LMJ Rewrite

Here it is, the conclusion of chapter 2!

Enjoy, and don't forget to leave a review! :D

-Professor Layton and the Relics Stones: Chapter Two, Part Three-

"So let me get this straight." Marina started off, as she trailed just behind us, as we sprinted from Gressenheller. "You and Luke investigated these Azran people years ago, and things went down so traumatically that you swore off having anything to do with them."

"Correct." Professor responded, focused on the path ahead. "However, my youngest child's biological parents were investigating the Relics, and apparently hoped I would get involved at their shared, final request."

"Wait, you mean Kat's not yours?" Marina inquired, surprised.

"Not in blood, but she is still my child, regardless." the Professor corrected her. "But I couldn't bring myself to look into the Relics, no matter how much I had wished to help..."

"Inquiries had been made in regards to the whereabouts to her birth father." I added. "However, no responses came. So seven years ago, Professor made the decision to officially adopt her."

Shortly after the synopsis, we stopped just roughly thirty feet from our destination: the British Museum, which houses the most Azran artefacts of any collection in the world. So naturally, it was, in all likelihood, where Luke was taken.

I watched as Father glanced around the surrounding area, trying to scope something out. After a few seconds, he motioned for us to follow him inside.

Upon entry, I was asked to reach out to the museum's main curator, one Zachary-Barnes. A brief glance at Marina told me she was uncertain and perhaps scared for Luke.

Less than two minutes passed when a squared jawed middle aged gentleman approached us.

"Are you Professor Layton?" He asked. "It's a pleasure to meet you, sir! I am the curator in charge, Donald Zachary-Barnes."

"The pleasure is mine, Mr. Zachary-Barnes." Professor replied, as he shook hands with the other man.

Shortly after, we were then escorted to Mr. Barnes' office down a hallway otherwise closed off to the public. As we sat down at the cream coloured armchairs and loveseat in the middle of the room, the Professor stated his case for us to the curator.

"I'm afraid I don't know anyone by the name of Luke." Zachary-Barnes replied as he shrugged his shoulders. "Besides, we get so many visitors, it simply isn't possible for me to remember all of them."

While the two men spoke, I noticed Marina's eyes had gotten wider, as she stared in the direction of the curator. The Professor seemed to have taken notice, as well, if what happened next was of any indication.

"Mr. Zachary-Barnes, do you mind if I look around the room a little?" Asked the top-hatted gentleman as he stood.

"This room? Go right ahead." The curator smirked in response.

I could tell something was on each of their minds.

Professor first glanced at the fireplace, then the chandelier above us.

"Though I feel you are mistaken." added Barnes, as Professor then looked at one of the bookshelves. "You won't find anything."

In spite of that, the Professor did find something within the bookshelves. Then once more at the chandelier. Instantly, a connection was made!

"You figured it out rather quickly, Professor!" said I.

"Of course."

"Wait, what exactly are you getting at?" Marina asked, rather confused.

"I've found Luke already." The Professor calmly stated.

Marina and Barnes were both taken aback.

"What on earth are you talking about, sir?" Barnes laughed in his throat.

"Mr. Zachary-Barnes, you claim to not know Luke, yet you let him into this very room." Professor explained. "What's more, recently."

Barnes' eyes widened slightly. "What makes you say that?"

"Luke left a message for me in this room." He added. "Making sure no one else would notice, of course."

"Stop spouting nonsense." The curator lowly growled as he stood.

"The only one spouting nonsense is you, sir!" Professor raised his voice at the other man in response. "You know where Luke is!"

"Does he?" Marina stood, ready to take on the bloke himself. "Where is Luke?!"

And yet, still, the curator continued to deny any connection to our dear friend. "I've already told you what I know. Why are you doubting me?" He bellowed.

"Alright, I'll explain then. There is a message from Luke within this room." said the Professor, motioning a hand towards the bookshelves.

"On that shelf?" Marina remarked. "Like one of those puzzles where if you read the book bindings, a message can be read?"

"You have a good eye for this." The Professor replied. "But that alone doesn't make a complete message. In this room, there is one other hint as to how to read the book bindings."

"Which means there should be a set of numbers somewhere..." Marina's voice grew softer as she glanced around the room.

"Look closely. Do you notice anything unusual?" asked Professor Layton.

"'Something unusual'?" Marina quietly repeated until her eyes became fixated on the ceiling. "It's the chandelier." She exclaimed.

"You got it. Normally, each chandelier arm would have the exact same number of crystals." He said. "But here, they don't match."

He was absolutely correct, of course.

Three, Two, Five, Two, One, Five.

That was the combination I and Marina could both clearly see from where we sat. And as he explained:

"If you start with the arms furthest away from you, and match them with the labels on the book bindings..."

Marina and I looked at the books on the shelf.

"'Luke...Is..." Marina gasped in realisation. "Luke is here!"

"Oh! That brat must have tampered with the room-" the curator scowled until it occurred to him we could hear exactly what he was saying.

"If you know where Luke is, then bring us to him!" The Professor demanded of the now cornered curator.

"As if you'll be getting out of here!" Barnes blankly spoke as he snapped his fingers.

Immediately, four men in dark blue suits barged in the room, clearly ready to fight. Marina stood frightened, while I tried to look for an opening.

"Don't let them escape!" Were the curator's instructions to them as he fled.

They nodded without taking their eyes off us. One warned us not to resist. Well, obviously none of us were going to listen to such strange men. Fortunately, the two that tried to apprehend Marina and I turned out to be nothing more than bumbling minions. As for the other two, Professor acquired a poker from the nearby hearth, and managed to incapacitate one while holding off the other.

"Let's get out of here!" He said to us, and we ran out while he followed close behind.

Somehow, I didn't expect more of those goons ready to ambush us upon reentering the main gallery of the museum. But just as we did, Professor shouted at us to watch out, as he fended off against another one that was armed! There was no easy way to find out whether he was an expert shooter or not.

Not that we would need to find out; thanks to Professor Layton's expertise as a swordsman, with one swing of the arm, he was quick to disarm and incapacitate the goon. Then came another, and the same thing with him! At least half a dozen more entered, yet none of them stood even a slight chance.

"There they are!" Shouted one.

"Stop right there!" Another called out, as we bound up the stairs.

There waiting, of course, was yet another one of those men. I remember hearing Marina mutter 'oh crap' under her breath.

"I'll defeat you." He proclaimed.

"I wonder about that." said the Professor.

As the good at the top of the stairs lunged for him, Professor Layton leapt into the air, into a front flip, and with one jab with the poker's handle, the goon tumbled down, crashing into his comrades at the bottom of the stairs!

"I had no idea he could do that!" Marina excitedly exclaimed, following a gasped 'whoa'.

"Rather grand, isn't it?" I remarked.

"Let's go on ahead." The Professor said to us, as we continued tracking down the curator.

There was a exhibition room temporarily closed off for maintenance reasons. It was here we found the curator hiding away whilst trying to catch his breath.

"That's as far as you go!" the Professor proclaimed, as he switched the lights on. "Give it up, Barnes." He held up the poker, in case Barnes attempted to try anything. "Now, where is Luke?"

"Alright, I'll take you there." The other sighed after a moment of hesitance, knowing he was quite literally at a dead end.

We were escorted to the museum's basement, with archival and storage rooms sporadically at either side. Finally, we came to stop at a set of steel doors, locked tight on the outside.

"This is the room." said the curator.

"So this is where Luke is." The Professor quietly remarked.

"Luke!" Marina called out.

"I'm sure Luke is alright." The Professor reassured her. "Thank you for your assistance."

"Any time, Layton." The curator answered, now with a different voice.

One I recognised instantly.

My suspicions were confirmed the second he pulled off the latex mask, revealing that bald head and thick, pointed moustache.

"You?!" I gasped in complete and utter shock. "What in god's name are you doing here?"

"Let me guess: Don Paolo." said Marina. "A master of disguise, and the former self proclaimed nemesis of the Professor. According to Luke, he kidnapped you once and then disguised himself as you."

"Don't forget he knocked me unconscious, and left me in a barn!" I added, trying to suppress the memories of that incident.

"Even in my villain days, I had no intentions of harming you." Don Paolo said to me, then nodded at Marina. "You're a smart one, miss. Luke's clearly grown to have good tastes."

"Thanks." Marina answered. "Wait, you're not the same curator from earlier?"

"Of course not." answered Don Paolo. "By now, he's already been apprehended by the authorities."

At that moment, the Professor's mobile buzzed, and he immediately answered.

"Ah, Inspector Chelmey, we were just talking about you." the Professor said. "Hold on, I will put you on speaker."

"You made the right move calling my personal number, instead of directly to Scotland Yard, Layton!" Chelmey's gruff voice spoke. "This bloke had a taser on him. Ready to use at a moment's notice!"

"Has it been used?" Marina asked, following a muttered 'oh my god'.

"Doesn't look like it." The police inspector responded, much to her relief. "Have you got Luke yet?"

"Oh, right!" I exclaimed, gripping the lock to try and open it, underestimating how heavy it truly was.

It became significantly simpler once the others all joined in.

The store room itself was pitch dark. So much so, I'd thought initially impossible to find anything inside, much less a person. But as the light from the hallway shined in, I could spot a blue hat instantly.

"As much as you want to solve a puzzle, one must always put a lady's needs first." The Professor said as Luke stood to face us. "That's what a gentleman does, after all, Luke."

"Professor!" Luke exclaimed, relieved to see us. He first embraced Marina, then me, and finally Professor. "It's been a long time, Professor."

"Luke, I understand you had your reasons." Father stated. "However, I must discourage you from pursuing this any further."

"I had a feeling you would say that." Luke replied. "But I thought...Anything to bring closure."

"If this is about Kat." said I. "She doesn't even know she's adopted. And even if she did, I don't think it would matter to her in the slightest."

"Besides, it's so obvious that this isn't something you should be messing with." Marina added, choked up. "Especially when you have a wife to think about. Seriously, I'm too young to be a widow!"

Luke was quiet for a moment, as he took a moment to process our words.

He then pulled Marina into his arms. "You're right. I'm sorry." He spoke just above a whisper. "No more Relics. No more Azran. I promise."

A few months passed since then. The newlyweds had settled into their new life in London completely. We would see each other sometimes, on weekends, usually over lunch. Luke found work as an assistant at a nearby veterinary clinic, while Marina got a job stocking shelves at a chain supermarket. I remember once they had mentioned they were holding off on having children, as they didn't feel they were quite ready yet. Something I could relate to rather well at the time.

It was on Easter weekend, what happened next.

After services, and an Easter egg hunt at Roundabout Park, everybody had lunch at Luke's parents' house.

"I got some jelly beans!" shouted little Kat, upon opening one of the many plastic eggs she had acquired and collected in her basket.

"Gotta eat some real food first." Alfendi reminded her. "Dad said so."

"You're only saying that so you can swipe another chocolate egg from me!" Kat accused.

"Am not!" Al snapped. "I told you before: I have my own stash from the grocery! So what would I need with yours?"

"You're just jealous because you're too old for egg hunts!"

"Children..." Father spoke to them in a warning tone.

I couldn't help but find some humour in the scene playing out, though I managed to hide it well, as I retrieved a plate for each of my siblings.

It was while we were eating that Father's mobile went off from the pocket of his coat, which was hanging in the hallway with everybody else's. Slightly embarrassed, he went to retrieve it to shut it off.

"Daddy!" Kat whined. "I thought you didn't have to go to work today!"

"He doesn't." Al tried to reassure her, before looking up at Father. "I don't think?"

"Of course not." He reassured them, before continuing on to the hallway.

"It's probably just a scammer or even a wrong number." Clark said, unconcerned.

After about a minute, Father could be heard saying to whomever he was speaking to he would be there as soon as he could, then returned to the dining room.

"Flora, would you take your brother and sister home ahead of me?" Was the first thing the Professor asked me as he sat back down.

"Is everything alright?" I asked in response.

"Certainly." He answered, though I could tell he was lying.

"It was about work, wasn't it?" Kat asked, disappointed to the point she couldn't even look at him.

"Of course not." He assured her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "It's only one quick errand Uncle Luke and I need to take care of on the way home."

"I'm going, too?" Luke replied.

"Yes. Your presence was requested, as well." The Professor nodded.

I had my doubts, which were not unfounded, as was revealed to us the next day. Kat and Alfendi had both already gone off to school, and I was on my way to work. All the way there, various shops were filled with people clamouring for discounted sweets. I don't know why that of all things sticks out in my memory, but it does. Perhaps because it was the last time I would be living in the moment.

That day, I hadn't seen Luke, Marina, or Father oddly enough, until just after the lunch hour rush, when I saw that deux cheveaux pull up in front of the bakery. How he loved that little car...

...

As I was saying!

I had a feeling in the pit of my stomach something was wrong, as they came in.

"Welcome." I said, blankly.

"Hello, Flora." said Father. "I know this is sudden, but would you pick up Kat from school for the next few days?"

"What for?" I asked.

"Well, I would ask your brother, normally, however with exams coming up..."

"Besides that."

He was silent for a moment, then sighed. "Very well, the truth then. About the call yesterday, it was Inspector Chelmey. The now ex-museum curator wanted to speak with Luke and I." He explained. "Evidently, he is a member of an organisation fixated on a specific Azran artefact: the Relic Stones."

I listened intently.

"As you know by now, those were the very same Relics Katrielle's birth parents were searching for."

"Would you please cut to the chase? We are still open, you know." I remarked.

"That guy wanted to speak with us, because he had a message for us from his superiors." Luke added. "Collect all the Relics Stones, or Kat gets it."

My eyes widened in shock; of all the things I expected, this certainly wasn't one of them.

"I've already told Marina everything we told you." Luke stated, his face full of regret. "It's my fault, so for Kat's sake, and everyone else's, I have to make things right."

"Before, I join you to see you two off, since that's obviously the reason you're here." said I. "Promise me one thing: Promise me you'll both come home from this. Safely."

"I promise." Luke said.

"As do I." the Professor also replied.

For the next six months, the rest of us all went about with life as much as we could. By then, Alfendi had begun his studies at university, while Kat had started her last year of primary school. Marina and I kept in close correspondence with the Professor and Luke, sending updates to each other about major events and any finds that had turned up.

Those finds proved to be quite sporadic; given their rarity, I wasn't surprised. I had no doubt of their authenticity, save for the occasional fake spotted at a merchant's booth along a market street. Never mind how many times that had occurred.

It was about halfway through October, when Marina arrived at my home, visibly distressed. I invited her in, prepping two cups of tea for us.

"I'll just get to the point." She said, as I set one cup in front of her at the tea table. "Have you gotten any letters from Luke or Professor lately?"

This question caught me off guard, but I still managed to come up with an answer. "No, but then again, sometimes the post arrives a little late. At least it does in this neighbourhood."

"I flagged down the mailman for two days now, thinking it was just late, or that the post office made a mistake." She explained, shaking her head. "There just hasn't been anything!"

With the wheels turning in my head, I paced across the room to the basket where I kept their letters, grabbing the recent-most one, which was from about a week prior. Glimpsing over it again, I was reminded how they had returned to Europe after having acquired the last of the Relics Stones. And that they were to receive the message on where to bring the stones. I returned to the sofa, showing the letter to Marina.

"So they're somewhere on this side of the globe?" She remarked. "It's possible they are back in the country, already...Hey, what's this about a surprise?"

"That's in regards to that letter I sent Father." I clarified. "The surprise is for him."

"Ah." She replied in understanding.

"I know he has entire books dedicated to the topic of the Azran." said I. "We might be able to figure out where they are from there."

"Okay." She nodded. "But we'll only call it off if we hear from them again."

I nodded in agreement.

Our research from there led to us discovering the Relics Chamber, thought to have disappeared centuries ago somewhere in what is now the Middle East. Needless to say, that was a dead end. Going along based on the writings, it was possible -probable even- that whomever was behind this was located either within the British Isles, or the Continent. That certainly narrowed things down for us. We weren't able to explore beyond that, unfortunately, as the most shocking part of this incident was about to play out.

I was on my way to work, when I was intercepted by a black car with rather tinted windows. From the passenger seat emerged a figure in a black cloak, holding out a handgun.

"You'll join us if you want to live." He commanded.

Obviously, not wanting to be shot, I complied, getting into the back seat. To my surprise, Marina was already there, blindfolded!

"Marina!" I exclaimed.

"Flora? Flora, is that you?" She asked, distressed.

Before I, too, was blindfolded, I could see two more cloaked figures in the car.

Even now, I can't tell you how far out we were driven, other than it took about three hours to get there. Eventually, we stopped, and were escorted -or rather pushed with our arms behind our backs as if we were criminals- from there on foot. First we were outside, then brought to an indoor location. I tried to at least guess the terrain based primarily on what I could hear. From the way our footsteps clicked against the ground after exiting the car, I had speculated we were crossing a courtyard. As we went inside of a building, said footsteps then echoed; tall ceilings, I concluded.

That was as far as I could think before we were stopped.

"Flora! Marina!" A familiar voice called.

"Luke?!" Marina shouted, distraught.

"Professor, are you there too?!" I asked, louder than what was usually necessary.

"Flora!" I heard him shout.

"Not another step!" Came the surly voice of an unfamiliar figure. "Lest you want them to die."

"Wait, why would you kill us?!" Marina demanded.

Terrified we wouldn't otherwise make it out alive, I worked up the strength to convey to Father an important matter.

"Father! I...I wish it didn't have to be revealed this way. That...About that surprise waiting for you upon your return." I spoke, only briefly pausing in hesitance. "...Is your grandchild."

I could hear him gasp lightly in response, clearly stunned by the revelation.

"Flora...You're...You're pregnant?" Luke stumbled over his words.

"For four months now." I confirmed, now choking back tears.

"Luke, Professor, please." Marina begged. "Give up this Relics thing once and for all. We just want you to come home."

Little did I know that would be the last time I ever heard any of their voices. I was taken back to my neighbourhood in London after that; perhaps out of mercy, since I was carrying Ashley. I tried to go to work, despite it being mid-afternoon by then, but I was evidently so visibly traumatised, my boss had one of my co-workers escort me home. Once there, he also telephoned the rest of the family, who arrived shortly after to console me. I hesitated to tell Alfendi what had happened, given he was a fresher and already had a lot on his plate. But eventually, I told him and the others everything.

"I received some counselling as directed by my obstetrician, which helped to a degree. At the very least, it made bringing my son into the world easier than it would have otherwise been." Flora said, as she reached the conclusion of her side of the story, setting down her now empty teacup.

Katrielle, Ernest, and Sherl could only gaze on, many feelings, though prominently disbelief and sympathy for what Flora had gone through, along with anguish and aggravation towards the people apparently responsible for the disappearances of Professor Layton and Luke Triton.

Kat got up from her seat on the sofa to embrace her older sister, who was quick to accept it.

"I wish I could be of more help." Flora spoke, just above a whisper.

"You've already been of great help." Kat replied sincerely. "Thank you."

"Before you go." Flora said, breaking out of the hug. "Let me send you off with a few things. I think they will be of some use to you."

And she vanished upstairs for a few minutes, then returned with a cardboard shoebox and a couple of books.

"I had to hide these away after the children were born, so they wouldn't potentially destroy any of it." She stated. "These are all the letters I kept, along with some books on the Azran. Hopefully, they will prove to be vital clues."

"I'm sure they will." Kat confirmed, as her sister gave her the items. "And if I find anything at all, you will be the first person I call."

Flora gave a soft, bittersweet smile. "Thank you."

"I had no idea your family had been through such turmoil, Miss Layton." Ernest remarked sympathetically, after they had retrieved their bikes.

"To be perfectly honest, this was the first time I had ever heard the whole story." Kat stated. "Or at least, Flora's part of it."

She placed the shoebox and books in her bike basket.

"Would you mind carrying Sherl for the trip back?" She requested.

Ernest nodded with a soft smile. "Of course."