The warm sunlight coming from the small crack on the opening of the tent woke Maia up. She opened one eye as it adjusted to the light. She turned her gaze next to her and saw that Damian was still sleeping soundly.
Maia stared at him and sighed when she remembered how she bawled her eyes out last night at the celebration. She remembered the grief and pain that washed over her. She could only shake her head at her sibling's questions about it. She could never tell them about what she had done, especially to Maddox and Maddin.
She already had this suspicion that among them, the twins felt the closest to their mother. That's why it felt like it was hard to tell them everything she had done.
"Please tell me you're not going to cry again"
Her eyes met Damian's who was looking at her with worry. She smiled at him and hugged him tighter. She inhaled his scent as she felt Damian wrap his arms around her.
"You're still not gonna tell me?"
Maia pondered on the thought and decided to just come clean.
"I remembered mom, the holidays we spent together, that's just it"
Damian was silent for sometime before he moved to hug Maia tighter.
"It's alright Maia, you're allowed to feel sad and cry if its about that"
Maia looked at Damian who was now staring at her seriously.
"What if it's not about that?"
Damian's eyebrow met in the middle and Maia laughed at how ridiculously handsome he still looked.
"Why are you asking? Everything you feel is valid Maia, I just don't want you to cry that hard and not say anything. It worries me. You can grieve and feel sad if that's what you're feeling but please don't cry on everything, it makes my heart ache"
Damian placed a light kiss on Maia's eyelids before kissing her on her forehead. Maia smiled at him and nodded silently. She could still feel the grief and sadness within her but as Damian told her maybe all of it was valid. She could feel sad and be mad, it was alright for her to just do that.
After preparing the two decided to get out of their tent only to be startled when they saw Maddox and Maki just outside their tent.
"Uhhh, why are you two here?"
"To wake you up, and to make sure that nothing happened"
Maddox then sent a glare towards Damian to which the latter raised both of his hands.
"We just cuddled, does that count?"
Maki held back Maddox when the older male was going to grab Damian's collar. Maia glared at Damian when she saw how he was enjoying provoking Maddox.
"Kuya calm down"
"I'm gonna make you regret harassing my sister"
Maia sighed and wrapped her arm on Maddox's arm before pulling him away from Damian and Maki.
"Come on Kuya, he's teasing you, let's just go to Ate"
"Teasing? then he didn't do it?"
"Of course not"
Damian stifled a laughter when he saw Maia glared at him again.
"Kuya Damian"
His attention quickly shifted to the younger male who was left there with him.
"How is Ate?"
Damian's laughter quickly halted and a sad smile replaced his expression.
"She said she remembered your mom and your childhood"
Maki let out a deep sigh.
"So that's why she cried"
Damian gave him a nod.
"Maia never talked about it, about the pain of losing her. She always didn't want to talk about it, even when she had the time to grieve, she didn't. She always kept it all to herself."
"Because she didn't know how to"
What Maki said had caught Damian's attention.
"We never grieved before, we were raised in what seemed like a perfect family. When she entered the tournament, her memories were sealed. You could say that it was a foreign concept for us."
Damian understood what he meant, all of their lives were so fucked up that they didn't even know what grieving is.
"But at the very least now, you're starting to grow."
Damian patted Maki at the back and gave him a smile to which the younger male gave back to him.
"And we're completing this family"
"Am I family?"
Damian pointed to himself while smiling to which Maki laughed.
"Well, you do plan on marrying my sister don't you? Then you're basically family."
Damian laughed before throwing an arm around Maki's shoulders.
"Don't tell her just yet, after everything is over. I'll make sure to marry her"
"Then everything's good"
The two then walked towards Maddin's tent to which Maddox and Maia disappeared to.
"I want you to meet Hari, she's the one who found me and took me in"
Maia greeted the old woman sitting beside Maddin on her bed. She looked around the age of 40, her jet black hair had tinges of white and her brown eyes showed no signs of hostility even for Maddox.
"I'm glad that Maddin could finally remember her past and meet her family again"
"Thank you for taking care of my sister, I am indebted to you"
"You must be the eldest"
Magnus smiled and nodded.
"No need to show that much gratitude, young man. Maddin is Kuwa Circus' lucky charm, that's why everyone loved and cherished her. But I guess, it is time to let you go young one"
Maddin's expression saddened as she hugged Hari.
"I'm sorry, there's something we need to do"
"No need to be sorry, they are your family too. Kuwa Circus would always be here so you can visit and come back anytime"
Maddin buried her face on Hari's shoulders and hugged her tighter. She was her mother in heart, she took in Maddin when she didn't have anyone and she couldn't be more grateful.
Maki felt his own chest sting as he watch Maddin and Hari exchange their goodbyes. His sister had a wonderful and peaceful time with Kuwa Circus. Because the circus was basically harmless and just offered entertainment more for the capital people, the government didn't bother on putting a leash on them. They were the only ones that had almost real freedom in this world.
He felt sad when he thought how they would go on from today without Maddin. It was strange but Maki somehow felt like he could understand what Maddin was feeling.
The group said their thank yous and goodbyes towards the Kuwa Circus before boarding Magnus' van. Maddin gave one last hug to Hari and stared at her family before turning to face her real family. She vowed to return to them as soon as this war ends.