Hey guys, RJ "Jay" Writing Ink here. Now, normally, this would be the part where I do some hilarious opening in my Workspace. That's not happening this week, though. No Workspace, no Janna, no Kermit, no Nappa. Just me. Because I've got something important that I want to say.
When I started this story, I said that I wanted to provide closure for fans of the show and end it on my terms. This wasn't the complete truth, though. I hoped to use this story to talk about one of the greater, overarching themes found in Star vs. The Forces of Evil: the curse of racism and hatred.
I have never had to directly deal with things like prejudice, bigotry, and racism before. But every day, millions of people worldwide are spat on, called hateful things, and treated like less than dirt for reasons that, in my eyes, are so utterly stupid. When I look at the Monster on Mewni, I see a reflection of the divide and prejudice that's plagued our world for millennia, especially here in the United States. And I feel sad and disgusted.
I knew from the start that I wanted Comet to eventually come to the same realizations that Star would about how Mewmans treated Monster was wrong. But, since I didn't have the Mouse to hold me back, I wanted to make sure Comet had his eyes open to the truth in a far greater fashion. His previous interactions with Buff Frog started nudging him on the right path, but what he's about to experience will be what changes him for good.
For those out there who have been subjected to hateful language, I apologize in advance. Some of what's told in this chapter may trigger unpleasant feelings. But it has to be done. I only hope that I did a good enough job.
A few minutes after the argument, Comet slumped into a chair in the middle of the Diaz's kitchen as he poured himself a bowl of Captain Blanche's Sugar Seeds. He knew that he shouldn't be eating it at that time of night, and he knew that Marcia was going to kill him for eating any more of her supply of the cereal. But he didn't care; he was in a bad mood, and he needed comfort!
"I just don't get it, Coryn," Comet muttered to the Pokémon as he finished pouring on the milk. "I know that Marcia's mad at me about the re-enactment tomorrow, but I don't know why." Without even thinking, Comet shoveled a spoonful of cereal into his mouth. "I mean," he said in between spoonfuls, "you were there, right? You heard everything?"
"Hoot hoo," the Hoot-Hoot bobbed his head in affirmation.
"So, it's just like I told her. This is no different than the two of us beating up Monsters daily! I thought she loved doing that!" Comet could still remember how alive Marcia always felt when she was facing down Ludo or any of his followers. "And now she suddenly decides to care about them? I mean, what's that about?" Comet angrily said as he shoved another spoonful into his mouth and angrily gnashed on the contents before hastily swallowing them. He was too worked up to even enjoy the sugary sweetness of the milk and cereal!
"And did you hear how she was talking about this? It doesn't make any sense. It's like she was taking all of this personally, for some reason," Comet whined as he looked into the half-empty bowl of milk.
"Well, maybe she is."
Comet looked up. There, standing in the doorway to the kitchen, were Mr. and Mrs. Diaz, clad in their pajamas. They were just getting ready to head off to bed themselves from the looks of things, yet decided to head downstairs.
"Oh. Hey, Mr. and Mrs. Diaz," Comet said without any of his usual enthusiasm. "What's keeping you guys up at this time of night?"
"Well, we were getting ready to go to sleep-" Rafael clarified.
"-But we couldn't help but overhear the little argument you and Marcia seemed to be having," Angie added on. "We tried to talk to her about it, but all she said was, and these were her words, 'why can't that idiot see what the problem is?'"
"Well, clearly, she's right about that. Because Marcia's pissed off at me, and I can't even figure out what for," Comet sighed.
Mr. Diaz then sat in the chair next to Comet and placed a sympathetic hand on the boy's shoulder. "Well, why don't you tell us more about what you two were so, ahem, passionately debating over," he offered, making Comet smile.
For the next few minutes, Comet told the Diaz parents everything that transpired from his perspective. How Marcia seemed unsettled about Mewnipendence Day. The fact that she tried to tear the holiday's basic premise to shreds. Most of all, though, he talked about how she was suddenly defending the Monsters, of all people!
"...And that's the weirdest part. I mean, I get Buff Frog helped us out a few times, but that can't be enough of a reason for her to do this sudden 180 on me! It's like she's taking all of this way more personally than she has to!" Comet absent-mindedly pounded his fist onto the table, nearly making his bowel of unfinished cereal spill everywhere.
Mr. and Mrs. Diaz gave Comet a very sympathetic look, and then they looked at each other. While neither of them said a word to the other, they didn't have to. Their bond as husband and wife let them know what the other was thinking, and it was something that neither of them liked to dwell on. For a moment, the two communicated to each other through their eyes, with Mrs. Diaz's saying should we tell him? Her husband silently nodded, though his eyes, normally filled with light and laughter, became very solemn and dire.
"Comet," Mrs. Diaz finally said, breaking the silence, "we think we know why our daughter's so upset about this."
"You do?" Comet asked.
"Yes, niño," Mr. Diaz spoke. "We can tell you if you wish to hear, but it is not a very happy story," the elder Diaz said, his voice unusually serious.
Without a second of hesitation, Comet said, "I want to know. Marcia's my best friend, and if I did something to make her mad, I need to know what it was."
Mrs. Diaz then sat down next to her husband and placed her hand on top of his, letting the warmth of it comfort him before looking back at their charge. "Well, Comet, I think it's best to start off with asking you this: did Marcia ever tell where her father comes from?"
Comet scratched his head as he tried to remember. "I think so. I remember walking home from school one day, and she mentioned how Mr. Diaz used to live someplace south of here. What was its name again? I know it started with an M."
"Mexico," Mr. Diaz said.
"Yeah, that's it!" Comet said as it came back to him. "Mexico! Home of giant, colorful hats and those cool skull masks that Marcia wore at the Blood Moon Ball!" Without even meaning, Comet's eyes began to light up as he remembered that night and how pretty Marcia looked in her dress.
Mr. and Mrs. Diaz couldn't help but chuckle as they heard Comet tell them what little he knew of Mexico. While some people would deride the boy and get on his case about how that was only one small part of the country, they knew Comet well enough to understand that there was no malice in his words. Besides, he was from another dimension, so he had that as an excuse.
"Si, Comet," Mr. Diaz said amidst his amusement. "It is indeed the land of sombreros and skull masks. But it is also so much more than that."
"It is?"
"Oh, yes. It is a land filled with many people from all walks of life living together, for better or worse. A land that fuses together the cultures of two nations and identities into one. Few places on Earth are like it."
"It sounds amazing, Mr. Diaz," Comet said with awe in his voice.
"It has its fair share of problems, Comet, but yes. It can be amazing," Mr. Diaz said, loving the boy's enthusiasm. "But I did not live in Mexico for very long. When I was just a little boy, my Mama and Papa took our immediate family, and we came here to live in California."
"Why did you guys leave, though?"
"Well, likely for the same reasons why your ancestors first came to Mewni. They wanted a better life for themselves and for their children. And, despite how beautiful it was, Mexico wasn't the safest place for us to live in. So, we packed up our things and moved here, to the United States, where they hoped we could have a better life."
"But didn't you miss everyone you left behind, though?"
"Aye, we did," Mr. Diaz sighed. "I still have family that lives down there. But we keep in touch a lot, and we often go down and visit them when we can. But, for the most part, I have always considered America to be my home." Mr. Diaz still looked back on his earliest memories, many of which were of him coming to America with his parents and siblings. "But not everyone was very welcoming of my family or me," he said sadly.
"What do you mean?" Comet asked, not understanding what the problem was.
Mr. Diaz sighed. This next part was not easy to talk about, but he knew it had to be said for Comet to understand why Marcia was mad at him.
"Comet, even though my family and I have lived in this country for as long as I can remember, not everyone was willing to welcome us with open arms and a warm smile on their face," Mr. Diaz explained. "Some people would give us nothing but looks of disdain or dislike. Others would not even talk to us when we went out in public. And then..." Mr. Diaz's voice started to break a little when he thought back on what happened. "And some people would spit at us or openly sneer and call us names as we walked by."
"You guys were...bullied?" Comet asked, a look of concern etched across his and Coryn's faces.
"Aye. That we were, Comet." Mr. Diaz somberly said.
"But why did they do that? What did you ever do to them to make them hate you like that?" Comet couldn't understand the logic behind this.
"To be honest, Comet, we had done nothing wrong to them. We never did."
"Then why did they do it?!" Comet asked, incredulous. "Mr. Diaz, you have to be one of the nicest men that I have ever met in my life! What in the name of magic would make them act like such jerks to you?"
"Well, Comet, if I had to guess, I would say that it is because of how I look," Mr. Diaz simply said.
"I don't, I don't follow," Comet said, utterly perplexed.
"Comet, sweetie, have you ever noticed the fact that my husband and I don't have the same skin color?"
Comet looked at the two of them very carefully, though he was unsure what he was even looking for. He had never really given much thought to something as simple as skin color before.
"Now that you mention it, yeah, Mrs. Diaz. Your skin's paler than Mr. Diaz's is. But I just thought it was just because he liked to tan."
Once again, Mr. and Mrs. Diaz couldn't help but giggle at how sweet Comet could be. Even with all his power and abilities, he was a truly kind boy who didn't judge others for how they looked.
"No, Comet. It is not just that," Mr. Diaz told him. "You see, Comet, it is hard to explain, but not all humans look the same."
"Well, duh. I mean, you guys will have different body types, eye colors, and hair colors. But what's that got to do with anything?"
"No, Comet," Mrs. Diaz patiently told him. "What we mean is that not everyone has the same skin color. Some of us are born with whiter, clearer skin, while others are born with darker-looking skin."
"But why?"
"I think it has something to do with where our people come from and genetics, but that's beside the point," Rafael said, trying to get the discussion back on track. "The point is that some people are born looking different from other people. Because of that, some think that because someone looks different from them, that gives them the right to look down on them."
"But that doesn't make any sense," Comet pointed out. "You can't help what you were born looking like, so why bully someone for it?"
"You're right, Comet. It doesn't make any sense. There is no logic behind it. Yet, it still happens. It has been happening for thousands of years," Mr. Diaz sadly said. He hated telling Comet about this. Comet had always thought so highly of the people of Earth, and Rafael hated having to tell him about the darker nature of humanity. Yet, he knew it had to be done if Comet wanted to understand Marcia's feelings. "Some people do it because they don't like those who are different from themselves. They feel threatened by them in some way. Others do it simply so they can feel better about themselves in the process. And others...well, let's just say that some do it simply because they can."
"That's...that's horrible," Comet said, a look of sympathy carved into his face.
"It is Comet. But I was fortunate enough to grow up in a place where more people were open and accepting of me and mi familia, no matter what we looked like."
"But I still don't understand. What does this have to do with Marcia?"
"Well, Comet," Angie finally said, "even though Marcia's biracial, or someone who has ancestors from different groups, she takes more after her father when it comes to how she looks."
"And because of that, some people she meets have bullied her for it, much like they would threaten me."
Comet just sat there, slack-jawed, as he heard about this. He knew that she'd been bullied by Brittney for years, but hearing that she was picked on for how she looked? His brain was struggling to understand it. How could this happen? Why did this happen?
"Did...did they ever hurt her?" Comet hesitantly asked. "Physically, I mean?"
Mr. and Mrs. Diaz felt their hearts go out to Comet, just like his heart went out to them. Comet was honestly one of the best friends Marcia had ever had, and seeing how much he reacted after learning about this must have been tearing him up inside.
"No. While Marcia dealt with her fair share of bullies growing up, it was, thankfully, never because of this," Angie said, thanking God for not letting this happen to her daughter.
"But they still hurt her. Some of the grownups would call her such horrible names, and the kids would mimic their parent's behavior." Mr. Diaz began to sniffle a little. "I still remember one day in particular. Marcia came home from school with a very confused look on her face, and we both knew right away that something was wrong."
"When we asked her what the problem was, she looked up at us and asked us something that I'll never forget," Mrs. Diaz said.
"What did she ask you?" Comet asked them.
"She said, 'Mommy, Daddy, what's a border rat?'" Mr. Diaz answered him as he tried to hold back his tears.
"That's not something nice, is it?" Even though Comet had never heard that phrase before, he knew it didn't mean anything good.
"It isn't. It's an insult, Comet," Mrs. Diaz told him. "You see, not everyone who comes to live in the US is allowed to do so. Our country has very strict rules on who can come in to live here, and not everyone can afford to follow them."
"So, some people simply decide to sneak in and not tell the people who are in charge," Mr. Diaz added on. "But if they get caught, they could risk being sent to prison or sent back to where they came from. And since many of them come here to find a better life, being sent back could be one of the worst punishments they could ever experience." Mr. Diaz sighed. "As beautiful as their homelands may be, the problems they face may make living there too much to bear."
"And because so many people have to resort to sneaking in like that, Comet, some people consider them to be like rats. Which is how that horrid term came to exist."
"I will never forget how much I cried when I first heard that word come out my Mija's mouth," Mr. Diaz said as the memory of it alone was enough to bring tears to his eyes. That was the day when he felt like part of his little girl's innocence died, and he couldn't do anything about it.
"After hearing that, and hearing about some older kids had called her it, we both realized that, as much as we wanted to keep our daughter safe, we wouldn't always be there to protect her. What if someone came along and didn't just stop with the slurs? What if they tried to physically threaten her?" Mrs. Diaz shuddered at the thought of what someone would do to Marcia. Some horrible, racist stranger would corner her somewhere and assault her while calling her all sorts of horrific things! It was too much for a mother to bear!
"That is part of the reason why we decided to enroll Marcia in karate classes: so that she could learn how to defend herself from anyone who would seek to do her harm," Mr. Diaz told Comet after he had finished drying his eyes.
"Did it work?"
"There were some people who still tried to bully her, but for the most part, yes," Angie confirmed. "We thought that she had moved on from all of that. But, after hearing about her argument with you about this 'Mewnipendence Day' thing, I don't think that she has."
"You mean...?"
The Diaz parents both nodded their heads. And just like that, everything began to fall into place inside of Comet's head. "Comet, I do not know much about your people or these Monsters," Rafael continued. "But from what you have told me, I think I understand why she is upset."
"Because...when she read the story about what happened, it reminded her of what she had gone through?" Comet said, already dreading the answer he knew he would get.
"Yes, Comet," Mrs. Diaz said, confirming what he had already figured out for himself. And just like that, everything fell into place. Comet looked back on his actions over the last two days, how Marcia had tried to show him what he couldn't, or chose not, to see. How his friends objected to how he changed the re-enactment and called it unfair. And most of all, Comet remembered what Marcia had said to him earlier that night.
Mewnipendence Day is nothing but a lie your people told themselves to justify what really happened: you stole the Monster's land and drove them out of their homes!
And Comet felt nothing but shame.
"Comet?" Mrs. Diaz concernedly asked the boy. "Are you alright, sweetie?"
When he turned his face to look at Marcia's parents, it was looking at a stone mask, devoid of any discernable emotion. Not even his normally bright and expressive eyes betrayed any hint of what he was thinking. Instead, he simply got up, said "Thank you for telling me this, Mr. and Mrs. Diaz. I have to go to bed," and then he went upstairs without another word, with Coryn quietly following after him.
Rafael and Angie sat there in silence for several moments, unsure whether they should follow him or give him space. Finally, Angie looked at her husband and asked him, "Do you think we did the right thing telling him, Rafael?"
"Si, mi amor," Rafael thoughtfully told his wife. "I know that it was not something that he liked to hear, but he had to listen to it, regardless. It will help him far more in the long run if he learns about this now when he's still growing as a person."
"But did you see how broken he looked? What if this did more harm than good?" Mrs. Diaz worriedly brought up.
"That is out of our hands, my love. It will be up to him how he chooses to use what he learned. Now, come," Rafael said as he went to get the bowl of cereal and milk. "Let's clean up after him and then head to bed."
Mrs. Diaz smiled. "That sounds like a very good idea. I think I need some rest now."
"Me too, sweetie. Me too."
"So, I take it we all know why we're here, right?" Jonah said as he stood in the middle of Echo Creek Park alongside several of the more prominent members of the Monster team: Sabrina, Brittney, a few of the cheerleaders, Karla, Ms. Skullnick, and Ferguson. All of them had very apprehensive looks on their faces as they mulled over everything.
Most of them couldn't believe what Comet was planning. It sounded...wrong. They knew that the Monsters weren't nice people. Having been caught in the crossfire of Ludo's numerous attempts to seize control of Comet's Wand, their impression of them as a whole was decidedly low. Not even Buff Frog's actions at the rollerblade race had been enough to raise their collective opinion.
Yet, regardless of how they felt towards the Monsters, none of them could deny how lop-sided Comet was making this re-enactment. At this point, it couldn't even be called a battle but a slaughter.
"We all know why we're here, Ordonia," Brittney bitterly said. "We're here because we don't get our asses kicked tomorrow in this dumb re-enactment."
"She's right," Sabrina added. "If we have to do this without any weapons against people in fifteen-foot-tall armor, someone could get hurt."
"Dude, I don't think I have enough pillows in my house to protect me from one of those medieval Evangelion's fists," Ferguson said, freaking out.
"I flew over the field with Kevin earlier, and when he saw how big the knights were going to be, he got a little freaked out," Karla sadly admitted. "Poor guy. It took everything I had to keep him from flying off in a panic."
"Glad to see that we're all on the same page: if we do this tomorrow as is, someone's going to end up in the hospital," Jonah said, summing up everyone's feelings. "And with the way Comet is right now, there's no way that we can get him to call this off."
"So, what you're saying is, we're screwed," Chantal, who was amongst the cheerleaders present, said. "Great, just great. Way to waste our time when we could be preparing our Wills," the girl sarcastically called out.
"Wow. Dramatic much?" Jonah fired back, which earned him a glare from the brunette, much to his amusement. "That look means nothing to me, Chantel. I get that daily from everyone else," he prodded at her before turning to address the rest of the group. "No, the purpose of this meeting is for one reason and one reason alone: we're gonna fuck with this re-enactment."
"Do you have to phrase it like that, Mr. Ordonia?" Ms. Skullnick complained.
"Yes. It makes it have more impact," was Jonah's response. "Like I was saying, rather than following through with what Comet has planned tomorrow, I say that we throw everything back in his face and make him see that this holiday's premise is a bunch of bullshit. To do that, we need to ensure that our side wins."
"You mean like what Russell Crow did in that movie Gladiator?" Ferguson suggested, having seen it in history class when they were studying the topic of Roman culture.
"I'm a trickster, Ferguson, not a hack," Jonah defended himself. "Though, yeah, that pretty much is the whole premise."
"And how do you propose that we do that, genius?" Brittney openly questioned. "We have no weapons, remember?"
"Correct. We don't have any weapons," Jonah admitted. "Not yet, anyway."
"I'm sorry, but I'm not following," Sabrina admitted.
"Listen, guys. Comet may have kept us from using any weapons, but we're far from powerless here," Jonah started to tell them. "In fact, we've got a few advantages working in our favor. For example, Sabrina," he said, pointing to the nervous-looking brunette. "Ever since you took charge of the cheerleaders, you've been running practice, drills, and teambuilding exercises nonstop. Thanks to that, your teamwork has gone through the roof, making them better than ever."
"Oh, um, I wouldn't say that," Sabrina said, blushing as she fiddled with her hair.
"Girl, please. Marcia shared videos with us of your practices. It's seriously impressive," Jonah said as he held up his phone to prove his point. "If you people coordinate on the battlefield, you might have a chance of standing up to those lumbering giants."
"Huh. I guess I never thought of it that way," Sabrina realized.
"And Karla," Jonah then turned to the aspiring performer. "I've seen what Kevin can do in action. Hell, most of the people in school have seen it at one point or another. He can't just give up now,"
"But the knights-"
"Won't be as big a problem as you might think," Jonah reassured her. "I'm willing to bet that that griffin is strong enough to lift them off the ground. And all of their weapons are fake; they can't actually hurt him. Besides," Jonah cocked an eyebrow. "Don't you think how cool it would be to see you swooping in on your trusty partner? It could be a cover for a future album!"
"That's...true," Karla admitted. "Plus, I think Kevin was only acting like that because he's never seen anything like them. I'm betting I could coax him into doing this."
"And you," Jonah said, now turning his attention to Ferguson. "Ferguson, while it's true that Comet never gave us any weapons to use, he also didn't say anything about us bringing our own. And you've got that killer slingshot on you!"
"My Black Kabuto...of course!" Ferguson exclaimed. "I mean, you never bring a knife to a gunfight. This is pretty much the same premise," he said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Exactly," Jonah said before turning Ms. Skullnick. "And Ms. Skullnick. Not only do you look intimidating and fierce thanks to your new body, but you've got the strength to back it up. We've all seen what she did on the field trip, right?"
"Uh-huh." "Yeah." "I think I recorded it on my phone," everyone said in agreement.
"It may take some effort, but I'm willing to bet that you'll be able to flip those oversized tin cans onto their backs, Skullsy," Jonah confidently told her. "In fact, I know you can."
"I mean, I have started pulling freight cars as part of my new workout routine," Ms. Skullnick said, much to everyone's amazement.
"Wow," Brittney said, impressed. "I'd say that you could try out for the Olympics, but I think they wouldn't let you."
"Look, the bottom line is that our side has more going for it than Comet realizes. If we wanted to, we could win the battle tomorrow," Jonah told everyone. And rather than acting all sarcastic about it, he meant it, and most of the people there could tell, too.
"Um, yeah, all of that is great, Ordonia," Brittney told him, "and I hate to rain on your parade-"
"Yet you are doing just that," Jonah snarked at the rich girl, much to her irritation.
"That's just how I talk," Brittney said, more than a little embarrassed. "But that's not the point. While Mr. Casanova Wannabe has his slingshot and Ms. Skullnick's got her super-strength, what are the rest of us supposed to make do with?"
"Tsk, tsk, tsk, Brittney," Jonah said, scolding her. "You think that I didn't consider that before calling this meeting?"
Brittney just shrugged. Honestly, it was hard to tell at times when it came to Jonah.
"Well, I have. For starters, we have my alchemy, which I can use to both fight with and create weapons for us. All I need is for you guys to get the rest of our side to bring me any junk they have lying around their houses, and ta-da! We'll have weapons for days!"
This did reassure those present, but not by much. The knights would still have the size advantage. Jonah wasn't done, though.
"Also, in case you guys have forgotten, I still have that Meseeks Box I got from the museum dimension. All I have to do is press a button, and we'll have reinforcements for days. Also, since Comet's got Marcia serving as his General, I think it's only fair that our side has one, as well. So that's why I'll be enlisting the help of Black Frost and his abilities for tomorrow's re-enactment."
Ferguson gasped. "Black Frost!?" But then he realized that he didn't know what that was. "Who dat?"
Jonah shrugged. "Oh, just an ice Demon that I talked into making a contract to serve under me for the foreseeable future," he casually explained, much to everyone's shock.
"You have a Demon working for you!?" everyone shouted in disbelief.
"Yep. He's big and fun, likes messing with people. And he's standing right behind you guys."
Sure enough, when the group looked behind them, there was Black Frost, the giant, mutant snowman with the purple cap.
"Yee-hooo! I can't wait for tomorrow, ho!" The Demon shouted, much to everyone's concern. Not because there was a Demon standing amongst them, but because this big guy worked for Jonah!
"Don't worry, you guys. He won't hurt any of us. If he doesn't, he won't get to eat that sundae I promised him."
"Roger that, boss!" Black Frost saluted his cunning master.
"And, in case none of that is enough to convince you guys that we can win this, I've got one last card to play," Jonah told them.
"Let me guess: next, you'll tell me you got Godzilla or something crazy to help us," Brittney sarcastically said.
"Ha, no," Jonah told her. "Instead, I've got someone on the other side who is sympathetic to our plight and wishes to offer aid to us." This managed to get everyone's attention as Jonah motioned to someone who'd been hiding in the shadows nearby. "You can show yourself now, brah," Jonah told the mysterious figure.
When this mystery defector stepped forward into the light of the lamposts, more than a few people present were surprised by who it was. But once they got over that, Jonah and this defector began explaining their battle strategy for tomorrow and then spread the word to the rest of the Monster side. By the time the meeting was adjourned, everyone was fighting as Monsters were aware of what would happen tomorrow.
Unfortunately for the group, they had an eavesdropper listening in from a nearby tree.
"This. Is. PERFECT!"
Inside his Castle on Mewni, Ludo was acting absolutely jubilant over what he had just heard. He was laughing, dancing, and cheering over it while Toffee just stood there, observing him.
"Indeed, sir," Toffee said. "This turn of events will no doubt work to our advantage.
"I know, right?" Ludo looked up at his right-hand Monster. "I thought that we were going to have to fight our way through everyone to get to Comet. But it turns out that that demon child is going to do all the hard work for us! All we have to do is wait for him to get to his friend, and BAM! I swoop in and steal his Wand! It's the perfect plan!"
"Agreed. It will certainly make our job much easier."
"Yes, it will! Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I'm going to go some shut-eye. I can't be tired on the day where I take what's rightfully mine!" And with that, Ludo retired to his chambers for the night, leaving Toffee alone with his thoughts.
On the surface, Toffee was acting like his normal, calm self. On the inside, though, he was fuming. This new development threatened to derail everything. Still, it could also prove useful. If Ludo happened to procure the Wand by some miracle, it would make his job a lot easier. No, this wasn't a setback. It was an opportunity for the cause.
"Glory to Septarsis," Toffee quietly whispered before leaving the room.
The next morning, the football field at Echo Creek Academy was absolutely packed with people. The students and teachers who did not volunteer to participate in the re-enactment had packed themselves into the bleachers. The area was alive with chatter, as people were excited to see the event that everyone was certain would go down in the annals of Echo Creek Lore.
On either side of the field, both sides were in the process of getting ready for the battle ahead. On the left half of the area, near a miniature castle that had been constructed over the last three days, the Mewman re-enactors worked to get inside their oversized suits of armor. While that task had already been hard before, the fact that Comet chose to resize them to make them more than ten feet tall meant made it a nightmare. It was only thanks to the fact that Comet somehow made the limbs powered by magic that they could move in them at all. It took everyone twenty or so minutes of ceaseless work to get ready, but they made for an impressive sight by the time they were done.
"Yeah, we're gonna die," Ferguson said as he watched everyone from the opposing side of the field in his possum suit, which now sported protective armor.
"Get it together, Ferguson," Jonah said as he marched up to his comrade, once again wearing his Vincent/Alucard cosplay. "We've come too far for you to wuss out on us now!"
"Ferguson, under normal circumstances, I would agree with you," Ms. Skullnick said as she lumbered up to the two boys clad in the armor that she got from the Troll exhibit. "However, after what you kids came up with last night, I think that our odds of getting out of this in one piece are very high."
"You really think so, Ms. Skullnick?" Ferguson asked his teacher.
Ms. Skullnick sighed. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think Jonah's plan will work. Because as much as I hate to admit, he is very smart and very clever. Hell, next to Marcia, he's probably the smartest kid in our school."
"Aww, Skullzy, you don't have to go to so much effort to butter me up," Jonah teased, earning him a glare from the Troll-teacher.
"Don't get a big head over that, Ordonia. Because this doesn't change the fact that I think you're a dirty little hooligan," she sternly told him.
"You know that's just a compliment for me, right?" Jonah snarked, making Skullnick groan.
"Whatever. Look, just come over here and make some big, epic speech or whatever to your followers."
"It would be my pleasure, Skullzers," Jonah said before taking her up on that and approaching the rest of the group.
"Now, then," he began. "Ladies, gentleman, and all those who identify by that technicolor rainbow flag, we all know why we are here, correct?"
"To kick ass, take names, and look great while doing so!" the fake Monsters said in unison.
"And you all know what we must do?"
"Show Comet how dumb this whole holiday really is!"
"Damn right! And does everyone remember what our plan is? Because if not, then now's the time to ask so you don't screw up out there and look like a total dumbass!"
"Nah, we're good." "We're good."
"Good," Jonah said. "Now, I know that this is the moment where everyone expects the leader to say some big inspiring speech, right? Well, I was too lazy to come up with one, so instead, I'm just gonna rip of Cartman's speech from that South Park episode, 'The Red Badge of Gayness,'"
"Of course you are," Ms. Skullnick said under her breath.
Jonah then cleared his throat before beginning once more. "Everyone, we can win this battle." Jonah then began to pace back and forth, deliberately trying to look dramatic as he did so. "Sure, we could lose, and tonight we can go back to our families and say, 'We did it! We lost like we were supposed to! Aren't we proud?!' Or, or we take that castle. We take that castle, when we stand tall upon it, we hold our heads high, and we yell, 'Not this year! This year belongs to the Monsters!' Now, who's with me?"
Everyone began to cheer in anticipation for this, with some being more enthusiastic than others. In particular, one group near the very back kept their distance from everyone else, not wanting to risk being discovered.
"You have to admit, that kid's a really good motivational speaker," one of the "Fake Monsters" said to their leader.
"Yeah, he is," Ludo said before getting his head into the game.
On the other side of the field, the other half of the volunteers saw what was happening. And, to be honest, they didn't know what to think about it.
"Um, Jackson?" Alfonso asked from inside his suit. "Do you think that we should be worried about that?"
Jackson shook his head. He was the only one whose armor was normal-sized so that he could use his board. "Not really, Al. Whatever they're getting worked up about, I doubt that it will be enough to actually wreck everything."
"Oh yeah," Alfonso said. "Totally hope that they don't do that because that would be a disaster," he said with more nervousness than what was usually present in his voice. It was almost like he was hiding something...
"Hey, guys," CometFan13 said as he walked up to them, oblivious to the tension. "Has anyone seen Comet and Marcia? We can't start this thing without them."
"Come to think of it, I haven't seen them all morning," Alfonso noted.
"Don't worry, guys. I'm sure that they'll turn up when we least expect it."
As soon as he finished that sentence, something bizarre began to happen. Suddenly, a giant orb of light ascended to the sky before coming to rest above the center of the field. Then, it began to split apart into multiple shafts of light that started to move to the four corners of the football field. As the re-enactors and spectators watched, a giant dome of energy began to envelop everything inside, completely covering the space. Then, something even crazier began to happen: the land started to grow.
Somehow, in a manner that seemed to defy the laws of mass, physics, and other forms of science, the football field grew and changed into a massive, sprawling, open plain up to two miles long. The area was pocketed by rock formations and forest areas, with a small creek splitting it right down the middle. Most people passing by the school who saw this would've thought they had either A.) lost it or B.) were tripping balls. But the students and staff at ECA knew right away whose work this was. And then, the cheers of every teenage girl in school (and several boys) confirmed it.
Standing at one end of the field on the castle's balcony (which had also gotten an upgrade) stood none other than Comet Dragonfly himself. However, rather than his normal clothes and trademark devil hat, he wore something different. He was clad in the finest of regal attire, the same one he wore the day he got his Wand all those months ago. His crown now rested on his head, while his normally messy blonde hair was immaculately combed and primmed. His Wand had been extended into its staff form while a royal purple cape hung loosely on his shoulders.
The jury was out: Comet looked like an actual Prince Charming, making nearly every girl his age swoon at the sight of him. Brittney was sure that her nose started bleeding as she let her mind wander to all sorts of fantasies involving Comet.
Of course, the only girl who wasn't distracted by his hotness was the one standing by his side at that moment. Shortly after Comet appeared before everyone, Marcia Diaz made her grand entrance. Her outfit, while not as great, still stood out. Rather than use her normal clothes or use one of the giant suits of armor, Marcia's choice of outfit was, essentially, practical cosplay. Comet had gifted her with a suit of armor that resembled the one commonly used by Erza Scarlet, the red-headed knight and heroine from the anime Fairy Tail, complete with the fictional Heartz-Kreuz symbol on the breastplate. A breastplate that Comet had, wisely, adjusted to better suit her figure (without saying anything, though!) While it didn't show any more skin than her regular clothes did, this armor had the benefit of showing off Marcia's athletic and developing figure. Much to her embarrassment, she could hear more than a few boys clapping and saying she looked like a cool warrior princess, making her blush. But she ignored them as best she could as Comet stepped forward and began to speak. Regardless of what happened last night, she wasn't petty enough to let this stop her from being by Comet's side.
"Good afternoon, Echo Creek Academy. My name is Comet Dragonfly, Crown Prince to the Kingdom of Mewni, and I thank you all for joining me on this...important day in my people's history." No one picked up on it, but Comet's voice sounded strained as he talked about Mewnipendence Day. "A thousand years ago, my ancestors made their stand against the Monsters, who threatened to take their new home away from them and drive them back to the unknown lands from whence they came. Today, we gather here to re-enact that final battle between the knights of Mewni and the Monster Hordes." Comet was doing his best not to let his emotions get the better of him, but it was hard.
"The battle shall commence when I give the signal. It shall last for one hour and will end with the Mewmans victorious as the Monsters take to the hills in defeat," Comet explained. "To all those who chosen to participate in this...great event, I thank you. To my brave and shining knights, I wish you good fortune in the wars to come." Comet then slowly began to raise his arm and pointed his Wand towards the sky.
At that moment, it felt like time began to slow to an absolute crawl. Everyone and everything on that field that day could see, hear and feel everything going on, from the drops of sweat falling down their brows to the sound of their heartbeats.
Spongebob Narrator: In Father Time's Dimension...
Father Time slowed his pedaling of the Wheel of Time to an absolute crawl as he watched what was about to transpire on his portable TV. He couldn't help it: he wanted to savor this occasion, so he had to record it for later.
"THIS IS GOING TO BE AWESOME!" The giant, blue man eagerly said.
"Let the battle..."
Comet then silently chanted the spell, making a flare of magical energy shoot out of his Wand high into the air.
"...BEGIN!"
Well, that was it. This was the chapter when the penny dropped for Comet. He learned the truth about Humanity's dark side.
Twenty years ago tomorrow, our generation had its world changed when a group of men that were part of an organization we never heard of hijacked four jet planes and crashed them into the World Trade Center and Pentagon. I won't bore you with what I was doing that day, but I knew something bad had happened even though I didn't fully understand what was going on. Looking back on it, I think that was the moment I first realized that evil wasn't something found in stories; it was real, and it had come to our shores.
Once I was old enough to understand just what happened on 9/11, I learned why Al-Qaeda would do something so horrible: they didn't like who we were and how we lived and thought we should die because of that.
In the twenty years since then, I've seen and read about moments in which people killed and hated each other for reasons that were, to me, so stupid. Why kill an entire group of people because they look different from us? They can't help it if their skin's a different tone than ours.
I've come to understand that it's part of human nature for us to be wary of those who are different from us. It's what helped us survive and evolve in a world where everything could be a potential threat. And yes, you're going to meet people in life that you hate? But more often than not, it's because you don't like them because something about them just rubs you the wrong way. But hating an entire group of people just for existing? That's stupid.
The point of this rant is that I understand why racism is a thing: because most of us are scared of something we know nothing about, which can get twisted into hatred. And like Mina put it during the finale, getting rid of all the narrow-minded racists in the world won't stop others from thinking the same way. But that's why we should never stop trying to keep this hatred born of ignorance from arising. Because somebody freaking has to.
Or, as Church from Red vs. Blue would say: don't hate someone because you were told to because they're red or blue or whatever. Hate them because you know them personally and can't stand them.
Okay, rant over. Now it's time for
READER'S REVIEWS
LockAndKey989-Big character development. This arc really sets the tone for Comet's growth throughout the rest of the story.
Guest 1-Yeah. Thanks to not being under Disney's thumb and planning all this out, I can fix some of the problems from the show.
NightAroma-I actually thought of having Comet upgrade the Monster costumes so that they had cool powers like super-strength or claws that cut through steel, but that would defeat the purpose of the lesson he has to learn.
And while I can probably think of several times in history where the powerless have become willing to do whatever it takes to feel in control of their lives again, that was a clear reference to the rise of the Nazis. After Germany basically got emasculated at the end of World War I and the Great Depression, they were so desperate to get out of what felt like Hell that they allowed a madman to take power. As for which event Comet will learn about...wait and see next week.
Tyrik and ROTHEM's Writing Inc- I don't really know about that.
Lord of the Storm-I made a Hazbin Hotel reference? I don't remember doing that. Also, I could've done that with the dictionary, but that would rob Comet of the emotional weight of what he's just experienced.
The Wandering Hippie-Instead of just one historical event, Hippie, I wanted this realization to hit Comet personally. So, I used his best friend and her family as an example. As for the historical events...learn more next chapter.
Mlpbrony Fan 15-Thanks, brony!
You know what to do: fave and follow this story, and follow me on Twitter (JZ-Gaming), Insta (RJ Writing Ink), and YouTube (Jungoguy)
See you guys next week! It's going to be the climax to this arc, as well as my biggest chapter to date.