In a desolate corridor a young girl awakens, she strains her eyes to see through the oppressing darkness. 'Again... Why do these nightmares come every night' she sighs wearily at the all too familiar dreamscape. The atmosphere was so still even her thoughts seemed to echo through the halls. Each night she wanders this nightmarish gallery, almost as if she were here as punishment.

The girl sighed as she traveled further into the labyrinths depths, the sooner morning came the better. The air was cold and the walls, a dark burgundy, were adorned with various pictures, in a time long past she would have taken the time to admire each painting. Now however there was only one she wanted to see, but he rarely appeared now unless she was in trouble. She continued on her search, barely noticing the black claws that sprung from the sides, she knew well they couldn't reach the centre of the corridors.

After what seemed like hours of crippling loneliness, she suddenly spotted the silhouette of a man at the end of hall. Her heart lightened as she recognised the man that had been her sole kindness in this maze. When she first came to the dream gallery she had been afraid of him fearing he was like all the other monsters, but he had been compassionate. Always with a warm smile and gentle manner he was a comforting light that brought her back from despair.

She ran as fast as she could, the sound of her frantic footsteps filling the empty space. Before she could reach him he disappeared around the corner. Strange he must have not noticed her, though that seemed impossible with the amount of noise she was making. Pressing on she chased his shadow deeper and deeper though the tangle of passageways, until finally a large room opened up before her.

The walls were a pale grey colour leading high up to a glass ceiling depicting sky of ash coloured clouds, the sun rays straining to push through. In the centre of the room was an immense marine featured painting the plague read 'Abyss of the Deep.' The man was standing at the edge painting, he looked back as the girl entered the room and silently beckoned her over. Panting she joined him, peering into the paintings endless depths made her head spin. It was like the rabbit hole from Alice in Wonderland but rather then a fluffy white rabbit there was a great fish with greedy jaws.

The man took a step closer to the edge and offered his hand, that was when she saw it. His grin looked... wrong, it wasn't the cheerful carefree one that gladdened her heart, it was almost serpentine. She slapped away the impostors hand and turned to run. The fake growled with fury and roughly grabbed the girls wrist and neck, his eyes burning through the dark with malicious intent he dragged her towards the painting. 'Where is my guardian?' tears streamed down her face as the inky darkness came ever closer.

With a grunt of pain from her captor the girl was suddenly released landing hard on the floor. She winced in pain as she looked up to see another man holding out a lighter, with an impossibly bright flame, driving the impostor away, all monsters here seemed to fear fire. The man thrust the flame into the imitations face forcing it to retreat.

Eyes full of concern the man pulled up the girl lying on the group and gave her a smile when sure she wasn't badly hurt.

"I thought I lost you, sorry I was late Ib" his eyes slightly downcast.

"Don't think like that, I'm fine and I know you'll always come running when I need you" she beamed. It was true every time something in this place had attacked her he'd appear, it was the reason Ib had managed to keep such high spirits.

He dared not tell her that in truth his strength had been draining with each time he left his painting for Ib. The thought of Ib all alone in this place gravely troubled him. He quickly cast the thought out of his head, it didn't bear thinking about. Looking down at Ib's wide grin contented his heart, the small pieces of joy he still had would have to somehow sustain him.

"My look at the time, you should be heading home." The man said checking his wrist watch.

Gentlemanly he reached out his hand to her and indicated towards a staircase, bathed in a tranquil light, it seemed much friendlier then the rest of this place. As Ib took his hand she noticed his watch wasn't ticking, 'Strange... maybe he doesn't want me here, I'm too much of a burden...' but as she looked at him his smile told her otherwise.

He didn't like Ib staying too long in this place, though it pained him to see her go he couldn't forgive himself if she came to harm, and that outweighed any loneliness he might feel. Hand in hand they ascended the stairs to the second floor stopping before a painting full of blue roses. The painting came alive with a soft glow, with that the man lent out his hand to help her through the painting. Clambering through Ib stopped for a quick goodbye when she saw what looked like a dust devil silently gathering in the shadows.

What was actually ash settled into the form of a little girl with golden blonde hair and striking blue eyes. Ib knew well by now that this.. this creature was little more then a demon hiding behind a child's face. She would hound Ib through the halls wailing incoherently about being abandoned and burned, Ib couldn't understand why the girl seemed to blame her.

Shocked by the sudden appearance Ib slipped on the edge of the painting, nearly falling through, just holding on as she screamed "Look out!". The man spun about to block the new danger, stretching his arms wide to impede it's progress. He gazed downwards at Mary and couldn't help but feel the slightest ting of pity for her, despite everything she had done. When they had first meet she was the picture of a jovial innocent kid, now her face contorted with the venom and vile of her desired revenge.

Mary's eyes filled with insanity as she screeched "ehh heh hehehee he won't helping you anymore, he's mine! Mine! Mine! MINE!" 'I'll make her feel my pain! I'll make sure she feels it forever!' her mouth twisted into a disturbing grin.

With that a series of thorny vines spurn from around Mary and sped towards the man, ensnaring his limbs and ripping into his flesh. 'What.. what is this!? this is too much even for her!' He gasped in pain, taken aback by her sheer ferocity he stumbled as the vines tightened around him cutting into him while stopping him from breathing. The mixture of intense pain and lack of oxygen quickly rendered him unconscious.

Ib could only look on as the man was fell to the ground. Her chest began to contract with horror as her protector lay motionless 'no.. No! No! No! he's not dead, he's not!'

Blood began to pool around him as he stopped moving, staring at the still figure something awoke in Ib. It was akin to unlocking a childhood treasure box having memories so old they were almost alien wash over you. The sudden surge of memories was almost unbearable, eyes full of tears she looked down at the man being carried away by a nest of thorns. 'He's alive. I know he is.' As her hands slipped from the edges of the painting she shouted "I'll come back, I'll save you..."

Sitting bolt right up in her bed, her body trembling 'must have been another nightmare' she thought steading her nerves. She looked down at her hands and noticed a deep purple bruise around her left wrist. The events of the dream snapped into focus she let out a whisper "... Garry"

AN : Thanks to anyone who actually reads this. This is my first fan fiction so all comments, that'd help me improve my writing are very welcome.