Musa, Stella, and Dahlia had been huddled together all morning, frustrated whispers occasionally rising from their hushed murmurs.

"What on magix could they be talking about?" Layla asked, taking a bite out of her breakfast

"Maybe Roxy's vision?" Flora suggested

Musa let out a deep sigh before she looked at the others, "Bloom, get the specialists here, we need a meeting, now."

After everyone arrived and sat, Stella gave a worried 'are you sure' look to the other two, Duman nodded in agreement before de transforming. The room was eerily quiet.

"W-what —"

"Don't freak out," Musa began, but Sky interrupted her.

"How are we not supposed to freak out!? This creep has been living with our girlfriends and we're not supposed to freak out!?"

Duman took a hold of Stella's hand, Brandon jumped to his feet,

"Hands off—"

"Brandon just listen please! We think we figured out what Roxy's vision is about!"

Brandon sat down in a huff.

Musa, sensing the hesitation, started.

"The vision is about Ogron—or rather, the person currently disguised as Ogron—we think …" she trailed off, Stella gave Duman's hand a reassuring squeeze.

"Last night, I relayed some of your weaknesses to Anagan…he said that something was wrong with Ogron: he's basically just been…different —abusing them these past few weeks, I don't know the details about it all but, something is wrong with him, it's like he's not even our Ogron! If that man can do to them what he told me he can… who knows what else he can do? To you lot—to Roxy…"

"How do we know you're not lying?" Tecna's calculating accusations stung Duman — here he was being vulnerable with the enemy and being chastised for it.

"Because I saw Gantlos — he wasn't just scared, he looked bad. Like someone had been beating him everyday, he looked like a scared little kid…"

Duman started to panic when he recounted her words, "If this isn't my Ogron— if my family gets hurt—" he sat, heaving, "it's all over—forget about the mission —"

Seeing the wizard and distress brought sympathy to the others, despite their skepticism.

Stella leaned down next to him, and began to glow once more, "hey shh, just like last night,"

"You spent the night with him!?"

Helia quickly stopped Brandon in his outburst, "It wasn't like that, and you know it. She stayed with him out of compassion and caring, not out of romantic desire. Be proud of her." Brandon grumbled something but sat down.

"If something really happened to the real Ogron, and this … person has been harming the other wizards— he's gotta be strong, like, really strong…" Bloom pondered

"What're we gonna do?"

"Tecna— I need all the research and data on earths shapeshifters, imitating creatures or anything else like that— you," Bloom pointed, "can't stay with us anymore, but we'll set you up at love and pet, which may just have to be temporarily closed for now. We can take shifts guarding you, assuming you're actually in danger."

Tecna quickly began her search on the computer, outside the window a little black bird bore witness to the plan.

—

"So I'm just supposed to wait here while you girls potentially put the whole world in danger by playing hero?" Duman scoffed while Stella set him up a resting area. It's not that he wanted to help them, but rather help the other wizards.

"You should be grateful we're even believing you– you're not the most honest man," Brandon spat.

"Oh don't tell me you're sulking about this again. I may be a liar, a thief, an arsonist, an— look I'm a lot of things. But a home wrecker manwhore? Never, I'm too classy," He gave the specialist a cocky smile, gesturing to himself, "and apparently I'm a hot lady too," he gave the specialist a playful wink.

"Oh yeah, real classy,"

"I know you wanna help Duman, maybe not us but your friends —"

"They're my family, nightlight." Brandon scowled after the nickname.

"I understand, but if he's hurting the other wizards then he's likely going to hurt you too, at least to some degree, so it's safer here,"

He shot brandon a look, "seems debatable," Stella simply rolled her eyes.

"Now you two get along, you don't get under his skin, and you control yourself. I'm going to run down to the shop and get you some snacks." Stella kissed Brandon on the cheek and went on her way. An awkward silence loomed.

"If it makes you feel any better, I do prefer the company of men-"

"Please shut up."

—

Stella took note of some of things she had caught Duman enjoying while disguised as Dahlia, and tried to get snacks of a similar pallet. Of course she got him some healthy food too, since he seemed to have a sweet tooth. A little blackbird watched, sitting on lamppost. She was almost back to the shop when the little bird landed in front of her.

"Oh, hello little guy, I can't play right now — I'm on a very important mission," she playfully whispered. The bird morphed before her. She stumbled back a bit at the man before her.

"Duman? Um… you're supposed to be at the shop…" she faltered at the dangerous aura, something was different, "d-did you change your clothes? And your hair?"

"You could say that, nightlight." The man bore heavy resemblance to Duman—except for the outfit he wore, and his flat hair, everything seemed to be the same, except—

"Your eyes look different…" the golden hues she looked into were dull and lifeless.

"Do they?" He stepped closer, "tell me, nightlight, what's different?"

"They've lost all their glow,"

—

Tecna had searched for hours and the most she was finding was forums on cryptids. Her frustrations were brewing.

"You guys aren't stupid enough to trust him, are you?" Riven kept his eyes locked on Musa, " It's gotta be a trick,"

"I know what I saw in those woods- I can feel it, he's not lying. You think you'd trust him a little more after you took him on a date," Musa gave Riven a smug smile.

"Guys please, not now," Bloom exhaled from above the book she was reading in.

All was interrupted by a loud bang on the door, Flora went to open it, then came running back.

"Bloom! You and I are going to have to utilize our healing magic!" She huffed out, behind her, a battered Gantlos carrying a crippled Anagan, "— and a lot of it"

Healing them was done in sessions, due to the extent of their injuries. Bloom worked on Gantlos, while Flora Anagan, in their state nobody tried to pry.

"I shouldn't have left you that day, maybe if I had stayed-"

"'' m fine-"

"Oh no the hell you aren't, Bloom is literally healing your internal bleeding."

"...Is he okay?" Gantlos grumbled.

"Anagan? He's in pretty bad shape, but Flora should have him feeling better in no time," she put a reassuring hand on his shoulder, "and Duman is safe and sound with Brandon and Stella." He flushed at her warm smile, and she smiled a bit hearing his heart flutter.

"Damnit!" Tecna slammed her fist on the keyboard, "I haven't found shit!" Tecna's outburst made the two men jump.

"The poor dears, you're traumatized.." Flora whispered gently.

"No…we're just... alert—that's all,"

"Whatever you say Gantlos," Musa rolled her eyes.

Layla spoke, "this is getting a little out of hand,"

"It surely can't get weirder than this," Nabu held her close.

Just then Stella burst into the room, "WE KNOW WHO HE IS!" she was out of breath, as if she had been running.

"Stella, I have been searching for hours and I haven't found anything. How have you?" The blonde ignored Tecna.

"The person who has replaced Ogron, is Ogron!"

They all stared at her as if she gone crazy .

" Well, not exactly— it's him but it's him from the eighth reality! Like a completely different reality from our own.." She trailed off towards the end.

" Stella where on magix did you hear that? That's the most preposterous, illogical thing I've ever heard. Alternate reality,"

"It's true! Duman told me himself!"

"Wait Duman knew?" For a moment Gantlos looked hurt.

" I didn't know shit," said the candy haired man waltzing in, " but he sure did,"

Behind Brandon , Duman's counter part entered. The silence could have been cut with a knife. Nabu spoke in a quiet tone.

"…. It can get weirder."