My thanks to PamZ. Her transcripts contribute significantly to the creation of this story.

Every word you recognize from the series isn't mine.

The following chapters were inspired by the episode "Water" S1E3.

Chapter 11

As soon as Zorro rode into the cave, Felipe came running up. He took hold of Toronado's reins as Zorro smoothly slid off the saddle. Felipe looked at him expectantly.

Zorro grinned. "The mission was a success. The lancers fell for it hook, line, and sinker. They thought they were being attacked by half the cavalry. The explosion removed the alcalde's blockade, and I suspect that Los Angeles now has an ample water supply again."

Felipe grinned contentedly, glad that once again, he and Zorro had succeeded in helping the people of Los Angeles. He pointed to the sky and made the gesture for rain.

"Yes, I noticed that too. It will start raining soon. The storm glass in the library indicated that the weather was to change. Let's hurry so we can make it to the pueblo in time."

Curious, Felipe asked, "For what?"

"Oh," Zorro had taken off his mask and unbuttoned his shirt. "Now that Zorro has outsmarted the alcalde, I suspect Mendoza will pay the price. Let's make sure his suffering is as short as possible."
Diego quickly continued to change his clothes while Felipe unsaddled and brushed Toronado. Diego went to the stable to get fresh hay and water. When he returned, Felipe was finishing up. Diego filled the horse's drinking trough and said to Felipe, "The sky is clouding over."

About fifteen minutes later, Felipe and Diego entered the pueblo. It was immediately apparent that a group of villagers stood by the fountain, filling their jugs, barrels, and buckets with water. Victoria spotted them and waved until Diego acknowledged her greeting. She shouted, "Don Diego, look, we have water again."

Diego joined her and watched with satisfaction as the people were enthusiastic. "Amazing. It didn't rain, did it? How can there suddenly be water again? Unless" he stroked his moustache thoughtfully, "it's possible that there was a blockade somewhere in the watercourse that was washed away due to the pressure."

"Yes, it was a blockade caused by our beloved alcalde to extort money from people. Corporal Sulpeverda told me that Zorro blew up the dam Ramon ordered them to build."

"A dam? And Zorro destroyed it?" Diego looked pensive. "The alcalde won't be pleased then."

"You can say that again." Victoria pointed to where Sergeant Mendoza stood. "Poor Mendoza has been standing in the scorching sun for almost an hour. Ramon gave him guard duty. As if it's his fault." Victoria fumed. "If the alcalde hadn't taken advantage of the drought to exploit people and impose a tax on a basic necessity, none of this would have happened."

"Fortunately for us, Zorro came to our aid."

Victoria turned to Diego. In a friendly manner, she uttered. "You and your father have done a lot, too."

It was true that on the first day, Ramon had proposed taxing water, he ended up in jail, and a small revolt broke out. Thankfully, his father had prevented the situation from escalating further, and Ramon quickly backed down when his father threatened to inform the governor. Diego looked up at the sky and noticed it wouldn't be long before it was starting to rain. If you listened carefully, you could faintly hear the rumble of thunder in the distance. "Victoria, I think I'll bring Mendoza something to drink. Do you have a glass of water for me?"

"Are you out of your mind? If Ramon sees that, he'll throw you in jail again."

Diego smiled. "A glass of water, por favor,"

Victoria sighed. She picked up a clean glass from a tray on the table and pointed to the fountain. "Go ahead. Don't expect to be walking around freely soon should you end up in jail."

"It'll be fine," Diego reassured her. He calmly walked towards the fountain and filled the glass with water. Then he approached Sergeant Mendoza, who looked on the verge of collapsing from the heat and thirst. He handed Mendoza the glass. Diego waved his hand in front of Mendoza's face to make certain he was still conscious. "I heard about your punishment, sergeant. I brought you some water."

Mendoza was about to succumb to the heat and thirst, and he was grateful to his friend for taking the risk of defying the alcalde's anger and bringing him a glass of water. With a hoarse and barely audible voice, the sergeant managed to stammer, "God bless you, don Diego."

Just as Mendoza lifted the glass to his lips to take a sip of the precious liquid, Ramon stormed out of his office, furious. "Mendoza!"
Ramon approached with large strides. Startled, the sergeant dropped the glass from his hands. "Put that water down!" Ramon angrily turned his attention to Diego and snapped, "So, don Diego, are you now involved in how I run my garrison?"

Diego, as composed as always, replied, "Not at all, alcalde." He patted Mendoza on the shoulder. "Sergeant, don't worry. You'll have all the relieve you need in no time." He turned around and walked away.

Ramon wasn't finished yet and shouted towards don Diego, "I've ordered that there will be no relieve for Mendoza!"

Diego turned back to Ramon. "Even your orders can be overridden by higher authority." He turned around again and continued on his way back to the tavern.

Ramon continued shouting in anger, "There is no higher authority! I am the alcalde!" He raised his right index finger. "I am the highest authority!"

Meanwhile, in the past two minutes, dark clouds had gathered over Los Angeles. It had become significantly darker, and the distant rumble of thunder grew louder. Just as Diego stepped onto the porch, a bolt of lightning illuminated the plaza.

Immediately after, thick raindrops began to fall from the sky for the first time in weeks. With the next bolt of lightning, the heavy drops turned into a downpour. Everyone sought shelter, except Mendoza and Ramon. Ramon seethed with anger because don Diego had openly challenged him and made him look foolish. Sergeant Mendoza spread his arms, and stuck out his tongue, welcoming every drop that hit him. Satisfied, Diego mumbled, "Almost, alcalde. But not so superior."

Victoria had been watching with her mouth agape. How did Diego know that it would rain just at that moment? Everyone had been longing for rain for weeks. Victoria questioned, puzzled by Diego's accurate prediction of the rain despite the clear skies that had persisted for weeks.
"How did you know?"

"How did I know what?"

"That it would rain."

Diego cleared his throat, preparing to shed light on the matter. "I brought a storm glass with me from Spain," he revealed, a glimmer of excitement in his eyes.
Confusion still lingered on Victoria's face, prompting Diego to provide a more detailed explanation. "You see, a storm glass is a device that measures changes in air pressure by creating a vacuum environment. It has the ability to anticipate the approach of a storm or rainfall."
Victoria regarded Diego with scepticism, finding the concept difficult to grasp. The idea of a glass predicting the weather seemed peculiar to her.
"Perhaps when you visit next time, I can show you the storm glass and provide a more thorough explanation," Diego offered patiently. "But for now, let's seek shelter inside your tavern. I think it will soon be filled with people seeking refuge from the impending storm."

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What had seemed to be a hot and quiet day, with everyone worried about one thing - how to get water - suddenly turned into a spontaneous fiesta. The rain that everyone had been hoping and praying for continued for hours. The plaza turned into a muddy mess, but no one cared. Everyone celebrated the end of the weeks-long drought that had caused concerns for crops and animals.

Don Carlos was so happy that he bought several rounds of drinks for everyone present. Someone had brought a guitar and played cheerful melodies as the wine flowed freely.

"Let's celebrate, son." Don Alejandro sat down at the table where his son was sitting.
"We've gone through the worst. Carrying water by hand for the animals while the crops withered in the fields is every farmer's, rancher's, and vaquero's worst nightmare."

Diego nodded and took a sip of his drink. Several acquaintances of don Alejandro approached the table to talk to his father and tell him how glad they were that the long-awaited rain had finally come. Many seemed already to have forgotten that the alcalde had imposed a water tax and deliberately blocked the water supply to Los Angeles.
Even the lancers joined in the festivities of the townspeople. With their meagre salary, they rarely had the opportunity to let loose. Many other patrons offered rounds, and the lancers thoroughly enjoyed the free drinks provided to them.

Diego stood up and walked to the bar, where Victoria was busy filling glasses so that her assistants could take the orders to the tables. He placed his glass on the bar, and Victoria grabbed a jug of juice to refill it.
"The celebration of the end of the drought is rather wet," Diego remarked.

Victoria laughed. "People have had little opportunity to enjoy life in the past months. It is not just about the end of the drought, but also about their hope for a better future."

Diego raised his eyebrows inquisitively.

"Zorro, of course. Some act as if they still don't dare to trust Zorro, but deep down, all hope he can bring the much-needed change. And so far, he's not doing too bad."

"Where do you stand when it comes to Zorro?" Diego wanted to know.

Victoria looked him straight in the eyes. If she were completely honest, she have to admit that she was impressed with the masked man. Despite his face being almost completely covered, she was convinced he was handsome. Zorro was an impressive figure that made many women's hearts, including hers, beat faster. Deep down, she felt the urge to capture Zorro's attention and make her admiration more evident. At the same time, she couldn't deny that she liked Diego and had been feeling butterflies in her stomach since his return from Spain, every time she saw him.
Victoria grabbed a cloth and started to clean the bar, mainly to avoid looking at Diego.
Casually, she replied, "Ah, I hope he knows what he's doing."

"Why?" Diego asked.

"Why?Zorro keeps on challenging the alcalde over and over. Ramon is furious that his plans are constantly thwarted. Someday Zorro will get the short straw and then Ramon will surely hang him. I doubt Zorro realizes that if that happens, Ramon will take merciless revenge on everyone who supported Zorro. Especially your father is in danger. Your father has always resisted Ramon's policies. And now that he openly supports Zorro..., It only takes this." Victoria snapped her fingers. "Or everyone may wish they had never heard of Zorro."

"Then he'll have to catch the man first. From what I've seen, Zorro is a skilled swordsman."

"Really," Victoria sighed. "You men are all the same. Give a guy a sword, and he thinks he conquer on the whole world. How can one man stand against an entire garrison of soldiers? It only takes one bullet to hit its mark, and Zorro becomes history."

Diego laughed. "The soldiers in Los Angeles can hardly be called snipers."

Victoria looked at him venomously. "A few years ago, rebels were in Los Angeles. They thought they could bring about change by challenging the alcalde and fighting soldiers with rusty guns and blunt swords. They relied on the support of the people. They were so scared that they did nothing and let it happen. The few men who survived convinced my father and brothers to join them. My father is dead, and the last I heard of my brothers is that they were in Venezuela. My mother got sentenced to death for trying to help an injured man. Those rebels were in their dozens, but they couldn't change anything. Zorro is alone. So sorry if I don't believe that Zorro is the answer to all our problems. I think, if we want change, we must be willing to fight for it ourselves."
Victoria grabbed a bottle of wine from the table and walked away.

Diego had noticed tears glisten in her eyes when Victoria mentioned her mother. Diego had not been in Spain for a month when he received a letter from his father stating that a rebellion had broken out in California and that the rebels had also come to Los Angeles. He wanted to return immediately, but unfortunately, due to the winter in the Southern Hemisphere, there would be no ships sailing to America for four months.
There had been a few ships on their way from America to Spain. They brought news, including a new letter from his father stating that a new alcalde had got appointed and that his father had great confidence in better times. The new alcalde was named Luis Ramon, and at that moment, no one could have suspected that Ramon would become a nightmare for Los Angeles.

Victoria returned to the bar and saw Diego still standing there. "Sorry for my fierce reaction earlier on. I hope, like everyone else, Zorro will help us and succeed in keeping the alcalde in check. I'm afraid of what will happen to us should he fail."

Someone placed a glass on the bar next to Diego. "SeƱorita Escalante, drinks for everyone." Don Carlos spoke with a slurred voice, clearly having enjoyed the party a bit too much.

Don Alejandro approached them and placed a hand on don Carlos's shoulder. "Carlos, my friend, I think it's best if you go home."

"Alejandro, have another drink. We have something to celebrate."

Patiently, Alejandro tried to take don Carlos with him again. "Come on. Let's get you home."

"Just one more," Don Carlos pleaded in a begging tone.

"Better not. Trust me, Carlos, you'll thank me tomorrow."

Victoria said, "And I'm already grateful, don Alejandro. Besides, it's almost closing time. I have to close in fifteen minutes, or I'll get fined by the alcalde."

"Indeed. Come, Carlos, the tavern is closing. I'll take you home in my carriage."

"No need. I can still ride perfectly fine. I'm the best rider in all of Los Angeles." Don Carlos raised his glass to make a toast. As he raised his arm, he lost his balance and fell to the ground next to the bar.

Diego and Alejandro helped the man up with combined efforts. "Come on, Diego, help us get him home."

Don Carlos looked at Diego and cried, "Zorro!" It was so loud that everyone in the tavern must have heard it.
Diego turned pale. Was he being unmasked by a drunkard?
"You bear a striking resemblance to him,"

Don Alejandro uttered, giving don Carlos better support. "Now I'm certain you've had too much to drink. Hey, Diego, you help me get him outside. What has got into you? Don't just stand there."

Diego stood still like he was frozen, waiting for someone to realize that don Carlos might be right. But it didn't happen. Those still in the tavern continued as if nothing had happened.

Don Alejandro burst into laughter. "Don't worry about it, son. Carlos is a good man, but when he gets drunk, he just babbles nonsense." Alejandro chuckled at an old memory. "Last time, he thought Victoria resembled sergeant Mendoza. Trust me. She didn't appreciate that at all."

Victoria sniffed haughtily. "And rightly so, I think."

Diego grabbed don Carlos by the armpit, and together with his father, they walked toward the door. Felipe saw them coming out and rushed over to help Diego and Alejandro safely guide Don Carlos down the small steps from the porch to the plaza. The three of them helped don Carlos onto one of the benches of the de la Vega carriage. Don Carlos looked at Felipe, pointed at him, and stuttered, "Hey, you wear a mask just like Zorro!"

"See," Don Alejandro responded, "As soon as Carlos has had too much to drink, he starts seeing things that aren't there. Come, Felipe, let's take him home. Diego, help Victoria with closing up. There might be more guests who need some persuasion to understand that the party is truly over."

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I have not received any feedback yet on whether my new translation method is better or worse than the one I used before. Since English is not my first language, it is difficult for me to compare the two methods. The new method, however, takes me less time to translate. So until I hear otherwise, I will assume that this is a good alternative and continue using this method.