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Today was not a good day.
It had started off well, with the rest of her family going down to the village, but it soon went back when a sudden storm hit them.
And now it was just her, Isabela, Luisa, Dolores, Camilo, Antonio and their Tio Bruno inside of Casita. A part of her was worried for the other members of the family, but she knew they must have taken shelter in another family's home, that’s just the kind of town theirs is.
But...there was something else that was off.
Mirabel frowned and put down the book she had been reading, it was quiet, too quiet. Normally she would hear Antonio laughing and playing with his animal friends. But today? Nothing, just complete silence. She stood up and jumped when she heard something clawing at her door.
She opened it and blinked when she saw Antonio’s leopard friend waiting there for her, it walked in and curled up in the middle of the room with a sad expression.
She blinked. Okay, something was definitely wrong
She walked towards it and knelt down “Is something wrong?”
It gave a low whimper
She frowned “Is it Antonio”
A nod
Okay! So she was right. Mirabel stood up and walked into Antonio’s room, she looked around the magnificent room and spotted the bed of her cousin.
She climbed the tree and looked at the bed of her cousin, where she found him curled up.
Mirabel runs towards him in panic “Antonio? Are you okay?”
Antonio groaned
She placed a hand on his forehead and she froze, he was burning up. Antonio wasn’t okay, he was sick
“Ay no” she abruptly stood up and jumped off from the tree.
A family member, a Madrigal, was sick. This is not going to end well.
Someone getting sick wasn’t that much of a big deal. But this was the Madrigal family, a family blessed with a miracle and their gifts. Nothing is normal here. Antonio being sick would only bring hell onto their Casita.
She ran to the first person she thought could help.
Her Tio Bruno.
She knocked on his door and waited for a few seconds, watching as he opened the door with a dead expression “Why did you wake me up so early?”
She blinked
“Tio Bruno?”
“Hm?”
“It’s five in the afternoon”
…
“Oh”
She shook her head “Anyway. Something bad just happened”
That made him wake up, he stood straight up “What’s happening? Is the magic dying again? Did Pepa finally realise my rats were the ones that ruined her dress? Because if she did tell her it wasn’t them and they didn’t mean to. They were just offended by her comment of them being ‘Vermin’”
Mirabel blinked “Wait. That was their fault?!” she frowned “Do you remember h-” she paused and took a deep breath “Bruno it’s not that big of a deal” she paused “Okay, it kinda is”
Bruno frowned “So what’s wrong?”
“Antonio’s sick”
“What?!”
She watches as she runs into Antonio’s room with an amused expression “I’ll get the rest of the family!”
“Okay? So why are we here?” Camilo asked in confusion
“Antonio is sick” Dolores answered for Mirabel
“He’s sick?” Luisa said in surprise
Isabela raised an eyebrow as she drank some chocolate caliente “I don’t see why that’s a big deal, Mira” she took a sip
“Isa?”
She hummed
“Tia Pepa was sick once. And remember how that went for us?”
Isabela choked on the chocolate caliente, she coughed as Camilo patted her back carefully
Once she stopped, she looked at Mirabel and nodded “Okay. I see you’re worry”
Camilo frowned “Wait. Mama was sick once?”
“Yeah I don’t remember that” Luis said confused
Isabela and Mirabel with tired expressions
“Of course you don’t” said Isabela
“Huh?” the three blinked in confusion
“The reason you guys don’t know about this is-” Mirabel groaned “How do I explain it?” she looked at Isabela who shrugged and then jumped
“Oh!” she looked at her cousins and sibling, “Remember the storm that happened a year ago?”
Luisa blinked “The one that got us trapped in the village while you and Mira were in the Casita?”
“Yeah.” Isabela nodded “Well...that was tia Pepa’s work”
“What?!”
“Wait. How did I not hear about this?”
Mirabel shrugged “It was the middle of a hurricane. It clouded you’re hearing”
Bruno entered the room “So yeah, el Nano is sick and I have absolutely no idea what to do”
“Tio Bruno” camilo looked at him “Did you know that Tia Pepa was sick once?”
“Hm. Oh yeah I remember that day” Bruno hummed and scratched his chin “Crazy day. Not to mention that I heard Mirabela got hurt”
…
Luisa looked at her younger sister “Is that true?”
“It is” Isabela answered
Dolores frowned “And you didn’t think that. .You know. You should tell the family?”
Mirabel shrugged “One, Pepa would cause another hurricane if she found out and two, it’s not even that bad. See?” she rolled up her sleeve and showed a clear wound
Luisa looked at the two of her sister “You need to tell Mama”
Mirabel and Isabela shuddered
“Debetable” Mirabel shrugged it off
“Mira already tried eating her food, but it hasn’t healed. But she’s fine now” Isabela nodded
“Guys.”
Mirabel sighed “Fine. we’ll tell her after the storm goes away and Antonio stops being sick”
“I still don’t understand?”
They looked at Camilo “Why are you guys so shaken up, it wasn’t that bad before...right?”
Mirabel shared a glance with Isabela
“No it was” Isabela said as she leaned back
“Still. Is it really a big deal” Dolores looked between the two
“Okay” Mirabel took a deep breath in “I’ve been researching why it's bad and I have a very good theory” she looked at Tio Bruno “Tio Bruno. Can you find the medicine while I explain? I mean I assume you know?”
Bruno gave her a thumbs up and began to look around
“Give it to us sis” Isabela gave her a smile and thumbs up
Mirabel, being the only one with no gift (Something she was once upset about but now completely embraces it) was the one in the family most knowing of how everyone's gift works and could work later on as they developed.
“So when you guys get sick, you don’t have direct control of your gift” Mirabel said, groaning as she remember her tia Pepa being sick and getting struck by her lightning “But, if it was someone Like Dolores and Camilo-”
The two jumped at the mention of their names
“It wouldn’t be that big of a deal since their gift is simply enhancing their physical ability. Camilo shapeshifting would only be an issue if he was doing so rapidly and Dolores well, her hearing would be going haywire”
The two blinked at the explanation
“But again, if it was Mama and Luisa it also wouldn’t be a big deal since, Mama’s cooking can heal and the only danger Luisa could do sick is break one of our arms” she paused “But If it’s someone like Tia Pepa and Isabela then it’s a pretty big deal since, well you know the storm last year and Isabela would probably throw one of us through the roof with one of her vines”
“Hey!-” Isabela stopped. “No. That would actually happen” she scratched her cheek
“But this is Antonio’s gift, which allows him to communicate with animals”
“Yeah. Animals that don’t really like you guys”
“What about you?”
Mirabel puffed her chest out “They love me very much I’ll have you know” This was a true fact known around the family. Surprisingly, Antonio’s animal friends absolutely loved Mirabel and didn’t seem to like anybody else in the family.
“So why don’t you take care of Antonio?”
Mirabel glanced away “Cause I’m a bit scared?” she shivered again
“Wow. Mama really messed you up, huh?” Dolores placed a hand on Mirabel’s shoulder
“No kidding” Isabela said taking another sip of her Chocolate caliente
“Found the medicine!”
Bruno placed it on the table and began to leave
“Wait, you aren’t going to help us?”
“U-”
Dolores stood up and brought him back into the room “I don’t think so mister. You owe our Mama seeing as your rats destroyed her dress”
Isabela stood up “That was you?!” she frowned “My plants almost got destroyed because of you’re rats?!”
“I got drenched!” Camilo yelled, throwing his hands in the air. Luisa stood beside her cousin and said “I almost died getting caught in that storm of hers!”
“In their defense they got offended when she accidentally called them Vermin. Words can hurt guys” Mirabel said as all of Bruno’s rats(She counted seventeen in total) jumped from him and onto her shoulders and nodded in agreement
Camilo groaned “So what do we do? give him the medicine and wait until he gets magically better”
Mirabel hummed and nodded “Yeah” she shrugged
“You know. I can’t help but feel like we’re forgetting something important” Isabela frowned
“We’ll figure it out later” Luisa said with a shrug
They walked out of the kitchen and towards Antonio's room. They stood outside the door, Isabela with A spoon and the medicine. "Wait. Why am I giving him the medicine?" Isabela asked
"Because you can move the fastest with your vines?" Mirabel shrugged
"Why is Tio Bruno wearing a bucket?" Asked Camilo
“For armor” responded Bruno, his voice muffled
“In what way could a bucket be armor?” Said Dolores
“Says the one with a slipper” Luisa retorted
“I’ll have you know this is the holy grail when it comes to weapons” Dolores said “It was invented before physics” Mirabel tuned in, the two sharing a very knowing look.
“What does that mean?” Isabela raised an eyebrow
“You’ll learn what it means when you get knocked out by it when Abuela throws it from outside”
“The catch?” Camilo asked
“I was inside and the slipper still managed to hit me” Mirabel rubbed the back of her head
“Alright, is everyone ready to suffer?” Isabela asked as she put her hand on the door. Camilo frowned and shrugged “Come on, we’ll be fine”
“I mean. How bad could it possibly be?”
0Oo
It was complete chaos.
“Why did you have to say that!” Dolores screeched from where she was hiding
“I didn’t know this would happen!” Camilo yelled back, rolling to the side as another monkey threw a banana at him. He sat next to her
“You jinxed us man”
They looked up from the place they were hiding.
Mirabel and Bruno were the two who managed to get closest to the tree, but Bruno’s bucket was covered in Banana while Mirabel...was miraculously fine. She was trying to talk to the monkeys, who were aiming and throwing Bananas to Isabela’s back as she swung around the room.
While Luisa, well, she was simply hiding anywhere she could as the Toucan’s screeched at her.
“Come on guys! We’re just trying to help Antonio!”
One of the monkeys stuck their tongue out
“Oh! How mature of you guys”
The ground shook as something big suddenly jumped down. A gorilla.
“Holy-” Camilo’s eyes widened and he looked at Dolores “Since when was that in here?!”
Luisa jumped up and the two walked menacingly towards each other, Mirabel and Bruno stepped back
Dolores raised her head “Why are you approaching it?!”
Luisa cracked her knuckles “Finally found myself a worthy opponent” she smirked
Mirabel blinked “You want to fight it ?!”
She didn’t get a response as Luisa was holding back the Gorilla as it attempted to push her back. Mirabel looked up “Isa! You give it to him?!”
“Tell the monkeys to stop and maybe I will!”
Mirabel groaned “Guys come on!”
Dolores rose up, “Um, Dolores?” she ignored Camilo and took a deep breath “I got this!” she threw the slipper and it was the most beautiful thing any of them had ever seen.
As well as the most incredible and impossible thing.
It flew through the air, bouncing from the ground and from the gorilla(After hitting it on the face and knocking it out) to the monkeys(hitting them off the branch they stood on) and landing in Mirabel’s hand. Mirabel blinked and looked at Dolores.
Dolores smirked “Like I said. Holy grail when it comes to weapons”
Camilo rose and looked at the knocked down gorilla and monkeys “I will never doubt you again”
Isabela jumped down “I gave it to him, let’s go!”
All of them ran towards the door, once they closed it they were all panting. Isabela knelt down and said breathlessly “If he doesn’t get better I swear to-”
“Was it this bad with Mama?” Dolores asked
“Worse. Much worse” Mirabel groaned out
“Really?” Camilo asked he breathed out “geez”
Bruno took the bucket off and grabbed the slipper “I need to get me one of these”
Dolores grabbed it and said “This is Abuela’s. So i’m going to put it back” she walked towards their abuela’s room leaving them standing.
“So. Do we just wait?”
Mirabel nodded “Yup”
“And hope he gets better so we don’t have to go in there” Isabela said, the rest of them nodded
But he didn’t get better.
Because of course there would be no normal solution
“It didn’t work?!”
Mirabel looked at the Leopard who was in the middle in the room and watched as it shook its head “Nope”
“Maybe we should just wait for them to come back?” Dolores suggested, Luisa nodding beside her
“Uh. I don’t think that’s a good idea” they looked at Camilo who was frowning at them “They’ll make this a much bigger deal than it already is”
“Okay. So how did you and Isabela make Pepa feel better?” Asked Tio Bruno
The two looked at each other “Well..we gave her some soup”
“Didn’t work, ended with us getting drenched”
“Struggled to get the medicine that was in her room” Isabela frowned
“I got struck by lightning” Mirabela shivered “And that’s why the medicine is now in the kitchen”
“Um” Isabela stood up and began to snap her fingers. “There was something else. Something that helped her get better immediately. And it wasn’t Mama’s cooking”
“Maybe I can help you remember?”
They looked at Bruno
“You can do that?”
“Maybe. I haven’t tried to...do it before. But Maybe I can try to at least give you a vision of not the future but..the past instead”
“Wouldn’t that hurt?” Mirabel said “I mean… You’re gift hasn’t developed much since you didn’t use them in a whole decade”
“This is to help el Nano. I need to do this” he turned around “Come on”
They followed him into the room, and they blinked in surprise when they entered it.
It had changed since Casita returned to live.
It was a large open area, sand falling from holes in the wall. A big circle in the middle, ready for when Bruno needed to use his vision, his bed was a fair distance away with a small space for all of his rat friends, who were currently sleeping there. And there was also a neat bookcase and a table with all of the material he needed to make his visions.
He sat down and looked at Isabela and Mirabel “Come on”
He blinked when not only them, but Dolores, Luisa and Camilo entered the circle
“Wha-”
“You’ll need people to look out for something, right?” Luisa asked
“Yes?”
“Then we’ll look” Dolores smiled, Camilo nodding beside her
Bruno smiled and nodded “Okay then, hold on tight”
Luisa placed hand on Isabela’s shoulder, While Camilo and Dolores stood beside Mirabel.
Once Bruno prepared everything, he extended his hands to Isabela and Mirabela, his eyes glowing green. Mirabel and Isabela held Bruno and each other's hand.
Bruno took a deep breath in, and they were surrounded by the sand. The dome surrounding them as Dolores, Luisa and Camilo looked around.
His eyes grew green and he muttered “Come on, not the future, the past”
He shut his eyes and the wind stopped going clockwise, and then began to rotate counter clockwise.
Luisa looked at the images before them. It was like everything they had gone through was going in reverse before them, Mirabel saving the magic, her finding Bruno, her cutting her hand, her wishing to be more... Everything was in front of them.
Bruno took a shuddering breath
"Tio!"
Dolores knelt beside him, but he shook his head "We need to keep going"
They saw Isabela and Mirabel arguing.
Then the image changes as they watch Mirabel push Isabela out of the way of something and then scream.
They watch as the two kneel down on the ground as Isabela struggles with creating...something. And then they watch as a flower begins to sprout, a golden, shining flower.
“Wait! There!”
Bruno looks up and they all see as the flowers form completely. The wind dissipated and a bright luminescent green frame floated in the air. Dolores grabbed it and frowned “A flower”
“Oh my gosh!” Mirabel groaned and fell back “ That’s what we forgot?!”
Isabela frowned "We're stupid" she smacked herself on the forehead
Camilo looked at the two “I don’t get it”
“The reason Tia pepa recovered so quickly is because Isabela created something to make her feel better, a flower to be precise” answered Mirabel
“Okay, what kind of flower?”
Isabela sighed “It’s called the Sundrop Flower. It’s said that a long time ago a cosmic event created a single drop of sunlight that ‘Fell from the Heavens’ and grew it.” she paused “It has healing capabilities so we figured we would try to look for it”
“Why?”
“Because it’s magic.” Mirabel said calmly “Our family was blessed with a miracle, our gifts, with magic. So of course normal medicine wouldn't work”
“But since we didn’t and couldn’t find it, I decided to use my gift in order to try and grow it”
“But?” Luisa asked
“It was difficult to grow, especially since my gift hadn’t developed a lot, and not to mention it was magic .” Isabela winced “I had to sleep in order to get my energy back,it took a lot”
“Wait. Why didn’t you just give her Tia Julieta’s food? It can heal” Dolores said, stating the obvious
“It wouldn’t have been enough” said Bruno as he stood up “Her power is strong but it wouldn’t be enough in order to fully cure her”
“But she’s had hers longer than ours?” Camilo said in confusion
Bruno frowned “Just because she’s older and has more years doesn’t mean she can magically hear anyone of any kind of disease. It takes time to develop”
“So? How are we going to grow the sundrop flower”
“I can do it” Isabela said “But i’ll need some help from you guys” she looked at Luisa, Dolores and Camilo who nodded
“Just tell us what to do” Luisa said
Mirabel stood up “I’ll try to calm Antonio’s friends down” she walked from the room and straight into Antonio’s, Bruno frowning and following after her “You guys can use my room”
The four nodded
0Oo
“Mirabel?”
Mirabel looked up at Bruno “Are you okay?”
Mirabel was tempted to say yes, but..she wasn’t. Her cousins and sister would see what she saw when Tia Pepa was sick. They would see how much Isabela would struggle in order just to grow a flower and she...she wouldn’t be able to do anything.
"She's going to get hurt trying to grow the Sundrop"
Bruno blinked "what?"
"It took out a lot from her before. And it’s going to again” she frowned and shook her head “And we won’t be able to do anything about it” she jumped as Bruno wrapped an arm around her shoulder “Come on. Let’s go calm those animals, the rest will need them to be calm when they feed the flower to el Nano”
He paused “Also. keep me as far away as possible from the capybara, they’re eyes scare me”
Mirabel snorted and raised an eyebrow “They’re capybara?”
“And they’re out to get me” Bruno said as he opened the door “Now come on, let’s get to work”
Mirabel rolled her eyes fondly, but she looked back at his door before sighing and following him
“Are you sure this is safe?”
“It isn’t. But it’s the only way for Antonio to get better” Isabela popped her fingers “So I ha-..no, need to do this”
Camilo frowned “What exactly are we here for?”
“To make sure I stay awake”
“Wouldn’t Mirabel be better?”
She shook her head “Don’t want to risk losing control and hurting her, you guys would at least be able to feel my gift before I do anything to you guys”
The three nodded
Isabela took a deep breath “Alright...here we go”
She placed both her hands on the ground, her eyes closed before opening them. Her irises glowing yellow, the glow spreading around her body.
Luisa, Camilo and Dolores jumped. They had never seen anything like this before.
She looked down and they all watched as a flower began to sprout. Isabela winced and she felt tears running down her eyes, and onto the ground.
“Isa!” yelled Luisa in worry
Isabela shook her head and looked up at her “I can keep going” . She took a deep breath and continued to make the flower grow, jumping as Dolores placed her hand over hers. Dolores smiled “Let us help you”, her own irises glowing yellow.
Isabela smiled and she let Luisa and Camilo help along with Dolores.
What they felt was absolutely terrifying.
They could feel their energy being drained out of them. Luisa, the ‘rock’ of the family, was on her knees struggling to keep her eyes open. Camilo was struggling to even stay on his knees and Dolores was leaning on one of her arms while Isabela...seemed okay.
Of course she had done it once, so it probably doesn’t hurt as much as it did the first time.
Isabela opened her eyes, she saw the flower fully bloomed and pulled her hands away from the ground. She fell back alongside Luisa and her cousins.
“Is...that.how it...felt the first time?” Luisa panted
Isabela stood up and grabbed the flower, giving it a glare “Yeah. But much, much worse” she looked down at them “You guys okay?”
They shook their heads, Isabela smiled, a tired smile “You guys wanna stay here? To rest up a bit?”
“Yeah” they said at the same time
She shakes her head “I’ll get you guys later”
“Do you guys understand?” Mirabel crossed her arms in front of the animals lined up in front of her, all of them nodding except the gorilla. She frowned “Come on big guy, are you still mad about Dolores hitting you with the slipper? You brought it on yourself you know?”
He grunted
The door opened and Isabela walked in.
...she looked tired
Mirabel frowned “Did it work?”
Isabela nodded, showing the bowl “Yup.” she paused “Luisa, Camilo and Dolores are currently passed out on Bruno’s floor”
They both shared a look in concern
Isabela smiled “They just need rest” she stepped forward and almost fell, only for the leopard to save her from falling.
Mirabel stepped forward and grabbed the bowl “I’ll give it to him” she looked at the gorilla “Can you help my sisters and cousins back into the rooms?”
He stared at her “Please? I’ll make sure you get more Bananas later”
He finally grunted and carefully picked up Isabela, stepping out of the room, Mirabel smiled when she heard Isabela say “Thanks big guy…”
Mirabel turned around and walked towards the tree
“Mirabel?”
She hummed “Why did you never tell me about the SunDrop?”
She stopped and looked over her shoulder “Because I forgot and at the time. Well...I didn’t really think it meant anything.”
She huffed as she began to climb the tree
“But why didn’t you say anything to Abuela?”
She snorts “You really think she would have taken me seriously? And don’t say Isabela would have helped me because she wouldn’t have and you know that….at least back then”
Bruno frowns “But why did you never mention this to me ? I would have helped”
“You were hiding. And when I found you we were busy saving the magic” she shrugged and breathed a sigh of relief when she reached her little cousin's bed.
She lifted his head up and fed him the flower, watching as his breathing relaxed and as he rolled over. A much more peaceful expression taking over his once sickened one.
Mirabel jumped down and walked towards her tio Bruno
“And now?” Bruno asked
“Well...I guess you could help”
“Should we tell Abuela?”
…
“Maybe?” she shrugged “I don’t really know"
Out of everyone in the family, as much as it hurt to think and as much as she loved her family, she trusted Bruno the most. She didn’t hold any grudges against them and they would eventually help them but she also didn’t want to worry them.
He hummed “Well you better expect me to help cause there’s no way i’m letting my niece research and understand the magic on her own!”
She smiled and walked out of Antonio’s room.
The next day, the storm was gone and the rest of their family returned.
Luisa, Dolores, Camilo and Isabela managed to get up and greet them but it was rather clear that they were still tired from blooming the Sundrop flower.
Their family members were worried but they shook their heads and simply said they needed rest.
Antonio was fine, better than fine, and his gorilla friend did get the bananas from Mirabel just like she said he would. But Antonio did say something funny to her
“My friends say they’ll try to open up to everyone! As a thank you”
She could feel the immense relief from Isabela, whose dress was ruined by Bananas(The family was confused but didn’t question her), and Luisa’s glee as she wanted to see how strong his gorilla friend was(She was concerned about that) while Camilo and Dolores were merely glad they didn’t have to get attacked again when they entered his room.
Mirabel and Bruno on the other hand were trying to see what else and how the rest of their family could be affected by other magical things. Seeing as the Sundrop (After finding the original resource, which was a book) existed they didn’t know what else could happen.
“Mirabel!”
Mirabel jumped and opened her window, seeing Antonio and Camilo waiting for her, she could see in the distant Luisa and the gorilla interacting(If you could call sparring interacting), she could see Isabela looking at her garden with Dolores helping her.
They all seemed to be doing better
“Come down and play with us!”
Mirabel smiled “I’ll be right there”
But right now?
She’s just glad nobody else is sick and everybody is okay(She hoped she didn’t jinx it. She REALLY hopes)