In Another Life

The Truth

Maya and Zatz have been doing the same dance for centuries and they wouldn't have it any other way. 

They saw the rise and fall of kingdoms and empires, their friends and families coming into the land of the dead. The battle of the four kingdoms against Mictlan became legend, which was enough to keep their loved ones in the Land of the Remembered. 

It was interesting to see the mortal realm from the perspective of a god.

Though Maya and Zatz raise and set the sun and moon all over the world, they spend most of their time in their home land, despite the four kingdoms being no more. 

There were some mortals the two deities found interesting to watch, but there were two mortals that stood out among the rest; Manolo Sanchez and Maria Posada. 

They didn't pay too much attention to their lives, but there was something about the mortals that fascinated them. They were especially supportive of their love for each other, a rare love that was as strong as their own.

They watched them grow up, get separated, be reunited twice, conquer death itself, and finally be united forever. 

Maya and Zatz were aware that Manolo had entered the land of the dead, but they never encountered him. Zatz also felt something when Manolo died. He felt as though something snapped into place within him, as though it's been gone for hundreds of years. 

That night, Zatz watched as the mortals' wedding celebration went throughout the night. He also notices the newlyweds leave before anyone else. Maria seemed as though she was angry for a bit before embracing her husband, leaving the celebrations after a few more minutes. Zatz didn't pay much attention to them as he was raising the moon.

Manolo sat on the edge of Maria's bed staring at the floor, the events of the day running through his head. On one hand, he married the love of his life, and apologized to her a number of times for being reckless. But on the other hand, he had just lost his father and great-grandmother. 

He didn't know if he should be feeling joy or grief. 

He felt weight sit on the bed next to him and a hand on his shoulder. He turned at the touch to look at his wife looking at him with a warm expression. 

Maria sighed and said, "If... if you want to be alone tonight-"

"No." Manolo said. At that moment, he knew he wanted to feel joy, "I want to be right here with you."

Maria smiled and pulled him down for a gentle kiss. They parted for a moment to look into each other's eyes before they kissed again, more passionately as Maria undid Manolo's ponytail, running her hands through his soft hair.

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Zatz came home later that night when the moon was high in the sky.

As he stepped through the threshold of his and Maya's room, he was immediately tackled by his wife in a hug that almost knocked him down. 

"Oh... hey." He strained as Maya squeezed him tightly. 

"I'm pregnant." Maya whispered with a laugh in her voice.

Zatz now understood the sudden attack. He smiled as he hugged his wife back, a tear escaping his eye as his heart flooded with joy. 

"Really?" He asked, his voice cracking.

Maya pulled away, tears streaming down her face as she nodded happily. 

Zatz brought her face to his and kissed her forehead, "When did you find out?"

"Just today. I'm only a few weeks along." 

"This is wonderful."

They stayed silent, basking in their joy for a while. After centuries of being together, they were to be parents.