(A/N: Hahaha, wow, I feel bad now. I recently started my senior year of college, and I realized that I haven't updated this since April 1st of last year. I'm really sorry if you guys thought the first chapter of this was an April Fool's joke, but I promise, there's more to come. The entire thing is planned; I just need to find the time to sit down and write it all out. Updates will likely be sporadic due to the whole 'senior-in-college' thing. If anyone is still here, thank you very much!

Sorry,

Banj)

Luke snapped awake with a startled cry, looking around wildly before realizing that he had no idea where he was—the rustic little hut was as unfamiliar as the woman in it, who gave a start at his shout. Luke readied to yell out at her, but was startled into silence as he realized that he was shirtless, wrapped up tightly in bandages. He blushed furiously and scrambled for the blanket that he found bunched around his knees. The woman flushed a bit as well in what he assumed was sympathy, averting her eyes to save Luke any further embarrassment. After an uncomfortable moment that allowed Luke to cover himself, the woman carefully glanced up to see if he was decent. Seeing that he was, she allowed a small smile as she tilted her head to the side and spoke.

"Good morning," she said lightly. "How are you feeling? We've been worried about you."

Luke could only reply by rubbing his forehead and groaning at the ache in his ribs. He was tempted to lie back down in hopes that the pain would subside, but he knew that he couldn't possibly be so rude to someone who had clearly been helping him. "I've been better," he admitted after a pause.

Her forehead furrowed in reply, and she nodded. "That's to be expected," she said slowly. "You've been through quite a lot, young man."

Luke finally took a moment to look at his surroundings. He was lying on a makeshift mattress in the middle of a small hut. Surprisingly, the floor beneath him was soft grass; he idly wondered how it could possibly grow indoors. It was one of the many questions swimming around in his mind, but one of the least important at the moment. There were open-air windows on each wall of the hut, and there was a small hole in the roof to allow natural sunlight to come in. It was by no means dilapidated, however; he felt almost comfortable in the unfamiliar little place.

He was pulled out of his observations by the woman's voice. "I imagine you must have plenty of questions," she said. "I'll answer whatever I can." She abandoned the vegetables that she had been cutting and made her way to his side, kneeling down beside the mattress.

There was one matter that Luke wanted to address before anything else. "Could you please give me back my sweater?" he asked, cheeks flushing pink. "I'd feel much more comfortable with it."

The woman nodded, reaching for a small basket that sat at the foot of the mattress. "I put your sweater and hat in here," she said. "I am sorry to have kept them from you, but we had to bandage your ribs as soon as possible."

Pulling on his sweater gave him a moment to regroup and think about what he wanted to ask. There were so many things on his mind that Luke didn't even know where to begin. "This is all a lot to take in, and I – I don't even know what I want to ask you first!" The ache in his ribs began to reassert itself, and the woman's green eyes darkened as she gestured for Luke to lie back down.

"Why don't I start by telling you a few things," she suggested, "and we'll see if that gets your mind working. You've been out for a few days; it's understandable you're confused." After the boy had laid down and given her a tentative nod, she relaxed enough to continue. "You're in a village called Validilene."

At this, Luke piped up with his first question. "How did I get here?"

It seemed an innocuous enough question, but the woman froze, staring at Luke with apprehension in her eyes. "Do you not remember?" she lowly asked, watching his face for any signs of recognition. Luke shook his head, already dreading the answer that he sensed was forthcoming. "The Molentary Express – it comes through here once in a while – it crashed outside of the village. The villagers have been combing the wreckage ever since."

Luke hurriedly scrambled to sit up, regretting the movement instantly as the pain in his body became stronger. He couldn't stifle his cry of pain, but he pressed on, needing to know what had happened. "It crashed?!" he demanded, staring wildly up at the woman as she fluttered her hands over him, willing him to lie back and rest. "I – "

Suddenly his memory jolted, and something from a while back resurfaced.

"Luke." Layton's soft voice stirred the young boy from his slumber. He didn't remember falling asleep, but they had left St. Mystere late enough in the afternoon that the sky was beginning to darken. After the night before, worrying sick over whether or not the Professor and the girl – Flora, he remembered – were alive in the crumbling tower, Luke wasn't surprised that he was sleeping now. "We're just about an hour outside of London now."

Luke let out a slow breath and smiled wearily. "Thank goodness, Professor," he murmured sleepily. "It's been an awfully long few days."

"That it has," Layton agreed. He still had not raised his voice, so Luke correctly figured that Flora was still asleep in the backseat. "Luke, my boy, there is something we must discuss. You are aware of what has transpired in St. Mystere, yes?"

His brow creased in confusion. Did the professor think that he hadn't been paying attention? "Of course!" he piped up, quickly lowering his voice as he heard Flora stir. Luke waited with bated breath until she settled back down before continuing. "We solved the mystery of the Golden Apple, and now we're heading back to London!" Even in a whisper, his voice still held traces of excitement.

Layton nodded slowly, flicking on the windshield wipers as rain began to come down. "Correct," he affirmed, "but there is more to it than that." He hesitated, as if unsure how best to continue. "Baron Reinhold was seeking someone to care for his daughter."

"For Flora," Luke interrupted.

A small smile crossed the older man's face as he carefully maneuvered the upcoming turn. "Well, Luke…as a young woman, she needs guardianship, and it appears that the role will fall to me."

The smile slowly faded off of Luke's face as he took this in. He hadn't really thought about what would happen to Flora after returning to London, as guilty as the realization made him feel. He supposed that it was only logical that the professor would take over her care – after all, he had been the one to solve the puzzles of St. Mystere, and had solved the task that Baron Reinhold had set.

"I will speak with her, of course," Layton continued. "If she chooses, we will make room for her in the flat."

At this, Luke did a double-take. "What? But Professor," he protested. "There's barely enough room for you and me! Where would Flora stay?"

A stern look crossed Layton's brow as Flora made a soft noise in the backseat. "Luke," he said, lowering his voice in an attempt to guide the conversation's volume. "There is no need to discuss the particulars now. For the time being, perhaps Flora could stay in your room. Would you mind staying with your parents for a night or so?"

Layton's gaze was firmly fixed on the road, so he did not see the heavy stare that Luke sent into the backseat at the sleeping young woman. Luke wanted to protest further, but he did recognize the situation called for him to be a gentleman. "Of course, Professor," he finally said.

But why am I remembering this now?

"—are you alright?"

Luke started as the woman's voice brought him back to the present.

"Huh? Oh…yeah, I think so," he said. "Just…just remembering."

She waited politely for a moment, as if expecting him to continue, but yielded when she realized that he did not wish to discuss the matter further. She decided that the best course of action was to change the subject by introducing herself.

"We haven't met properly," she said. "My name is Sibyl." She offered her hand to him. "I'm the spiritual leader of our little village. And who might you be?"

Luke took her hand in return. "Luke Triton," he replied. "Pleased to meet you, Miss Sibyl – I'm Professor Layton's apprentice!"

Sibyl smiled at his enthusiasm. "Yes, I've heard word of the professor's travels," she murmured. Her smile dimmed after a moment, however. "But, Luke, where is the professor now? I'm told you two are rarely apart."

Luke was silent as it suddenly clicked that he had been alone when he woke. Why had he been on the Molentary Express? And why was he alone? It was likely he had been going somewhere with the professor, but where was he now?

"…I don't know," he admitted, his voice becoming strained with fear. He closed his eyes, struggling to remember anything and only coming up with a glimmer of a memory. "We were on the train – the professor and I were leaving Dropstone; we had just picked up Flora and were on our way back to London…"

Worry clouded Sibyl's features as she searched Luke's face. "Then he was with you?" she confirmed carefully. At Luke's nod, she took a deep breath. "Luke…you were alone when you were found. There was no sign of anyone else on the train."

Luke was baffled, to say the least. "What? But how can that be?" he moaned, shoving his hands frantically though his hair. "I'm only twelve; I certainly can't drive the train! How could I have been alone?!"

The spiritual leader closed her eyes and shook her head in concern. "I'm afraid that I don't have the answer, Luke. The rescuers were just as confused as you are now."

Luke bunched up the blanket in his fists, trying to tell himself that the tears welling in his eyes were from the onions that Sibyl had been cutting when he had awoken. "But where could the professor be?" he whispered.

After a long silence in which the woman pretended not to see his distress, Luke spoke up once more. "Miss Sibyl…have the rescuers found anyone else since me?"

"Hmm…" She tilted her head thoughtfully in response. "I haven't been out and about since yesterday evening," she conceded. "Since you're awake, I'll go find some bread for you to eat. I'll ask around while I'm out."

Luke's brow furrowed in impatience. "I was hoping to go with you," he said. "I can be ready in a minute!" He tried to stand, but almost immediately doubled over with renewed pain. He cried out in agony, startled by how much worse it was than before.

Immediately, Sibyl was at his side and pulling back the blanket to examine the bandages. "Luke, are you alright?" she asked, urgency in her voice. After a long moment of misery, Luke was able to pry his eyes open enough to meet hers and nod. "Goodness sakes," she murmured, giving him a stern look. "You must be more careful. I want you to rest here until I get back, do you understand?" Winded by the ordeal, the boy could only nod. Satisfied by his answer, Sibyl pulled the blankets back up around him. "Is there anything I can get for you?" she asked, rising and heading for the door.

Luke shook his head, too tired to even prop himself up to answer properly. "No…but if you – hear anything about the professor – " He trailed off, finally meeting her eyes.

Sibyl nodded kindly. "Of course. I will ask around." A small smile ghosted across her face. "Rest up, Luke," she reminded as she exited the hut.

Luke sighed, wanting to roll over but deciding that would be unwise at the moment. What good will it do to rest? He wondered irritably. I'm not even sleepy…I've slept so much already…

And yet, when Sibyl returned home twenty minutes later, she found the boy fast asleep.