Chapter Text
Pronunciation:
Sharma: Shar-ma
Mirai: Mir-ai
Sequana: Sa-queen-a
Nimer: Nim-ear
Taika: Ta-kia
Sirene: Ser-rene
Prologue ~ “The End Of The Beginning” by Djo
Lotus Sharma, 15 years old.
Gather ‘round, gather ‘round! You mustn’t miss the story, young children.” My Aunt Mirai says with a smile as kids giggle at her sophisticated way of speaking. My parents said that she was in her forties, but she definitely didn’t look like it. Her raven-black hair was pulled into milkmaid braids, wrapped into a bun with some hair left free, and gold pins dotting the hair. She always wore loose and flowy clothes, mostly purples and blacks.
She was definitely my idol, don't tell Alisa. She had tattoos, as did all of my relatives. Mostly hidden by her clothes, but I could still see them, and they were amazing. My favorite tattoo was the one on her ribcage; a tarot card with a pocket watch in the middle, and it said ‘We're All Mad Here’.
Her tan skin shimmers with glitter as her gold eyes shine in the bright afternoon sun shining through the glass roof of the library in my parents' house. Apparently, this belonged to one of their old friends who had passed away, and she gave it to my parents when she knew I was going to be born.
"C'mon, we need to get the good seats." I grab Max and Ruby by the hands as we run to reach the front of the stage before anyone else. We've been best friends as long as I can remember. We used to run around the circus making mischief and having fun, but a few years ago, the circus closed, and we had to find a place to live in hiding. While we had technically lived it, it was nice to finally get to learn the real story and why he had to hide.
"Do you have to know? We could basically ask anyone, and they'd tell us." Ruby asks as we sit down near the front. Helios and Aurelius' daughter, Penny, climbs into my lap and sits, ready to listen; her dads were in this as well. I was a little annoyed that I had to wait until I was fifteen to learn what happened while she was nine, but at least she was interested.
"Rubes, let Lotus have this, you know she's been dying to learn," Max says, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and pulling me closer. I blush softly. I didn't mean to be so annoying about learning, but it's true. Since we left the circus, I hounded my parents for answers, and they promised that when I was old enough, I'd learn. Now I was finally old enough, so I was going to be here, with or without Max and Ruby.
I look up at Mirai as she clears her throat, and the kids quiet down. Ruby sighs and sits, Leo and Marina's son, Alex, sitting on her lap. As we grew up, our parents started to let us babysit kids for money, and honestly, the kids loved us.
“ The day was October 31st, 1952, eight years after World War Two…” Mirai says, using her magic to change the room: the bright, open library shifts and changes into a scene around midday in Ireland, all the green land shining in the sun. I watch as Aunt Sequana walks through the circus with her ex-fiance, both talking.