47. Restored Magic

Mirabel stared in awe at the house in front of her. Casita was dancing around the family, as if to say, Look at me! I'm alive! She felt a smile grow on her face, and turned towards her family.

The adults all had looks of shock on their face, except for Bruno, who appeared to find all this quite normal. He had a mischievous grin on his face, and a part of Mirabel wondered if he was up to something. Casita drew everyone in, nearly putting them all off balance.

It was Camilo who spoke first after they reentered the house. He looked at Mirabel with a hopeful look in his eyes. “If Casita's back... then does that mean that my powers...”

As soon as the words left his mouth he spun around in a circle. When he finished his turn he had shifted his body into a perfect replica of Mirabel.

“Whoo-hoo!” he cried out, throwing his Mirabel arms up in the air. “Camilo is back baby!”

Mirabel grinned widely, using her good arm to shove him playfully. He shifted back into himself, his grin never leaving his face. “Good job Camilo,” she said, and Camilo nodded approvingly.

She then looked over at Isabela, who had a look in her eyes that somewhat scared Mirabel. She lifted up her hands, and a curtain of oddly shaped flowers decorated the nearest wall to her. She held out her hands and threw down several pollen pockets, which exploded on the ground and stained her dress with bright yellows and greens. The look on her face was filled with so much joy that Mirabel had a hard time repressing crazed happy laughter.

The next person she saw was Tia Pepa, who had a rain cloud hanging above her head. But instead of trying to shoo away the cloud she was starting to dance to the music Casita began playing.

She saw Antonio's jaguar and several other animals dash into the house, and Parce threw the young boy onto his back. “My friends!” Antonio cried out, and everyone smiled at him as Parce carried him around the room.

Luisa barely had time to try out her gift before Casita practically threw her onto a lawn chair. She laughed, and Casita rattled its tiles in a playful manner. Mirabel smiled at that, and then focused on Julieta, who was moving to stand in front of her.

“Oh mija...” Julieta breathed out, wrapping her arms lightly around Mirabel's shoulders. Mirabel could tell that Julieta was longing to squeeze her tighter, but knew that her arm wouldn't allow that.

Julieta pulled back, smiling at her warmly. “No problem Tia Mami,” Mirabel said, earning her a hand on her cheek. She glanced behind Julieta and at Bruno, who looked more proud than she had ever seen him. “It was nothing-”

“I'm going to make you some food!” Julieta proclaimed, stepping back from her and starting to make her way to the staircase. Mirabel gasped slightly, then stammered, “Uh- That's... that's really not necessary Mami... I'm fine. You should rest-”

“Mija, I have not cooked for a month straight. It's all I can think about.” Julieta said, giving Mirabel a firm but loving look. “Please... just let me heal you. I promise I won't overdo it.”

Mirabel stared at her, and then nodded slightly. Julieta positively beamed at her, and then began to sprint towards the stairs.

Once she was gone Mirabel walked over to Bruno, who had Dolores standing next to him. She smiled once more, wide and happy. “Isn't this amazing Papá? The magic's back!” Bruno smiled at her, though it looked a tad bit forced.

She then looked at Dolores, who appeared to be thinking hard. “Dolores! Isn't this great! You guy's gifts are-”

She stopped in the middle of her sentence. She looked between the two of them, her eyes widening. “You're gifts are back...” she breathed.

Dolores nodded, giving her a small smile. “It's alright Mirabel.” she said, her voice quieter than it had been earlier. “I just gotta get used to it. As long as nothing bad happens with the magic-”

“AGUSTIN! AGUSTIN COME HERE!”

Julieta's voice echoed through Casita, Mirabel turned and watched as Agustin darted up the stairs, nearly tripping and falling back down them when he reached the top. Before she could think much of it Bruno was darting forward, following his brother-in-law to the second floor.

Mirabel and Dolores shared a look, then Mirabel shrugged her good shoulder. “Might as well follow them. We can go to your room if you need to calm down.” Dolores gave her a smile, and said, “Yeah sure.”

They followed the three adults upstairs, and when Mirabel turned to Juliet's section she saw what had caused her mother to call out like that.

Behind her parents, glowing on the wall, was Julieta's orange door. Her image was on it, looking more relieved than it had before the collapse. But it wasn't Julieta's representation that had called the four other Madrigal's up;

It was the picture of Agustin standing next to her.

The glowing representations of the two of them were side by side. Agustin was smiling, the two of them with their eyes closed. The real life Agustin was hugging his wife's shoulder's, and Julieta's shoulders were shaking. If Mirabel didn't know better she'd say that she was crying...

“Oh Agustin... Agustin...” Julieta said, as Agustin whispered something into her ear. “What did I ever do to deserve you...” Agustin smiled at her, and whispered something else into her ear.

Bruno turned towards the two girls, shock in his eyes. He walked past the two of them, and his eyes seemed to fix on something on the other side of the second floor.

“Pepa!” he called down, leaning over the rail and shouting down to her. “You and Felix will want to come up here and see this!”

Across the hall Mirabel could see her aunt's door, herself and Felix on it just like Julieta and Agustin. A wide smile split her face, and she turned towards Dolores.

“That is so cool...” Dolores said, her eyes sparkling. Mirabel laughed, “Yeah! And soon yours will have Mariano on it!”

Dolores blushed profusely, and stammered for a moment. “I mean... yeah... But Mirabel...” She giggled softly, covering her mouth with her hands. “You didn't have to say it out loud.” Mirabel pushed her cousin's shoulder lightly. “Gotta tease my cousin.” she said seriously, and Dolores rolled her eyes.

“I wonder what Bruno's room looks like...” Dolores said quietly, and Mirabel tilted her head to the side. “Uh... Just like it always has.” she said, raising her good hand. Dolores glanced at her, and said, “Hey Tio! Let's go check on your door!”

Bruno looked back at her, a look of confusion on his face. “Uh... Okay.” he said, walking up to the two of them and taking Mirabel's good arm in his. “This way m'lady.”

Mirabel giggled a bit as they started walking in sync towards where his tower was. They had designed his tower right next to her room, and a part of her wondered if she had her own representation on her door...

They rounded the corner to Bruno and Mirabel's section, and Mirabel nearly fainted where she stood.

Up the few stairs it took to get to his room was his door, glowing the same orange it had when she had touched it about a month before. There was Bruno at the top, his hands resting...

On an orange Mirabel's shoulders.

“I'm... I'm on your door!” Mirabel said loudly, looking at Bruno, who's face was drawn. He stared at his door, then down to her. “I'm on your door!” she repeated, trying to smile at him. But the pained look he was giving her made her feel like curling in a ball and hiding.

The next thing she knew she was being left behind. Bruno ran up the stairs, lifting hand and placing it on the picture of his. He turned towards Mirabel, a wide smile on his face.

Mirabel walked up to him, and he placed a hand on her good shoulder. “You're on a door.” he said happily, and Mirabel nodded. “Yeah... I am.”

“You're on a door!” he said, turning to face the rest of the house. “Did you hear that!? The magic put my daughter on my door!”

“Hey!”

“Sorry Agustin!” Bruno called out. “The magic put my and my sister's daughter on my door!” He turned towards Mirabel and Dolores, and said, “Well... What do you say Mariposa? Want to check out our rooms?”

Mirabel smiled at him, then opened the door wide. Bruno reached down and picked her up, letting Mirabel scream a bit as he carried her into the entrance of the tower.“You know, I used to hold you a lot.” he said as Mirabel smacked him a bit to get him to put her down. He obliged, and added, “You used to ask me to. All the time.” Mirabel rolled her eyes at him, and said, “That was before I was almost your height.” Bruno shrugged at her scolding, and motioned for her to go further into the tower.

This time when Mirabel stepped up to the sand curtain it parted for her instantly, revealing two staircases. She stared at the two of them, then back at Bruno, before yelling, “I call downstairs!”

Bruno let out a shout of rage, but Mirabel was already dashing down 'her' staircase. He looked over at Dolores, who had her hands pressed firmly on her ears.

“You raised a loud daughter.” she said quietly, and Bruno smiled lovingly at her words.

“Yeah, I did.” he said, and then offered his arm out towards his niece. “Wanna have a tour?” Dolores smiled, and nodded softly. “That sounds awesome.”

It took Julieta less than thirty minutes to cook the arepas she had planned for her daughter. It took her more than thirty minutes to find said daughter.

Not because she hadn't been looking very heard. But because it appeared that Mirabel had vanished clear out of Casita. No one had seen hide nor hair of the young girl, or Bruno, or even Dolores.

Mirabel's food was growing cold, but Julieta didn't really care about that. What if Bruno had already had a vision and had seen something worse? What if he had taken her away again!? What if... What if she never saw her again?

She sat down next to Bruno and Mirabel's door, staring at the representations of the two of them glowing at her steadily. No. Last time Bruno had left his door had stopped glowing. And plus, he knew better now than to just disappear into the blue again. He would have told someone where he was going.

He wasn't in his room. She and Pepa had searched every corner of that place looking for him and Mirabel. Where could they be?

“And so yeah, that's how I got to Casita so fast...”

Julieta sat up, grabbing her arepas as she heard Mirabel's voice come from behind the door. She threw it open, and saw Bruno, Mirabel, and Dolores all exiting... a door right next to their staircases?

“Where have you been!?” she cried, throwing herself on top of Bruno, who barely caught her in his arms without falling over. The three of them stood there awkwardly, before Mirabel said, “Uh... I showed them the tunnel that leads to Casa...?”

Julieta sighed loudly, letting go of her brother and walking over to Mirabel. “I'm just glad you're safe corazon. Now. Eat.” She pressed the arepa into Mirabel's good hand, and smiled as Mirabel took a large bite.

Instantly any traces of pain that had been leftover on Mirabel's face faded away. She looked down at her arm, and whispered, “So cool.” Julieta laughed, and Bruno asked, “Need help getting that cast of Mariposa?”

Julieta watched him take off Mirabel's cast, and finally she felt that all was right in the world.