Against all Odds
Chapter 1- The Deal
PD, to anyone who reads this!
This story is yet another AU (I love AUs, I can't help it!), but has some elements of continuity from my other story, 'Tears of Despair and Joy'. This version is a different version of La Muerte's pregnancy and Marigold's birth, which includes two figures from both their pasts that seek to win them back... whether they want it or not. Bwahaha!
Enjoy!
The Land of the Forgotten had never been so dreary. While it was naturally twisted, dark and cold, the area around that place was especially scary to anyone. There wasn't a single soul who dared approach; even the Lord and Master of the realm didn't visit that places that much anymore.
Aimé didn't know why she came here, but it was in part because she had to speak with the being imprisoned here. It had taken her a long time to find this place, considering the realm was practically almost endless, with no boundaries. This prison was located in the darkest region of the Land of the Forgotten, where no one would disturb it, or perhaps it was for another reason? Aimé turned into a blur of marigold petals and flew through the thick bars of the only window, then heading towards the dark floor and materializing into her true self once again. As soon as she stepped into the room, green torches flared up and the green glow reflected on the obsidian walls.
The prisoner of the dark jail stirred, a giant scaly shape stirring under thick chains of the strongest iron. Red scales turned copperish under the green light, dark eyelids cracked open, revealing yellow eyes with slit pupils, fixing on the shape in front of him.
"Hola, Víbora." Aimé greeted the snake coldly.
The snake stirred a little more before he spoke, a black tongue slithering. "Well, look who it is." His voice was smooth, like that of oil running down a pipe. "What brings you here, Amy?"
"Nothing I particular, I just thought you might be a bit lonely. I mean, all those centuries trapped in here without anyone to talk to…" Aimé smirked. "And, I thought you might be interested in my proposal."
If he could, Víbora would have raised his head, but the chains prevented him from doing so. "A proposal?" he hissed, his interest sparking. "What kind of proposal?"
"You know, you and I have so much in common." Aimé started walking closer to the serpent. "We both fell in love with someone who didn't return our feelings. We were both banished from the Land of the Remembered. We both want our revenge, or at least that's what I presume, but am I right?"
Víbora remained silent for a few seconds, before he replied. "You have no idea how much time I've been wanting to tear that tar-head for robbing me of the love of my life. But I'm trapped here, in case you haven't noticed."
"I can fix that."
Víbora stared at her in confusion as she approached. Aimé touched the chains with her hand, and with a flash of golden light the chains all fell to the ground limply. As soon as they did, Víbora stretched himself out, his long scaly body shifting around the room, the marks of the bounds healing. Víbora looked down at Aimé.
"What exactly do you have in mind, if I may know? If your plan consists on harming her, you can forget about it." He hissed at the last part.
"Oh, no, no, I'm smarter than that." Aimé replied. "If I did something to my big sister because of me, he would never forgive me, and that's the least thing I want. Especially in her condition…"
"Condition? Is she alright?" contrary to a few seconds later, there was genuine concern in Víbora's voice when he asked that question.
"Better than ever." Aimé spat. "I want to propose you that we work together to get them back. Don't worry, I will not harm her, as long as you don't harm him. If it works perfectly, in the end we'll have what we wanted; you'll get La Muerte back, and I'll have Xibalba for myself."
"How can I be certain you won't double cross me?" Víbora narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
"Me? It should be me who asks that question to you. I know your reputation, you never give what you promise."
"Dear, dear Amy." A sly smile formed in the snake's lips. "If it's about my dear La Muerte, I am a man of my word." He extended out the tip of his tail to her. "Do we have a deal, cariño?"
Amy stared at the blood snake's tail for a few seconds, reconsidering her options, before she smiled evilly and shook the snake's tail. "Deal."
The Land of the Remembered had never been so filled with overjoy. The news had ran like gunpowder, as soon as everyone learned that their beloved Queen was expecting a baby. It was still a few more weeks to go until the little came into the world, and yet there were so many changes in the whole realm, particularly the palace. All potential dangers for the child were being either removed or altered, and there was an air of anxiety and joy in the atmosphere. It didn't matter that the baby's father was the dreaded Xibalba, he, or she, would be a very adored child.
At that precise moment, La Muerte tended to her plants in her balcony, holding a metal watering can in one hand to water her thirsty flowers, the other resting on her swollen belly. She hummed a small tune for her unborn child, feeling as he/she moved inside her womb, giving little kicks every now and then. Casually taking a peek downwards, she spotted a familiar black shape, meters beneath, arriving on his mighty black steed. The men in charge of the stables soon approached, taking the reins of the black horse just as its rider dismounted, then leading it away. Before the dark shape could go into the castle, a beam of light flashed and another familiar shape, this one chubbier and colored like candles, materialized. Judging by their body language, the dark shape wasn't very excited to see the other spirit.
La Muerte giggled, before she continued watering her plants and her little song. She stopped abruptly and her eyes went wide when suddenly she felt a excruciating pain in her belly, and clutched it protectively yet gently. "Not now…" she trembled, leaning on the crystal tea table. "It's too soon…!"
The watering can fell all the way down, right next to the two gods. Xibalba and the Candlemaker were startled by the loud clang of the metal, and stared in confusion at the now dented watering can as its contents were spilled, wondering where it had come from. "What the-?!"
"XIBALBA!"
The dark god looked up in shock and dread when he heard his wife's voice calling out for him in pain. Was the baby coming?! It couldn't be, it wasn't due to arrive until two more weeks! He immediately took flight with a might flap of his powerful crow wings, nearly sending the Candlemaker flying (he did send the Book of Life and some Remembered flying, however) with the gust that came, and flew toward his wife's balcony at the speed of missile, landing juts next to the tea table, and bursting into her chamber. "La Muerte, we have to get a doc-!" He noticed too late his wife was in bed underneath the velvety covers, with all the calm in the word, yet there was also a sign that she was a bit tired by what just happened, her large sombrero resting on top of the hat stand. Carmen Sánchez was placing a cup of hot tea next to her lady's night table, and showed no actual surprise that the dark lord had not used the door. "-tor."
"It was a false alarm." Carmen assured the male god.
"Sí." La Muerte added, sitting up a bit in her bed and rubbing her belly tiredly. "Just a really strong and painful kick. It hurt so bad I just… dropped to the ground."
Xibalba relaxed and allowed his lips to curve into a smile. "That's not the only thing that dropped to the ground, mi amor. I think you'll need another watering can, my dear."
La Muerte giggled at her husband's remark. "I'm sorry for that, Balby."
"It's okay, mi corazón." Xibalba walked to the side of his wife's bed and kissed her head. "I'm just happy that you…" he looked down and placed his large, gloved hand on the bump underneath the blankets, his wife's swollen belly. "…and you, are both okay."
Someone giggled from the door. The Candlemaker was trying his best to contain his laughter, even the Book of Life was vibrating, as if suppressing giggles, at seeing their fellow deity acting so cuddly. Xibalba frowned in annoyance at the Candlemaker, and a thought came to his head. With a devilish grin, he placed his snake staff on the bed, and snapped his fingers; the doors slammed shut, hitting the Candlemaker in the nose and making him cry out in pain from the outside. Now it was Carmen who was containing giggles, but La Muerte didn't find it funny at all.
"Was that necessary, Xibalba?" the Goddess crossed her arms and frowned mildly at her husband.
"Qué? That'll teach him not to peek his nose into other's business." Xibalba snickered. "Literally."
La Muerte rolled her eyes, but soon she winced at yet another ridiculously strong kick, it was almost like the baby wanted to call its parents' attention once again.
"Caramba!" Xibalba laughed upon feeling his child's kick. "What a strong little niño."
"Or niña." La Muerte smiled.
"Either will be a blessing, mi amor." Xibalba whispered into his wife's ear softly, before kissing her cheek and looking at his hand as he stroked his unborn baby and felt it float dreamily in the dark. The fruit of their love.
"Milady, if you won't be needing me, I will be taking my leave." Carmen bowed her head lightly and made her way to the doors, opening one and walking out of the room, the last thing they managed to hear before the doors closed once more was the Candlemaker's protests.
Xibalba was soon resting next to his wife in bed, embracing her with an arm and wrapping her with a wing to keep her warm and comfortable. La Muerte was looking down at her abdomen and her hand was on top of her husband's as both stared adoringly at their little one.
"I just can't wait to meet you, mi bebé…" she cooed. Only two more weeks to go, and she would finally meet her child and hold her close, after months of seeing her body grow and looking for a name (which they had yet to choose, now that she recalled). After many months of feeling her fragile little legs kicking in the dark of her mature womb. After so many months of imagining blindly the color of her eyes and the sound of her voice.
"I can't either…" Xibalba whispered with a tender smile. He blushed when La Muerte stroked his cheek and planted a kiss on his cheek.
"I hope our little one looks like you, Balby…" she smiled.
"I'd rather have a little La Muerte running around." He chuckled, pulling his wife closer. "Remember when we were kids?"
"How could I forget? We'd have lots of crazy ideas. Well, in reality you had those ideas."
"Ah, but you went along with them."
Both remembered their childhood together. Their hours playing in meadows, doing mischief in the Land of the Remembered, playing tag and hide-and-seek and many other childish games, but overall, just spending time with each other. Had it been so long ago since they were those innocent children? Who would have thought time went flying so fast? One second they were playing hide and seek, the next they were to become parents for the first time.
"Balby, now that you're here, there's something I have to tell you." La Muerte spoke softly.
"What is it, my dear?" Xibalba inquired, his attention still on her abdomen as he stroked it tenderly.
"Lord Quetzalcoatl wrote and said he and everyone else are organizing a masquerade in honor of our baby." She grew annoyed that he wasn't listening to her, and got an idea to call his attention. "And we're facing an invasion of banana-monkeys."
"Okay." A while passed before Xibalba processed what his wife had jus said. "Banana-monkeys?"
"I said that Lord Quetzalcoatl is organizing a masquerade in honor of our baby." La Muerte replied with crossed arms and a mild frown. "He invited us to stay at his place for a few days."
"Oh, great. And here, I wanted to have you all by myself, and now turns out I have to share you with the other Gods? It's not fair!" Xibalba embraced his wife. "Can't we just tell them we're ill and cannot attend?"
"Xibalba! That would be rude! Beside, it's the perfect chance for you to make some friends."
Xibalba grumbled something under his breath, and buried his face into his wife's hair. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to go; it was only a few days, and then they would come back to wait until the baby was born. After a while, he lifted his face from La Muerte's perfumed waves of black hair and nodded his head. "Okay. I guess it wouldn't hurt the baby."
La Muerte smiled and kissed her husband's cheek, giggling when he blushed and grinned goofily. "I'm sure the baby will enjoy it too."
With those last words, the couple cuddled with each other in bed, and were soon slumbering deeply into the realm of Morpheus, dreaming with their child, not imagining the black storm that would come.
Aztlan.
It had been so long ever since he saw it. How much? Centuries? Millennia? He couldn't even recall it? He had been trapped for so long that he lost count of time. He could see the City of the Gods was still the same, and it hadn't changed at all. The golden pyramids, the crystal clear pools filled with small and colorful fish, the gardens in which nightingales, and quetzales singing and flowers blossoming. Everything was still the same.
Aimé didn't enjoy the view as much as her serpentine companion. She too had been absent from this place for a long time, for similar reasons, only that in her case the exile had been self-imposed. She didn't bear the thought of being close to the other Gods and Goddesses after they turned their backs on her. She had pleaded, begged them not to consent the marriage between her sister and Xibalba, yet her please fell on deaf ears.
"And how, dear Amy, are we supposed to get into Aztlan without the others recognizing us?" Víbora raised an eyebrow at the smaller Goddess. "Did you bring a costume or anything like that?"
"You think I haven't thought of that just yet?" Aimé snapped back, and formed an orb or blue light in her hand. "This spell will give us different bodies until we wish so, and it cannot be detected."
"Are you certain this will work?"
"You'd rather go back to that prison?"
No reply.
"Good. Now be quiet and watch." She released the orb, and tendrils of light enveloped the two spirits, morphing and changing their bodies to the naked eye. When the light subsided, instead of a giant red snake and a black-and-blonde haired Goddess stood a lady clad with white feathers and plumes, and a muscular man with reddish skin and black hair, but with some serpentine features such as a slithering tongue, slit pupil eyes and scaly skin.
"Puaj." Víbora spat, looking at his new form with disdain. "Couldn't you have gotten a more ridiculous disguise?"
"Stop talking nonsense! The purpose of the disguise is to prevent anyone from recognizing us, not show off and call the attention." Aimé snapped back, the feathers of her now red hair bristling. "Get that into your scaly brain."
"As long as I can close to La Muerte, I don't care if you turn me into a frog."
"Then do as I say and let me do the talking; if everything goes smoothly, we'll get the sheep to invite the wolves over to dinner." Aimé smiled devilishly, before she turned into marigold petals and zoomed towards the city. Víbora soon turned into withered leaves and went going after her as night befell upon the city.