Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, mean no copyright infringements, make no money and only write for fun, but the ideas are mine and I do not agree to anyone copying them or the story.

My big Thank You! to my Beta, La Cuidadora for her help correcting the story.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Ignacio de Soto was wearing his best uniform that day and had dedicated the entire morning to instructing his lancers since he was expecting an official visit from the Governor. The official wanted to clarify several issues related to the death of the Royal Emissary and, for some reason, he had chosen December 31st to do so, probably not wanting to enter the new year with any unresolved problems pending.

Satisfied with his results, as he heard the church's bell announcing midday, Ignacio headed for the tavern, hoping for a decent lunch. On the way he saw the three De la Vegas – including Felipe, whom Diego had recently adopted – enter the pueblo, heading the same way. He frowned and hurried his pace.

Unnoticed to the people already mentioned, another person also entered the pueblo just minutes later. It was a blind gypsy woman, riding a donkey, her hair black and her eyes light blue. She let her mount decide their destination, and, whether he had noticed the horses tethered there or he had smelled Victoria's food, the animal also headed for the tavern.

The woman dismounted when the donkey stopped, and the taverness, who noticed her as she was taking food to some clients on the terrace, kindly helped her to a table inside her establishment.

It was not long until the taproom started filling up with its regulars, including most of the lancers. Victoria brought the gypsy a plate of enchiladas and some juice, then started going around taking orders from her other patrons.

The woman ate slowly and listened to the conversations around her. A few men were discussing the women they were courting; some were talking about neighbors, family members or a fox; two women were complimenting each other; a man others referred to as 'Alcalde' was complaining to a Corporal, also mentioning some fox; another was rambling about his son's seeming stubbornness to remain a bachelor, while the younger man tried to argue that he would only marry when finding the right woman for him; another was saying he was good enough a swordsman to defeat even a legendary fox.

The gypsy briefly wondered why everyone there was obsessed with foxes, then went on eavesdropping on the conversations around her.

Two men were quarreling about a horse, both saying it belonged to them; a woman was teasing the one who had helped her to the table about her feelings towards probably the same fox others were obsessed with; and yet another man was boasting about having single–handedly captured several bandits a day before while a fox watched from the sidelines.

When she couldn't take it anymore, the woman stood up and shouted "Liars!"

All conversations stopped at that moment and everyone in the tavern looked at her in surprise.

"You are all liars!" She continued. "I have had enough. From now until midnight" she uttered, "all the people of this pueblo will be compelled to only tell the truth!"

As she said that, she left a few coins on the table and exited, people still staring after her as she mounted her donkey and disappeared from their sight.

"So, where was I?" Mendoza asked as soon as she was gone and everyone stopped chuckling at the obviously crazy woman. "Yes… I was saying how Zorro stopped and admired my skills with the sword as I took out the last three bandits. But, of course, that is not true since it was the other way around." He stopped just as he finished that phrase, and the people stared at him, as he also gazed back at his puzzled audience. "No, I mean… I was saved by Zorro… Again!" He expelled the words almost as if they weren't his.

The De la Vegas, as well as several other patrons turned to stare at him. Mendoza smiled embarrassed.

"You are right! He's yours!" One of the two men arguing about the horse stated. "You are the one who brought him back to health. I wanted to shoot him when he fell ill. You have every right to keep him."

"Concluding, had it not been for Zorro most people here, us included, would be dead. I for one only want to capture him because I am curious to know who he is." De Soto told the increasingly dumbfounded Sepulveda.

"Truth is I'm so bad with the sword that even Mendoza would defeat me." A young don stated to his audience's amazement.

"Diego…" Don Alejandro uttered as the three of them were eavesdropping on the conversations around them, then noticed that Victoria had neared their table, a strange look on her face. "What is it, my dear?" He asked.

"I'm worried!" Victoria answered.

"About what?" Diego inquired.

"This truth curse! What if it will make me admit that I'm in love with you?" She told the young don, surprising and horrifying herself at her bluntness.

"You are what?" Don Alejandro hurriedly asked.

Diego was about to open his mouth, but realized in the nick of time that the only words on his tongue were "I am Zorro." Fearing that the words would burst out if he tried to say something, and there would be no turning back once the entire tavern had heard them, he stood up and left in a hurry.

Victoria felt offended as tears gathered in her eyes; Don Alejandro watched him leave feeling his temper rising, while Felipe looked confused and decided to follow his adoptive father.

"I'm sorry, Victoria. I don't know what's wrong with him." Don Alejandro stated after they left. "You really love my son?"

"I do!" She confessed.

"You don't say!" De Soto mused and she realized that the entire tavern had heard her. "So, the woman who professes being in love with Zorro is, in fact, in love with Don Diego, not with our masked hero! I mean" outlaw, De Soto tried to say. "Hero." Came out. Outlaw. He tried again. "Hero," was, once more, the word he repeated.

"I do love Zorro! Just as much as I love Diego. I am even engaged to him!" She uttered, further confusing everyone. "Oh, no! I shouldn't have told you that. It is a secret. He told me so when he took me to his cave and gave me the engagement ring." She confessed. At the moment the words were out she looked horrified, then rapidly covered her mouth with one of her hands, turning to run away.

"Stop her!" De Soto asked his lancers and two men obeyed his order.

"I spent all the money on tequila. That is why I cannot pay back what you lent me!" A man informed another.

"I hate your dress! I only said I liked it because I hoped Juan saw you in it and stopped liking you!" A woman told her friend.

Several quarrels ensued as people seemed incapable to either lie anymore, or to stop telling each other things they barely even knew they were keeping inside themselves.

"Enough! I have more important things to do than listen to you squabble." De Soto shouted, silencing everyone and focusing his attention on Victoria. "Senorita Escalante, considering you are engaged, you must know who Zorro is, don't you?"

"I don't!" She replied, for once happy about that particular truth. "He never unmasked to me."

"What? You accepted his marriage proposal without knowing his true identity?"

"It's true." She replied.

"But you must know where his hideout is!"

"I don't. I was unconscious both when he took me there and when we left." She told him.

De Soto was not about to give up. "Don Alejandro, you are his biggest supporter. You must know!" He insisted.

"I don't, Alcalde! And if I did, I'd rather cut off my tongue than tell you."

"Sergeant, do you know?" He asked, even if he knew it was useless.

"I don't know, Alcalde, but I certainly wouldn't tell you if I did!"

"Really? And why is that, Sergeant?"

"You almost had me executed once! And you left me to be cooked in oil like an empanada! Zorro was always there to save me, so he deserves my loyalty more than you." He uttered, covering his mouth with both hands when he finished.

De Soto frowned and looked around at their baffled audience. "Who else here believes Zorro deserves your loyalty more than I do, raise your hands!" He asked mainly his men, as he involuntarily raised his own hand, just like everyone else in the tavern, all his lancers included.

This is not working as I had hoped it would. De Soto realized, forcing his hand down as soon as he saw it was up. "Does anyone here know who Zorro is?" He asked out loud. Everyone shook their heads, then started quarreling again.

"Relax, people! Relax!" The Alcalde tried to stop them. "If you don't calm down, the situation will soon be out of control, and when the Governor arrives we will all be in deep tamale sauce. Especially me!"

That did not help, either, as many took the opportunity to inform the Alcalde that they had a very low opinion of him, comparing him to a hyena to better explain how they perceived him.

"Sergeant," De Soto asked, realizing the situation was extremely problematic, and the clock was ticking. "how long till the Governor is supposed to get here?"

"About two hours, Alcalde!" Mendoza replied.

"Alright. Send four patrols, each formed by two lancers, in search of that woman who cursed us. They are to bring her here, and force her to lift whatever spell she used. And get them to hurry! I want her back in one hour at the most!"

The lancers left as the quarrelling continued in the pueblo. They all returned empty-handed within the following hour and a half, all disheveled, with their uniforms half-torn as they had discovered more truths about each other than they had bargained for.

"This is the worst thing that could have happened!" De Soto lamented, resting his head in his hands as most of the people around him were in even worse shape than the lancers after the quarrels had degenerated. "What am I going to do?"

"There must be something…"Mendoza replied. "I don't like you much, but I don't want to be responsible for your execution as it is sure to happen if I tell everything I know to the Governor!" Mendoza said.

"Thank you, Sergeant!" De Soto replied sarcastically.

"I have an idea!" Sepulveda told them. "We should all get drunk!" The Alcalde and the Sergeant looked at him as if he had lost his mind. "Think about it! If people lie when they are awake, and we all know they always tell the truth when drunk, the opposite may apply to our current situation."

They pondered the idea for a few moments, then De Soto stood up. "Senorita!" He called for Victoria, who was sobbing in Don Alejandro's arms, because Diego didn't love her. "All the tequila and the brandy you have, and glasses for everyone!" He ordered as he stood up and explained Sepulveda's idea. "I will pay for everything, but then I will create a new tax to get my money back!" He then informed them. The people became quite reluctant after that last statement. "You are all hereby ordered to start drinking, or I will have you executed!" De Soto eventually threatened. Nobody doubted he was telling the truth.

Half an hour later, as the Governor arrived, De Soto, his lancers and most of the other people there to greet him were not only bruised and disheveled, but also completely drunk, the Alcalde having insisted that they hurry to finish all the bottles in the shortest amount of time possible.

ZZZ

Meanwhile, Felipe found Diego pacing the office of The Guardian.

"Ask me something!" The caballero instructed his son when he got there.

The younger man gestured asking why he had left the tavern like that.

"Because I was about to confess to everyone that I am Zorro." He replied. "That is not what I was trying to say. Good God! This is bad."

Felipe looked worried.

"I need to find a way around this or we are all doomed!" Diego muttered, pensively.

ZZZ

"Welcome to Los Angeles, Exaaalency!" De Soto greeted the Governor, patting himself on his drunk back for a job well done.

"De Soto? Why in the world do you smell like a distillery?" The official asked as there was no mistaking the pungent smell of alcohol in his breath.

"Because… I am drunk, Your Exlary!" He answered with a chuckle. "We all are!" He then indicated to his men and the rest of the people there, none of them fully able to stand unless leaning onto something.

"I can see that!" The man uttered with a frown. "What I don't see is why you all felt it was a good idea to get drunk the day of my visit!"

"Because we've just been cursed to only tell the truth,… and we thought… someone thought… we could lie if we got druuuuunk." He answered with a hiccup. "It didn't work." He then added with a chuckle.

The official looked at them as if he had stumbled into crazy town and almost doubted his decision to come that day. A few minutes later, he followed a staggering Alcalde to his office. The discussion which followed was the most enlightening the Governor had ever had in his entire life, even if De Soto only managed to correctly enunciate about half of the words he spoke.

ZZZ

Don Alejandro and Victoria started looking for the younger De la Vegas as soon as De Soto left with the Governor. Unlike the other people in the pueblo, who had done as De Soto had asked and drunk all the alcohol they could, the old don only pretended to be drinking and believed Victoria had done the same.

"Where in the world is my son?" Don Alejandro asked after failing to find Diego at The Guardian's office.

"He hides because he doesn't love me!" Victoria said as she started crying again. "How can he love me when he loves that other woman?"

"What woman?" Don Alejandro asked her.

"The one in love with another man! Why does he love her and not me?"

"You're also in love with another man!" Don Alejandro remarked as he realized that Victoria had not been following his example and was, in fact, almost as drunk as everyone else.

"Maybe we're all in love with each other. Diego's in love with her, she could be in love with Zorro, Zorro is in love with me, and I'm in love with Diego!" She philosophized.

Hoping some coffee might help her return to her senses, Don Alejandro dragged Victoria to the tavern. As they walked through the curtains separating the taproom from the kitchen, though, they found Mendoza smooching with Victoria's helper, Pilar, both lost in the passion of their kiss. Don Alejandro and Victoria froze at seeing them and remained there, just looking dumbfounded.

"I'm so glad I finally told you I'm in love with you, Sergeant Mendoza!" Pilar said as the odd pair parted.

"Jaime. You can call me Sergeant Jaime!" He replied just before they started kissing again.

Don Alejandro and Victoria glanced at each other, and silently walked back to the taproom.

Half an hour later, having decided they needed to get away from the pueblo, Maria, the De la Vega cook, was mumbling about how she believed Victoria should come to her senses and marry Diego, while the younger woman was already asleep in one of the hacienda's guestrooms.

Just a few minutes earlier, one of the Governor's lancers had come to inform Don Alejandro that the official had requested his presence at Don Emilio's hacienda, and the don was already on his way.

ZZZ

De Soto woke up in his chair a little after nine in the evening, with no memory of what had happened after his second bottle of brandy. He did, however, remember that everyone was cursed to tell the truth, so he smiled mischievously as a new plan to catch Zorro took shape in his mind, then frowned at remembering the Governor was due for a visit.

"Mendoza!" He called.

"Si, Alcalde!"

"Where is the Governor?"

"He left earlier, I think!" The Sergeant uttered. "I was busy kissing Pilar on the porch at the time, but I remember seeing him get into his coach."

"Pilar? Oh, I don't care. Did he say something?"

"He did, but I was rather drunk and otherwise engaged, so I don't know what it was. He did smile, though." The man answered.

The Alcalde decided that the visit had most probably gone well.

ZZZ

Less than an hour later, the prison wagon arrived in the pueblo, Victoria in it, her hands clenching the bars. The lancers were working on erecting the gallows in the plaza, bickering about having to do that on New Year's Eve instead of celebrating, and complaining about their commander.

"What is the meaning of this, Alcalde?" The taverness asked as the lancers helped her out of the wagon.

"You are Zorro's fiancée, so I am placing you under arrest. You will be executed at midnight, unless he comes and tells me who he is!" De Soto warned. "I really hope he comes, though. I enjoy your cooking."

ZZZ

"Patron!" Don Alejandro heard Maria's voice as he returned home about the same time Victoria was being escorted to the jail.

"What is it?" He wondered.

"It's Senorita Victoria! The lancers came and arrested her an hour ago, and Juan came from the pueblo with news that the Alcalde is planning to execute her unless Zorro shows up and tells him who he is before midnight."

"If he raises a hand on her I will make him sorry he was born!" The Don stated as he hurriedly mounted again and headed, full speed, towards the pueblo.

ZZZ

A few minutes later Victoria was pacing the cell, part of her hoping Zorro would come, and the other dreading the idea of seeing him.

About the same time she heard the lancers inform the Alcalde that everything was ready for the execution, but they really didn't want to carry out his order, she also heard a noise in the courtyard.

"Zorro!" She exclaimed, heading towards him.

He asked her to move away from the window, then lighted a fuse. Seconds later, a small and rather silent explosion followed. He then easily pushed the bars inside, reaching to grab her hand and help her out, before quietly leading her through the back alleys to the tavern.

Her escape was discovered and lancers were sent searching for her just as Don Alejandro entered the pueblo.

ZZZ

"I need to tell you something, before you find out from someone else." Victoria uttered, as she and Zorro were safely inside her already-closed establishment, nobody even thinking of looking for them in the most obvious of places. "I love you… but I also love Diego! I confessed that today, and the entire pueblo must know by now!" At that point she started sobbing, certain he was moments away from asking for the ring back.

"I'm so happy you feel that way!" He surprised her by stating as he leaned down and kissed her.

Victoria watched him with wide eyes, unable to understand him, as someone else suddenly materialized right behind her.

"Felipe!" Zorro uttered as he recognized his son. "What is it?"

The younger man looked doubtful for a few moments as he noticed Victoria, but then started signaling.

"I need to go!" Zorro stated as he left Victoria with his son and made his way out the upper kitchen window.

Felipe remained pensive a few moments, then started signaling to Victoria.

ZZZ

Having missed his opportunity to use the taverness against his nemesis, De Soto had arrested Don Alejandro, whom the lancers had already escorted to the gallows, placing a noose around his neck.

"My terms remain, Zorro!" De Soto shouted, looking expectantly at the nearby roofs and hoping Zorro was still in the pueblo.

"I am here, Alcalde!" His archenemy said, entering the plaza mounted on Tornado. "Release Don Alejandro!"

"I will, but only as soon as you tell me who you are!"

"I am Zorro."

"No! I mean your name. What is your real name?"

Right then the bell of the church rang, announcing midnight and the arrival of a new year.

"Noooooooooooo!" De Soto shouted as that happened. "Tell me who you really are!" He ordered as soon as the bell stopped ringing and he could, once more, hear his own voice.

"I am Diego de la Vega." Zorro found himself compelled to reply.

The plaza went completely silent for a whole minute as everyone stared at their hero.

"Damn you, Zorro! Now that's past midnight you can lie. But you are wrong if you think that I am stupid enough to believe you are Don Diego! Surely you heard that Senorita Escalante loves him so you want to rid yourself of your rival!"

"Believe what you want, Alcalde!" Zorro replied seriously.

While that conversation was going on and everyone in the plaza only paid attention to the two of them, Felipe snuck behind Don Alejandro, untied his hands and helped him escape before anyone noticed his absence.

"Oh, I knew this plan won't work, either!" De Soto stated. "Lancers, shoot him!"

As the men were pointing their muskets, Zorro turned Tornado and made his exit, the bullets not even coming close to hitting him.

De Soto locked himself in his office and drank another bottle of brandy, falling asleep soon after.

ZZZ

Zorro caught up with Felipe, Victoria and his father, as they were midway towards the hacienda.

"That was lucky!" He remarked.

"Lucky? I wanted to strangle you when you said you were my son! What's wrong with you? De Soto could have believed that!" Don Alejandro uttered, wondering at his own candor.

"That's what was lucky. That he didn't. And I always thought you'd be proud to know I was your son!" Zorro replied looking questioningly at Felipe.

"Hah?" Don Alejandro asked.

"It's not midnight yet, is it?" Zorro asked his son.

"Felipe came up with the idea to pull the bell's string earlier." Victoria answered with a chuckle. "You really are Diego?"

"Yes." Zorro admitted.

"What? Impossible!" Don Alejandro remarked.

"I think I should ride ahead." Zorro uttered and stirred Tornado to a gallop.

"Wait! Do you really love and want to marry me?" Victoria shouted after him.

He stopped the stallion and turned towards her. "More than anything!" He answered with a smile, then returned to galloping towards the cave.

ZZZ

Epilogue

The next day found Victoria sleeping in the De la Vega library, in Diego's arms, while Don Alejandro and Felipe were comfortably dozing off in two armchairs next to them.

De Soto was awakened by the sound of lancers shackling him. It took the former Alcalde a while to understand what was happening and he was in the prison wagon by that point, the Governor informing the people of the pueblo that he had decided that Don Alejandro de la Vega was to take over the office. He also announced a pardon for Zorro, just before De Soto's prison wagon started moving towards the port of San Pedro. Ignacio never believed Zorro was his former schoolmate.

Diego and Victoria, as well as Sergeant Mendoza and Pilar and several other couples were married on the very first day of the New Year, the previous day having brought about more revelations than anyone had expected.

On the following New Year's Eve, the De la Vegas celebrated the birth of the couple's first child, a boy they named Alejandro.

The gypsy woman never returned to the pueblo, nor did anyone else ever see her again, yet tales of her curse, which turned out to be a blessing, were told in Los Angeles for many years to come.