Inside a cabin…

Uriel wakes up extending his arm, he is sweating as he raises his body looking at the ceiling; “What was that dream…who was that man? He looked familiar…”

Uriel looks at the window and sees that it is dark outside; “I see, so it’s night time…I can hear the crickets singing…”

“Mmm-Hmmm” Uriel hears a voice coming below. He looks down and sees Marjorie who is in her underwear consisting of a black bra and black panties. Uriel notices that he is shirtless and covered in bandages.

Marjorie slowly wakes up, she rubs her eyes and yawns:

“G-G-Good Morning”

“Marjorie…are you alright?” Marjorie hears Uriel’s voice, she takes a better look. Marjorie cries from happiness and hugs him:

“URIEL…YOU’RE AWAKE, THANK GOD…I WAS SO WORRIED!”

“Calm down, Marjorie…I’m alright…but please, your bra is going to fall off..” Uriel blushes as Marjorie hugs him tight. She finally comes to her senses as she sees her and Uriel shirtless and blushes:

“GGGYYAAHHHH!!! U-U-Uriel it’s not what it looks like.”

She turns around embarrassed holding her breasts. Uriel also turns around in order to prevent seeing her, after a few moments of an uncomfortable silence, Uriel asks Marjorie:

“M-M-Marjorie what happened to us after the explosion.”

Marjorie lowers her head and begins to explain:

“Well you see, first we fell to the river and got pulled by a water fall.I fell unconscious as well and we arrived on a small island in the middle of a lake. I saw you without breathing so I help-p-ped you”

Uriel turns around and asks; “How?”

He notices Marjorie’s red face and touches her lips; “Well you know.” Uriel realizes that she did CPR, Uriel once again turns around feeling embarrassed; “T-T-Thank you.”

Both of them begin to put on their clothes. Marjorie changes into a black dress with flower petals on the edges. She also grabs her hair with a red ribbon. Uriel puts on his black buttoned shirt with blue jeans.

“U-U-Uriel…I’m sorry, for not telling you the truth…” Marjorie feels down. Uriel sighs with his eyes closed; “Don’t worry about it, besides you can’t go telling everyone that your a member of M.A.G.I.C. Also, don’t forget that I am a dangerous man to them…”

“I understand…still, I should've told you…”

“Marjorie, don’t think about it…remember, that I am an evil being…”

“No…you’re not…you’re a good person, you saved us from the Chupacabras, and the Sombras in Rio Grande City.”

“So you knew about everything…” Uriel looks at Marjorie, Marjorie avoids looking at him as she nods in agreement; “ I did…my mission is to investigate the Borderland and it's unnatural levels of mana. I wanted to help you and Yggdrasil with all of the dangerous situations you faced but we couldn’t…we can’t interfere with Yggdrasil’s mission.”

“I see…so you know everyone who is involved in this right?”

Marjorie nods in agreement. “And the time I erased your memories?”

“I only pretended to act confused, and that’s because I couldn’t let my identity be revealed…”

Uriel sighs; “Is Aleister aware of your position?”

“No…I never told him and he doesn’t know anything…”

“I see…”

“About me and Aleister, I was also her girlfriend because I needed to investigate his family…The Lucifugus is a family full of mysteries…”

Uriel gets closer to her and grabs both of her shoulders; “Listen to me Marjorie…don’t ever go near them again…that family is dangerous, Aleister is dangerous…I’m afraid that something bad can happen to you…please, stay away…”

Marjorie smiles; “I really appreciate you being concerned about me but don’t worry…I am a Mid-level mage afterall…”

“Of course you are…” Both of them chuckle. Majorie puts on her sandals and necklace stands out from her neck. The necklace appears to be golden and cut in half, with an image of half of a rose. Uriel notices that and holds; “Marjorie who gave you this?”

“Oh, this?” Marjorie gets embarrassed; “Someone gave it to me, five years ago…it’s a little embarrassing but he gave it to me as a promise that he would return someday and make me his wife. At first I thought it was Aleister, but he never showed me his other half.”

“I see…” Uriel looks surprised. Majorie gets nervous; “B-B-But I think it was just a dream because I don’t remember his face or anything…Alejandro always said that it was someone…but I don’t remember him…all that I remember is that he was my first kiss and he told me that…”

“This medallion represents my life that belongs to you and I will keep the other half is your life that I will keep…we will meet again one day and once again put them together and make them a whole…because we are always going to be together…”

Marjorie is in shock upon hearing the same words she was going to say; “U-U-Uriel..how did you know what I was going to say?”

“Because…I know the person who told you that…” Uriel creates a small portal on top of him and a necklace with the other half of the rose. Marjorie looks at it with surprise, both of them put their medallions together completing. At the back of the medallion, there are the initials of “M&U”

“Uriel, you have it as well? Then were you…”

“No, this medallion belonged to Uriel Vazquez…the one who swore love to you…”

“I don’t understand, you’re not him?”

Uriel shakes his head. Marjorie, who doesn’t understand, asks:

“Uriel please tell me the truth, why are you El Charro Negro? What happened to you 5 years ago? Why are you not Uriel Vazquez?”

“Those are too many questions…don’t you think?”

Marjorie holds Uriel’s hands, she looks at him in the eyes; “Please…” -BBADDUUMMPP- Uriel’s heart skips a beat, Uriel sighs and makes a little smile; “Very well…I will tell you…”

Uriel decides to tell Marjorie part of his story; “The truth is that I am one of the causes of the Borderland catastrophe that happened 5 years ago…”

Marjorie opens her eyes wider; “You? How can this be?”

“5 years ago, the Vazquez family was kidnapped by a mysterious organization led by Aleister’s father, Darius Lucifugus…In a desperate situation, Uriel Vazquez accepted to make a deal with the devil itself, El Charro Negro. El Charro Negro would help him rescue his family and in exchange, he would become his successor…Uriel Vazquez accepted without hesitation and with the help of El Charro Negro, he rescued his family. However, Darius Lucifugus is the strongest man in the Borderland and he killed Roberto Vazquez, who sacrificed his life to save his family…creating a giant explosion, thus, creating the Borderland Catastrophe…”

“...” Marjorie is speechless, she sees Uriel with tears in her eyes; “Uriel Vaquez accepted the deal, but there was a drawback…his entire existence was going to be erased, his memories, his personality, his complete being was going to disappear. He accepted it with a smile because he saved his beloved family. On February 4th, 3 days after the event…Uriel Vazquez died and Uriel Di Fiore was born…”

“I’m sorry, it must have been hard for you…” Marjorie sheds tears, Uriel looks at her and chuckles; “It was…luckily, my mother, my sister Valerie and my brother Daniel didn’t left me alone…also my Predecessor became my guardian…at the end, I think I was blessed with them…” Uriel smiles at Majorie. Marjorie cries:

“Thank goodness, I knew it, the first time that I saw you, I knew that you were special to me.” Marjorie gets closer, she takes a deep breathe and gathers courage:

“Uriel…I love you…I’ve been in love with you since the first time I saw you…even if you say that you’re not Uriel Vazquez…You’re still Uriel…and that’s enough for me…I love you…”

(BADUMP BADUMP BADUMP)

Uriel is speechless, he feels as if his heart is about to explode and turns red. Uriel avoids looking at her; “Sorry Marjorie, I can’t answer to your feelings…because…”

“Because, you love someone else right?”

“No, it’s not that…” Uriel looks at her and sighs; “You’re right, I did love someone, but she left me for another man…” Uriel thinks back about a pale skin girl with red eyes and black hair; “Serena”

Marjorie looks down, Uriel observes her worried. Marjorie lifts her head; “Uriel, kiss me…”

“Kiss you?” Uriel gazes at her surprised. Majorie gets closer to him; “Kiss me…I want to feel the sensation I felt 5 years ago, when we gave our first kiss…”

“Marjorie, we can’t…not here…”

Marjorie puts her hand on his cheek and gently moves forward, Uriel sees her eyes as she slowly closes them; “I’ll make you forget that other girl…please kiss me…” Marjorie closes her eyes, Uriel leans forward, he also closes his eyes. Both of them get closer and their lips are about to touch. Uriel moves back, Marjorie opens her eyes; “Uriel?”

“How long are you going to stay there?” Uriel turns to the door, there is an old woman standing there. The old woman chuckles; “Ahh…young love…it brings back memories…”

Marjorie looks away embarrassed. Uriel stands up as he thinks; “I barely sense her…her mana is weird…”

“You rhythm sense didn’t work? Sorry but I know how it works muchacho…” The old woman goes and sits at the table. Uriel looks in shock; “She knows about the rhythm sense, she’s dangerous…”

“Uriel, this woman helped us when we were washed away…” Marjorie stands up as well. Uriel looks at the woman; “I see…thank you…”

“No problem muchacho…”

“Who are you?”

“They call me Bella, I´m the guardian of this Island.”

Note: Bella has the appearance of an Old woman. Her skin is brown with wrinkles, she has a little hump on her back, and has only one eye open. She has white hair without brushing.

“My name is Uriel Di Fiore…”

“My name is Marjorie Bellerose”

“MMEEEOOOWW” A small black cat enters the house. She goes with Uriel and rubs her body with him wanting to be pet. Uriel pets her head making her smile. Marjorie wants to pet her too, but the cat repels her; “HHSSHSHSSSSSS”

“Stop Carla, leave her alone.” Bella says to the cat. The cat jumps in the window and lies down. Bella sees Uriel:

“Now then, El Charro Negro, or should I say Juan´s successor.”

“Wait, how do you know that?” Uriel asks her with doubt.

“Well he and I share a long history”

“I see…” Uriel looks at her, analyzing the situation.

“I’m sure you already know, but Quetzalcoatl is after you right?”

Uriel nods in agreement; “Those children…they were Aztecs right?”

“Indeed they were…muchacho, do you want to know why all of this is happening?”

“I do…”

Bella smiles and says: “Come with me outside”

Uriel and Marjorie walk outside the house and open their eyes surprised. The trees are covered with beat up dolls hanging in every branch. There are dolls standing in line making a road, there are others in puddles, many of them look beat up.

Marjorie grabs Uriel´s arm frightened and:

“What is this place?”

Bella extends her arms to the sky:

“WELCOME TO LA ISLA DE LAS MUÑECAS” (ISLAND OF THE DOLLS)

“I knew this place, but are they here?” Uriel looks in shock.

“Just wait, she will appear any second now.”

“AAAAAYYYYY MMMMIIISSS HHHIIIJJJOOSSS!!!!!!”

Uriel and Marjorie are paralyzed to see a white woman walking down the road with two children holding her hand.