Notes: I didn't realize how long these chapters would be by trying to write out the beginning of the movie. The next chapter should be where the AU comes into play.

Summary: Miguel talks with his familia about going to the talent show and is denied by Abuelita. She brings him to the Ofrenda room to talk about the importance of Días de Los Muertos. After sneaking away, Miguel retreats to his secret hideout to play his guitar. He makes his decision about going to the talent show.

The group arrives at the Rivera Family Hacienda. The Riveras in the workshop are busy making shoes. Miguel is ushered into the workshop by Abuelita and he plops down onto a little stool in the center of the room. He stares dejectedly at the floor.

Here we go again.

"I found your son in Mariachi Plaza!" Abuelita gestures to Miguel as she speaks to Enrique and Luisa. They are seated at a work table, stitching the leather on the shoes, and nearby, cousin Abel is buffering completed shoes.

"Aye, Miguel!"

"You know how Abuelita feels about the plaza."

While Enrique's reprimand is stern, Luisa's is toned in disappointment. Miguel looks up at his parents.

"Ah-I was just shining shoes!"

Miguel is interrupted by Tío Berto.

"A musician's shoes!"

Everyone gasps. Abel loses control of the shoe he's buffeting and it hits the ceiling, joining several others that became stuck there.

"But the plaza's where the foot traffic is!" Miguel reasoned.

Why do they always have to make a big deal about this? Why is it so terrible?

"If Abuelita says no more plaza, then no more plaza!" Enrique gestured with the lasting pliers in his hand at each word at the end of his sentence.

"B-b-but what about tonight?"

"What's tonight?" Abuelito asked.

Miguel slightly flinched.

I didn't mean to say that.

"They're having this talent show…" Miguel steps forward slightly, clasps his hands together in a begging fashion. Abuelita turns at the words talent show, stern glare already on her face.

"A-a-and I thought I might…" He pleads.

Please let me go...

Luisa adopts a skeptic look.

"Sign up?" She finishes his question.

"Well… maybe?" Miguel gestures with his hands. He started chanting in his mind.

Say yes, say yes, say yes,

"Ha ha ha ha!" Rosa moves a box onto the same table Enrique and Luisa are working on.

"You have to have talent to be in a talent show." She mocked.

"What are you going to do? Shine shoes?" Abel joined in. Karma catches up with him as the shoe from earlier falls from the ceiling onto his head.

"Ow." He rubbed his head in pain. Miguel scoffed at them.

You deserved that, Abel.

"It's Días de Los Muertos. No one's going anywhere." Abuelita lightly shoves a large bunch of cempasúchil into his hands.

She continues, "Tonight, is about family."

He spits some petals out of his mouth.

Did you really have to do that?

Abuelita grabs him by the shoulders.

"Ofenda room. Vámanos."

Abuelita led Miguel past the courtyard and into the Ofrenda Room. The entrance was covered in cempasúchil flowers. Miguel walked in while Abuelita wheeled Mamá Coco, who was waiting outside, in. The ofrenda is decorated with many bunches of cempasúchil, photos, candles, sugar skulls, and other offerings. Abuelita pressed a kiss to her mama's cheek, then grabs Miguel's shoulder again and pushes him up to it.

"Don't give me that look! Días de Los Muertos is the one night of the year that your ancestors can come visit us!" She gestured at the photos on it and picks one up. She gazed at it fondly.

I've heard this a million times. Aughh. Alright, I'm out of here.

"We've put their photos on the ofrenda so their spirits can cross over. That is very important! If we don't put them up, they can't come! We made all of this food, set out the things they loved in life mijo! All of this work to bring the family together. I don't want you sneaking off to who knows where."

Miguel is sneaking out of the room as she says this.

"Where are you going?!"

Miguel looked back sheepishly.

"I-I-I thought we were done?!"

"Ay, Dios mio." She grabbed his arm and pulled him forward.

"Being part of this family means being here for this family!" Grasping both hands, she dragged him back to the ofrenda. She tried again to convey her message to Miguel.

"I don't want to see you end up like-"

Miguel interrupts, "Like Mamá Coco's papá?"

She slams her hand on the ofrenda and points in Miguel's face.

"NEVER mention that man! He's better off forgotten."

"But you're the one who-"

She cuts him off.

"Ah da da chh!"

"I was just-"

"Chh chh chh!"

"But-I-"

"shh-chh!" She shoves her finger over his lips.

"Papá?" Mamá Coco interjected. Miguel and Abuelita turn to look at her.

"Papá is home?" Coco starts looking around, raising her shaking hand to seek him out.

Abuelita is at her side in an instant.

This is my chance! I really don't want to be here anymore.

"Mamá, cálmese, cálmese." Abuelita places one hand on her back, and another on Coco's hand.

"Papá is coming home?"

"No mamá." Coco's face immediately frowns in sadness and confusion at Abuelita's words.

"It's okay. I'm here."

Coco looks up at Abuelita.

"Who are you?" Coco smiled.

Abuelita sighs and frowns.

Miguel didn't catch the rest of the conversation. He snuck out of the room as quietly as he could and darted off towards his sanctuary.

"Ah!" Miguel turns at the sudden flood of light in his secret hideaway.

"Ah, it's you! Get in here! Come on!" His relief turns to urgency when he realizes Dánte is still partly under the sign.

Dánte scrambles all the way in.

"You're gonna get me in trouble, boy. Someone could hear me." Miguel is drawing on a paint chipped guitar. The handle now looks like a skull.

"I wish someone wanted to hear me…"

Miguel used a plier to tune it.

"Other than you."

Dánte tried to cheer him up by licking him.

"Ew! Okay!"

It works as Miguel laughs while pushing Dánte off of him.

I've worked so hard on making this guitar. Hopefully it's all paid off!

He turns back to the guitar and strums it.

"Perfecto!"

Miguel pushed aside a curtain to reveal a secret ofrenda. This ofrenda is filled with memorabilia of Ernesto de la Cruz, candles, and a photo of de la Cruz. Miguel took a lit candle and used it to light the ones that had gone out. He brandishes the guitar like De La Cruz in his Remember Me record album, then grabs a VHS tape from a nearby shelf. He inserts the tape of de la Cruz's best moments in an old tv.

"I have to sing. I have to play! The music, it's not just in me, it is me!"

Miguel picked up the guitar and started to strum it in tune alongside the music on the tape. While the tape plays, Miguel's eyes close. He feels the music. Breathes it. Becomes it.

"Senor de la Cruz, what did it take for you to seize your moment?"

He stops playing as Ernesto's famous words of advice start to play and scooch up closer to the screen.

"I had to have faith in my dream. No one was going to hand it to me. It was up to me to reach out for that dream. Grab it tight and-"

"Make it come true." "Make it come true."

The tape ended.

They'll never understand but this is the real me.

Miguel looks from the screen to the flyer of the talent show.

"No more hiding Dánte. I got to seize my moment! I'm gonna play in Mariachi Plaza if it kills me!"