Coco

We're Family

"NO! AHHHHHH!" Miguel falls four stories and splashes into the pool at the bottom of the hole. He breaks the surface and swims to a stone island in the center.

"Help! Can anyone hear me? I wanna go home!" Miguel collapses on the stone island. His soaked hoodie sags off his shoulders. The skeletal transition is almost complete. A moment of silence. He is alone. Suddenly, Miguel hears a noise. Footsteps. Y/N and Héctor emerges from the darkness, looking beat up.

Héctor stumbles and lands on his knees. Y/N grabs his arm in worry.

"Héctor? Y/N?"

Hector looks up, "Kid?"

"Oh, Héctor! Y/N!"

They run to each other. Héctor embraces Miguel. But Miguel is overcome with shame. "You were right. I should have gone back to my family--"

Héctor tries to calm him but Miguel is shaking, "Hey -- hey, hey..." Miguel had tears in his eyes, "They told me not to be like de la Cruz, but I didn't listen--"

Y/N rubs Miguel's back, "Hey, it's okay..."

"I told them I didn't care if they remembered me. I didn't care if I was on their stupid ofrenda."

Héctor holds Miguel to his chest. Miguel is tense. "Hey, chamaco, it's okay. It's okay." Hector whispers, his hand on the kid's head. Miguel sniffs, "I told them I didn't care."

Suddenly, a golden flicker flutters through Héctor's bones, and Y/N's entire frame, and they fall to their knees.

"Hhuuh!"

"Héctor! Y/N--" Miguel kneels down to them. Hector looks up, "She's... forgetting me." Miguel looks at Héctor with concern, "Who?"

"My daughter..."

"She's the reason you wanted to cross the bridge..."

"I just wanted to see her again..." Hector's lip trembles, "I never should have left Santa Cecilia. I wish I could apologize. I wish I could tell her that her papá was trying to come home. That he loved her so much. My Coco..."

A chill runs through Miguel, "Coco?" Miguel reaches into his hoodie and pulls out the photo of Imelda, Coco, and the faceless musician. Miguel shows the photo to Héctor. Héctor is confused; it's like he's seen a ghost.

"Where... where did you get this?"

That's my Mamá Coco. That's my Mamá Imelda. Is that... you?" Gears turn in both of their heads. "We're... family?"

Miguel looks at Y/N to see her give him a knowing look. Héctor is as shocked as Miguel. He looks at his great-great grandson. He looks to the photo, touches the image of baby Coco, and he becomes saddened.

"I always hoped I'd see her again. That she'd miss me... maybe put up my photo. But it never happened. You know the worst part? Even if I never got to see Coco in the living world... I thought at least one day I'd see her here. Give her the biggest hug... But she's the last person who remembers me. The moment she's gone from the living world..."

"We'll disappear... from this one. You'll never get to see her..." Y/N whispers, resting her head on his shoulder. "...Ever again." Héctor is quiet for a moment. "You know, I wrote her a song once. We used to sing it every night at the same time, no matter how far apart we were. What I wouldn't give to sing it to her... one last time." Héctor looks at his sister and they sing softly, plaintively.

FLASHBACK:

"REMEMBER ME THOUGH I HAVE TO SAY GOODBYE REMEMBER ME DON'T LET IT MAKE YOU CRY FOR EVEN IF I'M FAR AWAY I HOLD YOU IN MY HEART I SING A SECRET SONG TO YOU EACH NIGHT WE ARE APART REMEMBER ME..."

Young Coco is giggling, "Papá! Tia!" Hector and Y/N kept singing, "THOUGH I HAVE TO TRAVEL FAR REMEMBER ME EACH TIME YOU HEAR A SAD GUITAR..." Father and daughter sing the song together, and Tia Y/N hums.

"KNOW THAT I'M WITH YOU THE ONLY WAY THAT I CAN BE UNTIL YOU'RE IN MY ARMS AGAIN REMEMBER ME..." Young Coco sings "KNOW THAT I'M WITH YOU THE ONLY WAY THAT I CAN BE UNTIL YOU'RE IN MY ARMS AGAIN REMEMBER ME..."

END FLASHBACK:

The echo of Héctor's song fades to silence. Miguel's eyes narrowed, "He stole your guitar... He stole your songs... You should be the one the world remembers, not de la Cruz!"

Y/N looks at her nephew, "He didn't write 'Remember Me' for the world... He wrote it for Coco."

"I'm a pretty sorry excuse for a great-great grandpa." Hector looks up at Miguel sadly.

"Are you kidding? A minute ago I thought I was related to a murderer. You're a total upgrade!"

Héctor and Y/N don't smile. Miguel kneels close, "My whole life, there's been something that made me different... and I never knew where it came from. But now I know. It comes from you. I'm proud we're family!"

Miguel looks up defiantly at the hole in the cenote, "I'm proud to be his family! TRRRRRAI-HAY-HAY-HAY-HAAAY!"

Héctor perks up and looks at his sister to see her smiling. The two jumped up, "TRRRRRRAAAAAI-HAAAI-HAAAAAY!" I'm proud to be HIS family!"

They trade off their gritos until the cenote echoes with the sound. Soon though, the echoes fade. They're still stuck. Suddenly they hear a distant howling.

"Rooo-rooo-roooooooo!"

Miguel, Y/N and Héctor look up. Y/N frowns, "Dante?"

Roooooo-roo-roo-rooo!

Up at the top of the cenote, Dante pokes his head in the opening. Miguel laughs, "Dante! It's Dante!" Dante pants and wags his tail happily. Behind him Pepita peeks down through the hole and gives a powerful roar. Pepita's call shakes the cavern. She lowers her head to reveal Mamá Imelda riding atop her. Miguel and Mamá Imelda laugh with joy. Until her gaze falls upon Héctor.

"Imelda!"

Mama Imelda glares at him with an icy voice, "Héctor."

"You look good..."

Y/N drapes her arm over his shoulder, "We should get going."