Chapter 9: Present
50 years before Encanto
Alma's breath was heavy as she held their babies close, limping through the chaotic streets. Pedro held Alma close, pulling her back as people on horseback raced past.
Their mural had been torched, Pedro's words burned and peeling to charcoal. Alma saw children laying facedown and lifeless on the street and she gasped, because she recognised them. She tried to go to them but Pedro pulled her back, eyes filled with tears as he took a shaky breath and led her away to hide.
"We have to run." His voice wavered, the trauma breaking him down as he struggled to hold it together. "I know you're in pain, Mariposa. I'm so sorry."
Alma shook her head.
"What about our family?" She gasped. "We should find them first."
Pedro's mouth trembled. "It's too risky." He told her as horses ran past. "We have to run, Mariposa, and hope that they do the same. If we go back, we will not come out."
"I'm not leaving without my sister." Alma's expression was hard with determination. "And what about your parents? Your brothers? The animals?" She took a sharp breath, imagining Bruni trapped in a burning barn. She turned with a sense of urgency, clutching the babies tight as she tried to head back towards town. "We have to help them-"
"Mariposa, please-" Pedro stopped her, arms around her middle as tears streaked his face. "We can't. Please... Alma!"
She stopped at the sound of her name. Pedro never called her that.
Pedro took a shuddering breath, his expression heavy with desperation as tears ran down his face. Alma turned back to him and he pulled her back down to hide.
"Look at them." He pleaded.
Alma looked down to see their babies whimpering in terror as they looked around, the glow of the flames reflecting in their wide and frightened eyes.
"They need us." Pedro urged. "Everybody else we love can run, they can hide." His desperate eyes gestured to the babies once more, then back to Alma. "They can't. They need you to run for them, Mariposa. They need you to hide... So they can live."
"But Mona." Alma whispered, tears running down her cheeks now.
"Mona's strong." Pedro told Alma, wiping under her eyes. "And clever. She will get away. And when all this is over, we will find her again. I promise."
Pedro took a shuddering breath, his hands shaking. "But for now, I need to you to listen to me." Pedro glanced down at their babies, his voice strained with anguish. "Please. They have to live. It's not fair. They deserve to live."
Alma hated herself for leaving. She sobbed as they ran, the pain in her abdomen getting worse with every step.
"W-wait."she gasped, hand covering her babies' heads as she leaned forward over the side of the road and vomited.
Pedro hugged onto Alma, his head against her back as Alma's body trembled and purged itself. She gasped, closing her eyes in pain.
"Okay." Alma mumbled, straightening back up.
"I love you." Pedro whispered, gently helping her to her feet. "You're being so brave, Mariposa. So strong."
Pedro wiped under Alma's mouth and kissed her forehead, and then they were running again.
The sky was red and thick with smoke. As they hurried down the road they found more bodies of townsfolk, people they knew and cared for, sprawled out and bloody on the street. Alma whimpered at the sight of old Señora Alvez, the last look of fear still frozen on her lifeless face as her back bled from whoever had attacked her from behind while she'd tried to run away.
The three babies in Alma's arms screamed. Alma and Pedro both huddled over then, frantically shushing them and covering their mouths. They couldn't afford to be heard. They kissed and comforted them until they went quiet again, then continued cautiously down the road.
The smoke was thick and fire crackled as they reached the neighbouring town. The road into town was lined with bodies. It looked like groups of townsfolk had tried to escape and been caught. Alma's feet slapped the wet road as it became slick with blood. She tensed her shoulders, carefully stepping around and over bodies of people. Some they knew, some they did not.
"They were heading for the forest." Pedro whispered . "Just beyond this town... That's where we should go."
Alma held the babies tight as they whimpered, trying to hide their faces as Alma's eyes scanned the road. It was traumatising to look at all the dead faces, but Alma had to be sure. She searched the piles for their family, for Mona.
They carefully entered the next town and could hear more screaming and clattering of hooves as people ran past.
"Keep to the shadows." Pedro whispered, hand to Alma's back as they kept low.
People ran ahead and then there was an explosion, shaking the town and sending them and pieces of the street flying. Alma turned, shielding the babies with her body as blast and debris hit her in the back.
Alma winced, feeling lightheaded and sick as her exhausted body gave way and she dropped down, taking the fall through her knees to try and protect the babies.
Pedro caught Alma in his arms, glancing frantically around as his wife's head fell limp to his shoulder and she sobbed in pain. He took off his big backpack of supplies and carefully took the babies from Alma's arms, slipping the backpack over Alma's shoulders instead. He knelt beside her, encouraging her to lay over his back.
Alma held onto Pedro, arms around his shoulders and legs around his waist as he stood, clutching their children in his arms as he continued to run. Another explosion went off nearby and people screamed, running alongside Pedro as they hurried for the trees.
Alma weakly kissed the back of Pedro's head, grateful for his strength. Her husband was such a gentle and kindhearted man, but in their moment of need Pedro was relentlessly brave to protect Alma and their little family.
They passed more groups of people in the street and Pedro encouraged them to follow, leading them up the hill to safety. Alma couldn't help but feel bitter that they were helping these groups of strangers but had left their own family behind.
They reached the top of town and reached the trees. There were lanterns hanging along the street and Pedro encouraged Alma to reach up and grab one, and as they went deep into the forest, the lantern soon became one of the only sources of light that they had.
The large crowd moved through the forest as one, silent except for breathing and footsteps. They stopped momentarily to try and think up a plan.
Pedro gently set Alma down and she collapsed, laying on the soft forest floor and closing her eyes as she moaned in pain. Her abdomen burned and every part of her ached and shook with exhaustion. Pedro stayed close to Alma, stroking her back, his other arm holding their babies.
The crowd gathered around Pedro, asking questions. Pedro helped them make a plan, gently rocking the babies as he whispered. The people all seemed to naturally turn to him.
Some others gathered around Alma, murmuring softly. She felt something land in her hand and weakly opened her eyes to see a golden butterfly. She blinked slowly, staring at it.
"You have a guardian angel following you." One of the townsfolk observed, eyes gesturing to the butterfly, while another helped Alma to sit up.
Alma groaned, the movements hurting her. The butterfly stayed in her hand, not flying away despite the movements and proximity of the crowd. Alma gazed down at it.
"When did you have those children?" A man gestured to their babies, while another villager supported Alma's weight.
"Today." Alma said softly, and their faces softened in sympathy.
"You must be in a lot of pain."
Alma's lip trembled as she nodded. The butterfly slowly crawled up her arm and flitted to perch on top of Alma's head.
One woman helped to gently wipe away the blood that had trickled down Alma's legs; while another brought a candle over to Alma, placing it in her hands.
"Look into the flame." She told Alma. "Watch how it moves, how it glows."
Alma did as she said.
"Take deep breaths as you watch it." She encouraged. "Try to notice all the little things, the feel of the wax, the warmth of its light... That's what I did when I had my baby. It helps a lot."
Alma nodded, breathing slowly and focusing on the flame. The butterfly crawled along her arm and fluttered down to her hand, the glow of the candle glittering against its wings, making it almost look like shimmering magic.
Alma felt a little calmer, and she went to hand back to candle with a grateful look.
"It's yours." The woman smiled. "A present for you."
"For saving us." Another villager agreed. "We are all in your debt."
"None of us would be here if not for you." Another nodded, gesturing to his own bandaged leg, then his wife's bandaged arm.
Alma frowned in confusion, because she didn't remember helping anyone, but then her expression softened in realisation.
"This face?" She pointed to herself.
They glanced at eachother, a little confused by the question, but nodded.
"Yes, you helped us." Another agreed. "You tended to our injuries and helped us to get away. Then you kept running."
Alma sighed in relief. Ramona.
"We will follow you anywhere..." They paused, waiting for her to give them a name.
"Alma." She said quietly.
Later
They continued on their journey, Alma holding their babies now while Pedro had his arm around her, carrying the lantern as they led the crowd through the forest.
They reached a river and began to wade their way through the water, the crowd of people following. Alma shivered as water filled her shoes and the cold bit at her legs. She glanced down at the flickering light of the candle as it softly illuminated the faces of their babies. All three were asleep now, exhausted from the journey.
Alma found herself looking over her shoulder constantly, afraid of what was behind her. It felt like something was going to jump out of the darkness at any second to grab them. She took a deep breath and pushed on, thinking of the babies. The urgency to protect them overrode her fear.
Im not afraid of anything. Alma tried to tell herself, but it sounded feeble now. Like something someone else had said, long ago.
"You're okay." Pedro kissed Alma's face, and the hopeful light in his eyes gave Alma strength. Pedro reminded Alma that despite these horrors, there was still good in the world.
They heard the thundering of hooves, followed by screams and splashes. Alma and Pedro turned back in terror, their hearts dropped at the sight of riders and flames.
It was suddenly chaos as the crowd screamed and ran. People knocked into them and Alma fought to move her exhausted legs through the water. Other people got knocked down and Alma knew she'd have been one of them if not for Pedro holding onto her.
They reached dry land and continued to run, but it was too much, Alma's exhausted body ached and her legs shook. She pushed as hard as she could, but her body stumbled and they ended up falling to the back of the crowd, the riders approaching fast.
Pedro recognised that his wife wasn't going to make it. He looked back at the approaching riders, his expression changing to one of determination.
He stopped running, turning to Alma.
Alma watched as Pedro kissed their triplets' heads, one by one, then looked into Alma's eyes with that same soft and caring expression he'd had on the rooftop, all those years ago.
He put a hand to her cheek and kissed her. Alma's heart sunk at what this was supposed to be to mean.
"Everything will be okay." Pedro told Alma, looking deep into her eyes. "You're going to survive. Our children will find a new home, and you'll thrive. They're going to have a better life."
Pedro then turned, heading back into the river to meet the riders. He slowly raising his hands up in surrender. The horses stopped before Pedro, the people seeming to listen to his pleas.
Alma clutching their babies tight, watching in terror.
Just when Alma began to wonder if they might let them go, one of the riders swung their sword and Alma screamed, reaching out desperately as the sword cut through Pedro. His gentle hands dropped and his body became weak. The others swung their swords too, striking Pedro. He fell, collapsing into the river.
Alma cried out in despair, dropping the candle and dropping to the ground. She sobbed and screamed, her body collapsing over her babies as cried in defeat, the sounds rough and raw.
The hooves came close, and Alma felt them standing over her. She sobbed, too distressed to do anything but lay there and cry, her body shielding the babies.
At least if they killed Alma and continued on their way, the children would be spared. Maybe somebody would come back for them later. Maybe someone would save them, and raise them.
Pedro lay in the river, the last of his life leaving his body. He coughed blood, wanting to run to Alma, but unable to move his body. Everything was fading to black.
A single golden butterfly flew over, landing on the river reeds.
Pedro watched it weakly, struggling to get his words out.
"Save them." He choked, slowly closing his eyes.
The butterfly glowed as it flew through the chaos and towards Alma.
As the sword swung down the butterfly flew into it's path to protect Alma. The moment the blade hit the butterfly it all exploded into glowing fragments of golden light.
The light threw the riders back, the horses tumbling over while the people turned to glowing golden dust and were obliterated by the magic.
Alma slowly looked up, confused to see the danger gone and the horses fleeing without riders. Golden magic surrounded her, making it's way down to absorb into the candle in front of her.
Carvings etched and glowed their way along wax as the flame glowed bright and a golden butterfly appeared on the side of the candle.
The people slowly gathered around, whispering to eachother about miracles and angels, but Alma heard nothing.
She lay on the ground, numb and staring blankly at the candle, tears streaming down her face.
"What do we do now?" Someone whispered.
Alma slowly reached for the candle, desperate to touch it. Longing for the last thing she had left of Pedro.
As her fingers touched it, the candle glowed and Alma suddenly felt the strength to stand, as if Pedro were still here, helping her.
Alma took a shaky breath. With on arm holding her babies and the other holding Pedro's candle, Alma turned to the crowd.