Ashes of Love and War - TodoMomo

||Chapter 23 ~ Part 2||

She held up her spear to block his attack. However, even indirectly, it was like being struck by a boulder. Momo's body was launched into the air. She slammed back into a stack of crates, hard.

There was a loud rumble as the boxes fell, scattering across the ground. Momo's body slumped down onto the stone street.

Distantly, she thought she could hear Hagakure scream her name. But wasn't sure as her vision swam.

The sound of heavy footsteps drew closer.

Momo scrambled. She tried to push herself up, but the world tilted, and she fell over as everything blurred. Her body was sore, and she thought she felt a wet spot on the back of her head.

She needed to get up. She had to keep fighting, but her body wouldn't listen.

A dark shadow blocked out the moon. Momo's head rolled back. And through her spotty vision, she met the dark, cruel eyes of the slaver.

"I'm going to enjoy seeing your blood," he said, lips curling back into a snarl. He reached out, his fingers wrapped around Momo's head.

Momo squeezed her eyes shut. The picture of a man with turquoise and silver eyes flashed through her mind.

'Todoroki.'

He wasn't here. Her heart clenched.

'Please.'

She needed to think of something. Anything. She had to keep fighting.

Momo could feel the slaver's rough fingers dig painfully into her scalp.

'I don't want to die.'

Suddenly, there was a boom in the distance; it was so abrupt that the warehouses along the street trembled and stones ground against each other. A freezing chill licked down the street, biting into her bones.

Momo's eyes snapped open. She jerked her head up as much as possible, and a silent gasp escaped her lips in a white mist.

The head slaver stood completely frozen before her. Hand extended, crystallized fingers still curled in her hair, ready to squeeze the life out of her.

Momo's breath condensed into mist as she sunk back against the wall, her body jelly.

She was safe.

She was safe.

She was safe.

As her heartbeat slowly steadied, Momo suddenly became conscious of the chaos unfolding on the other side of the slaver.

Lifting her head, she watched, almost detachedly, the men and women panicking.

The ice had torn down the middle of the street. The head slaver had apparently taken the brunt of the attack, but those within range hadn't been spared.

Those not fast enough to escape had been trapped up to their waists in beautiful translucent ice. And those who had been lucky either stood by, mouths agape, or were bolting in every direction. Like ants that had abruptly been thrown into chaos by a child's wicked intentions.

Hagakure sat on the ground, a woman leaning against her chest as both stared at the chaos, seemingly in shock. The ice had missed them only by a few steps.

"Yaoyorozu!"

Momo's heart jumped in her throat. She twisted her head around. Her gaze followed the ice back up the street and towards the man she had (just moments before) thought she'd never see again.

'Todoroki.'

A soft, inadvertent sob caught in her throat. Momo's chest clenched. She swallowed hard and hurriedly untangled herself from the slaver's grip. She scurried to her feet and stumbled forward towards Todoroki.

"Yaoyorozu," he repeated, stopping before her. His irises shook. Panting, he reached out with both hands as if to cup her face but stopped before touching her. His fingers trembled, and Todoroki's hands lingered in the air for a moment as if he was unsure whether she were real.

Momo's lips quivered. "To-Todoroki," she whispered in a voice barely audible. Even without touching him, Momo could feel the coolness of his skin from the magic. "You're here."

Suddenly, an array of emotions overwhelmed her. Momo's vision blurred, dewdrops accumulating on her eyelashes either from relief that she was saved or the cold. Or perhaps it was from knowing he hadn't abandoned her — Momo didn't know.

Her fingers quivered around her spear. She stepped closer and reached up with her free hand to take one of Todoroki's hands within her own when the rickety sound of wheels over stones careening down the street broke through the moment.

Momo twisted around. Her eyes widening at the sight of an oxen-drawn cart launched itself down the street. It was helmed by a man with silver hair and shark-like teeth and a woman with long auburn hair tied into a high side ponytail.

"Todoroki! Yaoyorozu!" The couple screamed. The man's deep voice rang over the mayhem unfolding around them.

Men and women dove out of the way as a cart launched into the street and cut across the chaos. It came to a stop before her and Todoroki.

Momo stumbled back in shock. "Kendo! Tetsu-Tetsu! How?"

"I ran into them on the way to find you," Todoroki said quickly. This time, when he reached out, he didn't hesitate as he took her arm and guided her towards the cart. "We can explain more later. Get on."

The oxen hoofed at the ground. Momo took a half step forward when a frightened voice rang out in alarm.

"Yaomomo!"

Hagakure skidded to a stop before Momo and held up a wooden stick towards Todoroki. "Let her go!"

Todoroki's expression rippled. His hand not holding Momo's arm dropped down to his sword's hilt.

"Don't!" Momo quickly snapped, pulling her arm out of his grip.

Todoroki stiffened and looked back at her.

"This is Toru Hagakure," Momo said, stepping in between them. "She's been helping me."

Everyone stared at her, waiting.

Momo took a deep breath and met Todoroki's silver and turquoise eyes. They were running out of time, the slavers and city guards had been caught off guard by Todoroki's attack, but they would soon regroup. If she was going to save the men and women held prisoner, she would need to act now.

She raised her chin. "I'm not going. Not yet. There are still people that need saving. Will you help me?"

"Wha-"

"Of course," Kendo said quickly, interrupting her husband. Her eyes gleamed, perhaps eager for retribution against the slavers for trying to humiliate her yesterday.

Todoroki's expression remained masked as he stared down at her. "What do you plan to do?"

Momo turned towards Hagakure; the tear stains on Hagakure's cheeks were still there but now were mixed with dirt and small cuts. "Will you help me?"

Hagakure reached out and squeezed Momo's hand. "Of course."

At the other end of the street, Momo could practically hear the shock wear off and the mayhem resume.

She wet her lips. "We need to get as many slaves away from here as possible. Hagakure, you're in charge of leading them to the cart. Kendo and Tetsu-Tetsu, please protect everyone. Once it's full, take them outside of the city. Don't wait for us!"

"Sounds like a plan." Tetsu-Tetsu handed the reins to his wife and jumped off the cart. His grin widened, sharp teeth poking out of his mouth. He wasted no time barreling into the commotion down the street, punching and kicking at men who were dragging a woman back towards the warehouse.

Hagakure gave Momo's arm one last squeeze and then slid back down the street, swinging her wooden stick at any of the city guards or slavers who tried to apprehend her. "To the cart!" She yelled to any of the slaves she passed.

Kendo looked back over and stared down at Momo from the cart. "Be careful." She glanced at Todoroki. "Take care of her," she ordered.

Todoroki nodded, and the group broke apart.