AN: This chapter was rough. I had quite a bit of trouble trying to come up with things for Antonio and making it the same length as the others. It did not want to cooperate at all. I blame it on me not being good at writing young children XD Still, I hope you like it and hopefully it didn't turn out too terrible. Thanks, as always, for reading. It means a lot to me :)
Disclaimer: Encanto's owned by Disney.
Everything seemed to be happening so fast nowadays. It seemed like only yesterday that he'd turned four but now it was the day before his door ceremony and Antonio didn't know what to think. He knew that something had gone wrong with his Prima Mirabel's ceremony and was frightened that the same would happen to him. But, even more than that, he was frightened that things were changing. He liked sharing a room with her. He liked playing games all day and not worrying about the things the older kids had to. He liked how things were now. After he got his gift everything would change and little Antonio wasn't sure he'd be able to handle that.
'What if no one wants to play anymore?' The child asked himself, hiding in the cozy space beneath his prima's bed as he tended to do when things became too much for him. 'What if I don't get a gift and everyone leaves me? I just want things to stay how they are now! Why do things always have to change?"
The boy sniffled, tears filling his large eyes as he huddled into himself for comfort. Most of his family were in town, only a few had stayed behind to work on decorations around Casita. Even so, the ones who had stayed didn't seem to notice he was missing. It was as if they were more worried about the festivities instead of him. That thought made the tears finally fall. Did anyone even realize he was gone? Antonio didn't know what he wanted. For them to see he was missing and come looking for him or for them to leave him alone with his thoughts. All he knew was that he was worried and it was all too much for his four-year-old heart to take. Letting out soft sobs, the child curled up tighter, unaware of the presence of another person just beyond the walls, wishing they could do something to soothe the poor boy.
"Antonio, are you in here?" A voice called nearly ten minutes later, startling the child who had fallen into a light doze after tiring himself out.
He watched Mirabel's feet approach the bed, not saying a word as she knelt down and met his tired gaze.
"Ay, Toñito, are you okay?" She questioned, slipping in beside him. "What's wrong?"
"It's all so much." The dark-haired child whispered, voice rough from crying. "Nothing's going to be the same anymore."
He moved over, pressing his tiny body into Mira's side as she wrapped a soothing arm around him. Her gentle embrace did wonders to ease the fear swirling in the child's mind and he soon felt the tension leave him. When she spoke again, it was as if her words chased all his worries away, acting as a healing balm to his troubled soul.
"Hmm, I can see how you would think that, hombrecito, but it's not true." The elder replied, nuzzling her face into his poofy hair. "I love you, the entire familia loves you, that will never change. It doesn't matter that you'll have a new room and a cool magic power, nothing will stop us from loving you. Do you understand?"
"I... I guess so." He replied, a small smile on his face that faded slightly as he continued. "But I'm still nervous."
"And that's okay. You're allowed to feel whatever you need to feel." The fifteen-year-old stated solemnly. "If you're happy, be happy. If you're nervous, be nervous. Holding in your feelings will only make you feel worse in the end."
"But mamá needs to hold in her emotions all the time," Antonio argued, upset for his mother. "Does that mean she's hurting?"
Tears appeared once more in the little boy's eyes as he reached to squeeze Mirabel's hand, desperately needing reassurance.
"Tia Pepa has been dealing with her gift for a long time." His cousin explained, calmly running her free hand through his curly hair. "I'm sure she knows what she's doing. You don't have to worry about her, Toñito. After all, she has Tio Félix, and your papá would never let anything bad happen to her, right?"
"Yea, you're right! And she has me too, I can help when mamá's sad." Antonio declared, voice louder than it's been the entire conversation. "Thank you, Mira, for being there for me."
"No problem, now why don't we head out and play while everyone else is busy, huh?" She responded with a sweet smile. "We still have a few hours before dinner will be ready anyways."
He nodded, shimmying out from under the bed. Just as he was about to stand, his eyes widened comically as he saw a piece of paper slide under the door. Running over to it, his prima following at a more sedate pace, he took the note into his small hands... an excited smile blooming on his face. At that moment, he was really glad that Abuela always insists that her grandkids learn to read and write as soon as possible. He wasn't the best but as long as the words weren't too complicated he should be fine.
"Mira, look, I finally got my first note!" The almost five-year-old exclaimed, bouncing excitedly as he took in the words.
It's okay to be scared.
"Oh?" Mirabel smiled with him, watching fondly as she remembered the first time she'd received a note from the escritor misterioso. "And what does it say?"
In response, the child held the slightly wrinkled paper out for her to see. It was short and simple, the perfect type for a child who'd only recently learned to read, and what was written warmed her heart.
"Those are very wise words, Antonio." She said, watching the boy's eyes shine with wonder. "You should always remember them, okay?"
"I will, lo prometo." The child whispered, voice portraying his sincerity.
He stood there for a moment longer, staring at the note in his hand before turning his gaze once more to his older cousin.
"Hey, Mira?" He asked, grabbing her attention once more. "Will I ever meet the escritor misterioso? I want to thank them."
The girl hesitated, uncertainty clear in her troubled expression.
"I'm not sure." She admitted, rushing to continue when she noticed the sad look on her primo's face. "No one knows who they are or where they live."
"Well I'm going to find them!" Antonio exclaimed, conviction radiating from the small child. "That way we can let them know how much their notes have helped la familia."
"You know what, Toñito?" Mira replied, gathering the boy in a crushing hug. "I think that's a wonderful idea."
-XXX-XXX-XXX-
The next day, Antonio was once again nervous. This time, though, he knew it was okay to be afraid. Funnily enough, that made him less scared and after his talk with Mirabel (She gave him a jaguar plushie!), he felt a lot better. Soon enough, it was time for his ceremony. He was dressed, the party-goers were all gathered, and his familia was waiting for him to make an appearance. The child still wasn't sure if he'd be able to walk all the way to his door on his own, but he knew he wasn't alone and that's what really mattered.
Taking a deep breath, Antonio left his room and met his family behind the large curtain that separated them from the crowd of villagers. He chuckled as his hermano turned into a shorter version of their padre. Camilo's impressions were usually spot on so to see the exaggerated shift was pretty comedic and made his nerves settle even further. All too soon, however, his family left and he was alone once more. He paced for a short time, not paying attention to his abuela's speech. It wasn't until Casita softly rattled a nearby tile that he noticed the paper sitting on the floor before the curtain.
"Wow, another note." The brown-eyed boy breathed, reaching out for it in awe. "That's twice in two days... I must be really lucky."
Smiling softly, Antonio read the short message.
You'll do great, kid.
A smile split his face as he hugged the note to his chest. He knew his familia believed in him, but this was different. This was someone he'd never met and they still had kind words to offer him. It made his heart feel warm knowing that he had a friend who cared for him enough to say such nice things. Yes, Antonio decided then and there that even though he hadn't met the person they were still his friend. After all, that's what friends did. They encouraged each other and made sure the other was okay. So, tucking the note into his pocket, the five-year-old got into position. As he walked down the aisle, hand in hand with his favorite prima, Antonio let his thoughts drift to the one leaving the notes.
'Thank you, mi amigo,' He thought as his small hands touched the candle.
Reaching up, he touched the golden doorknob of his room, and magic flowed through the air. Lost in the excitement that followed as animals of all kinds made their way into the room with his family and the townspeople following right after, little Antonio didn't have a moment to spare for thoughts that weren't about his new gift or the party.
-XXX-XXX-XXX-
After getting his gift, Antonio found that he was never alone anymore, he always had an animal friend around. It made him happy to know that even when his family was busy he would still have someone to play with. He still had Mira as well, though she wasn't here at the moment. For some reason she'd run after his Prima Luisa right after breakfast had finished, he hadn't even gotten to ask if she wanted to play with his animals with him. It was okay, after all, he had days where he liked playing with his siblings instead of other people. Maybe Mirabel felt like that too sometimes. If so, he'd make sure he didn't disturb her. That still left the question of what he would do today though.
As the boy was lost in thought, Parce wove around him, purring loudly as he butted his head against the small child he'd already grown fond of. The jaguar could tell that the child was bored, so, gently urging him to climb on, the large cat headed towards the door of his boys' room.
"Where are we going, Parce?" The young one asked, holding on tightly, though not tight enough to hurt.
Chuffing a quick response, the animal continued on its way, heading down the stairs and out the door with no one being the wiser. Most of the family was in town anyways so it wasn't hard to sneak out into the surrounding jungle.
"I'm not supposed to be out here," Antonio claimed, worry leaking into his voice as the jaguar continued his loping gait, proceeding deeper into the trees.
He mewled in response, not wanting the human cub to be frightened.
"Oh, you want to show me your home?" The youngster said, perking up as he understood.
The large cat had never thought he'd have a cub, much less a human one, but in the day since he'd met Antonio he couldn't find it in himself to regret it. This child was a link between humans and nature and must be protected at all costs. That is something he had taken upon himself the moment he'd felt the call. Being able to understand each other was something he hadn't expected but enjoyed nonetheless and he could tell this boy was destined for great things.
As Parce slowed to a walk, Antonio glanced around, taking in the sights before him. They were near a river, lush vegetation all around, and a small cave could be seen in the shadow of a large boulder.
"That cave is where I lived. It was there where I first felt the call to find and protect you." The jaguar spoke to him, causing the child to tilt his head in confusion.
"Is that why you all came?" He questioned, slipping from the animal's back to better inspect his surroundings. "Because you felt it? How? Why?"
"I do not know." The large cat admitted, laying down in the little clearing they resided in. "All I know is that every animal within the confines of these mountains felt the call. It was decided to send Pico first, as he could reach you quicker than any land animal. He would check things out and give the signal to the rest of us if all was clear."
Everything was silent for a few moments, the pair simply staring at each other. It was Parce who broke the quiet stillness with a rumbling purr, rising to rub against the small child as he continued his story.
"We knew not what to expect. Meeting you has been the highlight of my life. The others would agree, there is nothing we wouldn't do to see you happy." The jaguar revealed, the child's eyes widening in shock.
"But why?" Antonio asked, uncertainty causing his smile to slip into a worried frown. "I'm nothing special. I just got my gift, I haven't even done anything with it yet? Why do you all care so much?"
"Because you are kind and good." Parce declared patiently, once more nudging the human with his head. "You see us as more than mere animals and for that, we thank you. In the future, as you explore your gift more fully, you will understand what I mean, for now, you will simply have to trust me on this."
"Okay, I trust you," Antonio replied, nodding solemnly before glancing around once more.
It was peaceful here, quiet, the only sounds were of nature and the small child found that he greatly enjoyed being away from the bustle of his home for this short time. Several minutes later, Parce spoke once more, rising to his feet before making his way over to the youngster's side.
"Let us head back, cub." The large cat huffed, causing Antonio to smile at the nickname. "I do not want the other humans to worry for you."
"Okay," He said, climbing back onto his friend's back before asking in a hushed tone, "Can we come here again, though?"
"Yes, I would like that as well." The other answered, purring contentedly.
Once they'd made it home with none of the family any the wiser to his disappearing act Antonio headed to the kitchen to grab a snack. Meanwhile, Parce headed up to his room, deciding to take a cat nap while waiting for the child. Antonio had just managed to grab himself an arepa when he heard a soft squeak coming from the dining room. Rushing over, he just managed to see a rat squeeze through a small crack in the wall. The boy headed in that direction, planning on trying to talk to the little creature when a new note caught his attention. Glancing at the words, his eyes widened a fraction. Apparently someone had noticed he was missing and, from the looks of it, they weren't very happy with him.
Don't run off on your own.
'But, I wasn't alone, Parce was with me the entire time.' He thought to himself, somewhat confused.
As if able to read his mind Casita shifted her tiles, dragging a second note over from seemingly nowhere. With a stunned look on his little face, the five-year-old read what was written.
Animals don't count.
Antonio couldn't argue with that, he decided. After all, if he couldn't find the person leaving the notes, he couldn't tell them that he was safe with the animals even if there were no humans around. Deciding he should say sorry for scaring them, the boy quickly apologized to the empty room before making his way upstairs with the snack he'd grabbed, completely forgetting about the rat that had slipped through a crack in the wall.
It wasn't until later that night when several rats approached, asking to speak with him, that he remembered it had even been there in the first place. He didn't have time to think about it, though, as they began telling him a fantastic story about his missing tio who's been living in the walls for ten years to protect his favorite prima. Making up his mind, Antonio knew he had to do what he could to help them. Even if it was just offering his room so that Mirabel could get another vision, he would do it in a heartbeat. They were family and family had to stick together.
AN: Thanks for reading, let me know what you think :)
