Author's Note: Hello, welcome! I am so excited to start posting for this fic. I was inspired by the story Once Upon A Miracle by MusicHeart08 (The story is on Ao3). They wrote a OUAT AU one-shot for Encanto and when I saw it I thought it was such a genius idea and I wished I had thought of it. It was so good, and reading their story inspired me to write my own, although a full story instead of a one-shot. I of course asked them for permission because I didn't want it to look like I stole their idea or something, so thanks again MusicHeart08! ❤️
As of right now I have about 5 and a half chapters written, but the story will be way longer. Updates may be take a bit because I'm in the middle of trying to get things ready for college. We'll see I guess.
Hope you guys enjoy the story, and of course you don't have to have watched OUAT to read this story but it is recommended only so you can see the comparisons and what I played with. My story is only based off the first season, and even then of course strays off into its own story at some points.
I can't link MusicHeart08's story here, but go check the one-shot out on Ao3. Their name and story is bold above so you can find it!
The Encanto…
12 Years Ago…
The color blue wasn't a stranger to the family Madrigal.
After all, half of them wore it.
But, the cloudy naval blue that engulfed everything it touched in the distance sending all their poor subjects god only knows where made Julieta wish for just a splitting second blue wasn't her color. It made her sick as she stared out with wide eyes at the looming electric storm heading straight for its final destination—her home.
It wouldn't be long now would it? Soon the castle will be swept away, this magic, a curse, such unlike the golden light that flows through them giving them their gifts, it will take away her entire family and send them to a land without magic; and while it slightly scares her that soon a part of her will be stripped away, Julieta could care less if it meant she could stay together with her family.
For just a moment Julieta allows herself to mourn. She mourns for the past memories that will soon be locked behind a door in her mind in only a few agonizingly slow minutes. She mourns for her daughters and sobrinos. For her hermano and hermana. For her mamà who will have no one to look after her. And she mourns for her little girl, the one she has no choice but to send away if the entire kingdom wants any hope of breaking this curse in the future and being reunited with their loved ones; for the little girl she won't be able to see grow up any farther, and who may not even remember she's her mamà when they finally meet again.
Then her door is thrown open, ending her moment, and she takes a deep breath, steading herself, and tucks a loose curl behind her ear. She needs to be strong for the last few minutes she's in the Encanto. If not for herself, then for her niñita who's whole world is about to be turned inside out in a different way then theirs.
"Mami!"
Julieta turns, Mirabel racing towards her as Agustín waits by the door. She scoops her little girl up and lets her snuggle into her arms. "Hola, mi vida."
"Mamá, papá had everyone hug me goodbye. Why? Are you sending me away? Is it because I didn't get a gift?"
Hearing her daughter say that somehow breaks her heart even more, and when her eyes meet her husbands she can see the same tears gleaming in his eyes that shine in hers. How is she supposed to tell her daughter that they are sending her away, but not for the same reason she believes. They are sending her away because she didn't get a gift, but not because she was any less special or important than the rest of the Madrigals, but rather the wardrobe wouldn't work any other way.
"Mirabel look at me amor. Your papi and I love you very much and we would never send you away just because you didn't get a gift like the rest of us. Do you remember what I told you the night of your ceremony?"
"T-that gift or no gift I'm just as special as everyone else."
"Sí mi corazón. You are very special, and you don't need to do anything other than being yourself to make me proud. Never forget that." Julieta runs her hand through Mirabel's soft curls, touching her forehead to her's. Mirabel giggles, placing her tiny hands on her mamá's cheeks. Julieta would miss this, miss the feeling of being able to hold her daughter in her arms. The feeling of being able to hold her close and never let go.
"Mi amor, the curse, it's almost here."
But, Julieta knew she had to let go as Agustín made his way to them. He joined the hug for a second before pulling away, cupping his daughter's cheek."Miraboo, your mamá and I love you very very much but there's something we have to tell you."
"About the dark magic?"
"Sí mi vida. W-we…we have to…" Julieta didn't even want to say the next words, because it would be exactly what her little girl feared from the moment her door in the castle disappeared.
"We do have to send you away mi amor, but it's not because you didn't get a gift or because we don't love you."
"I-I-I don't understand! Why can't I stay? Is it because of the curse?"
"Yes, it is because of the curse. We need to send you away to keep you safe. To keep the whole family safe, do you understand?"
Mirabel just looked at her with tears in her eyes, trying hard not to let them fall. "But I'm scared Mamá, I don't wanna go."
Julieta hugged her tighter, lightly stroking her cheek. "I know mi vida. It's okay to be scared. But, I need you to do me a favor. I need you to be brave as well."
"But how…how can I be both mamà?"
"Well, one cannot exist without the other. In order to be brave, you have to be scared of something first. By being brave we overcome what we are scared of in the first place."
"O-okay Mami." Mirabel wrapped her tiny arms around her neck and Julieta melted into it. This would probably be the last time she ever held her daughter at this age ever again. She only broke apart when she heard a roar of thunder and fast raindrops hitting the stone floor in the hallway. Pepa stood just beyond the threshold, tears in her eyes.
"It's ready."
Juli nodded at her hermana moving Mirabel to her hip. This wasn't supposed to be like this. They were all supposed to have more time to figure things out. More time to spend with each other.
None of that mattered now.
What did matter is getting Mirabel to the wardrobe, so she took Agustín's hand in hers and together they hurried just behind Pepa. It took a few turns and two staircases but the four arrived in no time. They made the wardrobe in what was probably one of the smallest rooms in the castle, maybe besides the nursery Mirabel slept in. They were hoping using the thing would be unnecessary, but if they absolutely had to, then they wanted their final moments to be as close with each other as possible. It was Julieta who wanted one more moment alone with Mirabel, one more moment of holding her niñita before she couldn't do it anymore.
Juli placed her daughter down, clutching her hand as she walked Mirabel to the wardrobe and helped her climb in, placing a satchel on to her lap. "This wardrobe is a magical one Mirabel. It's going to take you to a place where you'll be safe."
"A-are you coming too mamá?"
"Yes, but not through the wardrobe. It only holds one person, and that person is you."
Mirabel clutched the bag tighter to her chest. "But…will you find me when I get there?"
"No mi corazón, I'm afraid you'll have to find me. But don't worry, we will see each other again."
"¿Me prometes mami?"
"Te prometo mi mariposa."
Julieta finally let a tear roll down her cheek right as Casita violently shook, a few cracks splitting the tiles underneath their feet. A few gasps could be heard from behind her at the suddenness of it all, but Julieta could only focus on the little girl in front of her. She watched as Mirabel's tiny hand came up to her face wiping away her tear.
"Don't cry mamá. It's just like you said, it's okay to be scared, but…but I'll be brave. Just for you. And you can be brave for me too."
Julieta held down the sadness so desperately trying to rise up and consume her and pulled Mirabel in for one final hug. Dios mío, did she love this little girl with all of her heart. They only had 5 years together. 5 years seems so far away when you look at it in the grand scheme of things, but time has a way of sneaking up on you faster than anything else in life. Now she has to send her hija away when there is still so much more to learn and see. Mirabel's life has only just started, and Julieta won't be there to see any of it unfold. Knowing that hurts more than anything she's ever been through, but she can't let Mira, who is staring up at her with so much love and trust, know that she isn't sure if she's just made a false promise. Instead she smiles and takes one of her daughters hands in hers.
"I love you so much Mirabel, never forget that." Then slowly, albeit reluctantly because she doesn't want to see her daughter go, she stands up and closes the door to the wardrobe in one quick motion. Julieta had to get it over with or she may never have been able to send Mira away, and if she did that and kept her, then she would be condemning the entire kingdom to a never ending suffering.
Her hand stayed on the doorknob of the wardrobe for just a second, a part of her wishing her little girl would still be there when she opened it back up. When Julieta did, Mirabel was gone.
In that moment all hell broke loose.
Casita shook, tiles breaking in half, cracks running through the walls, and debris falling from the ceiling.
The family gathered around in a circle hugging each other as close as humanly possible.
"La familia Madrigal?" It was Bruno, a whisper still heard beyond the noise of everything falling apart all around them. The whole family looked at one another, their heads nodding in a small quiet agreement.
"La familia Madrigal," they shouted in unison.
And just after, that naval blue smoke surrounded them, leaving everything dark and deserted in its wake.
Cold Springs, New York.
12 Years Later…
"Hey, hey stop her!"
Mirabel ducked as a woman reached to grab her, the small brown box in her hands squawking, the woman falling over in surprise as she grabbed nothing but air. Her lungs felt like they were on fire and her legs would no doubt burn and hurt at sudden movements for the next day or two, but it would be so worth it once she makes her way out of the marketplace.
Mira took a chance and glanced behind her, Kevin still hot on her tail dressed in his black hair net and oddly too white apron for his occupation.
"Mirabellllllllllll!" he shouted.
It only made her laugh as she continued to sprint ahead, weaving her way between a few fruit and veggie stands.
"You can't keep doing this, you know!"
"I beg to differ," she yelled back, never looking away from the path in front of her. It was only once she made her way to the big crowd of traveling people, all headed in every direction possible, did she finally look back and see Kevin was no longer there.
"Yes! Mirabel: 5, Kevin: 0."
Mirabel laughed to herself as she walked the last few steps to the library before placing the box she held in her arms on the back of her bike and securing it in place exactly like she did the stack of newspapers she usually delivers every morning. Once it was secured she unlocked her bike from the bike rack and kicked off pedaling down the street. She took a left turn when she made it to the end, smiling like always as she spotted the white banner coming into view that always hangs above the street: Welcome to Cold Springs. The greeting always felt warm and inviting, but Mirabel used to find it odd being welcomed into Cold Springs when Main Street didn't even reach the border of the town.
Instead, the street filled with a number of different shops, each one vastly different than the last yet nonetheless as exciting, sat right in the middle of Cold Springs, as if the street knew it would be the center attraction before the people who built it did. It's where Mirabel spent most of her time anyway when she wasn't in school, and it would be clear to anyone who didn't live there as she passed the small shops waving to all the owners who noticed her.
"Hey Mirabel," Mr. Suave called out. "I see a box, messing with Kevin again I see."
"Oh you know it."
"Wow, your fifth one too. Nice going!"
Mrs. Gomez, who owned the book store right next to Mr. Suave's florist shop, turned and frowned. "Ay, don't goat the girl on, she already gets into enough trouble as it is. Kevin doesn't mean anything by it, he's just trying to do his job."
"Oh I know Señora Gomez, but I'm just doing mine too!" Mirabel chuckled as Mrs. Gomez shook her head disapprovingly. She continued pedaling on towards her destination that sat just at the end of Main Street.
"Oh Mirabel, I've been meaning to catch you!" Mirabel pulled her breaks, leaning her right leg down to balance herself. The seamstress Ms. Hannigan held two pieces of fabric up, one in each hand. In her right was a sky blue, a fancy design on the edges made with a golden thread. The other cloth looked the exact same except it was red and the bottom started to fade into more of a reddish-orange.
"I finally narrowed down my dress options to two colors, but I just can't decide which one will look the best on me. After all, it's only once your only son gets married. Well, hopefully only once."
Mirabel snorted at the comment, bringing her finger to her chin as if pondering the question even if she knew the answer automatically. "Red, definitely go with the red. It is so your color."
"Thanks chica, I knew I could count on you. And hey, don't be a stranger. You know I love looking at your sketches."
"I won't, I promise. School has just been busier lately."
"I totally get it, now shoo! Don't think I don't see that box. Best not to wait any longer."
Mirabel waved goodbye continuing on her journey. She passed the rest of the shops quietly, a few owners having packed up early for the rest of the day on account of how beautiful it is outside despite the March weather being in that winter but turning spring state. When she came to the edge of Main Street, this time she stopped all by herself, waving to get Mario's attention who was busy yelling at his two sons in Italian who were trying to help their father hang a sign that read something about a special discount for tourists when they order a large pizza.
Mario had been one of the first heart's Mirabel managed to worm her way into, which was weird considering how tough others thought he was. He was short for a man, maybe just an inch or two bigger than her, with a round frame and thinning grayish black hair that just slightly curled on top of his head. His voice was rough and deep, probably from the fact he was always screaming at the top of his lungs, and his hands were always moving to show whatever he was feeling in the moment—which in his case was almost usually annoyance.
Most of the town saw past his charade though compared to the tourists, but Mirabel especially. Really Mario was a gentle fellow, having a soft spot for all the little old ladies who gathered for lunch in his restaurant every week after bingo, or for the group of orphans who he pretends not to give fatherly advice to, always sliding them a slice of their favorite pizza with a can of soda on the house afterwards.
"Mamma mía, by the time you boys hang that sign up we won't need it. You know why? Because I'll be dead! Nel terreno! Sei piedi sotto!"
"Hola Mario!"
"I swear you boys are getting on my last—" Mario turned, his expression lighting up and tone changing immediately. "Mirabel! Ciao! So nice of you to stop by."
The boys snickered at their fathers sudden change, holding their hands up in surrender as he shouted silenzioso at them, a wooden rolling pin waving wildly in the air. Mirabel couldn't help but giggle at the silly antics of the three men.
"I was just headed to the park when I saw you. Figured I'd see how everything's going."
"Oh the usual mia ragazza. I cook pizza here and there, flirt with the ladies, and deal with these two knuckleheads."
"Ha, you mean the old ladies papá!" Mario's eldest shouted out, wincing slightly when he got a tap of the rolling pin on the back of the head in response. He still sported a smile with his younger brother despite it.
"Hey, watch that mouth of yours, I am not old! At least let me hit 60 first, then maybe we'll talk."
"But you turn 60 this year papá," his younger son started. "Definitely old."
Mario waved his finger in his direction. "Oh ho ho, I'd be careful if I were you Raphael. You may be 20 now, but soon you'll blink and be just as old as your papá with your own children saying the same thing about you. I can only hope I live to see the day."
The boys laughed, finally taking a step back from the hanged sign to admire their work. "Alright papá, we finally hung your sign up. Vincenzo and I are going to start doing inventory. It was nice seeing you Mirabel!" She waved goodbye to the boys as they entered the shop.
"I better head inside too, before those two wind up messing my entire back room up. It was lovely to see you Mira, ciao." Mario headed through the door before quickly turning around to catch her before she left. "Oh e buon compleanno ragazza mia!"
"Gracias!"
With that out of the way Mirabel pulled off and moved forward. The shops slowly started to drift into the background with Main Street coming to an end as trees took their place on both sides of her. A few flowers sprung up from the ground indicating spring really was here sooner than anyone thought, each one prettier than the last and saddening Mirabel's heart in a way she couldn't explain. When the street officially turned into a dead end Mirabel turned onto a dirt trail, her bike bumping up and down as it rolled over a few rocks and roots stuck in the dirt. When she came to the fork on the trail she headed right and pedaled straight ahead until she squeezed her brakes and stopped in front of a river. She balanced her bike up against a giant maple tree and carefully untied the box, bringing it only a few feet from the water and gently laying it on the floor.
Finally, she unfolded the flaps of the box and the head of a duck popped out. The creature seemed annoyed at first, pecking a few times at her hand probably for payback at shoving him into a box so quickly and taking him on such a bumpy journey. But once he realized he was outside again he quacked excitedly and jumped out of the box, starting to run around the grass in delight. Eventually the duck waddled over to the river and lowered himself in, swimming against the low flowing current. Another duck swam out of nowhere from the right and met up with her little friend. They both chirped at each other before swimming away happily with one another.
Mirabel smiled at the touching moment. "Gotta love a happy ending."
With her birthday mission complete, Mirabel hopped on her bike and headed back into town. She waved once more at all the shop owners, a few wishing her a happy birthday just as Mario had. She made her way off Main Street, passed the library and marketplace, until Agatha's Home came back into sight. The building was actually smaller than she used to think it was, it looming over her at just 10 years old when she first came here.
The back gate that was attached to the playground was still open luckily, it being closed at a certain time usually, so she pedaled through and made her way to the bike rack just outside the back door. She locked her bike up and threw the box she didn't need anymore into the recycling bin before taking a deep breath and entering the house.
The peaceful silence was killed by the loud screeching that can only happen when a bunch of little kids get together. It was mainly the younger ones running around bursting people's eardrums, and if right on cue four 5 year olds ran past her yelling at the top of their lungs. She thinks they were playing a game of cops and robbers but she wasn't certain. The way one of them yelled you're under arrest when they caught the other made her think they were though, but it also made Mira feel bad for anyone who had sensitive hearing because they for sure wouldn't last a minute in this place.
She walked past the group of seven and eight year olds who begged her to finish reading them the tale of Peter Pan, and she promised she would get on it this weekend once school settled down.
When she reached the stairs she ran up, nearly avoiding colliding into a few 4 year olds on their way down and then high fiving a few ten and eleven year olds who proudly showed her their math and English assignments, all which held As thanks to her study sessions.
When she reached the second flight of stairs she sighed in relief and took her time going up them. She wouldn't have to worry about knocking someone over since they only lead to one room—her's. When she finally reached the top she threw her door open and closed it, throwing her satchel on her desk and face planting into her bed.
"Tired, huh?"
Mirabel startled, arms flailing and her body hanging off the side of the bed. Just an inch closer and she would have completely fallen. She looked up and sheepishly smiled as she saw Agatha sitting in her teal sofa chair, already closing her latest book she was reading. She placed her black frames on top of her curly grayish brown hair, an eyebrow raised.
"Agatha, h-hiiiii. What brings you to this part of the house?"
"Mirabellll." It was a warning tone, one she's heard too many times to count in the seven years she's lived here. It made her sit up straight on her bed immediately.
"Where have you been Mira?"
"Oh you know, around."
"That's not good enough. You were supposed to be here for your appointment. This is the third time you purposely missed one in the past two month. Do you know how hard it is to find people interested in adopting someone your age?"
Mirabel hung her head low at that, picking a few strands of stray thread off her skirt. "Sí, I do. I appreciate you trying to find me a family to adopt me, I do, but I just…I don't want one. I don't have a need for one."
"Oh Mira, don't say that. You deserve a family who will love and take care of you. You deserve to be a part of something bigger. You don't always have to take the lonely path. Let me help you find a family before you age out of the system and it's too late."
"But I want to age out. When I do I can finally go see things I've only dreamt of. I can do whatever I want when I want and there won't be anyone to tell me no. Maybe…I dunno… I-I could even look for my birth parents."
Agatha sighed, getting up and heading to the door. This wasn't the first time the two have had this conversation and it most likely wouldn't be the last. It was the girl's birthday afterall, so getting worked up about it now wasn't something Agatha wanted to do. "Look Mirabel, I know you're interested in wanting to find your birth family but please be careful, there are reasons why most parents choose to give up their children. Some are for the best and some aren't. If you want to go digging you need to prepare yourself for what you'll find." Agatha turned the knob and crossed the threshold looking back once more.
"And be careful what you wish for. You may want to age out now, but are you ready to deal with the difficult decisions becoming an adult requires?" Agatha left her with that, softly shutting her door and heading down the stairs. Mirabel threw her head back and groaned, her eyes catching a small square box on her nightstand. Curious, she crawled over and picked it up. A note fell onto her bed and she picked it up and read it.
Happy Birthday Mirabel, hope you had a fantastic 17th birthday! I know it's nothing special, but I got you a cupcake made especially by Mario. I promise things will look up soon.
—Agatha
Great, Mirabel thought. She just finished being a jerk to the one person who was just trying to be nice and help. After she opened the cupcake she would definitely have to apologize for not showing up today.
But, it's not like she didn't want a family. Of course she did! Always walking alone and moving from one place to the other wasn't something to enjoy, especially when most of those people either fell in the range of being either plain old mean or barely noticing you existed besides the weekly check they got in the mail for allowing you to stay with them. Then there were other foster kids you had to deal with. Some were pleasant, some minded their own business, and some acted like it was a kill or be killed situation. They would steal your stuff and mock you acting like that was the only way to stay ahead until they themselves most likely aged out of the system. She was only so lucky to hold on to the few remaining important items she had, and that was the stuff she was found with on the side of the road at only 5 years old. Mirabel refuses to let anyone near the only things she had left of her parents.
It was just after experiencing everything and above in the foster care system, Mirabel thinks that maybe being by herself for once would be better. Then she wouldn't have to deal with trusting people only to get stabbed in the back. That was the harsh lesson you learned being a foster kid, and admittedly Mira didn't want to be one any longer. So yeah she may be counting down the 365 days till her next birthday, but she supposes just for Agatha's sake she could finally show up to a meeting with people interested in adopting. Nothing says she has to go with them and she can absolutely refuse to, if anything.
So it's decided, as she pulls the yellow ribbon off the small box, she'll apologize and make a new appointment after eating her cupcake made by one of her favorite people in town.
Carefully she folds back the top and reveals a vanilla cupcake with teal frosting. Perched on top is a yellow butterfly made of fondant.
Fitting, she thinks.
She slides the treat out and puts it back on her nightstand, reaching down and pulling out a box from underneath her bed. Mirabel rummages through it before grabbing a box of matches she's totally allowed to have and a blue candle with a butterfly at the top. She saw it at the convenience store last week and bought it just to light and blow out on her birthday, most likely sticking out of a twinkie considering it was all she would have when her birthday rolled around. This was way better though, so she stuck the candle in the middle and lit a match, the flame transferring right away to the wick.
The orange flame waved wildly in the air and she watched it dance for a moment, the fire having a mind of its own. Then, the orange suddenly flickered to an unnatural golden yellow and her eyes widened.
Did that just happen?
Mirabel wasn't so sure because of how quick the flicker was. It was probably just her eyes playing tricks on her. She blinked a few times just to be sure. When nothing else happened she sighed, lifting the cupcake up in the air.
"Otro año excepcional, huh?" With one wish in mind, Mirabel closes her eyes and focuses, before blowing the single small candle out.
Then a knock sounds at her door.
"Of course, I can't even have peace in my own room."
Mirabel quickly stuffs the cupcake and candle back into the box then stands up and drags herself to the door opening it. What she sees takes her aback, because well…the person standing on the other end wasn't who she expected to see at all. It wasn't one of the younger kids wanting to play with her. Not Christine or Charlotte looking for homework help. It wasn't even Agatha who usually would bring her up a plate of food after missing dinner.
No, the kid staring back at her she's never seen a day in her life, at least is what her mind thinks, but instincts say otherwise as she takes in his very familiar features she can't quite place. The boy looks almost exactly like her, like they could be twins. His brown hair curls to his chin as his hazel eyes bore into her brown ones. His choice in clothing color is totally opposite from her though, a yellow t-shirt with an orange sun on it, half tucked into a pair of light blue jeans while he sports a pair of light yellow sneakers that are almost beige but not quite.
"Hola, are you Mirabel Martinez?"
"Umm, sí…who are you?"
The boy sticks his hand out for her to shake, a sly smile growing on his face. "My name is Camilo Madrigal. I'm your cousin, your family."
Author's Note:
Spanish Words:
Niñita = Little girl
Hola = Hello
Mi vida = My Life
Amor = Love
Mi corazón = My heart
Sí = Yes
¿Me prometes mami? = Can you promise me mommy
Te prometo mi mariposa = I promise you my butterfly
Dios mío = My god
Chica = Girl
Gracias = Thank you
Italian Words:
Nel terreno = In the ground
Sei piedi sotto = Six feet below
Ciao = Hello/goodbye
Mia ragazza = My girl
Oh e buon compleanno ragazza mia = Oh and happy birthday my girl!
Otro año excepcional, huh? = Another exceptional year, huh?