Clockwork(Julius Monrey x OC)

♣King♣

When she returned to the clock tower Julius looked up. 

"Ah, Aria, you're-what's wrong?!"He exclaimed. He jumped up and walked over to him. Aria sniffled and shut the door, turning and hugging him. He wrapped his arms around her as she sobbed into his chest. "Aria.." She didn't respond. She pressed closer to him, inhaling. She knew now that her bottle was full. It was time for her story to end. Julius laced his fingers into her hair. "What did Blood say?" Aria stiffened. 

"Nothing of concern..."Aria told him. I don't want to leave! She thought. That was why she was crying now. At first it had been because Blood was such a jerk, but now it was something different. She didn't want to leave Julius at all. She held onto him tightly. He sighed and rested his chin on her hand. 

"Do you want me to speak with him?" She shook her head and pulled away, looking up at him frantically.

"No! He might get angry...and try to shoot you again. I don't want that!"Aria exclaimed. He placed his hands on her shoulders. 

"Alright...it's alright. Relax,"Julius told her. He gave her a confused and concerned look. He lead her over to the table and had her sit down. He crouched down in front of her, looking up at her. "What's got you so worried? And..." Julius' brows wrinkled. "Sad?? Why are you sad?" Arianell gave him a confused look. "I think I just felt what you were feeling.." Arianell's eyes widened. 

"How?"She asked. He shook his head, not sure how. She sighed. 

"I'm sad...because I know it's almost time,"She told him. Arianell gave him a saddened look.  He touched her cheek. "What's going to happen, Julius?"

"The medicine once you're instructed to drink it will put you in whatever world you desire to be in most deep down. It doesn't matter what you want on the surface.."Julius told her quietly. Arianell's tears began to fall. 

"So you're saying if I still deep down wish to return home..."

"Then that's where you'll go." Julius gave her a sad look. He brushed her tears away with his fingers ever so gently. She placed her hand over his and closed her eyes, leaning into it. Julius could feel how much she loved him. He felt his own chest grow cold. He didn't want her to go. And he could feel that she didn't want to either. 

****

Another time period passed. Things were getting...complicated. Arianell hadn't had to make her decision yet, and the longer whoever was making the rules kept her from making that choice, the more she hurt inside. Julius could feel it all. He'd felt every last bit of it. The love she had for him, and the desire she had to remain with him. He hoped that she wouldn't ever leave him, but he knew it was eating away inside her. She hadn't slept since returning from the mansion, and he couldn't blame her. She now sat in a chair next to the window, just staring out at it. Julius watched her with worry. She sensed it and glanced at him. 

"I'm...going to go take a walk in town. Some fresh air may be nice,"She told him. He quickly rose and went to his closet in his side oft the room. He returned with a scarf. She happily accepted it, seeing as it was snowing outside now. She let him wrap it around her neck. He bent down and placed a soft kiss on her lips. 

"Don't stay out too long, I don't want you to catch a cold,"He told her. She nodded at him. She left the tower and walked outside, shivering a little. She stuffed her hands in her pockets and walked silently, not even paying attention to where she was going. 

"It's time." 

She stiffened. She looked around. No one was there. 

"Drink the medicine." 

She slowly felt her hand moving of it's own free will, digging in her shirt and pulling out the bottle. Her hand twisted the top off and she stared at the contents of the small bottle. 

"Drink it."

Her hand forced her to drink it down. She wobbled and fell over to the ground, coughing. Her hands suddenly didn't touch snow anymore. She couldn't think clearly, and she looked down. She blinked at herself. She was sitting on the ground. In front of her, when she looked up, were two paths. Arianell blinked in confusion. In the distance, she could see buildings in one of them. On the other one, she saw a forest. 

"Choose your path and find your desires."

Arianell stared at the paths. Where do I go? She wondered. She rose her hand to her mouth, looking between both paths. Where am I?  (A/N: Allow me to explain if you don't understand. In order for her to make the choice, the creators of the game erased her memories completely so that they could see where her heart wanted her to go.)

"Choose."

"Alright already!"Arianell shouted at the invisible voice. She turned and walked down the path towards the forest. The scenery changed. There were two more paths. She sighed and stared between them. She stayed on the one that lead towards a place with an amusement park. She walked through the park, looking around in curiosity. Around her, people without faces were frozen in place, not doing anything. Everything looked like it was frozen in time. She continued through it until she ended up in some sort of Mansion. She kept walking, her eyes dancing around. She wasn't sure what was happening right now. She couldn't tell where she was, though it felt familiar. 

She kept walking until she spotted a castle with a maze in the distance. What? A castle? She pushed herself in, through the maze. Her eyes were drinking everything in. She was curious about all of it, not sure where she was at all. Her frown danced across her features. When she opened a door through the castle her eyes widened. In front of her was a tall tower surrounded by piles of snow. Snow fell around the tower. She walked forward, moving and pushing the door open. She walked up the long stairs to the top. She exited the tower on a balcony and her lips parted when she saw him. 

A man with blue hair stood at the balcony, looking out over the land. He turned and smiled when he saw her. 

"I knew you'd choose me,"he told her. He stepped forward. 

Arianell's eyes flashed open. She sat up and breathed hard. Her body was cold. She blinked in surprise as her hand brushed snow. Ah-Julius! She thought. She stood up and turned, slipping and falling. She hissed in pain as her knee skidded, but she pushed herself up again and took off running. Arianell had no idea that she'd left the bottle and its necklace laying there. It shimmered and disappeared, its existence no longer required. She ran through the snow back to the tower. Arianell's lungs ached as she breathed in the cold air. She pushed herself hard and fast, knowing she had to make it to the tower. She shoved the door open and ran up the stairs, flying into the office. Julius looked up. He jumped and ran to her, catching her as she jumped on him and hugged him. 

She closed her eyes, holding him to her in an embrace. Her eyes watered as she held him, tears of joy escaping and falling down her face. 

She was home.