A little while passed. The trio walked with Manolo, fought off a few Heartless, and talked with their new friend. Manolo had lost his mom from before he can remember. His father told him that she was protecting Manolo from the Mexican Revolution. He then went on to explain that his mother is always with him. In Mexico, they celebrate the Day of the Dead to remember their loved ones, to help them stay somewhere called 'The Land of the Remembered.'
"'The Land of the Remembered?'" Sora asked.
"It where your loved ones go when you remember them. They stay there. If you forget them, then...they go to the Land of the Forgotten," Manolo explained.
"That sounds awful," Donald said.
"Papa said that if we keep our family's stories alive, then our family will live on forever."
"Well, let's keep those stories comin then, shall we?" Sora said, his hands on the back of his head.
"I'm going to stop here for a minute," Manolo said. Sora, Donald and Goofy stopped walking. Manolo walked inside a small house. Sora removed his hands and summoned his Keyblade. He turned it around in his hands. "Hey, Donald. Since when does your magic affect Keyblades?" Sora asked. He held up the Keyblade to Donald.
"Is it made of wood?" Goofy asked, leaning in closer.
"Yeah, it's strange," Sora replied.
"My magic doesn't change Keyblades," Donald said. "Just us."
"I wonder if it changed on it's own?" Sora suggested.
"Could be," Goofy said. "It is the key."
Sora put his Keyblade away and put a hand on his hip. "The town's quiet. I wonder where everyone went."
Manolo walked back out of the house with a group of men, wearing red and those large hats. "Sora, Donald, Goofy, meet Pepe, Pancho and Pablo," Manolo said, pointing to each one. Pepe is the largest of the three. He has a bushy mustache. Pancho is the second tallest and has a large beard. Pablo is the shortest and only has a small beard. They are all wearing red.
"Guys, this is Sora, Donald and Goofy," Manolo introduced, waving a hand at each of the group as their names were said.
"Hi!" Sora greeted.
"Nice to meet you!" Pablo said.
"We're the Rodriguez Brothers, more commonly known as the Mariachi Brothers!" Pancho said.
"'Mariachi?'" Sora, Donald and Goofy asked in unison.
"It's a type of music," Manolo said. "The musicians usually wear outfits together."
"Oooh, okay," Sora said.
"They aren't from around here?" Pancho asked.
"Nope!" Sora said.
"These are my friends," Manolo said. "Joaquin left San Angel a lot so I needed some friends."
"We're your emotional support, man!" Pablo stated.
"Where is everyone?" Sora asked as the group began walking again."
"General Posada started a party and invited everyone but you," Pancho said to Manolo.
"What? That's uncool!" Sora said.
"I don't need to go to a party," Manolo said.
"We're just hanging with you, man," Pablo said, nudging Manolo.
"Did your dad go?" Donald asked.
"No. He has 'better things to do than going to a party,'" Manolo said, making quotation marks with his fingers.
"I have a question about your guitar, Manolo," Sora said, pointing at it. "Where did you get it? It doesn't look like one I've seen before."
"This one was custom made by Maria. When I was little, I saved General Posada from a boar, but breaking my guitar in return. Maria got me a new one."
"Young love," Donald sighed.
"I've loved Maria my whole life," Manolo replied.
"Why don't you sing to her?" Pepe asked.
"She's at the party. She won't hear me anyway," Manolo sighed.
"You have to get her attention!" Pancho exclaimed.
"From down here?" Sora asked.
"It's tradition to sing to a special someone while they're on their balcony in Mexico," Goofy whispered.
"Oooh," Sora said.
"Like this!" Pancho said.
The Mariachi Brothers stacked, Pepe on the bottom, Pablo on top of him, and Pancho on the very top, with a small piano on top of Pablo. Pepe began beatboxing while Pancho played chords on the piano. "You...you got what I need! But you say I'm just a friend. But you say I'm just a friend. Oh-oh you-" a potted plant crashed down on top of the piano. Sora looked up to see where the plant came from. He spotted a blurry pink blob. Is it a pig?
"Let me show you how it's done!" Pepe said. Pepe began singing a song Sora wish he didn't hear. Then he began some sort of opera singing and-
Sora covered his eyes, smiling. He uncovered his eyes when a crash sounded. In front of Pepe is a larger potted plant. "Very romantic, Pepe," Manolo said, smiling.
"No, no! Like this!" Pablo said. He pulled out a guitarron. "Uno! Dos! Uno, dos, thres, quarto-" he exclaimed as he traveled different directions on his guitarron before getting crushed by a cactus. Sora heard a low squeal from Maria's balcony and saw a pig at the window. She does have a pig!
"Let's get out of here!" Pablo cried. Pablo-cactus rolled over on his side inside the pot and rolled into a bar, his brothers following him, all yelling, but not in a way Sora has head before.
The bar shutters swung a few times from the Pablo-cactus before they closed completely. Manolo smiled and sighed. He pulled his guitar off of his back. Manolo examined the side of his guitar, where words are carved in. 'Always play from the heart, Maria.'
Manolo inhaled deeply and started tuning his guitar. "He's going to play again," Sora whispered. He walked a few paces away from Manolo and towards another building.
Once his guitar was tuned, Manolo played a few bars. "I love you too much," he started, looking up at the balcony, "to live without you loving me back. I love you too much. Heaven's my witness and this is a fact." Manolo walked towards the wall under the balcony, near a pole.
"I know I belong, when I sing this song," he continued after a few chords. "There's love above love and it's ours 'cause I love you too much." Maria walked out from her room and looked down. Sora subtly pointed towards the underside of the balcony where Manolo is playing. Her gaze followed his finger.
As if from instinct, Manolo came out from under the balcony, still playing his song. "I live for your touch. I whisper your name night after night. I love you too much. There's only one feeling and I know is right. I know I belong." His eyes met Maria's and he smiled.
"When I sing this song. There's love above love and it's ours 'cause I love you too much." He stopped for a bridge. Sora leaned against the wall. "Heaven knows your name, I've been praying to have you come here by my side. Without you, a part of me is missing. Just to make you my own, I will fight.
"I love you too much." With that, some of the leftover citizens left their houses to watch him sing. "I love you too much. Heaven's my witness and this is a fact. You live in my soul. Your heart is my goal. There's love above love and it's mine 'cause I love you."
The Mariachi Brothers stacked, using their hats as steps. Manolo climbed the hats, never taking his eyes off of Maria. "There's love above love and it's yours 'cause I love you. There's love above love and it's ours, if you love me...as much."
The whole world seemed to have vanished as Manolo made it to the end of his song. He leaned in for a kiss, Maria doing likewise, until he stopped. He opened his eyes to see Maria's finger on his lips. The world returned.
"Oh, Manolo. Did you really think it was going to be that easy?" Maria asked.
"No! So close!" Sora whined.
"I-woah!" Pablo stumbled, knocking over Pancho, Pepe, and Manolo. As he fell, Manolo's guitar slipped from his hands, and he threw it up. Maria caught it but the stacked friends fell. Manolo hit the floor first, Pancho and Pepe landing on him. Manolo stood and stumbled before Pancho's trumpet landed on his head. The trumpet pushed his hair down.
Manolo stumbled from the fall as he tried to stay upright. "I..." he raised his finger up, "I kinda did!" Finally, he fell, the trumpet flying off his head as he did so.
"Manolo? Are you okay?" Sora asked. Manolo lie on the floor, smiling.
"He seems okay," Goofy said.
"He's lovestruck," Donald said. "He's madly in love with Maria."
Maria started laughing. "One minute! I'll be right down!" She disappeared behind the doors, taking Manolo's guitar with her.
"Sorry, guys," Pablo said.
"You're good, Pablo!" Pepe said.
"Manolo got his song through!" Pancho added.
"But he didn't get a kiss in!" Sora cried.
"He'll get it!" Pancho said. "I know he will."
Goofy and Pancho helped Manolo up. Manolo stumbled so they held him up as Pepe fixed Manolo's hair.
A dark figure loomed up ahead. It growled softly, spread it's wings and vanished. Sora looked up. "You okay?" Donald asked.
"Yeah." He stared a little longer. "Did you see some more Heartless?" Donald checked.
"No. It's nothing," Sora said, looking at Donald. Sora and Donald returned their gaze to the group helping Manolo. Donald walked up to Manolo. "Hey! Snap out of it!" Donald yelled, jumping up and slapping Manolo once. He remained unfazed.
"Heh," Sora giggled. "He didn't notice your baby slaps!" Sora started laughing. Goofy joined in. "Get in there!" Pepe said, pushing Manolo inside the doors.
Manolo stumbled from Pepe's push and landed on Joaquin, who kept Manolo upright. "What did I miss?" Manolo asked.
"Wait did he...?" Joaquin asked, pointing at Manolo. Manolo stood upright. "Did I what?"
"Joaquin proposed to Maria!" one of the scrawny soldiers in the back said.
"You what?" Manolo asked, his smile fading. Sora covered a small gasp. Donald and Goofy looked at each other, then looked back at the party. "Were you going to?" Maria asked, holding Manolo's guitar close.
"You proposed to her?" Manolo asked.
"Well, you sang to her and I got General Posada's blessing-" Joaquin said.
"You gave him your blessing?" Maria asked, turning to the short man with the crazy mustache.
"Well, yeah. Who else is going to protect the town from Chakal? We need him to stay," General Posada replied.
"You proposed because I sang to her?" Manolo asked.
"Well, yes, but-"
"You know I like you!" Manolo replied.
"Well, you can't keep her for yourself!" Joaquin retorted.
"I wasn't keeping her for myself!" Manolo yelled, shoving Joaquin.
"Guys," Sora said.
"Did you just shove me?" Joaquin asked.
"I can do it again!" Manolo said, shoving Joaquin again.
"Guys," Sora tried again.
"Why can't I propose to her? I'm not like you. 'Ooh! I'm going to play music to win you over!'" Joaquin mocked.
"Guys," Sora tried for third time.
"You take that back!" Manolo said, pointing at Joaquin.
"You get that finger away from me!" Joaquin said, pointing at Manolo.
"Don't you point at me!" Manolo said.
"Guys!" Sora tried for a fourth time.
Manolo and Joaquin started whacking at each other. "You two are acting like fools!" Maria said. They both stopped. "Wait, me too?" Manolo asked, pointing at himself. Sora facepalmed himself. "Of course you are, Manolo," Joaquin said, putting a hand on his hips.
"What do you mean by that?" Manolo asked, his attention back to Joaquin.
"Want to find out?" Joaquin asked, unsheathing one of his swords. "Bring it on." Manolo smiled and raised a hand into the air. Pepe threw his his guitar. "Aha!" Manolo said, pointing his guitar in front of him, looking at it, and glancing at Pepe. "What? You wanted a banjo?" Pepe asked.
"Vas a toca un poco de musica para mi?" Joaquin asked, mimicking a guitar and laughing. Manolo pulled his guitar closer and rested his fingers on the strings. "I'm going to teach you some manners." He played one chord. Joaquin and Manolo both struck at each other's weapons at the same time, stopping in the air by a third sword.
"Did I mention I also studied fencing?" Maria asked.
"Woah," Manolo and Sora said in unison.
"She does everythin'," Goofy said.
"What can't she do?" Donald asked.
Maria pulled up her sword, catching Joaquin's sword in her other hand while Manolo caught his guitar. "You two need to stop that!" Maria cried.
"Maria, please," General Posada said.
"Papa!"
"Maria, at least consider it," Joaquin said.
Maria looked at Manolo, then Joaquin, then General Posada. "Okay," she said quietly.
"Everyone out!" General Posada yelled, pushing Sora and Donald out of the door. "Hey, geez! I can walk!" Sora said as General Posada continued to push him until he was all the way outside. Goofy followed them out, along with a few others. General Posada pushed a few more out until people got the gesture and began walking out on their own. Soon enough, the streets were empty again.
"We should find somewhere to set up," Donald said.
"How about over there?" Goofy asked. He pointed to a small clearing by the church, near some houses. "That works!" Sora said.