Three minutes.

That's how long Icy held Rhythma under the water before deciding not to drown the young fairy. Now, as she lay there on the floor, Rhythma wasn't sure if she was happy about that decision or not. She was struggling to breathe correctly, and her soaking wet hair was in danger of giving her hypothermia due to the cold chill of the office. Icy had left her there earlier, telling her that she was to stay where she was until one of the Trix returned. But really, where was she going to go? The door was locked and she herself was almost completely immobile due to the frigid temperature of the office.

With a small groan, Rhythma heaved herself onto her hands and knees just as the door to the office unlocked and Stormy entered. The witch scoffed down at the fairy before jerking her head, gesturing to the hall she had just come from.

"Get up, wretch. You're coming with me."

Rhythma gave a small nod and stood up, ducking her head as she passed Stormy and walked into the hall. The magenta witch let out a chuckle and followed her, giving her a small shove to get her moving. The fairy stumbled slightly, but managed to stay on her feet.

With a smirk, Stormy took a strand of the fairy's hair and examined it. "Still soaked?" Then she wrapped her arm around the smaller girl's shoulders and held her in a death grip. "Huh. Icy really had fun with you, didn't she?"

Rhythma nodded, only to squeak once the witch tightened her grip.

"Use your words." Her captor snapped, rolling her eyes. "That's why we let you keep your beautiful voice."

"S-sorry, Ma'am." Rhythma stuttered, waiting for the witch to do something. However, Stormy just smirked and released her, walking ahead. The young fairy followed her, a sense of despair overcoming her mind. "W-where are we g-going?" She asked tentatively.

Stormy glanced back at her, eyes glimmering in the half-lit halls. "We're going to see the prisoners." She replied, before looking forward again. Rhythma had no choice but to follow her unless she wanted to be hit, or worse.

As they continued down toward the cells, Rhythma made sure to keep a few paces behind the witch. Stormy gave her a look - one that the young fairy couldn't decipher, as she did that. But the witch said nothing.

We're going to see the witches of Cloudtower, Rhythma realized. Only they would be considered prisoners. Besides me, of course.

When Stormy walked into another hall lined with cells, the young fairy couldn't hold back a whimper once she saw Darcy standing there with her arms crossed. Once the witch met her gaze, those golden eyes lit up and a cruel smile came to her lips.

"Welcome, fairy."

Rhythma lowered her head and stared intently at the floor, waiting for Darcy's command.

"Come with me."

The witch turned away and trekked down the hall. Rhythma followed, with Stormy behind her, and they walked in a line until they came to a certain cell toward the end of the hall. She glanced at Darcy, who smirked and gestured to the window.

"Take a look, wretch." Her voice was full of cruelty. Rhythma stepped forward obediently and peered through the bars, shocked to see a certain specialist sulking in the farthest shadow of the dark room.

Riven.

"Look at that dribbling idiot." Stormy scoffed, putting her hand on Rhythma's back in a warning as the fairy stepped back.

Darcy chuckled. "Hey, why don't we play with his head a little bit?" She took a glance at Rhythma. "Just for kicks?"

"I'd like that." Stormy grabbed Rhythma's shirt and jerked her away from the bars.

Darcy snorted when Rhythma turned to face her again. "Turns out you aren't the only prisoner here at Cloudtower." She smirked, gently lifting the fairy's head so they could lock eyes. "You're just the only prisoner we can physically torment."

Rhythma felt tears well up in her eyes, and whimpered again in fear. Darcy - instead of releasing the exhausted fairy - tightened her grip and pushed the little fairy backwards into the wall. Golden eyes met heterogeneous ones, and they stared at one another, one in dominance and the other in terror.

Then Darcy released Rhythma and jerked her head, gesturing further down the hall. "Follow me, fairy. I have something to show you."

Once again, seeing no other choice, Rhythma followed her captor down the hall until they came to another cell.

"Look inside." Came Darcy's sharp command.

Rhythma let her gaze drift into the cell, searching for any sign of life. "I-I don't s-see anything," she stammered, knowing better than to turn and face the witch. Darcy chuckled evilly.

"Look harder." Pressure suddenly came over Rhythma's scalp as the witch took a fistful of her hair. The little fairy yelped in surprise and pain, tears in her eyes. But, nonetheless, she obeyed her tormentor and peered once more into the darkness.

Something moved in the corner, and Rhythma's blood froze. "No," she whimpered.

Darcy laughed. "I just wanted you to know she was alive." She said evilly. "We were kind enough to show her mercy."

"Let her go," Rhythma groaned. "Please, she didn't do anything."

"But that's no fun," Darcy replied, tugging on her hair and forcing her away from the cell. "What's her name, anyway?"

Rhythma didn't answer, but more pain on her scalp told her that she should speak before the witch succeeded in ripping her hair out.

The fairy thought back to the prisoner she had just seen, her eyes watering.

"Zing." She whispered. "Her name is Zing."

Darcy released her hair and jerked her back to where Stormy was waiting. "Come on. Icy's waiting for us."

Rhythma turned to follow them, but glanced back over her shoulder to see Zing peering out from her cell. Quickly, the young fairy met her gaze and mouthed two simple words:

Get out.

"They escaped?!" Icy's fist came into contact with Rhythma's face, sending the young fairy a few steps back with a groan. The ice witch watched her stumble before sitting back on her throne. "Oh well. They chose their own fate."

Stormy scoffed. "I would like to have watched them squirm a little longer."

"Yeah, well that's the end of that." Icy smirked, looking at Rhythma as the fairy tried to stop the nosebleed. "Now it's time to seal the fate of Alfea." She stood up and walked toward the entrance where the Creatures of the Dark would rise.

Darcy sent a chuckle in Rhythma's direction. "Come here, fairy."

Obediently, the black-haired girl walked toward Darcy and kneeled down at her feet. The witch laughed and kicked her harshly in the face, watching her slump down with even more blood pouring from her nose.

"Stand up." Came Darcy's command. Rhythma whimpered, but complied. A moment later, the witch grabbed her by the throat and lifted her off the ground, a smirk on her face. "Now tell me. Did you have anything to do with Riven and the pixie escaping?"

Rhythma gasped and shook her head, trying to fight the lack of air.

Darcy squeezed tighter. "Use your words."

The fairy screamed with every last bit of air she had within her body.

"Speak." The witch's eyes narrowed as she watched the fairy squirm. "Now."

Rhythma let out a groan. "N-no, Ma'am." She forced out of her burning throat. "I had n-nothing to d-do with the escape."

The witch released her and Rhythma fell down to the ground with a grunt. "I don't believe you." She stated, crossing her arms and smirking down at the fairy.

Rhythma then made the mistake of trying to be brave. "I was with you the whole time," she spat, fear making her heart race. "What could I possibly have done without you knowing?"

Darcy narrowed her eyes, glaring at the fairy coldly, before glancing at Stormy. "I don't like being talked to that way, wretch." The dark witch snapped. "You need to learn when to watch your tone."

A moment later, Stormy blasted Rhythma with a ball of lightning, sending the fairy rolling a few feet back - toward the edge of the platform they were currently standing on. The fairy caught herself just as she was about to go over the side and twisted so that she was laying on her back, one arm hanging over the edge.

Rhythma turned to face the witches watching her. Darcy whispered something to Stormy, and the magenta witch's eyes brightened as she fixed her aqua gaze on the fairy.

Stormy walked over to Rhythma and smirked, before pressing her foot against the fairy's side. The girl squeaked when the witch pushed her so that she was closer to the edge - the only thing keeping her from going over the side was Stormy herself.

"Hey Icy," the magenta witch called. "Want to have a word with the little wretch?"

"I most certainly do." Icy landed on the platform again and began to walk toward the fairy. Once she was within striking distance, however, she stopped, one foot drawn back as though to kick her. "You don't like having your voice, do you fairy?"

Rhythma coughed when Stormy pressed her foot deeper into her side, causing an inexplicable agony to course through her body. "What?" Of course I like my voice!

"I've noticed how we have to tell you to speak rather than you just doing it," Icy elaborated, crouching down beside the fairy's head. "Tell me, what don't you like about our little act of mercy?"

Rhythma said nothing.

Icy smirked. "I think you don't like our rules." She spoke. "You hate calling us Mistress or Ma'am."

The young fairy gave a short nod, but yelped when Stormy pressed her foot even deeper into her skin. She was about to go over the side.

"How about this?" the ice witch said, gently stroking Rhythma's head. "I'll have Darcy take your voice away again - and your magic - but we do it our way." She smirked again. "The painful way, to be exact. How does that sound?"

Rhythma whimpered at those words. This caused the witch to frown at the lack of a verbal answer. Then Icy grabbed her by the hair and flew up to the very top platform, hovering near it.

"Give me one reason not to drop you," the witch hissed.

Rhythma hung limply in her grasp, not giving a reply because she knew it would prove useless. Icy would drop her no matter what.

The teal witch chuckled cruelly. "You already know? That's fine by me." She lowered her arm. "Darcy. Come here."

The witch flew up to them, hovering right in front of Rhythma. "Are you going to drop her?"

"After you rip her voice from her throat." Icy told her sister. "Painfully."

Darcy grinned at a terrified Rhythma. "Of course." She grabbed the fairy's neck and stared right into her eyes, her own golden ones flashing violet.

At first, there was nothing. Rhythma felt fine. She gave Darcy a strange look, only to have the witch smirk right back at her.

And suddenly, agony flared through her throat.

Rhythma had never felt such pain in her entire life. Not when Stormy shocked her almost to death. Not when Icy had nearly stabbed her to death. Never.

But the pain she felt now was inexplicable. It felt as though Darcy was physically trying to rip her throat out of her mouth. She screamed. Louder than anything she had ever mustered.

And then it was over.

Like a wave of peace, the pain faded to a dull ache, leaving Rhythma gasping for breath. Darcy was smirking at her cruelly.

Icy let go of her hair.

The fairy closed her eyes to avoid watching the ground rush up to her. When she hit the floor of Cloudtower, she was fully aware of her bones smashing upon impact. And the pain she felt when they did.

She was also aware of the witches' laughter.

And lastly, she was aware of nothing but darkness.

The cool, unforgiving darkness.

A/N: Sorry this is late! I kinda procrastinated with this.

If you were a fairy, what would be your fairy animal?

A Snow Owl Griffin from Spartan named Trojan.

Enjoy!