Hello, to the people of my fan fiction kingdom. Okay, not my kingdom. But it is my fic. Anywho, I'm sure that you're all here for another chapter of this story. Sorry about the delay, I've been held up with stuff. So, without further ado, THE FIC IS THE THING!
I only own my OC(s).
Triton Residence, Misthallery, Tuesday 6:00 AM.
Clark was sitting in his study, looking over the records of the town's continuous reconstruction, when someone knocked on his door. "Come in," he said.
When this was said, his visitor obliged. It was Doland, bringing him some morning tea. "Good morning, sir. I have your tea."
"Yes, thank you, Doland." That said, he took one of the cups from his butler.
"Sir, you have a visitor in the parlor. He asked my to see if you were busy."
Clark rose his head sharply. "This early?"
"I'm afraid so, sir. Shall I show him in?"
Clark sighed, now knowing that today was not going to be as pleasing as he was hoping. "Yes, go ahead, Doland. And... bring some more tea along."
"Yes, sir." Without another word, the butler left the office. After a half an hour, he returned with another tray of tea and the visitor.
It was none other than his electoral opponent, Jean Descole. "Ah, Clark, I'm glad I could catch you." After saying this, he took the tray from Doland and said, "You may go now, my friend. I need to talk to our 'glorious' mayor alone."
Doland bowed his head and exited the office, slowly closing the door as he did so.
After this, Clark went straight into the conversation, ignoring the tea that had been brought in on his request. "What do you want? Another chance to use me so that the vote will swing in your favor? Or do you wish to nearly destroy the town again by ruining my family?" He never forgave him for using him in the whole Specter operation.
"You wound me, Clark." Descole walked around the desk and put a hand on Clark's shoulder. "I've given up my ways of tyranny."
The mayor simply shrugged off his hand and stood up. "That will be the day. And you never answered my question. What do you want?"
Descole smiled behind his mask. "I came only to wish you luck in the election. And to tell you..." He leaned close to his ear. "...You better pick up the campaign." With this, he left, but not before he "accidentally" dropped a Descole campaign poster on Clark's desk.
The mayor rubbed his temples before looking up at a picture that his son had sent him the summer after he left with his new mentor, Clark's old friend Hershel Layton. In the photo, there stood Luke, Hershel, Emmy, and the famous opera singer, Janice Quatlane. In the enclosed letter, Luke had recounted his second case with the Professor: The Eternal Diva.
Clark stared at this picture a long while before Doland came in to collect the tea tray, disrupting his thoughts.
Misthallery Front Bridge, Tuesday, 7:30 AM.
It didn't take long for the group to reach Luke's hometown. Layton, Flora, and John rode in the Laytonmobile while Emmy and Luke rode on her scooter. Grosky simply ran for two reasons. One because he said he was fast enough to keep up with them, which, don't get me wrong, is true. The other was because he was too... er... masculine to fit in or on either vehicle.
When they arrived, they walked over to the bridge. John, who had heard a lot about the town from Luke and the Professor, immediately caught one small, yet crucial, detail in the name of the supposed haven. "Uh, I may still be delusional from blood loss, but there is a stunning lack of a town visible."
"Yeah, I know," Luke agreed. "We arrived on one of the mistier days of the year. Had we arrived earlier, the mist would have made Misthallery look absolutely stunning."
"I believe you, but still..." He trailed off as they crossed the bridge and, apparently, the mist. There stood the town he had heard of. The buildings were alined in a way that gave the feeling of walking through a museum. There were rivers that flowed as naturally as streets. John was just stunned by the sight.
"That's odd," Layton said.
"What do you mean? This is beautiful!"
"Well, it is at that. But I mean the mist. Turn around."
When they did, they saw what he meant. The heavy mist seemed to be centered over the river leading in and out of the town. But, everywhere else, the mist was not beyond visibility.
Grosky made his comment next. "That is odd."
"It's almost as if something is trying to keep the people in the town from leaving and the others outside from coming in," Flora inferred.
"Something... or someone," a voice said behind them. The group turned around to see who had spoken. It was a tall being in a black cloak. It's face was a mask made to look like a crude imitation of a bird's. "It's good to see you again, Professor."
Layton smiled when he recognized the figure. "Well, if it isn't the Black Raven. How has the market been?"
"Busier that ever actually. But I know that the great Hershel Layton doesn't take kindly to idle chat."
"You would be correct with that, Crow."
"Not so loud! We... I mean... I don't want to lose customers."
"Yes, I'm sorry. Anyway, someone?"
"Yes. As you have probably heard in the papers outside Misthallery, Jean Descole is running for mayor of our little haven. And, in an attempt to sway the vote in his favor, he said he would provide protection for us. That 'protection' would be that wall of mist."
"So, not quite what was expected?"
"Not at all. But I can't tell you anything else that would be of any use to you. Maybe if you talk to mayor Triton, he could though."
"Okay, thank you."
With that, Crow left the group, only half of which had any idea what had just happened. Grosky regained his composure the quickest of the three. "Well, who was that shady character? And why hasn't he been sent to prison as of yet?"
Luke turned to the muscle-bound inspector. "He happens to be a friend of ours. And he may be one of the only ones that will give us any friendship here, if what he said is true."
"Descole?" Flora asked.
John took a step back when he heard the name and shot a hand to his head. He grunted and bent over in pain, as if something were attacking him.
"John! Is something wrong?" She bent down to eye level with him. Before she knew it, John's hand was on Flora's shoulder. That's when she saw it.
~Flashback~
John was running through the streets of an old town. To his left was a young boy. His right, a young girl. Behind him, a giant machine chased them.
"John, I don't know if I can make it," the girl said wearily.
"We have to try, Emily." He didn't wait for a response. He reached down and put her on his back and continued running. Though they didn't get far before the machine's giant arm reached down and lifted them up to a platform on the head.
Up there was a giant musical contraption which appeared to control the machine. Next to it stood a man with a frilly cape, tri-point hat, and a mask. He smirked at the three children and waved his hand towards them.
Suddenly, three dogs with metallic left ears jumped from behind them and grabbed Emily and the boy. John tried to chase after them, but was stopped by the dogs.
~Present~
John and Flora were flung apart as the flashback ended. Both of them were breathing hard to catch their breath. Flora caught it first. "Wh-What... was... that?"
John forced a smile at her. "You must be very special to have activated that."
Luke, who Flora had fallen into, asked next. "What happened to you two?"
"We just shared what's known as a Shockback. It can only be caused when one person with a vivid memory touches another person having an intense flashback." With this, he turned to Flora. "You must have a very vivid memory."
"I can't have one," she protested. "I have nearly nothing to remember."
"All the more fact that you have one."
"Excuse me," Emmy said, slightly annoyed. "It's great that you two can do this, but we should really get moving to the mayor's house."
Layton nodded. "Emmy is right. Let's move."
Triton Residence, Tuesday, 8:15 AM.
Clark was in the middle of writing another campaign speech when Doland knocked on the door again. "Come in."
Doland did as he was told. "Sir, you have more visitors in the parlor."
"Well, aren't I popular today. Who is it?"
"A certain Hershel Layton and his company."
Clark needed no more information before he got up and quickly went to the parlor to see that it was not only his old friend, his assistant, and his son, but three others. Clark went straight to the professor first. "Hershel! It's good to see you again. What brings you here?"
"Well, a letter was sent to your son yesterday, but seeing as how you didn't say 'I see you got my letter,' I'm going to assume that you didn't send it."
Clark's eye grew wide. "Why, no, I didn't. Why does it seem that everyone is trying to use my name to get something done? But that matters little now. I see that you've heard about the election in town."
"Actually, the first we heard of it was in your letter."
Chapter Complete. Ooh, cliffhanger. Well, I guess that's the point of a mystery. I just hope that I don't give anything away, seeing as how I am not the greatest mystery author in history. But anyway, R&R AND ADIOS!