I gave Pepa a black caiman and I found a bird that looked like a traffic cone and with a humorous name so I gave it to Agustin. Also a good portion of this chapter was written in the middle of the night while watching National Geographic Documentaries.
Pepa went outside to stand in the rain, even her clear skies mantra wasn't helping her fried nerves at seeing a tarantula on her husband's shoulder. She walked to the river where the hippos were being lazy, there was a large black caiman standing on the river bank just chilling.
The caiman stared at her
"Oh I know you, you are related to the queen and you make all this wonderful rain, do you mind if I sit with you?" asked the camin walking over to sit next to Pepa who was frozen in terror.
"Oh right, you can't understand me, well maybe I can show you I mean no harm," said the caiman before climbing onto Pepa's lap and blinking up at her.
"Well now I'm going to look like a hypocrite, after complaining about my sister and husband having dangerous critters for friends I go and get myself one who could eat them both," sighed Pepa after it was abundantly clear that the large reptile had no intent to hurt her.
Sitting with a predator on her lap was not something she was used to but it was strangely comforting.
"I think this is the first time since I got my powers that I've ever been allowed to have a full-on downpour, no one telling me I have a cloud, no one yelling at me because it's raining, I'm allowed to calm down at my own pace," said Pepa scratching the top of the caiman's head
"Emotions just like the weather need to be allowed to run its course if you'd like I can hiss if anyone tells you to suppress your emotions for sunny skies," said the caiman
"I know you're talking but I can't understand you, I wish Mirabel or Tonito were here to translate," sighed Pepa. It had stopped pouring rain and the sky was just a dull gray now, she was also soaking wet.
"Humans aren't meant to be wet for long periods of time, we should probably head back to your nest," said the caiman
"I should head home shouldn't I, I'm going to need to find Mirabel so I can learn your name," said Pepa slowly getting up and starting to walk home, she had no doubt the caiman was following her.
She walked into her room where Felix was sitting on the bed trying to use a fishbowl as a terrarium for the tarantula.
"We're going to need to find something bigger for the little guy though I'm wondering if letting him roam is a better idea, and have him sleep in there only at night, he is very content on my shoulder and keeps away the more annoying critters," said Felix before he even saw the caiman.
"Um Pepi, you know you were followed right?" asked Felix
"Yes I know, this one just spent half an hour on my lap," said Pepa
"Rosa it's nice to see you outside morning court," sad Ronaldo
"Ronaldo how are you?" asked Rosa
To the two humans, it was strange seeing a ten-foot camin walking over to a tarantula and seeming to hold a conversation.
"Sol has become good friends with the mother of Firebele, lucky bastard," said Ronaldo
"Well you and I have befriended the biological parents of the prince, so that's something," laughed Rosa
"I suppose," said Ronaldo
"Firebele will speak with her family tomorrow then our new friends will know our names," said Rosa
…
Sol was contentedly draped over Julieta's neck listening to her talk about her worries for her family.
"I had no idea my girls felt like this, I feel like a terrible mother," sighed Julieta, Sol gave her a small nuzzle.
"It is not you that they blame, it is the previous keeper of the eternal flame," said Sol reassuringly even though he knew she couldn't understand him.
Suddenly Isabela walked into the kitchen.
"Isa there you are, I was getting worried when neither you or Dolores showed up for dinner," said Julieta
"Abuela pounding on the door was giving both of us a headache so we went to Mirabel's room, Luisa was there too, and apparently you've had little spies watching you cook, the rats have become excellent cooks," said Isabela
"Oh so I assume I'm going to be getting help in here?" asked Julieta
"That's what she plans on happening, but it looks like you have at least one helper already," said Isa, spotting Sol.
"Have you made any friends with the animals? Your father is currently in our room with a cock-of-the-rock," said Julieta with a small giggle
"That orange bird?" asked Isabela
"Hopefully it can warn your father before he smacks into something," said Julieta
"Pa has always been good with birds," said Isa
"But back to my original question, any animals who are glued to your hip?" asked Julieta
"No but I think I prefer my plants, Mira told me to try new things and I've sorta filled my room with cacti and carnivorous plants, I'm done with roses and other pretty things, I want danger, I want crazy, I want beauty and danger like Tia's storms and Luisa's strength. There are useful plants that I can grow because Mirabel said to go nuts, grow what I want to, and not care about what the village says or Abuela," said Isa fiercely.
There was a shining light coming from the courtyard.
"The candle, it's…burning brighter," said Isa
"Maybe because you are finally embracing and expanding your gift, we all are breaking away from our limitations thanks to Mirabel," said Julieta
"Probably, though Mira did tell me no cacti in hazardous locations and I think she will try to get Tia to calm down before the weather becomes threatening to people and homes but other than those reasonable limits we're free to feel, free to do, and free to be," said Isa flopping back onto a pile of bright multicolor autumn leaves.
"And as long as I have even a small part in each dish created the rats can churn out more food in so much less time," said Julieta
"As long as I get the meat scraps I won't hunt in the kitchen," said Sol
…
It was late, she could hear Bruno tucking the rats into bed, she had already tucked Antonio in. She dragged herself to her throne and sat, gazing around her throne room and admiring the corinthian columns carved into the trunks of Palma de Cera that created the canopy of the massive room, morning glory vines snaked up the columns which were twenty-five feet apart with ten columns on each side of the red carpet. The twin rivers flowing from fountains carved from massive emeralds and shaped like palm frawns beside her throne, flowed to outline the ruby red carpet and magenta candles floated on the rivers every two feet supported by boats of leaves. The rest of the floor was polished obsidian tile and her throne stood on a raised dais made of a single massive slab of fire obsidian. The sheer grandness of it all was finally starting to hit her, as well as the true power of the miracle that was placing itself in her hands.
How would her room have been different if Abuela had understood the candle's intention? If she had gotten the room the candle had truly intended to give her in a few years. If all this was merely compensation how in the world would her true room have compared? This was obviously made to fit the rest of the natural theme of Antonio's room but with an elegance that came with a status thrust upon her, one that she wasn't sure if she could truly accomplish, fear had begun to set in as she took off her crown and stared at it. She wasn't ready, she doubted she would ever be truly ready to hold the miracle, she doubted Abuela truly knew the scale of the miracle's true power.
"Oh Abuelo, I doubt anyone will ever be able to truly grasp just how much you loved your family, that your sacrifice to save that family could bring forth a miracle this powerful, and yet at least three of your family hate their gifts because they aren't being treated as gifts, they are being forced to earn something they never had the choice of receiving in the first place," sighed Mirabel.
The crown weighed heavy in her hands, she knew the candle would be heavier.
She stood from the throne and placed the crown upon the cushion. Tomorrow her real test as a leader would begin.
…
Luisa looked around her own room, Casita had given her a large pillow for Franchesca to sleep on and the hippo was sound asleep. She could feel change coming, her gift seemed to be growing stronger now that she was allowed to rest, allowed to care for herself before the village, not even a week ago she could have sworn her gift was weakening with each new burden placed on her. But with Abuela practically grounded and Mirabel putting the family before the town, the candle burning as bright as ever, for the first time since her ceremony, Luisa felt like her gift truly was a gift.
