64. Chapter 64

Bruno honestly just felt numb at this point…. Ten years. For ten years he had sworn off visions.

His Sobrina had managed to talk him into having one. Bruno had been extremely surprised and happy that somehow his vision had turned into a good one and something actually useful!

Yeah! Somehow that had happened!

And Mirabel was mad….. Because of course she was. No one was ever happy when they had their future read. Why would Bruno ever think anything different?

Geesh.

Yup… Mirabel was fuming and seething over the prospect of having to hug her sister. Which you would think would be a good thing. Mirabel had gotten exactly what she wanted. An instruction on what to do. And she still wasn't happy.

"Told you." Bruno finally said.

"What?" Mirabel turned to him.

"This is what happens," Bruno said. "This is always what happens! Someone asks. Tell me my future! Bruno! Please tell me my future! I warn them. You might not like it. They say, it's okay. Even if I don't like I won't get angry. I swear Bruno I swear. I give them the bloody vision and then!" he gestured at Mirabel.

Mirabel's eyes widened in deep shock and surprise and Bruno just kept on ranting.

"Bruno is letting the devil into the Encanto. Bruno made me grow a gut. Oh Bruno should just learn how to keep quiet." Bruno rolled his eyes as he turned away and walked back towards his own prophecy he had dropped on the ground.

"Wait! That's not! It's not you i'm mad at!" Mirabel exclaimed horrified as she realized what she had done. "Tio I'm sorry! I didn't mean."

"That was pretty mean of you Mirabel," Antonio said. "You asked and then you get mad."

And Mirabel shut her mouth tight and closed her eyes… yeah… Not her best moment. And right after Bruno had expressed his worry to her. That he'll show her something she didn't like… He had said that before the vision. And still Mirabel had insisted.

Yeah okay, this was on her. This was one hundred percent on her.

"It's fine. I should have known better. It always ends up like this." Bruno rolled his eyes as he picked up the Isabela prophecy again and held it up to the light. "What did you do to my prophecy though? Why are yours always so weird?"

"Huh?" Mirabel blinked.

"You changed the prophecy!" Bruno exclaimed as he looked at Mirabel. "I mean… How?!" he asked. "And when I had the original one ten years ago it was different. Why did that happen? It had two different possible outcomes. That never happened before! And now this!" he twisted and turned the jade slab to look at it. "You changed the whole thing! It was the same as before and you switched it around. How did you do that? Normally the visions never give you answers. Just…. Stuff that's gonna happen. You're not supposed to be able to change it!"

"Why not?" Mirabel asked.

"What?" Bruno asked as he lowered his slab.

"You get a vision. Why not try to change it?" Mirabel asked.

"Don't you think I tried?" Bruno asked. "It never works!" he threw up his hands in frustration. "I see bad things and it happens. And nothing can be done to change it and that's why my gift sucks!" he threw the jade slab away then halted. "Except for the prophecies that were about you… " he blinked. "Those were changeable. I wonder why." he frowned.

There was silence as Antonio and Mirabel looked at Bruno.

"I don't understand," Mirabel whispered. "Everyone in the family was given gifts to serve the Encanto. What use is a gift that can't… Change things."

"Search me! I have no clue!" Bruno exclaimed.

"But we are changing things now right?" Antonio asked. "You changed the vision and now we are changing the future."

"But it doesn't work that way!" Bruno exclaimed. "It never worked that way before!"

"But what if it does?" Mirabel asked. "Have you ever tried… staying in your visions for longer? And look for another alternative?" she asked. "I mean inside the vision?"

"Eeerhh." Bruno halted.

Mirabel and Antonio both looked at their Tio.

"Seriously?" Antonio asked.

"Why would I want to stay in the visions?" Bruno asked.

"To… Look for different alternatives." Mirabel blinked. "Maybe think back. Did you do something different when you first had your vision about me?"

"I…" Bruno halted. "First I saw… The magic vanishing and the Encanto breaking. And I saw you." he swallowed. "Just like right now… The same thing. And I didn't believe it… Or… I didn't want to believe it. I… I insisted there had to be something else and then..." he blinked as he looked up. "It changed… I asked for another way and it changed."

Antonio's eyes were wide. "Wow… Your gift is the ability to change the future?"

"What? NO! I only see the future. I don't change the future!" Bruno exclaimed. "I can't! I tried and I can't!"

"But… We're changing it right now." Antonio said.

"Now is different," Bruno said.

"Why?" Antonio exclaimed.

"For the last time!" Bruno shouted. "I don't know!"

"Tio!"

Bruno halted, then he turned to Mirabel, and he swallowed. "Sorry." he whispered. "Sorry… I didn't mean to shout. I'm just… really confused."

"Tio." Mirabel walked forward and then… Gently. She took his hand. "If we change the future now… Save the Encanto. Then that makes it clear."

Bruno glanced up.

"You can not only see the future. You can change it." Mirabel whispered. "You just have to look a little bit further when looking to the future."

Bruno's eyes widened. Then he looked away. "I don't know… You would think I would have that figured out a long time ago. I mean." he laughed a hollow laughter. "I gave so many prophecies in the past." he held his free hand up to his forehead. "And they never helped anyone… It never did anything good."

Now Mirabel looked determined. "They will today!" she said. "I will hug Isabela. And then safe the magic! And it'll be because of you! Because you gave me the vision I needed."

Bruno blinked as he looked at her.

"I'm sorry I snapped at you," Mirabel said and then, she suddenly hugged Bruno nearly knocking him down.

"Woah!" Bruno's eyes widened in deep shock and then wide-eyed looked down to see the teenager hug him. "Errrh." he halted.

"Are you okay?" Antonio asked.

"Help me," Bruno whispered. "I don't know what to do."

Antonio rolled his eyes. "Just hug her back!"

"Oh." Bruno halted. "Errrhm." awkwardly he tried to get his arms around Mirabel, and failed miserably, but finally managed to offer the world's most awkward hug as his entire body looked nervous and tense, and like he was going to break at any second.

Mirabel laughed amused and then finally stepped back.

"Sorry." Bruno blushed. "I… heh. Ten years. No human contact. I'm a little out of practice so."

Mirabel smirked amused. "Don't worry. You'll have plenty of opportunities to practice soon."

Bruno blinked. "Huh?" he asked. "Wha-What?"

And then suddenly Antonio hugged Bruno's leg and Bruno's eyes widened as he looked down.

"I'm helping you practice." Antonio declared.

"Heh." Bruno smiled amused. Then padded him on the head. "Thanks kid. I appreciate it." and he swallowed as he turned his head away to hide his face.

"Are you okay?" Antonio asked.

"Yes." Bruno replied in a broken voice proving he was at the brink of tears and Mirabel smirked amused.

"Now then." Mirabel inhaled a deep breath and waved her hands. "Let's safe that magic! I'm gonna go hug my sister!" and she grimaced. "Greaaat."

Bruno blinked as he looked at her.

"But it's not you I am mad at!" Mirabel exclaimed holding up a hand towards Bruno. "It's not your fault that Isabela is such a wench!"

"Where did you learn that kind of language?" Bruno asked dryly. "I am pretty sure it wasn't your mama or papa teaching you that. And certainly not your Abuela."

"I am capable of visiting the Encanto by myself Tio." Mirabel pointed out.

"Right… Fine. But don't speak like that in front of your cousin." Bruno replied as Antonio blinked.

"I don't mind. The lemurs language is way worse."

Bruno looked at Antonio. "I think I need a word with those lemurs."

And Antonio just grinned ever so sweetly sitting on his jaguar looking all innocent.

Soon after… Mirabel and Bruno parted ways as Mirabel headed towards her sister's room and Bruno headed back to the walls, however.

Before they parted Mirabel offered Bruno a promise.

"After I saved the miracle. I'm bringing you home."

Mirabel said that. With such determination and sincerity and there was just… Something about it.

Bruno was unable to put words on it. Just this morning he was ready to swear that he was never going to go home but… Now. After having spent these hours with Mirabel. Being called a Tio by these two. And how they looked at him, not with anger but with fondness.

And the way she said it. "I'm bringing you home." There was no doubt nor hesitation in her voice. If there was something Bruno had learned about Mirabel over the years it was that once she had set her mind upon something… Nothing was going to stop her.

Not even a massive free fall into nothing where her only way over was by swinging herself over the gap in a rope. She was impossible like that.

But also… When she said something. It was real. And when she said that. "I'm bringing you home."

Bruno actually believed it.

Maybe… Just maybe… After all this time. He could come home.