THE CURTAIN FALLS

Zorro

Zorro clenched his jaws at the heat of the flames all around him. It was almost unbearable to walk through the empty hallways of the mansion, and he knew that it would be only the matter of some ten minutes before the fire consumed everything. There was smoke everywhere, and he had to cover his mouth with his cape every time he entered one of the smaller rooms.

It was amazing how fast the fire had spread. This couldn't be just a coincidence; Raymond had to have prepared everything. Zorro didn't think the commander wanted to accomplish anything by it. Most likely this was only his desperate attempt to take everyone with him if he had to go down. Or maybe he just wanted his defeat to be remembered.

"Raymond, come out, you coward! Fight me!" Zorro called out. He had to end this fast. If he stayed inside for much longer, the smoke and the flames would kill him. For a moment, he wondered if this was exactly what Raymond wanted and if he had walked right into his trap, but then he saw the commander stand before him, almost concealed by the smoke.

"Your soldiers have been captured. It's over. You lost," Zorro said.

A crooked grin crossed Raymond's face. "Could be, but the two of us still have a score to settle," he said. He unsheathed his sword and charged at Zorro without another word. Their swords clashed, and Zorro was surprised to feel the strength of the blow and to see the empty hate in Raymond's eyes. He had faced the commander only once before. Back then his movements had been controlled and his technique remarkable – Zorro truly didn't know if he could have defeated him.

But now all that was gone. Raymond's attacks were furious, and he was putting all his strength into them. Zorro had to give his everything to block them. His arms soon ached from the strain, but he knew that if he let even one slash meet its mark, it would be the end of him. Raymond had lost everything and had nothing else left to gain but the death of his enemy.

He raised his blade and attacked, trying to slash Raymond to his side. This was a battle to the death, Zorro knew. He had entered the burning building with the grim knowledge that he'd leave it alone or not at all. He momentarily thought of Lolita, his father and all the others he'd never see if the worst happened, but he was forced to push the thought out of his mind when Raymond blocked his attack just before it would have cut his side.

"Not so good today, are you, Zorro?" Raymond asked snidely.

"This is insanity," Zorro replied. "The fire will consume the building any moment now. We should get out of here while we still have the chance."

Raymond laughed. "You know just as well as I do what awaits me outside. So thank you for the offer, but I'd rather finish this here," he replied. He brought up his blade for another attack that forced Zorro to retreat a couple of steps towards the flames that were licking the wall behind him. Zorro hissed at the heat and quickly responded to the attack to get away from the fire.

He wished he could have argued with Raymond, but the man had a point. He had lost. His crimes were so severe that he was without hope. Zorro felt no sympathy for him. He had warned Raymond countless times about what would happen if he didn't change his ways. The commander deserved everything he got. He just wished they could have ended this elsewhere.

"Is this really how you want to die? Here in these ruins?" he asked.

"I never said I'm going to die. But if it comes to that, this place is as good as any," Raymond said. He drew back his blade for another attack. "As long as I see your blood spilled first!"

Zorro readied himself for the attack, but it never came. Just as Raymond was about to charge at him, the ceiling above him caved in, and burning debris and wood fell down. The commander brought up his arm to shield his face, so he didn't see the wooden column that was half-burnt and could no longer support the weight of the ceiling. With a long-suffering creak, it fell down just as Zorro yelled a warning. He couldn't help it; it was an instinctive thing to do when someone was in danger.

Raymond had the time to turn his head half-way to look before the column collapsed on him and pinned him to the ground. His sword flew from his hand. More debris and pieces of the ceiling followed when the column was no longer there to support it. Raymond let out a pained howl as he tried to shove the burning wreck off him, but it was almost impossible for him to move with the column pressing on his back.

For a moment, Zorro could only blink and stare at the fallen commander, surprised by how suddenly everything had changed. He nearly took a step back when Raymond lifted his head and glared at him with the most vicious look he had ever seen in the commander's eyes.

"Well?" he urged angrily. "What are you waiting for?"

Zorro stood like frozen on his spot. He was panting from their duel, and the smoke in the air made him feel like he was going to choke. He had to get out soon. He had to end this now, but the sword suddenly felt heavy in his hand.

"I never thought you'd be such a coward. Aren't you a man enough to finish this?" Raymond asked, his voice unnaturally harsh for him. The frown on his face became even darker. "Or will you let the fire do the job for you?" He tried to move again to get up from the floor, and his face twisted in anguish as the column shifted slightly.

Zorro knew what he had to do, but he wasn't prepared to kill a man who was this helpless. He felt sick as he imagined what it would be like to take the life of someone who couldn't defend himself. At the same time, he knew there was no other option. This was what he had come to do. It was what Raymond deserved. Did it really matter whether he killed him like this or in a fair battle?

He tried to imagine what his father and Lolita would say if he told them how the duel had ended. Would they understand, or would they be disappointed in him? Would they think, even for a moment, that he was a murderer? Even if they didn't judge him, would he be able to live with himself? He had had to kill some of his enemies before, but it had always been in self-defence. Never like this.

He suddenly felt more doubtful than ever before during his fight for justice. What he knew was right was the opposite of what he felt was right.

And what would the officials say? Would they be able to condemn all of Raymond's decisions and change things for the people of San Tasco if the commander didn't first face a trial? Zorro knew the governor general would believe everything, but what about the others in Spain? What if they decided that Raymond had been right and that Zorro was only a dangerous outlaw who had assassinated him? What if they sent someone even worse to take his place?

"Answer me, dammit!" Raymond growled.

Zorro tightened his grip on his sword. Still undecided, he took a step closer to the commander. The part of the column that was pinning him to the ground wasn't burning, only both ends of it were. The debris all over him didn't look like it had caused any serious injuries either. He just couldn't move, but it would be only the matter of time before he suffocated on the smoke or the flames reached him.

Zorro would only have to turn his back and leave without staining his hands, but somehow that felt like the worst of all of his options.

"Ha! I always knew you were nothing but a pathetic coward who hides behind a mask," Raymond said. His voice was triumphant, but the smirk vanished from his face when Zorro lifted his sword and came closer. His eyes widened, and for the briefest moment Zorro saw fear flash in them. It made the commander almost look human.

His decision made, Zorro sheathed his sword and bent down to grab a hold of the column. To get leverage, he had to hold onto the burning end of it. He let out a surprised yell and almost dropped the column when the agony surged through his hands. He could have never imagined that fire could hurt that much. His gloves weren't helping much, and he had to grit his teeth to keep himself from screaming.

"What… what do you think you're doing?" Raymond asked.

"I'm not letting you die like this. It's too easy for you. You're going to face a trial so that everyone in Spain can hear what you've done," Zorro replied. He groaned and pulled together all his strength to move the column aside. It was heavier than he had imagined, and every second he had to hold onto it made him want to cry out. When he finally managed to move it and could let go, he was momentarily too caught off guard by the pain in his hands to notice anything else. Damn, it hurt so much!

He saw Raymond get on his feet and then almost fall on his knees, swearing at the pain of the movement. The commander turned to look at him in victory, but his eyes were almost delirious. He had to lean against the wall for support, and Zorro realised that the column crashing on him had hurt him more than he wanted to show.

"I must thank you for being such an idiot," Raymond said slowly, trying to conceal his pain from his voice. He glanced at Zorro's injured hands and chuckled. "It doesn't look like you'll put up much of a fight now. I on the other hand…"

Raymond took a fee steps closer to where his sword had fallen, but he stopped when he suddenly saw the tip of Zorro's blade pointed at him.

"Don't move," Zorro growled between his pained panting. Holding the sword in his hand was torture. His mind was screaming at him to let go to ease the agony, and he knew he wouldn't be able to handle the weapon at all if it came to that. "I didn't help you so that we'd go back to fighting."

"You can't expect me to come with you," Raymond said. He took a step back, and at first Zorro thought he was trying to escape. Then he realised that the commander had trouble standing. He stumbled backwards and fell against the wall with a moan.

Zorro lifted his head when he heard low creaking coming from somewhere above them. He realised that the rest of the ceiling was about to cave in. They only had moments to escape. He put his sword back into its sheath and hurried to Raymond's side. He didn't hesitate to help the commander stand up. The man was barely conscious, so his pitiful attempts to struggle against him amounted to nothing. Zorro had much more trouble with his hands that were hurting so much that he could hardly use them.

The smoke had got so thick that he could barely see where they were going. His eyes were watering, and it hurt to breathe. At one point, they nearly stumbled on a piece of debris. Zorro wasn't sure if he would have had the strength to get back up if that had happened. The world was spinning before his eyes, and for a moment he was sure that they wouldn't make it. He'd never see his father or Lolita again. He'd never –

And then they were at the front doors, which were mercifully ajar. The fresh air that was flowing in through them was like a gift from heaven, and he could have laughed in relief if he hadn't been in so much pain. With his last strength, he pushed the doors open and stumbled outside with Raymond. They fell down the stairs, and Zorro let go of the commander. The man didn't even try to get up.

"Zorro!"

Zorro lifted his head when he heard his name being called. It was Sergeant Gonzales who was approaching with a group of soldiers.

He tried to smile. "Hello, Sergeant," he said, but his voice sounded hoarse and weak to him.

"What happened?" Gonzales asked in worry. He turned to look at Raymond. "Is he –?"

"No. And I'll tell you everything later," Zorro said. He grimaced as he became more aware of the pain in his hands and how utterly tired he was suddenly feeling. His head and lungs hurt from breathing the smoke, and he felt like his whole face had to be burnt from the heat of the flames. He was ready to throw up.

"Of course," Gonzales said. He hesitated for a moment. "I think everyone is on your side now, but I think it would still be better if you disappeared as soon as possible. Just to avoid difficult questions," he said.

Like whose face is behind this mask, Zorro thought.

"That would be for the best," he agreed. He whistled for Viento, and the horse appeared almost immediately. Mounting the animal was difficult with his injured hands, but Gonzales was kind enough to help him. The Sergeant frowned in worry when he saw their condition, but he didn't say anything.

Zorro glanced one last time at Raymond. "I have fought my battle. I will leave the rest to you," he said.

"Right," Gonzales said. "And thank you."

Zorro struck his heels against Viento's sides, and the horse immediately turned around and started galloping away. Zorro was sure that his friend knew exactly where he wanted to go, but he still leaned against the horse's neck to mutter something into his ear.

"Take me home, Viento."