Chapter Text
Tensions had reached an all-time high; the house groaned as new cracks began adorning the Madrigals' precious Casita, evidence of its magic's suffering.
A small candle flickered with weak light, evident of the magic's dying moments./p>
In the middle of the tension stood Mirabel Madrigal and her Abuela Alma Madrigal who were facing each other, each glaring with years' worth of pain etched in their features.
"I will never.. be good enough for you... will I?" Mirabel's voice trembled as she dragged out the words that had remain unsaid for nearly ten years. The antipathy in Abuela's eyes seemed to waver but her expression remained unchanging.
"No matter how hard I try..." Mirabel's voice remained small as she continued to use her strength to drag the words out.
She turned to see her family. What had surprised her was that nobody looked angry. They just look... ashamed. Her parents and sisters were looking shamefully at their feet, the walls, the continuing cracks or just... anywhere other than them. Something at that sight made her spirit flicker with light... the words inside her making it glow with a dim golden light.
"No matter how hard... any of us tries." She continued, clearer this time as the strength in her voice began to grow. With every word said, the light within her seemed to glow brighter with emotional confidence.
Mirabel gestured towards her family, whose attention had been piqued. Her words gave them each a sliver of her strength that began to glow with different colors.
"Luisa will never be STRONG enough..." Mirabel declared, each of her words growing stronger than the last. She gestured her arm towards a robust but feminine-presenting female with dark brown hair held up in a tight bun. The subconscious light of her golden spirit could sense a purple light flickering with life within Luisa.
"...And Isabella won't be PERFECT enough!" She turned to lock eyes momentarily with a smaller female, with long and straight black hair, both her dress and hair adorned with reds, blues, and greens. Isabella's spirit seemed to glow with magenta light.
Mirabel turned back to face Abuela, her face rigid with fury. But she couldn't back down now. Not when the words she needed to say for so long seemed to be bouncing around with energy. They couldn't be held back any longer. Her golden spirit was glowing excitedly.
"Tío Bruno left our family because you always saw the WORST in him!" She shouted at her, sparks like embers flying from the light within.
"Bruno didn't CARE about this family!" Abuela snarled, her own black spirit trembling wildly with gray-tipped flames like sharpened ferns.
"He LOVES THIS FAMILY! I LOVE THIS FAMILY! YOU'RE THE ONE WHO DOESN'T CARE!" Mirabel's spirit ignited with passion at the last words. Her frame trembled as she shouted most of the remaining words.
She didn't let Abuela retort before...
"The Miracle is dying... because of YOU!"
Mirabel spat out the last of the words with extra venom in her voice, glaring sharply with Abuela, who returned her own with nearly as much distaste. But the last words changed something.
A look of shock, mingled with fury, shame... and grief overtook Abuela's features. Her expression dropped with shock and her hands trembled.
Silence fell upon the broken family before...
...
...
...
CRACK!
A sudden fault had formed in between the floors of the Casita, dividing both Mirabel and Abuela. The house shook and groaned louder than ever as the crack quickly traveled from the floor to the walls... to the candle resting on top of a platform. As the crack reached the platform, it thumped, knocking the candle over.
The house shook violently as the family struggled to keep themselves standing upright. The cracks had spread violently, threatening the very foundation of the house itself.
Without a second's haste, Mirabel sprinted forward, her golden spirit lighting her from within, eyes locked on the dying candle.
"CASITA! Get me up there!" The sentient house obeyed her immediately, snapping off part of the top story's railing for the young girl to climb.
Isabella and Camilo tried to stop her from climbing the crumbling house with their own powers... but failed as their magic left them with a sudden shake. They looked defeated and worn without their magic to depend on.
Chaos ensued as each and every power of the family evacuated, including young cousin Antonio's animal friends, who fled in a hurry, knocking his door of its hinges, sending it crashing down to the floor.
"We've got to get out of here!" Tío Felix yelled, picking up Antonio and fleeing from the crumbling house.
It responded accordingly, quickly shifting the tiled floors to kick the magic-dependent family out for safety.
"Mirabel! We have to get out! Leave it!" Her parents, Agustin and Julieta, called out to Mirabel, fighting Casita's swift evacuation, but failed with a sharp thud on the grass outside.
With a sickening click, the doors shut tight immediately locking everyone except Mirabel outside.
Climbing to the top of the house, where the candle lay tipped over on its platform, Mirabel stretched her arm to reach the candle, but it strayed further from her with the house's destruction.
"Mirabel! Please leave it! Get out of there! The house is going to fall!" Julieta cried hysterically, pounding her fists on the doors which refused to budge even the slightest.
With a little help from Casita and the remaining flexibility in her arm, Mirabel finally grabbed the candle from its holster, holding it close to her body... but it was too late.
Mirabel looked up in horror as the last tower of the house leaned towards her, sending a shower of heavy debris crashing her way. Casita used her remaining strength in an attempt to get her to the door but dropped her for the floor.
The house groaned loudly as the remainder of its giant structure came crashing down for Mirabel. Casita used the last of her power to build a small arch for her out of Antonio's door and one of the wooden beams... but it wasn't enough.
Any scream that erupted from Mirabel's throat was drowned out by the deafening sound of crashing walls, beams, and roofs down onto the weak arch... crushing it almost immediately.
.
.
.
Thick dust clouds of fallen debris surrounded the remains of the house.
Nothing of value remained. Once powerful walls were reduced to piles of ash; sturdy wooden beams were little more than splinters.
And the candle's flame... wait- where was the candle?
Hidden underneath a cloudy lump, tucked protectively close to the figure... lay the now extinguished candle.
And a single broken pair of glasses.