"Mira," Felix said as the two of them took a step back and inspected the tree they'd helped right and straighten, "I think we did good."

One of the farmers had accidently struck it with a plow and had feared that they wouldn't be able to get the poor thing back in the ground. Felix though had been sure if they just got it back on the level the hearty tree would grasp right into the soil and be right as rain and Mirabel had been quick to agree. The only issue that had come up was when someone had said they'd fetch Luisa (to move it) or Isabella (as plants were her thing) only for Mirabel to wave them off.

"They have enough stuff to do!" she'd declared, taking out her bag and digging through it. "We can handle it."

"But... Luisa would be able to pull it straight all by herself!" one of the farmers had exclaimed.

"And so can we," Mirabel had said. "Come on, you can't rely upon her for EVERYTHING!" She'd said it was a happy little smile and the farmers had been so guilted by her comment that they soon gathered around to help her and Felix.

It had been hard. Felix's arms ached and there had been moments he was sure that the tree was going to never move. But they'd all pitched in and gotten it done and as the farmers worked to cover the roots in soil he couldn't help but grin. It felt GOOD to have done that!

"Yeah, we did good," Mirabel confirmed as she worked to anchor the ropes that would make sure the tree didn't begin to list while it worked to reattach its deep roots into the ground.

Felix stared at his sobrina for a long moment. "You're a good worker. You know that, right?"

"Well, yeah," she said with a dismissive wave of her hand and a smile on her lips.

But Felix pressed on. "People who say otherwise... they don't understand you."

"Uh... okay?"

"...your abuela... she says things and... I know it might seem like she speaks for everyone but she really doesn't. You know that, right? She is just talking for herself."

"Yes, yeah," Mirabel assured him. "But come on, abuela isn't that bad."

He stared at her as she finished the last anchor and dusted her hands off. He should leave it alone. Not say a word. Just... move on and enjoy a job well done.

But...

"Mirabel... you know your abuela... she hasn't been the nicest to you."

His sobrina just blinked before letting out a light soft chuckle. "oh, come on she isn't some ogre!" She paused. "Actually that isn't fair. Yeah, some ogres are horrible brutes but I've met plenty of nice ones. So long as you don't mess up their swamp-"

Felix had come to realize that Mirabel's ramblings weren't always just her speaking her mind. Just like how Camilo used biting humor or Dolores would scurry away Mirabel used her rambling to avoid dealing with painful situations. And as much as it killed him to do so... he knew he had to get her to talk.

"Walk with me," he asked gently and after a moment Mirabel moved to follow him. "You are a smart young woman, Mirabel. I can see that. You have to be to do all the amazing things you do. And I know you are smart enough to see that your abuela... she hasn't been kind at all during your visit."

"...she's just used to things being her way," Mirabel said softly. "They have been done so for a long time."

"That doesn't make it right," Felix told her. "Just because we've always done something doesn't mean it SHOULD be done that way. And it certainly doesn't give your abuela the right to talk down to you like she does. And... I'm sorry I haven't been strong enough to stop her."

"Tio Felix, its fine, really. I don't mind."

"That doesn't matter," he said. "It doesn't make it right."

Mirabel ran her tongue over her teeth. "Just... don't make things bad for all of you, okay? I can deal with it. I'm not blind to it I just… its easier to ignore it right now. I look the other way, I seek out the good... its fine. I have people who love me and will defend me-"

"And it should have been us," Felix assured her. "We should have been defending you."

Mirabel opened her mouth to say something but Felix would never learn what as at that moment she heard something that she and, frankly, almost no one in the village had ever heard before.

Isabella yelling.

At once Mirabel began to run, Felix chasing after her as they hurried around a barn to find Isabella jabbing her finger at Ulika, the orc merely standing there with her arms folded over her chest and a smirk on her face.

"You think you have ANY right to speak that way to me, you freak!?" Isabella shouted. "You don't know anything about me!"

"I know you're bad at name calling if 'freak' is your best insult." Ulika let out an amused huff. "Oh, my sisters will have a field day when they hear I was called a 'freak'. Will you insult my green skin next? My nose? Oh, how will I ever survive?"

"How about I shove a rose fine up your-"

"Isa!" Mirabel exclaimed.

"Kinky," Ulika cackled.

MIrabel moved to stand between her sister and the orc, eyes narrowed as she looked back at Ulika before focusing on Isabella. "What is going on here?"

"This beast insulted our family's honor!"

"I don't remember mentioning the rest of your family," Ulika stated. "I only asked if you were sure that your parents didn't find you in a latrine ditch because I find it hard to believe Luisa and Mirabel could be related to a litte sh-"

"Ulika," Mirabel growled, cutting her off before looking at Isabella. "Okay, that was really bad. I'm sorry Isabella."

Her sister stared at her for a moment before huffing. "It doesn't matter. Soon you and that overgrown frog will be gone and things can get back to normal."

"...gee, don't sound so excited about me leaving," Mirabel said with a teasing smile. But when Isabella merely turned on her heel and began to storm away Mirabel's face fell into a scowl of her own and she whipped around, getting back in Isabella's face so she could confront her sister. "What... just going to leave it at that?"

"I believe I said all I need to say."

"That's how you want to leave things? You'll be glad when I'm gone?"

"No," isabella said with a dark smile, eyes dancing with malicious glee. "I'll be glad when I never have to see you, your stupid party, or anything else you've brought to the valley again! In fact why don't you go stomping off right now, take that brute, the ugly goat man, that bitching owl, and the rest of your loser friends with you, and I can go back to only having ONE pathetic sister I needed to deal with ruining my life."

Mirabel's eyes widened at that.

"Isabella!" Felix snapped only to go silent as Mirabel back handed Isabella across the face.

"ooooh shit," Ulika whispered, taking a step back, her earlier mirth gone as she stared at Mirabel with worry. Isabella's entire body had twisted from the blow and she was cupping her cheek, nearly doubled over from shock and pain. "Mirabel..." Ulika said softly, reaching out with a hand. "Just... just breathe, okay? Maybe-"

"Stay. Out. Of. This."

"...okey dokey," Ulika said, moving to stand next to Felix. "Don't take a step towards either of them."

"We have to-"

"The last time I saw her this pissed it was when she discovered that the head of an orphanage was sacrificing the children to some dark god on order of some village elders. She got a 30 minute head start on us..." Ulika shuddered, "...I've never seen a town burn that quickly."

Felix gulped.

"You... you hit me," Isabella said finally.

"Yeah," Mirabel said.

"You... you can't do that!" Isabella whined. "When Abuela-"

Mirabel backhanded her again.

"I don't see abuela racing off to cut my hand off," Mirabel snarled. "Abuela, abuela!" Mirabel said, throwing her hands in the air. "That's you're only excuse? Because the woman who has done nothing to belittle me, my friends, my FAMILY... who has treated all of you no better than the donkeys Luisa used to have to deal with... says that things must be a certain way then that's how it is?" She scoffed and Felix grimaced; apparently his own needling had jabbed into a swelling of pus and now it was all bursting forth thanks to Isabella applying just a bit more pressure.

"Abuela is keeping this family together! We wouldn't exist if it weren't for her! The encanto, the valley, all of us-"

"And that gives her the right to act like she does?" Mirabel demanded. "Come on, Isa, open your eyes! I was wrong about the donkeys because at least they are able to take a break!"

"We have to help the village!" Isabella snapped. "I know it is HARD for you to understand because you are running around with your band of monsters but for the rest of us we are clinging on with our fingertips! If we for one moment take a moment to breathe they will turn on us! There are a hundred of them and only a handful of us... what do you think happens when we don't give them what they want? When they decide that we aren't worth the trouble anymore? We have to show them our gifts have value so they ignore the downsides like Tia Pepa causing thunderstorms!" Isabella shook her head in annoyance. "Me blind? Can't you SEE? We aren't the ones running the valley... we are the prisoners."

"...fuck," Ulika whispered.

"Isabella," Felix said softly, taking a step forward. She was panting, her cheek red from Mirabel's strikes, and she just looked so utterly worn down. Her hair was getting in her eyes and she couldn't stand still, shifting constantly, and Felix felt like he was watching a vase on a wobbling table, wiggling back and forth, nearly falling before going the other way... but it WOULD fall. "That... that isn't true."

"It is," Isabella snapped. "Every single step, every single action... we have to plan everything out to make sure that they remain happy. That we never give them a reason to rebel."

"...how can you live like that?" Mirabel whispered. "How can you go through life every day fearing that your neighbors, the people you smile and wave at each day, will turn on you and slit your throat?"

"Oh... I manage." Isabella smirked and gave a haughty laugh. "I guess I'm stronger than you."

"Strong isn't the word I'd use," Ulika muttered.

"Isabella," Mirabel tried again.

"Don't act like you care," she said sharply. "You never did."

"I..." Mirabel's brow furrowed as she glared at her sister. "I don't love this family? I have done everything I can to HELP this family despite how you and abuela have acted! You are the one that treat me like garbage... I think I deserve a reason why."

"You think doesn't mean you are getting it," Isabella said, moving to storm away only for Mirabel to grab her by the wrist. "Let go."

"No."

"I said let go!"

"And I said no."

"I mean it!" Isabella said and the grass around them began to grow longer and sharper. Ulika cursed and took off her sword, hacking away at it while Felix did his best to find patches that wouldn't stab through his sandals. But Mirabel merely stared her sister down. "Let me go."

"No," Mirabel said. "I want to know why you keep treating me like this."

"Mirabel-"

"Isa."

"Mirabel!"

"TELL ME!"

"YOU GOT TO LEAVE!" Isabella screamed and at once the grass all drooped down. Though... not nearly as much as Isabella did. her shoulders slumped, her head dropped to her breast, and she let out ragged little gasps. "You... you got to leave and be whoever you wanted to be. The rest of us had to stay... you think I don't realize what abuela has done to all of us? How she's twisted us all into what she wants? Dios mios, I don't want to marry Marianno! I don't love him! But I HAVE to! I have to marry someone I don't love because if I don't the family might DIE!"

Felix's eyes went wide.

Isabella let out a bitter laugh and Mirabel let go of her wrist, the eldest of the grandkids falling to the ground in a boneless heap. She screwed her eyes shut and curled in on herself, rocking back and forth.

"Madra de dios," Felix managed to get out. "Isa... why didn't you-"

"The family needs its heir," Isabella said. "Mama is eldest but she isn't suited to run things so it has to be me. Abuela said so. And I have to have heirs... and I can't have that without a man. And he's the best one, I guess." She hiccupped. "So it doesn't matter what I want... I have to do my duty. So pardon me if I don't celebrate the fact that you get to do anything you want, Mirabel, without a care."

Mirabel just stared at her sister.

"You... you think... that gives you ANY RIGHT to treat me like you have!" Mirabel screamed, much to Felix's shock. Isabella's eyes snapped open and she stared at her sister but Mirabel just began to jab her finger at Isabella even as the tears fell from her eyes. "Yes, you got... a shitty lot. I don't deny that! But you are allowed to be an utter bitch to everyone because you're a coward and a bully!"

"I... I am not-"

"You don't want to get married!" Mirabel exclaimed. "OKAY! I don't care! Luisa won't care! Mama and papa won't care! The only one that cares is abuela and she's a bitter old woman! Why did you decide that HER opinion matters more than the rest of us!?" Mirabel threw her hands in the air. "And you don't have a choice? Isabella... you said it about the village! What happens when they decide they don't like what you are doing? Well what happens when YOU and the rest of the FAMILIA decide THEY don't like what ABUELA is doing!? ISA! SHE DOESN"T HAVE A GIFT! SHE IS NOTHING!"

Isabella stared at Mirabel in shock, like the very idea of rebelling against their abuela had never occurred to her.

"You... you could have come to me and told me all of this! You could have let me know... trusted me! But you didn't even try! I wrote you letters and you... you never wrote me back. Do you know how many times I asked Tio Bruno if I'd done something wrong and that's why you didn't want to talk to me? And when I got here I tried and tried to reach out to you and you just... snubbed me."

"M-Mira," Isabella whispered.

"I... am so sorry for all you went through," Mirabel said, trying to choke back her tears. "But it does not give you the right to treat me as you have." She took a breath but nearly coughed on it. "I... I want us to work this out. I want us to be a family. But right now... I don't think I can talk to you."

"...me too," Isabella whispered and only Felix saw how both sisters flinched at that confirmation that the gulf was now so deep between them that even as they sobbed they couldn't reach out.

Mirabel turned and walked away, Ulika nodding to Felix before hurrying after Mira, who despite her best efforts had began to stumble and shake. He, in turn, padded through the long grass towards Isabella, watching as the ground shifted. He sat down and wrapped an arm around her and that caused her to suddenly twist and bury her face in his shoulder and sob.

Behind them a weeping willow grew.