Disclaimer - ENCANTO and all of its trademarked characters, settings etc. belong to Disney. Only the oc(s) and some story ideas belong to me. Thank you.

Warning - The word 'negrita' is used in this chapter, in a non-derogatory fashion. In Latin American countries, it is considered a term of endearment. It is not a slur.

Chapter title/song inspiration - "Somos Todos Iguais Nesta Noite" (or We Are All The Same Tonight) by Ivan Lins


Chapter 3

We are all the same tonight.

HER NIGHT started like this.

Remédios' feet felt as if she never felt pain in her life. A born witch, or bruja, herself, she wondered if Úrsula and her daughters had their own magic. From the music that spurred her on, to the fluidity of the other women's movements; she truly felt like a new woman. Long gone was even the tinge of pain she had from before. Tonight, she was vivacious.

Tonight, she felt… free. The thunder of the drums and the bespectacled man's piano made the floor vibrate. Complete with the chorus of the crowd's call and respond of hoops and excited yells, the young witch was electric. Entranced by Úrsula's voice, she was lost in the moment. A primal memory of what once was. If they were anywhere else, in a different place, a different time – this woman and her family would be known as griots. Powerful storytellers and wise people that had vast knowledge of their own history – no need for writing.

But tonight, they were all the same, lost, yet free to the music. She spun, and felt a heavy hand grab hers – a young man with clear, black skin and sparkling eyes. He was tall and handsome, so, she supposed it wouldn't be too bad if they dance. She twirled, while he encircled her, his footsteps quick and pitter-pattering as he clapped at her steps. Cheekily, he asked, "What's your name, negrita?" She grinned, quick to lie, "Juana Inés de la Cruz!" She turned and then another hand grabbed her by her hips – this time by a gentleman with a wheaten complexion and equally sandy hair. Odder still, his eyes were grey, but his hair was nearly as curly as hers. He was lanky, and his steps were a bit awkward, so he had to be young. In her peripheral, she noticed a red-faced young girl, staring at them both, "Your girlfriend?"

The youth smiled, his face turning warm, "Si, señora." Remédios shook her head, laughing, "That's not very nice! Making her jealous, dancing with some old lady." She took the lead as she shuffled her feet forward with each step and swung their arms before she twirled and pulled him towards his original dance partner. He caught her just in time to ask, "Miss! Your name?"

She smiled and silently prayed they didn't hear the waver in her voice, "The Queen of Love!" Before they could question her further, she was already gone. She fluttered about, from partner to partner, each a different story and a different question.

"What is your name?"

"Esperanza."

"What is your name?"

"Aurelia."

At one moment, she spun around, the hem of her skirt flipped up in one hand as her feet landed in a ballerina's plié. And when she did so, she saw him. At least, that's what she thought she saw. In a crowded room, full of bodies – some of them a bit drunk – it was hard to tell. It was possibly the shared wildness of it all. She was possibly seeing things. She had to, even if she was, she still gave a half grin to this supposed apparition. Remédios was far too busy to care, strange man or not, she wanted to dance. To feel free, for just one night, before the real work came. So, she smiled, yes and then turned away. Her feet moved as her thoughts tried to file him away. Yes, it's a bit hot, here. She told herself. Encanto is small, but it's big enough to mistake a stranger for another. She entwined her fingers with the hands of another woman – clad in yellow and gold, her hair was long and shiny and red. There was a stout gentleman, a bronze skinned man with thick hair and a friendly smile. Was that her husband? She wasn't sure. What she did notice was the band of colors that flowed about her head. A rainbow? She beamed and Remédios beamed alongside her.

"You look beautiful!" Remédios complimented, the music of the band behind them nearly swallowing her words, "Thank you!" the other lady replied. "My name is-" she then gestured to the (admittedly) gorgeous black man beside her, "He's (…) and he's my (…)!" but it was all cut off by the cacophony all around them. What she could decipher was the next part, "What's yours?" What a curious crowd! They must not have many visitors after all. Something inside of her told her to be, at least, a little honest. She remembered her other pet name, "Chiquitita!" It was only fair, they seemed like a lovely couple. She slid by and rumbaed with a different circle of ladies this time. They appeared to be friends, but only one really spoke up to her. A very pretty mestiza with brown skin and eyes. Her face was heart shaped and her face held no hard age, even with the flecks of white in her brunette curls. That, and the blue dress she wore, made her stand out. "I'm (…)!" Remédios grinned along, at this point, she knew her ears would ring into the morning. She pointed back to the piano player. Another partner? She noticed a ring, so maybe it was her husband. "He's so well dressed!" She giggled, "Is he from Bogotá?" which made the blue clad girl grin wide. Of course, once her present company asked the inevitable, Remédios shrugged and exclaimed, "Marisol!" as she spun off.

Throughout that entire montage, she always careful to never tell the truth. All for fun, or so she decided. It was better to keep things quiet, before the real work began. Encanto was small and hard to find. It's better if they didn't know me or Magüi, just yet. After all, what's the fun of being a strange duo of witches in a small town without a little mystery? In the midst of her thoughts, her movements through the crowd came to a sudden stop. Someone grabbed her.

No, it wasn't just a someone. She could tell it was him because her pulse began to rise. She didn't just know it was him, she could feel him. That same sullen energy from before ran up her arm and caused goosebumps across her skin. This only happened for a second. She turned; her eyes now focused on his. She saw jungles. Plant life. Forests, and the many, many trees that covered the Valley. The light of the room made his gaze sparkle, even if it felt so sad. He spoke. "I have-" The music was too loud for either of them to hear the other talk, still, she mouthed the word, "What?" Why did he have to be the hardest voice to decipher in all of this? "I have your-" She struggled to hear him, but she tried. This next part shocked her. As their communication suffered, so did his patience. Bruno, the strange man, pulled her close. Too close. The strong scent of anise and liquor burned her nose as the next line fell from his lips, "I have your shoes…" and just as quick, he pulled away. Her wrist and rosary still in his careful grasp. "I also have your shawl!" Her eyes examined his hand. The clear contrast of his pale gold coloring against the warmth of hers lured her in. But when she noticed the mote on his hand it took her a moment to realize that he was done talking. "Thanks." Was all she could fathom at that moment. What else was there? "Also," That's when he caught her. She braced herself for another dance. ""Could I have your name?"

She stared at Bruno. Out of everyone's request, his was the most unusual. Everyone asked, 'what' was her name. So, she gave them one. Sure, it was usually a lie or a half-truth. Úrsula, the singer, and her three youngest daughters were the only strangers that knew her true name. Everyone else had a pseudonym. But his question stumped her.

'Could I have your name?', might not have appeared that way on the surface, but it could mean many things. Slowly, she slipped from his grasp. "No." her voice was barely a whisper, so she shook her head, "No, no, I'm sorry," For whatever reason, she could not lie to him. Remédios. Her name was Remédios. The name burned her mouth like hot water. But she could not answer him. She hid into the crowd. Pushed and shoved her way through until she was outside of the casita. Cool air splashed her face as the music behind her was muffled by night sounds.

"Miss?"

Once again, he never seemed to be too far away. She turned but took a step back to keep the distance between them both as firm as possible. Bruno kept his own, mostly out of fear – fear of making her run away again if he got too close again. First, he felt like he had to fix something, somehow. "I'm sorry," He rubbed his face before he stuffed his hands into his pants' pockets and looked at his feet, "I probably should have tapped your shoulder," He shifted his stance, his shoulders soft and his eyes softer, "…instead of grabbing you like that."

She sighed, "That's fine." Remédios said as she rushed to turn her back to him, "All is forgiven." Outwardly, she was cold. Inwardly, she was in knots. She did not know this man. She was certain she had never seen him a day before now. Yet, he was familiar. What's worse… was that he recognized her.

It scared her.

"Ma'am? Wait… please." He stopped her again, his position never left from the steps of the casita, but he was always able to pull her back. She turned around, half in shadow, half in light. He opened his mouth, and no words came forth, at first, but then he pulled himself together, again. "I don't know why, but... I can't shake the feeling that I've seen you, somewhere." He stepped closer, but still far enough for her to flee. It was never his intention to scare or intimidate her. "I apologize again if I made you uncomfortable, truly. I don't know how I can show you how sorry I am."

She shook her head, "It's okay, truly." Remédios shrugged. She could tell him that was her first day here in Encanto. She could tell him that she and her godmother had been traveling, constantly, since was thirteen. But he wouldn't understand. Her entire story felt convoluted as it was. Tonight, was not the time, if ever. For she was still certain she would never see this man again. "I hope you enjoyed your time here. And, oh-" It dawned on him.

"I need to give you your items back." He clasped his hands together, "Could you wait here? While I get them for you? It's quite dark and while Encanto is safe," He grinned. "I know for a young lady like yourself, you'd want to have some covering for yourself at night. It gets cold." The corners of her lips curled up into a smile, "Sure."

"Just stay put." Bruno said, his tone honest and clear, "I promise I won't be long."

Her smile never reached her eyes as she lied to him again, "No worries, I'll be here." Satisfied, he turned back to his home to retrieve her belongings.

Once Remédios was certain that the sad man with his green eyes and mop of brown hair was far enough away from her – she ran. Inside the casita, Magüi was deep in a game of cards with a trio of very drunk young men. In the middle of the game, just as she was winning, she drew a long puff from her pipe and blew out smoke. "That girl of mine," She didn't even need to see her to know, "She's run off again." Magüi looked back at her hand of cards and smirked before she slammed them down. "Go fish." The entire table went into an uproar.

Good on his promise, Bruno returned. Her red aguayo and leather sandals tucked protectively underneath his arm. He was there, and for a moment, he had hoped that his eyes hadn't adjusted to the lack of light – but he couldn't see her.

She was gone. Again. In that moment, he was torn between two thoughts. One, was to go back. He was still drunk, and the party was in full swing, now. The other one, was anxious. If didn't give her things, now, what would he do with him? He could gift it to his mother – she liked the color red – but what about her shoes? Did Pepa or Julieta even fit them? No, it didn't feel right, to gift a stranger's shawl and shoes to his family. They clearly belonged to her, and it was obvious that she really wanted it. So, why stop there?

Why stop here?

Plus, it was dark, it wasn't safe – even if Encanto was safe. The dark was never safe.

He moved forward. She couldn't have gone far; it was only a few minutes.

He needed to see her again.