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cartoonfangirl1218 · 3 years

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Two to Tango

Note: Wow, it’s been like a year since I’ve written any EoA, and of course, of course, my inspiration was Estoma. I always thought tango as a dance for them and so... I made a fic. Thanks to @halloweennut for her advice in the dance and the ending. The dance was modeled on this one so if any of the description seems awkward, this was what I was trying to describe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_L-v8zQf14. As ever, hope y’all enjoy!

Esteban discreetly wiped his brow as he bowed down to what felt like his hundredth dance partner this night.

It had been thrilling to dance again, away from the cold eyes of the tyrannical sorceress. Feel his muscle memory flip to automatic as he spun around. The music lifts and moves him in a joyous way that he never thought he would have again. He needed to enjoy the night while he could. Before he went back to the “civilized silence,” the gloomy, culture-less Avalor and all the other miseries he brought upon himself there.

But even he had to admit he was exhausted after being on his feet all night yet he didn’t want to stop. King Lars had assured him the tango would play by now, as per Esteban’s request. The tango was one of the most complex dances in Avalor. Intense, passionate, por sabor! It reminded him of his childhood, watching his parents sweep around their ballroom on date night and wondering how two bodies could move that way. It reminded him of his youth- the way the guitar strummed and the music reached a tantalizing hilt as he dipped his voluptuous partner, feeling the heat feed off each other, feeling like a man. He remembered the feeling of being fully in control, his every muscle limber and engaged in the moment. Knowing that no one else could execute the tango like he could. It was like nothing in the world. Not that he would get to fully show off his skill. After all the tango was dependent on how well the partners moved together and since they were going in a circle, each guest taking the partner to their left, who knows what kind of person he’d get. The tricky intricate dance could be dangerous with the wrong partner. Not in the physical sense but to one’s ego, immensely. For an inexperienced partner’s awkward mistakes could make them both look like fools. King Lars rang the bell that signaled a partner change. He bowed to the dashing blonde who he shared the Marswickian waltz with. He rolled back his shoulders as he stood in the outer circle as the ladies tittered, swirling the skirts and moved to their right. And the gods must have thought, like so many times in Esteban's life, that he had too much of a good thing because they saw it fit to strike him with a migraine in the form of Avalor's magister of trade.

It was clear that she hadn't been expecting him to be her partner either by the way Doña's jaw unattractively dropped open and her nose started to scrunch up in disgust. He would almost have been insulted but he knew that he was probably making a similar face as the migraine began to assault him.

No, actually, Esteban thought to himself, he did feel insulted by how annoyed she looked. After all, she was the one who had been causing trouble all week. No matter the treaty, no matter the discussion. She contradicted each and every word he said. They were supposed to be a united front for Avalor's interests at these foreign meetings to ensure that Avalor, and more importantly Shuriki, would be satisfied and prosperous in the years to come. But instead she argued with him, that his strategies were unachievable. His ideas were too broad or too narrow. Everything he did was wrong or stupid or foolish in some way. He didn't know what it was. Most foreign trips, they'd sweep the other kingdoms aside and meet their goals efficiently. But this week, she seemed intent on refuting everything he said out of spite. He'd been hoping not to see her until the weekend. Their last argument had been particularly harrowing as it went from trade disagreements to more personal insults. He knew what she thought of him. Hell, she condescendingly held her chin up high and rolled her eyes at him as she went on about how little he knew of the real world because he was pompous, pampered, spoiled royal. That she was so much better than him, that she worked so much harder. It was infuriating to be with someone so arrogant and self-important. After two days he wanted to exile her to Nueva Vista to work as... as he didn't know what, but just far from him. But the worst thing was he couldn't do that. She was actually good at her job! This week aside, when they did work together, she had good ideas. Not as well thought out and great as Esteban's but they were effective. She had a silver tongue persuasiveness that sometimes left him speechless. She was dedicated, she knew how to get things done. Esteban was convinced that it was pure antagonism on her part that she thrived in her job. She was accomplished so he couldn't use the excuse of incompetence to put her out of office and out of his life! No, he was stuck with her. And he was stuck with her in this tango too apparently. His temple throb as he saw her lips part. A sure sign that she would add to his pounding headache. So he went for the first strike. “Let’s not talk that way, this will go faster for both of us,” Esteban cut her off, “Besides talking tends to make inexperienced dancers, like you, mess up.” Doña, blessedly, shut her mouth yet her eyes lit up with the competitive fire that was present at all their interactions. Then the music began. The guitars rumbled with feeling. The singer's voice rose from deep in his gut to mourn his lost love in the fires of the revolution. Esteban straightened up and held his arms out more stiff than what was expected for a dance but gods, this irritation always made him tense. She lightly took his hands, looking at him down her nose as if he should be so honored to be partnered with her. He couldn't stop his eye roll which she responded with a sardonic snort. Esteban thought to spare himself the further pain by training his eyes on some distant point. But her face caught his eyes first. Her green orbs weren't steadfastly ignoring him as he was planning to do with her, in fact she was seizing up his form. For a moment, Esteban thought she was watching him because she didn't know the moves. Unsurprising since she grew up during Shuriki's ban on music and dance. A fact amply demonstrated when he did see her dance. A scarecrow had more rhythm than her. However, she didn't have the look of a novice, nervously watching where to put her feet. No, she was watching him. Daring... no. Esteban could see the anticipatory look, she was waiting for him to slip. The nerve of her! He met her eye for eye, to partake in a staring contest that proved he had no need to watch his feet in a tango. He was the dance expert here. He lips curved into that taunting smirk and Esteban smirked as well, knowing for all her arrogance that he was the superior one on the floor tonight.

The tango is primarily a walking dance and so at the first 8 count, they curved and stepped. He stepped forward, keeping his weight on the balls of his feet, right foot passing over his left handily as she did the reverse, gliding across the room into the center of the circle. The spotlight that always suited Esteban best.

He swung her into a back corte, sliding his leg up hers for a gancho then she did the gancho and they repeated the arrastre. He began to move backwards so they could go to the right but she slid her leg up to his hips, forcing him to arch back into a lunge and then began to move backwards herself. Forcing Esteban to follow her to the left of the room.

Just like in a regular workday, Doña was always trying to counter him. Esteban gritted his teeth in an effort to keep his face stoic. He wasn't going to give her the satisfaction.

She'd pasada, "You're spoiled, egotistical, pretentious, pompous.." He'd agujas "You're disrespectful, self-centered, high and mighty.." He'd start a giro and she'd change it midway to a colgada. Insults going unspoken between them, but it was as if they were picking up the argument just from this afternoon. "Impossible, insufferable" "Deluded, ungrateful, repressed" Each doing what made the tango so difficult yet entrancing. Taking advantage of one move to add their personal flair, anticipating and following the other's moves in the push and pull that characterized the dance. And their personal rivalry for dominance. And just like their work life, they found each other underestimating the grace the other would pull off when faced with a surprise. The dedication and focus that was turned to this dance instead of their usual inventories. The fierce determination to do it right and not stop till it was done. He gently swung her right arm prompting a twirl so Esteban could get a break from their intense stare down and the feeling that he was going to go cross eyed. He took control and instead of returning to the regular forward facing position that the rest of the couples had taken, he turned her so her back was toward him. He pressed against her back, his cheek against her smooth hair, inhaling the flowery fragrance as they took a turn around the room. Esteban felt his body relax, his arms lost their stiffness and he let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.

Yes, he was in his element now, and with some satisfaction he knew Doña wasn't. His hand held against hers on her stomach, and he could feel the all too purposeful in-out breathing that one used to hide nerves.

When he spun her around so they faced each other again, he didn't see a hint of uncertainty. Her eyes were narrowed in vexation at what he pulled but she still held her nose in the air like a goddamn queen. Gods, why was he cursed with her in his life? But if she wanted to act like she'd been tango-ing for years, well then he was certainly going to take this dance to the next level. Esteban cracked his neck and when the singer reached his chorus, he slid his hand to the small of her back, being careful that he was properly positioned and had a firm grip on her other hand, he lifted her up. She wobbled a bit at the surprise horizontal lift but he kept his grip on her, slowly turning around in a circle, drawing several gasps from onlookers.

Doña was too stiff and for the barest of moments her eyes widened in fear, probably suspecting that he was going to drop her on her head in revenge for many annoyances.

But he had a reputation on the dance floor to maintain and it wouldn't do if she made him look bad. He mouthed "Drop one leg down and relax." The fear vanished and was replaced with a haughty sniff as she dropped her head down for another turn around the room. He brought her back to the ground for a moment before lifting her up in a classic tango lift, settling her against his hip, arms outstretched. Another turn and she slowly, almost tantalizing if it had been any other person, slid down against his chest back to her feet. Back at first position, back in the stare down that started it all. The music sped up and they went into a triple arrastre, another corte and he spun her so they could take another promenade around the room. This time she was prepared for when he pressed against her back and she surprised him with a gancho between his legs. A gancho that was too sensually close for comfort that he decided it would be safer if they faced forward from then on. He could practically hear her self-satisfied drawl, "Repressed! I'll show you repressed!" Not that he didn't return the favor by pressing his lips against her neck for a moment, just long enough for her to gasp before he twirled her around, smoothing his face as if nothing had happened. The music hit another swell and their third back corte was when Esteban felt the moment he had been wanting. He felt free. His past, his mistakes, his flaws all meant nothing. His mind mumbling depressing days ahead we’re not in sight. He was happy. And he couldn’t stop the smile that spread across his face. The facial muscles that had gone unused so long. But it was a relief as well. That he was capable of feeling it again. That he had something to smile about. He wanted the moment to last forever. This was the moment where everything clicked, all his senses came to life, melded together in clear focus. Everything was heightened but he didn't notice his surroundings. He was aware only of the dance, the movement of their bodies, their music and the running heat.

He was also acutely aware of the dryness in his throat, the slight perspiration that formed a sheen across his forehead. He felt the smooth silk of Doña's dress, the way it slid under his palm as his left hand held the small of her back.

It suddenly hit him how close they were to each other. How he could feel the warmth of her body radiating through the slippery fabric. The softness of her hands in his. The firm yet determined grip on his shoulder. The way her curves rested against his chest. A fact that made his chest tighten and a flush rise up his neck, reminding himself not to break their staring contest and look down. There was nothing but air that could get past their proximity. His head was swimming with her jasmine perfume that permeated the air, filling his mind with its heady scent. He inhaled deeply, before swinging her arm, signalling that he was going to spin her into an arch turn again, giving him some space to breathe. She spun back toward him, her dress slit sliding up her long leg, another item he was determined not to notice, as he brought her into a low dip.

Esteban was focused on not looking down at the curves arching under him, staring resolutely on her face, eyes landing on the red of her bow shaped lips curved in a rare unguarded smile.

He hadn't noticed before but she was wearing red. A departure from her usual cool tones but it fitted her. It matched the lipstick that brought out her tan skin that glowed under the ballroom chandeliers, the dark raven locks that were slipping from her bun. The dark eyeshadow dusting her eyes that were closed for a moment before pinning him in her sights when he brought her back to standard position. Esteban, feeling drawn to the body warmth, stepped closer than before so their foreheads touched, giving him something to press against, to literally butt heads as they had been metaphorically doing all week. But it wasn't the same stubbornness that drove their fights. It was something altogether different. There was still tension in the air but it wasn't boiling anger. It felt like an undercurrent in his blood waiting to spring.

Doña was no longer smirking. Her mouth was set in a determined line, no longer concerned with showing him up but totally in the moment that they were sharing. Her glowing emerald eyes never left his as if she couldn't look away. And if Esteban was being honest with himself, he wasn't sure he could look away either.

Esteban didn't think, he just felt, taken away by the muscle memory and music. The connection and touch of their bodies against each other. His chest pounded and a coil grew tighter in his stomach. He was the music, rising and falling with the guitar, his tension ebbing and flowing with the notes. Arising with fire when he met Doña's eyes.

The music began to reach a crescendo and Esteban knew how to finish this masterful performance. It was a move he had done dozens of times with some of the most renowned dancers at Avalor's academy. One for the most advanced, and well, he had a feeling Doña was capable enough. Or at least, her pride wouldn't let her back out now.

He picked her up spinning and spinning, instinctively knowing the music was coming to its peak and setting her down. It was a dizzying move and Esteban could see from the corner of his eye that Doña was going to fall backwards.

And just like he'd done it a thousand times before, he turned and he gripped her arm into his. Locking gazes once more at the final note. The music ceased and there was a dull roar in Esteban’s ears. Not from the crowd clapping and shouting praise at their performance, he didn’t notice that. Esteban's view was consumed with their locked eyes, the only sound he heard was their breathless panting. Her breath tickled his cheeks from exertion, and heat and released tension. He felt exhausted yet light like he was floating on air. The whole effect was disconcerting and he knew he needed to leave now to get his bearings because if he looked any longer at her..... He broke the stare down first to slowly let go, noting how the crook of her arm fitted perfectly in his and forcing himself to shake that irrant thought away. Esteban backed away, surprised by how he suddenly felt weak-kneed, but he straightened, turned his back on her and left the floor. There was no need for talk, they left it all in their dance.

“You make an excellent couple on the dance floor. Eh, I see you don’t save the fierceness just for the bedroom.” King Juan Ramon nudged him. “Wha-what!” Esteban staggered back, nearly falling on the banquet floor after his flawless performance. “I said, I see you don’t save the fierceness just for the boardroom. You know, negotiations for treaties... Have you had too much wine?” King Ramon put a guiding hand on Esteban's shoulder, expertly leading him away from the crowd, and the sommeliers. “Ah yes, that must be it. Too much wine-I mishear things.” Yes, it was the wine Esteban assured himself. The wine was having an effect on his brain even though he knew that made no sense. He wouldn’t have been able to execute such an excellent tango intoxicated. But it was the only explanation he had for when Esteban heard “bedroom,” his mind immediately went to the image of her lips, remembering how she felt in his arms just moments ago and the desire to take her into his arms, feel the silk slide underneath his fingertips and close the imperceptible distance between them.

He had too much wine. It was the only reason he was thinking that way. He needed to rest. The tango took a lot out of him. He would have to remember for the next time to sit out during tangos. Doing it with the wrong person was dangerous. It made him notice too much. Think too much. Yet his thoughts lingered back to the tango that was more memorable than any he had done before.

#estoma #elena of avalor #esteban flores #doña paloma #my fanfic #my fanfiction #two to tango

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magicwithineleteo · 3 years

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Light is Coming

Mateo sat in his bed wide awake. Sleepless nights were normal for him. After witnessing his father’s execution, sleep wasn’t much of a thing anymore. He drowned in his thoughts night after night, wishing for some sort of peace. His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a knock at his bedroom door.

“Mateo? Are you awake?”

It was his mother. Mateo scrambled into his covers, quickly trying to look like he was sleeping. The door quietly opened as Rafa peered into the room. She took one look at her son.

“Mijo, I know you’re awake.” she said with a hand on her hip. Mateo slowly opened his eyes and sat up.

“Having a hard time sleeping, mijo?” The 8 year old nodded. Rafa paused, placing her finger on her lip in thought.

“I have an idea. Wait here.” Rafa rushed out of his room, leaving Mateo wondering where she was going. She later arrived holding two pieces of paper, both pictures. Mateo scooted over, giving Rafa room to sit on his bed. She held up one of the two pictures. It had 7 people in it. A dazzling girl stood in the middle. Mateo looked over to the second picture, it was the same beautiful girl.

“This is a picture of the royal family who ruled before Shuriki. They were around when I was merely your age, Mateo.” Rafa lifted her finger and pointed to each member of the family.

“This is King Raul and Queen Lucia. They were the kindest rulers, very caring. These are the Queen’s parents, Luisa and Francisco. This is the King’s nephew, Esteban.”

“Esteban? Like, Chancellor Esteban?” Mateo asked.

“Yes, that’s Chancellor Esteban. This is the younger princess, Princess Isabel. What a genius she was.” Rafa’s finger moved to the beauty in the middle.

“And lastly this is Princess Elena, the true heir to the throne.” Something about this princess was special to Mateo.

“Mami, why are you showing me this?”

“Patience, mijo. You will know soon.” Mateo’s attention went back to the picture of Princess Elena.

“The royal family ruled happily, everyone loved them. Once, Avalor was a peaceful, colorful, and vibrant kingdom. We were able to sing, play music, and dance on the streets. Compared to the present, it’s unimaginable. Everything changed in every way.” Rafa looked down as she recalled the memories of her early childhood. Mateo listened to her in wonder, imagining what Avalor once was.

“One day, the evil sorceress, Shuriki invaded the palace. She murdered the king and queen. Your grandfather was there, and he knew a way to protect the Queen’s parents and Princess Isabel. It was a spell to lock them into a painting, but he needed time to cast the spell. Princess Elena bravely went to stand up to Shuriki giving your grandfather time. Shuriki attacked the princess.”

“What about the chancellor?” Mateo interrupted.

“The chancellor was nowhere to be seen. Anyways, the princess was attacked. Unknown to Shuriki, she survived.”

“What? How?” Mateo wondered how someone could survive an attack from a powerful evil sorceress. “On Princess Elena’s 15th birthday, she was gifted the Amulet of Avalor, a necklace that was charmed to protect the bearer. When Shuriki attacked the princess, the amulet pulled Princess Elena inside.”

“But, I thought the royal family passed on in an accident. That’s what everybody always says.”

“No, mijo. That did not happen. Your abuelo was there and he told me everything.”

“Why are you telling me this, Mami? How will this help me sleep?”

“The point, Mateo, is that there is hope. The Amulet of Avalor is still somewhere in the world, with the princess inside. Princess Elena will return one day and she will save us all. I have no doubt that she will. Better times are coming. Light will always defeat the dark. There is always hope, Mateo. Believe in hope. See the light. Princess Elena will return, and all will be well again.”

Mateo smiled at his mother. For the first time, he wasn’t feeling afraid. He was hopeful. Hopeful that Princess Elena will return and peace will be restored. Rafa smiled back and kissed her son’s forehead as she tucked him back into bed. Mateo managed to take the picture of the princess when his mother wasn’t looking.

“Are you okay, mijo?” Rafa asked as she covered Mateo with a few blankets.

“Yes, Mami. Thank you for telling me about Princess Elena. Will you tell me again tomorrow night?”

“Of course, Mateo. I will tell you 1000 times. Light is coming. I love you, Mateo.”

“I love you too, Mami.” Mateo smiled at her as he shut his eyes.

“Buenas noches.” Rafa whispered as she closed his bedroom door.

Mateo quietly went to his small desk and pulled out a red pen. He circled the princess and scribbled the word “hope” at the bottom. He quickly hopped into his bed as he hugged the picture on his chest, and fell asleep with the warmth of hope in his mind.

#elena of avalor #eoa #one shot #mateo de alva #rafa de alva #my first one shot #fluff #pre eoa #so in secret of avalor mateo said his mom told him elena's story so many times that he memorized it so i wrote about the first time she tol #also the execution thing is a headcannon of mine #so that's that #i hope you like it :)#also has mild eleteo

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lostbutterflyutau · 3 years

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Adrianna’s Top Ten Carla Delgado Moments

So, I was asked for a list of my top Carla moments by @lerakonfetka15 and decided to do a basic “top ten” style list. I apologise for the time it took to compile this list, but here are my top Carla moments in no particular order.

1. Carla is a secret romantic

Okay, saying that is mostly projecting my own headcanon onto her, but when you contrast this scene to the one from Rise of the Sorceress where she scoffed after Elena told the story of the Sunflower festival, you see that Carla does have a hidden romantic side. Maybe she’s not into those cheesy legends, or perhaps just wanted to save face, but when she sees what she perceives to be the real, true love between her parents, she’s beyond happy, which tells me that, despite her tough front, there might be a little bit of a romantic in her.

2. Crushies

I know it doesn’t go anywhere from this point, but I can’t help but find this moment cute. The idea of Carla outwardly showing romantic interest in someone for non-manipulative purposes is adorable and flows nicely with the previous mention of her being a secret romantic.

3. Way Back When

This whole sequence is almost everything I ever wanted for Carla from day one. I actually have a headcanon that, while she’s a great helper, Carla is still quite impatient when it comes to the cooking process. That being said, seeing that Carla is actually her Papa’s little kitchen helper was an adorably pleasant surprise. They’ve clearly been cooking together for a long time and the whole sequence speaks well to the bond that they have with each other. Smaller smol Carla is adorable and, combined with the song, the scene gives a tiny, but nicely-structured insight into Carla’s childhood and the not-so-subtle soft spot Victor has always had for her.

4. Happy Claps and Family Time

Carla’s happy clap is everything. The fact that she’s so excited to have her family back together that she openly shows it is a major step in the unravelling of her layered character in canon. Up until this point, we knew Carla had her moments and soft spots deep down, but here, that soft spot is put on full display as she revels in just being with both her parents again. If I remember right, it’s also the first episode she doesn’t show any sign of the anger or annoyance she usually uses to mask her emotions.

5. Nosy Smol

Small, silent and the best scene in the episode “Sister of Invention.” There’s not much to say about this one except that Carla is so pure here and I love it. She just wants to be involved and included and is so curious.

6. Wanted Posters

This early moment is a funny and adorable show of Carla’s vanity. It’s not wholly innocent given that she’s talking about wanted posters, but I’m amused by the idea that, even if it’s related to criminal activity, she wants to be seen as important. Like in the previous moment, she wants to be included and I think it’s precious and speaks to her ambition of wanting to be her own version of someone special.

7. In the Snow

“Snow Place Like Home” was the episode where Victor’s care and affection for Carla was put on full display. It was always there before, but is made more obvious here. The same is true of Carla. The way that she looks at her father and snuggles into him signifies the deep trust and love she has for the father who stepped up and raised her alone for over a decade. Up until this point in the series, while we were given hints, we had never seen Carla be affectionate and vulnerable like this with anyone, even her father.

8. Standing up for Papa

By this point, Carla being a “Daddy’s Girl” was something that was established, but Victor being gone puts emphasis on both this fact and Ash’s narcissism. The whole time she’s alone with Ash, Carla never forgets about her father. She’s constantly asking when they’re going to rescue him and even mouths of to Zopilote because of it. It’s a wonderful show of her determination as well. We’d seen it before, such as when she went after the Jewel of Maru and stood up to Shuriki by demanding she keep her promise, but this time it’s channeled into something that hits her on a deeper level than her desire for respect and power.

9. Carla Stands Up and then Concedes

I struggled to choose between these two scenes, so I’m cheating and putting them together, in part because the same event leads to both. Carla standing up to Ash is powerful. Not only is her mother a power-addicted narcissist whom she is shown to be afraid of on some level, but she put her mother on such a high pedestal and vied so hard for her approval. Here, the cracked image she was starting to form of the mother she looked up to is finally shattered and she stays true to herself and her family by sticking with her father – the one constant in her life and man who raised her. Following this, her turning herself in and even begging Elena to reverse the spell on her father marks a significant on-screen point in Carla’s character growth. After losing everything she has, instead of turning back to anger and revenge, she concedes. She accepts her circumstances and focuses on what is important – freeing her father and making amends with the person she hurt.

10. Escaping the Moyacu

This is a big moment for two reasons. The first is that it happens after Carla confronts Elena regarding her reluctance to give her a chance even when they could really use the help. Despite the anger she shows – which, if you watch her facial expressions, comes out due to her fear for her father more than anything else – she has a point and, once she calms down and Elena sees both her willingness to help and Victor struggling on his own, she gives Carla that chance. Carla then uses the opportunity to not only do good but ends up showing off a decent amount power in the process. Seriously. If one looks at the amount of magic she uses throughout, it’s obvious (at least to me) that she has some major magic, and that Ash was right about her having natural talent.

#Elena of Avalor #Carla Delgado #Top moments #top ten #ask

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laprincesaelena · 3 years

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EOA Discord Ship Appreciation Week Day 3: Growing Old Together

a/n: hey everyone! sorry i’m a day late on this one, once i start writing something, i tend to like, not stop, and that’s what happened with today’s fic lol, it took me much longer than i expected! but, regardless, here it is! today’s fic is a bit different, focusing on a different couple (though, there are mentions of gabelena lol, but you could always fill in gabe’s name with your character of choice :) ), our beloved king raúl and queen lucía!!

basically, this fic is a what if. what if the king and queen of avalor’s story had gone slightly differently? what if king raúl and queen lucía hadn’t even left to work on the carnaval floats before shuriki arrived? in this au, raúl and lucía receive the happy ending they deserve, and they live to see many more family moments and milestones than they would in canon.

(also, for the sake of the fic, let’s just say in this au, avalor gains a new ruler once the heir becomes of age, not when the current ruler dies. okay? okay :) )

anyways, before i do exactly what i did while writing this and write wayyy too much, i’ll stop myself here. a quick thank you to everyone who’s been liking, reblogging, and leaving wonderful comments on my fics so far, you don’t know how happy they make me!! and a very special thank you to @procrastinateland , for providing the beautiful art to go along with the fic!! hope you all enjoy!!

fic is below the cut!

“Got everything, cariño?”

The queen of Avalor was busy packing the carriage with boxes full of colorful decorations to decorate their latest float for the upcoming Carnaval celebrations. Carnaval was Lucía's favorite time of year, and she always looked forward to designing, building, decorating, and of course, riding aboard the kingdom's infamous Carnaval parade floats. She and her husband, King Raúl, were headed to Castillo Park to check up on the progress of the floats, and to add a few touches to their own.

"Yes, yes, everything's here!"

One could barely see the king steadily walking down the steps of the palace, for he was carrying a stack of boxes that rose to practically over his head. Lucía couldn't help but shake her head as she turned to see this sight, and met him at the bottom of the stairs to help him out. She reached up to take the box at the top of the stack, revealing her husband's face behind it.

"Need a little help there?" she joked.

"I may have underestimated my balancing skills.." Raúl replied, beginning to place the rest of the boxes in the carriage. "But luckily, everything arrived in one piece!"

"We aren't even to the park yet, don't speak too soon!" Lucía responded.

"Have fun, you two!"

The royal couple turned to the sound of Luisa's voice, who stood at the door of the palace with her husband, Francisco, and Princess Isabel, who was waving goodbye to her parents. The two waved back, and Lucía blew a kiss to her youngest daughter.

"Thank you!" Lucía called to them. "We'll see you at dinner!"

Just as the king and queen were about to step into the carriage, the sky suddenly began to turn gray. Large clouds rolled in, some of them having a dark green hue to them. Raúl protectively wrapped his arm around his wife as they stepped back, trying to get a sense as to what was going on.

Suddenly, floating out of the green haze, emerged a figure. The closest royal guards rushed to step in front of the monarchs, their swords drawn, ready to protect their rulers at any given moment.

Lucía tightly held onto her husband, and noticed how his face began to grow pale. As the shadowy figure approached, Raúl instantly recognized their identity.

"Shuriki.." he whispered.

At the very sound of her name, Lucía could feel her heart sink. For the past few months, Avalor had been involved in various defenses alongside their allied kingdoms against the wicked sorceress. Thankfully, all of these efforts against her had been successful, and Shuriki had not been able to take over any of these kingdoms. But as it turned out, Avalor was the next target on her list, and they were gravely unprepared.

"Everyone, inside! Now!" The voice of the captain of the guard echoed throughout the courtyard as the royal family quickly made their way into the safety of the palace. But they knew a few troops were no match for Shuriki, she could infiltrate the palace in a matter of minutes. A plan had to be put in place, now, or Avalor didn't stand a chance.

For little Isabel, all of this happened in the blink of an eye. One moment, she was waving goodbye to her parents on the palace steps, now her and her family were running for their lives, having mere moments to reach a safe haven. A moment later, the princess had a sudden realization. Her abuelos were here, her mamí and papí were here, but one member of her family was nowhere to be found.

"Elena!" she called. "Where's Elena?"

Raúl had been calling out orders to royal guards and staff members as they rushed through the halls, but hearing his eldest daughter's name immediately shifted his strong demeanor. His Elenita was nowhere to be found, and was possibly unaware of the danger she was in. He frantically looked around for a moment, hoping Elena would miraculously appear.

"Elena!" he called, quickly checking in each room they passed. "Elenita!"

Lucía too, joined in on the frantic search for her daughter, but a moment later, she felt just the slightest bit of hope.

"The amulet!" she cried. "The amulet, the one we gave her for her birthday last year, will always protect her from harm!"

"But what if this sort of magic is an exception?" Raúl asked, fearing the worst. "Or what if she doesn't have the amulet on? We have to find her, Lucía!"

"Ay, don't put those thoughts in my head, cariño!" Lucía replied. "I hope we find her before we escape, I truly don't want to leave without her, but she has magical protection, we don't! Hopefully this will all be settled before we even need to escape, so we can-"

But before the queen could finish her sentence, a magical blast was heard from behind them. Shuriki was closer than they thought, they had absolutely no time to waste. The royal family picked up their pace, before they encountered their royal wizard, Alacazar.

"Come, come quickly!" he called out to them. "I have a spell to protect you! But we must perform it now, or it will be too late!"

The royal family had no time to decide on where their hiding spot would be, or where they would escape to if Shuriki did manage to take the throne. Their safest and fastest option was Alacazar's spell, so that would have to do. The wizard quickly explained that this spell would protect them inside of an enchanted painting, one that not even magic as powerful as Shuriki's could touch. As the family posed together for their 'portrait', Lucía couldn't help but think of her oldest daughter. In her final moments outside of the frame, she prayed for Elena's safety, that the amulet would protect her from harm, and that once Avalor was freed from the wicked sorceress, their family could be safely reunited. The Castillo-Flores family held each other close as the incantation was recited, and a moment later, a new family portrait, with one missing princess, was displayed on the wall.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

41 years later...

"Tlahcuilolli apartad, tlahcuilolli apareced, tlahcuilolli vivid!"

Elena bit her lip and clasped her hands tightly together as she watched Mateo recite the spell that would hopefully free her family from the enchanted painting. She had missed her family so much being separated from them for forty one years, and so hoped that she'd be able to finally reunite with them.

A moment later, a magical haze encircled the painting, and soon, the silhouettes of her family were pulled out of the portrait. Once the haze had cleared, Elena saw her family, safe and sound, as if no time had passed at all. Tears of relief filled her eyes as she ran right over to her family, being met by a tight embrace by her little sister.

"Isa!" she cried as she held her sister close. "Oh, I've missed you so much.." Elena then pulled back, just to take in this moment that she'd been dreaming of for so long. Isabel was still the adorable, intelligent, and innocent little girl she had last seen all those years ago, even down to the dirt stains on her dress.

Then, Elena looked up at her parents, who looked just as relieved to finally be free and reunited with their family.

"Mamí, Papí!" she exclaimed, and pulled them both in for a hug.

"Oh, Elenita.." Raúl said, holding his baby girl close. He feared if he let her go one more time, he would never see her again.

Lucía too felt her eyes fill with tears as she embraced her daughter for the first time in decades. "We were so worried about you, mija.." she said, before cupping her daughter's face in her hands. "You're alright..you're safe..the amulet really did protect you!"

"It did.." Elena replied with a nod, placing a hand on top of her mother's.

Elena then wrapped her abuelos in a hug, she had missed all of her family so, so much, and it felt so good to finally be reunited with them. But, Shuriki was still on the throne, their fight for the kingdom wasn't over just yet.

After a short but sweet family reunion, Elena, along with the Enchancian and Avaloran royal families, made their way onto jaquins to join the revolution stirring in the villages below. With the help of the brave people of Avalor, the forty one year reign of Queen Shuriki was brought to an end. Avalor was finally free once again, and the royal family was reunited for good. It was the happiest day in all of Avalor, and kingdom would rejoice for weeks on end. That day, it seemed as if life couldn't get any better. But, the kingdom's most prosperous and happy years were yet to come.

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Four years later..

Raúl and Lucía stood proudly beside the Avaloran throne, in a ballroom filled with dignitaries, family, and friends from all over the world. Their beautiful Elenita was turning twenty years old today, but that wasn't the only event the kingdom was celebrating. After four years of experience as Crown Princess, along with learning plenty about ruling from her parents and grandparents, Elena was finally ready to become queen of Avalor.

Trumpets sounded to announce the princess' arrival, as the chief of the castle announced, "Crown Princess Elena Castillo Flores, please come forward!"

The doors to the ballroom were opened, revealing the future queen. Elena was dressed in a breathtaking blue gown, with floral embroidery across the bodice and bottom of the skirt. A red velvet robe trailed behind her as she carefully walked down the staircase. As she made her way to the throne, Elena smiled at all who had come to celebrate this day with her. Though her stubborn sixteen year old self insisted she'd be able to rule all on her own from day one, she knew that she wouldn't be the ruler or woman she was today without each and every person she passed by entering her life.

But, who had supported and guided her the most of all through this difficult journey was her family. Elena would often think of if her family hadn't survived the ordeal with Shuriki all those years ago, and how she would have ever become queen without their love, support, and guidance. She was so, so grateful they were here with her today to crown her, she had no idea where or who she'd be without them.

Once Elena reached the throne, she pulled each of her parents in for a hug, before turning to face the crowd. She stood as regally as she could for her last few moments as crown princess. Armando gently handed the crown to the king, who would have the honor of crowning his daughter the next queen.

Holding the crown above her head, Raúl took a moment to look down at his daughter, so proud of the woman she had become. He then announced, "It is with tremendous pride, that I crown you, Elena, Queen of Avalor!"

The golden crown was placed upon the young queen's head, and the ballroom erupted into cheers. Elena lifted her head with a smile, she had worked so hard and been through so much to finally achieve this moment.

Raúl stepped back and wrapped his arm around his wife, who took his hand tightly in hers. The former king and queen looked over at their Elenita, their baby girl. Even though they had mentioned it hundreds of times that day, and they would certainly continue to, they were just so, so proud of their daughter. They had no doubts that she would be one of the greatest queens to ever reign, and that Avalor would continue to thrive under her rule.

The next part of the ceremony would soon commence, where the queen would choose a partner for the first dance of the evening. Elena stepped forward, and approached her three closest friends. She bestowed a new title upon each of them, even naming her younger sister the Royal Inventor. But, she still had not chosen a partner to dance with.

Elena paused for a moment, and pretended to be in deep thought. "Now, I believe I have a decision to make.." she said, before turning towards her parents, and reaching her arm out to her father.

"Papá, no one has helped me learn how to rule more than you. Would you honor me with the first dance?"

Raúl couldn't help but gasp, as he could've sworn Elena would've chosen one of her closest friends to dance with, or even her grandfather. Sure, he knew he had been a mentor to her on her journey to become queen, but this came as a pleasant surprise to him. And of course, he would accept. He placed his hand to his heart, and bowed his head to his daughter.

"Of course, mija." he said. "It would be my greatest honor."

Raúl approached his daughter and took both of her hands in his. He leaned forward to kiss her on the forehead, and looked down at her with the proudest smile possible. "I'm so proud of you, Elenita."

"Thank you." Elena replied with a smile. "I couldn't have done any of this without you. Now, about that first dance.."

But, before they could begin the first dance, or even before any music started playing, Francisco spoke up.

"Wait!" he cried. "I didn't stay up all night writing a song for everyone to play for you for nothing!"

Elena tilted her head in confusion. "What do you mean, everyone?" she asked.

Then, Lucía, Isabel, and Luisa, along with Francisco of course, stepped forward, and reached their hands to the side.

"Guitars!"

Their guitars were then handed to them, and the quartet began to play a song written and composed specifically for the occasion.

Elena couldn't help but smile, she couldn't believe her family had gone through all the effort to write a song just for her first dance! But, said first dance hadn't begun just yet, what was she waiting for? She took her father's hands in hers, and the two of them began the first dance of the coronation ball.

By the end of the song, Elena and Raúl weren't alone on the dance floor. Just about every guest was dancing in their own ways alongside them, having a wonderful time. As Elena went over to dance with her friends, Lucía pulled her husband right over for a dance. The two of them laughed and smiled as they danced to the beat, they felt as if the golden days of Avalor were returning again. Brighter days were ahead for the kingdom, and they both knew that their Elenita, their shining light, would be a guiding light for Avalor.

¡Viva la reina! Our Elena! Our love will always shine so bright!

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Approximately two years later...

In the kingdom of Avalor, every day is bustling, busy, and bright. Today was no different. But today, excitement was in the air for a very special reason. Villagers were lined up and down the streets of the city, waiting for the moment to arrive. Some had claimed their seats days in advance, either paying extra money for it, or by having a bit of a camp out on the sidewalk. Children waited eagerly with small Avaloran flags in their grasps, some even held up posters or drawings that they had made themselves. Their parents were quite tired, but they knew that being here was a once in a lifetime event. But, it wasn't only the village that was filled with both chaos and excitement.

Inside the palace, the staff was busy preparing the castle for this very special event. Rulers and dignitaries from all over the world would be visiting Avalor, so the venue had to look its very best. Every member of the royal family was busy getting themselves ready for the day, but Queen Elena's room however, was where the most activity was happening.

Lucía held back tears as she placed a veil over her daughter's head, her Elenita was to be married today. The moment she stepped back to see the bride's final look, her breath was taken away. Elena wore a strapless dress, with red and gold embroidery swirling across the bodice. The bottom of the dress was long and flowing, including small details of lace, with a six foot train trailing behind her. Her long, dark brown hair was rolled into a bun, one of her favorite formal styles. Underneath her veil was her usual tiara, the rubies casting a scarlet glow whenever the sunlight hit it. The young queen was the epitome of a beautiful royal bride.

"Oh, mija..you look absolutely beautiful.." she said, having to wipe a tear or two from her eye before they fell down her cheeks.

Elena couldn't help but tear up as well as she watched her mother's reaction. "Mamí, stop it, you're going to make me cry too!" she said.

"Oh, no, no..no crying until at least the vows, you can't ruin that beautiful makeup of yours!" Lucía replied. "You look absolutely perfect, Elenita." she added, taking her daughter's hands in hers.

"Thank you.." Elena responded with a soft smile. "I still can't believe this is actually happening.."

"Neither can I!" Lucía agreed. "It feels like just yesterday you were born, it was one of the happiest days of my life..and now look at that little princess! She's all grown up, she's now the queen, and she'll soon become a wife.."

"It only took me forty six years." Elena joked with a laugh, referring to the four decades they had missed while being trapped in enchanted objects.

Lucía laughed as well, she needed a quick laugh to distract her from how fast her daughter had grown up. "Well, I'm sure those forty six years were well worth the wait, right?" she asked.

Elena smiled and nodded at the thought of her soon to be husband. She was so thrilled to be marrying Gabe, she was the happiest woman in the world with him. Thankfully, her entire family had known him for just as long as she had, so he fit right in with the royal family, and Raúl had no hesitation on giving Gabe his blessing to marry his daughter.

Then, a knock at the door signaled that it was time for members of the wedding party to begin their journey to the cathedral, and that included Lucía. The former queen held her daughter's hands tightly and kissed her on the cheek.

"Good luck, mijita." she said with a smile. "I'll see you at the altar."

A few minutes later, Raúl entered the room to escort his daughter downstairs to the carriage that would bring them through Avalor City, and to the ceremony. He too had to pause for a moment to take in the beautiful sight that stood before him. He simply couldn't believe how his little Elenita had grown so quickly, into a strong, confident, and beautiful woman. Each and every day, he would be reminded of how proud he was of his daughter, and how far she had come.

"Elenita, you look simply breathtaking." he said as he approached his eldest daughter. "I changed my mind, I don't think I'll be able to let you go at the end of that aisle." he joked.

Elena couldn't help but laugh at the thought of that, even though she knew, if it were his choice, he probably wouldn't let her go, not wanting to accept how fast she had grown. "You should've thought of that before you gave Gabe your blessing!" she joked.

"I know, I know," Raúl said. "But I'm just joking, mija, I'm thrilled for you both." he added with a smile.

"Thank you," Elena replied, returning the smile. "I'm thrilled too, a little nervous, of course, but still so, so excited."

"I'm sure you are." Raúl responded with a nod. He then sighed, and looked his daughter over one more time. "I'm so proud of you, Elena." he said. "From the moment you were born, I always have been the proudest man in the world to have been your papí. As each day went by, I thought I couldn't possibly love you any more. But each new day, I was proven wrong. I am so incredibly proud of the young woman, queen, and now, well, almost wife that you've become. I love you so much, Elenita."

Elena wrapped her arms around her father and pulled him in for a hug. She was just so grateful to have such a loving and supportive family as she did, she wouldn't want anyone else by her side to celebrate this special day with her.

Once she finally let go, she turned to pick up her bouquet of poinsettias, perfect for her mid-December wedding. She then took her other hand and held her father's tightly. "Ready to go?" she asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be." Raúl replied with a proud smile.

Elena and Raúl walked hand in hand to the front door of the palace, where a carriage was waiting for them. The coachman opened the door with a bow, and both he and Raúl helped Elena to get inside. It was quite a task with her long train, but thankfully, everyone fit comfortably.

A moment later, the carriage began moving, and they were off. On the way to the cathedral, they passed the many villagers who had been waiting for hours for the queen's carriage to pass by. Elena waved to the people of Avalor with a smile on her face, and even gave a special wave to small children who were seated atop their parent's shoulders. After a carriage ride full of smiling and waving, they finally arrived at the cathedral.

Isabel smiled from the front doors, and began to walk down the steps to meet her sister. As the maid of honor, it was her job to make sure her dress stayed in perfect condition, which meant she was in charge of the long train on the way inside. The coachman opened the door, and Elena began to step out. With that came the cheers of the villagers who had managed to get a spot close by to the cathedral. Elena looked around and took everything in. The cheering villagers, the bells pealing, the thought that in just a short while, she would be Gabe's wife. Isabel took the back of her sister's train in her hands and lifted it up, and Raúl began to lead her inside. Before she reached the entrance, she turned around and waved to the cheering villagers with a glowing smile. She took her papí's hand in hers and held it tight, as they began to walk inside.

Inside the cathedral, she was greeted by her wedding party, who were all in position, ready to walk down the aisle the second the music started. They all gave Elena a smile, and Naomi shot her a reassuring 'thumbs up'. Isabel made her final adjustments on Elena's dress, and began to walk to her place. Once everything looked perfect, and everyone was ready to go, Elena took a deep breath, and the music started.

The journey down the aisle felt like miles for Elena, tightly holding onto her father's hand as he led her closer to the altar. She smiled at each person she passed by, the joy and excitement of the occasion had spread to practically every person in attendance. Elena's smile grew even bigger the closer and closer she grew to her future husband, this still felt so surreal. But, this was a reality, and she couldn't be happier.

It was a bittersweet moment for Raúl once they reached the altar, especially as he passed Elena's hand over to Gabe. But, with a nod of approval and a warm smile to his son-in-law, he knew that his Elenita would be in the best hands. He kissed his daughter on the cheek before heading to sit beside his wife, but before he could, Elena pulled him in for a quick hug.

"I love you," she whispered to him.

"I love you too, Elenita."

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Eight years later...

"Abuelo! Abuela!"

Lucía and Raúl turned to the sound of their granddaughter's voices as they ran into the parlor. Six year old Catalina Blanca and Carolina Lucía were dressed identically, quite fitting for them being identical twins. They wore a dress of ruby red satin, with short puffed sleeves and an attached ribbon at the waist, tied into a perfect bow in the back. Along with the dresses, they wore matching paten-leather shoes, and a red bow headband to keep their long, dark brown hair out of their faces. Occasionally, even their abuelos had a tough time telling them apart, but the easiest way to differentiate the two was by their personalities.

"Oh, mijitas, you both look so beautiful!" Lucía said, as Carolina fell right into her arms. "You're going to be the best looking girls at the parranda tonight."

"You think so?" Carolina asked with a smile. "I think I'm the best looking girl every day!"

Lucía laughed softly and held her granddaughter close, Carolina was always the one to take pride in her looks. "I know so." she said.

"Abuelita, which songs are you going to play at the parranda tonight?" Catalina asked, already cuddled up in her grandfather's lap. Her and Raúl were particularly close, as Catalina was the heir to the throne, and would follow in her mother's footsteps to become queen one day.

"Oh, just the usuals," Lucía replied. "Let Love Light the Way, Hearts Full of Cheer.."

"I wanna play!" another little voice cried.

Three year old Luis Raúl poked his head into the room, and had clearly overheard some conversations about playing a song. He was absolutely enthralled with his family's love of music, and couldn't wait until he was old enough to learn from his bisabuelo Francisco, his abuela Lucía, or his mamí.

"Well, I do have my guitar handy, if you'd like play a song for us before we go," Lucía offered with a smile.

Luis nodded excitedly, and sat right beside his abuela as she reached over to pull out her guitar. Lucía placed their guitar in front of the little prince, and he began to 'strum' a song for his family. Of course, he played about as well as any three year old could, but to Lucía and Raúl, it was music to their ears.

Just then, Elena and Gabe made their way into the parlor, with two year old Marcelo Roberto in his papí's arms. Elena almost didn't want to interrupt this sweet moment between her children and their abuelos, but they did have a parranda to get to!

"I didn't know we were having a concert before the parranda!" Elena joked with a soft laugh. "Your guitar playing sounds wonderful, mijo, maybe you can lead the parranda next year!" she said to her son.

"Well, he will be learning from the best, won't he?" Raúl asked, looking over to his wife with a smile.

"Oh please, if that's the case, Elena learned from the best, and turned out to be even better!" Lucía replied.

"No, no, I think he should learn from his abuela, so he can grow to become a better guitar player than the both of us!" Elena suggested.

"Now that's more like it!" Raúl responded. "One day, I'm going to see this little one's name up in lights!" he added, reaching down to ruffle Luis' hair, which made him giggle.

"So, is everyone ready to go?" Elena asked.

With a unanimous yes, the royal family made their way downstairs to head into town to begin their annual Nochebuena tradition.

As the family made their way downstairs, a thought crossed Elena's mind. She had a gift for her family that she wanted to give them tonight, but by the time they came home from the parranda, the kids would be going to bed.

"Oh uh, wait!" she said, to catch everyone's attention.

The rest of the family stopped and turned around, wanting to know what may have been forgotten this time.

"How about we go and put the stockings on the mantel? We haven't yet, and by the time we get home, it'll be time for the kids to go to bed. Let's go!" Elena told them and motioned to her family to follow behind her.

Lucía raised an eyebrow with a smile. Her daughter had something up her sleeve, but she didn't know what. She glanced over to her husband, who shared a similar expression.

They soon entered the family room, which was decked with traditional decorations passed down from generations, and some that had been handmade by Elena and Isabel over the years. All of the children's stockings, which had been customized by Isabel, were laid on the table, and the kids rushed in to take theirs and hang them above the fireplace. Gabe helped to hold each of his children up one by one, so they were able to reach the metal hanger. Elena put up hers and Gabe's, but there was still one left on the table, one that was smaller than the others. Elena stood back and waited for a moment, curious as to who would notice it first.

Surprisingly, it was her youngest son, Marcelo, who toddled over and picked it up. He walked over towards his abuelo, not knowing what to do with it.

Raúl picked it up and looked it over. It was small, and it didn't have a name written across its top like the others. "Elena, what's this?" he asked.

Elena simply shrugged, and waited for her other children to make a guess.

"Do I get another stocking?" Carolina asked, hoping it would mean more candy for her.

"No, it's Marcelo's, they're both small!" Luis said proudly. That made sense, that had to be it!

"Catalina, do you know what it is?" Elena questioned. Catalina already seemed to possess logic beyond her years, so Elena was curious as to what her daughter would come up with.

"It doesn't make sense, we each have a stocking, with our names on it, and Luis, Marcelo has his own, so it can't be his, but I'm not sure who it belongs to!" she said.

Catalina was stuck. No matter how many situations she came up with in her head, none of them seemed right.

"Well, it does belong to someone, someone in our family.." Elena hinted.

Carolina's face suddenly lit up. "Is it abuela or abuelo's? They didn't hang a stocking yet!" she exclaimed, confident that she had solved her mother's riddle.

"Oh, we'll gladly take an extra stocking!" Lucía joked, pretending to reach over for it. "More dulces for us!"

Elena laughed and shook her head. "No one's gotten it yet!" she said. "Here, I'll give you another clue. This member of our family is not here to celebrate Navidad with us this year, but they will be here next year!"

Catalina was sitting in deep thought, putting all of the pieces together in her head. Not here this year, will be next year, a member of the family, no name, and the size of the stocking had to symbolize something. Suddenly, Catalina gasped.

"A new sibling?"

With that, Elena looked at Gabe, whose eyes were wide. All he could say in response was, "oh no..."

Elena laughed and smiled. "Yes!"

Catalina and Carolina held hands and jumped up and down in unison. Luis was also very excited, clapping his hands and smiling wide. Marcelo didn't truly know what was going on, but he knew it was something good. "Yay!" he shouted excitedly, though it sounded more like he was saying 'ray!', which made his reaction even cuter.

Lucía and Raúl were thrilled as well, they absolutely adored being abuelos to their four beautiful grandchildren, they couldn't wait to welcome one more.

"I'm so excited for you, mija!" Lucía said, wrapping her daughter in a hug. "You're certainly going to have your hands full, now aren't you?"

"I sure am!" Elena agreed with a nod. "But I've managed to survive with four, how bad could one more be?"

"Oh, I've heard that before, about three children ago." Lucía joked.

"And you two thought you had your hands full with this one, huh?" Raúl chimed in, as his youngest grandson reached up to him, wanting to be in his abuelo's arms. He picked Marcelo up and tossed him in the air, making the toddler screech in delight.

"Well, though our hands may be full, our hearts are even fuller." Elena said.

In the moments leading up to the parranda, Raúl and Lucía took in this moment surrounded by their ever growing familia. They couldn't help but wonder what would've happened on that fateful day over fifty years ago if they had left to work on the Carnaval floats even a moment sooner than they did. There was a good chance that they would've never lived to witness their daughter take back their kingdom and free Avalor from Shuriki's reign. Raúl may have never been able to place the crown upon his daughter's head to crown her queen of Avalor, or proudly walk her down the aisle on her wedding day. Lucía may have never been able to see how breathtakingly beautiful her Elenita looked moments before she was married, or witness the moment her daughter became a mamí. They thought of their four, soon to be five, beautiful grandchildren, who they never would've been able to meet. Becoming their abuelos was one of their greatest joys in life. While they couldn't help but wonder about if a single thing had gone differently, they wouldn't have wanted their lives to have turned out any other way.

#eoa ship appreciation week 2021 #king raúl #queen lucía #do they even have a ship name #raúlucía?#lucíaúl?#who knows #also tagging this as gabelena for mentions of it #gabelena #elena of avalor #my fics #also if you’ve read this far hi meet some of my gabelena kiddos :)#there are a ridiculous amount of them but i narrowed it down to four (almost five) here lmaooo

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aurorasilverthorne · 3 years

Text

Total Misunderstanding Part #2:

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Disclaimer: Elena of Avalor and all its characters belong to Disney.

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Note: Aléjandro, Llorona, Esperanza, Viento, and lluvia belong to me. If you use them in fanart or fanfiction, please remember to give me credit as their creator. Thank you

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Esteban felt horrible for Llorona. The child didn't understand that Shuriki was just trying to protect her by keeping her away from those who were ill. Any good mother would.

He found Llorona sitting on the rug in the nursery hugging her knees trying to hide the tears slipping unbidden from her eyes.

"Oh, mija...Mamá didn't mean to raise her voice, you know that."

"Mamá doesn't want me around," the girl sniffled wiping her damp cheeks with the back of her tiny hand.

"This is not true. She just doesn't want you getting sick, that's all."

Esteban knelt down and stroked her hair. "Mamá loves you, Ro. She is just really stressed with both your hermano and your hermanita being ill. Plus she still has to carry out her duties as queen."

"She cleared her entire schedule for Aléjandro," Llorona protested. "She doesn't ever do that for me when I'm sick."

"I'm sure she would, but you've always been such a healthy niña," Esteban explained. "You've never really gotten sick before."

"I wish I was ill. Then Mamá would have to spend time with me."

Esteban sighed. "Llorona..."

She looked up at him with large puppy dog eyes. "Will you spend time with me, Papá?"

"I have to work," Esteban told her.

"Well...can I play in your office? I'll be quiet and I won't get in your way, I promise."

Esteban shook his head. "I don't think so, mi hija. Part of my job is to keep you safe, and next to the royal treasury, this is the safest place in the entire palace."

Llorona's face fell. She bowed her head like a child who'd just been scolded for a misdeed she hadn't done. "You don't want me around either..."

Esteban frowned. "No, hija. That's not it at all!"

Llorona ignored him as she turned and walked away. Esteban watched his daughter crawl into bed and shove her head under a pillow.

"Llorona..."

He wanted to stay and comfort her, but there was too much work to do. Shuriki was out of commission, so all her duties fell on Esteban. They'd each find their own ways of making it up to Llorona later.

After Esteban headed to his office, Llorona took a half hour long siesta, but the nap did little to soothe her hurt feelings. Neither of her parents seemed to care that she felt left out. She had no one to talk to. Aléjandro was the poster child for mamá's boys all over the EverRealm and Esperanza was too young to even understand what was going on around her. The palace staff-with the exception of the steward Armando-had no qualms about informing her that she was merely "a spare" and that her parents had not planned on having a second child. Aléjandro's birth was necessary. She was just an unfortunate accident.

Llorona didn't bother to tell her mother or father about what the servants were saying. They'd just ignore her concerns and perhaps even agree with them. She doubted their love. It would have killed her to hear confirmation of her fears straight from their own mouths.

Llorona was so angry, and hurt she shoved all the stuffed animals off her bed, threw a brush and perfume bottle off the vanity Shuriki had given her as a birthday gift and kicked multiple toys that were scattered all over the floor before deciding it was time for her to run away.

Her parents didn't want or need her. They didn't notice Llorona when she was around. Why would they care if she left? She seriously doubted they'd even realize that she was gone let alone miss her.

She opened the door to the nursery and peeked out into the hall. Maids and other staffers were everywhere. She closed the door and went over to the balcony doors.

It was warm and bright in Avalor with a light sea breeze. Llorona climbed up onto the balustrade to peer down at the gardens and city, the dense jungle beyond and what seemed like an endless sea on the horizon.

"What are you doing?"

Llorona yelped in shock and fell backwards onto the balcony floor. When she opened her eyes she found herself looking up into the eyes of a jaquin cub with zigzag patterns in its red fur.

"What are you doing?" the baby jaquin asked repeating its question.

"Who wants to know?" Llorona asked pushing herself up off the floor.

"I'm Cruz," the jaquin cub answered. "What's your name?"

"Llorona."

"Well, what are you doing, Llorona?"

"Running away."

Cruz cocked his head. "Really? Why?"

"Because mi Mamá and Papá don't want or need me. They already have a hijo to be their heir and mi hermanita can be the spare. They have always loved Alé and Esper a lot more than me anyway."

"But where will you go?" Cruz asked, watching as Llorona tied a bunch of bedsheets and blankets together she'd found in the closet.

"I don't know," Llorona admitted, "Anywhere is better than here."

She tied one end of her makeshift rope to the bedpost and threw the other end over the side of the balcony. She and Cruz watched it fall, but the rope didn't reach the ground.

Llorona sighed. "Guess I'll have to find another way down..."

"If you climb down as far as the rope can go, I'll fly you the rest of the way," Cruz offered.

"You will?"

Cruz nodded.

"I appreciate it."

Cruz smiled. "Happy to help."

Llorona climbed back up onto the balastrade then over to the opposite side before gripping the rope. She held it as tight as she could sliding down as far as possible. Cruz lept off the balcony flying down to where she dangled.

"You can let go now."

Llorona just continued to cling to the rope afraid to release the fabric for fear she'd fall. "Are you sure?"

"Yep."

The young princess took a deep breath steadying herself before letting go. A scream lodged itself in her throat as she started plummeting towards the ground only to land with a jolt on Cruz's back.

The jaquin cub gave an excited yip and flew up over the curtain wall of the palace to glide high above Avalor city. The people looked like ants far below as they went about completing their chores. The delectable scent of smoked meats mingled with the sweet aroma of freshly baked pastries drifted upward from the midday market bellow making Llorona's stomach growl.

"Hungry?" Cruz asked.

Llorona nodded.

Cruz dove down landing beside a stall at the heart of the marketplace. They stood there for a moment taking everything in. The bright colors, heat, noises and the crowds of people were a bit overwhelming for Llorona who'd rarely stepped foot outside the palace gates without the presence and protection of her parents and their royal guards. She hid in between the stalls where no one would be able to see her except her furry little companion.

"What's wrong?" Cruz asked. "Are you okay?" He moved closer trying his utmost not to startle her. The cub brushed up against her legs and side and purred softly trying to calm and comfort her.

"It's so loud and bright and there are so many people," she explained huddling closer to the wall.

The young princess had rarely been permitted to accompany either of her parents on their outings into the city. Even when they'd allowed her to go, they'd made her remain inside the royal carriage most of the time. At first, she'd thought they were merely being protective, but now...she wondered if they'd wanted to keep her hidden.

"Out of sight, out of mind, princesa," one of her old chambermaids had once said while tidying up the nursery. "A second child serves little purpose. La reina only needs the one and it's obvious that she doesn't enjoy having you under foot all of the time. Why else would she want to keep you hidden away here in the palace except to ensure that you're out of the way? Maru knows even the chancellor looks ready to rip his hair out whenever you're around. They don't have any time to waste on a spare. Not with an heir to focus on. Might as well get used to waiting in the wings now, princesita."

Cruz sat down beside Llorona and cuddled with her until she felt better. Eventually she agreed to come out of hiding if only because she was still hungry. It was passed lunchtime and she needed to eat elsewise she'd become nauseous and possibly faint. She'd done so in the past because she'd forgotten to eat which had earned her quite a scolding from both her parents who'd warned her never to do it again.

She and Cruz browsed the food stalls for a bit before deciding on the vender selling pupusas filled with ground pork, cheese and beans. They paid for their meal with a handful of silver coins Llorona had taken from the coin box she'd been given by her father as a gift last Navidad before going to sit at a nearby fountain unaware they were being watched by two small-time thieves looking to make a name for themselves.

"I've seen that kid before somewhere," Viento said squinting at Llorona and Cruz from his spot across the market square.

"We both have," lluvia replied.

Viento quirked an eyebrow. "We have?"

lluvia rolled his eyes. "She's the hija of that bruja Shuriki and her puppet chancellor."

Viento tossed his empty plate aside. "We should snatch up the niña and hold her for ransom. If the bruja wants her kid back bad enough, she'll give us the brat's weight in gold."

"Not a bad idea," lluvia murmured stroking his goatee. "We can always dump the kid if the old bruja doesn't pay up."

"So we're gonna do it?" Viento asked.

lluvia nodded. "Lets go get ourselves a princesa."

***

It took time and effort, but Shuriki eventually got both Alé and Esper back to sleep after they had lunch. She paused outside the door to ask Armando to watch the children for her before heading to the nursery.

Shuriki felt terrible for losing her temper with Llorona and wanted to make it up to the child. She'd been putting off her daughter's sorcery lessons for quite some time now. She figured her elder girl would be quicker to forgive with the promise of potions making or a little wand practice. Llorona had a natural talent for magic and she needed to hone those skills or her power might one day get out of control.

She knocked on the door. "Ro, darling, it's mama. I want to speak with you."

No reply. Either Llorona was still angry at her or she'd fallen asleep.

Shuriki opened the door and stepped inside. The room was spacious and airy with floor to ceiling windows and a polished marble floor. Everything was decorated in shades of sapphire and cream. A massive toy chest rested against one wall while a pair of writing desks and shelves full of books took up another. A small girl's bureau and boy's dresser dominated the third wall. Two tiny twin beds and a joint nightstand made up the fourth and final wall.

Two empty beds, Shuriki realized. She yanked the blankets back to be sure her eyes weren't playing tricks on her. Her heart began to beat fiercely as she scanned the nursery. "Llorona, where are you? Come out here right now, young lady."

Shuriki's eyes darted in every direction trying to locate her daughter. Her mind reeled as it tried to process everything all at once. The scattered toys, tiny shards of glass from a broken perfume bottle, the long string of pristine sheets tied up to the solid wood bedpost creating a trail that led out onto the balcony.

Shuriki ran out onto the balcony and looked over the balastrade where the makeshift rope of sheets swayed to and fro in the breeze. The implications proved too much for the sorceress who screamed at the top of her lungs.

"Esteban!"

Esteban heard her shriek from inside his office half way across the palace. He immediately threw down the paperwork he'd been filing and ran over to the nursery where his queen was already snapping at the guards.

"Find my daughter," she hissed, "or I will execute every last one of you!"

"Scour every inch of the palace," Esteban ordered. "If the princesa isn't here expand your search into the city."

He waited until Captain Sandoval and the other guards were all gone to wrap his arms around Shuriki. "We'll find her, mi corazón. The curtain wall that surrounds the palace is much too high and far too steep for any childnapper to climb."

"What if she's not here?" Shuriki asked her voice heavy and cracking due to the weight of unshed tears.

"She has to be," Esteban insisted. "Llorona's only seven years old. There's no way she could've left the palace unnoticed."

"Someone on the palace staff might've taken her. Have everyone rounded up and locked inside the throne room. Nobody is going anywhere until my baby is found. She better not have been harmed in any way or so help me..."

Shuriki would rain hell down upon anyone who dared to hurt their child. She'd done it many times before and she'd keep on doing it until there were no more threats to their children's safety.

Esteban knew he'd be right there beside her. Ready and more than willing to do anything and commit whatever atrocities necessary to protect their family.

Their daughter had to be somewhere in the palace. No way had the little girl gotten out on her own. It had to have been a staff member or someone else.

Esteban's top lip curled back in a silent snarl. If someone had stolen his daughter, if they'd hurt her, or put her in some kind of danger, he'd rip them to pieces with his bare hands.

#eoa #elenaofavalor #disney #shuriki #elena of avalor #EoA #chancellor esteban #esteban flores #fanfiction #original character

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iamtotallycool · 4 years

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Moving Forward

This is an old fic that I started writing soon after “Spirit of a Wizard.” Having a desire for to have Mateo and Elena to have a heart to heart about another unfortunate experience they now share.

I have no excuse to why this took so long to finish, just decided to start doing some early spring cleaning.

Enjoy!

It was common knowledge to all that if Elena ever had something weighing on her mind, it was completely hopeless for her to fall asleep.

And this was the case as Elena shifted on her bed once again to try and hope for tiredness to fall over her. But, the only thing that fell over her was Flo, who had been sleeping atop of the pillow next to her. The little alpacamundi didn't seem to notice her sudden shift in movement as she now laid sprawled out over Elena's face.

Elena huffed out a deep sigh of annoyance and peeled off Flo, placing her animal companion back on the pillow without her making so much as a twitch.

After throwing back the covers, putting on her slippers, and grabbing one of the throw blankets to wrap around her shoulders, Elena padded across her room and over to her balcony windows. She jumped up onto her tiptoes and peered out to the bedroom across the way.

It was faint, but she could make the distinct outline of candles burning in Mateo's window.

Elena immediately turned on her heels, and was out the door, and down the hall without a second thought.

The familiar hallways and turns she took seemed like they were going on forever. Was his room always this far away from hers? She remembered it being so much closer whenever she needed to seek him out, no matter where she was located in the palace at the time. Would it be too invasive to learn a teleportation spell?

It was a question that would need to be put off for another time though as she reached her destination when she rounded the next corner.

She tentatively knocked on the bedroom door. There was no answer. Elena immediately knocked a little harder. Still no answer.

A chill ran down Elena's spine as she grabbed the door handle and hastily opened the door.

He was no where in sight when she did the initial scan of the room. However, she noticed that the stairs that led down to the Secret Bibliotecha were open with splashes of blues, whites, and even pinks bursting up from the hidden room.

Relief washed over Elena as she fully entered Mateo's bedroom and closed the door behind her.

When she got to the top of the stairs, she gasped as she realized the flashing colors were from a miniaturized galaxy that was floating and swirling mid-air. The stars and planets were more brilliant and astounding than she had ever seen through a telescope, even with the latest models in Mateo's and Isa's observatories.

Suddenly, a comet shot up right next to Elena.

"Whoa!" Elena exclaimed as she swiftly jumped out of the way and it fizzled out before it hit the ceiling.

The floating galaxy instantly stilled and disappeared in a flash.

"Hello?" Mateo's voice called out.

"It's me Mateo!" Elena replied as she descended down the stairs at a quicker pace.

She found Mateo sitting on the ground, stacks of opened books surrounded him and he had one of the long couch pillows behind his back. He had taken off his new wizard robes, but was still in his everyday clothes with only his shirt untucked.

"I didn't expect anyone to be here with me," Mateo said as he twisted his new Sunbird Tamborita nervously. "You aren't hurt are you?"

Elena shook her head, "Nope, not even a scratch."

"Good."

He leaned to the side on his hands to look behind her.

"No Flo?" he mused.

Elena laughed lightly, "No she's fast asleep. But I couldn't even get a wink of it."

"Yeah, neither can I," Mateo replied. "Well, you know, less than I normally can."

"I wouldn't expect you to," Elena said matter-of-factly.

And she really had expected it. After Elena had recapped what had happened that day to her family, and they had expressed the same sadness of losing yet another member of the household that had once been so happy and simple, she had informed them that she would be taking dinner with Mateo privately.

So, a half an hour later, Elena set out with hot soup, fresh bread, and Flo at her side. The alpacamundi had been insistent on coming along, mostly because she wanted to meet Mateo's other book family members. Which was too innocent and pure of an answer for Elena to explain that Mateo wasn't related to any books.

She had found him in his workshop at that time. One of the newest collection of books cracked open as he seemed to be taking inventory of his current ingredients.

While Mateo had initially turned down her dinner offer at first, saying that he was far too busy, the loud and gurgling sound his stomach made then convinced him other wise.

They decided to sit on the floor at one of the library's card tables. Elena had remained silent as she let him begin rambling about all the amazing finds he had discovered. Including a shape-shifting potion.

"You've already made a shape-shifting potion," Elena had interjected, thinking about all the times they had less-than-responsibly used his potion to turn into their jaquin forms.

"But not like this!" He exclaimed. "This is the one that Shuriki gave Carla so that she could become Rita and..."

Elena felt a piece of bread get lodged in her throat when she saw the crestfallen expression beginning to arise.

Luckily, Flo was there to immediately cut through any tension or solemn feelings that were coming and going throughout the evening, and instantly lighten the mood.

"You can change into different things!? Like a butterfly!" Flo shrieked as she bounced in front of Mateo. "Can you become a butterfly? Can you turn me into a butterfly? Can you also turn icky broccoli into candy!?"

Later that evening, they had parted ways from the kitchen after they had disposed of their dirty dishes, both seemingly with the intention of going to their rooms to get some sleep after a very physically and emotionally draining day for them both.

However, Elena also knew that the first night was the hardest. Which is why, for the first time in a while, it wasn't Esteban that was the reason for her restlessness.

Elena walked across the secret room and sat down beside Mateo. She hadn't really come here with anything to say. She just wanted to make sure that he wasn't staring at a blank wall and completely lost in his grief. She had seen others do that quite a few times. She probably did it herself at times.

"Have I ever told you the story of when I first believed in magic?" Mateo said abruptly as he leaned back and laid his head on half of the long pillow.

Elena was surprised, more so than she really should have been; but with how strongly and passionately Mateo had been about it from the very first day she had met him, she had just assumed he had always been like that.

"It was during the Meteor shower back when I was 8."

Elena remembered that event, it had been one of the things that Isa had said she was so sad she missed since it wouldn't happen for at least another 50 years.

"While my mami had always told me stories about my grandfather and the magic spells he would cast and the creatures he saw, most of that belief was still fueled by childhood innocence. But, it was hard to keep an innocence in the world, in the kingdom, I was growing up in."

Elena gulped as she laid her head down on the empty side of the pillow, adjusting her body so she faced him and wrapping her blanket tighter around her.

"Especially when I couldn't even say a word about who I was, because my mami warned that it wouldn't end with me getting me captured, but killed."

Mateo swallowed.

"I remember that night though. My mother had us walk all the way to the old Maruvian temples even though everyone else was in town. Craning my neck so much that it hurt, but I didn't even care." The corners of his mouth turned into a lop-sided grin. "And as they streaked across the sky, they caused this broach my mother was wearing, that belonged to my abuela, to light up. Then she pointed forward and everywhere I looked, these random patterns in the temple buildings began to light up as well. She said that it was because it was made of turquoise, which the ancient Maruvian's believed brought protection and healing properties. And I remember feeling just this great rush of happiness and amazement and wonder that all the stories that I had learned from my mami were in fact real and still alive. Not sure if she meant to or not, but I knew from that moment, that I would do anything to not only have that feeling again for myself, but for everyone in Avalor."

Elena felt her heart flutter at the sight of his happy expression and at his story. He never ceased in surprising her with just how amazing, and kind, and selfless of a person he was.

Slowly, that smile of his faded. "I have to go home for a few days Elena," Mateo then said flatly. "I need to be with my mami and tell her about what happened."

Elena's heart went out to Rafa especially. She knew how it felt to be an orphan. And whether that happened when you were a child, a teenager, or an adult, there was always this certain empty spot that stayed with you.

"Of course," Elena said softly.

He didn't really need to tell her he was leaving, she had expected this would happen and would give the De Alva family as much time as they needed. Elena knew Mateo would return, the De Alva's were a family the persevered through thick and thin.

It's...it's probably what Esteban had felt she suddenly realized. They had never really talked about that before, him losing both his parents at the same time...

Elena shook her head slightly. There would be plenty of time to think of him later. Right now, she wanted to fully be here for Mateo.

He didn't say anything though for a few moments. His eyes were glued to the ceiling intensely; like they were trying to see through all the stone and to the real night sky that was above them. So, Elena rubbed small, comforting circles with her thumb on the back of his hand, waiting patiently for him to continue.

"I feel guilty for thinking this...but some small part of me doesn't want to tell mami about today. Because she's already had to accept and grieve about him for so many years."

Elena's thumb stopped and she made a hasty move to sit up, but Mateo held up his free hand to her, silently asking her to let him continue. She, of course, complied and lied back down.

Mateo let out such a shaky breath that his whole body shuddered. "But I know I have too, because that wouldn't be fair to her and she can tell me how to live...how to live...without him and make it stop hurting."

Mateo's head than whipped to the side so he looked straight into Elena's eyes. His hazel ones were already welled up with tears and red-rimmed. "How do you not feel this way? I want to regret ever knowing him so it stops hurting! Just to go back to when he was an idealized figure...but I can't! So what am I supposed to do instead!?"

Elena felt the inside of her chest seized with tightness. She released his hand and instead used both of them to grab his face.

"You need to remember to breathe first," Elena said rather firmly, but she needed him to calm down. "In and out. In and out."

Mateo closed his eyes and did as she said, inhaling deeply through his nose and exhaling through his mouth with a slight tremble. He did this a few times before reopening his eyes and meeting her gaze.

"I will be honest with you, and unfortunately, that means that I will have to tell you that those feelings will never fully go away." Elena felt her own eyes begin to sting. She was able to bite them back though. "Not ever."

She pushed herself onto her elbow so that she was now hovering above him. She still had both hands holding his face.

"It's going to be very hard at first, it may even be weeks or even a month before you can make it a day without having them on your mind." It was Elena's turn now as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I never told you this, but it was such a painful experience for me that I shared a bed with Isa for quite a while after we took back the Kingdom, because we both just needed someone to be right there to get us through our nightmares."

One of Mateo's own hands came up and gently cupped her cheek. She smiled, feeling that they were now both connected to each other wholly and gave her the courage to continue.

"But, as you handle those feelings of anger, regret, and sadness, they will begin to fade. And you were right, that day at Carnaval. You were so right that I was surprised that I didn't realize the answer myself at the time. That love really is the most powerful emotion. And that is what you will use to replace those dark feelings until what you think about are the happy memories more than the bad. Trust me."

Elena let a single tear slide down her cheek the moment she finished. However, her smile hadn't left her face, determined to stay resilient for him.

Mateo gently wiped the tear away with his thumb before he proceeded to do the same for his own tears. Elena felt her chest begin to feel not quite so heavy with worry now as she felt his pulse in his neck begin to calm down.

"Will you stay with me?" His cheeks turned pink as he hastily added, "You don't have to stay the whole night...but if you can until I fall asleep."

"Of course," Elena responded with immediately. "You never have to worry about me leaving you. I'm here, always."

"As am I, for you."

Elena felt her heart respond to his words again as she leaned down and placed a quick kiss to his forehead, before she resumed her spot on her side of the pillow that was now feeling very comfortable to her.

Mateo grabbed his new tamborita and raised it above them.

"Estrellas Arriba!" His voice rang out strong. And with one hit to the tamborita, the stunning galaxy burst out from the end of it and into the air above them.

One of his arms then wrapped around her shoulders and pulled her towards him. Elena's own body responded on it's own as she curled into him and reached over to grab his other hand.

Their joined hands rested upon his chest as they continued to admire the wonderous sight above them. Slowly letting the sad memory transform to become yet another happy memory that they would share between them.

#Elena of Avalor #elena castillo flores #mateo de alva #eleteo #Matena #Disney #disney jr

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c-rose2081 · 4 years

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Daughters of Shurian AU (EOA)

More writing for EoA straight out of my drafts. This was for my Daughters of Shurian AU, which is a Universe where Elena and Isa were lost at sea as children, and ended up living with Shuriki on her home island. They are still royalty, they just don’t know it.

••

The Island of Shurian was a dark place. Only one of several Northern Islands, the city was easily the blackest, most unforgiving of them all. One could almost say it was barely a city at all, and more of a conglomerate of organized criminals. Thieves and vandals ruled the streets, keeping things orderly by murdering any who opposed them. Travel was strictly prohibited to and from the Island, and resources were scarce.

So seeing a place like Avalor, Elena felt her jaw drop to the dust. Looking upon such a place, the city as a whole was easily three times the size of Shurian. The rooftops were draped in golden sun, and it was unbearably bright. Shielding her darkness adapted eyes from the glare, Elena couldn’t believe they had actually made it. Only one traveler had ever come to Shurian, under the allowance of their leader. He had gladly told tales of a city of wonders, one filled to the brim with gold and diamonds, fresh food, and the glistening of sapphire waters.

Though she had been young still when he had come and told such stories to the town, Elena believed it was made up. After all, Shurian was all she’d ever seen; all she’d ever known her whole life. Their dirty little island was, until now, the center of her universe. And yet here she stood on the cusp of a tall hill, looking down on the basin which cradled Avalor. El Dorado, he had called it.

The City of Gold.

Not even on the breadth of her eighteenth birthday, Elena was a scrawny sort of girl. Though she had a certain rugged beauty about her with sharp almond cheeks and dark playful eyes, her skin was marked with scars from a life of neglect. She leaned heavily on a haphazardly carved wooden crutch, her left leg as lame as a freshly birthed lamb. Elena herself didn’t remember much about the accident which had caused the injury — only that it left her a permanent cripple.

“...can we...stop...now?”

“Isa, look.”

Pointing at the city, Elena couldn’t contain her excitement. There always had been an innocence to her demeanor, despite a long life of hardship, “we made it.”

“...that’s...great. Can we please take a rest?” Leaning on her knees, Isabel heaved a deep breath, “I feel like I’m dying.”

The hill into Avalor was hardly a mountain. And though the steep incline could cause a leap in heart rate for a moment, it wasn’t anything undoable. But Isabel’s lungs weren’t healthy — Elena knew this well. Isa often had terrible coughing fits, and couldn’t run without difficulty. Their travels away from Shurian had been torture on her poor body, and if she were smaller, Elena would have gladly carried her the whole way.

“We can rest soon. I’m sure there are some abandoned buildings or something here we could sleep in.”

Merely receiving a harsh cough in return as the younger girl leaned over her knees, Elena walked to her sister and placed a tender hand on her back, “I’m sorry, hermana. We should have stopped sooner.”

“...it’s...it’s fine,” holding a rugged hand to her lungs, Isabel took a few shallow breaths as to soothe the ache, “I’m ok.”

“Are you sure? I can try to carry you down.”

“No. You can’t,” waving the offer away, Isabel eye’d Elena’s crutch with a sad expression, “I can make it. It’s all downhill.”

“That’s my tough girl.” Elena chuckled, wobbling herself back to look out over the city. The sun was only beginning to set, kissing the brilliant blue horizon. Dozens of ships were moored in the docks, and the town was busy with crowds of small, ant like people, “isn’t it amazing?”

“I’ve never seen so many people before.” Isa said, appearing at Elena’s side as they looked down at Avalor together, “do you think they’re friendly?”

“I dunno. There’s only one way to find out. And don’t get caught stealing anything — keep it on the down low ok?”

“You got it.”

Sending the elder girl a thumbs up, Elena smiled. Her sister was possibly the best pickpocket imaginable. Small and unassuming, she could lift just about anything without being noticed. If there was something she really wanted, Elena sometimes stepped in as a needed distraction. After all, her status as a cripple made people hyperaware of her presence. Even on Shurian, the city folk weren’t without some sense of empathy.

“Elena? Hey, earth to Elena.”

Isabel tapping her twice with the back of her hand, Elena shook out of her thoughts.

“Sorry. Zoned out. Are you feeling ok to start walking again?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be, I guess.” Isabel answered with a shrug, “this city is huge. Who knows if we’ll be able to find a place to stay here.”

“I’m sure there’s something.” Elena insisted again, keeping her chin high and the smile on her face. Unlike Isabel, the elder liked to consider herself an optimist in unsure times, “if not, we’ll just hunker down in a doorway for the night and skip out before dawn.”

“At least there weren’t any bugs back home.” Isabel grumbled unhappily, slapping a rather large insect which had landed on her skin as they made their way down towards the main city.

“There wasn’t anything back home.” Elena insisted, “this is a new experience for us both. Maybe you’ll even be allowed to go to school here.”

“You think so?”

This made the younger girls eyes light up with excitement. On Shurian, only boys were allowed to go to school. Mothers taught their girls how to read and write at home, as well as other things like sewing, cooking and how to be a good wife. Being orphans for as long as they had been on the island, Elena was thankful she was able to self teach herself how to do such things before teaching her sister.

Isabel had taken to it far more quickly then she had though, and her young mind whirled with thoughts of advanced things Elena couldn’t ever really understand. Isabel was excellent with her hands, and had a knack for creating things; taking them apart and putting them together in a different way. Elena more relied on her words to move her forward in life, as she had the charm her clumsy younger sister had yet to grow into.

“Probably. Once we get settled in we can take a look. Hm?”

“If we ever get settled.” Isa said with a frown, the two of them stopping at the stone archway marking the entrance to the city, “what if we have to go back?”

“Oh Isa....” eyebrows crumpling slightly, Elena knelt down slowly, letting her leg hang on the dirt as she kept a hand around her crutch, “we aren’t ever going back. I promised that we’d find a better life, and this is it.” Waving to the city, the elder felt a rush of excitement, but also uncertainty in her blood, “once we find a place to sleep, I’m going to go out and look for work.”

“But you can’t. Your leg.”

“Avalor is a big city, I’m sure there’s something I can do. Now stop worrying. We need to start looking for places to hunker down before the sun sets.”

Looking to the sky, Elena pursed her lips worriedly. It wouldn’t be long before they’d be cast into darkness. And though it was doubtful that the black in Avalor was as absolute as it was on Shurian, the elder sister didn’t want to take any chances, “come on, Isa. Stay close to me.”

Feeling Isa shift closer, Elena guided their first steps into the Golden City. The assault on the senses was enough to make both foreigners heads spin. The scent of food and fruits wafted through the air, and despite the late hour, voices still held prominence in the streets. Though not paved in diamonds and gold bricks, there was so much trading going on that Elena could only imagine the things Isa could lift without trouble.

Making sure the girl was still close to her side, Isabel hadn’t moved an inch as they wobbled along. There were many posada’s in town, as Elena counted at least three with open rooms on their way in. But they required some form of payment, which they obviously lacked. So they continued on, leaving the narrow trading places and instead finding quieter parts of the city. They weren’t anywhere close to the center of Avalor; meaning the houses here were spread out. Isabel’s tugging at her sleeve drew her attention.

“Elena, look.”

Glancing to where Isabel was pointing, there was a small building tucked back from the road. It was partially scorched, it’s stucco walls crumbling around a week wooden frame. It appeared abandoned since the fire which destroyed it.

“Good spot, Hermana. We can crash here for the night.”

“I hope it doesn’t rain.” The younger girl complained, resting a hand on the low wall surrounding the burnt out property as she observed the large holes in the roof, “I wonder what happened.”

“Dunno. But it should keep us a little sheltered for tonight. Come on, before someone spots us.”

#elena of avalor #cartoon #animated #isabel castillo flores #elena castillo flores #alternate universe #AU #disney #fanfic #fan fiction #writing

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ograndebatata · 4 years

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EoA Ship Appreciation Week 2020 - Day One - New Beginnings Enemies/Rivals

Note: So...I get it I likely am stretching it more than a bit with this kind of story, as we have absolutely no idea of whether these characters are rivals, much less of whether they even know the other exists.

But this ship just came to me one day, and I sailed away on it before I knew what had happened. And given what we know of their characters, I think it would make sense for them to have started out like rivals, before turning into something better, so to speak.

I hope you like my take on this.

Note #2: The full name I gave Professor Mendoza is not canon in any way. It’s something I came up with. I felt and feel it makes sense, but it’s not in any way official. Just thought I’d say it.

Now, without further ado, check on below for the actual fic.

Sparks Under Stars

“And so, according to the legend, the Creators rewarded the jaquins for the role they played in that battle by giving them a picture in the sky, so their bravery and loyalty would be remembered for all eternity,” Professor Sabina Campana Mendoza finished, her brown eyes locked on the familiar constellation whose story was one of her favorites.

If she looked hard enough, it almost seemed she could see the creature taking form around the stars that were its central structure, turning to smile at her before flying away to halt the plots of evildoers, like she had often seen real jaquins doing over the course of her life.

Of course, it did not happen, but all the same, those stars seemed to carry a special glow about them, one no other constellation could match. Just looking at it, she could understand why the Maruvians had made this out to be a special constellation.

"Wow," a familiar raspy voice breathed from her side, a soft rush of hot air caressing her hair.

Drawn away from her musings, Sabina looked at the sound, right into the eyes of the man who had once been the greatest pain in her neck, but was now something much more wonderful.

"That was a beautiful story," Antonio Agama added as the stared into her eyes, his own green ones glowing softly in the light of the campfire they were lying by as they huddled half-dressed under a blanket. “Thank you for telling it to me.”

Taken aback by both his voice and gaze, Sabina could only blink. Both things told her that he meant what he said, and yet the feeling somehow seemed out of place on him. Yes, she had told this story many times before, and while she had yet to receive truly nasty feedback - discounting people who were plain rude or deliberately trying to start trouble - this kind of delighted reaction seemed out of place on an adult man.

Unsure of what else to do, Sabina reached up and bopped Antonio's nose.

"Don't you think we're past the stage where you need to butter me up?"

For some reason, his smile briefly dimmed at her words, as if he was actually hurt that she was genuinely accusing him of something.

"I meant it," he stated, sounding just as sincere as before. "It was a beautiful story, even if it had its sad parts. I'm glad to have learned it."

Despite herself, Sabina had to make a noticeable effort not to scrunch up her face in puzzlement. As honest as his words still sounded, what they were implying seemed just a bit too… unexpected, for lack of a better term.

“You mean… You'd never heard it before?” she managed to whisper.

Antonio nodded, again conveying full sincerity in his face. The slightest of gasps flew past her lips from the small gesture, though it conveyed only a tiny part of the amazement that she felt at this reveal. Him saying he’d never heard this story was almost as shocking as if he’d told her he had never learned to read. Which she knew some people didn’t in certain parts of the world, but not in Avalor. Despite all the damage Shuriki’s rule had done to them as a culture, everyone still learned to read as far as she knew.

But then again, she also thought everyone knew this story, and Antonio had just told her he didn’t.

“But it’s the kind of thing taught at school from an early age, even in remote villages that only have basic schooling.” Sabina at last managed to say. “I know children usually get told a tamer version first, but still...”

Antonio’s face darkened, the flames in the campfire suddenly shifting as a stick popped open on it, the snapping sound giving the illusion that something was breaking inside it by him admitting that.

“I didn’t really go to school,” he graveled out. “All the school-stuff I learned was from my mother, and she was too busy working to teach me a lot. Most of what I know, I taught myself.”

Sabina reached up and rested a hand on his upper arm, feeling her sympathy going out to him. Antonio had never told her much about his childhood, but she knew it hadn’t exactly been happier. Or at any rate, that it had been even less happy than the childhood of the average person unlucky enough to grow up during Shuriki’s rule.

After a few seconds of her resting her hand on his arm, he smiled and put a finger under her chin, the light back in his eyes.

"Which is why I'm glad to learn from you," he added.

Sabina returned the smile, feeling a weight she had only noticed now lifting from her chest. One thing she liked about him - at least ever since they had actually straightened things out between them - was that he admitted when he knew less than her, and that he was willing to learn. All too often, men she met assumed that she knew less just because she was a woman, and when she proved otherwise they only scowled and huffed off in annoyance. Antonio never had, even when the two of them were at odds. And now that they were on better terms, he was actually eager to learn from her, which suited her just fine, because she was always eager to share her knowledge.

“Well, they do say we’re always on time to learn,” Sabina teased as she reached up and curled a strand of Antonio’s hair around her finger.

For some reason, though, Antonio scowled again at her words, as if they reminded him of something unpleasant.

“Tell that to my brother," he grumbled.

Sabina pulled back her hand.

"I thought you and Pablo had mended your relationship by now?"

Antonio’s scowl faded a bit.

"For the most part, we did. But he still hasn't let into his thick head that he needs to make a different living."

“Well, some of us need more time to learn than others,” Sabina teased, a smirk on her lips. "I mean, how long did you take to care about more than the money you can get for ancient artifacts?"

Antonio’s scowl deepened again, a long breath rumbling from him.

"I thought we were past this," he ground out. "I only ever claimed finders' fees for the things I found, and only when they were affordable, and I always returned things to their rightful owners."

“I know,” Sabina said, her voice calmer and gentler now. “And I understand why you did it now,” she added, remembering when he told her how he had grown obsessed with the rewards of adventure, and how it tied to his childhood troubles, and how despite everything he had always strived to keep a certain code by not simply selling objects in the black market and making sure to find out who the rightful owners were. “But how long did it take you to learn to care about more than that when it comes to things you find? To realize how important they truly are to help the world learn about its past?"

He let out another long breath at her questions. His eyes clouded over as he pondered her question, the faint popping of the firewood and the chirps and calls of the night animals filling the silence as he thought.

"A lot," he eventually managed.

"And yet you got there," Sabina insisted.

Antonio’s thoughtful look remained the same.

"All I mean is, as long as there’s life there’s hope,” she added. Memories of a time when she had forced herself to believe the very same thing crashed over her, sending a shiver through her being and almost making her grimace from the memory. “Trust me, I’d know,” she added, her voice a hushed whisper.

Though the fire was in no danger of going out, chills kept rippling through her, fueled by the memories of those 41 years of terror. They might be behind her, and the memories might be kept away most of the time, but sometimes they still invaded her.

A warm calloused band set on her face, Antonio drawing her away from her thoughts again, this time by rubbing a thumb over her cheek bone.

“I suppose that’s true,” he conceded, now with a deliberately teasing voice of his own. “After all, we did learn to get along. And how unlikely does that sound in comparison?"

A barked laugh flew from her at the analogy, all the more genuine because of how true it was. A year ago, if she had been told that she and Antonio Agama would become as close as they were, she would have guessed that the person had either escaped from an asylum or drank too much pisco. Yes, there had been a certain chemistry between them for years, but both had refused to act out on it, held back by the rivalry that fueled them when it came to their discoveries. And if they had never needed each other to escape five target-seeking javelins, an anaconda, four crocodiles, seven caimans, and three jaguars, they probably still wouldn't have stopped being stubborn, nor would they have admitted that they worked better as a team than as rivals.

"It does sound much more unlikely," Sabina at last replied. "Especially after all the repeat attempts that were needed." She tapped her chin in mock-thought, deliberately rolling her eyes. “How many clashes over ancient artifacts did that take exactly?”

“Fourteen,” Antonio replied with a smirk. “I kept tabs.”

Sabina mock-rolled her eyes again. “And don’t I know it…”

"Don't talk like you weren't doing it," he mock-scolded as he took his hand from his face and playfully swiped at her nose with his finger.

Sabina snorted at the remark, rubbing her nose to clear the tickling. She could certainly say that, but that lie would be dirtier than she and Antonio had been after they got through all those spots of trouble. As much as she had fumed when Antonio held his victories over her, she had never hesitated in holding hers over him either.

“Look on the bright side,” he added as he drew her closer to him. “At least we know we won’t be fighting for this one.”

Despite her muttered laugh at his poor joke, Sabina snuggled into his chest, listening to his heart beating in her ear.

“Well, this is much better than fighting...” she murmured, resting her hand on his ribs.

She felt him shifting as he smiled at her words, and then felt his fingers running through her hair, more gently than she would have once thought him possible, his voice just as gentle as he replied.

“Yes. It is.”

#elena of avalor #eoa ship appreciation week 2020 #antonio agama #professor mendoza #antonio agama x professor mendoza #fanfiction

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halloweennut · 5 years

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Truth Universally Acknowledged

(what up i have no self control gang! Anyway arrange marriage chateban au as brought up in the discord. might write more. really AU)

If there was one thing Esteban hated it was being pitied, another was being mocked. And at his own engagement party and monster reception ball both were occurring behind hands and in across the room glances. He kept his face stoic and cool but his grip on his champagne flute hard. It nearly threatened to shatter in his hands, but then again, what else didn't?

It had barely been three months since he and Ash had had their "parting of the ways" wherein he pulled the rug from underneath her and took a near fatal shot to the chest for Elena. It barely began his apology and and it just as barely began to mend the harm he had done. It had taken him a month to recover, another to rebuild his reputation. Esteban would, albeit begrudgingly, have to thank Dona Paloma for handling that public relations fiasco. A delicate web of silver-tongued lies had been spun and had made their way through the country, making him more tragic than he actually was instead of a traitor.

While the country and people were on the mend, his family still had reservations, and Esteban couldn't blame them. Elena had wanted little to do with him outside of him waking up a week after getting shot - they both had sobbed and he had tried to hold her the best he could- and the second trial for him. At the very least they talked about everything, from his teens until now. Isabel had been lukewarm, torn between her loyalties to him and Elena, but he had seen her more often. His grandparents had run hot and cold and sometimes warm. But at the very least, they were all trying.

When the end of the second month came, more about his grand misadventures with Ash came to light, mostly in that they had made many monsters and various spirits...incensed, to say the least. Tensions were already harsh between humans and monsters. Ash trying to force an alliance had only made things worse. Naturally, the royal family had to make amends and clean up the diplomatic mess that had been made.

The Monster Ambassador came with no less than three were-Jaguars and in war paint. They were a small, flighty creature that looked and acted like a hummingbird, blunt and to the point and put far too much sugar in their drinks. Huitzilo wanted reparations for everything or at least a start. To begin with, land and space in Avalor and in Vallestrella. Easily done, once the jaquins were convinced. But other than that...no treaty could be agreed upon, nothing Avalor they couldn't get or already possessed. It took a grueling week of deliberations before the monster body came with a proposition and one that Elena had wished wouldn't be brought up: a marriage alliance. One of their highest ranking monsters would marry a member of the royal family. While it was the only viable one, Elena was hesitant to do that to anyone in her family, and who could she ask? They were either too young, too old, dead, married or in prison.

"I can't resurrect people from the dead. And Cristobal is still in jail," Elena paced in front of her family and grand council in one of the private palace parlors. "Not like he would be a good choice anyway!"

"We'd get his head on a spike," Naomi replied. "If I'm being honest here."

"Do we even know who the monster's are sending?" Dona Paloma asked. She and Esteban, begrudgingly, shared the council seat. "That would be helpful, but I doubt they would even think of that."

Elena shot her a look. "We're trying to create peace, Dona. And no, just that she is powerful and well respected."

"I'm afraid we're low on options, mijita," Francisco said. "But we can't force anyone."

"I mean…" Elena trailed off. "I did legalize same-sex marriage a few months ago-"

Everyone protested at that.

"Elena, no," Mateo said. "We all know you would do anything for Avalor, but this isn't something you should take on."

"Agreed," Gabe replied. "20 is no age to rush into a marriage. I've seen too many couples fall apart at my family's bakery barely months after we made the wedding cake."

"But it's for peace! We don't have options!" Elena exclaimed. "I don't know where else to-"

"I'll accept it."

Elena and the rest of the group turned to look at Esteban, who had been uncharacteristically silent for the whole meeting. Elena's face dropped and looked the most concerned he had seen her in regards to him, save the time where he could barely walk five feet without spotting his bandages and nearly passing out.

"Esteban, I couldn't ask you to-"

"And you don't have to," he said. "I'll take the proposal."

"Listen, I know you're trying to make up for everything but," Naomi replied, "you couldn't just up and marry some stranger!"

Esteban shook his head. "It was almost a reality more than once under Shuriki. At least now I have a say in it. Like abuelo said: our options are limited. I'm unmarried, alive, and thankfully not in jail."

Elena looked at him, almost pleadingly, as if to make him change his mind. "We just got you back. We can't lose you again."

"You won't," he said. "Just...Elena, prima, let me do this for you and for Avalor."

Elena sighed, resigned. "I permit it."

They had told Huitzilo shortly after, and a working treaty was signed. It was then Esteban finally learned the name of his fiancée: Chatana, Mother of Monsters, powerful sorceress and practical god in her own right. Funny how it all came back: monster, sorceress, it was karma incarnate. A week later, Esteban received the first letter from her. It was shockingly formal, nearly impersonal. He responded in kind, and kept responding as more letters came. Occasionally there would be a gift attached, but again, nothing personalized, mostly because they never said anything personal.

Their engagement ball would be the first time they actually met.

He could lie and say he wasn’t nervous.

Esteban Flores was terrified about what was going to walk through the ballroom doors when the Monster Embassy came. He expected everything and nothing, and the only solace he had was that he was surrounded by family - and oh how wonderful that felt - and the felt presence of the Royal Guard and the jaquins. Esteban took a sip of his champagne. It was a hollow gesture, but if people saw that he was calm and unfazed, they would be too. He felt a touch at his elbow and turned to see Naomi.

“You alright there? You look dazed,” she said. “Nervous?”

“Absolutely not,” he shook his head. “Just apprehensive is all. Who wouldn’t be?”

Naomi shrugged. “I suppose so…”

She trailed off, and Esteban could see her try to figure out the next sentence.

"You know you don’t have to...If you're doing this to try to make up for- " Naomi started. It was a statement Esteban had heard nearly every week since he’d been acquitted.

"I'm doing this for Avalor," Esteban tried not to snap “And that’s all there is to it.”

“Wow, you keyed up,” she forced a grin which he couldn’t help but return. She held up her own flute - he wouldn’t chastise her tonight for sneaking a glass of champagne behind her parents and Francisco and Luisa. “Bottoms up and le chaim.”

“Remind me to let you do a toast at my wedding,” Esteban laughed, clinking their glasses together.

“If you didn’t I’d be insulted,” Naomi replied, and both took a long sip. “I still call dibs on best man- er, lady? I don’t know.”

Before Esteban could answer in a teasing affirmative, Gabe approached.

“The Embassy is about to enter,” he stated. “My men and the jaquins are ready if they ambush.”

That had been a pressing fear that had been in everyone’s mind - that this had been a tactic to gather the entirety of the Avaloran Royal Family and nobility in one place to attack, despite the treaty. Elena wanted to give the monsters the benefit of the doubt, but took precautions nonetheless.

“Thank you, Captain,” Esteban nodded, and finished his glass, setting it on a passing maid’s tray. “Places then.”

The three made their way up to the dais to stand next to the rest of the group. His grandparents’ smiles were tight. Francisco gave his shoulder a comforting pat and Luisa fussed over the collar of his suit - a new one for the night, dark green with golden embroidery. Chatana was apparently found of the color green and it seemed like an appropriate move. Luisa gently held his face in her hands, pressing a kiss to his forehead. Isabel ran forward, hugging his middle tight as Elena looked on. He couldn’t read her expression, but she joined Isa in the hug before they all moved to their places: Francisco, Luisa and Isa on Elena’s right, Naomi, Mateo and Gabe on her left. Esteban stood directly next to her right side and stood straighter and prouder than any of the guards could wish.

“Ready?” Elena’s whisper barely met him over the lowering din of the crowd. He nodded.

“As I’ll ever be,” he replied. With that, Elena nodded to the guards manning the door. The guards then opened the doors, and the crowd went still. Eight jaguars entered, blacker than pitch, and there were a few gasps came from the crowd, even more so as they shifted to eight humans, draped in pelts and covered in black body paint. It was hard to tell where pelt ended and skin began in the inky void. Following them came four bird-sprite like creatures - a mix of various birds and humans that felt far too uncanny valley for comfort in their loveliness.

And then came the bride to be, flanked by Huitzilo. Chatana stood at least a head above the crowd, mighty wings held aloft and spread. Her presence was greater than some queens and it demanded attention, even in the simple pose and just as simple walk. Her face was stoic and proud as she followed behind her entourage. Esteban hadn’t expected her to be lovely - he expected the mother of monsters to be...monstrous, and he began to worry that it would be evident in her demeanor.

‘Well, you made your bed,” he thought to himself as he watched the were-jaguars stand at attention in two parallel lines in front of the dais, followed by the bird-sprites. Once Chatana came closer, he stepped down to meet her and her path paused. They bowed to one another - all a ceremonial formality - and Esteban took one of her hands and placed a kiss on the knuckles.

“Welcome to Avalor,” he said, standing to look at her face. “It is nice to finally meet you.”

Chatana’s eyes were warm up close, but the look on her face was confusing. Something mixed with some sort of bored amusement, confusion, and more that he couldn’t place. But she smiled slightly, still formal. “Likewise.”

The Ambassador looked pleased with himself as Chatana and Esteban both ignored him, her stiffly taking his arm as he led her up to the dais. And that was the extent of their conversation and interaction as more champagne was poured and Elena made a welcoming speech to the monsters and spoke of a new era for them and Avalor. She congratulated Esteban and Chatana, and the room toasted their engagement and marriage. As the night continued, Huitzilo and Esteban’s family equally continued to prompt the two to speak. They did of course, but it was stunted, and much like their letters, impersonal. It was chalked up to nerves and the overall inherent awkwardness of just meeting.

They all hoped it was just that as the very least.

#elena of avalor #chateban

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oliversaluki · 5 years

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City Of Dreams {Avalor Crew + Ollie}

Ollie & Isa ask for permission from her family/Avalor Crew to take her to New York so Ollie can confront his biological mother.

Excluding Mateo as we did this back before we had Becky in the group. Sorry Becky!

@displacedprincess @littleprincesa-isabel @carvedfromlivingstone @someonespecial-naomi

Date: Early/ Mid March 2019

OLLIE:

Step one was accomplished. Ollie had asked Rita and essentially Roscoe and both of them were okay with it. It was about time his school would break for the UK version of spring break and his baby sister wouldn’t be born for another two months at least which meant this was the only time he had. If he wanted to meet his sister and force his mother to deal with him then he had to move now.

But at the same time, Ollie didn’t want to do this on his own so he had asked Isa. The problem with asking Isa. He had to ask her whole family. So this time Ollie was doing it right. Armed with Isa at his side Ollie entered through the front door and caught the attention of his sister and the others.

“I suppose you’re all wondering why we’ve asked you here. And well I wanted to do this the right way. Would it be possible to bring Isa with me to New York? We’ll be back in a week, we’ll take a guard. Whatever you guys want. But I’d really like her to come with me.”

ISABEL:

Things had mellowed down since the Titanic event Swynlake had thrown everyone in. Isabel had returned into her routine of things and all had been going very well.

But now, she was walking into the living room of her flat with her boyfriend in hand to ask if she could leave the country…. again.

The first time hadn’t gone so well, but she was hoping that this time around since things were being done properly it wouldn’t turn out the same. Isa was hoping that her family would hear her out. They had promised they would back when things were discussed during her return back from Italy. She wanted to be there for Ollie.

Isa knew of the reasons for this trip and she wanted to support her boyfriend through it. It would be disheartening for her if she couldn’t be there for him all because she was a runaway princess.

She gave Ollie’s hand a bit of a squeeze as she looked with pleading eyes at her family all gathered together. “I’ll adhere to all the rules you all may have, take whoever with me and even text, call, facetime the whole nine-yards every day!”

ELENA:

Isabel was supposed to be the smart one, Elena tried very hard not to say out loud. In what world did Isa and Ollie think this conversation would go well? Really, seriously. What world.

Elena put on her best, most polite politician’s smile and swallowed the urge to do some outrageous yelling. She straightened her back and launched into her answer, careful to speak slowly and carefully so as not to be on the receiving end of Goliath’s dad rage again.

“I don’t need to hear a longer pitch, my answer is no. Isa- you aren’t an adult yet, for one, you can’t just go on trips out of the country with your boyfriend because you feel like it. Nevermind how dangerous it would be to be that much closer to Avalor.” She took a deep breath before she continued, to prevent getting over emotional. “I still hesitate to fully trust you after what you did, Isabel. You understand that, don’t you? You’re not completely in the jailhouse anymore, as you’re aware.”

Isa had been allowed to go to parties thrown by classmates, have Ollie over, and had gained other freedoms back after being Super Grounded for Italy.

“But I’m not ready to trust you to go to New York.”

“And to be frank, I have issues trusting you with her, after Italy.” She said to Oliver. “I don’t really know you. If I knew anything about you other than you’re my sister’s boyfriend and Rita’s son, maybe I’d be more comfortable.”

GOLIATH:

Naomi and Goliath had been cooking when Isa and Oliver had come in, and both had come to a complete halt when the two had brought up going on another trip, this time even further than before. Naomi had opened her mouth to respond as her knuckles went white as they gripped the spoon, but Goliath reached over and laid a hand on her shoulder. Unfortunately, he hadn’t had a chance to stop Elena as well, and by the time she was done, he was frowning at them both.

“Elena,” he said in his best Dad Voice, “that’s hardly fair. We haven’t even heard why they want to go.” Isabel and Oliver knew better than anyone what they were asking, so they wouldn’t just ask on a whim. Did Goliath understand Elena’s response? Yes. Of course he did, he was just as worried about their safety as he had been before. But at least this time they were asking, and doing so properly.

He had promised Isabel he would hear her out in the future, and he stood by that.

“Naomi, keep an eye on the food, please,” he asked as he wiped down his hands on the towel over his shoulder. She already was looking a little wild in the eyes at the suggestion of another Isa Adventure, and she needed to be kept away from the conversation. He gestured for the other three to follow him into the living room so they could sit down. “First of all, thank you both for coming and asking us this time,” he said to Oliver and Isa, giving them a small smile. “I know that must be hard after what happened before. I think we all learned from last time, so we’re going to hear you out this time before giving our final answer.” Goliath gave Elena a brief, meaningful look. It was a look she knew well, his ‘Please be quiet and listen’ look. It had been a regular during their tutoring days.

“Please,” Goliath gestured to Oliver and Isa, “tell us more about this trip. Oliver, I believe you and your family are from New York, is that correct?”

OLLIE:

Ollie was prideful even if he hadn't wanted to admit it. He would step down in most situations if it meant someone else would be safe and okay. If he would be the only one to suffer. But then there were moments like this when no one was truly in any danger and it was just his ego and potentially Isa’s being bruised.

It put up all his guards as Elena stared at them and rejected the idea outright. He wanted to fight and claw and yell out of course she didnt know him. No one really did. Not the parts that truly made him up with his anxieties and his fears. Why he had been willing to let Isa lie for both their sakes. Because isa did know and that's why he knew she wanted to come with him. Because if Ollie didnt have some back up he wasnt quite sure he was confident enough to go on his own. So he had to swallow back down his pride as Elena shot down his proposal squeezing Isa's hand softly. He had known there was a chance this would go horribly wrong but he had still wanted to ask. No matter how little he had been able to sleep thinking about this.

It was just a good thing before Ollie had to say anything Goliath stepped in. He had to take his ego down a couple notches and he could only do that if he was given a few seconds.

“Yeah and thank you for giving us a chance. And Well Rita and Roscoe wont be coming with us in full disclosure. Rita is too far in her pregnancy to really be flying but this is a trip I need to do before the baby is born.” Ollie admitted softly. “I'm going to meet with my biological mother and my half sister. We have the option to stay at my grandparents so there's more than enough room for isa's guard to come as well and we can hire more security as well for the property if that helps in any regard.” Ollie offered glancing down for a moment before looking back up more at goliath then elena because guess what. She scared him.

“anything you want to know I'll do my best to explain. About me or about the trip.”

ISABEL:

Isabel knew things were going to go rocky the moment she saw the smile that had curved over Elena’s lips. It was a practised one, one she had seen her sister make over and over again in front of diplomatic meetings and political leaders.

It made Isa tick internally.

Elena didn’t really get to know Ollie because she never gave him the chance. She was hardly approachable. Her and Ollie have been dating for almost a whole year now, Elena should know more about him. Isa wasn’t sure what had upset her more, Elena’s reaction or the fact that she had actually been foolish enough to believe her family would consider to listen this time around.

What were they going to do when she turned eighteen?!

She was getting ready to snap. The hand being held by Ollie must have tightened tenfold as the words were starting to form on the brunette’s lips, but Goliath had interjected just in time to make Isa visibly swallow everything in.

Ollie had started talking again and he went ahead and admitted about his biological mother and grandparents something he really hadn’t admitted to much of anyone before. He wanted support, Isa just wanted to be that support for him and well yes it was across the country… but it wasn’t neither of their faults that that’s where Ollie’s biological family lived.

“I just want him to have support…” She admitted looking at Goliath because if she looked at Elena she could possibly snap. “I’ll take every security measure possible.” Shuriki would hardly know. She can fake her documents, cover up and everything. She had done it for Italy.

ELENA

“Papá, how is that not fair?” Elena asked before switching to Spanish, too emotional to be bothered with English. And anyway, this was directed only at Goliath. “My little sister wants to leave the country with the kid who she ran away to Italy for. And who has spent a year sneaking around with her and not tried to get to know her family to establish trust. How can you even entertain the idea?”

“Isa, it’s the other side of the world.” Elena said, careful to not sound too harsh and authoritative. “You have to understand that.”

God, support? For what? And what was it with teenagers acting like their first boyfriend was their end all be all? Going to New York to give your man moral support is something you do shortly before you get proposed to. Not what seventeen year olds with a dictator fancying them dead do. Elena sighed and buried her face in her hands. Count to three. Rein in the anger.

“Chavena even if we gave you a guard,” Elena said gently in Spanish, because the next half had to be. “There’s not going to be five bulletproof winged friends.” Gárgolas sounded too close to gargoyles, in case Ollie caught the word and looked it up.

“Why does it have to be now. Why can’t it wait until Rita can go with you, and why can’t another friend go for support instead?” Elena had counted up to seventy-one in her head.

GOLIATH

Goliath could already feel the headache starting between his eyes at the way Isa and Oliver held themselves defensively, and the way that Elena ignored his request to let him handle this. The last thing he wanted was for this to become another fight that lasted for days and left Isabel and Elena both feeling more distant than before.

“Elena,” Goliath said again, this time the order clear in his tone. Stop talking. “I understand your reservations but you have to hear them out,” he said in firm Spanish. “I do not want a repeat of Italy’s aftermath, young lady. Now, please, do not make me send you to the kitchen to check on Naomi.” He would apologize later, but her immediate reaction had put everyone on the defensive, and now things would be much harder going forward.

Oliver probably hadn’t intended it to, but the knowledge that Rita and Roscoe would not be accompanying them helped more than it hurt their chances. Goliath still did not know Rita well, and the further Isa and Oliver were from Roscoe - in Goliath’s estimations - the better. The fact that it was to visit Oliver’s birth family also helped. This wasn’t just a spur-of-the-moment vacation. This was an incredibly serious and important trip to him, and warm-hearted Isabel of course wanted to go with him. He wouldn’t have expected anything less from her.

Goliath looked at the two, resting his chin in his hand as he thought. “I understand why this trip is important to the both of you,” he began. “Family is very important to us as well, and I would not wish to see anyone denied the opportunities to connect with theirs. I know that pain very well.” He reached out, rubbing Elena’s shoulder as if to remind them both what a miracle it was that they had found each other again; all three of them. “Which is also why we are so apprehensive. Oliver, I trust that since the last incident, you’ve come to understand exactly how serious the threat against Isabel’s life is. So far, our stay in Swynlake has been mostly calm, but there are forces in the world that would not hesitate to see Isabel dead or worse.”

Goliath caught and held Oliver’s eyes, his gaze as heavy as one would expect from a nearly thousand-year-old gargoyle. “It is not a threat to be taken lightly by anyone, no matter how prepared they think they may be. And it is a threat to your life as greatly as it is a threat to hers. I understand that you two have a history of sneaking out together, and although you have stated that you would bring a guard with you, I can not stress enough that that behavior can not continue if you are to go to New York together. An ocean separates us from Avalor here. There is no such protection in New York.”

Goliath took a deep breath. “But,” he added. “I also am from New York, and have my own connections there should trouble arise.” He looked to Elena with a small smile. “I’m sure you remember Matt Bluestone,” he said. “The Maza family as well. All well-trusted and devoted friends of mine should you need help.” Goliath reached out, offering his hand to Isabel. “I’m not saying no, and I’m not saying yes. But I am saying that we will strive to find a way to make this trip work for you two. If we can’t find a way and the threat of harm for both of you is too great, I expect you to accept that decision with grace. But we will try.”

OLLIE:

Elena had switched to Spanish. Wasnt that so kind. To switch to the language Ollie wasnt supposed to know and talk around him. The thing was Ollie did know parts of it. He wasnt fluent by any means and if someone spoke too fast he wouldn't be able to follow but that didnt mean he couldnt follow parts.

And honestly from how defensive she was. Ollie would bet it wasnt good. He just hoped it wasnt something that would really hurt Isa as much as she was already hurt squeezing onto his hand as tightly as she was. If he could protect her from that or anything he would do it.

Again it was good Goliath stepped in because Ollie was ready to fight. To say his secrets even if they didnt deserve to hear them. About how he couldnt take rita after the baby was born because this trip was for him not to be scared of the baby when she was born.

Or how it was partially his therapists idea. Or how he didnt have anyone to ask because everyone close to him in the past year had left him. How if he had to face the woman who left him on a park bench and couldnt even stay 2 days he wasnt sure he could come back from that.

He wanted to say he wasnt stupid. That while him and isa snuck out and in they were well aware of the fact isa's family knew. Just like rita knew. It gave then a sense of controlling their own lives.

But this time he wasnt going to tell out his truths. Those weren't for them.

“all I want is isa to be safe and happy. If that means I have to go alone then I guess that's what it means but at the same time it would mean the world to me if we can figure out a way for her to come. I want to show her New York too. We'll deal with guards and we wont run from them. Trust me when I say we know shes safe here because you guys are here and that's the only reason we sneak around. Rita always knows where I am. I never lie about where I'll be” but he couldn't talk for isa either.

ISABEL:

Elena was backfiring again, still adamant in rejecting this entire notion without caring to give it a second thought. Did she not realize that Isa would have never even entertain the idea to ask if it were really not important to her? Had that thought possibly crossed her mind at all for a reason as to why her sister would try to put effort into pulling this stunt again?

It wasn’t a fling vacation trip. This was very important to Ollie and she wanted to be there for him because he has always been there for her.

Even when he really shouldn’t have been.

That rung clearer as Goliath spoke and pressed upon the danger of everything. Isa always thought of that. She thought about that day in and day out. The danger the constant danger and how she was inadvertently placing Ollie in it simply by letting him be close to her. In this deep hidden spot inside of her where she would never admit to in the light of day, it made her feel like Shuriki already won.

It didn’t matter if she did absolutely nothing she already won because they would all be always looking back and over their shoulders, they will always be in fear, they will always be scared to let anyone in or too close to them, they will all be left isolated. Shuriki didn’t have to do one single little thing but stay seated on the throne she stole.

“Spanish isn’t necessary.” Isa retorted to her sister needing to speak to cut her own thoughts off before she choked in them. Plus, that was not fair to Ollie and very rude. “And one of them can come with us we aren’t trying to add any restrictions.”

Goliath at this point had extended his hand out to Isa as she took a hold of it looking up at him with a tiredness and a bit of hope all mixed together. “Okay, but I really wouldn’t want him to go alone.”

ELENA

“It was necessary to talk about Papá’s clan.” Elena hissed. “Or do we want to tell a random boy all of our family secrets.”

Elena threw up her hands in frustration and let them drop onto her lap with a loud smack. This was bullshit. This entire thing was a bunch of bullshit. Isa even thinking they’d say yes. Goliath entertaining her. “More freedom” they agreed on didn’t mean trips to other countries.

But fuck Elena and her effort to not lose her only real family to assassination again, right? She’s just a crazy bitch.

“Your life is literally more important than whether or not you want him to go alone.” Elena said, trying her best to hold in her venom.

“I’m just wondering when you plan to stop shaving years off my life from stress. Just curious. At this rate, I won’t need to be assassinated.” She deadpanned. “Heart attack at thirty? Scheduled. Goliath, you’re not serious.”

GOLIATH

“I am absolutely serious, just like I am serious about stopping this whole conversation now if you two don't stop it,” Goliath said firmly, giving Isabel and Elena stern frowns. Elena was lashing out again, and Goliath was not letting them go back to not speaking to each other.

“Elena, please go check on Naomi,” he told her, giving her the Lucia Brow which meant 'We are talking about this later, young lady’. She had made it very clear she wasn't ready for this conversation yet, which was fine. It was scary. Goliath wasn't entirely convinced yet, but they owed to to Isabel to keep an open mind. And to not insult her or say cruel things in the process. It wasn’t fair to Isabel, no matter the request.

“We will discuss who might be going with you later,” Goliath said to Isabel, now giving her a look that said ‘Not now’. She trusted Oliver, and that was wonderful, but Goliath didn't yet. Especially not with his sons and their secret; scared and new to the world and even less prepared for a trip to another country. They barely even felt comfortable leaving the house during the day yet.

OLLIE:

Maybe Ollie was biased but he hadn’t seen any reason for Isabel to get that frown from Goliath. Maybe it was the spanish, maybe it was something else but to him Isabel was being more than accommodating. She was laying out everything she could out in the open and she was trying to protect him. She was being the absolute best girlfriend ever.

Giving her hand a quick squeeze Ollie smiled over at her. Maybe she wouldn’t look at him and see the look but she meant the world to him in this moment.

“Is there anything else you’d like to know about this trip? Anything that would make the decision uh- more rounded?”

ISABEL:

Isabel wasn’t so terribly shocked by Elena’s reaction at the moment. Her sister always had a flair for the dramatics, a flaring temper, and the talent for speaking her mind no matter what was held in it.

Isa did have to fight back the flinch of slight anger from hearing Elena call her boyfriend “random.”

Ollie and her have been dating for about a half of year now and were friends before that. He was far from someone just randomly popping up into the picture. She wanted to reply to that say something that would probably spark the fumes more (which wouldn’t be a good idea) but Elena ended up being sent to the kitchen solving that problem.

The brunette allowed her eyes to fall over Goliath’s again, as she nodded at him.

“I’m okay with that.”

She didn’t want to fight or put any restrictions on anything at all. That’s why she was here. She was willing to accept all the conditions placed on her by her family.

#littleprincesa isabel #displacedprincess #carvedfromlivingstone #someonespecial naomi

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longliveninokuni · 5 years

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“Love”

Part of the EOA Ship Appreciation Week on Discord.

Aww, Esteban is reminiscing about his life while holding his little baby girl in his arms. It's so cute! Nothing can bring his mood down, nothing!

Ff.net link if you prefer: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13208409/1/Love

A/N: Well, today's the final day of the EOA Ship Appreciation Week. Today's theme is "emotion," and there is a LOT of emotion in here. Some good, some bad, all emotional. I'm just surprised I was able to finish it on time. Well, enjoy!

Disclaimer: The following is a non-profit, fan-based, fanfiction. Elena of Avalor is owned by the Walt Disney Corporation and Craig Gerber. Luciana is my OC, so she belongs to me. Please support the official release.

How? How is this tiny thing in Estéban's arms so...so adorable?

It was an hour since Naomi gave birth to her and Estéban's daughter Luciana, and Estéban still can't believe this is happening. He's a father. He never thought he'd ever get to experience this feeling, just meeting someone you helped create then instantly fall in love with them. He gave up hope when Shuriki invaded, then basically made him her personal plaything.

By the time she was gone, he was too old.

Then somehow, he fell in love with someone much younger than him, but she fell in love with him as well. Then Mateo found a potion that could stop the aging process and the antidote for when Naomi is his age. And then he and Naomi got married and had the crazy notion to have kids.

Now, Estéban is holding his beautiful daughter after nine months of teasing, arguments, pregnancy symptoms, and reassuring moments. Both parents had doubts about being good parents. But all of that is over, and Estéban's doubts were gone the moment he held his little girl. How is it that it took time for him to love his wife and his youngest cousin when she was born, yet he instantly fell in love with this little bundle in his arms? He has no answer.

"Welcome to the world, Luciana." He whispered. His wife is currently asleep from giving birth, and Luciana is asleep because she's a baby. He gently nuzzles his face against hers. "You've been born into a wonderful family that will love you, no matter what."

"Oh, are you sure about that, Estéban?" Estéban froze. No, no, it can't be.

He shakily rose his head, only to be face-to-face with Shuriki. "Shuriki…" He whispered.

Shuriki smirked. "Well, it looks like you've built up quite the life Estéban. You even have your own little family. It's a shame that it's all based on a lie."

Estéban held his daughter close to his chest. "What are you talking about? I've told my family everything I did forty-six years ago. My conscience is clear!"

But Shuriki only chuckled. "Oh Estéban, I think you know what I mean." In the next moment, she's standing in front of him, staring at him with an all-too-familiar look.

Estéban grew fearful and tried to back away, but Shuriki was faster. She grabbed his daughter away from him. "NO!" He yelled.

Luciana is crying from being woken up. Shuriki looks at her with disgust. "Before we go back to our activities, let's get rid of this baggage."

The next moment, Luciana's crying went silent.

Estéban sat frozen. He just watched his daughter get murdered.

Shuriki then shifted her eyes to Naomi, but before Estéban could even move an inch, Shuriki already strikes. Black lightning shoots out from her hand and strikes Naomi's sleeping form. Her screams were quick, but they were loud.

"NAOMI!" Estéban moved to her side to try to shake her awake. But she never did.

Estéban was beginning to hyperventilate. His wife and child are dead. What can he do? Elena, he can get Elena to take her down-

"Ah, and with that, the last two members of your family are dead." Shuriki says.

Estéban froze. What? He looks towards Shuriki and realizes that her whole dress is covered in blood. Whose blood? It's too much to just be his daughter's. Then, that means…

Shuriki smirks as she sees Estéban's tears. "Well now, look who finally realized that he's alone." Then she moves over to him, grabs his chin, and turns his face towards hers. "Except, for me, of course."

Estéban's eyes widened at that. No, no no no no no no! Not again, not again, not AGAIN!

Estéban screams as he tries to push Shuriki away, but she overpowers him and pulls him onto the bed. She smirks at Estéban's terror-filled face. "Let's have some fun, shall we?" Estéban only screams.

"ESTÉBAN, WAKE UP!" Someone screamed. Then Estéban suddenly felt cold and wet. His eyes opened to see Naomi, sitting over him with a bucket, alive. She puts down the bucket when she sees Estéban awake. "Geeze, you scared me for a second there. What kind of nightmare had to give you a reaction like-OOF!" She was cut off as Estéban sat up and hugged Naomi tightly as he cried.

"I thought you died." He sobbed.

Naomi slowly relaxed as she hugged him back. "How?" Estéban only cried harder. Whatever killed her in his dream must be scary if it gives a reaction like...oooooh. "Was it Shuriki?" Her only response was him tightening his hug and crying.

Naomi rubbed his back. "It's okay; she's gone now. She's gone. She can't hurt you anymore. Elena got rid of her in Nueva Vista three years ago, remember? She's gone." Estéban continues to cry.

Naomi has no idea what to do, then came another cry, and she had to smile at that. "Our daughter's awake." She said.

Estéban tensed up a bit before looking over to the little bassinet next to the bed. And lo and behold, his little girl was in there alive and crying. He carefully moved out of Naomi's straddle to get out of bed and pick up Luciana, returning to the bed soon after. "No, no, don't cry. Daddy's sorry he woke you." He said calmly. He still had tears on his face, but he seems to have calmed a little.

Naomi rested her head on his shoulder as she caressed her daughter's cheek. She then turned to Estéban and kissed his cheek. "We're fine. We're alive. Shuriki is dead. You don't have to worry about her anymore. She can't hurt you."

Estéban took a deep breath as he tries to calm Luciana down, finally being able to when he let her grab his finger. "I know. I have no idea where that nightmare came from."

"Do you want to tell me what happened?"

Estéban's silence for a few moments before he spoke. "I was dreaming about Luciana's birth, which was just a few hours ago. I was feeling happy holding her in my arms, reliving memories of us getting together-"

"You hogging our daughter to yourself?" Naomi interjected with a smirk.

Estéban gave a small chuckle. "Of course." Then his face fell. "But then, Shuriki came in. She took Luciana out of my hands, and she-" He cuts himself off, not wanting to say the rest of the sentence.

Naomi hugs him. "What happens after?"

"Then, she...kills you. While you slept." He feels her tighten her hug. "After that, she said that I was alone. But I didn't think that, the rest of our family surely must've been alive. But then I noticed the blood on her dress. There was too much." He takes a deep breath and swallows.

"Take your time; you don't have to rush. We can even end here if you want." Naomi starts rubbing his back.

Estéban starts shaking; he does want to stop here. Then he looks down at his daughter's face to see her looking right at him. Those innocent blue eyes are looking right at him. She lifted her hand that isn't holding his finger as close to his face as she could, then babbles incoherently.

Estéban's tears start falling again, but he's smiling. He kisses the hand holding his finger, and she giggles happily. "Mija."

Estéban frees his finger from Luciana's grasp and cups her cheek. "Shuriki wanted to use me. Again." He rubs his thumb gently on her cheek.

Naomi looks at him. "Did anything happen?"

Estéban shook his head. "No, that's when you woke me up." Estéban then kisses Luciana's forehead.

Naomi nods. "Are you okay?"

Estéban stood up and placed Luciana back in her bassinet. Then he returned to bed and kissed Naomi deeply. It's a few minutes before he pulled away and rested his forehead against hers. "Thank you, for everything. I have no idea what I'd do if I lost you or Luciana."

Naomi gently pushes him down into bed. "Well, good thing that won't be for a long time." Then she pulls up the covers and settles next to him. "You never answered me: are you okay?"

Estéban turned to the side facing her and hugged her. "Yeah, I'm okay now." He rests his forehead against hers again.

Naomi smiles. "Good. But, if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask."

Estéban smirks. "Well, it was a scary dream," he starts moving his hand down. "can you help me get back to sleep?"

Naomi grabs the moving hand. "Nice try, you're gonna have to wait until Luci's around six months before you even try to make me have another."

Estéban chuckles and pulls her close. "Fair enough. This'll do just fine."

And for the rest of the night, the two of them slept peacefully without incident.

In the morning, however, the two were awoken by a very hungry daughter.

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

A/N: And with that, the shipping week has officially ended. *falls over dead* Hope you enjoyed, and try not to get killed. ;)

#eoa ship appreciation week #elena of avalor #esteomi #chancellor esteban #naomi turner #oc in here #little luciana #also shuriki #i'm a terrible person #but it ended happily #please don't kill me

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cartoonfangirl1218 · 4 years

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EoA ships fluff headcanons part 5

Childhood activity they show the other?Eleteo: Elena introduces fencing to her man. All the fencing, she tried to train him through a less rigorous and much more flirty version of Gabe’s fencing training but Mateo fencing is like Mateo with the rope. All thumbs and falling. Not that either of them minds. Mateo tries to coach Elena through potion making. That’s right. Though Rafa did not overtly teach him, as he self studied he realized that the cooking information and herbal medicine recipes she taught him were just a precursor. What they didn’t expect that, surprisingly, similarly to Olivia, when Elena decided to get into her head to see what would happen if she combined the purple concoction with the fizzy olive one...well ba bam! Since then they stuck to magical battles. Gababel: As we know Gabe does NOT have any fond childhood memories whereas olaball was involved so that was out. On the other hand, Gabe does love baking, especially baking cookies. So that is the nice lazy weekend activity he and Isabel do together and although he does tease Isabel for her scientific calculations, there is always flying cookie dough and giggles when they’re in the kitchen. Isabel knows Gabe doesn’t always follow her scientific treatises and conversations, so she showed him a more palatable one. Stargazing. She and King Raul used to do it all the time and it is one her favorite memories of her father. So on clear nights they spread a picnic blanket in the royal garden and Isabel points out all the constellations and tells the old stories as her father did for her.

Estenaomi: This should be obvious from the get go. Sailing is Naomi’s thing and always will be. She has more sea legs than land legs when she was 4 years old and so she makes it her mission to teach Esteban everything she knows. Although at the beginning it was less fun and more like when this https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Aby_UgFLxfQ She lets up because she doesn’t want Esteban to hate it. Not that he does, he understands why she loves the thrill of the salt air on her face and is kinda a waveaholic, it’s like a rollarcoaster ride. Esteban’s favorite thing was dancing because it reminded him of when he used to see his parents date nights in their ballroom (yes exactly like this https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lcmwgPw76Mc) And so Esteban teaches Naomi all the waltzes and ballroom dances he knows. She is pretty quick study and picks them up in a flash so they move on to salsa and merengue and soon they are hitting the clubs as the hottest couple on the dance floor, but they always return back to the ballroom for their own private dance too. Estoma: Not only is dancing Esteban’s thing but olaball and goal! Esteban is such a bonafide fan of olaball, there is even a baby picture of him in a olaball Jersey and so of course, he takes Doña to one where it is Avalor vs Paraíso. Honestly, Doña didn’t really watch the game she was too busy watching the hilarity that was Esteban next to her yelling and fist pumping like a maniac.Doña didn’t do all those childhood things he did like going to the circus or making ice cream sundays (and did not appreciate Esteban looking at her as if her childhood was devoid of happiness) and didn’t really feel like taking the trip down memory lane but she eventually relented at the thought of horse riding again. So they did just that and though Doña rode circles around him and laughed at Esteban’s saddle sore butt, he secretly thought it was worth it to see her looking so free and unguarded.

Birthdays?

Eleteo: (I agreed a lot with @pizza-n-sunshine’s zodiac post so some of these dates are based on astrology since the timeline isn’t really specified in EoA) Elena is totally a fiery Aries and I imagine her bday to be right in the beginning of Aries season, March 19. It’s perfect because it is also springtime which Elena loves because of the idea of new beginnings and fresh flowers and just being outside. Mateo usually treats Elena to a nice picnic for her birthday beside the Avaloran waterfalls where they can swim and frolic and have magical Scepter vs Tamborita contests. Mateo is a Virgo, his birthday being September 11, right in the middle symbolizing his moderate personality (that is when he is not in search for the Scepter of night). Mateo is such a modest guy that he doesn’t really want much for his birthday but Elena insists on giving him a sweet soirée anyway. Specifically bringing in all the citizens that Mateo has helped over the years, reminding him that his work is known and is appreciated and he is just a wonderful guy.😊 Gababel: While I see Isabel as being an Aquarius, I feel like she was born in autumn. Around Oct 5 right when the leaves turn crisp and school is getting into full swing. Sometimes, Isabel gets so into the latest project she is doing for school that she actually forgets her birthday is coming up so it’s always easy to have a surprise party for her. The party is a practical, but fun affair with lots of scientifically developed special effects with fireworks and illusions and all her close friends as they play party games. Gabe does seem to be a totally Capricorn and I see his birthday on January 5. Yes, same number day as Isabel, only 4 months later. He is similar to her that he is so dedicated to his work that he forgets it’s coming up. But more likely than not he remembers because he knows it will be a lovely day of celebration and a break from work which Isabel makes sure that it is. In the form of taking him to their favorite getaway. Opidian Island. Sometimes Gabe acts like a little kid, pretending to be a great adventurer like Agama and Isabel is all the happy to help him trying to figure out that temple maze again.

Estenaomi: This was easier since we sorta know when they’re birthdays are. Or at least the season. Esteban seems to have been born near the end of the summer so I say his birthday is August 6. Which is apparently a regal number indicated duke. Esteban’s birthday is all about seizing the moment in the summer and usually also at the waterfalls where he spends his time swinging on vines and jumping from the top of the cliffs like a maniac. Naomi also organizes a treasure hunt to further the fun. Naomi’s birthday seems to be in the spring, I say April 25 because April is the month of showers and showers are a great challenge for sailing which is exactly what she does for her birthday. It’s a party on the marinara where she and Esteban get into boat races, swimming and all sorts of adventures in the water and occasionally, meet up with Captain Chiloya again. And a lovely, romantic dance on the docks with the moon shining above them. Estoma: Esteban’s BDay is obviously still Aug 6 but it is more subdued since he has more refined taste. Admittedly he didn’t see much celebration in it for 41 years because of, as you guessed it, Shuriki. He almost didn’t celebrate any holiday or birthday because the guilt was too overpowering and again, Shuriki would have put a stop to it. Even so, Doña would sometimes leave him a small trinket on his desk. There was no words or acknowledgement about it but it was there. Nowadays, with his family around him, he gets a real party with his close family and friends catching up on those feelings he missed for so long. Doña’s birthday is the day after Navidad (I thought it would be a fun bit of irony😜) . That took almost forever for Esteban to find out since Doña doesn’t make much of a big deal of it as he thought she would. She just doesn’t want to do anything but relax after the mad rush that is Navidad selling season. Well, Esteban being someone who still takes great stock in celebrating birthdays actually surprises her by bringing breakfast in bed among other treats.

Meeting the parents? Eleteo: Mateo is a nervous wreck meeting Elena’s parents. I mean he is geeked out that he’ll be able to see ghosts (and the fact that his future wife sees ghosts because of her time in the amulet fascinated him to no end) but also it’s still meeting her parents and he hopes that they’ll accept him and be worthy enough for her. He needn’t to have worried so much though because since they have seen him with their daughter from the beginning they know that they would make a good couple and they admire that he loves and respects her so much. Rafa has no complaints against Elena at all. In fact she isn’t surprised the crowned princess is in love with her boy, who wouldn’t? But seriously, she treats Elena like the daughter she never had and tries not to go too overboard with giving advice and suggestions for dealing with Mateo. Gababel: As with Mateo, Gabe was super nervous meeting Isabel’s parents. Albeit he was very skeptical at first when Elena told him about her power but he had to accept it so when the time came to meet them, he was really unsure what to do. What exactly do you say to dead ghost parents? Does shaking their hands still apply? But like before, King Raul and Queen Lucia are very gracious to the boy who has made their youngest so happy and for all that he has done for the family and Avalor in general. Though Raul couldn’t resist doing the “If you hurt my girl...” talk (he did the same with Mateo and the poor kid was convinced for a full five minutes that Raul hated him). Blanca loves Isabel, she sees her as a calming grounded influence on Gabe and treats her like a daughter. At first Roberto couldn’t even believe that Gabe managed to snag the princess and scientist of Avalor but when it comes down to it, he’s glad that his son is happy. Estenaomi: Naomi can’t technically meet Esteban’s parents but she gets the closest by being “interrogated” by Luisa and praised by Francisco. They’re glad that Naomi can banter with Esteban and is able to handle his adventurous spirit with love and sass. It kinda reminded Luisa of herself and Francisco. The Turners were initially cool to Esteban which was simply part of their plan to make sure he had a proper amount of respect for Naomi and for them and completely surprise him later with hugs and congratulations when they announce their official together. Estoma: Well they can’t meet the parents. It’s more like a bittersweet game where they talk about “If my parents had met you..” It’s sweet that it segueways into compliments like “they would love you for how happy you make me feel” and “They would think you have great taste in men and fashion” etc.

Taking care of the other when sick?

Eleteo: Mateo has his hands full when Elena is sick because she refuses to admit it and wants to continue work or doing whatever she usually does. But Rafa taught him a perfect sleepytime soup recipe that usually gets Elena asleep and relaxed. Then when she sorta kinda admits defeat she lets him sing to her. Mateo is also a handful in that he doesn’t think he needs anyone to take care of him and that he doesn’t want to get sick but Elena isn’t having any of that. They are a couple, she is taking care of him, she doesn’t care about the germs. And Mateo would be lying that he doesn’t enjoy the extra attention Elena feasts upon him. Gababel: Gabe is an absolute sweetheart when Isabel is sick with making specially prepared soups, dropping by from work every time he has a free and even writing down some of the scientific treatise that Isabel attempts to dictate through a stuffy nose. Isabel is similar to Mateo that she has to hold Gabe down from insisting that he is fine and that he can work. Usually her puppy dog eyes work the charm and Gabe stays in bed so he can be sung to and read stories. Estenaomi: Esteban is such whiny child when he is sick. And cranky too about taking the medicine, and though Naomi rolls her eyes, she kinda indulges his antics because she finds them funny and though he doesn’t admit it, he appreciates how patient she is. As for Naomi, Esteban treats her like a fragile flower near death more than a common cold which annoys her to no end. But she does get massages and being fed grapes out of it which she admits it’s very fun too. Estoma: They generally avoid each other when they’re sick. Doña doesn’t have much patience for his complaining about sick and bored he is and Esteban doesn’t have much patience when she tells him that he is nursing her all wrong. The only time they can stand each other is when they’re peacefully asleep which is promptly ruined when they wake up with “Whad are you looking ad?”

Who wakes the other up?

Eleteo: Mateo obviously since Elena is so not a morning person. If anything she wishes she could sleep all day sometimes. Luckily, Mateo knows the perfect way to wake her up with lots of kisses. Gababel: Gabe is the early riser thanks to guard duty, and because of that he usually isn’t there when Isabel wakes up during weekdays but he does leave coffee and sometimes a note. During the weekends, it’s the opposite. Neither of them want to wake up so they laze around, nuzzling up against each other. Estenaomi: Naomi wakes up first, and let’s face it all the Flores family are so not morning people. Her way of waking Esteban is a good old fashion pillow fight. Well it’s a more one sided pillow fight since Esteban is trying to stubbornly stay in bed but she gets him out eventually. Estoma: Once again, Esteban is not a morning person. Doña usually wakes him up by blowing coffee steam in his face or just clap loudly, yelling that it is time to rise.

Who curses when they argue?

Eleteo: Neither. They very much prefer actually talking out their problems than yelling and screaming in anger at each other sinc that is counterproductive. Also I can't see Mateo having a cursing bone in his body and Elena wouldn't use that kind of harsh language to someone she loves. Estenaomi: Naomi. Blame the sailor's tongue but she can start cursing up a storm. And though Esteban tries not to do it in a girl's presence (yes, Luisa drilled it in) he would start too. Gababel: Again neither. For the same reasons as Eleteo. Estoma: Again like Estenaomi, Doña is more likely to curse before Esteban but he would snap back too. Who wears the other clothes sometimes? Eleteo: Elena sometimes wears Mateo's oversized shirts on a lazy Sunday morning without shame and sometime teasing that she should just wear it to her meetings. She also puts on wizards robes. It's just so comfy and warm and smells just like him. Gababel: They don't really do that since the size difference makes it ridiculous. Although Isabel has nabbed Gabe's guard jacket once or twice on a cold winter night. As well as shirt:) She says he has to practice his ability to withstand cold temperatures but Gabe thinks it more has to do with his gazing at his pecs. Estenaomi: A few times, Esteban has tried Naomi's clothes on account of her dares much to Naomi's personal amusement. Naomi does the same and dresses in Esteban’s fancy suits and shirts. Usually for fun. Estoma: Very rarely, though once Esteban went out in Doña's robe which he staunchly insists was a traditional Satu kimono. AU stories Gababel: Isabel works in a science lab for the boss from hell aka Shuriki and her smarmy second in command/her personal advisor, Javier. What’s a single graduate girl in the city to do but keep on trying day after day while working on her thesis. Luckily, she has her roomie, Tomiko to lean on. And unexpectedly, the cute security guard at her lab, Gabe Nuñez. Soon, life gets a whole lot more complicated when love hits this young scientist over the head, a fun complicated. But will this burgenoning relationship be able to last once she starts her real job after grad school? And more distressingly, Javier’s attempts at sabotage and plagiarism. Estoma: Working in the same publishing house, Esteban is a publisher for the nonfiction imprint, while Doña is an editor for the romance novel section. They rarely associate except at one work dinner where they are forced to seat next to each other and learn of their disdainful views of the others genre. He thinks her clients write superficial, copy-and-paste trash and she thinks his are pretentious, Pulitzer-wannabe rejects. They strike a challenge to read a list of the “best” of the other’s genres. Soon their meetings change from literary criticism to what outsiders call as dates, but that’s impossible. No way life is like a book. But soon the lines between fact and fiction begin to blur with meddling relatives, a murder mystery dinner, a regency style ball and way too many fairytale moments, leave them with one question, what exact genre are they in? And whether their story has a happy ending? Estenaomi: It’s a boringly ordinary day at Naomi’s part time job at her father’s antique nautical shop when her friend’s cousin, Esteban comes in, searching for a map. A map that leads to a Flores family mystery and chance for adventure that Naomi cannot resist following. Especially since that adventure is on the tail of the arrogant college boy with searing brown eyes and no impulse control. Of course, when that mystery leads them directly to the hideout of the notorious yet secretive mob family, The Delgados down in Cuba, it’s clear they’re in over the heads. And more dangerous still, their hearts are on the line as their feelings begin to grow with each adrenaline racing escape. Eleteo: Street performer and illusionist, Mateo comes under the wing of Elena Flores’ bohemian musical troupe when he moves to Avalor City. Soon the two form a special connection, marred by Elena’s family who is desperately searching for the eldest child to take over Raul’s company which Elena had forsaken in the midst of the traumatic death. Mateo is tempted between helping Elena gain her rightful place at head of the company with the possibility of never seeing her again or running away to Paris as she suggests.

Sweetest gift they got from each other? Eleteo: I feel like Mateo would give her the gift of a day without work or worry about the kingdom. One day out of the blue, Elena wakes up to find most of her appointments cancelled or being taken care of by the Grand Council for the day. Mateo first comes in with a bowl of cherries, and a kiss. Then they go out for a nice leisurely Jaquin ride. Then they just hang out with their friends at the beach or something. For the afternoon, they go dancing and for dinner that he had planned down in his workshop with lights and everything. So there it is. A nice day where she could spend time with her friends, family and her favorite wizard king. For Mateo: So Mateo is pretty good being by himself and just enjoy reading and practicing his magic. So Elena's gift to him would be a bit similar. A day free of appointments just so he could concentrate how to improve his mastery. But the plus would be she would be him the whole day. Helping, asking questions and being able to spend time and see do what he loves so much. Estenaomi: This was easier at least. For Naomi, I think the favorite gift Esteban gave her wasa ship. It wasn't big because they all knew she was going to inherit the Wayfarer but a houseboat. She was very surprised to see that he got her a full captain outfit with a hat and everything waiting for her in the closet. Esteban, she got him a brand new compass with an ancient map she got from some sale. So they could go on a whole new adventure together. Estoma: For Esteban: A enchanted music box from Satu. It was a combo of two things. His admiration and memories of staying in Satu, and enchanted so only the one holding the music box could hear the music. So he could safely listen to it even close to Shuriki’s quarters.

Gababel: Isabel gave him a brand new saddle for Fuego and a sword that even though he learned his lesson from El Guapo, he still couldn’t help but stand up straighter and prouder with his new golden engraved sword. And Isabel, even though she is slightly embarrassed by such a nerdy gift but melted because Gabe knew her so well to buy her a stack of new edition science encyclopedias.

Jealous? Eleteo: Elena won’t admit she’s jealous. She thinks she incapable of it which is so not true. So whenever some girl seems to be sniffing out Mateo, she rationalizes that she is just being protective making sure it’s not another Rita. See here https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=uYka1DZNjU0 Mateo on the other hand isn’t proactive. He is still an insecure wizard king and would believe that as long as Elena likes the guy he won’t bother, I mean why would she ever go for him? So he becomes a little more distant, trying to pull himself together and not let his jealousy show. Gababel: Isabel would be like Mateo, drawing herself in and becoming more distant, a bit more sullen. Usually her jealousy would come out in muttered asides under her breath and sometimes even pointing out the others mistakes in grammar or whatnot. Gabe is more obvious, pointing out his own attributes and visibly rolling his eyes whenever he thinks what the other man is saying to be stupid. Estenaomi: Naomi is sorta a combo between Elena above and how she reacted in Spy in the Palace. Sure that every dig is against her, irrational as it seems. Also just general annoyance with the other girl and how she can be the exact same thing. Esteban gets all pouty too and goes into overtime doing ridiculous “impressive” stunts to show off his manliness and hotness and greater skills etc etc. Estoma: Neither would admit they like one another much less jealous. So it’s just more insults as usual. But these insults target the SO and them like “You’re dating her/him? I guess there’s no accounting for taste.“ “I just can’t believe you’re dating an idiot. But then again you do get uncomfortable with people who are intellectually superior than you so I suppose it makes sense.” “I thought you had high standards? Or did those high standards not like you?”

Who takes the covers?

Eleteo: Covers? What covers? They go on body warmth alone. Lol. I don't think either would since it's more of a cocoon they wrapped themselves in but I'm going to go with Mateo. I feel like Elenais just more of a body person while Mateo can sleep with tons and tons of soft blankets and it reminds him of his wizard robes so it is extra comfy. Estoma: Doña, she gets easily cold at night and likes to bundle herself up with all the covers. Esteban tries to shrug off, that he is too macho to get cold but sometimes he tries to tearing them away from her iron grip when she's sleeping and that almost made her fall off. Estenaomi: Esteban!! The guy is a duke, he is used to being a hundred percent comfortable. Forbid that he gets cold at night, it is the one thing he won't relent. He takes the covers he wants. Naomi usually wrangles it away but then she has to endure his complaints of how cold he is and equals it by lots of kisses. Gababel: Isabel take the covers. Moreover Gabe would gladly give it to her she use gets grabby when she's asleep so it doesn't matter if he gives it beforehand, she gets more and they end up hugging a lot.

Sexy outfit? Eleteo: Any outfit of Elena’s looks sexy to Mateo but if he had to choose, it might be the mermaid look for her. Her hair flowing around her like a halo, the seashell bra, standing under a waterfall, just wow. Elena surprised to find herself very into when Mateo wears his royal consort outfit with the empuletts. He really rocks the empulets. He looks just so noble and kingly. Gababel: Gabe likes it when Isabel wears reading glasses. A bit of the sexy nerd trope though when Isabel first put them on she had been nervous he wouldn’t like it but she really had nothing to fear. Isabel likes Gabe in his guard uniform so it is a good thing he wears it everyday but she also likes it when he’s in an apron. It reminds her of all the possibilities of baking and food and heating up the kitchen 😉 Estenaomi: Esteban has a preference for corsets though he would never admit it. But is always a slight thrill when she indulges him because usually she wears such comfortable, loose clothing and the corset is a different thing entirely. Naomi enjoys it when Esteban wears leather pants. It leaves nothing to the imagination and shows off all his leg muscles and importantly his butt. Estoma: Hmm I think Esteban would still enjoy corsets. Nothing is more tantalizing than the glimpse of it underneath a low cut gown. Doña likes Esteban in a hot cowboy outfit. You know, jeans and cowhide vest and nothing else. Esteban liked to tease her a lot about her lower class standards until she showed up with her female version.

Who sings in the shower?

Eleteo: Elena undoubtedly, but Mateo does also. Usually humming because singing was banned during Shuriki but Elena has been encouraging to sing out and to sing proud. Gababel: Gabe does surprisingly. Not often though but when he does he really belts it out. Isabel thinks it’s adorable. Estenaomi: Both But Esteban does more often. Though Naomi usually sings sea shanties to get in the mood and those get stuck in Esteban’s head the whole day. Estoma: Esteban, especially to the shower head. He might have practiced that booby trap dance once or twice. Who plays with the other's hair/toes in the morning? Eleteo: Both do. Mateo likes to stroke Elena's long, soft hair and smell the scent of it like flowers and sunshine. And Elena enjoys playing with his cute curls. When they wake up in the morning, if either of them curls up close enough, the other will play with their toes. I was thinking of your story, that they would want to wake up to smiles and laughter. Plus it's special for Elena since she hadn't had that kind of morning since Shuriki as you put in your fic. Estebaomi: Naomi plays with Esteban’s floppy Bieber hair. Since he takes so long to wake up, Naomi does small braids in his hair in the meanwhile. I imagine Esteban to be a very touchy feely bf and would play with Naomi's toes, scraping any polish and peppering her with kisses. Naomi kinda eats it up. Gababel: Gabe does. He likes feeling her wavy curls and spooning her. He plays with her toes on a lazy morning, when they don't feel like getting out of bed. It's almost like he's examining how they small they are in his large hands. And if they don't have to go to work, follow it up with a nice foot massage. Estoma: Esteban does. He likes to bury his nose in it and play with it before she puts it up in her usual bun. If he is feeling bored, he'll play with her toes.

#estenaomi #estoma #eleteo #gababel #elena of avalor #my headcanons #my hcs #headcanons #elena castillo flores #isabel castillo flores #esteban flores #gabe nuñez #naomi turner #doña paloma #mateo de alva

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camelottree638 · 5 years

Video

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Rafa Mateo Tulio - Spark (Mateo's parents' Backstory)

I fully support the fandom theory that both of Mateo’s parents were part of the underground resistance against Shuriki. The pilot movie pretty much establishes that Rafa had ties to the people who spread the rumor of Elena’s return. The song choice was inspired by the amazing Non/Disney Crossover “Sparks” by Sasha Denker: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TuTo4...

-- PLOT:

Shuriki has already ruled the land for 23 years after murdering the royal family of Avalor and banning magic, music and dancing.

Tulio is mute, so music is an important part of sharing his feelings with others. He was a child when Shuriki took over, so he remembers some of the old songs and plays in secret.

One day Rafa, the daughter of Avalor’s former Royal Wizard Alakazar, hears him play and is mesmerized. She is afraid that Tulio will be caught but can’t stop listening to the wonderful music that reminds her of her carefree childhood. Suddenly the guards appear and Rafa is able to convince them that there was no music. The guards leave but keep a watch on them. Tulio is grateful and he and Rafa meet again, organizing small meetings to keep the light of hope alive within the people. The two secret rebels fall in love and Rafa buys him a red sash as a token of their love.

The years pass, Mateo is born and they gain more followers. Tulio has a great mind for strategy, but his strong sense of justice can get the better of him. Rafa starts to fear for his safety and tries to convince him to be more careful when the resistance group arrives. They plan to free Shuriki’s prisoners to gather more people with the goal to one day overthrow the Witch. Everything is going according to plan until Tulio sees the Captain of the Guards torture a prisoner. Unable to hold back, Tulio challenges the Captain and is arrested. Mateo, who followed his parents in secret, sees his father being carried away and is scared by the experience.

The next day Rafa receives Tulio’s sash as a sign that he has been executed before there was a chance to free him. Her husband is dead, but the cause of his fight is still alive within Rafa. As she sees Mateo she is determined to keep the spark of hope burning in her son. In secret she teaches her son the ld songs and dances and tells him the story of how her father saved Crown Princess Elena by trapping her in the Amulet of Avalor. Rafa notices Mateo sneaking away and discovers that he has found his grandfather’s hidden magic equipment. She is proud that Mateo secretly defies Shuriki by leaning magic but also afraid for his safety.

Mateo and Rafa continue spreading hope by organizing secret dance parties in abandoned buildings. This is dangerous and they are nearly caught several times. When Rafa sees Mateo helping Sofia with the Amulet containing Elena she feels hopeful again and knows that the time has come to tell her son the spell to free the rest of Elena’s family.

During Mateo’s Royal Wizard ceremony he wears his father’s sash as Rafa watches proudly.

#my video #rafa #mateo #tulio #de alva #shuriki-era #backstory #rebellion #spark #de Alva family love #camelot836

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gabexofxavalor-blog · 6 years

Text

The End Is Nigh(t)

Summary: Princess Elena, Sofia and Hiro head into town after locating Orizaba’s temporary hideout in order to recover the town to its former, day-and-night glory by ending the Eternal Night.

Date: November 2nd, 2018

Triggers: None.

ORIZABA

The feeling of the Night was everything Orizaba recalled it to be: Refreshing, pure and peaceful. If you managed to ignore the dead people running amok. She managed, though, mostly because she was well aware that, after this little show in this little pathetic town, she’d go on to take over those lands taken from her by fearful invaders. And this time around, she’d show them who’s who.

As the invasion of Swynlake seemed to go swiftly, the Goddess of the Night had settled, temporarily, on top of an abandoned but wonderful mansion in what the money-obsessed mundus called The Woods. An abandoned house was perfect because, well, it would appear that nobody had been there in little less than a year. It had all the markings of a beast’s attack, so whoever lived there wouldn’t be coming back soon. Thus, it wouldn’t be easy for people to find her.

Just in case, though, outside the house sat her most trusted sentry. The sorceress’ familiar, an emerald-eyed doe, kept watch from one of the windows, ready to sprint to her mistress as soon as movement was felt. Orizaba knew that it would be technically possible for people to find out her location if they were sufficiently familiar with how her magic or the Eye worked, and she wasn’t about to take any chances.

ELENA

“I. Am. Sick. Of these mother fucking traumas in my fucking life,” Elena hissed to Sofia, channeling her inner Samuel L. Jackson. She huffed and continued her trek to the house Goliath told her was Orizaba’s hideout with what can only be described as pure murder in her eyes.

Elena’s grip on her Scepter tightened, so much so that her knuckles were turning white and her nails dug into her palm. As her nails broke skin, she didn’t even notice the blood. At least in her rage, she had achieved some level of badassery.

Lucia would be proud. She hoped.

“Sofia, I am going to r i p that overgrown moth’s wings off of her and feed them to my cat!” She continued her rant, but in Spanish. “No merciful queen here, not today. This is practice for when I yank Shuriki off the throne of my kingdom by force and make a slip-n-slide from her organs.”

For the Eternal Night? Orizaba deserved an ass-kicking. For possessing her best friend and bodyguard’s body, and for mind-controlling her gargoyle dad into trying to kill her? If Elena didn’t have to send her back to the Spirit Realm, she’d make a guillotine herself for her.

The rage that bubbled inside of Elena was palpable, like you could cut the angry aura around her with a knife.

“Mira, allí. Look up there.” Elena pointed to the rooftop of a house they were nearing. “It’s murder time, kids.”

SOFIA

No one ask where Sofia got the sword, okay?

She held it one hand as she followed quietly behind Elena, keeping one eye on her and Hiro and the other on their surroundings. This wasn’t the first time Sofia’d had to sneak around during a magical attack on her home (Enchancia was cool, not perfect), and she was ready to do what was needed. Even if that meant calming down Elena’s murderous rage before they launched an attack on a nocturnal demon.

“Elena, wait,” Sofia whispered, grabbing Elena by the back of her jeans and pulling her back out of sight as she motioned for Hiro to stop. “Orizaba could have the house guarded, we have to be careful! And we need a plan anyways, we can’t just go in screaming bloody murder.” She lowered her voice. “You still can’t use the Scepter for too long without tiring yourself out. We have to think this through.”

Rising slightly from her crouch, Sofia looked around the grounds quickly before dropping back down again. “Okay,” she said to Elena and Hiro. “Looks like there’s only one of her creatures watching the door. Shouldn’t be hard for us to keep the element of surprise. Any ideas?”

HIRO

Hiro had decided to tag along. He was ready to actually do something to help out, and had the means to do so. It was perfect. He’d even told Aunt Cass that he was barricading at Sofia’s so she wouldn’t worry, because he knew she wouldn’t let this happen.

He followed the other two, and crouched next to Sofia. The young man squinted and managed to see the doe with the twinkling eyes, and the way she twitched her ears in alert.

“I have an idea,” Hiro exclaimed, and readied his arm-cannon-thing (name pending), aiming it at the doe. “We take it out before it sees us, and sneak right in! It’s pretty easy, since I’ve got great aim nowadays. Just let me get this ready…”

ORIZABA

Meanwhile, inside the house, the moth fairy winged around the ballroom, decorating the place with colorful flowers hanging from the rafters and all over the floor. It might be a temporary home, but she still deserved a proper palace to live in!

The doe guarding the entrance, meanwhile, was almost unmovable. She didn’t get distracted, and her emerald eyes constantly scanned the grounds. She hadn’t found anything just yet, and there had been no need to worry - Of course, so far she’d failed to scan the upper ground the invaders had taken refuge on.

ELENA

Elena swallowed hard and eyed Hiro’s...whatever it was, with suspicion. “Are you sure this is safe?” she asked Sofia, before deciding on her own the correct answer to her question was, “Fuck it.”

Fuck it, nothing was safe right now, literally nothing, and worst case scenario, she’ll die by Hiro’s malfunctioning invention instead of die by Orizaba’s hand. Best case scenario? It works and Hiro becomes her new new favorite person.

Perhaps second favorite, behind only Naomi.

She met Hiro’s eye and nodded. “Go for it.”

SOFIA

“Quietly, though. Only if you can do it quietly,” Sofia said quickly, grimacing at the idea of killing the doe. What if it was just like Goliath? An innocent creature under Orizaba’s thrall? But Hiro and Elena were right, they didn’t have the time. “Otherwise we’ll alert Orizaba that we’re here. And try to just... knock it out?”

Across the street and several buildings down, far enough that the doe wouldn’t spot him, Sofia saw Goliath swoop in and land on the roof. Even this far away, she could see his eyes shining white with his anger.

HIRO

“Yeah, okay,” Hiro replied, not really making any promises because it wasn’t that probable that the thing would survive the blast. Or if it did, it would also possibly be crippled in a way that’d have them kill it out of mercy. Still, it was for the greater good, so he took aim and shot.

The doe’s head turned in their direction as soon as the blast had left the machine, but it was too late - as the laser struck its target and Hiro cheered about it, the doe was gone. Its body hadn’t truly collapsed. Instead, it seemed to turn into a cloud of magical dust and swirled around before being carried away by the wind.

“See? It’s perfectly fine. Probably was already dead or something!” the boy suggested.

ORIZABA

The moth fairy kept going about her business, now redecorating her colorful purple dress with even more flowers, when something struck at her heart. It was a light pain, but the source of it became evident when a cloud of her magic traveled into the house and reformed her beautiful, emerald-eyed doe in front of her, as if she’d just woken up.

“I suppose our friends are here, my pet?” she asked sing-songily. THen, the woman’s face turned into a frown as she pet the creature’s head. “I hope they come soon. Nobody harms my baby.”

ELENA

“No…” Elena trailed off, looking at Hiro in a mixture of pride - because that was damn impressive - and confusion, because then was the doe actually corporeal in the first place? “It’s never that easy with dark magic.”

She turned her focus back to Orizaba, perched on the rooftop, surveying the town like it was her own little kingdom.

And then the panic set in.

Shit, shit. Okay so the doe was gone but where did it go? Did Orizaba know they were there now? Why wasn’t she coming down to kill them?

Elena had never battled a dark being from the Spirit Realm before. She tried to kill someone once, in a house in the woods in Germany, when a magick hunter grabbed her baby sister’s arm and Elena acted fast and broke a dinner plate over his head, prepared to stab a shard into his abdomen before one of his buddies wrestled it from her hand.

It worked. Kind of. She didn’t get to kill him, but they left Isa alone.

(Later, when they threatened to kill Mateo, Elena grabbed one of their knives and held it to her throat, told them she’d slit her throat if they touched him, too. ‘Crazy bitch’ they called her. ‘She’s worth more money if we get her to that sorceress alive.’ Check, and mate.)

Elena was no stranger to extreme situations. This, however, was some next level shit.

“What now? Like is Goliath going to have to yeet me onto the roof to get at her?”

SOFIA

Sofia made herself watch as Hiro shot the deer, watched it disappear in a cloud of dust, and felt her stomach drop. She knew animals, magical and benign; none of them do that. It left a rotten feeling in her stomach, her gut telling her that if Orizaba didn’t already know they were here, she would soon.

“Now we move, fast,” Sofia hissed, staying low as she began make her way to the front door. “Hiro, you and I will keep Orizaba distracted while Elena gets in place to attack her with the Scepter. If we can find a way to pin her down, even better,” she whispered as they moved, keeping the sword close to her side in case any more undead tried to sneak up on them (Thank you, Aunt Tilly, for making sure Sofia got started with fencing lessons as soon as she started middle school).

“Elena, do not take the shot until you know it’ll hit,” she told the older woman firmly. “You’ve got at most two shots before the Scepter drains you, do not waste them.”

If they survived, Sofia would have to apologize to Elena for being so bossy. But right now, she was Crisis Mode.

“Hiro and I can take care of ourselves,” she said as she rested a hand on the doorknob, looking over at Hiro and giving him a small, confident grin. “Take advantage of the fact that you’ve got the ranged weapon and stay back. Also, aim for the wings.”

With that, she gave them both a nod and silently pressed the door open, moonlight spilling into the foyer from the windows and doorway.

HIRO

Soon after the doe vanished, the illusion of Orizaba on the rooftop did as well, dissolving into the wind. Her focus was elsewhere, and so the group moved along. Hiro nodded at Sofia and her orders. Why was she ordering him around? He was technically his boss! Well, he’d be whenever his aunt died. ANYWAY! He decided to follow through and made mental notes.

When the door opened, the interior of the house came into view. It was actually quite a modern house, with a beautiful foyer and a spiral staircase to their left. There was a trashed door to the right, and only the one in front of them seemed accessible. It was also half-open.

“That way, I suppose?” Hiro whispered, before distracting himself by looking at an assortment of hats in the corner, hanging from a perch. Everything seemed to be abandoned.

ORIZABA

It was hard to miss the flashes of purple and green magic that sneaked through the doors and windows every time Orizaba did something new to decorate the ballroom. Her wings fluttered as she moved around the place, as the doe began to move around the room as well.

“Where are yooooou, children?” the woman called out sing-songily, her voice being carried all through the house thanks to the place’s acoustic nature. “Never keep a lady waiting!”

ELENA

Elena wanted to die, sure, but not in a fire fight with Orizaba. She wouldn’t make it quick and relatively painless, she knew that much for sure.

Or, there was the option of the Scepter killing her first, because, apparently that was a possibility. In any case, this was going to be a shit time for Elena - for all of them, but even if they won...Elena.

She swallowed hard and followed them both into the house.

SOFIA

Well, there went the element of surprise.

Sofia held up her hand, stopping Hiro and Elena as her mind scrambled for a new plan. She needed to get close, they just needed a place with good cover. They just needed a moment where Orizaba was distracted.

Oh, her brother was screaming at her somewhere.

“Find your opening, wait for my signal,” she mouthed to the two behind her. With a deep breath, Sofia rose up to her full, unimpressive height - and holding her sword loosely at her side - stepped into the doorway.

“My apologies, Señora Orizaba,” she said in Avaloran Spanish, bowing at the waist. “With the current situation in town with the rise of the undead, I’ve been a bit on edge. I am Princess Sofia Álvarez-Hagebak from Enchancia, I am here to speak with you about the night that has enveloped the town.”

Keeping eye contact with the moth goddess, Sofia set the sword down on the floor in front of her. “I don’t want this to come to violence, Señora,” she said earnestly. “I give you my word as Princess of Enchancia that I will not attack you unprovoked. Please, let’s talk.”

HIRO

You know when people say something to you in a low tone of voice, and you don’t hear a thing because a moth fairy is blasting things in the other room? Well, that was what happened to Hiro right then and there. He wasn’t a lip reader, and was completely puzzled when Sofia stood up and walked inside.

He peeked into the room as discreetly as possible, reloading the arm cannon as he did so as to be able to shoot at whichever point he had to. He then looked back at Elena, nodding at her and slipping through the door. He hid behind one of the pillars in the ballroom while the winged lady was distracted.

ORIZABA

The sorceress was most definitely surprised at the sight of Sofia. Mainly because it wasn’t a princess she knew. It wasn’t a princess Gabe knew either, or at the very least not very well, because she couldn’t remember her face at all.

“Señorita, querida. Se-ño-rita,” the fairy corrected. “I’m only a few thousand years old. So why would I want to talk to you? I was actually expecting a different princess,” she admitted. “I supposed you’re here to thank me for the gift of night, are you not? I’d sing a song about it, but I’m quite busy decorating. Either way, thanks have been given. Feel free to leave now.”

She snapped her fingers, and Gabe’s body materialized in the middle of the ballroom, floating under the chandelier, asleep. “If you see any more princesses on your way out, tell them I have something they might want. Frankly, the sooner I get rid of her, the better, don’t you think?”

ELENA

Here, Elena almost laughed. A few thousand years old and she wants to be called señorita? Ay, ay, ay. Who does this demon from hell think she is? Fancies herself some kind of comedian.

Frankly, the sooner I get rid of her, the better, don’t you think?

Here, Elena tried not to make a peep. Really, she did. But the sharp intake of breath may have been enough to alert the ethereal being to her presence.

SOFIA

Orizaba produced the body of Gabe, sleeping peacefully, and only years and years of practice controlling her expression in court kept Sofia’s eyes from going as wide as dinner plates. She had to get Gabe away from her, or at least out of the way. But first, she needed to stall for time.

(Maybe, a hopeful little voice whispered in the back of her mind, you will be able to reason with Orizaba! Sofia knew better now than to put too much stock into that little voice.)

“Señorita,” Sofia amended. “I do admire the gift you’ve given us, and my thanks are there. But have you thought about the long-term effects this eternal night could have?” Sofia spotted the doe from before - she knew it hadn’t died, damn it - and gestured towards her. “Without the sun, all the crops will die and the climate will be too cold. Even your nocturnal friends will begin to suffer.” Sofia carefully didn’t mention the effect the eternal night would have on humans.

Sofia had a pretty good feeling Orizaba did not care.

“Day and night are meant to balance each other, provide for the land so the other can thrive. What if we were able to find some land where you could create your eternal night, more suited to the conditions? We would be able to provide everything else you needed, including a palace for you far grander than this.”

Did she honestly think Orizaba gave a damn? No. But she didn’t need to. Sofia just needed to buy Hiro time so he could get a shot at her wings.

HIRO (& ORIZABA)

The winged woman listened, arching a brow and showing off a smirk. She reached out her hand to pet the doe. “Oh, you need not take care of me,” she assured the princess. “I can take care of myself. Quite frankly, it’s offensive, that what you’re offering.”

Meanwhile, Hiro found his way closer to the floating woman, sneaking along the pillars and hoping to keep away from her sight. His intention was to get to the opposite end of the room, so the fairy’s attention would divert in that direction and give Elena her back.

“I am Itzpapalotl, the Goddess of the Night and the Sorceresses. Before your darling european compatriots came over and stole my throne, the night was for everyone. We all lived in peace and nature thrived. Then you lto came and ruined it all. Locked me away, just like you did with all the others! You didn’t think we’d be able to ever break out. And now, querida, I’m angry. The animals will thrive. Believe me. But you humans will know what it is to suffer for thousands of years. Believe me.”

With that, Hiro was positioned and ready. He took a shot at the moth fairy and hit one of her wings. It regenerated almost immediately, and her flight didn’t break. “Shit,” Hiro muttered, when the woman turned to face him and cackled. “Oh, you brought a friend. How adorable! I wonder which one of you will be more enjoyable to tear apart...?”

ELENA

Elena was waiting for Sofia’s signal. She was waiting. And waiting.

And waiting.

But before it came, she heard Hiro’s arm-cannon-thingy (name pending) go off, and Elena gripped her Scepter, prepared to leap out and fuck Orizaba’s shit up-! Shit, Hiro said. And not a ‘Shit!’ of victory, but one that said ‘this is bad.’

Elena didn’t move. She was waiting on Sofia’s signal.

The waiting didn’t last but another second, though, for what Orizaba said next set fire to Elena bones. No! It was Elena who wielded the Scepter of Light, it was Elena that Orizaba needed to fight, not Sofia and Hiro. It was Elena who was going to be the one to maybe get torn apart tonight, not two nineteen year old kids who just wanted to help her.

When she spoke up, she used tu verbs very intentionally.

“No! You don’t touch them!” Elena cried out, rushing forward. “Keep your hands and your magic off of them!”

She aimed the Scepter, prepared to go right for Orizaba’s face, but in looking up to fire at her, Elena finally noticed what it was Orizaba had talked about having. Her eyes widened the size of the moon in her horror.

“Gabe! Put him down, let him go!”

SOFIA

You know, this wasn’t the first time a dark entity had monologued at her. Wasn’t even the second.

(If she got five punches on her ‘Facing Down the Forces Of Evil’ card, she got a free smoothie.)

Her proposal had the intended effect of setting Orizaba off, and Sofia waited patiently as Hiro got in position and took his shot. His shot didn’t have the intended effect, and for a moment everything seemed to move in slow motion. Orizaba turned to face Hiro, and Sofia leaned down to scoop up her sword. Elena rushed out from behind her cover, and Sofia was already crossing the room at a run.

Elena leveled the Scepter at Orizaba, and Sofia’s fingers went to her own artifact. The Amulet of Avalor warmed in reply.

“I wish to be able to jump very high,” Sofia whispered to the amulet as she ran across the room, and with her next step, flung herself into the air. It would have taken less magic to transform into an animal instead of making a wish, but Sofia needed to keep a hold of her sword. Instead, Sofia felt gravity let go of her for a moment, and she reached out towards Gabe as she reached the crest of her arch. She grabbed onto his chest as she headed back down, and rolled protectively around his body as they bounced along the floor. Oof, ouch, okay he was heavier than she expected, especially when he was all sleepy and floppy.

Sofia quickly shifted Gabe’s body behind her and hopped back to her feet, ignoring the throbbing in her ribs. “NOW!” she yelled, sword held aloft as she prayed that both Hiro and Elena would take the shot at the same time.

HIRO & ORIZABA

Hiro swallowed when the terrifying fairy turned to face him. For a moment, he wondered whether such a woman would be capable of tearing people apart, but then he decided he had to do all he could to not find out. Thankfully, Elena came in at the nick of time, making the winged lady turn around.

“Ah, the belle of the ball shows up in the end!” Orizaba exclaimed, with a joyful cackle. “I knew you’d come save your friend. Too bad you came in last, though, Elenita. I’m disappointed you didn’t lead the charge. What would Gabe think?”

The woman dispersed into a hundred moths, and rematerialized near the chandelier, when she noticed Gabe being taken away. She materialized the Eye of Midnight in her hand. “I suppose it doesn’t matter. You can have him. That man has exceeded his usefulness. Now, darling…”

Hiro shot when Sofia yelled, hoping to hit the fairy. However, even though he succeeded, the hole that had appeared in her chest soon refilled itself with the help of the moths, and the fairy laughed. “Shit,” he repeated. “Uh - Elena, shoot the ball-thingy!” he exclaimed, gesturing at the Eye floating near the woman’s hand.

ELENA

Elena’s lip curled at Orizaba saying the nickname with the same strange cadence as post-coma Gabe, and her eyes slowly widened in dawning realization.

“You!” She hissed, the informal pronoun falling from her mouth like poison. Elena aimed the Scepter of Light directly at Orizaba’s chest, prepared to fire, until Hiro’s shout redirected her.

Ball-thingy? Again, her eyes about popped out of her head. “The Eye of Midnight,” she mouthed, near frozen in disbelief. It was the stuff of legends in her country, one of the stories from the ancient Maruvians that first thrived in the land that would become Avalor. Crazy. It looked just like the drawings by the Maruvians and in Mateo’s grandfather’s books of Maruvian magic legends.

No wonder it had been night for what should have been days. With the power inside that thing…

Right. Aim for it. Three shots before she would exhaust herself, maybe five maximum before she’d lose consciousness. Hopefully she wouldn’t need to get to five in the first place.

Eye of Midnight. Aim. Fire.

“Rayo.”

SOFIA

Sofia watched as she hid Gabe’s body behind a pillar, watched Orizaba dissolve into hundreds of moths and reappear across the room, watched Hiro’s laser punch a hole through her chest and watched her not even flinch.

Sofia probably should have wished for the ability to breathe fire instead. Burn up the damn moths instead.

She saw the Eye of Midnight appear and her eyes went wide like Elena’s. Sofia wasn’t an expert on Maruvian artifacts, persay, but she knew her basics, and the Eye of Midnight was a bad, bad sign. It at least explained the whole ‘eternal night’ thing.

She watched, waiting, as Elena took aim and fired. Hiro’s attack may not have affected Orizaba terribly, but it had distracted her, and the Eye or Midnight went flying from her hand to bounce and roll harmlessly across the room. Orizaba turned to get retrieve it, but never had the chance.

Not with five foot and four inches of angry, sword-wielding princess flying at her face.

Sofia shouted as she leapt through the air, swinging her sword in front of her at just the right angle to cut straight through Orizaba’s arm below the shoulder; moths flying into the air as the arm fell and dissolved. Sofia didn’t let that slow her momentum, her knees crashing into Orizaba’s chest as she began her descent. This time, Sofia kicked off before they hit the ground, landing on the balls of her feet a few yards away as Orizaba was knocked into the ground.

“Hold her down!” Sofia yelled towards Hiro, racing towards the goddess and grabbing onto her legs before she could lift back into the air.

ORIZABA & HIRO

It didn’t take long for Orizaba’s arm to get back in working order, thanks to her ability to rekindle herself almost immediately.Still, it was harder to do things without the Eye of Midnight. For one, her familiar had disappeared for whatever reason, and she was being held down by the girl. Still, the moth fairy did her best to slide in the direction of the Eye of Midnight as quickly as possible.

Hiro jumped in at Sofia’s suggestion, reaching to grab and try to pin down the woman. She kept sliding and her hand was reaching out for the Eye, so he fired a quick shot in that direction to make it roll away further. “How’s an overgrown moth this strong?!” he complained, looking at Sofia, as he put his all on hindering the deity of the night. He hoped Elena would end it, and quick.

ELENA

“Not for long!” Elena shouted, taking aim at Orizaba.

It was harder this time, with Sofia and Hiro on her, because if she aimed too far this way or that she’d blaze a hole through the body of a nineteen year old. Now wasn’t the time to overthink things, though.

Aim, shoot. Aim, shoot. That was all she needed to do, but…

“Rayo!”

A blaze of light shot from the Scepter at the command and flew off into the wall, sending chunks of it and the furniture along it everywhere. Get it together Elena, get it together! Aim, steady, ignore the blood in your eye from the cut you just gave yourself.

“Rayo!”

Miss. Fuck, that’s three shots, she can already feel her energy just being sucked out of her. One more time, one more time. Aim, steady.

“Rayo!”

Blue light struck Orizaba in the chest as Elena’s grip on the Scepter faltered, her arms having gone a bit floppy with exhaustion. Please, please, be the end of this. If she was lucky, really lucky, she could manage a fifth shot, but she’d rather not test that theory out.

ORIZABA

Orizaba gasped when the last bolt hit her. She was in pain, and the hole in her chest was surrounded by moths frantically fluttering around, trying to reform the body. However, Orizaba’s true weakness was the light, and that of the Scepter was particularly possible.

“No, you imbecile!” she exclaimed, turning to face Elena with rage in her eyes.

As the fairy desperately tried to reform, her wings slowly seemed to burn away in different spots. Soon enough, the entirety of her body began to do the same. In that moment, she knew it was then or never. She had to take them all down with her.

Her hands transformed into jaguar-like claws, and her legs did as well. The woman’s previously beautiful face began to morph as well, as she shook off the two kids from her body and leapt at Elena, ready to swipe her out of existence along with her.

“You must pay!” she exclaimed, desperately, as she fell toward the princess… And then, right before doing what she wanted to do, the rest of her body burned out, and only a flock of purple moths remained until, eventually, they too dissipated into the realm beyond the physical.

The Eye of Midnight glowed again, there, on the floor, as the clouds of magic that had taken over the town slowly dissipated to reveal the light of the sun. In the corner, Gabe’s eyes opened, and he leaned up as much as he could, taking in the room he was in, very confused.

SOFIA

Sofia had been counting with Elena, counting down the number of shoots left until she was done for the count, until it was two on one instead of three on one.

She felt one of Elena’s blasts come within inches of the back of her hair, singeing some of her hair. Sofia ignored it, fighting to hold down the struggling moth fairy alongside Hiro. They couldn’t do this forever, and neither could Elena.

The next blast, however, went straight through Orizaba’s chest, and Sofia felt the ripple move through her body. It was odd, after all the zombie nonsense that had been going on, to see the empty hole where there should have been fairy instead. The rest of the woman began to rapidly deteriorate as well, moths crumbling to dust, and Sofia nearly fell through the floor when Orizaba ripped her way free to lunge at Elena. Sofia didn’t even have time to try and grab her, to cry out, before Orizaba burst into a million moths. Soon, those too were gone.

Sofia rolled onto her back, breathing heavily as she tried to process the fact that they had done it. They’d really done it. Orizaba was gone.

Through the windows, Sofia could see the night melt away, and the sky turned from black to the soft, buttery yellow and pinks of dawn. She smiled, letting her head fall back and her eyes close.

One down, one to go.

GABE (& HIRO)

“Elena?” Gabe called out after processing the disappearance of the moth fairy. It wasn’t hard to assume who she was, considering the tales back home. How Gabe had gotten there, though, was another mystery entirely. The last thing he recalled was a fire had broken out in the school and he was on his way there.

Meanwhile, Hiro backed away, gazing at the Eye of Midnight and uncertain of what they should do with it. He decided to guard it while the others got their bearings in order.

ELENA

Elena fell to her knees, exhausted and in pain, and would have just laid flat on her back, too if it weren’t for the little confused, “Elena?” from the distance. Gabe. Gabe was awake, Gabe said her name, and it was his voice and his cadence, and it was him this time, and-

And Elena barely had the strength to get up off her knees, but what kind of friend and surrogate little sister would she be if she didn’t?, and beelined for Gabe.

Her strength and wakefulness were fading fast. She was fighting her inevitable blackout so hard right now, the world was getting heavier, and heavier around her, but it- she couldn’t give in just yet. There was a Gabe to hug.

She dropped to her knees beside him, eyelids drooping, and rested her head against his chest to feel for his heartbeat. There it was. Steady, healthy as far as she could tell, very much alive and not zombified or possessed, just her Gabe.

“I m-missed you,” she sniffled, her weak arms wrapping around him as she stretched her neck up to kiss his cheek. “I missed you much much. I’m s-sorry I c-can’t, I can’t explain right now, I don’t have…”

God, she was fading fast. Stupid Scepter. Stupid Orizaba.

“...have time. Scepter. I’ll ex-explain when I wake up but. I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, Gabe.” Elena’s voice grew softer every few words, her eyelids fluttered shut, then open, shut, then open.

Elena’s hands clutched at the fabric of Gabe’s shirt as she relaxed into his warmth. “Gabriel, you- I just. Te quiero mucho, big brother. I l-love you so much, and I’m s-so glad you’re ba...back. You’re...ba…”

And Elena wouldn’t recall if she finished that word or not, as it was then that the Scepter’s energy drain took her under and she went limp around Gabe, unconcious.

GOLIATH

Goliath could feel the night finally end, the magic melting away like mist in the sunlight. For once, he welcomed the pain that came with the sunrise as his body twisted and broke and reset into his human skin. He felt his chest, the soft skin that gave and moved under his fingers. His blunt, human nails on five human fingers, his heels flat on the ground.

He looked up at the dawn, the sky painted in a wash of colors, and breathed.

He’d had the sense to drop back to the ground before he lost his wings, and he didn’t feel any sort of tug on his mind as he made his way into the house where Orizaba had made her temporary home. The whole house smelled of bear, but Goliath ignored it; instead making his way into the room where the four humans were left. His eyes immediately sought out Elena, breathing out in relief when he saw her safe - albeit, passed out - on top of a confused Gabe. Sofia was strewn out on the ground, catching her breath, and her friend Hiro was standing next to her, watching…

Goliath approached him, smiling at his former student. “I’ll take care of that,” he reassured Hiro, kneeling down and accepting Sofia’s weak grin and fist bump as he picked the Eye of Midnight up off the ground. Even without Orizaba around, it called to him, and he considered it for a moment before putting it into the pocket of his sweatpants.

After helping Sofia onto her feet so Hiro could help hold the young princess up, Goliath crossed over to Gabe and Elena. He smiled gently at Gabe, resting a hand on his shoulder for a moment. “Good to have you back, son,” he said before looking down at Elena. He easily scooped her small body into his arms, grabbing the Scepter and resting it across her lap. He then turned his back to Gabe, helping the young Royal Guard onto his back.

“Let’s all get home,” he said softly. “Whatever is left, we can deal with tomorrow.” For the sun would rise and set as it should, and slowly, the world would turn back to normal.

(Across town, deep in the forest, the Cauldron shuddered.)

#The End Is Nigh(t)

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displacedprincess · 6 years

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Elena & Goliath: A History - Alternatively, How The King & Queen of Avalor Made A Dear Friend, And The Princesses Essentially Had Three Parents

@carvedfromlivingstone

Princess Elena was seven years old when she first met the man she knew as Goliath Velásquez. Er, actually. She met the gargoyle known as Goliath. No, seriously - she met him in his over seven feet tall, very nonhuman, very sharp-toothed gargoyle form first. The gargoyle had befriended the jaquins that help guard the kingdom and they were taking a break from flying on the sleeping princess’ balcony, chatting away in feather soft voices so as not to wake her.

She hadn’t been sleeping that night; she was sitting up in bed very much awake, flashlight in one hand and book in another. When she heard whispers on her balcony and recognized all but one voice, she scurried to the door, expecting a new jaquin to meet! And when she saw the seven foot tall gargoyle?

The princess squeaked and ran inside - then hissed through the door - “Skylar -” the name of one of the jaquins “-how could you let me meet your...uh, the creature he is friend - in my pajamas?” She wasn’t afraid of the objectively startling creature, merely embarrassed that her first meeting with such a species was in her pajamas.

“Don’t fly away!” she said through the door, throwing a respectable coat on over her pajamas, and she stepped outside to meet the jaquins’ friend.

He said he was a gargoyle, that his name was Goliath, and that he’d been spending time in Avalor periodically for - (hundred of years! interrupted Skylar) what? Hundreds of years? She asked if he watched Avalor grow up. He had. Wasn’t that mind-blowing? For that entire time, the jaquins protecting Avalor were his friends, often enjoying nighttime flights together. And that he was human during the day.

Elena thought he was the coolest!

Over the next few weeks, if Elena was awake when Goliath and the jaquins took their rest, she’d excitedly slip out onto her balcony to join them. Eventually, Goliath took to calling her ‘joya’, meaning ‘gem.’ That was sweet; Elena always liked being nicknamed.

It wasn’t until Elena and her parents joined the people of Avalor City in festivities celebrating a national holiday that over a month after their first meeting, the little princess met Goliath in his human form. She was playing tag with other children, looking behind her as she ran, and ran smack into Goliath’s legs. When he bent down to help her up - “I’m terribly sorr- oh! Joya?” “Goliath? So that’s what you look like in the daytime! Whoaaa. You’re still really, really tall.”

A couple months later, when Elena’s antics had chased away one of her private tutors, Elena (having remembered Goliath saying he was often a teacher) all but demanded her new friend apply for the job. She even promised she’d be good and wouldn’t prank him or hide from him like her other tutors.

Goliath never could say no to Elena, not then, not now.

Elena’s not sure what possessed him to introduce himself to her parents properly. No, like, real species and all. Sort of. But that’s the kind of thing King Raul was looking for in tutors for his daughter. As much diversity as possible in culture, experience, and species. Goliath wasn’t the only magick species the King and Queen employed. One of Elena’s music tutors was a vaagh who’d come to Avalor to study abroad in university and could never bring himself to leave. There were at least two fairies on the payroll for a while. And as Avalor was a magick country, many of her Bona Fide Human tutors had magic powers of some sort.

The King and Queen hired Goliath to teach the Princess history and to slowly ease the seven year old into studying political science. True to her word, Elena was a good student for him always. She’d hide from other tutors if she didn’t feel like studying that day, but she happily discussed history and current events with Goliath. His teaching style was...actually interesting. And! He was there for much of history! How cool was that? Elena’s mind was blown.

When Elena said that Goliath was the best teacher ever, and that she wished he could just be her only teacher, her parents thought something had to be up. Right? Was he bribing her with sweets? Was he letting her goof off? So when Lucia decided to join Elena for a lesson one day - something her parents did now and then as an excuse to spend time with her on a calmer than usual day - she was expecting some kind of trick.

What happened instead? Elena asked if they could have their lesson outside that day, since the weather was so nice. Before Goliath even finished agreeing, Elena ran outside. Elena asked if she could make flower crowns while they had class - he allowed it. To Lucia surprised, while Elena’s hands were occupied with flower crowns, her mind was focused on the lesson, answering Goliath’s questions thoughtfully and posing her own. Lucia’s heart was warmed at the sight of Elena finally taking an interest in her schooling. To her, it was awesome that Goliath asked Elena questions meant to make her think. She could see the gears turn in her little brain. To her surprise, Goliath found a way to discuss complex current and past events with the seven year old in terms she could understand.

Raul was just as surprised to hear that Elena was taking a real interest in her schooling. He was curious about his daughter’s tutor and began occasionally inviting him to join them for a light afternoon meal in between Elena’s early afternoon free time and her afternoon lessons. Occasionally, until Raul and Lucia began to consider him their friend - even insisting he call them by their first names - and his presence was pretty much expected daily.

Over the years, the King and Queen began to go to him to talk through decisions they struggled with. Sometimes seeking his opinion as they would their regular advisers, sometimes just needing him to listen while they talked about it at a million miles a second. They also would readily discuss decisions about the girls with him the way close friends do, looking for validation that “I’m not crazy for thinking this, right?” He’d become so close to the Royal family, that little Isabel called him ‘Tio’ for as long as she could remember, Esteban who hates most everyone even considered him a friend, and Elena liked to joke that she was such a handful her parents had to recruit an extra dad to manage her.

Eventually though, after six years, he had to leave Avalor for Japan - something about a clan there, helping with whatever was going down. Regular correspondence between Goliath and the Avaloran royal family through handwritten letters when he didn’t have reliable access to much technology, email and phone calls when he did, was maintained. He visited a handful of times in person, usually for a few days. For Elena’s quince, he stay in Avalor for two weeks to celebrate her 15th birthday.

Upon the deaths of the King and Queen just three months later, Goliath returned to Avalor immediately, and stayed after the funerals at Chancellor Esteban’s behest. With Raul and Lucia gone, it was up to Lucia’s aging parents and Esteban to raise Isabel and guide fifteen year old Elena while she had to speed-learn how to lead an entire kingdom, AND apply to university for next year on top of that! It's too much, Esteban had said. Please stay and help look after them, they trust you and listen to you, and value your guidance the way they never will anybody our grandparents can hire. So Goliath once again became tutor to the princess - this time, little Isabel who was eight - and remained in the country for two years before going to Guatemala to help the Mayan clan.

He was never able to get to Avalor again before the coup, but semi-regular correspondence was maintained. When news Elena’s awful fiancee drama reached him, he wrote her a several pages long letter telling her how wonderful she was, how he didn’t deserve to look at her let alone marry her, how she will find somebody one day who would love her the way she deserved, and that no man that has to cut her down because he can’t handle the badass, big personality, brilliant woman that is Elena Castillo Flores, is worth her stress. Elena has that letter still. It was in her box of sentimental items that she’d grabbed when she fled from her bedroom the day Shuriki attacked the palace.

Elena considers Goliath family, and especially since it’s been two years since she’s seen her grandparents or Esteban, the closest thing to a parent she has left. People forget how young Elena is. She was only twenty when her kingdom was taken away from her, still studying how to lead, she was almost but not quite ready to be crowned queen. Now twenty-three, but with a long road ahead of her if she wants to master the Scepter and defeat Shuriki, Elena needs Goliath’s support, guidance, and compassion now more than ever.

Since the princesses have run into him in Swynlake, he’s resumed his role as the loving, protective guardian, and then some. Elena has affectionately started calling him ‘Papa’ now and then, as she’s begun to view him as her parent more or less. At least, she feels as loved as when her parents were alive, so.

#r: [i know you say there is no need but i intend to pay you back] goliath #&&...hc #&&...aes.#queue and me but mostly me

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