White Roses Chapter 20

"Art doesn't have to be pretty. It has to be meaningful."

-Duane Hanson

Golden spheres bound together, strung in rows. They bleed and glow, like sparkling snow caressed lovingly by flares and rays. Once the world dims, an aching loss of guidance and light, do they replace the beaten path, opening ways not sought, for they create the winding road, a twisting journey around the brush of that which is unknown.

Golden lights lead the way, testimonies of guidance long forgot, for the longest path is the best path, without a shortcut to get lost.

The sun was close to setting as Ib and Garry made their way back to the game stall they had seen earlier. They walked close to each other, their arms brushing, and each had the want to hold the other's hand, but were too shy to instigate the act.

All around them people bustled and talked, couples held hands and exchanged touch, and small children clung to their parents, watching the crowd flow with curiosity. Everyone seemed to be part of a large river, the current flowing down the street, and some fish struggled against the current to reach their destinations.

Ib felt like one of those fish, fighting to get where she wanted when the current and other fish were heading the opposite direction. She felt small in that regard, like her existence wasn't anything too important, but also content because Garry was with her. Ib was not alone in her journey, no matter how small or unimportant it was.

"There's the stall." She looked towards the building Garry was pointing at, a small shack with a counter where five guns laid. A child held one of them up and fired at a stack of cups, but missed. "Seems like they use corks as ammo."

Ib didn't need to reply, and followed her companion over to the stall.

"Hello there, and welcome to my establishment. Knock down the cups and you win a prize. The number of stacks you knock down determines what size your prize is. Three ammo rounds are five dollars, five rounds are seven dollars, and ten rounds are twelve dollars. The number of rounds corresponds to the number of stacks you can knock down. So, how many will you be playing?" The owner asked, smiling good-naturedly.

Garry hesitated, unsure of how much he wanted to spend on a game that was likely difficult to win. However, the large donut would be a rather funny gift for his sister. He wondered if Ib was a fan of stuffed animals, but didn't want to ask and promise to win her something only to fail.

"I'll try the three for now," Garry finally answered. He handed over the correct amount of cash and took the three corks from the owner. He chose the gun one over from the center and aimed at a stack, trying to line it up. The gun-though harmless-felt strange in his hands, but he tried to ignore it. He fired at the stack, but the cork barely grazed one of the cups.

Disappointed, Garry tried again, but didn't even hit the stack and nearly hit the owner when it ricocheted off the wall.

"Can I try?" Ib asked, worried that Garry would harm someone if he tried again.

Garry nodded and handed her his last round along with the gun. Ib stood closer to the booth and raised the gun with both hands, channeling all the movies she'd seen and that one academic video on how to handle guns that she saw by mistake. She adjusted her feet so that they were shoulder length apart with the foot opposite her dominant hand extended a bit further, and she bent her knees a bit while leaning forward just a tad. She practiced aiming, trying to get the best visual, and took several deep breaths before firing after exhaling.

The stack was knocked over.

Garry's jaw dropped, "Woah, how did you do that?"

Ib lowered the faux firearm and placed it on the counter carefully. "I saw a program on it once, and tried to remember what they said."

"You remembered the program?" The owner asked doubtfully.

Ib blushed, "It was an interesting program."

"Ib, that's so cool!" Garry excitedly proclaimed. "Can you show me how?"

The two ordered another round of three for Garry, but Ib bought seven. The owner watched, amused that such a small girl was seriously teaching the tall man how to use a fake gun to knock down cup stacks, but also knowingly as he could tell there was something between them. He saw many couples during the festival, and he was bound to see more before he closed shop, but very few of them were as close as these two children. They shared an inseparable bond.

Garry didn't get the hang of it immediately, but he did succeed in knocking down four stacks before calling it quits, and Ib knocked all but one of her ten stacks. She overheard Garry mumble that he didn't have enough to get his sister the doughnut, and promptly asked what colour she would want.

"No, don't worry about it, please. I'll just try harder to win next time." Garry tried to reason.

Ib dug her shoe shyly into the ground and looked up at Garry, "I don't mind. I didn't really want anything,really." Garry watched her eyes drift to one of the smaller prizes, a stuffed yellow chick.

He sighed, "She likes green."

Ib turned around to ask for the large green doughnut, exchanging all her points for it, and then handed it to Garry.

"Can you go to jewelry booth with me?" Ib nervously asked, digging her shoes into the ground to distract herself.

"Sure, but can I meet you there?" Garry asked, trying to hide a smile at his plan.

Ib nodded and started off before coming back, "Don't get lost. It's four booths down on this side."

The owner laughed at the exchange, causing Garry to blush and assure Ib that he wouldn't get lost. Once Ib was enough distance away, Garry turned back to the owner, "Can I have that yellow chick, please?"

"It's worth five point, kid." The owner looked away when Garry's face dipped into disappointment, "However, the little missy must have forgotten that she had an extra point from when she scored for you. I guess, seeing as how you did buy those rounds, that the point is yours to use freely."

"Thank you very much!"

The owner waved him off, "You better not keep the little miss waiting long, she sure knows how to shoot."

Garry chuckled at the joke good-naturedly as he went to go meet Ib at the jewelry booth. As he walked down the road, the small stuffed chick hidden inside his kimono, he heard a somewhat familiar voice call out to him. He paused and turned, wondering who it was, and was promptly met by a girl from his cooking class, Cherry was it?

"Hiya, Garry, you look handsome in your yukata," She complimented, running a hand through her brown hair. Brown hair that wasn't dark like Ib's, the girl he should really be getting back to.

"Um, hi there," Garry - however - was taught respect and hospitality. He would simply engage in some menial two-bit conversation for a moment, and then go back to finding Ib. "You look nice as well."

"Thank you! So, I was walking around and noticed this really interesting booth that's giving out really cute prizes to couples that can answer questions about one another correctly..." She trailed off, waiting for Garry to fill in the blanks.

However, Garry was oblivious. "Really? I'll have to tell Ib so we can go check it out."

The girl's face fell, "No, I meant that you should go with me."

Garry furrowed his brows in confusion, "But we barely know each other, and I'm hanging out with Ib right now."

"Well, what about later? You're just friends, so it shouldn't be a problem, right?"

"W-well, I asked her out to the festival, I mean. Sorry, Cherry."

She lips stretched into a thin line, "It's Sherry, Sherry Lakefield."

"I'm so sorry, I was sure it was Cherry!"

At that moment, Ib walked out of the booth next door and pulled on Garry's sleeve, "Did you get lost?"

Garry sweatdropped as he shook his head, "No, I just ran into Sherry, one of my classmates."

Ib looked to the other girl, taking in the pink streak in her hair and her hazel eyes, and mulled over the name before recognizing it as the one Lucy had told her about. "Good evening, Sherry."

When Sherry looked away, uncomfortable with Ib's gaze, the shorter girl didn't feel an ounce of remorse or sympathy. Sherry was the one who Lucy warned her about, who split Lucy and her best friend up, and who-as Lucy and Rose warned-might try to take Garry away from her like Lucy's friend. Ib didn't like the feeling she was experiencing, but remembered how helpless she felt when she lost Amelia and Luno for a time, and how she felt at the prospect of losing Garry, who she had feelings for that were above the friendship level.

"If you ever get bored of hanging around here come find me, Garry." Sherry stated, looking straight at Ib in contempt, and then melded back into the crowd.

Garry could feel something strange going on next to him, and he slowly looked down at Ib. The girl was still staring in the direction Sherry had last been seen harshly, her lips slightly pursed, and her grip just a bit tighter. The lavenderette wasn't sure how to approach her at that moment, the brunette scaring him with her very aura.

The malevolent feeling passed and Ib returned to normal, her face red in embarrassment at her actions.

"Are you alright?" Garry asked softly, unsure if it was safe to address the topic.

Ib nodded, playing with Garry's hand. "Sorry, I just..."

The lavenderette couldn't stop the small smile that crossed his lips. Ib was really cute when she was embarrassed. Besides from that, it seemed Ib was upset over Sherry's appearance, but why? Could it be that she was, dare he guess, jealous? His eyes widened at this thought, secretly wanting it to be true, but didn't dare broach the topic out loud.

Ib and Garry headed over to the jewelry stand, casually glancing through the glittering merchandise.

The brunette looked through the selection with a keen eye, intent on finding a suitable gift for her mother. The woman had a soft spot for accessories and kept her collection in the very jewelry box her own mother had given her as a wedding present. Any gift Ib had given her mother that was remotely related to jewelry always went inside the heirloom for safe keeping.

She came across several pieces her mother would have liked, but finally decided on an antique-looking amber link bracelet. Ib's mother always wore and appreciated practical jewelry that didn't dangle as her job didn't allow for such leniency. It was perfect.

While browsing a bit more, Ib was suddenly attracted to two pieces of jewelry: one was a silver rose ear cuff that was engraved with intricate vines and the other was a necklace with three tiny fake roses (red, blue, and yellow) entwined within a small vial. The two intrigued her, making her think of Garry and Mary instantly. She nearly blushed at the image of Garry wearing an ear cuff, but paused. Ib didn't want to purchase Garry a gift that he wouldn't wear. Perhaps she should ask him about it first?

She searched out her companion, finding him on the other side of the stall looking at something. A quick call of his name made him jump in surprise, electing a large "eek" that made Ib secretly smile at how cute it was. She would never tell Garry that though, he would probably pretend to laugh it off, but be embarrassed all the same.

"Garry, do you like this?" Ib asked, holding out the silver ear cuff for him to see.

He carefully took it and examined the piece with a contemplative look before finally nodding as he handed it back to her. "Yeah, the design is really intricate. You can't find things like this in the big cities, and for such a low price too!"

Ib nodded in agreement, but wasn't too sure if he was right. Her mother had some pretty impressive pieces.

Garry fidgeted a moment before presenting her with a small golden ring, "What do you think about this, it's ironic-the rose pattern, right?"

Ib took the golden coloured ring and held it  at eye level. The design was simple and nearly vintage in appearance, the sculpted roses raised before molding back into the ring without fault. Ib was impressed at the level of craftsmanship for the roses, which was both eye catching and excellently done. She almost smiled at the thought of a golden rose, but the flower made her feel conflicted. She didn't mind buying a rose-themed gift for Mary and leaf/vine themed jewelry for Garry, but something about receiving roses after what they'd been through made her feel a tad uneasy.

However, Ib also liked roses. The flower always caught her eye and made her feel...strange, like a wistful feeling tinged with a soft shade of sadness.

"The design is quite amazing for such a simple piece."

Garry smiled at her answer, then indicated to the other piece in her hands, "What about that one, are you buying that?

Ib nodded, "For Mary, we'll be seeing her soon. It...just seems to match her."

Garry examined the necklace for a moment before nodding, "Yeah, I don't know why, but I feel like it fits her, too."

"Hey, will you try the ring on?" He suddenly asked, and then floundered around to make his words seem less intimate. "M-my sister, yeah, she has slimmer fingers like yours, so, you might be the same size?"

Ib just blinked and slipped the ring on. It seemed to fit well enough as it didn't fall off when she put her hand down or moved the appendage around. She slipped it off and handed it back, "I'm going to go check-out."

Ib turned around and went to the front, leaving one lavenderette to nearly fall on the floor in embarrassment.

The prices were rather low, something of a miracle for such nice pieces, and they even wrapped her mother's and Mary's gift. Garry made his purchases while Ib went in search of the time. When she had finally found someone with a watch, Garry had caught up to her.

They headed back to the table they ate at an hour before to meet up with Amelia and Luno. The fun was mostly over with and their work began. Objective: find Soaru and make sure he staid unharmed.

"Ib, Garry, over here!" Amelia called out, waving them over from her spot near the narrow gap next to the restaurant. The table had been compromised by another group of people, which wasn't really surprising as it was still busy.

"So, how ya doing?" Amelia asked, playfully using her elbow to tap Ib's upper arm multiple times, her brows wagging for effect.

Ib didn't understand.

"We played a game and I bought some souvenirs." Ib responded, "What did you do?"

"I won this giant plushie thing for Luno to give to Lumi. He's not very good at darts and didn't have enough tickets." Amelia gloated, but only a tad.

Garry silently put his hand on Luno's shoulder in understanding.

"What game-booth did Ib win the doughnut at?" Luno nearly whispered as the two girls went off about some other topic he wasn't listening to.

"The shooting one."

Luno casted him a surprised look before it melted away into one of understanding, "This doesn't look good for us. I was half positive that Amelia would be proficient at throwing projectiles, but Ib - that girl right there - shooting a gun? That must have been a sight to see."

Garry nodded, remembering the brunette's concentrated and steady look. It was, if he was being honest with himself, really hot. Of course, Garry wasn't one for violence without very very good cause (like self-defense in a life threatening altercation), but even he had his own moments of intense anger, such as the case with Dmitri. If Ib (and Amelia, but he barely noticed her at the time) hadn't stopped him then he probably would have punched the other teen hard enough to break a bone.

He was called back to earth by Luno's elbow in his side, "Let's start the search."

"We spotted him earlier heading towards the northern ruins. There's a large field somewhere around there that's an ideal spot for couples. It's normally empty as it's rather far from the festivities and closer to the edge of the city. Do you want to start there?" Luno asked, addressing Ib and Garry.

The two simply nodded their consent, "It's the only lead we have at the moment."

"We should keep an eye out though, he could have come back," Amelia reminded them as they began to follow Luno.

"How do you know about this place anyway?" Garry asked the other boy.

"I've been attending this school for nearly two years; you learn a few things in that time." Luno stated, but the grinding of his teeth and grumbling made them wonder if there was more to the story.

"Lumi and Neah?" Ib guessed, though she was rather confident in her answer.

Her response was met with more grumbles.

"Luno has a sister-complex~" Amelia sang, and dodged when the fair-blond swatted at her in irritation.

"I just don't like that bed-head!"

"So, you'd be okay with Liam dating her?" Amelia asked, waiting for the inevitable.

Luno stopped dead and, looking at her seriously, asked "does he like her?"

The strange aura emitting from the boy made Amelia shrink back a little and laugh nervously, "No, no, I was just joking."

"I see," Luno stoically replied before the air seemed to disperse and silence settled over them.

Garry and Ib merely watched, nodding when Amelia mouthed 'major sister-complex' and indicated with her head towards Luno.

They reached the northern ruins in under twenty minutes. The buildings were closer together and dilapidated; however, the dim lighting gave birth to a starlit sky. In the not too far distance, Garry spotted a silhouette near a narrow alley way. The figure simply stood there quietly, head pointed towards the sky above.

The silent shadow turned towards them, acknowledging their presence, and started moving from foot to foot nervously before standing still when they were finally upon him. "I know you aren't here for the sightseeing."

Soaru looked at them stoically, singularly at Luno, "Are you here about what you said, Luno?"

Amelia took a step forward, "Soaru, we're just trying to help you, I promise!"

He flinched back, "No! You," he angrily glared at Luno, "ever since yesterday there's been someone watching me, waiting for me to let my guard down! You all must be the culprits; please, stop it at once!"

They stared at him, aghast at how he could have come to such a conclusion. He had seemed fine when they saw him last, a bit shaken at what Luno told him, but not paranoid.

"Is this your revenge, Amelia? Watching me suffer from psychological manipulation; how are you even doing it? How are you all watching me, messing with my things, and whispering at me?"

"What are you talking about? We aren't doing anything like that!" Amelia cried out, horrified that the Japanese youth was experiencing such chaos and that he thought it was them.

"Lies! I'm sorry about what Dmitri said to you, he did go too far, but what was I supposed to do?" Soaru cried and, for the first time that Ib and Garry had known him, looked panicked. His eyes were a bit too wide, his hands moving frantically to run through his hair or crumple his yukata, both of which were now messy, and there was a pinch to his face.

"I know we don't really know each other well, but please listen to me a moment," Garry cautiously tried to reason. He kept his hands where Soaru could see them as he talked. "The anxiety you're feeling right now isn't your own. Your emotions are being manipulated and amplified by someone else. Think about it, Luno talked to you yesterday; it hasn't been enough time for you to feel this panicked and threatened. We aren't here to harm you-we want to help."

"Please, let us help you." Garry had slowly moved closer to Soaru, and that was his downfall.

Soaru lashed out, his fist barely grazed Garry's arm as the lavenderette jumped back. "Stay away from me!"

"Guys," Ib suddenly spoke in a voice just barely above a whisper.

Soaru remained unawares as to what they were seeing when they stared at his arm, but the appendage did feel rather heavy all of a sudden.

"So, that's Cycloptic Smile?" Amelia voiced, eyes wide in surprise at seeing such a thing outside of the Gallery.

The girl was...odd, both in the way she looked and the air around her. The eye was certainly disconcerting and a dead giveaway that she probably wasn't human. The tops of her fingers were hypothermia blue, veins purple briar laced in intricate patterns that faded around her wrists, and her nails were bitten to the nub and bloody and from that, she looked like a rather plain girl clinging to someone she was familiar with, such as a brother or boyfriend.

Her mouth split, revealing pristine teeth, and stretched into something that could only resemble a nightmare.

"Well, I wasn't planning on sleeping for awhile anyway," Luno mumbled, unnerved by the girl's ghastly appearance.

The others didn't comment, the scene almost too phantasmagorical for them to handle.

Soaru quickly snapped them back to the present by demanding that they stop staring at his arm. "Just what is wrong with you all?"

"I'll tell you the truth, Soaru," Luno stated, trying to keep his eyes from fixating on the painting. "There's something much bigger going on, something bigger than even we understand, and you're in the crossfire because of us."

"You did us a favour by distancing yourself, even if we didn't realize it at the time. However, tabs are still being kept on the people closest to us. The most dangerous enemy can't harm you physically, but there is someone who can...she's standing right next to you."

Soaru's face paled a bit, but he bravely looked over to see if the person was visible. He saw nothing but empty space. An odd negative space. It urged him to look away but stare at the same time, and then he could make out something that suspiciously looked to him like the outline of a hand on his upper arm.

He looked back at them, fearful. "I-I think I can see her."

Before they could react or question how this was possible (though a miracle in itself), the tiny girl pushed Soaru into the alley. Though it looked soft and dainty, the simple movement made by a girl no more than five foot two sent the Asian man flying sideways...

And then he was gone.