The Maid and Her Princess [On Hiatus]

Height of the World With You (Winter 7)

VII.

There was wind.

Madoka hurled through a slipstream of cold purples and dark blues. Her vision swirled with colors not quite correct, crammed through a lens of a small tunnel. Like a telescope with dazzling, translucent shards instead of focusing mirrors and lenses. Her cheeks were licked by turbulent air. Every inch of her body tried to separate into different categories of parts as she shook through the flight.

Bone from flesh.

Solids from squishy liquids.

Flesh from nerves.

Eyes from dark and light.

The twin moons gazing inward and outward in a spectacle of flashing and twinkling.

And memories rushing alongside her matching her fall. Those were all she was left with in the brief flight in the odd light. If the princess was on the other side of this godless place Madoka made it a priority to give her a piece of her mind when she got out, of each category. As the alien pull withdrew its grasp on her body, daylight patiently waited for her to crash through this bizarre aperture.

She slew a dragon in a realm not cut from the same cloth of her reality. The palace was her reality, but it was now replaced by months of snow and tough wind's blades whirled around her like splinters from smashed wood. Madoka was sure she crashed through several trees too. Her velocity was not slowed this time by wind nor spell. The pain meant nothing but it arrived quicker than her eyes could catch even a glimpse of snow.

Dirt and layers of snow slushed out beneath her bulk as her face met the ground.

"Shi—" Madoka groaned. She did not bother rolling over to check her surroundings.

Everything hurt and she was tired of everything. Was this how Audrey felt about this world?

"Madoka?" Footsteps crunched hurriedly towards her.

Speak of the devil, Madoka did not bother responding. Her concern was the payment from what she put the maid through. Technically, it's your fault, I wanted to run! Audrey's voice rang in her head. You're such a battle junkie! Sometimes the long amount of time Madoka has spent with her allowed her to predict what the princess was thinking or what she would say. That deep connection with Audrey disturbed Madoka a little.

"Please, no!" Audrey's hands felt Madoka. They were still warm, like comforting warmth like a campfire instead of a painful flame that leaves scars. She felt herself being flipped over. "Gods, no. Madoka?"

Madoka just looked up at Audrey and beheld her gaze beneath the sun and trees. When she moved to get her healing talisman Madoka forced her arms to grab the girl in for a long embrace. She found herself weeping. She had no idea why and at the same time many reasons to. There are a lot of things that can take these moments away from her for all of eternity.

Audrey did not say anything and remained there. The soft moan of the winds carried the both of them into night.

"Okay," Audrey said, finally moving off of Madoka. "Can you stand?"

Madoka's bones cracked when she moved them but she could get up. Audrey studied her movements and gave a satisfied look. She still felt embarrassed that someone of Audrey's status cared for her. Perhaps she will never get rid of that feeling.

"We seem to be in the same spot we were before we fell into that weird place," Audrey said looking around. "We'll get some rest here if its safe. Bet that dragon scared everything away for now."

"That dragon is dead, right?" Madoka breathed. "N-No more of that for now."

"Yes, Madoka," Audrey said. "You got us out of that situation yet again and I hit you with my—"