Quickly, I changed out my wedding dress and back into my casual clothes. The whole town had gathered outside where I could make sure they heard me.

"Everyone, listen up! Look around you, you what I see?"

They all shook their heads.

"I see proud people ready to fight for their beloved town, and I see that inside each of you is a strength that cannot be measured."

The adorable, and oldest of the Rodriguez Bros. came up to me, babbling as if he was in disbelief that he could be anything except a mariachi.

"Yes," I said, "Even in you, Pepe."

Feeling like a world-class motivational speaker, I snatched a nearby fencing sword and stood above everyone with my father at my side.

" This Day of the Dead will never be forgotten. We will teach Chakal that he is messing with the wrong town; San Angel, I swear before you, we will not fall, not today, not ever! Now who's with me?!"

I raised the sword above them while they copied me. Then, the triumphant moment was broken by a silly remark I heard from Papa.

"You are like the son I never had; only much prettier!" he said.

We all lined up in front of the church with our weapons held high. Chakal growled at me as he recognized my face from the train attack. I just made sure he saw my battle face.

Our moment of truth was so rudely interrupted by Joaquin rushing in on his horse.

"Hey, Chakal, why don't you pick on someone your own size?"

Surprisingly, he got a response.

"'Cause no one's that big, Man!" The voice called.

My temper rose a little as he stood there looking prouder than ever.

"Where have you been?" I asked sternly

My father ignored the question and just praised Joaquin for being here in the knick of time, but Chakal could've cared less.

"Soldier boy, you give me that medal RIGHT NOOOOOWWWWW!"

Joaquin covered his suit as if he were protecting a treasure. I ripped the sash off his chest and saw the gleaming, green medal he tried so much to keep a secret from me the day before.

"All of this, is about a stupid medal? Are you kidding me?!"

I was once again ignored as he handed me his cape like I was some sort of maid.

"Not now, Maria, it's Joaquin Time."

He dashed in as usual, calling his name out for a battle cry. For a while, he remained safe from Chakal's punches, but soon found his courage crushed when the medal ended up flying off his suit as he dodged a close scratch.

All of a sudden, a side of Joaquin came out that I hadn't seen before; a cowardly side. Then, almost instantly, the bandit king sent Joaquin flying into the cemetary. But just because Joaquin was down, didn't mean we had to be.

The San Angel Army I created went charging into the heat of battle, and even took down a few of the henchman without getting too badly injured. But there were too many! Sooner or later, we ended up in the grasp of the opposing army and heard Joaquin promise to give the medal up.

While the hero was pinned down, and I was being held back by two evil soldiers, the medal lay right in front of Chakal.

"Please, Chakal, just don't hurt them." Joaquin pleaded.

I doubted our enemy would agree with the terms of receiving the prize he seeked; and with his rotting teeth completely viewable as he smiled, and held up the medal above us.

"At last, the medal is mine!"

His victory was short-lived. The ground began shaking, and instantly, a beam of blinding light came bursting out of the ground, and so did a silhouette of a person I didn't get a good look at before I shielded my eyes from the powerful brightness; the power of its impact was so intense, anyone who was standing before ended up being thrown to the dust below our feet.

I looked up and saw a sight that caused me to believe that I had either died, or was seeing a ghost. Right above me, stood what looked like Manolo!

He stood over me, and offered his hand out to help me stand back up. It didn't take very long for him to hold me close, and then, just like in my dream, he pulled me into a dipping fashion, and we kissed.

We must've had our lips glued together for about fifteen seconds. Yet, It felt like only one.

After we pulled apart, I saw Manolo with so much confidence that wasn't there before. He looked ready to fight, and completely sure of a promising victory almost in a Joaquin-like manner. What was going on here? Did that snake bite send me into an alternative universe where Joaquin was humble, and Manolo was over confident?

"Hold this for me, Amigo." He said while threw his guitar to Joaquin.

With his head held high, my man approached the intruder.

"So, my father tells me you hate bullfighters."

"I hate everyone." Chakal answered while he spit a bullet of tobacco aside.

Manolo responded by pulling out his swords.

"Okay, let's do this."

"Hah! You and what army?"

We stood our ground, knowing that Chakal was right as far as numbers go, but we didn't let him see that on our faces. That is, until, the ground started to quake once again, and then small beams of light erupted from the dust. We all turned to see an army of sugar skulls appear right before us; all in their own fighting stances with determination on their countenance that told us they were on our side.

A voice from above the church caught our attention. There were three; a tall, elegant woman who looked like the queen of sugar skulls; a black, and green creature who's appearance was dark and deceiving; and a glowing being with a beard so full, and white, it must have been made of clouds.

I had no idea what they were talking about, but they said something like, they allowed leeway.

"Thank you!" Manolo called back, and once again, got ready to fight.

"No retreat?" I said

"No surrender!" My two friends responded.

To my surprise, I turned to see Manolo's Grandpa Luis with us, and seemed to command the family.

"Familia Sanchez, attaque!" He yelled

The fight was long and difficult. I even had to help the boys out, and show them I was no damsel in distress. Chakal had a sword for each of them ready. He pushed while their blades collided.

"I'm done playing!"

As Joaquin and Manolo struggled, they refused to allow help from each other.

"I got it-I got this." Joaquin tried.

"No, no, no, I got it!" Manolo yelled.

Seeing this, I ran to the enemy, and performed a flying kick that ended in a backflip, and a perfect landing. Just to show off my skills, I posed in the fighting stance and looked at the guys, who now had their jaws hanging.

"Did I tell you I also studied Kung Fu?"

Chakal's arm came sliding at us, and I immediately jumped out of the way.

"Look out!" I warned.

The attack sent Manolo and Joaquin face-smacked right into a tomb. Before I could try to attack again, one of Chakal's boulder sized hands snagged me, and started climbing up the side of the church.

"Let go of me!"

He acted like I hadn't even spoken, and held me out for the town below us to see; but was obviously talking to Manolo, knowing that we loved each other. So great, he's the godfather now?

"Get me my medal, or your woman WILL PAYYYY!" He bellowed.

I rolled my eyes and sighed for his annoying threat.

"Men! Typical."

He held me so tight in just one hand, and I found it harder and herder to breathe the more I struggled; but once we reached the top where bell was kept; I opened my eyes from trying to fight, and saw Manolo come flying in like Superman.

"Hey!" He yelled. And punched Chakal's face hard enough to make him let go, where Manolo was there to catch me.

That one punch didn't stun the enemy long enough. He came running back, and I climbed up the beams that supported the bell; he tried striking again, but I hopped onto the bell, and swung into a gymnastic flip. I feared the landing, for I had never exactly perfected the move, but I felt something catch me; and there he was.

"Care to dance, Senorita?"

"I thought you'd never ask."

Once we combined our dance moves with attacks, and actually had the upper hand against the bandit. The more he came back, the easier it became to fight.

Manolo took ahold of both my arms, and swung me around like an offtrack windmill, and I whooped in feeling my stomach do a fantastic flip. Can you believe it? We were laughing as we fought our mortal enemy that had been feared for years.

I fell into his arms once again.

"Pretty good, guitarrista; now it's your turn!"

I said as Manolo landed a punch powerful enough to send Chakal falling off the building, the same way I sent him falling off that train that was on its way to the same town I was now fighting for.

Although, because Chakal was unnaturally enormous, the building started falling apart as he tried to snatch onto the side to catch himself, but failed.

We were on the same part of the building that collapsed. As it fell through the sky, we ran together, and I stopped to see, of course, a dead end. What was I thinking? We're in the air! There's no escape.

I turned to Manolo to try and figure out what to do, but he ignored my worry. I was taken by the waist, he spun around, and threw me with incredible force. I thought for sure that I was gonna die.

I screamed as I unvoluntarily flipped forward, but stopped short.

Unaware of what was happening, I looked down to see a pyramid of sugar skulls, and one of them was holding me. I think it was Manolo's family.

"Hi, Maria!" They smiled.

Gently, I was lowered to the ground where I saw Joaquin and Manolo charging at Chakal to attack. They exchanged words, and then Manolo started kicking the column that held up the bell all three of them were under.

Chakal had lit a an explosive, and they were trying to knock the bell over them to use for a shield against the town.

I saw what was happening, and knew they were going to die.

"No, no!" I screamed while running to them. I couldn't help, for I was stopped by Pepe and my dad who held me away from harm.

Manolo then pushed Joaquin out of the way; our soldier friend came running back to try to help, but it was too late.

Manolo looked at me with sadness on his face.

"Don't forget me." He said.

With one more punch into the column, the bell covered him and the bandit king.

"NO!"

Three seconds went by, and the grenade went off. The town was completely unharmed thanks to the bell. Joaquin was still close enough to the blast to get sent flying back where he lay there unconscious.

All of Chakal's men began running off.

"Chakal is defeated! Retreat!"

I gasped once I saw the smoke flooding out from the shelter of the bell.

Manolo was gone. Once again, he was here long enough to win my heart, but was then snatched away from me by the unmerciful hands of death.

I cried, and fell to my knees. Until, I looked up once more to see him standing there unharmed.

"Manolo?"

He too, was checking to see if he had been hurt, and smiled once he knew he was alive. I walked over to him, with fear all over my face; was this really him? He saw my tears.

"I-it's me, mi amor."

I ran and held him close.

"But, but how did you survive?"

We both looked at the gods standing next us.

"Don't look at me." La Muerte said.

I saw a green shimmer from Manolo's pocket, and saw that it was, indeed, The Medal of Everlasting Life! Joaquin! He wasn't wearing it; that must mean...he was really hurt!

Manolo and I ran to help him as we saw him picking himself up off the ground, and tying a nearby scarf around his eye. Before he could hide the wound, I saw that his right iris looked blurry, and almost cracked.

He really got his eye damaged.

"You, you gave me the medal. You were going to sacrifice yourself, for me?" Manolo asked.

"I-I thought it was time to be a real hero, like you Manolo."

I ran a concerned hand over his cheek and looked up him with pain for his, well, pain.

"Are you alright?"

He smiled at me, and took the medal from Manolo as he spoke the first words of wisdom I'd ever heard from him.

"I've never seen more clearly."

He then threw the medal to Xibalba, telling him that he didn't need it.

Manolo and Joaquin agreed with each other that they should now cast their own shadows, and write their own stories as they be their own man.

My Papa walked in and told Manolo there was one more thing missing as he had him kneel in front of me.

Time flew as the candles in the church was lit. I changed into my dress, and met my husband at the altar.

"Maria Posada, do you take Manolo as your husband?"

"I do."

"And Manolo Sanchez, do you take Maria as your wife?"

"I do."

The Candle Maker and Priest began closing the ceremony.

"By the power vested in us, by the Book of Life, we now pronounce you husband and wife; you may kiss-"

All I needed to hear was "you may kiss before" I yanked Manolo into my arms and kissed him.

"-the groom?"

I heard the Candle Maker laugh, and then there was an applause.

While I walked hand in hand with Manolo, I told him to sing.

"If you wish, Mrs. Sanchez."

Everyone around us joined in on the music as I threw the bouquet, and saw Joaquin being flirted with by Manolo's Adelita Cousins. At first, I was worried he'd think of himself as a third wheel, but now, I think he'll be alright. And who knows? Maybe his eye will be good as new in a few months if not better.

The sun set after this lengthy day, and Manolo and I ended it with a kiss.

THE END