Chapter 4- An eventful reunion

"D…d…death?"

Silence filled the room once again. The only sound audible at that present time was the hoarse quivering voice that had just spoken the dreaded word, which now clung to the air and sent an unnatural chill around the room. Combined with the disturbed rasping breath of Lady Dahlia as she inhaled and exhaled in irregular patterns, it formed an icy chill that spread swiftly around the manor.

The figure on the couch remained motionless, her eyes fixated on the repulsive horror. Matthew shakily approached the object to dispose of it immediately, but an ear splitting screech from Lady Dahlia caused him to instantly retreat.

"No!" she shrieked as she slammed her hand against her mouth in alarm, "Don't touch it! Don't lay a finger on it, whatever you do! It will only bring more destruction!"

She buried her head in her hands and bent over, so that her spine formed a neat curve. Matthew tried to approach her, but she only wriggled away in terror as if his arm had turned into a venomous reptile. The butler continued to stare at her, worry creasing his face. From the corner of the room, the apple suddenly dissolved into a pool of dark poisonous liquid and the unseen creatures seemed finally satisfied that the apple couldn't be made more terrifying to its victims.

"My…my lady?" he asked uncertainly, "would…you prefer it if I left?"

Dahlia moved her head slowly towards her chest, making sure that she was no longer staring into the butler's worried eyes. Presuming her weak action to be a nod, he bowed low and cautiously walked quietly out of the room, closing the door noiselessly. The woman squeezed her fists into tight balls and began shaking vigorously, as if she was trying her hardest to contain an unknown emotion. Whether it was pain, or fear, or dread, Flora couldn't tell. All she knew was that Lady Dahlia would never be like she used to know her. The girl nervously made her way towards the couch, shaking slightly as the eerie chill bit sharply into her flesh.

"D…Dahlia?" she asked softly as she knelt down on her knees so that she was the same height as her, "please…please talk to me…"

Dahlia weakly raised her head just a fraction of an inch, behaving like this simple movement was the most exhausting thing in the world. Her terrified eyes locked with Flora's caring ones and it took several seconds for her to realise who had spoken to her. It was as if her 'step-daughter's' presence purged the air of pestilence. Her arms locked around her waist as she pulled the girl towards her, gripping her as if her life depended on it, which could've been possible in this scenario. Tears ran down Flora's cheeks as she breathed in the familiar smell of Dahlia's perfume and ran her fingers through her soft glossy hair. Dahlia patted the girl on the back gently, stroking the edge of her ponytail with her smooth finger tips.

"Oh, Flora…" she started as she hugged her even tighter, "my sweetheart. My little golden apple…"

She seemed lost for words about how much Flora appeared to have changed. Flora felt herself in the exact same position as she observed the deep marks in Dahlia's once youthful face. The rest of the group remained silent, watching the two people embrace intently, as if they wouldn't let themselves miss a single second of it. The professor smiled warmly at their embrace, before worry and concern swiftly replaced it. Luke nudged the professor and gestured to the scene in front of them, which instantly replaced the worry with another beaming smile. How could he not be touched by their emotional reunion?

After what finally seemed like an eternity, Dahlia let go and Flora shakily got to her feet, surveying Dahlia's appearance thoroughly. She had certainly changed since their last encounter. As well as the deep marks that were etched into her face, which even Bruno had failed to fix properly, there were other noticeable changes to her too. Her hair, as beautiful as ever, appeared to hang limply from her head, as if all of the life had been drained out of it. The beautiful dress that she had worn on their last encounter was creased and small areas of it had been patched up with another material that didn't seem to match her dress colour at all. There was a tremor in her hands whenever she moved, as if she was suffering from a violent fever or had gone into an incurable shock, having also developed a habit of her eyes quickly darting around the room, as if searching for a being that was only visible to her. What had happened to change her so much? Had the mysterious incident in St Mystere altered her body movements and her appearance that much? The woman was obviously ill, but not as much as she was terrified. Robots didn't feel these things though…did they? Flora had expected to see her 'step-mother' as radiant and confident as ever. Seeing her in this state disturbed her and only made her more eager to find out what had happened during her absence. Sooner was better, or so it was in Flora's opinion.

The girl's joyful smile rapidly faded as silence filled the room again. It was a regular visitor nowadays; a most unwelcome one at that too. Flora twitched her hands nervously before she forced a friendly smile at Dahlia.

"My flower," she woman murmured, as she placed a cold hand to the girl's cheek and gently felt the warmth and pearly texture of her bare skin, "you have grown up so much. It seems like only yesterday when you were this big."

She placed a hand to her knee, indicating Flora's height when she was a few years old. Flora smiled; she had forgotten how small she used to be.

"However, those times are clearly over. Look at you now!" Dahlia exclaimed as she slowly removed her hand from her face and kissed her gently on her cheek, "I've missed you so much, Flora."

Flora managed a smile without any difficulty as she squeezed Dahlia's hand tightly.

"I've missed you too," she replied softly, "The professor and Luke have been taking very good care of me, though."

Dahlia forced herself into a more comfortable position as she smiled weakly at the professor.

"Professor Layton," she greeted as she turned to face him, "it has been quite a long time, hasn't it?"

Layton raised his hat politely as he returned a grateful smile to her.

"Ah, I'm afraid I have to agree, Dahlia. It has been quite a while since we last spoke. I regret that I haven't been in contact with you as much as I'd wanted to."

Dahlia's smile lifted as she slowly shook her head.

"Oh no, Professor. It's no problem at all," she responded kindly, "I just hope that you've been making my little flower happier than she has been here."

"Of course," he answered truthfully, "and Flora has been delightful in every way possible. It has been an immense pleasure, for myself and for Luke, to have her. "

The girl blushed modestly as Dahlia beamed at the professor and Luke, before gesturing to the other inhabitants of the room, as if she'd only just acknowledged that they were there.

"You seem to be becoming more popular by the day!" Dahlia laughed, "Are they friends of yours?"

Flora nodded as a grin spread across Emmy's face.

"Yes. We accompany the professor, Luke and Flora on their adventures!" Emmy said with a smile, "Flora's told us so much about you and your village, um…Mrs Reinhold?"

"Please, call me Dahlia," she replied in a softer tone, "and who do I have the pleasure of speaking with?"

"This is Emmy Altava, Clive Dove and Luke's parents, Clark and Brenda Triton," the professor explained to Dahlia as she surveyed their faces.

"A pleasure to meet you all," she answered, before she gawped at Clive for several moments.

Flora presumed that she was finding it hard to take in just how alike he and Luke looked. More than many people had commented on it in the past and mistaken the boy for Luke.

"Am…am I seeing double?" she asked, suddenly frightened as she stared hard at Clive after greeting Luke's parents with a warm smile.

Flora's smile vanished; Dahlia was acting more strangely by the minute.

"Please don't worry, Dahlia! Clive just looks a lot like Luke…Do you remember when I told you in my letter several months ago that we had saved 'Future London' and real London from a boy called Clive, who had been posing as 'Future Luke'? Well, this is Clive! He's completely changed though," Flora added quickly as Dahlia shot him a piercing glare.

The woman relaxed slightly by Flora's reassurance and she forced a smile in Clive's direction. The boy grinned, running a hand through his hair to straighten it.

"What about this young lady here?" asked Dahlia curiously as she turned her attention towards Emmy, "Now I know why you sounded so excited in your letters to have so many wonderful friends!"

"She was the professor's old assistant before he and Luke solved the case of our village," Flora explained, "She's really smart, loyal and she certainly shows off her skills in mortal combat! She's even given me some lessons on how to defend myself! Now I can knock the bad guys to the floor!"

The professor bit his lip and pulled his hat over his face, so that the brim covered his eyes. This sort of news would not be the type to impress Lady Dahlia. She seemed worried enough as it was. A lady shouldn't resort to violence and he didn't dare imagine the look on Baron Reinhold's face if he found out that his daughter knew how to draw blood. Dahlia let out a long sigh of relief as she focused on the carpet beneath the sofa, not reacting in the way that the professor had assumed she'd react at all, much to his surprise.

"That's good," she replied quietly, "you're going to need all the skills you know-you'll have to defend yourself more than you think…now that this has happened…"

She trailed off mystically, as if speaking had been too exhausting for her. Luke scratched his head.

"'Now that this has happened'?" he repeated, "What is 'this', Lady Dahlia? How dangerous is it?"

Dahlia didn't reply, but simply mouthed a single word to the boy that made his mind whir and the flesh on his body turn cold: 'very'.

Flora didn't catch the word herself, but the expression on Luke's face clearly said it all. She couldn't keep a straight face any longer.

"Dahlia, what is going on?" she demanded, in a louder voice than intended, "Please! Please tell us! We can help rid this evil if you just tell us what has happened? Why has St Mystere changed? Who is, 'She-who-brings-darkness-to-the—"

"DON'T SAY HER NAME!" Dahlia shrieked as her words sewed up Flora's mouth momentarily.

Dahlia inhaled and exhaled sharply before she cleared her throat and began to speak quietly in a wavering voice.

"W…when you left St Mystere, it was as if nothing had happened. All of the citizens missed you dearly, Flora…we all did. Bruno kept making more and more residents for our village...he said that he felt that managing St Mystere and being with his creations was his only happiness…now that you had a real person to look after you…"

She glanced around the room, taking in the questioning pressing expressions on all of their faces. She sighed loudly before continuing. Her voice steadily became quieter as Flora drank in every detail-it was obvious that the questions would soon be answered.

"F…for almost a year, St Mystere was quiet and peaceful…as it always had been…but…it all changed a few weeks ago...It seemed like a…n…normal day…but we should've known better. One minute everything was peaceful and calm…then the next, a horrific storm struck our village. Bruno told us that we've never had a storm like that, or any weather in that form, in St Mystere. It also turned unnaturally dark, as if all of the happiness had been taken from our village. Bruno said that it was affecting the robots greatly; doing something to their wiring, as he put it…"

"No, the village didn't have that type of weather-even when I was younger," Flora replied, "We did get rain occasionally though and I'd jump up and down in the puddles with my father."

Dahlia nodded, but this time she didn't smile.

"Bruno was then telling us what to do: he told us to lock ourselves in our homes and to stay indoors. Then a monstrous wind struck unexpected. It seemed almost impossible to escape…several villagers were instantly sucked into it in a matter of seconds. Nothing could be done to save them. This horrendous wind…was the only beginning…"

"Was it a hurricane?" asked Clive as he listened intently to her hoarse voice.

"N…no…this was far worse…to us it was…," she answered slowly, "Whilst that was happening…whilst we were all screaming to each other to run and save ourselves…she came…"

"'She-who-brings—"

"Yes," Dahlia interrupted sharply, "She told us to savour the last glance of our village…before she set her creation on us. Then she started throwing fireballs…several buildings were consumed by the flames…as were many of the citizens. We were lucky to survive. If it weren't for Bruno I wouldn't be here to tell the tale right now...By the way the sorceress was talking, it sounded as if she wanted revenge on our small village…but we've done nothing to insult or offend her in any way…as far as I'm aware of!"

"It doesn't sound like it at all," muttered Emmy as she closed her eyes in concentration, "Was that the last that you saw of this 'sorceress'?"

"Hardly," the woman responded in a bitter tone, "We managed to put out the fires and repair any broken robots. It took just a few days to repair my vital parts but I must say that I've never seen Bruno so swept off of his feet…and I've never seen him so terrified either…as if he knows what will happen next. A few days later, she returned…with monstrosities beyond our own comprehension. She was even more powerful than from our first encounter; she sent winds of fire in all directions. She flooded part of our village and turned the waters into a thick black poisonous substance. She sent out mutations of devilish creatures: dragons that burnt down a whole street in minutes, carnivorous reptilians that stripped the robots bare of flesh…creatures beyond imagination. She sent signs to certain members of our village-apples, filled with her dark presence, aimed to terrify the victim until their dying breath. However, she is getting stronger…and she isn't alone…"

"You mean…," Brenda started in a quivering voice, "that there were…more of them?"

"That's exactly what I mean," she responded as she tightly squeezed her eyes shut, "They kept coming every other night…I have no idea why…or what they want…but…I suppose that you've seen the damage for yourself-I mean, it would be incredibly hard to miss…even a blind person couldn't mistake the destruction here."

"Yes, we have seen everything," Layton replied in a serious tone, "several dead residents, half of St Mystere in flames…and all of this was caused by this 'sorceress'?"

"Every part of it…but there are a few areas that have been left untouched…which is most surprising."

"These would be?" Luke inquired as he started feverishly scribbling down notes of Dahlia's account.

"The clock tower, for a start…and the alleyway that leads up to the tower…and the park…oh and a few streets have also been left as they are," she explained in as much detail as possible, "As these areas still have buildings, the surviving residents are being moved to these areas. I have decided to open Reinhold Manor to those in need if this continues…if there are any of us left when it gets to that point…"

"It won't get to that point," the professor said assertively as he placed a hand on Dahlia's shoulder, "We shall do everything in our power to get to the bottom of this. We have seen many unnatural things and I believe that this 'sorceress' shall be no exception."

"I doubt that, Professor," Emmy whispered quietly so that Lady Dahlia couldn't hear her, "this sounds just as baffling as some of our previous cases…this 'Laytonesque' case shouldn't be much different! Right, Flora? Flora?"

The girl quickly shook her head to awaken herself from her daze, before she quickly nodded and flashed Dahlia a reassuring smile. Although she was trying her hardest to hide her fear and her endless questions, there was one question that still pried in the corner of her mind and not even the happiest smile that she could muster could cover up her nagging doubts.

"D…Dahlia…," Flora started uncomfortably, "I…I had a dream last night…about what happened a week ago in St Mystere. Everything that you described…everything that you said happened when the sorceress attacked St Mystere…it happened in my dream. Every second was real and every detail was certainly not fabricated…I was experiencing the exact thing that you were; it was if I was there, watching you. Watching the winds claim the citizens as they helplessly screamed and tried to save themselves. Hearing the maniacal laughter of the sorceress as she aimed her fire in every direction. Standing, trapped, watching as the fire almost engulfed you…burnt you to ash…Do…do you know what may have caused this?"

All signs of life left the bedraggled woman once again as soon as Flora had spoken. Her pupils melted into a pool of darkness and her breathing became faster and more irregular. She began shaking more vigorously than ever, as if her very organs were steadily solidifying into frozen ice and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't close her jaw. It was as though she had suddenly been replaced by a ghostly puppet; her body jerked with every movement that she made and it seemed that her own will had been taken from her. Flora's cheeks were instantly flooded with white, although she didn't look one tenth as pale as the quivering creature next to her.

"Dahlia?" the professor asked, suddenly concerned as he placed both of his hands on Flora's shoulders to try and calm her down, "What is it?"

"Y...y…y…you could see it…you could…s…see everything that was happening…," she stammered in a barely audible voice, "N…n…no…This can't be…"

Emmy placed a hand over her mouth as she stared, speechless, at the look of terror on the woman's face.

"W…what can't be?" she faltered, dreading the answer that she would receive as soon as the words left her mouth.

"T…the…the sorceress…is…penetrating your mind, Flora. H…have…have you experienced anything else…like what you have described in the past…few days?"

Flora shook her head quickly, feeling more frightened than ever.

"N…no…," she answered in a wavering voice, "Just…just this one…other than that I have seen nothing of the sort…it only started last night…but it scared me…"

These words were no comfort to Dahlia at all. She started shaking and swaying on the sofa again. It looked as if she wanted to vomit.

"That…that is how she frightens her prey…drains all of the hope out of her victims and replaces it with fear and her own dark presence. If this is making you scared…then it means that she is targeting you…she's…she's been waiting…for the perfect opportunity…"

"B...but…but…I don't even…know her! How could she know I existed? Why would she target me when I'm not even near to her? I don't under—"

"Flora," Dahlia interrupted in a grave demanding tone that succeeding in silencing her, "the sorceress is targeting this village…and its founders. She has already started targeting the survivors of the Reinhold family- You saw what happened!"

The girl racked her brains for something to say that would comfort Dahlia, but she no longer had the courage, worried that the slightest murmur would instantly set her off. That was when she finally acknowledged the absence of several people from the room.

"Did the others...," she started, bracing herself for the worst.

"Bruno is currently repairing them," Dahlia replied, "Simon was the first to be fixed, but he will never be like we knew him…Gordon is currently being repaired…Ingrid is unharmed…but…," she sighed and her voice immediately returned to its previous tone, "but what does it show you? What does it show you?! Three Reinholds have suffered because of this…this…witch! The rest of us barely survived! It is clear that she is targeting our family! She wants to wreak revenge on our ancestors-and her next victim will be you! That was what the sign indicated! Already she has pressed her darkness and fear into your heart! That's what she does to her victims! She's determined to kill you, Flora-and when this sorceress sees prey, she will not rest for a single second until they lie dead at her feet! Don't you understand?!"

"Dahlia…please! Please stop acting like this!" Flora begged as her own heart froze in her chest.

"As long as you remain here, you are in the gravest danger! Helping us will only endanger yourself and your friends!"

Dahlia slid off the edge of the sofa, slamming her knees into the floorboards. She quickly wriggled across the floorboards until she was directly below the startled teenager, who was trying her hardest to calm the woman down. She grasped Flora's dress tightly, clutching onto it as though it was a lifeline.

"You must leave!" Dahlia shrieked as she tugged at the material more viciously, causing Flora to jump back in terror, "PLEASE! PLEASE LEAVE! ST MYSTERE IS NO LONGER SAFE! YOU MUST LEAVE WHILST YOU STILL CAN!"

Flora started sobbing at the sight of one of the people dearest to her breaking down like this. The poor woman was obviously traumatised.

"Dahlia! Why are you acting like this?! Please! Please calm down! I'm in no danger from this sorceress! We'll solve this for the entire village and everything shall be back to normal before you know it! I promise you! I owe it to my village for their care of me when I—"

"NO!" Dahlia wept as she forced out endless pleas, "IT ISN'T SAFE! PLEASE! PLEASE RETURN TO LONDON IMMEDIATELY! I'M BEGGING YOU!"

"Flora…" the professor started as he pulled her further away from the screaming woman, leaving a strip of her dress in her trembling hands.

"DAHLIA!"

"Flora, dear," Brenda said quietly in a voice she was trying to make gentle, as she helped Layton pull her to a safer distance.

Emmy and Clive looked at each other simultaneously, worry creasing their faces. Clark was muttering several words to Luke as he too retreated further away.

"I WON'T LEAVE YOU TO SUFFER!"

"Flora," Emmy interrupted in a sharp and demanding tone that instantly got her attention.

Flora spun her head around, still trying to approach Dahlia as she shuffled away from her.

"What?" Flora shouted, "I can't leave them to suffer! A true gentleman or lady never abandons their friends in a time of crisis!"

Layton knelt down next to her, so that he was the same height as her.

"Flora," he replied in a gentler tone than Emmy had used, "Dahlia is right. You can't endanger yourself. If anything, your staying here in the village may only danger the villagers further. If this sorceress really is after the Reinholds, which includes you, then you need to stay hidden from her. There is nothing that any of us can do, for the time being-and if it will make Dahlia less hysterical knowing that you are safe…then it would be better to leave—"

"WHAT?!" she exclaimed, infuriated, "PROFESSOR, I CAN'T LEAVE THEM! THEY'RE MY ONLY FAMILY! PLEASE!"

She began clawing at his jacket, begging him to reconsider. The professor hated to see his daughter upset, but he stood firm by his decision.

"No," he answered firmly as he pulled his daughter into a comforting hug, "There is nothing we can do at this moment in time…I'm sorry."

Flora's sobbing was muffled by the thick material of his jacket, but the tears that streamed down her face failed to remain concealed by the clothing. The professor turned his attention to Dahlia and nodded sadly. The woman shakily forced herself to her feet and looked at Layton directly in the eye, unable to tell him how grateful she was. Her lips formed two words: Thank you. The professor straightened his top hat, by his way of thanking her in the current situation, before he looked at the faces of his assistants, silently asking for their help.

Luke cleared his throat before placing a hand on Flora's shoulder to comfort her. Flora immediately stopped struggling and in no way attempted to wriggle away from his smooth touch. The boy breathed a sigh of relief; it showed that his friend trusted him greatly.

"Flora," he said softly in the kindest tone he could manage, "for your own safety and for the safety of Lady Dahlia and your village…it is best that we return to London for now. However," he added quickly upon seeing her look of distress intensify, "we'll ask Lady Dahlia to write to us when the events have died down and when St Mystere is safer. Maybe…maybe then, if it is safer, we'll return to St Mystere and do everything we can to solve this case. It's better than doing nothing at all but still suits what Lady Dahlia wants. Right, Professor?"

Layton placed his spare hand to his chin thoughtfully. His apprentice's suggestion seemed ideal-they would be reassuring Lady Dahlia, but they would return to help when things had died down. It seemed like the best option-for Flora at least. The girl wiped her tears and peered at Luke, her eyes shimmering like obsidian.

"B…but…," she started, "what if it is too late then? What if the entire village is destroyed by that stage?!"

"I don't know, dear. It's the best option yet, though," said Emmy in a quieter tone, feeling slightly guilty for her sharpness earlier, "Is that okay with you, Dahlia?"

The woman slowly looked up, still as pale as ever but starting to look vaguely human.

"It's…it's still risky…but…if it will please Flora…then of course…by all means…"

"I believe that the issue has now been resolved," Layton explained, sounding heavily relieved that it was over, "Dahlia, we shall leave immediately, if it will comfort you."

Lady Dahlia stammered a few weak words of thanks before she slowly walked over to Flora and clothed her in a final hug. This one felt damp from their tears, emotionless and…dark-as if it would be the last time they would ever see each other again.

"I…I…I may never see you again," she wept as she kissed the woman lightly on the cheek, "I just want you to know how…grateful I am to you…for always being there for me…for—"

"My flower," she murmured, effectively cutting her off, "the village and I still live…and even if my time is near, Bruno can easily create another Lady Dahlia. You'll never be alone."

"It won't be the same!" she argued as their grip loosened, "I want you!"

"I know, dear…I know…just please…take good care of yourself…and stay with Professor Layton and your friends…you know what to do," she replied as she let go of her daughter's hands and stepped towards the window, "Matthew will show you out. Until then, I hope to see you when all of this has…died down…which should be soon, hopefully."

"Look after yourself, Dahlia," the professor responded as the group silently filed out of the door, "See you soon, Dahlia."

Flora quickly turned around; she could still see the worry creasing the woman's face from the thin crack in the side of the door, the fear in her eyes, the dread in her heart and other conflicting emotions that she couldn't begin to describe-before the crack vanished and separated them apart. Endless thoughts ran through her mind as the professor carefully helped her down the winding staircase. What if that terrifying appearance would be Flora's last living memory of the Lady Dahlia she knew? She sighed and tried to focus on her current surroundings as they finally came to the end of the staircase. Emmy had a tight grip on Clive's shoulder, steering him in the desired direction when he seemed lost in his thoughts. Luke trailed behind the professor, staring down at his feet, as Layton tried his hardest to direct Flora towards the exit of Reinhold Manor. All five of them looked disturbed, but the fear that Layton, Emmy and the two boys possessed at that moment didn't add up to one tenth of what Flora felt. Only Clark and Brenda seemed to be keeping clear heads, but their hands were firmly fixed together, vowing not to separate for the slightest thing.

Matthew's eyes widened as they passed him and he caught sight of Flora leaving with the group. He quickly wiped his face with his handkerchief and stumbled over to her, blocking their way to the door.

"Are…are…are you leaving so soon, Miss Reinhold…um, I mean, Flora?"

Flora nodded sadly, peering closely at the butler's face; it was stained with his worry and anxiety for his mistress. Matthew appeared to be swaying and shaking slightly, twitching occasionally as if he was in pain. He mopped at his face with a large silk handkerchief as sweat dampened his forehead. His eyes were wide and in them the girl could see a million questions that the poor robot so desperately wanted to ask, but sensing that it would distress her, he just covered up his questions by obscuring his face from vision with the handkerchief. Flora's heart panged as she caught sight of him; it was clear he was worried and wanted to know what was going on. This type of attitude from Dahlia was new even for him, who'd been on the receiving end of her vicious temper more than frequently. How would they be able to cope with what was going on? Matthew looked as if he was going to cry, but the robots in this village never cried-because they couldn't-so instead tried their hardest to bury their emotions in their daily actions. Matthew was no exception.

"I'm…I'm afraid so, Matthew," Flora answered timidly as the butler shakily shuffled to the side to allow her to pass, "Dahlia…um—"

"She thinks it is best that Flora is safe in London and away from all of these disturbing events," the professor replied, finishing the sentence for her.

Matthew nodded slowly.

"I can't say that I blame you. This is most certainly not the place for young Flora to be when such a crisis is occurring. Well…I hope that you have a safe journey back. How…how is...m'lady?"

"She's okay now. She was…very disturbed earlier, however," Luke answered, feeling slightly uncomfortable, "It might make her happier if you saw her."

Matthew managed a weak smile and heaved open the door for them.

"I shall see what the mistress wants shortly, but if I can do anything to help m'lady then…I shall cross the very edge of the world if I had to!"

Flora smiled softly, knowing that Matthew meant every one of those words; his loyalty and admiration of Dahlia couldn't be described by even Flora herself.

"I suppose that we shall see you soon-when things have died down," the professor said as he ushered the group out of the doorway, "Farewell, Matthew-and please look after yourselves."

Flora just had time to mumble a quiet farewell before the doors to Reinhold Manor closed behind them with an echoing slam. The group watched, sadly, as the locks clicked loudly to indicate that the manor was no longer accessible. The atmosphere outside hadn't changed in the slightest, but neither of them could take in the beautiful sights of the Reinhold garden. Not when they knew that on the other side of the gate was a bare and damaged world-like it was part of a completely different village altogether. Layton held onto Flora's hand tightly as they crossed the river and made their way to the manor gate. No one was speaking-not even Emmy could crack a joke to liven up the atmosphere. If she did, she'd only be met with the continuous murmurs inside her mind of the name that the whole of St Mystere dreaded the most. After what seemed like a decade, Flora finally mustered up the courage to break the silence.

"Do…do you think that this will be the last time we'll see St Mystere?" she asked in a hoarse voice.

Layton shook his head.

"I don't know, dear. I don't know. However, the sooner you are back at London, the better. We did keep our promise to Lady Dahlia, after all-and a gentleman always keeps his promises."

Clive listened to the professor's words, trying not to look at the distraught face of Flora. Silence answered his question. It continued to reply for several minutes. Emmy halted on the stone path; still silence could be heard. Even this wasn't natural, when they'd heard several cries of the wounded and homeless just mere hours ago.

"Err…" she stammered, straining her ears, "don't you think that things seem too…quiet?"

She turned her attention to the professor, who had also stopped to take in the strange sensation.

"Yes…they do," he answered as he gestured for the group to stop, "this seems strange…considering all of the noise we heard when we arrived…"

"What could be going on out there?" Luke thought aloud as Clark opened the gate to let them all through, "there has to be something—"

"FREEZE!"

Jerking to a halt, the group looked from one another into the eyes of the owner whose barking voice had instantly forced them to a stop. Wearing his largest frown yet, Simon thrust a thin bony finger at the professor, hatred identifiable in the main features of his face. Flora let out a silent gasp as the professor instinctively pulled her behind him, staring confused at the people who blocked their path. Accompanying Simon was the mayor of St Mystere, as unchanged as ever and squinting in disapproval at the group, along with a trembling Agnes and an incredibly tired Bruno, who glanced apologetically at the group. There was silence for a few moments before the professor bravely took a step forward, gesturing to the cowering form of Flora behind him.

"Master Reinhold, we have finished our business with Lady Dahlia. Would you mind stepping aside to let us pass?"

Simon took another step closer to the group, snarling.

"I wouldn't allow it in a million years," he growled, "St Mystere cannot let the likes of you slink away from the scenes that you've devastated untouched!"

He said the word 'you' as if it was too disgusting to speak aloud. A wave of horror and shock ran through the group.

"I'm sorry?" Emmy asked loudly, unsure that she'd heard properly, "Where are the residents? What do you—"

"You know exactly what we mean!" interrupted the mayor as he adjusted his spectacles, "The residents have been told to return to their homes for their own safety-from you. I can't believe that the gates were opened for you…you…outsiders!"

Clive balled his fists, narrowing his eyes at the man that considered anyone not having the status of 'mayor' or 'Reinhold' to be as repulsive as dirt.

"Hey!" he exclaimed loudly, "What do you mean?! What gives you the right to say that?! Flora is hardly an outsider! You saw her yourself when we arrived!"

"Clive," the professor said sternly as the boy immediately fell silent, "Please, good sirs, tell us what is going on here? What do you mean by 'we' destroyed the village. It was the sorceress of—"

"You see! You see! Only her followers dare speak her name!" Agnes yelled in a hysterical voice as her pupils became diluted, "It's as clear as day!"

"What? Are you saying that we're followers of 'She-who-brings-darkness-to-the-world'?!" Luke asked as his eyes widened, "That's preposterous!"

"Her sorcery is preposterous-it destroyed half of our village!" Simon argued, "Why did Lady Dahlia send you away if you were here to 'visit' her? We could hear her screaming. You've murdered her, haven't you?!"

"What on earth?! You can't seriously think—"

"Please," Bruno said in an annoyed tone, "they are telling the truth! They have done nothing against the village! They brought Flora to see Lady Dahlia and that is all—"

"Then explain how they managed to sneak into St Mystere without any method of transport!" the mayor demanded.

This statement hit the professor like a ten tonne truck.

"That's…that's not possible! We travelled to the village by car. It's large and red and is parked outside of the village just a few metres away from the drawbridge. We left it there and then came to visit Lady Dahlia—"

"How on earth could we have gotten here if we hadn't used transport?!" Emmy exclaimed as a thought came to her, "Even when we arrived you suspected us...The only other way we could've got in here was by using 'sorcery' which is as likely as Flora murdering the professor!"

"That's why they think we're her followers," Luke explained in a shaky voice, "If they haven't seen the vehicle then they must think that we used sorcery to get in here as no normal person could make it to St Mystere without any means of transport-that and we seemed too eager to see Lady Dahlia."

"We don't 'think'-we know!" argued Simon, "Otherwise we would've seen this 'car'…"

Layton had never been as confused in his life. He peered warily at Simon and the mayor and saw for the first time a large pipe strapped to the side of their bodies. The robots had never looked so vicious in their life. A false step or statement could make this unpleasant accusation into a nasty bloodbath. Layton gestured for Clark to pull Luke and Clive to a safer distance, still keeping one eye on the pipe.

The current situation wasn't adding up. The robots seemed intent on destroying all of them. Their car was in full view, yet the robots hadn't seen it…unless…

"Bruno, could you take us back to the drawbridge, please? I believe the answer shall be obvious then, but I will swear to all of you that we are in no way in league with this monster."

Simon, Agnes and the mayor glared at him for a moment before turning to Bruno. He nodded and shot an angry look at Simon until he had retreated to a safer distance.

"Enough of this. They are not behind this at all-why would you be acting like—"

He paused instantly, repeating the sentence again and again in his mind. His normal expression returned after a few seconds of unrest before he smiled reassuringly at the professor and gestured for the group to follow him. Silent and shaking, the group slowly followed after the old man, with the three grumbling robots right behind them. The professor seemed to be the only one not frightened by this unpleasant encounter however; his mind was more focused on other things. Managing to keep a steady tread and a calm face, he directed the group to the edge of the broken drawbridge, fearing that his suspicions would be confirmed…


"WHAT?!"

"What…what's happened?!"

"Huh? I don't…understand…"

"Professor! Where has it gone?!"

Just as the professor had feared, the space where his prized and precious Layton Mobile had been parked just hours ago greeted them with a large empty space. The scenery around them remained unchanged, however, with no suspicious signs of anyone being in that area. No clues to its whereabouts were identifiable in the scene, apart from the dark tyre marks that the vehicle had made upon its arrival at the village. Luke stared into the distance, as if expecting the car to magically appear in front of them again. Flora held onto Layton's jacket even more tightly as he began pacing up and down, trying to clear his mind. Clark and Brenda stood quietly in the distance with Clive, still keeping a firm grip on the other's hand. The three robots stood in a line, the same expression of anger imprinted on their faces. Bruno was blinking rather rapidly, as he approached the professor whilst he was deep in thought.

"I know that it was here, Professor," he said defensively as Emmy pulled out her camera and began taking several photos of the tyre tracks and the scene, "I saw it earlier today! To be quite frank, the robots would never question you, Professor; you're the man who saved their Golden Apple and I checked their wires not too long ago. There was nothing dodgy about them at all!"

Layton sighed thoughtfully as Brenda turned her attention to the three robots, trying her hardest to keep a calm composure.

"Why did you suspect us?" she asked calmly, "The professor helped save Flora and your village three years ago. What made you think that we were the ones who—"

Agnes jerked her head roughly to the side, as if trying to snap out of a disturbing thought. She blinked rapidly and the corners of her mouth formed a confused expression.

"Suspect someone?" she croaked as she shook her head, "I'm sorry, dearie. What do you mean?"

Brenda eyebrows furrowed as the old woman spoke. Simon and the mayor now wore looks identical to the one that covered the woman's face.

"What are you talking about?" asked Simon, scratching his head, "Hey, shouldn't you be seeing Lady Dahlia now?"

"We…we just did…" Brenda answered, thrown back by their answer, "Do you mean to say that…you can't remember anything of what you've said?"

Simon coughed slightly, trying to recover his thoughts.

"All I remember is standing guard…" he mumbled, "I let you into the manor…and then I think I fell asleep and…err…where are we now?"

Brenda quickly scribbled the robots' responses into her notebook before she ran back over to join Clark, armed with new information.

"That's strange…" Clark mumbled, "Hershel, something has happened to the robots' memories; they can't seem to remember a thing!"

Bruno turned white and ran up to them with the professor, whose thoughtful expression had now turned into an eager gesture.

"May I see your notes, Brenda?" he asked politely as she handed him her book.

Flora, Luke and Clive cautiously walked up to the group, not knowing what to make of the situation.

"Dad, what's going on?" Luke asked in a confused manner.

Clark looked down at his son and gestured to the pacing professor.

"The robots can't remember a thing. It's as if they've had their memories wiped," he explained as Clive walked over to Simon.

"You were accusing Professor Layton and the rest of us of being in league with a certain sorceress and murdering Lady Dahlia!" Clive exclaimed, still feeling annoyed, "Don't you remember any of this?!"

The mayor gasped loudly and had to hold a nearby tree branch to keep himself on his feet.

"What on earth-?! Okay, I may not like strangers in St Mystere-but the man who saved our Golden Apple being accused of being in league with that…that…creature! Preposterous!"

"That's exactly what I said…" Luke muttered, scratching his chin as the professor finally resurfaced from the pages in his hand.

"Luke, I think I can make sense of the situation," he explained as a shadow formed under his eyes, "Like you said, Brenda, it is as if they've had their memories erased. One minute they were acting like this…and the next they weren't. They don't have any recollection of what happened and Bruno says that they aren't faulty…this means that either someone is sabotaging the works at the clock tower…or someone wants us out of the picture…"

Flora's shoulders jerked and her bottom lip quivered.

"P…P…P…Professor?" she stammered frightfully, "you…you don't suppose…that the sorceress altered their memories, do you?"

The professor frowned, patting Flora on her back in a reassuring manner.

"Something like that, yes," he answered truthfully, "That, or they may be under her control. It certainly makes sense that she'd want us out of the picture…"

Bruno turned even paler and quickly ran over to his creations, checking for any signs of unrest or something that could spark them off and turn them into the same vicious robots that they'd encountered earlier.

"How…how…how is this possible?!" he stuttered, "First she ruins the village, now she's controlling the villagers! It's just like that storm that short circuited them! She's controlling them with her darkness! I must get them all back to the tower and make sure that they are all restrained and can't be affected by her spells, should she try to get them to do so again. That was only the beginning. If she's capable of that, then she's capable of making them hurt other residents…turn them over to her side or…kill them in numerous torturous ways…"

A sudden realisation hit the group.

"We'd better get you safely out of here, Flora dear," the professor said assertively as he looked fearfully at the trembling teenager.

Luke swivelled his head around and bit his lip.

"Um…, Professor," Luke asked warily, "if the Layton Mobile isn't here then…how are we going to leave the village?"

As his apprentice spoke, the sky above them darkened and a deep growl rang across the sky. Precipitation plummeted to the ground as flashing beams of lightening streaked across the sky, creating an array of mysterious patterns inside the black hearts of the beckoning clouds. Bruno began waving his arms around frantically, shoving his robots across the drawbridge before the storm caused further damage to their bodies. The plants and trees immediately drooped, cowering in fear against the mighty storm in their wake. Water flooded the ground and ran like tears down the brick structures, crying at the sight of their village. Luke slowly turned towards the professor, his clothes sticking to his wet body and his hair slowly became drenched with rainwater. Layton pulled his top hat further down his face, letting Flora shelter in a part of his jacket.

"I suppose walking back to London in this storm is out of the question?" he asked as he peered down at Flora, "The Layton Mobile has indeed gone for the time being…but until we recover it…we have no choice but to stay here…and help the residents in the case of this sorceress."

Flora's spirits lightened at the thought that they really would be helping her friends, but the professor couldn't have been more worried. He felt he was exposing his friends once again to unknown dangers, Flora especially. They had been in dangerous situations more than enough and they all knew how to handle it...but this was different. This sorceress was desperate and would make it her goal to hunt down Flora (being a Reinhold). A gentleman never put his friends in danger; the professor would never be able to forgive himself if he let any harm come to his young assistants.

"Who do you think this 'She-who brings-darkness-to-the-world' is, Professor?" asked Clive curiously, breaking Layton from his train of thought, "What do you think the identity of this sorceress is? There has to be some logic behind the whole thing…"

Layton nodded as Clark took of his jacket and held it over himself and Brenda.

"We'd better find a place to shelter, Hershel!" Clark shouted over the roaring thunder, "I would seriously like to know where your vehicle has gotten to, though!"

"So would I, Clark. So would I…but I doubt that this is just a coincidence…as if it was meant to happen…"


Mystery 1-Ruthless robots

Shortly after leaving Reinhold Manor, the robots immediately suspected the professor of being in league with the Dark Sorceress and acted completely out of character. However, a few moments later, they were unable to recount anything of what had happened, as if they're memories had been erased. Is this another spell of the Dark Sorceress?

Mystery 2-The vanishing vehicle

After returning to the drawbridge to leave St Mystere, the professor found that his car, the Layton Mobile, had inexplicably vanished. With their only means of leaving the village now lost, the group have no choice but to stay in St Mystere. What could have happened to the professor's vehicle?

Mystery 3-Who is she?

The villagers of St Mystere keep referring to the Dark Sorceress who wreaks revenge on the village and the Reinhold family as 'She-who-brings-darkness-to-the-world'. No one knows the true identity of such a powerful and dangerous sorceress. What is the true identity of this dark being?


"Professor! I think I've found something!"

Emmy's triumphant and assertive voice caused the group to swiftly turn around to face her. The woman was beaming triumphantly, holding a sodden piece of parchment in her hands. She seemed oblivious to the rain around her, as her hair hung in a mess of wet knotted strands down her back. Layton rushed over to her, peering closely at the parchment as the rest of the group followed his example.

"Where did you find this?" he asked, examining the paper from every angle.

"It was wedged in the middle of two of the tyre tracks," she explained, "It's a good job I found it when I did! Eh, Professor?"

"Indeed…," he answered, talking more to himself than Emmy, "There appears to be some writing on this paper. It won't last long in this rain, which means that I shall have to be quick in examining it…"

Clark and Brenda were still sheltering under the jacket, now being joined by a shivering Luke, who was trying desperately to warm up as he blew on his cold fingers. Flora began shivering slightly too, as Clive's arm encircled her, delivering heat and warmth to her body. Emmy squinted with the professor as she read the paper, smirking when she reached the end of it.

"It looks like letter-with a hidden puzzle in it!" she yelled gleefully as she looked at the professor, "You know what to do, Professor! Thrash it like there's no tomorrow!"

Layton smiled warmly at her as he tried to cover as much of the paper as he could so that it was spared from the worst of the rain.

"Not literally, of course! he exclaimed, "However, I get the feeling that this puzzle will tell us much more than the meaning of the hidden message…"

Emmy grinned even wider.

"There's your famous intuition again, Professor! This is getting more Laytonesque by the minute! Well, best of luck!"

The professor's face darkened as he read the paper. Luke recoiled at seeing the professor's angry expression.

"What is it, Professor?" he asked, feeling slightly uncomfortable, which had nothing to do with being wedged tightly between his parents, "Is something wrong?"

Layton walked over to the group, pointing at the very last line with disgust.

"Is that…" Flora said timidly, trailing off instantly as the professor nodded.

"Yes, it seems our 'friend' is very busy lately," he muttered darkly, "She'll have left a secret message in it somewhere. Well, this thing won't solve itself-and it won't last long in this storm either!" he added as he carefully wiped his sleeve across the thick blood-red ink that was smeared in writing across the page, trying his hardest to keep a calm composure as the wet ink suddenly resembled dark smears of blood.


Puzzle 5-A menacing message (40 picarats)

'Greetings St Mystere,

To those of you who don't know, or haven't received my 'signs' then you can only be outsiders. Only foolish puny beings couldn't know my name and the damage that I have caused in this repulsive village. Never underestimate my powers-it could be your last mistake. I am the Dark Sorceress, or if you prefer: 'She-who-brings-darkness-to-the-world' and I am the one responsible for the unrest and destruction in the village. Going to unimaginable lengths to wreak my revenge on the village is easier than it looks-for someone as powerful and dangerous as I, at least. How many of you think that you can overcome the incomprehensible powers of the Sorceress of Darkness? The truth is this: any of you who think that you can overcome me shall fear the worst of my powers, torturous searing agony and unimaginable gruesome ends.

You have been warned. I look forward to seeing you. When, you ask? Hidden in this letter is the time of day that we shall meet next. Look very closely-and you will see when I shall call our next meeting.

Until then,

The Sorceress of Darkness'

Can you find the time that the Sorceress of Darkness will be greeting the village with more of her preposterous sorcery and spells?

(Get this puzzle correct and you will have 200 picarats! Hurry! The village of St Mystere depends on you solving this puzzle!)


The professor silently surveyed the page, taking in every word, letter and the position of the punctuation. This sorceress was not only dangerous, but she also had a deadly logical mind. It took just a few minutes for Layton to find the answer to her riddle in the message-and the words he saw in the ink that now flowed like dripping blood down the page froze him to the core. It had nothing to do with the bitter cold.

"Professor?" Emmy asked uncertainly, "Are you okay? What did she say? Have you solved the riddle?"

Layton looked up, his cheeks gradually becoming paler and paler as his eyes focused firmly on Flora.

"Everyone, take cover inside," he yelled, steering them to the other side of the drawbridge.

The group followed obediently, water flooding the paths as they bolted towards the village, searching everywhere for the nearest form of shelter. Layton's young assistants had just one question on their minds, though.

"What…what did the puzzle say?" Clive and Flora asked simultaneously, dreading the answer that they would receive.

"The letter was a warning from our 'friend'…and the answer to the puzzle told us when she would be making her next appearance-with horrifying and torturous spells, I'd presume, to be even worse than her previous warnings…"

"So?" Luke pressed, looking fearfully towards Flora, "When will she next appear?"

Gravely, the professor handed the paper to his apprentice without a word, his eyes dark and serious. Luke held the page in his trembling hands, his eyes fixed to the blood red writing below the sorceress's warning, which had been written by Layton in slanted sharp letters:

'TONIGHT'

Hey guys! Your eyes aren't playing tricks-I UPDATED DARK APPLE! I've had writer's block with this for a while now and I've only just worked out a convincing storyline for it. Hope you guys like it! Thankfully, this will be the last very long chapter-I've decided to make them shorter so that most people don't feel pressurised into reading huge chunks of writing. The answer to the puzzle was to put the first letter at the start of every new sentence together, thus making the word 'Tonight'. What will she have planned? Find out in the next chapter when I finally update QUICKER! Again I'm sorry for the length-the other chapters shall be shorter-I PROMISE! Thanks for all of your support, feedback and reviews with this so far! Once again, enjoy the Fanfiction that's out there and enjoy your week!

Plant peace for the planet and see you around!

Abbie :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)