Ib cried once Garry left. Red had just told her why Mary had taken her rose and torn the pedals off.

"She did it so you'd be trapped there with her forever. She didn't intend to fall into the real world. She wanted to trap you in this world by destroying your rose, that way you'd be turned into a painting the moment Garry left."

"Red... Is that true..?" She hiccuped, holding one of the dolls close. The painting nodded and Ib sniffled, "Okay... Well, soon enough she'll be back here." She said sadly, knowing the paintings, dolls, and mannequins didn't really like her for being forceful. But they all still loved Mary.

Lying down, Ib closed her eyes and hoped that she would be able to sleep soundly, even though the faded sound of Mary's laughter still haunted her.

Garry woke up the next morning to Dolly making sounds that sounded like crying. "Dolly...? Whats wrong?" He asked sitting up.

"Ib is sad... She doesn't want to leave us but we all know she has to leave. She doesn't belong..." The doll sounded normal for once. Garry looked away with guilt in his eyes, "It's time to go. Come on." He got up and changed into normal clothes, putting on his coat he stuffed Dolly into a pocket.

He walked into Mary's room and saw her sleeping in her bed. Looking over at her desk, he saw many pictures of Ib. Walking over to the painting child's bed, he gently shook her awake.

"Mary~ It's morning now. Come on and get up." He said as she sat up slowly. "Garry..?" She yawned and he smiled.

"Yes, Mary?"

"Why did you lie to me yesterday? About not seeing Ib?" She said seriously.

"..." He stayed silent, walking out of her room and into the kitchen. Mary was soon beside him in the kitchen, and while his back was turned, she grabbed one of the knives. "Garry, seeing as we're both not that hungry, do you want to leave now?" She asked.

"Sure..." He sighed, taking Dolly out of his pocket. Dolly looked at him then Mary, "MaRy?" It asked in its creepy voice again. Mary's expression went from serious to happy in a heartbeat when she saw Dolly.

"Dolly!" She said happily, grabbing the doll from Garry. Laughing, she ran outside with Dolly and Garry slowly followed. "I have a feeling something good isn't going to happen..." He mumbled as he grabbed his lighter.

When they arrived at the gallery, Mary instantly went to the 'Fabricated World' painting and hopped in. Garry followed behind her, bracing himself to be met with the horrors of the other gallery. He was going to burn Mary's painting and escape with Ib.

Once he entered, he saw Red smiling and waving at him. She held 2 roses, one blue and one yellow. "Garry!" She greeted, handing him his rose. "Hello, Red." He smiled.

"Hey~ Red? Where's Ib?" Mary asked with one of her signature smiles. "Ah! Right this way." Red led them down a few halls and into a room. Ib was sitting on the floor, drawing what seemed to be one of the ladies in blue.

"Ib~! I've missed you!" Mary giggled, running over to the girl. Ib looked up in surprise as Mary jumped on her, giving her a hug. "Ib! Did you wait on me? I meant to return earlier, but the real world was too amazing!"

Garry walked over to the two and sat down, "Were you waiting long?"

Ib shook her head, "No."

"Ib! Ib! Ib! Guess what?" Mary said, getting off of her.

"What?"

"I got a 101 on my art project!." She giggled and Ib smiled.

"That's good!" Ib said, stretching.

"Yeah! Luckily we'll be together forever!" Mary laughed, and Garry looked over at the two, semi alarmed. He stood up, "W-Well... Let's let Ib show us around. Things seemed to have changed since we were last here."

"Okay. Follow me." Ib caught on to what Garry was hinting at, seeing as he was fiddling with the lighter in his coat pocket.

"I can't wait to see what all has changed! This is so exciting Ib!" Mary stood up and grabbed Ib's hand as she dragged Ib away.

"And this is where mine and Mary's paintings are hung." Ib finished as she showed them the two paintings side by side. Garry walked over to the two paintings and grabbed Ib's.

"This looks too real.." He said looking at the girl then the painting. Ib laughed, "I haven't even looked at it that much!"

Mary reached into her dress pocket and touched the handle of the knife. Garry set Ib's painting a good distance away from Mary's, "Well, I've seen Mary's painting in a book, but not in real life."

As Garry got closer to Mary's painting, Mary tightened her grip on the knife. "Together forever..." She whispered. Ib looked over at her confused, "Did you say something?"

Mary pulled the knife out of her pocket, "Ib and I will be together forever!" She yelled and Garry turned around alarmed, dropping the lighter. Ib gasped in surprise as she ran over to Mary before she could strike.

"Mary! We can be together forever! Just let Garry go!" Ib said, grabbing Mary's arm. Mary turned towards Ib, "Really? You won't betray me?" She asked hopefully at Ib's words.

"Yes! Just let him go!" Ib took the knife and threw it behind them.

Garry took this time Ib was buying for him to grab his lighter. They both didn't hate Mary, in fact, they loved her as a friend. But if she wasn't burned, the gallery would still take people in as Mary would try to take their place, and possibly, their lives in the other world. Ib let go of Mary's arm and nodded, "Yeah!"

Mary began to cheer until she heard the sound of a lighter clicking. Turning around she heard glass break and she saw Garry holding the lit lighter, the glass on her painting broken. "Garry..? What are you doing?" She asked.

Ib slowly backed away, afraid for a moment she'd burn too. Moving her painting back some more, Ib watched with tears slowly forming in her eyes. "Mary, we'll always be together, I promise that." She said, looking away as Garry threw the lighter at the painting. Mary instantly burst into flames and tears, "Why...? Why are you..?" She began to ask before she burnt away, turned into a pile of ash, which got blown away.

Garry ran over to Ib and hugged the now crying girl. Where Ib's painting once was, now laid a red rose. She was now free.

"GARRY!" Ib cried. He hugged the crying girl closer, "Sh... It's all over now. It's finally over..."

She nodded and they left the world.

Ib now lived with Garry, seeing as her parents moved away 2 years earlier. She took Mary's room, and was currently hanging a painting on her wall. Smiling, she hung the Lady in Red painting, while Dolly sat on her dresser. Hanging on the wall beside her other drawings, was a copy of Mary's painting, hand drawn by Ib.

Garry laid on the couch, thinking about the whole ordeal, beginning with when he first entered the painting world, to when he and Ib finally escaped and the journey ended. He never felt truly alone either now. He now always had the feeling of being watched.

But now, they were able to live in peace.

The End.

Sorry if that didn't end the way you wanted it too. Either way, thanks to Oasis for their review. It reminded me I forgot to add why Mary chose Ib's rose instead of Garry's.

She wanted to keep Ib in the painting world with her when she returned from getting her taste of the real world. So she had to keep Garry alive so she'd be able to go with him and not be alone. She knew Ib would live, so her other part of the plan was to steal Ib's painting from the gallery and hang it in her room.

Well, this was also really a practice story for me. If you want to see my actual serious story, it's called Shadowed Wolf. It's about Link and Zelda post Twilight Princess.

See you guys in another story~

-Stormi