| Perched behind the outer wall of the castle, Molly had Crash hold Jericho�s mouth open as she tossed the pill into his mouth. Crash knocked Jericho�s head back, forcing him to swallow it. Seconds later, Jericho opened his eyes. �What�s going on? Why can�t I move?� �Let me explain,� Molly took a breath. �No, there�s no time. Let me summarize. Stephanie marries Hunter in an hour. We brought you back to stop them. The castle is guarded by sixty men.� �What are our assets?� Chris asked. �Your brains, my steel, and Crash�s�well, and Crash.� Jericho thought. �No way. With a month to plan, yes. A week, maybe. But an hour, never.� Crash looked at Chris�s still limp body. �Hey, you moved your finger!� Jericho looked back at Crash. �My true love is about to marry him, and you think wiggling my finger is going to make me happy?� He paused. �Now, if we had a Holocaust cloak,� �Like this?� Crash asked as he pulled a cloak from his pack. �Where�d you get that?� Molly asked. �Dogg�s. It fit so well he said I could have it.� Jericho nodded. �That�ll do. And we�ll need a wheelbarrow.� Molly looked at Crash, �Where�s the Rhyno�s wheelbarrow?� �On the Rhyno.� Chris�s head flopped to the side. Crash set it upright again. �Alright,� Chris instructed them. �Get those things and meet back here.� Inside the castle, the wedding was beginning. Stephanie walked down the aisle to meet Hunter. He smiled at her, she avoided his eyes. The music stopped, and the Priest began speaking. �Marwage. Marwage is what we�ve gathered heware today to celebwate. Marwage and love. Twue love.� Outside the guards were scrambling around as what appeared to be a floating apparition came towards them. It was really, however, Crash in the robe being pushed on the wheelbarrow. He began yelling, �I am the Lord of Darkness. I have come for your souls. I am the master of your destiny.� Molly, pushing from behind with Chris leaning across her back, whispered, �Now?� �Not yet,� Chris whispered back. The guards ran in fear, fleeing from Crash, who was still ranting. �The darkness has come for you. The Lord of Darkness is here, but soon you will not be here.� Molly whispered over her shoulder to Chris again. �Now?� �Light him,� Molly, using an oil lamp, lit her cousin�s robe on fire and pushed harder towards the front gate. The last few guards disappeared, leaving only the captain of the guard, Raven, facing them down. Crash became infuriated. �Do you not fear me?� Raven shrugged. �I�ve seen worse in my own head. My soul is too dark for even you to understand. Why should I fear the inevitable?� Molly stopped pushing and came out from behind the wheelbarrow, still carrying Chris. �Just let us in, okay?� Raven looked the girl over. �Sorry, I can�t do that.� �We have to stop the wedding,� Molly explained. �And I�m on a quest for vengeance!� �YOU?� Raven questioned. �You? All about you? WHAT ABOUT ME? WHAT ABOUT RAVEN?� Crash, who had long since discarded his robe, joined his cousin. Molly, exasperated, looked at him. �Take Chris for a second here, please.� Crash took Chris, and Molly drew her sword, holding it at Raven�s gullet. �Shut up and give us the key, or I disembowel you.� Raven, shocked, handed them the key. Molly unlocked the gate, and then ran into the castle, followed by Crash, who was still carrying Jericho. Back at the ceremony, Hunter was getting tired of waiting. Stephanie looked at him. �My Chris will come and rescue me,� she whispered. �Your Chris,� Hunter replied. �Is dead.� �Then why is there fear behind your huge nose?� �Do you, Hunter, take this woman,� the priest was saying. Hunter interrupted him. �SAY MAN AND WIFE.� �What?� �JUST SAY MAN AND WIFE.� The priest, looking perplexed, obliged. �Man and wife.� Hunter took off down the aisle, Stephanie looking defeated. �He didn�t come�� she said, amazed. In the hallway, Molly met head on with a group of soldiers, and fought her way past them, only to meet another force, led by Count Austin. Upon seeing Molly, he flipped her the bird. Her eyes widened. �You�� she hissed. Austin looked at her, drew his sword, then turned and ran. Molly fought her way through the last of his men, and then chased him down. Austin had fled into another room and locked the door behind him. �CRASH!� Molly yelled. �CRASH, HE�S GETTING AWAY!� Crash looked at Jericho, then at his cousin who was ramming her shoulder against the door. He set Jericho against a suit of armor, and then ran to his cousin. He felt along the door, and then pulled it open. Molly rushed into the room Only to have a dagger flung into her chest. She fell back against the wall, crying. �I�m so sorry Spike,� she whispered, �I�ve failed you.� �So, you�re that stupid bitch who�s boyfriend I killed all those years ago,� Austin stood over her, grinning sadistically. �I�m amazed you managed to live this long.� Molly gasped for breath, pulling the dagger from her chest. �Hello,� she muttered. �My name is Molly Holly. You killed my true love. Prepare to die.� Austin laughed again. Molly struggled to stand up. �Hello, my name is Molly Holly. You killed my true love, prepare to die.� She grasped her sword, and then attacked Austin. He parried, and a duel began. �Hello,� Molly said again, louder, �my name is Molly Holly. You killed my true love, prepare to die.� Austin fought back, but found he was losing. Through the entire fight, Molly kept repeating those same words. Finally, Austin screamed �WHY WON�T YOU JUST DIE?� At those words, Molly disarmed him and forced him against the wall. �Offer me money,� Molly ordered, cutting off the middle finger of Austin�s left hand. Austin gasped. �As much as you want.� �Offer me power,� Molly growled, cutting off the middle finger of Austin�s right hand. �All that I have and more,� �Offer me anything I want,� Austin cowered in fear. �Anything.� Molly paused. �I want my Spike back you son of a bitch,� she said, before running him through. |