- Edited -
Rhythma stared out of the open window, watching the wind blow from her perch. The witches were at school at the moment, giving the young fairy some peace for a while. She sighed and pressed her chin onto her hands, watching the trees blow in the cool air.
But, as all good things must, her peace ended.
The fairy heard the door open, and grunted, refusing to turn around and look at them. She closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep on the windowsill. Perhaps they would leave her be this time.
Or throw her out the window.
Footsteps. Approaching her way fast.
"Ugh." Stormy was groaning. "I hate cleaning day." Rhythma fought to hide a smile. It's not like they cleaned it up anyway. She was still surprised they hadn't been caught yet.
Darcy gave a huff of a agreement. "It's our dorm, why should we clean it up if we don't mind?"
More footsteps, and a cold hand pressed against the back of her neck. Rhythma fought to keep her breathing even.
Darcy walked over as well. Then Stormy. She could feel their penetrating stares on her back.
"She's asleep." Icy muttered. "Should we wake her?" The idea seemed to thrill the ice witch.
Please don't. Rhythma thought. I really, really, really don't want to deal with you right now.
"Nah," Stormy said, much to her relief. "Let her sleep. We have been kind of rough on her, lately."
You got that right.
Silence.
But only for a brief moment.
"I have an idea." Icy spoke. "Why don't we make her clean up? So we don't have to."
Rhythma stifled a choking cry of protest. Please no. Anything but doing that. Please.
More silence.
"What?" Icy's voice was nonchalant. Obviously Darcy and Stormy were not too fond of that idea.
When Darcy spoke, it was softly. "She's not our slave."
Thank you, Darcy. Rhythma let out a breath. My new favorite witch - if that's even possible.
The sudden chill in the room suggested that Icy smiled. "She could be."
No, I couldn't. I would fight that. There's no way I'll a slave on top of being a punching bag.
"Let's think about it." Stormy said. "I wouldn't mind, honestly. Gives us less to do, and I enjoy watching her suffer."
Of course you would say that, Stormy. Rhythma chose that moment to 'wake up'.
The Trix all turned to face her as she sat up and cowered back, whimpering. Icy rolled her eyes.
"Chill out, kid." She growled, stepping forward. "We haven't hurt you yet." Then her eyes lit up.
Rhythma's eyes widened. She knew that look. The witch only wore that look when she thought of a way to torment Rhythma.
Stormy caught on to the look. "What is it, Icy?" Excitement played on her tongue. Rhythma whimpered again as she caught the magenta witch's eyes. There was nothing but malice in them.
"How long has it been since we played our favorite game?" Icy demanded, placing a hand on Rhythma's chest to hold her down on the windowsill. There was a crack as her spine protested against the strange arching position she was now in. The fairy gasped and began to struggle. Anything but that. She hated their game. It gave them an excuse to toss her around.
Stormy grinned. "A while." She didn't break her stare with Rhythma's.
Even Darcy seemed to brighten at those words. "Toss the Fairy." She stepped forward. "Let's do it."
Icy grabbed Rhythma by the back of her neck and flew out the window. Stormy and Darcy followed, grinning evilly.
At about three hundred feet in the air, Rhythma knew that this game left her at the witches' mercy. If they wanted to drop her, they just had to let go and watch her fall.
Once, they didn't bother to catch her. She hadn't ended up dead, but with as many broken bones as it had caused her, Rhythma hadn't been able to move for a while.
So now, she just went limp and waited.
Icy chuckled and looked at Stormy. "Catch!" She cried, literally tossing the fairy at the storm witch.
Stormy caught Rhythma, but then frowned. "Let's make her smaller so she's easier to catch." She glared down at the fairy, hanging limply in her arms
"What are you talking about?" Icy flew closer and pressed her finger to Rhythma's nose while speaking to Stormy. "She's already so small, it's pathetic."
Rhythma whimpered.
Icy smirked. "It's true. I've never seen a fairy as small as you." She grinned even wider. "That's why you're so much fun to play with - and so easy to catch." She glanced at Darcy. "Do it."
Darcy smiled and raised her hand toward Rhythma, who closed her eyes and waited. Not even a second later, the fairy felt herself shrink. And by shrink, she meant become something other than a fairy.
She had fur.
And then Stormy screamed.
And then Rhythma was falling.
The rush of air in her face seemed so welcoming as she fell, heading toward the ground. She didn't have to look up to know that the Trix weren't going after her. They were still dealing with Stormy. But that diversion wouldn't last long, so she had to bring her mind back to the present.
Her thoughts came together. She was falling!
Then, on pure instinct, Rhythma righted herself in the air and hit the ground.
On her feet.
The impact sent a jolt through Rhythma, shaking her entire body, but she barely acknowledged it. She was already running, making a beeline for the trees.
Her brain didn't have time to comprehend what she was doing before her legs were moving.
She made a break for the trees, jaw set in determination. Almost there . . .
And she made it. Her feet hit the cover of the trees while the witches were still yelling at each other.
Rhythma couldn't believe that she had made it. She was free at last. Her determination and quick-thinking had saved her from her horrible life.
The moment didn't last long.
"Find her!" She heard Icy scream. "Tear the woods apart if you have to!"
Rhythma darted into a small tunnel and waited, her heart filling with dread. She couldn't be caught again. She was so close to freedom.
The Trix flew by at a speed Rhythma would have died to have at that moment.
She waited, sighing and listening for their breathing.
Nothing.
She waited for a long time, but they never found her.
A few hours later, Rhythma was tired of laying around. She needed to eat, drink, and figure out what kind of creature that Darcy had turned her into.
So naturally, she needed to find water.
Water will provide hydration and a reflective surface, she thought as she slipped out of the tunnel and headed deeper into the forest. And food. I could really use a fish right now.
It wasn't long before Rhythma came across a stream, gurgling and bubbling as it moved along. The fairy peered at her reflection, eyes widening when she saw the creature staring back at her.
A kitten.
A small, black kitten.
With one red eye and one green eye.
Rhythma stepped back, alarmed. She was a cat!
But after a moment, she calmed down. As a cat, she would be harder to find.
After taking a moment to sip the water and gather her thoughts, Rhythma continued onward. Her paws were aching by the time she heard voices. And not the ones in her head.
The Trix.
They had found her!
Panicking, the fairy-cat darted into a thornbush, regretting that decision immediately as the thorns raked her nose. Still, she remained silent and waited, ears pricked, for the Trix to come. Blood welled up on her face, and Rhythma flattened her ears, hoping that the witches couldn't smell blood.
"Ugh!" Darcy groaned, walking into the meadow. "Where is she?"
Rhythma twitched her ears.
Icy turned on the purple witch.
"It's your fault." She growled, anger evident in her voice. "You don't even know what you turned her into!"
"Sorry!" Darcy snapped. "I wasn't thinking! I saw her and immediately let my magic go. Small! I thought small!"
Stormy grumbled something about a hairy monster under her breath, making the other two stop fighting. Rhythma blinked. They didn't know what she was? Her ears flattened. That might give her an advantage.
After a moment, the Trix left, and Rhythma tried to wiggle free, but to her dismay, her fur was tangled in the brambles. Her fur was on the verge of being torn completely off by a bunch of thorns. Rhythma couldn't let that happen.
Forgetting about silence, the fairy opened her mouth and let out a screech of panic, which echoed around the forest.
She hung limply in the bush, eyes glazed, when she heard footsteps.
They're coming back! Her mind screamed. Rhythma began to thrash in the tangled branches of the thornbush in desperation, yowling. She couldn't be caught. Not when she had made it this far. Her claws came out and began slashing at the brambles, desperate to free herself from this nature trap.
"What in Magix was that?" A voice shouted. Rhythma calmed down a little. That wasn't a witch, it was a boy.
A blonde boy in a specialist outfit appeared in the clearing where Rhythma was trapped. A few more followed him, looking confused.
"There!" The same boy pointed in her direction and walked over. As he crouched down, his eyes brightened. "It's a kitten!"
Rhythma hissed at him and swiped at his face with her claws.
He dodged her attack and smiled. "It's alright there, little kitty." He said softly.
Rhythma hissed again.
"I don't think she likes you," A brown-haired boy crouched beside him. "Hey there, kitty." He said to her in a low voice. "How'd you get so stuck?"
Rhythma meowed indignantly and bared her teeth.
Blondie laughed. "I don't think she likes you, either." He teased.
The cat growled and swiped at both of them, startling the boys and forcing them back. "She's a feisty one," Brownie chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. Rhythma hissed again. Her message to them was clear.
Don't touch me.
"Let's untangle her," the brown boy said. "She could be hurt."
Rhythma hissed and slashed her claws over his cheek, drawing a thin layer of blood. He jerked back in surprise.
"Alright." Blondie agreed, casting an amused glance at Brownie. "Timmy!" He called. "Get the others over here!"
A boy with orange hair rushed over with two more boys. A darker blonde boy and a familiar black-haired boy that made Rhythma freeze her assault on Blondie and Brownie.
Michael.
She meowed at him, and when be looked down, his eyes instantly widened. "You," he whispered. "Can it truly be you, dear?"
Blondie One glanced at him. "What is it, Michael?"
"That's not a cat." The black-haired boy whispered. "Only one creature I know had those eyes." Under his breath he added. "Those beautiful eyes."
"Who?" Brownie asked.
Michael crouched down and put his hand on her head. "Her."
Rhythma meowed again and let out a purr of content.
Blondie One chuckled. "Well she certainly likes you."
"She remembers me," he gasped. "You're the girl from the Rose Ceremony, right?"
The fairy-cat bobbed her head yes and licked his palm, meowing at him again.
He stood. "Let's hurry. If I'm correct, this is the work of witches."
Quickly, but cautious so as not to hurt her, the five specialists managed to detangle to thorns from Rhythma's pelt. Michael picked her up and smiled.
"Do not worry, my friend." He said. "Saladin will help you."
With that, he turned and followed the other specialists into the woods. Rhythma purred.
She was free.
A/N: Free at last!
Question: If you were a fairy, what would your powers be?
I would be a Fairy of the Mind because I would know literally anything!
Please vote, comment and enjoy!