A/N: I've been having some busyness taking me away but I think I'm open to do some more work on my stories here. Right now, I'm doing a bit of some updates on the future chapters of the Living Nightmare.
Back to the story: Miguel finally gets to meet his Great-Great-Grandfather. His dream of meeting his own hero and being able to return to the Land of the Living are within his grasp...But the Nightmare is far from over. In fact it's only begun!
World: Tierra de la muerte
Ernesto Dela Cruz can hardly believe that he actually has a Great-Great Grandson, but Miguel explains everything to him about how he wants to be a musician like him but his family hates music and they won't let him be one.
But after seeing his talent, Ernesto had no other choice but to believe. Everyone's pretty happy with the reunion of Miguel and his Papa. Sora, Aqua and Riku are impressed with this party. But I for one feel skeptical about Ernesto. I more we spend time with him, I become to feel something...dark is about to happen. Riku begins to catch on what I'm feeling overtime as well.
But to Miguel and Hector, what we're feeling is the least of their problems. "I have to get home before sunrise." Miguel says.
"Don't forgot, Chamaco. You promised to put my picture up." Hearing this surprises Ernesto. Hector offers his photo to Miguel. Just before the kid could take it, Ernesto takes it.
He looks at the photo then back at Hector. "Mi Amigo, you're being forgotten."
"And who's fault is that?" Hector asks. "Those were my songs! And you never told the world that I wrote them." Hearing that surprises us. Miguel especially. The kid had thought Ernesto wrote his own songs. "Look, I do'nt want to fight about it. I only want to make this right...Remember the toast we made? You told me you would move Heaven and Earth for me."
"Like in the movie?" Miguel asks. On that, we all look to the screen where the movie is being shown. Where Ernesto makes a toast with some friend. He claims he'll move Heaven and Earth and drink the toast, only Ernesto spits his drink out realizing it's poison then attacks the guy.
Watching it, Hector is starting to have a realization. "That night...Ernesto..." He starts having flashbacks, where he got homesick and packed up to return home. But Ernesto didn't want him to go. He needed Hector's Songs. Hector wouldn't listen to him, and Ernesto gets mad...Mad enough to summon a Dark Aura around him. Ernesto manages a calm face and acts gentle to his friend. Ernesto sends him off with a toast and Hector accepts it. Drinks to it.
Ernesto walks Hector to the train station. But on the way, Hector felt unbearable pain in his stomach and collapses. Next thing he knows: He woke up dead.
"You...poisoned me." Hector says, shocked.
"You're confusing movies with realities, Hector." Ernesto says. This all feels too suspicious. Ernesto plays Hector's songs. When Hector wanted to go home, Ernesto gets upset, then suddenly calms and offers a toast. Then Hector dies not long after.
"Did you murder Hector?" I ask, getting serious.
Ernesto doesn't answer. He looks as if he's trying to dodge it. "Papa Ernesto?" Miguel sounds worried.
Ernesto looks at the picture, takes a deep breath. "He's right." He folds the photo and puts it in his jacket pocket. "You have come to take away my dreams." A Dark Aura begins to form around him. Sora, Riku and I are on alert seeing this. "I will do whatever it takes to seize my moment!" Miguel gasps hearing that. "Security!"
Dream Eaters appears at Ernesto's command. "Alebrijes!" Miguel and Hector says in panic.
"Dream Eaters!" Sora says.
"Take care of our guests. They'll be...extending their stay." Ernesto turns and walks away, all while the Dream Eaters starts coming at us. The Dream Eaters starts heading towards Miguel and Hector. The three of us stands in between, facing the Dream Eaters with our Keyblades out.
We face off against the Nightmarish Creatures. They come out strong against us. I start using my Elsa D-Link, unleashing swift and cold strikes with my ice powers. Each Dream Eater that falls, more and more appears to take their place.
Soon enough, we realized we are going to be overrun. "There's just too many." Riku says.
I strike down two oncoming Dream Eaters. "Fall back! We have to escape!"
Hector and Miguel pushes Aqua and we run while fighting off the Dream Eaters. Once we have left the building, we are trapped when Dream Eaters appears in our way. We have no other choice but to fight. We focus fighting those that are closest to Miguel and Hector. Aqua is able to offer her aid in casting some of her magic.
With the Dream Eaters defeated, we move onward. Many remaining still chases after us. As we went down the steps, more Dream Eaters appears, halfway past the stairs.
I gather them all with my Magnega and Sora and Riku throw their powerful spells/Dark Magics at them. As soon as the next wave of Dream Eaters arrive, I unleash Blizzaza. The large and powerful ice shards wipes out most of the Dream Eaters. More Dream Eaters appear and still block our escape. We fight with all our might to bring them down.
With the Dream Eaters defeated, we resume our escape. We were close to the end, another wave of Dream Eaters blocks our way. Sora gathers them all with Magnera. Riku unleashes Thundaga and I unless Let It Go. Dream Eaters fall by our attacks. Even the second wave were destroyed the moment they were out. But the third remains and they fight hard.
Miguel and Hector became cornered by the Dream Eaters. Aqua does her best to protect them with her magic. But seeing as they're overwhelmed, Riku dives in to help her, taking out the Dream Eaters. Sora and I handle the waves of Dream Eaters. Our attacks were swift and magics were powerful.
With the Dream Eaters defeated, we make our escape from the palace. But we're caught surrounded when we've hit a end dead. Beyond, there is nothing but a deep hole leading to an island surrounded by a lake. Their numbers are large. Moving closer towards us. The three of us can't fight the off and protect Aqua, Miguel and Hector at once.
That leaves us with only one other option. "Everybody jump!" And next thing everyone knows, we're jumping into the hole. Thankfully, the Dream Eaters don't follow.
Ernesto watches the whole thing from his tower. He puts a hand on the glas and sighs. He actually hoped to have a family, but it was short lived when the true was revealed.
"I tried to warn you, Senior De La Cruz." Xander says. "All they wanted to do is take away your dreams." Xander approaches Ernesto and puts a hand on his shoulder. "But don't worry. My Dream Eaters will protect your dreams...They will give you all the power you need to seize your dreams."
The Dark Aura surrounds Ernesto, as he looks straight forward with a serious face. And Nods.
Meanwhile, we are trapped and wet. Being down there isn't a wise idea, but it's the best one we could do. The Dream Eaters didn't follow us inside, so that's good. The only problem left is figuring out how to get out.
While the three of us try to figure a way out, Miguel is feeling horrified. Not only he's been betrayed by Ernesto, his own idol, hero and family, but he's related to a mad man who was a murderer. Aqua and Hector does their best to comfort the boy. Miguel even runs into Hector's arms.
Things start to get worse when Hector started glowing and feels awake. We're alert seeing this as the he collapsed. "Hector?" Miguel asks.
The glowing stopped, but that doesn't calm Hector. "She's...forgetting me."
"Who's forgetting you?" Aqua asks.
"My daughter." Hector says in sadness. "She's the whole reason I wanted to go to the land of the living...I wanted to see her one last time. "I never should have left Santa Cecilia...I just wish I could apologize. I just wish I could tell her tht her papa was trying to come home...that he loved her so much." Hector looks down, eyes closed, with despair and shame. "My Coco."
Hector's situation has us feeling sad. But for Miguel...confused. "Coco?" The kid reaches into his packet for a photo.
Hector takes the photo when Miguel shows it to him...and is surprised once he looks at it. "Where...where did you get this?"
"That's my Mama Coco. That's my Mama Imelda." Miguel points at the photo of the unknown papa. "Is that...You?"
Both of them are speechless. All they could do is look at each other with surprised looks, then say: "We're...family?"
We can hardly believe it ourselves. But thinking back, I remember how close Hector and Miguel were bonding doing the singing competition on the plaza. I should have seen it: It's a Family Bond.
Hector looks back at the photo, feeling regret. "She's the whole reason you wanted to go to the Land of the Living." Sora says.
"I always hoped I'd see her again. That she missed me, maybe put up my photo...But it never happened. But do 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." Hector frowns at the fate he's been put under. "But she's the last person who remembers me. The moment she's gone from the living world..."
"You disappear from this one." Miguel says.
Or worse, as Riku thinks back to what happened to Chicharrón. "He'll turn into a Dream Eater." He says, quiet enough for only Sora and I to hear.
"You know, I wrote her a song once." Hector says. "We used to sing it every night at the same time. No matter how far apart we are. What I wouldn't give to sing it to her. Once last time."
Hector closes his eyes, starts singing the song. One that Miguel finds it most familiar.
'Remember Me.'
Everyone listens in as Hector sings the song. Aqua's eyes are full of tears, which seems kind of weird when she appears as a Skeleton. Hector thinks back to the time he and Coco sang the song together, before her took off with Ernesto to pursuit their music career.
"He stoled your guitar...He stoled your songs. You're the one the world should remember. Not Dela Cruz." Miguel says.
"I didn't write the song for the world. I wrote it for Coco." Hector says. "I'm a pretty sorry excuse for a Papa." Hector says.
"Are you kidding? A minute ago, I thought I was related to a murderer. You're a total upgrade. I'm proud we're family." Miguel runs to the water and kicks it as he shouts. "I'M PROUD TO BE HIS FAMILY!"
We all see how excited the kid is. "Okay, we're all good here. But we still need to find a way out of here." Riku say.
I think for a moment as I look at the hole above us. I take out the Hexicon, chanting a powerful wind spell. Once I'm finish, a powerful current appears in front of us. Everyone, especially Miguel and Hector, are surprised by this. I put the Hexicon away and turns back to everyone.
"Get on." I step onto the current and it soars my into the air and out of the hole. No sooner as I got out, everyone else does too. Once we were out, we were surprised by some unexpected guests.
"Miguel!" Imelda and her family shows up and she hugs Miguel. "Mijo I was so worried! Thank goodness we found you in time!" Imelda looks at Hector over Miguel, and starts to turn hostile. "Hector. How many times must I push you out of my life? I have spent my life trying to protect my family from your mistakes! He spends one minute with you and I found him trapped in a water hole."
"Hey." I stand in front of Imelda. "It wasn't his fault we were trapped down there. We were overrun by the Dream Eaters, and we had to jump in to escape them. Now, we don't have time to argue. We have to stop Ernesto to get Hector's photo."
"What?" Imelda sounds surprised at the part about getting the photo.
"He wants to go to the living to see Coco." Miguel says. "Hector should be on our Ofrenda! He's family!"
"He left his family." Imelda argues.
"He didn't leave his family." Sora says. "I mean...he did, but he tried to go home to you and Coco. But Ernesto poisoned him." Imelda is surprsied to hear that, and looks at Hector for an answer. He nods, realizing is true.
But she's still in denial. "And so what if it's true? You left me alone with a child to raise and I'm just suppose to forgive you?"
Hector's about to argue, but he starts glowing and feeling weak again. This time, Imelda gasps in concern. "I'm running out of time...It's Coco." Hector says.
"She's forgetting you." Imelda realizes.
Sora and Riku helps Hector stand up. "You don't have to forgive him...but we can't forget him." Miguel says.
"Miguel's right. We all make mistakes. But it's no reason for let them suffer the worst." Riku says.
The Rivera Family are silent. Even Imelda is starting to feel soften towards Hector. Then she turns to Miguel. "Miguel, if we help you, you will return home? No more music?"
"Family comes first." Miguel says.
"Then I will help you." Imelda looks at us. "So how do we get to Dela Cruz?"
The Sunset Concert is very live and active. Pretty much everyone in the Land of the Dead are here to celebrate the Sunrise Spectacular. As everyone takes their sets, the light go off. And the stage light takes place. Ernesto stands at center stage, the crowd cheering for Ernesto, really pleases the musician with excitement.
"Gracies, Mi Familia. Gracies." Ernesto has his guitar ready. The music plays, and Ernesto makes his first strum and begins to sing.
Or at least he would have until he's shortly interrupted by a shout. "ERNESTO!" Ernesto is surprised and the music suddenly stops. The spotlight moves to the Giant Flying Cat that's arrive at the stadium and then lands on the stage. Everyone mounts off of Papaya.
Miguel and Hector are the ones standing on the front line as we confront Ernesto. "You two again?" Ernesto says, annoyed.
"That's right." I stand in between Miguel and Hector, point one of my Keyblades at Ernesto. "Hand over the photo, before this is gonna get ugly."
Ernesto backs up, looking scared. He tries to run, but shortly comes to a stop when the Rivera Family blocks his escape.
"Give up, Ernesto. We have you surrounded." I say.
Ernesto does nothing, just tries to find an escape. But it's futile. But he refuses to give up on his dream. Even his true nature is reveal. "Never!" The dark aura takes over. To everyone, they see it as something horrific is happening. For us, we see the darkness, and can scene the Nightmarish Presence from him. "I will not let you take away my dream! I am Ernesto Dela Cruz! The Greatest Musician of all time!"
With a single, heavy strum on his guitar, the darkness starts to overwhelm the area around him. We were forced to back away, then became started when a blast of darkness bursts right out of the ground. When the darkness clears, were are stunned at the fight of Ernesto mounting a giant Horse Dream Eater. Yeguanoct.
"Wh-What kind of Alebrije is that?" Imelda asks.
"A nasty one." I say.
"I will do whatever it takes to seize my moment! WHATEVER IT TAKES!" Ernesto shouts.
Sora turns to Imelda and Hector. "Look after Miguel and Aqua. We've got this."
The rivera's takes Miguel and Aqua to safety, leaving the three of us to deal with Ernesto and the Nightmare.
Yeguanoct starts off the fight raising it's front legs, then stomps with a dark shockwave in its wake. Sora and I dodged the attack, while Riku blocks the incoming wave with his Dark Shield. I leap towards Ernesto, Keyblades out to strike. Ernesto sees my approach and strums hard on his guitar, unleashing a blast of music right at me.
Sora throws a Firaga Burst and countless bolts of fire rain down on the Dream Eater. Riku strikes at Yeguanoct, dodging the monster's incoming stomps. "Ole! How about a little music!" Ernesto strums his guitar into a melody song. Dark Music Notes appear and float around the stage. We realize it's some kind of trick, we touch the notes they're bound to explode on us.
Once I get back on my feet, I charge in on the Dream Eater. It's about to make another Shockwave stomp. As it does, I block the attack and hold it. With all of my strength. I groan toughly as I maintain the block while Sora and Riku attack on the sides. Ernesto sees the attack happening and lets out a fast and heavy strum, unleashing a Dark Pulse that knocks away Sora and Riku. When they hit the dark notes, it's what we predicted, the notes exploded.
I repel Yeguanoct, and while it's on it's two legs, I unleash swift waves of Twilight Energy right at it, hitting it on the stomach or front legs. Sora and Riku heals each other with Cura then rejoins in the battle. Ernesto's battle is persistent. We cannot get close to him as long as he has his Nightmare Powers in the Guitar. And the Dream Eater is no better either.
"And now! It's time for the big finale!" Ernesto plays a song with his guitar. And Dream Eaters appears. Countless numbers even.
"Grr. He's just too powerful." I say.
Aqua and the others just stand backstage and watched the struggle going on. "Look at them. We've got to do something." Imelda says.
All they can do is watch and think. Once Miguel looks at the collection of guitars in the back, he then gets an idea. He starts dragging Imelda onto the stage, handing her a microphone. "Sing." Imelda is surprised at the idea he suggested. "Sing." Miguel returns backstage, leaving his Grandmother on the stage.
Imelda looks at the fight ahead, seeing her friends are in danger. He has no other choice but swallow her pride...and help them.
"Ay..." Everything stops as they all hear Imelda begin to sing. "de mi llorona. Llorona de azul celeste..." Victoria and Rosita were certainly in shock to see Imelda sing. Imelda keeps singing, "Ay de mi llorona. Llorona de azul celeste..." and it seems to gather the Dream Eater's attentions. But, much to our surprise, not in a hostile sort of way.
"Y aunque la vida me cueste, llorona." Imelda starts to get excited as she sings. "No dejaré de quererte." The Dreams starts to calm, and we catch on what's happening. "No dejaré de quererte!"
"Her singing is calming them." Sora says.
"That's...not possible." I say.
"It doesn't matter. We need to finish this." Riku says.
The crowd cheers on for Imelda as she continues singing, fulling of joy and excitement. Ernesto commands his Dream Eaters to attack, but only few of them could obey. Including the Yeguanoct. As she sings, Imelda sees the Dream Eaters coming at her. She does dancing to do her best of avoiding the monsters, while Sora and Riku fights those off.
I handle Ernesto and his Dream Eater myself. As Imelda's singing continues, Yeguanoct begins to become subdued. Ernesto loses control, and it sends fear into his heart...that is if he actually does have one giving he's dead.
In the end, when Imelda finishes the song, the crowd roars their cheers, and Imelda rushes off stage to the back, where she laughs and hugs Hector.
"You were great out there!" Miguel says.
"I forgot what that felt like." Imelda says. Now she remembers the joy of music.
Ernesto sees his army is defeated, and the three of us strikes as one against Yeguanoct. With the Dream Eater defeated, Ernesto is defeated as well, surrounded by the three of his.
"No! No, no, no! This is not possible!" Ernesto says.
"It's over, Dela Cruz. You are defeated." Riku says.
Ernesto backs away from the three of us, only that wasn't a good idea for Papaya is right behind him, and Ernesto bumps into him. The massive Alebrjie looks down at Ernesto and growls.
Ernesto nervous chuckles. "Nice kitty." He says, which only earns him a threatening roar from Papaya. The flying cat grabs Ernesto and flise out of the stage, out of the stadium. Then tosses him into the air and sends him flying. Ernesto thought it's all over, but it isn't. As soon as he realizes he's heading for the one thing that killed him.
"NO! AH!" And he crashes right onto the giant bell. He falls to the ground, and looks up only to have the bell crush on top of him.
"That's the end of Dela Cruz." I say.
"No. Wait!" Miguel rushes out on stage towards us. "The photo! We didn't get the photo." The three of us realizes the error we have made. In the whole situation of fighting Ernesto, we had forgotten the whole reason we confronted him: Hector's Photo. And what's worse, Hector collapses, his body glowing. "Papa Hector!" Miguel rushes to his side. "I-I'm sorry! I've lost the photo!"
"It's all right, Mijo...It's all..." He could barely speak, as he can feel himself slipping away.
"Miguel! It's almost sunrise!" Imelda warns him.
The sun starts to rise over the horizon. Miguel is beginning to turn into a full-on Skeleton. "No, no! This can't be. I promised that you would go back to the Land of the Living! I promised that you would see Coco again!"
"We are out of time...Mijo...I just...wanted her to know...that I loved her...That I always have." Hector weakly takes out a petal. "You have...our blessing...Miguel."
Imelda grabs Hector's hands, and adds "No Conditions." as the petal glows.
They both slowly moves the petal to Miguel. The Rivera Family, and Sora, Aqua and Riku, can't help but feel sad for them. I may not look like it, but I'm feeling sad on the inside.
"I promise. I won't let Coco forget you!" Were Miguel's final words, before he was sent back to the Land of the Living.
Miguel finds himself unconscious in the last place where he was sent to the Land of the Dead: In the Cemetery Home of Ernesto. It's a sunny morning, and Miguel spent no minute waiting out. He immediately grabs the guitar he took and runs.
The kid runs and runs. Across the cemetery, through town. He hurries on home. When he arrives, he finds his Mama Coco, a very elderly women, in her room. Miguel tries to get her to remember Papa Hector. But nothing is working, even tried to warn her that he will be gone if she forgets. She only has that blank, sadden look on her face.
Miguel tries to show her the photo he accidentally took from the Ofrenda, hoping she'll remember. But nothing...especially with the face missing.
In defeat, Miguel feels nothing but sadness. It's too late...She's about to forgetting him.
"Mama Coco..." With nothing else, Miguel decides to deliver Hector's final gift. "Your Papa...he wanted you to have this."
Miguel strums a slow, sad melody. And starts singing with a broken sad voice. The song, 'Remember Me'
"Remember me...Though I have to say goodbye. Remember Me. Don't let it make you cry..." It doesn't show, but Coco makes a small reaction to her hand, then her face slowly moves. "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." Coco starts to awaken a realizing...something she remembers. "Remember me...Though I have to travel far..." Then Coco starts singing with Miguel. "Remember me..." Miguels to turn happy, smiles even. "Each time you hear a sad guitar." Coco looks directly at Miguel with a smile. "Know that I'm with you the only way that I can be...until you're in my arms again...Remember me."
"My Papa use to sing that song." Coco says.
"He loved you Mama Coco...Your Papa...He loved you so much." Miguel says.
Coco puts a hand on Miguel's check. Then she reaches into her nearby draw and takes out a punch of papers. "I kept his letters...poems he wrote me...and..." She takes out a single torn photo.
When Miguel takes it, he's surprised. Then he matches it onto the photo he has. The missing piece of the picture: Hector's face.
"Papa was a Musician." Coco says. "When I was a little girl. He and Mama would sing me such beautiful songs." Miguel hugs Coco.
The while time, the four of us watched everything on the other side of the room. We know Miguel and Coco cannot see or hear us. "He did it...he saved Hector." Aqua says.
"Gotta say, the kid's got guts." I say.
"Guess this means it's all over." Sora says.
Much to our luck, we noticed a Keyhole appeared. In the top corner just above Miguel and Coco. Sora, Riku and I summon our Keyblades, and shoot a beam of light at the Keyhole. A bright light shines from it and the Nightmare vanishes from this world.
Only Six Keyholes remain. As we make our leave for the next world, we take our last look at the united family within Miguel and Coco.