It was the day after Antonios gift Ceremony and Carina was walking in the village when she heard Luisa talk about Bruno a fact that instantly narrowed her attention. After Luisa left she stepped up to the small curly haired Madrigal, "Would you like some company?" Before the young Madrigal could think of a response, "Of course you do, they say his tower is forbidden now but I've been there before."

They stopped by Carina's house and she grabbed a bag that was covered in dust from a cupboard in the corner of the room. Mirabel saw there were a few other things in the cupboard but Carina shut the door before she saw details so she pointed at the bag, "What's in there?"

Smiling at her, "Tools to brave Bruno's tower." They slipped through the Casita Madrigal and up the tower steps, through the sand where Maribel slid face down to the bottom. However Carina slid down on her feet and struck a pose at the bottom before helping the girl up, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," she answered with a nod. Seeing the woman had made it down standing up, "How did you do that?"

Another sad smile, "Practice." Looking around the room, "A lot of practice, come on." Carina started towards the stairs.

"That's a lot of stairs…" Mirabel noted.

Carina stopped and looked back, "That's what Bruno said." Turning away again to hide the tears in her eyes, "Let's get that prophecy."

Hurrying to follow her, "Where would it be?"

Pointing upward, "In the vision cave," Mirabel craned her head to see before groaning, "at the very top." Wrapping an arm around the nervous girl's shoulders, "Come on, we can do it."

On the way up the stairs talking was at a minimum with breath being reserved on Carina's part as she knows how tiring this trip is. But Mirable couldn't help asking questions, "How do you know my Tio Bruno?"

Carina didn't look back, "We became friends when we were three." Glancing back, "He lost all of his other friends when we were five and he got his gift," she said it like it was a bad tasting word. Continuing, "Only Julieta and I stuck with him the entire time, everyone else blamed him for any little thing that happened." Her hand went to a stitch in her side and she paused to look at Mirabel, "Let's focus on getting to the top."

Mirabel could see the wisdom in that and focused on making it up the stairs until she burst out, "Bruno your room is the worst!" Carina just laughed, and they focused on making it up to the top. When they finally made it the bridge was out, "Seriously?"

Carina was already digging in her bag bringing out a rope attached to a hook, "Yup." Swinging it around like a lasso she threw it so it was attached to the top of the stone wall above them and held out an arm to Mirabel, "Come on." They swung across together and Carina pulled Mirabel away from the edge before tying the rope to a protruding rock, "The vision cave is this way."

Leading the way down the hallway, Carina did not flinch at the rats or the carvings on the wall, leading Mirabel to ask, "Have these always been here?"

"The carvings yes," came Carina's voice walking resolutely on, "the rats no." Still without looking back, "But it makes sense they're here now after this place has been abandoned for so long." Waving a long fingered hand, "Rats, abandoned buildings, they go together." Pausing before the open round door, "This is it."

Mirabel followed her in and screamed when the door shut, "What, no open!"

Carina spoke from the darkness, "It always does that, don't worry." Seeing the glowing places in the sand Mirabel stepped forward and Carina continued, "Yep, those are the pieces of the vision." Motioning to one side, "You get that half I'll get his half."

Quickly gathering Carina got more than Mirabel who was distracted seeing something in the glass, "Bruno, why was I in your vision?"

Grabbing over half of the pieces, Carina grabbed Mirabel at the end and pulled her to the door which was stuck, "I'm here for Bruno!" The door opened immediately and they ran away from the falling sand. Carina quickly wrapped the rope around the arm not around Mirabel and swung back across the canyon. After looking Mirabel over she gave the rope a complicated set of tugs so it came out before starting down the stairs wrapping it up again.

"Wait," Mirabel hurried after her, "why did it open up for you?"

Carina stopped so suddenly Mirabel almost ran into her. Turning around so the step between them made them eye to eye, "I was going to marry your Tio, until your Abuela forbade us from ever seeing each other again." Blinking back tears, "I never stopped loving Bruno, but his mother making him choose between me and the family would have broken him." Turning away from Mirabel, "So I let him go," letting out a breath, "but I never stopped defending him from those who would blame him for everything."

They walked down the stairs in silence… Mirabel always wished Carina was her Tia, but never knew before it had been so close to happening. Before leaving, Carina brought the parts of the vision she had collected out of her bag and put in Mirabel's bag. Then words she had said so often slipped out, "Thank you," but this time Mirabel added, "Tia Carina."

Seeing the tired face brighten was enough and they walked arm in arm back towards the nursery to find out what was in the vision. Until they ran into, "Mirabel," Abuela spoke, "where are you coming from?" Seeing the sand, "What is in your hair?"

Carina stepped forward, "She heard me talking to the plants in Bruno's room and was just seeing me out." Abuela's eyes narrowed at Carina, "You remember the plants don't you Senora Madrigal."

Sniffing, "Vividly." Turning away from them, "Make sure to never come back, Carina."

"Not a problem Senora," was the tight response. The final shot, "Nowhere is far enough away from you." With a whirl of sandy skirts Carina left with a straight back before Mirabel's furious Abuela could say another thing.