"What're they doing?" Lila asked, hushed tone as she and Bryant concealed themselves in the shadows.

Bryant frowned. The ones who were making a fuss were the living. He noticed that the dead didn't really do much. There were heaps of them, certainly, but they were all…joyful. It was as if they were celebrating something. They were much more carefree and loud than the living of this little town. It didn't make sense. Wasn't death supposed to be depressing? Wasn't it supposed to be horrible and morose and sad? Then, he realized where they were heading. "They're going to the church." He observed aloud.

She raised an eyebrow, but then she noticed it as well. "Why would an army of the dead…go to a church?"

Bryant shrugged, "Wanna find out?"

She smiled at him, "I'm not brave enough for that."

He smirked, "It's alright, I think we'll be fine."

Lila wasn't sure how Bryant talked her into going to the church, but she soon found herself trailing behind him as they took the backroads to the church, unaware of her husband growling after them before dashing behind them.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Helga stared in the mirror as Phoebe ran a brush through her hair. She should have been elated. She was getting married. Not only was she getting married, but she was getting married to Arnold. It was all she had wanted since she'd first laid eyes on his stupid oblong head. Still, this wasn't how she wanted it.

"Phoebe?" she said suddenly, glancing down at her freshly gloved satin hands.

Phoebe stopped the brush halfway down her friend's wavy hair and gave her a confused look, "Is something wrong, Helga?"

Helga bit her lip and steeled her breath before she finally said it, "I don't think I can do this."

Phoebe retracted the brush and moved around to better face her friend, "What're you talking about? Isn't this what you wanted?"

"I don't know." she admitted sheepishly.

With a sad smile, Phoebe wrapped her arms around her friend. "You're just getting cold feet. This is a pretty big commitment."

Helga attempted a smile, but it faltered, "Yeah…I'm sure that's it."

Phoebe smiled and moved back around to place Helga's veil on the crown of her head before draping the front half of the veil over her friend's face. "You're ready."

Helga looked in the mirror, glad that the veil covered up the sadness in her features. "Yeah…I guess I am."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Arnold fidgeted at the alter, occasionally glancing at the goblet of thick red wine traced with poison. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't nervous. He was dying and getting married all in one hit. Not being nervous would be foolish on his part. Someone behind him playfully punched his shoulder and he shot Gerald and smile before his friend took a seat in the front row.

Someone started playing the organ and Arnold looked back at the set of double doors and his heart stopped in his chest when he saw Helga. He couldn't see her face, but he didn't have to to know she looked stunning. Every corpse in the church stood up and 'ooh'ed and 'ahh'ed as she walked down aisle.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"Arnold?" Lila questioned quietly from the back of the church, behind a pillar with Bryant.

"Your old fiancé?" Bryant asked.

Before she could answer a corpse turned around and shushed them loudly. Instead, she nodded at him. They looked at each other before sneaking closer to the front.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"With this hand, I shall lift your sorrows. Your cup will never empty, for I will be your wine." Arnold said, clearly and steadily, and strong. It was nothing like the dress rehearsal with Lila and her family. He didn't even notice the other people. It was only him and Helga…and Phoebe, who was initiating the marriage. "With this candle, I will light your way in darkness." He slid the ring onto Helga's finger. "With this ring…I ask you to be mine."

The world had paused for Helga, not because of Arnold's vows, but because of a familiar face lurking in the shadows. She swallowed a lump in her throat before nervously saying, "W-with this hand I will lift your sorrows. Your cup will never empty for I will be…" something caught in her throat and she couldn't find it in herself to continue. "Your cup will never empty for I will be…" She swallowed a lump in her throat.

Arnold glanced at her, concerned. "I will be your wine." He finished for her, raising the silver goblet to his lips.

With a gasp, she reached out and seized the cup, covering the top with one of her hands and clutching the cup to her chest. There were gasps and murmers in the pews and Helga turned to watch her friends converse amongst themselves, astounded by her actions.

Arnold reached for the cup, but she wouldn't release it, "What's wrong, Helga?"

"This is wrong." She answered, placing the goblet back on the alter. "I love you Arnold." For a moment, Arnold's heart fluttered so much he was sure it was spring right out of his chest, but it sank when she said the words, "But you're not mine."

What did she mean? Of course he was hers! She gestured for someone behind him to come forward and he turned around in time to see Lila emerging from the shadows. "Lila?" He exclaimed, mostly out of surprised.

"Arnold, I'm every so certain I'm thrilled you're alright." Lila said, happily.

"I…guess you got married." He said awkwardly, glancing at her wedding gown.

"That's right." An icy voice from the end of the aisle echoed through the chapel.

Lila swallowed a lump in her throat, "Arnold, I believe you've met my husband."

"Husband?" The question didn't come from Arnold, but from the other bride in the church.

"Fraught with envy?" Wolfgang sneered, stomping down the aisle.

Helga didn't reply and this made Arnold confused. "Francis, can you come here for a moment?"

The impaled dwarf glanced at the other bodies she sat next to before sliding off his seat and awkwardly waddling to the bride. Everyone stared in surprise when the bride took the sword right out of the dwarf's back and angrily swung it at Lila's husband. "You bastard!" She shouted.

"What're you doing?" Arnold exclaimed, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her to a stop.

"I'm gonna kill him!" She replied.

"Stop! You can't!" Phoebe screamed, jumping over the alter.

"Get a handle on your bitch!" Wolfgang snarled.

"She's not a bitch!" Arnold snapped back.

"Let go of me!" Helga demanded, prying at Arnold's arms.

"What did I ever do to you?" Wolfgang growled.

Helga finally ripped her way out of Arnold's grasp and tore her veil off of her face. "YOU KILLED ME!" She screamed.

The chapel filled with gasps. Lila stared in shock and Arnold gaped at Helga and Wolfgang. Wolfgang's face filled with what could only be described as shocked fear, "Helga? But…you're dead!"

She spread her arms, gesturing at the mass of corpses around them, "Haven't you been paying attention?"

"Helga?" Everyone turned to see Bryant emerging from the shadows.

"Brainy?" Helga asked, unsure of if she was seeing the boy she had been promised to before she ran away on their wedding day. "Nice to see you grew out of that weird breathing thing."

Bryant shrugged, "Doctor said I got hit in the face one too many times."

To everyone's surprise, Helga burst out laughing, "Don't say I never did you any favors." She turned on Wolfgang, "As for you…get…out." Her eyes were dark and her stance menacing.

Wolfgang raised his hands and moved to walk around her. She stepped around him and placed the sword against his throat. "Fine, I'm going. But first!" He seized the cup on the alter and held it up in the air, "A toast for Helga. Always the bridesmaid, never the bride."

"Let me at him!" Gerald snarled, moving to pound Wolfgang to a pulp when he saw the hurt in Helga's eyes.

Phoebe held him back, "Gerald, we're in the land of the living. We have to abide by their rules. The dead cannot physically harm the living."

Wolfgang snickered and rolled his eyes, "Wise words." He raised the goblet to his lips and began moving for the back door. Before he managed to leave the church, he dropped dead with a loud thud. He sat up horrified and Gerald said, "Not anymore."

Phoebe shrugged, "You're right, he's all yours."

"Wait a second!" Helga shouted, moving to give the dwarf his sword, "Make sure you separate his head and his body. I have a feeling he's got great potential for wack bat."

Wolfgang was gone, dragged away by a mob of angry corpses. Lila and Bryant heaved sighs of relief and found themselves glancing longingly at each other. Helga exhaled a sigh before raising her chin and heading after her friends.

"Wait!" Arnold called out, "What about-"

"Look me up in the afterlife." She told Arnold sadly.

"What?" Arnold exclaimed, "But we were-"

She put her hand under his chin and forced him to look at her, "It's not fair to you."

"Helga, I don't-" He began.

He was cut off when her arms wrapped around him, "I"ll see you again, Arnold. I'm not going anywhere."

Before he could argue or ask her to stay, she was gone, and Arnold felt as if the light had gone out of his life.

OK EVERYONE CALM DOWN! CALM THE HECK DOWN! THIS IS NOT THE END! I REPEAT, THIS IS NOT THE END! IF YOU SEND ME ANGRY MESSAGES ABOUT HOW YOU HATE THE ENDING, YOU HAVEN'T READ IT YET! SORRY TO SCREAM, BUT IT'S HAPPENED TO ME WAY TOO MANY TIMES! I DON'T KNOW WHY I'M STILL YELLING, BUT I'M GOING WITH IT! ALSO DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! GOODNIGHT!