Carmen

Climbing the steep rocky walls, the young girl felt her exhaustion weigh on her body like a virus. Sweat dripped down her forehead as she strained her body past its limits, desperate to reach the top of the tower before she was found out. Beside her, and somewhat higher, her twin sister climbed, in a much weaker state than Carmen herself was seeing as she was the one who had been drained of most of her magic.

Finally reaching the level below her intended destination, the fairy gasped when her sister cringed down, and Carmen saw the silhouette of a monster pass by above them.

"No time." Aisha said weakly. "We'll be found out any second now."

Carmen knew that she was referring to the fact that there was no time to be afraid, but she couldn't help it. It was dark and scary in this fortress, and without her bonded pixie, the world seemed even more silent than what she was used to.

She climbed after sister as soon as the monster passed, collapsing for a breath once they reached their target. The climb had been a hard one, but they had made it, even with Aisha weak and her sister unable to assist when it came to looking for danger.

Her twin elbowed her after a moment of relaxing, and Carmen jerked her head up to stare into the room they had been aiming for. Hovering - with a slimy substance covering their tiny wings - were the Pixies. The ones they had been looking for.

Carmen nodded to Aisha and then proceeded to climb up the wall through the window. However, her weakness combined with unexpected height of the opening led her to instead fall down on the other side - rather ungracefully - and hit the ground. The impact once again drove the breath from her body. Aisha suffered the same course of action, landing on top of Carmen.

For a moment, the twins lay in an exhausted heap on the ground. Carmen could feel the fear coming from the pixies, but didn't acknowledge it. Rather, she forced herself to stand and walk toward the magical barrier keeping them contained.

Her only goal had been to rescue them, but as she approached, she was aware that the Pixies had no recognition of them - at least not at first. Once Aisha and Carmen stepped from the shadows, she saw them brighten.

"Aisha, Carmen. You're alright!" Amore said happily. "We thought you'd both been captured too!"

Aisha crouched down in front of the happy pixies. "Yes we were captured."

Chatta seemed to visibly pale at those words. "By the horrible creature?"

"The Phoenix, yes." Carmen said, feeling the vibrations of her voice through the floor. "Luckily, though, we were able to escape through the window of our cell."

Lockette gasped. "Oh no you didn't, that's much too dangerous!"

Concern flooded through Aisha's eyes. "How is Piff? Is she okay?"

"And Rena," Carmen added. "Please tell me Rena is okay."

Amore nodded. "Yes they're both fine. But Rena is unconscious." She pointed down to a sleeping baby pixie near the bottom of the magical cage. Next to her was a larger pixie laying stiffly on the ground, her eyes closed. "You must have been so worried about them."

"After all, they are your bonded Pixies." Chatta said as she gently picked up the unconscious black-haired pixie and shook her. "Wake up, Rena. You were right. See who's here!"

Rena opened her dark blue eyes and raised them to stare out of the cage. Her expression brightened as soon as she saw Carmen. "You're here!" She cried. "I knew you'd come!"

It made Carmen very happy to see that her bonded pixie was okay. "I'm glad you're still alive, Rena."

". . . you are going to be able to get us out, right?" Chatta was saying to Aisha.

The twins stood up. "I'm not sure how, but we're not leaving without you guys." Aisha said determinedly. She raised her hand, as if to blast the cage wall down, and gave a low moan once she saw the dullness of her sphere. "I'm too weak, I have no strength left."

"Same here." Carmen said dully.

Lockette gasped in concern, but pointed to the wall of bones behind the two fairies. "I think the lock is on that wall."

Aisha turned to it and tilted her head to the side. "Then . . . maybe." She ventured, producing yet another pale purple sphere and firing it at the skull with glowing eyes. It hit home, but weakened the young fairy. A moment later, the barrier that kept the Pixies trapped fell and Aisha keeled over as she took a breath.

Carmen was tackled by Rena, who snuggled into her chest for comfort. "Aisha, are you okay?" Amore asked as Piff crawled over to her.

"I'll be fine." Aisha replied shakily. "The Phoenix drained some of my power, that's all."

"What about you, Carmen?" Zing asked with concern, seeming to notice the young fairy's weaker form.

Carmen gave a trembling nod. "Fine. Same here."

"We should get out of here, quickly." Digit spoke worriedly.

Chatta walked forward, a terrified look in her eyes. "But our wings are covered with that disgusting tar and we can't fly!"

Carmen looked around. "What if we carry you?"

"Everyone ready?" Aisha didn't wait for an answer. She stooped to pick up Piff, Chatta, Tune, Lockette and Amore while Carmen grabbed Rena, Zing, Glim, Digit and Galactica - who had been hiding near the back.

All of the Pixies mumbled a yes under their breath as they shivered out of fear. Carmen began to follow Aisha through the halls.

"This is no way for a pixie to travel!" Chatta declared.

Tune nodded in agreement. "How undignified!"

Carmen looked toward Aisha, feeling fatigue weigh at her muscles. "We won't be able to climb like this and we're too weak to fly."

"Let's find stairs." Aisha countered, and took off into a sprint with Carmen following closely behind. Rena, terrified at the thought of being captured again, climbed onto Carmen's shoulder and dropped down into her hood, much similar to what Piff had done before with Aisha.

Her twin managed to kick open a door and the young fairy followed her twin into a dusty room.

"We made it!" Amore yelled from where she was sitting with Aisha.

Digit nodded. "Affirmative. We have reached the main level." She looked up at Carmen proudly, and the brunette fairy smiled down at her.

"We'll be able to get outside from here." Rena spoke softly.

"Stand by, everyone, while I switch on my data glove which will enable me to determine -" the green light that had appeared from Digit's armband suddenly cut off. "Oh." She said nonchalantly. "A power failure."

"Hmmm." Amore said suspiciously.

Lockette - perched on Aisha's shoulder, looked around. "I think that's the exit," she ventured, pointing to a door toward the back. "But my magic is getting weak too."

"That's right." Chatta spoke from Aisha's other shoulder."I feel so drained, I can hardly speak anymore. That reminds me: did you know -"

"Right now's not a good time, we'll talk later." Aisha cut her off swiftly before the talkative pixie could launch into another long rant about who-knows-what. "Okay?" She spoke softer.

Carmen followed her older twin further into the room, trying to ward off the sense of negative energy that warped around her body like a rope. Not even a second later, something came into existence before them, causing Carmen and the pixies to cry out in surprise.

Surrounded - with three different monsters on all sides - Carmen was totally incapable of helping anyone. The long-necked monster opened its mouth an spit some horrible, sticky substance at the two girls. Aisha was hit head-on, which caused her to end up back on her back with the five Pixies she held scattered across the ground.

Carmen gasped. "Aisha!"

"Carmen, watch out!" Galactica shrieked.

The fairy screamed when one of the monsters - the spiky one that could shoot its spines - lunged for her. Carmen dodged in time, but the fast movement resulted in the accidental release of Galactica, who gasped when the tall, two-legged monster made a grab for her.

Aisha had gotten to her feet and was now shouting at the monster, who turned its attention away from the Queen Pixie and leaped for the fairy. Aisha expertly jumped back, resulting in the entrapment and eventual destruction of said monster.

That meant two more to go.

Both the Spitting Monster and the Spike Monster launched an attack on Aisha as Carmen made a desperate lunge for Galactica. The two creatures were hit with the other's defense when the girl jumped away. The two fairies - making sure that the pixies were safely in their grasps, took off toward the door, and though Carmen couldn't hear the screams of her cargo, she could feel the vibrations through her arms. Aisha shoved the door open, revealing the outside of the palace.

"We're safe!" Galactica said with relief. However, the moment didn't last long, as Carmen saw a shadow pass overhead, and a huge black bird the size of a jet was suddenly hovering over them.

More screaming.

"It's the Phoenix!" Lockette screamed. The two fairies turned to run in the opposite direction, but the bird landed on the floor they were currently on and transformed into a man-like creature.

"Foolish girls, you barely have the strength to stand." The Phoenix growled in annoyance and held out one clawed arm. "Hand over the Pixies!"

"Never!" Aisha protested as she backed away from the monster.

Carmen growled in agreement. "We won't let you have them!" The young fairy was well aware of Rena pulling Galactica into her hood as well and remembered with a jolt that Pixies were like a colony of ants - they defend the Queen no matter the cost.

The Phoenix let out a low sound as his eyes flashed red. "I find your meaningless bravery tiresome."His tone vibrations through the floor told Carmen that he was slightly annoyed now. "But no matter," he continued. "Time to pay for your mistakes, girls!"

Carmen was blasted head-on with a ray of red energy and felt the three Pixies she still held slip from her grasp. She was on the floor, her hair covering Rena and Galactica as the rest of her cargo was scooped up in a red bubble. Zing, Glim and Digit all screamed in terror once their bubble combined with the one Aisha had been holding with her own load.

The Phoenix held the Pixies proudly and then proceeded to try and stab Aisha, who was able to summon enough energy to create an energy shield.

"But how is that possible?" The Phoenix snarled. "You should be too weak!"

Carmen stood and helped her twin sister to her feet. "It's not so easy to beat a fairy!"

"Isn't it, little deaf one?" The Phoenix blasted at her, but Carmen dodged just in time. However, she crashed into Aisha and sent them both to the ground. Their tormentor gave a chuckle and used a line of black smoke to ensnare both girls, dragging them over to the cliff and letting them hover there for a few, heart-stopping moments. "Goodbye fairies!"

The tendrils released around Carmen, and she felt herself falling. Despite not being able to hear it, she still screamed as loud as her lungs would allow. Her last realization before shock overcame her was that she still had Rena and Galactica.

Then the darkness ensnared her.

Rhythma

"Get back here you freak of nature!"

Rhythma's shout carried through the silent forest as she leaped over fallen tree branches to pursue the monster holding the four pixies. The creature - some form of shadow monster - merely snarled in response and kept running. The Pixies it held screamed in terror, and Rhythma felt her heart fill with fire.

"Universal Attack!" She yelled, firing a powerful blast at the monster, which screeched in agony as it was turned into a purple smoke. The fairy caught up to it just as all signs of it vanished into the air.

Out of breath, and rather irritated at the fact that this was how her day began, the young fairy crouched down beside the fallen Pixies. They all trembled in shock, and Rhythma didn't blame them. They had been close to ending up like the others had over the summer - in the hands of a freakish magical being who wanted their power in his hands.

"Are you guys okay?" She asked and she picked each one up and dusted them off. "Sorry I was a bit rough."

The first pixie - one with light brown hair and pale golden eyes - found her bearings first. "I think we're fine, just a little shaken up." She responded politely. Rhythma remembered that her name was Jeroba - Pixie of Sand.

"That's good." Rhythma sighed in relief. "I was afraid that monster had hurt you."

The second pixie, Glory - Pixie of Color - flew up beside her and laced her hands together. "If it weren't for you, Guardian, it would have taken us wherever the others have gone."

Canis - a Pixie of Dogs - nodded vigorously, his brown hair covering his eyes. "Yeah! After Aisha and Carmen disappeared to find them, I was sure we were toast!"

Rhythma blushed slightly and stood up. "Would you like to accompany me to Alfea?" She asked. "I think you would be safest there."

Glory shook her head. "No, it wouldn't be right to leave Pixie Village all alone without and Pixies to defend it."

Dizzy - a Dance Pixie - glanced at Canis. "But Rhythma has a point." She ventured. "If that monster was keen on finding us, it must have had a reason to attack. Alfea might be safer than Pixie Village at this moment."

Jeroba nodded. "And besides, why would we lead the enemy to our village? It's clear that we're being watched."

"I vote we go with Rhythma until we find out what's going on." Canis announced, and he was met with nods from both Jeroba and Dizzy.

Glory snorted. "Fine."

Rhythma gave a tight smile and held out her hand. "I'm sure Concorda won't mind you four staying in the Magical Archive for a while." She told them fondly. "Come on, I'll take you there."

The walk was most definitely a short one, seeing as the Alfea gates were only a few meters north of their current position.

Once at Alfea, Rhythma wasted no time with greetings. Despite it having been three months since she last saw the Winx, the young fairy knew that the pixies came first. So after waving to Bloom - who was looking around at all the decorations for the upcoming party - Rhythma sped inside and found herself inside the Alfea Magical Archive.

"Concorda!" She yelled, hearing her voice echo loudly throughout the huge room. She transformed into her legendary Pixix form and flew up to land on one of the board hovering half-way up the wall. Not even a moment later, a beautiful blonde pixie robed in blue flew down to greet the young fairy.

"Rhythma!" She cried joyfully, embracing her Guardian and bonded fairy. "How was your summer?"

"My summer was fine, thank you." Rhythma responded lightly. "I missed Melody so much. It was just like I remembered it." She took off her backpack. "I have a favor to ask of you."

"Of course." Concorda responded. "What is it?"

Rhythma opened her bag and the four Pixies flew out to respectfully greet the Guardian Pixie. "These four were nearly captured and have got no where to go. May they stay here?"

The pixie gasped at the mention of capture. "What could this creature possibly want with all of these Pixies?" She wondered. "You four and the Guardians are the only ones who haven't been caught yet."

"And Livy." Jeroba said softly. "She hasn't been captured either, but we lost her once the monster attacked."

"I'm sure she's fine." Rhythma spoke with confidence. "She's a strong pixie, that one. Not much could deter her."

Concorda smiled. "What about your family? What did they think when they saw you home for the first time?"

Rhythma paused, her mind flickering back to her sister. "My sister was overjoyed when I came home."

"And your parents?"

"They were happy too," the young fairy corrected herself. "It's complicated, actually. I have two families."

Concorda widened her eyes, seeming surprised at this revelation. "Two?"

"My real father, Prince Nathan, is a royal guard. He and my birth mother were inseparable, but when I was born, she died." Rhythma explained. "To give me a chance at a happy life, he gave me to his sister-in-law, the Queen, who acted like she was my mother. She even told me that I would be eligible to take the throne if anything happened to my sister - actually my cousin."

Concorda was silent for a moment. "Do you think the Queen loved you?"

"Of course," Rhythma replied, shocked. "She was the mother I grew up with."

"What about . . . Nathan, is it?" Concorda spoke. "How did he act toward you - as your blood father?"

Rhythma sighed. "He was always there when I needed him - except for the first year of my life. He ran off to grieve for my birth mother and the King was the one who I kept up a night with my cries." She smiled weakly. "When my dad came back, he tried his hardest to make up for the time he had lost, and I eventually came to terms with having two fathers."

"And Nathan knows you're alive now?" Concorda checked. "He doesn't think you're still dead?"

"Yes." Rhythma said, smiling as she recalled that first, loving moment with her father in the palace. "I . . . I told him that I should have come to see him as soon as I was free, but he said that he was just glad that I was back."

The pixie opened her mouth to speak again, but a high pitched whistle from below cut off the conversation. Rhythma felt alarm spark in her heart. "That's the warning!" She alerted Concorda as she heard the sharp note of Hippocampus - the pixie pet seahorse.

She and Concorda both flew down to see who had entered the secret Archives, and Rhythma was shocked to see Bloom standing there.

"Well?" Concorda demanded as the two came to a halt in front of Bloom. "What have you got to say for yourself?"

"This place is incredible!" Bloom gasped. "I mean, the Alfea library is nothing compared to this. I wonder why I've never heard of it."

Rhythma flew forward so that she was inches away from Bloom. "That's because no one is supposed to know about it."

Concorda nodded. "Look at you. First you torment my pixie Hippocampus, and then you sneak into Alfea's forbidden Magic Archive!"

"I'm trying hard to wrap my head around this." Bloom admitted.

Rhythma sighed in exasperation and landed on the ground as Concorda created a tiny seating area for herself. "I am the pixie Concorda." The pixie revealed. "And these two magic animals are my friends."

Hippocampus and a small red badger flew down. Bloom's eyes gleamed. "Aww how cute!"

"No!" Rhythma growled, then flinched at her own harshness. "It's our job to take care of the Archive for Faragonda and keep out nosy students!"

Bloom crouched down. "Should I leave?"

"Well you could at least introduce yourself." Concorda offered, and Rhythma nodded.

"My name is Bloom, and I got here by accident." The redhead fairy said. "But hey, what's a pixie?"

Rhythma snorted. "Bloom, Pixies are beings of magic. They often help fairies fight evil and perform their spells."

"You help fairies?" Bloom asked Concorda.

The pixie nodded. "Yes. In fact, some fairies and Pixies form deep connections - a bit like falling in love. Then, the two become inseparable. Like twin sisters."

"Really?" Bloom was amazed.

"We refer to this as 'Bonding'." Concorda continued. "And it's a very special thing for a pixie."

Bloom sighed. "I wish I had a pixie of my own." She said. "What about you? Are you bonded to Faragonda?"

"Oh, no no!" Concorda admonished. "I am bonded to Rhythma. And to this Archive."

"Don't you get lonely, bonded to a room?"

Concorda shook her head. "No. Not me. And besides, I have Rhythma and magical animals to cheer me up and keep me company."

"They're called pixie pets," Rhythma added. "They live with Pixies and lend them their talents."

"Wow." Bloom sighed dreamily. Then she snapped out of it. "Oh no, the time!"

Concorda tilted her head to the side. "What's wrong?"

"I'm late for the party!" Bloom groaned.

The pixie gave her a grim gaze. "Then hurry, go. Your friends must be waiting for you!"

Rhythma landed on the ground and detransformed. "I should go too." She told Concorda. "I'll see you later, okay?"

Concorda waved goodbye as Rhythma walked out of the Archives.

As she made her way down the hall, a blistering headache began to prick at her skull.

"Students, professors, welcome!" Faragonda announced as Rhythma slid in beside her best friend - a yellow-orange haired fairy named Humora.

Rhythma winked at her, and Humora giggled.

"After our struggle against the army of darkness. A lot of work need to be done to restore our school to its former glory." Faragonda said as she surveyed the crowd of students before her. "And if we were able to do so, it is largely thanks to to the efforts of two fairies in particular." Her eyes shimmered. "Bloom, Rhythma, would join me on the stage please?"

Rhythma smiled in embarrassment and looked at Humora, who gave her a loving shove toward the stage. "Go on, Rhythma!"

Rhythma laughed. "Only if the rest if the Winx joins me up there."

"No way," Lula, the fairy of sleep, said shyly. "You deserve this more than any fairy."

"You endured almost three years of torture from the Trix!" Flava - the fairy of cooking - added. "You don't need us!"

Rhythma smiled and grabbed her arm. "I'm not going anywhere without you guys."

Statica - fairy of lightning - shrugged. "I'll go with you."

Laughing, Rhythma dragged her friends and her pet duck, Pipsqueak, up onto the stage before the crowd. The other half of of the Winx - the originals - greeted them warmly.

"I declare the Alfea College For Fairies officially open!" Faragonda announced.

The cheers that followed brought happiness to Rhythma.

"Hey guys." Flora called nervously.

The specialists had all left by now, and the ten members of the Winx were now standing alone.

"What is it, Flora?" Rhythma asked with concern, walking over to the Nature fairy and putting a hand on her shoulder.

Flora looked at the Pixie fairy. "Something's wrong with the trees."

Rhythma glanced at Bloom worriedly and walked toward the treeline as the wind picked up slightly. Her eyes widened when she felt Pixies nearby, and Bloom let out a concerned squeak when two human shapes staggered out from the woods.

The first was a girl with dark tan skin and aqua eyes filled with tears. Her clothes were ragged, and she looked to have been pulled through a thorn bush backward.

The second was an exact image of the first - suggesting that they might be twins - though her hair was shorter and she had light lavender eyes rather than aqua. She seemed to be in better condition than the first, but still collapsed after stopping in front of the girl.

Rhythma rushed toward the second girl, shocked, and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that her eyes were still open.

"T-the Pixies . . ." She whimpered. "Danger . . ."

And then she was out. Rhythma stepped closer to examine her, and gasped when she saw not one, but two Pixies hiding in her hood. The first one was unconscious - with black hair. And the second turned to face the young fairy with a look of wonder.

"Rhythma?" Her voice was like honey.

The young fairy let out a gasp, for she knew that tone. She had only heard it once, but she knew it anywhere.

"Galactica?!"

A/N: Welcome!

New character? Galactica is back? New Pixies?

Anyway, this book will help you build a witch oc, kind of how the first book dealt with your fairy life. So first question - What would be your power?

I would be a Witch of Literacy, so I would deal with reading, writing, speaking and words in general!