AUTHOR'S NOTES: Well, we're going to start this project off with a 50-ton pile of good, ol' ANGST!
This was actually one of the first headcanons I came up with for this movie because during one of my many early viewings of this movie, I took notice of Julieta's "Holy *bleep*, you're alive?!" expression when she sees Bruno at the end of the movie.
Now, a quick word about chapter format. I will be including the actual headcanons which am currently sorting through to figure out which ones DEFINITELY need chapters, which ones are my favorites (My story 'Sick Days' is based on another headcanon.), and so on.
The main headcanon list is still up so any requests, thoughts, suggestions, etc. can be put into a review.
Thank you for reading!
ENCANTO: It's All in Your Head
Headcanon: When Julieta and Pepa saw that Bruno's door had faded, Pepa assumed that their brother had run away, but Julieta thought that he had died.
X
"Pepa. Pepa! Pepa, wake up!"
Opening one eye and flicking a glance at her alarm clock, Pepa Madrigal turned to stuff her face into her husband's shoulder as she grumbled, "Unless the casita is on fire, go away, Juli."
But Julieta shook her sister's shoulder roughly, earning her a zap from a small lightning bolt from the storm cloud forming above Pepa's head. "Pepa, Bruno's door is dark!" She snapped, her tone heavy with anger and fear.
Those words made Pepa sit straight up, eyes wide as she replied, "Dark? What do you mean 'dark'?"
"I went to check on him because I overheard Mama telling Bruno she wanted him to have a vision to find out why Mirabel didn't get her door," Julieta explained, her words tumbling out as tears streamed down her cheeks. "But when I went to Bruno's tower... Pepa, the magic was gone from his door." Nervously fidgeting with the sash holding her bathrobe closed, she looked pleadingly at her sister. "Pepi, please come with me. I don't... I don't want to go in there alone."
Nodding as she slipped out of bed and donned her slippers and bathrobe, she followed her sister out of the room and down the hallway to the bottom of their brother's tower.
Looking up at the door, Pepa let out a soft gasp and the cloud above her head began dropping fat snowflakes, a sign that she was becoming more distraught than usual.
Inside the room, Julieta couldn't help the shudder that went through her as she and Pepa searched the room for any sign of Bruno.
"Pepa..." Julieta murmured, desperation in her voice as she spoke. "He... He's not here... What if - ?"
"No," Pepa retorted, sharply, shaking her head. "No, he... he left. Maybe he decided to leave the encanto. He's just... He's just gone, okay?"
But Julieta was beside herself as she pressed, "But what if he's gone gone?"
Pointing a warning finger at her sister, Pepa scowled and her cloud grew dark and thundery with sharp crackles of lightning. "Don't. Julieta, I am warning you... Do not say it."
"He's tried before..." Julieta reminded her as the pair left the tower and went down to the landing. "What if Bruno finally kill - ?"
"We're not going to talk about Bruno!" Pepa exploded, her thunder shaking the house as a storm built up outside. "He's not... He's just gone, okay?"
"Pepa, what in the world is wrong with you?" Alma Madrigal demanded to know as she strode towards her daughters, scowling. "You've woken everyone up and it's not even daylight!"
"Mama, Bruno's door is - is..." Julieta sniffled loudly, pointing at her brother's door, unable to articulate her thoughts.
Alma's eyes widened and fear clouded her face as she went up the stairs and into the tower. When she came back down several minutes later, her usual stoicism was in place and she gave Julieta a look as she declared, "We're not going to talk about Bruno anymore."
The finality of her mother's tone made Julieta gasp before a fresh wave of tears spilled down her face and she sank down onto the tower stairs.
Looking from the storm cloud above Pepa's head to the roof of the casita where heavy rain beat down upon the tiles, Alma's voice and demeanor softened as she bent down to kiss the top of Julieta's head. "It's too upsetting for your sister."
"Mama, if Bruno killed himself... it's all my fault," Julieta whispered as her mother sat down next to her, pulling her into a comforting embrace. "I didn't do enough to help him. My little brother is dead because of me."
Pepa turned away as she slumped down to sit on the floor, pulling her knees up to her chest and hugging them as she hid her face so her mother and sister couldn't see her own tears.
She hated Bruno for leaving and for hurting the family!
She hated him for being weak!
And she hated herself for not doing more to help him...
Inside and outside the casita, the thunder and lightning subsided, but it was several days before the rain finally tapered off to a steady drizzle.