AHH! You are all so wonderful! Thank you so much for welcoming me back and all your wonderful reviews! I've decided to start including my replies below, so that everyone can read the answers.

Fencer29 - I know 3 months, in the grand scheme of things isn't THAT long, but I still feel bad I had to go on hiatus. Lol, it would have been funny if Poseidon had nabbed the sword just to mess with Ares, but Asui was already there so he didn't need to show up. :P Thank you so much for always taking the time to comment. I really appreciate it.

Nap-Tyme – AH! You're so good to me. 3 I'm glad you like the introduction of Eri, Aizawa and Asui. Totally true though, if not for Eri, Todoroki would be hard to deal with during their stay. OMG. LOL a boat baby?! How long are you expecting them to be on the boat for? 9 months? HAHAHA.

KeroKeroNyao - Yep, Todoroki and Tokoyami have a lot to work through, but its understandable. Tokoyami only knows of Shouto as the enemy and thinks any kindness towards Yoayorozu is just a setup for some ulterior motive, because he has no idea that Todoroki has been hit with a love arrow. Where as Todoroki, although trying to be nice to Tokoyami, doesn't have any actual feelings (good or bad) for the demigod, his only push is to make Momo happy and so he keeps Tokoyami alive for her. But if Tokoyami gets in the way of Todo having Momo, how long will the magic allow Todoroki to keep Tokoyami around?

Boa-Avadara - And oh my gosh! I can't believe this is the first BNHA fanfic that you picked up! I'm so incredibly honored! Thank you so much! Updates will be tri-weekly. Thank you again and stay safe during these crazy times!

mihairu7- I think that's one of the areas that writers, at least in TodoMomo fandom for whatever reason, don't do much is mix up how Todo gets his scar and blue eye. Especially in AUs I think its fun to give a twist on how he gets his burn. I'm glad you enjoyed my approach on it. Tokoyami's power is slightly different here. He still controls shadows, but is more affected by light then in canon. Also, lol, I guess I can see the similarities. I haven't seen Troy in a looong time but I think Brad Pitt and whoever the lead actress were on opposite sides of the war too?

Oli – Ahh! Thank you! I'm glad you liked Momo's balance between scared and being fierce. That was really hard for me to capture, so I'm happy you liked how she turned out.

Guest 1- AHHH! Your comment made me cry! Thank you for thinking this is gold.

Owl – Lol! There wouldn't be much of a story if TodoMomo just married now and had kids. Thank you for reading!

Guest 2 – I hadn't heard of Quietus, had to go look it up. I'm assuming you are referring to the Naruto SasuSaku fic by AngeLhearteD. It looks really good and I'll have to try reading it. :) And my quarantine is going well. Just working from home and taking it day by day. Hope you are doing well too!

Guest 3 – AHHH! Thank you so much for thinking Todoroki is cool! I'm trying really, really hard to make him a mysterious hottie. And we'll get to Momo and her feelings, it is just going to take time. ;) Feelings don't happen overnight…unless you are Todoroki struck by a love arrow.

Luxen –Your review made me so happy and don't worry! Your English is fine! Thank you so much for taking the time to review.

Also, thank you to my wonderful betas: Flourchildwrites and C'sMelody. And thank you to 666-HyuugaNeji-999 for doing a preview read to make sure everything flowed.

Chapter 8: We Can (Not) Be Friends

28 days post the fall of Troy

Momo ran down the empty street. The houses on either side of her were burning; bright red flames licked off of their roofs. The heat bore down on her, hot and suffocating, but she didn't stop.

She skidded and nearly fell as she rounded a corner. In front of her was the temple's courtyard. Her throat constricted. Everything was as she remembered it on the night Troy fell. Apollo's statue had been toppled; marble stones lay scattered across the space interspersed with dead soldiers, their faces slack and eyes empty.

Momo tore her gaze away and looked up. In the middle of the square, the temple was a writhing inferno of flames. The air was thick with black smoke.

In front of the building, four darkened figures stood watching the flames consume the temple.

Her eyes widened, and something within her twisted as the blackened shapes morphed. They were everyone she had ever considered family. She couldn't see their faces, but she knew them: her mother and father's tall, delicate frames, Tokoyami's raven head, and Kyouka Jirou's cropped hair.

Momo called to them, but her voice was drowned out by the roaring flames.

Suddenly, her mother took a step forward towards the burning building. The blood in Momo's veins ran cold as she watched the others follow.

She bolted across the yard. She was screaming for them to stop. She reached out, and her fingers almost grazed the back of Tokoyami's chiton when something wrapped around her ankle.

Momo tripped and hit the ground. She looked down at what had grabbed her and froze.

Pale, dead fingers of one of the temple's priestesses had wrapped around her ankle. The dead priestess looked up. Her eyes were hollow, but they seemed to be staring right at Momo. Then the woman's lips curled, and she smiled up at her with vicious glee.

"Where are you going, kiss ass?"

Momo's throat constricted, and she tried to kick the hand off but couldn't.

"Only time she shuts up," another disjointed voice echoed.

Momo turned her head sharply. Her eyes widened, and she stared in horror as one of the dead soldier's bodies twitched and then transformed into another of the temple's priestesses. She stared back at her with the same blank gaze.

"She thinks she's blessed by the gods," the woman said, sneering. "But no one likes her. That's why they all leave."

Then, all around her, the other bodies of the soldiers began to twitch and mutate into the priestesses she had once known.

Momo screamed, but no sound came out. She looked up, trying to find Tokoyami, her parents, Jirou. Anyone. But they were gone. They had left her.

A hand grasped her wrist. Momo tried to jerk away, but the fingers tightened like chains. "Bitch, where are you looking?" There was a singsong quality to the woman's voice. "You know bitches like you don't have any friends," she said, releasing her.

Suddenly, a chorus of women's voices started up, laughing and giggling. "Bitch has no friends. Bitch has no friends. Bitch has no friends."

The voices grew louder.

Momo sobbed and curled into a ball, clamping her hands over her ears to keep out the sound, but she couldn't. The laughter kept going on and on. Cruel, taunting, hysterical peals of laughter.

Momo's eyes snapped open. Her heart was pounding. It felt as though she couldn't breathe. The back of her neck was clammy. Her chest and throat felt tight, and she started shaking as she tried not to cry.

It was a dream.

Only a dream.

It was the same nightmare she always had. Her parents, Jirou, and Tokoyami would be standing in front of the burning temple. She'd run towards them, reach out, and her fingers would almost grasp them before everyone would disappear, leaving her behind.

Abandoning her.

Momo brought her right arm up and draped it over her eyes as she worked to regain control of her breathing.

She was okay. Tokoyami was okay. They were in Aizawa's orphanage far away from Troy, she reminded herself. There was no reason to be scared. Those dreams weren't real. There weren't even any other priestesses on the island, nor was there even a temple in Troy anymore.

It had been almost a month since Troy had fallen, three weeks since they had arrived at Aizawa's orphanage. She shouldn't be having these nightmares anymore.

Her heart slowly stopped pounding, but her chest hurt. After a moment, Momo turned on her side and curled into a ball as she looked across the small room.

A pale beam of moonlight illuminated the space enough for her to make out Asui's untouched bed.

She was still on patrol with Tokoyami and Aizawa. From the positioning of the light shining through the window, it was at least another hour until they were back.

Momo swallowed over a thick throat and squeezed her eyes shut, lying in bed and trying not to think. Wishing she could just turn her mind off.

It wasn't as if she hadn't had similar nightmares before. She'd had night terrors all her life. They'd begun ten years ago when her parents had given her to the temple. The war had just broken out at the time, and she would lay awake at night on the cold stone floor of the temple crying as she listened to the screams and terror of the war. It wasn't until she'd met Kyouka Jirou and Fumikage Tokoyami that the dreams had faded for a while, only to return when Jirou was taken by the gods.

Momo's fingers twitched. She didn't drink, and any other remedies for restless thoughts had run out by the middle of the war. So she had just worked harder, pushing herself with her duties as top healer or sneaking out at night to practice with her halberd spear until she was too exhausted to dream.

And now they were here, on Aretias, safe and away from the war and the smell of decaying bodies.

Momo opened her eyes and stared up at the ceiling.

Life at the orphanage was peaceful. Her days were filled with learning to cook and other womanly tasks that she had been exempt from at the temple. At night the stymphalian would come, but overall it was a relatively quiet life. It had left her restless, however, and that restlessness had begun to seep into her dreams, making the nightmares more graphic.

Momo lay in bed but was too upset to sleep anymore. Her stomach twisted. Momo turned her head and looked at the door.

She wished Tokoyami would hurry up and get back. She needed to see him. She needed to know he hadn't abandoned her. Hadn't died on the mission or had snuck off the island, leaving her behind.

She hated being alone.

After a while, she pushed herself up and swung her legs over the bed, sliding on her sandals.

The floorboards creaked under her feet as she made her way out the door and onto the second floor's wrap around wooden veranda. Momo breathed in a shaky breath as the warm ocean breeze hit her face. She slid her hands underneath her hair, lifting up the tresses to allow the wind to cool her neck.

It was a quiet evening. The stymphalian were likely laying low and tending to their wounded, which meant they wouldn't be back that night.

Momo leaned against one of the wooden beams and closed her eyes, taking several deep breaths to steady herself.

Everything would be fine, she told herself. Tokoyami would be back. He wouldn't leave her. She didn't need to be afraid.

A door to her right creaked open, and Momo looked up.

"Ms. Yaoyorozu?" Eri stood in the doorway looking at her.

"Eri." Momo straightened and turned around. She gave her a small smile that she hoped hid her earlier anxiety. "What are you doing up? It's late," she said gently as she approached her.

Eri shifted under her gaze, and her eyes darted to the floor. Her small hands were shaking as they clenched her white chiton. "I had a dream."

Momo's heart stuttered. She knelt down in front of the small girl and pulled her into a hug. "Another nightmare?"

Eri nodded. "I want Master Aizawa." She mumbled into her shoulder.

Momo's chest hurt. Eri was so powerful; her magic was so strong. Sometimes Momo forgot that she was just a child of six.

Momo wrapped her arms around Eri tightly. "He's out right now on patrol with Asui and Tokoyami." She hesitated, then added, "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"I just – I don't know." Eri's voice broke, and a small sob raked through her.

"It's okay," Momo said into her hair, smoothing a couple of wayward strands back. "Nothing is going to hurt you. No one is going to eat you. I promise."

Eri sniffed and then slowly wrapped her arms around Momo's neck. She was always such a quiet child. It was as if she thought any sound would be the end of her. She only seemed to relax when Aizawa was around. He was her security blanket.

Momo felt her chest tighten. She could understand that.

"Let's get you back to bed. I'll sit with you until you fall asleep. How does that sound?" Momo asked, nuzzling her nose into Eri's hair.

Eri hesitated and then, after a second, nodded. Momo picked her up and carried her back inside the children's room. The space was nearly identical to the place she and Asui occupied, but instead of a chest, there was an extra bed below the windowsill.

The other children were all sleeping soundly, two to three per cot. Momo carried Eri over to her bed and gently sat on the edge. The bed dipped under her weight, and the other orphan, Hime, mumbled and turned over, a piece of curly blonde hair sticking to her mouth.

Momo smiled softly and wrapped her arms tightly around Eri, holding her to her chest and running her hands down her back in soothing motions. After a moment, she began to hum.

It was an old song, one that Jirou had taught her many years ago. It had been a long time since she had last sung it, but it had always calmed Momo down when she was younger.

When Eri's breathing had leveled and she'd finally fallen asleep, Momo lay her back down in bed. She pulled the blanket over Eri, and then quietly stood up.

The other kids were still sleeping soundly. She could see the tips of Kota's horns poking out from underneath his blanket. Tamashiro was lying sideways, mouth open with his sharp teeth bared. He appeared to almost be falling off his cot.

Momo snorted softly and moved to his side. She gently adjusted his limbs back onto the bed. Then, she pulled up the blanket and tucked him back in.

She stared at all of them for a moment before returning to her room. She crawled back onto her bed, pulling her legs up to her chest and resting her head on her knees. She wasn't tired.

Thinking about Jirou was like picking at an old wound. It always left a dull ache in her chest. Momo leaned her head back against the wall. She wondered if thinking about her now meant anything.

She snorted faintly at the thought, and her fingers twitched. She pulled a section of loose hair over her shoulder and ran her fingers through it; they caught sharply on a knot. She hissed and looked down. It must have gotten tangled while she'd slept.

Sighing, Momo picked at her hair, trying to untangle the knots. She wished she could put it up, but didn't have any hair bands or cloth to tie it.

The door creaked open, drawing her attention away from her task.

Momo paused and looked up as Asui entered the room. She felt a wave of relief and her shoulders loosened.

"Welcome back."

"Don't get up." Asui motioned as Momo began to push herself up. "Tokoyami is debriefing with Aizawa and Todoroki." She yawned and then gave her a sleepy smile. "I'm exhausted, kero."

Momo hummed in acknowledgment, relaxing back into her seated position against the wall. Her fingers returned to her hair, and she resumed picking at the knots.

Asui moved to the wooden chest below the window, and Momo watched absently as she began preparing for bed. She didn't know what else to say. She always felt so awkward talking to Asui. It wasn't that she found her cold; it was just that it had been so long since she had last had a female friend — or any friend besides Tokoyami.

She didn't know how to start.

"Here. Let me help you."

Momo blinked and looked up as Asui moved closer. She was holding a beautiful black comb, stylized with two swans. She slid onto the bed next to Momo and motioned for her to turn around.

"Thank you," Momo said softly as Asui positioned herself behind her and began to run the comb gently through her hair.

"Of course, kero."

They fell into silence.

Momo was beginning to relax into Asui's touch when the nereid spoke again. "You don't like me very much, do you?"

Momo's eyes abruptly widened, and she looked back quickly. "No! That's not it!" She protested. Then she blushed and looked down at the bed. "It's just – I never – I'm not very good at making friends."

Momo turned back around and pushed her face into her knees. She felt ashamed. "I'm really sorry. I haven't had a girl friend in a very long time. I just don't know how to act. I don't mean to be rude."

"What about at the temple? There were other priestesses there, weren't there?"

Momo's arms tightened around her knees. "Yeah, there were other priestesses."

'They just didn't like me,' she finished internally. Momo swallowed the bitterness of the thought.

"I'm sorry," Asui said after a moment, seemingly to read between the lines. Momo was glad she didn't have to say it.

"It's okay." Momo wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand. "Tokoyami has been my only friend for a long time now."

"What about Todoroki? He seems to care for you too."

Momo's lips thinned. "He's my master. I sold myself to him when Troy fell to save Tokoyami."

Asui hummed. "Is that so, kero? He doesn't seem like any master I've ever seen, though," she said thoughtfully.

"Why do you say that?" Momo turned slightly to stare at Asui in confusion.

"He risked his life for you. I've never seen a master do that for someone who is just a slave."

Momo ran quickly through her memories, but couldn't pinpoint a time when he had risked his life for her. "What do you mean?" she asked again.

Asui's hand paused, and she looked at her seriously. "Todoroki was the one who saved you from drowning, kero."

Momo's eyes widened. She hadn't known.

"I've never seen someone jump into the ocean so fast. You must hold some significance for him to be so desperate."

Someone significant to Todoroki? That was impossible. Asui must have it wrong. He must have dived in because he'd realized she had taken his sword. There was no way someone like him would view her as anyone of importance.

She frowned.

There was a light knock on the door. Momo looked up as Tokoyami entered. Momo felt her chest loosen. "It's your shift."

Momo nodded and said a quick farewell to Asui before exiting the room.

Tokoyami was waiting for her on the veranda. She looked around but noted that Todoroki was nowhere in sight. He was probably still speaking with Aizawa.

Momo stepped up next to Tokoyami and looked out over the courtyard. A fountain stood in the middle of the garden adorned with a statue of Hephaestus, god of the forge and protector of outcasts. Moonlight shimmered off of the water. On the far wall, she could see the deep lacerations from the stymphalian attack two nights prior.

"How was your patrol?" she asked after a minute.

Tokoyami shrugged slightly. "There's not much to report tonight. Our paths did not cross with those creatures of darkness."

Momo nodded. Tokoyami looked at her, and his eyes seemed to narrow slightly as he studied her. "You haven't been sleeping again."

It was a blunt statement — an accurate one.

"I had another dream."

Tokoyami's expression hardened. "The same as before?"

"Yeah."

"Are you alright? We're safe here. There's no reason to be afraid."

"I know."

The shadows from the first floor shifted, and Todoroki stepped out into the courtyard. He raised his head, and his eyes met hers. He gave her a short nod.

It was time for their patrol. Momo straightened under his gaze.

You hold some significance to him.

She stilled and felt her face warm as she watched Todoroki go back inside.

"Yaoyorozu."

Tokoyami's stern voice caught Momo's attention. When she looked back at him, his expression was pensive. "What is it?"

Tokoyami looked at her for a moment and then tilted his head back. He stared up at the ceiling for a full minute. "Just be careful around him. Don't get too close," he finally said in a tight voice.

The corner of Momo's mouth twitched.

"You're too kind and forgiving. People take advantage of that," he continued, looking away from the ceiling to stare at her again.

Momo dropped her gaze to the floor. "He's our master. I can't just ignore him."

"I know. Just — be careful. He's being decent now to trick us, but don't forget that he's the enemy. Like I told you before, his path is paved in darkness."

Momo frowned. "I don't know."

"Yaoyorozu." Tokoyami's voice was clipped. Momo looked up and his expression was hard. His hands were curled at his side. "Don't get too close to him. You've always had a good heart. And I know that. But don't get too close. That man – he doesn't have the slightest intention of seeing you as human."

Momo lips thinned. "I know that he was our enemy. But the war is over and Asui said that he –"

"He's Ares' son!" Momo's eyes widened, and she looked up. Tokoyami's expression softened; he looked away. "I know I sound harsh. And maybe for a normal human I'd be wrong, but this is Ares' son. He just sees us as tools. To him, significance equates to 'value,' and a person only has value when they are useful for his purposes."

"He may be acting like a normal human right now, but that's because he needs our help to get off of this island. As soon as we are back in Sparta, he will treat you just as all those people did back at the temple or worse. You know as well as I do that slaves have no rights."

Momo didn't say anything. His words stung with the truth.

Tokoyami sighed and rested his arms against the veranda railing. He dipped his head down to lay his forehead on his arms. "I just – I just don't want to see you hurt. We've been through too much. I can't afford to lose you too."

Momo looked at him and felt something in her heart twist as he raised his head and stared back at her. They weren't even a foot apart, but he looked at her as if he expected to never see her again.

The crescent moon cast a soft light down onto the earth, contouring the craggy face of the cliffs in a black velour.

Momo pressed her body against a large boulder as she carefully shifted to peer around the rock. Her eyes narrowed as she looked down the mountain. Her heart was beating quickly. She could hear sharp screeches, interspersed by the noise of breaking bones.

"What do you see?" Todoroki's voice was low as he whispered next to her ear. A shiver ran down her spine, and Momo became keenly aware of the heat of his chest against her back as he leaned over her. He smelled faintly of olives with the undertones of marjoram.

Her body felt warm as his breath ghosted over her nape.

She ignored it and squinted. Shapes shifted in the darkness.

"Four or five stymphalian," she said finally, not looking away from the group. "It looks like they caught something."

Todoroki hummed in acknowledgment and slowly withdrew. "Let's go," he said, straightening. "They won't be causing trouble tonight."

He turned and headed back up the cliff, as silently as if he were Harpocrates, the god of silence himself.

Momo's skills left something to be desired when compared to the way Todoroki moved. She turned to follow after him, and the rocky ground crunched underneath her feet. She would never win any medals for being a silent and swift huntress. Artemis would be disappointed in her.

Momo snorted silently to herself. Her eyes flitted to Todoroki walking ahead of her on the uneven path. Every so often, he would tilt his head as if listening, and she'd faintly make out his jaw clenching. His hand rested on his sword.

He seemed angry.

It was probably difficult for him. The steep jagged paths, populated by thickets of junipers and wildflowers made traversing the Northern side of the island difficult during the day, much less at night. And, as far as she could tell, his left eye hadn't completely healed. He never showed it, nor spoke about it, but every so often she'd see his gaze narrow as if he were trying to distinguish figures in the dark.

"He may be acting like a normal human now, but that's because he needs our help to get off of this island…"

Momo's lips thinned, and her eyes narrowed on his back as she continued to study him.

She would be lying if she said she didn't hold a certain degree of fascination for Shouto Todoroki.

He was silent, even quieter than Aizawa if that was possible. And he appeared completely apathetic towards most things and people. And yet, technically, he had taken her and Tokoyami as his servants. Slaves that he could do with as he pleased. But it had been almost a month, and he still hadn't asked anything of them.

Was it all a ruse? Tokoyami's words rippled through her mind, and her stomach turned.

It was common knowledge that women were regularly raped and forced to do menial tasks as slaves. Even if she was considered a hetera, it was still within Todoroki's right to do with her as he pleased.

But, as far as she could tell, he had no intention to do anything to her. Even before coming to the island, Todoroki had saved her and treated her kindly.

In fact, if she didn't know better, she'd think he treated her as an equal — which didn't make sense, given what she knew of Spartans and men in general.

You hold some significance to him.

Momo's lips pursed. She had always prided herself on her good judgment and her ability to solve complex problems, but Tokoyami's recent comments made her question if she was being too trusting? And, to a certain extent, she couldn't blame him; she had a tendency to believe the best in people.

She sighed silently and rubbed at her temples. She didn't know what to think. Logically, Tokoyami was right, she should keep her distance, but the mystery around Todoroki kept bringing her mind back towards him.

She was intrigued by him. Todoroki was an enigma, a riddle that needed to be slowly dissected and pieced back together.

"Let's take a break."

Momo looked up as Todoroki's deep voice drew her from her thoughts.

They were in a small clearing. Dead grass tickled her ankles, and Momo shifted as she watched Todoroki make his way over to a large boulder. He leaned his back against it and closed his eyes as if to rest.

After a moment, Momo turned and looked around the clearing awkwardly. There wasn't much besides wilted shrubbery and the boulder Todoroki was already occupying. Finally, she found a good-sized rock and sat down.

A calm silence settled around them.

Her feet hurt from the uneven climb, and her neck felt overheated underneath her thick hair. Momo gathered it into her hands and lifted the tresses up to let the wind wick at her nape.

Todoroki finally spoke after a few minutes of silence.

"Is everything alright?" he asked abruptly.

Momo paused. She looked up. Todoroki was watching her.

The moonlight caught in his eyes, making them shine silver and turquoise.

The charred flesh from Dabi's magic had chipped away over a week ago, leaving only a red, discolored patch over his left eye that had become a stunning bright blue. The changes made him look both terrifying and beautiful at the same time.

She blinked, dropping her hair so it fell down her back. "Yes, I'm fine. I can keep going."

"I don't mean about the patrol." His eyes seemed to glitter as he looked at her, and Momo's brow furrowed. "I heard you get up earlier."

Momo stiffened, and her chest tightened as the memories of her dream suddenly clawed at her consciousness.

She didn't want to think about it, and certainly didn't want to talk about it to anyone but Tokoyami. Least of all with someone like Todoroki, who would never understand her night terrors anyway.

Momo swallowed and tried to school her expression into one of indifference. Proudly, she raised her chin. She was glad her voice didn't shake as she met his gaze. "It's nothing. I just couldn't sleep."

Todoroki's eyes seemed to narrow on her. Almost suspiciously. Momo looked away, hoping he would drop the subject. Her fingers twisted in her lap. After a moment, she peeked back up at him from under her lashes. He was still watching her. Momo felt her heart abruptly stall as something in his gaze shifted, and his eyes darkened.

Momo swallowed nervously.

"It was pretty."

Momo started and looked up at him.

"The song," he clarified, addressing the confusion she was sure was written across her face.

Momo's stomach dropped. "You were listening?" she asked, aghast, clenching her hand over her chest. She was glad it was too dark for him to see her face.

How embarrassing.

She wasn't even a decent singer. She could barely hold a tune. That he had been listening was mortifying. Momo felt her face burn.

He nodded. "I was." He tilted his head slightly. "Where's it from?" he asked, sounding genuinely curious.

Momo hesitated for a moment, contemplating if telling him about her past was a wise decision, but she couldn't think of a reason not to. Jirou had been taken before the war had ended. There wasn't anything anyone could do about it. It was old information, even if the wound in her heart was still throbbing.

"An old friend taught it to me before she was taken by the gods," she finally said.

His expression darkened. "I'm sorry for your loss." He sounded like he meant it, but Momo couldn't tell if that was just what she wanted to believe.

She looked away. "It was a long time ago." She brought her hand up to close over her chest. "One of Aphrodite's erotes took her away. Tokoyami and I haven't seen her since."

Todoroki seemed to stiffen at her words, and he rolled his jaw. "Is that so…" His voice had suddenly become cold.

He grew quiet after that.

Thank you everyone for reading. I seriously had so much fun writing this chapter, I hope you all enjoyed it. :D

As you can see tension is mounting. The war is over, but it hasn't left Momo. With Tokoyami and her safety no longer in immediate danger, Momo is starting to feel antsy and the night terrors, that had plagued her at the temple, are returning. She isn't the only one living with nightmares. Eri has her own terrors and as Momo sings her to sleep, she is reminded of Kyouka Jirou, another priestess from the temple that had, for some unknown reason, been taken by the gods. Jirou was Momo's only girl friend growing up and so now, Momo feels uncomfortable as Asui tries to get close to her. This tension keeps mounting as Tokoyami scolds Momo for being too kind to Todoroki. In Tokoyami's eyes, the Spartan is no different then those priestesses from back at the temple who only were nice when they needed something. Momo isn't sure that Tokoyami is right, but lets the conversation drop as she heads off on patrol, feeling that something has changed within their relationship. On patrol, Todoroki mentions how he had heard Momo singing. Embarrassed to learn he had eavesdropped, Momo tells him about Jirou being taken by one of Aphrodite's erotes.

Notes:

Artemis - Goddess of the hunt and twin sister to Apollo, the god of the sun.

Hetera - a higher level mistress than a normal slave.

Kota Izumi - Kota is a small boy who stands at a height comparable to Minoru Mineta. He wears a white collared shirt with buttons, dark shorts, and black boots. Kota has short, spiky black hair and wears a red hat with golden, spike-shaped horns on the front. After Izuku Midoriya saved him from the villain, Muscular, he starts wearing red sneakers that are the same as Izuku's.

Marjoram - an aromatic southern European plant of the mint family, the leaves of which are used as a culinary herb. It's a very close relative to Oregano, and although its scent is similar, it's much less pungent and far more pleasant. It's got a slightly camphorous, woody, herbal scent with a hint of spice. Ancient Greeks would use the fragrance for their hair.

Tamishiro - Tamashiro is a small boy with dark marks around his red eyes and messy, blond hair. He also has sharp, pointed teeth. He's a student from Masegaki Primary School.