Phew! Here is the final chapter of episode eight. It's quite a long chapter (I think it was about eleven pages in word) and it was very late when I wrote it, so it might not make a whole lot of sense. Either way this will probably be the last update for Märchen this month, as I really need to work on my writing entry if I'm to have any chance of meeting the deadline. A million thanks to all you fantastic people following this, and I hope you enjoy. If you don't, feel free to send Suiseiseki round to my house to bug the heck out of me :D

Rozen Maiden: Märchen

EPISODE EIGHT

Something Wicked

The school was in an uproar. The play was due to start in about fifty minutes and the drama club were frantically running around trying to be ready in time. It wouldn't be long before the prospective audience started to show up, and the tension was so thick you could taste it in the air. That special mix of breathless anticipation and jumbled nerves. Jun was just relieved that his part in it all was already done. All he had to do was sit back and enjoy the show.

In theory.

"Oh man, where is he?" Jun wondered aloud. Back at the house Rozen had told him to go on ahead without him, and that he would follow behind. Why exactly, he hadn't said, and Jun hadn't been all that thrilled at the prospect of leaving a fourteen year old boy from the eighteenth century wandering about town on his own. But he had been adamant. Something about wanting to talk to the Maidens.

Well, just so long as he didn't get hit by a car or something on the way here. After all, the way Jun's luck these days seemed to run it wouldn't surprise him in the least to wind up with a history destroying paradox that erased a huge chunk of his life from existence. Having past-Rozen in the present time was pretty dangerous, at least for the Rozen Maidens. If anything serious happened to him, they would never be created. And wouldn't that just make everything one giant headache? He was just going to have to trust that present-Rozen remembered all of this from when he did it, and knew that his past self would be fine. Did it even work that way? He didn't have a clue. Shinku had mentioned that her father 'transcended time', whatever the heck that meant. So ... maybe.

Jun finally got fed up waiting and went looking for him. He didn't have to look far as it happened, as he soon found Rozen surrounded by a small crowd of girls, several of whom were in costume already for the play. At first Jun thought that Rozen himself had drawn the crowd.

If only.

"Ohh! They're so cute!"

"Do not touch me so casually," reprimanded a familiar voice. It couldn't be ... surely not?

"Hina likes cuddles!"

"Uh-oh," said Jun. Unfortunately it was exactly what it sounded like. The small crowd of girls around Rozen were admiring the Maiden dolls, all of whom Rozen had brought with him, save for Kanaria. As he drew nearer, Jun glimpsed Suigintou perched on Rozen's shoulder like a smug raven. One of the girls had picked Hina up and looked about ready to administer the cuddles said doll had just admitted to liking. Shinku, Suiseiseki and Souseiseki were standing beside their father enjoying (or not) the wide-eyed stares of wonder from the other girls. One, wearing a dress Jun had made himself, knelt beside Souseiseki and peered close, her face a picture of pure rapture.

"You're adorable! What's your name?"

"She's Souseiseki, and I'm her elder twin sister, Suiseiseki!" She grabbed her startled sister and gave the adoring girl the thumbs up. The girl in question looked as if she were visibly struggling to resist the urge to glomp them both.

"I told you they were real!" insisted another girl with twintails, "These are the dolls Sakurada kept talking about on his blog!"

Ah. That would be Tsuzuki. She'd been nagging him for some time wanting to come round and meet the Rozen Maidens. Jun had refused, because he was sure it would only spell trouble. As it turned out she was a close friend of Tomoe's, and since Hinaichigo spent a lot of time at her house these days, Tsuzuki had gone there instead. Hina said she was a lot of fun, but then Hina pretty much thought that anyone who wasn't Shinku or Suiseiseki was fun.

"Hey Sakurada," Rozen waved, a stupid grin on his face. It took Jun a long numb moment to recover from the shock of seeing the dolls out in public and actually being gawked at by some of his classmates. When he'd sufficiently recovered his wits enough to move again, he staggered over, intending to ask Rozen what the hell he thought he was doing. Shinku stopped him before he could even start.

"There you are, Jun," she said primly, gesturing towards him, "Pick me up please, before someone else takes it upon themselves to do so without my permission."

"Huh? Shinku ... what are you all doing here?"

"Father thought it would be nice for us to go out for the night and see the play," explained Suigintou, still sitting cheerfully on Rozen's shoulder. A parrot, Jun thought, not a raven. A very annoying talking parrot. Shinku meanwhile seemed to grow irritated by the fact that he had not done as she'd instructed.

"Jun! Pay attention. I said pick me up."

"Geez, fine," Jun nudged his way through the throng of giggling and gasping girls and scooped Shinku up into his arms. He heard Hina laughing as she was apparently being tickled, whilst Souseiseki shrank back behind her father's legs, seemingly uneasy at all the attention. Jun concentrated on Shinku, hoping to talk some sense into her. "Don't you think this is a little ... dangerous? I thought you guys normally kept hidden from people."

Shinku dismissed his concerns out of hand. "As long as Father is with us, we will be fine. There's no need to fret so."

Jun glanced momentarily at Rozen. The young, pretty much still a kid Rozen, who had yet to become the master alchemist and dollmaker he would eventually be. Was this such a good idea? Well ... no one was freaking out at the sight of them at any rate. That was good. Judging from the snippets of conversation he overheard, it sounded as though his constant mention of the dolls in his blog had apparently grounded their existence somewhat. It was as if they were all finally getting to meet the cute distant relative he had always been talking about (so to speak). Still, it probably wouldn't be such a great idea for the dolls to be seen by the general audience who were soon to show up. He doubted grown adults would react in quite the same way. Not unless they were all like Micchan.

"So this is the school you've been going to," Shinku observed suddenly, startling Jun, who'd been watching Suiseiseki bask before the glowing admiration she no doubt felt she richly deserved. He blinked and faced her.

"Yeah, I guess. What do you think of it so far?"

Shinku turned her icy blue eyes towards the gaggle of girls surrounding Rozen and her sisters. Her expression was inscrutable as ever. "There seem to be a great many attractive girls that attend here."

Jun almost choked at her words, but recovered swiftly and treated her to a sudden hard, sly look. "Shinku, you're not getting jealous are you?" he said, fully expecting a slap for such a remark but thinking it would be worth it anyway. It didn't come, in fact Shinku actually seemed pleasantly surprised by something. She regarded him instead with a hint of a smile.

"Not at all Jun," she said, sounding quite happy, unless Jun was very much mistaken. What she didn't say, yet he heard anyway, was; There are a great many attractive girls at the school you attend, yet I am the one you care for, and this ... makes me very happy, Jun.

He heard all of that as if she'd spoken the words herself, and as he gazed deeply into her bright eyes he felt sure she had, in a way. Feeling suddenly awkward and self-conscious, Jun turned away to conceal his flushed cheeks. As he did so, he noticed Tomoe hurrying towards him, all dressed up in costume and makeup just as she had been earlier during the last rehearsal. She was ... stunning. Which only served to hit home the point Shinku had (well, sort of) just made.

Of all the girls in the world, he had to go and fall in love with a doll.

And I don't care. Doll or not, I do love her.

"Jun, come quick," Tomoe gasped breathlessly, "There's been an accident."

Jun's first thought upon being told that there had been an accident was that somehow, one of the dolls had caused it. Because that would so totally be in keeping with his rotten luck. But no, all of them were right there with Rozen and his new fanclub. It could have been one of the others - Kanaria (who still hadn't been told yet that her father had appeared), Barasuishou (who'd just vanished into thin air) or Kohaku (who was currently sitting in front of his television watching Shinku's Kunkun DVD's and eating from a large bag of snacks).

It wasn't, as it turned out. In fact it was quite a mundane accident, all things considered. Mundane yet catastrophic at the same time. Yuna, the star lead role for the entire play, had fallen down some steps and badly twisted her ankle. She couldn't even stand, much less act out a major part on stage. Her ankle was already swelling and looked considerably painful, a fact her contorted face attested to.

"W-what?" Even through the pain, Yuna still managed to gawk at Shinku. Jun had left the others behind, but Shinku had insisted on him continuing to carry her. Since the cat was already out of the bag as it were, he figured it couldn't hurt.

"What are you going to do now?" Jun asked, deciding that the best way to explain Shinku's presence would be to simply not acknowledge it in any way. It worked, and both Yuna and Tomoe mulled over the prospect of cancelling the play.

"We can't cancel," Yuna insisted, "The show must go on. Everyone will be here soon. We can't just turn them all away and say it's off! That would ruin the drama club's reputation."

"I don't see what choice you have," Jun said, shrugging helplessly, "It's not like your part is a minor one. I mean the play is practically named for your character. The plot kinda falls through without you."

Tomoe caught Shinku's eye and she heard the doll's unspoken words; I know what you're doing. She nevertheless managed to keep her expression carefully neutral. Jun missed the exchange completely, and if his instincts had been geared more towards self-preservation rather than needlepoint and doll-repair, he might have started running right there and then. Sometimes though, hindsight can sneak up on you and slap you brazenly in the face. Which was what happened next.

"You have to do it, Jun," Tomoe said matter-of-factly. At first he didn't register the words, possibly because his mind outright rejected them and their meaning. Yuna did register them however, and then registered vague confusion.

"What? But ... how?"

"Huh?" Jun blinked, causality finally overruling his mental perception filter. Tomoe clasped her hands together tightly to steel herself for the explanation she knew she had to give yet dreaded all the same.

"He's the only other person who knows the part. He's been helping me rehearse for weeks now. I've seen him act the role, and he's actually very good at it. Jun is our only chance."

"Huh?" Jun parroted again. He looked from Tomoe to Yuna, struggling to comprehend the enormity of what was being suggested. Yuna regarded him thoughtfully for a moment, seriously considering the proposal.

"Maybe," she admitted, "It could work."

"Wait, what?"

"We've got no other choice," said Tomoe, "It's this or we cancel."

"Just hold on a second-"

"You're right. And I was so looking forward to this..."

"I never said I'd do this! Forget it! No way!"

"We don't have much time left. Jun, you'll need to get changed right away if you want to be ready."

This was too much. Jun pressed a hand to his face to try and block out the sheer overwhelming unreality of it all. He'd fallen asleep. This was some bizarre twisted dream he was having. How else could he explain the Rozen dolls showing up at school, and now this? Things like this just did not happen. Not really. Yes, the photo shoot had happened, but that was completely different. This wasn't real. This wasn't happening. He was going to wake up. Any second now, he was going to-

"Jun!" Shinku shouted his name, and since he was still carrying her she shouted it right into his ear. That was pretty hard to ignore. He lowered his hand and found her glaring quite fiercely at him. "You heard Miss Kashiwaba; there is not much time to prepare. You had best get ready."

"Like hell! There is no way I am going out onto that stage-" Jun pointed for emphasis, "Dressed up as the Wicked Witch, in front of the entire school! No way! Forget it! Not happening!"

The severity of Shinku's intense gaze did not falter in the slightest. A tiny part of Jun's brain realised that he'd already lost there and then. Now it was only a matter of time before the rest of him accepted it as well.

"You will do this, Jun. You will do this because many people are counting on you to assist them so that months of hard work and preparation do not go to waste. You will do this because your friends need you, and only you can perform what is required. But most of all, you will do this Jun, because you are my servant and I am ordering you to. Is that clear?"

The silence that followed would have made a pin drop sound like a crash of thunder. Jun and Shinku stared unblinkingly at each other, neither moving an inch, whilst Tomoe and Yuna watched wordlessly. Yuna in particular was itching to ask about the talking doll that Jun was carrying, yet she realised that this moment was vital to the future success of the play, and thus said nothing. After what seemed like an intolerable age, Jun wilted under Shinku's piercing blue eyes, his anger slipping away.

"Shinku ... please. This will make me the laughing stock of the entire school. I ... I can't do this. Don't ask me to."

He was begging, yes, because it was true. He was terrified at the prospect, yet he knew there was no way he could refuse Shinku when she said it like that. She'd call him out on his promise - he'd promised to serve her, he'd sworn on his life to do whatever it took to have her by his side. So if she insisted, then yes, he would have no choice. So he begged her not to insist. Shinku's expression finally yielded and softened at his words, and she reached out and laid a soothing hand on his reddened face. "Have faith in yourself Jun. You are more than capable of doing this, I know you are. I would not ask if I did not think you able. I said you were a boy of unusual courage, and I still believe that to be true."

Jun sagged. He knew he was going to have to do it now, and the weight of what lay ahead pressed down on him like a descending ceiling. Indeed it almost felt as if the walls were closing in around him, and he recognised the signs of an impending panic attack. He took a deep breath and pushed the feeling from his mind as best he could, then regarded the two girls who eagerly awaited his answer.

"Alright," he said, fighting the growing wooziness in his head, "I'll do it."

Jun very nearly fainted when he finally stepped out onto the stage. In full green makeup and wearing the black witch dress and floppy-brimmed hat he'd made himself for the part. Everyone knew something was wrong the second they saw him, and the second he opened his mouth they knew just who it was standing in for the injured Yuna. Whispered word had already spread before the play started, and now the rumours were confirmed true.

Jun Sakurada was playing the Wicked Witch.

They laughed, but not at him. They laughed at the jokes and the snappy one-liners, from him and the others. As the play wore on, Jun's confidence grew somewhat and he decided to give it his all and throw himself into the part. When Tomoe finally appeared on stage, he knew he could really do it. It was as if he were back home rehearsing the play with her, helping her to learn her lines and directions with occasional help from Nori and the dolls. And he heard them cheering him on - Nori, Hinaichigo and the twins. He didn't know where they were watching from, but he heard their shouts of encouragements over the chuckles and laughs from the audience. Shinku was out there somewhere as well; he could feel her eyes on him every moment he was on stage.

Finally it was done. Finished. Over. As the curtain fell to the roar of applause, Jun sank straight to the floor and lay flat on his back, relief flooding every inch of his body. He couldn't believe he'd done it. He had pulled off every line and action without a hitch. It was like magic. His throat was hoarse though and his stomach felt as if it'd left him quite some time ago. With the audience applause still going on, Tomoe appeared and peered down at him. He squinted up at her.

"How'd I do?" he asked in a strained voice.

"You have to ask?" Tomoe nodded in the direction of the curtain and the audience, as if the deafening sound were answer enough.

"I am so moving to Osaka after this," he groaned.

Something was wrong. As the applause started to die off, Jun felt suddenly on edge. He sat bolt upright and found himself staring straight into the eyes of Barasuishou. Tomoe gasped and took a step away from the strange doll. Several more gasps of surprise sounded from the other cast members. Apparently Barasuishou's appearance had been quite sudden.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Jun asked, frowning. Barasuishou took a juddering step towards him, her face pained by something. As everyone else backed away from her, Jun leaned towards her on his knees. He was vaguely aware that the curtain had risen, but was too preoccupied with the Enju doll's frightening behaviour. Hushed whispers erupted from the audience as they watched Barasuishou take another faltering step towards Jun. Her legs gave way and she fell onto her own knees, Jun catching her as she slipped. He could feel her trembling. Something was very wrong with her.

"Sakurada..." she said, her voice barely above a whisper, the mere effort of speaking seeming to take a lot out of her. Somewhere in the darkness of the audience, Rozen and his daughters stood and stared at the scene in silent astonishment.

"Barasuishou, tell me what's the matter!" Jun pressed, feeling panic start to gnaw at him again. She looked hurt, badly hurt, but he couldn't see a mark on her. She'd once had her arm completely shattered and hadn't even blinked at the injury. That something could be causing her such torment must surely be a sign of how serious it was. She pressed a hand to her chest, visibly wincing with pain.

"Burns ... hot ... I cannot ... too much ..."

She wasn't making any sense and Jun was no closer to understanding what was wrong with her. He glanced out at the audience, hoping that the other dolls were still out there and might know what to do. Barasuishou suddenly clawed at the front of Jun's outfit, trying to get his attention.

"What is it?"

"Sakurada ... Jun," she gasped, fighting to get each word out, "You told me I could choose my purpose. I ... I am sorry. This is not my choice. Please ... forgive me."

Before Jun could say anything in return, she threw back her head and screamed. It was a glass-shattering high-pitched shriek of agony that made almost everyone in the hall clap their hands over their ears and wince. Only Jun was close enough to see what happened then - her right eye shattered completely out of the socket, and from it a single white rose bloomed forth. The crystals in her hair evaporated away, replaced with tiny pink roses. Finally her dress was enveloped in a sparkling aura of pinkish-white light, and when it faded she was now wearing a ruffled white outfit that was all-too familiar.

The shriek changed from a wail of pain and despair into a scream of joy and pleasure. As it subsided, Kirakishou lowered her head and grinned at Jun, who was still holding her. She ran her hand across his and shuddered at the sensation. "Mmm, feels ... good," she whispered. She flashed the stunned boy another smile as the rose in her right eye socket twirled around. "Hello again Jun. Long time. I see your broken heart has mended well."

Jun gaped at her, unable to quite believe what had just happened. "Kira ... Kirakishou?" He narrowed his eyes and gripped the doll tight. "Where's Barasuishou? What have you done with her?"

Kirakishou closed her eye and moaned in a disturbing manner. "Mmm, yes, that's it. Hold me tighter, Jun. You have such a sweet touch. Must be those magic fingers of yours."

There was a metallic sound as Souseiseki pressed the blades of her shears against Kirakishou's neck. A moment later she was joined by Shinku, who did the same with her cane. The seventh Rozen Maiden did not seem terribly troubled. Her eye flicked open and fixed upon Jun for a moment. She winked at him and then stuck out her tongue for a brief instant.

"Step away, Jun," Souseiseki advised. Jun didn't need telling twice and released Kirakishou as sharply as if he'd been burned. He staggered up onto his feet and backed away. Suiseiseki was at his side, watering can in hand and aiming directly at the seventh sister.

"Where is Barasuishou," Shinku demanded, "Tell us."

"Tell us," Kirakishou mocked.

"Answer her," said Souseiseki.

"Answer her."

"Oh that so does it!" Suiseiseki fired a blast of water at her captive sister's face. To her utter astonishment the water halted in mid-air and hung there, suspended. The droplets then reformed themselves into a single thick strand of liquid, which whipped sharply back around and smacked Suiseiseki across the face with enough force to hurl her sideways.

Before Souseiseki and Shinku could get over their own surprise at this, Kirakishou stood and gripped their respective weapons in her hands. Seemingly without effort, she lifted both dolls into the air, spun them around and then hurled them at Suiseiseki, who was struck by them just as she was staggering to her feet. All three dolls became a tangled heap on the stage, whilst Kirakishou casually discarded the shears and cane she still held.

"That so does," she said, smirking. She extended a hand towards Jun and within seconds a mass of writhing white rose vines curled up from the stage and ensnared him. Tomoe too. They both struggled against the bindings, but it was no use, and were soon dragged to their knees. As all of this was happening the audience continued to watch, uncertain if this was all scripted or not. Some whispered, some searched frantically about. None knew what to do.

Kirakishou knew though. She lowered her hand and advanced towards Jun, her fingers wriggling for no reason other than the fact that she finally had real fingers for the first time in her life. This was going to be so much fun. She stopped suddenly and swayed to one side, just in time to avoid a black feather hurled like a dart towards her face. A moment later Suigintou landed on the stage, sword at the ready. Kirakishou beamed with joy at her.

"Big sis! I was hoping to see you. What do you think?" She held up her arms and turned them this way and that, as if showing them off. "I am a ghost no more. Now we can truly be together."

Suigintou scoffed at her little sister. "And this was turning out to be such a good night. Until you came along and started making a scene, I was quite enjoying myself for a change."

Kirakishou giggled and took a theatrical bow. "I like a grand entrance. How was mine? Did it meet with your approval?"

Suigintou levelled the point of her sword at her. "I promised I was finished with the Alice Game, but in your case I think I'll make an exception." She flew forwards with a blinding burst of speed, sword swinging with enough force to decapitate Kirakishou entirely. Before the blow could even connect, Kirakishou made a complex gesture and Suigintou simply vanished in a haze of white light. Her sword remained and the seventh doll caught it deftly as its momentum carried it towards her. Shinku gasped at the sight, having finally untangled herself.

"Suigintou ... no ..."

"Fret not Shinku, I merely sent big sis away from here," Kirakishou confessed, twirling the sword around herself, "She can be so stubborn, I wouldn't want her to get hurt now, would I? Not when we both love her so."

Souseiseki retrieved her shears and leapt at Kirakishou, who defended herself with her new sword. There was a fierce flurry of blows, the hall ringing to the sound of metal on metal. Souseiseki's face was contorted with anger and frustration, whilst her opponent seemed to be having the time of her life. Kirakishou suddenly executed a dizzyingly complex move that involved sliding the blade of her sword through the handle of the shears and then pinning it to the floor. Before Souseiseki could even react to this, she reached across and touched her finger to her sister's forehead. At once Souseiseki's eyes closed and she crumbled to the floor, not moving.

"NO!" Suiseiseki rushed to her twin's side, dropping to the floor beside her to make sure she was unharmed. As Kirakishou giggled at the sight, Suiseiseki snapped her head up and glared furiously at her. "You! Damn you you rotten bastard! Why do you have to fight us? Why can't you ... why can't you just leave us alone!"

"I will," Kirakishou said simply, "Once you tell me."

"Tell you what?" Jun yelled, still struggling to free himself from the vines holding him down. "What do you want?"

"What do I..." Kirakishou looked at him incredulous, as if he were insane even to ask, "What do any of us want? To become Alice, of course. I have no wish to fight you, so tell me where the box is and I will leave you be."

"You are not worthy of becoming Alice," Shinku said, striding confidently towards her seemingly invincible sister, "Father told us never to harm humans, and yet you defy his wishes even as he watches you now."

"Watches me?" For the first time since she'd appeared, Kirakishou seemed uncertain. Shinku used this to get close to her and lay a stone cold punch that sent her sprawling to the floor. She then stood over her, fuming with barely restrained anger.

"I do not know what part Pandora's Box has to play in creating Alice, but I will not stand idly by and allow you to harm our sisters in your search for it."

Kirakishou lay on the floor, her long white hair covering most of her face. Her shoulders were shaking, and it took a moment for them to realise that she was laughing. Quietly at first, almost unheard, yet it grew in volume until they could all hear it. She stopped abruptly and brushed her hair from her face, glancing across at Jun. "I hardly think you are in a position to do anything when I have your precious Medium," Kirakishou countered. As soon as she said this the vines wrapped around Jun began to tighten. Several more coiled themselves around his neck and threatened to choke the life from him. He cried out in pain and alarm, prompting Shinku to turn to him.

"Jun!"

Kirakishou was standing behind Shinku in an instant. Her hand thrust forwards, striking the crimson doll in the back. Jun saw her eyes go wide with shock. Suiseiseki cried out. The moment stretched out for one horrifyingly long instant, and then Shinku dropped to the floor, like a puppet whose strings had been cut. Kirakishou stood triumphant, Shinku's Rosa Mystica in hand.

"NO! SHINKU!" Jun went berserk. He threw himself against the vines, tore at them, writhed and kicked. It did no good whatsoever. He couldn't free himself. He felt as if his heart had exploded in his chest. All he wanted to do at that moment was break free and rip Kirakishou limb from limb. Shatter her into a thousand pieces and take back Shinku's Rosa Mystica. Yet he could do nothing. It was more than he could bear. Could no one stand up to her?

As it happened, yes. Someone could, and did. Kirakishou's victory was cut short when a mass of strawberry vines rose up from the stage and snapped themselves around her arms and legs. A soft pink light washed across the stage, causing the vines that held Jun and Tomoe to dissolve away into nothing. The seventh doll seemed genuinely puzzled. Her questions were answered when her new foe floated down from above and hovered before her.

It was Hinaichigo.

"Hina won't let you hurt anyone anymore!" the little doll shouted emphatically. She was glowing brightly, infused with an enormous amount of power. Jun could feel it radiating from her like heat from the sun. He saw a dazzling pink light shining from her hand and realised at once what it was; a rose ring. Hina had entered into a covenant with someone. Not just anyone. Someone was giving her enough power to stand up to the strongest Rozen Maiden of them all.

Rozen marched down the aisle in the middle of the audience, making straight for the stage. On his hand was a rose ring, also enveloped in a brilliant pink light. Kirakishou gaped at him as he came up on stage and stood beside the glowing Hinaichigo. He extended a hand towards Shinku's Rosa Mystica, which was floating in the air in front of Kirakishou. "I'll take that," he said as the radiant red gemstone sailed towards his grasp. He frowned at his seventh and final daughter, who did not recognise him at once owing to the age issue. "What a mess you've made. I would send you to your room, but I'm not sure you have one."

"Who are you?"

"That's a long story. For now, the play has finished and I think it's time we all went home. Do you think you could stop showing off for five minutes and help tidy up? Pretty soon the audience are going to realise this isn't part of the script. Could get complicated. Hina?" He glanced across at Hinaichigo, who nodded and lowered her hands. The strawberry vines holding the seventh doll released her. She stared at Rozen for a long moment as if trying to make up her mind, and then promptly vanished.

"Oh good," said Rozen, "She's gone off in a sulk instead." He rounded on Jun and presented Shinku's Rosa Mystica with care. When Jun took it he rubbed his eyes tiredly and sighed. "Having kids is tough work."

Jun surveyed the damage that Kirakishou had caused and was forced to agree. Just as he was wondering how they were going to explain all of this to everyone, someone in the audience stood and began clapping. A moment later another did likewise, and before he knew it they were getting a standing ovation. There were cheers and whoops as well. He wasn't sure if they knew just exactly what had happened, but apparently it had all looked very impressive, and that was enough.

"What happened?" Souseiseki asked groggily, sitting upright and blinking about at the cheering audience. Suiseiseki was so relieved that she was okay that she hugged her twin tightly rather than try to come up with a snarky answer. Tomoe approached Jun and Rozen and nodded towards the audience. Rozen shrugged in a 'sure, why not' fashion, and together they took a bow. Hinaichigo floated down onto the stage as her glowing aura faded, and she waved and cheered along with the crowd. Eventually someone offstage lowered the curtain once more, calling an end to perhaps the strangest performance in the history of school theatre.

Rozen: Ladies and ladies, I present to you - my hometown!

Jun: It's creepy.

Souseiseki: It's like a ghost town...

Suiseiseki: Wahhh! W-what was that?

Rozen: Oh don't worry, that's just my little sister.

Shinku: She does not look well.

Rozen: Of course she doesn't; she's dead after all.

Jun: Yeah, and so will we be if we don't find that damn box!

Kanaria: No worries! Kana to the rescue!

Shinku: Next time on Rozen Maiden: Märchen ... the light of truth eludes us.