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Chapter Text

"After she pushed her kids into the river, Maria realized what she had done and jumped into the river herself!" Abel exclaimed. "When she died, her spirit was cursed to roam Earth. She became known as La Llorona..."

Miguel and Rosa clutched onto each other out of fright.

"And now, La Llorona roams the rivers at night, trying to find her sons...," Abel continued. "If you hear her cries, take it as a warning. Once she finds you, she'll come and..."

Abel made a roar sound and pulled on a string that caused water to splash on Miguel and Rosa. The younger children screamed at the top of their lungs. Abel struggled to catch his breath as he guffawed loudly.

"Hah hah, you should've seen your faces!"

Rosa was confused at first, but noticed the string he was holding. Her eyes followed it. Attatched to it was a bucket on the bookself over them that had been tipped over. Anger boiled inside of her as she got up and punched her brother in the arm.

"Ow!"

"Abel, ¡tú idiota!"

Miguel scooted into a corner. He locked his arms around his torso to try to calm himself down, ignoring the bickering between his older cousins. He brushed his wet bangs out of his face.

Suddenly, footsteps came loudly down the hallway and the door slammed open, startling the children.

"What is going on here?!" their grandmother Elena exclaimed. Her jaw dropped seeing how soaked Rosa was and the amount of water on the floor. "Where did this water come from?!"

"Abel pranked us again!" Rosa exclaimed angrily.

"Abel, how many times must we have this discussion?!" Elena scolded. "This is unacceptable! Look at the mess you made! And look what you did to your sister and Miguelito!"

She walked over to the little boy shaking in the corner. She kneeled down and cupped his left cheek.

"Are you alright, pobrecito?"

"Sí, Abuelita," Miguel assured. "Abel is just estupido..."

"Hey!"

"Miguel, we do not say that to each other. Okay?" Elena scolded lightly. "And, Abel, as a punishment, you will be doing more chores around the workshop next week. Understand, mijo?"

"Sí, Abuelita...," the preteen said.

"Good. Now apologize to them."

Abel took in a deep breath. "I'm sor-"

"Is Mamá Imelda going to be the next La Llorona?!" Miguel exclaimed out of the blue.

"Wow, thanks for interrupting me with a super random question...," Abel muttered, crossing his arms.

"Uh... ¿qué?" Rosa asked with a confused look.

Elena shared the same expression as her granddaughter. "What on Earth are you talking about, mijo? La Llorona isn't real, and your Mamá Imelda is nothing like her."

"But isn't Miguel kinda right?" inquired Rosa. "Abel was telling us about the La Llorona story, and her husband left just like Mamá Imelda's did."

Elena sighed. "You both are too young to hear about that legend... But, this will be a good life lesson for all three of you. In the legend, Maria was so saddened that she drowned her children. But real life often plays differently than stories do. What your Mamá Imelda was able to do was move on. She realized that she was stronger than her situation. After moving on, she grew stronger and built the business and took care of your Mamá Coco all by herself."

The eyes of the three children widened a bit as they kept listening. Miguel scooted closer to his older cousins.

"This was during a scary time here in Mexico," Elena continued. "But she was able to provide for your Mamá Coco, and thus our family grew. As you can see, once you are able to put the past behind you, you will see that life has many things in store for you."

"But, it doesn't seem like Mamá Coco hasn't moved on...," Abel said. "Miguel told me she was calling out to her papá earlier."

"Miguel, you haven't been talking about her father, have you...?" Elena asked sternly but softly.

"Uh..."

"You cannot bring that up in front of her, ¿oistes?" Her voice was a lot more firm than before. "She's getting much older now, and I forbid all of you from talking about him."

"But was her papá really a bad guy?"

Rosa and Abel gasped. Elena felt a bit of a spark ignite in her, but she managed to keep her composure. She knew he was still too young to fully understand what happened. "Yes, mijo. He abandoned us for a foolish musical fantasy, and he is better off forgotten!"

The room went silent for a moment. Elena took in a deep breath after a few seconds.

"Now, with that, we need to clean up this mess and get you niños dried off," she said. "Alright, let's head to the bathroom. You need to go to sleep soon. And Abel, make sure to grab the mop."

Abel nodded as the four of them left the room.

Is Mamá Coco's papá really that bad...? Miguel wondered as they walked down the hallway.

-☆-

Seven years later...

After crossing the vast marigold bridge for several minutes, Héctor took his first step into the Land of the Living. He had waited for this moment for almost a century, and it was finally here. He would be heading home. The skeletons present in the area all cheered loudly for him. Coco tightened her grip on her father's hand and smiled at him warmly. Héctor looked at her and smiled in return. He took in a deep breath as he let the euphoria sink in.

Reaching the gate of the cemetery, the Riveras found the cempasúchil path laid out for them that led the way home. Imelda turned around to face her family.

"Alright, is everyone ready?" the matriarch asked with a smile on her face.

"Por supuesto, Abuela," Victoria said.

"Absolutely, ¡mi amor!" Héctor said excitedly.

Imelda nodded as the family began walking through the town. Héctor began scanning Santa Cecilia. Of course it had been ninety-six years since he was last there, but he could spot the changes. There were several new buildings, and houses that looked familar were a bit bigger now. Outfits and hairstyles worn by the younger generations of the Land of the Dead were present on the living people. Héctor took long looks at the trees and grass, as well as some stray animals in the streets. Life he had craved to see for a very long time.

"Oh, I'm so excited to meet the baby!" Rosita exclaimed giddily. She put a hand on her sternum. "I bet she's an absolute angelita, just like the other children."

"It's always a delight to have a new addition to the family," Julio said.

Coco sighed. "I just hope the poor dear doesn't grow up with the mindset that she has to her namesake..."

"Don't worry about it, Coco," Óscar said, trying to assure his niece.

"There's no doubt that Miguel, Enrique, and Luisa will make sure that won't happen," Felipe added, finishing his brother's sentence.

Julio put a hand on his wife's arm. "She will grow up to be her own person and be proud of who she really is. I'm sure of it."

Coco smiled warmly at all three of them. Meanwhile, Victoria stood close to Héctor and noticed a slightly wary expression on his face.

"Are you alright, Abuelo?" she asked, concerned.

"Sí, sí. Just a bit anxious, you know?" Héctor admitted as he held his right arm loosely with his left.

"What for?" Victoria inquired as she adjusted her glasses. "Mamá made it very clear that everyone has accepted you back just like we did. Miguel has the family's fiery spirit. I am certain he made sure everyone knew the truth about you. Everything will be alright."

Victoria grew a reassuring smile on her face. Héctor smiled back, not trusting himself to say anymore.

After walking for a few minutes, they finally made it. Héctor's eyes widened at how much the hacienda had drastically changed. He froze slightly at the sight of it.

"It's gotten so much bigger...," he muttered.

"Just like our family," Coco said. "Finally ready to meet them, Papá?"

"Ready as I'll ever be, mija," Héctor said, smiling.

"Alright, let's head in!" Imelda exclaimed excitedly.

The skeletons phased through the green gate. In the courtyard, almost more than a dozen people were there talking to one another and eating food off of the giant table placed on the middle. Héctor was in awe, but was slightly confused as to who were his descendants, and who was just extended family.

The family split off, but Coco and Imelda stood by Héctor's side. Coco placed her hand on her father's shoulder and began pointing to their family members.

"Alright. The man with the white shirt over there is Enrique," she began to explain. "The woman with pink and white dress next to him is Luisa, holding little Socorro. Over there, the man with the indigo shirt is Berto. The two women by him are Carmen and Gloria. The toddlers playing over there are Benny and Manny."

If he still had a heart, it would've exploded out of his chest. The way Benny and Manny chased each other around and the way Socorro waved her arms at her mother was enough to make him adore them already. He took another gaze at Enrique, Berto, and Gloria. His great grandchildren. Wanting to desperately talk to them and tell him how amazed he was at their success. Wanting to tell Luisa and Enrique how truly special their son was, and how he saved his life (or afterlife.)

Coco guided him next an elderly couple talking to each other. "Right here is my Elena with her husband, Franco. Everyone else here are Luisa and Carmen's relatives."

Héctor stood in awe. If he could, he would've start crying tears of joy. But the lack of tear ducts didn't make it possible. He had seen several pictures of his descendants, but always got them all mixed up. Seeing them in person was much easier. "There's so many of them..." He sighed. "I wish I could talk to them and I apologize to them over everything... Especially to Elena..."

Imelda rubbed her husband's back and held his hand.. "They have already forgiven you, amor. You know that."

"Miguel made sure of it," Coco assured. She then realized something. "Speaking of which, where are the other children...?"

"And where is Miguel?!" Héctor asked frantically.

The thought of his great-great grandson made Héctor lighten up. He was the person he wanted to see the most. The very person who had saved him from suffering the horrible fate of being forgotten. The first family member to accept him in eons. The person who was there for him during his darkest moment in the cenote. The person who had made things change for the better.

"We should look for them," Imelda offered. "We have plenty of time, but I think it would be good for you to see Miguel, Héctor. And to of course meet Rosa and Abel."

The three immediately walked through the courtyard, beginning their search.

-☆-

"Ugh, my stomach is in knots...," Abel muttered, clutching his accordion.

"Oh, cálmate," Rosa said, rolling her eyes. "You'll be fine. Have you practiced?"

"Obviously."

"Ahí lo tiene," Rosa said. "Just do that weird shimmy-grito combo Miguel always tells us to do."

"I'd rather not," Abel chuckled. "It's definitely more his thing."

"Oh, sí. Totally," Rosa agreed. "Besides, he's way better at gritos than we are. Let's face it, we sound like dying pigs!"

The siblings shared a laugh. Then, they heard footsteps heading down the hallway. It was Luisa with her daughter in her arms.

"Are you three almost ready?" she asked.

"Sí, Tía Luisa," Abel said. "Miguel's just taking forever getting his suit on."

Luisa knocked on the bedroom door. "Mijo, are you almost done? You're starting soon!"

"Yes, Mamá!" Miguel called back.

Inside the room, Miguel had just finished putting on his hat and made sure tighten up his suit. He walked over to his bed to grab the century old guitar that once belonged to his great-great grandfather, then Ernesto de la Cruz , and then back to the family. It had been a long journey over the past year with all of the legal disputes and investigations going on. In the end, Miguel knew it was worth it. Héctor's legacy was in the proper position it needed to be in.

Miguel looked at the guitar and touched it. "I hope I make you proud, Papá Héctor..."

The boy put the strap of the guitar over his shoulders and walked out the room. Once stepping out, Luisa, Rosa, and Abel stopped their discussion. They looked in awe at Miguel.

"Not bad, Miguel!" Rosa said.

"The suit really suits you," Abel said as he smirked. Instead of getting the reaction he wanted, everyone just raised their eyebrows at him. 

"Hardee-har...," Miguel muttered. "But, gracias anyway."

Luisa's jaw dropped slightly. "Oh, my  niñito is growing up so fast! Just wait until your papá and abuelita see you!"

Socorro cooed happily at her brother and reached her little arms out at him. Miguel giggled and held her tiny hand.

"You excited, hermanita?" he asked her. She responded with another estatic coo.

"Alright, eveyone ready?" Luisa asked.

"¡Si!" the three teenagers exclaimed excitedly.

The five of them headed outside. The children stepped close into the middle of the courtyard. Everyone looked at them with excited smiles forming on their faces. Miguel looked at his older cousins to get confirmation that they were ready. Rosa's bow hovered over her violin as she tucked her chin on the instrument in a ready position. Abel place his fingers on the treble register and gave a slight nod.

Miguel took in a deep breath as he began gently strumming his guitar.

Say that I'm crazy or call me a fool...

The deceased Riveras looked at their descendants in astonishment. Hearing the music, Coco, Imelda, and Héctor rushed outside the house after searching for a few minutes. They paced towards the rest of the family, jaws slightly dropping. They couldn't believe what they witnessing. Héctor laid his eyes on Miguel.

Even though he was a teenager now, he hadn't changed much physically. But, he could tell there a was a certain change just by looking at his face. His  confidence as he sang. Héctor felt a hand touch his shoulder. He turned around and Imelda was smiling at him.

Héctor smiled back at her and held her hand. "May I have this dance?"

"Of course."

They kept their hands held together, with Héctor putting his other hand on Imelda's waist, while the latter kept her hand on the former's shoulder. The two began spinning to the sound of their great-great grandchildren's music.

Our love for each other will live on forever!

In every beat of my proud corazón!

Rosa and Abel started to join in. The rest of the family continued to watch. Coco watched her great grandson proudly as she walked up to Elena. She put her arm around her beloved daughter, not caring that she couldn't physically feel her and could easily phase through her. Outside of the gate, the family alebrijes, Dante and Pepita, arrived at the hacienda after being lured by the music. The two were now back to appearing as normal animals. Pepita greeted Dante with a rub, with the xolo dog licking her in return. Both began sprinting into the courtyard as the rhythm of the song and the euphoria of the family grew stronger.

¡Ay mi familia, oiga mi gente!

Canten al coro, let it be known!

Some of the family starting singing along with Miguel. Dante searched the courtyard looking for the boy. Passing by the skeletons, the canine finally found his boy and licked him excitedly as he kept singing.

Our love for each other will live on forever,

In every beat of my proud corazón!

¡Ay mi familia, oiga mi gente!

Miguel passed by Elena, happily watching her grandson play his heart out with her mother by her side, without even knowing it. Then, Miguel passed by his parents. Enrique and Luisa watched their son with pride. Socorro, being held by her father, reached her stubby little arms out towards her older brother.

Canten al coro, let it be known!

Being unaware of it, his great-great grandparents were dancing behind him. They stopped for a moment as Miguel grew closer to them. Héctor eyed his pearl-white guitar. His arms phased through his tataranieto to grab the a copy of the century old instrument. The guitar had finally returned to its rightful owner. Héctor began strumming it to duet with Miguel.

Our love for each other will live on forever!

Miguel waltzed towards the well. The family gathered around him, all clapping, dancing, and singing. Héctor looked at him with a grand amount of pride. Enrique and his brother Berto stood on the well and hoisted the boy high up into the air.

In every beat of my proud corazón!

As he held onto the last note, fireworks bursted into the air as if it was right on cue. They filled the raven sky with a more than just a rainbow of colors, reflecting on the current moment. Miguel finished with hearty gritos, and Héctor couldn't help but join in. Miguel was set down and he took a moment to catch his breath as everyone clapped. Suddenly, he was scooped into a hug by his father.

"That was amazing, mijo!" Enrique exclaimed. "I'm so proud of you!" He let his son go as Luisa walked up them with Socorro in her arms.

"You did a wonderful job!" she exclaimed. Socorro cooed as if to agree with her mother.

Miguel felt his eyes grow misty as he embraced his parents and sister, with them returning it. Dante starting licking the boy once more. "Muchas gracias, Mamá and Papá."

"Of course, mijo."

"We love you so much."

This was a moment he never thought he would ever get to experience in his lifetime. Twelve years of living with a music ban had flooded away. Here he was now, being praised instead of being chastised for singing. The four of them let go of each other as Elena arrived with Rosa and Abel behind her. To their surprise, she squeezed the teens without warning.

"Oh, you all were increíble! My babies are growing up so fast!"

She smothered all of them with kisses. The whole family laughed as they watched.

"Abuelita-"

"Oh, come on..."

Coco chuckled as she watched and  playfully nudged her father. "Remind of you of a certain someone?"

Héctor chuckled at her teasing. "That certain someone is about to do the same thing right now."

He kissed and hugged Coco tight, in the same fashion he did earlier at the scanning station. He had waited for moment for a very long time. To be able to enjoy Día de los Muertos with his family.

No more desperation. No more failed attempts of crossing the bridge. No more having to dress up as Frida Kahlo or driving a friend's van across the fragile bridge.

He was truly home.

He took it all in as he continued to hug Coco. The rest of the deceased Riveras smiled at them, and eventually all melted into one giant embrace.

-☆-

The hours passed by, and a night full of dancing, music, happiness, and reunions was drawing to a close. Extended family members were starting to leave, and the children were being put to bed. Miguel changed into his pajamas, trying not to wake his sister drowned in slumber. He grabbed his sketchbook and a pencil to do a few doodles while sitting on his bed, waiting for his parents. They eventually came in, trying to be as quiet as possible.

Enrique sat down on Miguel's bed. "Mijo, we just want to tell you how proud we are of you. You've come such a long way this past year. I know it's been hard with your mental health, but you have been making excellent progress. Trauma isn't easy to come by, but you've been hitting it like the best luchador out there!"

The three of them all quietly laughed.

"You keep the spark ignited in you, mijo," Luisa whispered as she swept Miguel's bangs away from his eyes. "Okay?"

The boy nodded. Luisa tucked his blanket over him. Miguel didn't care that his parents still came to tuck him in at night. All he knew is that every moment with them had to count.

Enrique kissed his son of the forehead. "Alright. Buenas noches, Migue. We love you."

Luisa cupped Miguel's cheeks and also kissed his forehead. "Dulce sueños, mijo. Te quiero mucho."

"Buenas noches, Mamá and Papá. I love you too."

His parents left as Miguel smiled, reflecting on the wonderful night he had. He pulled out a photo from under his pillow. It was a copy of the photo of Coco, Imelda, and Héctor from on top of the ofrenda. He pressed his fingers on Héctor.

"Hope you had a good time, Papá Héctor," Miguel whispered. "If you're still here, that is. Please tell Mamá Coco that we all love and miss her."

Little did he know that Héctor was standing right in his room. The skeleton walked over to him and placed a hand on the arm of the already asleep boy. Even of he was technically touching air, he could still feel Miguel's presence.

"Muchas gracias, mijo," Héctor said softly. "Thank you so much. For everything. I wish could tell you how grateful I am and how proud I am." He sighed. "Until next year then. And don't worry. I'll tell Coco."

Reluctantly, he took his hand off the boy. Before leaving, her peered over Socorro's crib. The infant was sound asleep.

"Welcome to our family, mija," Héctor said. He put a hand on her face. "I hope you have a wonderful life."

After that, he made his way towards the door. He looked back over to the sleeping boy. With a saddened expression, he phased through the door and went back into the hallway.
Imelda appeared at the other end of it, and she let out a sigh of relief.

"Ay, there you are! We're just about to leave and-" She stopped after noticing Héctor's face. She sympathetically placed a hand on his shoulder. "I know his hard to say goodbye, mi amor. If you want, we could stay a bit longer."

"No, no, it's alright," Héctor assured. "It's just that while I was in there, Enrique and Luisa mentioned something about Miguel's mental health... I-it sounds like he may have post-traumatic stress disorder..."

"Oh no...," Imelda whispered in horror.

Silence lingered for a moment. Héctor eventually shook his thoughts away."But, on the bright side they did say he is getting better. And that's what matters."

Imelda had a smile of relief form on her face. "Well, anyway, shall we get going?"

Héctor nodded.

Twenty minutes passed as the family made their way towards the bridge and reminisced in how fantastic their night had been. They began walking in the cemetery as other skeletons began going home as well. Héctor looked over to Coco as they kept walking.

"I'm so glad we got to spend our first time across with each other," he said, holding her hand and leaning his head in hers.

"Sí. Tonight was such a delight," Coco said. "It was wonderful to see everyone once more."

Héctor nodded. The family made their way towards the ginormous marigold bridge. Héctor was reluctant to leave, but he had offerings that were left by Miguel to take back to his friends in the shantytown. He walked towards the bridge with the family, when...

BAM!

A force stopped him from getting onto the bridge, causing him to collapse.

"Whoa!"

"HÉCTOR!"

"PAPÁ!"

The concerned voices faded as Héctor felt everything go black.

Chapter Text

Earlier that night, a woman named Soledad was hard at work tweaking various equipment used for the the paranormal in preparation for the coming hours. Interest in the paranormal had run in her family for generations to the point where she made it a part-time profession, alongside her husband. Because of this, it had become a tradition in the family every Día de los Muertos to speak with spirits on EVP devices. This year was going to be especially important.

A few minutes passed and her husband walked in. "So, are you sure your padre is okay with the kids doing this?"

"Yes, Diego," Soledad said as she packed the equipment into a bag. "I just got off the phone with him a few minutes ago. He said it was fine just as long as Perla isn't there while the others are using the EVP stuff."

"Alright. But we've got to make sure to tell the kids," Diego advised.

"Sí. Papá is worried that this could be too emotionally taxing on Perla, and I don't blame him," Soledad explained as she hoisted the bag over her shoulders. "Anyways, shall we get going?"

Diego nodded. He stepped out the room to call for their kids. "Rico! Adriana! ¡Vamos!"

"We're leaving now!" Soledad informed.

On the other side of the house, the children scrambled to get ready.

"Coming!" Adriana called back. She pounded on her brother's bedroom door. "Rico, hurry up! We're going to miss the fireworks!"

Rico opened the door and had a deadpan expression on his face. "You've seriously got to relax sometimes. It's like your nerves are shot all the time."

"Lo siento. I'm just really excited!" said Adriana jovially.

"I know, me too," Rico said. "I hope I can get some answers about what really happened to Miguel last year. And well, you know... Abuela..."

Adriana nodded. "Yeah..." After a brief moment of silence, she heard their mother call out to them a second time and perked up. "Well, anyway, let's get going."

The two headed down into the hallway and met up with their parents by the front door. The family cat, Calabaza, meowed as if to say goodbye.

The Jaramillos left the house and made their way towards the plaza. The streets of Santa Cecilia were bustling with people partying or just socializing with family members. There were a lot more people than usual, despite the town being a tourist hotspot. Many people from around the country were there visiting their families. Yellow and blue lights hung across the sidings of houses, giving a gentle glow to the papel picados hanging above.

As the family continued walking, Rico tapped nervously on Adriana's shoulder.

"Do you really think Abuela will be here?" he asked her. "She's buried in Guadalajara. What if her spirit ends up there instead?"

"Are you seriously forgetting the point of ofrendas and cempasúchil petals?" Adriana scoffed and crossed her arms. "The scent of the flowers will guide her home. To us. Besides, she's probably reunited with all of our ancestors. If they know to come here every year, so will she."

"Okay, you're right," Rico sighed. "I guess I've just got so much on my mind that I'm forgetting the tiniest things." He let out a little laugh.

"Ay, come on, cheer up!" Adriana said, playfully elbowing her hermanito. "¡Mira! We're already here!"

The plaza was flooded with even more people than the streets. There was a mariachi band in the gazebo playing huapango style songs, accompanied by some dancers. The music reminded Rico of his family's old home. Many people danced along while others waited patiently for the fireworks to begin.

After scurrying through the crowd, they finally managed to find the rest of their family. What came next were hugs and kisses galore.

"Soledad! Rico! Adriana! Diego!"

"Tía Soli! Tío Diego!"

"Hola, everybody!"

Rico and Adriana's cousins all had calavera style facepaint on. The youngest child Perla jumped around excitedly.

"Where are the fireworks?!" she exclaimed.

Adriana laughed and patted her shoulder. "They're coming soon, mamita. Just be patient."

"Not soon enough...," whined Perla.

"Uh, Rico and Adriana? Could you come here a second?" Soledad called out.

Rico and Adriana walked away from the rest of their family slightly to speak with her.

"Yes, Mamá?"

"We are not going to let Perla join you, Mia, and Emilio later during the spirit session," Soledad said firmly.

"Wait, why?" Adriana protested. "If  Abuela's spirit comes through, wouldn't it be good for Perla to talk with her?!"

"It could be too much for her to handle," Soledad explained. "She still doesn't full understand what happened an-"

"Espera, Mamá," interrupted Rico, gesturing for her to stop and adjusted his blue jacket. "Adriana's right. This would be good for Perla. She was three when Abuela passed. Let her talk with her. Por favor..."

Soledad took in hesitant breath. She thought about taking what her children said into consideration, but was unsure what her father would think of their request. "Well, you did bring up a good point, Riquito. Alright. I guess it's okay. But I think you two should talk with Abuelo to see if he's alright with it."

"Okay. Gracias, Mamá," Adriana said.

Soledad nodded. Rico and Adriana walked up to their grandfather, who was waiting patiently for the fireworks to start alongside the rest of the family.

"Um, Abuelo Alfonso? Can we talk to you for a second?" asked Rico.

"Of course, mijo," Alfonso said. "What do you two need?"

"Well, we were wondering if it was okay to let Perla join us in the spirit sessions later," Adriana explained. "Mamá told us to ask you first."

"Uh... No sé...," Alfonso said hesitantly.

"Please?"

"I already said this to Mamá, but wouldn't it be good for Perla?" Rico tried persuading.

Alfonso sighed reluctantly. "Well, will you two make sure to, you know, kind of guide her through it? And would you bring her to us if it gets to be too much?"

"Por supuesto," Rico and Adriana said in unison.

"Bien, I guess it wouldn't hurt her...," Alfonso admitted. "Anyways, the fireworks should be starting in..." He checked his watch. Suddenly, he heard a boom in the sky. "Oh! ¡Ahora!"

"Yes!" Adriana exclaimed.

The fireworks bursted high in the sky, exploding into a wide array of colors. The crowd in the plaza all cheered. The mariachi band played their music louder as to help enhance the mood. Some people gathered by the gazebo and danced to the music in the reflections of the colors from the fireworks. The sky was then full of skull-like fireworks, as if it was a way for the living to welcome back the dead.

"¡Feliz Día de Muertos, mi familia!" Alfonso exclaimed happily to his relatives as he hoisted Perla on his shoulders.

"They're so pretty!" the little one exclaimed, pointing to the fireworks.

Alfonso chuckled. "Indeed they are, mijita."

Soledad and Diego wrapped their arms around Adriana and Rico as they all watched happily.

Another great year of Día de los Muertos..., Rico said mentally.

-☆-

Later that night, the children set up shop in their grandfather's bedroom. The adults were all in the kitchen throwing their own celebration. Rico began setting up the EMF detectors and the rest of the EVP equipment while Adriana assisted him. Their other cousins, Mia and Emilio, watched curiously and somewhat impatiently.

"So, are we sure that Abuela will be here?" Emilio asked skeptically.

"Why wouldn't she be?" Mia pointed out.

"Because her body-" Emilio stopped as his eyes caught onto Perla. He was reluctant to talk about dead bodies and graves in front of his younger sister. He shook his head to stop focusing on that. "Well, you know."

"That is exactly what I said to Adriana earlier," Rico said as he adjusted the antennas on the radio.

"Yup," Adriana said. "I told him that our other relatives would probably guide her here."

"And well, the cempasúchil petals ars supposed to guide the ghosts home," Emilio said.

Mia pulled out her phone. "Maybe music will help. Are you guys okay if I play some?"

Everyone nodded. Mia turned on the song Escondida by Jorge Blanco. The kids sang along as they finished adjusting the equipment.

Qué es esta guerra fría que hay entre nosotros

Que nos queremos pero sin decirle al otro

Yo llegué, tú te vas

Y aunque te escondas yo no dejaré de buscar

Que me dijeron por la calle

El amor te asusta

At last, the everything was ready. Mia turned off the music as everyone gathered around. Emilio gathered his arms around Perla protectively as everyone exchanged apprehensive looks. 

Adriana inhaled deeply. "Okay. Everyone ready?"

"I guess," Rico said. "But do you we'll actually get some answers about Miguel?"

"Oh, come on!" Emilio exclaimed. "Your amigo is a bit loco if you ask me. He most likely hit his head on de la Cruz's casket and dreamt about dying or whatever."

"And how do you know that?" Rico asked in a challenging manner. "There's obviously some kind of afterlife out there!"

"Yeah. Heaven. But most people who say claim that probably dream about it or think they see it if they have a near death experience!" Emilio argued. "Does your friend really think he went to heaven?"

"He didn't say he went to heaven," Rico explained. "He said he went to some place called the Land of the Dead."

"Pfft, that's basically heaven!"

"Chicos, ¡ya basta!" Mia snapped. "We're about to find out. Just knock it off! Ugh..."

"Thank you, Mia," sighed Adriana. "Anyways, can someone light the candles?"

Emilio got up to turn off the lights. Then, he pulled out a match to light the candles on some shelves. The only other source of light was the green glow from the radio. Rico pulled out an EMF detector. The meter on the device started going haywire. That only meant one thing.

Ghosts.

No one could see it, but standing in the doorway were the spirits of their ancestors. The skeletons watched their descendants curiously as they waited for their moment to speak.

Rico took in a shaky breath as he turned the volume dial on the radio. "Uh, hola. If there are any spirits here please..."

"¿Mis cariños...?" interrupted a familiar voice, coming through the radio.

The children gasped. Everyone looked at each other, tears forming in their eyes.

"Abuela?" Perla asked. 

Adriana wiped her eyes and smiled at her primita. "You remember her..."

"Abuela, is it really you?!" exclaimed Emilio.

"Can... you... hear... me...?" The voice came through choppy, but they all could still recognize who it was.

Mia turned into a blubbering mess. "Sí, sí, we can!"

"I'm so sorry, about everything...," their grandmother lamented.  "I love you all so much, and I'm sorry things turned out the way they did..."

"No, no, Abuela, don't apologize!" Adriana said.

"We still love you!" Perla exclaimed. Everyone smiled at her.

"Guys, why don't we bring the adults in here?!" Emilio suggested. "Abuela, you'll be able to talk with Abuelo and our parents!"

"Oh, ¡sí!"

"Yeah, let's do it!"

"Wait, wait! Before we do, is everyone with you?" Rico asked. 

"Uh, sí," Abuela replied, confused.

"I have one question for them." Rico took in a deep breath. "Is it true that my friend Miguel went to the Land of the Dead, or something like that last year?"

Emilio scoffed. "Seriously...?"

"Are you refering to the great-great grandson of Imelda and Héctor Rivera?" one of the ancestors asked.

"Sí, he is," Adriana confirmed. 

"Ay, what a story that one is!" another voice muttered.

"Quick, Mia, get this on video!" Rico exclaimed.

"Uh... why?"

"Just do it!"

"Okay, okay!" Mia grabbed her phone off the floor and turned on the camera. 

"Sí, it is true," a male relative began to explain. "Last Día de Muertos, rumors were spreading around that a living boy was on the loose. He was trying to run away from his family. After a few hours, the last anyone had heard about him was that he was present at Ernesto de la Cruz's party. Then came de la Cruz's Sunrise Spectacular."

Rico and Adriana glanced at each other briefly, with the latter tousling her braid as they listened.

"Some of us were there at that concert," the spirit continued. "We were all waiting for de la Cruz to appear, when instead it was a woman in a purple dress. We later found out she was your friend's tartarabuela. She sang La Llorona, and Ernesto finally joined in with her. Everyone thought they were fantástico together. But things took a turn for the worst after that..."

The children scooted in as they grew more intrigued.

"Someone turned on the jumbotron, and backstage there was Ernesto with the living boy sitting by him and a skeleton lying limp in the corner. The boy had thrown accusations at de la Cruz for being a murderer. And it turned out it was true..."

"Oh, no...," Mia whispered. "What happened next?"

"De la Cruz threw Miguel off the ledge," another ancestor said. "Luckily, he was saved right on time."

"Okay, okay, I think that's enough!" Emilio exclaimed. "Perla doesn't need to hear this!"

"Huh?" Perla asked.

"Emilio, tranquilo. She's fine!" Adriana protested. 

"No... Ugh, come on, Perla. We're going..."

"Hey, Emilio, wait!" Adriana chased after him.

"Emilio!" Mia and Rico called out.

The children phased through the ancestors. Their grandmother's spirit watched distraughtly. Did it have to end like this?

-☆-

The arrivals agent finished stamping off offerings from a family, when another family appeared. A familiar and much welcomed family.

"Ah, the Riveras! Welcome back, amigos!" His tone quickly shifted after he noticed something wasn't quite right. "Uh, anything to declare?"

"My husband is stuck in the other side of the bridge!" Imelda exclaimed frantically. "Something stopped him from crossing over!"

"We panicked before we could ask anyone for help," Felipe explained. He put a hand on his sister's shoulder to try to calm her down.

"We did try picking him up to get him over, but it was no use," Óscar added. "He is unconscious now..."

"Please, señor. Ayúdanos...," Coco begged. 

The agent nodded and pulled out his walkie-talkie. "This is Officer Fernandez. I have the Riveras with me in need of assistance. They are saying that Héctor Rivera can't cross over."

A few minutes passed when finally officers arrived and escorted the family over the bridge as quickly as possible. 

"Do you think the reasoning could be his photo?" a female officer asked.

Imelda shook her head. "No. My husband and I have the same photo on our family's ofrenda. Wouldn't the same thing be happening to me if that were the case?"

"Then again, skeletons who get stuck in the Land of the Living aren't there because of not being on ofrendas," the officer explained. "It's usually because they miss the bridge. This case, however, sounds a bit odd..."

"Ay, it's never a dull moment with you Riveras, isn't it?" another officer said.

The family all looked at each other and chuckled slightly. Even they couldn't disagree with that statement. After walking across the bridge and made it back to the cemetery. Héctor was still there, laying unconsciously. Pepita and Dante sat by him, while other skeletons were observing him and trying to wake him up.

"Damas y calleberos, please stand back," ordered one of the officers. 

Everyone watched anxiously as the officers picked Héctor's unresponsive from up, and tried getting him through. But instead...

BAM!

Another orange glow blocked him. The Riveras and the other skeletons gasped in horror.

"Dios mio, what was that?!" one of the officers exclaimed.

"I don't know, but try again!"

They picked him up once more, only to be greeted with a other glow.

The female officer gave the family a pitiful look. "Lo siento, but I'm afraid there's nothing we can do..."

Coco and Imelda looked at each other with fear. They were not going to relive the past, never again.

"Can one of us at least stay with him if we can't take him with?!" Victoria asked.

"I'm afraid not. The living world can be dangerous for skeletons. It's not build to protect our bones like the Land of the Dead."

"This can't happen! I won't let it!" Imelda exclaimed. 

"I'm so sorry, señora...," the female officer said.

"NO!" Imelda hissed.

Blind rage consumed her bones. With taking a moment to think about it, she took off her boot and marched up to the woman.

"Mamá, no!" Coco tried to hold her Imelda back, but dying at an age much older than when your mother did proved to have its drawbacks.

"Señora, stop!"

The officers restrained Imelda and guided her back onto the bridge.

"NO! NO!"

The family cried as they were escorted back. They had no control left. The other skeletons marched after them and yelled. Dante and Pepita hid away from the chaos in a bush. After everyone was gone, the xolo dog grabbed the unconscious skeleton and pulled him under the bush. Pepita gave him a befuddled meow. Dante decided not to acknowledge it.

And just like that, silence. Dead silence in the graveyard. The only noises left were the sounds of crickets and late night birds. The calm after the storm.