Alejandro considered his son thoughtfully and shook his head slowly.

"I don't like your interest in this, Diego."

"My safety is at stake. I need to know things so that I can rest easy that we are all safe. I am less likely to interfere with this problem if I know who is involved and trust that it is under control."

"That makes sense, I suppose."

"Of course it makes sense."

Alejandro took a deep breath, and his eyes drifted away from Diego, staring into space as if looking into history.

"I told you about your uncle, didn't I?"

"Avenging Alonzo's caused a reunion between you and your team, and the idea almost killed you. I don't think I'd forget that."

"Yes. Although my life was never at risk. We may be older and not in constant training but we have a lot more experience than you. Together we have more experience than Zorro, probably."

"Is there more to Alonzo's life that has something to do with this problem?"

"In a way, yes. In other ways no."

"Father you are not communicating anything new. Keep it to yourself if you must, but don't expect me to not want to get involved."

Diego rose to his feet, feeling that his growing anger was slightly unjust, seeing that he had kept a lot of secrets from his father. He knew his father had the right to his secrets, but it didn't stop him worrying.

"Diego, wait. I am trying to tell you."

Diego glanced at his father, and his expression softened. He sat down again and tried to be patient.

"You don't know much about our family, do you?"

"I haven't had a chance to know about them. Was Alonzo your only brother?"

"Alonzo was not my only brother. I also had two sisters. I have another brother, a lot younger than me. We have lost contact. We had an argument that neither of us could forgive, but it was years ago. Maybe with maturity, we can now. We were both in the military. He could even be dead, killed in action. He could be still in Spain."

"A friend? You said a friend."

"Sebastian was my best friend at one stage in my life. He is an old friend. He is also a brother. If he is still alive."

"How can we find out?"

"I can find out easily enough. You have to stay out of this. Promise me you will."

"I can't promise anything of the kind. I can agree to leave it to the experts, but I will not promise not to get involved if necessary. I don't want to have to break a promise."

Alejandro gave a half-hearted smile. "I told you...you don't need to prove yourself to me. I know you stand with me. Words can be more powerful than a sword. Someday words will win the day just like Zorro's sword."

"I love you, you're my father. I want you to be safe as well. How can you expect me not to? Do you see me as so weak that I would run away? Why would I?" Diego said. He looked down, turning his head sharply, wondering why he had said that. The words had slipped out, along with a long-hidden bitterness. He didn't feel bitter, but he was.

Alejandro stared at his son with more awareness than he had in years. Hadn't Diego run away at times? He was certainly not around all the time when he could have been needed. He sounded hurt and offended as if he had always been standing beside him, and had been ignored. It had been a strange thing to say, but his son had not been the same since Gilberto had been killed in front of him.

"I'm sorry," Diego said, shaking his head slowly. "I really am. If you'll excuse me…"

This time Diego made sure he left the table before his father could find the words to ask any questions that might be harder to answer than he would like. By the time Alejandro had gathered his thoughts well enough to think to follow him, he had entered the coolness of the hidden cave. Alejandro's concerned search for his son would be fruitless.

Zzz

"This is a big mess, Felipe, and it's getting bigger by the moment. I want to put all this behind me and start again," Diego said, gesturing to the collection that filled the cave. "I'm sick and tired of being sidelined in important matters. Zorro would never be."

Felipe's eyes widened. He traced a "Z" in the air, and then a line across his throat.

"Yes, maybe he is dead. Maybe he should stay that way."

Felipe shook his head hard, and touched Diego's arm gently.

"The teasing is friendly enough, but it's still teasing. There are still people who think I can't even ride safely. Not just with a concussion. Always."

Felipe made a few more signs with a frown, and a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, I know. I made them think that way. And it was for a good reason, at the time. I want to be respected, just like anyone else. Just not as Zorro, as me. And for my father to have a son he can respect and be proud of without thinking too hard about it. A son like Gilberto could have been, a son I could be. If Zorro stays dead under the rubble in that canyon."

Felipe made the sign that meant Victoria, and Diego sighed. Victoria. What would he do about Victoria? What could he say to her? Did he have to tell her the truth? Would it just make her angry and hate him? Or was it an idea just to soothe his hurt pride? Maybe it was selfish to tell her? Maybe it was selfish not to.

He stared at the black suit hanging at arm's length from him on its stand. Like a museum piece, like a weapon of old. Sometimes it had called to him in the past, as a solace for hurt pride, a drive to action. Like a magic sword in a fairytale. It was silent now, just a relic waiting to be forgotten.

Toranado snorted, and glanced over at him. Felipe had been in charge of exercising the stallion for all the months that Zorro had rested, and the teenager was strong enough now to be in full control. Diego stared at the horse, as if sharing the horse's need for a solid gallop for miles. Something Felipe had not dared to do so far, frightened that if he gave the horse his head he would never regain control.

Toranado missed his true rider. His true rider wondered if he missed the excitement of Zorro's ride, or if the excitement was dead for good. Maybe he had finally grown up.