~ "Ib…if you need help, I'll…I'll come running, okay?" ~
•
"Hm…what was I doing just now?" The brown-haired girl murmured; turning away from Fabricated World; a large mural she had been looking at in the art gallery. "Oh, Mom and Dad are probably looking for me!" She quickly passed by painting, sculptures and other gallery visitors. She was nearing the stairs that led to the lobby when she passed a particular painting that caught her eye. She slowed down and went back to the painting.
"This is a pretty painting," She said softly. "This kind of painting is called a portrait, if I remember what Mom told me before. Hm? This…the person in the painting looks…familiar?" Her red gaze flittered all around the portrait. It depicted a purple-haired young man with dull green vines dotted with blue roses snaking around him in the background.
"Ah, there you are! Ib, let's go!"
Ib turned around to see a girl her age wearing a green dress with bright blue eyes and golden blonde hair. She grabbed her hand and smiled cheerfully at her. "Mommy and Daddy are waiting for us! Come on, let's go! They said they'd take us to a café! I can't wait to see what they have there! I hope it's delicious!" She giggled; pulling Ib away from the mysterious portrait towards the stairs.
•
Inside the realm of Guertena's artwork, a purple-haired young man wearing a long jacket opened his eyes. "I'm…awake?" He muttered. "What the…why am I in complete darkness?" He looked around; but it was all black. There wasn't a glimmer of light, and he didn't have his rose or his lighter.
"Say~ Would you look at that, a new painting has arrived~" A high-pitched voice sneered.
"New painting, new painting, new painting~" Multiple voices were chanting.
"It's too bad that Mary left, but we have a new friend now!"
"Who's there?" Garry hissed.
"The Lady in Bluuuue~"
"The Lady in Reeeeed~"
"Blessed Bride~"
"Blessed Groom~"
"Tattletale~"
"Strained Ear~"
"Welcome to the gallery, Forgotten Portrait."
The names of some of Guertena's works… Garry thought. "I'm not Forgotten Portrait. I'm Garry; a human."
"Naïve child, poor little child. You haven't realized it yet? You're dead now. Mary ripped away the petals of your rose, and you died. The little girl escaped into the real world."
Garry felt his blood run cold. "W-What?"
A sudden glimmer of light glittered in front of him. It expanded out to make a golden frame; while the inside of the frame glowed white. He looked into the center of the frame to see the regular gallery. A brown-haired, red-eyed girl was looking back at him. "I-Ib!" He stammered. She's safe! "Ib! Ib, it's me; Garry! You're okay, I'm so relieved! Ib! I…Ib? Don't you see me?"
"You're pretty dull, Forgotten Portrait. She can't see you or hear you."
"That's not true, I know that I can get through to her! Ib! Ib, please hear me! Please—!" His voice caught in his throat when a familiar blonde-haired girl came up to Ib and was chatting with her happily. "No…no way…M-Mary?!"
"Mommy and Daddy are waiting for us! Come on, let's go! They said they'd take us to a café! I can't wait to see what they have there! I hope it's delicious!" Mary said with a giggle; taking Ib's hand and leading her away from the painting. He could've sworn that he saw her flash a smirk at him.
"No! Ib! Ib, come back! Don't leave with her!" Garry screeched; pressing his hands against the cold surface of the wall between him dimension and hers. "Ib, she's evil! She's not real! Ib! Come back!" Quiet snickering echoed around him. "Don't leave me here!"
"Ohohoh, Ib's leeeeaving~" The familiar giggles of the dolls sounded. "I wonder who Ib would choose! Which one? Which one? Which one? Which one? ~" Garry watched hopelessly as Ib vanished down the stairs. "Ahahahah! Ib left with Maaaaryyyyy!"
"Let's leave Forgotten Portrait to his pitiful mourning. After all, this isn't our space." The snickering began to soften; before disappearing completely.
"No…this can't be happening. I promised…that we'd get out together. I promised that I'd be the one to take her to a café…!" Garry slammed his hand against the barrier inside the frame. "Ib…"
•
"Ib! Come on, or we'll be late!"
"Coming!" Eighteen-year old Ib fastened the black tie securely around her neck and adjusted the collar of her scarlet blouse. She fixed her pleated scarlet skirt and pulled on black thigh-high socks. Her choice of clothing resembled a school uniform; however her school didn't enforce the use of uniforms. She looked at herself in the mirror. Nine years had passed since the Forgotten Portrait mysteriously appeared in the gallery and caught her eye. Since her graduation from elementary school, she continued going to the gallery just for the purpose of seeing the painting. It tugged at her heart for some odd reason. Her sister; Mary insisted that it was just her imagination. After her elementary school graduation, her brown hair had grown longer; falling past her elbows and almost to her waist. Her bangs were now swept to the side, and she was planning on majoring in art once she graduated high school. And as a senior high school student, graduation was just around the corner. She went to her vanity to brush her hair quickly. Ib opened the drawer of the vanity to see the faded lace handkerchief she received for her ninth birthday all those years ago. Her mother made her a new handkerchief for her sixteenth birthday; a dark red silk one with black lace and roses embroidered in the corners.
"IIIIb! Come on!"
"Okay, okay! I'm coming!" Ib placed her brush back down, grabbed her school bag and her handkerchief from the top of her drawer. She dashed out of her bedroom and hurried down the stairs to see Mary waiting for her by the door. Mary's blonde hair had gotten curlier over the years, and her blue eyes were full of energy. She wore a dark, forest-green dress with a white collar trimmed in lace and black lace at the bottom of the dress as well as white cuffs at the end of the sleeves. Mary also wore a dark blue ruffled scarf and black tights.
"Geez, Ib. You take soooo long to get ready!" Mary giggled, hugging her. "Back when we were younger, you didn't take as long!"
"Sorry, I wanted to make sure I didn't forget anything," Ib responded. "Ready to go?"
"Yup! Let's go!"
•
"Can you believe it Ib? Graduation is only a week away!" Mary said excitedly as they were walking home. "What kind of dress are you going to wear? Red would definitely suit you, Ib!"
"I'm not sure yet. There's still a lot to do before we leave," She murmured softly. "Hey, Mary?"
"Yes?"
"What do you think of a blue dress for me?"
Ib saw Mary's eyes narrow slightly. "Blue? Why blue? Why would Ib pick blue?"
She shrugged. "I don't know; for a bit of a switch-up?"
Mary suddenly grabbed her hand and smiled widely at her. "Ib, Ib, Ib. Blue wouldn't suit Ib. Blue is a dreadful colour!"
"But isn't blue one of your favourite colours?"
"Of course not, I absolutely hate blue! It's such a…troublesome, colour," Mary laughed. "Soooo troublesome! Ib should wear red, because Ib looks amazing in red!"
"Ah…I'll take it into consideration. Thanks, Mary." Ib said; smiling faintly.
"No problem! Come on, let's hurry home! I'm hungry!" Mary released her hand and skipped ahead; swinging her school bag back and forth and laughed. "You know, I love Ib's hair! It's so pretty and straight! While I'm cursed with such unruly hair!"
"I like your hair!" Ib protested. "It's such a bright colour of yellow!"
"Hehe~ Thank you! Come on, I wonder what Mom is making for dinner!" Mary giggled.
•
"I'll be back before dinner," Ib said to her mother. "I'm just going out for a bit."
"You've been going out a lot after school lately. Could it be that…you have a boyfriend?"
"What! How did you get to that conclusion? I certainly don't have a boyfriend; I want to concentrate on my art!" Ib protested; blushing a bright red. "I'm leaving then! Bye!" She whirled around and walked towards the door; slipping on her shoes.
"Ib?"
She turned to see Mary standing at the top of the staircase, staring at her. "Where are you going, Ib? Where are you going without me?"
"I'm just going out for a bit. Don't you have a project to finish still? I'll be back before dinner."
"You promised that we'd be together forever," Mary said; descending down the steps slowly. "So why are you going off by yourself?"
"I'm going to the art gallery. You can come too, if you want." Ib told her. Ib saw her blue eyes brighten as she hopped down the remaining stairs. She never minded before. Maybe it was because she didn't know.
"Really? Yay! Let's go!" Mary exclaimed excitedly. "I'm so excited! What gallery are we going to?"
"There's only one gallery in the city; the one for Guertena." Ib replied as Mary put on her shoes.
"Oh, I see." Ib noticed a sudden sharpness to Mary's tone as the two girls walked out the door.
•
"Wooow! Look at all these paintings!" Mary laughed; dashing around the gallery. Ib followed her; looking around. She knew all of these paintings and sculptures like she knew her own name. After all, she'd gone here day after day for years.
"Hey, Mary, I'll be right back. I'm going to check something." Ib called to her sister; who was about to turn a corner. Ib turned and headed back to the lobby and take the set of stairs there that led to the Forgotten Portrait.
"Huh? Ib! Wait up!" Mary protested. She watched the brown-haired girl head towards the lobby, and Mary knew where she was headed next. She clenched her hands into fists at her side as she stormed after Ib. Stupid Garry…interfering with Ib and I even after I went to the trouble of getting rid of you! You just can't let go of Ib, huh? Maybe burning your painting will solve it.
Ib returned to the lobby and ascended up to where the portrait was displayed. Why do I always come to see that painting in particular? Why does it seem so familiar? She reached the second floor and walked towards the painting. Ib simply stood there; staring at the young man in the portrait. Have I seen you before? Is that why you linger in my mind so often? Ib wished to touch the surface of the portrait; to find out why the painting seemed to call out to her. Please tell me why…why do I want to see only you? Ib extended her hand forward to touch the cool glass that protected the painting inside. Who are you?
"Ib!" Mary sprinted to her and knocked her hand away from the portrait.
"M-Mary?"
"Ib, what are you doing? We…we could get in big trouble if we touch any of the art!" Mary scolded.
"Sorry…I just…the painting was calling out to me." Ib murmured apologetically.
"Don't worry, I'm not angry. I can never be angry at you, Ib." She smiled, hugging her. "Come on, let's leave that silly painting. Let's go exploring some more! Do you want to get a pamphlet from the front desk? Oh! Let's go to a café after we explore the gallery! Ooh, or, there's a delicious ice cream vendor not far from here! Let's get ice cream after!"
"Alright, let's look around some more. What kind of ice cream would you want?" Ib asked; walked away from the painting with Mary.
"Ooh! Maybe butter pecan, or vanilla! They're both so tasty!"
•
"Ib!" Garry called from his place behind the portrait in the fabricated gallery. "Ib, wait!" He watched hopelessly as Mary took Ib away down the hall. He was so close this time; she heard him calling out to her, didn't she? Mary was purposely driving Ib away. But Garry still had a spark of hope. His memory still lingered with Ib; after all, why else would she visit the gallery so often?
"Poor little painting, he's still thinking that Ib will return!" The voices of the dolls sneered.
"Leave me alone!" Garry snapped at them. "Ib will remember me, and she'll come to save me! After all…she isn't a child anymore," He rested his head against the cold barrier. "Even though I haven't been able to be by her side…she still comes here for me. She must remember me. I was able to still see her grow up over the past nine years."
"Very heartwarming, Forgotten Portrait. No…perhaps I should say…Garry."
"Who are you?" Garry called out cautiously into the pitch black darkness. This was a voice that he hadn't heard yet.
"I'm Brown Liar; from the Liar's Room in the fabricated gallery. I was the truth-speaker, until I was killed by the other liars."
"Killed? How can paintings kill you? But then, you must've met Ib!"
"Ib believed me, and that resulted in my death."
"It couldn't have been her fault!"
"It isn't Ib's fault. I'm glad that she trusted me rather than the other liars. I'm sad that I was unable to tell her about Mary."
"Thank you for helping Ib." Garry said softly.
"I simply said the truth in a group of liars, and she believed me. I did nothing of the sort."
"But why are you here? I thought you were killed."
"Every time one or more people are pulled into the fabricated gallery and the amount of people who entered the gallery escape, the entire gallery is reset. The puzzles are reset, the keys are returned to the same spot and the paintings resume their place. I return to my former state every time the gallery is reset. I will tell you this now; the gallery is about to lure in some new visitors. At that time, you may be able to do what Mary did; and escape into the real world by trapping another person in here."
"Trap in…another innocent visitor to the gallery…?" He repeated.
"If you desire to meet with Ib, then that is what you must do. The time is coming, I will return to my place."
"How do I know that you're not lying?"
"I am the truth-speaker, remember? I do not utter sweet lies, only bitter truth. Good luck, Garry. I will wish for your escape." Garry felt the presence of the other painting melt away into the darkness.
•
"Ib, this way! This rose sculpture is soooo cool!" Mary exclaimed; pointing at a red rose sculpture with a twisted stem that spiraled down to the platform. "Ooh! Over there; over there!" Mary pulled her along as she zipped from painting to painting and sculpture to sculpture.
"Let's go see that one." Ib said; pointing down the corridor.
"Sure! We'll go see anything that Ib wants!" Mary said cheerfully; leading the way to a large mural that stood alone in the space.
"Fabricated World," Ib read the plaque beneath the golden frame that held the mural. "Wow, it's really pretty."
"Yeah…hey Ib, let's go! We should get ice cream now, so then we'll still have room for dinner at home!" Mary suggested; pulling Ib away from the mural.
"Wait, I want to look at it some more," She said softly; yanking her arm away from her sister. "There's…something about this painting…"
The lights began to flicker; before going out completely. Instead of being in complete darkness and hearing the panic shrieks of the other visitors, it was eerily quiet with dim lighting. "M-Mary?" Ib stammered.
"I'm here," Mary's voice was oddly calm. "Let's go. Come on, this way. Don't worry Ib, I'll always be here with you. Just come with me." Mary's hand; which was warm a few moments ago, had turned icy-cold. Ib flinched as Mary's hand closed over hers, and led her through the dimly-lit gallery. They returned to the front desk; and went upstairs. They passed a seemingly-locked window; and Ib could've sworn that she saw a shadow of a person pass by on the other side.
"W-Wait, Mary. I think I saw someone!" Ib pulled Mary back towards the window and looked through it. Her heart practically leaped out of her chest when she saw the unidentified shadow whack their fist on the glass. Ib yelped in surprise and scrambled back. She looked over at her sister. To her surprise, her blonde-haired sibling just stared at the window with a bored expression. "Don't worry Ib. I'll keep you safe. Let's go, okay?" Mary smiled at her; pulling her hastily past the Forgotten Portrait. A flash of pale blue-purple caught her eye. She looked back at the painting in the gallery that she loved the most. The eyes of the man in the painting had opened; to reveal a mysterious and lovely pale blue-purple colour. Ib's red eyes widened when she saw the man beckon to her. She tore away from Mary and rushed back to the painting; pressing her hands against the cold glass that separated her and the man in the painting.
"Ib!" She heard Mary cry. Ib felt her heart pounding her chest and her mind searching for something, anything, that would tell her why she was so attached to this portrait.
"Please…who are you?" Ib whispered to the man. Her mind was racing, and every time she thought she uncovered a clue to who this man was, a hazy fog spread over it; and she seemed to 'misplace' the thought entirely. She saw the purple-haired man's lips move. He was speaking.
"I-I can't hear you…!" Ib cried out. Her nails scratched uselessly at the glass as she desperately tried to uncover the man. "I…I…!"
An angry cry caught her attention as a pair of hands grabbed the side of the painting and yanked it off the wall. "No!" Ib's red gaze whipped over to Mary; her blue eyes wide with fury and hatred. Her sister smashed the painting against the ground; over and over again.
"Go away…" Ib heard her mutter angrily. "Go away! Go awaaaaay!" She threw the Forgotten Portrait against the wall; panting heavily. Shattered glass littered the floor from the frame, as Ib stared in horror at the turned-over painting. Mary brushed her blonde hair back and smiled cheerfully at her. "Let's keep going, Ib!"
Mary grabbed her hand and led her again through the halls; until they reached a very large work of Guertena; Abyss of the Deep. The rail that ran along the perimeter of the massive work of art. Two blue footsteps led into the murky depths of Abyss of the Deep. Ib stepped cautiously towards the edge of the dark blue paint. Mary's grip on her hand tightened; as she hurled them both into the painting.
•
Ib and Mary walked down a staircase into a deep blue-coloured corridor. "Where…are we?" Ib murmured. Mary kept the lead; leading her to a small table that had a vase. In the vase, was a brilliant red rose. "A red rose…" Ib gently plucked the vase from the vase and traced her fingers over the soft petals.
"What a pretty rose, Ib," Mary cooed softly; smiling at her. "It's such a nice colour; it suits Ib a lot!" They entered the room that was blocked by the table. A large painting of a woman was hung in the small room. Ib read the plaque beneath the painting out loud, "When the rose withers, so too will you wither away," She looked at Mary. "If my rose withers…then I'll 'wither' too? Does that mean…I'll die?"
Mary smiled at her and hugged her. "Don't worry. I'll never let Ib die. Ib is my precious, precious, precious sister and friend!"
•
Ib and Mary wandered through the fake gallery; and surprisingly, Mary knew where each and every key was located and how to solve each puzzle. Ib found some of the puzzles familiar, but a soft mist drifted through her thoughts and hid the familiarity of the puzzles. Soon, they arrived in a room with multiple bookshelves lined with leather-bound books. Mary shuffled through some of the books on one side, while Ib flipped through the worn-out pages of a red leather-bound book. She reached a section of the book that highlighted the artworks of Guertena that started with M. Ib flipped the page; to see something that made her heart almost stop. A picture of her sister as she had appeared nine years ago. She was a painting named Mary.
"Ib? What's wrong?" Mary asked; walked over to her. Mary's hands were behind her back; looking at her curiously.
"Mary…what is this?" Ib shoved the book towards her; showing the picture. Mary was silent; stopping all of her movement. "Answer me. Please." Ib felt her voice wavering slightly.
"Ib, Ib, Ib…" Mary sighed. "If only…you had been good and stopped seeing that wretched man here in the gallery…we could've had a happy life, you know? After all, you promised that we'd be together forever."
"Do you know who that man is? Tell me!" Ib demanded. She stood her ground when Mary looked up at her with narrowed, shadowed blue eyes. The brown-haired girl watched as Mary revealed what she held in her right hand. It was a palette knife.
"We were going to be together forever. Forever, and ever, ever. Don't you remember that, Ib? But I won't blame you. You're my precious sister and friend. I love Ib more than anything! She…you are my sister!"
"I always wondered why you; who I believed to be my sister, had blonde hair," Ib hissed as Mary slowly walked towards her; bearing the palette knife. "While Mom and Dad had dark hair like me. I brushed it off though; because I assumed that the gene that gave you blonde hair could've skipped generations! But you lied to me! You know who that man in the painting is! Tell me!"
"He got in the way. You know that, don't you? He kept lingering in your memory…when I worked so hard to make you forget it all when he continued to resurface!" Mary's voice was trembling with anger. "It's his fault. It's all his fault! He was supposed to be a good little replacement, and live the rest of his life here…in the fabricated gallery!"
"Mary!" Ib's voice was rising as she backed up into the wall. The book fell to the ground with a dull thump.
"All his fault…I should've completely killed him!" Mary snarled. "I bet he thought my hair was unruly too! I bet he was trying to force all of his ill-thoughts of me onto the pure, innocent Ib!"
"Mary, stop!"
"I should've ripped apart that stupid canvas that he was trapped in!" Mary began screaming. "Then…then…Ib could forget about him forever! Ib would be mine alone!" Mary swung her arm back; bearing the palette knife. "IB IS MINE!" She swung the blade towards her with a crazed look in her blue eyes.
Ib's red eyes squeezed shut; waiting for the blade to cut into her flesh. A familiar scent drifted around her, and a small, startled gasp sounded from Mary. Ib slowly opened her eyes. In front of her, was a purple-haired man with pale blue-purple eyes and a long coat. His expression was slightly agitated; as his large hand had grasped Mary by the wrist and stopped her attack.
"Y-You…!" Mary gasped. The man shoved her back. Ib watched as Mary tumbled to the floor; the palette knife spinning out of her grasp.
Panting, the man turned around to face her. Sweat dripped down his pale skin as he pressed his hand against the wall just above and beside her head and leaned on it. Ib burrowed her hand into her pocket and took out the scarlet silk handkerchief. She raised it to the man's face and wiped away the beads of sweat. He gazed down in surprise, and she returned his surprised, baffled look. "U-Uh…ah…I-I'm sorry!" She apologized quickly; looking away.
"Ib…" She flinched slightly at his deep, relief-filled voice. "I'm so happy…that I can finally be here with you again!"
She looked back at him in confusion. "Who…are you?" She asked. "You're the man in the painting…but now you're here…" The man gently ruffled her dark brown hair.
"I am Garry."
•
Garry had taken her far away from the collapsed Mary; running past paintings that were brought to life and hurriedly solving puzzles. They eventually reached a safe room; where they could talk in peace.
"You are Garry?" Ib asked.
"That's right. I'll tell you all that you desire to hear; it might bring your memories back." He smiled patiently. Ib noticed that his smile was genuine. His smile was small, yet contained years' worth of kindness towards her.
"How do you know me?" She asked.
"Nine years ago, we were trapped in this fake gallery. You found my rose, and returned it to health. We decided to go together; when we met Mary. In the room that you found out about Mary's true self, that was the room that I, too, found out about her. Long story short, she tore apart my rose, and I 'died' here. You escaped into the real world, and Mary had escaped too."
"Nine…years…" She repeated.
"Ib, you're eighteen now, right? So am I. Well, I've been eighteen for the past nine years, so I guess I can be considered that age. I still look the same as I did nine years ago. Every single day that you visited me, I was so happy that you came to see me. I thought that, you remembered me. But Mary…she kept making you forget. So please…please remember!"
Ib stared at Garry; skeptical of the story, yet she felt a part of her believing him. Find the memories. Find the memories. Find…find…find Garry. She felt herself desperately searching for some kind of proof that she knew this man. A sudden light flickered in the deepest part of her mind. A small shard of light. Ib could practically see the shard burst; filling her head with the memories of her in the fabricated gallery nine years ago. Garry…Garry…Garry…! "Garry!" Ib flung her arms around his neck in a hug. "Garry…I-I…Garry, I remember it all!" She sobbed as she held him tightly. "Garry…I-I'm so sorry that I didn't remember you for all this time!"
Garry hugged her gently. "It's okay. You did remember me. Why else would you have been drawn back here; to the gallery? We'll get out of here, I promise. Do you remember the promise I made to you? We'd go and get macaroons together."
Ib pulled away from him; tears still trailing down her face. "P-Promise?"
Garry smiled and wiped away her tears. "I promise. It'll be a date."
She blushed a bright red. "A-A d-date?" She stammered.
"Yep!" He laughed slightly at her red cheeks; and softly brushed his lips over her forehead. "Come on. Let's make it back to our world."
•
Ib screeched as she plummeted into the depths of the toy box. When she opened her eyes; she was lying against a pitch black floor with bright-coloured scribbles scrawled all along the floor, walls and ceiling. Multiple headless sculptures, creepy dolls and paintings littered the ground. "G-Garry?" She called. A cold realization flooded her body. Her rose was gone. "Garry!" She got back on her feet; and squinted in the dim toy box. She spotted Garry sprawled out on the floor. She ran to his side; shaking him softly. "Garry? Are you okay? Wake up, please!"
Garry's eyes flickered open. "I-Ib?" He sat up and gently ruffled her dark brown hair. "Are you alright?"
"I-I lost my rose! I don't know where it is!"
Garry's eyes widened; as he scanned over the toy box floor. A sudden glow of red attracted his attention. Rising to his feet, Garry slowly went to the glow of red. He picked up Ib's rose. "Ib, over here!"
Ib hurried to him, and he handed her the rose. "Here you go. Keep it safe now, okay?" She nodded, and felt Garry's warm hand clasp over her hand. "Let's go."
•
"What are you doing here? I won't be defeated; I'll get rid of the person who is poisoning and sabotaging Ib's happiness." Mary flashed the blade of the palette knife. "Get out. Get out, get out, get out! Go away, this is my place!" Her face twisted into unimaginable anger as her very fury shook the floor that they stood on. Multiple jagged red lines erupted out from beneath Mary's feet as she raced towards them. "Garryyyyy!" She screeched; making stabbing and slashing motions at the tall young man. Garry grabbed her wrist and twisted it away; digging in his pocket with his other hand. His fingers curled over the cool surface of the lighter. "Ib, burn it!" He yelled; throwing her the lighter.
Ib caught it and flicked the cover off. She struck the lighter and the glowing red flame blazed out. "Mary, I'll never forgive you!" Ib cried out; swiping the flame over the painting.
"No…no…noooo!" Mary screamed. Ib watched as her black lace-trimmed dress began to burn with the fire. Her curly blonde hair; that she always described as 'unruly' began to burn up. She let out another shriek as Garry pushed her away. He raced to Ib's side to protect her from the glass that shattered from the burning painting. The canvas and the frame were eaten up by the blazing flames; and were soon reduced to a small wisp of black ash. Mary, too, was devoured by the fire. The palette knife clattered to the ground, and Mary vanished into ash. "We did it," Garry whispered. "We did it! We beat Mary!" Garry looked to her. "Are you hurt? Did the glass cut you?"
She shook her head. She noticed a cut on Garry's hand; scarlet blood slowly dribbling from the wound. "Oh Garry, you're hurt!" He looked at his hand.
"The glass must've cut me. Don't worry, it's just a scratch. I'll be fine!" Ib shook her head and took out her handkerchief. She wrapped his hand with it.
"There we go. We can't let it get infected."
He smiled at her. "Thank you, Ib. Come on, let's go. We're almost there, I know it!"
•
"Ib, come on!" Garry's voice cried out.
"Ib, come here this instant!" Her mother's voice demanded.
"Ib!" They both said in unison. Ib looked at Garry, then to her mother. She extended her hand to Garry.
"Garry!" His hand grabbed hers, and he pulled her into the glowing painting. She hugged him tightly and felt his warm, comforting arms wrap around her.
"We're getting out of here…together!"
•
Ib opened her red eyes to see herself gazing at Fabricated World. "What was I doing just now?" She wondered; turning away from the painting. "Ah, dinner is soon! I'll be late, and then I'll be in big trouble!" She hurried away towards the exit; passing by The Hanged Man. She accidentally bumped into a tall young man who was admiring the painting. "O-Oh, pardon me!" She called to him as she rushed down the stairs and left the gallery to return home.
He looked back just in time to catch a glance of the girl. Dressed in scarlet with dark brown hair that fell past her elbows. Her bright red eyes glowed like gems. "Hm…she certainly was in a hurry." He muttered. His hands slipped into the pockets of his coat; and his fingers brushed over something smooth and soft. He took out a scarlet silk handkerchief trimmed with black lace along with roses embroidered in the corners. "Wow, what a pretty handkerchief. I don't remember having this, when did I—" A sudden jolt shot through his body. Multiple memories flooded his mind; and the face of the girl who had bumped into him moments before lingered in his head. "That girl…this handkerchief…belonged to that girl! Her name…" He struggled to remember her name. "Her name was…" He shook his head and sprinted towards the exit of the gallery. I need to find her!
•
The next day, Ib went shopping for a dress for her graduation. She passed by various little shops that displayed long, elegant gowns and short, shimmering strips of clothing. She shuddered at the idea of the girls in her class wearing such…revealing dresses. Can they even be considered dresses? She wondered. "Hm…would a red dress suit me? Maybe I should've brought a friend." She sighed.
"Ah!" Someone's fingers curled around her wrist. She whipped around to see a purple-haired, pale blue-purple-eyed young man who seemed to be her age. "I found you!"
"I'm sorry…I think you have the wrong person," Ib said; tugging her wrist out of his grasp. "Goodbye."
"Wait!" He protested; scrambling around her and standing in front of her. "Y-Your name has slipped my mind, but we know each other!"
"Are you crazy or something? Please leave me alone!" She attempted to step past him. He blocked her way again.
"I'm Garry. We were trapped in the fabricated gallery together, remember? You lent me your handkerchief!" He showed her the silk handkerchief.
"W-Where did you get that? That is mine!" She snatched it away from him; and pushed past him.
"Wait, wait, wait! Please, tell me your name." He pleaded.
"No way! I'm leaving; have a good day." Ib quickly walked away and soon vanished into the crowd. Garry turned and rushed after her; searching for the brown-haired girl.
I couldn't have lost her! She must be here…I have to know her name! A sudden thought formed in his head, and he realized something. That thought was reality. I'm in love with that girl.
•
Ib continued looking for a dress during the weekend. She decided to take a break at a local café. Taking a seat, she drank from a glass of iced tea; gazing out of the window at the other citizens of the city who busily walked down the sidewalks and drove down the road. She sighed. The man who confronted her before was still lingering in her thoughts. "Just who was that guy? Why did he have my handkerchief? Geez," She muttered. "Do I know him? I don't think I do; unless he attends my school. I'd feel pretty bad if I didn't know who he was…" She took another sip from her glass. "And…his eyes were really pretty."
•
Garry swiveled his gaze; scanning the crowds for that girl. In his hand was a brilliant red rose. In an entire city…how am I supposed to find her? He thought. Please, please…let me find her! He looked through every store window, down every alley and at every dark brown-haired girl that passed him. He couldn't find her. He looked across the street; and saw her. The dark brown-haired, red-eyed girl. She was sitting by the window in his favourite café. The café he was going to bring her to on a date. Her name…what is her name? It started…with an A maybe? Or was it an I? Irma? No…Izzy? That's not right. I…I…Ib? His eyes widened. That was it."Ib. Ib! That's it! Her name is Ib!" Garry darted across the street and swung the door of the café open. He entered the building, and slowly approached her. "Ib?"
She turned around and looked at him. "It's you again; that guy from before."
"Ib…here," He offered her the red rose. "Please remember." He watched her fingers dance along the firm, soft petals. A sudden light bloomed in her red eyes.
"G…Garry?" She uttered his name. "Garry…I…I remember…!" She stood up and slowly stepped towards him. She took a few quick steps and threw her arms around him. "Garry!"
Garry hugged her tightly; bathing in her scent and warmth. "We made it. Ib, we made it back!"
"We did…we made it, and we found each other."
"That reminds me," Garry pulled away slightly and kissed the eighteen year old girl. "I love you, Ib. I'm happy that I was able to come back to you." He said with a smile.
A/N: Dear me, that was a really long fanfic. xD I'm going to be honest; I was too lazy to break it up into chapters. Forgive me!~ But, I started this a while ago and I finally finished it! I hope you enjoy it; it might not be as good as my last Ib fanfic. But that one was received very well by the Ib community! I'm very happy about that; thank you to all of the people who read and reviewed By a Rose!