MLII C8, P10.5- "Here Without You"

"Here Without You" is the tenth (and final) Part of "MIracula Luxia II" 's eighth Chapter, part of its Alternative Ending.
It was released on 17.08.2021.
== Plot ==
Many years have passed since the events of our glorious story. Jared has grown older. His son has grown up a little bit. And, most importantly, the world is much safer than it was before.
The end of our hero- Jared Kaos's story is coming near. Soon, new heroes will arrive and take his place as the defenders of this world. And he shall be the one who will help them achieve their goals, the one who will become their mentor. Their guardian.
Sadly, one thing is still as clear as a crystal ball. Even though he has done a lot to protect those that he cares about, some people will not be able to see how much the world has changed ever since he defeated the ultimate evil.
The future that everyone has been dreaming about is here. However, it is not quite as bright as it seemed to be.
== Story ==
Seven years later, the story continues. Even when some of its participants are no longer here to witness what is happening.
We jump to a day when Jared is returning from work. Now, he serves as a teacher and mentor of new heroes who are brought there to listen to his wisdom and, hopefully, learn something from him.
"The children did great today. They learned so many things in so little time."- He says to himself- "Every day, they grow stronger and more confident. I am so proud of all of them. They are going to become true heroes, just like me."
As he continues to walk back to his home, one of his students approaches him.
"Mr. Kaos. I'm sorry for disturbing you, but one of us got wounded during the training session."- He says to him- "The wound's not very severe, but can you help him out? I've got a feeling that he's in pain and I feel bad about it."
Jared turns back.
"Very well."- He responds- "Let's go."
When he returns to his training hall, he sees that one of the children is sitting on the ground. It seems to be in pain.
The boy looks up at his teacher.
"Um. I... I'm sorry, sir."- He says- "I made a mistake. Please forgive me."
Jared kneels and inspects his wound, concerned that it might be something serious.
After making sure that it is otherwise, he starts to cast a healing spell on it, pats the boy on the head and smiles.
"It is alright, child. I know that you are doing your best to train, but mistakes like those can happen anytime. No one is immune to them and it is best to stay calm and collected when they happen to you."- He says- "This reminds me about a lesson that I taught you earlier. Do you remember it?"
The boy nods as it slowly regains its energy.
"When life knocks you down, don't be afraid to stand up and show it that you're not afraid, right?"- He asks.
Jared nods.
"And that is why I am so proud of all you."- He says- "You are learning so fast. Your battle prowess is increasing and you finally understand the moral principles that come with being a hero."
He smiles.
"Perhaps you are indeed worthy of becoming heroes in the future."- He continues- "If so, that will make me very happy."
The boy nods.
"We shall do our best, sir."- He says- "We won't fail you. Promise!"
Jared smiles again.
"I am sure that you will do great."
Soon, he finishes healing the wound. He helps the boy stand up and makes sure that he will be fine until his parents have the chance to pick him up.
Once they arrive, he greets them and tells them about what happened. At first, they seem a little bit concerned, but they soon realize that it is Jared himself that helped the boy recover from the wound. They thank him profusely and take their son with them.
Soon, Jared and his other student are left alone as the family departs. 
The boy looks at his teacher and smiles.
"Mr. Kaos, I've gotta be honest with you. You are a saint."- He says to him- "If it wasn't for you, my friend would have suffered for a long time. It was going to be a traumatic experience and I didn't want to be one of the people to see it."
Jared smiles back.
"It is my job to protect you from the horrors of the world. When something tries to bring you down, I will always be there to save you."- He responds- "If you need any help, do not be shy. Call me when you need. I will be glad to help those who are under my tutelage."
The boy salutes him.
"You're a noble man, sir."- He says- "And, believe me, all of us are honored that we're your students."
Then, he waves at him.
"See you tomorrow!"- He says- "Have a great day!"
Jared waves back.
"You too child."- He responds- "Stay safe."
Having said that, he leaves the training hall and walks back to his home.
On the way, he sighs while he thinks about the things that happened back there.
"What a day."- He says to himself- "Poor children. They really don't deserve any of this. If only I had a way to prevent them from making those mistakes... "
As he gets near his home, he notices that someone is waiting for him.
It is his son- Adam.
"Hey, dad."- He greets him- "I just came back from school."
Jared nods and smiles.
"Welcome back, son."- He says- "How was your day?"
Adam looks down.
"Not very good, to be honest."- He responds- "I've been thinking about her all day."
Jared raises his eyebrow.
"You mean... your mom?"
Adam looks up. His eyes betray a worrying amount of concern.
"Yeah. I... I really want to see her."- He says- "Last week, you promised that you would let me see her. And I... I really do now. I really want to."
He looks at his father.
"Can we go see her now?"- He asks him- "Pretty please?"
Jared nods.
"It is a little late right now, but alright. I made a promise and I will keep it."- He says, ignoring his inner fatigue for now- "Come with me. I will let you see your mother."
Adam smiles and joins his father.
"Thank you, dad."- He says to him- "You are the best!"
Jared smiles back.
"And so are you, child."- He responds- "So are you."
Having said that, he leaves with him, intending to honor his wish to see his late mother.
Soon, they arrive at Paris's graveyeard. Jared takes his son to well-maintained grave that has a lot of flowers placed near it.
It reads.
*Meggy Kaos. Beloved wife. Caring mother. Precious daughter.*
A picture of her, taken a few months before her untimely demise, has been placed on her tombstone.
Jared sighs and looks at his son.
"There. This... is your mother. Or, rather, was when she was still alive."- He says- "Say hello to her."
Adam looks at the picture.
"Hello, mom."- He says- "It's been a very long time, but we still miss you. We still wish that you were here with us."
Jared looks at Meggy's picture as well. When his eyes meet hers, they fill up with tears.
"Yes, Meggy. We miss you so much."- He says- "We are still thinking about you and we hope that you are doing the same."
Adam looks at his father.
"Was she a good person?"- He asks him- "Was she like you?"
Jared nods.
"Yes. Yes she was."- He responds- "She was always thinking about the future. When you were about to be born, she did her best to make it a reality. Although it... did not go well for her. She suffered the most out of all of us. And now, she... she... "
He sits down and starts to cry.
Adam sits down as well and begins to comfort his father.
"It's okay, dad. I'm still here."- He says- "And, in her name, I shall become the greatest hero this world has even seen."
Jared looks up at him.
"Do you... promise that?"- He asks him- "To her and... to me?"
Adam nods and smiles.
"Of course!"- He says- "Ever since I was little, I've always been looking up to you. I've always wanted to become a hero and make you proud. It's always been my dream and it still is."
He looks at his mother's picture.
"Sadly, she won't be here to see me."- He continues- "But I know that she's still up there, watching us from above! I know that she wants me to become like you! And I know that she will be very proud of me!"
Jared nods.
"Believe me, son. When that day comes, we will be the happiest parents in the world."- He says- "And we will be very proud of you."
Adam smiles.
"So, what are we waiting for?"- He says- "Let's go! Let's fight for the future, like mom wants us to! Let's show her that we haven't forgotten her advice!"
Jared nods and smiles.
"Of course, son."- He responds- "Mark my words, we will succeed. In the name of all of the people who have been here before us."
He stands up and takes the boy's hand in his.
"Now, let's go."- He says to him- "The sun is going down and I do not want you to stay here all night. It is not a good idea."
Adam nods.
"Yes, dad."- He says reluctantly and stands up- "It's been a long day for both of us. I know that you're tired and so am I."
He smiles.
"Are you ready?"
Jared nods.
"Yes, I am."- He says- "Let's go."
Having said that, he and Adam start to walk back towards the Kaos residence.
On the way, Jared thinks about the events that he had to experience in order to be here with his son.
"All of those things that happened because people were too careless."- He says to himself- "Did we have a chance to actually avoid? I guess that I will never know. Not anymore, at the very least."
Adam looks up at his father, seeing that he is lost in thought.
"Is something wrong, dad?"- He asks him- "What are you thinking about?"
Jared looks down and smiles.
"Oh. Well, nothing in particular."- He responds- "I was just thinking about how wonderful it is to have you here with me. It is truly a miracle that you survived back then and I am glad that you are here to witness the world that I have created for you."
Adam nods.
"Me too, dad."- He responds- "I never knew that so many people would be walking on the streets and enjoying life as it is now. But then, I realized that you are the reason why they are so happy. I heard how they were talking about you yesterday. They were praising you, dad. They were praising you and thanking you for your service to the world."
Jared smiles.
"I am glad that they still remember the things that I did for them."- He says- "It has been quite a few years since I retired from being a hero. Since all of the villains have been defeated. However, I am glad that there are still people who appreciate the help that I have given them when they needed it. Their gratitude says more than a million words ever would. And, to be honest, I am as thankful to them as they are to me."
As they approach the Kaos residence, they notice that the door is open. Someone is waiting for them.
When they get closer, they see that the person who is waiting for them is Marinette.
"Thank goodness!"- She says and hugs them- "I was so worried about you."
Adam smiles.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, auntie."- He says to her- "We went to see mom."
Marinette smiles.
"Well?"- She asks him- "Did you see her?"
Adam nods.
"I did."- He says- "And I'm very glad that she's still here with us."
Marinette nods and wipes a tear from her left eye.
"I know, child. I know."- She responds- "She's a wonderful person."
She turns to her brother.
"I'm going to take Jared back into the residence and make him dinner."- She says to him- "Are you coming with us?"
Jared looks up and notices the stars above.
"I am afraid that I still have one more thing left to do."- He responds- "I will stay here for a while and join you as soon as I am done."
Marinette nods.
"Suit yourself, dear brother."- She says- "I'll leave some food for you. Come back when you're ready to eat."
Adam waves to his father.
"Good night, dad."- He says to him- "Thank you for keeping your promise!"
Jared waves back.
"Of course, child. You are welcome."- He says- "Good night to you as well."
As Adam and Marinette go into the Kaos residence, Jared sits on a nearby bench and watches the stars.
"Meggy, my love. It has been so long since we talked to each other."- He says- "Adam is right. It is really sad that you are not here with us. However, part of me still believes that you are here. That you have never left us alone. And I am very happy to know that."
He sighs.
"As I told you before you passed away, the world will change. Eventually,"- He continues- "And it did. Now, it is much more different. People are happy. They forgot about the problems that befell them years ago. No more villains are rising up to ruin the peace that we have created together. And, most importantly, our child is safe. Adam is growing up, safe and sound, in a family that loves him a lot. Our dream has become a reality. And it is all thanks to both of us."
He watches as the stars assemble into a shape that looks like Meggy's face. 
When he sees her smile, his eyes begin to fill with tears. He quickly wipes them off.
"Back then, I never imagined that I would have to live in a world without you. It was impossible for me to believe that such a thing can actually happen to us."- He continues- "But now, I can see that my worst fears have become a reality. I am raising our child without you. And I still cry when I realize that I will never see your beautiful face. Your eyes that are as bright as the sun itself. Your smile that can melt even the coldest heart. I will never see you beside me and smile at the thought that you are still here with me."
He sighs.
"But that does not matter. Not anymore."- He says- "You are still living inside of me. You are still my dearest girl and I will always love you. I made a promise. I said that I would never love any other girl. And I am still keeping it. I am still thinking about you and wishing that you were here with us. And I have not given up on loving you."
He smiles.
"I love you so much, Meggy."- He says- "I love you and I always will. And I will keep saying it. I want the whole world to hear that I will never love someone else, other than you. My dearest Meggy- the gorgeous girl that saved me from the darkness in my heart, that made me a better person. The young lady that gave her life to save an innocent child and give him the chance to live a good life."
"And for that... "- He says and kneels- "... I thank you."
A few moments later, Marinette opens the door,
"So. Are you ready to come back in here?"- She asks him- "It's getting late and I don't want you to stay out here, in the cold."
Jared stands up and looks at her.
"Very well."- He says- "I am coming."
Marinette nods and closes the door.
Jared looks back up at the stars for the last time today.
"This future is bright, my dear. But this fight is far from over."- He says- "I promise that I will keep fighting. That I will keep the peace in this world and make all of those people happy with the life that they are living. I will continue to be their guardian angel, even when there is a chance that the whole world is going to fall apart. I will continue to shine with my brightest light and remind them about the people who sacrificed their own lives to make this future a reality."
He smiles.
"Life goes on Meggy, whether it is with or without us. The clock keeps on ticking and nobody can stop it, no matter how hard they try."- He says- "But I will always remember how much you still matter to me. I will cherish those sweet memories and let them remind me who I am now."
He bows to her.
"Thank you, Meggy."- He finishes- "Thank you... for everything."
== Trivia ==
* This is the last Part of "Miracula Luxia II" 's Alternative Ending.