After the End: A New Beginning

Lady Moon-Chan

Well, here it is, the last chapter of After the End. I hope it wraps everything up sufficiently, and I apologize in advance for going with the 'other way' to become Alice as an ending. I just couldn't decide on Shinku or Gin as winners for the Alice Game. (hangs head)

Jun: Yet you had no qualms about killing off Suiseiseki?

You're complaining?

Jun: No, I'm not crazy! It's just...are Shinku and Suigintou the only ones you like?

I like Kira and Bara too...

Kirakishou: So then why did you kill me off?

Plot. The villain always dies, though they sometimes take the hero down with them(coughTrinityBloodcough)

Disclaimer: Do I own you guys?

RM cast: No.

I thought not. (commits sepukku)

Chapter 12: Energien der Liebe

"Gone...what do you mean gone?" Mitsu asked, looking shocked, and also as though she didn't want to believe what she'd just heard.

"Kirakishou removed her Rosa Mystica, desu..." Suiseiseki laid down Kanaria's empty body on Mitsu's lap.

"So, she's really gone?" Mitsu asked, stroking the side of Kanaria's face.

"But closer than you might think." Shinku murmured, nodding. At the former medium's confused look, she said, "Kirakishou is the one who initially took Kanaria's Rosa Mystica, but I took it from Kirakishou." she stared at her shoes as though she'd never seen anything more interesting.

Mitsu's face lit up like a Christmas tree. "So then, we could just put it back, right?"

Shinku shook her head. "I can't."

"Why not? Does the Alice Game mean more to you than your sisters after all!?"

Shinku flinched as though she'd been dealt a physical blow and stumbled backwards into Jun. "That's not it...not at all. I just..."

"She's not refusing you to be selfish." Barasuishou explained. "It's just beyond her ability to reunite Kanaria's body and Rosa Mystica."

"That's right." said Suigintou. "From the moment one of our Rosa Mysticas is taken, the only one who can return it is Father. But even he would refuse to do so now."

"Why?!" Mitsu demanded. "Doesn't he care about his daughters at all?!"

"Of course he does." Barasuishou soothed, patting her knee. "It's just that he's bound by the rules of the game he set up for his daughters. Because Kanaria lost to a legitimate Rozen Maiden no matter how you look at it, even Rozen can't return her Rosa Mystica to her now."

Mitsu began to sob outright then.

After a few moments of silence, Suigintou spoke up. "If it makes you feel any better, she had her own way until the end. She fought her own battle, figured out when she'd reached her limit, and she asked then that Shinku be the one to take her Rosa Mystica in the end. So, she got what she wanted, at least."

Mitsu nodded, wiping her tears away.

Nori laid a hand on the older woman's arm. "It's late. You should go home and get some sleep."

Mitsu nodded again, taking Kanaria's empty shell and leaving.

Jun looked grim. "So now what?"

"Thanks to Kanaria's sacrifice, we made some good progress against Kirakishou." Shinku said. "We'll go back to her N-Field after we've rested for a bit, and then we'll finish her off for good."

Megu and Suigintou entered the mirror, using it to return to Megu's room via Suigintou's N-Field, and Jun, Shinku, and Suiseiseki went upstairs to get some sleep.

The next day, the dolls grouped together in Suigintou's N-Field, deciding to go to Kirakishou's N-Field from there. But when they got to her N-Field, the seventh Rozen Maiden was nowhere in sight.

"I don't get it, desu. Where is she?" Suiseiseki asked, looking around. The rings on all three dolls' fingers began to glow brightly, signaling that their mediums were in danger.

Suigintou snarled and led the other two through a portal in her N-Field that would take them to Megu's hospital room, where Jun had agreed to go and keep Megu company until the dolls returned.

They found the two mediums being bound by rose vines, Jun tied to the bed, and Megu being drug out the window by her neck, stomach and both legs. "Suigintou...help..." she whispered, trying not to choke as the vine at her throat tightened.

Suigintou's eyes narrowed at Kirakishou, and she chopped away all the vines holding Megu with her sword, catching her before she fell either way and helping her back into the room. Suiseiseki and Shinku did the same to Jun.

Suigintou then turned to Kirakishou, eyes gleaming, the angry sneer that had used to be her usual expression back in place. "You've made me very, very mad..." A ball of blue flame erupted in one of her hands, and she threw it at Kirakishou, allowing it to burn her other arm off before nodding to Suiseiseki to extinguish it.

The gardener did so, pouring the water from Sui Dream over Kirakishou's burning arm.

Once this was done, the seventh doll snarled, wrapping Suiseiseki in rose vines so tightly that she looked like a mummy. The third Rozen Maiden began to choke and gag. "Suigintou...if I don't make it out of here, desu...I want you to take my Rosa Mystica..."

"Why me?" Suigintou asked.

"Because I want to be with Souseiseki again, desu." She screamed as the vines relinquished her, but tore off one arm.

"Suiseiseki..." Jun moved to stand, but Barasuishou encased him in a glass dome.

"Don't be stupid, Jun! You know Kirakishou won't hesitate to kill you too if she can!"

"But-"

"No buts, chibi human! We're not in your dream world, there's nothing you can do this time!" Suiseiseki said, dodging another attack from Kirakishou as best as she could.

Kirakishou was then distracted by strawberry vines curling around her ankles and pulling her feet out from under her.

She looked over her shoulder in the direction the attack had come from. There stood Shinku, with strawberry vines trailing from her open hands to Kirakishou. "Of course...you're able to tap into Hina-Ichigo's power since you hold her Rosa Mystica, right?" the seventh Rozen Maiden struggled to her feet.

Shinku smiled grimly. "Something like that." She tugged the vines, dragging Kirakishou's feet out from under her again, and also dragging the seventh doll towards herself. What she didn't count on was Kirakishou lassoing Suiseiseki's feet with a rose vine and dragging her along for the ride.

Suiseiseki summoned up Lempicka, trying to use it one-handed and cut through Kirakishou's vines, to limited success. While she managed to cut through the vine, it took longer than anticipated, so that she was right in front of Kirakishou when she finally freed herself.

Kirakishou smiled madly, summoning a vine similar to the one she'd used to capture them in her N-Field the night before. Lempicka dropped from her hand, and she tried desperately to squirm free. "Let go of me, desu..."

"Now why would I want to do a thing like that, Suiseiseki-nee?" Kirakishou asked, summoning another rose vine, this one with dagger-sized thorns, and aiming it at Suiseiseki's chest.

Shinku summoned Pizzicato and began to play. "Duel Waltz!"

But the damage was done. Kirakishou hung onto the trapped Suiseiseki until the attack was over using the vine she'd summoned, and while Shinku recovered from the toll the powerful attack had also taken on her, she stabbed Suiseiseki in the chest. Before she could absorb it, however, Suigintou dive-bombed her with feather darts, taking Suiseiseki's Rosa Mystica and Lempicka while she was in range.

"As you wished...sister." Suigintou murmured.

Kirakishou released Suiseiseki's empty shell, and the ring on her finger began to glow. Jun's ring glowed as well, reverting back to the form it had taken when Shinku was the only doll he gave energy to.

Suigintou, Shinku, and Barasuishou exchanged a look. "This your fight." Barasuishou said. "The Alice Game..."

"But you do want revenge on your Father's behalf, don't you?" Suigintou asked.

Barasuishou smiled bitterly. "Just save me a few blows. My loss is paltry compared to yours."

"Are you sure?" Shinku asked.

Barasuishou nodded.

Shinku returned the sentiment, then, to Suigintou, "Ready?"

"But of course." the first Rozen Maiden began the attack Megu had dubbed "Angel's Fire", while Shinku used strawberry vines to hold Kirakishou in place.

But as the attack began, Kirakishou sent a thorn from one of her seemingly dead vines flying. It hit Suigintou square in the stomach, but the attack didn't stop. If anything, the flames grew more intense and fame faster, surrounding and beginning to consume Kirakishou in a matter of moments.

Suigintou began to emit a dazzling white glow, and Barasuishou conjured a bubble shaped crystal shield over the mediums, herself, and Shinku to polarize some of the light.

"What's happening to her?" Megu asked fearfully.

"I don't know...her attack just suddenly got more powerful when Kirakishou tried to attack..." Shinku murmured.

"Whatever it is, let's just pray she snaps out of it soon." said Barasuishou, thickening the shields slightly.

The two mediums nodded, though Jun seemed more awed than anything. Megu bit her lip, and the ring that bound her to Suigintou began to glow brightly.

Meanwhile, inside Suigintou's head, she was having a little talk with Rozen that prevented her from focusing on the battle, so Rozen had remotely strengthened the attack to prevent Kirakishou from getting another opening.

"Suigintou...I told Shinku that there was another way to become Alice, other than the Alice Game. And now, I'm going to tell you what that other way is."

Suigintou blushed. "I'm honored, but...why me? Why not just tell Shinku?"

Rozen ruffled his eldest daughter's hair. "I'm very proud that you managed to overcome your negative feelings towards your sisters in the interests of protecting your medium from harm. So, consider this a reward, hmm?" he smiled.

"Yes, Father." Suigintou said, smiling slightly herself, so that she looked as she had when she first awakened.

"Good, now listen closely." Rozen kneeled down, whispering something in his eldest daughter's ear.

"I understand, Father. Thank you." Suigintou bowed.

"You don't need to bow." he chuckled, straightening her up. "I hope you and Shinku both achieve Alice."

"Thank you, father."

Suigintou's eyes snapped open and she stopped glowing, prompting Barasuishou to lower the shields she'd erected. Her flames completely consumed Kirakishou, leaving behind only a Rosa Mystica. She landed and picked it up, cradling it for a moment.

"Father, she really was just a lonely little girl at heart, and she only wanted love and attention from you. Perhaps you can rebuild Kirakishou, and teach her about the other way to become Alice. Then you can be proud of your youngest daughter." she threw the Rosa Mystica into the air, and it dove through Megu's mirror, into the N-Field.

"Suigintou..." Shinku seemed shocked.

"Yes?"

"Your wings and dress...they're still white..."

Suigintou looked down at herself and smiled slightly. "So they are. I don't know why, but...I don't mind. It's a nice change, and it could be a worse color. Like red." she teased.

Shinku pouted.

"But on a more Serious note, Shinku," Suigintou grabbed Shinku by the arm and pulled her close. "Father told me...the 'other way' to become Alice..."

"What is it?"

"The bond with our mediums. The more it transcends doll-and-medium, the closer we get to Alice. And...he wished us both luck in achieving Alice."

Shinku smiled and embraced her sister doll, and Suigintou returned the sentiment after a few moments of tension.

"So...when are you going to tell Jun?" Suigintou teased.

"When are you going to tell Megu?" Shinku replied in kind.

"What are you two talking about?" Jun asked.

They smiled enigmatically. "Nothing."

Megu rushed forward and embraced Suigintou. "I was so worried, Suigintou...I-"

Suigintou cut her off with a finger to her lips. "Don't worry. The Alice Game is over. For good." she looped her arms around Megu's neck, and her medium pulled her close.

Shinku looked up at Jun and smiled. "Let's go home, Jun."

He nodded, putting Suiseiseki into her case and picking Shinku up. Barasuishou picked up Shinku's case to carry, and they were about to leave, when Laplace came through the mirror and changed into Shirosaki.

"I thought you might like to know where Enju is buried so you can pay your last respects, Barasuishou."

Barasuishou nodded. "That would be...nice."

A few hours later, they were all assembled in front of Enju's grave. Barasuishou left some flowers, as well as a small cup of sake, and bowed her head. "I'll miss you, Father, but...I know you're in a better place now, and that you're always watching me, so...I feel at peace enough to say goodbye."

Mitsu, who had been invited by Laplace since she was such a good customer, placed a hand on Barasuishou's shoulder. "You know, Barasuishou-chan, if you don't have anyplace else to stay, you could stay with me."

Barasuishou smiled slightly. "Thank you."

Suigintou leaned against Megu's legs slightly. "I guess that takes care of everything, huh?"

Shinku nodded. "So, good luck becoming Alice, Suigintou."

Suigintou grinned cockily. "Good luck to you too...sister."

Shinku smiled and nodded.

Laplace opened a portal to take Megu and Suigintou back to the hospital, and just before it closed, doll and medium could be seen waving to Jun, Shinku, Mitsu, and Barasuishou.

AN: 2200 and some odd words for this last chapter. I hope you appreciate it. Remember to leave a review on your way out.

Kirakishou: And all flamers neglect to do so, but please hit your heads on the way out. (innocent look)

RM cast and me: JA NE, MINNA-SAN!