Woohoo! I have finished episode 3, despite being sick. Take that, evil lurgy cold! The title for this chapter is gratuitous german, and is also a term used in chess. The chess elements were inspired by Through the Looking Glass, which made heavy use of chess as a theme for its story. Seeing as Laplace was meant to be inspired by characters from Alice in Wonderland, I figured why not? I don't know when I'll have episode 4 up, I might wait until I'm better. I'm also waaay behind in my other work. D'oh.

Note: I do not own the Rozen Maiden. However Shinku owns me.

Rozen Maiden: Märchen

EPISODE 3

Zugzwang

The endgame had arrived, yet victory was still open to either side. The frequency with which moves were made decreased as the number of pieces left on the board dwindled, and now there could only be a handful of turns remaining before the game was over. Now, looking at the board, Shinku finally saw a way to win. Unfortunately it required a series of moves that Laplace had undoubtedly intended her to make all along.

She would have to sacrifice herself to win the game.

This was his plan. This was what he'd wanted. The whole game was a joke to him, and he'd played her to perfection. Even though he gave nothing away from his alien demeanor, she could tell. He was a puppeteer and she the puppet. She'd danced as he'd pulled her strings. Why? Who knew. Perhaps he found the situation amusing. Perhaps it was to test her resolve to fulfill her father's wish and see just how far she was prepared to go to bring back her lost sisters.

Whatever the reason, Shinku knew what she had to do. Unfortunately, so did Kanaria.

"No Shinku! I know what you're thinking, don't do it!"

Shinku closed her eyes and breathed deeply, trying to find the strength inside herself she would need for what she was about to do. Her cool blue eyes flicked open and she spun on the spot to face Kanaria, trying to convey more confidence to her than she actually felt.

"I must do this, Kanaria. It is the only way to win the game."

"No way, y'hear!" Kanaria stamped her foot and clenched her hands into trembling fists. She glared at Laplace, who seemed utterly relaxed despite facing defeat. "Stop this, you! Stop this right now! We're done playing, okay?"

"The game is not yet finished," he said with infuriating calmness. He regarded Shinku with his unblinking red eyes. "Your move..."

"Shinku!"

"Enough Kanaria, it is time. You know what you must do - when I move Laplace will be forced to take me. When he does so, advance that Pawn up to the final rank and promote it to Queen. You can checkmate him the following move with ease."

There were tears in the grey-haired doll's eyes, and she sniffed as she struggled to think up an argument to convince Shinku to give up this madness. Nothing came to mind. Her magnificent brain had failed her yet again, and all she could do was watch the final moves unfold, helpless.

"Shinku! Wait!" a voice called out of the darkness. Shinku's eyes went wide and she turned in the direction of the speaker. It was Jun! He was standing on the outskirts of the chessboard, pounding at the air as if there were an invisible wall separating them. Tomoe and Suigintou stood beside him, staring at the life size chess board with awe.

"Jun..."

"It appears we have guests," said Laplace, turning to observe the three newcomers. Tomoe gasped as she finally noticed him. It wasn't every day you saw an anthropomorphic talking rabbit in a suit. Next to her, Suigintou was sizing up the chess match with a practiced eye and quickly came to the same conclusion as Kanaria.

"Shinku, you idiot," she muttered under her breath. Jun continued to try and force his way onto the board to get to Shinku, but it was no use. He might as well try and walk through a bank vault door for all the good it did.

"Jun, what are you doing here?" Shinku asked, feeling herself well up inside. He shouldn't be here! She didn't want him to see this. It would be better if he simply believed her gone, not broken forever. Kanaria stopped crying and clasped her hands together as a surge of hope coursed through her.

"You guys, you gotta help us! Shinku's going to sacrifice herself so we can win!"

"What?" Jun blinked at her and then turned his attention back on Shinku. "Shinku, don't!"

Kanaria groaned. "That's what I've been trying to tell her. She won't listen dammit!"

Suigintou extended her wings and floated up into the air to get a better look at the board. She frowned as she concentrated, working out each possible move that could be made and the resultant consequences. It didn't take her long to spot the permutation that Shinku had missed. Indeed, she herself would have missed it were it not for her conversation with Megu several days ago. Oh how very ironic, she thought. Megu would laugh when she told her.

"Shinku, listen to me very closely," Suigintou said. Shinku glanced up at her elder sister, still shocked to see them all here. Suigintou gestured at the board. "I can see that you're about to foolishly throw your life away. You really need to stop doing that, it's getting to be an annoying habit of late."

"Suigintou..."

"Listen to your big sister for once and maybe you can make it out of this mess alive. Well Shinku, do you want my help?"

Shinku thought about it. For all of two seconds. She nodded. "Yes."

Suigintou smiled with genuine affection. "Very well. It's quite simple actually - you have a Pawn in a position to be promoted. Instead of moving yourself to attack Laplace, promote the Pawn to a Knight. Do so and you will checkmate him there and then."

Silence descended upon the board and Shinku gaped as her gaze moved from one square to the next, seeing what Suigintou had seen and she had not. Her sister was right. It had never occurred to her to underpromote the Pawn to a Knight. Doing so would instantly mate Laplace, something a Queen could not do under the same circumstances. It was ... brilliant.

"That will not be necessary," said Laplace, taking a theatrical bow, "I ... resign. You have seen through the fog of war and found a path to victory. The game ... is yours."

The pieces vanished in an instant, leaving only Shinku, Kanaria and Laplace standing on the chessboard. Overhead, Suigintou folded her arms and floated back down with an air of smugness about her. Laplace stood upright and flicked both his hands open, producing two glimmering red stones as if by slight of hand.

The Rosa Mysticas.

"I return these to their rightful owners," he said, extending his arms. One of the Rosa Mysticas sailed through the air and into Shinku, causing her to glow from within as her body absorbed it. The second went to Suigintou and she gasped with delight at the sensation of taking a Rosa Mystica into herself.

"I take my leave of you," Laplace added, slashing his hand through the air and cutting a hole open in the very fabric of the N-Field, "Until next time..." he stepped through and vanished, the hole closing behind him as if it were never there to begin with. As soon as he was gone the invisible wall keeping Jun and the others out disappeared. Since Jun was leaning against it at the time he promptly fell flat on his face.

"I hate that damn rabbit," he cursed, picking himself up with Tomoe's help. There was a long drawn out silence then as Jun and Shinku stared at each from across the giant chessboard. Tomoe leaned close and whispered into his ear.

"Go on," she urged, giving him a gentle push. He staggered forwards a step and stopped. His eyes met Shinku's and he hesitated for a second. Then he broke into a run. He reached Shinku and gave her what could only be described as a glomp, falling to his knees and wrapping his arms around her, causing her to rock back on her heels. He squeezed his eyes shut and hugged her as tightly as he could without hurting her, not wanting to let go for fear that she might leave him again.

"Jun..." Shinku said eventually. Reluctantly he released her and pulled away, yet he kept his hands on her shoulders all the same. His cheeks were damp with tears and his eyes were tinged red.

"Shinku ... why did you have to go and leave like that?"

"You know why, Jun," she said, not meeting his gaze. Jun felt a tremendous pressure build inside him, and the only way he could think to get rid of it was to yell at Shinku at the top of his voice, but he didn't want to do that. He swallowed and blinked back his tears instead.

"No I don't. I don't get it at all," he said, his tone challenging, demanding that Shinku explain her reasons to his face. Shinku still did not look at him, and he saw her wince from the effort of having to confront what she'd been running away from.

"It pains me to be by your side, Jun. It hurts watching you grow up, seeing you drift further away from us ... from me..." a single tear rolled down her cheek and she brushed it away with the back of her hand, "I realize now that it was selfish of me to expect you to be mine forever. You have your own life to lead and I cannot be a part of that. No matter ... no matter how much I might want to be."

"But Shinku ... I want you to be a part of my life," Jun said quietly, his voice trembling. Now, finally, Shinku did look at him. The sadness in her eyes was like a dagger in his heart. The pain he felt was as real as any physical injury.

"You don't know what you're asking, Jun. What kind of life could we build together? What kind of future?"

Jun tightened his grip a fraction and inched his face closer to hers. "Shinku, if I spent the rest of my life serving you tea and carrying you around everywhere, I could die happy."

Shinku turned her head away, her eyes going cold. "You don't mean that, Jun. Not really."

"Are you kidding me?" Jun almost yelled. Gently, he touched his fingers to Shinku's chin and turned her face back to him, his eyes widening, his expression filled with pure and open honesty. "Shinku, I couldn't sell a lie if my life depended on it. Look me in the eye and tell me I'm lying to you."

She did as he asked and saw that he truly meant what he said. It was still not enough. She had to do what was best for him. Her gaze dropped. "Then you are a foolish child, Jun. My leaving is for your own good."

Jun gasped. What would it take to convince her? He let go of her, his hands dropping to the floor, yet he never took his eyes off Shinku for a second. "You once told me I had a hole in my heart. You remember?"

"I remember."

"Well it's gone now. It's gone because you filled it, Shinku. You mended my broken heart. Now you're going to leave me and I'm going to have a hole in my heart again where you were. Please ... Shinku, don't do that to me. I need you."

Shinku turned away from him so he wouldn't see the glittering tears threatening to flood her red face. "Jun..."

Jun couldn't take it anymore. It was too much. All the walls he'd built up throughout his life crumbled away and he let self control fly out the window. He grabbed Shinku, turned her back to face him and fixed her with a tearful gaze that bared his soul to her.

"Shinku, I love you! I love you, I'M IN LOVE WITH YOU SHINKU!"

The silence that followed was deafening. Kanaria clapped her hands over her mouth so as not to make a sound. Suigintou looked as if someone had repeatedly slapped her and then run off. Tomoe bowed her head, her eyes closed, wet tears forming on her eyelashes. Shinku stared at Jun in utter amazement, unable to believe the words that he had just shouted at her. She felt as if she'd fallen into a dream, yet it was all too lucid.

Realization hit then and she broke down. Shinku collapsed onto the floor and sobbed into her arms, her shoulders shaking. Jun was numb, as if he'd just taken an electrical shock. His head pounded and felt as if it were stuffed with cotton wool. He couldn't think straight, and some distant part of his mind replayed what he'd just said, trying to get his attention. Eventually it did and he remembered where he was and what he was doing. He tenderly placed a hand on the back of Shinku's head and shut his eyes.

"I just want to be with you," he said to her, his voice barely above a whisper, "No matter how old I get or how much I grow up, there's nothing I want more in this life than to have you by my side, Shinku. I hope you do want me forever, because I'm yours for the rest of my life, and nothing will ever change that."

Shinku's shoulders stopped shaking and she peered up at him. He opened his eyes and saw that her beautiful face was a mess; her eyes puffy, her cheeks soaked and reddened, her lips quivering. Yet Jun's heart ached just looking at her. He meant every word he'd just said a thousand times over and he felt as if he'd do anything to put a smile on her face. Shinku hiccupped.

"Jun..."

Jun shifted his position so that he was on one knee before her. He reached out and lightly took a hold of Shinku's hand. Pausing only to brush his arm across his face and wipe away his tears, he arranged his features into an expression of deadly seriousness.

"Shinku," he said, fighting to keep his voice level, "I swear upon this rose ring to serve you and protect you. No matter what."

He leaned forwards and kissed the ring on Shinku's hand, just as he'd done when they had first met. Back then he'd done so out of desperation to save himself from being attacked. Now he poured his heart and soul into the kiss, putting the full weight of his convictions behind the oath. Shinku's ring flared a brilliant ruby red and the ring on his own hand did the same. In the light of that glow, Shinku smiled.

"Shinku!" Suiseiseki nearly knocked her sister over as she ran at her and embraced her. Shinku hugged her sister back. Suiseiseki pulled away and looked from her to Jun. "Well then, I guess I'll let you off with it this time. Honestly, running off like that and leaving me here with that horrid Barasuishou."

"Are you two still not getting along?" Jun asked, slipping his shoes off and rubbing the back of his neck. Suiseiseki huffed and put her hands on her hips in a sullen display.

"You wouldn't believe what she did to me while you were gone. It was horrifying. I dare not speak of it lest your hair turn white with shock and your puny brain curdle inside your skull."

"Come now, I am sure it was not that bad," said Shinku, striding past her and heading for the stairs. Suiseiseki peered over her shoulder at her, her eyes wide with fright.

"You so have no idea! I wouldn't wish it upon my very worst enemy!" She glanced up as Jun walked past and frowned. "Well, maybe on Jun..."

Suiseiseki followed them up to Jun's room. Jun reached under his bed and pulled out the doll case containing the still form of Hinaichigo. He moved it to the center of the room and sat down in front of it. Shinku stood beside him, closed her eyes and clasped her hands together, as if praying silently.

"What are you doing?" Suiseiseki asked, not understanding their odd behavior. She started with surprise as Shinku produced a glowing red sphere sorrounded by an aura of scarlet sigils and glyphs. It was Hina's Rosa Mystica. She held it out towards Jun, who looked uncertain.

"Are you sure about this?" he said. Shinku nodded.

"Not just anyone can return a Rosa Mystica to its proper place. Only a Maestro like Father can restore a lost soul. It is a power you possess as well, Jun. I have seen it with my own eyes."

Jun took the glowing gemstone from her, holding the strange object without actually touching it. It seemed to move according to his intent. Shinku opened Hina's case, revealing the lifeless doll within. She looked across at Jun, who seemed hopelessly lost.

"Relax Jun, and clear your mind. Let your instincts guide you. This gift is intrinsic to you."

Jun groaned. "I have no idea what that means." He peered down at Hina, who looked as if she were simply slumbering after a long tiring day. Okay, he thought, clear your mind. Yeah, because that's so easy...

Before he knew what was happening his hands were moving of their own accord. It was an oddly familiar sensation, the kind that normally comes from long hours of practice, like sewing. It was something he didn't have to think about because his fingers already knew what to do. He placed a thumb against Hina's chin and carefully opened her mouth. Then he guided the Rosa Mystica across and steered it into her mouth, as if he were feeding medicine to an unconscious patient. The red light of the Rosa Mystica dimmed as it sank down the doll's throat. Still holding her mouth open, Jun leaned down towards her until his lips were almost touching her own and blew into her.

Hina suddenly floated out of her case and into the air, glowing with an almost blinding light. Jun sank back and shielded his eyes with his hands until the glare faded. They watched as Hina slowly drifted back down into her case and lay there, as if nothing had happened. Jun lowered his hands and blinked.

"Was that it? Did I do it?"

Shinku knelt down and placed her hands on the rim of the open case. "I believe so. Now it remains only to wind her and see."

"I ... I so don't believe it. That was amazing, Jun!" Suiseiseki breathed, watching him with awe, her usual snarky nature forgotten. Jun blushed slightly and muttered something incoherent. Shinku held Hina's winding key in her hands and stared at it for a long moment.

"Jun, I believe there is one final thing we should do here..."

Tomoe's parents only caught a brief glimpse of their daughter, who ran past them upon her return home and shut herself in her room without a single word of greeting or explanation as to where she had been all evening. Forgetting her usually reserved nature, Tomoe threw herself down onto her bed and buried her face in her pillow, trying desperately to shut out the world around her. A part of her wished she was still lying in a coma in hospital, sleeping a dreamless sleep.

It was for the best, the kind, rational part of her assured her. With uncharacteristic sharpness she told that part of herself to shut up. She knew that already. She wanted Jun to be happy, and now he and Shinku were reunited and he would be. It was just ... she hadn't quite expected such an emphatic declaration from him with regards to his feelings for Shinku. Deep down she'd known he felt that way for her, and she should be happy for him. There weren't many boys that would choose to be with a ... a doll over a human girl. There was a lot he was giving up by making that choice.

She was taking this too hard. It wasn't as if she loved Jun, certainly not the way he and Shinku loved each other. Seeing those two together was like watching something out of a fairy tale. At most she could say she had grown overly fond of Jun and developed a crush on him. That kind of thing happened all the time. She would get over it. Besides, she wasn't even sure she wanted to go down that road. There were things about herself that she was only just figuring out, and it would be better if she took the time to work those things out before she made any kind of big decisions.

She sat up and sniffed several times. She needed a handkerchief. Glancing around her room, her eyes were drawn to the large rectangular object in the middle of the floor. She blinked, not quite sure she was seeing properly. It was a doll case. A Rozen Maiden doll case. Tomoe got up and walked over to it, noticing that there was a note taped to the lid. She knelt down and pulled it off. It was very short. It simply said:

Thanks

- Jun

Frowning, she opened the case and her heart skipped a beat. Inside lay Hinaichigo. The doll pushed herself up on one arm and rubbed her eyes with her free hand. She blinked several times and focused her bright green gaze upon Tomoe. An instant later her face lit up with joy and she launched herself out of her case and wrapped her arms around Tomoe with a squeal of childish delight.

Hinaichigo: Jun and Shinku brought Hina back, and now Hina can play with everyone again!

Suiseiseki: Oh great, now that puny Ichigo is back.

Hinaichigo: Does this mean we can wake Souseiseki up as well?

Suiseiseki: W-what? No! Shut up, you!

Jun: Why do people keep asking me to do stuff I don't wanna do?

Shinku: Jun, go and make me some tea.

Jun: That's not what I meant.

Souseiseki: Suiseiseki, what's wrong?

Suiseiseki: Nothing! Leave me alone, I am so not speaking to you!

Souseiseki: Was it something I said?

Kirakishou: Big sis! I have a very special surprise for you...

Suigintou: What is wrong with you?

Kirakishou: Don't be like that. I'm going to do something nice for you. I'm going to fix your broken Medium.

Souseiseki: Next time, on Rozen Maiden: Märchen,

Suiseiseki: The light of truth is so totally elusive!