MLII C7, P8- "The Journey Home"

"The Journey Home" is the eighth and final Part of "Miracula Luxia II" 's seventh Chapter. It was released on 20.07.2021.
== Plot ==
After long and tiring journey away from the city of Paris and into the wilderness far away from it, Jared finally returns to his home. He has finally found what truly matters to him and is ready to protect it at all costs.
As the creatures of darkness prepare to start an irreversible war, he wonders whether he can stop it this time and provide the joy and safety that he promised to the world and its residents when he became a hero two years ago.
Today, a journey has been concluded. Jared shall remain in the place where he was born and protect his friends and family from a powerful evil. However, the adventure is far from over. Even as it reaches its climax, the flames of darkness still burn bright.
A new champion of the everlasting Darkness has been chosen. A new evil of an otherworldly origin that will stop at nothing to succeed in its quest to take over the world and bring its residents to their knees. Jared will keep fighting to keep it safe. He always will.
...
But for how long?
== Story ==
As Jared's friends try to protect him, he rests for a while, wondering about the decisions that he made recently.
"Even though I know what to do now, I am still unsure about the things that I sacrificed to succeed."- He says to himself- "Was I supposed to do something like this? Was it truly wise to leave the ones who are dear to me like... like this? Why do I never receive the answers of my most important questions? Why do I always have to stand in the darkness to see the light? It is truly confusing."
John looks back at him.
"Hey, Jared!"- He says to him- "Now would be a great time to strike back at them! Get on with it!"
Jared slowly stands up and draws his weapon.
"I... I will."- He says and takes a step forward.
Unfortunately, one of the bandits manages to step past the impenetrable barrier that John and Annie have created with their attacks. As they keep fighting the rest of the vagabonds, they fail to notice the one that got away as it approaches the weakened Jared.
"We told you, Jared Kaos. You can run, but you can't hide. You can never get away."- He says to him- "And now, you will face the consequences of your own actions. Prepare yourself."
Jared brandishes his weapon, unafraid of his enemy's taunts.
"Do your best, servant of darkness."- He mutters under his breath as he prepares to defend himself.
Even when he is weakened by a long journey, Jared is still a formidable foe. Backed up by his allies, he manages to outsmart the foolish bandit and avoid all of his attacks.
As his enemy wonders what to do next, he slowly approaches him from behind.
"You messed with a dear friend of mine. You killed his uncle and chased him, because he killed some of you in revenge. You should have left them alone. You and all of your lackeys, the so-called "justice bringers"."- Jared says to him as he plunges Demonslayer deep into his back- "You brought this upon yourself. You made a horrible mistake. I feel bad about saying this, but you and all of your allies will pay for it. With your blood."
He watches silently as the bandit falls to the ground, mortally wounded. However, he manages to easily get back up and tries to stab Jared.
Fortunately, Annie manages to get in the way before he can get hurt, but gets stabbed in the arm in the process.
As John holds her hand and tries to stop the bleeding with a piece of cloth, the bandit laughs. He watches Jared as he encourages Annie to live and smiles.
"Nobody's safe from our wrath."- He says- "Nobody."
Suddenly, Jared snaps. He angrily pulls the bandit up and tries to choke him to death.
However, just as it seems that he might succeed, he decides to rethink his decision. He puts him down.
"No. I will not do it, no matter how much I want to."- He says stoically- "You may have hurt my friend, but I will not succumb to my lust for revenge. I will not become a monster, like you. I refuse."
He shakes his head.
"You will die alone, watching as your allies are slain by the warriors of Justice."- He continues- "And you will rethink your decisions. You will feel sorry about all the people that you and your people hurt with your cowardly actions. You will see that you were fighting for the wrong side, but it will be too late to correct those mistakes. So, I hope that you feel fortunate enough that I spared you here and now. Maybe this will serve as a lesson to other future bandits and make them realize the consequences of their own actions."
As he rushes to help Annie, his words have the desired effect. The bandit stumbles back, saddened by his own actions, realizing that he made a huge mistake by facing Jared and his allies. He even sheds a tear for his fallen allies, whom he forced to fight in this battle.
Soon, he succumbs to his injuries. He dies with his eyes open, unable to close them due to being ashamed of the actions of his group, as well as his own.
Jared approaches him, gives him a respectful nod and closes his eyes, putting him to rest.
"See, Jared? All of those bandits are evil! Evil!"- John says to him- "We should eradicate them as soon as possible. Every single one of them!"
Jared shakes his head.
"John. I feel like we have done enough for those people. We have hurt too many families with our own actions."- He says- "I feel like it is best to leave them alone. For now."
John shakes his head.
"What do you mean leave them alone?!"- He yells- "They hurt my family and many more people whom we didn't even know! I say we find and kill all of them before they can find a new leader! Just say the word and I will stand by your side to get rid of this menace, once and for all!"
Jared glares at his best friend.
"How did you get so bloodthirsty, my friend?"- He asks him- "Well, it does not matter. I already told you. It is best to leave them alone, for the time being. Until then, we need to focus on the task at hand. Trying to stray away from the right path can cause us some serious trouble."
John tries to respond again, but Annie stops him.
"It's okay."- She says to him- "We'll find a solution. For now, let's bring Jared home. He deserves to be with his family."
John looks at Annie, then at Jared. He nods.
"I made a promise to your father. That I would either bring you back to your family alive... or die trying."- He says- "What happened today, it was an act of both bravery and cowardice. You got rid of a dangerous group of bandits, but you refused to harm their core."
He sighs.
"But I guess that it's probably for the best. Who knows how much trouble we would have gotten ourselves into if you didn't stop me."- He continues- "And for that, I thank you. It means a lot to me."
He approaches Jared and places his hand on his shoulder.
"Jared. When I met you, I evaluated you as a hero. As a savior of the innocent. And, of course, as the hero of our troubled world. I picked you as my best friend not only because we were on amicable terms, but because of your unquestioned loyalty towards your friends and your family. Towards the people that live in this world, the innocent souls for whom you are ready to do anything if it means that it will keep them safe."- He says to him- "And I see that you're still true to your word. I am grateful for that."
He smiles.
"Yes."- He continues- "Your mother. She would be truly proud of you. I'm sure of it."
Suddenly, Jared's eyes fill with tears. The mention of his dear, late mother brings nothing but fear and sadness within his soul.
"Do you... do you really mean it?"- He asks him- "Do you think that she will be proud of someone like me?"
John smiles again and looks at something next to him.
"Well, I'm not the right person to ask."- He says- "How about she tells you instead?"
Suddenly, a spirit appears in front of Jared. He easily recognizes it.
It is the spirit of his mother.
She does not greet her son. Instead, she approaches him and smiles.
"I love you, sweetie."- She says to him- "I love you very, very much."
Then, she hugs him.
Jared hugs her back. Tears start to fall from his eyes.
"I love you too, mom."- He says to her- "Please stay with me. Please."
Seiko smiles again.
"I'm never far away from you, dear."- She continues- "I'm still here. Still a memory within your soul. You will never be alone. I promise."
John and Annie watch as Seiko slowly fades away.
Jared falls on his knees. Unable to control his own tears anymore, he starts to cry.
"What's wrong?"- John asks him- "Aren't you happy to see your mother? After so long?"
Jared nods.
"Yes. Yes, I am."- He responds- "But the world is so unfair. To take away those that you love so much. To make you feel despair, like you never felt it before. It is truly an act of malice that was never meant to happen."
John nods.
"I know how it feels."- He says- "Losing a parent. It's tough, to say at the very least. When my mother died, we continued to live, but with despair in our hearts. It never wore away and it never will. It will never be the same."
He clenches his fist.
"But we will continue to push forward, no matter how many people we lose along the way."- He continues- "My mother wants us to be brave. And I'm sure that your mother wants the same. So, stand up and act like the hero that you are. Crying for your mother will not bring her back. It never did for anyone. But, at the very least, we can still fight in her name. We can do good deeds and be the people that she used to be. Do you understand?"
Jared looks up and nods. He seems to understand what John is saying to him.
"Good."- John says- "Then what are you waiting for? Stand up! Do good deeds! Be the hero that this world needs! Because it still needs you, Jared."
He looks into his eyes and sees the insecurity within them.
"You won't betray any of those people."- He says- "I'm sure of it."
Suddenly, Jared stands up and looks at John.
"No. I will not."- He says- "I made a promise. And I will keep it, no matter what it takes to do so."
He takes a step forward.
"We should not delay this journey more than we already have."- He continues- "My allies need me. And I will not let them down."
He turns to John and Annie.
"Let us go back to my home- the city of Paris."
It takes them a few hours to get out of the region, but they succeed. Soon, they are on their way toward Jared's hometown.
Surprisingly, the journey home is not quite as uneventful as our heroes thought that it would be. A few more groups of bandits remnants of the mighty "Darkness of Duskwood" bandits and the Darkside Loyalists, attack them on the way back, but they are easily defeated before they can do any real damage to our team, as well as the nearby city.
Our heroes reach the city of Paris successfully. Tired, bruised, bloodied. But still alive.
Once they arrive at the gates, someone approaches them.
It is Marinette.
As soon as she comes close, she is about to ask John and Annie if they succeeded. Then, she sees that Jared is with them and slaps him on the cheek.
"I deserved that."- He says, completely agreeing with what she is about to say.
Marinette glares at him.
"Do you know how much trouble you could have gotten yourself into?!"- She yells- "Right now, I'm not sure whether I should hug you... or to slap you again."
She sighs and decides that she should hug him. So, she does.
"But then, I understood why you left. I understood how much you miss our mom. Our uncle. Our grandma."- She says- "I forgive you. Just please. Try to be more careful next time. I feel guilty about knowing that you might get hurt and don't want anything to happen to you."
Jared hugs her back.
"I am sorry, sister. I am sorry for all the pain that I caused you and our family. I am sorry for the mistakes that I made and I promise that I will correct them."- He responds- "I just wanted to protect you. All of you. But now, I see where I am truly meant to belong. And I will not leave you behind. Never."
Marinette smiles, takes a step back and caresses the cheek that she slapped a minute ago.
"It's okay, dear brother."- She says to him- "You're safe with us. As your sister, I promise that I will keep you safe from anything and anyone that tries to harm you. I will fight to keep you alive. And I will continue to do so, even when I'm not in this world anymore."
Something in her last sentence greatly disturbs Jared. However, he decides not to talk about it. For now.
A few moments later, Jared's father and grandfather approach him. Unlike his sister, they have a much milder reaction to his return, simply staring at him angrily for a few moments.
But then, they smile, thrilled that Jared has finally returned. They hug him as well.
"I've been hoping that you might come back here. And here you are!"- Aleks says to his son- "It's truly a miracle. My son's finally back where he belongs! Thank the Gods that you're safe."
He approaches John and Annie and pats them on the shoulders.
"Well done, children."- He says to them- "I'm very proud of you."
John and Annie smile. They are glad that they managed to bring Jared back, safe and sound.
As his family continues to stare at him, Jared takes a look at his hometown and gasps.
He sees almost no people on the streets. What few people are left are members of Paris' military, patrolling the streets and protecting the citizens from an unknown enemy. A dengerous force that cannot be stopped easily.
Just as Jared starts to wonder who would be foolish enough to attack his hometown, a large demon jumps out and tackles him, but is quickly stabbed in the back by Marinette.
As she helps her brother stand up, the boy looks into her eyes. He senses an aura of insecurity, despair and regret, something that she normally doesn't have in a time like this.
"Well, this... is hard to explain."- She says and smiles nervously- "While you were gone, a large force of demons... attacked the city. They decimated the streets, killed a lot of the civilians and wounded many others who tried to defend against them."
Aleks nods.
"But the strangest thing is that they don't pay a lot of attention to us."- He adds- "They seem to be looking for something. Or someone. It is as if they were sent to hunt a specific person, but we had no idea who it might be."
Lethal sighs.
"Well, now we do."- He says- "Jared. Whoever those demons are. Whoever leads them. They seem to hold a strong grudge against you and we suspect that they might be after you, in particular."
Jared is not surprised. Disturbed, but not surprised.
At least on the surface, that is.
"But why would they want to kill me? Why would they want to hunt me ask risk their own lives in the process?"- He wonders- "And, most importantly, who would be foolish enough to endanger an entire city to achieve their wicked goals?"
Suddenly, an apparition forms in front of Jared. As his allies step back, he looks at it.
He fails to recognize the demonic creature that appears, so it introduces itself.
"I am Grah-Hoth. Master of the Underworld. Undisputed ruler of the lands of Avernum. And, most importantly, the destroyer of all humans."- He says- "I'm glad to finally meet you, Jared Kaos. Face to face. At last, we can talk."
Jared shakes his head.
"I have nothing to say to you, fiend."- He says- "Say your piece. Quickly."
The demon grins. A set of razor sharp, pearl white teeth is revealed.
"Ah. Brave as always. This trait has always brought you victory, but not this time."- He continues- "My army has arrived in your hometown. We demanded that they bring you back, to let us kill you in order to be left alone. But they refused. They fought us... and they fell in this battle."
Jared glares at the demon.
"Why would you send your army to hurt those innocent people like this?"- He asks him- "Are you insane?"
The demon grins.
"Perhaps. Perhaps I am."- He continues- "But don't be afraid. The end will come for all of you. Soon enough, the city shall lie in ruins. All of its residents will lie dead on the streets. And you shall be among them. You and your precious family."
Jared draws his weapon.
"I will not allow you to hurt those people!"- He yells- "Step out and fight me like a man! I am not afraid of you!"
Grah-Hoth grins, trying to seem as threatening as possible. When he fails to do so, he frowns.
"Fine. Have as much fun as you'd like, killing my minions and such."- He says- "But soon, this battle will bring you to me. And you will feel the power of the true ruler of the underworld. A Haakai. Prepare yourself, because the end is near! This story shall soon come to an end! A dramatic end! For you!"
Having said that, the massive infernal vanishes, leaving Jared and his allies alone. For now.
Jared takes a step forward. He draws his weapon and points it at the sky.
"No matter whom I will have to face to keep this world safe from harm, I will do it."- He says- "It does not matter if it shall be an Imp, a Demon or even a Haakai. I shall not fear any of them and neither should you. As long as one of us is still standing, we are still in this battle and we will not lose."
He turns to his allies.
"Are you ready to stand by my side?"- He says to them- "Are you ready to face your greatest fears and overcome them?"
Everyone nods.
"No matter how hard it gets, we will keep fighting."- Aleks says- "Lead the way, son. Lead the way to victory."
Jared nods and takes a look at the sky.
"This world is my home. It is the place that I value the most, that I will fight to protect until my last breath."- He says- "So, I will move on and fight. Until I defeat those who oppose us... or get defeated while trying to do so."
He closes his eyes for a moment. When he opens them a moment later, his confidence has been restored.
"Let us do this, everyone!"- He yells- "Let us fight for our freedom! Our world! Our rightful home! Let us show those fiends that we are not afraid!"
Having said that, he takes a step forward, intending to show the demons what he is truly capable of.