Chapter Text
" Mama por favor," Bruno pleaded with Alma. "I don't want to cause any more problems with my visions tonight."
"For the family my Brunito, cariño." Alma Madrigal patted her son's face. "For Mirabel."
Bruno's eyes nodded finally, he would do anything for his nieces and nephew. It was important to know if Mirabel and the other children would be in danger… right? Bruno went up to his room, or his temple, to bring another vision about. He didn't like to admit it, but the visions made him the most vulnerable Madrigal out of the gifted. He doesn't know if it's a hunch or from a vision itself, but he is certain that the gift will eventually end him. That was why he never took a lover, why he vowed never to have children. He didn't want to put them through the pain of losing him too soon. He knew the hard way what that could do to a person.
The vision, it's not coherent? I can see Mirabel but the house? The candle? I can't figure it out, will the house break because of Mirabel? His anxiety over a potential gift being so destructive made him wonder. It sounded like a gift that when managed could do some good! The house could build itself after all. Then Bruno realized why his mother was asking, only Bruno saw the sides of his mother that the village of Encanto couldn’t see. If Mirabel was cracking Alma's fortress then it meant she could crack her abuela's importance with the candle.
"Brunito?" Alma greeted Bruno as he descended the final steps of his room with his head down. She wore a sweet smile, but Bruno could see in her eyes she was disappointed. "I hope you weren't thinking of shattering the vision?"
"Mama, I-" Bruno flinched away and clutched his vision to his chest. "I won't let you see it!"
" Brunito," Alma crooned, opening her arms defenselessly. "Come."
Only Bruno knew how powerful Alma was. She bestowed all their gifts after all. The miracle never came without consequence, Bruno learned. The balance was that his sisters, their children, would all be imperfect versions of their potential. Bruno took a deep breath and turned to his mother.
"Mama, here is the vision." Bruno handed Alma his tablet. She smirked at him, as if she expected no less from her obedient son. She glanced at it and frowned, tilting the tablet that reflected a teenage Mirabel and cracks on the casita.
"Thank you for showing me this hijo." Alma then tossed the tablet to the floor where there was a rock, scattering into the sand pile. Bruno yelped and stepped back, before correcting his posture and wringing his hands nervously.
"So… about Mirabel?" He asked coyly.
"I will protect the miracle at all costs." Alma's expression darkened and Bruno's instincts kicked in. Unfortunately for Bruno he was not only the most vulnerable Madrigal, but also the least fit. As he darted around Alma she bellowed.
"iCasita! Apprehend him!"
Before Bruno could make it out his door his room began to shake. A furious looking Alma chased after him, Bruno thanked himself that he made the room impossible to be altered by the casita for so long.
As Bruno stepped out and was immediately swallowed by the casita walls. He knocked on the nearest wood for good luck and crossed his fingers that Alma hadn't noticed. When Alma finally emerged from his bedroom, no longer crumbling, she smiled in smug satisfaction and walked down the stairs as if nothing was amiss. Bruno whispered thanks to the casita as it allowed him to sneak his way towards Mirabel's room and hopefully fooled his mama. She thought the house was keeping him hostage, but actually it was on his side.
Casita opened the wall to the nursery and Bruno was greeted by a sorry sight. His niece has been tucked in with her favorite toy and was sniffling in her sleep. He knew he only had moments to spare and scooped her up in his arms. She fluttered her eyes open with a yawn.
“Tio Bruno?” She whispered as the casita swallowed them into the walls again.
“Shhh it's okay Mirabel, everything will be fine.” Bruno assured the little girl. He gasped slightly as he heard Mirabel’s bedroom open and peered through a crack casita provided. Mirabel sleepily patted Bruno’s pet rat that clamored up his back. She turned shyly to see what her tio was looking at. Abuela Alma entered the room silently, and noted the empty bed.
“Where did Mirabel go?” She bent down with a wince to investigate under the bed. Bruno began to sweat, unsure of whether casita was going to let him carry a child out unnoticed. Poor Mirabel had no idea what was going on and made a small murmur of noise to get her tio’s attention. Abuela Alma’s head snapped up and before Bruno could stop it his rat scurried to the floor and ran into the room. “Ay disgusting rat!” She stood up and kicked the rat violently against the wall. Bruno shielded Mirabel’s eyes and his eyes watered as his friend squeaked in distress. He knew their cover was blown so he stumbled back and navigated the walls of the house with Mirabel in his arms.
“JULIETA!” He heard a piercing scream as his mama called for her daughter. “iVEN ACA”
“Tio Bruno!” Mirabel began to cry as she was whisked away. The casita suddenly opened up and Bruno had no choice but to hop out. “Where are you taking me?”
“The casita is not safe for you anymore, I’m so sorry Mirabel.” Bruno had no words as he heard the sounds of the family’s bedroom doors opening and raised voices. He ran towards the nearby stable, thankful the casita had a plan all along, because he certainly didn’t. “Tio will keep you safe-” Bruno winced as his eyes flashed green and he nearly dropped his youngest niece. “No not now!”
“Tio?!” Mirabel clung to his ruana. “Why did Abuela kick your rat? Why are we here, what's the matter?”
Bruno managed to shut the stable door and set his niece aside as his vision swum. He clutched his head as a vision took over despite Mirabel’s cries. He saw a path way towards the mountains via cracks in the ground. It didn’t bode well for the encanto but he figured it was their way of telling him to leave. He blinked as he heard voices in the distance heading to the stables, Dolores must’ve alerted the adults to their location. The poor child probably heard every word Abuela spoke. Bruno had no time to focus on his other nieces and nephews, his mission was to get Mirabel to safety, even if it meant leaving Encanto all together.
“Mirabel, what I’m about to tell you is serious,” Bruno took a deep breath as he wiped Mirabel’s tears. “Your Abuela Alma, she is not what she seems. She has lost sight of who our miracle is for, but…” Bruno’s throat caught. “...but it doesn't matter if you don’t have a gift, I can take you away from here. You won't have to worry about being giftless outside of Encanto.”
“Tio… I want my mama.” Mirabel sobbed. Bruno ran a hand through his hair in despair, was this doing more harm than good? He hated how vague his visions were, the cracks didn’t tell him if he
succeeded
.
“Your mama would want you to be safe, I promise I will find a way to contact her.” Bruno knew he didn’t have any time left and scooped Mirabel up again so they could mount the lone horse who was eating hay. Mirabel sniffled and Bruno’s heart sank for her. Bruno knew what it was like to be ostracized by his family and the village, and this wasn’t going to help matters. Still, his niece’s safety was his priority and he was going to try his hardest to get themselves out of there. He secured Mirabel to the saddle and opened the stable doors before he hopped on himself. He pulled his hood up and snapped the reins, bursting out of the stables. The adults making their way to the stables paused as the horse neighed and galloped past them. Pepa’s cloud began to thunder and lightning when she realized what she was looking at. Julieta looked frightened as her youngest daughter reached out for her.
Bruno turned to look back at his family one last time as he carried Mirabel away. His mother was screaming his name while Agustin and Felix chased after the horse. His eyes met Julieta’s and couldn’t stop his tears from falling. Since Alma and the others were too distracted to notice, Bruno realized Julieta was cradling his rat in her arms, she was always more sympathetic to his plight than Pepa or their mother. Seeing her hold his rat so gently despite the fact that he was taking her daughter away renewed Bruno’s faith in his decision. He cradled Mirabel close to his chest with one hand and snapped the reins again before disappearing into the mountains of Encanto. Once a refuge from the world outside was now a prison to the Madrigals who didn’t fit in with Abuela Alma’s mission.