- Edited -

If Rhythma had known what would happen that night, she would have stayed in bed. Instead of going to the kitchen, she would have at least tried to sleep.

However, that wasn't the case, because a freshman fairy could not predict the future - princess or not.

It was very late - or early, Rhythma couldn't remember - in the night when her sleeping problems - the same problems that gave her voices in her head - had kept her awake for the majority of the night. As a solution, the young fairy decided to head for the kitchen and prepare a late-night or early-morning snack.

As she entered the kitchen, whistling a tune to herself, Rhythma felt a sudden blast of cold air. At first, it shocked her, but then she dismissed it as a faulty vent. She would speak to Headmistress Faroganda in the morning about it.

Rhythma turned the stove on and made her way toward the refrigerator, where the ingredients for her snack were located. She frowned.

"Hmmm." She muttered under her breath. "We're almost out of blueberries. I'll have to get some tomorrow." Then the fairy shrugged and took a few of the small, round berries before heading to the counter.

"Rhythma?" A tired voice sounded. The black-haired fairy turned to face her five roommates - Nebula, Lula, Humora, Flava, and Statica.

The first girl - Nebula - was the oldest of the group - a senior. She would be graduating from Alfea next year and heading to Earth so that she could pursue her dreams as an Earth Fairy. She had dark blue hair and eyes, and a magenta outfit rimmed with white. Nebula was the Fairy of Peace.

Beside her was Lula, a fairy the same age as Rhythma. She had dark brown hair and blue eyes, and a pink outfit with darker shades on her sleeves. Lula was the Fairy of Sleep, and the quietest of the entire group.

On Nebula's other side stood a girl with dark yellow-orange hair and green eyes. This was Humora - the Fairy of Comedy. She was like an older sister to Rhythma, despite being the same age and having the behavior of a three-year-old.

Standing beside Humora was a shorter - but not as short as Rhythma - fairy with dark grayish-white hair and brown eyes. This was Flava - the Fairy of Cooking. She was a year older than Rhythma, but seemed to have the most compassion of them.

Finally, on the other side, stood a tall, white-haired girl with startling electric-blue eyes. Statica - the Fairy of Lightning. Despite being younger than Nebula - around the same age as Flava - Statica was much wiser than the Peace Fairy.

They all watched her now as she made blueberry pancakes so early in the morning.

Nebula sighed and stepped forward. "Why are you up so late?" She mumbled, obviously unnerved by the darkness of the room.

"I couldn't sleep." Rhythma answered, popping a blueberry in her mouth.

Lula rolled her eyes. "You room with a Sleeping Fairy. All you have to do is ask."

Rhythma shrugged.

Humora sighed. "Please come back to the room with us." She begged. "Something's not right with the air tonight. It's . . . colder."

Rhythma rolled her eyes. "Seriously, guys, I'll come back once I've had my snack."

"Ooo." Flava strode into the kitchen and smiled. "What are you making?"

Statica - usually so calm - now seemed tense. "Humora is right. The air is full of negative energy." She met Rhythma's eyes and grabbed Flava's arm. "Please come back with us. I have a bad feeling."

"You're just being paranoid." Rhythma snapped. "I'll be back by morning - you'll see." She narrowed her eyes. "Now go back to bed. I might be able to go without sleep - but you sure can't."

Nebula, Lula Humora, Flava and Statica just sighed in unison. The Fairy of Peace glared at her best friend. "We're all worried about you."

They stared at her.

Rhythma glared back at her friends. "Go back to bed." She repeated before turning back to her food.

Silence.

There was the sound of footsteps, and then the air cleared up of the tension.

Rhythma felt bad for sending her friends away, but her sleeping disorder wasn't their problem. It was hers, and she was the only one who could endure it. Not even Lula - with all of her sleeping powers - could keep Rhythma from the health issue she was born with.

Suddenly, something rustled behind the stove. Rhythma whirled to face the hot cooktop just as a rat-like creature lunged from behind it, teeth bared into an angry snarl.

Snake-rat!

Rhythma screamed and fell back, shielding her face with her arms as the creature tried to tear into her eyes. With a grunt, she flung it off of her and jumped back, summoning all of her energy into a blast.

"Wave of Courage!" The fairy yelled, shooting the rat with an energy beam. It fell back with a screech, but quickly found its feet and attacked once again.

Now was the time to fully transform.

Rhythma felt power surge through her entire body as her violet wings appeared on her back and her outfit changed slightly to a darker gray shade.

"Strike of Luck!" Rhythma yelled, sending a blast at the persistent animal. It gave another gurgling shriek as it hit the counter.

For a moment, Rhythma thought it was dead, but then it rose to its feet once more and snarled.

The fairy rolled her eyes. What would it take to kill this thing? "Angry Fall!"

That blast had no effect on the snake-rat at all.

Rhythma began to panic. "Punch of Rage!" Her fist flew, and actually struck the creature with a sickening crunch. It fell down, limp.

The fairy turned away, breathing a sigh of relief, when she heard it growl. Not even a second later, she whirled to see that it had already lunged. She yelped and flung her hands over her head to shield herself.

And then, it was gone.

Like a comet, a ray of energy came from her left and struck the rat in the head, killing it instantly. Rhythma let out her breath.

Rhythma's relief suddenly turned to fear when the air grew unnaturally cold. She turned, ready to run, when a stinging sensation overcame her wings. The fairy looked back, only to see that they were completely encased in ice. "Burst of Pride." She whispered. Instantly, a ball of golden magic appeared in her hands. She stood, ready to fire, when she heard it.

"What?" A sickeningly cruel voice came from the doorway. "No thank you for saving your pathetic little life?"

Rhythma let a small whimper escape her throat as three girls who were most certainly not fairies came through the door. The speaker - dressed in teal-blue with silver hair - smiled at her terrified face.

"Hello there, little fairy."

So this is what her friends had meant when they said the air felt cold. Rhythma shivered slightly and and looked away from their stares. She backed away, hitting the wall behind her and sliding down. The ball of magic was still gripped tightly between her palms, and she was ready to fire if it meant getting out of this alive.

The second girl dressed in purple - with long brown hair and golden eyes - stepped toward her, seeing that she couldn't go anywhere, and crouched down in front of her.

Rhythma's eyes widened. There was no doubt about who these girls were anymore. She could see it in the way they walked and spoke. The golden ball of energy pulsed between her palms, as though it had a heartbeat.

Witches.

The purple witch smiled and put her finger underneath Rhythma's chin, tilting her head up and forcing her to look right into her golden eyes. She brushed the fairy's hair out of her face, revealing her eyes clearly for the intruders to see. There sharps intakes of breath.

"Your eyes are so beautiful." The purple witch whispered, bringing her face close to Rhythma's. "Especially the red one."

The fairy pulled her head away. No one had ever said her eyes looked pretty. Heterogeneous eyes were not seen as such. Especially red and green combinations. She clutched the ball of magic tighter, turning her knuckles white.

A third witch - dressed in a magenta color very similar to Rhythma's wings - suddenly stepped forward, looking at her scornfully. "Why'd you even save her, Icy?" She asked the blue witch. "She's pathetic. You should have let the snake-rat kill her."

This made Rhythma tremble and draw her shoulders back, ready to fire.

'Icy' gave a cold smirk at the trembling fairy. "Because, Stormy," she told the frizzy-haired witch. "I love it when someone owes us something."

Those words made Rhythma squeak in surprise and almost drop the ball. Owe her?

Stormy rolled her eyes. "Who is she, exactly?"

The purple witch, still crouched in front of Rhythma, looked deep into the fairy's eyes, grinning. A moment later her golden eyes briefly flashed violet and a splitting headache overcame Rhythma. The witch returned to normal. "Rhythma." She said, tasting the name on her tongue. "Fairy of Emotions."

"That's a pathetic power." Icy laughed and walked toward Rhythma. "Get up, little fairy."

Unsure of what the witch was going to do, Rhythma didn't move.

"Didn't you hear me?" Icy's voice turned from casual to deadly. "Stand up, or I'll shatter those pretty wings of yours."

That made Rhythma get to her feet very quickly with wide eyes. Shattering a fairy's wings was the most brutal kind of torture one could inflict on a fairy. No wings meant no flight - something every fairy lived for.

But that didn't stop her from hurling the energy ball right at the ice witch. "Burst of Pride!" She yelled.

Icy yelled in surprise as the ball collided with her chest, sending her a few feet back. When she looked up, her blue eyes were blazing with hatred. "You are going to pay for that, little fairy." Then she grinned. "If you're really that weak, then your destiny isn't a Fairy of Emotions."

Rhythma gasped as pain flared through her spine. Icy had increased the tension on her wings, which were now on the verge of being broken. "Wait, stop!" She cried.

Stormy came to stand beside Icy, grinning.

"What are you going to make her do?" She demanded. Rhythma eyed her cautiously. In a way, the witch reminded her of Statica - always charged with energy. Judging by the name, Rhythma guessed that Stormy was a Witch of Storms.

Icy didn't answer the storm witch. Instead, she took another step forward, which brought her to a halt right in front of Rhythma. The witch was taller than her by about ten inches, giving her the advantage of height as well as intimidation. "Listen here, little fairy," her voice came out as a hiss, long and quiet. "You are going to do exactly as I say. As payback for saving your pathetic little life, and for that little stunt you pulled. Understood?"

Knowing that her wings were at stake, Rhythma gave a reluctant nod, confused.

"Now." Icy continued. "Before we get to the good stuff, let's see if you can obey a simple command." Her eyes narrowed. "Turn your back to me and go press your hands flat on the stove as a sign of surrender, fairy."

Rhythma's eyes widened. The stove is hot! But the witches didn't know that. They hadn't watched her turn it on. She froze on the spot, refusing to move.

Icy glared at her. "What's the matter, little fairy?" She took a threatening step forward, one hand stretched toward her wings as though waiting to destroy them. "Not in the mood to listen?"

"Actually," the purple witch said. "That's not the case." Rhythma heard footsteps, and guessed that she had made her way over to the stove to inspect it.

The ice witch glared over Rhythma's shoulder. "What do you mean, Darcy?"

"The stovetop is burning hot." The witch explained. "Putting her hands on that will probably do more than just sting."

Icy's narrowed eyes suddenly brightened. "Hmmm." She studied the fairy, who cowered back. Then her eyes narrowed. "My orders will not be changed. Do as I say, or lose your wings." She blinked her ice-cold eyes at the trembling fairy. "This will make things very interesting, as you are at my mercy."

Rhythma gasped, but still remained rooted to the spot.

"Alright then." Icy frowned, studying her. "Say goodbye to those sparkling wings." She held out her hand and raised a brow at Rhythma. "Unless you do as I say?"

The young fairy look away in defeat. She couldn't lose her wings. "What else do I have to do?"

A smile - wicked and triumphant - appeared on Icy's face. "Keep your hands on the stove until I say you can take them off. If you pull away before I say so, Stormy will give you the worst headache of your life." There was a pause. "And don't you dare scream."

Rhythma nodded and trudged over to the stove, seeing no other choice as Darcy and Stormy were blocking either side and Icy was standing in the way of the door. She looked over her shoulder.

"Well?" Icy frowned.

The fairy whimpered again and turned toward the stove. She could feel the heat, and she wasn't even touching it. With a groan, Rhythma placed both hands upon the cooktop.

Searing pain shot through her skin, almost forcing a single, agonized cry from Rhythma's mouth. Still, she didn't move her hands. Instead, she gritted her teeth and remained there, her body seemingly trying to take control and force her away from the stove. As though sensing her thoughts, both Darcy and Stormy came up behind her held her hands down, preventing her from pulling away. Rhythma gave a groan and tried to jerk herself out of their grips with no prevail.

"Please stop!" She whimpered, tears running down her face as the stove began to burn through her skin. "Please!"

The witches only laughed.

A few moments passed, and Rhythma began to tremble.

Finally, Icy broke the tense silence. "Alright, that's enough, back up little fairy."

Rhythma did as she was told. Her hands were scalding hot, and she had tears running down her cheeks.

Icy walked so that she was standing in front of Rhythma once again, a victorious grin plastered on her face. She put her finger under Rhythma's chin and forced the fairy to once again look into the eyes of evil.

"W-what are you g-going to do to me?" Rhythma stuttered, not breaking the witch's gaze.

Icy seemed caught off guard for a moment before she smirked again, running her other hand through Rhythma's silky black hair. "I don't know. What do you think, sisters?" She glanced at the two witches behind Rhythma.

"I want to kill her." Stormy replied bluntly. "We don't have time for this pathetic excuse for a fairy."

Rhythma winced.

Then Darcy spoke. "I want to keep her."

Interest filled Icy's eyes, as the witch had not released Rhythma's chin. "Elaborate, dear sister."

"Easy." Darcy walked around so that she was in Rhythma's line of sight. "I can cast a spell that will suppress her magic and her transformation."

"Isn't that torture?" Stormy asked, coming to stand in front of Rhythma as well. "She is a fairy after all."

Darcy grinned. "That's the point." She said to Stormy before bringing her golden gaze back on Rhythma. "The spell will also keep her from talking. But in that way we can do whatever we want to her."

Rhythma began to shake again, and Icy's grip on her chin tightened.

"We can keep her. She'll be ours." Darcy concluded.

Icy's grin had turned incredibly wicked. "That's a good idea, Darcy." She stepped back, releasing Rhythma's chin and holding her gaze. "Cast the spell."

Rhythma bolted. She knew that it was pointless, but she still tried.

Sure enough, Icy lunged after her and crashed into the fairy, bringing the two of them to the ground with Icy on top. In a single, swift movement, the witch seized both of Rhythma's wrists and pinned them above her head, grinning wickedly. "Big mistake, little fairy. Try it again and Darcy won't need to spell your wings, because I'll do it the fun way." She brought her face closer. "The painful way."

"No!" Rhythma cried, struggling. "Let me go! I won't be your prisoner!"

"Dear little fairy," Icy sighed. "You don't have a choice. Darcy! Come here!"

The purple witch approached Rhythma with glowing violet eyes and smirked. "Say goodbye to magic, wings, and speaking, fairy." Her voice was menacing.

"And say goodbye to Alfea," Stormy added, crouching down beside Rhythma's head and putting both hands on her face, forcing her to stare at Darcy. "Because from this day on, you belong to us."

The world began to grow hazy. Rhythma knew that this was her last moment of freedom. She glanced at the door, her heterogeneous eyes clouding over. "You were right," she croaked into the space where her friends had disappeared earlier. "You were right, and I'm sorry."

And with that, Rhythma laid her head on the floor and gave in to the darkness that Darcy attacked her with.

For a moment, she was aware of the cackling of the three witches. She was aware of the smell of Alfea and the hot stove, and the ice which caked her wings. She was aware of the cold air that suddenly took over the kitchen, and she was aware that her freedom had ended.

Then, she was aware of nothing at all.

Nebula walked into Headmistress Faroganda's office with Humora, Flava, Statica and Lula following. Their head of the school was sitting at her desk, silent.

However, she saw Nebula enter, she broke into a smile. "Come in, girls." She said warmly.

Nebula, Statica, Flava, Humora, and Lula all entered the office fully and stood in front of Faroganda's desk.

The Headmistress noticed their grim expressions and immediately frowned. "What it it? What's wrong?"

Humora put her face in her hands and began to sob. The usually happy fairy was now in a state of hysteria. Lula and Flava rubbed the girl's back comfortingly. Lula looked at Faroganda. "Rhythma never returned to her room last night." She said in the soft voice she always had.

"We went to the kitchen to see if she fell asleep there," Humora sniffled, nearly choking on the words.

Statica's eyes were glazed. "But the whole kitchen was encased in ice. There were signs of a struggle, and the stove was still on."

Flava sighed. "We hoped she would return later, but she didn't."

Nebula rose to her full height and looked Faroganda dead in the eyes. "Rhythma is gone. And I fear that someone has taken her."