Roses and feathers

"Shinku why do you hate Suigintou so much?" Jun questioned from on top of his bed.

Shinku looked away from Jun and focused her attention on the floor before replying. "It's not that I hate her Jun, it's just that… well it's a long story."

"So tell me, I have time and I'm a good listener."

Shinku let out a tired sigh and fiddled with her green velvet bow. She took a glancing look at Jun from under her fringe. He was sat on top of his bed watching her patiently, with a look of caring and sympathy in his gentle hazel eyes.

Jun immediately noticed his discomfort and he hated himself for the fact that he was the one causing it. "Okay Shinku don't worry I understand if you don't want to talk about it then it doesn't matter. How about I make us a cup of tea instead?"

Shinku was in shock she couldn't believe how understanding Jun was. So as she was currently rendered speechless she just gave a weak nod of her head.

Jun got up off of his bed and walked past her and down the stairs. Shinku watched him leave, then she opened up her box and dug through it for her golden teacup. Once she had found it she made her way down the stairs.

Shinku joined Jun in the kitchen and shyly placed her cup down next to his. Neither of them spoke, the house was silent. Souseiseki and Suiseiseki were at home caring for their master and will not be visiting until later on tomorrow.

Nori and Hina Ichigo were out on a shopping trip to buy something for dinner, which just left Jun and Shinku in the shop.

Shinku stood up on her tiptoes but still couldn't see out of the window. She sighed, why couldn't father have made me taller? Suddenly she felt herself being lifted into the air. Jun carefully lifted her up and set her down gently on the windowsill so that she could see out of the window.

"Thank you Jun," Shinku found herself muttering under her breath she didn't think he heard, but he did.

Jun poured the water into the cups and the smell of orange pekoe filled the room. He picked up the tray and placed it on the coffee table in front of the television, which he then turned on to Kun-Kun which he knew was Shinku's favourite program.

Next, he went back into the kitchen. "You want to come down now? I've put Kun-Kun on for you."

Shinku didn't answer she just stood up instead in reply. Jun picked her up and set her down gently on the couch. As she sipped her orange pekoe tea Shinku realized that she would end up telling Jun eventually. She just couldn't keep secrets from him.

Shinku put her cup of tea down on the coffee table. "Jun."

"Yeah?" Answered Jun.

Shinku's mind drifted back to a time, long ago as she told her story. "When Father created me, Suigintou was extremely jealous. She hated the fact that Father didn't lover her as much as he seemed to lover me.

Over a long period of time the jealousy that she felt towards me turned into bitter hate. I didn't understand at first why she felt that way, but over time her reasons soon became apparent.

Suigintou set her heart on becoming Alice so that she could finally meet Father, but she was incomplete a failed doll. Nothing more than a piece of junk. The only thing that allowed her to move without a Rosa Mysticae, was most likely due to her affection towards Father.

Me and Suigintou soon became fast rivals. Due to her power of feathers and my power of roses she soon became a regular challenge to me, as we were evenly matched and she hated that.

Suigintou always thought of herself as being the best of all the Rozen Maiden dolls but compared to the rest of us she's nothing more than garbage."

There was silence between Shinku and Jun, which was soon rudely interrupted by the sound of clapping.

"What a lovely story, Shinku." Shinku snapped her head round to the source of the voice and saw Suigintou standing on the living room windowsill. Her artificial spirit Meimei floating around her head.

"Suigintou." Shinku stated bitterness laced within her normally lady-like voice.

"Shinku, that is no way to greet your older sister." Suigintou teased her.

"You're not my sister, you don't deserve to be called a Rozen Maiden you're nothing more than mere junk."

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to teach you some manners, Shinku." With that Suigintou effortlessly threw a single sharp black feather towards Shinku's head.

Shinku managed to duck just in time, causing the feather to embed itself into the couch. "Oh no, I missed I'll just have to try again." She extended her wings and took flight.

"Jun, get behind me." Shinku said as she jumped off of the couch, cane in-hand. Jun stood behind Shinku and his rose ring became red hot, but he ignored it.

Suigintou meanwhile, flew into the air and was hovering two feet off of the ground. She aimed a barrage of feathers in Shinku's direction, but she jumped out of the way just in time.

Unfortunately for Jun he wasn't able to get out of the way in time. He cried out in pain as a sharp black feather flew past his arm, cutting it badly. Blood began to soak the sleeve of his jumper.

Shinku's head instantly whipped round. "Jun, stay behind me."

Suigintou laughed, "Oh dear, it seems that I have caught the Medium up in our fight Shinku. No matter you are both going to die anyway."

"We will see about that, Suigintou." Shinku blew into the palm of her hand and a thousand rose petals filled the air, swarming around Suigintou. She extended her wings and wrapped them around herself, but they couldn't protect her from all the rose petals that Shinku was pelting at her.

On the outside Shinku looked calm, but on the inside she was boiling with rage at what Suigintou had done to Jun. As the rage she felt grew stronger so did her power.

Eventually Suigintou had no choice but to retreat. "Curse you Shinku I will retreat for now, but mark my words I will be back and next time I will destroy you and the Medium."

"We will see about that, Suigintou." With that Suigintou unfolded her midnight black wings and flew out of the window into the early evening sky.

Shinku turned round to face Jun. "Jun sit down, let me see your arm." Jun did as she said and sat down on the couch. Shinku climbed up and kneeled down next to his arm. She gently pulled away his hand, so that she could examined the wound.

"Hmm, that feather cut in pretty deep. Hold on I'll be right back." Shinku got up off of the couch and went upstairs to the bathroom. Once inside she opened up the medicine cabinet and hooked her cane around the handle of the first aid box.

Next she made her way back down the stairs and into the living room. Jun sat still as she cleaned the cut with an antiseptic wipe and bandaged it up. "Okay that should be fine as long as you change the bandage every day."

Later on that night when everyone else was in bed sleeping, Shinku silently opened up her box and crept out. She walked over to Jun and pulled the covers up over his shoulders.

"You will pay for what you did to Jun, Suigintou." She vowed silently as she looked out of the window and up at the full moon.

There was a slight hint of laughter in the air, as a single black feather floated down by the window, landing softly on the windowsill.