MLII C3, ExP 10.1- "A Light In The Darkness"

"A Light In The Darkness" is an Extra Part for Chapter III of "Miracula Luxia II". Its events date shortly after the end of the Chapter's first Episode and act as a Sequel to it.
It was released on 10.01.2021.
== Plot ==
After a long journey back to where they started, Jared and his allies return to the city of Paris, searching for our hero's family- some of the people who will be brave enough to join our party on such a perilous journey.
Unfortunately, Fate has other plans for our heroes. Instead of simply finding Jared's family and defeating Rentar-Ihrno, now they have to reunite the whole family and try to defeat the evil Crystal Soul with severe flaws in their team.
The journey until now has been quite a struggle. But now... it is a literal nightmare come true.
And the only way out of this nightmare... is to deep delve into it without any fear.
== Story ==
Hours of hiking through the mountains in the area near the city of Paris have allowed our heroes to escape the evil Vahnatai who have been waiting for them at the bottom.
Now at a high vantage point, they use this rare opportunity to strike all of them down with their ranged weapons.
It is tough to hit such nimble creatures, though. Their long feet allow they to easily escape their enemies' attempts to kill them, no matter if it is in melee of from farther away. However, unlike them, our heroes have something which has the potential to overcome even the greatest of threats...
Dedication.
Searching for a moment of weakness, they continue shooting at them, knowing that a flaw will show up in their fighting style.
Eventually, their theory proves to be correct. The Vahnatai begin to get tired, more and more so as they try to evade the arrows that are being shot at them.
Soon, they fall to their knees. And then...
Some of the stray shots pierce through their fragile bodies.
One by one, all of them go down, leaving no survivors behind.
Our heroes look around, making sure that the battle does not attract more Vahnatai. Fortunately, their luck from before is still intact.
The area around the mountain is now quiet. Eerily so. There are no sounds coming from the creatures who live here. No sound from the wind.
To the four of them, this place feels like a graveyard.
Matthew sits on the ground, exausted.
"I know my former allies very well... "- He mumbles- "... but I didn't know that they are this nimble!
Jared sighs and pats the boy on the shoulder.
"Remember, every enemy has its pros and cons that can make them very dangerous for us."- He says- "But there is one thing in common that they all share, whether they are aware of it or not.
Matthew raises his eyebrow. He seems interested in what Jared has to say.
Seeing that the boy is showing interest, our hero continues:
"No matter how strong they are, their greatest flaw eventually shows up. And that is the fact that nobody is undefeatable."
John nods.
"Jared's right."- He says, confirming his best friend's statement- "Everybody has their moments of weakness, even us- the heroes. But, if you are indeed a true warrior... you will always stand up and continue fighting for what's right."
"They may laugh at you, insult you, call you weak and incompetent."- Jared continues- "But you keep on fighting and soon, they find out that your soul cannot be tainted by their words. And this, my friend, is what separates dedicated people like us- people with a purpose in their minds, a purpose that they wish to fulfill, even if it means that they must fact their certain demise from cowards like them- creatures who are mindlessly serving their maddened leader and trying to make this world a better place for their own kind and a misery for those who were responsible for the "crime"... although they do not know that they are already one feet down into the grave."
Now Matthew seems to be intrigued by his new friend's words. He listens with clear interest.
"Care to elaborate?"- He asks him.
Jared smiles, packs his things and begins to get off the mountain.
"Their destiny has already been chosen when they were foolish enough to attack the good people of this world."- He responds- "They are trying very hard to escape from it, but the truth is that they are only getting closer and closer to it."
He looks back at Matthew.
"And when that day comes, the day when all of them will pay for the crimes that they committed against us, we will play a song for them."
Matthew's eyes light up.
"A song?"- He says- "What kind of song?"
Jared smiles again.
"A song of Requiem."- He says, but does not elaborate.
Having said everything to his friends, our hero carefully climbs down, his friends joining him not long after.
After a few more hours of making their way past small hills and Vahnatai scouting parties, they finally reach the city of Paris.
There, they find out that there are many members of the enemy party roaming the streets, waiting for their enemies to arrive. They are taken by surprise when Jared attacks them.
Seeing their friend's plan, Jared's allies decide to do the same.
Soon, the battle in joined by countless enemies who try to kill our heroes.
Unfortunately for them, this is their worst day. And their unluckiest as well.
With a few swift swings from Demonslayer, Jared parries the Vahnatai's attacks and easily slays fifteen of them, leaving a huge flaw in the army.
A flurry of very powerful blows allows John to kill ten of them.
Due to his innate knowledge of the Vahnatai and their most crucial weaknesses, Ghall-Ihrno takes the enemy by surprise and manages to shorten their army by twelve units.
Matthew watches the enemies' movement patterns carefully, searching for a moment of weakness. When he does, he strikes them down without even giving them a chance to fight back, thus managing to make eight of them pay for their crimes.
And so, our heroes manage to defeat 45 enemies.
Seeing that many of them keep coming for the heroes, Jared finally loses his composure.
John sees this immediately and tries to help his friend out.
"Jared, no!"- He yells- "Think about the damage that you will do! It will be irreversible!"
Jared turns to look at his best friend and smiles.
"It is too late, John."- He says- "Trust me, this is for the best."
Unable to do anything else, John takes a few steps back and watches as his friend unleashes one of his most powerful moves- Angelic Overdrive.
Just as his enemies realize what he is doing and try to kill them, Jared finishes the holy chant that will defeat them.
"May the rain of Heaven provide peace and prosperity to our allies, those hurt by the actions of others, irresponsible fools."- He mumbles- "And play the song of Requiem to those wicked souls who turn away from the right path on their own foolish accord."
He angrily looks at the evil Vahnatai, his eyes glowing pure white.
"And now, let the gates of Heaven open to repel the fiends from our world!"
Without thinking twice, he casts the spell, shooting a huge beam of light at his enemies, managing to kill a large amount of them and leaving others wounded.
As they regain their senses, they look around. Seeing most of their allies dead, they scream and try to run away.
Unfortunately, Jared has set a trap for them that activates as soon as the survivors try to move away. When they do, they cannot help but feel the rumbling beneath their feet.
Soon, a massive hole opens beneath them, swallowing them and returning to its original state moments later.
Once he realizes that every enemy in the city is dead, Jared reverts back to his original form and falls to his knees. This sudden rush of adrenaline within his body was just the thing that he needed to turn the tables of this endless battle, but every powerful move also has a price.
And this one has taken quite a toll on him.
John rushes to his best friend's aid, carefully helping him to stand up.
At this moment, Jared's body finally gives in to the fatigue. He falls unconscious in John's arms.
"J-Jared?"- John says, concerned by what is happening to Jared- "Jared!"
He turns to Ghall-Ihrno.
"We need to find his family."- He says to him- "And fast!"
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A few hours later, Jared opens his eyes and looks around. He sees his grandfather and his sister watching over him.
"I-is... is this true?"
Seeing that Jared is finally awake, his family steps forward and hugs him.
"We thought that you were gone forever!"- Marinette says to him- "Such a powerful move could have killed you in an instant!"
Jared raises his eyebrow.
"What... do you mean?"
Lethal looks around and sighs.
"The move that you used, Angelic Overdrive... is one of the rarest moves that users of the Light element can conjure against their enemies."- He responds- "In other words, you are one of the lucky few."
Jared looks down.
"But... why?"- He mutters- "Why am I destined to use such a powerful move?"
Marinette sighs.
"Dear brother, it seems like you have a more important role in this predicament that we thought."- She says- "This is why the Vahnatai have been trying to capture you- to use your newfound power against your own allies."
Lethal nods and looks at his grandson.
"Jared, I want you to promise something to me."
Jared raises his eyebrow.
"Yes?"
Lethal sighs.
"I know that you're a strong and capable person, but I'm sure that you saw what happened when you used this move... and how it affected you."- He continues- "So please, try to conserve your energy and only use this move if you have no other options, as a last resort."
Jared sighs.
"And why do you want me to do that?"- He asks him- "You are one of the people who wants me to get stronger, to hone my skills with perfect precision."
Lethal looks down.
"It's just because I... I care about you, kiddo."
Jared raises his eyebrow.
"Ever since you were born, I vowed to keep you safe from those who would harm you in the future... and from your own mistakes."- Lethal continues- "But, when I had to leave our family, I... I felt weak. I felt useless and unable to act as a good grandfather. Someone who is supposed to give love to his family when no one else is able to."
He sighs.
"Now, I just want to be a good parental figure. To you... and your father. Nothing more than that."
Marinette smiles and hugs her grandfather.
"Grandpa, don't say that! Your actions are what kept us afloat for all this time."- She says- "For example, everyone in Paris is grateful because you kept us alive for all this time. You fought valiantly against those fiends, showed them that the Kaos family is more powerful that it seems and became a figure that everyone respects and loves. That's you grandpa. You're a hero."
Jared smiles.
"For all these years, I have been searching for a light that I couldn't reach when I was young. Talk to someone who truly means something to me, someone who always gives me a reason to move on and keep fighting."- He says- "And that someone is you, grandpa. Every good deed that I have done so far, every enemy that I defeated, every person in need that I helped... I owe it all to you. And I will keep fighting in your name, until this world is cleansed of all evil."
He stands up and looks at him, his eyes cold as ice.
"You wanted me to promise that I would never use such a powerful move unless it is really necessary. And I am sure that you would like to know my answer."- He continues- "Normally, I cannot promise anything to anyone without risking something that is important to me, but it is different when you ask me to do it."
He sighs.
"It it will make you feel better... very well. Your wish has been granted. I will try to find other ways out of a mess instead of using Angelic Overdrive. For the sake of making you happy."
Lethal smiles and stands up as well.
"Then let's go outside."- He says- "We have so much to talk about."
The three continue their conversation outside the Kaos residence where Lethal tells his grandson what happened to his father.
Jared gasps.
"W-wait a minute!"- He says- "Dad is... gone?"
Lethal nods.
"I'm afraid so."- He replies- "When the enemy invaded our city, something happened to your friend. Annie, if my memory serves me right."
Seeing that his grandson is even more horrified than before, Lethal hesitates to say the rest of this. However, Marinette looks at him coldly, as if she is saying "You owe him an explanation".
He sighs.
"A week after you and John left the city, Annie's attitude towards others... changed. She became more shy, even aggressive at times. And a week later... she mysteriously disappeared without a trace. We looked everywhere, left no stone unturned, but it was no use. She was long gone, somewhere far away from us."
"That's when your father said that it is better off if he went to Avernum to look for her, knowing that this is one of the few places where she might be. We tried to stop him, but his desire to find your friend was clear."
He sighs again.
"And that's why we let him go."- He finishes- "He's in Avernum now, still searching for Annie."
Jared wipes a tear from his eye.
"Annie! She... she must have left the city after our departure!"- He says to himself- "She thinks that I went in Avernum!"
"What about her father?"- He asks his father stoically- "Did you notify him about his daughter's sudden disappearance?"
Lethal nods.
"Almost as soon as your father left the city. He was traumatized by those events and felt guilty about it, but has been unable to do anything to help us out."
Marinette sighs.
"I don't blame him."- She says- "I would feel the same if my child disappeared. It's truly heartbreaking for all of us."
Jared looks up at the sky.
"Me and the others have been thinking about going to Avernum. We learned that Rentar-Ihrno's fortress is near the lands of old Fort Remote, well-hidden by the environment."- He says- "Maybe we can find dad and Annie on the way there, hopefully."
Lethal's eyes light up.
"Then let us come with you!"- He exclaims- "If you're going to fight Rentar-Ihrno, you need a lot of allies to back you up."
He looks at Marinette.
"And we are ready to help you defeat this monstrosity."
Marinette nods, completely agreeing with her grandfather's statement.
John steps forward and smiles.
"Actually, we came to Paris in order to find you and ask for your help in this assault."- He says- "You are the only people who know Jared better than us and are brave enough to fight a foe as powerful as that alien crystal!"
Lethal nods.
"Well, you found the right people for the job!"- He grins.
Then, just as suddenly, his eyes are filled with sadness and despair.
"Although... we might have a better chance if Jared's father was still here."
John puts his hand on Lethal's shoulder.
"Sir, do not lose hope yet!"- He says- "I know that Mr. Kaos is still alive and I will do whatever I can to bring him back to us. Along with Annie!"
Lethal looks up.
"I admire your bravery, John."- He says- "So few are the people whom I can trust to ensure the safety of my grandson. And you, my friend, are one of them."
Then, he looks at him. In a serious way.
"I hope that you have been taking good care of him."
John smiles.
"I have helped however, I could, but there is one fact that you're not aware of."- He continues- "Your grandson is now someone different. Someone who is capable of defending himself, as well as other people in need. He is a new ray of hope in this dark world and I hope that you see it like I do."
Lethal nods and turns to Jared.
"Well then."- He says- "Let's go to Avernum and reunite our team... once again!"
Jared nods and prepares to leave.
Just as they are at the gate that leads to the outskirts of Paris, John remembers something and lightly taps his best friend's shoulder.
"What is it, John?"- Jared asks him.
John sighs.
"I... I forgot something in my house. It's west of here."- He says- "Can you wait for me for... for a little bit?"
Jared sighs.
"I hope that whatever you have to do is important. We are going on a dangerous mission and I want you to focus."- He responds- "But if you want to do something so bad, go ahead. We will wait for you here."
Without wasting any time, John runs towards the house where the Pendragon family lives, at least until the war is over.
After ringing at the doorbell and telling Edward why he is here, the man calls for his daughter to come down the stairs.
Soon, Uma joins John downstairs and her father leaves them alone.
Now undisturbed by anyone, the two of them walk outside.
John lightly touches the girl's face, making her blush.
"You eyes are still so... mesmerizing."- He says- "Such passion, such determination. I've never seen anyone like you."
Uma looks at him.
"Hey, don't look at me like that!"- He says- "You're killing me solely with your stare!"
Uma takes John's hands in hers.
"Are you leaving again?"- She asks him- "I thought that you would stay for... for longer!"
John sighs.
"Forgive me. My best friend is going on an adventure. And I don't want to let you down."
He sighs again.
"I just wanted to let you know that I still care about you. That I will return."- He continues- "You can count on me."
Uma looks at him again.
"You may pretend that you still love that girl, John, but I know that it's otherwise."- She says- "And I still love you, ever since we met for the first time."
Yes. Even the most ignorant people can easily say that the relationship between Uma and her beloved is "Love at first sight". But is it the same for John?
Unable to keep his emotions under control, he carefully pulls her closer to him and hugs her.
"I love you too, Uma. But love is not a game."- He says- "I... I don't want to lose you. Not you, of all people."
"I'm afraid, Uma. I am afraid."
Uma smiles and blushes.
"No matter if I am dead or alive, I will always love you... John Braveheart."
Having made their point clear, the two of them kiss.
Moments later, John takes a step back and smiles.
"Thank you, Uma."- He says to her- "Thank you for giving me another reason to be here, for giving me the reason to continue fighting for those that I love so much."
Uma watches her beloved leave and smiles as well.
"Normally, priests like me are forbidden from falling in love."- She says to herself- "But this boy... he always shakes me off my feet. He makes me feel like he's always been here and that he will always be. It's a wonderful feeling, to say at the very least."
She looks at the sky and sees his face, smiling at her from above.
"I will miss you, John."- She says- "I will always miss you."
She looks at the house where she lives with her family.
"And I will always wait for you... until the day when you come back. The day when we can finally be together... forever."
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Having said goodbye to the person that he loves so much, John returns to his friends and joins them in their journey towards Avernum.
"I am sorry for taking your time, Jared."- He says to his best friend- "I know that time is of essence, but I-- "
"Shh."- Jared responds- "I understand. It was an important matter that you wanted to settle. You have nothing to worry about."
John smiles.
"Thank you... for giving me a chance. Like you always have."
Jared smiles back.
"It is my pleasure, my friend."- He says and takes another step forward.
And so, the adventure begins. Our adventurers shall soon arrive in Avernum- the land of broken hopes and dreams, hoping to find the whereabouts of Jared's father and Annie, as well as Rentar-Ihrno.
This will be a difficult task for them, but they will never give up. They will keep fighting for the good of everyone, even when the odds are against them. It is what heroes do, the sacred duty that motivates them in moments of despair.
It is time for them to make a difference, one that will be a light in the darkness. Because even the darkest shadow has a single mote of light and hope within it. The question is whether you will look for it hard enough.
Onward!