-Lillian pov-
It was very quiet. The pink doll was sat on Alice's box holding the teddy bear. She swung her legs like a kid would and looked up at the walls and ceiling. It was getting very awkward and the silence was becoming unbearable for me… I was also really worried for Alice. I checked my phone clock for what felt like the one hundredth time. It had been two hours since I put Alice in her box.
"Where's Jun-kun?" the pink doll finally said
"Who?" I replied a little confused
"We're in Jun's house. This is the same house we lived in for the last Alice game." She said cheerfully. I sat there speechless. I had no idea how to answer something like this.
"Ok… I'm not following. For starters who's Jun and secondly what on earth is an Alice game?"
"The Alice game is how Alice was made." I started at her still bewildered "Originally there were seven dolls made by a man called Rozen, we call him father, in his attempt to make Alice, his perfect doll. He decided the best way to find the perfect one would be to have the sisters fight amongst each other until one was left. She would be pronounced as Alice and would therefore win the Alice game thus becoming Alice." She made it sound so easy to digest… but really it was a horrible thought. A father making his seven daughters fight each other just to make something he considered perfect just sounded nuts. It was bad enough for me when me and my parents fight, I can't imagine having to fight and maybe kill all my sisters!
"So… you get woken up… and then you fight… am I following?"
"Yes. But we need humans to wake us up and give us energy."
"Wait, wait, wait." I interrupted "so Alice has been taking me energy?" The small doll held up my hands and looked along all my fingers.
"Nope"
"Huh?"
"You never made a contract with her so she hasn't been taking your energy."
"A contract?"
-Laplace's demon pov-
"I do apologize for Lillian's lack of knowledge but she hasn't been part of the Rozen maiden universe for long and Hinaichigo does have a rather interesting way of explaining these things... I promise we'll get back to her main story soon. While Hinaichigo is explaining why don't we check in on Barasuishou and Souseiseki hm?"
-Barasuishou pov-
We had been talking in the darkness for a long time. I didn't have much to say but she had a lot of stories about her sisters. They were fascinating. When Enju had entered me into the Alice game I never got a chance to meet any of these dolls. I never got to see their characters when they weren't fighting. I'd always assumed Hinaichigo and Kanaria were the weakest individuals. Turns out they were stronger than I thought. I never knew Hinaichigo had been abandoned and Kanaria was incredibly smart when she used her mind in the right way. Shinku who I considered my rival was incredibly kind and cared deeply for all her sisters. I had a deep feeling of regret. I never meant to make any of them suffer or hurt, I never meant to make their masters upset. I just wanted to make Enju happy. I never realized what kind of pain I could have been causing. Souseiseki herself seemed to be far more mature than I had ever given her credit for.
"So what do you do when you're not fighting?" she asked me
"I… um…" I sat there thinking. Enju had never really let me leave the shop apart from to fight. "I… I sometimes go into the N-field for a while" I said quickly. I tried to think of something else to say. I kept opening and closing my mouth like a goldfish.
"When we get out of here…" Souseiseki said slowly "would you like to spend some time with us?" I stared at her for a short while I could feel my eyes filling with tears but… I knew this couldn't happen. They would never forgive me for the things I'd done to them all. Especially not Suigintou and Shinku. I looked away from the doll I had started to think of as a friend. But when I looked up to give her my answer, she had disappeared taking the cape she had leant me with her.
So I was once again l'm left in the darkness alone with my fears and thoughts.
-Hinaichigos pov-
The silence had been so thick you could have cut at it with a knife. Enju had put Barasuishou down on the ground propped up by the special crystals. I had let go of father and ran out the room. I could hear father calling behind me pleading for me to come back. I had passed an entrance to the N-field while I was walking round. I skidded as I turned the corner of the long hallway and nearly ran into Souseiseki.
"Laplace's demon is waiting for you in the N-field. Alice has ejected me and is likely to eject either Suiseiseki or Kanaria next." Souseiseki said quickly as she grabbed my shoulders to steady me
"I'm going to help" I said tearilly
"I know" she replied gently "but are you sure you're up for it? This is a really really important job."
"I can do it… Hina knows she can do it…"
"Ok…" Souseisuki suddenly felt up her sleeve "what the…" and produced a key
"Whos is that?" I asked
"I don't know… but we don't have time to work this out. Hurry" Souseiseki nearly threw me through the portal where I was caught by Laplace's demon who took me to the door where Alice was.
-Lillian's pov-
After a long explanation I finally felt like I understood what the small pink doll meant. She explained not only about the Alice game but also apparently this house was the same house an old master of hers- Jun Sakurada- had lived a long time ago. Just when I thought I had understood it all I suddenly remembered something. I grabbed my bag that had been lying by my bed and riffled around until I found a piece of paper listing my teachers names for parents evening in it (oh yeah I should probably have given this to my parents). I scrolled down the seemingly endless list of names until I found the one I was looking for.
"You said Jun had a sister right? Nori?"
"Yes that's right" the pink doll replied "why?"
"Well… I know Nori"
"You do you do?" the small pink doll sprang off the box and bounded up to me "wait… how?"
"She's one of my teachers. Actually she's my homeroom teacher!"
"Really?!" said the excitable small doll
"Yep. Parents evening is tomorrow night so if you want to come with me you'll have to sneak in my bag"
"Wait, you'd actually let me sneak in with you?"
"Well I want some answers about all this. If I can convince Sakurada-sensei to bring in her brother then we might get some"
"Or you could come with me to see Rozen" the small doll said cautiously. I looked at her stunned. If I had known I could have just gone to see him she could have saved me all this confusion!
"I don't believe that would be wise" a voice came from the mirror, but no-one was there "I'm guessing you can hear me"
"ye-yes we can hear you" I replied. I was shocked but honestly how I wasn't used to this by now was beyond me.
"Good. I am one of the seven Rozen maidens, Souseiseki. I can see you've already met my sister Hinaichigo." I looked to the small pink doll and back to the mirror
"How can you see us when we can't see you?"
"I can't explain that right now there just isn't time. Take Alice to Jun. Shinku was once in a similar state. He should be able to help you. But be careful she is in a delicate state and could reject another Rosa mystica at any moment!"
"O- ok!"
"Souseiseki! Is father ok?" Hinaichigo asked
"I'm fine I'm right here" a man replied
"Thank goodness" Hinaichigo sighed
"What should I do with her now?" I asked quickly
"Keep her in her box. Alice may be perfect but she is also very fragile. Keep her safe until you see Jun" he replied "In the meantime Laplace's demon will be with you to help."
"Laplace's de… oh the bunny man!"
"Yes… I guess you could call him tha-" It was like a phone call had gotten disconnected. We couldn't hear them anymore and no matter how much we tried we couldn't get through the mirror.
What on earth just happened?
-Barasuishou pov-
I lay in the darkness waiting for something… anything to happen… I just wanted to get out. I wanted to see Souseiseki again… I wanted to talk more…
Why did she have to leave me?