"We were planning to talk about this the day after tomorrow. It could be distressing for you." Panacea still tried to give a chance for Alek to not hear.
"I need to know." Alek spoke firmly, indicating that nothing would be able to stop her.
Panacea took a deep breath before she started talking. "I've already told you that your grandma is the current head of Minazuki. The next head should be the firstborns, firstborn. Meaning it was supposed to be Aether who was supposed to be the new head."
"Why can't one of the twins be the head?" They were the same old if Aether was alive.
"Did you forget? Their name is Mutsuki. We may be blood-related and cousins but they are in Mutsuki's clan. They are not part of Minazuki. Not exactly. So, Jin would lead the Mutsuki in the future." Panacea answered her question.
Alek nodded to the answer she was given and, her mother continued talking. Her mother sounded a little mean but, she knew Panacea didn't mean it that way.
"Minazuki and Mutsuki are on good terms with each other and some few other clans that we are good friends with. But there is this one particular clan that think of us as enemies. They are the Shiwasu." When Panacea said that particular name, she twitched her mouth a little.
"Shiwasu are the leaders of human shifters. But they like to stay hidden and we don't know much about them. That can be the same for the rest of the human shifters. They stay in their place, completely isolated. Other shifters can not enter, even the heads of the clans. Also people inside can not get out from there."
"But you said, uh... the boy, Charles?" Alek was looking for the name of the boy who shifted into her brother.
"Charlie." Bia corrected her sister.
"That's the name." Alek nodded towards her sister and continued with her question. "Didn't you say that he was a human shifter? From what you said, it doesn't make sense. How is he out of that place?"
"Because Charlie and his family were banned from their community. Them and their descendants are not allowed to enter their place again." Bia answered her sister.
"Why?" Alek asked. Sure human shifters only got one form and, that is to shift into other humans, unlike her clan, which was a wide range of reptiles.
"Because they can shift into dead people." Bia spoke.
"Why? Is that a problem?" Alek asked again.
"Apparently to them." Bia meant the Shiwasu. "Because that is considered 'abnormal'." And she quoted the word with her fingers.
Alek could hear her sister was quite annoyed about that. Bia looked like she wasn't going to speak again, so Alek shifted her attention back to her mother.
"They are not supposed to be able to do that. Human shifters may be able to shift into shifters and half-shift using their powers." Alek looked with this explanation, so Panacea added an example. "For example, Charlie can shift into Bia and use her powers. He could half-shift into her green mamba but not completely into the green mamba. It requires at least half human parts for the human shifter to shift into shifters."
"Uhhh." Alek nodded, finally understanding. "Okay, okay."
"Anyway, we weren't talking about that." Panacea stopped the story of Charlie. "We don't know why the Shiwasu and their people are isolated but there is one thing we know for sure."
"What is it?" Alek leaned to her mother.
"That they hate us." Panacea answered nonchalantly.
Alek sighed, a bit irritated.
"They don't hate us only, but clans that are close with us. Like Mutsuki." Panacea looked at her husband, who nodded.
"Why? Did we do something wrong?" Alek asked her father. Since she was a combination of both clans, she wanted to know.
"It's not us, exactly." This time it was her father who spoke.
"Aegh?" Alek frowned.
"They've been hating us for generations. So it's not exactly us, who did something wrong. We don't know what happened in the past that made them hate us so much." Robin continued.
After her father talked, no one spoke.
"Is this the talk that you wanted to give me?" Alek asked, seeing everyone keeping their mouth shut.
"That's a part of it." Panacea said. "Becoming the head means you'll be leading thousands of people. And many may not accept you as a new leader. Also, the other clan heads would not be happy to hear that you are becoming the new head. Some already know that your grandmother is withdrawing."
"Why? Because my powers are not here yet?"
"...Partially. But because you are also a female and young, you just came to know about the supernatural world today and you are not the firstborn..." Panacea started listing.
"And because you are short." Bia chimed in.
"I don't think that's one of the problem but thank you for your opinion." Alek told her sister. "Lucky for you guys, I wouldn't argue with that because those are all facts." Alek with a fake smile.
Alek was small for her age. She was barely taller than her sister and, it made her appear small and fragile. People who met her and Bia for the first time, shoulder to shoulder, asked if Bia was older or they were twins.
Her family laughed at her reaction and continued with the discussion.
"Of course, Shiwasu would take this moment to make rebellion against your grandmother, to us Minazuki. That rebellion may be able to overthrow us and make corruption." Panacea said.
"How do you know that." Alek asked.
"In once happened in the past. Some people thought that it would be better if someone else other than the leading families to rule. The leader of that clan gave an opportunity to the one who proposed the idea. The new leader became thrilled and allowed many things that were forbidden." Panacea paused to look at her daughter.
"People started getting out of control. The new ruler couldn't keep them under control. So when he forbade the things that were forbidden before, people rebelled. They said that if the ruler didn't undo it, they would expose their existence to humans. The new ruler didn't want to allow the forbidden things but, he also didn't want them to expose their existence." Everyone was listening to Panacea.
"Mum, when you say humans, it sounds wrong. Weird." Alek interrupted the story and received a look from her mother, which made her shut up.
"The ruler didn't do anything because he was afraid and, people almost went berserk if not for the original rulers. The originals stepped in at the right time and kept the people under control. Even though the originals were pretty strong, they used their full power to keep the rebellion under control. From that incident, no one tried to take over the position and let the originals do there job." She finished talking and took a deep breath.
"So what you are saying is that many people would not like it if I become the head?" Alek summarised.
"Yes. Also, some reckless people don't care about what happened in the past and are trying to overthrow any of the clan leaders at any time if they get a chance." Panacea told her daughter firmly. She didn't want Alek to think this wasn't something serious.
"They have tried to overthrow your grandmother but were never a match for her. They hold grudges against her for that. They have received some warnings from her but, they still haven't given up on becoming the ruler of reptile shifters. And soon, ruler of many other clans." Panacea was smiling when she spoke which, was creepy for Alek.
"Why are you smiling like that? It's creepy." Kai spoke for the first time since Alek came into the room. Apparently, he felt the same way as Alek.
"It's how funny people think Minazuki is the weakest clan of all twelve. I don't know why they think that. Maybe because we have avoided fights and wars for a long time." Panacea was almost laughing, which made her look more creepy than before. "Each clan is equally strong. But because we don't fight, they think we've weakened." When she said the line, she busted out laughing.
Her family looked at her with wide eyes as she started to lose breath because of laughing too much. They have lived long as a family but, they have never seen their mother acting like this, apart from Robin. He had met this side of Panacea before he got married but, it was still rare to see her a little psycho side.
"Sorry, I just thought it was hilarious." Panacea caught her breath slowly while still laughing slightly. "Anyway, that's it."
Alek looked at her father next to her to check her mother's words. Robin looked a little troubled by his wife and, he nodded only after he stood up Panacea from her seat. It took some time for her to go back to normal and, Robin knew it. He needed to bring her to their bedroom to calm down or, she would cry while laughing on the floor.
Alek saw her father nodding and went to her room alongside Bia. Kai also left the room when he saw his two sisters leave.
The two siblings didn't say anything along the way but, they knew they needed to talk.