Chapter Text
know its for the better, I never grew up with you and you're not my waiting room.
Dolores walked with Isabela as they made their way outside Casita. The two seemed not to notice the an eerily silence settled upon both of them. For Dolores, that should be a good thing given to her gift, but right now, it makes her a bit uncomfortable.
And despite how weak it sounds, Dolores catches Isabela's muttering.
"Why couldn't she just stay out of the way?" She heard the gritting of teeth alongside with the words of her closest prima whom she grew and spent time in the nursery for the first five years of their life.
Dolores pretty much hear everything. But that doesn't make omniscent and all-knowing. Despite being able to hear everything she practically does not know everything, it takes strength to focus on one voice and most of the time, the voices altogether are just a whole bunch of disoriented noise.
But if there is one thing she was sure of was Isabela had cared about Mirabel and Dolores still believes she does. It was already tattoed in Isabela's genes, Mirabel is her kin and blood sister.
Isabela's reserved affection and protective instinct will only be provoke by her younger sisters. And yet..
Dolores watches Isabela's irritated expression transition into something more delicated and calm when they reach the town. As simple as that.
She quickened her pace to catches up to her prima. Dolores places a hand on her shoulder.
"Don't be too hard on your hermanita, Isa." Dolores gently puts her hand on Isabela's shoulder, the other halted momentarily and glared at her prima's hand but it instantly disperses.
Meeting her eyes, Isabela gently removes Dolores' hand. "I'm not being hard on her Lolo, you know how it is. She just needs to do what she's told and she can't even do it, insolent girl."
"Hey, don't call her that," She silently reprimands the other girl, "Mirabel is trying her best, you ought to go easy on her—"
Isabela's eyes narrowed, "We are not talking about last night, are we?" Dolores stopped herself and sighed. Isabela just know. Being the closest in the family, given that they are also both the eldest of their parents gives that notion.
"Mirabel had it easy since her door disappeared. I do not need to coddle her like what you were trying to get me act on her now. You haven't been present for the past ten years of her life so why start now?" Dolores was taken aback by her words. She tries to find something in Isabela's eyes, but all she just found was annoyance and contempt.
"I just—" she halted. Dolores know she has not been present lately with her prima's life, but the actions of Mirabel these days have pushed her to get on track—she was worried because Mirabel never woke up late to wake the rest of the family and have never missed a dinner with them except if there was an emergency. Besides, Dolores did not get the title of being her favorite cousin for nothing.
That alone sometimes gets Isabela jealous because of how close they were before. When does time changed?
"You do not hate her, right?" Dolores did not know why she asked that, she knows that hate is a strong word and no kin— more of a sibling could ever hate their sister. But she does not know that about Isabela. She watches the other's eyes widened a bit as if truth has been slapped to her face. Dolores watches Isabela scoff in response.
"Are you serious? What kind of question is that? I have a lot things to do and here we are discussing Mirabel? I could've put my time to more useful things than to engage with these kind of questions when they don't make sense to me." Besides being the golden child, Isabela is a smart girl. She knows that being dismissive and subtle reasoning would stop the other girl from asking.
For once, Isabela travels back to the past. She remembers how Dolores and Mirabel used to be closed that everyone that does not know them would instantly tell they were sisters. And being the Isabela she was used to, had been jealous about it at some point. But now...
She allows herself to ponder about Dolores question. Does she hate Mirabel? But that's her sister and there is now way she could hate her. And yet, she knows that she have unconsciously harbor resentment towards the girl. That, she couldn't dwell on.
"I have to go now, I hope you will never bring this conversation again." Dolores watches her cousin disappear from her sight, walking away in a most graceful way Isabela could muster. She watches her smile towards every person she come across with, as if the conversation they just had never exist. Until, she forgets that Isabela had just been here in the first place.
Disappointed, Dolores makes her way and carries out her duty in passing messages among the towsfolk while couldn't stop thinking about Mirabel.
She was able to hear her prima and abuela's conversation a while ago. Strangely enough, the atmosphere of their breakfast was quite silent, enabling her to focus on their voices. Her heart broke a little for her younger prima. But she couldn't do much for the other, because... she has no gift. She thinks that Abuela asking Mirabel to step away is her way of caring for the girl, to not push herself so hard, because she simply just can't. Or so she thought.
"Señorita Dolores?" She was brought back to reality when an average lady pops up in front of her, she smiled sheepishly. "Uh—would you be able to hear my son? I've been looking for him eveywhere but I couldn't find him." Worry was obviously evident on the woman's face and Dolores instantly feel some sort of sympathy. She immediately nods and starts focusing on the sounds around her.
Dolores venture to every vibrations she hear and eventually find a familiar one.
Whispers.
Talking.
Laughing.
Aha!
"He is at Señor Reyes' shop with his friends," The woman immediately thank Dolores while tearing up a little. She watches her disappear from her sight as she sigh. As time pass on, there were only a few people who went for Dolores asking help with her gift. And she may not say it out loud but she is quite thankful for that. Dolores wants nothing but to lay on the soft mattress of her bed while enjoying the silence of her bedroom given that it is soundproof.
Yet, she finds herself roaming the town and watch every person she comes across with silently. And as she roam, her mind also wanders.
Mirabel.
Her youngest prima was the first thing that comes into her mind. Dolores tries to remember what she heard before Mirabel reaches Casita. But the only thing she remembered was gasping for air because of her frantic running. Did something happen?
She might just ran into panic because she was being late for dinner. Goodness, her prima is just fourteen and she hasn't been celebrating her Quinceñera but she already starting to skip dinners? Going home late?
Worry started to rise up in her chest, "Does Mirabel rebelling from us?" Dolores bit her nail, something she's accustomed every time she feels nervous.
Pop!
"Ack!" She immediately covers her ears when she heard people shouting. Damn this gift. Pain starting to bloom in her head. Random noises that has managed into her conciousness is just one of the things Dolores hates about her gift, like even if she hasn't paying attention to them and she much preferred them to be disoriented noises, some has been sneaky. Which is very irritating.
When the shouting faded into her, she continues her venture through the town. Dolores has found herself into an alley.
Eyes narrowed, confusion started to rise into her when she witness what was the state of an isolated alley she just ran into.
There were something has been staining the stone surface and there were... a lot. Much less into Dolores liking. She kneeled down to see it a little closer, but when the smell has reached her senses she instantly covers her nose.
It was blood. Was this came from a dead animal?
Dolores immediately dismisses the thought and leaves the alley, she can't no longer handle the smell and the sight of it.
When she was about to exit the dimmed alley, a loud squeal made her ears almost go deaf.
"Dolores!" She briefly covers her ears before looking over to the source of such noise.
It was Cecilia, and the rest of the children Mirabel often hangs around in Encanto.
Dolores suddenly have an urge to roll her eyes, the young lady did not really like being around with children because of how loud they could get. Although sometimes there has to be an exception.
"What is it, Cecilia?" The children look at each other for a moment before Dolores has noticed that the little girl at the center seems to be hiding something behind her back. Her eyes narrowed.
Something was shove into her, and the little girl immediately spoke, "WefoundMirabel'sglassesinatrashcanthenweimmediatelysawyouand—" Dolores catch the girl's shoulder in attempt to stop her for her rambling.
"Take it easy, chiquita." The young Madrigal offers the girl with a soft smile. She watches her take a deep breath, and place a hand on her waist. "Sorry, its just—Mirabel is the only Madrigal that we often talk to and she has no gift. Well, we talk to Antonio too, but its just makes us nervous to talk with your magical family—" Cecilia was elbowed by the other boy they are with.
"I mean—we didn't mean that Mirabel is not magical and she's still part of your magical family."
"Well, she's not magical." said the other girl. Dolores expression immediately change into something unsavory.
"Gift or no gift, my prima is just as special as the rest of the family." Her voice was laced with an uncharacterized icy tone which scare some of the kids a little. Good.
"But aren't you the one who exposed her having no gift in front us just yesterday? She seems like she don't want to tell us and you just did." Shame runs cold into her spine, Dolores blinks a few times. She tries to say a word but she just become a gaping fish that is out of the water.
She told these kids casually that Mirabel has no gift. And she's afraid she will never could.
"Anyway, we just want to return this," Dolores suspiciously looks at the green-rimmed glasses. Her eyes narrowed, it looks like it had went through a disaster.
"It looks like from Mirabel, and we tried our best to clean it but this is just the best we could." Dolores carefully grabs the glasses from Cecilia's hand, and starts to inspect it as if it was a piece of evidence from a crime scene.
"Where did you get this?" She asked. "We were just playing from an alley and then we found it in a trash can. We immediately recognize that the glasses belongs to Mirabel. At first we plan to go to La Casa Madrigal to return it then we saw you. Will you be kind to return it to her? Mirabel couldn't see well without her glasses."
Something has pinch inside Dolores' chest, something she could not point out what, but she did not like the feeling at all.
"Don't worry, I'll take it to her. Thank you," the children give their thanks and instantly disperses from Dolores sight. Unconsciously, she brought the green-rimmed glasses close to her chest.
Making her way into La Casa Madrigal, Dolores couldn't help but to be haunted by her thoughts. She have seen Mirabel not wearing her glasses at breakfast and she have also heard that she lost it, somewhere in her nursery room.
Then, what does her glasses doing in trash can? Dolores' head is starting to ache and all the sounds she was hearing all at once did not help at all. So she dismisses all the thoughts about it.
When Dolores has reached Casita, she immediately makes her way towards the nursery. Although hesitant, she brings herself to give the door a soft knock.
"Mirabel?" A moment passed, Dolores patiently awaits until the door opens and as if heaven's finally answered her, she heard a soft click behind the wooden surface.
Revealing the black-haired girl, whom which for Dolores is still a five-year-old she used to craddle in her arms. Now residing into a space that is intended for toddlers which was Dolores and Isabela, Luisa and Camilo, and also Antonio, used to stay in. Yet, Mirabel is the only one who never left the nursery.
Dolores notices the shock written all over the face of Mirabel as if she have seen a ghost. But her reaction is not her focus, Dolores is a keen observer and she talks more with her eyes than her mouth.
Dimmed eyes.
Glitters on her cheeks?
"Do—Dolores, what are you doing here?" The girl smiled sheepishly, almost awkward.
"I—I just want to give this," her voice merely comes out as a whisper. Another wave of shock shows from Mirabel's face.
The younger Madrigal slowly takes the glasses from her prima's hand and her next move does definitely startle Dolores.
A hug.
Mirabel buries her face onto her prima's abdomen, sniffling. Dolores was hammered into her spot, unable to think of what she would do with her younger prima's sudden gesture.
And instead of putting her arms around Mirabel like she used when she was only a little girl, Dolores done the opposite. She gently withdraws the girl's arms around her.
Hurt was the only word that could describe how Mirabel was feeling right now.
And it feels like watching her five-year-old self again from the very same spot inside the nursery. All the people she have loved disappears along with her door.
Mirabel did not know what has gotten into her, on why she hugged Dolores. Because, its been ten years since they actually had shown affection towards one another.
Yet, the moment she saw her worried look and the green-rimmed glasses holding out to her. She breaks.
But she feels like her heart was ripped out of her chest when her favorite prima, withdraws her arms around her, as if the gesture was unwanted. No, she is unwanted.
Pushing herself further in the corner of her room, Mirabel hugs her knees to her chest while burying her face in them. The itching and burning sensation of her eyes are now gone. But she could not bring herself to explain the cascading colored tears across her cheeks.
They're look pretty tho. Mirabel tries to console herself. She knows that its not normal, crying colored tears? That's absurd! But she realizes that not even her family members were normal. They were special. And what about her?
Maybe this is her gift, born out of pain. And after years for waiting on a miracle, continuously begging. The miracle has given her this.
But how does her glimmered tears could help the community? Her family?
Just a while ago, she was having a joyous moment with Antonio, that even unbeknownst to him, she felt like she celebrated her Quince.
How ironic knowing that happy moment was fleeting, and was replaced by the image of Dolores withdrawing from her hug.
An ugly sob escapes from Mirabel. "She—She was my f–favorite cousin, and she—" she gritted her teeth, and more tears started to run across her cheek.
Mirabel notices how dimmed her vision has gotten, she did not know if her eyes become more blurry. But when she places her green-rimmed glasses, they are no longer gives the same clear vision to her eyes. The colors of her surroundings looks a bit pale pastels, but they are still there.
After an hour of crying, she finds herself going into the kitchen to grab some water. Its still afternoon and her entire family are all out to the town helping people. While she's just here, doing nothing. Being useless.
Mirabel agressively shakes her head, "Stop wallowing in self-pity Mirabel, prove them wrong."
If she just set aside all her emotions and try to find something she could do to make her family see her, maybe...just maybe keeping it all inside her would be all worth it.
Creak!
Mirabel swiftly spun her head towards the pain-striking noise. Her eyes widened when she felt Casita's foundation trembled. She glances at the floor, then she sees the cracks spreading like a cancer across the foundation of the house.
The young Madrigal instantly follows the cracks until it leads her to the highest part of the house. Where their miracle was standing on the window, which was supposed to be burning with light but is now flickering.
Mirabel helplessly watch the cracks reach that window. She has to get someone! She has to get abuela!
"Casita, what's happening to you?" She asked worriedly. The house merely rumbled using the parts of itself to let out a response.
When Mirabel was about call for help, the cracks started to disappear and she suddenly spun around to Casita in confusion. Mirabel scans everything around, and she saw them as it is—everything in place.
Is she going insane?
"Casita, you need to tell me that I'm not just imagining these cracks. That what I saw was real." Desperation laced around her voice. She just can't be imagining things.
Casita moves one of its windows as if similar to a nod. Relief overtakes Mirabel's body.
"Are you hurting Casita?" Mirabel almost roll her eyes. Isn't just weird asking a house if its hurt?
Again, Casita's windows move.
Acquiring a new found courage, she looks at the animated house then said, "Alright Casita, don't worry I'll fix you. I'll save you." For the family.
And little did she know, saving Casita is easier said than done.