"Climb into the painting! We can escape that way!" Ib yelled.
"Where are you going?" Mary giggled, her blue eyes lighting up. "Heehee! Don't you want to play? Don't you want to stay here with me?"
Viola glanced once more at Mary, then ran for the Fabricated World painting, sure Mary would follow.
"Viola! Grab my hand!" Ellen yelled at her.
She, Aya, Sabitsuki and Ib were already standing in the painting.
Ib was helping Madotsuki up.
"Viola, hurry!"
They heard Mary's shoes tapping on the ground.
"Wait for me, friends!" she yelled.
"We're not your friends!" Ellen said fiercly. "Viola, come on! What are you doing...?"
"Mary..."
I feel so sorry for her... she's all alone, now Misao's gone...
"Mary, I'll stay with you..." Viola whispered.
"No! Viola, take my hand!" Ellen shouted.
"Viola...really?" Mary's eyes lit up, as Viola held out her hand.
Mary walked towards her slowly.
She took Viola's hand.
"I want you to be happy, Mary. I want you to have friends. That's why..." Viola's voice trailed off.
She hesitated.
Do I really want to do this?
Viola took a deep breath.
Yes. I must. It's the only way she'll be happy. Even if it means leaving Ellen...
She took another deep breath. "That's why I'll stay."
VIola swung Mary around so she was in front of the painting.
"Wh...what?" She said, her eyes very big and blue. "What's going on? V-Viola...?!"
Viola pushed her towards the painting. Mary tripped, and fell into it. She scrambled to her feet immediately, and tried to get back to Viola, but it was like there was a large glass barrier there.
"Viola! Come on!" Ellen cried. "It's your turn now, I'll help you up!"
"Goodbye, Ellen. It was nice being your friend. And it was nice meeting you, all of you." Viola smiled sadly.
"VIOLA, NO!" Ellen screamed.
"Viola!" Mary yelled. "D-don't leave us!"
Viola continued smiling, plucking the petals off her green rose, one by one.
"Please!"
"I'm so sorry, Ellen."
The others looked on, lost for words.
Viola heard a rumbling sound, and the others started to fade. Just as they were about to fade away, the last green petal flew off the rose and landed in Ellen's hand.
"I'll never forget..." she sobbed. "I'll never forget you, Viola!"
"Goodbye, Ellen." Viola whispered. "My lovely friend."
In a flash of white light, the others were gone, and Viola lay on the ground, motionless.
Aya blinked open her eyes. She was lying on the floor next to a painting on her parent's bedroom wall.
She got to her feet and stared at it, confused. Then she remembered.
Did that really happen? Did we really go through that crazy art gallery? Or was it just a dream...?
No...It can't have been...Mary and Misao were real...and...Aki, Viola...I'll never forget you...But what happened to Mary? If she escaped, then where is she? Is she with Ib?
Aya shook her head. I'll probably never see any of the others ever again...but...I still won't forget them either. They were the first friends I've ever had...
Ellen woke up in her room, in her bed. She saw the painting that must have been by Guertena on the wall beside her bed.
This can't have happened...this can't be true...Viola...please...come back...!
I was supposed to protect her, to help her escape...but that didn't happen. It's all Mary's fault!
"Yo." came a voice from the doorway. The cat hopped onto her bed and stared at her with his yellow eyes. "Where's Vio?"
Ellen sighed, feeling like she was about to cry. "It's a long story..."
Madotsuki landed on the floor of her bedroom with a thud. It was real, wasn't it? Yes, it must have been. Otherwise I wouldn't be lying here on the floor...unless I was dreaming again.
No...it didn't feel like a dream...and yet...
Sabitsuki...
The name rang in her ears. It sounded so familiar, and they had shared a rose...was Sabitsuki another part of her?
Maybe...
Madotsuki sighed and crawled into bed. I'll never see her again, I suppose. Oh well, at least I can dream.
Sabitsuki was lying on the floor of her apartment. I barely even knew them...any of them...but I felt like I knew Madotsuki so well...We'll never meet again though, that's for sure. I wonder if she was another me in another world? I guess I'll never know...
Ahh...at least there's always my computer...
Ib yawned and opened her eyes. She was lying in her bed.
Huh...? Wasn't I just with Garry?
She sat up, confused.
...No...I was back in that art gallery, wasn't I? Then...how did I...get...here?
She got up out of bed and wandered downstairs. Garry was standing at the front door.
"Garry!" she called, rushing forwards and hugging him.
"I-Ib! I thought you were asleep!" he said, startled.
"Wasn't I at a cafe with you? Then...something really weird happened..."
"Yes...you said something about going to the bathroom, but you didn't come back at all. Where did you go?"
"U-um...It might take a while for me to explain..." Ib muttered.
Mary lay outside an unfamiliar house, a strange sound ringing in her ears.
Are those...birds?
She opened her eyes, and saw a plain-looking house with a blue roof.
There were little coloured things fluttering around on the roof, making chirping sounds.
They must be birds! Did I really make it? Did I escape the gallery?
Mary got to her feet and faced the house properly. A few flowers decorated the ground in front of the house. She breathed in the fresh air and a giggle escaped her lips.
"Heehee! I actually made it out!"
I can't believe it! If only father could see me now...!
With a jolt, Mary remembered who she had sacrificed to make it to this world.
Misao, Aki and Viola...I didn't mean for them to die but...without their sacrifces, I wouldn't have been able to escape, would I?
Mary opened the door, and saw a man standing inside, a strange metal stick in his hands.
"Mary!" the man exclaimed.
She stared up at him. He didn't seem familiar, but then...
Maybe he's Viola's dad? After all, I did take her place...
Mary smiled and hugged him. "It's great to be home, dad!"