ML C8, P13- "Memento Mori"

"Memento Mori" is the thirteenth and final Part of "Miracula Luxia" 's eighth Chapter- "For Whom The Bell Tolls". It was released on 12.04.2020.
== Plot ==
After losing his beloved mother to the monster invasion that he defeated not long ago, Jared finally reunites with his father.
Being forced to argue with him about what happened to his mother, Jared tries to step into the portal alone, but makes a huge mistake which will almost cost him his own life.
In the end, he manages to get out of this new trouble, but not before losing someone else who is very important to him.
Meanwhile, an elderly man meets with Jared, telling him that he is a member of his family. At first, Jared does not want to believe this. However, soon he realizes that this is indeed a person who is a member of his family.
But who is really this mysterious person?
Find out now!
== Story ==
Jared finishes digging the grave for his mother. He places her in a nearby coffin and kisses her on her forehead.
"Remember how you used to kiss me on the forehead when I was little, mom?"- Jared says to her- "Yes, me neither. But I really loved it when you did so."
"I... I really want you to do that again. To pick me up in your arms, to sing me a song and kiss me on the forehead to make me feel more comfotable, safer than I have ever been before. But no. That is not to happen anymore. I need your love, mom, but I have to move on now."
He kisses her on the forehead again.
"Goodbye... mommy."
For a moment, he feels like a child. He wants to grab his mom, hug her hard and not let her go. Tears start to form on his eyes.
However, he quickly wipes them off and closes the coffin.
With a few swift motions, he picks up the coffin alone, places it in the hole he dug for it and covers it with dirt.
John sighs.
"I'm so sorry, Jared. I... I know how it feels to lose a parent."
Jared turns around.
"Did you lose a parent, too?"
John nods.
"I lost my mother. Five years ago. Me, dad and my little brother were so happy together."
He smiles, remembering the good moments he had with his mother.
Then, suddenly, his face quickly darkens.
"Until a member of the "Darkness of Duskwood" gang killed her while my little brother was forced to watch. All while me and my father were away for a while."
"Curse me for not being a better son. I want to turn back time, but... but..."
Jared smiles and embraces his friend.
"I know how you feel. We both lost people important to us. That's what makes us friends."
"We are survivors who fight to keep the people close to us safe and make them feel happy and loved. We are strongest when we fight together, we never back down from a fight and we are always ready to help. We... are the sacred guardians of the world."
John nods.
"And that's why I've been fighting by your side for so long, Jared. The good side. Because you are truly good person, unlike most people who only claim to be."
The two friends talk about what they should do next, about their dreams and beautiful moments they shared with their families. They are so engrossed in their conversation that they don't notice the man standing behind them.
Eventually, John feels like someone is watching them and turns around. He sees the man.
"Who are you? Wait... aren't you... ?"
The man reveals himself to be Aleks- Jared's father.
"Mr. Kaos!"- John says, surprised.
However, Jared is much more surprised to see his father.
"D-dad?"- He says.
Aleks looks around and sees that they have buried someone recently.
"Son, what has happened here? Whom did you bury?"
Jared raises his eyebrow in surprise.
"Who told you... about a burial?"
"The mayor. I spoke to him not too long ago. He said that you're going to bury someone important to us."
"Who is it, Jared? Why are you trying to hide it from me?"
Jared steps back, shocked that his father thinks that he is trying to hide something.
"No dad! I-I'm not... trying to! I swear!"
Aleks approaches him and looks him in the eye.
"Then prove it. Tell me. Who is, or rather, who was the person you buried?"
Jared gives up. He decides to finally tell his father the truth about what happened.
"It was mom, dad. Something... something horrible happened to her. And I... was unable to save her."
"I failed, dad. I failed to protect her from the enemy. I failed to be the son you wanted me to be."
Aleks shakes his head in dismay.
"Tell me everything."- He says quietly.
Albeit with great hesitation, Jared explains to his father what happened to Seiko. WIth fewer details than he normally would.
Aleks learns that Jared reunited with his father not too long after he came back in Paris and that she and Commander Jones accompanied Jared in scouting the portal. Until she was wounded and they had to carry her back to their residence. 
Later, she saved her son from being killed and bravely took the blow herself, falling into a coma in the process. After Jared was almost killed in the explosion, her health became much worse and an operation was needed. Despite everyone's best efforts, she died.
Thinking that his wife died all because of her son, Aleks angrily grabs Jared and pushes him into the wall of a nearby building.
"You stupid child!"- Aleks yells at him- "You said that you would protect her. And what did you do?! You got weak for a moment and then she was forced to save you. What kind of a son are you?!"
John tries to stop him from hurting his friend.
"Mr. Kaos, please! Jared didn't know what he was doing! Besides, if your wife didn't react fast enough, your son would have been the one to die. Please! Have some respect for him! He just saved a whole city from destruction!"
Aleks angrily pushes John away.
"Go away, John. This is not your affair. It is between me and my son."
"Dad, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."- Jared says- "I tried! But... I couldn't save her. Please, understand it."
"Oh, I'll make you understand, you ungrateful fool!"- He yells and begins to punch his son in the stomach, unable to stop doing so due to his sudden rage.
"Maybe you will feel at least a bit of the pain that she felt! Well? Do you? Do you?!"
"Dad, I beg you! I promise to redeem myself as soon as I can! Just don't hurt me. Please!"
With a swift and very hard slap, Aleks finishes off the beating of his son.
"And let that be a lesson to you."- He says to him.
He is distracted by all of the beating he had to do, so much that he doesn't notice an angry John right behind him.
With a swift slap, John brings Aleks to the ground and kicks him in the ribs.
Aleks doesn't yell out in pain. He simply looks down at where John hit him, looks up and stares at him.
"This is what you get for hurting my best friend, you foolish father!"- He yells at him.
Jared stands up and grabs John's arm.
"John, don't hurt him. P-please."- He says.
John sighs.
"I don't intend to. I just wanted to give him a hint to realize what a huge mistake he just made in not understanding what you have really done for the city... and for your mother."
Aleks bows down.
"I understand now. Thank you for reminding me, John."
"Although you could have done it in a less painful way, you know."
John giggles nervously and helps Aleks stand up.
"Please. Don't do that ever again."- He says to him.
"I won't. Mark my words."
Aleks sighs and turns to his son.
"Well, now that I reunited with you and learned what happened to your mother, we have to go back into Avernum."
"Shall we?"
Jared looks at him coldly.
"What if I didn't want to come?"
"What do you mean?"
Jared sighs.
"No offense, dad, but I want to be alone for now. I want to stay here and rest. Being a hero is very tiring."
Jared tries to leave, but Aleks stops him.
"Annie needs to see you alive and well, Jared. You mustn't act like a child, not in a moment like this.
Jared sighs again.
"Alright. I will go through the portal."
Aleks's eyes light up.
"Alone."- Jared finishes.
He starts to walk towards the portal (from where his father was teleported in Paris).
"Jared! Wait for us!"- John yells as the two of them try to keep up with his pace.
Jared is inches away from entering the portal. However, before he can do so, a hole opens up under his feet and he falls in.
John and Aleks are shocked to see that Jared has fallen into a trap.
"Son! Can you hear me?"- Aleks says.
Jared nods.
"Are you hurt?"
"I'm fine, dad. Don't worry!"- Jared says.
He doesn't notice the creatures sneaking up behind him.
"Jared! Behind you!"- John yells and manages to alert Jared before they attack him.
Jared is shocked to see that some of the humanoids have somehow miraculously survived the explosion and waited for him in the sewers, setting up a clever trap to make him fall in and get hurt.
"Oh no!"- John says and turns to Aleks- "Mr Kaos, he's in trouble!"
Aleks nods.
"Jesus, John! I know that! Help me find a way to reach him before they kill him!"
The two of them look for another hole to fall through. However, they have no luck.
In the meantime, Jared fights against the humanoids and manages to kill some of them. However, he is unable to fight the rest of them, due to the exaustion caused by his previous battles.
"No! Jared!"- John says and tries to reach for him.
"Quickly! Grab my hand!"
Jared tries to grab John's hand, but to no avail. He is too far away.
"It's no use, John! I'm doomed!"
Aleks smirks, checks how deep the hole really is and prepares to do something that might cost him his life.
"Not if I can help it!"- He yells.
John turns around and sees that Aleks is preparing to jump in.
"Mr Kaos? What are you trying to-- "
Without another word, Aleks jumps into the cave below.
He manages to kill a goblin that was about to kill Jared with its knife.
He swings his sword and kills many of the creatures, saving his son from certain death while taking a few minor blows himself.
However, the monsters keep getting more and more and their time seems to be running out.
John watches sadly as father and son fight for their lives against the seemingly endless wave of monsters.
"Dad, we're not going to make it! There's too many of them!"
Aleks looks up, sees John and nods.
"John!"- He says to him- "Can you do me a favor."
"Yes, Mr. Kaos?"
"Could you please grab my son's hand and get him out of here? I might not be able to survive, but I don't want to waste his life away as well."
Jared is shocked that his father is going to risk his own life to save his.
"Dad, this is nonsense! I was unable to reach John's hand the first time, and-- "
"Trust me, I know that I can get you out! Just do what I tell you and you will get out of this mess!"
Jared is reluctant at first, but soon nods and listens to what his father has to say.
"Jump on my back and stand on my shoulders. I will get as close to John as possible and you try to reach his hand."
He turns to John.
"Are you ready, John?"
John nods.
"Let's do this!"
Aleks turns to his son.
"Before I leave you with John, I wanted to tell you this. I am so sorry for treating you so badly up there and for not being by your side when you needed me the most. You're not the bad person that I though you were when I beat you up. No, you are just misunderstood. Just a kid who tries to understand the world around him and help the people as best as he can. A child who is unable to do the right things sometimes and has to be saved by the ones he loves the most, risking their lives in the process."
"However, I want you to know that I will always be your guardian angel, no matter if I'm physically with you or not. No matter where you go, my soul will guide you and make you feel like the true hero that you deserve to be."
"We will always be united, son. Just... don't stop fighting for what is right. It is the only thing that truly puts a smile on my face in those dark times. Don't stop protecting the good people, bringing them joy and hope... like you always have. I may not be there with you, but I know that you can continue doing so even without me. 
"Goodbye, son. I love you. Stay safe, my favorite child!"
With those words, he manages to lift Jared up and help him grab John's hand.
Once he makes sure that he is up there, he continues fighting the incoming humanoids.
"You'll never break my faith, you fiends!"- He yells- "I will fight you until my bitter end! For my son!"
Jared and John sadly watch as more and more humanoids surround him.
"Dad!"- Jared yells.
"Don't worry son."- His father says- "Go. Get out of here. I'll fight them off and get out of here. I will find you very soon. I promise!"
One of the humanoids manages to bonk him on the head, temporarily stunning him.
John notices that the hole is closing.
"Jared, get away from here!"- He says and tries to pull Jared away.
However, Jared pushes John away and tries to encourage his father.
"Don't give up, dad! I know that you can do it!"
"Soon, my child!"- He replies- "Soon, we will be together again. Together forever. The Kaos family will be whole again!"
Those are the last words that Jared will hear from his father for a while. The hole manages to close completely, but not before John manages to successfully pull his friend away from it.
Jared falls to his knees, breaks down and cries as he hears his father's screams.
However, those aren't the screams of someone who is going to die soon. Quite the opposite.
Those... are the screams of someone who will keep fighting the enemies until he finds his son.
Unfortunately, those screams cease as soon as the hole closes.
John tries to talk to Jared, but the boy doesn't even look at him.
"I lost him, John."- He says- "I couldn't protect my mother, and now- my father. I lost them, John!"
"Now I won't be able to look at anyone the same way as I did before."
John nods and embraces his best friend.
"Fear not, my dear friend."- He says- "You heard what he said. He will keep looking for you until he finds you."
"He's still alive down there, Jared! Believe it! We just have to keep looking for him, that is all."
Jared shakes his head.
"No, John. He might be alive, but he won't be soon. There is no point for us to waste our time in trying to find him."
"Please. Leave me to my suffering."- He says and turns away.
"Poor Jared."- John says to himself- "First, he lost his uncle. Then, he watched his mother die before his very eyes. And now, his father sacrificed his own life to save him and and is now stuck below the ground."
"But I won't stop believing that he is still alive, no matter what his son says. I will keep looking for this man and I won't stop looking until I find him. Or, until I find his body, at the very least."
"Don't worry, Mr. Kaos. I will find you, wherever you are. You and your son will be reunited. Very soon."
John helps his friend stand up and notices that an elderly man is watching them.
"Umm. Can I help you, sir?"- He asks the man.
The man bows his head deeply.
"Forgive me. I am just amazed to see that my own grandson is still alive."
John is shocked. So much that he accidentally drops Jared to the ground.
"Grandson?! You... you are his... ?"
The man nods.
"Yes. Yes I am. And I am very sorry about what happened to by son."
He wipes a tear from his eye.
"But... I know that he is still alive. And I want to help the two of you find him."
Jared shakes his head as he stands up.
"Liar!"- He yells- "Dad told me that my grandpa disappeared trying to save the city from hostiles a few years ago. And I don't believe that you are him, sir!"
The man shakes his head.
"Of course. I understand that well. But maybe this will help you remember... "
He pulls out a small photo from his pocket and shows it to Jared.
The young hero is amazed to see it.
It depicts a younger Jared, as well as his father and mother. Along with this man, who is hugging the four of them at once.
"Where... where did you find this?"- Jared says quietly, remembering that he lost the same photo a few years ago, when his grandfather disappeared.
The man smiles.
"Well, I took it with me, so I could remind myself what a wonderful grandson I have. A wonderful grandson who fights for the good of everyone around the world."
Jared smiles when he finally realizes who the man is.
"Grandpa!"- He says and hugs him.
"I'm here, my boy. Don't be afraid."- Jared's grandpa says and hugs him as well.
"But... why did you leave us back then? Why did you make mom and dad worry so much about you?"
The old man smiles.
"I had to fight the enemies of the city, so I could make the four of you feel safe. Or, at least a little bit. After the battle, I got lost fending them off and I tried to find the city."
"Unfortunately, I got even more lost than before and I traveled all the way to the northern lands. And lived there for a couple of years."
"I forgive you, grandpa."- Jared says- "Please don't leave us again!"
Jared's grandpa smiles.
"I would never leave my grandson alone, not when so many dangers are lurking around every corner. I will not."
John clears his throat.
"Excuse me, sir, but does your name happen to be "Lethal" ?"
The old man nods.
"Yes! The good ol' timer Lethal Kaos- at your service, young man!"
John smiles.
"Mr. Kaos told me a lot about you when he was with us."
" "We"? You and who?"
John smiles.
"Well, me and my friend. She's still at the other side, waiting for us."
Lethal smiles.
"Well."- He says- "Then what are we waiting for? Let's not worry the poor girl any longer."
"Wait, grandpa."- Jared interrupts him- "Don't you want to pay your respects to mom first?"
Lethal is shocked to hear of the fate of his beloved daughter-in-law.
"Your mother is... not among us anymore?"
Jared nods sadly.
Lethal sighs.
"Oh my goodness, poor Seiko! Where is she? I want to pay my respects before we go through that swirling mass of energy you folks call a "portal". "
Jared shows him the way to Seiko's grave and makes a symbolic grave for his father as his grandfather looks at her crude gravestone.
"She was so young and filled with joy. And desire to protect everyone around her. Sweetest girl I've ever seen. But now... she's not among us. Anymore. Such a wonderful wife and daughter and an even more wonderful mother. Oh, how I will miss her. "- He says to himself.
Meanwhile, Jared pulls out the photo of him, his parents and his grandfather out of his pocket. He stares at it for a few moments and decides that he doesn't want to carry it with him anymore.
He attaches it onto the symbolic gravestone.
"What are you doing, kiddo?"- His grandfather asks him.
"I don't need the photo anymore, grandpa."- Jared says- "I want to leave it here, so the people that visit the gravestone always remember who my father is and has always been."
Lethal smiles.
"You did well, kiddo. You did well."- He says as he helps him stand up.
The three of them approach the portal and look for other possible traps. They examine the dirt and tap it with their foots.
Fortunately, it seems like there are no more traps left to block their progress.
Jared, John and Lethal go back to Avernum and see that Annie has been waiting for them the whole time.
She quickly runs towards Jared and hugs him.
"Jared! I'm so glad that you're okay!"- She says- "What happened?"
Jared looks down, sighs and hugs Annie back.
"We have so much to talk about, Annie. Our world will never be the same."
"Never."
Annie looks at Jared sadly.
"Tell me everything, my dearest friend."- She says- "I want to know what you learned, feel what you felt and and grieve for whom you grieved."
Jared smiles when he realizes that he is finally surrounded by his friends and family, no longer endangered by any monsters or hostile people.
The four of them hug and leave Fort Avernum,abandoning most of the horrible memories that they experienced on the other side of the portal, where they belong.
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And thus ends another eventful moment in Jared's life- his task to save Paris from Farrar's humanoid forces and keep its citizens safe from them.
Even though he witnessed his mother die and helplessly watched as his father was lost in a horde of monsters, his faith in himself did not fade away. Even though he is desperate, he is not desperate enough to fall into a deep depression and let his emotions take over his actions.
Jared knows that the world depends on him and also knows that it needs a strong and capable hero to keep it safe from its enemies. So, he continues fighting his foes valiantly, knowing that his parents and his uncle are watching him from above and are always there to support him in whatever he does next.
The journey of Jared Kaos shall continue. There is no going back now, only onward.
The End.
Memento Mori.
== Trivia ==
* The title of this Part is written in Latin. Its translation is- "Remember death", or more accurately, "Remember that you are mortal".
* The title of this Part is also a reference to the Youtube channel known as "Unus Annus", that is owned by Markiplier (Mark) and CrankGameplays (Ethan).