Mirabel holds the reins steady and risks a glance back at Luciana, who is asleep in the back of the wagon with all of their things. It's the evening, and they're currently going through the field where she collapsed. The wagon's contents include a box of all of Mirabel's favorite items, including her old bag, her skirt from when she was a teenager, and her favorite embroidered silk shawl, which has all of her family's names sewn into it. The wagon also contains two boxes of all of Luciana's things, and Mirabel's clothes.

She smiles as her little girl stirs, yawning largely.

Luciana blinks at her mother, clutching a stuffed butterfly to her chest. "Are we there yet?"

"No, mi vida. Maybe eight more hours, but we need to stop and sleep soon."

"EIGHT?"

"Yes, Luci."

Luciana sighed and flopped back onto her pile of blankets. "Why's it taking so long?"

"Luciana, it's only been a day and a half."

"But mama, why are the donkeys so slow?"

"They're doing the best they can. They're dragging you along, too."

"So if I get out and walk with them, they'll go faster?"

"No. They have all of our things, too. It won't make that much of a difference."

"Oh." Luciana rolled onto her back and gazed up at the slowly appearing stars. "Mama?"

"Yes?"

"Are there people on the moon?"

"Maybe, cariño. Do you think so?"

Luciana thought for a minute, and responded, "Yes. I think they have superpowers, too."

Mirabel smiled, about to chide her daughter for believing in things that weren't real, like any typical mother, when she remembered two things.

One, that she wasn't a typical mother.

Two, that her family had superpowers. Before you took them away, a tiny voice scolds her.

There isn't time to dwell on the past now, though.

Not when she's so close to it.

Mirabel forces herself to stay awake a little longer and eventually finds a place to rest, by a stream a few miles from the looming mountains of the encanto. Tomorrow, the duo will cross them and go home.

Is it even going to be home anymore?

Mirabel doesn't know.

She knew she needed to come back because she was terrified of forgetting her mother's face, her father's smile, Isabela's grace, and Luisa's sweetness.

It terrified her when she realized she couldn't remember Tia Pepa's exact hair color or the shade of Dolores's eyes.

She needs to make things right.

And do it fast.

With this thought, she rolls over in the grass and falls asleep.

She is woken to Luciana shaking her shoulders. "Mama! It's morning! Can we please go now?"

Mirabel groans. "Just one second, okay? I'm resting my eyes, amor."

Luciana poked her forehead. "Mama. I found some dried fruit in your bag. Can you eat it so we can go?"

Mirabel sits up and eats the fruit her daughter thrusts at her, then starts the journey.

They start descending the mountains a little after noon. Luciana and Mirabel have both eaten some jerky and fruit, and the town grows closer and closer. 

The anticipation is making Mirabel overexcited, and she grins.

That's when the donkey somehow frees itself from the wagon and runs into the jungle. Mirabel hops down, yelling, "NO!"

A tall boy of about fifteen strolls out from behind a tree. "Listen, newbies, you should know that the first rule in this place is-"

He freezes.

Because he knows this woman.

He knows her sparkling eyes, her bouncy hair, her green glasses-he spent every second of his first five years with her.

And she knows him too. She recognizes every shimmer in his huge brown eyes, every inch of his chocolate skin, every single strand of his curly dark brown hair, which is shorter now, and only fluffy on the top of his head.

This is her Tonito, but he's older, stronger, and there's a darkness in him that Mirabel's never seen before.

She left to prevent the darkness, but it still came for her sweet cousin.

A tear drips down his face when he sees Luciana poke her head out and jump down from the carriage. 

"Mirabel..." he whispers, and she rushes forward and hugs him. He staggers back, crying.

"Tonito, I missed you so much."

"Where did you go?"

"I found a city, Tonito. It's beautiful." she whispers into his shoulder, sobbing.

"I'm Luciana." the tiny girl interrupts, sticking out a hand for Antonio to shake.

He laughs through his tears and crouches to meet her level. "I'm your Tio Antonio, but you can just call me Antonio."

Luciana grins, hugging him.

That's when Mirabel sees the black ribbon tied around Antonio's wrist. "Tonito, is that ribbon for someone dead? Is it me?"

He lowers his head. "No, it isn't you, Mira. Everyone else mourned, but I knew you were alive."

She blinks. "Who, then?"

He sighs. "You should talk to the family first. There have been some...changes since you've been gone."

He assures them that someone will get their things later, and leads them down the hill.

Mirabel stares at the town below her, and sees a...casita.

It's not her casita, though.

It's all white, and the town is different, too.

She sees a statue in the plaza, and can't figure out who it is.

She follows Antonio and her daughter down the mountainside.

When they arrive in town, Antonio is greeted by a girl Mirabel recognizes as Gabriela, one of the kids she used to tell stories to.

Gabi used to wear her straight dark hair in two braids with a straw hat on top. She was the one that had told Mirabel, "If I was you, I'd be really sad."

Mirabel wasn't sad anymore, though it shocks her to see little Gabriela kiss Antonio.

He blushes and motions for Mirabel to step forward. She gasps. "Is that-"

He nods. "She's home."

Gabriela squeals and is about to run off, but Antonio yells, "Wait!"

She turns. "Whaaaat?"

He smiles. "I want it to be a surprise. We're going to go see Dolores first."

She nods and runs off.

Mirabel elbows Antonio. "Gabriela, eh?"

He blushes even harder. "Yeah, we all dealt with your disappearance in different ways. Gabi helped me talk about you, and we got closer over the years. Dolores...well, you'll see."

They reach a colorful two-story house, with red and yellow walls and an assortment of flowerpots outside.

Antonio knocks, and an older Mariano opens the door. "Hey, Tonito, we're just getting the kids ready for-" his jaw drops as he sees Mirabel. "School."

Dolores comes up behind him, peeking over his shoulder. As soon as she sees Mira, she shoves Mariano aside and pulls her cousin into a tight hug. "Mira! You're home! Oh my god, I missed you!"

Luciana wiggles into the hug. Dolores pulls away immediately and grins. "You must be Luciana. Come in!" She takes Mira by the arm and drags her inside, pushing her into a chair and handing her a glass of water.

"Dolores, how did you know Luci's name?"

She smiled. "Mirabel, our miracle is back."

Did y'all like it? I'm working really hard and you might not see another update for the next few days sorry :(

Hope you enjoy the rest of the story (when I do publish it!)