Story Summary: Verity Angelrue, your average fangirl of Professor Layton and company, leaves her DSi on... with a Professor Layton game left on standby. Unaware of the fact a malicious villain has infiltrated all of her electronics and is breaking the Fourth Wall of all her games, how will she resolve the mess of more than her fair share of game characters are on the loose?
Disclaimer: I do not own Professor Layton, Level 5 & Nintendo do. I do not own Spyro, Activision & Nintendo (?) currently do. I do not own The Legend of Zelda, I'm just going to go with Nintendo for this one. I do own my OC's, Verity, all from Dog Knights, Spirit Wolves, Cyans Legacy and Sanctuary.
I opened the large lid of my 3DS-XL, the cartridge for Professor Layton and the Lost Future. I shook with excitement as I climbed the Mobile Fortress, scaling the magnificent construction as the ground trembled with every giving moment. The puzzles where no match for my hardy mind; after all, I'd played this game too many times to count! The excitement, however, died down upon seeing Flora in a glass cage. Something inside of me stirred, a feeling of justice, a will to save the young girl from the situation. I shifted my weight, suddenly uncomfortable. Why did I feel so strongly about justice inside of a game? It was a mystery I knew I'd never solve. Well, before the events that were to follow that very day...
I'd left to go shopping; after all, no lady would force her diseased mother out on such a cold, wet day as this, would they? I'd taken little more than an hour at the shop, and my 3DS was already flashing red, begging to be charged before it died and lost my progress. I smiled, plugging it in, before jumping into my desk chair and resuming the game. I managed to get to the stage in which Celeste jumps back aboard the Mobile Fortress to save Clive; almost sobbing as I knew what was to come. However, that wasn't to last. A voice sounded through the air, as clear as day. It seemed to be coming from my 3DS, beckoning me to listen.
"I know who you are, my dear. I know that you have been educated of such a thing as the Fourth Wall... however, have you ever began to wonder... what if somebody broke it? All we'd have to do is break it, and terror would pour down on your world like that of a waterfall."
The voice began to break, slowly creeping into a cackle of laughter. Faces of the antagonists of the media, slowly followed by faces of the protagonists. Some characters seemed to have minute crosses by their names - notably Sparx from the Legend of Spyro, Zelda from the eponymous series, and Ortensia from Epic Mickey.
My heart skipped a beat; my first instinct to run to my mother and hide. However, I was too stubborn and dense to realise the scale of the situation, instead choosing to believe - as any sane person would - that I had bought a knock-off game. I sighed with displeasure, pinching my sinuses as I tried to calm myself. I logged onto my computer, rapidly bringing up the OST's for Miracle Mask and Azran Legacy, clearing my mind ever so slowly until I finally fell asleep.
The Professor stood next to me, smiling at me as he held a key in his hands. We were walking through a deep, dark forest in the pitch black of night. The only lights that existed to be seen presented themselves in the form of the moon, and a small torch being handled by none other than myself. I raised it to see past Professor Layton, revealing the silhouette of a large tower in the distance. We approached the tower in what seemed like hours, but must've only been but a minute or two. Another form gasped as the shadow of a large owl passed overhead, momentarily blocking the moon. I identified it as Flora; though Emmy stood over her, hand over mouth at the sight of the owl. Even Layton was flabbergasted by it's appearance. I looked over to where we'd last seen the owl, and it suddenly occured to me... I -
I woke up. I seemed sticky; presumably sweat from the summer heat. My chest-length mousey brown hair kept me from over-heating; and my olive skin kept me from burning too much. My instincts had kept me from choosing unsuitable clothes for the day, my decision being to wear my loose purple silk dress, with black flip-flops. I smiled at the suitable choice, forcing myself out of my bed to sort out my hair. After a quick, firm brush I looked presentable again, and headed down to the kitchen. My mum was at hospital again; her appointments were becoming more often - the hospital could've been her second home looking at the length of her appointments and how many she'd had in the last month. I sighed, sitting back on my bed in a sudden fog of grief. How long would she last? It would only be a matter of months before I would be found on the streets... or worse, into the hands of my father.
As I fell into thought about my plans for the future, I heard a dull, droning sound. I snapped out of my imagination and back into reality to see exactly what I had dreaded. Professor Layton.
"So... what, are you that creep from earlier? Should've known you were a cosplayer. If you are, you are free to leave right now, before I call the police. I'll have you know I won't accept -" I started.
"I am sorry, I do not know of this 'creep' you ran into earlier. However, I apologise for the intrusion... I'm not exactly sure how I got here in the first place. Oh, and if you would mind... where am I?" He asked, clearly distraught. I was beginning to regret shouting at the stranger, whether he was the real deal or not.
"Hmm... before I tell you anything, I'd like to know your name."
"Professor Layton; I work at Gressenheller University. Frankly, I'm pleased. Everyone else I've met seems to know just about everything there is to know about me..."
"Well, actually... I was hoping you weren't Professor Layton. I'm still not convinced. I'm sorry about this, but can I challenge you to a battle of wits?
"It would be my pleasure, miss..."
"Verity Angelrue at your service. How about you solve this puzzle - I'll solve any puzzle you may have collected in return. However, I must state that there is a ban on hint coins.
"Of course, Miss Angelrue. It is the duty of every gentleman to oblige to the conditions set in a lady's own household."
"Cool! Then we'll get along just fine!"
I handed him a puzzle, the instructions written in my own, messy handwriting. I grimaced when he squinted, trying his hardest to decipher her handwork.
When he finally managed to read her writing, he began to flip the pieces of the puzzle until they were in place, and handed me the box.
"Oh my... you really are Professor Layton. Nobody has ever beaten this puzzle in that little time! I guess that means I have to tell you the truth. You are no longer in London. You aren't even in your world."
"What on earth could you be implying?!"
"You are in Oxfordshire, England. MY England, a very different place to yours." I finished, handing him a game, entitled 'Professor Layton VS Ace Attorney'.
"You can't possibly think -"
"I don't believe it either, but you come from in there. I have a feeling you know of the other man mentioned in this game..."
"THAT'S MR WRIGHT AND MISS MAYA!" Exclaimed a high pitched, excited voice. A boy in blue rushed into her room from the halls and gasped.
"But why are they on a game cover? Why are WE on there?"
I looked at the Professor, cringing, before revealing to Luke what I had revealed to the professor...
"What!? How did we get here?" Luke inquired, his face red with a mix of excitement and annoyance. He stared at me accusatively.
"Nothing to do with me, I'm just your normal teenage girl. I don't know how you're here either, just that you are here. Where were you last at?"
"Future London."
"'Future' London? I guess that means I can't show you that game... however, I can show you this..." I inserted the Eternal Diva CD into the disk drive of my computer, pressing play as the window popped up to notify me that the disks contents had loaded. The Professor watched intently, confused by how the screen had depicted the exact events of the mystery.
Upon pausing the movie about ten minutes in, I rose from my bed. The events were all too clear in my head, and new fear and suspicion clouded my mind.
"Professor, if you've come out, are you the only ones?"
His expression changed rapidly, a look of almost horror filling his face, before returning to his normal, gentlemanly disposition. He contemplated his surroundings, and the fact the DS seemed to still be on. He inspected it, removing the cartridge for Lost Future and inserting Azran Legacy. He played through for a while.
"It seems distorted; my memories do not match up to this!" He exclaimed, showing Verity the screen. Emmy and Desmond seemed to be in the woods, martial arts versus sword. They fought, before Emmy took a lethal blow to the chest. I gasped in horror, as the two seemed to rise from the screen, a shocked expression on both of their faces. That's all I remember before reportedly blacking out.
I ran out of the door, keen to dodge the rush hour. I'd had an idea. The Professor had nowhere to go, and I had an empty cellar I could lend to him. It'd passed my mind that I would need even more food and drink; as well as some books - a form of entertainment for the two unexpected guests. I left a note in case my mother returned while I was out, and sprinted to the shop.
As I ran back home after retrieving the items I needed, I noticed a friend on the streets. To be precise, a friend name Zollea. Zollea was a cheerful, hyper lover of all things Professor Layton and Zelda. She had waist length golden-blonde hair and startlingly deep blue eyes. I sniggered at the situation. I wonder what would've occurred if a particular twenty year old antagonist from Lost Future appeared out of the game... a whole load of fangasms!
"Hey! Ver, how are you today? Could I come round soon? Tomorrow? OOH! Could I see one of your puzzles? Please, please, pretty please?!"
"Hi Zollea! I'm fine, how about you? I can't have you round tomorrow, too busy with the family. However, I've got this Sunday free... maybe then?"
She nodded, acknowledging my response as I finished the run back to my house. However, by the time I was back, my mother was ballistic, her expression hiding the weakness and worry that her voice gave out.
"Where were you? I thought you'd only be a few minutes!" She asked, face stern and voice strict.
"I got caught up with Zollea; we were arranging when we can meet up again." I answered, "And there were some great DVDs in the shop!"
"Let me guess... something Spyro or Professor Layton?" She asked, now smiling.
"Yep!" I answered, laughing.
When I entered my room, something felt off. An odd presence could be felt from my room. Emmy and Desmond from earlier hadn't managed to escape, cut off by us moments before thy broke free; so it certainly wasn't them. I sighed, before looking at the spot there had one been nothing.
"Flora. Thought so, couldn't have been anyone else." I said, checking the cartridge. It was Lost Future, but Flora seemed clueless; I assumed she had come from the new save file.
"Where am I? Where's the Professor?" She asked.
"You're in my house, in Didcot, Oxfordshire. The Professor... well, I can't take you to him right now, or I'll raise suspicion. I need you to stay outside the front door and pretend to be one of my school friends for now. Say your name is... Clara. I'm Verity."
"Umm... alright..." She answered, nervously.
Now came the problem. My mother would recognize who Flora was, she'd played the games before too. She would either send them out, accusing them of being weird, and a bad influence, or think it a mere coincidence.
"Hello, who is it?" Asked my mum in a drone-like voice.
"U-uh, I'm F-Clara, one of Veritys friends."
Mother opened the door and let her in, giving her a weird look when she saw how similar she was to a particular character she'd seen before. She obviously didn't pay it much attention, as she dismissed the fact that the fringe and clothes were identicle.
"We're going out clothes shopping, she's going to stay here for a few days, her parents are out until the weekend."
"She could have arranged it earlier, couldn't she?" Asked my mum. I rolled my eyes.
"Life is full of surprises, get over it!"
Authors Note:
I really enjoyed re-writing this chapter, I shall certainly rewrite the others soon!
-Kat