Compassion
Ib always was a compassionate girl. She would let her classmates get inside first before she went inside as the last. The last of her favorite crumpets she would give to the old lady next to her in the bakery. And she would take the blame for her when her unfortunate partner gets hurt because of a stupid mistake in Chemistry class.
It amazed her parents, because a soft-spoken girl such as herself did more than the words that were a pain to say. She would rather express her thoughts and personality in actions, rather than in the sugar-coat she came to knew as words.
She was silent, but what she has done for rang endlessly in their ears. She preferred the safety of company, but she was braver and stronger alone. No one could break her shell, but she could crack everyone else's with a kind deed.
Ib the Quiet Samaritan, her peers would call her.
And it built the essence of her very self- carrying it everywhere like a bag she never left at home.
It had seemed that this girl's compassion was her greatest strength…
…But it was also her downfall.
Compassion was what had kept her alive in this horrid nightmare known as the gallery.
She does not want to disturb the exhibits- while they seemed to hold a grudge against her se found it easier to not fight back then they didn't have a reason to. Garry would not have been saved had she just walked on and left him. She could always have done just that- she just had to go through him once and she would never look back.
Pity…
'No, it wasn't pity.' She kept telling herself as she placed the majestically blue rose into the Eternal Blessing.
From there on out, Garry had become a friend. He thought her words that she didn't know how to read; he looked out for her in the cutest of ways, and talked to her when she needed it.
Garry became her first actual friend. He cracked her shell in two and taught her how to laugh- even if they WERE in the most dangerous place they never would have thought of existing.
He taught her how to be desperate in the most despairing of situations. She never would have thought of hurting him if she knew there was another way to bring him back to sanity.
He was special.
And then, there was Mary. The blonde had a strange way of working, Ib had thought. She was cheerful and blissfully ignorant one minute and within the course of the next she starts going insane until she was.
Hunting them down in the Sketchbook, screaming their names for wherever she and Garry were.
Mary scared her.
…But Ib understood.
She just wanted to be free of this nightmare that they were all in. Garry and Ib had been in there for a day, maybe a few, but Mary had endured this kind of loneliness with her kind since her existence.
Mary just wanted someone like her.
She would not have been after Garry if she knew there was another way out of her situation.
So that was it. Two choices. It was either Garry, or Mary. Neither of them belonged here. And neither did she.
Two people in, two people out.
Because, not every story has to end happily.
Just like theirs.
There were choices needed to be made, and puzzles needed to be solved. She cannot go out with the two of them, and she knew that.
But she could not leave either of them.
It nearly broke her heart.
Nearly.
One of them needed to stay… and she could not choose between the two. Garry and Mary are both dear to her heart- the time spent in the gallery did not matter to her. Time had stopped. Time was meaningless in that place.
She would either escape with Mary, or she would leave with Garry.
There were only two choices.
Unless…
~Compassion~
This was it.
No turning back.
"Ib? What are you doing?"
'…Loves me…'
"I-ib… wh-what…"
'…Loves me not…'
"Ib! Stop that, you'll hurt yourself!"
'…Loves me…'
"IB!"
'…Loves me not.'
Pain shook her entire frame. Oh goodie, she was about to learn another thing… if the blood poling beneath her was any indication.
The last of the petals on her rose fell out, and she turned round to face them both.
Garry was as pale as the sheets on the comfy bed that she was going to miss sleeping in…
Mary had dropped her palette knife to the ground, and she stared at her friend commit suicide in front of her eyes.
But Ib showed no signs of failing, standing strong and smiling at them both.
She ignored their horrified expressions, and used the last of her strength to push them both into the closing painting.
Her smile stayed there, and no longer could she hold back the stinging in her eyes.
'Maybe… I didn't have to choose…'
And that was exactly what she did.
"IB!"
~Compassion~
The portal home had finally closed.
Ib slid down the wall, unable to support herself any longer.
The pain she felt was too much… too much that she couldn't feel it anymore.
'Garry, what is this?'
'This? It's Melancholy. Well, who wouldn't be in such a place…?'
Is this how it felt like?
No… no, she was happy. The sculpture looked sad. And that was Melancholy.
'Garry… what is this?'
This time around, Garry was not there to tell her what this was.
In fact, Ib didn't think he would tell her anyway. Anything that could hurt… Garry refused to tell.
Death draws nearer and nearer every time she would take a short breath. And she wouldn't know what it was when it would finally hit her.
'Did they get out safely? I sure hope I didn't push them too hard…'
'Ah… does it matter? I'm just happy that they're out… they don't belong in here…'
'Garry…'
'Mary…'
'…'
…
…
…
gOoDNigHt iB
Author's Note: I am so in love with this game.
I know it isn't official, but this ending… 'Sacrifice', was it? I liked it enough to write a fanfiction about it. Yeah, cheers to 'Sacrifice'.
This title needs more work. I can't rest on it.
Disclaimer: I do not own Ib, it belongs to Kouri.