I'm not the best at writing action sequences and I've been told they've been a little confusing in the past so, my apologies.

Sure it was nightfall but there were still plenty of people around and, for once, Bruno didn't care. The fastest way to Liam's ranch was straight through town and that's all that mattered. He barely remembered using a cart to leap onto someone's roof because following the rooftops was far faster even if it did turn heads. For once, he actually didn't notice people staring and if he had he wouldn't have cared. Nothing else mattered except Mirabel. Nothing else mattered except his family and he would do anything for his family so, despite the situation he knew he'd be running into, he never hesitated and never faltered. Not once. Despite the danger that lay ahead he wasn't afraid of it.

Despite what he thought of himself he did have strength, just of a different kind, and so too did he have unwavering courage that only came about when it was needed. If it had been anyone else but Mirabel he'd have been terrified and probably would have left the job to someone else to avoid being the harbinger of doom again. That's the thing about this though. Experience something enough, be something for long enough, then there's a part of you that isn't afraid of it so much because it's simply become a part of your reality. Bruno had seen so much death and brutality and all levels of violence that it had just become a normal part of his life.

Didn't make it any less horrifying but he certainly bounced back faster than he used to. The first scarred prophecy he got led to him refusing to leave his room for days and refusing to see anyone, not even his own family. That's the way it went in the beginning. The scarred prophecies were never good, not even once. Cruel things they were. Full darkness and death but sometimes, once, a pale light lingered beyond. One that he could not see. It was one of his oldest of scars and it still perplexed him in how different it was but it was still a scar so he never lingered on it. It was better that way.

He never thought too long on the scars. He felt like it didn't matter. There was nothing he could do one way or the other. He knew, Felix knew, that the cat's attention would be taken away from the bull and turned toward much easier prey. It would find her and it would make that leap, front legs stretched wide with the intent to dig its' claws into her flesh and rip and tear and devour. He hadn't seen passed the leap and he was thankful of that but it didn't change the events of what was to come when he finally reached the end of his path.

He knew he'd have to explain. Explain why he ran, explain where he ran, and find an explanation as why he did what he was going to do. It may yet be the death of him whether by this savage beast's claws and teeth or the rage of a man who lost his dearest baby girl in a violent and sudden way. He wasn't even going to have enough time to say goodbye. The madness that came side by side with absolute fury would be his to face and Bruno knew that. It didn't matter though. He wasn't afraid and that was, in Bruno's opinion, a miracle in and of itself.

In time he may yet come to understand his own fortitude that but time wasn't something he had.

So, he ran. He ran and ran and ran as fast as his feet could carry him. He knew he was good at running. He'd had a lot of practice and knew that he could outrun anyone and everyone in the village but he wasn't running away this time. He was running to and the fear that he did feel was not for himself and he prayed that he would make it in time even though he knew for certain that he would. For if he didn't then nothing would have changed. He used that fear though, so used to being afraid, he targeted it and used it to spur him ever forward to lay before a darkened destiny.

Nature it seemed had other ideas.

He'd just gotten his feet back on solid ground, having slid down the terracotta shingles and off of the last roof. He'd been running for the treeline, knowing that the fastest way to the ranch was to cut through the jungle, when his foot became firmly lodged in something and he fell face first into the ground. He picked himself up out of the dirt hands covering his nose while blood poured down his face and between his fingers. He really hoped it wasn't broken. Julieta was going to mad at him enough as is.

Everyone was about to be very mad at him.

He vaguely heard two voices yelling at him and when he looked down he had a few moments of confusion at the fact that the grass had wrapped around his ankle before his adrenaline fueled brain put two and two together. He tore his foot loose, ripping up roots and dirt, before spinning around to see his sobrinas running toward him. This wasn't ideal. This was awful. This was bad. This is one of the worst things that could happen right now. More people was not going to help! Seeing them running toward him, even though they had no idea what they were doing, made him angry. They didn't know how much danger they were putting themselves in.

"Go home!" He yelled. "Now!"

That at least made them pause. Bruno never yelled at them and especially not like that. Eyes gleaming emerald in the darkness and blood dripping from his chin, he looked like something….evil almost. He didn't have time to keep yelling at them though. No time for explanations. He just had to keep running. He had to get there. He had to make it! Mirabel didn't know! How could she know?! It wasn't her that had changed things and she wasn't there when they'd been changed. She was just trying to do the right thing and maybe if he hadn't been such a coward about it all then this wouldn't even be happening.

With no time to waste he turned back and kept running while praying, hoping, and begging that the two would listen to him and go back to Casita where they would be safe. The yelling behind him told a different story and his only chance was to lose the pair in the trees. If Isabela couldn't see him then her gift would be useless in slowing him down. He felt things might be on his side at least for that. It was dark out, even darker amidst the trees, and he was wearing green. He could still hear them behind him, although it was obvious that they were following him by sound and not by sight, and snarled in frustration.

He didn't have time to stop again.

But he needed to stop them.

He'd never tried this and he knew that if he made it out of this alive then he'd have a great deal of explaining to do. He sucked in a breath and pulled his focus in the best he could in the moment. His eyes flared green as emerald entwined his fingers and flowed from his palms. He reached out and slammed his hand into the trunk of a nearby tree so hard he had splinters under his nails. The wood rotted where he touched and the whole thing fell over. Luisa was there. He knew they'd both be fine. A falling tree wasn't really something that was a danger to his sobrinas, not that it didn't terrify him to do. Having them injured from that was far better than having them be a part of a situation that he already knew was going to result in death. It would at least give him enough time to get some distance and lose them.

The effort he'd put into his magic had him stumbling for a moment as a wave of dizziness swept over him but he kept going. He had to keep going. He couldn't hear Luisa or Isabela behind him but he could hear them yelling. He felt a sudden burst of energy and a strange kind of golden warmth that filled his core. After the initial dizziness passed he didn't feel weakened by it and some part of him screamed that this wasn't normal, even for him. This was new. This was different. Bruno didn't like different but he could have his little panicked moment later. There was one thing he noticed right away.

It felt good. Invigorating even. He'd have to experiment with this later. Whatever it was.

For now he ran. He could run all day if he wanted so he could run clear across the Encanto without stopping. He slid to a halt just this side of the trees as he looked down at the valley where Liam's farm was. He honestly did more sliding than running as he decided to take the quickest path, hazards of it be damned. He slid, ducked, weaved, and jumped down the ridge and if anyone else had been there they would have surely noticed the emerald sheen that had settled in his eyes and how fluid his movements were. He was near to the bottom when his eyes flickered back and his foot caught a rock. He fell forward and tumbled head over heels the last couple of feet. His back hit the ground hard and he found himself gasping for breath. As he shook himself free of the daze his fall had given him he realized he could still hear Luisa and Isabela behind him.

Well, they were Madrigals and Madrigals did not give up….at all….ever.

He should have seen that coming.

He cleared the trees and looked around for Mirabel while trying desperately to catch his breath. He caught movement and saw a lantern across the field. He straightened and kept running.

"Mirabel!" He shouted. "Mirabel!"

He heard his sobrinas break through the treeline behind him.

"Mirabel!"

The person holding the lantern stopped and turned back around. He ground to halt before her almost slipping in the mud from the rain that he didn't remember having started. Maybe he hadn't noticed because he'd been shielded by the trees. Either way he was soaked and the ground was slick. The wind picked up rather quickly after that and neither of them noticed the light that had flickered on within the house.

"Mirabel we have to get out of here now!" He grabbed hold of her shoulders as the rain extinguished the lantern.

"Tío Bruno?"

"It's not worth it! Maybe if we can get out of here right now-"

He was cut off by the sound of the bull as it began to panic and soon after he heard the wood of its' pen splinter.

"Mirabel run!" He shoved her toward the trees. "Run!"

There were voices everywhere. There was Mirabel, Luisa, Isabela, and now Leandro as well although Bruno felt a little comforted by the gun he was holding. Everyone wanted an answer, an explanation and there was no time. He turned to see the terrified bull running toward them with no other goal than to just run. He looked and saw Liam running from the house at all the commotion. No.

"Get out of here!" He tried to yell at him but he was pretty sure that the man didn't hear him.

Bruno had wound up shoving Mirabel into Isabela's arms and the two of them fell backward with a shout. He jumped to the side and the bull ran passed him. It turned, deciding that anything near it was a danger. It swung around, sliding through the mud and charged toward Isabela and Mirabel who both managed to leap to their feet but not enough time to get out of the animal's way. A string of saplings sprung up between his sobrina's and the bull causing it to smash into them. The wood splintered with a loud crack and the two were knocked to the ground again. Luisa quickly ran forward to grab the bull by the horns, stopping it in it's tracks. Both of them slid a few feet before Luisa really caught her footing and easily held the scared animal in place.

Bruno turned to see Liam running toward them and he looked angry. Bruno knew he was doomed when all of this was over. Bruno froze as he looked passed Liam and to the open door that he had forgotten to close in all the commotion. His daughter had followed after both curious and scared and Bruno screamed. He ran forward as fast as he could, ducking around Liam before the man could really understand what Bruno was doing. All eyes followed the prophet as he ran toward the eight year old, still in her pajamas and Bruno prayed. He didn't know why he did. He didn't know why he hoped or why he even tried. He already knew how this was going to end.

There came a roar loud enough that it staggered him. He saw the shape of the gigantic animal out of the corner of his eye. He was so close. He was so, so close. She screamed when she saw it and Bruno lunged. He slammed into her so hard he felt something snap beneath him as she cried out in pain.

What?

How did he make it?

How was he here right now?

How was she here right now?

He stood and heard the roar again and it felt like he'd been hit in the chest. Then something did hit him and pushed him into the grass and mud. There was a heavy weight atop him and he felt like he couldn't breath through it. There was a pain on his back and shoulders like he'd been punched, hard. He reflexively threw his arms out in front of him to shield himself and he heard his own bones crack underneath a pressure that felt like his arm had been run over by a cart. He screamed more out of fear than pain. He couldn't quite understand what was happening. Everything was moving so fast and all he could hear was his own screams and the snarling of a large cat over the pounding of the rain.

There was a flash of silver and the pressure on his arm was gone. The beast above him roared and lifted its' head to shake the thing off of its' face. Bruno shoved his uninjured arm beneath its' white chin to try and push it off, fingers brushing against long and thick teeth. His hand slipped down its' throat and he grabbed hold tightly to try and tug the animal to the side despite knowing that he could not out muscle it. Something came off in his hand. There was a crack as the butt of a rifle made contact with its' head and an even louder crack of thunder heralded by a flash of lightning that illuminated the field they were in.

With the added light he was able to see the animal above him as it roared again and ran, startled by the storm and hurting enough that it decided that none of this was worth it. It was huge with muscles that bulged with every movement, displaying the strength it held. The bright orange of its' fur stood out so greatly amidst the green of the empty field. Stripes that should have been spaced apart were blended together along its' back almost making the animal look black. Bruno had already known what it was but that didn't take away the fear of seeing the thing towering over him.

There was only one way an animal like that could possibly find its' way to the Encanto, or even into the country. He'd heard that tigers could be considered valuable and prized for their pelts and were even taken and bought for the sake of a more thrilling hunt. Bruno desperately prayed that whoever had thought this was a good idea would die a slow death.

He sat up, gasping for breath and still trying to wrap his head around what had happened. He felt….cold. Cold and numb. Something scrabbled into his lap and he looked down to see Frida clinging to him, red flowing through her fur. No! Felix was supposed to be watching her! He wasn't supposed to let her go! He went to pick her up but his right arm felt stiff. He frantically grabbed hold of her screaming her name and pleading that she would be okay.

There was more yelling and he screamed back. He screamed for help. There was so much blood streaming off her body. He couldn't lose her! He couldn't! She'd been there for him whenever he needed. He was supposed to take care of her! He was supposed to take care of her!

"Bruno!" Leandro shook him by the shoulders and Bruno looked up at him with tears in his eyes.

"F-frida, you have to help. P-please."

"Bruno." Leandro said his name again and his voice was hard as stone. "She's not the one who's bleeding."

What? Bruno was confused.

"Eyes on me. Don't look."

Of course whenever you tell someone not to do something their first instinct is to do it. Especially when there were suddenly so many hands on him, yanking his arm back. Liam had the ribbon that went around Isabel's dress and tied it so tight around his arm that it hurt. Or, really now that he thought about it his whole arm hurt and he was still so cold. Why was he cold? The rain wasn't that bad and it was the middle of summer. Not all of him was cold though. His shoulders felt warm for some reason. He tilted his head to look at his left shoulder and saw how the flesh had split deep through muscle and down to bone.

"My ruana." He said quietly, heartbroken to see his most prized possession in such condition.

"I think we have a lot more to worry about than your clothing!" Liam yelled in his ear and that hurt.

How rude.

His arm felt so stiff. What was wrong with it? What happened? Despite the warning he found his gaze drifting down to his arm while Liam started pulling his own shirt off. As he looked he became even more confused. He figured out where most of the blood was coming from now. Now he knew for certain that his arm was broken because he could see the bones. Everything was a lot stringier than he thought it would look. Skin hung from his forearm in jagged strips like leather ribbons. Torn muscles bunched and relaxed and when he flexed his fingers he saw a tendon snap.

Oh. That made sense.

It also made sense that Bruno started screaming. From fear, from shock, and from pain as the fogginess cleared from his head and he could feel his own body again. There was a lot more yelling now but he'd lost himself to the pain. He vaguely noticed Liam wrap his shirt tightly around his mutilated arm as tightly as he could and that only hurt worse but they wouldn't let him pull away from the pain. He distantly recalled the fact that his sobrinas were nearby and they shouldn't be seeing something like this. He wished he could form words through the screaming but he just couldn't. He was scared and he was in agony. He couldn't think anymore. There was nothing else in his world now.

"Get your madre now!" Leandro yelled at Mirabel who stood behind him. Luisa was still holding onto the bull but all of them staring in horror at what had just happened. "Now!" He bellowed when none of them moved.

Mirabel was the only one up to the task. Luisa was, obviously, occupied in keeping the bull from trampling all of them and Isabela had been knocked unconscious from when the animal had slammed into her sapling shield. She turned and ran.

"Alright, you got him?" Leandro looked at Liam who'd wrapped his arms beneath Bruno's shoulder as the farmer grabbed hold of his legs.

"Okay Bruno, this is not going to feel good but we need to get you inside. We'll be as fast as possible." Liam said before giving Leandro a nod and the two lifted him out of the mud causing Bruno to throw his head back and scream.

Liam's wife had run out of the house, telling her son to stay put, and picked up her crying daughter. She ran back into the house with the three men right behind her.

"Clear off the table now!" Liam shouted at his son who stood in shock at the sight. "Now!"

The boy of fifteen jumped and sprung into action. No one cared about any dishes or decorations on the table and everything was swept to the side and landed on the floor with a loud crash. The pair hefted the smaller man up and settled him on the table. Bruno screamed louder as he was jostled around so they could lift him up.

"He's bleeding too much!" Liam yelled while Leandro pulled off his ruana and shirt to look at the gashes on his shoulders where the beast had grabbed hold of him. "He's not going to last!"

"Do not say that!" Leandro snarled. "You're going to be fine Bruno. It's okay your hermana's on her way. Just a little longer okay?"

He wasn't sure if Bruno could even hear him by this point

"Go get Isabela!" Liam shouted directions at his son who ran out into the rain.

The storm only grew more violent with each passing second. Leandro tried desperately to stop the bleeding from the gashed on Bruno's shoulders but they were too big and he couldn't get in a good enough position without moving his arm around. The best they could do was hold his arm up above his chest and offer comfort.

Bruno couldn't breathe. He swore he couldn't breathe and yet he still managed to scream. He couldn't understand anything going around him anymore. He knew he was out of the rain at least but everything else was a blur of colours and faces and voices. He was going to die wasn't he? He was going to die right here and right now. This wasn't how he was supposed to die. He didn't want to die.

He didn't want to die and he didn't realize he'd said it aloud until his brain picked up Leandro's voice through the panic of the situation.

"You're not going go die Bruno! You're hermana's on her way right now! I need you to stay awake okay! Do not close your eyes!"

Oh but he was so tired. He'd run clear across the Encanto and then….oh he was so tired. Something in his head screamed at him that Leandro was right and that he needed to stay awake but it was becoming hard to keep his eyes open. It….it didn't hurt so much anymore. Not really. He was dizzy. He felt like he was going to throw up. Oh he really hoped he didn't throw up on someone's dining room table.

There was more noise, more yelling. The wind howled outside and lightning flashed over and over. Thunder was almost constant along with the harsh pounding of the rain outside. He sucked in a breath. It was getting hard to breathe. He felt like he was too exhausted to even do that. He obviously wasn't too tired to scream though because he still hadn't managed to stop himself. He was going to die.

He wanted to go home.

He wanted his mamá.

He didn't want to die.

Black spots danced in his vision and he tried so hard to keep breathing but it was getting so hard and he was so tired. His head fell back on the table with a thunk as the ability for him to hold it up disappeared. He wasn't screaming anymore. He was just trying to breathe. He was managing quick breaths exhaling almost as soon as he'd pulled in air. He was trying to breathe deep but he could only manage desperate gasps.

There were hands on him again and he was hauled into a sitting position and it hurt so much but he couldn't scream anymore. He relished the feeling of cool liquid sliding down his throat and soothing the soreness. The pain slowly vanished and he was confused. Was this it? Had he died?

"Bruno?" Someone was calling his name. They were crying. Why were they crying?

Oh, nothing in the world made sense anymore. His head flopped rather pathetically to the side.

"Julieta." He managed a whisper as he saw the terrified face of his sister.

He was too tired to keep going. His body fell limp and he sagged in Liam's arms finally falling asleep and finally able to breathe again.

"He's going to be okay." Julieta gasped in relief as her knees gave out and she fell to the floor. "He's going to be okay." She sobbed and grabbed hold of Pepa's arms tightly as her hermana swept into the house behind her.

"He's going to be okay." She said to herself relief flooding her body. "He's going to be okay."