'I'm here—let's go before someone else gets hurt' Gantlos's voice over the telekinetic communication link was like a soothing sound to the others. Wasting no time, the purple smoke solidified their disappearance, leaving the winx frustrated and sorrowful.

—————

The group was exhausted upon their return to their home. Duman wasted no time in embracing Gantlos as tight as he could. Stella said nothing, her face blank as she entered the base.

"What were you thinking!? We go out looking for you and get caught up in a whole mess!" Duman scolded.

"'M sorry… I tried to be quick. It was a stupid mistake —"

Ogron interrupted, "I'll say, how could you have been so foolish to go that close to gardenia? I —" Ogron paused, seeing Gantlos's face seem to harden. He also hugged Gantlos, pulling him close, "I was so worried about you, I'm happy you're safe."

"I would've died if she hadn't healed me…" Gantlos moved aside, exposing a scar across his chest where he'd been impaled.

"Anagan, take a look at this for him, I should thank you Stella — Stella?" Ogron turned around to see her gone.

"She must've gone in, I don't think she left." Duman said.

The group shuffled in, Anagan and Gantlos heading towards Gantlos's room to make sure he was healed well, Duman and Ogron lingered for a moment in the main room.

"At least she tried," Duman shrugged.

"Try she did — I admire her for that. Still, it was a loss."

"I'm gonna see if I can find the little lady, care to join me?"

Stella stood in the bathroom, staring at her reflection in her new Enchantix form. Her eyes were empty, devoid of the usual spark. She barely recognized herself. The weight of her decisions, the loss of her powers, and the betrayal of her friends pressed down on her like a crushing wave. She knew she had made the right choice, but did she? She was lost in a whirlwind of confusion.

She was mumbling to herself, her voice trembling. "Without my sun…What will my daddy think of me now? Without my sun…what can I do? I couldn't even convince my own friends. I've lost everything…"

Duman and Ogron approached the bathroom, hearing her pained whispers. They exchanged a worried glance before stepping inside.

"Stella?" Duman called softly.

She didn't respond, her eyes still fixed on the mirror. Then she turned to him, her face twisted in anguish, "I can leave…if you want — you can tell Gantlos the deal is over…I d-don't need to balance my power anymore because now I'm only the moon fairy…" She sank down onto the bathroom floor, tears streaming down her face. "I'm so sorry, I tried to tell them—I tried so hard …"

Ogron moved closer, his heart aching for her. "Dear, you did everything you could. None of this is your fault. No matter how you would've put it, I don't think your friends would've listened. You just tried to tell them that everyone who they've ever trusted lied, or at the very least was just as ill informed. Ancient corruption hid the truth and stashed evidence, your courses were essentially designed to erase the past. It's going to take a lot more than just some words in a book to convince people of that…."

She looked up at him, her eyes red and swollen. "I've lost Brandon. I've lost my Sun powers. I couldn't save my friends. I couldn't save anyone…"

Ogron knelt beside her, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "You saved Gantlos. You saved us. That's not nothing."

Duman watched the scene, his heart breaking for Stella. "She needs time," he said softly to Ogron. "I'll go check on Gantlos."

Ogron nodded, understanding. "Go ahead. I'll stay with her."

As Duman left the room, Ogron gently pulled Stella into a hug. "You know, it's nice to have a fairy on our side for once… even if the circumstances are less than ideal— I don't think it matters what kind of fairy you are, you saw the truth, you felt it, and you tried to spread it. I know it hurts, but you're doing right thing. Stella, this— this isn't your flight. If you don't want to stay, you can't be forced."

Stella buried her face in his shoulder, sobbing uncontrollably. The weight of her emotions finally breaking through the surface. Ogron held her tightly, offering silent support as she released all her pent-up anguish.

——————-

Duman found Gantlos and Anagan in Gantlos's room. Anagan was inspecting the scar on Gantlos's chest, his expression serious yet relieved.

"Other than the scar, he's pretty much healed," Anagan said. "The sun fairy did a good job."

Duman shifted uncomfortably, catching Gantlos's attention. "What's wrong?"

Duman hesitated before speaking. "Stella earned her Enchantix. You remember? It's that fairy upgrade… it happens when they sacrifice something." The two stared at him, "Well… she sacrificed her sun powers…to save you. She's not the sun fairy…or the sun and moon fairy — just the moon fairy,"

Anagan's eyes widened in awe. "She sacrificed her sun powers? That's incredible… I'm so grateful for what she's done for you, Gantlos."

Gantlos said nothing, his mind flooding with guilt. He got his friends hurt, and Stella lost a part of herself because of him. The weight of his actions bore down heavily on him.

"Gantlos?" Duman pressed gently. "Are you okay?"

Gantlos shook his head, his voice barely a whisper. "It's my fault… all of it. I went too close to Gardenia. I got us all into this mess. And now, Stella…I made a deal, I was supposed to help her... at least now she can go back to her friends I guess…"

Duman winced, he hesitantly recounted how Stella had tried to tell her friends the truth and was shot down. Gantlos's heart ached with each word, his self-blame intensifying.

"I wasn't worth it," he muttered, his voice breaking. "I wasn't worth the sacrifice. I wasn't worth anything that happened."

Anagan and Duman exchanged worried glances. Anagan placed a reassuring hand on Gantlos's shoulder. "You are worth it, Gantlos. Stella wouldn't have done what she did if she didn't believe you were worth it."

Gantlos shook his head, tears welling up in his eyes. "She lost everything because of me. I should've been more careful. I should've… I should've…"

Duman knelt beside him, his voice firm yet gentle. "You made a mistake, Gantlos. We all do. But you're not alone. We're here for you. And Stella… she made her choice because she cares about you. You're worth more than you think."

Gantlos buried his face in his hands, struggling to hold back his tears. The weight of his guilt was almost too much to bear. "I just… I don't see it. I don't see how I'm worth anything after everything that's happened. I'm sorry…"

Duman held him close, he meant the world to Duman, if only he could see that. The little confidence that Gantlos had built seemed to be crushed in that moment.

——————-

A few hours had passed, and the atmosphere in the old fire station had somewhat settled. Despite the lingering guilt in Gantlos's heart and the tension in Stella's, Ogron knew they all needed to eat. They had lost a lot of energy, and skipping a meal in their current state wouldn't be healthy.

"Anagan, can you whip up something for dinner?" Ogron asked.

Anagan nodded, heading to the small kitchen area. "Sure thing. I think everyone should eat together, though."

Duman sighed. "Gantlos won't come out of his room."

Stella, standing nearby, felt a pang of guilt. "It's my fault. Somehow, it's my fault."

Ogron looked solemnly. "He needs some space. Let's just make sure he gets something to eat."

As Anagan prepared dinner, Ogron, Stella, and Duman sat in the main room. Stella had transformed and was wearing one of Duman's shirts. Anagan brought over the food , so Duman took his and some for Gantlos to his room.

Anagan tried to lighten the mood. "You know, we really need to get you some clothes of your own, Stella."

She smiled faintly. "It's fine. I like wearing Duman's shirts."

Seeing her light up a bit, Ogron joined in. "Oh? And why exactly do you like wearing his shirts?"

Stella blushed. "I don't know. I just like them… I wish they were brighter, though."

Anagan teased, "Do you like the shirts, or do you like who the shirts belong to?"

Her face turned even redder. Ogron chuckled. "It must be the ladder— just look at that lovely shade of red,"

Anagan then inquired, "And what about Gantlos? You seem to have some affection saved up for him, too."

A sudden wave of guilt washed over Stella, and she turned away. Ogron nudged Anagan, signaling him to drop it.

Stella finished her meal quickly and stood up. "I'm done. Thank you for dinner." She made her way to the stairs, intending to go to Gantlos's room.

Duman emerged from the hallway, looking sheepish. "Maybe you should sleep in my room tonight, Stella."

She looked confused. "Gantlos... doesn't want to see me?"

Duman sighed. "He's just feeling...sensitive right now. He needs some time to himself."

Stella's shoulders sagged slightly, but she nodded. "Okay, I understand."

——————

That night Ogron announced no patrols, he and Anagan would simply survey the surrounding streets briefly. They returned a few hours later. With everyone safe, they all retired for the night.

Stella felt a profound emptiness as she sat on the edge of Duman's bed, watching him set up the blankets on the floor. He made jokes about giving her the princess treatment, but she could tell he was trying to lighten her heavy heart.

"And voilà, your highness," Duman said, finishing up the bed. "Perfect setup for a royal sleep."

She managed a small smile. "Oh, you're going to sleep on the floor?"

Duman looked up at her, a playful glint in his eyes. "Would you rather I sleep with you in the bed?"

She blushed and didn't really say anything.

That night, as they lay down, Stella found herself unable to sleep. Her mind raced with thoughts of her lost friends, her boyfriend, and the confusion surrounding the Earth fairies. Anger and sadness mingled within her, but most of all, she craved someone to hold her. Glancing over at Duman, she saw he was already asleep.

Quietly, she slipped out of bed and made her way to Gantlos's room. Knocking softly at first, she received no response. She opened the door and found him lying down, clearly not asleep.

"Hi," she whispered.

"Hm," he replied, the room filled with awkward tension.

"Please don't avoid me," she said, her voice breaking as she started to cry. "I feel so alone right now. I lost so much, and for you to ignore me… it hurts."

Gantlos just looked at her, unable to find the words. Frustrated, she exclaimed, "You're allowed to talk to me!"

Gantlos felt his own emotions bubbling up. "'M sorry," he muttered. "This is all my fault. If you don't want to stay, you don't have to. The deal can be off. I've messed up enough for—"

Stella, tears streaming down her face, slapped him. "How could you say that? I did all of this because I wanted to, because I care about you!"

Both were taken aback by her outburst. Stella, despite her tears, continued, "I'm staying. No matter what, you can't get rid of me. Now you've got to hold up your end of the deal. My moon powers aren't where my sun powers were, so even if I could leave, I wouldn't. You're stuck with me."

Gantlos got up , she winced a bit thinking he may be angry with her, but he pulled her into a tight embrace. She leaned against his bare chest, finding comfort in his warmth.

"You kinda remind me of Duman," Gantlos said softly. "Maybe that's why I like you so much."

Stella held onto him tightly. "Can—can we sleep together? I really need someone to hold me."

Gantlos was taken aback but nodded. "I guess we can. We both need a little warmth right now."

As they were about to get comfortable, Duman burst into the room with such ferocity you would have thought he was the kool aid man, he had a playful grin. "Nobody's cuddling without me!"

Stella laughed a little, and Gantlos shook his head, amused.

Duman used his magic to bring his bed into Gantlos's room and pushed them together, creating one big bed. "Is this big enough for her royal highness?" he asked jokingly.

Stella replied with a smirk, using her most snooty voice, "Oh, it's a little tiny, but it'll do. I normally have royal servants who tuck me in and kiss me goodnight, but this will suffice."

Gantlos took the opportunity to lean in and give her a gentle kiss. Stella stared wide eyed. "Well, you said you wanted a kiss goodnight."

Duman protested, "Hey, that's not fair!" and turned her face towards him, giving her a kiss as well. "We know we're not exactly knights in shining armor, but we hope we'll suffice."

Stella, now thoroughly flustered, found herself being scooped up by Gantlos and placed in the middle of the bed. He settled on one side of her, while Duman took the other.

Duman joked, "Next time, I get to be the little spoon."

Everyone giggled, the tension easing as they fell asleep in one big, comforting pile.

You thought I, me, the connoisseur of crack ships was going to write a whole fanfiction without one? Oh, you fools! Absolutely fools, the lot of you! Behold, my Franken Ship, my amalgamation of out of pocket love, bask in its glory!