It was a beautiful day outside, but all she could see was destruction. Her eyes stared blankly out into the open fields and pastures. It would usually have been a great start of a great day for the girl formerly known as Emmy. And it was; that is, until she saw the morning paper.
'London left in disarray, almost totaled!' The front page said. Allie had read it over and over again in hopes of hearing whom survived, but could get no answer. Thus, when she looked out into the bright and sunny day in the little town she lived in, all she saw was a ruined London, a dead Professor Layton and Luke.
"It's lovely in Hoogland, la, la la, la la, la la…" Sang the voice of a little girl no more than two years old, no less than one. Hoogland, that was the place Emmy ran off to after leaving her spot as Professor Layton's assistant. Only three other places could have worked as well; Phong Gi, Torrido, and Mosinnia. All three, along with Hoogland, were fairly out of the way. No one would find her if she went to any one of those places. Why Hoogland? Well, Phong Gi was a bit too remote for her tastes. She didn't fancy no electricity and wearing her hair like a mushroom. Torrido was ok, but much more hot than she'd like. Not to mention the fact that she didn't really like some of the residents, such as Jesse. Jesse was way too cocky for her tastes. It would get lonely very quickly if she lived there… As for Mosinnia, she wasn't particularly sure why she didn't choose that town. Perhaps it was just the simple fact that Romilda and Julien lived in Hoogland that kept her from going to any of the other towns. She rather liked those two, and the other residents of the place. Except Sheppard, she liked him about as much as she liked Jesse. But for now, that didn't matter; because here she was, in her two-year-old house, babysitting Julien and Romilda's beautiful little daughter.
The little girl stopped dancing and singing when she realized that her babysitter didn't look very happy. She looked up at the woman. It was obvious that she had just recently woken up. She wore a black tank top, red, Mickey Mouse flannel pants, fuzzy, lamb shaped slippers, and a silky looking robe-like over-garment which failed to cover her shoulders and drooped over her elbows. Her hair had just been taken out of a braid and lay draped in a ponytail over her shoulder. She held a mug filled with earl grey tea, and she wore a blank, emotionless look on her face. Beside her on a small table sat a plate with a chunk of bread and a newspaper beside it.
"Auntie Allie?" Asked the little girl.
"Yes, Emmy?" When she moved to Hoogland, she insisted everyone called her Allie, rather than Emmy or Emmeline. Allie as a reference to Altava. Emmy or Emmeline reminded her too much of her past, one she didn't want to have to think about every time her name was said. Although a few people in the town knew her name to be Emmy, they agreed to change it up for her sake. She was not Emmy, Emmy was her little niece.
She looked over at the little girl to see her eyes longing for an answer. She could only imagine the many questions she wanted to ask but couldn't because of her young age.
'What's wrong? It's a beautiful day! You're usually so happy. Please tell me what's the matter, Auntie Allie!' She seemed to say. As for her answer, she gave none, but faked a smile and changed the subject.
"You want any breakfast?" She asked. Little Emmy nodded with a wide grin.
"Yeas, please!" Allie set her mug down and scooped her niece up into her arms, leading her into her kitchen afterwards. She set her down at a table and went over to her refrigerator.
"How does bread and milk sound?" Little Emmy nodded happily. "Alrighty then!" She took a loaf of bread a cut two slices out of it; setting it on a plate and placing it beside Emmy. "You're father left this loaf fresh for us yesterday before he and your mother left, so it's the best one we have!" She told the girl. Julien and Romilda had gone on their 'second honeymoon' in honor of their second anniversary, leaving their daughter with the couple's most trusted friend who had been there the entirety of the little girl's life. After giving little Emmy the bread, Allie went over to get the milk and poured it into a glass; setting it down on the table beside little Emmy along with the bread.
Allie looked around the room trying to find a reason to escape for at least a minute. She noticed a few dead flowers in a vase and just went with it.
"Oh, no!" She cried out. "The flowers in the vase are dead! I'm gonna go pick some more. Be right back, k? Beatrix will keep an eye on you till then." Her niece nodded, and Allie scurried to go change into something more outdoors appropriate.
She left the house wearing a bone white dress with a light green bow wrapped around her waist, a pair of light green flip-flops, and her hair in exactly the same way, plus a large green bow wrapped around it. Basket for flowers in hand, she headed out to the mountains to pick more flowers and clear her mind.
"Beatrix, can you watch Emmy for a minute? I've got to go pick some fresh flowers!" She called out to the woman who happened to be walking towards her own home next to Allie's at the time of her departure.
"Of course, Dear!"
"Thank you!" Allie headed to the mountain. On the way, she passed by Piet with his sheep, Felicia, and Joachim, who all gave her a little hello as she walked by.
Once she got to the top of the mountain beside the no longer functioning chapel, she just stared out into distance rather than do what she had said she would.
"I know London's out there somewhere." She sang in a low voice. She loved to sing, and here, she could, so she did. "But not if they are there too. Are they alive, or with my mom and dad? He's protected me so many times, why wasn't I there when they needed me too? I'm so sorry Professor, and Luke if you, never got to survive. Oh please be out there, little Luke. Please be out there, of please be out there, Professor Layton." She placed some flowers in her basket and began to walk home when she heard a familiar voice behind her.
"I see you wish to know the whereabouts of your friends?" Allie turned around to see Sheppard. She sighed inwardly.
"Hello, Sheppard. Yes, I do… Why do you ask?"
"It seemed as if your soul is troubled."
"Yeah, well, there's nothing I can do about it, so that's that."
"Don't you think they would also have the great Professor Layton's death in the papers?"
"Maybe they don't know if he's alive or not yet…"
"Tis true… I must be off. Take care, Allie."
"You too."
LATER THAT NIGHT:
'Dear Professor Layton:
If you and Luke are alive, please let me know. I heard about what happened in London, and I can't seem to figure out if you guys made it. I know it's been a while since we've last communicated, but if you can, can you please come visit me in Hoogland? I really miss you. I know this is sudden, but please?
-Allie Altava (Known to you as Emmy)'
That was all the note said. She didn't bother to add anything else before sending it off to Scotland Yard in hopes that the Yard would pass the message along to Professor Layton.
Six months later, Julien spotted a familiar face wander into his windmill.
"Professor Layton! What joy dost overcome my very soul at the sight of an old friend! Please, come in!"
"Hello, Julien." The professor said as he entered the mill.
"What brings you to the glorious town of Hoogland, Professor?"
"I'm actually looking for Emmy." Julien seemed shocked.
"My daughter? I knew not you learnt of her birth."
"Your daughter? I didn't know you had a daughter! Congratulations! Her name is Emmy?"
"Yes! Indeed! How foolish of me, I should have realized my sweet daughter was not the cause of your visit. Might you be referring to Allie?"
"Allie? Oh, yes. Allie! She said that was her name in her letter; I must have forgotten. No need to worry, Julien."
"Yes, of course!" Julien smiled ear-to-ear as he spoke. "She sent you a letter six months ago. What took you so very long?"
"I didn't get the letter up until just last week! Oh dear me, I should have known she sent it so long ago… I really must see her at once, then!"
"Of course! I'll bring you to the fair maiden! Might you come over to my abode on this night for a dinner with my family?"
The professor smiled and nodded. "Of course! But I'll have to leave at the very least first thing tomorrow morning. I have an adventure awaiting me!"
SOON AFTER:
The knock on the door surprised Allie quite a bit. She almost never got visitors at this time of day. She had already calmed down, by now, about the whole thing with London. Surely she would have heard by now if the professor and Luke were dead or missing, as Sheppard had said. But she still couldn't help feeling tense when she thought on her old friends. She opened the door, expecting Romilda or Beatrix, only to see the man who had been on the back of her mind for the last six months.
"PROFESSOR!" She cried out as she wrapped her arms around the man. "I'm so glad you're alive! What about Luke, where is he?"
"Hello, Emmy! Or rather, Allie. I'm actually going to go see him now, he says he has quite the adventure for me to solve. Would you possibly care to join me?"