*In Jay's Workspace, Jay is dressed in a bizarre fusion of his hoodie and a semi-formal suit before a large table. At his end, there's a little desk plate that reads "Jay-DA AUTHOR". Sitting at the table before him is some of the more frequent guests in his workspace throughout the story thus far: Omnitraxus, DA Kermit, Janna, Ed, GIR, TFS Nappa, and the Spongebob Narrator*
Jay: Everyone, I would like to start off this meeting with saying this: I hate dressing in suits, so don't ever expect me to wear one again after this. No offense, Nappa. It looks great on you.
TFS Nappa: Damn right, it does!
Jay: The second thing we need to discuss is the fact that we are now in the home stretch for Part One of Comet vs. The Forces of Evil, and I have not failed to keep my self-appointed release timeframe!
Janna: Oh, hell yeah! Nice job, bro!
Kermit: I honestly didn't think that you had it in you, Jay. Guess you've proven me wrong so far.
Jay: Damn right, I did. And now comes the penultimate arc for Part One. I saved this one for a good reason, as this will mark a change in Comet's character. One that I've been hinting at for a while now. It's time for "Mewnipendence Day," people!
Spongebob Narrator: Oh, I've been waiting for this!
Jay: Everyone has. And I promised that it would be epic, and I'm here to deliver on that promise. Now, cue the chapter.
It was another bright and sunny Tuesday afternoon in Echo Creek, California. The air was crisp, and a few clouds lazily rolled about the sky while the sun shone down on Echo Creek Academy. The school's student & faculty population had gathered outside in the bleachers on the football field, summoned there by Principal Skeeves. However, no one seemed to know why Skeeves had called them all there, not even the teachers. As a result of being left in the dark, most of the people present were chatting amongst themselves, trying to figure out the purpose of this impromptu pep rally.
"So none of you have any idea what this is about?" Ferguson asked his friends, who all shake their heads in response. "Well, that's weird."
"Oh yeah."
"Yep."
"Totally."
At this time of day, most of Comet's circle of friends would be in separate classes, leaving them with little time to interact with each other. So, when the sudden announcement came out over the intercom, the group decided the best course of action would be to group up in the bleachers and try to figure out what was going on. All the usual people were there: Marcia, Jonah, Jackson, Alfonso, Ferguson, Karla. But this time, they were joined by a few newcomers: Sabrina had shown up, having been invited by Marcia. CometFan13 had come, obviously wanting the chance to sit near Comet and his friends. But the biggest surprise was when Brittney Wong showed up and asked if she could sit with them. Despite knowing that Brittney was trying to change for the better, most of the group was still reluctant to let Brittney near them. It was only after Marcia and Sabrina vouched for her that the others relented.
Thus, the teens tried to figure out the purpose of this rally for the last few minutes, with few results. Jonah jokingly said it could be that Skeeves started summer vacation a few months early because school sucks, which everyone dismissed as wishful thinking. Brittney more reasonably suggested that it could be an announcement of school closing for the rest of the week so they could fix the toilets after someone had mysteriously flushed them all at once. And for once, Jonah insisted that it wasn't him.
However, Marcia was unusually quiet, not even trying to talk to Jackson like she usually did. She just kept darting her eyes around the bleachers and the field like she was looking for something or someone. Her behavior did not go unnoticed by her friends, though, prompting Sabrina to gently tap on her shoulder.
"Um, Marcia? Is everything alright?" the cheerleader asked, catching Marcia's attention.
"Oh, yeah. Everything is fine," Marcia absent-mindedly said. "I'm just a little worried about something."
"Aw, come on, Marcia. What's there to be worried about here?" Alfonso tried to point out, prompting the girl to give him this weird look.
"Guys, haven't you noticed that we're missing someone? Someone very important?" Marcia countered, making everyone stare at her for a moment before the realization dawned on them.
"Oh-" Karla started
"-Crapbaskets." Jackson finished.
Finally, Ferguson said what they were all thinking: "Guys, where the fuck is Comet?"
CometFan13 gasped. "Oh no! What if Comet got abducted by aliens, and this whole pep rally is an excuse for Skeeves to let us know that he's missing and that he's going to have to send us all home while he comes up with a plan to let his parents know without them suing us and shutting down the school!?"
Everyone just looked at CometFan13 like he was crazy. "What? It could end up happening."
Brittney was the first to respond. "Okay, so, I don't know you that well, but I don't think that that walking prime rib of choice meat could get abducted by aliens so easily."
"She's right," Jonah chimed in. "Besides, even if he was, I'd be more concerned for the alien's safety than his."
"Yeah. Like, he could end up seizing control of their ship and taking it for a joyride around the galaxy while aliens are all screaming in terror," Ferguson joked.
"Oh, dude, that sounds so awesome. Maybe I could write a song about that," Karla said as she strummed her ax-guitar, now covered with a protective layer of foam to keep from hurting people (it was the only way Skeeves would allow her to carry it around the school.)
"Would you guys relax?" Marcia said. "Comet's still on Earth. I'm just...worried because I haven't seen him since this morning."
"Okay, I'll bite: what did he do this time?" Jackson asked.
"That's the thing, Jackson. I honestly don't know. But here's what happened..."
"Hello there, gorgeous. Keep rocking that smile," Marcia said to her reflection in the bathroom mirror as she finished drying off from being in the shower. Usually, she wasn't the kind of person who would take a shower in the morning, but she felt like changing things up for some odd reason. Plus, if she wanted to impress Jackson, she had to look her best.
After she finished combing her hair and washing off her face, Marcia strode out of the bathroom and headed for her room. That was when she heard a lot of noise coming from Comet's room.
"-so you guys are serious? You're letting me go through with this?" She could hear Comet's voice coming from the other side of the closed door. It sounded like he was talking to someone, though she couldn't make out who it was. Curious, Marcia moved closer to the door, trying to figure out what her roommate was talking about. That soon became a moot point, though, as soon, all she could hear was the sound of him shouting and cheering about something along the lines of "YES YES YES!"
Aware of how they were still on a tight schedule for getting to school, Marcia decided to go against her better judgment and knock on Comet's door. "Um, Comet? Is everything alright in there, because we've got to leave for school so-aahhh!"
Before Marcia could even finish her sentence, the door suddenly swung open, and out came Comet, who practically bowled right into her. While he was, thankfully, able to stop short of running into his best friend, Marcia wasn't so lucky. Caught off guard, Marcia lost her balance and fell back-first onto the floor.
"COMET! NEXT TIME WATCH WHERE YOU'RE-" Marcia angrily started to scold her friend, but it soon became clear that he wasn't listening.
"HeymarmarbyemarmarIcan'ttalkrightnowgottagettoschoolearlyseeyouthisafternoon!" And before Marcia could even react to whatever the Prince had been saying, Comet already bolted down the hallway and headed for the front door, leaving her sitting there on her butt, utterly confused.
"After that, Mom and Dad said he ran out the front door so fast, he practically broke the sound barrier. I haven't seen him since," Marcia said, finishing her story.
"So, did he get a good look at anything?" Jonah jokingly asked him, prompting every girl present to give him a combined death glare. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding," he said, trying to defuse the hostility.
"Still not cool, dude," Jackson lectured him. "You shouldn't make those kinds of jokes."
"First of all, you're lucky I'm so forgiving, or else I would've reported you a long time ago, Jonah," Marcia told him. "Secondly, I had on my bathrobe, so no," she added, trying not to blush. "Look, the point is, if he's not here, then that means he's up to something."
"Yeah. Something awesome!" CometFan13 commented.
"He does have a track record of doing awesome things," Brittney admitted, remembering his grand entrance at her birthday party, one of the few good memories that she had of that night.
"Um, I may just be acting paranoid," Sabrina nervously said, "but do you think it has anything to do with all the floating eyeballs?"
"Floating eyeballs, wha-?" Marcia and the others looked around, and, sure enough, there were a bunch of weird, floating eyeballs scattered around the bleachers and field, silently observing everyone.
"Well, that's freaking creepy. I love it!" Jonah said, earning another glare from everyone that he didn't seem to notice. Or care.
"Maybe it's a Mewman thing?" Karla suggested, which did little to dissuade the unease the group was now feeling.
Fortunately, they did not have to dwell on how creepy this was for long. At that moment, Principal Skeeves finally appeared on the field, microphone in hand.
"Can I have your attention, everyone? May I please have your attention?" he asked, waiting for everyone to get the talking down to the point where everyone could hear him. "Thank you. Now, I know that you're all wondering why I decided to call you all here out of the blue." More than a few people in the audience murmured in assent.
"Well, I have just been informed that at the end of this week, our school will be hosting a very important event in which everyone is participating in some way, shape, or form," Principal Skeeves added, prompting some of the lazier students to groan. "And it has nothing to do with the fact that our school just got a considerable donation from one of the parents in exchange for making this possible," Skeeves quickly added on, which made even more students groan. The rest of the group, though, all turned to look at Brittney.
"Hey, don't look at me, guys," Brittney hastily told them. "I'm just as in the dark about this as you guys are." Thankfully, Marcia's friends seemed to believe her, as they quickly their attention back to Principal Skeeves.
"But don't take my word for it." Skeeves continued. "You can hear more from the student who is making all of this possible."
"Oh no," Marcia murmured.
"Marcia, what's wrong?" Jackson asked.
"Jacks, besides Brittney, there's only one other student at our school who has the clout to pull something like this off," Marcia nervously told her friend/secret crush.
"But first, I was told that I had to do this introduction. Just why, I have no idea," Principal Skeeves said as he pulled out a crumpled-up sheet of paper and began to read from. "What up, students and teachers of Echo Creek Academy. Presenting his royal highness, the Archduke of Adventure, the High Lord of everything awesome, the coolest kid in all of Mewni..."
Jonah, Ferguson, CometFan, and more than a few student's eyes lit up when they heard the word "Mewni" get dropped. Jonah and Alfonso even pulled out their phones and pressed record, while Marcia just face-palmed in embarrassment.
"Uh, please welcome...Comet Dragonfly!"
And then, things got crazy.
Play "All I Do Is Win" by DJ Khaled- /GGXzlRoNtHU
Out of nowhere, the song "All I Do Is Win" started blaring all over the football field, a field that now had giant, stylized C's and Hearts written by lights appearing at one end, complete with a big version of Comet's face appearing in the center. As if that wasn't crazy enough, fireworks started shooting up into the sky, in broad daylight, no less, making everyone go completely wild. Then, Comet came flying in on Cloudy amidst this, somehow dodging all of the fireworks before descending towards the field. Once Cloudy got close enough, Comet leaped off him, somersaulted to the ground, and immediately got back up, doing the absolute coolest pose that he could think of while the crowd went wild.
"COMET DRAGONFLY IS IN THE HOUSE!" Comet then pulled out his Wand, twirling it around him before using it to shoot even more fireworks into the sky, magically spelling out "Comet Dragonfly."
End Music
Everyone in the crowd went absolutely bonkers after seeing Comet's grand entrance. Many of the girls screamed like he was a pop star at a concert, getting hearts in their eyes as more than a few of them passed out from excitement. Those who knew him best, though, could only roll their eyes, amused at their friend's sense of showmanship/ego. Except for CometFan13. He passed out like a lot of girls.
As everyone was cheering him, Principal Skeeves handed Comet the microphone and then wisely decided to step off to the side, not wanting to be caught in the middle of whatever the boy had planned.
"Thank you, thank you, Echo Creek Academy!" Comet said as he waved and posed for everyone, waiting for them to get the excitement out of their system before speaking again. "Thanks for the enthusiastic welcome, everyone," he said once the crowd grew quiet enough for him to speak.
"So, everyone here either knows me or knows of me by now. Officially, I'm Prince Comet Dragonfly, Crown Prince and heir to the Kingdom of Mewni. But I don't like using titles like that, so you all know me as just Comet, magic-wielding interdimensional explorer extraordinaire." This got more than a few cheers from the students, making Comet smile.
"See? You guys get me. But there's something that I'm not sure that you guys know me for being, and I hope to change that today: thankful." Comet's voice then grew very sincere in tone, stopping what they were doing and giving him their undivided attention.
"When I first showed up a few months ago, completely uninvited, I had basically gotten thrown out of my family's Castle. Most people back home complained that I was 'too wild' or 'too reckless,'" Comet said, using air quotes." "So, my parents sent me here instead. And I didn't know what to expect. But, everyone here was so quick to accept me for who I am: an insanely awesome dude with great hair and even better taste in fashion."
"Comet Dragonfly rules!" Justin called out, prompting some more cheers from the crowd.
"Thank you, Justin!" Comet called out to the football player. "Yeah, see, this is what I'm talking about. Everyone here's just been so friendly and awesome, and even though it's only been a few months, I've already made so many friends and great memories. The rest of the Universe may not think that highly of Earth, but you sure as Seven Hells convinced me otherwise. So, thank you, everyone!"
For the third time in as many minutes, the crowd cheered Comet, making his friends feel happy for him.
"Well, I didn't come here to just say thanks to you all," Comet said. "No, I want to show you how thankful I am. That is why I, Comet Dragonfly, am here to invite everyone at Echo Creek Academy to help me celebrate one of my people's most important holidays: Mewnipendence Day."
What Comet said got more than a few murmurs of confusion from the assembled students and faculty. Jackson leaned over to Marcia and quietly whispered, "You got any idea what he's talking about?"
"N-no," Marcia said, trying to hide the fact that hearing Jackson whisper into her ear felt so good!
"Let me guess. Next, you guys are going to say, 'what the heck is Mewnipendence Day?' And yes, that was a JoJo reference," Comet chuckled to himself. "But seriously, though: what is 'Mewnipendence Day'? Well, I could always give you guys some lecture about...but that's boring, so, instead, I'm just going to show you with my Wand!"
Comet then twirled his Wand around some more before it towards the sky, and right away, Marcia knew what was about to happen. She had seen Comet perform the same spell for her and her family when they visited Mewni. However, everyone else was surprised when a series of gigantic images appeared in the sky before them. The illustrations were old, very old, in fact. And unlike the ones that Comet had previously shown her family in Mewni, the ones being shown now were more medieval in comparison. The art style was similar to the Bayeux Tapestry that Marcia had seen pictures of in books. And, just like the Bayeux Tapestry, these images told a great story. One marred by bloodshed and betrayal.
Comet, meanwhile, began his story. "More than a thousand years ago, my ancestors, the Mewmans, left our original home, whose name has been lost to history. We don't remember why we left, only that we were determined to find life, liberty, and corn. We were really big on corn. Then one day, we came upon the coast of the land now known as Mewni."
As the school watched, the medieval drawings began to change as Comet continued his story. "We saw the land of Mewni, with its great forests, bountiful waterways, and ore-laden mountains, and we knew that this would be the land that we would call our own. It wasn't easy. We knew nothing of our new home, and we suffered many setbacks as we tried to understand it. But eventually, we managed to build our first settlement along the coast. And for the first few years, life was good for us. But then came the day when everything changed. The day that we realized we were not the only ones living there."
And just like that, new images appeared in the sky. Ones that were filled with violence and great bloodshed. "Enter, the Monsters. The beings that called themselves the original inhabitants of the land. And they didn't want to share it with the newcomers. While the Mewmans tried to reach out to them and work together, the wicked Monsters attacked the Mewmans, burning their settlements and wanting to drive them back across the endless sea from which they came. The poor, innocent Mewmans began to despair at the loss of their new home. But just when all seemed lost, something miraculous happened."
A new image appeared on Comet's mental command, this time of a boy that looked an awful lot like Comet. "One day, a young man was scouring the forests near the great Mewni River in search of food. He was cautious, as Monsters were said to be in the area. Instead of finding food, though, he found something far greater: a wellspring of great power, the likes of which he'd never seen before. And from that well, he forged a tool capable of wielding this strange and unearthly power for him to use. That tool is the Royal Magic Wand that I now hold in my hand."
As many in the audience began to murmur at this, Comet continued. "With the newly-forged Wand in his hands, the man rallied his people, and with his magic, forged them into a mighty army to drive back the Monsters. And then there was fighting, fighting, fighting, way more fighting..." Various images began to rapidly appear on the screen, depicting the war between Mewmans and Monsters. "But at last, we came out on top. The Monsters ran for the hills, and the one who created the Wand, my ancestor, became the first Dragonfly King. And that is how the Kingdom of Mewni was born." With the story of the Kingdom's founding and the Wand's creation now done, Comet allowed the images to dissipate.
"The point to this whole story is that Mewnipendence Day is this Friday. And it hit me: everyone at Echo Creek Academy has been so nice and willing to teach me everything I need to know about Earth. So, I think it's only fair that I do the same for you guys by celebrating one of my people's most important holidays with all of you." Everyone's ears perked up at this.
"That is why, this Friday, my parents and Principal Skeeves have granted me permission to host a massive re-enactment of the final battle between the armies of the First King and the Monster Hordes, right here on this field."
"Well, now things are getting good," Jonah couldn't help but remark, much to Marcia's concern.
"There will be two sides, each consisting of about a few hundred students and faculty members. The Mewmans, led by yours truly, will be on one side, while the other will be the Monsters. We will be recreating the final battle for the rest of you to watch and enjoy, following which, we shall conclude the celebrations with a massive feast featuring the best foods that Mewni has to offer! And, since I love the food here on Earth so much, I made deals with many local restaurants to deliver food for us to eat on Friday. So, I think that we're good."
"Oh, now we're talking!" Ferguson yelled out, already eager for Friday to come. The rest of the students and faculty seemed to agree with this sentiment as they all started cheering and clapping.
"Anyone who wants to participate in the re-enactment has until the end of the day to talk to me!" Comet explained. "I'd love it if as many of you as possible were to sign up for this event! And in addition, I've got special roles that I'll assign to two students by the end of the day. Thank you for your time, and I hope to see you guys here on Friday!"
"Hell yeah! Comet Dragonfly rules!" Justin cried out. And just like that, the dam was broken. The bleachers erupted into a frenzy of clapping, cheering, and applauding Comet. They had all been won over by his words, his passion, and the promise of free food. Everyone in Echo Creek was looking forward to taking part in Mewnipendence Day.
Almost everyone, that is. As everyone was cheering Comet, one student, in particular, couldn't help but feel uneasy about the whole situation. A student who was already familiar with the history of Mewni, and what she heard before, and what Comet said now, sounded nothing alike. That student was Marcia Diaz.
"Do you really think that he'll show up here?" Brittney asked as she (awkwardly) gathered with the rest of Comet's friends in the school hallways.
"Trust me, Wong, he'll be here," Jonah said to discourage her worries.
"But, Jonah, you saw how he was getting mobbed by everyone," Sabrina nervously pointed out. "I don't think that his locker would be the best place for him to meet us with everyone in school wanting to talk to him."
After Comet's big announcement earlier that afternoon, his closest compatriots' collective first instinct was to go up and talk to him about the finer details of this event that he had planned. The smarter members of the group (I.E., Marcia, Jonah, Alfonso, Brittney) guessed that he would need their help. However, Comet's pep rally had worked a little too well: the other students wouldn't stop crowding him, saying that they wanted to participate in the re-enactment. Not even Brittney was able to make it to him! Just when all hope seemed lost, though, Marcia's received a text from Comet. The message was short and simple:
Meet me at my locker in two hours so we can talk about the big event.
So, after splitting up and trying to have some semblance of a normal school day, everyone reconvened at Comet's locker, waiting for the star's arrival, with Sabrina doubting his ability to show up.
"Sabrina, there's more than one reason why Comet chose to have us meet him at his locker," Jonah said before proceeding to pound on it with his fist, forcing it open.
"Jonah! You know that you shouldn't be doing that to his locker!" Marcia suddenly spoke up, trying to scold him. Though, for some reason, her voice lacked the usual energy level that she reserved for when she was lambasting her friends.
"Trust me, Diaz, you'll want to see this," Jonah said as he beckoned everyone to the opened locker. Out of curiosity, Alfonso and Ferguson peaked inside, wondering what could be so fascinating about it. Once they did, though, their eyes began to widen in surprise.
"Whoa! Dude, is that some kind of portal?" Ferguson cried out, prompting everyone to sneak a peak. True to their pudgy friend's outburst, there was, in fact, a swirling portal where the back wall of Comet's locker should've been.
"Yep," Jonah knowingly said. "Leads directly to the closet in his bedroom," Jonah explained. "He used his Wand to put it in there in case he ever wanted a break from school in the middle of the day but was too lazy to use his scissors."
Marcia could only face-palm at this. "He has all this power, and he wastes it on something so dumb," she mutters to herself.
"I prefer to think of it as using the available resources," a familiar voice said from behind everyone, prompting them to turn in excitement. Sure enough, there stood Comet Dragonfly in all his amazing glory.
"COMET!" everyone happily cried out (though, again, Marcia sounded far subdued in nature.)
"So, did you guys like my big announcement?" Comet asked, though judging by the way he bobbed back and forth on the balls of his feet, he already knew how they'd react.
"Comet, you crazy son of a bitch!" Ferguson said. "I can't believe you went and did all of that!"
"Gotta hand it to you, bro. You're nothing if not ambitious," Jackson cooly told him while offering a high five, which the Prince gladly accepted.
"Hey, Comet, if you need a composer for background music, I've been working on a few songs that I think could work," Karla told him.
"Comet, if you do not put me on the Monster team, I will hold this over you for the rest of the school year!" Jonah threatened, though judging by the tone of his voice, it was clear that he was only joking.
"You wouldn't happen to be needing someone to play the role of Queen, would you?" Brittney flat-out asked. "Because I'm available."
"Oh, yes! Me too, please!" Sabrina perked up, trying her best not to blush.
"I am at your service, my King!" CometFan13 proclaimed as he got down on one knee like a knight swearing fealty to his Lord.
"One at a time, guys. One at a time," Comet said to everyone before turning to Marcia. "Marcy! So, what did you think of my big announcement? Were you surprised? Excited? Completely blown away?" Comet asked, eagerly wanting to hear his best friend's opinion.
"Huh?" Marcia asked, as though she hadn't been listening to what he was saying. "Oh yeah, that. Is this why you were even more hyper than usual this morning?" She asked.
"Guilty as charged, Marcy," Comet admitted. "You have no idea how excited I was when I got the news from my parents this morning...
"Soooo, Mom, Dad. Any chance that you've given what I asked you guys a while back some thought?" Comet nervously asked as he spoke to his parents on his Mirror that Tuesday Morning.
"Well, son," Queen Lake started off. "We have thought it over, and we must admit, it is a rather strange request. Asking your school to help you celebrate Mewnipendence Day?"
"But Mom, this is the first time I'll be celebrating Mewnipendence Day away from home," Comet pointed out. "That's why I want to make it special! And what better way than getting all of my friends at school to participate?"
"I agree," Mune simply said.
"Oh, come on!" Comet began to whine. "Why can't you let me-" and then his brain finally managed to process what his Dad just said. "Did you just say you agree with me?"
"Yes, Comet. I agreed with you," Mune simply repeated.
"Wow," Comet said, shocked. "And I had, like, eight different methods ready to beg you to reconsider. This is way better than I could've hoped for!"
"If only he put that much energy into his Princely training," Mune muttered under his breath before continuing. "As I said, Comet, I think that doing this is a good idea. You will be giving them a chance to experience Mewman culture, something that, until now, they've only endured through their interactions with you. And the fact that you're willing to go to such great lengths for them is one of the hallmarks of being a leader." Mune couldn't help but smile a little at this, while Lake began to get teary-eyed.
"Oh, Mune-pie! Our little boy is growing up!" she said while futilely trying to hold back her tears.
"Yes, yes, dear," Mune said, consoling his wife. "In any case, Comet, we will issue the funds and instructions necessary to your school's Principal immediately. You're free to make the announcement later today."
Comet couldn't believe that this was happening. His parents were letting him go through this!
"So, you guys are serious? You're letting me go through with this?" Comet said, trying to make sure one last time that this wasn't a trick.
"Yes, son. But, please, try to show some restraint," Mune pleaded with his son, to which he gave a mock salute. Seeing that was the best he would get, Mune decided to end the call and calm Lake down, leaving Comet alone to process everything.
"YES, YES, YES, YES, YES!" And process them, he did. Unfortunately, he was so hyped up that he barely even noticed that he almost ran into Marcia on the way out the door.
"And I haven't even told you guys the best part yet!" Comet exclaimed. "Remember how I said that there would be two special roles for two very special students?"
"Don't tell me. You already decided that the roles are going to two of us, aren't you?" Ferguson sarcastically asked, to which Comet responded by using his Wand to make a very loud ding ding ding noise.
"Right you are, Ferguson!" Comet told them. "And the two that I have chosen are, drum roll, please..."
As if things couldn't get any weirder, the teens heard an actual drumroll in the background.
"MARCIA AANNDDDDD JONAH!" Comet shouted out, followed by sudden applause and cheering while the others looked around in sheer confusion.
"Where are all those sounds coming from?" Brittney wondered aloud.
"At this point, Brittney, we don't question this stuff. We just roll with it," Jackson admitted. Comet's friends had chalked weird stuff like this down to Comet's seemingly limitless magic.
"Congratulations, Marcia Diaz and Jonah Ordonia," Comet said, now talking like he was the host to a game show. "You two are going to be playing a vital role in the re-enactment on Friday."
"Meaning?" Marcia hesitantly asked, not even sure if she wanted to know the answer.
"Well, for starters, Marcia, you will be taking on the role of my General and right-hand woman," Comet told her. "You will be helping me to direct the brave and noble knights of Mewni as we defend our home against the Monster Horde. And you'll be getting your very own set of armor for the occasion! Isn't that great?"
"Uh, yeah. Sure," Marcia said, still not sure what to make of all this.
"And where does that leave me, Dragonfly?" Jonah asked.
"Don't you worry, Jonah Ordonia, because I've got a role that's perfect for your skillset," Comet told his buddy. "Jonah, you are one of the most cunning, disobedient, and creepy people that I have ever met in my life."
"You know those are compliments for me, right?"
"Well, duh," Comet fired back. "And that's why I hereby dub thee as leader of the Monster Hordes!"
"So, you want me to lead a bunch of scary Monsters in an epic battle against your guys?" Jonah couldn't help but grin. "My time has come."
"As for the rest of you," Comet said to his remaining friends. "I'm hoping to see you all participate in this re-enactment. So, with that in mind, let me know what side you want to be on, tell me before tomorrow, and get started on your costumes!" Comet excitedly told them. "Or not. I'll just use magic to spruce things up like I did for Ferguson's possum suit."
"All right."
"Can do."
"Whatever, but I better look good in it."
"Anything you say, Comet."
With all of his friends on board, Comet felt really good about this massive event that he was organizing. "All right, then. With all of that settled, I will head home early and start working out the finer details of this event." Having said that, Comet then motioned for everyone to give him some space to open his locker. However, before he could do so, he felt a hand touch his shoulder.
"Um, Comet?" came the timid voice of Sabrina. "Before you go, we were kind of wondering-"
"-What the deal is with these floating eyeballs?" Brittney said, finishing Sabrina's sentence. Not out of a need to be rude, though, but simply because she noticed that Sabrina was having such a hard time talking to Comet.
"Yeah, seriously, Comet," Alfonso said. "These things have been flying around school all day. It's freaking some of us out." As if to prove Alfonso's point, another one of those floating eyes suddenly appeared right beside the group, unnerving them all. Except for Jonah, for obvious reasons.
Comet chuckled at his friend's concerns. "That? Oh, that's just the All-Seeing Eye," he casually explained. "It follows us around during Mewnipendence Day. My parents loaned me a fleet of them for this event, and today was meant to be their test run."
"Uh, is it suppose to be staring at us like this?" Karla asked as the Eye seemed to fixate on each of the students for several long periods.
"Oh, yeah, totally!" Comet said as he suddenly popped in between Karla and the Eye. "It's supposed to serve as a reminder to the Monsters that the Royal Family of House Dragonfly is watching them at all times and will know if they try to do anything bad..." Comet said in an ominous tone before suddenly breaking out into laughter. "But don't worry; these things are just for show!" Acting on impulse, Comet then began to poke at the Eye repeatedly. "I mean, can you imagine what it would be like if these things were actually watching us? That would be super weird and a massive invasion of our privacy!"
Satisfied with his explanations to his friends, Comet then made once more for his locker door. "Well, if anyone needs me, I'm going to be at home planning Friday's events out. Can't wait to see what side you guys choose to be on and your costumes!" Comet cheerfully told them, waving at everyone before his gaze finally settled on Marcia. "Oh, and come and see me when you get home. We need to go over how the re-enactment will go, General Diaz." With that, Comet closed his locker door and traveled through the portal to his room, leaving his friends to their own devices.
"Well, if anyone needs me, I'll be going to recruit some worthwhile members for my side," Jonah proudly told everyone before heading off. "Hope you guys make the right choice on which team to join. Ciao!"
"He does know that his side's supposed to be the one that loses, right?" Jackson asked out loud.
With nothing left to do, the group began to split up once more, talking amongst themselves about which side they would be on and what they would be doing for costumes. Eventually, the only one still hanging around Comet's locker was Marcia, who had told everyone that she would join them soon enough. Yet even as she smiled and said goodbye to her friends, she hid some deep insecurities over everything that was about to transpire. Not only did everything that Comet had told them about this holiday fill her with unease, but she also got a strange feeling that something bad was going to happen.
Marcia had no idea just right she really was.
No one on Earth seemed to realize that the fleet of All-Seeing Eye's was no longer "just for show," as Comet had said. Well before they had even arrived on Earth, they had already been remotely hacked into and placed under the control of a certain reptilian Monster, who had since handed power over to his new Avian master, Ludo Avarius. Together, the two of them had observed the entirety of the day's events from the safety of Castle Avarius. And Ludo was none too pleased about things.
"Stupid Comet! Stupid Dragonflies! Stupid, big-headed, self-absorbed Mewmans!" Ludo yelled in anger. "I HATE MEWNIPENDENCE DAY!" As he shouted this at the top of his lungs, Ludo proceeded to throw darts at a board, attached to which was a very unflattering picture of the Prince.
"It's bad enough that his family and people took our land and drove us from our homes, but every year, they have to go and rub it in our faces just how great they have it!" Ludo complained as he made his way towards a stepstool placed underneath the board. "And now that royal brat has to go and pull this warnicorn shit on us! It's like he's mocking us for our failure. Mocking me!"
"I know how you feel, sir," Toffee calmly said. "I have no love for this holiday or the reminder of what it stands for." For the briefest moment, Toffee glanced down at his hand and the stump where his missing finger should be, allowing the rage of how he lost it to overtake him. But as quickly as it came, the feeling vanished. "However, need I remind you of the golden opportunity that this presents."
"Yes, yes, Toffee," Ludo sighed. "We've been over this plan several times now. And, honestly, it sounds like a risky plan."
"There can be no reward, though, without any risk."
"Touche." Ludo conceded.
"Uh, boss?" Came the voice of Bearicorn. "I gathered up everyone like you asked." The horned bear Monster then gestured to the entirety of Ludo's army, who had only now joined them in the viewing room.
"Ah, yes. Excellent!" Ludo said before getting a sinister look on his face. "Now, I can begin explaining everything to you." Ludo then turned to Toffee. "Toffee, begin explaining everything to them."
"Gentlemen," Toffee said as he stepped forward. "If you direct your attention to the monitors, you will see what is transpiring on Earth," he gestured to the giant screens, which were currently playing back footage of the day's events. "In three days, Prince Dragonfly will be re-enacting our favorite holiday: the Great Monster Massacre." Toffee didn't even bother hiding the sarcasm in his voice at this.
All of the Monsters groaned and said things to the effect of "this sucks!" and "I hate that day!" or "This is the worst day ever. Of all time!"
Toffee raised his hand to silence the Monsters. "Do not worry. We can take advantage of the golden opportunity that lies before us."
"An opportunity in more ways than one," Ludo quickly added.
"Um, sir?" Bear Deer spoke up. "What exactly are we going to do?"
"Simple, Beard Deer: we're going to crash the Prince's little celebration and steal the Wand right out from under his nose." This got more than a few murmurs from the assembled Monsters.
"Uh, how are we going to do that?" Lobster Claws dared to ask.
"It's simple, Lobster Claws," Ludo said with a sinister look on his beaked face. "That royal brat's roped his entire school into taking part in a massive re-enactment of the Massacre. There will be hundreds of people on both sides."
"Exactly," Toffee said, continuing where Ludo left off. "While it is true that we will be heavily outnumbered by potential adversaries, the fact remains that there will be far too many people present for the Prince to keep track of. No one will notice if a few dozen more suddenly appear in their ranks."
"So, the plan is simple," Ludo told them. "We wait until right before the re-enactment begins. Then, we slip in amongst those morons cosplaying as Monsters, led by" Ludo briefly shuddered as he tried to say his name. "the demon child." Right on cue, a picture of Jonah Ordonia appeared on screen, prompting many of the Monsters to whimper in fear.
"Oh, get a grip, people! I'm just as scared of him as you are, and I'm going to be right in the thick of things, anyway!" Ludo said, admonishing his minions.
"Indeed," Toffee concurred. "While the human boy keeps everyone distracted, we will take advantage of the chaos of battle to make our way towards the tower from which the Prince will be overseeing everything. Once we are within range, we will overwhelm the Prince and seize the Wand from him. By the time the child realizes that we are actual Monsters, it will be too late. We will retreat back to Mewni with the Wand in hand, our victory now assured."
"And to top it all off, Comet Dragonfly will have to live with the knowledge that on his most sacred of holidays, he allowed his family's precious Wand to fall into our grasp!" Ludo proclaimed. "After a thousand years of humiliation and suffering, this day will no longer be known as just a Mewman holiday. Instead, they will look back on their so-called 'Mewnipendence Day' and know it as the day when the true Mewmans began to take back their home. The day when they lost TO THE MONSTERS!"
After hearing all of this, all of the Monsters roared in support. After generations of pain and hardship, they would finally be able to free their home from the Mewman invaders!
"We have three days until our moment of triumph is at hand, my followers!" Ludo addressed them all. "Use this time well. Train, craft weapons, gather supplies! Ensure that nothing and no one will stand in the way of our great victory!"
All of the Monsters began to cheer, howl, and roar with enthusiasm before dispersing throughout the Castle, determined to do their part. All except for Toffee, that is. He alone remained in the room, silently observing the Prince and his companions, thinking about all he had done thus far to get to this position. And what else he would have to do to fulfill his mission.
*Back in Jay's Workspace, everyone is sitting at the table and "watching" the events unfold on a giant monitor with surprised faces.*
Janna: Jay, you crazy son of a bitch. I can't believe you just did that.
Jay: If by that, you mean I took the original concept of the Mewnipendence Day episode and decided to inject it with steroids, then yes. Guilty as charged.
Kermit: Where the Hell did you even come up with this idea?!
Jay: Think about it, Kermit. In the show, Star got a few people to take part in her her backyard re-enactment. I just decided that instead, Comet would want to do on a massive scale. So, he's enlisting the help of the entire student body and faculty of Echo Creek Academy.
Ed: This is going to be good!
Omnitraxus: Yeah, but Jay, do you think that you're up for this?
Jay: It doesn't matter, Omni. I already made my bed. I'm going to toss and turn in it for all its worth. Besides, I think that my readers will be satisfied with what I've got planned for the battle. But don't expect to see that just yet. This is only the first of four parts to it!
*Cue the groans*
Jay: Sorry, guys, but I had to pace this out to preserve reader interest. Don't worry, next few chapters are going to dealing with the emotional aspect of everything. I promise you guys, the payoff will be worth it.
GIR: I LIKE PENNIES!
Jay: Uh oh, GIR's acting up again. Someone get his rubber piggy while I respond to
READER'S REVIEWS
NightAroma-Yes, Black Frost is a beefed up version of Jack Frost. He's from the Shin Megami Tensei series that I mentioned at the start of the last chapter. Look it up if you like RPGs.
And Buff Frog's lines weren't an exact quote from Avatar: The Last Airbender. The line you're thinking of is "then, everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked."
LockAndKey989-Nice try, but I'm not using her again until Part Two.
Tyrik and Rothem's Writing Inc-Thanks, bros!
The Wandering Hippie-Yeah, the demon summoning thing was something I had planned from the beginning. I wanted to give Jonah an alternative to something like a Pokémon or a Stand, and this seemed right up his alley. Also, it could be that Glossaryck's doing this because he likes Jonah and sees a lot of potential in him. He wants Comet to have powerful allies and senses that Jonah could fulfill that role.
Also, don't ask me how Glossaryck did that with the phone. Let's just say it was magic.
You know what to do: fave and follow this story, and follow Jay on Twitter (JZ-Gaming), Insta (RJ Writing Ink), and YouTube (Jungoguy).
See you guys next week! Tensions are about to grow between Comet and his friends as they learn more about this holiday, and you won't want to miss it.