El orgullo de Madrigal (Encanto x Oc)

{{𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟 3}}

~💚~

So the night was in full swing... Nikolai, Camilo, and Luisa were in charge of greeting guests and sorting out caravan donkeys. Camilo was bouncing around enthusiastically, shifting into every person who walked past as he welcomed them into the celebration. Luisa gave out tickets with numbers to people while placing its duplicate onto the donkey that belonged to them. Nikolai stood to the side, greeting the people who greeted him, helping out where he was needed but staying in the shadows.

Once everyone had arrived, the party moved into Casita's plaza, with Izabella dancing and entertaining guests in the far corner, creating flower petals, and making crowns and bouquets for women and children, Luisa walking around with snacks and letting everyone know where food could be found if they were hungry, Nikolai reading out one of his books to the children, painting pictures with words while he used his glowing eyes to create and stir feeling inside them, Mirabele walked Antonio down the steps toward where his parents and siblings were waiting for him behind the curtain of red roses.

Abuela walked up to her bedroom and returned with the Madrigal candle, smiling at passing quests before heading up the steps halfway to Antonio's awaiting door.

"Everyone, may I have your attention!" Abuela called out.

The musicians who were strumming and playing away to their heart's content slowed to a stop, Nikolai closing his book and raising to his feet, gesturing the children after him, Isabela pausing her dancing before walking forward with Luisa.

"The time has finally come," Abuel spoke before turning her head to the curtains, Pepa, Felix, Dolores, and Camilo all exiting and making their way to the stairs.

The Musicians began again, drumming a beat that filled the heart with anxiety. Nikolai walked up next to Dolores and Camilo, taking deep breaths as he did... Not only was he dealing with his own nervousness and that of his family, but now there were a dozen more people in the room just as anxious and worried about the outcome of this gift ceremony. The teen boy wanted nothing more than to pull his hood up and run to his room, to block all the nerves with the calm of the worlds within his books, but he had to be there for Antonio... for the Familia...

"Fifty years ago, in our darkest moment, this candle blessed us with a miracle." Abuela began her speech.

Nikolai spazzed, swallowing hard as he filtered Abuela's anxiety and pride. Dolores looked up at her younger cousin, hearing his ragged breaths and grinding teeth. The young Madrigal raised her hand and placed it on his arm, Nikolai looking down at her as she offered him a soft smile. He smiled slightly back, intertwining his fingers with hers and she took his hand before facing Abuela once again.

"And the greatest honor of our family has been to use our blessings to serve this beloved community. Tonight, we come together once more as another steps into the light... to make us proud." The elder woman finished, motioning for everyone to look toward the curtains as they opened, revealing Antonio.

He freezes, too scared to move. The House encourages Antonio, but he won't budge. Antonio turns back, hand outstretched. Everyone watched confused for a second as Antonio motioned backward again seeming to talk to someone hidden behind the wall. Then, as everyone watches, Mirabel steps out and takes Antonio's hand.

"Come on. Let's get you to your door." Mirabelle encourages Antonio, determined to walk home toward the best thing in his life.

Antonio holds Mirabel'shand tightly, and they begin to walk. With every step, it gets harder for Mirabel... the memory of walking to her own door still so fresh in her mind. Mirabel looks to the Magic Candle in Abuela's hands. As they climb the stairs to Antonio's glowing door, every step is a painful reminder. But Mirabel pushes through the pain of those memories and helps Antonio reach his door, handing him off to Abuela.

"Will you use your gift to honor our miracle? Will you serve this community and strengthen our home?" Abuela asks Antonio, to which he nods, and Abuela gestures to the door.

Everyone holds their breath as Antonio approaches his door... As he touches the doorknob, the whole door erupts with gold glitter! A Toucan lands on Antonio's arm and chirps like it's saying something to him. Antonio smiles, delighted as he speaks to the bird.

"Uh-huh, uh-huh, I understand you." The toucan squawked a response to him.

"Of course, they can come!" Antonio speaks again before dozens of animals flock to him... and his door forms into an animal menagerie.

Abuela is overjoyed and hugely relieved as is the rest of the family.

"We have a new gift!" She calls out happily.

People cheer and fireworks go off. Nikolai releases a breath as all the negative and suffocating emotions wash away, replaced with happiness and excitement. Dolores releases his hand to cover her sensitive ears from the loud noises as everyone follows Antonio into his new room.

Antonio's new, magical room opens to reveal... an enormous CHOCÓ RAINFOREST. Animals race through the crowd, and a jaguar races past, and to Antonio's delight, scoops him up onto his back and races through the room -

'Every kid's dream come true...' Nikolai thinks to himself as he watches his young cousin laugh happily.

The jaguar and Antonio stop near the family. Felix celebrates and the Jaguar leaps onto Agustín, nearly knocking him over. Mirabel watches, relieved for Antonio... but the moment turns as... Abuela hurries over to Antonio, proud and relieved, and pulls him in for a hug, her eyes full of pride.

"I knew you could do it... a gift just as special as you." She smiles.

Nikolai, standing near the back suddenly chokes, placing his hand over his chest, doubling over, feeling as though he's just been stabbed in the heart. Raising his eyes, he sees Mirabel standing just in front of him... the wall she put up to block her from her pain crumbling to nothing.

'Mira...' Nikolai sucks in a breath at the young girl's pain, his eyes glowing as they shift into a broken heart.

"Huh! We need a picture! Everyone, come, come, come, come, come! It's a great night, it's a perfect night." Abuela stands all giddy, gesturing her family forward.

Upon turning to the cameraman, she sees Nikolai standing in the back and tilts her head expectedly at him, calling him to the front. The young male struggles to stand straight, forcing himself up and walking forward slowly with shut eyes. Mirabel watches him, suddenly aware of how her emotions must be affecting him. The young girl tried to think of something cheerful only to feel her chest give and contract painfully. Lifting her gaze back to her primo, she watches him double over more ever so slightly at the feeling as he walked up next to Pepa and Felix, his eyes still closed.

"Everyone together," Abuela calls, happy.

"LA FAMILIA MADRIGAL!" The family chants, taking their poses or showing off their gift in some way.

As everyone cheers... poof! The brilliant light of magnesium flashes as they capture the family's celebration. Pepa with a rainbow, Dolores cupping her ear, Isabella making flower petals, Luisa holding up a bolder. Julieta and Augustin cuddling, Felix doing dramatic hands, Antonio gesturing up to the birds flying, Camilo doing an 'at the ready' shift pose... and Nikolai... Nikolai standing slightly hunched over with his hands over his heart, his eyes lidded glowing jade, a dark broken black heart for a pupil.