The Exploring Butterfly (Strange World X Encanto)

Chapter Fifteen: Starlit Musings

Luisa Came Running Out Of Isabela's Room, Not Wanting To Be Devoured By A Massive Carnivorous Plant Or Covered In Rainbow Pollen, The Moment Isabela Had Seen The Cacti She Had Been Creating Out Of Anger, She Realized That, Yes, She Could Make More Than Flowers And She Was Done With Pink And Purple.

Luisa Came Running To Town, Wanting To Get Far Away As Possible From The Mere Possibility Of Being Eaten.

She Heard Meridian's Disappointed Words To The Villagers On Her Behalf And Stopped, Someone Was Sticking Up For Her?

"Hey, Luisa," Mirabel Said, Spotting Her.

"Isa Is Turning Her Room Into An Indoor Jungle, I Had To Get Out Of There, Before She Made A Carnivorous Plant That Could Possibly Eat Me," Luisa Said.

"Man-Eating Plant? That Sounds Fun, You Might Take It As An Insult From Us Clades," Ethan Said.

They Go Back To Casita For Dinner, Alma Frowned At The Now Pollen-Covered Isabela.

Ethan Noticed Mirabel And Isabela Avoiding Looking At Each Other, So That Is Who Got Mirabel Angry Enough.

Alma Looked Like She Wanted To Comment On Isabela's Appearance, But She Caught A Glare From Meridian, Granted She Had Been Glaring At Her All Night, But It Did Make Her Re-Think Talking.

Ethan Was Having A Rather Difficult Time Convincing Julieta That He Couldn't Possibly Eat A Fourth Serving, But The Food Was Quite Superb, So It Wasn't Much Of A Hardship, No Matter How Full He Was Getting.

"Not Hungry, Bel?" Ethan Asked Mirabel.

Mirabel Shrugged, If She Was Being Honest She Was Starting To Get Homesick And She Didn't Like Being Back Here, Because Of The Memories, Four Years Of Love, All Swept Away In One Night, Replaced By Hatred And Scorn In The Voice Of Someone Who Had Loved Her Before All Because Of Something She Had No Control Over, It Was A Wound That Would Never Heal, She Couldn't Bring Herself To Let It, But That Was All In The Past.

The Cracks In The House Were Visible At This Point, But The Meal Passed In Relative Silence, Mirabel Tried Not To Cry, She Didn't Want To Show How Much Being Back Here Hurt.

Mirabel Finished Her Food And Then Went Into Antonio's Room And Climbed Up The Tree To Watch The Animals And The Scenery.

Ethan Walked In And Climbed Up To See Her And Mirabel Turn To See Them And Said, "Hi."

"Are You Doing Alright?" Ethan Asked.

"Yes, I Just Wanna Say That I'll Miss You When You Leave," Mirabel Answered.

"Well, We're Not Leaving Yet, Once This Place Is On The Right Path, Me And My Family Would Go Home, I Know My Mom Would Rather Let This Place Fall And Let Them Figure Things Out On Their Own, But There Are Some Things That Need Our Direct Intervention Before Another Kid Ends Up Harmed By The Backward Way Of Thinking That Runs This Place," Ethan Explained.

"Alright, Once You Get Home, I'll Send You Some Love Letters Or Something," Mirabel Said As She Gave Ethan A Kiss On The Cheek And They Watch All The Animals In The Room.

Ethan Took Out A Small MP3 Player And Played A Soft Song On It As He And Mirabel Listen To It As She Laid On His Shoulder.

Alma Peeked Into Antonio's Room And Watched The Three Sit On A Branch Of The Tree, At One Point, One Of Them Had Been Her Own Granddaughter, Who She Had Loved And Cherished, But She Had Been So Blind, So Blind And Mirabel Has Been Lost To Them, She Had Watched The Exploring Family's Interactions With Her Own Family, Ethan Wasn't Clearly A Normal Boy Or At Least, She Didn't Think He Was, He Was Kind And Gentle, She Had Begged Pedro To Open Her Eyes, Instead, She Got A Family Of Explorers, A Dog, And Mirabel.

She Remembered Bruno's Vision And Wondered If She Should Show Them, No, They Didn't Trust Her, Ethan In Particular And This Would Likely Interfere With The Life They Had, She Watched As Mirabel Laid Her Head On Ethan's Shoulder, He Playfully Shoved Her And She Gave Him A Small Snort Of Laughter, Before A Small Hiss Of Pain And An "Ow" As She Accidentally Stabbed Herself With The Needle Of Her Sewing Machine.

Ethan Took Mirabel's Bleeding Finger And Healed It With An Arepa, Not For The First Time, Alma Wondered What She Had Just Done, But Looking At The Couple On The Tree, Would Mirabel Have Been Happy If She Was Adopted To The Clades? Would Alma's Eyes Have Been Opened Before She Harmed The Girl Further? The Candle Seemed Lower Than Last Night, Was It Going Out? Her Heart Pounded In Her Chest, She Couldn't Lose Her Miracle, She Thought About What Meridian Had Said That Morning And Sighed, She Had To Try To Make Things Right.

NOTE: I'm Sorry This Chapter Was Short