MLII C5, P12- "Carry On"

"Carry On" is the twelveth and final Part of "Miracula Luxia II" 's fifth Chapter. It was released on 26.04.2021.
== Plot ==
Now that the greatest threat has been eliminated and he is back in his hometown, Jared talks to his newest friend- an orange-haired girl named Meggy, whom he met at the Lokian Capital. A young warrior who was captured by Ess-Kalyn's Slithzerikai and barely survived the nightmare that ensued after she escaped from them.
After listening to her woeful tale, he is forced to make a decision that will determine his relationship with her. Will he become her guardian angel and save her from the enemies that are looking for her, giving her a chance to reunite with her friends in the process? Or will he simply leave her to fend for herself, in a world full of danger and despair?
There is only one true answer to this call for help. All that Jared has to do... is to make it happen.
== Story ==
As Jared and the orange-haired girl step forward to look at the city, Aleks and Lethal stand firmly behind them, making sure that they are safe.
"So, this is the city of Paris!"- The girl says- "Your hometown, I guess?"
Jared nods.
"This is the place where I grew up. The land that I have always vowed to protect. The home where I have always felt truly safe."- He responds- "It is an honor for me to live in a city like this. I am sure that many people would agree."
The girl nods. She wipes a tear from her eye.
"Do you... have a place that you call home?"- Jared asks her.
She nods. All of a sudden, a flurry of emotions manifest within her mind. It is as if she just remembered something that has always caused her pain.
Jared notices this almost immediately. He shakes his head.
"I... I am sorry."- He says- "Maybe I shouldn't have asked you about it. Let us change the subject."
The girl sighs.
"No, it's okay."- She replies- "It's just... just... "
She sighs again.
"My parents, they thought that I was useless. Even though I became a hero for my hometown, they wanted me to become more than that."- She continues- "But when I became 16, something changed within them. They started to respect me for who I am, for what I've achieved. They saw that I am indeed capable of keepin' the world safe. They realized that the world needs me to protect it. And so, they sent me on my way. Told me that I'm always welcome, as long as I remain a good person. On the condition that I never stick around for too long."
Aleks shakes his head in dismay.
"Parents are supposed to keep you safe. Advise you in a time of need. They are supposed to be your sheer source of motivation and power, the dearest members of your family."- He says- "After hearing the story about your family, I... I'm so sorry, young lady."
The girl nods.
"You don't have to be, mister."- She says to him- "It's all over, anyway. We can't change it."
She sighs.
"Not anymore."
She turns to Jared.
"Anyway, where are we going?"
Jared points at a building farther ahead of him.
"Even though we arrived in my hometown, we are not out of danger yet."- He says- "Let us go to my home- the Kaos residence. Then we can talk without being disturbed."
The girl nods.
"Gotcha."- She says- "Let's go."
On their way to the residence, they meet two of Jared's biggest friends- John and Annie. Hypnotized by Ess-Kalyn not long ago, they are finally able to redeem themselves by defeating those who took control of their minds.
Upon seeing her friend, Jared, alive and well, Annie runs forward and hugs him. John also approaches him and pats him on the shoulder.
The girl smiles and looks at Jared.
"Is this beautiful girl your... girlfriend?"- She asks him, snickering.
Jared looks at her, confused. He looks at Annie, then back at her.
He blushes.
"What are you talking about?!"- He responds- "Of course not!"
The girl nods.
"Sure."- She says- "Whatever."
She looks at John and Annie.
"In all seriousness, you must be his friends."
Annie nods.
"Indeed."- She responds.
John takes a step forward.
"Jared, we think that there are enemies around here."- He says to him- "Keep your eyes open. We don't know where they a-- "
Suddenly, an arrow flies towards him. He manages to avoid it, pushing Jared and his new companion out of the way.
"They're here!"- John exclaims and draws his sword.
Jared notices a small band of Slithzerikai running towards them. He aims his bow at them and stands in front of the girl.
"I will protect you!"- He says- "Umm... "
The girl smiles.
"Meggy."- She responds- "My name's Meggy."
Jared smiles back.
"Nice to meet you, Meggy."- He says and shoots at arrow at an attacking Slithzerikai.
Meggy watches as Jared and his allies fight the Slithzerikai, shielding her from their blows. She feels bad that she is unable to help and starts searching for a way to redeem herself.
Suddenly, she sees a gun in a nearby policeman's hand. She approaches him.
"E-excuse me, sir."- She says to him- "May I borrow your gun for a second?"
The policeman looks at her, confused.
"I'm sorry, little girl."- He says, feeling apologetic about what he is going to say to her- "I fear that you're too young to use a gun."
Meggy shakes her head and looks at him angrily.
"Listen. This ain't no truth or dare. My friends need help and I need to provide it."- She continues- "Trust me, I can use a gun. Just give it to me!"
The policeman sizes her up. He realizes that she is much more bite than bark.
Making sure that she does not simply run away with the gun, he cautiously gives it to her.
She nods, smiles and aims the weapon at a nearby Slithzerikai.
"Eat lead, you oversized reptile!"- She yells and fires a bullet at him.
The bullet wastes no time to reach its designated target. Once there, it strikes him in the chest, sending him flying into a wall and bleeding to death.
Jared turns around and sees the weapon that Meggy is holding. He smiles and pats her on the shoulder.
"Well done."- He says to her- "I am proud of you."
Meggy nods.
"As you may see, I'm no pushover."- She responds- "Let's finish them!"
Jared smiles again and steps out of the way.
"The scene is yours."
Meggy takes a step forward and starts to shoot at the Slithzerikai. Since they have no knowledge of modern human weapons, they are easily killed by her.
One of the few surviving Slithzerikai manages to sneak behind Meggy. He tries to stab her, but is pushed away by Jared. 
After a short struggle, he manages to drive Demonslayer into the creature's chest.
Jared and Meggy approach their allies and stand close to them, looking for enemies that might try to ambush them. Fortunately, their bad luck has finally run out. No more enemies appear to attack them.
"That was unexpected, for sure."- Annie mutters and shakes her head.
John sighs and looks at Jared.
"As you can see, there's a few of them who are still trying to kill us."- He says to him- "Even though their revered leader is dead, they still fight for their hopeless cause. It's a foolish task, but they keep being a nuisance to every citizen around here."
Aleks nods.
"It is as if they were looking for Jared this whole time."- He says- "The death of the Manburner drove them insane and unable to surrender. Only death will free them from this madness."
Jared sighs.
"Even so, we must get away from them. There is no reason to fight those who are trying to doom themselves with their own, foolish actions."- He says- "We need to go to the Kaos residence. Now."
Lethal nods and sends his grandson away.
"Don't worry about us, child."- He says- "We'll stay with our friends over here and make sure that nobody tries to hurt you. Go."
Jared, Meggy and Aleks run towards the Kaos residence, not daring to look back. They know that their enemies are in hot pursuit and that every second could be vital for them.
"We are almost there... "- Jared says to himself as he approaches his home.
Soon, the three of them reach the residence. Aleks steps forward and pulls out the key that is going to unlock the front door.
"Stay back, children."- He says- "I've got this."
Suddenly, a Slithzerikai warrior jumps out of the underbrush and aims his spear at Aleks.
"It's all over."- He says- "You can't hide forever."
As Jared runs forward to save his father, he stops and freezes when he notices another warrior approach Meggy and aim his bow at her.
At the same time, a third warrior points his sword at Jared.
"You killed our leader."- He says to him- "You will pay."
Jared realizes that he has to act fast if we wants to save both of them. He pulls out his dagger and charges with tremendous speed. Without giving his enemy a change to defend himself, he stabs him in the chest and allows him to bleed out.
The other Slithzerikai warriors panic. They realize that Jared can still fight back.
The archer aims his bow at Meggy and prepares an arrow.
"If I have to die, I'll take you with me!"- He yells and shoots the arrow at her.
As if hasted by a spell, Jared rushes forward, fast as lightning. He jumps, stands in the way between Meggy and the arrow and grabs it while it is still in mid-air.
While doing so, he throws his dagger at the Slithzerikai's stomach and watches as he bleeds to death.
Meanwhile, the third Slithzerikai runs away, screaming in terror.
"Oh no, you don't!"- Jared says and throws the arrow at him.
Aleks and Meggy watch as the arrow slowly gets closer.
And closer...
And closer...
Suddenly, it strikes the fleeing Slithzerikai in the back of the head, killing it.
As he falls to the ground, Jared steps back. He leans against a nearby wall and watches as other Slithzerikai leave their hiding spots, terrified. They see that their best warriors have been defeated and run away from the scene.
"Should we chase them?"- Aleks asks his son.
Jared shakes his head.
"There is no point in chasing those fools."- He responds- "They have learned their lesson. Period."
The three of them step into the residence and enter the living room. They sit on the chairs and look around.
"Nice home you've got here!"- Meggy says to Jared's father- "It seems to be great for a big family."
Aleks smiles sadly.
"Thank you. We bought it shortly after Jared was born and have been living here for many, many years."- He responds- "Well, until a tragedy took Jared's mother away from us. When we started to go on adventures farther away. Now, it remains as a reminder of a time when we used to be a happy family. A hope that, one day, everything will return to normal, when we can finally be free from this neverending nightmare."
Meggy gasps.
"Jared's mother?!"- She says- "What... what happened to her?"
She looks at Jared and watches as he looks down. Tears fall down from his eyes and he makes no effort to stop himself from crying.
"I... "- He mutters- "I was too... too... "
He shakes his head.
Aleks sees that his son feels down. He decides to speak for him.
"Jared... does not have the courage to talk about it with anyone who's not a part of our family. Or a close friend."- He says- "It was a traumatic event for him. For all of us. We tried to recover from this tragedy, but it is too hard to forget someone that has been an important part of your life for so long."
He sighs and shakes his head.
"Yes... "- He continues- "Jared's beloved mother. My dear wife. She... she is not among us anymore."
Meggy gasps again.
"Wait!"- She says- "So, this means that... that... "
Aleks shakes his head.
"She is dead."
Meggy looks at Jared and hugs him.
"I... I'm so sorry."- She says to him- "I'm so sorry about your mother."
Jared does not say anything. He continues to look down, tears falling from his eyes.
"She was a wonderful woman. So loving. So caring. An absolute sweetheart."- Aleks says as he looks through a nearby window, thinking about his wife- "We were dreaming about seeing Jared and his sister grow up and get married. We wanted to see them happy and safe. We wanted to feel the joy of seeing our grandchildren, together. But... what happened last year, it ruined every dream that I've ever had."
Meggy looks down.
"It must be painful to lose a parent."- She says.
Aleks sighs.
"Indeed."- He responds- "It is very painful."
He looks at her.
"So."- He continues- "Tell us something about yourself."
Meggy looks up and decides to talk about her past.
"As I said earlier, my name's Meggy."- She says- "I come from a large city, far, far away from here. I lived a normal life... until I met my friends. Maybe they would look weird in someone else's eyes, but what do they mean to me? Well, I hold them very dear. That's for sure."
Jared looks up as well. He reminds himself of the time when he used to go on adventures with John and Annie. About the time when they defeated Farrar and his army. The time when they defeated a powerful, old man and sealed him into an eternal prison, never to see him again.
"Friends."- He says- "My friends have always been by my side. I am glad that they are still here."
Meggy nods.
"Anyway, I visited them a couple of times when I was 14. We did weird things, some of them not worth mentioning. A lot of adventures that changed our lives, our attitude towards the world."- She continues- "At the age of 15, I returned to my hometown to live with my parents. However, the city had evil around every corner. I was unable to stay with them for too long."
She sighs.
"And that's how they sent me away, to help more people and live life to the fullest. When that happened, I left my hometown to visit my friends again. I managed to convince them that we could seek our fortunes elsewhere, so they came with me. Of course, the world is filled with trouble. We managed to defeat a lot of enemies and make a good reputation within the towns and villages that we saved."
She shakes her head.
"When the lizard invasion arrived, it caught us unprepared."- She continues- "We decided to hide and let heroes like you take care of those miscreants. But then, it happened. I was separated from my friends and now, I'm looking for them. Desperately."
She shakes her head again.
"And that's how I came to be here."- She says- "Is there a possibility for me to stay here? For the time being?"
She looks at Jared hopefully.
Jared smiles.
"Of course! We are happy to welcome new citizens in our troubled city."- He responds- "I will protect you while you are with us."
Meggy seems to be worried about something.
"Is something wrong?"- Jared asks her.
Meggy shakes her head.
"Although I had a lot of friends before I was captured, I also made a lot of enemies. Bloodthirsty bandits who are looking for revenge after we killed their leaders."- She says- "But... I don't want to get anyone else in trouble."
She looks at Jared.
"Are you sure that you want to do this?"- She says to him- "It could be dangerous! For both of us!"
Jared smiles again.
"I have gone too far to be scared of a group of bandits! Large or not, they shall feel my wrath. The hand of Justice will not spare them!"- He says- "You should not worry about this anymore, Meggy. If those vagabonds try to harm you, I will make them pay for their crimes. Jared Kaos is always eager to protect everyone from the clutches of evil, no matter how impossible it may seem."
Aleks nods.
"So will I."- He adds- "I am eager to hunt criminals like them!"
Tears start to fall from Meggy's eyes. Unable to keep her emotions under control anymore, she starts to cry tears of joy.
"Thank you. Jared, Mr. Kaos."- She says- "I've got to admit. At first, I didn't trust you. Deep within, I thought that you would just send me away. But now, I feel different. I see you as my dear friends, people whom I would protect with my life and stay assured that they will do the same."
She smiles.
"The people of Lokia were right about you."- She adds- "You really are a righteous family."
Having finished their conversation, the three of them walk outside. There, Aleks starts to head towards the city hall.
"I have some important things to settle."- He says- "Take care, children."
He waves at them as he walks away.
Jared and Meggy start to walk on the nearby road. They notice that there are no cars driving on it.
It seems like Paris has not recovered from the war. Yet.
Meanwhile, Jared notices a nearby policeman who seems to be looking for something. He recognizes him as the man from whom Meggy borrowed a gun... but seemingly forgot to return.
He takes the gun from her pocket, heads to the policeman and hands it to him.
"Here is your gun, sir."- He says to him- "On behalf of my friend, I am very sorry for the inconvenience that we may have caused."
The policeman smiles and puts the gun in his pocket. He shakes Jared's hand.
"Thanks, kid."- He responds- "Good job back there. We never thought that we would win this war, but you saved us again!"
Jared smiles.
"I am glad that I helped, sir."- He says and starts to walk away- "Farewell."
The policeman waves at Jared as he leaves with Meggy.
"You know what?"- Meggy says- "I think that you saved my life back at the residence."
Jared raises his eyebrow.
"How so?"
Meggy smiles.
"Well. For example, if you hadn't caught that arrow, it would have killed me for sure. It was aimed at my heart and ready to take my life away."- She continues- "But then, you jumped in the air and caught it! Mid-air! With your bare hands!"
Jared smiles back.
"It was nothing!"- He responds- "For a hero who is determined to keep his allies safe, nothing is impossible!"
Meggy nods.
"Okay. I'll say it."- She says- "I'm not holding back anymore."
She takes a deep breath and says:
"You're a cool kid."
Jared raises his eyebrow. Then, he smiles.
"Well."- He responds, keeping the smile on his face- "If you say so, then it is true."
Meggy grins.
"Sure thing!"- She says.
The two of them watch as the sun starts to descend.
"Your friends and family are awesome."- Meggy says- "I wish I had such loyal allies by my side!"
Jared smiles.
"I am sure that your friends are also great."- He says- "Anyway, we will meet them again soon. I am sure that you will get along with them."
He turns around and looks at the sunset again.
"So."- He says to Meggy- "Shall we begin our adventure?"
Meggy smiles.
"Be my guest!"
Without saying another word, Jared starts to move forward. Meggy does the same.
Soon, the two of them are on their way towards the sunset.
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And so, the war between the Humans and the barbaric Slithzerikai has finally ended. Jared has managed to defeat yet another, dangerous foe. He has also befriended a new ally, known as Meggy- a young girl with a dark past that has kept her going for years.
Even though it is clear that disaster has been averted, this certainly does not mean that evil has been truly defeated. Somewhere in the shadows, there is still an enemy, patiently waiting for a moment of weakness. A time when the world would be weak, divided and dependent on its heroes. A time when they can finally make their move.
But this does not mean that the world will fall without fighting back! As long as there are heroes fighting for the right side, there will always be brave souls who will protect the innocents with their lives. A ray of hope that will never be eradicated, no matter how hard its enemies try to do so.
As long as there are heroes in this world, there is still hope.