Welcome back all! It's been a while, I needed a break after finishing the last chapter, but now I'm back to share a final tidbit of TodoMomo's future to say thank you for sticking with me and following Ashes of Love and War. Love you all!
And thank you to FlourChildWrites for another amazing beta!
Chapter 38: Epilogue
"Cheers!"
Momo leaned back against pillows as the laughter of the group echoed off the freshly painted frescos of her grand odyssey.
Despite being located in the heart of the city-state from which the word was derived, the lounge was decidedly not spartan. Knitted rugs covered tiled floors. Trophies lined the walls or sat displayed on pedestals. And in the center of the room, a low table laden with pitchers of wine, cheeses, and fruits was surrounded by four maple-wood couches.
Red wine sloshed against the edges of Momo's skyphos as she brought the ceramic cup to her lips. A sweet, fruity taste slid over her tongue to burn down her throat. And she let out a contented hum as a familiar heat settled in her stomach, warming her. This was a special occasion, and she could indulge, just a little she reassured herself.
Her friends on the other hand…
"Wahooo." Across from her, Ashido Mina flung herself back against the pillows decorating the couch. She punched her skyphos into the air. "This is the best! I love weddings."
A teasing smile pulled at Kendo's lips. "You just like drinking," she said from her seat beside the nymph.
"And celebrating with Yao-momo."
Ashido hooked her index finger through the arm of her skyphos, then flung the remainder of her wine towards a pitcher for scraps. Her aim was perfect, and the wine hit the ceramic sides of the pitcher with a splatter. Ashido smirked, self-satisfied, and sat back against her couch.
"A perfect shot," Tokoyami muttered.
"How cute, kero." In the seat next to Tokoyami, Asui smiled.
Momo smiled, too. "Whatever your reasons for being here today, I must thank you all again for making the trip. I couldn't imagine this day without you all in attendance."
"Of course we'd come!" Ochako said from Momo's right. "You don't have to thank us!"
"That's right." Kyouka slipped her hand into Momo's lap, weaving their fingers together. "I wouldn't have missed your wedding for anything."
Kyouka leaned her head against Momo's shoulder and squeezed her hand. "Besides, it's my silly husband who got you into this mess. The least we could do is see it through."
"That's right." Ashido jumped up. "Cheers to Kaminari!" She raised her cup.
"No!" Kyouka jolted up. "Don't encourage him."
Everyone laughed.
"Anyways, we made a promise to see each other again," Kendo said from her seat across the table. She lifted her hand up and curled her fingers into a fist. "Do you think we'd have forgotten?"
Momo pulled her fingers from Kyouka's hand. Around the table, Hagakure, Ashido raised their fists in unison.
"I wasn't part of the promise, but I hope you don't mind us joining in, kero," Asui said as she and Tokoyami copied the others, raising their fists.
"Of course." Momo's vision blurred. "Everyone…"
"Hey!" Ashido squirmed to sit up tall; her voice sounded alarmed. "Don't get all onion-eyed on us! We still have to celebrate."
Momo gave a choked laugh. "Right." She wiped at her eyes with the back of her hands. "Sorry, I can't seem to control myself." She picked up her skyphos and took a sip.
"It's alright. It's your wedding." Ochako smiled. Her expression softened. "All the good news must be overwhelming! You can do what you want, of course. You don't have to apologize."
"But Yao-momo," Ashido said, her voice turning serious.
Momo looked over the top of her cup at Ashido's stern tone, confused.
Ashido's dark eyes met Momo's. "Are you sure you are marrying the right man?"
Momo blinked. "Pardon?"
Ashido's black eyes sparkled with mischief. "You could have all of this." She spread her arms, gesturing with her cup towards the room.
It took a moment for what Ashido was implying to register, but then Momo burst into laughter. "I'm sure. Shouto is the only man I'd ever marry. And, besides, I believe Prince Midoriya has slightly different preferences."
"Oh." Ashido's eyebrows rose. A spark of interest lit up her dark eyes. "I see. And you know this how?" She wiggled her eyebrows.
Momo shook her head, unable to stop smiling. She swished the wine in her skyphos and watched the liquid reveal a picture of Aphrodite at the bottom of the cup. "I won't gossip about Prince Midoriya. He has been most kind and generous to Shouto and me. He is even sponsoring tonight's feast since I don't have family to host."
"Yummm. I can't wait for the feast," Ochako hummed. Her cheeks were already a bright red. "Figs, bread dipped in wine, cheese…"
"Moussaka, grilled lamb, and spanakopita," Hagakure continued.
Momo giggled. She could almost imagine the two as puppies salivating over a delectable piece of meat.
"Well, since it's your wedding, you should at least have some fun." Kendo glanced towards a sword under a mural of a Hercules. "Maybe the prince will let you borrow one of his weapons. Like the spear supposedly that sliced Cycnus."
"Or what about this?" Ochako picked up a bronze helmet displayed on a pedestal next to her seat and placed it onto her head. Her face immediately disappeared under the helm.
Momo laughed. "No! I will not! At most, I may get a sword, but I'm supposed to look like a young boy, not a great Spartan warrior."
"Oh!" Hagakure's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Is that why you're dressed in a boy's chiton? I was wondering…"
Momo nodded. "Exactly. After the bath, it's customary to shave your hair. Then, I am supposed to wait, all alone, to be 'stolen' by my betrothed."
"I still don't get it." Ochako removed the helmet and placed it back onto the pedestal. "That doesn't seem like a wedding at all. Spartans don't have dowries? They don't even go to a temple to ask a god's favor? Deku explained it to me, but it makes no sense. How is anyone supposed to know you are even married?"
Hagakure swooned back against the headboard of the couch. "But it's so romantic — sneaking away, forbidden romance, everything is done in the dark."
Tokoyami nodded. "Revelry in the dark."
"It's tradition." Momo glanced towards the arched window behind Ochako and Hagakure.
The sun waned towards the western horizon. From its low position, she knew she'd have to get ready soon. Shouto would arrive after Helios drove his chariot across the sky to signal night.
"But are you really going to shave your hair?" Kendo asked, bringing Momo back to the present.
"Of course!" Momo said. "I wouldn't disrespect my new husband by not following his customs. Besides," she shrugged, "it will grow back."
"Still, your hair is so pretty," Ochako said. "I don't get why they'd want to cut –"
"Wait!" Jirou interrupted, sitting up. "Hear that?"
The room fell silent. Momo tilted her head towards the double doors and listened. For a moment, she couldn't sense anything. But then, Momo's eyes widened when she heard the faint pattering of footsteps right outside the door.
Momo opened her mouth, but before she could get a word out, the doors burst open. A cloud of frost exploded into the room. Ice climbed over the walls and spread across the floor like vines.
A man appeared in the doorframe. He was tall, and he was dressed in a black chiton decorated with golden buttons. A red hooded cape clung to his shoulders and shrouded his face.
"He's here!"
"He's early!"
The intruder darted into the room, straight towards Momo. She gasped and jerked back, but the man was already upon her. His arm snaked around her waist and hoisted her up.
"Get him!" Ashido yelled, grinning broadly as she jumped onto the couch like a captain at the bow of her ship.
"Go! Dark shadows."
Inky darkness sprang from the ground, arching towards the intruder and Momo.
The man jumped back. Momo squeaked and wrapped her arms around the intruder's neck to steady herself as he leapt onto the windowsill. Before Momo had time to scream, they were falling.
Golden rays of evening light flooded Momo's vision. She glanced up. The sky was a cerulean blue painted with wisps of purple and reds. It was beautiful — like they were flying.
The man hit the ground in a run. Momo's fingers tightened around his neck. Someone shouted mockingly after them. Momo looked back over the intruder's shoulder towards the palace. From the window, her friends leaned out, cheering and waving.
Momo laughed; she angled her head to look up at the face of the intruder. Heterochromatic eyes of turquoise and silver met hers.
Momo grinned. "Hello?"
"Hello."
Shouto's footsteps slowed. He stopped under a marble archway and let Momo down.
She tripped as her feet touched the ground. Momo reached out and grasped Shouto's arm to steady herself.
A flash of concern crossed Shouto's face, darkening his eyes. "Did I hurt you?"
Momo shook her head. "No, I'm alright, just a little lightheaded" She glanced up to meet his gaze and smiled. "I was taken a bit off guard, though. I didn't anticipate that you'd arrive early. Weren't you supposed to sneak in after dark?" she asked, stepping out of his arms.
Shouto shrugged. "I was impatient."
"It seems so." Momo laughed. She pushed her bangs behind her ear. "Hagakure will be disappointed. I think she was looking forward to the 'romantic' aspect of it."
"Oh." Shouto pulled back his hood. Red and white strands fell down into his eyes. His hair was long enough to tuck behind his ears. "Sorry."
He didn't look all that apologetic.
Momo shook her head. "A rightful villain you are."
Shouto frowned. "I'm not a villain. I didn't hurt anyone or steal anything."
"I'm jesting." Momo poked the middle of Shouto's chest. "Although, your latter statement isn't true. You did steal me from my bridal chambers. That does make you a villain."
"Oh?" The tension disappeared from Shouto's expression. His long fingers curled around Momo's hand, pulling her back into his arms. "Then I will gladly be your villain."
A giddy heat spread in Momo's chest. Trying to suppress her smile, Momo lifted her chin. "Well then, villain Todoroki," she said in a haughty voice, "I will have to make you pay. I expect full compensation for ruining this very special day. How will you make it up to me?"
Shouto hummed thoughtfully. His fingers tapped against the small of Momo's back. "I think I have something."
He reached into his chiton and pulled out an object wrapped in cloth. Holding it balanced across his palms, he offered it to Momo.
Momo took it gingerly. She pulled the cloth open and gasped. A silver dagger with a bronze hilt lay inside.
She picked the dagger up and inspected its steel. It was expertly crafted with a gold lyre, a symbol of Apollo, painted across the metal.
"Gran Torino made it." Shouto hesitated. "I know you don't need it anymore, but I thought a creation hero still needs a weapon." Momo could feel his eyes on the top of her head as she ran a finger along the blade. "Will this make up for my manners?"
Momo sheathed the dagger and looked up. "It's acceptable."
A smile curled on her lips. She met Shouto's gaze and stepped closer. Momo brushed Shouto's hair back from his eyes, then pushed up onto her toes. Her lips pressed to Shouto's mouth. "Thank you."
She broke the kiss after a moment, and looked up. Shouto smiled. The kind of smile that made butterflies flutter in her stomach and her pulse race. His love was practically tangible, and it made emotions lump in Momo's throat.
"Let's go back."
"Wait."
Shouto turned back, and Momo looked away.
Her mouth was dry when you said, "I-I have a gift for you as well."
"A gift?" Shouto echoed a hint of surprise in his voice.
Momo stepped out of Shouto's arms. She could feel heat rising up her neck. Her fingers unconsciously touched the gold bracelet around her wrist. Bundling her courage, Momo swallowed and looked up. Shouto was watching her curiously.
Momo flushed. She brought her hands down to her flat stomach.
Shouto continued to stare at her. Heat burned across Momo's face, and she lowered her eyes to stare at the dip near the base of his neck as she all but whispered the last words.
"I-I missed my moon month."
Shouto didn't say anything for a moment. Momo was afraid he hadn't understood. Squaring her shoulders, she was about to glance up at his face when calloused hands cupped her cheeks. Momo's gaze darted up.
Shouto leaned over her. Red and white bangs tickled Momo's forehead as he pressed his head to hers. He was giving her one of his rare smiles that crinkled the sides of his eyes. A fluttering sensation danced within Momo's belly.
"You're pregnant?"
Momo nodded. "Yes"
Shouto's smile seemed to grow wider. He lunged forward. His arms wrapped around Momo's waist. She yelped as Shouto lifted her up, and they spun.
Momo laughed.
Her body slid back down Shouto's as he pulled her into a tight hug and pressed his forehead to hers. "Thank you. I didn't know it was possible to be this happy."
His hold slackened. He pulled back to look down at her, and his fingers touched her chin. Shouto tilted her head up, and Momo felt his soft lips press against hers. Their kiss tasted like wine; it lit a fire in her veins. Momo pushed closer, twining arms around Shouto's neck.
It seemed impossible to be this happy, and even more unimaginable that only a year prior she hadn't had any hope of ever finding love. She had been a priestess of Apollo, never supposed to marry and doomed to Troy's fate. Then, when Shouto rescued her in front of the burning temple, and Momo had made the deal to sell herself to Shouto to save Tokoyami's life, she was resigned to a life of servitude. But now, to be in the very man's arms that she made that very same deal with, it felt the fate's had orchestrated it themselves.
Shouto was her other half. Her soulmate. The sun of her life that her soul unknowingly craved. And now that they were together, their existence was finally complete, as the god's originally designed them.
She stepped back. Her hand slid down Shouto's arm to catch his fingers. "Well, if you're good, perhaps I can grant you even more happiness," Momo teased.
"Oh? How will you do that?" Shouto stepped closer again. A wicked smile spread across his mouth.
"I'll enlighten you later. But first, we have to get back; everyone is waiting." Momo laughed. Her fingers entwined with Shouto's calloused hand. And with a tug, Momo pulled Shouto towards the palace where gold and amber rays highlighted the grand arches like the entrance to Elysium.
Notes:
Momo drinking - Nowadays we know drinking while pregnant is bad for a baby's health but, throughout history, wine and beer were part of everyday life. And, according to the New York Times "There was a time when doctors recommended alcohol to pregnant women for relaxation and pain relief, or even prescribed it intravenously as a tocolytic — meaning it stopped premature labor." It wasn't until the 1970s that the belief around drinking while pregnant changed.
Elysium – Was ancient Greek's equivalent of heaven, it was made by Hades as the place for heroes and the righteous.
Kottabos – is a game where a guest would put their right index finger into one of the handles and attempt to fling the last of their wine into a target, often a container on a pedestal or floating in a pool, in order to win a prize
Skyphos - is a two-handled deep wine-cup on a low flanged base or none.
Momo's comment about Shouto being her "Sun" - this line, used earlier, is actually in reference to a Greek myth around soulmates. According to Greek mythology, humans were originally created with four arms, four legs and a head with two faces. The gender of humans had to do with their origin; the Men were children of the Sun and Women were the children of the Earth. In this state, humans were said to be incredibly powerful. And fearing their power, Zeus split humans into two separate parts, condemning them to spend their lives in search of their other halves. Apollo, feeling bad for them, sewed them up, leaving just the navel as the only reminder of their original form. So, humans went from double face and double sex creatures with eight limbs, to single faced ones of a single sex, with two arms and two legs. And they forever longed for their soul and physical other half. Their physical nature would feel a burning desire to be completed with the physical nature of the other sex, and their soul alike would yearn for their soul's other half be complete, their soulmate.