MLII C3.1, P10- "Another Side Of The Dream"

"Another Side Of The Dream" is the tenth and final Part of "Miracula Luxia II" 's third Chapter (Episode Two).
It was released on 31.01.2021.
== Plot ==
After a long and tiring adventure far above the Earth, Jared and Annie return to their home, away from the powerful guardians of the Realm of Dreams who were trying to get rid of them.
Now that Rentar-Ihrno is defeated, Jared decides what to do next. Guilt-ridden by the death of his dear friend and companion- Farrar, his choice of action is easy, yet very painful:
Leave his allies behind for the second time and seek his fortunes elsewhere.
Hunted by the remaining worshippers of the fallen evil leader known as Rentar-Ihrno, he has leave the city of Paris as soon as possible in order to avoid getting innocent people in trouble because of his actions.
However, he won't be alone in this adventure, far away into unknown lands. Two people have decided to join him. Two people who are very dear to him, who will do anything to protect him from the incoming danger.
The paths of our heroes are divided, but their hope never fades away. Soon, they will meet again. And they will be stronger than ever.
But first, Jared has to overcome the guilt that has been dragging him down ever since he defeated Rentar-Ihrno for good. He has to let go of his painful, old memories and make new, happier ones.
The journey may be hard for our hero, but it will be paved with good intentions.
== Story ==
As quickly as they disappeared from the face of existence, the souls of Jared and Annie return to the Earth.
Jared opens his eyes and realizes where he is. He stands up and paces around his room.
"Annie?"- He says- "Annie? Where are you?"
Moments later, three people enter the room. One of them approaches Jared and lightly grabs his arm.
"Jared. Jared, it's okay."- He says- "You're back. You're back!"
Jared comes to his senses. He looks around and sees that he is in a small room.
He looks at the person who is holding his arm and immediately recognizes him.
"Dad?"- He mutters.
Suddenly, he realizes that he is no longer with Annie. He turns to his father.
"Dad, I am very sorry!"- He apologizes- "I was with Annie, up there. And she... she... "
Aleks nods and smiles.
"It's okay, son. I know."- He says- "Annie is okay. She woke up recently. Everyone was very surprised and went to see her."
Jared nods.
"I see."- He says solemnly- "But why did you stay behind?"
Aleks sighs.
"Just because a person dear to us has woken up does not mean that I will leave you alone when you wake up!"- He exclaims- "I
He looks back at the two people with him.
"And it is the same for John and Uma."
Jared looks at his best friend.
"John."- He says- "Thank you. For being with me. I am sorry for dragging you through this nightmare. I hope that you can forgive me."
John smiles.
"It was thanks to you that I became who I am now. And I owe you a lot for that, Jared."- He says- "Helping my best friend in time of need is the least that I can do."
Uma whispers something to him. He nods.
"Oh, we also came to say goodbye."- He continues- "Me and Uma are getting married soon and we will be traveling to Thais in a few days. We hoped to see you awake one last time before this could happen."
Jared smiles sadly.
"This is amazing!"- He says, trying to sound positive- "I am so happy for you!"
Uma takes a step forward.
"We also hoped that you would be able to come with us."- She says- "Rentar-Ihrno's lackeys are hunting for you and we want to give you a place to stay for the time being."
Jared thinks about this for a few seconds. The idea that he will stay somewhere safe is very tempting, yet concerning. He will be far away from his friends and family.
Finally, he shakes his head.
"I am afraid that I must decline this offer."- He says- "Tempting as it is, I cannot accept it. What happened recently, it was very hard for me to comprehend. All the people we lost in this battle, their deaths have taken a massive toll on me. A pain that cannot go away easily."
He sighs and looks at a nearby window.
"And I think that I would be better off in a place where I could find my inner peace. Away from civilization."
Uma tries to say something, but fails. She stares at the ground, saddened by her friend's decision.
John nods.
"We understand. It was indeed very hard for all of us. But for you... it must have been twice as hard."- He says- "We just hoped that you could take a part in our marriage ceremony."
Jared smiles.
"Well then, if you say so. Who am I to refuse?"- He says- "When is it going to happen?"
John nods.
"In a few hours."- He says- "We were just getting ready for it."
He and Uma turn to leave.
Uma turns around.
"Promise that you will be there with us?"- She asks Jared.
He sighs.
"I will do my best."- He says.
After his friends leave, he sits on a chair and silently looks at the window.
"If I remember this correctly, Annie's soul was transported to the Realm of Dreams shortly after her death."- He says- "How did you manage to get it out of there?'
Jared turns to his father and smiles.
"Taking a soul away from the realm is hard. Very hard and very painful."- He says- "However, it is not impossible to do something like this."
He sighs.
"And it looks like my efforts to bring back a friend to her rightful place have been successful."
He looks at his father.
"Dad, I want to ask you something."
Aleks raises his eyebrow.
"Yes?"
Jared looks down.
"As much as I want to participate on John and Uma's marriage ceremony, it is painful for me to see everyone after what happened at Rentar-Ihrno's keep."- He mutters- "Can you go there and be with them instead of me? My guilt is preventing me from doing so myself... and I hate it."
Aleks looks at the window. He sees John and Uma leave.
He knows that the two of them will be saddened when they don't see Jared with them. However, he also knows what Jared has gotten through. The way everyone will see him now... they will think that he is a fool, a person who only thinks about other people and disrespects his own life.
Now sure about what he is going to do, he turns to his son and nods.
"It will be though for all of them. They want to see you alive and well."- He says- "But I am sure that it would be better if you stayed somewhere else to calm down. I don't want to see you suffer just because someone invited you to their ceremony, even if he is your best friend. Especially in a situation like this."
He raises his eyebrow.
"By the way, where will you go in the meantime?"
Jared looks at his father.
"The western gate of Paris."- He says- "I will leave in a few hours. To seek my fortunes elsewhere. And, for the time being, I will stay there and rest."
A few hours later, Jared is near the western gate. The guards are looking at him. They are surprised, but don't say anything.
In the meantime, the marriage ceremony begins. People enter the city hall, happy to see John and Uma getting married, not realizing that Jared won't be there with them.
A few minutes after everyone has entered the building, someone approaches Jared and sits next to him.
It is Annie.
She sighs.
"Look at how happy everyone is."- She says- "And here we are. The outcasts who always have something else to do."
She turns to Jared.
"Why did you decide to stay here?'
Jared sighs.
"The guilt within my heart. It is making me insecure."- He mutters- "Going to a place with a lot of people will only make it worse. The fear of losing someone else... it is too painful."
Annie nods.
"I understand your pain. Both of us suffered a lot to be here, to be who we are."- She responds- "Still, we owed them that much for helping us out. For looking out for us. We had to go and see them, as husband and wife."
She sighs.
"But it doesn't matter. We made our decision. And here we shall stay, until it's over."
Jared nods, but does not say anything. He looks at the city hall as laughter echoes from within.
Inside the building, Aleks tells John and Uma what happened. He notifies them that Jared is unable to come and see them get married.
John nods. Uma looks down.
"I had the feeling that it would end up this way. Poor Jared."- John says- "I want to cancel our ceremony for now, but I think that I will rethink this decision. I don't want everyone to be disappointed by this."
Uma nods.
"We will see Jared after the marriage."- She says. sadly.
And so, the marriage begins. Everyone is excited to see John and Uma.
Outside, Jared and Annie look at the city.
"The sun. I never thought that we could see it again."- Annie says- "But here it is- bright and warm. Giving us hope that the future will be better for everyone."
She turns to Jared.
"It feels great to be back on our troubled planet, don't you think?"
Jared nods and smiles sadly.
"It may be a troubled land. It may be filled with danger. It may not be the best place to live in."- He says- "But still, it is our home. And I am ready to do anything to protect it from evil."
Annie nods.
"Same for me."
Jared and Annie continue sitting on the ground for hours. Soon, the sun goes down and moon emerges.
Meanwile, the ceremony ends. The guests leave the city hall and go to their homes, somewhat sad.
John and Uma leave the hall and approach Jared.
"Jared."- John says- "We... we are sorry."
Jared sighs.
"No, John. I am the one who should be sorry."- He mutters- "I let you down when you needed me the most. You wanted to see me with you, on the ceremony. But I... I did not come."
John shakes his head.
"I understand how it is. I had a feeling that it would happen."- He responds- "But then, I wanted to see you at least once more before we are separated again. So, I came with Uma. To say goodbye to my best friend who helped me realize who I am, what I am fighting for and understand my purpose in life."
Jared stands up and looks at them. He smiles.
"Thank you for caring so much about me."- He says.
Uma approaches Jared and hugs him.
"Kiddo, you made us feel so happy about having you in our lives."- She says- "You made me feel like a big sister to someone who is not a part of my family. Like a guardian angel to a younger child."
She sighs and looks at something behind her.
"We talked about your departure. It will be painful for all of us to know that you will be away from us."- She says- "But one person wanted to come with you, to take a chance that will allow him to prove himself, to be a hero... "
In the distane, someone is approaching them. They are slowly coming closer.
Once they are close enough, Uma smiles.
"My little brother."
Sure enough, the person who is approaching them is Devin. He stops next to Jared and looks down.
"I know that it's not a good idea to talk to you in a time like this, but I'm going to take the risk."- He says- "Yes. I want to join you in this adventure, to help you like you helped me. I want to fight by your side and show you that I can be a reliable ally, just like my big brother!'
John smiles.
"Well. What do you say, Jared?"- He asks his best friend.
Jared nods and smiles.
"I was hoping that you would say that, Devin."- He responds- "Yes. I accept your request. I am sure that your sister will not mind if you join me."
He looks at Uma, hoping to get an answer from her.
Uma nods.
"Not at all!"- She says- "I understood it when the years came by. No matter how hard you try to keep your siblings near you, they always want to seek their fortunes elsewhere. Soon enough, you have to let them go. The world is their true home and you are keeping them away from it."
Meanwhile, Annie is talking to Jared's father. They both come to a conclusion about something and nod.
"Mr. Kaos also wants to join Jared in his upcoming adventure."- She says- "And it's the same for me."
John nods.
"Then it is settled."- He says- "The four of you will be going on an adventure without us."
Jared looks at his best friend.
"By the way. What are you going to do, now that you are married to Uma?"
John raises his eyebrow.
"Interesting quesiton."- He says- "Well, Uma is the princess of Thais... as much as she pretends that she is not. Her parents said that they are going to retire soon and stay in Paris for the time being. In the meantime, me and Uma shall be corronated as the King and Queen of Thais and rule the kingdom."
Jared gasps.
"It sounds like you have a great responsibility now!"- He says.
Uma smiles.
"Oh, don't worry. Just because we will be the sovereigns of the royal family, this does not mean that we will forget about you.
John smiles.
"Make sure to visit us sometimes, alright?"- He asks him.
Jared nods.
"I am looking forward to seeing you again, my friends."
Aleks taps his son on the shoulder.
"Did you say goodbye to our family?"
Jared nods.
"Yes, I did. I said goodbye to my sister, grandpa and all my friends. They said that they will be alright in my absence."- He responds- "We are free to go."
Aleks looks at the sky. He sighs.
"It's time to go to sleep."- He says to Jared- "Tomorrow will be a busy day for us. Busier than usual."
Jared nods. He looks at his friends.
"Goodnight, everyone."- He says.
"Goodnight, Jared!"- Everyone responds.
And so, Jared and his father go to the Kaos residence where they plan to rest before leaving the city in the morning.
"Dad?"- Jared says to his father before going to his room.
Aleks raises his eyebrow.
"Oh, you must have another question."- He says- "Understandable. It was the same for me when I was your age."
Jared nods.
"Dad, do you think that everything will be alright after what happened?"- He asks him- "Do you think that the world will return to normal after something... something like this?"
Aleks shrugs.
"Only time will tell whether the world's wounds will mend or not."- He says- "But our own world is in ruins. The losses that we had to endure are weighing us down. They are making our lives worse, filled with sadness and despair. The people around us may not see it on our faces as we smile. They think that we are happy, that we are always staying positive. However, our hearts say otherwise. They will never understand our pain, our sadness. Even if everything is alright. Even when everyone is safe, we are still going to have our doubts- in ourselves and in the world around us. But don't be sad, this is just the way we are- the heroes who are ready to protect everyone, even when they are safe from evil. Our desire to help never fades away. It is like a candle, emitting a powerful light that illuminates those who are around it and gives them hope- something that everyone must have in a time like this."
He notices that his son is falling asleep and smiles.
"Now, now. Don't let me annoy you with my sweet talk."- He says- "You need to rest. So, go in there and sleep at least for a few hours. Tomorrow is going to be a rough day for all of us and I want you to be ready for it."
Jared nods.
"You are right, dad."- He says and opens the door to his room- "Good night."
Aleks smiles.
"Good night, my child."- He responds.
In the morning, Jared leaves the Kaos residence with his father and meets Devin and Annie near the west gate of the city.
"So. Are you ready to rock and roll?"- Devin asks him.
Jared nods and smiles.
"I am!"- He exclaims- "Let us explore the world!"
Few people arrive to send them off. Jared says goodbye to his family, John and Uma and prepares to leave with the rest of his allies.
Soon, they are gone. There is no ceremony. No cheers. The people simply shake their heads, saddened that the protector of their city is leaving again and return to their homes.
John and Uma look at each other.
"Do you think that he will be fine, my love?"- Uma asks him.
John stares ahead. He sees Jared and smiles.
"Of course. I am absolutely sure of it."- He says- "Jared is a hero. Few people are as determined and kindhearted as he is. I'm very proud of him."
He closes his eyes for a moment.
"Yes. Jared will succeed."- He continues- "And, when that happens, I hope that we can hear the tales of heroism that the minstrels shall be singing in his name."
And so, Jared leaves the safe confines of the city of Paris once again and embarks on yet another adventure, seeking the inner peace that he has trying to find for so long. However, he is not alone anymore. Beside him are some of his most trusted allies- Devin, Annie and even his dear father, Aleks.
Soon, they will find a new settlement. Another place to stay. More people to help. And then, once everyone is safe, they will move on and help other people in need. This is the way every hero wants it to be.
However, this does not mean that Jared will forget the people that helped him defeat the evil within this world, the ones who are responsible for who he is now. He will always remember them and hope that he can see them again. Who knows, his wish might actually come true.
For now, he must concentrate and defeat the evil souls who are trying to disrupt the balance of this world. It is a responsibility that he cannot shy away from, a duty that gives him a purpose in a time of despair and chaos, a small, yet significant light that pierces the veil of darkness and illuminates his soul.
There is no time for doubt and fear. Now is the time to be brave, to keep this world safe from the clutches of evil. In the name of man and country.
Onward, heroes!
== Trivia ==
* The title of this Part is a reference to the lyrics of a song known as "The Cage"- a song made by Sonata Arctica.
* This Part is the last one for the second Episode of "Miracula Luxia II" 's third Chapter, as well as the final Part of the whole Chapter overall. If combined together, this means that Chapter III has 20 Parts, this one being the last in the list.