When a Butterfly Flaps its Wings | Encanto Fanfic

Bruno

Bruno didn't sleep that night. It seemed like none of the family could. It was hard to sleep when surrounded by the remains of your old home. The only one sleeping was Antonio, who slept on one of the mattresses they had salvaged from the debris.

Bruno himself was sitting against a large piece of debris, trying not to think about everything that's happened. He failed.

They were leaving the Encanto. Because of him.

Bruno felt guilty about it. He didn't mean to make his family leave the only home they had known for fifty years. And yet, Bruno has never felt so relieved.

Anywhere felt safer than the Encanto.

The night passed uneventfully. But as the dawn approached, Mariano, pushing a cart, walked up to the broken house.

Bruno stood up quickly, desperate not to be caught off guard. His family quickly followed his lead at the sight of the intruder.

"What do you want? Pepa asked icily, causing the man to flinch backwards.

"Oh um... I know you probably never want to see me again... But I just couldn't stand the idea of you all going out there without supplies." Mariano said, pushing the cart forward to reveal several bags full of travelling supplies and food. "It's not much, but it should be enough to get you to where you're going."

"You don't have to accept it." Mariano continued. "I understand, with what my family did to yours..."

"Why are you doing this?" Bruno asked angrily. Hadn't he broken this man's nose? Isn't he related to him? What game is he playing?

Mariano only looked at him with a sorrowful gaze. "It's the least I could do. I love your family very much, even if I will never be a part of it anymore."

Silence.

"I... I better go..." Mariano said, with a lingering, sad look at Isabela. Isabela, who had been ignoring him this entire time.

"Wait!" Dolores yelled, running up to Mariano. "Goodbye, Mariano. Thank you for everything."

She kissed Mariano on the cheek and ran away, ignoring everyone's questioning looks as she hid behind a broken piece of the wall.

Mariano, a hand on his cheek, stammered a goodbye and left.

When morning came, they left the Encanto with the supplies. Bruno felt light as they passed through the crack in the mountain but froze as he saw the nearby river.

It was familiar. He'd seen it before, in a dream.

Mamá was looking blankly at the river. Bruno worriedly grabbed her hand. "Mamá, are you alright?"

Mamá broke down in sobs. Immediately, Pepa and Julieta converged on them.

"Mamá, what's wrong? Julieta asked, fussing over their mother, scanning her for any injuries. "Do you need to rest?"

"No... I just... I thought I would never come back here." Mamá said, wiping her eyes with a look Bruno couldn't place. "This is where we got our Miracle. This is where my Pedro died."

"This is where papá died?" Pepa whispered, looking at the river with wide eyes.

Bruno did too. He recognized the look now. Grief.

His mother wiped her tears away with a faraway look. "For so long, I thought the Miracle was the candle. That we had to earn the gifts it gave us."

"I lost sight of the true miracle," Alma said, turning back to look at them. "The true Miracle is all of you."

And then, with a deep breath, mamá waded through the river. Luisa was quick to join her and help his mother across.

"Mamá, where are you going?" Pepa asked as she started wading through the river as well.

"Let me show you all my old home. Where Pedro and I met." She said, looking off to the distance. "Perhaps, after all these years, it has been rebuilt."

Of course, the family agreed and followed her through the river. Bruno was going to follow too, when a familiar yellow butterfly caught his eye.

The butterfly flew around him a couple times before finally landing on his nose.

It granted him one last vision.

Bruno and Mirabel laughing at Camilo's antics. Isabela, covered in dirt, proudly wielding a shovel. Luisa helping Antonio read a book as they relaxed under the sun. Dolores learning to play guitar from her father. A birthday party for Julieta, Pepa and Bruno, the first in thirty-five years.

Laughter. Happiness. Safety.

He blinked and the vision disappeared. The butterfly remained on his nose, legs grasping as tight as they could, as if afraid to leave.

Bruno smiled sadly.

"We'll be okay, papá. You don't need to worry about us."

One. Two. Three flaps later and the butterfly hesitantly let go, taking off. The butterfly flew small circles above Bruno's head before flying onto a river reed.

It disappeared in sparkles of light, warm and bright like a candle.

"Bruno? Is everything alright?" Mirabel yelled from across the river. Bruno's head shot up to see that he was the only one left to cross the river.

"Yeah! Sorry, I'm coming." Bruno yelled back, running through the river to catch up.

Mirabel walked up to him, concerned, "If anything is wrong, you can tell me, you know?"

"Yeah," Bruno said, smiling gratefully at her. "I know."

With one last look at where the butterfly disappeared, Bruno followed his family to their new home.

Everything was going to be okay.

A/N: And we're done. I can't believe it. Thank you all for reading my fic. I hope I managed to make a satisfying story and ending. Thanks for all the comments and votes you leave, they really make my day.

See you next story :)