Some days later...
"After several days, thanks to the tracker I placed on Índigo's back when I escaped their old base, I've come to a conclusion, dear Cilita," said Nicolás Maduro while watching a security feed that showed Jolíe and me on screen. "They're headed to find the next fragment of the Aztec thread."
"That's very serious," replied his wife Cilia Flores, looking at the screen. "If they manage to get it, they'll likely try to fuse together and ruin your plans to stay in power."
"I'm not going to face them myself," she added. "I don't want to end up like Murillo when she tried and got pathetically defeated back in March." She took her husband's hand, clearly worried.
"You're right," Maduro answered while pulling something from his pocket, trying to reassure her. "Even with our chi giving us strength, it wouldn't be enough. They're far more powerful than before."
"But this South American Love Thread can stop them," he continued. "Its destructive power combined with the Silboom whistle could give us the edge—so we must fuse."
He glanced at a projection of Jolíe and me as our power had increased. He held out his hand to Cilia, who looked skeptical.
"I don't really believe in the power of those threads, but it's our chance to stop them before we end up in jail like common criminals—including me, an expert one," she said, flipping her hair before taking his hand.
"That surprises me, Cilita," Maduro smirked. "I thought your pride and sociopathic side would stop you from fusing with me."
"But fine. Let's perform the fusion dance based on the steps my son—your stepson—Nicolás Maduro Guerra found on those Peruvian inscriptions three days after my pathetic clone stole that thread."
He clenched his fist as a memory flashed through his mind—his son copying the steps from ancient carvings in Peru. Then they began their fusion, tying the thread around their left ankles and performing a bizarre dance mixing criollo waltz and tango. The base began to shake violently, and from a fiery explosion emerged a mysterious man, standing in a combat pose.
"Now I'm ready to crush Índigo Vicente Pereira Adame and Jolíe María Ávila Rodríguez," he declared. "They won't stop us this time."
"I am Macelio—the fusion of Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores, united in one body… and in chi."
In his eyes burned reflections of Jolíe and me—engulfed in flames, surrounded by blades.
The night before our trip to Guanajuato to celebrate Jolíe's birthday at the Alley of the Kiss...
Jolíe was having a WhatsApp video call with her mom:
"Jolíe, seriously? Now you call me—after three weeks—and after your grandpa told me all about the crimes you committed while under that Maduro cumbia mind-control?!" her mom, Jía Ávila, scolded while attending to a customer at the bar where she worked.
"Anyway, how have things been in Costa Rica these past months? Apart from that time you told me you unlocked your chi and nearly got killed by those girls Ortega sent after you."
Jolíe answered while fiddling with her phone: "Not much, really—just trying to enjoy it. But the workload at UCR is heavier than it would've been at a university in Nuevo León."
"My job's been exhausting too. I spent three whole days in bed recovering from the wound Diana gave me when she hit me hard in the gut with her fire drill."
"But the important thing is that Índigo gave me a beautiful sky-blue cyber flower to replace the one she stole. And tomorrow, he's taking me out on a birthday date to the Alley of the Kiss."
Images flashed showing Jolíe working on a report, turning in a passenger log, lying in bed recovering, and receiving the new flower from me. She showed it to her mother proudly.
"Oof, that punch must've hurt bad, baby girl. But the flower is lovely—your skinny guy really put in the effort," her mom said.
"A date at the Alley of the Kiss, huh? That's going to be special. When I turned 18, your father Jorge took me to Veracruz—we had crab and fish that day."
"But you'll enjoy it even more, so good luck, Jolíe. Gotta get back to my customer. Love you!"
Jía Ávila smiled softly and ended the call. A brief flashback showed her and Jolíe's father in Veracruz, hinting at bittersweet memories.
"See you next time, Mom. Love you," said Jolíe with a small wave. Then she thought to herself:
"A date in Veracruz, huh? From what Dad told me before Aunt Jenell died, he wasn't great at picking date spots for Mom…"
"But Índigo's different. I hope I can formally confess my feelings this time. I'm gonna check his desk—he's probably up to something ridiculous again."
Jolíe ran into the room and asked:
"Índigo, what are you doing all chill like that?"
I spun in my gamer chair and replied:
"Nothing big, Jolíe. Just watching these YouTube videos about the lovers from the Alley of the Kiss. Some are kinda creepy—especially Hugo León Ortiz Castellano's take—but at least they explain why the Aztec Thread of Love and Fate got destroyed."
I showed her a clip. She looked at the screen, intrigued.
"That explains a few things… If we have time during our date, we could look for the thread. And yeah, I know that Hugo guy—I've seen some of his weird animation shorts during my work breaks."
"Wouldn't surprise me if one day that guy hears about our story and makes a video about it. Honestly, I don't even want to think about how he'd adapt us."
"Me neither," I said, frowning. "Let's hope a studio like Science SARU—or even Huevocartoon—adapts us instead. At least his animations are kinda fun."
"Anyway, short version: those lovers were the original Aztec Thread holders. Luis Carlos had it hidden, but one day, Carmen's father burst into the room to kill her after finding out they'd reunited."
"They tried to fight him off, but he had a dagger with chi-blocking magic. He cut the thread, separated them, and stabbed Carmen. The thread fragments flew everywhere. Luis Carlos, devastated, threw himself off the highest point of the mine. Their spirits now appear when the sun goes down in the alley."
As I explained all this, an image of the legend played in my mind. Jolíe was amazed:
"That adds a whole new layer to the thread's backstory. But I still don't get how Juan Mora Porras got a fragment and gave it to you before we traveled to the past."
She yawned and stood up: "Anyway, let's head to bed. I'm wiped from work, and we've got a big day tomorrow—my 18th birthday."
She rubbed her face sleepily. I replied, pulling out the fragment from my drawer:
"Maybe it was just fate… But yeah, you're totally right. Can't sleep in like that time we trained with your grandpa."
"Tomorrow's the big day. I'm finally going to confess my feelings to her with all my heart. I just hope I don't screw it up like I did with Briana… and Araceli."
I held the fragment tight, stood up from my chair, yawned, and nervously touched my lips, already thinking about how tomorrow could change everything.
The next morning…
As I waited for Jolíe to get ready, I said goodbye to my mom and grandpa.
"Bye, Mom. I'm heading to my date in Guanajuato," I said in the kitchen.
She quickly turned to look at me and replied,
"Hope everything goes well with Jolíe for her birthday. Make sure you behave, and don't act dumb when you're walking next to her."
"Also—did you check that you look presentable? No messy hair, no open zipper?" she added, waving at me with a half-serious look.
"Yeah, Mom, I'm all set. I'll remember that," I replied, placing one hand behind my back as I ran to my grandpa's room.
Once I got there, I said:
"Bye, Grandpa! I'm heading to my date with my friend Jolíe to celebrate her birthday."
He was putting a few things away and replied:
"Alright, enjoy it. That girl deserves it—after 16 adventures together, she reminds me of your dear grandma Cecilia. At least she's not a snake like Blanca."
He paused, his voice tinged with emotion and a hint of bitterness at the mention of that old love interest.
"Thanks, Grandpa. I'll enjoy it. I miss Grandma too, but that other girl… let's not talk about her. I'm still bitter over how she lied to me and made fun of me."
"Anyway, I'll go see if Jolíe's done getting ready."
I gave him a hug, clenching my fist a little in resentment, then rushed upstairs to my mom's apartment where Jolíe was changing. When I opened the door, I was surprised.
"Jolíe, you're ready already? For the birthday date?"
"Wait… is that what you're wearing?"
I pointed at her, stunned. She was wearing a white long-sleeved blouse, a short blue skirt, and white heels.
Jolíe put a hand on her hip and replied:
"Of course, cutie. I wanted to look cute for my 18th birthday.
You don't mind, do you, skinny boy?"
She gave me a playful, flirty look, fully aware of what she was doing.
"N-no, not at all. It was your choice to dress that beautifully for this occasion."
"But we should go. My anti-gravity bike's ready to take us to Guanajuato," I said, trying to stay calm but clearly blushing.
Jolíe grabbed my shoulder and smiled:
"Yes, let's go before we're late. And you look really handsome in that burgundy shirt, Índigo."
Looks like flirting and acting seductive worked to ease the pressure before confessing my feelings, she thought, brushing her dark-blue painted nails along my shirt.
"Thanks a lot…" I said as we headed down the stairs.
I wonder what she's thinking… maybe about how she might reject me? I just hope I don't make her uncomfortable during the date. No, that won't happen. We've got this.
I tried to keep a serious face but slowly built confidence in myself.
Later, we left on my anti-gravity bike and arrived in Guanajuato. Before heading to the Alley of the Kiss, we stopped at the Juárez Theater. There, someone recognized Jolíe—turns out her ancestor, Teresa María Ávila, used to perform there back in the day. The person asked if we were a couple, which we immediately denied—both of us blushing like crazy.
After that, we visited the Alhóndiga de Granaditas because Jolíe suggested it. She told me it was one of the key sites in Mexico's independence, and what made it so interesting to her was the historical context and how it represented a shift in the country's history.
I then told her that the only real historical site in Costa Rica was La Casona, where Juan Santamaría burned down the building. That story brought us closer than usual and made things feel kind of romantic. Then, nervously, I suggested we check out the mummies of Guanajuato and grab something to eat before going to the Alley of the Kiss. She agreed—it had been years since she last visited that place, not since she was 12. And yes, we had enough money for food.
So we rushed to the Guanajuato Mummy Museum. As we walked through, I got really freaked out by the mummies, so I held Jolíe's hand tightly. She told me not to worry—they wouldn't do anything. Her words helped me hold it together, but I still pushed myself not to be a burden.
After we left, we went to eat enchiladas mineras. Jolíe said she'd try ordering hers without spice so she wouldn't end up like that time in Tampico with me. I tried them and really liked them. She smiled when I said I liked the food, and we ate together while drinking red prickly pear juice.
Finally, after finishing our meal, we headed toward the Alley of the Kiss. As we walked through the alley, we started having a small conversation…
Later that day, at the Alley of the Kiss…
"Wow, Índigo, I gotta say—this has been one of the best dates I've ever had. Way better than the ones I had with my exes," Jolíe said while walking beside me, a warm smile on her face.
"I'm glad you enjoyed it, Jolíe," I replied, glancing at her. "I think we both needed this break after so many crazy adventures. Honestly, I never got to have a proper date like this before. The girls I liked either weren't interested… or, when I finally had a chance, that Blanca girl betrayed me. Guess having rough experiences on dates is something we have in common." I said that with a thoughtful tone, my hands behind my back.
Jolíe nudged me with her elbow and looked at me.
"But I'm nothing like her, Índigo. I never betrayed you. I've always been there to support you, to encourage you—just like a real friend should."
"And there's something I wanna say… something I told you back when we fought Diana and the Maduro clone." She blushed, took my hand, and gently touched my face.
"I really like you, Índigo." She was clearly nervous, her cheeks red.
I blushed too and replied, putting one hand behind my back.
"I really like you too, Jolíe. You've been such an important part of my life."
"But… I think we'll have to continue this romantic confession later," I said suddenly, pointing to something behind her, "because some kind of fusion monster version of Maputo is about to smash us with a vine right now!"
We dodged just in time. Jolíe flipped gracefully into the air using her wind abilities, and I slid across the ground with my electric discs. Once we landed, we turned to face the fusion.
"Maputo?! Again? Interrupting a perfect moment?" I shouted, standing up. "I thought you were dead—or something like that!"
"That's what we thought too," Jolíe added, glaring at him. "And now I won't forgive you for ruining my birthday like this!"
"Tell us what the hell you're doing here! Using the South American Thread of Love and Destiny just to fuse?!"
The fusion looked at us and said:
"Oh, nothing in particular, my dear children. I simply came to defeat you both… and retrieve the Aztec thread fragment Índigo's carrying."
"So allow me to introduce myself—I am Macelio, the romantic union of Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores!" he said with a wicked smile, striking a battle pose that looked suspiciously like Yamcha's.
I took my stance too and replied:
"What a disgusting combination… An old criminal lady with a horrid voice and a dumbass with Superman powers. No matter—we'll take you down, right Jolíe?"
"Of course, Índigo," she said, determined but smiling. "Especially after ruining my 18th birthday and our love confession… That really pisses me off."
"Alright!! By the power of Quetzalcoatl—TRANSFORMATION!!" Jolíe shouted angrily, glaring at Macelio. She was instantly transported to a mystical temple where she transformed, ending with a pose that looked straight out of Sailor Mercury.
Macelio sneered as he watched us:
"How pathetic… I expected more from your transformations. Let the duel begin—here in the Polyhedron of the Kiss!"
Macelio launched into the sky like Jiren and attacked us. Jolíe propelled herself with air currents and slammed her elbow—now turned into solid earth—into Macelio's side. It hurt him, but he was more resilient than we expected. He retaliated with a psychic punch that sent her crashing into the wall. I threw a cyber-lasso around his arms and slammed him into the ground—it worked at first, but he stood up again. He wasn't fast, but he landed a brutal punch to my chest, hard enough to make it bleed. Even though we were injured, we stood up again to fight. I hurled electric discs at him to electrocute him, but he tanked the damage like it was nothing. So I used my telekinesis to throw an entire car at him—that made him bleed from the nose. But he whipped back at me with a vine slap to the face. Meanwhile, Jolíe used a mix of acrobatics and Northern Shaolin kung fu to strike him with rapid blows—it seemed to hurt him, until he started whistling from afar. That distracted her long enough for him to sneak behind, touch her back, and absorb part of her chi before striking her so hard she bled all over. Despite being a grotesque fusion of Maduro and Cilia, he was more powerful than we expected. Even with our strongest moves—the Makaire Tamaulipeco and Big Tecno Attack Cartaginés—we couldn't bring him down. Exhausted, Jolíe finally cried out:
"He's way too strong for us! If we keep going like this, he'll take us out—fast and painfully!"
"What are we gonna do, Índigo?!" she asked, holding her back and staring at me, clearly worried.
"I don't know, Jolíe… But the Aztec thread fragment I've got—it's glowing. It's pointing toward a house further down the alley," I said, pulling the thread out of my pocket and holding it up.
"Maybe it's a clue—maybe it'll help us figure out how to beat the fusion of those two f*cking old bastards."
"Then let's move—before he follows us!" Jolíe said, placing a hand under her chin and then pointing at the fusion.
"I'm right behind you, Jolíe," I said, catching up.
We followed the thread's glow until it led us to a house with a balcony. We decided to climb up, and once we entered, we both said:
So this is the place the thread fragment led us to, but I don't know why it brought us here, Jolíe? I asked, holding the Aztec thread fragment in my hand. Jolíe, just finishing her transformation, replied:
"I don't know, Índigo. Maybe it's connected to spirits appearing near this balcony." She looked at me and pointed toward some spirits.
"Yeah, it seems like it. But judging by their clothes—
"They could be the lovers from the Alley of the Kiss legend!"
I exclaimed. Suddenly, a strong wind shook the alley, and behind the balcony, the legendary lovers appeared.
"Yes, it's us, Índigo Vicente Pereira. I'm Carmen Ana Monta Mayor, and alongside my beloved Luis, we were the first bearers of the Aztec thread in colonial times." She introduced herself before us, lowering her head slightly and holding her dress, then introduced her beloved. He said, looking at us and then at his beloved:
"Alright, I'll start, dear. When I met my beloved Carmen, she was a girl protected by her stingy father, who wouldn't allow her to fall for someone of low status."
"That didn't please her because they forced her to do things she didn't want. But one day she met me, and that's when we felt like we had known each other before—our loneliness connected us, not having anyone to share our feelings with."
"I told her about finding this thread in one of the mines, and how every Sunday at mass, we could use it to fuse and defend Guanajuato from those who wanted to harm the innocent."
"She chose to do this rather than remain locked away, using her chi to soothe her father's headaches."
"From that day on, our fusion was known as 'Anís.' The more we used it to protect Guanajuato, the closer we became. But one day, Carmen's father caught us while I was giving her some water."
"He decided to lock her up and threatened to send her to a convent. I used to visit her to sing serenades and sometimes show off my chi powers as a miner, but it was frustrating being apart so long."
"I spent all my savings to buy a house to be with her again. When I got it, I touched her hand and we swore eternal love, sealing it with a kiss. But one day, her father noticed she was acting strange while looking at a mysterious thread."
"He tried to get to the bottom of it by talking to a merchant who told him the thread was one of the Threads of Love and Destiny, capable of fusing couples—the Aztec thread, created by the Aztec gods. The merchant also said Carmen still saw me and advised taking a special dagger to destroy it immediately."
"He didn't believe it, but eventually learned the truth. One night, he went to our room. Doña Brígida tried to stop him with her chi, but Carmen's father blocked her."
"I sensed danger with my seismic sense in the ground and told Carmen to fuse immediately. She agreed, and we performed the fusion dance."
"When her father entered, we surprised him with a wind attack, throwing him against the wall. An intense battle began where we used all the powers of the Aztec gods we could, but it was too late—he had a blocking dagger that stopped us and destroyed the thread, making a fragment fly to an unknown direction."
"We unfused, but he stabbed Carmen with the dagger. Seeing her dead body, I gave her a last kiss and hid the other thread fragment in a secret wall in her room."
"Unable to bear her death, I threw myself from the highest well in the mine. Since then, our spirits have tried to find the other fragment without success."
Luis Carlos told this long, sad story as images projected in his mind. I replied, wiping away some tears:
"What a heartbreaking story. It turns out that one day, when Jolíe and I were sent by Rosario Murillo and Juan Morra Porras, he gave me this Aztec thread fragment that flew away, according to your story, Luis Carlos." I pulled the fragment from my pocket and approached him. He took it and said, feeling sentimental and nostalgic:
"Seems like this one. But how did he give it to you? We searched for it for over 400 years."
Jolíe approached me and looked at him, saying:
"This fragment was given to Índigo before we returned to the present, but we don't know how he found it. We need to hurry before the fusion of Maduro and Cilia Flores arrives."
"We need him to tell us where he hid the other fragment so Índigo and I can fuse and defeat that threat, just like your beloved Carmen explained," Jolíe said, standing and explaining how she gave it to me. She then looked out the window, alerting us about Maduro and Cilia's fusion.
Luis Carlos said nothing, so Carmen acted to reason with him:
"I know you're affected by how I died 400 years ago, Luis, but you must tell us which wall in my room you hid it in."
"It's time for others to take our place as the new bearers of the Aztec thread. Do it for me and for them."
Carmen approached Luis, hugging him tightly, trying to calm him with a gentle, empathetic tone. Luis looked at her and said confidently:
"Yes, alright. I'll do it, my dear. Thank you."
"Good. Índigo, the Aztec thread fragment is in that wall behind you." She gave his hand to her beloved, blushing slightly and proud that he did the right thing. Luis flew and pointed at the wall behind me.
I said:
"Alright, thanks Luis Carlos. I'll break it open with my cybernetic fist to find and reassemble it." I looked serious, picked up my jacket, and opened the wall. I took the other fragment and tied it again. It flashed brightly as I said:
"Okay, I put it back together. Now, what's the fusion dance so we can fuse when facing that other fusion?"
Luis Carlos said:
"To fuse, you must tie the thread to each of your shoulders and dance the Huapango of Quetzalcóatl—a variant of the Tamaulipeco huapango."
"But time is running out, so my beloved Carmen will tell you this," Luis said, clutching his chest, almost fainting. Carmen looked at us and said:
"Yes, we're about to fade, but just one last thing: we protected this thread once, now you must do the same, Índigo Vicente Pereira Adame and Jolíe María Ávila Rodríguez."
"Good luck in that battle. Goodbye."
Carmen said our full names and then completely vanished along with Luis. Jolíe approached me as they disappeared and said:
"They're gone, Índigo, but they're right. Now we must protect it as the new bearers of the Aztec thread."
"But one last thing—when we defeat Maduro and Cilia Flores, promise me we'll confess our love on the last step of the Alley of the Kiss," Jolíe said, sitting beside me, looking worried but happy, placing her hands on mine. I looked into her eyes and answered:
"Alright, let's do it. I promise you with all my heart, Jolíe."
I gave her one last kiss before leaving the room. Then I said:
"Okay, let's go."
I offered my hand, and Jolíe took it, looking worried but kind. After that, we went straight to where Macelio was. He was surprised to see us and said:
"Looks like you're back, Índigo and Jolíe... but you won't beat me, even if you combine your powers and special techniques. Because as a fusion that honors Commander Chávez, I'm stronger than you, damn kids!"
Macelio shouted, taking an attack stance. His bitter glare and massive ego overflowed with hatred. I looked at him seriously and replied firmly:
"It's true we couldn't beat you separately... but now you'll see something much stronger. Let's go, Jolíe! Let's do the dance with the Aztec thread tied to our shoulders... to fuse!"
I said this while opening my arms and handing Jolíe the other part of the thread. She looked determined and answered:
"Yes, Índigo. Let's do it... and send these old fools to hell. You'll see our true power... that of real friends and future lovers."
Jolíe gave me a serious look but smiled as she clenched her fist and placed the Aztec thread fragment on her shoulder. At that moment, we began the fusion dance: the Huapango of Quetzalcóatl.
To the rhythm of ancestral footwork and a powerful cry from our souls, the ground trembled. The energy was so intense it shook the US, Canada, Mexico, and all of Central America. Even Macelio felt intimidated by what he witnessed.
When the fusion completed, our new body slowly rose. Firmly, we put our fists forward in a battle pose. Macelio looked at us with contempt. We said nothing—just stared silently, serious, calm, and defiant like Goku in Super Saiyan 4 facing Goma.
It was the beginning of the end.
Índilie.