When the Daaphelia finally arrived at the docks outside of the Encanto, Ella couldn't help but be amazed by its beauty. There was a forest surrounded by large mountains. It gave her some comfort, though it didn't stop her from being anxious about meeting the Madrigals. Again, Cassandra and Hans assured her that everything would be alright as they left the ship.

Wax palms towered over them as Cassandra, Hans, and Ella went over large green mountains and further into the cloud forest. At times, Ella couldn't stop looking up at them—they were the tallest trees she'd ever seen. It made her feel small in a good way. Throughout, she'd seen a cotton-top tamarin climb up a tree, heard a tunki tweet nearby, and a giant iguana crawled right in front of them. At one point, Cassandra warned Hans and Ella to watch out for jaguars and poisonous tree frogs they may come across. Still, Ella thought that this was just as beautiful as Reignlen's forest.

They stopped for a quick break from all that walking. Cassandra had sent Owl to see how much further they had to go. While they waited for him, a rustling was heard nearby that Cassandra decided to investigate. Hans and Ella were seated across on boulders, backs turned from each other.

A croaking sound caused Ella to jump up and watch a toucan flutter over towards a nearby tree. When the toucan croaked again, Vioran peaked out of Hans' satchel and growled at it without warning.

After Hans firmly scolded Vioran, they turned to see Cassandra back in front of them. "It was just a couple of coatis." Owl flew towards them, hooting. Cassandra held out her arm for him. "Are we getting close?" Owl nodded, hooting. "They are?" Owl nodded. "Then I'm sure that we'll run into them. Good work, Owl."

Hans rose from the boulder. "What did he say?"

"We're not far from the town, we just have to keep going straight," Cassandra answered. Vioran and Owl eyed each other. "The Madrigals are out in town; we'll have to keep an eye out for them."

"How does he know?" Ella asked. A hummingbird flew over her head. "Did he see them?"

"Owl met Alma's grandson, Antonio, and he told him," Cassandra answered. "Antonio also told him that they knew that we arrived. His sister, Dolores, told Alma."

Ella wondered how Dolores knew that they were there. She didn't recall seeing anyone when the Daaphelia docked. She was about to ask Cassandra this when Vioran and Owl hissed at each other. Owl was just about to fly over towards Vioran until Cassandra stopped him.

"No, Vioran," Hans said sternly. "He's a friend. You will not attack him."

Cassandra narrowed her eyes, crossing her arms. "I still don't know if it's a good idea for you to bring him with us."

"I understand, Cassandra, but frankly, he's better off coming with us than staying behind on the Daaphelia," Hans commented. Vioran jumped towards a tree. "Remember, I accidentally signaled him back in the Southern Isles. I'm afraid that it might happen again. He should stay with me until I learn how to signal him. Besides, I don't think the Madrigals would mind."

"From what I heard of Alma, she might." Cassandra sighed and shook her head. "We'll deal with it when we get there. Just make sure he stays by you."

"Vioran, get back here," Hans said firmly. Vioran camouflaged as he climbed further up the tree. "Now!"

A thud nearby gave them pause. The only sounds were the chattering and rustling of the forest until some footsteps began shuffling their way, causing Cassandra to quickly pull out her sword.

"Venga ya!" a young girl's voice exclaimed. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

"Do you mean harm?" Hans asked.

"No, of course not," the girl said.

Cassandra slightly lowered her sword. She almost let her guard down but stood straight. "Show yourself."

A young girl with curly chin-length hair, blue pom pom earrings, and lime green glasses stepped out from behind the tree, her mochila bag swinging back and forth. Her white blouse and teal skirt had butterfly stitching and embroidery.

The girl kept her hands in the air. "See? I'm harmless. You have nothing to worry about."

Ella narrowed her eyes and saw that the girl had a name written on her waistband. "Mirabel."

Cassandra put away her sword. "Oh, I'm sorry, Mirabel. I wasn't sure if you were a thief or anything."

"Jeez, I thought you were gonna get me with that!" Mirabel sighed in relief, wrapping her fingers around the strap of her bag. "And no worries. You don't have to worry about any of that here."

"Is anyone with you?" Cassandra asked.

"It's just me," Mirabel answered. "I saw Antonio talking to an owl and he told me that you were arriving so I decided to come help you."

Ella batted her eyelashes a few times. "Do you know them? The Madrigals?"

"Sure do." Mirabel smiled. "I'm only part of the amazing Madrigals."

Ella quickly curtseyed. "It's an honor to meet you."

"You must be Ella," Mirabel said, coming closer. "And Prince Hans. And Cassandra." Vioran became visible again as he paused, looking at Mirabel. "I'm so happy that you all could—"

"Look out!" Hans yelled, lunging forward.

As Vioran leaped towards Mirabel, Hans jumped between them, pushing Mirabel to the ground before his dragon could reach her. Mirabel's glasses fell off as she reached the ground. Vioran hit Hans' chest, nearly knocking him to the ground. Mirabel reached for her glasses on the ground, causing Cassandra to race over. Ella stood there, unable to move. Should she help Hans or help Cassandra with Mirabel? Either way, there wasn't much she could do, which frustrated her even more.

As Vioran jumped to the ground, Hans towered over him, forcing his dragon to look up at his master. Hans shot a stern frown down at him, causing him to slightly lower his head.

"You will not do that again, Vioran," Hans said sternly. Cassandra handed Mirabel her glasses. "She's only trying to help us. You will not attack anyone again. Do you understand?" Vioran let out a small roar and went over towards Hans. "Good. I know you'll get better." He solemnly looked to Mirabel who stood there, awe-struck at his dragon. "I'm sorry. He's not used to being around people. He's working on it."

"It's okay," Mirabel said, still looking at Vioran. "Is that a dragon? I've never seen one before. I wonder if Antonio could talk to him."

"You don't know if he could?" Cassandra asked.

"We don't have dragons in the Encanto," Mirabel answered. "My family and I have never been outside our home." She gently waved to Vioran who tilted his head. "Hola, I'm Mirabel."

After a minute, Vioran let out a small roar and smiled at Mirabel. Hans gently stroked him before he turned to Mirabel. "I'm taking him with us. You and your family won't mind?"

"Oh, he's welcome." Mirabel smiled. "My familia will be surprised, but I know they'll love him. Dolores probably told Abuela about him already. How did you find him?"

As Hans and Cassandra explained to Mirabel about Vioran, Ella folded her arms and turned in another direction. She should've done something. Mirabel could've gotten hurt thanks to her cowardness.

"It's okay, Ella," Hans said softly. Ella turned and saw that Hans, Cassandra, and Mirabel were looking back at her. At first, she wondered what he was talking about until she saw Mirabel covering her arms, shivering, and felt the decreasing temperature around her. Hans stood in front of her and gently laid his hand on her shoulder. "It'll be alright."

"He's right, Ella," Cassandra assured. "You'll be fine."

Ella took a few deep breaths as she sat on a boulder until the temperature went back to normal. She bowed her head in shame. "I'm sorry."

What would the Madrigals think of her magic when she exposed it? She expected Mirabel to be afraid of her, but instead, she bent down to her. "You have nothing to be sorry for. Why are you apologizing?"

"You know why. Don't you think I'm a monster?"

Mirabel shook her head. "Of course not. Why would you think that?"

Was she not aware of the potential harm that her magic could do? "My powers are dangerous; I could've harmed someone. I could've hurt you. I would never forgive myself if I killed someone." She slowly stood from the boulder. "If you think that I'm too dangerous for you and your family, I understand. I can go and you'll never have to see me again."

For a long minute, Mirabel stood there speechless. Ella was about to leave until Mirabel finally spoke. "Gosh, I've never thought of it that way. Since I didn't get my gift, I always wanted to have powers just like the rest of my family. For so many years, I waited for a miracle."

"You mean. . ."

"Yes." Mirabel nodded. "I'm the only Madrigal kid with no gift. I was treated differently because of it."

"I know how you feel," Hans said softly. "Being the youngest and the only one in my family with powers made me different, except I know you made better choices then I did."

"Was that why you. . ."

Mirabel must've heard about his crimes in Arendelle. Hans nodded and said, "Yes."

"Well, kid, I didn't make good choices when I had powers," Cassandra sighed, looking to the ground. "If I could take that back, I would."

"Does that bother you, Mirabel?" Ella asked. "That you don't have a gift."

Mirabel smiled. "Not anymore. I'm just as special as the rest of my family. And so are you."

"You mean it?" Ella asked. "Even if my magic could hurt someone?"

"I don't think that makes you or anyone a monster," Mirabel said. She then turned to Hans and Cassandra. "And I don't think our mistakes define us for the rest of our lives." She nodded her head towards the path she's come from. "Come on. I'll show you around town and bring you to Casita."

Hans gave Ella a reassuring smile, causing her to give one back to him before they followed Mirabel.

"What about your family?" Ella asked. "What would they think?"

Mirabel glanced over her shoulder with a smile. "Don't worry."

They followed Mirabel until at last, they came across a beautiful town with cobblestone streets and amazing architecture. The buildings were covered in bougainvillea and other flora. Ella noticed that a lot of the citizens wore ponchos. As they followed Mirabel further into the village, she would stop and show them around. They had yet to find her family, though they were sure that they would run into them at some point.

They eventually entered the plaza where Mirabel started to show them around. She was anxious to meet them and hoped that they were just as kind and compassionate as Mirabel.

Ella froze, crossing her arms, looking down at the ground. Hans gently placed his hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay, Ella?"

Ella nodded. "I'm just nervous."

"It'll be okay," Hans said. He gently ushered her towards Mirabel and Cassandra. "Come on. It won't be bad, I promise. This visit will be better than the Southern Isles."

"That reminds me, how have you been doing?"

"What do you mean?"

"The way your family treated you," Ella answered softly. "They treated you worse than me."

For a moment, Hans was quiet, not taking his gaze off her. His green eyes were soft and gentle. "I didn't think you would ask me that."

"Of course, I would." She reflected on seeing him cry in the garden right before he took her to the docks. "If only you could see how broken you were. No one deserves that."

"It still hurts, but I'll be fine."

Without warning, something ran straight towards them, knocking both to the ground. Their bodies ached from the hard ground. A bray was heard as trotting continued past them.

"Hey, that's not nice, Diego!" a woman's voice yelled. A tall, muscular woman bent down towards them. Her hair was braided to one side and tied into a bun. She wore a white short-sleeved shirt with a red ribbon and a long indigo skirt with free weights embroidered on it. "I'm sorry about that. Let me help you up."

Ella and Hans took the woman's hands. She easily pulled them up, putting them back on their feet. Ella was in awe of the woman's ease. The bray caused her to glance over her shoulder, where a donkey was trotting around.

"Are you okay?" the woman asked as Diego raced past the other donkeys.

Ella and Hans nodded as Mirabel and Cassandra went over to them. "Lusia! I'm glad we found you! These are our guests." Mirabel introduced Ella, Hans, and Cassandra to her. "And this is my older sister, Luisa."

"Nice to meet you. Welcome to Encanto." Luisa smiled. They greeted each other as Hans peeked in his satchel. "Again, I'm sorry about Diego. He gets excited when new people arrive."

"Don't worry about it," Hans said. The incident must've reminded him of Vioran. "It's fine."

"What's he doing out here anyway?" Cassandra asked, watching Diego race over to a short, heavy-set man with a mustache.

"Oh, Osvaldo is throwing a party and he asked me and Isa to help," Lusia answered. "After we helped set up the decorations, the donkeys were knocking over some of them and the plants, so Isa offered to fix the plants and I offered to take the donkeys to the barn."

Mirabel looked over her shoulders. "Isabela's around?"

Luisa nodded. "She's not that far behind. She'll catch up." Some of the braying caused Ella to turn to the donkeys. There looked to be about ten of them. She wondered how Luisa brought so many of them here. "I hope you'll have a great visit here. I'm happy to help you with anything you want."

"Disculpe?" a middle-aged woman in a poncho asked, coming over to them. "Have any of you seen my cat, Benito? I can't find him."

"We'll help, Maria," Mirabel said. "When was the last time you saw him?"

As Maria was about to answer, they were alerted by a sudden meow. More meows came and Ella followed them until she noticed they were coming from underneath a large wagon. She bent down and, through the wheel, she could see an orange cat lying on the ground.

Ella glanced over her shoulder at Maria. "Is Benito orange?" Maria nodded. "I found him!" As the group started to make their way towards her, Ella gently held her arm out towards Benito but couldn't reach him. "Here kitty kitty kitty," she called gently. Benito glanced at her before turning away from her. She gently called him again, yet he still ignored her. Ella glanced over her shoulder. "He's not moving."

Hans was about to come forward but his satchel moved so he froze and tried to calm Vioran quietly. Mirabel bent down and reached her arm towards Benito. "Hey, Benito," she said quietly. "It's okay." Benito glanced over at them. "Hey, why don't you come out? Your mamá wants you." Benito started to stand, but quickly sat back down.

"Is everything alright?" Cassandra asked.

"I think he might be hurt," Mirabel said. "He tried to get up, but he couldn't. We have to get him out of there."

"I'll help," Luisa said, coming over towards the wagon. "You should stand back."

Ella wondered what she meant as Mirabel gestured for her to obey. Luisa lifted the wagon, causing Ella's eyes to widen. Benito peered up at Luisa as Mirabel gently picked him up.

"Wow!" Cassandra exclaimed. "Impressive! Is this your gift?"

Luisa nodded. "Yes. And in case you're wondering, that was how I got the donkeys over here. You got him, sis?" After Mirabel nodded, Luisa put down the wagon. "There we go."

Cassandra gave Luisa an impressed look. "Nice. Here let me show you something."

After she pulled her sword out, she took an apple out of her satchel and tossed it in the air. She moved her arms back as the apple flew up. When the apple plummeted towards the ground, Cassandra swung her sword towards the fruit. Her blade sliced through the apple, creating several slices.

"Amazing!" Luisa exclaimed. "How long did it take you to learn that?"

As Cassandra and Luisa continued their conversation, Hans gestured to Vioran in his satchel, quietly calming him down.

"Is he okay?" Maria asked, gently taking Benito from Mirabel. "Is he hurt?"

"I think his leg's broken," Mirabel guessed. "He was having a hard time getting up." She gently patted Benito's head. "You poor thing."

"Mirabel! Luisa!" a young boy exclaimed, causing the group to spin.

A young child with curly black hair, riding on a jaguar racing over towards them. As he reached them, Ella noticed that there were animals embroidered on his orange vest. Hans gently pulled his satchel closer to him.

Mirabel gestured to Ella, Hans, and Cassandra to the boy. "This is my cousin, Antonio."

Antonio leaped off his jaguar. "You found them!" After Mirabel introduced him to Ella, Hans, and Cassandra, Owl leaped towards him, hooting. "Hi, Owl!" Owl hooted in reply. "Yes, you're welcome to our Casita too! You can even hang out in my room if you want!"

Did he just speak to him?

"Ah, you're just the person I'm looking for," Maria said, bringing Banito closer to him. Owl flew towards Cassandra. "He's hurt. Can you tell what happened to him?"

"Yes." Antonio patted the cat's head. "Are you okay? What happened?"

Ella gaped as she watched him communicate with the cat. The way he spoke to him was like he could understand everything he was saying. He would probably talk with Rollins back in Reignlen.

"That's horrible," Antonio said to the cat. "At least you're okay. I hope you'll heal soon."

"What happened?" Maria asked.

"Benito was chasing after some of Tio Bruno's rats again," Antonio began. "They got away from him, but he fell and broke his leg in José's garden. He tried to get back to you, but he couldn't go far, so he rested under the wagon."

"Oh, my baby," Maria cooed, petting Benito's head. "I'm so sorry. Don't worry, I'll take you to Santiago and he'll help you. Gracias, Antonio. I appreciate it."

"De nada." Antonio smiled. "And don't chase after Tio Bruno's rats again, Benito."

Maria gently petted Benito as she strolled away from the group. Ella stood there in amazement."You can talk to animals?" Ella asked. "That's your gift?"

"Yes, I just got it on my last birthday," Antonio answered.

"You should see his room." Mirabel smiled.

The sound of cursing nearby caused the group to turn in the direction of the source.

"That must be José," Luisa said. José's complaints were heard again. "We should go to him." A donkey raced towards José's voice, but Luisa scooped it up like it was nothing before it could reach the garden. "No, you don't!" She picked up three more donkeys. Ella was amazed by her strength.

A tall man with grey streaks in his hair came over to them. "Ah, Lusia. Can you help me put some crates on my wagon? My son was supposed to help, but I don't know where he went."

Luisa was just about to put the donkeys down when Hans stepped forward to the man. "I'll help. That way we won't have to worry about the donkeys running off again." After the man thanked him, Hans told the others that he'd catch up with them later.

The group passed by a couple of houses until they stopped in front of an open garden with a man looking down at it in despair. Pots were broken, plants were either tossed around or ruined, and flowers were strewn across the ground. José shook his head, cursing to himself.

"Señor José," Mirabel said, bringing his attention. "Are you okay?"

"S í, if you're not counting my garden!" José snapped. "Lo siento, I'm just frustrated. This took me all summer to plan. Now, I'm going to have to start all over."

"Oh, I can fix that," a young woman's voice said.

Cheers followed. Ella glanced over her shoulder in time to see a beautiful young woman swinging on a vine over her head. She had long shiny black hair with blue and green tips and an orange anthurium flower over her right ear. Her bright indigo dress had red-orange smears with green at the bottom and multicolored flowers. Cheers continued as the woman swung towards José's garden. Her hair blew with the wind as she bowed her head down.

"Who's that?" Ella asked.

"That's our oldest sister, Isabela," Mirabel answered.

Isabela held her arm out above the garden as she swung in a circular motion. Snake plants, corn, jade plants, flamingo flowers, orchids, avocado trees, and mango trees sprouted all over, replacing the damaged ones. When she reached the end of the garden, Isabela slowly slid down her vine to the ground.

Cheers could be heard as José went over to his new garden. He looked down at it in admiration. Isabela tossed her hair over her shoulder and asked, "What do you think, José? Is it just like it was before?"

"It's even better!" José exclaimed. "Thank you, Isabela!"

"Oh, it's nothing." Isabela smiled.

Once the cheers died down, the citizens went back to their business. Isabela spotted Luisa and went over to their group. Her hair still flowed in the wind, causing Ella to wonder if she ever had a bad hair day.

"Luisa, I fixed Osvaldo's plants," Isabela said. "I'll help you take the—" She noticed Ella and Cassandra. "Who's this?"

"Oh, Isa, these are our guests," Mirabel said. As they greeted each other, Ella noticed that Isabela had a small beauty mark on her left cheek. "They came from Reignlen."

Isabela gave them a smile. "Nice to meet you." She flipped her hand and a small cactus formed. "Here's something to welcome you. It's not perfect, but it'll still be a nice touch to your room when you get back."

Ella slowly and carefully took the cactus. It would look nice in her room. She could put it next to her window or on her vanity. "It's great, thank you."

"I'm glad to see you're not being "Señorita Perfecta," Mirabel chuckled. Isabela chuckled as well. "Maybe you can make me a cactus later?"

Cassandra smiled. "I think you would like my friend, Rapunzel. If she still had her Sundrop flower, I'd imagine the two of you would go swinging together."

"Maybe you could bring her here with you?" Isabela asked with a smile. "I can always create another vine for her."

"I'll have to write to her. She would love to come here."

Footsteps came behind them and Ella turned in time to see Hans approach them. "Alright, I'm back. Who is this?"

"Hans, this is our oldest sister, Isabela," Mirabel began, gesturing to her sister. "Isabela this is—"

"Wait, you're Prince Hans?" Isabela asked, her demeanor shifting like a flash of lighting. "I've heard of you! You tried to kill the Queen of Arendelle! What's he doing here?"

Hans shot a frown at her. "I came with Ella and Cassandra. I've been helping Ella with her magic."

"You're not teaching her how to take over a kingdom, are you?" Isabela asked, crossing her arms.

"Of course not."

"Isa, it's okay," Mirabel assured. "He's friendly. He's not going to harm anyone."

"How do you know he's not lying?" Isabela asked, leaning towards him. "He could be pretending—"

"Calm down, princess," Hans said irritably. "I am not pretending."

As Hans and Isabela continued their quarrel, Antionio turned to Lusia and asked, "That's Prince Hans Westerguard? The one Mami threw a fit about?"

"Yeah, Antonio," Luisa answered. She watched as Mirabel got in between Hans and Isabela, trying to calm them down. "Tia Pepa almost put her foot down until Abuela overruled. She would've caused a hurricane if Tio Felix hadn't calmed her down. I can't imagine what she's going to do when she sees him."

Another donkey raced by them until Lusia grabbed it and threw it on top of the other donkeys she carried. "Okay, I have to get the donkeys to the barn. Isabela and I will meet you at the casita."

"I'll help too," Ella said, stepping forward.

"That's a good idea," Mirabel said. "We'll all help. We'll bring the donkeys back to the barn and then we'll go to the casita. Sound good?"

"Sounds great," Isabela said, swinging her hair into Hans' face. Hans frowned at her as he wiped some flowers from his face. "We can all chip in."

As the group followed the donkeys, Cassandra leaned towards Ella. "I knew he should've left his dragon back at the ship."

"Why do you say that?" Ella whispered back.

"If Isabela and Pepa weren't thrilled about Hans coming, how do you think they're going to react when they see his dragon?" Cassandra shook her head. "This is not going to end well."

Once they helped Luisa gather the donkeys in the barn, the group knew that it was time to head to the casita. Mirabel, Luisa, Isabela, and Antonio continued to show them around. Throughout, Ella kept wondering what this casita would look like. She doubted it would be a castle, but was it a manor? Perhaps a mansion? With how powerful the Madrigals were, there was no doubt that their home was nice.

After they turned the corner, Hans' satchel shook, causing him to gesture to his dragon. Ella noticed this and went over to him. "How is he?"

"He just got spooked," Hans answered. Ella removed her left glove and gently stroked Vioran. "It's okay, Vioran."

"Hey," Mirabel said. "Is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine, Mirabel." Hans reached into his satchel and stroked Vioran's head. "Are we getting closer to your casita?"

Mirabel nodded. "We're not that far now."

Just then, a thud was heard, causing Ella and Hans to follow Mirabel towards the source of the sound. After they turned the corner, they saw a tall and slender man with glasses and a pencil-thin mustache scrambling to pick up piles of wood that spilled on the ground.

"Ah, Miraboo!" the man exclaimed. "I was wondering where you were."

"Hey, Papi!" Mirabel said. "I was bringing our guests here." After she introduced Ella and Hans to him, she turned to them. "Ella, Hans, this is my dad, Agustín."

"Ah, you must be our visitors from Reignlen." Agustín smiled. "I'm glad you could make it. I know you'll love it here in Encanto."

"Do you need any help, sir?" Hans asked.

Agustín tripped. After they asked if he was alright, he nodded and scrambled to his feet, placing the wood next to him. "I got it."

A concerned expression formed on Mirabel's face. "Uh, Papi? You're next to a beehive. You could get stung again."

"Don't worry, I'll be fine," Agustín assured. He put a log on the block and picked up a hatchet. "It'll be okay. I'll get it right this time."

"Where's Mirabel, Hans, and Ella?" Antonio's voice asked nearby. "They didn't leave without us, did they?"

"Oops, I'll tell them we're here," Ella declared.

Ella turned the corner in time to see Cassandra, Luisa, Isabela, and Antonio heading towards her.

"Where have you been?" Cassandra asked.

"We just met Agustín."

"You met our father?" Isabela asked. She glanced behind him. "You didn't leave Hans alone with him, did you?"

"No, Mirabel's with him. She and Hans are helping him."

"It's okay, Isa," Luisa assured. "I'm sure Hans won't cause any harm—"

A scream caused the group to jump and turn around. The sound was followed by Mirabel and Hans asking Agustín if he was alright. Isabela and Luisa yelled "Papi!" at the same time as Antonio yelled "Tio Agustín!"

Cassandra raced towards Agustín . "Come on! We should see if he's alright!"

They turned the corner in time to see the new scene. The hatchet was on the ground. Agustín was swollen and covered in bee stings. Mirabel and Hans were checking on him.

Without hesitation, Isabela and Lusia raced towards their father. "Papi!"

Agustín looked up in time to see his two older daughters embrace him, causing Ella to wonder if she had ever embraced her father. After giving them an assuring pat on the shoulders, Agustín said, "I'm okay."

"You're not okay!" Isabela said, backing away from him. "You know you're allergic to bees! We have to take you to Mamá!"

Cassandra crossed her arms. "What happened?"

"He swung his ax into that beehive," Hans explained. He looked back to Agustín. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"We just have to take him to Mamá," Mirabel said. "She'll heal him."

"Is there anything we can do for you, sir?" Cassandra asked.

"Don't worry about it," Agustín said. "I'll just get the hatchet and—"

"Sorry, Pa, but I don't think you should take the hatchet," Mirabel said.

Ella went over to the hatchet. "I'll get it."

Ella picked the hatchet off the ground. She froze when she felt a sharp pinch on her bare hand, forcing her to drop the hatchet. She looked down at a red mark on her hand. Some of her ice layered around the sting automatically. She was lucky that she didn't release any more of her magic.

"Ella, are you okay?" Cassandra asked.

"I'm fine. I just got stung."

"You're not allergic, are you?" Antonio asked.

"I don't think so."

"We'll take you to Mamá," Luisa declared, picking up the hatchet after checking for bees. "She'll help."

Eventually, they came across a square three-story building with Spanish roof tiles. The outer walls had many small balconies. There was a tall tower that sparked Ella's interest the most. What was it used for? Was it someone's room? If so, whose? As they came closer to it, Ella could tell that the house had been recently built, and she noticed that the large front door had an image of all the Madrigals in wood and a golden doorknob with an M.

Mirabel turned to Elsa, Hans, and Cassandra. "This is Casita."

Ella looked up at it in awe. "It's beautiful."

Tapping sounds caused Ella to furrow her eyebrows until she saw the window sills opening and closing.

"Hola, Casita." Mirabel smiled. "We're home now and our new friends are here."

The roof tiles moved up and down excitedly. How was this house alive? Was it enchanted? Was Mirabel controlling the house? Was—Ella's body was suddenly jerked towards the house along with everyone else. She looked down at the ground and it was the stone tiles. She heard the Madrigals laugh as they moved closer to the door. The door opened, allowing the group into the house.

When the tiles stopped, Ella was even more impressed. They were inside a large, roofless courtyard. There was a beautiful fountain on the far wall, a long balcony overlooking the courtyard, and a single stairway going between the second floor to the ground floor. A picture of a young, handsome man hung over the stairway. When Ella looked up at the second floor again, she noticed that there were rows of bedrooms with their owners' names, depicting images of them, surrounded by golden glows.

A man walked in, a bright yellow guayabera fit loosely over his shoulders, despite his stocky build.

"Tio Felix!" Mirabel exclaimed, racing over towards him with Hans and Cassandra following behind. Felix just stood there. "Our new friends are here. Hey, have you seen mom by any chance? Dad and Ella need to see her."

"Camilo!" a voice yelled. Felix turned and began heading over towards another Felix. "Stop pretending to be me! This is the third time this week!"

The first Felix transformed into a young, teenage boy with curly dark auburn hair and freckles. "Come on! I'm just having some fun!" Antonio laughed, causing Camilo to smile. "There's nothing wrong with that!"

"Excuse me," Hans began, stepping forward. "Do you know where we could find Julieta? Agustín and Ella need to—"

When Felix noticed Hans, he gave him a disapproving look and turned away from him.

Camilo gave Cassandra a puzzling look. "That's her? She looks old!"

"Old?! I'm not even thirty!" Cassandra snapped, her eyebrows raising.

"Really? You don't look—"

Felix shot a frown at his son. Cassandra was about to go towards him when Hans grabbed ahold of her. "Calm down, Cassandra. We're not here to start trouble."

"No, this is Ella," Luisa said. Ella stepped forward to them, folding her hands and looking at her feet."It's okay."

Ella nervously looked up at the family. Again, they didn't seem to be afraid of her.

"Tia Julieta just went in the kitchen," a low whisper said behind her, causing her to jump.

Ella spun around to see a young girl with a big red bow on top of her hair.

"You saw her?" Ella asked.

"She just came in the door," the girl said. She spoke so low Ella could barely hear her. "She's preparing Bandeja paisa for dinner. She opened the cabinet and got out recipes. She just gave one of Tio Bruno's rats a buñuelo." She let out a flute-like squeak as she shrugged her shoulders.

"Gracias, Dolores," Agustín said, strolling over towards Ella. "Ella and I will head to the kitchen now."

A crash of thunder caused some of them to jump. At first, Ella wondered if there would be lighting until she caught a glimpse of the bright weather outside a window. She furrowed her eyebrows as she felt tiny raindrops pelting her. A strong wind nearly blew her skirt up as strands of hair got in her face.

"You! You shouldn't be here!"

Ella looked up to see a woman with a cloud hovering over her head, rain drenching her. The cloud followed her as she stomped over towards Hans.

"I beg your pardon, señora?" Hans asked.

Antonio intervened. "Mami, he's not going to—"

The woman went past her son and came to a halt right in front of Hans. "What makes you think that you can show up here? Do you really think that you can roam free after what you did in Arendelle? Oh, I know who you are! I don't know why you're here in the first place, but if you're up to anything, I'll know!"

"Tia Pepa!" Mirabel exclaimed. "He's not going to hurt anyone!"

"Oh, how do you know, Mirabel?" Pepa exclaimed, angry rain pouring over her, Camilo, and Antonio. "Look what almost happened in Arendelle!"

"Miss, I can assure you, I'm not scheming. I came here with Ella and Cassandra. I'm helping Ella—"

Pepa fisted her hips and leaned towards him, their noses nearly touching. "Really? You're not using her for one of your cons?!"

At the same time, Mirabel and Luisa yelled "Tia Pepa!" while Antonio exclaimed, "Mami, he's not up to anything!"

"I don't know why Mamá let you come!" Pepa ranted, wagging a finger at him. Her cloud towered over him, drenching him. "But if you do anything, I'm going to—"

"You're getting our sons all wet," Felix said gently, gesturing to their sons.

Pepa froze, backing away from Hans as her cloud disappeared. She stepped back till she reached Felix and smiled as he gently laid his hand on her shoulder. The wind died down and the rain went away. Ella looked around as everything went back to normal.

Cassandra leaned her head towards Ella. "That's kind of like you, Ella." Before Ella could say anything, Cassandra gently ushered her towards Pepa. "I'm Cassandra. I am Captain of the Guard in Reignlen, and this is Ella. I brought her and Hans here, so there's nothing to worry about."

"Well, I certainly hope there isn't," an older woman's voice said as footsteps came down the stairs. "I doubt King Edgar and Queen Heidi would send him here if there were."

They turned to see an elderly woman with small pearl earrings reach the last step and stroll over toward them with a warm smile and folded hands. She was dressed in a long maroon dress with butterflies and a chatelaine belt with two pocket watches and a key.

"Abuela," said Mirabel with her sisters and cousins.

Ella nervously stood straight as Alma came closer to them. This was the matriarch of the Madrigals? The leader of this town? Part of the reason why Heidi hadn't come back to the Encanto for a while? Despite hearing that she had changed her ways, it still didn't help Ella with her anxiety. So far, she seemed friendly, but would she think that her magic was a threat to her community? Her family? Would—Ella felt the temperature starting to decrease and she quickly calmed herself down.

"Welcome to our Encanto," Alma greeted. "I'm glad that you could make it. I hope that you had a safe trip?"

Hans adjusted his satchel. "Other than the storm and the Southern Isles, our trip has been fine."

Ella curtsied. "It's an honor to meet you, Señora. My name is Ella." She slowly rose, looking at the matriarch. "I hope that my magic won't be too much for you and your family."

"I'm sure you don't have anything to worry about, my dear." Alma smiled. "Our community has been helping each other out for over fifty years and has remained strong since. We'll be honored to help you."

"Are you aware of what I can do?"

Alma nodded. "Queen Heidi told me about your powers in her letter." Ella was about to bow her head until she continued. "She also told me that you saved a ship from pirates and Princess Namaari at a party. I believe that you have potential with your magic. You just have to gain confidence and we will be willing to help."

A small smile formed on Ella's face. "Thank you, Señora. You have no idea how grateful I am. Your granddaughter has been a great help."

"I knew she would be." Alma smiled, looking at Mirabel.

"Uh. . .Tio Agustín, did you get stung again?" Camilo asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, that reminds me," Agustín said. A rat scurried in front of them. "Ella and I need to see Julieta in the kitchen."

As Hans' satchel moved, Cassandra quickly said, "Señora, would it be alright if someone could show us to our rooms? I think we should start unpacking. We've been carrying our luggage for a while and there are some things we would like to put away. Don't you think so, Hans?"

"Yes, Cassandra." Hans adjusted his satchel. "That would be a good idea."

"You don't have to hide anything," Dolores said. "Some of us already know about Vioran."

Hans froze, sighing while Cassandra groaned and shook her head at him. Suddenly, Vioran leaped out of Hans' satchel and raced after the rat. While Hans scolded his dragon and ordered him to come back, Pepa screamed and a hurricane appeared. Felix, Agustín, Luisa, and Camilo screamed while Isabela muttered a comment about Hans and Antonio stared at Vioran in astonishment.

The rat was just about to jump on the stairs when Vioran grabbed ahold of him, causing some of the Madrigals to gasp. Hans again ordered Vioran to release the rat to no avail. Just as the dragon opened his mouth, Hans quickly took off one of his gloves, and a flame formed in his hand. Vioran froze before turning his head to his keeper.

"Vioran, let him go," Hans said in a firm manner. "Vadat."

For a moment, Vioran was still until he brought the rat closer to his mouth.

"Vadat," Hans ordered. "Vadat."

Finally, Vioran dropped the rat, still looking at his owner. The rat scurried up the stairs in fear. Ella's hair got in her eyes, keeping her from seeing where the rat went.

"I knew it!" Pepa snapped over the roaring hurricane. Hans' flame died and he put his glove back on. "I knew it! You've been planning this, haven't you?! You're going to set the whole Encanto on fire, aren't you!"

"Absolutely not, señora," Hans said, trying to stay calm. He gestured to his gloves. "Why do you think I have gloves on? So, that won't happen."

"Pepa, calm down!" Alma ordered. "There's a hurricane!"

"I know, Mamá!" Pepa yelled, throwing her arms in the air. "But I can't help it! This man is setting fires and is going to feed us to his dragon!"

"Of course not!" Hans snapped. "I—"

"Then why did you bring your dragon here?"

Cassandra shook her head. "I told you that you should've left him on the Daaphelia, Hans."

"Cassandra," Hans said before he turned back to Pepa. "I had to bring him with me. I'm trying to train him."

Isabela crossed her arms. "How do we know you're not lying?"

Mirabel held her arms up and got in the middle of everyone. "Everyone, it's okay. He's friendly. He won't hurt anyone."

"Really? Then why did Hans hide the dragon?" Isabela asked.

As Hans broke into an argument with her, Antonio bent down towards Vioran. Ella and Cassandra kept an extra eye on the dragon, hoping that he wouldn't attack the boy. Vioran tilted his head at Antonio before he smiled. After smiling back, Antonio gently patted him.

"Antonio, get away from him!" Felix yelled.

"It's okay. He's not going to hurt anyone," Antonio said. "Look."

Antonio petted Vioran again and laughed after the dragon let out a squeal. Ella, Luisa, and Mirabel bent down and gently patted him. Luisa gestured for Isabela to join in, and she went over to them. A smile formed on her face after she petted Vioran.

Camilo towered over the dragon. "Cool! Can I pet him?"

After Hans nodded, Camilo bent down and joined in the petting.

"See? He's a nice dragon," Mirabel said.

Pepa didn't seem convinced. "For now, he is because he's a baby. How does he know he's not going to—"

Felix gently placed his hand on Pepa's shoulder and the cloud went away.

Alma strolled towards Hans. "Young man, I understand why you brought him, but are you sure that you can keep your dragon under control?

"Yes, señora," Hans answered. "He is my responsibility and I will make sure that he will not harm anyone. I'll watch him like a hawk."

"Very well," Alma said. "I'll take your word. I hope that you can keep your promise." She glanced over to Dolores. "Dolores, when are the Guzmans coming?"

Dolores tilted her head in the direction of the door and was silent for a moment. "They'll be here in a few hours."

"Wonderful," Alma said. "We'll make sure that everything will be ready for dinner. I'm sure that Bruno will be done by then."

"Where is Tio Bruno anyway?" Mirabel asked.

"While you went to get our guests," Alma began, "we had just come back to Casita when Emmanuel asked Bruno if he could give him a vision, so he took him to his tower."

So the tower was Bruno's room. Ella was very interested in Bruno and wondered what he could do.

"So far, it sounds like everything is going well," Dolores said.

"Good," Alma said. "Mirabel, do you think you can show our guests to their rooms?"

"Yes." Mirabel smiled. "I'll also check on Bruno to see if he needs any help."

"Ella and I should go see Julieta," Agustín declared. "I'll take her to the kitchen."

"I'll carry your suitcase to your room," Luisa said.

"That would be good," Alma said. "Again, welcome to Encanto."

As Ella followed Agustín to the kitchen, she glanced up at all of the rooms above the stairs. What could Bruno do?

"Are you enjoying your trip here so far?" Agustín asked.

Ella turned her head towards him with a nod. "Your family's nice, especially your daughter. She's been a big help to us."

"I knew she would be." Agustín smiled, not paying attention to where he was going. "Mirabel's always thinking of our familla and other people."

Before Ella could warn him, he walked straight into a shelf, knocking down some books. She gently placed her hand on his shoulder and asked, "Are you alright?"

"I'll be fine," Agustín said. "I'll—" He stepped on a book and fell backward to the ground. After confirming that he was okay, he helped Ella put the books back on the shelf. Once they were finished, Agustín led Ella further towards the kitchen. "Don't worry, Julieta will heal you in no time. How are you holding up?"

"Yes, but my injury is nothing compared to yours. Are you okay?"

"I'm okay. I'm quite used to this actually," Agustín said. "But I wouldn't change a thing about it."

"So, you have no regrets?"

"Other than getting hurt, no." Agustín smiled. "If I wasn't so accident prone, I wouldn't have met Julieta."

As they approached the kitchen, Ella couldn't help but admire what he told her. She was amazed that he embraced his flaws because it had led him to the love of his life and the mother of his children.

"And if Heidi weren't a tightrope walker," Agustín began, "she would not have met Julieta and you may not have come here."

"Yes. That's right."

Ella knew that any second she was about to meet a good friend of Heidi's. She wondered what she would be like. She'd imagine that she would be a good person since Heidi knew her.

A sweet scent almost made Ella's mouth water as she and Agustín entered the kitchen. A plate of buñuelos sat on a nearby counter. The room was colorful and nicely decorated. The wall had pictures of what appeared to be Alma's children and grandchildren as babies.

A woman with an apron tied around her waist was laying out recipes on the tables.

"Julieta," Agustín said.

Julieta looked up from her recipe and her eyes widened. "Ay, Agustín. Again? Are you okay? Here I'll get—" She paused when she noticed Ella. "Hola, you must be Ella. Nice to meet you. Heidi told me so much about you."

"How do you do?" Ella asked, shaking Julieta's hand. "Your kitchen's lovely."

"Thank you." Julieta smiled. "Where are your friends?"

"Mirabel's showing them to their rooms." Ella held out her bee sting towards Julieta. "I heard that you can heal. I'd love it if you could fix this after you heal your husband."

"No, heal her first, mi vida," Agustín said. "I'll be okay."

It was very kind of him, but she didn't seem to be allergic and he was. "Thank you, but it's alright. You need it more than I do."

Julieta smiled and went towards one of her counters. "Both of you take a seat. I'll have something for you."

Ella folded arms as she took a seat next to a counter. She watched Julieta bring out some recipes and begin to make something.

"Queen Heidi told me that you healed her," Ella said. "That was how you first met."

Julieta put her hands in the dough. "Yes. I remember that she was so injured that I was afraid that she might not make it. Luckily, I was able to heal her." A light smile formed. "She was the first friend that I made outside of Encanto."

"Yes, Mirabel said that you and your family have never left the Encanto. Did you feel lonely?"

"Pepa, Bruno, and I still made friends here," Julieta answered. "But we hadn't met many foreign visitors before Heidi showed up. She came a few years before Agustín. It was strange and exciting at the same time to meet someone not from here. After I healed her, we connected over our similarities. Once when she came here to visit,she tried to show Agustín and I how to walk on a tightrope."

"Really? How did it go?"

Agustín chuckled. "Let's say that Julieta had to make us arepas con queso."

"Yes." Julieta chuckled. "Mamá was not happy with us and Heidi. I still can hear Evelyn declaring that she was innocent in all this."

Ella raised an eyebrow. "Her sister came here too?"

"Only once." Julieta put something in the oven. Her smile faded as she looked up at Ella. "I'm sure she told you why she stopped coming here for a while?" Ella nodded. "I remember that last day she came very well. Bruno had just given José a vision and it didn't go very well. After mamá scolded him for it, Heidi stood up for my brother. I stood there, doing nothing. Not defending my brother. Not siding with Heidi. Afterward, Heidi confronted me about it, asking why I just stood by and didn't do anything. She accused me of not caring and it broke into an argument between us and she left.

"For years, I felt guilty and thought of reconciling with her, but I was afraid that she would never forgive me. The night before Mirabel's gift ceremony, I decided to try to make up with Heidi. I wrote a whole apology letter and was going to send it after my daughter's birthday. However, after Mirabel didn't get her gift and Bruno left, I thought she'd never forgive me, so I threw it in the fire. Or I thought I did."

"What do you mean?" Ella asked.

"I was able to receive the letter in time," Agustín said. "I got hurt in the process, but it was nothing that Julieta couldn't heal. I remember how close she and Heidi were and knew deep down in my soul that they could fix their relationship."

Ella was amazed by the lengths Agustín had gone to make sure that his love didn't throw out the apology letter that she poured her heart into. She doubted that any of Hans' brothers except Lars would do that for him. Reynold would have no problem watching the letter burn in flames. "How did you know that?"

"Because it's never too late to heal a relationship." Agustín smiled. "With or without paper. As long as you mean it in your heart and soul, there's always a chance for recovery."

"You really mean it?"

"Of course. Julieta and Heidi went through it and so did our family."

For some reason, Ella could relate to what he said. She didn't know why, but deep down in her soul, she felt like she had experienced this before. Maybe she had but would never remember it because someone took away her memories.

Suddenly, there was a phenomenal cheesy smell in the air that almost made Ella's mouth water.

"I think you would like them, Ella." Julieta placed two arepas con queso on a plate and held it out toward Agustín and Ella. "These are Mirabel's favorite."

As Ella took one of the cheesy corn cakes, Agustín gestured for her to look at her wound. Curious, Ella did what she was told as she bit into her arepa con queso. At first, she was worried that her wound might've gotten worse, but it still looked the same as before. Why did he ask her to do this? Was he being cautious? When she swallowed her bite, her eyes widened as she watched the sting fade away. It was like it had never been there. She moved her wrist up and down and pressed her finger where her sting had been, but there was no pain. She looked up in time to watch Agustín's stings fade away after he ate his corn cake.

"How is this possible?" Ella asked in awe. She looked down at her corn cake, back at Agustín, and to Julieta. "What did you put in there?"

"Nothing," Julieta answered. "It's my gift. Whatever food I make can heal."

As Ella took another bite, she couldn't help being even more amazed. A gift that could heal anyone with food? She'd never heard of such a thing. It was too good to be true. How extraordinary.

"That's a blessing," Ella said. "You're lucky that you were blessed with such a gift."

Julieta smiled. "So are you, Ella."

Ella's smile faded as she looked down at the ground. "I don't know."

"Because you can create something so beautiful," Julieta said. "It can help so many people. It's part of what makes you special."

Ella looked up. "You really mean that?"

"Of course." Julieta smiled. "I believe that everyone has something that makes them special. We all are given gifts regardless of what they are or whether they're magical or not. Unfortunately, not everyone knows how to use them, or they think those differences are something to be ashamed of or hide. You should never be ashamed of your magic, Ella. Many people give up their gifts and dreams because they're different or because they made a mistake with them. I don't want you to be one of those people."

Something about what she said hit Ella hard. The wisdom that this woman gave her touched her soul and melted her heart. Julieta could heal not only with food but with words. Everyone should hear those words; it would help the world be a better place.

"What if other people think badly of my magic?"

"It's because they don't understand something," Julieta answered. "Yes, while it is important that you use your gifts for good and be cautious with how you handle them, it is just as important that you ignore what other people think. It doesn't matter if they think that someone else's gift is more special than yours or if someone else thinks that another is more creative than you, you should never put away your gifts just because of someone's views or constructive criticism."

"Even if some might think that I'm a monster?"

"Exactly." Julieta gently cupped Ella's cheek. "And just because someone made mistakes doesn't mean that they're a monster."

When one of the timers went off, Julieta quickly went over to the oven. Ella gently held on to her arm. "Thank you, Julieta. Not just for the food, but for what you told me."

Julieta turned to her with a smile. "You're welcome, but it's up to you to take my advice."

When Julieta returned to her cooking, Ella took it as a sign that she should go to her room.

Ella reached the courtyard and saw an older man with an orange ruana reach the end of the stairs. She learned that this was Emmanuel when she watched Alma greet him and ask how it went with Bruno. Emmanuel smiled and told her that everything went great. As Alma and Emmanuel went to the door, continuing their conversation, Ella went up the stairs and just as she was about to search for her room, she watched a rat scurry past her and froze.

Raising a curious eyebrow, Ella slowly went in the direction that the rat had. Why was she following it? She had no idea. Maybe she was just curious. She went past the Madrigals' bedrooms, not even looking at the doors as she continued to follow the rat. At last, she reached the end of the hall just in time to watch it scurry through the crack of an open door. When Ella approached the door, her mouth dropped. It had an image of a man hovering over what looked to be an hourglass. Above the image was the name Bruno.

This was Bruno's tower? The one that Emmanuel just came from? Ella pressed her fingers on the door without taking her eyes off the image. This was the man that Heidi stood up for before she left. She remembered hearing Jurgen saying that his name had been taboo until Lars defended Bruno. Ella opened the door and stepped inside.

She was surprised when she saw that it was a desolate place filled with sand. In front of her was a sign with a hand pointing up with words saying "Your Future Awaits". Nearby was a stairway. Ella went over to the stairway and looked up. This had got to be one of the longest stairways ever created. This probably was longer than the ones back in Edgar and Heidi's castle. Taking a deep breath, Ella started to make her way up.

She wasn't even halfway up and already she was tired. Her legs were aching and the energy had been sucked out of her. Yet, she refused to be defeated. Besides, she had other thoughts on her mind. Who was this Bruno? What was his gift? Why had he been mistreated for so long? What had he done?

After what seemed like an eternity, Ella reached the top step and her eyes widened when she saw how high she was. How was this safe? She couldn't imagine that poor man or anyone else taking these steps. Luckily, she spotted a bridge nearby and crossed it to the other side.

Ella's mouth dropped as she looked at the stone temple that stood before her. Through the temple's open corridor was a large circular door, preceded by reliefs of people on the walls across from each other. Ella went over towards the circular door and just when she was about to pull it open, she heard a rat's squeak followed by a gentle voice.

"Hey, I was wondering where you were," the voice said. It was coming from a door across from her. "Here, you can have this."

That had to be Bruno.

"You guys are never satisfied. You know that."

She grabbed the door and was just about to open it when she froze. Was Bruno in the middle of something? Should she come back later? Ella was about to leave when she froze. She had yet to meet him and knew that she would later. Besides, she was already curious about him. She might as well see him. After letting out a small breath, Ella slowly pulled the door open.

She almost gasped when she saw that there were lots of rats around. Some were racing in the room. Some were eating Julieta's buñuelos while others seemed to be playing with something. Ella had never seen so many rats before. She didn't know whether to be frightened or disgusted.

"Here, I made you guys this," Bruno's voice said from the other side of the room. Ella turned to see that someone with a ripped-up green ruana was coming into the middle of the room. He was carrying some kind of wooden house that was covering his face. It was nicely painted. It looked like it could be a doll house. The rats turned towards him. "I knew you would like it. You can play in it."

As Bruno lowered the house to the ground, Ella was able to get a look at him. He had overgrown curly black hair with grey streaks, an unshaven mustache and beard, and bags under his eyes. As Ella eyed him further, he froze, finally noticing her.

"Oh. . .uh, hi," Bruno said as he rose from the ground.

A lot of the rats raced towards the house. Just as Ella was about to speak, Bruno went over to the wall.

"Knock, knock, knock," he said, knocking on the wall. "Knock on wood."

"Hello, Bruno," Ella said softly. Bruno slowly went over to his shelf and threw salt over his shoulder. Ella stepped aside before she could get hit. "My name is Ella. I came from Reignlen with Hans and Cassandra." To her surprise, he seemed as nervous as she was whenever she'd met someone new. A squeak caused her to look back down at the house. Ella bent down and looked inside. The rats were enjoying themselves, either playing dress up in some of the clothes that looked like they were for dolls or sitting on the furniture. "You made this? It's incredible."

"Oh, that wasn't me," Bruno chuckled. "It was Jorge."

Ella raised an eyebrow. "Jorge?"

Ella nearly jumped when Bruno suddenly had a bucket on his head. "I'm Jorge," Bruno said in a deeper voice. "It was I who made the house for my friends. I also made the spackle."

Ella looked around the room where the rats were all entertained, whether it was running around, getting in and out of Bruno's clothes, or rolling on a hairbrush. She'd imagine that Lydia would be running for her life if she were here. "These are your friends? They're yours?"

Bruno removed the bucket from his head. "Yes. Well, we've been together since I left. I was lonely. They were lonely, so I guess we meshed well. We've been together since then." After hearing two rats squeak, Bruno went over to his drawer. "Alright, but don't tell Julieta. She worked very hard on this meal." He went over to his jacket and pulled out two bunnunos before he went over to the two rats. "I know they look vicious, but they're actually very sweet." He held out a buñuelo towards her. "Would you like to feed one?"

Ella nodded and rose from the ground. As Bruno handed her a buñuelo, she watched him feed the first rat. The rat gently took the buñuelo and devoured it. A second rat tilted its head in a rather curious matter. Rats were usually mean, vicious, and deadly, but all these seemed different other than the vile smell. Ella bit her lip and slowly handed the second rat the buñuelo. After devouring it, the rat went over to her and gestured for her to pet it. As Ella petted it, a small smile formed on her face. These rats weren't so bad after all.

"If you think that it's creepy or weird that they're my friends," Bruno said. "I get it. I—"

Ella shook her head.

"Oh, you don't think so?"

"Not at all," Ella said. "I can see why you're friends with them. They're very sweet."

"Really?" Bruno asked. "I thought that you would be afraid of them. What about your friends? Do you think they would be?"

With Cassandra being tough as nails and Hans being Vioran's keeper, Ella already knew the answer to that. "No." She watched as the two rats raced over towards the house. One rat that was dressed like a Queen jumped out one of the windows. "When Queen Heidi came back to the Encanto, was she afraid of the rats?"

"She was shocked at first but got used to them," Bruno answered. "Her sister would be terrified—and she scares me! When I heard that Heidi was coming back, I thought that she would be bringing her, but instead it was the King. It turned out that Hernando didn't have to meet Evelyn."

"Hernando?" Ella furrowed her eyebrows. "Who's Hernando—"

Ella jumped when Bruno stood there with his hood up. "I'm Hernando and I'm scared of nothing!"

After a brief pause, Ella joined Bruno in on a small chuckle as he brought down his hood. "You're quite an actor, aren't you?"

"I always said that it was my real gift." Bruno chuckled. "Hey, can I show you something?"

After Ella nodded with a small smile, Bruno went over to a small table acting as a stage with a theater curtain and picked up some colorful pictures with cut-outs. "What's this?"

"Free entertainment." Bruno smiled. Some of the rats raced over to them. "Ever since I came back, I've been showing these to my familia. What do you like? Sports? Game shows?"

"I like to read. Is there anything on books?"

"Actually, you're in luck." Bruno pulled out a few colorful pictures. "I have a couple."

As he stood one up, two rats put their heads in the cut-out holes. One rat was in an image of a woman in a beautiful dress and the other was a well-dressed man.

"This is one of my all-time favorites," Bruno said. He pointed to the characters. "This is Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. They each have to overcome their pride and prejudice and they fall in love. It's a beautiful story."

Ella remembered seeing that book somewhere in the library a few weeks ago when she'd gone for her training. "Looks like I know what I'll read next after I finish The Month is August."

Bruno smiled. "Oh, there's another one! It's from the same author!" He pulled out another image and the two rats poked their heads in the cut-out holes. This time, it was two women in beautiful dresses. "This is Elinor Dashwood and her younger sister, Marianne."

After Bruno showed her a couple more and had the rats act out the scenes, Ella said, "Those are amazing, Bruno. I love them. What are they anyway?"

"These are telenovelas." Bruno smiled.

"What are telenovelas?" After Bruno explained to her what they were, she asked, "How come I've never seen any?"

"They don't exist yet," Bruno explained. "When they do, we'll be long gone. I saw them in a vision once."

"Vision?" Ella suddenly remembered that Emmanuel had come to see Bruno to give him a vision. "You mean. . .you can see the future? That's your gift?"

Bruno's smile faded as he looked down to the ground. "Yes, except I wouldn't really call it a gift."

"Why would you say that?"

Again, Bruno knocked on the wall muttering something, and closed his eyes, crossing his fingers. Perhaps, she shouldn't have asked him, but still, she didn't understand what was so bad about seeing visions.

"Because I don't know what vision I'll get," Bruno answered. "For a while, my gift always caused problems. Whenever I show someone a vision, something bad happens afterward. People thought that I was some kind of monster who made bad things happen. People would refuse to even say my name. When I lived in the walls, my heart would burst whenever someone brought up bad memories of me. 'Don't talk about Bruno! He's creepy and makes bad things happen!' Each time I heard those words, the more I wished that my gift would help others. Sometimes I wished that I never had my gift. I was misjudged all because of some damn thing that I couldn't control. People only saw me for my gift's misery.

"I remember when Heidi defended me, I was shocked. I even wondered if I had shown her a vision, would she still have done the same? After I came back and my familia and town welcomed me back, everyone's been more supportive, but how do I know it won't happen again? How much longer will it be before someone doesn't like my vision again?"

Everything that he said hit Ella hard. She understood his position perfectly. She knew what it felt like to be misunderstood because of something she couldn't change. She understood what it felt like to be afraid of her powers.

"I'm so sorry," Ella said solemnly. "I know what it feels like."

After heaving out a few deep breaths, Ella removed her glove. Once she made sure that none of the rats were on the walls, she pressed her hand against it. Bruno stood there in awe as he watched ice travel up the wall and onto the ceiling. Ella pulled back her hand and the ice went away.

Her eyes dimmed as she slid her glove back on. "That's why I'm here. That's what Hans is training me in. He has magic like me except it's fire. I'm always afraid of using my powers. I was called a monster in the Northern Isles. I wouldn't be surprised if I was called one before my memories got wiped. Sometimes I think I am a monster."

For a long while, Bruno stood there in silence. Even the rats were quiet. Ella noticed that they'd all stopped what they were doing and were staring at her. Were they afraid of her? Was Bruno even afraid of her?

"I had no idea," Bruno finally said. "I never thought that I would meet anyone who's been in my shoes before. I don't think you're a monster, Ella."

"You're not one either. I wish that you didn't have to go through with that. At least everything is starting to work out for you now."

"Something tells me that everything will work out for you too."

"You really mean that?" After Bruno nodded, Ella thought of an idea. "Bruno, do you think that you could give me a vision?"

Bruno froze, his eyes widening. "I don't know, Ella. I mean, what if I show you something that you don't want to see? What if I show you something horrible?"

"If so, I would have to face it one way or another. If you don't want to, I understand. You don't have to do anything that makes you uncomfortable. I'm still not entirely comfortable with using my magic."

Another few moments of silence passed by. Just as Ella was about to leave, Bruno spoke.

"Follow me."

Bruno led them out of the room and headed towards the circular door. When he pulled the door open, Ella was in awe. They were inside a large cave. It was desolate. She could feel the sand underneath her boots.

"This is where you perform your visions?"

"This is my vision cave," Bruno said, coming over towards her. She followed him as he strolled towards the middle of the room. "I need a big, open space."

Ella searched around the area as she continued to follow Bruno. This was amazing. She'd never seen anything like it. Each step they took made her hungrier for her vision. What would Bruno see? Whatever it was, she was desperate to know. Depending on what it would be, it could help her future.

Bruno came to a halt. He was still for a bit before he turned to her. "If you don't want to see, it's alright. You don't have to."

"I know, but I do."

Bruno drew a circle of sand around him and Ella. Afterward, he gestured for her to sit down. When she did what she was told, she watched him put leaves in front of her. As Bruno sat down, he took out a match and lit the leaves, reminding Ella of when she watched Hans burn his father's letter in the Northern Isles.

As the leaves started to burn, Bruno held out his hands, shutting his eyes. "You might want to hang on, Ella."

Without hesitation, Ella grabbed his hands. When she felt a cold breeze, at first, she thought it was her magic again until Bruno opened his eyes, revealing green irises. Not even a second later, the sand circle rose and whirled into the air. Ella's eyes widened as she looked around the dome around them.

Suddenly, green images were forming before their eyes. Two young women were walking on a rocky beach during a storm. They both were dressed in detailed outfits with capes and boots, except one had a French braid over her left shoulder while the other had a waterfall braid. The image only showed the backs of their heads, therefore they couldn't tell who they were.

The two women held hands and raced towards the sea. The one with the French braid whipped her hand forward, shooting solid ice on the water. The women jumped onto the ice and ran forward. The one created more ice for them to jump on before they reached the water. They repeated this a few times until something broke through the ice, sending the girls into the icy water.

As the girls were swimming towards the surface, something was racing towards them. It looked like some kind of horse. Was it the Nokk? Right when the girls reached the surface, the horse grabbed the younger girl and tried to pull her down. The girl with the French braid shot ice at the horse, causing it to speed towards her. She gestured for the other girl to get to the ice, which she reluctantly obeyed. As the girl grabbed onto the ice sheet, the one with the French braid looked around for the horse before following up.

When they got atop the ice, something pulled the one with the French braid down. She managed to pull herself up, only to be pulled under again. The other girl held on to her, but she wasn't having any luck. The girl with the French braid looked at the other girl with a saddened expression. She motioned her hands and solid ice rose out of the water, lifting the other. The French braid girl shot a blast of ice, sending the other girl away from her and the horse. The horse pulled the French braid girl underneath the water and neither of them was seen again.

The next image showed that the other girl was wandering around some ice, crossing her arms and looking around. She was shivering, so she pulled her hood up. She kept looking around until she fell over. The girl was alright, but not for long. As she rose from the ground, something stopped her and she couldn't move.

The storm of sand dissipated and fell all over them. Ella shook her head. What happened? Was the girl okay? What—

"Ella, look."

Ella turned to Bruno who had a green solid glass in his hand. She gasped when she saw that the girl was standing there frozen.

"I knew it," Bruno said. "I knew that I never should've—"

"No, Bruno," Ella said. "It's not you." She pressed her fingers on the vision. "Who are these girls? What do they have to do with me?"

Bruno glanced down at the vision. "One of them has ice magic like you. Do you think that could be you?"

Ella shook her head. "Her hair was lighter than mine. Besides, I'm not the only one with ice powers. Maybe it's Queen Elsa or someone else." She furrowed her eyebrows as she continued to stare at the vision. "How am I involved in this? What am I suppose—"

They almost jumped when they heard knocking on the door.

"Ella? Tio Bruno? Are you in there?" Mirabel called.

The door opened, and Hans, Cassandra, and Mirabel came towards them. After Mirabel introduced Bruno to Hans and Cassandra, Cassandra asked, "What are you two doing here?"

Bruno gulped before he held out the glass towards them. "I gave her a vision."

"I asked him to," Ella answered, stepping forward. "I wanted to see what my future would hold."

"It's alright," Mirabel assured. She looked at the glass. "Who is that? What did you see?"

Bruno and Ella led the other three back into the other room. Once they sat the vision on a table, they told them everything that they saw.

"Hold on," Cassandra said. "So, you saw two girls dying and one of them had ice magic? And you're sure that it wasn't you?"

Ella nodded. "We didn't share the same hair color."

"Do you think that it could be Queen Elsa?" Bruno asked. "And the other girl could be her sister?"

"It's possible," Hans answered. "I just can't recognize them from this glass." He looked down at the vision. "If she didn't have her hood up, I could know for sure."

"If it is them, we should warn them," Mirabel said. As Ella looked down at the vision again, she thought of the Nokk and remembered what Lars told her about it back in the Southern Isles. "Maybe we could go to Arendelle or Abuela could write a letter to them?"

"Maybe it's in the Enchanted Forest?" Ella suggested. "Cassandra, remember the Nokk that Lars showed us in that book back in the Southern Isles? It was in the vision. That was what killed the first girl."

Cassandra hummed. "If that was where the vision happened, then it couldn't have been the Arendelle sisters. The mist won't let anyone in or out. It could've been two Northhuldran girls for all we know."

"Do we even know that this happened in the Enchanted Forest? Yes, there was the Nokk, but is it possible for it to travel outside the forest?"

"I doubt it, but it's possible," Hans said, eyeing the vision and back at the others. "Once Lars told me that fifteen years before the forest was cursed, the Nokk was seen running across the Eastern Sea. The problem is how it could have gotten out of the mist."

"Do we know for sure that it was the Nokk?" Bruno asked. "It could be another horse-like creature."

"It's possible," Cassandra admitted. "When Zhan Tiri and I captured Calliope at the spire, I remember seeing pictures of magical creatures that resemble horses. There was even a creature that could shapeshift into other animals."

"But what did the vision have to do with me?" Ella asked. She looked down at the vision again. "It just doesn't make sense. If only we knew who those people were. What do I have to do with this?"

"My guess is you know one or both of them," Bruno suggested. "You just don't remember because you got bewitched. I don't think my vision would show us this if you weren't involved. You share the same powers as one of them, maybe you taught each other how to control your magic before you went to the Northern Isles? They could be your friends or your relatives."

"Lieutenant Larson did tell me that she wasn't from the Northern Isles," Hans recalled. "So, that is likely. Bruno, your gift is meant to help us shape the future. This hasn't happened yet, so we can still stop it. Ella, I think this is showing you what will happen if you don't learn how to control your magic. You wouldn't be there to help and save those girls. It's telling you to learn how to control your magic."

Ella stood there, overwhelmed with emotions. Was this true? Was this what the vision was telling her? "You really think so?"

"I know it, Ella," Hans said. He placed his hand on her shoulder. "It has to be true. I'm helping you learn how to control your magic and you've been doing better every day, and we brought you here so you can learn more."

"Yes, we'll be happy to help." Mirabel smiled.

Ella's eyes watered as she looked at the ground. Maybe this was why she had her powers. Maybe they weren't a curse after all? This could be what she was meant to do. She was also amazed that these people were more than willing to help her. They knew how dangerous her magic could be, but that didn't stop them.

"Thank you all." Ella smiled. She turned to Bruno. "And thank you, Bruno. I'm glad that you showed me that vision."

Bruno's eyes widened. "You're not mad at me? You don't think that I'm a monster?"

Ella shook her head. "Not at all. If it weren't for your gift, I wouldn't be as motivated to learn about my magic."

Cassandra stepped forward. "Yes, I think that your gift would help so many people. It could prevent a disaster from happening. Honestly, sometimes I wish that I could see the future so I would know what choices to make." Ella noticed that Hans stood there in silence, his eyes dimming. "Not everyone sees it like that, but they should."

"See, Tio Bruno?" Mirabel said. "You're doing great."

Bruno stood there in shock for a while until he finally smiled. Mirabel then offered to give them all a tour, which they accepted. As Cassandra and Hans followed her out the door, Ella was about to follow when Bruno called her name.

"Thank you for understanding," Bruno said. "I've never met anyone who's in my shoes before. And don't worry, something tells me that you will learn to control your magic."

After Ella smiled at him, they went out of the room and caught up with the other three.

When Mirabel finished the tour, it was already time for dinner. The five of them went down the stairs and saw Camilo standing in front of the door.

"Dolores! Your boyfriend's here!" he called before he transformed into a handsome, broad man with shoulder-length black hair. He let out a laugh as he flexed his muscles.

Cassandra rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "I hope she doesn't fall for that."

Camilo stood up straight as Dolores strolled into the room. Ella and Hans expected her to fall for it, but instead, she went past him without looking at him.

"Nice try, Camilo," she said. "Mariano and his mother have just reached our yard. He's telling her about the new poem that he wrote."

Camilo sighed and transformed back into himself. Not too long after, Felix came in and ordered him to help in the kitchen. Dolores then noticed Mirabel, Bruno, Ella, Hans, and Cassandra.

"Tia Julieta had made some fish for your dragon," she said. "She just put it aside for you. And I told Abuela that you put Vioran in your room for the evening."

Hans glanced over in the direction of his guest bedroom. "I appreciate that, Dolores. I'll have to thank your aunt after dinner. Do you know what Vioran's doing now?"

Dolores listened for a moment before she replied. "He's napping on your bed. He jumped up and curled himself into a ball."

"That's good. He should be asleep through the whole dinner." Hans leaned towards Bruno as rats raced towards the kitchen. "I would make sure your rats don't go near the guest bedrooms. I'm still teaching him not to attack."

"I'll keep an eye on them," Bruno said.

As much as she understood Hans wanting to make sure Vioran didn't hurt anyone, she didn't like the idea of him being locked up like a prisoner. "You're not going to keep him locked up in your room the whole trip, are you?"

"Of course not," Hans said. "It's just for tonight, hopefully. I'm definitely not going to let him out in the town. He still isn't fully trained."

Dolores shushed them and tilted her head. "Captain Murphy just got a letter from a delto phoenix."

"What's that?" Ella asked.

"It's a colorful phoenix that delivers messages, Ella," Hans explained. "They deliver messages across countries, especially through ships." He turned back to Dolores. "What did the letter say?"

Dolores listened for a moment. "It's for Cassandra. He hasn't opened it. He's planning on giving it to her when you get back to the Daaphelia."

Cassandra headed back upstairs. "I'll have Owl get the letter and bring it here. It might be important."

As Cassandra went into another room and shut the door behind her, Dolores smiled and walked over to the front door while Alma entered the courtyard with her hands folded. When Dolores opened the door, Mariano came in with an elderly woman wearing a yellow capelet and a green dress.

After Dolores kissed Mariano and greeted the elderly woman, Alma went over and greeted them.

"Do you think Dolores told Mamá about my vision, Mirabel?" Bruno asked.

"Probably," Mirabel answered.

Alma went over towards them with Mariano and the elderly woman. "Mirabel, it was so kind of you to show our guests Casita. You've been a great help." She was just about to speak to Ella and Hans when she paused. "Where's Cassandra?"

"She needs Owl to deliver something," Hans answered. "She'll be back shortly."

"Are those your guests from Reignlen?" the woman asked.

"Yes, Señora," Alma said. "Hans, Ella, this is Señora Guzman and her son, Mariano."

After they greeted each other, Señora Guzman asked, "This isn't Prince Hans Westerguard, is it?"

Before Hans could protest, Alma said, "I can assure you that nothing will happen, señora. Otherwise, Queen Heidi wouldn't have sent him here."

Mariano smiled and held his hand out towards Hans and Ella. "Pleased to meet you both. It's always a pleasure to meet new people."

When Cassandra came back into the courtyard, Dolores brought Mariano and his mother over to her. As they were being introduced, Alma turned back to Mirabel and Bruno. "Dolores told me that you had a vision, Bruno."

"Yes, I showed it to Ella," Bruno said.

The sound of Mariano's laughter caused the group to glance at him before returning to their conversation.

"We'll discuss it after dinner," Alma said. "Come. We should get to the table."

They were in their seats as Pepa and Isabela helped Julieta lay the plates and food on the table. Ella was seated between Bruno and Isabela with Mirabel and Camilo sitting across from them. As she looked around, she saw that Cassandra and Lusia were seated together near the end of the table, engaging in an exciting conversation. Hans sat between Mariano and Agustín with Felix and Pepa sitting across from him. Pepa wanted to switch seats, but Felix assured her that everything would be okay.

Once Alma took her seat at the head of the table, everyone began to engage in a conversation with each other as they feasted. As much as Ella liked the food, it wasn't her focus at the moment. All around her, the Madrigals interacting and connecting. They were making jokes and showing support to each other. It was hard to believe that they didn't start that way. She wondered if her family had been like this.

"Can someone pass me the flan?" Luisa asked.

As Agustín picked up the plate, it slipped out of his fingers and broke into scattered pieces on the floor. The flan spread out all over. Everyone sat in their seat with either their jaws dropped or their eyes wide open.

"Are you alright, Pa?" Mirabel asked.

"I'm fine," Agustín assured. "I'm sorry. I know that this was one of our best plates."

Julieta stood up from her seat. "It's alright, Agustín. I'm sure that we can get a new one. I'll clean it up."

A cloud hovered over Pepa's head as she stood up from her seat and pointed at him. "You should be more careful! What if someone comes in with bare feet?"

"Look, I don't think you'd want to lose your head now, do you?" Hans asked.

Out of nowhere, a violent lightning storm pelted drops over everyone as Pepa let out a screech and pulled Antonio to her side, trying to shield him. Cassandra facepalmed and shook her head. Señora Guzman's face grew white. Ella pressed her hand against her neck, looking down at her plate. Hans should've watched his choice of words.

Realizing his mistake, Hans cursed at himself. "I didn't mean that. I only meant that there's no reason to—"

"How dare you threaten my wife?!" Felix roared, rising from his seat. "I won't let you harm her and our familia! What makes you think that you can come in here and threaten someone like that?!"

"I wasn't threatening her, señor," Hans said, calmly. "I was just trying to get her to calm down. Yes, I should've used—"

"If you even think of laying a finger on my wife, you're going to get it!"

"Look, I just—"

"I'm warning you! I'm keeping an eye on you!"

"I was just—"

"You have no right to come in here and say that to my wife or anyone else!"

As Felix and Hans continued to argue, Ella glanced over to Pepa, who was stroking her braid, frantically looking up at her hurricane and muttering something about clear skies. Cassandra was right, Ella had been in that position before. She knew what it felt like for her magic to be out of control, fearing that her powers would harm someone.

"You have to calm down!" Señora Guzman exclaimed.

"I'm trying!" Pepa snapped. "Clear skies. Clear skies."

Ella stood up and went over to Pepa. The wind whipped around her hair, nearly knocking her down as the rain pelted her, yet she kept going.

"Clear skies," Pepa muttered. "Clear skies."

Ella gently laid her hand on her shoulder. "Hey, it's okay." Pepa turned to her. "I know what you're going through. It'll be okay." As Pepa stared at her, the hurricane started to slow down. "Just let it out. It's what your husband and children would want you to do."

Felix turned and noticed his wife, quickly coming down. He laid his hand on her other shoulder and the hurricane went away. Everyone stood or sat, eyes wide, ignoring the fact that they were drenched.

Pepa laid her hand on her temple. "What came over me? I'm sorry."

"Everything's alright, Pepa," Alma said. "You have nothing to be upset about."

Felix smiled at his mother-in-law and back at his wife. "There is nothing wrong with expressing how you feel."

"Like I said, you have to let it go," Bruno said. "It's not good to keep your emotions locked up inside you."

A small cloud came over Pepa as she wiped her eyes. "Thank you all." She turned to Ella. "And you. Thank you. How did you know what I was experiencing?"

Ella looked down at the broken plate on the ground and remembered how she'd fixed Cassandra's arrow back in Reignlen. She motioned her hands and a shard of ice formed. "Because that's why I'm here."

An ice place with an image of all the Madrigals formed in her hand. Everyone stared at it in awe. Ella went over to Alma and handed it to her.

"What do you think?"

"It's great, dear," Alma said. Her smile faded slightly. "The only thing that would make it better would be if my husband, Pedro, was in it."

Ella suddenly remembered the portrait by the stairs. That must have been him. If so, it was an easy fix. Ella waved her hand over the plate, adding Pedro next to Alma. Alma gasped.

"I fixed it," Ella said gently. "I hope it's just as good as the broken plate."

Tears formed in Alma's eyes before she wiped them. "It's perfect." She gently laid the plate on the table for everyone to have a better look. "Gracias, Ella."

The families looked over the plate. Everyone except for one person. Hans stood there, giving her a soft expression with a small smile. Before she knew it, Ella found her eyes looking into his. If it hadn't been for him, she wouldn't even be here. He did everything he could to help her.

A series of taps on the window alerted everyone. Antonio turned and pointed, "There's Owl!"

Casita allowed the windows to fly open, allowing Owl to swoop inside with a letter in his mouth. Cassandra held out her arm for him.

Once he landed, she took the letter and thanked him. Cassandra frowned before opening it. Everyone was quiet for a moment before Cassandra finally spoke. "It's from Emperor Michael. He's trapped in Villeneuve and needs my help."

"Wait, you mean the Emperor of Goldenpolis?" Mirabel asked.

Cassandra nodded, still frowning.

"Is something the matter, dear?" Alma asked.

Cassandra looked up. "Something isn't right. Michael didn't stamp this letter with the Goldenpolis seal like he usually does, but this is his handwriting and he sent a delto phoenix to deliver this to me. Also, Villeneuve doesn't use delto phoenixes for letter delivery. How could he have gotten one there?"

"I agree," Luisa said. "It doesn't sound right."

"Maybe it's because he's in trouble?" Agustín suggested. "He could be desperate. I know if I were in danger, I would do things I wouldn't normally do."

Isabela turned to her father. "But how could he have used a delto phoenix if they're not in Villeneuve?"

"Luck?" Agustín suggested. "Maybe someone from Goldenpolis was worried about him and sent one to him?"

"That does sound like something Pauline would do," Cassandra said, looking back down at the letter. "She never liked the idea of him going off on his own." From her expression, Ella could tell that she still thought something was off.

Hans asked, "Well, what are you going to do?"

"I'll head for Villeneuve," Cassandra declared, folding the letter. "I'll leave after dinner."

"Are you sure you don't want to wait until morning?" Alma asked. "You could rest here and then leave."

"I'll be fine," Cassandra said. "Besides if he's in danger, there's no time to waste."

When dinner ended, Cassandra asked Ella if she would go with her, to which she agreed. Cassandra and Ella walked through the forest until they made it to the coast, where the moon reflected on the soft moving water. At first, Ella thought that they were back at the docks, but their ship was nowhere in sight.

"How are you going to get to Villeneuve?" Ella asked.

"Use your magic to make me a canoe."

"What? Are you serious?"

"You made that arrow for me back in Reignlen and you just used your magic to replace that plate. I think you could use your magic to make a canoe. Do you think that's possible?"

Ella tucked back a strand of hair that blew in her face. "I guess, but why aren't you going on the Daaphelia?"

"You and Hans will need it to go back to Reignlen in a few days," Cassandra explained. "It'll take me a week to get to Villeneuve. After I save the Emperor, I'll go back to Reignlen."

Ella spread out her arms, trying to envision a canoe. "How do we know that it won't sink?"

"If that arrow worked, then this should be no problem, Ella," Cassandra said, putting down her suitcase.

When Ella moved her hands, ice crystals swarmed into an icy flurry. When the flurry faded away, an ice canoe with an oar lay in front of her and Cassandra on the ground next to the water. Ella gaped at her newest creation.

"I did that," she said. "I made that."

As Owl hooted and flew over them, Cassandra tossed her suitcase into the boat. "Come on. Help me."

Ella and Cassandra began to push the canoe towards the water. Ella nearly slipped a few times but managed to keep her balance. They came to a halt once their feet entered cold, icy water.

"Will you be okay?"

Cassandra climbed into the canoe. "I'll be fine, Ella. And so will you." Ella's eyes dimmed as she bowed her head. "You did good back there, Ella. With Bruno and Pepa. You're starting to improve. You should be proud of yourself."

As Owl landed inside the canoe, Ella still wasn't sure if Cassandra should go to Villeneuve. "Are you sure that it's a good idea to go by yourself?"

"It'll be fine, I've been on my own before."

Cassandra took her paddle and dunked it in the water. Ella could see the soft waves cut behind her with the moon shining bright above them. She'd already made up her mind and nothing was going to stop her.

"Well, I wish you luck, Cassandra," Ella said.

Cassandra pressed the paddle back and the canoe slowly started to float away. "Thanks, Ella. And I wish the same to you. See ya."

"See ya."

The wind sang, bringing the salty sea smell into the air as Ella folded her arms and watched Cassandra row further out into the open water.

When Ella awoke the next morning, she heard a gentle tune from a piano downstairs. The melody was beautiful and peaceful. She sat up in bed and remained still, listening to the tune like she was mesmerized by it. Who could be playing that beautiful tune? Finally, she decided that she must get dressed and head down for breakfast.

As Ella came down the stairs, she looked around. At last, she followed the voices of Julieta, Lusia, and Hans into the courtyard.

"That is a lovely tune," Julieta said. "How'd you learn to play like that?"

"My cousin, Jonathan, was very talented with the piano," Hans said. "When I was a child, whenever I visited Reignlen, he would give me lessons. He taught me a few songs until he stopped."

"Why did he stop?" Luisa asked. Ella reached the last step and strolled further into the courtyard. "Was it because of the forest fire?"

Hans or Heidi must've told them about what happened when Hans accidentally set the forest on fire. Hans was quiet for a minute before he finally spoke. "Actually, he stopped long before that.

Hans was sitting on the piano bench with Luisa and Julieta standing nearby.

"Well, Agustín and Mariano are very talented with the piano," Julieta said. "Maybe one of them could teach you some time if you want? It's never too late to get back to what you started."

A small smile appeared on Hans' face. "I haven't thought about it in a long time. That would be nice. I'll think about it."

"Ella," Luisa said, noticing her. Julieta and Hans turned to her. "How did you sleep?"

Ella brushed her hair back behind her ears. "I slept well. I read for a bit before I went to bed."

"I'm glad to hear that," Julieta said. She glanced over at the clock on the wall. "I better get the food outside."

"Outside?" Ella asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, we're having breakfast outside today," Julieta said. "That's where we go whenever mamá has an announcement."

Julieta and Luisa left the courtyard and headed towards the kitchen, leaving Ella alone with Hans.

"So, how did you sleep, Hans?" Ella asked.

Hans smiled at her. "Good. I see you're getting farther in The Month is August every day. You'll be finished with it in no time."

Ella raised a mischievous eyebrow at him. "And you're not going to give away anymore spoilers?"

"You have my word," Hans chuckled. "No more spoilers."

"That reminds me," Ella began, leaning towards him with a smirk. "Last night, I finally read the part where Daniel opened his letter from Jacob."

"Did you see that coming?" Hans asked.

"I would've been more shocked if you hadn't spoiled it," Ella giggled. Hans shot a fake frown at her before they both chuckled. "Anyway, I knew that Jacob's letter was going to have something to do with his engagement, but I did not expect him to get engaged to Ofelia."

"I wasn't either," Hans said. "I was so mad that I nearly burned my book. How did you feel?"

"I'm not sure," Ella admitted. "However, I do think that Daniel should not judge Jacob for his family's background. He saw how well he treated his sister; they knew each other really well. It wasn't like they got engaged after just meeting. Daniel should've given Jacob a chance."

"I thought so too," Hans said. They were silent for a moment until they heard footsteps approaching. "What do you think about Jacob's engagement to Ofelia?"

"I pitied all of them," Ella answered. "Ofelia, Jacob, Daniel, and Rowena. They all lost the chance to be with someone they love. At the same time, I feel like that was the price Daniel paid for forbidding Rowena's engagement to Jacob."

"That's a good way to look at it. There'll always be consequences to your actions. One way or another, the choices you make will always catch up to you even if it takes years. Lars told me that once."

For some reason, Ella nearly jumped at the chill creeping down her spine. "Well, he's a smart man."

Hans nodded quietly. "He is."

Ella glanced down at the piano. "I didn't know you could play piano." She laid a finger on one of the keys. "I also didn't know you had two cousins who could play."

"Except Jonathan can actually sing." They both chuckled. Hans looked at the booklet and began to stroll through it until he finally found a page. "Ah, I remember that song. Would you like to sing some of it with me?"

"I would like that."

Ella sat next to him as Hans brought the music book closer to her so they could share. He played a short intro before they began singing.

" Why does the wind blow

When it's my turn

To live in peace

Where do I go

The past is history

Yet it's ghost still haunts me

Thanks to mad company

Where can I find the path

To live in harmony

Heaven, drown me out

With April Showers

And let me grow

And reach my dreams

When will the wind blow

Will I ever be free?"

Ella paused, her eyes dimming. Hans noticed her expression and stopped playing. "Are you alright, Ella? Do you not like the song?"

"No, it's not that," Ella answered. They heard Felix yell at Camilo about something, probably another one of his pranks. "It's actually a very beautiful song. It's just I feel like I've experienced something like this before, but I don't remember it. Isn't that strange?"

Hans shook his head. "Of course not. You could be trying to unlock a memory, but the spell won't let you. Or maybe the song just hit you deeply." He sighed, looking down at the piano keys. "It's been years since I first played this song. I never thought that it would hit me differently now."

"It is a beautiful song." Ella and Hans turned to see that Alma was coming over towards them with her hands folded. "It was one of Pedro's favorites. He showed it to me the first time I went to his house. The piano was in the corner of the living room next to the window with a view of our village. We would play that song together many times. The last time we played it was a week before my babies were born. I played the song to my children on Pedro's birthday. Sometimes, I still feel him next to me."

"He's still there," Ella said. "He's watching over you. I know he'd be proud of you."

"Thank you, my dear," Alma said. Pico the toucan flew towards the window, which Casita opened before he could run into it. A couple of hummingbirds followed him. Antonio's laugh was coming closer. "We should head outside now. Are you bringing your dragon into town with you?"

"No, señora," Hans answered. "He's staying in my room. He's asleep, so he wouldn't cause any trouble."

"Good."

As soon as Alma left the courtyard, a pair of coatis raced over towards the piano. Without warning, they jumped on the piano keys. They ran across them, creating cacophonous melodies and causing Ella and Hans to laugh. They jumped when they heard a roar and looked up to see Antonio coming over towards them on Parce.

"Can I play with Vioran later?"

Hans chuckled. "That would be nice. Just don't play with him on your own. Have Mirabel or one of your siblings with you. Ella and I too. How does that sound?"

"Great! Oh, I have something for you, Ella," Antonio said. He came over and laid a stuffed toucan in her hands. "It'll help with the nerves."

Ella looked down at the doll in her hands. If it hadn't been for the gloves, she would've felt the soft texture. "I love it. Thank you."

"De nada," Antonio said. He climbed back on his jaguar. "Come on. You guys can sit by me today. Mirabel and I will save you seats."

They stepped out into the yard in time to watch Luisa put down a table. Ella raised her hand to prevent the glaring sun from blinding her. She turned and saw Mirabel by a buffet table, collecting biscuits and other food on her plate. Ella went over to the table and picked up a plate.

"Good morning, Mirabel."

To her surprise, Mirabel just smiled and turned back to the table. Ella looked down at the food. Julieta's cooking was just as good as Roberta's back in Reignlen. She filled up her plate. She was expecting Mirabel to ask her how she slept, but to her surprise, she was quiet, still looking down at the food.

"I slept well last night. Did you?" Ella smiled, turning to her. Mirabel glanced at her before turning back to her food. "Are you alright? You've been quiet—"

"Good morning, Antonio!" Mirabel exclaimed, causing Ella to jump. Ella's eyes widened when she watched a different Mirabel go in to hug Antonio. "Hey, Ell—" Mirabel froze as she saw her clone beside Ella. "Camilo?!"

Felix came in and shook his head. "Again?! First your sister, now your cousin just so you can get seconds? You need to stop!"

Mirabel's clone transformed into Camilo himself. "It almost worked." Just then Casita hit him with a window shudder, causing him to jump. "Okay! I'm done!"

Everyone gathered their breakfast and sat down at the table. Ella sat in the middle with Mirabel and Luisa while Hans sat across from her with Antonio and Camilo. Antonio's animals surrounded him.

"Okay, why did you do that, Camilo?" Mirabel asked.

Camilo shrugged. "I don't know. I thought that I would get away with it this time."

"I should've known that it was you," Ella asked.

"It was funny, wasn't it?" Camilo asked. "You should've seen the look on your face. It was priceless!" Ella nearly chuckled. "I was going to do Cassandra, but I remembered she left. I think I would've done good as her."

"Really?" Ella chuckled.

Camilo changed into Cassandra and put on a really serious face. He rose from his seat, fisting his hips. "I'm Cassandra."

Ella didn't know whether to laugh or not. It was kind of humorous, but at the same time, this was her friend.

"Well, don't do it in front of Cassandra," Hans said. Camilo changed back into himself and sat down after Felix ordered him to. "She'll punch you."

"Do you guys think that it was a good idea for her to leave?" Luisa asked. "Something doesn't seem right."

"I agree with you, but it was her decision, not ours," Hans said, taking a sip from his orange juice.

Ella put down her fork. Other than reading, she had spent her time thinking about Cassandra leaving before she'd dozed off. "We should've stopped her."

"She wouldn't have listened," Hans said. "You know how she is."

Alma stood from her seat at the head of the table, drawing everyone's attention. "Today, we will show Ella how we help out our community and each other. The Madrigals have been helping everyone for years, and we will continue that tradition." She turned to Ella. "How's your trip been so far?"

"Great," Ella said. "Much better than the Southern Isles."

"Wonderful." Alma smiled. "Hopefully, this trip will help you gain more confidence." She took a breath before turning back to her family. "Ella and our community are counting on us. La familia Madrigal!"

"La familia Madrigal!"

Once everyone finished with their breakfast and cleaned everything up, Alma led everyone into the village. On the way, Ella couldn't help but anticipate their arrival. She was very curious to see how the family helped with the village. A few times, she and Hans accidentally caught each other's eye, unaware that the other had been looking.

Before, Ella had been uncomfortable around him because of his crimes, but now, she was starting to like his company. Was that a good thing? Should she be feeling this way? She was tempted to look over at him again, but she shouldn't. She wondered if he felt the same.

Once in the village, Ella watched the Madrigals split off to fulfill their duties. Even Mirabel, Felix, and Agustín were given duties. The villagers also helped the Madrigals at times. Neither the Madrigals nor the villagers put any pressure on each other. This community was just as supportive and helpful towards one another as Reignlen.

"Ella, would you like to help?" Isabela asked.

Isabela was walking towards four small decorated flower pots.

"Yes. What do you need help with?"

"Gabriela is selling flowers, but she ran out of seeds so she asked me to make roses and flowers for her," Isabela explained. "After I put them in the pots, I need you to help me carry them."

Isabela stood in the middle of the pots and twirled around. Roses, tulips, lilies, and others grew out of the soil, blooming. Once Isabela was finished, she took two pots while Ella took the other two and they strolled further into town.

They went over to a stall where an elderly woman with large green earrings had just finished setting up. "Ah, gracias, Isabela!"

After Isabela and Ella placed the plants in the stall, they watched as a line formed, people eager to buy a flower.

"I think it's amazing that you can do so much with your gift, Isabela," Ella said.

Isabela formed a small smile and gestured at the flowers. "You know, for a while, I thought that this was all I could do. I thought that I had to be perfect." Something about that hit Ella hard. They looked over at Mirabel who was helping Bruno, Agustín, and Felix with loading something on a cart. "If it hadn't been for her, I would've been stuck trying to be perfect."

"I'm glad she helped," Ella said. "Being perfect never works."

Isabela turned to her. "You're right. That's wise."

"Actually, it was Hans who told me that," Ella said. Isabela raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Yes, the same man who tried to kill the queen."

Isabela was about to open her mouth when they spotted Pepa coming over to them. She formed a rainbow over the stall.

"I thought a rainbow would be great for these flowers." Ella, Isabela, and Gabriela chuckled. "Ella, I would like to thank you again for last night at dinner. I never thought that I would meet someone who's been in my shoes before."

"It was nothing, Pepa." Ella smiled.

"I'm always afraid that my gift's going to hurt someone, especially my family," Pepa said. "I know how it feels to try to keep your magic inside. May I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"How have you managed to keep your magic under control?"

"I haven't done it on my own," Ella answered softly. "Hans has helped me."

Wisps of a cloud began to form over Pepa's head, but she quickly changed her demeanor. "I'm glad that he's helping you, but you should be careful around him. I take it that you know about his crimes in Arendelle?"

Ella nodded. "I didn't trust him either when we met. I was just like you two."

"Careful!" Gabriela scolded. Ella, Pepa, and Isabela turned to see that she was scolding a young preteen girl for plucking a rose out of a vase, nearly knocking over the other pots. "You don't want to have to pay for all those, do you?"

As Ella turned to the roses, she tilted her head at a purple heather in one of the vases nearby. Its scale-like purple leaves stuck out of the vase, bushing against the wood underneath.

"You like that one, don't you?" Isabela asked. "You can have it if you want."

"Are you sure?" Ella asked.

Isabela took the purple heather out of the vase and handed it to Ella. "No problem. I made it."

Ella smiled down at the purple heather in her hand. "Thank you." She reached into her pocket, but Gabriela smiled and shook her head, saying that it wouldn't be necessary.

"Is everything going alright?" Alma asked.

Some of the people in line said hola to Alma as she approached. "Everything's great."

"I'm glad to hear that." Alma smiled. "I just spoke to Dolores and she said that we have a new visitor. He's an inventor and his wagon broke down. Would any of you like to help?"

"I'll go," Ella volunteered. She turned to Pepa and Isabela. "That way, you two can help Gabriela with the flowers."

As Ella followed Alma further into the village, she couldn't help but look around at the peaceful community around them. She wished that all towns were like this.

"I'm glad to hear that you're having a good trip here," Alma said.

Once Alma and Ella made it to the town square, they saw that Luisa and Camilo were talking with a short and overweight elderly man with a mustache. Behind them was a broken wagon led by a stocky Belgian draft horse.

"Do you have family?" Camilo asked.

"Yes," the man said, taking out a photo from his jacket and showing it to Luisa and Camilo. "This is my daughter, Belle."

"She's beautiful," Luisa said.

"Thank you." The man smiled. He turned to the broken wagon. "I just hope that I can get home to her."

"We'll do everything we can to help you, señor," Alma said, drawing everyone's attention. "Hola, my name is Alma Madrigal. I am the matriarch of my familia and the leader of this community. May I ask for your name?"

"I'm Maurice and this is my horse, Philippe. We live in a village in Villeneuve with my daughter. We are on my way home."

"Where are you coming from?" Camilo asked, stepping out of the way so a child could race past him.

Maurice reached into his wagon and pulled out a small object with hand-like protrusions sticking out of a stand. He pressed a small button and the arms moved swiftly, causing everyone to stand in awe. He pressed the button again and the arms froze. "This can help you either brush your hair or shave. I traveled to the Northern Isles to show them this invention. I was hoping that they would be impressed with it. Instead, they knocked it right out of my hands and told me that I was crazy. I've never been so humiliated in my entire life."

Ella's eyes dimmed. That country really was a horrible place. "That sounds like the Northern Isles. I'm sorry that you had to go through with that."

"You've been there too?" Maurice asked, looking at her in sorrow.

Ella nodded. "It's a long story."

"I think your invention's neat," Luisa said. "I don't get why those people didn't like it. Why would they call you crazy for that? You tried to create something new and helpful."

"I'm used to it," Maurice sighed. "Back home, I'm "crazy old Maurice". Only my daughter and the village librarian stick up for me. It seems like that title follows me wherever I go. People are always quick to judge."

"I wish people weren't like that," Alma said. "I was like that once and I regret it every day." After a moment of thought, she said, "We'll have your wagon fixed, Maurice. We know a couple of villagers who can help. In the meantime, you can stay at Casita and rest. Camilo, will you take Maurice there?"

"Yes, Abuela," Camilo said.

"I'll take his wagon to Alberto," Luisa declared.

"I'll go with you," Ella said. "I'll take Phillipe."

"Gracias," Alma said. One of the villagers called for her. "I'll see you all back at Casita."

After Ella and Luisa dropped the wagon off at Alberto's, they brought Phillipe into a barn and strolled further through the village and noticed that a lot of the Madrigals weren't around. They must've gone back to Casita.

"Luisa, are you okay?" Ella asked. Luisa had been quiet the entire way. "Is something bothering you?"

"I'm fine," Luisa said. "It's just what Maurice said about someone labeling you got to me. I know exactly what that felt like."

"You mean you were called crazy too?" Ella asked.

"No, people only saw me as the strong one," Luisa explained. "They would always say "Luisa, can you bring the donkeys to the barn?" "Luisa, can you put that house back where it was? "Luisa, can you bring the piano over?" It was all people expected of me. Once someone sticks a label on you, that's all they ever see you as."

That stung Ella's heart. She'd been in Luisa's position, people only seeing her as her abilities and nothing more. "That's exactly how I feel too. Back in Reignlen, before I left, I felt like everyone was only seeing me for my magic. Everyone except for Cassandra and Hans."

"They're good for you," Luisa said. "I can tell. You're lucky to have met them."

"Hans was the one who told me not to keep my emotions inside."

"He's right," Luisa said. "I kept my feelings inside and felt like I was going to break. I was afraid that if I lost my gift, I would be worthless."

"You're not worthless at all," Ella said. "You care about your family and community and would be willing to do anything to protect them."

"Gracias." Luisa smiled.

Eventually, they entered the plaza where upbeat, catchy music was being played. Something about the music soothed Ella. Ella and Luisa saw that Bruno and Hans were cheering someone on. When Ella spotted the band, she saw that Mirabel was playing an accordion. She stretched the two sides away from each other and a rich, pipe organ-like sound was produced.

After Ella and Luisa cheered, Bruno laughed and said, "You can go out there and dance if you want."

Ella's smile faded. "I would dance, but I don't know how."

"If you want, I can teach you," Hans offered.

Ella chuckled until he offered his hand to her. "You can't be serious."

"No, I am."

"I might mess up." Ella took his hand and went towards him. With Hans' guidance, those hands extended out to the side as Ella placed her other on his shoulder, with Hans grasping her waist.

"Follow my lead," Hans said gently.

As Mirabel and the band began to play the next tune, Hans and Ella took a couple of steps back and then a couple of steps forward before they spun around in a fast circle. Ella held on to him tightly as she allowed him to lead their dance. At first, she was nervous until she finally started giggling.

"Am I going too fast?" Hans asked.

"No, not at all," Ella laughed. "I'm just not used to this."

Hans led them through the dance again, except this time, Ella didn't struggle as much. She followed his steps as Mirabel cheered and continued to play. After they took a couple of steps back, Ella and Hans found themselves looking into each other's eyes. Ella didn't know what it was, but she felt some kind of connection with him and she could tell that he thought the same. She gently moved his hand towards her waist. He leaned his head towards her and she did the same, shutting her eyes.

"Hans!" a voice yelled.

Ella and Hans opened their eyes, coming to a halt. They watched Parce race over to them with Antonio on his back. Mirabel dropped her accordion and went over to them with Bruno and Luisa.

"Antonio?" Hans asked as he and Ella broke away from each other. "Is something wrong?"

"You have to get back to Casita now!" Antonio yelled. "I think something happened to Vioran!"

After Casita opened the doors for them, the group raced upstairs and towards Hans' room. They could hear Felix and Pepa asking Maurice about his life in his village downstairs. When they reached Hans' door, Antonio gestured for them to halt.

Hans bent down to him. "What happened? Is he alright?"

"I don't know," Antonio whispered. "He's not moving around in there. I don't even hear him. I peeked inside your room and I didn't see him anywhere."

"Why were you around Hans' room anyway?" Mirabel asked. "Weren't you supposed to be helping Francis with his horse?"

"I had finished helping him when I saw Pico flying back towards Casita," Antonio began, "I was afraid that he might find Vioran, so Parce and I went after him. When I reached Casita, Pico told me that he had gone inside Hans' room and didn't see him anywhere. That was when I decided to look in your room."

"You don't think he got out, do you?" Bruno asked.

"I hope not." Hans placed his hand on the knob. "Stay behind me. Antonio, I would stand behind Luisa if I were you."

Hans twisted the knob and slowly pulled the door open. He stepped inside and everyone else followed. Ella gently shut the door behind her and was just about to speak, when Hans pressed his finger to his lips. They listened until they finally heard breathing. It was the kind of breathing someone would make when they're asleep.

Ella leaned towards Hans and whispered, "He has to be around here somewhere, Hans."

"Look around," Luisa whispered. "I'm sure we'll find him."

"And be careful," Hans murmured, going towards his wardrobe. "He could still jump out at you."

The group looked around Hans' room, looking for any sign of Vioran to no avail. Right when they were about to give up, Mirabel gasped and pointed under the bed. Hans and Ella bent down as Bruno and Luisa stood back with Antonio. They remained still for a minute, listening to the breathing.

Hans gently removed his glove and a small flame formed on top of his thumb, revealing a shimmering silhouette camouflaged against the wall underneath the bed. "Vioran, are you alright?"

Vioran continued to sleep, not responding to his master. Hans called for him again, but nothing. He waited a moment before he tried again, yet his dragon still slept.

"Has he done this before?" Ella asked.

Hans shook his head. "I've never seen him act like this."

"Is he okay?" Mirabel asked.

"I don't know," Hans admitted. Vioran remained where he was, breathing. "I hope so."

"It looks like he's hibernating," Antonio said.

Bruno turned to him. "It's not winter yet."

"Yeah, but look at the way he's acting, underneath the bed, camouflaged," Antonio answered.

"Why would he be hibernating?" Luisa asked.

"I don't know," Hans admitted. "If only Namarri or Raya were here." He rose from the ground, causing Mirabel and Ella to do the same. "We'll keep an eye on him."

During dinner, everyone listened as Maurice told them about his life in his village. Ella noticed that the Madrigals, especially the young adults and children, were mesmerized. She couldn't blame them; they had never been outside of Encanto, and it was interesting for them to hear about another village.

"So, does your village have any magic in it, Maurice?" Mirabel asked.

Maurice shook his head. "No, I think it would scare them. They don't like what they don't understand."

"Like with you and your inventions?" Camilo asked.

"Yes."

"Sounds like the Northern Isles," Hans commented.

Maurice took a sip from his drink. "They're always so used to their old ways. They don't seem to understand my daughter either. I can't think of a time when she wasn't reading. She would tell me what was happening in the book. I don't understand why the villagers seem to have a problem with it. I think it's incredible."

"I don't think that there's anything wrong with that either," Ella said. "I like to read too."

"Oh, really?" Maurice asked. "Are you reading anything?"

Ella nodded. " The Month is August. Have you read it?"

"That's a great book!" Maurice said. "Belle loves it, it's one of her all-time favorites. I think she's read it about three times already. She went through the whole thing in a week."

"Ella's a fast reader too," Hans said. "She and I discuss the chapters as she goes. It took me two whole months to finish it."

Ella smirked at him. "So you're a slow reader?"

Hans chuckled and Felix and Agustín joined in. "No, I actually am a fast reader. Sometimes, I just take my time, making sure that I won't miss every detail."

Dolores tilted her head. "Alberto is almost finished with the wagon. He'll bring it along with Phillipe in front of Casita first thing in the morning."

"Wonderful," Alma said. "Maurice, you're welcome to spend the night here. We have a guest room available."

"Are you sure?" Maurice asked. "That's very kind of you."

"We must." Alma smiled. "We are always happy to help anyone in need."

"Thank you," Maurice said. When Julieta and Hans started to pick up the dishes, Maurice stood from his seat. "Here, let me help you."

"Oh, gracias," Julieta said. "You're so kind."

"I'll feed Phillipe for you," Ella declared.

"I'll come," Dolores said, rising from her seat. "I have to drop off something at Mariano's house anyway."

"I'll come with you too," Felix said. "I know where to buy horse feed."

After Dolores dropped off Señora Guzman's necklace and Felix bought the horse feed, they led Ella toward a large barn. It was the same one where the donkeys were kept. Ella glanced up at the twilight sky above them as Felix shivered in the wind.

"I should've brought a heavier jacket," he muttered.

"If you want, we could go back and you can grab one," Ella offered.

"It's fine," Felix assured. "It won't take us long."

The wind blew again, causing Dolores to shiver. "How are you not cold, Ella?"

"It must be because of my magic," Ella said.

When they reached the barn, Felix pulled the door open, allowing the girls to step inside. "I would like to thank you for last night with Pepa."

"You deserve credit too, Felix," Ella said. Felix shut the door behind them. "You also helped her. And you did it without reprimanding her or just telling her to calm down."

"Well, I always thought that she should be open with her feelings," Felix said. "And you should too. No one should ever keep their feelings inside. I know that you two would be good for each other."

Philipe's neigh could be heard nearby. Ella led Felix and Dolores toward the sound. "Thank you. You know, Hans told me the same thing about keeping my feelings inside."

"How is he towards you?" Felix asked.

"He actually has always been very kind to me," Ella answered, reflecting on when she and Hans first met. "We didn't get along at first and I didn't trust him for a while. Well, I still kind of don't know if I should trust him, but he helps me and looks out for me."

Dolores tilted her head. "He's talking about you right now in the kitchen."

Ella and Felix froze. Ella's face turned red with her eyes widened. "Really? What's he saying?"

Dolores paused with her head still tilted. "He's telling Maurice and Tia Julieta that you're a very strong, independent, extraordinary woman. He said that you are an old soul and that he is very lucky to have met you. He thinks about you all the time and believes that you have a bright future with your magic. He thinks that everyone should see you as more than your magic because meeting someone like you is once in a lifetime. He wants you to succeed in life. Now, he's glad that Lars convinced their father to send him to the Northern Isles because he met you." Dolores squeaked as she shrugged her shoulders.

Ella didn't know what to say. Hans really did care about her. Ella was torn and didn't know whether she should be embarrassed because Dolores told her this or touched that Hans said that about her.

"Wow, it sounds like I owe him an apology when we get back," Felix said. "He cares about you and wants to help you. Then why did he commit his crimes in Arendelle?" Ella told him as they strolled closer to Phillipe. "I had no idea. It doesn't excuse what he did, but I understand why he did it."

"I felt the same way," Ella said. Dolores smiled as she gently patted Phillipe. "Dolores, what is it like? Your magic I mean."

Dolores' smile faded. "Sometimes, it can be a blessing. Other times, it can be a curse. There are some things that I wish I'd never heard, but no matter how hard I try, I can't unhear it. I hear conversations, arguments, and secrets throughout the town that I don't need to know. Sometimes, I walk through the village and people look at me because they know that I know. It's not easy to live with. Sometimes, I wish that I had mamá's or your magic instead of mine."

Felix placed his hand on his daughter's shoulder. "There, there, Dolores. It's okay. You're doing great."

After Dolores smiled at her father, Ella asked, "How far can you hear?"

"The entire Encanto," Dolores said, helping Ella and Felix move the hay. "I've never left so maybe further."

Ella couldn't imagine Dolores living with her gift like this. "Dolores, that is horrible. I'm so sorry."

"It's okay, Ella," Dolores said. "Sometimes what makes us special can have disadvantages. There's no such thing as pros without cons."

When they stepped inside Casita, they saw that most of the household had turned in for the night, so Felix went to find Pepa and Dolores went up the stairs to her room. Ella was just about to head towards the stairs when she spotted Mirabel coming down the stairs and over towards her.

"Mirabel, is everything okay?" Ella asked.

"Come with me," Mirabel said. "We're going to Tio Bruno's room."

Ella's eyes widened. "Why?"

"After you left with Tio Felix and Dolores," Mirabel began, "Antonio came to me and Bruno about Cassandra, asking if we did the right thing letting her go. That letter was weird, right? After Antonio left, Hans came to us and said that he thought that something was wrong too. I asked Bruno if he could produce a vision. He refused until Hans and I talked him into it. Hans suggested that we should wait for you."

"Okay, where are they?"

"They're in Bruno's vision cave. Let's go."

Ella and Mirabel went into the cave just as Bruno lit some matches. When Ella sat next to Hans on the ground, they gave each other short smiles before they turned to Bruno and Mirabel beside him.

"Okay, hold on now," Bruno said as his eyes turned green.

As the four of them held each other's hands, they watched the sand go up into a whirl just like it did earlier. Ella looked up, eager to see something about her friend. Please let Cassandra be okay. Please. There had to be something. She just knew it.

Ella's heart thudded as she watched green images form around them. Cassandra was walking towards a small area just outside the village. She was looking over her shoulder, frowning as she approached a large clock. As the small hand and the large hand met on the one, the clock struck, and Cassandra turned around as a uniformed man about the same age as her came towards her. The man was tall with a long brown braid that cascaded down his back. A sliver lay in the middle of his right eyebrow. Cassandra shouted something to him, probably "Where is the emperor?" The man laughed and pulled out a sword, coming towards her as she pulled hers out. As the man came closer to her, they noticed that he had a tattoo of a wolf opening its mouth, revealing its fangs just above an arrow.

Hans gasped. "Gadstavion!"

"What?" Ella asked, turning towards him. "You mean the ones who invaded Reignlen?" Hans nodded. "How do you know that's where he's from?"

"His tattoo," Hans answered. "Remember how my family fancies themselves as lions? It's the same with Gadstavion except it's with wolves. They're the mascot for their country, and sometimes they even tame them. Their army is filled with professional hunters who are skilled at tracking and training wolves and other animals. That explains why it was a delto phoenix that sent Cassandra that letter."

"What do you mean?" Bruno asked.

"Gadstavion is one of the countries that uses them for letter delivery," Hans explained. "Except, unlike the other countries, they keep them in cages. That man must be a soldier, and he probably wrote Cassandra the letter!"

Mirabel pointed towards the images and shouted, "Guys, there's more! Look!"

They turned back towards the images, holding their breaths. As Cassandra was fighting the soldier, about three more came towards her, raising their swords. Luckily, she turned and started fighting them, their blades hitting against each other. Suddenly, ten more soldiers came charging towards Cassandra without warning. When Cassandra spotted them, it was too late. The group watched in horror as Cassandra struggled against the army. She could only block the blades of three soldiers at once, and as more rushed in, she was done for.

The first soldier disarmed Cassandra, knocking her sword out of her grip. As the sword flew away from her, Cassandra tried to catch it, but a soldier came up behind her and kicked her in the back, causing her to fall to the ground. She tried to get up, but two soldiers stepped on her hands, keeping her down. Cassandra tried to get them off her to no avail. Ella's eyes widened as she watched a soldier positioning his sword against her neck. He raised his sword and abruptly brought it down.

"No!" Ella yelled.

After that, the green images went away and sand fell over them. As the cave went back to normal, Bruno stared at a solid glass in his hands in horror. He put it down on the ground for them to see. The other three hovered over it and quickly regretted it. In the image, the soldier was inches away from decapitating Cassandra.

Ella shook her head in horror. "No. No. No. No! No!"

"Why would they do this?" Mirabel asked.

"Because she stopped them from invading Reignlen," Hans answered. "This must be their plan! They're plotting to assassinate Cassandra for revenge. They sent her a letter so they could lure her into a trap in Villeneuve and kill her!"

"I'm sorry!" Bruno said. "I knew that I shouldn't have shown you—"

"No, you did great, Bruno!" Hans said. "This hasn't happened yet and if you didn't show it to us, we wouldn't have known that this was a trap!"

Ella's eyes widened. Hans was right. This vision was the future. Cassandra was still on her way to Villeneuve as they spoke, yet she didn't know what was going to happen to her. "That's right. It's not too late!"

The other three called after Ella as she raced out of Bruno's vision cave. When she finally raced into the hall, heaving and out of breath from the long run, she could hear everyone stepping out of their rooms, asking what was going on.

"Don't worry, Cassandra. I won't let them get you."

Footsteps raced to her room and Ella looked up to see Hans standing in her doorway. She expected him to calm her down or something, but instead, he just stood there.

"Hans, I'm leaving!" Ella said. Outside, they heard Alma ask what was going on as Maurice and the other Madrigals came out of their rooms. "I have to help Cassandra! You saw what'll happen! She'll die!" She raced over to her dresser and pulled out more clothes. "I have to save her."

"You're right," Hans said. Bruno and Mirabel started to explain to everyone else about Bruno's vision. "I'm coming with you."

Ella looked up at him. "What?"

"I'm going with you," Hans said. "Cassandra has always been a good friend to you and Reignlen and I'll be damned if I let you do this on your own. We're going to save her together."

"You mean it?"

Hans nodded. "Now, we have to hurry!"

After they finished packing, Hans and Ella raced down the stairs where they saw everyone else crowded around Bruno and Mirabel. A cloud hovered over Pepa's head as she frantically paced the room and the rain drenched everyone.

"I knew it!" Pepa exclaimed. "I knew that we should not have let her leave, and now she's marching into an army of death!"

"Pepa, calm down!" Alma scolded.

Felix shot a glare at Alma before he turned to his wife. "You're getting everyone all wet."

Camilo came towards his mother. "It's okay, mami. Deep breath in. Deep breath out."

"Tia Pepa's right, we have to stop Cassandra!" Luisa said. "Is there any way that we can contact her?"

"I don't know," Isabela said. "She could be anywhere by now."

Everyone turned to Ella and Hans as they stepped off the last step. "Thank you all so much," Ella began, "you all have been very kind and helpful, but I have to leave."

"You're going on your own?" Alma asked.

"No, I'm coming with her," Hans answered. "We're going to save Cassandra."

Mirabel stepped forward without hesitation. "Well, I'm coming with you."

Agustín and Julieta turned to her aghast. "No, Mirabel!"

"I saw the vision too and I'm not going to let Hans and Ella do this on their own," Mirabel said, standing straight. "I'm going with them!"

"But it's too dangerous!" Agustín said.

"I'll be fine," Mirabel said. "I know what I'm doing!"

"I'm coming too," Bruno declared.

Julieta and Pepa swiftly turned to Bruno, aghast. "No, Bruno! We lost you once, we won't lose you again!"

"I saw the vision, so I know that I can help them," Bruno said. He came towards Hans, Ella, and Mirabel. "Besides, if it hadn't been for you, Mirabel, I would still be in the walls. Ella, you understood me. Hans, you and Cassandra have been good to me. Antonio, do you think you can watch my rats?"

"Don't worry, Tio Bruno," Antonio said.

"I still don't think you two should go," Julieta said. "Neither of you have ever left Encanto." She turned to her mother. "Mamá?"

Everyone turned to Alma who stood there in silence. Ella could tell that she didn't think that they should go. Alma sighed and turned to her son and granddaughter. "Is this what you two want?" Mirabel and Bruno nodded. "Very well. You can both go with Hans and Ella. I won't stop you."

Mirabel and Bruno thanked her while the rest of the family, especially Agustín and Julieta, weren't thrilled with Alma's decision. "Mamá, you can't!" Pepa and Julieta cried.

"If that's what they want, then that's their choice," Alma said. She, too, looked uncertain about her decision. "I know what they're capable of. I underestimated them too many times in the past and I won't do it again." Pepa was about to argue, but she refrained, shaking her head. Alma turned to Hans and Ella. "Do you know how you're getting to Villeneuve?"

"We'll go on the Daaphelia," Ella declared. "I'm sure that Captain Murphy and his crew can take us there."

"Wait, you said that Cassandra was going to a village in Villeneuve, right?" Maurice asked. Ella and Hans nodded. "Why don't I take you there with me? We can go in the morning when Alberto brings Phillipe and my wagon here."

"That would be great," Ella said. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," Maurice said. "It's the least I can do after you all helped me."

"Gracias, Maurice," Alma said. "You four can leave with Maurice in the morning. I would pack your bags and get a good night's rest. You have a long journey ahead of you."

"Wait, what about Viroan?" Hans asked. "I don't know that I should leave him here. What if he wakes up before I come back?"

"Well, if he just started hibernating, he shouldn't wake up before you come back," Agustín said. "We'll keep an eye on him and leave some fish for him."

After Hans thanked him, everyone retreated to their rooms. Ella was just about to shut her door when she heard Felix approach Hans.

"I would like to apologize for my behavior earlier, Your Highness," he said. "I was just looking out for my family. I shouldn't have been quick to judge you."

"It's alright, Felix," Hans said. "All is forgiven."

Ella shut the door behind her and went over to her bed. With everything that had just happened, it looked like she, too, had misjudged Hans.

Everyone woke up in time to see Alberto park Phillipe and the wagon right in front of Casita. Ella, Hans, Bruno, and Mirabel followed Maurice out the open doors that Casita left for them. The rest of the family tearfully hugged them and wished them good luck before saying their goodbyes. After Mirabel and Bruno climbed into the wagon, Ella and Hans froze, staring at each other.

Was this the time? Should Ella tell him what Dolores told her?

"Are you okay, Ella?" Hans asked.

When Ella opened her mouth, she was about to tell him, but instead, she said, "I'm fine."

Once they climbed in, Philippe led the wagon away from the Casita. Ella couldn't help but look back. These people had been so kind to her. She wished that she didn't have to leave early, but she had to save Cassandra.

"It's going to be weird leaving our Encanto," Mirabel commented.

As Mirabel and Maurice started a conversation, Ella turned back towards the front, folding her arms. She hoped that they would find Cassandra before it was too late.