PLEASE READ:

One thing about this Au: EVERYBODY IS ALIVE

Originally I was gonna follow the bloodline from the movie and have Miguel be able to see dead people but I had trouble coming up with a story so I came up with something else. So for those reasons Hector is not Miguel's great-great-grandfather.

Also, English is my main language but I try to put Spanish in as much as I could so if it seems weird or if I say something wrong, I'm really sorry.

Once Upon a Time, in the town of Santa Cecilia lived the Rivera family. A family that made the most beautiful music and the best shoes.

Among the family was the married couple, Lusia and Enrique Rivera, and Luisa was about to have a baby but she got really sick.

Odds were she may not make it through labor or even to labor.

The entire Rivera's family traveled many miles until one had found it, a magic guitar. A white guitar that had designs of skeletons painted on it.

The guitar held the power to heal the sick and injured. All someone has to do is strum the strings and sing a song.

Enrique brought the guitar to his wife and sang a lullaby that his Mama sang to him when he was little, Lavender's Blue.

Just as the legend had promised, the music from the guitar healed Lusia.

A healthy baby was born, a boy with big brown eyes and dark hair just like his parents. They named him Miguel.

To celebrate his birth, the Riveras family held a huge party and launched flying lanterns into the sky. When night came, the couple sang the same song that had saved Lusia's life to their son.

For that one moment, everything was perfect.

And then that moment ended.

No one was aware that the guitars magic was connected to baby Miguel. Now every time the boy sang, he could heal.

Unfortunately, a man, a selfish man named Ernesto De La Cruz, wanted that magic for himself to remain young for centuries to come.

In the dead of night, De La Cruz broke into the families house and found the guitar in the newborns' room.

But when Ernesto strummed the strings, the magic did not work. He tried again and again until eventually, the music woke up Miguel. As the man tried to make the guitar work, the baby cooed along with the music. Only then did the magic work.

Lusia and Enrique heard music coming from their sons' room but when they went to investigate, they were too late.

Ernesto was gone, along with the guitar and Miguel.

All of Santa Cecilia searched and searched, but they could not find the lost boy.

Meanwhile, miles outside of town, deep within the forest, in a hidden tower, Ernesto raised the child as his own.

Teaching him to play the guitar and to love music, which the boy already did.

Years passed, Ernesto became a famous musician and songwriter, who did not age a day.

Inside the tower, 5-year-old Miguel played on his father's guitar, singing one of his songs.

"...Only a song, only a song. Has the power to change a heart."

With the magical guitar, Miguel unintentionally kept Ernesto young for years. The man remained famous, and the child remained hidden.

"Why can't I go outside?"

"The outside world is a dangerous place," Ernesto lied to Miguel, "Filled with horrible, selfish people. You must stay here, with me. Only I can keep you safe," and as planned, the child believed him" "Do you understand, mijo?"

"Yes, Papa,"

But the walls of the tower could not hide everything. Every year on his birthday, Santa Cecilia would have a huge festival in honor of the lost boy, hoping that the music and floating lanterns would help him find his way home.

And every year, Miguel heard the music, saw the lights, and he dreamed of playing music for others to hear, just like his Papa.

7 years later...

11-year-old Miguel looked under his bed, under all of the tables, beneath his piles of clothes, and inside the large wardrobe closet. He snapped his fingers in frustration.

Scanning the room of the tower, a smirk came across his face when he saw a wagging tail poking out from the curtains.

"Oh well, if Dante isn't here then he must be gone forever," Miguel bit back a laugh when he saw the tail stop wagging, he then grabbed a sweet from the table, "Now who will eat this sweet bread? Oh well, more for me,"

At that moment, a Xoloitzcuintli dog burst from behind the curtains and jumped towards Miguel. More specifically, the sweet in his hand.

Miguel laughed and held the sweet high in the air, "Sit Dante!" Dante did as commanded, his tongue hanging out of his mouth.

"Lie down!" Dante laid flat on his back, Miguel then held out his hand, "Shake!" Ignoring the hand, Dante shook his whole body causing the boy to erupt in laughs, "Fist Bump!" Miguel bumped his hand against the Xolo's paw.

"Good boy, Dante!"

Miguel threw the sweet into the air, causing Dante to jump up and catch it in his mouth making the boy laugh again.

Miguel had been nearly six years old when he met Dante, a poor stray puppy that was left alone in the rain and somehow found the tower. His Papa often wasn't home because he had World Tours so Miguel took Dante in.

Both were lonely, so why not be lonely together?

Miguel pulled a small notepad from his pocket. Flipping through the pages, all of which were filled with T-Charts with both his and Dante's name on it. He stopped at one that had, Hide and Seeks printed above it.

Miguel's side had more tally marks than Dante did, the boy looked down at his only friend who smiled up at him. Miguel smiled before marking a tally under Dante.

"You win this round," Miguel announced, "That's 23 against 45," Dante growled at the logic, "Okay, that game was getting old anyway," Miguel tossed the notepad aside, "What do you want to do?"

Dante smiled, causing his tongue to flap out before grabbing the boys' jacket sleeve in his mouth and dragging him over to the open window. Miguel saw what Dante wanted and quickly dug his heel into the tiled ground and pulled back on his sleeve.

"No Dante!" The boy scolds the disappointed dog, "We like it in here, remember?" Dante just stared blankly up at him, "Look, my twelfth birthday is just around the corner, when Papa comes home then I will ask him to take me to the Music Festival. Comprender?" Dante huffed in agreement, and Miguel patted the Xolo's head.

"No te preocupes, Dante. Papa will be back by…" Miguel checked the calendar by the window and his eyes widened, "Today?!" In a panic, Miguel looked around the tower, "I gotta clean up!"

Dante watches his owner run off towards the supply closet before poking his head out the window.

"Come on Dante, help me!"

Dante barked and ran off to help Miguel.

And there it is!

I hope you enjoyed and have a good day.

See you next Saturday! Don't forget to review!