A/N: Thank you for those who had reviewed on the previous chapters! Really, I didn't know that people were reading this. But thank you for your support *hugs*
Chapter five: here we go!
Btw, even though most of this is being made up while we're going, I already know what will happen in the sequel.
.:Restore:.
With Ib traveling with her new companion, it was revealed that the scrawny girl carrying her was named Sarah. She recently escaped from dangers similar to what Ib had suffered. It turns out that Sarah was looking for someone. Her sister to be exact.
What's your sister's name?
Amber. She says. Ib made sure to keep note of the missing sibling that possibly lingered the dark halls.
There was nothing really interesting about the room that they were in. Just a vase and a door leading to another room. But if Ib paid more attention to the red carpet, pieces of blue rested on the floor below. She needed a closer look. Sarah's attention was also grasped by the mysterious blue scraps on the floor.
"They look like petals." Ib squirmed, gently to get Sarah's attention. "Oh, you want down? You sure?" Ib nodded and Sarah placed Ib gingerly on the carpet. From there, Ib could stagger, now beginning to feel her limbs. Even though she could move, it wasn't easy. She felt Sarah nudging her, trying to help Ib towards the petals.
While the crimson eyed girl examined the petal intently, Sarah had already went ahead of her, now noting of an unusual red liquid spilled on the carpet. Now following the trail of petals, she tried to open the door.
Nothing.
"I think the other room down the hall will have something that will open this door, Ib." Sarah says, not even paying attention to how she lifted Ib back up. Ib's feet hung in front of Sarah, while her head dangled from her upper back. Out the doors and Ib saw the 'Eternal Blessing' painting once again.
Ib tried telling Sarah that putting a rose inside a water-filled vase would restore it back to full health. Thinking of it being absurd, Sarah refused to let the rose sit in the vase.
The door that they stood in front of was thankfully unlocked.
Ib was the first to notice a human figure lying on the floor motionless. She can vaguely remember seeing them at the museum; however, they didn't respond to Ib, unlike everyone else she bumped into. But seeing the stranger in a poor condition made Ib a little unsettled.
Sarah's reaction to this, was quite questionable.
Instead of panicking, she put Ib down once again and checked out the stranger's pockets. Seeing that nothing was much use besides their lighter, she glanced over their hands and pulled a key from their grasp. When Sarah was done rummaging through the stranger's belongings she pocketed the key in her torn denim jeans.
The little girl limped forwards and attempted to rub the person's bony shoulders. Only to be answered with a groan of pain.
"St-stop, i-it hurts." Ib grimaced and backed away from the stranger. Sarah chuckled a bit, taking Ib's hand in her own.
"I don't think we can do much for them. Don't worry, we have the key. We'll find something." Ib nodded and walked along with Sarah, now feeling hopeless with the stranger's situation.
After opening the previously locked room with the key they collected from the person, Sarah peeked her head to see more petals littering the floor. Curious, she took in more of the room and spotted something shifting in the corner.
"Loves me, loves me not..." Sarah retreated her head away from the door-frame. A look of seriousness masked her blood smeared face.
"Ib, I have a plan."
Amber followed the dragonfly until her face was planted to a wall. She stumbled back, surprised from the sudden contact.
A stinging sensation filled her nose, and water sprouted from her brown eyes.
The dragonfly drifted into the violet wall. Mary ran up to Amber's side, her face contoured with concern.
"Are you okay?" Amber slowly nodded, Mary sighed.
"You need to watch where you're going, okay?" Amber nodded again, this time a little faster. Mary didn't really seem too convinced that Amber would actually stop injuring herself, this was the second time she crashed into something. The first being Mary herself.
The dragonfly returned from the thick walls and bounced off of Amber's head. Being close enough to see the details of the flying creature, it was gold, wings sparkling and had glimmering green eyes. It lingered a moment longer on Amber's shoulder before heading for Mary. Even though Mary couldn't see the marvelous critter, Amber was fully aware of the bug's presence.
It got near Mary, a little hesitant, but plopped itself on her golden locks.
Then it froze. Amber wasn't sure if it was either her that scared it or perhaps Mary. But the bug fell, wings tearing off of its delicate body.
When it fell, it twitched for a few, but gave up to lay there motionless.
The blond girl was already starting to walk ahead of her, but Amber didn't care. She continued to watch the stillness of the dragonfly, noting how the gold washed off and was replaced with an ugly shade of brown. The eyes were no longer there, just empty sockets.
Although Amber wasn't an observing kind of person. People who would keep track of things. Someone who seeks out an answer to bizarre events.
However, despite this, Amber can easily conclude the fact that something was wrong with Mary.
"Come on Amber, we're not far away now. We're almost there!" Amber started off for Mary, but not without snatching up the crinkled dragonfly wing.
Sarah knew that it was dumb. Who would use a nine year old for bait?
Ib zigzagged away from the Lady in Blue, her ankles dangerously close to the painting's reach. In her hands was an almost dead blue flower. Sarah could have sworn there was something else useful. If they kept on collecting flowers, they would've brought home a bouquet.
That's if they could ever go home.
Ib flew by Sarah, the girl nearly tripping over herself. Sarah shut the door and pressed her back on it. The painting monster pounded on it furiously. Soon the pounding ceased and Sarah gestured Ib to go. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw hands press on the window nearby the door.
CRASH!
"Ib! GO!" The little girl spent no time hesitating, she bolted out of the room. Sarah blindly reached out for the empty vase and flung it directly at the snarling woman. When she too rushed out of the room, making sure the door was closed; she could feel her life draining a bit. She looked behind her, pink petals were enclosed in between the door. Must have been from when she shut the door before she could fully exit the room.
Strange.
Ib handed her the rose, now noticing the petals Sarah lost. She pointed a finger at the vase, tugging lightly on her sleeve. Sarah nodded.
"I guess I can leave the roses in that vase for a while." She handed Ib the roses and straightened out her messy hair.
Ib slid in the two weathered out roses and stood back to watch Sarah.
"Hey, you know, I think I'm feeling a little better," Sarah commented, now rolling her neck around. "We could travel on a better note." She took a short look at her shoulder, gasping when the only thing torn was her shirt.
"My shoulder! It's back again!" She examined the healthy roses sitting in the bright blue vase. "You weren't kidding, were you?" Ib shook her head. The two elegant roses livened up, the petals grew back around the buds. Ib took the roses out, smelling the freshness in the flowers. She just remembered about the stranger lying in the corridor.
"The person-"
"Oh! I forgot about him! Ib, we have to get going now." Ib was confused, him? Who in the world is him?
"Please don't tell were playing the gender guessing game."
"I find it a bit amusing. You're worried it's another girl?"
"Somehow, yes."
Ib was taken by surprised at the new found strength in Sarah. Opening the door, the 'man' sat up, rubbing his head. When he seen the two girls, he sprung back in fear.
"I don't have anything else for you! Just leave me alone!" Sarah's glare only lasted a couple of seconds before she bursted out in laughter. The man watched her, confused from the girl's behavior
"Don't worry, our situation is just as bad as yours." She said, offering a hand out for the stranger. "I'm Sarah, and you are?" Ib stared at the man, suspicious on what he might do next.
She still hasn't pushed away the fact that he looked like a girl. She really couldn't have trusted him.
The man slowly took her hand to get up, a smile of relief spreading on his face, "I'm Garry. Nice to meet you, Sarah."
A/N: This is Vars again, Panda's Internets out and she need to at least update a bit on this chapter. Things start getting serious now. xD
Ib: It's a trap! xD
To answer some of le reviews. :3
ibfangirl: Thank chu, I think since I want to add more depth now that Amber and Sarah are in, I sorta doubt that we'll get started on the sequel since the story will take longer. But I do hope you enjoyed it. Thanks for the review!
TsukiAliceChan: Haha, thanks! I think adding guys would sorta be a little too much. But I have an alternative for pairings. Ib and Garry is definitely a pair I was going to work on. xD I think Amber is going to be a loner.