2. Searching

It had been four hours since Alma had convinced her son to look into their family's future. She knew that sometimes Bruno would be too tired after a vision (especially so late at night) to talk about it, but he typically made sure that it was told before the day was done. Especially one this serious.

Growing anxious she made her way out of her room and towards her son's tower. Bruno had an open door policy when it came to family members, and she had no doubt that he would let her in to see what he had seen.

She graced by her youngest daughter's room, sighing and taking a moment to consider checking in on Julieta before passing on. She came to the nursery, but the sting of her granddaughter's lack of gift still weighed on her mind. She would make sure that the magic was safe, and then check on her granddaughter.

She climbed the stairs to her son's tower, and nearly fainted when she saw his door. All of her children and grandchildren (save Mirabel)'s doors shone orange with magical light, showing their current state along with their abilities. But now Bruno's door was... dark. Like it was just plain wood with his face carved in it.

Had Bruno lost his gift? Was he alright? Was he dead like Pedr-

Without hesitating further she grabbed onto and twisted the doorknob, yanking her son's door wide open.

Where Bruno's sand had always been inviting and playful, like the rest of casita it now formed a curtain of pure sand. When she touched it to gain casita's attention the sand did nothing but pool in her hand.

"Bruno?" she called out, trying to keep her fear and desperation contained. "Bruno!"

But instead of receiving an answer she heard the sound of casita's tiles clinking behind her. She spun around, and saw the cause of the commotion.

It seemed like casita wanted her out of there. Bruno's wooden boards started to move her towards the exit, but she said in a stern voice, "No casita. I'm not leaving this room until I know where my son is."

Casita seemed to sadden. The typically happy tiles flapped with sorrow, and the house could do nothing but watch as Alma took a step onto where she knew the stairs typically were.

She passed through the curtain of sand, and stared at her son's room.

It had been a long time since she'd visited him. He seemed to always be in a corner somewhere on the main level, so he was always 'visiting' them. But now she saw the state that his room was in.

And it was a barren wasteland.

There was nothing but sandstone for what seemed like miles. Any decorations she could remember (mostly hourglass themed) were gone. There was sand trickling down the walls, and sand under her feet, and sand in her hair.

No wonder Bruno spent most of his time out in the house.

But it was his fault. If he had wanted a nice room he would have had to work for one. Casita would definitely help him spruce things up a notch. He let his room go just like he let happen to himself.

Taking in a deep breath she called out "Bruno!" and she heard her voice echo throughout the room. She spun around in a circle, waiting for his inevitable answer.

She received nothing but the sound of falling sand.

Alma rushed through the house, to any location she could think of her son hiding in. He always liked the roof, but there was no sign of him looking out at the stars. She checked the dining room, finding nothing there but the plates left out from the lost celebratory dinner they were supposed to have had.

Except something was wrong. There were supposed to be nine plates at the table, but she could only count seven.

Bruno and Mirabel's plates were missing.

Mirabel. What was she going to do. Did Bruno see something awful about the future of the family, of the future of the encanto? Why would he take the plates?

Maybe he was talking to Mirabel, and had decided to bring them food. Yes. That was it. He was in the nursery. He would tell her that everything was fine and Mirabel just was the bad seed. That something was wrong with her and not the magic. She would feel oh so better about this whole situation if that were the case.

She made her way back to the nursery, and knocked on the door just loudly enough to be heard.

Not a sound greeted her.

She knocked again, this time louder. She still received no confirmation that there was anyone on the other side.

Feeling just a little annoyed and sad she turned the knob, and swung the door wide open.

She was greeted by the little room she had visited just a few hours before, but missing one key element.

The little five-year-old girl who lived in it.

Mirabel wasn't in bed. This was how it was supposed to be. She was supposed to have a gift that she would use to help the community. She was supposed to be safe there, slide into her role in the family like a hand into a glove. But there was no hand there, only a bruised stump. Like a deformed child.

But of course Mirabel wouldn't be in the nursery, she would be with her parents, and Bruno was likely in there as well. That would be a little tougher with having to come up with an excuse to talk to her son alone, but all would be well.

She closed the nursery door behind her, and made her way to Julieta's door.

This time she knocked louder than on the nursery. The nursery was typically quiet, and, being non-gift oriented didn't provide as much space as the gifted rooms did. But before she grew impatient enough to knock again her youngest daughter opened the door, tired eyes blotched by tears.

"Mamá?" Julieta asked, sounding tired, and looking even more so. "What do you need?"

Alma smiled at her daughter and said calmly, "Is Bruno here Julieta?"

Julieta shook her head in surprise. "No." She said in a confused voice, "Should he be?" She glanced back at the bedroom portion of her room, hearing Agustin's sleep grumbles.

"No," Alma said, then asked a different question, "What about Mirabel? I noticed both of their plates were missing at the table."

Julieta's eyes went wide. "Their plates are missing?" she asked, and she caught her breath as her mother nodded. "And they're not in their rooms?"

This time her mother shook her head. "Bruno is not in his room, and Mirabel is not in the nursery." she stated, and Julieta rubbed her forehead.

"Have you checked the courtyard?" she asked, and Alma shook her head. "I was hoping I could get some help, looking for them. But it appears you're too tired." Julieta nodded, then said timidly, "I could get Agustin to help..."

"No." Alma said quickly, "I will ask Dolores." She smiled at her daughter again, cupping her cheek in her hand. "You get some rest Mija. This will all be sorted out soon."

She left her daughter and traveled to the other end of the residential area. Coming to the door with her second oldest grandchild she knocked softly.

Dolores opened her door a moment later. "Abuela!" she said, sounding a little surprised. The girl smiled a bit, though there was a sadness in her eyes that had been effecting the whole house that day. "What do you need?"

Alma smiled at her granddaughter and told her, "I can't find your tío Bruno anywhere. I need you to listen for him and Mirabel." Dolores gave her a confused look, then nodded, bringing a smile back on her face.

It was a pity she was a little bit of an oddball. If she was just a little more like Isabella...

But that was Pepa's daughter for you. She was beauty, she was controlled. But she was not quite perfect. Isabella fit that role just fine.

But Dolores was quite handy when you needed to find someone. Especially when that someone was Bruno. Alma's son was always talking, always moving, always... doing. And just the act of doing was enough to get Dolores on the scent.

She watched her granddaughter concentrate, then say in a sad little voice, "I... I can't hear him."

"What?" Alma asked. That was impossible. Dolores could always hear him. "Try again Mija," she said, holding out a hand for her to grip so she could concentrate better.

That had always helped Bruno. It was a surefire way to get him and his niece connected with this physical state of being so the rest of them could fly.

"A- Abuela..." Dolores said, squeezing Alma's hand. "I can't hear him." When Alma looked at her grandchild she saw that Dolores was almost in tears. "Why can't I hear him?"

Because he's gone, gnawed a nasty voice inside of her brain. But everything else told her that her son was alive.

"He's left." Dolores whispered. She sounded so sad. Alma felt pity for the girl. "Thank you for trying Dolores." Alma said, patting her on the shoulder. "Try and get some sleep now." Dolores nodded, smiling a bit then turning back into her room.

Where on earth was Bruno?

Where on earth was Bruno?

"Let's face it. We're lost."

Bruno stared at the trees around him. Had there always been this much forest around the encanto? Yes? Then why hadn't he seen it? No? Then how was it so thick already?

"Why are we lost?" Mirabel asked innocently. Bruno gulped down a chuckle and a sob, and turned to the young girl, who was busy adjusting her glasses.

"We're lost because I never want to know where I am." Bruno said, saying the exact opposite of the truth. "We're lost because I suck at figuring that out."

Mirabel gasped like her tío had just said something scandalous. " Tío Bruno!" she said, placing her hands on her hips. "You do not suck at figuring where we are out. You suck at sucking."

The expression on her face, one of utter determination and self confidence reminded Bruno of his sister Pepa so much he began to question whose daughter this really was. But he still felt like he sucked at what he had said he sucked at, so he didn't take her words to heart. He simply ruffled her hair, getting a small giggle out of his niece.

"Tío Bruno," Mirabel said after a minute of him trying to figure out which way to go, "I'm getting sleepy. Will we be at our new home soon?"

Oh great. Bruno had forgotten about sleep. One of those important human things that all humans had to do. And the little girl he was traveling with had been up for a really long time and had had a long stressful day. It was amazing that Mirabel wasn't sleeping where she stood.

"Well Mariposa," he said, motioning towards the ground and then the tree branches. "Take your pick."

Mirabel's eyes squinted as she looked where he beckoned. "But... There aren't any beds here..." She looked down at her beautiful pale pink dress which she still had on from the party. "And I don't wanna get my dress dirty..."

Bruno had forgotten that not everyone slept just wherever. He hadn't used his vision cave in such a long time that his bedroom had become overrun with sand, so he slept where he could.

Then he had an idea. "Come Mirabel," He reached into the bag that he had taken from Julieta's room, which was full of food. "Have a little something to eat, then I'll be your bed."

The scrutinizing glare he got from Mirabel re-solidified Julieta as Mirabel's mother. It was obvious that Mirabel thought it incredibly silly to use a person as a bed. But Bruno simply found a rather flat part of ground and lay down, pulling a pastry from inside of the bag.

Mirabel was overcome by her curiosity and sat down next to her tío, taking out another pastry and starting to nibble on it.

It wouldn't occur to Bruno until much later to keep Julieta's cooking for as long as he could to keep the two of them healthy through their journey.

Mirabel lay down and nestled her head next to Bruno's chest. "Tío Bruno. Thank you... For taking me out to sleep under the stars." She smiled up at the sky, littered with hundreds of constellations, and Bruno knew in that instance that he wanted them to have a home where they could look at the stars whenever they wanted.

"You're welcome Mariposa." he said softly, so that even if Dolores had been listening she wouldn't have been able to hear it. "Thank you for giving me a reason to."