Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“I may not be the town hero María, but I swear with all my heart. I will never ever stop loving you,”he says as he kneels in front of her looking into her big eyes. 

“And I will never stop loving the man who plays from the heart,” she says as she kneels with him. They start to lean towards each other. María notices before him. 

“Snake!” she yells as she shoves him away. The snake bites her. 

“No!” he yells as he hears the pained cry escape her. 

“María!” he runs towards her as she falls. 

“No.” he whispers as he catches her limp form in his arms. His yell echoes over San Angel. 

After the harsh words from General Posada and Joaquín. Manolo returns to the tree to retrieve his guitar, silently wishing for the snake to come back and take him too. 

“I will never see her again,” he says as he falls to his knees in front of his guitar.

“Are you certain?” comes a voice from behind him. Manolo turns around facing the man. “Do you want to see María again?” the old man continues. 

“With all my heart,” he says mournfully while looking away.

“Think about what you say boy.” says a new voice. The old man is gone, and in his place a big, winged man stands. Manolo looks down to his guitar and the words María engraved in it. “With all my heart,” he says, certain of his choice. 

“Done” the winged man says. With a snap of his fingers the snake appears. Manolo yells in surprise and falls backwards. That snake! It has two heads! Just like- He hisses in pain as both heads of the snake bites him and everything goes black.

Manolo wakes with a start. Memories flooding his mind. Not his memories, someone else's. He has to lean against the nearby tree as the wave of memories slowly stops. His eyes widen. The snake! It looked just like Lord Mictlan! He clutches his head. How is he here? Alive? Last he remembered he was the moon dancing with his sun in the sky? 

“Get it together Zatz. No, Manolo. Get it together Manolo,” he says to himself.

He finally turns around and is in awe. The Land of The Remembered! It is so much brighter and joyful than the underworld. A skeleton man on a skeleton horse jumps off a hot air balloon and onto the platform he stands on. 

“Welcome to The Land of The Remembered!” He greets Manolo with glee. 

Manolo looks down on his boney hands, “I made it,” he smiles. 

“And on the Day of the Dead no less” the man says. María! 

“Where-” he starts before the man cuts him off. “You’re going to be a little disoriented at first. Don’t try to take it all in at once. Let’s start with your name.” 

“María Posada!” he says before realizing. 

“ Really? Parents and their crazy baby names.” mutters the man as he searches his list. “And there is no María Posada on my list.” he says as he faces Manolo again. 

“No! No. I’m looking for María Posada. My name is Manolo Sánches,” he explains to the man. 

The man on the horse gasps, “Another Sánches! Man, that family just keeps growing.” 

“My family! They’ll help me find María! Can you take me to them?” asks Manolo. 

“I would love nothing more than to reunite a young couple!” Manolo grabs the man's extended arm and sits behind him on the skeleton horse. 

“Just hold o-,” his sentence gets cut off by his own screaming. Manolo just laughs with joy as the horse runs towards the ground. 

After reuniting with his family, they all enter La Muerte's castle together. Manolo stands in the front. 

He kneels as he speaks towards the back of the throne, “My Lady, could you help me find María Posada?” 

“No one here can help you bullfighter,” a voice, that is clearly not La Muerte’s, says. The throne turns around to reveal a familiar face. 

“You again?” Manolo mutters as the winged man burps loudly. 

“This land is finally mine, all thanks to you Manolo.” he says with glee. 

“What?” 

“La Muerte bet that María would marry you, and I bet that she’d marry Joaquín. And since you’re not around anymore, she’ll marry Joaquín to protect her beloved town,” he explains. “So I win.” 

“No, but María passed away. I saw her!” Manolo insists. 

“One snake bite merely put her in a trance, one that my champion easily woke her from,” smiles the god. 

“Oh no,” whispers Manolo as he falls to his knees, realizing. “She’s alive.”

The thought of María marrying someone else made him feel uneasy. Maya can’t marry a stranger! No, María is going to marry Joaquín, his best friend since they were kids, not a stranger. But, María is the love of his life, she can’t marry someone else. 

“One bite. Your snake! It bit me twice!” he yelled at the winged god. His blood was boiling. How dare he take her away from him! “You cheated! You will pay for this!”

Xibalba jumped onto the table clearly angry about the threat from the bullfighter. 

“In all my years no one in any realm has talked to me like that and survived,” he said calmly as he made his way over the table. “So I ask you, are you threatening me boy?”

Manolo points a finger to the gods face, “I will expose you to La Muerte, and then you and me can settle things!” he yells in his face. Zatz growing up around wicked gods made him brave enough to stand up to this one. He doesn’t see a god, just the villain that took María away from him. 

“You won’t get to La Muerte in her new realm, I would know I rotted there for eons,” says the god before throwing him across the room. “But if you’ll excuse me, I have a wedding to plan”

He takes off to the sky with a laugh.

Manolo dreaded the journey before him. The journey to The Land of The Forgotten, or as he knew it, The Underworld, the place where Zatz grew up.

After facing the trials of the stone guardian, they enter the cave of souls and meet The Candlemaker. “We know everyone. Your whole town, aand all your friends. Hint, hint.” The Candlemaker looks at Manolo with knowing eyes. Manolo smiles while his mother frowns in confusion. “It’s all here, in The Book of Life,” he finishes.

The book nudges The Candlemaker before opening. The Candlemaker gasps, “Oh no. Chakal is marching for San Angel. He’ll destroy your whole town!” 

“If he does that then there will be no one left to remember us!” exclaims Carmen, putting the pieces together.

“We really need to get to La Muerte.” says Manolo, afraid of what could happen to his loved ones in San Angel if they didn’t hurry.

“I’m sorry Manolo, I can’t-” The Candlemaker stops mid-sentence as the book nudges him again before opening. The Candlemaker gasps again, “No. What? Your pages. They’re blank?” His eyebrows furrows before understanding. “Aha! That’s why. Well, I think I might be able to help you to La Muerte after all,” he smiles down at the skeleton family. 

He never thought he would see this place again. It’s different than before. Barren. Manolo gasps at the sight. 

“What happened to this place?” he whispers sadly. 

“It’s very different, huh? After the god of war, Mictlan, died, Xibalba took over. He preferred it a little more.. dry,” explains The Candlemaker. Manolo nods in understanding, while his mother and grandfather frown. What does he mean ‘What happened to this place’? How would he know that it changed?

Upon entering the castle Manolo noticed that La Muerte wasn’t alone. 

“Lady Micte, La Muerte, My Ladies,” he says formally. Both ladies turn at the familiar voice. Micte is about to say something, but her sister beats her to it.

“Manolo?” He nods in confirmation, but makes eye contact with Micte. He slightly shakes his head, signaling to her, and she nods in understanding. 

“I know about the wager,” he says, turning to face La Muerte. “Xibalba cheated.”

“He did what?!” she exclaims, anger evident on her face.

“Yeah! With a two headed snake!” he says.

She is filled with rage. How dare he! Noticing her angry expression, The Candlemaker pipes up, “You might wanna cover your ears.”

“Xibalba!” Her yell shook the walls of the castle. It was clear that it could be heard in every realm. It doesn’t take long for him to show up. 

“Yes, my dear?” he says before noticing the group behind her. “Oh.”

“You misbegotten son of a leper’s donkey. You cheated! Again!” 

“I did no such thing!” he defends. She reaches behind him and pulls out the two-headed snake, making it into a staff again. “Oh, that thing has a mind of its own, or two.”

“That is unforgivable!” yells La Muerte.

“Oh please, I never sent that snake to Maria, and I never gave that medal to Joaquín.” “What. Medal?” she says through gritted teeth.

“The one I never gave him” Xibalba easily says, trying to stop the conversation.

“You gave Joaquín the medal of everlasting life?” she bursts out.

“The medal of everlasting life?” pipes Manolo up. 

“Whoever wears the medal cannot die or be injured,” explains La Muerte.

Xibalba laughs nervously before being slapped across the face by La Muerte. 

“Can you help me up?” asks Carmen who stands between them. La Muerte helps her up to face Xibalba and Carmen slaps him too. “My son did not deserve this,” she hisses. 

“I have to go back,” Manolo insists. 

“No. Nope. Never.” says Xibalba. 

“How about a wager? If I win you’ll give me my life back,” says Manolo.

“You don’t have anything I want,” insists the winged god.

“I do,” interrupts La Muerte, “If you win Balby, you get to rule both realms.” 

“Deal?” smiles Manolo, sure that the god will give in.

“Deal. Now tell me, what is your biggest fear? What keeps you up at night,” says Xibalba, studying the bullfighter. Bullfighter. He smiles,“Got it.” 

They all watch in awe as the bull turns into petals and flies away. 

“Love can truly live.” Manolo sings the last line of the song. The song he made up on the spot, because of his fear of not seeing Maya again. If the bull can forgive, then he can see María again, and love can truly live. Manolo is too caught up in emotions to realise that his family had come down to greet him. His mother hugging him wakes him up from his trance. 

“I told you, ‘A Sánches man never apologizes’,” his father says, walking towards him. Manolo looks down in shame. What a stupid rule. “But. You just changed that,” he finishes with a smile on his face. He really is proud of his son. He chose being himself over killing the bull.

“I should have been a better father,” he frowns. “I am very sorry.”

“No. You only wanted what was best for me,” Manolo smiles at the man in front of him. The man who taught him everything he knows. Bullfighting has gone in generations, of course his father would keep the tradition going. Who wouldn’t? 

“I am so proud of you son.”

Before Manolo can realize, he is in the middle of a crowd and face to face with Chakal. He looks around to see the town, and Chakals bandits surrounding them. Behind him pinned to the ground by bandits, is Joaquín, and off to the side is María on the ground. Their eyes are wide. 

“Manolo?” María is the first to talk. He smiles and helps her up, before kissing her in front of everyone. When they part he can see the shock on her face. She seems at a loss for words, or more like she has too many questions, and he can see that she hesitates, unsure.

“Found you princesa,” he smiles. She laughs as the confirmation.

“I missed you principito,” she smiles.

They are suddenly aware of their surroundings. They realize the task at hand.

“Hold this for me amigo ,” says Manolo, tossing his guitar to Joaquín before turning back to face Chakal. 

“So. My father tells me you hate bullfighters,” Manolo says.

“I hate everybody,” spits Chakal.

“Let's do this then,” says Manolo, taking out his swords.

Chakal laughs, “You and what army.”

It takes a lot of control for Manolo and María not to burst out laughing. If only Chakal knew who they had faced, and how easy this would be compared to him. Suddenly lights erupt behind them. The turn to find the Sánches family.

“It’s the day of the dead Manolo!” comes a shout from the top of the church. La Muerte, Xibalba, Lady Micte and The Candlemaker stand there. 

“And on our day, we have a certain amount of-” Xibalba continues before looking to La Muerte for the right word, “Leeway,” she finishes with a smile.

“Thank you!” yells Manolo before turning back to his friends. 

“If it is to be,” he starts.

“It is up to me!” finishes María.

The town charges while Joaquín stands there at a loss for words. He did not expect that. Where did that phrase come from? What happened to their ‘No retreat, no surrender’? Since when did his best friends come up with a catch phrase without him? 

“Get your head in the game Joaquín, they can explain later,” he says to himself before charging into battle.

The medal flies around passing from one person to another, keeping it away from Chakal and his bandits. The rush of fighting is just like they remember, and even though their new bodies are built differently, they still are built in a way that makes it possible for them to fight just like they used to. They do the move. Throwing swords up in the air, Manolo throws María in the air, he catches the swords and throws them after her, she catches them and throws them at Chakal. They barely fly past his head. He roars in anger. María lands gracefully beside Manolo and charges at Chakal with him. Joaquín sees them and charges from the other side of Chakal. Chakal roars again, and María barely dodges as he throws his hands out to shove them away. She does not manage to dodge, however, when he grabs her and starts climbing up the church. 

“Get me my medal, or your woman will pay,” he yells at the two men on the ground before continuing to climb. 

“Men, typical,” mutters María, more to herself than anyone, while rolling her eyes. 

“Go find the medal,” says Manolo, turning to Joaquín.

“But María-” he starts.

“Find. The medal,” interrupts Manolo, “I’ll handle this.”

Joaquín nods and watches as his friend climbs the church. Something is very different about him. He’s not like himself. That look in his eyes just now, confirmed it. That is not the Manolo he used to know. Who is he?

With the help of his family, Manolo manages to get to the top of the church. As he flies over the top he delivers a mighty punch to Chakals face. He catches María as Chakal drops her and collides with the bell. Chakal roars and charges at them. They hold their ground and almost dance in circles around the bandit king. Manolo manages to get just the right momentum to punch Chakal off the church roof. Chakal collides with the bell, and his weight knocks it down with him. Manolo throws María off the church roof. She flies through the air before landing in the arms of a big bullfighter. 

“Hi María!” yells the entire family that is holding them up. From the looks of it, this must be the dead Sánches family members. She doesn’t answer them. She turns to see where Manolo ended up, but notices Chakal emerging from the cloud of dust. He doesn’t get very far, with his hand stuck under a pillar. He realizes his defeat and ignites all the bombs strapped to his chest.

“I’m taking this whole town with me,” he declares.

Manolo nods to Joaquín, “No retreat.”

Joaquín smiles and nods back, “No surrender.” And they both charge at the bandit king together. Together they push him under the church bell behind him.

“Manolo, the column,” says Joaquín signaling to the column holding the bell upright while battling the bandit.

“Got it,” he answers using his bodyweight to try and push the column aside. He hesitates a little when he hears Marías shouts. 

“No. No!” she screams. Her father holds her back. She can’t lose him like this again! 

“Hey. Don’t stop fighting for what’s right,” says Manolo, meeting eyes with Joaquín.

“Wha-” he doesn’t get to say more before Manolo shoves him out of the bell. 

“Manolo!” he yells getting to his feet trying to run back and stop him.

Manolo makes eye contact with María.

“Don’t forget me,” he says before kicking down the pillar, trapping both himself and Chakal inside the bell.

“No!” she yells. No! Not again! No! She couldn’t lose him, now that she just got him back! Not like this. 

The bell booms as the bombs go off inside. Joaquín is thrown into one of the many graves and hits his head. Chakal’s army of bandits run away as their king is defeated. María takes a few shaky steps towards the bell before falling to her knees crying. She lost him again! 

Joaquín is confused. What is happening? Some girl is a few steps away from the bell crying. A boy suddenly emerges from the bell. Where did he come from? The townspeople gasp. Oh, maybe he isn’t the only one that is confused by the new face. The girl looks up to the boy and gasps, her next word isn’t what he expected. 

“Manolo?” she says as the boy looks at his hands, clearly shocked himself. Manolo? Why would she say Manolo? That is obviously not him. Manolo doesn’t have white hair or armour, and he certainly is not missing an eye. Manolo walks up to the girl as she stands up. 

“It’s me mi amor ,” he smiles at her and she throws herself in his arms. What? 

“But how did you survive?” she asks. They turn to La Muerte, Lady Micte and the other deities. 

“Don’t look at us,” says La Muerte.

The girl gasps as she pulls out the medal of everlasting life from behind the boy. How? How did the boy get that? He gave that to Manolo. The girl and the boy turn to him. His eyes widen. 

“Joaquín,” the short-haired girl says, hurrying towards him. He flinches away and reaches for his sword. He points it at them as they reach him.

“Who are you?” he says threateningly.

Chapter Text

Manolo sacrifices himself and María is angry . That idiot! Constantly sacrificing himself. Doesn’t he ever think about how she feels when he does that? IDIOT.

Then he crawls out of that bell. 

“YOU MISBEGOTTEN SON OF A LEPROUS DOG. HOW DARE YOU DO THAT? YOU CAN’T JUST SACRIFICE YOURSELF AT ANY CHANCE YOU GET!”

and he has the nerve to reply with “Do I look dead to you?” 

She takes a deep breath about to blow before she just stops, “I-” she takes a deep breath “I guess not. But don’t EVER do that AGAIN ZATZ! Do you hear me? EVER.” 

He just smiles stupidly at her, with lovesick puppy-eyes. “I love you Maya.” “I love you too Zatz”

Everyone in the town watches in confusion. What just happened?

Everyone except Joaquín. He sees Maya and Zatz as who they are. Who even are they? Where did his friends go? Maria and Manolo must be around here somewhere. But first the intruders. “Who are you?” he demands. The town is even more confused now, did Joaquín hit his head? How does he not recognize his childhood friends?

Chapter Text

“What are you talking about? It’s us, María and Manolo. Your friends,” says the white haired boy. Joaquín doesn’t listen. 

“Who are you and what did you do to Manolo? I gave that medal to Manolo,” he presses, pointing his sword at the boy. María and Manolo share a look. What is he talking about?

Joaquín winces and holds a hand to the back of his head. They all realize that he’s bleeding when his hand comes back covered in blood. 

“Poor thing, he must have hit his head pretty hard if he can’t recognize his best friends,” comes from somewhere in the crowd.

“Joaquín, what are you talking about? It’s us!” insists María.

“What are you talking about? You don’t even look like them,” he answers. 

“What do we look like then? Describe us,” says Manolo, getting more and more worried for his friend.

“You-,” he points to Manolo, “-have white hair, an eyepatch and this weird black armor and purple face paint.” Manolo and Marías wide eyes meet. How is this possible? He’s seeing Zatz! 

“And you have short brown hair, brown skin, and a bird costume and red face paint.” Joaquín continues. Manolo snickers at the grimace on María’s face. She turns to the gods. 

“What does this mean?” she asks. 

“I’m not sure,” answers La Muerte.

“I know who probably does!” says Candle Maker, getting excited. He looks to the other gods for permission. They nod. He snaps his fingers and another group of people joins them.

“Maya,” a new voice states. They turn to see the floating goddess of death, with the intimidating headpiece, with skeletons, on her head. “Mama!” yells Maria running towards her as Micte lands on the ground. Maria tackles her in a hug. Both laughing. “I missed you mama.” “I missed you too Maya.” Manolo just stands there and smiles at the scene. When they break the hug they turn to him. “I hope you’ve taken good care of my daughter Zatz.” Manolo smiles, “Of course, Lady Micte.” “Good. Now, I have a surprise for you both.” She stepped aside to reveal their families. 

“Maya! Y el vampiro guapoooo” “Picchu! Chimi! Rico! The warriors three. Mi familia!” Maria run into their arms. “I told you they were soulmates.” said the wizard holding a clawed stick. “We all kinda got that from the whole sun and moon thing Rico.” spoke the pale archer. 

“Welcome to San Angel!” booms Candle Makers voice. 

“Rooster wizard. Step forward.” Micte. 

“H- H- How can I help you?”

She points to joaquin. Rico immediately sees whats up. “Wow. I’ve heard legends, but I’ve never met someone with the gift.” “what” “He has a dead eye, with he can see dead or in this case reincarnated people. He’s seeing who they were before, in another life.”

“You don’t know about the dead eye? But you’re both goddesses of death???” “HEHE I just needed a reason to bring you here so we can explain the situation .” candle maker.

The purple bat-like god stepped forward with hopeful eyes. 

“Is this-?” he asks the other gods. 

Micte answers “Yes.”

“Where is he?” he asks with a big smile on his face. It has been way too long since he’s seen him.

“I’m right here” answers Manolo for the goddess. He stands from his place by his friend.

Manolo spreads his arms out and Camazotz charges at him. The town watches with uncertainty. What is happening? Is Manolo going to get hurt? Manolo’s family is ready to jump into action if that beast makes a wrong move.

“Zatz! My son!” Yells Camazotz as he scoops his son up in a bone-crushing hug. Manolo laughs. “You’re not allowed to become the moon again, okay? A thousand years without my son is too long. I’ve truly missed you Zatz.”

“Papaa. You’re crushing me,” he complains with a laugh. The god sheepishly puts his son down. “Sorry, I didn’t realize you were so fragile now.” “I’ve missed you too papa, but I’m not Zatz anymore, my name is Manolo Sànches, and I’m a bullfighter.” He smiles at his father. “You deserve this life, son.” “Why tho?” 

“I can explain that.” says Micte as she steps up. “The gods decided that you deserved a second chance at life, without destiny and curses and gods, as a thank you for vanquishing the god of war. As you can see, it took a little time, but Princess Maya of Teca and Zatz the prince of bats, the sun and the moon, were successfully reincarnated as Maria Posada and Manolo Sànches.” she explained. Maria and Manolo stands in front of their parents, Manolo with a hand around Marias shoulders. Both smiling. “Thank you” “No thank you , you rid the world of a tyrant and you saved me from him. I am eternally grateful mija .” 

Picchu getting impatient and suddenly yelling “Group hug!” before scooping his friends in one big crushing hug.

Chimi suddenly saying “It’s a little funny how absolutely nothing is the same about you except your voices. They are exactly the same.” and everyone just blinking in surprise. “They are?” Maya first. “Yours is at least” Zatz. “No yeah they are definitely the same.” rico. 

“I don’t understand what’s happening.” “Let me sum it up for you. Your best friends, Manolo and Maria here, are reincarnations of two great Aztec warriors. They both took part in destroying the god of war, Lord Mictlan, a few hundred years ago. They both died in that battle, but the gods let them become the sun and the moon. Until they were reincarnated.” 

Xibalba accusing La Muerte of cheating in their wager. She honestly didn’t realize they were Zatz and Maya. It made a lot of sense tho.