Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock

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Gale-Dragon: Based on this post on Tumblr ( post/674102062719582208/okay-but-for-the-encanto-aus-combine-the ). So credit for this goes to Sparklykatt for the rough and Charlietheepic7 for the ask!

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Prologue

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Mirabel felt pure fear.

All her senses were being overwhelmed!

Her ears were bombarded with screams and the cracks and crashes of her beloved home. Her eyes showed her everything that was happening around her. She knew exactly what would happen after she looked up, gripping the melting candle.

As Casita pushed her feet down on the shingles of the roof, Mirabel could only see the crumbling tower that would inevitably fall on top of her, and she anticipated the pain that she would feel before it would hit her.

The first wave of pain was when her back hit the wooden stairs in an attempt to soften her fall as she slid down out of danger. The second wave was when her skin dragged against the tile as the find over it.

Casita rushed to make a last desperate attempt to create a cover for Mirabel out of the rubble and furniture, knowing that it wouldn't get her out the door in time.

Mirabel barely craned her neck up to look toward her family, all staring back with widened eyes, some also watched the crumbling house and some directly at her.

The last wave of pain was the brief feeling of the makeshift cover under the weight of the closest tower, crushing most of Maribel's body.

As the dust slowly settled, Mirabel's vision got blurry, she was sure she wasn't going to open her eyes again if they closed. Mirabel thought back to all the things leading up to this moment, thinking about how this happened, or how it could've been stopped, but all those thoughts kept leading back to THAT DAY! That stupid day 10 years ago! The event that isolated her from her family, the event that drove Tio Bruno into the walls, the event that seemed to be the first sign that the miracle was losing its power.

Mirabel weakly shifted her head as soon as she started hearing screams again. Her glasses were either thrown off during the whole collapse or broken somewhere, now all Maribel could see were smudges of colours standing where the entrance to the Casita would have been. She then saw the colours move.

The blue smudge came bolting towards Mirabel, screaming and shouting, 'What was it shouting about? Mirabel wondered, not understanding what was being said. She heard more screaming, more shouting, but she couldn't hear the words being said.

'Oh... mama wears blue... She must be worried about me, as usual,' Mirabel thought, her eyes getting harder to keep open. Her mother has worried and fussed over her since that day 10 years ago. If only she can assure her parents that she was fine one last time.

Mirabel could no longer keep her eyes open... They felt so heavy... It hurt to keep them open... When the finally closed her eyes, the shouting became more frantic, more desperate... If only they could tell them not to worry…

NO!

If Mirabel had one last with... She wished she could go back... To have more time with her family, even if things turned out the same. She wanted so badly to save them from having this happen. To save them from the pressure, to save them from the unseeing pain of having to keep up that happy front, and to save Casita from collapsing... To make them all happy…

Unfortunately, Mirabel's time was up.

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At least… It was supposed to be…

Mirabel slowly opened her eyes to see a familiar curtain, the one only used for the Gift Ceremonies. She blinked her eyes a couple of times to make sure she wasn't seeing things.

"Huh? " Mirabel got out but realised that her voice was different and that Casita was back together with no cracks in the walls.

What was going on?

Mirabel looked around in confusion. Was Casita falling just a dream? And she was just ready for Antonio's Gift Ceremony to start? But where was Antonio? That was when she noticed the family photos on the wall and only saw the ones leading up to when she was five. Where were the most recent pictures?

That was when they looked down and saw that the was wearing the dress she wore during her Gift Ceremony... But... She got rid of it ages ago! And it wouldn't fit her now! Unless…

Mirabel was five again... And was HER Gift Ceremony!

Was she dreaming? Mirabel pinched herself and felt the pain from it. So nope! Not a dream!

But why was the back to this day?

Was this just Mirabel's life flashing before her eyes? Or if it kind of limbo for whatever Sin she did?

But as her family came into view and interacted with her, those theories were dispelled.

Camilo morphed into her and told her that she would get a cool gift, white Luisa gave her an almost bone-crushing hug as she said that her baby sister was growing up.

It was going exactly like it did That Day as her parents gave her a pep talk. Then the rest of her family wished her luck before they joined the growing crowd.

Aas... Was Mirabel reliving That Day?

Soon Abuela made her speech before the curtain opened and Mirabel was urged forward once again.

Mirabel wanted to cry. This was just going to end the same, but... Maybe she could make her wish come true! She could use this opportunity for second life to save her family from the crushing weight of pressure and despair! Mirabel WILL, once she Overcomes this... Upsetting event.

Finally, her tiny steps reached the second floor, in front of Abuela. The Miracle Candle was offered to the now child. As Mirabel was about to put her hands on it, the flame flickered. She paused at it, her tiny hands just a smidge away from the candle. Mirabel waited until the flame burned bright as it usually did.

Mirabel could feel the eyes of the crowd burn into her as she approached that stupid door that cursed her with 10 years of loneliness and near-isolation from her family.

Mirabel took a deep breath as she closed her eyes when she reached out to the doorknob. She heard gasps ring out, as she expected would happen when the door disappeared… Except... Why did she still feel the knob if the door was no longer there?

Mirabel slowly opened her eyes to see what was happening, only to see that the door was still there. Her Door!

Just like the other doors of the Madrigal Family, the owner of the door was engraved onto it in gold. However, Mirabel's door was decorated with clocks and gears with the pocket watch that the engraved Mirabel was holding had a cracked face.

Mirabel couldn't believe her eyes! Her Door was still there! And! And! That means!

Mirabel got a Gift!

With a big grin on her face, Mirabel turned to look at her Abuela, only to find her standing perfectly still. That was when the now child realised that Casita was suddenly quiet as she looked towards the crowd, only to see that they too were perfectly still.

Mirabel took a step back in shock at what she was seeing. Why was everyone so still? So quiet? That was when she noticed the flame on the Miracle, it too was completely still, as if Time was frozen in place.

As it dawned on Mirabel, She slowly turned back to look at her door. She remembered that the doors reflected not only the appearance of the owner but the motif/theme of the design was based on the Gift received. Mirabel took a closer look at her door, more specifically, the border line of the door.

Gears, clocks, and a broken pocket watch… What do these mean?

Mirabel's eyes widen in realisation when the connection came to mind.

Time!

Gears make clocks work and clocks keep track of time!

And the pocket watch with the broken face! 'I can stop time!' Mirabel thought as she looked around again. Now that she was looking again, it seemed so obvious! Everyone was frozen in time!

But, how does Mirabel undo the Time Freeze?

Normally, Mirabel would've gone straight to Abuela but... The memory of their argument... Casita crumbling... The now child bit her lip before she hurried down the stairs to her parents. She tugged on both their arms, hoping that they would move, when they didn't, Mirabel quickly grabbed their hands and almost immediately, her parents started moving.

Confused at why their youngest was suddenly in front of them, Julieta and Agustin then looked around in amazement as Mirabel took a step back with a smile.

The next thing they knew, time began to move again. The crowd, the rest of the Madrigal family, and Alma were confused at how Mirabel somehow moved from her new door to Standing in front of her parents.

"Oh, we have a new gift! " Alma stated with an unsure smile, as Mirabel tugged her parents up the stairs in excitement.

Mirabel was just! She had a Door! She had a Gift! She can use it to help everyone in the Encanto! And more importantly, she can use her Gift to save her family from all that pressure to be perfect! And she can use her memories from her first life to help make sure that her family. doesn't have to suffer in this second life! Her Second Chance!

Mirabel stood in front of her door yet again before she opened it, inviting everyone in.

As everyone walked into the bigger on the inside room, Mirabel saw how the decore slowly shifted from the wallpaper from the main area of the Casita to a wallpaper that had more of a clock gear Pattern. It didn't take long before everyone realised that Mirabel's room was a clock tower. A huge clock tower.

Everything inside Mirabel's Tower had either a time theme decor or a gear-shaped decore, even the furniture!

'This is my Room! " Mirabel thought in utter delight as she looked around the grand new area of the Casita. This was Her Room!

The next thing Mirabel knew, Luisa lifted her to her shoulder when she said happily "This I great, Mirabel!" Luisa looked over the decore before she asked, "Hey, is your Gift to control time?"

Mirabel giggled at her sister's excitement, as well as her own, before she said with a smile, " I think so. I just need to figure out how to use it... "

Camilo came running up to the sisters, jumping to meet Mirabel's sight when he got out in giddiness, "That is so cool! Imagine all the things you can do! All the pranks you can set up!"

Mirabel raided an amused brow at this, not surprised that her primo was like this. Dolores and Isabella came along to offer congratulating hugs, taking the now tiny Mirabel from Luisa.

It felt a bit odd though... In the future, they weren't this affectionate though, Isabella had a bit more obvious reason as to why.

But Mirabel couldn't mull over that for too long. She will make sure that Isabella doesn't have to be the perfect daughter with her Gift, once she figures out how to control it better.

Soon the rest of her family gathered around and then they took a new family Picture in front of the giant clock face. Everyone was smiling and showing off their Gifts for the photo.

"A Gift just as special as you," Abuela muttered before kissing Mirabel on the cheek before beginning the celebration.

Mirabel managed to stop herself from recoiling from the kiss. The warm image of this day where She did get a gift clashed with the cold reality of life where she got none. It only drove home the final revelation from that life, the breaking of the family didn't start with her... They were suffering from the beginning.

And Mirabel's wish came true... The opportunity to go back and make things right in her own way!

That was when a gentle hand rested on her shoulder. She looked up to see Tio Bruno with a small smile when he said, "Looks like we have something in common, uh, besides being related." He gave a somewhat awkward chuckle at his bad joke.

Tio Bruno... Now that she got a Gift... Wait! The reason Tío Brung left was because of the vision he saw because she didn't get a Gift! But since she got a Gift in this life!

Tio Bruno won't move into the wall! He'll Stay! with the family!

Mirabel hugged her uncle. Bruno was a little surprised at this, but he hugged his niece back. That was when the now little girl had an idea. She pulled away from Tío Bruno when she ask, "Hey, Tio, since we both have time-based Gifts, do you think you can help me learn to control mine a little better?"

Bruno thought about that for a few seconds before he said, "Well, I'm not sure if what I do to somewhat control my Gift will work for you, but we can try and maybe we can find something that'll work."

Mirabel smiled as she hugged her uncle again before she tugged him into the party where Julieta and Tia Pepa happily welcomed their brother into the fray of their three-way sibling dance.

From where she stood, Mirabel looked over her room and each of her family.

She will save them and she will save Casita from the crushing, inevitable weight they have been putting on themselves. Mirabel will use her new Gift to ensure that her family can be happy as well as be themselves. Plus, she can use her memories from her first life as a guideline as to when and where she can help the most.

Starting tomorrow, Mirabel will make a list of the major events the need to either prevent or change and think about what the needs to do to ensure that it happens the way she wants…

But for now,., Mirabel will celebrate getting her Gift with her family and the populous of the Encanto. Now was for fun! Now is for her! And now is to celebrate her second chance at life!

All the clocks in Mirabel's room moved in unison, now keeping time in a rhythmic tune.

Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock.

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Prologue End.

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