Chapter Nine: “A Future Promise”

Diary of the Wolfgirl/ The Neverwoods; May 1822

As I sit here at the cliff top overlooking the Neverwoods,

I have a lot to think about. Diego-Fox is nearly recovered

his injury. He seems to understand it was purely

accidental that he was hurt. Harley has already

apologized, and although Diego-Fox assures him he

holds nothing against Harley, Harley still feels

badly about it.

We will be returning Diego-Fox to his people as soon

as night falls. I will leave with him something that

will tie into his future. I know not how, and I know

not why, but I have a strong leading to leave with him

the Fire Amulet. Diego-Fox is not the Warrior who will

awaken the Amulet’s sleep, but I believe Los Angeles

is the place where it will be awakened, so therefore I will

leave it in Diego-Fox’s keep. He will protect it.

When the Day of the Amulet arrives and they are all

finally awakened from their sleep, we shall all meet

again, but there will be a new evil to fight. Yet, still

I sense that those days are still a great many years

away.

Night is falling. It is time to go.

The Neverwoods in the Home of the Neverwolves

Diego opened his eyes and sat up. He seemed to be more aware this time, he noted. He knew he had been in this make-shift bed of leaves for more than a day now, but he couldn’t recall more than half of it.

According to the She-wolf who had been looking after him when Cassie was not available, he had been delirious and feverish from the Neverwolf poison. He knew Harley felt bad that he’d gotten hurt, but really, all Diego cared was that Victoria and the people in the Pueblo were unharmed.

Diego looked around the den. No sign of Cassie. Over in the corner, a mother wolf sat with four pups greedily nursing. Beside her, Harley was seated, watching intently, the smallest pup. This was Spike, Diego somehow knew. The pup who had survived when her mother had been killed.

After having seen the way these animals acted around each other, Diego wondered how anyone could ever consider them to be the cold, heartless creatures they were made out to be. No, he could never hold anything against Harley. He had only done what was in his instincts to do. It was the humans who had made the mistake of underestimating the power of the Pack.

Standing up, Diego looked around the den again. None of the wolves was even giving him a second glance. Slowly, he walked toward the entryway. He stepped out of the den, into a massively wooded area. The trees were so thick, he couldn’t see any part of the sky.

I was wondering when you were going to get up. A voice spoke up in his mind.

Diego turned his head. Tornado stood beside a very thick trunked redwood, munching on grass.

“Tornado.” Diego spoke up, grinning. “How are you, old friend?”

I like this place. The horse replied in mind speech. It is very peaceful. I cannot imagine why Harley would ever want to leave it.

I don’t think he knew what the world was like outside of these woods. Diego responded, as he looked around. Have you seen Cassie?

She is on the cliff top. Tornado answered, tossing his head in the general direction. But she is coming back down. She says it is time for us to go back home. They are worried about us there.

LOS ANGELES, CA MAY 1822, DE LA VEGA HACIENDA IN ZORRO’S CAVE

Felipe woke with a start hearing Tornado’s snort above him. He’d gone to the Cave to be alone and think, and he had fallen asleep on a bed of straw. Looking up, he saw Tornado’s nose and the horse backed up slightly.

Felipe jumped up and looked around, but the horse was without a rider. He frowned, until a voice entered his mind.

Come into the hacienda. Diego-Fox is returned and wishes to see you before he is sent to bed, and Zorro can come out.

Grinning, Felipe ran over to the peep-hole, finding no one in the room, he snuck through secret door and ran to the entry way where Don Alejandro was hugging his son.

Cassie stood off to the side with her own smile and gave him a nod. He will be fine. Does not worry, but I would like to speak to you, Zorro, Victoria, and Sergeant Mendoza alone later tonight.

Felipe nodded.

LOS ANGELES, PUEBLO, MAY 1822

Victoria sighed as she swept the floor inside the tavern, well after closing time. It had been almost two days and Diego, Tornado, nor Zorro had been seen since Cassie and her Pack had vanished. The Alcalde had actually slept for a full twenty-four hours after she’d left and seemed to have little memory of anything after when Cassie had spoken only for his ears. He did not find out about Diego until he awakened a day and a half later, when Mendoza had quietly told him.

Although Ramone had expressed his sympathy to Don Alejandro, it was unclear as to whether he truly meant it. Ramone had little hope for Diego returning at all.

As for Victoria, she had done some thinking to herself in the quiet hours of the night after Diego had vanished. Serious thinking. Zorro had never appeared the night of the Full Moon, only his horse, who had come at Cassie’s command. Then Zorro had also not been seen since the vanishing. Somehow Victoria knew that had Zorro been able, he would have come to see her after the events of the Pack’s would-be attack. Most people of the Pueblo had agreed that Zorro had been likely thrown from his horse when the wolves had arrived, and not made it in time to the Pueblo to help, but they decided that he must have seen everything was alright and stayed out of sight.

Victoria herself, had another theory. There had been too much evidence. Actions Diego had made in the times he actually acted on his emotions before he covered it up . . . hints he had dropped to her at times, and even hints Zorro had dropped to her back when she had taken a bullet in his place. Somehow she realized what she had already known since the night the illusive Fox had broken her and Don Alejandro out of jail. Zorro had been in the plaza the night the Pack came, and Zorro, indeed, had saved them all by releasing Harley. Yet, this time, he had acted without his mask.

As the sly smile crept across her lips, as she lay in her bed, looking through the open window at the almost full moon above, Victoria almost laughed. She would never reveal to anyone what she knew, not even to Diego himself. She would keep the illusion Diego had created hidden deeply within her heart, until the day came when they would finally declare their love. Only then would she reveal she had already known.

A noise on the roof above caused her to jump, startled, but as the figure darkened the light of the opened window, she sat up, revealing she was fully dressed and waiting.

“I knew you’d be coming back sooner or later.” She whispered, throwing off the sheet.

Zorro grinned. “Cassie has returned with Diego and Tornado.” He informed her, with a bow of greeting and a kiss on her hand. “She commands our presence at the De la Vega Hacienda, and I came to get you. I believe she has something to say.”

“Oh thank God.” Victoria breathed, allowing him to lead her out the window, and help her down to a waiting Tornado. “Is Diego able to receive a visitor?” She asked, as they rode out of the Pueblo.

“I believe Diego was sent straight to bed.” Zorro replied, softly. “He has been through a rough recovery and Don Alejandro wanted him to sleep through the night at least, before seeing anyone.”

“Oh I see.” Victoria responded, with a secretive smile her companion did not see. “I’ll come to see him in the morning then.”

“I’m sure he’d appreciate that.” Zorro responded.

EPILOGUE

In the aftermath of the entire adventure, the people of Los Angeles were finally able to get back to their normal routine. After Don Alejandro and (they thought) Diego had gone off to bed, Cassie spoke alone to the humans who had helped her most. Although Diego was not present at the time, Cassie did mention he also heard and was part of the prophecy she was bestowing upon them all.

She placed in the hands of Zorro, a red Amulet, with strange markings around the sides. The markings, in the common tongue read, “Fire burns forth to the Warrior True.”

After handing him this and telling him to bury it where none would find it, she spoke for their ears alone a prophecy, as she touched them on the forehead, one by one; Zorro, Victoria, Felipe, Mendoza, and Tornado.

“The Amulet of Fire, I leave in your keep;

Until the Day when the Warrior awakens its sleep.

At that time, you’ll fly, as Part of the Pack;

To defend us all from Evil’s Attack.”

The Alcalde never mentioned the message he’d received from Cassie, nor did he ever forget it. And when the time finally came and the secret he’d so longed for did eventually take his life, a single Dark Elf came to his side when all had gone.

The heart was still beating, although the back was broken and the spine was severed, his life could still be saved. But in order for him to recover all his wounds, he would sacrifice half of his humanity and become half Elf. He would eventually return to live in the land of the humans once again, but that is another story and another time.

As for the De la Vegas’, in his thanks for saving Diego’s life and returning to him his only son, Don Alejandro gave Cassie a black filly. Said to have been sired by Tornado himself, Cassie named the baby Night Mare.

The End

To my dear readers who have stuck with this story throughout, and to you who discovered it later and kept on pestering me about finishing it. Thank you for your comments and your advice. It was for all of you that I have finally finished this story . . . a story that has been in the making for over 14 years, back when I first started the original version in a green wire ruled notebook.

I hope the ending was worth the wait, and as for the continuation of this “When Worlds Collide” posted on Sven’s page, although it doesn’t yet include the Zorro characters, it DOES include the Wolfgirl. We’ll see how it goes about completing it. Sven is the one writing it so no promises as she’s stopped completely with the spoofs, but I’ll ask about this one. If not I can always try to complete it myself.

--Thank you for your continued support.

Cassi (Evilspoofauthor2)