Bruno's Prophetic Guise

You and Mirabel stood waiting underneath the tree of Antonio's treehouse. The rumbling in the distance frightened not only the birds, but you as well.

"We might wanna hurry." Mirabel rushed, watching as Tío Bruno poured out sand from a bucket in the shape of a circle.

"You can't hurry the future." He stopped pouring the sand when he was met with a capybara in his path.

He chuckled and just continued to pour the sand around the animal.

"What if I show you something worse?" He resumed after shooing a few coatis away. "If I see something that you don't like, you're gonna be all, 'Bruno makes bad things happen. Oh, he's creepy and his vision killed my goldfish.'"

"I don't think you make bad things happen. Sometimes family weirdos just get a bad rap." She said, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. "You can do this."

Bruno stared at Mirabel, breathing heavily as he mustered up some courage.

Antonio came over with the stuffed animal Mirabel had sewn for him, handing it to Tío Bruno.

Tío Bruno held out his hand, and Antonio dropped the doll directly onto it. "For the nerves." He said.

Jumping onto his pet jaguar, Parce growled softly before walking away. Anthony followed close behind.

Tío Bruno looked at the doll and smiled, placing it down gently.

"I can do this. I can do this, I can do this. I can do this." He whispered to himself, taking a handful of salt out of his poncho and tossing it over his shoulder.

Lighting a match, he set fire to a pile of dead leaves. Taking out a flaming twig in the pile, he used it to light up smaller leaves that rested in mounds of sand in the circle.

You and Mirabel watched closely with intent as Tío Bruno went through his procedure.

The atmosphere darkened, and the winds picked up, drawing your attention. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, and upon opening them, they glowed a bright green.

Shaking his hands and cracking his fingers, he said, "You might wanna hang on."

He held out his hands for each of you to take, which you did. And with your other free hands, you and Mirabel held onto each other with a tight grip.

He nodded and closed his eyes once more. Green specks began to light up from the ring of sand, which swirled upward to form a dome.

In the dome, Tío Bruno opened his eyes as you and Mirabel gaped in awe at what was happening.

Visions appeared in different locations in the swirling sand. Some showed the house breaking apart and other events following. Then, the vision of you appeared, who was standing in front of the breaking house.

Horror and worry filled you to the brim as you saw yourself in the vision. The thought of your corrupted version gave you unbearable chills.

"It's just the same thing. I gotta stop!" Tío Bruno said, losing focus of the vision.

"No." Mirabel protested. "I need to know what happens next. There's gotta be an answer. Something we're not seeing!"

"You're looking at the same thing that I am. If there was something else-" Mirabel cut him off.

"There!" She pointed. "Over there!"

Looking at where her finger was pointing, all three of you saw a glowing yellow butterfly.

"Butterfly! Follow the butterfly!" Tío Bruno yelled, and Mirabel stood up, also bringing up the both of you by the hand.

Following the butterfly, it stopped as it rested on a reed of glass.

"Where is that?" She asked, squinting her eyes.

Bruno spoke hesitantly. "It's all out of order."

The image of the butterfly transitioned to an image of the candle in the window glowing brighter.

"It's the candle. The candle's getting brighter!" He pointed out. An image of Mirabel then appeared standing in front of said candle. "I-I think you're gonna help the candle!"

"How?" Mirabel questioned.

Another person appeared, standing in front of Mirabel.

"Uh, there's someone with you. And you... you fight her!" He assumed.

"What?" Mirabel shouted, turning to face him.

He held his hands up in the air apologetically. "Wait, no, no. Is that a hug?"

"Am I fighting or hugging?" Mirabel asked.

"An embrace. An embrace! To make the candle bright, you have to embrace her." He concluded.

"Embrace who?" She quizzed, staring intensely at the vision.

"Oh... Almost there."

"Who is it?" Mirabel asked once more.

"Almost there." He anticipated. "Oh, oh. I got it!"

An image of Isabela tossing her hair over her shoulder appeared.

"Isabela?" Mirabel yelled incredulously.

The sand came raining down and you and Mirabel used your hands to shield yourselves. Bruno, instead of his hands, used the newly created vision to shield himself.

"Oh, your sister?" Bruno chuckled. "That's great!" He flipped the vision around for Mirabel to see, only for her to growl at the sight.

He sighed, tossing the vision to the side as it shattered. "Every time."

~~~

From behind the railing of the breezeway, Mirabel scoffed. "Why would embracing Isabela do anything?"

You both stared at Isabela's door, which was decorated with a trim of flowers.

"I don't know." Tío Bruno shrugged. "Our family got a miracle. How do you help a family miracle? You hug a sister."

All three of you hid behind the railing as you heard a familiar voice calling your names.

"(Y/N)?" He sighed, no sign of you around. "Mirabel? Mirab-" There was a continuous burbling as Camilo quickly shape-shifted into a man's body with a baby head. "Mirabel?" He called out in a high-pitched voice.

"Oh, Camilo." You whispered, your heart aching.

"Well, I think we're running out of time here." Tío Bruno chuckled nervously.

"It's not gonna work. She won't hug me ever, okay? She hates me!" Mirabel stated. "Also, I don't know if you heard, I ruined her proposal!"

You and Tío Bruno looked at each other, sharing the same thought.

"Um, Mirabel?" You whispered, failing to get her attention.

"Plus, P.S..." She continued, grabbing a flower from the flower plant next to her. "She is just annoying." She groaned, smashing the flower in her palm.

"Mirabel?" Tío Bruno whispered, only louder than you did, but he also failed.

"Of course it's Isabela!" She rolled her eyes. "And what's her problem with me, anyway? She's the one with roses coming out of her-"

"Mirabel!" Tío Bruno shouted, quickly grabbing her attention as she shot her head towards him.

"Oh, sorry, sorry, sorry." He apologized. "You see, you're missing the point. The fate of the family, it's not up to her. It's up to (Y/N). And whatever we saw in the vision, well, along with (Y/N), you might also be a big help in trying to prevent the house and the village from... falling into ruins. You just have to see it."

Mirabel looked down for a second before looking back at him.

"By yourself, after I leave." He grunted as he pulled a potted plant with him across the breezeway to the wall.

"Leave?" You questioned.

"What, you're not coming?" Mirabel asked.

"It was your guys' vision, Mirabel." Tío Bruno said in a deep voice. "Not mine."

"You're afraid Abuela will see you." Mirabel asserted, slightly smirking.

"Yep. I mean, yes, that too." He opened the painting, revealing the hidden passageway, and stood up.

Shuffling over to it, he stopped for a second before turning around. "Hey, after the miracle is saved, come visit."

"After the miracle is saved, I'm bringing you home." She smiled.

He smiled back shortly before knocking on the portrait.

"Knock, knock, knock, knock, knock. Knock on wood." He inhaled sharply and crossed his fingers, sitting on the ledge and leaning back into the wall.

The painting closed, concealing the hidden passage. In the back, you could hear an ominous and audible creaking from Casita.

Standing up, the both of you saw how the glowing light from each of the doors flickered and blinked.

"Alright, Mirabel, I wish you luck." You patted her back and began to walk to the nursery.

"Wait, you're leaving, too?" She asked.

Your eyes widened as you thought she saw through your plan.

"Uh, when you say leaving, you mean like leaving the situation and not the actual house and the encanto? Then, yes, I'm leaving." You chuckled, sweating a bit.

"Why? Don't you want to help save the miracle?" She questioned, completely ignoring everything else you just said.

"See, Mirabel, I can't save it if I'm the one who causes it. Plus, this is just between you and Isabela. I'd rather sit this one out so that I'm not in the way of any sisterly bonding that goes on. Alright?" You placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

She nodded understandingly. "Alright."

"Okay. I'll be in the nursery waiting." You lied, smiling as you took your hand off her shoulder and made your way to the room.

Mirabel watched as you walked away and exhaled shortly after. Turning around to face Isabela's door, she said some affirmations to boost herself up. "You got this. Just gonna help save the miracle."

She rolled her eyes. "With a hug." And began to walk to Isabela's room.