Time shift
Foreword: I do not own any of the characters of the Walt Disney series that appear in this story, I just borrow them. Nike and David are my characters though!
1 England 2022
Nike had enough of this so-called progressive world. High technology, robots, faster cars than needed, everyone in a rush and under pressure... that was just not the way she imagined life was supposed to be like. She was for a more natural way of life. She enjoyed nature, animals and silence. A good hike in the woods would tempt her more than one of these virtual adventures. As good as those might be, they couldn't fool her into believing that reality out there was the same. London had become an even busier city than it had already been at the beginning of the 21stt century. Sometimes, when she was outside riding her brown Trakehnian „Popeye", she wondered what things had been like 200 years ago, when a horse was the car of today, when everyone owned one and the air wasn't full of chemical substances from cars, factories and their likes. Her father, Santiago Guardiola, was working as an interpreter for the British Government and his wife, Marian, was running an internet café at the Thames shore, near Tower Bridge.
„If just I could get to know how life in the earlier days has been", Nike thought to herself.
Then she decided to pay a visit to her mate David, who was a bit of a dreamer. He enjoyed relaxing on the terrace, staring in the sky thinking up stories, science fiction, or even... and these Nike liked best... stories of the pirates in the 18th century. Real adventure stories, like „Treasure Island". David's father owned a technology development firm and David had all the newest game consoles and even some prototypes of new inventions, but he wasn't too interested in them.
Nike decided to ride to his house. She got out her mobile to see if David was at home at all. Having been warned of her arrival via text message, David had left the back door open so Nike could come in without having to ring the doorbell. Nike led Popeye to the park behind their house and hobbled him before she entered the house.
„Hello David!", she greeted.
David smiled at her and offered her a drink, which she accepted. „You smell like horses", David stated.
„I know, I have Popeye outside. I hope it doesn't bother you."
„Not at all... I like natural aromas!"
Nike walked over to his Hifi. „Can I put in a CD?"
„Sure... find one you like!"
David went outside in the sun and got another chair out for Nike. Nike found a CD and set up the player, then turned to join David outside. She came by his desk, where a weird looking sports watch lay. She picked it up and took it outside with her.
„What's this, David? Another invention of your Dad's?"
David shot a glance at what she held in her hand. Then he laughed.
„Yup... I suppose it was meant to be a device for time travel, but it doesn't work. Looks kind of nice for a watch though, so my old man gave it to me."
He saw Nike being intrigued with it.
„You can keep it if you like it!"
„Oh no, I don't want to take it from you. Did your father explain to you how it should have functioned as a time machine, had it been working?"
„No, but it's not too hard to figure out by oneself. You just have to check the menu. But, Nike, you can really keep it. I already have enough watches, and since the time travel device doesn't work anyway, you can really keep it!"
„Really? Thanks a lot, David!"
They spent some time listening to music and talking. Then Nike felt she needed to go home. After all, she still had some things to do. So she said goodbye to David and mounted Popeye again. Halfway home she was daydreaming about riding in the Wild West or California planes with Popeye. She even closed her eyes for a split moment to imagine the landscape before her eyes. Suddenly she heard a humming noise. She opened her eyes to see that the watch David had given her made this noise. She grinned and pressed a button to try and switch off the sound. Next thing she felt like being lifted in the air, horse and all, before a deafening bang resounded and everything went black around her.
1.1 California 1822
When Nike came to again, she was lying in the dust on the ground. She sat up looking around. Everything seemed so different. She saw Popeye grazing nearby and got up to check if she and her horse were okay. Satisfied and relieved to find that they both lacked nothing but the knowledge of what had happened, she looked around for some familiar sights. But she couldn't find any. A stone throw away there was what appeared to be a wooden signpost and she approached it. She couldn't believe her eyes when she read it. It clearly said: „Pueblo de los Angeles: 2 miles". But before she could think about what she read there was a noise of horses galloping down the dusty road. She looked over her shoulder to find a wooden carriage racing towards her at full speed. She jumped back and let it pass.
Only now she had time to think about what she had seen. For all this there was just one explanation, and that was impossible. If she wasn't very much mistaken, she had travelled in time... backwards! But David had said that this time travelling watch he had given her didn't work. Apparantly it did, too!
„Now what do I do?" Nike said to herself.
She looked down at herself to check if there was anything on her clothing that could give away her futuristic origin, though she doubted that people would call it „futuristic". But it would certainly confuse them. Since she didn't know exactely what time she had arrived in she could only guess as to what had already been invented. Luckily most of her riding outfit was made of leather. She decided she could leave everything on without having to fear prosecution from superstitious people. But she switched off her mobile phone and hid it in one of Popeye's saddle bags. She also put the time travel watch in there.
She mounted Popeye again and headed in the direction the signpost indicated Los Angeles was.
When she arrived in the pueblo, she heard that the people were talking Spanish.
„Then I am in Spanish California, meaning it has to be around 1820" she thought to herself.
For once she was glad that her father had insisted of raising her bilingual. Him being Spanish he would only talk to her in his mother tongue, whereas her mother talked English to her. But apart from school and talking to her Dad this would be the first time she actually had to use Spanish to converse with people. She dismounted at the gates of the Cuartel. After she had Popeye tied to a beam, she went over to the well for a drink of water.
She looked up again after she had quenched her thirst and saw a poster on the wall of what must be the tavern. She stared at it, unable to believe her eyes. On the poster was the drawn portray of a masked bandido named Zorro. Nike gasped.
„So... these stories are true after all!"
She had always thought they were just real in the fictitious world of the author.
Just in that moment a young Don walked past her, headed for the tavern. Nike took another double take. This man definitely looked familiar to her. And with the poster she had just seen she also knew where to search her mind... yes, this man looked exactely like the lead actor in the Walt Disney Zorro series, which was over 60 years old by now, in her time. Nike noticed she had held her breath, so now she released the air slowly. The young man vanished into the tavern. Nike decided to follow him in order to find out if all this was just an amazing coincidence or if that TV series now acted sort of like a deja-vu for her.
Nike settled at a table close to the door and looked around. In the tavern she saw that the man she already called Diego de la Vega in her mind had settled at a table with another man, who had his back to Nike. But from the grey hair she thought that this could be his father, Don Alejandro. She glanced to the bar. Her eyes widened again, as the man she saw there looked like a twin of the actor that had represented Bernardo, Diego's manservant and friend.
„This can't be true!", she thought.
After a while she got up and left the tavern. She wanted to see if she could find the way to the de la Vega hacienda. She mounted Popeye again, after watering him. She asked a peon who also was at the well, in which direction the de la Vega hacienda was, and the peon pointed it out. When she was out of town she thought that this was one coincidence to many to be a coincidence. The fact that the peon had just given directions and not been puzzled proved that there was a de la Vega hacienda indeed. From all this Nike decided to act now as if everything else was the same as in the TV show. That would at least give her a little help in what to expect. She could only hope she was right, though.
After she had ridden for about 15 minutes, she saw someone approaching her on horseback. Since she didn't want to get into any trouble, she left the road and hid until the rider had passed her. Just as she was turning onto the road again she heard hoof beats from behind her. She turned around and saw two riders galloping towards her from the direction of Los Angeles. It was too late to hide again and she only succeeded in avoiding a collision with the other horses.
The two riders stopped and turned around. When Nike had Popeye under control again and looked up she looked at who she thought was Diego de la Vega and his manservant.
„Wow", she thought, „he really IS handsome!"
She caught herself staring at him and quickly put on a different expression.
„Are you okay, Senorita?" the young man asked.
„Si, I'm fine!" Nike replied, unable to hide her excitement in her voice.
The young Don mistook this quiver in her voice to be from the almost collision.
„I'm sorry, but we just didn't see you. Oh, I'm Diego de la Vega and this is my manservant Bernardo. He is deaf mute, I might add!"
Nike swallowed a bit before replying.
„My name is Nike Guardiola."
She nodded towards Bernardo and he smiled at her.
„May I ask what a senorita is doing alone here on the road?" Diego inquired. „It can be dangerous. There are too many bandits on the loose."
„That's okay, I'm not afraid." Nike replied.
„I'm afraid that it's not a question of being afraid" Diego flashed a smile at her. „May I ask where you were headed?"
„I don't know, really" Nike admitted.
„May I invite you to our hacienda then?" Diego asked.
Nike hesitated a moment and Diego added „It's just behind the next bend!"
Nike nodded her agreement and followed them. Diego steared his mount next to hers.
„I hope I'm not being impolite if I ask how come that you don't wear a riding gown but... men's clothes", Diego started a conversation.
„Well, I've never liked wearing dresses too much. And I guess my father has given up talking me into wearing something that I don't feel comfortable in. I know, it must seem very strange to you, but I just can't help it."
„I see," Diego looked bemused. „So, since you obviously aren't from around here, I hope I'm not out of place to ask where you are from."
Nike thought a couple of moments before replying.
„You're right, I'm not from around here. But as much as I'd like to tell you where I'm from, I cannot! I hope you can understand that!"
Diego nodded before putting his next question at her.
„Well, I must admit when you gave your name I assumed you were from Greece perhaps, since you bear the name of the Greek Goddess of Victory, but your family name indicates Spanish heritage. How come you have a Greek first name, then?"
„My father was working in Greece for some years and he liked it a lot. So when I was born he wanted to preserve some of his love for Greece and chose this name. But if that name doesn't appeal to you, you may use my second name, Estella, or Stella for short." She paused shortly before adding: „My mother always calls me Stella."
„No, Nike is quite fine with me. Just very unusual around here, that's why I asked. I meant no offense!"
„Ninguna problema – no problem" Nike replied with a smile.
When they arrived at the hacienda, Diego invited her into the sala. Nike went inside and looked around. Everything looked the same as on TV. In a way she wondered if she had actually travelled in time or if she had been transferred into a fictitious world.
„Senorita Nike", Diego started.
She looked at him. „Si?"
„I was just wondering if you already have a place to stay at."
„Actually, no, Don Diego, but I would hate to have to impose on you. Isn't there an inn in the pueblo where I can stay at?"
„There is one, but hardly a place for a lady to stay alone" Diego replied.
Nike suppressed a grin. Nobody had called her a lady so far. She herself didn't think of herself as one, at least not in the meaning it had in her world.
„I insist", Diego continued, when she didn't reply.
„Well, since you put it like that, I'd be very grateful to you."
After supper Nike went to her room. Knowing the secret of the de la Vega hacienda she immediately started looking for the secret passages. When she found the lever the secret door opened and she entered. At first she just looked around, memorizing it so she could find her way back. Then she went back in her room and locked her door, before entering the passage again. She came to the staircase and heard voices. She held her breath and listened. At first she couldn't make out the words but then her ears adapted.
„Sergeant Garcia is about to make a big mistake, and he doesn't know it. Zorro has to go and warn him. He mustn't trust this so called messenger. I bet the message he brought was forged. It can't possibly have come from Capitan Toledano."
There was a break. Then she heard Diego continue.
„Well, it can't have come from the Capitan, because he is in Monterrey. And the mensajero said the Capitan had given it to him in San Diego two days ago."
Another break.
„I don't know what the message contained, but I will find out... tonight! Adios Bernardo!"
Nike hid in the dark of one of the passage ways. She heard footsteps coming down the stairs and then she saw him. He was even more breathtaking in the black outfit! Simply gorgeous! Zorro continued down the stairs and finally the sound of a galopping horse that vanished told her that the fox had left his kennel.
Nike returned to her room as fast and quiet as she could. There was her chance to see Zorro in action. Nike didn't bother thinking long. She sneaked out of the window and ran to the stables. She saddled Popeye and led him out through the gate. Then she mounted and headed towards Los Angeles.
Zorro and Tornado raced to the garrison. Surely he would find Sergeant Garcia in his office. He was almost there, when a sound like that of a stampede coming from the pueblo made him pull Tornado to a halt. He listened. The noise was coming closer. Then he saw them. It seemed like the whole garrison was on horseback and racing towards him. Puzzled Zorro stayed frozen to the spot for a split second. Then the racing pack of lancers saw him. Garcia stopped his horse for a moment, then yelled something to his soldiers but Zorro couldn't understand it. He saw them change direction, though. Had they been headed just past him a moment before now they came right at him. He realised the chase was on before he had even imagined it, turned Tornado on his hind-legs and raced off.
The chase hadn't been long when a sudden thunder rolled over the land and as if someone opened the gates of the sky it started pouring. It hadn't been raining for weeks and the land was dry. Now the sudden flood made it all very slippery. Zorro wanted to slow Tornado a bit but it was too late. Tornado lost the grip under his hooves and fell burying Zorro underneath him. In a second Tornado was back to his feet, waiting for his rider to remount. But Zorro didn't move. He had come to lie underneath his horse when Tornado hit the ground and the impact had forced the wind out of him. Tornado nuzzled him. Zorro took a deep breath, recollecting his thoughts. The rain had also slowed the lancers and several had fallen as well, but those who hadn't were very close to Zorro now. When he realised that, he mobilised all his strength, swung himself on Tornado and fled.
He knew something wasn't right. He had trouble sucking the air into his lungs and his ribcage hurt. He had no time to think about it, though. The soldiers were to close for comfort. He couldn't risk having Tornado run faster, for the danger of another fall was still there. So he decided to hide somewhere. Soon he came by some rocks and hid. He watched in relief as the soldiers raced on.
When he was alone he allowed himself to dismount and check if Tornado had any injuries from the fall. He couldn't find any. He took a deep breath and grimaced in pain. Zorro looked around to see if there was any shelter from the rain, but he couldn't make out any. He wanted to get back on Tornado's back and put one foot in the stirrup. When he wanted to hault himself up an immense pain shot through his body and he blacked out, falling to the ground hitting his head on the bolder next to him.
Meanwhile Nike had ridden to the garrison. She also had been caught in the rain, but it didn't matter to her. When she arrived at the Cuartel she was surprised that the gates were wide open and there was no sight of neither Zorro nor the lancers. Nobody was on the streets, and no soul seemed to be inside the Cuartel. She dismounted and went through the gates. She headed towards the office. It seemed deserted as well. The door was not locked. Curious as she was she opened the door and entered. Nobody was there. She went over to the desk and saw a note lying there. She read it and immediately knew it was the message that Diego had talked about. She glanced at it, then tucked it into her shirt and left the office again.
Popeye waited for her and soon they both were on their way back to the de la Vega hacienda. Nike wondered what had happened to the soldiers and Zorro. In the meantime the rain had reduced itself to a mere drizzle. The ground was one mess, though, and Nike decided to walk Popeye home. When she came to the passage with the rocks she suddenly heard a horse snorting. She stopped and listened. There it was again. She dismounted and following the noise she went around the bolder. There she saw a big black horse all saddled up, ears pricked in her direction. She stared at the horse in amazement. Never before had she seen such a brilliant horse. Then the horse lowered its head shoving at the person lying at its feet.
Nike came out of her awe and followed the horses head with her gaze. She gasped, when she saw the black clad figure lying on the ground, motionless. It took her a split second to take in what she saw. But then she was all action. She knelt next to Zorro, checking him for breath and pulse. She found he had both, so she tried to revive him by patting his cheek.
„Diego", she called, forgetting that she wasn't supposed to know his identity. „Diego, wake up!", she called again, shaking him gently.
Slowly he opened his eyes and when he focused he recognised her.
„Senorita" he whispered.
She could see he was in pain.
„Where are you hurt, D... Zorro?"
Phew, she had just managed to catch herself, realising she couldn't possibly make Diego believe she knew his identity yet claiming she hadn't removed his mask. And that was what he needed to believe so he wouldn't worry. She hoped he was too dazed to notice she almost gave it away.
„I'm having trouble breathing, and I have a splitting headache", Zorro said softly.
„Do you think you can ride your horse back to... to wherever your home is?" Nike enquired.
Zorro listened to his body before replying. „Si, I think I can!"
„Then let me help you stand up."
Nike offered his hand to Zorro. He took it and slowly came to his feet.
Nike was thinking of a way of handing him the note she found on Garcia's desk without giving away she had been in the garrison. She would have a tough time explaining to Diego and Don Alejandro where she had been during the rain as it was, should they ask. Then she had an idea.
She helped Zorro mount his steed, then, as he was about to ride away, she called „Senor!"
Zorro looked at her.
„I found this on the road, just around the bolder here. Did you perhaps lose this?"
She handed him the note. Zorro took it and opened it. After he read it he replied
„No, I didn't, but I think I know who did! Gracias, senorita. For everything!"
With that he tucked the note in his shirt, gave a salute and what was supposed to be a smile and cantered off.
„Vaya con dios", Nike mumbled before mounting Popeye again and heading back to the hacienda.
What neither of them knew nor suspected was that in this very moment the deserted garrison was being robbed by the bandidos who also had forged the message for Sergeant Garcia, which lured the lancers out of it.
Nike arrived at the hacienda and managed to sneak into her room unseen. The question only was, had Don Alejandro noticed she had been gone? Or had anyone else? She didn't think Diego would mention it, since that meant giving away his secret. There was the case though, if Alejandro was already aware of Diego's identity, that Diego would tell him and Alejandro questioned her, pretending to have noticed her absence. She would just have to wait for it.
In the morning Nike was awakened by a knock on her door.
„Un momento" she called, pulling over a robe that Bernardo had put in her room for her.
Then she opened the door. Diego was standing there telling her that breakfast was ready if she was.
„Sure, I will be there in a moment" she said.
She was glad to see that obviously Diego was better by now. At least he didn't give the impression of being in pain. Nike would just have to watch herself not to ask how he was.
When she sat at the table, Bernardo came rushing in waving to Diego to come outside. Diego got up and followed him. The gate to the hacienda was being opened by a very agitated Sergeant Garcia.
„Don Diego... buenos dias! To you too, little one!" He waved at Bernardo.
„Buenos dias, Sajento! To what do we owe the pleasure of this early visit?", Diego asked.
„Oh, Don Diego, I'm afraid there is bad news. The garrison has been robbed last night!"
„What? How could that have happened, Sergeant? Weren't you and your lancers enough to protect it?"
„That is the trouble, Don Diego. My lancers and I had left for San Diego at Capitan Toledano's order, and upon our return this morning we found that the garrison had been robbed."
„But... surely not all of you left?" Diego was surprised.
„Si, all of us left! The Capitan had ordered it!"
„So the garrison was being completely unguarded? I cannot believe that Capitan Toledano would order you to leave the garrison unguarded, Sajento!"
„You know something, Don Diego. By now I think that that message wasn't really the Capitan's. When we arrived in San Diego, we were told that he hadn't been there in months and..."
Diego cut the Sergeant off.
„I'm surprised that not even Zorro knew of this. Else he would certainly have warned you!"
„Si... but there is another thing. I think he came to warn us, but..." the Sergeant sighed, „we chased him off and when we had lost him, or when he had lost us we hurried right onto San Diego."
Diego smiled wryly. „Now, what are you going to do? And what are you going to tell Capitan Toledano?"
„That I don't know, Don Diego. I was hoping that maybe you have an idea..."
„I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I think you'll have to get out of that yourself. I don't even know what kind of message you received."
At that moment, Don Alejandro called his son.
„You'll excuse me, Sergeant. Con permiso!"
Don Diego bowed and then headed inside the hacienda. Sergeant Garcia looked sad, then turned and left for Los Angeles again.
„Diego!", Don Alejandro said. „I will have to leave here today for some cattle business, as you know. I will be in Monterrey for some days, so I might not be back too soon. Anything I can do for you on the way?"
„Oh, not for me, father, but I think you could do something for Sergeant Garcia!"
Don Alejandro looked quizzically at his only son.
„Well, it seems that our Sergeant has been tricked into something yet again and he might want you to take a message to Capitan Toledano, who is also in Monterrey. So why don't you stop at the Cuartel and see if you can deliver this message for him."
„Well, Diego, I will see about it. Now, adios!"
He embraced his son and then headed to the horse that was waiting for him outside. He was to meet with Don Enrico Fernandez in town and they would do the journey together.
„Capitan Toledano", Nike thought to herself. Yet another character she knew from the TV series. But this also meant that Don Alejandro didn't yet know of his son's dual identity. Nike smiled. So, Diego would have to keep the secret of her nocturnal escapade to himself, just as she had to be quiet about knowing about Zorro.
Nike, Diego and Bernardo spent the day riding around the de la Vega premises. Nike was amazed to see how many acres the de la Vega land included.
In the evening, after Nike had retired again, Zorro went on his quest of finding the bandidos who had robbed the garrison the other night. Diego was still having slight trouble with his ribs and his head ached as well, but not enough to put him off this task. Somehow he had to help the Sergeant out of his dilemma, and he couldn't do it as Diego.
Zorro was unaware that he was being followed. Nike had picked a sword from one of the many at the walls in the hacienda, so she didn't have to go completely unarmed. She had been fencing at a club in London when she was younger, but she hadn't done it in quite a while. Still she was confident that she could defend herself if the situation called upon it. Now she sat on Popeye and waited for Zorro to come past her hiding spot. When he did, she followed him.
Zorro had a suspicion as to who the bandidos were that had robbed the Cuartel so he knew where to look for them. He was headed towards the mountains and it didn't take him long to find tracks that led him to the hiding spot of the highwaymen.
He dismounted and told Tornado to hide nearby. He could smell their fire and approached the campsite as silently as a jaguar sneaks up on its prey. He didn't have to listen long to find out he was dealing with the right men. One of them, the leader, left shortly after Zorro arrived and so there were only 3 men remaining at the campsite. But the important thing was, their robbed treasure remained there, too. Zorro decided it was time to retrieve the gold and return it to where it belonged.
Zorro drew his sword and sneaked up to one of the bandidos. He poked his blade in his back between the shoulder blades.
„Aiii" the bandido howled. The others looked at him and when they recognised Zorro they grabbed their arms. One was aiming a pistol at Zorro, but Zorro's whip relieved him of it. The other one drew his sword and charged at Zorro. Shoving the third bandido aside he accepted the duel. It was a short one and ended with the bandido being knocked out by the hilt of Zorro's sword. Now the other two charged at Zorro with drawn swords. Of course they were no match for Zorro, but being as desperate as they were to defend their loot they became sort of unpredictable.
It took Zorro a while to disarm first the one then the other. He bound them and started to gather the money pouches to return them All of a sudden he heard a thump behind himself. When he turned around, with his sword drawn in a flash, he saw the fourth bandido unconcious at his feet. Zorro looked up and saw Nike standing there, sword in hand.
Zorro bowed and said „It looks like I have a guardian angel watching over me lately!"
Nike smiled.
„I just couldn't let him kill you! Now, if you need any help getting these bandits to Sergeant Garcia..."
Together they tied the bandits onto their horses, collected the money and rode to the pueblo. Zorro told Nike to wait outside for him. Nike nodded in agreement and Zorro galopped into Los Angeles, shouting at Sergeant Garcia.
„Here are your robbers, Sajento! And here..", he tossed the money pouches towards the soldiers, „is your missing gold!"
Then with a bow and a salute he reared up Tornado, smiled at the Sergeant and galloped off.
The soldiers quickly captured the horses with the bandidos tied on and retrieved the money. Sergeant Garcia sighed in relief. Then he waved back at the disappearing dark angel of Los Angeles.
Nike didn't have to wait long for Zorro to return. Zorro reined Tornado to a halt.
„Muchas Gracias, senorita. If it hadn't been for you this task would have been much more difficult for me to solve. I... owe you my life!"
Nike smiled again. „It was my pleasure, Diego."
She didn't realise she had said his name until she saw the shocked look on his face. But before she was able to give any explanations she heard that sound again. The same sound she had heard just before she had been transferred into this time.
Zorro was alarmed by the noise so Nike tried to shut if off, quickly. It made the horses nervous as well. She fumbled in her saddle bag and pressed a button of the watch by accident. Right away she felt herself being lifted in the air again before with the bang everything went black again.
1.2 England 2022
Nike came to finding herself on the grassy ground. She looked around and saw Popeye not far away. She sat up, shaking her head. What had happened? It looked like she was back in England, where all this had started. Over her in the sky a plane flew by. So, it seemed the time was right again as well. She got up and went to Popeye. She wanted to mount him when she noticed, she was still wearing the sword.
This story she just had to tell David, because it meant, that his father's invention did work after all. She raced back to David's house, jumped off Popeye and knocked on the window.
David opened the door.
„I didn't expect you back so soon, Nike!" he greeted her.
„Soon?", she thought. „That means that time here didn't pass while I made the journey."
„David, I have to tell you something! It's important!"
„Come in then... what is it?"
„You remember you gave me that watch that your father had wanted to be a time travel device?"
„Nike, it's not like this was ages ago. Of course I remember!"
„Well... it works!"
„What works?" David asked.
„The time travel! Believe it or not, but I have just spent 2 days in the California of 1820" And she told David everything that had happened.
David listened to her story, but found it hard to believe, especially since everything was just as it was in that TV series.
„Maybe Popeye threw you and you hit your head and dreamed all this!" he suggested.
„But then... how did I get this sword???"
1.2.1 EPILOGUE
Back in California, Zorro stared in disbelief of what had just happened a second ago. All of a sudden, there was that noise out of Nike's saddle bag. When she tried to sort it out, there was a big flash that blinded him and when he could see again, Nike was gone, horse and all. The field was wide and if she had ridden off he must still be able to see her in the distance, but she was nowhere to be seen. No horse could be that fast. The only thing left was Popeye's tracks, which disappeared in nothing, as if they both had just flown away.
Zorro was confused. He didn't know what to think and had no explanation. He turned Tornado and headed home thinking of what had happened. The only explanation he could come up with was that he really had just met his guardian angel.
THE END
Foreword: I do not own any of the characters of the Walt Disney series that appear in this story, I just borrow them. Nike and David are my characters though!
1 England 2022
Nike had enough of this so-called progressive world. High technology, robots, faster cars than needed, everyone in a rush and under pressure... that was just not the way she imagined life was supposed to be like. She was for a more natural way of life. She enjoyed nature, animals and silence. A good hike in the woods would tempt her more than one of these virtual adventures. As good as those might be, they couldn't fool her into believing that reality out there was the same. London had become an even busier city than it had already been at the beginning of the 21stt century. Sometimes, when she was outside riding her brown Trakehnian „Popeye", she wondered what things had been like 200 years ago, when a horse was the car of today, when everyone owned one and the air wasn't full of chemical substances from cars, factories and their likes. Her father, Santiago Guardiola, was working as an interpreter for the British Government and his wife, Marian, was running an internet café at the Thames shore, near Tower Bridge.
„If just I could get to know how life in the earlier days has been", Nike thought to herself.
Then she decided to pay a visit to her mate David, who was a bit of a dreamer. He enjoyed relaxing on the terrace, staring in the sky thinking up stories, science fiction, or even... and these Nike liked best... stories of the pirates in the 18th century. Real adventure stories, like „Treasure Island". David's father owned a technology development firm and David had all the newest game consoles and even some prototypes of new inventions, but he wasn't too interested in them.
Nike decided to ride to his house. She got out her mobile to see if David was at home at all. Having been warned of her arrival via text message, David had left the back door open so Nike could come in without having to ring the doorbell. Nike led Popeye to the park behind their house and hobbled him before she entered the house.
„Hello David!", she greeted.
David smiled at her and offered her a drink, which she accepted. „You smell like horses", David stated.
„I know, I have Popeye outside. I hope it doesn't bother you."
„Not at all... I like natural aromas!"
Nike walked over to his Hifi. „Can I put in a CD?"
„Sure... find one you like!"
David went outside in the sun and got another chair out for Nike. Nike found a CD and set up the player, then turned to join David outside. She came by his desk, where a weird looking sports watch lay. She picked it up and took it outside with her.
„What's this, David? Another invention of your Dad's?"
David shot a glance at what she held in her hand. Then he laughed.
„Yup... I suppose it was meant to be a device for time travel, but it doesn't work. Looks kind of nice for a watch though, so my old man gave it to me."
He saw Nike being intrigued with it.
„You can keep it if you like it!"
„Oh no, I don't want to take it from you. Did your father explain to you how it should have functioned as a time machine, had it been working?"
„No, but it's not too hard to figure out by oneself. You just have to check the menu. But, Nike, you can really keep it. I already have enough watches, and since the time travel device doesn't work anyway, you can really keep it!"
„Really? Thanks a lot, David!"
They spent some time listening to music and talking. Then Nike felt she needed to go home. After all, she still had some things to do. So she said goodbye to David and mounted Popeye again. Halfway home she was daydreaming about riding in the Wild West or California planes with Popeye. She even closed her eyes for a split moment to imagine the landscape before her eyes. Suddenly she heard a humming noise. She opened her eyes to see that the watch David had given her made this noise. She grinned and pressed a button to try and switch off the sound. Next thing she felt like being lifted in the air, horse and all, before a deafening bang resounded and everything went black around her.
1.1 California 1822
When Nike came to again, she was lying in the dust on the ground. She sat up looking around. Everything seemed so different. She saw Popeye grazing nearby and got up to check if she and her horse were okay. Satisfied and relieved to find that they both lacked nothing but the knowledge of what had happened, she looked around for some familiar sights. But she couldn't find any. A stone throw away there was what appeared to be a wooden signpost and she approached it. She couldn't believe her eyes when she read it. It clearly said: „Pueblo de los Angeles: 2 miles". But before she could think about what she read there was a noise of horses galloping down the dusty road. She looked over her shoulder to find a wooden carriage racing towards her at full speed. She jumped back and let it pass.
Only now she had time to think about what she had seen. For all this there was just one explanation, and that was impossible. If she wasn't very much mistaken, she had travelled in time... backwards! But David had said that this time travelling watch he had given her didn't work. Apparantly it did, too!
„Now what do I do?" Nike said to herself.
She looked down at herself to check if there was anything on her clothing that could give away her futuristic origin, though she doubted that people would call it „futuristic". But it would certainly confuse them. Since she didn't know exactely what time she had arrived in she could only guess as to what had already been invented. Luckily most of her riding outfit was made of leather. She decided she could leave everything on without having to fear prosecution from superstitious people. But she switched off her mobile phone and hid it in one of Popeye's saddle bags. She also put the time travel watch in there.
She mounted Popeye again and headed in the direction the signpost indicated Los Angeles was.
When she arrived in the pueblo, she heard that the people were talking Spanish.
„Then I am in Spanish California, meaning it has to be around 1820" she thought to herself.
For once she was glad that her father had insisted of raising her bilingual. Him being Spanish he would only talk to her in his mother tongue, whereas her mother talked English to her. But apart from school and talking to her Dad this would be the first time she actually had to use Spanish to converse with people. She dismounted at the gates of the Cuartel. After she had Popeye tied to a beam, she went over to the well for a drink of water.
She looked up again after she had quenched her thirst and saw a poster on the wall of what must be the tavern. She stared at it, unable to believe her eyes. On the poster was the drawn portray of a masked bandido named Zorro. Nike gasped.
„So... these stories are true after all!"
She had always thought they were just real in the fictitious world of the author.
Just in that moment a young Don walked past her, headed for the tavern. Nike took another double take. This man definitely looked familiar to her. And with the poster she had just seen she also knew where to search her mind... yes, this man looked exactely like the lead actor in the Walt Disney Zorro series, which was over 60 years old by now, in her time. Nike noticed she had held her breath, so now she released the air slowly. The young man vanished into the tavern. Nike decided to follow him in order to find out if all this was just an amazing coincidence or if that TV series now acted sort of like a deja-vu for her.
Nike settled at a table close to the door and looked around. In the tavern she saw that the man she already called Diego de la Vega in her mind had settled at a table with another man, who had his back to Nike. But from the grey hair she thought that this could be his father, Don Alejandro. She glanced to the bar. Her eyes widened again, as the man she saw there looked like a twin of the actor that had represented Bernardo, Diego's manservant and friend.
„This can't be true!", she thought.
After a while she got up and left the tavern. She wanted to see if she could find the way to the de la Vega hacienda. She mounted Popeye again, after watering him. She asked a peon who also was at the well, in which direction the de la Vega hacienda was, and the peon pointed it out. When she was out of town she thought that this was one coincidence to many to be a coincidence. The fact that the peon had just given directions and not been puzzled proved that there was a de la Vega hacienda indeed. From all this Nike decided to act now as if everything else was the same as in the TV show. That would at least give her a little help in what to expect. She could only hope she was right, though.
After she had ridden for about 15 minutes, she saw someone approaching her on horseback. Since she didn't want to get into any trouble, she left the road and hid until the rider had passed her. Just as she was turning onto the road again she heard hoof beats from behind her. She turned around and saw two riders galloping towards her from the direction of Los Angeles. It was too late to hide again and she only succeeded in avoiding a collision with the other horses.
The two riders stopped and turned around. When Nike had Popeye under control again and looked up she looked at who she thought was Diego de la Vega and his manservant.
„Wow", she thought, „he really IS handsome!"
She caught herself staring at him and quickly put on a different expression.
„Are you okay, Senorita?" the young man asked.
„Si, I'm fine!" Nike replied, unable to hide her excitement in her voice.
The young Don mistook this quiver in her voice to be from the almost collision.
„I'm sorry, but we just didn't see you. Oh, I'm Diego de la Vega and this is my manservant Bernardo. He is deaf mute, I might add!"
Nike swallowed a bit before replying.
„My name is Nike Guardiola."
She nodded towards Bernardo and he smiled at her.
„May I ask what a senorita is doing alone here on the road?" Diego inquired. „It can be dangerous. There are too many bandits on the loose."
„That's okay, I'm not afraid." Nike replied.
„I'm afraid that it's not a question of being afraid" Diego flashed a smile at her. „May I ask where you were headed?"
„I don't know, really" Nike admitted.
„May I invite you to our hacienda then?" Diego asked.
Nike hesitated a moment and Diego added „It's just behind the next bend!"
Nike nodded her agreement and followed them. Diego steared his mount next to hers.
„I hope I'm not being impolite if I ask how come that you don't wear a riding gown but... men's clothes", Diego started a conversation.
„Well, I've never liked wearing dresses too much. And I guess my father has given up talking me into wearing something that I don't feel comfortable in. I know, it must seem very strange to you, but I just can't help it."
„I see," Diego looked bemused. „So, since you obviously aren't from around here, I hope I'm not out of place to ask where you are from."
Nike thought a couple of moments before replying.
„You're right, I'm not from around here. But as much as I'd like to tell you where I'm from, I cannot! I hope you can understand that!"
Diego nodded before putting his next question at her.
„Well, I must admit when you gave your name I assumed you were from Greece perhaps, since you bear the name of the Greek Goddess of Victory, but your family name indicates Spanish heritage. How come you have a Greek first name, then?"
„My father was working in Greece for some years and he liked it a lot. So when I was born he wanted to preserve some of his love for Greece and chose this name. But if that name doesn't appeal to you, you may use my second name, Estella, or Stella for short." She paused shortly before adding: „My mother always calls me Stella."
„No, Nike is quite fine with me. Just very unusual around here, that's why I asked. I meant no offense!"
„Ninguna problema – no problem" Nike replied with a smile.
When they arrived at the hacienda, Diego invited her into the sala. Nike went inside and looked around. Everything looked the same as on TV. In a way she wondered if she had actually travelled in time or if she had been transferred into a fictitious world.
„Senorita Nike", Diego started.
She looked at him. „Si?"
„I was just wondering if you already have a place to stay at."
„Actually, no, Don Diego, but I would hate to have to impose on you. Isn't there an inn in the pueblo where I can stay at?"
„There is one, but hardly a place for a lady to stay alone" Diego replied.
Nike suppressed a grin. Nobody had called her a lady so far. She herself didn't think of herself as one, at least not in the meaning it had in her world.
„I insist", Diego continued, when she didn't reply.
„Well, since you put it like that, I'd be very grateful to you."
After supper Nike went to her room. Knowing the secret of the de la Vega hacienda she immediately started looking for the secret passages. When she found the lever the secret door opened and she entered. At first she just looked around, memorizing it so she could find her way back. Then she went back in her room and locked her door, before entering the passage again. She came to the staircase and heard voices. She held her breath and listened. At first she couldn't make out the words but then her ears adapted.
„Sergeant Garcia is about to make a big mistake, and he doesn't know it. Zorro has to go and warn him. He mustn't trust this so called messenger. I bet the message he brought was forged. It can't possibly have come from Capitan Toledano."
There was a break. Then she heard Diego continue.
„Well, it can't have come from the Capitan, because he is in Monterrey. And the mensajero said the Capitan had given it to him in San Diego two days ago."
Another break.
„I don't know what the message contained, but I will find out... tonight! Adios Bernardo!"
Nike hid in the dark of one of the passage ways. She heard footsteps coming down the stairs and then she saw him. He was even more breathtaking in the black outfit! Simply gorgeous! Zorro continued down the stairs and finally the sound of a galopping horse that vanished told her that the fox had left his kennel.
Nike returned to her room as fast and quiet as she could. There was her chance to see Zorro in action. Nike didn't bother thinking long. She sneaked out of the window and ran to the stables. She saddled Popeye and led him out through the gate. Then she mounted and headed towards Los Angeles.
Zorro and Tornado raced to the garrison. Surely he would find Sergeant Garcia in his office. He was almost there, when a sound like that of a stampede coming from the pueblo made him pull Tornado to a halt. He listened. The noise was coming closer. Then he saw them. It seemed like the whole garrison was on horseback and racing towards him. Puzzled Zorro stayed frozen to the spot for a split second. Then the racing pack of lancers saw him. Garcia stopped his horse for a moment, then yelled something to his soldiers but Zorro couldn't understand it. He saw them change direction, though. Had they been headed just past him a moment before now they came right at him. He realised the chase was on before he had even imagined it, turned Tornado on his hind-legs and raced off.
The chase hadn't been long when a sudden thunder rolled over the land and as if someone opened the gates of the sky it started pouring. It hadn't been raining for weeks and the land was dry. Now the sudden flood made it all very slippery. Zorro wanted to slow Tornado a bit but it was too late. Tornado lost the grip under his hooves and fell burying Zorro underneath him. In a second Tornado was back to his feet, waiting for his rider to remount. But Zorro didn't move. He had come to lie underneath his horse when Tornado hit the ground and the impact had forced the wind out of him. Tornado nuzzled him. Zorro took a deep breath, recollecting his thoughts. The rain had also slowed the lancers and several had fallen as well, but those who hadn't were very close to Zorro now. When he realised that, he mobilised all his strength, swung himself on Tornado and fled.
He knew something wasn't right. He had trouble sucking the air into his lungs and his ribcage hurt. He had no time to think about it, though. The soldiers were to close for comfort. He couldn't risk having Tornado run faster, for the danger of another fall was still there. So he decided to hide somewhere. Soon he came by some rocks and hid. He watched in relief as the soldiers raced on.
When he was alone he allowed himself to dismount and check if Tornado had any injuries from the fall. He couldn't find any. He took a deep breath and grimaced in pain. Zorro looked around to see if there was any shelter from the rain, but he couldn't make out any. He wanted to get back on Tornado's back and put one foot in the stirrup. When he wanted to hault himself up an immense pain shot through his body and he blacked out, falling to the ground hitting his head on the bolder next to him.
Meanwhile Nike had ridden to the garrison. She also had been caught in the rain, but it didn't matter to her. When she arrived at the Cuartel she was surprised that the gates were wide open and there was no sight of neither Zorro nor the lancers. Nobody was on the streets, and no soul seemed to be inside the Cuartel. She dismounted and went through the gates. She headed towards the office. It seemed deserted as well. The door was not locked. Curious as she was she opened the door and entered. Nobody was there. She went over to the desk and saw a note lying there. She read it and immediately knew it was the message that Diego had talked about. She glanced at it, then tucked it into her shirt and left the office again.
Popeye waited for her and soon they both were on their way back to the de la Vega hacienda. Nike wondered what had happened to the soldiers and Zorro. In the meantime the rain had reduced itself to a mere drizzle. The ground was one mess, though, and Nike decided to walk Popeye home. When she came to the passage with the rocks she suddenly heard a horse snorting. She stopped and listened. There it was again. She dismounted and following the noise she went around the bolder. There she saw a big black horse all saddled up, ears pricked in her direction. She stared at the horse in amazement. Never before had she seen such a brilliant horse. Then the horse lowered its head shoving at the person lying at its feet.
Nike came out of her awe and followed the horses head with her gaze. She gasped, when she saw the black clad figure lying on the ground, motionless. It took her a split second to take in what she saw. But then she was all action. She knelt next to Zorro, checking him for breath and pulse. She found he had both, so she tried to revive him by patting his cheek.
„Diego", she called, forgetting that she wasn't supposed to know his identity. „Diego, wake up!", she called again, shaking him gently.
Slowly he opened his eyes and when he focused he recognised her.
„Senorita" he whispered.
She could see he was in pain.
„Where are you hurt, D... Zorro?"
Phew, she had just managed to catch herself, realising she couldn't possibly make Diego believe she knew his identity yet claiming she hadn't removed his mask. And that was what he needed to believe so he wouldn't worry. She hoped he was too dazed to notice she almost gave it away.
„I'm having trouble breathing, and I have a splitting headache", Zorro said softly.
„Do you think you can ride your horse back to... to wherever your home is?" Nike enquired.
Zorro listened to his body before replying. „Si, I think I can!"
„Then let me help you stand up."
Nike offered his hand to Zorro. He took it and slowly came to his feet.
Nike was thinking of a way of handing him the note she found on Garcia's desk without giving away she had been in the garrison. She would have a tough time explaining to Diego and Don Alejandro where she had been during the rain as it was, should they ask. Then she had an idea.
She helped Zorro mount his steed, then, as he was about to ride away, she called „Senor!"
Zorro looked at her.
„I found this on the road, just around the bolder here. Did you perhaps lose this?"
She handed him the note. Zorro took it and opened it. After he read it he replied
„No, I didn't, but I think I know who did! Gracias, senorita. For everything!"
With that he tucked the note in his shirt, gave a salute and what was supposed to be a smile and cantered off.
„Vaya con dios", Nike mumbled before mounting Popeye again and heading back to the hacienda.
What neither of them knew nor suspected was that in this very moment the deserted garrison was being robbed by the bandidos who also had forged the message for Sergeant Garcia, which lured the lancers out of it.
Nike arrived at the hacienda and managed to sneak into her room unseen. The question only was, had Don Alejandro noticed she had been gone? Or had anyone else? She didn't think Diego would mention it, since that meant giving away his secret. There was the case though, if Alejandro was already aware of Diego's identity, that Diego would tell him and Alejandro questioned her, pretending to have noticed her absence. She would just have to wait for it.
In the morning Nike was awakened by a knock on her door.
„Un momento" she called, pulling over a robe that Bernardo had put in her room for her.
Then she opened the door. Diego was standing there telling her that breakfast was ready if she was.
„Sure, I will be there in a moment" she said.
She was glad to see that obviously Diego was better by now. At least he didn't give the impression of being in pain. Nike would just have to watch herself not to ask how he was.
When she sat at the table, Bernardo came rushing in waving to Diego to come outside. Diego got up and followed him. The gate to the hacienda was being opened by a very agitated Sergeant Garcia.
„Don Diego... buenos dias! To you too, little one!" He waved at Bernardo.
„Buenos dias, Sajento! To what do we owe the pleasure of this early visit?", Diego asked.
„Oh, Don Diego, I'm afraid there is bad news. The garrison has been robbed last night!"
„What? How could that have happened, Sergeant? Weren't you and your lancers enough to protect it?"
„That is the trouble, Don Diego. My lancers and I had left for San Diego at Capitan Toledano's order, and upon our return this morning we found that the garrison had been robbed."
„But... surely not all of you left?" Diego was surprised.
„Si, all of us left! The Capitan had ordered it!"
„So the garrison was being completely unguarded? I cannot believe that Capitan Toledano would order you to leave the garrison unguarded, Sajento!"
„You know something, Don Diego. By now I think that that message wasn't really the Capitan's. When we arrived in San Diego, we were told that he hadn't been there in months and..."
Diego cut the Sergeant off.
„I'm surprised that not even Zorro knew of this. Else he would certainly have warned you!"
„Si... but there is another thing. I think he came to warn us, but..." the Sergeant sighed, „we chased him off and when we had lost him, or when he had lost us we hurried right onto San Diego."
Diego smiled wryly. „Now, what are you going to do? And what are you going to tell Capitan Toledano?"
„That I don't know, Don Diego. I was hoping that maybe you have an idea..."
„I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I think you'll have to get out of that yourself. I don't even know what kind of message you received."
At that moment, Don Alejandro called his son.
„You'll excuse me, Sergeant. Con permiso!"
Don Diego bowed and then headed inside the hacienda. Sergeant Garcia looked sad, then turned and left for Los Angeles again.
„Diego!", Don Alejandro said. „I will have to leave here today for some cattle business, as you know. I will be in Monterrey for some days, so I might not be back too soon. Anything I can do for you on the way?"
„Oh, not for me, father, but I think you could do something for Sergeant Garcia!"
Don Alejandro looked quizzically at his only son.
„Well, it seems that our Sergeant has been tricked into something yet again and he might want you to take a message to Capitan Toledano, who is also in Monterrey. So why don't you stop at the Cuartel and see if you can deliver this message for him."
„Well, Diego, I will see about it. Now, adios!"
He embraced his son and then headed to the horse that was waiting for him outside. He was to meet with Don Enrico Fernandez in town and they would do the journey together.
„Capitan Toledano", Nike thought to herself. Yet another character she knew from the TV series. But this also meant that Don Alejandro didn't yet know of his son's dual identity. Nike smiled. So, Diego would have to keep the secret of her nocturnal escapade to himself, just as she had to be quiet about knowing about Zorro.
Nike, Diego and Bernardo spent the day riding around the de la Vega premises. Nike was amazed to see how many acres the de la Vega land included.
In the evening, after Nike had retired again, Zorro went on his quest of finding the bandidos who had robbed the garrison the other night. Diego was still having slight trouble with his ribs and his head ached as well, but not enough to put him off this task. Somehow he had to help the Sergeant out of his dilemma, and he couldn't do it as Diego.
Zorro was unaware that he was being followed. Nike had picked a sword from one of the many at the walls in the hacienda, so she didn't have to go completely unarmed. She had been fencing at a club in London when she was younger, but she hadn't done it in quite a while. Still she was confident that she could defend herself if the situation called upon it. Now she sat on Popeye and waited for Zorro to come past her hiding spot. When he did, she followed him.
Zorro had a suspicion as to who the bandidos were that had robbed the Cuartel so he knew where to look for them. He was headed towards the mountains and it didn't take him long to find tracks that led him to the hiding spot of the highwaymen.
He dismounted and told Tornado to hide nearby. He could smell their fire and approached the campsite as silently as a jaguar sneaks up on its prey. He didn't have to listen long to find out he was dealing with the right men. One of them, the leader, left shortly after Zorro arrived and so there were only 3 men remaining at the campsite. But the important thing was, their robbed treasure remained there, too. Zorro decided it was time to retrieve the gold and return it to where it belonged.
Zorro drew his sword and sneaked up to one of the bandidos. He poked his blade in his back between the shoulder blades.
„Aiii" the bandido howled. The others looked at him and when they recognised Zorro they grabbed their arms. One was aiming a pistol at Zorro, but Zorro's whip relieved him of it. The other one drew his sword and charged at Zorro. Shoving the third bandido aside he accepted the duel. It was a short one and ended with the bandido being knocked out by the hilt of Zorro's sword. Now the other two charged at Zorro with drawn swords. Of course they were no match for Zorro, but being as desperate as they were to defend their loot they became sort of unpredictable.
It took Zorro a while to disarm first the one then the other. He bound them and started to gather the money pouches to return them All of a sudden he heard a thump behind himself. When he turned around, with his sword drawn in a flash, he saw the fourth bandido unconcious at his feet. Zorro looked up and saw Nike standing there, sword in hand.
Zorro bowed and said „It looks like I have a guardian angel watching over me lately!"
Nike smiled.
„I just couldn't let him kill you! Now, if you need any help getting these bandits to Sergeant Garcia..."
Together they tied the bandits onto their horses, collected the money and rode to the pueblo. Zorro told Nike to wait outside for him. Nike nodded in agreement and Zorro galopped into Los Angeles, shouting at Sergeant Garcia.
„Here are your robbers, Sajento! And here..", he tossed the money pouches towards the soldiers, „is your missing gold!"
Then with a bow and a salute he reared up Tornado, smiled at the Sergeant and galloped off.
The soldiers quickly captured the horses with the bandidos tied on and retrieved the money. Sergeant Garcia sighed in relief. Then he waved back at the disappearing dark angel of Los Angeles.
Nike didn't have to wait long for Zorro to return. Zorro reined Tornado to a halt.
„Muchas Gracias, senorita. If it hadn't been for you this task would have been much more difficult for me to solve. I... owe you my life!"
Nike smiled again. „It was my pleasure, Diego."
She didn't realise she had said his name until she saw the shocked look on his face. But before she was able to give any explanations she heard that sound again. The same sound she had heard just before she had been transferred into this time.
Zorro was alarmed by the noise so Nike tried to shut if off, quickly. It made the horses nervous as well. She fumbled in her saddle bag and pressed a button of the watch by accident. Right away she felt herself being lifted in the air again before with the bang everything went black again.
1.2 England 2022
Nike came to finding herself on the grassy ground. She looked around and saw Popeye not far away. She sat up, shaking her head. What had happened? It looked like she was back in England, where all this had started. Over her in the sky a plane flew by. So, it seemed the time was right again as well. She got up and went to Popeye. She wanted to mount him when she noticed, she was still wearing the sword.
This story she just had to tell David, because it meant, that his father's invention did work after all. She raced back to David's house, jumped off Popeye and knocked on the window.
David opened the door.
„I didn't expect you back so soon, Nike!" he greeted her.
„Soon?", she thought. „That means that time here didn't pass while I made the journey."
„David, I have to tell you something! It's important!"
„Come in then... what is it?"
„You remember you gave me that watch that your father had wanted to be a time travel device?"
„Nike, it's not like this was ages ago. Of course I remember!"
„Well... it works!"
„What works?" David asked.
„The time travel! Believe it or not, but I have just spent 2 days in the California of 1820" And she told David everything that had happened.
David listened to her story, but found it hard to believe, especially since everything was just as it was in that TV series.
„Maybe Popeye threw you and you hit your head and dreamed all this!" he suggested.
„But then... how did I get this sword???"
1.2.1 EPILOGUE
Back in California, Zorro stared in disbelief of what had just happened a second ago. All of a sudden, there was that noise out of Nike's saddle bag. When she tried to sort it out, there was a big flash that blinded him and when he could see again, Nike was gone, horse and all. The field was wide and if she had ridden off he must still be able to see her in the distance, but she was nowhere to be seen. No horse could be that fast. The only thing left was Popeye's tracks, which disappeared in nothing, as if they both had just flown away.
Zorro was confused. He didn't know what to think and had no explanation. He turned Tornado and headed home thinking of what had happened. The only explanation he could come up with was that he really had just met his guardian angel.
THE END