In the village, everything went silent as a dark cloud descended over the land, blocking the sun. The kids playing hopscotch on the sidewalk stopped and ran into their homes to their mothers, teachers in the schools that were still grading papers looked out their windows, and the vendors in the market shut their shops and locked up, knowing that something dreadful was about to happen. Kim raced to the town square, dwarves trailing behind her. "Alright boys, I don't know what's going to happen or when, but be on the look out. Try to blend in, maybe act like the little kids playing." She joked.

"Oi, watch it sweetheart! One more crack at mah height and I swear. ." The grumpy dwarf threatened.

"I know, you'll "tweeze mah pretty little locks off"." Kim grinned, this little dwarf and she were becoming good friends. "Now go!" The dwarves separated and wove into the leftover crowd. Kim threw the hood of her cloak up and began moving as well.

Jack woke up sitting in a chair in a little room, he could smell the fresh air outside. He opened his eyes and looked down, I'm not bound! Now's my chance to escape! Heehe, stupid. He thought. Jack jumped out of the chair and bolted to the door. Suddenly a pain gripped his neck, choking him. He fell to the floor.

"And where do you think you're going? Didn't I tell you that you have no way of getting out alive?" The creepy voice that belonged to Michael's father came up from behind Jack, so close to freedom, and dragged him backwards back inside the little room by the hair.

"Wha- what's hap-" Jack struggled to speak, but the invisible hands remained on his neck, his face was beginning to turn blue.

Raul sighed impatiently and removed his two fingers that were clamped around the neck of the little voodoo doll he was holding, a voodoo doll that happened to have a lock of Jack's hair that had been ripped out by the roots.

Jack inhaled deeply and coughed out, "Why are you doing this?"

"I'm not repeating myself twice." Raul answered. He crouched down to Jack's level, who was still on the floor. He shook the voodoo doll in Jack's face. "If you try to escape again, you won't even have a chance to say goodbye to your loved ones before you draw your last breath."

Jack quickly snapped out his hand for the doll.

"Tsk tsk tsk." Raul kept the doll out reach, "You probably shouldn't have done that." He twisted the arm of the little doll all the way around.

"Aughh!" Jack grunted in pain, trying to hold back a yell.

"Don't worry it'll all be over soon," Raul crooned maniacally, "You'll be dead. And your family as well. Ohh no, perhaps I'll make them an example instead. Hmm, I'll see how it turns out." The psycho thought out. "Michael!" He called.

"Yes father?" Michael stepped in from another room.

"Take this trash out." He ordered his son, "If he gets out of hand. . " He handed him the voodoo doll.

"Yes father." Michael bowed.

As Kim made another round through the town square she saw Michael, then Jack. "Jack!" She ran to him as quick as she could. As she reached him she saw his hand fly up and hit her in the face. She flew back and fell to the floor. Everyone still in the market gasped.

"Oh my God! I'm so sorry Kim!" Jack apologized, he looked so pained.

"What the hell?" She got up off the floor, "What are you doing with him?" She pointed to Michael. Not waiting for an answer, she ran forward and aimed a flying kick at Michael's head. At the last moment Jack stepped in front and absorbed the hit, he fell backwards almost knocking down Michael, who stepped out of the way.

"Damn, Kim." Jack coughed, her unexpected kick had winded him.

"Jack, why are you defending him?" She asked, ready to fight but unsure.

"He's got this doll, it's controlling my movements. I can't stop it." Jack explained to her. Michael moved the doll and Jack stood up suddenly, he advanced towards Kim. "Kim RUN!" But it was too late. Michael had made Jack grab Kim and now she couldn't move because of how tight he was holding her.

If he had done this a day ago it would've been a lot nicer. Kim struggled uselessly. "Grumpy! Dwarves!" She called out.

All the dwarves and other guards stepped forward out of the crowd, arms at the ready, waiting for the order.

"Don't Kim, I don't know what he'll make me do to you." Jack whispered in her ear.

"It would be better than you remaining his little puppet." She answered.

"Stay back!" Michael yelled to everyone surrounding them. He held the doll that controlled Jack up for everyone to see. "One move and both the Prince and the girl dies!"

The Dwarves took a little step back, worried for their new friend.

"Your highness, if you please." Raul, Michael's father came out and guestured to the center of the clearing. Jack, this time willingly, let go of Kim and moved to where Raul wanted, before he hurt Kim.

Raul took out a small sack spilled the contents slowly in a circle around himself and Jack, giving him a 5ft wide berth. "Omnitus. . " Raul chanted quietly. There was a loud crack of electricity and the circle was closed and then silence.

"You must know what this is, Kimberly Crawford. Your red friend must've told you already." Raul turned to Kim.

"That's the safety spell?" She asked.

"Very good! 10 points to the Crawford house!" He exclaimed. "You can't touch us now. So you might as well relax."

At that moment Jerry arrived with Ama, Milton, Crow and Jack's parents arrived a second after. "Where is my baby?" Isabella cried, she pushed past the guards and dwarves to the front. "Oh Westley! Are you alright?" She went to embrace her son.

"Queen Isabella no!" Kim tried to stop her but the Queen ran into the safety charm already. It sparked and launched the Queen, quite ungracefully, into the dwarves standing far behind her. "My queen are you alright?" She asked. Kim checked her pulse, "She's alive but unconscious. She might have a concussion mi'lord." She told the king.

"You bastard!" Jack yelled, he tried to hit the maniacal sorcerer but was stopped in midair. Michael, still in control of the doll, held Jack in place. Then he flipped his legs out from underneath him and Jack hit the floor with a loud thud.

I have to get that doll away from Michael. She left the unconscious queen to her King and headed for Michael, in the mock night that stood over the village. "Hyahh!" She threw a punch at his head. Unfocused, he barely made it out by ducking and tripping backwards. Kim advanced again and kicked his left torso. Michael grunted but recovered, he launched a combinations of punches and chops that pushed Kim backwards as she blocked all of them.

"Michael! You fool! Take out the doll!" His father yelled at him from within the safety circle.

Michael backed up a few steps to take out the doll, Kim went after him but paused. What's he going to do with it? Jack's body jerked forward, nearing the boundary of the charm.

"You idiot son of mine! Don't take the Prince out of the circle! Threaten her with it!" Raul yelled to his son.

As MIchael listened to his father's instructions Kim took his distraction to double kick him in the leg, close to shattering the bone.

Michael tumbled backwards, falling over himself. Just as Kim was about to deliver the final blow, a wrestling move that would temporarily paralyze him, Michael put the doll forward, holding a tiny fake knife to it's own throat. Kim turned around and Jack was doing the same. Every muscle was tensed, trying it's best to pull Jack's hand away from his neck but to no avail.

"On your knees." Michael ordered Kim. She threw herself down on the ground, tears beginning to stream down her face as she realized that there was nothing else to do to save Jack.

Jack, I'm so sorry She mouthed to him.

It's not your fault. He replied, with his own kife still positioned above his throat.

"People of Ariden!" Raul called out to the village people, a single ray of moonlight shone on him now. "I am Raul Dominic of Rathen. But I have lived here in Ariden for a year now learning your ways, your laws, your way of life." He paused for dramatic effect. Michael got up and stood as close to his father as the circle would allow. "But your way of life is wrong! You are being deceived! These people you call "Your Highness" and "Just Rulers" are corrupt!" Raul pointed to the King and still unconscious Queen lying on the floor, in David's lap.

"What are you talking about?" A curious voice from the crowd called out.

"I'm talking about this judicial system, the way taxes are collected, the education system here, the fact that some families have to make their children work as maids and chimney sweeps to put food on the table!" He proclaimed.

What the hell is he talking about? Kim wondered, the King as well, "No such thing happened under MY REIGN!" He bellowed to the Rathii.

"One more word, you royal screw, and your son will not see the light of day again." Raul warned King David. Not that any of you will anyways. Raul planned on killing the whole royal family when Ariden was under Rathen's power. He resumed his well-planned speech, "Do you all really enjoy living under this tyrant's rule? Do you want your future children, grandchildren living in poverty so the royal family can live their lavish lives with cushions and extravagant clothes?"

"No! We don't!" Some bastard yelled out from the crowd. The people around him murmured in agreement.

"Shut up you!" Kim screamed to that person in the crowd. "What do you know? These people work tirelessly everyday to keep you safe and well!-"

Michael moved in front of Kim and showed her the little doll with Jack's hair in it, reminding her of the situation. She glared at him, but remained in her kneeling position and lowered her head.

"Kimberly," Crow's voice whispered in her ear, but when she turned he was nowhere near her, "In your pocket, use it." Kim looked in her pocket and pulled out a tiny satchel full of powder.

"What's this?" She asked to the voice.

"When the crow flies. . "The whisper trailed off and was no more.

"Crow?" Kim looked for him throughout the crowd but could not find his physical form.

"- And under Rathen's rule, we will all stand united!" Raul proclaimed. Kim looked up and saw a crow flying above the square. When the crow flies. . . "Our freedom will all begin, with the death of the heir to the throne and his family." Raul gazed upon the knife dreamily and then into Jack's eyes, "And of course that obnoxious little blonde girl you love so much will be meeting the same fate." Jack didn't reply with threatening or hateful words, but the repulsion in his eyes said it all.

As Raul signaled for Michael to finish the deed, Crow dove towards the ground like a hawk does, and Kim ran to Jack, pouring the dust in the satchel over the top of her head.

"JACK!" Ama sobbed for her brother, "NO!" Jerry yelled as well. The King could only stare in horror. The dwarves bowed their heads solemnly.

Kim dove into the circle, passing through the charm unscathed and tackling Raul to the ground, Crow scooped the doll in Michael's hand into his beak and perched on the building overlooking the scene. Jack tumbled backwards still trying to avoid the knife that now harmlessly fell to the ground.

Raul and Kim fell to the ground together but Raul didn't plan on going down without a fight, in fact, he didn't plan on going down at all. He grasped Kim's wrists and rolled over on top of her. Kim wrestled an arm away from him just in time to block a punch aimed for her neck. She kicked her legs up and threw the maniac over her head and onto his back. She rolled over to face him, Jack caught her.

"You okay?" He asked, ready to use the knife that just threatened his life.

"Yeah, you?" Kim replied, not taking her eyes off the man who now was in the middle of standing up to fight them.

"Ready?" Kim asked, she was crouched and ready to pounce.

"Almost." Jack answered. Still standing in the safety circle, he took her fae in his hands and kissed her. A strong, passionate, quick kiss. His lips caressed hers in one blissful moment, then they parted. "Now I'm ready."

Kim stood frozen in place, eyes wide.

"Here he comes. . " Jack warned Kim. Raul had taken Michael's sword and charged the couple at a run. "Let's go!" Jack moved forward. But Kim stopped him.

"Wait! Don't move!" She held Jack by her side, within the line of ashes of the safety charm.

Raul continued his manicked run and waved his sword above his head, not remembering or caring about the spell he himself had cast on the circle. As he stepped on the line that separated the two sides a large crack of electricity crackled through Raul's body and threw him backwards.

"Okay. Now you can go." She let go of Jack's arm.

Everyone watching was quiet as the guards took Raul and Michael back to the castle, to the dungeons. Even Jack and Kim, they stood and watched the whole day's events come to wraps, holding each other in their arms.

"Jack." Amarillis cried, she ran to her brother's arms after he and Kim stepped out of the charm's boundaries. "You bastard! You're such an idiot!" She scolded him, still crying.

"Hey bro." Jerry embraced both the siblings. Pretty soon everyone joined in on the group hug: Kim, King David and a newly awakened Queen Isabella, Crow in human form and most of the surrounding crowd in the village square.

"There'd never be more braver men," Kim sang an ancient song of their kingdom, which first was sung when the foundation of the castle was being built just after the Battle of Darkane. The battle that had won them their freedom from the dragon lords. "Than those who're born of Ariden. Never a better sire or lord, than those who came and took up the sword."

Everybody began slowly joining in, "Lyre and harp, bow and knife: a man's best friend that saves a life.

But men of Ariden laughed and drank to dawn

jeered at death in the throng

"He'll never take us, we're too strong"

Then fearlesss, met the dragon head on.

The castle walls were built of bones

of Lords defeated,

once exalted, now unkown

and mortar's made of dragon's blood

spilt that day redder than any rose of young love.

Ariden, we crush our enemies

Ariden survives

Ariden, land of liberty

in God's name we stride!"

Everybody cheered as the song ended, the dark cloud that covered the village dissapated and sunlight reached them once more. The group hug separated and the dwarves carried the faint Queen Isabella back to the castle with her husband close behind.

"That was some show." Jack commented, "I never knew you had a voice like that Kim!"

Kim blushed, "My mother taught me that."

Jack laughed out of pure happiness, he squeezed Kim tight in a hug, "Maybe one of these days we can just have a normal day."

"Maybe," Kim replied, Jack kissed her on her forehead.

"Yo Jack!" Jerry called to him, he pulled Ama along. "Since you're not kidnapped anymore. . . Guess who'd got a girrrlllfriend?!" Jerry did his signature victory dance. Ama just grinned and shrugged.

"Wait, what?" Jack asked, "You? And You? Together?" He pointed to Ama and Jerry. "How long was I gone?"

Kim, Jerry and Ama laughed at him, "God, you're so oblivious!" Kim pulled Jack by his arm, "Come on, let's eat! I'm starving!"

"Me too!" Jerry exclaimed.

The 4 teens laughed and joked together in the normal, midday sun as they walked back to the castle with no worries on their mind except for what they're going to eat.