Alena wasn't exactly new to the act of childbirth, she'd
aided in the arrival of many babies in Ceres Agar and even
before that, but it didn't prepare her for this. Up until
now, she had a vague understanding of the agony involved in
giving birth, or thought she did. This was like no pain
she'd ever felt before; it was torturous yet it was also
beautiful and filled with hopeful anticipation. Something
deep within her seemed to take over her mind, telling her
what to do. If he were here--where he should be--Ares would
call it 'instinct'.
Certain help would never arrive in time, Alena allowed that
instinct to take over. She began pushing as she gasped for
breath and sweat ran into her eyes. With her knees up by
her shoulders, she could nearly see between her splayed
legs but as hard as she pushed, Raven's head did not
emerge. He didn't even seem to move downward as she dug in
with her heels and gave it all she had with the next
contraction. Feeling as though her abdomen was caught in
some wicked vice holding her in its unyielding grip, Alena
bore down, throwing her head back against the foot board as
she held onto her knees hoping for extra leverage. Blood
and fluids ushered forth but Raven did not. Instead of
making his way down the birth canal, Raven continued his
struggle to claw his way through his mother's stomach as
though he knew that was his only true way out.
"A-Ares!" She screamed without any force of breath. "Where
are you?" He picked a fine time to run down to the mortal
world for a gallon of milk.
Her Son was not going to wait for his Father or his
Grandmother to come aid in his arrival. The contractions
were so close together it felt like they never ended. Just
one long burst of unending agony as she struggled to give
birth and Raven fought her from inside. One hand on her
knee, she tried to ease the baby downward with the other
hand while she bore down again. "I know it's t-t-tight but
puh-lease."
Raven wasn't having any of it; he punched upward with a
force so brutal it knocked her hand away from her belly.
Then continued on, stretching upward, until her undulating
stomach looked like the Gut-Buster scene in 'Alien' and she
was certain he would just explode out of her the way the
slimy little alien had done leaving a gaping bloody hole
where her innards had once been.
"N-no! D-down!" Tears streaming down her ashen cheeks,
Alena tried again to coax the baby downward as she pushed
and prayed with all of her might. More blood and fluid
expelled and then, under her hand, she felt Raven move
downward. "G-good, good boy, good," she stuttered as she
tried to catch her breath. Wiping her silver hair away from
her sweaty brow, she prepared to push again with the next
contraction but suddenly found her body rising into the
air. Looking up with startled eyes she saw Ares, he was
lifting her off the floor and putting her on the bed. "I th-
ough-t you'd n-never--make it."
"I'm here. I'm here." he soothed, looking at the bloody
puddle on the floor. "Everything's going to be all right
now."
"This place is disgusting. Why would you ever bring her
down here?" Hera openly complained as she gave her
surroundings a quick glance.
"I cleaned it, Mother!"
Letting out a grunt, she gave Ares a shove. "Get out of my
way." Before she could maneuver between Alena's open legs
to get a bead on the situation, another contraction hit.
Alena bore down hard. "Stop, stop, stop," Hera
commanded. "Don't push, Alena."
"I have to--"
"Stop I know it's hard, I know, but don't push." Hera
looked up from between Alena's legs where Raven was just
beginning to crown to Ares. "Why did you wait so long to
come get me?" she hissed. "You knew how important this is!"
Panic rising within him as he tried to stay calm and hold
Alena close he roared at her through lips thinner than a
dime. "Do what you have to, Mother."
"It's too late." Alena had done what any woman in her
position would do and she pushed with each contraction
until the boy dropped just enough to get his head past
those slender hips, but his shoulders were too wide to make
the same squeeze and now Raven was stuck in her pelvis.
Opening Alena's womb would do them no good. Pulling the boy
back through the narrow opening would only result in injury
to him and her. On the verge of losing her Grandson, the
only thing the grand Goddess of All the Olympian Gods could
do was stand here and watch both of them pass into the
Underworld.
Not believing his Mother, Ares left Alena's side to stand
at the end of the bed and inspect the precarious situation.
As they stood there watching Alena writhe in agony as she
tried to hold back the urge to push, they saw Raven's feet
push upward. The little toes curled as though they were
fists as he started slamming them against the inside of
Alena's womb. Listening to Alena's near silent screams and
seeing her face gnarl and twist in a way he never wanted to
see again, his Warrior's Mind hit upon a plan. For a split-
second, he tried to talk himself out of it but in his heart
he knew it was the only way to save them. Reaching out
cautiously with one hand, he held to it Alena's cheek as he
stared into her stormy eyes. "Do you love me?"
What a question! Here she was in the deepest clutches of
labor with his Son and Ares wanted to know if she loved
him? If this wasn't love, what was it? "Y-yes."
He leaned in further as his hand slid down to her hip where
the other was waiting on the opposite site. "Do you trust
me?"
"Yes."
"I love you, Alena." With that, Ares planted his lips over
hers. In one brutal but mercifully swift motion, he pushed
down on her hips with all of his strength and did the
unthinkable. With a loud snap, her slender hips cracked
open like a clam shell. His mouth over hers silenced the
shriek of utter agony that went through her.
The way to freedom suddenly open, Raven began making his
way toward it with much haste. But he couldn't do it alone.
"You have to help," Hera said as she stared down at the
scene in disbelief. Alena was in far too much pain to
push. "Hurry, put your hand on her stomach, gently guide
him down. Gently."
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