Nataku remained sitting on the wooden floor, crying and crying. It was all she could do now. It was all her body allowed her to do. Odin went to her and put his hands on her shoulders.
“It’s all right, Nataku.” Odin whispered lowly, “Stop crying now. It’s not Loki.”
But Nataku could not answer at all. She just trembled and cried unstoppably. The young man on the bed was not Loki. He was battered and bruised, yes. But he was not Loki. And she felt a great deal of worry lifted from her shoulders. Though she had no idea whatsoever where Loki was, at least she was sure that Cerberus did not make a chew toy out of Loki’s arms or any of his limbs for that matter.
“But where could he be…?”
“I hope your brother be well soon.” Esmeralda’s voice came from the door. She was looking sorry for Nataku who continued to cry, not even bothering to answer or look at Esmeralda.
“No, he is not my brother.” Odin said, straightening and looking towards the door.
“Oh…” There was a change of tone from Esmeralda, “Then who is he?”
“I have no idea.” Odin shook his head then there was a moment’s pause before Odin said, “That is my run-away brother.”
Nataku felt her heart skip a beat. And she turned her head quickly towards the direction Odin was pointing to. Nataku gulped upon seeing a young man with pale hair and ash-gray eyes looking at Odin. Her eyes widened, and she forgot the tears for a while.
“Oh, he is your brother? This man came here.” Esmeralda began as she stepped towards her right so that she was not in between Odin and Loki, “He was asking around for you and said he knew you were here…”
“What do you mean I ‘ran away’?!” Loki began as he stepped inside the room and past Esmeralda, “I went back to campsite but…”
However, instead of finishing his sentence, Loki’s head threw towards one side after taking Nataku’s fist in full force. Shock hit him and he felt himself going unbalanced as his knees wobbled. Then as he shifted his weight to steady himself, he saw Nataku crying and upon seeing her, he did not feel the pain of the punch at all.
“I was… so worried… Where have you been…?”
I was so worried. Where have you been?
It resounded again and again in Loki’s head and now he felt like crying, too. He could see her trembling and he did not know how to make her stop. But she shook badly and sobbed loudly as she buried her face in her hands. Oh, dear, she’s crying! She’s crying! Loki looked at Odin who smirked as if to scold him, offering no help in making Nataku hush. It was Loki’s fault to begin with. He made his bed now lie in it.
“I… I’ll get some water.” Esmeralda was saying now after shifting looks from the other people in the room and she went. Odin said nothing and went out as well, leaving the door only slightly open. The only ones left was a reluctant Loki who was having a hard time groping for anything to say and a crying Nataku who was forcing herself to stop crying in front of Loki but couldn’t.
“I…” Loki stuttered, looking at who was supposed to be the most fearless battle Aesir in all the worlds including Asgard and at the same time, the Aesir with the most beautiful eyes. How could he have been the one to make tears emerge from those eyes? Loki knew Nataku hated tears. It was a sin to make someone like her cry and to see her cry was worse. Now he was sure that he had crushed a great deal of her pride by making her cry and letting others see her cry.
But the girl was still trembling. He felt bad. Slowly, his arms lifted and encircled her in an embrace and when she did not move away, he held her closer, tighter.
“I…”
“I’m sorry.” Nataku managed to say, “I’m so sorry… I shouldn’t have left you alone.”
…Shouldn’t have left you alone…
Then he saw Nataku pull away slightly and lift her face towards him and said, “Please forgive me.” Loki could see the tears shimmering in her eyes and sliding down her face. And he looked into her deep blue eyes that made him promise not to make her cry again. And then she added, “I’ll learn Lithios if I have to…”
“Nataku…!” Loki said a bit loudly, tears springing from his eyes as he took Nataku into his arms again. Nataku knew he was crying but because of what, she did not know and was not sure. He did not say anything but kept on crying. The battle goddess stopped for a moment and gained a bit of her awareness and said, “Hush, now, Master Loki…” Then she pulled away, wiped his tears and said, “I’m just glad you’re fine…” Loki sighed, tears forming again as he smiled at her.
Then the young man in the bed began groaning again and the sound made them turn. And Nataku said, “Who do you think could he be? The poor boy.”
“I don’t know but one thing’s for sure, he looks nowhere like me.” Loki put his hands on his waist and looked at the young man, ‘I can’t believe you mistook him for me.”
“I’m sorry, Master Loki.” She said, “It’s just that…”
“Hey are you two done yet?” It was Odin’s voice coming from the opening door.
Loki was smiling at Odin and Nataku was bowing. Odin smiled. Everything had returned to normal now. Then his eyes turned to the young man on the bed. “Well, we should do something about him.” Odin said, closing the door flat behind him.
“Yes, definitely.” Loki put his hands on his pockets and turned his head slightly towards the young man. Nataku said nothing and sat on the bed and touched the stranger’s forehead and said, “I think I could do this.”
“Carry on.” Odin waved his hand.
“WHAT ARE YOU!? NUTS!?” Loki blasted, going red and flapping his arms wildly. Odin was hiding a chuckle and Nataku blinked.
“No! I… I’ll to do it!” Loki said again, turning red.
“Somebody’s jealous… without reason.” Odin said.
Loki did not care one bit if anyone thought he was jealous. Nataku was no healing Aesir. Sure she could heal him but she was different. While the Divine Couple, Odin and Loki and some other healer Aesirs and Vanirs had higher levels of healing ability, Nataku belonged to the fighting types. She had low healing level and the only way for her to pass on cosmic energy from her body to someone else’s is through the lips alone. Odin was the god of knowledge and could be a healer alone. He definitely knew of the healing levels. Why would he let Nataku to heal this man?
“Hey, look here. You and I, we’re different from her.” Loki said, pointing at Nataku, “Not that I’m saying that she’s of lower class but that her healing level varies from ours. You do understand what I’m trying to say, right, smarty?”
“Yes and no, you look here, idiot.” Odin poked Loki’s forehead with two knuckle fingers, “Aesirs, Vanirs and such beings are the ones who should be treated with cosmic energy. But since these are only mortal-inflicted wounds, Nataku’s ofudas could do the trick.”
“Well, sorry for not being the god of knowledge, god of knowledge.”
Nataku said nothing and turned to the young man. Then she took out the ofudas and began chanting and making hand seals. Slowly, the ofudas lifted and hovered in mid-air. The inscriptions on the parchments began glowing and they detached themselves from the paper and began surrounding the young man who began glowing as well. As the parchments began to burn, she continued this ritual until the inscriptions attached themselves to the young man and then they disappeared as if seeping into his skin. The glowing stopped and all was silent. Nataku sat on the bed and eyed the patient.
“I don’t understand.” Nataku said after everything, standing up from the bed unbelievingly as she shook her head, “I… I can’t heal him!”
“What?” Odin and Loki chorused.
“What do you mean can’t heal him?” Loki wondered.
“I… don’t know…” Nataku said, looking at the stranger on the bed, “I just… can’t…”
“If ofudas can’t heal him…” Loki said again, “…Are these wounds not mortal-inflicted?”
“No.” Odin said seriously, “No mortal body would survive this much torture if it weren’t mortal inflicted.”
“So are you saying…”
“He’s not mortal. And he’s not from Midgard.” Odin spoke as he went to the groaning young man on the bed. Then he shoved the patient’s head towards the other side and at the back of his neck was a circle with a large dot in the center glowing in neon green.
“The mark of Gaea!” Nataku gasped.
“He’s a Vanir.” Odin said again.