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"A fake rose always come in handy," Ib explained. As Ourie still couldn't do anything because of the shock, Ib ran toward the statues, breaking it one by one by her bare hands or her kick. There were so many of them, until…

"ARRGH!"

Ib could hear Ourie' scream in pain as she kicked the second-last wooden statue. Ib could see him on his knees, gripping his chest tightly. His breath was uneven, and his body trembled. There was a pang of pain on her chest. After all, he was… her precious friend.

As she crouched down before his fragile figure and grip his shoulder, in a mere second she was laying on the floor, with Ourie laughed manically on top of her. His hand gripped firmly on her throat.

"Poor, poor Ib. As long as that big statue untouched, I still can fight against you," Ourie smirked, "Since you are naughty, I will make sure you feel all the pain. The same pain that I felt everytime you called his name…"

"No..." Ib whispered in her mind. She couldn't fight back as some wood crept on her hands and legs, bind her tightly, slowly sucked all the energy she had. Is this really the end?

"I… don't want this…" Ib thought, "There are so many things I want to do… I want to meet my parents and Maya again. I want to go to picnic again with Art Club members, I want… meet him…"

"So, Ib, what's your last wish?"

It was so hard even to open her mouth. But she wanted to say it for the last time. She wanted to call him for the last time.

"Gar…ry…"

With that, she could feel a suffocating pain on her whole body... with a scent of lemon lingered near as her last glimpse of her memory.

The Game is (Not) Over

an Ib fanfiction by Mizumori Fumaira

Disclaimer : Ib©Kouri

Chapter #10 : Promise of Reunion

"Because we will meet each other again!"

Those was his promise to her. To the stoic, red-eyed little girl who went through the World of Guertena with troublesome teenager he was.

Garry wasn't a man who broke a promise easily. But he decided not to meet her before he became more dependable person. Not only a guy who only could push something heavy and shrieked when surprised. He wanted to be someone more than that, in front of the girl who save her and kept him from doing something stupid back then. Somehow, he knew if he let his anger slipped when he startled by the mannequin' head and kicked it, something bad would happen to him.

'Please do not touch the displays. If by any chance you damage any exhibits, you wil… b…. comp….sat…n'

Then again, if Ib didn't talk too much to him back then, he wondered if he still had a will to back to the real world. It had been a while since someone made a decent conversation with him, that time—when there was no single soul who cared about him as a human, except his art teacher.

For him, the real world had been literally a hell. He was no longer care either he could be alive or dead in the World of Guertena seven years ago. But when Ib was there and hold his blue rose carefully, once again he started to think that maybe, life was something that he should cherish.

Days ago, he couldn't believe that time flew so fast. He successfully lived his life, graduated from a good university and became his almamater' teacher. Before he had a chance to search her, she was there, still cherished her memory with him by making such beautiful painting.

Ib was his savior and much more than that, so he wanted to be someone special for her.

Garry pulled his hand from Tezuka' hand, bowing slightly with a small smile.

"I'm sorry, Himeno-dono," Garry looked up, right into his eyes, "but I have to go now."

Tezuka looked back at him with a sharp glance.

"Are you sure you want to give it up? I can even make your life a living hell if you dare to make my daughter cry."

Garry chuckled a little. Life a living hell wasn't something new for him.

"Go ahead, Himeno-dono. Mess around with my life and you will find me no care."

With Haruna' yell heard from a far, Garry quickly ran to his van.

'Hang on there, Ib. You'll make it again, right?'

Garry knew that the only one gate to the World of Guertena was the warehouse where the artworks of him were kept. He drove as fast as he could, maneuvering here and there since the road was a little bit crowded due to weekend jam. As he drove he never stopped to pray to God to always protect her.

His ride should be two hours long, but he managed to cut it to be fifty minutes long. He quickly jumped off from his van, run to the warehouse' gate. It was left ajar, probably by Ib. He opened it, entered the warehouse which surprisingly unlocked. As the darkness welcomed him, he felt something unsettling around him. He searched a certain soothing candy from his pocket, but he realized that he only had one left, because he kept eating them ever since he met Haruna that day. Suddenly he smiled, wondered if Ib would like to accept it again. He kept it again on his pocket, and pulled out his lighter, lit it up.

*cough cough*

He quickly looked at his left, there was The Coughing Man looked at him with a playful glance. Garry sighed, looked at his wristwatch. It was nine p.m. He walked around the warehouse, tried to find the entrance of World of Guertena—any stairs since it was one-floored building or Fabricated World painting or Abyss of The Deep, but he found any…

*splat*

The Bitter Fruit' fruit dropped from its frame, right behind him. He was a bit startled, turned around to find a figure in the darkness. It was a male, with messy hair and tattered long coat, with an empty, dark look. As he came closer he could clearly see who he was...

It was him, his very teenager self. Garry gulped as his former self opened his mouth as he smirked,

"It's... no use... you can't do anything."

"What...?"

Suddenly, he was right before him. His former-self eyes had a sharp glint with a yellow-colored iris. It was still smirking, gripping his shoulder tight.

"You think you can save her? Pathetic. You can do nothing, Garry. It's too late..." he whispered, "It's better for you to go back to Himeno-dono, and make sure your life become better. Didn't you want to see it yourself—France, it is. Show it to mom that you can really make it. That you are not only an useless, piece of a—"

Garry pushed his former-self away, so he fell. Somehow, even though his words were so egoist, those were really alluring. He was sure that his teenager self of him would really think like that in this situation. World was not that kind for him, and he deserved all the good things after he lived through it.

But, Ib was in danger. And he wouldn't forgive himself if something happened to her.

"I don't care if I have to go through the hellish life again if it means I can be together with her," Garry replied sternly, a determined smile on his face. His former-self gained his composure again, and laughed manically.

"Hahahaha... ARE YOU KIDDING ME? You say it's for her sake, but after all, it's just YOUR EGOISTICAL WHIM!" He smirked, looked sharply at him, "Are you sure to drag her to your broken life? Not to mention that you ARE her TEACHER! Can you imagine what will they do with her once they found out? She will be EXPELLED from her school and you PRACTICALLY DRAG HER TO HELL! Is that what you called SAVING HER LIFE?"

Garry gasped. It was true. Everything he said was true. It was just his egoistical whim. To be with her, to be someone special for her, to spend the rest of his life with her... But...

Garry looked deeply at his former-self's eyes. There was not only anger and contempt, but sadness and worry. Garry just realized, that it wasn't his mere former-self, it was his dark side—full of worry, self-loathing, and also his cowardice feeling for Ib.

"You know, you're right," Garry sighed, smiled bitterly as he walked closer to his former-self. "Those are really egoist thoughts of me. We both know that Ib is too precious to be with me, but..."

"I have promised her to give this back, right?" Garry showed a certain white laced-handkerchief, "And now, it's my turn to safe her. After I think about it again, what I really want is seeing her smile again. So I will make sure she will live happily, even she'll end up by someone else."

Garry put a sincere smile on his face. His former-self' anger slowly vanished and there was a relieved smile on his face. Slowly its form shrunk, changed into a form of black cat. It eyed Garry respectfully.

"You did it well, human," he purred, "Come on, I'll show you the way as Mary has ordered me to."

Garry sweat-dropped. That blond little girl seemed still had some hatred toward him as she bothered to make some test of courage (?). But Garry knew that Mary, too, wanted Ib to be safe—since she became (annoyingly) cooperative, as much as he wanted it. He smiled.

"Thank you, um..."

"You can call me Noa. That's what Mary-chan usually called me."

Garry then realized that the cat was form Your Dark Figure, hence the name Noa.

"Alright, Noa. Please take me to Ib' place," Garry knelt. Noa nodded.

"Can you show me the handkerchief?"

Garry showed the handkerchief to him, and he inspected it with his nose. Then he quickly turned around.

"I could sense she was with somthing dangerous. Better find her quick."

Passing through the labyrinth of Guertena' artworks, Garry find himself relieved. Noa was a trustful ally, not to mention he was ordered by Mary. Although he still had some suspicion toward her, but deep down on his heart he believed that Mary thought of Ib as a precious friend.

"Here we are... you can see the painting, Garry?"

Garry' eyes widened. He saw nothing, just an empty space on concrete wall between two paintings. But judging for the width and height of the space, there should be...

"The Fabricated World, shouldn't it? Sorry Noa, I can't see anything but a blank space," Garry said apologetically. Noa sighed deeply.

"Tch... just as I thought, adult humans are so troublesome," he looked around the surrounding as he thought of something else.

"What about Abyss of The Deep?" Garry asked as he remembered how Ib entered the World of Guertena.

"That silly big fish has some trouble with me. Unless you want your live end there, I tried to think another way... Alright, perhaps we should use that way..."

"What way?"

"First thing first, how good are you at completing milk puzzle?"

"Eh? It depends..."

"Around 750 pieces, I think? I can make the copy of Fabricated World painting with the power Mary lends to me, but my power has limitation. It can only work on Guertena-ousama' artworks," Noa cut his words sharply.

"B...but, isn't the Milk Puzzle just a painting?"

"It's true, but there are actually hundred types of that painting consist of 30 pieces each. And we should choose 25 out of them that could compatible with each other to make a blank canvas. It's the only way, Garry, or you prefer to give—"

"Alright, let's do that," Garry cut Noa and start walking to the corridor ahead, where he could see dozen of Milk Puzzle paintings.

Finally, Garry finished the Milk Puzzles. It was like a huge, blank canvas attached on the wall. Garry sighed, looking at his wristwatch. It was 10.25 p.m.

"Alright, now we have finished this..." Noa mumbled, then he jumped several times, punching his paw to the Milk Puzzles. Magically, it was painted by several color, depicting a gallery with some people—The Fabricated World.

"Done. Let's go, Garry. I'm afraid we don't have much time," Noa quickly jumped through the canvas, "...lieve it!"

Garry slowly touched the painting, it was like any other painting—rough surface with concrete wall on its back. He gulped, took some step backward, ready for jump...

*bump!*

"THE HELL?!" Garry grimaced, rubbing his aching shoulder. How could Noa get in without so much trouble? The painting was just ordinary painting for him—although he was grateful that the painting didn't get any single scratch because of him.

"Why... I can't get in?!" Garry slowly stood up, walking in unsteady step as he realized that his left knee was aching too because of the collision. He leaned his body to the painting, hastily punching it with his fist.

"Please, please, I have to... meet her..." Garry begged slowly, "Guertena-ousama or whoever you are, please... let me in... I have to..."

Was the world not accept him again? Because he was an adult? Garry bit his lip. After all those hours he spent to make a way to get in...

"...adult human is so troublesome."

What was the different between child and adult, actually?

"...lieve it!"

In this world...

Garry laughed bitterly in realize. It had been seven years since he faced those kind of things. Of course, having a normal life for a long time made him almost forgot that there were many irrational things in the world. Guertena and his artworks were only some little examples.

"Don't think, just believe it!"

Garry could clearly hear Noa' voice on his head. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes as he reached out for the painting. He could feel the roughness of painting no more, instead he felt a strong force from the void he sensed. With no hesitation, he opened his eyes and walked through the painting.

It felt like he engulfed by the painting.

"That's better than I thought," Noa purred, as he was expecting Garry would come in some frantic way, "but we didn't have much time, I'm afraid. Mind a little exercise?"

Garry grimaced. He didn't remember when the last time he did some exercise.

"Try me."

"W…wait, No…Noa!"

The black cat stopped, turned to the purplette who tried to catch his breath. Noa sighed, but he then smiled apologetically to Garry.

"Sorry, there. I decided to take the longer path without your concern since it'll be troublesome if we met some evil artworks, no?"

"I… appreciate it, thanks Noa," Garry smiled. He was confused before because there was any artworks popped randomly and chased him.

"Now, the problem is… this corridor," Noa looked far away to the seemingly-endless corridor. "I could sense Ib was somewhere in the end of it but…"

Garry inspected the hallway where he was. It was a cyan-colored, dim-lighted hallway. As he looked at the wall beside him, there were some words scripted on it.

The way will be shown to those pure of heart.

"This corridor…" Garry mumbled.

"Oh, you recognize it? Yep, this is that Endless Corridor," Noa looked around more, "but the thing is, that bird wasn't ar—"

Before Noa finished his sentence, the aforementioned blue bird flew rushing toward them. It quickly stopped in front of Noa, fluttered its wings restlessly as it chirped nosily toward rhe black cat.

"DAMN IT! I know it was him… Quick Garry, Ib was absolutely in danger!"

They followed the bird who flew in some pattern. It was longer than the Endless Corridor he visited with Ib seven years ago. Then, darkness welcomed him in the end of the corridor. Still following the bird, they ended up on a blue hall…

"Gar…ry…"

Garry quickly pulled the boy who pinned down Ib on the ground. He quickly punched down the boy without thinking twice.

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO HER?!" Garry shouted angrily. The auburn-haired boy wept his cheek which had been punched, smirked at him.

"Well, it has been a while since I met Ib in this world… could you guess what will a boy and girl trapped alone in situation like this?"

"YOU BRAT—"

"STOP IT, GARRY!" a hoarse shout stopped Garry when he was going to give the auburn-haired boy another punch. Garry quickly turned around, found the long haired brunette tried to stand on her feet again.

She was there, alive. But there were so much bruise and wound on her face, and… was that blood in trickled on her neck?

Garry quickly turned back to the auburn-haired boy, clenched his fist, ready to beat him again. But he felt something pulled him back.

"Ib…"

"It's okay. Just small wounds won't make me die," Ib smiled reassuringly, "the truth is, he really helped me a lot back then."

"But he tried to kill—"

"But I also believe his kindness. That's why, instead of breaking him, I want to help him."

She grabbed one of the broken wood, took a deep breath and jumped toward the seven-foot statue. She swung the wood, aimed for the purple rose on the sculpture. As the rose broke, Garry realized the boy was tightly clutched his chest, fell on his knees.

"Why…I dOn'T… tHiS feELs… iB… dOn'T… hiS nAme… i will bE… wHo saVEs… yOU ARRRGGGHH!"

As the boy screamed in agony, Ib knelt down in front of him.

"Thank you, Ourie… thank you for everything," Ib smiled sincerely, "I know what it feels… to love somebody who loves somebody else… it hurts, doesn't it?"

She held the boy' shoulders tightly.

"Look at me, Ourie, please…"

The boy reluctantly looked on her, there was sadness on his eyes.

"I like you, Ourie. It isn't same as your feeling towards me, but for me, you're also… someone unreplaceable, so, please," Ib reached the side pocket on her backpack, pulled on the single white aster and placed it on his hand.

"Please… don't let the jealousy taint your feelings… just face, and accept it."

Garry quickly ran toward them as the boy bent down to her. Realizing that the boy meant no harm, Garry stopped himself.

"Sorry… I'm sorry, Ib… I didn't really want to hurt you…" the boy mumbled, resting his head on Ib' shoulder

"It's okay, I understand," Ib stroke the boy's back softly, "Thank you, Ourie. And I'm sorry, I couldn't return your feelings…"

"It's okay, Ib… Thank you, for saving me… and believing me, too"

As the boy finished his words, he suddenly vanished into nowhere. Garry just stood there in silent, suddenly remembered their encounter with Mary seven years ago.

If only… if only it ended as good as this one… Mary wouldn't be gone… in loneliness…

*thump*

Without Garry realized, Ib was right there, hugging him tightly. Not long after, the small sobs that escaped her lips turn into cry. Garry didn't understand enough, but he was sure that everything she encountered here… really worn her out—both mentally and physically.

"Gar… ry…" she sobbed, "Gar… ry…"

It hurt, it really hurt when he heard her called his name in such way. He could feel the tightness of her embrace, like he was the only one that she could depend on to. She kept called his name, again and again…

Garry couldn't hold his feeling again. He embraced her back, wrapped his hand on her body as he pulled her more to him.

"I'm sorry, Ib… sorry…."

Although the world of Guertena had nearly-nothing that could make him felt safe, somehow Garry relieved that it existed. In the world of Guertena, he could embrace her as tight as he wanted. In the world of Guertena, they wouldn't be frowned upon. In the world of Guertena, they weren't Aomori Garry the art teacher and Akahana Ib the first grade student. They were just Garry and Ib, who depended on each other to keep both of them alive.

This time, too, he made sure that he wouldn't let anything bad happened to his dearest one.

Now Playing : 1/2 ~a half by Tsukiko Amano

(A/N) : Hellp guys, so sorry that this chapter come late than we're anticipated. I had to pass some exams and there were so many distraction that kept me from finishing the chapter. However, even though the end of this chapter seems a bit... off, I'm glad I can finally use Your Dark Figure and write a romantic scene between our favorite pairing.

As always I wanna give my thanks to the reviewers of latest chapter : , James Birdsong, Mocca-Marocchi, Fiorung, GameAndAnimeFreak; all who contributed in 78 reviews, 76 favorites, and 103 follows; and also to all silent readers out there who enjoyed this story (if there's any). You guys are the reason for me continuing the story. I L U. I've replied your review, please check PM or the end of this specially my dear guest James Birdsong ^ ^

As for the next chap release.. I honestly don't know when I'll be release it. But I'll make sure that this story will be completed one wayor another, hahaha... just wish me luck on finishing my final assignment (which wasn't near from finished, tho) and I will have more time to day dream and concept the next chapter.

Until then, see you. And happy fasting for you who do it

James Birdsong : thanks for drop by and reviewing this story XD I hope you enjoy (or even read) this chapter, too!