Okay, so I'd like to start by apologising for how long this update took. Long story short, writers block and lack of confidence made me put off writing the next chapter for ages. As it is I'm not happy with this update at all, and I still have a major case of writers block for episode eleven. I have barely any idea what the heck I'm doing. So before you read this I'd like to apologise again for the poor quality of this entire episode. I hope to make up for it by writing a really spectacular final episode afterwards, so if you don't like episode eleven please stick with this fic until the end. It doesn't have long to go.

Since it has been so long since the last update, here's a quick recap of recent events: Everyone is trying to get their hands on Pandora's Box, a doll case supposedly containing the mythical doll Pandora and her artificial spirit Hope. The Rozen Maidens believe the Box can end the Alice Game, but a doll collector named Eike Grimm wants the Box for himself because he thinks it can be used to make one of his dolls human. Jun and the gang got a hold of the Box, but Grimm stole it from them. He can't open it though because Kirakishou has the key. In order to smoke out whoever holds the key, Grimm is pretending to sell the Box at an auction, whilst Jun and the gang intend to steal back the Box before that happens. Oh, and as part of the plan the dolls have magically aged Jun, turning him into an adult.

So here's my next chapter. It's very short I'm afraid, and isn't very good, but I hope you enjoy it anyway.

Rozen Maiden: Märchen

EPISODE ELEVEN

Angel's Home

"Stop fidgeting so much, you look fine!" Mitsu hissed, scolding Jun as he fiddled with his tie for what had to be the hundredth time. "Here, have a drink, that should calm you down."

Jun stared at the offered glass for a moment and then shot Mitsu an irate look. "I'm fourteen, I'm not old enough to drink."

"For all intents and purposes you're twenty five; drink."

He hesitated a moment longer and then took the glass, sipping at the sparkly liquid as instructed. It did not help sooth his nerves and didn't taste particularly nice either, prompting him to wince with mild disgust. "Yuck, people actually drink this stuff?" He held the glass at arms length and regarded it as if it had just said something offensive. Mitsu wasn't paying him much attention, she was far too busy squeaking with delight.

"I can't believe I'm really standing in the lobby of Tenshi-no-Sato!" she gushed, grabbing a hold of Jun's arm as if to affirm the reality of the situation, "This is like ... like ... doll heaven!"

Jun sighed wearily and hung his head. It was ironic in a way that even though he was really the child and Micchan the adult, from their behaviour one could easily think the reverse were true. Still, as an avid doll collector and fan, Mitsu had every reason to be exited. The auction for Pandora's Box was being held in Kyoto, at the Tenshi-no-Sato (Angel's Home) doll museum and headquarters for Volks Inc. - the company that manufactured the Super Dollfie dolls sold throughout Japan. The auction, part of a hugely popular Dolpa (doll party) convention, had attracted a tremendous amount of attention and consequently the lobby that Jun and Mitsu were standing around in was packed.

"Aahhh!" Mitsu squealed and pointed, tugging at Jun's arm fiercely, "Akihiro Enku! Jun, that's Akihiro Enku!"

Jun grimaced at her embarrassing behaviour. "Great. Who's Akihiro Enku?"

She pressed herself tightly up against him and squirmed with fangirlish glee. "You're kidding, you really don't know? He's only the sculptor who invented the Super Dollfie franchise! Oh my gosh, he's so cute! Ahhh!" she screamed slightly and cringed, "He's looking at me! What do I do? What do I do?"

Jun smiled weakly and waved at the doll sculptor from across the crowded lobby, doing his best not to die from shame. "Just try and remember that we're here on business," he muttered to his partner in crime through clenched teeth, "We're supposed to be looking for Grimm."

"Ohmygoshohmygosh! Is that Naoto Hirooka, the Gothic Lolita fashion designer? It is! Jun, you should go and talk to him! I bet he'd love to see some of your work!"

Jun facepalmed as Mitsu waved a shaking finger at yet another celebrity, wondering for a moment what chance this plan had at all with someone as starstruck as Micchan on the job. Fortunately she didn't have a crucial role, which was just as well really. Untangling himself from her grasp, Jun hastily discarded his revolting drink and searched about for some secluded corner to secrete himself out of the way. After a few minutes navigating his way through the crowds of chirping chattering people he spotted an isolated table in the corner of the otherwise crowded cafe, at which sat a singular and lonely looking grey-haired boy nursing a glass of orange juice.

"Sorry," said Jun, apologizing in advance as he stole the boy's juice and took a deep draught. With a sigh of relief he wiped his mouth and set the glass back down on the table, before dropping himself down in a vacant seat opposite the boy. "Had to get rid of the taste of that ... whatever the heck that stuff is everyone else is drinking."

"That would be champagne," the boy said, regarding Jun with faint amusement. Jun blinked and then remembered that he currently had the physical appearance of an adult. He cleared his throat nervously.

"Yeah, that ... so, you look like you're having fun. Don't like dolls?"

The boy shook his head. "Oh, no, I like dolls a lot. It's the humans I'm not so fond of." He nodded his head to indicate the crowds of people chatting away. Jun smiled a little at the admission, feeling a certain understanding with the kid.

"Tell me about it," Jun chortled, "At least with dolls you know where you are. Granted you're run off your feet making tea for them and tidying up after the rotten little things, but at least you know, right?"

Jun found himself under the scrutiny of a pair of quite intelligent, albeit jaded grey eyes as the young boy stared at him, trying to gauge if he was being sarcastic or teasing. When he took in Jun's earnest expression and honest tone he smiled a little and scratched at the surface of the table in an absent minded fashion. "That is true, yes."

"I'm Sakurada by the way. Nice to meet you."

"Grimm," the boy answered, "And likewise."

Jun's eyes widened slightly. "Grimm? Your name wouldn't happen to be Eike, would it?" Surely not, he thought to himself, the kid sitting opposite him was twelve or thirteen at most.

"I'm his little brother, Emil," the boy clarified, lowering his head and peering at his now mostly empty glass, "My big brother is here to sell a rare antique doll. I'm just sort of ... tagging along."

Jun relaxed a little, but was no less surprised than he had been a moment ago. Eike Grimm had a little brother? He hadn't expected that. Still thirsty, he grabbed Emil's glass and finished off the last of the orange juice. When he set the now completely empty glass back down on the table, he shrugged helplessly at the wide-eyed look the boy gave him.

"Sorry."

"You're thirsty," Emil observed, smirking at him.

"Long trip here," Jun explained, licking his no-longer dry lips, "Didn't have time to stop. Incidentally, d'you know if they're going to serve anything to eat at this event?"

Before the boy could answer him there was a shift in the movements of the crowd, everyone turning to face the same direction. Jun sat up a little straighter to get a good look, and soon spotted what all the fuss was; someone was making a speech. A middle-aged corporate suit tapped the side of his glass and nodded to the assembled people, who all fell silent and listened intently.

"I would just like to take a moment to thank all of you for coming to the first Dolpa event of the year," the man announced pleasantly with a smile, "Which we at Volks have decided to host on the very special occasion of Hinamatsuri - the annual Doll Festival - to celebrate this especially important day." There was a round of applause, which neither Jun nor Emil joined in on. In Jun's case it was because he simply wasn't used to these kinds of social occasions and it never occurred to him. The man giving the speech raised his glass as the applause died off.

"And now I'd like to give a toast to our esteemed guest, here all the way from Germany to oversee the sale of an extremely rare and priceless doll - ladies and gentlemen I give you the president and founder of the Märchen doll company; Eike Grimm!"

As the applause erupted once more, Jun stared at the silver-haired figure who emerged from the crowd, his eyes narrowing at the quite aptly named grim looking man. The man who had stolen their one and only hope. Inside his jacket pocket Jun felt the cell phone he'd been given vibrate. Pulling it out as the applause subsided, he flipped it open and held it to his ear.

"Yes?" he murmured, keeping his voice low. There was a long pause as he waited for a response. After a moment of tense silence he heard Kanaria's voice on the other end of the line.

"We're all set here - commence Operation: Pandora!"