A Note From The Author
I know some of you have been asking for a story from with a happy ending, and believe me, I'm working on one. HOWEVER, that will be a Sonic fanfic. This, however, is my very depressing and but ultimately loving tribute to one of my favorite cartoons ever: EL TIGRE: THE ADVENTURES OF MANNY RIVERA! Yes, I've always loved this show unconditionally, and I felt I had to write something for it. This was inspired by the song 'The Hell In Me' by Killswitch Engage. A most beautiful song, I'll gladly admit. As always, I don't own El Tigre, and I don't regret loving it. PLEASE REVIEW!
-Shadow's Personal Assistant
P.S. the song at the end is Too Drunk to Dream by The Magnetic Fields. I shortened a bit, I hope you guys won't mind.
No…
It couldn't be…
Manny Rivera, a.k.a. El Tigre, watched as his closest friend, Frida Suarez, fall to the ground. Blood rushed out from within the wound on her stomach. Fortunately, it wasn't as serious as Manny thought. But he didn't know that. He was too busy realizing that it was him who had administered the injury.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, the dreaded Black Cuervo swooped down from the sky and knocked El Tigre off his feet and onto the cold ground. A battle soon enraged after El Tigre jumped up from his vulnerable position. As the two fought and fought and fought, Frida made a point of getting herself to safety, but given how extreme the rivalry was between the two, anything could happen.
"Foolish El Tigre! Letting your guard down because of your 'sidekick!'" taunted Black Cuervo.
El Tigre only growled in anger and frustration. "Damn you!" he roared, launching his chain-claw at her. Black Cuervo dodged it, but was suddenly hit by it when it bounced off the (conveniently placed) brick wall behind her.
The villainess fell to the ground, her jetpack damaged, her face bruised. She glared at him, eyes blazing with deathly rage.
"You will pay, El Tigre! YOU! WILL! PAY!" she screeched. And she ran off into the night.
Manny returned to his normal state and rushed to Frida's aid. "Oh my god, are you alright?" he cried. The blue-haired goth nodded weakly. "Yeah, I'll live." She muttered before wincing in agony. "Oh god, senorita, I'm so sorry, I'm so so sorry-"
"FRIDA!"
The two teens turned and stared in horror as Frida's father, Chief Suarez, shone a flashlight. His eyes were fixed on the wounded stomach belonging to Frida. Then they turned to the Rivera boy. "YOU! YOU DID THIS!" he screamed. "Sir, I'm sorry! It was an accident! It was an accident!" he tried to explain himself, but the Chief wouldn't have it. He picked up Manny by the shirt collar and stared dead straight at him. "You are banned from ever seeing my daughter again, do you hear me, Rivera?! BANNED!" He dropped the boy, who then fell to the ground. Frida tried to stand up in order to defend her friend. "No! You can't do this!" "Frida! You're going to the hospital!" He growled."But Papi-" "NOW!" She watched as the paramedics lifted her up onto the gurney and rolled her away to the ambulance. She watched with her sorrowful eyes as Manny became smaller and smaller in her vision. He just stood there, tears streaming down his face. "Manny! Manny!" she cried, but it was no use trying to talk over the screams of sirens and annoying sounds of cops and whatnot.
Frida watched as right before the doors of the ambulance, Manny, wearing a broken smile, mouthed out the words 'I love you.'
As she rode off to be treated, Frida lay in the gurney, thinking about what she had seen.
And then she mouthed out 'I love you too.'
That was three weeks ago. Frida sat in her room with her guitar on her lap. The instrument made no sweet noise, and it's owner sang no words. She hadn't spoken to anyone about the incident, and she refused to talk to her father at all. Her family was worried. Everyone was worried. But what she was worried about was Manny. Best Friend Protocol states that no matter what, Manny would sneak under the watchful (and not to mention, overprotective) eyes of Frida's father and would still see her and hang out with her.
But protocol hadn't been followed for the past three weeks.
Manny hadn't come to see her.
She was worried. She needed to see him. Frida needed to know if Manny truly meant what he had said. Did he truly lover her? She knew she loved him, but was the feeling actually mutual? Only one way to find out: talk to Manny.
But he was nowhere to be seen.
Suddenly, there was shouting and arguing flowing from downstairs. Frida slowly and steadily poked her head outside of her room to listen. But from where she stood, combined with the bullshit acoustics of the hallway, the argument sounded like pure gibberish. So, she tip-toed slowly to the top of the staircase. She suddenly recognized the voices. It was her father and her mother, and they were arguing with the undisputable voices of Rodolfo Rivera, a.k.a. White Pantera, Manny's father, as well as his mother, Maria Rivera.
"I told you we haven't seen him since the accident!"
"He hasn't been home for three weeks!"
"Well, we haven't either!"
The arguing went on and on, Frida taking in every word. However, she was so focused on eavesdropping, she hadn't realized she had been slowly walking down the stairs and soon found herself in the doorway into the living room.
"So you're saying he's missing?" Carmelita spoke.
"Yes! Like hell, I am!" screeched Rodolfo.
"What…?" whispered Frida.
The adults all stopped and turned. Little Frida had tears in her eyes. "Manny… he's gone?"
The adults looked at each other, trying to think of what to say. Suddenly, Rodolfo walked over to her, got on his knee, and looked at the silently weeping young girl.
"Frida, I know Manny meant a lot to you-"
"Not a lot. Everything." She corrected.
Rodolfo sighed. "But believe me, we are doing everything we can to find him. Isn't that right, Emiliano?" he said, turning his head to look at the chief. Frida looked at her father. Emiliano knew he couldn't ignore his pride and joy. As much as he hated the Rivera boy, he knew that his daughter had always adored him in everyway possible. He finally sighed and nodded. "We'll find him. I promise." He ultimately grunted. Frida sniffled a little and smiled weakly. "Thank you, Papi." Emiliano smiled and nodded. Rodolfo stood up and shook the chiefs hand. "Gracias, mi amigo. Gracias."
As the adults began constructing a search and rescue plan, Frida had already gotten into her pajamas and was just about to get into bed when suddenly, a little something or other caught her eye.
A note had been taped onto her window.
She quickly grabbed the miniscule piece of paper and threw herself onto her bed and quickly began reading it. Her eyes widened at what she was reading.
My beloved Frida,
I have failed you. I let you get hurt one too many times. You are my best friend, and best friends never let each other get hurt. I have thought over my actions, and I have realized that I have put your precious life in danger many times, and all those times you didn't deserve it. Therefore, I am going to free you of me. I am your hell. And you don't deserve hell. And if you're wondering, I meant what I said. I truly do love you. I always have. We'll be together soon. And we are together once again, it'll be forever.
This, I swear.
She didn't even need to look at the signature. Those last three words screamed at her who wrote the note.
Frida ran downstairs, and out the door, her parents and Manny's parents asking where she was going.
"To save Manny!" she cried.
After hours of searching, Frida was at the top and of the Miracle City volcano.
And so was Manny.
He was in his El Tigre state. He was looking down into the hellish fires of the volcano. He had three weeks to think about this. He knew that this was the way to go.
The way for him to go.
"MANNY!" cried Frida. Manny spun around and locked his emerald eyes with her dark blues.
"Hey, Frida." He said, smiling.
"Manny, what the hell are you doing?" she demanded.
"You get my note?" he asked.
"Yeah, but-"
"Did you read it?"
"Yeah-"
Manny's gaze left her and returned to the seething abyss below.
"Then that's it then." He muttered.
Frida's eyes began to water.
"I don't understand…" she began, but was silenced by Manny grabbing her by the waist and pulling her in for a deeply passionate kiss. Frida was surprised, but she didn't question it and through her . She had been waiting for this moment her whole life.
"Why are you doing this?" she finally asked after Manny pulled away. He closed his eyes and held her close. "Because you don't deserve someone like me. I've gotten you hurt so many times, and with each time, a piece of me withers away. It absolutely KILLS me to see you hurt. I can't keep doing this. And so, I'm getting rid of myself." He explained.
Frida's eyes became more drenched in heated tears. This couldn't be happening. Not him, not her true love. Not Manny.
Manny left her embrace and began walking backwards to the edge of the volcano, his eyes forever fixed on Frida. Soon, he had reached the edge.
"No… No no no no no no!" she cried.
"I love you, Frida Suarez." Manny whispered, tears forming within his eyes. "Forever and always."
Then, he made a Jesus Christ pose, closed his eyes, and Manuel Pablo Gutierrez O'Brian Equahia Rivera let himself go, falling backwards into the hell that was the fires of the volcano.
Frida could only watch… and scream.
"MANNY! NOOOOOOOO!"
Sadly, she was too late in reaching out for the poor boy.
Frida's entire world froze. Time stopped in its tracks to observe the devastation. Existence suddenly took notice of the tragedy.
She watched as a green fire exploded from the fire and a familiar roar erupted from the depths.
Frida Suarez let her entire life, the whole reason she was alive, destroy himself. And within moments, she was crying herself to death, screaming for the gods to bring back her beloved Manny. Her screams could be heard all over Miracle City and straight into Calavera. Even the land of the dead could hear her cry out in agony and sorrow. It was the most heartbreaking sight in existence, and it was coming from Frida Suarez.
It was the biggest funeral in Miracle City history. Residents, Superheroes, and even Supervillains had come out to pay their respects to the late Manny Rivera. It was a day no one would've ever thought would come so quickly. The sky was black.
Frida had been at the front all by herself, weeping silently as her family watched from the pew across the aisle from the Riveras. The remaining Riveras watched with tearful eyes and heavy hearts as they stared upon the portrait of their son. Grandpapi (Puma Loco) was bawling uncontrollably in his seat. Rodolfo and Maria could only hold each other close as they looked upon the beautiful memorial.
Sartana of the Dead (you heard right), and her grandson Django, had arrived to 'pay their dues to a worthy adversary' and performed a guitar duet in his honor. Sergio and Dr. Chipotle Jr. had gotten a beautiful wreath to lay at the memorial at the front. El Oso and Raul both had stolen bouquets to present. Even the Flock of Fury had come, which was the biggest shock of all. Voltura walked to Rodolfo, and after a few minutes of staring, finally hugged him and said "I'm so sorry." Black Cuervo ran up to the front and slowly fell to her knees. She began to cry, given that Manny was the only man she could ever love. Despite their extreme hatred, Frida walked up to her and got on her knees and comforted her.
After the ceremony and eulogy, Frida walked up to the front and cleared her throat. "May I have everyone's attention please?" she muttered into the microphone at the front of the chapel.
Silence, with a couple of final sniffles, filled the room.
"I'd like to sing a song on behalf of my greatest friend, Manny Rivera."
The attendees listened patiently.
Frida plugged in her guitar, a beautiful Grestch Duo Jet that Manny had bought her for her seventeenth birthday, into the amp that stood next to her. She cleared her throat and began to sing.
'I gotta get too drunk to dream
'cause dreaming only makes me blue
I gotta get too drunk to dream
because i only dream of you
I gotta get too pissed to miss you
or i'll never get to sleep
i gotta drink wine not to pine for you
and god knows that ain't cheap
I know you think i'm insane
I know it's not appealing
but til i'm feeling no pain
guess what i'll be feeling?
I know you think I'm insane
I know it's not appealing
but tilI I'm feeling no pain
guess what I'll be feeling?
I gotta get too drunk to dream
'cause dreaming only makes me blue
i gotta get too drunk to dream
because I only dream of you
I gotta get too pissed to miss you
or I'll never get to sleep
I gotta drink wine not to pine for you
and god knows that ain't cheap'
As she strummed the last chord and the guitar slowly fedback, Frida looked up at the crowd, tears streaming down her face. Her father nodded in understanding. She smiled weakly. "I loved him. And I will never love anyone again." Frida said finally. As she unplugged her guitar and put it away, the attendees made their way out, she said one last good bye to the picture of Manny Rivera. She was the last to leave when suddenly, Rodolfo stopped her. Frida looked at the adult superhero, who grinned and held out his hand, revealing none other than-
"Manny's belt buckle!" she gasped. Rodolfo nudged her with it. "Manny told me that if anything happened to him, I was to give it to you." Frida took it, admiring the 'T' in the center of the buckle. "Thank you." She said faintly. Rodolfo nodded with a smile and exited the chapel.
And then Frida Suarez put on the buckle on to her own belt, spun it lightly, and smiled as she whispered "Thank you, El Tigre. I love you so much."
And with that, Frida left the chapel, knowing that he and her hero would reunite once more.