Chapter 7 - Act III

A Blissful Year, Act 3

Fall of Roots

I.

Madoka remained quiet as a maid could be in the carriage. That was the easy part. She realized the difficult part was trying to remain calm when she was sitting in the same carriage with not one but two Royals. They have rode for hours now and Prince Fiara never took his eyes off of Madoka. She kept to herself.

"It's been awhile, Brother," Elise said with a hint of disdain in her tone. Madoka elbowed her and gave her a stern look. Prince Fiara laughed. "Why have you not visited me! I've missed you!"

"I see the two of you are close," Prince Fiara laughed, finally looking at Elise. The sudden change in the princess's demeanor worried Madoka, but Madoka considered herself adept at understanding the mood in most social situations. She achieved this by just staying quiet. Elise, on the other hand, pouted.

"Pay attention to me more!"

"I apologize, dear sister!" Fiara clasped his hands together and pleaded. "It's just that Father has been keeping me away. I've been trying to change his mind, you know. That's why I am here, after all."

Madoka heard his words and could not help but wonder if he was lying. Perhaps the both of them were locked in a duel of wills and were just acting the part. The prince sat back.

"You've grown a lot," he said. Elise scoffed.

"Do you think Father will be fair to me, this time around?" She asked.

"The air around the Northern Estate has helped you a lot," he said. "You look beautiful."

"Hellooo? What about Father?" The princess waved her hands in front of his face.

"Perhaps if you were not so annoying," he chuckles. Elise hit his knee. "Is that all you can reach? Shorty!"

"Naee waah! Brother, that's no fair!"

For a moment, Madoka pictured them together again. The perfect siblings from a long time ago before they were 13. Madoka eventually tuned their back-and-forth bickering out. The air was colder now; turning the day to night as the sun's orange glow gave way to a velvety indigo cloak. Madoka's vision started to grow darker.

Was she getting tired? Madoka thought this was impossible. She blinked, hoping neither of the Royals were paying attention to her. Her vision did not improve. Whispers started to creep inside her ears.

Red string.

Cut.

Death.

Bring.

Come closer.

Take.

Madoka gasped, instinctively reaching for her ax. Her hands instead landed on the cushioned seat of the carriage. The whispers were unlike any other animal thought she's heard so far. They were oppressive and invasive, like her mind was succumbing under its weight.

"Madoka?" Elise asked. The whispers receded and her vision immediately went back to normal. Even her brother seemed concerned. Madoka shook her head and bowed.

"Forgive me," Madoka cleared her throat and apologized in reverent Noble. Remaining silent for this long seemed no longer feasible in this carriage ride. Elise gave her a worried look but continued to speak with her brother. Madoka was left to worry about the whispers returning.

Madoka wondered if they simply rode by whatever predator that gave those awful thoughts. She prayed to the kind gods that she could make it through the ride at least.

Once they arrived through the Palace Gates, Madoka got a small glimpse of the city. People of all ages were outside cheering for their arrival. People who knew freedom, Madoka could not help but wonder what that was like. When she passed through these gates the first time as a child, she had no idea who she was. Madoka figured after being broken and molded by the whims of this place she would never long for freedom yet to her surprise she felt restricted as the carriage stopped.

The sight of the Palace towering above her looked more beautiful than she remembered it as a child. That memory was suspended in her mind ever since she was seven. This time would also etch itself in her memory as well. Madoka stretched her legs and helped her yawning princess out, though she never took her eyes off the grand throne room. It was a place of power and Madoka decided she must pay it respect.

Several Palace soldiers approached her and bowed to the Prince and Elise. Madoka bowed back to them all as she should, remembering her training as a maid. She has not lost touch after all. A few nobles were gathered at the hallway where they first entered with some gesturing at Elise. Madoka instinctively started to press forward and guard her but Elise stopped her and smiled.

Madoka knew what that smile meant: They were going to be apart for the first time in many months.

II.

"You are to return to your duties here until Her Highness is free," a guard instructed her. Even though she walked and cleaned these hallways before Madoka missed the Estate's. Not that they required less work and were not as ornate as these Palace hallways but because she felt more free.

"Understood," Madoka curtsied. She was a slave never to be free as she was at the Estate. She knew better than to ask when Elise would be available to speak with again. She followed the guards when one of them stopped her. She chose to be this.

"Hey, I remember you!" The guard said. Madoka did not remember him although his face reminded Madoka of a squash. "You were the princess's slave!"

"Y-Yes, sir," Madoka confirmed. Squash-face laughed but then drew closer after looking around.

"Is she every bit of insane that they speak about here?" Squash-face whispered. Madoka was worried about those rumors. Things were much more scarier here than her time with the princess suggested. What should she say? Squash-face withdrew and patted her shoulder. "It must have been hard dealing with her. But now, you're here safe and sound! With us!"

"Oh, y-yes I suppose so, sir," Madoka said politely. The guard nodded assuredly before entering through the servant quarter's doors. Madoka wondered what became of the princess's Royal chambers but she hardly had enough time to think before her fellow maids surrounded her. They were asking her questions and showering her with awe and attention.

"What is life like outside the Palace?"

"Was it hard to live in such a drab place?"

"I hear monsters and Cherish people are nearby, that must have been terrible for you."

Madoka was apprehensive about answering. Sure, the walls shook when a rainstorm crossed over the Estate. She knew she did not have the time for idle chatter. There was a familiar shadow approaching, though it did not seem as tall as it once was before.

"Madoka."

Madoka heard the old maid's voice first. It was the Head Maid, of course.

"I am glad you are well," the Head Maid gave a rare smile, causing the other servants to murmur. She immediately turned to them. "Get back to work!"

The observing servants scattered.

"You have grown so much," the Head Maid embraced Madoka. "You look much better."

Madoka felt awkward in her hold but the old woman let go of her.

"But you mustn't let it get to you," she warned. "The nobles prey upon women your age. Keep your head down. Now what of the princess?"

"I do not know what will happen to her," Madoka said honestly. "There seemed to be business here for her."

"She hasn't hurt you or anything, right?"

The Head Maid held her shoulders and gave her a good look over as they took to the princess's Royal Wing. Madoka could not even begin to count all the exercises and strange things the princess put her through over the last months. She said nothing instead and shook her head.

"I'm glad," she concluded. "Now get some rest. I am sure the princess will still require your duties soon."

Madoka agreed and retreated into the quarters next to the princess's room. Everything seemed pristine and tidy, just as Madoka made it. As of now, Madoka did not know when the princess will be free or if she will be free at all. The twin moons above slipped light beneath the cracks of her door as her company.

As she took her dress off she instinctively reached for her ax and only felt her hip. That's right, Madoka thought to herself. Her ax was left at the Estate. The exercises and training were seemingly meaningless since she was simply going to be here performing her duties after everything is said and done.

After flopping on the bed, Madoka wondered if things would truly be over. Madoka groaned. Her restlessness was going to be the death of her. There was work to do early and she was awake worried about things way over her head.

She prayed to any of the kind gods out there that it was not over. Even the one in that forest, she prayed to that one even if she could not fully understand English. If Elise were to go away she would never be able to understand the gods, would she? The maid sighed and rolled over in bed.

I pray for you to be safe, Madoka silently stared at the moons. And I hope your visions are wrong.

Later, Madoka did not need to be woken up because she did not sleep. Despite this, she still hurried along with her morning routine and exercises before rushing to meet with the maids for their assigned duties for the days.

In the palace, maids were to quietly and quickly clean. May the kind gods help them if a greedy noble took a fancy to one. Still, Madoka was ready to get back into it. She saw no sign of Elise but as she lined up with the other maids she knew she should toss the idea out her mind. Once she was out of the gathering with her assigned rotations she kept an eye out for the princess.

There was no shortage of things that needed cleaning, Madoka thought. Her hands swiftly remembered their cleaning, although with her newfound strength she found cleaning a lot easier than it was earlier in the year. Madoka also realized she must have been growing taller, since she could reach places like the top of Royal curtains with her duster without much trouble. She moved quickly to the other hallway after she was satisfied with the results. It was time to join the others to wash laundry.

The process was arduous. A large washroom sat below in the Palace's underbelly for this purpose. It was filled with bustling maids laying out various clothes, sheets and curtains seemingly every which way. It appeared to be a chaotic mess but it has remained the same as far back as Madoka remembered fondly.

The most difficult part was rounding up several maids to carry a large wooden tub for water outside. Madoka could lift it all by herself which shocked the servants. She smiled to herself since this could provide a distraction from her thoughts about the princess. However, that peace seemed to not last long when she heard a commotion brewing at the front entrance.

"Get outta the way!" Barked a familiar voice.

"B-But, Your Highness," another guard's voice came from behind the door. The servants and maids looked at each other and then eyed the door nervously. The chaos outside continued. "The sights in here are for slaves! They might make you uncomfortable—"

"Outta the way, you potato! An awkward car ride with Brother and a near death experience with Father cannot stop me!"

The door swung open wide and Elise emerged triumphantly. Squash-face crumpled to the ground beside her. It was evident that his resistance in letting her through proved futile.

"Now where is my maid?" Elise scanned the room before she locked eyes on Madoka, who dropped the large bucket onto the ground in disbelief. "You are really wet!"

Madoka was too stunned to speak. She thought the princess outgrew her antics but it seemed like she picked them back up right where she hid them before. Elise contemplated for a moment and a grin appeared on her face.

"BEHOLD! BUBBLE!" She shouted. A shimmer in the air manifested above the bucket Madoka dropped. A water orb floated over the bucket and began to fill it with soapy water. "WITNESS ME! WOO!"

"Elise Fiara," Madoka said after the servants gawked. The coldness in her voice froze everyone in the room. The bubble of water vanished. Elise shifted nervously with not a trace of mischievousness on her face.

"Uh oh," she said.

"What did I tell you about making noise?" Madoka grabbed her princess by the wrist and nearly dragged her outside. She did not care if the princess got soaked all the way to her chambers. Madoka swore she will clean the foolishness out of Elise once and for all.

III.

"Okay. Who knew you couldn't use magic in the Palace? Not me, that's for sure," Elise said, pouting. Madoka shot her a glare but stood there quietly, awaiting her princess's orders. Elise already received an earful from the maid for at least an hour after the magic incident. After Madoka's scolding, she heard the princess receive another earful from her Father. He promptly placed her back in Madoka's care and told her to remain in the Royal Library's study room for now until she goes to bed. Elise kicked her feet as she sat in an irritating rhythm.

"I get why you're here with me. But why is he here?"

Squash-face saluted. Madoka imagined him trying to read a book and could not stop her chuckle. According to Elise, the "time-out" had to take place in this room or else. Also according to Elise, Madoka still failed at basic reading comprehension. It was not like Madoka cared. The soldier cleared his throat.

"I am here by His Majesty's orders to supervise and escort you around," he said, dutifully. Elise snorted.

"I don't need you, potato-head," she said. She quieted down when Madoka gave her another glare. "I have her, you know?"

"Well, I—"

"I know! You two can do an arm wrestle!" Elise said. Madoka knew where this was going and she did not like it.

"Your Highness," Madoka stammered. "That's simply His Majesty's-"

"Well tell him to suck it!" Elise snapped. "I'm in time out already and I'm bored, Madoka! Bored! Now arm wrestle! Loser gets voted off the island!"

"What does that mean, Your Highness?" Squash-face asked. Madoka stifled a chuckle. She remembered when she had a difficult time finding the context in Elise's odd words.

"A table, dammit," Elise snapped. "A study needs one. Why does this one not have a damn table in it? Also I'll need you to get my book from my room, Madoka."

"Understood, Your Highness," Madoka began. "We don't need to arm wrestle for simple orders like that."

"But I'm bored!" Elise complained. "Arm wrestle on the chair! Yeah!"

Squash-face gave Madoka a worried look. Madoka shrugged. He looked no more older than her, despite his odd face.

"I am a soldier," Squash-face said. "I've trained for many hours with my captain."

"Only hours?" Elise scoffed. Squash-face furrowed his brow and looked offended as she challenged his manliness.

"Very well, then," he declared. Madoka rolled her eyes. The princess got off her time-out chair and scooted it for them. "Have at you, Madoka!"

Madoka held the soldier's grip and found it to be weak. It must be bad if a soldier is this weak, Madoka mused in her head. She did not realize that Elise already started the match and Squash-face was trying with all of his might to win. Madoka's arm did not budge. It looked like he was sweating. In one swift motion, she flung his arm down.

Squash-face lay on the floor with a look of shock on his face. How unladylike, Madoka thought as she wiped her hand off. And how uncomfortable.

"See?" Elise laughed. "Now get me my table, potato! It'll make you stronger! And Madoka, dear, get me my book!"

"As you command," Squash-face took the defeat well, much to Madoka's surprise. He got back up and left the room. Elise's expression changed in an instant. Madoka froze.

"Do you know how hard it was to get a one on one with you?" Elise said. The tone in her voice was suddenly serious and devoid of any of the immaturity it had in it from before. Madoka stood silently. "I've not much time left here so I need to explain some things."

"Like what?" Madoka spoke in English to show her solidarity. The princess relaxed a little bit and spoke in English.

"I've gone and mapped everything I could in this damn place," Elise said. "You won't believe how many useless places and rooms are in this palace. The important things is the exit routes and this place deep in the Palace's inner sanctums is a treasury."

"Treasury?" Madoka did not know what that word was in English.

"Like a room full of money! And also, uh, divine artifacts," the princess explained. "It's full of them too. Said they're for a prophesied Hero. Could you believe that nonsense? A Chosen One? Poppycock!"

Elise snorted. Madoka secretly could believe it. She knew that the kind gods exist so they could choose a Hero. She wondered perhaps that Elise could be the Hero for a moment but discarded that thought. Elise cared little for her own people and has stated she "hated this world." That did not sound heroic to Madoka.

"Anyways—"

Someone knocked.

"Excuse me," Squash-face arrived without a table.

"Where is the table, potato-head?" Elise demanded. "How hard is it to fetch me one?"

"There was a slight problem," he admitted. Elise rolled her eyes and gave Madoka a look. Madoka nodded without them communicating.

"I will help you," Madoka said, not hiding a sigh. The soldier bowed and clasped his hands in gratitude. "I have to get her book anyways."

"What a weak potato," Elise muttered. Squash-face bowed in appreciation.

Madoka retrieved the book and joined Squash-face at the bottom of the ornate staircase, Madoka noticed the soldier did not seem down at all despite the princess being hostile to him. She still felt the need to apologize.

"I apologize for the princess's antics, sir," Madoka said to him. "She's not normally like this."

"Oh? It's nothing," Squash-face laughed. "She's quite different from what I expected."

"What did you expect?" Madoka asked him. "It's quite difficult to understand her, sir."

"Please, no sirs. My name is Jacob," Squash-face told her. The two stopped at the table which rested at the end of the hallway. Two guards looked at the pair expecting to laugh at them as they struggled. "She seems fun to be around."

"Fun?" Madoka asked. She considered the concept of "fun" sounded like a waste of time. She had cleaning to do. That was as fun as it has gotten for her.

"Yeah, fun. Unpredictable, even," Jacob said. "I just met her and I like her. It's just that... I find it hard to understand Her Highness."

"T-That makes two of us, sir," Madoka admitted.

Squash-face and Madoka looked at each other then both shared a laugh at their common misfortune.

"You are my senior, though," he joked. "You will have to show me the ropes."

"S-Surely not," Madoka realized both of them were speaking in commoner. "How old are you?"

"Fifteen," Jacob said. "Been training since I was 13. I can't believe how tough you are! You flung me around like it was nothing!"

"Please," Madoka protested at his praise. "I'm almost fourteen years old. Don't praise me. It's embarrassing!"

"It's the truth! I'm jealous," the soldier admitted and glanced at the table. "It should prove no trouble for you and me. How did you get so strong, anyways?"

"Watch, this," Madoka simply shoved the book in his arms and rolled up her sleeves. Jacob and the other soldiers gawked at her. Madoka lifted the table easily with her well placed grip. She thought of something witty the princess might say in moments like these when the soldiers asked questions among themselves in amazement.

"How did you manage to lift it?!"

"Kind gods!"

"I do a lot of sewing," she remarked after thinking too hard and proceeded to carry the table up the stairs by herself.

"I-I'll get the other end! Hey!" Jacob followed her. "I'm supposed to help you, you know!"

Madoka did not need help. Jacob followed hopelessly as the other guards laughed at him. His face was red from embarrassment. She brought it to the top of the stairs and looked at him expectedly.

"There you go," she told him and took the princess's book. "You can move it to the room."

"T-To think you can just lift that so easily," he stared at the table. If Madoka paid any closer attention to his squash shaped face she swore it would have popped. "And I'm the soldier, here. No, I will catch up to both of you. I, as a soldier of Fiara, swear to you and Her Highness."

"No swearing, Squash- er, sir," Madoka said instinctively, propping the door open for him. There was something other than the scraping of wood on wood and clinking of Squash-face's armor that disturbed Madoka's hearing. It crept on her and blotted her vision. Madoka dropped the book.

Kill her.

Cut the string.

We know pain.

We will take it from you.

Kill her.

Eternal peace for blood.

Madoka stumbled and had to lean on the table for support. Elise rushed to her maid's side.

"Madoka?" Squash-face or Jacob also attempted to help Madoka but Elise's ring of magic revealed itself as fury built in her eyes. Madoka could see her and Jacob through her blurry vision.

"Back off," Elise stopped the soldier. He bowed and backed slowly. Elise's magic core faded as he exited, presumably to get a healer. She was telling him something but everything sounded garbled and like it was from the opposite side of a tunnel. "Madoka?"

"I'll be fine...!" Madoka gasped. She said that unconvincingly. Even the voices got louder in her head. Outside, there were people walking past the study speaking in hushed tones. The voices drowned out her senses.

Kill her!

Free me!

I will...

Madoka struggled more. It seemed the voices were growing distant from Madoka but she was ragged. Elise had her sit on the chair and from outside the door Madoka's heart sank. The person walking past the study glanced back in concern. It was Prince Fiara. He locked eyes with her for a second before continuing down the hall with several of his nobles out of view.

"Kind gods have mercy," Madoka breathed out a prayer. Her fears were coming to life before her eyes and she had no way of escaping. "It's..."

She could not finish her sentence.

"What is happening to you?" Elise's eyes were overflowing wells of tears. Madoka clasped her princess's hands. "Are you okay now?"

Madoka nodded. She was out of breath but felt the warmth of Elise as she embraced her.

"Sorry about your book, Elise," she mumbled as the princess kept up her embrace.

"Forget the book," Elise was still crying. "I told that potato to get you a healer. Sit tight, okay?"

Madoka made a muffled noise in agreement. Inside, her head was swimming in a chaotic sea of thoughts and fears. The enemy of her Highness truly was the Prince. The secret and the oppressive voices made her feelings drain into an abyss.

"Everything you said about him," Madoka whispered into her ear.

"Huh?"

"It's true, right?"

Elise pulled away from Madoka and stared at her. Her face was pale and she slowly nodded.

"Yes."

IV.

Madoka drew away from Elise's embrace, realizing a sharp pain nicked her hand. She was bleeding. She must have grabbed the table at the wrong angle and sliced it. Elise wiped her tears away and as soon as she noticed Madoka's hand was bleeding she panicked.

"How did that happen?" Elise looked for something to wrap it up. "A healer's on the way. You're okay, right?"

"I'm fine," Madoka whispered. It was not even a deep scratch. Elise frowned and looked at the table. She noticed the sliver of wood protruding from her hand and deduced it must have been that. Elise reached for Madoka's hand but instinctively she pulled it away.

"Nope," Elise said, pulling Madoka's hand back to her lap. "My hand now."

Madoka was not in the mood to fight her off so the two of them waited for the healer to show. Elise plucked the sliver out and the sting barely affected Madoka.

"I am hearing..." Madoka trailed off. "Dark thoughts unlike any animal I've come across. Everytime I see your brother the thoughts grow darker."

"Oh, with that strange ability of yours?" Elise asked. She lowered her voice to a whisper. "I see dark mana all around this place. But you still glow, Madoka. That brother of mine and those particles must be connected somehow."

"Dark mana?" Madoka pondered.

"Like, it's creepy," Elise said looking up at the ceiling and the corners. Despite the ordeal, Madoka noticed how dirty and neglected they were. Ugh, she thought and considered cleaning this place would be in order the next chance she gets. "Normally it's just speckles of light but this Palace just contains... Anyways. We're in this together, so do as I say, okay?"

"Yes, Your Highness," Madoka nodded. Elise was about to protest but they were interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Excuse me, Your Highness," Squash-face's armored hand tapped the door with heavy raps. "I've brought my father, er the healer."

"Come in! Come in!"

The door fully opened as Jacob and the healer entered, bowing. Elise recognized the healer although Madoka did not. The crest on his green robe matched that of Elise's Brother's army.

"You...!" Elise said, her voice shaking with suspicion. "Whatever, heal my servant's wound!"

"Please," Madoka protested. "You don't have to do this for me."

"Father, go ahead," Squash-face persisted, letting the healer get closer. The healer chuckled.

"It's been some time since I last saw you, dear," he said, pulling out a strange wooden talisman. Madoka remembered who he was. He healed her palm. "Let me take care of this wound."

"It's just a little scratch," Madoka started again but Elise looked at her assuredly. The look in her eye told Madoka that she wanted to witness this healer's magic and take notes. "What is that?"

"Oh? This is an object blessed by the Gods," the Healer began humming. Madoka realized that he was not humming, but the talisman was.

"There are mana strands in all things. Helical strings and Substance shifts in all living beings. These verdant strands, well, they make you feel a little less lonely, wouldn't you think?" He continued, then breathed in and out. A hint of green spiral filaments seemingly delicate as spiderwebs exited his mouth as breath. And like the spider weaves its web to another surface, the strands untangle and connect to the talisman's own Substance strings. Madoka realized she could only see the strands if someone activated them.

She shuddered at the thought of Elise being able to see them all the time. Elise was observing the healer's channeling before scribbling things inside her book.

Little green connections spread their threads to Madoka's cut skin. Those words he spoke were too big for her head. She watched the Substance magic twirl for a moment and then weave her small cut together.

"You didn't have to do that for me," Madoka tells him. Pain is nothing to her. Though the magic runs through her like an invisible spear resulting in a shiver.

The old healer chuckles and pockets his odd talisman.

"Then I did it for me," he replies and wiped the blood off with a cloth.

"Thank you, sir," Madoka crossed her arms and looked away. Squash-face jumped up and bowed to him.

"Thank you, Father," he said. "For helping my friend out."

Friend? Madoka almost blurted out, but Elise shooed them out.

"Yes, yes, thank you very much," Elise scoffed. "Now go back to whatever you were doing."

The healer bowed and took his leave. Squash-face waited outside and guarded the room.

"What an annoying NPC," Elise sighed.

"N...Piece?" Madoka stumbled over the word. Elise shrugged then waved her off.

"That mage's words on how Substance works mostly works with those books I read at the Estate," Elise commented. "Still doesn't make it any less weird."

"Weird, Your Highness?" Madoka asked. Elise pulled out the book flipped to a page. The depiction of the Six Armed Goddess was revealed to be on it.

"Supposedly, this thing is in control of all life," Elise said. "A goddess of life and fields. Cliché, right?"

"She is a kind goddess," Madoka said. Elise looked at her blankly. Madoka asked a question. "Can you see those mana strands he made?"

"I see them when he channels into that talisman," Elise noted. "But I don't see those strings anywhere. I see... more like spheres of different colored lights. And..."

"I see those dark splotches all around," She stopped and looked at the shadows. Her expression changed. "I think someone is tampering with them."

Madoka could only think of Elise's brother.

"Speaking of the Estate," Elise said. "I thought we could retreat out of here to the north, we'd have a shot to retrieve the important things. But we don't! What a shame."

"Why is it even there?" Madoka wondered aloud. Was it really for locking away people?

"The Estate?" Elise asked. Madoka nodded. "It was situated there to ward off invaders from gaining a foothold in the weakest point of this nation. However, since a big mountain range blocks most of the northern continent beyond this one. Currently, that unknown land is getting ravaged by some kind of Celestial being. Wicked, right?"

"Huh," Madoka shrugged.

"I thought that was a cool thing to know about," Elise said. "Stops invaders from coming from the north. That means the Estate was pretty much abandoned by its Lord."

"Invaders?"

"Our three neighbors," Elise said after a pause. "The countries to our east, west and southeast are not particularly friendly. Remember, violence and magic rule this world. At least that's what these old, out-of-touch moronic nobles would say."

Elise sighed. Madoka's head swam. She realized she would not understand any of the politics. None of it made sense to her as a commoner. Elise could tell the confusion was on her face.

"Look at it this way," Elise said, flipping to a map in her book. Madoka simply thought she had too much time on her hands. "They want our stuff. The weak nobles here don't seem to know and only care about my brother's promise of change but they plan to use him for their own goals. Meanwhile the other countries ransack our villages and secure labyrinth entrances. They have things in them that aren't found on the surface of this world."

"So they want our stuff?" Madoka said the question as if it was a statement. She does not have stuff. She was a slave. The concept seemed simple enough. "What about the darkness here?"

"That..." Elise paled. "I don't know anything about. Frankly, I don't want to get to the bottom of it. I still..."

She trails off.

"Do you still have those visions?"

Elise slowly nodded. Madoka was taken aback at the revelation. Just how much has she shouldered without telling her servant?

"It's... not good to keep that from me, Elise," Madoka said.

"It's not new ones," Elise said. "Just the same nightmare every once in a while. A lucid dream of a future closing in on us like... I don't really have a comparison now."

Madoka did not know if she should feel relieved or worse about that. Night was falling rapidly into a cold atmosphere. Fall did that here - Madoka has forgotten all about that.

"D-Don't you worry about it!" Elise said shyly. "My body doesn't hurt anymore after I have them."

"That just makes me worry more!" Madoka snapped. Elise shrunk. A door knocked.

"Come in," Elise said.

It was Jacob.

"Your Highness, I am here to escort you to your chambers," Squash-face said. He glanced at the map. "Whoa! That's a pretty good map!"

Elise covered it instinctively.

"It's n-none of your business!"

"I know, I know," he waved her off. But he pointed at the letters and read them. "That's Esmeralda! And that's Tabruula!"

"You can read?!" Both Elise and Madoka exclaimed. Madoka was surprised and somewhat jealous since she herself could not. Squash-face looked confused but stood proudly.

"Of course I can, Your Highness and Madoka," he said. "My Father taught me."

"Your father, huh?" Elise mused. She looked as if she resented him for a moment. She closed her book. "Very well, potato. Take me away."

Later that night alone in her room, Madoka began to hear those dark thoughts again.

V.

"What would you like to do if you, no, we made it out of here?" Elise asked. Madoka decided it was best to not worry her princess by not reporting she heard the voices last night.

The two remained in the study for the following days. She only brought a lot of food and tea up to the princess. Otherwise, she cleaned the nooks and crannies of the room. Right now, she was balancing on a wooden stool reaching for a tough spot above the shelves. She could do it without thinking, thanks to her speed training atop the jagged rocks Leopride conjured for her ages ago.

She missed those days. The scar on her palm comforted her during these nights.

"I would like us to," Madoka paused in thought about it. Such an option did not occur to her. So she asked the question back to her. "What would you like us to do?"

"I would very much still like to continue the Elise and Madoka adventures."

"I-I," Madoka stammered. She did not want to do such things in labyrinths or altars.

"If only I were more powerful in magic, Madoka," Elise sighed. "My magic core has made some improvement since that god spoke to me. Still, ah, working on the kinks."

"That god, right," Madoka still felt the chill from its voice the first time she heard it. She hopped off the stool and landed gracefully. "Has it spoken to you or anything since?"

"No," Elise murmured. "I don't really know why, but I can't fathom it being a god. I know, I know. It's just like my brain and beliefs don't match. How are you so religious, Madoka?"

"The kind gods have..." Madoka was about to say they allowed her to meet Elise but she stayed silent. "I've been raised here under their peaceful eyes. How could I not believe in them?"

"They made you a slave," Elise snapped. Then she went back to being gloomy. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that."

"I wish to serve you," Madoka simply said. She was a simple maid, after all. The kind gods prepared this life for her. Although the doubts crept in her mind, she still chose to believe that god was really there in those ruins. Elise cleared her throat and switched subjects.

"I wish that god could help me out again. But it didn't, so, I've tried everything I could think of to cultivate mana," Elise said, holding up her hands and made a circle with her fingers. A small translucent bubble floated from the inner shape of the circle and popped. "And all I can do is some small wind and water tricks. I don't think it's the same thing as all those light novels I read... tch!"

"Those Wind swords were impressive," Madoka offered. Elise sighed and wiped the water off her hands on Madoka's cloth.

"Wind swords? That makes them sound cool. They're not enough," Elise looked back to her book. "Perhaps later, I'll figure it out."

"I wish the best for you," Madoka bowed. She prayed that Elise would succeed. The room was spotless. She still felt that the dark mana the princess spoke of still lingered but at least it was clean.

"Then I can be strong enough to support you on adventures. Wherever we go," the princess said with a serious tone. "They're going to be having another go at my curse soon, Madoka."

Madoka's own feelings tensed at the meaning beneath her words. They were going to try their best to get rid of her.

"And I," Elise wiped her eyes. She was crying! Madoka immediately rushed to her and comforted her as she always did. "I don't have anything. No plans. I-I'm... scared!"

"I believe in you," Madoka soothed her. The princess buried her face in the maid's shoulder. "We've come this far."

The princess focused her eyes after Madoka wiped the tears off her face. "I will try my best to formulate a plan," the princess said, showing the radiant ring of magic. Madoka realized it was flowing around her heart. Has it always done that before? "I know I am making progress with this. I just am afraid it's not enough and that I will fail you."

"I trust you," Madoka said softly, but with all her heart. She could not leave the princess after their time in the North Estate.

"I lov- I trust you, Madoka. More than you know. Your strength, I...." the princess sobbed. Madoka simply pat her head. "I'll do anything to make this pass."

"Now, now," Madoka soothed her princess, like the old days. "We must move forward for tomorrow."

"For all our tomorrows," Elise pulled away from Madoka. "Go for now. I must... I have to figure this out. They will suspect you if you are here with me."

"But Your Highness," Madoka protested. A simple look was all she needed. Madoka bowed and departed from the room quietly. She trusted her friend.

Days later, Madoka saw the princess less. She stayed sequestered in her study, refusing to let anyone in. Madoka felt lost. She was unable to do anything and she was requested by the Head Maid again. The voices were getting worse without Elise and the only thing that calmed her down were her servant duties.

Madoka noticed more nobles came and went with their fancy clothes. Before she hid away, Elise said they were smart and powerful men apart of a thing called a noble hegemony. They were aiming to break the ailing king's reign. Madoka did not understand as usual, but realized that ailing meant the king was growing weaker. She wondered if that's how her princess's prophecies predicted.

Madoka worked until she was exhausted and found herself in bed late.

Death.

Red.

String.

Roots.

Death.

Madoka had enough of these stupid voices. She was tired of her restless nights and beating her head against a sweaty pillow. The wind knocked against the tiny window in her servant's quarters next to the princess. Suddenly, an even louder knock struck the window. Madoka jerked up, wide awake as the voices faded away. The night was cool and calm with moonbeams on clear display in the sky. Madoka, however, was the opposite.

She tore her dress up and had claw marks on her skin from clutching herself and her head. L-Let this endless night pass, Madoka struggled as she sat helplessly on her bed. She could not even pray or utter noise out her mouth. She motioned to scream, but silently flailed and wailed in her anguish.

Another knock. This time, Madoka stopped her tantrums and stared at its source. A glowing, white bird sat next to the window looking directly at her. What was this bird? Madoka thought. It looked like a ghost with a disturbingly human face with a beak instead of a nose. Madoka shook her head. Was this her sinking into the depths of madness from sleep deprivation?

The bird remained. It flapped its odd feathers as it sat. Strange, flesh like pink tentacles revealed themselves to be writhing beneath the folds of its wings. Madoka concluded she was going insane and decided the bird was enough. Still it sat there at the corner of her eyes.

Its thoughts were quiet, but so were Madoka's. Even the whispers vanished entirely. It truly made her feel at peace, despite its oddly grotesque appearance. Madoka closed her eyes in a blink at the bird and silently thanked it for the temporary reprieve. The bird kept its gaze with its mystical glow and had Madoka's attention spellbound. The illuminated creature cocked its head suddenly.

DO NOT GO OUTSIDE.

A loud thought struck her but with more clarity and strength than those whispers. Commotion broke out in the princess's room. Elise! Madoka struggled to get out of her bed and instead tumbled to the carpet. The princess was screaming something about a lawyer as people were dragging her away. Madoka did not know what her words meant but she was being taken away from her.

"INNOCENT TIL PROVEN GUILTY," She thundered. "You stupid pigs didn't even read me my rights!"

More movement thumped outside as Madoka feebly crawled to the door. She could not get up. The shining bird out her window was watching the maid intently. She had to help her princess.

Tomorrow?

Tomorrow!

Tomorrow.

For tomorrow!

Don't go outside!

Madoka ignored it and reached for the handle. But it would not budge. After several attempts at twisting the door, her hand felt numb as exhaustion covered her vision. The princess's screams drew further than her ears could allow.

"Please," Madoka mouthed to the bird. Its thoughts remained quiet as it stared back at her. It tilted its head at her request. As Madoka slumped and slipped into her sleep against the door, the bird flew away out of her vision.

Madoka wept as she fell asleep.

VI.

Madoka opened her eyes and found herself lying on the floor. She sighed. Tomorrow did arrive and it was today. Sunlight soaked through the windows and blinded her for a moment. The night before was not a dream. It weighed heavily on her bones. Madoka placed the thought of the bird as a mere nightmare. It was chilly in her room but she remained sweating and engulfed in nervousness.

Outside her window where the bird rested at, however, was the clear view of a pillar of light piercing the sun. Madoka recalled it flying directly up in the night sky. That trail of light piercing the heavens must be left by the ominous bird. Was it a warning sent by the kind gods?

Madoka cursed herself for sleeping later than she should. She quickly got up and avoided looking at the princess's chambers. Madoka assimilated with the other maids while suppressing an uneasy feeling forming in her gut. She would sleep with the other maids in the shared quarters from now on. Those soldiers were going to come for her and the Palace seemed to be much more oppressive than lately. She still believed Elise will survive this ordeal, although she could not erase the princess's screams from last night out of her head.

As she did her duties, she could not help but feel nervous at every sound. Madoka's neck felt strained from looking over her shoulder. She was in a hallway, expecting signs of the whispers's return or anything ominous but nothing happened. Before she closed the curtains on a window, she noticed the pillar of light still remained from across the view.

Suddenly heavy boots stomped near her and startled her. Some of the guards looked at Madoka and laughed at her reaction before saluting the patroling soldiers but they left her alone. The other servants seemed as carefree as they were before. How could they act normal in times like this? In a way, she envied their ignorance. On the other hand, she could not help but feel like she was truly crazy.

She swore the soldiers would immediately take her away but they simply walked on by as she attempted to dust things. By all accounts, she was just another invisible slave serving in the Palace. At least that is what she hoped. Madoka was not going to take any chances so she made herself scarce. She hoped no one would notice her shirking her duties. A pit in her neck still formed from the guilt of doing so. Madoka ignored it and rounded the corner directly into a soldier's chest.

"Please! Don't take me away!" Madoka begged as she cowered.

"Madoka?"

A friendly voice came above her. It was Squash-face's voice.

"Squ- Jacob?" Madoka looked up at him. She felt a wave of relief at the sight of his face and she never thought she would feel that way.

He looked at her with a worried face.

"Madoka?" He asked again. Madoka cleared her throat and recovered by briskly wiping her skrit off. "Why are you cowering like that?"

"A-Apologies, sir. You startled me," Madoka did not trust him and tried to walk away but Jacob laughed.

"There's no way someone like me can startle you like that," he joked but got serious. "Hey, so I heard some crazy news."

"It's the princess, right?" Madoka tried to play ignorance of Elise's arrest, hoping the quivering in her voice did not show. Squash-face leaned in closer.

"Yeah, they got her in the middle of the night," he said. "How mad is that? Roughed her up something fierce."

Madoka's heart sank.

"Your breath stinks," Madoka said to him because he was too close. The soldier backed off and bowed.

"Whoops, sorry," he said. "It's just that, I figured you would be more worried. I can't help but feel like this Palace has gone backwards lately. Kind gods seal my lips, but the princess seemed harmless if not a little eccentric. Why did they arrest her?"

Madoka's face said it all to him the moment he said that.

"Can you take me to her," Madoka asked him then she withdrew. It was foolish to ask such things. "Nevermind, forget I said anything."

"I could try, I guess," Jacob shrugged. "She is kinda in a bad state, so I don't want to make you more uncomfortable. The Prince's soldiers have pretty much taken my patrol duties away so I have nothing better to do."

"Take me to her," Madoka insisted quickly. Jacob raised his hands defensively.

"Hai, hai," he said. "No need to worry about you, I suppose. Are we skipping our duties today?"

Madoka gulped but Jacob laughed.

"I'm just messing with you," Squash-face seemed ignorant of what was to come and Madoka could not blame him. He looked around the corner and back to her.

"Yeah, coast is clear," he shrugged. "Come with me."

"Wait," Madoka noticed a cart with a tray on it nearby. The maid inside the room nearby was distracted, so Madoka took it.

"Smart and diabolical," Jacob laughed. "Good thinking."

Madoka could not stop her heart from pounding as he guided her through the Palace. She swore the tray on the cart would rattle off the surface from her nervous shaking. No one seemed to question a soldier and a servant following him as they passed by. Elise was right, Madoka thought as she looked around the Palace's lower commons. This place truly had many useless rooms. It was all a mere distraction from the storm in her mind. They found themselves at the edge of the Palace's walls and the exit which led to the dungeons.

They took her here?

"Yeah," Squash-face could read the disbelief on her own face. "Told you the dungeons were creepy. This one only has her. We gotta hurry though. They might get on our backsides if they catch us being lazy."

They quickly moved to the prisoner quarters that held Elise captive. Jacob stopped at the door. The guards spoke with him and he fumbled an excuse to pass by. It seemed like they did not care either way that the two were there. She bowed to them with her cart and they waved her off. Madoka assumed they were dozing off in this secluded area and had no reason to be suspicious of a simple maid.

"I-I'll keep a look out," he said. "You two probably got some secrets to share. Don't say I didn't warn you though, she looks like hell."

That alone made Madoka hurry to see her princess. The place was damp and gross. Something new burned in her heart as she moved along. She could not figure out what it possibly was though. Beyond the dilapidated open metal gate was her princess, chained to the wall. She was not moving.

"Elise!" Madoka rushed to the cell.

At the sound of her name, Elise slowly looked up at Madoka. Madoka fell to her knees at the cell door as she saw what became of her princess. Blood trickled down her cheek and through her torn dress from multiple coin-sized wounds, with her ragged chest rising and falling like a poorly patched sail in the wind. Her skin was purple-black to Madoka's horror. Madoka noticed she had a light ring of magic pulsing around her heart. Was it keeping her alive?

"Hi, Madoka," the princess said, weakly.

"H-How could they do this to you?" Madoka's words fell like her tears in a splattered mess. A chain clinked as the princess made a motion. Her cheek was bright red, glistening from blood from sustaining a beating.

"I'm sorry, Madoka," the princess whispered. "I made... miscalculations. They're moving quicker than I thought."

"Never mind that," Madoka cried. She checked the entrance to the dungeon and considered tearing the cell door apart to free Elise but the princess stopped her. As always, she knew Madoka's intentions.

"Don't," Elise said weakly. "This pain is nothing."

"How can you say that?" Madoka's sorrowful voice gutted the silent air.

"It's okay," Elise hushed her. "I now know what to do."

"You do?"

Elise lifted her bloody head at her maid. Madoka realized there was something familiar in the princess's eyes. It was something in common within Madoka, burning inside of her since she entered this terrible place.

"Can you trust me?" Elise asked Madoka quietly.

"Yes," Madoka simply said. She wished she could hold the princess in her arms. Madoka got up and wiped her tears off the best she could.

"Go now, let me rest," Elise said, hanging her head back down. The core around her heart faded. As Madoka turned away and exited with the cart she memorized the look in Elise's blue eyes. It was anger roiling inside of her soul. Madoka wished she could get back at those nobles but Elise was much smarter than she was, so Madoka would hold onto her faith in her princess.

"Not a pretty sight, eh?" Squash-face looked at her expression. Madoka shook her head. "Let's get out of here, yeah?"

They split ways when Madoka got to the main entrance. It was oddly quiet, so she made herself look busy while her heart felt like it was going to explode. The night fell and Madoka was nervous. The whispers had not bothered her since last night but the sight of Elise in that pitiful state scarred her mind. She never wanted to see her princess in pain again. She feared that was only the beginning as she made her way to the servant quarters.

The ornate lanterns of the Palace were the only things keeping her company as she walked. Madoka found that odd, since even at night the servants still had their duties. She was praying the princess's plans were successful when she heard footsteps that were not her own. There was someone following her. Kind gods, Madoka froze.

"You're not going to your own quarters?"

It was the Prince himself, standing behind Madoka. She seized up for a moment but turned and bowed.

"Y-Your Highness! Apologies I did not see you," she spoke in reverent Noble. The Prince regarded the maid for a moment. He had many features that resembled Elise's. He was truly her brother, but Madoka was worried the voices would strike her again. No, no, no! Madoka's head pounded but her face remained neutral as she kept up her act. "The Head Maid has called for me since Her Highness has been absent."

It was not a lie for the Head Maid did tell her that. Prince Fiara stood tall, broad shoulders and his mantle had a decorated version of his crest, and waved her off.

"You don't have to be nervous around me," he said, beckoning her to follow him. His voice was still soft, but Madoka could see right through his intentions and they terrified her. "Come."

Madoka could not help but feel like she was being dragged to her own death. What was that prophecy Elise had for Madoka again? Whatever it was, it was not good. The Prince was leading her towards somewhere she recognized, stopping at a doorway. It was a side entrance to the throne room. He turned to her.

"I know it's difficult to believe me," Prince Fiara spoke. Madoka's heart pounded as an ominous presence emanated from behind the door. The voices were creeping in her ears again like pervasive tentacles tickling her mind. Madoka could not hide the fear on her face at the anticipation on what will happen next. "But as much as you love the Princess, so do I as her Brother. We're not so different, you see?"

Death.

Roots.

Cut.

Red String.

Take.

"W-Why," Madoka struggled to speak up. An air of malevolence filled the room as she did like an oppressive odor. Her voice shook with anger and determination. "Why do the voices disagree with what you say?"

At the mention of the voices, Prince Fiara's face went pale. Then the whispers stopped immediately as he spoke. Was he controlling them with magic? Madoka choked on the air and realized she was holding her breath. It felt like invisible hands were wringing her neck like a wet towel.

"You can hear them, too?" He asked. Madoka started crying as the doubts in her wavered her convictions about him momentarily. Prince Fiara went to embrace the maid. She tried to back up, but as she looked down at her feet horror struck her. Black roots have formed around her legs. The Prince hugged her firmly. "Hush, faithful servant of my Sister. Hush..."

Pain unlike any she's ever experienced pierced through her whole body before Madoka knew what was happening. Prince Fiara withdrew his blade from her heart, erupting blood out of her. He deftly side stepped the mess as she hacked up more with her heart beating out of control. She could not scream as her body fell on its own to the ground. The prince's remorseless eyes standing over her were the last thing she saw before her vision faded.

VII.

The stars were the first thing Madoka could see when she opened her eyes. She heaved and clutched her heart, sitting up straight. The ground was smooth to the touch. Madoka realized she was dead, gasping and heaving from the revelation. This was merely all a dream before it all fades away, right? However, the stars twinkled oddly and some moved to quickly flashing different colors. Madoka felt the hole in her dress. She was surprised that she still had a physical form. After all, she died and this was the afterlife.

I'm sorry, Princess, Madoka closed her eyes. Perhaps I should have left when you asked me to.

Madoka did not fade away or whatever she envisioned what might happen in the so-called afterlife. Instead, she felt raindrops splash on her nose and her clothes. Was this heaven? She opened her eyes once more and gasped at the sights before her. She was on a balcony of some kind, with symbols floating above its railings. She tried to touch the symbols. She figured she was dead and the risk would not matter anyways. To her surprise, the symbols bent around her fingers and did not seem to harm her.

Beyond the symbols was an endless night surrounded by never ending rows of towering fortresses full of bright colors she has never seen before. The symbols she traced suddenly vanished and a glowing eye appeared in midair staring at her.

Just where was she? She wondered as the eye used some kind of magic to scan her. It did not harm her, like she thought it would. Instead, a strange incorporeal being floated in its place and began to speak to her. Somehow, Madoka realized the stranger was speaking in Noble.

"Welcome to Neocity, stranger!" The being said with a jolly tone in its voice. Madoka instinctively bowed. How could a celestial being address a maid like her? The being seemed to not notice and continued talking. "Please stay here for a moment as custom agents will be arriving shortly to retrieve you."

"Please," Madoka choked. The being ignored her. "Am I dead? Where am I?"

"Welcome to Neocity, stranger!" It repeated.

Madoka scoffed and ignored the strange apparition and looked down the railings. Beneath her, the towering skyscrapers stretched down into the void. Many flying objects whirred by in every direction. She could not tell if they were animals but they looked like metal birds. They emitted a bright light with a roar that seemed to propel them to wherever they wanted to go. The overwhelming sights horrified her and she started to feel dizzy looking downward so she looked up instead.

Above her head was the same. Those towers were lined with similar balconies spidering along many of their odd asymmetrical walls. Large signs with symbols dotted with moving paintings depicting strange beings similar to that apparition that greeted her. Madoka chuckled. Even in the afterlife she could not read. They were walkways like the one she stood on. She was not even sure where the ground was from this tower. Madoka gasped as the place was suddenly illuminated by a great light source.

She saw a whole world looming above in the night sky with a celestial glow. It was a pure and blue moon. Madoka gasped in awe. It must have been the largest moon she could dream up. It did not match the moons back home but it was beautiful. A massive dark storm flashed on the edge of the moon's horizon. Madoka could not fathom the size of a moon like the one above her. The stars she saw before were not stars at all, but more of those metal birds. Their shadows were easy to see with the blue moon's light. Rain soaked her maid dress and she fiddled with the tear in it.

One of the metal birds flew close to the balcony, terrifying Madoka. It was much bigger than she thought and it blotted the view of the world above her. Was this an angel? She cowered behind a large pot that contained a glowing plant. The angel merely floated nearby before it began to emit a beam of light on the ground. It was casting magic of some kind, forming a circle where the beam landed. Madoka had to shield her eyes from how bright it was.

A woman emerged from the beam of light. Madoka resigned herself from thinking too hard about these things. She was dead, after all. The woman wore a tight dress that reflected and emitted magical light on its own in various lines tracing along its seams. Above her head was a glowing halo that seemed to block the rain from her. Madoka looked at the woman's skin and noticed metallic plates covered most of her face. More intriguing to Madoka were her stunning eyes. They matched Elise's eye color.

Just what kind of afterlife did she end up in? Madoka wondered. The woman approached Madoka tentatively but held up with a smile before speaking, curling her hair around her ear. Her ears were pointed at their tips. An odd flashing ring wrapped around her lobe. Everything here made Madoka's head hurt.

"I don't mean any harm. You can understand me because I have this translater. Who are you, stranger?" She asked in reverent Noble. Madoka gasped as she understood the woman and was about to protest when she interrupted the maid. "Oh, forgive me. Here."

She tapped her metal ear and the halo above expanded to cover the both of them. The rain immediately stopped splashing on her soaked skin.

"Are you... an angel?" Madoka stared at the woman blankly. The woman laughed at the question.

"That's surprisingly forward of you. I don't dislike it. I am CZA-6. You can call me Ella," she smiled. "And you, hon, don't seem to be from around here. Can you tell me a little about yourself?"

"I think..." Madoka said simply, feeling the hole where she got stabbed and killed. "I think the prince killed me."

Ella looked at her quizzically.

"So you're not a cosplayer. Murdered, huh?" Ella asked. "Weird. You seem very much alive to me. However, it seems like you don't belong here yet."

"Yet?" Madoka looked at the strange and tall woman. The woman blushed and smiled but did not answer.

"Let's see," Ella pulled out a tablet and began to write things down with her finger. "Amnesia, traumatic stress from a phantom stab wound, speaks unknown language, odd transdimensional signatures, sterile neutrino deficits..."

Between the woman and the neon city beyond the balcony, Madoka could not tell who was more exotic. Strange banners floated in the air displaying bright symbols Madoka could not read. She was overwhelmed by everything. Ella's left armored eye glowed blue like the eye symbol before.

"Huh," Ella remarked after the magic passed through her. The more Madoka became exposed to this magic, the more she hated it. "You're not really supposed to be here. At least I've never seen anything like you here..."

"What?" Madoka could not understand what Ella meant.

"Oh, not in that way," Ella raised a glowing tablet and pointed at it. Madoka just nodded along. "It's just that... you haven't actually died, you know? I called for some experts. Like some real scientists from the Truth Floor. So we just have to sit tight, okay?"

"Okay," Madoka said. She wanted to ask where she was when the ground rumbled.

Suddenly, one of the fortresses behind her burst into multiple explosions. The ground and balconies began to rumble. Ella looked up with a terrified look on her face. The tablet in her hand fell into the abyss below as another large explosion erupted from another tower. Chaos shook Madoka off her feet and the balcony she was on went up in flames. Madoka found herself careening through the air into the abyss. The blue moon above started forming a dark hole in it and began sinking into itself.

What an odd dream, Madoka thought as she closed her eyes. The fall hurt her stomach and the wind cut into her skin. Maybe the actual afterlife is coming next and hopefully was not anything like this one.

"Madoka!" shouted a voice. Madoka realized she must have dozed off. "Work, dammit. Please. Work!"

Madoka? That is me, Madoka thought in her head. Why would anyone in the afterlife shout like that?

"Madoka! I can't do this without you!"

Madoka felt a hypnagogic jerk seize her. She felt like she was dunked and pulled back out of cold water. The voice was familiar. Her senses returned moments later. It was hot and hard to breathe. Smoke billowed and flames towered in the air and wooden debris lay all around her. Snapping wood groaned nearby from something large pushing through it. She was alive? Madoka knew where she was.

"W-What happened? Where am I?" Madoka opened her eyes. Something illuminated her surroundings. It was her own skin. "Why is my skin glowing?"

"Madoka!" Someone hugged her tightly.

Her memories were fuzzy, but instinct told her that she had to get out of here. She felt herself instead. Elise was holding her!

"Elise!" Madoka held her friend. "I-I didn't expect it to be raining showers of flame and wood in the afterlife."

"I'm glad it worked," Elise drew back and looked her maid over. Madoka noticed that the wounds on her princess were gone. Her own body was covered in burns, ash and scars, yet she was glowing a faint light. What happened to her when she was dead? "I'm sorry I was late in saving you."

She did die, right?

The loud groan of wood splintering and shattering came closer. Above Elise something slithered across the ceiling. Madoka could make out the shape of a twistd and thorny branch tearing the place apart as it moved. Elise stood up and looked at it. She had a bitter look in her face. "I-I will explain later, Madoka, but we have to get out of here! Can you stand?"

It was then Madoka noticed something about herself. She felt better than she ever did before. Her dress was torn and she instinctively covered herself and shot a glare at Elise.

"W-What did you do to me?"

"Out of all the things to worry about," Elise said defensively. "I have a solution for your dresses, okay, but step one of my plan now is that we gotta-"

A flaming chandelier crashed nearby, setting the wood near them ablaze. Madoka got up and was surprised that she could after getting stabbed. Elise looked frantically at the flames and the roots spreading above them. Madoka reached for Elise's hand and took off with her.

"W-Wait, Madoka! Slow down!" Elise was nearly tripping over herself. Madoka noticed she was wearing a traveler's cloak with the Prince's crest emblazoned on it. More of the roof was collapsing. No time, Madoka thought. "Madoka?!"

"Just tell me where to go!" Madoka scooped her princess up in her arms and rushed out of the burning hallway. The hallway caved in as they left. That was too close, Madoka thought as she watched the hallway go up in flames. She heard the clashing of swords in the distance. "Fighting?"

"Brother's army started their coup. The King's soldiers are losing and so will we if we don't hurry out of here," Elise said. "Go left. We should avoid most of the fighting by going the longer route."

"Route to where?"

"The hell you mean where? The hell out of here," Elise clutched onto Madoka's glowing arm. She hated this glow. She felt like she could be seen easily. Madoka quickly rounded left and bursted through weak debris out to the main entrance to the throne room. The twin moons revealed the state of the Palace.

The main entrance to the throne room was the first thing one could see the moment they entered through the gates. Both, however, were covered in thick black vines and thorny roots. The halls themselves were also blocked by rubble. A sickening red glow emanated from the cracks in the vines and gates of the throne room.

"Nasty roots, huh," Elise said, tugging Madoka's arms, signaling her to put her down. Madoka set the princess down. She walked up to the throne room entrance and immediately recoiled from what she saw. She went pale.

"Elise?" Madoka went to her princess. Elise shook her head.

"I wouldn't look in there if I were you," Elise gagged. The look on her face horrified Madoka yet something compelled her to glance inside. Roots were expanding within the room but Madoka learned what their thorns were made out of. Crushed, unrecognizable body parts hung from them. Then she saw the gored bodies of servants and soldiers alike impaled along the thorns of those dark, expanding roots.

Madoka dry-heaved as she took in the sight. A bloody circular pattern surrounded the throne through a gap in the thorns. On it was the... No, Madoka thought. It can't be! The King lay dead on the throne. As the roots writhed, more bodies crunched beneath their weight. Blood and body parts bloomed as they fell like crushed roses and tar mixed together. Madoka could not take her eyes off of the ghastly scene.

"What kind of magic is this?" Madoka barely had the strength to say. She doubled over. She should have stayed dead, she thought as she hyperventilated. Such a sight made her wish she still was.

"Madoka!" Elise grabbed Madoka's shoulders and tore her maid's eyes away from the throne room.

"I wish," Madoka breathed heavily. "I didn't look in there. I should have obeyed you."

"Look at me," Elise's voice was also shaking, but Madoka knew she was trying to be strong for her. Therefore, Madoka looked back at Elise's eyes. The twin moons twinkled in their azure oceans. "We have to make it out of here, okay? We can do this!"

"R-Right," Madoka whispered. She was not going to forget about those mangled bodies anytime soon.

"And you are much stronger now, I think," Elise said, searching for a way out. "This kingdom is ruined by Brother's dark magic, as I predicted, so I umm..."

She pulled out a bag with several strange talismans inside of it. Each glowed with a white light that matched the aura around Madoka's skin. It did not take a smart girl to figure out the correlation between the two glowing auras.

"Did you use those on me?" Madoka was horrified. Elise nodded slowly and Madoka frowned.

"Well, I freaked out, okay? You were like, totally stuck inside of that black root and I had to save you somehow!" She said defensively. "I took the liberty by freeing myself and taking the Divine Treasures out from the Treasury. Turns out if I channel my mana into them, they speak to me and respond."

"A Divine Treasure?"

Those treasures were made by the kind gods and bestowed many powers and blessings upon someone affected by them. Elise shook her head.

"No, I used all of them on you," Elise said. Madoka could tell there was a slight mischievousness in her tone. "All of them, Madoka."

Madoka's jaw dropped at the news. No wonder my body felt wondrously light and stronger, Madoka thought. She had the power of many kind gods' blessings within her veins. She could not help but feel like she did not deserve any of this. Why did the princess not use them on her soldiers or anyone better than her?

"Right," Madoka muttered. She knew the reason why. She was the only one who truly cared for the princess. Perhaps that is why the princess gave her a second chance at life. She marched up to the gate, which was covered in branches.

"Madoka?"

Madoka did not care if these thorns were dark magic or not. She will smash it. She channeled all her strength into a Cherish style round kick. When her foot connected with the thorns, Madoka expected her body to fail but instead the wall gave in and shattered. The gate fell down into a pile of rubble for them to climb on. Elise gawked.

"Okay, uh," Elise said. "I can't believe that worked! Good job!"

"Let's get out of here, princess," Madoka said as she climbed the rubble, extending a hand out to her princess. She realized that the aura glowing around her skin disappeared. The aura probably allowed her to break the thorns in the first place. Elise smiled and took the maid's hand without a second glance back.

It was going to be a long night.

VIII.

The cold wind brushed over her skin as Madoka climbed over the rubble. The stairs and path from the Palace gates were ruined. Roots protruded out of the concrete and roads. As she looked further, she noticed fires and even bigger roots were growing across the entire city. They crushed whatever they grew into. It was then when Madoka realized something: She had no idea where to go. Elise chuckled at Madoka's confused expression.

"The world's about to get bigger, Madoka!" Elise said. "Step 2 of my plan is this: We have to get the heck out this town. It's got some complications. Brother's magic affected his soldiers. They're uncaring monsters and they're probably creeping and crawling around the streets of Fiara. I saw them cutting anyone down and tossing them to the roots. Like they were feeding whatever was growing in the throne room."

Elise looked angry for a moment.

"I've never even heard of such magic," Madoka said.

"Me neither," Elise said, shying away from the thorny root next to the gate. "It definitely reeks of some demonic type stuff."

"D-Demonic," Madoka choked over the word. Did she truly hear a demon's thoughts?

"Yeah, I walked by some terrible things as I snuck around in the Palace. This whole kingdom has those dark manas floating around it."

The two walked down the steps. The smell of smoke and fires still filled the air. Even the Palace's city was not safe from that magic. People live here, Madoka mused in her head. A massive root tore apart of a section of a nearby row of buildings.

"Are those stores?" Madoka asked. She saw buildings like that back at the towns near the North Estate.

"Welp, those buildings probably have clothing in them," Elise said. "For your, erm, wardrobe malfunction."

Madoka looked down and realized her skin was exposed. She blushed and became embarrassed. As much as those black roots creeped her out, she ducked under one and went inside the nearest store. There were several cloaks like Elise's strewn across the ground. Madoka scooped up a set and threw it on.

"Not much of a shopper, huh?" Elise remarked. She scooped one up and tried it on, tossing the one with her brother's crest on it off. Madoka gasped as she noticed someone was buried under the wreckage where a root pierced.

"Elise," Madoka's voice shook as she pointed at the body. Another dead woman lay upstairs, crushed by a vine.

"A lot of people fled this kingdom already," Elise remarked at the sight. "Others are unlucky like this... I don't wanna think about them being locked away in their houses."

Madoka still apologized to the dead people she was stealing from and prayed for the kind gods to give them peace. She shuddered as she looked back at the dead. Madoka was not sure if she would ever get used to the sight of dead people yet she's seen a lot of them today and even experienced death itself. She stuffed the feelings deep within herself and headed through a room to see if they could take more clothes.

"Hold on, Madoka," Elise said, fumbling with the bag of talismans she had. "I got this, like, super OP item."

She fished out one of the talismans and began to manifest her magic ring. Madoka was mesmerized by its beautiful white color. It matched the twin moons' light. Wondrous strands of whites covered the talisman and began to form a hexagonal pattern under Elise's hand as she held it. It was a strange portal. Elise tossed multiple cloaks into the portal.

"They vanished?" Madoka gawked as the princess reached into the spell's portal and took out a maid dress out from it.

"See? I grabbed as many as I possibly could from your room," Elise laughed. She tossed the uniform to Madoka. Madoka put it on immediately and scavenged a more fitting traveler's cloak to wear over it. "It's the little things I suppose. This Item Storage talisman is totally wicked, right? I can shove stuff in here and pull them out if I think about them. I wonder what the Devs were thinking when they added it."

"Devs?" Madoka continued searching the upstairs rooms for something.

"It's, ah, just a little joke," Elise blew off the question, looking at Madoka oddly. "Hey so, uh, what are ya looking for?"

"You said that those talismans speak to you, right?" Madoka asked, ignoring the question. "T-To think that you can just use them..."

"Yeah," Elise said, inspecting them. None of them were organized neatly in the bag she held. They were for a Hero, right? Madoka noted that when they were safe she would sort them out properly. "They sort of belong to those altars. Though the one we visited did not have such a talisman. I guess it's just another lame side quest like 'collect all the things.' Bah!"

Madoka ignored the princess's ramblings and tore through one of the drawers. Nothing. If this was a clothing shop then they must have what she was looking for. She rummaged around and found it. A sewing kit. Satisfied, she tossed it to Elise.

"Smart," Elise remarked. "We have to get out of here. You hear that, right?"

Madoka heard the thundering march of soldiers nearby. The two ducked under a root and looked out the window. Several groups of soldiers marched out onto the streets ahead. Vines tore through the ground and nearby houses as they walked. Those vines seemed to be growing wherever the soldiers walked. Elise looked at Madoka, her eyes shifting back and forth from her nervousness. It was evident that they were searching for something.

"Do you think they're looking for us?" Elise mouthed. Madoka nodded, noticing Elise's skin was clean and free from the wounds she used to have. Ash stained her clothes but she was still beautiful in every way. Sensing Madoka's stare, Elise blushed and tugged her hand. "Don't look at me like that!"

Madoka kept staring anyways until a noise shook the window.

The soldiers started making their way towards the shopping district. They were in no shape to fight anyone, so the pair snuck out through a hole in the wall that led behind the shop. Madoka squeezed out on to the street while Elise nimbly slipped through.

Madoka sighed. She was still growing taller and did not notice.

Madoka had to scoop the princess up again since her newfound strength made it difficult for Elise to keep up. There were roots knotting and twisting the once peaceful streets of Fiara's capital but further they ran from the palace the less there were. Elise led them to the empty main street again and Madoka looked back to see what became of the once beautiful Palace. Her heart sank at the sight. Fiara's Palace was set ablaze, her walls covered in black roots filled with darkness. Sickening leaflike veins spread from the roots to the outer walls, sprouting more tendrils out of them.

"Tch," Elise clicked her tongue and jumped from Madoka's arms. Her eyes were full of anger as she stared at the tarnished Palace. "What is my Brother even thinking? It doesn't even make sense. He was destined for the throne anyways. Why make a mess of things?"

A commotion roared at the end of the main road closest to the Palace. Elise's eyes widened. There were more from behind the girls. It seemed like a battle between the King's soldiers and the Prince's was going to take place.

"Enemies to the north, enemies to the south," Elise remarked. "Too many enemies. Not enough time."

"What should we do?" Madoka asked. Elise looked around.

"We cut through the alleyways," she pointed. "There should be more places to hide. The two armies will fight here and we can go around them."

It sounded like a good plan. Madoka and Elise ran off through the alleyway and cut towards a street leading to the Palace city's outskirts. Just a little more and they would get out of here, Madoka sighed. The houses were eerily empty, the occasional pair of eyes would peak out at the girls before the blinds shut. Ordinary people did not deserve to go through this chaos, Madoka thought as they ran. A part of her heart wanted to help them but she did not know how. This city seemed doomed from the darkness corrupting it.

As they reached the outer gates, Madoka found Elise's predictions to be right. The two armies were fighting. The girls tucked away in the underneath a small alcove in the wall next to the gate entrance. The barracks connected to the gate was locked. Madoka was thinking, but she did not like that and wondered aloud.

"If that's the King's army, wouldn't they help us?"

Elise shook her head.

"I'm not willing to find out," she said. "We're like, 13 years old, right? They'd take advantage of us for sure."

That thought made Madoka shudder. She supposed she was too naive about the world and that Elise was right.

"Let's get out of here," Elise said, pointing at the gate. "That bridge is the way out, then we can see what my next step can be."

"You don't even know?"

"Look, my plan only extended to getting out of here," Elise complained. "The finer details about what after—"

War horns blasted in the distance. There were even more soldiers headed through the gates. Madoka heard a lot of horses' furious thoughts, but with her new senses the cacophony of thoughts did not hurt her head at all.

"Lots of war horses on the march," Madoka told Elise. They peered around the main gate to see an entire army headed their way and pulled back. The pair would be caught for sure, right?

"Great," she said sarcastically. She looked below the barracks and noticed the sewers and looked at Madoka. She did not like that look.

"You seriously want us to jump in there?" Madoka shifted uncomfortably.

"Yeah," Elise said. "I see a hole we can get through to the other side."

"Ugh!" Madoka did not want to get that gross but followed Elise down the stairs to get ready to jump in. There were soldiers from who knows army headed from the alleyway. Suddenly, the houses and streets burst with violent roots causing even more chaos. The King's invading army started shouting and drawing flaming arrows. She was distracted. Why did they shoot fire arrows at their own people? Madoka was still hesitant to jump in the murky water. Elise sighed.

"I don't care how bad it smells, get in there, Chewy!" Elise said. Madoka was distracted by that name. "We gotta git!"

"Who's Chewy?"

"Nevermind that! Move, you big oaf!" Elise shoved her the best she could, causing Madoka to tumble into the sewer. Slop sloshed on her hands and knees as the disgusting water's malodorous stink penetrated her nose. Madoka was overwhelmed by the disgusting slush on her legs.

Elise splashed in after her.

"You... pushed me in!"

"Yeah, I did, Madoka. We go through here," Elise snapped. The sewage gate was open on both sides, but the way was waist deep and disgusting. "You clean like all the time! Jeez, I didn't expect you of all people to be grossed out by this!"

"I didn't expect you not to be grossed out!"

"What do you think we were supposed to do there?" Elise helped her up with a grimy hand. "There was, like, a thousand guys up there! Not to mention those creepy ass vines!"

They waded in between the small sewage gap and bickered for a moment under the noise from trampling and war horns. Madoka noticed the shadow of a soldier from the Prince's army passing nearby and warned Elise. They pressed against the slimy walls of the sewer gate, unable to move since he was almost close enough to see them. Madoka's pulse pounded as they waited in the murky water. She caught a terrifying glimpse of the soldier. He seemed like he was made out of the dark vines, twisting his face in shades of char and wood. Moments later, vines burst through the alleyway. They seemed to be under his command. A few moments later he finally left and joined his fellow comrades to fight the large army.

"Okay," Elise said. Madoka scoffed. "Nae waah! Don't tell me you're mad at me for this grossness!"

Madoka crossed her arms and scoffed again.

"L-Look," Elise protested. "Next bath's on me. I will scrub you down squeaky clean. Madoka, please. At least let's get out this gross moat."

With another cantankerous sigh, Madoka followed the princess out onto dry land. She immediately wanted out of her disgusting clothes. The two trudged uphill for quite a distance, the same ones they rode by on their way back from the North Estate. Madoka wondered if they could go back there after all.

"I-I think it's safe for now," Elise said, pulling the storage talisman out of her bag. She produced a few clothes from the storage talisman's portal and began to tear off her sewage covered cloak. Madoka did the same, flinging the nasty clothing off the side of the hill. Soon, both the girls were naked under the twin moons and stars.

"We made it," Madoka breathed. She realized how tired she has become during they escape. Her newfound strength was something. If it was the old her, she would have collapsed at the sight of those awful vines. Elise wrapped her arms around Madoka. "Elise?"

"I said I owed you a bath, right? We're ridiculous right now," she laughed. Then Madoka felt cold soap water trickle down her backside. She shivered as Elise's smooth hands ran up and down her skin. Madoka gave in and let her touch wherever she wanted. Soap was a Noble's luxury, but now Madoka was not sure what they were anymore. "Absolutely ridiculous."

She hummed along as she cleaned Madoka and then she started on herself. Madoka noticed the multiple orbs of soap water floating above them. Elise made her strange magic seem effortless. After the two washed themselves down and dressed for the night, Elise pulled a large cloth out and laid it across a dry patch of grass for them to sit down on. It was a clear night but Madoka was not sure if they could rest here. What if someone attacks them?

"What are we going to do next?" Madoka asked quietly. Her feet gave in and she eventually sat down. Elise sat down next to Madoka without saying anything. She instead looked out towards the burning kingdom. Lots of people died in there, Madoka thought as she watched the chaotic flames rise to the sky.

"Step three... is to... let's see..." Elise mumbled. Madoka looked into her friend's eyes. They were watering and overflowing with crystalline tears. Her lips quivered as she collapsed into Madoka's arms and weeped. "Step three is to cry."

Soon both girls were weeping out under the stars and moons on a hillside.

IX.

Rain poured.

Madoka heard it pounding but she did not feel it on her skin. She stirred then yawned and then stirred again, feeling the softness of the pillow beneath her head. Wait, Madoka sat up and cracked an eye open. Pillow?

Her foot felt a wooden stake and then bumped into a tough cloth. She was in a tent. Was she kidnapped? Or was she actually dead? It did not matter to Madoka since she has not slept decently in a long time. Those stupid voices were gone for now and Madoka preferred it that way. She wanted to lay back down but something interrupted her.

Distant thumping noises boomed somewhere, sending a shuddering wind through the tent. Madoka was naked. She sighed and shivered. At least that was a sign that Elise was somewhere nearby. Her body was full of burn scars and imperfections that surely would be an affront to anyone's eyes. Anyone besides Elise. Madoka could not imagine what Elise saw in her.

More screeches occurred as if they were in a jarring competition with the rain, then a lightning's flash crescendoed down into a coda of rain and silence. Madoka was awake now and she sat all the way up. A neatly folded maid uniform and a traveler's heavy garb with boots rested next to her. Kidnappers would definitely not leave those out for her, Madoka mused as she inspected each piece of clothing.

Another boom attacked the peacefulness of the rain. Madoka guessed the palace was still under siege from all the ruckus. She slipped on each article of clothing slowly and tentatively crawled to the exit of the tent. The wind pushed the walls in like a sail rocking in a storm. Through the gaps, Madoka could see the sky. It was grey and full of stormy clouds that pushed into each other like they were swirled by a wooden spoon. She sat back down with a sudden desire to not get out of the tent.

Suddenly, Elise popped through the tent's folds, startling Madoka.

"Ohayo!" She cheered. "Woman of my dreams!"

"E-Elise!" Madoka fell back. The folds of the tent hid most of Elise's face, but the princess smirked at her successful surprise attack.

"You truly are beautiful," she said. "Now c'mon out! C'mon!"

With that, Elise withdrew out of the tent and Madoka was alone again. Outside of that tent was her worst nightmare, truly. The outdoors and beyond. She remembered Elise's words: The world was only going to get bigger. Madoka pouted. She hated all of this change. However, she hated thinking and dwelling on things the most. With a scoff, she pushed herself out of the tent. The day will be wasted if she does not clean up something. Whether her act or a hallway need some cleaning — either will do.

Ash and rain clogged Madoka's nose as she crawled out onto wet grass. The sight of a campfire's remains sizzled in ashes before her and beyond that stood the princess. She was looking out at something. Her long hair was rain-slick and tussled, but Madoka became distracted by the burning Palace in the far distance. Flames and shattered buildings were seemingly all that remained in that desolate place, Madoka could see the wreckage in full detail even far away. She remained silent but Elise knew she was there. Just what was she thinking? What were her plans from now on?

"No more," Elise said solemnly. She did not turn to face Madoka, but instead her magic ring formed around her heart as the wind beat on her cloak. "No longer am I a princess."

She was going to pull something out of the talisman's portal. Steel flashed in her hand as she raised it upward. It was a knife! Madoka feared the worst and was about to cry out for Elise to stop whatever she was going to do. It was too late. Instead, the blade found its mark: The princess's hair. She turned to face Madoka with strands of her blonde hair scattering in the wind like butterfly swarms migrating among a storm.

Madoka gawked at Elise's new look and instinctively grabbed her own long, red hair. Of all the schemes the girl could come up with, Madoka did not expect her to chop her hair off.

"Ah, that feels so good!" The self-proclaimed former Princess of Fiara conjured up a glass mirror with her strange talisman, inspecting her new hairstyle. How much stuff did she have in there? Madoka wondered, trying to distract herself from the fact that Elise gave up her status. Kind gods, does she not know that Royal blonde hair is a symbol of their birthright?

The former princess gave another stretch and a breath of relief before leaning over Madoka. She offered the knife to Madoka in a gesture to cut her hair. Madoka shook her head vigorously in refusal. Elise deposited the knife back into the portal and shrugged.

"Suit yourself. It's so reinvigorating! No more princess bullshit! How do I look?"

"Ridiculous," Madoka breathed at the sight. Elise's short and hacked hair struck a chord in her heart as a wild attraction kindled within Madoka, though she suppressed it and kept that response to herself. The wild look was a sight to behold; it was a testament to how beautiful a Royal could be. Irrational anger took over though at the princess's declaration, however.

"I know, right?" Elise did a twirl. "I cannot ask you to do anything anymore as a servant, Madoka. Still-"

"Don't you try to get me to leave you," Madoka cried. "Foolish look or not, I am still your servant. I want to serve you as you are! As a princess! Are you going to give this all up so easily?!"

Elise watched her cry for a moment and stood with a dark look on her face.

"I wish to serve you still!" Madoka knew it was a foolish thought and regretted it but she still bowed out of habit whenever she spoke blasphemy. "Don't leave me behind."

A feeling colder than the storm washed over Madoka as the former princess knelt to match her gaze. There was ruthlessness, coldness and everything imaginable in those blue eyes. "Elise?"

"What is there to rule?" she demanded to know. Madoka shrunk. "My visions weren't lying. Everything and everyone we know is dead. The palace is razed and corrupted. Christ's sake, I have no subjects, no missives, and nothing to my name. Only useless prophecies that I failed to prevent in all aspects. All is dead. Dead, dead, dead! I tried to warn Father of my dear brother's betrayal, but look at them! Dead!"

Madoka felt the former princess's cold hands feel her cheeks with sudden forcefulness. It was not enough to hurt but she directed Madoka's gaze to the burned down Palace. Elise withdrew her hands and wiped tears from her eyes.

Madoka was about to utter a noise from how terrified she was. She felt that same aura from their last duel back during the Summer of Light.

"I'm not done yet!" Elise's voice shook. The former princess's emotions lowered her killing intent. She must have realized the uncomfortable aura around her. "I-I have much more to give! So much! But I know one thing, Madoka. I can't live in this world alone. So I must ask of you, no, I—"

Elise did the unthinkable and planted her knees and head into the ground. She bowed before a horrified Madoka.

"I can't go on in this cruel world without you. Please, I beg of you to come with me. Anywhere. As a friend, anyth- Ow!"

Madoka flicked her forehead.

"You. Absolute. Idiot!" Madoka said through clenched teeth. Elise stopped her blubbering. It was time to give her a taste of how her killing intent felt like.

"What?" Elise's eyes were wide and childish. Even after everything they have gone through so far, she still had a child-like wonder to her beautiful irises. The girl was shrinking under Madoka's own pressuring aura.

"Don't give me that shit!" Madoka said, shocking even herself with the curse word. "I told you from the start I will stay with you!"

A small but growing smile blessed her face. Genuine joy spread its wings in both of their hearts as Elise jumped up and embraced Madoka. Madoka's head swam. Elise was definitely a headache but she was warm and soft to the touch even with her chopped up hair.

"You really mean it?" Elise whispered in Madoka's ear. Her soft hands were tangled in Madoka's hair. She had a sweet fragrance that tugged at Madoka's senses. She could be in this embrace forever but it was time to get going.

"Of course I do, idiot," Madoka finally responded. Elise reeled from Madoka's curtness.

"Eh?" She looked at Madoka.

"I will stay with you even if you started this," Madoka simply sighed, releasing Elise and smoothing her cloak off.

"Nae waaah! No way!" Elise complained. "YOU started it, you work-a-holic maid!"

"Well, if you weren't so childish I wouldn't have to work so hard," Madoka chided her. "Plus—"

"Plus?" Elise said with indignation. "Oh so we're using English now, huh?"

"I am technically no longer a maid," Madoka shrugged. "Now help me with this tent!"

"Don't you 'technically' me!" Elise said as she aggressively tore one stake of the tent out of the ground giving Madoka a glare. "We still have a lot of English to learn, bucko! You are going to be FLUENT."

"Bucko?" Madoka ripped the tarp off the stakes with one hand.

"Yeah," Elise said with fake animosity. "I'm going to teach you all the swearwords. Each and every one of them!"

"What if I don't want to learn?"

"Oh," Elise paused after awhile. She tucked the tent into the portal. At the strange sight of such a large object vanishing into thin air, Madoka decided she no longer wanted to know how much Elise could actually store inside the portal. "One more thing!"

"What is it?" Madoka asked.

"Audrey," Elise said that strange name again, lowering her head sheepishly as if she was revealing an embarrassing secret. "Audrey Dalion. This is... the real me. I guess."

"Audrey Dalion," Madoka said the name, then repeated it in her head. Audrey Dalion. It felt more like an intimate invitation or a friendship deepening their bonds even closer. Audrey Dalion. A name more wondrous than any name she has heard in the land.

"You'll, uh, get used to it. Audrey Dalion," Audrey said, shifting awkwardly before looking at the maid with her pure eyes. "Pleased to finally meet you, Madoka."

"The pleasure is mine, Audrey."