Happy half-price chocolate day, Luisa and Bruno bonding fluff and Lion king reference, also headcanon.
Mirabel sat on her throne as many different spiders and insects were yelling at each other.
"It's the circle of life, we can't all eat dirt and plants and rotting things," exclaimed a spider at a fly.
Mirabel sighed, she should have seen this coming, the predator and prey disputes, figures it would be the creepy crawlies to start it.
"Sure you can, there's enough nutrients for everyone in those things," said the fly
"The maker made us to eat you!" said the spider
"You never talked to the maker!" said a bee
"The spiders are correct," said Mirabel
"Thank you Firebele, and we never eat more than we need to!" said a spider in a haughty voice.
"Be as that may, now that it has been established that there is a problem, we need to find a solution," said Mirabel
"Like what? Criminals get eaten?" asked a mosquito sarcastically
"Do each of you have laws governing your society?" asked Mirabel
"Yes," said all the insects
"And how many of your species break those laws and how many break laws that warrant the death penalty?" asked Mirabel
"Well all of our laws carry the death penalty for population control," said the fly
"Then publicly march the offenders to the nearest predator, as for the hive insects, I understand you heat up the offenders in a ball till they die, it would be less energy to just fly offenders to a spider to be dealt with," said Mirabel
"And what about the plants that eat us?" asked a fly
"I have no control over plants and my sister merely grows them," said Mirabel
"Thank you Firebele," said all the spiders at once.
Then Mirabel turned to the butterflies above her.
"Can I put all of you in charge of the insect population? Otherwise, these kind of disputes will take up my whole day," said Mirabel
"Of course, Firebele," said the butterflies
"From now on any issues you have you are to tell the butterflies first then they will decide if it is enough of an issue for me to deal with,Dismissed," said Mirabel
The creepy crawlies filed out of the castle and back around town, though it was hard to miss Abuela's shriek as several spiders she had never seen in her room before, crawled into her drawers and under her bed.
One of them even seemed to wave at her. Of course, she didn't realize the candle was laughing at her.
…
"Please tell me animals have already settled this kind of dispute," sighed Mirabel
"Long ago, though no one wishes to die, they understand that it is merely another part of life and most creatures respect the needs of the others. They die so we don't just like the plant die so they don't and when we die the fungi eat us all. It is said that the term Circle of Life was coined by a great lion. His brother had no respect for this process and the kingdom fell to chaos when the brother usurped the throne. It may be just a legend from a faraway land brought over by the birds but it still holds true and we all respect it," said River
"Wow, so I'm not going to have the mice come running to me complaining about the snakes?" asked Mirabel
"By the maker no, snakes don't need to eat every day, and survival of the fittest is something the prey animals have come up with. You only get to live if you can outrun the rest, and those who befriend a human will have their needs met forever," said River
"But humans eat meat too," said Mirabel
"Humans are predators, their prey is just larger and taken care of until it meets its end. It is a dream for many, live in luxury and die never having to have foraged fo food a day in your life," said River
The door opened to reveal two bears.
"Firebele, we are ready to help your father and sister move your things," said one of the bears
"Excellent, I assume Franchesca is with Luisa so she will be helping as well," said Mirabel
"Shall we go assist now?" asked the other bear
"Yes please, I will be in the entrance hall waiting for the five of you," said Mirabel
The bears bowed deeply and headed out.
…
"Are you the two Mirabel sent to help me move her things?" asked Agustin, surprised when the bears nodded. He had gotten more used to the animals being around than most had, the coatis, in particular, seemed to follow him everywhere and one of his daughters now rode a hippo. Speaking of Luisa, she had come into the room with her large friend right behind her.
"All I had to do was move the church again, the hippos did everything else the moment someone asked," said Luisa
"Your Abuela hasn't said anything has she?" asked Agustin, concerned his mother-in-law might have had some words against how little Luisa had been doing the past two days.
"I think she started to but then Franchesca and a few other hippos surrounded me and looked at her like they were going to charge if she made one more sound. I might not be able to actually understand them but they're rather protective of me and I'm getting good at understanding their body language and reading their eyes," said Luisa
"I don't know what's more terrifying, one of my girls with command over all animals and insects or my daughter who can lift up buildings with one hand and has a herd of hippos willing to charge someone to defend her," said Agustin
"Mirabel is scarier, she's too much like mama," said Luisa, carrying two boxes, the bears hadn't let her carry more even though she could.
Franchesca let Agustin ride on her behind Luisa as they climbed the tree.
"Mirabel should really install a pulley system so we can visit easier," said Luisa
"I think Casita did this intentionally to make sure Mirabel didn't have any unannounced visitors, it's a lot harder to bother her when you have to ask an animal to carry you up and I can't see Abuela asking a bear to carry her up a tree," said Agustin
"Oh yeah, Pa, don't be too surprised at Mirabel's space, it's really big and the animals are probably here to show us where to put everything," said Luisa
"Is that why they wouldn't let me pack the sewing machine?" asked Agusin
"She has a better one in her sewing room, I've seen it when she was making that dress for Dolores last night," said Luisa
The double doors opened into the entrance hall and Mirabel was standing outside the double doors at the top of the branching staircase.
"Luisa you remember where the library is, you've done enough work today so I insist you go find a nice book and curl up on a chair by the fireplace, a coati will bring you snacks," said Mirabel
Agustin looked up at his youngest, who smiled and walked down the stairs to them.
Franchesca lightly nudged Luisa up the stairs and to the library.
Once Luisa had been pushed into the library, Mirabel looked through the boxes and instructed the bears where to bring them.
"Care to give me a tour Miraboo?" asked Agustin, looking around at the massive entrance hall, neither of his other children had rooms even close to this size.
"Sure pa, follow me," said Mirabel
…
Luisa walked down the hallway, she couldn't remember where the music room was and it didn't seem like Franchesca knew either.
Then she heard talking behind another set of double doors.
Wait, she knew that voice.
"Tio Bruno?" asked Luisa, opening the door.
"OH! Luisa, um…" Bruno started, trying to look for an exit.
"Wait, I'm not mad Tio, I'm just confused, why are you here I thought you left or were at least within Dolores's hearing distance but not here," said Luisa
"I didn't leave, I was hiding in the walls for ten years, I love my family and the mountains are just so high," said Bruno
"Why did you leave in the first place? Did you have a vision or were you just tired of how everyone acted around you?" asked Luisa, gently putting a hand on her Tio's shoulder
"Little of both, because of how my gift is seen the vision I was forced to have after Mirabel's ceremony made me realize it was safer for her if I left," said Bruno, glad his Sobrina wasn't the prying type
"Oh, so how did you end up in Mirabel's part of the room?" asked Luisa
"My furry friends told her everything and apparently begged her to let me stay here until it's safe to come out of hiding, your Tia is scary and my mama's disappointment is more than I can stand," said, Bruno
"I see, well I'm glad I get to see you again, do you mind if I play the piano in here? I can't find the music room," said Luisa
"Sure, my novelas could use some musical accompaniment and I haven't heard you play since before you got your gift. I remember when you'd sit on Agustin's lap and he'd show you where to press your tiny little fingers," said Bruno with a smile
"Let's see if I still remember then," said Luisa, hitting a cord experimentally.
…
As they walked and Mirabel showed him the rooms, a rat scurried past wearing a tiny little dress.
"Oh thank you for the outfits Firebele, Papa says we look adorable," said the rat
"You are very welcome little one," said Mirabel
"I didn't realize rats liked wearing clothes," said Agustin
"They are all little drama stars, even more than Camillo," said Mirabel
Once the tour was over Mirabel had to get back to work and a bear let Agustin ride him out. Mirabel thought it might be a good idea for Bruno to know how the rats saw him so she walked to the ballroom.
Soft piano music was coming through and Mirabel saw Luisa playing and Bruno directing the rats with a script.
"I got lost trying to find the music room after staying in the library for an hour, I found Tio Bruno in here and he told me everything," said Luisa
"And you're not freaking out?" asked Mirabel
"Dolores usually said she could always hear him in the walls, none of the adults believed her but why would she lie, I was just too busy to say or do anything about it," said Luisa
"Oh, anyway, Tio you should probably know that the rats see you as their father," chuckled Mirabel
"Yeah that checks out," laughed Luisa
"We have a whole mischief of Primas and Primos," said Mirabel
Bruno looked at the assembled rats dancing on stage to the music.
"Something tells me Abuela won't be fond of her grand rats," laughed Luisa
"You two have fun, Luisa feel free to hide here if Abuela or the town is putting too much pressure on you. I have to go actually start on Dolores's wedding dress, I got derailed when the insects needed an emergency meeting with me," said Mirabel
As she left she could hear her sister continue playing the piano, the gentle classical music echoed through the ballroom and the adjacent hallway.
