I was going to have episode seven pick up the issue of Pandora, but with so many episodes still left to go I've changed my mind. Episode seven is going to be a short, silly episode where everyone acts OOC (with good reason). As for this episode, expect at least another two chapters before it's done. Thanks for reading and reviewing, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Rozen Maiden. However I do own Suiseiseki's watering can. She lost it to me in a bet. In my defence, she did tip the contents over my head before giving it to me, so I'm not giving it back in a hurry.

Rozen Maiden: Märchen

EPISODE 6

An Eye for an Eye

Jun, Shinku, Suigintou and the twins were all seated around the kitchen table with a cup of tea in front of them, prepared and poured by Suigintou herself. Suiseiseki was still having a hard time adjusting to the idea of her being somewhat ... nice, for lack of a better word. Jun wasn't sure he could get used to it either. Suigintou had always held so much bitterness and spite inside herself, and whilst there was still a hint of that every now and then, it was clear she was making a concerted effort to be amicable towards her sisters. It was almost disconcerting.

Shinku took a sip of her tea and Suigintou watched her expectantly, waiting for her reaction. She set the cup down, her expression carefully neutral, and gave a slight nod. "An excellent blend, I do believe," she said at last. Suigintou smiled, seemingly relieved, and Shinku regarded Jun. "See here Jun, this is how a proper cup of tea should be made. You could learn something from Suigintou."

Jun, who was leaning his head against his hand, snorted derisively at her. "Fine then, have her make your tea from now on."

"Certainly not. Preparing the tea is the job of a servant."

Suigintou leaned her chin on her interlaced fingers and smirked at Jun. "Quite true. And I do believe that is your job. After all I seem to recall you swearing to serve Shinku for the rest of your life. You were quite emphatic about it if memory serves."

Jun lowered his hand to the table and scowled at her. "Is there a reason you're here, or did you just come to make fun of me?"

"Make fun?" Suigintou gave him a look of mock surprise, "Oh don't misunderstand me, I actually think it's very sweet, what you and Shinku have together," she lowered her own hands and leaned towards him a little, smiling coyly, "It must be a very pure love you hold in your heart to fall for a doll, after all..."

She watched him closely as he struggled to think of something to say and failed. Instead he looked away, his scowl deepening as his cheeks flushed red. Suigintou seemed almost surprised by his reaction, and leaned back in her chair. "Well well ... it seems my sarcasm was actually on the mark. Aren't you full of surprises. I can't say I blame you though," she added, glancing across at Shinku with a look in her eyes that none of them recognised. Shinku met her gaze and was startled by it, but Suigintou turned away quickly and spoke before she could say anything.

"It so happens I am here for a reason. There's a problem with my Medium."

She told them about Megu's heart condition and the subsequent transplant operation brought about by Kirakishou's machinations. This prompted a suitably horrified reaction from the dolls, made all the stronger by Suigintou's description of Megu's failed suicide attempt the previous night. Suiseiseki gasped.

"I so don't understand that. Why would she want to take her own life after finally being cured? It makes no sense!"

"Tell me about it," Suigintou sighed and took a sip of her tea. Shinku was right; it wasn't half bad tea. She might be a little rusty but it was something she hadn't forgotten how to do. "I'm afraid she might try again, and sooner or later she'll succeed."

"And you don't want her to die?" Jun asked out of the blue, his tone suggesting that he thought otherwise. Suigintou shot an irate look at him.

"No Jun, shocking as it may seem to you, I do not want this girl to die."

"She is your Medium," Souseiseki said, suggesting the most obvious reason for Suigintou's concern. Suigintou set her cup down and sighed again, heavier this time. Yes, it was going to be difficult to remove the resentment towards her. She couldn't blame them for thinking the worst of her, given the way she'd been in the past. At least she was here, making a start at rebuilding old bridges. She opened her mouth to say something but Shinku beat her to it.

"Suigintou cares greatly for this girl, as greatly as I care for each of you," she said, surprising everyone present, including Suigintou herself. Shinku continued, holding her cup halfway to her lips as she spoke. "When last she fought us in the Alice Game, it was to save Megu's life, because she believed then that our Rosa Mystica would give her the power to cure the girl's defective heart. She did this not because Megu was her Medium, but because she felt a kindred understanding of her. Suigintou related to the girl in a way she had never done so before with any other. I know this, and I know how deeply she cares for her, because not so long ago I held her Rosa Mystica within myself, and felt all of these things. I know Suigintou is a good person at heart, because she cares for someone other than herself, and in doing so has changed for the better."

They all stared at Shinku in mute silence as the fifth doll calmly raised her cup and took another sip of her steaming hot tea. She lowered the cup and smiled warmly. "And also, I think there is a certain tenderness to the flavour of this tea that reveals the truth of what lies within her heart. Do you not think?" She looked across at the stunned assembly, all watching her with wide eyes. Suiseiseki peered at her tea suspiciously.

"Just what did you put in this?" she asked, holding it up. Suigintou continued to stare at Shinku for a long moment, perhaps more amazed than anyone at what she'd just said. She smiled sadly and gazed down at her tea, cupping her hands around it and letting the warmth flow into them.

"You've changed, Shinku. And here I thought I was just a piece of junk to you."

"Never," Shinku said firmly, shaking her head. Jun took a drink of his tea. It just tasted like tea to him. But then Shinku was like a wine connoisseur of tea. He never understood why one pot of tea was unacceptable to her but the next he made was passable, despite both being made the same way.

"So," said Souseiseki, breaking the prolonged silence, "you want Suiseiseki and I to go into your Medium's dream world and find out what is wrong with her. Am I right?"

Suigintou nodded. "Yes. I could enter her dream world myself, but I don't have the same talent you two have for helping people. I'm no good at healing souls, and that's what she needs more than anything right now."

"Well why the heck should we?" Suiseiseki demanded, folding her arms in an aggressive posture. Souseiseki glanced over at her, surprised by her outburst.

"Suiseiseki!"

"What? Have you forgotten that she was the one who took your Rosa Mystica?"

"And then returned it," Shinku pointed out.

"Look, if you don't want to help, I'll understand," Suigintou said, "But I'm not asking you to help me, I'm asking you to help her. A girl's life is at stake here. And I'm asking - you all owe me. I could insist if I wanted, but I'm not."

"She's got a point," Jun admitted. Suiseiseki gasped at him.

"What's that?" She rounded on Suigintou, "Just how do we owe you?"

"She helped us recover Tomoe's soul tree from Kirakishou," Jun said, recalling the time when Suigintou had dragged him to the hospital and forced him to kiss the poor unconscious girl, all in the name of saving her. Shinku nodded.

"She prevented me from sacrificing myself in the game against Laplace."

"She willingly gave Hinaichigo my Rosa Mystica so that Jun could bring me back," Souseiseki chimed in. Suiseiseki wilted under the relentless flood of answers to her incredulous question. She sagged.

"Well when you put it like that..."

"Will you help then?" Suigintou asked, watching Suiseiseki anxiously as she waited for her answer. Suiseiseki glanced across at Souseiseki, whose expression clearly showed that she had no problem with this. She sighed and poked her teacup with her finger.

"Fine then, we'll do it. But if we make her better, you have to ... you have to ..." She frowned for a moment, struggling to think of something she could demand of her elder sister, preferably something humiliating. And then it hit her. She looked up at Suigintou with a triumphant grin on her face. "You have to make us all dinner!"

Suigintou blinked. "What?"

"Yes! Double flower topped hamburger! And double strawberry cream cake for afters!"

Suigintou couldn't believe what she was hearing. She glared at her younger sister, fighting the urge to reach across the table and upend the tea over her head. "You're not serious."

"I am indeed!" Suiseiseki folded her arms and beamed at her with a smug sense of satisfaction. "Those are my terms."

"Sounds more like demands to me," Jun muttered.

"I think that sounds like a wonderful idea," Shinku cut in abruptly, drawing startled looks from everyone, especially Suigintou.

"Oh you do, do you?"

"Certainly. In fact I would very much like to assist you when the time comes."

Suigintou gaped at her. "You would?"

Jun pushed his chair back and stood. "That's it," he said, "I've had enough crazy for today thank you all very much. I'm going to drop the costumes I finished off at the drama club. I'll see you later," he stopped and glanced about for a moment, frowning as he turned back to them. "Hey, has anyone seen Barasuishou?"

Barasuishou was not in the Sakurada house; she was currently inside her own N-Field, standing before a grand theatre stage, rich red curtains concealing what lay beyond. They parted as she approached, revealing only darkness at first. A moment later a spotlight appeared, highlighting the pearly white figure of Kirakishou. She was striking a dramatic pose, a white rose clutched precariously between two fingers. She tossed it to Barasuishou, who caught it and stared at it.

"For you, my dear Barasuishou."

Barasuishou concentrated, and within seconds the white rose crystallized in her hands. She released it, and it shattered on the ground before her. Kirakishou chuckled.

"What's the matter, don't you like roses?"

"Give it back," Barasuishou said simply, turning her attention to the grinning seventh doll on stage. Kirakishou treated her to a look of mock confusion for a moment, a finger raised to her lips.

"Give it back? Oh, you must mean this little thing here..." she flicked her hand and produced Barasuishou's rose eye patch out of thin air. She dangled it back and forth, grinning once more. "Come and take it if you want it."

She vanished the very same instant a mass of crystal spikes punched through the floor where she stood. Instinctively, Barasuishou flew up into the air and sailed back, avoiding the blast of white rose petals from behind. As she passed over Kirakishou, she sent a volley of crystal darts aimed at the doll's head. Kirakishou raised her hand high over her head without even looking up, summoning a glowing field of energy that deflected the attack with ease. She turned to face the Enju doll, who landed lightly on the ground behind her.

"Come now Barasuishou, you're not trying hard enough. I want to feel it."

They both took to the air as the ground became engulfed with a mixture of white and lilac crystals jutting out at all angles. Kirakishou effortlessly dodged the crystal shards directed her way, laughing all the while. She twirled her hand, snatching her opponent out of the air with a mass of writhing rose vines. Barasuishou struggled for a brief moment, then glowed brightly, a halo of violet light surrounding her body. An instant later the vines were vaporised by the sudden release of built up energy, the explosive shockwave that resulted obliterating the crystal minefield below.

Barasuishou landed in a scorched crater on the ground and cast her gaze about. Kirakishou had vanished.

"That's more like it," the seventh doll whispered, her voice right beside Barasuishou's ear. The Enju doll tried to turn, but Kirakishou was faster. She shoved and tripped her over, pinning her to the ground in a heartbeat. Barasuishou tried to force her off, yet it was no use. Kirakishou leaned her head down close enough so that their faces were mere inches apart. Her one eye regarded the trapped doll with eager anticipation.

"Give it back," Barasuishou repeated flatly, despite her predicament.

"Why? So you can stop feeling? You have no idea how lucky you are." She leaned down just a little more and lightly brushed her lips against Barasuishou's, prompting the doll's eyes to widen.

"Stop."

"Why? Don't you want this?"

"I ... no. Stop. Give it back."

Kirakishou kissed her again, more deeply this time. She released her hold on Barasuishou's arms and pressed her hands against the side of her head, letting her fingers sink into her luxurious hair. Throughout it all, Barasuishou did nothing to stop her, did nothing at all except close her eyes. Finally the seventh doll relented and pulled back. She stroked her hand lovingly across Barasuishou's face, gazing at her with obvious longing.

"I want you. You and I are two halves of the same whole. Two sides to the same coin. We belong together. Body and soul."

"No."

"Yes. You want the trinket I took from you so you can make the pain and loss you feel go away. I can make that happen, and so much more ... just give yourself to me. Let me in, Barasuishou."

Barasuishou turned her head away, desperately confused and in need of answers. She couldn't cope with all these feelings. So much pain and loneliness and anguish. She wanted her father back. She wanted her sister back. Most of all, she wished that Rozen had never brought her back. She didn't know what to do anymore, whereas before everything had always been so clear, so certain.

"You're not sure, are you?" Kirakishou giggled. "Very well, let's try something a little different. If you wont give yourself to me, then I shall give myself to you..."

Barasuishou watched as the seventh Rozen Maiden faded away before her eyes, replaced with a glowing red gemstone. Kirakishou's Rosa Mystica. Before she could do anything, it sank down into her torso and vanished. She sat bolt upright, feeling the sudden intense heat that came from taking a Rosa Mystica, a feeling she'd encountered before. Several times. She felt the surge of raw emotion, of all the seventh doll's thoughts and feelings and desires, buzzing through her mind like a million web pages opening in a browser in rapid succession. And power. More power than any of the other doll's Rosa Mystica. As much power as all the rest combined. For a terrifying moment she thought that she might break apart right there, just as she'd done before when she had taken the other Rosa Mysticas.

She didn't break apart though, quite the opposite. She got to her feet feeling like she was sky high. It was ... exhilarating, ecstatic. Such a rush. She felt as if she could do anything. She felt like she wanted to do everything. She raised her hands to her face and felt the smoothness and warmth of it as if for the first time, and laughed as she did so. She took a step forwards but stopped as the heel of her boot brushed against something on the floor, and knelt down to pick it up.

It was her rose eyepatch.

Barasuishou stared at it for a long moment. Then a grin spread across her face and she tossed the thing away. There was so much to do, and she planned on enjoying every moment of it.