Hey! Thanks to everyone who's favourited and followed so far and to Encanto Fan and DRAS for reviewing the last chapter. I hope you enjoy this next chapter.

The next update won't be for a few days after this. Either end of this week or beginning of next week, depending.

See chapter one for the disclaimer and let's crack on!

Andres was nearly at the path, his heart heavy. He didn't really want to go, but that women's warning had unsettled him.

Just as the path came into sight however a man ran past him, cradling his hand.

Really Andres should have just walked on, but his curiosity was piqued and he found himself following the man. Deeper into the village he went until he saw a queue of people, all with various ailments. At the top of the queue was a women, middle-aged, with a basket. Then the most curious thing happened. The women handed a small item of food - to small for Andres to make out what it was - to the person at the front of the queue. They ate it and went away happily.

How bizarre, Andres thought. Was this some sort of food bank?

He watched closely as another three people got their food, but nothing seemed obvious. The fourth was an older women who was murmuring with pain, very pale, and holding her arm.

The women with the food looked sympathetic and seemed to be asking what had happened.

The older women whispered something and the younger one nodded and gave her some food. It took a few seconds, but the colour returned to her cheeks and she gingerly extended her arm. After establishing she could do that she rotated her arm a little, then clenched and unclenched her fist. She then hugged the younger women and walked off, clearly happy.

Watching this, Andres lifted his hand and smacked himself across the cheek, then reassessed the scene. No, still there except now the majority of the queue were looking at him like he was crazy. Andres gave a nervous smile and joined the back of it. When he got to the front he was going to ask this women exactly what on earth she was doing.

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Mirabel was hurrying through the centre of the Encanto looking for this stranger. She didn't have a description but in a village of 200 people tops a stranger would stick out like a sore thumb.

Seeing her oldest sister she grabbed her by the arm. "Hey Isa! Don't suppose you've seen any strangers about?"

Isa pulled her arm away. "No why? Is there one?"

"Yes, I'm trying to find them. Do you wanna get back up to the house? Just in case?"

Isa rolled her eyes and flicked her hair, a flurry of flowers exploding in her sisters face as she did so. "Multa.*" And she walked off, deliberately slowly.

Rolling her eyes Mirabel scanned the crowd again. C'mon, c'mon...

"Mirabel!" The girl in question turned to see her immediate older sister heading towards her, looking agitated.

"Luisa! Are you alright, you look flushed-"

"The strangers with mama!" Luisa burst out. "Waiting for her food!"

Mirabel nodded. "Show me." She ordered.

Luisa nodded and signalled for her younger sister to follow her.

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As Luisa and Mirabel were heading their way through the encanto, Andres was second from the front of the queue. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. As well as the old women with the presumably broken arm, he'd seen an old man with a twisted ankle get healed, a young man with a broken nose get healed [who said something about being hit by a plant? What was with this place? Did even the wildlife have magical powers or something?] and finally a man covered with bee-strings. He'd just popped up randomly and put his arm around the women with the magic food, who took one look at him, exclaimed in horror and popped a bit of food in his mouth. Magically the swelling [which MUST have been an allergic reaction of some kind] went down instantly.

Andres had been making notes in his notebook [one of five he'd brought with him, two of them filled already and the third already half-filled just from this town] about all of this and now, as the man in front of him moved aside, he had his opportunity to get some answers.

The first words out of the women's mouth upon seeing him were: "You're new!"

He smiled and stuck a hand out. "Andres Rodriguez, pleased to meet you!"

She smiled - a slightly tight smile he noticed - and extended her own hand. "Julieta Madrigal."

"Madrigal, huh? You know, I think I've just met your daughter-"

"-Which one?" The man cut in. Julieta's husband, Andres assumed, judging from the protective arm he had round her. "We have three."

"Er...Luisa?"

The man nodded, but didn't offer any further comment. Julieta smiled. "Ah, that's our middle daughter. So sweet."

Andres frowned. "...She was carrying two donkeys when I met her-"

"Is that a problem?" The man asked, a hint of challenge in his voice.

Recognising the danger, the young man back-tracked hastily. "No, of course not! Carry a donkey, two donkeys - eight donkeys if she wants! No, I-i just meant...well. You know..."

"We know what?" Julieta's voice was polite, but steely.

Andres decided to just go for it. "Look, do you guys have magical powers or something? Because no women should have that amount of strength, I mean, it's not natural!"

"What did you say!?" The man - Luisa's father, Andres reminded himself -thundered.

"Nothing! I just meant-"

"Papa!" A female voice called out. Bothy Andres and the man turned to see a small girl with curly hair and glasses hurrying towards them. "Papa, it's okay! I'll take care of him!"

'Papa' gave Andres a sceptical look but did step back.

Then suddenly the girl was standing directly in front of him. "Hi! I'm Mirabel Madrigal, you've met my sister Luisa already?" She indicated to the side where the bigger women was waiting, playing with her hands.

He smiled, wanting to put her at her ease, and nodded. "Yes...how could I forget?"

Luisa's head snapped up and she looked at him warily. "I'm needed." She said, more to her family than Andres and hurried off, surprisingly quickly.

Andres was brought back to earth by Mirabel's voice. "What's that?" She indicated his notebook.

A light blush coloured Andres's cheeks. "...Just...some notes. I'm intrigued, you see. By this place."

"I see." Mirabel beamed and linked arms with Andres. He felt a shiver of excitement go down his spine at the contact. "Well, look my parents are busy. How about I take you back to our casita and you can meet the rest of my family, si?"

Heart pounding at the thought of finding out more about this wonderful place Andres nodded. "That would be wonderful. Thank you."

Giving her parents a cheerful wave, Mirabel led the stranger away from her family.

*Fine