Big thanks to everyone reading! Another huge thanks to Sunrise Phoenix for the review!
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Hello, everyone! Since it is Halloween, I was watching a few of my favorite flicks and of course on the op of that list is "The Corpse Bride" from Tim Burton. A thought occurred to me and as a lot of my other fan fictions come about it was also a dream I had: What if somethings were changed, such as the characters involved? Let's give it a try! I present to you: The Mummy Groom! I do not own rights to the characters of "The Corpse Bride" nor Yu-Gi-Oh!
I hope you enjoy!
Summary: To save their family from the poorhouse, the head of the Gardner family has arranged for his daughter to marry the wealthy Kaiba's heir. Neither of the involved young adults wish for the union but what are they to do? Tea, distraught, decides to run away…but maybe that is the wrong choice of words. A mysterious man appears and offers a solution when an accident occurs.
The Mummy Groom
New Arrival!
His hand, the one that looked normal thankfully, kept a gentle hold on her own as they stepped out from the canopy and bit back a smile as she all but threw herself against him as a scarab skittered past. Brief alarm filled him when we caught sight of some of the local deceased peering at them from around a nearby stone pillar. It was rumored that when one gained consciousness in another country's underworld that their main place of dwelling would manifest within the local land of the dead. He supposed that they would be fairly alarmed to see such a magnificent palace manifest within their otherwise dismal dwelling and courteously bowed his head slightly in their direction before his attention shifted back to his companion as she took notice of their audience. She must have known a few of them, judging from how taken aback she was. "They must look much different to you now since the last you last laid eyes on them."
"That's an understatement." Tea stiffened as they were suddenly swarmed, surrounded on all sides by the people she had once mourned over. Each was looking a bit lacking in either limb or flesh way and she had to swallow the panic that had risen within her chest. The smallest of sounds managed to slip up her throat as one of the skeletons came closer and patted the top of her head. Her hand lost his as she was gathered into an awkward hug form who was once the butcher of town before he had passed of an accident with his cleaver.
A skeleton wearing a black and red headband studied her from head to toe then laughed heartily. "Looks like we've got a live one!" This earned a collective gasp and they began to shepard the pair towards the main chamber. "You two sit tight and we'll prepare you the best feast that ever was even for the pharaoh here! In the meantime, why don't you pair take a seat?" With a clap, he directed their attention to the throne at the head of the room before turning to address the rest of the group.
She remained blindsided as he settled into his designated and familiar place on the left, sighing when he realized that his lacking hand had removed itself once more and was patting the throne next to him invitingly. He blinked in surprise when she carefully collected it and slowly lowered herself into the seat. "I think you lost something important." Tea couldn't believe how well she was taking things as she passed him his limb. Her eyes met his own, further surprising them both with how she shyly reached for his other hand. The tension in her body seemed to lessen when their hands met once more. "I apologize, my first reaction to everything probably didn't make me come across as the best impression."
"None of this would be easy for anyone. I'm more surprised that you aren't handling it any worse. It shows that you have courage and an open mind." He shook his head, glancing briefly out at the bustling locals as they moved about in their preparations. "I appreciate honesty in all of its forms. One must never apologize for providing truth."
Her eyes widened at his words. No one had ever called her courageous, let alone thank her for how honest she could be. "You don't look much older than myself and yet you speak with such wisdom. I'm sorry, I haven't even asked for your name yet."
The skeleton reappeared with a poof of colored smoke, a bag in his hands. "Ah, so you are curious about him, are you? Will his excellence allow me to tell the story?" It bowed deeply when given permission and sprinkled a bit of the bag's contents over Tea's head, earning a yelp. "But first, let's spruce up the little lady's threads." Her lacking under gown was replaced by one made of similar fabric and style to her companion's attire, gently hugging her figure in more ways than any clothing that she had heard of available in the shops, and atop of her head rested a slim band of gold that matched the pair around her wrists that were connected to the dress's straps on her shoulders by incredibly light see-through material. In a blink of an eye she was transformed from lowly peasant to Egyptian princess. She looked up from her own examination of her new clothing in time to see her companion's cheeks dust with pink just before he turned his head in the other direction. "Don't be shy now, tell her how good the girl looks!" The skeleton humorously tapped the silent ruler's shoulder and earned a huff.
He slowly turned back to her, his eyes meeting her own after a second of hesitation. The blush was hard for her to spot with his skin being so dark but there was no mistaking it: the pharaoh was blushing as he looked upon her. "You…" What words could he possibly say that would even come close to how she appeared to him? His hand rose and collected a few strands of her hair, brushing his lips against them as a gesture of respect. "…are beyond words. Not even the the life giving Nile can come close to your beauty."
Heat flooded her being as he settled back in his throne, hands rising to cover her cheeks as he cleared his throat when laughter filled the air as the skeleton moved to the center of the room. "Alright, enough ring-around-the-rosie! Gather round, one and all, for a story is about to begin!" The lights vanished until the only source was the spotlight on the storytelling skeleton as it adjusted the black headband it wore. "The names Duke but most call me Devlin Skellington, but enough about me, let's get on with the show!"
Music began to play as a few other skeletons appeared off to the side, each carrying a different instrument that neither of they had seen before. Tea's excitement grew as the tempo rose and fell, her finger tapping the stone throne armrest. This drew the pharaoh's attention and he blinked as one of her feet joined in the tapping. What he didn't know was how much she was struggling to remain seated. There was an itch to dance that she had been stifling for so long that it was nearly impossible to ignore but she swallowed it down. Hearing the story was much more important right now to her.
"I'll tell you a story that'll make even the banshees cry of our visiting royal groom. Let's go back a few years, couple millennium to be exact, to the times when Egypt was a glittering empire! There was a young man, the same fellow here, who was crowned the pharaoh of the blistering sands! His mercy was as gentle as his punishments were befitting of crimes committed. A just ruler that could never be better and the people of Egypt slept soundly as he sat upon his mighty throne but trouble arose for our handsome beau! His handsomeness was known for miles, women flocked him from dawn til dusk, but his eyes were transfixed upon his true love. A mysterious stranger came into ton with the girl in tow. Down on his cash, he was prepared to barter the dancer girl for a fortune of gold to the right bidder, and he thought his luck had turned when the pharaoh himself proclaimed his heart to the girl. Though the fallen pharaoh offered more than enough the man's greed demanded more. Overhearing the man's dastardly plan to kill the man she had fallen for, the girl slipped into the palace late one night, pinning to warn him before the deed could be done."
Tea's eyes met the pharaoh's as his grip slackened, spotting smoldering anger stoked by a grief that seemed bottomless. Her fingers gently brushed his own when he was struggling to swallow a noticeable lump. Though it had been so long ago it must have felt like just yesterday for him. Lips parting, she wished to offer him some sort of comfort, but they closed when no words came to her. All she could do was simply listen to the tale and reminded him that she was there with a brief squeeze of his hand. This earned a startle from the pharaoh but he offered her the smallest of smiles.
"So they conjured a plan to marry that following night. Not a soul knew, they kept the whole thing tight. Though her clothing was lacking, nothing more than her dancing clothes, he thought she never looked more fine! You don't need much when you're really in love except for each other's hands to hold! Next to the Nile they met, on that fated night, on a dark foggy bank at a quarter to three. He was ready to wed but where was she?" Devlin waived a finger. "There, in the water, could that be her? His heart gave a stutter when the moonlight revealed that cold feet weren't the cause, but the thin cold blade through her chest was. He fell to his knees as he gathered her in his arms, heart splitting in two as her eyes showed no soul. Little did he know that behind him lurked a shadow darker than night. With a flash of moonlight off the water's surface, his world went dark."
The skeleton approached them, his head bowing low. "When he opened his eyes, he was dead as a dud. The girl was swept away by the Nile's strong current and his heart was bust. So he made a vow, a deal if you may, with the mighty Anubis on that night that he'd wait for his bride to come set him free. Always waiting for someone to promise their love naught for gold or jewels but for true love in return. All it took was a few centuries and a trip halfway across the world!" His bony hand grasped Tea's, pulling her to her feet and twirled her with flare. "When out of the blue comes this groovy young dame, who vows forever to be by his side, and that's the story of our mummy groom!"
His words caused her alarm and she quickly pulled away from him as she shook her head. Everything could be chalked up to a strange dream or even a hallucination but she knew what she didn't say! "Whoa, hold up, I never said any of that!" Tea shook her head, hands rising to wrap around herself. "This must all be a mistake!"
"Oh, doll, you don't know all details yet!" Devlin waved a hand and a spotlight appeared on the opposite end of the room. His finger trailed across the engraved figures and earned a gasp from Tea. " 'Soul seeking warmth, with heart purer than gold, thine longing shall end when the first spark flies. The mighty Anubis and Horus will answer thy prayers so chose thine words carefully! Across time and plaines they will search for thy perfect match.' " Her eyes flashed to the silent pharaoh, finding his expression one of deep thought, then back to the skeleton as he laughed. "Who would have thought that his own descendant would help them along the way! That young man and his grandfather discovering the Nameless Pharaoh's tomb was not by chance, it was all preordained! They carried the mighty pharaoh's sarcophagus across the great sea, with the great Egyptian Gods always watching, but none would have guessed that you would spark that flame! Upon your fingers the mark of favor," it pointed out the never noticed until now. "The Infinity Loop now binds the pair together!
Her heart pounding, she turned and fled the room, eyes darting every which way as she took alternating turns. It wasn't until she couldn't hear the strange music anymore that she fell to her knees next to a large window. Hands shaking and sweat beading on her forehead, she curled into a ball and gently rocked herself back and forth. Any second now she would wake in her bed with her coward of a father demanding morning brunch…at least she hoped. "Never thought I would miss my wretched father," she mumbled as a tear trickled down her cheek. "What am I supposed to do now? Not only am I betrothed to marry Kaiba, which is bad enough, but now I'm married to an ancient mummy pharaoh who looks nearly identical to my best friend?" Tea's tear filled eyes clenched shut when footsteps came to a halt in front of her.
The Nameless Pharaoh longed to reach out and offer her comfort, but he simply settled for sitting across form her with crossed legs. The posture was unfamiliar to him but it seemed appropriate if he was going to be there a while. Each tear she shed felt like a dagger to his unbeating heart. What could he possibly do that would make her feel any better about the situation though? His eyes closed as an idea came to him and began to whisper under his breath. Tea's curiosity got the best of her as his whispering reached her ear, causing her tears to pause and a lift of her head. For several seconds she simply watched him as he recited what sounded like an ancient prayer and tilted her head when he opened his eyes with a smile. "In my time, we have a tradition known as the 'shabka' where the groom gives his wife-to-be jewelry." He drew her attention to the necklace that had remained around her neck despite all the commotion and she instinctively reached up to caress it. "I gave my beloved that necklace the night before we were to be wed."
"That makes no sense," she shook her head in disbelief. "this was given to me by my mother."
He nodded, glancing upward as a shadow fell over their beings when a figure appeared in the window. "She was near the Nile when we met our ends, your ancestor, and though she tried her best she was unable to save my bride's life."
"Through the centuries, we've passed it down so as to keep the legend of their love alive." Tea's eyes widened as a feminine voice caused her tears to return, arms wrapping around her from behind.
The pharaoh bowed his head as the woman took a seat next to Tea. "The second gift I have for you is one that I hope you find acceptable." His only answer from his bride was a wail as she wrapped her arms around her deceased mother, both women crying softly into each other's shoulders.
See you all next time!