ML C10, P20- "You Will Never Be Alone"

"You Will Never Be Alone" is the twentieth and last Part of "Miracula Luxia" 's last Chapter, as well as the last Part of the original "Miracula Luxia" overall. It was released on 22.06.2020.
== Plot ==
Xehanort's fate hangs in the balance as Jared and his allies decide his fate. Meanwhile, without their leader's guidance, his army falls apart, unable to fight against the united forces of humans and humanoids.
It seems like the world will be safe after all. But, at what cost?
== Story ==
Aleks looks at the ground behind him.
"Excuse me."- He says to his son and begins to cast a spell.
After a few seconds, a small ball of light appears in the palm of his left hand.
He casts it on the ground, and...
*whoosh*
*BOOM*
A portal appears out of nowhere, shining with a blinding white light.
Aleks turns to his son.
"His fate... will be worse than getting slain by a bunch of heroes. He will be teleported to an eternal prison, from which there is no escape. He will sit there for an eternity, pleading for us to let him out and question his own existence."
Xehanort is shocked by those words.
"How could you say that?!"- He yells- "I refuse to go to that place! Death is a much better end for me!"
Jared grabs him by the neck and forces him to stand up.
"You have got a death wish, huh?!"- He yells at him- "I can arrange that!"
He draws his sword and tries to swing it at him, but is stopped by his father before he can do so.
"Stop, son!"- He says- "Don't you see? He's more useful to us alive than dead! We can't just kill him!"
Aleks's words make Jared very angry.
"This absolute villain commanded his army to destroy many towns, almost destroyed our hometown and killed many of our friends, as well as many other innocent people around the world! And you are still trying to give him a second chance?!"
"This is not the right way to deal with such a villain, dad! I respect your advice, but I refuse to let this fiend be imprisoned! Sometimes, the villain is too dangerous to be left alive and must be disposed of in a violent and bloody way, for the sake of all the good people around the world. I do not care how safe and protected this prison is, this mastermind will eventually escape! If you are a true hero, you will end his life right here and right now!"
He turns to John and Annie.
"Right, my friends?"- He says.
They nod.
"Imprisoning him is definitely not a good idea."- John says- "Especially if the one we are imprisoning is such a powerful... being."
"Some villains deserve to die. We mustn't spare them!"- Annie yells- "He hurt us all so much- both physically and mentally."
Xehanort grins.
"The kid's right, Aleks."- He says- "If you send me down there, I will escape and take my revenge. Eventually."
"So it's better if you take me down. But I don't want my killer to be this kid."
He turns to Jared and shakes his head. Our hero watches him coldly, endless anger burning in his eyes while holding his sword in his left hand, ready to strike when his father tells him to.
"Don't push your luck, Xehanort."- Aleks says- "When I say that you will be imprisoned, that will happen. Mark my words, you won't escape that prison alive."
Xehanort becomes very angry. He grabs a stick from the ground and points it at Aleks.
"That won't happen!"- He yells- "If you refuse to kill me, then I will be the one to kill you!"
Aleks smiles and dodges Xehanort's attack.
"Even if you try to kill me, I will still put you in there."- He says- "You can't escape your fate."
Xehanort screams wildly and charges, taking Aleks by surprise and sending him flying, almost throwing him into the portal.
As the man stands at the edge of it, Xehanort laughs maniacally. His stick begins to glow.
Aleks feels that Xehanort has managed to regain his power.
"So, you've been feigning your defeat all along."- He says- "All you wanted was to trick me and then attack me to take me down. Is that right?"
Xehanort nods and smiles.
"You thought that I would let you take me to that place again?! No way!"- He says- "Now, I will do what my army couldn't- to end your life."
He steps forward, intending to slay Aleks with his weapon.
"John! Get him out of there!"- Jared says.
John nods and runs forward, saving Jared's father just as Xehanort is about to strike.
"Take him away. Quickly!"- Jared says to his friend.
John manages to take him away from the action.
"Thank you... John."- Aleks says- "You saved my life."
John smiles.
"I would never let you get hurt, Mr. Kaos."- He says.
He looks down.
"He reminds me so much of my father."- He says to himself- "He's such a nice person. He cares about everyone and doesn't let the villains harm them."
"Today, I did what he was doing for many years. I saved his life. I saved this man's life and I am very happy that I've done so."
Meanwhile, an angry Jared grabs Xehanort by the neck.
"How dare you try to hurt my father?!"- He yells- "You hurt me, you hurt my friends, but hurting my family will cost your head! You hear me?!"
Xehanort laughs.
"This is what I'm hoping for, Jared."- He says- "Go! Do what your father doesn't want you to do. Unleash your inner evil self! Kill me in front of all those people!"
Jared looks around. He sees that a lot of people have gathered to watch them.
However, he does not get nervous about it. Instead, he gains confidence and angrily stares at Xehanort, his cold gaze piercing through his confidence, leaving no trace of it left.
Xehanort's confidence is now replaced with sheer fear. His whole body begins to shake as he finally feels how angry Jared really is right now. His heart begins to beat very fast. His teeth begin to chatter like a small earthquake.
He quickly realizes that his days of tyrrany are over either way, whether he dies or not.
Jared thinks about what to do with Xehanort. He wants to kill him, but he knows that his allies will not approve of that. However, he also knows that it must be done if he wants to keep the innocent people around the world safe from his presence.
Just as he is about to kill him, he sees that his sister has come close to him.
Marinette looks at her little brother sadly. Her look says everything. She wants to say something to him, but she does not have the strength to do so. Instead, she simply stares at him.
However, Jared quickly understands what she wanted to say- "I don't want my brother to become a killer. Please, don't kill him!". Those words burn into his mind, not letting him take a further action.
He looks at Annie. Her eyes say the same.
He looks back at Xehanort, all doubt completely cleared from his mind. He shakes his head.
"No, Xehanort."- He says- "I may want to kill you, I may want to rid the world of your evil presence, but justice says otherwise. Sending you into the prison is a much better punishment than taking your life away."
"So, prepare to be sentenced to a life of isolation."
Xehanort shakes his head.
"No! But... but you said that... "
Jared shakes his head.
"My father is a very wise man and I will listen to his advice. I will not stray away from it. My decision is final."
Xehanort screams.
"I'm not going to go in!"- He yells- "I'm not going to go in! I'm not going to go in!"
He breaks free from Jared's restraint and attacks him, almost knocking him down.
Jared recovers quickly and punches him in the face a few times, forcing him backwards.
As the dazed man tries to recover, our hero shakes his head.
"You do not get this, do you?"- He says- "We are giving you a chance to live! And you are wasting it!"
"But... if you don't want to take it willingly, I will force you to take it."
Jared pushes Xehanort into the portal.
"NOOOOOOOO!"- Xehanort screams as he is teleported into his eternal home, never to be seen again.
Everyone applauds Jared's decision.
Marinette smiles.
"A very wise choice, my dear, little brother."- She says- "He won't get away from that one."
Jared smiles.
"It is what a true hero will do. Right, sister?"
Marinette nods.
"Yes. Yes it is."- She responds and hugs her brother- "And you should know that I'm very proud of you, my little, big hero."
Jared hugs his sister back.
"I love you, big sister."
Marinette smiles.
"Me too, little brother. Me too."
Everyone smiles as they watch the siblings hug.
Tears begin to fall from Annie's eyes.
"What a lovely family."- She says to herself- "This... is what a true family feels like!"
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During the next few days, Jared and his allies analyze the damage that has been done to the city of Paris.
"We have a lot of work to do."- Annie says.
Jared nods.
"You are right, Annie."- He says- "But we don't need to worry, as long as we know that we are safe now."
Annie smiles.
"We will restore your hometown to its former glory, my friend."- She says- "And I promise to do everything I can to make sure of that."
Jared smiles.
"I do not doubt that, Annie. Thank you for always being there for me."
Annie hugs Jared. She is tempted to kiss him, but remembers how Akari felt when they talked about their last kiss.
"No. I won't make the same mistake again."- She says to herself- "I won't take him away from her. She deserves him much more than I do. They have to be together and I will not interfere."
Jared turns back and looks at the others who came with them- Aleks, Marinette, Lethal, John and the mayor.
"And thank you as well, everyone. Without you, I wouldn't be here. I wouldn't have won the battle with Xehanort and I wouldn't be with you."
Aleks smiles and pats his son on the shoulder.
"No, son. It's you who has done the most for our dear city. We were just there as your supporters, watching your back and keeping you safe from Xehanort's henchmen. You are the real hero here."
Lethal steps forward.
"Grandson, I wanted to say this."- He says- "I may not have been the best grandpa, but I did what I could to keep you alive, just like I promised your dad. And here you are. I'm so proud of you, kiddo."
Marinette steps forward as well.
"Little brother, I'm so sorry for not being there for you when you needed me, when you were afraid, when you needed guidance. But I promise to make up for it. Nothing will separate us anymore! The special bond of ours will never be broken. I double duck promise!"
Jared smiles and hugs all of them.
"My family."- He says- "I would never replace you. All of you are the best family that a boy like myself could ever want."
John raises his eyebrow.
"Jared."- He says- "I hate to ruin your special moment, but... what do you think about me?"
Jared smiles.
"And you, John, my very special friend, you are an amazing best friend that I will always respect you and regard you as my ever-faithful companion."
John smiles back.
"And I, my friend, will always regard you as my brother. My slightly smaller, but very smart brother."
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The restoration of the city begins as soon as the day after the plans were made. Hundreds of workers begin to repair the damage that has been done, eager to restore Paris to its former glory.
One week later...
Marinette graduates from her school. She plans to go elsewhere, to help people in other, smaller towns and find someone to love. To become the successful woman that her family wants her to be.
She begins to pack her things and gets ready to leave the city on the next day.
Jared watches her from a corner, saddened by the fact that his sister is leaving. His father is comforting him.
"Don't worry, Jared."- He says- "This happens to every child. One day, they will leave their hometown and seek their fortunes elsewhere. It happened to your sister and it will happen to you."
Jared shakes his head.
"But, she is the heroine of Paris! Everyone loves her so much! Why does she want to go somewhere else?"
Aleks smiles.
"This is because Paris is not the only city that she swore to protect. She wants to protect the whole world and in order to do that, she must travel away from this city."
Jared sighs and stares at his sister for a while.
On the next day, everyone (except for Jared, who is too depressed to send his sister away) says goodbye to Marinette as she is about to go on a train to another city.
"Goodbye, baby girl."- Aleks says- "We love you!"
"Stay safe, dear!"- Lethal says.
"And don't forget to write often!"- John says.
Marinette nods. She feels the tears fall down from her eyes, but doesn't try to wipe them.
She stares at the sunrise.
"I will miss my family so much. Especially my little brother."- She says to herself- "But I am a grown up woman now. The other cities need me and I don't want to reject their calls for help. Duty calls."
She stares at the train.
"Now, let's begin this uneasy adventure."
However, as she is about to enter it, she hears someone calling out for her.
"Sister! Sister!"
Those words echo behind her. She turns around and sees that her brother is running towards her.
She shakes her head and walks forward. However, Jared reaches her and hugs her.
"Sister, please! Don't go! I beg you!"- He says- "I can't stay here without you! It's not the same!"
Marinette smiles.
"Don't worry, little brother."- She says- "I'm sure that dad, grandpa, John and the others will kepe you company. But I have to go. The other places need a hero and I want to be the one who answers their calls for help."
Jared begins to cry.
Marinette stares at him sadly.
"Little brother, no. Don't cry."- She says- "It's alright. I will return. I promise!"
Aleks steps forward, intending to pull his son away from his daughter. However, he is stopped by Lethal.
"No. Leave them alone."- He says- "They know each other better than any of us know them. They will find a way."
"Sister."- Jared says- "We have been separated for so long. I missed you so much, I wanted to see you. But now... now you have to go and leave me again."
"This is not fair! I... I cannot do this sister! I cannot move on alone!"
Marinette looks at the train.
"Last chance to get in, passengers."- The driver says.
She looks at her brother. She begins to cry as well.
"Little brother, I... "
She watches as the train picks up the last passengers and drives away without her.
"I would never leave you alone."
Jared looks at the train.
"Why didn't you go in there? I thought that you wanted to help more people, to... to see new places."
Marinette smiles.
"There's no better place than home. I never realized it before, but now? Now I see it clearly. Here, I am with my beloved family."
"And my even more beloved little brother."
"And that's why I decided to stay with you. Because I saw how much you need me. How much you worry about me. How much you want to have your big sister beside you."
Marinette hugs Jared.
"I love you so much, little brother. Please don't forget that."
Jared smiles and hugs his sister.
"I love you too, sister. Very, very much."- He says- "Do you promise that you will stay with us?"
Marinette nods and smiles.
"I will never abandon you. You will never be alone, little brother."- She responds- "As long as I'm here, I will keep you safe... and happy. Rest assured of that."
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While Marinette decides to remain in Paris, Akari does not. She secretly packs her things and begins to leave the city.
Jared approaches her.
"Aki!"- He says- "Where are you going?"
She turns around.
"Oh! It's you, Jared."- She says- "One of my friends told me that my uncle is still alive and has moved into a nearby city. He's going to leave soon, so I have to hurry."
Jared raises his eyebrow.
"Your... uncle?"
Akari nods.
"Yes. The man who took care of me when mom and dad were away. It's time for me to finally see him again."
She shakes her head.
"I'm so sorry for leaving you, my friend. But I have to find him. Plus, you have an amazing family that always looks after you and even more amazing friends who will always have your back. Right?"
Jared nods and looks down.
"Right."- He says- "But... you're my friend, too! I care about you!"
Akari smiles.
"I promise to come back as soon as I meet my uncle. I will even let you meet him yourself!"
She turns around and stares at the road that leads outside the city.
However, before she leaves, she turns around again and approaches Jared.
She kisses him on the cheek.
"See you next time, my beloved hero."- She says- "And please talk to Annie more often. She definitely deserves it!"
As Jared tries to comprehend what his friend just said to him, Akari begins to walk forward.
"I'm ready to face my own destiny. Jared is very sweet, but I must leave him. For now."- She says to herself- "Uncle, here I come!"
Marinette approaches her brother. She sees that he is worried and hugs him.
"It's Akari, isn't it?"- She says.
Jared nods.
Marinette stares at Akari and sighs.
"It's always the biggest friends that leave the biggest scars."- She says- "But don't worry about it."
"I'm sure that this won't be the last time that we see her. Or hear about her."
Jared looks at his sister.
"Are you sure?"- He says- "What if it is?"
Marinette nods.
"You can trust me on this one. She will return."
Jared looks at his friend in the distance and smiles, now convinced in his sister's words.
"You are indeed right, my dear sister."- He says- "She will return."
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Aside from Akari's sudden departure, everything goes well in the city of Paris. Slowly but surely, the place is restored to its former glory.
The shops are filled with customers again. People walk on the streets again, not fearing that someone will attack them. The heroes of Paris rest easy, knowing that the worst has passed and that the biggest evil is gone for good.
Meanwhile, Aleks sees his dead wife. He is beyond excited when that happens.
"Honey, it's me."- Seiko says to her husband.
Aleks smiles.
"It's so good to see you again!"- He says- "Does this mean that you're going to be with us?"
Seiko shakes her head.
"I know how much all of you miss me. But... the heavens call me. And I cannot refuse their call."
"All I can do is hope that all of you will be fine. So, keep the children safe. I beg you."
Aleks nods.
"I will. But don't think that I will forget you. I will always think about you, my love. You'll always be on my mind and I will always love you."
Seiko smiles and floats away, her mission in this world finally done, knowing that her children are protected and loved.
Aleks stares at the sky and sighs.
"One day, Seiko."- He says to himself- "One day, I will bring you back to life and we will be the happy family that we used to be before this whole mess happened. Mark my words, I will succeed!"
Months later, Paris has fully returned to the state that it used to be in before the recent events happened. Everyone is safe and happy, no longer endangered by the forces of Darkness.
Jared and Marinette sit on the balcony of the Kaos residence, thinking about everything that happened to them.
"Sister?"- Jared says.
Marinette turns around.
"Yes, brother?"
Jared looks at her.
"Will... will I become a great hero like you someday. Will I become a person who is able to defend many people and be respected by them? Will I become a person who will go down in history?"
Marinette giggles.
"But Jared! You already are a great hero! You're so brave and powerful! If we had more siblings, they would also be proud of you, just like I am!"
Jared's eyes light up.
"Are you... are you really that proud?"- He says excitedly- "Do you really think that I'm amazing?"
Marinette smiles and hugs him.
"I think that you are the best little brother a big sister would ever want to have! I bet that Alya must be really jealous of our bond, of our small talks and cuddles. Of our unending love for each other."
"Yes, little brother. You. Are. Perfect. And I will never think otherwise."
Jared and Marinette continue to hug as the sun slowly goes down.
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And as the day ends, so does the adventure of the brave Jared Kaos- the little boy who grew up so much and saved so many people with his actions, becoming the pillar of Light that pierced the Darkness and crushed it. The one who the people needed and deserved.
But don't think that everything is over, dear reader! Maybe one day, a new threat will appear. A new enemy that will endanger the safety of the innocent citizens, that will put their lifes at risk. But do not fear. As long as our brave hero is still breathing, as long as he fights the enemies of Light, this world will be safe from them. They will never harm anyone and there will always be happiness in everyone's hearts.
As long as Jared Kaos and his ever-faithful allies are still standing, the Darkness will never triumph over the Light. There will always be peace in this world, a peace that will never be broken by the evil ones.
Long live the Chosen One!
The End.
== Trivia ==
* This is the last Part of the original "Miracula Luxia".