Author's note
From the looks of things, I got two chapters of this fanmake left until I am finally done. Here we go, folks!

Chapter 6: Forced Marriage

Rarity frowns in anger as she tosses her veil crown off her head. What a fool she was! The mare thought that she has found true love, one who could set her free...but instead, ha! The husband that Rarity thought she wanted never wanted anything to do with her! What a fool the unicorn was!

As Rarity sat near a sarcophagus, she glances at her bouquet and rip off a rose. Sarcastically, she remarks, "Roses for eternal love; Lilies for sweetness...baby's breath. Ugh."

Rarity groans as she tosses the bouquet to the ground. Winona, who was following her since the corpse left the Moochik's home looks concerned. Photo appears, coming over while saying, "Why so blue, Rarity?"

"Oh, maybe Ben is right. I mean, perhaps we are too different after all..."

"Oh come on! The idiot should have his head examined!" Bray remarks inside Rarity's head. This causes her to frown and pull the donkey right out. "You know, I could do it if it helps..."

"But maybe Ben does belong with her. Little Miss Living," Rarity said sadly then frowns a bit, looking peeved. "She got purple cheeks and beating heart. I mean..."

"Ack; those kind of mares are ten a bit! Why, you got so much more. You've got...let's see...you got a wonderful personality." Photo said, trying to show Rarity how she could be better than the living mares. As the white unicorn sighs, Photo and Bray begins to sing a song.

Bray: What does that wispy little brat have
That you don't have double?

Photo Finish: She can't hold a candle
To ze beauty of your smile

Rarity: How about a pulse?

Bray: Overrated by a mile

Photo Finish: Overvalued

Bray: Overblown

Both: If he only knew
The you that we know

Rarity shakes her head while turning away. Her friends aren't doing well in cheering her up but they kept on trying.

Photo Finish: And zat silly little creature isn't wearing his ring

Bray: And she doesn't play piano

Both: Or dance

Bray: Or sing

Both: No she doesn't compare

Rarity: But she still breathes air

Photo Finish: Who cares?

Bray: Unimportant

Photo Finish: Overrated

Bray: Overblown

Both: If only he could see
How special you can be
If he only knew the you that we know

Rarity sighs in sadness and look up at the sky while standing up, doing some thinking.

Rarity: If I touch a burning candle, I can feel the pain
If you cut me with a knife, it's still the same
And I know her heart is beating
And I know that I am dead
Yet the pain here that I feel
Try and tell me it's not real
For it seems that I still have a tear to shed

Rarity leans next to a door, sliding down to sit. Her friends sang once more in hopes to cheer her up.

Bray: The sole redeeming feature
From that little creature
Is that she's alive

Photo Finish: Overrated

Bray: Overblown

Photo Finish: Everybody know zat's just a temporary state
Which is cured very quickly when we meet our fate

Winona picks up the bouquet that Rarity dropped then lays it near Rarity.

Bray: Who cares?

Photo Finish: Unimportant

Bray: Overrated

Photo Finish: Overblown

Both: If only he could see
How special you can be
If he only knew the you that we know

In sadness, Rarity threw her bouquet away and goes over to the sarcophagus. As the white unicorn lies in it, she finishes the song up.

Rarity: If I touch a burning candle, I can feel no pain
In the ice or in the sun, it's all the same
Yet I feel my heart is aching,
Though it doesn't beat, it's breaking
And the pain here that I feel
Try and tell me it's not real
I know that I am dead
Yet it seems that I still have some tears to shed

Once the song is over, Rarity shed a tear that lands on the ground. Bray and Photo looks concerned for their friend. Even when she's dead, the poor unicorn is heartbroken. What will become of her now?

---------------------------

Twilight was trying her best to explain to Upper Crust as to what happened. Someone must do something to help Ben who, along with Loudmouth, was taken away by a dead mare and a dead Dragon! Her adopted mother is listening, though more like she is ignoring.

"Mother, what I'm saying is true! Ben got married to a dead mare!" Twilight insists to her mother as Caramel and Fireblaze appears on the scene. "I saw her, a corpse, standing right here with Ben!"

"Wait, Ben was in your room?!" Upper Crust gasps in shock upon hearing that. The same colt who dared messed up his wedding then gallop off from it was with Twilight; jow in blazes did he get in there?!

"I have to help him, please!"

"Why, the scandal!"

"Calm down, miss." Fireblaze said, doing his best to calm his employer down. He turns to Twilight while saying, "Listen, while we can't see you, sit in your chair. You must be shaking like a leaf! Once you can come out, we will get you a blanket!"

"More like a straitjacket! My daughter has gone completely mad!" Upper Crust exclaims in shock and disgust. Her adopted daughter is making wild claims of Ben being married to a dead unicorn! Ridiculous!

"But Mrs. Crust, what if Twilight was right?" Caramel asks Upper Crust in concern. "I mean, the princess did spoke of life beyond death. Perhaps we should put her concerns into consideration."

"The princess doesn't know what she's talking about and neither is my daughter! Now you two, come on. And Twilight, be glad you're in that room. Stay in there like a good daughter who is not crazy!"

"You aren't my real mother!" Twilight snaps angrily to Upper Crust from in her room.

"I don't wanna hear it!" Upper Crust snaps as she and the servants, the last two did so reluctantly, heads off.

Twilight groans while looking worried. Her mother thinks she has gone crazy. No surprise since Ben has disappeared without warning and could ran off with another mare of all things. She needs someone who could help but how? Just then, Twilight saw the window unlocked and got an idea.

Twilight opens the door as she heads to the balcony. While a long cloth would've worked, the unicorn isn't going to do that. Twilight has magic so she could teleport to the ground...once she is certain that her timing is right and her adopted parents are in bed.

Meanwhile, Jet Set was looking out the window when Upper Crust calls over, "Jet Set. Will you stop looking out that window and come to bed?"

"Fine," Jet Set groans in irritation as he turns around to go to bed. That mare!

And perfect timing as Twilight teleport to the ground, landing on her hooves to the ground. She nods and gallops off quickly. The unicorn knew that she should tell her teacher and Ben's father about what happened, but what if they won't believe her?

Twilight knew that there is only one pony in town who she could talk to about life beyond dead.

-----------

Nexus was about to head for bed for the night when he hears loud banging at the church doors. He frowns and trots over to it, mumbling, "In the Herd's name, whose could that be at this hour?!" Nexus opens the door and saw, to his surprise, Twilight outside. "Miss Sparkle?"

"Sir Spell Nexus, I apologize for waking you up at this hour." Twilight said to Nexus in concern.

"Well, what are you doing here? You should be at home, prostrate with grief!"

"I must ask you something. I wouldn't disturb you if it wasn't important."

Nexus sighs impatiently to Twilight, "While I am always free to give out advice, this is most irregular. Why not ask the princess for whatever you wish?"

"Please, I beg you! I wish to talk with you before talking to Princess Celestia." Twilight insists. She manages to stop the pastor from closing the door, allowing her to enter. "You are the only one in the village besides her who knows what will await us beyond the grave."

"Well, this is a grim topic...for a bride to be."

"It is the bride that I fear. That is why I must know...and please, this is a question of curiosity, not insanity. Can the living marry the dead?"

Nexus looks shocked upon hearing the question, making him demand, "What in Equestria are you talking about, foal?!"

"It's Ben, he's married to a unicorn whose is dead, some sort of corpse bride, I don't know. Is there anything that can be done to undo what has been done?" Twilight ask Nexus in concern, hoping for an answer. The male unicorn just pauses, pondering about the question.

"Hmmm, yes; I believe I know what to do. Come with me..."

Nexus grabs Twilight with his magic then blows the candle out, putting the whole church into darkness.

---------

Celestia and Jack came over to the mansion to talk to the adopted parents as they are concerned. Loudmouth has yet to come back from finding Twilight. Suddenly without warning, a familiar mare was tossed into the room, much to the four's shock.

"Twilight; where are your corsets?" Upper Crust asks in shock and confusion. "And how did you get out of your room?!"

"Nexus! What is the meaning of this?!" Celestia demands to Nexus who came into the room with a frown on his face.

"Princess Celestia, I'm afraid your student is speaking in tongues. Speaking of unholy alliances," Nexus explains seriously to everyone in the room.

"What are ye talking about?" Jack demands to Nexus in irritation while the servants grab Twilight to keep her from making a break for it.

"Her mind has become undone, I fear. She has made claims that your son got married to a corpse of all things! Ridiculous!"

"That's not true, Nexus! What I said was the truth!" Twilight exclaims while struggling in Caramel and Fireblaze's upper forelegs. "Let go of me at once."

"Wait, Sir Nexus. I know that the claim seems wildish but you and I always know of stories beyond the grave." Celestia said to Nexus in concern. "Twilight can't be making up something crazy like this."

"Regardless, it's best to keep her locked up until she calms down." Nexus said to Celestia with a stern nod. "Making those claims can be very serious and could also spook the locals."

"Well, thank you Sir Nexus, thank you so much." Upper Crust said to Nexus. The headmaster nods as he leaves the mansion, closing the door on the way out. The adopted parents glare at their struggling daughter. This whole insanity has gone too far!

"Take her to her room!" Jet Set orders the servants sternly to take Twilight to her room.

"Seal the doors, bar the windows and put an anti-magic collar on her! I don't want her to escape again!"

"Wait, Ben needs our help! Let me go, please let me go!" Twilight cries out to everyone as Caramel and Fireblaze back to her room. "I'm telling the truth! Ben needs my help! Caramel, Fireblaze, don't do this!"

"Sorry, but we got no choice." Caramel apologizes to Twilight in regret. He hates to do this but the Earth pony is in employment of Jet Set and Upper Crust so they got to do as they themselves were told.

"Right, sorry." Fireblaze apologizes as he and Caramel takes Twilight out of the room. The mare continues struggling in worry. Ben has been taken away, married to a dead pony and no one believes her.

Once Twilight is out of the room, Upper Crust sighs in depression, "Oh, will the mortification never cease?! Why it could be years before we show ourselves in public again?!"

"It's okay, Upper. I'm sure we can find a way to figure this out." Jack said to Upper Crust in assuration. During this time, Prince Blueblood was about to head into another room but stops to hear the conve3rsion happening right now.

"What shall we do?"

"Well, we got no choice. We must continue has planned even without Benjamin." Jet Set remarks with a frown.

"You can't have a wedding without a groom, Jet." Celestia points out to Jet Set with a frown. "Anyway, where can you even find another one to replace my son?"

It was during this time that Blueblood came into the room, looking thoughtful as he said, "Princess, I must say. For that stallion to toss aside just a wonderful mare like Twilight Sparkle...sounds criminal to me. Why, if I had somepony like her by my side, I would lavish her with richest befitting royalty."

"I see. Whoever you married must be a fortune mare indeed ." Upper Crust said with a nod. But then Blueblood sighs in sadness (or so it seems), using his magic to hold up a picture of himself and another mare whose face is beloved.

"Sadly, I am not married. I was going to be married to a wonderful unicorn years ago and we were in love. We were doing stuff like tending parties, looking for diamonds, dealing with fashion here and there...but alas, tragedy has snatched her a month ago."

"Odd, you never told me, Jack and Ben about your betrothal." Celestia said to her nephew suspiciously. Blueblood never told anyone in his family that he was once betrothed to a mare until her death. Why?

"I prefer not to talk about it, Auntie. It was...too tragic." Blueblood sighs as he wipes off a fake tear from her eyes. "Still, sad, yes?" The stallion puts a picture away in sadness. "When one lives alone, even wealth can't help..."

"Still, shame the lass don't got a groom anymore." Jack said in concern and sadness. Blueblood then got a thought on his face as if an idea came to his head without warning. As did Twilight's adopted parents who share the same thought as each other.

"Auntie Celestia, may I suggest something?"

"If you must, Blueblood," Celestia said with a nod. If her nephew got a suggestion, may as well hear what it is.

Blueblood smiles as he spoke up, "Since Ben is...well...not here, I suggest that I marry Twilight instead."

Celestia and Jack both screams out in shock, "What?!?!" Did these two even heard right?! Blueblood wishes to marry Twilight?!

Upper Crust then smiles as she exclaims at once, "That's an excellent idea!"

"Yes, it's perfect." Jet Set laughs in glee. Celestia and Jack looks disbelief. Blueblood want to marry Blueblood and the purple unicorn's adopted parents is agreeing to that idea?!

"Blueblood, you can't be serious." Celestia said to Blueblood in disbelief.

"That be right, Celestia. Twilight can't be forced to marry somepony against her will!" Jack said in agreement; Just because Twilight is missing Ben, doesn't mean that she has to marry somepony else against her will; Even if the betrothal earlier was somewhat bad enough, but this?!

"And why ever not; it's tradition." Upper Crust insists, waving a hoof of uncaring to Ben's parents.

"That's right. And unless I'm mistaken, it's a tradition that....you....came up with in the past, Celestia." Jet Set reminds the princess that she made the tradition centuries ago so the alicorn was the one who was responsible for this.

"But that was before I met Jack." Celestia explains with a sigh. Why did she even make that foolish tradition in the first place?

------------

Twilight is once again locked in her room with bars on her window and anti-magic collar on her neck to keep her from using magic. But neither matter as the mare is preparing to use a candle stick to pound on the stick. Twilight must escape and find help for Ben!

Just then the door opens up. Jet Set came in and ducks in alarm to dodge a swing from his adopted daughter. He yells, Gah! Are you mad?! I kept you locked in here for your sanity and my dignity! And this is how you repay me?! By almost killing me with a candlestick; how could you do this to your own father?!"

"You aren't even my real dad!" Twilight snaps to Jet Set angrily as the princess, Jack and Upper Crust came into the room.

"Does it even matter anymore?"

"Anyway, Twilight, we got marvelous news." Upper Crust said with an eager smile to Twilight. "There is going to be a wedding after all!"

"Wait, you found him?" Twilight ask Upper Crust hopefully. Of course Celestia and Jack looks worried, knowing the real news.

"Better be ready. Our relatives as well as your brother Shining Armor and your sister in law Princess Cadance will arrive at any given moment. We must have you presentable for your marriage to Prince Blueblood."

"What?! Prince Blueblood?!"

Twilight drops the candlestick that she was using in horror. Jet Set, not caring or noticing his adopted daughter's look, adds, "He will make a fine husband."

"Well, this seems like a fortuitous turn of events." Fireblaze adds as he came in, trying to side with his employers to avoid problems.

"Right, a far better prospect this time especially since his aunt is the princess so we still win," Upper Crust said with a proud smile.

"Twilight, it wasn't my idea." Celestia said to Twilight with a sigh. "I don't approve of it but your adopted parents insisted upon it."

"But I don't love him at all!" Twilight insists in concern and disbelief. Why can't her adopted parents even care for what she wants instead of what they themselves want?! "This is very wrong, not right! You can't make me do this."

"Well, we must anyway." Jet Set remarks indifferently. Ben's parents look upset. They can't believe that Twilight's parents don't even care for their daughter's wishes. The two are only in it just to be rich again!

"Mom, dad, I beg you, don't make me do this! There has to be another way! You may not be my parents but don't you love me like my real ones do?"

"Please! We only brought you in because you are the princess's student and it's the one of the best way to get close to loyalty! Do you even think that we love you like your dumb dead parents?! Please!"

Princess Celestia and Jack looks outraged, they can't believe that Twilight's adopted parents would teach her like this, even when she isn't related to them. Upper Crust laughs cruelly while saying, "Now then, get ready. Without your marriage to Prince Blueblood..."

"We will be forced out into the street without a center." Fireblaze explains in concern to Twilight.

"We are destitute." Jet Set said to Twilight with a nod.

"But Ben..." Twilight begins to say, not wishing to give up but sadly her selfish parents interrupt the worried unicorn.

"Ben Mare is gone, filly." Upper Crust said to Twilight sternly. "Just move on."

"You shall marry Prince Blueblood tomorrow." Jet Set remarks in agreement, much to the worry of Ben's parents, Caramel and Fireblaze. This whole thing is going way too far.

"According to plan," Both parents said at the same time and with a hint of eagerness in their tone of voice.

"I still say that the tradition thing that Celestia made was a bad idea." Jack argues with Jet Set and Upper Crust over the whole idea of marrying Twilight to someone else that she doesn't love is a bad idea.

"Still tradition is tradition. If Ben is truly gone, then we will have no other choice. Twilight will marry Blueblood." Jet Set said without a tone of caring in his voice.

"Never; I would rather die!" Twilight yells in defiance as she gallops out of the room.

"Twilight, get back here now!"

"You see, Jet Set? I was wrong to think that you and Upper Crust would have been a good foster family for Twilight. And if you wish to marry off my son's betrothed to that disgraceful nephew of mine, then Jack and I don't want any part of it!" Celestia exclaims in disgust and anger to Jet Set and Upper Crust. Perhaps it was a bad idea to let these two be Twilight's new parents if she had known of their behavior before hoof! "Come on, Jack. We're leaving."

As Ben's parents prepare to leave the room as well as the mansion, Jack ask in concern, "But what about Ben, Tia? What if Twilight be telling the truth?"

"Then we will have to pray that he is safe from harm."

 

As Ben's parents leave the room and Twilight's adopted one goes to their own bedroom, Blueblood peeks out from his bedroom, waiting impatiently. He smirks devilishly while leaving his room and goes down the other direction with an evil laugh. Things are going well.

The truth be told, Blueblood is marrying Twilight just for her money. His mother, tired of his behavior and actions, cut off his access to the family's money so he is practically. This is his best and good chance to get more money especially with what his failed betrothal years ago.

Blueblood stops near a portrait of Twilight with her real parents. He spoke, "Now my dear, don't look at me like that. You got to suffer through this union until death do us part..." The unicorn then gave out an evil smile. "And one will come sooner than expected; Ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

Hiding nearby, Pinkamena was growling while watching what is going on. Golden Heart holds his sister while saying quietly, "Easy sister."

Pinkamena growls, "I can't, the creep is making Twilight feel worse. I need to get Ben."

"Well until I see something off, you can." Golden Heart then sees Blueblood do something sinister and then says, "Ok you can save Ben."

Golden Heart lets Pinkamena go as she darts. Some around saw a pony dart past them and sent Blueblood into a pie while going out the door and then leap and darted into the ground heading to the Underworld.

Golden Heart says, "Be careful little sister, I will try to help Twilight anyway I can." He then moves to meet up with Twilight in hopes to help her.

Author's note
Poor Twilight; Not only that most ponies don't believe her about Ben but she is now engaged to be married to Blueblood who is after her money and will kill her to get it! In the next chapter, Noteworthy finally dies and meets up with Ben in the Underworld, telling him of Twilight's engagement to Blueblood, making the stallion miserable. And of course, Rarity learns that in order to be with Ben, he must die by drinking the wine of ages. Will Ben do it? Read, review and suggest.