show them how truly strong we are

Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/36193567.

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Archive Warning: Choose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Category: Other
Fandom: Encanto (2021)
Relationship: Bruno Madrigal & Mirabel Madrigal
Character: Mirabel Madrigal, Bruno Madrigal
Additional Tags: Manipulation, Evil Plans, Evil, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence,
villian Bruno madrigal
Stats: Published: 2022-01-04 Words: 1039

show them how truly strong we are

by ringsandbracelets

Summary

This is an au were Mirabel leaves the house before it falls apart and runs into evil Bruno in
the forest and he convinces her to join him.

I gave Bruno slightly more advanced magic but you can't stop me.

Notes
See the end of the work for notes

"You're the one hurting our family!"

That was the last thing she said before grabbing her bag and storming out of Casita. She didn't care
about the darkness, about not knowing where she was headed. All Mirabel needed was time to
herself, to collect her thoughts and think about what to do next. Could she go back? She was going
to miss them, but would they accept her now?

They could feel how she felt. All she had to do was get that candle and blow it out. But she couldn't
do that to them. They didn't deserve that. Well, they did. But Mira didn't have the courage to do it.
And she would be in more trouble than imaginable. One last look at her old house. One last look
and then she had to find somewhere to stay until she built up the courage to go back. Or she could
vanish forever, like her tío Bruno.

The sharp, cool air is what made Mirabel regret her decision. The lack of layers didn't help. She
could still hear the thundering from her tía, see the light from Casita. But that didn't matter now.
She had left them. They didn't understand what it was like for her. How horrible it was to be the
only Madrigal without magic. The way they treated her. All of it made her snap and start shouting.
And abuela deserved it all.
The trees in the forest curved, giving her much better shielding from them all. They were less
likely to find her, or be able to follow her. She wasn't wasn't most nimble or skinny person, but she
was good at hiding. Twigs poked her sides, catching on her embroidered dress. Shelter was what
she needed. Something snapped behind her. She spun around, nothing to defend herself with, but
no-one was there. It had to have been an animal, or the weather.

Now all Mirabel could think of was Antonio. And how she left a day after his ceremony. But it
wasn't his fault that she snapped, it was abuela's. Not her mamá's or papá's. Not Luisa's. Mostly not
Isabela's.

They had saved the magic at that point. Until abuela had stepped in and shouted at Mira for
making Isabela happy. How was that fair? All Mira wanted to do was help. But it never worked.

"What are you doing out here?" She jumped out of her skin, spinning around and leaned against a
tree. A man stood behind her, finger pressed together in front of him, a green ruana on, the hood
covering his face.

"Who- Who are you?"

He raised one eyebrow and smirked, "You don't remember me, Mirabel? Too bad. But that doesn't
matter now," he stepped in closer. She could see the green aura around his eyes. "It doesn't surprise
me that you don't recognise me. After all, you aren't allowed to talk about me."

"Tío Bruno?"

"Yes. I am him."

"What are you doing here? You left!"

He chuckled, "I never left. I couldn't. Not after what they did."

"What?"

"They abandoned me. For the gift I was given. Left me behind as they went on with their lives.
Blamed me for you not getting a gift. So I stuck around. Just in the forest, walking around the
village at night. I watched you, to see how you reacted to such an environment," the smirk on his
face grew, "And you reacted just the way I hoped."

"I shouted- shouted at my family. Why would you want me to do that?" She stuttered. What did he
want from her?

"Because Mirabel, you are much stronger than you think," he held out his hands, sand gathering on
them and playing out a situation. It was her, stood in front of Casita. And it was broken, or
perfectly fine, depending on the angle. "I wanted you to finally realise that our family doesn't
deserve the encanto. They just hurt the people in the family they don't like, instead of being
accepting. Think about it, they could be just like you. See how you live your life. All with a
simple-" He imitated blowing out a candle.

Mirabel glanced between him and Casita in the distance, she pulled away from the tree slightly.
"What do I have to do?"

"All you have to do is stick with me. I can teach you a lot of things. And then… Well, we can show
them what it's truly like to be ostracised. How it feels. We will be the strongest Madrigals. Both of
us have lived without a gift for years. They should be put in their places."
 Power rushed to her head. Put them in their places . "I don't have to go back?"

"Until we go to end the encanto? Not at all. So do we have a deal?" He held out his hand, glowing
green eyes illuminating the surroundings.

Say no.

They don't deserve to suffer.

But living without magic isn't suffering. That's what they would say. And you aren't them.

"Come on, Mirabel. You know you want them to feel how you felt."

She considered it more. Say yes.

Make them feel your pain.

Make them.

They will finally treat you like an equal.

How you deserve to be treated.

"One condition," she stated, looking up from his hand, "We get rid of the encanto. And make them
work for us ."

His smirk grew impossibly larger, "Good."

Mirabel suppressed her own. He didn't seem to catch onto losing his own gift, or he had, and didn't
care. He was a looming threat either way. People feared just his name, let alone him. She grabbed
his hand and shook it. "We have a deal."

Sand surrounded them both, illuminated by more green. His eyes bright and glowing. "Together,
we can destroy the encanto. We are stronger than all of them. They don't realise what they've done
yet. But soon they will. And you, Mirabel, you will be given everything you deserve. All the love
and affection taken away by your lack of gift."

All of it.

Years worth of approval.

Years of hatred that slowly built up finally released.

The smirk spread to Mira. "Let's show them how strong outcasts truly are."

End Notes

tío - uncle

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