Chapter Text
She had a system.
Isabela had been given the gift to see the future when she was five.
her first vision had been of Dolores gift ceremony going well.
Since then, and the praise she received from her Abuela and the sun and rainbow from her Tia...
Isabela wanted that feeling again.
So when she had a vision about Bruno's plate being left off the table, Isabela didn't like that feeling.
When Abuela asked what she had a vision about, Isabela lied instinctively.
"A huge familia dinner where I think news is announced."
She didn't call it a lie. She called it an omission.
Because it was a dinner.
it just was a dinner that seemed important and seemed to not include Tio Bruno.
Abuela patted her head.
And Isabela realized.
She could still get the praise even when she had bad visions by lying.
So she did.
It worked.
Every good vision she showed her familia.
Every bad vision she lied and hid the vision tablet in a corner of her room.
As time went on more and more of the bad vision tablets were stacked up.
And they got worse than just Tio Bruno being excluded.
They outweighed the good visions.
Isabela was creative though.
She always had a lie and she could lie believeably.
Until her sister's gift ceremony.
Isabela wanted to run to her sister and hug her.
Mama used to joke that Isabela thought that her sister was her own baby.
But Abuela stopped her.
"I need you to have a vision about your sister."
Isabela panicked.
She wasn't sure she'd be able to have good vision about her sister.
And she was not sure she'd be able to lie about it.
But she did.
She saw the magic in danger.
Their house breaking.
And then she saw her sister.
Isabela didn't realize she was scratching her arms as she thought over and over about what to do.
"Isabela?" She felt Abuela enter.
Isabela panicked.
She shoved the vision tablet in the pile of bad vision tablet, at the very bottom of the pile and ran downstairs.
"Well?" Abuela asked.
"She will not get a gift...but..."
Come on think!
"She will...take over for you! when she's old enough! She'll be your helper?" Isabela's voice rose an octave but she was hoping that Abuela wouldn't notice. Not her best lie.
Abuela hugged her.
Isabela preened at the affection on instinct then Abuela went to go announce that to the panicking villiagers.
Isabela sighed.
She sank to her knees, and buried her face in her knees, her shawl being pulled over her face.
"Isa?"
Isabela jerked up.
"Mirabel!"
Mirabel had tears on her face but neared Isabela.
"Everything okay?"
"I had a good vision about you. Don't worry." Isabela kissed Mirabel's forehead but sighed. Mirabel was too young to know Isabela was full on lying.
But Isabela was a good liar.