AUthor's Note: Because I'm lazy, from now on:
White-haired male Alado- Alado Uno
Female Alado- Alado Dos
Black-haired male Alado- Alado Tres
El Tigre: Evolution
"Enough with the weather metaphors already!"
-Frida
Chapter 15
Frida began to run down the streets of Miracle City, searching for Manny. Now that the funeral was over, people were just wandering around aimlessly, unsure of what to do with themselves.
"Frida!" Frida heard the familiar voice and felt the breeze of flapping wings as Antonio landed next to her. A few people looked up at this sight, but had a "so what?" attitude. Antonio quickly matched Frida's stride. "Where is El Tigre? I have something I wish to give him."
Frida shrugged. "You got me. He disappeared from the wake."
Antonio looked puzzled, but suddenly looked as if he felt a twinge of pain.
"Something wrong?" asked Frida.
"I sense…great power…" he said somewhat dramatically. "Someone's summoning…a god! Frida! We have to get to the warehouse, NOW!" he cried. "Grab on!" He grabbed a hold of the blue-haired girl's arm and took off into the sky.
The Prophet moved his hands over the bowl of water, and it began to glow a deep purple.
"Step forth, El Tigre," said the Prophet. "One who has been blessed by the gods. Place your hands into the bowl, and the power of El Dios de los Gatos shall flow into you."
El Tigre stepped up to the bowl. His hands hesitated over it.
"It is for the greater good," the Prophet coaxed. "Man has grown too complacent to rise up against El Santo Oscuro and the Tome of Torment. The gods must return and make things right."
El Tigre sighed. He didn't exactly get the logic, but he didn't care. He was going to kill Luxe and to do that he needed power. Power, and a little less human emotion to get in the way…
He placed his hands in the bowl.
Antonio and Frida burst into the warehouse where the Prophet made his headquarters. Several hooded watchers soon confronted them.
"Let us pass!" Antonio demanded in his imposing voice. "We need to see the Prophet NOW!"
The watchers exchanged nervous glances, until one finally spoke up. "The Prophet wishes not to be disturbed by anyone, even you. He says we must use force…if necessary." They drew their sword and cautiously advanced
"Try and stop us…" Antonio growled.
Frida, who had been busy counting the numerous watchers, looked up. "Yeah, wait, us?"
"Flame on, Frida!" Antonio shouted while creating fire in his own hands.
"Oh! Right!" Blue flame erupted from Frida's palms, and then promptly went out.
"Get mad!" Antonio encouraged. "The flame is emotional!"
"How?"
"Think of them hurting Manny!"
Frida growled with anger and got another spark, but it wasn't enough. "What now?"
Antonio thought for a moment. "Um…imagine they ate the last churro?"
There was an explosion of blue fire, knocking the watchers back several feet.
"NO ONE MESSES WITH MY CHURROS!" Frida roared. When the smoke cleared, most of the watchers were down. "Oops. Too much?"
Antonio smiled. "No. Just enough. And look, you've got your wings."
"Wings?" Frida looked behind her and indeed in two places the back of her shirt was ripped and protruding from each rip was a small bat-like wing. "Whoa!" She concentrated and flapped them, managing to raise herself into the air an inch. She came crashing down on her rear.
"That has to be…the coolest thing EVER!" she cried as she got up, rubbing herself.
"We'll cover that in training," Antonio said quickly. "Right now we have to stop your friend!"
El Tigre found himself in a vast desert with blood-red sand. Green flames swirled around him, taking the shape of a tiger's head. It radiated with energy, energy El Tigre had felt before.
"Ancient tiger spirit?" he asked. "You're El Dios de los Gatos?"
"One and the same," came the reply from all around him. "Why have you come to this plane?"
"To avenge my father!" El Tigre stated coldly.
The mass of flames shook its "head." "I've invested centuries in the Rivera family, young one. I know your father is not the type to approve his son seeking vengeance…at any cost." The god paused, then laughed. "Vendetta is a word I've heard another family use quite often, though. But it's not for you."
El Tigre's ears drooped. "But I need power! Luxe is close to restoring the Tome, and-"
"The Tome? The Tome of Torment?"
"Yeah, if I don't fuse with you, or something like that, El Santo-"
The god hushed El Tigre. "Let me explain something to you, young one…"
Frida and Antonio burst into the Prophet's chamber.
"Prophet!" Antonio boomed. "Stop! This is wrong, and you know it! You're taking advantage of his grief!"
"Yeah!" Frida chipped in. "What he said!"
"He came to me," said the Prophet. "Besides, you are far too late," He gestured to the glowing water-bowl. "The process of fusion has already begun. The gods shall return to the earth once more."
Suddenly, there was a flare of green light, mixed the roar of a tiger, and there stood…El Tigre!
"Is he still…him?" asked Frida.
El Tigre smiled. So did Antonio.
"YES!"
"NO!" cried the Prophet. "You've turned your back on the Cat God?"
"Don't get too broken up about it," said El Tigre. "It was mutual."
"But without the gods…we cannot weather…the gathering storm!" the Prophet lamented.
"Enough with the weather metaphors already!" Frida complained.
"You do not understand." The Prophet growled. "You and your powers must evolve or you will die."
"Man must make his own path. That's what El Dios de los Gatos told me," said El Tigre.
The Prophet began to stammer. "If you don't get power from beyond, you will lose the final battle. I have seen it!"
"We'll find our own way," El Tigre stated.
"He's right," said Antonio.
"I took you in, Antonio," the Prophet seethed. "I taught you to control-"
"And now I'm taking control. Of my own life." Antonio turned to leave, and Frida and El Tigre followed. They were met by a swarm of watchers pouring into the chamber, blocking their way.
"Kill Antonio and the girl!" The Prophet ordered, rising from his seat. "Do not harm the object-wielder!"
Antonio just kept walking, until he was face-to-face with the lead watcher.
"Are you going to stop me?" Antonio asked.
The watcher stared him down. Finally, he said, "No," and stepped aside. The watchers cleared a path for the trio.
The Prophet was furious now. "I told you to stop them! I am the oracle of the gods! To defy me is to defy their will!"
But the watchers did not listen, and one by one, they turned their backs on the Prophet, and followed El Tigre, Frida, and Antonio.
Once out in the fresh air, Antonio turned to El Tigre.
"El Tigre, I am very sorry about what has happened…but I have something I think you should have."
He produced something wrapped in a cloth and handed it to El Tigre.
"I went searching the skies after the explosion," Antonio explained. "and I found these."
El Tigre unwrapped the cloth and gasped. He was looking at the Bronze Boots of Truth, except they were tarnished and cracked. He looked up at Antonio.
"…Thank you."
The Prophet sat in his chamber, alone. All alone. He watched his water-bowl intently.
There came a pounding at the door. The Prophet only looked up when the broke into splinters. Los Alados came strolling in.
"It's taken us quite a while to find you, Prophet," said Alado Uno. "And here we find you all alone. Whatever happened?"
"I think they left him," Alado Dos giggled.
"Let's put him out of his misery then," said Alado Tres as he flashed toward the Prophet and grabbed him. The Prophet sobbed lightly. He looked into the bowl one last time…and smiled.
"Power from beyond…" he whispered.
"What?" asked Alado Tres.
The Prophet looked up, grinning like a madman. "Power from beyond!"
The Alado frowned, and then dunked the Prophet's head underwater, and held it there until the bubbles stopped.
At Casa del Macho, a worried Maria sat on the couch. Manny had disappeared after the funeral. Her heart jumped when the door opened and El Tigre came in. She ran over, had-mad, half-relieved. "Manny! Where have you…?" Then she saw what he was carrying. The Bronze Boots. Only they weren't so bronze anymore. She looked down into her son's eyes, and saw the tears. Tears began to form in her own eyes. El Tigre became Manny again and broke down. Maria's tears started flowing as well. They stood there, holding each other, crying.