It was a sunny day in the Encanto which meant that Pepa was happy. Camilo groaned walking down the roads with Dolores at his side. The boy had been told that he couldn't go out exploring in the caves which he so desperately wanted to do after finding them on hike. 

"This is so unfair! I've finished all my chores. Why can't I go out to the caves?" Camilo whined to his older sister who rolled her eyes. 

"Mamá doesn't want you go by yourself. She wants you to take an adult with you." Dolores reminded him of their mother's words. 

Antonio caught up to his siblings holding his sister's hand who smiled down at him. 

"But everyone else is busy! They have more chores than I do! Again, so unfair." Camilo huffed leaning against a wall. 

"Hey kid. Get off the wall. You're going to ruin the paint job." Anastasia snapped startling Camilo who quickly moved away from the wall. 

The brunette groaned at the human size shape imprinted on the wall and grabbed the paintbrush repainting the wall. 

Camilo tilted his head studying the woman carefully. There was something about her that Camilo couldn't seem to pinpoint. Anastasia wiped the paint off her hands when she was finished and turned around groaning at the sight of the kids still standing there. 

"Don't you kids have better things to do?" Anastasia started to close the paint cans pressing the lids down until there was a click. 

"Well that's rude. Ever heard of a thing called manners?" Camilo spat getting a smack on the head by Dolores. 

Anastasia looked up at Camilo's comeback narrowing her eyes recognizing them immediately. 

"Wait, I know you kids. You're Pepa and Felix's kids aren't you?" She questioned hoping it wasn't true. 

"Yeah! How do you know our parents?" Antonio asked happily not sensing the venom laced in the woman's voice. 

"I just do. Get out of here before they start looking for you." Anastasia hastily tried to shoo them away when thunder boomed overhead. 

"Here we go." Anastasia grumbled as Pepa stormed up to them with Felix trailing behind her. 

The redhead pushed her children behind her staring daggers at Anastasia who looked away. 

"What are you doing around my children?" Pepa questioned angrily. 

"They came up to me! I didn't call them here or anything." Anastasia defended keeping her voice calm not wanting to yell at Pepa though she didn't give the same courtesy. 

"I don't want you anywhere near my family!" Pepa yelled jabbing a finger into Anastasia's chest pushing her back slightly. 

Anastasia's heart wrenched at the statement from Pepa. To think that her very first love didn't want anything to do with her startled her. Dolores and Camilo saw the surprise and hurt in Anastasia's face and knew that this woman played an important part in their mother's life, or she used to. 

"Keep your family away from me." Anastasia spoke her eyes narrowing at all of them. 

A single tear rolled down her cheek before she turned around, picked up the paint cans, and walked away. Dolores watched the woman walk away sadly knowing that she loved her mother even though her mother obviously didn't share the same feelings. 

"Are you guys ok? She didn't hurt you did she?" Pepa asked worriedly checking on her children. 

The skies cleared up instantly with the sun shining up above as if nothing happened. 

"It was my fault mamá. I messed up her work on the wall." Camilo confessed pointing towards the wall where the woman had just recently painted over. 

Pepa sighed in relief as Felix grabbed her hand placing a kiss on her cheek making her smile. Antonio held his mother's hand and started walking back to the house. Camilo and Dolores looked back at Anastasia who was painting another wall though she didn't have her usual composure when with Camilo. 

It was a new day with the Madrigals who went to town to help out once more. Today, Camilo had a mission. Since he had no chores, he wanted to know exactly what happened between Anastasia and Pepa. It was definitely a sensitive topic for the two women and he knows his mother wouldn't tell him if he asked so he decided to go talk to the brunette. 

He found her talking with an older women by the paint store. She laughed at something the older woman said before giving her a hug and leaving the shop. Anastasia locked eyes with Camilo glaring at him before turning the other way. 

"Hey! Wait!" Camilo called out chasing after her. Anastasia walked faster slipping past people putting enough distance between her and the boy but he was able to run much faster and stood in front of her blocking her path. 

"Out of my way kid." She spat trying to push past him but Camilo didn't move. 

"Hang on will you? I just want to talk to you." 

"Well I don't want to talk to you."

Anastasia tried once more to go around him but Camilo blocked her once again. She groaned in annoyance, crossing her arms but stood there looking at him expectantly. 

"What happened between you and my mother?" 

"None of your business." 

"Were you guys best friends or something?"

"I'm not telling you."

"Did you guys have a falling out?" 

Anastasia eyed him suspiciously. Camilo was starting to annoy her and she knew if Pepa found her talking to her son, there would be hell to pay. 

"Sure." 

Camilo's eyes widened in surprise clearly not expecting the woman to give any confirmation. Though it wasn't certain that they had a falling out, it was still something. 

"Camilo!" 

The sky darkened instantly with lightning streaking above in the clouds accompanied by thunder. Anastasia could feel Pepa's simmering presence coming up behind her. 

"Great. Thanks a lot." The brunette grumbled to Camilo not daring to turn around. 

Pepa was significantly taller than Anastasia. If anything, Pepa could definitely carry Anastasia if she wanted to. 

"You! What did I tell you?" Pepa fumed spinning Anastasia around to face her. 

"I didn't do anything! He came up to me!" The brunette once again defended herself. 

Pepa narrowed her eyes at the younger woman. She obviously didn't believe Anastasia one bit which hurt the brunette but also made her angry. Camilo stepped back watching the confrontation. 

"It's always lies with you. I don't know why I even bothered to ask." Pepa groaned. 

Anastasia laughed weakly at this rubbing a hand down her face. 

"Something funny?" 

"Oh no. Nothing funny here at all only the fact that you always think that I'm lying."

"Because you are!" 

"Why don't you ask Camilo here what really happened? He might be able to tell you."

Camilo shrunk back in fear which angered Pepa who grabbed Anastasia by the shoulders lifting her up off the ground. Everyone around them gasped hiding behind one another. 

"Don't you ever say my son's name. Ever. Again."

Lightning struck down next to Anastasia who flinched. A small ember fell from Anastasia's hand landing on a wooden barrel next to Camilo that was swallowed in flames. The town erupted into chaos screaming and running in every direction. Pepa dropped Anastasia onto the ground and ran to Camilo holding him close, checking him for injuries. 

Anastasia cradled her hand close looking at the houses that had caught fire. Rain poured down from the clouds extinguishing the fire but the damage had already been done. Pepa looked at Anastasia and for the first time in awhile, felt her heart shatter. The look of fear on the woman's face shook Pepa to her core. 

Anastasia quickly fled the scene ignoring her name being called by Pepa. Everyone in the town saw her start the fire. News traveled quickly in a small town like this and it wouldn't be long until that news went to the Madrigal family. Another person in town who had a gift just like them. It was unthinkable and she would probably be accused of witchcraft since that was a thing. Maybe they would accuse her of making a deal with a demon or something since that was also a thing. 

The only people who had magical gifts were the Madrigals. Anyone else who had one would be considered evil. Running away, Anastasia had to get out of town and eventually find a way out of the Encanto.