Brandon lunged forwards as Baltor disappeared with a limp Stella in his arms. He crashed to the ground.

"NO!" he roared, pounding his arms on the ground. "She's gone!"

Flora stepped forwards to comfort him. "It's OK Brandon, we'll get her back."

Bloom collapsed into Sky's arms, sobbing. Stella was her best friend. "Sky, I should have transformed! I should have done something!" she wept.

Sky stroked her hair. "It's not your fault, Bloom, I know that if you could have done something, you would have. But everyone was in shock, it happened so fast."

Musa stood awkwardly by the door. "Guys!" she called. "We should find Faragonda, she'll know what to do."

"Are you coming, sweetie?" Flora asked Brandon in her soft voice.

Brandon scowled. "Why can't we just go straight to the UnderRealm? Don't you guys understand? Stella's in danger!"

"Dude, you know we can't just go down there, you;re not thinking straight. If you want to save Stella, we're going to have to come up with something better than just charging in there!" Sky said angrily.

"Yo, so are you coming or what?" Musa asked.

Brandon got up. "Yeah." he said gruffly.

"Come on you guys, we'd better get to Alfea." Flora motioned to the others.

"I'll call Timmy and Helia and tell them what happened." Tecna said, pulling out her cell phone. Brandon nodded. Flora reached out to touch his shoulder, sensing he was upset, but he shrugged her off and strode ahead. He could hear the blood pounding in his ears, but he was only listening to his own thoughts. Or at least one of them- why had he taken her?

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Baltor gently bent his knees and landed with a cloud of dust on the cave floor. His cape swirled around his legs as he seemed to glide through the shadows.

"Baltor." he heard a female's voice say. "You're back."

He smiled. "Hello, Icy."

Icy stepped out of the darkness at the end of the tunnel. Her cold eyes narrowed as she saw what, or who, he was carrying. Her mouth twitched.

Then she called, "Girls! Baltor's back! And he's brought us a present!"

Almost instantly, her fellow witches Stormy and Darcy appeared next to her. Darcy raised an eyebrow when she spotted Stella, but Stormy grinned. "Ooh, Baltor, you shouldn't have. You got us a fairy to destroy!" She raised her palms, ready to shoot a bolt of lightning at the unconscious Stella.

Baltor raised a hand, and Stormy lowered hers, looking confused.

"Huh? What's going on, Baltor?" she asked, hands on her hips.

"Nothing, my dear, it's just that in a very effective plot to have my revenge upon King Radius, I've decided to make his daughter, this very beautiful young pixie here, my 'personal acquaintance'." he replied.

"What? Are you kidding me?!" Icy was shocked.

Baltor smirked. "Is that a hint of jealousy I detect, my darling Icy?"

Icy blushed. "No. It's just that, Baltor, a fairy?"

Baltor grinned. "Don't worry, when I've finished with her, she'll be almost as evil as you."

Icy laughed. "I doubt it Baltor, I have a heart of ice!"

"Yeah Baltor, there's no way you can make that goody-goody pixie girl one of us." Darcy added.

Baltor laughed. "Watch me."

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Brandon sat alone in a corner on the jet. He was still in shock. He could picture the scene in his mind, in slow motion. He could see Stella emerging from the curtains, looking radiant in that pink dress, then ducking behind a plant as Baltor had appeared, then being hit by a blast of magic, then finally being carried away by Baltor to the UnderRealm. He turned his head away so the other's couldn't see him crying. It's my fault, he thought, why didn't I DO something? I could have saved her! He looked out of the window, watching the clouds go by, wishing with every fibre of his being that Stella was right there beside him, instead of being held in the UnderRealm.

"Stella," he whispered, "Please be OK."

Will Stella be OK? R&R!