The Maid and Her Princess [On Hiatus]

Classic Starter Town (Winter 2)

II.

They followed a road for awhile during the day, but as the sunlight started to wane they took to the woods again. No one was out on the roads. The countryside seemed like it was peaceful but eerily quiet. It was then Madoka wondered what her former princess, Elise, or Audrey was thinking. Now that all was quiet compared to the raging prophecies she's seen. The forces of the universe has placed them in this dangerous element. Madoka herself did not know how to process her own traumas.

Her feelings.
Her love.
Her fears.

In Madoka's mind, however, were not many thoughts. She simply did not know what to do. Audrey did not utter a single word as they trudged along and Madoka considered her to be the one with the plans. Was she looking ahead? Did she have more visions of the future? Madoka looked once more at the softness her beautiful cheeks. Night fell quickly, so they hunkered down for now. Madoka heard no animals. No enemies. When the time came for them to rest, Madoka fell a tall pine tree over with a single kick. Audrey looked surprised but gave up trying to understand how much strength those relics gave Madoka.

Later, two prepared a campfire and planned the nightwatch shifts but Madoka felt calm. Nervous. Electrified. Peace. They swirled around like the wind blowing leaves in the crispy air.

Was it Elise or Audrey?
Was it her newfound strength?
Was it her newfound freedom?

Audrey was asleep first so Madoka watched first. She would pick her friend up and run if she detected danger nearby. Audrey did not have any weapons besides that knife she used to chop up her hair. She did her exercises in the meantime to stave off her anxiousness. A former maid in the woods, doing exercises no one has ever heard of. Madoka could no longer laugh at the unbelievable ridiculousness of their situation. They were but refugees from a cruel fate. This was not how two fourteen year olds should be spending their birthday — desperately trying to compact the creeping sadness of a once thriving world they once stood stable on.

Like that strange neon world Madoka dreamed of when she was... Madoka shook her head at the memory. Let it fade like the embers of the dissipating fire before her. She also did not know how to inform Audrey that she made it to her birthday alive. Both of them now, were now fourteen.

Some time later, Audrey stirred and woke. Madoka turned to her and nodded without a word. She dragged wood to the firepit and snapped. Fire spit from thin air, settling in a new dance routine upon the log. Then she just stood up and stared up at the stars above. During their time at the Estate, she mentioned people from her original world wished upon a falling star. The look on her face haunted Madoka, a mix of harrowing eyes and solemn yet a wavering throat deluged with sadness.

She was not wishing.

What would Madoka wish for? As Audrey stood there and stared at the stars, fully turned so Madoka could not see her eyes. For a moment, she was left to indulge in her fantasies. She knew what she would wish for. Audrey's happiness. For the stars to pale in comparison of her twinkling irises, bursting with the heaven's light. For her to see everything in wondrous amazement and peace within all things.

Moonlight slid off her hacked hair and bare shoulders. Madoka wanted to scold her and say she will crane her neck by looking up like that but the silence was significant. Audrey turned to face Madoka, as if she sensed her stare from behind. The two stared at each other, when Madoka looked into Audrey's soul and found glossiness, the resolve weakening within those azure eyes. The sky was clear enough with the stars above and their cascading blues, their oranges dying in final moments, their silvery gleaming whites. Audrey fell to her knees and collapsed on Madoka.

Like the moonlight on Audrey's shoulders slipping down her skin, so did her tears om Madoka's own shoulders. She held Audrey in a tight embrace for awhile before she simply wiped her tears and sat besides Madoka only to rest her head on her arm. Audrey was not quite tall enough to reach Madoka's shoulders.