A Memorable Thrashing

25 December, a morning almost ordinary, was ending to the cuartel. In his quarters, the commandante was waking up with a blinding headache. He raised his hand to his temples and guessed a bandage under his fingers. Frowning, he wondered what did happen.

He stood up and went closer to the mirror. He looked at his reflection for a long time with the impression to see an unknown. He went to dress up and went out of the room to find himself in his office where a bandit's poster got his attention. He frowned once again with the feeling to know this Zorro, at least above all his look and…

"Sergeant Garcia," he called.

The non-commissioned officer arrived quickly.

"Si, mi Capitán?"

"Could you tell me what day we are?"

"We are the 25 December," he asserted with astonishment. "Is everything alright?"

"Si. It's just that I have the impression not to be myself."

"It's maybe due to your last encounter with the bandido named Zorro."

"Is it him who made me this?" the officer asked.

"I can't answer you favorably. We found you unconscious next to your horse and your head laying on a rock."

"He wanted to rob the stagecoach which was going to arrive, isn't it?" the capitán asked, a vague memory in mind.

"Si. We were patrolling and so we intervened."

"It's telling me something. I pursued the outlaw while you were helping the passengers of the stagecoach and he had dropped his loot."

"That's correct, mi Capitán."

The officer had a flashback.

They galloped a long time and he managed to be just next to him; horse to horse. He jumped on him and they both fell heavily on the ground. Quickly up, they then took out their weapons which met noisily.

"This is your last chance, Zorro, give yourself up," the officer asserted, leading the bandit on the outskirts of the cliff.

"Never," he retorted haughty and pushing him back.

The fight was fierce and the attacks were aimed for worse. The capitán made him once again move backward and the bandido felt that the space wasn't far behind him. The two blades were in contact, each leaning on it to push back the other. The scale weighed for the highwayman. Unbalanced, the officer fell backward and hit a big rock.

"It's the end of you, Capitán De la Vega, you won't keep me from committing my crimes anymore," the bandit said, raising his weapon ready to kill him.

The officer didn't have the strength to counterattack and his sight was beginning to get muddled. He noticed nonetheless his black horse intervening and obliging the bandit to move backward. Then, he lost consciousness.

"You found me alone... Where went the bandit?"

"There was no trace of the bandit, mi Capitán."

"Gracias, Sergeant."

"If you need anything, above all don't hesitate."

"Thank you for your concern. You can go back about your business."

"At your command, Capitán."

The officer finally went out of his quarters and went to salute his men. He was about to go out of the cuartel when his wife arrived, a basket in her hands. She dropped it and ran to him.

"Diego, honey, you're back among us."

"Si, Salena," he said before kissing her tenderly. "Tell me, my dear, how long did I remain unconscious?"

"Two hours... The doctor came a few times ago and advised me to prepare you an ointment. I found almost what I needed on the market stalls," she said, realizing that she didn't have her basket in hand anymore. "Besides, we are only talking about you on the plaza. The ones of the stagecoach are speaking highly about your intervention," she underlined while they moved forward to take back the basket which the sergeant had picked up.

"Muchas gracias, Sergeant."

"De nada, Doña Salena," the sergeant smiled. "Mi Capitán, you're awaited."

"Very well, let's go and see those travelers," he said moving forward arm in arm with his wife.

"Sergeant, nothing can't be eaten in the basket," she warned him knowing his penchant.

The sergeant sighed and went to put the basket in the entry of the capitán's quarters. He heard the acclamation made to his superior and smiled. He deserved it.

Capitán De la Vega observed the crowd by smiling. There was just a man staying apart and who didn't seem to share the general enthusiasm.

"Stay here, my dear," he said to his better half.

"Where are you going?"

"Señor Monastario doesn't seem to be in a good mood."

"As usual," she remarked letting him go with regrets.

"Señor Monastario, what is the matter today?" he questioned once he was at his side, gazing at him meticulously.

"That's not your business, Señor."

This tone, this resonance, he knew them very well. Could it be so easy to expose him?

"Please excuse my indiscretion, but where were you this morning?"

"You're too curious, Capitán."

"Oh! I'm just doing my duty," he asserted while the cheers stopped.

There was a palpable tension on the plaza.

"That's you're saying," the man retorted haughtily by turning his back to him before leaving.

The capitán noticed straight away that he was leaning more voluntary on his left leg.

"Señor Zorro!" He called him out.

Seized, Monastario turned round with a pistol in hand and shot.

...

"Salena," he cried out as he opened his eyes.

He guessed the agitation around him but the setting wasn't the same anymore.

"Don Diego, I'm dreadfully sorry, please forgive me," the familiar voice of Moneta, who was near him, reached him.

"What happened? What was this cry?" Don Alejandro questioned as he came in the sala followed by Don Cornelio Esperon.

Diego tried to stand up, but dizziness obliged him to remain sitting on the floor.

"No, Diego, don't move for the moment... It's not careful. Don Alejandro, it's my entire fault. I had asked Diego to hang a supplementary decoration for this evening's fiesta. I went to the kitchen and when I came back, I opened the door with such vehemence that..."

"I see," Don Alejandro said as he remarked the ladder on the floor. "Don't feel guilty, my child, Diego should have thought to the consequences of his lack of attention."

Then, he raised his eyes to have a better view on the new decoration and gave his friend an elbow hit for indicating him the arrangement.

"What do I see, my very dear daughter? You are under the mistletoe next to Don Diego, don't forget the tradition," he joked.

The young don had understood more or less the insinuation in spite of his confusion. Still having a wild look in his eyes, he turned to Moneta to tell her she wasn't obliged. However, he had no time to speak that her lips were already touching his with tenderness and sweetness.

"Feliz Navidad, Diego," she said ill at ease. She didn't anticipate his reaction.

"Feliz Navidad," he stammered as uneasy as her.

Don Cornelio and Don Alejandro began to laugh heartily while Moneta stood up in a rush. Diego wanted to stand up at his turn but the following dizziness was so important that he fell sitting on his behind. Don Alejandro leant onto him with alarm while losing his smile.

"Diego?"

"What a strange dream."

"What are you talking about?" his father interrogated, helping him to stand up in order to seat him in an armchair.

"I was the commandante of Los Angeles' cuartel and Zorro was none other than Monastario."

"What a weird idea," Don Cornelio let hear.

"If Zorro was Monastario it would be a disaster," Moneta added.

"You? Commandante of the cuartel?", Don Alejandro astonished.

"Si. I just came to uncover Zorro's identity, only..."

"Only?" Moneta questioned.

"He shot me and I woke up. How much time did I remain unconscious?"

"Not so long. Your father arrived as soon as you fell," Moneta underlined once again at his side.

"I will send Benito to summon the doctor."

"I go with you," Don Cornelio said.

Before the two youngsters even realized it, their fathers had let them... alone. Diego and Moneta remained silent a moment.

"I'm really sorry, Diego."

"It's not your fault. My father is right, I should have thought before climbing up the ladder and locked the door," he said by catching her hand and smiling. "Next year, remind me not to hang mistletoe. Our fathers are jumping to conclusions."

Diego winced and put his free hand behind his painful head.

"Diego?"

"Si?"

"Who is Salena?"

"Salena? Oh... In my dream she was my... wife," Diego blushed thoughtfully. He didn't remember her face.

"And what about her in reality?" she asked puzzled.

"She is a childhood friend who I haven't seen since a very long time."

"No doubt that she must have robbed your heart at that time," she said in front of his smiling and still thoughtful face.

The young don blushed to the comment while Moneta let go of his hand.

"A taken heart is not fancy free anymore."

"You know, my dear, I doubt to see her again one day. And even so she would have probably forgotten me," he said while Don Alejandro and Don Cornelio came back.

Suddenly, someone knocked at the door with so much aggressiveness that each watched the other. Don Alejandro went to open it and had the bad surprise to find Monastario.

"Where is he? Where is your son?" He lost his temper by going inside bluntly.

"From what right do you dare enter like that in my home?" Don Alejandro asked by putting his hand to his weapon.

"Get out of my way, De la Vega."

"Señor, a little quiet please," Diego said by standing up, leaning on the chair and putting again his hand to his head.

The capitán got a satisfaction's smile.

"Don Diego De la Vega, on the name of the King I arrest you," he asserted by pointing his pistol to him.

"Could I know what you're accusing me of?" he asked as he felt a presence at his sides while his sight became slightly hazy.

"I accuse you of being Zorro and to have come last night to the cuartel for freeing peasants."

Indeed, it was quite a night. The lancers weren't rested from the day before, poor men. Juanita and Francesco wouldn't have spent Christmas with their respective fathers if I hadn't intervened. It was child's play to enter in the cuartel and to free them.

"Diego spent the evening teaching me to play chess," Moneta intervened grabbing the arm of the young don.

"Señorita Esperon, it's no use trying to give him an alibi."

"We went then to midnight mass and Padre Felipe could testify to it," Don Cornelio added.

"It lets him time enough to come to the cuartel before dawn," Monastario sustained. "I'm certain to have hit the outlaw during his flight."

So, this is it! It's true that the shot passed not very far from me and I leant even more on Tornado. He then believed that I was hit. Too bad for him, it's not the case. On the other hand, it's correct to say that it is the lack of sleep which made me lose my balance when Moneta hit the ladder by opening the door.

"And if it was the case, do you believe that Diego will hide us such a wound?" Moneta questioned.

"This young rooster is hiding a lot from you," Monastario sustained by observing the young don trying to find his balance.

"And you believe that his dizziness is coming from this wound?" Alejandro asked, laughing in spite of himself.

Doubt suddenly settled within Monastario while he noticed that Don Cornelio was finding back his smile too.

"My clumsy son didn't find better to put a ladder behind a door to hang a decoration. It's useless to tell you what happened next."

Monastario was raging; his proof was falling to nothing while he noticed the ladder on the floor. Yet, he was convinced; Don Diego De la Vega and the bandit named Zorro were one and the same.

"Whatever you say, Señores, this young dandy won't have me there. Make him prove to me straight away that there isn't scar of shot on his body."

"Steady on, you don't want that I undress in front of the señorita," Diego said outraged.

Ill at ease, Moneta let go of his arm and took a step back. Unbalanced, Diego leant even more on the chair in order to stay up.

I'm terribly sorry, Diego, she thought. But this... bandit won't get out of it like that.

Moneta went forward toward Monastario with a resolute pace.

"Señor, when we see how you treat people, we easily understand that nobody loves you."

"Señorita, be careful," he growled, making a step to her as she went backward diagonally on his right. "Woman or not, you will end behind bars for insulting on His Majesty's officer."

Moneta stopped dead, stepped back and looked the capitán up and down, who was now closer as he halted within a step from her.

"You are in my personal space, Señor. It's a place reserved for friends and a husband. Now, you are neither one nor the other," she dared.

"Are you afraid that I take advantage of the situation?" he said haughtily.

"Ha! Would you be bold enough to make last the tradition?" she asked by indicating him the composition above their heads.

Monastario's cheeks went red when he saw the bunch of mistletoe.

"That's well what I thought, you're just a..."

Her words died on the capitán's lips who was then kissing her.

"Boor!" she slapped him as she went red cheeks.

"Didn't you want me to make last the tradition?" he smiled devilishly.

"You... You're just a... a vile person," she raged as she took a step back.

"You really want to end behind bars. Very well! Lancers, seize her," he ordered.

Three soldiers came in the hacienda and caught her.

"Lead her to the cuartel and enclose her in cell."

"Moneta!" Don Cornelio said with alarm.

"From what right do you dare?" Don Alejandro exclaimed taking out his sword from its scabbard.

"Capitán, you wanted that I took off my shirt? It's done," Diego said bare-chested.

"It won't make me change my opinion regarding the señorita," he said observing him.

There was no trace of wound on him, but who could have believed that such a dandy was lying around with such a musculature.

I certainly didn't hit you, De la Vega; but a coward like you can't have such an appearance, he thought.

Moneta felt her cheeks burning by gazing at her friend's powerful body.

"Since you're not Zorro, you won't stop me to leave with Señorita Esperon."

"But I yes," Don Alejandro intervened putting his blade on the capitán's torso.

"Father!" Diego exclaimed in front of the familial impulsiveness.

"What a great occasion you're giving me, Señor," Monastario said tauntingly. "You want to fight, De la Vega, then let's fight."

The capitán took out his sword and started the fight, bringing attention from the lancers whom let go of the señorita. The fighters moved in the courtyard during their savage joust and were followed by Don Cornelio and the soldiers. Moneta went sheltered in the protection of her father's arms... Luckily for Diego who took benefit of the lack of witnesses to join the secret passage where Bernardo was waiting for him since Monastario's arrival.

"No, Bernardo, my dizziness isn't important anymore when I'm up. And then, I won't let Monastario spoil this festive day."

Quickly ready, Diego ran upstairs to go out using his bedroom. He briefly observed the fight before climbing a little higher.

"Holà, mi Capitán," he hailed once on the roof.

"Zorro!" Monastario exclaimed as he saw him going down on the balcony with agility that Don Diego couldn't have at the time being.

He neglected his fight against Don Alejandro and climbed up the stairs by pairs, followed by the lancers.

"You're trapped like a rat, Zorro."

"Really?" he questioned by plunging toward the capitán who had no other choice to step back in the middle of his men to dodge the attack.

They found all on the floor under the mocking laugh of the Fox. Before they had time to stand up, Zorro jumped in the courtyard.

"Señor De la Vega, is everything alright?"

"Si," he asserted.

Zorro taunted again the capitán who made himself room to go down, jostling unceremoniously his men.

"There you are at last, I nearly wait," the Fox joked.

Raging, the capitán firmly attacked. The bandit was smiling and wasn't really worried. The exchange was lively and Diego felt that he had to put an end when his sight was briefly shortened.

"It's not that I'm being bored, mi Capitán, but I'm awaited," he said by unarming him easily before marking him with a Z and cutting his belt.

Monastario found himself in long johns, his pants lying on his feet. It was evidently the general mockery.

"Señor, Feliz Navidad," Zorro said before moving away.

"Lancers," he called red with anger and shame.

The soldiers, obeying, tried to stop the Fox and ended in the same clothing state as their superior.

Moneta observed the Fox and let go of her father. She went closer to him as he was teaching the capitán a lesson.

"Señor Monastario, go back to the cuartel like a good boy and let honest people in peace. If I observe that you don't follow this advice, you will again have to deal with me and I don't know if I will be as merciful with you. Now ... What an indecency in front of the señorita, you should be ashamed."

"Señor Zorro," she called him when he was about to leave.

His sudden stop provoked him a slight dizziness. This one was so short that Moneta believed having dreamed it.

"What do you want, Señorita?"

"Thank you and Feliz Navidad," she said before kissing his cheek with the most honorable of intentions.

"Feliz Navidad," he said kissing her hand before going back upstairs and disappearing on the roof.

In the courtyard, Monastario was fulminating and the lancers, not proud, pulled up their pants. It was out of question to drop them a single moment, even to take back their weapons. And then, to cap it all for the capitán and his men, the first guest of the De la Vegas arrived at that time.

"Buenos días, Señores, Señorita," he saluted by entering in the courtyard.

"Viceroy, did you have a good journey?" Don Alejandro asked while Monastario felt himself becoming as white as a sheet.

"Yes, thank you. I've been told that I could find the commandante in your home."

"Indeed, Capitán Monastario got the... delicacy to come and see us," Señor De la Vega said ironically.

"Viceroy," the latter saluted as rigid as a picket, as he firmly held his pants in order to remain decent and imitated by his men.

"Is that the way to salute His Majesty's messenger in Los Angeles?" Don Esteban questioned.

"Well..." he stammered very ill at ease.

"On attention, Capitán, and straight away."

The capitán and the lancers obeyed and were only dressed once again in long johns, the Z of the Fox blatant on their torsos.

"Is this the new uniform of the lancers?" the viceroy said ironically. "Dismissed soldiers, I want to see you in a better state when I come to do my round in the cuartel and beware if nothing is beaming."

Monastario needed no more as he pulled up again his pants. Offended, humiliated and complaining with anger against the outlaw, he ordered his men to hush the affair once they were far from the hacienda.

"And if I ever learn that one of you got the impudence to disobey me he will end his days on a galley, is that clear?"

"Si, Capitán," they retorted.

In the De la Vega's courtyard, the good mood made its comeback.

"What happened?" the viceroy asked.

Don Alejandro explained to him the main lines of the story and invited him to follow him in the hacienda.

Inside, Diego who had changed his suit, was waiting for them, sitting in a chair.

"Don Esteban, what a surprise," he exclaimed as he wanted to stand up...

Only, he was again feeling dizzy.

"What do you have?" he asked.

"I fell from a ladder while I was hanging some mistletoe to the demand of Señorita Esperon."

Once again Moneta was at his side.

"El Zorro uses the same perfume as you," she whispered to his ear.

Diego looked at her with astonishment.

"And he has the cheeks as sweet as yours," she added.

"Would you have robbed him a kiss?"

She felt herself becoming slightly pink to his comment and helped him to stand up.

"You're holding better on your legs, Diego," she said aloud.

"The fact to have remained seated has helped me; however, I would have liked seeing how my father managed to get rid of Monastario."

"Oh... Between Zorro and the arrival of the Viceroy, I think that he won't make any foolishness for a while," she underlined.

"Zorro came?"

"As if you didn't know it? ... Didn't you think to look through the window?"

"Briefly, there was too much brightness."

He was feeling that she doubted about his identity.

"Diego? How are you feeling?" Don Alejandro questioned as he went closer to him.

"I'm still feeling a little dazed. Moneta told me that the Fox came."

"Si ... He made Monastario and his men lose their pants."

"I wish I had seen this... Monastario mustn't have appreciated."

"Indeed, and unfortunately for him, I arrived at that time," Don Esteban underlined, smiling.

Don Alejandro wasn't fooled by his son's behavior. There was something which wasn't normal and he was sure that it wasn't from the fall.

"Señores, Señorita, if you please want to go and wait for us in the library?" Señor De la Vega asked as he saw Avila in the courtyard.

"Of course," Don Esteban sustained.

"You seem to be very confused, Son."

Diego remained silent in order not to risk saying more than it needed.

After the doctor's care, who concluded that Diego received a big shock and advised him some days of rest, they went in the sala where the lunch was about to be served.

Once they were all sitting, Diego proposed a toast. However, as he couldn't stand up, he excused him.

"Don't hold it against me, but I'm afraid to have to stay seated for a moment... Here's to friendship and justice!"

"To friendship and justice," each repeated.

"For my part, I offer a toast to the justiciary masked man who knew to bring a magical Christmas to the more powerless and protect us against the diabolic plots of the infamous capitán. To Zorro."

Each looked at Don Esteban who raised a brow puzzled by this toast.

"Toasting to an outlaw with the viceroy that I am is not the more common thing to do," he remarked. "However, for what I managed to learn, this outlaw doesn't seem to be one. Except if we stop to Capitán Monastario's echoes. The people seeing him as a justiciary, I accept this toast for the people. To El Zorro!"

"To El Zorro!" they repeated in a single voice and smiling.

Indeed the fiesta was for tonight, but they needed to take some strength until then and who knows… The Fox may be part of it, after all he told it himself... He was awaited.

Author's note: It was my participation for Christmas challenge

1) There has to be a girl in it, from the show.
2) She can be a romantic interest or not.
3) Try to have something crazy happen.

Happy New Year to everyone! I hope you appreciated the story. ;o)