Not going to lie I've switched this chapter up like four times. I couldn't seem to get it 100% how I wanted it. So, hopefully y'all still like it.

Enjoy~

Thunder echoed throughout the Encanto. Bruno watched as his family filed into the living room. He couldn't help but notice the expressions on their faces. They all seemed to be a mix of concern and anger. As the last person took their seat, Bruno couldn't help but notice that someone was missing.

Pepa.

"What are we going to do Abuela?"

Before she could answer; the scene in front of him faded away.

A new vision formed. Bruno glanced around, trying to see if he knew the area. From what he could tell, he was in some sort of bunker. An unfamiliar voice traveled through the room.

"Do it."

A scream pierced the air.

Bruno's eyes snapped open. Breathing heavy, he tried to reorient himself. He wasn't a stranger to his visions seeping into his dreams. Though, he often referred to them as nightmares. Unlike his normal visions, the ones that plagued his sleep were much more vivid. In the sleeping visons, he didn't just see images. No. In those, he was able to hear sounds.

The thought sent a chill down his spine as his mind replayed the scream. Something was going to happen. And whatever it was seemed to be centered around his sister.

Now, he just needed to find out what.

Sitting up, he heard the squeaks as Ramone, Gomez, and Tatiana fell from his chest and onto his lap. Gently, he picked up the three rats and laid them on the bed beside him. He hadn't mean to disturb them. Truthfully, in his panic he'd forgotten all about them.

"Sorry amigos." Bruno apologized as he stood from this bed. Ramone crawled to the edge of the bed. Sitting on his back feet, he tilted his small head at the seer. "I need to do this."

Ramone let out a squeak as he looked up at his father expectantly. Bruno sighed but held his hands out. The rat scampered up his arms, coming to rest on his shoulder. He checked over to Gomez and Tatiana. The pair were already fast asleep.

Satisfied that his other furry children wouldn't be joining them, Bruno exited the bottom room before making his way up the stairs to his new vision cave.

After the rebuilding of Casita, and the return of the magic, Bruno was relieved to see that his room had changed. This time, he had his own bedroom at the bottom of the room. There was another stone staircase, that thankfully wasn't nearly as tall, that led to his new vision cave. Unlike the vision cave before, this new one was far less spooky. The eerie human carvings were replaced by his hourglass symbols. This one was also more well-lit than the last.

Sitting down in the center, Bruno gathered four small piles of leaves. Just as he was about to light the first of the four piles, Ramone scampered down from his shoulder and onto his hand. He sighed at the concerned look his rat gave him. Ramone let out another squeak.

"Of course, don't want to! B-but I heard a scream..." Bruno muttered. He'd sworn off visions since his return to the family. But this... It didn't leave him any choice. He had to do this.

To protect his family.

Ramone returned to his spot on his father's shoulder. Lighting the leaves on fire, Bruno took a calming breath. He let his mind return to the half-vision. Slowly, he opened his glowing green eyes. He watched as the sand circled around him.

Bruno kept his gaze glued to the swirling sand, watching as the images shifted around him. The first image to appear was one of his sister and youngest nephew. From what he could see, the pair were in the forest. They looked happy.

Then the three masked figures approached. He watched as Antonio ran while Pepa stayed to fight off the men. His heart beat faster as it shifted again and again. Each new image only added to his growing concern.

Pulling back from the vision, he stared at the green glass tablet in his hands.

"Dios mio."

"Watch out!" The men dove for cover, scrambling behind the nearest trees as lightning shot out from Pepa's fingertips.

Santos pulled off his mask, tossing it to the ground as he pressed himself into the bark of the tree. Glancing to his left, he watched as Hernesto hid behind his own tree. Another rumble was heard before the familiar sound of lightning striking wood. Risking a peak, Santos poked his head out.

Any doubts he may have had about the woman being their vessel faded away as he set his sights on her. Pepa remained in the same place, though now she hovered slightly off of the ground. Her fiery hair, now free of its braid, whipped around wildly. White lightning danced from both of her hands. It was truly a sight to see. But even then, there was one thing that truly captivated his attention.

It was her eyes.

He'd seen her at the party the night before. That night they were a stunning emerald color. Yet, now that she'd released her true power, they were a vivid glowing gold. Even from his hiding spot he could see the white statics of lightning dancing from the corners of her eyes. Never in his life had he witnessed something so unearthly. Something so... Powerful.

Hernesto seemed to share his fascination. "It really is her."

"Now we just need to get to her." Lorenzo came to a stop behind Santos. Unlike the other two, the young man had a broad and overly muscular build. It made it far more difficult to keep himself shielded behind the safety of the trees.

"Don't worry. She can't keep this up forever. The sedative's already taking effect." Their leader assured as he watched the liquid golden glow of their vessel's eyes flicker back to green.

If he were honest, he was completely surprised she was even still standing. The sedative that they'd used was one of the most potent he could get his hands on. It'd taken fully trained soldiers in a matter of minutes. Yet, the redhead continued on.

He suspected it had something to do with wanting to keep the boy safe.

Her determination was admirable. But no matter how strong her will was, the sedative would take effect. It was just a matter of time. All they need to do was wait.

Lorenzo seemed to read his father's thoughts. He shook his head as he spoke. "We don't have time to wait. If we don't stop her now the others are going to show up. This is our only chance."

Carlos had given them the information on all of the family members. With that information, Santos and Lorenzo managed to create a proper threat assessment and a strategy to counteract the Madrigals. However, they weren't foolish enough to believe that they would be able to take on more than one at a time.

"Okay. The older man relented after a second of thought.

He knew his son was right. The dark clouds above them must have already alerted the family members. Even if it didn't, the boy riding a jaguar certainly would. They needed to end this as soon as possible if they were going to escape with their prize. "Do not harm her."

"Easier said than done." Hernesto muttered.

The men split up into different directions. Hernesto shot into the underbrush to the left. Lorenzo bobbed between the trees to the right. Santos stayed in place, keeping a watchful eye on the woman. He watched as the glowing gold of her irises faded to emerald. The winds that kept her in the air dispersed, causing her to stumble slightly as her feet hit the ground.

Taking advantage at her moment of weakness, Hernesto made his move. Sneaking up behind her; he trapped the woman in a tight embrace. While he may not be as tall and well-built as Lorenzo, the light-skinned man still held the height advantage. Easily, he lifted the struggling woman off of the ground. He smiled to himself as she tried to move her arms, but it was no use. They were pinned in his embrace. Leaning close to her ear he whispered. "You're ours now."

"Get off of me!" Pepa growled as she threw her head back. Santos winced as he heard the sickening crunch of her head connected with his nose.

Without warning, Hernesto threw the redhead to the side. His anger, along with the pain in his nose, prevented him from caring about how Pepa's head struck the tree. Hard. Or how she stilled as she sunk to the ground, unmoving. Clutching his bleeding nose, he fixed a glare at the now unconscious woman. "Bitch!"

"Santos said she wasn't to be harmed." Lorenzo said flatly as he fixed the dark-haired man with an unamused look. Hernesto was the last member of their group. He'd waltzed into their home, a little over a year ago, and demanded that he be allowed to join them. Unfortunately, Santos agreed to take the man in. In Lorenzo's eyes, the newcomer had yet to prove himself worthy of their cause. He was far too hot-headed and impulsive.

Hernesto scoffed. Of course, the children of Santos would have a problem with the way he handled things. Even though he was the newest member, he quickly learned that both Lorenzo and Zara acted as if they were above the rest of them. As if they were more important. "She was trying to kill me!"

"You're point? Our mission-"

"Enough. Both of you. Hernesto, we'll discuss this later." Santos' tone was calm as he watched the darkened sky above them faded into blue. He gathered the unconscious woman into his arms. While he may not agree with the method used, he couldn't stop the satisfied smile spread across his face. They'd done it. The last piece of their ritual was in their grasp.

Finally, they could summon their goddess.

"It's time to begin."

"You're going to fall." Félix said with the utmost certainty.

After Pepa had left with their youngest, Félix decided he would go into town to help finish up the last of the work that needed done on the Lopez house. The house itself was almost finished, only needing a few final touches to be truly complete. He'd run into Agustín along the way, who eagerly offered his help.

That's how Félix found himself glancing back and forth between the half cut wooden beam in front of him and his clumsy brother-in-law who insisted that he could help replace a few broken roof tiles. The shorter of the two watched as the sharply dressed man climbed up the ladder, coming to a stop so he was eye level with the bottom most tiles.

He didn't need Bruno's gift to know how this was going to end.

You see, by this point in his life, Félix had known Agustín for almost thirty years. Most people would say he was accident prone. But that term only went so far. He'd lost track of the sheer number of times Agustín had been in the wrong place at the wrong time or all of the times he'd managed to hurt himself in ridiculous ways.

Like folding laundry.

After all, how many times could any normal man break a bone while folding clothes?

Once? Maybe.

Twice? An unlucky coincidence.

But eleven? Eleven was far out of the realm of possibilities. Even for the clumsiest person in the world. Yet the spectacled man had, in fact, broken various bones throughout his body eleven times. The thought alone proved Félix's theory. Though he wasn't sure what, Félix was certain in one of his past lives that the taller man angered God. It was the only explanation that made sense.

"No, I'm not." Agustín assured as he reached over, trying to grab the hammer to his right. The tool in question rested on the roof, just far enough out of his reach. Adjusting his glasses, and his grip, Agustín leaned past the ladder.

The shorter of the two shook his head, watching as the left side of the ladder started to lift off of the ground. The dark-haired man paid no attention, focusing solely on the tool. Leaning a few centimeters more, he smiled as his fingertips brushed its handle. "Just a little more."

Finally, Agustín managed to grab ahold of the tool. It was far too late for anyone to prevent what happened next. Just as Félix warned, the balance was tipped and Agustín landed bottom first onto the ground. His hands instinctively went to cover his head. The ladder clattered to the ground beside him, along with the hammer he'd been reaching for.

"I told you." Félix chucked as he put down his saw. Walking over to the fallen man, he reached out his hand. Agustín gave him an appreciative smile as Félix helped him to his feet. Dusting himself off, he searched around for the hammer.

"Félix!"

Both men turned to see the youngest of the triplets running towards them. Throwing his hands out, Félix greeted Bruno. "Bro! You're just in time!"

"I need you to come with me!" Bruno wasted no time taking Félix's wrist as he pulled the confused man with him. "I'll explain on the way!"

"Bruno, what's going on?" Félix questioned. His brother-in-law's expression didn't sit well with him.

"I had a vision of-" Bruno tried to explain but a roar of thunder ripped through the Encanto. Both men slowed to a stop, letting their wide eyes travel to the dark swirling clouds that hung over the forest. Bruno paled at the sight. "Pepa."

Félix didn't need a gift to know that something was wrong with his wife. It'd been forty-three years, give or take a few months, that he'd known Pepa. In that time, he'd learned what emotions brought forth different weather. The near-tornado weather made him worry. He'd seen this kind of weather plenty of times. It only meant one thing.

She was furious.

Her fury was a sight to see. It didn't matter how dark the clouds would grow; the rain would not fall. Lightning would light up the sky as thunder shook the ground. The wind stilled.

But what he didn't understand was why. Pepa had gone off to spend time with their youngest son. The boy was far from a problem. Even if he did act up, Félix couldn't think of a single thing that would cause such a sudden shift in the weather. Contrary to popular belief, Pepa's patience knew no bounds when it came to the Madrigal children.

So, what could have made her so angry?

Shaking the shock away, Félix headed for the growing thunderhead. This time he led the way pulling the stunned seer along behind him. "What's happening?"

"I don't know." Bruno muttered easily keeping up with the shorter man. "I couldn't make sense of all of it, I just know she's in trouble."

"Papí!"

"Antonio?" Félix let out a sigh of relief as Antonio came into view. At the sight of the clouds, Félix's concern had been that something terrible happened to their youngest. Pulling the boy off of his jaguar and into a hug. Pulling back Félix let his eyes travel over his son, looking for any injuries. "Are you okay mijo?"

"Mamí's in trouble!"

"What happened?"

"Parce was showing me his cave! Then three men appeared! One of them hurt Pico. Mamí stayed behind so we could get away..."

"It's okay, mijo. I need you to go find your tía for me, okay?"

"But what about Mamí?"

"Your Tío and I will get her. I need to know you're safe." Félix explained as he wiped away the tears that ran down his son's cheeks. He understood that the boy wanted to help, but he couldn't truly focus on finding his wife if there was even the slightest chance that his child wouldn't be safe.

Antonio sniffled. The jaguar beside him let out a sound before pressing himself up against the boy. Antonio nodded as he looked back to his father. "Parce, wants to help. He said he'll take you to Mamí."

"Come on, let's go." The pair jogged through the forest, bobbing and weaving around the trees. Parce kept a steady pace leading them back to his den, and hopefully, back to Pepa.

"I don't understand. Who's stupid enough to attack Pepa?" Bruno wondered out loud. He couldn't wrap his mind around the idea that someone would be willing to attack his sister. He knew all too well that while her power might not seem practical in a fight; her influence over the weather was one of the most dangerous gifts in the family.

"Bruno."

"I mean out of all of us that's the worst possible option! Other than Luisa! I think she's the only one that beats out Pepa."

"Bruno."

"She'll be fine. She has to be. We're going to find her."

"BRUNO!" Félix shouted, silencing the man's nervous babbling. The youngest triplet stopped and looked to his brother-in-law, who kept his gaze ahead. "The weather stopped."

Bruno felt his heart sink as he realized that Félix was right. They couldn't properly see the sky between the canopy of leaves but they could see the sunlight starting to filter through. Which only meant that the storm clouds were no longer blocking the sky. Bruno snapped his head towards the jaguar. "Parce, we need to go. Now!"

Parce nodded and disappeared through the trees, both men hot on his tail. The sudden appearance of the clear skies only urged them to go faster. Pushing past the last bit of underbrush, Félix and Bruno came to a stop. They watched as Parce gave them a nod, signaling that they'd arrived at his den.

But there was no sign of the redhead.

Instantly the two split up, calling out for Pepa. "Pepi?"

"Pepa!"

"Where are you?!"

"Are you sure this is it?"

"Pepa!"

"She has to be here somewhere."

"F-Félix." Bruno's voice was barely a whisper. If the forest wasn't so quiet, Félix was certain he wouldn't have heard the seer. Hearing Félix approach him, Bruno slowly turned around. Félix's heart stopped as his eyes glued to the object in the other man's grasp.

It was Pepa's yellow headband. It wasn't the piece cloth that concerned him. He'd lost track of the times that Pepa's winds undid the headband. No. The thing that concerned him was the deep red color that contrasted against the brightly colored fabric.

Blood.

"No..."