Enjoy~

"Is everyone, okay?"

"Yes Andre. I just need a moment with my family is all. We'll catch up shortly." Santos said, offering a polite smile to the bearded man that approached them.

Three weeks had passed since Carlos' letter reached them. Three weeks of traveling from their homelands to the mysterious Encanto. Thanks to the route they'd traveled, and Carlos' instructions, they were lucky enough to stumble upon the group of merchants that visited the Encanto twice a year. Andre, the leader, had been easy enough to convince.

Santos could tell Andre was a good man, but he was naïve. He'd taken them in without question. He'd offered up his food, clothes, any spare materials they needed. The merchant even let them share a sleeping area.

His kindness would get him killed one day.

"Okay, just don't take too long." Andre gave him a friendly nod. He'd traveled the route many years and knew all too the dangers of getting left behind or straying from the paths into the mystical Encanto. "You wouldn't want to get separated on the way into the Encanto."

"I'm sure."

The group watched as he retreated back to his own friends. Certain Andre was out of hearing range, he let his friendly façade fall. Straightening his shoulders, he let his dark eyes graze over each member of the group. "Once we pass through with the merchants, there can be no more discussions of our plans. Everything must be done silently. We cannot risk the girl hearing. Do you understand?"

Everyone nodded.

"Will everything be ready for us, Santos?" Heidi questioned. She was a middle-aged woman with short, light brown, poker straight hair. Other than Zara, she was the only woman that belonged to their group. Santos could still remember the day the woman had arrived at his home, begging him to join them. Wanting to be a part of something great.

"Yes." Santos nodded. "Carlos has gathered everything we need."

"What about any unexpected variables?" Lorenzo stood to his right, leaning against a tree. Unlike the others, he didn't have full confidence that their plan would go smoothly. Their goal was simple. Capture the vessel and summon the goddess. But there were far too many unknown factors for his liking.

Like the Madrigals.

From the information that Carlos had given them, the family seemed to be a well-knit part of the community. Whatever time wasn't spent helping out the village, was spent within the walls of their magical house. Their window of opportunity to catch the vessel would be small. Not to mention, each of the family members having a 'gift', as they called it, only added more uncertainty to the mix.

The vessel herself posed an entirely different problem. If Carlos was right, and she did wield the elements, then capturing her wouldn't be easy. If she decided to fight back, none of them stood a chance. So, they'd decided they would have to do it discretely. And that came with its own issues.

His list of concerns kept growing.

Santos shared in the muscular man's worries, having talked about it many of times. "We'll deal with them if the time comes. Once we're inside, we'll be able to get a better assessment of the situation."

"What do we do about the people?"

"Act normal. As far as they're concerned, they think we're here to visit with our cousin, Carlos. As for the Madrigals, keep your distance. I don't want them to suspect anything. We've worked too hard for this." Everyone muttered agreements. "Let's go. Andre said we'll be reaching our destination by midday." Santos and Zara stayed still as they watched the others stand and follow the path the bearded merchant walked earlier.

Once they were out of sight, Zara spoke. "Oh Father, finally, our dreams are coming true."

Zara was the youngest of their group, having only recently turned seventeen. But being the youngest meant nothing in his eyes. Ever since she was young, she held a greater determination that far surpassed the other members. Unlike most, her devotion to their cause was unwavering. She didn't shy away from the duties that were asked from her. Instead, she tackled them head on without question.

It made him proud to be her father.

The scarred man's eyes softened as he patted the girl's shoulder. "As am I, Zara."

"What do you think she'll be like?"

"I'm certain she's everything we've heard about."

"I can't wait to meet her."

"We have to summon her first."

"What if the others try to stop us?"

It was the same question Lorenzo had asked him before. The same fear that the others shared. Santos refused to give into their concerns. They'd waited far too long, sacrificed far too much, for them to fail now.

"Then we'll end them."

"Luisa, after lunch, could you move the church out of the way for the fiesta tonight?" Alma asked as she took her seat at the head of the table. The others filed in, finding their own seats. To her left sat Antonio, Dolores, Isabela, Camilo, Julieta, Agustín. The lineup to her right started with Mirabel, then continued on with Luisa, Félix, Pepa, then Bruno.

"No problem, Abuela."

"Thank you." Alma gave the strongest Madrigal a grateful smile and a nod.

Since the rebuilding of their home, nearly a year ago, Alma made the conscious effort every day to make amends with her family. Mirabel had told her once; start small. And that's what she did. Instead of ordering, she'd ask for their help. It didn't take long to strengthen the bonds with her grandchildren.

The adults on the other hand...

After a rather detailed conversation with her sons-in-law, she was given a greater idea of how her trauma, and her actions, had truly affected her triplets. It was clear to her now that no number of apologies, or kind words, would make up for the damaged she'd caused them. If she were honest, she wouldn't have held it against them if they didn't wish to speak to her ever again.

But her triplets surprised her. They'd came to her, in their own time, and told her their true feelings. She'd be lying if she said it was easy, sitting quietly as she listened to them. To how differently their recollections were compared to her own. But, thankfully, each of her children said they'd still loved her. And they wanted to make things work, even if it took time.

"How is the food coming along, Julieta?"

"Everything will be ready, Mamá. No need to worry."

"What's the party for anyway?"

"Do we ever need a reason to have a fiesta?" Camilo laughed.

"Well... No." Mirabel muttered. It was the truth. Fiestas were an all-too-common event in the Encanto.

You see, there were two types of parties that would be held within the Encanto. There were those hosted by the Madrigals, which normally centered around a birthday or a door ceremony. Then, there were those hosted by the villagers. These, much like the party happening tonight, were more centered around village events.

Félix looked to his youngest niece. He could see that his son's response did little to answer her question. "The merchants are coming to town."

"Oh. It's been six months already?"

"Time flies when you're having fun."

"I wonder if Stephano will be back! He said he'd bring more fabrics!" Mirabel said, eyes wide with excitement.

Stephano was one of the traveling merchants that delt specifically in fabrics and dyes. Once day, while out with her father, Mirabel came across his stand. He showed her around, telling her of all the different materials he'd witnessed on his travels. The two became fast friends after that, both sharing a love of sewing.

Luisa furrowed her brows in confusion. She'd heard the name before, but couldn't quite place the face. "Isn't that the tall skinny dude that hits on Isa?"

Dolores squeaked before correcting her cousin. "No, that's Miguel."

"I thought that Miguel was the one Mamí beat up?" Camilo asked as he shoved another heaping spoonful of rice into his mouth, ignoring the disgusted look from Isabela.

"It is."

"He's still hitting on you?"

"Sadly."

"I can fix that if you want." Pepa offered as she took a sip of her drink.

"No thank you, Tía." Isa chuckled. She still remembered the last time the redhead 'fixed' the situation. He'd approached her the day after and apologized for his behavior, explaining that he misjudged the potency of the alcohol he'd drank. They'd spoken a few times after that, while he still flirted with her, he respected her boundaries. "It's not like that night."

"If anything happens, I want to know." A soft rumble of thunder emphasized her point. Considering the boy wouldn't even look at her, Pepa doubted he would do anything to bring her wrath. But that didn't stop her from worrying about her niece, or any of the children.

"Of course."

As they finished their lunch, the members started to scatter. Soon, the only ones left were Félix, Camilo, and Bruno. Pepa left for the kitchen, to start on the growing pile of dishes as the boys cleared off the table. Félix gathered a stack of plates in his arms, taking them to the sink.

"Ay, a fiesta. I can't wait." Félix said as he placed the dishes on the counter beside his wife. Taking a step to his left, he moved behind Pepa. Wrapping his arms around her, he nuzzled his nose against the back of her neck. He couldn't help the smile that formed as he felt Pepa relax against him, leaning back slightly. "It's been far too long since we've danced, Pepi."

Camilo and Bruno entered next, arms full of the remaining food and utensils. Bruno's expression was unamused as he eyed the two at the sink. Camilo stared at his parents with mild disgust. Rolling his eyes, he sat the food on the counter beside them. "You two danced like two hours ago!"

Félix shrugged, not releasing his hold on his wife, unbothered by his son's attitude. He swayed slightly, rocking the redhead with him. "That's far too long. You'll understand one day when you find your own love, Milo."

Camilo grimaced at the thought. As a sixteen-year-old boy, he found the affection his parents shared obnoxiously nauseating. Right now, the last thing he wanted was to end up like them. Turning to his uncle, he pleaded with the only one who would understand his pain. "If I end up like them, please put me out of my misery."

"Only if you do the same for me."

Even though the sun sunk behind the mountains, the fiesta was still in full swing. The darkening sky above was clear, giving a better view of the stars that littered the sky. Upbeat music echoed around, filling the square.

Camilo shimmied up beside his father. He wanted some payback for the lovey-dovey torment his father subjected him to after lunch. So, he waited for his mother to excuse herself from the dancefloor before he made his move. "Careful old man, you might break a hip."

"Is that a challenge?" Félix let a wide toothy grin spread as he fixed his brown eyes on the shapeshifter.

A devious smirk formed on his son's face as he watched the villagers gather around them, ready to watch their battle. Twisting around, he struck another pose. "Do you think you're up for it?"

"Oh, I'm up for it, Milo. Don't forget who taught you."

"Mamí?"

"Bring it."

"I'm surprised you're not out there with him." Julieta laughed as she watched her sister take the empty seat across from her.

Pepa shrugged. Truth be told, she only returned to their table to get a drink, but the sight of her son stopped her from returning to her husband. Getting the chance to watch Félix interact with their children was a gift she'd never take for granted. So instead of joining them, she'd sit back and watch as the pair continued on. "They look like they're having fun."

"What are they doing?" Mirabel pointed her thumb over her shoulder as she and Antonio appeared next to the table.

"I'm pretty sure they're having a dance off."

"Why?"

"Who knows."

Antonio tugged on his cousin's arm, looking up at her with the best puppy dog eyes he could muster. "Can we join?"

"Of course, Hambrecito." Mirabel laughed as she ruffled his hair. Taking his smaller hand in her own, they started for the dancefloor. "Let's show them who's boss."

"Tía! Mom!" Pepa and Julieta shared a quick look as they watched Isabela, not so gracefully, approach them next. The eldest had a friendly grin painted across her lips and a slightly disheveled look.

"Are you okay, Isa?" Julieta raised her eyebrow at the current state of her oldest child. As a mother, she took pride in knowing her each of her children. Inside and out. That included their personalities. Isabela was cheerful, especially whenever she was out amongst the townsfolk. She'd laugh and wave and talk to whoever approached her. With a wave of her hands, she'd produce flowers or falling petals.

But the smile on her daughter's face wasn't the usual one.

No. This one was different.

"Yeah!" Isa paid no attention to the strange look on her mother's face. Instead, she walked up behind her aunt, wrapping her arms around her shoulders. Isa rested her chin on the top of Pepa's head. "You can't tell anyone, but you're my favorite tía."

Pepa wanted to point out that she was her only tía, but instead she patted the arms that held her captive. Their dearest Isabela was drunk. The redhead knew the telltale signs of when her niece had drank more than she could handle. They'd only gone out a few times, but it was enough for her to pick up on the shift in the dark-haired girl's personality.

"How many have you had, mi flor?"

"Just a couple." Isa hiccupped. It wasn't a total lie. She'd defiantly had two glasses of wine.

But she didn't need to mention the three shots that followed.

Isa perked up as the music's beat shifted. Her eyes lit up with excitement as she recognized one of her favorite songs. "Oh! I love this song. Come on! Let's show them what dancing really looks like!"

Before she could protest Isabela shifted her hold from her Pepa's shoulders to her wrists, pulling her to the dancefloor with the rest of their family.

"Go easy on her Isa!" Julieta shouted, ignoring the pointed look her sister gave her.

Alma Madrigal chuckled as she watched her family's antics. It was nice, seeing them all so carefree and happy.

"Senora Madrigal!" A voice called out, pulling her from her thoughts. Turning around, Alma was greeted by the sight of Carlos, and a man she'd never met, approaching. "I would like to introduce you to my uncle."

Both men came to a stop in front of her. The newcomer bowed quickly. After a moment, he straightened himself and extended his hand out. "The pleasure is mine. I'm Santos Hurtado."

The matriarch placed her hand in his own, giving it a single shake. "Alma Madrigal."

"My nephew was right in his letters. You've built a wonderous village."

"Thank you. It's taken a lot to get here."

"I'm sure it has."

The two stood in silence for a moment. Alma watched as the man stared out onto the dancefloor, full attention on her dancing family. An uneasy feeling rose within her as she watched an unfamiliar look cross his eyes as he glanced over at Pepa and Isabela.

Deciding he'd ogled her middle child and granddaughter enough; she broke the silence. "What brings you to our Encanto?"

"My familia and I are passing through. You see, we're moving south. On our way, we decided to stop and see our dear cousin Carlos before making the rest of the journey." Santos said, pulling his attention back from the women.

"How long will you be staying?" Alma didn't want to pry, but her curiosity got the better of her.

As the unspoken leader it was her duty to know everything of importance that happened in their home. Or perhaps it was her overprotective nature getting the better of her. Either way, she wanted to know more about the visitors. With the exception of the traveling merchants, visitors weren't a common occurrence in the Encanto.

"Just a week or two." He chuckled. "We wouldn't want to overstay our welcome."

Alma wanted to ask him more, hoping she could settle the growing uneasiness for good. Before she could, Félix called out for her. "Abuela! I need a partner! Isa has stolen my wife!"

Just as he said, Isabela refused to release her hold on Pepa. A quick glance around showed that Félix was, in fact, the only one without a dance partner. Isabela flipped her hair over her shoulders, leaving a trail of flower petals. "Get over it! I already told you, she's mine tonight!"

Shaking her head, she took a step forward.

"My apologies. It appears I am needed." Alma chuckled as she took a step forward. "I hope you enjoy your stay." The matriarch added before she took her spot beside her son-in-law.

"I'm sure we will."

Here we go y'all. Things are going to get more interesting now that Santos and the others have arrived.

Until next time~