Intermission 3 - Immaculate Conception
Silver Millenium, Year 4389 of the First Age of Humanity...
Upon death, the souls of every living and discerning creature went directly to the Hades for an eternity of suffering. The only ones exempt from this cruel fate were the souls of the Guardians - Bearers of the True Star Seeds, their essences would always return to their planets of origin, to be reborn and carry their duty to their homes once more.
In normal circumstances, the souls of people who committed suicide would go straight to their punishment in a place aptly called the Suicide Valley. Pitch-black skies and whitened soil whose withered plantation was composed exactly of the tortured souls of people who killed themselves. The hellish Cormoraxes, axe-beaked and eyeless birds, flew towards them to feed on their ashen branches and cause them even more pain and discomfort in their doom.
But one such soul managed to save itself. Serenity, First of Her Name, ascended young to the throne of the Moon Kingdom upon the untimely death of her parents, Queen Biela and King Hyperion VIII, who perished during the Lunar Civil War. It seemed that the stress of leading a war-torn Queendom was too much for her to bear, and in the fifth day of Queensmoon, she drove a sharp dagger through her ribcage and pincered her own heart. She did not leave an issue to govern in her place.
Instead of going to her allotted punishment, she was transported to Pandemonium - More precisely to the Malebolge, the personal lair of the ruler of Hell, the Fallen Angel Lucifer. As it turns out, this was her plan all along. The power of the Silver Crystal still in Serenity's possession made her still in control of her own soul, and once she entered the Hades, she flew past the Suicide Valley, the Three Rivers, and flashed past the entirety of Tartarus towards the depths of Pandemonium.
The Malebolge was a large spiraled pit of fire and molten rock, where many a lost soul screamed in agony and from whose bottom Lucifer formed a frightful figure with three heads, countless protruding horns, muscular arms covered in demon blood, and whose breath emitted the greenish mist of sulfur.
"Who are you, and what brings you here to my firmament?" the Lord of Light queried.
Serenity stood undaunted on a rickety pillar, ignoring the cold touch of the wraiths that grabbed her feet and ankles. "I am here to make a deal with you. Please lay down your illusion, for it does not frighten me in the least bit."
"Lady, you seem to not know the hierarchy of this place. I am the ruler of the Underworld, and therefore I am the one who gives out orders. Now spit out what I asked of you, before I smother you in your own vomit and excrement."
Without saying a thing, Serenity produced the Silver Crystal, the sacred object that granted her the power to transmute her soul to that very place. Its shine washed the red hues of the Malebolge with white and light-blue light, and the expression in the monstrous image of Lucifer changed immediately.
"I know well of your intention of being master and ruler of the Universe," the young Queen spoke once more. "I, too, wish for a change in the structures of power upon my fiefdom. I wish for eternity, and for the people to no longer suffer with war, famine, pestilence and death."
"A bold will, and bolder wish still," Lucifer acknowledged. "Very well. What is it that you could offer me?"
"My womb," she promptly answered while pointing to the area between her private parts and her belly button. "Sire a child with me, and be reborn from my loins. You will inherit the Silver Crystal, and you and I will command everything as mother and son."
The monstrous figure grinned. "You had my curiosity, then you had my attention... And now you have a done deal. I will transport your soul back to your body, and in a few days time, I shall materialize a proper human body to carry the copulation process, sending you a signal the day the deed is to be done. Just remember... One does not pray to the Devil expecting to ascend to Heaven afterwards. I will take my due, and you will accept whatever may come."
"I accept it all."
With a snap of his fingers, Lucifer turned Serenity's soul into an ethereal ball, casting it away not only from his lair but from the entirety of the Hades.
What none expected was that a certain Angel witnessed and heard the scene from a corner of the Malebolge. I have to act quickly...
(xx)
Serenity woke up unwounded in a familiar chamber, surrounded by candles and fragrant flowers. Her lifeless body had been retrieved to a room deep built in the Palace's grounds, to be prepared for an eventual funeral.
"Your Grace!" A young, dark-haired servant who kept watch on her body came to her aid. "Oh, by the Gods... You're alive!"
"Luna..." Serenity recognized the woman and reciprocated her concerned embrace. "I must have given you a fright, did I not?"
The servant couldn't speak, as she was an emotional wreck to the point of tears and sobs in her sovereign's arms.
"Do not weep, child..." Serenity smiled and softly wiped her servant's teary eyes. "This was all premeditated. I should have spoken this to you, and for this I wish for your forgiveness."
"It's... It's alright, Your Grace," Luna answered while backing off and wiping her excessive tears. "What matters now... Is that you are alive."
"Pray tell if somebody else knows of this?"
"Limited few, milady. It is still the middle of rest hours, so only I and a couple of guards came to you and guarded your body, and your decease would only be announced at the break of wake."
"Excellent. Please reach for the others who saw my attempt against myself and guarantee that none speak of this event."
"Consider it done," Luna agreed. As they left the chamber, the subordinate woman spoke once more: "Milady... If it is not offensive to ask, could you tell me why did you drive a blade to your heart?"
The Queen smiled and answered: "To reach the Underworld, and guarantee the safety and the everlasting of our Queendom."
(xx)
A fortnight later...
Things seemed to pass in relative tranquility, with nary a mention of the Queen's attempt against herself. In the early waking hours of the final day of Queensmoon, a loud thud was heard in the central atrium of the Mare Serenitatis Palace. Serenity, a few guards and ladies-in-waiting made haste to the place and saw an unusual, if outright ominous sight: A skinned mountain goat, whose blood and innards splattered across the marble flooring of the atrium. Some of the ladies-in-waiting had to stifle their gag reflexes so as to not sully the Palace's grounds even further.
"How and why did this happen?" questioned one guard. No one knew how to answer.
However, the young Queen knew well of what it meant: That night, Lucifer would enter her chambers and possess her in body and soul in the most intimate act a couple could perform. Such libidinous acts were liberated in most planets of the Galaxy, but it still worried Serenity - Still very much a virgin and with no suitor of her own, she barely gave any thought as to how to explain the conception of a child and heir. She preferred to focus her attention on the matters at hand.
"No matter. Please remove this corpse, and clean the grounds," she ordered nonchalantly. The Queen's servants promptly obeyed, but all were left questioning as to why she seemed so unfazed at such a peculiar event. Was it something she was expecting? If so, what exactly the dead and skinned goat meant?
(xx)
That night in her vast personal chamber, Serenity received he whom she believed was Lucifer. It was dark, and only the light of the stars and the ever-looming Planet Terra emitted some illumination to the room. In front of the Queen was a handsome male figure, with long flowing locks of blood-red hair and well-shaped physique, who certainly made justice to his origins as an Angel.
"Are you ready?" He asked. "Have you any objections?"
"Please be gentle," Serenity requested. "It is... My first time."
"Do not worry, woman," the Angel spoke, and she could see he had an honest smile on his lips. "I have plenty of experience with virgins. Now relax, and let me take care of this."
Both united their lips and tongues in a kiss that felt more passionate than a mere obligation. As their undressed bodies touched each other, what was supposed to be a mere transaction became an act of pleasure. The pain of her maidenhead breaking was so brief, it was almost imperceptible - A pleasant burning sensation filled her private parts instead.
It did not feel like it was the dreaded Fallen Angel that was penetrating her. In fact, it felt like a loving and caring person, who loved her for who she was and who wanted her to feel good in the short space of time they were together. Serenity did not want that moment to ever end. So much so that when both reached their orgasms, the Angel tried to get off her, but the Queen pulled him back and gave him the most passionate kiss she could possibly give in her innocence and lack of experience.
"Will we ever see each other again?"
"In your dreams, if you so desire."
Was that what she was feeling love? Could it be that the one that would ignite her heart would be the most feared creature across the Universe, the one that burned the Garden of Eden to a crisp and provoked the end of the Age of Gods? And could it be that her fecundated womb would truly carry his unholy soul?
He left, flying towards the top of the Palace's central dome, and away from her sight and reach, he whispered the name of the one woman that shook her heart. Gaia.
As for Serenity, little by little she recovered her forces, as well as her reasoning, realizing that she now carried the dreaded seed of the Devil.
It is done, is it not? By the Gods... Have I done the right thing?
(xx)
Nine moon cycles later...
"It is a girl!"
Upon the midwife's announcement, instead of joy, the mind and bosom of Queen Serenity filled with dread and doubt. Is that supposed to be Lucifer? Is he reborn as a woman? What is it that he planned to do?
So many thoughts racing in her mind, and so much blood escaped her during the birthing process, that Serenity fell out of conscience. She couldn't even hold her newborn daughter before passing out, causing concern to the team of qualified technicians who assisted in her childbirth.
Pure darkness surrounded Serenity's Dreamscape, which she knew signified she was not dead at all. However, what was supposed to be some sort of delirium brought by exhaustion soon became a sinking nightmare when a familiar figure appeared before her, and with him the dread that echoed in the soul of whoever stood before him.
"L-L-Lucifer!?"
"Of course it is me," he curtly spoke. "Was I not supposed to be the runt that just came out of your womb?"
"Huh? What... What do you mean?" She feared for the answer. "Haven't we sealed the deal the night you came to my room and-"
"That who deflowered you that night was not me! It was my damned brother Grammaton! How else would I stand before you?"
She was so lost that words completely escaped her mind and mouth.
"I know not, and care not, how that sisterfucker came out of his curse, but this I know - You betrayed me! You gave yourself to somebody else, and the child that you just shat out of your crotch is neither me nor a product of my seed! This is unforgivable, and you know it!"
"How... How could I even know?" the Queen tried to argue. "Why would you not tell me before?"
"I reiterate that I care not!" Lucifer answered through his teeth. "Listen here, and listen well. You did not break a silly inconsequential promise. You broke a pact with me, the Lord of Light, He of Many Names! And had I told you before, you would most likely have attempted to interrupt your pregnancy however you felt you must. Something far crueler will befall the blood of your blood... And I guarantee it shall be by my own hand! When you wake up, you and your plan to create your paradise upon the surface shall go ahead, but it will not last. It will crumble into blood and dust, and the people you claim to care about will turn their backs on you. And once it all happens, you will know it was of my doing. Do not say I did not warn you, because I did the very day you went to the Malebolge."
"Lucifer, please... Wait!"
"Be afraid of things to come," was all Lucifer spoke as a flash of blinding light covered Serenity's eyes. When she came to her senses, the Queen had finally awakened in her own chambers, surrounded by the technicians that helped her in childbirth.
"Your Grace, how do you feel?"
"I... I am fine now, just... Just felt dizzy back there. Where is my child?"
Part of her energy had returned as well, and with it, she could finally hold her daughter and heir as the lead midwife handed the bundled baby to her.
"She... She is crying... Why?"
"Worry not, my liege," the midwife guaranteed. "We took every health measure, and all that remained was to retrieve her to her mother. See? She is calming down."
Little by little, the baby girl ceased her crying, and as moved by pure instinct, she grabbed her mother's gown to reach for her breasts.
"This means she is hungry," a second servant warned. "Take out one of your breasts and put her mouth directly on your teat. Let her suckle until she feels full."
"Amazing," the sovereign whispered as she breastfed her newborn. She was so overwhelmed with positive emotion, she had to hold her tears from falling in front of her subordinates. "I... I cannot thank you enough."
"Everything will work out, Your Grace," the midwife guaranteed. "Now if you excuse us, we will communicate the rest of the staff about the proceedings and of the official announcement to the people. Use the signal to call for us shall you need it."
"Of course. Once again... Thank you."
Silently, the technicians left and left the new mother and daughter in a delicate and much-needed moment with only one another. The baby had a few strains of hair on the top of her head, some blond and some in a tone that was either blood-red or pink. And on her, the Royal Mark of the Moon Kingdom family emitted a pale but visible glow.
"I promise you, I will love and protect you from all evils. I will turn this corrupt Universe into something worthy of your presence and of your reign. For you. For us..."
"If you are not borne of Lucifer's entrails, then... Who is it who sired you?" She then remembered what Lucifer had told her, and remembered the times she stood in front of the Lord of Light. Despite daring to face him as equals, she never felt anything other than fear and even anger. However, the man who passed as him made her feel good in every possible way.
"Grammaton... Where have I heard that name before?"
(xx)
Pandemonium
It was not long after Lucifer threw his curses at Serenity that he found Astar, and dished out the most painful punishment his effervescent mind could conjure at that moment. He was crucified in an upside-down position, and several baphomets gnawed on his limbs and his torso, leaving his skin exposed and huge amounts of blood fall and tricke down his body towards his face.
"I will ask you only once, Astar," Lucifer threatened in front of the punished Angel. "Who was it who summoned you to fornicate the Moon Queen?"
"Never... Will I tell you..."
Without saying anything, Lucifer moved his head and the baphomets gnawed on Astar's belly even further, exposing his innards.
But rather than answering or even screaming in pain and wrath, the cursed Angel simply kept speaking in a daring tone. "No... No matter what... What you do to me... No matter what kind of... Pain you make me go through..."
"Figures that you would be summoned to quench your everlasting desires. Why, just why, did you do that upon the woman who came all the way to the Malebolge just to offer herself to me like she were a common wench and not a Queen? Not just any Queen, but the one who inherited the Silver Crystal! Remember, that thing that came out of your sperm? Yes, that thing gave her God-like powers, and would have finally been mine by right, had I gone ahead with the ritual." His strangely gregarious demeanor turned into pure rage as he started to pull out Astar's guts out of the gaping wound inflicted by the baphomets. "Why did you fuck her, Grammaton, dear brother!? WHY!?"
"Uugh...! It was... You who... Made me this... This way..."
What truly disturbed the Fallen Angel was that, indeed, this could have been averted had Lucifer not chosen to turn him into a demon that chased lust. In his vanity, the ruler of Hell inadvertently created the spanner that blocked the works of his own master plan. He would never admit he did anything wrong, especially to himself.
"Confound this all. You will stay there, as the baphomets' personal scratch post and litter box. And let's see if you ever satisfy your lust ever again, because day after day I will personally come here to check if you are still suffering. Now, if you excuse me, I will correct this slight you committed. Let's see how my child fares against yours, heh heh heh..."
It was Astar's turn to wince in dread. The pain his body felt was nothing compared to the anguish in his mind and soul upon hearing what Lucifer intended to do. Even if it was an obligation to impede the rebirth of Lucifer as a human being, he still felt obligated to protect the child he sired with Serenity. And now, the Fallen Angel would repay his intromission in blood and tragedy.
Lucifer was only true to his word if it was a slight to his ego, and since he impeded what he considered his final triumph upon Existence itself, he did as promised and came periodically through the ages to guarantee Astar was still crucified, feeling unspeakable pain and having every single inch of his body, visible or not, suffering some kind of infliction.
"You will be glad to hear I sired a kid on some whore from Venus," the Fallen Angel boasted to Astar as he pissed on his open wounds. "His fate is written from the start. He will provoke the end of the Silver Millenium, and that includes the death of your dear daughter. Speaking of which, have I told you that she is called Selyne? Moon Princess, borne of the stars, or so said her mother, Queen Serenity. For all everyone cares, she has no father to speak of. Does it bite you to know that? I hope so."
It did. Fingernails torn out then grown back, organs pulled out of his body and popped out then rebuilt and put back, skin peeled off like those of fruit, bones rent and put back together... Everything was done against the Angel turned incubus, and he remained alive and conscious through it all, not permitted to perish and fade into oblivion, the final death of the soul. But nothing hurt him more than whenever Lucifer mentioned his daughter Selyne.
"Ah, she is growing into a fine young lady. I would love to penetrate her from all her holes..."
I have to do something... Anything...
"I have some good news and bad news, dear brother. The good news is that the Silver Millenium is no more. That's right! Nothing lives in that cursed age anymore. Including your own daughter! The bad news is... they were all transported into the future. Your concubine Serenity used her own soul's power to fuse itself with the Silver Crystal and affect the path of the souls of the dead. One day, someday, all the denizens of the Universe will be reborn, including the Moon Princess, but not anytime soon, I fear. That does not change anything between you and I, though!"
Despite the mention of Selyne's death, hope finally found Astar's soul once Lucifer mentioned her rebirth. Through the lancinating pain of his pulled entrails and his forcefully shed skin, Astar started gathering forces to recompose himself, as he always did whenever Lucifer put him through torture, and to use the Power of the Word for the most daunting task he would ever use it for: His own rebirth.
Selyne... I could not be there when you needed me... But I swear upon everything, I will be there as soon I know you are reborn. I have to open a way... To the Galaxy Cauldron... I have to be there for you. My daughter...
Many thanks once more to those of you who pass by and accompany this fic. Especialmente a tí, litakino1987!
Next chapter: Back to the present, the Devil plans a new course of action, and the heroes assess what needs to be done in regards to Lucifer, the New Kings, and the prospect of Holy War.
Greetings from the Hospitaller Knight.