For those who are following the story, there will be an important author's note at the end of the chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Ib or any of the characters

Ib had never been all that interested in gym class. Running around until you were sweaty and breathless just didn't appeal to her sensibilities. Now however, she wished that she had decided to take track and field in high school.

Rounding a corner, she put on an extra burst of speed in order to lengthen the distance between herself and her pursuer. She heard the creature's feet scrape on the floor, followed by a growl of irritation as his momentum carried him past the hallway she had fled into. That would buy her several precious seconds.

She sprinted past artwork depicting animals and plants that had long since gone extinct. Ib's chest felt like it was on fire, and for the first time she actually missed being chased by the slow inhabitants of the Gallery.

Then she saw it. The exit.

Her fatigue vanished in a wave of relief as the doors leading to the parking lot came into view. She had no idea what she would do once she was outside, but right now getting out of the building was her first and only priority.

Rushing towards the doorway, she grabbed the handle. With one heave she threw open the gates blocking her way. Or rather, she tried to. In reality the doors only moved an inch before catching. Ib could only stare in disbelief at the locked exit. She tried pulling them open once more, bracing her foot against the wall in order to put more force behind her actions. The door still stubbornly refused to allow her to leave.

"Open up!" She shouted, as though her command could possibly hope to sway the will of an inanimate object.

Suddenly, some sense warned her of an impending danger. Ib jumped to the side just in time to avoid being crushed as the beast hurtled right through the space she had been standing in just a moment ago. The twisted man slammed into the doors with the force of a small car, leaving a sizable dent and effectively stunning him.

She didn't waste time standing around staring. If that hit couldn't dislodge the opening then she had no hope of getting through any time soon. As the creature recovered, she turned and ran back into the museum.

Her dash eventually drew her into a wing dedicated to ancient sea creatures. The skeletal remains made her shudder. They were eerily similar to the Abyss of the Deep.

Behind her, a roar of frustration signaled that her hunter had regained his senses enough to see she was gone.

Ib cursed silently. Looking around, she frantically searched for somewhere to hide. Running would only serve to tire her out more and she doubted the thing after her was playing by the same rules she was.

A room dedicated to some species of extinct whale provided what she was after. Running inside, she quickly closed the doors to the display. Now she just needed a way to keep it closed. A nearby curtain on the wall was the only thing she was able to find. Tearing it down, she spun it until the fabric formed a makeshift rope. She then used it to tie the door handles together. It wasn't a perfect solution, but it would at least delay her pursuer.

Turning back to the room, Ib began searching for some place she could stay where he wouldn't be able to find her. Sadly, there were few hiding spots. Most of the display cases contained the remains of dead animals and she doubted that the old bones would provide any kind of real protection against a vicious predator.

A slight creaking sound caused her to look up. Hanging from the ceiling was a large whale skeleton suspended by several ropes. What's more, she could see where the ropes lead.

An idea began forming in Ib's mind. It was crazy. It would never work. But right now, it was all she had. A banging at the door wiped out any lingering doubt. She had one chance to make this work, and if it didn't she'd have a very upset monster on her hands.

Better make it count.

He hated this place. Not this building in particular, but this whole filthy plane of existence. It was all one big mess smothered in rot and squalor.

Reaching up, he gingerly touched the spot where his head had impacted the door. The girl was being far more annoying than he had expected. Huffing angrily, he stalked after her scent.

She might think she can escape but he would prove her wrong. Human senses were so dull that they never realized how much of a trail they left behind. Their idea of cleaning only traded the bodily odors of sweat and grime for the synthetic ones of soap and detergent. It was just as easy to track, with the bonus of not making him want to vomit in a corner.

Her trail led into a room that had the doors closed. He didn't even have to try opening them to know that they were barred.

Did she honestly think that would save her? He could have started laughing if it weren't for his headache. It was almost sad that her actions had turned to such foolish desperation so quickly.

Pulling back his foot; he brutally kicked down the door. The metal barrier shot open, its handles snapping like twigs before the weight of his blow.

Surprisingly enough, no sound came from the room. She had either found another way out, or had the self-control to prevent any squeals of fright at the violent entry. He almost felt a grudging respect for the doomed child. Almost. She had still caused him pain, and that was enough of a reason to kill her.

The monstrous man stepped inside, carefully scanning the area with an unwavering gaze. Her scent was strong so she was definitely nearby. The hunt would be over soon.

Ib stood silently behind a pair of large curtains, not daring to breath lest the sound of drawing in air alert him to her location. He was getting closer and she prayed that he wouldn't be smart enough to realize what was going on until it was too late.

Peeking between the sliver of open space between the hanging cloths gave her a very limited view of the room, but it was enough. She could see the open area that led into her trap. Now all she had to do was wait. Wait and hope.

The man didn't keep her too long. He strode into her line of sight, slowly turning his head in all directions. Almost immediately, he spotted the bait.

Her cardigan lay discarded in the center of the room. It was an obvious ploy, but it was the best she could do on short notice.

Silence filled the room as Ib watched him stand motionless. Very slowly, he began creeping towards the article of clothing. She felt her own heart rate increase as he drew closer. He knew it was a trap, but he either assumed she wouldn't be able to do anything to hurt him or thought that he could outwit whatever plan she came up with.

One clawed hand reached down to pick up her jacket, and that was when the brunette made her move. Hidden behind the curtain with her, out of sight so as not to be an eyesore to the tourists, was a metal brace embedded in the wall. And tied to that brace was the rope keeping the massive whale skeleton suspended.

Ib quickly began unraveling the knots holding the rope in place. She only had to undo a couple of them before the weight of the bones did the rest of the work for her.

The young man heard the noise she was making, and turned towards her hiding spot with a hiss of triumph. Had he been paying more attention to his surroundings, he might have noticed the ropes above suddenly going slack. As it was, he didn't realize anything was wrong until the creaking of straining metal signaled that the trap had been sprung.

The monster had just enough time to look up and utter a shout of surprise before the massive display came down on his head with a resounding crash.

For a moment, the girl stayed hidden. She strained her ears for the telltale sounds of anger or breaking that would tell her that the trap hadn't worked. But no sounds of rage assaulted her. No berserk horror tore down the curtains that she stood behind.

Cautiously, she peeked beyond the cloth barrier to see the results of her handiwork.

Her hunter lay unmoving in the center of the room. It was hard to make out his form underneath the piles of broken bone, but it was definitely him under there. Breathing out a sigh of relief, she stepped out to retrieve her jacket. Or at least what was left of it.

The cardigan had been thrown aside during the incident and was several feet away. It had a jagged tear along the back, but was otherwise unharmed. That was good. She could fix a tear, but replacing her favorite jacket was almost unthinkable.

Suddenly, a ragged cough caused her to whirl around. The creature was stirring underneath the pile. Ib's first instinct was to run as far away from the demented creature as possible, but she couldn't do that. This was her chance to get some answers. Hoisting up a broken rib as a makeshift club, she walked towards the pinned beast.

He regarded her coldly from his prone position, growling as she approached.

"Here's how this is going to work." She said, willing her voice to convey an authority she didn't feel. "I'm going to ask some questions. You're going to answer them. Understand?"

The young man snarled, but didn't answer. Ib wondered if he was even capable of speech. If not, her plan was less than ideal. Too late to turn back now. She thought to herself.

"Who are you?"

Oddly enough, the creature rolled his eyes and let out an exasperated sigh.

"Always the same questions from you people." His voice sounded airy and distant, possibly a byproduct of his disfigured mouth. "Who are you? Why are you doing this? What is going on? You need to start thinking up some new material. It gets incredibly irritating to hear those all the time."

"You didn't answer." Ib accused, narrowing her eyes. "Name. Now. Or else things will get much less comfortable for you."

He glared at her audaciousness, but gave in.

"I have many names." He said. "Though none would mean anything to the likes of you. Humans have such short memories after all. Your kind used to know how dangerous it was to enter dark places, but now…" He started chuckling. "Now you seem to actively search them out."

"What does that mean?" She questioned. It sounded far too much like a riddle for her liking. "You were the one chasing me. I never asked to play kill the leader."

"Boring questions." He stated, actually managing to look condescending from his position on the floor. "You are asking far too many of them."

"Fine." Ib was getting annoyed by his antics. "How about we start with something else. What are you? You're definitely not human."

That one actually brought an amused smile to his face.

"What do you think I am?" He asked. She couldn't shake the feeling that he was judging her actions.

"I think…" What exactly could she say? A monster? That sounded far too simple. "You're from the Fabricated World, aren't you?" It wasn't what she meant to ask, but somehow it sounded close to the truth.

"Not quite." He said, his smile growing. "But close. I could tell you the name we have for ourselves, but I doubt you would understand its meaning. Humans have had many words for us over the years. Gods, demons, fey, phantoms. The only difference between any of them is the context."

Ib's mouth opened and closed several times, unable to formulate a response. He couldn't be telling the truth could he? The offhanded comment just seemed so wrong.

"I don't believe in demons." She said, glaring down at him.

"Believe what you want. It doesn't change the outcome." He replied.

"How about we go back to my first question; who are you? And I don't mean a name; I want to know your reason for being here."

The amusement left his features as though someone had opened a drain in his mind.

"I'm a hunter." He said. "And it seems I'm somewhat out of practice."

"Why?" Ib demanded. "Why are you after me? What did I do to you?"

The young man shook his head in disappointment.

"You still don't know anything do you?" He asked. "Well you can ask him all about it very soon. I'm sure he'll want to talk to you now that his little plan has backfired."

"Who is he?" She asked. A vague memory surfaced in her mind. "Wait, do you mean the man in the robe? The one who found me in the… well… I don't know where it was, but the other place?"

"Your vocal prowess does your people proud." He remarked blandly. "If you are speaking of the man who brought you inside the shroud, then yes. He offered you a choice, but it seems his will was too weak to force a decision."

This was all moving too quickly. His casual remarks of gods, demons, shrouds, and other impossible things only raised more questions than they answered.

"Who is he anyway?" She asked. "I feel like I know him from somewhere."

The creature actually started laughing again at her confusion.

"I'd say you know him better than most people." He said. "After all, you got to see his little house of horrors first hand."

She frowned. What was that supposed to mean? What house of-

No.

He couldn't be talking about…

That wasn't possible.

The young man sensed her conflict, and gave her a sinister grin.

"The man who put you in your current predicament is the very same one who created the Fabricated World. His name is Guertena."

Ib's mind stopped. The same man who had created her first living hell was responsible for the same one she was living in now.

"H-He can't be!" She stammered. "Guertena is…"

"Dead?" He finished mockingly. "I think you'll find that not everyone sticks to the same laws of life and death that you hold dear. He is still mostly alive, and if I'm right the two of you will be meeting again very soon. As for me…"

She felt the air shudder as the man's features became blurry and indistinct.

"I think I'm finished here. You're proving to be more trouble than your worth. A bit of advice though, don't let your guard down. There are far worse people after you than me, and you can bet they won't give up this easily."

He faded away into nothingness, taking the dark atmosphere with him. Sounds, light, and sensation all came back in a rush. Even the destroyed whale skeleton had returned to its former resting place suspended from the ceiling.

Ib staggered under the sudden sensory assault. She had been though far too much to simply walk it off at this point.

"Ib!" The familiar voice snapped her out of the haze.

"Garry?"

"There you are!" He exclaimed, gripping her in a tight hug. "What happened? Everyone was missing, and I thought… I don't even know what I thought. I just heard you yell and-"

"I'm all right." She assured, cutting him off. "Listen, I'll explain everything I know in a bit but right now I don't want to be in this place anymore. Can we go somewhere private?"

He nodded, too relieved that she was unharmed to bother disputing the issue.

She took his hand, and the two of them made their way out of there. Past the displays. Beyond the crowds of people, utterly oblivious to what had just taken place. And past the lone figure standing in the darkened corner.

"Not bad." He said to himself, smirking at a joke only he understood.

"We'll see how you handle round two."

First of all, I'd like to thank all those who have been reading Reflections up to this point. I appreciate the views and the comments a lot. However, I do have some bad news. Due to poor story planning on my part, as well as some personal issues I'd rather not discuss, it has become very difficult for me to write for this fanfiction. Because of that I'm going to be putting it on hold for some time. Some of you might ask, will this end up like other stories that are on hold forever only to end up being dropped? Well... maybe. I can't promise anything, but right now I do intend to finish eventually, after all the story was just getting started, but with how hard it was to just write up until this point I'm not entirely sure. Hopefully this will only be a temporary inconvenience but on the off-chance that I don't come back to it, thank you for your time and I'm sorry if this is an issue for anybody.