- Edited -
Rhythma was not asleep for very long. In fact, only twenty minutes later, Darcy was shaking her awake. Roughly, she might add.
"Get up. I healed your bones." Came the firm command.
The young fairy sighed and stood up, wincing as she felt her bones crack. Once she was somewhat steady on her feet, Darcy gave her a shove that sent her stumbling, but the fairy managed to stay upright and move forward.
She walked without struggle toward Icy's office, her head down and eyes half-closed. Despite being healed, her bones still ached and her throat was sore from her earlier torture. One might not think having a voice taken away was too painful, but it was when someone ripped it clean from your vocal cords. She felt like it wasn't just her voice that was gone, but also a part of her mind that had blanked out on her.
Would she ever truly be the same after this?
The door of the office came into view, and Darcy cast her a wicked glance to show that she was still watching. Rhythma put her hand on the door, ready to push it open, when the creepy Spidereye creature emerged from the shadows. Startled, the young fairy jumped back with a squeak and crashed into Darcy, who grabbed her shoulders and chuckled.
"Relax, fairy. It's not going to hurt you." The grip on her shoulders tightened as the witch pushed her into the room after the spider.
Icy was staring in shock at the eye. "No!"
Rhythma paused, unsure of what was wrong.
"Those sneaks!" The ice witch growled. "I knew they'd try something." She turned to Stormy and Darcy. "Sisters, we have guests. Bloom is prowling about our secret corridors - and she's not alone."
Darcy's growled in anger. "How did she get here?"
Icy was silent for a moment, her eyes drifting from Darcy, to Stormy, and then landing on Rhythma, who looked away. "Knut is with her."
"Arg!" The purple witch snarled, almost like a cat, as she punched Rhythma square in the chest and sent her to the ground with a groan. "That traitor!"
Icy stood from her desk and walked toward the window, a scowl on her face. "Relax Darcy." She said. "This is the first good thing he's ever done for us. We have the dragon's power, nothing can stop us." The witch turned to them. "They're just pesky little gnats. So, we'll swat them!" She then proceeded to let out a maniac laugh that sent chills up Rhythma's spine.
Stormy walked up behind the young fairy and smacked her lightly on the head. Though it wasn't very harsh, the shock combined with the hit sent Rhythma to her knees with a groan.
Icy smirked at her and walked over so that she towered over the girl. "Get up, wretch. We have work to do."
Then she exited the office.
Rhythma slowly got to her feet and followed, with Darcy and Stormy bringing up the rear. They trekked down the hall at a brisk pace, with Icy walking a few paces ahead, a determined glint her her ice-blue eyes.
It had only been a few moments of walking before Rhythma sensed other fairies nearby. Icy stopped and turned to the three followers. "Looks like Bloom and her friends have come for the Dragon Flame." She announced.
"Then it's a good thing we set up that trap in the Grand Hall, right?" Stormy smirked. "She's delivered herself right to us."
Icy looked around. "I'm surprised that they didn't seem suspicious about the lack of security around our most prized power." She narrowed her eyes. "Come sisters, let us get rid of Bloom once and for all."
She walked forward, toward the door where Bloom and the others had entered. Rhythma put her hand down, fear bubbling up in her chest. She entered the room to see Bloom near the middle, standing before a huge bowl lit on fire. Behind her - in front of Rhythma - stood Knut, Stella, Sky, and - much to Rhythma's shock - Humora and Zing.
Icy laughed and blasted the pot of fire, freezing it completely solid. Bloom turned, but was hit instead but a cold wind that sent her friends into the wall on the far side of the room. Rhythma winced as she heard a crunch, and the wall cracked upon impact.
"Surprise." Icy chuckled, making her grand entrance behind Rhythma. She looked at Bloom, then toward the frozen flame, and back again, seeming to put the pieces together. "That's not your flame, Bloom. Your flame is out of your reach: deep in our entity. And you can never get it back." She laughed. "You lose, fairy."
Rhythma winced as she said those words. Fairy was a word they used for those they despised. Such as herself.
Bloom growled, angrily, and looked like she was about to take the witches on with her fists. But her eyes soon found Rhythma's, and the black-haired fairy shook her head slightly, telling her silently that it was no use. She would be dead in seconds.
Darcy brushed by Rhythma and walked so that she was standing right in front of a raging Bloom. "See? We're stronger that you now, but you'll never be able to tell anyone." She let out a dusty laugh.
Icy walked forward and pushed Darcy aside, looking Bloom dead in the face. "And do you know why you will never tell?" She smirked. "Because Cloudtower will be your grave."
Rhythma's eyes widened in horror. They couldn't kill Bloom! She was the only chance at winning the war for the Magic Dimension.
Icy began to laugh evilly again, and Rhythma locked her eyes with Bloom, pleading with her to run and save her life. But the fairy shook her head, instead turning to face the witches with a determined look in her blue eyes.
However, before Icy could land a single strike on Bloom, a green light emitted from the doorway of the Grand Hall, and the Trix were suddenly launched forward and slammed into the wall with an insane amount of force. The impact of the witches on the wall sent a shudder through the room and Rhythma fell to her knees for the second time that day.
The young fairy turned to face the user of the power, and smile came to her face when Headwitchtress Griffin walked through the door, a scowl on her face. She walked by Rhythma and Bloom, heading straight for the Trix.
"Take that as a warning."
She came to a halt before the witches, her eyes set with anger.
"You three deserve the worst kind of punishment for what you've done!"
Rhythma watched, transfixed, until a hand on her shoulder caused her to stiffen. She turned, her gut clenching in fear, but her eyes immediately softened when she saw the familiar black-haired specialist standing over her, his hand stretched out to help her to her feet. She gladly accepted, allowing Michael to pull her to her feet and then proceed to embrace her warmly.
He buried his nose into her hair. "I'm so glad you're alright." He mumbled.
Humora laughed and joined the embrace, tears spilling from her green eyes. Zing joined as well, silent for once, but still trembling.
Sky wrapped his arm around Bloom's shoulders and guided her toward the rest of the prisoners - witches. "Come on, Bloom." He whispered.
Icy looked up, momentarily jarred by the impact. She lifted her burning gaze toward Griffin, her eyes blazing with hatred. "So, you managed to escape, Ms. Griffin." She spat the name out, as though it left a foul taste on her tongue.
Griffin snorted. "I just wanted to let you know that I'm still on my feet." Her gaze flashed over her shoulder to Rhythma, still embraced in her friends' arms. Then she let her eyes once again drift to the Trix. "We'll see you later, little missies. The final showdown will have to wait, I'm afraid."
Michael led Rhythma out of the Grand Hall and then waited, the group turning back to face Griffin as she stepped away from the Trix and began to glow green once again.
Rhythma watched, transfixed, as a huge purple dome appeared between the Trix and Griffin, multiplying in strength three times before the Headwitchtress lowered her hands and turned to the group. "Let's hurry! The shield won't hold them back for long!"
Rhythma gave her a faint nod before running after the Cloudtower witches. Michael did nod release his hold on Rhythma's shoulder at all, and Humora did not leave her side for an instant.
They stopped near the end of the hall and turned to Griffin once again as she cast another spell, causing pointed rocks to spear out of the walls and create another barrier. "Follow me!" The Headwitchtress cried. "We must get to Windswept Terrace! It's the only way out of the castle!"
Rhythma wrapped her worn black cloak tightly around her shoulders and then proceeded to pull the hood over her head for warmth. One of the Cloudtower students handed Ms. Griffin a cloak, and she gratefully accepted before guiding the group toward the tower they would use to get back to Alfea.
I can't wait for this to be over and we can go back to our normal lives. She thought sadly.
As they walked, the same witch that had given the cloak to Griffin spoke again, fear edging her light tone. "We're leaving the castle in the hands of those three witches?"
"My dear, there's nothing we can do against Icy, Darcy and Stormy," Griffin spoke with a glance at Rhythma. She closed her eyes, as though imagining the destruction of her school right before her.
Stella did not help matters at all as she spoke next. "But Ms. Griffin, if you leave them here, they could destroy Cloudtower."
"I'm well aware of that, Stella," Griffin said. "Mrs. Faragonda had warned me against them, but I wasn't about to let myself be awed by three silly, young student." She took a deep breath. "That was a big mistake. The fact that Faragonda, Saladin and I managed to overpower their three ancestors way back when does not mean we are invincible." The Headwitchtress cast another sad look at Rhythma. "The truth is, we must always be on the lookout. The world of Magic can never be taken for granted."
As she spoke those wise words, Rhythma felt the air around them grow colder, and realized that they were heading up the stairwell to the top of Windswept Terrace. The wind blasted her harshly in the face, and the young fairy attempted to keep the chill from reaching her bones by pulling her cloak tighter around her body. Still, the roar of the menacing air reached her ears and set her on edge.
Something wasn't natural about the weather. Wind wasn't supposed to try and knock creatures off of a perilously narrow stairwell five hundred feet above dangerous pointed rocks.
Once Rhythma found herself safely perched with the others at the top of the terrace, Griffin held up her hands. "I will conjure up a dimensional portal to Alfea!" She declared. "In the meantime, try to keep warm and stay close together!"
The witches around the young fairy moved closer, blocking out most of the wind and giving her a chance to think clearly for a moment. Griffin conjured the portal, and as the other witches were sucked into it, Rhythma felt a hand clasp hers. She looked up to see Michael with a strained smile on his face.
"Together?" He asked.
Rhythma nodded.
Humora came and grasped her other arm, her eyes vacant and distant. Zing clung to her hair.
"We have to do this quickly!" Griffin yelled, sweat dripping down her face as she struggled to hold the portal open. "The Creatures of the Dark are coming!"
With a gasp, Rhythma glanced over to the stairwell to see the monsters heading straight for them. Without another words, she dragged Michael and Humora into the portal and felt herself go light as a feather as she was lifted off the ground.
Colors spun around her, and the last thing Rhythma saw before she felt light completely overtake her was Bloom and Sky jump onto Griffin's new ride, and the rest of the group head into the portal, before she was embraced by a warm, comforting cocoon of peace.
A/N: At last! Sorry y'all, writer's block sucks big time. But good news: We're almost done with book 1!
Question: Who is your favorite oc in this book (besides Rhythma)?
Mine is Humora or Michael. Both have their own personalities that I love sooo much!
Stay tuned for more chapters soon!