Tea for Two

Rozen Maiden fanfic. A meeting in a dream that is something more than dreaming, to settle things that were never spoken of.
(Suigin Tou/Shinku)
While each story hopefully can be read individually, I have written these three Rozen Maiden stories to occur in this order: 1 The Light of the Mercury Lamp, 2 Deep Red Ruby Dreams, and 3 Tea for Two. Tea for Two is placed a few days after the end of S2 of the anime, Rozen Träumend.

Read Tea for Two

Disclaimer: Suigin Tou, Shinku and the others from Rozen Maiden belong to Peach-Pit and possibly some others, and certainly not to me, I am merely taking them out to play for a while.




Tea for Two
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by Carola “Ryûchan” Eriksson




Strange, the things that can herald change. In the case of Suigin Tou, the banner of change came in the shape of a fragile golden teacup set out in front of an empty chair.

Although perhaps the truly strange thing was that Suigin Tou noticed this one subtle change of décor in Shinku’s dream world instantly, as soon as she materialized from the shadows. When had she begun to catalogue every minute detail about the delicate blonde?

Suigin Tou had no answer. Perhaps she had always noticed everything connected to Shinku.

“I remembered to set out a cup for my guest this time.” Shinku’s words were gentle, a response to the slight confusion that was evident in Suigin Tou’s eyes. “Won’t you have a seat?”

Still nonplussed Suigin Tou nonetheless accepted without a word, taking a seat in a dignified way. It was one of those things she and Shinku had in common, dignity, pride and a fondness for elegance. Unlike Shinku however, Suigin Tou’s dreamscape held none of those qualities... perhaps that was why Suigin Tou felt more at home in Shinku’s dream world than her own.

Or perhaps that was just due to the presence of its owner.

Daintily Shinku poured their tea, and they savoured it in silence. By the time her cup was almost empty Suigin Tou was frowning at the aromatic liquid as if it was to blame for her sense of being out of her depth. There were things she needed to say to Shinku, things she needed to ask, but the words eluded her grasp.

Finally Shinku set her cup down and waited until Suigin Tou’s cerise eyes met her own.

“I wanted to thank you, again, for what you did. I could not have done it alone.”

Suigin Tou accepted the thanks with a small tilt of her head, although it was still fairly inconceivable to her that Shinku or the other Rozen Maiden should have anything to thank her for. “How... how are they?” Suigin Tou’s voice was subdued and the expression in her eyes pained in a different way than they usually were.

Shinku smiled slightly. “The children are fine. Hina Ichigo appears no different than from before... the events... and once she was reassured that she may visit as often as she wants she settled in with Kanaria and her medium without further protest.”

There was a brief pause and a sigh. “While I know the decision to connect Hina Ichigo to a medium through Kanaria was for the best, I fear I shall still... miss her.”

In her troubled musing Shinku missed the fond look bestowed upon her by her taller guest.

“You always were very fond of your younger sister.” Suigin Tou’s voice was soft and surprisingly gentle. “You have nothing to be concerned about, the little ones will undoubtedly spend annoying amounts of time at your home still. And you can always visit with them when you miss Hina Ichigo, during the day or in the dream world.”

Suigin Tou reached out her cup in an unspoken request for a refill. “No matter how strong the boy is, no medium could sustain four of our kind without damage to his own life-force. There was no other option.”

Shinku poured herself a second cup as well. “I know. Jun slept for most part of two days afterwards to restore his energy... if all four of us were to siphon his life-force daily he would not have enough left to move freely, much less grow as he needs to.”

“What of you, Shinku?” Suigin Tou’s concern was clear both in voice and expression. “Have you recovered?”

The answer was accompanied by a shockingly whimsical little smile on the otherwise so composed features. “Once all was settled and everyone settled in to satisfaction, I went to sleep in my coffer. And as you know... I am sleeping still.”

The strange expression prompted a rare chuckle to escape Suigin Tou’s lips, something which surprised them both.

“I will not be sleeping for much longer, however.” Absently, as her attention lingered on Suigin Tou and the smile that had crossed pale features, Shinku touched her golden pocket watch as she spoke. “I have rested enough for now, and I worry for what trouble the others will get into if I am not there to keep them in hand.”

“But more importantly, how are you faring Suigin Tou? You and your medium.”

“Megu is tired, but doing well. She is recovering.” Cerise eyes clouded over at the thought of Suigin Tou’s fragile human. Suigin Tou had drained herself, as had Shinku for that matter, in the joint venture that ultimately served to bring back Hina Ichigo and Sousei Seki to their rightful bodies, however the mediums had been required to relinquish a great deal of energy as well. Megu, so fragile and sickly, had no energy to spare to begin with, so even though Suigin Tou had received Megu’s permission and blessing beforehand, she still felt almost ill with guilt over using Megu’s precious life force this way. It was true though that the girl was recovering at a surprising rate, and did not seem to have suffered any lingering ill effects.

“She eats regularly now, and tries to sleep as much as possible so that her strength will be as good as it can be before the operation.” Megu would finally have her heart attended to, and if all went well Suigin Tou’s frail human would in time no longer be bound to a hospital bed, carrying a death-sentence and wishing for an angel of death to grant her a quick and merciful end. Suigin Tou intended to pour some extra energy into her medium when the surgery date came, to increase Megu’s chances, and she suspected that Shinku would be there doing the same.

“That is good.” Bright blue eyes levelled a rather direct stare at Suigin Tou. “Now, do I need to repeat my question?”

Suigin Tou flustered a little under that stare. “I-I am doing fine. I have been sleeping, mostly, and like you I am just about restored.” She took a quick sip of her tea to hide her sudden and embarrassing bout of nerves. “What of the gardeners?”

Shinku relented a little. “Suisei Seki and Sousei Seki are as one might expect, truly. Suisei Seki is very emotional and clings to Sousei Seki at all times, not allowing Sousei Seki out of her arm’s reach and constantly worries about all manner of things that might cause Sousei Seki harm. Sousei Seki on the other hand is clearly bewildered but too ridden by guilt to object to the treatment.”

“I wonder... if perhaps Sousei Seki had not fully realized the depth of Suisei Seki’s emotions before?” Shinku mused over the rim of her teacup. “She seems almost... dazed by Suisei Seki’s intensity.”

Pale hands carefully twirled the now empty cup as Suigin Tou avoided meeting Shinku’s eyes. “No, I dare say Sousei Seki’s true problem is... something else.”

There was a momentary silence before Suigin Tou caved in to Shinku’s unspoken demand for a clarification. She sighed. “I do not wish to go into this in much detail, for as you know I found out these things about our sister through... less pleasant means.” The reference to the time and manner in which Suigin Tou acquired Sousei Seki’s Rosa Mystica made the intense pink-tinted eyes darken with pain and shame. Oh if only she had not been so easily manipulated.

If only they had not all been so easily manipulated.

“Sousei Seki has a... problem with her... sense of self. She believes herself to be of no value, that she was created... well, as either a failed experiment or as an intended sacrifice.” Suigin Tou frowned and crossed her arms across her chest. It was ironic, really, how alike in that aspect they were, she and Sousei Seki. “She believed that Suisei Seki did not need her anymore, and as a last service she...” Suigin Tou faltered slightly.

“...challenged me with the intention of losing.” Suigin Tou could not look at Shinku, and her voice wavered. “Sousei Seki knew that I would not let anyone else defeat you, and thought chances were good that I would take out most of the remaining Rozen Maiden before confronting you.”

“Sousei Seki’s biggest mistake in her calculations was that she believed that the result of our encounter would be your defeat by my hands, and I myself left weakened by the battle and by not having a medium to draw strength from. This way I would have made an easy defeat for the enraged Suisei Seki, whom then would be the one to achieve Alice.”

Quietly. “Do not think less of her, Shinku. However misguided, Sousei Seki acted out of love.”

A slender hand briefly moved in a small gesture of weariness before settling elegantly on a crimson-clad lap. “How could I fault Sousei Seki, when we were all so easily manoeuvred in that twisted, hellish dance?” Shinku shook her head slightly. “No, I could not... although I believe I may have to have words with my dear sister, once Suisei Seki has calmed down enough to allow it.”

“After all... Sousei Seki did not know... that I would never have...” Suigin Tou was having difficulty saying what she felt she had to, even though she knew it would be no surprise to Shinku. “...that I would never have allowed...”

“You gave your life defending mine.” Shinku cut in with a voice more emotional than Suigin Tou could recall ever having heard from the usually somewhat reserved blonde. “And even after that your soul came to me, to support and strengthen me in the battle against Bara Suishou.”

“I know how you feel about me, Suigin Tou.”

And of course Shinku would, since Suigin Tou’s soul had for a moment resided in Shinku’s. All Suigin Tou’s feelings, thoughts and memories would have been clear to see if Shinku wanted to. The pale features washed over with a rosy blush, yet Suigin Tou held her chin high, proudly, and spoke in quiet but unwavering voice. “I love you.”

To her surprise there was an answering blush on pink cheeks as blue eyes lifted to meet cerise ones. “And I love you as well, Suigin Tou.”

“You... complete me. We complete each other.” A shy smile accompanied the statement.

“We... are a pair?” Suigin Tou was surprisingly timid and her words somewhat cryptic, but fortunately Shinku understood perfectly.

“We are. A matching set, two halves of one whole, mates... yes, we are a pair.”

The brilliantly joyous smile Suigin Tou gave her at the reply made Shinku breathless, but it did not end there. Suigin Tou swiftly stood and rounded the antique table to kneel at Shinku’s feet, looking up at her with such longing and devotion it made Shinku tremble.

Reverently near-white hands clasped one of Shinku’s and lifted so that Suigin Tou could place one adoring kiss upon Shinku’s palm. Shinku reached out to trace the side of Suigin Tou’s face with the other, and then...

Then Shinku were in Suigin Tou’s arms, held tightly but gently against the taller form, and with the warmth, the softness that was Suigin Tou surrounding her. Silvery white hair formed a veil around Shinku as Suigin Tou leaned her head against Shinku’s, and Shinku’s fingers found their way into warm and silky-smooth black feathers.

Yes. This was being complete. This was... perfect.

They held onto one another for a long time, neither of them willing to relinquish this new and incredible sensation anytime soon. Shinku smiled into Suigin Tou’s shoulder as she felt fingers lightly playing in her hair.

“Suigin Tou?” A soft murmur into a black velvet-clad shoulder. “When you awaken... would you come visit me?”

They had spent a long time in Shinku’s dream world, and Shinku could feel the pull of the human world strengthen. It would be time to awaken very soon.

“I...” Suigin Tou hesitated, her voice betraying her concern and lingering guilt. “I think the others would not approve of my presence.”

“I desire your presence.” Shinku’s voice was strong and firm, as was her resolve. “That will be enough for them.”

Her tone gentled. “Give them time, Suigin Tou... time to get to know you. They will accept you, too. I am certain of it.”

They parted to share a tender look.

Suigin Tou sighed. “Megu is calling me. I suppose I really should wake up and check on her.”

Shinku smiled in understanding. “I think Hina Ichigo is trying to wake me, as well. It would not surprise me if she and Suisei Seki have managed to create some minor disaster while I was away.”

A moment of silence. “Prepare them, will you? I...I would not want anyone to think that I am attacking them.”

“I will.” Shinku promised, then eyed Suigin Tou in a peculiar way. “Suigin Tou, lean down towards me for a moment.”

When Suigin Tou complied with the request Shinku reached out to grasp her face in both hands, leaning up slightly to place a light, lingering kiss on Suigin Tou’s lips. Startled Suigin Tou froze at first, but caught on after a moment and responded sweetly to Shinku’s kiss.

They remained this way for some time before Suigin Tou took a small step back and, with a tiny regretful sigh, disappeared in a rain of colourful sparkles.

Shinku, looking into space at the spot where Suigin Tou had vanished, touched fingers to her lips with a sense of wonder.

So this was what it was like to share a kiss with the one you love.

Shinku’s smile was positively giddy, and she could not help but hug herself in joy. Even as she allowed herself to begin to leave the dreamscape to return to the world of humans, a whisper left her lips to linger behind as Shinku herself disappeared.

“I will be waiting at the house... my Suigin Tou.”

Deep Red Ruby Dreams

Rozen Maiden fanfic. A sleepless night for Shinku, and what it might mean to be complete.
(Suigin Tou/Shinku)
While each story hopefully can be read individually, I have written these three Rozen Maiden stories to occur in this order: 1 The Light of the Mercury Lamp, 2 Deep Red Ruby Dreams, and 3 Tea for Two. Tea for Two is placed a few days after the end of S2 of the anime, Rozen Träumend.

Read Deep Red Ruby Dreams

Disclaimer: Suigin Tou, Shinku and the others from Rozen Maiden belong to Peach-Pit and possibly some others, and certainly not to me, I am merely taking them out to play for a while.




Deep Red Ruby Dreams
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by Carola “Ryûchan” Eriksson




Shinku sat in the windowsill, looking out into the night. The boy in the bed not far from her vantage point slept soundly, safely tucked away from all the hurtful things in the world underneath his blanket, and in their neat row of rose-decorated coffers Shinku’s two resident sisters slept as well, gracing Shinku with a rare moment of being alone with her thoughts.

A small wry smile touched Shinku’s lips as her thoughts turned briefly to the pandemonium and chaos that marked the days at this house, the sheer noise of it so exhausting for someone so refined as herself. Although the childish antics of her servant and her companions was taxing from time to time – Shinku steadfastly refused to acknowledge any immaturity in her own person, despite such things as her devotion for a certain show featuring a dog-puppet detective named Kun-kun – she truly did enjoy living in this house.

Clear blue eyes passed over the blanket-covered shape on the bed with some affection. Such a troublesome servant he was... yet both the boy and his sister were dear to Shinku, their failure in performance easily made up for by good intentions and good hearts. They were good children, not that Shinku would volunteer that information to them willingly while she nudged, baited and badgered both siblings to better themselves.

Had she been taller than her rather diminutive stature, Shinku would have walked over and tucked the blanket a bit more securely around the boy. Instead Shinku was left to visually inspect what she could see to assure herself that his sleep was not troubled in any way.

Satisfied with her inspection, Shinku’s attention turned to the two closed coffers lined up next to her own. As visual inspection would tell her nothing of the two that slumbered inside Shinku reached out through other senses to touch first one then the other of her slumbering kin ever so gently.

Hina Ichigo, the youngest of their family save for the mysterious and unknown seventh, slept soundly in her coffer, curled up with her favourite cuddly toy for the night. Her spirit was the brightest of all the sisters, even now bubbling and happy like a clear brook in the sunlight. Sucking her thumb in sleep and mumbling quietly about strawberries, Hina Ichigo’s sleep was undisturbed by dark tidings and recent strife, and Shinku felt grateful for this.

Although caring deeply for all her sisters, as well as being well aware that she was their natural leader, Shinku none the less tended to concern herself a bit extra in regards to this child... in fact, Shinku had worried for some time that her actions to part Hina Ichigo from her previous and well-loved master had been a decision that would cause Hina Ichigo sorrow. When the girl that had once been bound to Shinku’s sister never came around to visit Hina Ichigo despite knowing where they lived and despite being invited, Shinku knew her decision had been sound. Some humans’ love were too fickle, and if Shinku could spare Hina Ichigo the pain of a repeat of their past she would... thankfully these particular humans, Shinku’s Jun and his sister, were nothing if not caring. Though particularly the boy had an odd way of showing it at times, there would be no loneliness to break Hina Ichigo’s heart.

The other sister that lived with Shinku and her humans was a greater cause for concern. The delicate features that were usually schooled into a perfect mask shifted to a small frown that revealed Shinku’s deep concern.

Inside her coffer Suisei Seki was weeping in her sleep, her heart and spirit inconsolable for the distance between Suisei Seki and her beloved partner, Sousei Seki. Shinku closed her eyes in sympathetic pain and withdrew her senses, respecting Suisei Seki’s need to grieve in privacy and knowing full well that she could not heal this wound for them. In a building in another end of this human city Sousei Seki surely felt the same pain and incompleteness, and wept in her sleep as well.

A flutter of hesitation entered Shinku’s mind as her heart told her that the pain that Suisei Seki felt now was familiar to Shinku because she had endured it too, this separation from the person that was one’s other self. What a preposterous thought, she had not been created as the dream gardeners, she was not one half of a pair... where did this strange notion stem from?

Unbidden an image came to Shinku’s mind, of a pale face with intense and haunted cerise eyes, of white hair as soft as the finest silk, and of black wings embracing the sky.

Suigin Tou?

Why did she think of Suigin Tou?

Certainly, Shinku could not and would not deny that Suigin Tou was very important to her, and of course in the light of the events that had unfolded recently it was a natural thing that Suigin Tou should occupy Shinku’s thoughts upon occasion... surely this was not an oddity in and of itself. Although she was reluctant to acknowledge it, Suigin Tou often occupied Shinku’s thoughts, although surely that was because they so often found themselves awake at the same time, and in combat?

At least...

At least Shinku did not forgo sleeping now because her dreams were haunted by nightmares about Suigin Tou’s death. At least now that gaping hole of unspeakable loss that had resided inside her since she had watched Suigin Tou be consumed by flames was no longer there. At least now that Shinku knew Suigin Tou was back, not the same as before but whole at long last, at least now Shinku did not fear the night. And the night brought not unspeakable agony and nightmares anymore.

A slight blush dusted Shinku’s cheeks as she recalled how she had let down her guard completely and wept in joy and relief as she had realized that the Suigin Tou before her in the dream world was indeed the real Suigin Tou and not a phantom of her grief and guilt. It was not ladylike behaviour to blubber like a child, and Shinku worried that Suigin Tou would think less of her for her... momentary loss of self-control.

Yet... Suigin Tou’s own reaction had been... surprising. Shinku was surprised to feel herself tremble slightly as she recalled it, delicate hands clutching at the rich red fabric of her dress in confusion.

The expression in those lovely yet tortured cerise eyes had been surprised at first at Shinku’s uncharacteristic outburst, but then... the expression softened, and there was something, something warm, something completely new to them and shockingly pulling. Then Suigin Tou had disappeared before Shinku could discover what this new emotion was.

There had always been a certain amount of twisted affection in the way Suigin Tou looked upon Shinku, and Shinku was aware of that. She knew it was a mutual bond, this strange affectionately adversary relationship that they shared, a curious connection completely different from that of all the others. Something in Shinku had always made her shy away from wondering too closely just why that was.

That look from Suigin Tou had changed all that.

Unconsciously Shinku’s eyes lowered, searching the night-painted street below her high window. There was the telephone pole upon which Suigin Tou had stood that day. It was, of course, empty, and this was a good thing as the last thing Shinku wanted to do right now was fight Suigin Tou. Yet some part of Shinku was oddly disappointed.

Slightly annoyed at herself Shinku turned away from the window, straightening her immaculate clothing and reaching for her cane in preparation to get down. Her gaze swept past the slumbering boy once more as she silently and gracefully slipped down beside the bed, then her eyes automatically settled on the shapes that held the other two that shared this room with her.

A sudden realisation made her eyes go wide and her step falter, yes, almost stumble in place.

Sisters. Precious and cherished sisters, each of them unique and therefore commanding an equally unique place, an equally unique love in Shinku’s heart... yet the basic emotion, the basic connection was the same. Yes, there was perhaps one she loved just slightly more than another, or another to whom she felt closer to than the others, but when it all came down to it they were all her sisters and the love Shinku held for each of them was the same.

But not Suigin Tou.

Shinku never called Suigin Tou her sister, the word never appeared in her mind in connection to the tall and tortured first before now, and in truth Suigin Tou had never referred to Shinku as such either. The claim that Suigin Tou held on Shinku’s heart was not like the others. It... it was...

It was not sisterly.

A shocking thought, for certain, but not earth-shattering as their sisterhood in essence was a chosen one, true sisterhood not a possibility for their kind. But if their bond was not that, what then was it? They were not friends, Suigin Tou and Shinku, although Shinku would have dearly wanted them to be, and what else could they be?

The image came to Shinku’s mind with astonishing clarity, with such vivid detail that Shinku could almost feel herself wrapped in the strong arms of the taller Suigin Tou as she was held to her chest tightly, white hair creating a veil around Shinku’s field of vision. Pale pink lips were curved into a gentle smile, and the cerise eyes shone with such warmth it made Shinku breathless to envision. She could faintly hear the sound of long black wings rustling as they surrounded her, protected her...

Shinku trembled with confusion and a strange, exhilarated excitement that was new to her. Stiffly and slowly Shinku made her way towards her own open coffer while her thoughts raced. Why would she imagine being held by Suigin Tou, and why did the idea feel so... so... nice?

Why did the image of Suigin Tou’s eyes free of their usual pain and looking upon her with love create such a blast of longing that Shinku gasped out loud with the force of it?

Blue eyes turned to Suisei Seki’s resting place. Was this what it felt like? Was this how Suisei Seki felt about Sousei Seki? If so Shinku could truly understand why being parted, even this small distance apart that Suisei Seki and Sousei Seki were, would cause such pain... but it certainly did not seem a very sisterly emotion to have.

Was this something the maker had intended, something he had created in them? Could it be that this was a sign that it was time to stop the fighting, that the fighting was not all there could be for them, not all that their fate could hold?

Could it be that Suigin Tou was what was needed to make Shinku’s soul complete?

Still wondering Shinku made her way to her coffer and climbed in, letting the top close as she made herself comfortable. She wondered suddenly if Suigin Tou would visit her in the dream world again tonight, and what reaction she would get if she invited the other to tea and conversation instead of their usual fare of challenges and insults. She wondered what Suigin Tou might think of being complete together with Shinku.

The thought brought a smile to Shinku’s lips as she settled in to sleep at last, Suigin Tou’s face clear before her mind’s eye and a sense of anticipation in her soul. Perhaps Suigin Tou would come tonight.

In the depths of Shinku’s heart there was the sound of wings.

The Light of the Mercury Lamp

Rozen Maiden fanfic. Some thoughts and feelings of the solitary Rozen Maiden.
(Suigin Tou/Shinku)
While each story hopefully can be read individually, I have written these three Rozen Maiden stories to occur in this order: 1 The Light of the Mercury Lamp, 2 Deep Red Ruby Dreams, and 3 Tea for Two. Tea for Two is placed a few days after the end of S2 of the anime, Rozen Träumend.

Read The Light of the Mercury Lamp

Disclaimer: Suigin Tou, Shinku and the others from Rozen Maiden belong to Peach-Pit and possibly some others, and certainly not to me, I am merely taking them out to play for a while.







The Light of the Mercury Lamp
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by Carola “Ryûchan” Eriksson




The strive for perfection was the one thing they all had in common, along with the knowledge that each and everyone among them had fallen short of that intended but elusive goal in the eyes of their creator.

In the case of Suigin Tou, the strive for perfection was far more than just that... it was her obsession, her purpose, the only reason she continued living. Far more than for the others, Suigin Tou needed to, no, _had to_ prove her worth by becoming the strongest, the one that was triumphant. If she was that, then she might finally win their maker’s love and he would make her complete.

All Suigin Tou ever wanted was to be whole.

First to be born amongst her sisters Suigin Tou would naturally have taken the place of their leader in harsh times, the caretaker, the loving sister whose black wings would form a shield to protect her precious and innocent younger siblings against the dangers that might face them. She would have doted upon them and rejoiced in their happiness, content with her lot as she was.

But her heart had been discarded, her soul inspected and found flawed, then thrown away uncompleted. Their maker had not even granted her the mercy of destruction, rather he appeared to have forgotten her existence completely as his focus – and his love – turned to the younger siblings who came after her. Suigin Tou watched from her dark discarded place the shadows of her sisters at play, heard their voices as they laughed together in those early days as she writhed in endless pain, alone.

No one saw Suigin Tou’s tears.

This was all the base for Suigin Tou’s existence, and it was the reason she was feared. Oh yes, Suigin Tou was aware that her younger sisters feared her and that many of them considered her evil; her and her alone, as their maker, their father, was never at fault. All of them... save for one very important exception.

In that dark, desolate and twisted spirit world Suigin Tou had created for herself, Suigin Tou spent her time while awake in thought on many things, whereas her sisters would spend theirs in play, bound to a master that would love them. Suigin Tou of course had no one that loved her, and so she had no master. She had no use for play either, as she never had the opportunity to know what that was.

Sisters. How strangely amusing it was that they used such a human concept to describe themselves, they who were alive but not born, not flesh, but wrought and given life by the hands of a genius. Their bonds to one another were not of a physical nature, but a spiritual, emotional one, and such things were too fluid, too ever-changing to label that easily.

Having spent so much time in thought, Suigin Tou had realised how erroneous this chosen term were for their small group, even if the others had yet to grasp it. Suigin Tou had seen it... the maker’s intention.

With the dream-gardening pair, Suisei Seki and Sousei Seki, it was so blatantly obvious that even the others had understood from the start that there was something binding these two closer to each other than to any other Rozen Maiden. These two who shared a love so deep that in their earliest days they had done something unthinkable... Sousei Seki plucking out one bright green eye to trade for one of Suisei Seki’s crimson red ones, and vice versa. Suigin Tou had of course not seen the pair back then, and thus not known that although the maker had created the two together their appearance were not identical; Suisei Seki long-haired and feminine in her sweeping green dress and Sousei Seki short-haired and androgynous if not masculine in her boy’s clothing and tall hat. Suigin Tou had only known the maker’s outrage when the deed was discovered, and while the maker did not undo it, their perceived rebelliousness prompted the creation of the next Rozen Maiden, all in the search of perfection.

Suigin Tou wondered if it had ever even occurred to Sousei Seki and Suisei Seki to regret what they had done. Probably not, after all, their love for one another alone proved somehow strong enough that they were never separated... they slept and woke together, any master that accepted one of them into his or her heart by default accepting them both.

She envied them that togetherness, thinking how wonderful it must feel... not to be alone.

Eventually Suigin Tou realised that it was not only the dream gardeners that were created this way, with the intention of being a pair in the maker’s mind, although none of the others were created like these two had been, together. Once she had this insight, the intention seemed oh so obvious to Suigin Tou’s eyes... anyone who had seen the tiny annoyances, the braggart Kanaria and the childish Hina Ichigo would surely notice that the two of them were a matching set, in size and appearance as well as in spirit. Why it was that the maker saw fit to create two such helpless eternally small children was something Suigin Tou had yet to fathom, but in all honestly she could not care less. Kanaria and Hina Ichigo were weak and of no importance to her.

Following this logic then of the seven Rozen Maiden there remained three whom Suigin Tou had yet to determine how the maker had intended to be paired: herself, number five, Shinku, and number seven, Bara Suishou. This was something of a dilemma.

In her most bitter moments Suigin Tou would occasionally entertain the thought that otherwise was banned from her conscious, that she herself was probably not in their maker’s plans – having been discarded after all – and therefore there was really only six real Rozen Maiden... leaving the ones yet to be matched Shinku and Bara Suishou.

This possibility burned beyond belief, and for the longest time Suigin Tou managed to convince herself that this was so merely because she wished her existence to still be a factor with their maker, that he had not undone her life in his mind completely. In time she came to realise that this was not all the reason she hated the thought that she might not be a contender in this rather cruel little private struggle. Yes, more and more the truth of the matter was becoming too hard to ignore.

Shinku. If Suigin Tou did not count for a real Rozen Maiden, then Bara Suishou was the one intended to form a pair with Shinku. And that was something Suigin Tou could not accept.

_She_ was the one whose thoughts never strayed too far or too long from the elegant and almost haughtily proper red-clad blonde, _she_ was the one whom at any given moment, yes even when rising from her gilded casket after a long period of sleep, could accurately state the number of days, hours and seconds since her last encounter with Shinku. _She_ was the one who had devised a way to traverse through the realm of dreams so she could visit Shinku in her casket dreams, even though it was not Suigin Tou that had been given the power of dream gardening. _She_ was the one that ignored all others to obsess solely on the diminutive fifth.

Surely the maker had intended them, Suigin Tou and Shinku, as the ones to be paired?

The realisation had not been an easy one to stomach, much less to understand. The relationship between Suigin Tou and Shinku had always been an adversary one, their encounters either outright combat – though neither had ever taken things too far before – or a strange, almost affectionate hostility where Suigin Tou would issue threats like caresses to rose-dusted cheeks and Shinku haughty retorts like invitations. It was a long-standing habit that was hard to break.

They had a unique kind of understanding, and Shinku was the only one that had Suigin Tou’s respect.

In the silence of her own mind, if Suigin Tou had a rare moment of complete stillness and clarity, she could admit to herself that she would never grasp why their maker had continued to create Rozen Maiden’s after Shinku. Surely Shinku was the perfection personified that the maker sought after? To Suigin Tou’s eyes there was nothing flawed about Shinku, nor could there ever be... even her faults seemed like perfection to Suigin Tou. Why had their maker not seen that?

A final, startling, realisation had come late, when Suigin Tou had entered Shinku’s dream after her resurrection, supposedly to issue threats and to show Shinku that she was not defeated after all, but in reality wanting to tell Shinku that she was not only alive but whole, that she had finally found grace enough in the maker’s eyes to be completed. That she, Suigin Tou, was now a complete Rozen Maiden and worthy to become Shinku’s mate at last.

Of course, no words to that effect crossed Suigin Tou’s lips as she neither knew how to speak them, nor would have quite had the nerve to issue such a claim before the perfect Shinku. After all, not only had Suigin Tou failed in combat against Shinku last time, but Shinku had also spoken the word that in all the time they had known each other Shinku had never said to Suigin Tou... the word that on anyone else’s lips had been the grounds for their immediate execution, but from Shinku was Suigin Tou’s soul’s undoing.

Junk.

No, Suigin Tou, while fearless of most things, would not have the courage to state her intentions to Shinku after having been so completely undone in their previous meeting. What shocked her though and made Suigin Tou feel as something was crushing her chest, was that when it dawned upon Shinku that Suigin Tou in Shinku’s dream was not a nightmare but the real thing, in a visit like they used to have, Shinku had unabashedly wept in joy.

Perfect Shinku had wept with joy that she, the evil and incomplete Suigin Tou, still lived.

Suigin Tou had reeled at the sight, and her own emotional response had been... overwhelming and just a bit frightening. The things she had wanted to do, the truth that had been right there before her, screaming and undeniable... it was just too much. Suigin Tou had fled with as much dignity she could muster during the circumstances, followed by an image of pale blue eyes that would haunt her.

There was just no denying it to herself anymore. She, Suigin Tou, was in love, utterly and completely.

A nearly white hand fluttered to her chest as a slow, warm and surprisingly shy smile bloomed on features that had oh so rarely known more than the tiniest upturn of pale pink lips. The softest of whispers escaped those lips to be carried away into the night.

“Shinku.”