Peace

"Our Jason...is a ghost?" Mrs. Forest asked with concern clearly written on her face.

"Yes. He was found by our leader, Tom, in the halls at night. He was roaming around looking for you, though he has had some trouble remembering things," Derek replied.

"How could this happen?" Mr. Forest asked.

"With the integration of the System and the introduction of magic, it appears that if someone dies under great duress or with severe regrets, it can cause the spirit to cling to this world. Desperation drives the soul to stay to find the peace that it longs for. We think that reuniting you will give him that final peace. It's also a time for you to say goodbye and let him know that you will be okay without him here," Derek explained.

"But...I don't know that we can ever be okay without him. He was our only child," Mrs. Forest said."

"I know it may feel that way, but if he stays here too long, he could turn into a monster and attack others in the guild, and we would be forced to destroy him. I don't know what that means for his soul, but it can't be good. Making peace with him is what is needed. It's a natural part of life to say your goodbyes and let them go. I've had to do that with family and friends who I didn't think I could live without during my time in the military, so I can understand your feelings," Derek said to them, bowing his head as he remembered friends who never made it back from deployment.

"I'm sorry. You're right. It's just like the wound we thought was healing was just opened back up." Mr. Forest said.

"I can completely understand that. We never intended for this to cause you any more sorrow. But not many people get a chance to say goodbye like this. The chance to say all the things you wanted to before. To make peace with knowing you will lose him and were robbed of before." Derek said, a tear begging to form in his own eye. "So, take this opportunity to end things in the way you would have wanted to if you had another chance. Because you won't get another one."

Both parents sat in silence as they watched Derek. Each one knew that this was a rare opportunity that most who miss it dream of until the day they pass. Their hearts broke at that moment, filled with sorrow and joy in almost equal measure.

"Thank you, Derek. We know what this means, and we will be sure not to squander the opportunity it presents." Mrs. Forest said, tears beginning to fall as she spoke.

"We're just happy to find you and to give you this chance as well as keep the people living here safe," Derek replied, feeling the burden of their pain as he had when his fellow military members had died to keep their families safe.

"Can we see him?" Mrs. Forest asked.

"Yes. Come with me, and I'll take you to him."

Tom and Jason had talked the entire time the rest of the team was away. Hours had passed and they shared stories from their lives to keep each other's company. Jason told what he could remember, and Tom filled in the rest of the time with his own memories.

He opened up in a way he almost felt he hadn't with even his teammates, admitting to how he had felt when his parents had passed, all those times people had made fun of him or put him down, and even some of his feelings about his identity as a person.

When that had gotten too heavy, Tom changed the subject to talk about his adventures after the integration. Jason's attention was completely captured by these stories, and he asked many questions about the monsters and treasures they had found.

"Wait, bunnicorns?" Jason asked.

"Yeah, cute little white rabbits with a horn on their forehead like a unicorn. They just charged at us like we weren't a threat. Vicious little creatures that would bite and claw at you before they tried to stab you with their horn. They were truly terrorizing the town." Tom explained, now sitting on the floor leaning up against a wall.

"So, what happened?"

"As they approached the town, we stood in their way and began killing them in any way we could. Did you know that bunnicorns squeak when they die?"

"What?"

"Yup. Like a dog toy. I almost burst out laughing at the first one. Then one of them bit me in the leg, and I stopped laughing."

Jason began to laugh out loud, holding his stomach as he guffawed at Tom's descriptions.

"And I bet James was having a blast,"

"He was horrified. The entire world was this cute, cuddly place, and here we were, trying to stop some kind of senseless violence from the most adorable monsters you've ever seen. And then, one of them ended up poking him in the butt with its horn!"

At the end of the hall, the elevator dinged as it reached the floor they were on. Slowly, the doors opened, and people looked out into the hallway. Seeing Tom and Jason sitting halfway down the way, they stepped out slowly.

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"Jason?" Mrs. Forest said in a low voice, as though she couldn't believe what she was seeing.

Turning to the new voice, Jason looked at her for a moment before realization seemed to dawn on him.

"Mom?" Jason whispered at first, then he yelled, "MOM!"

Flying down the hallway, Jason wrapped his ethereal arms around her and hugged her tight, seeming to be able to control his ability to pass through objects much better than before. They stayed there for what seemed like a long time.

"My precious boy. I love you so much." Tears ran down Mrs. Forest's face freely as she lingered in the embrace, falling to her knees to hold him fully.

Mr. Forest knelt by them as well to wrap his arms around the pair as the family sat in that moment. Tom felt tears stinging his own eyes at seeing the scene. Looking at the others who had joined them, Tom saw that there wasn't a dry eye to be seen. Kiera, Jay, Brian, and Derek were all beginning to cry at the scene as well.

The heart wrenching moment continued on for almost ten minutes before Jason interrupted it.

Jason asked his parents, "Have you met my friend, Tom? He's super cool!"

"We have, honey. He's such a good man," Mrs. Forest replied.

"I'm so glad you found me. I was looking everywhere for you, but you weren't where you left me, so I came here. Why did you leave?" Jason asked.

"Oh, baby, we didn't have a choice. We tried to dig you out, but the building had collapsed, and the pieces were too heavy to move. You know you died, right, sweetie?" Mrs. Forest asked.

"Yeah, I know. But since I came back, I wanted to find you. I love you." Jason replied.

"I love you too, baby. But...since you died, we have to let you go. you aren't meant to be here anymore." Mrs. Forest spoke softly as she caressed his head.

"But I wanna stay with you," Jason looked a little hurt at her words.

"I know you do, Jason. And I want nothing more in this world than to have you with me. But when we die, we change. This world isn't meant for our spirits. We live in a shell that lets our spirits grow until it's time to move on to the next part of our journey. It's why our bodies die. Our spirits go on forever, and they need to be protected until they are ready. Your spirit was so strong that it was ready before ours." Mrs. Forest began.

"You see, Dad and I are still working on growing our spirits. It's just going to take us longer. But one day, when our bodies die, we will join you again when our spirits are as strong as yours. Until then, we need you to make sure that the next part of our lives is ready for us. So, you can be at peace. If you can't do that, then your spirit will go bad, like when you leave food out for too long."

"My spirit will go bad?" Jason asked.

"Think of it like a jug of milk. Where does milk go?"

"In the fridge,"

"And what happens when you leave milk on the counter?"

"It turns yucky and goes bad,"

"That's right. Our spirits are the same way. If we leave them out where they don't belong, they go bad. I know this is hard, and we just want to be together, but you need to be where you belong for now."

"Do I really have to?" Jason asked, looking up at his dad.

"Yeah, bud. Your mom's right. This place isn't right for just your spirit. But we will come when our spirits are done growing," Mr. Forest managed to choke out the words as he looked at his son.

"When?" Jason asked.

"Before you know it," Mrs. Forest said, touching a finger to her son's nose. "You'll see. Plus, in heaven, there are so many things to do that you won't even miss us. You'll be having fun, and suddenly, we'll be with you again."

"What kind of fun things?"

"If you can imagine it, then it's there. It's the greatest place that ever existed. Nothing is impossible there." Mrs. Forest said.

Jason stared in wonder at her words, "Nothing is impossible. That sounds awesome!"

"It really is, baby. Now, even though we have to say goodbye, for now, it's not forever. You'll see; we'll be together again before you know it. Can you be brave for me and go make sure heaven is ready for us?" Mrs. Forest asked. "Can I trust you with that very important mission?"

"Yes," Jason said simply, smiling at his mother.

"Good. I love you so much, and I'm going to miss you." Mrs. Forest said, drawing Jason in for another long tight hug.

"I love you too, Mom."

As they sat there, holding their son, the boy began to fade, not as he had when he was scared, but his body changed before their eyes. Tiny motes of light began to appear within his ghostly body and then floated off as though on a gentle breeze. When the last light winked out, Mr. and Mrs. Forest looked at the empty space between them. They embraced each other again and let their feelings flow freely.

"I'll see you again too, Jason. Then I want to go on an adventure with you." Tom whispered as he watched the parents mourning the loss of their child for a second time.