"any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee" John Donne, Jacobean Poet.

For Whom the Bell Tolls

"The tempest is stirring," Tecna said silently. "Ariel, it is time."

"Time for Magix Wheel of Fortune?" Ariel asked hopefully.

"Are you obsessed with that game show, my sprite?" Tecna groaned. "It's time for you to reel in the big fishes."

"I hate fishing," Ariel pouted, Tecna rapped him over the head with his book. "Okay my mistress! I do as you command."

"It's time to invite my friends to our lair," Tecna said. "You must lure the Winx into the bell tower. When they cross the gateway they'll be powerless to stop me."

"Couldn't you just call them? I mean no offense, but all this tricky stuff seems a bit too complicated just to get them to come down here because your lonely," Ariel figured, Tecna slapped him over the head with the book again.

"I am NOT LONELY!" Tecna shouted as Ariel sunk into his seat.

"I'm sorry, just tell me what to do..." Ariel whimpered putting his hands over his head. Tecna gave a smirk and took out a pan flute from her pocket. Ariel looked at the musical instrument in amazement and started looking through the pipe holes. "Oh my goodness! What does this new invention do? Is it like a multi-lensed binoculars?"

"Charm the girls with it, but you must not be seen," Tecna remarked turning it over and placing it against his mouth. Ariel smiled as he started to blow simple notes with it, giggling with every sound he made. "I assure you remember some of your sprite abilities."

"Of course," Ariel replied as he got up from his chair.

"Now, let's go up the tower to ring the bell," Tecna ordered as she went up the stairs.

"Aww...mistress Tecna! Why must we always ring the bell?" Ariel moaned.

"You serious?" Tecna answered. Ariel shrugged, Tecna sighed as she explained to him for the millionth time. "We go to ring the bell to get out of this virtual dimension and into reality."

"Oh, I knew that," Ariel giggled. Tecna trudged up the stairs as Ariel followed up behind him. "Tecna! Tecna wait! It's got no ding-a-ling!"

"Of course it has a ding-a-ling! You ding-a-ling!" Tecna said angrily as they got to the top. Ariel cowered next to the crumbling wall. Tecna looked up to see that the pendulum was missing. Tecna snapped her fingers and a new brass pendulum appeared. She gave the rope to Ariel. "Use your head."

Ariel swung the rope and the bell clanged out in all it's valour. As the rising sensation stopped and the light faded Tecna and Ariel could see the three young women and Lord Avalon headed towards the crumbled structure of the destroyed church. Tecna smiled as the Winx were coming into her trap.

"So why did you bring us out here Avalon?" Stella asked her old professor. Avalon looked up at the old church and pointed to the bell tower.

"It's very peculiar. Ever so often the bell tower's bell rings out, yet the church has never been used since Master Timothy got engaged to Tecna," Avalon said.

"Timmy asked Tecna to be his wife?" Flora asked.

"Yes, and ever since that fateful day this once prestigious church began to crumble and I've seen ghostly figures up in the bell tower after it rings," Avalon replied. Flora looked at the crumbling walls of the church. It looked as if it was aged and abandoned, somehow it looked as if it was sad. The bell had rung out every slow clang gave a shiver down their spines. "Master Timothy thinks there's some connection between the church and Tecna. I think this is true."

"Really?" Layla asked.

"I saw it with my own eyes. When Timothy didn't show up at the wedding, Tecna was so heartbroken she ran down the aisle crying. I followed her to this church and she never came out," Avalon recounted. Everyone's eyes widened. "The wedding took place only a year ago in Timothy's courtyard. This place has aged as if it was crumbling for centuries."

"Then Tecna's got to be there," Flora cried as she ran towards the entrance of the church. Layla and Stella tried to stop her yet somehow they bounced off a forced field. Flora could feel Tecna's heartbreak. She went into the main hall and stood before a broken stained glass window of a Saint before a wooden cross. Her eyes began to water. "Why! Why did you have to take him?"

"Flora..."a disembodied voice echoed. "Flora..."

"Helia?" Flora murmured. "Helia where are you?"

"Flora..." the disembodied voice repeated. "Flora help me!"

"Stop it! I tried!" Flora cried as she jammed her ears shut with her hands. She fell to the floor sobbing. "I tried..."

Suddenly a short sweet melody was heard throughout the room. Flora looked up to try and find where the music was coming from. There wasn't anyone inside the church but her and no musical instrument that she could see except for the organ which was buried under the crumbling structure. Suddenly she saw a single green light bobbing on the stairs, she wondered what it was and started to follow it. Stella and Layla stumbled into the church confused at what had happened to the barrier. They looked around and found Flora following the green light up the stairs.

"What is she doing?" Stella muttered, Layla ran up the stairs as Stella came after her. "Flora!"

Flora went up the staircase, tranced by the green light's music. Suddenly she came upon the top of the bell tower and saw the lone rope swinging lifelessly in the middle of the room. Flora could hear the music pull her towards the rope which was connected to the bell. Now there were vocals that came with the music.

Life can restore, for whom the bell tolls.

Rescue my sweetheart for whom the bell tolls

Cannot go without living for whom the bell tolls

Flora took a grasp on the rope and placed the rope to her cheek, she sobbed as she thought of Helia her heart could not heal, just like what Tecna had gone through. Yet it wasn't the same. She tugged at the rope and swung it vigorously. Layla and Stella watched helplessly as her friend began to sob.

"Flora, don't!" Layla screamed, but Flora rung the bell. As the bell clanged once Layla could see a shadow coming from the walls with a knife in it's hands. The bell clanged twice the figure moved towards Flora with the knife raised. Third time, Layla couldn't help it. She lunged towards the shadow and grasped at the knife. She slashed the shadow's chest with a big red mark as it cackled menacingly. Layla couldn't believe who she had just injured. "Tecna?"

"Ha ha..FOOL!" Tecna shouted grasping at her wound. "You don't know what Flora just did!"

Layla looked away to see the room fill with light as the bell tower began to surge downwards. Stella started to panic seeing her old friend being all psychotic, she looked towards Flora who was still holding onto the rope hanging on with dear life.

"RETURNUS..."Stella screamed as she fell to her knees a bright dome of sunshine expanded from her body and ran across to fill all the corners of the room. "EXCELLERATUS!"

Layla knew what Stella was doing and she looked up to Tecna's face seeing the anger and frustration emanating from seeing the dome. Layla jumped up and kicked Tecna in the gut sending her straight into the wall. She grasped onto Flora's shaking body and they all disappeared.

Tecna rose from the column which she hit as the bell tower landed back into the digital reality. Ariel emerged from the orb of green light back into his human form, worrying he had failed his master. Tecna was silent for a few moments, and turned back to Ariel with an expressionless look on her face. "They'll be back...they always come back."

Another chapter..I wanna get this thing out so we could get to the end. Not that I'm complaining, but I have plans...