YAHOO! Another work well done!

Well, in fact, I've been working on it since the end of last year, when I came across a movie poster. I could care less about the actors and actresses, but the title caught my attention and the idea of posthumous marriage (a.k.a. ghost marriage) brewed in my mind. For a long time I just couldn't get the story right and kept it on hiatus, until the burst of Halloween-related topics crashed into my life then I felt like finishing it.

Oh man, life is sucking the creative part of me...I've got many stories that I need to work on, but I don't have the sparks in me, so I'm really glad and grateful that I could get this done before letting it move to the trash.

Okay guys, here we go!

Ghost Marriage

"Oh, dear! That can't be—oh goodness, of all times and she's here right now…"

"What are you talking about, Tanaka-san? Is it about that old lady over there?"

"Please forgive me, Yamada-san, but I've forgotten that you're new in this area. You see, strange things about that lady don't just cease with her preferences for food, such as adding red bean paste or any strong-flavoured seasoning to whatever food…"

"Yuck, that's really disgusting! But what's more about her other than cooking?"

"Well…I…*gulp*, it was just last night when I accidentally walked past her block, which she resides all by herself. The lights were on and the curtains were pulled open, so I could see everything gin clear. I could see her move around and hear her speak, which I thought was odd unless she's delusional or gone crazy that she's got company. What I saw next was something I'd never forget: a sandwich's floating just behind her, then a huge corner of it disappeared…and within seconds the entire thing vanished!"

"I-It couldn't be! Oh, Tanaka-san, do you really think that it might be…a ghost?"

"I've only heard rumours, but I now totally believe what the others have said…"

As for the old woman herself, she waited patiently for the change at the cashier. However, her companion had a hard time to calm down, as his knuckles turned white. The air in the store grew heavy and thick and the cashier moaned in pain at his chest.

"It's alright, Ishida-kun." She said softly, smiling a little. "It's not anything fresh."

"After all these insults they've said about you?!" The equally-old man snapped, but somehow relaxed for a minute fraction upon looking at those grey sparkling eyes. He grumbled, "To Hell with them, those hypocrites…you deserve better than these…"

"I'm really grateful for your care, Ishida-kun." She replied, receiving the change. "But you know, we don't always have a say in everything, and the rules are absolute." She fixed her bag of groceries and nodded her head, "Thank you for your help again."

The man looked uneasily at the retreating figure, "You're welcome, Inoue-san."

==*O*==

Under the setting sun, Orihime trod down the streets on her wobbly weak legs, her bag swaying by her side. Anyone would help an elderly like her once they see her, but it would never occur in her case; they would just flee at the sight of her approach. After all, she was someone who would bring bad luck and disasters to those near her, and that was just a milder expression—for some even called her "witch" or "youkai", just because of the "extraordinary marriage" the neighbours have rumoured she had:

They said that she had a ghost marriage, and was married to a passed husband.

However, the thing was that was wrong: she was technically not a married lady, for she lost her husband-to-be before she could be addressed as "Kurosaki Orihime".

She could still remember that catastrophic day vividly when the earthquake hit. It was so severe that the entire Karakura Town was reduced to chunks of smithereens; that was what the normal said, and the spiritually-aware knew it was something else: it was the work of a band of avenging Arrancar. They put landmines around the town, aiming to erase it from the face of the earth. Everybody—be them Shinigami, Visored, Quincy, Fullbringer, and even mere spiritually-aware humans—fought tooth and nail, but in the end they were just a step too late. Thanks to the awakened spiritual senses, Tatsuki, Keigo and Mizuiro escaped in the nick of time, bringing Karin and Yuzu along.

However, they had totally forgotten about Ichigo's lifeless body, left on his bed. Yuzu cried herself to sleep, Keigo sweated profusely and panicked about what to do, and Karin, Tatsuki and Mizuiro blanched when they beheld the crushed bloody body. The others were totally tongue-tied, and words failed Ichigo as he trembled in anger. Urahara diagnosed that the body was way beyond healing, even for Orihime's powers, thus they heart-wrenchingly declared that Kurosaki Ichigo was dead, at the age of 22.

- Flashback -

"Well, that'd really spare us from all your troubles in the future." Rukia smirked.

"Indeed; you littering your body over the places give us headaches." Uryuu said, pushing his glasses. "We always had to 'clean up' the terrified crowds you'd created."

"Shut up; as if I had any choices!" Ichigo grumbled, raking his hair in annoyance. "The biggest current problem is that I'm dead and don't have a proper body anymore, what about the wedding?! Of all times and it's just tomorrow…are you kidding me?!"

It was scary when the whole crowd of people took in a breath at the same time, as the thought sank into their minds; for a while they have forgotten about the event. If it was just only them the spiritually-aware, everything would be fine. Unfortunately, they have invited some ordinary guests whom have never got involved in ethereality. Certainly, these people would outright freak out when they saw the bride on her own, going through the procedures of the entire ceremony without the groom by her side.

"I'll give you a gigai so that you can have the wedding as any normal human can. You can use it as well whenever you come over to here." Urahara offered generously.

"Then we'll do it again in Seireitei!" Rangiku chirped. "Kimonos and shrines…!"

"Shut up, Matsumoto!" Toushirou's snap was drowned by the chorus of voices. Their enthusiasm brought a smile on Orihime's tear-dried cheeks. Even as a Shinigami, knowing that in one way or another she and Ichigo would become a married couple, Orihime believed that the worst was now behind them. Everything would be alright…

- Flashback -

Now that she think of it, she was being too naïve back then with such thoughts. Of course, Fate would not be generous to you just because you have saved the world, and this also applied to Ichigo. Just as they were in heated discussion of the wedding, somebody from Soul Society came and instantly whipped him away to the Central 46.

When they have all rushed back to Seireitei, everything was, yet again, too late:

Even as a Substitute Shinigami, Ichigo's potent was horrifying to the Central 46. However, as he was not classified as a soul for being "temporarily dead on occasions", they could do nothing about it but merely hoping nothing catastrophic would happen, and the judgement remained unchanged even with the outcomes of the Winter War. At the very moment of Ichigo's announced death, they could finally make their move: without particular charges, he was sentenced to be locked up in the Nest of Maggots.

The former-ryoka group protested fervently, backed with some close Shinigami, the Visored and even few Captains, even though they knew the consequences clearly. Displeased with them, the irate elders wanted to order their executions by Soukyoku, but that would mean losing the Captains in Soul Society, the best of them all, as well. In the end, after a whole-day talk with just the Captain Commander, they announced: Kurosaki Ichigo had to be locked up in a cell room in the Nest of Maggots for 60 years. If he was proved to be harmless and would not pose any great danger to Soul Society, he can be released and then be trained to be a full-fledged Shinigami in the Academy. During the training, he was prohibited from leaving Soul Society to any other realms, and only when he earned a seated position can he finally step out of the perimeters.

After he came back from the meeting, for the first time in all recorded history, the old Captain Commander apologized to Orihime that this was the best he could do, and the orders were instant; they could never have the wedding they have longed for. Albeit shocked, she accepted without a word of protest, to everyone's bewilderment.

Shortly they made it back to the Real World Orihime had to cancel the wedding, saying that the groom was lost to the earthquake. After the empty words of comfort, the guests left without staying longer to console her. She understood their situations; they had their own lives. After all arrangements to call off the wedding were finished, with the great help from Tatsuki, Uryuu, Chad, Mizuiro and Keigo through everything, she moved out of her apartment to the house, meant as the home for her and Ichigo.

Many feared that the "widow" would hole herself in there and not leave a step, but she proved them wrong when they witnessed how she rushed around the house, readying for the day's work. Yes indeed, Orihime was not one to be so easily defeated, and would never give up without showing resistances, like her "gone" husband-to-be. Relieved with nothing more to worry about, they returned to their normal busy lives. However, they knew nothing of the reason Orihime kept herself occupied and hectic: it was out of the fear for loneliness, and she could not stand being alone in the house. To keep that loneliness at bay, the only things she could do was to be buried by work, or wearing herself out to near-death in fitness gyms after vigorous workout sessions. One day, she saved an infant whose parents have just passed away in a Hollow attack, and then decided to adopt and raise it as her own child, which she would never have. With the new baby girl named Yumi by her blood parents, the house became livelier.

Even though she was raising Yumi, Orihime never missed the thoughts of Ichigo. From time to time her Shinigami friends would come and relay the latest information: Rukia and Renji going to tie the knot, giving the Captain Commander Birthday fiestas, the Captains making small jokes on the Squad members and many more funny things. They would never forget to tell her that even in the Nest of Maggots, Ichigo was fine. He was locked up in a separate cell like Kurotsuchi Mayuri had been, but soundly fine. Compared to other news, that was all Orihime needed to know, and she was grateful. Occasionally, Rukia or Rangiku would say Ichigo should get straight to being a Captain, screw it being some seated officers, even before he would get out from the Academy. By that way he could go to the Real World and reunite with her without further delay.

Also a spiritually-aware, Yumi has been ridiculed since she would talk to nobody, only at the tender age when she could not identify which were souls or living people. When she got into high school, she became Soul Society's third Substitute Shinigami, despite knowing the results of her predecessors. At first, Orihime was on tenterhooks: Yumi has sustained various injuries at the first three months for being new to the job, but as she grew accustomed to it, the urgent needs for Orihime to heal her grew less.

That was when the rumours began to stir up: many bloodstains on the pathway, Yumi would be fully healed within minutes when came back wounded and bandaged, and not to mention Orihime often seemed to have an unseen barrier surrounding her, blocking unknown shocks or restoring damaged things beyond repair within seconds. By cause of the house was named as "Kurosaki" instead of her maiden name "Inoue", and how unnatural things often happened in the house, people then made up stories. Orihime did not know it at the beginning, until she healed a passed out lady's injuries, and heard how she shrilled "WITCH!" with Yumi, Uryuu, Tatsuki and Chad next to her, then she understood why recently, people would look at her with horror and disgust. By saying she had a ghost marriage, they explained to themselves about the oddities, and how she could perform all those supernatural feats that they could never fathom. Needless to say, her friends were furious, even going to tell her to move out of town. Orihime objected sharply, insisting to stay and wait in the house Ichigo may return to. They respected her decision, but they became hostile to those who badmouthed her.

Years flew past, and everything changed: when Orihime was in her mid-forties, Yumi found the ideal one who cherished her and accepted her dual identities heartily, and she moved out of the house—and the town—to start her new life. Ten years ago, the then-mid-seventies Kurosaki twins passed away because of a terrible car accident, and Isshin returned to where he truly belonged, bringing his daughters along himself. All these years, her close friends lived and aged, now being senile ones of the society.

Ichigo was released from the Nest of Maggots eight years ago when she was 82, and he spent six years in the Academy to study all he needed to become a Shinigami. Now, he was recruited into the Fifth Division, and said to be promoted in near future.

==*O*==

A birthday should be looked forward to and celebrated with tons of merriment, but Orihime was not in the mood for hers tomorrow. She could not comprehend why; she just did not feel like partying. Perhaps she was thinking too much of Ichigo today, the day of his "death". She weaved across the living room and closed up the curtains, just in case her Shinigami friends might come to visit in their soul forms again tonight, and stirred up another uproar in the neighbourhood. Last night was just a coincident: Rukia and Renji showed up to notify her of the party they were going to throw for her. So many people were to join, and it was going to be a boisterous round of merriment. They talked and talked and without realising it, it had been a whole afternoon and so, out of hunger, Renji chomped the sandwich without seeing that he was not in a gigai.

"I'll have to tell them to keep in mind next time…" Orihime muttered to herself, tucking the last curtain when she knocked over a small photo frame. She picked it up, and a sad smile crept across her face as she studied it. Shot as she was a young adult, it was the only picture she had with only Ichigo in it. Wearing their best kimono robes, they took it after the Coming-of-age Ceremony, and it was the loveliest day in her life: they had been going out for a few years, and after Isshin took the photo he proposed. Witnessed by their friends with gapping mouths, her answer was unmistakably "yes".

Both of them were so beatific behind the thin glass—even Ichigo did not scowl. They were smiling sunnily at the camera, and gosh—would you look at that Orihime: rich auburn tresses, luscious full lips, lively grey eyes, painted with a perfect makeup. Those were a damsel's pride. But what of now? Eyes glued at the girl in the old photo, Orihime stumbled over to the sofa, sat down tiredly and stared at the other one in it. After a while, she put it beside her and looked to the dainty altar on the left-side wall. The picture of her late brother was no longer alone, with a scowling man next to him.

"It's been over 60 years, Ichigo." She said softly, fearing to break the still silence. "You know, I'm going to be 90 tomorrow. But the thing is…I'm afraid." She swallowed. "You won't be aging a single bit in Soul Society…but look at me—a deflated ugly hag. Even if I were to go to over there at my rightful time…it's so impossible for us, right?" As she spoke, a stray tear rolled down her dull wrinkly cheek as her dry lips quivered. She heaved a melancholic sigh, sensing a heavy wave of sleepiness overwhelming her. She stroked the frame as she let herself to be drowned in the deepest subconscious…

She has once asked Ichigo of the feeling when he left his body to become a soul, but she never got any very concrete answers from him. When she now experienced it, it was not as unpleasant as told in stories: a small nudge and a push, and she was out. It was nonetheless peculiar, staring at your fleshy body lying lifelessly in front of you…

A strong light behind her filled up the room, and a round paper door appeared. A familiar reiatsu—strong but soothing—descended and signalled someone's arrival. Fluttering clothes ruffled, two light taps on the floor…and everything was dead silent.

"…Orihime," Ichigo's rich baritone voice drummed her ears. "I've come for you."

"You being here must mean that you're ranked, right?" She said, not facing him. He scowled, puzzled why she would not turn around to have a glance of him. Besides, he longed to see her face, not her back! When he stepped forward, she cried, "NO!"

"Why, Orihime?" He said alarmingly. "I thought you've missed me all this time!"

"Yes I have!" She replied, her voice torn. "But I'm not the Orihime you've loved! That Orihime has become ashes and gone! I'm now nothing more but a wrinkly hag!"

Ichigo had his tongue tied, gawking at her back incredulously. A snort came out, then he chuckled, and soon he was roaring in amused laughter that his stomach hurt. Feeling hurt, Orihime finally swirled around to knock the crazed man down when…oh. She then knew why he laughed as she rushed over to the full-body mirror behind him. Her greatest fears were only her imagination as her soul form was at her prime youth. It was like a fantasy for her to have rough skin, grey hair and slouch form of an elderly. Unbelievingly, she stroked her long-missed silky locks and flawlessly smooth cheeks…

"Urahara-san's said that once a person gains a good portion of spiritual powers, the aging speed of the soul would dwindle. Given your current high level of reiryoku, it's understandable that yours retains the form when you first used Shun Shun Rikka." After controlling his laughter in some minutes, Ichigo explained and walked up to her, wincing a little as he felt her jump under the touch of his hand lying on her shoulder. Still, he waited patiently for her. He was never a meek one, but he could be if for her.

It took Orihime a while to adapt to his presence and then turned to look at him. Her eyes roamed over his face, as if to find any differences between the past and now. She reached out her hands to touch his cheeks and without any beforehand warnings, tears swelled in her eyes and flooded out of the brims, soon she was wailing nonstop. Her legs grew wobbly that she leant forward to Ichigo, arms thrown around his neck. Ichigo bit his lip as he circled his arms around her trembling torso, cooing soft hushes. After she has calmed down, she dislodged herself from him to look at him more fully.

"You're a captain." She said with a smile, noticing the white cloth over the black. "Not just any seated officers but a Captain. I expect nothing less from the man I love."

"Those old chaps had to drag off!" The displeased scowl in his tone was evident. "The others had tried to make me Captain before I even graduated from the Academy, but those 46 geezers just had to keep on saying no, even I've defeated not only Aizen, but also several other Captains! So, I still needed to climb up on the ladder by myself, though I must say that many were pulling strings to make my promotions even faster. My Taishu was last month; now Hirako is too happy to shrug off all the duties to me!" He growled as he remembered the blonde Visored's grin, spelling, "It's ya turn now!" "I'm so sorry I hadn't come earlier, Orihime…I was so into getting promoted, and I—"

"It doesn't matter to me." She stopped him softly, looking into his eyes lovingly. "All that matters to me now is that you're safe and sound, and you've come…for me."

No more words were needed as they expressed their raging feeling with actions. Ichigo bent as Orihime tiptoed, closing up that inch of a distance in-between to a kiss. They sucked each other's lips with hunger like a ravenous glutton at sight of banquets, and drank in each other's presence so like a dehydrated man by an oasis in the desert. The kiss lasted until their mouths suffered and their lungs screamed for more oxygen, but even if they broke apart from lips they did not release each other from their hold.

"You're performing…Konsou?" Orihime said, head buried against Ichigo's chest.

"But if I do, you will be sent to somewhere in the vast Rukongai," He murmured. "You may be sent to somewhere like Zaraki or Inuzuri, but that's not the main thing," His arms tightened around her, conveying the fears that he would not reveal so easily. "I've waited for nearly 70 years…and I don't wanna waste just another second more."

Those words made Orihime smile, and nearly shed a new torrent of fresh tears. "Then don't leave me behind. Be it Soul Society, Seireitei, Hueco Mundo or even Hell, just bring me along with you. Even if it's a great sin, I'm with you wherever you are…"

Ichigo chuckled. Such silly and even nutty words; this was the Orihime he knew. "I need to open the Senkaimon, so step aside for a while, Orihime. I need my hands."

"No! I don't want to!" She giggled, nuzzling into his chest. "Besides, you let go!"

"As if I can!" He laughed as well, knowing well that he did not want to let her go. Both laughed like idiots until one portal opened to have Rukia and Renji stepping out.

"Just cut it out, the two of you!" Rukia snapped. "Time's turning us into fossils! Just haul your asses over to Soul Society and get that ceremony done, you sick fools!"

"It's my business, you bean woman!" Ichigo rebutted. "No need for Renji here!"

"Here just because of her—" Renji tried to escape, only to be silenced by Rukia.

"Anyhow, just come!" The petite Shinigami said. "Women need time to dress up, and they are at their best for their weddings! I don't care if you mind any of it or not, Kurosaki-taichou, but we need to make your bride presentable with so many things!"

Poor Orihime totally had her brain fried. "Excuse me, but what ceremony is it?"

Rukia's eyes bulged, glaring fierily at Ichigo as if accusing him of a serious crime. He immediately spilled the beans, "Well…we've tracked your reiatsu for quite a while, and so came to a conclusion that today's your death day. And that crazy Matsumoto! She took the liberty to organise our wedding and your birthday party together today! She didn't even ask me for my okay! Doesn't she see that I'd like to do it in my way?!"

"If we're letting you do it in your way, God knows how the wedding will go on." Rukia spoke sarcastically. "Anyhow, if you fail to be there in half an hour you're dead." With that, she led a yelping Renji in tow back into the portal and vanished from sight.

After the shock has settled, Orihime asked, "Uh…how'd you do it in your way?"

"I've asked that myself so many times I lost count." Ichigo answered her wearily. "But at the very least I'd want to ask you again about it," He gripped Orihime's hands, and just like in the past, he knelt on one knee, "Inoue Orihime…will you…marry me?"

"Even after so many years, my answer remains no matter the time." She smiled, tears-glazed eyes gleaming lovingly at his overjoyed face. "Yes, I will, Kurosaki Ichigo."

With the widest grin and without the slightest bit of creases between his brows, Ichigo stood up and after pecking a small kiss on Orihime's cheeks, he turned around, drew his fabled huge Zangetsu, stuck it in the air and twisted it to open a Senkaimon. With everything done, he looked back at her, "We'll get your things later. You ready?"

"For everything." She replied, her smile never wavered a little bit. Hand in hand, they walked past the blinding light to be greeted by their immense group of friends…

lovol * lovol

"But since you're so famous—not to mention even Captain—it's not just them, but the entire mass of Shinigami in Seireitei are at the celebration! It lasts for 13 days, as we have to go to every squad to receive all their felicitations and each one a day…"

"Err…but if it's with the 8th Squad, then we might be forced to stay a day longer. This gives Kyouraku-san the best reason to have more sake without getting an earful."

"Oh, and the same goes to Rangiku-san as well! Toushirou-kun would be livid…"

"Nah, he'll finally have a chance to not complaining for once. He'd be grateful."

"Let's hope that you'll survive the visit to the 11th Squad…oh, my dear groom!"

"C'mon…surely Kenpachi won't make it into a ruckus when Yachiru's having fun, and when the boss's quiet, so would Ikkaku and then everyone else would just party. I would just worry what would become of us on the 12th day. Kurotsuchi can be scary, with his insane ideas of turning us into orange lab-rats for his whatever experiments."

"Then we'll be severely mutated into Robo-Rats!" Orihime squealed ecstatically, her mind spinning a new story for those modified rats and their mad scientist creator.

Reclining on the sofa comfortably, Ichigo looked at her adoringly as she went on. Who would have imagined that one day he would join in her ridiculous story-making, when he was supposed to be the one with a sane mind to rein her wildest horses in? But since he understood her, he knew that she would make crazy talks when nervous. After an hour, he pulled her into a tight embrace by her waist, causing her to squeak. He stroke her hair lovingly, "What are you worried about of the wedding tomorrow?"

"…I'm not scared of the world." She confessed quietly, slightly trembling in fear. Under his encouraging look, she dropped an octave lower, "I'm afraid of losing you…"

"You don't ever have to sweat about it." All things cleared, Ichigo smiled at her. "First: it'll take some decades later for me to really pass over to Soul Society. Second: I'll always stay by your sides, be then I'm a human, Shinigami, ghost or even a Hollow. Third: they dare to separate us? Humph! Go on and try that and they'll soon regret it, because I'm moving Heaven and Hell to keep you by my side! You can count on that!"

With a growing smile, Orihime snuggled into his broad chest, inhaling his scent. Yet still deep at a corner in her mind, the Little Blue Men kept creating her crazy tales, saying normal weddings are fine, but ghost marriages make everything sound better!

Thanks for viewing! Reviews are always welcomed! ^3^

Kuroi Kokoro 09