Professor Layton vs Phoenix Wright: The Frigid Melody

The Shadow Over Fatargan

"Goodbye, Mr Wright! Thank you!"

Phoenix responded to the young girl's shout with one final wave of parting.

"Good luck, Athena!" Trucy shouted with her own enthusiastic wave. "Bye!"

Layton chuckled quietly to himself as he watched the small redhead hurrying away, fading into the crowds that gathered and dissipated in the foyer.

"You make friends everywhere you go, don't you?" he commented.

The smile slipped away from Phoenix's face.

"I guess," he replied.

"Professor?"

The Professor in question looked back as his apprentice approached, hauling their suitcases behind him.

"I'm not sure Mr Wright is in the mood to talk," Luke said quietly, leaning in to keep the conversation private.

He looked up at Phoenix's face, leading Layton to do the same. With the shadows around his eyes and the stubble all over his cheeks, the poor man really did look exhausted. He shivered violently and clutched his jacket tighter around his neck, and made a snide comment to Trucy about how cold it was in Scotland.

"Yes, I think you may be correct," Layton replied, making sure he too couldn't be heard. "Nevertheless..."

He took his suitcase's handle from Luke. The last thing the poor boy needed was to hurt himself trying to carry everything alone.

"I suppose this may be where we part ways again," he told his friend.

"No! What?!" Trucy sounded like she could start crying at any moment. "Please don't say you're going!"

"I wish it wasn't so," Layton replied, adjusting his hat by the brim, "but Luke and I are on the trail of a particularly vexing mystery. Not only that, but we need to find the terminal to catch our bus. We wouldn't want it to leave without us."

"I hope we get to see each other again, Mr Wright!" Luke added with a smile.

Phoenix didn't seem in the mood to return the gesture. He kept his eyes downcast, twitching his fingers on his suitcase's handle, and glanced at his daughter's saddened face.

"To be honest, you two," he said, almost too softly to hear, "part of me wishes we hadn't met up again."

"Eh?!" Luke's jaw dropped in shock.

"Whyever not?" asked Layton, trying his hardest to restrain his disappointment.

"It's complicated," Phoenix told them. "Not something I'm all that comfortable talking about."

He looked up at the station's exit. The sky outside was dull and grey, threatening either rain or snow at any moment, and a cold breeze blew through the doors and into the foyer and brushed over all their cheeks. Layton gripped his hat again in case it threatened to blow away.

"Plus it'd take too long to explain," Phoenix said, "and I don't want to make you guys late."

"Daddy?" Trucy stepped up to him and took his hand into her own. "It's okay. You don't have to talk about it."

Phoenix looked down at her again, this time with a small, grateful smile. For a moment it seemed almost as though he had forgotten anybody else was with him.

Layton cleared his throat.

"W-well then," he said, "I suppose..."

He held up his hand, hoping for a shake of parting and providing an accompanying smile.