Stone of Spirits

1. Lucy and Ted

Luke opened his eyes as he felt the sun glaring at him. Flora was asleep still and Layton had stopped the car to check the map.

Clutching the letter tightly he sat up and leaned over the front seats, "Need any help, Professor?"

Layton was glad Luke seemed to be almost back to normal. Ever since he had gotten Lucy's letter, Luke had started sputtering his words out with shivers. Now after some rest it seemed back to its normal light self. Yet even through Luke place a smile on his face, he couldn't help but glance at the road ahead and his hands trembled still.

"It's been a while since....we've came here, Luke. I think I've might've forgotten which road-"

"Turn right at the old well, straight on until the roundabout and, instead of going into town, turn left." Luke automatically responded. Layton sighed sadly as he watched his apprentice who now had flopped back into his seat, deep in thought.

"It's been years Luke and you hadn't forgotten this place at all." Layton whispered, making sure that Luke did not hear him. He started the car up again and followed the directions.

Flora woke up just as they were passing the well. She immediately glanced over at Luke who in turn looked at her.

"Morning, Luke," She said, embarrassed as she had expected him not to be awake or paying attention to her worried glances.

"Morning, Flora," Luke smiled but seeing as she could look at him more freely than Layton could, without taking his eyes of the road, she noticed the smile to be too small for one of Luke's.

"Moring, my dear. We should be arriving soon," The professor glance at her as if to say; don't ponder Luke with your questions.

Flora nearly groaned but that would've gotten Luke to wonder what the glance meant. She really wanted to work out that puzzle. I mean why would visiting pen pal make Luke seemed so worried? she thought, now glancing at Luke through the mirror, focusing on the tight grasped of the letter. Through there was the possibility of the house being haunted, Luke didn't fear ghost as much to make him seem to almost become a shell of himself.

However before Flora dug further into the clues, she got side-tracked by the beauty of the place. It was a beautiful countryside, one that many poetic people would enchant you into loving the countryside. It was mid spring so the flowers were all blooming, trees decorated with pink blossom, grass whispering in the light sun that reflected their green sheen and the sky was a light sapphire. Through Flora had grown up in a small village surrounded by countryside never had she thought it could be this beautiful.

"Lucy lives in such a beautiful place," Flora murmured to Luke, trying to get his attention to the meadows. Luke didn't even look up as he read the letter again.

"Professor, do you really think that the house might be haunted?" Luke asked. This was a usual type of question that Luke would ask; he always seemed to question something of the first facts of a case. But Layton wasn't a puzzle solver for nothing; he could tell that Luke was nervous, worried, scare, actually asking not for the sake of it but because he wanted an answer.

"I don't know Luke, until we've seen the facts that Lucy told us in the letter," Layton said reluctantly. He really didn't want to answer, he could tell Luke didn't want to be here and the professor would even give up tea if it meant of giving Luke his wish and see him return to his normal self. But he knew that Luke, no matter if he didn't want to be here, would tried to figure out the case and would never forgive himself if he let Lucy and her brother, Ted, suffer.

Luke nodded and stared at his lap, not even giving a quick glance at the surroundings. In truth, he knew them well even after it had been so long since he's seen it.

Suddenly, too soon for Luke, the car slowed as it entered some gates. Flora gasped as she looked at the view ahead of her now. Deciding he would have to see it anyway, he looked up.

In front of them stood a beautiful mansion, bigger than the one Flora grew up in, much bigger. Flora was sure it could fit about five of Lady Dahlia's mansion in there. Ivory and honeysuckle grew around its amber walls and the white steps stood waiting for them.

Luke didn't keep his eyes on the building once he had spared a glance at it. He closed his eyes and tried to calm his thoughts with a quick puzzle as the car slowed to a standstill.

"Wow," was all that Flora could say. Layton was also attracted to the beauty, he had almost forgotten about it.

Luke was the first out of the car. While his mentor and friend only stared for a moment, it felt like hours for him and he was already edgy about everything. Knowing they were watching him, he took a deep breath and made his way over to the steps.

He didn't have to climb up them as he heard the door being flung opened.

"Luke!"

Flora and Layton had stepped out of the car when they heard a young girl, the same age of Luke, cry out his name. Flora looked up and stared.

She had short brown hair, an oaky brown that shone in the sun. She was small, wearing a blue jumper dress and brown trousers. Her skin was a darkish peach and her grin was big as ever. The only thing that did not make her look like Luke was her eyes; while his were a hazel brown, hers were a muddying green.

She flung herself down the steps and pulled Luke into a bear hug, "Hey ya, cuz!"

Puzzle 001
Who's Lucy
Girlfriend? Friend? Sister? Cousin?
Solved

Flora stared at them. She was a little bit angry; Luke hadn't even told her he had relatives, yet alone a cousin. She had nowhere near guessed he even did.

"Cuzzy!" A little boy about four appeared on the steps and he tried to follow his sister at the same speed. He also looked like Luke expected his eyes were even greener than Lucy's and they held an angelic sweetness. Flora eyes widen as she corrected herself; two cousins.

Lucy quickly let go with Luke and grabbed her brother, before swooping him into another hug with Luke.

"It's Cuz or Cousin, not Cuzzy!" She proclaimed as she stopped hugging Luke and frown at her little brother.

"Cuzzy!" The boy insisted.

"Cuz!"

"Cuzzy!"

"Er, I don't mind either," Luke said but wasn't noticed as his cousins carried on. Eventually Lucy won by saying that she would give the boy a cookie if he would shut up.

"Still, Cuzzy though," The boy sniffed but put on an angelic face as he looked at Luke, "You've shrunk!" He exclaimed.

"No, you've gotten a little taller than when you remember him, idiot. I'm actually surprised you remember his size, you were only one and a half."

"I can remember everything! I remember how I was born, before when I was-"

"I don't want to know, Ted. And we're in a gentlemen's presence," Lucy nudged her brother and gestured to Professor Layton.

"Who's he again?" Ted asked and Lucy rolled her eyes but laughed fondly.

"And you remember everything. This is Professor Layton, dimwit, and that's Flora, the girl over there. Er...it was Flora right?" Lucy glanced at her with the same anxious expression Luke got.

Flora nodded and the girl sighed with relief, "Phew, I still don't trust myself with names. Names forget, faces remember. My motto for today."

"I thought that was your motto last month?" Luke teased as he took Ted, who was falling out of distracted Lucy's arms. Ted seemed to like the change- or perhaps Luke's hat.

"I forget. Like I've forgotten that you lot have travelled and really need to come in now," She murmured as Ted stole Luke's hat and jammed it over his head. She smacked her forehead as she remembered what she had just said, "Oh yeah! Come in, come in and I'm sorry but there will be no butler to take your coats."

She grinned and led Flora and Layton up the steps and opened the door for them. Luke paused besides her as he waited until he thought both of them couldn't hear him and then glance nervously at her.

"Is he....still the same?"

Flora shot a confused glanced at Layton who had paused as he heard Luke. The grin fell of Lucy's face and Ted gave the hat back. They both looked down.

"He's still the same," Lucy whispered and Luke nodded, fearfully and sadly. Now Flora was even more confused.

Puzzle 002
He's still the same
As they entered the mansion, Luke stops and asks if he's still the same. Who is he and why is Luke scare and sad?

Flora couldn't help but want to shout why she was being kept out of these secrets of Luke.

Yay, some people review! WOOHOO!
Luke: Er...is she one of the writers that acts over-excited after getting one review, Professor?
Layton: Yes, which is why we must back away and ask the reviewers to give her more reviews.
Emma(me): WOOHOO! THREE REVIEWS, YAY! AND THEY LIKE MY STORY! DOUBLE YAY!
Luke: Okay, give her reviews please so she'll calm down. Please!
Layton: Now Luke that's no way to ask-
Emma: LA LA LA LA LA LA THREE REVIEWS, THREE REVIEWS! Hrmm I wonder how many reviews I'll get for a slash-
Layton: Okay, REVIEW NOW AND WE'RE OUT OF HERE!
Emma: (after two fled) Hey, I wasn't going to do a Yaoi slash! GUYS....oh well, they've gone already....YAY, I'VE GOT REVIEWS AND I WANT MORE! Click the white button with green text saying Review story!