Once again, SO sorry it took me so long to update! Hope to be faster!

Confusion

Unification and Ever-Lasting Elation

The bell was tolling; corpses of every form, from everywhere were headed toward the wide-open oak doors; tears of bliss were streaming. Ecstasy was in the air. Soon organ music drifted aimlessly through the crowd. Moonlight shone on every colorless blue face. The beauty of the scene was almost too much, let alone the emotions that the bride and groom were feeling already.

"Are you absolutely sure about this, Victor?" Emily asked. She was too excited to believe it was happening; she wanted to know for sure it was going to happen this time. All the excitement was being bottled up inside. This way, if her destiny came true, she could let it explode from her whether it be through tears, screaming, running in circle…

"Emily…even if I did change my mind, I couldn't leave…I mean, I'm dead." The tone he had used had not sounded at all morose, but more…compelling and light-hearted.

Emily smiled at him, and he smiled back.

"I guess we'd better get ready then," Victor said, breaking the silence and heading for the altar. Nothing was solemn and nothing was uncertain. Everything was said with a smile or through tears of bliss.

The wedding march was playing, and at last, for the last time, Emily was walking down the aisle. This time it was for real, and there was no going back. And anyway, why would either of them want to?

Slowly, at a bride's graceful pace, Emily sauntered up the aisle, reaching her destination – the altar. She and Victor exchanged a quick smile – each completely genuine – before turning to face Elder Gutknecht.

"Dearly beloved…and departed, once again," Elder began, receiving a small chuckle from the crowd. "We are gathered here today to join these two corpses together in ever-lasting matrimony," Elder said, putting emphasis on the final two words, but neither of the cadavers at the altar took any real notice to it; there was a hint they missed…and it didn't matter, because it was insignificant.

"Now Victor, since you are now dead, it will be the ladies first rule."

Emily nodded, closing her eyes, and turned to Victor, unclosing them. She looked up at him, straight into his eyes. "With this hand, I will lift your sorrows. Your cup will never empty, for I will be your wine. With this candle, I will light your way in darkness…with this ring, I ask you to be mine."

Victor smiled, nodded, and took a good, drawn-out blink. He opened his eyes to face Emily's, streaming with tears of ecstasy. It almost mad Victor cry. He could tell she would break down with joy if he didn't finish this soon. So, while at the same time trying to savor the moment and keep his vows audible and able to be understood, Victor half-rushed through his vows, the same ones Emily had just promised to him.

"Now you may exchange rings…and kiss the bride," Elder Gutknecht finished, ending the service…nearly. Victor handed Emily back the same ring she had returned to him the fateful night; it brought back so many bittersweet memories that they could both barely contain them selves. Time seemed to be moving in slow-motion; it was almost too much to take. Then, slowly, Emily slipped an identical ring onto Victor's finger; they were two of kind, just like Victor and Emily themselves. Surely no one ever before had been joined or had met in the way they had.

Then, slowly, that driving feeling they'd both been having since before they'd begun the service pulled their lips together. At first, it came slow, both of them moving in, and then, they dove into it like a sea of rapture. They left the world they were in, as if they were lifted to cloud nine. They were in a field of flowers…but not just any flowers…paper flowers of every kind. They couldn't die, like the love that was between them. Candy clouds drifted above them in a resolute plum sky. Rain began to fall; this was such paradise. The rain whispered a story of never-dying love; love that never even faded or grew old.

It seemed like forever before they pulled apart to find themselves back in the now empty church. They took a moment to be thankful for what a fortunate windfall had been given them. A moment of peaceful silence between the two of them…well, the two humans, that is…there was the one they had thanked.

From that moment on, all they felt for eternity was elation. It was numb euphoria because it never ended, but that didn't stop it from being rapturous.

Hand in hand, the two headed for the Ball & Socket Joint for the reception.

-XTC-

Okay, that took me far too long. NO need whatsoever to rub it in. I know. I'll try to be faster now. But since school started, it's been harder. First year of high school.

-LD