At the clover tower, piano music filled the air. The scents of before were long gone, the White was combined with grey and washed out green. Three Role Holders walked in, each with a specific plan, Julius to search in his younger sister's room. Meanwhile Nightmare and Gray had to find the body. The temperature was dropping, would they freeze to death? They walked down the steps if they were hearing a piano, they needed to find the music room, the one only she used.
"Foolish demon! Stupid assassin! a perfect guest does not overstay, the perfect guest stays home! This is Clover Fortress. Where you shouldn't come at all!" The other mother yelled. Julius had left, only Nightmare and Gray could hear her, angered by her scolding.
"We are playing idiotic wench!" Yelled Gray into nothing.
"Welcome curious men." She answered with a sweeter tone "You may not believe it, but beauty loved this house. And beauty lives here still... Show yourself!" The voice of the other mother made Gray growl angrily. On one of the black portraits was Juliet pictured from behind, nostalgically playing a black piano "Lovely, isn't she? Come, I have more beauty to show you."
Suddenly the stairs were Gray and Nightmare had been standing on transformed into a ramp made of cold marble. Both of them letting a surprised yelp. Of course, she would, playing with them this way, wishing their deaths. Suddenly they stopped, the floor suddenly straight again.
"Vat ze hell?!" Exclaimed Nightmare.
"This is just getting irritating" added his subordinate.
"Oh, I didn't mean to frighten you. There is much to see, so look alive, and stay together. I'd hate to lose you... so soon." laughed the Beldam. "As you travel you will admire these priceless works of art, perhaps you sense a disquieting metamorphosis?"
It was true, the floor started to fall, locking them in a crystal panel. And after some seconds they were in front of a pretty painting, where Juliet could be seen without wings sitting with Gray. Yet, when a gunshot was heard it changed, there was Juliet crying and holding Gray in her arms.
"I remember this...I almost died...but somehow she saved me." Mumbled Gray. "The three of us fell into Wonderland..."
"Maypee it is a tghik of ze light."
"Of course, it's only a trick of the light. The real beauty of this house awaits us farther on." Answered the voice beaming, causing the men to frown as the box fell once again.
"For fuck's sake!" Exclaimed Gray angered while Nightmare coughed Blood.
Another painting, this time Julius, Gray, Ace, and Juliet sitting and laughing on a picnic cloth. the sharp sound of a knife made the role-holders freeze. The painting now changed showing Juliet looking up at the sky, crying desperately, while Gray was trying to comfort her. Ace had his head buried in Julius' clothes. The tragedy replaying in Gray's head, allowing Nightmare to see the desperate image.
"If I grant thy wish, both will no longer be outsiders. Clocks shall replace the hearts. Thus a role shall be given to thee"
"Anything! Just save him!'
Nightmare was speechless, not even noticing how it fell again, showing a smiling Juliet talking to a brunette dressed the same way as the other mother. They looked like friends, yet later glass seemed to break. Juliet was unconscious and the brunette laughed as she dragged her away.
"Zat bitch!" Exclaumes Nightmare.
"Perfect wording" added Gray.
Fallen again, Juliet looked nostalgic, yet at the ticking of a clock, her hair was now Alice's, dirty blonde. In front of her, a man with glasses waved a watch in front of her. Again, the bells of the clock chimed showing only shadows, grabbing the girl in unspeakable places.
"Role Holders, my dishes, will answer her call,
Your presence is wanted at this melancholic ball."
Nightmare and Gray walked carefully. They followed the melodious sound that echoed through the halls. In the room, found a piano playing moonlight sonata by itself. several other musical instruments in the room accompanied the melody, creating a perfect harmony. Only could they see Juliet's shadow cast on the marble floor. But, where was she? They turned to search for her, finding only poorly made versions of them. Eyes of button parts of their bodies with taxidermy pieces of their respective animal attached to them.
"Incubus and lizard creatures of might...
Escort the beautiful bird through the night."
None of them said anything, going straight to action, battling with all their might against their fakes. Gray noticed something specific, a golden key with the top shaped like a bird. No questions asked. He pulled and suddenly a ripping sound interrupted everything, both fakes screaming in agony as they fell apart, lizards, worms, and caterpillars leaving the cloth bodies and rushing away. Disgusting.
Taking the key from Gray, Nightmare opened a small door they could see on the floor. Once they did, they slowly went down the stairs, the sound of the piece growing louder with outs instruments. No echoes, no nothing. the room was identical to the other, only darker than before, gloomier. And there she was, the beautiful Juliet. Her button eyes looking at the piano keys, concentrated while she finished the last notes with a sigh. Once she did, Gray and Nightmare applauded, getting close.
"Julie..that was amazing!" said Nightmare, feeling anger and sorrow as he saw the glint off of Julie's button eyes.
"T-thanks... I thought you would never come!" said Juliet with a relieved smile. "Oh my, its been so long. The torture to know you might be gone!"
"Don't worry. No matter where you are, I will always find you" Gray hugged his fianceé giving her a small kiss. "I will always find you my sun"
"We need to leave." mentioned Nightmare. The other two nodded, as they hastily left this horrid place.
Julius stared blankly at his sister's Other bedroom door. On it a blue clover with a white shadow of a bird. The handle was constructed of a silver clock ticking for every second. He tried to open it, yet, laughter interrupted him. It was that good for nothing witch. It was getting the clockmaker tired, his hands itching to grab his weapon and shoot at everything.
"Welcome, welcome. Here is a hind for the lord of time: As the bells strike the twelve knolls of midnight. You shall waltz together, and that what you seek you'll find"
When he opened it It was filled to the brim with lizard and clock plushies, and the wall was covered with many sizes and types of blades. She was fond of silver weapons, or blue ones. She preferred silver while he gold. There were pipes all over the room, perhaps reflecting her love for the industrialism London used to have. As he studied one of the lizard plushies, he noticed that on its neck it held a blue bracelet with a dark blue crystal ball charm with little wings on its sides.
"I didn't know my baby sister had so many obsessions," Julius whispered to himself. He made his way towards the object silently grasping his weapon in case anything tried to get in his way.
"There's a party in your honor, and she'll just die if we're late. And now the curious souls, a host approaches to take you to the party and beyond. I'll leave you now, but I'll be waiting for you on the other side. Have a frightfully good time." interrupted the
Julius frowned slightly disturbed.
"I guess you are not the type to dance" a voice identical to his made him turn.
It was himself, but looking exhausted, washed out. Dusty, full of cobwebs as if he hadn't moved in years. Julius only stared, not satisfied with this copy. Ridiculous if he could admit.
"I have no time" stated Julius.
"There you are wrong, we are time, she is time."
"Nonsense, here we are nothing of that." Answered Julius walking backward trying to reach the object. Yet, all the plush toys came to life breaking the pipes, slowly all was going to be drowned. He pointed his gun towards the withering creature of badly sewn cloth. Julius snatched the sapphire from the plushie's neck and yelled as the lizard's soft felt skin became hard and scaly. The thing leaped at him, but he managed to shoot it as well.
He shot the copy as many times as he could until it was just a mess of cloth and cotton floating in the water. Without waiting time Julius opened the hatch, escaping safely to the surface as the water started to dry.
Suddenly, a soft voice came from within the charm, "Brother, my body is safe with Nightmare and Gray. Find us at the Other mansion!"
Julius put the bracelet in his pocket, and rushed out of the place, his clock ticking urgently at the thought of having his sister back.