We Don't Talk About Bruno

After what felt like an eternity, Mirabel exited Bruno's room with your unconscious body. Panting, she was making her way toward the nursery room when she ran into Abuela.

Abuela grunted and dusted the sand particles off her dress. "Where are you coming from in such a hurry?"

Then she noticed Mirabel carrying your body. "What happened to (Y/N)?"

"I'm sorry, I was..." Mirabel apologized, out of breath.

"What is in your hair?" Abuela asked, inspecting Mirabel's hair and clothing.

She hesitated to answer and dusted the sand out of her hair when she heard Luisa's voice from nearby.

"My gift!" Luisa sobbed, meeting the three of you near the top of the stairs just around the corner.

You groaned and stirred, slowly lifting your head.

"I'm losing my gift!" Luisa cried.

"What?" Abuela said with a disturbed look on her face as she looked at Luisa.

You squinted your eyes, looking at Luisa as you adjusted to the brightness.

"Mirabel, (Y/N), and I were having this little talk about me carrying too much. So, I tried not to carry so much, but I realized it was putting me behind." Luisa explained.

"And I knew I was gonna let everyone down. And I felt really bad, so I was grabbing all the donkeys, but then when I went to throw the donkeys in the barn, they were... heavy!" She sobbed, running to her room and slamming the door.

You, Mirabel, and Abuela watched as she stormed off into her room. Coughing up a bit of sand, you were barely gaining your consciousness back, so you were still woozy.

"What did you two do? What did you say to her?" Abuela questioned in an accusing tone. You both turned to face Abuela with fear in your eyes.

"Nothing." You both said.

"We... I don't..." Mirabel tried to find the exact words to say.

"Mirabel..." Abuela said, but then sighed when she heard the church bells ring and she checked the time on her pocket watch.

"I have to go get the Guzmáns for Isabela's engagement." She told you guys.

"Stay away from Luisa until I can talk to her. Tonight, we can't have any more problems. And whatever you two are doing, stop doing it." She said before making her way down the stairs.

Luisa's sobbing could be heard from her room. You and Mirabel only looked at each other, exchanging worried looks. As she cried, her room door creaked, and the glow from her door flickered and faded.

"Come, I need to show you something." Mirabel tapped your arm with the back of her hand and headed to the nursery.

Following her, you both entered the room, closing the door behind you. Taking the glass shards out of her bag, she placed them down on top of her sewing table.

"Why are you in Bruno's vision?" She whispered, setting down the same shards that formed the image of you in your corrupted form.

"What?" You gasped lightly, taking a step backwards.

Suddenly, there was a loud rumble of thunder from behind the both of you and you jumped at the loud sound.

Mirabel took the shards and quickly hid them behind her back, staring at Tía Pepa. She stared back at the both of you with wide, menacing eyes.

Mirabel relaxed a bit when she realized who it was. "Tía! Jeez."

You sighed a sigh of relief, knowing that it was just Tía Pepa.

"Sorry. Sorry, I didn't mean to..." She looked up and noticed the cloud above her. "Shoo, shoo, shoo!" She grunted, forcing it out the door.

"I just wanted to get the last of Toñito's things and then I heard the name we do not speak." She whispered, noticing the cloud of thunder returning above her head.

"Bruno?" You mouthed, arching a brow.

"Great. Now I'm thundering, and that thunder will lead to a drizzle and a drizzle will lead to a sprinkle..." She took a deep breath, forcing a grin on her face. "Clear skies, clear skies."

She exhaled as the cloud went away. "Clear skies." Tía Pepa then sat down on the ground, collecting Antonio's belongings.

"Tía Pepa? If Bru-" Mirabel hesitated to speak as her thunder cloud came back. "If he had a vision about someone, what would it mean for them?"

"We don't talk about Bruno." She stated, wringing out Antonio's now wet clothing.

"I know. It's just hypothetically, if he saw you..." Mirabel continued.

"Mirabel, please, we need to get ready for the Guzmáns." Tía Pepa said, gesturing towards the door.

"I just wanna know if it was generally positive or, like, less positive..." She resumed, stepping closer to Tía Pepa, when suddenly, the door burst open.

"It was a nightmare!" Tío Félix yelled.

"Félix!" Tía Pepa called.

"Hey, they need to know, Pepi, they need to know." Tío Félix closed the door, approaching the both of you.

"We don't talk about Bruno." She told him, placing a finger in front of his mouth to silence him.

"He would see something terrible." Tío Félix continued. "And then..." He made a ticking sound. "Boom! It would happen."

Tía Pepa grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him back. "We don't talk about Bruno."

"What if you didn't understand what he saw?" Mirabel asked.

"Then you better figure it out, because it was coming for you." He shook Mirabel, staring at both of you in the eyes as he held her by the shoulders.

"We don't... talk about... Bruno." Tía Pepa urged in a whisper, pointing a finger at her husband and wagging it in front of him.

Staring at her, his eyes darted over from his wife's, to Mirabel's, and to yours.

"Fine. I will keep it short." Tío Félix inhaled before stepping closer to you both.

"On our wedding day, when we were getting ready, your Tío Bruno mentioned how it looked like it was going to rain. And your Tía Pepa, having these thoughts about rain flood her head, made it rain on a clear and beautiful day." He explained. "But it wasn't her fault, of course! So, we got married in a hurricane, but it was still a joyous day."

Tía Pepa stood behind him, arms crossed. A slight blush had painted her face, caused from the embarrassing moment just told. "It was not my fault." She repeated. "It was Bruno's!"

"Of course, Pepi. I know, I know." He placed his hands on her arms comfortingly. "Come, let's get ready for the Guzmáns."

And with that, they left the room. But before they did, Tía Pepa stuck her head back in the room and reminded you two, "Do not talk about Bruno."

The door slammed shut, leaving the both of you in surprise and bewilderment.

"Well, that was... something." You stated, clearing your throat.

Mirabel slowly nodded. "It was... wasn't it?"

She stood there, letting the information process in her head. "Wait, so... was Tío Bruno the villain in that situation?" She asked.

You shrugged. "I... don't know. Let's go ask the others. Maybe they'll have actual important information."

Collecting the pieces of the vision, Mirabel placed them in her purse.

"Ugh, there's so much sand in this thing." She groaned. "I really need to clean it out."

You gave her a small laugh. "You can do that later. For now, let's go."

Taking her arm, you pulled her out of the nursery with you and closed the door.

"Alright, where to next?" You asked, turning to face Mirabel.

"Um..." Mirabel searched the area for a second. "Hey, look!" She spotted. "Dolores!"

Dolores, who was walking into the courtyard, froze. She slowly looked to the side, meeting your glances. Mirabel grabbed your hand and dragged you down the stairs to where Dolores was.

"Dolores! Hey." Mirabel grinned widely.

She stared at the two of you suspiciously before answering your question. "Alright, I don't remember that much about Tío Bruno, but I will tell you what I remember about him."

Dolores recollected about how she grew to live in fear of Tío Bruno's stuttering or stumbling. She would always hear him sort of muttering and mumbling because of her gift. She also told you two that she associated him with the sound of falling sand.

Both of your guys' eyes widened when you recalled all the sand in Tío Bruno's tower. It surprised you how Dolores could hear all the sand in his tower.

"That's all I can remember." Dolores said. "But if other memories pop up, I'll tell you."

"Okay, thanks, Dolores! You're the best!" Mirabel smiled cheerily, dragging you again back up the stairs.

"Mirabel, hey!" You yelled as she pulled you along with her. "I have legs, you know. I can walk by myself."

Mirabel let go of your arm and turned around, giving you an apologetic look.

"Oh," she chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of her neck. "Sorry."

You opened your mouth, about to respond to her, when you felt a presence behind you.

Standing there for a second, you hesitated to turn around. You glanced over at Mirabel's face, in which she looked behind you with a raised eyebrow. A hand was placed on each of your shoulders and a voice, ever so softly, spoke.

"Boo." The voice said, quietly and deeply.

You exhaled the breath you didn't know you were holding in and rolled your eyes. "Hi, Camilo." You said, smiling.

"What?" He said playfully. "I'm not Camilo."

Mirabel watched as your face turned from curious, to annoyed, to confused in a matter of seconds. Just as you were about to turn around, Camilo shape-shifted into you, taking on an elegant pose. Fully turning around, you stared wide eyed at the transformation Camilo took.

"See? I am not Camilo." He said. "I am (Y/N), the most beautiful, amazing, dazzling, and captivating person to live. Really, the list keeps going."

A bright, visible blush painted your cheeks, and you quickly turned around. You placed your head on Mirabel's shoulder to hide your face.

"Great going, primo. You killed her." Mirabel told him, gently patting your back. An idea popped up in Mirabel's head, and her face lit up.

"Hey Camilo, since you're already here, how about you tell us what you know about Tío Bruno?"

Camilo shape-shifted back into his normal form and stared at Mirabel. "What kind of question is that?" He asked her. "I remember a little about Tío Bruno, and frankly, I don't wanna talk about him."

"Please?" She pleaded, grabbing you by your shoulders and facing you towards Camilo. "For (Y/N), at least?"

His eyes widened and a blush spread across his face. "For (Y/N)? That's even worse. It'll be even more embarrassing."

"Okay, fine." Mirabel groaned, facepalming. "Just for me, then. Your prima. No (Y/N)."

He hesitated for a second before deciding. "Alright." He shoved his hands in his pant pockets, gesturing for Mirabel to follow him.

"(Y/N), stay here for a bit, 'kay?" Mirabel asked you, rushing over to Camilo.

You stood there, glaring at the both of them. Of course, you wouldn't stay back while Camilo spills information about Tío Bruno. So, you tiptoed stealthily over to the both of them, standing on the other side of Camilo quietly.

"Okay, so, Tío Bruno." Camilo muttered as he said his name. Even saying his name sent shivers down his back.

"If I remember correctly, Tío Bruno had a 7 foot frame, and he would always have rats along his back." He said, earning an intent nod from Mirabel.

"And... when he called your name, it would all fade to black." He continued, biting his nails anxiously. Mirabel had a puzzled expression on her face as she listened.

"H-He also sees your dreams... and feasts on your screams." Camilo finished, shivering. "That's all I know. I-I don't wanna talk about Tío Bruno anymore."

"How cute." You said, holding back your laughter.

"Ahh!" He yelled, placing a hand on his chest. But he calmed down when he realized it was only you. "Oh, it's just you, (Y/N)."

He then paused for a second, looking back at you. "Wait... (Y/N)?!" He shouted, blushing in embarrassment. "You heard all of that?!"

"Everything." You smiled innocently with your hands clasped behind your back.

Camilo chuckled nervously and then ran off into his room, leaving the two of you.

"Poor thing." You frowned. "Tragedy, really. I didn't know Tío Bruno was that frightening."

"He's not." Mirabel reassured you, uncertain of herself and the words that came out of her mouth. "I hope..."

Mirabel noticed another walking figure behind you. She seemed to be approaching the two of you, and judging from the look on Mirabel's face, you knew exactly who it was.

"Isabela!" You grinned, turning around to face Mirabel's beloved sister.

"(Y/N)!" She smiled back, summoning a flower crown, which fell directly onto your head.

"Aw, thank you." You gave her a quick hug to show your appreciation.

"It's nothing." Isabela said with a smile, but the smile on her face turned to a scowl when she noticed her sister.

"Mirabel." She acknowledged, flicking a flower in her face. Mirabel flinched and swiftly shut her eyes.

"Isabela." She greeted back, with venom and toxicity lacing her voice. The two sisters glared at each other, not one of them blinking or moving.

"Ah, lovely weather we're having, don't you agree, Isabela?" You blurted out to break up the intense staring contest they were having. You pulled Isabela by the arm and joined it with yours, facing her away from Mirabel.

Just then, what was a cloudless, sunny sky turned into a drizzling, gray one. Down below in the courtyard, Tía Pepa walked across from one side to the other in a disgruntled manner.

"Okay, maybe not so much." You gave a nervous laugh.

"So, where are you heading?" You asked Isabela, the two of you slowly walking away from Mirabel.

Mirabel scoffed and rolled her eyes at her sister, glaring daggers at the back of her head. She trudged along quietly, following the two of you.

"Oh, I was just gonna go downstairs to help in the kitchen." She said, walking down the stairs.

"Perfect!" You exclaimed. "I was just headed that way as well. Actually, Isa, I got a question for you."

"What is it?" She asked, giving you her full attention.

"What do you know about Tío Bruno?" You questioned.

"Well..." Isabela trailed off, not knowing how to answer the question. "Tío Bruno predicted that I'd have the life I've always wanted. How I'd have the man of my dreams and how my gift would grow like... grapes that thrive on a vine."

She thought her response was pretty well-said, despite everything being the complete opposite. Like how she did not want to marry Mariano. But she topped everything off with a reassuring smile to convince you and Mirabel.

"How pleasant." You said, surprised by her response. You expected it would've been something similar to the other experiences with Tío Bruno.

"Well, thank you, Isa." You grinned, parting away as you approached the kitchen area. "I appreciate it. I'll see you later."

She hummed in response and continued walking to the kitchen while you fell back to where Mirabel was.

"Of course, it wasn't anything bad. She's Isabela, señorita perfecta." Mirabel grunted, folding her arms.

You laughed, patting her arm lightly. "Okay, chill out."

Walking back to the nursery, you comforted Mirabel and helped her calm down.

~~~

You and Mirabel stared at the completed glass vision. It was an image of the corrupted you, either destroying the village and Casita or saving them.

While you stared at the vision, Tío Félix's words replayed in your head.

"Then you better figure it out, because it was coming for you."

He wasn't wrong. You remembered the times you've encountered your corrupted version in the mirror. How it would try to take hold of you, but would fail every time.

What if... this time, it succeeded? You couldn't bear the thought of what would happen if it did.

Feeling lightheaded, you shut your eyes and massaged your temples. That's when you heard Tío Agustín's voice from beyond the door.

"Miraboo, (Y/N)!" He knocked. "Got your party pants on?"

Opening the door, he shimmied his way over to you both. "'Cause I-" He stopped when he spotted the vision on top of the wardrobe.

You and Mirabel grunted, scrambling and chuckling as you both tried to conceal the vision. He only stood there, mouth agape.

Mirabel looked at you, and you looked right back at her, shaking your head. She raised her eyebrows at you, laughing nervously as she looked back at her father.

"We... broke into Bruno's tower. We found his vision. The family's in trouble. The magic is dying. The house is breaking, Luisa's gift is fading. And (Y/N)'s most likely the reason why?" Mirabel shrugged, smiling sheepishly.

You stared at Mirabel in disbelief, but then chuckled nervously, facing Tío Agustín. He continued standing there, his mouth still agape. He gently pushed Mirabel to the side, staring at the vision.

"Pá?" She asked.

The doorbell rang, notifying everyone that the Guzmáns had arrived and that it was time for dinner.

"We say nothing." He said, collecting the shards and shoving them into his pockets. "Abuela wants tonight to be perfect. Until the Guzmáns leave, you two did not break into Bruno's tower. The magic is not dying. The house is not breaking. Luisa's gift is not fading."

He grabbed you both by the shoulder and took you two near the door. "No one will know." He whispered. "Just act normal. No one has to know."

The door cracked open and there stood Dolores. She stood on the breezeway on the other side of the house, listening to the conversation. The three of you slowly turned your heads, looking at her.

"I know." She whispered, squeaking as she scurried away.

"She's gonna tell everyone." Mirabel said, undoubtedly.

"Time to eat!" Abuela yelled from downstairs.

"Miércoles." Tío Agustín muttered.