Appetite for Destruction

Chapter 14

31st October. Halloween night. The Frutti Music bar's stage was blasting with rock covers of Halloween classics. Witches, zombies, animals, cartoon characters and horrific ghouls - obviously just people in costumes - were all scattered around the bar, talking and chatting with special pumpkin and basil smoothies in their hands. The Winx arrived in their halloween costumes; Bloom a mouse, Flora a witch, Stella a zombie like Gantlos suggested, Tecna a cowboy, Musa a weeping ghost and Aisha a mermaid. They also took along with a limping Gantlos who was dawning a vampire coat and suit. Why was he along? Why not? Well actually the Winx begged he came along and he caved in.

"Hey girls," Brandon greets, putting his tray of a berry blast smoothie and candycorn milkshake down. "Nice costume, babe. Are you gonna eat my brain?"
"If I didn't want your heart~", she teases, winking at Brandon. "Did you tell Roxy like I asked?"
Brandon nods and the girls look over to her working at the bar. She seems tired of cleaning glasses as her dad writes orders down. It was like a lunch rush but for spooky cold beverages. Bloom gestures to Roxy who talks to her dad. He rolls his eyes and sighs in an exaggerated manner but lets her go see her mentors. Roxy nods and puts the glass down, Artu following her like her shadow.
"Hey, Brandon told me what happened yesterday," she starts, "You could have invited me, I would have kicked those wizards' butts!"
"Sorry Roxy, we didn't think about it at the time, hope that's fine..." Bloom sighs.
"Well, at least I got to finish some leftover biology work. Had to stay up all night sometimes to finish it since well, fairy training, shifts at the bar..."
"You can tell us when you want a break to focus on your school life."
"Yeah, thanks Bloom."
"No worries."
"So...you brought this guy over?" Roxy asks as she shifts her purple gaze to Gantlos. He tugs his collar and looks away, 'distracted' by the tray Brandon settled down. Artu tilts his head cautiously and looks back at Roxy. She sighs. "You sure the wizards are allies now?"
"If they try anything funny, they'll pay, mark our words." Aisha says, clenching her fist.
"Hnnnngh..." Gantlos groans. "I need to sit down..." he wasn't sure if it was the ache in his arms and chest or the overwhelming feeling at all the people around. Bloom takes his arm and guides him to a quiet table near the beach side; here were only a couple of bonfires distant from one another so it should be more peaceful than the blasting music which Musa, Flora and Aisha started dancing too.

Sky notices Bloom and Gantlos heading away from the others together, he scoffs and looks at the ground. "Your jealousy problems are flaring up again?" Timmy asks.
"Guess she likes the wizards more now..." he scoffs. Timmy sighs and goes focus on more important things, like Tecna.

Gantlos sits down on the comfortable seats and rests his arms and head on the plastic table. Bloom says she'll get some drinks and leaves to go talk to Klaus. Gantlos sighs as he focuses on the table, smooth and round.
"Mind if I join you?" Stella says, almost in a flirty manner.
"No, not really." Gantlos replies. She takes a seat next to him and starts breaking some ice.
"So, wild day yesterday?"
Gantlos nods. "I'm still upset I let my vampire powers get out so easily..."
"I'm upset my moon powers were a weakness," Stella sighs, "And I'm suppose to be the sun AND moon fairy. Not either or." It gets a small chuckle out of Gantlos. One thing was clear and that was that they were stuck with these powers, if you could call them that. Instead of making them feel powerful, they felt weak, helpless.
"If you wished they could go away, I'm guessing you'd also pick that?" Gantlos asks.
"Definetly. But magic can't cure magic that easily. Anyways, Musa's right. We should learn how to control them. Have any tips for dark magic?"
"You're doing great already by using your negative emotions. It's a hassle but it's quite potent. If you can expel your anger with ease, then that moon sickness you have will be gone before you know it."
"I'm guessing the same can apply to Helsing. Learn to control him? Or should I say you?"
Gantlos thought about it; it was rather silly to name his vampirism when he technically is part that. He's a wizard of destruction, a tracker, Ogron's right hand man, and a vampire.

"...Yeah. I'm just...worried...since I repressed it for so, SO long."
"Then you can work on it starting now...or tomorrow, I don't like working at night and I don't know how Tecna does it. Ugh her computer light is super annoying for my beauty sleep man..."
Gantlos chuckles again, his aching body starting to feel foggy and less bothersome. Bloom comes back with a drink for her and...Stella? Nope, a drink for Gantlos. He lifts his head up in surprise. "Seriously? For me?" Gantlos reiterates.
"Mhm. It's pretty good!" Bloom smiles. He never had this kind of drink before, but he nipped the straw and sucked something else than magic. A foamy cream tasting like pumpkin and marshmallow flowed down his throat, it was super sweet as he gulped some more down.

"Haha, told you would like it!" Bloom giggles, drinking her skeleton-themed latte.
"You could at least treat a girl," Stella huffs. Brandon appears by her side, handing her over a triple chocolate deluxe milkshake. All is forgiven.

Gantlos looks at the crescent moon in the sky, perfectly blood red, perfectly surrounded by the stars and almost perfectly in the centre of the deep blue sky. Then, one by one, the starts extinguish into the darkness, and the moon turns from scarlet, to baby pink, and finally, white. He feels his teeth with his tongue, noticing his fangs shrunk. He sighs, relieved, but anticipates awakening his powers without some measly outer space rock's help.

THE END