81. New Gifts

It was a special day.

Manuel, Bruno and Valentina’s first son, had just turned five years old.

It was time for him to claim his birthright as a Madrigal, and receive a magical gift.

Not only was this the first gift ceremony in years, the first one after Casita’s rebuilding, and the first one with dragons…

This was also the very first gift ceremony that wouldn’t be run by Alma.

Mirabel, Candle Holder of nearly a year, was to officiate this celebration. And she was bursting with excitement over the prospect.

She loved parties, and these types of parties were the most amazing of all. Witnessing a young member of her amazing family be granted an otherworldly ability was always incredible.

But she wouldn’t just be part of the crowd this time, she’d be in charge of making sure everything ran smoothly.

However, the woman wasn’t filled with apprehension. She knew she could throw a mean party.

And at the end of the night, her darling little primo would join the ranks of his magical relatives with his own gift. One wholly unique to him.

The thought put a smile on her face.

Or it would have, if she wasn’t barfing.

In her bedroom, draped in her nightgown and crouched over a spare bucket, Mirabel was in the process of losing her lunch.

As well as her breakfast, and her dinner.

Hiccup sat on his knees behind her, holding her hair back. Toothless, Nubless, and Mariposa all winced at the sight.

It was a few hours before breakfast was meant to start, but the young couple were up early.

While everyone was still sleeping, Mirabel had abruptly jolted up. Sensing something was wrong from within.

She clambered over her startled husband, and ran to a corner of their room.

There she grabbed a bucket, filled with excess crafting supplies, and dumped its contents onto the floor. Before dumping her contents into the bucket.

And this is what she’s been doing for the last half an hour.

“Did you eat something bad?” Hiccup asked, rubbing her back with his free hand.

Mirabel tried to answer, but she felt more bile surging upwards. After depositing it, her throat was too sore to speak. So she simply shook her head no.

The creaking of wood alerted Hiccup to Casita, who was using the floorboards to bump a dresser around. Sliding a glass of water near them.

“Thanks, Casita…” Hiccup said, taking the glass.

He handed it to his wife, who gratefully gulped down the liquid. To soothe her stinging throat.

Mariposa stepped closer, trying to see what was wrong with her rider. But Hiccup stopped her with an outstretched hand.

“I wouldn’t do that, if I were you!” He warned, before he shuddered.

“There are things in this bucket no creature should witness…”

After a few more minutes, Mirabel seemed to be doing better.

Breathing heavily, and sweating from the experience, she sent Hiccup a tired smile.

“Thanks, I know that was really gross…” She said, as her frazzled hair fell back onto her neck.

“For you, my dear, anything.” He replied, placing a peck on her sweaty cheek.

Hiccup picked up the bucket, and began to leave the room.

“We’ve got some time before everyone’s gotta get up. You should get some more sleep.” The Viking suggested.

And as Mirabel stood on wobbly feet, she couldn’t deny that the idea was a good one.

She climbed back into their bed, and the dragons all returned to their part of the room.

A side area, big enough to give the reptiles enough space to frolic. With perches, feeding stations, and fluffy beds.

It was part of the revisions made to the room when Hiccup married into the family, which could be best exemplified by the blacksmith’s bench that was also in the area.

Stepping out into the hall, Hiccup saw that Dolores already out and about.

“What’s up, Lor?” He greeted, more than a bit tired himself.

She nodded her head in return.

“Woke up early.” She shrugged. This scenario happened a lot.

As one could imagine, she was an incredibly light sleeper. And now that she shared her bed, it only took the slightest twitch on Mariano’s part to break her slumber.

“Is Mirabel okay?” Dolores wondered, having heard the girl’s retching.

“Well considering I’m carrying a bucket of her vomit…y’know…” Was Hiccup’s answer.

He began heading to the bathroom, to dispose of the repulsive liquid.

“I think she caught a stomach bug, or something…” He spoke, on the way there. “Mom’s food will probably fix that up.”

Dolores’ big brown eyes were filled with concern, and her gaze shifted to Mirabel’s slightly opened door. She peeked inside, spotting her cousin wrapped up in blankets. The woman was already sleeping again.

She was just about to leave-

But then Dolores heard something.

Something small. Something she had to really focus on, to hear it properly.

But she definitely heard it. She’d recognize that sound anywhere.

A little, repetitive thumping.

A sound so tiny, it was barely even audible amongst the chorus of other noises she was constantly hearing.

And yet it was insurmountably life-changing.

The quiet woman released a squeak of pleasant surprise, as the questions flowed into her mind.

Did she know yet?

Did either of them know yet?

Did either of them-

“Uh…”

Dolores looked back, to see that Hiccup had returned.

“May I?” He asked, gesturing to his own room with a sardonic tone.

She stepped aside, and let him in. But before he could shut the door, she decided a test was in order.

“Hiccup?” She called to her cousin.

When he faced her again, she said one simple word.

“Congratulations!”

And Hiccup was very confused.

“Uh…thank you?” He said, clearly having no idea what she was talking about.

“See you at breakfast, Lor…”

After that, he shut the door. Eager to get a little bit of sleep before they all had to greet the day.

And Dolores had her answer.

He didn’t know.

But she was left with one more question.

Did Mirabel know?

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

Mirabel was feeling much better, by the time breakfast rolled around.

But she wasn’t completely better.

There was still a slight feeling of nausea, a tiredness slowed down her usually peppy movements, and she was always feeling like she had to pee. Even when she didn’t.

She didn’t know just what this illness was, but she figured it wouldn’t matter. After a bite of her mother’s delicious food, it would just go away.

And speaking of Julieta’s food, it was time to begin the day.

Each member of her family was lined up at the table, plates at the ready. Hiccup was the one who set the table, these days.

With a warm smile, she got things started.

“Good morning, family!”

“Before we begin, I just wanna wish a very happy birthday to Manuel!”

Every Madrigal launched into cheers, while applauding the boy. Valentina cheered the loudest.

Manuel shrunk down a bit, with a bashful smile on his face. While his father ruffled his hair.

“But it’s a big day for another reason!” Mirabel said. “Tonight, another Madrigal will be given a gift!”

“And it’s up to us to make sure this day is as special as can be!”

After this, their morning meal was underway. Casual conversation was made, most of it pertaining to the upcoming festivities.

Then it was time for Mirabel to assign them all their daily tasks. Once again, most of them pertained to the upcoming festivities.

Gift ceremonies were a big deal. Another of their kin was being granted an amazing ability.

A power that could help the village, and the family. A power that reflected the recipient’s very soul.

But while everyone was focused on the magical birthday party, Dolores kept thinking back to that sound.

The one she could hear right now, even amidst all this chatter.

She knew what it meant. She knew this would change everything.

But did Mirabel know?

As soon as breakfast was over, she decided to employ her same tactic from earlier.

The new matriarch would be busy all day, getting everything in order. This would likely be the only moment she had to strike.

As everyone began to leave the dining room, Dolores stayed in her seat.

Mirabel, who was halfway out of her chair, noticed this. And sat back down.

“Dolores?” Mirabel asked, a twinge of concern in her voice. “Everything okay?”

Dolores nodded.

“Everything’s fine. I just wanted to say congrats!”

The bespectacled girl furrowed her brow in confusion.

“…Congrats on what?”

And the quiet woman’s eyes shot open.

Mirabel didn’t know either.

Neither of them did.

She didn’t know why she was so surprised.

Mirabel and Hiccup had been married for nearly a year at this point.

And from what she’d unwittingly heard, they were quite…amorous.

This was just nature taking its course.

And yet, it was still so amazing. It was still such a wonderful thing.

And she got to be the one to break the news.

Mirabel was becoming quite worried, as her cousin stared off into space.

“Okay, seriously. Is something wrong?” She asked. “You know you can tell me, right?”

Refocusing on reality, Dolores stood from her seat. Before taking another seat, the one closest to her prima.

This was where Hiccup usually sat.

“Actually…there is something I think you need to know.”

Mirabel listened intently, ready to help with whatever she could.

Dolores took one more moment, to be sure she wasn’t hearing incorrectly.

She was a master of parsing through sounds, and had a near perfect accuracy when it came to naming noises.

And as she leaned her head a bit downwards, towards the other woman’s midsection…

Yeah.

She was definitely hearing right.

Dolores took a small sigh, knowing she was about to drop some big information.

“Mirabel…I hear a heartbeat.”

In response, the young matriarch raised an eyebrow.

“I’m alive, good to know…” She snarked.

The quiet woman shook her head, and elaborated.

“No, I hear a heartbeat aside from yours. A little one…” She knew these next words would be the kicker.

“…In your tummy…”

For about three seconds, Mirabel seriously wondered why her stomach would have a heartbeat.

Then, the logic of the situation hit her.

Oh, that’s what her cousin meant. Of course. That makes way more sense than a beating stomach. How silly of her-

When the reality of the situation clicked, she froze.

Perfectly still, her eyes as wide as they would go.

Dolores patiently waited for her reaction, as she willed her mouth to move.

“A-Are you…are you saying I’m…”

Dolores nodded, an excited titter in her hushed voice. “You’re pregnant!”

In just one moment, her entire world had changed.

For a second, Mirabel’s mind was completely blank.

But that was over in an instant, as her head was flooded with images of little things.

Little hands, and little feet. Little noses, and little bellybuttons. Big eyes on little, chubby faces. Wearing little, gummy smiles.

Babies.

She was thinking of babies.

Because she was having a baby.

She and Hiccup were having a baby.

They were having a baby.

“I’m gonna be a mom…” She whispered.

Before Dolores could say anything, she was crushed into a hug.

“I’M GONNA BE A MOM!” Mirabel joyfully shouted. “I’m gonna be a mom and he’s gonna be a dad!”

“We’re gonna be parents!”

Dolores’ hands were clamped over her ears tightly, but she still wore a wide smile.

She knew this feeling well.

The realization that there’s a little life inside of you. Something you’ve only known for seconds, and yet already love with all your heart.

Mirabel was already imagining their child. Wondering if they’d have her eyes, and his nose. Perhaps her hair, and his freckles.

Would they need glasses? Would they be genetically predisposed to sarcasm?

“That’s why I was sick this morning!” Mirabel realized.

Though she also realized that an arepa wasn’t fixing this, and she’d probably be barfing for weeks.

“I have to tell him!” She eagerly said, bouncing on her feet. “I have to tell everyone- “

No.

She couldn’t tell everyone

Not yet, at least.

“No, this is Manny’s day.” She muttered. “I don’t wanna steal his spotlight.”

“Tomorrow. We’ll announce it tomorrow!” Mirabel decided, with a determined nod.

But while this is what she intended to do...

Could she truly keep something this big contained for that long?

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

Preparations for the party were going well.

Mirabel stood in Casita’s courtyard, directing everyone on everything. And trying to focus on the task at hand, instead of what lied within her belly.

Banners were hung, balloons were blown, baskets full of goodies were delivered, everything was coming into place.

Hiccup was helping where he could, accompanied by Toothless and Nubless.

The Night Fury followed him wherever he went, and the Light Fury followed her mate wherever he went. Though she was also quite fond of Antonio.

Hiccup basically had two dragons with him, all the time.

It made him look even more like a Dragon Master.

As he and Toothless hung up some streamers, he spied something back on the surface.

Manuel was trying his best to drag a wagon far too heavy for him.

This isn’t the first time he’s tried something like this.

Dropping down, he placed a hand on the child’s shoulder. To stop him before he gave himself a hernia.

“Here, Manny. Let me…”

As he gripped the wagon of party supplies, Manuel gave a pout.

“I could’ve done it…” He said, with crossed arms.

Hiccup regarded him with a smirk, while puling the cart along.

“What you could’ve done was blown your back out.” He chuckled. “Besides, it’s your party! We’re the ones who have to set it up!”

The child looked up to him with begging hazel eyes.

“But I wanna help…” He pleaded.

From his puppy dog eyes, to his quivering lip, to his selfless want to assist where he could…

How could Hiccup say no to that?

Another villager had entered the building, carrying with them another basket.

The boy immediately went to retrieve it, but he then stopped himself. And looked back to Hiccup.

The Dragon Master scrutinized the basket.

It didn’t look too heavy…

With a sigh, Hiccup waved Manny forward.

Brimming with joy, the five-year-old took the item into his hands.

And nearly dropped it.

It was definitely too heavy for him.

But he stabilized himself soon after, and faced his older cousin with a thumbs up.

Hiccup rolled his eyes at the sight, and returned the gesture.

Grinning widely, the boy carried the weighty basket further into the house. Happy to be of assistance.

And Hiccup honestly found it heartwarming.

Whatever his gift was, there was no doubt that Manuel would use it for the good of others. First and foremost.

That’s just the kind of guy he was.

Mirabel was watching this interaction from afar, and felt her heart flutter at the sight.

Hiccup had always been good with kids.

And the thought of him being good with their kid sent shivers down her spine.

She wouldn’t tell him just yet. Not when there was still so much to do.

But she was incredibly tempted.

At her side, Mariposa began sniffing at the air. A strange expression on her face.

She tilted her head downwards, and smelled Mirabel’s stomach. As if she sensed something different.

Giggling, her rider gently shoved her head away.

“Stop, stop! We have to keep it a secret!”

“Keep what a secret?”

Jolting with surprise at a hulking voice, Mirabel whirled around to find her sisters standing behind her.

Isabela was in the middle of decorating, while Luisa hefted the piano above her. But they both stopped, when they heard their sibling’s mumbling.

“Are we keeping secrets?” Isabela asked, grinning at the idea of gossip.

Mirabel frantically shook her head.

“Nope! Nuh-Uh! No secrets here!” She denied, wearing a nervous smile.

The ground shook, as Luisa placed the piano down. Eyeing her sister with suspicion.

“You’re lying…” She surmised.

Mirabel darted her eyes around, looking anywhere but her sister's gaze.

“Look, if you really don’t wanna tell us you don’t have to.” Isabela stated.

That should’ve been Mirabel’s out. Just tell them she wasn’t sharing, and they’d let it go.

But as she thought about the little blob of a Madrigal, resting within her. A perfect mixture of both herself and the man she loved. A new addition to her family, coming straight from her…

She wanted to tell them.

She wanted to shout her pregnancy to the heavens.

She wanted to proclaim her undying love for this little thing she’d only known for a short time, for all to hear.

But she promised. This was Manny’s day.

So instead of shouting, she hastily grabbed her sisters’ hands. Dragging them off elsewhere.

On the way, she yelled to the first person she could find.

“Milo! You’re in charge while I’m gone!”

At this, the shifter grinned.

“Finally…” He said, rubbing his hands together with malicious intent. “My reign begins…”

Mirabel shoved both her sisters in a closet, and closed the door. They stood packed together, in complete darkness.

“Geez, did you kill a guy or something?” Isabela asked, confused by the secrecy measure.

Mirabel tried her best to face them, while she couldn’t see.

“Listen, if I tell you what’s going on…you have to promise me two things.”

“First of all, you can’t tell anyone else until after Manny gets his gift.” She started. “And second of all…”

She made sure to emphasize this point. It was insanely important.

“…No squealing!”

She couldn’t see them nodding, but she heard the shifting of their bodies.

Satisfied, she felt a small smile growing as she prepared the revelation. As the day went on, the fact only made her more and more excited.

“…I’m pregnant!”

She heard it.

The sharp exhales of two women, preparing themselves to squeal.

“What did I just say?” Mirabel demanded.

Laughter could be heard from the closet.

“We can’t help it, sis!” Isabela said, grin evident in her voice. “That’s amazing!”

“You’re gonna be a mom! We’re gonna be tias!” Luisa sniffled.

As best they could from within the darkness, they joined together in a group hug.

“You’re gonna be the best mom ever, I know it!” Luisa cheered.

“And Hiccup will be a great dad!” Isabela smirked. “Because I’ll hurt him if he isn’t!”

Beaming so bright she almost lit up the closet, the mom-to-be responded.

“Well this kid’s gonna have the best aunts in the world!”

They stayed in the closet for a bit longer. Giggling about rattles and bottles and how, for as much as they’d love this child, her sisters were not changing any diapers.

But then, suddenly, light returned to them.

Julieta stood, doorknob in hand, looking upon her daughters with a shocked face.

None of the girls, still entangled in a hug, said anything. All just gawking at their mother.

Slowly, Julieta raised a hand. To point to something.

“I was…looking for the broom…”

Wordlessly, Mirabel removed herself from the embrace. And handed the object to her.

But while she nodded her thanks, her eyes wouldn’t leave her youngest daughter.

Because she heard.

She heard everything.

“Is it true?” She softly asked. “Are you…?”

Mirabel grew a stern look.

“You gotta keep it secret until after tonight!” Her features then softened. “But…yes!”

Julieta’s look of shock was quickly replaced with a grasp of great joy, as she dropped the broom and swept her child into another hug.

“Ay, Mija!” She cried, overflowing with happiness. “That’s incredible!”

Returning the hug, Mirabel grew a teasing grin. “You’re gonna be an abuela!”

The healer huffed, while rolling her eyes.

“Thanks, you just gave me more grey hairs…” She quipped.

But despite the jokes, the thought of being a grandmother mesmerized her.

Her baby was having a baby. A little, tubby, roly-poly thing to love and cherish and nurture.

She’d offer advice whenever she could, and the occasional babysitting stint was a no-brainer.

When the hug separated, she then had a question to ask.

“Have you told him yet?”

Both of the sisters looked to her as well, curious of the answer.

Mirabel shook her head.

“No, not yet.” She answered. “Everyone’s so busy! I wanna wait for a good moment.”

And just then, a thought struck her.

“Hey…how did dad react? When you told him you were pregnant for the first time?”

Her inquiry brought a nostalgic glint to Julieta’s eyes.

“Ah, I remember it like it was yesterday…” She sighed.

“...He fainted.”

All three sisters shared a stunned glance.

“He fainted?” Isabela repeated.

Their mother nodded, before adding one more thing.

“Twice.”

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

Bruno was trying very hard not to panic.

He knew this was an irrational fear. He knew he was only going to work himself into a frenzy.

But he couldn’t help it!

As the day went on, as the sun began to set, and more and more people and dragons began pouring into their home…

Bruno realized that his son, his firstborn child, was getting closer and closer to receiving his gift.

And that was terrifying.

Because Manuel was his son.

So what if that meant he’d get a gift that the people would hate as well?

What if his gift gave the town a reason to fear him? To loathe him?

What if that sweet little boy was forced into a life of solitude and misery? Scorned by the very people he only wanted to help?

The thought made Bruno’s heart break in two.

But it’s not like he could stop this. It’s not like he could run out there and try to shut down the biggest birthday party his son would ever have.

Even if he could, he wouldn’t. He wouldn’t do that to his boy.

So all he could do was pray. Pray that his child would be given a gift, and not a curse.

And he threw a lot of salt.

Bruno was behind the curtains, waiting to wish his son good luck before the big moment. He was joined by Valentina, a very squirmy Diego, and both their dragons.

Now that Diego was walking, he was getting into all sorts of things. Especially the things they didn’t want him touching, as that got him the most attention.

Outside, the party was in full swing.

People were dancing and eating, kids were playing around with the magical building, dragons relaxed in corners and snuck food from the tables.

Any minute now, Manny would be walking up there and touching his door.

And who knows what would happen next.

Noticing her husband was jittering much more than what would be considered normal, Valentina released a concerned sigh.

“Lemme guess…” She began. “You’re still worried he’s gonna get a gift that people won’t like.”

They’d talked about this a lot, over the past week.

Bruno released a sigh of his own.

“L-Look I know I shouldn’t worry, I just- “He began to knock on the nearest piece of wood. “I just think about what happened to me, and I-I think about It happening to him, and I-I can’t…”

“A-And what if it’s my fault!?” He suddenly asked. “What if it’s because I’m his dad? What if I just have bad gift genes, or something?”

His second son was whimpering, not liking seeing his father so upset.

Valentina steeled her gaze, and met him with a deep frown.

“Even if he gets a sucky gift-and I’m not saying that’ll happen! But if it does…he won’t get the same treatment you did.”

“The family’s different now. The town’s different now.” She grew a small grin. “And most importantly, he’s got us!”

“You, to help him through it…And me, to kick the asses of anyone who looks at him funny!”

Bruno managed to chuckle, a smile working onto his frantic features.

“Y-You’re right, you’re totally right…” He admitted, shakily. “Things are different now, he…he won’t be like me.”

He repeated that last bit a few times to himself. It became a mantra, to reassure him in this time of uncertainty.

“He won’t be like me…he won’t be like me…he won’t be like- “

“MANNY!”

Diego’s little voice told them that the birthday boy was here.

Dressed in a spiffy white suit, the boy was being led by Mirabel to his starting position.

“And remember!” She said to her cousin. “No matter what your gift is, or how you use it, what’s most important is you!”

“I love Manuel. Not his fire powers, or his time manipulation, or his ability to breath underwater. Just Manuel!”

“Okay?” She asked, earning a nod from the child.

“Okay, we’re on in five.” She crouched down, and gave him one last hug. “You’re gonna do great!”

And with that, she was off. She had a candle to hold.

Valentina shoved Diego into her husband’s arms, so she could fawn over her child.

“Look at you, little man!” She cooed. “Or I guess I should call you big man, huh?”

She began poking his belly, and he fought to keep from laughing.

“I’m not fat!” Manny protested, waving her fingers away. “It’s this suit! It makes me look poofy!”

“Relax, kiddo. I just mean you’re all grown up!” Said his mother, with a chuckle.

Bruno’s hazel green eyes met his son’s, which looked so similar. And he formed a warm smile.

“Bet you can’t wait to get outta the nursery, huh?” He asked. “You get your own room! No more crying babies!”

Being one of the aforementioned crying babies, Diego slapped his little hand on Bruno’s face. With a disgruntled grunt.

The seer knew time was almost up. But he had just one more thing he needed to say.

“But seriously, kid…”

“No matter what happens out there, no matter what happens in the future…I got your back.”

He placed his free hand on his boy’s shoulder. “I will never give up on you. You will never be alone. Got that?”

Resolutely, Manuel nodded. He didn’t entirely understand the message…

But he got it.

And then, it was time.

It was time for another door to be opened.

It was time for another Madrigal to step into the light, and receive their gift.

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

Mirabel knew the lines like the back of her hand.

Over fifty years ago, in their darkest moment, etc.

Standing up on the third level of Casita, besides one of the three unmarked doors that resided in the new hallway, Mirabel watched the oldest of her youngest cousins approach.

He was a reserved child, he always had been. But now, despite all the eyes watching him, he seemed more determined than ever.

Not even flinching as he made his way to the stairs, not even hesitating as he climbed to the top.

Perhaps it was because he knew, with this gift he was about to get, he could do what he always wanted to do. Help people.

He wouldn’t be just a little kid anymore. He’d have a phenomenal magic power, and he would make good use of it.

Bruno and Valentina were up in the hallway as well, watching their son make the ascent with great pride.

And a bit of fear, in his father’s case.

Diego kept trying to touch his own door, years before it was ready, and so he was placed in Julieta’s arms.

Smiling warmly, Mirabel held the miraculous candle out to him. Glowing in the evening’s waning light.

His little hands gently grasped it.

“Will you serve this community, and strengthen our home?” She asked.

Manuel nodded with a steadfast expression. That was all he ever wanted to do!

“Will you also remember to stay true to your wonderful self, no matter what?”

He nodded again.

Everyone waited with great anticipation, as the boy approached the shimmering door.

Bruno tried very, very hard to fight any superstitious urges. While Valentina stared on in wonder, having never seen a gift being given before.

With one final exhale, he gripped his doorknob.

A burst of golden light burst from the knob, his door shined even brighter…

And when he turned around, his eyes were glowing an eerie green.

Bruno almost had a heart attack.

But they would soon find that future vision was not the boy’s power.

Manuel was then overwhelmed with the sudden urge to hold his hand out, and so he did.

And suddenly, a nearby vase came flying off a table. Launching towards him.

It stopped, floating just outside his palm. Wreathed in a green glow, the same shade as his eyes currently were.

Every pair of eyebrows present raised.

Manuel examined the vase with curiosity, moving his hand about. The pot followed his hand’s movements.

Raising his other palm, a plate of grilled corn rocketed from elsewhere in the building. Once again, stopping just at his hand.

He tried again and again, with all sorts of objects. A broom, someone’s hat, a terrified Terrible Terror…

Each item bathed in that green glow. Each item moving wherever his hands told them to.

When not being directed, the objects floated around him in a circle. Almost like they were orbiting a planet.

“How are you doing that?” Mirabel asked, overflowing with fascination.

The boy shrugged.

“I dunno. I just think about picking something up, and it starts floating!”

“So…” Bruno scratched his chin in thought. “You move things with your mind?”

Valentina gasped at the revelation.

Her son could manipulate physical objects with just his thoughts.

He could pick up a whole gang of baddies, and take them out. Without even touching them.

His gift was totally combat applicable.

“That’s awesome!” She cheered, pumping her fist.

At her exclamation, his door decided now was the time to make itself complete.

Everyone gazed in awe, at the glowing depiction of the boy.

Both his hands held out at his sides, his palms raised up. Facing the sky.

Orbs of energy were arranged above him, in a wide arc. Each one containing miscellaneous objects, like a sandal, or a clock. And the door was marked with stars of various shapes and sizes.

And to Mirabel’s eternal joy, he was shown with a smile.

The Candle Holder faced the crowd, proudly presenting her cousin.

“We have a new gift!” She declared.

Cheers rang out from throughout the building, everyone ecstatic to know that another Madrigal was granted an amazing ability.

And Bruno let a few happy tears slip.

This was a gift that would be appreciated. No one would blame Manuel’s telekinesis if their cat got lost.

His son would be spared from his fate.

Though…he still had one to go…

The party continued in Manuel’s room. Something he was over the moon about having.

It was a large library, so tall that there seemed to be clouds if one were to look upwards. With towering bookshelves lining the walls.

There were no ladders or staircases, so it would be impossible to reach the higher books without a dragon’s help. But Manny could just levitate them down.

And each book was a real book. Copies of literature from all over the world. One could spend a lifetime in here, absorbing all the knowledge.

Once he knew how to read, Manuel would be very happy.

His sleeping quarters were located on a stack of three massively oversized books. And many were curious about just what was written in those giant tomes.

The celebrations went on from evening into night, with music and games, and the birthday boy testing out his new power on whatever he could.

He lifted tables and chairs and even midsized people with ease, not even breaking a sweat.

Though when he tried to levitate the piano, his mother’s Rumblehorn, and Luisa…he could barely get them off the ground.

His telekinesis had a weight limit, it seemed.

The more introverted guests who weren’t as keen on dancing, found comfort in plucking one of the many books from the shelves and sitting down for a read.

“It sort of looks like my room…” Bruno commented. “Just bigger!”

“And with less trashy romance dramas!” Valentina snarked, earning her a glare from her husband.

Both their eyes fell on their newly gifted son, playing airplane with Diego and Sofia by levitating them and floating them around.

And their hearts melted at the sight.

From elsewhere in the room, Alma placed a proud hand on Mirabel’s arm.

“You did wonderfully!” She praised. “It was almost like you’ve done it before!”

Mirabel smiled gratefully, before she decided on some light teasing.

“You know how many times I’ve heard that speech?” She asked. “I know it like the back of my hand!”

Her grandmother gave her a bemused expression.

“It couldn’t have been any more than three…” She stated.

“That’s more than enough!” The bespectacled girl shot back.

With a roll of her eyes, and a slight grin, the old woman left to mingle with some other townsfolk.

Mirabel shifted her gaze to various parts of the party, until her eyes settled on her aunt and uncle.

She saw them, Bruno and Valentina, watching their son with an unending adoration. A spark in their eyes that only parents seemed to have.

And she wondered just what it felt like. To watch your child reach a milestone like this, or any other.

She supposed she’d find out, one day soon.

And that reminded her.

The party would be wrapping up soon. The birthday boy was five, he wasn’t staying up late into the night.

And once the celebrations were over…

It’d be time to tell Hiccup.

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

The celebrations were over.

It was time to tell Hiccup.

After an evening of fun, all their guests had gone home. Leaving their mess behind.

Clean-up duty began, with every Madrigal lending a hand to get their house in proper condition once more.

Manuel was using his new gift to levitate litter, depositing the trash into a floating bin. He was delighted that he was finally able to assist in such a large-scale way.

And Mirabel figured, now that things were quiet, she’d finally let her husband in on the good news.

Before Dolores spoiled it.

“Hiccup?” She called, leaning her broom against a wall. “Can I talk to you for a second?”

Hiccup perked up, and handed his mop to Camilo. Who heavily protested being given another chore.

The man then approached, with a questioning gaze.

“What’s up?” He wondered.

Here in the courtyard, surrounded by their entire family, wasn’t exactly the ideal place.

“Follow me…” She requested, as she began leading him somewhere more private.

On the backs of both their dragon’s, they ascended to Casita’s rooftop. Giving them a lovely view of the whole town, under the crescent moon.

Standing on the rooftiles, Hiccup released a contented sigh.

“What a night, huh?” He asked, while observing the village. “Manny can move stuff with his mind! That’s awesome!”

“Makes you wonder what Sofia and Diego will get…”

His musing was put to an end, when he noticed the odd look his wife was giving him.

“Uh…Mira?”

It should be easy.

Just go up to him and say “I’m pregnant!”

But Mirabel found herself at a loss for words.

Any attempt she made to speak, to reveal the truth, died in her throat.

She wasn’t even sure why she was so nervous, it’s not like she expected a bad reaction.

But she was. She was really nervous.

And so instead of telling him, she decided to show him.

As he turned to regard her, a concerned expression working onto his face, Mirabel approached.

Gently, she grabbed one of his wrists with both her hands.

And she brought his hand forth, until his palm was resting snugly on her stomach.

She looked up to him, an eager glint in her eyes. Wearing a small smile.

And Hiccup was baffled.

Because he had no idea what was happening.

What was this gesture supposed to mean? Was she just happy that her stomach wasn’t hurting like earlier?

He looked into her deep brown eyes, with a clueless expression.

Her small smile turned into an annoyed frown, when she realized she’d have to be a bit more direct.

“What have we been doing at least twice a week since the day we were married?”

A flustered blush reached Hiccup’s cheeks.

“Woah, hey!” He stuttered. “N-Not in front of the dragons- “

When the reality of the situation clicked, he froze.

Perfectly still, his eyes as wide as they would go.

Mirabel waited patiently for his reaction, as he willed his mouth to move.

“A-Are you…are you saying that you’re…”

Mirabel nodded, an excited titter in her voice.

“We’re having a baby!”

In just one moment, his entire world had changed.

His pine green eyes settled on his hand, still placed against her tummy.

And then, they met hers.

They locked eyes, both reveling in the news.

They were going to be parents.

They were going to have a child.

He was-

“I’m gonna be a dad…” Hiccup softly realized, an enthusiastic grin forming.

He then grabbed Mirabel, lifting her into the air with a twirl.

“I’M GONNA BE A DAD!”

Both their dragons trilled and warbled with glee. They could already smell the little thing within her, and they already loved it.

The young couple laughed and laughed, bursting with an overwhelming joy.

Their love had manifested a new life.

A new person, a new Madrigal, made from them.

It was incredible. Plain and simple.

But oddly enough, their laughter was soon joined by a chorus of joyful voices.

The two looked back down, into the courtyard. To find the whole rest of the family rejoicing as well.

Pepa harshly gripped her husband by his shirt. Not meaning to harm him, but too excited to control herself.

“Did you hear that!?” She manically asked, her sunlight flashing into his eyes. “They’re having a BABY!”

“We’re gonna be grandparents!” Augustin cheerily said to his wife. Not even minding the extra grey hairs that sprouted with his sentence.

Camilo stuck his hands into his pockets, with a nonchalant grin.

“We all gotta pray…” He suggested. “We gotta pray that kid doesn’t come out with his papi’s voice.”

This garnered snickers from Isabela.

And little Diego was fuming. Because a new baby meant they’d get all the attention.

The cleaning was entirely forgotten, everyone was too busy celebrating the news.

A new baby was always something special. But this would be the child of their miraculous Mirabel, and their heroic Hiccup.

Truly, this was a big deal.

From the rooftop, Mirabel and Hiccup spared a glance.

And after a moment, Hiccup shrugged.

“I guess we were louder than we thought!”

And she giggled.

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

Whenever a woman in the Madrigal household becomes pregnant, her unborn child’s door will appear before the birth.

Though the times when this happens are never consistent.

Isabela’s door didn’t show up until Julieta was six months pregnant. Camilo’s appeared a scant two weeks after Pepa found out.

And Mirabel and Hiccup’s baby…

Their door appeared the very next day.

The two usually woke up earlier than everyone else. Mirabel, to check her agenda for the day. And Hiccup, because now he was tasked with getting the family ready for breakfast.

They both had to use the bathroom, and luckily there were two now. So they exited their room at the same time. Yawning and stretching all the way.

But they stopped, arms raised in mid-stretch, at just what they saw.

The entire family was in the courtyard, gazing up at something with shocked expressions.

From where they were looking, it seemed to be on the third floor.

The Madrigals noticed the couple’s arrival, and turned their stunned gazes to them.

Every pair of eyes, staring at them.

Now slightly uncomfortable, Hiccup tried to get some answers.

“Uh…is there something wrong?”

He didn’t receive a response.

But after nearly a minute of gawking, Camilo burst into chuckles.

“There’s something in that candle, man!”

And that paved the way for everyone else to start speaking.

“Oh, how our family grows!” Alma cheered. “What a blessing!”

Bruno smiled through his fidgeting. “I-I mean-it’s gonna be a handful, but…congrats you two!”

“Fired one shot, hit several targets, huh?” Asked Felix, wheezing with laughter.

Similar jokes and comments were made, all about something they couldn’t see. Something they didn’t understand.

Mirabel realized that they must’ve been talking about her child’s door. But clearly, there was something unusual about it.

Grabbing Hiccup’s hand, she raced down the stairs.

Overflowing with a newfound maternal concern, and also really just wanting to see her baby’s door.

But when they arrived at the courtyard, moving to the front of the pack to get a good look at the third level-

Their jaws dropped.

The entire world screeched to a halt.

And Hiccup nearly fainted.

Twice.

Up there, on the third floor, Manny, Diego, and Sofia’s doors were all pushed back. Shoved far to the left.

Because in that hallway, there wasn’t just one new door.

There were three.