The Book of Life x Reader

No retreat, no surrender!

An old man lays a loaf of bread on a decorated tombstone in honor of the love in his life that has passed.

'On this festive, enchanted day, families bring food and offerings to the altars of their beloved.' Mary tells the children, going into detail about what the people of San Angel did on this festive day.

Children run around as families stand around tombstones and honor those who have passed onto a better place.

'It's like a hundred birthday parties!' the curly haired blond exclaimed as she listened to Mary.

'Yes it is.' Mary answers, chuckling at how invested the little girl is even though they are only minutes into the story.

A mariachi band plays as people dance around while the children holler with laughter and continue to run around.

'And on this particular Day of the Dead, after centuries of being banished, Xibalba had had enough.' Mary tells the group of kids dramatically.

Two figures rise out of graves sitting right next to each other. A beautiful woman with long, silky hair, snow white skin, a long red dress that accentuates her curves beautifully, and a giant red sombrero with candles atop it rises from a beautifully lit and thriving grave. To her left a man with a white beard, toxic green neck, black wings, and a two headed snake staff rises from the unlit dark grave

"Really, my dear, you have no idea how cold and vile the Land of the Forgotten has become." Xibalba complains while shivering dramatically to add flair to his words and then glides away.

The beautiful woman, La Muerte, chuckles as she looks at him.

"Just like your heart, Xibalba. Just like your heart." She says as Xibalba glides next to a grave where a family is praying.

One man opens one eye to take a drink of his alcohol when Xibalba makes the candles on the altar go out and La Muerte de-lites them as she glides by. The man gasps as he looks at the bottle he is holding with disdain and puts it down. La Muerte chuckles at the man's confusion.

"Why must I rule a bleak wasteland while you enjoy the endless fiesta in the Land of the Remembered?" Xibalba exasperatedly asked La Muerte who looked at him with a resting neutral face.

"It's simply unfair." As he says this, he gets a smug look on his face as he reaches toward an old man paying his respects to the altar.

La Muerte slaps his hand as she exclaims his name.

"What? It's his time. More or less." Xibalba claims to a retreating La Muerte, smugly.

"Uh-uh. Not today, my love." La Muerte says while walking away from Xibalba.

Xibalba slithers up to her quickly, stopping in front of her and begs, "Come on, my dear, trade lands with me. I beg you." He bows in front of her to add a bit of pitifulness to hopefully sway her.

"Oh, you're so cute when you beg." La Muerte mocks with a hand on her hip, her face giving off the impression that they have had this conversation on more than one occasion and she is fed up with it.

"I'm serious. I hate it down there!" Xibalba exclaims, a hint of desperation in his voice.

"Hey! You're there 'cause you cheated!" La Muerte yells, coming closer to him with an enraged look on her face.

"You made your bed with that wage." She continues as she points to his chest while glaring at him.

Xibalba went to say something, but stopped himself as he knew nothing he could say would change her mind.