I'm back from my convention you guys! And rather than spend time with my normal intro, I'm just going to jump right into the thick of things. But, for the record, this little arc's partially inspired by this Rocket Power in Nick Magazine that I remember from a long time ago.
Marcia sat down in front of the Stop-N-Slurp and listened carefully as Buff Frog began his story.
"Now, before I start, you must understand that much of what I will tell you took place long time ago. Not all of it may be very accurate."
"Well, it seems like history is ever fully accurate. Plenty of facts and key details will end up being lost to the ages, no matter how detailed the books may be," Marcia commented.
"Da," he said before continuing. "To start, you know what Prince Comet's people call themselves, right?"
"Yeah. They call themselves Mewmans, right?"
"Da. They want to make it seem like they are rightful inhabitants of Mewni. But that is not true. In truth, it is the ones they gave blanket term 'Monsters' who first called Mewni home."
Marcia was very tempted to ask questions, but she kept quiet out of respect for what he had to say.
"Mewmans calls all of us 'Monsters' as though we are one people. But that is incorrect. We are many different people and have been that way long before so-called 'Mewmans' set foot in Mewni...
More than a thousand years ago, the dimension now called Mewni was a much different-looking place. The land's covered by forests stretching from the Jaggy Mountains and badlands in the North to the Great Mewni River in the south. To the west is Trident Bay, which eventually feeds out into the wider ocean where the Waterfolk Kingdom will make its home, while the east consists of more mountains and forests.
Despite appearances, though, the land is not uninhabited. Settlements of varying sizes dot the landscape, and in those settlements are the ancestors of what the Mewmans one day called "Monsters."
"Many centuries ago, before Mewmans arrived, our kind called that land home. We did not call ourselves Monsters, though."
An ancient village is shown to be populated by various beings going about their day. A Frog Man is selling wares for swamp travel at a stand to a Conjoinican. A bunch of giant chickens try to sell unfertilized eggs to customers for money. A three-eyed minotaur and someone who looks like Bearicorn but with darker fur carry wooden beams to build houses through the street.
"We came in many different forms. My people were the Frog Men, the Conjoinicans, the Giant Roosters, the Avians, Slime People, and more. And that was just on the surface."
In the skies above Mewni, amongst the clouds covering the land, are the Coltheads, hard at work making weapons, tending to their homes, or just partying. Meanwhile, amidst the vast caverns and lakes made out of lava, far below the surface are the Demons and their already extensive, complex society.
"We had our societies and cultures, and we would live together and work together. We did not consider ourselves to be Monsters. We did not even know what the word 'Monster' was. To us, we were simply people. There was fighting between us, yes, but for the most part, we lived in peace. But then, one day, everything changed."
As the village inhabitants go about their day, a little frog boy with a goggles hat comes running into town, shouting and screaming about trouble. As everyone looks on, smoke begins to appear on the horizon, sending everyone into a panic. It's soon made clear why. Soon, a group of beings clad in metal armor begin to appear from the depths of the forests, led by a man wearing a crown and wielding a glowing mace.
"One day, strange visitors came to our land, wearing weird clothes and using tools and weapons that were far stronger than anything we had seen before. We tried to reach out to these new creatures to know why they were here and what they wanted. And while I do not understand what took place, I do know what happened next. These new visitors turned their weapons on us.
At the crowned figure's command, the armored beings attack, putting the village to the torch.
"These strangers were relentless. They hunted our kind down and killed us by the thousands. And then there was their leader, the one that they called their King. He wielded a power none of us understood. All we knew was that it was capable of doing what many thought was impossible: magic."
One by one, various villages are burned, their inhabitants driven screaming from their homes as they try to flee the armored warriors. Not everyone makes it out, though. The warriors are merciless, running their swords, spears, and arrows through anyone they can get their hands on. Burning buildings are painted red with blood and filled with the screams of the dying.
"These invaders drove us from our homes and land and claimed it for themselves. And then, they gave us a new name, the one that we have been known by to this very day: Monsters."
As the Mewmans continue their conquest of Mewni, the surviving Monsters are forced to flee much of their former land and territories. The ones on the ground retreat deeper into the forests where they can't be found, the badlands and Jaggy Mountains in the North, or the Musty Mountains in the south. The Coltheads in the skies above shut their gates and begin to fortify their kingdom, determined to keep the invaders out. Down in the Underworld, the various Demons that inhabit it begin constructing massive forts and sealing off any entrances to their realm that they can find.
"Those of us that survived were forced to leave the lands that we had known for centuries. Those who could tried to put up a fight, but it soon became apparent that they fought a losing battle. The only ones able to keep holding off invaders were the Coltheads and Demons. Rather than help rest of us, they chose to seal off their kingdoms while the rest of us fled beyond the invader's reach."
In the badlands, mountain ranges, swamps, and beyond, the Monsters begin to rebuild themselves. But their new home is a harsh one. The ground offers very little nutrients for plants, so only the hardiest crops survive. Many Monsters do not make it, though. As one family of Avians tries to find food, the oldest of their group suddenly falls over, dead from exhaustion, much to his family's horror.
"It was harsh new life for us, but we had to learn to adjust to survive. But we never forgot what the so-called Mewmans had done to us. And soon, we began to seek revenge."
Sometime later, the same scene as before plays out, only in reverse. This time, the Monsters attack a Mewman village, burning it to the ground, slaughtering its defenders, and taking whatever food and wealth they can back to their homes. The same scenario plays out all across Mewni, as groups of Monsters begin to push back into the Kingdoms that have sprung up on the land that was once theirs. Eventually, all of Mewni is set ablaze by war, with scenes of battle and carnage everywhere.
"Time after time, Monsters and Mewmans went to war with each other, one side trying to take back the land from the ones who took it, the other trying to keep it. I heard the stories of what happened: suffering, bloodshed, wrongs committed by both sides. But so long as Mewmans had magic, we could never hope to beat them. Of course, it did not help that we did not have any form of unified effort. Some were crowned King of Monsters, but they could not do much. Until, one day, most of the Monsters were united under a single ruler.
Before a massed crowd of Monsters of various species, a powerfully built Avian, clad in elaborate armor, has a crown placed upon their head.
"That ruler was an Avian, a member of Avarius Clan, one of the oldest and most powerful families of Monsters. They united most of us under a single banner and declared that we would forge our own kingdom, one that would match the Mewmans in every way. Surprisingly, the Mewman Kingdoms chose not to fight us on this. Instead, the Dragonfly Family publically gave their support to this new King. And it seemed like there would be peace. But it was not to last."
In the badlands of Mewni, King Avarius orders the construction of a massive castle from which he means to rule. This will become Castle Avarius, which even members of House Dragonfly choose to visit once it is finished. As the years drag on, though, little changes. The Monsters remain in poverty, and they fail to get back any of the lands they once called home. Worse, when an Avarius King attends a gala for the monarchs of the various kingdoms, none of them treat him with any respect. Not even the Coltheads or Lucitors.
"In the end, nothing changed. The Mewmans still looked down on us as Monsters. Worse, the Monsters themselves saw the Avarius' as the Mewman's puppets. They lost all their power and status, and just as soon as they had formed their kingdom, it fell. It looked as though nothing would change. And then he came. Ludo.
In some town streets, a mob of angry Mewmans begins chasing after a young Buff Frog, who's frantically running away a bag of stolen food and other valuables. Using his innate strength and jumping skills, Buff Frog manages to elude his pursuers long enough to reach the forests at the edge of the town, at which point, the mob stops its pursuit. As Buff Frog continues to flee deeper into the woods, he makes it to some swampland. Taking a moment to rest, he looks through his stolen goods until he finds a half-eaten ear of corn. Smiling to himself as he eats it, he begins to move again, only to run into a younger Ludo.
"I was but a child, alone in the world, having to spy and steal from Mewmans. And even from other Monsters, if things got desperate. Then, Ludo found me and took me in."
Ludo sees what Buff Frog's managed to get all by himself and is impressed by this. He holds out a clawed hand to the Frogboy, hesitantly taking it as Ludo leads him back to Castle Avarius.
"Ludo was not strong or tough like other members of his family, but he a dream. He wanted to do what his ancestors never could. He would take back Mewni for our kind and make a better life for ourselves. And he would do that by taking the Mewman's greatest weapon from them: the Dragonfly Family Wand. "
In the halls of Castle Avarius, Ludo begins to explain to his assembled Monsters his plan. Rather than fight them outright, they would focus on stealing the Dragonfly Family Wand when the next heir, Comet Dragonfly (whose already notorious for picking fights with Monsters), comes of age. Then they would use that to conquer Mewni. The other Monsters cheered in support of this idea, much to Ludo's satisfaction, while Buff Frog proudly stands by his new Master's side.
"That is why I fought for Ludo, Karate Girl. Why my comrades continue to fight for him. Because we believe it was best chance at better life. Not just for us, but for all those who look like us," Buff Frog said as he brought his story to an end.
Marcia had sat there in absolute silence, listening as Buff Frog told her everything, waiting for him to come to an end. However, once he had finished telling her everything he knew, she was left at a complete loss. For a moment, she barely even registered that he had finished talking, much to Buff Frog's confusion.
"Uh, karate girl? Are you alright?" Buff Frog asked out of concern for his former enemy. Yet Marcia still didn't respond. Buff Frog sighed. "Okay. Uh, thank you for hearing me out." Buff Frog then awkwardly began to turn around and walk away into the night. "I hope that that helped you understand a little more about us."
"As a matter of fact, it did."
Buff Frog looked back to see Marcia had finally gotten up from where she'd been sitting, her face a mixture of sadness and something else. Something that Buff Frog had rarely ever seen from a non-Monster: genuine sympathy.
"I understand a little of what you've gone through, Buff Frog. I may not have been born with feathers or claws or a tail, but I still get what you guys have had to endure."
"How?" Buff Frog asked, genuinely confused.
"Because you're not the only ones who've been bullied for looking different," Marcia explained. "Humanity has been subjecting itself to that for thousands of years. We've fought and discriminated against each other for reasons that, in the grand scheme of things, are utterly pointless. Like, people who have different beliefs from everyone else. Or because they look different from us or dress differently from us, they got singled out and bullied for it. And that's just putting it lightly. I've read about moments in history where one group tried to systematically wipe another out. Their only crime was simply existing." Marcia shuddered as she remembered some of the dark moments of slaughter and violence in human history. Entire cultures in Meso and South America were nearly wiped out by European conquest. The Transatlantic Slave Trade. The Armenian Genocide; the Rwandan Genocide. And above all, the Holocaust.
If only they knew what 'monster' really meant, Marcia sadly noted to herself.
"Even I'm not immune to that kind of mindless hate, you know," Marcia put her hand to her chest as she began to remember things that she didn't want to. "My Dad's side of the family wasn't born in this land, you know. They came from the south when my Dad was little, and even though this place was all he knew, some people still treated him like an outcast. And, since I look like him, some people treat me the same way." While Marcia had been fortunate to grow up in a place that was very open and accepting of people, she'd still run into people who were mean to her just because she was half-Hispanic. A few had even openly called her slurs like "wetback" and "border rat" as a kid. She still remembered the day she came home and first asked what those words meant. She had never seen her Dad cry before, but on that day, he wept when he heard his daughter mention those words.
"Oh, dear. I am so sorry, karate girl." Buff Frog said in a genuine display of sympathy. "No one should ever have to endure that."
Marcia shook her head. "It's alright. I've learned that the best thing to do is not let a few bad apples get to me. No matter what day and age, there will always be jerks out there who think they can look down on someone because they're different. I'm lucky enough to have friends that care about me no matter what." As soon as she finished saying this, though, Marcia began to feel depressed again. "Which is why I'm so frustrated over the fact that I'm going to end up letting Jackson down tomorrow. There's no way that I'm going to get good at rollerblading by tomorrow."
Buff Frog thought for a moment. He was grateful to the human for listening to what he had to say, and now that he had no reason to fight her, Buff Frog wanted to help. Then, it hit him. "Then you shouldn't keep trying to be good at something you're not."
"That's not very encouraging, you know."
"But it is true, right? If you know you are not good at something, then you should instead focus on what you are good at. Find way to use your own strengths to your advantage."
"My own strengths? But what am I good at that can help me win tomorrow?" Marcia wondered aloud as she began to think. "Let's see, I'm good at karate, dancing, cooking, video games, thinking things out, coming up with plans..." And then it hit her! "That's it!" Marcia shouted as she bolted up from her spot. "Buff Frog, you're a genius!"
"I am?"
"Yes! I think you just helped me figure out how I'm going to win tomorrow!" Having been hit with a burst of inspiration, Marcia began to run away from the Stop-N-Slurp. "Thanks for the help, Buff Frog! And you can keep the snacks!" She shouted as she began to run into the night. But before she did, she stopped herself, backed up, and looked the Frog Man dead in the eyes. "Oh, and just to let you know: if you try and steal Comet's Wand again, I will kick your ass," she said in the most threatening tone possible, making Buff Frog sweatdrop. "Byeee!" She said in a sing-song tone that sounded like what Comet would say before heading out once more.
"Huh. That was weird," Buff Frog said to himself as he picked up the snacks and Slurpees and headed back to where he'd been staying, though he did think about the event the next day.
As for Marcia, shed didn't head directly home. Rather than do that, she returned to Echo Creek Park, where the race would be held tomorrow. While they had been practicing in seclusion, Jackson had given them the details on the route that both teams would be taking through the Park and sent a map via text message. Now, Marcia was putting that map to good use. For the next hour or so, she carefully followed the path the race would follow; her portion, specifically. And as the girl walked up and down the Park, she noticed her surroundings and anything noteworthy. Once she was satisfied with her observations, she headed home, made sure not to let Comet know where she'd been, and got to work in her room.
"...And as we are nearing the halfway point in today's event, we see that Team Lars is beginning to fall behind that of Team Jackson. Everybody's favorite royal boy wonder, Comet Dragonfly, just managed to clear the first hill, while his opponent, Sputz, is still trying to make it up and over the peak."
"That's right, Ferguson. And by the way that he's moving, it's hard to believe that this is the first time that Comet's done rollerblading. He is more than living up to his namesake right now, leaving a trail of dust in his wake."
"Actually, Al, I don't think that's dust. It looks more like...yes, and I'm getting word from our mobile camera owl, Coryn, that it is not dust but is, in fact, edible glitter. That's right, Comet's using his Wand to shower the spectators with edible glitter as he goes by! What an unexpected surprise!"
"Mmmmm, just hearing about that makes me hungry. Tee-hee-hee," Comet's sentient cloud-spell giggled to himself as he held the two aloft above the Park.
Marcia couldn't help but smile as she watched her two friends comment on the ongoing relay race. After leaving the skate park on Friday following their confrontation with Lars, Comet had been quick to inform the rest of the people they knew about what was going down on Sunday. Not wanting to let the three of them go up against Lars and his thugs alone, their entire circle of friends had agreed to come out, cheer them on, and provide moral support. Even Brittney, who Comet had deliberately informed, had decided to show up despite Marcia's reservations, albeit she had...ulterior motives.
Brittney: There is no way I will sit back and let you get trash-talked by that pig Lars, Diaz! I'm coming to support you guys, and that's final!
Marcia looked at Brittney's text message and immediately saw right through the rich girl's excuses.
Marcia:...You just want to see how hot Comet looks when he's taking part in sports, don't you?
Brittney: And that. I want to see that, too.
Marcia had expected more than a few people from the skating park to show up at Echo Creek Park to watch the race; after all, they did cause quite a scene on Friday! However, she underestimated how fast the word would spread. When the two teams showed up at the Park an hour before the race, they were met by a crowd of close to two hundred people, all spread out along the course, waiting for them. Most were from the skate park, but Marcia recognized more than a few from ECA. And once Comet saw just how many people were there, he decided to make things as big a spectacle as possible. So, he used magic to make these holographic screens, put a camera on Coryn, and let Alfonso and Ferguson ride Cloudy and provide commentary like this were a professional event.
All this led to Marcia on standby at the third checkpoint, doing some light stretches and watching events unfold as she waited for Comet to show up and hand the race off to her. There was just one problem...
"You may as well give up now, babe. There's no way that you're going to win!"
...and that problem's name was Lars. Much to her irritation, the jerk decided that he'd be doing the final leg of the race, saying that he wanted to have the pleasure of beating Jackson himself. Needless to say, he wasn't happy when he found out Marcia would be his opponent but soon decided to make up for it by trying to get under her skin. Unfortunately for him, Marcia had dealt with people like him in the form of Jeremy, so she knew the best thing to do was to ignore him.
Not to mention, the look on his face when he sees what I have in store will make this worth it, Marcia smirked to herself, something that did not go unnoticed by Lars.
"Don't tell me that you think that you're actually going to win this, do you, toots?" Lars taunted her.
"Yes, I can," Marcia simply said, not even bothering to hide her disgust at how the teen would switch between flirting and insulting her so readily. Make up your mind, dude. Not that I care, either way.
Lars, though, was just laughing. "Let me guess: you probably think that your dorky friend Comet's going to be so far ahead that you'll be able to coast to the finish? Even if that does happen, there's no way that you'll be able to beat me."
Before Marcia could even offer a retort, they were interrupted by their commentators making an announcement.
"And we are nearing the end of the second leg of the rollerblade relay, folks!" Ferguson's voice echoed throughout the Park. "And as you can see, Comet is practically lightyears ahead of his opponent, Sputz." True to the boy's statements, the screens showed Comet speeding towards the checkpoint, and Marcia, while Sputz seemed to barely keep the boy in his sights.
"That's right, Ferguson," Alfonso said.
"And as many students from Echo Creek Academy know when Comet Dragonfly puts his mind to something, then there's pretty much no stopping him. It looks like he's going to end up carrying the win for Team Jackson all by himself!"
Marcia had to admit, it looked like Comet and Jackson's plan was going to work. But if they thought that she would just let them do the heavy-lifting for her this time, they had another thing coming. I may not be as fast as them or Lars, but I've got one thing that they don't, Marcia reminded herself as she got psyched up. She could already see Comet approaching her, with Sputz still trailing far behind. All she had to do was wait for him to tag her, and then she would show them what she was made of!
At that moment, though, things began to go terribly, terribly wrong.
No one noticed it at first. Comet himself passed it off as the skates hitting some cracked sidewalk or running over rocks. But after a few seconds, everyone saw what was happening. One of his skates began to wobble and buckle under his own weight. Comet tried to adjust his body weight to compensate, but things just got worse. Then, without warning, the axle bolt holding the front wheel onto one of his skates popped out, causing the wheel to shoot out like a missile. Now bereft of one of the wheels, Comet lost all sense of balance and began to careen out of control!
"WHOA WHOA WHOA!" Comet cried out in a panic as he struggled to keep himself upright as everyone looked on in horror. Alas, though, the Prince's efforts were for naught. Within seconds, he hit the concrete and began to flip, somersault, and scrape upon its hard surface before finally coming to a merciful stop.
"COMET!" Marcia screamed out in fear as she saw her best friend lie on the ground, battered and bruised.
"OH, SHIT! COMET IS DOWN!" Ferguson cried out, making everyone watching gasp. Brittney and a few of the girls (and CometFan) cried out in horror as they saw the boy get injured.
"Oh, Jesus, that looks bad!" Alfonso observed as he remained on Cloudy, unable to do anything as the race continued. Coryn began hooting in a panic, wanting to go to his friend's aid but understood how important it was for him to do his job. Reluctantly, the Hoot-Hoot remained airborne as Comet tried to get back on his feet.
"Ow, ow, okay, ow," Comet complained as he tried to make sense of what happened to him. One moment he was skating at high speeds, helping his friends win a race. Now, he was lying on the ground, his skin stinging like crazy from scrapes while everyone was calling out to him.
While everyone was distracted by Comet's accident, no one seemed to notice that Sputz had gotten a second wind. Or rather, that he'd been pacing himself until this exact moment.
"And what's this? It looks like Sputz is about to overtake the injured Comet!" Ferguson called out. "Scratch that: he has overtaken Comet and is headed towards Lars!"
"Oh no," Comet said to himself as he realized what was about to happen. Sputz was only seconds behind him, and if he got to Lars first, they would lose the lead!
If they think that this is enough to stop me, they clearly don't know what it was like training with Mom, Comet thought. His Mom had made sure that he was tough enough to handle anything that came his way, and that included overcoming physical pain. So, he steadily got back to his feet and began to make his way towards Marcia after readjusting the imbalance of wheels. Unfortunately, though, his worst fears came true: Sputz overtook him and headed towards Lars!
Lars held out his hand with a triumphant laugh, letting Sputz tag him, and then took off like a shot. "LATER, LOSERS! SEE YA AT THE FINISH LAUGH!" He taunted them. He then proceeded to hold up his finger at Comet and the opposing team, making Marcia scowl.
"Man, that guy's a jerk," Alfonso said.
"Total douchebag," Ferguson added, not caring if this was making them sound biased.
"I'm sorry, Marcia," Comet apologized as he made it to her, feeling too embarrassed to even look her in the eyes. "I have no idea how that happened, and now there's no way that we're going to-"
"Comet," Marcia said, cutting him off. "Trust me. I've got a few tricks up my sleeve." The way that she said this made Comet finally look her in the face, and he saw her eyes. They had a fire in them!
"Kick his ass, Marcy," Comet told her, to which she nodded before heading off as the last leg of the relay began!
"Just to recap to everyone," Ferguson commented," just a few moments ago, it looked like Team Jackson had this race in the bag. However, a very nasty accident left Comet mangled on the ground and cost his side the massive lead they gained."
"And now Lars has a decent lead on Marcia, meaning that she's got a lot of ground to cover if she wants to catch up," Alfonso sadly noted. "I'm not sure if she'll be able to do that in the distance she has to go."
"She won't!" Lars laughed as he skated his way to victory. "Victory's going to feel so sweet! I humiliate Dorkson and kick him out of the skate park for a year!" Lars felt so self-assured that he was now moving casually with his hands behind his head. "I've got this in a bag."
"Wanna bet, imbécil?"
Lars got confused as he looked around, wondering who dissed him like that. Then, without any warning, Marcia came whooshing right past him!
"You're way too slow, jackass!" Marcia said as she continued on ahead, sticking her tongue out to taunt the boy.
"What in the-why you little-get back here!" Lars sputtered as he kicked it back into competitive mode, determined to put the girl in her place.
"Oh, what a twist!" Alfonso cried out. "In a shocking turn of events, Marcia Diaz, a self-admitted newbie, has managed to pass by Lars and regain the lead!"
"What an upset, folks! But how on Earth did she pull this off?" Ferguson asked as the two teens began to race in earnest.
"I don't know how you managed to do it, girl, but that was a lucky break!" Lars shouted as he began to catch up to Marcia, who maintained a steady pace as she rounded the next bend. "And it won't happen again!"
"Shows what you know, Lars! I may not be skilled at rollerblading or skateboarding, but I've got years of athletic skill behind me!" Marcia boasted as she began to pick up as much speed as possible. "And more importantly, I've got something that you don't: a brain."
As the two began to make it to the halfway point of their leg of the race, Marcia began to eye her surroundings. She had spent last night scouting the place out, and she had found more than enough to help her. Watching a nearby lampost, Marcia made a beeline for the light fixture and, much to everyone's surprise, grabbed ahold of it and began to spin around.
Lars wasn't going to let this opportunity go to waste. He quickly made to retake the lead while Marcia continued to spin on the lampost for a few more seconds.
Wait for it...wait for it, Marcia told herself as she continued to spin. Then, at last, she reached the critical point. NOW! Marcia let go of the pole at just the right time and rocketed down the track at high speeds.
"Holy shit! Did you see that? DID YOU SEE THAT!?"
"I saw, Ferguson! Marcia has used her environment to slingshot her away ahead of Lars in a surprise display of strategy! She's gone supersonic," Alfonso said, praising his friend.
"WHAT?!" Lars yelled in disbelief as, for the second time in as many minutes, this stupid girl had gotten past him.
"LATER, SUCKER! SEE YA AT THE FINISH LINE!" Marcia said as she continued her strategy. She would use it as a springboard to pick up speed when she came across anything like a lamppost, sign, trash can, or bench. As a result, Lars was soon falling behind. But then came the hardest part of the race.
At the very end of the race, just before the finish, both competitors would have to make their way up a steep hill. Getting up it on skates would be like climbing a mountain, and as strong as her leg muscles were, Marcia still wasn't used to uphill skating. She found herself beginning to struggle to keep momentum, and what was worse, she could already hear Lars right behind her.
"You may have gotten the lead, for now, Diaz, but there's no way you can beat me up this hill! Face it, you lost!" Lars said as he was only a few feet away.
Oh, I am not losing to this bastardo, Marcia thought. Gritting her teeth, she forced her body to keep moving upwards, keeping pace with Lars as best as she could. However, while she was stronger, Lars had more experience, giving him the edge he needed to get in front. Yet Marcia would not give up. She pushed herself as hard as she could until she finally managed to make it to the top of the hill. Down below, she could see the finish line...and Lars was heading to it!
All right. Time for my trump card! Marcia thought. Throwing her usual caution to the wind, Marcia began to speed down the hill as fast as she could, Lars laughing the entire time.
"Ha! I WIN!" he boasted.
"Not yet, you haven't!" Marcia told him as she got down and curled herself up into a ball. "By making myself small, I reduce the amount of drag I create, letting me move faster than you could ever hope to match!" Sure enough, Marcia tore past Lars like a human cannonball on wheels, which infuriated the teenager to no end.
Too can play at that game, Lars thought to himself. Pushing his body harder than ever, he waited until he was right behind Marcia before copying her technique. The two were now neck and neck right in front of the finish line, with Marcia leading by a few inches. In desperation, Lars began to think of something, anything, to win. Then, he got a wicked idea. Leaning his body as much as he could, Lars deliberately rammed himself into Marcia, making her lose her balance. Before anyone realized what had happened, Marcia was dangerously close to repeating Comet's accident!
Marcia tried to hold it together until she won the race, but it was no use. Marcia dove into the nearby grass, acting instinctively before gently rolling to bleed off the excess kinetic energy. By the time she raised her head, it was too late: Lars had already crossed the finish line.
"AND...Lars won?" Ferguson said in disbelief. "Uhhhh, Team Lars, uh, won," Ferguson awkwardly said, much to everyone's surprise.
"AWWW, YEAAAAHHH! I WON!" Lars shouted and cheered as he celebrated his victory, not caring that many people who came to watch the race were glaring at him.
Marcia could feel the disappointment welling up inside of her. Even after everything she did, all her planning, she still lost in the end. This was a very bitter pill to swallow. Just then, a familiar-looking portal opened up in front of her, and out of it came Jackson and a poorly-bandaged up Comet.
"Marcia, are you okay?" Comet and Jackson both asked as they knelt down to help up to her feet.
"I should be asking you that, Comet. You could've been seriously hurt back there!"
"Even when you're hurt, you still care more about others, Marcia," Comet teased. "Yeah, don't worry about this. I'm fine. The sidewalk only took off a few layers of skin."
Marcia couldn't even bear to look at Jackson in the eyes at the moment. "Jackson, I am so sorry. You put your trust in me, and I blew it, big time."
"Are you kidding me, Marcia?" Jackson asked, confused. "I saw what you did back there. Using your environment to help give you a boost? That was brilliant," Jackson excitedly told her, making her blush. "How on Earth did you think of doing that?"
"Well, let's just say I got some good advice about playing to my strengths," she explained. "And if there's one thing I'm great at, it's using my mind."
"Awww, that's so sweet," Lars said as he skated over to the three, with his two lackeys now joining. "But, I just wanted to remind you that that doesn't change the bet in any way. As of today, you're officially banned from the skate park for the next year! And, just to make sure that you don't try anything, I'll expect you to bring me that fancy-ass board you've got first thing tomorrow!"
Marcia felt ready to lose it with this guy. "Screw that! Jackson's not giving you his U-Board, Lars. You only won because you cheated! You shoved me out of the way on purpose!"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Lars denied. "That was just an unfortunate accident, much like what happened to pretty boy over there," he said while pointing to Comet. "Still, it doesn't change the fact that you lost, and I won. So like I said, I expect the board on my doorstep by tomorrow morning. "
"No. You did not win."
Lars' ears began to burn as he heard someone say this. "Who said that? I'll have you know that me and my boys won this race fair and square! If you have something to say, then come and say it to my face, coward!"
"I am not the one who is coward, boy," a very deep and familiar voice said from within the crowd. For a moment, everyone was confused as to who said that. Then, the crowd parted way, revealing who had spoken up.
"Buff Frog!?" Marcia asked, shocked at the sight of Ludo's former lieutenant being present at the race. Comet, on the other hand, went for his Wand.
"NACHO SHUR-"
"Comet, wait!" Marcia said as she got in front of her friend's Wand. "He's not here to fight!"
"Marcia, stay back! This guy works for Ludo!"
"Actually, about that..." Marcia nervously leaned towards Comet and began to whisper everything that she learned the night before.
"Wait," Comet said to Marcia and then to Buff Frog. "So, you're telling me that Ludo was so pissed off by what happened in the museum dimension, he straight-up fired you?"
"Da,"
"Wow. Uhhh, that's...that's harsh." Even if he had been their enemy, Comet couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for the Frog Man. However, this didn't override his natural caution as to why he was on Earth. "But that doesn't explain why you're here now."
"I've been living on Earth for past few days, trying to figure out what to do now. But after I heard from karate girl about race, I decided to come and watch."
"Yeah, this is a great story and all, Frogger," Lars rudely said, "but that still doesn't explain why you had the guts to say that I didn't win."
Buff Frog wasn't intimidated by the boy's attempts to look tough. "Because I saw what you did," he sternly said, making Lars look around nervously.
"Saw what?"
"Right before race started, I saw one of your comrades sneak up to Comet's wheel-shoes and saw you loosen bolts on it. That is why the boy crashed."
This revelation created a loud murmur amongst the assembled crowd. Has Lars really cheated?
"Yeah, well, where's your proof? Unless you have any proof, these are just phony accusations!"
"I believe that we have all the proof that we need on Coryn's head cam," Comet said as he whistled, calling Coryn down to his side. "All right, buddy. Let's see you what you have to show us," Comet told the Hoot-Hoot as he began to look at the camera. "Glitter grenade rewind!" With a brief magic spell, Comet rewound the camera to the very start of the raise. As Coryn watched both teams prepare from a nearby tree, everyone saw that, while Comet was busy chatting with his friends, Pi had snuck over to where he kept his skates and used something to loosen the axle bolt on one of the wheels. The evidence was clear: Lars had cheated.
"OHHH! And, in a shocking turn of events, it turns out that Lars and his team have been caught deliberately sabotaging Comet's rollerblades, which led to the unfortunate crash that we saw earlier!" Ferguson shouted, letting everyone know who was at fault. At once, everyone present began to glare at Lars and his two idiot friends.
"Given this new development, they have effectively disqualified themselves. Therefore, TEAM JACKSON IS NOW THE WINNER!"
"WHAT? NO! THEY CAN'T WIN! I CROSSED THE FINISH LINE FIRST! I'M THE BETTER ATHLETE! I DESERVE TO WIN!" Lars ranted, which only led to everyone booing and jeering at him.
"So, Lars, what was that you were saying earlier. Oh yeah, that's right. I believe that you're banned from the skate park for a year as of today," Jackon said. "Though after what you pulled, I wouldn't be surprised if they decided not to let you back in at all."
"Grr, this isn't over, Dorkson!"
"Yes, it is." Jackson sternly said. "You know, this is why I stopped hanging out with you, Lars. Yeah, you're a good athlete, and you helped teach me everything I know. But your problem is that you want to win so badly that you're willing to bully and cheat your way to do so. And that just makes you an even bigger loser," Jackson lectured him.
"Well...whatever! I don't want to hang around that stupid Park anymore anyway. I've got better places to be!" Lars said to save face. "Come on, guys. Let's get out of here!" Lars, Pi, and Sputz then made to leave, only to be blocked by Buff Frog, of all things. The giant Frog Man looked down at the three noodly-looking teenagers with such an intimidating glare that the three boys fell to their knees. Hell, it looked like Lars was ready to piss himself, he was so freaked out!
"You are not going anywhere, little one. I believe you have promise to keep with skater boy and friends." From the look on Buff Frog's face, it was clear that he wasn't going to take no for an answer from them. So, Lars, Pi, and Sputz wisely decided to do the right thing and began to move towards Comet, Marcia, and Jackson. Once they reached them, the three stooges got down on their knees and, without even looking at them, Lars began to speak.
"I was wrong to diss your skill as an athlete, Jackson. I shouldn't have done that, and I'm sorry."
"And?" Jackson raised an eyebrow.
"And I'm sorry for bothering Marcia, and I will never do it again."
"Go on," Marcia ordered him.
"And that she's a great athlete. Just like you are, Jackson," Lars said, albeit he sounded like he was in pain as he did so. "There, I said it. Now can we please go?"
"Hold on there, jerkwad," Comet said. "There's still one last thing that you have to do for us..."
"Oh, no..." Lars said as the realization came over him.
Ten minutes later, Comet, Jackson, Marcia, and Jonah had gathered in another part of the playground to film a very special video.
"Alright, look, I'm not going to do this!" Lars tried to argue as he and his lackeys were standing in front of a white sheet hanging over a swing set, each of them clad in matching orange tracksuits covered in glitter.
"DO IT, OR YOU GET THE WAND!" Comet yelled at them, pointing his Wand to prove his point. Groaning in agony, Lars and his buddies had no choice but to comply as they began to do a humiliating dance.
"I'm Lars and I was wrong.
I'm singing the Lars Wrong Song.
I shouldn't have taken that chance
Now here's my remorseful dance."
"Now do the kicks, and make them nice and jazzy!" Comet shouted.
"Do I have-"
"I'm Mr. Meseeks, and I'm going to beat the shit out of you if you don't do what Comet says!" A Meseeks said off to the side, holding up a plastic baseball bat just to prove his point. Groaning, Lars, Pi, and Sputz did as Comet ordered.
"Are you getting all of this, Jonah?" Comet asked his director, who was holding up his smartphone to the three bullies.
"Oh, yeah. This is going to go viral on YouTube. I just know it."
"Oh, come on! Please don't put it up online!"
"Uhhh, no," Jonah said sadistically.
And on that day, Lars learned a very important lesson: don't mess with Jackson or his group of weirdo friends.
Afterward, Comet insisted on getting everyone nachos at Britta's Tacos to celebrate their victory, which everyone did, with gusto. The teens spent most of the rest of the afternoon enjoying themselves and praising the three for how awesome they were. And, of course, the greatest praise went to Marcia for her ingenuity and determination. Jackson even told her that she might have a future as a skater or rollerblader, which flattered her immensely.
It wasn't all fun, though. Marcia took the chance to tell them how Buff Frog had given her some helpful advice the night before the race and confirmed he was no longer working for Ludo. This came as quite a shock to everyone, though, even Comet. And not helping was the fact that, at that moment, they spotted Buff Frog watching the group enjoy themselves from afar. He looked both equally happy at the sight of the kids enjoying themselves and just as sad.
Finally, when Comet couldn't take it anymore, he got up out of his seat and, grabbing some of the nachos, walked over to where Buff Frog had been observing them.
"Do you...think that we should make sure that he'll be alright?" Ferguson asked.
"Which one: Comet or the giant talking frog?" Jonah asked.
"Both," Ferguson said without hesitation. "Though, given how trigger-happy he was today, I'm more worried about Buff Frog."
"I'm already on it," Marcia said as she quickly got up and soon joined Comet as he approached Buff Frog.
"Yo, Buff Frog!" Comet called out to Ludo's former soldier, catching him by surprise.
"Oh, um...Prince Comet. Karate Girl. What do you want?" Buff Frog nervously asked.
Comet took a deep breath before starting to speak. "Look, Buff Frog, I'm going to make one thing clear: I'm still pissed at you for what you did while working for Ludo. You tried to steal my family's greatest treasure and threatened to kill my friends and me several times," the Prince sternly told Buff Frog, who could only look at him with understanding. "That being said," he continued, "you did help me with the whole Monster Arm thing a while back, and you spoke up and exposed Lars when you didn't have to. More importantly, you helped out Marcia when she needed a pep talk. And while I still don't trust you, or any Monster, for that matter, I can, at least, thank you for that. Also, I know Mewmans who are even bigger jackasses than Ludo, so that helps. The point is, consider us even." Comet then held out the nachos. "And accept this token of appreciation with the promise that we need no longer do battle...as long you don't try and steal my Wand, though."
Buff Frog looked at the Prince for a moment and then at the food being offered before letting a soft smile frame his face. "Thank you, Prince Dragonfly. I...appreciate the gesture. It is almost unheard of for Mewman to treat Monster with such respect."
"Don't read too much into it, dude. Like I said, I still don't trust or like Monsters. I'm just trying to be nice."
"Fair enough," Buff Frog chuckled as he took the nachos. "But now it is time for me to go."
"Go? Go where?" Marcia couldn't help but ask.
"I must return to Mewni," Buff Frog explained before reaching into his tunic and retrieving his scissors.
"But, you said that Ludo kicked you out? Why go back there if you have nowhere to stay?"
"I have my reasons, karate girl. Ludo may no longer be my Master, but Mewni is still home," Buff Frog somberly told them. Then, a thought came to him. "But before I leave, I offer you a warning."
"Warning? If this is about Ludo, then you don't have to worry about us, Buff Frog," Comet confidently said. "We can take him."
"That is why I am warning you, Prince Comet. Ludo may no longer be the one you should worry most about. There may be even greater threat lurking in shadows."
"What do you mean?" Marcia tried to press for more answers, but Buff Frog shook his head.
"I do not know myself, but I intend to learn more. Simply keep that in mind. Farewell, Prince Comet and karate girl." And with that, Buff Frog entered the portal, disappearing from their sight and leaving the two perplexed.
"What...do you think he meant, Comet?"
Comet shrugged his shoulders. "Who knows. But if there really is something out there worse than Ludo, we'll kick its ass like we always do. Now come on, let's get back to the others. Getting faceplanted made work up an appetite!"
"Everything makes you work up an appetite, Comet," Marcia noted as she joined her friend and made her way back to the others. Though despite her best efforts, she couldn't shake off what Buff Frog had said. And somewhere, in the back of her mind, a voice was telling her something:
A great evil has risen.
*In Jay's Workspace, we see RJ "Jay" Writing reclining in his seat, his usual hoodie now replaced with the black and green checkered kimono of Tanjiro Kamado from Demon Slayer, and he has a small smirk on his face.*
Jay: Well, you guys certainly put the pressure on me to make the origin of the Mewman-Monster conflict worth the hype, but I think that I ended up delivering on it. This was a part of the story that I've been wanting to tell since day one, and for good reason. This is going to provide the framework for the story going forward post-season one.
I also wanted to portray the situation as not black-and-white. Just like any conflict in real life, both sides are likely to have done things that range from being frowned upon to being outright condemned. Take the Allies during World War II, for example. While the Axis had to be stopped, we still resorted to bombing civilian targets en masse. Look up the city of Dresden: Allied bombers reduced it to rubble.
Well, now Marcia's been convinced that maybe the Monsters are misunderstood, but Comet's still not completely convinced. But don't worry. That's coming up soon.
As for where I was last week, I was at an anime convention, where I got to meet none other than Adam McArthur, AKA Yuuji Itadori, AKA Marco Diaz! Sadly, there was no boba meetup, but that can wait for another day. I still had fun.
But now, it's time for
READER'S REVIEWS!
NightAroma-To each their own, but I still didn't like "Star on Wheels." I did like portraying how, like her canon counterpart, Marcia struggles with confidence and self-esteem. That will be a big part of her character development as the story goes on, much like it was with Marco. Also, I hope you enjoyed the backstory of the Monsters.
Guest-Yes, it is.
LockAndKey989-The link probably worked because I posted that chapter from my laptop in my hotel room. I usually don't have access to it on Friday afternoons, so I have to use my phone. Don't get used to it, though.
Julayla-I always liked origin stories, you know.
Mlpbrony fan15-I have plans for them, don't you worry. Also, I heard that the Netflix movie for G5 My Little Pony comes out next month. Here's hoping Hasbro manages to match the widespread appeal of Friendship is Magic. But I doubt I'll be watching it. To be honest, I think part of the appeal of Gen 4 was the voice actors. They had Tara Strong as Twilight!
The Wandering Hippie-No way! I ACTUALLY threw you for a loop with the last chapter? THAT'S AWESOME! Also, why are you so surprised that I could remember Rocket Power? I watch Nickelodeon all the time when I was a kid. Heck, I didn't even branch out to Cartoon Network and Disney Channel until I turned ten.
And like I told NightAroma, dealing with her self-confidence is a big part of Marcia's character arc in the story.
And I hope that you enjoyed my explanation for the origin of the animosity between Mewmans and Monsters. I think that I did a good job with the backstory. Detailed enough for people to get the point, open-ended enough to come up with their own ideas. Thank you to all the stories that taught me that!
You know what to do: fave and follow this story, and follow Jay on Twitter (JZ-Gaming), Insta (RJ Writing Ink), and YouTube (Jungoguy).
Oh, and for those who are hoping that next week will be the start of "Mewnipendence Day," I'm going to stop you right there by saying "not yet."
*The fans and all the people who visit Jay's workspace begin to groan*
Don't worry. I've got another Jonah-centered chapter for you guys.