"I really don't think this is a good idea."

Camilo looked over at his brother and rolled his eyes. "Of course it isn't… it's a great idea!"

Antonio merely kept watching their target. "It's too risky. If we mess this up-"

"Which we won't-"

"-we'll have the entire Imperial Guard coming after us."

"Nah," Camilo said, waving his hand dismissively in his brother's direction. "They are busy securing the Southern Gates. Unless they've moved…"

"You know they haven't," Antonio complained. "If they had I would have let you know." Looking up from the bush the brothers were hiding in he made sure that the birds he had asked to keep an eye on things still hadn't seen any of the guards return. The brilliant colored tropical birds were pets of the Emperor… and hated the man's guts. Mostly because they were TROPICAL birds and he'd dragged them to his palace in the North, where the winds always seemed to be biting and cold. The only reason they stuck around was that they knew it would be the servants who were punished if they flew off and they were nice enough people.

"Then we are all set," Camilo said, rubbing his hands together.

Antonio though wasn't convinced. "Can we just get something else? I'm sure-"

"This is for our sobrino!" Camilo exclaimed only to quickly quiet down when he'd realized that he'd spoke a touch too loud. He looked about before saying, in a softer voice. "You know Gabrio will love this."

"He'll also love his Tios not being in jail," Antonio hissed. "How am I the voice of reason here, anyway? I'm not even old enough to drink!"

"Which just proves you should listen to your Tio Camilo," his brother said, patting his head in a condescending manner."

"…you've been hanging around that pink pony WAY too much."

"I have not and even if I have you introduced us!"

"And I will always regret that," Antonio muttered, the 15 year old sweeping his eyes along the courtyard one more time. "Okay, fine… we do this but I swear I will abandon you the first chance I get if this goes sour. AND I'll get Anton to break you out of jail. Not Nocci."

"You act like that's a bad thing," Camilo said though Antonio could tell that his brother wasn't feeling as confident as he was trying to make himself out to be when it came to the idea that his mentor having to break him out of an Imperial cell. "At least Anton won't give any long winded speeches."

"…true," Antonio admitted before sigh. "Let's get this finished up. You know Dolores is expecting us back soon to help set things up."

"That's exactly what we are doing!" Camilo said before shifting his form into that of the royal steward of the Imperial Palace. He was a wiry little man with rat-like features and a whiny voice that made one's bones hurt from his squeaking complaints. Running his hands along his robes Camilo get out of the bush and waited for Antonio to do the same, the younger of the Madrigal boys mimicking him and checking out the robes he'd gotten some mice to steal for him.

With a walk that was filled with utter contempt for the entire world Camilo marched out into the courtyard, looking down his now large bulbous nose at the workers who were hurrying about as well as the servants who were making their way from one part of the palace to another. Reaching up ne twirling the single strand of hair that made up half of his mustache before shaking his head, letting out mutters of clear displeasure.

"No no no!" he exclaimed, waving his hand towards their target. "Who put this here?" He turned to Antonio. "This is exactly what I warned you about! These fools… they disgrace our emperor by being unable to follow even the most basic of instructions!"

One of the workers, a burly looking man with a flat face that made Antonio think of a satyr he'd once met who liked to run right into walls because the tingle of broken bones was pleasurable to him, stepped forward and looked down at Camilo and Antonio.

"Might I help you?"

"You can try, that is for sure!" Camilo complained. "Starting with explaining why THAT is here!" He waved his hand at their target.

"The Emperor requested-"

"Are you telling ME what the Emperor wants?" Camilo complained. He turned and looked at the courtyard, back to the large man. "The man who has the Emperor's ear? I served his grandfather and his father, might I remind you!"

"We remember," the worker muttered under his breath. "You never shut up about it."

"What was that?" Camilo snapped before waving his hand high in the air. "Oh, it doesn't matter. What is important is this was supposed to be delivered to the gardens, no here."

"I… do not think you are-"

"wrong? Of course I'm not wrong." Camilo scoffed before sticking his nose in the air. "Now leave us… I will have this slack jawed fool take care of it."

"Slack jawed fool?" Antonio muttered as he set about with his task…

…of deflating the massive bouncy castle.

"That's what you are!" Camilo declared.

Antonio glared at his brother even as he popped a few of the nozzles and began to press on the inflatable castle. "You are putting this up by yourself."

It took about ten minutes but Antonio was finally able to get the bouncy castle deflated and rolled up into a log-shaped bundle. It was heavier than he had expected and he grunted as he lifted it up, knowing that Camilo would of course make him carry it himself all the way out of the palace. He was already planning on all the ways he could punish his brother for sticking him with the grunt work.

"I admit, the impression is good," a woman called out and Antonio and Camilo turned to see the new arrival watching them with a bemused look. She was wearing a long red and black robe, her hair cut short unlike so many of the other women they had seen, and most striking of all was the sword she had at her waist.

No… that wasn't right. What was most striking was how she held herself with utter confidence. DEMANDING all respect her.

"If I didn't deal with Chi-Fu on a regular basis I would have thought you to be him."

"Silly girl!" Camilo bluffed. "I am Chi-Fu!"

"…while Chi-Fu would call me a silly girl he also would have added an apology, remembering that I was the one that broke his nose the last time he didn't." She smirked even as she shook her head in amusement. "You really couldn't wait for me to get this for you, Camilo?"

The shapeshifter returned to his normal form. "It was ours to begin with!" he protested. "I paid for it-"

"You were refunded the money… plus interest."

"That's not the point!" he argued. "This is the very last Grand Royal Bouncy House one can find on this plane! Believe me, I checked! And your Emperor took it Lady Fa!"

She sighed at that. "He is… young. And stubborn. And spoiled. I promised his grandfather I would break him of such traits and I AM working on that. But-"

"But nothing!" Camilo declared. "The Bouncy House is for my sobrino, not your child emperor!"

"And how do you intend to get it out of here?" she asked with a smirk.

"Oh… I have to do that," Antonio said even as his brother shapeshifted into a strong man, picking up the rolled up Bouncy House.

"Going to sic your animals on me, Beastmaster?"

"Nope," Antonio said, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "I have been training in the wilds of Arlen, with a great wise man. The Slayer of Insects. The Solver of Secrets. And he taught me the most cunning of tactics." As he spoke he walked right up to the famed general and warrior, who had slain countless invaders in her time serving her country.

"And that is?"

"…pocket sand!" Antonio yelled, throwing the handful of grains at the woman. Lady Fa sputtered, hands going up to rub her eyes as Antonio ran towards his brother, who had pulled out a length of rope. "Get us out of here!" he shouted and Camilo nodded, throwing the rope into the air and grinning as it latched onto… nothing. It just latched onto the emptiness. Antonio leapt onto his back while Camilo gave a tug on the rope, causing the two to be pulled skyward. "See you at the party, Lady Fa!"

"Be there…" Lady Fa growled in annoyance as she rubbed her eyes, Antonio and Camilo teleporting to their camp in the forest 5 miles outside the Imperial City.

"Oh she is going to be MAD!" Camilo cackled.

"Don't blame the man… blame the pocket sand," Antonio reasoned before walking over to the small hut, reaching for the doorknob. They'd already packed up everything and thus it took Camilo only a moment to grab their bags. "Bureau, it's us!" Antonio said, his runic tattoo glowing as the door opened not onto the worn and dirty interior of the shack but Bureau's well furnished insides.

"I am assuming from your grins that you were successful?" Anton asked, looking up from the table where he, Anna, Elsa, and Barley were playing cards. Miguel was off to one side with Nocci, as the two were not allowed to play anymore; Nocci because he literally had no tell and Miguel because he kept getting his great great grandparents' ghosts to spy on everyone's hands.

"We came, we saw, we stole a child's play thing!" Camilo declared, hefting up the bouncy house… only for Elsa, with a wave of her hand, to make an ice patch right under his feet. The shapeshifter cried out and he began to skid about, struggling to remain standing only to finally crash down onto his bottom, the rolled up bouncy house slamming into his gut.

"Anyone who makes a 'Let It Go' joke gets frozen," Elsa said with a soft smirk. She had been touchy about such japes ever since Bruno's play about her and Anna had become popular. She was always quick to inform everyone that when she'd escaped to make her ice palace she had been too busy crying and sucking in snot to begin belting out big musical numbers… she'd also pointed out that doing so would have made her look crazy.

"I can't get high enough in octaves to pull it off," Miguel reasoned before glancing at his left. "No Mama Coco, I don't think a kick there will help!"

"Hey, I'd never do that!" Barley assured her before tossing a chip into the pot. "Stay."

"Stay," Anton said before turning to the brothers, Anna sticking her tongue out and mumbling to herself as she tried to figure out what she wanted to do. "So, how long are we going to be banned from the Imperial City?"

"Depends on how annoyed Lady Fa is," Antonio reasoned, helping Camilo roll the bouncy house off of him. "We'll ask at the party tonight."

"I am fine not returning there," Nocci stated as he inspected his druid staff, making sure the wood was still chip and crack free. "I would complain if you had upset King Korak."

Antonio scowled at that. "I would NEVER do anything to upset him! The apes would never forgive me!"

"I'll raise 2," Anna said before looking at the two of them, now it Elsa's turn to decide what to do. "So, anything else we need to get for this party?"

"We should be all set," Camilo said, rubbing his stomach. "We have the bouncy house. Gabrio's gifts are all wrapped. None of us are allowed to bring food-"

"I still say an All Chocolate Dinner would be a wonderful way to enjoy a birthday," Anna said as her sister folded, leaving Anton and Barley in the game with her.

"Some people are savages," Elsa said as Barley and Anton both saw her raise.

Antonio chuckled. "We have everything set."

"By the way," Barley called out, "we got word from your abuela… those Lizardfolk you two found made it to the valley."

Camilo's shoulders slumped in relief while Antonio felt like a great weight had been lifted from him. "Thank God," Camilo stated. "I was worried about them… I tried to give them as much information as I could…"

"You did well," Anton assured him. "Both of you. Don't doubt that. Both of you have been doing very well to ensure that people that need the valley find it."

Antonio smiled at that. He knew his mama and papa weren't thrilled with him joining Camilo in his quest but he knew he was needed. Him and his gift. People would hide if they were hurting or injured or scared or in trouble… but animals would not. More than one being had been brought to Encanto never realizing that it was their beloved puppy or their faithful cat or even just a bird they had given seed to that had found Antonio and told them that they needed help.

It was dangerous work. He had started when he was 13 years old and in the two years he had been helping his hermano get the needful to the valley he had broken his back, nearly been gutted, and had a leg almost completely ripped off. But… he had saved hundreds of people from slavery. Guided those that had lost their homes due to war and famine to a place where they could be safe. Helped those needing to escape horrible living conditions find a second life.

It was worth it.

(And besides what else was his Tia Julieta's food good for if not healing slashing bellies?)

"I hope we can see them," he said with a smile as he walked over to Camilo and nudged him just as Anna laid down her cards and won the pot. "Make sure that they are all settled."

"We will but first we need to get this set up before Dolores skins us."

With that the brothers laughed and headed for Casita.