Hollyshadow the medicine cat: Yeah, not an easy letter to write. And as for your predictions of character death...DEATH IS GOOD. AHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAA ok that's not true. But yes, suffice to say some of our heroes might not survive...
RavenGoesToHeaven: Eh, Randall tried to find Tom's body right after Tom jumped and failed. I'm pretty sure Tom didn't "hold on to a ledge" or anything like that. The Cthlin Chasm is a sheer drop, after all. Surviving the fall isn't nearly as easy as that! AND WHY DOES EVERYONE BET HINT COINS
Shimmering-Sky: Don't worry. That happens to everyone. Confusion is the spice of life :/ I think.
So this chapter is really...interesting, to say the least. I don't know what else to say about it. Oh, and the Hellspawn cross over, too. The second part of the story ends here, and part three begins. The Layton Crew finally split into groups and try to stop the Emissary from reaching the Oculus; but what does the Emissary know that they don't? Lots of things, of course. Lots of important things.
Fun times! Enjoy this chapter.
Chapter Nineteen
The First Link in the Chain
"Professor, there's a letter for you. It's from Randall." Rosa handed the Professor a plain white envelope with a seal that he instantly recognized as Randall's.
"Hm?" Professor Layton opened the envelope and unfolded the message inside.
Nothing could have prepared him for what it said.
The Professor put down the letter in shock.
Despite all his emotional agony, he was still willing to help Tom, perhaps as a means of escaping said agony. After all, Tom happened to understand him extremely well. He even understood the Professor's relationship with...
No. He couldn't. For the sake of his friends, he had to stay strong. Tom wanted him to overcome his depression, so he would.
Opening a desk drawer, he reached in and pulled out a sheet of paper. On it were Tom's words, said to him what seemed like years ago:
The road is long. The road is not kind.
To traverse it requires a sound and clear mind.
It takes one who pushes himself to go far;
To go on, no matter how tired you are.
That used to be you, but you have fallen so.
From so high above to so down below.
Some reasons were given, but in fact au contraire,
There was one real reason: the passing of Claire.
Since then your life has never been quite the same.
Friends come, then leave as fast as they came.
Now you think of her and lament that she's gone,
But I think she'd want you to get up, dust yourself off,
And go on.
As he read Tom's words, he found that Tom was a man whom he truly respected. Tom was efficient, sharp, logical, and compassionate all at once, tragically proven by his sacrifice to save Randall's life. His initial directness told the Professor that he was a man of action and method, not empty words. The Professor's eyes flashed with determination he hadn't felt in a long time. If he didn't live to accomplish his goal, I'll do it for him. He'd find the Oculus, and he'd stop the Emissary. No matter what it might take. No matter how long it might take. No matter where it might take him.
And in that moment, with his newfound resolve, he was no longer the Professor Layton who Flora ran from, who sat in his office, who wallowed in self-pity.
He was the old Professor, the one who solved mysteries no one else could, the one who was as kind as he was calm and composed, the one who valued all humans instead of just one.
The one that everybody knew.
"It's not a great loss if I jump off this cliff here..."
"How wrong you were," the Professor murmured to himself. You think differently of people when they're no longer with you. He stood. "I think I'll get Clive and Bronev first..."
I will see things through for you, Tom. To the very end.
Donning his top hat, he strode outside, got into his Laytonmobile, and drove off to his destination.
"You're late," Randall stated simply as he escorted his friend, Clive, and Bronev to the living room.
The Professor briefly considered inquiring as to why Randall suddenly seemed less lively, but dispelled the thought after he remembered what had happened. Randall was probably quite shaken by Tom's death-and who could blame him?
Upon arriving in the living room, Professor Layton saw everyone that Tom had met: Luke, the Black Ravens (many of which were simply lying on the carpet floor, fascinated by the texture), the Barde siblings (sharp observation skills noted that Arianna was sitting a tad closer to Luke than normal people might consider comfortable), Emmy, Flora, and Descole. Looking to the other side of the room, he saw Angela next to a large screen holding a tiny remote.
"Randall, what is-"
"Shh, Hershel." Randall pointed to the sofa and chairs everyone else was sitting on. "Take a seat."
Hershel nodded and decided to sit away from everyone else. Thankfully, if anyone noticed this odd behavior, they didn't show it. Clive and Bronev chose seats closer to the others.
"I've gathered you all here today to show you a very interesting photograph I took at the Nautilus Chamber of Akbadain." At Randall's request, Angela clicked a button on her remote, showing a massive wall of nothing but ancient characters arranged in star figures of varying sizes and shapes.
"At first sight, this looks like nothing more than a unique design. However, there is nothing like this anywhere else in the Nautilus Chamber, or indeed anywhere in the Akbadain ruins. Furthermore, in the Book of the Arcane, there is an entry on 'stars'...however, it seems to depict the Nautilus Chamber and not any celestial objects or beings. On top of that, the text beneath the picture links to 'message', and looking that word up leads to the word 'hidden', implying that this star-shaped pattern seems to be a code of some sort."
"It is quite simple to crack part of the message. The outer star has 133 points, and it turns out this is simply a Caesar shift of 133. The Azran alphabet has 264 letters, so translating the outer star took quite a long time. In the end, it gives a message to be read counterclockwise. Translated, it gives the following:"
Angela pressed the button again, and a few lines of text appeared.
The orb is what protects us.
Gives us light.
Repels the dark.
May it never be lost among the shadows.
But should it be so,
Then we will tell how to summon it.
There is a key, to set the machine free.
A machine, to bring the orb home.
An orb, to protect the world from Chaos.
A realm which will bring a storm.
A storm which will bring disaster.
A disaster which will end everything.
"It would seem that simply exploring every single location on the planet continually for an extended period of time is most definitely not going to work. I think Tom knew this as well, otherwise he would have asked many, many more people to assist him in finding such an elusive object. This passage is quite illuminating and indicates perhaps we should not be searching for the Oculus directly..."
"But that's enough for today. We should probably split into groups, now, before the Hellspawn cross over. Figure out lodgings by yourselves-"
"Wait," interrupted Clive. "Tom's letter mentioned that you and your wife were to stay in Monte d'Or. However, as Tom is no longer with us to provide instructions for you, perhaps it would be better to join a group immediately."
Randall pondered this point. "True. Alright then, we will go with your group."
It was nighttime before everything was truly sorted out. As friends and enemies alike shook hands and left the mansion, far away another meeting with darker purpose finished as well.
Inimae stared at the Hellspawn portal in front of him. Freedom was so close. Chaos was imminent.
"Ready, Oredul?"
"As always, Daemonlord."
The two glided through the dimensional rift, spotting the Emissary on the other side.
"You look rather different. Perhaps my world causes your body to adapt?"
It was true. The Hellspawn had undergone a dramatic transformation, turning from hideous beasts and gargoyle-esque scourges into creatures that closely resembled what humans believed dragons looked like.
The Emissary grinned. "Welcome back to Earth."
As the Hellspawn shook hands with the Emissary, even the stars themselves seemed to shudder and flicker in fear.
THE END OF PART TWO! Next chapter may take a while. Dunno why, it just will.
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