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thetavolution · 4 days ago

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They Fell From the Sky

Bruno x OC

a/n : I have so much to do and I've been depressed. I've been hyper-fixating on Encanto and Bruno. I decided to let myself just be a dork and write this.

I headcanon that Encanto takes place in 1949 based on the idea that the triplets were born on October 17, 1899. I was slightly inspired by this. I stumbled on the idea for this fic by accident. I brought my OC Bex along for this ride.

I played with the idea that the characters speak English and Spanish. If they're speaking English, I put entire sentences in Italics to help indicate it. If anyone has a better title suggestion, I'm all ears!

Plot: A plane crash brings a group of strangers to the Encanto, bringing new dangers to the village.

Chapter 1

Bruno had a vision.

Smoke would billow from the mountains around the Encanto as fire erupted from the wreckage of a plane. The ground would shake from the impact. There were blood stains on the grass as survivors rose from the ashes, descending to the village below. The townspeople were anxious, not sure what to expect from these outsiders. It wasn’t clear how many there would even be. As leaders of the community, the Madrigals prepared themselves for what was to come.

They would help these strangers or, if they proved dangerous, protect their village from them.

There had been talk about trying to intercept the crash by sending people out of the Encanto to find nearby civilization. They would try to radio any nearby planes to tell them to turn back. That was easier said than done, given how far off the beaten path their town truly was. Mariano volunteered to try for the closest town, although many people feared it was inviting trouble to their home. The odds he would intercept the plane in time were so low that the villagers didn’t believe it was worth it.

The Madrigals focused on preparing for the strangers’ arrival. They were ready for every possible outcome.

“What if they don’t speak Spanish?” Camilo wondered.

“We’ll figure out something,” Mirabel answered, confidently. “We’ll just have to be patient with each other.”

Mirabel was the backbone of the family. Everyone stood taller and stronger because of her, and Bruno couldn’t be more proud. He would have sworn off giving prophecies if Mirabel hadn’t encouraged his gift. She could see the good in every vision. She helped him to finally feel like he was truly gifted.

“We made a temporary shelter on the edge of town.” Mirabel set a cup of coffee down in front of her grandmother. It was tradition for the Madrigals to eat breakfast outside, weather permitting. They’d catch up and discuss what was in store for the day. The Madrigal women ruled the roost and Bruno liked it that way.

“They’ll have somewhere safe to stay when they get here,” Mirabel added. The whole family had agreed it would be too dangerous to house the newcomers at the casita.

“Thank you, Mirabel.” Alma trusted Mirabel to help oversee a lot of the preparations. They had a new understanding between them. It was a lot easier for Mirabel to get things done when people believed in her.

Bruno said nothing. He rarely jumped into family conversations, preferring to be a fly on the wall. A decade of watching in silence will do that to a person.

“I’ve been gathering ingredients to make sure there’s plenty of food,” Julieta added. No one needed a doctor when she could cure their ills with an arepa con queso or two. “We should also be ready for when some of them….”

“Don’t survive,” Alma finished.

Julieta nodded. “It’ll be devastating for them,” she said. Julieta had boundless empathy for those around her. It broke her heart to know the trauma that these complete strangers would endure.

“Do we know when it’s going to happen?” Isabela wondered.

There was a long silence. It took Bruno a moment to realize everyone at the table was waiting for him to answer. He sat up a little flustered he had missed his cue. “No, no, it wasn’t clear,” he answered, nervously. “My visions are never that precise.” It was a drawback to the gift. He could never say when it would happen, just that it would.

The family finished up their breakfast before getting to back to work. They would get their answer to Isabela’s questions that same day.

It happened just after nightfall.

The flames that engulfed the Ariel Star lit up the night sky. The wreckage was high enough that the village was safe from the initial contact, though the ground shook fiercely. It woke Antonio from a deep slumber, sending him running to his mother’s arms. There was only some debris that Luisa quickly dispatched of. The search party was at the ready and headed up the mountain only minutes after the crash.

Everyone who remained in the village was beside themselves with worry, and Bruno couldn’t blame them. He had a follow-up vision that showed anyone sent up the mountain to help would return safely. It quelled one fear the villagers had. Still, the Encanto had been isolated for 50 years. Bruno himself had reservations about being exposed to outsiders. He tried to remain open-minded. His nieces and nephews helped with that. They were bouncing off the walls with excitement over the idea of meeting new people. They had all sorts of theories on what they might be like.

Luisa had, unsurprisingly, offered to go up. Her parents had firmly rejected the offer. It was far too dangerous for them to send their little girl. Neither Julieta nor Agustín said it aloud, but it was also clear they knew there would be casualties. They wanted to shield their children from the death that the rescue party would come face to face with.

Félix was part of the search party, but Agustín was, kindly, told to remain in town to help Julieta. They feared that the accident-prone man would get himself killed. Julieta needed the extra hands to help care for any injured survivors. It was already a miracle people lived at all, it’d be impossible for them to be unscathed. Pepa helped Julieta and Mirabel when she wasn’t pacing, terrified about Félix.

“What if he gets hurt?” The cloud above Pepa’s head boomed with thunder.

“Bruno’s vision showed us that everyone will be alright,” Mirabel reassured her.

Pepa nodded. She was able to get herself to stop pacing. She continued to help move supplies, allowing the cloud above her head to storm. She’d gotten better at just feeling her feelings. Mirabel squeezed her tía’s shoulder. She noticed that it helped calm the storm for a nanosecond.

It took hours before the rescuers returned with dazed and injured survivors. Julieta had been given plenty of time to cook healing arepas and empanadas. The Madrigal children were kept away from the process of bringing in the injured and healing them.

Mirabel had been sent home long before the survivors arrived at the makeshift camp. Back at the casita, she couldn’t sit still, frustrated.

“I should be down there helping,” Mirabel lamented. The desire to help everyone ran in the Madrigal blood, but Mirabel truly embodied it.

Bruno placed a hand on her shoulder. He had stayed behind to keep the children occupied. “It’s better you don’t see it.”

“How can they expect me to stay on the sidelines?” Mirabel exclaimed. “I’m practically an adult! I should be there.”

Bruno smiled, weakly. Was it tradition for 15-year-olds to see themselves as ‘practically an adult’? He remembered thinking the same thing at her age. He knew that in few years time, she’d realize she wasn’t as adult as she thought.

“Mirabel,” Bruno gently redirected her attention. “You’re needed here.” He nodded his head toward Antonio.

When Mirabel’s eyes landed on Antonio, she softened. Bruno knew that would be the thing to convince her. If he couldn’t talk her into staying away for her own good, she’d do it for Antonio.

“Alright, you win. This time.” Mirabel knew what he was doing. It still worked so, yes, he did win.

It would be hours before anyone returned home. The decision to make the children stay behind turned out to be warranted. Pepa and Félix were the first to return, looking haggard. Bruno approached, quietly. His eyes met Pepa’s and she silently pleaded, ‘Please, don’t ask.’

He wouldn’t learn more until Julieta returned. Out of 30 passengers, only 14 had survived. Even with Julieta’s gift, it was bloody and grim. Her magical gift had also lead to panic among the survivors. None of them had ever encountered magic before.

“Fortunately, most of them seem to know Spanish, even if they aren’t very good at it,” Julieta said. “I was able to explain what was happening. There was a boy with them who helped translate, too. He was Colombian so it was easy to talk to him.”

“How did they take it?” Bruno asked. “Your gift, I mean.”

“When they realized I was saving their lives, they took to it very quickly,” Julieta managed a smile. It was a smile that was meant to comfort her baby brother. “I have to go back soon, but we also wanted to give them some space to mourn.”

It had to be devastating, Bruno thought. He didn’t even want to try to put himself in their shoes.

“Some of them have a clear head,” Julieta said. “They seem to be the ones taking the lead. We’ll be helping them find a way to get everyone home.”

Bruno could understand their urgency to get home. It would also make the village feel safer, knowing that they were already planning their departure.

“We were right to leave the children at home,” Julieta added. “I’ve never seen anything like it. I’ve healed a lot of broken bones and wounds in my time, but some of them came to me completely mangled. The children should never have to see that.”

Bruno carefully took his sister’s hand in his, pulling her closer to wrap his arms around her. She rested her head on his shoulder, needing the embrace.

“How are you feeling, hermanita?” Bruno knew that people often forgot to check in on Julieta. She was the eldest daughter who always had to hold it together for everyone else.

With that one question, Julieta let loose a stream of tears. She clung to her brother for dear life. Bruno let her cry, patting her back for comfort. It was all the answer he needed. They remained like that until Julieta’s tears subsided. She stood back and cupped her brother’s face in her hands.

“Thank you.” She then lowered her hands, wiping away any lone tears still on her face. “I need to get back to work, but I very much needed that.”

And, as if nothing happened at all, Julieta went back to work, darting around the house. Bruno would always admire her strength and courage, wishing he was more like that.

It would be a few days before Bruno would even meet any of the survivors. They had been struggling to process the loss of 11 passengers and the 5 crew members of the plane. As Julieta said, only some of them were able to move forward with a clear head at the moment. Their de facto leader, Edward Gruber, had arrived at the Madrigal home, accompanied by their Colombian guide, Guillermo Muñoz, and a woman named Bex McQuoid. She’d been brought along to be a mediator of sorts for Edward and Guillermo, who had no lost love between them. Guillermo didn’t seem to be much older than Mirabel and Camilo, but it was difficult to gauge how old he was on sight alone.

Having a fellow Colombian with the survivors definitely helped ease some fears. He was the most accepting of the Encanto. It didn’t take long for him to fit in among the villagers, although he had a clear Rolo* accent. He was definitely a city boy and, while he fit in, he definitely was missing the comforts of home.

They had arrived in time for dinner. The family gathered with their guests in the cozy dining room with a meal lovingly prepared by Julieta and Isabela. The family allowed Abuela to steer the conversation. She still ran the show, after all.

“Señora Madrigal, we’re hoping to be out of your hair very soon.” Guillermo was a polite young man. He seemed rocked by the events of the crash, yet he was a strong and resilient lad. “I imagine you must be very worried about all these strangers in your home.”

“We had concerns,” Alma sat tall at the head of the table. She was a powerful presence. “Our village has never had outsiders.”

“This is probably a pretty traumatic way to get your first visitors,” Bex noted. While she seemed to be putting on a brave face, Bruno had a suspicion it was for Guillermo’s benefit rather than her own.

Guillermo and Bex shared a look. It seemed to be a silent language between them. It reminded Bruno of the silent conversations his family could have with just a glance. The two seemed to have a familial relationship, although Bruno couldn’t really discern if they were actually related. They didn’t look anything alike, but that didn’t prove or disprove anything.

“We have no intention of bringing anyone else here,” Guillermo reassured the Madrigals. “Once we leave the Encanto, you’ll never hear from us again.”

“Bex, tell the boy not to be so dramatic,” Gruber cut in. He seemed to have no reverence for the dead. It felt like having a salesman in their house.

“Call me crazy, but I think he can hear you without my help,” Bex took another bite of her dinner, disinterested in Gruber. Guillermo smirked.

Gruber quickly changed the topic, “You live in such a beautiful and vibrant town. It’d be a shame to just leave and pretend we’d never been here at all.”

“We prefer our privacy,” Alma stood firm. Her only concern was to protect her family. Gruber’s alleged charm would have no effect on her. “We offer our hospitality to you, but we do ask that you leave as soon as possible. We would prefer if you did not return.”

“Let’s not be too hasty, Abuela,” Mirabel said. “I don’t think we have to completely cut off the outside world.”

Alma gently touched her granddaughter’s shoulder. “We will speak on that another time, Mirabel.”

Mirabel bit her tongue. Alma and Mirabel might not discuss everything in the moment, but there was an unspoken promise to discuss it later. Alma simply didn’t want to do it in front of strangers.

“We very much respect your wishes, Señora Madrigal,” Guillermo promised.

“Seconding the kid,” Bex said. “You got a nice thing going here. I wouldn’t want us messing it up either.”

“We wouldn’t be ‘messing it up’,” Gruber argued. “I’m suggesting we simply come to some sort of agreement, like a trade agreement or alliance.”

“Trade agreement?” Alma sounded skeptical of the suggestion.

“Yes!” Gruber became more animated as he spoke. “You see, Bex and me come from a place called America. It’s just above—”

“I’m aware of what the United States is,” Alma cut him off. Bruno noticed a smirk cross Bex’s face at that. She enjoyed Gruber being put in his place. “We’re not the fools you imagine us to be.”

“I didn’t mean it like that, Señora!”

The way he spoke Spanish was like nails on chalkboard to Bruno and he couldn’t explain why. While Bex had an accent — a fairly thick one — he didn’t mind listening to her speak. Perhaps it was because she took corrections on grammar and pronunciation from Guillermo in stride. She lacked the defensiveness Gruber had over his Spanish.

“Then how did you mean it?” Camilo asked, dubious.

“I wasn’t sure how much outside knowledge this village had, that’s all,” Gruber said. “You said you were isolated. It was an honest mistake.”

Alma was unimpressed, but allowed him to continue.

“We have a lot in common,” Gruber addressed Alma. “You’re a mother. I have a kid! She’s back over at the little huts you have us staying at. She’s about this one’s age.” He pointed directly at Mirabel. “And I’m sure she’ll pop out a grandkid or two eventually, so I’ll eventually get around to the abuelo thing. And back home, I’m very respected in my community, like you are!”

Guillermo grumbled something Bruno couldn’t hear at that. He made a mental note to ask Dolores what he said later on.

“I think my company has a lot to offer the Encanto,” Gruber said.

“What kind of company do you run?” Mirabel asked.

“I’m in real estate,” Gruber exclaimed. “I’ve been buying properties in Florida and the Bahamas for a while now. I’ve started expanding my business to South America and I knew Colombia was the perfect place to start….”

As Gruber droned on, Bruno struggled to focus. His social battery was draining faster by the moment. It didn’t help that something felt off about this man. Bruno’s anxiety was starting to bubble up, causing him to fidget. He would pull at a string on his ruana before telling himself to leave it alone. He was too nervous to eat so he didn’t know what to do with hands. His fingers went right back to that string on his ruana.

He felt someone was watching him. He looked up to see Bex had noticed his movements. Great, now he was even more anxious. He gave her a jittery smile, trying to be polite. She gave him a much more confident smile in return. She turned her focus back to eating, giving Bruno some reprieve. He was used to watching other people, not being watched.

He felt a hand squeeze his. He looked down to see Antonio holding his hand. “It’s okay,” he whispered. “I’ve got you.”

Bruno’s anxiety dissipated in an instant. He whispered back. “Thank you, Toñito.”

“I’ll let you think about what I said.” Gruber wiped any food remnants off his mouth before getting to his feet. Bruno had missed every word of his sales pitch. “Maybe we can continue it after you’ve slept on it.”

Alma resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “My answer will remain the same.”

What had Mamá said? Bruno wondered, regretting tuning out.

“Now, Señora Madrigal, you don’t know what tomorrow will bring.”

“I should remind you that there are people in your group who are still in mourning,” Alma reminded him. Bruno was reminded of the black shawl that used to grace his mother’s shoulders, as if she would mourn his father forever. It took her 50 years to finally take it off.

She must have been disgusted with his disrespect for the dead and those who mourned them.

“I don’t understand,” Gruber admitted.

“She’s trying to tell you that you’re being tacky,” Guillermo switched to English. Bruno didn’t catch a word of it. Did any of his nieces or nephews learn English? He’d have to ask.

Gruber’s grip tightened around his fork. When the wave of anger passed, he let out an amused chuckle. “Life must go on, as they say,” he said. “But we don’t want to wear out your welcome. Thank you for dinner and my compliments to the chef.”

Julieta smiled although Agustín placed a protective hand around her waist. It felt like a threat to have this man even just speak to his wife. “Thank you,” she said.

“If you don’t mind, I’d like to get some of these recipes from you before we leave the Encanto,” Bex said to Julieta.

“It would be my pleasure,” Julieta said, happy to teach people how to cook traditional Colombian food.

The goodbyes between the two groups were clunky, but the Madrigals remained polite in seeing them out the door. Félix helped guide them back to the survivors’ huts. Bruno watched as they headed down the pathway. He had a bad feeling about all of this.

“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Mirabel nudged him.

“Huh?”

“About that guy?”

Bruno nodded. “Something’s not right with him.” It was really saying something for Bruno, of all people, to say that about someone else.

“So…?” Mirabel was leaving a trail of breadcrumbs for him.

“So?” He wasn’t picking them up.

“Have another vision! This time, about Señor Gruber.”

Bruno took a deep breath. Maybe she was right. Maybe it was time to have another vision.

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*The Rolo accent is a Colombian Spanish dialect that's spoken in Bogotá and other major cities. Guillermo is from Bogotá so he has a Rolo accent.

#encanto bruno #encanto #bruno x oc #encanto fanfic #encanto fanfiction #bruno madrigal #mirabel encanto #antonio madrigal #alma madrigal #camilo madrigal #They Fell From the Sky #isabela madrigal #luisa madrigal #julieta madrigal #pepa madrigal

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