AUTHOR'S NOTES: Browsing my collection of various 'Encanto' related pictures, fan art, etc. on Pinterest, one picture in particular got the fan fiction wheels turning. What if Pedro had lived and Alma had been killed by the river? How would events change or NOT change?
Also, a shout-out to Secretive Chi X for the story title suggestion!
ENCANTO: An Unescapable Fate
The sun was just starting to rise on Casita Madrigal as Pedro Madrigal stood on the patio, looking out over the yard and the village below. Until the murder of his wife, Alma, he'd been a late riser, but ever since that terrible night 50 years ago, Pedro found himself getting up just after dawn.
His morning routine never changed: Getting up and dressed, a quiet moment of prayer when he 'talked' to Alma, and then quietly making the rounds of his children and grandchildren-poking a head into everyone's rooms to make sure they were alright. This concluded with a few minutes of reflection out on the patio, enjoying the start of the day before beginning breakfast for everyone.
"Morning, Mama," Julieta's voice whispered softly, making Pedro smile.
The 'oldest' of his triplet children, Julieta was always the first one up and every morning she would greet the portrait of Alma hanging up by the stairs, kissing two fingers before pressing them to the frame.
"One of these days, Papa," Julieta said as she joined her father on the patio. "-you should just try sleeping in."
"Someone needs to be the first up," Pedro replied, watching Julieta don her apron and start cooking. "And who else would make the coffee strong enough?"
The two worked together, letting the aromas from the kitchen waft through the house, rousing the rest of the family.
Hearing her youngest daughter, Mirabel, call a 'good morning' to Alma's portrait, Julieta looked up in surprise as she watched Mirabel bounce into the room, quickly setting the table. "You're up early, amor," she noted with a raised eyebrow.
"Well, I thought if anyone needed my help getting ready for Antonio's Gift ceremony," Mirabel explained, looking to see if anything was ready to put out on the table.
"Actually," Julieta began, ignoring the sharp look from her father. "-I was hoping you could do me a favor today." When Mirabel looked at her with an eager look, she tried to appear casual as she went on. "I was wondering if you wouldn't mind keeping Bruno company this afternoon. You know how he is before a party, and it would mean a lot to Antonio to actually have his tio there."
Mirabel looked crestfallen for only a moment before putting on a smile. "Sure, Mama."
When Mirabel went to make sure everyone was getting up, Pedro chastised, "That was a low blow, Juli."
"I know she just wants to help," Julieta muttered, focusing on her cooking. "But today is a big day, and I don't want Mirabel to start feeling underfoot. And you know how much coaxing it can take to get Bruno to feel up to social events like this."
"That's not the point," Pedro pressed. "You know Mirabel is sensitive about not having a Gift. And I know she and Bruno go together like grilled lamb and your tortillas, but this is one day that Mirabel really needs to be actively helping the family."
As the family gathered together for breakfast, talking excitedly about the party that evening and dividing up chores, Julieta couldn't help watching Mirabel as she made suggestions for decorations and flowers to Louisa, Camilo, and Isabela.
"Orange, green, and yellow for flower colors, don't you think?" Mirabel mused to Isabela who had a notepad filled with design sketches. "Maybe some red?"
"You could make a flower jaguar!" Louisa suggested, excitedly. "He'd love that!"
"I can fill the courtyard with birds of paradise," Isabela proposed, making a quick note to her sketches. Looking at Camilo, she added, "Can you help us with the banner above Antonio's door?"
Looking down the table to where his youngest grandchild was nervously poking at his breakfast with his fork, Pedro gave Antonio a reassuring look. "How about this, Tonito?" he offered, looking around the table briefly before focusing on Antonio once more. "Tonight... we'll wait until after you open your door before we let everyone in for your party. That way, you won't feel so anxious."
"Could we?" Antonio brightened a bit, looking from his abuelo to his parents.
"Of course, mi vida," Pepa promised her son with a smile and a quick hug. "Today is your special day and we want you to be happy."
"I'm going to take a plate to Tio Bruno," Mirabel piped up after hastily scarfing the rest of her breakfast. "He wasn't in his room so he's probably in his den with the rats."
"I'll go with you!" Antonio chirped, happily, and after grabbing some more food for his tio's pets, he and Mirabel headed out of the kitchen and towards the entrance to the wall space and Bruno's den after a brief stop at Mirabel's room.
Finding Bruno in a contorted position in his old armchair, Mirabel smiled, shaking her head in amusement. Her tio had a hammock hanging in one corner, and a perfectly comfortable couch along another wall, but for some reason it was the old, battered armchair he loved sleeping in the most.
"Tio Bruno?" Mirabel said, as she set her bag down on the table nearby, withdrawing two wrapped presents.
Antonio set the two plates of food down as well and began feeding the rats that started gathering about.
"Whoa!" Bruno exclaimed, startled as he fell out of his chair, giving a grunt of pain as he landed on the floor. "I'm okay," he muttered when Mirabel and Antonio came to his aid.
Sitting properly in his chair, Bruno grinned at Antonio who beamed in response. "You nervous about tonight?" Bruno asked, knowingly.
Antonio's smile faded, and he nodded, relieved to admit how he really felt. Looking from his tio to Mirabel, he asked, "What if it doesn't work?"
Bruno and Mirabel exchanged a look before Mirabel shrugged, lightly. "Well, you could always stay in my room. I'd never turn down keeping the world's best roomie."
"Or you can move into my den," Bruno offered, helpfully. When Antonio only looked slightly relieved, Bruno added, "You know what? You don't have to worry about what will happen if you don't get a special Gift and a magic door. Because even if you don't, your prima and I will always love you. And so will your parents and hermanos and primas... You will still be special to us, okay?"
"I just want to help the family," Antonio murmured.
Again exchanging a look, Mirabel knelt down so she was more face to face with her primo. "I know how you feel. And, yes, there are times when I feel like I'm in the way because I don't have a Gift. But I don't let that stop me from helping the family. Sometimes... the best ways to help are by using the gifts that come from you... not the magic." Standing up, she went to the table and retrieved the two presents, passing the larger one to Bruno and the smaller one to Antonio.
Opening his present, Antonio's eyes grew wide when he pulled out the stuffed jaguar and he smiled as he hugged Mirabel. "Thank you!"
"I know you're an animal guy," Mirabel explained. "And I made this so that, when you move into your cool, new room, you always have something to snuggle with."
"I love it!" Antonio exclaimed, happily. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
The pair turned to Bruno who looked a bit embarrassed as he carefully unwrapped his gift to reveal a brand new ruana in an emerald green, with hourglasses and the outlines of rats stitched along the edges.
"And I know that you're not one for big parties, Tio Bruno," Mirabel began. "So, I thought maybe a new look would help."
Pulling it on, Bruno smiled as he noted that it was even oversized the way he preferred. "You are special, Mirabel," he said, a slight choke in his voice as he hugged his sobrina. "Don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise."
"He's right!" Antonio insisted, hugging Mirabel as well. "You're always special to us!"
There was no holding back the tears that fell down Mirabel's cheeks as she hugged her tio and primo.
X
"I wasn't trying to be to be harsh," Julieta insisted as she prepared ingredients for the party. Looking at her husband, Agustin, she sighed. "Somehow, I can never say the right thing when it comes to Mirabel."
"Well, then maybe spending time with Antonio and Bruno is exactly what Mirabel needs today," Agustin suggested as he worked on shucking an enormous pile of corn ears.
"But I'm Mirabel's mother," Julieta pressed. "I should be able to come up with the perfect thing to say to make my little girl feel better and instead, I put my foot in my mouth like always."
"Juli, amor," Agustin murmured, pausing his shucking and taking Julieta by the shoulders, turning her so she was facing him. "Your Gift is making healing foods, not healing conversation."
"You are no help at all!" Julieta snapped, irritably, pushing her husband away.
Agustin gave Julieta a knowing smirk and a raised eyebrow as he reminded her, "And you are not the only one who says the absolute worst thing."
Realizing that she had done exactly what he had wanted her to, Julieta let out a defeated sigh. "So then tell me, oh wise husband of mine... What do I do about Mirabel?"
Agustin's hands slowly circled Julieta's waist as he pulled her close, kissing her. "Sometimes, all you can do is just take a step back and let others worry about saying the wrong or right thing. Like your sister, for instance."
"I love Pepa dearly," Julieta replied, pulling away and starting the centers for the brigadeiros. "-but she is one of the worst people for pep talks."
Resuming his shucking, Agustin gave Julieta a knowing look. "Then you know what I'm going to suggest next."
Letting out another defeated sigh, Julieta bristled slightly as she considered the notion. "I feel like it's... like it's a dodge. Mirabel is my daughter. I shouldn't just... just foist her onto my father every time I can't talk to her."
Waiting until the thickened chocolate mixture was off the heat, Agustin again took his wife by the shoulders, giving her a tender look. "Juli... Do you know the right thing to say to Mirabel about how she really feels about today?"
A jumbled wave of confidence, annoyance, confusion, and frustration crossed Julieta's face before tears started welling up in her eyes. Ashamed, she shook her head as she let her husband pull her into a hug. "No," she murmured, allowing herself a moment to cry on Agustin's shoulder.
"Do you think Abuelo would?" Agustin asked, gently, resting his head lightly against Julieta's. When he felt his wife nod, he smiled, pulling away and withdrawing his handkerchief, passing it over for Julieta to dry her eyes and blow her nose. "It's not a dodge," he assured her. "We all have our Gifts. Your father's is knowing the right thing to say and the best time to say it."
"So what's your 'gift', then?" Julieta sniffled, handing the handkerchief back.
Agustin smiled and struck an 'important' pose as he replied, "Loving you and our daughters, of course. It's a full-time job, you know?"
"And no one could ever do it better," Julieta assured him, going for one more hug before she resumed cooking.
x
When Pepa and Isabela ambushed Bruno early afternoon, Mirabel found herself alone in the courtyard as Bruno was whisked away to Isabela's bathroom for a 'makeover'.
Wondering what she could do to help with the rest of the preparations for Antonio's party, Mirabel was caught off guard when her abuelo called her name.
"Mirabel, do you have a moment?" Pedro asked, gently. "I don't want to interrupt if you're busy with something."
A few moments passed as Mirabel scrambled for an imaginary task she was in the middle of, but she came up short and she shrugged casually as she replied, "It's nothing that can't wait a little bit. What's up?"
"Come with me," Pedro instructed with a wink and a sly smile.
The pair made their way up to the roof of the casita and Mirabel couldn't help smiling in amazement as she watched her abuelo taking a seat on the tile. This was his favorite spot to talk and no matter how many times she watched him climb up, Mirabel was constantly astounded by the act.
"Did you know-?" Pedro began, looking down at the road leading into town. "-I met your abuela when I was perched on a light pole?"
Mirabel turned, giving her abuelo her full attention. She loved hearing stories of her grandparents when they were young. "It was the Festival of Little Candles, right?"
Pedro nodded, a fond smile on his face. "Alma nearly fell off as she waved to me. I shouldn't have laughed, but... She was so unlike the girls my family wanted me to court. She wasn't perfect. She liked simple things." His smile faded as he went on. "She had a courage that... that made me feel like... like everything would be alright... no matter what."
"I wish I had known her," Mirabel mused, thoughtfully. "When I think about what Abuela sacrificed... I sometimes ask myself if I could have been as brave as she was."
Pedro pulled Mirabel close, his smile returning as he nodded. "Alma would have loved you. You have much of her spirit in you. And you have the same heart." Turning to look at Mirabel directly, he waited until she looked at him, doing his best not to react as he spotted her tell.
It had been Mirabel's true giveaway whenever she was really upset about something. The slight stiffening of her body, the way her eyes would go just a hair wider than normal... the brief, sharp inhale...
As soon as Pedro saw it, he knew that-regardless of what she told anyone else-her primo's Gift ceremony tonight was weighing heavily on her, reminding her of what she'd failed to receive 10 years ago. "Mira... your heart... your spirit... your bravery... that all comes from you. That's not something any magic or miracle could give you. It's something you have to have already, in your soul."
The brave, confident mask cracked slightly, even though Mirabel didn't say a word, and when she hugged her abuelo, she held on just a little bit longer than she might have normally.
x
As the time for Antonio's Gift ceremony finally came, Mirabel joined the rest of her family as they gathered in the courtyard near the staircase that led up to Antonio's door.
"Look at you," Pepa said, a raincloud above her head as she bent down to give Antonio a kiss on the cheek. "...all grown up."
"Pepi, amor, you're going to get him all wet," Felix chided lightly as he shooed the cloud away.
"Abuelo is talking to everyone waiting outside," Mirabel said as she gave her primo a smile. "So, after you open your door, we'll get your party started."
While Felix, Pepa, Camilo, and Delores headed upstairs, Mirabel turned to Bruno, her eyes widening in surprise at her tio's new look.
Underneath his new ruana was a new shirt and clean pants and his long, shaggy hair was clean, brushed, and pulled back in a short ponytail.
"You look dashing, mi hermano," Julieta said as she studied her brother.
Chuckling nervously, Bruno looked himself over, shrugging. "Y-Yeah, Pepa thought it might be a good idea if I didn't look like I'd been homeless for the past ten years."
"Well, you clean up well," Agustin complimented, nodding in agreement.
As Julieta, Agustin, Isabela, and Louisa went to take their places, Antonio looked up at Mirabel and Bruno.
With a simple look, Mirabel knew exactly what her primo needed and she held out her hand, a reassuring smile on her face as she said, "Come on... Let's get you to your door."
Antonio took Mirabel's hand, walking with her up the stairs and stopping in front of the glowing door.
When Pedro joined them, he held his and Alma's wedding candle, and there was a sad smile on his face as he knelt down in front of Antonio. "50 years ago, your Abuela left us. But she gave this family a miracle. You are part of that miracle, Antonio. Tonight, I hope your new Gift makes you happy. I hope you love it as much as your entire family loves you."
Antonio reached out to touch the candle before turning to his door, hesitating for a moment before reaching up to take the doorknob which infused with a fresh wave of magic.
Before he could actually turn the knob, however, Antonio was stopped as a toucan landed on his outstretched arm, chirping at him in an almost conversational manner. "Uh-huh," he said, looking at the bird in awe. "I understand you." When the bird gave a questioning squawk, Antonio grinned as he replied, "Of course they can come!"
Looking puzzled as she watched Antonio and the toucan, Mirabel's attention was quickly drawn to the roof and the courtyard where a small flock of various birds were swooping in at the same time several capybaras, tapirs, and coatimundis were coming in through the open front door followed by most of the people in town.
As the Madrigals turned towards Antonio's door, they saw that it now bore an image of Antonio surrounded by animals and his name at the top.
"We have a new Gift!" Pedro announced, beaming, before watching his grandson open the door to reveal an incredible rainforest room.
As the Madrigal family walked inside, they were startled as a real, fully grown jaguar bounded inside, picking Antonio up and tossing the young boy onto its back before racing about the new jungle.
Mirabel beamed as she watched Antonio explore his new room.
When the family gathered for a picture with Antonio front and center, Mirabel kept up the smile as she tried to ignore the ache in her heart.
But as the party began properly, she slipped away, not wanting her bad mood to bring her primo down as well.
Hiding until the courtyard was empty, Mirabel made her way over to the portrait of her abuela and sat down, looking at her. "I've tried, Abuela. I've been patient and steadfast... I've done everything I can to prove I'm ready for my miracle. So why don't I have my Gift yet? If there's something I still need to do... Just give me a sign or... or something." Hot tears stung her eyes and she let them fall as she went on. "I can't hide this pain anymore. I'm tired of acting like everything is fine, because it's not! I'm tired of waiting for... for something to happen... to finally be..."
Before Mirabel could say anything else, a small crash made her jump to her feet, dashing over to the side of the courtyard where one of the roof tiles had fallen and broken. Kneeling down, she picked up the tile, dropping it as the sharp edge cut the palm of her hand.
As the floor tiles trembled, Mirabel reached out her good hand as she gave the house a puzzled frown. "Casita? What is it?" She gave small gasp, watching in alarm as the floor began cracking, spreading up to the walls in a line up the stairs, behind Abuela's portrait, and towards the candle in her abuelo's room which flickered dangerously, threatening to go out. At the same time, other cracks went across the rest of the family's doors, making them flicker in a similar fashion.
Unsure of what was happening but knowing she had to alert her family, Mirabel bolted for Antonio's room, nearly knocking Bruno over in her haste.
"Mirabel?" Bruno said, putting a gentle hand on his sobrina's shoulder. "What is it?"
"There's cracks in the house!" Mirabel blurted, quickly. "I-I-I was in the courtyard and I saw-" But when she turned to show her tio the cracks, they were gone and the doors glowed as they did normally. Even the candle showed no signs of distress. Looking pleadingly at Bruno, Mirabel held out her hand as she insisted, "The cracks were there! I swear!"
"Mirabel," Bruno began, his tone patient.
"One of the roof tiles fell and when I picked it up, I cut my hand," Mirabel explained, quickly.
"Mirabel," Bruno tried to interject, eyes widening as he saw how desperately frantic his sobrina was becoming.
"Please! You have to believe me!" Mirabel cried, breathing heavily, a pained look in her eyes.
"Mirabel, I believe you," Bruno promised her, raising his voice a bit to be heard over Mirabel's hysterics. Taking her by both shoulders, he waited until she met his eyes before instructing, "Take a deep breath, okay? Can you do that?"
When Mirabel had done as she was told, although it took a few tries, Bruno led her over to the steps leading to his tower room and had her sit down before he spoke. "Okay. From the beginning... tell me everything that happened from the moment you left the party."
And so, Mirabel recounted everything, even the 'conversation' she'd had with Abuela. When she was finished, she looked at her tio, hoping he had an answer to what was going on. "What do we do now?"
Bruno was grateful that the darkened hallway hid his features so that Mirabel didn't see his eyes widen slightly as his body stiffened and he took a slightly sharp breath. Thinking quickly, he longed to give some response that didn't involve the truth, but deep down, something inside told him that the vision he'd had ten years ago was starting to come true.
"I am going to get your mother and Abuelo," Bruno decided at last, gently taking Mirabel's injured hand. "And then... I think the four of us should talk about what to do about what you saw."
While Bruno went back to Antonio's room to collect his sister and father, Mirabel went down to the kitchen and sat at the table, trying to make sense of what she had seen. Had she somehow had a vision and only imagined the house was breaking apart? But as she looked down at the cut on her hand, she realized that a vision didn't make sense. If it was all in her head, then how did she cut her hand?
"Mira?"
Looking up to see her mother and abuelo come into the kitchen followed by Bruno, Mirabel stood up quickly and began stammering as she tried to recount what she had seen.
While Julieta made a small batch of arepas and a pot of hot chocolate, Pedro gestured to Mirabel to sit back down before carefully examining her hand. "You said it was one of Casita's roof tiles?"
Mirabel nodded as she once again described what she had seen. Wondering if her abuelo believed her, she asked, "What if there is something wrong with the magic?"
Pedro and Bruno exchanged a look and once the four of them had hot chocolate and arepas in front of them, Pedro turned to Mirabel. "The night that you didn't get your Gift, I asked Bruno if he could try to have a vision and see if he could find some reason why you didn't get your door."
Bruno nervously drummed his fingers on the table as he added, "I... I-I-I saw the house breaking and the magic in danger... and I saw you, Mirabel."
"Me?" Mirabel whispered, turning to her mother, anxiously. "Mama, am I the reason the house is-?"
"No, Mira," Julieta assured her daughter, taking her healed hand. "This is not your fault. We don't know what the vision was about. That's why we never told the rest of the family. We wanted to wait and... and try to..." Taking a deep breath as she searched for the right words, she finally explained, "Sometimes Bruno's visions have deeper meaning that we don't understand right away. We didn't want to jump to any conclusions."
"Like maybe I could bring down the magic," Mirabel murmured, a sick, twisting feeling in her stomach. Before anyone could stop her, she bolted from the kitchen and headed for her bedroom.
As she sat on her bed, Mirabel couldn't help sniffling as she thought about what everyone would think of her when they found out that she could possibly be responsible for the loss of the magic that had been a part of their family for 50 years.
Hearing a tentative knock at the door, Mirabel pulled her knees up to her chest as she leaned back against the wall. "What?" she called, looking at the window.
The door opened and Isabela came in, looking worried. "Mira? Are you okay?"
"No," Mirabel sniffled, not wanting to meet her sister's gaze.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Isabela asked as she sat next to her sister.
"Not really," Mirabel muttered, leaning against Isabela who stroked her hair.
"Do you want me to just sit with you for a while?" When Mirabel nodded, Isabela moved so she was a bit more comfortable before singing the little lullaby she'd made up when Mirabel was little and had been sick.
"Rest now, little rose bud
The night has come around
Sleep tight, little blossom
The sun is going down
Wrap yourself in moonlight
As it pours into your room
When morning comes, the sunlight
Will help you rise and bloom"
Singing the song twice before quietly humming through it once, Isabela didn't stir until she was certain Mirabel had fallen asleep. After tucking her little sister in, Isa went over to Antonio's old bed and curled up, pulling a blanket over herself and keeping watch for a while until sleep finally came to greet her.