Arrival

Mirabel struggles with what to do but Juano reminds her that they have each other to hold on to. They all join in with their family as they vow they will fix it together. / Meanwhile, the Madrigals arrive and hear the end of their song; but they don't realise it's them.

The green clouds hadn't lifted from the city the next morning. Though the sun rose over the mountains, beyond the peaks, the citizens saw green clouds spreading slowly over their civilization like a ghostly shadow. The children were so scared that they stayed indoors. The market people continued their jobs but their constant worries made them grow more scared every moment.

From her ledge, Mirabel observed the unhappy city. For the first time in six years, she felt scared, uncertain, unsure. She felt just like she did when the miracle in her birth home was dying. That feeling made her remember how she and Juano couldn't save it. What if this was gonna happen again?

She heard footsteps approaching but didn't turn to meet who it was.

"You okay sobrina?" Bruno asked. Mirabel didn't answer him. He sighed. "Hey, it's gonna be okay," he came to her side,

"When this happened back in our old home, I was so certain Juano and I could save the Miracle. And we failed. Now it's happening all over again. What will happen to us? To all these people?"

Bruno stared out and saw how unhappy the city had now become. "I don't know Mirabel. But I know that together we can save it. You and Juano were alone," he twisted his head. "But not this time. This time we're gonna do it together,"

Mirabel turned her face and saw the love and faith in her tio's eyes. She hugged him and he hugged her back.

In his room, Juano stared at the candle. The dark colour was spread slowly up the candle. It would be days because it would be completely devoid of any light. He felt useless. But he didn't want to give up. He castled his light around the candle but all he received were shocks of pain through his hands.

"You've got to stop that," Isandra spoke up from his open door. "You could hurt yourself,"

Juano turned his head and saw her worried face leaning against the wall. "How can I just give up? This is just like what happened six years ago. I can't bear to let Mirabel down again,"

Isandra sat beside him. "You've never let Mirabel down. I know that you feel guilty for what happened back there but it wasn't his fault,"

"I know that up here," Juano pointed to his head. "But in my gut…"

"You still blame yourself…"

"I feel like if I fail again, I'd fail her,"

"She loves you. So much. There is nothing you can do that'll have hurt her," said Isandra positively.

Her words comforted Juano a little. But both remained spooked by the dying miracle in Juano's hand.

The Madrigals, the Sanchezes and all the refugees walked through the jungle, following the dried-out river as the grandfather said. No one spoke a word. They were either sleeping on the carts, pulling them, carrying baskets or riding horses.

Luisa noticed the grandfather was a bit slow as he pulled his cart with his two tired grandchildren. "Here. Allow me," she offered kindly.

"Thank you," said the grandfather. "That's very kind of you,"

"No problem sir,"

"Please call me Angelo," he insisted.

"Of course," she said. "Why don't you sit in the back with your grandkids? You need rest too,"

"That is too generous of you,"

"Please. I'll ask my father to help out. Ba?"

Agustin helped pull the cart and the grandfather got some well-deserved rest.

Dolores aided Mariano with his supplies. "Thank you," he said to her.

"It was nothing really. We all have to carry equal weight," Her voice was very tingly. She didn't sound the slightest bit happy or positive.

"Are you okay?"

"MM…it's nothing,"

"Dolores…you know you can talk to me. I know I haven't been the friendliest to you but now that things have changed, I want us to try and be good to each other. Why are you upset?"

She sighed. "I'm worried about how Mirabel will react to us. When she sees us. I don't think she'll be happy,"

"Of course, she will. I may not have known her. But I have known her to be a warm, caring girl who loves her family so much,"

"Maybe she did once. But that was before we treated her so unfairly. I did a terrible thing by blabbering out Bruno's prophecy. Thanks to me everyone wanted her and Juano gone,"

Mariano suddenly stopped her, clasping her shoulder. "Even if we make mistakes, we can try to mend them. I am sure in that village for the past six years; she had thought about you all for the past six years. All you all have to tell us is that you came here just for her. Oh, and Bruno and his family too,"

Dolores remained downhearted. "I hope that she'll accept my apology,"

Alma's head was hung as she sat in her carriage. Yesterday was the closest they have got to finding Mirabel's whereabouts. She eyed her daughters carrying the supplies ahead of her. She watched Julieta's nervous expression; Pepa comforting her. Isabella's news had brought tears to Julieta's eyes. She was crying all night afterwards in her husband's arms, both from joy and heartbreak.

Turning her head backwards again, she eyed Angelo sitting on the cart with his family. There was something about that man that made her quiver. But she just couldn't figure it out. Ignoring her queries, she focused her mind back on Mirabel, Bruno, Gabriella, Isandra, Juano…

How would they react when they saw them? Saw her? She pulled out her pocket-locket and stared at her picture of Pedro, shedding a tear. She stared up at the sky with no clouds. She wondered if Pedro's spirit was invisible, watching over them, protecting them. She would have told her family that her husband's spirit had visited them but perhaps to them, it was just the imaginings of an old lady trying to give excuses for them to listen to her. One day she would tell them. Once they got Mirabel back and they were all safely back in their home once again.

Astride his dark horse, a good distance from the crowd, Carlos observed the Madrigals with a dark expression. Alejandro and Mariana eyed him cautiously.

"Any reason why you two are giving me a cold stare?" Carlos asked a little maliciously, making Alejandro's heart jump.

"We're just…uh…" he tried to answer but he embarrassedly paused.

"We're concerned for you," Mariana answered. "Why are you bothering about the Madrigals?"

"It's not them that's bugging me," he snapped. "It's that daughter of theirs. If she has claimed a miracle of her, it means she's more a threat than ever,"

Alejandro found the courage to speak up again. "Maybe that miracle is what founded that town. Maybe it can…"

"Magic is evil!" bellowed Carlos, making the horses neigh in fright. "Magic makes people think they're powerful. That they can have the choice to use it to make people follow them. When we get to the town, you two are going to keep this between us. Understanding?"

Alejandro didn't want to nod like his obedient sister. Carlos eyed coldly at his son. Scared and feeling no sense of consciousness, he nodded. "Yes, father,"

They continued on their way. Carlos eyed the Madrigals again. He noticed Julieta staring up, giving him a cold stare. Out of all the others, she had him explode. But with their good distances, she heard no precise plans. He had to keep an eye on her.

Juano carried the candle and settled it upon a golden candle stand, just above the staircase. He stood back, staring worriedly. "What should we do mum? What do we do?" in times of trouble he had prayed to his mother many times. All those times when it seemed like she wasn't watching over him, he thought it was just his imagination trying to fool him. But now he was more desperate than ever.

Mirabel approached him. He turned and they embraced tightly. "We're gonna figure this out Juano. Together,"

"I hope so," he prayed.

"Do you think the dark green cloud and the candle turning dark are linked?"

"I don't think so,"

Mirabel's eyes enlarged. She pulled back but still held his hands. "What do you mean?"

"When I tried to use my gift to help the candle, I didn't feel anything evil. Like that cloud outside. I think they're two very different things. What if it's something about this place? Something we haven't found out yet,"

Mirabel pondered on his questions. Since they arrived in this land and made it their home, there were many secrets about this valley. Hidden in their forest, they had discovered strange symbols. But they didn't believe it meant something bad lurked within this land. But now it seemed something powerful had awakened and it was now threatening all life that was living in this valley. "We should send a search party to scout the uninhabited regions for anything unusual. It's our best chance,"

Juano tightened his grip, bringing her knuckles to his lips and kissing them. "We're going to save this miracle. I promise,"

Mirabel smiled a little. Then she leaned forward to kiss him.

Isabella scouted ahead on her horse when everyone settled down to rest for a while. Her horse trotted up to the top of the hill. She glanced into the distance. She saw only a clear sky, but something green and illumining sparked her eye. The spooky colours were hovering across a great valley. It was frightening. This couldn't be it. She didn't want to believe it. The urge to turn back steered her away. But the desperation to find her sister again turned her back. She yipped her horse and it galloped further towards the green glow. She came to another hilltop and before her lay where Mirabel had lived in all the years she had been apart from her family. This was it.

Determination burned her face. She galloped her horse and they made it back to the others. Julieta and Luisa came over to greet her.

"Well?" Julieta asked.

Isabella smiled a little. "I found it,"

Julieta cried out in joy. Isabella dismounted and embraced her tightly. "We're finally going to find Mirabel,"

Luisa smiled happily but something on Isabella's face made her frown. "What's wrong?"

Isabella pulled back, her now-worried mother holding her hands. "I think there's something evil about that place,"

"What do you mean?" Julieta was becoming scared again. She refused to believe it was Mirabel.

"I saw green clouds over the city. I think something's wrong,"

"What if she's in danger?" Luisa freaked.

"Then we have to get to her," said their mother.

"We can't bring these people to the city if there's something wrong with this place,"

"We don't know for certain if something is wrong with this place. And we have nowhere else to go," Julieta was not afraid of anything involving magic, only being separated from her loved ones.

"Should we at least check it out first?" Since losing her gift, Luisa had become a very cautious person, too cautious quite occasionally.

"We can't survive out here for much longer. They need shelter, food, and comfort. I just hope we're doing the right thing,"

They gathered the family and travellers. Isabella had to reveal what she saw. Her statement was met with protests.

"No way!" Carlos objected. "We cannot enter that city! It is cursed with dark magic!"

"We don't know that for sure!" countered Agustin. "If it's a miracle of love, it wouldn't be a place of evil,"

"He's right," someone suggested. "Those people there will welcome us. And we can't survive out here much longer. It's best to just try," Still the chorus of protests would not stop ringing.

"I'd rather die out here than go somewhere evil!" one cursed.

"See. They agree with me!" Carlos arrogantly clarified much to Agustin's growing temper.

"What about their granddaughter?" Angelo challenged. Though old and tired, he was not afraid to speak up his mind and opinions. "And those who are living with her? They wouldn't live there if it was full of evil. Maybe if we talk to them, they can tell us what's wrong. And it's just magic there. There is a whole city of people there. We need their help if we want to survive. If it doesn't work out, then we can all leave together,"

His words brought some more supporters to the Madrigal's side. Alma for the first time in a while felt good about this guy.

"Dad…" Alejandro spoke up. "I hate to say this… but that man has a point. We'll be killing all these people if we choose to remain out here a moment longer,"

Carlos turned red again. He looked like he was about to lash but Camillo spoke up quickly. "Come on. Have a heart,"

The man was trapped. He observed everyone who looked scared, nervous, and desperate. He said nothing. Instead, he stalked away to his horse.

Everyone gathered their supplies but Julieta eyed him dangerously. Agustin noticed and came to her side. "We need to keep an eye on him,"

Mirabel and Juano walked into the streets, troubled by the booms of the clouds high above their heads. They passed their people, all scared but trying their best to remain calm. A man came walking up to them, the same man who had greeted them before the land became a city.

"Hello Elonzo," Juano greeted.

"Ay, morning you two," he said. "Everything all right?"

Mirabel couldn't speak anything but she nodded.

"Everyone's become so anxious,"

"We all have," Juano said. "I really wish we knew what was going on. But we think we might know a way to figure it out. But we're going to need everyone's help,"

"Of course, we'll help," promised Elonzo committedly. "You two gave everyone so much when they had nothing. So we'll help you both find out what's happening to save our home," As he spoke, men and women gathered around, their faces bright with faith. "What do you two need us to do?"

Mirabel stepped up. "We need you all to look around the forests for anything unusual. Anything no one has put there. There is something about this place that happened before we came here. And we need to figure out what it is,"

"You can count on us. Let's go men," Elonzo led the men away.

"What shall we do?" asked Juano.

"Why don't we go and keep the kids' spirits high?" his girlfriend suggested, a little gleefully. "That always makes us better when something is wrong,"

Juano nodded. They walked over to a nearby school and the headmaster allowed them inside. They were shown in a classroom of nervous kids. The moment they laid eyes on their heroes, their fear dissolved and all the couple saw was excitement.

"Don't you worry kiddies. We're here," Juano promised.

"Nothing to worry about," Mirabel waved a hand and she made a few golden butterflies float above their heads. "We are going to do whatever it takes to save this city,"

"You're our heroes!" one praised.

"We're not really heroes," denied Juano a little awkwardly. "We were just doing what anyone should do. Share and care,"

"You gave us all everything we have," a girl clapped.

"Are you two going to get married?" another suddenly asked.

Mirabel and Juano pursed their lips and awkwardly stood away from each other.

"Why are we talking about that?" Mirabel asked embarrassedly.

"Can we drop the subject?" requested Juano quickly.

"Kids…" the headmaster scolded gently. "No asking silly questions,"

"Can you tell us how you both met?" a boy asked.

Mirabel and Juano flicked their eyeballs to the side so they could meet each other's nervous faces.

"I…suppose we could," Mirabel answered anxiously.

"If it'll keep your spirits up," Juano added in.

The children clapped and they sat on a mat near the window and the couple sat in beanbags. And the story was told.

Elonzo and his men scouted through the forests on the far side of the valley. But all they found was fern and flora and fauna. Nothing unusual. "Nothing," he cursed.

"Elonzo!" a man cried out.

Quickly Elonzo followed the voice. One of his two younger brothers was standing near a large boulder in front of a cliff wall of a mountain that towered over the valley. "Look what I found," Etched on the massive rock was a strange Columbian mark, one Elonzo had never seen before. "Strange. Very strange,"

"Elonzo!" it was his other younger brother. Elonzo turned around and saw him running up to him, panting out of breath.

"What is it?"

"There are people. Just outside the valley. A huge mass of them,"

Elonzo's eyes enlarged. They mounted their horses and made their way towards the borders of the valley. There they saw a pretty girl with long hair wearing purple, riding a horse. He approached her carefully on his steed. "Who are you? What's your purpose here?"

"My name is Isabella. Isabella Madrigal," The moment she said her surname, Elonzo's eyes enlarged wider. "My family and people have come here because we have been affected by a drought. We heard about your city and we are hoping you will grant us shelter here,"

Elonzo was breathless. As a close friend of Juano and Mirabel, he knew much about their family history.

Isabella noticed. "And we're looking for some people. Mirabel Madrigal, my sister is one of them," She was too smart to not notice Elonzo's facial reaction. "You know her don't you,"

"Stay here," Elonzo ordered. He turned his horse away and galloped back down to join his brothers. He told them about Isabella and all the refugees.

"We have to let them in if they have nowhere else to go," the first younger brother said.

"But what about the Madrigals? Mirabel would not approve of granting them safe passage here after everything they've put her and her family through. Especially Alma,"

"So what do you suggest? We just abandon them all to die?"

"We've got our own problems to take care of!"

"Stop! Both of you!" Elonzo silenced them. "Mirabel will want us to allow them to stay here as long as they need. And so does Juano. I will deliver a message to them. When we allow them in, we keep a safe distance from them. I only hope that they can handle having them in their city,"

Elonzo galloped back towards the city whilst the brothers set to allow everyone inside.

Isabella waited with her mother. "I know that man knows Mirabel and Juano,"

"Do you think they'll be happy to see us?" blabbered out Antonio.

"Of course, they will," Julieta patted his head.

They heard horses neighing and they saw two men approach.

"You are all welcome to enter La Milagro," the youngest one said.

"Elonzo is speaking to the founders as we speak. They will allow you all to stay here as you need but some things need to be taken into account,"

"What is that dark green cloud?" Antonio suddenly asked, pointing upwards.

"That…is nothing kid,"

"Don't lie to our brother!" snapped Dolores.

The older one smacked his forearm. "Something has been happening since last night but please don't be afraid. We are trying to sort it out. This is still a safe place for all of you until you can return to your homes,"

Distrustful but desperate for a place of protection, everyone followed the men into the valley. Ignoring the haunting omens above their heads, they admired the amazing city which glowed like gold. It was remarkable.

Agustin and Julieta wondered what their daughter had done these last six years. But just then, Antonio squealed out: "Look!" The Madrigals stared up and they saw a Casita, exactly like their own, standing by itself ahead of the city. It was where the founders lived.

"It's just like ours," breathed Camillo.

"You…you don't think that they…" Dolores drifted off. She tried to finish but stopped abruptly when she saw Antonio dashing off towards the city. "Tonito! Come back!" she and Camillo bounded after him. Then Pepa and Felix followed. Then Agustin, Julieta, Isabella, and Luisa tried to stop them.

The brothers tried to stop them but their horses were too fast for theirs and for a ten-year-old Antonio was so fast. Sitting in her cart, Alma stared up at the Casita overlooking the city. She felt a warm smile form on her face. For the first time in forever, she felt something she hadn't felt for her youngest granddaughter. Proud.

From his horse, Carlos stared callously towards the Casita. Alejandra was nervous. Mariana felt nothing at all.

So sorry for taking a long time. Been getting used back to Uni. Hope this makes up for it. So the Madrigals and Sanchezes are here at last. What will it be like for Mirabel and Juano to see everyone again? And Bruno and the others too? We'll have to wait and find out. See you all soon.