The last two scenes might feel a tad jarring in this context. There was originally meant to be one more chapter, and these scenes were part of it, but I decided to cut that chapter so much that in the end there wasn't enough to post it alone.

There will be an epilogue, but I need to rewrite it a little. I hope to have it up tomorrow.

DIFFERENT SHADES OF JUSTICE

Chapter 13

"What?" Teo blurted out, the expression on his face mirroring the surprise of everyone else. "But didn't you just thank him for -"

"Sergeant, resistance is futile. I've had men positioned among the soldiers here, and I know exactly what has been going on in San Tasco. I will deal with the both of you, but first I want you behind bars," the governor general said.

Teo turned to look at Zorro, hoping that he would somehow find the chance to escape with Little Zorro. He wasn't worried about himself, but Diego's life would be ruined if he was brought to the barracks. However, he only needed to have one look at Zorro's face to know that his friend wouldn't run. Teo felt the temptation to yell at him to go. That idiot!

However, on second thought, it was probably the right decision. The soldiers already had their muskets pointed at the outlaw. Even with Zorro's fantastic skills and luck, he probably wouldn't have been able to escape without injury this time.

"Sir, I'm afraid I don't understand your orders," one of the soldiers said. "Why should we arrest the sergeant?"

"Because those are my orders," the governor general said, no patience in his voice. "The commander is dead. We're in extreme circumstances, so I need you to do exactly as I say."

His words about Raymond startled the soldiers, and for a moment Teo wasn't sure what would happen. A few men hurried to the body, others looked like they wanted to shoot Zorro without another word. There were a dozen questions directed at the governor general at the same time, but he found the aura of power that he hadn't used much in the past.

"Enough! There will be a time for answers later! For now I expect you to fulfil your duties!"

And so, without further ceremonies, Zorro and Teo had their hands bound. The soldier in charge of the work stared at Zorro's mask with greedy eyes.

"What about the mask, sir?"

"Leave it on."

"But -"

"I said leave it on!"

"And what about the boy?" another soldier asked, waving at Little Zorro with his musket.

"He can go. The army has more important matters to attend to than children," the governor general said.

The soldiers didn't look happy with this, but Teo felt relief wash over him. At least Bernard would be safe.

"Go home," Zorro said to the boy.

"But..."

"You can't do anything here now, but you know what other responsibilities you have."

The words struck a chord in the boy, and he got himself together. His eyes shone with determination surprising for someone his age, and he promptly turned his pony around and started riding away. The governor general made sure he had disappeared beyond the horizon before he gave any new orders to the men.

"I want you three to stay here and guard the body. I will send men to bring it to town. You two will ride ahead to San Tasco and give the order that Lieutenant Gabriel is to be put under arrest as well. Anyone who is caught helping him will be hanged," Toledano said.

"Yes, sir," the soldiers said, though Teo could tell that they didn't understand what was going on. However, they were more than happy to let someone with more authority control the situation and make the decisions for them.

There was the sound of a door being banged shut, and then Teo and Diego were left alone in their cells. Teo sat down on the floor by the bars where he could see Diego. Diego did the same, and for a moment they only stared at each other in silence.

"Looks like they don't trust us enough to put us in the same cell," Teo said.

"They probably think we'd escape in no time. And that's no wonder. We are Zorro and Sergeant Angelo, after all," Diego said with a chuckle. Then he glanced at his surroundings, and most of the mirth left his face. Teo couldn't remain happy either.

"I'm sorry," they both said at the same time.

"You have no reason to apologize. It's all my fault," Teo said.

Diego shook his head. "No. If I hadn't fallen into Raymond's trap, we wouldn't be here right now."

"That's complete nonsense and you know it. It was I who fell into his trap. If I hadn't been so convinced of my own cleverness, he would have never tricked us," Teo said. He gritted his teeth and tried to dig his fingers between the stone tiles on the floor. It was utterly pointless, but he felt the need to do something, and the pain was almost soothing.

"It shouldn't have gone like this," he continued with regret. "I never wanted your secret to come out. I'm so sorry."

Diego chuckled. "Don't worry. I'm sure everything is going to turn out just fine," he said, but Teo could hear the worry in his voice. Diego had to be thinking of his father, Lolita and Bernard, and yet he pretended that everything was alright, just for Teo's sake.

"At least they let the boy go," Teo said. "Though I'm sure he'd rather be here than explain all this to your father and... well." He caught himself just before voicing Lolita's name. Only the governor general knew Diego's secret, and he didn't want to name anyone connected to Diego in case someone might overhear it.

Diego nodded. "I made his work easier for him. I wrote a letter to my family and left it at the cave. Little Zorro will find it and show it to everyone. It should answer all their questions."

"Well, that's something." Teo searched his mind for something to say that would make things easier for Diego. "I'm sure they won't punish you. Now that the governor general knows how corrupt Raymond and Gabriel were, he must have realised that Zorro's actions were justified. I'm sure the army will let you go."

"I hope so," Diego said. He paused for a moment. "And they must do the same to you. I could have never defeated Raymond if it wasn't for you."

"The end doesn't justify the means. I was helping you, yes, but that doesn't change any of the atrocities I helped to commit," Teo said. To his surprise, he wasn't nearly as frightened as he had thought he'd be. It was a relief that everything was over and that he didn't have to pretend to be someone else anymore.

"I won't complain if they decide to hang me," he added.

"Dammit, Teo! Don't say that! Of course they aren't going to hang you!" Diego snarled. He was grasping the bars of his cell with both hands and glaring at Teo with angry eyes. "If they try to, I won't let them! My father has powerful friends who can help. And if nothing else works, Zorro will save you, just like he saved so many others!"

Teo couldn't help but smile at these words.

"What's so funny?" Diego demanded to know.

"Nothing. It just feels good to know that you still care about me, even after everything I've done."

"Of course I do! You're my friend. Nothing will ever change that."

"Then I want you to listen carefully. I knew from the very start that this couldn't end well for me. I decided to go with this plan with the full knowledge that I'd be in prison or executed in the end. It's only justice. I've done terrible things, and nothing will change that either," Teo said.

"If I had known it would go like this, I would have never let you do it!"

"It wasn't your choice to make," Teo replied. "I accepted it right in the beginning that it would lead to this. I hope you will, too."

"But I won't! You have no right to expect that of me. You may think your death would be justified, but I don't. I don't care what the law says. Your death would be useless. There's so much good you could do in the army now that you don't have to keep up this act anymore."

Teo couldn't describe what it felt like to hear Diego say those words. They filled him with so much gratitude but also hope of a better future when he could try to be happy. And yet that hope frightened him because he knew how unlikely it was that it would happen. It was so much safer to feel only resignation and accept that he had reached the end of his journey.

"Thank you. Your words mean much to me, but it's better we don't talk about this now," he said.

"Don't think you can avoid this discussion. I'm not shutting up before you realise that I won't just watch how they hang you," Diego said.

"Don't be a fool. You have your whole life ahead of you. It's not fair to you, your father or anyone else if you waste it by trying to help me," Teo said. He hoped that Diego wouldn't try anything stupid. It just wasn't worth it, especially if he tried to do it as Zorro. If he saved Teo from execution, he would only be offering him a life as a fugitive and ruining his own in the process.

"And it's not fair if you have to pay the price for this alone," Diego insisted. "If they hang you, then they can hang me right by your side."

"Now that is the stupidest thing I've ever heard!"

"It's just as stupid as what you're saying!"

"No, it's not! It's completely different. You know what I did in Spain. I'm a murderer! I went along with all of Raymond's plots. I'm far from innocent, but you've done nothing wrong," Teo said.

"Before the law I'm nothing but a bandit. I have caused so much damage to the army that they have all the reasons they need to sentence me to death. Don't forget that I killed the commander," Diego said.

"You had no choice, and he would have killed the governor general if you hadn't interfered," Teo pointed out.

"It doesn't matter. Maybe it does to some people, but not to me."

"Then you should understand my determination."

They sat in silence for a long time. Teo took off the jacket of his uniform; it felt too tight and reminded him too much of everything that had happened. He sat back down on the floor and leaned against the wall with closed eyes. The coolness of the stone tiles felt soothing, and he enjoyed the fact that for the first time in weeks, he didn't have to worry about anything.

"Teo," Diego said. His voice sounded so heavy that Teo opened his eyes and sat up straight to look at him. "Teo, I can't let this happen. I will never forgive myself if Zorro's fight for justice led to your death. Why can't you understand that?"

"I've told you it's not your fault," Teo said. "I made my own decisions. My crimes in Spain have nothing to do with Zorro."

"But if you hadn't been positioned here, you would have built yourself a career in the army. You wouldn't have had to throw everything away," Diego said.

Teo chuckled at that. Diego still didn't understand. "I couldn't have been happy then. It would have been meaningless. Now that I have done something to help you, I feel like I've accomplished something important. I have no regrets about anything."

"Maybe you don't, but what about me? Don't you realise how much it's going to do to me if I have to watch my friend die?" Diego asked.

Teo knew he shouldn't have been so selfish, but he couldn't help but appreciate the pain in Diego's voice. Without him, he probably would have been afraid of death. His friendship with Diego gave him all the strength he needed. He couldn't even bring himself to feel guilty about how difficult this had to be for Diego.

"You'll get over it," he said.

"Do you really hate yourself that much?" Diego asked, now with an angry edge in his voice.

"I don't hate myself, at least not anymore. I've just accepted things as they are. You should do, too. It will make it a lot easier."

"To hell with you. You're too stubborn for your own good," Diego snarled, and Teo couldn't help but let out a short laugh.

"If I wasn't, we wouldn't have got this far."

"I wish we hadn't."

"I have no regrets. No matter what happens, Gabriel's face when I defeated him made it worth it," Teo said.

"That reminds me. I wonder if they've caught him already and what will happen to him," Diego said.

Teo wanted to say that they'd probably hang them together, but he knew Diego wouldn't appreciate such jokes. Diego had never had the dark sense of humour he did.

"He can't get far. Even if someone found him and let him go after we left him tied up, I doubt anyone will remain loyal to him now that Raymond is dead," he remarked. "I just hope they won't bring him here. I don't want to deal with him right now."

"They'll probably put him somewhere safer. You have no idea how many men have escaped from these cells," Diego said.

"And I suppose they'll be busy interrogating him and getting as much information out of him as possible."

For a moment, they were silent, both pondering the question that had been on their mind for a while now but which neither had wanted to voice.

"I wonder what the governor general is planning. He must have a reason for arresting us like this," Diego finally said.

"I think so, too. Otherwise he wouldn't have told you to put your mask back on."

Diego was still wearing the mask, but he had taken his hat off, so he didn't look very much like Zorro at the moment. In fact, it was hard to think of him as anyone but Diego anymore. Teo hoped that others wouldn't notice it.

"I think he wanted to protect your secret. He'll probably let you go as soon as he can organize it," he said. The more he thought about it, the more sense it made. The governor general hadn't seemed at all judgemental of what Diego had done. Quite the contrary. He had probably arrested Zorro only to protect him; the soldiers had been close enough to shoot had he tried to flee.

"He's going to have a hard time organizing it now that everyone knows Zorro has been captured and is responsible for killing Raymond," Diego remarked.

"I don't see what's so difficult. Nobody knows your identity. You're a hero to the people. I'm sure even most of the soldiers are happy with Raymond gone. There must be a crowd of people ready to help and more than enough soldiers to sleep on guard duty," Teo said.

"I wish your optimism extended to yourself," Diego muttered.

Teo could have said many things to that, but he wasn't interested in repeating the same argument once more.

When Teo woke up, he couldn't tell if it was still night or already morning. He got up and tried to stretch his aching back without making too much noise. Diego was lying on his bunk, so he was probably still asleep.

These beds alone are a punishment enough, Teo mused as he rubbed his stiff neck. Maybe he'd spend the next night on the floor. It couldn't be any less comfortable.

He wondered if they were going to get anything to drink or eat. He doubted the food was any better than the beds, but he was hungry and would have gladly swallowed anything.

Just as he was pondering this, there was the sound of a door opening. It was followed by loud running steps. He saw Diego stir, awakened by the noise.

"Teo, what -" Diego asked, but he couldn't make it any further before his father, Lolita and Bernard rushed to him.

"Diego! Are you alright?" Alejandro asked.

"Father!" Diego exclaimed and jumped to his feet. Since the others were standing in the way, Teo couldn't see Diego anymore, but he could very well imagine the bafflement and surprise on his face. He probably thought he was still dreaming.

"Father, what are you doing here?" Diego asked.

"Captain Jekyll was kind enough to let us visit you. You have no idea how worried we've been about you."

"I'm sorry that I've caused you so much trouble," Diego said in a reluctant voice. Teo felt sorry for him. Seeing his only son in jail was not the way Diego had wanted his father to find out the truth.

"Don't apologize for anything, Diego. You've done nothing wrong."

"But, what about... Father, you know that I'm Zorro, don't you? Bernard has shown you the letter. I've been lying to you the whole time. You have every reason to be angry at me," Diego said.

Alejandro shook his head. "I raised you from an infant to a grown man. What makes you think you could ever trick me for that long?"

"But then you've -"

"Yes, I've known for a while now. I was angry at first, but I decided not to say anything because I wanted to respect your decision. I knew you had your reasons for not telling me, and I respect them," Alejandro said. "To be honest, I would have done the same in your place."

"Father, I..." Diego started to say, but his voice broke and he didn't finish.

"We'll talk about it later when we're home. Then you can tell me everything," Alejandro said in a gentle voice.

Even though he was happy for Diego, Teo couldn't help but feel a stab inside him. He was glad that his father wasn't there to see what he had become, but on the other hand, he wished there was someone who would visit him in prison. He tried his best not to feel jealous of Diego's family and friends, but it was difficult to ignore how lonely he suddenly felt.

"And I expect to hear a very good explanation, too. Just so you know," Lolita said in a teasing voice.

"But aren't you angry?" Diego asked in confusion.

"Of course I'm angry, you silly thing!" Lolita said with a laugh. "But as long as there are these bars between us, I can't really slap you, can I?"

Teo couldn't help but chuckle at her words, but he immediately wished he hadn't. Everyone turned to look at him.

"I'm sorry. Never mind me," he said.

To Teo's surprise, Alejandro walked to his cell. It was impossible for him to read the expression on the old don's face.

"I want to thank you," Alejandro said.

"For what?"

"For being there for my son and helping him. Diego told me about you in his letter. It's because of you that Raymond could be stopped," Alejandro said.

Teo shook his head. "You give me too much credit, Don Alejandro. I might have speeded things up a little, but I didn't do anything that Diego couldn't have eventually done on his own. Besides, it's because of my plan that his secret was revealed and he's in trouble."

It occurred to him that it was highly dangerous for Diego's family to come and see him in prison. Surely someone would notice them and put two and two together. He voiced this concern to Alejandro, but the old don didn't look worried.

"We're actually here to complain about bandits trampling our fields. Nobody will suspect a thing," he said. "I won't deny that things could have gone a little better, but what matters is that you're both alright and stopped Raymond and Gabriel," Alejandro said.

"But we're both in prison," Teo pointed out.

"We'll take care of that. I'm sure the governor general is going to look favourably upon you both."

"Don't worry about me. Just make sure Diego is released," Teo said.

"I will make sure you're both released. I don't want to hear a single argument about that. You two have fought your battle, and now it's my turn," Alejandro said. His tone left no room for objections, and Teo didn't want to insult him, so he let it be.

He saw that Bernard was done talking to Diego. The boy took a look in his direction and then came to stand by Alejandro's side with a hesitant frown on his face.

"And what's wrong with the most feared bandit in San Tasco? Why such a face?" Teo asked with a smile.

"I'm sorry I said hated you," Bernard said.

"If you hadn't, then I would have had to be ashamed of my acting skills. It all went exactly like I wanted, so don't worry."

"But it's not right. You did so much for everyone here, and we were so cruel to you," Bernard said.

"It's alright, and I'm sorry I made Diego lie to you about me," Teo said. He reached out through the bars to give Bernard a weak punch to the shoulder. "You were just as good at fighting for justice as Zorro."

"Really?"

"Of course. I have no need to lie anymore," Teo said. Seeing the worry disappear from Bernard's face cheered him up. He hadn't thought that anyone could forgive him after what he had done, but so far Diego's family had been far better to him than he had expected. Don Alejandro's words gave him hope that he wasn't sure he deserved. The thought that maybe he could make it out of this situation was too good to be true.

"Then is it really true that you're a better swordsman than Diego?" Bernard asked eagerly.

"I'm a thousand times better than him. I always defeated him with complete ease in Madrid," Teo said.

"I thought you said you weren't going to lie anymore," Diego called out from his cell.

"You should be busy talking to your fiancée, so don't mind me."

"I think I've already told him everything I need. Basically that I'm really proud of him but that he's still going to be in a lot of trouble when he gets out of here," Lolita said.

"Don't hurry with getting me released, father," Diego said with a sigh, but everyone else couldn't help but chuckle. For a moment, the problems that lay ahead of them were entirely forgotten. For the first time since his arrival in San Tasco, Teo felt that he was truly accepted as part of something.

Later that day, they finally got official visitors. The governor general arrived together with Captain Jekyll and stopped to stand on the hallway so that they were right between their cells.

"I'm sorry it took me so long to come to you. The commander's death left the everything in quite some chaos," Toledano said.

Teo felt awkward about addressing the governor general, so he decided to leave the talking to Diego. He got the feeling that it was he who interested Toledano more in the first place. Both he and Jekyll were mostly looking at him and ignoring Teo's presence.

"We aren't in a position to complain about it, sir," Diego said, but he was smiling to show that he wasn't bothered by their predicament.

"I will spare the needless formalities and go straight to the point. I hope you realise that I didn't have you arrested because I have anything against Zorro. In fact, from what my informants have told me, you have been the only one fighting for justice in San Tasco," the governor general said.

Teo noticed Jekyll shift uncomfortably at these words. The governor general was being unfair. It was easy for an outlaw to try to make a difference, but officers had to follow orders and not question them.

"Besides, I owe my life to you," Toledano added. "It's unconventional, but I will arrange things so that Zorro can escape this prison. It'll be made to look like the rebels helped you."

"You're taking quite a risk to your career and reputation. If someone even suspected you of this, your enemies could cause you much trouble," Diego pointed out.

The governor general nodded. "True, but I will not hang a man who has done so much to help the people, especially when the problems were caused by men answering to me. I care more about justice than correct procedures," he said. He chuckled, as if recalling a fond memory. "Besides, I owe my life to your father as well."

"I never knew about that," Diego said.

"You should ask him to tell you about it sometime. It's a good story of young boldness and adventure," the governor general said. His face grew suddenly serious. "But there is one problem."

"What?" Diego asked.

"Lieutenant Gabriel claims that he knows your identity. We're doing our best to keep him confined so that the wrong people don't hear what he has to say, but sooner or later word is going to get out," Toledano said.

"How is that possible? Raymond didn't know of my identity before our battle. How could Gabriel know?" Diego asked.

"Raymond was determined to have the last word. He gave Gabriel a letter in which he wrote about his suspicions regarding Zorro's secret and told him to open it if their plan failed. He was able to do that in his cell after we captured him," the governor general explained.

Diego swore under his breath, and Teo would have done the same if he hadn't wanted to avoid attention. That bastard was having vengeance on them even from beyond the grave!

"It would probably be for the best to arrange a scene where Zorro and you appear at the same time. It should be enough, especially since most people in San Tasco are on Zorro's side. I'll make sure Gabriel receives a swift trial and execution. Most people will take his words as the last straw of a desperate man," Toledano said.

Diego nodded with a grim frown on his face. Teo didn't envy his situation. Everything he held dear was in danger, and it would take the death of yet another man before it was over.

"We'll discuss the actual escape plan and other problems in more detail later. I just wanted you to know that I have talked to your father and there's no need to worry. Zorro won't be hanged for as long as I'm in charge here," the governor general said.

"What about Teo?"

"That's a little more complicated," the governor general said.

"How? He has been helping me since he arrived here. Without him, Raymond would still be in power and his plan to kill you might have worked."

"We heard from the lieutenant that Sergeant Angelo was working with you. However, there are so many reports of his involvement with Raymond's actions that it's going to be difficult to let him go," Toledano said.

"But that was all part of the plan!" Diego insisted in a frustrated tone. "And Zorro broke the law countless times. If you're going to ignore that -"

"That's not the same thing, and you know it. You have bigger problems to worry about than me," Teo chimed in.

"He's right," the governor general said. He noticed Diego's angry and anxious expression, so he was quick to add, "I will speak with the sergeant later, but right now it's not the most pressing matter on my mind."

And so it was that they were left alone again. They had yet another argument about Teo's fate, but since neither one of them was in the position to do anything about it, they only managed to get each other angry.

The next night, the rebels attacked the prison. True to his fashion, Zorro made a daring escape that would have people talking for at least two weeks. Teo had been a little worried that Diego might not leave the prison without him, but thankfully his friend had seen reason. There was nothing he could do for him for as long as he was a prisoner himself.

That left Teo alone. There weren't other prisoners at the moment, so he had plenty of time to think in silence. Without anyone to talk to – or argue with – it felt like time had stopped. He hated the uncertainty and waiting. It would have been better if they had just got everything over with.

His wish was fulfilled two days later when the governor general summoned him to his office. It surprised Teo somewhat; he had been expecting their conversation to take place in the interrogation room at the prison. Once he entered, his confusion turned into anxiousness. The governor general had moved to Raymond's office, and Teo had no happy memories of the room.

"Ah, Sergeant. I'm sorry that it took this long before I had the time to see you," the governor general said. He was standing behind the desk, very much like Raymond had used to, but his face held none of the malice or cold amusement Teo was used to from the commander.

"That's not a problem, sir," Teo said somewhat awkwardly. All of a sudden, he wasn't sure how to act. Was he here as a prisoner or an officer?

"I'm sure you'll be happy to know that Zorro's escape was successful. To be honest, I've never seen any man in the army put as little effort into catching a criminal as this time," Toledano said with a hint of a smile on his face.

"That's a relief, sir."

"We've been so busy with Gabriel that we haven't had enough time to consider your case. I keep hearing very conflicting reports about you, Sergeant," the governor general said. He proceeded to explain how he had grown suspicious of Raymond and his constant excuses, so he had sent a few trusted men to serve as soldiers in San Tasco. The men hadn't been able to find any evidence against Raymond, but they had told him more than enough about the atrocities that some of the other officers committed.

"By that I mainly mean Lieutenant Gabriel and you," the governor general said.

Teo felt Toledano's eyes burn him. He had something in common with Raymond after all.

"I know, sir. It was all part of my plan."

"Yes, Zorro told me about it."

"I don't mean that as an excuse. I'm prepared to face any punishment that you deem justified, sir. It was clear to me from the start that an officer who becomes tangled in Raymond's plans can't remain innocent," Teo said.

"You said that before. If that's true, you've been determined to throw away your life and career for a good while now. Why is that? Do you think it's no sacrifice? Are you not happy?" the governor general asked.

Teo couldn't answer right away. It wasn't that he didn't have anything to lose. He was... content with his life, he supposed.

"At the time it felt like the right and best thing to do. I have no regrets."

The governor general hummed in thought. "I'm sure you realise the difficult situation I'm in. Technically, I would have to remove every officer and soldier in San Tasco from service and have them face trial. Raymond was very careful about leaving behind evidence. It's impossible to know who was only following orders and who was in on his plans."

"I'm sure Captain Jekyll and Sergeant Gonzales are innocent, sir. They've done whatever they could without directly disobeying their orders."

"I don't doubt that, which is why I won't take any action against them. I will position half of the soldiers here elsewhere and have them replaced by men who've just arrived from Spain. That should clear the air a little. My only problem now is what to do about you," the governor general said.

Teo shifted in discomfort. As much as he had thought he was ready to accept any fate, it was still nerve-wrecking to stand there and wait for the worst.

"Under normal circumstances, you would face execution. With extreme luck, it could be fifteen years in prison," the governor general said.

"I know." Teo had heard enough stories about what it was like in prison. Such a long sentence would be torture. He'd rather choose a swift execution.

"I would be more than happy to intervene, but it would raise some brows and cause a scene. I can't afford that now. The Spanish rule in California isn't what it used to be, and I can't give the people any more reason to be dissatisfied with the government. There isn't much I can do," the governor general said.

Teo merely nodded.

"However, there's one thing within my power, but it's not very pleasant. I'm going to send you to New Granada. The Spanish rule there is shaky at best, and we have never been able to subdue the locals. A couple of years of successful service there will make a celebrated hero out of anyone," the governor general said.

"I'm sorry?" Teo asked, not quite believing what he was hearing.

"It will look like a punishment to most people, so I don't think anyone will question my decision," Toledano said. He grew silent and looked at Teo expectantly.

"I don't know what to say, sir," Teo admitted. He couldn't decide if he should be happy or devastated.

"I hope you won't think I'm ungrateful for your work against Raymond. This is the best I can do for you," the governor general said.

"Of course, sir. I'm very grateful. It's just that..."

"Yes?" the governor general prodded.

"There are also crimes I've committed in Spain, and I've yet to pay for them. If you knew about them, you wouldn't try to save me."

"Ah," the governor general said thoughtfully. "But that was in Spain. They do say that a life in the colonies is a fresh start."

"Yes, but -"

"I'm not interested in hearing what you've done in Spain or delivering justice for that. As far as I'm concerned, there are only two entities you have to make peace with. One of them is God," the governor general said. He paused. "And the other one is yourself."

"But, sir -"

"If you're that determined to be judged and punished, you should return to Spain after your service in New Granada, but you won't get that out of me. I made a promise to an old friend," Toledano said.

"Yes, sir," Teo said stiffly.

"I hope you don't mind returning to the cell for a little while. There's a favour I'd like to ask of you, and it'll look better if everyone thinks you're still a prisoner," the governor general said.

"What kind of favour?" Teo asked.

The governor general explained it to him, and some of Teo's anxiousness was replaced by amusement. This was something he'd be glad to do.

On the surface, it looked like a normal day in San Tasco. The town square was perhaps a little more crowded than usual, and the smiles on everyone's faces seemed a tad more genuine than what Diego was used to. He could almost feel the excited atmosphere among the people, even now that it was nearly a week since Raymond's downfall.

"I feel like the town has been reborn," Lolita said from his side. "I've never seen the people this happy and at ease."

Diego nodded, knowing that he didn't have to say anything. He was sure Lolita knew how much it meant to him to see his fight come to a successful end. All the lies and all the sacrifices had paid off. He wasn't naive enough to believe that life would be without problems now, but it would be better.

"Look! It's Zorro!"

There was an uproar as everyone turned to look at the tavern. Indeed, standing on the roof was their hero, clad entirely in black and with a sword in hand. He gave the people a salute with the blade and tipped his hat at them.

A couple of soldiers were present as well, including Captain Jekyll. The men shifted in unease, but Jekyll gave no command for them to take action. Diego wondered if the governor general had told him to hold back or if Jekyll was doing it on his own.

His thoughts were cut short when Zorro started speaking.

"Now that the tyranny of the army has come to its end, it is time for me to return to the night, but know that Zorro is always watching and ready to return if there is ever again injustice in this land!" Zorro announced.

The people cheered, and Zorro bowed. He sheathed his sword and jumped off the building, disappearing behind it. A couple of curious men hurried after him, but they found the back alley deserted and without a clue of the masked man's whereabouts.

"This Zorro is quite a dramatic fellow, isn't he?" Diego mused.

"I don't see how this is any different from before," Lolita said, barely able to hide her smile.

Diego bit his tongue to keep his playful comeback to himself. Someone could have heard it, and he didn't want to ruin this opportunity for Diego de la Vega and Zorro to appear at the same time.

"Maybe you're right," he said with a chuckle. "He is Zorro, after all."

It had been a wonderful evening. Everyone had eaten Maria's best cooking. Diego had told them stories of their time at the university – and this time they had been true, just like the smile in his eyes and the laughter in his voice. Teo couldn't recall seeing Diego that happy ever before in his life. There was a lot factoring into it, but he suspected that the warm, proud look in his father's eyes and Lolita's teasing comments were more important than anything else.

Earlier that day, he had been released and his departure to New Granada had been officially announced. Many considered it a fitting punishment, but there were also those who thought he should have been handled like the other officers. Teo suspected Diego had been spreading rumours about his involvement in Raymond's downfall.

He was to leave San Tasco in two days. Diego had objected, saying that it was like they were just kicking him out after everything he had done. Teo didn't mind; the new start would do him good. After what he had endured in Raymond's service, the more dangerous life in New Granada couldn't be that bad of a change.

Don Alejandro had welcomed him to his home like he was an old friend of the family. Lolita and Bernard had joked with him as if the problems with the army had never happened. Diego's family felt like his own, and he was certain that they would accept him if he could stay.

He stepped outside to the patio to get some fresh air. He hoped that Diego would notice it and follow him. He needed to talk to him alone.

His friend, perceptive as ever, was quick to follow him. When he stepped away from the light pouring from inside the house, Teo couldn't help but be reminded of their meetings in the night.

"I still can't believe how much has happened in the past few days," Diego said as he came to stand by his side.

"Me neither."

"For me, the most amazing part was finally seeing Zorro in action. Now I understand why everyone praises him so. Too bad I always missed him before," Diego said. "Though for a moment I was afraid that nobody would buy it. Your black hair could have given you away."

"At least I don't have a moustache," Teo said.

Diego chuckled, but Teo could tell that he was no longer as happy and carefree as at dinner. He was sure he knew what his friend wanted to say, so he chose to wait in silence until he was ready.

"I don't think they were fair to you," Diego said. "The governor general knows how much you helped, and he still chose to send you to that place. It's not right."

"It's better than a man in my position could expect."

"He knows I'm a wanted outlaw, and he let me go. He could do the same to you if he wanted," Diego said.

"Officially, he's still after Zorro, especially now that there was that grandiose prison escape. Everyone will look at what he does with me and judge him for that, so he can't act as he pleases. He's already taking a risk."

"But it's still not right," Diego said, his voice thick with frustration.

"Diego, stop. You know just as well as I do that there's nothing you or I can do. And you can't have forgotten what I told you about Spain. I'm almost relieved I can go. I don't think I could stay here before I've thought things through. Maybe I'll even return to Spain when the time is right," Teo said.

He couldn't bring himself to look at Diego as he spoke, but he could imagine the frown on his friend's face. They hadn't talked of his actions in Spain since he had first told Diego about them. He felt burning desire to do so, but he was also frightened that it would only make things worse, especially now that they wouldn't see each other in a long time. Maybe it would be better to wait until he returned, if he ever did.

Diego didn't answer. Teo supposed it was just as difficult for him to understand what they should do. Their friendship was the same as always, but so many other things had changed that he wasn't sure if they could ever be like before. He didn't even know if that was what he wanted. Their days at the university were over, and they had both grown out of their idealistic desires for adventure and justice. Maybe it would be better to forget all that and see how the future would shape their friendship.