Together Forever

Victor stood nervously by the altar as he waited for his beloved Emily to join his side and recite their vows.

Wedding jitters, just the feeling of cold feet during your own wedding ceremony Victor thought. And soon to be cold and blue forever once he drank the poison Elder Gutknecht provide for them and became one of the dead.

He looked behind and saw that everyone, the living and the dead, all sitting together and waiting as patiently as him for the bride to arrive.

He saw Bonejangle with his bony band and he gave him a skeletonal thumb up and a wink with his one remaining eye.

Then it started, the organ began eerily playing the wedding march and in came the bride.

The corpse bride that is.

Anyone in his or her right minds would've been especially freaked or scared right out of their wits to not believe that a dead woman was getting married to a young man.

Or that a guy would be willing to even want to marry a corpse!

But that didn't really matter to Victor at all. All he could believe was the sound of his own wild beating of his heart when he saw her. Everyone said 'ohh' and 'ahh' as they watched her walk down the aisle and made her way towards Victor. She looked so beautiful in her wintry white wedding gown, the pale blue skin that made her radiant with such a glow, that sweet smile she had as she saw Victor looking her way.

He guess that once she had certainly been gorgeous when she was alive. And even in dead did that beauty still stay with her along with the wonderful innocence that Victor so love. He kept staring at her once she reached his side and stood before the Elder, ready to begin the ceremony.

"Dearly beloved and of course corpses…" A few chuckles were heard but then it became silent again. "We have gather here today to witness these two in holy matrimony…"

Victor could barely listen to the words being spoken as he the only thing he could only think of was what he was about to do when it came to their turn to say the vows.

Would he be able to get through it, recite his pledge of love and drink the poison of death? Could he possibly go through with it? To never return to the land of the living and remain in the land of the dead? He knew his parents would miss him, probably Victoria too, but a part of him did wish to go and another wanting to stay. He was as much confuse as he was before when this had all started. Right when it would've been him and Victoria getting married instead of him and Emily.

Emily…the corpse bride, his corpse bride.

He felt his hands were cold and clammy and only because his bride had taken hold of one of his while deep in his thoughts. She had seen the trouble look in his face and thought to comfort him by holding his hand. He turn and saw her staring deeply into his eyes. She looked both excited and nervous and he saw that it reflected back towards him, the same way he was feeling.

All second thoughts left him like ashes scattered in the breeze. Yes he could do it, for Emily, for himself.

For their love.

Finally the Elder cleared his throat, drawing both of their attentions when they realized he had finished reciting and waiting for them. "Victor, your vows to Emily to be your beloved wife for all times through the afterlife?"

Victor prepare as ever, spoke clearly for all to hear and to fall for only his beloved who had been dying to hear those words spoken for a long time. He made no mistake like the last recital and he felt that he could do as he promised as he was reaching the end of his vows.

"…. Your cup! Shall never empty…for I will be your wine." Emily smiled at her and he could see a glisten tear ready to fall from her eyes. She swallowed and repeated her vows to him and then held the cup to him.

This was it, the moment everyone was waiting for.

The elder looked towards him, "Now it's time Victor. Drink and the two of you shall be together forever."

Yes it was to be. Together forever…Victor took the cup from Emily's hands and held it still before bringing it to his quivering lips.

"Victor," she said, holding the cup back for a second before he drank it. "I'll always love you Victor, now and forever." She said. He smiled at her. "I love you too Emily. Together forever always love even in the afterlife shall we be."

This time Emily let go of the goblet and watched him through her tears of joy as he drank the poison.

He almost finished the whole thing before he felt the pain and started to feel the convulsion started. Emily rushed to his side once he fell to the floor as the whole room grew dark and he his body became cold and numb.

The last thing he heard before he slipped away was Emily, his bride Emily saying through her tears, "Together for always Victor…"

It seem to take forever as he was swarm in darkness and then bright light filter through once he regain consciousness and saw before him his wife's angelic face smiling over him.

"Welcome back Victor, my husband."

Victor smiled back and reached up to touch her face. "I'm glad to see you too my Emily, my beloved wife."

His cold blue hand rested on her cheek before she grabbed it and helped him off the floor.

The two were silent before Victor noticed that everyone was watching them. Feeling rather embarrassed for what happened, Victor looked back towards Elder. The Elder gave the couple a nod.

"You may now kiss the bride."

Victor looked towards Emily and kissed her deeply while the church came alive around them.

"And now I present Mr. And Mrs. Victor and Emily Van Dort."

A loud applause rose from the crowd. "It's so beautiful!" Two corpse women said at the same time while doting their tears away from their face or what remained of them from their eye sockets. "So romantic!"

"Always a corpse maid but never a corpse bride." One said sighing as she saw how lucky the bride was to land herself a man. "Hey hey let's hear it for the newlywed folks!" Bonejangle and his band went to play an upbeat tune to get the party going.

Victor and Emily walked down the aisle together and Scraps running between their legs and barking in joy. They looked to one another again and shared another breathtaking kiss.