So this is my first fanfic in the Ib fandom since I only discovered Ib recently. I hope everyone enjoys this fic.
Disclaimer: I do not own the game Ib.
He's standing in front of a giant sculpture of a red rose. He can't seem to remember if he was doing something before. Had he always been observing this rose?
"What are you looking at?" comes the voice of a young girl.
"Oh, just this rose here…When I look at it I feel sorrowful somehow…"
The girl continues to stare inquisitively back at him.
"Ah, well it doesn't matter. I'm going to go now Ib." He turns to leave and begins to walk away. Suddenly he pauses. Ib…who is Ib? That's when he realizes that there's something in his coat pocket. His fingers grope around only to find an intricate pattern of lace which reveals itself to be a beautiful white handkerchief with the letters "Ib" sewn in. A flashback suddenly occurs. There's a little girl so much like the one behind him. He turns around slowly as realization begins to dawn on his face and his mouth opens and closes. Another flashback strikes him. A little girl is giving him her handkerchief to stem the flow of ruby blood from his hand. That's when he notices the blood stains on the cloth. At that moment his heart begins to pump faster from the adrenaline rushing through his capillaries, veins, and arteries to his brain as countless images flood in.
Joy reaches its peak despite what he sees and his first thought is to exclaim that he remembers her and to ask whether she remembers him. But then he sees her fainted in his arms, tears leaking from her eyes, her innocence stripped away from her by a cruel twist of fate. And suddenly he can't do it; he can't make her remember him if it meant her having to live through those memories again. They both had made it out and that was what mattered the most.
"Mister…are you okay?"
"Oh yes, I'm quite all right. Thank you. Well, I have to be going now. Sorry for disturbing you. Please enjoy the museum and don't get lost."
He walks away quickly now while he still can with the handkerchief choked by his hand. He wishes her happiness from the bottom of his heart as tears drip from his eyes.
"GARRY!"
It's a tear-filled cry full of relief, happiness, and love. He stops and the tears flow harder. He couldn't do anything after all. Afraid to turn around, he wonders what type of face she is making. Is there the tough mask and haunted eyes on her young face from their time in Guertena's World? He turns slowly and finds instead her innocent face and gratitude-filled eyes for both of them having gotten out. She takes one step then two then multiple until she's running full pelt towards him and it's all he can do to hold on to her because his emotions are a wreck right now and he needs to be the big brother figure just like in Guertena's world and not a sobbing mess. But the tiny hands gripping onto him and the hot tears soaking into his shirt and the cries of "Garry!" into his chest make him lose control and he sobs with her and for her, full of guilt for being glad she remembers and that she had to suffer through such an experience. She wouldn't be able to tell anyone, not even her parents. Resolve strengthens within him.
"Ib, let's go find your parents."
"Um…ok…" She wipes away her tears and takes his hand.
They search for them together. When she sees them worried and talking frantically to a security guard her eyes fill up more. She knows she can't say anything. He steps forward and leads her to her parents. They turn and eye him.
"I found your daughter wandering around lost."
Their eyes soften and her mother begins to tear up.
"Oh my god, thank you. Thank you so much. "
She takes Ib's hand as her father shakes his.
"What's your name?" asks her father.
"Garry sir."
"Would you like to come and eat lunch with us? It's the least we could do for finding our daughter. We were worried sick and almost called 911."
He sees an opportunity to be able to support Ib. He takes it.
"Thank you for the offer. If you're sure about this then I'd be glad to join your family for lunch."
They nod their heads affirmatively and so beings the usual pleasantries when first meeting someone. He catches Ib's eyes and in that look she sees a promise to be there when her parents cannot. She smiles in return knowing that everything will be all right.