A/N: I'm sorry!

Has anyone noticed that all of my author notes have been dedicated to me apologizing for my incompetence for my lack of updating? What happened to posting every day...

I apologize. There I go again!

(Heck, does anyone even read these anyway?)

I'm sorry...

There was another project that demanded my immediate and undivided attention. Then my mom reset the K9 web protection thingy and fanfiction got blocked. So then I had to use another computer to post this...

But I will try to update more often.

Enjoy. Subscribe review~!

Chapter 12: Appearances

"Oooo... Look at that one! This is sooooo cool~!" Seiran was dancing around the gallery like a little kid...

I face palmed myself. "Oi! Seriously? We are on a very important mission. I repeat. We are not here to sightsee!"

"But... I didn't exactly get to enjoy the gallery last time... Not with everything trying to kill me and all..."

He took his time studying each painting.

"Focus. We need to save Ib, lest you forget..."

Seiran gave a bland look before retreating back to where I was standing.

I gave a sigh of relief. "And be careful! You're the one carrying Ib, so don't go running around the gallery like a crazy person."

"Fine..." He pouted.

Funny. You'd think he'd be the one completely focused on the task at hand... I looked over at him.

He was carrying Ib bridal style, with a bored expression on his face. But then I noticed how his hands were quaking, and that his steps were kinda shaky.

He was scared, terrified even. I get it. He didn't want to go back. After he just got out...

What if what happened the first time was a fluke? And that he wouldn't be able to return again?

He was stalling. But that was time we didn't have.

The doll whispered from its perch on my shoulder. "It'll be fine. Her regression has stopped. See I told you... Just get her to the gallery."

"She alive sure... but barley..."

It must have been an odd sight. Two 6'3 tall guys, who look practically identical except for hair styles and clothing choices, towering over everyone else. One Is carrying an eighteen year old teenager who clearly looks like she's at the age where she should be walking by herself, aside from the fact the she appears to be in a coma. The other one is carrying a rather large, rather heavy backpack, with a creepy looking doll perched on his shoulder.

Yep. Typical day at the gallery.

We pretty much wandered the entire first floor, so we decided to head back and explore the upstairs level.

We were walking down the hallway following the stairs when Seiran suddenly stopped. I thought he just found another painting he liked, so I kept walking.

But I hadn't taken three steps before Seiran lashed out and yanked on my arm, sending me backwards, crashing into him.

"Owww... What was that for may I ask?" I glared at him.

He didn't answer. I looked down at him. He stared at a specific painting down the hall, with a look of pure horror on his face.

Okay. Maybe I'm exaggerating a little bit... But he had to be pretty freaked out because he wasn't even complaining that I was sitting on him.

The people who passed us looked at us strangely. Then I realized what it looked like... I scrambled off of Seiran.

He seemed to have snapped out of it somewhat and slowly rolled to his feet.

"You going to tell me what's happening?" I looked over at him expectantly.

He treaded carefully down the hall as if there were lasers on the floor or something.

He stopped again, thought less abrupt, and shakily pointed out a painting.

It had a gold frame. It was the second to last painting in the hallway.

The Lady in Red.

I couldn't help it. I laughed. Really hard.
"No no no no! That's not it! Look carefully!" Seiran tugged on my arm.

He was till clearly scared out of his mind because he was still shaking, hard enough to rock the both of us. So I ceased my chortling and did as he asked.

It was the Lady in Red painting.

And she was not sitting regally in her frame like she should be...

She was banning on her canvas like it was a window. And the scary part was... I could hear her yelling.

"Seiran! Master! You have returned! Master! Over here!"

Seiran gulped. "Past relationships aren't healthy for romantic ones..."

He grabbed my arm and dragged me off the opposite direction.

"Master! Don't make me come over there you little fox you~!" She called after us.

"Um... Hey Seiran? I don't feel so good any more..." I tugged on his sleeve.

I heard a rattling noise as we rounded a corner.

"Just you wait... Huh? What is this?! No! Let me down! Stupid barrier!" She shook her frame, but appeared to be stuck.

Seiran froze in relief.

"Pwahaha! You guys didn't actually think she was going to jump off the wall did you?" The doll laughed at us again.

"Man... you guys really don't know anything! Space barrier, duh! She can't move freely unless you're in the alternate gallery. In addition to that, unless you've been personally influenced by it, you can neither see nor hear the actions of those from that space."

"That... would explain a lot..."

The doll smirked.

"Wha? Ib!" My attention snapped back to Seiran.

Ib's eyes were open gazing off into an unseen point. Seiran gently set her down, after with she immediately sat up.

"Ib?" Seiran whispered. Slowly she stood up. She spun sharply on her heel and proceeded down the hallway. I shot Seiran a look and we both hurried after Ib. She rounded another corner and continued down a hall, which I had noted, was complete devoid of people.

She stopped and seemed to wait for us to catch up.

Waiting as if to make sure we saw what she was doing, she placed her hand on the blank wall. At first nothing happened, but then a definite shape began to ripple across the surface.

A grand frame materialized on the wall that encased the painting that had so deeply changed the lives of everyone present.