Proof that the remaining 10% is worth getting trapped in the Land of the Dead for here:
These are recommendations made by Tropers for Fan Fics, all of which have been signed. After a few samples, you will be able to judge whether you might be interested in the 'fic, based on who recommended it. No-name recommendations will be delivered a Final Death. Nobody knows where the rec will go. Discussion of the recommendation is welcome on the discussion page. As such discussion is important, do remember to add the discussion page to the watchlist, if need be.
Do warn when a fanfic may head into non-canon territory. Some people just don't like it, and as we all know, Shipping is Serious Business.
Stories focused on the family and the friendly relationships of the cast. Plot-focused stories or light day-in-the-life stories. Pretty much anything that isn't focused on romance.
- Recommended by Bookworm Gal
- Status: Complete
- Pairings: Héctor Rivera/Imelda Rivera
- Summary: Ernesto's crimes didn’t stop at murdering Hector. They went beyond the grave.
Remember Me
(Alternate Link) by Bookwormgal
- Recommended by SilverfiresShadow
- Status: Complete
- Pairings: Héctor Rivera/Imelda Rivera
- Summary: It had been a long time since he sang this lullaby. Especially after hearing how it had been twisted and misused. The song had been butchered enough for a lifetime. But perhaps he could sing it the way he intended it to be. He could sing it for his Coco one more time.
- Recommended by Bookworm Gal
- Status: Complete
- Pairings: Héctor Rivera/Imelda Rivera
- Summary: Even Death itself can't help but love a happy ending.
- Recommended by Zabilac
- Status: Complete
- Summary: The Rivera family has a new addition to meet at the Department of Family Reunions, but the reunion doesn't go quite as Héctor would have thought.
Ojos Que No Ven by EndlessExistentialCrisis
- Recommended by nightshade1218
- Status: Ongoing
- Summary: There were just some things that death couldn't prepare you for. Héctor Rivera was about to experience that firsthand.
- Now has its own TV Tropes page (Still in progress).
- Recommended by Bookworm Gal
- Status: Abandoned; fic has been orphaned
- Pairings: Héctor Rivera/Imelda Rivera
- Summary: Miguel and Héctor should have guessed that there would be consequences after what had transpired in The Land of the Dead. With the young Rivera’s near-death and the elder’s near-Final-Death experiences, they weren’t exactly expecting to come out of the mess unscathed… But catching a cold was certainly not what either of them had had in mind.
For This Music is My Language by Jaywings
- Recommended by Bookworm Gal
- Status: Complete
- Summary: The truth has finally been discovered and Miguel has made a promise. Now he asks Héctor to make one too.
The World Es Mi Familia by bunnikkila
- Recommended by Bookworm Gal
- Status: Complete
- Summary: After his night in the Land of the Dead, Miguel remembers the souls with nowhere to go - and decides he's going to change that. After all - the world is his family.
Recuérdame (Remember Me) by Yaoiloverread
- Recommended by BabyCharmander
- Status: Ongoing
- Summary: AU: In a world where Miguel never went to the Land of the Dead, the truth will just have to find other ways to set itself free.
- Comments: After discovering the guitar in the photo of his great-great-grandparents, Miguel goes to the internet to discuss his findings, and the truth about his great-great-grandfather starts to unfold. Each chapter is written in a different format: you'll find anything from Reddit threads, to emails, to Tumblr posts, to news articles, to police reports, to text messages, and so on. It's a creative and engaging story, leaving a lot up to the reader's imagination as we see the wider impact of Miguel's discovery.
el amor domestica el corazón by SeasideFantasies
- Recommended by Marlee Cross
- Status: Dormant; last updated July 2018
- Summary: Miguel had known all the legends of Santa Cecilia since before he could even walk, including the notorious El Lobo Marrón, the monstrous wolf who roamed the countryside. He had always thought that they were myths, stories to scare children into obedience. Little did he know he would soon get more exposure to one legend than he could ever have imagined.
Sad Guitar (Alternate Link) by spotty8ee
- Recommended by angryclickernoise
- Status: Dormant (Last updated March 2018)
- Summary: Miguel never made it home before sunrise.
- Comments: Only two chapters have been published at the time of writing, but they're both phenomenally written and characterised. This tells the story of Miguel attempting to cope with all the turmoil of being dead after being unable to escape the cenote before sunrise, including phantom pains (more like phantom pressure) of being autopsied and having temporary visions of his body while he sleeps, while the connection between body and soul is still strong. The idea is very solid, and the scenes involving Miguel's glimpses into the living world really hurt. If you enjoy intense angst or hurt/comfort, this is a fic you'll want to read.
Music of the After by Saria Skye
- Recommended by E1craZ4life
- Status: Dormant; last updated October 2018
- Summary: Rebecca was just your average half-white, half-Hispanic 12-year-old girl from America. But when she unexpectedly meets her end during a family vacation/reunion to Mexico, she's suddenly thrown into a world not even her wildest dreams could have prepared her for. Perhaps a friendly musician would be willing to help teach her about the part of her heritage she's never known.
Old Habits Die Hard by im-fairly-whitty
- Recommended by Bookworm Gal
- Status: Complete
- Summary: An absolutely ridiculous (yet canon-consistent) one-shot of the Dead Riveras sneaking into the Sunrise Spectacular.
Each Time You Hear A Sad Guitar by Taybay
- Recommended by Zabilac
- Status: Complete
- Summary: Just a few feet away from her, there now stood a man. A man she didn’t need help identifying. No, she was aware of who he was, even with having only been connection to him through memories, letters, and a single ripped photo. She knew the sight of her own Papa.
Neither Can You (Alternate Link) by BabyCharmander
- Recommended by Bookworm Gal, Papilio Taempesta
- Status: Complete
- Pairings: Héctor Rivera/Imelda Rivera, Coco Rivera/Julio Rivera
- Summary: "Do you care about your familia... more than your music?" Hector didn't have to think twice to answer yes. But the grin on Ernesto's face sent a chill down his spine as the man continued, "Are you willing to put that to the test?"
- Recommended by Treeclimber42
- Status: Complete
- Pairings:Héctor Rivera/Imelda Rivera
- Summary: Miguel tried to remind Mamá Coco. He tried to remind her of who she had forgotten. And in the end, a lullaby from her childhood managed to spark her memory. She remembered her papá and even shared stories with the rest of her family, ensuring that they would remember him as well. But it was too late. She had forgotten for a moment too long. And Héctor was already gone. But Miguel promised that he would see Coco. He promised.
Ernesto de la Cruz vs. The Court of Public Opinion by skater_of_the_surface
- Recommended by Marlee Cross, Mondegreen, pisoprano
- Status: Complete
- Parings: Héctor Rivera/Imelda Rivera
- Summary: The thrilling sequel to Coco that you've all been waiting for! Miguel visits ... wait for it... wait for it... A LIBRARY. Or : Miguel probably can't prove that Ernesto is a murderer, but stupendous fuckbucket is still on the table.
- Comments: If you're wondering how Miguel changed everyone's opinion on Ernesto de la Cruz by the movie's epilogue, this is the best explanation you can ever get. The story comes in the form of articles, internet posts and transcripts, mostly focused on a reporter examining Miguel's letters firsthand. Not only is it well written, it goes a lot into actual forensics and historical research, showing how exactly Miguel and the reporter can prove the real author of Ernesto's songs. And even then, it still has a level of humor and heartwarming. A definite recommend.
Somos Familia by WhatTimeIsItInTokyo
- Recommended by lalalei2001, Eric W
- Status: Ongoing
- Parings: Héctor Rivera/Imelda Rivera
- Summary: A sudden flash of conscience from Ernesto changes Hector's life forever: By letting him have one.
- Comments: A surprisingly interesting For Want of a Nail fic, imagining what could've happened if Ernesto chose to let Hector go home. It covers some beats you'd expect, and some you don't, but always it tries to paint an optimistic future for a family that will have shoes AND music in it.
Pepita's Window by anotherweepingwoman
- Recommended by BabyCharmander
- Status: Complete
- Summary: When a window of opportunity opens for him, Héctor sees his chance to reach Coco. If only Imelda could understand . . .
- Comments: A lengthy bit of character exploration for post-movie Héctor (and a bit for Imelda as well), written in lyrical prose that's still clear enough so the reader doesn't get lost. Also features some great characterization of the alebrije characters, especially Pepita. A long fic, but absolutely worth the read.
- Absolutely seconded. This is a haunting story that makes good use of Héctor as an unreliable narrator, and I adored reading every word of it. It's the author's only posted work on Archive of Our Own, but I know I can't be alone in hoping they decide to write more, for this fandom or any other.
- Recommended by Bookworm Gal, Moko-tan
- Status: Complete
- Pairings: Héctor Rivera/Imelda Rivera
- Summary:After it all came crashing down, Ernesto’s to-do list is short: stay hidden, and wait for the Final Death. Héctor’s is even shorter: enjoy being with his family again. But life - or rather, the living - get in the way even of the simplest plans.
- Now with a trope page.
The Heaven And Earth Series by PengyChan
- Recommended by Moko-tan
- Status: Dormant; last updated October 2019
- Pairings: Héctor Rivera/Imelda Rivera
- Summary: There was a time when they truly could have moved Heaven, Earth, and everything inbetween. A prequel to Down to Dust.
- Now with a trope page.
The Bedside Ghost by PengyChan
- Recommended by Moko-tan
- Status: Complete
- Pairings: Héctor Rivera/Imelda Rivera, Coco Rivera/Julio Rivera
- Summary: Mexico City, 1942. The bell falls but, instead of waking up in the Land of the Dead, Ernesto de la Cruz finds himself with a broken spine - and an unwanted guest at his bedside who claims he can let him have the sweet release of death, if he gives back what he took from him. And, in 1947, Coco receives a letter. An alternate continuity of The Heaven and Earth Series.
- Now with a trope page.
Posthumous Damnation by FeralsRock
- Recommended by konekootome
- Status: Complete
- Summary: Ernesto could maybe, eventually, kind of accept his ruined reputation in the Land of the Dead. But that was because he knew there was no way Hector's snotty little brat of a great-great grandson would ever be able to reveal Ernesto as the plagiarizing murder he actually was to the rest of the world, or even his own family, without sounding crazy. Ernesto could not have been more wrong.
Like a Gentle Refrain (Alternate Link) by Bookworm Gal
- Recommended by Eric W
- Status: Complete
- Pairings: Héctor Rivera/Imelda Rivera, possible Victoria Rivera/Original Character,
- Summary: "It means that you should prepare yourself for what might happen," said Dr. García gently. "Señora, this man is barely remembered. Whoever still holds memories of him and stopped the Final Death… it may not be enough. Perhaps he will eventually recover his strength and wake up. That would be the ideal outcome. But his condition is not promising, Señora."
- Comments: A very detailed fic, filled with introspection on all the characters of the movie, even minor ones like the security guard who stopped Héctor at the border. Everyone is struggling with their new status quo, as Imelda and her family try to pick their lives back up after having their lost member be returned to them, and Miguel sets out to clear his great-great-grandfather's name while reintroducing his living family to music. Essentially an in between fic, chronicling how things got to where they were "1 year later".
- Now with a TvTropes Page.
- Recommended by Bookworm Gal
- Status: Complete
- Pairings: Héctor Rivera/Imelda Rivera
- Summary: In the year following Miguel's eventful Day of the Dead, the family in both the land of the living and the land of the dead has to come to terms with what happened so long ago.
- Psst. The Road Home is actually a sequel to The Wedding Guitar, which is about Imelda's and Coco's attempts to discover what happened to Hector after seeing his guitar in one of Ernesto's movies. It contains tons of foreshadowing for The Road Home, including for the reveal in chapter 13.
Shaken by How Long it Took by Eurazba
- Recommended by Queenofdragons 6
- Status: Complete
- Summary: 9 year old Miguel finds an old photo in the attic of none other than his great, great grandfather and Ernesto De la Cruz! He puts it up on his shrine to Ernesto and at the next Dia de los Muertos Héctor is shocked to find that he can finally cross the marigold bridge.
- Recommended by Lluviawolf
- Status: Complete
- Pairings: Héctor/Imelda, Victoria/OFC,
- Summary: Re-animated, that was the word the newspapers chose to use. It sounded less creepy. Undead gave off the wrong impression, after all. It made people think of zombies and all those terrible movies Abel liked. No Zombies!
- Recommended by Naram-Sin
- Status: Complete
- Pairings: Coco/Julio, Héctor/Imelda
- Summary: Comic inspired by the 1964 Mexican song La Bikina, showing Imelda about 10 years after Héctor left. Edited into a music video by Shadana Sxs.
- Recommended by Naram-Sin
- Status: Complete
- Summary: Coco inspires Héctor to write "Remember Me".
Witnesses by Agent_Numbuh_227
- Recommended by dmcreif
- Summary: The reason Ernesto had managed to get away with murdering his best friend and stealing his songs is because there were no witnesses to his crime. And if there were no witnesses, then the crime doesn't exist. But what if someone did witness the crime?
- Status: Ongoing
El Camino a Casa by Bookwormgal
- Recommended by dmcreif
- Summary: What if Héctor made it on that train? What if he didn't collapse in the street on the way home? He reached the station, climbed on board, and began the trip back to see his family after so long apart...but not because Ernesto didn't share a final toast with him. Not because his best friend had a change of heart at the last moment about poisoning him. Héctor reached the train because Ernesto didn't use enough to kill him immediately.
- Status: Complete
In the Papaya by imma_redshirt
- Recommended by dragoneyes618
- Status: Complete
- Summary: Miguel was being lectured inside a giant papaya.
Lectured. Inside a giant papaya.
If someone had told him that that was how he’d be spending part of Día de los Muertos, he would have burst out laughing because that just sounded ridiculous and absolutely impossible? What sort of fever dream were they having?
But there he was. Inside a giant papaya. Being lectured. About vitamins.
It Becomes A Game by MandolinDoodler
- Recommended by dragoneyes618
- Status: Complete
- Summary: One visit to the Land of the Dead was not enough to grant Miguel any supernatural powers. Five visits, however....
Oscar and Felipe find a loophole to the curse and it turns into a game played behind Imelda's back.
OR
Five times Miguel was cursed to come back to the Land of the Dead and one time he did it himself
Stories focused on the romantic relationships between the cast.The Liberties You're Taking (Alternate Link) by death_frisbee
- Recommended by Bookworm Gal
- Status: Complete
- Pairings: Héctor Rivera/Imelda Rivera
- Summary: Héctor Rivera is content following his friend Ernesto to the ends of the earth in search of fame and fortune. But a hint of a song from Santa Cecilia's coldest woman sends him way off track... and toward a life that's worth more than all the money and recognition in the world.
Echar Agua Al Mar (Alternate Link) by Jubalii
- Recommended by Zabilac
- Status: Dormant; last updated November 2018
- Pairings: Héctor Rivera/Imelda Rivera
- Summary: For Imelda, trying to ignore Héctor is like throwing water into the sea: pointless. It doesn't help that her family likes him, and she's left alone to fend off his odd style of wooing.
Broken Bonds and Bones by Sinclaironfire
- Recommended by Bookworm Gal
- Status: Complete
- Pairings: Héctor Rivera/Imelda Rivera
- Summary: It had been almost a century since Imelda told Hector that she loved him and so much had changed in that time.
- Comments: Part of a series.
if you call on me by Humanities_Handbag
- Recommended by Bookworm Gal
- Status: Complete
- Pairings: Héctor Rivera/Imelda Rivera
- Summary: A story of breathing, waiting, and size twelve shoes: Or Héctor only really shows up when Imelda calls.
- Recommended by Bookworm Gal
- Status: Complete
- Pairings: Héctor Rivera/Imelda Rivera
- Summary: Imelda and Héctor have a late night heart-to-heart, and she realizes what it is she really wants.
heaven help a fool who falls in love by HopeNight
- Recommended by Bookworm Gal
- Status: Complete
- Pairings: Miguel Rivera/Original Character, Héctor Rivera/Imelda Rivera
- Summary: "Miguel’s gone. Miguel has been taken by a skeleton. Finally, her brain makes the final connection. The story Miguel told her a few short months ago blossoms forth in her mind. Miguel was kidnapped by Ernesto de la Cruz." In which Miguel's new fiancée (of all of ten minutes) has to go and rescue him from the Land of Dead following a kidnapping by a long dead man. Love's a funny thing. Happily ever afters are earned. Sometimes the Living have to deal with the consequences being Forgotten just as much as the dead.
Crossover Fics
Stories featuring characters and/or elements of other works.The Guitarist by imma_redshirt
- Recommended by Ladyofthelibrary
- Status: Complete
- Crossover: The Princess and the Frog
- Summary: Naveen recalls a short memory of a guitarist in Mexico.
Open Doors by MicrosuedeMouse
- Recommended by: Red-Dead-Redeemer
- Crossover with: Encanto
- Status: In-progress
- Pairing: Miguel Rivera/Mirabel Madrigal
- Synopsis: Mirabel is 22 when Dolores’ daughter is given the Gift of opening doors - doors to anywhere in the world. It should be a time for celebration, but Teodora can’t seem to control her new ability, and Bruno is once again having visions of uncertain tragedy. Miguel is 23 and working hard to follow his dreams, becoming a better musician every day. But finding his own voice is surprisingly difficult under the shadow of Héctor's legacy, especially when he feels like he owes that legacy for everything he is. Two families whose destinies are permanently entwined with the magic around them. Two homes that no one ever leaves. Two youths who thought their biggest adventures were already behind them. One chance to find out what they've been missing.
