Encanto: Bruno Madrigal x Oc

Chapter 1: A Backstory

A/N: Just in case you hadn't noticed the description, skip to Chapter 1 Revisited: A backstory to view the redone version of the story with more detail and dialouge. Thanks for reading:)

Many years ago, in a time of great sorrow, there was a desperate, fleeing group of people who were seeking refuge. Among this group were Pedro and Alma Madrigal, along with their three infants: Pepa, Bruno, and Julieta. Unfortunately, circumstances saw the untimely passing of Pedro. However, from this tragedy came something quite unexpected..... a miracle. From a single candle came magic that provided protection and support in the form of what was referred to as "Casita".

It wasn't long after the miracle appeared that Alma one night heard a frantic knocking at the door. Upon opening it, she was met by a couple, one of which who was currently cradling a baby girl in her arms. The couple explained that the little girl was not theirs, but the daughter of friends who had not made it to this new community. Despite trying to care for the infant, the couple had quickly discovered that they simply did not have the means to care for her. Knowing that Alma had three children of her own, they knew that she would be more than capable of caring for the girl, and wondered if the woman would be willing to raise the child. Despite knowing how difficult raising four children would be, Alma Madrigal knew the right thing to do was accept the offer. And with that, Emilia Rojas began to live in the Casita with the Madrigals.

Growing up, Emilia felt that she was treated no differently than her friends, Pepa, Julieta, and Bruno. But make no mistake, as much as she loved Alma, she preferred to honour her birth parents by insisting on keeping their last name. As the years passed, and the Madrigal children reached 5 years of age, another miracle manifested in the form of special "gifts". Pepa could influence the weather with her emotions, Julieta could heal through her cooking, and Bruno could see the future. What no one expected however, was the door that appeared on Emilia's birthday a month later. It was a surprise to everyone when the non-Madrigal child was granted the ability to breathe underwater. No one could explain it, but it was a miracle nonetheless. And so time continued on.

Emilia always got along with the triplets but, as she reached her teens, she found herself spending increasingly more time with Bruno. She adored his gentle yet theatrical nature (his real gift was acting, he'd jokingly say), and the way that he cared well for his pet rats, but what she appreciated most was the kindness he expressed towards her. Bruno would always spend his free time with her, attentively listen when Emilia was upset, and if he ever found something that he thought she'd like (such as a flower or a pretty rock) then he would try to get it for her. What Emilia didn't realize at this time was that Bruno was also thankful to have Emilia in his life; she was a great friend.

Emilia would always tell jokes that could make him laugh no matter how upset he was, she always gave him words of encouragement, and she constantly defended him against any criticism that his gift would cause. And so, that was the way things were for some time. As the community eventually began to grow and flourish, so did the relationship between the two teens. It was one night, one event in particular, that began to set things in motion.

It started out as any other night would for Emilia; the now nineteen-year-old prepared herself for bed and made her way to her room. Resting with her eyes closed, she attempted to lull herself to sleep by focusing on the soothing sounds of a distant waterfall and a nearby river that ran near her bed. After an unsuccessful hour of trying to get to sleep, she gently opened her door as to not wake anyone and slowly made her way up to Bruno's tower. Emilia gave the door a gentle series of knocks and, less than a minute later, Bruno cautiously opened the door.

Upon noticing that it was Emilia standing there, he quickly opened the door the rest of the way and ushered her inside. Although it didn't happen often, whenever Emilia had trouble getting to sleep she would always get Bruno to entertain her by looking into the future. It allowed her to put her mind at ease. Bruno was always willing to look into the future whenever Emilia asked because, no matter what he saw, she never got upset with him and always accepted what was to happen. This night was somewhat different.

After Bruno prepared the sand, and Emilia grabbed his hands to be able to see the same things he could, they were both speechless to see an image of themselves, in traditional wedding clothing, embracing closely while looking into each others eyes. When the sand settled, they silently stared at the image reflected in the green, stone-like material that was used to hold images of these predictions. After a seemingly endless amount of silence, the young woman broke the tension.

Emilia, always being the more confident of the two, closed the space between her and Bruno. Looking into his eyes, she bluntly asked him if he truly felt that way about her. Bruno could not force any words out, only managing to shake his head yes. That was all Emilia needed. She immediately hugged him tightly, which he quickly returned. They were married 3 years later, continuing to appreciate and bring out the best in each other.

Augustín and Félix also soon became welcome additions to the Madrigal family and so were the nieces and nephew that Emilia loved so much; Tía Emilia was considered by all the Madrigal children to be the "fun one". Things truly couldn't be more perfect. The peaceful community continued to flourish greatly, while each Madrigal child was granted a gift as tradition, using their specialized talents to ensure the prosperity and growth of the village. It is a shame that most things never stay the same. Emilia would never forget the night Bruno disappeared.

Mirabel was to receive her gift when, to everyone's shock and dismay, the beautiful shimmering door that was meant for the young girl became dull and shrivelled to nothing. Mirabel was not granted a gift. In the midst of everyone's confusion, Emilia found herself pulled aside by her husband. Emilia could instantly tell something was wrong, and as she listened to what Bruno had to say, she could feel distress overcome her. Despite the intentional vagueness of his words, Bruno made it clear that he was leaving indefinitely. Not fully comprehending the entire situation, but being unconditionally loyal to Bruno, she immediately decided that she was going to leave with him.

Nothing would break Bruno's heart more than to leave his wife, though he could not deny that Emilia would have a better life staying with the other Madrigals than where he was going. Bruno also knew that Emilia was strong-willed, and that she wouldn't just stay at the Casita if she had the chance to stay by his side. That is why, when Emilia went to pack some of her things, he snuck away; leaving a grieving Emilia and devastated family behind.