Santa Cuerva Luchadora Mágica: III - La Guerrera Indomable

Kenichi crouched below the tables, and, lugging his guitarron, made it to the alley. The matadora pulled him deeper within, outside of the view of the man in the wrestling mask.

“I'm glad that I found you,” she said.

“Me?” said Kenichi.

“Yes,” she said. She hissed her esses as she spoke. “You are the one to bear the Marigold.” She held up a jeweled boutonniere with a yellow flower on it. He took it. He took a deep breath.

“What do I do with it?” he said, realizing that his place in the world was being revealed to him.

The matadora smiled a playful grin. “Hold it up and say ‘¡Danza Macabra!’”

He looked at her. “Seriously?”

She nodded.

He looked back down the alley. The man was still laughing. But then, he stopped. A group of crows started flying around. A few landed on street signs and parking meters. Then a voice from around the corner said: “By the power of the night ¡La justicia pelea con máscara y honor! I am la Reina de la pena, ¡la sombra con alma buena!” The man in the wrestling mask crossed his arms as the voice continued its monologue. “La linda Luchadora ¡Santa Cuerva!” Kenichi could see him frown at this, even through his mask. “By my plumas oscuras ¡te derrotaré!”

The man hopped down from the Luna Cosmetica truck. “You'll need more than words to beat me, chica,” he said.

Kenichi wanted to step out from the alley to see what was going on, but the matadora grabbed his arm and held him back. “If you want to help her, you have to channel the power.”

A woman stepped into view. She wore a black wrestling mask that looked almost like a plague doctor mask, and on her shoulders she wore a feathery cape. She wore a black sequined leotard and black boots.

The luchador planted his hands on his hips. “I am El Gorro de Dormir,” he said. “I have this town in my chokehold, and I will put everyone to sleep for our queen, Ixchelaraña.” He started laughing.

Santa Cuerva pointed to Gorro de Dormir. “I will take each and every one of Los Rudos down if it's the last thing I do.” She ran toward him, and leapt into the air. “¡Vuelo de ala!” she shouted as her cape seemed to take the shape of wings for a moment. She lifted into the air, and then came down with one knee. It crashed down into the concrete where Gorro de Dormir once stood, but he did a backflip somersault at the last minute to dodge the blow.

He grabbed a length of wood with an acorn carved into one end. “I'll add a muesca to mi columna de la cama, ¡con tu cabeza!” He swung it at her head, but she dodged it by leaning backwards, the post just missing the beak on her mask.

“For someone who makes other people fall asleep, you look tired yourself,” she said, sweeping out her legs. “Are those patas de gallo I see in your eyes?” She tripped him and he fell on his back.

He pushed himself onto his shoulders, kicking his legs high. He caught her in the face with his boots, which Kenichi realized looked like slippers. Santa Cuerva fell back.

“If you want to say her, you have to say it,” said the matadora behind him.

Kenichi looked at the marigold boutonniere in his hands, then he looked at the matadora. She nodded. He held it up like he had done with the mechmote. “¡Danza Macabra!” he said. Then he felt a strange energy surrounding him. His arms and legs stretched out to either side, and one after another, his clothes were replaced with a suit with intricate embroidery. It was a full traje de charro: a short, fitted jacket, formal shirt, tight pants, vest, ankle boots, and a sombrero. Then the magic ran across his face. In a nearby window he saw that he now wore calavera makeup, his face painted like a skull, and marigolds painted around blackened eyes. He landed back on the ground, guitarron on its strap, hanging from his shoulder. He clicked his way out of the alley, leaving the matadora behind.

Gorro de Dormir stood over the prone figure of Santa Cuerva. “I normally have pollo on sábado, but cuervo will do in a pinch.” He prepared to do a suplex, but was flung back as a marigold dart struck him in the chest, planting its step into the concrete beside him. The sound of a guitarron strumming echoed from the shadows. Kenichi emerged in his full regalia.

“¿Quién eres?” said Gorro de Dormir.

Kenichi, not understanding Spanish, said, “You know, I think I figured out why everybody around you keeps falling asleep.” He played a little bit on the guitarron, then pointed the neck at Gorro de Dormir. “It's because you're boring.” He picked up the intensity of his song, practically dancing around the luchador. The song took over, almost controlling him. At certain points, he kicked the man, again and again and again. Then he finished his song. Gorro de Dormir was out. “Now, time to unmask you,” he said. He slung the guitarron over his back and leaned forward, plucking off the luchador mask. Upon removing the mask, Gorro de Dormir clutched his face and wailed. Light poured from his skin, scattering at all angles, and when it was done, he no longer was the muscular man in torn pants and a leotard, but was a fairly normal guy wearing his pajamas.

He looked around confusedly. “Was I dreaming?” he said.

Kenichi helped him to his feet, still wary in case he might be playing a trick. “What do you remember?”

The man stood, looked up and down the street at all the people sleeping on the sidewalks and at tables. “I was trying out a new sleep mask,” he said. Then in a whisper. “I was self-conscious about the bags under my eyes.” The next thing I knew, I passed out, then after having a strange dream where I was some luchador, I woke up here.”

Kenichi placed his hand on his chin and nodded slowly. “Well, maybe you should just make a cup of chamomile before bed next time.”

The man nodded. “Is everybody going to be okay?” he said.

Santa Cuerva stood beside Kenichi. Tochi hopped between their legs. “You're still dreaming,” the rabbit said. “Just go home, go to bed, and when you wake up, things will be back to normal.”

The man accepted this: a talking rabbit, a mariachi with calavera makeup, and a crow-themed luchadora. He nodded, then plodded on home.

“Calavera Mariachi,” Tochi said. “I didn't expect to see you here.”

“Yes,” said Kenichi, wondering if they could see through his disguise. “I came when it seemed like you needed help.”

Santa Cuerva nodded. “Thank you, Calavera,” she said. “I've heard so much about you, and am glad to have finally met you.”

“The honor is mine,” he said. He spun his guitarron around to the front, played a few chords, then vanished in a puff of colorful smoke and marigold petals.

Santa Cuerva picked up Tochi. “You need more training,” he said. “That Rudo shouldn't have been able to defeat you so easily.”

She nodded silently. Meanwhile, all the people on the street were starting to stir, eyes open with confusion. Santa Cuerva carried the rabbit to the alley where the secret Luchadora Mágica gym was, looking to make sure nobody was watching before she entered.