*In a simulation of the Fields of Time, Omnitraxus is seen to be at his normal size. Which, considering how he's essentially a magical cosmic entity, dwarfs even the tallest of skyscrapers. RJ "Jay" Writing Ink is putting on climbing gear and a parachute down below at ground level while Janna watches with her phone.*
Jay: All right, Janna Banana. We all good on your end?
Janna: Yep. The phone is set up and linked to the camera on your helmet. We can alternate between the two whenever we want.
Jay: Awesome. Omni, you good to go?
Omni: Yep. I'm up here waiting for you.
Jay: All right, let's do this! FOR SUCTION CUP MAN!
*Jay then proceeds to whip out a set of four climbing-grade suction cups, placing each of them on his hands and feet, before he begins to climb up Omnitraxus Prime. Just then, Kermit shows up.*
Kermit: Okay, what the hell are you guys up to? Shouldn't we be doing something, I don't know, related to music for today's chapter?
Janna: Well, a few days ago, Jay published a reaction video to Piemation's latest Suction Cup Man video, go look it up, and it ended up blowing up like crazy. Last I checked, it's got 13,000 views and counting.
Kermit: Holy shit, no cap?
Janna: No cap, frog. And he's gotten close to 80 subscribers on YouTube, thanks to it. So to celebrate, he decided to imitate Suction Cup Man by climbing the biggest thing he could think of.
Kermit: And Omni's cool with this?
Omni: Yeah, this is fine.
Kermit: Oh. Lit. But, uh, who's gonna start the chapter?
Janna: Me.
*Janna then turns to look at the readers*
Janna: All right, all you people who still care about the show this is based on. Hope you enjoy part three of Comet and Karla's musical escapades.
Jay: Hey, that reminds me! Suction Cup Man's got his own theme song! I think I'm going to sing it while I climb!
Kermit: Start reading. START READING!
When the group entered the portal to Symphonia, they didn't know what to expect. By that point, each of them had joined the Prince of Mewni on several of his dimension-hopping escapades, so the concept was not unfamiliar to them. Marcia was the most seasoned, having gone on more trips than any others by being Comet's roommate. Yet, for all their collective experience, they had no idea what to expect. All Comet had told them was that it was the "Musical Capital of the Universe."
Once they had exited the portal and first set foot in Symphonia, though, they realized why Comet had told them so little about it: he didn't want to ruin the surprise.
For lack of a better term, Symphonia was like the Universe had decided to dedicate an entire dimension to the art of music. Wherever the teens looked, they saw something that seemed to be musically based. The buildings were made to resemble musical notes or instruments, some of which seemed so bizarre that they had to chalk it up to alien tastes. The sidewalk and roads followed a similar formula, consisting of what appeared to be the keys found on a piano or Karla's keytar. And when people walked on them, they could hear music playing!
The weirdest thing, though, wasn't even the architecture but the dimension itself. The trees were all vaguely shaped like various string instruments. The bushes looked like drums. Heck, even the clouds resembled musical notes! All told, the entire dimension looked like a fusion of old Disney cartoons and something out of a kid's dreams.
As the teens took in the sights of this strange dimension, they all had mixed reactions. Marcia was standing there, slack-jawed at something that seemed to defy the laws of physics. Alfonso and Ferguson were looking at the place in utter confusion. Even with everything that they'd seen since meeting Comet, this really felt out there! Jackson kept a neutral face, keeping his reactions to Symphonia to himself. Jonah was looking at the place like it was something Walt Disney threw up. Karla, though, had the strongest response. She just stood there for a moment or two, her mouth agape, before tears began to fall from her unseen eyes, something that did not go unnoticed by her companions.
"Aww. Karla, are you crying?" Marcia teased, to which Karla nodded her head.
"You guys can't tell, but I can hear the Hallelujah Chorus caroling in my head right now," Karla said amidst her tears. And she meant it! For Karla, setting foot in a place such as this was the equivalent of dying and going to Heaven, minus the dying part.
"Well, that's certainly a unique way of describing how this place makes you feel," a familiar voice said, prompting the group to turn around to see Comet stepping through the portal to join them. "But you're a unique person in the best sense of the word, Karla, so I think it suits you."
"I don't know, Comet. This place feels like something out of an old-timey, rubber hose cartoon," Ferguson couldn't help but say to the Prince.
"If I see a walking saxophone, I'm going to lose my grip on reality," Alfonso darkly added.
"Pfft! Alfonso, relax! There's no way something like could exist in real life," Comet said, brush off his concerns like they were the craziest thing in the world. He did, however, quietly mutter something along the lines of "At least not that I know of" at the end.
"I'm sorry, what was that, Comet?" Marcia asked, somehow knowing that whatever her friend had said was likely not good, making him yelp in fear.
"Um, nothing, Marcia!" He hastily said to her before trying to change the subject. "So, anyway, what do you think, Karla? Is this what you were expecting?" Comet leaned back and forth on the balls of his feet, eagerly waiting for his crush to respond. However, she never did, which made him very concerned.
"Um, Karla? Are you okay?" He asked her as he walked up to where she was standing (with Marcia noting that he was carrying some kind of leash in his free hand.)
"I'm fine, Comet," Karla said as she reached under her bangs to wipe away her tears. "I'm just a little...overjoyed to find that there's a place like this in the Universe," she happily told him, making him laugh in response.
"Oh, Karla. You should know by now that there's going to be at least one dimension out there's that right for everyone," he playfully teased her before turning back to the rest of the group. "Now, come on, guys! We got to get to the Stadium where they're hosting the contest before it's too late to get Karla signed in!" Comet told them as he got out his Wand and hoisted it into the air above him like a soldier told to present arms. Before anyone had the chance to move, though, Marcia put her hand up in front of Comet, stopping him in his tracks.
"Hold up, buddy," she said. "Before we do anything, I want to know what you're doing with that leash in your hand," she demanded while pointing at what he was grasping in his hand, making him pause for a brief moment.
"Huh? Oh, yeah. It's just something to keep Karla's Dad under control while we're here. Nothing to worry about, Marcy." When Comet tried to sidestep the Earth girl, though, she continued to block his path, even as she closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose.
"Comet, please tell me you didn't do something stupid like put a leash on him or turn him into a dog?" she begged him to answer, though she wasn't sure if she ever wanted to know.
Comet just waved his free hand. "Don't be silly, Marcia. I'm not an idiot," he said, which made his guide sigh in relief. "I put him in a giant bubble and then tied the leash to it," Comet then yanked his hand, bringing the rest of the leash through the portal. True to Comet's statement, Mr. Greason was, in fact, trapped in a giant, magical bubble that was connected to the leash via an oversized collar. And he was not happy about it!
"Let me out of here, you little punk! Wait till I get my hands on you, you arrogant little shit. I am going to make you regret the day you were born, you hear me? THE DAY YOU WERE BORN!" Mr. Greason angrily shouted at the teen as he pounded away on the magical bubble, to no avail.
"Comet, how is this any better?" Marcia asked, incredulous. "In case you forgot, we're already on thin ice as it is! We can't afford to make Mr. Greason even angrier!"
"Don't worry, Marcia! By the time we're done here today, Mr. Greason's going to change his entire tune about what Karla wants to do with her life!" Comet confidently said.
"Screw you, you little bastard!" Mr. Greason said in response to the boy's declaration. "And as soon as we leave whatever crazy, Alice in Wonderland style place this, you can bet your ass I'm going to be calling the police and having you all hauled off to juvie!"
"We'll see about that," Comet simply said. "Now, follow me, you guys. The contest is being held at the Grand Symphonia Stadium. I know the way there." Comet then yanked on the leash once more, making the bubble Mr. Greason was trapped in move forward, almost knocking the man off his feet in the process.
"Lead the way, Comet," Karla simply said as she played on her keytar with the others following close behind, with Marcia bringing up the read.
"I really hope that this isn't going to end badly for us," she muttered to herself as she left to join the others. Unfortunately, none of the teens noticed that they were being followed. A certain Fly Monster had been observing the group high up in the sky since they had first stepped out of the portal. Pulling out a walkie-talkie, the Monster pressed down on one of the buttons and began to make a call.
"Heads up, boss. I just saw the Prince come out of a portal. He's headed for the Stadium with his little group of friends. Plus some old guy in a giant bubble."
0000000000000
"I'm sorry, but did you say some old guy in a bubble?" Ludo questioned his minion on the other end.
"Um, yeah, boss. I don't really know who he is, but he doesn't seem to really like the Prince that much. He wouldn't stop pounding away on the bubble and shouting at him. Do you want me to go down for a closer look?"
Ludo rubbed his chin for a moment, pondering his options. On the one hand, if Comet had brought someone who seemed very much against him, then they could somehow use that to their advantage. On the other hand, there was always the risk that this could end up blowing their cover, ruining everything before they even had a chance to start. And based on the plan that Toffee had come up for them, they could not afford many deviations.
Ludo made his decision. "No. Continue observing them for now, and let me know if anything else happens."
"Understood. Boo Fly out," the voice on the other end of the earpiecesaid before the connection ended as he then turned to his more immediate concern. Ludo's band of Monsters had come out of a portal much closer to the Grand Stadium as they wanted to get in and get everything set up before the Prince arrived. Getting inside the Stadium had not been much trouble, either. While their initial plan of getting in by posing as a band called the "Black Septarians" had fallen through due to the guards at the back entrance saying that they weren't registered on the list, that had done little to stop them. Ludo simply went and bought tickets for his group, and then they could walk right in through the front entrance with all the other people who came to watch the contest. However, the fact that the guards had a list of people competing was somewhat concerning. During the entire time they'd been eavesdropping on Comet, he had never mentioned anything about registering for this contest. So, once the group had found a secluded area in the Stadium, Ludo called it in to Toffee, who had been monitoring everything back at Castle Avarius.
To Ludo's dismay, Toffee confirmed his worst fears: Comet likely remained unaware of this key detail or had flat-out forgotten about it. Either way, he wasn't going to get in the normal way, which would make their entire plan completely pointless.
"Damn it!" Ludo had muttered under his breath in the corner of the Stadium while the other Monsters stood guard. "So, what now? I can always have Buff Frog, and Beard Deer knock the guards out and then take their place," He suggested.
"No. That will be sure to attract unwanted attention from the rest of the security, and if Comet doesn't see through whatever clumsy disguise they may don, one of his friends will," Toffee told him via earpiece. "No, if the Prince of Mewni is anything like his reputation suggests, he will not let something as simple as being turned away from the door stop him. He will find a way to get himself and his companions inside, and they will likely find a way to get on stage. But they will be forced to work from the shadows while you may move about more freely, giving you the advantage."
"That's…true," Ludo admitted.
"For now, continue the mission and get everyone into position as planned. When the time comes, we will be ready for the Prince and his entourage. And make sure not to lose what I gave you. It is essential for the plan to work."
"Pfft, Like I would ever lose the thing that we worked so hard on making," Ludo nonchalantly told his newest advisor before ending the call and returning his focus to his minions. "Now, you all know what to do. You all know what your assignments are. If we all do as Toffee planned out, then before the day is done, the Dragonfly Wand will be ours and the Prince of Mewni begging for mercy at our feet." Several of the Monsters began to grin as they heard the mention of their enemy lying shattered before them. "Now, get out there and don't screw this up for us!" With those words, Ludo's Monsters then ran in various directions, ready to put their plan into motion, while Buff Frog stayed behind, struggling to hide the skepticism on his face.
"Master, are you sure that the lizard's plan will succeed?" He questioned the tiny bird creature.
Sighing, Ludo looked up at his lieutenant. "At this point, Buff Frog, what choice do we have? It is as you said. The Prince of Mewni is growing stronger with each passing day. And what's worse, the human brat's that he keeps around him are starting to become a nuisance, as well. Unless we begin to step up and meet that power, then all hope is lost," he admitted, much to Buff Frog's surprise. However, the melancholic look on Ludo's face was quickly replaced by one of utter confidence. "But I'm not worried at all! This plan of ours is going to end up working. After all," Ludo said before getting a sinister look on his face. "how can the Prince win when he's too afraid of hurting the ones he's fighting?"
"What do you mean we had to register for this!?" Comet yelled.
"It means that unless you or your friends didn't sign up beforehand to compete today, then you ain't coming in this way." One of the guards, a big, tanned figure with a sleeveless leather jacket, a tattoo over his left eye, and a shaved head, told Comet, who just stood there, completely incredulous.
"But no one told me that you had to do that! Where the Corn did it say that I had to do that?" Comet tried to argue to the big guard, who was not budging an inch on the matter.
"Look, kid, if you had bothered to read the ad that we put out, then you would've known all of this. It's on you if you didn't notice it," the guard said, making Comet's exasperation only grow.
"Look, can I just talk to Milly Sparkles? She can help sort this all out." Comet motioned to the Stadium, which was already beginning to come to life as people from all over the Universe gathered for the contest.
The guard shook his head again. "Sorry, but no one is allowed back to talk to Milly Sparkles, especially not some idiot who was too stupid to read the ad."
"Idiot?!" Comet repeated aloud. "I'm not just 'some idiot,' as you put it, buddy! I'm Comet Dragonfly, the Prince of Mewni, one of the biggest patrons of the Bounce Lounge, and I've got the next big musical star of the Universe just waiting for the chance to perform for her. Now would you please just let us through, already?'
The guard then looked at the group of people that the Prince had brought with him. To be more specific, he looked at the girl with the fang poking out of her mouth and playing some sort of keytar before looking back at the boy claiming to be the Prince. "What, you mean that weird-looking girl with the portable piano she's carrying around? That Mewman doesn't look like much, man."
"Actually," Marcia said as she broke off from the rest of the group to join Comet and fix the situation, "she's not a Mewman. She's a human from Earth," she clarified.
Now it was the guard's turn to repeat something aloud. "Earth? You expect me to believe that you think that some nobody from some backwater world that can't even travel to other dimensions will be the 'next big musical star' of the Universe? Hahahahahaha!" the guard started laughing derisively at the entire group. "That's probably even more ridiculous than claiming to be the Prince of Mewni!" The guard just continued to laugh, drawing the group's attention from where they were standing, while Comet just stood there, his left eye twitching in irritation. It wasn't that he was mad over this chump mocking him; he was used to that from the nobles and his Dad's half of the family. But making fun of his friends was one thing that he could not abide by.
Somehow, Marcia could sense that her roommate was on the verge of narwhal blasting this douche into the wall, and as much as she thought that he deserved it for dissing Earth, she knew that it would only cause them more problems later on. So, she did the most responsible thing any good friend could: grab him by the cyan-blue, octopus-labeled hoodie he was wearing and drag him away before he did something stupid.
"So sorry about that, good sir. We won't bother you again," Marcia said with a smile, making sure that her voice sounded as sincere as possible. Though yes, she did share Comet's desire to punch the guy's face in.
As the two got back to the waiting group (and Mr. Greason), Marcia shoved Comet right into the center and began to glare at him, making sure that he got the message she was trying to give through her eyes: Fix this, now!
Comet almost felt himself sweatdrop at the sight of his best friend's angry face; when she got that mad, it made the demons of the Underworld look sissy in comparison. "Sooooo, a slight problem, you guys," the boy nervously began to say. "It turns out we had to register Karla before we came here for the contest. And since we didn't, they're not going to let us inside."
"What?"
"Oh, come on!"
"Dude, this sucks!"
"I don't wanna go to juvie!"
"You f**ked up, Comet!"
As the rest of the group continued to tear into Comet over his screw-up, Karla didn't say a word. She just kept playing the notes on her keytar at an increasingly rapid pace. That would not matter much to the untrained eye, but Marcia had known Karla Greason long enough to recognize what this gesture meant: she was getting nervous.
Contrary to popular belief, Karla wasn't always the infallibly chill girl that everyone thought she was. True, there was very little that could phase her. If something did phase her, she was really great at hiding it. Yet Marcia was able to see right through this act and understood that she was probably freaking out on the inside.
Though given what's at stake here, I don't blame her, Marcia sympathetically thought to herself. Hell, the fact that I'm not on the verge of a full-blown panic attack over the very real possibility that we could end up in juvie and never see Karla again is nothing short of a miracle.
Speaking of ending up in juvie, Marcia took the opportunity to look at Mr. Greason for the first time since they reached the Stadium. When they had first arrived in Symphonia, Karla's Dad wouldn't stop pounding on the bubble prison that Comet trapped him in while shouting about all the things that were going to happen to them after the cops hauled them away. Eventually, though, he realized that escape was impossible and simply laid down in the bubble with his arms crossed and a look that screamed, "I really wish I wasn't here right now." But right now, he had this real smug look on his face as he watched the teen's plans go completely up in smoke, something that greatly irritated Marcia.
"And what are you so happy about, anyway?" Marcia said as she marched right up to the bubble prison, which only made Mr. Greason's smug look get even smugger.
"Why do you think, little miss Diaz? It's because you guys have just validated what I'd been trying to get into my daughter's head: this whole contest thing is pointless! A waste of time! And now, Karla will have no choice but to see for it is and come to her senses!"
Karla stopped fiddling with her keytar at this and turned to look at her father. "Uh, no offense, Dad, but I haven't given up hope on entering this contest. I'm going to enter it, and I'm going to perform so well, it'll bring the house down," the girl confidently shot back at her old man, who simply shrugged his shoulders.
"Look, sweetie, I respect your determination, but it's time that you face the facts. There's no way that you're getting in there with that bozo guarding the place." Carl Greason then pointed the finger at the Bouncer. "I mean, just look at him! He's massive! How do you expect to get past that guy?"
"Oh, that sounds like a challenge!" Comet cried out as he began to walk towards the bubble with a cocky look on his face. "Luckily for all of us, Mr. Greason, I happen to excel in these kinds of situations."
"Ha! Yeah, right, kid," Mr. Greason replied, clearly not believing what Comet was capable of. "Look, I'll tell you what. You take us all home right now, and I promise not to call the police on you for kidnapping me and keeping me from my daughter. Does that sound fair?"
"Are you going to let Karla pursue her dreams and let us hang out with her?"
"After what you've done today, not a chance," Mr. Greason said.
"Then no deal," Comet said without a second of hesitation, which made Mr. Greason turn a new shade of red in response.
"WHY, YOU LITTLE! YOU'RE GOING TO REGRET THAT, KID, YOU HEAR ME?" the grown man yelled as he tried to claw at the bubble in a vain attempt to get at Comet. In response, the boy merely shrugged his shoulders and proceeded to walk in the opposite direction.
"I'm pretty sure I won't. I'm great at getting myself out of trouble!"
Comet told the man with a cheeky grin on his face before gesturing for the rest of his companions to gather around. "Okay, guys, I know we've hit a snag in our plans due to some unforeseen complications-"
"Is it really unforeseen if it was on the ad in the first place?" Jackson couldn't help but ask.
"-but," Comet said, not skipping a beat, "that guard doesn't really matter since I've got a magic Wand that can get us in there, no sweat," he said before leading them to an area further away from the Stadium and out of the watchful eyes of the security. "Now, I recommend you all step back, so I can have some room for this spell." The group followed Comet's directions and began to step away, trusting Comet to come up with something to get them inside the Stadium. And while some of them didn't know what Comet would do, those who had been with him during their adventure to rescue Aqua had a good idea about what would happen next.
Taking a deep breath, Comet then raised his Wand in front of him before suddenly shouting, "SUMMONING CLOUDY CHARM!" Cloudy, the sentient, winged fluffy cloud appeared, crowing like a bird as always with a puff of pink smoke.
"Hey, Comet!" The talking cloud-thing cheerfully greeted his creator. "How has your day been?"
"It's getting better, Cloudy," Comet told his spell. "Listen, I need you to take the rest of my friends and me, plus this buzzkill-"
"I heard that, you little bastard!" Carl shouted.
"-and fly us up above the Stadium so we can sneak inside and help my friend Karla fulfill her dreams of being a musical performer. Think you can do that, buddy?"
Cloudy just giggled at this. "Sure thing, Comet. Anything for you and your friends!"
"Yes!" Comet pumped his fist in victory as Cloudy began to grow large enough to accommodate everyone. As he did in the All Blue, though, Jackson chose to use his U-Board. Unlike last time, though, Alfonso got to hitch a ride with him, which Marcia did not seem too upset about.
As the group began to fly over the Stadium, they got the opportunity to get a bird's eye view of the complex, and they were stunned by what they saw. From the outside, the GSS didn't look any different from a large arena or venue found on Earth; it just happened to be bigger than most of them. From up in the air, though, they could see just how unique the place was. It resembled a strange fusion between a normal sports arena and a modern-day amphitheater. It had sloping seatings stacked into various levels that expanded outward from the central stage, which the California natives couldn't help but feel resembled the Hollywood Bowl, complete with the white shell. The only differences were that this was not an open-aired venue, with the seats carefully protected by overhanging roofs, and there was a large, empty field in front of the stage.
As the rest of the group marveled at the Stadium from above, Comet searched for the perfect spot to land. After getting turned away by the guards at the entrance, Marcia said that she didn't want to take any risks of running into more security until the time was right. Finally, he managed to locate the ideal landing spot. It was in the northwestern corner of the Stadium, just below the overhang and with the stage only visible if one looked directly ahead. There would likely be few people there, which made it the best spot to blend in. Signaling to Jackson and Alfonso to follow him down, Comet directed Cloudy to the location and then let everyone off.
"Thanks for the help, Cloudy," Comet said as he began to gingerly stroke his spell, who was panting and red-faced from the heavy-lifting he just undertook. "You feeling alright?" Comet asked out of concern.
"I've *pant* never been *pant* better, Comet! You're welcome!" Cloudy managed to get out amid the heavy breathing.
"Alright, take five, Cloudy. And the next time I see you, I'll get you one of those giant-sized candy bars that Marcia tries to hide from me in the kitchen." Comet told the spell before giving it a friendly hug, making him giggle.
"Oh, boy! I can't wait for that! See you later, Comet!" Cloudy said before Comet raised his Wand and poofed the spell out of physical existence. Much to the group's concern, though, Cloudy screamed as he lost a physical form.
"Dude, doesn't that hurt them?" Ferguson asked, putting the question that everyone was asking to voice, to which Comet merely shrugged his shoulders.
"I don't know, to be honest. Better ask Cloudy the next time I call him," he admitted. "Now, on to more pressing matters. We've gotta get Karla backstage and make sure that she's able to participate in the contest. Marcia, you got any ideas on how we can do that?"
Marcia pondered things for a moment. "Well, they'll likely have security guarding any other routes backstage, so we'll need to take care of them first."
"So, does that mean...?" Jonah asked. Marcia sighed in response to this.
"Jonah, whatever it is you want to ask me, the answer is no. Just work with Jackson to get us backstage and get Alfonso and Ferguson to the control room."
"Don't worry, Marcia. I'll make sure that he doesn't go overboard for you," Jackson told her, making her heart almost skip a beat in response.
"Thanks, Jackson," she said before turning to Alfonso and Ferguson. "Al, Ferg, your job's now twofold. Not only do you have to make your way inside to the control room, but you gotta find a way to ensure that Karla's on the list of contestants. If we're lucky, they'll have it saved on some kind of computer that we can get into."
"So you want us to hack into a computer and then put Karla's name on it?" Alfonso questioned.
"Dang, Marcia, that's so dangerous," Jonah mockingly teased her. "I didn't think you had it in you, girl."
"Save it, Jonah. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and you know it," Marcia retorted before turning to Comet. "Okay, Comet. I know that we wanted you to make Karla's performance as flashy as possible, but I've got an even more important job for you."
"I'm listening," Comet said.
"I want you..."
"Yeah? Yeah?"
"...To look after Karla's Dad," Marcia explained.
Comet's face went completely deadpan at this. "I'm sorry, what?"
"Don't 'what' me, Comet," Marcia sternly told him. "You're the one who thought it was a good idea to bring him along because you wanted to convince him to let Karla follow her dreams. Ergo, you're responsible for him."
"Are you sure that's the best idea, Marcia?" Comet tried to argue. "I mean, wouldn't it be better to have me doing something else? Say, coming up with an incredible light show to accompany Karla as she begins to perform on-stage? Because I've got these great fireworks routines that I've been dying to try out."
"Look, Comet. Come here," Marcia motioned to him to step towards her and then began whispering in his ear. "Listen, Comet. Even if we pull this off, there's still a chance that Karla's Dad won't change his mind about this. This is why we need someone to convince him that he should support his daughter. Understand?"
"But why me? You saw how much he hates my guts. He'll never listen to me. Shouldn't you be the one to talk to him?" Comet asked in response.
Marcia just shook her head at this. "He might have been willing to listen to me before all of this happened, but not now. He's too angry at me for encouraging Karla to continue pursuing her musical dreams when he thought I should be doing the opposite," Marcia sadly pointed out.
"But why me, though?"
"Because you're great at winning people over and getting them to like you, Comet. You won over me; you won over the school. Heck, you even managed to get through to Brittney, through some miracle," Marcia told him. "The point is, if anyone can get through to Mr. Greason, then it's you. So, do you think you can do that for us?"
Pulling back from Marcia, Comet looked into her eyes, and then looked at Mr. Greason, and finally, looked at Karla. Sighing in resignation, Comet nodded his head. "Okay, Marcia. Consider it done."
"Well, what do you know? He can listen to orders," Mr. Greason snarked from inside his bubble, which earned him a glare from Comet. Surprisingly, though, Karla started to laugh a little at her Dad's burn, making the man crack the tiniest of smiles on his angry-looking face.
Marcia then clapped her hands together to get everyone's attention. "All right, then, team. We all know what's at stake here. If we don't win this, then we'll lose Karla forever. And likely go to juvie for dragging her Dad along with us. Failure is not an option!"
"You heard the lady!" Comet shouted. "Let's move out!"
"ALL RIGHT!" Everyone said in response.
The next few minutes were a whirlwind of activity for the group of seven and their unwilling adult companion. Thanks to Comet's map spell, the group managed to chart a route that would take them backstage with little trouble. However, as they feared, the entrance was guarded by two big, burly-looking guards keen on keeping unauthorized personnel out. Luckily, Comet had a plan to get past them that wouldn't require Alfonso and Ferguson to use any of their ammo. Or for Jonah to resort to using any of his...methods.
As it turns out, the people of Symphonia had a law that forbade the playing of any music that they considered "garbage." According to Comet, that meant any music that lacked rhythm, tune, or made the vast majority of people who heard want to tear their auditory system out of their body. If any music like that was heard, it would be found and destroyed. So, using a mini-boombox and magic rollerskates that Comet created, they lured the guard's away using the most hilariously bad song that the teens had heard: "Twinkle, Twinkle, Patrick Star" from the Season 5 episode of Spongebob Squarepants, "Sing a Song of Patrick."
Everyone who witnessed the guards running off in a blind rage was left stunned by the sight of their ears turning inside out. After they got over the shock, though, they quickly made their way inside the amphitheater.
Despite expecting tight security inside, the group was surprised to find only a few guards on duty. Amidst their ducking behind corners, hiding underneath furniture, and cartoonish disguises, they managed to learn that this wasn't planned. The few guards that they found were talking amongst themselves about their missing coworkers, though they chalked it up to them sneaking away to see the contestants play. While Comet chalked this up to good fortune (and most of the group agreed) though, Marcia couldn't help but feel like something was wrong.
Despite her misgivings, though, Marcia didn't have time to voice them, as they overheard some critical intel. One of the guards, a lanky, pink creature that seemed to have even tinier creatures in its eye sockets, told two of the others that they needed to the control room, get the list of registered contestants printed, and give it to Milly Sparkles in her dressing room after she came back from the opening ceremony. This, of course, was all of the information that the group needed to hear, and after reviewing the map and making one last change to the plan, the group then split up.
Karla would make her way to the green room where the contestants were supposed to be practicing before they were called on-stage to perform. Despite being told by Marcia that his priority was to watch Mr. Greason, Comet said that this didn't stop him from going with Karla to provide emotional support. Just to make sure he didn't mess up, though, Marcia chose to accompany them before she went back to rendevous with the others.
Meanwhile, the quartet of boys managed to make their way to the control room. Sadly, another guard was hanging around there, as well, much to the boy's dismay.
"Damn. Why do they need all of this security for a freakin' music contest? They're acting like the President's come to speak," Janna said as he saw the latest obstacle standing in their way.
"Alright, so what's the plan?" Alfonso asked from their hiding place. "We gonna rush him or lure him away somehow?"
"We could use our sleep pellet on him," Ferguson suggested as he took out his Black Kabuto. "A few of these, and he'll be out like a light."
"Nah, we might need them for later," Jackson said in disagreement. "Maybe we can try the same thing that Comet did with the speakers and-wait; where's Jonah?" Jackson wheeled around to find that Jonah was no longer standing beside them. Then they heard a noise.
"HEREKRKERHGHGHG!" Turning back to the door of the control room to see the guard spasming as a dose of electricity began to course through his body. After a few moments, the man slumped to the ground, out cold. Standing over him was the familiar figure of Jonah Ordonia, his taser twirling in his hand.
"Too easy," Jonah smirked before turning back to look at his stunned friends. "What? We didn't have time to waste, so I took the initiative."
"Well, we can't argue with the results, I guess," Alfonso said, shrugging his shoulders while Jackson facepalmed.
"You had one job, Jackson Lee Thomas. One job," he muttered to himself before walking towards the door and Jonah. "Okay, new plan: Jonah, you're going to help me move this guy somewhere where the others won't be able to find him."
"Boo, not cool," Jonah said in response.
"Hey, you made your bed, man. Time to lay in it," Ferguson told him. "Don't worry about us. We'll take it from here. Once we get inside, we should be able to get everything set up on our end."
"Whatever. Come on, Jacks. Let's get this over with," Jonah said as he lifted one end of the guard up while Jackson grabbed the person's legs. "Follow me. I saw a supply closet a ways back that we can use," the boy said in between grunts. And with that, the two boys rounded the bend and disappeared from sight.
"All right, Alfonso. This is our moment to shine," Ferguson proclaimed as he reached up and placed a hand on his lanky friend's shoulder. "You ready?"
"I am locked and loaded, bro. Let's do this," Alfonso said with notable confidence in his voice. "Would you like to do the honors, my good man?" the boy said as he gestured towards the door.
"It would be my pleasure, good sir," Ferguson replied before knocking on the door. From inside, they heard someone begin to speak.
"Um, who is it?"
"The pizza guy. We got an order for a large pepperoni with stuffed crust," Ferguson told the person inside.
"What? But I didn't order any pizza." For a moment, the boys thought that they wouldn't buy their story. But then, the voice began to speak again. "Ah, but who cares? Who can say no to free pizza?" the person on the other side said as they heard them begin to walk towards the door. After a few moments, the door opened to reveal some sort of large, yellow-looking steer that was only wearing suspenders.
"Hey, what gives? Where's my pizza?" the steer-man asked after looking around to find no pizza in sight.
"Right here," Alfonso said in response. Then, in one swift motion, he pulled out his Black Kabuto, loaded with sleep pellets, and shot it at the unfortunate steer, engulfing him in a puff of purple smoke.
"Ooh, wow. That slingshot's so cool," the steer said as he began to wobble on his feet. "I wish I...had...onnneeeee..." And just like that, the steer fell flat on his back, snoozing away without a care in the world.
"Well, that was easy," Ferguson said before carefully stepping over the unconscious bovine before carefully dragging him back inside. After glancing around for a few moments to ensure that they weren't spotted, Alfonso followed him inside before locking the door and then took a quick look around the room. For being in another dimension, it looked pretty standard for a control room. All the bells and whistles to control the lights, sounds, and stage were there. But what drew Alfonso's attention the most was the giant computer in the center of the room, below a big screen that showed the entire stage and the Stadium at large.
"All right. It looks like I'm up." Alfonso stepped up to the computer, flexed his fingers, and then sat down and got to work.
Alfonso had never been known as the athletic type growing up. It's not that he didn't like sports or exercising; in fact, he was known to do some light exercises in his free time at home. However, Alfonso's true passion lay in technology. Whereas some boys would want to run around and play outside, Alfonso preferred to sit in his room playing video games and watching videos about technology online. Once that no longer proved to be enough, his interests began to expand to computer programming, animation, and things of that nature. He would learn everything that he could about the subjects, whether from books at the library or online. And after a while, he started to get good at it, being able to take a computer apart and put it back together, and how to get them to do whatever he wanted.
Unfortunately, his interests, combined with his already stereotypically nerdy appearance, did little to win him many friends. As a result, he got bullied a lot in school alongside Ferguson. Meeting Marcia had helped things (along with the fact that nerds had begun to take control of pop culture), but outside of his group of friends, not many people at Echo Creek Academy were willing to pay attention to his interests. Which made the boy all the more determined to help the ones who did care.
Thankfully, Alfonso's skills had borne fruit. It only took him a few minutes to get inside the computer and access the registry for the contest. After that, there was the simple matter of altering the documents to include Karla's name at the very bottom of the schedule. Save the best for last. That way, no one will be suspicious of anything, Alfonso thought to himself as he then printed out the documents. His timing was perfect, as well. On the screen overhead, a woman that the boys assumed was Milly Sparkles was speaking to the large crowd of people gathered in the Stadium. She would be returning backstage soon to receive the schedule of contestants, which meant Marcia would be coming back for her part in the plan.
"Well, we've done all we can for now," Alfonso said as he began to recline into the chair. "After Marcia gets here, we just wait until Karla goes on stage and then the rest of our part."
"So, what? We just sit around and wait until then?" Ferguson asked. "Man, I knew I should have brought my Switch with me. This would have been the perfect time to work on Pokémon Snap!"
"I don't think you'll have time to play your games, kid."
Alfonso and Ferguson turned around, startled by this new voice, only to be met by two fists to their faces, and then, darkness."
After waiting until Milly Sparkles had begun making the opening remarks for this contest, Marcia left Comet, Karla, and Mr. Greason with the other dozen or so contestants as she made her way back to the control room to pick up their revised schedule. Because she wasn't even supposed to be there, Marcia was extra cautious as she made her way through the halls. Yet, just like before, there was little reason for her to worry, as security remained just as light. However, this did little to dissuade the growing apprehension that she felt. In fact, it only heightened her concerns.
Once she got back to the control room, though, her worries reached new heights. Even though Jackson and Jonah should've been standing guard, they were nowhere to be found. Neither were any guards, for that matter. Okay, what the Hell is going on? Where is everyone? For a moment or two, Marcia contemplated calling the entire thing off and look for everyone. However, against her better judgment, she decided to proceed as planned. Jackson and Jonah were more than capable of taking care of themselves. They'll be fine, Marcia thought as she approached the door and knocked on it.
"Hey, guys. Are you in there?" Marcia asked, praying that Al and Ferg would be the ones who answered. "Milly Sparkles is going to be back any minute now for the schedule. Were you able to make the modifications?" There was no response. "Guys? Are you there? You better not be playing video games in there!"
"Uh, sorry, Marcia!" the familiar voice of Ferguson cried out from behind the door. "We were just putting the finishing touches on the document. Have to make it look convincing, am I right?"
"That's fair, I guess. Everything else going according to plan?"
"Oh, you bet, Marcia. I feel right at home with all these computers and technology. This is going to make for a performance that everyone will remember!" Alfonso happily said, making Marcia smile.
"Sounds like you guys have got everything under control, then. Let me just come in, and I'll grab the schedule, then find Milly Sparkles."
"Oh, there's no need for that, Marcia. We can slide it underneath the door." Marcia looked down and, true to Ferguson's word, the new schedule sliding out from under the door. She quickly reached down to pick it up before getting ready to head out.
"Thanks, you guys," Marcia said. "By the way, do you happen to know where Jackson and Jonah went? They're supposed to be keeping watch."
There was a moment of silence, but it wasn't long enough to make Marcia suspicious. "Wait, they're not there?" Alfonso's voice could be heard inside. "Well, maybe Jonah decided to go and look around to see what other trouble he could cause. You know how crazy that guy is."
"Yeah, I wouldn't put it past him to do something like that. Anyway, I'll contact you guys if anything else comes up. You just make sure you keep the door locked and that no one else can get inside," Marcia told her friends. "If this all works out, then by the time we're done, Karla's life is going to change forever!" she shouted as she ran in the direction that she thought Milly Sparkles room was.
"Huh. Well, that went better than I thought it would," Beard Deer said as he heard the sound of Marcia walking away from the control room.
"Buck-bawk-ba-gawk!" Big Chicken squawked a phrase which here means, "Yeah. I thought for sure that that chick was going to break the door down, and that would be it."
"You said it, Big Chicken," Bearicorn responded before turning to Three-Eyed Potato Baby. "We ought to be thank you, P.B. If it wasn't for your impersonation of these two idiots," he then gestured to the still unconscious Alfonso and Ferguson, "We would have gotten busted for sure."
"Oh, it was no problem, Bearicorn," Potato Baby said in a flawless impersonation of Ferguson's voice.
"Where the heck did you even learn how to do, Potato Baby? You've been working with us for years, and you never once brought this up before."
At this question, Potato Baby's voice reverted to his normal, characteristic grunting that only the other Monsters could understand. It was a tale that involved lost love, failed dreams, and for some reason, a haunted mattress and a ten-foot-tall hamburger monster.
"Wow, dude. I had no idea. So that's why you won't eat burgers," Beard Deer said solemnly.
"Um, guys? Aren't we supposed to be doing that thing right about now?" Bearicorn asked, getting them all back on track.
"Oh yeah, that's right. Ludo sent us here to get everything ready," Beard Deer said as he went over to the console before pulling out a CD out of his pocket and inserting it in the computer.
"All right, then. Now we just wait for Ludo to give us the signal, and we'll be good to go. In the meantime, let's just make sure everything runs smoothly so that no one will get suspicious."
"Uh, but what do we do with Comet's friends?" Bearicorn asked, pointing one of his claws at the unconscious Alfonso and Ferguson. "Or the talking cow?" He then pointed at the yellow bovine in suspenders.
"I'm...a...steer..." the bovine weakly said in response before falling silent once more.
Beard Deer just shrugged his shoulders. "For now, let's just make sure they can't do anything. And make sure you get their weapons so they can't cause any trouble if they wake up."
Potato Baby was already on that, though. While the others had been talking, he had searched the two boys and relieved them of their prized slingshots.
"Perfect. Now, all we have to do is sit back and wait for the boss to give us the go-ahead."
"Bawk-ba-gawk?" Big Chicken clucked, a phrase which here means. "Did anyone bring popcorn while we watch the performances?"
Elsewhere, as all of this was going on, Marcia was busy making her way to Milly Sparkles' dressing room. Comet had texted her the map of the Stadium, as well as highlighted various routes that she could take. Thus far, the map had proven very helpful, letting her get there without running into too many people. However, the ones that she did run into automatically assumed that she was working for Ms. Sparkles, thanks to the list she was carrying, and let her pass. So, it looked like things were finally starting to go in Marcia and her friend's favor.
Yet, despite everything, Marcia couldn't help but feel like something was wrong. She hadn't heard from Jonah since they parted ways, which was par for the course with him. But to not hear from Jackson? That was more than a little concerning! Marcia shook her head, though. No matter what, she was determined to help Karla win.
After a few minutes of walking, she found herself outside a room with a big, brass star on the front that read "Milly Sparkles." Know that her goal was on the other side of the door, Marcia took a deep breath to calm her nerves. She couldn't let her anxiety get the better of her, or it would ruin everything.
After mentally preparing herself, Marcia knocked on the door. "Yes?" A very refined yet distant voice could be heard on the other side of the door.
"Um, Miss Sparkles? I was told to deliver the list of contestants to you?" Marcia said in a calm, professional manner.
"You may enter," the woman on the other side said, and Marcia decided to open the door and step inside. What she saw stunned her.
Sitting in the middle of the room on what looked to be a floating, purple cloud was a woman that Marcia could only describe as a cross between an elf and some fairy type. She had a long tail of varying shades of purple, with the rest of her skin matching the same color. On her back was a set of four violet wings that seemed to briefly flutter every few seconds or so, and there were a pair of horns protruding from underneath her violet-colored hair. In fact, everything about her had varying shades of violet, from her skin to the clothes and fishnet stockings she wore. The only non-purple thing she had on her was the peacock-feathered fan that she used to cover her face.
Marcia nearly gulped when she saw Milly Sparkles. Despite her appearance, she could tell right away that she had the aura of a Queen about her, and a Queen that did not seem to like being disappointed, at that. Still, Marcia had come too far to back out now. She was going to make sure this woman heard Karla play, no matter what.
"Well, then, darling? I believe that you have my list?"
"Yes, Miss Sparkles. Here's the list. All the contestants registered for the contest, ready and eager to show you that they're worthy of playing at the Bounce Lounge," Marcia said as she walked over to the owner of Comet's favorite nightclub. "And if I might say so, then I would keep a close on one of the ones participating. What was her name again? Oh, yes. Karla Greason. I hear that she's an up-and-coming music performer. Definitely, someone to watch out for."
Miss Sparkles didn't say anything at first. She just quietly looked over the list that Marcia had given her. Then, after a moment or two, she spoke again: "What exactly is your plan here?"
"I'm sorry, what?"
"Your plan. I wish to know what you were hoping to accomplish by giving me an obviously tampered with the list."
"Tampered with?" Marcia nervously asked. "What makes you think that it was tampered with, Miss Sparkles? As you can see, everyone's supposed to be on this list, ma'am. They all registered."
"I might be inclined to believe that, were it not for the name that you brought up just now. I looked over all the bands and musical acts that registered for this contest. Burning Butt-Monkeys, Pound Dogs, Empty Peepers, and more." Milly then turned her recliner cloud around to look at Marcia. "And as far as I am aware, none of them have a Karla Greason in them."
"But the list says-"
"Listen, young lady, this is not the first time something like this has happened to me. Every time I go scouting for hot new talent to play at my nightclub, someone tries to sneak in and convince me to wave my hands and make all their dreams of stardom come true. But it isn't that simple, darling." Marcia couldn't tell because of the glasses, but she was sure that the woman was glaring at her. "Trying to make it big as a performer isn't just something you can wake up and decide to do one day. It requires years of hard work, dedication, and above all, the talent needed to make it far. I have turned away countless would-be stars in my lifetime, and I will continue to do so today. So, I ask you again: why do you think that this Karla Greason, who you clearly snuck in here in a vain attempt to win my approval, worth my time?"
For a moment, Marcia was too stunned to respond. This woman had seen right through their plan. She didn't know what to do! Unfortunately for her, Miss Sparkles took her silence to be an answer.
"That's what I thought, my dear. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go find some real talent," the owner of the Bounce Lounge said before beginning to make her way to the door.
Realizing that she was about to let her chance slip away, Marcia began to panic. She needed to do something, and she needed to do it NOW!
"Miss Sparkles, wait. Just hear me out!" Marcia cried out as she tried to grab the nightclub owner's attention. However, that's when something unexpected happened. A giant, scaly hand suddenly reached into the doorway and suddenly grabbed Milly Sparkles.
"What in the-unhand me this instance, you fiend! Let me go right now!" Milly shouted as she tried to free herself from her captor to no avail.
"No can do, lady. We can't have you messing everything up," a voice said. A voice that Marcia recognized as belonging to one of Ludo's stooges.
"Man Arm!" Marcia shouted as she began to run towards the doorway, her body already preparing to leap into the air and deliver a devastating kick to the Monster. "You guys just made the biggest mistake of your lives!"
"Oh, I disagree on that!" a new voice said as, without warning, the door suddenly closed right before she reached it.
"Oh no." Marcia yelped as she realized she was about to potentially deal with a broken leg or worse. Acting on instinct, Marcia broke off her flying kick and dove into a somersault, hoping to God that she would stop herself in time. She ended up slamming against the door, with her back and butt sore, but otherwise, she was alright. After a few seconds of letting her brain register what happened, Marcia numbly reached for the door handle, trying to open it so she could go after Milly. Unfortunately, the knob refused to budge.
"You won't be able to get out that way, you know. We already barred the door from the other side," an all too familiar voice said, making Marcia's blood course with anger.
"Ludo! What the Hell are you doing here?!" Marcia shouted even as she tried to force the door open, to no avail.
"Oh, you know, enjoying the contest, seeing the next generation of musical stars, getting my hand's on a certain magic Wand so that I can conquer the Universe! That sort of thing. And this time, there's no way that my plan will fail!"
"You do realize that we have Jonah with us, right? Because last time we saw you, you all ran away like...well, I guess I can't call you cowards for being scared of Jonah because he has that effect on a lot of people."
Ludo tsked at her from the other side of the door. "Oh, foolish Earth creature. You think that he wouldn't have factored that into our plans? See, after today, there's no way that you or Comet or that creepy boy will be able to hurt us. Because they won't be able to come close to us. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to go greet the contestants and tell them the big news. ~Byeee!~" And with that, Ludo and the other Monsters left Marcia locked inside the dresser room as they took their new captive with them, laughing as they heard shout and pound on the door, blocked by various pieces of furniture.
"LUDO, WHEN I GET MY HAND'S ON YOU, I'M GONNA-LUDO!" But it was no use. Ludo was already long gone. Seeing the futility of her situation, Marcia slumped against the door, bemoaning her misfortune.
"Ugghhh, mierda," Marcia cursed to herself. "Well, time to call in the cavalry." Marcia then got out her phone and began to dial Comet's portable mirror number, hoping to God that he'd pick up.
As the minutes began to drag on and Milly Sparkles was nowhere to be found, the Stadium occupants began to grow restless. The crowds outside began to wonder what could be responsible for the delays. Meanwhile, backstage, the various beings who had come out to audition to play at the Bounce were faring little better, either. Some of them had started to get out their instruments and started practicing amongst themselves to pass the time. Seeing as she had nothing better to do, Karla decided to join them and learn about what music was like in the rest of the Universe.
As Karla continued to talk to the other aspiring musical performers, Comet stood in the corner, looking after Mr. Greason, like Marcia told him to. Neither of them spoke much, though not for lack of trying. Comet kept trying to strike up a conversation with the man, but he refused to say a word to the boy who was, in his mind, the source of all the trouble surrounding Karla. Thus, Comet decided to pass the time by looking at various photos of himself and his friends, especially Karla.
Then, after what seemed like an eternity, Mr. Greason finally said something. "So, uh, listen, pal. Is there any chance that you could let me out so that I can use the bathroom?"
"That depends. Are you going to unground Karla, let her become a singer or musician, and let her hang out with us?" Comet asked him.
"No, no, and no."
"Then you're not going anyway, Mr. Greason. Not until you listen to your daughter."
"I do listen to my daughter, you little punk! She's the one who's not listening to me. That's the problem. I keep trying to tell her that this music thing is a dead end. That there's no way that she can support herself off of it. But does she listen to me? No!" Carl then grunted and slumped against the wall of the bubble. "I swear, that girl's as stubborn as her mother."
This gave Comet pause, and for the first time during that conversation, he looked up from his phone and looked Karla's Dad in the face.
"Is that so? And if she were here right now, whose side do you think she'd be on? Yours or Karla's?"
"And why the Hell should I tell you, Mr. Bigshot? It's none of your Goddamn business how my wife would react to all of this."
"So I was right. She would take Karla's side, then."
"Shut up, punk!" Mr. Greason said, banging on the bubble once more. "Like I said, it's none of your business! And as I've told you for the thousandth time today, once we get home, I'm going to set Karla on the right path. There's no way I'm going to let my little girl end up like her parents."
Had this been Marcia talking to Carl, then she would have tread lightly, trying not to rile the man up even more than he already was. However, Comet was not like Marcia, and he wasn't the kind to beat around the bush on things like this. So, he did what he did best and kept pressing the attack. "And how would that be so bad, Mr. Greason? From what I hear, you guys had a pretty happy life together before your wife died. Then you started neglecting your daughter and didn't encourage her when she needed it the most. Now she finally has a chance to do what she's been dreaming of doing for her entire life, and what do you do? Do you respect her decisions? No. Do you talk to her about how you think her life should go? No. Instead, you try to ground her, then threaten to keep her from her friends when she stands up to you."
"I was trying to keep her from making a mistake that she'll regret for the rest of her life, you little shit!"
"And if you didn't let her do this, then she'd go on to regret it anyway," Comet bluntly told him.
"It's better that she does that and get a stable career than end up scraping the bottom of the barrel like me. I'm doing all of this because I love her, pal!"
"Well, if you really cared about her, then you would have respected her decisions and encouraged her to follow them for as far as they would take her," Comet tried to argue.
"JUST SHUT UP!" Mr. Greason said as he pounded on the bubble even more. "What gives you the right to question my decisions as a parent? What gives you the right to encourage my daughter to follow an ambition that could end up leading nowhere? I don't need lecturing on this from your type!"
"Oh, and just what is my type, Mr. Greason?" Comet asked, daring the man to answer him.
"Oh, where do I even begin? Well, for starters, you're not like us. You're not even Human, last time I checked. No, you were born in a bigass castle to bigshot royals that shoved a silver spoon in your mouth the day you were born. You've spent your entire life being surrounded by everything you could ever ask for, get into as much trouble as you want, and never have to face the consequences for it. And you know why? Because you're the beloved Prince of Moo-ni or Mewni or whatever who can do no wrong and gets showered in all the love and adoration from your parents. I mean, look at you. You're only fourteen, and they're already letting you run around with a magic Wand and live away from home, and even though you continue to put others in danger, people still love you! So, I'm going to ask again: what could you possibly know about us?"
Comet just stared at the man, waiting for him to finish what he had to say, and then took a deep breath before pulling out his portable mirror and dialed in a certain number.
"Hello, Father Time? It's me, Comet. You remember that little thing that I asked for permission to do? Yes, that's right. But it would only be for about two minutes or so. Yeah, everywhere except for around me. Just use one of the orbs that I put into the compartment on the wheel. Thanks, dude. Start the clock and go enjoy yourself in some mud for the next few minutes. And say hi to the ducks for me." Comet then closed his mirror and returned to looking at Mr. Greason.
"Okay, I'll bite: what the hell was that?" the man asked.
"You'll see in about 5, 4, 3, 2, 1..." as soon as Comet finished counting down to zero, a familiar sound effect could be heard, and in an instant, everything around the two men began to slow to a crawl.
Mr. Greason spun his head around wildly, trying to figure out what just happened. "You little bastard! Did you just freeze time?"
"Relax. It's only for a few minutes, and we're unaffected by it. I called in a request with the guy who keeps everything moving, so we'll be fine," Comet jokingly told Karla's Dad. "Besides," he said as his face became uncharacteristically serious, "I wanted the privacy for my rebuttal."
"Rebuttal? What the Hell are you-"
"You're right, you know," Comet admitted. "I don't know what it was like growing up the way Karla did. I don't know what it's like to be poor or lose a parent at such a young age or be a part of a family that has to struggle to make ends meet. Since the day I was born, I've had everything provided to me without even having to be asked. I've got a massive castle, people to tend to my every need, being able to do things that other kids can only dream of doing. It's a good life. But if you think that all that wealth and privilege equates to love and happiness, then you're dead wrong, Mr. Greason." Comet then took a step forward and continued to look the older man dead in the eye.
"A lot of people may think that being born into royalty is like winning the lottery, and in some cases, it is. But it's also a double-edged sword. Since everyone expects me to be the next King of Mewni, they insist that I learn how to be their ideal version of a King, even though I want absolutely nothing to do with it. And when I decide to do what I want, they ridicule me for it and call me 'a failure of a Prince.' Even members of my own family treat me like I'm a mistake waiting to happen. Now, I stopped caring about what they thought a long time ago, but it doesn't make it any easier. Especially when it comes to my Dad."
"My whole life, my Dad's been too busy to give me the time of day, Mr. Greason. And every time I try to argue about that, he just tells me that as King, he's got to look after our people above all else, which means that there's very little time for me, his own son. Seven Hells, some days, it felt like he wouldn't even speak to me unless it was to lecture me on something that he thought that I did wrong. Shit, the whole reason I got sent to Earth was that I accidentally set fire to part of the town surrounding our castle. He'd rather have me train somewhere else than teach me himself. But you? You're still trying to be involved with Karla's life, no matter how badly she may screw up."
Comet paused for a second, hesitating. He wasn't sure if he should say what he wanted to say next. Finally, he began to speak again. "I overheard Karla talking to Marcia last night, you know. I heard her talking about you, how life was like for you guys growing up, and about her Mom. She must have been an incredible woman, and I wish I could've gotten the chance to meet her. But you want to know what the big takeaway I got from hearing her? It's that, despite how hard things seemed to be and how you two may have struggled to provide for Karla at times, she never once seemed unhappy with things. And neither was your wife. And I envy that."
"Wha-?"
"You heard me. I envy that. Some days, I look at Marcia's family, at how happy and loving they all are, and I ask myself, 'why can't I have that with my Dad?' I have it with my Mom, but nowhere near as much with my Dad. But Karla? She got to experience that kind of love and happiness with you and her Mom. When I heard her talking last night, I could tell just how much she loves you both and how much she misses her Mom. And that's why, even though she's no longer alive and she's got no obligation to do so, she keeps trying to pursue her love of music. She pours her heart and soul into it, not just for her own sake, but because when she's up there, playing on that keytar, it's her way of being close to her Mom. This is why I don't understand why you're so adamant about not letting her follow her passion. In her mind, she probably thinks that by doing so, you're trying to take away the biggest reminder she has of her.
Comet then took another deep breath before continuing. "Look, I may not agree with why you're so strict with Karla right now, but I sort of get why you're doing it. It's not that you don't care about her. It's because you care about her so much that you don't want to see her spend the rest of her life miserable. And like I said, I envy that. I wish my old man would give me enough time of day to do what you're trying to do. But believe me when I say that you can't force people to be something that they're not. All that's going to do is push them from you, maybe forever. Is that really what you want, Mr. Greason?"
Carl Greason didn't say a word. He just sat there in that bubble, staring at Comet, completely slackjawed. In just the span of a few minutes, this teenage boy had essentially called him out on everything. His decisions, his mistakes, even the fact that, even after all of these years, he was still grieving the loss of his Nancy. He didn't even know how to respond to that. Nor did he notice that time had already begun to resume.
Comet then raised his Wand and pointed it at the bubble. In an instant, it popped, letting Mr. Greason fall to the ground with a thud. Comet continued to look at him. "I've got no right to tell you how to be a parent, Mr. Greason. But here's my perspective on things: you love your daughter and want what you think is best for her. But what you think's best for her and what she wants out of life can end up being two entirely separate things. And unless you want to push her away forever, then you need to respect the fact that she's got to make her own decisions in life. You may not always agree with them, but you should respect them and support them because they make her happy. Because you may not have noticed lately, but Karla's gotten really, really good at music. And she may have a real shot at winning this thing! And while she'll have me, Marcia, and everyone else out there cheering, I'm sure it would mean the world if you did the same," Comet then turned away. "Just something to think about."
Finally, Mr. Greason gathered his bearings and began to speak again. "Uh, listen, kid, I-"
*BZZZZTTT*
Whatever Carl wanted to say to Comet never came out of his mouth. At that moment, Comet's portable mirror started to buzz inside his pocket, prompting the boy to take it out. When he saw the call was coming from Marcia, his brain immediately began to shift gears.
Did something go wrong? Comet thought to himself as he pressed the button and waited for Marcia to come in on the other side.
"Marcia? Is everything all right? Is the plan working?" he immediately asked once Marcia's face appear on the screen.
"Comet! Oh, thank God I got you! Listen, we've got a serious problem right now!"
Uh-oh, Comet thought. "Please tell me that Milly Sparkles didn't see through our plan and is sending security to get rid of us?"
Marcia shook her head. "Worse. Ludo's here."
"What? Are you sure?"
"Yeah, it's definitely Ludo. I saw one of his underlings grab Milly Sparkles and drag her off who knows where. Before I could do anything, they locked me inside Milly's dress room and barricaded the door from the outside. I'm trapped and worse, I can't get ahold of the others!"
"But this doesn't make any sense. Why would Ludo break into the GSS and kidnap Milly Sparkles? How does this help him get my Wand?"
"I don't know either, Comet, but whatever Ludo's planning is big. He's trying to make sure that none of us can interfere. But, listen, we need to regroup and figure out how to deal with him before anyone gets hurt!"
"Shit!" Comet swore under his breath. The last thing that he needed today was for Ludo to show up and make a mess of everything. As much as he wanted to stay and cheer Karla on, making sure the rest of his friends were safe was too important to ignore. "Don't worry, Marcia. I'm on my way." Comet then ended the call before Marcia could protest.
"Okay, so what was that supposed to be about?" Mr. Greason questioned the teen in bewilderment.
"Okay, Mr. Greason," Comet said as he brought his attention back to Karla's Dad. "So, the short version: there's a little birdman and a group of Monsters running amok inside the Stadium as part of some plan to get my Wand and use it to conquer the Universe or something dumb like that. So, while I go ahead and deal with that, I need you to stay here and make sure that Karla doesn't worry and focuses on the contest. Good? Good, okay, bye!"
"Wait, what was that about a birdman?" Mr. Greason tried to ask, but Comet had already bolted out the door into the nearby hallway, leaving the auto mechanic even more confused than before.
"Dad?"
Mr. Greason spun around, only to find his daughter standing behind him, staring at him in curiosity.
"Oh, hey, Karla. Did-did you need something?"
"Dad, why are you out of your bubble? And why were you talking to Comet? And how come Comet just ran out the door in a panic?" Karla continued to ask him question after question, and the man wasn't sure which one he should respond to first. However, after remembering the talk that Comet had given him about Karla, he realized that this may be his best chance to try and fix things between them. Deciding to ignore her concerns about her friend, Mr. Greason mentally prepared himself for what he was about to say to his daughter.
"Um, listen, Karla, I, uh-"
Suddenly, a voice began to echo.
"May I have everybody's attention, please? Your attention, please? Thank you."
"Uh oh," Karla said as she recognized who was speaking.
"I regret to inform you all that Milly Sparkles, beloved owner of the Bounce Lounge, will no longer be able to serve as Master of Ceremonies for today's talent scouting contest. Instead, today's events will be overseen by someone else. Someone far more important, whose name deserves recognition throughout the Universe."
As the other contestants began to look around the room in confusion. Then suddenly, they a loud whooshing sound coming from overhead. Before any of them could even react, a large, metal cage suddenly dropped from the ceiling onto the floor, trapping everyone inside the room except for Karla and her Dad. Then, to make things worse, a bunch of Monsters began to appear out of nowhere and surrounded the cage, followed by their pint-sized leader.
"AND THAT SOMEONE IS I, LUDO! SOON TO BE MASTER OF THE DRAGONFLY WAND AND RULER OF ALL THAT I SEE! AHAHAHAHAHAHAAAHAAHAHA!"
"Oh, shit," was all Karla could say.
Jay: ~Oh, I've been climbing up your tower! You can kiss my ass! I've been climbing up your tower, and I'm smudging up your glass! HEY!~
Omni: Can you please stop singing already? It's been almost an hour, and it's driving everyone nuts.
*We pan out to see that Jay's almost at the top of one of the mountains on Omnitraxus' back, having climbed up there over the course of the chapter.*
Jay: Can't. Not done yet.
Omni: Well, when will you-?
*Jay finishes climbing up the mountain*
Jay: Annnd now I'm done! I DID IT!
Omni: Good job, kid. But don't you think you should address today's chapter?
Jay: Oh, yeah. Give me one second.
*Jay reaches into his pocket and pulls out a portal gun before proceeding to use it to portal back down to Janna and Kermit*
Jay: WHAT UP, PEOPLE? WHO ENJOYED THE CHAPTER?
Kermit: Meh, I'll take it or leave it.
Janna: I mean, it's good if you enjoy a lot of dialogue and verbal dressing-downs, but I kind of wish that there was some more action.
Jay: Well, I'm sorry, but I was trying to set things up for the big finale next week. And in case you guys haven't noticed, these chapters are long enough to fill up a novella!
Janna: Whatever, man. But I got to hand it to Comet: he's really good at tearing into people and pointing out their shortcomings.
Kermit: Oh, definitely. That was what? The third time he's invoked "the reason you suck" speech trope?
Janna: Four if you count him coming clean to Marcia in 'Diaz Family Vacation'.
Jay: And he will continue doing so for as long as I see fit. As for whether or not it hit the mark with Mr. Greason, you're going to have to wait until next week. Until then, though, it's time to respond to
READERS REVIEWS
NightAroma-Sorry, man. It was fun while it lasted, though. Also, you're wrong about Carl's rationale. He doesn't blame music for taking his Wife from him. He does, however, try to discourage Karla from a subconscious association with his grief over losing Nancy.
Also, you're not alone in the psycho-analyzing thing. I took basic psychology in College, and now I can't stop doing it to every fictional character I see. It's fun to see why the characters you hate are just the worst. For example, Cersei Lannister: narcissistic sociopath/bitch.
LockAndKey989-Agreed.
FungusDungus000-Well, you're right about Karla and her old man. But don't worry. Now that Comet's torn him to shreds, things can only get better. Right?
SammieQ-I only watched the first season of The Winx Club on...whatever channel it was on. Cartoon Network? After that, I didn't care.
Guest 1-Agreed
Guest 2-DUDE! I MAY NOT MIND SPOILERS, BUT COME ON!
Guest 3-Yeah, I saw that fanfiction. But, meh, I like the ones I told you about more.
Guest 4-Yeah, I'm keeping the original art style.
The Wandering Hippie-The strange thing is that I never intended to come up with that backstory when I was first planning things out. It just came naturally. I can't even remember where I got the inspiration, but I'm glad I used it. Also, that wasn't really a reference to The Fairly Oddparents. Speaking of which, please don't let them make a live-action remake like they say they are!
Lord of the Storm-Ha ha, nice to see you caught the reference there! But the first half was also a reference to DuckTales! And no, that's not what's going to happen. Magic and alchemy are two entirely different powers. As for how Jonah will advance his alchemy...stick around this story long enough to find out.
You know what to do: fave and follow this story, and follow me on Twitter (JZ-Gaming), Insta (RJ Writing Ink), and YouTube (Jungoguy). Especially YouTube, where you can find my hit video, YOU CAN'T DENY SUCTION CUP MAN! | Jay Reacts Episode 19.
See you next week, guys, for the big musical finale to this arc! Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go stan Rick and Morty, Star Wars: the Bad Batch and The Owl House, celebrate Juneteenth, Father's Day, watch and the first day of Summer. Busy weekend!