PHILTATOS // Foolish X Reader

25

Even in the throng of people, you spotted him right away.

It was hard not to, when he towered over the rest of the crowd around him, and was the only one pushing away from the altar, struggling through the moving mass to get to you, his face etched with panic. You had never seen Foolish look as terrified as he did now, and the delight of seeing him again was replaced by a mirroring fear coiling in your gut.

Something was terribly wrong.

"Y/N!" Foolish made a beeline for you as soon as he broke free of the crowd, reaching out to wrap you up in a bear hug. "I'm so glad you're alright - I'm sorry I had to leave you, I wanted to stay, but I couldn't - the others weren't going to let me, and I-"

"Take a breath, Foolish." You said, slinging your arms up around his shoulders and hugging him back. For a moment, as you were pressed up against his chest, a sense of calm washed over you. He was back, and things were going to be okay. He was back, and he was holding you, and things were going to be okay, at least for a little bit.

"Right." Foolish said, taking a step back to look you in the eye. "Um - I'm sorry. I missed you, and I really didn't want to leave but the others wouldn't let me come see you, and I'm not even supposed to be here now, but I couldn't let you get roped into the end of the world without at least saying sorry." He paused, emerald eyes searching yours. "Forgive me?"

"What?" You asked, head reeling. He had said so many things at the same time... and it was taking you a moment to sort through them. The other gods wouldn't let him come see you - but you had been expecting that. The part that was making the panic flare up in your chest though was the second bit. "It's the end of the world?"

"I'm not supposed to tell anyone." Foolish said. "But I'm already breaking the rules by being here so I don't even care."

Panic flooded your senses all at once as he confirmed it - so much so that you stumbled backwards, reaching behind you to feel for the stone half walls that lined the agora to sit down. Foolish was at your side immediately, placing a hand on your thigh.

"Are you alright?"

It was the end of the world. The city had been sloping downwards for months now, but you would have never thought that it would have led to the end of the world. Just thinking about it made you almost nauseous - as if things could get any worse than they already had been. First you had been removed from the worship, and now the end of the world?

At least Foolish was back though.

"Y/N?" His eyes were wide as he hovered nearby, looking concerned.

"I'm alright." You said. "I just needed a minute to process." You paused, giving him a weak smile. "It's great to have you back Foolish."

"It's great to be back." Foolish said, grinning at you. "I really missed talking to you, and seeing you get sad whenever you would bring the offerings into the temple was killing me, Y/N, you have no idea. And when you would tell me about the festival setup in your prayers... I hated every second of it. I promise I won't do that ever again."

"Foolish..." You started. "You said you weren't even supposed to be here now. The other gods will get angry if they find you here, you should go back-"

"It's the beginning of the end." Foolish said. "Who cares?"

There it was again. "What does that mean, exactly?" You asked. "When you say the end of the world-"

"That's what it's all been leading up to." Foolish said. "Nkri called a meeting about it so everyone could prepare for their roles - its when he told me I couldn't come down and see you anymore either, but I couldn't help it."

"So this steady downfall isn't just hard times..." You said, voice falling off at the end of the sentence. For all this talk about light at the end of the tunnel and staying hopeful, it had been for nothing. There was no bright future in the end of the hardship.

Foolish shook his head, his eyes sympathetic. "It's been written in the stars since the beginning... you were just one of the unlucky ones born at the end of the story."

Your eyes moved back to the crowd of people gathered around the altar - people crying out to the gods for salvation, not knowing that their pleas were falling on deaf ears. If what Foolish was saying was true, there was nothing to be done about it. No amount of prayers to Sofos would stop the end of the world from coming - not if this was all planned from the beginning.

"So, everyone... the whole city..." You looked back to Foolish.

His face fell as he nodded.

"What will it be?" You asked. A thousand different images flashed through your head - imaginary versions of the city each facing a thousand deaths. Fire from the heavens, raining down on the people. The sea rising up and flooding the streets, eating everything as it went. The very earth beneath you shaking apart into a giant chasm.

"I don't know." Foolish said. "They didn't tell us that much."

Up above you, the stars twinkled down, mixing with the flickering light of the altar fire to wash you in a glow. If it was the end of the world, you supposed a festival wouldn't be such a bad way to start it all off. There was a strange catharsis in not knowing what was coming specifically, but knowing that no matter what it was, it would be the end all be all.

"I think they're going to let my brother decide, once the time comes." Foolish finished.