- Edited -

"I'm going for a walk." Rhythma announced, startling her friends. Humora stood up, a rare look of fear in her bright green eyes.

"Is that really a good idea?" She asked uncertainly. "The Trix are still looking for you."

Rhythma crossed her arms. "I don't care." She hissed. "I'm bored - and I need to stretch my legs."

Statica stood up, glaring at her. "What if they recapture you?"

"I'll survive." Rhythma rolled her eyes, but on the inside, she was panicking. They were right, but she couldn't take the school arrest anymore. She needed to move. "I have before."

Lula smiled. "Besides, she has her magic now."

Rhythma gave the Sleep Fairy a grin. At least someone backs me up.

Flava groaned. "But what about the envelope?"

The black-haired fairy turned to face her friend. Earlier in the day, Humora had returned to the room with an envelope in her hands. After explaining that Wizgiz had dropped it, the group discovered that it held the answers for tomorrow's quiz.

Humora wanted to open it and guarantee herself an A. Flava, Lula, and Statica refused - saying it was wrong.

Rhythma didn't care what they did. She was exempt from the quiz because she hadn't been at the school all year.

"Figure it out." She replied briskly. "It doesn't concern me."

With that, she walked out the door of their room.

She passed by the Winx in the hall and smiled, which they returned warmly - Flora even giving a wink. After that, the halls were pretty much empty except for herself and Concorda - who joined her a moment later.

"Where are we going?" Her pixie asked enthusiastically.

Rhythma shot her an amused glance. "For a walk." She replied.

Together, the fairy and the pixie left the school at a leisurely pace - heading for the bus parked right outside the gate. Rhythma boarded the vehicle and nodded to the driver, who winked and started the engine.

"To Magix!"

Concorda sighed. "This is nice." She hummed as she flew beside Rhythma. The young fairy smiled and nodded, her eyes twinkling.

"It is." She agreed. "We needed this. I'm sick and tired of being cooped up at Alfea."

Her pixie laughed - which was music to Rhythma's ears. It made her heart swell when Concorda was happy.

I can't wait to bond with the other pixies. She thought.

However, Rhythma was so lost in thought that she didn't pay attention to her surroundings. Fate must have wanted to mess with her because a moment later, she was on the ground, rubbing her head from where she had crashed into someone.

"Ow!" She cried, not looking up. "Get out of the way, idiot!"

But, when Rhythma looked up, the blood drained from her face. Standing with her back turned to the fallen fairy was a familiar silver-haired witch. As she turned around, Rhythma quickly got to her feet and took several steps back.

Icy turned to face the fairy with narrowed eyes.

"What did you just call me?" She didn't seem to realize that this was her former prisoner. "I am not an idiot."

Rhythma whimpered slightly and took another step back. Icy, who seemed to recognize that terrified sound, took two steps forward, bringing her to a halt in front of Rhythma. The witch smiled, inspecting her prey.

"Well, well, well." Icy lowered her voice as she backed Rhythma against the wall of a nearby building. "Look who I had the luck to run in to."

Rhythma took a deep breath. "Get away from me." She croaked. Where was Concorda? "I'm warning you."

Icy cackled. "What are you going to do, fairy?" She took another step, forcing Rhythma to press her back against the wall.

Her heart began to race.

"You're coming with me," the witch hissed, grabbing her arm. "That's what you're going to do."

Rhythma shrieked. Right there. She didn't care if people stared. If Icy had the attention on her, she would not kidnap a fairy in public.

Sure enough, the witch released her arm and stepped back, giving Rhythma a chance to make a break for it. There was an angry shout from Icy, but she ignored it. She had to get away.

Sadly, just as Rhythma was about to reach the square, a hand shot from an alleyway, snatching the fairy by the back of her shirt and pulling her back into the unforgiving darkness. Rhythma opened her mouth to scream, but was cut off as another hand wrapped around her mouth, causing it to come out muffled. A moment later, the fairy was on the ground, the breath driven from her body as her attacker pressed her by the neck firmly into the concrete floor.

Rhythma couldn't see. The darkness of the alleyway clouded her mind and refused to let her brain adjust to its black void. The best she could do was close her eyes and squirm feebly in a last desperate attempt to get free.

Another set of footsteps, and Rhythma went still. She held her breath and waited, listening for the familiar voice of her captors.

"Gee," Icy huffed, walking over to the two holding the fairy down. "She sure is faster than I remember."

Darcy spoke next, shifting her weight so that her entire body was keeping Rhythma's legs on the ground. "And stronger." Her voice was tight. "For such a tiny thing, I can barely keep her down."

Rhythma felt the grip on her neck tighten. "Open up your eyes and face us, wretch," it was Stormy.

Knowing that there really wasn't a choice, Rhythma complied. In the darkness, she could just make out the figures of her three mistresses. She gave a croaking groan and tried to pull her head away from Stormy, whose hand was still over her mouth, but the witch tightened her grip and pulled her head into her lap.

"Don't even try it." Stormy snapped. "You're not getting away this time."

Icy cackled again and crouched next to the fairy, still weakly tugging her head in Stormy's grip. With terrifying gentleness, the teal witch brushed a strand of black hair out of Rhythma's eyes. She then proceeded to trace the faded scar on her victim's face, smiling when Rhythma gave a muffled whimper.

"I enjoy watching you squirm." She sighed. "We missed you back at Cloudtower."

Darcy chuckled. "I can't wait to bring you back and give you your punishment."

Rhythma couldn't take it. What she did next would probably sign her death warrant.

She bit down hard on Stormy's hand, until she tasted blood. The magenta witch screamed in pain and promptly released her captive, giving Rhythma a chance to surge to her feet and sprint out of the alleyway was fast as she could.

Once in the square, Rhythma didn't stop running. She pushed roughly past people in a desperate attempt to put as much spaces as possible between her and the Trix.

It didn't take her long to reach another alleyway on the other side of the square. She wasn't convinced she had lost them, but she now had nowhere else to run.

Rhythma turned around and gasped. The three witches stood there, eyes narrowed, arms crossed. Icy stepped toward her with a scowl.

"Big mistake, little fairy." Rhythma had never heard so much menace in anyone's voice. She braced herself as Icy raised her hands, ready to freeze the fairy solid.

And then, Concorda was there, hovering protectively in front of Rhythma. "Breath of the Books!" She yelled, sending a spiral of magic toward the Trix. They fell back, shocked at the amount of power one creature had within her. "Run, Rhythma!" Her bonded pixie yelled.

Rhythma did as she was told, once again racing by the witches and into the city. Concorda followed her, and the fairy gave her a panicked look. "Where were you?" She demanded. "They were about to take me again!"

The pixie opened her mouth, but was cut off by another voice. "She came to get us!"

About a dozen pixies of all kinds flew into Rhythma's vision, and she felt her power surge. The pixie in the lead was a fair-skinned female with light purple eyes and a teal-green-and-red jester outfit.

"My name is Jolly." Said the newcomer. "Pixie of Fortune Telling. We're here to protect you, Guardian!"

"YEAH!" All the others - Concorda included - shouted.

Rhythma gave Concorda a strange look. "Guardian?"

Her bonded pixie smiled. "We'll talk later."

Just at that moment, Icy, Darcy and Stormy all flew around the corner to hover in front of the pixies and Rhythma.

Stormy was fuming. She was so mad that Rhythma saw lightning flash in her hair. The fairy also noticed that her fist - the one she had bitten - was clenched, clearly trying to hide the blood. "I hate her." She grumbled. "We should have killed her when we had the chance!"

Darcy just looked mildly irritated. Her golden eyes flashed with a burning hatred directed at Rhythma. She crossed her arms. "We're not killing her." Her voice was low and venomous. "That would be doing her a favor."

Jolly clenched her teeth. "Leave our fairy alone!"

Icy raised a brow, amused. "What's this? A mini fairy?"

Furious, Jolly shrieked, sending multiple cards toward the ice witch. They acted as throwing knives, slicing Icy's arm neatly. The witch screamed and stepped back.

"You're going to pay for that, you insect!" She growled, grabbing her cape and shooting icicles at all the pixies.

A sudden desire overcame Rhythma at that moment. Icy was about to destroy her pixies. The ones she was supposed to protect. With a cry of rage, she jumped in front of them and called upon all the power she could from them all at once.

Her heart swelled, and the pixies gasped when a dark violet glow overtook Rhythma's pale skin.

"Universal Attack!" She cried, shooting a beam of pure energy at the Trix. She was so mad - and so were the pixies. Their anger combined was everything Rhythma needed to drive their assailants away.

Icy - surprisingly - was the first to flee, screaming about something incomprehensible. Darcy followed with an unconscious Stormy in her arms.

The power within Rhythma died away, and she felt the energy go dormant once more. Suddenly weak and dizzy, the young fairy swayed and hit the sidewalk with a thump.

The last thing she saw before her world turned dark was Concorda flying toward her, a desperate look on her face.

For a brief moment, Rhythma let herself float in darkness. She was aware of nothing. In fact, all was peaceful here. The only discomfort was the sting of too much blackness everywhere.

Then, like a fog lifting from her mind, Rhythma managed to open her eyes. She was floating in a dark void - nothing but black everywhere. The fairy wondered where she was - and how to get out.

"We are in the Mental Dimension." A harmonic voice caused Rhythma to turn her head to the left and see a pixie. "In your mind."

Rhythma examined the pixie closely. This one - unlike Concorda - was dressed in a dark violet robe-like dress. She had long brown hair pulled into a high ponytail and a golden crown on her head. Her eyes were also violet.

"My name is Galactica." Her voice was like a beautiful song. "I am the Pixie of the Universe."

Rhythma didn't say anything. There was something about this pixie that drew her nearer. It was kind of like when she met Concorda - but different. Stronger.

Galactica continued. "I am the grandmother of all Pixies. Mother to the four Guardians of the Codex."

"The . . . what?"

"The Codex." Galactica repeated. "Your power source. As a Fairy of Pixies, you draw your power from the Codex."

Rhythma looked around. "Why am I here? What do you want?"

"To tell you that your journey is only just starting." Galactica said softly. "You will face many trials - and the Trix will never truly leave you."

"Why do I feel so connected to you?" Rhythma asked, reaching forward to touch the pixie.

Galactica sighed. "I am your original bonded pixie."

"What?" Rhythma gasped. "But Concorda is my pixie!"

The Universal Pixie shook her head. "She is bonded to you - all of the Pixies are in some way. But you and I are the true pair. The Guardian Pixies are secondary bonds. I am a primary bond."

"I don't understand."

"I am your only true bonded pixie." Galactica stated. "Concorda and the other three Guardians are your defenders. They will act as your bonded Pixies on their turfs. But no where else. That is why Concorda was able to convince the other pixies to help you."

Rhythma looked around. "So, you're my real bonded pixie?"

"Our bond is the strongest of them all." Galactica told her. "But you share a common bond with every living pixie. It is why you can draw their powers to you."

"Why haven't I seen you?" The fairy asked. "Where are you?"

Galactica shook her head and began to fade. "I will only appear when you have proven yourself worthy of the Pixie Powers. I trust we will speak soon."

And then Rhythma was alone.

A/N: *takes deep breath*

Sorry, I had writer's block. What do you all think? Plot twist? Foreshadowing?

Anyway, now for the question. Who is your favorite background character?

Mine is probably Roxy.