#estebalena

The episode that started it all for me.

Creating estebalena has been an amazing experience for me.

Yes I've rejoined the fandom twice. Deleted blogs and erased estebalena completely but I'm back for good.

I created Esteban Flores and Elena Castillo Flores as a ship

What she means: I just don't understand how the showrunners of EoA expected me, an English major, to cope with their explicitly and visually coding Elena and Esteban as narrative foils and two sides of the same coin throughout S3. And they weren't even remotely subtle about intertwining their characters, destinies, and relationship with each other.

They were just like "what if we gave Esteban and Elena the exact same unique, transformative experience (i.e. falling in the crystal well and absorbing its magic) but ONLY them.? Then maybe, we explicitly seal up Takaina so that no one else can ever have that same experience again?"

And then if that wasn't blatant enough, they each get magical powers that are specifically tailored to their most notable character flaws (Esteban's running away from his responsibilities vs. Elena's emotional intensity and volatility). And if that still was a little too subtle, they also get matching sparkly outfits as souvenirs from their trip down the magic well. So that in every scene they have together (with the exception of the Coronation scene) from then on visually links the two of them together.

Like all of that is just barely scratching the surface of the thematic ramifications of this. Because at the end of the day, Esteban and Elena each metaphorically (if accidentally) gave the other their corresponding powers.

Esteban canonically gets his teleportation because Elena's new anger powers literally lift him up and throw him down the crystal well.

Similarly, Esteban is (albeit much more indirectly) somewhat responsible for Elena's magic as well. It's somewhat implied that the reason Elena is able to use the Scepter of Light in the first place (when presumably her parents and ancestors could not) is because of the Maruvian magic that she absorbed from her years in the Amulet. Crucially, a very real part of the reason that she was even in said amulet in the first place is due to Esteban's decision to smuggle Shuriki into Avalor. His (admittedly terrible) choice led to Elena's ability to use her greatest weapon and that very weapon (via spying on Ash with "Farsight") is what eventually leads Elena to Takaina where she gets her additional emotion powers.

That's canon, baby. Esteban's actions in the past indirectly give Elena her magic. Elena's direct (if accidental) actions in the present give Esteban his.

All of this alone is already more than enough to make me absolutely feral, but they just have to up the ante even more in the series finale. Esteban uses his teleportation powers to take the magical bullet for Elena; Elena uses her own emotion magic to bring him back to life after his sacrifice. They use their powers--the same powers that they technically gave to each other in the first place--to save each other.

And then, if all that isn't enough, they proceed to use each other's powers together in order to defeat the enemy. First, Esteban is able to break Cahu's hourglass by using Elena's scepter, and then the two of them are able to send Cahu back to the Spirit World through the combined power of the scepter and staff. They've converged into one tight, solid, united force for Good that is powerful beyond imagining.

Estebalena

Esteban x Elena

and if it’s ok (if not you don’t have to answer) I have my own question. What is your favorite Elena and Esteban moment together?

3. Favourite OTP scene?

*Nervous Laughter.* Ummm...I really really like the scene that visually and thematically referenced a key moment from Beauty and the Beast (1991). And that's all I'm gonna say on that. If you know, you know.

13. Favorite quote from the series?

"We may not be able to change the past, but if we change ourselves, we have the power to change the future."

^Not really sure if this actually my favorite quote or just the one that is hitting hardest for me now. Because I just watched THAT scene from "Coronation Day" multiple times in a row and they're hitting me with all the feels right now.

Bonus: What is your favorite Elena and Esteban moment together?

Esteban's heroic sacrifice and Elena's restoring him to life with the power of Forgiveness™. The music, the writing, the voice acting, the animation (especially the animation tbh)--just everything about that sequence is *chef's kiss.*

The fact that Esteban's just chilling on the throne, but can somehow sense Elena's thwarted "blaze" spell (crystal well psychic link?) and teleports to the balcony to investigate. The fear on his face turning toward resolve just before he slams his staff to the ground to teleport in front of the grain of sand. The apology he just barely gets out before he runs out of time. The fact that the last thing he does before turning to stone is to reach out to her.

The way it takes her a moment to realize what's happening and her face cycles between confusion, horror, and finally sorrow. The way she cradles his stone face in her hands as a single tear falls slowly down her face. The quiet "I forgive you" accompanied by her curling into him and trying as best she can to embrace him.

The silver-white sparkles gradually surrounding her, transforming her dress (unrelated but white is also a very very pretty color on her in general and even prettier in this context given both the lighting and the emotional resonance). And her emotion magic spreads out and starts disintegrating the stone tablet. The way her eyes widen when she realizes that he's not gone; that her magic has saved him--just as his magic saved her.

The fact that when he emerges from his stone prison, he stumbles and ends up on his knees -just as he's fallen countless times (metaphorically and sometimes literally) over the past 45 years. Only this time she is there with hands reaching out to help him to his feet.

"Forgiveness, it's more powerful than anything I've ever felt."

Elena's emotion magic rippling out and restoring not just Esteban but everyone who has been impacted by the Shades' magic. The gray skies suddenly being replaced by bright sunlight.

Esteban grabbing Elena's scepter and being ready to throw it to her, only to have it start glowing in his hand. Elena giving him permission to use it. Esteban casting "blaze"--the first spell that Elena cast with it and the very spell she used to defeat Shuriki once and for all--to shatter Cahu's hourglass and metaphorically free himself from the Time that had trapped him for over four decades.

Elena reaching for Esteban's staff--ready to borrow his power as he had just borrowed hers in order to drag Cahu to the Spirit World. Him cautioning her not to use the scepter, because he knows its limits. The two of them agreeing to try using their powers together.

Elena literally saying "Your time is up," because even at a moment this important, she can't resist making a pun. The matching little chaotic gremlin faces just before Elena and Esteban use the staff + scepter combo and disappear off the Spirit World with Cahu.

(It was at this moment that Cahu knew she was truly, irrevocably fucked.)

Elena's test having been Esteban all all along. Esteban promising to spend the rest of his life making up for what he has done. Esteban finally handing the scepter back to Elena, only to have her jump on him and wrap her arms around him. The HUG.

Esteban finally standing back where he belongs with his family and their friends. Isa is right in front of him and we see Francisco put a hand around his grandson's shoulder as the scene fades to black.

It's all just...

love you again.

Only in a different way, only safer.