10 YEARS LATER - SPOILERS FOR ENCANTO MOVIE

"I don't understand…" Mirabel spoke her confusion out loud

"Oh, because she's a zombie." Bruno began to explain the plotline of the story. "She doesn't need him. So she can't remember that she's his odd…" He cut himself off. "It's like a very forbidden kinda-"

This time it was Mirabel who cut him off.

"I don't understand why you left, but didn't leave." She looked down at her tío who was sitting on the red armchair.

"Oh, well, because…" He chuckled to himself. "The mountains around the encanto are pretty tall. And uh," Bruno stood up. "Like I said free food and everything." He turned to his rat friends before continuing. "Yeah, you guys love free food don't you."

He picked up one of the rats and walked towards the red armchair that he had, placing his little friend down after splitting some of the arepa with him. Mirabel noticed a small fragment of light beaming in from a small crack in the wall.

She moved closer to investigate the source of the light peering through the little gap. She saw the dining room. Their table. All of their plates set up ready for the family's next meal. She looked at the makeshift table that was underneath the light source to see a carving on the wood.

It was a carving of a plate. The same details could be found on the glass ones just beyond the wall. His name, etched neatly on carving too. She gently placed her hand on top of the design.

Mirabel could feel her heart ache for her tío. She couldn't remember much about him from before he had left. But her mamá had told her a few small details about their relationship. The most common being that the two were close. Why did he leave? He seemed to miss the family, so why didn't he come back?

Bruno's voice pulled her out of her thoughts. "You know, my, my gift wasn't helping the family." He started. She turned to look at him. "But I uh, I love my family. You know." He shrugged his shoulders. His words were so sincere. And they hit a little too close to home. "I just don't know how to, uh…" He seemed so lost. "I just don't know how to, uh." He lowered his gaze and shook his head. His body began to fold in on himself.

"Well anyway, I think you should go because I, uh." He started and sat down. Mirabel could feel her chest begin to hurt. He was going to send her away to… wasn't he?

"Well, I don't really have a good reason. But if I did you would be like 'I should go because that's a good reason."

"Why was I in your vision?" She asked softly. She needed a reason to stay. She so badly wanted a reason to stay. He wouldn't even look at her. "Tío Bruno." She pressed on, kneeling down to his side. Mirabel paused before saying anything else.

"I just… wanted to make the family proud of me." She said, surprising herself when she didn't choke up. She could see the cogs in Bruno's head, turning as he registered her words. "Just once." She added. Bruno turned his head towards her. "But if I should stop…" As she thought about her next words she could feel her mouth dry and tears pool at her eyelids. "If I'm hurting my family. Just tell me."

Bruno looked down. "I can't tell you. Because I don't know." He admitted. Mirabel let out a defeated sigh, not sure of what to do next. "Because I don't know." Bruno looked so upset with himself upon revealing that.

He pulled out the shards of the vision he had conjured up a little over 10 tears ago.

"I had this vision the night that you didn't get your gift. Abuela worried about the magic so she begged me to look into the future, to see what it meant. And I saw the magic, in danger. our house, breaking. And then, then, I saw you. But the vision was different. It would change. And there was no one answer. No clear fate. Like your future was undecided. And I knew how it was going to look. I knew what everyone would think. Because I'm Bruno and everyone always assumes the worst so. So..."

"You left… to protect me?" Her voice cracked at the realisation. Abuela was right. All those years ago. Bruno disappeared because of her. It was all her fault.

Bruno spent 10 years hiding away. Because of her.

Bruno spent 10 years away from his family. Because of her.

Bruno spent 10 years alone. Because of her.

Bruno blamed himself for the possible demise of Mirabel. Because of her.

Bruno suffered for 10 years.

Because of her.

"I don't know which way it'll go, but my guess. The family. The encanto. The fate of the miracle itself. It's all going to come down to you." No pressure Mirabel… just the fate of what is practically the entire world is in your hands.