Mirabellious: Double Destiny?
An Encanto Fanfic
Written by: FossilQueen1984
Author's notes: After watching Encanto on Disney+, I was curious about many subjects raised by the film, especially Mirabel's gift (or perceived lack thereof on her fifth birthday), Casita's communication's with her only(?), and what that would entail, I began to wonder what would happen if Casita somehow knew the events of the film would happen, and decided to intervene somewhat and give Mirabel a gift, a mundane, but useful gift but also…what if Bruno's plaque shattered and that got absorbed into the door, revealing a double destiny. Would Alma hold her to the same impossible standard of perfection like Isabella or a drudge like Luisa? So, the power I chose for Mirabel is…electricity!
Why electricity? Well, it can power lights, radios and the like (this is 1950's Colombia after all), and it can be used as a weapon against anyone trying to attack the village. It also requires a good amount of STEM knowledge to control safely. Also, electricity is used for defibrillators for heart attack victims, tying Mirabel to her mother's healing skills.
This story is my attempt at exploring what would happen in this case. Here are a few facts to keep in mind as you go into this story: Pedro's soul has been reincarnated as Casita and speaks to everyone, but they take this for granted as Alma ignores it. Julieta sneaks Bruno food whenever she can via his rats, and that's about it.
Mocosa means brat in Spanish, FYI.
Chapter 1: The Reveal
Bruno Madrigal had been in tears in his bedroom the morning his sobrina, Mirabel, turned five years old. His vision had shown her standing in front of Casita, the Madrigal family estate, and it was an eerie verde. Ugh, what was it with Casita cursing another child with a terrible gift, no gift at all? He could very well all the resentment and emotional abuse and neglect that would come with, his mother was a stern woman after all, and who could blame her? With trembling hands and bleary eyes in his lonely room, he and his rat friends had raged against this fate. "How could you? You are a terrible, terrible man, letting your granddaughter face this," he had railed.
Casita had heard, the floors of the room shifting, a soft song playing on the hand carved ocarina, the worn furniture moving so he could sit down and allow himself to breathe, and an opening in the floor opened, followed by a nod. Bruno could only stare, "You…you want me to feed you the prophecy? Mama is not going to like that. She'll turn Mirabel into a mini-Alma, she's already turning Isa into a proper mocosa, I can see Isa is going along with it because she's pretty like Julieta was at that age…oh well…" He sighed, and Casita tapped at his feet comfortingly. The rats turned to him, should they check on Mirabel? He nodded, so off they scampered, silently.
Upstairs on the second floor, it had been a different story altogether. Whenever a child in the madrigal family turned 5 years old, Abuela Alma would bring the candle and recite the story of how a miracle had been granted to their family and friends when the civil war of the mid 1800's had brought violence to their doorstep. Since then, the Madrigals used their gifts to help the community to grow and thrive. Alma gave birth to triplets, Julieta, Pepa and Bruno. Julieta healed people through her food, which she gave away for free. Pepa could control the weather, and she used this to help the farmers grow crops and refill the waterways that crisscrossed the areas should the border river outside their boundaries faced a drought, and Bruno had visions.
Pepa had married Felix, and Julieta had married Agustin, and they each had three children. Pepa and Felix's eldest was Delores, who could hear everything and anything. Julieta's eldest two were the twins, Isabella and Luisa, and their powers were making flowers grow and super strength respectively. They were 10 years old, and the two youngest were Mirabel and Camillo. Camillo's was Delores's younger brother, and Mirabel was the twin's younger sister. Camillo was born in January, and his power was shapeshifting into different people, and today was Mirabel's birthday!
She was sitting on a stool in the nursery as Luisa lovingly brushed her hair, "Oy, you are so cute Mira!" One more yank through the unruly curls, and it was on with the white cotton and lace dress, Mirabel beamed proudly at her gathered family members. Isa stuck her head in the door and asked, "Are you ready?" Mirabel nodded, "Si! I am ready." Giggling, she clutched at her sister's hands and beamed at the older girl's beauty, and Luisa rolled her eyes. Ugh!
As she walked towards her expectant family, the colored tiles lining the walls seemed brighter, the whole day was happier. Finally, standing at blank part at the back of the house where all the bedrooms were, Alma approached her granddaughter, "Mi hija, today you are five years old. You are Mirabel Esperanza Madrigal, today is the day you will receive Casita's blessing. Close your eyes and pray for what you want." Excitedly, Mirabel clasped her hands, her eyes crinkling behind her glasses, curls bouncing up and down with her Mary Janes.
All the adults watched as a door formed on the wall, a slimy verde but then a brilliant yellow! Flashes of lighting surrounded Mirabel and she laughed joyously at the feeling around her, phantom radios and lightbulbs floating like lanterns in the air, and perhaps most strangely of all, the candle (the family candle) appeared on Mirabel's door, with a lightning bolt etched on it, a smiling Mirabel gently holding it!
Just as suddenly at the glowing began, it stopped, and the door remained. It opened and revealed a room that seemed to be part science lab, part bedroom. Mirabel opened her eyes, "Oh wow!" Oh wow was the right phrase to say, nobody knew how to react to this. Nobody had been given such a power before, when Alma had been a young woman, electricity was only beginning to be studied in the far away cities of Chicago and New York, not in Colombia certainly. On the one hand, electricity was deadly and was dangerous. On the other hand, it could be used for useful and wonderful things to make lives better. It would a balancing act Mirabel would have to learn, but she was a bright little girl, she could easily rise to the task. The other gift they had not been expecting. Alma was not going to live forever, every good Roman Catholic knew that what they were not expecting was the announcement of a new caretaker for Casita, to make long term decisions for the community of 7,000 people and animals living in their immediate area. Why had Casita chosen Mirabel? Was electricity not enough?
As they parents began to discuss this amongst themselves, Alma decided to end the chatter. She gently knelt and smiled gently at Mirabel, "Mirabel, your electricity is a wonderful gift. You will help the villagers in many ways, and when you are older, I will teach you how to care properly for Casita." She wiped away a tear of pride, and Casita seemed to let out a sigh of relief, so far so good.
Following a new door, the child's powers were announced at the church and a grand festival was held in the child's honor. The people cheered Mirabel's new powers and she showed off, although Pepa did have to wrangle a few lightning strikes that went awry. Bruno hung around the edges, and Julieta offered him some of the ropas Viejas she and Pepa had cooked last night. "I..I shouldn't be here," he confessed quietly as the guests began to edge away. Julieta smiled kindly at him, as the only family member who ever took up for him (as did Agustin), she was about to let him take some food when Alma rushed over in a huff, clearly distressed.
"Bruno, why are you here?"
"I came to see Mira, heard she got her door today!"
"What did you see?"
"See? What…what do you mean?"
Alma grabbed him by the ear and whispered something to his hear, Bruno turned his back to her defiantly and left, taking the food with him. Julieta caught the smug look in her mother's eyes and got in her mother's face, "I don't know what you said to Bruno, but let me make something very clear. Mira will not turn into a mocosa like Isa. You did that yourself." She turned around and walked away to spend time with her husbands and daughters, who were already mugging for the cameras for the newspapers tomorrow.
Alma could only shake her head in dismay at her daughter's behavior, how could Julieta not see what she did was for the best for everyone? Did they not know what sacrifices she had made?
The only problem with Alma's argument was yes, everyone could see, and while they were grateful for what the Madrigals did for them, they were resentful of Alma wanting to have everything go in her favor. They knew her heartache, they were sympathetic, but she asked too much from her family, and gave very little in return, at least that's what the locals thought. All they could do was be supportive in what ever way they could.