The pair made their way back to the device in the center of the room, Six with an eager spring in her step. Sure the thing might be dangerous, and she didn''t know what could happen, but she still could not escape the need for answers that her curiosity demanded.


    Harry trailed a bit behind her, being the more cautious of the two for once. It was a weird shift in their dynamic, but Harry was somewhat relieved to see it. The light in her eyes as she solved the puzzle was a far cry better than the usual dim acceptance they usually displayed.


    And it wasn''t like she was completely ignoring the potential for danger around her. He could see her head swivel about, taking in every detail of the room and ensuring she was in relative safety. She was just moving at a far greater pace than she normally would.


    Still, he was happy to see that little bit of her humanity shine through. Thinking about it, ever since he revealed the key she''s been showing more emotion. And after what happened in the ritual room, or to be more precise, their talk afterward, she''s been becoming even more emotional.


    Not in a bad way. If anything, Harry would call it an improvement. She actually appeared more human now, rather than a living doll surviving just to spite the world that hated her. She''s even cracked a few jokes. Sure they were at his expense, but it was still nice to see.


    And with the world constantly trying to drag them into the darkness, that spark of humanity was more important than ever. Without it, if they let that spark wither and die, the Nowhere may just succeed in snuffing it out and swallowing them whole.


    The duo reached the contraption without incident, staring at it with determination. This was it, time to see just what this thingy was supposed to do. Six climbed up on the base, standing in front of the ring that guided the light to the statue with the red jewel in its forehead.


    "This is it. Hand me the lens," Six said, holding out her hand. Harry gave it to her and she stared at it for a moment, marveling at its appearance and texture. It was almost a shame to shove it into the apparatus, but it must be done. Without it, they could progress no further.


    Six carefully got on her tiptoes, reaching out for the ring. She was just tall enough to reach, and though the angle made it a bit difficult, as it had to be inserted from the top, she managed with only a marginal amount of difficulty.


    The bright light turned an ominous red as it traveled towards the mirror, bouncing off the reflective surface and heading straight towards the statue. Once it made contact with the gem, the effect was immediate.


    The angel''s eyes opened with the sound of stone grinding against stone. Hidden beneath the eyelids were a pair of ruby eyes that reminded Harry of Six''s own. Only they were real ruby''s, or very good facsimiles at any rate. But unlike his friend''s eyes, these ones shot lasers.


    Or at least, he didn''t think her eyes could do that, but you never know.


    The concentrated beams of red light hit the empty painting. At first, nothing happened, and Six thought they may have got the puzzle wrong somehow. But after several seconds, a picture began to emerge inside the painting.


    The first thing they could recognize was the water. It was choppy, raging like it was being subjected to a typhoon. Next was the rocks, which formed a tiny island, the waves crashing violently against the shore, spraying water fifty feet in the air. And finally, standing tall and proud against the buffeting winds, was a lighthouse.


    It stood hundreds of feet tall, unbothered by the winds and rain, with a bright blue light shining from the top like a beacon. Square protrusions appeared up and down its surface in various spots, likely rooms of some kind, though they didn''t look like they could hold any weight, leaning in every direction except for straight.


    The lighthouse itself appeared stretched and warped, thin in some places and fat in others, with little cohesion between the two, tilting to one side and twisting to bend to the other.


    Once it was done, the pair could only stare at it, transfixed. But when nothing else happened, they gave each other a confused look.


    "So… is that it?" Harry asked, hoping Six would have a better idea of what was supposed to happen. But she seemed just as befuddled as him, her head tilted to the side in ponderance.


    "I think so. Nothing else seems to be happening. Maybe the painting itself has a clue," she responded, walking up to said painting with Harry following a few steps behind. Once there, she began to inspect every part of the picture, starting with the frame. She wanted to see if anything was different, but much to her frustration, it was exactly the same as before.


    She then moved to the actual piece of art, hoping it provided some sort of clue. But no matter how hard she looked, it appeared to merely be a lighthouse on a tiny island in the middle of a storm.


    "Can you see anything?" she asked, growing frustrated with their lack of progress. Harry hummed in response, moving closer to the painting. He doubted he would be able to spot anything Six would have missed with her superior eyes, but he was willing to give it a shot.


    So far, nothing. There was no hidden image he could see, no secret message coded into the rocks or waves. But one thing that did stick out, was the color of the light. It was blue, the same exact blue as the gem in the other angel statue''s head.


    That had to mean something right? He turned to ask Six her opinion on it, his hand brushing the canvas. But to his surprise, it didn''t feel like any sort of canvas, or paper, or anything one would expect to hold ink. No, it felt like he was touching a pool of maple syrup, or honey.


    Harry tried to pull his hand back, only much to his horror, discovered it to be stuck. He tried pulling it out, but if anything, he started to sink deeper inside. With a gasp he was jerked forward, his whole arm nearly fully inside the painting.


    "Hairy!" Six shouted from where she was inspecting another part of the painting, having heard him gasp. She rushed toward her friend and grabbed him around his waist, pulling as hard as she could, being careful not to let herself get grabbed by the painting as well.


    Unfortunately, Harry stepped on a piece of rubble, likely from one of the wrecked statues in the room. This caused him to trip, allowing the painting to yank his whole head inside. Six, who still had him in her grip, put her own foot against the wall trying to leverage it to keep her friend from disappearing into the painting.


    She wasn''t sure what to do. They kept getting dragged further and further into the painting. Or at least, Harry did. At this rate, it wouldn''t be long until he was completely absorbed into it.


    Seeing this, a dark thought entered her mind. Maybe she should just… let him go. After all, the painting didn''t have a hold on her, why should they both have to die? She could save herself, all she had to do… was let go.


    Her grip slackened, only slightly, but before she could make up her mind fully, before the darkness could fully take hold, she felt a hand on her own. It was Harry''s. Feeling the warmth from his hand renewed her determination, driving back the suffocating malice of the world as she gripped him tighter.


    "Don''t worry Hairy. I won''t let you go," she stated with conviction. But it seemed like Harry had other ideas. Much to her shock, and horror, Harry grabbed her fingers and started to pull them apart, weakening her grip.


    "No! What are you-" but she didn''t need to finish that question. She knew exactly what the noble idiot was doing. He was trying to sacrifice himself to save her. Like she would let that happen.


    "Hairy! You stop that right now, or else!" she threatened. She didn''t know if he could hear her, as she certainly couldn''t hear him, but that didn''t mean she wouldn''t try. She gripped him harder so he would get the message regardless and placed her other foot on the wall, using both legs to pull him out.


    He seemed to get the hint, as he stopped trying to pull her hands off of him. He braced it against the frame, pushing against it with as much leverage as he could muster. Together, they slowly dragged him out, inch by inch.


    His other hand came out of the painting, grabbing onto the frame as well, pushing with all his might. She saw his hands start to glow slightly and knew he was about to use magic to launch himself out of the painting, so she braced herself for what was about to happen.


    Sure enough, he used his power to propel the two of them away from the painting, sliding against the floor until they hit the statue behind them, coming to a stop.


    Harry groaned, sitting up and shaking the cobwebs from his head. That was not the best of landings, but at least he was alive. Looking at the painting, he watched as it seemed to ripple, like a stone thrown on a calm lake. After a few seconds, it calmed down, returning to its previous peaceful state.


    "That was something, huh?" he asked. But when he received no answer, he looked to his left, he spotted his companion, lying there unmoving.


    "Six, are you ok!?" he yelled in worry. When they went flying and hit the statue, she took the brunt of the impact. He reached over to her, gently moving her head so he could take a look at her.


    There wasn''t any blood, so that was good. She was also breathing, which was even better. "Six, wake up, please. Six…" he begged. Even if it didn''t seem like she was hurt that bad, the fact that she wasn''t responding still made him worried.


    He watched as her eyes fluttered open, looking around in confusion before settling onto his own. "Hairy? What''s wrong?" she asked. She watched as he sagged in relief, giving her one of his gentle smiles.


    "Nothing. Everything is fine now," he said. That only confused her more. What could have made him so worried? Her gaze shifted to the room around her and she jolted up, as if struck by lightning. The memory of what just happened flashing through her mind, causing her to glare at her companion.


    Harry gulped at seeing her look, but couldn''t for the life of him figure out what he did to earn her ire. Unlike when his uncle did something stupid to make his aunt mad. He usually knew exactly why she was angry. It wasn''t rocket science, Vernon was just thick in the head.


    And right now, he felt the same. Thick in the head. Because he had no idea what he did wrong, only that he did. "Um, Six… Why are you looking at me like that?" he asked. But that was apparently the wrong thing to say, as he expression darkened even further.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    "Because you''re an idiot. What were you thinking back there?" she demanded. Harry still didn''t seem to understand. "What do you mean? It''s not like I was trying to get eaten by a picture on the wall," he said. However, he was now thinking about the painting he swore was moving earlier and the growling dog with far more concern than previously.


    "You tried to sacrifice yourself! Why would you do that?" she asked. A look of realization crossed his face as he finally understood the reason for her anger. But just because he knew the reason, didn''t mean he understood it.


    "What do you mean why? To protect you of course," Harry stated simply. Six clenched her fist as her gaze shifted to the ground, refusing to meet his eyes.


    "Six?" Harry asked with concern.


    "Do you think that makes you sound brave? Where do you get off trying to leave me all alone again?" she demanded, staring at him with tears forming in her eyes. She wasn''t angry with him for trying to save her, not really. A bit annoyed that he thought she needed saving, but not angry.


    The truth is, she was angry with herself. With her own cowardice. She felt disgusted that she thought, even for a second, of abandoning him. Of letting him go to get swallowed up by that thing. Her stomach twisted in knots just remembering her own weakness, and she projected that insecurity onto him. It wasn''t fair to him, she knew that, but her pride wouldn''t let her own up to it.


    Harry stared at her, eyes wide with shock. "I… I wasn''t," he mumbled, but he couldn''t get the words out. He wasn''t trying to abandon her, he just wanted to keep her safe.


    "Six, listen… I''m sorry. I didn''t mean to hurt you, I just… I can''t stand the thought of something happening to you. You''re the best thing that''s ever happened to me, and I just…" but Harry wasn''t able to finish his sentence, as tears formed in his own eyes.


    Six blinked away the tears, refusing to show her own vulnerabilities. What he said didn''t make her feel better in the slightest. If anything, it made her feel worse. If he knew what she tried to do, would he still call her a friend? Even though he tried to get her to release him, she just wasn''t sure, and his pure, sincere feelings for her made the guilt all the worse. Even if she did change her mind in the end, those thoughts still came from her.


    The willingness to toss him aside to save her own skin was inside of her. And that thought terrified her more than anything.


    "Do you think I want something to happen to you?" Six asked, her intense gaze once more on him. Harry tried to wipe the tears from his eyes, but they stubbornly kept falling.


    "No, but I-"


    "No buts," Six interrupted. "It might sound all well and good to sacrifice yourself for your friends, but it''s just being selfish. How would you feel if I did the same thing for you?"


    Harry didn''t need much time to think about it. He would feel awful. And the guilt would likely never go away, knowing that he was the reason for her death. It would eat away at his insides until he became a shell of his former self.


    "I would hate it," he finally said, in little more than a whisper. Six nodded her head, already knowing the answer, because it was the same one she had. "Exactly. I''m… glad that you care about me, but I care about you too. I know I''m not good at showing it, but I do. And… I want you to stick around, got it? I don''t want to have to say goodbye."


    Harry stared at her, eyes wide at her admission of her feelings. Six had a small blush on her face, as she looked everywhere but at him. He smiled, wiping the tears from his eyes that finally seemed to stop. He gave a small chuckle, which made Six glare at him again.


    "And just what''s so funny?" she demanded. Harry finished wiping his eyes, before giving her a smile. "Nothing," he said, before wrapping her up in a hug. Six gave a small squawk of surprise at the gesture. "Nothing at all. I don''t want to say goodbye either."


    Six rolled her eyes, but returned the hug. The feelings of guilt continued to gnaw at her, but they weren''t as bad as before. She would just have to use this moment as a lesson and make sure she never did anything like that again.


    Because she really wasn''t ready to say goodbye. Her determination to keep a tight leash on her own inner darkness eased the sick feeling in her stomach, at least for now, but she would have to watch it in the future.


    The two sat there, enjoying each other''s warmth, when suddenly, Harry jerked backwards, startling Six. "Oh I almost forgot! The painting!" he shouted. Six tilted her head, confused. What was he going on about now? Did he hit his head or something?


    "You mean the one that nearly ate you? What about it?" she asked. Harry had a glint in his eyes, one that said he knew something that she didn''t. It irked her.


    "That one! I don''t think it was trying to eat me at all! I think it''s some kind of portal," he explained. Her mouth hung open at that, unable to formulate words. It''s not like it''s the strangest thing she''s ever heard, even if it was hard to believe. But even so…


    Her eyes went back to the painting, watching it suspiciously as it hung there with an air of innocence. It still looked like a death trap to her. Like a monster mimicking a painting to lure in its next meal.


    But wait, if it was a portal, doesn''t that mean the emotional turmoil they just went through was for nothing? Her face turned red again as she came to this realization, but it seems Harry did not reach the same conclusion, staring at her with a goofy smile.


    It eased her embarrassment, at least somewhat, and as long as Harry doesn''t mention anything, she would be fine. Taking a deep breath, much to Harry''s confusion, Six centered herself once again, her face an impassive mask of indifference.


    "Are you sure?" she asked. Harry didn''t know what was going through that head of hers and he got the feeling it was better he didn''t know. Girls were just weird sometimes.


    "No idea," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "But it looked that way. I could see inside of there, and it didn''t look like the inside of a monster''s stomach. Trust me, I know what that looks like."


    He shivered just thinking about that giant bird monster. He hoped she choked on her next meal.


    Six gained a contemplative look on her face, considering the implications of travel by painting. "So, what did the inside look like?" she asked. There was a part of her that held a sliver of hope that it could be another way off of the island they were on. But if the painting itself was anything to go by, that was unlikely.


    Harry thought about it for a moment, trying to figure out how to describe what he saw. "Let''s see… There was this huge spinning column right in the center. The room was dark, and mostly empty, but I could see stairs leading upwards in a spiral along the outer wall. I''m pretty sure I could hear a storm outside too."


    "So it leads to the lighthouse in the painting," she surmised, which is exactly what she feared. Even if the painting led somewhere else, it almost certainly led to the image portrayed in the art. In this case, a lighthouse on a tiny island in the middle of a raging storm. It may get them out of the mansion, but it didn''t lead them anywhere better.


    It might even be worse.


    Harry nodded with an eager smile, "That''s what I was thinking. It could also be a way out of this place, right?" he asked. Six sighed, but nodded nonetheless. However, it was her duty to burst his bubble, even if she didn''t want to.


    "Maybe. But that doesn''t exactly paint a pretty picture," she said, gesturing to the painting. Harry glanced at it, but the smirk never left his face.


    "True, but there''s two more paintings, aren''t there?"


    That brought her up short. Looking at the other blank canvases, she wondered if they too would create some kind of portal. If they did, then maybe…


    Maybe they could leave here. It was a long shot, the slimmest of chances, but it was there. And even if it didn''t lead anywhere, there was still the original plan of finding the other key and making their way to the secret door.


    "Well, there''s only one way to find out," she said. Harry leapt up, a feeling of excitement welling up inside him. He held his hand out for Six, which she happily took, letting Harry help her to her feet.


    "Then what are we waiting for?" he asked. The pair then made their way toward the painting, hand in hand. They gazed up at it, determination in their eyes. Gingerly, they reached out their hands, the ones not coiled around each other''s, and placed it upon canvas.


    It rippled from the point of contact, and they felt themselves getting sucked inside. The feeling itself was uncomfortable. Not painful, but unpleasant in a gross way. Like diving into a pool full of snot on a cool spring night.


    It made them want to hold their breath as they were pulled along. But as soon as the sensation washed over them, it was over. They landed in a heap on the hard stone floor, the sounds of crashing waves all around them.


    Standing up, the two of them took in their surroundings. It was just like Harry described earlier. There was a massive stone pillar spinning slowly in a circle in the center of the room. A stone staircase led upward, spiraling around the outer walls, the steps uneven and in rough shape, with large chunks missing from certain spots. Moss and mold grew from various spots along the wall and stairs.


    There were a few crates along with some odds and ends around the room itself, which was massive in scope, easily 300 feet in diameter. Looking behind her, Six could see another painting, though this one showed the room they were just in. She briefly touched it with a finger, feeling that same sticky sensation as before, as the picture rippled outward from her fingertip.


    Pulling her finger back before the painting could try and suck her in, she gave a satisfied nod, knowing they had a way to escape. Six then returned to Harry''s side, who was still observing the rest of the room.


    The only thing he didn''t describe was the cold. The temperature wasn''t freezing, but it was uncomfortable, even with their warmer clothes. Six felt herself shiver a bit, wrapping her arms around herself as thunder rumbled loudly in the sky.


    "Looks like you were right," she said, looking around the room. She was distracted from this by feeling something draped over her shoulders. Looking at it in confusion, she saw it was a brown jacket. A familiar brown jacket.


    Shifting her gaze to Harry, she saw him giving her a smile, before turning to look around the room himself. "How tall do you think this thing is?" he asked, leaning backwards, trying to see just how high up they would have to climb.


    "Hairy?" Six muttered, getting his attention. She had a small glare on her face as she stared him down. "Didn''t we just talk about this?" she asked, gesturing to the jacket around her shoulders.


    "What? You were cold," he stated nonchalantly.


    "And what about you?" she asked with a raised brow. He gave her a grin, holding up his arm like he was showing off his muscles. His tiny, emaciated muscles.


    "What, me? I''m fine. I like the cold. Besides, with all the running around I was doing, I need to cool off a bit."


    She glared at him for a bit longer before her gaze softened a bit, subconsciously pulling the jacked closer to herself. "Thank you…" she mumbled, but Harry heard her all the same, giving her a more sincere smile.


    "Anytime Six."


    She returned his smile with one of her own, though in her own Six way. Which meant that for a normal person they wouldn''t be able to tell. But then her look shifted once more, returning to her previous glare. "But I expect you to tell me if you get cold, got it?"


    "Yes ma''am!" he saluted. Six rolled her eyes at him, turning away so he couldn''t see her little grin. Her eyes traveled to the stairs, frowning at them. She walked over to them, hearing the pitter patter of Harry''s bare feet following behind.


    Knowing he was there, watching her back, brought a new wave of comfort and gratitude to her being. It was the feeling of trust, and wasn''t that a shock. Just barely a day into their friendship, and she already trusted him to have her back.


    The world sure works in mysterious ways. The Nowhere especially.


    But back to the stairs, the size of them made her frown. They clearly weren''t made for someone of their stature.


    "Man, this is going to be fun," Harry complained, rich with sarcasm. Seems like he had the same thought as her. She nodded her head with a sigh, "That''s one way of putting it. But I don''t see another way but up."


    "Hmm, me neither. Maybe it''s a good thing you''re wearing my jacket. Looks like we''re about to work up a sweat," Harry said, mirth in his eyes. He wasn''t looking forward to climbing, literally, up the stairs, but that didn''t mean he couldn''t add a little bit of levity to the situation.


    "So that was your plan all along? Make me the sweaty one? And to think I trusted you," she sighed out, making Harry snicker. Her stomach twisted at her own remark, remembering how she was about to let him go earlier, how she was going to betray his trust, but she banished it from her mind.


    She wouldn''t do it again, but the whispers in the back of her head only seemed amused by that belief. She really hated this place.


    "Right, let''s get started. If the painting is anything to go by, we need to reach the top and take the blue lens. Who knows how long this portal will stay open, so we should hurry," she stated, getting a serious nod from Harry.


    With that, they started to climb the lighthouse stairs, unknowing of the dangers that lurked above.


    <hr>


    Small Omake (Inspired by a review from Endergabri on ff.net)


    "So tell me, what is the purpose of a rubber duck?" Mr. Weasley asked, shoving some freshly cooked bacon into his mouth. Harry, confused, opened his mouth to answer, only to be beaten to the punch by Six.


    "Distraction," she stated plainly, scraping some rather pleasant-smelling jam onto a piece of toast. She still had a hard time processing the fact that she could eat good food every day, but she wouldn''t complain over the fact.


    "A distraction, really?" Mr. Weasley said intrigued.


    "Yes. You throw it and the Residents would run right towards it. The brighter and louder, the better," she said, savoring her first bite. The rest of the Weasleys stared at her, not sure what to make of the explanation. Just what are Residents?


    "Erm, Six. I think he meant what it is to normal people. Not the Residents," Harry whispered to her. This made Six pause and reevaluate her statement.


    "Oh... Then I have no idea."


    Omake end.