Rhythma stood in her battle stance, in complete transformation with a power ball ready. The air was deathly still, and on her left, Humora trembled slightly. On her right, Statica readied a lightning bolt for her first attack.

"Alright everyone!" Faragonda announced. "This is it, hold your positions. The stakes have never been higher!"

The air around Rhythma's head seemed to grow more pressurized as she saw the Trix and their massive army come into view.

The world froze. Everyone stood still. The monsters, the Trix, the fairies.

Then, over the deafening silence, one single word carried out.

"Attack."

Icy's bored tone set the fight on. Monsters flew, walked, stomped forward. Rhythma herself was hit head-on by one of the flying ones, but she felt more confident once Griffin and Faragonda shot up the pale green barrier. This prevented most of the army from attacking while the fairies, witches and specialists dealt with the first wave.

Then, she heard Stormy start cackling. Rhythma turned to face the storm witch as she stood up on her throne, yelling something about a silly barrier before raising her hands. Rhythma shrieked when - outlined in the lightning Stormy had created - a huge purple dragon rose up.

The ground rumbled beneath her feet, and the young fairy watch in horror as Stormy's lightning destroyed the barrier.

Flora - now angry - fired a single spell at Stormy, who caught it and scoffed at the weakness of the attack. The monsters marched forward once again, and Rhythma flew up with Humora, Statica, Flava and Lula to meet the flying ones in a deadly battle.

The world around her blurred as she drew powers from Pixies she sensed around her. Rhythma fired attack after attack, destroying monsters all around her. Icy cackled nearby, standing on her throne as she surveyed the battlefield. Her eyes landed on Rhythma, fighting for everything she believed in.

Suddenly, a bright light distracted the young fairy from her battle trance. She looked up, eyes scanning the sky for the source of such a warm glow, and saw a sight that caused her heart to flutter.

Bloom!

Rhythma cheered in absolute happiness as the Great Dragon rose up behind the redheaded fairy, giving out a battle roar.

"Hi everyone," Bloom said slyly. "Mind if I join in?"

Rhythma flew up to her side. "Not at all," she said, savoring the look of disbelief on Icy's face. "Welcome back."

Icy closed her eyes. "It's not possible," she snarled. "I can't believe this!"

Bloom flew toward the ice witch, her dragon powering her up once again. "You thought you were rid of me, didn't you, Icy?" A ball of orange power appeared in her hand. "Well, you thought wrong!"

Rhythma watched in amazement as the fireball struck Icy's throne - sending it up in flames. She gasped, certain that Icy had been caught inside the throne, but growled once the irritating voice came from above.

She, Stormy and Darcy all raised their eyes to where the blue witch was hovering just above her demolished throne.

"What do you think you're doing?" Icy yelled in disbelief. "You seem to forget that you're not the only one who possess the power of the Dragon!"

Rhythma growled and flew over to Bloom's left side, just as the rest of the Winx joined them as well. "But Bloom's not alone this time!"

There they were. Ten fairies against three witches. The battle below Rhythma faded away as she faced the three who had tormented her every step since the very beginning.

"I don't know how you do it, Bloom," Icy spoke with a cruel smile. "But you always push my buttons." She fired an attack on the Winx fairies, sending them back in a whirlwind of snow. Rhythma called upon the sunlight pixie, just as Bloom used a heat wave. Together, Icy's attack vanished and the Trix were forced to dodge the coming attack.

Bloom and Rhythma flew toward Icy, leaving the rest of the Winx to deal with Stormy and Darcy. The young fairy and her friend charged after the ice witch, who led them down toward the lake. Rhythma fired a nature blast, but Icy flew up to avoid the hit, which led her to be instead smacked with one of Bloom's fireballs. The witch flew up, angry, and tried to send a counterattack toward the Dragon Flame fairy, but Bloom dodged as Rhythma flew behind said witch and blasted her with a weather attack.

Rhythma circled with Icy and Bloom, feeling her blood boil at the frustration expression on Icy's face. Bloom sent a Dragon attack at the witch, but Icy froze and shattered it as though it were a leaf rather than a twenty foot fire beast. She then countered the spell and sent a wave of ice toward both fairies. Rhythma dodged, but Bloom ended up having to teleport back to her side to avoid the freezing blast.

"Seems your aim is a bit off!" Bloom chuckled.

Icy growled angrily and her eyes flashed orange. She fired multiple icicles at the two fairies, and this time, Rhythma blocked it using a fire barrier that Discorda had taught her to melt the pointed attack.

Snarling, the ice witch trapped Bloom and Rhythma in an ice dome and sent it spiraling down to the ground. Before she felt it smash against the shore, however, Bloom grabbed Rhythma's hand and teleported them behind Icy, laughing after the witch watched the dome smash into the ground.

Rhythma blasted Icy down into the water, annoyed, but screamed when a giant hand made of water surged upward, grabbing her and Bloom in its grip. Water filled her lungs as the lake froze over due to Icy's wicked sense of triumph. Rhythma looked over at Bloom and saw a determined look in her blue eyes.

Together, she mouthed, and Rhythma nodded, combining her power with her friend's to break open the ice and fly out of the lake. Upon meeting the witch again, Rhythma saw that her anger had spilled over.

"Argh! That's enough, I've had it!" Icy screamed. "I'm finished toying with you!"

Before Rhythma could figure out what she meant, Icy trapped Bloom in a frozen prison. The young fairy screamed and tried to go to her, but Icy flew in between them and grabbed Rhythma by the back of her neck, immobilizing her.

Icy laughed at the ice statue of Bloom and tightened her grip on Rhythma as she struggled. "Try breaking free from that, Miss Goody Fairy."

With a jolt, Rhythma realized that her worst fear had come true. She screamed, but it seemed the her cries went unheard in the laughter of Icy.

Then, Rhythma saw with amazement as the Great Dragon rose up from the waters and wound itself around the ice sculpture. Icy screamed in anger as it crushed the ice prison and Bloom appeared, glowing the brightest shade of orange that Rhythma had ever seen.

She yelled angrily at Icy and put in the largest sum of power she ever needed into the final blow against Icy.

"UNIVERSAL ATTACK!" She screamed as Bloom shot the final dragon blast at Icy as well.

The witch released Rhythma and screamed one last time as the combined attack overpowered her. It was a scream of anger - one that swore vengeance - before she was knocked unconscious. Bloom swooped to catch the witch, and Rhythma helped her carry Icy down to the ground.

Gasps of awe and shock met the two fairies as they landed, Icy unconscious in their arms. The Winx rushed forward to meet them, and Bloom left Rhythma to set the witch very gently on the ground. Humora was the first to greet her, but Michael followed very close behind with Pip on his shoulder.

Rhythma smiled and hugged him without a second thought, and the rest of the Winx and specialists joined in.

They had won the war.

"My students and I must return to Cloudtower, Faragonda." Griffin announced. "There's a lot to do. It'll take a while for thing to get back to normal."

"What about the Trix?" Both Faragonda and Rhythma asked the headwitchress.

Griffin let her expression drift toward the gates of Alfea. "They seem to be waking up from a bad dream. They were driven mad by their thirst for power."

"The power of the Dragon belongs to Bloom, and she alone can control it." Faragonda announced bitterly. "Trying to take it from her was both crazy and dangerous."

"I can assure you that they will be punished for their crimes," Griffin insisted as she let her gaze drift to where the witches were located. "They will be sent to Lake Roccaluce for a retreat of Purification."

Rhythma winced. Like purification will do anything for those three.

"Good news from Magix!" Saladin announced. "Life is returning to normal!"

Rhythma smiled. "That's great news!"

Suddenly, the big, smelly ogre Knut approached them.

"Um, excuse me," Stella said, humor lacing her tone. "Knut wants to ask you something."

Griffin smirked. "Go on, Knut. What is it?"

"U-uh well it's like I think I'm doing kind of well here at Alfea." Knut stuttered. "And uh, maybe I'd like to stay here, maybe if there's room. Uh, yes that would be nice."

Rhythma smiled at his nervousness.

Saladin brightened. "Knut, if I'm not mistaken, you're asking if you can stay here at Alfea."

Faragonda glanced at where Griffin was standing beside Rhythma. "What do you say, Griffin? Do you mind him staying here rather than at Cloudtower?"

"I have no objection whatsoever," Griffin replied. "And I appreciate you consulting me on this matter."

Knut started to laugh gleefully.

Rhythma walked with her friends later in the day, right before the party was to start. She stayed beside Humora as Statica, Lula and Flava strode a little way ahead, though still able to talk to their buddies behind them.

"I can't believe it's finally over." Humora sighed, taking a deep breath of the warm, fresh air. "No more witches." She glanced at Rhythma, who smiled back.

"We're all truly free of them now," Statica agreed as they came toward the headmistresses of Cloudtower and Alfea.

The witches of Cloudtower had gathered into one mass and were marching toward Griffin, who stood beside Faragonda.

"I think it's time for us to say goodbye." Faragonda said.

Griffin glanced at her. "We put up a good fight, Faragonda. But now it's time that both schools focus on their missions."

Faragonda nodded.

"Come on, girls, hurry up." Griffin called to her own students. "Cloudtower awaits our return." She raised her hands up and created a portal much similar - if not the same - to the one that Rhythma had used when they escaped Cloudtower. As the witches entered the portal, Griffin turned to her left. "And as far as Icy, Darcy and Stormy are concerned, they are headed for Lake Roccaluce for a purification retreat."

Rhythma watched her three tormentors be dragged through the portal - first Stormy, then Darcy, and finally Icy, who looked over her shoulder to glare one more time at Bloom, and then at Rhythma. "We'll be back," she hissed, before the portal swallowed her up and she vanished from sight.

Pip let out a sudden quack, and the young fairy looked down to see that Pepe had knocked him over and was running toward the portal screaming "Mama!"

Rhythma smiled slightly. There was one thing she was certain of, and that was that Icy would always have one creature loyal to her, even if she said she hated him.

She snuggled close to Pip as the little blue duckling began to cry at the loss of his brother. She said nothing, but hugged him close to her chest to calm him down.

As the portal closed, a sense of peace overcame Rhythma.

She was finally free. For good this time.

"May I please have your attention!" Faragonda addressed the students of Cloudtower. "We are gathered here today to celebrate a momentous event."

The students quieted down to listen to her words.

"Alfea has always been a school for fairies." Faragonda continued. "And so, in honor of the great courage, loyalty and outstanding spirit of collaboration shown by some of you - especially during the last few days - I've decided to renew the concept of the modern fairy. With a new word: Winx!"

The students - Rhythma included - began to cheer happily at the announcement. Then the gathering dispersed into the party Alfea had planned in the wake of the victory over the Trix.

Rhythma gathered her first friends toward her with a sweep of her hand. She had to talk to them.

Humora, Statica, Lula and Flava all joined at the edge if the crowd, seeming hyper and ready to party. "What is it, Rhythma?"

"I've been meaning to ask you this since the day we reunited." Rhythma admitted, looking up at the sky. "But with all of the drama that followed my escape from the Trix, I suppose I never got the chance to ask where my best friend went after I was captured."

The four fairies went silent at her words, so Rhythma took that as a sign to continue.

"Ever since the day I was taken, my only dream had been to get back to my friends." She continued. "But when I do get back, I find that all but one have come to welcome me back."

Humora started to shake.

Rhythma looked her dear friends deep in their eyes as the question she had been dying to know the answer to spilled out.

"Guys, what happened to Nebula?"

A/N: And that's it! We are officially done with book one! I should post book two tomorrow.

I just want to thank all of those who stayed with Rhythma for her whole journey. It wasn't easy to write this, but I cannot wait for book two.

In honor of the closing of this book, I want to post a Q&A as the final chapter. Comment or pm me your questions about this book, me or my opinion about Winx and In will answer! Send in as many questions as you like.

Also, I would like to tag one special person who who has been beside Rhythma since the beginning:

Annia12345

Thank you all, and please post your questions for me!