10. Campaign 2- Routine Workout

"Good morning Luisa!" Mirabel called out, looking over her shoulder with a smile before turning back to the door she had been studying.

"Morning," Luisa said, walking over to her sister, bemused. Mirabel was standing on a crate, her little metal animal companions all around lazing in the grass while she rubbed his chin, not noticing she was smudging dirt onto her skin as she did so. "You're up early. I thought you might try and sleep in." Her mind went to the night before and how it had been well past her own normal bedtime when she'd tiptoed out of Bruno's room, her mind racing with the songs of the queen and the princess who had managed to thaw a frozen heart.

"Too much to do right now to laze about. I'll get in a nap or two at some point to recover."

"A nap?" Luisa asked. She hadn't taken a nap since she was 3 years old and even then she'd protested doing it, pretending to fall asleep only to race out of the room the moment her mama or papa drifted off themselves.

"Yeah," Mirabel said as she took hold of the door and gave it a few small swings. "When you adventure as much as I do you learn that sometimes you only get 8 hours of sleep in bite-size chunks. I shouldn't do that, Tio Ernesto is always getting on me for not resting enough before we take on some foul monster, but sometimes it's better for me to catch a nap while I'm waiting for metal to cool."

Luisa didn't follow all of that but got the general gist. "So, what did you need to do so early that you had to get up?"

Mirabel gestured at the metal animals. "They might be made of enchanted steel but they are just like any other pet. They need to be taken out to exercise, need to be cleaned... I have to check to make sure the runes haven't been damaged, that the metal didn't get cracked, all those sorts of things. Proper care will ensure they all stay around for a long time. Did Valeria first since I didn't want to spook you guys and then tackled the rest of this bunch."

"And now?" Luisa asked as she crossed her arms over her chest and stared at the door her sister was fiddling with.

"The hinge doesn't swing as smoothly as it should. I'm trying to decide if I can repair it or if it would be easier to just get new ones."

Luisa's smile wilted at that. "I don't think abuela wants you messing with casita."

"Why not?" Mirabel asked. "I'm helping make the house better."

She... didn't really have an answer for that. Her sister was correct, as Abuela had mentioned often whenever Luisa accidently broke something or if Camilo dribbled crumbles on the floor as he raced around with a snack that they must care for casita as it did for them. So... fixing a door was right. Her abuela would want that. But... Luisa couldn't shake the feeling that the head of the family would find some fault in what Mirabel was doing.

"Besides, casita wants to look good for the Bureau, doesn't she?" Mirabel ran her hand along the pale wall of the building and Luisa started when she saw the walls turn a pale shade of pink. "Aw, no need to be embarrassed!" Mirabel cooed, patting casita before hopping off the box. "Let me think on it, okay? If I do new hinges for this door maybe I should do them for all of them. Otherwise kind of like cutting off part of your hair and leaving the rest a long tangle."

"Like anyone would notice with either of us?" Luisa teased and Mirabel looked up at her bandana-covered head and then Luisa's own tightly wound hair and laughed.

"Maybe Isabella should give Casita tips?" Mirabel asked. "She's getting married soon, right?"

"That is what abuela says." Mirabel hopped down from the crate, waving Luisa off when she moved to grab it. Mirabel hefted it... not as easily as Luisa might have but it was still impressive. "Anyway, you're with me today and I like to get in a quick bit of exercise before breakfast."

"Sounds good to me," Mirabel said as she began to roll her shoulders. "So, a run? Swim?"

"Lifting," Luisa said, gesturing to a thick steel bar and two massive boulders that were impaled on each end. She approached and rubbed her hands together before lifting the entire thing up, smirking as she did several quick reps. But Mirabel merely stared at her, a befuddled look on her face. "What?"

"Well... nothing."

Luisa though shook her head, her mind going to what had happened with Camilo last night; neither of them had realizes she had heard the whole thing. She had been horrified when she'd overheard his cries and seen him break down, making sure to duck into the shadows and wait till he'd calmed down and dried his tears before returning so she didn't embarrass him. She didn't want her hermana to bottle anything up as Camilo did.

"You can tell me," she assured her sister as she shifted to doing some squats with the weights.

"It's... okay, it's really not my place to say anything probably." Mirabel grimaced. "I mean, you have been doing this for years and I haven't seen any of it-"

"Mirabel," Luisa said firmly, "what's wrong?"

"You're super strong right?" Luisa looked at the weights and cocked an eyebrow, causing Mirabel to huff. "I know, duh. I just mean... you are already really strong."

"Right..."

"So... doing those exercises... have they made you any stronger?" Luisa frowned. "I mean... have you always used that thing?"

"Well... the steel has broken a few times and I had to get new ones..."

"But the weights roughly the same?"

"Yes."

Mirabel shook her head. "And you've never noticed it getting easier, have you?"

"No. It's not hard but it's always... the..." she trailed off as it hit her just what Mirabel was suggesting and she dropped the weight, causing two large craters to form in the dirt. "Oh."

"H-hey!" Mirabel said quickly. "It's not bad! I probably don't get it... I was just thinking that you are strong-"

"But this has been doing nothing for me," Luisa said, feeling like an utter fool. "Every day I work out with these weight or bench press a piece of farming equipment and... nothing changes."

Mirabel grimaced. "...yeah, that was what I suspected." Luisa took a couple steps forward, unable to stop herself from grumbling under her breath. "It's not so bad! I mean it still is good for you heart! Work up a sweat, burn calories, that sort of thing."

"Maybe," Luisa muttered, feeling utterly depressed. How many hours had she wasted, believing she was doing something that was helping her to get stronger so she might protect everyone... but had just been wasting time?

"Look at it as a good thing! You can fix it!"

"I suppose," she murmured. "Find heavier rocks-"

"Eeeeehhh?"

Luisa looked at her sister who didn't seem convinced. "What?"

"It's just... like I said, you are super strong, right? So... maybe it would be better to... work on something else?" Mirabel cringed sheepishly. "That's stupid, never mind."

"No," Luisa said, holding up a hand. "I want to hear your idea. You mean... what exactly?"

Mirabel bobbed her head back and forth. "Okay, so in my party our strongest members are Bruno and Ulika. Bruno though... he doesn't count."

"What do you mean?" Luisa still remembered the raw power her uncle had put forth, how his aura had screamed death when she'd fought him.

"His strength is thanks to magic. He was trained to use his own aura to enhance his body so he could be that strong. So his training is all about centering himself and focusing and... okay, I sometimes don't get all he says but it doesn't matter anyway because that wouldn't work for you." Luisa couldn't help but smile as her sister rambled on. She hadn't ever noticed her like that when they'd been children but she did remember Tio Bruno going on a quick stream of consciousness; clearly that trait had been passed on to her sister. "I think you should do what Ulika does."

"And what's that?" Luisa asked.

"Well, she does strength training, sure, but that's only part of her routine. And of course she also works out different parts of her every day because you can't do the same thing over and over… Tio Ernesto explained that to me because sometimes Ulika isn't the best at getting across what she is trying to say, you know? But Tio Ernesto said that your muscles need to rest so they get stronger as if you just keep working them over and over they snap like bands."

"They… they do?" Luisa asked, looking at her arms and imaging them breaking like that.

"Well, maybe not for you because of the magic strength thing but for the rest of us they do." Mirabel smiled at that. "Anyway, Ulika. So she does strength stuff but she'll also do things like running or swimming or swinging ropes."

"Swinging… ropes."

"I thought it was strange too but it's good for working your arms and more importantly getting your heart beating. Your heart is an important muscle too." Mirabel did a few stretches, her back cracking as she did so. "So… why don't we go for a run?"

"Okay," Luisa said with a shrug. She wasn't for sure if it would help but at minimum it would allow her to spend time with her sister… and actually do something WITH her. She braced herself before racing forward, charging with her head down and back slightly bent. She felt her feet tearing into the grass and made a mental note to ask Isabella to quickly regrow it. After a few moments though she turned and saw Mirabel hurrying towards her, calling her name and waving her arms. "Can't keep up?" she asked with a smile.

"No," Mirabel admitted. "And I didn't explain properly. It's not about how FAST you go when you do this kind of run. Its steady speed." Mirabel began to do a fast jog around her. "See? I'm not trying to get done quickly, I'm trying to keep myself going at the same pace, just hard enough that I feel the burn in my legs and get my heart really working."

Luisa tilted her head. "I'm… not sure that's exercise but okay, I'll give it a try."

~Later that morning…~

"Mirabel!" their mama called out the window. "There you are! You're late for breakfast!"

"Sorry!" Mirabel called out with a grin as she hurried to the window. "Go ahead and start without us, we need to wash up."

"We…oh."

Luisa, who had been trailing behind her sister, gasped as she finally was able to come to a stop, pressing her hands against her knees as she doubled over. It felt like she had one of her tia's thunderstorms in her chest and that she'd drunk unsweetened lemonade made from the most sour lemons one could find.

"Luisa!" their mama cried out as she saw her and she quickly moved to head outside, a plate of food held in her hands. "What did you injure? Oh, it doesn't matter, eat something quick!"

"It's… okay…" she panted, waving her mama off. "Just… need to catch… my breath."

Mirabel spoke up. "Do you have any blended fruit drinks? Something with a bit of yogurt? She needs to replenish herself."

"I… I can mix something up."

Luisa continued to pant as she stood there. "Never… felt this… tired…" she moaned. Even after that one day when she'd had to move three houses and the bridge all within an hour had she never felt so winded. Her lungs burned, her heart was beating so hard she thought her ribs might snap, her feet were throbbing…

"Keep moving," Mirabel told her.

"What?" Luisa asked her. Clearly she hadn't heard her sister properly.

"It's called a cool down. We can shower in a bit but you need to keep moving a bit till your heart slows down." Mirabel began to just amble around her, occasionally looking up at the sky or rubbing her arms. "Try it."

Luisa wasn't sure she could ever move again but she did as her sister requested… and was quite startled when she found that it did feel good to just walk around aimlessly. Breathing was getting easier and her heart rate was going down. And it was letting her think clearer.

"Here you go," their mama said as she came out with two chilled drinks. "Strawberries and bananas."

"Perfect!" Mirabel said, taking the drink and slurping it. "Oh!" she blinked. "I forgot about your healing magic!"

"Is that bad?" Luisa asked as she took a large sip of her drink. Her heart was still beating a bit faster but the pain in her side was gone and the drink felt wonderful on her throat.

"I… don't think so?" Mirabel said. "Some healing spells screw up training but others let you get more in. I'm not for sure. It… okay, way too detailed for the morning and after a run." Mirabel did another set of stretches and this time Luisa joined her, feeling parts of her pop and crack in the most glorious way imaginable. "Thanks mama." With that she began to head around to the front of casita.

That's when abuela walked out, her face stern.

"Luisa, Mirabel…" she said coolly, "do you not realize it is rude to make everyone wait?"

Luisa cringed but noticed her sister… just kind of stood there. "Oh? You guys all eat breakfast together. I forgot that. I'm used to everyone kind of eating when they want to, so long as they are ready to leave on time. Sorry, we'll start earlier next time. Mama, we'll grab something later."

Abuela though shook her head. "You will come to the table now."

Luisa nodded and began to head that way but Mirabel shook her head. "Not thinking you want us at the table like this. I mean-" her hermana actually raised her arm and SNIFFED her arm pit, face screwing up in disgust. "Ugh. We worked up a sweat. Not very respectful to mama if we drive everyone away."

"Then there will be no breakfast for you," abuela said harshly. "Only those that show politeness get to eat."

Once more Luisa marveled at her hermana's iron will as she didn't back down. She wasn't angry either. She didn't glower or glare. She just… shrugged.

"Well, we got our drinks and we can buy something in town. My treat. And I like said, tomorrow we'll rearrange things. Exercise first, then shower, then breakfast."

"And what of Luisa's chores?" Abuela pressed, refusing to back down. "You would have the villagers suffer because she lounges about in a café, wasting her day?"

Mirabel though remained chirper. "I'm helping her, remember? So she should get her chores done all the quicker! Just leave them written down for us!" She smiled and waved to their abuela before heading inside.

Luisa knew she was gaping but she couldn't help it. Besides, her mother was doing the same thing.

"That… Ernesto and Bruno RUINED that girl!" Abuela glared at Luisa. "You will need to work twice as hard to break her of these bad habits. You are her older hermana, that is your duty."

"Yes abuela," Luisa said softly.

Once she'd left though her mama walked up. "I'll tuck some things away for you to eat. You were going to pack a lunch, right? So you and Mirabel could spend time alone?"

"Yes," Luisa said. Abuela had been very clear that Luisa needed to fix Mirabel's horrible work ethic.

"Well I'll just pack breakfast too. And you can explain to Mirabel that you'll go back to your old exercises-"

"Oh, I can't do that!" Luisa said, eyes wide in shock. "I just can't!"

"But… you looked miserable."

"Mama… I have never felt so worn out in my life." She beamed. "It was wonderful!"

"Being tired and sore is wonderful?"

"It means I am finally getting stronger! Not my arms or my legs but my lungs and my heart! Mirabel explained it all and… and I can feel it! I'll be able to do so much more! She's right, we just need to switch things around. Wake up and exercise… maybe get some clothing I don't mind get dusty and sweaty. Then take a shower or a bath… Mirabel said there are tubs in the Bureau that are more like ponds!" She was nearly vibrating in excitement; she hadn't been able to take a proper bath since she was 11. Even her room in Casita didn't provide a proper bath, just a waterfall-like shower. "Then breakfast!" She sniffed and screwed up her face. "She's right, I do stink. Please leave the list of chores and the food on the counter!"

She hurried off, ignoring the sounds of abuela giving out the list of duties in the other room. And ten minutes later, as her and Mirabel floated in the massive sunken pond-like tub, the water making her muscles feel like jelly, she decided that she really wanted to meet this Ulika and thank her for her brilliant ideas.