- In Your Own Sweet Way -
⊰᯽⊱┈──╌❊ ♫ ❊╌──┈⊰᯽⊱
Sebastián is seen assisting Mirabel upstairs in the upper balcony, helping her by placing her own handmade decorated doilies in front of their familia's bedroom doors, the doilies embroidered with their names and dyed in their designated colors.
Sebastián: "I have to hand it to you, Hermana, these decorations of yours are very thoughtful."
Mirabel blushed at her hermano's compliment as she got down on her knees to place a lit candle in Abuela's doily candle holder.
Mirabel: "Thanks, Sebas, just doing my part like the rest of us."
As Mirabel stood back up, her gaze suddenly fell upon the pictures on the wall beside Alma's room door. The pictures showed all the Madrigals when they were 5 years old, standing in front of their glowing doors with their newly received gifts. A melancholic expression fell on her features as she stared at the photos with a mix of longing & seclusion. Sebastián's heart ached for his hermana, and he cautiously tried to approach her.
Sebastián: "Hey, Mira -"
Alma: "One hour!"
The sound of their Abuela's voice cut straight through the air, startling the both of them and causing Mirabel to stumble back and knock over the candle on Alma's doily, causing the decoration itself to catch on fire. Mirabel gasped and frantically tried to put the fire out with her foot. Sebastián reciprocated her movements.
Alma: "Maybe you should leave the decorations for someone else?"
Mirabel & Sebastián peered up to see Alma watching them, mainly Mirabel, and they couldn't look any more incompetent as they tried to stomp out the fire.
Mirabel: "No, I actually made these as a surprise - "
She bent down to pick up the unawarely, still on fire doily and presented it to her Abuela. Sebastián saw that the doily was still on fire and swiftly slapped it out of Mirabel's grasp and stomped it profusely on the ground.
Alma sighed.
Alma: "Mirabel, I know you want to help. But tonight must go perfectly. The
whole town relies on our family, on
our gifts. So the best way for...
some of us to help is... to step
aside, let the rest of the family
do what they do best. Okay?"
Mirabel gave her abuela a weak smile and nodded, her eyebrows arched sadly as she tried to mask her disappointment behind the fakeness of her said smile. Sebastián saw right through his hermana, but Alma failed to see the masked hurt etched across her nieta's face. Before anybody can say anything, a strong gust of wind blew toward their direction, the crack of thunder and pouring rain brimming their ears.
Alma: "Pepa! You have a cloud!"
Pepa, at the opposite side of the balcony, turned toward her Mamá with a wide-eyed, stress-infused angry expression on her face, the darkness of the rain cloud hovering ominously above her and soaking her to the skin.
Pepa: "I know, Mamá, but now I can't find Antonio! What do you want from me?!"
As Pepa literally storms off, Alma steps away too, but not without turning toward Sebastián.
Alma: "Sebastián, the musicós need help with their instruments downstairs."
As Alma walked off in the other direction, Sebastián turned toward Mirabel and sighed heavily, his heart breaking for her as she stared off in the distance. Her eyes that were once bright and vibrant were now dulled and drained of their color.
Sebastián: "I'll... I'll see you later, Mira..."
Mirabel watched as Sebastián disappeared downstairs. The weight of her Abuela's words hung heavily on her heart as she made her way to the nursery. As she approached the nurseries door, she slowly stopped in her tracks and overhead her Abuela and Mamá talking about her.
Julieta: "Mamá, be nice to Mirabel, okay? You know tonight will be hard for her."
As Mirabel opened the door to the nursery, she caught one last snippet of their conversation before slowly walking inside and closing the door behind her.
Alma: "If the gift ceremony doesn't go
well, this time, tonight will be
hard for us all..."
~~~
The upbeat vibrations of music, the cheers of laughter, and the festivities of celebration filled the air as the townspeople of Encanto filled Casita's interior with excitement and anticipation in their hearts. Adults talked and laughed amongst themselves with drinks in hand. Children laughed and ran around with sparklers in their hands, and onlookers admired the glowing door from the viewpoint at the bottom of the staircase.
As the starry night fell upon Encanto, a hushed silence filled the courtyard as stage lights shined brightly below the closed red curtains near the foyer. In a nearby corner, Sebastián sits behind his djembe drum; his hands playing a sort of ritualistic beat to set the atmosphere.
As the curtains finally opened, there stood Antonio dressed in his crisp white ceremony outfit. A round of cheers & applause fill the courtyard as Casita's floor tiles flipped and guided Antonio to the staircase.
But, he just stood there, unsure of what to do. He looked... nervous, scared even. Sebastián looked toward Alma and saw that she was just as confused as everyone else was.
Then, Mirabel appeared under the stage lights, earning a few gasps and murmurs from the now shocked audience. She looked down at Antonio and took his little hand in hers. Mirabel wonders if she can do this... if she has the strength to face the reminders of the worst night of her life. The worst thing is, she couldn't move either. She felt as if her feet were glued right where she stood, an unforseen force refusing her to let her move even an inch.
It was just like the night of her gift ceremony when she was 5 years old, standing there under the lights like an immovable object and feeling like she was drowning in the sea of eyes that watched her intently, waiting for her to do something. And, something did happen. Sebastián, 15 years old at the time, appeared right at his hermanita's side, gently taking her little hand in his and reassuring her that he'll always be here by her side, no matter what happens.
10 years later, that very same display of affection and support was recreated. Sebastián promptly left his place behind his djembe and stood alongside Mirabel & Antonio, taking his hermanita's hand in his. Mirabel looked up at Sebastián and smiled in appreciation, attempting to hold back the tears of her pent-up emotions before looking down at Antonio.
She took a deep breath...
Mirabel: "Come on, let's get you to your door."
⊰᯽⊱┈──╌❊ ♫ ❊╌──┈⊰᯽⊱
- To Be Continued -
YOU ARE READING
El Regalo De Música - An Encanto Story
Fanfiction- The Gift Of Music - Sebastián Madrigal is the first born and only son of Julieta & Agustín Madrigal, and he has the gift of music. When their family's magic begins to fade, it's up to him and his hermanita, Mirabel, to save it before it's too late...
