Ashes of Love and War - TodoMomo

||Chapter 32 ~ Part 3||

"What?" Momo looked over at Todoroki, but he apparently didn't hear her. He was staring at the snow woman, his expression filled with awe and disbelief.

"Shouto!" The snow said again, louder. It gave a choked sob. "I'm so happy to see you. It's been so long."

"How?" Todoroki asked, still staring with a look of amazement.

The snow woman – Fuyumi – continued, seemingly not hearing him. "But look at you! You're pale as Hades. And your eye and scar. By the gods!"

The snow fluttered closer. Fuyumi reached out to touch Todoroki's face, but her hand dissolved upon contact. "Oh gosh, I can't even touch you!" Fuyumi whined.

"Fuyumi, how are you here?" Todoroki asked again, louder.

The snow swirled back and pressed a hand to her breast. "I'm a winter nymph, remember? I'm not as strong as Mom, but I can use my magic on really cold days, like now."

Todoroki tilted his head. "But how did you find us?"

Fuyumi puffed up her cheeks. "Oh! Don't get me started on that!" Fuyumi said crossly. She put her hands on her hips. "I had to ask Midoriya for help tracking you. He told me that he had spoken to you, and yet, you didn't even think of reaching out to me!"

Todoroki's eyes widened. "That was because a centaur was helping me."

"But what about now? You know winter nymphs communicate through the snow. If you had asked the snow to take your message to me, I would have been able to find you faster."

"Oh, sorry. I didn't think of that," Todoroki said, looking slightly abashed.

"Geez, what am I supposed to do about you?" Fuyumi asked. It was obviously rhetorical. "Mother and I were worried."

Todoroki's expression shifted. "Mother?"

"Yes, didn't Midoriya tell you I'm with her now?" Fuyumi asked, raising a white eyebrow.

"Oh yeah..."

The snow didn't have pupils, but Momo sensed that the snow was rolling its eyes.

Fuyumi abruptly turned to look at her. Then its expression softened. "I'm sorry about my brother. Thank you for taking such good care of him..."

Fuyumi's voice trailed off, and Momo realized she had yet to introduce herself. Her eyes widened in alarm. "Momo. Momo Yaoyorozu. And no! It is your brother who takes care of me. I wouldn't be here without him," Momo said quickly, placing a hand over her chest.

Fuyumi chuckled behind her hand. "Very modest. I can't wait to meet you in person, Momo."

"What are you doing here, Fuyumi?" Todoroki asked in an expressionless voice.

"Yes," Fuyumi straightened and looked back towards her brother. Her expression hardened. "I came to warn you."

Todoroki frowned. "Warn us?"

Fuyumi's white lips thinned. "A Magi has been tracking you."

Momo's heart felt as though it dropped into the pit of her stomach.

"Magi?" Todoroki asked. His eyebrows furrowed.

Fuyumi nodded. "Powerful humans from the Persian Empire who delve into magic. Typically, they are astrologers or dream interrupters, but the more powerful ones can also cast spells and create curse tablets, drugs, and talismans. You have to be careful."

Momo could feel terror, colder than the winter wind, slide down her spine. She took in a sharp breath. "Since when?" she asked in a tight voice. "Do you know how close they are?"

Fuyumi shook her head; she seemed apologetic. "I don't. I wish I could tell you more, but I can't. This one is very talented and has been hiding his presence from both Mother and myself."

"Why'd a Magi be after us?" Todoroki asked, frowning in confusion.

Momo swallowed hard. "Ashido."

Todoroki looked at her, puzzlement still evident in his eyes. "Why? What does a Magi have to do with her?"

"It was a Magi who must have been supplying the slavers. That must be why they had magicked items," Momo said sullenly. "He must have been their backer."

The memory of the head slaver sent a shiver down Momo's spine. If their opponent was able to provide high quality magicked items like that to a lowly slaver, she was afraid to imagine what else they might have up their sleeve.

"So he is coming for revenge?" Todoroki asked.

Momo nodded faintly. "That is the most likely scenario." She looked back at Fuyumi. "We'll have to leave, and soon. Can you help us keep a look out as we prepare?"

"I'll do what I can."

Momo turned back towards Todoroki and met his gaze. "We've stayed too long here. We have to leave. Tomorrow morning, we need to go."

Todoroki's expression hardened. He nodded. "Alright."

XXXXX

Notes:

Scylla and Charybdis - Being between Scylla and Charybdis is an idiom deriving from Greek mythology, which has been associated with the proverbial advice "to choose the lesser of two evils".