Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was a fine October morning in Santa Cecilia. 

There was a gentle, cool breeze in the air. Leaves fell from their trees, while cats and dogs chased one another, and birds flew by.

It all seemed like a perfect day to head out for a walk, and so, Imelda and her twin brothers, Óscar and Felipe, did.

“Isn’t this just wonderful, hermanos?” the woman asked, with a sigh. “The wind blowing in your hair, the smell of the fresh autumn morning—it’s the perfect day to be outside!”

“Sí,” Felipe said, with a nod. “Much better than staying in the shoe shop all day.”

“Ah, yes. Definitely.” Óscar nodded at his brother’s comment. “Though sometimes, I wish this place was more lively—like the Land of the Dead.”

“The Land of the Dead?” Imelda tilted her head in confusion.

“Oh, hermana, please don’t tell me you’ve never heard of the Land of the Dead!” Óscar sounded a little surprised, as though he had expected more from her. “It’s where all the skeletons live—where they spend their everyday lives. Every day is like a fiesta there!”

“I’ve heard that there, they have the finest musicians!” Felipe added.

“Walking and talking skeletons?” Imelda scoffed. “Sounds like something you would read out of a storybook.”

“It’s true, though, hermana! The only reason it hasn’t been entirely proven is because there’s a bridge that serves as a barrier between their world and ours,” Óscar tried to persuade his sister. “Hardly anyone dares to cross that bridge, because there’s too many risks.”

“Why don’t they just sneak by?” Imelda questioned her brother, still skeptical of the whole thing.

“It takes a lot not to get caught by security,” Felipe answered. “And even if someone is able to get past the bridge, they have to hide or else they might be discovered by the wrong people. Like, scientists or mad doctors.”

“Look, hermanito,” Imelda sighed, placing her hand against her forehead, curling her fingers a bit. “I know it may all seem real to you—which is fine—but to me, this all seems nonsensical. The concept of a living skeleton is just so abstract, so… bizarre.”

“Hey, you never know until you’re proven wrong.” Óscar shrugged.

“Hmmph. The day I’m proven wrong will be the day that dogs also start flying,” Imelda stated, as she and her brothers passed by an old yard.

Near the gates of the yard was a dark grey xolo. The dog blinked for a moment as it watched the three humans pass by, before it slid through the gates, bolting through the yard.

At the edge of the yard, unable to be seen by a mere human eye, was a bridge made of marigold petals. The dog ran across the bridge, towards a huge city up ahead.

In time, the dog’s dark grey fur turned pink and yellow, with blue dots.

Soon, it sprouted wings and flew across, towards the city in the Land of the Dead.

Chapter Text

In the main area of the city, many skeletons rushed and converged at a concert hall, filling in main seats inside as they waited in anticipation for the main event.

Suddenly, fanfare ensued as a skeleton woman with blue hair and a pink dress stepped forward from behind the curtains, onto the stage. “Presenting the honorable mayors of the Land of the Dead: Señor Nazario Rivera and Señora Patricia Rivera!”

The mayors then entered the building, while the crowd cheered. Nazario was fifty-nine years of age, and dressed in a black suit, with a white shirt underneath along with a yellow tie. His hair was mostly grey, only a few dark brown hairs remaining. Patricia, on the other hand, was fifty-seven, and was dressed in a black dress while she wore a pearl necklace. Her hair was curled slightly, and trimmed to the point where it barely passed her chin.

It was years ago, when they had first taken their place as the mayors of the realm. When he and his family first came to the city, Nazario had realized that the land’s citizens needed leaders to guide them, to help them, and assure their safety. So, he and his wife had assumed the position of leadership, while their son, Héctor, was to be educated by the most finest composer ever, so that he could become a musician alongside his peers.

However, during his years of being mayor, Nazario had held a huge grudge towards humans for their cruelty and their carelessness towards other living beings.  So he did not hesitate in showing his destestation for them—and eventually, he had decided that in order to prevent his fellow men from ever experiencing the horrors of mankind, he would have to set up rules preventing his subjects from crossing the marigold bridge, to assure that they would not run into any human. And so, he did, and most of his citizen followed his rules, for some of had already feared humans, while others shared his feelings on the subject.

However, Patricia did not share the same feelings as her husband had when it came to humans. While she did agree that some could be heartless and horrid, she didn’t think that all of them were terrible. Every group had their own bad eggs, and she just wished that her husband would realize that. In the end, though, she kept her mouth mostly shut as she hated to argue with him.

When they finally arrived at a balcony above the stage, they took their seats.

Then, the announcer continued, “And presenting the distinguished court composer: Victoria!”

The forty-five year-old entered the hall, only to receive mild applause in return. Before she took her place as the conductor, she went up to the balcony seat.

The mayors turned to her with grins on their faces.

“We are really looking forward to this performance, Victoria,” Nazario said.

“Oh, Señor Rivera, I can assure you that this concert will leave you so amazed, that afterwards, you will be glued to your seat, wishing for an encore!” Victoria replied, filled with certainty that this was the best concert that she had ever conducted. “This concert consists of only the finest musicians, after all.”

“Especially our little Héctor,” Patricia said, smiling softly.

“Yes, yes, his guitar-playing skills are spectacular,” Victoria said quickly. She then muttered under her breath, “Now, if only he would show up at rehearsals instead of running off to indulge in his fantasies…”

While Héctor Rivera was a star student, his attendance record was very poor as he had a habit for running off with his friend a lot. Victoria assumed that it mostly had something to do with his bizarre fascination with the Land of the Living, as there had been several occasions where the young man would sneak off to the human world, much to her and his parents’—and even the security guards’—chagrin.

She only hoped that today, he would finally show up on time.

Victoria then left the balcony, heading down to the podium. She then began to direct the orchestra, as most of her students walked onto the stage, playing their instruments. Yet, Héctor was nowhere to be seen.

Perhaps he’s just backstage, waiting for the right moment to come out, Victoria tried to reassure herself.

However, when it came to the final note, her students pulled the curtains back, expecting their peer to run out onto the stage with his guitar—but to everyone’s shock, he was not there.

The audience gasped while Victoria placed a hand over her mouth in shock.

Patricia attempted to calm her husband down as he was seething with rage, whispering to him, “Estás bien, Nazario. There’s no need to get all worked up, now…”

Nazario paid no mind to his wife’s attempts to soothe him, as he shouted, “HÉCTOR RIVERA! DONDE ESTÁ ESE NIÑO?!”

A skeleton around the age of twenty-one wandered around grand station, staring right ahead at the marigold bridge. His hair was short, black and unkempt with some loose bangs. He wore a straw hat on his head, along with a purple formal jacket with a white shirt underneath, a red tie with red, black and white suspenders and light brown pants. “Come on, chamaco…” he murmured. “Where are you…?”

“Héctor!” a twelve year-old boy’s voice called out. “Esperáme!”

Héctor rolled his eyes as he turned around, seeing a skeleton child dressed in a red jacket, with jeans and brown dress shoes. “Miguel, darse prisa!” He tried to keep his voice very low, as he didn’t want to get caught by one of the security guards. If he was caught, he would be sent back to his parents’ mansion, where his father would scold him.

Because unlike his father, the Land of the Living did not not fill him with abhorrence—but rather, with curiosity. There was so many things from the realm that intrigued him—its people, its objects (which he had been collecting for years now, with the help of another friend), just…everything about it seemed so magical, so wonderful to him. It was so different from his world—more exciting, less provincial. The people there seemed to be having the times of their lives and were enjoying themselves, while he was stuck with the role his parents had assigned him, as their ‘perfect’ little son.

Sometimes, he wished that he was human, so he could finally be able to live—to breathe their air, experience the Land of the Living and all of its joys and wonders, and the adventures it had to offer him.

But for now, he was stuck in the Land of the Dead, as a skeleton. So, he would have to make due with collecting items from the human realm, and sneaking across the bridge whenever he’d get the chance.

Thankfully, he had Miguel as a friend, and since the boy was young, he was much less judgemental than the others and more understanding. And he, too, was curious about the human world, just not to the same extent. 

As the boy caught up to him, he began to pant. “You… you know I can’t keep up with you all the time!” he huffed. “You’re just too fast for me sometimes…”

Héctor pointed at the bridge. “There it is.” He smiled. “No es hermoso?”

“Sí…” Miguel stared in awe for a moment, before he looked back at Héctor. “But how are we going to get across, when the security has been doubled today?” He then pointed at the guards. “Last time, there were only three guards, now there’s six of them!”

“That, chamaco, is very easy,” Héctor replied as he put a hand up, sticking a finger out. “All we have to do is run, on the count of three.”

“Are you sure this will work, though?” Miguel asked, a little nervous. “What if they catch us? They’ll send you to your parents and… and they might call my family…” The boy began to get a little worried. “Oh, if my parents found out about this, they would ground me!”

Héctor placed his hands on the boy’s shoulders. “Miguel,” he began, his voice a little stern, “don’t talk like that. We’ve been crossing the bridge for a while now, and have we ever gotten caught before?”

The twelve year-old shook his head. “No, we haven’t…”

“Then trust me when I say that we’ll be fine,” Héctor reassured him. “We just need to stick together, okay?”

Miguel nodded. “Okay.”

They looked back at the bridge, as Héctor began to count down, “One…”

The two backed up from their spots, as they prepared to run forward.

“Two,” Miguel continued.

They began running in place a bit. Then, they both cried out, “Three!”

The two dashed forward, past four security guards.

“OYE!” one of the guards shouted. “REGRESA AQUÍ!”

“Keep running, chamaco!” Héctor urged Miguel, as they ran across the marigold bridge.

Two security guards began to chase the duo as they ran towards the exit. “Oh, you two are in so much trouble!” one of them shouted.

“Especially you, Rivera!” the other added.

“That’s where you’re wrong!” Héctor yelled back as he continued to run. He was only just a few inches away from entering the Land of the Living. “Because, you see, I’m this clo—”

He stopped halfway through his sentence as Miguel suddenly collapsed, huffing out, “I can’t… make it…”

Héctor ran over to the boy, quickly grabbing his shoulders as he stood him up. “It’s okay, chamaco, I got you,” he said quickly, wrapping an arm around the boy. He saw the security guards getting closer and closer, so he began to run once more.

Luck seemed to be on their side, because before the guards could even so much as lay a hand on one of them, they both made it across the bridge, to the human world.

“Whew, that was close!” Héctor whispered, as he let Miguel go.

The twelve year-old looked back at the bridge, staring the guards—who were leaving to head back to the station—for a moment before he then stuck his tongue out at them. Then, he looked back at Héctor, who had already began to walk ahead. “Hey, wait up!”

“Lo siento,” Héctor apologized, stopping for a moment as he let his friend catch up to him. “I’m just very excited to see what Rosita has instore for us today,” he explained, as they walked through a yard.

“What do you think she’ll have for us this time?” Miguel questioned.

“Who knows,” Héctor said in a mysterious tone of voice, before the two then laughed.

The two continued walking until they saw a skeleton woman in her sixties—dressed in a pink dress with roses in her hair—up ahead.

“Rosita!” Héctor cried out, before he rushed over to the woman, with Miguel trailing behind him.

Rosita was amongst the few who didn’t hate the human world. She was known for being able to sneak across the bridge without getting caught, along with hoarding human items. Though, most of the stuff she hoarded ended up going to Héctor, in the end.

“Ah, Héctor!” the woman said, smiling as the young man approached her. “It’s great to see you here! I assume you’re curious to see if I have anything for you today, yes?” When twenty-one year-old nodded, she continued, “Well, you’re just in luck! I managed to find something that I’m sure you’ll love!” She then pulled out a white guitar, the head of which had been painted to look like a skull with a golden tooth.

Héctor and Miguel gasped. “Whoa…”

“Is that a guitarrón mexicano?” Miguel was surprised. He hadn't seen any guitar like this one back where he lived. “It looks amazing, much different from the plain ones back at home…”

“That’s because this guitar was made for only the finest of musicians around these parts,” Rosita told the boy. “After all, they have taste for only the best of music in this land.”

“Can I try playing the guitar?” Héctor questioned.

Rosita nodded, and handed him the instrument.

Héctor looked at it in awe for a moment, before he strummed a couple of its strings. He was about to hum a small tune, before he suddenly remembered the concert. “Ay dios mios!” he gasped, dropping the guitar as he buried his face in his hands, shaking his head. “I can’t believe I forgot the concert! Papá is going to kill me!”

Miguel’s eyes widened. “The concert was today?”

Rosita picked up the guitar, handing it over to Héctor. “You can still take it with you, if you want.”

Héctor nodded and took the guitar, slinging it around his back. “Gracias, Rosita,” he thanked her, before he began to run back towards the bridge. “I apologize for having to leave so soon, but I have to go!”

“Adios, Rosita!” Miguel said, before running after his friend.

Rosita simply waved as the two left. “Adios, Héctor! Adios, Miguel!”

When the two crossed the bridge, they did not take notice of a figure watching them from the distance as they ran towards the city.

The figure chuckled to himself, stroking a chihuahua alebrije’s head. “Yes, hurry home, Héctor… you wouldn’t want to miss Papá and Mamá’s concert, now, would you?” Then, he scoffed. “Some fiesta! Back in my day, life was like a real fiesta, when I had lived in a mansion… before Nazario had to go and ruin my chances of seizing my moment.” He scowled as he remembered how Nazario had exposed him as a plagiarist, after he’d stolen a couple of lyrics from other musicians. Afterwards, he had been practically exiled  by society, while Nazario lived with his wife and son in a fine mansion, with all the luxuries he could ever want. “Well, Nazario Rivera, you haven’t seen the last of Ernesto de la Cruz! Soon, I’ll be seizing my moment!”

Ernesto then whistled, causing three more chihuahua alebrijes to run over to him, while he put the fourth one down. As they stopped in front of him, he said, “Lucio, Flavio, Andrea, Fabricio – I want you all to keep a close eye on this precioso hijo of his.” He then grinned. “He may be the key to Nazario’s downfall…”

Chapter Text

When Héctor and Miguel had made it back to the city, they tried to head to the concert hall, only to run into Héctor’s parents.

Seeing the aggravated look on his father’s face along with the disappointed one of his mother’s, Héctor chuckled nervously as he rubbed his arm. He knew all too well that he was in big trouble with his parents now for missing the concert earlier. “Hola, Papá. Mamá,” he greeted them, trying to sound as sweet as possible so that his father wouldn’t snap, and that his mother wouldn’t be too upset.

“Héctor,” Nazario began, trying his best to sound calm, “we are going back to the mansion, to discuss this privately.”

“Señor Rivera—” Miguel was about to try to step in for his friend, only for Patricia to interrupt him.

“—you may return home if you wish to, Miguel,” she said to the twelve year-old. “You’re not the one who didn’t show up at the concert he was supposed to be a part of, after all.” She then looked at her son. “Venir también, mijo. Tenemos mucho de qué hablar.”

Héctor nodded silently, and followed his parents as they left for the mansion.

Miguel watched as his friend left for a moment, before deciding to follow the family.

When they entered the mansion, he waited outside while listening to the conversation between Héctor, the mayors, and Victoria.

Inside the mansion, Héctor stood across from his parents and Victoria. He held his hat in his hand as he looked on, feeling ashamed as he was admonished.

“I just don’t know what we’re going to do with you, mi hijo,” Patricia sighed, shaking her head. “Your father and I were so excited to hear that you were going to perform on stage, only to find out that you didn’t show up at all.”

“Mamá, perdóname,” Héctor attempted to apologize to his mother, “I just forgot, I—”

“As a result of your careless behavior—” Nazario began, his eyes narrowed.

“—careless and reckless behavior!” Victoria continued, glaring at Héctor.

“—the entire celebration, was, err—” Nazario was once again interrupted by Victoria before he could continue.

“—ruined!” Victoria yelled. “Completely destroyed!” She frowned as she thought of how much work she had put into the concert. “This concert was going to be the pinnacle of my career… I had put so much effort into it, so much care and thought…” Then, she spat at Héctor, “But thanks to you, I’m going to be the subject of ridicule for the following week!”

Miguel then ran into the house, shouting, “But it wasn’t his fault!”

The adults’ attention soon turned to the boy, who stood next to his friend.

“You see, Señor and Señora Rivera,” Miguel began, “Héctor didn’t know that today was the day that the concert would take place. He had no clue, since it wasn’t anywhere on his calendar, unlike his meeting with Rosita in the Land of the Living—”

“—‘Meeting with Rosita in the Land of the Living’?” Patricia repeated, shocked at what she had just heard.

Miguel gasped and covered his mouth immediately, looking at Héctor, who was now glaring at him.

“You snuck across the bridge again, didn’t you?” Nazario asked, angered as he stepped forward, closer to his son. “Didn’t you?”

“Nothing… happened,” Héctor said slowly, backing up as he grinned sheepishly.

Nazario put his hand to his forehead, disappointed at his son’s disobedience. “Oh, Héctor, how many times must your mother and I explain to you how crossing the bridge is such a huge risk? You could’ve been seen by one of those bárbaros, by—by one of those humans—”

“Papá, they’re not bárbaros!” Héctor cut his father off, taking a step forward.

“They’re dangerous!” Nazario shot back. “Do you think I wish to see my only son snatched away by some madman?” He put his hand under his son’s chin.

“I’m twenty-one, Papá!” Héctor yelled, moving his head away from his father’s hand. He was tired of being treated like a child. “I’m not a little boy anymore, I’m a grown man who can make his own decisions!”

Patricia looked at Héctor for a moment, before then turning to Nazario. “He has a point, querido. He isn’t a child anymore, we shouldn’t treat him like one—”

“—not now, Patricia,” her husband cut her off, glancing at her for a moment before returning his gaze over to their son. “Don’t you ever take that tone of voice with me!” He took a few steps closer, to the point where he was practically yelling in his son’s face. “As long as you live in here in this city, you’ll abide to my rules!”

Héctor sighed, before he tried to speak up once more, “But if you would just listen to me, for once—!”

“—not another word!” Nazario interrupted him, his voice booming. “And I am never—NEVER—to hear of you crossing the bridge again, is that clear?!”

Héctor trembled, feeling so overwhelmed by his father’s outburst. He stood there in silence for a few minutes, before he sniffled, running off as he broke down.

Miguel glared at Nazario for a moment, before he then ran after his friend, concerned.

Nazario stared at the spot where his son once stood. He wondered, had he been too harsh on his son? He turned to his wife, only to be met with a frown.

“You didn’t have to yell at him like that,” she said quietly.

“Patricia, I—” he started, only to be cut off by her reply.

“—there are other ways to teach our son right from wrong, than by belittling him.” She placed a hand on his cheek. “I love you, Nazario, and I know you’re just trying to look out for our son, but sometimes…you only end up driving him away.”

“If I may interject,” Victoria began, as she stepped forward, closer to the mayors, “if Héctor were my son, I would have someone keep a close eye on him to make sure that he does none of this ‘sneaking off to the human world’ nonsense.”

“You have a point there, Victoria,” Patricia remarked, realizing that perhaps, what her son needed was a supervisor. “Héctor needs to be supervised constantly.” She grinned a bit, as she looked at the composer, having already decided who that supervisor would be. She then glanced at Nazario, winking a bit.

“Of course,” Victoria said, not catching onto what the older woman was planning.

“He needs someone to watch over him,” Nazario stated, as he caught onto what his wife was implying. “To keep him out of trouble, and you—” he pointed at her as he spoke “—are just the lady to do it!”

Victoria’s eyes widened as she gasped, wondering what had she just gotten herself into. But then, she took in a deep breath as she said, "Of course, Señor Rivera. Que excelente idea."

She slowly stepped out of the mansion, shutting the door behind her. "How do I get myself into these situations?" she muttered to herself. "I should be composing lyrics for orchestras – not running after some headstrong man who's barely into his twenties!"

She stopped as she saw a xolo alebrije trot after two familiar figures. She raised an eyebrow as she watched the three sneak off. What is that boy up to? she wondered.

She followed after them, as they wandered off to what appeared to be an abandoned building. 

She stayed behind for a moment as they entered the building, before following them once more.

Victoria barely made it up the stairs, to the highest floort just below the rooftop, as Héctor closed the door soon. She hid behind a shelf, only to notice a collection of various instruments—ones much different in design, in contrast to instruments from the Land of the Dead. She even saw a radio, some books and a notebook—similar in style to the blank diaries one would find in a shop geared towards young adults, but still so much different. 

“Are you okay, Héctor?” Miguel asked as he stood behind his friend.

Héctor was sitting on a crate, holding a white guitar in his hand. “If only I could get him to listen to me, and hear me out,” he sighed. “I just don’t share the same view of the Land of the Living as he does. I don’t see how a world that crafts such wonderful things—and has the most beautiful music—could be terrible.”

 What do I have here?

It's so neat

Have you ever seen anything like this before?

It'd be easy to say that there's nothing else to ask for

Héctor strummed the guitar as he sang, before standing up, looking around the room.

What you see around you, 

So much opulence, so much splendor

Looking at this, you might say to yourself: yes, it's a paradise!

He went over to a section of his belongings, gesturing to a couple of violins, drums, flutes and accordions. 

I've got thousands of little gifts like this

Much different from the tools you'd find anywhere else

Héctor then held up a trumpet, offering it to Miguel. 

Do you want this little aerophone?

I've got a dozen

Miguel studied the instrument for a bit, before Héctor put it away.

But to be honest,

I want more!

Héctor glanced at the window, and saw the city lights. His heart ached with yearning, as he wished to see the city in the Land of the Living.

I'd like to travel around that world,

I'd like to see the people there dancing

To walk amongst those with—

"What's that thing on their bones called again?" Héctor asked Miguel. 

The young boy then pressed his hands against his cheeks. 

"Oh, flesh!" Héctor grinned, nudging the boy's shoulders.

With bones, you always feel so cold

With flesh, you get to experience warmth as you jump and dance

And walk down among their paved streets

Héctor walked over to the window, looking out to the city, smiling as he imagined that he was in the human's realm instead.

There, one is free

There, one is happy

There, the light shines from the moon

There, one lives differently than here

That's why I wish to be human

Victoria walked around the room a bit, but stopped near a crystal ball, gasping as she saw her reflection. She backed up a bit, only to stumble and trip over a tambora.

 What must I give to live out of this world?

What must I pay to spend a day basking in the sun's rays?

Héctor frowned as he placed a hand on his chin, looking at Miguel for a moment.

I think that out there, they'll understand

Bet that they allow their children to dream

He paused as he thought about it. The humans didn't seem to disallow anything, in contrast to those in his world. So, surely, they wouldn't prevent him from living out his dream.

Why would they stop me from trying to live?

He went over to the shelf and pulled out a book, going through the pages before showing it to Miguel.

To study what there is to know!

Ask them some questions and get some answers

He put the book away as he placed a hand on his chest.

What's a heart and why does it—

What's the word?

Beat!

Héctor left for the rooftops.

When he reached the roof, he gazed up at the sky, filled with hope. 

 A day will come, I'll finally leave

I'll leave without any regrets!

Then, he backed away a little, before heading back into the building. He looked back one last time, frowning a little.

Out of the city,

Wish I could be,

Part of that world...

Héctor looked back at his guitar, staring longingly, while Miguel placed a hand on his back.

Then, the two froze as they heard a familiar voice speak out, "Héctor, do you mind explaining to me what is all this?"

He turned around and saw Victoria standing by one of the shelves, with her arms crossed. "Victoria?!"

Chapter Text

“Well?” Victoria tapped her foot. “I’m waiting.”

“It’s just… errr… my collection!” Héctor stammered. “Yup, just a bunch of stuff I found, is all!”

“Oh, I see,” Victoria said, putting on a sweet tone of voice along with a fake smile. “Your collection, hmm…” Then, her eyes narrowed as she yelled, “IF YOUR FATHER KNEW ABOUT THIS WAREHOUSE AND WHAT YOU HAVE HERE, HE WOULD BE LIVID—”

“—you’re not going to tell Señor Rivera, are you?” Miguel asked, worried.

“Por favor, Victoria,” Héctor pleaded, placing his hands on her shoulders. “He wouldn’t understand! He won’t listen to a single word I say, no matter how hard I try to talk to him.”

Victoria shook her head, grabbing Héctor’s hand. “Héctor, you’re obviously under a lot of stress and pressure due to what happened earlier,” she started as she began to lead him out of the warehouse. “If you come with me, I’ll let you come over to my house, and you can have some tea.”

Héctor sighed, trailing after her. Miguel and Dante followed as well.

Soon, though, Dante stopped as his fur stood up. His body shuddered. Then, he stuck his nose against the ground, sniffing it.

Miguel raised an eyebrow. “Umm, Dante, are you okay…?”

Héctor and Victoria looked back at the alebrije, confused at the behavior he displayed.

Then, Dante ran up to Héctor, grabbing his pants with his teeth. He began to run off, dragging the skeleton along with him.

“Oye, es fácil, chico!” Héctor yelled, as he was dragged away.

“Ay dios mio!” Victoria’s eyes widened as she grew frantic. “His father is going to kill me!”

“Dante, Héctor, wait!” Miguel quickly ran after his friend, with Victoria following suit as well.

Dante continued to drag Héctor across the Land of the Dead, until they reached the marigold bridge. Due to the late hour, the security guards weren’t present. There, he let go of the skeleton and then sat down.

Héctor shot a glare at the alebrije. “Don’t you ever do that again – you hear me, perro?”

The alebrije pointed his nose ahead, near the exit.

Héctor directed his gaze towards the exit, staring at it for a moment. “I wonder,” he murmured quietly, “what is night like over there?”

Just as Victoria and Miguel had finally caught up to him, he took a few steps forward.

“Héctor, what are you doing?” Victoria hissed. “You’re going to get into so much trouble if you cross that bridge!”

Héctor looked at her for a moment, before looking back ahead. 

Then, he ran across the bridge, to the other side.

Victoria let out a grunt of frustration, before she, Miguel and Dante ran after the twenty-one year-old as well.

As Héctor made it to the other side of the bridge, he saw a bunch of bright, flashing lights and even heard some faint music in the distance. He listened carefully, amazed by it all. His friends soon arrived as well.

“Héctor, what are you—” Victoria began, only for him to put his hand over her mouth.

“Listen,” he whispered.

She did, and heard a bunch of people singing as though it were someone’s birthday. “Wow,” she gasped, as the twenty-one year old’s hand released her mouth. Then, she noticed that the young man was running off in the direction the music was coming from. “Héctor, come back here!”

Héctor continued to run, until he was near the back entrance of a courtyard. He peeked his head around the corner and saw a few men and women gathered around, having the time of their lives while a grey cat ran amongst them. He smiled at the sight, before his eyes widened once the cat began sniffing the ground, making its way towards him.

He looked away and hid behind the corner, as the cat got closer. He tried peeking again to make sure that the cat was gone, only for it to rub up against his leg. “No, no, no, no – shoo, shoo!” he whispered, waving his arms at the cat.

Then, a woman whistled and called out, “Pepita!”

Pepita stopped rubbing up against the skeleton’s leg, and bounded towards her owner.

Imelda grinned as she picked up her cat, petting her head. “Buen gatito.”

As Héctor’s eyes fell upon the young human woman, he was immediately stricken – not only was she beautiful, but there was this certain charm to her along with that beautiful voice… she seemed like such a lovely person, that he couldn’t help be enamored of her. He grinned a little, murmuring, “Ella es perfecta…”

“Who is?” Rosita said, as she walked up behind him.

Héctor turned around, startled by her voice. “Rosita, be quiet!” he shushed her. “Someone might hear us.”

“Oh, right – sorry!” she giggled sheepishly as she stood by him. She glanced at the party for a moment, before looking back at the twenty-one year-old. “Quite the fiesta, isn’t it?”

“Yes,” he replied, though his eyes were still glued on Imelda. “I’ve never seen a human this close before… oh, she’s muy hermosa, isn’t she?”

Rosita looked at the human woman for a moment, before her eyes shifted towards the cat. “I guess she’s pretty, but her cat on the other hand is definitely cute!”

“But her eyes – they’re so dark and mysterious,” Héctor murmured, as he watched Imelda dance and twirl around. He imagined himself beside her, spinning her around. “That woman is wonderful…”

“Alright everyone, settle down!” another woman exclaimed as she stepped forward. She had curly red hair, and wore a pair of glasses along with a blue dress. “It is my greatest pleasure to present my dear friend, Imelda, with another birthday present—aside from the dress I’ve made her, I have a very special, priceless gift for her.” She gestured to a box tied up with a purple ribbon, which took up a good chunk of space on the dinner table.

As the other folks cheered, Imelda smiled and patted her friend’s back. “Aww, Cecilia – you shouldn’t have!”

“But I wanted to, though,” Ceci said. “Feliz cumpleaños veintiuno, Imelda!”

Imelda picked up the gift and unwrapped it, only to see that it was a large painting of herself. The others were in awe, murmuring how beautiful it was while she raised an eyebrow skeptically. Pepita let out a simple meow, before she padded off, heading back into the house.

“Wow, Cecilia,” Imelda started, unsure of what to say about the gift. She placed it back down on the table, and forced a grin. “It’s – it’s something, alright…”

“I commissioned it from a local painter,” Ceci stated, smiling. Then, she added, “Though, of course, I hoped you would’ve had a beau to show it off to by now.”

“Not this again,” Imelda sighed at her friend’s comment. She walked towards the corner, causing Héctor and Rosita to quickly hide. She leaned against the wall, as she looked up at the sky. “Ceci, I’ve said this before multiple times: I don’t want to force myself into finding the right man – I want to wait for that man to come.”

The red-haired woman shook her head as she walked towards her friend. “I know, Imelda, but still… it’s not just me – your entire family just wants to see you happily settled down with the right man.”

Héctor listened to their conversation, feeling a little hopeful. Maybe, just maybe, he could be that man.

Imelda shrugged. “I know he’s out there somewhere. It’ll just take some time before I find him, or he finds me.”

“Maybe you haven’t been searching thoroughly,” Ceci retorted.

Imelda looked at her friend and smiled. “Trust me, Cecilia, when I find him, I’ll know he’s the one. There will be this spark – like a burning flame!”

Suddenly, Óscar and Felipe ran out to the courtyard.

“Fire!” Óscar huffed. “There’s a fire—”

“—back inside the house!” Felipe continued. “It’s all burning up!”

Everyone at the party gasped before they scrambled to get away and search for help, while Imelda’s eyes widened as she looked around, trying to find her cat.

“Fire?!” Rosita gasped in fear. “We have to get out of here!”

She quickly ran away, leaving Héctor by himself.

“Pepita?” Imelda called out. “Pepita, where are you?”

Suddenly, she heard a yowl coming from inside the house. She turned and saw Pepita clawing at one of the windows, fear in the cat’s eyes. As she was about to run towards the house, her brothers ran in front of her, blocking her path.

“Hermana, you can’t go in there!” Felipe protested.

“It’s too dangerous – you’ll be burnt alive in there!” Óscar added.

“I have to save Pepita!” she yelled, pushing back her brothers, heading towards the burning building.

Imelda entered the house, carefully making her way around burning pieces of furniture, before entering the kitchen. She saw Pepita standing on a metal stool near the kitchen table, looking around fearfully as everything around her was on fire.

“Pepita!” Imelda cried out, before letting out a few coughs as she inhaled some smoke. She held her arms out wide open. “Jump!”

The cat backed up a bit, before leaping into her owner’s arms, meowing.

Imelda ran back towards the way she came, heading towards a window. She placed Pepita on the windowsill, as she pried the window open. Once it was open, she threw her cat outside.

Then, she heard the sound of wood creaking, and looked above. She quickly moved out of the way as a piece of burning wood fell, but stumbled around as more smoke filled her lungs. She coughed violently, as she fell to the ground, slowly losing consciousness.

Noticing that the human woman’s cat was running around outside while she had not returned yet, Héctor decided to go into the burning house after her.

He rushed in, inching around the flames, making sure his clothes didn’t catch on fire. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Imelda lying on the ground. He ran over to her, picking her up bridal style.

“It’s okay,” he whispered, as he quickly carried her out of the burning building. “Te tengo. Tu vas a estar bien.”

Thankfully, he made it out just in time before any more wood could fall down upon them. He continued to carry her with him, until he came across a bench near the old yard's entrance. He carefully laid her down on the bench, and stayed by her side as he observed her.

Rosita eventually came and stopped by, as she saw the twenty-one year-old watching over the human woman. “Is she… alive?”

“I hope so,” Héctor murmured, before he placed a hand on Imelda’s chest. He let out a sigh of relief as he felt her chest moving up and down, signaling that she was still very much alive. “Gracias a Dios, she’s breathing!” He brushed a strand of hair out of her face, before cupping her cheek. “She shines more than all of the stars in the sky…”

Then, he began to sing softly.

What would I give to live where you are?

What would I pay to stay here beside you?

Victoria and Miguel finally spotted Héctor from afar after Dante had sniffed him out, and ran towards the young man. However, Victoria stopped in her tracks, her eyes widening as she heard him singing to the human woman and saw the loving look on his face.

“Oh no,” she whispered. “He’s fallen in love with a human!”

Meanwhile, Miguel gaped at the sight. Never before had he seen his friend so enamored by a girl, or heard him utter anything romantic at all—until now, at least.

Rosita smiled at the sight, happy to see that her friend found love—albeit, in the strangest of circumstances. 

Dante merely barked and stuck his tongue out, not really grasping the whole situation.

What would I do to see you smiling at me?

The sun peered over the horizon, as Héctor smiled and continued to sing for his newfound love. He was certain that if he had a heart right now, it would have been beating quickly.

Where would we walk?

Where would we run?

If we could stay all day in the sun?

Imelda moved her hand, grasping Héctor’s bony hand lightly as she began to open her eyes. Though her vision was blurry, she could at least make out his red eyes as they met her amber orbs.

But even if she didn’t know what her savior looked like, she at least knew that he had a heavenly voice that made her heart nearly skip a beat.

Just you and me,

And I could be,

Part of your world

Héctor stopped singing and looked away as he saw Pepita running towards them, with the twins trailing behind as they called out their sister’s name, “Imelda!”

Héctor ran away alongside his friends, into the yard. He stopped running for a moment though, and climbed the yard’s walls a bit just so he could observe a bit more.

Imelda sat up as her eyes fluttered open, while Pepita nuzzled against her sides, before looking up and meowing.

Óscar and Felipe ran over to their sister. “Oh, hermana!” they cried out in unison.

“Is scaring us half to death your idea of fun?” Felipe asked, as he held a hand out for her to take. “Because if so, then neither of us are laughing.”

“A man – a man rescued me,” Imelda said as she stood up. She took a few steps forward, a smile making its way across her face as she remembered his baritone voice. “He sung to me…” She put a hand over her chest. “His voice was maravilloso.”

Óscar smirked and nudged his sister’s shoulder. “Looks like someone’s in love,” he teased.

“Or maybe she just inhaled too much smoke and started hallucinating,” Felipe joked, not really understanding the concept of a man randomly throwing himself into a burning house to rescue a girl before running off. “Either way, we should get back to Ceci’s place, since the house isn’t exactly a good place to head back to for now—until the repair team gets it fixed, of course.”

The twins linked their arms with hers as they began to lead her to the dressmaker’s home. Pepita kept meowing, until she eventually followed the twins and Imelda.

Héctor continued to watch, until Imelda and her family were out of sight. Then, he got down and joined Victoria, Miguel and Dante as they headed towards the marigold bridge.

“Let’s all just collectively agree to ignore this event,” Victoria suggested anxiously. “Señor and Señora Rivera don’t have to know that their son crossed the bridge again, and that he fell in love with a human.” She pointed at Miguel, as the twelve year-old gave her a confused look. “If you don’t say anything, I won’t say anything.” She then gestured at herself, before making a cross sign with her hands. “I will be able to see the light of another day.”

As they walked across the bridge, Héctor turned around and looked back for a moment, as he thought about the human woman. His smile turned into a grin, as he knew that he had found the one—and he would find a way to be with her, no matter what.

I don’t know when,

I don’t know how

But I know something’s starting right now!

Watch and you’ll see,

Someday, I’ll be,

Part of your world!

Just as the twenty-one year-old and his friends left the station, heading back towards the city, Ernesto stepped out of the shadows once again along with his chihuahuas.

“How precious!” he laughed, as he had watched the whole thing. “It’s just too easy!” He shook his head as he smirked to himself. “The boy has fallen in love with a human woman! Oh, his papá will be overjoyed when he hears about that.”

He clasped his hands together as he whispered, “Nazario Rivera’s son could play a role in helping me seize my moment, with that voice of his…”

Ernesto then cackled as he thought of stealing his rival’s son’s voice, and using it for his own gain. Indeed, this plan of his would require little to no effort at all.

Chapter Text

Héctor hummed to himself as he plucked a marigold flower from a vase in the dressing room, at the school where most of his fellow musicians practiced their skills. He thought of Imelda—her radiance, her smile, her voice; everything about her that made him feel warm.

“Héctor!” one of his bandmates, Rosa, called out as she knocked on the door. “Please come out – you can't just stay in there all morning!”

Héctor left the dressing room, still humming to himself as he held the flower in his hand.

As he passed by, Abel raised an eyebrow. He looked at his sister and whispered, "What's up with him?" 

Nazario and Patricia happened to be walking by, when their son came up to them. Héctor kissed his mother’s cheek, before placing the marigold flower in her hair. Then, he hugged his father. 

"Buenos días, Mamá. Papá," the twenty-one chuckled, before he left.

As they heard their son humming, Nazario and Patricia looked at each other.

"Well, it seems as though our boy’s in a very good mood," Patricia remarked, smiling as she picked the flower from her hair, playing with it a bit.

"Indeed." Nazario nodded, before glancing at the direction Héctor had went. 

Abel and Rosa were both surprised at first by their fellow bandmate's actions, until the gears in their heads began turning.

"Oh, he’s fallen head over heels," Abel snickered. 

Nazario turned to the two. "What do you mean by that?" 

"Isn't it obvious, Señor Rivera?" Rosa asked, smirking. "Héctor has found himself a novia."

Nazario's eyes widened. "Héctor? In love?"

Patricia clasped her hands together as she exclaimed, "How wonderful!" 

Little did she know, that the woman who held her son's affections wasn’t exactly the type of person she'd expect her son to fall for.

Victoria paced back and forth near the plaza. "Okay, so far, neither Señor nor Señora Rivera know anything." She wrapped her arms around herself nervously. "Hiding such a big secret like this for a long time will be very difficult…"

Héctor sat on a crate as he plucked petals from a rose, completely lovestruck. "She loves me…" He frowned as he plucked another petal. "Gah! She loves me not…" He plucked the last petal, grinning widely as he exclaimed joyfully, "She loves me!" He hugged the petal close, leaning back on the grate as he laughed happily. "I knew it!"

Victoria rolled her eyes, a little peeved at the young man's behavior. Did he not realize how serious this was? "Héctor, quit babbling to yourself!" 

Héctor sat up suddenly. “I have to see her again – tonight!” he exclaimed, getting up as he started walking around. “Rosita must know where Imelda’s friend lives!”

Victoria grabbed the young man’s shoulders, trying to stop him from rushing into things. “Héctor, will you stop this tomfoolery and actually face reality here? This is a big issue! Besides, you belong here, not there!”

But the twenty-one year-old paid her no mind, as he continued to walk around, coming up with a plan to see Imelda again. “I’ll run up to that house,” he began rambling excitedly, “then Miguel will let out a loud grito to get her attention, and then with—”

“—this is your home!” Victoria yelled, interrupting the young man. She ran up to him, blocking his path. “Héctor, listen to me,” she continued. “The Land of the Living – it’s not worth all the trouble. Life in the Land of the Dead is so much better than anything they’ve got out there.”

A few musicians began playing their drums and flutes, as she began to sing.

The lights of the buildings here always look more beautiful

Héctor looked up at the sky as he sat down once more on the crate, still not paying much attention to the woman’s words.

Victoria grabbed his chin, turning him to face her as she tried to get the message across.

You’d like to live in their land,

Say hello to catastrophe!

She let go of his chin as she gestured around, as some mariachis passed by, playing their trumpets.

Take a good look at the world around you,

And that all that it offers

Héctor began tapping his feet along to the sound of the trumpets playing, immersing himself in the music.

We celebrate every day,

You cannot find anything better!

Victoria began to dance as well, shuffling her feet while spinning around a bit.

In this city,

In this city

Everything is better,

Everyone is happy,

In our world

She pointed to the right, as though she were gesturing to the other side of the marigold bridge.

Out there, they work all day

Out in the sun, they slave away

Then, she gestured to both her and Héctor, symbolizing their side of the bridge; the Land of the Dead.

While here, we’re filled with honor

To live in this city

A local band, Los Chachalacos, spotted the woman singing and decided to join in.

Victoria walked up to the band, grinning as one of the members passed down a spare drum.

Here the people enjoy themselves,

They have freedom here

The band members and Victoria frowned as they gestured to an old man, Chicharron, who was walking with a bit of a limp.

Out there, the people are sad

Their lives are too short

Héctor helped Chicharron get over to a bench, where the old man sat down.

It could always be worse,

You know what happens to them

Once their time is up…

Héctor looked at Chicharron, confused yet concerned. The old man shrugged simply, before he pitched in.

They join the invisible choir

Victoria continued to dance and sing, while Héctor went over to a flower shop nearby, stroking a few roses’ petals with his finger.

In this city,

In this city

A little girl walked by, and tugged at his pants. As he looked down, she smiled and grabbed his hands, as she hopped up and down.

Seeing how the little girl wanted to dance, Héctor smiled and spun her a bit, before she let go of his hands and began to skip around.

There is no crime or sorrow here, we live in harmony

To their hard life, we say "no"! 

In this city, we have no woes

Here, life is simple yet incredible

In this city

Three more musicians came and joined in, with a xylophone, an accordion and a tambourine.

In this city!

In this city!

In this city!

As more and more musicians came around, the plaza was almost completely crowded.

Rather than trouble yourself, just relax and enjoy your time

What more could you want?

There's more here in this land,

Than you'll ever experience

Always been here, we're talented here in this city!

Miguel shoved his way through the crowd, as he looked around the plaza, searching for his friend. He wanted to show him the painting of Imelda that he had found earlier in the morning, after sneaking off across the bridge. 

He spotted his friend, and saw that he was dancing, letting some of his limbs come loose as the music played. He ran over to the twenty-one year-old and exclaimed, "Héctor, there you are! I've been looking all over for you!"

Héctor stopped dancing, as his limbs reattached themselves. "Hola, Miguel!" he greeted his friend. "What's got you in a hurry?"

"I've got a surprise for you, back at the warehouse," the twelve year-old replied. "Follow me!" 

And so, the two left the plaza for the warehouse.

Meanwhile, Victoria was oblivious to the young man's departure, as she was too busy enjoying herself and immersing herself into the song.

 In this city,

In this city

When the mariachis begin their routine, it's music to me!

What do they have, a lot of sand

We’ve got a magnificent little band!

Every man here, knows how to jam here

In this city

Each little kid here, blowing into their jugs here

In this city

Everyone here, knows how to wail here

That's why it's better, no matter the weather

Yes, we're in luck here,

To live here,

In this city!

As the song ended, everyone pointed to the corner of the plaza, only to see that Héctor wasn’t there.

While everyone else began to leave, Victoria called out, "Héctor? Héctor?" She let out a loud sigh. "Someone needs to tie that boy’s legs together…" 

"Señorita Victoria!" an old woman called out as she ran over to her.

"Chelo?" Victoria tilted her head. "Why are you—?"

"Victoria, I have a message from the mayors," Chelo spoke urgently. "They wish to see you right away—it has something to do with Héctor!"

Victoria's eyes widened as she gasped. "They know…" 

Chapter Text

In the living room of their mansion, Nazario and Patricia were trying to pin down who the woman whom their son loved could be.

"Let's see," Nazario murmured, putting a hand to his chin. "Do you think it could be Enrique's sister, Gloria?"

"No," Patricia replied, shaking her head. "I doubt our son would be interested in dating his friend's aunt."

Nazario shuddered at her words. "You're right, he wouldn't." He then tried thinking of another possible suitor. "What about Aintza, the baker's daughter?"

"Heavens, no!" Patricia exclaimed, suppressing a laugh. "Querido, she's engaged to Gustavo's cousin!"

"Oh…" Nazario shook his head, puzzled. "Then who could the lucky lady be?"

Before Patricia could say anything, she noticed Victoria standing at the entrance. "Come in, Victoria."

Victoria breathed in, preparing herself for the conversation. "Don't overreact," she told herself. "Just remain calm and don't say anything about humans, love or the incident." She walked towards the Riveras. "Yes?" she disguised the anxiety in her voice with calmness.

"Victoria, we're concerned about Héctor," Nazario told the woman. "Have you noticed he's been acting very strange lately?"

"Strange?" Victoria rubbed the back of her neck. "How so?"

"Surely you've noticed how he sings to himself and daydreams, right?" Patricia asked, raising an eyebrow while smirking.

"Oh, well, I—" Victoria stammered, shrugging her shoulders as she looked at the ground, trying to avoid making eye contact.

"Victoria…" the mayors chorused.

The woman looked at the two of them, trying to mask her fear with a smile. "Hmmm?"

"We know you're hiding something from us," Patricia said teasingly.

Victoria gulped, then forced a grin. "Hiding… something?"

"About Héctor?" Nazario added, stepping closer to her.

Victoria's legs began to rattle, causing her to cross them as an attempt to keep them still. "Héctor…?"

"In love?" the mayors asked in unison, grinning.

She began hyperventilating. They knew about the incident, they knew that their son had fallen in love with a human—they knew everything. "I tried to stop him, Señor y Señora Rivera!" she blurted out. "He wouldn't listen! I told him to stay away from humans! They are horrible, they are vile, they—"

The young man's parents gasped, shocked upon hearing the woman's words. Victoria put her hand over her mouth as she saw their reactions, realizing that they hadn't known at all and that she had just blurted out the secret.

"Humans?" Nazario's eyes narrowed as he clenched his teeth in anger. "WHAT ABOUT HUMANS?!"

"Humans?" Victoria laughed nervously. "Who said anything about humans?"

She yelped as he grabbed her arm roughly.

"Miguel, why can't you just tell me what this is all about?" Héctor asked as Miguel led him up the stairs of the warehouse.

"I went to the Land of the Living earlier today and found something," Miguel explained, smiling as they entered the room on the top floor. "I think you might like this surprise."

Héctor gasped and put a hand over his chest as he saw the portrait of Imelda. "Oh Miguel, eres increíble!" He hugged his friend, before he went over to the portrait and stroked it. "It's a spitting image of her—it even has her maravillosa brown eyes!" He laughed, before leaning against it. "Why, Imelda, you want us to run away together? Que plan tan brillante!" He continued to laugh, spinning around as he did so. However, he stopped as he saw his parents at the doorway. "Papá, Mamá!"

Miguel ducked behind a treasure chest, while Victoria stood behind the twenty-one year-old's parents with a guilty look on her face.

"I try to be a reasonable man," Nazario began, his voice dangerously low. "When I enforce certain rules, I expect my son to follow them—not to disobey me, each and every time."

"Well, your rules are biased and stupid!" Héctor yelled, standing in front of the portrait. "You can't just stop people from having fun and exploring just because you hold some old grudges!"

"Héctor, please!" Patricia tried to step in and prevent her husband and son from arguing, but to no avail.

"What did I say about taking that tone of voice with me?" Nazario asked angrily, taking a step forward towards his son. "And how dare you go off and rescue a human from a burning house? You know that contact between their world and our world is forbidden!"

"I had to save her!" Héctor tried to defend himself, along with his love. "If I hadn't saved her, she would've burned to death in that house!"

"That would've been one less human to worry about," Nazario said coldly.

"Nazario!" Patricia yelled, appalled at her husband's words.

Héctor gaped at his father's words. "How can you be so heartless?" he asked, his eyes narrowing. "You barely even know her, and yet you're saying she's better off dead?"

"I don't have to know her, because all humans are the same!" Nazario raised his voice as he yelled at his son. "They're all a bunch of spineless savages who care only for themselves—"

"—PAPÁ, I LOVE HER!" Héctor shouted, unable to take any more of his father's harsh words. Then, he gasped and backed up as he saw the shocked looks on his parents' faces.

"What?" Patricia uttered in complete disbelief. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

Victoria gritted her teeth as she backed away, knowing this wasn't going to end well.

"No…" Nazario shook his head, unable to bear the fact that his son had admitted to loving a human. "Have you gone loco? She's a human, you're a skeleton—you two are incompatible!"

"I don't care what YOU think!" Héctor shot back, grabbing the portrait and holding it close. "She's the love of my life, and nothing you say can change how I feel!"

Nazario's eyes narrowed as he took another step forward and yanked the portrait out of his son's hands. "If I can't get through to you with words, then I suppose this will have to suffice!"

Patricia and Héctor's eyes widened as they watched the man hold the portrait up in the air.

The man's wife put her hands up and shook them, trying to stop him. "Nazario, don't!"

He paid no heed to her words as he smashed the portrait's frame against the ground, shattering the glass.

"No, please – Papá, stop!" Héctor pleaded, shaking his head quickly as he saw his father grip onto both sides of the picture while his friends watched on in horror. "I'm sorry, just please don't—!"

It was too late, for Nazario quickly ripped the picture apart, allowing both pieces to fall to the ground.

"No!" Héctor cried out, falling to his knees as he grabbed the torn pieces. "No, no, no…" Tears swelled up in his eyes as he looked at his father while holding onto the torn parts of the photo. "How could you?"

Nazario's eyes widened as he saw how upset his son was, realizing the damage he had caused. "Mijo—"

"—she's the one who makes me happy, and yet you couldn't accept that!" the young man cut his father off, tears spilling down his cheeks. "You had to crush my hopes and dreams again, just like always!"

"Héctor—" his mother started, only to be interrupted.

"—and some mother you are, just standing by and allowing your husband to ruin your son's life!" he shouted at her. "You're just as horrible as he is!"

His parents looked at him, feeling ashamed.

"Just go away!" Héctor yelled at his parents, before burying his face in his hands as he broke down into sobs.

And so they left him alone.

Victoria approached Héctor. “Héctor, I’m sorry. I didn’t—”

“—that goes for you too, rat!” Héctor spat, looking up from his hands.

Victoria’s spirits fell as she heard the word ‘rat.’ She looked down at the ground, and left him alone as well.

Miguel placed his hand on his friend’s back as he watched the young man continue to sob.

“He— he ruined my greatest treasure; the only thing I had to remind me of mi amor!” Héctor hiccupped. “If he really, truly loved me, then he would’ve never—” the young man was cut off by a small bark, much lighter than Dante’s. “W-who’s there…?”

Four chihuahua alebrijes emerged from the corners of the room, their small eyes focused on the young man. One of them barked, pointing its nose out the door while its friends left the room.

“I think it’s trying to guide you somewhere,” Miguel guessed, though he had an uneasy feeling inside his nonexistent gut—a feeling that something was up.

Héctor stared at the chihuahua curiously. Could it be that it was trying to help him out with his problem? There was only one way to find out.

He stood up and walked over to the chihuahua, following it as it left the room.

Miguel gulped, before following his friend.

Dante whined as he looked up at Victoria, who was pacing back and forth as she was rambling.

“It’s not like I meant to tell them! It was an accident!”

She stopped rambling, however, as she saw Héctor and Miguel pass by. She noticed that they were following four chihuahua alebrijes. She ran up to Héctor and asked, "Héctor, what are you doing with these strays?" 

"I'm letting them guide me," the young man replied, his tone indicating that he was still upset.

Victoria didn't press much further after that, as she and Dante followed after the two. 

There was silence for a while, until Victoria saw an shabby house up ahead with a sign hung up that read Home of the Great Ernesto de la Cruz.

Her eyes widened as she stopped in her tracks, while Dante let out a low growl. "Héctor, no! You can't go in there!" she yelled, reaching for the young man's arm. "Don't you know who that man is? He's—"

"—if you're so concerned about my safety, then why don't you go tell my father?" Héctor snapped, pulling his arm away as he turned to face her. "That's one thing you're good at."

The chihuahuas barked, before they headed into the house. Héctor followed after the chihuahuas, while Miguel remained outside.

"I don't understand," Miguel said softly, a little confused as he patted Dante's head. "If this man is so bad, then why did the chihuahuas lead Héctor here?"

"The most loyal alebrijes will do anything their master tells them," Victoria answered, looking at the boy, then at the house. "Anything."

Héctor looked around the house, staying behind in the doorway while the chihuahuas made their way in. He couldn’t help but feel a little uncertain as he saw how dimly lit the inside of it was.

“Come in, niño,” a man, whom Héctor suspected was Ernesto’s, said. The young man did as he was told and made his way in, while Ernesto continued, “Lurking in doorways is very disrespectful, and it often makes hosts wonder if you were raised on a farm or the streets.”

Héctor stopped as he came across Ernesto, who was sitting in a chair next to a mirror while he combed his hair. “My alebrijes brought you here because a little bird told me that you hold affections for a human woman,” the other man continued. “While I don’t really understand why you’d fall for her—she’s not exactly a diamond in the rough—I will help you with your little problem.”

“You— you will?” Héctor asked eagerly.

“Of course,” Ernesto replied with a smirk on his face as he looked at the young man from the corner of his eye. “The solution to your problem is simple, Sugarskull. You can get what you want… if you become human yourself.”

Héctor gasped as he heard the last five words. “Can you… turn me into a human?”

“My boy,” Ernesto chuckled as he turned to the young man. He stood up and began to approach him. “I am willing to move heaven and earth for unfortunate souls, such as you…” He brought his arm around him, leading him to a table with a few papers on it. “Now, it just so happens that I’ve got a potion that can turn you into a human for three days.”

Héctor looked at him in disbelief. “Three days?”

“Three days,” Ernesto said, before seating the other man down in a chair. “Now, this is very important.” He held up a paper with an illustration of a sunset, along with a heart and the shadow of a human woman. “Before the sun sets on the third day, you have to get your querida amor to fall in love with you… that is, she has to give you a kiss—and not just any kiss, but one of pure, passionate love.” He held up another paper with an illustration of a human man, causing the young man’s expression to brighten. “If she does kiss you before the sun sets on the third day, you’ll remain a human forever.” Then, he pulled out an illustration of a skeleton. “But if she doesn’t, you’ll turn back into a skeleton, and…” He leaned in and whispered, “You’ll be writing all of my songs—you’ll be mi mascota.”

“Héctor, no!” Miguel yelled in horror, as he and Victoria stood at the doorway. “Don’t do it!”

The twelve year-old tried to step in, but stopped as the chihuahua alebrijes lunged forward and tried to attack him, only for Dante to take them on himself.

Héctor looked at his friends in fear for a few seconds, before Ernesto put his hand under his chin and turned the man towards him, getting a little too close for comfort. “What do you say?”

“If I become human, I’ll never be with mi padre, madre or amigos again,” Héctor murmured, uncertainty in his tone.

Ernesto faked a look of concern, nodding. “Sí,” he said slowly, then looked into the man’s eyes. “But you have to be willing to do whatever it takes to seize your moment.” He put a finger up. “And you should know that success doesn’t come for free, either.”

Héctor dug into his pockets, only to realize he had nothing of value to pay De la Cruz with. “I— I didn’t bring anything to—”

“—what I want isn’t something that can be held,” Ernesto interrupted him. “It’s something you wouldn’t even miss. What I want from you is…” He put his finger under Héctor’s chin as he whispered, “Your voice.”

“You want my— my voice?” Héctor stammered, his eyes widened in shock. He put his hand to his throat as he protested, “I can’t give you my voice! How will I be able to talk with her if I don’t have my voice? I can give you anything else, but please, let me have my voice.”

“You’re getting way too worked up over this,” Ernesto commented, waving a hand dismissively. “You’ll have your looks, your face—and you can always use sign language as a means of communication.” He put an arm around Héctor’s shoulders. “Besides, the women out there prefer men who don’t talk so much—they’re more into the mute type. They’d rather avoid a verbal conversation and swoon over a man who holds his tongue.” He shrugged, pulling his arm away. “But it’s your choice in the end—just make it quick. I don’t have all day.”

Héctor thought about it for a moment. If he said yes, then he would be able to pursue Imelda, which meant that he wouldn’t be able to see his family or friends again—but on the other hand, his other option was to say no and stay in the Land of the Dead, where he would never be able to be with the one he loved.

Life was truly filled with tough choices, and this one was no exception.

After weighing out his options, he finally made his choice: “Okay, fine! You’ve got yourself a deal! I’ll give you my voice, but only if you make me human.”

Ernesto grinned. “I knew you’d see things my way.”

He left for a moment into the other room nearby, and came back with a potion bottle in his hand, along with a necklace with a little case that was shaped like a musical note.

“Drink this,” Ernesto said as he placed the bottle in Héctor’s hand. “Once you are finished, I want you to sing.”

Héctor raised an eyebrow, before he opened up the bottle and downed the potion. Once the bottle was empty, he began to sing the first song that came into his mind—one that reminded him of his feelings for Imelda.

What color is the sky?

Ay mi amor, ay mi amor!

You tell me that it's red

Ay mi amor, ay mi amor!

Where should I put my shoes?

Ay mi—

Before he could finish singing, a bright light emerged from his throat as Ernesto opened the necklace's case. The light went into the small case, and Ernesto shut it soon after. 

"Gracias, mi amigo," Ernesto thanked him. "Hope you enjoy your new body..."

Héctor opened his mouth to ask him what he meant, only for no sound to come out. The twenty-one year-old gasped and wrapped his hands around his throat, realizing that he could no longer speak. Then, suddenly, he fell over in pain as his body glowed brightly. 

Miguel and Victoria watched in horror as their friend transformed into a human. Dante even stopped scuffling with the chihuahuas as he took notice of the transformation.

Héctor's vision blurred as he looked up and saw his friends rushing over to him, helping him up to his feet while Dante barked, running out of the house.

His eyes closed as his friends rushed him out of De la Cruz’s place, and the last sound he heard was Ernesto laughing—then, his world went black.

Chapter Text

Imelda walked near the yard, with Pepita trailing behind her. The woman hummed to herself for a moment, though she stopped as her thoughts were clouded with her rescuer’s voice. “I’ll never get that voice out of my head,” she murmured. Ever since the incident with the fire, she had tried searching for her savior, but she couldn’t find him. “I’ve looked everywhere, and yet there’s no trace of him…” She looked at her cat. “Where could he be, Pepita?”

Victoria and Miguel laid Héctor down on a bench, breathing in and out of exhaustion from carrying the man from across the bridge all the way to the yard.

Héctor's eyes soon opened as he heard Dante bark. He rubbed his eyes for a few minutes, then noticed that there was brown skin on his hands. He lifted a leg up and wiggled his toes, filled with amazement as he realized that he was human now.

"Well, look at what we've got here!" Rosita remarked as she walked towards the three, pointing to Héctor. "And look at you! You're human now!" She paused for a few minutes, then asked, "How exactly did that happen?"

"He traded his voice to Ernesto de la Cruz so that he could become human," Victoria explained, causing the other woman to gasp.

Rosita gave Héctor a look of sympathy. "How awful!"

"He's gotta make that Imelda lady fall in love with him, and she's gotta ki— she's gotta kiss him!" Miguel added.

"And he only has three days!" Victoria yelled, gesturing to the young man as he tried to stand up, only to stumble and fall on his new legs. "Just look at him—with skin! With human flesh!" She put her hands on her head as she began to pace back and forth while rambling, "Esto es un desastre! What would his father say? Oh, I'll tell you what his father would say! 'I'm going to scatter that woman's bones' is what he'd say!" She began to march back towards the bridge. "I'm going to go back and tell him, just as I should've done the moment—" Héctor got back up on his feet and grabbed her arm, quickly shaking his head. Victoria's eyes narrowed as she turned to him. "And don't you shake your head at me, hombre joven! There's still some time left. All we need to do is get your voice back from that hechicero, and then you could go home with all of the normal skeletons and just be…" she trailed off upon seeing the sad look on his face. "…just be miserable for the rest of your life," she sighed. "Fine. I'll help you find that woman."

Héctor beamed at her, giving her a quick hug.

"Now, Héctor, do you know how to sign?" Rosita asked him. "Because if you're going to woo that woman, you're going to need to able to communicate with her."

Héctor moved his fingers around, spelling out a question, “Like this?”

“Very good! Yes!” Rosita chirped.

Imelda and Pepita were walking down the road, until Pepita suddenly sniffed something. The cat let out a meow, then ran off into the yard.

“Pepita?” Imelda watched as the cat ran off, and quickly chased after her pet. “Pepita!”

Meanwhile, Rosita was straightening out Héctor’s clothes in order to make him more presentable. She beamed at him once she was done. “You look great! Now, she won’t be able to resist you!”

Suddenly, the three skeletons heard Pepita meow, so they went and hid in order to avoid being caught while Dante stayed behind, barking at the cat. The dog’s barks didn’t phase Pepita though, as she went up and nuzzled against Héctor’s leg.

“Pepita!” Imelda caught up to her cat, picking her up and holding her in her arms. “Ay, what has gotten into you—?” she stopped as her eyes fell upon Héctor. “Oh… I see… um, are you alright, señor? I apologize if my cat was bothering you or your dog. She meant no harm, I assure you.” She paused, looking him up and down. He seemed a little familiar to her, as though she’d seen him before. “You remind me of someone… have we met before?” He nodded, and she grew excited at the possibility that this was the man who saved her. “I knew it! It’s you, the man who rescued me from that fire! Cuál es tu nombre?” He signed “Héctor”, to which she soon noticed his lack of words. “Wait, you’re mute? Like you can’t say a single word?” He shook his head, and she frowned upon remembering that the man who rescued her had sung to her—therefore, this man couldn’t be the one. “Oh, then you can’t be the man I thought you were…”

Both Héctor and Pepita were completely frustrated by this, and so the young man tried pantomime.

“What is it? Are you hurt?” Imelda tried reading the signs. “No, no… help is what you need.” He fell into her arms, and she tried steadying him. “Careful, careful! Easy…” She helped him get back on his feet. “What you’ve gone through must’ve been horrible, but don’t worry, I’ll help you. Come with me…” She gestured for him to follow her as she led him back to her friend’s home. “As long as you stick close to me, you’ll be fine.”

Back at Ceci’s place, the dressmaker was giving the young man a good wash.

“Kidnapped by a gang and left for dead… the poor boy,” Ceci murmured sympathetically as she scrubbed his hair. “We’ll have you fixed up in no time.” She picked up his clothes, wincing at how rag-like they were. “I’ll just – I’ll just put this in the washing machine for you.”

--

Victoria peeked in through the window, listening into a conversation with Imelda and her twin brothers.

“So you have no idea where this man comes from—”

“—or anything else about him besides his name and the fact that he’s a mute?”

“Nothing,” Imelda said, shaking her head. “There’s nothing I know besides that he’s not the man who rescued me.”

Oscar rolled his eyes. “There you go again with speaking of that man!”

“Honestly, hermana,” Felipe spoke, “be reasonable. Nice young men don’t just appear out of nowhere, rescue girls from fires and then disappear into oblivion.”

“Hermanitos, I’m telling you the truth: he is real!” Imelda insisted, a determined look on her face. “I’m going to find that man, and I’m going to marry him.”

"Now, come on, dear," Ceci said as she entered the room, beckoning for Héctor to come in. "Don't be shy." 

Héctor entered in a white shirt and brown pants, somehow making the plain clothes look exquisite on him. 

"He's quite the looker, wouldn't you agree, hermana?" Oscar asked his sister, nudging her shoulder.

Imelda stared at him in awe, looking him up and down. "You look—you look wonderful," she stammered.

"You don't look so bad yourself," was his reply, making her blush.

Ceci smirked at the sight. "Well, let's not just stand around now. Let's eat."

"Oh, right!" Imelda quickly nodded, though her eyes were still on Héctor as they went to sit down at the table.

Victoria couldn't help but smile a little as she watched them all dine and converse, while the two little lovebirds seemed to take quite the liking to each other. Maybe this wouldn't be too difficult after all, if the language barrier could be worked around. Perhaps they did have the cat in the bag. 

Now, if only the boy's father could just see the light...