- Edited -

Rhythma screamed as Stormy struck her with a bolt of pure lightning and a burning sensation made its way up her back. She ran in the opposite direction, away from the witch, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. Why were they doing this to her? Why did she have to be their victim?

"Get back here, you stupid little wretch!" The witch yelled, flying after her. Another bolt of lightning made contact with her side as Stormy attacked her again.

Rhythma hit the ground with a sickening thud and lay motionless on the floor. Stormy approached her, her index finger readying another bolt. With a menacing smile, she pressed her heeled shoe into Rhythma's stomach, holding the girl to the ground to keep her from running.

The witch zapped Rhythma again, making the fairy scream in pain. Stormy cracked up laughing at Rhythma and kept doing it.

Suddenly, a chuckle came from the other side of the room. Both Rhythma and Stormy craned their necks to see Icy leaning against the doorframe, a wicked smile plastered on her face. She fixed her ice-blue eyes on Stormy. "Sister, as much as I enjoy watching you torment the wretch, I'll have to tell you to stop."

Stormy held up her finger, still charged with lightning, and pointed it at Icy. "Why?"

"Because you'll alert the whole school with her screams." Icy turned her head slightly so that she was staring at Rhythma. "In any case, it's time to get to class." She smirked slightly at the fairy, still on the ground.

The magenta witch snorted. "I don't see why we can't skip class today. I enjoy torturing the poor little wretch." She flashed a wicked grin at Rhythma, who winced. That made Stormy press her foot deeper into her stomach, forcing another groan from the fairy as she lay her head down on the floor.

"As do I. But Griffin has an announcement planned." Icy glared at Stormy. "So let's go before we miss it."

The storm witch huffed in annoyance, but stepped away from Rhythma. "I'll finish with you later, wretch." She sneered at the fairy, before giving her one more blast to the stomach.

Rhythma watched the three witches leave, but not before Icy stopped at the door with a deadly twinkle in her eyes. "Remember, little fairy. If you try to escape, I'll make your punishment extra painful." She paused. "Do you understand me?" There was a terrifying note in her tone.

The fairy nodded.

Icy grinned. "Good. See you after class, then."

And then she was alone.

As she had done for the past two years, Rhythma just lay there on the floor where Stormy had left her, blankly staring at the ceiling. There is no escape. The voice of Icy taunted her brain. There is no escape. She clutched her head, but the voices grew louder until they were all jumble of words.

Stupid mental problems.

Minutes passed. Then hours.

Why hadn't they killed her yet?

Simple, as a prisoner, she wasn't allowed to escape.

Death was an escape.

If the witches ended her life, they would be doing her a favor. They thought it much more effective to keep her alive and in pain, wishing for it to end. However, they would never do it themselves. She had been close a number of times, though.

Perhaps I could end it myself. She thought, sitting up and wincing as her entire body protested. Maybe it'll work this time.

Rhythma had tried to kill herself dozens of times before, but all had failed. The witches had put some sort of spell on her that seemed to make her impossible to kill. They didn't know of her attempts, however, because after every attempt, she destroyed the evidence.

She stood up, cursing as her weakened muscles tried to go against her. After a moment, she was able to stand and make her way over to Icy's bed. Crouching down, she grabbed a box that was hidden underneath the bed frame.

I know she keeps an ice blade in here. After some rummaging, the fairy finally found the dagger and pulled it out.

She stared at it.

All it takes is one cut in the right place. Her head taunted her. One cut, and you're free.

Free . . .

Freedom was all she had wanted since her capture.

Carefully, Rhythma held up the blade and put it to her neck. She took a deep breath, ready.

"What do you think you're doing?"

Rhythma jumped and whirled around, staring into Icy's eyes as the witch stood at the door. She didn't know that school had already ended!

She dropped the blade and stepped back, fear completely engulfing her. The witches were no longer in their normal forms - rather in their Trix outfits, which made them look menacing. And merciless.

She was in for a long day.

Icy walked into the room and glanced at the blade for perhaps a second before returning her eyes to Rhythma, who looked down guiltily. "My ice dagger." She narrowed her eyes, and a smirk appeared on her face. "So you've stooped that low, have you now?"

Stormy leaned against the doorframe. "You tried to end it didn't you?" Her eyes glimmered with a deadly storm. She was mad, as the rage was clear in her aqua eyes.

"Pathetic." Darcy snickered.

Icy grinned down at Rhythma. "You tried to kill yourself." She taunted, picking up the blade and walking toward the fairy. "Death is a means of escape. I told you not to try to escape." Her voice turned deadly.

Rhythma trembled in terror.

The ice witch backed her against the open window, the smirk still plastered on her face. Darcy and Stormy had flown out the window and were now hovering just outside.

"It seems to me that you have two options." Icy told her, holding the blade between the young fairy's eyes tauntingly. "You can come over to me and kneel - accepting a fair punishment for trying to escape. Or," she fixed her icy stare with Rhythma's terrified gaze, "you can jump."

The fairy looked out the window behind her, calculating the drop. It was long, and certainly would kill her if she fell. Was Icy really going to allow her to escape? She glanced at the witch again.

Icy stared back at her. "Just know that, if you jump, Darcy and Stormy will catch you and we'll beat you until you're unconscious."

Rhythma's eyes widened. They only ever dod that when they were beyond furious - like when she had almost killed Darcy after about a year of suffering. Icy had been beyond angry.

Silence filled the room. Rhythma could hear the breathing of Icy, as well as the wind outside.

She had no choice. She couldn't be beaten like that again.

With bile rising in her throat, Rhythma stepped forward and kneeled before Icy.

The witch chuckled cruelly and touched the top of Rhythma's head with her ice-cold hand. "That's what I thought, little fairy."

Stormy and Darcy had flown back through the window and were now on either side of her, sneering down at her.

Icy opened her mouth to speak another taunt to her, but suddenly the wind picked up. It was so strong, that it dragged Rhythma to her feet, made her stagger back, and fall backwards . . .

. . . right out the window.

Rhythma did not scream as the world rushed around her. Not a single sound left her mouth.

Was she free at last?

Probably not. Icy flew out the window.

Then, Rhythma hit one of the spires of Cloudtower with her head. The world spun for a moment before her vision went black.

Icy's POV

Icy couldn't believe it. The little wretch was about to die. And it wasn't her who caused her death.

"No!" She yelled, lunging for the window and diving through the broken glass. Faster than anything she had ever tried, Icy dove after the fairy, who had just hit her head on one of Cloudtower's spires.

Growling, the ice witch swooped down and caught the girl bridal style just before she hit the ground.

She flew back up to their room and landed beside Stormy. Carefully, she laid the fairy down on the ground and stood up. "Darcy!" Her voice was cold, and she was still mad.

Darcy came to stand on her other side. Crouching down, she put her hand on the fairy's forehead. "Just unconscious." She announced.

Icy narrowed her eyes. "Put her in her bed."

Rhythma's POV

Her head hurt pretty bad when she woke up.

Rhythma was laying in her bed, the witches no where in sight. She sat up slowly and looked around. The room was oddly silent.

With a grunt, Rhythma stood and glanced around. A piece of paper caught her eye, and she knew that notes were only used to leave her messages from the Trix when they were away.

She walked over and picked it up. Sure enough, it was Icy's handwriting.

Dear Little Wretch,
Sorry to leave you alone for the time being, but my sisters and I had some business to attend to. Once we return, we will discuss your punishment for trying to die. If you get any further ideas of escape, think again, fairy. Darcy cast another spell on you - one that alerts us if you attempt to escape or kill yourself. Be wise, Little Fairy, and we will return shortly.
- Icy

Rhythma put down the piece of paper and sighed. She could kiss suicide goodbye now.

There is no escape. Her brain taunted. No escape.

Rhythma sighed and went back to her bed. Sitting down, she pulled out her cloak and draped it around her shoulders. She sat around for a while - there was really nothing to do now that she was literally confined to the dorm. And she didn't have any supplies to write.

And then they returned.

Icy, Darcy, and Stormy appeared in the room in a flash of dark energy. Rhythma sat up in her bed and watched them cautiously. Icy turned to her with a wicked grin.

"We have Stella's ring."

Those four words made Rhythma flinch as Icy held up a seashell case where the ring was most likely hidden. The witch walked over to her own bed and set the case down before turning back to Rhythma.

"I see you've woke up." She said, a slight frown on her face. "Before we open the case, I want to finish what we started earlier." Then her voice turned dark. "Kneel."

Rhythma did as she was told, seeing no other choice as Darcy and Stormy appeared on either side of her, blocking her. She put her head down - knowing what Icy was going to do. It was her favorite punishment.

Sure enough, the ice witch strode forward and placed both hands on the sides of Rhythma's head. She lifted the fairy's head just enough so that they could lock eyes. "Awww, how cute. You already know what I'm going to do."

Rhythma's gut clenched fearfully.

Icy gripped Rhythma's head tightly and then blasted. The fairy was thrown back with a squeal of pain. She hit the far wall and fell to the ground. Icy came forward again. "That is all I'm going to do." She announced. "I think falling out of the window should count as some form of punishment." She turned away.

Rhythma got to her feet, leaning against the wall for support. Her head was pounding - and it would be for the next few weeks after that Brain Blast. It was worse than any brain freeze.

Icy turned to face her again. "Next time we need a laugh, I won't give you a choice." She added. "Next time, I will order you to jump. Is that understood?"

The fairy nodded.

"Good." The witches walked away from her and towards the bed where Icy hand left the ring.

Icy transformed back into her normal attire and laid down on her bed with the seashell case in her hand.

She opened it.

Rhythma was a bit surprised to see two small eggs sitting inside of the case rather than the ring. Icy took one out and shook it, mumbling to herself.

Suddenly, the egg burst and sitting in Icy's hand was a small, purple duck. Rhythma recoiled slightly.

There was a shocked silence. Everyone stared at the creature.

Then it spoke.

"Quack. Quack." It said. "Mommy!"

It was looking straight at Icy, who visibly paled at what it said. "M-mommy?" She stuttered. Her eyes widened.

The duck leaped forward and grabbed Icy's face. Rhythma thought it was kind of cute at they way it snuggled with her, but Icy clearly didn't.

At the top of her lungs, she screamed, "Ah, I hate him! I hate him!"

Rhythma winced and pressed her back against the wall she was currently leaning against. Stormy turned to face the trembling fairy, a scowl on her face.

Darcy snatched the animal away from Icy and held it by the tail. It struggled to get free.

Icy took the seashell case and looked at the other egg. "Hey, there's another one." She picked it up and handed it to Stormy. "Care to do the honors?"

Stormy backed away. "No way. Get that thing away from me."

Rhythma snorted, earning a menacing glare from the witches. Stormy held up her hand and blasted an energy ball at the fairy, slamming her into the wall again.

"What about you, Darcy?" Icy asked. "Want to open it?"

"Are you crazy?" Darcy asked, tossing the duck behind her. "Absolutely not."

"Why don't you do it, Icy?" Stormy chuckled. Rhythma felt amusement bubble up in her chest as she got to her feet.

Icy glowered at her, then turned to Stormy. "Because I'm not looking forward to raising twins." She gestured to the duck, which had gotten up and was now staggering toward her again.

Darcy and Stormy looked away.

Suddenly, Icy turned to Rhythma and tossed the egg to her. "All yours, then, little wretch."

Rhythma caught the egg and held it in her hands for a moment before opening it.

And she suddenly had a small blue duckling sitting on her palm.

For the first time since she had been kidnapped, Rhythma let a small smile play at her lips.