As the dawn light graced her window and the plan was finally ready for execution, Maka glanced wistfully in the direction of the library one last time, wishing that she wasn't here by kidnapping, that the owners of this castle weren't morally twisted in such strange ways that she couldn't make heads or tails of them, that her father wasn't worried sick or worse. Against all logic, Maka was sure she had seen some kindness in them, or at least a sliver of empathy, if not for her than for each other. Regardless, this wasn't right and she couldn't stay. Testing the chair jammed under the doorknob, Maka tried to still her shaking hands. She'd have to get all the way through the forest to town, and then convince the people that she wasn't insane. As the newborn sun peeked over the horizon mischievously, Maka gently took out the frame holding the stained glass pieces in place, revealing the dusty purple sky and the dark trees, mist hovering near the canopies. Taking one end of the rope of tied sheets, Maka slid over the ledge, one hand holding on to it. She made her way down painstakingly, arms trembling from effort .

Abruptly, the knots gave and Maka started hurtling downwards, the ground rushing towards her at a sickening pace.

With a small yell Maka landed on the grass, which had thankfully not been too far away when the sheet-rope unraveled. Rubbing her back, Maka wobbled to her feet, painfully aware of the ache in her bones and the throbbing in her cheek where she bit it to prevent herself from screaming. The girl started moving again, trekking across the slightly wild lawn, the grass brushing against her calves.

The forest was dark and thick, the trees so densely packed together in some places that she could barely make it through and roots crawling underfoot everywhere else like stiff and gnarled ropes meant to trip her up. Maka's tongue felt too large and the inside of her cheeks too scratchy, each breath soothing her lungs while drying out her throat more. The area under her arms was moist and her skin was coated with a sheen of sticky sweat, causing her clothes to feel even more uncomfortable as her feet boiled.

Regardless, Maka forged on undaunted. Escaping wasn't just an option, but a necessity. The long trek started to tire her, the girl's dry mouth and growling stomach portending that she was only getting more lost, as well as an acknowledgement that dying out here was a very real possibility. No one would ever know and she'd probably never be found, or if so, only by bears or wolves or some other wild animal that would eat her. If she tried eating berries or drinking from a stream, there was the risk of poisoning herself.

Shuddering and forcing the paranoid thoughts out, Maka followed what little of the sun she could see, hoping that by continuing to head east, she would get to the village near home, or at least avoid going in circles if nothing else. Miraculously, the trees started to thin and more light broke through the dense canopy of leaves, forcing her to wonder if she had started hallucinating from lack of water or the heat. Luckily, the things she saw were real. Breaking out of the forest, Maka reveled in the wind that blew her hair back, ruffling her soaked clothes and sending all traces of humidity away. Grinning, she gazed around the plains, praying that they really were familiar and it wasn't just her hopeful imagination. Climbing to the top of a hill, she whooped with excitement at the town that was spread out before her, every old roof and lopsided street dear to her heart.

"M-Maka? W-what are y-you doing here?" a nervous voice asked, startling her out of her reverie. Looking down, she recognized her old friend below her, at the bottom of the hill, standing among the rippling waves of wheat with a sickle in their hands, and grinned with excitement.

"Crona!" she exclaimed, running through the field to hug them. "It's so good to see you again!"

"Are you alright Maka? You seem really tired and… wet?" they asked worriedly, gingerly hugging the girl.

"Oh, I got kidnapped and I just escaped by walking through this gigantic forest so I'm really tired," explained Maka, babbling slightly as the too-bright look in her eyes grew brighter.

"Kidnapped?" Crona squeaked in alarm. "They didn't hurt you did they?"

"No, it's alright, they were actually not that bad?"

Taking her arm gently, Crona started to lead Maka towards their home, making sure that they supported her, concern about how feverish she looked twisting their stomach into knots with worry and fear. Their village was too small for a proper doctor, and medicine was too expensive, a luxury for the obscenely rich. Maka wasn't in any condition to try and buy anything; she probably wouldn't even acknowledge she was sick, knowing her. Back at their house, Crona begged Maka to rest, putting cool cloths on her forehead all night to try to get the girl's fever to go down, for there was no mistaking that it existed now. Around dawn, Crona woke up suddenly, realizing they had fallen asleep in the chair by Maka's bed. Immediately checking her temperature, they were relieved to see that it was much closer to normal, the girl thankfully not waking up at their touch.

"Crona?"

The pink-haired teenager startled at the voice, spinning around and moving to the front room fearfully. "M-mother? W-what are you doing back h-here so fast?"

"Why, Crona, I'd say you sound upset to see me," pouted Medusa mockingly. "I just wanted to visit you, of course. Is that so surprising?"

"Oh… sorry," they answered, shifting to move in front of the door leading to their room, where Maka was sleeping, though their attempts to hide her only made it more obvious that there was something to be hidden.

"Are you hiding something from me?" Medusa asked softly, her voice gentle but the look in her eyes venomous. She didn't give Crona a chance to stammer out the truth, or even to lie, before pushing past them and stepping inside their room. To their surprise, Medusa almost started laughing with delight when she saw the figure in the bed, recognizing her face instantly. "Crona, you wonderful child! You've done the hardest part for me!"

"Mother? What do you mean?" they asked timidly, worrying what this would mean for Maka. Crona always kept their friend a secret from Medusa, recognizing somehow that the witch probably wouldn't be very happy knowing that they were talking to other people, rationalizing it as over protectiveness.

Glancing over her shoulder disdainfully, Medusa ushered Crona out of the room, closing the door behind her. "She is the daughter of an awful man," the blonde woman started, eyes serious. "Her father has probably passed on his despicable ideas to Maka, despite her being only a teen. We must free her, do you understand?"

Eyes growing wide with shock and grief, Crona regardless nodded their head, realizing what had to be done. It would seem like a cruelty to others, but that was only because they didn't understand. Sometimes the hardest things with for the best reasons - Crona had to save his friend.