All the Colors of Earth (Natasha Romanoff)

4.5

Natasha

After Marz takes me to Fen's room, she disappears. I shouldn't feel as disappointed as I do, you'd think after five years I'd be used to her not being around. But I still had hoped that maybe she'd want to spend time with her child.

But maybe I don't her that well anymore, if I ever did at all.

"Mommy!" Olympia yells when she sees me. "Come play," she demands as she pats the floor next to her.

Going to her side and sitting down I ask, "and what are we playing?"

"Dolls," she answers. "I the mommy and Fen is the dog."

I glance at the child across from us who is watching us with large eyes. I can definitely see Loki in the child, same dark hair, same green eyes. But then they blink and their eyes are blue and their hair blond. A second later their eyes are purple and their hair green. Their skin stays the same pale as Loki's though, which I find interesting. "And does Fen want to be the dog?" I ask them both.

Fen nods quickly as Olympia answers, "they picked it."

"Fen doesn't like to be play as a person most of the time," a voice says from the doorway. I turn to find Keema standing there and watching us. "Loki says it's because Fen still isn't sure who they are inside, so it's hard to choose who to play as."

I glance at Fen who is happily playing with a stuffed dog and then back to Keema, "where's their mom?"

"Back on earth," Keema tells me as she comes towards us. "She's an archeologist and is currently digging up a temple to Loki. Ironic I know," she laughs. "Personally I think Loki is making them appear so that she always has a job."

I watch her as she talks, trying to see the resemblance between her and Marzda but other then the double iris, there isn't any. I only realize that I haven't been paying attention to what she's saying when she grins at me expectantly. "Sorry, what did you say?"

She laughs, "I asked if you would like to take a walk into town."

I frown slightly, "I don't know. Marzda.."

"Is being moody," she says. "I know. She won't be back until tonight. She never is when she's in a mood."

"Where does she go?"

Keema shrugs, "no idea. But look, she would want you to see the town. To see what she's been doing. Why she didn't come back to you. Not that she'd ever admit it."

"Is it safe?" I ask with a glance at my child.

"Nobody would dare to hurt the child of Quake," Keema tells me adamantly. "She's saved almost everyone in Asgard. We all owe her our lives."

"Really?"

"I can tell you about it as we walk", Keema offers. "Fen, would you like to take a walk?"

Fen shakes their head quickly before getting up and running off. "Will they be alright?" I ask her as I stand up.

"They'll be fine," she answers. "I'm pretty sure Fen knows this place better then the people who built it. Plus nobody would risk Loki's wrath if anything happened to Fen."

I offer my hand to Olympia and help her up, "ready for a walk detka?"

She nods, "is Quack coming?"

Keema laughs loudly, "no Quack can't come on this one."

"It's just us," I tell her as I try and hide my own laughter.

Olympia looks at Keema and then back at me, "what's funny?"

I smile at her, "nothing baby. Keema is just excited to go on a walk."

"Yes," Keema agrees. "And it's almost sunset so it'll be extra pretty."

Keema wasn't lying when she said the town was pretty. With everything being made from white marble, when the setting sun hit it, it looked like the town was glowing. We pass by large houses and stores, cafes and stalls selling clothes and toys.

Everywhere we go, we see people of different races and species. Thankfully Olympia doesn't point at them even though she's clearly confused. And as we walk, Keema tells me everything that's happened from the time Marzda rescued her.

I was so engrossed in her stories that I didn't notice a crowd forming in front of us until we couldn't go any further. Keema hasn't noticed yet, looking at a stall of cloth as she talks.

The longer we stand there, the more antsy I become and I pick up Olympia to try and calm my nerves. And it works until and old woman steps from the crowd and walks towards us. She looks to be human, her long silver hair braided in a rope down her back, her red robes swishing as she walks.

She stops in front of us and stares at Olympia who buries her head in my neck. "Tu'rok," the old woman says as she motions to Olympia.

"What?" Keema asks as she finally notices what's going on.

A ripple spreads through the gathered crowds as they repeat the word, "Tu'rok."

I look at Keema, "what are they saying?"

She shakes her head slowly, "I don't know. It's old Colorian, only the priests still speak it."

The woman reaches out to touch my child and I try to step back, but there's more people behind me now. I hadn't even heard them approaching and now we were surrounded. Panic flares in me as I try to find a way out, but all I can see are chanting people.

And then suddenly the crowd parts, the chanting changing, "Quake, Quake."

I watch Marz coming towards us, a lethal expression on her face and for the first time since I've known her, she looked dangerous. Of course I've always know she was, but I've never seen her look it. And if looks could kill, the old woman in front of me would be dead.

But the woman doesn't even flinch as Marzda stands between us. She gestures to Olympia again, "Tu'rok."

Marzda makes a hissing noise before answering back in what sounds like the same language. I look at Keema and she seems to be as confused as I am. Looking back to them, they seem to be arguing and whatever it was about, the old woman didn't like it. "Tu'rok!" The woman screams.

There's a blast and everyone except for Marzda, Keema and I were thrown to the ground. "Let it be known," Marzda says in a dangerous tone. "That the child is off limits. She is not Tu'rok and anyone who wants to argue otherwise will take it up with me and they will suffer the consequences."

Her voice doesn't go above a whisper, but her words float across the square, and nobody dared to challenge them.