Short chapter that is mostly dialogue I am sorry ORZ but necessary transitions. Hopefully the next chapter will balance it out. Best part is this is where the post I made cuts off so surprises from now on ehehe Ah well hope you guys enjoy this!

No one said a word.

María was practically clinging to Manolo now who just stared, open-mouthed, at the book that floated in front of them.

This couldn't be real, it couldn't. Joaquín would never do something like that, he was far too light hearted and carefree and...

"Goodness, either you're all good listeners or you have nothing to say." Xibalba snapped his fingers and the book fluttered back over to The Candlemaker.

"Is all that true?" Manolo turned to the wax god.

"I'm afraid so man." The Candlemaker sighed.

"I don't understand." María shouted, but still didn't let go of Manolo's arm. "Why is he forgetting everyone?"

"How do you think a medal that can make you immortal works?" Xibalba drew some green flames in his hands and twisted it until it resembled the medal. "You're not thinking you get off scott free do you?"

"Just explain." Carmen stepped toward him.

The fake medal vanished in his hands and he slid away from her. "That medal grants eternal life in exchange for the person's memories. Every time it's used it sucks one up."

"But he had that for ten years." Manolo stepped forward and out of María's grip. "It was never this bad."

"The boy writes, or wrote." The god folded his hands behind his back. "A simple thing but enough to combat his memory loss. Probably stunted it's power though, sounds like now it's having a field day."

"Just be clear." Manolo shouted and reached for his sword. "What is happening to my friend?"

Xibalba fanned out his wings.

María stumbled forward and grabbed Manolo's arm again. If a fought broke out now there was no telling what would happen.

"The medal eats memories and can grant him powers when it takes in human spirits that it's user has killed." The god leaned back and folded his wings. "The idea is that with an immortal life you're able to keep making memories for it to eat, however... if you run out of memories... well in simple terms you become a monster."

María's mind flashed back to the forgotten beast her and Carlos had fought. It's desperate wails were still clear in her memory and she shivered.

"I suppose you shouldn't worry too much. As long as he remembers little miss princess he'll stay roughly intact." Xibalba laughed and grinned. "Even after all this he's still hopelessly in love. Can't say the same for you." His eyes darted toward Manolo.

"Excuse me?"

"He forgot you, quite easily too. Then again it's not that much of a surprise, what was the last thing he said to you again?"

"Shut your mouth." Manolo screamed and drew his swords.

"Sorry, did I touch a nerve?"

"Xibalba, that's enough." The Candlemaker kept a firm stare. "They've been through enough man, why do you gotta pick at him?"

"Simple, I hate him." The god turned away. "But fine. Either way, do you see now why I can't do anything for you?"

Manolo jerked in María's grip but she kept a hold of him.

"Don't," she hissed at him. "You'll just be putting everyone in danger."

"Then what are we supposed to do? Just let him talk to us like that?"

She mulled the idea over herself. It was clear now that just asking him to fix the wager would do nothing. María needed to at least get everyone back to the land of the remembered. No, more than that, she had to help Joaquín. Someone had to get that medal away from him before it did something irreversible.

"You can be on your way now Candlemaker. I suppose I should as well." Xibalba's wings fanned out. "Take the princess back too would you?"

"Wait!" María shouted.

"What?"

She let go of Manolo and stepped forward. "How about a wager?"

Everyone gasped. Xibalba's eyes widened before they narrowed again.

"Really? You want to make a wager with me?" He folded his wings and turned toward her. "Dare I ask what kind?"

He was interested at least.

"A wager to send everyone back to the Land of the Remembered, and to let me and Manolo help Joaquín."

"That's quite a heavy stake my dear, I doubt you have anything to match it."

Her nails dug into her palm. He was right, she didn't. In fact she had less now than she did first coming down here. What could she possibly offer?

"How about a servant?"

Another gasp.

"What?" Manolo said. "María what are you saying?"

"I'm saying that I'll work for you." She pointed at Xibalba. "For eternity, if I lose that is."

"No." Manolo grabbed her arm. "Of all the things María you can't let... him rule over your life."

"It's not my life, not anymore." She tore her arm out of his grip. "Besides, I have nothing else to offer and nothing to lose." She didn't move her gaze from the red skulls that were now focused on her. "So? Is that enough?"

"Hmm, normally I'd say no but knowing what it would do to him..." His eyes darted to Manolo. "Still, sending everyone to the Land of the Remembered and granting the pair of you your lives back is still to much."

"We don't need our lives back. Just send us back to help Joaquín, give us the chance to. When that's done we'll come back."

Xibalba rolled his eyes around as his fingers wrapped around the top of his staff. He pressed his lips out with a hum. "Do-able, perhaps, but I still have one more condition."

"And what's that?"

"That if you win, after you're done on your heroic quest in the Land of the Living," Xibalba vanished and reappeared behind Manolo. "He has to return here." He tapped the bull fighter on the head.

"What?" María's chest tightened.

"You all can return to the Land of the Remembered but he trapped himself here after that wager. He's not getting out of it that easily."

"No, you trapped him here when you tricked him." Carmen shouted. "He deserves to be there along with the rest of us."

"That's right." Carmelo yelled.

"You're not taking him away from me again." María squared up to him.

Everyone else spoke up in agreement, glaring and reaching for weapons if they had them.

Xibalba glanced at them all but just shrugged his wings. "Then we have no wager."

"I'll do it."

Everyone fell silent and turned to the bull fighter who was staring up at the god.

"Think about what you say, boy. Otherwise this will be the third time your tongue has gotten you into a mess."

"I said I'll do it."

"Manolo no." María grabbed his shoulders and turned him towards her. "We can figure this out, okay? You don't need to-"

"None of you have to pay for my mistakes María. If it will help send everyone else back, and save Joaquín then-"

"You were tricked." She took his hand. "You don't have to pay for anything."

"As much as I would like to blame him." He shot a glare toward Xibalba. "I can't, not entirely. I... I let that snake bite me, and in the end I couldn't complete the task he gave me. Trickery or not I let myself fall into it."

"I... I won't let you. You deserve better than this. How am I supposed to go back to the Land of the Remembered without you? I didn't come all this way to lose you."

She almost hit him on the chest but her hand slowed down and just pressed against him. It was just as cold as the rest of him, cold and unmoving.

"Look at me." His free hand brushed against her cheek. "You willingly risked your life to save mine and I threw your sacrifice away. I have no doubt if that snake had truly killed you that... you would have slapped me senseless when I showed up here soon after."

"Manolo-"

"Please María. Maybe some other day there'll be a chance to take me back there but these people can't stay here and we have to help Joaquín soon. Believe me I understand your hesitation but..."

She stared at his eyes, glowing green, but they were still his. They held the same gaze he had underneath that tree.

After a long shaky breath she pulled him down for a quick kiss. "All right."

"Are we quite done? I think I might gag." Xibalba pointed at his mouth.

Before María could say anything he shouted in pain and pulled something long and sharp out of his side.

"Don't give me more reasons to bury you." Anita shook her now empty hand as she sat on Carmelo's shoulder. "You foul, rude, disgusting son of a-"

"Mamá!" Luis shouted.

Xibalba glared at the old woman but didn't move.

"Do we have a deal then?" María kept her voice firm and drew his attention back.

"Now hold on a minute." The Candlemaker appeared next to Xibalba. "I know the ancient rules and all but don't you think the higher ups are gonna be a little peeved if we send all these people back to the Land of the Remembered?"

"As if they've ever cared how we did our business before." Xibalba snorted and flapped his wings once. "But to be frank I was thinking of doing it another way, if the princess actually wins of course."

"What other-" The wax god paused before shaking his head. "That's even worse. Didn't they ban the use of that?"

"Only because my wife's good tidings got the better of her. Perhaps you should discuss this matter with her."

The two stared each other down for a moment before The Candlemaker shook his head and vanished along with the book.

There was nothing but silence for a while. María studied the god closer as he picked at his fingers and some ash that had fallen on his armor. His expression was bored, dazed even as he scanned the crowd of people. The skulls in his eyes, however, never left Manolo.

"You never told me boy," Xibalba slid around them. "Did you like that last vision I sent you?"

"What?" Manolo's grip on María's hand tightened.

"Well you were wondering what happened, weren't you? Although the snake at the end was a bit of improvising. I think I got the events pretty spot on."

"You-"

María held him back.

"It's funny how much can change with the acts of one person, isn't it?"

"I understand I didn't make the best choices, Xibalba, but that doesn't change the fact you're a filthy cheater."

The god fanned his wings out. María lost her breath.

"Please, continue talking to me like that boy. I'm going to rather enjoy you being my chew toy for the rest of eternity."

"Hah, you think you can best me that easily?" Manolo tore out of her grip. "Admit it, if you hadn't used your cheap tricks I would have won our wager."

"Manolo." María hissed at him.

"Perhaps, but you were stupid enough to fall for them. Typical mortal."

"If I was a typical mortal then why are you so set on ruining my life."

"Because you're still standing there under this idea that you can speak to me like that and get away with it. Trust me when her wager is done you won't be getting off nearly as lightly."

"God or not," Carmen stomped over with her husband right behind her. "You don't threaten my son."

Xibalba's glare at the woman was uncertain before it broke into a sharp toothed grin. "No?"

María barely blinked when the god slammed his hand down on the bull fighter, crushing him against the ground. She screamed and aimed to help but with a strong flap of his wings a gust of wind sent her back. Another sent her hurtling into one of the rocks.

She ignored any pain in her back as she scrambled up. Xibalba was now holding Manolo in the air. His finger's curled around his chest.

"Put him down." Carlos shouted.

Manolo was struggling to break free. Then there was crunch and he started screaming.

His entire family dove to aid him but suddenly hand shot out of the ground. Thin, boney, and black their fingers wrapped around everyone's limbs and jerked them into the freezing ash.

Carmelo pulled out of their grip once, but only once as even more wrapped around his limbs. Jorge tried to cut through them but soon his weapons were immobile. Carmen herself couldn't break free but she never stopped trying as she spat curses at the tar being with a smirk on his face.

"Would anyone else like to try?" He raised his wings up. "Because you know being stuck down here again has just made me more and more irritated. And you, brat, with that pig-headed attitude of yours, might have just lost your shot at moving ever again."

"Stop." María screamed, but the second she stood a pair of hands grabbed her ankles.

"But, perhaps, if you apologize I'll put you down."

Manolo was still cringing in pain but chuckled. He opened his eyes halfway and grinned. "A Sanchez man never apologizes."

She held her breath. Then Xibalba narrowed his eyes and she was screaming again.

"Wait. Don't. Manolo!"

"Xibalba!"

There was a flurry of golden petals as something slapped Xibalba across the face. La Muerte appeared in another cloud of them, hands on her hips as she glared.

"Put him down."

The tar god frowned but released his grip. Manolo crashed into the ash with a sharp thud.

The second the hands sank into the ground she rushed over to him, along with the rest of his family.

"Are you okay mijo?" Carmen touched his face as she helped him sit up.

"Yeah, I think so."

"What's going on here?" La Muerte's voice was sharp. "I hear you're making yet another wager? And you need me to have that of all things?"

"Why, mi amor, I thought you'd be happy." Xibalba put a hand to his chest as he slid away. "After all I've given them all a chance to return to your realm."

"Not all of them."

"Ah, right, your champion. But he already agreed to the terms and so did the princess. Which reminds me." He turned around and smiled at her. "We haven't even named our contest yet."

María rubbed Manolo's shoulder before she stood up. "As long as you're actually clear about what I have to do I'm open for suggestions." She knew she had to be specific with her words. No way was she losing because he tricked her. If, in the end, she wasn't strong enough to complete the task then at least the fault would lie on her shoulders alone.

The skulls in his eyes studied her.

"Fear would be to simple for you." He leaned on his staff. "But perhaps... ah yes, that's it."

"What is?"

"Your task," He moved his hands and his staff behind his back. "Will be to escape."

"Huh? From what?"

"Telling you would ruin the challenge, but really all you have to do is leave."

"You make it sound so simple."

"How simple it will be shall be all up to you, my dear." He bowed. "Are you ready?"

She looked at Manolo who nodded at her. Then she took a deep breath and stepped out of the group of Sanchezes.

"This better not be a trick."

"Not a one, your task is to leave where you're sent to, that's it."

It did sound too simple, far too simple. There was something wrong about it.

Then Xibalba snapped his fingers and she heard a familiar hiss.

"María!" Manolo screamed.

Something sharp hit her ankle but she couldn't even manage a scream as everything faded to black.