DISCLAIMER: If you recognize it, I don't own it.
"Yeah!" Jane shouted through a mouthful of cookies. "Kick his butt, Maria!"
"He's in trouble now!" The goth boy happily punched and kicked the air until he fell over.
"It certainly seemed that way," Xibalba said, chuckling. "Maria began working even harder to uncover the secret passageway she had discovered, and she swore that if her captor dared to return, she would be ready for him.
"What about you guys?" Sasha asked.
"The other La Muerte had allowed us to pass between her two worlds, into the Land of the Forgotten," he answered. "It was time to get our plan going."
"Man," the Candle Maker said as he looked around, "this place is more of a dump than usual."
"What do you mean, 'more than usual'?"
"Okay, maybe dump is kind of a strong word…"
The grey hues of the realm had faded almost to a pitch black. The stalagmites and stalactites had grown even longer and more numerous. They jutted down from the ceiling and across the paths in razor-sharp points. Piles of dust lined the worn, nearly ruined paths. Some still had faces and moaned for help as the group passed. Some spirits not yet gone lingered by their companions, until they saw Manolo and fled shrieking. The mortals gasped or shuddered and kept their eyes locked downwards.
The other La Muerte looked sadly at the souls trapped in dust and waved a hand, causing them to scatter into nothing. "It's better that way, you know," she told Xibalba when she noticed him staring. "The first relief they've had in years."
"I didn't think of it like that."
"Of course you didn't." She glared at him, then her face fell once more. "I did not believe you could be capable of such things, Xibalba."
"Neither did I."
"You just haven't found an excuse yet."
"I hope I never do, then," he continued. "I still have my wife, and you can wager I'd never her the way he treated you."
"What wager is this mad venture part of?"
He raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"
"You would not help a mortal willingly. Especially not Manolo."
"People change, my dear. For worse and for better. Those two wouldn't call me a friend, but they'd politely refuse an invitation to tea instead of just punching me in the face. Right, boy?"
"I think Maria and I would answer that question very differently."
"Hush!" La Muerte suddenly exclaimed. She ducked behind a cluster of stalagmites sticking out in all directions and motioned for the others to follow. "We're nearly there," she said, pointing between two spikes. "This ought to be close enough."
The ancient castle was sagging in on itself, jagged and crumbling and leaning to one side. The rusty chains barely held it above the bubbling lake of lava. Even from the distance they were at, it looked more dismal than Manolo remembered.
"Maria is in there?" Ixa said. "That awful place?"
Manolo took a deep breath, forcing his face back into a placid mask before it twisted out of control. "Not for long."
"Good. I get to break his fingers."
"We aren't going just yet. General?"
"What are we waiting for?" his father-in-law said.
"It's important. I need you to promise me something."
The old man's eyes narrowed. "Tell me what it is first."
"If something happens to me," Manolo said quietly, "I want you to get Maria out of here no matter what. Take her back home. Make sure they're both cared for. You can let her grieve if she wants, but don't let her grieve forever. Just…promise me you'll make them happy."
Everyone was silent. General Posada stared at his son-in-law, his lips pulled tight. Finally he nodded. "I will."
Manolo nodded in acknowledgement, then turned around and stared at the castle. He concentrated on the image, letting his gaze trail over every twist and turn of the design. Then he closed his eyes and pushed it out to the fringes of his mind, willing it to be seen. I'm here. Come and get me.
He gasped and winced as he felt a surge of rage and annoyance pierce his mind like a knife to the brain. "He saw it."
"Well, is he coming?" Joaquin asked.
You aren't going free this time!
Manolo shook himself free of the link. "He's coming. Time to go. Are you ready, Xibalba?"
He nodded. "Be careful in there."
The other La Muerte raised her eyebrows and smiled a bit before she could stop herself.
Joaquin drew his sword. "No retreat?"
"No surrender." I'm coming, Maria.
Xibalba snapped his fingers, and the group of mortals vanished.
The world suddenly turned even darker and much damper, and the rough dirt and gravel beneath their feet became smooth stone. Chuy growled at the new surroundings as the humans raised their weapons, looking up and down the narrow hall of the castle.
"So where's he hiding her?" Joaquin whispered.
Manolo paused. He hadn't thought of a plan for that. "I can find it from him."
"But he'll know we're in here."
"We have to risk it. There isn't enough time to just go looking." Closing his eyes again, he let his mind wander out and brush the fringes of his counterpart's consciousness. Hopefully it wouldn't be enough to get his attention…
There! It was only a flash, not even a second, but it was there. A stone door painted red, and two overlapping Ms carved into the rock.
"Manny?" Joaquin asked. "Where are you going?"
Manolo was already running off down the hall, eyes darting left and right to look at each door he passed. It's close. It has to be.
He ran by one door, then doubled back. There it stood, just as he had seen it. He ran his fingers over the worn carvings and the peeling paint, blinking back tears. Grabbing the handle, he twisted it, only to find it locked.
"Maria!" he said in something between a shout and a whisper as he knocked on the door. "It's me!"
The door handle was rusted and fragile. Perhaps the locks were the same way. Sticking the tip of his sword through the door jamb, Manolo brought it down onto the locks. Weakened by age, they crumbled beneath his blow. The door, now loose, slowly swung inwards. Manolo pushed it open the rest of the way as he ran inside. "Maria…!"
Then he felt a sharp, rough pain on the top of his head and crumpled to the floor.
Maria was next to the door, perched atop a small pile of bricks and holding one in her hand. She glowered at her husband as he lay on his side, his head spinning. "That's for…" She trailed off, as he rolled onto his back, revealing his face. "Manolo!"
The others found the doorway just in time to see Maria drop the brick and kneel beside Manolo, cradling his head in her hands. "What are…but how did you…?"
Manolo simply grinned and laughed as he sat up and pulled her into a hug, tears streaming down both their faces. "Sorry it took so long," he whispered.
"I thought you were dead," she said as she pulled away.
"Me? Really?" He looked down and saw a piece of cloth tied around her wrist - the ripped piece of his jacket. He must have shown it to her.
"I'm alright, Maria," he said. "There's nothing to be afraid of." He leaned forward, intending to kiss her.
Maria stiffened at his words, and for a moment, she saw the skeleton instead of the man. She shrank away before she could stop herself, eyes wide as she shielded her womb.
Manolo froze, his look of happiness fading to one of confusion and worry. "Maria…?"
New tears sprang to her eyes. "I'm sorry," she said, looking down. "I-I didn't mean to, I was thinking about…"
"Him," he finished.
Maria looked back up. "You know about him?"
He nodded. "Has he hurt you?"
She held her breath and didn't answer.
Reaching out, Manolo gently took her hands. "You can tell me, Maria. I need to know."
"…He hasn't hurt me. Yet."
"And the baby?"
"Safe, I think."
"Come on, then!" General Posada exclaimed, trying to pull his daughter to her feet.
Maria did a double take. "What are you guys doing here?"
"It's a long story," Joaquin said.
Pulling out of her father's grasp, Maria turned back to her husband. "Manolo, we can't leave yet. We need to do something about him. We won't be safe until we do."
He nodded. "What did you have in mind?"
She bit her lip and gestured awkwardly to the brick.
Chuy, meanwhile, was sniffing at the edges of the large hole now in the wall. "Bleh?"
"I found that looking for a way out," Maria said.
"Pretty roomy," Joaquin said as he stepped inside of it. "Might be good for - "
Thud. Thud. Thud. Sharp, heavy footsteps were sounding on the floor above them.
Maria grabbed Manolo's arm, her face growing pale. "He's coming back…"
"In there!" General Posada said, ushering them all towards the passageway. "We can hide!"
Maria hung back. "I'm staying out here."
"But Maria - "
"I'll keep him distracted, and the rest of you can surprise him. That's a plan, isn't it?"
Manolo placed a hand on her cheek. "Be careful."
"You too." She pulled him down and kissed him, holding his head in place and pulling away slowly before letting him go. He followed the others into the passageway, his eyes still on her. The dislodged bricks were hastily put back up to disguise the hole, and the footsteps grew louder and closer.
Maria sat on the bed, trying to get her heartbeat back under control. Distract him. You have to. Focusing on the lingering sensation of Manolo's lips on hers, she managed a smile as the door swung open.
