Shoto POV:
My eyes open slightly and I'm greeted with a soft green sight. I blink slowly.
A searing pain in my skull makes me groan.
The green turns and reveals a face with bright emerald eyes, which now shone with concern.
"Your Highness, you're awake." He says. I remember it was the same boy who was sneaking into the gardens. I stare at him for a moment.
With a jolt, I realized I was being carried on his back and I immediately flayed upward and onto the ground. My elbows dig into soft dirt and grass, making me even more confused. And my horrible headache wasn't going away either.
"Are you alright?" The boy says. Izuku. My mind inputs.
I stare at him with confusion written across my face. "Where am I?" I say, and surprise myself when my voice was hoarse and painful to use. I gulp uncomfortably.
"We're currently in the woods walking to my house." Izuku says. "Do you.. remember anything that happened?" I push myself up into a guarded sitting position. I notice three other people, the same three from the gardens.
A horrible pain in my head makes me shut my eyes and place my face in my hand. I hear Izuku's shoes crunch against the grass as he crouched in front of me.
"Are you still feeling tired? Or.." He pauses. "Is your head hurting?" The sincerity in his voice almost made me flinch.
I move my hand away from my face and nod my head without opening my eyes. I hear an upset 'hm' noise and I frown.
"We don't have any medicine, but I think my mom should." Izuku says. "Ochako, do you have any water?"
Another voice. "No, we drank the last of it a bit ago."
Izuku tsked. "Do you want me to carry you again?" He said. "You don't seem in.. walking state."
I tentatively opened my eyes and saw that Izuku was frowning at me with concern. Another flash of pain makes me wince and close my eyes again.
"Sure." I reply, my throat feeling as dry as a desert.
I hear Izuku move and then I feel someone's arms picking me up. I gasp slightly but don't open my eyes. I feel myself nestled into Izuku's hair again, and my sleepiness immediately comes back. I yawn subconsciously.
"You can go back to sleep." Izuku's voice says. "The walk back is a little longer."
I slightly nod against Izuku's neck and I feel myself drift off again. As my head tilts to the side, I hear a small chuckle. But I didn't pay attention to why before I was asleep.
I don't remember how long I was asleep, but the next thing I knew I was waking up in a different room
"Prince Shoto, we're in my room." Izuku's voice.
I hear someone shut the blinds, and I open my eyes a little. It was dark, making it easy on my maybe-migraine.
Izuku then slips me off of his back and onto a bed. I shift slightly, and mumble something that was incoherent even to myself. I'm barely aware of the conversation that was engaging.
"Well, now we have the Prince. What do we do now? He can barely stay awake."
"I guess we wait until the headache passes. My mother said that the pills will help."
"But what was that weird thing he said? The one about all the children."
A pause. I yawn slightly.
"Do you think.. Is it a prophecy?" Dead silence. "Haven't you ever heard of those people who the gods granted powers to? It could be a gift from Hymus."
Hymus. The God of Knowledge and Prophecy. My mother's voice says in my head. The only male god in our entire religion.
"Aren't those people fake? They're just myths."
I feel the bed dip, which meant someone sat down.
"You never know."
More silence.
"Prince, do you want any food?" Izuku says. I shook my head. "Alright."
"Also, we don't know when or even if these migraines will pass." Someone continued. "And what caused them? I'm pretty sure these aren't just normal headaches. They did something to him where he was, where ever that was."
I frown and sink lower into the bed.
...
I was crying into my mother's shoulder. My father had just started our first 'training session' in the gardens, and I had taking a hit to my side.
It was the first time I had realized how horrible my father was. It was the first nightmare my nightmares had started. And since that night, when I was four years old, I have not had a single night without them. I had learned to silence them when I was nine, when Fuyumi couldn't be in my room at any given time anymore.
"Shush.. It's okay." My mother said. "Would you like it if I told you a story?"
I nodded my head, I always liked her stories.
"One day, Breva was talking with one of her human friends." My mother started. "The human was bored with how normal life was, and they said they wanted a challenge. They wanted to win and lose. They wanted competition. So Breva went to Etris with a proposal. Together, they both created Yona and Ytune, the twin goddesses of Victory and Loss. Yona dealt with Completion and Ytune dealt with unfinished business."
I had smiled, my tears from earlier drying up. "Even though Yona and Ytune were both opposites, they were, and still are, the best of friends." My mother said, smiling at me. "Best of friends who do everything together." She nudged me. "Maybe one day you'll find a friend like that too."
My smile grew wider. "Really?" I asked.
My mother nodded. "Really."
She continued to soothe me, telling me more stories of Yona and Ytune. And soon, the terror from earlier faded, leaving me to rest peacefully.
I had to go back to my father the next day though, it was the start of a grueling schedule that involved me getting beaten up every day. Only have a break on Mondays and Tuesdays, that days my father needed to use all the time he had on his work.
I wonder how long it would take for my nightmares to end.
<^> To Be Continued
(1k words)
And I oop.
Tododeku coming in hot, people.