Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Mirabel cried in the nursery.

No gift.

She was a Madrigal.

How could she not have any gift!

It wasn't fair!

And the way Abuela looked at her after it was revealed she wouldn't have it...

She was crying.

A door opened.

"Hola."

"Tio?"

"You have something much much more important in your destiny?"

"Que?"

Bruno motioned for her to follow him into the walls.

"Every generation someone is born with a voice so powerful that they can send demons back to the Underworld. And when they reach maturity, they would seal them there for a very long time. Their voices will give the people hope and confidence and light."

Mirabel frowned.

"And you are the next demon hunter. The world will know you for your voice. But you're task is much much bigger."

Mirabel smiled. She liked feeling important.

"But no one is to know about it."

She nodded.

"Come on, let's get you back to the nursery."

Mirabel nodded, shuddering a little bit and pushing her sleeve up.

Up enough to see a tiny pattern on her shoulder.

Bruno swallowed.

"Oh and one more thing?"

"Si?" She asked.

"Not every demon who comes to the human world is bad. Use your discretion when you use your voice to send them back."

"What's discretion?"

Bruno shrugged it off.

"Bruno!" Abuela yelled.

Chapter Text

"Mirabel!" Camilo ran to the ten year old.

Camilo looked a little frantic.

"Si?" Mirabel asked her cousin.

"Help! The baby won't sleep and and I have to watch the other kids!"

"So what do you want me to do?" Mirabel asked.

"Your singing voice is like magic." Camilo said. then he winced. "Lo siento. Mami said not to bring it u..."

Mirabel waved off his pity for not having a gift. Because his words were more true then he realized.

"Alright hand me the baby."

"Mirabel you are a life saver! Thanks favorite prima!" He handed the baby to her before nearly getting tackled by the kids he was babysitting.

Mirabel laughed and looked down at the baby.

"Dos oruguitas enamoradas Pasan sus noches y madrugadas Llenas de hambre Siguen andando y navegando un mundo Que cambia y sigue cambiando Navegando un mundo Que cambia y sigue cambiando Dos oruguitas paran el viento."

Her voice made the screaming baby calm down and stare at her with wide wet eyes. She smiled and kept singing.

"Mientras se abrazan con sentimiento Siguen creciendo, no saben cuándo Buscar algún rincón El tiempo sigue cambiando Inseparables son El tiempo sigue cambiando Ay, oruguitas, no se aguanten más Hay que crecer aparte y volver Hacia adelante seguirás."

The villagers began coming out of their homes to listen.

"Vienen milagros, vienen crisálidas Hay que partir y construir su propio futuro Ay, oruguitas, no se aguanten más Hay que crecer aparte y volver Hacia adelante seguirás."

Mirabel didn't have to look up to know they were listening. When she sang, people listened. She knew that.

"Vienen milagros, vienen crisálidas Hay que partir y construir su propio futuro Dos oruguitas desorientadas En dos capullos bien abrigadas Con sueños nuevos."

Her voice was meant to fight demons but she had yet to meet any demons. Tio Bruno told her that when she was old enough she would see them.

"Ya solo falta hacer lo necesario En el mundo que sigue cambiando Tumbando sus paredes Ahí viene nuestro milagro Nuestro milagro Nuestro milagro Nuestro milagro."

He also told her that her voice was supposed to make people happy so as long as she knew she did that, it was fine.

"Ay, mariposas, no se aguanten más Hay que crecer aparte y volver Hacia adelante seguirás..."

Julieta headed back to her stand after refilling for her arepas.

"Ya son milagros, rompiendo crisálidas."

She stopped when she heard her youngest daughter's voice.

"Hay que volar, hay que encontrar Su propio futuro Ay mariposas, no se aguanten más Hay que crecer aparte y volver Hacia adelante seguirás."

It always melted her heart to hear her sing.

"Ya son milagros, rompiendo crisálidas Hay que volar, hay que encontrar Su propio futuro."

But then she noticed, patterns sneaking out from under Mirabel's shirt sleeve.

"Ay mariposas, no se aguanten más Hay que crecer aparte y volver."

She panicked and took off her own shawl and ran to her.

"Hacia adelante seguirás Ya son milagros, rompiendo crisálidas Hay que volar, hay que encontrar Su propio futuro."

She threw the shawl around her shoulders.

Bruno sighed as he waited behind the walls.

The only good thing about being behind the walls was his d...was Mirabel visited him. Actually it was getting close to when she would...

"Hola Tio Bruno."

"See any demons?"

"Not yet."

Bruno chuckled but then paused when he noticed she was wearing a shawl.

"Mirabel? Why are you wearing a shawl? Did tu Tia make it cold?"

"No. Mama said my marks are past my shoulders I need to hide them."

Bruno frowned and removed the shawl.

"Hey!"

"You don't have to hide them."

"But you said I'd tell demons are demons because of their patterns. I have patterns!"

"But....it's just a sign that you're meant to hunt them."

Mirabel frowned at him.

Bruno tried to look sincere.

Finally she nodded but she grabbed the shawl back. "But you're in the walls so I should listen to Mama. Mama says cover them up."

Bruno nodded with a sign.

Bruno bid his "niece" goodbye and sighed.

He was glad she didn't know enough about hunting demons to know that he was wrong. Demon hunters didn't bear patterns. Only demons did.

Mirabel's patterns were a result of him...

him falling in love with...

He shook his head. He told himself he wasn't going to think about her. She wasn't coming back to the human world.

But he wished Julieta would have actually kept her promise about treating Mirabel like a normal kid. Julieta was the only one who knew who Mirabel's mother was. And teaching Mirabel to be ashamed of her patterns didn't seem to be a good sign.

But she was right. Julieta was raising her. He was in the walls. He couldn't undo what she was being taught.

Chapter Text

There was a loud crash outside their home.

Bruno had been hiding because the villagers were chasing him for saying the Tobar's would have a miscarriage. He had been asked!

The twenty years old hesitated but headed to the source.

There was a young woman he didn't recognize, with dark curls pulled up in ponytail, warm brown skin, hazel eyes and...

Bruno gasped when he saw a tear in her dress sleeve revealing patterns.

Mama had told them that anyone they saw with patterns were demons. Pepa didn't believe in demons, Julieta was afraid of them and Bruno...Bruno hadn't known what he thought until right now.

The woman made eye contact with him and he saw fear. Actual fear. The way he felt when Mama was yelling at him for his visions despite him trying his best.

"Bruno!" Julieta's voice carried.

Bruno looked back at the frantic young woman and made a choice.

He ripped off a piece of his ruana and used it as "a" bandage" to cover the patterns.

"Bruno what was that no...oh!"

"Yeah she uh, she hurt herself. I bandaged it up and was going to find you for an arepa."He fibbed.

Julieta nodded.

He helped the woman up. "Gracias." She whispered.

"De nada."

"I'm Maria."

Bruno knew he had been raised to hate anyone with patterns. But for some reason he found himself not caring. "Bruno."

"How about some singing lessons?"

Mirabel smiled politely at Senor Ozvaldo as she knew she must. But she didn't want to give him singing lessons. He was mean.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Isabela tapping her foot, with crossed arms.

"Maybe..." Mirabel's brow furrowed when she saw someone nearing Isabela, with jerky movements and a weird smile. Like they didn't belong here.

"Hang on."

Mirabel pulled the stranger aside, realizing they weren't alone.

"You're a demon." She said.

"What? No..."

Mirabel pushed her sleeve up. "Patterns?"

the other demons pushed her into the forest before taking the actual demon form.

"You're right! And we're going to destroy your family and then you!"

Mirabel's brow furrowed. "You did not just threaten my family." The fifteen year old said.

"Ugh, you came at a bad time But you just crossed the line You wanna get wild? Okay, I'll show you wild."

This was what her voice was meant for.

"Better come right, better luck tryin', gettin' to our level 'Cause you might die, never the time, tryna start a battle."

Her sword came into existence with her song.

"Bleeding isn't in my blood Beating you is what I do, do, do, yeah."

She attacked some of the demons only for them to pursue her out of the forest.

"Body on body, I'm naughty, not even sorry And when you pull up, I'll pull up A little late to the party (la-la-la-la) Locked and loaded, I was born for this There ain't no point in avoiding it Annoyed? A bit."

Mirabel jumped over one of the demons. She knew her voice would draw other people out but she knew they wouldn't think anything of this sight.

"Knocking you out like a lullaby Hear that sound ringing in your mind Better sit down for the show 'Cause I'm gonna show you..."

She didn't know how they explained things but she never had to bring up her slaying of demons.

Isabela rolled her eyes at her youngest sister's voice.

"how it's done, done, done, yeah I don't miss How it's done, done, done."

Not because Mirabel was a bad singer. Actually, Mirabel's voice was the most beautiful voice she had ever heard.

"Hey, yeah I don't quit How it's done, done, done."

But because her voice seemed to be what the town loved.

"Run, run, I run the town Whole world playin' my sound Turnin' up, it's goin' down yeah I show this, how it's done, done, done."

Isabela tried so hard to be the town favorite like she used to be before her sister started singing. her sister didn't even have a gift and she was already people's favorite. It wasn't fair.

"Yeah, something about when you come for the crown That's so humbling, huh?"

Already she managed to shatter two of the demons.

"Nothing to us, run up, you're done up, we come up From sunup to sundown, so come out to play Won either way, I'm one in a million I kill 'em, like, really? You want it? Okay."

She even paused to wave at Antonio before raising her sword up again.

"Heels, nails, blade, mascara Fit check for my napalm era Need to beat my face, make it cute and savage Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the baddest? Me hello?"

Mirabel turned only to see more demons. She rolled her eyes.

"Knocking you out like a lullaby Hear that sound ringing in your mind Better sit down for the show Cause I'm gonna show you, I'm gonna show you I'm gonna show you..."

" how it's done, done, done I don't talk, but I bite, full of venom Spittin' facts, you know that's How it's done, done, done."

Alma was busy. Antonio's gift ceremony was tomorrow and if it was going to work this time, it had to be perfect.

"Okay, like, I know I ramble But when shootin' my words, I go Rambo."

But even she had to stop and listen to her voice.

"Took blood, sweat, and tears to look natural That's how it's done, done, done."

Alma heard the voice even from inside the Casita.

"Hear my voice unwavering 'Til my song defeats the night."

It was filling her up with more confidence to get Antonio's ceremony perfect.

"Makin' fear afraid to breathe 'Til the dark meets the light, how it's done, done, done."

"Run, run, we run the town, done, done, done."

Julieta used to be worried when Mirabel was faced with actual demons. She was young and the person Juleita had raised to be her youngest daughter.

"Whole world playin' our sound, done, done, done."

Now it was just a regular occurrence.

"Turnin' up, it's going down, done, done, done."

If only the patterns that extended from Mirabel's shoulders all the way down to her wrists didn't exist.

"Yeah I show this, how it's done, done, done."

Mirabel seemed to be working despite that so if she could keep them hidden then all would be well.

"I hunt you down, down, down, down down."

Mirabel shattered another demon and waved. Julieta waved back.

"I got you now, now, now, now, got you now."

She told the villagers that the demons that Mirabel shattered was just a show done by the miracle and they believed her. If Mama saw the demons then she would know what they were but Mama never watched the show, too busy somewhere else so all Mama knew was Mirabel's songs.

"I show you how, how, how, show you how."

And that was enough. Julieta still regretted not stopping Bruno's romance with a demon as soon as she realized that there was one. But she didn't and now Mirabel was here.

"Yeah I don't miss, how it's done, done, done."

Mirabel smiled when the last demon shattered.

The villagers cheered and she bowed.

Chapter Text

"How did you fail yet again!" A voice thundered.

The leader of the demons that had tried to attack Mirabel approached the source.

"She is strong..."

"She's a child! And she's alone! Most hunters are groups of three!"

The voice attacked the demon.

After that little temper tantrum, he fumed.

"Perhaps we need to destroy her from the inside out."

Another voice began.

They all turned to see a young demon approach them.

"And how do you suggest we do that?"

"Send me up there. I will befriend her. She's being left out from her familia. It will be easy to befriend and find her weak spots."

"No!"

All the demons present turned to the voice of another demon, in full restraints. The demon king seemed to be mad at her and sent a burst of his power through her restraints.

"Agh!"

"What were you saying Maria?"

"I was saying...she's a child." Maria gritted out. "She's a child, her voice won't be powerful enough to trap us here for a whole generation for a very long time..."

"Which is why we need to strike now! Remember you're still on thin ice!"

Another shock. Maria feel to her knees. The demon kin turned back to the the young demon. "And why are you willing to help me Javier? In the centuries you've been a demon you've never volunteered to do anything for me."

"When I destroy the hunter, I want my memories erased."

"You're up early." Bruno said. Not that he didn't love any chance to see his daughter.

Mirabel nodded. She didn't have her jacket on so he got to see all the patterns in full display. He knew as soon as she left the walls she'd pull it on but at least she knew she didn't have to hide them around him. That was progress right...

"Today's Antonio's gift ceremony. I really want him to get a gift I mean I didn't and now everyone hates me..."

"Nobody hates you." Bruno said. He wanted to hug her but he didn't think he should. I her mind he was just her Tio. "And you have a bigger destiny..."

"I know. I think I'll perform before the celebration. Everyone's anxious, maybe my voice can bring some extra light."

Bruno smiled, moved by her big heart.

Mirabel paused. "Are you sure that the patterns are just a sign of me being a hunter?"

"Of course!" He said that too fast. "What else would that be?"

"I don't know. Mama just doesn't like to see them."

"She just doesn't know what they mean."

Mirabel shrugged as she pulled the jacket on.

"Mirabel you don't have to hide them."

"I don't when I'm here." She hugged him and then left.

Bruno's smile slid off his face.

And Mirabel had a good reason to sing. Kids were asking about the family.

"Drawers, Floors Doors Let's go."

She headed out into town, making sure her voice carried.

"This is our home We've got every generation So full of music A rhythm of its own design."

She hoped that no demon would make an appearance tonight but if there were any, she would take this chance to send them back to the demon world.

"This is my family A perfect constellation So many stars and everybody gets to shine Whoa!"

But for now, she'd just use her voice to answer the question and bring some hope to the town.

"But let's be clear, Abuela runs this show, whoa She led us here so many years ago, whoa."

As she passed Abuela while singing about her, she couldn't help but notice Abuela's face softened some. Mission already accomplished. But Mirabel kept going.

"And every year, our family blessings grow There's just a lot you've simply got to know, so Welcome to the Family Madrigal The home of the Family Madrigal (we're on our way) Where all the people are fantastical and magical I'm part of the Family Madrigal."

Things were working. Her familia was smiling and the villagers were leaving the homes to hear her better. She was providing a little more light.

"My tía Pepa Her mood affects the weather When she's unhappy Well, the temperature gets weird."

Actually her voice helped chase away the rain for a little bit, which was good. Tia Pepa didn't need to get yelled at for having a cloud on a day she was worried about Antonio.

"My tío Bruno..."

"We don't talk about Bruno!" Oh the villagers rarely interrupted her songs but she can't believe she forgot that rule.

"They say he saw the future, one day he disappeared."

She still didn't know why he vanished to the walls after telling her her destiny all she knew was she wasn't allowed to tell anyone where he was. But she didn't dwell on that in the song. That would ruin the mission.

"Oh, and that's my mom Julieta, here's her deal, whoa The truth is, she can heal you with a meal, whoa Her recipes are remedies for real If you're impressed, imagine how I feel, Mom!"

Mama kissed her cheek but pulled her jacket sleeve down a little bit. Mirabel chose not to dwell on that either. She had to be filled with light to spread light with her voice.

"Welcome to the Family Madrigal The home of the Family Madrigal Hey, coming through I know it sounds a bit fantastical and magical But I'm part of the Family Madrigal."

So she just moved on. And the villagers were smiling. So that was a good sign.

"Two guys fell in love with Family Madrigal And now they're part of the Family Madrigal So yeah, Tío Félix married Pepa And my dad married Julieta That's how Abuela became an Abuela Madrigal Let's go, let's go."

"We swear to always Help those around us And earn the miracle That somehow found us."

Hey, Abuela was joining in the song! That had to be a good sign that she was in a good mood.

"The town keeps growing The world keeps turning But work and dedication will keep the miracle burning And each new generation must keep the miracle burning."

Although her lyrics weren't as light as Mirabel would prefer...she was jolted out of her thoughts by a child pulling on her skirt.

"Wait, who's a sister and who's a cousin? There's so many people How do you keep them all straight?"

Oh she could handle this. And maybe singing about each familia member would give them a little bonus hope.

"Okay, okay, okay, okay So many kids in our house So, let's turn the sound up, you know why? I think it's time for a grandkid round up."

Which is what she wanted even for Isabela.

"Grandkid round up!"

Mirabel twirled to the mural in town.

"Cousin Dolores can hear a pin drop Camilo shapeshifts Antonio gets his gift today."

For the first time today when she sang by him, Antonio sent her a real smile and that made it all worth while.

"My older sisters Isabela and Luisa One strong, one graceful Perfect in every way."

Isabela didn't smile at her but her facial expression was softened before Abuela kissed her cheek and Isabela grew some flowers.

"Grows a flower, the town goes wild."

"Isabela." Actually it was an awful lot of flowers.

"She's a perfect golden child."

Isabela never did anything small.

"Luisa, Luisa, Luisa, Luisa"

Luisa did send her a smile. And a thumb's up.

"And Luisa's super strong. The beauty and the brawn do no wrong."

So Luisa was filled with hope for tonight.

"That's life in the Family Madrigal, whoa, Now you know the Family Madrigal, whoa, Where all the people are fantastical and magical, whoa, That's who we are in the Family Madrigal, adiós."

And mission accompl... "Ooh" She almost ran into a kid.

"but what's your gift?"

Mirabel almost couldn't find her voice.

"Ha Well, I gotta go, the life of a Madrigal But now you all know the Family Madrigal."

She kind of wished she could tell them what her voice was for.

"I never meant this to get autobiographical So just to review the Family Madrigal Let's go."

But not only had Tio Bruno told her no one was to know about it, it would be hard to count it as a gift when her door had literally disappeared.

"but what about Mirabel?"

Safest bet to stay in a good mood when she sang and spread joy would be to ignore it.

"It starts with Abuela And then Tía Pepa, she handles the weather."

But it was getting harder because the kids were as stubborn as Camilo. "but what about Mirabel?"

"My mom Julieta can make you feel better with just one arepa."

"but what about Mirabel?" Mirabel actually looked at the kids really closely just to make sure they weren't demons trying anything.

"My dad Agustín, well He's accident-prone but he means well."

But they weren't. They were just enthusiastic kids. "but what about Mirabel?"

"Hey, you said you wanna know what everyone does I got sisters and cousins and..."

It would be easier if they were demons. "Mirabel"

"My primo Camilo won't stop until he makes you smile today."

"Mirabel!" She knew how to make them stop.

"My cousin Dolores can hear this whole chorus a mile away."

"Mirabel!" She didn't know how to make the kids stop other than ignore what they were asking.

"Look, it's Mister Mariano, hey You can marry my sister if you wanna but."

Even pulling in Mariano didn't help. "Mirabel!"

"Between you and me, she's kind of a prima donna Yo, I've said too much and thank you but I really gotta go."

Maybe this wasn't the best choice to sing to fill the town with hope. "Mirabel!"

"My family's amazing."

She kept her smile and her voice light. "Mirabel!"

"And I'm in my family, so..."

She was almost home anyway. "Mirabel!"

"Well..." Her voice gave out briefly and she put her hand to her throat. Before she could try singing again:

"Mirabel!"

Chapter Text

After getting brutally shot down by her Abuela and Dolores' inability to keep a secret, Mirabel tried to shrug it off and headed inside.

"The piano goes upstairs!"

"I'm on it, careful sis!"

Mirabel was almost knocked over. She was used to crowds. She just hadn't realized how many people would already be in Casita.

"My bebe's night has to be perfect and it's not perfect and people are going to be coming and nothing's ready!" Apparently her song only provided a temporary relief from the rain.

"Your tornadoing the flowers, the flowers..."

"Did someone say flowers?"

Mirabel glared at her sister. It wasn't so much that Isabela was perfect, although that was part of it Mirabel could forget that since the town loved her voice and she did something much more important than Isabela did, but Isabela acted like she was a million times better than anyone and seemed to hate Mirabel's voice, never wanting her to use it.

"A little sisterly advice if you weren't always trying to hard you wouldn't be in the way."

"Actually Isa this is called helping and I'm not in the way you are.."

Julieta was taken aback by how much Mirabel was carrying.

"You okay? You don't have to overdo it."

"I know..."

Julieta took Mirabel's hands and inspected her. She tugged down the sleeves just a little bit more, just to be safer. Mirabel winced but let her do so. When Julieta let go, satisfied her patterns were not able to be seen, Mirabel continued. "I just want to do my part like the rest of the familia..."

"She's right amor." Agustin cut in before Julieta could say that she actually knew what Mirabel did. As far as Mirabel knew, no one knew she actually hunted demons though and on a night like tonight that was not the time to change it.

After she healed Agustin and bid goodbye to Mirabel, Julieta watched her with a forlorn expression.

"She's going to find out she's Bruno's daughter."

"I agreed I would tell her when she was eighteen." Agustin didn't know about Mirabel's mother. Just knew that Bruno had a baby out of wedlock and thought it would be better for Mirabel to be raised by Julieta and Agustin. Agustin didn't know about demons in general but if he did, he'd probably be disgusted at Mirabel's true parentage. However he had wanted to tell Mirabel right away that she was Bruno's....that was something the two of them still didn't agree on.

Julieta crossed her fingers and prayed to the miracle that Mirabel's patterns would be gone by the time she was eighteen.

"Maybe you should leave the decorations to someone else?"

"No I actually made these as a surprise, for you...ooh..." Mirabel stomped on the flame.

"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 ok?"

Mirabel sighed. She nodded and turned to head into the nursery but Abuela stopped her. "However perhaps we could hear one of your songs after the celebration?"

Mirabel forced a smile.

She entered the nursery. "Everyone's looking for you. This present will self destruct if you don't take it in three twoo.."

Antonio snatched it and she crawled under the bed.

"Nervous? You have nothing to worry about. You're going to get your gift and open that door and it's going to be the coolest ever. I know it."

"What if it doesn't work?"

Mirabel hugged him. "In that impossible scenario you'd stay here in the nursery with me forever...and I'd get you all to myself." And maybe he'd be a hunter in training too.

Antonio didn't look convinced. So she placed her arm around him. "No more hiding now we're shining like we're born to be. We are hunters voices strong and I know I believe...we're going up up up it's our moment you know together we're glowing, gonna be gonna be golden..."

Antonio slowly grinned. A clock was shook in front of them stopping her singing. Which was good. her voice gave out again. "Alright hombrecito, you ready? Sorry I got to get one more squeeze!"

Talking to Animals. She was happy he had a gift. But she was not happy he wouldn't be a hunter in training like she was. Looks like she was more alone than ever.

When she was kept out of the picture, she left the room.

"Why do I have to be alone?" She asked.

No response. She didn't expect one.

"Why is my miraculous ability one that has to be kept secret! Why can't I feel a part of my familia? Why?!"

Her last why was a surprisingly monster like voice, and caused the Casita to shake and a sort of light up grid to appear only to darken.

Mirabel flinched.

She didn't know what it was.

She didn't know what happened.

But she knew it was bad.

And she knew it was her fault.

A tile fell.

Mirabel had been dismissed.

Which was probably good. She still felt like it was her fault.

Mama had pulled her to the kitchen.

"If it was all in my head how did I cut my hand? I would never ruin Antonio's night. Is that really what you think?"

"What I think is that today was very hard for you..."

"I was looking out for the family."

Mama gave her a look that was dripping with pity.

Mirabel hated it.

And she suddenly felt too hot in her jacket.

She took it off.

"Mirabel!" Mama's tone changed suddenly.

Mirabel froze like a child caught at misbehavior.

"I told you to cover those up!" Mama said.

"But no one's here..."

"I don't want to see them!"

Mirabel paused. She knew that Mama and Tio Bruno were the only ones who knew about her patterns. And Mama didn't like them. But for some reason hearing her mother tell her that it was just because she didn't want to see them...

Mirabel didn't put the jacket back on.

"Why?"

"You have to hide them..." Mama looked and sounded frazzled, grabbing the jacket and tried to put it on Mirabel.

But Mirabel took a step back.

"Why?!" She repeated.

"Mirabel..."

"No you tell me why! What do these mean!"

"They're a sign of your demon mother!"

Mirabel felt like her world had been shattered. Mama's hands flew to her mouth. "Mirabel wait I..."

Mirabel ran.

"Why don't you hate me?" Maria asked.

The twenty five year old shrugged. "I could ask you the same question."

"No you couldn't. I'm a demon."

"I know. But if you ask the villagers so am I."

"Brunito this is serious."

"I know." He sobered up. "I don't know. I guess, I see you. Not what you are. But who you are."

Maria smiled at him and kissed him.

"A baby?!" Julieta yelled, looking back and forth between them.

"Bruno you are thirty five! You know how babies are made!"

"In our defense we didn't think that demons and humans could have a baby!"

"hat doesn't matter!" Maria cut off Bruno. She was panicked. "The demon king knows I've been nice to humans and he is trying to find me. if he knows she exists, then her life is danger."

"Maria..."

"Take her. Take her. Please. And if I can get away from him I will come back."

"Maria..."

Maria kissed Bruno. "I love you." She kissed Mirabel's head even though Julieta tried to pull her away from Maria. "And I love you."

Once Maria was gone, Julieta looked at Bruno, who had the good sense to look ashamed.

"You know what demons are."

"I know what Maria is." He said, with surprising defiance. Her little brother never defied anyone.

"Tio Bruno! Tio Bruno!"

"Hola I was hoping I'd see you..."

Bruno stopped.

He saw the patterns on her arms. Fully exposed. No jacket in sight.

He was proud until he saw her face. "What's the matter?"

"Mama said that these patterns, they're a sign of my demon mother."

Bruno was going to kill Julieta!

"And she's wrong right? I mean, she's mi mama..."

Bruno clenched his fist and knocked out his knock on wood. "Come on, let me tell you a story."

"Tio I'm not in the mood for stories."

"This will tell you the answer to your question."

Once there was a young man. he had been raised with bedtime stories.

Stories of his father hunting demons and doing so much work he was able to banish demons for two generations instead of one.

The young man's sisters either didn't believe in demons or were afraid of them.

He didn't have an opinion.

But he knew his mother wanted him to think everything with patterns were evil.

He discounted them as fiction like his middle sister did.

Until he meant someone with patterns.

He wanted to scream.

Actually that was wrong. He knew he should scream. Or run.

But he helped her.

Because the village treated him like he was a demon. And he didn't want to treat anyone else horribly.

Her patterns were hidden at first and because of that he was able to get to know her without thinking of her as a demon.

And then one day he realized he was falling in love. With a demon.

His Mama viewed his gift as sinister and demons as sinister.

Maybe everything wasn't as black and white as his mama said.

So they fell in love.

His sister, the one who was afraid of demons, tried to order him to stop this.

For once in his life he didn't do what he was told.

He stayed with his love.

And a baby was born.

Chapter Text

"Does that mean..." Mirabel took a step back.

"Mira...the man in the story was me. And the baby...was you..." Bruno tried.

"You had a child with a demon? But you told me it was my job to stop them!"

"Demons who have ill intentions..." Bruno reached out to her but before he could touch her, she stumbled into something.

Mirabel ran.

"Mirabel!"

Maria stood in her restraints.

Her arms ached to hold the baby that had once fit there, only for a moment. And she longed for the man she loved.

" I tried to hide, but something broke."

She imagined the man she fell in love with standing in front of her with a smile.

"I tried to sing, couldn't hit the notes The words kept catching in my throat."

She should have told him that this was bad, but she couldn't.

"I tried to smile, I was suffocating though."

Maria had gone to the human world because she didn't want to follow the demon king's rules, she didn't want to destroy the human world.

"But here with you, I can finally breathe."

She felt suffocated every time she was in the demon world or human world until Bruno took her hand instead of chasing her away.

"You say you're no good, but you're good for me."

Maria survived her torment by memory of Bruno and her daughter.

"I've been hoping to change, now I know we can change."

But now, now things were going to happen to her daughter. More things than she could handle.

"But I won't if you're not by my side."

Maria wanted so much to shield Mirabel from everything. Shield Mirabel and Bruno.

"Why does it feel right every time I let you in?"

She hadn't been able to shield Bruno by avoiding him, her heart led her to seek him out.

"Why does it feel like I can tell you anything?"

But she tried to shield Mirabel.

"All the secrets that keep me in chains, and All the damage that might make me dangerous."

She should not have accepted his love.

"You got a dark side, guess you're not the only one."

Maria didn't know what would happen to the only two people she cared about in both worlds.

"What if we both tried fighting what we're running from?"

She had tried to avoid thinking about what might happen to them. But now she was realizing...

"We can't fix it if we never face it."

Running didn't help them. Running put her in punishment and put both Bruno and Mirabel in danger, especially Mirabel who was only a teenager at this time.

"What if we find a way to escape it?"

Maria pressed her lips into a firm line and pulled against the restraints with renewed energy.

"We could be free, free."

Hiding didn't help.

"We can't fix it if we never face it."

So Maria was going to figure out a way back to the human world, to save Mirabel.

"Let the past be the past 'til it's weightless."

She ignored the pain of the punishment.

Bruno pictured Maria. he had no picture of her. But when he thought of her, he could imagine her pefectly.

"Oh, time goes by, and I lose perspective."

He blinked back tears.

"Yeah, hope only hurts, so I just forget it."

He used to imagine Mirabel and Maria and himself living as a family but he knew that was bad.

"But you're breaking through all the dark in me."

He had no one see him as a good man. Not outside of those two.

"When I thought that nobody could."

It was Maria's memory and Mirabel's sweet nature that kept him sane.

"And you're waking up all these parts of me."

But now Mirabel was mad at him. More than mad at him. He should have told her the truth from birth.

"That I thought were buried for good."

But Maria and Bruno both came to the conclusion that being a child out of wedlock would almost be as bad as Alma knowing that Mirabel was half demon.

"Between imposter and this monster, I've been lost inside my head."

With no one with him, no one to be with him, no one to distract him...

"Ain't no choice when all these voices keep me pointing towards no end."

Bruno was lost in the what ifs, the worries, the darkness that first Maria would pull him out of and then Mirabel would pull him out of.

"It's just easy when I'm with you."

But without any of them...

"No one sees me the way you do."

He was the closest thing a human could be to a demon.

"I don't trust it, but I want to."

And there was no way to go back to what he had.

"I keep coming back to."

But Bruno stopped.

"Why does it feel right every time I let you in?"

He couldn't find Maria again, and he couldn't undo the fact that he didn't tell Mirabel who her mother was.

"Why does it feel like I can tell you anything?"

But he could go back to the twenty six year old who finally realized that he loved a demon and realized he didn't care.

"We can't fix it if we never face it."

Who vowed he would do anything to ensure that Maria and later their daughter would have a normal life.

"What if we find a way to escape it?"

He couldn't help Maria have a normal life.

"We could be free, free."

But Bruno's face fixed in a determined expression and he pulled his hood up, being Hernando.

"We can't fix it if we never face it."

He could help Mirabel.

"Let the past be the past 'til it's weightless."

Unwillingly his mind conjured the vision about Mirabel from ten years ago.

"Oh-oh, so take my hand, it's open, free, free..."

Hiding from it hadn't helped Mirabel.

"What if we heal what's broken?, Free, free."

Keeping secrets from Mirabel hadn't helped.

"I tried to hide, but something broke."

He was done hiding.

"I couldn't sing, but you give me hope."

Bruno hesitated but pushed the portrait away from the hole in the wall.

"We can't fix it if we never face it."

He was going to actually be a father, the man Maria thought he was.

"Let the past be the past 'til it's weightless."

And he was going to start by screaming at Julieta.

Mirabel ran onto the roof.

She looked down.

Her patterns, her sign that her mother was a demon...

Had spread over her throat.

Was that why she was having trouble singing?

Mirabel started crying.

How could she have lost her identity as the youngest daughter of Julieta and Agustin, a full blooded human, and a hunter in one?

She could pull out her weapon without her voice but her voice was supposed to be used to seal the demons away for a whole generation!

How could she do that if she couldn't sing?!

Mirabel looked down at the house, remembering cracks.

She steeled her expression.

"Find out what caused the cracks, fix them..." And then....find some way to fix herself.

Chapter Text

Mirabel pulled on her jacket and tried a scarf around her throat.

She looked in the mirror. And saw not a trace of her patterns. Wonderful. As long as they stayed on her arms and her throat. But surely they wouldn't go any further than that.

(She thought that but she didn't know how demon heritage worked. She'd figure out how to fix herself post fixing the miracle.)

Julieta didn't sleep.

"Are you okay?" Agustin asked.

Julieta sighed.

"I um...I told Mirabel."

"You did?!" Agustin didn't seem mad just surprised.

Of course he would be. he didn't know Mirabel's actual parentage past Bruno.

"How did she take it?"

"She ran."

"Oh Julieta. I told you we should have told her from the beginning."

"I know." Julieta sighed.

"But now she knows. After how emotional last night was for her, and after she gets used to the News, I'm sure things will go back to normal. We just have be gentle with her."

"Dolores hey you know out of all my older cousins your like my favorite cousin so I feel like I can talk to you about anything ergo you can talk to me about anything like the problem with the magic last night like no one seemed to worry about that maybe you heard about that maybe I should know about."

"Camilo! Stop pretending your Dolores so you can have seconds."

"Worth a shot."

Mirabel groaned. She turned to be face to face with the actual Dolores.

Who looked at her with a face that screamed pity. "Mirabel..."

"Did you hear anything?"

"I heard about what Tio..."

"Just...About the magic." Mirabel cut her off a little too loudly. It did occur to her that Dolores must know what Tio Bruno told her and didn't seem afraid.

Dolores sighed. "Luisa's eye was twitching all night."

Mirabel had lost sight of her sister. She groaned.

She heard a song in a voice she didn't recognize.

"Hey, hey Hey, hey Hey."

She looked and saw a young man about her age.

"Don't want you, need you, yeah, I need you to fill me up."

He was singing and while not every villager was watching him like they did her when her voice carried, a lot of the villagers were watching.

"Got a feelin' that, oh, yeah (yeah), you could be everything that."

His voice was nice.

"That I need (need), taste so sweet (sweet), every sip makes me want more, yeah."

And he was handsome.

"Lookin' like snacks 'cause you got it like that (whoo)."

In fact for a moment she didn't worry about the house and about her patterns and her realizations and about what she would do to save the world for a generation again.

"Take a big bite, want another bite, yeah When you're in my arms, I hold you so tight, so tight."

And then Mirabel remembered. She turned away only for him to be in front of her.

"Can't let go, no, no, not tonight 'Cause I need you to need me I'm empty, you feed me, so refreshin' My little soda pop."

Mirabel rolled her eyes, trying not to show that she thought he was attractive and good at singing.

"You're all I can think of, every drop I drink up You're my soda pop, my little soda pop."

But he tilted her head up and the two had eye contact.

"Cool me down, you're so hot, pour me up, I won't stop You're my soda pop, my little soda pop."

Mirabel blushed despite everything.

"My little soda pop Uh, make me wanna flip the top, you hit the spot Every little drip and drop, fizz and pop, ah,, it's gettin' hot, whoo,"

He started dancing with her as he was singing.

"Yes, I'm sippin' when it's drippin' now, it's done? I need a second round."

Mirabel was tempted to get swept up in this but she had important issues.

"And pour a lot, and don't you stop 'til my soda pop fizzles out."

She stopped moving and he smiled cockily at her.

" I waited so long for a taste of soda So, the wait is over, baby Come and fill me up just can't get enough, oh."

She tried to walk past him.

"You're all I can think of, every drop I drink up You're my soda pop, my little soda pop, yeah, yeah."

But she did turn around for whatever reason.

"Cool me down, you're so hot, pour me up, I won't stop, oh, oh, You're my soda pop, my little soda pop Ooh, ooh."

People applauded as his song came to an end. Mirabel felt a little bit suspicious because usually when she didn't recognize someone it was a demon.

"Ooh, ooh You're my soda pop, gotta drink every drop."

But she had other issues. If she was going to kill him she could do it while she saved the day.

"I'm Javier." He bowed and kissed the back of her hand but she pulled it out of his reach.

"Mirabel."

And then she heard a donkey farmer yell for Luisa to get the donkeys.

"I have to go."

Javier kept up with her. "I'll help you."

Mirabel didn't want to lose sight of her sister so she didn't fight it.

"Julieta!"

Julieta hadn't heard that voice in ten years.

She paused.

"Bruno?" Her thrill at seeing him again was cut short by Bruno raising a hand as if he was going to smack her. But then he stopped.

"Bruno?" She repeated.

"I'm only not hitting you because your my sister. I can't believe you told Mirabel that!"

"I wouldn't have had to if she had hid her patterns!"

"She does! Unless she comes and meets me in the walls she hides her patterns! Not that she should have had to!"

"You know what Mama would do if she found out Mirabel was half demon! She already mistreats her!"

"Raising her to be ashamed of something that she can't control is not helping!"

"Bruno none of this would have happened if you remembered what demons are!"

"No!" Bruno raised his hand again. "Insult Maria or Mirabel again and I will forget that your my sister and I love you."

"You abandoned her for ten years!"

"She visited me every day!"

Chapter Text

"You really don't have to come along with me." Mirabel told Javier.

Javier shrugged. "I think you need some help."

"You don't even know what I'm doing."

She would have been suspicious about who Javier was had she not had so many things to worry about.

Main thing would be catching her sister.

Dolores frowned.

"Mama?"

"Si?" Pepa said as she was preparing to get ready for the Guzmans. "What's wrong Mija?"

Dolores took a shaky breath. "Um...are demons real?"

Pepa's cloud sprouted but she scoffed. "No."

"You seem very confident."

"Demons who come to the human world and are only identifiable by their patterns only to be banished by someone with really powerful voices? I don't believe in them. Actually I believe tu Abuela told me and my siblings that to make us feel better about our father being dead."

Wait? Mirabel was half demon and TIo Bruno knew that Abuelo died by demon?

Dolores shook herself. "And um...are all demons bad?"

"Mija demons don't exist."

"But if they did, would you think all demons were bad?"

Pepa shook her head. "No species is all bad. I can't imagine that even applies demons." Pepa paused. "Why?"

Dolores opened her mouth but then ABuela yelled for her.

"Come help me get ready for the Guzmans."

Dolores nodded.

"You can't follow me into my house?"

"You shouldn't have to do this alone." Javier said.

"I do a lot of things alone."

"Well you shouldn't. And I'm offering so you don't have to."

Mirabel studied him before shrugging. "Come on."

Things were going as good as they ever have. Javier was going to get his memories erased and destroy the hunter.

She was trusting him.

But as they walked through the cave and found green vision pieces, only for the cave to fill with sand...

He pulled her out of it only to realize that her sleeve was ripped just enough to barely see her bare skinned arms.

And he caught a tiny glimpse of a pattern.

He froze.

"I've got to figure this out." Mirabel was saying. "Are you coming?"

"Uh no...no I have something else to do. Good luck.

Javier all but ran out of the house.

If Mirabel wasn't so mad at TIo Bruno (Papa?) she would ask him what his vision meant.

But she was mad. And after getting blamed by Abuela for Luisa losing her powers...

She ditched the coat once she was alone in the nursery and sighed.

"Why am I in your vision Bruno..."

A thunder clapped and she quickly ran and grabbed a jacket. Thankfully Tia Pepa wasn't looking at her so she could hide the patterns.

She figured she might as well ask Tia Pepa.

"Miraboo? I wanted to make sure you were okay...agh!"

Oh great. "I broke into Bruno's tower I found his last vision the magic is in trouble the house is breaking, Luisa's gift is fading and I think it's all because of me?"

At least Papa (Tio Agustin? What was she supposed to call these people?) didn't seem to have changed his opinion. But did he even know?

The proposal dinner was not going well.

"Fake it, fake it fake it..." She told herself.

But then, everything happened at once.

Animals revealed the vision.

Gifts went haywire, and something, something yanked her out of her jacket.

Mirabel froze. Her patterns were on full display.

Abuela stared.

Chapter Text

"You're a demon!" Abuela finally found her voice.

"Wait..."

"What?" Isabela said.

"No wonder the house is breaking! No wonder you didn't get a gift!"

"Abuela..."

"Don't call me Abuela! Get out of my house!"

"Fetch the priest." Isabela told Luisa.

"A priest won't do anything."

"We don't need to do anything!"

Voices were melding together and it scared her.

She ran.

So did someone else.

Dolores was running for Tio Bruno.

Tio Bruno would probably be able to explain how he could love a demon, Tio Bruno would be able to help Mirabel.

Dolores knew nothing about demons.

But she knew Tio Bruno was smart and wouldn't love just about anyone.

And Mirabel was probably the purest person in their familia, maybe second to Antonio.

She couldn't imagine she was evil and deserving of what Abuela was yelling.

But she didn't know what else to do.

Dolores ended up colliding with a strange woman.

A woman with greying brown hair in a ponytail, and patterns peaking out from under her sleeves identical to the patterns on Mirabel.

Dolores knew...

"You're Mirabel's Mama." She whispered.

Javier didn't know why he had done it.

He wanted to break the hunter so it would be easier to actually destroy her.

SO he managed to reveal she was a half demon.

Cut off everyone so....

But her face when he revealed it...

He didn't like it.

Javier shrugged. He couldn't feel sorry for the hunter. He wanted to destroy her so he would get his memories destroyed.

He found her.

"A demon walking around in the human world." He said in a charming voice.

"I'm not...wait a minute. If you know what these means, that must mean..." Mirabel called out her blade but Javier avoided it.

"You're clumsy for a hunter."

"I should have known there was no way that you would be so nice to me."

Javier froze for a brief second. Man, that was sad. This hunter couldn't imagine someone being nice to her if they weren't demon?

He frowned and dodged another sword swipe.

"Tell me how a demon wound up a demon hunter?" Javier asked.

"If you must know, I'm only half demon." Another swipe.

Javier was catapulted back to the memory of Maria.

Maria had been captured and tortured since...well since as long as Javier could remember. He didn't know why but the demon king said it was because she betrayed him.

Now he knew why.

"I'm a mistake okay!" Mirabel said as she swiped her sword at him again.

"I...don't think you're a mistake."

Mirabel stopped. She kept her sword in her hand though. "What?" She said flatly.

"I don't think you're a mistake."

"What are you playing at?"

"Nothing nothing. I just...I decided to become a demon. You were born one and you still chose to fight against the king."

Mirabel finally sheathed her sword. "Why would you choose?!"

"Hey! I made a deal to be a demon to make my family wealthy....but the demon king never kept up his end of the bargain."

Mirabel took a step towards him.

"Anyway, I don't think you're a mistake. Because then...I'd have to be an even worse one."

Mirabel's smile slowly flickered but Javier coughed. "So um, about your house. Are you still in the mood to save them even after what they did?"

"Yeah." Mirabel nodded.

"Then I'll help."

"I can kill you if you go all demon on me."

"Would expect nothing less."

Maria was a little confused about how she had managed to finally break through.

But she figured that a demon king had no power like a mother when her child was in danger.

"This is perfect! You're Mirabel's mother! You need to help me find her!"

"Is she okay?" Maria asked.

"Uh...the house is breaking, Luisa's gift is fading and she's been exposed for being in a vision about that and...Abuela and the rest of the familia know she's a demon."

Maria's patterns flashed purple. "Come on. Take me either to Bruno or to Mirabel."

"my hearing is not as good as it has been so I probably can't hear Mirabel but I'll take you to Bruno."

Maria nodded.

Chapter Text

"How could you let a demon live in our home for fifteen years!"

"She's not acting like a demon!" Felix tried.

"Demons killed your father!" Alma was still screaming at Julieta.

"But she's still Bruno's daughter!"

"What?" Pepa paused.

"Mama please try to understand, she's a Madrigal..."

"She's a demon! And you know that!"

Pepa grabbed Felix's arm and stormed away.

"What are you doing?" Felix asked.

"Mirabel needs us."

Felix knew if he had his wife's gift there would be a sun at how protective Pepa was.

"I don't care if she's a demon. Mirabel always turns my cloud to a sun. A demon like the way that my mother described wouldn't do that."

"Demons must not be like she described. I can't imagine demons like that forming a bond with Antonio as strong as she has."

Pepa nodded.

"Mirabel!" Bruno yelled. "Mirabel..."

"Bruno!"

"Maria!" Bruno almost fainted from relief when he saw the woman that had been in the back of his mind for years.

They embraced.

"Oh um, Dolores...;"

"You're not an idiot. You wouldn't love someone who wasn't worth it."

Bruno chuckled a bit just out of surprise.

"Where;s Mirabel?" Maria said sternly.

"Uh um..." Bruno shook his head. "I don't know where she is. The last time I saw her she hated me for not telling her she's half demon and my daughter."

Maria's patterns flashed purple.

"Wait how did you get out of the demon realm?" Bruno asked. "I thought you told me that you weren't going to be able to."

Maria paused as purple light skated through the world.

She paled.

"Maria?"

"The barrier."

"What barrier?"

"The barrier that the hunters support. A hunter's job is to destroy the bad demons that come to the human world..."

"Yeah I know that." Bruno nodded.

Maria shook her head. "But it's also a hunter's job to strengthen the barrier enough that demons can't come back to the human world for a generation."

"It's weakening?" Dolores caught on right away.

Maria nodded. She clenched her fists. "She's too young to worry about this. And she's the only one of her generation!"

"It's okay we'll find her..." Bruno tried.

But Maria stopped walking.

"What else?" Bruno asked. "There's something else?"

Maria clenched her fist. "How insecure is Mirabel?"

Dolores rubbed the back of her beck. "She's a Madrigal, how much time do you have?"

"The demon king preys on people's biggest insecurities. And if he can get to her..."

"The realms will never be sealed." Bruno said in a deadly quiet voice.

"We have to find her before Abuela does." Dolores said. "Because Abuela is going to make her insecurities worse. She does that to everyone..."

"And Mirabel not having a gift and being half demon would make things worse."

"So what's the plan?" Javier asked.

"I don't know. I'd talk to my father but I don't want to see him."

"Mirabel!"

Mirabel ducked, pulling Javier down with her.

"Mirabel!" Isabela's voice was full of anger.

Once she was gone, Mirabel realized that Javier was mostly on top of her.

"Uh um..."

Javier climbed off of her.

"She hated me before she found out I was a demon." Mirabel said after a few seconds of silence, staring after her sister. Prima? She was very confused on the proper titles at this point.

"Sisters are hard."

"You have one?"

"Had one." Javier said. "When I was human. She tried to keep me from making a deal with the demon king."

"And that makes it hard?"

"Hey! I was poor! When your poor you do bad things."

Mirabel lightly shoved him.

And Javier lightly shoved her.

They went back and forth a few times before...

"Mirabel."

"Senorita Lianna." Mirabel tried to hide behind Javier.

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

"I'm okay."

"Alright. Have fun with your novio."

"What? No!" Mirabel said as she pulled away from Javier. "We aren't..."

"She's not my type."

"Are you kidding me?!"

Lianna chuckled as she left.

"Mirabel!" Pepa was taken aback a bit by the patterns creeping their way up the sides of Mirabel's face.

But Felix ran to her and hugged her.

Pepa shook herself out of it and hugged Mirabel.

Mirabel tensed.

"I um..."

"I don't care." Pepa said.

"What?"

"I don't care." Pepa put her hand on the side of her face that had the patterns on it.

Mirabel flinched but soon sank into the touch.

"Why?" Mirabel whispered.

"BEcause I know who you are." Pepa said.

"Which is much much more important than what you are." Felix said.

Javier took a few steps back.

If only he had that.

He remembered his sister and his mama.

He remembered the looks of hour on their faces when they saw him change into a demon.

If they had embraced him the way Mirabel's familia was...

He wouldn't want his memories erased so badly and he wouldn't be trying to destroy the hunter from within.

"Oh who's this?" The orange haired woman asked.

"Um, he's..."

"Javier." He said.

It occurred to him that those two being so open to her might make it harder to destroy her but he found himself not caring that much.

The magic inside of Bruno flickered and he tensed.

"We're running out of time."

"Where does she hide?"

"I have no clue." Bruno said to Maria.

Dolores cupped her hand around her ear. "I don't hear anything. My hearing is fluctuating."

"There's a demon walking around!" Isabela told Reverend Flores.

"Isabela I know things have been stressful for your familia..."

"That's not...ugh!" Isabela crossed her arms. "There's a demon!"

"If there is a demon you're safe in the church. Demons can't enter a church."

No that wasn't right. Mirabel went to Mass with the familia.

But she didn't say anything.

She was left alone in the church and groaned.

No wonder Mirabel was messing things up for her all the time.

She was a demon!

But as she stewed in her anger...

She paused.

she remembered ten year old Mirabel seeing Isabela have a bad day.

It was before Isabela was perfect at hiding her bad day and her posture wasn't the best, neither was the multiple colored flowers in her hair or the petals she was shedding.

Isabela had shut her out of her room but the door was a jar enough that Isabela could hear a song.

"No more hiding we'll be shining like we're born to be. We are hunters voices strong and I know I believe, we're going up up it's our moment you know together we're glowing, gonna be gonna be golden..."

Mirabel had decided to use her voice to sing to make Isabe;a feel better.

All Isabela was to her was a jerk. But Mirabel still wanted the best for her.

How could someone like that be a demon?

Isabela was conflicted.

Chapter Text

Mirabel knew she shouldn't trust Javier. He was a demon.

But he was also cutely awkward as Tia Pepa and Tio Felix were hugging her.

"Mirabel!"

Mirabel winced and drew into herself at Abuela's shout.

"I'll deal with her." Tia Pepa promised.

Mirabel nodded slowly. She walked a little ways away. "I wish there was a way to cover my patterns on my face."

"Why?"

"What do you mean why? It's a sign of my being a demon."

"Yeah but I think you being ashamed of them makes them worse." Javier said casually.

Mirabel chuckled but it was mostly out of surprise.

"Think about it. I am a demon because I made a stupid choice and my sister told me not to. You are a demon because your parents managed to ignore their differences. If anything you should be proud of that."

Javier looked at Mirabel but Mirabel was looking at him and they both blushed.

"I know it might be crazy, but did you hear the story?."

Felix watched this happening. He felt protectiveness rear it's head. Javier said he was a demon. But Bruno fell in love with a demon so he was telling himself demons were not automatically a sign to not trust someone.

Besides, Mirabel was smiling. "I think I heard it vaguely." Her voice wasn't as proud as it normally was when she sang, weaker somehow but still carried some joy.

"A girl and a demon."

So Felix just observed.

"Oh, tell me more, boy, sounds like a fantasy."

Mirabel seemed relaxed, which after the cracks, the visions and finding out she was half demon...Felix thought was a mini miracle in itself.

"What could be so wrong with a girl and a demon?"

Javier wanted his memories erased so he didn't have to think of his familia's looks of horror when they realized he sacrificed his humanity in hopes that they would be wealthy. THe expressions were burned into his brain.

"You're from the perfect paradise, and I'm living on the other side."

But still as they danced and quietly sang, he realized something.

"Oh, I've got a feeling, if you get to know me."

His plan was to isolate the hunter, make her trust him and then destroy her.

"Right from the start, you caught my eye."

He forgot about one key part of that.

"Something inside me came to life."

Getting close to her....he had a heart and he knew for sure now.

"Ooh, I've got a feeling, if you get to know me."

He was too close to her and now he could barely stomach the idea of destroying her.

"Someday, this could be, this could be ordinary."

...And her parents were a demon and a human.

"Someday, could we be something extraordinary?"

Javier kept his easyygoing smile but inside he was freaking out.

"You and me, side by side, out in the broad daylight."

He doubted he had that much more time to actually destroy her and the barrier was weakening which was good.

"If they laugh, we'll say, "We're gonna be someday"

Or bad. he found himself wanting the hunter to win against the king.

"Someday, someday We're gonna be someday Someday, someday We're gonna be someday."

...And he was hoping the king wouldn't take matters into his own hands.

Camilo was taking as deep breaths as he could, because his shapeshifting was freaking out and his mama had taught him to breath like this when he was freaking out.

It mostly wasn't working.

A voice that sounded like his own but was scarier echoed in his brain: "You aren't good to anyone if you can't play the part they need to. No one just wants you."

He straightened.

Luisa was having a meltdown.

If she was strong enough would she have been able to stop her sister from turning into a demon? Was her sister a demon the whole time? If she was, if Luisa had been strong enough could she have kept her out of it?

A voice like her own but not echoed: "You're too weak to be of any help to anyone. But I could fix that..."

She stood up and made her way out of her room as if in a daze.

Dolores stopped walking.

"Dolores?" Maria said.

She shook her head.

"What's wrong?"

Maria embraced Dolores. "Whatever you're hearing it's not true. And if it is, you have a familia that loves you and will help you past it."

Dolores took a deep breath and nodded.

"He's getting to people." Dolores said

"Where is my daughter!" Bruno and Maria said in unison, Maria's patterns flashing purple.

"You sure you want to?" Javier asked.

Mirabel nodded. "Last I knew my papa was in there and I think he's the only one that can explain..."

She entered the house.

Only to be tossed with salt and spitting it out. "Abuela?!"

"I told you never to call me that!"

"No listen..."

"It's okay!" Mama? Julieta? ran up behind Abuela. "It's okay we can cover them up and then when the barrier is strengthened like it was when Papa did it, her patterns will go away and she'll be fixed."

"Fixed?!"

"You can't fix a disgusting demon. Look she's hanging out with another one!"

Mirabel flashed her gaze to Javier, who wasn't trying to appear human anymore. Thankfully his demon form was just his regular form only with purple skin and patterns.

"We'll....we'll cover them up..." Julieta wasn't looking at Mirabel directly but she tried to put a shawl over Mirabel...

"No!" Mirabel finally snapped. "This is me!"

Her voice took on a deep quality and shook the house, revealing the purple barrier.

"Mirabel!"

"This is me!"

Maria and Bruno ran into the house after hearing the loud call.

"Don't you get it?! This is who I am!" One of Mirabel's eyes changed and one of Mirabel's hands changed into a claw in the time it took her to throw the shawl off.

"Mirabel..."

"Why can't you look at me!? Why can't either of you look at me!"

Both Julieta and Alma weren't looking at her.

"Why couldn't you love me?!"

"I do..." Julieta tried.

"All of me!" THe house shook again. This time the purple barrier started to crack.

Chapter Text

"Tu papa was a demon hunter. Demons are monsters who don't have a single bit of a heart or soul in them."

Five year old Pepa rolled her eyes as her siblings listened to their mother's story.

"His job was to send the demons back to the demon realm and strengthen the barrier between the realms enough that no demon can get through for a whole generation. But his song was so powerful, so full of light and joy and love that he managed to seal it away for two generations. However it cost him his life."

Julieta meeped.

"Don't worry Julie...we have this home that will keep us safe.

Julieta nodded slowly.

The house fell.

"You can't fix the world..." The demon king told Mirabel.

Mirabel blinked but then nodded. It was as if she was somehow in a trance.

"You're useless the way you are, people know who you are. They won't love you."

"They won't..."

The demon king reached out his powers to steal her soul as she was in a vulnerable enough position that she would easily give it up to him...

But before he could...

"Mirabel! No!"

Javier got in the way.

"Javier!"

"You showed me love is possible for demons." He said as he faded before her eyes.

She tried to hug him.

"I don't want you to forget that..."

Mirabel called out her sword, not having any other ideas about what to do. Her sword had stopped demons before.

But as she called out her sword, the fading Javier was absorbed into it, turning it purple.

Mirabel stared.

The demon king thundered.

Now Mirabel could see that her familia were also in trances, probably being told about their own insecurities.

Her heart sped up.

"I..."

"Mirabel!"

Mirabel turned and saw a demon with hair in a ponytail.

She knew who she was instinctively.

"Mama?" She whispered.

"Mama!" She ran to embrace her.

She cried. "The world is breaking and I don't know what to do..."

"Shh sh, you're supposed to only have to worry about this once you're fully mature. This is too much on your shoulders..." Her Mama said.

"We love you."

"Papa!"

Papa seemed a bit surprised and teared up. "You have to strengthen the barrier and send him back before he takes your familia's souls."

"How? I can't do anything..."

"You have done a lot. An amazing amount."

"But..."

And then an innocent, shaky, scared voice echoed.

"No more hiding now we're shining like we're born to be. We are hunters voices strong and I know I believe."

Antonio! Apparently Abu...Alma hadn't gotten to Antonio enough that the demon king could corrupt him by playing with his insecurities.

More than that, Antonio singing the song that Mirabel sang to make him feel better caused the purple to flicker gold.

"Why?" Papa asked.

Mirabel hugged them tighter.

She sang that song first to Isabela because she loved her.

Isabela never accepted it.

Then she sang that song to Antonio out of love.

Javier had blocked her from losing her soul because he showed her about love.

Mirabel was a product of love.

"That's it!"

"You suddenly seem excited."

The demon king was enjoying this.

But then...

"Nothing but the truth now Nothing but the proof of what I am."

The Hunter was singing!

"The worst of what I came from, patterns I'm ashamed of Things that even I don't understand."

Her voice was slowly becoming as powerful as it had been before. He sent demons after her.

Mirabel used her sword to chase them away.

"I tried to fix it, I tried to fight it My head was twisted, my heart divided My lies all collided."

She snapped Luisa and Camilo out of their trance and they looked at each other and then at her.

"I don't know why I didn't trust you to be on my side I broke into a million pieces, and I can't go back But now I'm seeing all the beauty in the broken glass."

Golden flickered over the barrier.

Camilo shrugged and started singing along. His voice was not as powerful as Mirabel's but he loved the message. He needed the message. "The scars are part of me, darkness and harmony My voice without the lies, this is what it sounds like."

Luisa sniffled but sang too as she took her sister's hand, no longer afraid of her roots. "Why did I cover up the colors stuck inside my head? I should've let the jagged edges meet the light instead."

Mirabel turned to Isabela who was just now shook out of her trance and she took Isabela's hands. "Show me what's underneath, I'll find your harmony The song we couldn't write, this is what it sounds like."

Isabela looked thoughtful before she joined in. "We're shattering the silence, we're rising, defiant Shouting in the quiet, "You're not alone" We listened to the demons, we let them get between us But none of us are out here on our own."

Pepa and Felix were cheering and they sang "So we were cowards, so we were liars So we're not heroes, we're still survivors The dreamers, the fighters, no lying, I'm tired But dive in the fire, and I'll be right here by your side."

Agustin took Mirabel's hand and gave it a squeeze. "We broke into a million pieces, and we can't go back But now we're seeing all the beauty in the broken glass."

Mirabel laughed mostly out of shock. Most of her familia didn't know what this was, why they were singing or who they were facing.

"The scars are part of me, darkness and harmony My voice without the lies, this is what it sounds like."

But they had enough love for everyone involved that they sang along. Dolores was even singing louder than she had ever heard her.

"Why did we cover up the colors stuck inside our head? Get up and let the jagged edges meet the light instead."

Mirabel hugged Antonio as they harmonized. "Show me what's underneath, I'll find your harmony Fearless and undefined, this is what it sounds like This is what it sounds like."

"Hey! Oh-oh, oh-oh, hey! Oh-oh This is what it sounds like Hey! Oh-oh, oh-oh, hey! Oh-oh This is what it sounds like Hey! Oh-oh, hey! Oh-oh This is what it sounds like, this is what it This is what it sounds like."

Papa and Mama sang along and made sure to stay close to her. Mirabel caught sight of Julieta and Alma. They weren't singing.

"We broke into a million pieces, and we can't go back But now I'm seeing all the beauty in the broken glass."

And while the barrier was turning gold, it wasn't sticking. She sent them a pleading look.

Julieta took a deep breath and started to sing. "The scars are part of me, darkness and harmony My voice without the lies, this is what it sounds like." Her voice was shaky but she sang.

Alma looked terrified but she sang again. "Why did we cover up the colors stuck inside our head? Get up and let the jagged edges meet the light instead."

One by one the Madrigals group hugged with Papa, Mama Mirabel and Antonio at the center. Then Dolores, then Camilo, then Pepa then Felix, then Luisa then Isabela, then Agustin and finally, Julieta and Alma.

"Show me what's underneath, I'll find your harmony Fearless and undefined, this is what it sounds like."

The moment they hugged a golden light burst through the rubble of the town, breaking all the other citizens out of their trances and causing them to sing along.

"My voice without the lies, this is what it sounds like Fearless and undefined, this is what it sounds like."

Mirabel's demon side faded so her eyes were normal and her hand was normal but her patterns were still there, on her arms and creeping up her face. She found she didn't care.

"Truth after all this time, our voices all combined When darkness meets the light, this is what it sounds like."

And as the light dyed down the demons let out anguished cries and Mirabel turned to the demon king.

She clutched her sword, and jumped up.

She drove her sword into the king and he dispersed the way demons always did.

"Gracias Javier." She whispered as the sword glowed.

Chapter Text

Mirabel looked at herself and then at her parents. "I...I...Why did my patterns shrink?"

"Every demon has patterns." Mama said as she hugged her. "They get worse when you feel shame."

"So Julieta telling her to hide them..." Papa glared at Tia Julieta.

"Made them grow." Mama nodded. She looked back at Mirabel. "Oh Mija I've wanted to hold you again for so long!"

Mirabel sank into the hold.

"Mirabel!" Antonio cheered. "You did it!"

"But...but I thought..." Mirabel turned at Alma's hesitant voice.

"I thought when the barrier turned gold...all demons would be gone? That's what Pedro told me."

"Maybe it's just the demons who mean harm to people." Mirabel said. "After all, Papa told me to use my discretion about sending them home."

Papa blushed. "We'll be okay..."

"Not if we don't have a house." Camilo said.

Tio Felix lightly smacked him. "What I can't say we don't have a house? What is that? Not a house!"

Mirabel laughed. "Let's rebuild."

"I can't believe you are my prima!" Luisa said.

"You find that harder to believe than me being a demon hunter or half demon?" Mirabel said.

"Yeah after I saw everything that happened I've accepted that." Luisa said.

Mama and Papa laughed from where they were fixing the home.

"Mirabel, would you please keep an eye on Antonio?" Tia Pepa asked.

"I um..."

"I want to talk to your parents."

Mirabel flinched. Without the gifts it was hard to tell if it was a good thing or a bad thing that Tia Pepa wanted to talk to Mama and Papa about.

"It's okay Mija." Mama said.

Mirabel nodded.

"So..." Bruno began.

"Why didn't you give her to me!?" Pepa thundered only not a real thunder this time do to the gifts being gone.

"Uh..."

"My fault." Maria saved his butt. "You had a baby."

"I could have taken care of two babies. Camilo and Mirabel thought of themselves as twins anyway! And I wouldn't have made her hide her patterns! Why didn't you give her to me?"

"You didn't believe in demons." Bruno spoke up. "I didn't know how you'd react when confronted with proof of them."

Pepa shook her head. "I wouldn't have taken it out on a baby."

"Hindsight is twenty twenty." Bruno said.

Pepa shook her head.

"Tonito...oh!"

Mirabel froze.

Antonio was painting patterns on Isabela's skin. And had patterns painted on his own skin.

Isabela looked like a child caught at misbehavior but Antonio just grinned at Mirabel.

"What are you two doing?" Mirabel said mid laughter.

"I want to be like you! Isabela does too!"

"You do?" Mirabel looked at Isabela.

Isabela flushed. "Si. You embrace your imperfections and it's made you a better person. I don't know how to do that..."

"So you thought painting on patterns would help?"

"I thought it would get me in the mindset?" Isabela squeaked.

Mirabel laughed. She hugged her prima.

Javier's soul thundered at her from the sword. She was getting used to hearing Javier's soul talk to her even when her sword wasn't out.

"You need to find your primo."

"Camilo?" Mirabel whispered.

"No, the little one."

"Why?"

Thumping footsteps answered the questions.

"What is that thing?"

"I call him Parce."

"He looks like Bobo." Isabela said.

Antonio was sitting on the back of a blue Jaguar with a very stupid expression on his face.

"You can't talk to him..."

"Nope."

Mirabel heard Javier's voice.

"You're kidding."

"What?" Isabela said.

"it's Javier's messenger."

"Demons have messengers?"

"Apparently."

"But why such a stupid one?" Isabela asked.

"He's not stupid!" Antonio yelled.

Shortly before the house was finished, Mama was braiding tiny braids in Mirabel's hair.

"Mirabel?"

Mama tensed and her patterns flashed purple.

"Ab...Alma." Mirabel coughed.

"I can't believe..."

"What? You can't believe that your granddaughter is half demon!?"

"Mama." Mirabel scolded.

"Lo siento bebe."

"I can't believe that you were chosen to be Pedro's successor for this job."

Mirabel frowned, unsure of as to why.

"But your song gave me light and hope like Pedros did. I should have known. And I should have been able to see who you are as opposed to what you are. Neither you nor..." Alma looked at Mama hesitantly. "Tu Mama are like the demons that killed Pedro."

"You lived through a lot Alma...all by yourself. I understand."

"Call me Abuela...por favor."

Mirabel smiled and suddenly hugged Abuela.

Antonio ran through on who Mirabel was privately calling Bobo.

"What the?"

"Javier's messenger." Mirabel said.

The house was built. And Mirabel put the last touch in.

The moment she did she brought the magic back.

They were partying and Mirabel sang.

"I was a ghost, I was alone, hah, 어두워진 앞길 속에, hah."

Mirabel smiled as she filled the village with light, patterns on full display due to her short sleeve dress.

"Given the throne, I didn't know how to believe I was the queen that I'm meant to be."

Suddenly her prima, Isabela began singing. "I lived two lives, tried to play both sides But I couldn't find my own place."

Mirabel looked and saw her growing plants that weren't flowers and wearing a pollen stained dress and looking happier than she had ever seen her.

"Called a problem child 'cause I got too wild. But now that's how I'm getting paid 끝없이 on stage."

Camilo even joined in, shapeshifting to make faces.

"I'm done hidin', now I'm shinin' like I'm born to be We dreamin' hard, we came so far, now I believe." Mirabel picked up Antonio and those two sang in harmonies.

"We're goin' up, up, up, it's our moment You know together we're glowin' Gonna be, gonna be golden."

Mirabel saw her parents dancing and singing together.

"Oh-oh-oh, up, up, up with our voices 영원히 깨질 수 없는 Gonna be, gonna be golden."

Mirabel was so happy.

"Oh-oh-oh, I'm done hidin', now I'm shinin' like I'm born to be Oh, our time, no fears, no lies That's who we're born to be!"

Casita ruffled the tiles and they were moved in front of the camera together.

Except for Julieta...

She hesitated.

Mirabel frowned. "No one's excluded from family pictures." She said.

Julieta slowly took a step forward. "I'm sorry. All I knew was what I was told about demons."

Mirabel didn't want to think about that right then.

"Everyone together..." Abuela said.

"La familia Madrigal!"