Professor Layton: Love In All Adversities

21. Deceived Minds

"My my..." Sophia gasped, admiring the large spectacle that was the Molentary Express. "It's been so long since I last set foot on this train when I left Folsense that fateful day..."

"Well now you enter it the right way." Anton beamed, taking her hand and helping her up the steps into the car. "With me."

"Instead of away from you." She grinned helping him up as well.

The Professor smiled as he entered after them and he helped Flora up. She felt like saying she didn't need the help, but she didn't want to spoil the mood.

Katia and Dorothea entered next, Dorothea grinning like an idiot now her friend was in good spirits again.

Inspector Marauder and Martin came in next and they were in deep conversation as Sammy closed the doors behind them.

"ALRIIIIIGHT!" He screamed, cutting everyone's conversations short. "Welcome aboard the Molentary Express. Normally we would require some tickets from you, but this is an exception. The fate of the world depends on you lot and I don't want to be the one that stands in your way. My uncle may kill me for it, but he'll learn to appreciate what I did when he sees the world safe and sound.

"Sammy!' Flora laughed. "The world isn't going to end because of an illusion."

"Maybe you're right, little girl, but we can never be too sure. So without further delay, let's get this train on the tracks and then we can rock and roooooll! Come on everyone!" He whooped, dancing as he ran down the car. "Let me hear you screeeeam!"

As the passengers of what appeared to be the Deluxe car took their seats in one spacious cabin, the Inspector closed the door behind her and took her seat silently as all eyes turned to Anton.

"Right!" He announced, leaping up and putting on a dramatic tone. "You want to know how it was done. How we survived!"

"I think that's the question on everyone's minds." The Inspector chuckled, soaking in the exquisite cabin they were sitting in. This must have cost a fortune, she thought admiringly.

"The moon is his major weapon." The old man explained, looking out the cabin window at the faint outline of the moon as the orange sun slowly rose its way further into the sky. "Through it he can create the illusions, as you know. What you may not know, however, is that he has more than one Azran artefact in his possession."

As the others shifted uncomfortably in their seats, Anton continued.

"The moon can only trick our minds into seeing the dead from ten years ago, and so Anton has no further control. I understand that he was collecting all the pieces of the Gatherer to make the machine. I haven't seen it myself, but when he came to me the other day, he explained quite a lot. That device will constantly output a beam of energy that displays the message and the Folsense gas, while mostly gone now, still works in our minds as a lingering effect. After a while, it will be gone from our bodies completely, but everyone is so caught in the lie that it won't matter. The damage will be done. Permanently."

Flora gulped and Sophia gripped her husband's free hand.

"While he doesn't have any control over that Azran device, he does have in his possession an item that in essence is a smaller version of the Gatherer, a prototype, if you will. The Azran had to make one to test this device. The prototype is small and unless you are looking you will not see it. It is a ring on his left hand that is made of the Azran metal. If you look at that ring even once, he has his grip over you. You were unfortunate enough to look at his ring that day you saw me fall."

"Oh..." Hershel gasped, rising slowly. "I do remember looking at his ring."

"Me too! Flora stated, her face full of uncertainty.