Year 2016
"Can I eat this?"
"Did Makoto ask mom?"
The smallest and youngest of them, Makoto shook his head.
"Then it's a no"
"But big brother, just one please"
A pair of black orbs that were threatening to overflow with tears stared at Magnus' brown eyes. A minute later the 18 year old Magnus let out a sigh and finally gave the cookie that the 5 year old Makoto was asking for.
"Ahhhh no fair, me too"
From the kitchen door, another pair of brown eyes peaked. Her right hand on her hip while the other hand fixed the glasses that were slipping down.
"Kuya no fair, if you were going to give Makoto one then you should give me one too"
"Marvyll you literally just ate one a while ago"
The 9 year old Marvyll gave Magnus a pout before she stomped her way to him. She sat right next to Makoto who was busy stuffing his face.
"Ate, want some? I can share"
Marvyll stared at Makoto who was offering him half of her cookie. Instead of taking it, Marvyll just shook her head and patted Makoto's.
"You can finish it."
"See, you just were jealous that Makoto had one"
The three turned around to see another teen come in. Sweat evidently dripping down from his blonde hair, as soon as he stepped in front of the fridge, he opened it and took his shirt off.
"Ackk Kuya!! That's just gross"
"What? It's cool in here"
"Maddox, wear that shirt again"
Maddox, who was busy teasing his little sister, flinched at the threatening voice of Magnus. He pouted and put his shirt back on.
"Oh my God did you did something gross in front of the fridge again"
A shrill voice came from the door, Maddox made a disgusted expression as he stare at the face that looked very much like him but only more feminine.
"Ate Maddin!!"
Both Makoto and Marvyll got up from their seats and ran to hug Maddin.
"Hey lil ones, I missed you omg!"
"I missed you, omg! look at me, I'm so pretty!"
Magnus stifled his laughter when he saw Maddox exaggeratedly impersonating his twin sister.
"Oh Maddox, grow up will ya, we're already 15 years old and yet you still act like a kid"
"Hey, you're just 15 too, you could stop acting like some matured spoiled brat"
"Excuse me!!"
"Alright, enough. Maddin, where's mom and dad?"
Maddin's expression turned sour the moment Magnus asked her. She stood up and told Marvyll and Makoto to take some of her stuff upstairs.
The two were about to argue but Magnus told them that he was gonna give them the cookies if they complied, so they did.
"What happened?"
Magnus asked as soon as the two were out of sight. Maddin had gone to the hospital where Artemis' was about to give birth.
"I don't know Kuya, they wouldn't let me in."
"Huh? Did you say that you were their daughter? Maybe they thought you weren't family because your blonde"
"Do you think I'm stupid? Of course I told them that I was the daughter of Artemis and Khel"
Maddin, Maddox and Magnus were often mistaken as adopted ones of Artemis and Khel because of their hair color.
But for Magnus, that was no more than half the truth. The five of them had the same mother, but he knew that none of them were children of Khel.
He knew that his father's name was Jace and that he and Artemis got a divorce when he was two. Maddox and Maddin were the twin children of Artemis to the late Orlan, a man their mother never got to marry because he died before he could even propose.
Years later after that, Artemis had married Marvyll's father, Ethan, only for them to get a divorce when Artemis found him cheating.
And then there was Makoto's father, a man named Liam who Artemis had a one night stand with. Artemis never really met Liam again, but before she could give birth to Makoto, she met Khel.
The person she was married to now, they have been married for four years now, and Khel was the one who raised Makoto from birth.
Magnus never understood why their mother kept on this routine of finding a man, giving birth to their children only to be betrayed, left and abandoned at the end. But he was thankful at least that Khel came into their lives.
He treated everyone like his own child, no favoritism and no discrimination. They were happy because of him. And now, their mother was finally giving birth to his own child.
"So you were turned away just like that?"
"Not really, dad went out to tell me that mom was in pain and that the baby hasn't come out yet so I should go home"
"Mom has been in labor for how many hours now?"
"It's almost 24 hours"
Magnus answered his brother's question. He let out a sigh before staring at his siblings. Maddox and Maddin's blue eyes were filled with worry.
Magnus took out a clean towel from one of the cupboards and threw it at Maddox.
"Hey Kuya!"
"Clean up, we can't do anything but wait for them anyway."
"Yea but still kuya!"
"Maddin, if Mom was able to give birth to the two of you then she can handle this just well, believe in her"
Maddox and Maddin resigned in the end and decided to just do some chores around the house. Magnus remained in the kitchen, his eyes glued to the greenhouse where their mom stayed half of the time.
He knew that his mom could handle the birth process but he didn't know if the baby inside her belly could.
Especially with the drugs that Artemis had been taking these past few days.
Inside the hospital two arguing voices could be heard.
"NO!! ARTEMIS THINK ABOUT IT!"
"THINK ABOUT WHAT KHEL? I'LL LOSE HER TOO IF I DON'T DO IT"
In a closed off room right next to the mortuary, Artemis and Khel who were both wearing hospital gowns were standing on each side of the two babies' cribs.
"Artemis please, you can't do that"
"Khel, I can't lose both of them. Even now that we're arguing, her pulse keeps on dropping"
Khel stared at the baby's monitor, the other one was breathing rather ragged, while the other baby was a lifeless being that looked peaceful as if she was just sleeping.
"Please Khel, I'm begging you, I can't lose another daughter"
Khel stared at Artemis who was still begging. pleading him to give her his consent.
"And what if it fails, Artemis? We'll lose both of them"
"They won't. I swear, I wouldn't let that happen so please"
Khel looked at his wife, they were tears threatening to fall, and he knew that enough was enough. Artemis had given birth a few hours ago to twins, only, the second child was a still born.
The doctor's said that she had died inside of Artemis while the other baby was on the verge of death as her heart was incapable of pumping the needed blood for her body. She was weak, that was the sum of it.
Khel moved closer to Artemis and hugged her, a gesture that only made Artemis cry more.
"I'll wait for the two of you outside, save our daughter no matter what"
Someone trusts her, and that was enough for Artemis to do better especially now that her daughter's life was on her hands.
Khel left the two of them, and as soon as the door shut, Artemis took her daughter to her arms and placed on the postoperative bed. She kissed her on top of her head and went to the other baby who was laying there lifeless.
Her sorrowful expression from before turned into a menacing one as she stared at her dead baby's body. She caressed her face and body before taking the scalpel and digging it into the center of the baby's body.
"She's pretty, I should name you Machai, since you pretty much just came from a battle."
"And the other? well I shall name her Maia, the brave one who will take her dead sister's heart."
"Now hear me Oh great seven Gods of luck. I offer this child as another one of them. For the two souls that will exist in this single entity, my blood that flows through their veins shall be my mark"
As Artemis took the part of the heart that she needed and placed it on top of the baby she named Maia, she did the ritual that she was told to do to be able to reincarnate the Seven Gods.
In just about an hour, Artemis came out of the operating room, humming to the baby that was now sleeping soundly in her arms.
Khel stood up and went to the two of them. Artemis looked at him and relief washed over him as soon as he realized that his daughter was now saved. He kissed the top of her head and did the same to Artemis'
"Her name? What should we name her?"
"I already picked one my love"
"Really? what is it?"
"Maia"
"Maia?"
Artemis nodded to Khel.
"Maia means the brave one in Maori"
"The brave one, it fits huh. Maia"
Artemis smiled at Khel before looking down at Maia. Her small eyes were opening slowly now and Artemis could see that Maia had inherited her brown eyes.
"I should tell this to your parents and I need to call Magnus too"
"Khel, could you… could you not mention to them about Machai?"
"Machai?"
"Maia's twin"
Khel stared at the baby that Artemis was carrying and suddenly remembered about the other child that Artemis had given birth too.
"Is it too much to remember her? She's our daughter too Artemis"
"I know that, but that doesn't mean our other children should be in pain knowing that their sister died at birth. Maia's alive, she will live for the both of them"
Khel never really understood why Artemis wanted to do some things and yet hide so many things from her children. But, she was in no position to meddle, for Artemis was in a much greater pain than he was.
"I understand, stay here, I'll get some doctors to see you and Maia. You just gave birth so you should get some rest"
Artemis nodded and she hummed a tune that she was given as she stared at Khel's back.
"My child, my darling Maia, you are special. Do remember that, your anger is your power. Your memories are the catalyst and this lullaby is your safe haven."
She stared at Maia and a dangerous look glinted in her eyes.
"I had created you, but you are neither perfect nor complete. That is why you need to be angry. Curse everyone and everybody."
"This power, I will need it in time. You would help your dearest mother won't you? My love. My precious… sixth star"