Chapter Text
The living Casita house in the Encanto village is where our story starts; a spirited 25 year old young woman fixed her glasses as she then gave a smile and got down the stairs from where her room was. Her own room which was something that she didn't exactly have in Casita's old form a decade ago.
By going down the stairs; she was basically surfing down with Casita's magic, only to end up knocking into her grandmother Alma Madrigal. "Woah... Sorry Abuela... Didn't realise how fast Casita was sending me down..." the woman Mirabel said apologetically checking on Alma but the older woman smiled good naturedly.
"No worries Mirabel... Busy day today?" Alma asked as Mirabel gave a shrug as she thought about what she had planned.
"Well... Isa and Bubo are sucking faces; practicing for their being newlywed so I will be busy to make sure that I am as far away from them as possible..." Mirabel then said and Alma gave an amused look. Mirabel's older sister Isabela had found someone who came from beyond the mountains; Bubo Marquiz who was a dork and though weirded out by him, the family did welcome him in especially as they had recently gotten engaged after 3 years.
Though Alma a decade ago would have greatly disapproved of him and she right now had to stop fights Isabela would have with Camilo who took any chance to tease her for it.
"But I just want to relax and enjoy the day..." Mirabel then said as she waved to her grandmother before her wrist was grabbed. "Abuela?" Mirabel asked carefully as Alma then coughed before giving her a serious look that had Mirabel concerned.
"Mirabel dear...I am aware that my age is catching up to me and I can't help guide our family and our home forever... At dinner tonight... I want to announce that I will be stepping down..." Alma then said as Mirabel then looked surprised taking it in.
Her reasoning did make sense as she was getting older but still; she only knew her grandmother as the leader of their family and their village. She bet most of the village did.
"We need someone new to guide us... Lead the Gift ceremonies and make the decisions to protect our home and our loved ones... Someone who burns bright and is brave... Someone who brought our family back together after I pushed too far and held on too tight..." Alma whispered seriously as Mirabel took this in...
Before...
"Wait... Me? You want me to... This is so sudden.. How can I be expected to..." Alma asked as Alma softly put her hand on Mirabel's cheek.
"There is no one better... After your failed Gift ceremonies; I made mistakes in how reacted... Mistakes I can't take back and you couldn't be blamed to be resentful for it but your love for our family pushed you to do everything to fix things..." Alma then said with a hint of regret and Mirabel then gave a smile.
"Come on Abuela... It's alright... Things worked out well..." Mirabel said to reassure her; truth be told she never forgot what that decade was like... Trying to prove that she had a purpose and deserved to be in the family Madrigal... Wondering if she still had one...
"Just think it over..." Alma said softly as she then walked away and Mirabel slowly walked out of the door and gave a wave as Casita used the tiles to wave.
Mirabel was wondering if she could be expected to lead the family and the village... Would they listen to her? Would she be leading her parents, her aunts and uncles... Her sisters and cousins...
Well telling Isabela to knock it off with giving full make out to Bubo with people nearby sounded appealing...
She was startled by a dash went past her head; "Hi Tia Mirabel!" said a cheerful infant and Mirabel caught her breath to laugh. Dolores and Mariano's infant son Pedro who just got his gift of flying; calling her 'Tia' though she was his mother's cousin but the grandkids were all like siblings anyway.
She then waved amused as Mariano rushed past her to try and keep up with his son; looking all puffed out. Clearly needed a break like it looked like Luisa was having on her deck chair. She looked disgusted as near the trees were Isabela and Bubo kissing. However a bird came up to Bubo and Mirabel looked amused as it started annoying Bubo making them stop. The bird then took Bubo's glasses and got up a tall tree.
Mirabel then ran forward and motioned for them to stay back; "Let me help handle this..." Mirabel said thinking that if she was to lead the family in solving problems then she could start with this. "I know it's shiny but scram... I am warning you that there's a cool teenage kid who understands you and I'm his favourite cousin..." Mirabel yelled getting up and reaching out to the branch where the bird was.
"Got it!" Mirabel said in victory as she grabbed the glasses but then found the bird then reaching for her eyes. "Hey! We are not trading for my glasses..." Mirabel ranted as she ended up slipping and heard yells of her name as she fell to the distance to the ground and her head landing on a rock...
High above the Earth was the endless cloud city of Heaven; protected by the holy golden gates. Ran by the High Seraphim Sera who answered to the Speaker of God Himself. Said Seraphim was busy in her office; looking over the reports of the latest extermination. Such a closely guarded secret (or at least she hope it was) known only to her and the 'Exorcists' (officially known as Heaven's Guard) and it was on paper an annual 'patrol mission' around the Pride ring of Hell.
Cull the numbers of Sinners to stop the denizens of Hell from getting any ideas of starting an uprising; dirty business but necessary in her eyes. Besides she think that her old friend Lucifer would appreciate keeping the amount of Sinners manageable in the realm that he was sent to rule.
She was interrupted by a timid knock on the door; she stopped as she was about to sign off on the reports from Adam as she called out "Come in." Entered was the other Seraphim and her younger sister Emily having a forced smile with her head down which gave her pause; "Are you alright Emily? What is troubling you sister?" Sera asked feeling a bit concerned as Emily cleared her breath and came forward.
"Nothing much but... I have some news and... You are not going to like it..." Emily said as Sera then frowned at this. Emily certainly didn't look like that she wanted to share this news with her and whatever it could be; couldn't be good.
"What happened..." Sera asked warningly as Emily cleared her breath.
"Well... I was being the Joybringer as I always do and... Meeting the new Ascended to help them get adjusted to Heaven and..." Emily then said as Sera as nodded along; Emily did enjoy her role in bringing joy to the Ascended mortal souls and making sure that they were adjusting to Heaven.
"Well... A new one is... I wanted to give you a heads up as he is with his family reuniting as I took him to his new home up here... Sooner or later Antonio will be asking about his cousin..." Emily slowly said and suddenly Sera's hand holding her quill then crunched open snapping it in half and a twitch in her eye.
"Antonio... Madrigal?" Sera asked and Emily reluctantly slowly nodded.
"About 50 years... I have had to deal with her family asking why she is so distant and didn't want to talk to them... Had to keep telling them that it's a rule set by the Lord that an Ascended is allowed to do as they please as long as it's not harmful to others or Heaven itself and that means being allowed their peace and I couldn't just get her discharged from the Exorcists... It turned to just plain asking what happened to her since 3 years ago... Her family being so... Persistent after all these years and the ones from that village asking about her as well... Another Madrigal that will be requesting answers from me and the cycle begins anew..." Sera thought in her head furiously as she was almost ready to hold her head and scream in frustration.
"No... I am getting answers as to where she is... Maybe I can ask her why she had been distant... It's not bending the rules if I am suggesting how she could sort out her family drama..." Sera whispered as coming to the door was the First Man himself Adam looking casual.
"Yo Sera... I was wanting to talk to you about something... Alone... About the... You know..." Adam then said as Sera noticed the very Angel that she wanted to see and Sera then nodded to Emily as she gestured to leave them in peace. Emily then nodded as she then left through the door closing it.
"Where is Mirabel Madrigal? Your report said that she is unavailable as part of an assignment. Recall her now." Sera then said at once as Adam then blinked and straightened himself which didn't escape Sera's notice.
"That's not possible... Now I wanted to tell you that while the Extermination was a success as always; it seemed that a Sinner..." Adam then said as Sera gave him a sharp look.
"I do not care about what happened. You will answer as to why it's not possible and I will not accept any lies, dancing around the question or half truths." Sera almost yelled making it clear that it was not a request as Adam looked afraid and guilty.
Adam then laughed weakly as he said "well... That's a funny story..."
Adam told the story and Sera didn't find it very funny...
"You. Both. Did. What?" Sera asked trying so hard to resist the urge to strangle Adam to his second death and Adam looked terrified.
"Look... She totally disappointed me... Vagatha was one of my favourites..." Adam then said as Sera then got up in his face.
"You know that there is no rules against mercy and nothing to warrant what you two have done... You know how many discipline meetings we have had with you because of your decorum and behaviour while up in Heaven but this... Do you realise what will happen if the Speaker or God Himself hears of this..." Sera whispered in cold fury as she took a moment to clear her breath and and calm herself as Adam looked uncomfortable. "I will figure out a full punishment for you and Lute later but as of right now; neither of you will be allowed to take part in the next Extermination next year." Sera then told him turning her head to him with a glare.
This got his eyes to widen and he retorted "What? You can't be serious... One of those Sinners got to one of my Angels and killed her... We need to focus on this..."
"My focus is on arranging a meeting with Lucifer for help in locating Mirabel. You had better hope that she still exists down there otherwise; you can look forward to having both of your Halos stripped away and your rings ripped off before being sent down to Hell as your new home." Sera snapped as she fitted Adam with a stare as if daring him to argue further and he reluctantly left albeit with angry mutters under his breath.
Sera sighed as she got a glass from her cupboard and opened her special private fridge filled of wine. She got a bottle and then looked to her glass; she then put it down before opening up the bottle and just drank from it.