Act 3

The roar of the blast rang in Melina's ears. When the smoke cleared, she cracked one eye open, making an astonished sound. The platform had broken away from the castle, loosening concrete debris and creating a vast hole in the wall. Melina and Descole were being lifted high into the starry sky by a crane-like limb, until they had a bird's eye view of the entire island.

"Emmy!" Melina faintly heard the young boy (Luke, she thought his name was) cry.

Melina turned to the scientist, begging, "Please, stop this!"

"You'll have to sing if you want to save them, Melina," Descole taunted, his cape billowing in the wind. "This will be a farewell performance, for you and Emmy Altava." He approached the organ and began playing A Song of the Stars (surprisingly well). "Now, sing, Melina. Sing A Song of the Sea!"

Melina gazed down at her father, Janice, injured, and the others surrounded by wolves. She wasn't sure who some of those people were, but she didn't want them to suffer. Hadn't Descole called the man in the top hat 'Layton'? Professor Layton— he'd taught Janice archaeology. Maybe he was a close friend of this woman—Emmy Altava—as well? Janice always used to go on about how brilliant her professor was. Surely, the professor would find a way to stop Descole.

Something stirred in Melina's chest. It felt like a fluttering admiration... No, more than that. Emmy was almost agreeing with Melina, even if Emmy was inactive. Yes, Emmy's heart told Melina, you can definitely count on Professor Layton. Melina clenched her fists (a habit that may have belonged to Emmy), knowing that she first had to help the professor in order for him to reach Descole. She took a determined step forward.

"Sing, Melina!" Descole ordered again.

Melina was about to start, but broke off when she remembered she was unaccustomed to using Emmy's voice. Could Emmy even sing? Or the better question was... how well could she sing?

Before she had become too ill, Melina had been part of a choir. She was a Soprano, the highest of the female voices. Melina suspected Emmy had a lower Mezzo Soprano voice, or she possibly even fell into the rarer Contralto category. There was no way Melina would be able to sing virtuoso with Emmy's tongue. She also doubted Descole would allow her five minutes to warm up her new vocal cords. But that didn't matter. Having studied music, Melina knew the essential singing techniques. All she needed to do was stick to them.

"Hurry up and SING!"

She stood erect with her head up and her feet apart. She kept her shoulders relaxed and level. Taking a deep breath from her lower lungs, Melina imagined a rubber ring was covering her diaphragm; she needed to breathe in and push the ring outwards. Melina sang with Emmy's voice, out of tune at first, but gradually improved. She'd practiced A Song of the Sea so many times before. The melody may as well have been written on her soul.

As both Songs intertwined in the air, an earthquake rocked the island and the sea waves churned below.

Though Professor Layton didn't often condone his assistant's tendency for violence, he really could have benefitted from her prowess at that moment. He imagined Emmy would have taken out Descole's wolves with ease had she been here.

The beasts were drawing closer to the humans now, snapping, snarling and baring their teeth. The professor stood in front of Janice and Luke, trying to determine a way out of their current predicament and how to defeat Descole, whilst worrying about Melina inside Emmy's body...

"Professor," Luke exclaimed. "Look at those metal things on the wolves' ears! That must be how Descole's controlling them!"

"Good observation, my boy," Layton commended, darting forward to strike a wolf across the temples. (He hated attacking the animals; however, this was for their own good...) The wolf whined when the metal contraption on its ear shattered. Luke tried to copy his mentor's actions, but nearly got his hand bitten off in the process. Grunting, Grosky also kicked two wolves into submission, and even Amelia successfully gave one canine a boot to the head. Finally, all seven wolves were released from their master's influence and they fled. They had good reason too:

The castle floor was collapsing beneath their feet.

Carrying Janice with Luke's help, the professor instructed, "Run everyone, run!" Nobody had to be told twice. With the ground crumbling at their heels, they barely made it to the exit staircase.

Janice woke with a start after being jostled by Layton and Luke. "P-professor...!" she fretted as he gently supported her. "What happened to Emmy? The transition— did it..?"

Layton nodded solemnly. "The transition was successful. Descole now has Melina."

"This is all my fault,"she whispered, covering her mouth. "If I had just spoken up sooner... Emmy wouldn't be in this position."

"You are not to blame for any of this, Melina."

"'Melina'?" Luke repeated in bemusement. "Don't you mean 'Janice', Professor?"

"No, Luke. I'll explain it all later. Right now we need to save Emmy... Melina." (It was a pity that they couldn't save them both.) "Descole will not be pleased when he realizes his mistake."

The organ keys shrieked as they were smashed beneath Descole's fingers. "Why—? Why? Why?!" he rasped. He had done everything— everything— to find this accursed lost city. The Songs had even been performed twice and Ambrosia would still not reveal itself.

Descole whirled on Melina. "You must be singing it wrong!"

"N-no." Melina shook her head, slightly miffed. True, she wasn't pitch perfect adjusting to Emmy's voice... but she'd managed to sing to a decent standard. (She hadn't been that bad.)

Returning his attention to the Detragon, Descole broke out into a cackle. "Very well then, if the door to Ambrosia will not open by this music... I will tear it down!"

Again, Descole slammed his hands against the organ's keys. Slots containing hidden leavers ejected which he pulled in a rapid sequence, his arms becoming a blur. The giant instruments above the Detragon glowed with an eerie purple light. The light streaked across the platform, down the crane-like limb, completely outlining the castle. The castle walls were shattered, revealing the metal monstrosity within.

Melina yelped as she was thrown off the platform, hanging onto a pipe for dear life.

"Ambrosia... shall be mine!" Descole declared. The Detra-Gigant leapt off the castle remains and began laying waste to the forest with its blade 'hand', claw, and its drill 'tail'.

"Rise, Ambrosia...Show yourself!"

The masked man was out of control. Melina watched him timidly, drawing her knees up to her stomach. (For anyone who knew Emmy it would have seemed such an odd sight; seeing the lady in yellow cower like this.) Melina had never been so afraid— not even before she died. Having only just experienced the panic of waking up in a stranger's body, her fear and disorientation were multiplied tenfold. She cast a tentative peek over the edge of the Detra-Gigant.

Some sort of machine with a propeller flew past the Detra-Gigant's claw. Melina gasped in when she recognised the two pilots. There was a stirring in Melina's chest again. The feeling was nearly...smug this time. I knew he would come.

Descole had noticed the heroes as well. "Layton? Ha! You think you can stop me with that contraption?"

"Em... Uh, Melina!" Luke called, holding onto his cap and the professor's seat.

"I told you not to get in my way..." Descole directed the bladed hand towards their aircraft, trying to knock them out of the sky. Luke screamed in alarm. They weren't going to make it. Melina could only watch the catastrophic scene unfold with wide eyed horror.

NO! The shout ripped across her mind, making Melina wince.

Fortunately, the professor barely managed to avoid the hit. As he manoeuvred the plane to safety, the voice rang in Melina's head again, with relief this time:

Thank God, they're alive.

Melina took a guess. E-Emmy?

There was a pause. (Melina started to wonder if she'd imagined the reply.) But after a beat came an answer. That's right.

H-how are you even talking to me?

She had a vision of Emmy shrugging. No idea... It doesn't matter at the moment. Listen, I know you're scared, but we need to help Professor Layton and Luke.

Melina glanced at Descole warily, registering Emmy's intentions. I can't beat him! she protested.

Maybe not... But I can.

Clutching levers, Descole laughed as he attempted to crush his enemies. This was tediously easy. Soon Layton would be no more. Then he would shred this island to pieces. He now theorised that Ambroisa was buried somewhere underneath the island...

What Descole hadn't expected was getting kicked in the back of the head.

He rubbed the sore spot, grinding his teeth together. He slowly turned, shuddering with rage, to the woman standing nervously behind him.

Melina couldn't quite believe she'd just kicked him... Well, that Emmy had kicked him.

Descole roared, "ALTAVA! I should have known you were still here— that's why Ambrosia would not rise!"

Actually, shouldn't it still have risen? It was me who sang A Song of the Sea, Melina thought, nearly correcting him. Instead, she let Emmy's bold words flow out of her mouth:

"You can't get rid of me that easily, Descole." A smirk crossed her lips.