So, did I keep you guys in suspense after that last chapter? Good, because it's time for the payoff to some things I've been building towards for months!

An eerie silence had fallen on everyone as they took in everything they just heard. First, there was Brittney Wong's rant towards Marcia as she tried to tear her down in every way possible while calling her things that barely stopped short of "slut". That prompted a few hushed whispers between teenagers, but the moment they heard Comet speak, all talking ceased as they all looked on in shock. No one had ever talked back to Brittney Wong like that. Many people wanted to, but everyone was so afraid of her power and influence that they didn't dare say anything. Yet Comet Dragonfly had gone ahead and done just that.

For her part, Brittney stood there, her mouth hanging open, as she tried to understand what she just heard come out of the Prince's mouth. It was unheard of; no one had ever spoken to her like that before. Not the teachers, not other teenagers, not even her parents! She had no idea how to process something like this. All she could do was dumbly ask Comet, "What?"

Comet narrowed his eyes at the heiress. "You heard me. I told you to shut the fuck up already!"

For the first time that night, Brittney found herself getting angry, not at Marcia but Comet himself. She opened her mouth to say something, but Comet immediately cut her off.

"What in the Sevens Hells makes you think you can say those things about Marcia? All those hateful, disgusting things? What possible excuse could you have to call her a floozy? And more importantly, what gives you the right to say that she's not good enough to be my friend? Or to tell me who I should be friends with in the first place?

"Well, obviously, someone has to!" Brittney indignantly riposted, "As a Prince, you shouldn't be spending time with those beneath you when you could spending time with someone like me!"

If Brittney thought that this statement would get through to Comet, she was in for a rude awakening. Instead, the fires of anger that were already lit inside him began to burn out of control.

"Then you're just like them," Comet muttered so quietly that only Marcia could hear what he just said as she kept trying to stand up, only for a wave of nausea to send back down.

"Pardon?" Brittney asked.

"So, in other words, you think that because I'm a Prince, I should listen to what others have to say about how I live my life?"

"Well, obviously. After all, don't they have your best interests at heart?"

"Best interests, huh? So I'm supposed to believe that and let them tell me how to dress, what activities I should partake in, how I should speak, who I should be spending my time with? And all the while, never question why I'm being told all these things in the first place? Is that what you're saying?" Comet posited. He sounded calm on the surface, but Marcia could tell by how he was shaking that he was barely keeping his anger in.

"Well, I-"

"And that while I'm doing all of this, I should never stop to ask myself, 'hey, do these people really care about your well-being, or are they just telling me all these things because they want to make me into what they think a Prince should be like?' Or are they just trying to turn me into someone they can use as a stepping stone? Because that's what it comes down to, right? Power." Comet spat out that last with so much venom, one would think he was trying to verbally melt through solid steel. "You get in good with the future King of Mewni, and you're set for life. Maybe convince him to take one of your sisters or cousins or daughters as his Queen and become the mother to the next heir to the throne? Then you're set for generations to come. All the while never stopping to consider that maybe, just maybe, that's not what he wants for himself and that you're saying it's in his best interests to justify your own selfish ego. Did they ever consider that?"

"Wha-what the hell are you saying?" Brittney asked, now very nervous, unsure as to where the Prince was taking this, and, as much as she hated to admit it, a little scared.

"THAT YOU'RE ALL THE SAME!" Comet suddenly yelled, and, for a second, everyone listening shuddered in fear. They had never heard Comet yell at anyone, much less in anger. Even Brittney found herself stepping back in fear from this. "You think I'm stupid?" Comet continued to bellow in rage.

"You think I didn't know what you were trying to do tonight? All the flirting, clinging to me like I was wearing you, and the kiss? You were trying so hard to tempt me and win me over, and for what? So that you could enjoy the perks of having a Prince as your boyfriend? Because that would make you wealthier and more powerful than you already were?! Because I knew! My friends knew!" he railed as he pointed at his group of friends. "They said that was your plan right from the beginning! Marcia, and Jonah, and Jackson, and all the others had you pegged right from the start! But no matter how much I knew that they were right, I wanted to give you the benefit of the doubt. I wanted so desperately to believe that it wasn't going to be like that this time. That you were just trying to be nice and actually wanted to be my friend for the sake of it. But all you wanted was to use me, just like ALL THE OTHERS !" Comet then looked at Marcia and to the rest of his friends. For the briefest of moments, his face softened, and it felt as if he was trying to say something to them with his eyes: thank you. But as quickly as it came, it was gone, as Comet's face became hard as stone once more.

"You want to know why I hang out with Marcia and her friends? Because they don't see me as just Prince Comet, the ultimate meal-ticket to a rich and pampered life. They don't treat me differently because of who my parents are or what titles I have. To them, I'm just Comet, an incredibly awesome dude with an amazing fashion sense." Comet said with a hint of gratitude in his voice. "That's what real friends are like, which is something you'll never understand since you don't have any."

Brittney scoffed at this. "Of course I have friends! I'm the most popular girl in school!"

Comet crossed his arms and got a serious look on his face, clearly not believing this. "Really. Then name one person who doesn't hang out with because of your wealth and status."

"Well, there's Sabrina and Chantal-" she gave as examples, only to be met with long, uncharacteristically derisive laughter from Comet.

"Oh, that's rich! Everyone can see that Sabrina only follows you around because she's terrified of you. Chantal? The only reason she's so loyal is that she's pulling the same game you tried to pull with me tonight! You want to know who your real friend was?" Comet then pointed once more at Marcia. "She was: Marcia Diaz!"

A murmur began to rise from the crowd while Brittney gasped in a mixture of embarrassment and horror. She had buried her past with Marcia so well that virtually no one at Echo Creek even knew their friendship ever existed. Yet Comet had just made all her efforts for naught.

"Marcia was your best friend for years, but you chose to drive her away when you started to care more about your image and status. And that was about the dumbest decision you could ever make. Now everyone only spends time with you because of your money and influence. Take that away, and you're just a self-entitled, spoiled brat that no one will ever want to be friends with. You're all alone," Comet coldly told her. "So with all due respect, Miss Wong, fuck off, bitch." And with that, Comet turned around, walked over to Marcia, and lifted her to her feet. "Come on, Marcia; we're going home." Comet then pulled out his dimensional scissors and opened up a portal to the Diaz house. As he walked to the portal, supporting Marcia on his shoulders, he turned back to look at his group of friends, who had stood there silently as Comet verbally tore Brittney apart. "You guys coming or what?" Comet asked, no trace of his usual enthusiasm in his face.

Without a second of hesitation, Jackson, Jonah, Alfonso, Ferguson, Karla, and Kevin moved to join Comet, glaring at Brittney as they walked past the stunned girl into the portal. Once everyone went through, Comet looked at Brittney one last time. "Oh, and you can keep my present, by the way." And with that, Comet and Marcia left without another word.

Once the Prince and his group had left, the reality of what had just happened finally sank in.

"Are you proud of yourself now?" another voice shouted out. Brittney wheeled around to see Sabrina standing there, any signs of nervousness in her long gone. "All you wanted to do tonight was showing Comet how great Brittney Wong was. How she was the perfect match for him. Well, good job, you showed him who you really are: a shallow, self-centered, egotistical girl who'd rather throw all the blame on someone that let themselves get injured rather than let a person they once called friend get hurt!"

"Don't you dare take that tone with me, Sabrina!" Brittney yelled back.

"I'll speak to you however I want, and you know why? Because I'm done! I'm through taking orders from the likes of you! I QUIT!" And with that, Sabrina began to walk away from the head cheerleader and towards the unconscious bus driver.

"Quit? You can't quit on me. NO ONE SAYS NO TO BRITTNEY WONG!" Brittney shouted as she stood on the verge of losing everything she worked to attain.

In response, Sabrina looked back at her former leader and coldly told her, "I just did. Get used to it," and flipped her the bird.

As if that wasn't shocking enough, next Chantal came up to Brittney with a look of disappointment on her face. "For the longest time, I looked up to you. I thought that if I could do what you said, that one day I would get my chance to be like you and call the shots. But after tonight, I think I'd rather be like Marcia instead. I'm out." And with that, the brunette went to help Sabrina as she began to carry the bus driver to the hospital. A few of the other students got up and decided to help them, none of them looking back.

As Brittney looked around, desperately trying to find a friendly face amongst the party-goers. Instead, all she found were glares. Comet's words had lit a fire in everyone, made them see Brittney for who she was: a sad, pathetic little bully. And for the first time, they didn't feel afraid of her. One by one, everyone got up, dusted themselves off, and then left without another word. Brittney was all alone.

Alone.


When their daughter and Comet had left for Brittney Wong's birthday party, Mrs. Diaz was absolutely thrilled that they were going. Unlike her daughter, whose memories of Brittney had been jaded by years of being the subject to her mockery, Angie Diaz remembered how close they were. When the Wong's hired her to serve as a babysitter for their infant daughter all those years ago, it was Angie's idea to bring her own daughter along with her. She had hoped that the two would take a liking to each other and become good friends. And it worked; the two girls became inseparable together, running around the giant mansion and having fun as they explored their world.

In those days, Mrs. Diaz felt sure that the two would be best friends forever, which was a good thing, too. Even at a young age, Marcia had proven to be shy and cautious about things, often following the more confident and self-assured Brittney's lead. Secretly, Mrs. Diaz hoped that Marcia would develop more confidence in herself by following Brittney's example, while Brittney would have someone her age to play with inside the giant mansion.

Then came the day in third grade. Marcia had come home in tears, running past her concerned parents and locking herself in her room for hours. When they finally got her to come out, she told them that she and Brittney were no longer friends. Beyond that, she refused to say anything else, despite her parent's wanting to help their daughter. As the weeks went on and it became apparent that Marcia wasn't going to say anything, Angie and her husband decided to drop the subject.

Then Comet came home and told them that they'd been invited to Brittney's birthday party, and Mrs. Diaz's heart soared. She thought that maybe, just maybe, Brittney wanted to be friends with Marcia again. She even told her daughter that, only to get an incredulous stare. Even so, Mrs. Diaz felt optimistic. So, once her daughter left, she went to get her old photo album and sat on the couch as she reminisced about the good times the two girls had together while she waited for her daughter and their charge to return home.

It was now well into the night when Mrs. Diaz heard the doorbell ring. That must be Comet and Marcia! Mrs. Diaz jumped off the couch and went to open the door, eager to hear how things went at the party.

"Oh, Comet, Marcia! I'm so glad that you're-"

The remaining words died in Angie's mouth when she saw the state of the people at the door. Her daughter was leaning on Comet's shoulder, her clothes dirty and ripped in a few places, her face caked with blood that kept coming out of her nose, and one eye swollen shut and an ugly mixture of purple and red. Her friends weren't in better shape, either. Comet and the others were sporting scrapes and scratches all over their bodies, with Comet's outfit covered in dirt and sweat.

"Oh my god, Marcia!" Mrs. Diaz finally got herself to say. "Honey, quick, I need the first aid kit in the bathroom!" she called out to her husband, who was waiting in the kitchen. Raphael Diaz peered into the living room, and the moment he saw the state his daughter and her friends were in, he leapt out of his chair.

"DIOS MIO, WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU!?" He cried in anguish. Otherwise, he did as his wife told him and ran to the bathroom while Comet brought Marcia in and helped her over to the couch.

"Thanks, Comet. I can take it from here," Marcia said before she began to pinch her nose to impede the blood flow.

"Is it alright if we come in, Mrs. Diaz?" Karla asked as she fiddled with her keytar, something she tended to do when she was stressed. "Our friends need us right now."

"Oh yes, of course you can!" Mrs. Diaz said, inviting them in. Everyone gathered around Marcia and Comet as they took their seats on the ground, not wanting to take up any space.

Within moments, Mr. Diaz had returned with the first aid kit and got a good look at the state his daughter and friends were in. Now that both of them were together, Mrs. Diaz concluded it was time for explanations.

"What the heck happened at this party that left you all like this?" She asked, or rather, demanded. Comet and Marcia looked at each other, and then at their friends, before answering.

"It's kind of a long story, Mrs. Diaz," Comet solemnly said.


"...And after that, I opened up a portal to take us home, and here we are."

It had been a good twenty minutes since the group of friends had arrived at the Diaz family's home, and they had each taken turns explaining to Marcia's parents everything that happened at the party. How Brittney used it as an excuse to try and hook up with Comet. Ludo's attack and how Marcia got injured, and how Brittney tried to blame Marcia for everything. And most of all, they told them how Comet verbally tore Brittney to shreds.

Mr. and Mrs. Diaz just stood there, horrified that things had turned out like they did. Angie took it especially hard, though. She remembered how sweet Brittney was when she was little, and she had an idea of how bad things had gotten for her and Marcia. But for things to escalate to this level, to hear the words Brittney called Marcia shook her to her core.

I should have stepped in a long time ago, Angie somberly thought to herself as she felt the reassuring hand of her husband on her shoulder.

"Mi amor, I know that look on your face. You think that if you had done something earlier, then none of this would have happened," Raphael calmly told her. "That you could have kept things from falling apart so badly. But we can't keep focusing on the past."

"He's right, Mrs. Diaz," Comet said. "Maybe you could have done something to keep Marcia and Brittney's friendship from ending, but that doesn't change what happened. Brittney chose to end her bond with Marcia. She dug her own grave with her actions, and after tonight, everyone knows it. It's up to her whether or not she wants to fix things, but I doubt she'll bother Marcia anytime soon."

"I appreciate the sentiment, Comet, but after tonight, I'm not sure if there's anything left to salvage," Marcia regretfully noted. "And at this point, I'm not even sure if I would want to do anything."

"You never know, Marcia," Comet chose to say with a soft smile on his face. Meanwhile, Mr. and Mrs. Diaz felt nothing but gratitude towards the young man.

"Thank you, Comet. You are really are the best friend our daughter could ask for," Mrs. Diaz tearfully said.

"Hey, that's what friends are for," Comet said as his face beamed. However, the rest of his friends looked at each other and remembered what Comet had spoken as he verbally tore into Brittney.

"Say, Comet," Jonah spoke up, catching the Prince's attention. "About what you said to Brittney. Is it true?"

Comet looked a wee perplexed at this question. "Is what true?"

"Comet, we know that you weren't just saying all of those things about people using you for the sake of it," Ferguson remarked. "You were speaking from personal experience."

Marcia froze up a little. As far as she knew, Comet was the only one who had told her about what life was like for him on Mewni. It wasn't something that he would want to talk about so casually. She was about to speak up, to tell them that they shouldn't pry into Comet's personal life. But then she realized that she would be hypocritical since she wound up doing the same thing after their family trip to Mewni.

Comet seemed to pick up on her thoughts, though, and gave her a reassuring smile before turning to look at Jonah. "That obvious, huh?" he jokingly answered.

"Pretty much," Jonah said.

Seeing that there was no way out of this, Comet sighed. "I knew that this was coming, but it doesn't make it any easier for me."

Thus, for the next ten minutes, Comet told them everything he had told Marcia. How members of his extended family tried to force him to be their ideal version of a Prince. How they and many of the Nobles brown-nosed him in the hopes that they could use him to further their own goals. Above all, though, he explained how he refused to play their games and would be who he wanted to be. And how that led to him being more or less ostracized by a good part of Mewman high society.

"Wow. Just, wow," was all Ferguson could say.

"Dang, man. I had no idea," Alfonso muttered.

"No wonder you snapped at Brittney like that, dude," Jackson said sympathetically.

"Oh, Comet," Mrs. Diaz weakly cried out as she tried to keep herself from tearing up. "I'm so sorry you had to go through that."

"Well, you shouldn't be," Jonah commented, only to make everyone glare at him. "What? All I'm saying is that Comet chose not to let a bad situation like that break him. Instead, he chose to stand up for himself and be his own person. I respect that." Jonah said as he explained his rationale.

"Exactly, Jonah," Comet said, a soft smile creeping onto his face at the boy's understanding. "I've got no regrets about the choices I made because they made me who I am today: an incredibly handsome and super awesome guy with a great fashion sense." Everybody burst out laughing at this joke, and instantly, the room's mood became much lighter.

"Well, I don't care what anyone might say. You're not a failure as a Prince, Comet," Jackson was quick to say. "Sure, you can be reckless and irresponsible, but every time you've messed up, you step up and try to fix things."

"Like how you saved everyone at the Football Game and got us our first win in who knows how long!" Ferguson cheerfully reminded everyone.

"And how you helped me get Kevin under control," Karla chimed in as she strummed her keytar.

"And don't forget how you battled a bunch of pirates to save your friend!" Alfonso mentioned.

"Wait, what?" Ferguson asked in confusion.

"Long story, man," Jonah told him. "The point is, you've made our lives so much more fun since you got here, and you stick by your friend's side no matter what. That's more than I can say for Brittney."

"He's right, Comet. You've helped us in so many ways since you crashed into our lives, no pun intended," Marcia pointed out. "In fact, I think we might be closer than ever as friends. Those snooty Nobles don't know what the hell they're talking about!" Everyone then pulled Comet in for a group hug, making him smile as Angie and Raphael looked on.

"So, what do we do now?" Comet asked.

"We should probably head out and let our parents know that we're alright." Karla proposed.

"Or, we could head up to my room, play Smash Bros Ultimate, and have an impromptu sleepover," Comet suggested.

"YEAH!" Everyone cried out. And so, after calling their respective families to let them know that they were safe, the group of teenagers wound up playing Smash Bros in Comet's room well into the night. Soon, all the party's stress and worries faded away while their bonds of friendship grew ever stronger.


It took Brittney about an hour and a half, but at last, she managed to make her way home, her dress torn up in various places from the party and catching on branches and rocks as she walked home. As she approached the front door to the Wong family's sizable mansion, she numbly knocked on the door, hoping that one of her parents would end up answering. To her dismay, she was met by one of the servants that her father hired to take care of the mansion while he and his wife were on business trips. The servant went to greet her, only to stop when they saw the state that she was in.

"Miss Wong, are you alright?" She wasn't sure who had asked her that, but she didn't acknowledge them.

"Are my parents home, by any chance?" she asked.

"I'm afraid not, Miss Wong. They could not finish their business trip in time and told me that they regret not being home to celebrate your birthday. However, your father hopes that your party was a success,"

"Thank you," Brittney numbly said. "I'm going to bed. No disturbances." With that, Brittney quietly shuffled up the stairs to her room as the house's staff looked on in confusion.

"This is not normal, is it?" One of the newer staff members whispered to another, more experienced maid.

"No. Usually, she comes home whining about something that went wrong in her life. Something tells me that tonight she got a long-overdue reality check." None of the other servants said anything, with everyone scattering to continue performing their duties.

When Brittney got to her large and rather opulent bedroom, she locked the door and slumped to the ground in front of her bed. All through the walk home, Comet's words rang inside her head; no one had ever talked to her like that before.

Marcia was your best friend for years, but you chose to drive her away when you started to care more about your image and status. And that was about the dumbest decision you could ever make.

Brittney struggled to keep herself together as she looked at the present that Comet had given her that night. It was the only thing that she chose to salvage from the bus's wreckage. Why, though, she didn't know; she pretty much burned any bridges with Comet. For a moment, part of her wanted to simply throw it away out of shame, but she couldn't help herself. She carefully began to remove the wrapping paper before gasping at what was inside: a photo.

It was a simple photo, now encased in an elaborately decorated frame made out of wood and adorned with many symbols and imagery. It looked beautiful, like something that would take a master craftsman months to create or a few seconds with magic. What caught Brittney's eye the most, though, was not the frame but the photo itself. Sitting in the center was an old photograph of her and Marcia as toddlers, playing in a sandbox together at Echo Creek's park.

Brittney vaguely remembered what happened that day. Marcia had been trying to build a sandcastle when a group of older boys came and ruined it, making her cry. In response, Brittney came over and gave them a tongue-lashing so fierce that they promised to never make fun of Marcia again. After that, Brittney helped Marcia build an even bigger castle, and before long, the two of them were laughing and smiling together.

As Brittney thought once more about what Comet said, she saw there was something written on the frame. Embossed in gold letters was a phrase: "Once a friend, always a friend." And just like that, something inside of Brittney cracked. She played back the events that transpired earlier that night, and she knew that Comet was right about her. She had pushed away the only real friend that she ever had.

"Some friend you turned out to be, you bitch." Brittney closed her eyes as she felt tears begin to stream down her face and laid there on the ground, utterly abandoned.


When school started up the next week, Comet and Marcia stuck close together as they entered Echo Creek Academy's front door. The weekend had seen most of the bruising around Marcia's eye fade away, but she had still had some minor discoloration and couldn't fully see out of it yet. Fortunately, it looked worse than it actually was, so Marcia figured it would only be a day or two before it went away altogether.

As the two continued to walk down the hallway, they saw that everyone was looking at them or speaking in hushed whispers. As they soon learned, word had spread about what happened at the party via social media, and now, every student in Echo Creek knew about it. How Comet had made Brittney's normally lame parties actually fun. That he and his friends heroically saved everyone when a bunch of Monsters tried to hijack the bus. And above all, they knew how Comet had the chimichangas to do what no one else did and stand up to Brittney. Any concerns the two (mainly Marcia) may have had about everyone seeing them differently proved unfounded, as people began to flash the two the peace sign as they walked by before some started to cheer for them. It wasn't long before everyone came up and thanking them for what they did at the party.

This wasn't an isolated event, either. The two teens got texts on their phones from their friends around the school, saying that everyone was getting the same reaction from the student body. Alfonso and Ferguson had even gotten a few phone numbers from girls, much to Marcia's disbelief.

Once the two had made it to Comet's locker, they were met with a big surprise as Sabrina stood there, waiting for them.

"Comet! Marcia! You're okay!" Sabrina happily said before hugging the two.

"Of course we are, Sabrina. It's going to take more than a bus crash to take us down!" Comet happily joked. Sabrina then blushed as she realized what she just did and quickly broke off the hug.

"You sure seem happy, Sabrina. I was worried that Brittney would take everything out on you after we left," Marcia admitted.

"Nope. In fact, seeing Comet stand up to her gave me the courage to do the same. And after that, everyone decided that they were fed up with Brittney and walked out on her. We're free, and it's all thanks to Comet!"

"There's no need to thank me, Brittney," Comet said in response. "I only said what she needed to hear. It will be up to her to decide whether or not she wants to use this opportunity to better herself." As Comet mulled over what came out of his mouth, he suddenly gasped. "Oh, no. I'm turning into my Dad!" he whined before deliberately slumping against his locker in an overly-dramatic fashion.

Marcia and Sabrina laughed at the boy's reaction. "There, there, Comet. How about after school, we go to the Bounce Lounge and help you get the zaniness out of your system. Doesn't that sound fun?"

"Yes," Comet admitted.

"Oh, yeah, I'm here for another reason," Sabrina remembered. "Marcia, Brittney just stepped down as the head of the Spirit Committee."

"What?! Are you for real?!" Marcia gasped in astonishment.

"Yep. She resigned over the weekend. After that, she stopped using her social media accounts; she's off the grid."

"Wow. I never thought I'd see the day," Marcia muttered in surprise.

"At any rate, the Spirit Committee needs someone to take over as head cheerleader," Sabrina continued to explain. "And after talking amongst ourselves, we want you to do it."

"Wait, me? Why me?" Marcia asked in surprise.

"Because you were always the one who spoke out against whatever crazy idea Brittney might have had. Not to mention that you're smart, pretty, and a capable leader. We think you would be perfect!"

Marcia shook her head. "Sorry, Sabrina, but I don't think I'm cut out for head cheerleader. I've already got my hand's full babysitting Comet every day."

"She's not wrong! I have to be watched very carefully!" Comet hollered.

"Besides, I was thinking of taking a hiatus from being a cheerleader." Marcia then put a hand on Sabrina's shoulder. "But I think you would be perfect for this position, Sabrina."

At this suggestion, Sabrina felt her shyness start to return. "I don't know, Marcia. I'm not sure I'm meant to be leadership material."

"Sabrina," Marcia began. "You've followed Brittney around for years and have helped her run the Spirit Committee all that time. You know what to do and how to do it. And as an added bonus, this could do wonders for your confidence.

"That's...true," Sabrina admitted. "You know what, I'm going to do it!"

"That's the spirit, Sabrina!" Marcia encouraged her fellow cheerleader.

"Thanks, Marcia! I'm going to go tell everyone the news. I'll talk to you guys later!" And with that, Sabrina happily ran off in another direction.

"You know, I don't think I've ever seen look so happy before," Marcia cheerfully noted before looking down at the still moping Comet. "You gonna come out of your heroic Blue Screen of Death yet, or should I just leave you there to mope?" Marcia playfully teased.

"Nah, I'm good. I'm over it," Comet said as he stood back up. "I'm just glad that everyone's taken all these events in stride."

"Hey, Comet, did you mean what you said just now, about Brittney? That she could change for the better?" Marcia hesitantly asked.

"Yeah, Marcia. I mean, if she was nice to be friends with you once, then maybe she has it in her to learn how to do so again," Comet casually told her. "That's why I went along with everything at the party: because I hoped it meant Brittney would give your friendship a second chance."

Marcia sighed before smiling. "Thanks for that, Comet. But I doubt I'll be able to forgive Brittney just like that," she said while snapping her fingers for emphasis.

"You never know, Marcia. You never know," Comet said as he looked at the sunny California sky.

Unbeknownst to either of them, they were being watched from afar. Peering out from behind a row of lockers was Brittney Wong, now clad in a pink tracksuit. She wore sunglasses to hide her eyes and had the hood for the sweater pulled over her head to obscure her face. And she had heard everything that the two had just said. She wanted to go over there, to say something, anything, to them. But she couldn't find the courage in her to do so. Instead, she just looked on sadly at the two before walking off in another direction, her head hanging down.

*In Jay's Workspace, Jay is finishing watching the events of the chapter on a giant projector, casually sipping on a cup of Chick-Fil-A diet lemonade that magically refills. Satisfied with how things turned out, he turns around in his swivel chair to see Omnitraxus, TFS Nappa, Janna, Kermit the Frog, Spongebob Narrator, and Devil Artemis Kermit the Frog on a giant couch, mouths agape at what happened.*

Jay: So, uh, what did you guys think of the "Brittney's Party" arc?

*DA Kermit's the first to recover*

DA Kermit: Holy shit, that was intense.

TFS Nappa: Yeah. I think that was some of the best storytelling you've ever done, Jay. And I should know, because I'm a producer for Team Four Star. I'm literally paid to oversee cinematic storytelling, so I know my shit.

DA Kermit: Yeah, and the way Comet blew up at Brittney! No cap, I did not see that coming!

Spongebob Narrator: I did not even know Comet was capable of getting angry like that.

Janna: Seriously? Jay's been hinting that he can get that mad in the story several times now. Remember how mad he was about Aqua being kidnapped?

Omnitraxus: And don't forget his reaction to Tywin hitting on Marcia, and what he told her when they got back from their trip to Mewni.

SN: Those are good points, actually.

Kermit: Facts. So, Jay? Did you always mean for this to happen or what?

Jay: This was my plan from the beginning. I knew that I wanted the end to Brittney's Party to carry the same weight that it did in Wandering Hippie's story, but I wanted to do it in a different direction. Hence, instead of Comet breaking down, I had him tear Brittney to shreds.

TFS Nappa: Yeah, he basically destroyed her social life. I wouldn't be surprised if we don't see her again for a while.

Jay: You never know, Nappa. Well, I know since it's my story, but I'm not saying anything. Besides, all I care about is that the readers liked it. Speaking of which, it's time to respond to more

READER'S REVIEWS

LockandKey989-Short, but pretty accurate.

Lord of the Storm-To quote TFS' Alucard, "Nailed it like the f***ing Romans!" And between you and me, I think Team Four Star did a better job with Hellsing Ultimate than the official dub did. I had to include it! I actually forgot I included it, though, so you get a shoutout!

Also, this won't be my last four-parter arc in this story. I've got plenty more where that came from.

FungusDungus000-Hey, you're the Maroon-Ni guy! How's it going? Hope you like my story, and that you keep coming back. Also, congrats on getting two out of the three references!

95-NOOO, YOU KILLED MY BLUE-EYES WHITE DRAGON, LOL! Yu-Gi-Oh! was my first official anime after Pokémon. Too bad 4Kids made it impossible for me to watch as a grown-up.

SammieQ-Hey, you took my advice, Sammie! Thank you! Also, I never said I was going to fully copyGame of Thrones. If I have my way, though, I'm going to be taking some of the best elements from that show (and some others that I love) and incorporating them into this to make him cooler. Using awesome stuff as a springboard is my whole deal.

Also, here was Brittney's reality check.

Raises1005118- You can thank my friend, Tassji S, on Instagram for the artwork. She makes gender-bent artwork for Star vs. along with many other ideas, and she was nice enough to let me use this for my story.

And THANK YOU FOR THAT! I'm writing this whole story like it were its own show.

The Wandering Hippie-I told you, Hippie, I wasn't going to pull any punches in this story. Same as what you did. And it's not that Ludo had Comet on the backfoot, per se. It's just that I amped up the bad guys in this story, so the fights aren't one-sided.

Well, that's all the time we have this week, folks. Big shoutouts go to FungusDungus000, 95, and Lord of the Storm for guessing my references!

You know what to do: fave and follow this story, and follow me on Twitter (JZ-Gaming), Insta (RJ Writing Ink), and YouTube (Jungoguy)

See you next week, everyone! We're going to be delving deep into Comet's psyche and how his childhood shaped who he is in "Sleep Spells." Also, we're adding a new character that I've wanted to include since the beginning!