Chapter Text
"What..?" Eret asked, she had always thought that time has been the factor of their constant loop of death. "It was always you for me, your life sacrificed for mine. Every timeline, every life, on your 20th birthday. It’s always on that day. Death is that cruel." Foolish’s emotions betrayed him, letting a tear slither past his cheek.
"Foolish, as the god of death. Totem of death, you know that-" Eret got cut off by Foolish, "I am YOUR totem of death! You carry me around with you on endless occasion with no worry, then soon later on the line, I break and cause you your death!" He screams, pulling his shark hoodie over his head. "Remember when you and I, along with Einshine and Fredisaal, were travelling into the depths of the territory the Wither cult had claimed to be its own?"
Eret nods, not daring to bolden up and speak over Foolish. "They had caused quite a mess on that island, spawning several withers to weaken us so they could take us in. Morons, they were. They all died to their own withers and we had to clean up after them, the two withers on the hill? We took down those two, and you had lost your first life?" Foolish sat on the mossy rock, his head resting atop his hands.
"Yeah, that was uneventful, Ein lost a life there too." Eret recalled, "I caused you that loss, I carelessly tripped over rubble and the wither managed to curse you. You turned into black dust, in front of me." He slumped against the rock, cursing. "No, you didn’t. You tripped sure, but I was the one that ran towards the wither like the dumbass I was." Eret sat next to Foolish, cross legged.
"No, Eret. No. Stop trying to sugarcoat your death." Foolish warned. "What do you mean? It literally is what it is." Eret tilts their head at her friend, "It’s not- you should know this! I am directly the fault for you death, and probably other innocent bystanders trying to live their everyday lives!" Foolish furrowed his brows, not seeing from Eret’s point of view.
"But isn’t death just, I don’t know. Another aspect of our everyday lives? Isn’t it just something that everybody has to face, immortal or not? It’s there to keep a balance, it’s there to teach us how to move on and keep going forward." Eret stands up, gripping tightly on his cape, "I personally, am glad that I am friends with you. If death keeps coming back like a grim reaper to send me off, I’ll accept it." Eret spares a smile.
Why? Why is Eret so, so optimistic? Not even death can leave a permanent scar on this boy, "You yourself has said it before, no matter what, we will be friends in every timeline, every era, every generation that comes by. Sure, I might’ve passed way before you every time. But I also come back, tripling my lifespan and time spent with you despite not remembering a bit of it." Foolish can’t avoid death, he IS death. "Our meeting was destiny, not fate, Foolish."
"Destiny is forever, fate is the future. There’s no fine line, people just think there is a line. But truly, there is none. Just us, just us living life over and over." Eret knelt to the ground, hands hovering above Foolish’s. "Don’t blame yourself, death is fate. But us being together will always be destiny." Foolish pulls his friend into a warm embrace, his tears stained on Eret’s soft woven clothing.
"Death is the balance of Life, so it’s just as magnificent. Just as stunning, light that shines onto a prism splits into a rainbow. Know where I’m getting at?" Foolish sighs, sitting upright again, those tears will not be shown for anyone else. There’s simply not a chance, he’s the totem of death after all. "Yeah, got it. Thanks Eret, now come on. We’ve got a mountain to scale."
The climb up the mountain was absolutely treacherous, the side was steep and all they had to go off on was small paths they would find and keep walking, with the eventual imp and mob of course. The higher they got, the more Foolish churned. Every inch of him is pleading for the totem to just turn tail and leave, to accept their soon-to-be fate. Eret seemed to have the same thought process, was it the effect of the oddly coloured green vines? Or the moss that they both came across earlier?
They had made plenty of stops, times where they find a cave, sit in it and contemplate their reckless and dare I mention, foolish choice to scale a mountain which promised nothing but agonising pain. With the price of a singular wish? Even so, the situation would be an eye for an eye, an exchange. Pe say. "I’m tired, Foolish." Eret complained as the weather got worriedly colder, which each second feeling like a run of their luck on who would die to frostbite first?
Step after step, climb after climb. They both knew, despite it feeling like time had passed too quickly while they were up there. It was also just as normal, strange. Foolish shut his eyes for a moment, peeling himself off the ledge as he was brought back into reality by a firm grip on his wrist. "Foolish!" Eret’s voice rung out, the other swiftly brought himself back on the ledge, his breathing suddenly increased.
"What happened?" Foolish asked, "I-I don’t know, you just starting walking slower and then you just tripped and fell! I was so afraid Foolish, oh thank lord." Eret’s once erratic breathing was now calmed down. "I’m sorry, I didn’t.. I didn’t know what was happening I-" The totem exclaimed as Eret shook it off, "No it’s alright, we have to quicken our paces however, or we’ll both fall off at the same time with no way to stop it." She advised, "Well then, let’s head off." Foolish offered his hand as they continued their tiring and long lasting journey up.
The Emerald mountains are known for their tricks and misleading paths, they want nobody to climb their slopes. They implement voices in your head and make you feel lightweight, not hesitating to push you off their roads just for you to leave them alone. Foolish weaved his trident and swirled it around, wanting to keep his focus on something other than the path ahead. Or the mountain will put him to a mindless sleep again, Eret was tagging along, their arms pulling their cape closer.
"It’s freezing, how are you still able to go forward?" Eret asked, shaking where they stood. "I can adapt to forces of nature without much of a problem, it’s also why I can stay in the Nether for so long." Foolish commented, "Understood, but please slow down, I might not be able to keep up." She smiles wearily, "Oh, got it." Foolish swung his jacket off and threw it to the other, "Thank you." Eret seemed to get warmer, though temperature was the least of their problems when the mountain itself wants to kill off the duo.
It really was a treacherous journey, each step was paranoia, stones and little shiny jewels fall off the edges, hitting the ground below with a tiny clink. Eret and Foolish eventually found a cave, they slid in it, wanting to rest. The top of the mountain was still out of sight, "Sit, Eret." Foolish mustered the best smile he could offer, he was tired as well. "You too, don’t you dare mistreat yourself over me." Eret pointed accusingly at the other.
"Fair enough," Foolish took a seat next to Eret, "We’re so close, it’s scary." Foolish exclaims, a moment of silence passes by them as Eret tugs on his cape. "It is, the reaper that looms over your shoulder will finally be gone. You’ll be free of the chains that tie you to your position." They smile at his friend, a hand rested on his shoulder. "You’re a bit too optimistic for something that hasn’t happened yet, pal." Foolish leaned against the wall, not up for talk.
"You.. Are you sure you’re alright? You seem really out of it, and it’s just that I’m used to you being less apathetic, you know?" Eret says, "Sorry, I swear it’s not. I’m just really tired, Eret." Foolish responds, bluntly. "Alright, that’s it. Just say it! You were fine up until we escaped the Nether, and then you started acting so impassive. It’s.. Not you." Eret stood up, towering over her friend with much anger.
"Eret, I’ve said. It’s nothing! I’m just preplanning and weighing the consequences, I’m not uninterested, this whole ordeal was about freeing me from my immortality anyways!" Foolish snapped, pulling his shark hood over his head. "So it’s just you, always been just you?" Eret asked, "No! It’s not like that!" Foolish retaliated, blood seeping at his veins, his body begging to be let loose. "Then what is it? If you want me to understand, just tell me!" Eret shouts back, gritting their teeth.
"I said, I CAN’T. It’s not something you will understand whether I tell you or not!" Foolish kept his hand on his hip, keeping himself from growling. "I don’t need to understand, I just need to know that you trust me!" Eret stomps his foot on the ground as Foolish’s eye shines an amber colour, with as much strength as he could gather, he shoved Eret.
A resonating crack rang throughout the cave, the fog clears in Foolish’s head as what he did finally settled. With a remorseful look, his eyes returned to the usual emerald shimmer. "Eret..?" Foolish slapped his hands over his mouth as he held the other in his hands, "Aww... How.. Tragic." A voice echoed from the back of the cave. Footsteps tapped against the cold cave, the smell of blood was more evident than before.
"Who are you..?" Foolish asked, "I’m sure, you know exactly who I am." The figure stepped out from the shadows, "Poor Eret, the mountain really didn’t like him. I did though." The figure knelt down to Foolish’s level, "You wanted to strip of your immortality?" The figure asked, "Bring him back, bring him back you son of a bi*ch!" Foolish threatened the figure, as it slowly backed up. "Easy there, I can just bring him back with all three lives for the price of your immortality but that would be plain mercy."
"What do you want?" Foolish glared at the figure, "He won’t remember you, first and foremost. Furthermore, I’ll bring them elsewhere, you’ll have to go on a trip to find him. Oh imagine, your best friend gets resurrected but you can’t even see him after the process. You’ll take decades to find him only to waste your mortal lives realising that it was all in vain." The figure clapped their hands, "...." Foolish stayed silent, processing the deal.
On one hand, he could have Eret back. But on the other hand, he could just live on with his best friend physically in his hands, dead but at least not far. "Do it, as long as Eret gets to live his life, I have no regrets. I cannot be selfish, I’ve already been selfish for far too long." Foolish keeps his eye on the figure, "Hmm, boring. I thought a being such as yourself would at least attempt to entertain me, fine. Whatever, enjoy your days as a mortal Foolish." With a flick of its hand, a flash of white blinded Foolish as he felt a weight lift off his arms.
-
"You don’t know what I’m talking about?" Foolish asks, raising a brow. It hurt, it really hurt. "I-I’m, I have no idea." Of course, two years later. Foolish by some divine blessing managed to somehow seek out Eret’s location but because of the deal, they don’t remember you. They don’t. This happens in every single timeline, why, why does it sting at the very bottom of his core?
-
"I wish I could help Foolish, there’s nothing I can do!" Eret drops to their knees, her dress crumpled at the motion. "It’s okay Eret." Foolish had his hands behind his back but his eyes kept fixated on his friend, who was clearly in a panicked state. Tears threatened to spill from Foolish, with not much to say afterwards, Foolish smiled at Eret. Glad, Eret doesn’t need to give away his life for Foolish. Utterly grateful that she doesn’t need to experience death and just add on to the overflowing pile of remorse.
With his eyes closed shut, the now totem of undying melts into gold, protecting its holder.