Thanks to: Meg (the only one to review the last chapter - sigh) and godawful . net (for showing the world how NOT to write fanfics)

Random Quote: Dust is actually very low in fat... so you can eat as much dust as you like! (Marjorie Dawes, from Little Britain)

The WITCH girls, and in particular Cornelia, certainly seemed to be having the time of their lives as they were guided by the Winx Club girls on their own grand tour of Aquisates, the premier destination of choice for any of Majix's dedicated followers of fashion. Of course, it wasn't the stunning architecture that wowed them, even though it was pretty special - the cool crisp modern lines of the large glass-fronted department stores and malls complimented by the rugged, Gaudi-esque, almost organic stone arches of the galleries and arcades which criss-crossed in between them. (1)

No, like any budding professional shopper, it was the sheer number and variety of bazaars and boutiques that fascinated them. Clothes from all over the galaxy could be found here, presented to the public like works of art just begging to be bought. And there was certainly plenty of that being done. The five young Earth girls were fully loaded with shopping bags, with pride of place being taken by the stunning top-of-the-range ballgowns chosen personally by Stella.

"I tell you, when it comes to your next school prom, you girls are gonna blow everyone away!"

"This is so cool of you Stella. Are you sure you don't mind paying for all this?" Cornelia asked.

"Of course not, silly! I told you - Daddy gave me this credit card for the new school year, and it would be a crime against shopping not to use it!"

Irma grinned as she opened one of her bags and peered at her own ballgown - a lacy azure-blue number specially chosen by Stella - she insisted that Irma simply had to have it because it complimented her eyes perfectly.

"I can't wait to show this thing off." she said to Musa. "It's a shame Teggy and the others couldn't join us."

"I know. It sucks big time that the Sophomores are starting classes a day earlier than us."

"And how about Mirta?"

"Mirta said she was hanging with Lucy up at CT." Musa sighed before bursting into a little chuckle. "Hey Stella - remember when you and Discorda dragged Teggy out here on a shopping trip?"

"Oh, don't remind me." she replied, rolling her eyes back. "He kicked up such a fuss - it was like shopping with a little kid. And no offence Musa sweety, but that guy has THE dullest dress sense in the entire realm! If he had his way, he'd have bought the most boring outfit in the city!"

Irma giggled when she heard this. "Teggy, boring? No way!"

Stella laughed. "He actually looked quite stylish by the time we'd finished with him. He definitely needs to hang out with Discorda more often - his dress sense would REALLY get livened up!"

The gang laughed cheerily as they walked on through the crowded streets when, as they walked past one lone young man, something about him caught Taranee's attention...

"Hey, did you guys see that?"

"See what?" Bloom asked.

"That guy we just walked past - he had the strangest orange eyes, and I swear he was checking Will out."

"Ooh, Will has an admirer!" Hay Lin said teasingly, knudging her. "Was he cute? Which way did he go?"

Taranee pointed behind them as she turned around.

"Why, he was just over..."

Her answer was suddenly cut short at the frightening figure that stood before her. "Err, g-guys..." was the best warning she was able to stammer before she was drowned out by thescared screams of shoppers running for their lives in their dozens. The other girls soon twigged that something was up and turned around to see what all the fuss was about, and they were startled by what they saw - it was the Ifrit towering menacingly over them, his gaze fixed on one girl in particular.

"Will Vandom. You will come with me now." he said as he jabbed a finger at the young redhead.

"Yow! What IS that thing?" said Musa.

"I don't know, but one thing's for sure - it's not here shopping for shoes!" Stella replied.

"And here's another thing for sure - I sure as hell ain't going on a date with it!" Will yelled. "Guardians unite!"

The Ifrit laughed as the newly-transformed Winx and WITCH girls confronted him. "How amusing. It's not as if you have a choice - you ARE coming with me, whether you like it or not!"

Irma sniggered. "Will you get a load of this guy? Does he really think we're gonna let him take Will just cos he said so?"

"Yeah, and besides it's eleven against one," Stella chipped in. "I don't fancy this guy's chances one bit. In fact I almost feel sorry for him!"

"Really?" the Ifrit sneered, glimpsing behind the girls towards a corner shop where a number of frightened passers-by had taken cover. "Perhaps you should be feeling sorry for THEM instead!" His hand erupted into flame as he raised it in front of him before slamming it into the ground and sending a huge firey wave careering into the shop with a loud crash and a tinkling of broken glass.

The girls looked on in horror at the sight of those helpless innocents trapped by the fire as it spread easily through the many clothes on sale, a horror that was heightened by creaking sound made by the shop itself - its walls had decided they had had enough of being walls and would look far smarter as a pile of rubble instead.

"That shop's about to cave in! We gotta do something!" Layla yelled.

"I'm onto it!" Cornelia replied as she placed her own hand onto the floor. Almost instantly, thick fingers of rock rose from the ground to prop up the damaged structure.

"And I'll take care of the fire." Bloom said as she ran into the shop. Closing her eyes, she slowly gathered the flames up into her outstretched hand and, with a sigh of relief, snuffed them out in a ball of smoke.

As he watched the girls rushing to help the people out of the shop, the Ifrit felt very satisfied - his ploy to momentarily distract them had worked, and all that remained on his to-do list was to grab Will, who rather conveniently was stood with her back turned to him. Sensing that the danger wasn't over yet, Will turned to face the Ifrit once more... but she did so too late - the Ifrit took her roughly with his humungous hand and picked her up with no effort at all. Will struggled and strained to get free, but her arms were pinned to her sides by his vice-like grip.

"Let go of me!" she screamed, drawing the other girls' attention to them.

"You heard what she said - let go!" Taranee yelled at the Ifrit, letting off a fireball directly into his face, but to no effect - it just puffed off him with about as much force as a ball of cotton-candy. The other girls all attacked at once, but with the same effect - none whatsoever.

"Impossible!" Bloom said as she powered herself up and letting off a full-strength shot into the Ifrit's stomach only to see it go the same way as the other attacks. "Our magic isn't hurting it one bit!"

Desperately, Will tried firing her way free with a bolt of her own. Okay, so the others are having no luck with their direct assaults - it was like firing tiny fireworks at a hugemountainside... but what happens when you're holding that tiny firework in your hand as it goes off? Even the smallest rocket could do tremendous damage. Well, that was the theory anyway... but unfortunately Will's desperation move to turn herself into a handheld banger had about as much effect on the Ifrit as an unlit sparkler.

The girls looked on helplessly as the Ifrit lifted her up so that she was at face-level, and stared into her terrified hazel eyes.

"And now to take the Heart of Kandrakar back to my master!"

Will gasped. So that's what all this is about!

"You know what?" she said defiantly. "You're NOT getting the Heart, and neither is this master of yours." Instinctively, she withdrew the Heart back into herself, causing her and the other four WITCH girls to revert back to their girl forms. "You've lost. You'll never get the Heart, so you may as well let me go!"

The Ifrit chuckled and shook his head disdainfully... and then in a bright flash he was gone, taking Will with him.

"No!" Taranee screamed as they vanished in front of them, reaching out into thin air in a vain effort to grab Will back before slumping to the ground in tears. "I don't believe this. We've only just found her, and now she's been taken away again!"

"It's okay, we'll find her." Bloom said, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"But how? Where do we go? Do you even know who took her?"

"I don't know for sure, but I've got a pretty good idea who's behind this. But first we oughtta head back to Alfea - we're gonna need all the help we can get..."

1. Antoni Gaudi - a Spanish architect with a very unique style who designed some of the most distinctive buildings in Barcelona. Go to Google and search for 'gaudi wiki' (without the quotes), and look in particular at his Sagrada Familia, Casa Mila and Parc Guell projects.