Holder of Duplicates

I am not a Seeker. I am far too cowardly to go through with it. Instead, I am a man who likes to meet Seekers. I like hearing their experiences. Unfortunately, sources are scarce nowadays. I fear most of the Seekers who started out are now dead. Recently, I had a very interesting talk with a man who looked older than the world itself. I'd compare him to the wandering Jew, but, I'm not sure if that would do him justice.

Now, this next part isn't quite verbatim but I'll do my best to try and remember what was said. I'm going to remove the parts where I was speaking.

So, you'd like to hear a story about those children who go institution to institution, searching every halfway house for a thrill they aren't prepared for? I have one for you. There was a Seeker of this exact variety; Cocky, naïve, under the impression he was immortal. With good reasoning, of course. He had a few Objects to his name, and of course each became like a trophy on his mantle from the hunt. Becoming full of himself, he decided that he would go beyond any other Seeker. He decided to go after an Object twice and hopefully create a paradox.

He went for his most recent Object- Damn me if I remember what it was- and went through the trial. After asking, everything began to break away.

The way he described this specific part was incoherent. The best I can do to elaborate on it is to say the closest thing we could imagine is movie film melting as it went through the reel.

It was white. Everything was white. Everything except a stool with a cracked leg and the being that sat upon it. It was two, but one. It was beyond a single entity.

The only way I could possibly think was that it was a pair of Siamese twins with two heads, yet no extra limbs.

He yelled out to the thing atop the stool, 'Who are you?' One of it's heads turned around, almost as if the neck had broken, and replied in a shrilled voice 'I am the Holder of Duplicates. I restore the items that Seekers lose with their lives and stock them to the Holders themselves.' The second added- This time raspy- 'You shouldn't be here.' 'How did you get to me?' The boy, in all of his confidence, boasted 'I looked for an Object I already possessed.' The first head shook in disapproval, the second only sighed in what I assume was pity. The shrilled head replied 'You're foolish.' Almost immediately, the second broke into a large smile, 'What do you seek?' 'More.' At this point, the Seeker would have been better off killing himself. He didn't, not quite understanding what he had gotten himself into. Knowledge is a horrible thing, kid. You go to the end of the Earth to find out an answer, and as soon as you get it, you go to the other end of the Earth to forget what you know. Anyways... The high pitched voice dropped another detail- 'Occasionally, a Seeker manages to destroy one of said Objects that you Seek.' The sickly voice now spoke: 'I make them again. Truly, I do the Devil's work, helping these Objects, but, I'd prefer the end of the universe than going to the alternative to this...' The 'first' head added 'This is getting off-topic...' 'I possess an Object that isn't on your list of the 538.' 'Do you want it? All you have to do is ask.' 'I'll warn you... It won't be what you expect.'

The Seeker, of course, said he wanted it. It was granted to him. The Object was a mallet, used for what I speculate to be repairing the Objects. Of course, as soon as it was granted to me, it had another one in it's hand. It was the Holder of Duplicates, after all. After getting it, it shooed him away, and he found himself outside of the institution.

Ever since, I've been unable to Seek anything else. Every time I went for a visit with a Holder thereafter, the receptionist just looks at me like I'm insane. It isn't impossible to continue Seeking after gaining the mallet. Apparently there was a man who came after me who obtained it without also obtaining my fate. Legion, they called him. I'm getting old, and senile. I can't for the life of me figure out what I did wrong, and after so many centuries passing, I can't recall what number the Holder said it was. I'm telling you so you pass on this tale to another before I forget it. I'd prefer the end of the universe than see another lifetime pass me by. Don't go through with it unless you're prepared for my curse. You'll never forgive yourself if you do turn out as I did."

Credited to Kato