Yet again to any guests I can't reply to THANK YOU ;w; You're all wonderful and it's amazing you've stuck with this fic so far considering... HAH

Okay guys I know you want to get into it but here's a to warning you, this fic actually has two endings. Yup yup. One on here and one on my tumblr (ceata88 /tagged/bad-future-au) It'd be rad if you guys took a peek at them both (don't stress too much the only differences in the chapters is on the last line). Here's the thing though: The one on here is much more of a relief. The one tumblr is a little more cruel. If this fic ends happy or not is up to you guys though, I think.

All right off you go, I have some announcements at the bottom so when you're done crying*SHOTDOWN* feel free to check those and send me some responses.

I love you guys so much.

Numbness spread from Joaquín's chest through his limbs. He couldn't feel when his knees slammed onto the dirt. The shouts of the bandits behind him faded out to white noise.

All he could hear as he stared at the mound of dust was a familiar laugh.

Did you see that? Could you feel it? That moment when he realized what he'd done. What we've done.

Something wet was sliding down his cheeks. Was it tears or oil? He wanted to check but his arms wouldn't move. His hands just rested on his knees, curled around medal.

The laughter grew louder and louder. Manolo and María ran over to him but he couldn't hear a word they were saying.

Honestly boy did you not figure it out?

Someone's nails dug into his cheeks.

We had to punish him for stealing us.

We ended up in your hands too, how lucky was it.

Not only did we take away his precious memories we destroyed the very object of them.

His vision was going cloudy. It was all fading into a mixture of grey and green.

How lucky that our sister was here to help.

How lucky he got to see you.

Oh I wish I could see his face now.

The hands moved down to his throat and suddenly he couldn't breath. He coughed and choked for air but something was in the way. He kept coughing, trying to dislodge it, until his lungs started to hurt. Suddenly tar was filling up his mouth again, slipping past his lips. His eyes were burning but he still couldn't see anything but grey smoke.

Too bad she got a hold of you too. We were so close to finishing you off.

There was a familiar burn in his neck that crawled over his skin.

But we still could, you know, let you forget.

We could make all of this just go away.

Forget all of this? After his friends were so desperate to make him remember?

But he didn't want to remember, even more so now.

He didn't want to remember the town. He didn't want to remember the faces of all the people he let down. He didn't want to remember his mother with her cold closed off disposition. He didn't want to remember his father, the man who had just died in front of him. His father had killed so many people, including María. He had burned San Angel, his hometown, to the ground.

He didn't want to remember his name anymore.

What was the point in remembering it? It only hurt. It only-

"Joaquín!"

The warmth of the medal suddenly left his hands. His vision swam for a moment as he slipped back into reality.

He took a deep breath, coughing on a little more tar and glanced at María and Manolo. They both stared at him, afraid.

Joaquín brought a shaky hand to his lips to realize how much of the black substance was there. His eyes trailed from his stained fingers to the medal which was now flashing in the dirt in front of him.

He reached toward it.

"Stop it, what are you doing?" María pushed his arm back.

"It'll make me forget." He muttered. "I want to-"

"No." She shouted, tears streaming down her face. "You can't."

"Let go." His chest was tight. It hurt. Fear that he wouldn't be able to breath again came up fast.

"I won't. I won't let you do this to yourself, Joaquín-"

"Stop calling me that." He tried to shove her off. "I hate that name. I hate it." He dove for the medal only for Manolo to grab him and push him back. "I hate it. First because I couldn't live up to it and now... there's no way. There's no way that could have been him. Why would my dad have... he was..."

"Because of that medal." María tried to touch his cheek but he jerked away from her. "Don't you get it? If you pick it up again you'll just follow the same path."

Joaquín wanted to reach out to it again but both of them kept pushing him back. Suddenly his muscles ached and went slack. He probably would have fallen over if one of Manolo's arms didn't wrap around his back. The bullfighter's clawed fingers dug into his ribs.

"I can't do it." He muttered.

"Please. You promised to keep fighting." María buried her face in his chest.

"I can't. I can't." The words caught in his throat and tears suddenly spilled from his eyes. At least he hoped that's what they were. "It's too much. I can't-"

"Please hermano." Manolo held him closer. The chill radiating off his bones only made Joaquín shiver more.

His mind was screaming at him to fight back, to stand up, to do something. He had promised them both he would keep fighting. That he would build a memory for the town to keep everyone safe. They all deserved that much.

But it hurt. He felt cold and breathless. His muscles ached more than he thought possible. The memories swimming around in his head made it even worse.

"You're incredible Joaquín."

"Thank you for saving us Joaquín."

"Ay, any girl would be lucky to be by your side Joaquín."

"The great hero of San Angel returns."

"That was incredible."

"Yes, just like your father!"

The pressure in his chest shattered. It was too much. It was too damn much.

He curled up and screamed.

Both of his friends clung to him even tighter as he sobbed. The tears wouldn't stop, breathing became so hard. María was whispering something to him but he could barely hear. At one point Manolo growled at something behind them but Joaquín didn't have the energy to look.

Joaquín's cheeks were soaked with tears by this point. María would try to brush them away but they were quickly replaced.

He was just so exhausted. He didn't know what else he could do.

"We're right here." Her whispers finally became clear. "I promise we won't leave you. If those gods try then... we'll just fight them off too."

There was a familiar snort and a breath hit the back of his neck. He actually turned to look this time to see Plata staring at him. Chuy was right below the horses head, nudging Joaquín's back with his nose.

Through the tears he looked at his two animal companions, then turned back to Manolo and María. Both of them also had tears on their faces, or what he assume were tears.

Then he glanced down at the medal. It kept flashing at him, trying to whisper in his ear.

María ran her knuckles over his cheek again and he blinked.

Even if he wanted to forget so much of what had happened, there was no doubt that medal would take all of his memories.

And he refused to forget about them.

"I-I'm sorry." He grabbed the hand on his cheek. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine." Manolo pressed his forehead against his shoulder. "Everything will be all right now."

Joaquín shook his head. "We know that's not true Manolo. I mean look at what happened to you. Sooner or later those gods are going to-"

"Like hell they are." María spat. "I'll challenge them to another wager if I have to, or twenty. I won't stop fighting. It can't end like this."

"This is not the end." Manolo added and tried to smile at him.

Joaquín tried not to shiver at the row of sharp teeth.

"We're going to write our own story." The bullfighter continued. "I doubt we'll get the ending we always dreamed about but... it's not over."

Joaquín let out a shaky breath. The tears were slowing down. "Perhaps... you're right."

"Of course we are." María pulled herself close to him and buried her face in his neck. Her warm radiated against his skin and he almost smiled from the contact.

"I love you two, so much." The words mostly slipped out of his mouth but he didn't regret saying them.

"I love you too, hermano." Manolo said.

María just hummed in agreement against his skin.

It felt so nice to have them close, even with the contrasting temperatures.

Plata's startled neigh made his nerves shoot back up. He aimed to look for what caused it but wasn't quick enough. A bomb landed in the dirt in front of them.

"Move!" Manolo grabbed them both. His claws dug into Joaquín's skin but he didn't even start to complain. In one motion he lifted them both off the ground and tossed them away from the oncoming blast.

Joaquín's back hit the dirt and he coughed, dislodging some left over tar. Before he could see what was happening he found himself wrapped in Manolo's cold arms.

When the bomb went off his friend flinched, but he didn't let go.

"Mano-"

"Are you all right hermano?" The bullfighter asked the second he pulled back.

"Me? Are you crazy? What about you?"

"I'm already dead." Manolo smiled. "Remember?"

He opened his mouth to respond to that ludicrous excuse.

"Hey!" María's shout drew his attention. "Don't touch that."

Joaquín looked over Manolo's shoulder at the retreating smoke. There stood Flavio, grasping that damned green medal in one of his hands.

She shoved herself off the ground and charged toward him, sword drawn. Even with the medal in hand the bandit screamed and started to flee.

"María don't." Joaquín scrambled to get up and took off after her. Manolo wasn't far behind him. Maybe she was dead but if she wound up touching that medal what would happen to her? He didn't want to imagine it.

She tackled Flavio to the ground. Dust flew up all around them. She punched multiple times trying to knock the object from his grip.

Just as the pair reached her the medal flew into the air and hit the ground.

There was a sharp ting.

Joaquín's heart stopped when he realized something red was glowing underneath it.

"No!" Manolo screamed.

The ground suddenly shook. Electricity danced up from the two objects and grew in range with every passing second. The tremors got worse and worse as they both started glowing yellow.

They needed to move. He wasn't sure what was happening but they needed to move.

Without thinking Joaquín grabbed Manolo by his jacket and hurled him as far as he could. He twisted on his heel and pulled María off the bandit. With his grip tight on her arms he aimed to throw her too.

Then the light from the medals exploded.

Everything was bathed in white.

The last thing he felt was María's warm fingers against his arm.

Manolo couldn't scream. He couldn't move. All he could do was sit there on his knees as he watched the white light explode. He saw Joaquín pulling María out of the way but they both had been sucked into it. Now it just sat there, a glowing white orb that roared and made the air around it spin. He had to squint to keep the sand from getting in his eyes.

Any bandits that remained in the camp screamed and started to flee. Plata neighed frantically nearby but didn't move. Chuy coward underneath him.

Then just as quickly as it had appeared the light vanished.

The two medals floated, apart from each other now, until they fell back into the sand, or crater rather. The ground where the light had been had been completely eaten away.

There was nothing else there.

"M-María?" His voice had returned. He struggled to stand at first and his legs wouldn't stop shaking as he moved forward. "Joaquín?"

There was no response. There was nothing. He stepped to the edge of the hole and glanced around. No bones, no burn marks, not even a corpse was laying inside. Just the two medals which flickered and finally stopped glowing.

"María!" He screamed her name this time and looked around. "Joaquín? Where are you?"

The only sound he could hear now was the fire still eating away at one of the tents.

Where did they go? He was certain he knew the answer but he pleaded for it not to be true. This was magic after all. Perhaps they just teleported? Perhaps they were both in the land of the remembered now, or another realm. Maybe Joaquín hadn't survived but he could still see him again right? He could still hold María in his arms and listen to her call him husband over and over again. They could have a proper wedding.

His knees hit the dirt and his claws dug into the scarf around his neck. He pressed the material to his nose trying so hard not to cry. It'd be all right, they were fine. They had to be fine.

"Did you listen to any of the warnings I gave you, boy?"

Manolo whirled around to see Xibalba looming over him. The god's hands were folded behind his back and his red eyes looked down.

"Are you all right Manolo?" La Muerte appeared in a flurry of petals. She leaned toward him, hand out, but he flinched and stumbled back.

"I..." For some reason words were hard to come by. "Where... where are they?"

The goddess's eyes widened and studied his face for a moment. Then her gaze fell as she straightened up and floated toward the crater.

"What's going on?" Manolo raised his voice as he stood up. "Where did they go? Where did those medals take them?"

"Nowhere." Xibalba didn't even glance in his direction as he warped into the hole. With a snap of his fingers the medal leapt up into his hand. "They're gone."

His throat was unbelievably dry. "Gone? What do you mean by that?"

La Muerte opened her mouth but closed it again as she stared at her own medal.

"What do you mean?" He shouted this time and stomped on the ground.

Xibalba turned a glare on him and suddenly appeared in front of him. "I mean they're gone, boy. Gone. They're not in any realm anymore. They're existence was erased."

Something stabbed at his chest and he opened his mouth, but the words were lost.

"What did you think was going to happen when you put these two powerful objects together?"

"What did I think?" Anger fired up in him. "What was I supposed to think? Why didn't you just tell me what would have happened? You used this to trick us again didn't you."

"Manolo-" La Muerte tried to speak up.

"You call what you gave me a warning? How could I have known any of this would happen. You bring them back. You bring them back right now."

"I can't." The god straightened up.

"No..." The dread and fear crawled up his spine slowly. He tried to shove it back, keep hope burning in his mind, but it was fading. "No. There has to be something. They can't be... It can't..."

"You know boy, for a while I admired your hope and determination but it's becoming ludicrous." Xibalba opened his wings. "Look around you. Look at what's already happened."

"Xibalba." La Muerte snapped.

"Forgive me, mi amor, but this boy should be taught a lesson."

"You're being cruel."

"And what would you suggest then? Let him continue to fight for nothing? You know as well as I do there's nothing to be done about them. The sooner he accepts that the better."

Rage was still boiling in his chest. He wanted to scream, shout, kick, bite, do anything to force this god to change everything. But the cold fear had made it's way up his back. He shivered as his rage cooled and his insides felt hollow.

They were gone.

María was gone. Joaquín was gone. And this time he would surely never see either of them again.

His mind screamed at him to fight back but he couldn't. He knew that Xibalba was right.

"No..." He murmured as his knees hit the ground again. Once again he was clinging to the scarf on his neck, holding it close, but it couldn't stop the tears.

His quiet sobs soon turned into desperate wails. They had fought so hard to change everything, to fix everything. Was this how it was supposed to end?

If only he hadn't picked up that damned sword. If only he had made the right decision. No, even before that, if he hadn't damn well thrown his life away. Perhaps if he had made the right choices then none of this would have happened.

María wouldn't have had to struggle for six months in the land of the forgotten. His father never would have died the way he did. Joaquín wouldn't have had to suffer alone. And what had he been doing while they had? Standing there in a useless trance.

He wanted to disappear too.

Why couldn't it have been him? Why didn't he toss them both out of the way of the blast? They both deserved their life far more than he did. After all, what awaited him now but another cold and empty trance.

Would have have the same visions? No, he didn't want that. He didn't want to see the life he could have had over and over again. He couldn't deal with witnessing them all smiling and laughing knowing it would never happen.

Fear swarmed his chest and clung like a vice-grip. The tears only stopped because he couldn't move.

Was this really it?

"Come along, we can't linger up here all day." Xibalba lifted a hand and pressed his fingers together.

"Xibalba." La Muerte snapped. "Don't you think he's been through enough?"

"Is it my fault that he recklessly bet his life again?" He turned. "Tell his family if they want him back then they can challenge me."

"Xibalba, please."

The skulls in his eyes studied her for a moment. "I'm sorry, mi amor. But I'm not taking this back that easily."

He snapped his fingers.

It felt like the ground vanished beneath him. He could hear Plata and Chuy cry out from afar but it all faded into black for a moment.

When he blinked he saw nothing but grey. Familiar grey pointed stones with cold ash drifting through the air. He looked around to find the area he was in completely empty and deserted. The pressure in the air made him feel even more exhausted.

But he didn't want to sleep. If he did he'd be trapped in that trance again.

"I hadn't exactly planned on it turning out this way." Xibalba said as he popped up from the ground. The medal was still in his hands, rolling around between his fingers.

"What were you planning then?" Manolo staggered as he turned. His rage could barely break through his exhaustion.

"Give the late Captain what he deserved, get my medal back, maybe trap you back down here." His eyes glanced over.

"Sounds like you got exactly what you wanted then." Manolo tried to glare at him but his eyes kept moving over to the medal.

It paused between his fingers. "No, not really. I doubt anyone has." Then he shrugged and switched the medal over to his other hand. "But sometimes that's just the way it ends."

It felt like the ground was trying to swallow him. His vision was going blurry. He squinted and desperately tried to focus. He couldn't sleep, not now.

It couldn't end like this, could it?

Suddenly a voice popped up in his head.

"I'm writing my own story." Manolo mumbled as his vision returned.

"Pardon?"

"The Candlemaker said my pages were blank. He said I was writing my own story." He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. Energy welled up inside him. "And if I'm writing this story then I decide how it ends!"

"And what do you plan to do hm? You can't change the past Manolo."

"It's all here in The Book of Life."

"I'm going to do whatever it takes."

When he leapt into the air it took the god off guard. Xibalba tried to vanish but was a hair too late as Manolo clung to the shoulder of his armor. He flapped his wings and even warped through the air but Manolo refused to let go. No matter how much it hurt or how dizzy he got he didn't let go. He was going to get that medal.

But Xibalba kept his arm outstretched. It was impossible for Manolo to reach. When there was an opening he kicked against the god's armor and tried to lunge forward. Xibalba slammed his shoulder into his chest. His ribs let off another sickening crack but he didn't stop. He dug his claws into the god's arm and reached out once more.

"What are you doing boy?" The god shouted over the flapping of his wings.

"I'm writing my own story." He screamed and finally tore the medal from his grip. Xibalba twisted his arm and sent him flying. He hit one of the rocks, hard, but with the medal on hand he felt nothing.

Only a burning from it yet again. The glowing carvings danced wildly this time and his bones cracked as they shifted. The claws in his hands grew. His legs seemed to move underneath him. Xibalba shouted something but he ignored it.

"Where are those wings you gave Joaquín?" He spoke to it.

The medal was quiet for a moment. Why?

"Give them to me, now."

Do you know what that's going to do to you?

"I don't care anymore."

There was a pause, followed by laughter. Fine.

Xibalba's pursuit toward him halted when the flames erupted from his back. As the tar feathers formed they felt heavy yet weightless at the same time. Manolo stuck the medal onto his jacket and fanned out his new set of wings.

"Manolo what are you-"

He didn't give Xibalba time to finish. He didn't care to. There was nothing else to say to the god. Instead flapped his wings and leapt off the ground. He was surprised at how quickly he darted through the air, moving more fluidly than he imagined. It didn't take him long to get the hang of it however, and good thing for that. Xibalba was darting after him, his body warping as he tried to catch up.

Manolo twisted and dodged out of the way. He growled before he shot up again. He needed to find the exit.

He needed to find that book.

Xibalba was fast. The god kept catching up easily, but if Manolo knew anything it was how to dodge a hit. He twirled through the air much like he would have in the arena.

Then there was the light in the sky. He drove towards it as fast as he could. His bones kept cracking and shifting but he could barely feel it anymore.

When he burst into the light the water hit him at once. His flight slowed down and he was forced to cling to the edge of the wall to keep himself from falling again. He dug his claws into the rock and climbed. He prayed the door was open, otherwise that would make things much harder.

Thankfully it was. He burst from the water, gasping for air, and rested on a dry stone for a moment.

The Candlemaker was there, floating on his platform. His eyes were wide, mouth open. The book floated next to him but hid when Manolo stared at it.

"Manolo?" The god's voice was gentle, but cautious.

"I need to see that book." Manolo flittered over to the platform.

"What for?" The candlemaker lifted his shoulders.

Manolo wanted to explain, he did, but his mind was going fuzzy. His anger and irritation started burning and he couldn't hold back a deep growl.

"I need it."

"Now hold on." The god held up his hands. "Let's just settle down for a moment."

As he tried to step forward he almost tripped. Looking down he realized his feet had transformed into hooves. When had that occurred?

"Come on Manolo," The Candlemaker inched toward him. "Just tell me what-"

Xibalba sprang up behind Manolo. The bullfighter panicked and took off, slipping out of his grip.

The Candlemaker spun around. "Xibalba what-"

"Stop him!" The god shouted before he returned to his pursuit.

Manolo watched them both but only for a moment. As he twisted out of the god's reach once more he locked his eyes on the book. It seemed to jump in the air before it took off.

He charged after it. Xibalba spat curses towards him. He looped around the cave a few times until now he noticed the golden wax spilling out from between the rocks. It suddenly lifted into the air and shot towards him. Manolo gasped but managed to evade it, at least for now.

The book suddenly took off into one of the waterfalls. Manolo dove after it but wax slammed into one of his wings. He opened his mouth to scream but all the came out was a roar as he fell into the water and plummeted to the ground. In the distance he could see the land of the remembered. The noisy vibrant city seemed so far away.

Manolo tried to flap the wings to steady himself but it wasn't working. He could feel the one struck by wax falling apart. Feathers flurried into the air before they melted away.

He look at the ground that was approaching fast and squeezed his eyes shut.

Then he landed on something soft, almost familiar. His eyes shot open and he sat up to see the book right underneath him.

Why had it saved him?

"Manolo!" The Candlemaker shouted from above.

As he turned to look the book shifted and tried to force him to slide off. Manolo shot out a hand and gripped the edge of it so tight his fingers tore right through the cover. It panicked and tried to run but Manolo refused to let go.

He flapped what remained of his wings and pushed himself back up.

"Where is it?" His voice frightened him with how deep it was. "You know what I'm looking for."

The book shook itself again but finally the pages spun open.

There it was, mocking him with an illustration of his most foolish mistake. That moment he took up the sword and killed the bull. But how could he change this? What could he do to fix it?

"Manolo. Don't you dare." Xibalba was charging toward him. The Candlemaker wasn't far behind.

There wasn't time to think about it.

Manolo twisted back toward the book. His he claws dug into the corner of the page and he tore it out.

.

"It can't end like this, can it?"

..

"Oh my dear child..."

...

"This is not the end."

...

Manolo's scream was cut off as he hit the ground. His right side ached. His guitar bounced away from him and the sword dug into the dirt.

"Time to finish it." Carmelo's voice run out from the stands.

He pushed himself up and stumbled over to the weapon. The metal on the blade glowed against the fire behind him and he found himself staring at his reflection. His glowing eyes seemed emptier than before.

Manolo reached out to the sword but hesitated. Those beasts had all suffered so much by his family's hand. Was it really right to make them suffer more?

But he had to do this.

For María. He told himself. For Joaquín. For my family. For San Angel.

His fingers moved closer when another voice cut in.

"You're writing your own story."

He kept studying his reflection over and over again. Then he took a deep breath, reached out and picked up the guitar.

Ahahaaaa thanks again for reading guys ;w;

Okay! Stuff! First of all just cause the fic is done doesn't mean I am 100% anyways. I've considered doing some bonus chapters people have suggested (Carlos begging La Muerte to save his family, The scene when María dies more fleshed out, Joaquín POV when his friends are suddenly "alive" etc.) If you guys want to see those or even have other suggestions shoot them my way.

Also if you have ANY questions (about this AU or my writing decisions) shoot them my way too. I'd love to answer them for you guys in an update.

ALSO ALSO Tumblr has a thing where if people send me a scene I can analyze it bit by bit on what I was thinking when I wrote it. Would you guys like to see some of those for this fic? If you do you can shoot some scenes my way too and I'll be more than happy too (but I'll prolly only post on tumblr (bookmark the tag on my blog for easy findings))

Or really ANYTHING. If there's anything that you'd guys like to see just lemme know.

Future plans? I'm working on another lengthy chapter fic and will probably start it soon (after some one shot breaks (cause those are piling up)). It's... well not totally happy but much happier than this one HAH I hope you guys will enjoy it.

One last time thank you so much ;w; You're all super lovely *SQUEEZE*