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It took a long while for the wandering memory to reach Etzer’s dreams, but it was in a kind of nightmare the moment it reached his consciousness.
He stood in front of a crowded city, but no one paid him any heed. He felt almost like a ghost… until someone actually walked through him. The frost demon gasped as he clutched his chest, staggering back and feeling completely cold when three more walked right on through as if he wasn’t even there.
What kind of dream was this? It wasn’t long before he took off running, not even bothering to run around people – just running right through them as they did to him before.
He came to a wall, and it made him wonder why the hell he’d been running. What was he running from? Turning back to stare at the people minding their own business, the frost demon felt so very alone. He hadn’t felt like that in years, and he had to admit that he didn’t miss the feeling at all.
“Not very nice, is it?” Came a voice that sounded just like his. He turned quickly, staring at... himself. “Good for nothing. Good at nothing. Not a talented gene in your body, is there?” The frost demon approached him, and Etzer had to force himself to stand firm, and not give any ground to this thing that looked like he did.
“Yet I’m the copy. I’m the screw up that everyone blamed, right after you. Just what makes you so special, anyway?” Grabbing Etzer’s shirt, he brought him close to stare at him, a snarl pulling at his lips.
They both looked exactly the same, only one was angry, and the other...? He was attempting not to smirk, despite the situation. “What’s so damn funny?”
“You are. You’re exactly like me, only... we looked at it through different sides of the mirror.” Etzer glanced down to a puddle on the ground, seeing their reflection; he himself was rather bedraggled, but there was something in his eyes that sparked hope, and grasped for any opportunity he could. The one that looked like him, the other frost demon, he looked like life had given him a hard time, and left him somewhere to rot. There wasn’t hope at all in his eyes – just darkness that wanted to drag you to the bottom of a lake to drown.
“I don’t understand.” The other frost demon stated, throwing Etzer in the puddle, splashing the demon’s coat and his own shoes in the process. He sneered at Etzer again, taking a step back and grimacing at the state he was in. “You’re everything. You have everything. Yet you’re a failure and I somehow turn out for the worse. Explain this to me!”
“How about I show you,” Etzer began, having quite enough of this copy. He stood up out of the water, sending water droplets splashing everywhere, before grabbing the offender and shoving him against the wall. He didn’t know if this was a dream, but he was pretty sure he’d been asleep before this had occurred.
“Don’t touch me–”
“I’ll do what I jacking well please,” Snarled the frost demon, grabbing him and intending to throw him again.
Memories got in the way.
Memories of a child who had been abandoned. Memories of a child who had been adopted. A seemingly loving couple that paid enough attention to him, but yet not enough. Everything he tried he failed at, including his own ice abilities.
Etzer could relate to that.
It wasn’t long until the memories came to call forth warriors to defend their kingdoms, and the frost demon found himself offering his own life, and saw Xiu, of all people, as their King.
She made an amazing king, and the outfit she wore suited her perfectly.
Etzer made a mental note for that particular dress later, and frowned as he was again ushered forward into more memories, finding yet more failures – especially in battle. Especially in battle. The frost demon had only been in one battle, and it had ended horribly for him – both before and after. But he still looked up, and still made his life worth living.
How had they ended up so different?
And then Etzer realized: Where was his brother? Where was Molan, who he’d always sacrifice his time for? Where was his blood kin, who always sighed at him and told him not to get into shenanigans that always seemed to get them into trouble?
He was running up the stairs, and at places he had to stop to catch his breath. He was out of shape, in both worlds, and he knew this. He wasn’t about to argue with the memories, however – these were memories that weren’t his own, yet they would have been had he been in this other life, this other possibility.
His brother was there, at the end. And so was Xiu.
Even in another life, he’d had a crush on Xiu. His King.
And once he’d finally introduced himself to his brother as Etzer Threepwood, the look on his face was priceless. He also noticed him kissing another boil, which he tacked away the information for that later. Molan never kissed anyone.
All too briefly, the memories were over, and the frost demon before him looked pale, curled up on the ground as he stared up at Etzer.
“Don’t remember me like that. I can’t bear it.”
“The only difference between us is that I had a better outlook on life than you did.” Etzer replied, kneeling beside the other frost demon. “And... I had a brother that never left me. I’m sorry you didn’t have someone like that. I don’t know what circumstances brought this about, but I can assure you... having a brother is the best thing someone could have, even if they annoy the living snot out of you.” He smiled sadly, offering a hand out for the other.
“Would you like to see?” His fingers danced as he waited for the other boil’s reaction, a few moments passing before his offer was accepted. Etzer pulled him up from the ground –
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