Ink's Notes: What's this? A chapter that didn't take a year to get out? ...don't get used to it, please. I was just really excited for this particular reveal. Speaking of this particular reveal...
Chapter Nine – The White Specter
By the time that Layton and Robin reunited with Luke, Flora, and Chopper, it was late in the afternoon and the sun was starting to go down. The four humans exchanged information about what they'd learned, and once they had done so they headed back to the inn to discuss what they should do next.
"Since it's getting dark out," Layton paused as he looked out the window of their room, taking note of the time, "Gotten dark out," he corrected himself. "I believe it would be wise to check the graveyard for the specter again. No splitting up this time though," he quickly added as he noticed Flora pale slightly, "If it tries anything we'll all be there to stop it."
"You four go on ahead," Robin smiled at them. "I'm a little concerned about who may have been living under Senkou's nose this whole time. The fact that we have no sightings of them makes me believe they're an honorary member of the Children's Club, so I'm going to take a look around town and see if I can find them using the path Luke and Flora showed us."
Layton nodded in acceptance; the specter was not the only mystery that they were dealing with, so having Robin look into their little thief would be beneficial - even if it meant that they'd have one less person to help them find the specter.
Flora looked up at Robin. "Do- um, may I go with you?" she asked, shifting in place somewhat.
Robin shook her head, gently petting Flora's hair. "You stay with your father, okay Flora? I doubt the Specter will hurt you, but we know nothing about this thief, and I'd rather you be safe with your father than in danger with me."
Flora nodded in understanding but still looked uneasy, so Chopper walked over and gently nuzzled her face to try and comfort her. The action did seem to help, and before long the five of them made their way out of the inn. They walked together in silence for a little while, but eventually Robin bid them a farewell and started making her way towards Senkou's house.
"...Do you think she'll be okay?" Flora asked as she watched Robin disappear around a corner.
"I have the utmost faith that she will be fine," Professor Layton smiled at her, and Flora returned the smile in thanks. The moment passed, and the party- now down to four- continued towards the graveyard.
Their arrival was met by Nephele and Hanuel, who appeared to be discussing something between themselves as they approached. Hanuel was leaning on a shovel, and Nephele had a concerned look etched into her features. Their words were too soft to hear, and by the time that Layton, Luke, Flora, and Chopper had gotten close enough to hear them, the two had spotted them and turned to look at them.
"I thought we made ourselves clear the last time you guys were here," Nephele said, eyes leveling into a glare directed at Layton. Her gaze passed over Luke and Flora, and it softened for a moment before regaining its ferocity as she looked back at Layton. "And you've brought these kids into a potentially dangerous situation."
"Potentially dangerous?" Luke asked, and Hanuel nodded in response.
"A graveyard, with a specter we know nothing about, and let me guess, you've come looking for it?" Their silence seemed to be enough of an answer. He rolled his eyes and continued speaking. "I don't understand why Senkou feels the need to involve outsiders for a little ghost. We're fine without your help."
"Perhaps, but two groups are better suited for searching than one, are they not?" Layton offered with a smile. "It's better to have an outside perspective to all of this than to get stuck in a loop."
Nephele rolled her eyes. "You should leave before it decides to attack you-" her gaze moved to Luke and Flora, "-or worse."
Flora summoned her courage as she stepped forwards. "The specter won't hurt us. It's had plenty of chances to, but it hasn't. But if it makes you feel better, you can help us look."
Nephele met Flora's gaze, and Flora returned her stare head on. She did everything she could to make Nephele understand that they weren't about to back down here- not when they were so close to solving this mystery.
After a few tense moments, Nephele looked away, communicating something silently to Hanuel. He shifted his stance, then lifted the shovel, resting it on his shoulder. "All right, I see we're not chasing you off that easily. Fine." He gestured to the graveyard that was behind him and in front of Layton, Luke, Flora, and Chopper. "We'll split into two groups then. Nephele and I will take the side closer to our house, which I'm still bitter about you lot breaking into by the way, and you four take the other side. That sound good?"
Layton nodded in acceptance, and Nephele and Hanuel turned away to move into the part of the graveyard they had said they would cover. Once they were out of sight, Flora looked up at her father. "Those two have a soft spot for children, don't they?" she asked.
Layton nodded, pleasantly surprised. "Well spotted, Flora. Yes, I'm inclined to believe that's the case. Their hostility was directed entirely at Robin and I the last time we were here, and part of their anger at me seems to stem from my bringing you into what they consider a dangerous situation." He adjusted his hat as the four of them began making their way into the graveyard. "I wouldn't be surprised if that same soft spot extended to the rest of Old Ashton, and their hostility is their way of chasing off people from a dangerous location."
Before anyone could offer their thoughts on Professor Layton's deduction, the sound of singing softly reached their ears. "Yo-hohoho, yohohoho… Yo-hohoho, yohohoho…"
"The Specter!" Luke realized, turning to try and pinpoint the sound.
"Gather up all of the crew, it's time to ship out Binks' brew.
Sea wind blows, to where, who knows? The waves will be our guide…
O'er across the ocean's tide. Rays of sunshine far and wide.
Birds they sing, of cheerful things, in circles passing by."
The melody sounded further away than it had previously, but before Luke could go charging after the sound, Layton gently placed a hand on his shoulder. "Let's go slowly this time," he advised. "Caution may allow us to sneak up on it."
PUZZLE ELEVEN
Once more, the specter is somewhere nearby! Maneuver your way through the graveyard to try and track it down. The music will get louder as you get closer to it, but be careful – if you move too haphazardly, the specter might run away before you can catch it!
Carefully and cautiously, Layton led the way towards where the singing was coming from, followed in short order by Luke, then Flora, and Chopper bringing up the rear. They kept their pace slow, but steady, so they wouldn't scare the specter off.
"Bid farewell to weaver's town, say so long to port renowned.
Sing a song, it won't be long, before we're casting off.
Cross the gold and silver seas, a salty spray puts us at ease,
Day and night, to our delight, the voyage never ends."
The singing sounded much closer now, and Layton motioned for the others to stop - perhaps listening to more of the song would help them learn more about the specter.
"Gather up all of the crew, it's time to ship out Binks' brew.
Pirates, we eternally are challenging the sea.
With the waves to rest our heads, ship beneath us as our beds,
Hoisted high upon the mast, our jolly roger flies."
'Pirates?' Luke mouthed to Layton, who nodded to indicate that he'd heard the word sung as well. Flora noticed movement, and quickly but quietly alerted the others- pointing to where a tall figure was walking nearby. Listening carefully, they determined the figure was the one singing, and started to move closer.
"Somewhere in the endless sky, stormy winds are blowing by,
Waves are dancing, evening comes, it's time to sound the drums.
But steady men, and never fear, tomorrow's skies are always clear.
So pound your feet and clap your hands 'til sunny days return."
Layton, Luke, Flora, and Chopper arrived in the small clearing right as the figure- back to them- began closing off its song. "Yo-hohoho, yohohoho…" The melody trailed off as it turned to face them, and the three humans stiffened up in response- as standing before them, dressed in oddly flamboyant colors that wouldn't be out of place on a rock star, was an honest to god skeleton, towering over them all as it looked down at them. "And a good evening to you all." The skeleton's tone was deceptively casual, even as it calmly adjusted its grip on the purple cane in its hands.
"Layton!" a voice called from nearby, and Layton turned to see Nephele and Hanuel arriving in the clearing. "Catch!" With that as his only warning, Hanuel threw the shovel he was carrying to the Professor, who caught it out of the air- and then spun on his feet, using it to block the sword that the skeleton had pulled from its cane.
"I would advise stepping away from my comrade," the skeleton threatened, its deceptively calm voice burning like ice. "Or there will be consequences."
"I'm afraid that, as a gentleman, it would be disrespectful for me to back down from your challenge," Layton smiled at the specter. "Besides, I will not stand idly by while you threaten my friends and family."
PUZZLE TWELVE
The White Specter is in front of us! In order to protect Luke, Flora, and Chopper, Professor Layton has stepped up to the task of defeating it in a duel of blades and a duel of wills. Watch the Specter's movements carefully, and determine when the right moment to counterattack is!
Blade met shovel as Professor Layton called upon his fencing talents to face off against the specter. The skeleton was no slouch either, however, and their match didn't seem to be making any kind of progress at all. It was a complete stalemate; neither side was gaining the upper hand on the other.
Suddenly, cutting into the fight between the two, a voice cried out into the night. "Stop it, both of you!" Layton and the specter pulled away from each other, and Layton looked around for the source- until he noticed the specter's attention was on their reindeer companion. "Stop fighting!" he yelled at them. "This is pointless! You guys don't need to fight!"
Luke and Flora both stared at Chopper, an action that was mirrored by Nephele and Hanuel. Professor Layton noticed the specter sheathing his blade, so he too turned to look at Chopper.
"You can talk?" Flora asked, breaking the silence, as Chopper started sweating bullets in response.
"Are these friends of yours, Chopper?" the skeleton asked, and the reindeer nodded in response. "I see. Then, I apologize for attacking you. I believed that he was with you against his will, in part due to the fact that he's missing his hat, so I lashed out to protect him. I apologize for any trouble I've caused you." He bowed gently, before standing straight and lifting his hat gently. Layton realized that the skeleton somehow had an afro as he placed his hat back onto it. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am the Soul King! But you may simply call me Brook."
When no one responded, Chopper trotted a few paces forward. "These guys are friends. This is Professor Layton, his apprentice Luke, and his daughter Flora. The other two are Nephele and Hanuel, who watch the graveyard," he said, motioning to each one as he did.
"A pleasure to meet you all!" Brook grinned, at least as much as a skeleton could grin. He then turned to look at Nephele. "And from the bottom of my heart, madame, I apologize for attacking you the other day. I have been rather on edge this past week, you see." He paused. "Ah, but I don't have a heart. Skull Joke!"
Dead silence - skull joke not intended - was the response to Brook's humor, but Nephele eventually broke it, in part out of pity from the lack of response to the joke. "I am admittedly curious about why you did so. I was merely carrying out my duties when I came across you, and you lashed out."
"Yohohoho! As I stated, I have been on edge. Those who come too close I warn away. Admittedly, I thought you were someone else, but I was able to change course before I did any serious damage. How is your arm?"
Nephele gripped her arm - at the same spot that Hanuel had been treating when they'd first encountered the two, Layton noticed - and frowned as he realized why they'd considered the specter to be dangerous. "It's not really bothering me. The damage was minimal, so Hanuel was able to treat it with the first aid kit we keep at our house."
Brook bowed in response to her, then looked up at her while he was bowing. "Now that we've cleared up this little misunderstanding… may I see your panties?"
"LIKE HELL!" Hanuel yelled at him, punching him right in the skull. Brook went down laughing, and any tension that had remained went down with him. Flora even started giggling in response to the outburst.
Brook righted himself, moving over to where Flora was. "I apologize for scaring you the other night. My appearance isn't exactly something I have any control over…"
Flora nodded and smiled at him. "It's okay. I'm just glad Robin was right about you."
Brook smiled in response. "I've been staying in the general, vicinity of the graveyard to ensure that I scare the residents as little as possible, though with what I've heard everyone knows about me anyway…"
"Sorry, that was my fault," Hanuel admitted. "After you attacked Neph, I told Senkou about you, and he's something of a gossip…"
Layton hummed in consideration, then snapped his fingers as he reached a verdict. "I think it would be best for you to remain here for now. Am I right to assume that you are here throughout the day as well?" Brook gave the affirmative. "We'll come by tomorrow, during the day, then. That way we can figure out where to go from here. For now, though, I think it would be best if we all got some rest."
As if on cue, Luke yawned, only now realizing how tired he was. He looked over at Chopper, who seemed to be trying to avoid his gaze. "Say, how long have you been able to speak for?" he asked.
"The whole time," Chopper admitted. "The other members of the Children's Club know I can, too. That's part of what they thought you were there to help with. I'll tell you the rest in the morning."
Luke nodded, accepting this explanation for now. If Chopper had more answers, then getting those would be nice, but doing so on his terms was what a proper gentleman would do.
"Then, let's meet back up here tomorrow," Layton smiled. "Hopefully we'll be able to sort this whole thing out once and for all then."
PUZZLES SOLVED – TWELVE
CURRENT MYSTERIES:
The White Specter (Solved!) – As it turns out, the White Specter is an animated skeleton who goes by the name of "Soul King" Brook. He has been staying in the graveyard so as not to scare the residents, with a moderate degree of success. Brook is friendly, a little eccentric, and a talented swordsman to boot. The music that was associated with the specter was his singing, and he is friends with Chopper.
Missing Food – According to Aimi, food that is about to go off has been going missing. There may be some connection to Michi in regards to this, but the residents find it unlikely that she would steal anything. Felix admits to having given Michi food that's about to go off, but is hesitant to link her to anything else. Whoever stole the food is living in Senkou's barn, likely without his knowledge, and has been for the past week or so.
Missing Supplies – According to Aimi, some supplies from the hospital and the general store have gone missing. Zdeslav and Tzidkiyahu report that two sets of footprints – one sandaled and one barefoot – have been found in the vicinity of the store. Tamrat believes that a skilled doctor is behind the thefts at the hospital, and Felix says that there's no real link when it comes to things that are stolen from the store aside from them being easy to spot. The supplies were found in Senkou's barn, but the 'who' and 'how' are still a mystery.
Robin Nico – A woman with an air of mystery around herself who is working as the Professor's assistant. She has experience working with children and is very good at moving silently and quickly despite her footwear of choice being high heels. She also seems very comfortable around Chopper, to the point that they act as if they're close friends despite having just met. She claims to be from a small island off the coast of Japan, and is oddly certain that the specter is friendly. She also reacted strangely to the mention of the ruins outside of town.
Michi – Mayor Senkou's daughter, whom he notes has been growing more distant lately, as if she's hiding something, although he's not sure what or why. Silo suspects an animal, as she's been requesting leftover food from him and Felix at the general store. The residents don't seem to believe she's behind the other thefts, though, as she's only been asking after food. She's responsible for Chopper's presence in Old Ashton, and no one's really sure where she got him from. Like the rest of the Children's Club, she knows how to navigate the streets without getting caught, and dislikes her father's tendency to try and shelter her.
Nephele and Hanuel (Solved!) – Two fiercely protective residents of Old Ashton who have lived there longer than the other residents. Nephele had an encounter with the specter that resulted in an injury to her arm, and Hanuel telling Senkou about this is what led the populace to know about the specter to begin with. Their opinion of the specter was soured because of this, and they have been acting hostile to try and keep people out of danger and away from the graveyard. Once the matter was cleared up, they were actually surprisingly pleasant individuals.