This idea came to me and I wanted to write it. :)
The Corpse Bride belongs to Warner Brothers. This story takes place during the fight between Victor and Lord Barkis and contains some movie spoilers.
The Right Man For Both Brides
Victor dodged another swipe from Barkis, who growled angrily, swinging his weapon again, but the young man dodged, spotting Emily and Victoria nearby, watching with horror and hope that Victor would win. He looked and spotted a familiar skeleton nearby and dodged another swipe from his enemy. "Bonejangles," he said urgently. "Get Emily and Victoria to safety."
The skeleton nodded. "You got it, kid," he said. "Give that creep the what for."
Victor nodded and dodged again, using the cooking fork to the best of his ability, being careful as well.
Victoria was afraid for Victor, the man she truly loved, and gasped as he dodged another swipe from Barkis' sword. Two bony arms suddenly wrapped around her and gently, but urgently, pulled her back. Emily, noticing Bonejangles was getting Victoria to safety, quickly followed and the skeleton gently pulled her into a hug. "Don't worry, I gotcha both," he said reassuringly.
Victoria gasped in surprise, but having already seen the skeleton before, she didn't move away, but watched Victor surprise Barkis and put some distance between them. "Victor," she said softly.
A bony hand rested on her shoulder. "Don't worry, love. Victor will win," Bonejangles said gently. "He's got something that creep doesn't have."
She looked at him curiously and he winked at her. "A lovely bride worth fighting for," he said.
"But...I'm still married to...to that cad," the young woman said sadly.
"We'll find a way to nullify it," Emily said, placing a kind hand on the young woman's shoulder. "Barkis doesn't deserve you. Victor does."
Victoria looked at her. "Is...Is it true?" She asked. "That my...husband...killed you?"
The corpse bride nodded softly. "Yes," she said. "He made me believe we would be married and that he was in love with me. But he didn't mean it and he not only killed me, but stole from my family."
The brown-haired woman gasped. "The money," she said. "He wanted money, but...my family is almost penniless right now."
"He would have no doubt hurt you the same way he hurt our Emily if he didn't know that you didn't have what he was really looking for," Bonejangles said, now glaring at Barkis, who was trying to pin Victor into a corner, but the young man moved quickly, avoiding being cornered.
Emily glared at the man too. To think she had once loved him, but now she knew that he never loved her or Victoria. She shook her head. She wasn't going to let Victoria fall under the evil man's spell as she had foolishly done so years ago.
Bonejangles stood in front of the girls protectively, watching the duel while Emily turned to Victoria. "Victor is meant for you," she said, a gentle smile on her face. "You are his rightful bride."
Victoria looked at Emily's left hand, where the gold ring shone on her ring finger. "How did you and Victor get married?" She asked.
Emily smiled softly. "He unwittingly proposed to me," she explained. "He was practicing his vows and didn't realize that what he thought was a tree root was my hand."
The young woman blinked. "He was...practicing his vows?" She asked. "To whom?"
"No one," the corpse bride said softly. "But I believe he was rehearsing them for you."
Victoria looked away for a moment. "The priest certainly made him nervous," she said.
Emily smiled. "You should have heard Victor in the woods," she said. "He sounded so confident and his voice was filled with love, something that seemed to awaken me and...I was so desperate to have my dreams that had been ripped away from me to come true."
She sighed. "I didn't know about you until we came up here the first time and he had gone to see you," she continued. "I began to wonder if I was good enough for Victor, but...he came and apologized to me and we made amends."
The young woman looked at her, smiling. "He is really sweet, isn't he?" She asked.
The blue-haired woman nodded. "He is," she agreed.
Victoria then wondered something. "Why was Victor going to take a drink from that goblet before you stopped him?" She asked.
Emily bit her lip lightly. "After he learned of your marriage to Barkis, he was devastated and we both learned that our marriage wasn't official, as I was already dead and Victor wasn't," she said. "The wine of ages is in that cup and I learned Victor would have to die in order for our marriage to be official."
The other woman gasped softly, but the corpse bride gently shook her head. "I loved Victor too much to ask him to drink the poison. He chose to do so of his own free will, but...doing so would have robbed him of something that had been stolen from me. Life."
She smiled softly. "While we are alive in a way down below, Victor deserves to live," she said. "And seeing you standing there watching us made me realize that I was being selfish in wanting to marry him. That's why I stopped him from drinking the poison. I couldn't in good conscience let him do so and give up his life for me."
Victoria looked at Emily, seeing that she was being truthful and seeing that the corpse bride really did love Victor. She loved him enough to let him go and live life and marry the woman he truly loved. "You really do love him?" She asked.
Emily nodded. "Yes," she said. "Enough to let him be with you."
Bonejangles smiled. "Ah, Em. You always had a heart of gold," he said. "Barkis didn't know what he threw away."
The corpse bride nodded before looking at Victoria. "Victor loves you," she said. "Will you promise me something?"
"Yes?" The younger woman said.
The blue-haired woman smiled gently. "Take good care of Victor?" She asked.
Victoria nodded before looking at her. "What is your name?" She asked.
The corpse smiled. "Emily," she said.
The other woman nodded. "If Victor and I have children and we have a little girl, we'll name her Emily, after you, her aunt," she said.
Emily looked surprised and a few tears slid down her face. "You'll be a wonderful bride for Victor and mother for yours and his children," she said.
"I agree with Emily," Bonejangles said, smiling before he took off his hat and pulled something from it. It was a string of pearls and he smiled. "May I?" He asked Victoria.
Curious, she nodded and the skeleton placed the pearls around her neck. "Something I found long ago," he said. "And I've heard a bride needs something borrowed for her wedding."
Victoria smiled. "Thank you," she said. "They're beautiful."
Just then, they heard a gasp and looked to see Victor had been disarmed and Barkis was about to strike. Emily moved fast to intervene. Not this time, she thought to herself.
Moments later, it was over and Barkis was now paying for his crimes as the inhabitants of the Land of the Dead weren't going to let him get away with hurting their Emily and nearly hurting Victor and Victoria, as the inhabitants were fond of the two.
Some lingered and Victoria asked them to witness her wedding to Victor and even asked Emily to be the maid of honor, something the blue-haired woman graciously accepted.
Once it was official that they were now a couple, Victor and Victoria walked back down the aisle, where they received warm wishes and congratulations. Bonejangles was leaning against the door of the church and he smiled at the two before looking at Victor. "You were the right man for both brides, Victor," he said with a smile. "The right one to free our Emily and the right one for the lovely lady on your arm."
"Thank you, Bonejangles," the young man said.
Victoria fingered the pearls around her neck before moving her hands to remove them and give them back to the skeleton who had kindly lent them to her. He smiled when he saw what she was doing and gently caught her hands in his own. "They're yours to keep," he said, surprising her again as he took off his hat, holding it as he smiled again. "A gift from a friend and well wisher."
She smiled. "Thank you," she said before giving him a chaste kiss on the cheek, making him smile again before he winked at Victor.
"Yup, you definitely have a gem there, Victor," he said.
Emily smiled too before giving Victor a chaste kiss on the cheek. "Thank you, Victor," she said softly.
He took her hand and gently squeezed it. "Take care, Emily," he said softly before looking down at Scraps and picking him up. The skeleton dog licked his face happily and Victoria giggled, loving the little dog already.
Smiling, the blue-haired woman felt a gentle touch on her arm and turned to see Bonejangles was offering his arm to her. She accepted and they began heading back for the Land of the Dead. "You're free, Em," the skeleton said gently.
She nodded. "Yes," she said. "Thanks to Victor."
Victor held Victoria close as she hugged him in return, feeling happy that she was married to her true love. He was also happy and vowed to never forget Emily, who had helped him to stand up for himself and who had given him and Victoria her blessing. "Goodbye, Emily," he said softly.
She heard him right before she and Bonejangles entered the portal. "Goodbye, Victor," she said softly. "Thank you."
He had been the right man to not only set her free, but also the right man to set Victoria free too.
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GoldGuardian2418
