It's A Wonderful Life
Part 1
It was Christmas Eve in the city of Monte d'Or. The snow was falling softly on the usually busy, bustling city. But now the streets that were highlighted by the lampposts and the neon lights of the electric signs on the buildings were mostly empty; the town's residents were asleep in their beds, awaiting the coming of Christmas Day, while a few were out in the streets for caroling, visiting, or last-minute shopping.
But in the Ledore Mansion, there was a select number of people who were doing something entirely different: they were praying. And they were all praying for the same person.
"I owe everything to Master Randall. Please help him."
"Please help my friend Randall."
"Help my son Randall tonight."
"Bratscot's a good guy. Give him a break, God."
"I love him, dear Lord. Watch over him tonight."
Unbeknownst to these people, their prayers were being heard. Up in Heaven, on top of the cloudy surface, two angels were listening.
"Looks like we'll have to send someone down," one angel named Joseph said. "A lot of people are asking for help for a man named Randall Ascot."
"Yes, it's his crucial night," the another angel Franklin agreed. "Whose turn is it?"
"It's that singing daydreamer's turn again," Joseph said.
"Oh, Lydia. Hasn't got her wings yet, has she?" Franklin said with a shake of his head.
"Indeed," said Joseph. "She's got the attitude of a child."
"Yes, but she's got the heart and mind as open as the sea," Franklin argued. "Joseph, send for Lydia."
Joseph sighed before snapping his fingers. A twinkling star glided down from the sky, and as it dissolved, Lydia appeared right between the two angels.
"Y-You sent for me, sir?" Lydia said timidly.
"Yes, Lydia," said Franklin. "A man down on Earth needs help."
"Oh, cool!" said Lydia, excited to have a chance to help a mortal. "Is he sick?"
"Worse," said Franklin seriously. "He's discouraged. At exactly 10:45 pm tonight, Earth time, that man will be thinking seriously about throwing away God's greatest gift."
Lydia knew in an instant what he meant. "Oh, no! Not his life! And I've only got an hour to get ready!"
"You will spend that hour getting to know Randall Ascot," said Franklin.
"Um, sir," said Lydia, rocking back and forth on her feet shyly. "if I succeed, would it be possible for me….to get my wings. I've been waiting so long and, well, people are starting to talk."
Franklin felt a hint of sympathy for her. After Lydia arrived in Heaven, she had just been a Second Class angel for all these years. Most of the time, she had been on mortal watch, keeping an eye on a certain person and coming back to report their actions.
In the times where she was sent to help a mortal, it wasn't very serious. It was just those situations where a mortal would be thinking about doing something bad, like a kid contemplating stealing from a candy store, and she would talk them out of it. But she never got her wings for any of those situations. All the other angels were sent to Earth for big things, for a mortal who was sick or injured, and they had all gotten their wings. Franklin figured, if there was ever a chance for Lydia to upgrade herself to the next level of being an angel, this was it.
"Lydia," he said. "Do a good job with Randall Ascot, and you'll get your wings."
Lydia smiled and gave Franklin a quick hug. "Oh, thank you, thank you, sir!"
"Sit down, Lydia," said Joseph.
"Why?"
"If you're going to help a man, you need to know about him, don't you?"
"Oh, yeah, obviously."
Joseph took out a small, silver vial and poured out silver, water-like liquid. But the formation of the liquid changed, shaping itself into a mirror.
"This mirror shows the most significant events in a mortal's life so far," Joseph explained to Lydia. "Take a look."
Lydia looked closer at the mirror. The reflection was foggy.
"Can you see anything?" asked Joseph.
"Not really," Lydia replied, squinting her eyes.
Suddenly, the fog in the mirror faded and a picture was becoming clearer.
"Wait! I see something," said Lydia. "Looks like a bedroom." She began to see a figure in the room. It was a little boy with blonde hair and blue eyes, sitting on the floor and playing with what looked like a toy robot. "Is that Randall Ascot?"
"No," said Joseph. "You'll see him in a minute."
Suddenly, the boy in the mirror stood up with a mixture of shock and guilt on his face as a maid came into the room. She started scolding the boy while tears were starting to form in the boy's eyes. Lydia could now hear the dialogue become clear.
"That's young Master Randall's toy, not yours!" the maid said, wagging her finger. "You remember your place! Give that back this instant!" She snatched the toy away from the boy as he burst into tears. "Honestly, Henry, I don't know what you were thinking! Is this how you were taught? Are you some sort of common thief? I have half a mind to report you to the master of the house!"
Just then, a boy with red hair came into the room.
"That is Randall Ascot," Joseph said.
Lydia seemed confused. "A kid?"
"That's him when he was younger," Joseph explained.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to," the blonde boy was crying. "I just wanted to play with it."
The red-haired boy frowned when he saw the maid scolding the other boy and walked up to her.
"Oh! Hello! Sorry to disturb you, Master Randall," said the maid.
"Why did you take Henry's toy?" Randall asked her.
The maid looked surprised. "Young Master Randall, I think you're mistaken. This is yours."
Randall took the robot from her and handed it back to a stunned Henry. "No. This is the robot that I gave to Henry. Now then, if you'll excuse us." He pushed her towards the door, echoing her words, "I have half a mind to report you to the master of the house."
"Oh, all right, I'm going!"
After shutting the bedroom door, Randall turned back to Henry who was looking back at him timidly.
"Master Randall, can you please forgive me for playing with your toy?"
"Henry, it's your now."
"But it's your favorite."
"Well, now it's your favorite!" Randall said, smiling. "How many toys does one boy need, anyway?" He climbed up the stairs to a storage space where his box of adventuring materials was. "C'mon! We're going on an adventure today!"
Henry's face broke into a smile as he held the robot close. Thank you, Master Randall! I promise to take care of it and always treasure it!"
"Let's find some more treasure!" said Randall, grabbing his favorite shovel. "What do you say?"
"Aww, that's so sweet!" Lydia gushed as the scene faded into fog.
"Randall Ascot and Henry Ledore formed one of the most special bonds a man could have that day," said Joseph. "The bond of friendship. One that they've carried for many years."
Lydia watched the mirror as more scenes from Randall's childhood played out. On one particular day, a big, rough-looking boy had snatched Henry's toy robot and Randall wasn't hesitating in scuffling with the boy to get it back. A little girl with blonde hair was doing the responsible thing and telling an adult (in this case, the maid) about what was going on.
"Now, who are these two kids?" asked Lydia.
"The boy there is Alphonse Dalston," said Joseph. "The girl there is Miss Angela."
The scene changed before Lydia's eyes. Now all four of the children were having a picnic outdoors, smiling and laughing and having a good time. The robot was returned to Henry and all seemed to have been forgiven. After the picnic was over, Lydia could see Randall giving Angela a unique-looking flower that he had discovered while Alphonse and Henry were secretly watching behind a tree. The moment received another "Awww!" from Lydia.
"The four of them remained friends for a long time," said Joseph. "Skipping ahead to the teenage years, a new person entered Randall's life."
The picture in the mirror now showed the hallway to a high school. Amid the crowds of students, one boy with a brown afro was looking around at the room numbers. He looked completely lost. Just then, a teenage Randall with black, squared-shaped glasses came up to him, asking him what room he was looking for. When he was told what room, Randall eagerly showed the new student the way to the classroom, chatting with him as if they were already the best of friends.
"That is Hershel Layton," said Joseph. "Randall is one of the people who had influenced him the most in his life."
The scene transitioned to Hershel and Randall in their archaeology class three years later. Randall was standing in front of Hershel's desk, discussing something with him.
"You can't be serious," Hershel was saying.
"Yes, I'm very serious, Hershel," Randall said enthusiastically. "I'm going to make archaeological history tonight! Do you have any idea what this could mean? It'll be the find of the century, and you're coming with me! Just meet me tonight. Soon our names will be in all the papers. You'll be the famous scholar Hershel Layton!"
After the class had ended, the two boys met up with Alphonse Dalston in the hallway.
"Oh. Hello, Dalston," said Randall.
"Hey, Bratscot," said Dalston. "Off on an another adventure to find Camelot? Say hi to the dragons for me, you ninny."
"Archaeology is the study of our past!" Randall said. "Even you must see the value in that, Dalston!"
"You can't earn cash from the past. When are you going to wake up to that? While you're digging up pottery, I'll be running my very own hotel," Dalston said smugly. "I'm gonna have more hotels than my old man! That archaeology stuff won't ever get you out of Stansbury, you know."
"I happen to like Stansbury, Dalston," said Randall. "But London is really the only place to get a decent university degree in archaeology."
"Well, while you're studying ancient spoons," said Dalston. "I'll be building my hotel empire!" And he walked away.
Hershel and Randall went outside in the school courtyard when they happened to see Randall's girlfriend standing at the balcony of one of the upper floors.
"Angela!"
"Awww, they're dating now?" Lydia said, smiling.
Angela turned her head to see the two boys below and smiled. "Hey, Randall! Did you get out of practice early today?"
"Yes. Hershel and I have some important things to do."
"Can you two wait a minute while I get my things?"
After she disappeared, Hershel turned to Randall and said, "She's as radiant as ever."
"And," Randall added. "she likes the most handsome chap in town."
"Too bad for you!" Hershel joked. In response, Randall gave his friend a playful noogie. He stopped once he saw Angela come down the stairs.
"Don't you take that from him, Hershel!" she said. She turned to her boyfriend and gave him a smile. "Randall, is that anyway to treat your best friend?"
"Well," said Randall. "I suppose I could be a little nicer. But Hershel needs to stop running away from his future in archaeology!"
"He doesn't look like he's running away," said Angela. "Perhaps he's just not interested."
"Thank you," said Hershel.
"I think I can change that," said Randall as the three friends started walking. "I've got something very special to show the two of you."
"Not again," Hershel sighed. "What is it now?"
"The Mask of Chaos!" Randall said with a smile.
"Why am I not surprised?" Hershel commented. "Randall, what is it about this fairytale that has captured your imagination?"
"Always the skeptic," said Randall. "That's all right! At least I won today's fencing match. Which means tonight we do what I want to do. Correct?"
Hershel gave him the A-OK sign.
"Eight o'clock, right, Hershel? Angela, you too!" He came up behind the two of them, putting a hand on each one's shoulder. "To the future that awaits!"
The scene changed to nighttime. The three friends were in Randall's bedroom. From a chest, Randall pulled out a mask with sun-like symbol on the forehead and permanent wide smile etched into the gold.
Hershel and Angela were stunned. "Is that….?"
"The Mask of Chaos!" said Randall proudly. "This is what Donald Rutledge wrote about in Ancient Histories. I found it!"
"Don't be absurd, Randall," said Angela. "That's not real. How could it be?"
"I assure you, Angela, this is absolutely 100 percent the genuine artifact!" said Randall. "According to Rutledge, the legend says, 'He who holds the Mask of Chaos may make happen all that which he desires'!"
Hershel sounded skeptical. "That….sounds nice."
"I don't believe a word of it, of course," Randall went on. "It's just ancient superstition. But upon examining the mask, I made my own discovery."
"Something Rutledge didn't mention?" asked Angela.
"Exactly," said Randall. "The mask may not grant wishes literally. However, it can perform at least one incredible miracle. It holds the key to an unimaginable fortune. Treasures beyond our dreams! If I can crack the puzzle of the mask, it will lead me straight to unknown riches!" He waited for his friends reactions. "Well?! Say something! Are you ready for a true archaeological expedition?"
"Um….not quite," Hershel replied. "Randall, how do you know this is the real mask? Where did you get it?"
"Both fair questions, my dear Hershel! It wasn't easy! I had to crack a devilish puzzle to get my hands on the mask."
"A puzzle? What puzzle?"
"Take a look at this!" Randall walked over to a portion of his bedroom wall that was covered in a big white cloth. "Behold!" He dramatically pulled the cloth off, revealing the portion of wall covered in notes and scrawls.
"What are we supposed to make of this?" asked Hershel.
"What is this, Randall?" asked Angela.
"Oh, it's nothing. It's only the great secret on the Norwell Wall!" Randall said proudly. "I, Randall Ascot, have cracked the code of the Norwell Wall!"
The scene changed to Hershel, Randall, and Angela outside, staring in awe at a huge wall made of stone with many symbols and inscriptions engraved in it: the Wall of Norwell.
"What does it all mean, Randall?" asked Angela.
"I don't have it all quite worked out yet. But I have decoded some of the glyphs, and I'm certain that this entire wall is one big map! Take another look. The shapes beneath the star chart match the terrain beyond the hills, where all ruins are. I followed this map a few days ago. It look me over the hills to a spot….where I started digging….and lo and hold! I found the mask!"
He then proceeded to tell Hershel and Angela how he couldn't find the mask's other half, but found a stone tablet that lay with the mask, which described that the mask was also a key to finding ancient treasure. He told them that the mask belonged to an ancient civilization called the Azran, and that they had more advanced technology than their own. Randall also revealed that the mask itself was a map, leading to the Akbadain Ruins.
"Whoa, whoa, hold up there!" Lydia said, making Joseph pause the scene. "I thought you were just showing me stuff about Randall, not about all this archaeology and puzzle stuff. And plus, all this information is making my head hurt."
"Oh! I'm sorry," said Joseph. "Sometimes I get a little carried away with the detail."
He gave the mirror a little wave and the scene fast forwarded to Randall and Angela sitting side by side on a hill while Hershel was standing a little bit away from them. Angela was holding the Mask of Chaos and she was in tears.
"Why is she crying?" asked Lydia.
"Angela's brother died from an expedition," Joseph explained solemnly. "She didn't want Randall to meet the same fate."
Lydia looked back the mirror with sympathy. "Oh."
"Look, Angela," Randall was saying. "I know this is hard for you, but please-"
"Please what?!" cried Angela. "Please let you go and endanger yourself while I just sit here and wait for you to never come back?!"
"I will come back. I promise," Randall reassured her. "I have to do this, Angela. I can't just live in my father's shadow my entire life. I need this, and I need you help to do it."
"Randall-"
"It's all right, Miss Angela," a voice said behind them. "Master Randall will return. I know it."
Angela turned around. "Oh, Henry! You startled me. I didn't know you were there."
"You needn't worry, Miss Angela," said Henry. "Master Randall said this would be his last expedition. Isn't that right?"
"...Yes?" said Randall, confused but still wanting Angela to give her approval.
"Did you really say that, Randall?" Angela asked.
"Uh….of course!" he replied. "This will be my last, and greatest, trip into the ruins. Angela, please."
Angela finally sighed and handed him the mask. "All right. As long as you promise not to do anything dangerous….or stupid."
"Nothing dangerous!" said Randall. "And Hershel here will make sure I don't do anything stupid!"
"Wait, wait, wait!" Lydia said suddenly. "Randall just immediately pulled Hershel into this with him? Without asking consent from Hershel? Or his parents? Or Hershel's parents?"
After having Henry escort Angela home, Randall turned towards Hershel. "So, Hershel, we're going to unearth the most important archaeological find in history! Aren't you excited?! Let's go back to my place and make sure we have enough supplies."
"All right," said Hershel. "I do hope you intend to keep your promise, Randall."
The scene transitioned to the next morning. Hershel and Randall were outside the Ascot manor ready to set out for the ruins.
"Ready to embark on the first day of your life, Hershel?" Randall asked excitedly. "Henry! Is everything all set?"
"Yes, Master Randall," Henry replied. "The cart is loaded and should be ready for your departure."
But Randall then noticed another person beside Henry. "Angela? What are you doing here? Henry, is your doing?"
"...Yes, sir," Henry admitted. "My apologies. It seemed rather important."
"Henry had nothing to do with it," said Angela. "I wasn't going to let you go without saying goodbye, Randall."
"I thought it'd be easier if you didn't see me go," said Randall. "I was going to have Henry deliver this….but since you're here…." He reached into his pocket and pulled out an old ancient pendant that he was found on one of his expeditions. He placed it into Angela's palm.
"What….what is this?" said Angela, overwhelmed with emotion. "I can't take this."
"Look after it for me," Randall told her gently, closing her hand over the pendant. "You give it back to me when I return."
"Yes. Yes, of course," said Angela. "Thank you, Randall."
"I'll see you soon, Angela. I swear."
"You will be careful, won't you?" said Angela.
"Naturally," Randall replied with a smile. "When I get back, we can have that picnic on the hill. How does that sound? Well, we'd better be off before my father spots us!" He climbed into the front seat of the carriage beside Hershel. "Next stop: Akbadain!" He snapped the reins, the horses gave out a whinny, and with that, the two boys rode away towards their destination.
Angela watched the carriage disappear in the distance and held the pendant close to her heart. "Goodbye…."
"Please don't worry, Miss Angela," said Henry. "Master Randall has a remarkable mind. He'll find what he seeks and return soon."
"I hope you're right, Henry."
"I'm certain of it."
The next scene showed a desert-like area. Hershel and Randall stood at the edge of a deep cliff.
"You really think the ruins are here?" asked Hershel.
"They're here. I know they are," replied Randall.
Hershel glanced at the entrance at the bottom of the dangerous cliff. "How on earth are we supposed to get down there? You promised Angela we weren't going to do anything dangerous!"
"I know what I said, Hershel," said Randall. "What about 'no risk, no glory'? This is the chance of a lifetime, and we must seize this opportunity while we have it!"
"Randall, this is-"
"I'm not interested in talking anymore! I've worked so hard for this." Randall looked Hershel straight in the eye. "You can go back home if you must, but Hershel, I can't do this alone."
After a moment of hesitation, Hershel said, "All right, Randall. Let's go."
And the two friends started to descend the cliff.
"They went through seven levels of those ruins," said Joseph. "They evaded all sorts of booby traps and solved all sorts of puzzles. Then they came to the eighth level…."
In the next scene, Hershel and Randall came to a vast room containing a large lake with stepping stones leading to the other side of the room.
"We've made it!" Randall said. He pointed to a set of stairs leading up to a door where the final puzzle would be. "Hershel, there's the door!"
They jumped from stone to stone across the lake. But suddenly, the room started shaking and the water started to swirl around them and drain out.
"We're sinking!" Randall cried out.
The two boys now hurried across the stones to get to the other side, trying to run faster as every stone sank into the water behind them. Hershel jumped onto the platform safely, but Randall was a second behind him.
"Randall!"
Randall took a great leap off the last stone as it sank into the water, one hand gripping the Mask of Chaos, the other desperately reaching out….
Hershel had managed to catch his hand at the last possible second. The platform crumbled and shifted downwards a bit, threatening to send both boys to their doom. Randall was now dangling from Hershel's grip over a deep ravine where the lake used to be.
"Just drop the mask!" Hershel shouted. "Give me your other hand, Randall!"
But Randall didn't let go of the mask. He put his feet up onto the cliff face and attempted to walk up it, but his feet slipped back. Beads of sweat formed on Hershel's face as he strained to pull his friend up, but he wasn't strong enough.
"Randall, I can't hold on!"
Randall hung his head. "I was so close," he said quietly. He looked up at Hershel. "I'm sorry, Hershel. I let you down. Tell Angela I'm sorry!"
"I can't pull you up!" shouted Hershel. "Now give me your other hand!"
"Take the mask," said Randall. "It's yours. You must solve the last puzzle, Hershel."
As Hershel struggled to pull him up, Randall held the mask up to him. "Here."
Suddenly, Randall's hand slipped through Hershel's fingers. Hershel could only watch as his best friend plummeted into the darkness of the ravine, still gripping the mask he had chosen over his life.
"Randall!"
Lydia gasped as her eyes grew watery. "Oh, that's terrible…."
"Hershel solved the final puzzle only to find a room of gold and gems from the Azran," Joseph told Lydia. "He found it all useless and not worth Randall's life; he didn't want any part of it. When he got out of the ruins, he found Angela and Henry waiting on the outskirts of Stansbury. When he told them that Randall was gone, they were all full of grief.
"Angela's was heartbroken. Henry was fired from the Ascot household. Randall's parents spent their entire fortune on search parties to find Randall, but always they came up with nothing. Stansbury seemed like it was drained of life after losing Randall. Hershel moved away and went to Gressenheller University in London to study archaeology.
"I thought he said he wasn't interested in archaeology," said Lydia.
"He wanted to honor Randall's memory by pursuing the career that Randall wanted him to love," said Joseph. "And he became Professor Layton, a master of archaeology and puzzles," Joseph added. "He even solved a couple of London's most difficult mysteries, such as the cases of the specter of Misthallery and the opera singer.
"But little did everyone know that Randall wasn't dead."
"If he wasn't dead, what happened to him?" asked Lydia.
"An underground river broke Randall's fall," Joseph explained. "And the current washed him up onto the banks of a remote village called Craggy Dale. He was found and nursed back to health. Since he had hit his head in the incident, he had developed amnesia and couldn't remember anything about himself. He worked for eighteen years as a farmer in Craggy Dale, giving up trying to remember anything about his life.
"One day, he received an anonymous letter, and it recounted his life in great detail. But it also said that all his research about the Azran and his love Angela were taken from him by one of his friends: Henry Ledore.
"After reading that name, he regained his memories, and he quickly became vindictive. The letter told him to disguise himself as the Masked Gentleman and terrorize the town of Monte d'Or to get his revenge. So Randall fled Craggy Dale and headed to Monte d'Or to meet his mysterious mentor."
"So Randall just decided to trust this anonymous letter instead of asking Henry if it was true?!" asked Lydia incredulously.
"Sometimes mortals perform actions blinded by their emotions," Joseph said with a shake of his head.
The mirror displayed a man inside a hotel bedroom in Monte d'Or.
"That's what Randall looks like now?" asked Lydia.
Joseph nodded.
"He's changed so much!" Lydia commented, looking at his tan skin, wild red hair, and white suit with a purple cravat. But the most significant change other than the absence of his glasses was the absence of his enthusiastic smile and sparkle in his eyes, now replaced by the fires of anger and hatred.
"I'll never forgive him for what he's done!" he said angrily. "I'm going to take it all back! Everything!"
Just then, another man came into the room. He had a brown cloak with a white feather boa and a white eye mask.
"Who's that?" asked Lydia.
"That's Descole," said Joseph. "a nemesis of Professor Layton. He wrote him the Randall the letter, but he lied about Henry taking everything from him. He was just using Randall for his own purposes."
"What did Descole want?" Lydia asked.
"That is another story that we don't have time for," Joseph told her.
"How do you feel about tomorrow's plan?" Descole asked Randall.
"Quite good," Randall replied. "I'm quite excited to see the reaction when people are turned to stone!"
Descole laughed. "I do find human petrification to be an entertaining concept."
Lydia sat there, staring in disbelief at this conversation.
"I'll cause a stir at the parade," said Randall. "As the rumors spread, the people will continue to trickle out of Monte d'Or, slowly but surely."
"When we acquire the Mask of Order, your revenge will finally be complete," said Descole. "Yes, the Mask of Order will grant a wish that you have held for many long years."
"Mask of Order? There's a Mask of Order as well?"
"Just keep watching, Lydia. All will be explained."
"The Mask of Chaos and the Mask of Order are a pair, you said," said Randall. "Why would you go so far out of your way just to help me?"
"When I visited Stansbury to view the Norwell wall again, the village was deserted," said Descole. "I heard the story of the young heir who lost his life adventuring and the butler who took advantage of his demise. The thought of your heartbroken parents spending their entire fortune to search for you while the butler plotted….Who would not be moved by a tale of such hope and compassion, of sorrow and betrayal? You witnessed it yourself, did you not? The Ascot lineage snuffed out like a light, your hometown forgotten."
"Henry, how could you?" Randall muttered.
"When I found out you had fallen through a crack into an aquifer and survived," Descole continued. "my conscience compelled me to act. I swore that I would help you complete your revenge!"
Randall turned away from Descole and walked out of the room. All the while, he was cursing under his breath. "How dare you, Henry? You took Angela for yourself and ruined my family. I will take everything from you, just as you did with me. You will have nothing. No friends, no family, no home."
Lydia was very disturbed by Randall's change in attitude. "I don't think I like this new Randall at all. Hey, that reminds me. What are Angela, Dalston, and Henry like now?"
"Well, Dalston had his own business and chateau," said Joseph. "Henry found the Azran treasure Randall was searching for and used his newfound the wealth to build a hotel near the Azran ruins where he thought Randall was. He offered a big reward to anyone who could be able to find Randall, which attracted many tourists. Soon, hotels and shops sprung up everywhere, and thus, the city of Monte d'Or was born. And as for Angela, in order to keep Angela from marrying Dalston out of wealth, Henry proposed that they pretend to be married until Randall returned, and Angela agreed."
"Wow," said Lydia. "Randall has a couple of loyal friends. It's too bad he doesn't know any of this."
It was nighttime in the next scene. A figure was standing on top of a rooftop, looking around at the big, bright city below. The figure was carrying a cane and wearing his white suit, a white top hat, a white wig, white gloves, white shoes, a white cloak, and a golden mask. Lydia recognized the sinister smile: the Mask of Chaos.
"One, two three, four. Did you miss me, Monte d'Or?" the figure said in a deep voice. "Ladies and gentleman, welcome! I hope you've enjoyed tonight's dark miracle. Courtesy of the Masked Gentleman! Consider what you have seen tonight as a warning. Monte d'Or will soon be destroyed. Those who submit to the power of the mask may be spared. But then again...they may not!"
He held his cane between his two hands and it disappeared. But at the same time, his cape transformed into two big, white wings. He took a dive off of the roof and flew off into the night sky.
Lydia watched the mirror in amazement and horror as the Masked Gentleman performed all kinds of "dark miracles". He turned people into stone, levitated them in the air, turned them into horses, made everyone in an amusement park disappear, made paintings come to life, and set people on fire without injuring them. Every time, he would stand in the background, watching the citizens of Monte d'Or be terrified and run away.
"How has Randall been able to do all this," Lydia asked. "Does he have magical powers? Did he get them from the Mask of Chaos?"
"No, there was no magic in those dark miracles," said Joseph. "There were all just illusions."
"Oh," Lydia said, slightly disappointed that there was no magic.
"All the while," Joseph continued. "Professor Layton had come to Monte d'Or, in response to Angela's letter telling him everything that was happening. With help from Henry, Angela, and Dalston, he solved puzzles and gathered clues about Masked Gentleman's identity until they finally met him in the Reunion Inn."
The scene transitioned to the inside of the vast lobby of the Reunion Inn. Professor Layton had just rescued his apprentice Luke from a dangerous rope puzzle that the Masked Gentleman trapped him on, and now the Professor stood face to face with the Masked Gentleman.
"Bravo, Layton," said the Masked Gentleman. "You risked your life and saved your friend."
"Yes," said Professor Layton. "Well, as a friend once told me: no risk, no glory."
"Well," said the Masked Gentleman, taking off his top hat. "I suppose I won't be needing this anymore."
Henry, Angela, and their assistant, Mordaunt came into the room just as the Masked Gentleman took off his mask.
The professor frowned. "It pains me to see you like this,….Randall."
Angela and Henry were shocked.
"Randall?!"
"But how?!"
Randall merely smirked. "Well, isn't this quite the reunion."
"Randall then proceeded to tell everyone about how he survived, where he was for eighteen years, and the letters he received about how to be the Masked Gentleman," said Joseph. "He then fled to the roof of the Reunion Inn to carry out his final dark miracle."
The scene changed to Randall standing on top of the roof with the Mask of Chaos in his hand. The night air ruffled his hair as he looked down at the professor and the others who had followed him.
"I'm so delighted you all could make it."
"Randall, this is madness!" Professor Layton shouted. "Come down from there!"
"Take a final look around….Henry," Randall sneered. "You stole everything from me! I treated you like a brother, and this is my reward?!" He spread his arms out at the bright lights and buildings of Monte d'Or. "Allow me to return the favor. The destruction of Monte d'Or shall be my final dark miracle!" he announced, letting out an evil laugh.
"Randall, no!"
Suddenly, two bombs were detonated from the cliffside and sand started pouring into the city.
"He was going to bury the city in sand?!" Lydia said.
"But Professor Layton had a plan," said Joseph. "He revealed to the others that the city monument was an entrance to the deepest part of the Akbadain ruins. He said that the way to save the city is to make the ruins rise to their original position. But to do that, they would need both the Mask of Chaos and the Mask of Order.
"Taking the Mask of Chaos that Randall had dropped after detonating the cliff, the professor and his team went with Angela to the ruins where there was a secret chamber."
The scene changed to the Professor, Luke, Emmy, and Angela in the ruins. The professor began twisting the symbol on the mask, until the mask broke apart, revealing a second mask within it.
"What?!" Lydia was astonished. "The mask was two masks!"
"The Mask of Order has been right here all this time," the professor said. He gave the Mask of Chaos to Angela while he took the Mask of Order. They both put each mask on their respective pillars, activating a puzzle to rise up in the center.
After the professor solved the puzzle, the room began to shake as the platform they were standing on rose up to the surface. The ruins rose up to their original positions making the buildings in Monte d'Or rise also, saving the city.
While Randall was outside, astonished and wondering what was happening, he turned to see the others rise up on the platform in the street.
"Behold, Randall!" Professor Layton announced. "The secret of the Azran! I discovered it while you were busy seeking revenge. This ends here!"
Randall hung his head in defeat.
The scene changed once more with everyone standing outside the gallery plaza. The sun was just starting to rise.
"This is the true treasure of the Azran, the riddle we could not have solved eighteen years ago, Randall," Professor Layton said. "We were distracted by tales of fortune, while the most valuable archaeological find lay elsewhere all along."
Randall looked at him in amazement. "You did it. You solved the puzzle of Akbadain. Spectacular. I must hand it to you, Hershel."
"There is no puzzle without a solution. You taught me that, Randall."
"Archaeology was nothing more than a passing fancy for you," said Randall. "And still you unearthed all of this. Incredible."
"I….had some help." The professor noticed Randall's face fall. "Randall, are you all right?"
"Your skill has magnified my own faults," Randall said sadly. "Even in revenge, I am a failure."
"Nonsense," the professor said gently. "The important thing is that you're with us now."
Henry stepped forward. "Master Randall-"
Randall suddenly jumped back, his anger flaring up again. "Stay away from me! You stole everything from me! Everything!"
"That's not true!" Henry protested.
"You still don't see? Henry took nothing from you, Randall," said the professor. "You were used."
"Used?! What are you talking about?" Randall asked.
"Everything you were told in those letters was a lie," the professor explained.
He then proceeded to tell everyone how the police were right when they suspected that someone was behind the Masked Gentleman, and that Randall was being used as a puppet and someone was pulling the strings.
"And that person is you!" the professor declared, pointing an epic finger of accusation at Angela. "I wish I could say it's been a pleasure….Descole!"
Angela looked surprised at first, but then she smirked as she took off her disguise, revealing Descole.
Lydia's mouth was hanging open. "Descole was Angela the whole time?! And where's the real Angela?!"
"Professor Layton met the real Angela when he first came to Monte d'Or," said Joseph. "But the next time he saw her, Descole had taken her place. The professor found the real Angela trapped in a room at the Reunion Inn. He asked her to wear a costume while they played along with Descole's game." He motioned to Mordaunt taking off his costume, revealing the real Angela. "Descole was clever, but he failed to grasp the nature of Henry and Angela's true relationship, only making Angela look like she just wanted to get the Mask of Order."
After the professor confronted Descole and Descole escaped, Randall felt like a fool for being used, but was still angry at Henry for stealing everything from him. That was when Professor Layton told him the whole truth. He told him how Henry had built Monte d'Or for his return and protected everything for him. Angela, showing Randall the pendant she had kept all this time, revealed that she and Henry pretended to be married until he returned. Professor Layton showed an ownership document he found which showed that a third party under Randall's name fully owned the deed to the Ledore family. For one more surprise, Randall's mother was wheeled out and she told him how Henry had taken such good care of her. Now that he had been told the truth, Randall regretted his actions.
Suddenly, an aftershock caused the ground to shake, throwing everyone off guard. The ground Randall was standing on crumbled away and the professor saw him start to fall through.
"Randall!"
The professor managed to catch his hand at the last second and held on to him as Randall dangled over the large pit. No doubt memories of what happened eighteen years ago were going through both of their heads. But this time, Randall had his eyes cast down full of guilt and regret.
"You can let me go now, Hershel."
"Randall, you must-Just give me your other hand, Randall!" the professor said.
"I can't," Randall said sadly. "I've betrayed so many people. I'll never forgive myself. I don't deserve to live. Let me go."
The professor tried to pull Randall up as he began to slip from his grasp.
"Randall, I can't-"
Just then, another hand reached down and grabbed Randall's hand. Randall looked up and his eyes widened at who it was.
"Henry!"
"Master Randall," said Henry, straining to keep his hold on his friend. "after all these years, there's no-there's no way I'm letting you get away from us that easily."
"Henry…." Randall kept his eyes on Henry as he and the professor pulled him up.
After everyone had a chance to catch their breath, Randall and Henry stood in front of each other.
"I'm so ashamed of what I've done," said Randall. "And I don't deserve your kindness or your forgiveness. But why? Why would you do all this for me?"
"Master Randall, do you really not know?" said Henry. "You've always looked out for me." He recounted the day when they were kids and Randall gave him the toy robot. "You taught me something invaluable that day, Master Randall. And gave me something to treasure. You treated me not just as an equal, Randall, but also as a brother. And that has always meant more to me than any amount of riches ever could. As the years went by, it became clear to me that our friendship was are most valuable treasure."
"I'm speechless," Randall said, his eyes still wide.
"There's nothing more to say, Master Randall. We all you would return. We just didn't think you'd take so long," Henry said with a joking smile.
"Henry…." Randall sniffed. "...I'm so sorry."
"No more apologies," said Henry. "Welcome home."
"Welcome home," said Angela.
Professor Layton watched as the two of them came forward and embraced their long lost friend as the tears Randall had tried to hold back finally broke free.
"Henry….Angela….I'm home."
Lydia smiled as her eyes grew watery again as the scene faded into fog.
"And that's Randall's life up until now," said Joseph as he touched the mirror which transformed back into silvery liquid and flowed back into the vial.
"That's such a happy turnout," Lydia said.
"But do you understand how Randall could be in need your help?"
Lydia thought for a bit. Then she frowned. "The amount of guilt is still there, isn't it?" she said. "I mean, he did almost destroy an entire city and everyone in it in a blind fit of anger. No matter how much his friends tell him it's not his fault, he still feels guilty about the things he has done."
"Exactly," said Joseph. He looked his watch. "It's about time, Lydia. Before you go, take this." He gave her a small, white, sparkling stone. "This is a teleportation stone. Since you're a Second Class angel, you cannot teleport on your own. If you ever have to teleport anywhere when you're with Randall, hold this stone in your hand, think about where you want to go, and you'll be there."
"Thank you, sir," Lydia said graciously.
"Go down to Monte d'Or, Lydia," said Joseph. "Talk to Randall. And if you succeed, you will earn your wings."
Lydia gave him a smile. "Don't worry, sir! I won't let you down!" He happily waved him goodbye as he cast out a bright light towards her. And a second later, she was gone.
Part 2
Randall stood outside on the balcony, watching the snow fall silently. He had abruptly said he needed some air while he was socializing with his friends, his mother, and his wife. Tears were streaming down his face as he gripped the railing. This was just one of those pangs of guilt he sometimes felt whenever he was around the people that did so much for him. The people that he betrayed by his own stupid actions.
The guilt of what he could have done was too much for him to carry with for the rest of his life. He had considered this decision a couple times since Henry and Angela took him in. He didn't deserve everything that they had done for him, he thought. He hurt too many people, done so many terrible things. Unconscious of what day it was, he swung his legs over and sat on the railing. This time, there would be no second chances at life for him. But he found himself hesitating, looking down at the three story drop below him.
"Excuse me?"
Startled at the voice, Randall turned his head, but saw nobody behind him. "Who's there?" he called out. "Who's talking to me?"
"Look up."
Randall looked up and saw a girl sitting on the roof above him. She had dark brown hair that was short and curly and her eyes were brown and framed by glasses. She was wearing blue jeans, a light purple shirt under a blue jacket, and a pair of dark blue Converse.
She gave him a friendly smile and a little wave. "Hello!" she said in a soft, cheerful, sing-song way.
Randall was so surprised to see her there that he climbed back over the railing and back onto the balcony. "How did you get up there?"
"It doesn't really matter about the past," the girl said. "Sometimes we have ask ourselves about the future. Like, for example, how am I going to get down from this roof?"
She looked around for a ladder or something to help her down, but there was nothing. So she slowly rolled over on her stomach and awkwardly inched backwards down the roof until she was hanging from the gutter by her fingers. A few seconds later, she dropped onto the balcony, landing on her feet. She winced as the landing slightly hurt her ankles and she muttered, "Ow."
"Are you all right?" Randall asked her.
"Yeah, I'm fine," she answered, straightening up. She turned to face Randall and smiled. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Randall."
"How do you know my name?" Randall asked.
"I know everything about you," the girl replied. "I've watched your whole story from up there." She pointed upwards.
Confused, Randall glanced up at the roof.
"Not from the roof," the girl said. She pointed to the sky. "From up there. From Heaven."
Randall was now looking at her with a disbelieving cocked eyebrow. "How old are you?"
"119…." The girl started counting on her fingers. "...this upcoming March." Seeing that Randall's expression hadn't changed, she quickly said, "Oh, I'm sorry. I should probably introduce myself." She warmly held out her hand. "I'm Lydia, A-S-2."
As Randall shook her hand, he asked, "What does A-S-2 mean?"
"Angel, Second Class."
There was a moment of silence as Randall stared at Lydia with wide eyes.
"W-What?"
"I'm an angel, your guardian angel," Lydia explained. "I've been up in Heaven, watching everything that's happened to you and they sent me down here to help you."
"Madame, are you sure you're….feeling all right," Randall said slowly.
"Of course I'm sure," Lydia answered. "I've never been so sure of anything!"
Randall slowly made his way to the balcony doors. "You know what? I think I'll just go and call you a doctor-"
"Oh no you don't!" Lydia grabbed the back of his sweater before a flash of light had blinded his vision for a split second.
When he blinked a couple times, he was shocked to find that he and Lydia were standing in the streets of Monte d'Or.
"What was that?! What happened?!"
"We just teleported," Lydia simply said. "Now do you believe I'm an angel?"
Randall nodded, too stunned to speak.
"Okay. So," Lydia began gently. "Like I said, I know everything about you being the Masked Gentleman and the things you did. May I ask what happened today that made you want to….jump back there?"
The shock from Randall's face faded and remorse took its place.
"I mean, you don't have to if you don't want to," said Lydia. "But telling somebody might make you feel better."
There was another moment of silence before Randall finally spoke up.
"Nothing really happened," he said. "It's just that….while I was with everyone, the memory of what happened just came to my mind, like on so many occasions. I could tell that everyone was starting to become concerned about me. Something like this isn't something you can forget so easily. And the guilt and regret still stays in my heart."
Lydia nodded understandingly.
"I've just done so many terrible things during that time," Randall said quietly. "Amnesia is not an excuse for my actions. Henry had built this entire city for me, and I nearly destroyed it." He sat down on the sidewalk as he started to cry again. Lydia sat down with him, empathetically putting a hand on his shoulder as a mean to comfort him. "I don't deserve all that Henry and Angela had done for me. If it wasn't for me, so much trouble would have been avoided." He buried his head in his arms. "I wish I'd never been born."
"Oh, Randall, come on. Don't say-" Suddenly, Lydia sat up a little straighter, as a little light bulb came on in her head. "Wait a minute," she murmured. "That might be an idea." She looked up at the sky. "What do you think, Joseph? Would that be okay?" She could feel Joseph's presence as he nodded "yes" to her.
She looked over at Randall. "Okay."
Randall lifted his head and looked at her. "Okay what?"
"I'll go ahead and grant your wish," said Lydia. "We'll travel to an alternate reality of this Christmas Eve night and you'll see how different everyone's life would be if you had never been born. Let's go!"
Lydia took Randall's hand while her other hand held what Randall saw was a small, white stone.
There was a brief flash of light, and when it faded, Lydia said, "Here we are. You've never been born. You don't exist."
Randall looked around at his surroundings. It was still nighttime, but it had stopped snowing and it was oddly quiet. They were in the middle of a desert area and near them was a vast oasis. The city of Monte d'Or was nowhere to be seen.
"Where are we?"
"We are where we were five seconds ago," Lydia simply replied. "But in an alternate reality."
"If that's the case, then where's Monte d'Or?" Randall asked.
"It was never been built," said Lydia, shrugging her shoulders.
"What?"
"In his world, you never existed, so you never fell down that ravine. Henry never found the Azran treasure and gave out that reward to find you, so Monte d'Or was never built."
"Is this your idea of a cruel joke?!" said Randall indignantly.
"No, it's not!" Lydia shot back. "I'm an angel, and we angels don't joke around!"
"If you're an angel, then where are your wings?" Randall asked her.
"I haven't got them yet," said Lydia.
"Haven't got them?"
"I've never helped anyone in a serious situation like you before, so I haven't got them yet. That's why I came down here to help you: to earn my wings."
After a brief pause, Randall said, "So if Monte d'Or is not here, then where's my mother, my wife, my friends?"
"Don't ask me," Lydia said, crossing her arms. "You're the puzzle genius here. Figure it out."
Randall thought for a bit. "If Monte d'Or never existed in this alternate reality,...that means they all would still be back in Stansbury."
"Bingo!" Lydia exclaimed, giving Randall a two thumbs up and giving him a comical grin. She took Randall by the hand again and squeezed the stone, and in another flash of light, they were there.
But this area of Stansbury looked a lot more different than what he grew up with eighteen years ago. This portion of the town was full of hotels, shops, and casinos, and they all seemed to have the name "Dalston" in it.
"Looks like in this world, Dalston got to build all those hotels he always wanted," Randall said, looking around in amazement.
Just as they were passing a casino, they heard the sound of a bell coming from inside.
"Ooh!" Lydia exclaimed. "Some lucky duck's earned their wings!"
"What?" said Randall.
"Every time you hear a bell ring, an angel's got their wings," Lydia explained.
"Well, that's interesting," Randall commented. He then spotted a couple standing in front of a grand hotel called The Dalston Inn. Dalston himself was there along with dog and standing next to him was Angela. Dalston face showed pride as he looked up at his brand new hotel, but Angela's dull eyes had a hint of sadness in them.
"What's Angela doing with Dalston?" Randall wondered.
"Angela's Dalston's wife," answered Lydia.
"What?! But-But how can that be?! She's my wife!"
"You were never around and Angela's parents were wanting her to marry the richest man in town," said Lydia.
But Randall was already marching his way to them. "Dalston! Who do think you are?!"
Dalston turned to look at him. "Do I know you?"
"Yes, you know me! It's me, Randall Ascot! You used to call 'Bratscot', remember?"
"Sorry, don't know anyone by the name of Ascot," Dalston replied stoically.
"Why did you marry Angela?! She's my wife!" Randall looked towards Angela. "Angela, please tell him it's true! Tell him you've always loved me! Come on, Angela, don't you know me?"
Angela, scared by this strange man's behavior, stepped back from him and whimpered in fright.
As Dalston put an arm around her shoulders, he gave Randall a cold look. "Listen, you lunatic. I don't know who you are, but better you'd leave me and wife alone, or we'll be forced to contact the police. Come on, Angela." The two of them walked away with Dalston shouting a disgruntled "Merry Christmas." over his shoulder.
Randall stood there and watched them walk away. Lydia silently walked up behind him. "Randall," she said gently. "I know that the details of this world are shocking to you, but you can't just run up your friends and assume that they'll-"
Randall was completely oblivious to Lydia's voice. Looking ahead, he could see the Stansbury library. He noticed a figure coming out of the big wooden doors and pulling out a set of keys to lock up. Randall immediately recognized his face.
"It's Hershel!" he said to Lydia. "Look at him! He's changed so much! His hair's short!"
"Yeah, that's called a haircut, Randall," Lydia said, smirking. "Kinda like what you've got now." She started to laugh. "I've watched the last couple scenes of your life, and let me tell you, it looked like your whole head was on fire!" She glanced up at Randall's face, and one unamused look from him was enough to make her stop laughing. "Well, at least you found your glasses," she chuckled weakly. "That's nice."
"What's Hersh doing at the library?" Randall asked.
"He works there," said Lydia. "As a library assistant."
Randall shook his head in disbelief. "No, no, that's right! Hershel is a professor in archaeology! He solves puzzles! He practically a detective!" He ran towards the library building, leaving Lydia behind.
Lydia sighed. "Does he ever listen?"
Hershel noticed the red-haired man running up to him. "I'm sorry, sir, but we're closed-"
"Hershel! Hershel, it's you!"
Hershel looked at him, surprised. "How do you know my name?"
"Hershel, it's me! It's your friend, Randall! We were in the fencing club together in high school!"
"I beg your pardon, sir, but you seemed to have me confused with someone else," Hershel said. "Nobody I know is named Randall. And there certainly wasn't any Randall in my fencing club in high school."
Randall's face fell. "Oh. I'm sorry. Something strange is happening to me today."
Hershel smiled sympathetically. "It's quite alright. I'm sure it happens to everyone. Merry Christmas." He gave Randall a warm handshake before walking away.
When Lydia caught up with him, Randall asked her, "Why didn't he recognize me? Why didn't Dalston and Angela recognize me?"
"Randall, don't you get it? This all ties back to you wishing you were never born," Lydia said. "In this world, you weren't there for Hershel to make friends with, to inspire him to pursue a career in archaeology and puzzles. And on top of that, he never tackled those mysteries he's famous for."
The realization slowly dawned on Randall. "So….the mystery of the specter of Misthallery and the mystery of the opera singer…."
"They were never solved," Lydia finished. "And Hershel never met all those people. And since nobody stopped the people behind the mysteries, imagine how much damage was done and how many lives were lost?"
Randall stared at the ground, remembering the stories that Hershel had told him, thinking about how many people he had met and helped. His mind immediately went to Luke and Emmy; if Hershel hadn't become a professor, he probably wouldn't have met them.
Lydia took hold of Randall's hands. "You really had a wonderful life, Randall," she said gently. "Don't you see what a mistake it would be to throw it away? You might not have known at the time, but you've really influenced and inspired a lot of people." She looked him straight in the eye. "I understand that the things you did as the Masked Gentleman still haunt you, but you shouldn't always dwell on past mistakes and live with regret for the rest of your life. All you can do is learn from your mistakes and be grateful for your life and for your kind, loyal, wonderful friends."
Silence filled the night air as the two of them stared into each other's eyes. And in that moment, Randall realized she was right. He did have a wonderful life, and he did have exceeding wonderful friends. He should be grateful for them.
"Strange, isn't it?" Lydia said. "Each person's life touches so many other lives, and when he's not there, it leaves a big hole."
Suddenly, Randall realized that he hadn't seen one important person in this reality yet.
"Where's Henry?"
Lydia looked hesitant. "Randall, I really don't think-"
"Where is Henry?!" Randall demanded.
Seeing that Randall was not going to let this go, Lydia gave a heavy sigh. "Try your old house."
Without another word, Randall turned and ran down the street towards his old house.
"Never thought getting my wings would be so emotionally draining," Lydia muttered to herself.
Randall arrived at his old house in a minutes. The lights in the house were all off and there wasn't any sound inside. As he stared at it, memories from eighteen years ago filled his head. He went up to the front door and rang the doorbell that was surprisingly still working.
"Hello? Mother?"
There was no answer.
He tried knocking on the door. "It's Randall, your son! Mother? Henry?"
Still no reply.
He looked around for anyone else that could be around, but there was no one. With a heavy heart and a sigh, he started to walk back through the streets. The temperature had dropped by then, and not having a coat on, Randall was shivering. As he was walking through the empty streets, he could see in the distance another man, sitting on the edge of the sidewalk and shivering. As Randall came closer, he noticed the man's blonde hair.
No, he thought. It can't be. Please don't let it be!
But he was right. It was Henry. His clothes were torn, his face was dirty, and his blue eyes were barren and sad. Randall felt his heart sink into his stomach. Seeing his friend this broken and in this much pain felt like a ton of bricks on his chest.
Before he can stop himself, he walked over to Henry and kneeled down in front of him.
"Henry?"
Henry looked up at him. "Who are you?" he asked, his voice faint and worn out. "How do you know my name?"
"We've been friends for a long time, ever since we were children," said Randall, not even having the strength to shout anymore. "Henry, it's me, Randall Ascot. You served me and my parents for many years. We are like brothers. Henry….don't you know me?"
Henry stared at him, looking confused. He slowly shook his head. "I've worked in the Ascot household for years, but they had never had any children. No one by the name of Randall."
"What happened to the Ascot household?" asked Randall.
"Mr. and Mrs. Ascot died a couple of years ago," said Henry. "Their house has been put up for sale. They didn't leave a will, because they didn't have any children to give their fortune to. The servants went and took whatever money they can before leaving to live their own lives."
"And they left you with nothing?" Randall felt a rush of anger towards his former servants. "How could they? Where are you living now?"
"Wherever I can. It doesn't matter anyway," Henry said, trying to calm the red-haired man down. "I really didn't that have much to begin with."
Randall thought back to the day when he first met Henry and begged his mother to offer him a position in their house. While servants looked down at Henry with cold cruelty, Randall had been there to make him feel wanted, to make him loved. Randall was what Henry had. But in this world, Randall was never born.
Henry then staggered to his feet. "I appreciate you taking the time to talk to me. It will be a moment I will treasure forever," he said with a weary smile. "I hope that we can meet again someday." And then he turned and walked away.
Randall, speechless, watched Henry disappear as tears welled up in his eyes again. He turned on his heel and ran down the opposite street to where he left Lydia. But when he got to that part of the town, he saw that she was gone.
"Lydia! Lydia, where are you?! Lydia! Get me back! Back to Monte d'Or, back to my friends! Just get me back! Please!"
There was no other sound in the empty street other than the echo of his voice in the chill night air. All emotions came pouring out of Randall as he fell to his knees on the ground, running a hand through his hair and sobbing.
"I want to live again," he whispered. "I want to live again. Please God, let me live again…."
He stayed in that position for what seemed like hours when it was only a few minutes. But then, he slowly realized that the air wasn't as cold and he felt a couple of snowflakes land on his hands. He lifted up his head. It had started snowing again. He was back on the balcony of the Ledore Mansion. He could see in the buildings and the bright, colorful lights of Monte d'Or. He was back.
Just then, he heard the sound of the balcony doors opening behind him, followed by Dalston's voice.
"Oh, there you are. Are you all right, Bratscot? We were worried sick about you."
Randall stood up slowly and faced him. "...Bratscot?" His eyes grew wide and a big smile spread across his face. "You just called me Bratscot! Dalston, you recognize me! You know me!" He practically embraced the astonished Dalston before running through the balcony doors and barreling downstairs. "Henry! Angela!"
When he came to the living room, a wave of relief and happiness rushed over him when he saw everyone still sitting around the Christmas tree like they were when he left them. Everyone was there: Henry, Angela, his mother, Hershel, Emmy, and Luke. With his eyes filling up with happy tears, Randall hugged his dear mother. Then he went to hug Professor Layton, including Emmy and Luke. He held Henry and Angela the longest in a warm embrace.
"Randall, what is this about?" asked Angela. "What happened to you?"
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Randall replied.
"Do you think we should call a doctor?" asked Dalston, coming into the room. "He's been out in the cold long enough."
"No, no, I'm fine," Randall reassured everyone. "I'm fine. I'm wonderful, actually! I just….I really love you all and everything you've done for me. I'm always going to be grateful for all of you."
Everyone gave Randall a warm smile.
"So," said Randall. "I would like to propose a toast." He took a wine glass from the tray that was on the table as did all the other adults. He raised his glass. "To old friends…." He looked towards Henry, Professor Layton, and Dalston. "To new friends…." He looked towards Emmy and Luke. "To love, to loyalty, and to friendship….the true miracles that Monte d'Or was built on. Merry Christmas!"
"Merry Christmas!" Everyone cheered and clinked their glasses together and Randall and Angela shared a kiss.
It was then that Randall noticed something else on the table. It was a fancy white orb ornament. He picked it up and was surprised to see a note written in black marker on the ornament.
Dear Randall,
Remember no man is a failure who has friends. Thanks for the wings!
Love, Lydia
"What is that?" asked Angela, looking at the ornament.
"A Christmas present from a friend of mine," said Randall.
Just as he was putting the ornament on the Christmas tree, whether it was due to the movement or it was done on its own, a silver bell on the Christmas tree swung to and fro with a silvery tinkle.
Luke had heard the noise and seeing the bell ringing on the tree, he pointed it out to Professor Layton. "Look, Professor! I heard that everytime a bell rings, an angel gets their wings."
Overhearing him and knowing exactly which angel this was, Randall smiled. "That's right," he said quietly. "That's right." He looked up at the ceiling and winked. "Attagirl, Lydia."
That Christmas Eve, old friends that had spent eighteen years apart were reunited. And Randall learned how much he meant to his friends and how much they meant to him, and he learned that he indeed had a wonderful life.
The End