Shimmering-Sky: WHY DO YOU KEEP THINKING THE FRIEND IS DIMITRI!? Well, he is kinda like Dimitri ("Dimitriesque"), so I suppose it's justifiable. And as for Tom...well...um...may he rest in peace.
Hollyshadow the medicine cat: Technically, Tom actually can die-Time Guardians aren't immortals. XD And I'm pretty sure there are a lot of better OCs out there (ex: Laura from "Professor Layton and the Book of Memory" by Master of Shiawase Punch). Still, thanks!
GoldGriffin: Hooray, you're still writing! I had no idea so many people actually liked Tom. I'm aware that perfect, immortal, etc. OCs are really boring, so I tried to make him as "human" as possible, even if currently it seems like Tom has no real flaws. Trust me, in the future, he will. Eh, Tom's a cool guy. Well, was.
Chapter Seventeen
The Impossible Conclusion
"I'm sorry, Claire."
"No! Hershel! You can't leave me! Not now!"
The Professor, lying on the ground in his torn black coat and bloodstained orange shirt, smiled, coughing up more blood in the process. "Look on the bright side," he forced out, "The world is safe now."
"So!? I don't care! I-"
"Claire, listen to yourself. You're being irrational. In every war, sacrifices must be made. I suppose I'm just one of them."
"But-"
"Before I die, I want you to have this." He held up his hat, somehow still untouched. "I suppose I took good care of it, didn't I? To the end..."
"No! We can still-"
"You know as well as I do that you can't."
"He's right, Claire." Tom put a hand on her shoulder. "There's nothing we can do." He turned to the man dying at his feet. "Thank you, Professor Layton. For everything you have done."
The Professor chuckled. "You're welcome."
As Claire sobbed, the Professor closed his eyes. He would never open them again.
"AHHHH!"
It took several seconds before Claire realized she was hollering to an empty room.
Whew...just a bad dream, that's all.
Looking over at her companion's bed, she raised an eyebrow.
Where's Tom?
It was then that she noticed a note lying on the desk. Curious, she picked it up and read it.
Claire:
I am going on a long journey. I expect that I won't return for some time. I've left you enough money to get by for a couple months; take up residence with my friend, the physics professor at Cardiff University. He, too, is helping me find the Oculus, though the others do not know of his involvement. Hopefully it will stay that way until I return. Best of luck to you. Good bye for now.
-Tom
"Well, this is sudden," she muttered to herself.
Since she barely had any possessions (she was technically dead), it took no time at all for her to arrive at Cardiff University. After several minutes of wandering around and asking for directions, she arrived at the office of the physics professor. Unsurprisingly, it reminded her of Hershel's office.
"Come in."
As Claire stepped in the room, she heard an uncannily familiar voice.
"Ah! Claire! Tom said you'd be arriving. I'm afraid I have a class to teach soon, but please, do make yourself comfortable."
As she turned, she found herself staring at the tired, haggard, yet smiling face of Dimitri Allen.
"Dimitri?" Claire gasped. "What are you doing here?"
Dimitri raised an eyebrow. "Teaching physics...?"
"No...I meant...how did you...?"
"Well, I was pardoned for my crimes since technically Clive was the true mastermind. Hershel managed to convince the authorities to let me go free. Afterwards, Cardiff University offered me this teaching position. Naturally, I was quite infamous for my involvement in the Future London incident, so they found me without much effort. I, being out of a job, accepted. And here I am."
"Oh...but...why did Tom tell me to come here?"
"Obviously, because you need somewhere to stay while he's gone. This was the best place he could think of." Dimitri glanced at the clock. "And I should really be going now. Unpack your things-I assume you don't have much-and should anyone drop by, hide yourself in the closet."
"Why do I get the feeling you're not telling me everything?" Claire called out after him as he was leaving.
Dimitri chuckled. "Astute as always, Claire. I'll explain more when I come back."
The wooden door slammed shut.
"Randall?"
"..."
"Randall...?" A concerned Angela asked again. "You haven't eaten a bit of dinner. Or lunch, for that matter."
"Hm? Oh, sorry."
Angela sighed. "It's not your fault that-"
"Of course it is!" Randall exploded. "Don't you see? If I hadn't been exploring that damned chasm in the first place, I would never have been kidnapped!"
"And wherever else you went, you would have been taken as well. And perhaps the Emissary might have found a different hostage-like Luke, for instance. A determined enemy will always find a way."
"But-"
"Randall, the Emissary's plan took us by surprise. Tom didn't see it coming. You didn't, either. It's like Tom told us. This might become a war. And in war, there are always sacrifices. The best we can do is focus on stopping the Emissary. Tom told us to press on no matter what happened, and so we should honor his wishes."
Randall sighed. "I suppose. It's just...I feel so guilty. Tom could have lived if he'd just let me die...but..."
"If Tom made that decision, the Emissary would probably have killed him anyway. He wanted Tom to die."
"I guess..." Randall stood. "I'll probably go sleep now..."
Angela was about to protest, but was stopped by Henry. "Let him. He's been through a lot."
Randall nodded. "Thank you, Henry."
Randall lay in his bed, staring up at the ceiling, understandably unable to sleep. No matter how hard he tried to escape into the abyss, his mind would drag him out of it and replay his final words with Tom.
"Well, I owe you an explanation. You see, if a Time Guardian dies and has no children, someone else randomly becomes the Time Guardian. It's easy to tell when that happens: they glow blue and are knocked unconscious for several days, which is generally why Time Guardians marry and have children; so other people aren't really, really confused when that happens. Regardless, there will still be a Time Guardian. So it's not a great loss if I jump off the edge of this cliff here."
"Don't say that! That's not true!"
"Well, think logically. You're not replaceable, I technically am."
"But...the next Time Guardian won't be nearly as experienced as you! They won't know a thing!"
"Perhaps that is true. However, that fact shouldn't matter."
"How!?"
"I can't tell you that." Tom chuckled. "You'll figure it out on your own. And when you do, don't tell anyone else. However, inform everyone of my death and tell them about this...Emissary. Split into groups when the Hellspawn come. I have a feeling they're on their way."
"But-"
"Randall, my last wish is for you to stop protesting."
"But-"
"Run free, Randall."
And run he did. As Tom fell down the Cthlin Chasm, Randall sprinted out of his cage. Taking a moment to attempt to locate Tom's body (he failed), he headed back to town as quickly as possible. From there, it was a short journey back to Monte d'Or.
What did he want me to figure out? Randall wondered to himself. He focused on a specific section of dialogue.
"The next Time Guardian won't be nearly as experienced as you! They won't know a thing!"
"Perhaps that is true. However, that fact shouldn't matter."
"How!?"
"I can't tell you that." Tom chuckled. "You'll figure it out on your own. And when you do, don't tell anyone else."
Maybe experience didn't matter? ...No, that seemed unlikely. Randall didn't know too much about Time Guardians, but he was pretty sure not having a clue what you were supposed to do wouldn't help at all. Perhaps the Time Guardians were quick learners? Randall's brain was still (rightly) unconvinced.
There must be something he was missing. Hershel was always better at this sort of thing. Randall rubbed his head, which was now racking with pain from overexertion. Let's start from the beginning...
And it was there that he made a startling realization.
If someone randomly glowed blue and turned unconscious for days, wouldn't that be breaking news? Or at least news of some sort? Randall knew how much people loved hearing about the unknown and the unusual. There was a small chance the role of Time Guardian was transferred to some hermit out in Siberia, but it was minuscule. Are people crazy enough to even live alone in Siberia?
Yet Randall, and the rest of the world, had not heard a single word about such a highly unnatural event occurring. Which meant...
Time Guardianship was never passed on.
Leading to the impossible conclusion that...
Tom's still alive.
NO WAY! NO WAY! YES, THERE MIGHT BE SOME HOLES IN RANDALL'S LOGIC! HE'S RANDALL, SO IT'S UNDERSTANDABLE, RIGHT? AND WHY IS THIS ALL CAPS ANYWAY?
Claire and Dimitri might not appear for a while after next chapter; I haven't decided. Their role is extremely important; the reason for this will be revealed. in due time, my friend, in due time.
Please follow, favorite, and review! :D
-WINstaGimp