A/N: First Rozen Maiden story...hope you like it!

Disclaimer: I do not own Rozen Maiden, no matter how much I wish I did. -sigh-

Summary: "Because you created me, Master. You are a maestro, able to give souls to the dolls you make." This is the tale about Rozen, how and why he made the Rozen Maidens. One chapter for each Maiden.

Info you should probably know before reading:

Rozen is 16 years old. Not really an adult, but not really a child.

Anything in italics is a memory.

Chapter 1: The Beginning

"A man does not like dolls! And a man does not aspire to make dolls!"

Florian Rozen sat on his bed as he replayed those words in his head. He looked down at his bandaged hands and sighed, thinking back to the day's afternoon.

He had been discovered again, and once again, had been punished. Twenty hard raps on the knuckles of his hands with a metal rod. When his father had finally left, Florian's hands had been bruised and bloody.

"Maybe this will stop you from making any more wretched playthings!"

His mother's tears had washed the physical wounds, but nothing could stop his heart from bleeding when he remembered the damage his father had committed. The father who had destroyed everything! Florian clenched his hands in rage, and winced, as the wound began to sear with pain.

Everything was ruined, small remnants of cloth were strewn haphazardly, broken bits of porcelain lay everywhere. Somewhere in the corner, one violet glass eye lay in the corner; strands of curled hair lay in the fireplace, amidst the ashes that were once a beautiful doll.

"A man does not like dolls! And a man does not aspire to make dolls!"

Florian closed his eyes. He had been careless, and this time, it resulted in the destruction of his most beloved project -- Alice.

Suddenly, a quiet knock was came from the door.

"Young Master, may I come in?" A muffled voice was heard. It was May, his mother's personal handmaid.

"Come in." he sighed, and the door opened to reveal a motherly woman in her early thirties.

"Your mother sent me to tend to your wound." She smiled so brightly, Florian had no choice but to smile back, her personality was quite infecting.

He held out his hands and she unwound the bandage.

"Ahh, the wounds are healing nicely, Young Master." She commented, "But might I --" She stopped. The flaxen haired boy stared at her curiously.

"What is it?"

"Well, sir, and I mean no impertinence, but may I ask why the Young Master defies his father just to create playthings?" She looked up into his eyes, and the adolescent could see the worry and care that shone there.

He looked down at his re-bandaged hands, and he replied simply,

"For Alice." He looked up once more, and this time, found compassion and kindness. May smiled and stood up.

"Well, sir, I must continue on with my duties and see to my Lady. Rest well, Young Master, tomorrow is a busy day." She gave a bow, and left him to his thoughts. Looking out the window, he remembered, and drowsily, he began to dream.

"Florian! Come look over here! Look look!" a young girl jumped excitedly up and down, pointing near the rose hedges.

"What is it, Alice? Is something the matter?" a slightly older boy walked up, an exasperated, but loving look on his face, and an incomplete book in his hands.

The golden-haired girl laughed, "Of course not, silly! Look, look at this rose! It's the first rose of the season! Isn't it pretty?"

Florian laughed at her, "Little sister, you are much too easily appeased."

Childishly, she just stuck out her tongue and ran to the next garden.

Florian rose with a start, feeling the sun shining in his face. Rising slowly, he remembered what he had to do.

Grimly, he got up and began to prepare for the day.

"Finally up for breakfast, are you?" A gruff voice greeted him as he appeared through the doorway.

"Florian! Good morning! Eat darling, we have much to do today!" his mother called out to him.

Nodding briefly at his father and greeting his mother with a kiss on the cheek, he sat down as the servants placed a plate of warm foods before him.

He picked at it, not eating. Today, he had no appetite. Bored, he looked around. It was the same room he had entered every morning -- spacious, but cold. Everything was in place, not a single speck of dust or grain of sand disturbed it. Everything from the manner of the servants to the very food on his plate screamed aristocracy -- the class he had been born into.

He looked at his father, cold and impressive. From his head to his feet, his appearance was that of an aristocrat. Florian had never really looked at his father, he never saw the gray hairs or the tired eyes. He never noticed the slouched shape of his shoulders, as if a heavy burden had been placed there and never taken off. And for the first time, he felt pity for the man that sat at the head of the table.

Florian looked across at his mother. His mother, the beauty. She had been renowned for her beauty when she had been younger, and Florian could still see traces of her former self. The golden curls that mirrored his own, the silvery-violet eyes that held some of the former mischievousness and sparkle, her long neck and pale skin. But now as he looked, he also saw the perpetual sorrow that lay deep in her eyes. The lines of stress and unhappiness that lined her eyes and mouth.

Was this all because of him? Or was it because if her death? It was only a year ago, on this very day.

He looked down at his uneaten meal and sighed.

"Please excuse me, I have no appetite." he said, he pushed away from the table and left.

Florian walked silently through the halls and corridors that made up the Rozen Manor. He walked on and on, until he reached his destination. A door -- a room -- that no one lived in, deserted and empty. Grasping the handle gently, he opened the door, and revealed a bright room.

The walls were a pretty shade of crème and decorated with light furniture. Dolls sat in the corner of the room, along with various other toys. A desk in the corner, untouched since that day, strewn with small hand drawn pictures of roses. A small table, with a tea set untouched, the yellow porcelain cups that she had loved. Memories were imprinted on every surface of the room...it was dead, yet alive. Florian walked through the room, allowing himself to remember her on this day. He walked to the windows and stared out at the roses that bloomed freely beneath her window.

"Look, look at this rose! It's the first rose of the season! Isn't it pretty?"

He shook his head and sighed.

"You miss her, don't you?" A sad voice said at the doorway, "We all do."

"Mother, you don't understand." he told her, reproachfully. He turned to face her.

"I don't understand? Florian--" She smiled wanly and sat down on the pink and lavender bed, she patted the spot next to her. Florian walked towards her and sat down.

"You say I don't understand, Florian, but I do understand. I understand it more than you could possibly know." She said this bitterly, with a sorrowful smile, "Florian, you are the only one of my children to live! The five before you died before they even drew life's breath. And Alice -- she died so young--" She choked, fighting to keep the tears from flowing.

"Mother, I- I'm sorry, I did not mean it that way, I'm sorry." He whispered as he embraced her, "I'm sorry."

Laughing softly, she pulled away, hiding her tears with a smile.

"It's alright, you didn't know." She looked to her side and picked up a rabbit toy that lay on the bed. It wore a suit, along with a top hat, "Do you remember when she received this? It was her fifth birthday and it was after you read that Alice in Wonderland book to her. She raved about it for days, so much that she came to you to make her a doll in that rabbit's image." She paused and looked him in the eyes, "Do you remember?"

Florian took the stuffed toy from her hands and held it, it had taken him two weeks to make the doll. The happiness in her eyes when he finally gave it to her on her birthday! It became her favorite toy -- it became her friend. It amused him to no end, because he would aways hear her talking to the toy when she thought no one was looking -- it was her companion, she called it Laplace.

His mother stood and began to leave, but upon reaching the door, she looked over her shoulder and told him,

"Florian, the past is not something we can control, there is no way to control it, but the future -- it can always be changed, perhaps it is not foreseeable, but it can always be changed." With that, she left him to his thoughts.

Florian looked at the doll that he held in his hand and smiled.

"Well Laplace, shall we visit her together?"

The doll just stared back, a mischievous look formed in its eyes as Florian stood up and left the room.

"Alice." He whispered as he placed a bouquet of fragrant roses on the grave, "We all miss you, even father." He closed his eyes, "I wish you could be with us again."

"She can, for death is a step that can be overcome should one try hard enough." A sly voice answered.

Florian's eyes opened and he looked for the source of the voice.

The voice chuckled, "I'm down here."

With questioning eyes, Florian stared down at the toy in his hands, Laplace laughed at the incredulous look on the blonde's face. Shocked, Florian dropped it and backed away. The toy sat up and stared. It smiled at him,

"Greetings, my name is Laplace -- and I can tell you how to bring her back."

Shaken, Florian could only stare in amazement. After a few moments, he regained his voice and asked, "What are you? How are you able to talk?"

Once again, Laplace gave a strange smile, "Because you created me, Master. You are a maestro, able to give souls to the dolls you make. I believe you even have the ability to return souls to those who are lost."

"You said I could bring back Alice? How?"

"By reviving her soul," He said simply.

"And how would I do that?" Florian asked again.

"Tsk tsk, too much knowledge can make you old, you know."

"Just tell me how, Laplace."

The rabbit toy closed its eyes and shrugged mockingly, "Well, if you really want to know, you must pay a price. After all, nothing is free."

Florian became cautious, "What kind of price?"

The rabbit opened its eyes, and smiled a strange smile, "You must join me in the N-field."

"N...field?" He questioned, looking to the rabbit to explain. The rabbit only smiled and the ground beneath it began to glow.

"Do you wish to reawaken your sister? Or do you not? It is all a question of choice. But choices must be made quickly, for the hourglass of time waits for no one -- not even you, maestro."

Laplace soon began to sink into the glowing blue orb.

"Wait! What about my moth--"

"Choose now, maestro. This is the moment, the portal will close seven seconds after me. Use these last few seconds you have to make your choice."

"Wait!" Florian stretched out a hand.

"Choose." the rabbit had vanished.

Only seven seconds left. Florian turned to the direction of the manor -- to the direction of his family.

Six seconds -- he made his choice.

Five seconds -- he walked on.

Four seconds -- "I'm sorry." he whispered.

Three seconds -- he began to walk towards his future.

Two seconds-- "Florian, the past is not something we can control, there is no way to control it, but the future - it can always be changed, perhaps it is not foreseeable, but it can always be changed."

One second -- he was there.

A/N: Did he go to the N-field? Or did he return to his life as an aristocrat? Stay tuned for the next chapter!!

p.s.

Sorry if there are any mistakes, just tell me what they are and I'll try to correct them. But only constructive criticism please! No Flames, those are just plain mean and hurt my feelings!

And Florian isn't really Rozen's name, okay? I just thought it fit 'cos it's popularly used in Germany and it means 'Flowering', you know -- 'cos that rose motif is always there.

Also, historical accuracy has not been taken into consideration, sorry. But I did try, like this is definitely after 1865 (when Alice in Wonderland was published), and stuffed animals have been around since Ancient Egyptian and Mesopotamian times, albeit they were for religious purposes, but who's really judging. lol.

Oh, and I even tried to make Laplace say confusing things, like in the manga and anime.

COMMENT PLEASE!