Note: This took place roughly 7 years after the event of Unwound/Lost Future, completely ignoring Mystery Journey. Luke is around 20 years old in this fic.
Disclaimer: the Layton Franchise and its characters are properties of Level-5. I wrote this merely for entertainment.
"Hello again, my dear."
At Luke's hand was a bouquet full of fresh white chrysanthemums, Arianna's favourite flower. Birds sang soothing melody in gentle chirps as they lamented for their loved ones. The sun peeking through the veil of mist at the west, painting the sky warm orange.
"I hope you're doing okay," a bright smile carved on his face, though it was unable to mask the broken look at his eyes. "Five years later and we still missed you."
She did not answer. Of course Luke knew that; she had long gone from his world. Fate had been cruel to them when it brought back her childhood illness out of nowhere with full of vengeance. And with the mystical power of the Golden Garden- no, Garden of Healinghad been lost after the fall of the Azran Sanctuary years ago, she was practically doomed.
"Misthallery become quite lively, don't you think? It's amazing how our hometown rapidly changes in those years," he recalled the time he lived as a mere child in Misthallery before meeting the Professor. Seeing how the sleepy, foggy remote town evolved into a popular tourist hotspot after he left for London was quite a sight. "I prefer the old Misthallery though, but I guess everything needs to change for better."
Except himself was not. Luke finally understood why the Professor, until this day, still unable to move on from the death of his first and only love. It was simply too painful, especially as Arianna was his only actual friend besides Finch he ever made before the Professor came. The young man remembered how the world around him, once full of adventures and mysteries, crumbling into dust as Tony, Arianna's dearest younger brother, sent him a letter informing her demise.
"Ari," Luke kneeling down, putting the flowers on her grave. "Tony told me he's going to apply for marine science program after graduating from high school this year. He wants to, uh, as he said, 'make sure no more aquatic cuddly creatures like Loosha extinct.'" He then let out a sigh, "He's kinda a shut-in though. Didn't really talk to everyone besides me."
Her death struck poor young Tony hard. Crow and his Black Raven gang claimed they had spent a whole month trying to cheer him up out of sympathy to no avail. Though Tony eventually got better, it was still a bad move to bring that up at his presence.
"Do you still remember, Ari? That night you said you love me before I moved to America?" His eyes were half-closed, remembering the time her lips touched his. "I… I'm really glad you did." He felt the all-too-familiar warm feeling at his face as his voice dropped to whisper. "You know, even though we shared the same feelings, I was too scared for tell you first. He forced a laugh, "Yeah, that's not very gentlemanly of me back then."
Luke reached to his pocket, pulling out a very familiar brown ocarina. "Look, Arianna. Your treasured ocarina. I took care of it just as you asked me to." He felt a familiar pain stung his chest. "...as you asked in your will."
The atmosphere filled with a familiar melody as Luke played the instrument. The very same melody that Arianna used for calming Loosha down during the Spectre's attacks, now played for reminiscing the memories of time they shared together in the past. The time they met for the first time, the time she scared off local kids that picked on him, the time he helped her on practising for her first piano recital, the time they saved Misthallery from a certain mad scientist, the time he found out she had the same feelings for him and shared their first kiss….
"Arianna, I wish we could meet again, I- I...," he felt the sting of forming tears. No, he must not cry. He is not a child anymore. Not in the front of anyone. Especially not in the front of Arianna. He did not want her to see him as the same crybaby with white shirt and blue shorts whom she protect from bullies. And he knew from the Professor that a gentleman must keep his mind clear at any time. That being said, he felt his chest tightened as he unable to stop his bottled emotions spiralled out of control and-for the love of God, stop crying!
"A-Ari…," his right hand reached for her tombstone, eyes shuts tight as his pathetic attempt to restraint himself from breaking. "We had so much things we haven't done yet. You said you want to write a symphony inspired from my adventures I told you, even you showed me your drafts. You also said you want to see how America looks like. Also, your dream to become a virtuoso pianist, while I become a vet, then we will get married, and then starts a family, and, and-" he cut himself as he wiped the tears rolling on his cheeks. "...I'm sorry. A-a gentleman shouldn't say something l-like that."
The young Triton took a deep breath, trying to regain control of himself. "Arianna, I hope we can meet again," Luke said, trying to keep his voice from faltering. "M-maybe in another life, if that even exists. I know I had said this like this for years, but this is the only way I could do."
Luke stood up. "I promise I'll visit you again next year. See you again, my dear."
As Luke walked away, a pair of small blue butterflies flew together around Arianna's grave, then both of them perched on the bouquet that Luke left.
Thank you for reading!