My Heart Belongs To You (A Xibalba and La Muerte Story)
Disclaimer: I don't own the Book of Life or any of the characters. Nor do I own Pirates of the Caribbean or any of the characters.
A light, haunting melody echoed throughout the brig of Captain Joaquin Mondragon's ship.
Catrina sat in her cell, listening to the tune that emanated from the little, gold locket nestled in her palm.
It bought back so many memories. She could still remember when he gave it to her all those years ago. Back when they had been happy and in love...before everything had gone wrong.
She shook her head to get rid of all of the unpleasant thoughts before they made her any sadder. With a heavy heart, Catrina closed the locket with her thumb. The music stopped and for a moment everything was quiet.
...Until the music started up again.
Her head jerked up and turned to the side where the source of the sound was coming from. Even in the dim lighting she could make out a tall silhouette of a person standing in the corner of the brig. Catrina stood up slowly just as the person came into view.
When she saw who it was, her breath caught in her throat. "My love," the black-haired woman said softly coming up to the door of the jail and putting her hands in the holes. "You came for me."
For second, Xibalba couldn't speak. When Manolo had told him that La Muerte was on Joaquin's ship, he didn't want to believe it at first. But seeing her now in this form-her mortal form-caused so many emotions to build up in his chest.
And he hated it.
He hated that even though he had cut out his heart, he could still feel something towards her. Just then something she said registered to him. You came for me, she had said. "You were expecting me." he spoke for the first time.
"It has been torture. Trapped in this...single form." Catrina said in slight disgust. When she was still a goddess, she could take on all sorts of different transformations. But when the pirate lords bounded her into a mortal body, they took away everything from her. "Cut off from the sea. From all that I love...from you." she said the last two words with much longing in her voice.
Her words made a burst of anger to flare up inside of him. "10 years I devoted to the duty you charged me." Xibalba said tightly through gritted teeth as he moved closer to her. "10 years I looked after those who died at sea. And finally when we could be together again..." He stopped right in front of her and held up the silver locket that had still been playing since he showed up. "You weren't there." With that he snapped the locket closed, cutting off the music. "Why weren't you there?" he asked lowly.
Catrina hesitated. How could she even begin to tell him what happened on that day? That day when everything fell apart...
'Today the day.' La Muerte thought excitingly.
Today was the day when Xibalba would finish his 10 year duty of ferrying the souls of the people who died at sea to the land of the dead and be able to step on land for one day. But on that one day, he would be, by the ancient rules, granted immortality and they could finally be together forever. She felt positively giddy just thinking about it.
'Soon, my love. Soon...' the goddess' hand drifted up to touch the locket around her neck. She closed her eyes. 'Xibalba...'
The clock chimed and her golden eyes snapped open. "It's time." she whispered to herself. La Muerte turned and was just about to transport herself into the human world...when a voice sounded out from behind her.
"And just where do you think your going?"
La Muerte tensed and looked over her shoulder to see her twin sister, La Noche leaning against the doorway. "Nowhere special."
La Noche narrowed her eyes, lips curling into a frown. "You're going to see that mortal again aren't you?"
"So what if I am?"
"Why do you waste your time with him? He's just a human and one day he will die like all mortals do."
"No, he won't." La Muerte faced her sister. "Today he will have completed the task I've given him and will be given immortality. And then we can be together forever."
La Noche scoffed. "You're so naïve, La Muerte. Do you honestly think that once he's immortal, he'll want to stay with you? Don't you see? As soon as he get what he wants, he'll toss you off to the side like garbage."
"That's not true!" the red clad woman snapped. "He loves me!"
"He love you? Ha!" the blue clad goddess let out a sharp laugh. "He's using you! And your too blind to see it!"
La Muerte bristled indignantly. Her sister was lying. She knew Xibalba did love her. He had proved it time and time again. The love letters, the flowers, the gifts and the sweet words he would whisper into her ear. The way he looked at her, every touch, every kiss...there was no way any one could fake that kind of passion.
"You're wrong. I know he loves me." La Muerte bit out, amber eyes glowing brightly. "Now if you excuse me, my love is waiting for me."
She turned away from La Noche, ready to leave the realm of the gods and into the mortal world, when a hand grabbed her arm. She jerked her head to glare at her sister. "Let go of me."
La Noche matched her twin's glare with one of her own. "I won't allow you to make a of fool of yourself."
La Noche transported the two of them to the palace's dungeon. La Muerte struggled to out of her grip, but the other woman held on tight. La Noche dragged her to an open cell and tossed her inside. La Muerte stumbled, but quickly straightened herself out and ran towards the door, but it was too late. Her sister slammed the door shut and locked it.
"Let me out!" La Muerte demanded, but when La Noche shook her head, she tired to teleport out, but nothing happened.
"Don't bother. You know all these cells are enchanted so no one can use their magical abilities while their in them."
"Why are you doing this?"
"I'm doing this to protect you, dear sister. One day you'll thank me for it." Without another word, La Noche started heading towards the door.
"No! You can't do this! La Noche! La Noche!" La Muerte called out to her, but her sister ignored her.
The goddess shook the bars and pounded against the door of her cell, but all she managed to do was to hurt her hands. When she ran out of energy to keep doing so, she fell to her knees and leaned her forehead on the doorway.
"Xibalba..." she whispered.
Just then a crystal ball appeared out of nowhere right beside her. La Muerte's brow furrowed together and she gazed deeply into it. At first, nothing happened, but than an image showed up inside of it. She gasped. "Xibalba!"
There was indeed a picture of her love, standing on the beach where they usually meet, waiting for her.
"Don't worry, my love, I'm coming."
La Muerte tired anything she could to get out, but all of her attempts proved to be futile. She would glance back at the orb every now and then and as she saw how late in the day it was becoming, she grew frantic.
By the time, the sun was beginning to set in the human world, La Muerte was exhausted. She could only stare helplessly into crystal ball as Xibalba's face twisted into a scowl and turned to go back to his ship.
She reached a hand out as though it would somehow get him to stop. "Balby, mi amor, please don't leave me."
And when the sun went down and Xibalba's ship disappeared in a flash of green light, La Muerte buried her face into her hands and cried.
Since he had completed the task, she knew Xibalba would still gain immortality, but she also knew she probably just lost him forever.
Catrina brought herself back into the present and looked back at the pirate captain. "Xibalba, please try to understand what happened that day wasn't my fault." He looked like he didn't believe her, but she pressed on. "I wanted to see you! More than anything! I loved you...I still love you." She pressed herself closer to the door, looking deeply into his red skull eyes. "Do you still love me?"
Xibalba moved to the side, slightly away from her. "I do not love you."
His words stung, but she forced the pain back and followed after him. "You were always many things, Xibalba...but you were never cruel." She waited until he turned to look at her again before continuing, "You have corrupted your purpose." Catrina's golden brown eyes flickered up and down his body, taking in the black, tar-like skeletal features, the large wings and the crimson eyes. "And so yourself." She put her arm through the bars. "And you hide away what should always have been mine."
When she pressed her hand to his chest, Xibalba gasped as he felt magic course through his body. Her limited powers where able to change him back to look like his old human form once more. Catrina smiled and brought her hand up to touch his cheek. Xibalba could hardly believe this was really happening, but the feel of her small, warm hand against face felt so real.
Without hesitation, he pulled off the glove on his left hand and put it through the cell so he could caress her cheek. "La Muerte..."He said her name like it was something scared.
She relished feel of his fingers, especially after all the time that had passed. "I will be free and when I am, I will give you my heart and we will be together always." She pulled her hand away from him, slowly as though she was reluctant to do so and when she did, Xibalba changed back. "If only you had a heart to give."
The moment he reverted back, Xibalba's hand that was still touching her face, moved to grab her by the neck. Catrina held his gaze, unflinchingly, despite the fact she knew that if he wanted to he could choke her to death. "Why did you come here?"
Xibalba didn't answer, instead he passed through the bars as though he were a ghost so he was right in front of her. He then asked, "And what fate do you have planned for you captors?"
"The Brethren Court," she spat the title out as though it left a bitter taste in her mouth and moved to lean against the jail once more, a nasty smile spreading across her face . "All of them. The last thing they will learn in this life is how cruel I can be."
Xibalba moved to leave, but Catrina's voice stopped him. "And what of your fate? Xibalba? "
He looked at her over his shoulder. "My heart will always belong to you, mi amor."
She smiled gently at that and as Xibalba left the brig in a cloud of black feathers and smoke, Catrina was left alone with her thoughts.
The Brethren Court would soon release her from her human bonds, but little did they know that when they did, it would be their biggest mistake. Once she regained her true form, she would show them why she was the true ruler of the seas.
And she and Xibalba could finally be together.
And one no, not her sister, mortals or any other gods would keep them apart ever again.
She would make sure of it.
Author's Notes: On Tumblr I posted an idea about a Book Of Life/Pirates of the Caribbean crossover. And as you can probably see, this scene is from the third Pirates movie with Tia Dalma/Calypso and Davy Jones. That is if any of you seen the movie. I know La Muerte may seem a little Oc in this, but you have to remember she's being portrayed as Tia Dalma and really she has a right to be angry. Oh and I just kinda made up the scene between La Muerte and her sister and why she ended up missing seeing Xibalba. Also I kept calling La Muerte, Catrina because that's her 'human' name. Tell me what you guys think!