Sorry for the late update y'all. I was out of town on a business trip most of this week.
Enjoy~
This way!
Parce's voice floated through the forest. Antonio was just barely able to see the tip of his jaguar's tail before it disappeared between the large ferns that sprung up from the ground. Sunlight filtered through the canopy of leaves that hung high above them. Antonio tugged on his mother's hand, pointing in the direction Parce went. "Mamí! Parce says it's over there!"
"Slow down, Papito." Pepa chuckled at her son's enthusiasm. Keeping her eyes glued to the ground for any stray roots and rocks, she picked up her pace as her son practically drug her along.
Pushing through the last group of ferns, the pair came to a stop. Parce sat patiently waiting for the Madrigals.
"Is this it?" Antonio asked, his eyes growing wide as he eyed the rocky hill in front of him. A hole, just slightly shorter than himself, was carved into the hill. The rocks were shifted just right to make a small entry way.
Yeah! The jaguar said proudly.
Pico peaked his head out of the dark curls as he examined the dark hole ahead of them. It wasn't that he was concerned about being around Parce. No. He knew that as long as Antonio was around, he wouldn't end up on the jaguar's dinner menu. Yet, there was something about being in a small confined area with an apex predator didn't sit well with him. I don't think this is such a good idea.
Don't be a chicken.
I'm a toucan!
Are you sure? All I see is a chicken.
How dare you! Pico straightened himself as he let his multicolored feathers ruffle at the jaguar's teasing. Spreading his wings, the bird took to the sky, hovering slightly above Antonio's head. He looked back and forth between the two. It seems pretty apparent that I'm not wanted here. I'll be in the trees. Call me when you're done.
"Wait!" The toucan ignored the child, flying off in the direction they came. Turning back to the jaguar, Antonio crossed his arms and fixed his expression with a serious one. Or rather, as serious as the boy could appear. "Parce, that wasn't nice."
The redhead raised an eyebrow at her son's attempted stern facial expression. She'd witnessed the exchange between the two animals. She didn't need her son's gift to know that the jaguar had upset the toucan. "Everything okay, Toñito?"
"Yeah, Parce was being mean to Pico."
Parce folded his ears back, his sign of regret. I'm sorry.
"You need to apologize to Pico, not me."
I will.
"Promise?"
Promise. Come on! Follow me!
"Okay!" Antonio ducked into the cave; the argument already forgotten. Not hearing his mother following, he stopped. Turning around, he popped his head out of the small entrance and looked up to the redhead. "Don't you want to come in?"
Pepa knelt down as she examined the hole. Antonio needed to duck to get inside. Even on her knees she still had a few inches on him. If the small entryway was any indication of the den's height within, Pepa knew she'd be lucky if she didn't have to crawl on her stomach to fit properly.
Movement caught her. The redhead watched as an obnoxiously long centipede crawled along the top of the rocks before scurrying into the cave. She didn't need a mirror to know that her face was full of disgust.
Pepa Madrigal was not afraid of insects.
Repulsed? Definitely. But never afraid.
Bees, ants, spiders, it didn't matter to her. There'd been countless times over the years that her familia, even Félix, enlisted in her help to get rid of any creepy creatures that made their way into their home. She had her limits though.
And she drew the line at centipedes.
Standing back up, she dusted her dress off. She wasn't certain before, but seeing the insect made up her mind. "I don't think I'll fit in there, Papito."
"Sure, you can! Just crawl like Parce does! Please?" His lip stuck out just far enough to be considered a pout. Pepa knew that look, and his tone, all too well.
He was trying to guilt trip her.
Just like Camilo, Antonio learned how to use his cuteness as ammunition. Being the youngest of the children only added to his power. It didn't take much for people to give in. One cute look. A hug. Even the occasional pout. That was all he needed to melt a person's heart.
But Pepa wasn't an easy target.
It wasn't that she was immune to the look. Heavens knows she'd given into the boy's demands far too many times to count. But, unlike the rest of the Encanto's population, Pepa was a seasoned veteran and knew how to stand her ground. She'd lost track of the times she'd used the same tactics. Granted, she usually only used them on Felix, but she still used them none the less. Somewhere along the way, her sons had picked up on her little habit. And Félix reveled in the fact, never missing the chance to remind her that it was all her fault.
Pepa shook her head as she ruffled his hair. "I'll stay right here. Don't go too far."
Antonio nodded, slightly disappointed that his mother wouldn't follow. His disappointment didn't last long as he disappeared back into the hole. "Wow, it's so big! You really slept here?"
Pepa smiled fondly as she rested her back against an adjacent tree. Letting her emerald eyes drift upwards, she examined the leafy canopy above her. The leaves were a vibrant green from the sun's rays. A warm natural breeze floated through the underbrush. Closing her eyes, she took in the peaceful tranquility of the forest.
Suddenly, a sharp pain flooded her senses.
"Ah!" Pepa hissed as her hand flew to her neck. Her eyebrows furrowed as she felt the small object that lay imbedded in her skin. With a single tug, she pulled the object out. "What the?"
"Mamí?" Antonio's voice carried out from inside the den.
"I'm okay Toñito. Everything's fine. It was just a bug." Pepa called back, not wanting to scare her son. Gently rubbing the irritated spot as she looked at the object in her grasp. It barely bigger than her pinky finger. A small needle stuck out of the narrow metal rod. She paled realization dawned on her.
It was a dart.
"You didn't kill it, right?"
"No, Papito." If she hadn't just been struck with a dart, she would have laughed at her son's tenderness. But now wasn't the time. They weren't alone. Someone was out there, and she couldn't tell where. What was worse, she didn't know what they wanted. She felt the winds picking up around her as her anxiety started to grow. Narrowing her eyes, she scanned dense forest. "I think it's time for you two to come out."
"But Parce wants to show me his swimming hole!"
"Antonio."
"Okay. Come on, Parce." Thankfully, her children knew better than to argue with her when she used her 'mom voice' (as Camilo called it). Antonio and Parce appeared out of the cave a minute later. The boy brushed the cobwebs off his orange shirt. His brown eyes fell on the dust and dead leaves that got trapped in the spinning winds around his mother. "Are you okay Mamí?"
"I'm okay." The redhead lied as she offered her son a tight smile. She could feel the effects of whatever the dart had been soaked in starting to take its effect. From the hazy feeling slowly invading her brain, she guessed it was a sedative, and a powerful one at that.
However, right now, that didn't matter. The only thing she cared about was getting her son to safety. She'd already been caught off guard once, she refused to let it happen again. "But we need to get back before dinner."
Parce let out a warning growl. "What do you mean?" Antonio questioned. Parce lowered himself to the ground, staring into the foliage. Pepa could feel the cloud forming above her at the change in the jaguar's behavior. "Who's coming?"
A masked figure stepped out from behind the trees. Emerald eyes took in the appearance as they stalked closer. Pepa could tell that the person was a man, though due to the mask she couldn't decide if they were a villager or not.
"Who are you?" The redhead demanded as she reached out and pulled her son behind her. She kept her eyes glued to the newcomer. "What do you want?"
The man didn't speak. Instead, he snapped his fingers. Two other men appeared on either side of him. On his left, an overly muscular man appeared. To his right, a shorter black-haired man. A soft squawk pulled Pepa's attention to the man to the left. A rumble of thunder echoed throughout the forest as the man lifted his hands. Pico lay trapped between them.
"Pico!" Antonio cried out as he stared at the toucan in the man's grasp. Pico let out a screech as the hands around him grew tighter. "Stop! You're hurting him!"
"Let the toucan go." Pepa growled accompanied by another, much louder, warning of thunder.
"Or what?" The man in the center asked. He remained completely unfazed by the thundering woman. He stood still, with his hands held behind his back respectfully.
"I assure you; you don't want to find out."
"I'll let it go. Once you've come with us."
"Like hell." The masked man to the right took a step closer. He froze as lightning struck a nearby tree. Pepa kept her glare on the man in the center. "Move any closer and you'll regret it."
As a last-ditch effort to escape from the man's grasp, Pico sunk his beak into the man's hand. "Damn it!" Instantly, the man released his hold. Pico flapped his non-injured wing trying to soften his fall to the ground. Once his small feet hit the ground, the toucan started to run to the Madrigals.
"Pico!" Pepa's heart stopped as Antonio shot past her, reaching for his injured friend. With one last hop, Pico landed in the safety of Antonio's arms.
"Get him!" Both men made a run for the boy.
But Pepa was faster. Closing the distance between her and her son, she slid to her knees, pulling him to her chest. She felt the all-too-familiar power surface as she called on the wind's protection. The winds grew dense, creating a protective barrier between them and the men.
"Antonio! Don't do that again!"
"I'm sorry, Mamí! I had to help Pico…" Antonio turned around but refused to look at his mother, choosing to keep his brown eyes focused on the mossy ground.
Pepa took a breath. Cupping his face, placed her lips to his forehead. "Lo siento. I didn't mean to yell."
"Mamí? Why are your eyes yellow?" Her son's voice was tentative, like he was concerned. Realization dawned on her that this was the first time any of the children got to witness her true power.
Most of the Encanto thought that Bruno was the only triplet gifted with glowing eyes. But they were wrong. Each of the triplet's eyes held a neon metallic glow. Bruno's shamrock green was widely known due to his gift. In turn, Julieta's cobalt glow only surfaced a handful of times. And Pepa's golden glow appeared on certain occasions.
Like when she needed to protect her familia.
Normally, it was her emotions that held the influence over the weather. Happiness would bring sunshine. Anger brought thunderstorms. Anxiety brought snow. But, every now and then she could hone her ability. She could exercise her own will over the control her emotions held.
It was a wonder for all to see.
When she honed her true ability, she was one with the elements. She could feel the static from the lightning dancing from both within her and the sky alike, the moisture in the clouds before the rain formed, the wind rustling past. She could feel, and control, it all.
"It's okay." The redhead assured. Standing to her feet, she turned to her son's jaguar. "Parce. Come here."
Lifting her son into her arms, she placed him on the feline's back. "What are you doing?"
"When I tell you to, I want you to run. Run straight home. Don't turn back."
"What about you?"
"I'll be right behind you."
"Promise?"
"I promise." Pepa lied as she blinked back tears. She could feel her powers starting to weaken as the sedative continued it assault on her mind. She knew she didn't have long before it took its full effect on her. Placing one last kiss on the top of her son's head she readied herself. "Te amo, Papito."
Taking a second to center herself, Pepa took a calming breath. The protective tornado around them disappeared. "Go!"
Parce didn't hesitate. Breaking into a sprint the jaguar disappeared into the dense forest. The man in the center pointed towards the disappearing figure of the boy. "Stop him!"
Pepa moved herself between the men and her son. The sky above them grew dark. Winds blew past her, throwing the men to the ground. Small sparks of white lightning crackled out of the corners of her golden eyes.
"You will not touch my son."