If you lose your memories, are you the same person?

* Presto

1 Hour Later (Winter Time) - Copycat - Boneyard

I’m raging. I’m crying. What the fuck was that?

Was Presto a duplicate of Ignatius? Or was it the other way around? Does it matter? How were they so different? How could my best friend and worst enemy be the same fucking person? Why did they end up the shitty person when they merged?

And what do I do now? My instincts are to save Presto, but is that even possible? Can you save a man from who he is?

Gah! How will it go if I meet one of my duplicates? I don’t think we’d merge or anything, but I’d assumed we’d be the same person. Or at least get along. Now I’m not so sure. I’ve left them in some dicey situations.

I collapse into an angry weepy mess. Lying in a frozen boneyard. Hating fucking everything.

Duke pokes me with an arrow. I give him a nod. Thanks, bud. I know he’s trying to comfort me to the extent that he’s able. I marvel that a stiff poke can bring comfort if everything is fucked enough, when he gives me another, stiffer poke.

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

“Ow. Easy.”

He waves the arrow irritably and I notice there’s a note tied to it.

“Oh, sorry.” I take the arrow. “I didn’t know what we were doing there.”

It’s one of the arrows from Presto’s correspondence bucket. I unravel the message and read.

Dear Flower,

I realize now that you need some time to yourself. To go your own way. To find yourself. Trying to save you was pushing you farther away. Making things worse. I get that. I do.

But I guess I gotta get one last word in. I’m sorry. It’s stupid. But I have to say I love you. When you find yourself, I’ll be ready for whoever that is. When you’re ready for me again, you’ll be able to find me. I’ll be there when you’re ready.

That’s all.

I love you,

Dad

P.S. Sorry I shot you.

Beneath the note is a tight how-to guide of ten spells. Rickard’s Dark Release. Presto’s Party Bag. The Sacrifice of Wrecker. Sigurd’s Oath. Longstrider’s Beacon Of Hope. Travel spells, one and all. It’s The Book Of The Longstrider distilled to its essence. The power to go anywhere. A father’s last word.

Something breaks inside me and I have another cry. I feel a bit better when this one is over. I look over Flower’s inheritance and a plan finally forms.

Fuck Tiger. I’ll stop the apocalypse myself.