[[Spoilers: For Azran Legacy, Curious Village, Pandora's Box and Bonds Left Unbroken.

Set: During Pandora's Box. After the previous bonus episode 'Ties That Bind' but before 'Blessings'.]]

Missing Links

Desmond Sycamore sighed as he studied the scrawled note. Aurora's use the English language had vastly improved since she started school, though her handwriting was no neater than his. Another link between them. He would have smiled, were it not for Aurora and her cousin's absence.

Flora had been left in his care while Hershel and Luke rushed off on a train journey to who- knows-where. Three days ago, Hershel had discovered his mentor, Dr. Schrader, dead in his own home. Hershel had been restless since then. The only clue he possessed was a ticket for the Molentary Express, which he would follow to the ends of the earth.

Desmond understood his brother's anguish in losing a teacher, an old friend. Truly, he did. Not a day went by where he didn't think of Raymond...

Even after Targent's downfall, their tally of dead was never-ending. No wonder Hershel distanced himself from his adopted daughter so easily.

He didn't realize how distressed Flora would be by the situation. Being dumped at Desmond's house must have made her feel unwanted…

Unwanted enough to chase after Hershel and Luke. At least she was with Aurora for now, but Desmond knew he had to catch up to them. (That report for Dean Delmona would have to wait.)

He put Aurora's letter in his pocket, grabbed his coat and headed for the door— nearly tripping over Keats.

"Mrooow!"

"You want to come as well?" Desmond cocked an eyebrow as Keats purred. "I suppose your puzzle-tracking talents will be put to good use. Where there are puzzles, we will find Hershel, and hopefully the girls."

The Molentary Express was yet to leave the station because a lady had gotten stuck in the first class carriage door. Desmond fought the urge to snort as he searched for Aurora and Flora on the platform. The delay allowed him time to hop aboard the train, even if it cost him a small fortune for a second class ticket. You owe me one, Hershel.

Small pets were apparently permitted onboard, so there was no problem bringing Keats. Desmond looked at the cat as the Molentary Express began to move. "Can you sense an abundance of solved puzzles nearby?" Keats bobbed his head and led him to the seventh carriage. Simple enough. Keats scratched at a cabin door. Desmond opened it. "Hershel, are you in there-?"

Instead of Hershel's top hat, he was met with a pointy blue hat belonging to an old woman. With a broomstick in her hand and her toothy smile, she resembled a witch if Desmond had ever seen one. Keats certainly added to that impression as he curled around her legs.

"I apologize... Madam." Desmond shifted his glasses. "My cat seems to have wandered into your cabin."

The crone threw back her head and cackled. "Madam Riddleton! I like the sound of that. You do keep fine company these days, my feline aficionado." (Not a witch then, just a cat whisperer.) "He probably recognized my puzzle shack— where all of life's lost puzzles get sent! Why don't you take a peek inside?" She gestured to the little house behind her.

"I would consider it, but I'm currently searching for my family." Desmond coughed. "Have you seen a gentleman in a black top hat, by any chance?"

'Madam Riddleton' regaled, "In the past, indeed I have. But at this moment in time, I'm still waiting to meet him."

Desmond wasn't in the mood for riddles right now. "Very well then, we won't trouble you any further. Come along, Keats." However, Keats had made himself quite comfortable on the cabin's settee. "Or, you can stay here in case Hershel passes by. I'm going to find Aurora and Flora."

"I'll tell him you popped in," Riddleton called on his way out. Desmond couldn't shut the door quickly enough.

Another door slammed down the corridor, as if someone was in a hurry to escape detection. Desmond followed them out to the Observation Deck at the end of the train. He froze.

Standing on the edge of the deck was a cloaked figure with a dark hat. That cloak snapped in the breeze as the person turned to him. He was met not with a white mask— thank goodness— but with the worried eyes of his daughter.

"Ah… Aurora." Desmond swallowed. With fumbling fingers, he pulled her letter out of his pocket. "Your letter."

He must looked have so shaken that she gasped, "I'm sorry! Flora was extremely upset. She wanted to pursue Professor Layton and Luke. I couldn't let her go alone."

"I understand, it's just… Why are you wearing that?" That vile facade he should have burned years ago. It wasn't even the complete ensemble and it still sickened him. Yet, he'd kept it along with the other items that restored his memories. A reminder of Anne, perhaps… and of the man he used to be. The man he would never be again.

Aurora took off the hat, her honeyed waves tumbling down. "I found this costume in our cellar. Flora and I came in disguise so the professor wouldn't notice us."

Somehow, Hershel had failed to notice the attire of his former enemy. When faced with a mystery, he really was quite ignorant to everything else. Including Flora.

"Where is Flora now?" Desmond sighed.

"She should be outside the professor and Luke's room…"

Aurora showed him to their cabin in Carriage 3, but there was no sign of Flora, Hershel or Luke. "We might have missed them in the Dining Car," Desmond suggested. "It was packed back there." They returned to the Dining Car and asked if any of the passengers had encountered them. A haughty lady– the same one who got stuck in the door, Desmond recalled—complained that a top-hatted charlatan and a rude little boy had tried to steal her table. This was refuted by a waiter, who said Hershel and Luke had nipped into the kitchen before going to the Observation Deck.

Desmond huffed, "Wonderful, we must have walked right past them while they were in the kitchen."

"But that doesn't explain where Flora went," Aurora said.

The Observation Deck was deserted. Desmond remembered Madam Riddleton's words and checked her cabin again. Aurora was delighted to see Keats, but Hershel had apparently just left. "I told him you were buzzing about, so he went looking for you," Riddleton said unhelpfully.

"This is ridiculous!" How could they keep avoiding each other?

"Yes, I find it quite curious myself, Luke. Very puzzling indeed…"

"Hershel?" Desmond burst into the fourth carriage at the sound of his brother's voice. "HERSHEL LAYTON!"

Hershel and Luke stared as he surged towards them, shoving past a man they had been chatting to.

"What are you two doing here?" Hershel asked as Aurora caught up to them. "Where is Flora?"

"A very good question," Desmond said through gritted teeth.

"Excuse me, but we're currently searching for a lost child," the man Desmond had pushed aside growled.

Desmond glared at Hershel. "I hope he's referring to Flora."

"She wanted to be with you," Aurora explained.

"Oh…" Hershel muttered, touching his hat.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Luke cried. "Let's find her and Tom!" He and Aurora set off to check the front of the train, whispering to each other. Hershel excused himself from the man, Inspector Chelmey, and he and Desmond traipsed through the Dining Car.

Hershel admitted, "I thought Flora would rather stay with you than be dragged on an investigation."

"And yet, you brought Luke."

"If are implying I would pit Flora and Luke against each other, then you are highly mistaken. Luke simply has prior experience—"

"Oh, yes, the boy's life has only been endangered…" Desmond counted on his fingers. "Five times during your adventures, mostly due to me."

"Exactly," Hershel stressed. "I can finally comprehend Clark and Brendas' concern for Luke."

"But they never prevented Luke from accompanying you," Desmond pointed out, his tone softening. "Leaving people behind isn't the answer."

Hershel didn't comment on the hypocrisy in his words. Instead, he wondered, "Have you faced similar troubles with Aurora?"

"All teenagers have troubles, Hershel."

Aurora was no exception. She had gone from a million-year-old Azran golem to a sixteen-year-old human girl. Her body had changed— leading to some conversations Desmond would rather not relive— but her nature remained the same. People still picked up on her accent, her 'eccentric' manner, and how she would occasionally space out. She was an ancient soul walking amongst her peers. She always would be.

"But you get used to it." Desmond held the seventh carriage door open for Hershel. "Being a father, I mean."

His brother let out a breath. "I hope so… and I hope Flora can forgive me—" He gasped as a girl dashed through the door, into his arms.

"I… I forgive you, Professor," she hiccupped. "Just please, don't leave me again."

Slowly, he stroked her head, pushing back her yellow scarf. "I won't… I give you my word, Flora."

Desmond smiled at the two of them, together again. However, he glanced down when he heard a shrill yap. There was a small poodle following Flora. "I see you've made a friend," he chuckled, crouching down to pet the dog.

"Yep! I found him running around the train."

"I wonder…" Hershel knelt down to slip a tiny shoe onto the poodle's paw. "A perfect fit. I think you've picked up our missing 'child', Flora."

They returned 'Tommykins' to his owner, the haughty woman from first class. Desmond could understand Inspector Chelmey's frustration.

Aurora and Luke were waiting for them back at Hershel's cabin. The pair had received a broken camera, which they rushed to show Flora.

"The train's conductor, Sammy Thunder, gave it to us," Aurora gushed. "He's a real life rock star!"

And so begins the teenage obsession. With a sigh, Desmond sank into the cabin's settee. He gasped when he felt something nibbling on his hair.

"Remy, no!" Luke scolded, scooping the hamster up. "Desmond's hair isn't made of bread."

Flushing, Desmond fixed his ponytail. His hair did not look like bread. Not anymore, anyway.

Desmond grumbled, "I'm going to skip the question of how you acquired a hamster. Tell me what clues you've gathered for your investigation."

So far, Hershel was no closer to finding the cause of Dr. Schrader's demise... or his potential killer. He hoped they would learn more when the train stopped in the village of Dropstone.

[[So, this has been sitting in my computer for who-knows-how-long. It was originally meant to be a long oneshot covering all of Desmond's thoughts during Pandora's Box. Hopefully, I'll be motivated to write more if this is in chapters.]]