But then, there is yet a deeper place. Those things that are solid, and are powerful enough that the Waters do not crush them or dissolve them, those things sink to the bottom of the Waters, and then they break through. The Deepest Abyss. The First Abyss. The Abyss that was founded by Lilith. But now she has risen to become High Queen of all the Abyss. And her daughter Ailo … no – not the Archdaemoness .. the other Ailo. The original Ailo. She is now Queen of the First Abyss, and I am her Crown Princess.
And time is on my side. it is now, as it always will have been, and how it was, is how it shall be. But there is a story to be told, so let me get to the telling of it. Some would say that the story started recently, but no clock can tick beneath the dark waters, and no diary or calendar has ever made it through either. So who can say when this story actually happened. ‘Perhaps, if time is on your side, you could?’ you ask. Perhaps I could. But I serve my Queen well, so I will not say. It is now, as it has always been. Let the story begin:
“I am Crown Princess Manungal of the 6th Abyss, and I bring the words of my Queen.” A figure clad completely in black latex, including a mask that covered her head, apart from her eyes and mouth, over which she wore a black fur coat, stood before the throne of the 1st Abyss.
“Kneel before us and speak the words you bring, then accept our joy or our wrath, and bear them back whence you came” Was the reply from Queen Ailo of the 1st Abyss, as she spread her legs and hooked them over the arms of her throne, baring her femininity to the visiting Crown Princess.
Manungal immediately knelt, and with great enthusiasm, made oral love to Ailo. Knowing as she did, the nature of her clothing, the fact that it was a living creature that surrounded her, for many millennia now, Manungal’s only exposed parts were her eyes and her mouth. She had become adept at expressing every aspect of her personal interactions with others, orally. She had decided, before she even arrived here, that she would make the foreplay last just under an hour, and she expertly kept Queen Ailo on the brink of climax for fifty nine minutes and fifty nine seconds, before letting her explode in orgasm. She had also decided, that once the foreplay was over, she would continue until either the Queen stopped her, or exhaustion caused her to pass out. As that was what happened. Manungal passed out. And Ailo had chance to recover from her rapture, before Manungal awoke.
“You realise that you don’t get to go back and have your sister do that to you?” Ailo said, when she realised her visitor was awake again.
“Err … what?” said Manungal.
“You licking me, until I practically drowned you in Living Water. You don’t get to go back and have your sister do that to you.” Ailo replied. “Well, at least not as part of the ancient Rite, anyway.”
“The sexual life of my sister and I is not relevant to my message, your majesty. Besides, my sister and I have both lived in the same Abyss Realm since before the clocks started ticking, and we need no Rite or Ritual to allow us permission to dine at the ‘Y’.” Manungal said.
“I’m sure it is true. You have each other.” Ailo said.
“Indeed. I should deliver my message.” Manungal said.
“You should.”
“Queen Ailo … Your paradoxical twin, claiming, and apparently justified to claim, the title of Queen of Hell, visited our Realm, and made Bargain with Queen Ishtar, and now wears a child of the Pit of Life about her person.” Manungal said. “And my sister is now titular Queen of the 6th Abyss. The Queen is dead. Long Live the Queen.”
“Interesting news indeed.” Ailo said. “I’m not sure it warrants either Joy or Wrath. My occupation of this throne here, after many years of absence, ought to indicate that I was already aware of my paradoxical twin’s occupation of the throne of Hell. So that is not news. The death of Ereshkigal. That is news. As the saying goes, ‘I am sorry for your loss’. But I cannot ever claim that I will understand it.”
“She had been gone for most of our lives.” Manungal said. “The clocks have stopped six times since she went and knelt before that Archdaemon. My sister and I comforted each other in our loss many ages in past. At this point, Ereshkigal was just a name and a placeholder to us. My sister has sat on her throne, practically forever, even if she did not claim the title. Well, all that is changed there, is that now, she can legitimately claim the title.”
“So Be It.” Says Ailo. A clap of thunder was heard. “Mommy does love big bangs. It has been heard and acknowledged by the High Queen. But I am intrigued as to why it is you, coming and telling me, rather than your sister herself, telling the High Queen in person.”
“My sister does not count your mother among her lovers. In fact, they barely know each other. Whereas, you and I have a past. When you came to the 6th Abyss to share Wine and Honey, my sister deferred the honour to me. We shared. We made a son together. My sister having allowed the Queen of Hell to wear a child of the Pit, felt that symmetry should grant you the same opportunity. And, because of our past together, I claimed and was granted the right to offer it to you.” Manungal said.
“So, let me get this right. You are offering me a child of the Pit of Life, simply because Hell-Queen already has one, and this isn’t bargain. It is a gift from you to me?” Ailo asked
“Yes, your majesty. It is a gift from me to you. I go into the Pit and bring forth a child that I offer to you.” Manungal said.
“Why?” Ailo asks. “Why do this for me? Why are you, Manungal, offering that to me, Ailo of the 1st Abyss?”
“Because everything is changing.” Manungal said. “And I feel drawn to you. I want to do this, because I hope it will mean something to you, and maybe, you might want to keep me around for a while.”
“I already have a Crown Princess.” Ailo said.
“So does my sister.” Manungal said. “Bound up in the paradoxes that surround us all, and well deserving of the position, considering she can, and always has been able to, kick my ass six ways from Sunday..She will serve the 6th Abyss well. But it is time for me to move on. I am looking for something new.”
“Very well. Crown Princess Maaylan – please accompany Manungal on her visit back to the Pit of Life, so that she might complete her pledged gift.”
“That is not necessary, your Majesty.” Manungal said. “In anticipation that you might find my offer acceptable, I already visited the Pit of Life, before coming here. The children of the Pit are very versatile. Also, by wearing both my children about me for this journey, it allowed them to become as intimate with each other, as I hope we will become.”
“Well, shit!” Ailo said. “You’re really going all-in on this one, girl!”
“Yes. Like I said, I’m hoping you’ll let me stick around.” Manungal said.
“This has to be the strangest courtship I’ve ever heard of.” Ailo said. “The way to a girl’s heart has not previously been through a Living Latex catsuit. And, as you may have noticed, black is so not my colour. The hair is a dead giveaway. And my Ink. Mostly every colour under the rainbow, but not black. Black is her colour. Not mine.”
“As I said, the children of the Pit are very versatile. My daughter will appear as whatever you wish her to appear. Yellow polka dots, if you want.” Manungal said, as she removed, first, her coat, and then started peeling off a layer of her Latex suit.
“Not sure I want to look like I fell into a bath of custard.” Ailo said. “Perhaps something in gold, with some black detailing …”
“She will be with you, in your mind, as long as you both shall live. Just imagine it, and she will be it. Nobody will ever love you like she will. Even I, as close as you let me be, will never be as close as she.” Manungal said.
“You realise this is the last pledge you will ever make to an Abyss Queen?” Ailo said. “Pledge to the 1st Abyss, and that’s not a thing you will ever be able to walk away from. Down the road, you don’t get to decide you want a change ever again. All-in is all-in.”
“I have loved you since you let me sire our son in you. And you are the only living woman I have ever performed that Rite with. I fed you from my body for nine months. For someone who has done it as often as you have, perhaps that doesn’t mean so much, but for me … it does. I … I love you, Ailo, Queen of the first Abyss.”
Ailo took Manungal’s face in her hands and brought her in for a very deep kiss. As she did so, the suit Manungal had removed flowed onto Ailo’s body, and transformed itself into the gold suit with black detail that Ailo had imagined. Hey boss said a new voice in Ailo’s head. Hey you Ailo replied. She’s yours for the taking, you know. Mom is burning bridges like it’s going out of fashion the voice said.
“Manungal. Show me your face, and tell me that again.” Ailo said to Manungal, once their lips parted.
“None that live have looked on my face, besides my sister and our Children that we wear.” Manungal replied.
“I know. I cannot love that which I do not know, and I cannot know that which I have not seen. You wore that mask, even all those ages back, when you fed me from your body for nine months.” Ailo said. “If it is as you say it is, show me you face, as you tell it to my face.”
Manungal hesitated but a moment, before running a finger down the centre of her face, and as she did it, her Living Latex mask parted, revealing her face to Ailo. “I love you. I pledge myself to you. I will take whatever you will offer me, and be glad with it, if you will let me stay with you.”
Ailo then pulled Manungal back to her, and kissed her again. “Let your mask close again. I have seen your face and heard your pledge.” Ailo said, as their lips parted. “I name you Queen Consort Manungal, of the First Abyss. As long as we both shall live.” Another clap of thunder resounded. “Thanks, Mom.” Ailo whispered, as she and Manungal began to make love.