Author's note
Two more chapters left folks. Halloween is almost over but hopefully I can still get this done. Let's go!

Chapter 7: A Wedding of Life and Death

Celestia looks worried as she and Jack look around the city while riding in their carriage. They have been looking all over for the missing Ben and Loudmouth but so far, no signs of either one of them. Where could they be?

"It's almost dawn." Celestia said to Jack with a sigh. "Oh, where could they be?'

Before Jack could respond, a voice interrupts, "Ben Mare has eloped with a corpse! Heartbroken bride is going to wed wealthy nephew of Celestia!" The couple looks worried for they already knew about Twilight's forced engagement to Blueblood ahead of time.

"Arrrr, not be good. That blasted nephew of ours is going to be taking Ben's filly away!" Jack groans to Celestia in despair.

"I'm still concerned about the whole corpse thing." Celestia sighs to her husband in worry. "I know there's a possibility but..."

"I'm pondering as to what corpse would marry our boy! There has to be a reason!" Suddenly Jack heard Noteworthy coughing like mad, much to his annoyance. The pirate hits the top while snapping, "Noteworthy! For crying out loud, lad, enough with that blasted coughing! We got a family crisis here!"

"Shouldn't we worry about Noteworthy? That latest set of coughing sounds worrying!"

"Oh, the lad is just doing it to annoy me!"

Noteworthy coughs a lot, doing his best to hold on. But suddenly he gasps as the stallion held his heart attacking like. He groans and fell off the carriage and landing on the ground...dead. Jack and Celestia didn't realize what has happened as the carriage bump into his corpse, driving off.

"Arrr, are ye trying to kill us, Noteworthy?!" Jack shouts angrily, unaware of his driver's death. "I think that fool is trying to kill us!"

-----------

As Twilight is in her room, Golden Heart comes in. Upon seeing him, the mare says, "Hi Golden Heart, you heard that I am being forced to marry Blueblood."

"Well that Blueblood just wants your money and may plan to get it no matter what." Golden Heart said seriously to Twilight. The unicorn groans a bit, why is she not surprised to hear that?

"This is just great. I wish to hear something good."

"Well good news is that my sister is in the underworld getting Ben but for now we just wait. I will be by Celestia and Jack when the wedding starts and once my sister comes with Ben; I will be able to stop Blueblood."

"Ok." Twilight said with a sigh of concern. Hopefully things will turn out well at the end.

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

Back in the Underworld, Winona in concern looks around with the bouquet in her mouth. She looks to her master who silently follows her with Spike and Loudmouth. The stallion wants to apologize for his deceit earlier.

Winona put the flowers down making Ben sighs in sadness, "Well, time to apologize."

Ben, Spike and Loudmouth flies into the empty tavern. Upon looking around, they saw Rarity sadly playing the piano. The mare felt heartbroken, not wanting to talk to anyone, living or dead ever again.

"Oh, poor Rarity; Such a sweet mare, and now...this happens...again. I really feel sorry for her." Loudmouth said with a sad sigh.

"You do, Loudmouth?" Spike asks Loudmouth in surprise.

"Yeah, I do."

Time to get this over with; Ben trots over to Rarity, looking seriously while saying, "Hey...I think you dropped this." Ben shows the flowers to the white unicorn. But all she did was look at them then turn away. The bouquet brings back sad terrible memories. Ben only put the flowers down and turn away sadly before sighing. "Rarity...listen, I am really sorry about lying to about meeting my parents...it's just this whole day has gone quite...well...according to plan."

"Ben means it, Rare." Spike said with a smile to Rarity who looks at him. "The truth be told, he didn't mean to propose to you. Ben was practicing for his own vows and..."

Rarity interrupts, sighing while saying, "Somehow I knew...but it's still a proposal nevertheless. I just wish that I found a true love whose would set me free; someone who loves me no matter what."

"I hope you find someone like that someday, Rarity. You just don't need to give up...even though you're now in a marriage with somepony who did the marriage thing by accident."

"Thank you, Spike. You always do your best to be thoughtful of me."

Spike begins playing a bit on the piano. Both him and Rarity play briefly then play the piano together. Ben and Loudmouth smiles as both are smiling/smirking to each other. Spike and Rarity make quite a good pair despite the marriage thing. Suddenly Rarity herself yelps as her hoof comes off, playing near Spike.

Nevertheless, Rarity's hoof came to Spike's shoulder, making both chuckles. The white unicorn said, "Sorry about my enthusiasm."

"Oh that's okay, I like it." Spike said to Rarity gently. He put the hoof back onto Rarity's foreleg, both smile.

"I would be honest...if Ben and I weren't married...do you think..."

Suddenly the two were interrupted as a bell is heard ringing. Loudmouth yelps, "What the rawk?!"

Suddenly the chefs went crazy, running around while Lyra calls out, "Look dead, people! New arrival! We got a new arrival!"

"Lights up, make way!" Pinkie giggles as she bounces right into the room. Soon more monsters and undead things came into the room. The pink corpse smiles to Ben, saying, "If you wanna know what happened, we get excited whenever someone up there dies. Oh, I'm so nervicited!"

"That isn't a real word." Ben said to Pinkie doubtfully.

"Just let her. Pinkie is random." Spike insists to Ben with a chuckle. "Come on, may as well meet the new comer."

"Let's go, lad, hurry up!" Salty exclaims frantically for drinks and for everyone else to hurry up. He wants so much to meet the new dead arrival to the Underworld; May as well make him or her feel well at home.

"Hello, everyone; drinks for everyone! Do you want another pint, sir?" Mr. Cake asks Fancypants with a smile.

Fancypants split into two before both halves call out, "No, no. Just a half," Mr. Cake got to work, he whistles for some little Bushwoolies to carry the glass to Fancypants though they knock him down in the progress.

"Ugh! Why do I even bother anymore?"

"Welcoming committee, coming right through," Lyra exclaims as she shoves through the crowd. The mare grins while going up to the newcomer dead pony, "Hey there. The name is Lyra, Lyra Heartstrings."

"Hey, forget it. I am not interested!" The figure snaps as he tries to get away from Lyra. Ben looks shocked as the pony recognize that voice. Could it be?

"Ben; that sounded like...." Loudmouth begins to say in realization upon revealing who that voice belongs to.

"Noteworthy! Noteworthy! Oh man, it's good to see..." Ben begins to say eagerly as he and Loudmouth rush up to Noteworthy.

Of course the two stop as they saw the said pony turning to him. The servant of Ben's family is now blue and stitched up. It didn't take long for the two to reveal what happened: Noteworthy is dead; his bad health due to his smoking has done him in at last.

"Oh, Noteworthy, I'm sorry." Ben said in sadness and regret. He knew that Noteworthy's health was killing him and now that day has come.

"Oh that? I don't mind. I feel great now." Noteworthy remarks with a light chuckle as he breaths a bit. "I can breathe again."

"Yeah, ironic that you got killed before that could happen, lad; Rawk," Loudmouth chuckled with a sad smile.

"Glad to see you again, Loudmouth. But who is the dog with you, Ben?"

Ben, seeing Winona barking near him, smiles while saying, "Noteworthy, you remember my pet dog Winona, right?" The dog barks happily some more.

"Okay, hurry up, boys! This gentle-pony is parched, come on!" Mr. Cake orders sternly. Noteworthy grins as a cup of apple cider was given to him. He may be dead but at least the pony got a drink out of his death.

"Noteworthy, Loudmouth must get back. They all must be worried sick." Ben said seriously to Noteworthy. "Everyone, how are they; Mom, dad, Twilight?"

"Oh, most of the folks up there are still wondering where you ran off to, especially your parents. They are concerned for you." Noteworthy said to Ben with a shrug. "As for Miss Sparkle..."

"Aye; how is the lass," Loudmouth ask Noteworthy in curiosity. Even Ben must know if Twilight is doing all she can to get him back no matter what.

"Well, sorry, Ben, but she is getting married this evening."

"What?! Married to who?!" Ben gasps in shock and disbelief to Noteworthy. Twilight has decided to move on and get married?! Has she given up on him already?!

"Some newcomer," Noteworthy said, pausing to think. "Wait, I was wrong. It's your cousin Prince Blueblood!"

"But that's impossible! My cousin was a jerk! Twilight wouldn't marry him!"

"Unfortunately since you are gone, Twilight's parents may have decided to get rich big time." Loudmouth said in concern and worry to the shocked Ben. "They decided to marry her off to that fatso just to do so!"

"The parrot is right. With you gone and all, probably they all don't want to waste the cake." Noteworthy said to Ben with a shrug.

Ben looks stunned. Twilight is actually getting married? Is she going through with it? Doesn't her true love him anymore? As she truly gave up on him...thanks to his newfound marriage to Rarity?

"But how could she?" Ben asks in worry and sadness. He thought that Twilight was different than most mares in his life.

"Eh, mares; can't live with them. You can't live with..." Salty said drunkingly then he hiccups and fell to the floor of the place unconscious.

"Hey, hey; Twilight still loves Ben! Come on, she must be forced into this by her ugly parents!" Loudmouth protests to Ben and Noteworthy in concern. After all, why would Twilight just up and marry Blueblood? Not by choice, that's for sure!

"Well, sadly, it's best to pick up the pieces and move on, one can guess." Noteworthy said with a sigh. After all, Ben is trapped in the underworld, never to be with Twilight ever again...and the mare must be married as per her parents' wishes.

"And speaking of picking up the pieces," Spike said in concern. Everyone turns and saw Ben, depressed, leaving the room. "Oh man."

"Ben? Where are you going now?" Rarity calls after Ben in worry and concern. Oh dear, not again!

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

Twilight is more sadder than ever. She is now in her wedding clothes, ready to get married, but what's the point? The poor mare wishes to marry Twilight and with him, she has to marry his cousin instead!

As Twilight looks down in sadness, Fireblaze came in with Golden Heart, the former said, "Miss Sparkle, we better gets to the church now."

"Twilight...there's no reason to be sad." Golden Heart said to Twilight gently. "I'm sure that things will turn out fine."

"Yesterday, I was hoping that my wedding would be a happy one." Twilight said in sadness and regret. "But now...I feel like I was caught in the tide, being pulled out to sea..."

"The sea leads to a lot of places, Twilight." Fireblaze said, trying his best to cheer up Twilight. "Who knows? You could land somewhere better."

"Oh, I doubt it."

Golden Heart looks concerned. What is taking Pinkamena so long in getting out of the underworld?

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

Golden Heart couldn't believe how sad these turns of events are. Despite the fact that Twilight's wedding is going, Ben has yet to show up to try to stop it. The alicorn was forced to watch as Blueblood review his vows to the saddened Twilight.

"With this candle, I will light your way in darkness." Blueblood said, doing the vows more perfectly than Ben ever did. As he put the candle down, the male unicorn saw Jet Set motion him to move it along. Blueblood took out the ring and is ready to put it on his reluctant bride's hoof. "With this ring, I ask you to be...mine."

Soon the ring was put the stunned Twilight's hoof. The mare looks down in depression . Ben is not coming, he is trapped in that wedding with the corpse forever...there is no love or hope for Twilight oeft.

"I now pronounce you filly and gentlecolt." Nexus said, concluding the wedding.

No one cry in that church today, all but a certain grieving bride and she isn’t crying in joy…

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

Ben looks at the flowers that he was given in sadness while looking through the underworld. The poor Earth pony sighs in sadness. He was hoping to return to the mare that he himself loves...and now it's too late. Twilight has moved on and marry somepony else.

"I'm too late." Ben sighs as he throws the flowers to the ground.

"Not too late!" A voice exclaims crazily. Ben looks up to see a lookalike of Pinkie, only with a flatten mane bouncing in. "I am Pinkamena Diane Pie, Golden Heart's sister! Come on, I can get you out of here and back to Twiley!"

"Forget it. Twilight has moved one. She went to marry Blueblood. No surprise there, the guy has money...me, all I got is...well...this, I guess."

"Benny, hang on. There's something you must know! Twilight..."

Pinkamena was going to tell Ben how Twilight had no choice but to marry Blueblood but a familiar voice from the kitchen area interrupted her, "Lyra, I don't know what to do!" Out of curiosity, both Ben and Pinkamena peek into the area. As the chefs were cooking, Rarity was having a conversion with Lyra with Spike and Loudmouth watching. "I mean, Ben walked off without a word? Are all stallions like this?"

Lyra shrugs while removing a knife from one of the chef's heads to clean it up. The dead corpse said, "Not one of them are very bright, I'm afraid. They get something stuck in their heads and you can't do a thing with them at all."

"Hey, can you blame Benny?" Loudmouth asks Lyra with a frown. "His true love Twilight was marrying that jerk Blueblood while he is stuck down here in a dead end marriage with a stiff; Uh, no offense, Rarity."

Rarity was about to speak when a concerned Moochik came into the room. He spoke up, "Rarity, we must talk."

Bray was behind him smirks while shouting, "Come on! Can I tell her? Let me, let me; Ha ha ha!"

"Tell me what?" Rarity asks Bray in concern. What is this now?

"I'm afraid there is a...complication with your marriage." The Moochik spoke up grimly to Rarity. She, Spike, Loudmouth as well as the hiding Ben and Pinkamena looks concerned. What is the gnome talking about?

"I don't understand."

"Well, ever heard of the expression 'till death do you part'?"

"Oh yeah, that's simple. It's vows between living hosts when they get married." Spike explains to the Moochik, knowing what he's talking about. "They are binding until one or both die."

"Wait, what are you saying?" Rarity asks the Moochik and Spike at the same time, much to her concern.

"Death has already parted you." The Moochik said to Rarity grimly.

This announcement made Rarity gasp in worry while Ben, Pinkamena, Spike and Loudmouth look surprised. What the Moochik said made sense. Rarity herself was already dead when Ben 'married' her....but he is still alive! That means that the marriage is not legit at all! She is still cursed!

"You hear that Benny?" Pinkamena ask Ben with a smile. "You aren't married anymore. You can go home now and..."

"What's the point?" Ben asks Pinkamena grimly. "I may no longer be married but Twilight is by now. I don't know how I can move on without her..."

"Moochik, if Ben finds out, he will leave." Rarity said to the Moochik in worry. "Isn't there something you can do that can keep the marriage together?"

"Do you wanna stay with Ben because you love him or because you wanna get freed?" Loudmouth asks Rarity grimly, making the white unicorn concerned. "Yeah, I was told of your story and your lover."

"I...well...I think both, but still..."

"There is one way...but you aren't going to like it." The Moochik said to Rarity with a frown on his face. This made the white unicorn along with Spike, Loudmouth, Ben and Pinkamena surprised. There's a way to keep the Earth pony and the white unicorn's marriage together?

"Can I let her? Let me tell her, please!" Bray exclaims eagerly to the Moochik, much to Spike and Loudmouth's notice.

"It requires a great sacrifice."

"Come on, get to the good part, old gnome..."

"So what is it?" Rarity asks the Moochik in concern. What is this 'great sacrifice' that he spoke of?

Before the Moochik could answer, Bray beats him to it as he exclaims anxiously, "We must kill him!"

"What," Rarity, Spike and Loudmouth all yell out at once in shock and horror. Even Ben and Loudmouth looks stunned. The monsters are going to kill Ben just to secure his marriage to Rarity, even one that he didn't mean to want in the first place?!

"Hang on. I admit that we can't harm the living whenever we go upstairs but to kill him down here?" Spike asks the Moochik nervously and shocked. "Isn't that harsh? He's our friend! I can't bring myself to kill him!"

"Relax, Spike. We aren't going to kill him. Ben must do that himself willingly. You see, he must give up the life that he had forever." The Moochik explains as he turns some pages in a book that he brought, showing a poisoned bottle on one page. "Ben would need to repeat his vows in the land of the living and drink from the wine of ages."

"'Wine of ages'?" Loudmouth ask, getting worried by that part. "What does that even mean?"

"Poison," Rarity gasps in shock and horror. If anyone alive were to drink the wine, he or she will cease to desist!

"This stuff will stop his heart for all time. Only then would he be free to give it to you." The Moochik said with a grim nod.

Ben looks worried. To drink that stuff would mean that he would be dead and would never see his parents or anyone that he himself cares about again. The stallion was about to leave with Pinkamena when Ben saw a sad sight: Rarity is kneeling in depression .

"Oh, I could never ask him." Rarity said in sadness. She does not wish or have the heart (figuratively) to ask Ben to give up his life so she can stay with him.

Spike and Loudmouth looks concern....but Ben pauses to think then look serious as he came into the room, much to their and Pinkamena's notice. The Earth pony said, "You don't have to. I will do it."

"What," Spike, Loudmouth and Pinkamena ask in both shock and alarm.

"You realize that once you choose this path, you may never return to the world above. Do you understand?" The Moochik ask seriously to Ben, reminding him of the sacrifice that the living one will make should he agrees to kill himself.

As Ben helps Rarity up, he spoke with a nod, "Yeah, I do." Both the Earth pony and unicorn nods a bit.

As Rarity and the Moochik head off to make preparations, Spike said to Ben, "Ben! What are you doing? You're actually going to kill yourself to keep Rarity's marriage with you?! I mean, I thought you never wanted to be married to her!"

"And what about Twilight," Loudmouth ask Ben in sadness.

"Twilight has moved on without me...I cannot continue living without her. Besides, I would never forgive myself if I leave Rarity, saddened and without a love." Ben explains to his friends with a sigh. "Maybe in due time...I will get used to being her husband. Spike, I know how about you love her but...well..."

"Yeah, I understand." Spike said while looking down in depression . "Just promise me that you would treat her better as I would."

"I promise."

-----------

A while later, the group along with Rarity, the Moochik and Bray has gathered the undead all around them for a big announcement.

"All right, ponies; gather around; gather around." Ben said as the undead corpses prepare to listen, wondering what this is all about.

"Hoo boy; at this rate, this will end up in heartbreak for some other pony and it won't be Benny or Rarity." Pinkamena said while she shakes a bit. "And this is a doozy!"

"Ssh, I wanna hear!" Salty exclaims to Pinkamena sternly.

"We are going to do this properly. So grab what you can and follow us." Ben explains to the undead ones with a nod. "This wedding party will be moved upstairs!"

"Upstairs; I didn't know that we even got one!" An undead Pegasi pony exclaims to another one named Lightning Dust who smiles at the situation, "Sounds awesome!"

Pipsqueak turns to a foal corpse named Dinky Doo, saying, "Sounds creepy." Winona barks a bit.

"Yeah, let's go!" Dinky exclaims with glee. Everyone prepare themselves as a chorus begins to sing.

Chorus: A wedding, a wedding, We're going to have a wedding

As Ben prepares to go, Photo stops him while saying, "Ack! Hold it, Benjamin! You can't get married in zat!" The corpse pony whistles as her spiders came over causing Ben to yelp in spook. They got to work as the spiders fix his clothes, changing bits of it.

 

Spider Chorus: The spiders think you're very cute, but goodness knows you need a suit.
But have no fears, we're quite adept, we'll have you looking lovely, lovely, lovely
Lovely, lovely, lovely, lovely, lovely yet

As the spiders continue, Ben laughs while being tickled a bit.

A little stitch, a little tuck, some tender loving care.
A little thread will fix you up and we've got plenty as you see,
And personally guarantee our quality repairs.
A little here, a fix of this, We're going to do our best.
When everybody sees you, they will all be quite impressed.
They will all be quite impressed.

Once the clothing is fixed, Ben poses to an undead Earth pony named Professor Whack and an undead Pegasi named Blazing Valor, much to their approval.

Both: A wedding, we're going to have

We now see Lyra smirking while planning a wedding cake.

Lyra: A wedding cake is no mistake, it must be quite sublime

Staff Cook 1: We're missing something

Staff Cook 2: Try some dust

The staff put in an ingredient.

Lyra: I wish I had more time

Staff Cook 1: Perhaps there's something I can do, these bones might help a bit

However without warning, the staff accidentally knock the other member's nose off right onto the cake.

However, he accidentally knocked the nose off of the other member.

Staff Cook 2: Oh, my nose.

Staff Cook 1: Sorry.

Lyra on the other hoof scoops the nose up and taste the cake with a grin.

Lyra: Wait a minute, that's it

Staff Cook 1: A little of that

Staff Cook 2: A little of this

All: The perfect cake is hard to miss
A wedding, a wedding
We're going to have a wedding!

As a soldier pony prepares himself, the other soldiers sing in on the song.

Soldiers Chorus: Huzzah! Huzzah! We're going to have a wedding.
Hurray! A wedding! Hurray!
Let's all give out a cheer cause the bride is getting married today! Hurray!
One thing you can surely say is we will stand beside
Until the end, we will defend our one and only bride.
Our bride to be, our bride to be, our Corpse Bride.
Huzzah! Hurray! Huzzah! Hurray!
The bride is getting married today.

Tex: Oh, there she is.

Salty: Here she comes.

Soon everyone saw Rarity coming in with a bouquet, trotting downstairs gracefully. Loudmouth notices Spike trying his best not to cry...in sadness. The baby Dragon is doing his best to brave but how can he since the mare that Spike loves is marrying somepony else?

Female Chorus: Ohhhhhh....the bride is here.
She's waited for this day for many a year.
For this day, for this day.
Our hopes and our pride.
The bride is here.
Here comes the bride

The spiders then put the veil crown onto Rarity. She smiles, dancing right to the waiting Ben.

Here comes the bride
Here comes the bride
For this day, for this day will last forever
And all of her friends will work together.
To make it the perfect day she's always dreamed.
Our hopes and our pride.
Our bride, our lovely bride.

As the song is about to finish, the cake is done and everyone is ready. The undead, skeletons and the whatnot are about to head to the land of the living for the biggest wedding that both sides has ever seen.

Group Chorus: We're going to have a party like no-one has ever seen.
The Living in the land above will not know where they've been.
The Land above..(the Land above)
The party of...(the party of)
The Bride!!!
Here comes the bride.
On her glorious day of days.
Up to the Land of the Living to celebrate!!!

Once the song is done, Pinkamena looks worried. There may be heartbreak if this whole thing is done. What will happen next is up to the lovers themselves.

Author's note
Time for another wedding...from the Underworld. Spooky, eh? In the next and final chapter, the undead invades the land of the living for the wedding. Secrets will be revealed as Ben takes on Blueblood. And in the end, will Rarity be freed of her curse at last? Read, review and suggest.

Professor Whack is one of my OCs while Blazing Valor is an OC of Neros Urameshi.