Well everyone, we've reached the end of the line. It's been so fun and you guys have been amazing fans! I hope you liked the story as much as I did! I can't believe this started while I was watching Pewdiepie play Ib in the middle of August with nothing to do and some free space on my flash drive. It's really amazing and I'm so proud of myself. Okay, that sounds selfish. I love you all too! So, so much! Kisses!
Final confession: My motto and everyone's mottos should be "There must be more than this provincial life." It's from Beauty and the Beast because I'm sappy like that. I always live my life thinking that no matter how bad things get, there has to be something better waiting for you on the other side.
And with that, I will commence the beginning of the end. All will make itself clear. It's been great guys! Thank you so much!
The room began to shake. Cassia stumbled a bit but was able to keep her footing. Ib clung to Garry and Toby took hold of Holly, pulling her close. It seemed like everyone had someone to hold onto but Cassia, which sadly made Cassia feel more alone than ever. The dolls one by one exploded into poufs of dust and some even splattered paint. The floor began to fall into the abyss that was apparently underneath them. Fissures opened around them in a circle and as she looked in astonishment at the floor that was cracking at her feet, she felt a hand grip her arm and yank her back just as the floor fell around her.
"Watch it," Garry said, and she didn't dare let go of his arm.
"The whole room is falling apart!" Ib cried as she stepped away from the crumbling circle.
The circle was closing in on them and as they grew closer to together cassia feared they would be consumed by the swirling black abyss around them. The walls fell away and they were soon surrounded by the black mass. It seemed like they were floating in a clear sphere that the typhoon kept its distance from. The shaking stopped suddenly and the floor ceased falling away. Cassia expected to hear the roaring of a black storm around her, but it was completely silent; not a rush of wind to break the thick air.
Suddenly, two forms flickered to life, standing before them in a shower of shining light. One was Belle, bathed in blue light, looking more alive and free then she ever had. Holding her hand was a man with blonde hair, a slight beard, wearing a paint-stained green shirt with the sleeves rolled up as if he'd just finished a painting. He was cloaked in a pure white light that looked even more luminous against the dark background.
"Guertena Weiss," Ib breathed as gaped in awe at the man.
"Yes, Ib," the man spoke with a comforting tone that made Cassia feel warm and safe. "My spirit has been here all along. I am the gallery itself."
"How could you have created something so horrible and cruel?" Holly demanded.
"It wasn't him," Belle said, looking up at her father for encouragement. He gave a subtle nod and she turned back to the others. "Mary's energy fed off his energy in the gallery. I did too, but I knew that we had to share it for it to stay balanced. Mary became greedy and power hungry, and somehow found a way to sap my father's energy away and take over the gallery, strewing his spirit too thin to regain it."
"Why did you make the gallery in the first place, Mr. Weiss?"
"I didn't intentionally," Guertena explained. "I hadn't realized that in catching the likeness of my wife and children, I had trapped their very souls inside the paintings. After I died, I found myself in a sort of… purgatory. My wife and children were there as well, trapped with my soul in an exact replica of my gallery in the real world. I spent almost twenty years looking for an exit, and when I did, I found that I really didn't want to leave. In making that decision, I had vowed to keep the spirit gallery intact so other artists and geniuses may come to see it when they die or otherwise. For a while, I had many visitors – deceased local artists like Ramner and Cosici whom you probably don't know of and some well known ones like van Gough. This was their final resting place, inside my gallery. It was an honor and a privilege. Soon, though, Mary took over, and for a long time the gallery became so twisted that I had to block off all exits to the real world. Not all of them were completely sealed, though, and Mary found a way to open one of them to my gallery in the real world. She loves playing games; always had. That's why Ib and Garry were the first in years to gain access to the spirit gallery, though I apologize because it Is not what it used to be. The monsters you encountered were the spirits of the artists that were here with me before. Mary changed them into her playthings."
"If Ib and I were let in by Mary," Garry's look was a puzzled one, "then why could we get in a second time?"
"I let you in," Guertena said simply. "I needed to; the warped gallery was growing stronger and soon Mary would have gained access to more and more portals, blurring the line between the spirit gallery and the real one. She would have wreaked havoc on the mortal world, and by then I would be dead, belle would have perished, and no one could stop here. I had to make a choice: what was left of my daughter or the wellbeing of the world."
"He had actually only intended for four of you to enter to assist him," Belle elaborated. "Cassia, Adrian, Holly, and Toby. You were the four that would help save the gallery. Ib and Garry used their own methods to get in and assist you, but it was you four who were the real contenders."
"Why us?" Cassia bucked up and asked the question on all their minds.
"Being a spirit, we have the ability to glimpse into the future slightly, and I foresaw what each of you would have to do to save us all," Belle said. "It was preordained. Destiny. Whatever you wish to call it."
"Yes," Guertena said. "Holly has ingenuity beyond her years and wisdom grown adults could only dream of achieving, all while still having the imagination of a child. Toby's impeccable problem solving skills would help you get out of tough fixes, which proved handy for you, did it not?"
"What about Adrian?" Cassia squeaked. "He's dead, and for what?"
"Adrian's sacrifice was not in vain," Belle said. "Because Mary had attached so strongly to Ib, her death would make Mary all the more strong. In fact, she would have grown so strong from the sacrifice of the girl who cheated death once before that she could have killed you all on the spot if Ib lost, rules or no rules. Adrian made sure that didn't happen."
"He couldn't have known, that though."
"He didn't, but he sacrificed himself to save Ib. To save the life of an innocent child. That was enough for him to make his decision."
"And… me?" Cassia asked.
"Cassia, you were the most important person of all," Guertena smiled proudly. "You were blessed with a gift; the ability to make your paintings come to life. It was dormant in the real world but became unlocked when you entered the spirit gallery. You were the only one who could possibly kill Mary, obliterating her soul for good. She can't re-form strewn that thin. For that, we are all indebted to you. Thank you, Cassia Kensington."
"What about our mom?" Toby asked, holding Holly close. "Will she remember us? Will any of our loved ones remember us?"
Guertena's face darkened. "I'm sorry to say, no. This gallery was made for the dead, not the living, and in entering it your identity died with you, I'm afraid."
There was a brief silence as Holly whimpered into Toby's side. "We'll have nowhere to go," she whispered.
"On the contrary," Guertena said, opening his palm up facing what would have been the ceiling but is now a swirling mass of clouds. Something glowed in his hand briefly and in it formed a piece of folded up paper. He walked over – or glided, rather – and placed it in Garry's hand. "I had two houses before I died; one in the country, where I lived with my family, and a large apartment near enough to the city so I could go for business or art shows. My home in the country has long since dilapidated, but I'd like to give you the apartment in the city."
"But… I'm only seventeen," Garry shook his head. "I can't own this."
"As far as society knows, you're eighteen," Guertena gave him a wink. Garry smiled and folded the papers into his coat pocket. "Also, I'd like you o know that my daughter will be joining you in the mortal world."
"What?" Holly was astonished. She gaped at belle and said, "How?"
"Remember I told you that my spirit could become mortal at any time? That I had not yet been given my second chance at life?" Belle smiled. "Mary is gone, now, so I have nothing to fear. I wish to live again."
"Won't you want to be with your father?" Ib asked, turning to Guertena. "Where will you go?"
"I will stay in the gallery. I will reconstruct it from the ground up, wiping every detail Mary smudged onto my palate clean and start anew," Guertena said. "Belle will still have her magic abilities in the real world, though somewhat diluted by reality, so she will be able to transport back to the gallery whenever she likes. She will aid me in rebuilding my dreams, but you all will never be bothered by it again."
"One last question," Toby said. "How do we get home?"
"The gallery may be gone, but my magic and power over it still remains," Guertena thrust his hand out in front of him, and a swirling white portal appeared, casting light upon them all. "This is your exit. I hope that you use your second chances at life wisely. Good luck Toby, Holly, Garry, Ib, and Cassia. Godspeed."
Holly and Toby were the first to step towards the portal. Holly turned around and pulled Cassia tightly into a hug. "Thank you for everything, Cassia. I'm looking forward to living with you. We'll be like sisters!"
"Go on," Cassia nudged her forward, and with her hand in her brother's they crossed over to the other side.
Ib tugged on Garry's jacket and said, "Come on. I've had enough excitement here to last a lifetime."
Garry turned back to Cassia and gave her a smile. "It's been… interesting. Let's see what we make of the real world now."
"I'm sure we'll never look at it the same way again," Cassia said as they both passed through the portal.
Soon, it was only Guertena, Belle, and Cassia left. Cassia turned back to Belle and held out her hand. Belle looked to her father with nothing but love in her eyes, and Guertena nodded forward, as if to say, Seize the opportunity, Belle. She stepped away from her father, her glow diminishing, and took Cassia's hand. Belle became completely solid in that moment, her light blonde hair billowing in the silent wind. Her hand was cold in Cassia's, but something told her that Belle would warm up soon. Belle looked up at Cassia and tugged her towards the portal.
As she stepped in, Cassia looked back for one last time and saw that Guertena was not alone. He was now standing next to a woman with long hair and warm brown eyes clothed in a red dress. She shone with a golden light that mixed with Guertena's hand. As the white light immersed her vision, she saw faintly them walking away, and heard Guertena say:
"Come, my light. We have much to do."
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EPILOGUE
Cassia found herself sitting on a bench in the middle of a bustling room. Sculptures surrounded her and the light that illuminated the room was from bulbs and not the magical white portal. She blinked once, twice, and realized that she was back where she started, with her sketchbook open on her lap and a pencil in one hand. She looked next to her hoping to see that Adrian was still there, but her heart sank when she saw that the seat next to her was cold and empty. Her heart ached as she got up and gathered her stuff into her bag, pulling her coat on over her shoulders. She'd forgotten hat when she ran off from where Adrian was, she'd left her coat there. It's funny how life works like that, she thought.
"Cassia!" a voice cried out from behind her, and as she turned towards it, a tiny form crashed into her, squeezing her around her waist. Holly's golden curls bounced up and down as she giggled with excitement. Behind her came Garry, who gave her a knowing smile which Cassia returned, and Belle, who was holding Garry's left hand. She had color in her face and cheeks and looked more human somehow then she had before. Toby poked his head out from behind Garry and Ib ran to catch up with them.
"Hey guys," Cassia's grin was wide and happy. She rumpled Holly's hair and detached her little arms from her torso so she could walk over and greet the others. "Long time no see."
"I'm glad to see you made it in one piece," Garry's lightened spirit was infectious. "I was worried you'd been left behind."
"You can't get rid of me that easily," she laced her arm through his elbow and put her free hand inside her pocket. She felt something unusual and delicate inside, and when she drew her hand out and opened her palm, she gave a tiny gasp. On the open face of her palm was a perfect purple petal, untouched by the world. Thoughts of Adrian flooded her mind, and all she could think about in that moment was: Remember me.
I'll never forget, she thought.
Garry looked down at her hand and said, "How peculiar."
"Well come on then," Ib grabbed Garry's coat and pulled him towards the main hallway, which caused him to pull Cassia which caused her to pull Holly who pulled Toby who pulled Belle until they were all stumbling to catch up to her quick steps. "We have a new house to go scope out!"
"Yeah, and if I spend another moment in this gallery, I may faint," Belle interjected.
And there, under the light of the afternoon that shone through the windows of the Guertena Gallery, the story of the four saviors of the gallery and the two gallery alumni came to a close, and with only the future as their foe, they made their way down the steps of the gallery and off to begin their new story. One that could never be changed by a coincidental stumble into a painting.