Voyagers of Time
Disclaimer:
Professor Layton is owned by Level 5
Digimon Adeventure is owned by Toei Animation
Kamen Rider Zi-O is owned by Ishimori Productions and Toei
Hello, and welcome to my third Professor Layton fanfic. Once again an idea popped in to my head as I was reading the professor Layton games on Wikipedia, and while reading them, one particular entry caught my attention and read the plot, which somewhat interested me…and that was Professor Layton and the Unwound Future.
While I did not play the game personally, due to the fact that I do not own a Nintendo DS/3DS handheld, I did read the plot and managed to follow the flow, and this made me ponder on whether to make a fanfic follow-up or a prequel of sorts, as I only read this entry last June. Nevertheless I decided to keep tabs just in case I find an inspiration.
Then in the middle of last July I was scrolling the Wikipedia page and came across an entry called Voyagers!, a 1982-1983 American TV series, which is about a time traveler who seeks the help of a boy to correct any anomalies of time and history. Out of curiosity I watched it and became intrigued, as the characters went to different time periods to correct any situation that went wrong.
The 20-episodes series was quite a cliffhanger as it was not green-lit for a second season.
Another inspiration is the upcoming tokusatsu show from Japan that also uses time-traveling as a premise, which is Kamen Rider Zi-O, and after getting info, I decided to blend it with elements from Voyagers and with Professor Layton to make an adventure-type fic loaded with drama and action. Of course Layton and his friends will play a part in this story so don't worry.
Moreover, this fic will be half-canon and half-AU, as there will be quite a few differences in terms of plot and executions, and some characters from that game, such as Clive/Klaus, will be here and expect some…historical themes that will be thrown in to the mix.
Well, given that this is the first chapter, expect the story to be a bit slow at first, but it will catch up in the next chapters.
Well, read on and enjoy!
Sixteen years ago…
The scene shifts at an area within England, where a Japanese family of three arrived after leaving the airport, and are going to settle here after leaving japan, wanting to pursue a good life, and they soon found a place to stay, and the family wanted to start life anew. They are identified as the Ichijouji family, and the patriarch talked to the seller who just sold a house to them and the seller tells Mr. Ichijouji to enjoy their new home and assured to them that London is a good place to start a new life.
"Here is the key, Mr. Ichijouji."
"Thank you, sir."
"Sure, no problem."
"We are grateful to you."
"Oh, it's nothing."
"Really, we are very grateful."
"Oh, don't be. Just be yourself and start a new life. I am sure your family will get to enjoy life here in England."
"We will."
Mr. Ichijouji smiled and shook hands with the seller who sold the house, and soon he and his wife settle in, and called their 2-year old son, identified as Ken Ichijouji, to come inside. The toddler went inside as he is in the midst of adjusting to his new environment, and is somewhat shy and reclusive, as he avoid other people and only hugged his parents.
Mrs. Ichijouji then asks her husband if this is okay about moving to London, believing that Ken might have a hard time adjusting here, but Mr. Ichijouji said that this is an opportunity he cannot pass up, as they now have a chance to earn money, and all they can do is guide Ken in growing up and teach him the good manners and faith, so that he won't grow up as a delinquent and being influenced by people with bad influence.
"Believe me, honey…this is for the best."
"But…our son…he might…"
"We'll just have to guide him and show him good influence. That way he won't go astray."
"Really?"
"Yes. We just arrived here, and there is no turning back."
"…"
"Have faith, honey."
"Okay…"
While the parents debated on what to do with their son, who is too young to understand the reason for moving from Odaiba, Japan to London, England, Ken innocently looked around, trying to cope at the fact that he is moving here, and he is holding a teddy bear that is wearing a crown, and dressed like a king, and he innocently went to a chair and sat down, waiting for time to pass.
What Ken does not know, that in the years to come, something would happen and would lead to a situation where he may have to shoulder the burden of what to do to change his destiny. All he can hear right now are his parents debating on what to do and how to ensure that their son would not end up falling to bad people with bad influences.
"Believe me, honey…this is for the best."
"But…our son…he might…"
"We'll just have to guide him and show him good influence. That way he won't go astray."
"Really?"
"Yes. We just arrived here, and there is no turning back."
"…"
"Have faith, honey."
"Okay…"
Ch. 1: Prologue
A few years later…
In the years that followed, Ken Ichijouji slowly got used to living in England, and slowly made friends with children of his age, as he is currently five-years old, and yet he still clutched his teddy bear that is dressed like a king, and one day he and his parents are talking a walk on the business district, which was a typical Saturday.
While walking, Ken paused briefly when he saw what appeared to be a shop full of watches, and his eyes gaze on a display, which shows an assortment of Rolex watches. He became quite enamored at it that he accidentally bumped into someone, who turn out to be Hershel Layton, who is now in his adult life, and Layton saw Ken fell to the ground and he helped the little boy up, apologizing for what happened.
"Oh…"
"…"
"Are you okay?"
"…"
"I'm sorry."
"…"
"You're not hurt? I apologize for bumping onto you."
"…"
Ken only nodded as Layton made sure that the little boy is okay and not hurt in any way, and seeing that the boy is fine, Layton took his leave and went elsewhere, and Ken just stared at him as the person is longer in sight. He wondered what it is about before glancing at the shop where the Rolex watches are in display, watching the items on the shelf. He slowly got fascinated at the Rolex watches, and even the clocks, as the HANDS are pointing at the numbers while the third hand moved that represents the SECONDS, which enable the hands on what time it is at the moment.
By then Ken's parents came, as they became frantic upon noticing that their son is not with them and believed that he was kidnapped and they made a frantic search until managing to find him and they asked where did he go, which Ken said that he is right here in front of the watch shop, staring at the Rolex watches.
As Mr. Ichijouji was relieved that Ken is safe, Mrs. Ichijouji reprimanded her son for straying away, which Ken said that he just stopped and looked at the display, yet she sternly tells him not to go on his own as that would cause problem, and she does not want that to happen again and she told Ken never to do that again or he would get in to trouble.
Mr. Ichijouji urged his wife to let it off since Ken did not do it on purpose but she reiterated that their son must know responsibility in not getting lost or stray from them, and she insisted that Ken must learn to obey his parents regardless of the reasons and that Ken needs to be punished as part of his discipline, which her husband objects.
"Honey…aren't you a bit harsh?"
"No…it's for the best…"
"Ken is still too young…you cannot blame him…"
"Our son must know what he should do so that something like this won't happen again…"
"Ken is safe…that's what's important…"
"No! our son must be disciplined!"
"That's enough…"
"No!"
The bickering caused quite a scene and it slowly affected Ken, which his dad urged him not to mind them and offered to take him to the park so as to calm him down, but his wife tells her husband not to spoil their son, and she tells Ken he is in for a stern lecture, which some passerby saw it and commented that Mrs. Ichijouji is too overbearing and making Ken humiliated just because he stopped to look at a clock and watch store.
"Look at that…"
"What an overbearing mother…"
"She should not be so hard on that boy…"
"I agree…"
"He is just staring at the watches…"
"Is she really caring to her child? Or is she just…?"
"What a horrible parent…"
"Indeed…"
By then the shop owner, who happened to saw Ken staring at the Rolex watches earlier, and after hearing the squabble with the Ichijouji parents, came out and urged them to calm down and not to be so hard on Ken, reminding them that it is natural for Ken to be like that since he is still a child, and said that what mattered is that he is safe and sound.
By then Layton passed by again and saw the scene, in which he asks the shop owner what happened, which the shop owner assured to him that it is nothing serious, and Layton saw Ken again which he greeted him, and Ken did the same. Seeing what a polite boy Ken turn out to be, Layton offered Ken a children's book about a king ruling his kingdom, and a Rolex watch that was given to him by a fellow gentleman as reward for solving a case.
Ken was awed at seeing the Rolex watch and Layton told him that he can have it since he do not really use a Rolex watch these days and felt that Ken would be better off with it, and a very innocent Ken thanked Layton for the gifts which Layton said it is nothing.
"Here…you can have it."
"Really…?"
"Yes."
"…"
"I don't use it these days…"
"Thank you…"
"It's okay…just be a good son to your parents…and stay out of trouble. Got it?"
"Yes…"
However, Mrs. Ichijouji would not want her son to be overly-spoiled and took the watch and books and gave them back to Layton, saying that her son should not accept items from strangers, and Ken objected it which she sternly reprimanded her son, causing Ken to start crying, and Mr. Ichijouji is not pleased, seeing that their son is being humiliated in front of a crowd, and he in turn reprimanded his wife, and this soon caused a scene, which some onlookers started to sympathize with Ken.
As Mrs. Ichijouji started to take Ken and leave, Ken slowly started to resent his mom and refused to go with her, and this angered her and started to spank him, and this in turn angered her husband, where he raised his voice and tells her to stop treating their son harshly, reasoning that Ken did nothing wrong and does not deserve such discipline, and in turn she blames her husband for Ken showing disrespect to her due to being spoiled.
Layton, being the gentleman, offered to mediate the situation but she would not have it and sternly tells him not to intervene between parents and their child as he has no right butting in, which Layton assured to her that he has no ill intention against her or her family.
"But madam…I…"
"You look here!"
"…"
"This is a family problem, so stay out of this!"
"I am not…"
"I will not have my son being duped by strangers! You stay away!"
"But madam, I was only…"
"I mean it! Go away and leave my child alone!"
However, her rather harsh words, couple with her husband reprimanding his wife, and Ken crying, along with Layton defending himself, it caused quite a scene which passerby were not pleased with what Mrs. Ichijouji's actions, and one of them went for help, where one of them found someone and enlisted his aid in dealing with the situation and diffuse it before things get ugly.
The person being approached was Inspector Chelmey, and when he was told about what happened, the inspector went to the scene and urged everyone to calm down, and he began to interrogate Layton and the shop owner what really happened, and after hearing their side, he asked the onlookers for their side, and after that he talked to Ken's parents and asked for their statements.
After hearing it, Chelmey urged the parents not to instill unnecessary harsh discipline since Ken did not get lost on purpose, and urged Mrs. Ichijouji not to be too hard on her son and not act too rude to any strangers unless there is a justifiable reason, and suggested that she go into counseling, which she felt insulted at first, but unwilling to get in the face of a police official, she is forced to stay silent.
There Chelmey tells Mr. Ichijouji to observe maximum tolerance and that he should keep a cool head at all times, which Mr. Ichijouji nodded as he took the inspectors words at heart.
"…so try to calm down at any and all times…"
"Yes, sir."
"And observe maximum tolerance."
"Yes, sir."
"I think you and your wife needed to seek counseling, it seems that you two are having some adjustment troubles here. If your angers get out of control it would affect your son in a bad way."
"We'll do that, inspector. Thank you. I'm sorry we caused a disturbance."
"Very well. You may go, and take your child to a park to help ease what happened."
"Yes, of course."
After that the Ichijouji family left the scene, as Chelmey urged everyone to be on their way, which they did, including Layton, and the day ended without much incident, but the shop owner confided to Chelmey that Mrs. Ichijouji is being too overbearing, as her reprimanding her son was quite too much, and the inspector said that something like this would happen again and if Mr. Ichijouji us unable to keep his wife in check, he might contact the child welfare department to intervene if Ken gets deeply traumatized by his mother's actions.
"…and I might take action if this incident repeated itself."
"I agree. That boy is so innocent."
"I'm surprised that a respected person like Layton was treated rudely by that woman."
"Indeed."
"Hmm…your watch displays are nice."
"Yes…that may be the reason why the boy stopped here…he must have been attracted by the Rolex watches that are on display."
"Really…"
"Yes.."
To Be Continued...
Hope you liked this chapter, and while there is nothing much shown here, apart from some drama…it do foreshadow what's about to appear in the next chapters…
Okay, Ken Ichijouji, a character from the Digimon anime series, appeared, and he seemed to foreshadow a role of sorts, but more of that will be explained in the next chapters…
Layton and Chelmey appeared, and they are the same as in the game, though Luke and Flora are not shown yet…but in the next chapters they will be…
And to let the readers know, this chapter took place between the Unwound Future and the first game that featured Katrielle, thus it's sort of a mid-quel between the two games…
Preview:
The story continue in the next chapter as Layton becomes what he is today…and in the midst of it all, Ken gradually encounter some difficulty…before an incident took place and something appeared in front of him that would affect Layton and his friends…
See you at the first week of October…
Reviews are welcomed…