The snowflake brushed the tip of Desmond Sycamore's nose, catching him by surprise. He gave a soft chuckle in response, resisting the urge to sneeze.

Seeing his brother finding genuine joy even in unexpected places gave Hershel Layton a joyous feeling of his own. "It is good to see you in high spirits, Desmond."

"How could I not be?" the man said. "For the first time, I am truly free. I won't pretend the seven months I spent in my cell were pleasant, but they were tolerable compared to the horrors of our childhood...and my own losses in adulthood. I never thought I would stand before Raymond's grave once more, let alone be at peace."

The area where they stood was a much different scene from what it had been in previous months. Airship debris littering the ground had long since been removed, and the original grave had been expanded. True to his word, Miles Edgeworth had requested Sycamore's presence at the funeral, during which a polished oak coffin containing Raymond's body had been lowered into the ground. This time, a proper gravestone had been provided.

Observing that gravestone now, in addition to the two professors, were three others, including Flora Reinhold, Luke Triton, and a young woman.

Flora approached with a saddle of flowers, an arrangement of yellow roses, red carnations, and orange chrysanthemums. She carefully set it over the top of the gravestone. "Mr. Raymond must have been an amazing person. You all spoke so highly of him."

Luke nodded. "I wish you could've met him, Flora. He was a great man! Not just polite, but always ready for anything. Remember, Emmy?"

The woman, Emmy Altava, observed the gravesite somberly, a brown leather bag hanging from her shoulder. She wore a white cloak over her outfit, which consisted of a long-sleeved yellow blouse and dark slacks, her hair in a side braid. "He was certainly one of a kind. I'm so sorry things ended this way for him, Professor Sycamore."

"I appreciate that, Emmy," Sycamore replied. "He truly embodied the term 'loyalty.' He was a constant companion, and for many years, my only companion..." There was a momentary glint of sadness in his eyes. "But...thanks to all of you, I see that I am never alone. I will always carry Raymond's spirit with me, and I will find a new purpose, just as he had always wished for me..."

"And we shall be by your side every step of the way," said Layton.

Luke let out a nervous laugh. "W-well...I'll certainly do what I can! But I'm afraid I'll be gone by the end of the week."

"Of course, Luke," said Sycamore. "I understand you've become a busy young man, adjusting to your new life. That you chose to spend your holiday with us was a welcome surprise."

"To be honest, Professor Sycamore, my new life isn't all I'm adjusting to. I'm still getting used to talking to you after everything. But...it's the duty of every gentleman to not hold a grudge...isn't it?"

"Perhaps...whenever possible." Sycamore showed the boy a smile, a genuinely encouraging gesture. "But a gentleman is also human. I believe...it is also a gentleman's duty to forgive himself as well as others." His gaze drifted toward Raymond's grave. "It is not an easy task, as I should know. Every time I crossed paths with Bronev, it took all my strength to not give in to the anger. I know in my mind, that he suffered as well, but this alone does not absolve him of the cruelty he inflicted upon my family and me. But somehow, over those seven months, that anger began to lose its control over me. Of course, I will always remember the pain he caused, but I can manage a civil conversation...albeit a brief, superficial one...with the man."

"I realize he did terrible things," Emmy said. "I'm glad...he was able to finally turn around. I'd always remembered how kind Uncle Leon was, and I couldn't understand how he could be so cruel when it came to the Azran."

"I know you have fond memories of the man, Emmy. You are right. He did many terrible things. Fortunately, all of that is in the past. I do not know if I can truly forgive him, but I no longer wish him ill will."

The woman gave him a sympathetic look. "Professor Sycamore-"

"But enough about that! It is also wonderful to see you here today. Layton told me that you had found your place in the world... or should I say The World Times?"

Emmy chuckled, adjusting the strap of her bag. "That's right. I'm really enjoying myself. As one of their photographers, I get to travel to so many places, it's like the adventures never stopped! And as long as I'm taking pictures, I'm happy. In fact..." She unzipped the bag, pulling out a professional camera. "Why don't I get a picture of all of you?"

"Oh..." Flora turned around as the others began to gather. "Is that really all right?"

"Of course, Flora," Sycamore said. "It is a harmless photograph." He motioned to her. "Come, now, you and Luke can be in the front."

As the two professors stood beside one another, the two teens took their places, with Luke in front of Layton and Flora in front of Sycamore. Emmy had snapped two photos and was about to put her camera away, when Layton interrupted her.

"Just a moment, Emmy. Why don't you take one with us?"

"Oh, that's not necessary-" she started.

"Please, Emmy!" Luke interrupted. "It's been too long."

Surprised at his insistence, she looked at the boy, reading his expression. "Well...if you insist." Returning the camera to the bag, she produced a tripod, then carefully lowered the bag onto the dry grass, which was starting to accumulate snow. She placed the metallic item on the ground and expanded its legs, adjusting it for height. Emmy then retrieved the camera, securing the device on top of the tripod. Gazing through its lens, she pressed several buttons. "All right, timer is ten seconds..." She then hurried over to the group, which briefly opened up to let her in.

Emmy stood between Layton and Sycamore, behind Flora and Luke. "Smile," she said, staring ahead, as everyone settled into their poses. After the first flash, she added, "don't move yet. There'll be two more."

After the camera flashed a second time, Flora's arm stealthily moved toward Luke, her hand just behind the back of his head. A moment later, a pair of fingers sprouted above the boy's cap. The sound of someone barely stifling laughter caused her to look back in surprise.

There was a smirk on Emmy's face, and she shared a glance with Flora before adding a second pair of fingers to Luke's head. The two turned back to the camera just before the third photo was taken.

"Thank you, Emmy," said Layton as the group separated.

"No problem." The young woman went to gather her belongings. "Oh, that reminds me! There's something I wanted to show all of you." After she had finished packing the camera and the tripod, she unzipped a side pocket of the bag, taking out a small album.

As the others gathered around her, she opened the cover, revealing the first photograph – an ash-blonde girl smiling as she posed next to a giant mushroom. "Hey!" Luke exclaimed, coming closer. "That's Aurora in Phong Gi, isn't it?"

"Mm-hmm. This was one of the places we had to explore on our adventure together, remember?" She flipped the page when Flora burst into laughter.

"Oh, I remember this!" said Luke.

"Ah, yes, the legendary theater performance Layton claimed was 'lost to the ages," Sycamore said.

Layton chuckled. "I stand corrected."

Flora was wiping tears of joy from her face. "Professor, I can't believe you really were a duck! And Luke, are you supposed to be a mouse?"

"S-something like that," Luke said with a nervous laugh. "See, we were trying to make the village leader laugh, but no one had realized his eyesight was terrible."

It seemed every image contained an equally interesting story...the hunt for the true Azran egg at a beach town, meeting a beast of a red wolf, putting an end to a horrible ritual on a hill, and solving the mystery of a sleeping "sickness" plaguing only adults. Though the others were featured in many of the photos, Aurora's name came up frequently, often spoken with a bittersweetness, particularly from Luke.

Emmy flipped through a few more pictures, as nearly everyone shared in the delight of reminiscing. "Here's even a few inside the Bostonius..."

"Ah..." Sycamore's expression grew somber for a moment at seeing an older man with a neatly trimmed beard and mustache. "Raymond..."

Emmy paused a moment, staring at the picture. "He did everything to make that journey both comfortable and enjoyable...despite everything." She reached into the plastic sleeve, revealing a second photo, which she then held out to Sycamore. "You should have this."

The man gave an inaudible gasp of surprise at the pair depicted in the image – himself, next to Raymond. Both men were smiling as they stood before a large window. Cautiously, his fingertips reached up to touch the edges of the photo. "Oh...Emmy...are you sure?"

Emmy nodded as Sycamore took the item. "I can make more copies if needed. In fact, I'll make copies of all the pictures and send them to everyone."

"That's very generous of you, Emmy," said Layton. "I thank you."

"Yes, thank you, Emmy!" Luke chimed in. "I can't wait."

"You're welcome, Luke, Professor," she replied. Eventually, she flipped to the last page, which contained a group shot of herself, the two professors, Luke, Raymond, the girl named Aurora, and a cat.

"Ah," said Layton. "If memory serves, this was taken just after we had acquired the final Azran egg, or what we'd believed to be the final egg."

Emmy looked away shamefully. "Yes...I'm sorry for what I did..."

"All is forgiven, Emmy. We've discussed this. As Desmond says, it is all in the past. Besides, all of these photos contain treasured memories for us, and nothing can take those away."

"Oh, Professor..." Tears were filling her eyes, but she managed a smile. "Thank you." She pulled the photo from its sleeve and turned around, heading toward Raymond's grave.

One by one, the others followed the young woman.

"Treasured memories...I'm glad..." When Emmy approached the gravestone, she tucked the photo into the flower arrangement until only the torsos and faces of the ones depicted were showing.

"Treasured memories..." Flora murmured, studying the change to the site.

"By the way," Emmy said, "Whatever happened to Keats?"

"Ah, I can answer that," Sycamore told her. "During our travels, Raymond and I encountered an elderly woman who claimed to be his owner. He responded to her, and she seemed eager to have him back."

She breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, good..."

"Hm?" Sycamore turned his head, realizing Flora was walking away. "Where are you going, Flora?"

"Um...it doesn't feel right for me to be here," the girl replied. "It feels like someone else should be standing here, like your friends..."

"Flora."

She stopped and turned as the man approached her. "Y-yes?"

"You belong here just as much as they do."

"But...you shared those 'treasured memories' with one another, so..."

Sycamore simply showed her a smile. "That is true...and I keep that which is treasured in my heart. But...a heart is ever accommodating, its treasure ever expanding. Your place is here, Flora."

"That's right," added Emmy. "Besides, we're creating memories of our own right now, aren't we? Tell you what. When I go back, I'll have these new photos developed. Then, we can return here for Christmas, and I'll share them with you."

"Y-you mean it?" Flora looked at her, and then at Sycamore, who was graciously nodding. "I'd like that. Thank you."

"Then that's settled," said the man. "Let us celebrate this memory."

"Don't forget we are celebrating your freedom as well, Desmond," Layton pointed out.

"Yes..." Sycamore's expression turned anxious. "Though the legal battles continue, unfortunately. I'm beginning to think there is no settlement in the near future."

"Well, you did kidnap and upset a lot of people, Professor Sycamore," Luke told him. "Some of them were even hurt. I'm amazed more aren't suing."

"Luke!" Flora scolded.

"It's all right, Flora," Sycamore said. "He's not wrong. I was a different person then, the worst version of myself. I can only accept the consequences of my actions and strive to be a better man. And...I was lucky to find another lawyer who is doing his best to handle my case."

Luke let out a depressed sigh. "It's a shame about Mr. Wright. I can't believe they took his badge away..."

"Yes," said Layton. "I was stunned to hear the news, and so soon after the trial. It is certainly a puzzle beyond me."

"I don't believe it," Sycamore declared. "And I know neither of you believe it. Mr. Wright, the man who did everything in his power to bring the truth to light, accused of forgery? It is contradictory to his very nature."

"I agree, Desmond. Luke has tried many times to reach Mr. Wright, but alas, he will not reveal what happened. Isn't that right, Luke?"

Luke nodded. "It's true. I even rang Miss Maya, and she said she couldn't say anything, out of respect for Mr. Wright..."

"And what of Mr. Edgeworth?" asked Sycamore.

Layton shook his head. "I have not seen him around lately. Presumably, he has returned to the states to support his friend."

Sycamore smiled sadly. "It seems there is truth to what Mr. Wright said about their relationship. That is fortunate in these times. I wonder if there is anything I could do to help Mr. Wright, to repay him for what he did for me..."

"We could fly to Los Angeles...that is permissible if I am with you."

"Yes. However, my community service hours will be strict for some time, and you must be present when I return home."

Layton's face fell. "That is true...but perhaps I can speak with the judge and several others-"

"They've done enough on my behalf," Sycamore told him. "Listen to me, Layton. I appreciate it, but I will simply have to think of a way to help from afar. But right now..." He looked back at Raymond's grave. "I wish to enjoy this moment with all of you."

Emmy observed the flower arrangement, which was acquiring a light layer of snow. "It's really starting to come down now. Shall we go back?"

Sycamore nodded. "Yes...after all, we will return."

The five companions slowly made their way through the falling snow, Emmy picking her bag up along the way. When they were nearly to the trees, Sycamore stopped and turned around. He took in the scene of the lone grave at the base of the hill, flower-capped and surrounded by a shower of snowflakes in gradual descent, and sighed contentedly.

"Until next time...my dear friend."

Author's note:

When I think of the character of Desmond Sycamore/Jean Descole, one phrase comes to mind: Hurt people hurt people. People who have been hurt by others can and do go on to hurt others. Obviously, this isn't always the case. But given what we know of Sycamore's backstory, I imagine he's been hurt a lot, and to the point where he felt revenge was the only answer left to him.

I joke about the headcanon, but I really did have to fill in a LOT of gaps. Some in the PL prequel "Storm's End," the rest here. I do wish we'd gotten more info about Sycamore's wife and daughter. We have no idea what their names are, what they looked like, how old they were, or how they died, or even how long ago they died. I decided they died in an attack meant for Sycamore, but I only based that on Bronev's words in Azran Legacy implying that he HAD done something in retaliation for Sycamore refusing to work for Targent. I also decided Bronev had done it not intending for Sycamore's family to be present, maybe because Bronev was enough of a bastard, and I didn't want his memory of Rachel, and Emmy's memory of him, and a couple of snapshots from his youth to be the only things making him human. It's hard for me to imagine someone intentionally destroying part of his own family, and without any kind of remorse. At least it was implied in Descole's dream that he wasn't entirely thrilled with his own actions.

Maybe that influenced my reasons. Sycamore and Bronev are very similar in terms of background, though their motives differ. They are both willing to go to terrible lengths to achieve their aims. I do hope Bronev did more than just regain his humanity while in prison.

Speaking of prison... yeah, wow. Everything I wrote would totally never happen in real life (in case that wasn't obvious). Sycamore wouldn't have gotten away with half those charges, and would be in deep manure just for all the kidnapping he did. He certainly wouldn't be let out of jail in such a short time. I only pulled this off because both the AA and PL worlds are weird as hell about accountability and/or jailtime. And really, I just wanted Sycamore to have a somewhat happy and hopeful ending after being held accountable for his own actions.

There were a ton of things and a ton of characters I wished to include in this fic, but the way it ended up being written, accommodation was basically impossible. Layton's parents, Doland the butler, an additional Misthallery citizen, Levin Jakes, Janice Quatlane, a random Monte d'Or citizen, Henry Ledore, Rachel Bronev (summoned), Ema Skye, and even Mia Fey (summoned) were planned but didn't quite make the cut. Emmy Altava almost didn't make it, but with her being a main character, I didn't want to leave her out entirely, so I hoped I gave her a halfway decent cameo. Several conversations didn't make it in either.

Despite this, I ended up writing over 90% of what I'd initially intended. Not bad for a crazy crossover I wasn't even sure I was going to successfully complete or even start.

I do apologize for what I did to Prosecutor Flynch. I do not actually believe him to be a mama's boy. But to be fair, we don't really know anything about him either.

I tried to find a happy (?) medium for the language rating between the PL and AA universes, though it might be slightly closer to AA here.

I think some folks were wondering about a continuation of this story. Honestly, the plan was to end the story the way I did here, with a hopefully satisfying conclusion to the case, and an epilogue showing how Sycamore is getting along. I was not planning on additional chapters or even another sequel, but I appreciate the suggestion. Will I ever write about Sycamore's adventures as the true Masked Gentleman? My mind is somewhere else right now, so it's not likely.

But you're more than welcome to write your own version of it, whether it's based on this story, or something else entirely.

Despite slowing down toward the end, this was a fun one to write. I was surprised how quickly the skeleton of the story seemed to build itself (particularly with the courtroom segments), though I had to go back and forth between the games for canon-checking and other things. I do wish I'd fleshed out some areas better, while at the same time, wishing I hadn't dragged on others so much. And I know despite my best efforts to keep things neutral, a few of my Americanisms slipped in there. Oh well. Anyway, I apologize for the wait - a year can be long, especially for an epilogue, but I wanted to wrap it up in the best way I could. Thanks for reading, and hope you enjoyed.