Hello, everyone, and welcome...Part of why I'm writing this is because I'm having issues with some of my other stories, and I had this idea swimming in my head for some time now...
Well...I hope you guys enjoy...
Harry was with his aunt, uncle, and cousin, who were on their way to an art gallery that opened a month earlier, that featured art work by the German Artist Guertena Weiss. Harry would have normally been left home, but Mrs. Figg had broken her leg a week prior, and was still recovering, so the Dursleys begrudgingly took Harry with them.
Once they arrived at the Art Gallery, they departed their vehicle, Harry catching sight of a young man in a dark blue coat with lavender hair, accompanied by a girl with chesnut hair, a white blouse, and a red skirt, entering the Gallery.
However, before he could watch further, Vernon grabbed his arm. "Come on, boy!" Vernon demanded roughly, before dragging Harry away.
Ib and Garry stood in front of the Fabricated World painting, and waited a moment. Finally, the event they were waiting for occurred: the lights flickered out, and they re-appeared in their destination: the Fabricated World. The first time they came here, they were sucked here unwillingly, and were trying to escape...This time…
"You...YOU REALLY CAME BACK!"
...they came of their own volition to visit someone. Garry and Ib were immediately struck by a familiar blonde-haired, green-dressed, blue-eyed figure.
"Hello, Mary. I did promise we'd be back…" Ib commented softly to the living portrait.
"Yeah...you did!" Mary replied tearfully to her friend, before finally letting the two real humans go. "Well, COME ON! Let's go! Now that nothing's trying to kill you guys, I want to show you around!"
"Uhm...yeah...sure…" Garry replied nervously, as Mary grabbed his and Ib's arms, and dragged them off. For the next hour, Mary showed Garry and Ib the areas of the Fabricated World they'd seen during their adventure there a week ago. However, with nothing trying to kill them, the place didn't seem nearly as frightening.
While there, Mary laughed and giggled all the way, happy that she now had friends, REAL friends, with which to spend time with. Ib felt a massive warmth in her heart at the little portrait's happiness, while Garry had to admit that he felt a welling happiness himself over helping the girl.
After exploring the gallery, the group sat in Mary's room, her portrait sitting there. "You know...this gallery is not really that scary when our lives are not on the line," Ib commented.
Garry sighed before admitting, "Yeah, I guess that's true…"
Mary bounced with excitement. "Yeah! It can be fun…" Then, however, Mary began to grow despondent. "Although...while you guys are gone...things are...lonely...I...wish I was able to leave this place…"
Ib moved over to the girl, and patted her on the back. "Just stay strong, alright? Who knows? One day, you may be able to escape this place and join us in the real world…"
Mary smiled at Ib's content, but before she could reply, the group heard a scream, followed by a voice yelling.
"SHUT UP YOU LITTLE FREAK, AND SEND US BACK! NOW!"
"Wha...But...that doesn't sound familiar…" Mary commented. She waited a moment...before getting up and running out.
"Mary!" Ib and Garry called, before chasing after the portrait.
Vernon was furious: he'd dragged the freak over to a painting that caught his interest, only for the lights to go out, and for them to end up...here. In fury, he began beating Harry, demanding that he send them back
Harry whimpered and screamed, which only earned more beating from Vernon. The beating continued for a long time...until, suddenly, an angered scream came from nearby, and a green and yellow blur ran by and tackled Vernon, knocking him to the ground.
Mary soon arrived where she heard the screaming...and found a horrible sight: a massive, bulky, fat man was beating a little boy. From the blood gushing from the little boy, it was obvious that the boy was a real person, and if the stuff the fat man was shouting was any indication, so was he.
Mary, scowling, took out her palette knife and charged, slamming into the fat man with all her strength, which, as a portrait instead of a real human, was actually many times that of a person her size. As such, she plowed the man to the ground, with a thud, just as Ib and Garry arrived.
Seeing the little boy beaten by the fat man. Ib gasped and was in tears, burying her face into Garry's coat as she sobbed at the sight. It was both the condition of the little boy and the fact that Ib was crying that caused Garry to ignore Mary...as she, in her rage, took her palette knife out and attacked the fat man.
Soon enough, Mary spotted something in the man's shirt pocket: a yellow rose. Mary took the rose from the man's pocket, and shredded it. The man began to make gurgling noises, before finally falling still.
There was a few minutes of silence, and thankfully, the young boy was curled up into a fetal position and therefore did not witness the man's death. Eventually, Mary went to the boy and picked him up. The boy then became shocked and started thrashing in fear. "PLEASE! PLEASE! I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY!" Mary gasped and hugged the little boy. She then started looking around...before seeing a heavily-damaged white rose on the ground nearby. She didn't want to let the boy go, but she knew that if the rose continued decaying like it was, the boy could die.
Fortunately, Ib, who'd managed to stop crying, saw this and ran over, picked the rose up, and dropped it into a nearby vase. Thankfully, as the rose regenerated, the boy's wounds healed. Eventually, the boy quivered, and seemed surprised, as though he didn't expect the pain to be gone. He then looked up at Mary, who said, "Don't worry...everything will be ok…"
The boy seemed scared, but when Mary pulled him into a hug, he calmed down considerably. So much so, in fact, that soon, the boy fell asleep.
The two sat there for a time, Ib and Garry watching them, brought to tears by the touching scene...until Garry realized something. He came up beside Mary. "Hey...I just realized something…" the young man said to the girl.
"What?" Mary asked quietly, so as to not wake the boy up.
"What was it you needed to be able to leave?" Garry asked.
"I need someone to replace me...usually, I have to kill them...why?" Mary asked. Garry gestured to the side, and Mary saw...the corpse of the man that was abusing the boy, and the man's rose, sitting shredded on top of him. A few moments later...everything clicked together. Mary gasped. "I can...get out of here…" Mary realized. Excitement welled up in her. "I CAN GET OUT OF HERE!" she cheered, accidently stirring the boy from his sleep. "Oh, heheh...sorry…"
"It's...ok…" the boy said.
After a moment of awkward silence, Mary said, "So...I'm Mary...what's your name?"
"H-Harry P-P-Potter…" the boy replied.
"Nice to meet you Harry…Now, how's about we get out of here?" Mary suggested.
"I...I don't know...I got here through my freakiness…" Harry 'admitted'.
"Freakiness?" Garry asked, stepping into the conversation, Ib also approaching, "What do you mean by that?"
Harry's eyes widened as he recognized the blue-coated young man. "Oh no! I'M SORRY! I BROUGHT YOU HERE TOO! I'M SORRY-"
"Woah, woah, WOAH! Calm down, you didn't have anything to do with our arrival here. We came here of our own accord!" Garry replied.
That surprised Harry. "You...are?"
"Yeah, Ib and I know the way into and out of this place...if anything, it's possible you just came in here the same way we did.." Garry explained.
Harry calmed down after that. "So, Harry, what do you say we get going?" Mary asked.
"Ok...how did you get in here, though?" Harry asked innocently. The question caused Mary to grow sad. "I'm sorry! You don't have to answer…" Harry replied.
"It's ok…" Mary replied, "Let's just say I was born here, and had been imprisoned here since...although your's and that man's arrival just gave me a way to escape, finally? You hear me? It's because you and that man came here that I'm finally free!" As she explained, Mary became happier and happier. This rising happiness was reflected in Harry, who became excited and happy that, for once, his presence caused something good to happen.
"So...you mean...me and my uncle being here...is good?" Harry replied...only to grow scared at the trio's horrifed expressions.
"That man…" Mary stared.
"...was your…" Ib continued.
"...UNCLE?!" Garry finished.
Harry nodded. "...Yes?" he squeaked. This was followed by a squeak of surprise, as Mary's grasp on him grew into a more protective grasp.
Mary murmured something. "Huh?" Garry asked.
Mary gestured to Garry to move closer to her. Garry did so, and when he did, Mary whispered harshly, "I didn't make that man suffer ENOUGH…"
"...Agreed…" Garry finally whispered back.
Ib then approached. "So...shouldn't we get going?"
"Oh, hold on! I gotta tell big sis what just happened!" Mary said, before running off...although Ib noticed something.
"She...took Harry with her…" Ib said.
"...I know…" Garry replied, and the two went to wait by the Fabricated World Painting.
Well, that's it for chapter 1. I'll probably come out with chapter 2 soon.
For those waiting for my other stories, I don't know when I'll update them, but I will TRY to do so...I just need more ideas for how to continue them...