L&DH: Hey, you guys!

Tegan: Come check this out! *hunched over a laptop* We've got 51 reviews!

Salem: Now way!

Dante: Let me see!

*Dante and Salem push Light and Tegan out of the way*

Angelique: *claps hands together* Merci, everyone!

Dante: Oui! L&DH doesn't own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, or The Corpse Bride. Just the story and OCs. Which is doing better than I thought…

The teens all fell with a hard "Thunk!" on the floor of Gutknecht's tower. Tegan's head banged painfully on a trunk while Salem and Vanitas landed in one of the many piles of books scattered around the place.

"Ow…" Tegan blinked away tears. "Leave it to me to…"

"You lied to me!"

Everyone turned to see Emily push Victor away from her. Salem blinked in confusion at the undead bride while Sora and Riku merely raised an eyebrow. They had been to Halloween Town after all. So this wasn't their first encounter with the "living" dead.

"You lied, just to get back to that other woman!" Emily accused, voice cracking and tears forming in the corner of her eyes.

"Don't you see?" Victor protested. "You're the other woman."

"No! You're married to ME! She's the other woman…" As Emily broke into sobs, Kairi rushed up and put a comforting arm around her.

"She's got a point, Vic." Tegan muttered as she pulled herself up.

"And I thought…And I thought this was all going so well…"

As Emily began to cry harder, the others looked to Tegan for answers. She sighed, knowing she would have to explain everything sooner or later. But now wasn't the time.

"Later." She mouthed.

"I'm sorry." Victor walked up to Emily. "But this just isn't going to work."

"And why not?!"

"Under different circumstances, well, who knows? But we're just too different. I mean, you're dead…"

"I don't exactly know what going on here," Salem frowned. "But shouldn't you have thought of that before you married the poor girl? Really, dude."

Victor sighed frustratedly. "You don't understand, it was a mistake! I would never marry her!"

Emily let out a gasp just as Victor realized what he said. Before anyone could stop her, Emily wrenched herself from Kairi and fled down the stairs.

"Emily, wait!" Kairi took off after her.

"Emily, stop!" Tegan turned around and glared at Victor before running down the stairs.

"Dude, that was harsh." Salem bristled. "You never talk to a lady, living or dead, like that…"

Wham!

Victor's hands flew to his head as Angelique rushed by, staff swinging from hitting him. The witch paused outside the door and turned to Vanitas.

"Vanitas, look after ze boys, s'il vous plait. Some one must remedy ze situation and I fear the presence of all of you will only make things worse."

Vanitas nodded and Angie took off on her broom. Turning around, he saw Victor staring blankly at the doorway.

Idiot.

…

…

"Okay, so what happened, Tegan?" Kairi asked as the three girls chased after Emily.

"Okay, so before Victor accidentally married Emily," Tegan explained. "He was engaged to another girl up in the Land of the Living, a girl named Victoria. That's why Victor has been trying to get back home."

"I see." Angelique nodded. "Zat would explain 'is rather odd behavior as of late. But zat does not excuse such cruel treatment of Emily!"

Tegan did have to agree. She knew that it was all an accident, but after all Emily has been put through, Victor could have had a little more tack. Nobody deserved something like that, it was just unfair.

"Look!" Kairi exclaimed as Scraps came running around the corner.

The three came to a stop as the little dog recognized them and bounded over. Scraps ran up to Kairi and dropped a veil, yapping excitedly. Kairi picked it up and turned to the dog. It could only belong to one person.

"Show us where Emily is, Scraps."

The little dog took off and led them to a secluded part of town. Tegan spied Emily on a bench, looking miserable, with Claude the maggot and Ms Widow the spider comforting her.

"Maybe he's right." Emily sighed. "Maybe we are too different."

"Maybe he should have his head examined!" Claude exclaimed. "I could do it!"

"Well perhaps he does belong with her. Little Miss Living, with her rosy cheeks and beating heart…"

"Aw, come on, Em. Tell me you don't really think that?"

Emily looked up and saw Tegan, Kairi, and Angelique walking up to her. Kairi sat down next to her and put the veil on her lap.

"It doesn't matter whether you've got a heartbeat or not." Kairi said. "What matters is what's in your heart."

"Totally." Tegan agreed. "Who wouldn't love you, Em?"

"Oui." Angelique smiled. "You 'ave such a wonderful personality. You are a true belle, dead or not!"

Claude jumped up onto Tegan's shoulder as Ms Widow climbed onto Kairi's.

"What does that whispy little brat have that you don't have double?" Claude asked.

"She can't hold a candle to the beauty of your smile." Widow pointed out.

"How about a pulse?" Emily replied bitterly.

Tegan threw an arm around the bride's shoulders. "Overrated by a mile. Trust me."

"Overbearing!" Kairi exclaimed.

"If 'e only knew ze you zat we know…" Angelique sighed as Emily turned away from them.

"And that silly little creature isn't wearing his ring." Widow encouraged, pointing one leg at the gold band around Emily's finger.

"And she doesn't play piano, or dance, or sing." Tegan listed with a smile. Well, she knew Victoria couldn't play piano at least.

"Non. She does not compare!" Angelique proclaimed.

"But she still breathes air." Emily pointed out.

"Emily, you're missing the point." Kairi said. "That stuff doesn't matter. If you can show him how special you can be, then you've got it."

"Show him the you that we know!" Tegan exclaimed, jumping up on the bench with her fist raised to the air.

Emily looked at all their smiling faces and sighed deeply. Pushing herself off the bench, she walked away.

"If I touch a burning candle I can feel no pain. If you cut me with a knife it's all the same…" She leaned her head against a wooden door. "And I know her heart is beating, and I know that I am dead. But the pain here that I feel, try and tell me it's not real. I know that I am dead, but it seems that I still have some tears to shed…"

The girls looked at each other and rushed over.

"The only thing that separates you is a heart beat." Tegan agreed. "But it doesn't matter! We're all gonna die anyway, so why bother worrying about it?"

"You can't let this get in the way of your happiness, Emily." Kairi sat down next to her. "You are a wonderful person, and your heart is very bright. Trust me, I know. I can see the light inside your heart and that's what matters."

"We all see it, ma cherie." Angelique knelt down in front of Emily and smiled up at her. Her fear be damned! She just had to cheer Emily up and get her to see reason. "Maybe Victor is not ze one for you. But you will not know unless you try. You need to show 'im who you are! But you can not assume that just because you are dead and 'e is alive that you do not have a chance."

Summoning up all her courage, Angelique reached out and put her hands around Emily's bony one. Emily gasped and looked at the young witch in wonder. The others smiled at each other when they noticed no fear in Angelique's bright eyes.

"Trust me, mon amie. You must give it a chance."

…

…

In the Everglot mansion, Vitoria's pleas to help her beloved fiancée fell on deaf ears as her parents slammed the door in her face, the sound echoing throughout the entire manor. There would be no discussion; she would marry Lord Barkus and that was final.

In the shadows of the hallway, Barkus watched the whole scene with amusement. He turned around and strutted his way down the hall, pausing to stop and gaze at Victoria's portrait. He reached out a hand and stroked the painted face, leering wickedly at it's serene expression. But to him, Victoria's face looked almost miserable.

"Oh, my dear." He crooned. "No, don't look at me that way. You have only to suffer this union 'til death do us part. And that will come sooner than you think." He turned to a column near him. "Is that not right, my friends?"

A childish laugh rang eerily from the shadows. Into the light stepped three, black-clad figures; one tall male, one tall female, and one smaller child, tripping over his long coat. The child threw back his hood and shook out his red hair.

"You got it, my Lord."

Dante inwardly gagged at having to use that title. He didn't feel like giving this man any courtesy, after he had made fun of his age. But his partners, in order to complete their mission, made it clear that he was to play along until the time was right. So he would put up with this pompous windbag. For now.

"Leave it to us, sir." The female replied.

Barkus nodded and went back down the hallway to his rooms, leaving the three Organization members to themselves.

Dante growled and sat himself down on one of the staircase railings. He was tired of tripping over the hem of his stupid uniform. Why couldn't he have one that was actually his size?

"How much longer do we have to put up with this?" he whined.

"Until the mission is complete." The female replied exasperedly. "How many times must I tell you this, Young One?"

"I wasn't talking to you, 11. Just shut up, will ya?" Dante barked.

"Dante, enough. You know she's right." The last figure sighed, revealing the distorted voice of 10. "At any rate, the time is almost upon us."

Dante brightened up. "You mean it?" 10 nodded and the boy rubbed his hands together. "Finally, I was getting bored."

Tegan: Alright, what are you guys up to? *stares suspiciously at Dante, 10, and 11*

Dante: None of your business, peasant!

Tegan: What did you just call me, runt!? *lifts him by his hood* I could drop-kick you over a fence if I wanted to!

L&DH: *watches the two argue* Here we go again…

11: Eh, what else is new?

10: What do you have planned next, Mistress?

L&DH:…No offense, but why would I tell you that?

10: *shrugs* Can't blame a Vessel for trying.