Ashes of Love and War - TodoMomo

||Chapter 28 ~ Part 1||

Momo stumbled to her feet. Her chest was so tight she could barely breathe.

'It couldn't be.'

A young woman had appeared at the edge of the tree line. She looked exactly as Momo remembered: short with asymmetrical bangs and cropped chin-length black hair. A dark purple chiton clung to her slim frame, and from her ears hung long, golden earrings that reached her shoulders.

Momo stood transfixed. She was afraid to blink; otherwise, the woman would surely disappear again. This must be a dream. Or a hallucination. The hot springs must have made her sleepy, because it couldn't be –

It couldn't –

Her lips parted, and in a soft whisper, a name that Momo hadn't uttered in over three years passed through her lips.

"Kyouka?"

The woman's lips twitched. Then her eyes crinkled. She gave a low sob and jolted forward, dragging Momo into her arms and hugging her ferociously.

"Kyouka, is it really you?" Momo whispered again in a voice of disbelief. Her hands ran over Kyouka, touching her hair and shoulders, afraid she'd disappear.

"Yeah. It's me," Kyouka mumbled, face pressed against Momo's chest. "I'm here."

Momo's heart twisted at the familiar voice. Pressure built in her cheeks. She pressed her lips together as she struggled not to cry, but failed as tears began to stream down her cheeks.

The last time she'd seen Kyouka Jirou was in Troy, the day the east wall had been breached. That had been over three years ago. Kyouka had disappeared that day without a word. All Momo had learned was that Kyouka had been taken by a god.

She had never expected to see her again.

Momo's vision grew misty. She clung to Kyouka tighter. "How?" Momo asked in a shaky voice. "How-how are you even here?"

"I know. It's crazy." Kyouka pulled back. Her calloused fingers slid down Momo's arms to clasp her hands before she gave them a tight squeeze. "I have so much to tell you, but — ugh!"

Kyouka's expression flickered. "Shit, girl!" She dropped Momo's hands and turned her face away, blinking fiercely. "I'm going to cry if you cry," she moaned, wiping at the underside of her eyes with the palms of her hands.

The response was very Kyouka, and Momo couldn't help but laugh. The sound caught in the back of her throat, mixing with her tears to come out as a choked sob. She stumbled back, covering her mouth.

"Yaoyorozu?" Todoroki caught her by the shoulders. His hand against her back was warm.

The heat of it seeped through her chiton as if to steady her. It made her heart beat faster. Momo's jaw trembled. She reached up to wipe her eyes. "I'm alright —"

"Baaabe!"

Momo jumped in surprise. Her eyes darted up. But before she could react, the hand along her shoulders was gone, and she was pulled behind Todoroki.

The temperature in the air had dropped a few degrees. Momo shivered as she stared at the tense muscles in Todoroki's arms.

"Hey, Todoroki!" a male's voice said cheerfully.

Momo watched as Todoroki's taut muscles relaxed. He sighed. "It's you," he said in a flat voice that sounded vaguely annoyed.

"Nice to see you as well." The man laughed.

Todoroki didn't respond. Knowing that the newcomer wasn't a threat, Momo shifted and poked her head out from behind his back.

A man with bright blond hair, streaked on the left side with a black lightning bolt, had appeared beside Kyouka. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, drawing Kyouka into his chest in what seemed to be a familiar gesture.