can be contracted?"
Recognising the metaphor for what it was, Suigintou nodded. "Well, yes. However, I know of a way to figure it out."
Her chosen Medium blinked, surprised. "How?"
Suigintou smirked, calling on Meimei once again as the artificial spirit flew to her outstretched hand. "Easy. We use the N-Field."
Judging by the trepidation present on the Branwen women's faces, they had some manner of experience with the N-Field. Or, more than likely, Yang herself had experienced the N-Field and recounted the experience to Raven.
"What about it? It's in Vale."
"Ah. No," Suigintou wagged a finger. "Kirakishou's N-Field is in Vale. Her own unique N-Field. Each Rozen Maiden possesses their own unique section of the N-Field as a whole, while others are able to connect to the N-Field in their dreams. It's more of a global thing, really."
"Global?"
Suigintou sighed. She was going to have to dumb it down a little. Nothing unexpected, of course, as her medium had been supplied with a vast amount of exposition regarding the Rozen Maiden recently. It stood to reason that eventually she'd have trouble comprehending that which was commonplace to a doll like Suigintou herself.
"Think of it like you people consider real estate," Suigintou explained, having explained similar to her former Master long ago. "Rozen Maiden possess substantial property, but the land itself is much larger than the property itself. Everyone can visit the land when they sleep, but only the property owners have any real control over the place."
She almost laughed at the sheer idea of Kirakishou possessing the entire N-Field on her own, before quickly sobering as she thought about it. The youngest Rozen Maiden had been given almost complete control over the N-Field through sheer study alone, able to accomplish feats far beyond any of the other Rozen Maiden dolls. Suigintou understood, however, that this was due to the youngest having been confined in the N-Field for the majority of her existence. Without a body, having to learn how to survive and thrive in the N-Field had been both a necessity and sole activity for the doll.
She wondered if it had been this solitude that had driven the doll mad in the first place.
Not that she cared, of course. But, still, she was rather curious.
"When they sleep…" Yang muttered to herself, frowning.
Raising a brow, Suigintou asked the obvious question. "Something on your mind?"
"Just… back before everything happened… Rubes would sleepover in Kirakishou's room a lot. I used to think it was weird, because she's, like, crazily uncomfortable around people. Even if their relationship was coming off a bit fast, I still found it strange that would decide to sleep over so often."
Raven grunted. "Good instincts."
Instead of voicing her opinion immediately, Suigintou rolled her eyes. It was pretty obvious what had happened. "Most likely, Kirakishou had been connecting with the girl who would become her Master far before the contract was initialised. Her primary strength stems from her skill in manipulating the N-Field, with enough time and effort, she could do practically anything when inside it. When they forged a contract, Kirakishou's influence over your sister grew stronger."
Yang grimaced, likely facing the grimm reality that her baby sister had been manipulated by Kirakishou for much longer than the girl previously realised. Though, privately, Suigintou believed that Yang was putting far too much faith into her younger sister. Kirakishou had likely chosen her for a reason, the two being compatible in some way.
It was this compatibility that would be the issue. Suigintou was sure of it.
"So, clearly, if we are to face Kirakishou at some point in the future, we will need to deprive her of this strength. This 'N-Field'," Raven stated thoughtfully. "Her connection with Ruby Rose is another issue. Attacking one may enrage the other," she glanced over to Yang. "It's happened before."
The blonde brawler looked down, clenching her fists as painful memories stirred in her mind. "...Yeah."
Suigintou, however, merely smiled. "Ah, but there are more ways to fight than through fist or steel. The N-Field opens up… other opportunities. Opportunities which may accomplish both of our goals."
Shinku sipped her tea, sampling the flavour of a particular Atlesian blend which she had taken a liking to after first being offered the flavour.
"Exceptional work," she remarked. "You could stand to learn a few things from dear Klein, Jun. Each and every piece has been an utter joy to behold. I am completely in awe."
"You have my sincerest thanks, Miss," Klein bowed, a bright smile on his face as he departed from the room. Shinku frowned at his retreating form. The man, despite his eccentricities and his talent as a barista, had clearly taken news of this 'Vale Incident' quite severely. It would seem that a great deal of people in this Manor had been hit hard by Kirakishou's recent development. Klein, for all of his smiles and brilliant brewing, could not hide from her. She decided to allocate time in the future to speak with the man, in thanks for his services.
"Can we get back on track, now that we're all sorted?" an impatient Jun grumpily requested, arms folded as he sat on a couch beside Suiseiseki and Souseiseki.
Blake Belladonna and Weiss Schnee were seated on separate recliners, their eyes occasionally shifting whenever one of the various dolls would move and display a jointed limb or artificial feature. They were quite tense, by the looks of things.
"That would be for the best," Weiss agreed with a nod, extending an olive branch in the conversation as her eyes darted out towards a nearby door. "Anything is preferable than attending another of Father's little events."
"Oh, I wouldn't think it was that bad," Blake disagreed with a teasing lilt to her voice. "At least you didn't have to sing. I remember you being so worried about having to attend to so many people before I talked Jacques out of it."
Weiss huffed, cheeks red as she looked away. "You don't know him like I do, Blake. He only allowed you to talk him out of it because it makes him look good," she muttered, to the apparent disbelief of her black-haired partner.
Shinku felt like if she didn't speak up, then the two teenagers would be more than comfortable in forgetting the dolls entirely in favour of focusing on themselves. It was clear they possessed quite the connection to each other.
Which, considering they had been around her younger sister for a prolonged period of time, was rather troubling. She would need to investigate at a later date. For now, however, it served as a useful tool to ease the two into accepting their presence.
"You two are really close," Suiseiseki spoke up, her voice cutting through the two huntresses' conversation like a particularly blunt instrument.
Although, it seemed to have the desired effect. Perhaps Suiseiseki had also noticed their apparent dismissal. Though Shinku doubted that Suiseiseki was doing it out of the goodness of her heart. She tended to be rather caustic to anybody outside their little 'group'. It was just a phase, however. It would pass in time.
"Yes, well," Weiss spluttered, before shaking her head. "Sorry. I shouldn't have ignored you all," she turned her blue-eyed gaze towards the other human of the group. "Jun, was it? You were speaking about the Alice Game?"
The young boy scratched his arm as all eyes turned to him, a telltale sign of social anxiety that the dolls had noticed and attempted to fix numerous times, yet still continued to persist to this very day.
"Er, yes," Jun started. "I wanted to ask you both a serious question. And I cannot stress enough the significance of answering truthfully. Do you understand?"
Shinku found herself idly aware of the two huntresses looking at each other, no doubt searching for some inner strength to be found in their camaraderie, but her own attention remained solely affixed on her chosen Master. Sakurada Jun was maturing into a strong young man, who at first she had believed would have no need for dolls.
Instead, he had taken the dolls into himself and together they had all forged a life together.
He pushed and pushed and pushed ever forward, despite how much the world continued to turn against him. Even here, in this fragment of a fragmented remnant of a world, he continued to push against the machinations of others.
Sakurada Jun was a fine Master.
"...Please," Weiss spoke after a moment, "ask your question. We will answer."
"Have you, at any point in time, received a letter asking the following phrases; Will you Wind? or Will you not wind?"
Ah. So, that was where he was going with this. The very same letter with which Laplace had once used to introduce Jun into the Alice Game. Jun was right to suspect its involvement.
If either of the two girls, Blake Belladonna or Weiss Schnee, were to become Masters of the missing Hinaichigo, Kanaria, or Suigintou, then it would cause a fair amount of strife with their missing team leader.
Kirakishou, following her spurned attempt to bond with Sakurada Jun, would no doubt become fiercely protective of her chosen Master. A trait which, as Shinku understood it, had become shared between Master and Rozen Maiden.
She doubted that such a thing had occurred naturally. It was more than likely that Kirakishou had fostered the emotion in her Master, whether it be out of a misplaced love or out of a simple desire to possess a Master that would not turn away her ring.
It was an odd development to be certain, as the Seventh Rozen Maiden had originally appeared more interested in collecting Masters to seal within her N-Field as a type of nourishment. Something about this Master, Ruby Rose, had changed Kirakishou's behaviour.
Was it their relationship? Love was a powerful motivator, as many of her former Masters could attest to over the years.
"...No," Blake answered, and it took Shinku a moment in order to recollect herself and return to the topic at hand. Contracts. "I've never had any… letter like that. Is it important?"
Rather than answer, Jun's eyes merely shifted towards Weiss, who shifted uncomfortably at the attention.
"N-No… But… why does the mere mention of that cause me to…"
"Shiver," both huntresses finished together, looking at each other in mutual parts surprise.
Jun raised a brow, momentarily surprised, before grimacing and looking away. "...The Alice Game is not meant for here," he explained in a rush. "Just like with the other Jun, you may be experiencing a resistance of some sort, as the world rebels against the Alice Game."
Shinku nodded along, seeing the truth behind his words. Following their previous incident with the alternate Sakurada Jun in the unwound world, she could attest to his description to a significant degree. The memories experienced by the Shinku duplicate built in the unwound world had transferred over to Shinku herself upon her revival, allowing her to experience the resistance of the unwound world as it rebelled against her duplicate Rozen Maiden body.
Her duplicate body had lasted a mere lunar cycle before complete and utter destruction.
As for this world, Kirakishou may be experiencing a similar effect, or she may not. After all, there is (as to their knowledge) no other copy of Kirakishou in any other world, as Laplace would not have brought them to Remnant to fight a mere duplicate of Kirakishou.
Or, even if she was not, her immense strength would no doubt be more than enough to combat any potential failing of whichever Rozen Maiden body she was currently possessing.
Which led to another issue.
Jun had not spoken about it to Weiss and Blake, as she believed he did not wish to assail the poor girls of a gruesome part of the Rozen Maiden's history, but there was a significant chance that Kirakishou was currently in possession of a Rozen Maiden body harvested from one of their missing sisters. The other dolls, as of yet, did not realise this potential issue. But it was only a matter of time.
"...Other Jun?" Weiss breathed out, looking to her partner for support and finding mutual confusion.
"Yes. A time ago, Kirakishou, in her quest to find a Master, bridged the gap between two choices and bound them together. 'Will you wind?' and 'Will you not wind?'. I had chosen to wind and receive a doll, while Kirakishou aimed to manipulate the version of me that chose not to."
The unwound Sakurada Jun… he had been a troubled young adult, but he had ventured out and seen the world anew. He hadn't deserved to suffer under Kirakishou's machinations any more than any of her other victims. And, yet, even though the suffering inflicted upon him by the Seventh Rozen Maiden, the unwound Sakurada Jun had flourished and become his own man.
If she continued to look upon her Sakurada Jun, the one who chose to wind her, would Shinku see a similar sight? She looked forward to finding out. To seeing his smile. He deserved to smile, instead of being forced to partake in the Alice Game time and time again.
She wanted to see him smile.
"..Jun," she breathed, grabbing his attention. The boy shot him a look at the emotion she had inadvertently summoned in her voice, but Shinku continued onwards uninterrupted, "They weren't asking for the specifics. They were surprised at the mention of alternate realities and implications such an idea may bring."
Jun looked to the two teenage girls, seeing their widened eyes and the fear that lay within them, and only then did he see. Blake Belladonna and Weiss Schnee had believed the Rozen Maiden to be within their concept of reality, an internal problem, when in truth she had been something the likes of which they had never seen before.
Nobody, in this reality, had ever seen Rozen Maiden before. Not until Kirakishou changed the game.
...And, yet…
"She's not- You're all not-" Blake's frantic eyes snapped towards each of them in an accusatory manner, looking like how one would were they to gaze upon a monster or some-such nonsense.
"Correct, we are from another world. What's the problem?" Suiseiseki harrumphed, clearly taking some manner of agitation with the way the girls were looking at Jun, were her harsh tone of any indication. Of note, was how the green-dressed gardener was clutching onto the younger boy tightly, as if he were some fragile object.
That part, she internally mused, was true to some degree. Albeit, likely not to the degree that Suiseiseki believed. Though, Shinku supposed that Suiseiseki wouldn't be a gardener if she didn't care.
"...It's just a little bit hard to take in," Weiss managed, looking at the dolls with some degree of resignation. "Dealing with Kirakishou has been revelation after revelation, somehow each topping the last. I had hoped to be done with the surprises once I returned to Atlas alongside Blake, and then you all came in and interrupted my date, spewing all of this nonsense on our laps."
"D-Date?" Blake squeaked, blushing, as several sets of eyes turned to her. Eventually, the faunus sighed with crimson cheeks and scowled at her apparently quite amused white-haired paramour. "...Oh, shut up."
"You're saying it wasn't?" Weiss asked, seemingly amused by the odd turn of events. Shinku smiled at the byplay. It was good to see the two girls relaxing around them, even if their interaction had clearly been born out of a necessity to ground themselves after witnessing increasingly strange revelations.
The faunus frowned, her feline ears lulling in tune with her emotions. There was a fierce blush on her cheeks, highlighting her embarrassment. "Of course it was, I just didn't want to mention it around, um," she vaguely gestured in Jun's direction, supposedly concerned for his pure heart.
Jun coloured significantly but refused to comment on the matter, instead seemingly deciding to return to the task at hand. "I can understand that the concept of alternate realities is rather difficult to wrap your head around at first, I was much the same when I first heard it after all. But, as far as I understand it, outside of Rozen Maiden there aren't any that are able to bridge the gap between realities."
"Excluding Laplace-no-ma of course," Shinku added politely, choosing not to withhold their own method of transport into the world of Remnant.
"Yes, of course," Jun nodded distractedly. "As I was saying, were it not for the intervention of a particular Rozen Maiden, multiple realities would not communicate or interconnect in such a manner."
"Right," Blake nodded slowly, glancing over at Weiss who appeared to be at the same level of understanding as to the raven-haired faunus herself. "So, essentially, you're saying to treat it as just another piece of backstory for the Rozen Maiden, not some world-shattering revelation?"
"That's how I get by at least," Jun murmured, shaking his head.
Shinku eyed her chosen Master critically, recognising that he was just about reaching the end of his endurance for conversation.
"We may be from an alternate reality," Shinku spoke up, drawing the attention of the group, "however, I assure you that any complications that arise as a result of our separate reality shall be explained as necessary. We understand that the situation with your team leader is particularly delicate, and will ensure to do the best we can to save her from Kirakishou."
Suiseiseki and Souseiseki nodded along with her words, the twin dolls having uniquely experienced the effects of Kirakishou's presence in their own separate ways.
"Shinku is right," Suiseiseki spoke up for the first time outside random quips. A sign of her growing interest in the group, no doubt. "Kirakishou is a mean piece of work, yes, but we Rozen Maiden have ways of reaching out that you humans and faunus do not."
Nodding along with Suiseiseki's speech, Shinku was about to respond when a sudden tremor in the N-Field caught her attention. Suiseiseki and Souseiseki noticeably froze, their eyes darting around in search.
"W-What's going on?" Blake spoke up, eyes wide and feline ears perked up. Had she noticed their distress?
"...Something just happened," Jun answered, looking meaningfully at the gardener twins. "Something involving the N-Field, by the looks of it."
"The N-Field?" Weiss asked, crinkling her brow in bewilderment. Her eyes flickered off in the direction of the gala. "Is something happening in Vale? Can you sense it?"
"It's not Kirakishou's N-Field," Shinku spoke up, correctly connecting Weiss's description of 'Vale' as being Kirakishou's domain and, subsequently, her N-Field. "This feels different. Familiar, almost."
"Hinaichigo?" Jun guessed, before quickly supplying Weiss and Blake with the necessary information. "She's another Rozen Maiden. She was defeated by Kirakishou, but we have reason to believe that Laplace had brought her over to begin the Alice Game once again. She's no threat, just a silly child."
"It's not her…" Suiseiseki muttered, before perking up. "It's-"
Feathers.
A mass of feathers had impacted a nearby window, quickly growing in amount and consistency as more and more of the discarded inky plumage flooded the stained glass.
Weiss jumped out of her chair, quickly springing to action alongside Blake as the two huntresses reacted quickly to a perceived threat. A shining white glyph manifested in the space behind Weiss Schnee, the 'semblance' that the girl spoke about, no doubt.
Suiseiseki and Souseiseki reacted quickly, the eldest twin sister fearfully clutching her Master tightly, while the youngest manifested her shears in a brilliant display of light and stood protectively in front of Sakurada Jun. With the rules of the world making themselves apparent, Souseiseki's scissors were made all the more threatening by their heightened size.
Meanwhile, Shinku merely stepped out of her seat, rose petals casually dancing behind her periphery.
The two huntresses eyed the mutual displays of unknown power warily, yet seemed to disregard the need for information in favour of focusing upon the mass of feathers currently invading the room.
And it was made readily apparent that the mass had grown considerably, stretching over multiple windows until the room was drowned in black, illuminated only by the dim blue decorative electrical lanterns that littered the Schnee manor.
"...Come on out, Sister," Shinku spoke aloud, stepping forward and ahead of the group to face the threat head-on. "Or, are you too afraid to even show yourself?"
A mop of silver hair sprung forth from the mass almost immediately, followed quickly by glaring crimson eyes.
"You always did know exactly what to say to annoy me, dear Shinku…"
Kirakishou paused momentarily, her grip on Ruby's hand tightening ever so slightly. Her beloved red rose maiden shifted in her sleep, unconsciously registering Kirakishou's distress and seeking to comfort her. Even as Ruby's mind lay flourishing within the vine-laden garden of white roses cultivated by her N-Field, her body continued to support her. Was this what people called the soul? The heart? Love?
She wanted to believe it was love. Her Master loved her very much, after all. She had said so, numerous times. Miracles such as this should be possible. Or, if Ruby desired, she would make them possible, just to see her smile.
And, yet, as her Master lay comfortably sleeping, Kirakishou knew what had occurred for Ruby to sense her apparent distress. She could sense what her Master could yet not fully ascertain.
Something had happened.
The N-Field, the greater N-Field, was stirring. Moving where it should not. Shifting when it should be still. Edges outside her own slithered and moved about, rubbing against the confines of her grove, probing for weakness. The tentative connection of a sister, seeking and scuttling about where it should not be possible.
They were here.
The Rozen Maiden.
Her sisters.
Suigintou. Kanaria. Suiseiseki. Souseiseki. Shinku. Even potentially little Hinaichigo.
One of them. All of them. Anywhere in between. It was all possible, where it should not be possible.
The Alice Game was beginning again. And so very soon. It had been mere months since her beloved Palace of Beginnings had first manifested on the physical plane, and already the wheels of the Alice Game were beginning to turn.
...She didn't want to play with the other dolls right now, but Laplace kept forcing the issue. Now, they were here. Intruding.
Remnant was hers because it held the memories of her beloved Master, Ruby Rose. She existed in this world, where she did not exist in others. Ruby Rose was forged by her experiences within Remnant. The Rozen Maiden did not belong.
Already the world had begun to push against her. Those people, those specialists from Atlas, had dared venture into her N-Field and had subsequently been lost to the world. However, it would only be a matter of time until the collective hearts of those seeking their missing members overcame her garden's tentative hold on their identities. They were not of the N-Field, and, subsequently, their very selves belonged to this world, this Remnant. She had bought precious time before the world discovered that several individuals were missing from memory.
In a way, Kirakishou found herself sharing a similar experience as the missing specialists. She did not belong in this world. Not really. But, Ruby Rose had accepted her anyway. They had forged a contract and become lovers. However, the fact remained that the Rozen Maiden did not belong within the world of Remnant. This strange world that would see fit to force her to grow so big and walk with humans and faunus, to allow her to find romance inside the heart of its Silver-Eyed Maiden.
Ruby Rose was hers. Hers and hers alone. And Kirakishou knew, without a doubt, that Laplace's arrival and involvement indicated that the creature would be attempting to force the Alice Game to begin again. She had known this, disclosed of this, with her beloved Master. But, Kirakishou had not anticipated that it would be occurring so quickly after she had found her love.
Was it too much to ask for some time to experience her beloved, before they were forced to put away the dolls once again? She wanted to continue playing with Ruby, over and over again. To touch and taste and feel and listen to her burbling little giggles and watch as her eyes softened when they glanced at her own. To feel the bliss of acceptance, by the one person who could truly understand her.
And the Rozen Maiden had ruined it.
They had ruined everything.
Ruined ruined ruined.
Why did they have to take everything from her? Why did they not understand her? Why did they try to hurt her, to destroy all of her plans? Why did everything have to just push at-
Ruby's hand shifted against her own. An unconscious movement at the most. The young trainee huntress shifted a lot during her sleep, as Kirakishou had quickly discovered during their romance. And, yet, as simple as the movement was to her senses, it was enough to calm her.
Yes, she smiled, nuzzling against Ruby's body as she allowed her body to close its eye. Thank you, Ruby Rose. You're always there for me, even as you rest. Sleep, now, rest inside my garden, and know that I shall take care of everything.
A/N:
Another chapter done! I enjoyed this chapter immensely. Lots of plot development interlaced with character interaction and bonding. Ruby Rose is a joy to write, as she's received so much attention in the story that writing her is akin to second nature nowadays. With the power of the Silver-Eyed Maiden, however, things have begun to change for her. We all just read her emotional outburst, after all. It most certainly won't be the last.
Suigintou internally monologuing and mocking everyone, meanwhile, was a different slice of cake entirely. I can see why people like her as a character. For all those Suigintou fans out there, I hope I did her justice with that scene. Please, let me know what you thought. Writing the Rozen Maiden, at least those outside Kirakishou herself, is something of a new prospect for me.
Writing Shinku is interesting, as well. She's a very noble doll, with a big heart. Now that both Suigintou and Shinku are together alongside Jun, Yang, the -suiseki twins, Weiss, and Blake... who knows what will happen? Kirakishou has noticed, in her own way. It's only a matter of time now.
Be sure to let me know how this chapter went for all of you, yes? Until next time!