Encanto Fanfic: The Wonder & the Miracle

What Else Can We Do?

Mila slowly entered Isabela's room, and she saw things did not look promising between her cousins.
Isabela had grown a cross of vines between herself and Mirabel.
"You wanna be a better sister?" Isabela said. "Apologize for ruining my life. Go on. Apologize."
Mila's jaw dropped at Isabela's audacity to demand an apology. Sometimes she wondered why she bothered to keep Isabela's secret about sneaking into the cookie jar.
"I... am... sorry..." Mirabel reluctantly said.
Isabela smirked.
Then Mirabel said, "That your life is so great!"
"Out." Isabela said.
That was when Mila kicked the door open and came in, using her clippers to free Mirabel from the vines, telepathically pushing them away.
"Fine! I apologize. Some of us have bigger problems you selfish... entitled princess!" Mirabel said angrily.
"Selfish?!" Isabela gasped.
"Mirabel has nothing to be sorry for," said Mila, fighting the vines with her telepathy. "You're the one who's been such a showoff and a diva since we were kids!"
"I've been stuck being perfect my whole entire life, and literally the only thing either of you have ever done for me is mess things up!"
"How have either of us messed anything up for you, besides your proposal disaster?" Mila asked, struggling to keep up with the vines.
"Do you have any idea how many times teachers have compared me to you?! Why isn't Mila the golden child, they asked. She's the one with the best grades, the great inventions, the one who stands for the one giftless Madrigal."
"Being the smart one isn't as fun as it looks, Isa." Mila said. "Besides, nothing's completely ruined."
"Yeah, you can still marry that big dumb hunk!" Mirabel said.
"I never wanted to marry him! I was doing it for the family!" Isabela shouted, and a little cactus popped out from the floor in front of her.
"Isa, did you just...?" Mila was just as shocked as Isabela.
"Wow, Isa." Mirabel said, more focused on her sister's confession. "That is a very serious confession. Come on. Get over here. Bring it in."
Mirabel opened her arms, hoping Isabela would hug her, but instead, Isabela kneeled to the little cactus.
I just made something unexpected
Isabela tapped the cactus, and it grew a little bigger.
Something sharp, something new
"Uh, Isa? This is the part where we-?" Mirabel started, but Mila shushed her.
It's not symmetrical or perfect
But it's beautiful and it's mine
What else can I do?
But, Mirabel rushed after her, trying to get that hug.
Bring it in, bring it in
Good talk, bring it in, bring it in (what else can I do?)
Let's walk, bring it in, bring it in
Free hugs, bring it in, bring it in
I grow rows and rows of roses
Flor de mayo, by the mile
I make perfect, practiced poses
So much hides behind my smile
What could I do if I just grew what I was feelin' in the moment?
Isabela started to grow lots of different native plants all around the room. Flowers and trees of all different colors.
(Do you know where you're going? Whoa)
What could I do if I just knew it didn't need to be perfect?
It just needed to be? And they'd let me be?
A hurricane of jacarandas
Strangling figs (big), hanging vines (this is fine)
Palma de cera fills the air as I climb
And I push through
What else can I do?
Can I deliver us a river of sundew?
Careful, it's carnivorous, a little just won't do
I wanna feel the shiver of something new
I'm so sick of pretty, I want something true, don't you?
You just seem like your life's been a dream (whoa)
Since the moment you opened your eyes
(How far do these roots go down?)
Mirabel and Mila: All we know are the blossoms you grow (whoa)
The two cousins offered their hands to Isabela, and she took them.
But it's awesome to see how you rise
How far can I rise?
Through the roof, to the skies
Let's go
And the three girls rose up through the roof and started growing lots and lots of plants all over the place.
A hurricane of jacarandas (woo)
Strangling figs (go), hanging vines (grow)
Palma de cera fills the air as I climb
And I push through
What else, what else?
What can you do when you are deeply, madly, truly in the moment?
Isabela tapped some plants, which shot out some colorful pollen, covering Isabela in it, and she liked it. All three girls liked it. Abuela would never approve, but the girls were having too much fun to care.
(Seize the moment, keep goin')
What can you do when you know who you wanna be is imperfect?
But I'll still be okay
Hey, everybody clear the way, woo
I'm comin' through with tabebuia (she's comin' through with that boo-yeah)
Mila slipped at some point, but caught herself with her gift and landed safely
Making waves (making waves), changing minds (you've changed mine)
The way is clearer 'cause you're here, and well
Isabela pulled Mirabel into a hug, and just like in Bruno's vision, the candle burned brighter, and some cracks started to disappear, to Mirabel's delight.
I owe this all to you
What else can I do?
(Show 'em what you can do)
What else can I do?
(There's nothing you can't do)
What else can I do?
The two sisters dropped to the floor, landing in a pile of flowers, Mila joining in the fun.
"You're a bad influence," Isabela laughed.
"I didn't know you had it in you," said Mila.
Bruno and Alicia heard the commotion and came out with the twins to see what was happening.
"What's going on?" Alicia said.
"The candle burned brighter, Mami!" Mila smiled. "Mirabel's saving the miracle."
"What is going on here?!" Said another voice.
Mirabel got up and said, "Abuela it's okay. We're gonna save the magic!"
"What are you talking about? Look at our home, look at your sister!" Abuela said.
"But Abuela, you don't understand. Isabela wasn't happy." Mila said.
"Of course she's unhappy. You ruined her proposal."
"No, she needed us to ruin her proposal. And then we did all this," Mirabel said, motioning to all the plants around them. "That's why I'm in the vision. I'm saving the miracle."
"You have to stop, Mirabel!" Abuela shouted, silencing Mirabel. "The cracks started with you. Mila refused to use her gift to help the community because of you. Luisa is losing her gift, Isabela is out of control because of you. I don't know why you weren't given a gift, but it is not an excuse for you to hurt this family!"
That was when Mirabel finally had an answer before Mila did.
"I will... never... be good enough for you... will I?" Mirabel said. "No matter how hard I try. No matter how hard... any of us tries. Luisa will never be strong enough. Isabela won't be perfect enough. Mila only refused to use her gift because she didn't want me to be alone."
"Don't you-"
"That's enough!" Mila interrupted. Her hands formed into fists at that point. "My refusal to use my gift was mine alone! My father almost left this family behind because you only saw the worst in him! You drive your family to use their gifts to the point where it hurts them!"
As Mila's anger grew, so did the cracks, and members of the family started to levitate and so did Mila herself.
"Tia Pepa has to bottle her emotions! Tia Julieta has to deal with the pressure of not letting anyone die because she couldn't heal them! Dolores has to constantly hear literally everything, including stuff she doesn't wanna hear! Camilo probably doesn't know who he really is! Papi is called bad luck because you allow everyone to blame him and not own up to their own accountabilities!"
"Uh... Mila?" Mirabel began.
"Not now! I chose not to use my gift because when Mirabel didn't get hers, I could see that that was all you cared about. You didn't care about us! Just our gifts or lack of gifts, and yet you have the audacity to say that Mirabel is hurting this family?! She loves this family! I love this family! We all love this family! This miracle isn't dying because of Mirabel, it's dying because of you!"
That was when Mila finally spread her arms apart, deactivating her power and dropping everyone to the ground. However, that wasn't the best time to be grounded, as the biggest crack burst into the floor.
"No, no, no!" Pepa exclaimed.
The candle was being shaken, and the cracks were growing even faster.
Mirabel ran to get the candle.
"Casita! Get me up there!" Mirabel called.
Casita brought down some balcony bars for Mirabel to climb. Meanwhile Isabela and Camilo tried to help, only for their powers to vanish.
Antonio was nearly crushed by a door before Felix rescued him, and they rushed out the door.
Casita started to quickly evacuate everyone, including Mila, but that was when she heard barking.
"Chika!" Mila exclaimed, running back in to save her pet.
Chika was whimpering as more debris fell towards her direction.
Mirabel and Mila's parents all shouted for them to get out of there. Mirabel was trying to save the candle, while Mila went for her dog.
"Chika! Jump!" Mila called, and Chika leaped from the balcony into Mila's arms just as Mirabel saved what remained of the candle.
"Mirabel!" Mila exclaimed, seeing her cousin come down with the candle.
Casita quickly brought the two cousins and their dog together, and it brought many pieces of furniture and window frames that remained intact together, sheltering them from the rest of the collapsing material.
Mila hugged her dog closely, while Mirabel shielded the candle. However, the candle went out, to the girls's horror.
"No," whispered Mirabel.
Chika whimpered.
"I'm so sorry, prima." Mila said.
Mila heard her and Mirabel's parents calling for them.
"We're over here!" Mila called.
"Niñas, are you hurt?" Julieta asked, caressing the girls' cheeks.
"I don't think so," said Mila.
Mirabel remained silent.
"Don't move. I'll be right back." Julieta said, leaving.
Mila saw the rest of the family. They looked horrified at what became of their home, and many looked like they would start crying.
Looking around, Mila found something underneath the debris. Her bag. It was still intact. And so was her journal. She took in what had happened. The cracks grew with her anger, all while she was standing up for her cousin. Could it be...? Was it Mila's fault that the miracle died? Did she make them lose the miracle because she refused to use her gift?
Mila didn't know what to think. So, without thinking, she put on her bag and ran away. And so did Mirabel.