Miguel's smile vanished, replaced with a look of horror. First he saw Tío ?scar and Tío Felipe looking in the back, then Tía Rosita talking to a skeleton, and finally Papá Julio conversing with the emcee on the other side of the stage.

Miguel tapped Kayleigh on the arm and pointed to show her.

She too, gasped in horror at the sights of Miguel's family. "Oh no..."

Panicked, Miguel yanked Héctor stage left, away from the emcee and Papá Julio.

Kayleigh and Dante followed.

But Héctor resisted, now confused and annoyed that Miguel and Kayleigh weren't going to perform an encore for the audience. "Hey, where are you going?"

"We gotta get out of here!" Miguel declaimed.

"What, are you crazy? We're about to win this thing!"

"It's too complicated!" Kayleigh claimed. "Later!"

Just then, the emcee came up on the stage. "Damas y caballeros (Ladies and gentlemen)," she announced, motioning for the audience to quiet down. "I have an emergency announcement. Please be on the lookout for a living boy and girl. Answers to the names of Miguel and Kayleigh."

Héctor overheard this, and came to a complete halt as he listened.

"Earlier tonight, they ran away from the boy's family. They just want to send them back to the Land of the Living."

Hearing the emcee made Kayleigh put her hands to her face in absolute terror. "Ohhhhh..."

Murmurs of concern began to rumble through the audience.

Héctor gazed directly at Miguel and Kayleigh, with a frown. "Wait, wait, wait," he yanked out of Miguel's grip. "You said de la Cruz was your only family. The only person who could send you home?"

"I do have other family, but-" Miguel began to explain.

"You could have taken my photo back this whole time?!"

"But they hate music. I need a musician's blessing!"

"You lied to me!" Héctor angrily pointed out.

"Oh, you're the one to talk!" scoffed Miguel.

Kayleigh tried to come up with an excuse to get out of this. "They hate us! They abuse Miguel, and won't even let me see him!"

But obviously, Héctor wouldn't buy Kayleigh's false story. "Don't lie to me! Look at me. I'm being forgotten, Miguel. I don't even know if I'm gonna last the night. I'm not gonna miss my once chance to cross that bridge, 'cause you want to live out some stupid musical fantasy!"

Kayleigh's jaw dropped in offense.

"It's not stupid!" Miguel said.

But Héctor grabbed Miguel by the arm, and pulled him toward the stage. "I'm taking you to your family!"

"No!" cried Kayleigh. She tried to stop Héctor.

"Let go of me!" Miguel protested, now struggling against Héctor.

"You'll thank me later!" Héctor declared.

But Miguel yanked his arm out of Héctor's grasp. "You don't wanna help me, or Kayleigh. You only care about yourself!" He pulled Héctor's photo out of his pocket, and threw it at him. "Keep your dumb photo!"

"No!" Héctor chased after it in the wind. "No, no!"

"Stay away from me!" Miguel shouted back, before leaving in a huff.

Kayleigh, still in a panic, hesitated for a moment, but then quickly followed Miguel.

Héctor scrambled to get his photo back. Once he had it again, he looked around for the children. "Hey, chamacos (kids)? Where did you go?"

The children went down a stairway. Kayleigh took a quick look back to make sure they weren't being followed.

Héctor kept searching. "Chamacos! Sorry! Come back!"

Heading into an alleyway, Miguel looked up at Ernesto's tower, and marched forward. He was now more determined than ever to get there.

"Espérame (Wait for me)!" Kayleigh ran to catch up.

Dante bounded after the children, but looked back up the stairs they came down from, and whimpered. He barked to get their attention.

"Dante, cállate (shut up)!" Miguel just scolded him.

But Dante was insistent. He tugged at Miguel's pants, trying to stop him.

But Miguel refused to listen. "No, Dante! Stop it! He can't help us!"

Kayleigh looked at Dante, now confused with his odd behavior. "What's gotten into you?"

Dante latched onto Miguel's hoodie.

Miguel tried to shake the dog off. But instead, his hoodie slipped down, revealing his still-flesh arms.

"Dante!" Kayleigh tried to stop him.

But Dante redoubled his efforts.

"Dante, stop! Stop it! Leave me alone!" Miguel yanked his hoodie away from Dante. "You're not a spirit guide, you're just a DUMB DOG!"

Dante shrank back and whined, hurt by Miguel's words.

"NOW GET OUT OF HERE!"

"Miguel!" Kayleigh snapped at Miguel, not liking his selfish behavior.

"Whose side are you on?!" Miguel snapped back at her. "Mine, or theirs?!"

Kayleigh was absolutely shocked that Miguel was lashing out on her, too. Of course, she wanted her best friend to know that she was on his side. But now he was aggravated by what was happening to him. She didn't know what to say.

The scuffle between the boy and the small dog had drawn the eyes of the crowd. Startled skeletons saw Miguel's arms.

"It's them!" One skeleton man pointed out.

"It's that living boy and girl!" A skeleton woman beside him joined in. "I've heard about them!"

Gasping, Miguel hurried to put his hoodie back on, as the crowd began to point and shout.

"Look! They're alive!"

Miguel ran away, jumping down some scaffolding.

"Dante, I am so sorry!" Kayleigh apologized to the dog, before leaving to catch up with her friend.

In the distance, Miguel and Kayleigh could see Ernesto de la Cruz's tower. They dashed ahead towards it.

But suddenly, Pepita landed right in front of them, cutting off their path, and roared.

The children skidded to a stop, and screamed at the sight of the winged-jaguar. Even worse, Mamá Imelda was riding atop the feline creature.

"This nonsense ends now, Miguel!" declared Mamá Imelda. "I am giving you and your amiga (friend) my blessing, and you two are going home!"

"We don't want your blessing!" Miguel shouted.

"Just leave us alone!" Kayleigh angrily demanded.

She and Miguel bolted for a narrow alley staircase.

Pepita landed in front of where the children disappeared, and roared up.

Unable to get through the staircase with Pepita, Mamá Imelda continued onward on foot. "Miguel! Stop!" She called after her great-great-grandson in a stern voice. "Come back! Miguel!"

Miguel and Kayleigh came up to a metal gate, shaking it. Then, Miguel squeezed himself through.

"I am trying to save your lives!" Mamá Imelda called up.

When she finally approached the children, Kayleigh glared at her with deep hatred, having had enough with this woman and her dislike of music.

"You're ruining my life!" Miguel yelled back.

"What?" Mamá Imelda froze.

Without thinking, Kayleigh slapped Mamá Imelda across the face, causing her head to spin around a few times.

Surprised by her own action, Kayleigh quickly squeezed herself through the metal gate to join Miguel. "I can't believe I just did that," she mumbled to herself. She had actually struck her best friend's great-great-grandmother - the one who had banished music from his family all those years ago.

But Miguel didn't even bother to react to Kayleigh's sudden action. "Music's the only thing that makes me happy!" He angrily said. "And you- you wanna take that away! You'll never understand!"

He and Kayleigh started up the stairs.

Mamá Imelda was shocked. She thought for a moment, and then, began to sing a clear, powerful note, through the stairwell.

(Mamá Imelda)
"Y aunque la vida me cueste, (And even if life costs me)
Llorona No dejar de quiererte, (Crybaby not stop loving you)"

Miguel and Kayleigh both stopped.

Her voice sounded beautiful and haunting.

"I thought you told me she hated music," Kayleigh said to Miguel.

"I-" Miguel stammered. He looked back, repeating Kayleigh's words to Mamá Imelda. "I thought you, hated music."

"Oh, I loved it," said Mamá Imelda. "I remember that feeling - when my husband would play, and I would sing, and nothing else mattered. But when we had Coco, suddenly, there was something in my life that mattered more than music. I wanted to put down roots. He wanted to play for the world." She paused, lost in a memory. "We each made a sacrifice to get what we wanted. Now, you, must make a choice."

Kayleigh glanced at Miguel.

"But, I don't wanna- pick sides," Miguel said softly. "Why can't you be on my side? That's what families are supposed to do - support you. But, you never will," He wiped a tear from the corner of his eyes with the side of his palms. Before Mamá Imelda could answer, Miguel hurried up the narrow staircase, continuing on for Ernesto de la Cruz's tower.

Kayleigh glanced back at Mamá Imelda for a moment. She shook her head in disappointment, and continued on with Miguel.