"K-Karena?! Why in heaven's name did you follow me here?!" Zacharias asked with shock.
"Why would you ask me that when you know very well that I did so because I love you!" Karena replied with concern and anger. "What a fool you were for not knowing what you left behind!"
"And what was that?"
"A distraught and heartbroken woman who was later forced into an engagement to a man she didn't love!"
Upon hearing this, Zacharias' gaze softened before he said, "I am sorry, but you are still a fool as well, for following me blindly to such a place. What if it was far more dangerous than sorcery and witches…?"
"I didn't care. As long as I was with you…I would be happy."
The man, no longer a knight except for in spirit, was silent for a moment before letting out a sigh as he took her in his arms. "Oh what fools we are…" he uttered.
"Fools in love." Karena added with a chuckle as she returned the hug.
"No offence. I love a good reunion…" Maya suddenly spoke up, as she was also there with Nick, Layton, and Luke. "But what is going on here exactly?"
"I believe the two knew each other before entering this village, and Mr. Cantabella here reunited them, in a way." Layton concluded as he turned to the white haired man. "Is that correct?"
"Yes. You are as sharp as ever, Mr. Layton. Mr. Barnham here came to me after Karena's father rejected his request for his daughter's hand, looking for some way to prove himself," the white haired man explained. "And then Miss Edwards followed roughly a year later, when I told her that she could have a better life with him in it."
"And that was after her disappearance, I take it?"
"I see that you are now regaining your memories of Miss Edwards." Arthur Cantabella commented in reply. "Yes. She was in the hospital when I made the proposal, as she had been in a horrible car accident before then."
"Wait, so in what way did you know Karena?" Nick asked the professor.
"She was one of the students in my archaeology class." Layton replied proudly. "Quite a bright young lady, and a Jack of all Trades, as she had classes in a great variety of subjects."
"So, Karena is in your class, and then gets in an accident, possibly running away from the life she never wanted. She is admitted to the hospital, where Mr. Cantabella makes his proposal." Nick explained aloud, trying to get all the facts right so he could have a better understanding. "Karena accepts and signs the contract. She forgets everything, meets Zacharias again, and the two fall in love once more. Is all of this correct?"
"Well, you might be forgetting the fact that Zacharias and Karena fell in love before they were separated." Maya commented.
"Oh…right." Nick said with slight disappointment. "But everyone sort of figured that out already…"
"So now that it's all finished, were your little 'experiment' results to your liking?" Darklaw asked Arthur once the explaining was finished.
"Experiment?" Espella uttered curiously, as the others became puzzled. "What does she mean, father?"
"I only let the medication take its course, as I observed their behavior towards each other." Her father replied. "After all, I was quite curious to see if love would overcome the compression of their memories, and to my surprise, it exceeded my expectations." – he turned to the couple – "How many couples can confidently say they fell in love twice?"
"If you were helping them and wanted them to be together, then how come you allowed Karena to be petrified and taken away from Mr. Barnham?" Luke asked.
"It was my choice to remove her from the picture, because Barnham's opinions on the witches were being influenced by Karena's views of the trials." Darklaw answered before turning to the couple and continuing hesitantly. "My…apologies for doing so and driving you two apart, by the way. If you wish to blame me, I truly deserve it…"
Zacharias became angered upon hearing this, and moved to apprehend the High Inquisitor, but Karena stopped him and said, "You must have had a good reason for this, as too many supposed witches were going free because of me." – her gaze towards the purple haired woman softened – "Therefore I forgive you, as I'm sure Zachary will in due time, and I hope we will soon become good friends, Darklaw."
The purple haired woman blushed. "It's Eve now, actually…"
"As in Eve Belduke?!" Karena became surprised, as Eve nodded. "My condolences for the passing of your father…"
"I had thought that getting back at Mr. Cantabella would make it right again, but I was wrong." She then smiled at Karena, and then Espella. "But I'm okay now. After all, I got my childhood friend back…"
"Hold on. There is still one question that has been burning in my mind." Layton spoke up with intrigue. "Mr. Cantabella, why did you seek Miss Karena and Mr. Barnham out personally, when most of the other villagers came to you as willing volunteers?"
"Karena is the daughter of a very close friend of mine. She's almost like a niece to me, so it's only natural that I wanted to help when her heart broke and she was forced to love another." Arthur replied. "Likewise I met Zacharias when he was young and watched over him for a time until he could take care of himself. I came to him when he had grown and offered him a job in this village."
"My parents…Do they know anything at all about what happened?" Karena questioned further with curiosity and concern.
"They know nothing of the car accident you were in." the former Storyteller answered. "Only that you have run away and have not yet returned."
Karena then became even more concerned and worried, and Zacharias picked up on this, as he turned to her and said, "Do what you feel is right, but please stay with me a while longer should you choose to leave…"
His fiancée was unsure, as she thought of a response before she turned her gaze to Layton and the other visitors.
"Do not worry, Miss Edwards." The Professor told her with a reassuring smile and a tip of his hat. "We haven't planned on leaving this village just yet."
"Yeah, we want to start helping you guys to bring Labyrinthia back up on its feet!" Maya announced with determination.
They then commenced in doing so, as the villagers grew more relaxed and slowly began to remember everything. Most of the knights went back to wearing more comfortable clothing so they could have more movement while rebuilding.
Zacharias followed suit, as he donned a dusty pinkish grey polo shirt which he wore under a light lime green suit jacket that had the sleeves rolled up to above his elbows. He wore lavender slacks that were rolled up to the ankles, and dark brown sandals with silver accents. Around his waist was a brown braided belt with a silver rectangle buckle, on his left wrist was a black cloth band with a silver chain wound around it, and hanging from his neck was a powder and light blue striped tie that was tied and hung loose, along with silver accented shoestring necktie.
As the days went by, more and more of the village was starting to be rebuilt, but it was soon time for Layton, Luke, Nick, and Maya to depart. Karena had chosen to leave with them in order to find her parents and make amends, and Zacharias had no choice but to let her go, despite the fact that he didn't want to.
"Are you absolutely sure you want to do this?" he asked his beloved with concern in his eyes after he had taken her and the others across the lake and within reach of civilization.
"Until I make things right with my parents, I will continue to have this guilt in my heart. You know that more than anyone else." Karena answered before raising her hand to cup his cheek. "Don't worry. I'll be with Mr. Layton, and I'll be sure to keep in touch."
"I will still miss you terribly…"
"And I will miss you, but I must do this." Karena then removed her locket and hung it around Zacharias' neck. "I promise that I will come back as soon as possible Zachary, and I will be coming back to stay, but in return I would like for you to look after my estate."
"Of course Karena." Her fiancé replied in a low, soft, and sad voice. "I love you…"
"And I love you."
The two then shared a passionate farewell kiss, before Karena left his side to follow the Professor and his apprentice back to London to start the search for her parents…