Guys, this is a MHBTY spin-off that occurs after the story's conclusion, but don't take me wrong, I will finish the original! I just couldn't wait to post this, after so much writing of La Muerte dead in ToDaJ I need a bit of motherly affection! Anyway, I hope you'll like this one shot!
When a woman becomes a mother, her child becomes her top priority, over parents, over pets, over everything, the little one becomes the center of her universe and she vows she will never let any harm come upon her baby.
This couldn't be truer with La Muerte. After giving birth to Marigold the little one was instantly the light of her eyes, she was a very loving and caring mother. She'd make sure her child was happy and she'd always rush to her as soon as she started to wail, no matter at what hour or under what circumstance. Xibalba would smile everytime he saw his beloved wife so happy with the prospect of motherhood, sometimes he even felt a bit left out, but La Muerte would giggle and call him to come closer and hold their beautiful child. Xibalba adored his daughter with all his heart, and he was playfully dorky, he'd often tickle the baby's belly in hopes of making her giggle.
The first week down in the castle was spent in making all the environment safe for Marigold for when she learned to crawl. All sharp edges and potential dangers were either removed or altered in some way, the doorway to the kitchen now had a small fence to keep her from going inside and, of course, long baby fencing was placed on top of every single stair in the castle. Emilio, Regina and the others had a rough week in following their master's instructions as much as possible.
Marigold turned out to be a curious and smart little baby, even for her age. She loved seeing her parents' faces, and would reach out her tiny hands while giving out gurgles and coos everytime she saw them, and she loved the toys and trinkets her father made for her, but sadly she couldn't grasp things yet, she'd just either reach out her arms with closed fists to them, or lock her eyes on them. She ran her fingers through mami's hair or papi's beard most of the time.
That night, Xibalba was heading towards the nursery with the warm bottle of milk for his baby, shifting his shoulders and stretching out his wings. Man, fatherhood was not an easy task, and yet he enjoyed every second of it, even when his daughter cried in the middle of the night. When he arrived at the door, he stopped momentarily when he heard singing coming from the inside. Quietly, Xibalba opened the door lightly and peek into the room. He saw his beautiful wife walking around the bassinet, cuddling a small bundle of pink in her arms, he saw the baby's little arms reaching out for her mother's face. La Muerte was smiling sweetly, singing a lullaby to Marigold as the little one yawned, snuggling against her mother's chest.
Xibalba smiled as he heard her nightingale voice, he loved to hear her whenever she sang. He felt terrible in having to interrupt her, but Marigold had to eat. He knocked the door before going in; La Muerte ceased her song and glanced at her husband with a small smile. "What took you so long, Balby?"
The dark god chuckled. "Sorry, mi amor. Had a little problem with the stove."
"Don't tell me you can't warm up a bottle!"
"Not that kind of problem."
Marigold protested, gurgling in annoyance at having her lullaby disturbed. Xibalba chuckled. "Sorry, mi florecita. I brought your meal." He lowered the tip of the bottle to her lips, and she immediately latched on and suckled. La Muerte smiled and gently took the bottle from her husband, watching as Marigold enjoyed her meal. Xibalba chuckled and pulled both his wife and child closer, wrapping his wings around them, and planting a small kiss on La Muerte's cheek, earning a small giggle. But La Muerte noticed there was something bothering him.
"Is something wrong, Xibalba?"
"N-No, Muertita, everything's fine…" Xibalba lied, but unfortunately he was not good dissimulating. La Muerte noticed.
"You've lost your touch in lying, Xibalba."
Realizing it was no use, Xibalba sighed. "The cursed beasts are getting out of control again, Zipacna said that some of them managed to climb up here."
"They're here?"
"Not yet. I sent Spectral Guards to dispatch them, but they can only do so much. Thankfully the Forgotten Beasts will take care of them before they get here."
"Have they ever gotten this close?"
Xibalba didn't want to worry her any further, but he felt he shouldn't lie to her. "It's the first time they've come so close to the castle. " He flinched when he saw La Muerte's expression turn fearful, and placed a hand on her shoulder. "But I will not allow them to come any closer, my love."
"What if they manage to get inside?"
Xibalba smiled reassuringly as he stroked her cheek gently. "I promise you, mi amor. Even if it were to happen I will not let them near you nor our baby."
La Muerte smiled and rubbed her cheek against her husband's hand, until Marigold filled her belly and released the teat of the bottle, but she started to wiggle in her mother's embrace and sobbed. Xibalba had the feeling of what was going on, and gently took his daughter into his embrace; he accommodated her so that his hand was on her back, just between her wings, and then he started patting.
"Xibalba, what are you doing?" La Muerte inquired curiously.
"Trust me, let me handle this one."
UUUURP!
Both La Muerte and Xibalba jumped when Marigold gave a small but loud burp, and then started to hiccup. They laughed, though Xibalba soon bounced Marigold in his arms when she started to sob once again, and stroked her cheek with his thumb gingerly. La Muerte smiled and grabbed unto his arm as she watched him speak sweetly to their daughter.
"And here you were saying you weren't father material."
Xibalba blushed. "You know sometimes I tend to say things I don't mean." Finally Marigold yawned, and snuggled deeply into her father's embrace, her eyelids shuttering. Xibalba smiled once more as he headed towards her bassinet and carefully placed her down, tucking her in. Marigold's attention soon was drawn by the mobile hanging just above her little head, and let out gurgles as she reached out to the hanging little colorful figures. Both proud parents watched as she eventually fell asleep, snuggling into her blankets.
"We should let her sleep, mi amor." Xibalba whispered into his wife's ear. "Tomorrow will be a new day."
"I know, Balby…" La Muerte sighed. "I've been thinking… Could we take her to San Ángel someday? I'd like to show her our favorite spot."
Xibalba smiled and kissed her head. "Nothing would make me happier, mi corazón. I bet she will love it."
Both gods started to head out of the room, La Muerte waved her hand to lower the lights to a dim glow, looking back one more time before she and Xibalba left the room.
It happened at about one o' clock.
La Muerte had a bad feeling, something told her a bad thing was going to happen. It bubbled up in her chest and sent red flags through her system. She snuggled deeply into Xibalba's embrace in her sleep, hoping that his warmth would somehow make her feel safe, but it only worsened. Suddenly, both gods were awakened by a loud and frenzied knocks on the doors. Xibalba growled under his breath, reluctantly unwrapping his arm from around his wife's body and left bed, putting on his purple robe as he glided towards the door. He opened the door and found Emilio and Roberto outside, terrified beyond reason and looking as if they had seen the devil himself.
"What?!" Xibalba hissed, his wing muscles stretching out from being numb for so much time. "This better be important, you two! Why do you wake us up at this hour?!"
"My Lord, the Cursed beasts-!"
La Muerte bolted out of bed when she overheard those two words, and Xibalba became pale. "The cursed beasts?! What's with those monsters?!"
"They're here!" Roberto cried out in despair, looking down the way they had come. "The spectral guard couldn't eliminate them all, there were too many! Some of them managed to get inside! Your brother is already trying to fend them off, but they dispersed, we don't know where they are-!"
Xibalba felt his heart skip a beat. La Muerte gasped in horror, if those monsters were spread out through the castle, and they could be anywhere…
Marigold!
"Go look for the others and go find somewhere to hide!" Xibalba immediately barked at the two lizards; as much help as he needed, he knew they were no warriors, and wouldn't stand a chance against Cursed Beasts. The lizards nodded and sped down the hall. Xibalba then turned to his wife and grabbed his shoulders.
"La Muerte, listen carefully!" he said with great seriousness and worry. "Go to the nursery, lock the door and no matter what you hear do not open the door!"
La Muerte didn't like the tone of his voice. "What are you going to do?"
"I have to help Zipacna and the Spectral Guard fend those creatures off. They won't be able to drive them all away by themselves!"
"Don't go! It's too dangerous!"
"It's my duty to protect not only this realm as a King, I have to protect both you and Marigold as a husband and father! Do as I say!" he snapped.
"I can help you fend them off, let me go with you!"
"Absolutely not."
"You don't get a say in it!"
"I get a say in whether my wife and child are hurt! Cursed Beasts are not like Forgotten Beasts! They have diabolical intelligence! If they find Marigold and she's unprotected…!" he didn't want to imagine it.
"But-!"
"La Muerte!" Xibalba finally took her by the shoulders and glared worriedly at her. "Marigold needs you! Our daughter needs you! You have to go and make sure she's okay and protect her! We're losing precious time arguing!"
The goddess was reluctant to leave her husband, but her motherly instinct screamed at her to go to her baby and protect her from these creatures that threatened her life. She knew Xibalba was right. "O-Okay…"
"Good." Xibalba snapped his fingers, summoning a sword out of thin air and handing it over to his wife. "Take this in case you need it. Pay attention: if you hear my voice outside, don't open the door unless I tell you a specific word. Cursed Beasts are cunning; they trick people into letting their guard down to finish them off. No matter what you hear, do not open the door if I don't say the word I'm going to tell you."
La Muerte nodded hurriedly. "What's the word?"
The dark god brought his lips closer to her ear. "Golondrina."
La Muerte nodded again, and sped down the corridor in a blur of marigold petals. Xibalba watched her go before hurrying towards his armory, rushing inside towards the case where he kept his Sword of Seven Sins. He seldom used it these days, but better safe than sorry. Xibalba opened the case and took out his sword, then he flew out of the armory, heading towards the sounds of a fight echoing through the halls.
Meanwhile, La Muerte changes back when she is in front of the nursery doors. The goddess quickly hurries inside and closes the doors shut behind her, locking them and levitating a chair to the knob as an extra security measure. Then she quickly rushed towards the bassinet and takes a look inside. Gracias a dios, Marigold was still asleep, safe and sound with no idea of what was going on outside. However, the little one got her mother's sharp intuition even this early, and suddenly her little face distorts into a frown as she starts to wail.
"Shhhh…" La Muerte cooed as she placed the sword down and picked up her baby, holding her close to her chest. "Sh,sh,sh… Hush, chiquita, everything's going to be okay. Todo va a estar bien…"
Marigold recognized her mother's voice, and nuzzled against her chest seeking her comfort, still sobbing. La Muerte knows that if she continued to cry she'd draw the attention of any Cursed Beast, it they were nearby. She started to sing her daughter's favorite lullaby, rocking her in her embrace. Marigold quieted down a few seconds later, wiggling in her mother's arms.
La Muerte froze when she felt something. A malevolent, dark presence lingering in the hall just outside. It was like nothing she had ever felt before, it was if the being outside the doors was nothing but pure evil; she quickly placed Marigold back down in her bassinet, and covered her with a thin blanket; that way the creature wouldn't hear her, though it wasn't thick enough to keep her daughter from seeing what was going on. Marigold wiggled in confusion, gurgling and trying to get the blanket off her.
La Muerte grabbed the sword by its handle once more and pointed it towards the door, cold sweat running down her brow.
When the knob started to turn, bing prevented from opening by the chair she had placed there, La Muerte froze. The being from the other side tried a few more times, before it stopped, and suddenly a familiar voice spoke from the other side of the door.
"Muertita…"
La Muerte was momentarily relieved when she heard Xibalba's voice whispering her name, but when she was about to go open the door, suddenly her brain sent alarms through her system. Xibalba had told her not to open the door unless he said the word he told her. The goddess stepped back warily, tightening her grip on the sword's handle.
"Muertita, open the door…" 'Xibalba' whispered gently with a smooth voice.
"Tell me the password."
No reply.
"If you were my husband you'd know the word he told me." La Muerte said, trying to sound sure of herself. But she felt a shiver run down her spine when she heard a growl from the other side. Marigold overheard the growl from under her blankie, and started to sob while wiggling under it. La Muerte stepped back when the creatures started to pound on the door, and placed herself between the bassinet and the door, ready to take on the monsters should she have to. But her fear made the creatures more powerful, and it intensified when the chair at the door finally gave way, and the door burst open, startling Marigold and making her wail at full volume.
La Muerte's heart was drumming, her hands were trembling as she saw the invading monsters for the first time. They were larger than Forgotten Beasts, and rather than blue or green marks they were a fiery red, while their claws and fangs were sharper, and there was no primal bestiality in their eyes, rather a cunning cruelty and insatiable hunger.
Three Cursed Beasts stalked into the nursery, smelling the fear coming from La Muerte and the baby in the cradle. Their eyes were set on the bassinet, they were attracted by the little one's cries of fear. The Cursed Beasts licked their chops, they were eager to taste tender meat, one very easy to obtain, but first they'd have to get rid of the goddess that stood between them and their meal.
"Stay away from my baby…" La Muerte hissed at the creatures, her grip on the sword's handle tightening as she held it out towards them in a threatening manner. The creatures were closing in, approaching the cradle and trying to find a hole in her defense, and she did her best to block the three creatures.
The first pounced. La Muerte reacted and fired a blurry of marigold petals towards the monster, but it little effect other than knock him backwards, it didn't take it five seconds to get back on its feet. When the second lunged, La Muerte barely had time to react and drive the sword through its ribcage. The Cursed Beast roared In pain, falling to the floor, its black blood staining the floor, and a little of it sprinkling on La Muerte's pajama. La Muerte was horrified, she had never taken the life of any creature before, not even when her life depended on it. But her maternal instinct was very strong, if it had to be done for her child's sake, so be it.
Now she only had to worry about the remaining two Cured beasts. The first one lunged again, this time towards La Muerte, deciding to get rid of the obstacle first. La Muerte slashed the tip of the blade through its arm, but she didn't get out of the way in time, and the Cursed Beast's claws came into contact with her arm: the goddess contained the scream of pain, clutching the newly-fresh claw marks on her arm, biting her lip at the stinging sensation. The third Cursed Beast took advantage and ran in for the cradle. Thinking quick, La Muerte shot two energy blasts at the Cursed Beast, sending one against the wall and another against the changing table. She'd worry about the furniture later, right now all that mattered as Marigold's safety.
La Muerte quickly picked Marigold-who continued to wail and was wrapped in her little blanket-in her arms and held her close to her chest, picking up the sword in one hand and running to the farthest corner of the room. Marigold continued to cry, she was terrified, with no idea of what was going on, her mother's accelerated heartbeat made her know something was wrong. And it scared her. The little one buried her face into the crook of her mother's neck, trembling and wailing.
"Stay away!" La Muerte pointed the sword at the Cursed Beasts, clutching Marigold closer with her other arm. The Cursed Beasts got back on their feet, and once more stalked closer to the goddess and her wailing child, their hunger further augmented by the smell of La Muerte's bleeding scratches.
La Muerte realized she stood no chance against two Cursed Beasts with only one hand. Instinctively, she retreated against the corner, dropping the blood-tipped sword on the ground and clutching Marigold close to her breast, kissing her head with motherly affection, shushing her and stroking her cheek with her thumb.
"Shht, it's okay, mi bebé…" she whispered, terrified but attempting to sound calm. "I won't let them hurt you…" as the Cursed Beasts closed in, La Muerte muttered a spell under her breath, casting a protective incantation on her child in case she monsters came tried to harm her. La Muerte closed her eyes shut and shielded Marigold with her body as the Cursed Beasts lunged towards them with extended claws.
The strike never came.
La Muerte was frozen in fear, Marigold's cries were muffled by her little blanket, and both were further frightened when out of sudden the Cursed Beasts let out agonizing screams and fell to the ground with a loud thud.
"La Muerte?!"
She instantly reacted when she heard her husband's voice, and turned around to see him. Xibalba was standing there with both a mortified and relieved expression, his Sword of Seven Sins held tightly in one hand, blood dripping off its tip. The Cursed Beasts' bodies lay on the carpet floor, their black blood staining it, the corpses unmoving.
"XIBALBA!" La Muerte almost immediately rushed to his arms as he dropped his sword, holding both her and his child close protectively. She buried her face into the crook of his neck, holding Marigold closer than ever, her cries getting mingled with her daughter's. "Xibalba… It was horrible…"
"Shhh, it's okay, mi amor." Xibalba whispered, running his hand down his wife's head in a comforting way. "I'm here, I'm here… it's all over…"
The sound of his heartbeat had a soothing effect on her, but her wailing daughter caught her attention once more. La Muerte accommodated the little one in her arms, shifting the blankets away from her face.
"How's Marigold? Is she okay?" Xibalba asked, his attention setting on his infant daughter as he watched his wife bounce her in her embrace.
"She's safe and sound…" La Muerte sighed in relief, planting a kiss on her daughter's head, before turning to her husband and noticing the sleeve of his bathrobe was partly clawed. "How about you? Did those monsters hurt you?"
"Just a scratch, my dear, nothing serious…" Xibalba noticed the claw marks on la Muerte's arm, and instantly grew alarmed. "La Muerte, you're hurt!"
"Don't worry, it's not that bad…"
"We have to treat that immediately!"
Marigold had by then quieted down, and entertained herself with her mother's necklace, fidgeting with the gold medal curiously.
The night became quiet again when the Cursed Beasts were finally taken care of. Blood was mopped from the floor and carpets, the bodies disposed off in the lava pits, and wounds were treated. Thankfully, they were minor cuts, and could be treated with a simple healing spell. However, afterwards La Muerte did not want to separate from her baby and they took Marigold to their bedchambers. It was almost as if nothing had happened, but the memory was still there.
La Muerte had lowered the cut of her sleeping gown, and started to nurse her baby. Marigold suckled the sweet milk from her mother's breast peacefully, gurgling happily. Xibalba rested next to his wife, pulling her close with an arm to comfort her.
"Are you sure you don't need anything, mi amor? Some tea, perhaps?" he whispered, stroking her cheek with his hand.
"I'm okay, Balby, really…"
Xibalba was not fooled, however. "Muertita…"
"If you had not arrived…" La Muerte's grip on Marigold tightened. "I don't know what would have happened…"
"The important thing is that everything turned out alright, my dear."
"I still can't stop thinking about it… those monsters could have hurt Marigold… I didn't know what I was thinking… I just…"
"But you protected her. That's what matters." Xibalba smiled and kissed her head. "You did what any mother would have one to protect her children, La Muerte."
La Muerte couldn't help but smile as she snuggled deeply into Xibalba's embrace, letting him pepper her head with kisses. Suddenly, Marigold released the nipple and started to sob, her little face crunching up as she wiggled in her mother's embrace. It seemed the frightening experience was still clear in her mind.
"Aww, it's okay, mi florecita." Xibalba cooed, stroking his daughter's head tenderly. "Papi won't let anyone harm you."
"Shhh, don't cry, chiquita." La Muerte shushed at her baby. "Mama's here…" rocking her back and forth, she started to sing.
Calla, mi vida, no hay que llorar.
Duerme y sueña feliz
Siempre tu debes mi arrullo llevar
Asi yo estare junto a ti.
Marigold quieted down when she heard her mother's familiar lullaby, and let out a yawn, snuggling against her mother's chest as she fell asleep. La Muerte smiled as she planted a kiss on her baby's forehead, stroking her cheek. Xibalba pulled both his girls closer and wrapped a wing around them, kissing his wife's cheek affectionately.
The family stayed close that night.