Chapter One
A Strange Predicament
The first feeling than ran over me was the soaking cold, biting into my skin. Sitting up, I open my eyes, finding it hard in the early morning with only street lamps to break through the darkness. I struggle to get to my feet, the water brushing past my knees at this point - with the question of how I was basically comatose in this river for so long on my mind - as I force myself to take a shaky step. Then another, and another until I move from the middle to the edge, taking a step into the mud and nearly slipping, and another onto formerly dry grass and falling to my knees, breathing deeply once more and rolling onto my back and shutting my eyes.
"What the heck..." I manage to say, although it comes out below a whisper. I open my eyes once more, and stand, barefoot in the grass with only my sweatpants and sweatshirt to protect me from the wind.
I force myself to walk up the little hill - if it can even be called that - to the sidewalk, and follow it aimlessly before stopping as a small shine in the grass catches my attention, bending over to pick it up to find a silver locket, turning it over to find my initials. I really can't make it the strangest thing so far, as finding a mysterious locket was nothing compared to waking up in the middle of a river, somehow alive. If I had pockets, I would have stuffed the silver jewelry into one, but instead I undo the clasp and take several attempts to clasp it around my neck before it finally snapped into place. The cold metal hits my skin, as the wind blows once more, causing me to shiver.
"Come with me," I jump at the sound, turning to see a young woman, blonde hair falling over her left shoulder, offering a hand, "please." I bite my lip, and step back, shaking my head before she speaks again, "I don't want to force you, miss, please come with me. I'm a friend, I promise."
I took a slow step toward the woman, then another - quickening my pace until I'm in front of her. She glances at the locket around my neck, before turning and walking with a single hand gesture to follow her.
We didn't speak a word, walking a long distance out of the town until we arrived at a little house, the woman stepping up and fishing a key out of her pocket to unlock the door. It was white and rather cute, like a house I'd love to own one day, with a brown roof. Opening the door, she steps in, motioning for me to enter the house before waiting for my step in, pulling me in and closing the door behind me - locking it. Immediately, I search for something to protect myself - grabbing a nearby umbrella and holding it out toward her. She throws her hands up, stepping back with her back against the door.
"I'm not going to hurt you, I promise," she speaks, "put the umbrella down and I'll explain everything I can." I slowly lower the umbrella, as she walks over, gently taking it from my hands and placing it back in the small stand.
"Who are you?" I finally speak to her, as she sighs.
"I'll explain in a minute, alright? Would you like something to drink - or, maybe a nice hot shower? You must be freezing..." Now that she points it out - the wet clothing I was wearing wasn't exactly the greatest thing to wear, especially with the current temperatures not being the warmest.
"I... want an explanation..." I say, as she sighs.
"Alright. I should have known you wouldn't trust a stranger this quickly. Follow me, into the kitchen," she walks through her living room to an archway leading into a small kitchen/dining-room combination, seating herself at a white table tucked away near the corner. I seat myself across from her, as she clears her throat.
"My name is Elisabeth and I will begin by telling you that I wasn't the person who brought you here - you might meet them later, if you're lucky. You were brought to this world for a purpose that you are required to learn on your own. When the time comes, you will be asked a question, and hopefully by then you will have an answer."
"B-but... what if I don't?" I ask, quietly as she chuckles.
"You will. You'll have a long time to find it."
"But what about my home? This isn't the world I know, or at least-"
"Time is frozen for you there. You were brought into this world you love so much for a reason. Besides, these are all just a series of games where you're from. Now they've become your reality until you've learned."
"Learned... what?"
"That answer is for you to find. Now, about you."
"What about me?"
"You're not being blindly dropped into this, alright?" She stands, walking toward a kitchen counter and opening a bottom drawer, pulling out an envelope from the back of it before returning to her seat, sitting it on the table.
"What's this?"
"Your name is now Cassandra Richardson. You're eighteen, and left your home to come to England to find your place in life. A bit older than the real you, but can we have a fifteen year old wandering a country without any guidance? If anyone asks about the initials on your locket, it belonged to your grandmother and you've kept it. You are to find the Professor Layton and join him, and possibly beg him for a place to stay for a while. He's a gentleman - you'd be lying to him, but perhaps he'll understand if he finds out."
"I..." I begin, before she cuts me off.
"Please, Cassandra, I think you would rather live in a house than on the streets. Now, any questions?"
"... Why me?"
"This is your outlet, isn't it?" She replies calmly, brushing her hair behind her ear, "life gets too stressful and you turn to video games - especially the Professor Layton series. Anything to test your mind, to make you feel smarter... and now it's your time to live your fantasy."
"And... the question?" I ask, biting my bottom lip, "can I have a hint?"
"The hint for this puzzle will be that it lies inside of you, and it's special to you. Now, you probably need a shower - waking up in a cold river and all," she stands, taking my hand and pulling me out of my seat, "I'll bring clothes for you and supply you with everything you need, alright?" She leads me to the bathroom, pushing me inside, "in that closet are towels, and you can use one of my bathrobes. I'll be in the living room. Are you hungry? I'll make something for you." She doesn't pause for me to answer at any point, and closes the door behind me.
I sigh as I walk over to the small closet, opening it and pulling out two fluffy white towels and then showering in rather hot water. Small shelves in the wall hold shampoo and conditioner - which I help myself to, just to be completely clean, and after I finish my shower, I'm standing at the sink, just staring at myself. I dry off, I take a robe, and I tie it around myself and bask in how soft it is as I step out of the bathroom.
"Hey," she calls out from the kitchen upon hearing the door creaking, "I'm almost done with some soup for you. In the room to your left I laid out some clothes for you to wear tomorrow and a shirt for you to sleep in - you can sleep there tonight, by the way."
"O-okay." I grab my undergarments - somehow dry - and walk into the bedroom and look at the clothes laying there, grabbing the shirt and slipping the robe off to change into them, before picking the robe back up and tugging it back on to keep myself warm. I enter the kitchen, her setting a bowl of soup down in front of me before disappearing into the living room. I eat quickly, before standing and walking over to the sink.
"You going to bed?" She calls out.
"Y-yes..." I stutter out, turning and walking to the bedroom as she calls out a quick 'good night'. I close the door, and climb into bed, burrowing my face in the blankets as I let tears run down my cheeks as I whisper a single question into the soft blanket.
"Why me?"
So, it's been a while since I've messed with and writing fanfiction that I actual post (like this) and I've finally decided that, since I have time, I'll 'rewrite' (I use the term somewhat loosely) my old fanfic "Pulled into the Game" and maybe it'll be better now.
So I've decided just to make a whole 'let's start from the actual beginning instead of the second game' because y'know. The series technically ends with Unwound Future.
Also, just to be clear, I have to points I'd like to make:
- Cassandra Richardson (formerly Renee Richard in the original PioG) is a kind of a self insert. I know how sue-ish this feels, especially since this is breaking canon completely by throwing this character into the plot and probably taking parts from canon characters (which I will refrain from doing as much as I can, but I'm not going to let this character be someone you can pull out of the fanfic and have it be basically a written version of the game) and various other things. There is a difference in age, Cassandra being three years older than I. Advice to anyone else who does this with actual games:
Please don't do this. Please come up with an original story for your OC. Mysteries in between games(/the movie), after Unwound Future, after Azran Legacy if you don't have anything to do with Layton and Luke (perhaps Emmy?) and ideas like that. I honestly frown upon my younger self four years ago for doing this, but what else would an eleven year old writing fanfiction do? The important thing is learning from past mistakes, in my opinion.
- This fanfic will possibly run through all six games + the movie. There will be a subplot specifically for this self-insert, by the way. Hopefully I won't lose the inspiration as I write. Feel free to point out mistakes (spelling and punctuation and grammar, things like that) as you read in the reviews! It's really helping me out in the end.