The locals had all been friendly when asked about 'harmony'. If it wasn't for the rules about not naming anyone, then Elaine felt certain that at least one person would have been able to name someone for them. But the tradition of 'spreading happiness' throughout the island was a harmless one that did seem to make people happy, and even give some fond stories of love and marriage here and there. There was some rule to how the pattern goes, but it wasn't exactly sticking out straight away. It all needed a little more thought.

On the plus side, Bishop and Rook seemed to have certainly had a field trip in stealing popoños from possibly every store if the sight of them outside the Hilltop Hotel was anything to go by. Although Elaine did hope it wouldn't affect those businesses too badly. Some of the merchandise may have been a little gaudy (and cheap looking for one or two items), but it would someone was putting food in the cupboard because of them. Plus, of all the people they talked to, they managed to find a few people who had some information.

So far there was Javier, the man who pointed them in the direction of the market place to begin with, and while he did have the egg, he passed it on to a girl around his daughter's age. Then there was the Frenchwoman Martine who had gotten the egg from her husband when he proposed and then passed if off to someone in a swimsuit. And a little while ago they ran into a woman (whom Elaine was told by Emmy was Inspector Grosky's sister) on her honeymoon who passed the egg on to someone during lunch. So far, Elaine had noted that love was involved with all of the stories. Though she couldn't really just say it out unless she felt the others felt the same way.

"I think we must have asked almost everyone who's had the egg recently, and we still have no idea!" Luke said in disappointment as they walked away from a woman (a baker named Miranda) they just finished talking with after each getting a piece of popoño cake.

"Speak for yourself." Luke looked up at Emmy with a shocked look.

"Wh-what? You've managed to work it out, Emmy?!"

"I think I got the gist of it, yes," Emmy confirmed. Smiling down at the younger boy, who started looking a little disappointed. Johanna tilted her head to the side and patted his shoulder.

"Don't worry, Luke. I'm not entirely sure either. But at least we might find the egg, yes?"

"I guess so," Luke admitted, his spirits perking up some. "So what do we do, Professor?"

"Well, as we were told initially, the ownership of the egg changes according to a pattern," the Professor began. "If we lay out all the information we've gathered thus far in front of us, we should be able to construct the whole picture."

"Really? I just can't make head nor tail of it, Professor…"

"All will become clear, Luke," assured Professor Layton as they entered into the market place. There weren't as many people about as there were when they were here a while ago, and there was clear evidence of Bishop and Rook having been here assuming they very well did get every popoño in the market place if the majority of nearly vacant shops was anything to go by.

"Now, from what we've learnt by speaking to the different people on this island, we are able to glean a few keys fact. Let's lay out the information and work out the rules concerning how the egg is passed around."

"Do we really have enough information?" Aurora asked Professor Layton with uncertainty.

"Of course. Think back Aurora. We've heard a lot of stories todat. Can you think of a common link between any of those stories?"

"I cannot, no," Aurora replied. "Not one person we met told us exactly who they gave the egg to."

"That's true. They weren't allowed to give us many details," Emmy admitted.

"However," the Professor added in. "The details they did provide were certainly sufficient to solve the mystery. Let's consider them now."

"Okay, so what do we know?" Emmy asked.

"Well, of everyone we asked who had the closest connection to the egg, three of them were female and three male," Elaine noted as she folded her arms, thinking back over the last couple hours. "And of that was after we talked to Bud."

"Yes," Professor Layton nodded before he continued. "If you recall, Martine passed it on before her wedding, to a married man who thought fondly of his daughter."

"Miranda also gave it to somebody married, didn't she?" Emmy questioned. "And she got it from a customer, I think."

"So, that would mean love of some kind would be involved? Mainly marital status," Elaine suggested.

"Precisely," confirmed Professor Layton. "In fact, from Martine's story, I'd say that single people can pass the egg on to somebody married, and vice versa."

"So the egg is passed along depending on whether that person is married or not?" Aurora said to make sure she understood, nodding to herself.

"Well, there's nothing to disprove this in what we've considered thus far, but I believe there's more to the pattern that that. Let's summarise the male accounts, namely those from Javier and the two Targent agents, to gain a better picture.

"Javier reported that he gave the egg to a girl his daughter's age. We also know that a married woman attempted to give the Targent men the egg." Elaine wanted to snort at that. Johanna hadn't been kidding when she said they weren't that bright. Aurora's eyes lit up as she started to see the lines of connection.

"Ohhh, I think I see what the link is."

"The egg seems to nearly always be offered to someone of the opposite gender," said Elaine.

"Javier did seem to be very worried that his daughter might end up passing it on to some sleazy bachelor!" Emmy remarked.

"So, where do we stand now?" Aurora asked.

"We have now extrapolated a second rule: whoever has the egg can pass it on to someone of the opposite gender," stated the Professor. "For example, if I had the egg, I would be able to give it to either you, Emmy, Johanna or Elaine, but not to Luke or Professor Sycamore.

However, if we consider Amelie's account, you see, we run into a problem."

"Oui, she did say she could 'ave given the egg to any of us," Elaine admitted.

"As long as either one of the two rules was fulfilled, though," Emmy added quickly. "She's married, she knew Elaine and I weren't and Luke, Johanna and Aurora are too young to be. As for the professors, she didn't need to know their marital status, because they were covered by the opposite gender rule."

"That's correct," Professor Layton agreed. "If the person you wish to give the egg to is of the opposite gender or marital status, then you can pass it on."

"Well, if we assume the man Amelie passed the egg too still 'as it, then that would cut down the possible candidates by 'alf. For the time being at least," Elaine said.

"She did say she passed it on to a man at lunch," recalled Emmy. "But we don't know where she went to eat."

"Then I suppose we'll 'ave to try and find Amelie and ask 'er where she ate, then?" Elaine guessed. Unless Amelie was still at that hotel they found her at, they would be spending some time looking around town for her.

"Actually, no," Professor Layton disagreed. "If you recall, Bud owns a restaurant. He mentioned the popoño coming to him at some point, but he never actually confirmed that he gave it away, did he?"

"So, he might still have the aura stone," Aurora said, she looked a little perplexed. "But what reason would he have for holding on to it?"

"We'll find out soon enough," Professor Layton promised her. "Shall we pay another visit to Bud's Bar and Grill?"

"Yes, but first, just on the off chance he doesn't have the egg, perhaps two of us could pose as a couple? Just to increase our chances of intercepting the egg?"

"I… I suppose it's something we could take into consideration," the Professor admitted.

"Perfect then," Emmy smiled before grabbing Elaine's arm and pulling her closer to Desmond.

"Wh-what are you…?"

"You and Professor Sycamore can be the couple," Emmy explained to Elaine, smirking lightly as Elaine gawked at her. Later on, she would wonder if the fact that Emmy practically pulled her to the man who also went by the name Descole could be considered ironic in some sense. But Elaine was just trying to keep hold of her pride.

"I… I don't think that you can just say that without 'is opinion given!" Elaine was quick to say, ignoring the faint pink slowly building up on her face. She didn't know how exactly Desmond would react to this. Would this annoy him? Upset him? Maybe she was basing this too much on the fact that Desmond was a widower but he couldn't honestly-

"Well, I don't think I can really complain about having a beautiful woman by my side called Mrs. Sycamore." Elaine looked sharply to Desmond who was lightly smirking. Elaine mentally cursed herself briefly for letting some of her embarrassment show. Desmond was probably agreeing just because he knew this would make her flustered a little, and perhaps to tease her later on. Elaine then looked back to Emmy.

"You're doing this on purpose."

"Of course I am. If one of us is an actual couple, it may increase our chance of finding the Azran egg," Emmy said with some seriousness, but that look in her eyes made it clear there were slightly ulterior motives here. Hiding behind the reasonably good idea.

"I swear, I'm going to get back at you for this," Elaine grumbled.

"Revenge aside, I do believe we should get moving, 'darling'," Desmond said as he linking his arm with Elaine's. Elaine didn't even bother to look up at him. She already knew he was smirking in amusement. She wasn't even sure why she was feeling a little flustered to begin with. Maybe because it was Desmond? Or just that she was possibly going to have to pretend to be married to Desmond for the rest of the day (maybe even more if they didn't find the Azran egg right away). Then again, she was just so used to her and Desmond being alone and having their moments. That was likely the major factor.

At least this couldn't get more awkward.

"Does this mean I have to pretend Elaine is mum?" Johanna asked innocently.

… Then again, Elaine has been wrong before. Though a bigger question was if Emmy had somehow planned this in advance and got Johanna in on it.

"Hey, guys! What brings you back here?" Bud asked when they returned to his restaurant. The faint smell of cooking meat for dinner time actually started to make Elaine hungry a bit but there were more important things then food now.

"We've worked it out," Aurora told him. "You're the current holder of the true popoño." Bud looked a little surprised, though it barely lasted a second or so before he chuckled.

"Heh heh, you got me. I was hoping you would, actually. You see, I'd been looking for the perfect person to give the popoño to, and then you came in with the glazed sad look," he explained. "I got to thinking that if anyone needed harmony, it was you."

"I'd be satisfied with just the popoño, thank you," Aurora told him, a bit naïve to what Bud was trying to say. Bud even looked a bit awkward because of that.

"Uh, gee, you're kinda missing the point. Let me give you the low-down. We all say the popoño brings happiness. That's the island way. But its humble beginnings were far from happy. The man who found it, Eduardo Popoño was at the end of his rope."

"Oh, really?" inquired Professor Layton.

"Yes, sir! He'd hit rock bottom and wanted to idle away his days as a hermit, so he set off for some old, crumbling ruins. But, BAM! He made the discovery of a lifetime, his business boomed, and voila- San Grio was born!"

"That story sounds familiar," the Professor remarked. "So you're saying that the popoño he found was the basis of the tourist merchandise?"

"Pretty much, yeah! Kinda crazy when you think about it. One little stone egg turned his life around in a flash. So, the point is, even in the gloomiest of times, you gotta look forwards. Happiness might be waiting just around the corner." Bud reached around the bar and took out the object of their search. The second Azran egg. He handed it out to Aurora. "Don't take the popoño because you want it. Take it because you want to be happy!"

"Th-thank you," Aurora said as she took hold of the egg. "The people of this island always greet us with a smile. I found it odd at first. But I think I understand now."

"Now that's what I'm talking about. I knew the popoño would be the perfect gift for you. It's what Eduardo would have wanted. I'm sure of it. Now, how about you all stay for dinner. On the house, my treat."

"That would be great!" Luke exclaimed, his voice not hiding his excitement. He no doubt got a whiff of the meat cooking in the kitchen.

"Good to hear. I can even let the happy couple pick the table since no one else is here yet."

'Happy couple? What happy couple?' Elaine thought to herself, brows lightly furrowed in confusion.

"Thank you, sir." Hearing Desmond's pleased sounding voice, Elaine glanced first up to his smiling face (though it felt like there was a smirk from his eyes) and then down to their arms felt a need to hide her slightly red face now that she realised that they had yet to be unlinked this entire time.