Encanto stories, AUs, and oneshots

A Child

(Luisa POV)

My hands gripped my dress and my leg bounced off the ground, I usually could keep still pretty well but today was a big big day, today I got my gift. 

Mi mama grabbed my hand and bent down to look in my eyes 

"mija, you have nothing to worry about, you're gonna get an amazing gift I just know it" she reassured me, giving my hands a light squeeze

"but mama" I sniffled "what if-, what if nothing happens, what if i'm useless the rest of my life"     "nonsense mi leona, that's not going to happen, it's going to go great" she pressed her forehead to mine and wiped the tears forming in my eyes before pulling me out onto a carpet and going to stand to the side and gesturing for me to start walking.

I walked across the carpet and up the stairs and passed all of my family members on the way, some crying, some smiling, but one had no expression at all, abuela looked to be carved out of stone as I passed beside her she hardly cast a glance my way, instead giving the door a hard stare, as if expecting something out of it.

I slowly reached my hand up, it was trembling from nervousness, but when it came in contact with the handle it stopped, I suddenly felt taller, braver, and stronger and when I turned my gaze back up at the door it had a glowing design of me, holding a weight above my head and with dumbbells on either side, I looked at abuela and saw her looking at that door as if it had answered all of her prayers, she then turned to me and smiled, it was almost unsettling, i've never seen her smile before.

"what are you waiting for nieta" she asked me "open it"

I swung the door open to reveal a room with stone arches and small rock gardens and ponds, and weights of all different kinds lined the walls, and a large bed in the corner, the room wasnt huge, but it wasnt too small either, it was the perfect size for me.

I approached some dumbbells resting on the wall and grabbed one that anyone under 20 would struggle to lift, but it weighed as much as a stuffed animal in my hand, my abuela walked out and addressed the sea of people on the bottom floor

"Mi nieta, Luisa, has been gifted with the power of strength!"

everyone cheered and abuela sounded actually happy for a moment, and I looked at my hands, of course she wasn't happy with me before, I couldnt help anyone, I was weak, but with my gift i'll be able to help everyone and I swore I would stay strong enough to keep abuela happy.

soon party guests rushed into my room and I was being challenged by kids and adults alike, and one challenged me to punch the punching bag off the chain

"my papa did it once, so if you cant do it then you're not as strong as him" he insisted, I hesitated still, why would I need to punch someone, I was supposed to help, not hurt, but I felt a cold clammy hand grip my shoulder and my abuela leant down to say

"punch it dear, its just a bag" she told me

"but why" I said back "what did the bag do?"

abuela sighed and said "well what if the bag hurt your mother, or me, or your sister? then I think it deserves to be punched"

I stepped towards the bag and raised my fist, imagining the face of some sinister monster hurting my family and swung.

I heard a loud thump as the bag hit the opposing wall, I didn't even hit it that hard but some of the parents around awkwardly chuckled and told their kids to play elsewhere for fear of them being hurt, my abuela got everyone back to partying then, with a malicious look in her eye, knelt down and whispered in my ear