[[This is how I vent all of my feels after my favourite character's farewell :'(

Disclaimer: If I owned this series, Emmy would return and we'd have a third trilogy on its way. Most of the dialogue and scenes here belong to Layton and Luke from various points in Curious Village, Diabolical Box and Unwound Future. Any speech in Italics comes from Emmy in the prequel trilogy.

Spoilers: In case we weren't clear, AZRAN LEGACY SPOILERS regarding Emmy. And some for CV, DB and UW. Read with caution.

Set: At certain moments during the first trilogy where the professor's former assistant comes to mind. I feel like I'm drawing parallels between the games.]]

Remember Me

"You better get used to this sort of thing, if you want to be Professor Layton's second assistant."

Luke should have been thrilled to sit in the front seat for once, right beside his mentor where he belonged. It should have been nice to just drift along the country road; Professor Layton was a calm driver and they were in no particular hurry to reach their destination. Perhaps Luke should have felt excited at the prospect of a new adventure or should have been brimming with a thousand questions, but his mind was absent, his gaze lazily following a dragonfly outside the car window. (The insect was quite captivating, what with its bright yellow stripes...)

A crinkle of paper interrupted Luke's daydream. He turned to see the professor passing him an envelope with an official looking red seal.

"What's this? A letter?"

"Why are we going to help solve an inheritance dispute?" Luke wondered. Their last case had consisted of travelling the entire globe to unearth the mysteries of an ancient civilisation!

"Luke my boy, do you think I'd take on such an ordinary request? This is altogether a unique and exciting situation. And it has piqued my intellectual curiosity. But I suppose it would be best to explain the case before we arrive at our destination. Two months ago, Baron Augustus Reinhold passed away..."

"...It's already so Laytonesque!"

"Stop there! Oh no, you don't!"

Layton rushed after the figure stealing Ramon's body in a sack. "Sir! Hold it there!"

"Right behind you!" All thoughts of weariness lost, Luke pursued the kidnapper down a flight of steps with the professor. He was fast for an elderly man... but he was no Black Raven, and even by night, St Mystere's streets were easier to traverse than Misthallery's haphazard marketplace. Thankfully the thief didn't start leaping onto the rooftops; otherwise the professor and Luke would never catch him.

"Or what if a Ferris wheel goes rolling after people?!"

"I think its chasing after us!"

"That's prosperous!"

Oh, the irony. Luke could almost hear Emmy laughing now. At least the Ferris wheel in Monte d'Or hadn't tried to flatten them.

It was lucky Layton and Luke had experience outrunning rampaging machines.

"What IS that thing?"

They raced to the window to behold the monstrosity ravaging the building. Don Paolo had returned— in some sort of chaotic flying contraption with deadly spinning spike balls.

"No!" the professor uttered.

Then the walls crumbled. The furniture toppled. The tower trembled. And for a perilous moment, Luke felt like the world was ending again. But the professor was already busy helping a frightened Flora to her feet. Who could comfort Luke now?

"Don't worry, Luke. I'll protect you!"

"No horsing around!"

"This sofa's great!" Luke laughed, bouncing on the Molentary Express's plush cushions. There wasn't a bossy older-sister-figure present to spoil his fun anymore. Still, the professor reminded him to watch his manners in every setting.

Layton smiled as he, Luke and Flora wandered through Dropstone. To the odd observer, the three of them must have resembled a family. Memories of Monte d'Or came to Layton: at that time he, his assistant and his apprentice had been mistaken for a family too... As was prominent when his thoughts turned to Emmy, the professor was filled with slight regret. However, his reverie was interrupted by Luke and Flora excitedly bolting off to inspect a booth.

The professor shook his head, chuckling. "You two watch where you're running, or you're liable to crash into something."

Where Luke went, Flora followed. (They really could have been siblings.) Layton needed to keep a close eye on them, especially Flora. It was his duty to protect the girl, as a gentleman and her carer. Flora was still inexperienced with the means of modern society. She could easily lose her way and if she ran into a dark stranger... However would she defend herself?

She was almost the antithesis of Emmy Altava.

"Growf! Growf! Grrrrrrrr..."

Luke warily regarded the growling bulldog before the alleyway.

"He doesn't appear to be in a very good mood, Luke," the professor warned him as the dog barred its teeth.

"This puppy should learn some manners."

Emmy had stared down an angry dog once... Swallowing, Luke took a step forward. "Let me see if I can find out what the problem is." He kept eye contact with the canine and knelt to its level. "Err...Hey there, fellow."
"Growrf! Growrf! GROOOWRF!"

"YEEEEEEEEEEEOW!"

No matter how brave he acted, Luke would never be as strong as Emmy.

"Oh, and allow me to introduce my—"

"Apprentice! I'm the professor's apprentice, Luke!"

Luke had developed a habit of introducing himself before the professor. This had stemmed from an automatic retort to Emmy's taunts that he was "Second Assistant". These days Luke just didn't want people to assume he was Professor Layton's assistant. That position would never be replaced.

When the group reached the Hotel Duke, Layton and Luke brought Flora up to speed with the extraordinary events that had transpired and convinced her they were really in Future London.

Flora immediately accepted their story; however, there was something concerning her. "If both you and the professor have counterparts here, I should too, right? ...But you haven't seen the future Flora here?"

Luke had to admit, they'd been too caught up in the mystery to worry over the whereabouts of a future Flora. (He hoped she was safe.) On that note, what had become of the other companions they'd made over the years? Had they all fled from London with Professor Layton's descent into madness? Or perhaps some of them stayed with his future self to help bring the professor back to his senses.

Dr Schrader was currently in hospital... But what had become of Luke's parents? Inspector Chelmey, Grosky and Barton? Don Paolo? (Though, Luke hardly considered him an ally.)

And wouldn't the professor's former assistant return to fight the battle? (She wouldn't turn her back on the professor when he really needed her.) Where was future Emmy through all this? He made a note to ask Future Luke later.

"Someone here masterminded a scheme even more awful than yours, Dimitri... And that person is THERE!"

"I think you're mistaken, Professor..."

"I'm deadly serious."

Luke supposed he should've been used to the bitter sting of betrayal by this point. Still, while being deceived by one's apparent future self came as a shock, it didn't hurt as much as Emmy's betrayal.

[[This is the second story in a row I've written containing short snippets... I hope its ok.]]