*In Jay's Workspace, the entire pocket dimension has been converted into the forest frequently seen in Bugs Bunny cartoons. Only instead of Elmer Fudd, we see Janna cosplaying as a gender-bent version of Elmer. And instead of a shotgun, she's got a DC-17 Blaster Rifle from Star Wars*
Janna: Oh, sup, nerds? I'm guessing that this is the part where you expect me to tell you to be very quiet because I'm hunting rabbits and ducks while having trouble with the letter 'R', right? Well, too bad. I'm not Elmer Fudd.
*Bugs Bunny then walks into view with his trademark carrot*
Bugs: Eh, what's up, Doc? Going rabbit hunting, perhaps?
Janna: Nah. This is just a bit to promote the new Space Jam film that's out today. Jay already took most of the others to the movies, so I decided to have some fun.
Bugs: Not to discourage returning to cinemas, but he does know that the movie's on HBO Max, right?
Janna: He does, but doesn't care. Anywho, I'm just here to do three things: introduce the next chapter, "Interdimensional Field Trip," Invite you to join me for a double feature watch party of Space Jam and Space Jam: A New Legacy-
Bugs: I'm in. But what was the third thing?
*Janna then points her blaster at Bugs*
Janna: See if I can match wits with one of the greatest trolls of all time.
Bugs: Challenge accepted. In the meantime, the rest of you go enjoy the chapter.
Ms. Skullnick had been a teacher for a long time, much to her dismay. She thought that this meant that she knew all the ins and outs of teaching students. How to get them to listen to you, follow instructions, or at least know when to ask for help if they didn't. But her years as an educator at Echo Creek Academy did nothing to prepare her for the challenge she now faced.
"WAHOOOOOOOO! SWEET FREEDOM!"
That challenge being the bane of her existence, Comet Dragonfly.
Ever since the interdimensional Prince had literally kicked in the door to her classroom, Comet had been a nuisance to the already beleaguered teacher. First, he kept disrupting classes with his ability to use magic. Actual, freaking magic! Then, he went and rigged the football field with all manner of booby traps the night ECA played the Silver Hill Prep Warriors, causing chaos that almost got everyone killed. And to top it all off, one of the dumb kid's spells managed to turn her into a hideous, green troll, making the guy she was dating dump her! And since he couldn't figure out to change her back, she was stuck like this forever! And then there was the time that he turned into a mutant bug-boy and tried to force all the teenage girls in school into his private harem, and that wasn't even his fault! Needless to say, Miss Skullnick considered Comet Dragonfly to be nothing but trouble. Case in point, Skullnick, and her class were on a packed school bus, driving along the freeway in the middle of traffic, and he thought it was a good idea to stick his head out the window and scream at everyone as they were driving by.
"YAHOOOO! THIS RULES! WE'RE GOING ON A FIELD TRIP!"
"Comet Dragonfly, you have been yelling out that window since we got out of the parking lot. Calm the Hell down, and TAKE YOUR DAMN SEAT ALREADY!" Miss Skullnick yelled at the Prince in an attempt to rein him in.
"THIS IS AWESOME!" Comet continued to yell outside the window, meaning that he either didn't hear his teacher's orders or was choosing to ignore her. Either way, Miss Skullnick didn't get paid enough to deal with this crap. Fortunately, she had a secret weapon that not even Comet could defeat.
Miss Skullnick turned to Comet's assigned guide/roommate/best friend, Marcia Diaz, sitting in the same seat. "Marcia, sweetie?" "Please rein his highness in before he causes a pile-up."
Marcia silently gave her teacher a thumbs-up before putting away her phone and then forcibly pulling Comet back inside. "Comet," she looked him in the eye, "if you don't stop doing that right now, then so help me, I will ban you from all of my Family's streaming services!"
Comet gasped. "You wouldn't dare! I still need to watch Black Widow on Disney! And Space Jam: A New Legacy just came out!"
"Try me," Marcia said with a smirk on her face. She had been generous enough to let Comet piggyback off the Diaz family's streaming accounts, but she could just as easily take it away.
Hanging his head in defeat, Comet slumped back down into the bus seat. "Fine. You win, Marcy."
Miss Skullnick couldn't help but smile at the sight of Comet being put in his place by Marcia. Yet this scene wasn't exactly unique. In school, Comet relished the freedom that his magic granted him, and when it came down to it, there was little the teachers could do to stop him beyond a verbal reprimand. Yet Marcia was not only able to handle being Comet's guide at Echo Creek Academy, but when she told him to do something, he would generally listen! As she settled down in her own seat, Miss Skullnick couldn't help but think about what happened filled her with as much frustration at Comet as it did pride in her favorite student.
Now that he had given up on showing the world his excitement, though, Comet had decided to spend his time talking with Marcia. "I don't get why you & Skullzy are so mad about, Marcia. This is a field trip! For once, we don't have to spend the day sitting in a boring classroom listening to some boring lecture while sitting in desks and chairs that are terrible for our backs. Everyone should be as excited as I am!" He proclaimed.
"Okay, Comet," Marcia said as she got ready to burst Comet's bubble, "I know that it may sound interesting, but these field trips are usually anything but. They're generally to some dull place that bores everyone to tears that we have to pretend to be interested in. Even I'm not that interested in them, and I pay attention to everything in school."
"That is true," Comet admitted. "If it weren't for the fact that you take such good notes, I'd probably be failing all of my classes," he casually admitted with a smile on his face, only to see that Marcia was looking at her phone rather than at him.
"Huh? I'm sorry I couldn't hear you since I was looking at my phone. And no, Comet, I'm not just saying that to prove a point." Marcia continued to scroll through her phone until she found what she was looking for, clicked on it, and then sent it out via text message.
"Ooh, what are you looking at? I wanna see!" Without even waiting for an answer, Comet yanked Marcia's phone out of her hands, only to see a photo of a kitten dressed in a little business suit and tie with the captions "I Can Has Promotshun?" Comet immediately went gaga over it.
"Oh my Gods, that is so adorable! Look at him in his cute wittle tie!" His joy was short-lived, though, as Marcia proceeded to swipe her phone back.
"Gimme that! I need it to win a bet!"
"Oh ho ho, a friendly wager! I love it! So who are you playing against? Jonah?"
"Nope," Marcia said. "Jackson, actually." Marcia then turned her head to see Jackson sitting in his seat, looking at his phone expectantly. "We have bet about who can send the funniest pic or gif by the end of the day. Winner has to make the loser do one thing they want, no arguments allowed!" Marcia then got this dreamy look on her face as she began to think about all the things that she could have Jackson do. "And once I win the bet, I'll make Jackson take me out on a romantic date, where I'll finally be able to show him that the two of us are meant to be together!" Just thinking about going to a movie or dinner at a fancy restaurant with Jackson clad in a handsome-looking suit was enough to make Marcia blush!
"Or, and this is a crazy idea, Marcia, you could just come and tell him out you feel," Comet suggested, immediately dragging Marcia back down to Planet Earth.
"Yeah, no," Marcia said. "This way, he won't be able to say no or turn me down, so there's no fear of rejection."
"Whatever, Marcy. I still think you should tell him, but what do I know?" Comet said as he rested back into his seat, figuring out ways to pass the time until they got to wherever they were going.
What Comet and Marcia didn't realize was at that moment, Brittney Wong had been nervously watching them in silence from her own bus seat. Brittney hated feeling nervous. She was used to be confident, self-assured, an alpha woman in the making. Yet right now, she couldn't bring herself to go up and talk to the two friends, both of whom she had a history with, and she hated herself for that.
"What is wrong with you, Brittney?" the heiress said as she let a small groan escape her lips. "Why can't you just go up and talk to them? I mean, sure, you treated one of them like garbage for years, which led them to publicly tear you to shreds on two separate occasions," Brittney said to herself, wincing as she remembered both incidents. "But, they know that you're not the same person anymore. They know that you're trying to change."
"Why do I find that hard to believe?" a new voice said from behind her, making Brittney let out a small "eep." But, unfortunately, she knew all too well who that voice belonged to. Reluctantly, she turned around in her seat to see Sabrina Backintosh, her former lieutenant and the new head cheerleader following Brittney's resignation. And she was currently glaring at Brittney like there was no tomorrow.
Brittney gulped. She hadn't spoken to Sabrina since the Mewberty Incident with Comet, but they barely got to talk to one another, given the circumstances. In fact, the last time they had a proper conversation was when Sabrina severed all ties with her leader at her birthday party.
Maybe she's not as mad anymore, Brittney thought, trying to be optimistic as Sabrina continued to look at her. "Hey, Sabrina...I didn't realize that you were sitting back there. How have you been doing?" Brittney was trying to sound as nice as possible, not wanting to cause any trouble. Yet, it seemed like Sabrina wasn't willing to play nice.
"I'm doing just fine ever since I got you out of my life," Sabrina said, her voice uncharacteristically cold. "But what the heck do you think you're doing?"
"I, um, I don't know what you're talking-" Brittney started to say, only for Sabrina to cut her off.
"Brittney, I know that you haven't given up on Comet yet. And you're using this trip as a chance to get closer to him and make him think that you've changed, aren't you?" The way Sabrina was saying this, it was clear that it was less a question and more a carefully worded statement-of-fact. This was the kind of tactic Brittney used once, and the irony that Sabrina was now using against her wasn't lost on the young heiress. It hurt, more so since it was the normally sweet and friendly Sabrina that it was saying it.
Brittney wasn't sure what she should say to Sabrina, but she knew that saying something was better than saying nothing. "Look, Sabrina, I know that we left things off on a bad note, but I'm trying to change for the better. You should know that. I mean, remember the Mewberty thing? I was the one who helped save you and the other cheerleaders."
Sabrina thought about this for a moment, as Brittney did have a point. Brittney had no obligation to put her neck out for her and the other cheerleaders the way she did. Yet, she was the first person to come to their aid after Comet captured all the girls in Echo Creek. Yet, the young cheerleader remained skeptical. "Brittney, I won't deny that you helped save us. But for all I know, you could've done that just look good in front of Comet and Marcia and get in their good graces."
"But I wasn't," Brittney said in response. "And what does it matter that I'm still into Comet? Last time I checked, every girl in school is crushing on him right now, yourself included." As she said this last thing, a realization came over Brittney. "Oh my gosh," Brittney gasped. "You were planning to do the same thing that I was, weren't you?"
At that moment, whatever confidence Sabrina was trying to give off vanished as the young girl's face became as red as a tomato. "What-I wasn't-well, you just admitted that you were thinking the same thing!" she said in a hasty attempt to recover. "And just because you're going after him doesn't mean that I'm going to give up. My days of letting you boss me around are over!"
Oh, heck no, Brittney thought as, without even realizing it, her competitive nature began to get the better of her. "Oh, is that so, Sabrina? Well, I've got news for you: I have no intention of giving up on the hottest boy in school, either."
"Fine. Then I guess it's every girl for herself," Sabrina responded.
"I guess it is," Brittney humphed before sitting back down in her seat, not even bothering to look back at Sabrina. It was only once she had a moment to calm down that she realized what she just did.
Oh, damn. Brittney mentally groaned as she realized that she let her anger screw things up for her and probably ruined any chance she had at reconciling with Sabrina. No, I can't focus on her right now. Today's the day that you're going to show Comet Dragonfly the new Brittney Wong. Even as she tried to lift her spirits, though, in the back of her mind, a single question lingered:
What if this is really all an act?
Brittney, however, had no more time to dwell on her self-doubts, as the sensation of the vehicle coming to a halt let her know that they had reached their destination.
"WE'RE HERE!"
That, and Comet was so excited that he used his Wand to open a door where the window was and ran right out.
"Oh, Dios Mio...COMET, WAIT UP!" Marcia cried out in vain as
"GET BACK HERE, YOU DELINQUENT!" Ms. Skullnick screamed as she ran into the parking lot after Comet as the class looked on.
"Maybe this trip won't be so bad, after all," Jonah remarked.
"I take it back: this trip may be a new form of Hell," Jonah complained as he, and the rest of the class, trudged inside to their destination: the Echo Creek Paperclip Museum. Every student in his class seemed to share this sentiment, as they all had this blank, lifeless look on their faces that screamed, "help me, I'm dying of boredom," as they trudged inside the museum. Ferguson had to be dragged inside by Alfonso and Jackson, all the while kicking and screaming about they couldn't make him go through this kind of torture. Even Miss Skullnick looked like she didn't want to be there, yet she sucked it up because it was her job.
As far as anyone could tell, the only person who seemed even remotely interested in their location was Comet Dragonfly. For once, though, his curiosity and enthusiasm failed to affect the rest of the teens. Not that he seemed to notice, though, as he was too busy looking at everything.
"Ohhh, this is so cool!" Comet said as he looked at the various paperclips before dragging Marcia over to one. "Marcia, what is that?"
"That, Comet, would be a paperclip," she said without even bothering to look up at her phone. "Now, leave me alone. For once, I have better things to do than focus on learning." Marcia felt like she was close to finding the ultimate funny gif or pic and winning her bet with Jackson. Until a giant, green, familiar-looking hand yanked it out of hers.
"No distractions. Not even for you, Miss Diaz," Miss Skullnick said as she put the phone in her pocket before pulling out a megaphone that she had on hand. "And as for the rest of you: NO MONKEY BUSINESS! We may be out of class, but we are still here to learn. And as long as we are in the Echo Creek Museum of Paperclips, you will be expected to spend the rest of today learning about the genius behind this bent little metal wire." Miss Skullnick then held up a paperclip as an example as the rest of the class groaned.
"Miss Skullnick, please stop!" Alfonso cried out in pain. "This hurts!"
"I don't think I'm going to make it, Al!" Ferguson cried as he looked ready to double over in agony. "If I die, I want you to have my video games. Promise me...that you'll platinum the next chapter of Final Fantasy VIIRemake when it comes out!" the rotund boy said in a melodramatic fashion.
"Oh no. Jackson, help! We're losing him!" Jonah called out to the skater boy as he rushed to Ferguson's side.
"Come on, Ferguson, stay with us, man!" Even Jackson seemed to be getting in on the scene, his normally cool and collected demeanor gone as it looked like one of his closest friends was going to die of boredom. "Seriously, Ferguson, you better not be playing possum like you did at the game!"
"Jackson, is that you?" Ferguson weakly cried out. "Tell my parents I love them, would you?'
"AHHH, this is torture! Why must you torture us like this?" Justin cried out in pain.
"I'd rather be watching paint dry than deal with this," CometFan13 chimed in, as Comet looked on in concern.
Miss Skullnick, though, had to resist the urge to roll her eyes. "Can it, you drama queens!" she yelled into the megaphone. "In case you haven't figured it out yet, then let me explain something to you: once you all get out of high school, you're going to have to go to college and deal with student loans and long classes and even more homework, or go into the workforce and deal with long hours and potentially low pay. In other words, life is boring! And it's going to be boring until the day you all die! The sooner you all figure that out, the better!"
While Skullnick's little speech only managed to bring the mood down even further, deep in the recesses of Comet's brain, the boy was registering a single word she had uttered. It was a word that Comet loathed almost as much as he did his Great Uncle Eternia or Sgt. Oleg's Reform School for Wayward Princes: boring. And at that moment, this field trip felt boring enough to top one of Eternia's brain cell-killing lectures on "princely etiquette." Faced with the dullest moment in his life, Comet decided to do what he did best: throw caution to the wind and give an authority figure a piece of his mind.
Without a second of hesitation, Comet strode up to the troll teacher and gave his unfiltered thoughts: "Miss Skullnick, life is not boring. Life is like the Universe's greatest rollercoaster: it's filled with ups and downs, crazy whirls, and parts that make the blood rush from your head to your feet and then back again. Life is meant to be fun!"
"Oh no," Marcia whispered as she watched the beginnings of a catastrophe seemingly unfold before her.
Miss Skullnick just looked at Comet for a moment, as if she was trying to process that he dared to talk back to her like this. Given that it was Comet, though, it didn't take long for her mind to create a response. "You know, I used to think just like you, Dragonfly. I had my whole life ahead of me, and it seemed like the sky was the limit. But then I had to deal with all the constant put-downs, disappointments, and failures that life had to throw at me. Now I'm fifty, single, my best years are in the rearview mirror, and a troll, thanks to you," she bitterly reminded him. "The only joy I have left now is teaching you kids. And aside from Marcia, I hate teaching you kids, especially you," she looked right at Comet as she said this.
"I don't know if I should be flattered that she likes teaching me or offended by the fact that she just admitted she hates teaching everyone else," Marcia whispered to Jonah as they watched this confrontation.
"Speak for yourself. I know I'm flattered," Jonah smugly said, much to Marcia's annoyance as Comet continued speaking to their teacher.
"Well, that's because you're doing this all wrong, Miss Skullnick," Comet told her.
"Oh, so you think that you can do a better job at leading these kids than I can? Is that what you're trying to say?"
"Miss Skullnick, I'm a super-handsome prince with great charisma and excellent taste in fashion. I was literally born and trained to lead other people," Comet smugly responded.
In response to the teen's cocky declaration, Miss Skullnick burst into a fit of mocking laughter. "You seriously think that you can lead these teens?! HAHAHAHAHA!" Miss Skullnick continued laughing at Comet for several seconds before she calmed down enough to speak to him. "All right then, your highness," she said, making sure to be as derisive as possible on that last part. "Let's see you put your money where your mouth is. For the rest of today, you are in charge of everyone here. But when you crash and burn, I'm going to look forward to seeing you and the rest of these brats come crawling back to me. Who knows? Maybe they'll appreciate me, for once." Upon saying that, Miss Skullnick promptly shoved the megaphone into Comet's hands and began to walk away. "If anyone needs me, I'll be on the bus."
The rest of the class was left completely stunned at what had just happened. One minute, Miss Skullnick was standing there trying to lecture them about how much life sucks. Then the next thing they knew, she passed the reins to Comet Dragonfly, the student she hated the most (besides Jonah), and bailed on them. As most of the students stood there, Comet looked at the megaphone in his hands, and then at his classmates, and then got the biggest grin on his face.
"Okay, people," Comet shouted into the megaphone. "You heard Miss Skullnick! As of now, I'm in charge for the rest of the day! And as my first act as a leader, who wants to go someplace that's not boring?"
"HELL YEAH!" Everyone in class shouted at once, making Comet laugh in response.
"Then follow me back to the bus, everyone! It's time for a venue change!" As soon as he said that, the students eagerly began to make for the exit for the bus, where Miss Skullnick was currently trying to take a nap. Much to her dismay, she found herself rudely woken by an unruly mob of teenagers shouting and cheering about who knows what.
"What are the consequences of what I have just done?" Miss Skullnick asked aloud, letting out a weary sigh just as Marcia passed her by.
"Don't worry, Miss Skullnick," Marcia sympathetically told her teacher. "I'm sure Comet knows what he's doing."
Miss Skullnick couldn't help but smile at the sight of her favorite student trying to cheer her up, but that did little to assuage her growing anxiety. "I appreciate the sentiment, Marcia, but this is Comet Dragonfly we're talking about. Ever since he started attending Echo Creek Academy, that boy has been nothing but trouble!"
"Oh, lighten up, Skullzy," Jonah said as he leaned on her seat. "One of the most overlooked perks to knowing how to get into trouble is that you also learn how to get yourself out of it. And Comet is really good at getting himself out of trouble," he casually explained before walking away.
"Wow," Marcia said as she watched her frenemy return to his seat next to Jackson. "I don't think that we can argue with that logic." However, the conversation between student and teacher was cut short as Comet proceeded to make his grand entrance on the school bus, much to all the teen's joy.
"So who here is ready to have a good time?" Comet asked, making everyone cheer in agreement. "Well, then get ready for the greatest field trip in the history of field trips, because…." Comet paused for dramatic effect as he pulled out his dimensional scissors. "We're going to another dimension!"
If the class wasn't excited before, then at this point, they pretty much lost it at that point. While only a handful of their number had gotten the opportunity to do so, the vast majority of the students at Echo Creek Academy knew that the Prince of Mewni not only had the means to travel to other dimensions but did so regularly. And thanks to stories told by the likes of Alfonso, Ferguson, and Jonah, Comet's interdimensional escapades had already gone down in ECA lore as the stuff of legends. The fact that they were now getting the chance to experience one firsthand felt like a dream come true! However, those who had already joined the Prince on his adventures remained far calmer as they wondered where Comet would be taking them.
Finally, it was Karla who asked the question on everyone's minds: "So where are we going, Comet? Because I wouldn't mind going back to Symphonia and enjoying the music some more." Karla could already see herself playing on a massive stage for her classmates and interdimensional travelers.
"Well, I wouldn't mind heading to the All Blue and spending a day at the beach," Jackson said, offering his two cents. Just thinking about the sapphire blue water and pearly white sand was enough to make the surfer in him giddy with excitement. That, and he wanted to visit Oceanus again.
"Oh, oh, I second a trip to the beach!" Brittney added. If there was a luxurious beach in another dimension, then she did not want to miss out on the chance at some R . Plus, I'd have an excuse to get Comet's attention with one of my sexy-as-hell bathing suits. She could see it now: she'd walk onto the beach wearing her finest bikini, the one that didn't just hug her body but helped draw attention to her various assets. There was no way that Comet would be able to resist after he saw her wearing something like that! And the thought of seeing Comet in a swimsuit that exposed his defined, muscular chest was almost enough to make her drool in anticipation.
While Sabrina didn't say anything, she was thinking along the same lines as Brittney. The one difference is that her fantasies were making her face turn beet red.
"I don't really mind where we go, as long as I'm near Comet," CometFan13 said.
"I'm cool with going anywhere," Ferguson simply said.
"Same," Alfonso added. "As long as it's not Pixtopia." The memory of what they went through in that dimension was enough to make both boys shudder
"Comet, please tell me that there's a dimension populated by zombies that you've been holding out on us," Jonah asked.
In contrast to the rest of her friends, Marcia kept her thoughts to herself. Maybe Comet's going to take us to Mewni and show everyone his home, she thought. However, she quickly dismissed that notion, as she doubted Comet would want to risk getting caught by his parents. And she didn't want to run into any more snooty nobles. The memory of Tywin Doflamingo trying to hit on her was enough to make her skin crawl!
"Those are all great ideas," Comet said, complimenting each of them. "But I've got someplace special in mind for us," he said before hopping out of the bus and using the scissors to open up a portal.
What he failed to notice, though, was there was something on the roof of the bus, silently watching him and reporting back to its masters.
As the school bus began to exit the glowing portal and come to a stop, everyone took the opportunity to look outside and see where Comet had taken them. And what they saw stunned them.
Their destination looked like something out of an avant-garde painting. The ground was completely flat and stretched out beyond the horizon until it met the sky hanging overhead. The sky was colored in varying shades of green, serving as an ever-present reminder that they were no longer on Earth. But neither of these things seemed to interest the people on the bus; rather, it was the things that dotted the landscape. A row of pyramids glistened in the different colors of the rainbow off to the side. Right behind the bus was a statue of what looked like a T-Rex, but with bigger arms, wearing overalls, and playing a giant banjo for a group of dinosaurs. Another figure had what looked like a huge duck man wearing armor made out of common household items beating the snot out of a four-headed, robotic goose. A giant, physics-defying staircase floated over them in mid-air!
All told, it seemed like this entire dimension was going out of its way to defy every conceivable law that governed the Universe. It was, in a nutshell, insane! And while everyone was looking outside and gawking at their surroundings, Comet was standing at the front of the bus, silently enjoying the look on everyone's faces.
Once he felt like they had had enough time to process their new surroundings, though, Comet finally spoke up. "Ladies and gentlemen, when it comes to traveling to other dimensions, I understand that you have no choice in the matter. Nonetheless, I would just like to thank you for choosing Comet's Interdimensional Travel, patent-pending. We have now arrived at our final destination, so please wait until the vehicle has come to a complete stop before using any potential exit to step out outside, at which point your guide will further explain where we are."
Once the bus came to a complete stop, everyone began to scramble to get out of the bus and investigate this new place. When it looked like several students were going to start pushing and shoving to get out, Comet used his Wand to create extra exits on either side of the bus to let everyone out at once. That, though, did little to stop people trying to rush out due to sheer eagerness.
Miss Skullnick's role as a teacher began to kick into overdrive when she saw what was happening. "Hey, no running! Stop shoving each other! Everyone stay in a neat, single-file-"
"Uh, uh, uh, Skullnick," Comet said, cutting his teacher off. "You put me in charge, so everyone has to do what I say. And that includes you," he reminded her before reaching into her pants pocket and pulling out Marcia's phone.
"Hey! Give that back this instant! Students are not allowed to use cellphones during class time." Skullnick, trying to reach for the phone, only for Comet to use his considerable leg strength to keep her at bay.
"Comet says that they can now," he smugly told her before leaving to join the others, who had all exited the bus by that point. Reluctantly, Miss Skullnick decided to do the same, joining the rest of the class.
Once he made sure that everyone was accounted for, Comet took out the megaphone and held it in one hand, his Wand in the other as he extended it into Wand-Staff form. "Ladies, gentlemen, and those that are part of that technicolor flag," he began, twirling his Wand-Staff like an expert showman. "I, Comet Dragonfly, am proud to welcome you to…THE DIMENSION OF WONDER AND AMAZEMENT!" He proclaimed as he used his Wand-Staff to dramatically gesture at everything around them, much to his audience's fascination. "This entire dimension is one giant museum dedicated to one thing, and one thing alone: showcasing some of the coolest and most interesting oddities that the Universe has to offer! Think of it like 'Ripley's 'Believe it or Not!', but on a much larger scale!"
"So what, this place has skeletons of people with extra fingers or artwork made out of candy?" Jonah sarcastically asked.
"How about wax replicas of people from a dimension where everyone is a giant hand, Jonah?" Comet retorted before pointing off to the side. Much to everyone's disbelief, there was a wax replica of a humanoid creature that resembled that of a giant hand, but with eyes and a mouth in the center of what would be its palm. To make things even weirder, it didn't have hands or feet, just two sets of sausage-like limbs.
"This may be the coolest place ever. Of all time," Jonah whispered in silent reverence.
"Glad to hear you say that, Jonah. Because the rest of today, I'm giving everyone here free reign over this place!" The class erupted into applause at this, with Justin shouting, "Comet Dragonfly rules!"
"Now, hold on, guys," Comet said as he held up his hands. "I still have to explain the rules first." At the mention of rules, everyone began to groan.
"Boo! Not cool, dude!" Jonah complained.
"Don't worry, these will be fun," Comet said, explaining himself. "First rule: you're free to do whatever you want, but I want you to make sure you ask yourself if it's a good idea or not. Rule number two: if you don't know if something's a good idea, ask me for advice. I've gotten myself in and out of enough trouble know when I'm in over my head. And last, and most importantly: HAVE FUN!" And with that, Comet struck the most dramatic pose he could think of. "NOW GO, MY BIRDS! FLY AND BE FREE!"
And with that, the entire class proceeded to scatter to the winds, much to Miss Skullnick's horror.
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!? YOU CAN'T JUST LET THEM RUN FREE LIKE THAT! THERE'S NO TELLING WHAT COULD HAPPEN TO THEM!" She berated the Prince, only for him to brush her concerns off.
"Relax, Skullzy. Even if they do end up getting in trouble, they've got me and my trusty Wand to bail them out," he confidently told her. "And before you say something like 'that's not very reassuring,' then I would like to remind you that Jonah has his taser-pepper spray combo and alchemy-"
"-wait, what?"
"Alfonso and Ferguson have their super-powered slingshots, which they keep on hand in case of emergencies," Comet continued. "And your favorite student, Marcia, is a karate-wielding badass who's held her own against Monsters, giant, fire-breathing snakes, and evil, robotic guards." Comet then noticed that Marcia was getting ready to head off by herself, the others having already left. "Speaking of whom, Marcia!" Comet cried out as he tossed the girl her cellphone. "I believe this belongs to you!"
"Oh, thank Heavens!" Marcia said as he looked over her now returned cellphone. "Oh, and I've got more bars here than I do on Earth! Thanks, Comet!"
"No problem, Marcy! Now go and win that bet of yours! No need to worry about me; I've got this whole thing under control."
Marcia was torn at that moment. On the one hand, Comet was her best friend/responsibility. She felt like she had to look out for him, given his tendency to avoid responsibility and trouble following him wherever he went. On the other hand, when trouble did brew, he always stepped up to the plate and made sure that everyone got out in one piece.
Screw it. I just wanna win that bet and get Jackson to take me out on a date. Marcia went off on her own, searching for the craziest thing she could take a picture of with her mind made. Satisfied, Comet turned around to look at his bewildered teacher.
"See? Even Marcia's not worried. And if she's not worried, then none of us should have a reason to worry," Comet pointed out. And for once, Miss Skullnick could not argue with the boy's logic. "And those rules I gave for everyone count for you as well, Miss Skullnick. So go off and enjoy yourself, you big ol' sourpuss. You may end up finding something that piques your interest!" Comet wasn't just saying that to dissuade his teacher's worries, either. When he wanted people to have fun, he wanted everyone to have fun. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to check in on everyone around the museum and then spend some quality time with Karla Greason." And with that, Comet went on his way, leaving Miss Skullnick by herself.
"Okay, then," she shrugged, deciding to take the kid's advice, as crazy as that was. However, as she began to look around the dimension-sized museum, she found herself at a loss on what to do. This was the first time that she had ever let her class do whatever they wanted on a field trip, never mind the fact that they were in another dimension! Finally, her eyes rested upon one exhibit in particular, with this big sign above it. "Walking with Trolls?" she said as she read the sign aloud. She had to admit, that did sound intriguing. Ever since comet turned her into a troll, she didn't really know anything about herself anymore. As she stood there, debating whether she should try it out or not, Jonah appeared out of thin air.
"I heard, once you go in there, you never come out," the boy said in his eeriest possible voice. "Oh, wait, I'm thinking about a hamburger factory. Oh well. Ciao, teach!"
"Fuck it," Miss Skullnick finally said. "I'm doing it."
And so, the class split up to explore the dimension-sized museum. Unbeknownst to Comet, as he was heading off in search of Karla, three people were watching him from the shadows. The first two happened to be young women with a shared history and a mutual attraction to Comet Dragonfly, and neither of them was willing to lose to the other. The other, however, wasn't even human, or mewman, or a person. Instead, it was a tiny machine, no bigger than that of a housefly, that had been carefully monitoring the boy since he had boarded the bus earlier that morning, transmitting its observations back to its masters in another dimension.
Spongebob Narrator: Meanwhile, at Castle Avarius
"THIS IS AMAZING!" Ludo cackled as he watched everything transpire from the massive, plasma-screen TV inside his castle. "We can spy on that royal idiot as much as we want, and even if he spots us, he'll just think we're a common housefly and ignore us. It's the perfect disguise!"
"The most efficient way to spy on one's enemies is to hide in plain sight," Toffee coldly agreed as he monitored everything going on. Just then, Buff Frog came into the room with several other Monsters in tow. After doing his customary salute, the Frogman began to speak to his leader.
"Ludo, Master, I have urgent news about Comet Dragonfly. He has taken himself and a large group of kids to-"
"Yes, yes, Buff Frog," Ludo said, rudely cutting his spymaster off. "We are already well aware that Comet and his stupid friends have left Earth. We are monitoring them in that weird, museum dimension using the spy drones that Toffee acquired for us."
"Spy drones?" Buff Frog said with concern in his voice. "But, sir, this is just one tiny machine, and I am bigger, faster, and far more observant."
"Yeah, well, the average housefly is said to have thousands of compound lenses that can pick up on any movement, no matter how small it may be," Ludo pointed out. "Just ask Boo Fly, for corn's sake. He can vouch for me."
"Izzzz true," Boo Fly admitted. "Uzzz flies have crazy good vizzion."
Wanting to get the conversation back on track, Toffee spoke up. "In any case, this represents a unique opportunity for us. The Prince is in another dimension. His allies are scattered and isolated about the place, and all remain blissfully unaware of our ability to follow their every movement."
"As you all know, our latest attempt to get the Wand came close to succeeding. Had there not been any...unexpected circumstances, we likely would have had the Wand by now." Ludo explained.
"You mean the weird girl with the music, boss?" Bearicorn pointed out.
"Yes, Bearicorn. The weird, singing girl with the fangs." Ludo felt the urge to facepalm come on, but he did his best to ignore it. "In any case, the events in Symphonia have proven that we can drive Prince Dragonfly into a corner. All we need to do is cut him off from his friends and allies and make him come to us."
Potato Baby murmured a question in his strange language, yet everyone understood what he was saying despite that. "How do we make him do that, Potato Baby? It's just like Toffee explained the last time: we use his love for his friends against him," Ludo said with a sinister look on his beaked face. "Toffee, if you would?'
"Yes, sir." Toffee stepped forward to address the assembled Monsters. "We will be sending a small group of you into the Dimension of Wonder and Amazement to serve as the vanguard-"
"Uh, what's that?" Bearicorn asked.
"It means you'll be going in before the rest of us," Toffee calmly explained. "As I was saying, this group will serve as the vanguard. They will be responsible for making sure the Prince remains isolated from his allies while we begin to capture them."
"Didn't we try that already?" Dave and Ping-Pong pointed out, making everyone remember the events of the party bus, and more recently, in Symphonia.
"Indeed. However, unlike the party bus skirmish, Comet and his allies shall remain unaware of our presence until it is too late. Once we have the others captive, we will lure Comet to an isolated part of the museum, at which point the rest of our forces will surround him and force him to part with his Wand. His family heirloom in exchange for the lives of his comrades."
"Um, I don't know about this," Ludo said. "I mean, even if we manage to get our hands on the Wand, what's to stop him from taking it back before we can get away?" He pointed out. Toffee was slightly caught off-guard at his so-called leader's foresight, but he didn't let his surprise show on his face.
"Do not worry," Toffee said before he produced a seemingly ordinary-looking mace from behind his back. "The boy will not have the opportunity to retrieve his precious Wand, thanks to this toy that I...acquired," he said in a sinister tone.
"Um, Mr. Toffee, sir?" Beard Deer spoke up. "That just looks like a regular weapon."
"A simple deception," Toffee said without missing a beat. "Meant to hide its true purpose. Allow me to demonstrate." Toffee then reached over and grabbed the TV remote out of Ludo's tiny hands.
"Hey! I was using that!" Ludo childishly complained.
"Relax. This will only take a second," Toffee said before pressing a button on the mace's handle, causing the weapon to open like a flower, revealing a miniature portal within. As the Monsters looked on, Toffee stuck his hand inside the doorway, and, to their shock, they saw an identical portal open up next to Ludo, producing the remote in his three-fingered hand.
"Oooh, how convenient," Ludo said, impressed with the technology.
"Yes, quite," Toffee simply said before addressing the other Monsters. "Now, one of you will be entrusted with this device and ensuring its successful operation. I need not remind you that the success of this mission will depend on your ability to correctly use it." At this, many of the Monsters began to get nervous. "Now, do I have any volunteers?"
None of the Monsters wanted to step forward and take up the task. On the one hand, if they pulled this off, the Dragonfly Wand would be theirs, Ludo would begin his conquest of Mewni, and the one responsible would be a hero to Monsters everywhere! On the other hand, if they failed (and many of them couldn't help but feel like they would), that Monster would get blamed for everything and face Ludo's wrath. No one wanted to deal with that!
At last, Buff Frog spoke up. "I will do it," he said without a hint of hesitation, making the other Monsters whisper in response.
"I thought you might," Toffee told his colleague before whispering, "you fat sack of garbage," under his breath before Buff Frog stepped forward to take the device. "Now, the rest of you will be working in teams. One team will be with Buff Frog and establishing our hiding spot. Another team will be observing the Prince and his movements, making sure that he suspects nothing. If you see anything that could be useful, retrieve it. The last team will be responsible for the capture of the students and bringing them to Buff Frog. Once that is done, we will lure the Prince in and strike the final blow."
"What he said. Let's go, go, go, people!" Ludo said, squawking commands as the Monsters began to move out. As Buff Frog made to leave, though, Ludo motioned for him to remain behind.
"And Buff Frog?" Ludo said. "You are my best warrior, and I know that you will not fail me. Isn't that right?"
"No, Master. I will not," Buff Frog said before saluting his leader and heading off to join the others. Satisfied with everything, Ludo and Toffee then returned their attention to the monitors, watching as the Prince wandered around the dimension-sized museum, blissfully unaware of what was to come.
"You may have bested us in the past, Comet Dragonfly, but no longer. At last, this day will be ours!" Ludo loudly proclaimed before beginning to cackle like a madman, confident that victory would be his!
*In Jay's Workspace, the entire forest lies in utter ruin. Trees have been uprooted or fallen over, there are foxholes covering the landscape, and the remains of tanks, fighter jets, shattered anvils, and more dot the ground. In the center, under a white flag of truce, Janna and Bugs Bunny are shaking hands.*
Bugs: Eh, I gotta say, kid, I didn't think that you would be that much of a threat. But you really gave me a run for my money back there.
Janna: Likewise. It was a privilege being able to match wits with the legendary Bugs Bunny.
Bugs: Aw, there's no need for flattery, kid. I can see why Jay holds you in such high regard.
Janna: Speaking of which, do you think that we should clean this up before he gets back to write his review of the film? He's gonna be pissed otherwise.
Bugs: Nah. Let's blame it all on Daffy. That's what I do to get out of trouble.
Janna: Nice. Let's go get the Warner trio and watch Space Jam: A New Legacy on Jay's giant TV. But first, would you like to do the honors?
Bugs: It would be my pleasure, Miss Ordonia. Let us commence with
READERS REVIEWS
NightAroma-Oh, Night, you charmer. As much as he would love to do so, not even Jay can match the sheer number of pop culture references of Ready Player One. And that counts both the book and the film, which he saw. He's got a framed poster of it in his room.
Guest 1-Eh, yes. He was making a jab at himself, Doc. Sometimes the best way to get a few laughs is to learn to laugh at yourself.
FungusDungus000-You should thank The Wandering Hippie for helping Jay out with that. He actually struggled to make it work, and Hippie was the one who gave him the ideas.
Guest 2-He's straight.
The Wandering Hippie-I assure you, good sir, Jay has you to thank for much of the ideas behind Sgt. Oleg's. And Comet's not screaming when he hears its name anymore, since he conquered his fear. And believe it or not, Jay actually thought of making the pursuit far more violent, with these three-headed dogs biting on Marcia's ankle until she bled and Mr. Abhorrent actually hitting her when she refused to talk. The same would go for Comet's rampage: he would've torn the guards to pieces in the most violent ways possible. If you haven't noticed, when one of Comet's friends gets hurt, he tends to get violently protective of them.
Well, enough about that. Jay should be back next week. The Olympics and San Diego Comic-Con are starting, so he has to come back. You know what to do: fave and follow this story, and follow Jay on Twitter (JZ-Gaming), Insta (RJ Writing Ink), and YouTube (Jungoguy).