Hello everyone! Here is another plot bunny that won't leave me alone. Why are they always crossovers? Anyway, I hope you enjoy and please feel free to leave reviews.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything from the universes. Encanto belongs to Disney and The Cat Returns belongs to Studio Ghibli.


Muta considered himself a grounded, realistic cat. He wasn't one for the strange or mystical. Which is precisely why he found himself wondering why he found himself, yet again, part of something strange and mystical.

It was a normal day at the Cat Bureau. Muta was minding his own business, thank you very much. Having already received his daily helpings of tuna fish sandwiches from the corner café at the Crossroads, the rotund cat had reclaimed his customary seat in the sunlight and was just settling down for a nap.

If he had gotten his nap, then perhaps he would not have found himself witnessing this current anomaly.

"Perdóneme" a feminine voice asked softly "would you happen to be the Baron?"

He grumpily cracked an eyelid open at the newest intrusion. Then sat up, raising an eyebrow in interest. In front of him was a young girl- probably a teenager though he wasn't good at guessing human ages. However, she didn't look like any human girls he had seen before.

For starters, her skin was pink- not as in a human pink flush but more like the pink one found on flowers or little girl's clothing. Speaking of which, her clothes consisted of a tan blouse with a collar embroidered with many strange symbols in amber-colored thread and a long, flowing skirt of aquamarine that was also embroidered, this time with threads of many different colors. Her curly hair was a startling shade of orange and, weirdly enough, made him think of the tiled roofs of those houses in Spain that he had seen pictures of in the human marketplace.

Strangest of all were her eyes. They clued Muta in that she most likely was not human. The color of blue was normal enough, but her pupils glowed like a candle flame rather than the normal black hole. Also, her voice was rather musical and had the same chiming quality as tiles clinking against each other.

"Why do ya need him?" The white cat asked sharply. But before she could answer, the windows behind him began to glow, despite it being midday.

"Come on, Baron, not another cheesy light show!" He complained.

He was ignored as the lights dimmed, and a small figurine stepped into the sunlight and bowed at the waist.

"Baron Humbert von Gikkingen at your service, or Baron for short. I beg pardon for the impertinence of this question, but may I ask if you might also be a Creation?" The feline figurine gazed curiously up at the girl, green eyes sharp against his butterscotch fur and light grey suit.

The girl smiled. "If you mean a being brought to life by the artisan giving their all their heart to their work, then sí, I am."

Baron looked intrigued. "Quite so. Have you seen anything like this before Toto?" He asked over the girl's shoulder, prompting her to turn around. A jet-black crow stood in place of the statuette that had stood there moments ago.

Surveying her, Toto cawed gravely, "No I haven't. But then again, anything is possible."

"How would a birdbrain like you know that?" Muta jeered.

"Because I know more than you, porkchop. And stop being rude to our guest." Toto sneered back before launching himself at the fat feline.

"Lo siento, I did not mean to cause trouble." The girl began in a panicked tone only to be interrupted by Baron.

"Don't mind them, Miss…" The wooden feline probed gently.

"Oh, lo siento, please just call me Casita."

"Well, Miss Casita, I take it you need my help? Why don't we step inside to discuss it over some tea?" Baron asked with a small smile. Before starting forward, Casita looked to the house behind him, giving a little curtsy.

"Muchas gracias for allowing me to enter." Toto and Muta stopped fighting as the Refuge almost seemed to preen, the windows flashing without the Baron's prompting.

Muta's jaw dropped. "What was that?" He gaped. Did the Bureau just respond to a client?! It was a building! Even with his experiences, he knew buildings didn't move.

He was again ignored as Casita was suddenly surrounded by a swirl of pink and blue flower petals which cleared away to reveal a much smaller, cat-sized girl.

The white cat followed both girl and feline Creations, too mystified by the building's actions to continue fighting with Toto.

Baron set about preparing tea. "Milk or lemon with your tea?"

"Milk, por favor." She sat tentatively on one of the green armchairs.

"An excellent choice."

Once tea had been poured, Baron sat down in the opposing armchair and surveyed his newest client with interest. Muta already knew that Baron would offer their services to her cause, given the Refuge's enthusiastic response to Casita.

"How can the Cat Bureau be of service to you?" He asked politely.

There was a teenage-like quality to the awkwardness of this new Creation as she squirmed in her seat. "I was wondering if you could help prevent me from being destroyed?" She asked with an insecure smile.

Muta couldn't stop the shout of disbelief, echoed shortly by Toto who had flown through the window to the indoor balcony. "WHAT?! But Creations can't be destroyed, right Baron?"

"That is not necessarily true, Muta. I think Miss Casita will need to explain further, however, if we are to help." Baron commented, not taking his eyes off the client in question.

"Well, for starters, I am not quite the same sort of Creation as you and Toto. I am actually the embodiment of two things- a house and a candle." She murmured, almost bashfully. Then she seemed to pause, as if gathering her thoughts before launching into her tale.

"I was Created many years ago by a desperate man. He, his wife, their small children and their village had been chased from their home by violent, dangerous men. It was a time of war in my country, Columbia."

"Wait, a second. You're from South America Then how'd you get here and how did ya hear about us?" Muta scoffed, not paying any attention to Baron's glare at the interruption.

Casita looked startled. "Sí, I am. Los gatos in my homeland have been speaking of the Bureau who saved a cat-speaker from being forced to marry their king. As to how I got here" she paused looking thoughtful. "I was able to connect to the Bureau's magic as it is very similar to mine."

"My creator, mi artesano, in a desperate attempt to save his familia, sacrificed his life at the hands of his pursuers. I remain unsure whether I was Created by his magic or if the river where he died had its own powers, but nevertheless, his actions led to my Creation."

"As my Creator is dead" she continued, "mi vida, my life force or whatever you'd like to call it, has been fueled by the contentment and stability of his family. Mi familia." She added with emphasis. "In return, I keep mi familia safe and do my best to ensure their happiness. But now-"

Before she could continue, her figure seemed to quiver, and large cracks appeared on her left cheek. Baron had leapt to his feet during the commotion, something that shocked Muta- he had never seen the doll so obviously concerned.

"Are you alright, Miss Casita?" The Latina Creation simply gave a sad smile. "Muchas gracias for your concern, Señor, as that is why I am here. Mi familia is no longer content."

"But why?" Toto spluttered.

"There is another part of the gift my Creator left the family. Each member is given a Gift, a magical power just for them, reflecting their own uniqueness as an individual. From cooking food with healing powers to growing flowers with a wave of a hand, every member of my family is given their own special gift on their fifth birthday."

And here, Casita seemed to somehow look even more depressed. "Every member, except one. Mirabel. My beautiful, amazing Mirabel was not given a Gift. And even though the reason should be obvious, no one seems to understand why."

"Well, why wouldn't she get a Gift?" Toto asked tentatively.

"As of now, the head of my family, the Madrigals, is her grandmother who does not possess a Gift as she was born before my Creation. But humans are mortal and someday she will pass on. So, if a woman without magic such as Alma can lead the family, then obviously Mirabel can as well. She has already shown herself to be a wise and caring girl for her fifteen years."

Muta wasn't quite following, but he didn't want to show it, so he merely nodded along.

Casita's expression became irritated. "Since the rest of my family does not seem to understand this, they have started to draw away from Mirabel and often argue about her. The quarrel is now reaching the point where they are being torn apart."

She gestured vaguely at the new cracks on her cheek before fixing them with a pleading stare.

"So, I came here to ask you to save my family. Save my family before I am destroyed and cannot keep them safe. What will happen to them if I can't keep them safe?"

Muta almost thought she was about to cry. Baron, always the gentlemen, offered a handkerchief, which she took gratefully, before rubbing his chin in thought.

"I would be more than happy to offer our services to your cause. But I do have one request."

In response, Casita tilted her head in puzzlement. "I would like to bring in another for help. It seems to me your Mirabel could use an understanding ear."

Muta saw the mischievous look in Baron's eye and caught on, stifling a groan as Baron turned to him.

"Muta, could you find Haru? Her help would be most invaluable."

As Muta left, he couldn't help but wonder how a realistic cat like himself kept getting caught up in these situations.


Hi everyone! I hope you enjoyed this piece. I am not 100% sure if I will continue this work but most likely I will, especially if there are enough reviews. I would also like to add that I was greatly inspired by GarnettFox and Mr. Chaos's work Plus Five to Charisma in terms of both the Refuge and Casita interacting with each other as they are both magical, sentient homes.

Again, I hope you enjoy and feel free to leave reviews. Happy reading!