Yes, you're reading that right - episode thirteen. I know I promised twelve episodes total, but I still have several chapters to write before I'm done, and episode twelve is already way longer than any other episode so far. Since last chapter ended on quite a dramatic cliff-hanger, I figured I'd break my own rule and put the final chapters into a thirteenth episode to wrap this story up. In practical terms it makes no real difference, it's mostly just for appearance sake. Besides, thirteen is a pretty significant number, so what the heck. This will be the only episode not to have an episode preview for it, but I cannot even begin to imagine a preview that wouldn't spoil everything.

Anyway, that's enough rambling from me. Here is the first part of episode thirteen. This episode should wrap up all the loose ends and answer all the questions. Expect some pretty heavy plot exposition stuff this chapter, as all the secrets of Märchen come out here. I hope you enjoy it all the same. Please review and let me know!

Rozen Maiden: Märchen

EPISODE THIRTEEN

The Light of Truth

Jun Sakurada groaned, every inch of him protesting in the form of a deep, dull throbbing ache. He'd never been hit by a car, drowned, fallen off a building or electrocuted, but he had a sense that what he was feeling right now was not that far off from any of those things. He'd been drained of power before, the worst times being when he'd just become Shinku's Medium and, more recently, when she had pulled her time warping shenanigans on him.

This was worse. The same kind of pain, the same crushing weariness, but cranked up to eleven. He felt as if he was too tired to ever move again. He could easily see himself lying here for the rest of his life, assuming he even had a life left. Presumably he did, after all being dead shouldn't hurt this much, should it?

He opened his eyes and saw only darkness. This did little to reassure him of his mortality status, however he became vaguely aware that he was lying on his back against something quite solid. Something perfectly flat and smooth, quite hard, and a little cool. Certainly not a bed.

With a slowness that could probably be measured in geographical terms, Jun crawled around onto his front and lifted himself up a fraction to try and see where he was. All he saw was whiteness. His tired brain struggled to comprehend this - blackness above, whiteness below ... where the heck was he? He still had his glasses on, he could feel them slipping down his nose. He managed to slide them back in place and adjust his gaze enough to peer ahead.

It was a chessboard. A giant life-size chessboard, and he was lying on one of the squares. His battered synapses nudged a recollection into the forefront of his mind, pointing out that he had been here before. Valentine's Day. This was the same chessboard where he had reunited with Shinku and then loudly professed his true feelings to her, much to his later embarrassment. What was he doing here? The last thing he remembered he'd been trapped in Kirakishou's crystal cavern, her various captives strung up in her web. There must have been fighting because his ring had glowed white and burned him. Eventually he became so weak from the constant energy drain that he passed out.

His ring. Mind screaming an alarm at him, Jun held his hand up in front of his eyes and saw to his horror that his rose ring was gone, leaving a pale mark where it had been. Gone. His ring. That meant ... any number of things. Perhaps it had simply faded away because too much of his power had been used up. That had happened before, only to reappear a short while later. Or maybe the dolls had released him from his covenant while he was unconscious. Although all three of them would have to do so for the ring to be completely gone.

There was of course another explanation, loathe though he was to even entertain it. They could all be dead. Last year he'd lost his ring when Shinku and Suiseiseki lost the Alice Game to Barasuishou. If the same thing had happened again ...

"Shinku ..." Jun whispered, wrenching his head up and searching frantically about. The chessboard stretched out before him, floating in a vast expanse of complete blackness. As Jun's gaze darted to and fro, looking for some sign of Shinku, his eyes soon located the object of his search a short distance away. The fifth Rozen Maiden doll lay sprawled upon one of the squares. Jun felt his heart thud painfully in his chest.

"Shinku!"

He struggled to his feet and ran towards her, or at least tried. After two faltering steps his legs gave way and his head spun. He was too weak to move properly. He'd already lost a lot of his power thanks to Shinku winding back his time key earlier. Having Kirakishou force a covenant with him and then getting into a major fight did little to help matters. It was a miracle he wasn't dead. Other Mediums had almost died from far lesser situations.

"Shin-ku!" Jun cried, fighting the weakness that turned his legs to jelly and pounded the inside of his skull. Unable to walk he opted to crawl instead, dragging himself across the chessboard towards the unmoving doll. When finally he reached Shinku he shook her to try and wake her, hoping desperately that she was just sleeping, yet knowing she was not.

"Wake up! Come on Shinku, you can't be gone, not again!" Jun wailed, shaking Shinku back and forth. It was of course no use. There was no life in the little doll. He cradled her in his arms and hugged her, rocking back and forth. As he did so he saw a splash of colour out of the corner of his eye and turned towards it.

It was Hinaichigo. From the look of her she would not be climbing atop of his head again anytime soon. On the square beside her was Kanaria. Jun gawked at them, gently letting Shinku slip from his arms. Slowly, he climbed back up onto his feet and stood, swaying a little as he swept his gaze across the chessboard.

All of them. They were all here. Suigintou. Kirakishou. Suiseiseki. Souseiseki. All the Rozen Maidens. All lying broken, scattered about the board, lifeless. Jun was stunned. What had happened? How had they all ended up like this? His heart thudding painfully, Jun reached up and clutched the side of his head, fighting off a surge of despair that threatened to overwhelm him completely.

"Not again," he groaned, turning on the spot as he looked from one broken doll to the other, "No, please, not again, not again, not again!"

It was just like before. Just like last year. Only this time Kirakishou was added to the list as well. All seven Rozen Maiden dolls. All dead. All broken.

As Jun continued to turn on the spot he eventually stopped as he found himself staring across the board at a familiar figure - that of a blond haired man wearing white. He'd seen him last year as well, albeit briefly.

"Rozen," he breathed, relief coursing through him. It was the doll's father! He would be able to fix things, just like last time! "Rozen!"

Rozen did not seem happy if the expression on his face was anything to go by. He stood outside the chessboard and stared past Jun, his emerald eyes fixed upon something else. Frowning, Jun turned to see what he was looking at, and soon spotted another familiar figure. An anthropomorphic white rabbit in a suit.

Laplace no Ma.

"You ..." Jun gaped at the demon, then looked from him to Rozen, puzzled. "What's going on?" he asked. The two men were standing at opposite ends of the board, staring each other down, neither saying a word, neither moving an inch. Just standing there in eerie silence. Seconds ticked by, until finally Jun could stand it no more. His head darted back and forth as he turned from one to the other.

"What are you waiting for? Do something! Don't just stand there!"

Nothing. Neither Rozen nor Laplace reacted. Jun glared at Rozen and pointed sharply at one of the broken dolls.

"Fix them! Isn't that why you're here? None of them can become Alice if they're all broken! Right? So what are you waiting for? Rozen!"

Rozen would not even look at him. He simply stood with his hands in his pockets and stared at Laplace, who in turn stared back at him, neither figure so much as blinking. Growing increasingly frustrated Jun rounded on Laplace, his hands clenched tight at his sides.

"Hey! Hey you! Aren't you even going to say anything?"

Finally Laplace did speak, his voice infuriatingly calm as ever. "The Game is not yet over," he said patiently, "There is one move that has yet to be made." He extended a gloved hand and gestured to a point on the chessboard. Jun followed and was startled to see Pandora's Box lying on one of the white squares a short distance away. Laplace withdrew his hand and stood once more in silence, whilst Jun cast his gaze about. It didn't take him long to spot the silvery key on a chain, lying on the square occupied by Suigintou.

Well why not? If nobody had yet opened the Box, then ... then he could, right? It was supposed to contain Hope - an artificial spirit able to do just about anything. That was the legend, right? Maybe Pandora or Hope would help. Hesitating only briefly, Jun staggered over to Suigintou and knelt down to retrieve the key. He winced as he saw the state the first Rozen Maiden was in, all burned up just like she'd been when he and Shinku had defeated her that time in his dream world. He hated seeing her like that. He hated seeing them all this way, to be honest.

Neither Rozen nor Laplace seemed inclined to do or say anything to stop him, so Jun took the key over to Pandora's Box and knelt before it. It sat there invitingly, just waiting to be opened. Jun cast one final look at the two silent figures, before slotting the key into the lock and turning it. He reached out and raised the lid, holding his breath as he did so.

Inside lay a doll, Pandora presumably. She was quite beautiful, really, with long silky black hair and an excessively frilled and ruffled black-red dress. Her eyes were closed and she appeared to be sleeping. Jun could see her winding key lying in the case beside her.

"Will you wind, or will you not wind?" said Laplace, startling Jun. He stared at the demon for a long moment, then glanced over at Rozen.

"Rozen? Should I wind her?" he asked, uncertain.

Rozen said nothing. He wasn't even looking at Jun; his eyes remained fixed upon Laplace, his face scowling somewhat. Realising that he couldn't think of anything else to do, Jun decided to wind Pandora up and see what came of that. He lifted the doll from her case, took up her winding key and slotted it into the hole in her back.

"Okay lady, play nice," Jun said as he heard the clicking sound of internal gears, "And don't slap me, I haven't even peeked up your skirt."

Pandora jerked in his hands as he set the key down. Jun held onto her, though his mind flashed back to the time when he'd done this same thing to Shinku after finding her doll case lying in the middle of his room. He'd wound her up for the first time, and had his first ever encounter with a Rozen Maiden doll. The first thing Shinku had done was walk up to him and slap him across the face. It had set the tone for their relationship, really. Not something he was ever likely to forget in a hurry.

Jun set the doll down on the surface of the board and shuffled back, giving her some room. She continued to make stiff, jerking motions, as if she hadn't moved in a very long time. From what he knew of her she probably hadn't been wound up in a couple of hundred years at the very least. A long time to be asleep.

Pandora opened her eyes and stared at him. Her eyes were the same deep red as Shinku's dress, and looking into them sent a shiver down his spine. Jun swallowed.

"Are you ... Pandora?"

The doll continued to stare at him for a long moment before answering. "Yes," she said simply. She took a step towards Jun and then cast her gaze about the board, taking note of the scattered Rozen Maiden dolls. As she did so a sinister smile spread across her face, which did little to reassure Jun. He pressed on regardless.

"Can you help them?"

Pandora turned back to him and frowned. "Whatever for?"

Jun gaped at her. "They're broken. Can't you fix them?"

Pandora gave a worrying chuckle. "Fix them? And why would I wish to do something like that? Silly boy." She glanced over at Rozen and gave him a wicked smile. "Don't tell me; this one's your apprentice, isn't he? He has that same innocent look in his eyes you had when you were his age."

Jun regarded Rozen as well, his mouth hanging open. "Rozen?"

The dollmaker finally took notice of something other than Laplace, redirecting his scowl at the doll standing in front of Jun. Still he said nothing, though. Pandora continued to smile smugly as she turned now to face Laplace, giving a polite curtsey as she did so.

"I am ready, Father," she said.

"Father?" Jun stared at her, aghast. "He's your father?"

Laplace bowed deeply. "Proceed."

Pandora strode past Jun without giving him so much as a second glance, moving to stand in the middle of the chessboard. Jun was so stunned by the revelation that she was Laplace's daughter that he simply goggled at her, unable to react in any meaningful fashion. When Pandora was in position she extended her hands towards the burned remains of Suigintou and Kirakishou. Jun watched, horrified, as a mass of gleaming Rosa Mysticas emerged from the broken dolls and shot through the air towards Pandora, who embraced them with a smile.

"No ..." said Jun weakly. Even if he could think of something to do it wouldn't make any difference. It was simply too late. Pandora glowed brightly from the sudden infusion of Rosa Mysticas, only in this case the glow did not fade. Her features enraptured, the doll floated into the air and hovered above the board. The halo of light surrounding her grew in intensity until it obscured her altogether. Jun shielded his eyes from the bright glare, and when it lessened enough for him to see clearly his mouth hung open at the sight before him.

Pandora was encased in a perfectly smooth white crystal, almost egg like in shape. It was impossible to see her clearly anymore. The thing floated in the inky blackness above the chessboard and ... that was it.

Nothing else happened.

"What's going on?" Jun found himself directing the question towards Laplace, who stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his crimson eyes fixed upon the crystal chrysalis suspended in the air.

"Now that the Rosa Mystica is complete, Pandora has entered a gestalt state," the demon explained, "Soon she will transform and be reborn ... as Alice."

"W-what?" Jun was completely lost. How? Pandora wasn't a Rozen Maiden, how could she become Alice? The last doll to try that stunt wound up crumbling before his very eyes. Gritting his teeth, Jun got to his feet and glared at Laplace. "What are you talking about?" he demanded, "How can she be Alice? Isn't the light of truth too 'dazzling' for your daughter? What makes her so much better than Enju's doll that she can do that?"

Laplace transformed, his features melting and shifting, taking on a more human appearance. Within seconds the demon had assumed the form of the Enju Doll shopkeeper Jun had encountered last year, under the name of Shirosaki. Still wearing the same suit as his rabbit form, Laplace pressed a white gloved hand to his chest and smiled at Jun.

"Haven't you figured that out yet, Sakurada?" He made a swift gesture with his other hand and plucked an object out of the air. It was a journal of some kind. Laplace tossed it at Jun and it drifted gracefully and slowly towards him. Frowning, Jun snatched at it as soon as it was within reach, opening it up at the bookmarked page. A section had been highlighted, drawing his attention.

Once created, I took the Rosa Mystica into my dream world and fused Alice into it. I then returned to the real world and waited. In truth I knew my plan was doomed to fail, because my visit to the future when I was a boy showed me that it would not succeed. Nevertheless I am puzzled as to why it did not work. Why did the Rosa Mystica not give life to Alice? I have no explanation for the failure. Fate itself is no reason. I do not understand it.

In the end I did as I knew I must - I split the Rosa Mystica into seven fragments and used each fragment to give life to one of my dolls. Thus each and every one of my beloved children carries a piece of Alice within them. Indeed, they themselves are a part of Alice, as the Rosa Mystica are the source of their very existence, the core of their being.

Jun lowered the journal and turned to Rozen. "You wrote this?"

Rozen nodded. Still puzzled, Jun reread the highlighted passage and then glanced back up at Laplace, who waited patiently for him to work it out. Try as he might though, Jun could not understand what the demon was getting at. Sensing his difficulty, Laplace clasped his hands behind his back once more and smiled smugly.

"Oh dear, and I thought it was so obvious ... the reason Rozen failed in his initial attempt at creating Alice was because I stole a fragment of the Rosa Mystica without his knowledge. I placed it within a doll of my own design - Pandora; I couldn't resist naming her after the Greek legend - and then sent her back in time to be found by Rozen as a boy. Hiding the fragment in plain sight, as it were. I didn't think he would suspect Pandora of possessing the eighth and final Rosa Mystica, having known her personally years before he had even made the stone."

Jun's eyes grew wide as he finally began to understand. "Pandora has a Rosa Mystica?"

Laplace nodded. "The missing piece to the puzzle. Without her fragment, Alice could never be born."

"... why? What's the point?"

"The point?" Laplace blinked at him, surprised he would even ask. "Fun, of course."

"Fun?" Jun breathed, unable to believe what he was hearing. "You call all of this fun?"

"I do. It is all part of the glorious Alice Game that I created."

"You created?"

The demon chuckled. "Why, certainly; from the very beginning that was my objective. I sabotaged Rozen's efforts and then planted the seeds of a fascination with dolls in his young mind. I told you I love dolls, didn't I? When he had created seven dolls and still had no Alice, I approached him and offered him a solution to his dilemma."

Jun saw where this was all going and filled in the blanks himself, his voice growing dull. "You told him you could help him to create Alice, but ... if he wanted your help then ... then he would have to agree to play the Alice Game with you."

Laplace laughed merrily and clapped his hands together. "Now you're getting it! Very good, Sakurada. Yes, I told Rozen that if he would play the Alice Game then I could guarantee Alice would be born at the conclusion of the Game. All he had to do was agree to abide by the rules I set down. And so he did. Though ..." He cast a wry glance at Rozen, who remained silent throughout the exchange with Jun, "I have a feeling Rozen suspected me from the very beginning. Made things difficult, especially with that Kirakishou doll of his. I had to go to the trouble of manipulating Enju and Barasuishou in order to bring about the conditions to awaken the real seventh doll and get her involved in the Game. You saw my handiwork there last year, I believe."

"Yeah," Jun muttered darkly, tossing the journal down onto the floor, "I saw."

Laplace pressed his hands together and gazed off into the distance with a dreamy, contented look. "Yes, the Rozen Maidens provided me with centuries of amusement and entertainment. Their battles, their tea parties ... oh but I do so love dolls. Such fun. But of course the real prize was to be Alice, and what could be more fun than arranging things so that my doll should become the ultimate girl? You see, I kept my promise. I have helped to bring Alice into the world, but when she is finally born she will be my daughter, not Rozen's. And so, in the end, the winner of the Alice Game ..." Laplace removed his top hat and gave a theatrical bow, "is me ..."

The crystal egg cracked. Laplace stood upright and replaced his hat, tapping the top of it as he did so. All eyes turned towards the floating object, the gestalt form of Alice. The cracks spread, light seeping out from within. Pandora's transformation was almost complete. Rozen scowled, Jun gaped and Laplace smiled.

"Gentlemen," he announced, "please give a warm welcome to my daughter, Alice ..."