A/N- Okay, peeps, I've got some news. If you haven't read my profile...I've finally gotten myself a proper job. I'll be no longer working from home from September onward. I have a few pieces and small projects in-progress, and I'm hoping they'll be finished before I start my new job. But for now, here's a little blast from the past. This is an excerpt from Raising Hell, which y'all should remember by now. I just wanted to post up to let you know that I'm still writing whatever I can, even if it's been a struggle, and to inform you of my upcoming job that will take most of my time and energy, yet I should still be able to write the odd piece. For now, enjoy this. From the fourth chapter of RH, if I remember rightly. The concept of a pregnant Kirsty and the child being a miracle amongst the Cenobite people will be something I will be using in a future story. :) - Laura
Raising Hell - Coming to Terms
Through the blurry haze of the old fading cracked mirror leaning against the far stone wall, Snow White regarded her own reflection warily, carefully scrutinising the ever growing bulge of her stomach from every conceivable angle. Her leather-bound hands smoothed across the swelling slowly and gently as she studied the very miracle that was taking place within her womb.
She was all alone presently within the chambers; Xipe was on special soul gathering assignment on Earth along with Chatterer and Bound. She had but only her unborn son for company.
A further two human months had passed in the Labyrinth since Leviathan had briefed His two foremost Cenobites on the situation concerning their unborn miracle. Snow White's abdomen had clearly grown in that time and was now pushing stubbornly against her leather bodice. In now her fifth month of pregnancy, there was simply no hiding of this any longer. Very soon, her fellow Cenobite kind would certainly notice that of the growing child making his presence known within his mother's womb.
Since Leviathan's announcement, Snow White had not ventured out in to the maze of the Labyrinth, in order to conceal the true nature of her condition from the other Cenobites. According to the deity, it had not yet been time for the lesser Cenobites, and even her husband's Order, to be aware of the miracle pregnancy.
But soon it would be.
Snow White was aware that any day now their God was going to announce the phenomenon to the rest of her brethren, and she had concerns, understandably.
This would be the first time a natural birth was to take place in this realm in several hundred years. Cenobites were created, never born. Reborn, possibly, but never born. No Cenobite to ever exist had conceived, carried, or had given birth to a young one...not since Cenobites completely took over from the creatures who once roamed this plane of existence.
The burden was great on Snow White's shoulders. To know she was to be the first, and possibly last, to birth a Cenobite child, and one so important, had sent her into a state of uncertainty.
After such a time it was still proving quite difficult for her to take in. She had still not grown entirely accustomed to the very idea that she was going to have a child...a son, and that the very boy growing within her was going to fulfil a purpose which surpassed even hers and her husband's.
Snow White let out a small sigh, once again treating the swelling stomach, which sheltered her unborn infant, to another rub, thinking of the most strangest things as she stood there before her own distorted reflection in the old mirror; thinking back to Xipe's passionate embraces which mingled both rough and tender, of their moment of passionate coupling which brought about the existence of this young one.
She found herself musing on the most human of questions; whatever would this child look like? Would he be born resembling a normal human-looking infant? Or would he emerge with Cenobitic attributes? How would he look as a man? If not Cenobitic now, would he be forcibly mutilated upon coming of age? Or would he actually be allowed to look human amongst a race of mutilated people? Would he be dedicated and honourable like his father? Would he have inherited his mother's humanly looks? Dare she think it, would he grow to look like...her father? Her human father...the father who still languished somewhere in this Labyrinth?
'Oh daddy...'
As she thought of the one who, undeniably, still continued to chain her to her still lingering humanity, a pair of leather-bound arms slithered around her from behind, cocooning her. Though taken off guard for the briefest of seconds, since she had not been aware her husband had entered the chambers, the pregnant Cenobite woman soon relaxed, especially when she heard his deep, sensual voice at her ear.
"Snow White."
A smile graced her red rose lips feeling as his blood-tipped fingers coiled around her protruding abdomen and intertwining with her own, his palms rested against the middle of her stomach. Very soon, the thoughts of her father dwindled to the very back of her mind which now concentrated on the very welcome embrace of her consort.
Reverently, Xipe's hands explored his wife's swollen stomach and he was soon rewarded by a vigorous kick from within. The child continued to squirm and stretch within his mother as she and the Prince joined their lips in a kiss, marvelling at the miracle they had begun together.
"Are you well?" he whispered.
Snow White nodded, laying her hand atop his and murmuring, "I can feel the tiny one move more often since your absence."
Standing above her, Xipe smiled into her flowing coal hair. Though both were anticipating the birth of their offspring, Xipe was more than aware of his wife's thoughts, of her uncertainty. The fear of the unexpected.
Oh she had come a long way since those good old days where she was a stubborn willed young woman, fresh in her years and fearful of him, of the Labyrinth and his kind. Yet there were times, even now as he looked upon her dark and pale Cenobitic inhuman features – destiny well and truly fulfilled and soon to be mother to their miracle child, to his son – when he was reminded of that supposedly sweet and pure of heart teenage girl in that hospital he had met so many years ago, trembling and sobbing in his presence as she begged for leniency and bargained her uncle's soul for hers...
Ah, indeed what a long way she had come.
Yet fragments of that frightened girl remained, with now uncertainty and fear showing for her unexpected pregnancy, and the inevitable birth of their future son.
"It has been a stressful and tiring mission that I have just returned from."
The beautifully pale Cenobite woman turned to face her consort and was immediately met with a pair of dark eyes, usually so calm and void of emotion, swimming with annoyance and even anger. "Why ever so, Xipe?" she inquired, reaching over to touch his cheek. Her scarlet fingertips stroked along his vertical scars soothingly as she spoke. "Were you not successful in disposing of those responsible for abusing the Lament Configuration, those Deaders? Should we be still concerned for our world?"
On hearing the term 'Deader', a deep frown crossed Xipe's features. For the past few days, the Prince had remained on Earth, hidden in the shadows, in dealing with the latest threat to have come outside the Labyrinth's plane of existence..the Deaders; a group of undead individuals who were brought back to life, after inflicting horrific fatalities to themselves, by a necromancer who had descended from a familiar bloodline, the LeMarchand bloodline. He had used the Lament Configuration itself to raise his army back from the dead and had also been in the belief that the box now belonged rightfully to him. He had intended to use it to control the creatures that came from the world in which his bloodline had originally created the door to, the Cenobites themselves.
Both the heir to the LeMarchand bloodline and his army of undead followers had been originally thought to have posed a great threat to their realm, but Xipe had defeated them quite easily. All were presently suffering, as the pinned Prince spoke to his pregnant consort.
"I have dealt with both the Deaders, and their so named Leader, Winter LeMerchand, with very little difficulty, my love." he explained. "However, their key, Amy Klein, was much more stubborn."
"In what way?" Snow White asked.
Xipe sighed, still frowning as he thought back to the tragic young woman with whom had solved the Lament Configuration, allowing him into their world, but soon took her life in an attempt to escape the Lead Cenobite's clutches. It had worked; Amy Klein's soul had been extinguished. The girl had been furnished with anguish and suffering as a result of her tormented childhood; it was such a waste, Xipe thought. "Rather than accepting her fate, Amy Klien chose to end her mortal life." the Prince explained, bitterness resonating in his richly toned voice. "Even Leviathan can do nothing to correct this."
Snow White, who had been listening to every detail of her husband's tale with great incredulity flickering in her depth-less eyes, raised her free hand and placed it tenderly to his shoulder, squeezing it lightly – in a rather human manner to comfort. "Fear not, my husband," she finally replied. "You managed to claim the souls of those who threatened our world. At least we know now Merchant no longer holds the threat of power over us no longer."
"Yes." Xipe agreed, taking her hand in his. He brought it to his ice cold lips for a brief second, planting tender kisses to it. "But I still would have enjoyed knowing every inch and curve of Amy Klein's flesh, to discover what makes her whimper. Indeed it is a shame. Such a soul thronged in agony was young Amy Klien."
Xipe was too submerged in his thoughts to notice the rather human smirk that was gradually weaving along his consort's darkly red lips. "Oh? Should I be jealous at all of this Amy Klein, my darling?" her sensuous voice cooed suddenly, causing Xipe's coal black eyes to snap wide open and stare down confusedly into his wife's identical pools of darkness which were swayed by a look of amusement. It was quite the human gesture. There was no trace of jealousy, though that did not stop the horrified expression that slowly creased the usually emotionless Cenobite's face.
"Never!" Xipe declared once he realised what she was referring to, reaching out for her slender arms and dragging her into his own. Snow White was not naturally a jealous creature when it came to the female kind in her husband's life. She was aware that Xipe was incredibly loyal and true to her, and had vowed to be so from the very moment they first joined body and soul together. This observation was merely meant as jest, obviously. Though, Xipe felt that he had to assure her.
"No other will ever take the place of you, my sweet consort. No other's beauty or presence would ever compete with yours. And no other could fulfil me as you have done." With that, the pinned Cenobite dropped his ebony gaze to her bulging stomach and laid both his hands across the swelling. He ran them along the exposed belly gently as his eyes met hers again. He felt their unborn child suddenly assert a strong kick in his mother's womb, as if in awareness their parents were most likely discussing him. A proud smile melted his tensed facial features. "No other could have given me such an exquisite gift."
Touched by his genuine and rather sweet statement, Snow White leaned into her husband and sealed her lips against his. Their child continued to wildly flail about as his parents shared a tender moment, oblivious to the world and to the people he was going to be born to in just a few short months time.
After a few blissful moments of their icy lips exploring one another's, Snow White slowly jerked back, prising her mouth from Xipe's. She briefly stroked a feather light touch to his cheek before gradually turning to gaze upon the ageing mirror in the corner of her chambers once more. He chuckled softly whilst curling his arms tight around her waist, and allowed her hands to shroud over his as they cradled the ever growing baby bump. She leaned the back of her head against his strong shoulder, with him completely unbothered by her ringlets of coal hair which tickled his chin and neck.
For the first time in the many years spent serving, leading and existing within this Labyrinth, Xipe Totec's face flooded with immense contentedness. Never had he felt so complete, so sure of himself, until the day he welcomed this woman into his dark embrace. He lightly kissed the top of her head as the two watched their reflections in the mirror and felt their offspring move and squirm around in her womb together...and both utterly unaware of a third presence at the threshold of their chambers; a beautiful face pinched in fury glared over in their direction, the same pair of dark and jealous eyes that had stalked them before angrily watched the tender scene between the Prince and Princess of Pain once again, torturing themselves with such blessedly pleasurable sights that met their eyes.
With one last fierce glare in the direction of Xipe and his dark bride, the bitter individual had retreated back into the shadows of the never ending Halls outside of the chambers before the couple could even notice their presence, and just as they broke away from the other. Xipe's gaze was immediately drawn to the ceiling, as if in thought. His brow was crinkling in immense concentration as the minutes wore on. Snow White smiled slightly, knowing what had caught her husband's attention. In actuality, he was in deep mental discussion with his Lord and father, Leviathan.
Before she could gather her thoughts, Xipe's black eyes were once again looking down into hers. "It is time, my darling." Xipe suddenly announced. "Our God calls to us, and our Brethren and Sistren have gathered under the shadow of Leviathan and await our presence."
Snow White ran her hand along the swelling stomach once more, feeling the unmistakable and rather human sensation of anticipation flood her being as Xipe smiled reassuringly to her.
"The coming of our child will finally be announced to all who walk this Labyrinth..."
lol I'm actually creasing up at the concept of Pinhead having a pregnant wife back home when dealing with the Deaders. XD Which, by the way, Deader? I'm totally going to do my own alternate version someday, as with the entire franchise and extended comic/book universe of HR. I kinda liked the concept of Deader, but it was terribly executed. Of course, it was a spec script, and the writers could only do so much with rewriting it and inserting HR elements into the non-HR related horror script. I liked Amy, so I definitely want to explore the seventh HR in a different light and with that heroine. We'll see, anyway. Hope you enjoyed this offering for now. I'll try to finish and post up some pieces before I start my job. Thanks for reading. :D