Hey! My name's Roxy Goth. So...this is a Dark AU of 'Encanto'. After all their powers are extremely interesting and they could easily be villains, so I decided to have a play with that.

Please let me know if this is something you'd like to see more off, as it only has a loose story so far and needs tightening up.

I do not own Encanto or any associated characters in any way shape or form. I do own Andres Rodriguez.

There was no denying it, this was the place. Andres Rodriguez looked at the small thin path that led into the mountains. Hr smiled and looked down at the map he was holding. Looks like the legends were true, there WAS a secret village that no one knew about in the mountains.

Adjusting his rucksack, Andres took a glug of his water and gave the bottle a quick glance. Nearly empty. He shook his head and carefully places the water back in its holder. Maybe someone in the village would be kind enough to give him some?

He headed up the path.

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Over the 17 years that Dolores Martinez-Madrigal had had her gift she had learned to use it well. She knew the daily sounds of the village like the back of her hand and therefore could hear the slightest off-beat in an instant. Like now. Footsteps coming...up the path?

Feeling the familiar sense of panic, she grabbed her Papa's arm and whispered. "Papá, hay otro.*"

Felix stiffened and nodded. Patting his daughters arm he said, reassuringly. "No te preocupes, nos ocuparemos de ello.*"

Dolores nodded and smiled slightly.

Felix patted her arm again and got up to find Alma.

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The matriarch was in her room, as she often was nowadays. She was staring out her window and talking to Pedro [as she often did of a night]. "-todo ha estado tranquilo aquí, Pedro. La quinceañera de Mirabel salió bien. Ella es tan hermosa. Ella tiene tus ojos, ya sabes...*"

A knock at the door distracted her. "Come in!" She snapped.

Felix poked his head round the door. "Abuela, Dolores has heard someone. A stranger."

Alma sighed. Not another one. Why couldn't people just leave them alone? Well...if they insisted on coming...

"Abuela?"

"Bueno, no te quedes ahí." Alma said, sharply. "Encuentra a Mirabel.*"

With a small bow, Felix left the room.

Alma sighed again and steadied herself as she felt the familiar feel of hatred bubble inside her. What she wouldn't do to be left alone...

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As the Madrigals put their plan into action, Andres Rodriguez was in the centre of the village drinking everything in. When he came in search of this place he wasn't sure what he'd fine. The legends varied, one said the path led to a whole city (not true), one said that there was nothing here at all [not true], and another said there were people with magical powers here [unlikely]. It was the people Andres was interested in. The last tangible record he had was from 3 years ago and it stated that within this 'Encanto' was a women with sunlight above her head (what that meant Andres had no clue), a women who could heal people with food, someone who grew flowers along their arms and another person who could shapeshift. Even more interestingly the last two had been explicitly referred to as teenagers. Teenagers with powers like this? It was the most amazing thing Andres had ever heard. (And he was a massive fan of Harry Potter and Tolkien)

A different record - from 7 years ago - told of a child with super-strength who could 'lift the world with ease' and a 'young women' who could apparently hear everything. That was the one that kept playing on Andres's mind. How could someone hear everything? It didn't make any sense. The record stated that she had 'heard my footsteps with ease from twenty miles away' but that was impossible, surely?

But it was the record from thirty years ago - the first one - that contained the most baffling thing. A young man of twenty years who had the ability to see into the future!? Have you ever hear anything so ridiculous?

He was broken out of his thoughts by a squeal from a very young girl. "Look, look, it's one of the Madrigals!"

Andres looked and his mouth fell open like a cartoon. There was a women walking towards then carrying two donkeys under her arms. Like literally lifting them up of of the ground. Andres gasped and made weird stuttering noises as his brain tried to process what he was seeing. His Porky-Pig impression caused the women to stop and look at him in concern.

¿Estás bien?*" She asked.

"You're carrying two donkeys under your arms." He blurted out.

She looked at him like he was the crazy one. "Yes..."

"Well...you know that's not normal, right?"

She frowned and adjusted the donkeys under her arms. "Look, I don't mean to be rude, but what is it to you anyway? You're clearly a stranger, what do you even want?"

Andres stuck his hand out. "Andres Rodriguez."

Looking at him suspiciously and ignoring his hand, she said. "Luisa Hernandez-Madrigal...look, what do you want?"

"How do you know I'm not here for a holiday?" He asked, with a grin.

"Because people don't generally come here. What with the mountains and everything."

"Ah, well." He out his rucksack down and pulled out a notebook. Sensing she was going to be here for a while Luisa put the donkeys down and looked at him curiously. "Basically to cut a very long story short I've inherited some papers from a late uncle of mine, maps and stuff, like? And there was all this stuff about a secluded village/town whatever in the mountains? So, I did some more research - discovered the people here were rumoured to have powers - came up with some more papers and...yeah. I'm here."

Luisa's face was hard to read as she studied him for a moment. Then after a few seconds, she said, slowly. "Look, Sr. Rodriguez, I'm going to be honest here. Us people here...we don't like strangers. I think it'll be better if you leave and leave quickly."

Andres did a double take. "Whoa, okay..."

Luisa nodded at him, picked up the donkeys again and strode off as if she was carrying paper-back books on her shoulders.

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[A/N - This scene takes place during the above scene]

[In Mirabel's room]

"But what if I don't get a gift?" Antonio asked, in a whisper.

Mirabel smiled widely and clasped her younger cousins hand. "Then you get to stay here in the nursery with me. We'll be gift-less buddies together!"

Antonio giggled and Mirabel laughed as she gave him a hug. Then there was a knock at the door.

"Come in!" The teenager called.

The door opened and Tío Felix stuck his head round the door. From the unusually solemn look on his face Mirabel knew it wasn't good news. "Otro extraño.*" Her uncle said, apologetically.

Mirabel groaned and ran her hand across her forehead. She was brought back to reality when Antonio gently pulled her arm.

"Is that bad?" He whispered.

"No." Mirabel smiled and gave his hand another squeeze. "Nothing to worry about. I just have to go and say hi to them. Welcome them to the Encanto."

Antonio's eyes lit up as he jumped up off the bed. "¡Puedo venir contigo!*"

"No!" Both Felix and Mirabel said at the exact same time.

Antonio looked crush and Felix stepped in quickly. "Why don't you come and help me pick the food for your ceremony next week? Your Tía Julieta says she'll make you whatever you like."

With a smile Antonio took his papa's hand and the two of them left.

Mirabel watched them go with an affectionate smile on her face. As soon as she couldn't hear their footsteps anymore she stretched her arms out and did a little jig. Time to go...

There was a clatter and she looked down to see casita had kindly fetched her shoes out from under her bed. Slipping them on, Mirabel headed out.

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*Dad, there's another one.

*Don't worry, we'll deal with it.

*-it's all been quiet here, Pedro. Mirabel's quinceañera went well. She's so beautiful. She has your eyes, you know...

*You alright?

*Another stranger

*I can come with you!