TRIGGER WARNING: CHILD DEATH, DROWNING!

hey gang! so i failed on the 31st thing lol. sorry about that it was a long shot and it didn't work out. BUT i am Very Proud of this chapter and please heed the warnings! uhm other than that, i also meant to have a lot more azura in this chapter but when i wrote the last line and was trying to transition to what was supposed to be a rescue i just...couldnt do it? idk i might do a chapter on this from azura's prespective at some point or have it as a flashback for her but until then this is it!

Please R&R

Tejas couldn't sleep.

He never could around this time of year. In the weeks leading up to All Saints' Day, they escape purgatory and wander the streets searching for their loved ones only to be seen through and ignored by the very people who were supposed to know them best. This made the spirits restless, they screamed and begged and cried all night long, the veil thin enough for them to interact with the world around them but never with the living.

Toño had seen so many spirits weep at their descendants' feet, pleading with the Lord above to allow them this last wish before they went back to purgatory to be cleansed. But a person, or a former person, can only be walked through so many times before that despair turns to anger, and when that happens the ghosts tend to notice Tejas.

He didn't know what it was about him. Maybe it was because he could never tear his eyes away from the gaping wounds some soldier ghosts have, or maybe it was the way he winced when their screams became deathly howls, or the terror he felt when their faces distorted from human to ghoulish with black eyes, unnaturally wide empty mouths and claws for fingertips. Seeing that never failed to make tears gather in his eyes or a whimper to form in his throat, but once he reacted, the ghosts clung to Tejas like he could offer them the salvation they obviously needed.

Sometimes they were nice, like when the ladies would help him with his clothes or when the men would correct his schoolwork before his tutors noticed. Most of the time they were angry, furious that he could see them and not their family, frustrated that the only person who could well and truly interact with him was a child that had no way to act out their wishes, to help them say goodbye. If they weren't angry they were paranoid, usually the younger women and kids, and would shadow him everywhere, whispering about the dangers of every man and Spaniard that passed them and pulling at his hair and clothes when he got too close.

Of course, it didn't really matter how the ghosts acted around him, or why they decided to attach themselves to him, and his sister by extension, because the moment Papi stepped through the door any human decency they had held onto disappeared and the spirits were replaced with something closer to vengeful demons than the people they were hours before.

That didn't explain the crying lady, though.

It was nearing the end of summer, All Saints' Day was barely a thought in even the most devout priest's mind, and Papi was still somewhere in Europe fighting off those estúpidos piratas. So, it didn't make sense that Toño was being kept up all night by her incredibly loud wails. All night she would cry and cry and cry, screaming out for her children who must live somewhere in the city. Toño really felt bad for her, it took a while for some spirits to understand just how separate they were from the living and a lot of times that involved a lot of screaming and even a little violence, but it usually didn't go on for weeks at a time. And it usually wasn't concentrated outside his window.

Tejas huffed, turning onto his side and shoving his head under his pillow, hoping that this time it would block her out. When another cry pierced the air, just a loud and just as close, Toño sat up with a groan. He hadn't gotten a decent night's sleep in so long that even Azura was getting worried. Usually she just snickered when he had ghost trouble, running up behind him and yelling his ear or using his sleepiness against him by putting bows and little braids in his hair when he fell asleep in the drawing room. Now, though, she had taken to holding his hand when they left the house and sitting with him in his room until he fell asleep at night.

It was really starting to freak him out.

So with a final sigh, Tejas made up his mind, and started digging through his chest of drawers. Pulling out an older pair of trousers the nannies dressed him in when they went down to the stables, and the threadbare cotton shirt he only wore when it was too hot to bare and he knew Azura was going to be out with friends. The crying grew in sound as he shucked off his nightgown and began fumbling with his breeches. He'd started wearing them a few years ago but sometimes he still had trouble with the buttons, and even with the full moon glowing through his window he could barely see the flaking metallic buttons. When he'd managed four out of six of them Tejas decided that was good enough for him before shoving on his socks and shoes.

The lady's crying hadn't stopped at all in the time it took him to get dressed, but when he opened his window it seemed to quiet a little. Maybe she finally got over her new lot in life? Toño shook his head, it was never that easy, besides he had a job to do. Operation: Don't Cry was go!

The night air was warm and a little humid, the cigarras buzzed all around him, as he dropped down from the windowsill. It was pretty lucky that Papi had moved both his and Azura's rooms down to the first floor a few decades ago, even if it was only because of his accident. Mejico had thrown a fit when she'd seen her bed being moved, but Papi assured her that when she was a teenager he'd have her moved back upstairs but until then he was worried about them being trapped up there in case something happened.

Tejas just wondered if all of his siblings had downstairs room now, or if it was just him and Mejico. Maybe they had all lost their pretty views and private bathrooms and that was why none of them liked him. It was certainly why Azura didn't like him…

Toño shook his head, now was not the time to be thinking about stupid 'Zura and her stupid attitude! He was going to find this ghost lady and help her either understand her cries weren't going to get her kids attention, or, if he was really lucky, he could help her pass into her reward.

He'd only pulled that last one off once before, about twelve years back, and it wasn't easy.

A spirit had attached itself to him and his sister.

Well, the spirit attached to Azura and Tejas had to watch. He was a boy around her age, with thick dark hair and a bloody cape draped across one shoulder; following Azura around like a hungry xolo dog. When he first showed up, Toño wasn't too concerned, because, to be honest, a lot of Indian spirits liked to follow Mejico around. Usually, it was pretty women with blue hair and red designs all over their bare arms and legs, but they would go away pretty quickly once they saw Azura walk into Sunday Mass. So when the boy simply waited in the church stoop for Azura and joined them on their ride back to the house, Tejas knew he was going to have to get him to leave before Papi showed up and turned the ghost into a demon.

He spent the rest of the day planning on what to say to make him leave her alone, and, once Azura had bid him goodnight, he slid out of his bed and tiptoed down the hallway. Azura's ghost was standing in front of her closed door, arms crossed and glaring out the open window at the end of the hall, when Tejas finally gathered up the courage to make himself known.

"You know she can't see you, right?" He whispered, flinching when the spirit whipped his head around to look at him. He said something in Indian, Aztec probably, before huffing out of his nose at Tejas' blank stare. Toño bit the inside of his cheek, he didn't think about the Azura's ghost not knowing any Spanish, "I think you should leave. Now."

The ghost tilted his head, before walking towards Tejas the same way his older siblings did when he was being especially annoying. He said something again, gesturing to Azura's door and then at Tejas, before pulling back his cape to reveal a gaping bloody wound in his side. Toño gasped, taking a step backward and away from the nauseating sight; trying to ignore the way the fist sized hole continued to ooze blood down the ghost's side and onto the floor even in the afterlife. Azura's ghost scoffed at him, pointing to his side one last time before dropping the cape and sliding down the wall and facing away from Tejas.

Toño gulped, his stomach in knots at the thought of this particular spirit deciding to take his anger at whoever had done that to him on his sister, or worse, on Tejas himself. Steeling himself, he took a tentative step towards the older boy, "I've died–before. It's not that scary, you know? I think you'll like it a lot actually, since your wound will be gone and you won't have to listen to Azura trying to play the violin!"

The ghost sighed, knocking his head against the wood doorframe, before turning to meet Tejas' eyes, "ItzCoyotl." He flattened his hand against his chest, before opening his palm towards Toño.

"ItzCoy–? Oh, your name!" He yelled, forgetting for a moment that he was standing outside the sleeping beast that was his sister's room, "I'm Antonio Fernandez Carriedo the Second." He whispered, holding his hand out for a shake like he'd been taught. ItzCoyotl knit his eyebrows together, eyes darting between his face and Toño's hand, before mimicking the gesture. Their hands passed through each other, but Tejas still shook his hand up and down a few times before letting it drop, "You can call me Toño! And I'm gonna call you Coyote!"

Coyote still looked confused before shaking his head, "Nitze Toño."

Toño grinned, figuring whatever Coyote had said was probably a good thing, "Come to my room! We can talk better about dying there." When Coyote shook his head, jabbing his thumb at Azura's door, Tejas groaned, "Oh, please! You can't want to sit out here all night when you could be talking with me! You know, someone who can actually see you and not just–"

Azura's door slammed open, causing Coyote to fall backwards and Tejas to jump away from swinging range. His sister stood in the doorway, her giant hair somehow even poofier than normal, and a singular slipper in her right hand. Mejico took a step forward, her eyes murderous, "Tejas…"

"Uh, morning 'Zura…" He chuckled, slowly backing towards the safety of his room, "This is all a crazy dream, and you're actually, uh, still sleeping." He whispered out, fumbling for the shape of a brass knob in the dark.

Azura took one more step out of her room, her arm slowly raising above her head, "How many times have I told you, if you're going to act possessed don't do it near me!"

Tejas jiggled the door open, quietly yelling out apologies to her even as the slipper left her hand and slammed into the back of his head. He had scrambled inside, pushing himself up against the closed door in fear that she would decide that now was a good time to let out all the pent up anger she had. Once the danger had passed, and a bump on his head was forming, Toño let out a sigh.

Stupid sisters and even stupider ghosts. Serves him right for trying to help out a savage Indian. With that final thought he clambered back into bed, drowsy and dreading tomorrow.

As he began to drift off, Toño turned onto his side, only for an icy cold breath to hit his face. Tejas' eyes shot open, and was met with coal black eyes grinning over at him. Toño shot up, scrambling away from the spirit, and falling off the bed in the process.

"Ow…" He whined, rubbing the now much bigger bump on his head. Above him Coyote was leaning over the edge of the bed and laughing, his hair falling down past his shoulders and tickling Tejas' nose. Toño glared up at him, "Don't laugh! It's all your fault, anyway!"

Coyote said something in his language again, a big smile on his face that reminded him of Azura on her best days. He stretched out his hand, grabbing at Tejas' upper arm, and flinching when all he did was succeed in making Toño shiver. Nonetheless when Tejas did make it back onto the bed, he still scooted over to make room for him.

"I thought you were staying with 'Zura?" Toño said, sitting with his legs crossed under him.

Coyote mirrored him, before opening his mouth and letting out a string of words Tejas had no chance of understanding. Midway through his explanation, Coyote noticed Tejas' blank look again. With a quiet sigh, he began pointing in the direction of Azura's room, then mimed throwing something, before tapping the back of his head and shrugging.

Toño took a moment to decipher all the gestures, "Oh! I'm fine. 'Zure does that all the time. Usually I can dodge, but it was too dark for me to see it clearly." He quickly gave Coyote a thumbs up, miming Azura's best throws and three or four dodges.

Coyote let out a chuckle that quickly turned into muffled giggles. Tejas let out a laugh of his own, making sure to shoving his face into a pillow to keep from waking up Azura again. If she came into his room, he was doomed.

As their laughter died down, Toño caught another glimpse of what must have been Coyote's death wound. It was still sluggishly dripping down his side and forming a ghostly puddle on his covers. With that sight in mind, Tejas took a deep breath, "I think, if you want to move on, we have to know how you died." He said quietly, shuffling onto his knees and hugging his pillow to his chest.

Coyote stopped smiling, glancing down at his side before back over at Tejas. At Toño's nod and subsequent grabby hands, Coyote let out a bone deep sigh, "Los solodas matan." He then mimed unsheathing a sword and stabbing it into Tejas side before pulling it out and then gestured to himself again.

Toño's heart pounded, "The soldiers did that to you?"

Coyote nodded once, then looked away.

"Why?"

Coyote barked out an angry laugh, before gesturing to himself saying, "Nahuatl." And then to Toño saying, "Española. Mestizo." To himself again, "Indio."

Tejas let out a shaky breath. He knew Papi was a scary Nation, knew there was a reason he always smelled like blood and death, but he didn't know that Boss' people were killing kids like him and Azura. In fact Azura was almost as Indian as Coyote! What happens if Spain gets upset with her like he did that time?

What happens when Papi gets tired of playing pretend?

"I'm sorry." He whispered, inching as close to Coyote as he dared. He held his hand where Coyote's bare thigh would be, "I said dying isn't scary, but it is. I got killed by a soldier too, and it hurt a lot." Coyote turned to him at that, and Tejas turned to look him in the eyes, "When I woke up, it wasn't where the priests said I would be. I wasn't in purgatory or heaven or hell or anywhere really; and that was scary." The spirit said something in his own language, reaching out to rest his hand near Toño's shoulder, "I did learn to fly though." He held out his arms and flapped them like an Ibis, "It wasn't as fun as I thought it would be, but I think you might like it."

Coyote let out a gasp at that, his hands phasing through Toño's in what must have been an attempt at a hug. The ghost shot out of bed, letting out another string of foreign sounds, before waving his hand in front of his face rapidly.

Toño tilted his head to the side, "You wanna play peekaboo?"

Coyote gave him a dry look, before holding both hands across his face longways, obscuring his features entirely before he moved his hands just enough for an eye slit to appear. He repeated the motions a few more times before Tejas caught on.

"You want a mask? I think I have one in my toy box!" He said excitedly.

Coyote nodded his head, but yelled out when Tejas made a move to get off the bed. He then pointed towards his death wound, then made the mask motion again, before pointing towards the sky and miming flying. When Toño still didn't understand, Coyote made an oval shape with his hands, mimed putting it on his face and pointed upwards.

"You need a mask to move on?" Coyote looked like he was translating what he'd said in his head, before nodding.

So for the next few weeks, Tejas spent any free time he had away from lessons gathering wood, pretty stones found by the river, and carving out the closed eyes and open mouth of the death mask with a knife he'd taken from the kitchen when no one was looking. The hardest part was finding enough turquoise to cover the mask in. They didn't live near the drier parts of New Spain, so all the turquoise was sold in markets and Tejas didn't have enough money to buy it all. So he ended up filling it mostly with his river stones and only using the turquoise he could afford around the eyes and mouth. Coyote didn't seem to mind too much, though, because the sooner the mask was done the sooner he could become a hummingbird or be part of the sun or something. Tejas wasn't too clear on the details, but he guessed as long as Coyote got out of their house before Papi showed up and made him crazy, he was happy.

On the fifth day of the third week after he'd started this project Tejas finally finished. He stuck the final turquoise piece into its slot just as the sun began to peak above the horizon. He let out a yell of happiness at it, holding it up for Coyote to see. Coyote let out his own whoop, jumping up and down, before standing inside of Tejas for a moment, chilling him to the bone with a ghostly hug.

Toño turned the mask towards himself again, "How am I gonna give this to you, though? Do I bury it or, uh, set it on fire cause that might take a while."

"Toño." Coyote said, a warm smile on his face, "Recurédame."

"I will." He said, pulling the mask into his chest, "Niuil amo mitsilkaua, ItzCoyotl."

With that, Coyote disappeared into the morning rays of the sun, his skin going from gray-tinted bronze to a blinding golden, until he was nothing but light and a swarm of colorful hummingbirds. They circled him for a moment, one nuzzling his cheek before they rushed out his open window and up into the air, towards the sun.

Coyote's death mask was still hiding under his bed. He brought it out every year on All Saints' Day after everyone had gone to sleep and no one was around to hear him pray for a hell-bound soul that had already chosen to ignore the path of righteousness. He knew it was wrong of him, knew it had to be some type of blasphemy, but Coyote deserved to be remembered for who he was and not where he ended up. Tejas wondered if he should have brought the death mask with him. Being near it always made him feel a little braver in the face of a nasty ghost, but the fear of losing it or a piece of it breaking off kept him from removing it from its hiding spot.

A cloud passed over the full moon, just as Tejas entered the edge of the forest. He let out a God-friendly curse, one he'd heard his Papi let out when he was losing at cards. He should have brought a torch, or a candle from his room, but then he'd have needed a match and those were only stored in the kitchen which was locked at night.

Tejas stumbled over a root, falling flat on his face into the dewey ground below. He hissed out another string of Papi approved profanity, rubbing at the stinging scratches on his forearms and throbbing in his nose. He rubbed at his face, trying to push up the glasses he'd left on his dresser, before remembering and letting out a sigh of relief. Papi would've killed him if he broke them. Luckily, Toño's glasses only ever helped him see what everyone else saw, like Azura's brand new set of pimples or Rico's fist coming towards his head; and Tejas did not need spectacles to see spirits and all other manners of devils running around.

He pulled himself into a more comfortable position on the ground, leaning against the trunk of the tree that tripped him, "This was a dumb idea. I should get back before Nanny Carmen sees I'm gone." He muttered to himself as he stood, trying and failing to brush off the dirt stains all over his white shirt. When the stains only seemed to get bigger, Toño let out a whine, knowing if Nanny Carmen saw she'd whoop him good, "I'll wash this in the river first! Then I'll go home." He nodded to himself, before setting off in the direction he knew the closest river was.

As Tejas began picking his way through the forest, the moon came out from behind the clouds, illuminating his way and keeping him from a repeat of earlier in the night. With his path lit and his spirits high, Toño made it to the river in record time, a happy laugh making its way out of his throat at the sigh of the familiar banks. He ran to the shoreline, pulling off his shirt and dunking it in the gently rushing water. It was dark and cool, tempting Tejas to take a dip and alleviate the sweat that had been building up on his back and forehead for the better part of an hour now.

He didn't though! Toño knew that he was only meant to swim when he was with a grownup or Azura, and especially not at night. Besides, coming home dripping wet would be a lot harder to explain than a wet shirt in the back of his closet. He did, however, lap up a few mouthfuls of water while waiting for the rushing river to take away all the dirt and blood on his clothes.

That was when he saw her.

She was standing at the shoreline of the opposite river bank. Her hair was pitch black and dripping wet; it clung to her face in thick, waterlogged locks. She was wearing a white dress that dragged on the ground behind her, with a white veil that sat in tatters on her head. The woman was staring at him like Toño was the ghost, her dark eyes wide and tear-filled. She waded into the water towards him, her white dress becoming an ugly, murky gray.

Tejas scrambled backwards. Something about this ghost was different. He didn't know if it was the way her eyes were just a little too big, or if it was how easily she moved through the water without causing a single ripple. As the woman neared, Toño could faintly hear her sniffling, her arms outstretched towards him. He dodged under her black-tipped finger, trying to ignore the scent of death that radiated off of her, and crawled up a fallen log that he and his sister had used as a jumping point the last time they were here.

The woman sniffled again, black tears falling down her uncomfortably pale face. She reached out for him again, but Toño shuffled backwards, "Uh, Señora? I don't know if you're aware but–you're dead." He said quickly, taking a few more steps away from her, "And I wanna help you! Do you need your last rites? I kinda know 'em, so. Here goes–" Tejas opened his mouth to recite the last rites he'd heard at Old Man Martinez's funeral a couple months ago, but was cut off by the woman.

"Mijo…" She whispered, her voice echoing in his ears, "Mijo, come to Mamá."

Suddenly, he wasn't sure why he was so scared.

It was just his Mamá. Why was he running away from her in the first place? Why was he outside and not in their warm bed together? She must have felt him leave, and come looking for him. Oh, he must have caused her so much stress! How could he have done that to his Mamá? All she ever did was love him and his sister, taking care of them when their no-good, cheating cagada of a Papi left them all alone!

He walked towards her, arms open and waiting to be scooped up in her warm embrace, "Mamá…" He whispered, "I missed you."

Mamá smiled, her pretty features becoming even prettier, "I missed you too, Mijo. I searched everywhere." He threw his arms around her shoulders as she lifted him off the log and into her arms. She was still wet from her dip in the water, but that was okay because soon enough they'd be back home in their bed with his sister, sleeping soundly. He nuzzled his face in the crook of her neck, taking a deep breath of her chocolatey scent.

His Mamá began to walk them back towards the house, humming that same lullaby she always did when he woke up crying from a nightmare. He began to hum along, running his hand through her cold, wet hair. He opened his eyes to play with it like he always does, but the sight of it made him stop. His Mamá had curly hair, even when it was sopping wet, it always had a little curl to it, just like his. Right now though, Mamá's hair was as straight as Nanny Carmen's.

Nanny Carmen? Who was that? He didn't have a Nanny, because Mamá told their dirty, bastard of a Papi that the only woman who would love them right would be her! He looked up at his Mamá's face, her deathly pale features stood out against the warm brown of the skin he remembered. He craned his neck to really look at his Mamá, pulling away from her almost entirely, "Mamá, why do you look different?"

His Mamá stopped walking. She slowly turned her head to look at him, her big black eyes searching his face for something, something he didn't have. Her soft hands dug into his back like claws, her features elongating and narrowing until she looked more like a skeleton than his pretty Mamá. She opened her mouth, full of dark water and black teeth, "You're not my son…"

"Mamá?"

Mamá's grip tightened even more, her bloated, rotting fingers grabbing his face and pulling it from side to side. A look of anguished fury overtook her features, dark tears spilling down her face, "You…lied?"

He shook his head. He was his Mamá's son, even if he looked more like his Papi than her! He promised!

Mamá let out a scream, deafening his ears as she finally drew three bloody scratches down his back, "Mentiroso! Mentiroso! Mentiroso!" She yelled out, shaking him back and forth with every cry. She continued to cry as she took a step towards the river, crying out for sons that weren't him, crying out for siblings he had never met, siblings she loved more than him.

He started crying too. Heartbroken at being abandoned by the only person who loved him. He clung to her, begging her to look at him, to tell him she was just playing a game, to tell him that she was still his Mamá, but all he got was a slap in the face. That made him cry even more, so much that he barely noticed when the icy water of the quiet river began to lap at his feet.

The water rushed up his body, past his legs, above his stomach and to his shoulders. The water was cold and dark and it scared him almost as much as his Mamá leaving him scared him. Her dark eyes glared at him, as cold and unfeeling as the water he was floating in. She leaned close to him, and he thought, for a moment, that she was going to give him a kiss, but she simply whispered out, "This will teach you not to lie."

Then she dunked his head underwater.

It took a few seconds for him to comprehend what was happening. The water was so cold it was almost numbing, and the only thing he could see was the faint outline of his Mamá dark hair. Her fingers held his head down and away from the light of the moon that was just out of reach. He thrashed and kicked, trying to escape from her grip, but all it did was make his chest burn.

His chest, his lungs, they burned. Fizzling along the inside of his ribcage and through the entirety of his body, until even his useless fingers and toes felt it. His heart pounded, harsh and frantic, even as he grew sluggish. His movements slowed, escape now almost impossible to imagine, as his vision grew dark. His eyes began to close, a vaguely familiar feeling of peace coming over him, like when he met a grownup playmate's kids or when Azura sang that one song she only sang when she thought he was asleep.

Azura…

He hoped she wouldn't be too upset about the search party tomorrow.

so i know i usually dont do end notes on here but i wanted to explain death masks in Nahua culture! they are typically used for shamen, nobles, or royalty as a way to help them on their journey to the afterlife. ItzCoyotl (Obsidiean Coyote), who died in the years after Spains conquest of Tenochtitlan, technically does not need one since he died in battle and should have gone to Huitzilopochtl immediatly but i think because he wasnt a warrior and died violently he got lost between that paradise and Tlaloc which is a different paradise for violent deaths (like drowning lol). he also could have been a nobleman when he was alive, who knows certainly not Tex! also tex pronounces coyote as kai-yote not kai-yo-tea! the future american in him is coming out lolllll

thanks for reading!