HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE! It's me, RJ Writing Ink! Sadly, it's also just me this week. I've been off for so long that the others went on vacation and haven't come back yet. Fine by me; I've been having more time to write lately. But after a drought of inspiration, I'm hoping that this year I can keep a good pace. I have to if I wanna finish this story.

The good news is that, currently, work's not as stressful as used to be. We recently got a new boss at work, and they're much more laid back compared to my last one, so I'm not as stressed out. In other words, I might be able to get more writing done. Don't ask me how; I won't tell!

Full disclosure: I didn't really pay attention to "Starstruck" when it first aired. I didn't really like Mina, and personally, I didn't like how she ended up being the final boss of the show. Honestly, I wish that that arrow from that Monster did kill her, or that the end of magic restored her sanity. But that's besides the point. It's time to introduce her equally crazy counterpart. Now, let's get this story started.

"Of all the ways I'd thought I'd be spending my morning, why did it have to be like this?" Marcia wondered aloud as she laid back on an empty picnic table. She was holding up her phone with one hand as she rewatched a few episodes of Avatar: The Last Airbender on Paramount+. Her other hand was petting Coryn as he rested on the ground next to her table. The real-life Noctowl cooed and chirped at the attention the Human girl gave her, but otherwise, he kept a close eye on the dumpster behind a local donut shop.

"Kraw, kraw."

Marcia tried to sit up straight to look the Pokémon in the eyes but felt too lazy. "Coryn, you shouldn't be worrying about him. He'll be fine; I don't even know why he asked us to come."

"Who asked you to come with them?"

Marcia felt a tiny yelp escape her throat as she bolted upright from where she'd been sitting, startled to find Jackson looking down at her from his U-Board.

"Jackson! What brings you here?" she managed to say, a little embarrassed that he'd seen her lazing around like she was. Thankfully, Jackson either didn't notice or seemed to care.

"Just taking a ride across the city. Thanks to this board, nothing's off-limits at this point." He was curious if it was a done deal, but Jackson was seriously considering skipping out on getting his driver's license. He wouldn't have much need for a car with the U-Board. "What are you doing hanging out behind a donut shop, though?"

"At the moment, rewatching cartoons on my phone," Marcia pointed to her smartphone. "Other than that, though, babysitting Comet while he does...Comet things."

"And what, exactly, does "Comet things," mean, Miss Diaz?" Jackson asked, intrigued.

At that moment, a pudgy, middle-aged African-American wearing a hat with a donut came walking out the back door, carrying a trash bag and whistling a tune to himself. As he walked to one of the nearby dumpsters, he paused to smile and wave at Marcia.

"Morning, Marcia."

"Morning, Pete," Marcia said as she watched the man head back inside the donut shop.

"So, were you going to tell me or-" Jackson started to say, only for Marcia to point in the direction of the dumpsters.

"It's better if you just watch."

"Kraaw!" Coryn said, a phrase which here means, "Trust me, it'll make sense."

Before Jackson could ask any further, he was surprised to see Comet Dragonfly, currently cosplaying like a Hidden Leaf ninja from Naruto, jump out of one of the dumpsters. Without making a sound, he made for the trash bag Pete had thrown out, grabbing it in one fell swoop.

"Shinobi Supreme to Lady Tsunade," Comet said into a non-existent radio earpiece. "Package has been secured. Proceeding to exfil point for the hand-off, believe it."

Marcia couldn't help but inwardly groan at what Comet was doing but did her best to remain calm. Jackson, though, had even more questions. Before he could go over to Comet and ask him what he was doing, the Prince of Mewni pulled out his Wand, summoned Cloudy, and proceeded to fly away.

"O-kaayy," Jackson managed to get out, still not understanding what was happening. "That answers one question but also opens up several others." Marcia couldn't help but giggle at how cute he looked when he was confused about something.

"Easy, dude," Marcia said as she explained the bizarre events they had witnessed. "Once a week, Comet stakes out all the donut shops in Echo Creek, waiting for them to throw out the leftover donuts from the day before. Then he goes dumpster-diving and grabs them all for himself."

Jackson gave Marcia a worried look. "Isn't that garbage theft? I'm pretty sure that's illegal. And gross."

Marcia shrugged her shoulders. "I was worried about it too, to be honest. But then I discovered the worst that could happen was he gets a fine, and you know how much money he's got. Plus, despite what he thinks, the employees know what he's doing and don't seem to mind. Otherwise, they would've reported him by now."

"So...should we go check on him?"

"Yeah. He's still my responsibility," Marcia told Jackson. "Come on, Coryn," she whistled to the Noctowl. "He won't have gone far."

"Kraw!" Coryn hooted.

As he had nothing better to do, Jackson decided to tag along. He wanted to see if Comet would actually eat the donuts after they were in a trash bag in a dumpster.


In hindsight, Jackson didn't know why he wondered if Comet would do it. Of course, he would.

The two teens and Pokémon found Comet (now back in his usual attire) sitting on a picnic bench, donut bag lying next to him, happily munching down on the discarded pastries, much to Marcia's dismay. Comet didn't seem to notice his roommate's concern as he happily waved to his friends.

"Comet, I don't want to tell you how to live your life, bro, but are you sure eating those things is a good idea? They were in a dumpster," Jackson was quick to point out.

"Funny; Marcia told me the same thing the first time I started doing this," Comet told Jackson. "And I told her not to worry. I created a special cleaning spell guaranteed that magically washes off me and whatever target I want. Here, watch." Comet then pointed the Wand at himself, which the teens both noticed was currently covered in stains and garbage.

"Instant shower sparkle spell!" The next thing they knew, Comet was covered in a cloud of soap bubbles, shampoo, and water. Just as quickly as they appeared, though, they vanished. In its place was Comet, albeit now he was squeaky clean, without any dirt or liquid on his person.

"Not only does that clean me off without the hassle of an actual shower and eliminate any germs, but it instantly dries me off afterward. So, in other words, anything in here," Comet pointed to the bag, "is safe to eat. Now, do you guys want any donuts?"

"Nope," Marcia bluntly said. Clearly, she'd been asked this question several times already.

"I'll pass," Jackson said a little more politely.

"Kraw!" Coryn, on the other hand, didn't hesitate to hop up next to Comet and use his beak to start scrounging inside the bag for donuts.

"Suit yourself, then. More for Coryn and me!" Comet then resumed chowing down on his questionably-obtained gains while Marcia and Jackson watched.

"So, uh, Comet. It was pretty impressive that you could pull that off so easily." Jackson didn't have the heart to tell his friend that the donut shop employees knew what he was doing.

"Don't be so surprised, Jackson," Comet said. "Back on Mewni, I was the absolute king of stealth!"

Marcia almost felt the urge to make some sort of smart remark about that, but she kept her mouth shut as the boy continued talking.

"I spent years mastering the art of stealth and escape. Whether it was ducking the guards near the kitchen when I wanted a snack, getting out of one of my family's boring lectures, or stealing the treasure of the thieves and vagabonds of Mewni, none could hope to match me!" Comet confidently boasted to his friends. While they couldn't decide if he could back up those claims, they couldn't deny that his athletic prowess would make him very hard to catch.

As a side note, this also explained the memory Marcia saw of Comet running off with a wagon-load of treasure from a group of Monsters.

"And I wasn't just the best at being stealthy, you know," Comet said as he finished munching on another donut. "I was also amazing at observing my surroundings. Nothing in this or any dimension could get the drop on me!"

At that exact moment, like the Universe was trying to prove Comet wrong and knock him down a peg or two, the very thing the Prince of Mewni had been boasting about not letting happen...happened.

Right as he was about to reach inside the trash bag for another donut, he looked to see that the bag was no longer there. Comet also heard what sounded like a bird crying out for help. Except it technically wasn't a bird: it was Coryn.

"KRAAWWW! KRAAWWW!"

Comet, Marcia, and Jackson looked up onto the grass in time to notice the bag of donuts (and Coryn in it) being carried off by someone wearing what looked like a beat-up old cloak.

"CORYN!" "MY DONUTS!"

Comet didn't need to hear or say anything else. He was off like a shot, chasing after the donutnapper, leaving the others in the dust.

"Comet, wait! This could be dan-wait; what am I saying?" Jackson already knew the words sounded dumb before they finished coming out.

"Oh, God damn it, no!" Marcia took off after her best friend before Jackson could say anything else. Not wanting to be left behind, Jackson hopped on his U-Board and chased after everyone.

Play Autumn Thunder: Hit and Run by Sam Spence (Start at 2:00)

- /Cm-wYReJOGU?t=120

For his part, Comet soon caught up with the thief/kidnapper. It helped that Coryn's writhing inside the bag had forced them to slow down for fear of dropping everything. However, this mysterious thief surprised the Prince of Mewni by being just as athletically gifted as he was. Even with the bag of donuts and the owl creature within slowing them down, they were soon putting distance between themselves and Comet.

Fearing that if the chase continued out of the park they were currently in and into the larger town, he would lose them, Comet resorted to drastic measures. Whipping his Wand out, he used the first spell he could think of.

"MINI CATAPULT TURTLE!"

At this, a turtle at least twice his size but with a railgun on its back appeared in front of Comet. Without a second thought, Comet leaped up onto the shell before laying himself in a prone position. After that, he needed the turtle to take care of the rest.

Just like its counterpart in the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise, the turtle proceeded to launch him like a Mewman cannonball. Zipping through the air like an angel of death, Comet rapidly closed the distance between himself and the thief. Before they had any time to react, Comet let out a war cry before slamming into the owlnapper's back, making the donut bag fall to the ground while pinned the offending person underneath him.

End Music

"End of the line, you wannabe Sly Cooper. Now give me back the donuts and the Noctowl that you stole!"

"Your donuts? Ha!" the thief laughed. "I've been staking out that place for weeks, kid! These babies are mine!" As the thief tried to reach inside the trash bag and grab themselves a donut, they felt something jab into their outstretched hand.

"OWW!"

Out of the bag came Coryn, rattled but otherwise unharmed. And very mad about its impromptu joy ride.

"KRAWW!"

"You tell him, Coryn! Now surrender the donuts, thief!"

"Never!"

As the two continued to struggle, Comet managed to grab hold of the hood from the makeshift cloak the thief was wearing. That proved a mistake, though, as the thief used this chance to land a double kick into the boy's chest before throwing him over his shoulder. He then shook Coryn off and threw him to one side before standing up again.

"Good try, kid, but you'll have to do much better than that if you want to get one over me."

"Oh, you haven't seen anything yet. NARW-"

Comet never finished his spell, though. In the ensuing scuffle, the figure's hood had fallen, revealing their face. And what Comet saw...stunned him beyond belief.

"Yeah, that's right. You oughta know better than to mess with me," the man, who looked no more than a few years older than Comet, grabbed the donut bag and walked away. But Comet didn't care about the donut's anymore, and no, all of his focus was on the man walking away.

No way...the eyes, the helmet, the face...it couldn't be.

At that point, Marcia and Jackson finally caught up with Comet and Coryn. Instead of the fight they were expecting, they found Comet standing there slack-jawed with his eyes bulging out of his head.

"Comet! Are you alright?! Is Coryn alright? Answer me, damn it!" Marcia shouted at him, trying to snap him out of...whatever he was currently in. Comet didn't respond at all. He just kept muttering something over and over:

"Wilhelm."

"Comet, dude, are you okay? Come on, man. Answer us already," Jackson questioned. However, they both seemed to need help to get through to him. Not at first, at least. After a few seconds, though, Comet put his hands to their mouths to get them to keep quiet.

"Guys, do you know who that man is?" he asked them, pointing toward the donut thief, now busy munching on his re-stolen snacks. He looked to be only five or six years older than they were. He had peach skin, purple hair just past his ears, and green eyes. Underneath what was left of his hood, they could make out a worn, light green military dress uniform, complete with golden epaulets, a purple bowtie with a heart in the center, and purple, knee-high boots.

Marcia and Jackson eyed each other for a second, but they clearly had no idea who that was.

"A hobo cosplaying as a genderbent Sailor Moon?" Marcia guessed.

"a hobo cosplaying as a genderbent Sailor Moon?" Jackson suggested

"Kraww!" Coryn said, which translated to, "an owl-napper?"

"No, you guys! That's...Wilhelm Loveberry!" Comet then got the absolute goofiest grin on his face while his eyes seemed to turn into actual stars. He looked ridiculous.

Marcia, though, had seen that look before. It was the same look people at conventions got when they were about to meet their favorite actor or celebrity, as though it were the biggest moment of their lives: pure, unadulterated worship. Not promising, as far as Marcia was concerned.

"And Wilhelm is...?" she hesitantly asked.

She was right to be nervous about asking, as Comet proceeded to go into full-blown fanboy mode.

"Only the single greatest warrior that Mewni's ever known! Right hand-man to King Solarius, the first Solarian Warrior and veteran of a thousand battles!" Comet excitedly told the group.

"That still doesn't explain anything, Comet," Marcia told him. That quickly proved to be a mistake, though, as Comet proceeded to, without being asked, fall even further down the fanboy rabbit hole.

"Hundreds of years ago, Wilhelm was a simple peasant boy from Mewni in a time of horrible wars against great armies of Monsters. But then he was approached by my ancestor, King Solarius the Monster-Carver, and given the chance to become the ultimate warrior. With Solarius' magic, he became an unstoppable soldier, nigh impervious to damage, never grew old, and able to bring down castles and entire armies with his bare hands. He became the first in an army of super-soldiers, and together, the King and Wilhelm defeated all the Monsters and saved Mewni!"

The fact that Comet managed to get all of this out in a single breath was impressive. The information he spewed out took a few seconds to sink in.

"So he's basically a magical version of Captain America?" Jackson was quick to say, noting the similarities between the two.

"Basically!" Comet nodded before returning to look at Wilhelm. "When I was a kid, my Mom would tell me stories about Wilhelm's exploits! He was my inspiration for becoming a warrior! He's one of my greatest heroes!"

"If he's so great, then why don't you go up and talk to him," Marcia said sarcastically. Comet didn't catch the sarcasm, though; he was too freaked out by the implications.

"Me, talk to him? But what am I supposed to say? I can't walk up to the greatest person in Mewni and say hello!" Comet said, freaking out.

"Sure you can," Marcia said. Before Comet could protest, Marcia and Jackson pushed him right up to Wilhelm Loveberry before scurrying away.

Damn it, guys! Why did they make me do this?! Seeing as he no chance to back out now, Comet gulped down his nervousness and took a few more steps towards Wilhelm, who was currently snacking on the donuts.

"Ummm...h-hi there."

"Oh, it's you. What do you want?" the man said, not even looking up from the donut bag.

"I, um, just wanted to know...areyouWilhelmLoveberry?" Comet managed to squeak out.

"That depends? Are you a cop? Because I didn't do it. I was set up by President Porpoise to take the fall, I tell ya!"

Comet shook his head at this. "No, no, no! I'm just a-I'm sorry, but I am just a huge fan! I know your whole life story, and it's always been my dream to meet you in person! But what are you doing here on Earth?"

"Vacation. Doctor's orders," Wilhelm said while grabbing a few more donuts. "I came to this primitive dimension to observe the locals in their natural environment. But then I got hungry and tried to eat this squirrel that talked smack about my mama, the cops came, and I had to run for it. Switched to that donut shop instead." As Wilhelm did this, he stuck two donuts to his eyes like binoculars and started looking around.

"Regardless, my objective remains the same: I will let my soul guide me in this strange new world! Especially now that my stomach will cease its mutinous growling in my body." As if to prove his point, he punched himself in the gut when the man's stomach started growling again.

"THIS INSUBORDINATION WILL NOT BE TOLERATED, SOLDIER!"

"Soo cool," Comet whispered in awe as his friends looked on. Having seen all they needed to, Marcia took the initiative and pulled Comet off to the side.

"Um, Comet, I don't know how to tell you this but...I don't think you should be talking to this guy."

"Wha-why? Is it because I'm being too forward? Did I offend him somehow? Oh, no, what have I done?!" Comet had a brief freak out, but Marcia managed to get him under control with a friendly smack to his forehead.

"No, it's not that, Comet. I'm saying that you shouldn't be talking to this guy. He's crazy!"

"Wha? No, don't be silly, Marcia."

"Comet, I think Marcia might be right. That guy's mind clearly isn't all there," Jackson pointed out.

"Kraww!" Coryn was still upset about the owl-napping experience.

"Look, you guys are being ridiculous. So he acts crazy. Last time I checked, that also applies to yours truly, and look at me. I'm one of the strongest people on Earth," he proudly boasted.

"This is different, Comet. With you, there's usually some sort of method behind your madness," Marcia retorted. "With him," she gestured towards Wilhelm, "there's just...madness."

"People can mistake madness for genius, Marcia. Like that cool old King from Avatar. Everyone thought that he was crazy, but he was really a brilliant genius!"

It was at this moment that Comet came up with a brilliant idea.

"Guys, I just had a brilliant idea: what if Wilhelm Loveberry can be my King Bumi?"

Marcia and Jackson looked at each other, failing to understand what Comet meant.

"I-I don't get what you're trying to say, dude," Jackson told him.

"I should get Wilhelm to train me! He could be my King Bumi. Instead of sticking around in his captured city, he would train me to become a badass warrior! Then we can fight evil across the Universe, go on incredible adventures, and be best bros for life!"

Okay, no. Marcia could already tell that if she let Comet go down this path, it would cause problems for everyone. Time to put her foot down!

"Comet, I'm your best friend, roommate, and guide while you're staying here on Earth," Marcia tried to explain. "And as all of those things, I must point out the fact that there's still a big difference between being a mad genius and just plain mad. And that guy sitting over there addressing the donuts like they are an army is just plain mad. So I don't think this is a good idea and-he's already gone, isn't he?"

"Yep," Jackson sadly confirmed.

"Krawww," Coryn hooted sadly.

Sure enough, Comet was already walking over to Wilhelm.

"Oh, Dios Mio. Why did I have to be stuck with an idiot for a roommate?" Marcia wondered aloud.

"You will tell me where the Donut Lord, Sgt. Sprinkles, otherwise you'll be facing the gallows by sunrise!" Wilhelm continued to rant to the donuts.

"Um, Wilhelm Loveberry?"

"Huh-wazzat?" Wilhelm whirled his head around in search of who said his name. That's when he saw Comet standing there once more. "Oh, it's you again. What do you want, Human? I'm busy with my interrogation."

"Oh, I'm not a Human, Wilhelm." Comet then bent the knee towards the centuries-old warrior. "O, great Wilhelm Loveberry, first of the Solarian Warriors, right hand to King Solarius of Mewni, my name is Comet Dragonfly, son of Mune Dragonfly, and the crown prince of Mewni. I have heard of your great deeds and exploits over the centuries, and I come before you to humbly ask that you train me in your ways so that I may better protect my people should any threat emerge." Comet then began to bow and scrape at the warrior's boots, much to his friend's exasperation.

"Did you just say that you were the Prince?" Wilhelm asked. When Comet nodded his head in response, the man immediately jumped up before proceeding to salute Comet.

"Your majesty, forgive me for my behavior towards you earlier. It was incredibly disrespectful to treat you as I have been!" Wilhelm said, or rather, shouted. "As a loyal servant of House Dragonfly, it would be my honor to train the future King of Mewni in the ways of the warrior!"

"Really?" Comet's face lit up even more as he heard that.

"Yes! On one condition!"

"Name it!"

"Help me find another donut shop! My stomach continues to be insubordinate, and the only way to end this mutiny is to drown it in food!"

"Sir, yes, sir!" Comet shouted at his idol. "I know another shop on the other side of town that we can hit!"

"Lead the way then, soldier!"

As Marcia, Jackson, and Coryn watched in complete exasperation, the two guys let out a war chant that sounded like Spongebob when he was hunting jellyfish before running off to who knows where.

Marcia felt a headache coming on, while Jackson could only pat her shoulder in sympathy.

"We should...probably follow them, right?"

"Yes. But first, can we get some Tylenol?"

"Kraw," Coryn hooted in sympathy for the Diaz girl.


An interesting thing about California was that it was home to several tar pits. Formed over spots in which oil is present, these tar pits result from this precious black gold escaping to the surface through various means. When that happens, the lighter materials float into the atmosphere, leaving behind a sticky, black substance known as asphalt. Sadly for Echo Creek, they didn't have one of those; instead, they had something they called a "mud pit."

It's believed that the pit came into being due to an underground reservoir of water that seeped into the dirt and Earth around it, creating a naturally forming mud pool. As such, it was a local tourist attraction that Echo Creek used to generate revenue. They even managed to deck it out with replicas of various animals getting caught in the mud, such as a giant wooly mammoth.

At this location in Echo Creek Park, Marcia, Jackson, and Coryn followed their wayward friend and his new...mentor. Marcia was not in a good mood.

"Jackson, I am so sorry I got you mixed up in all this," Marcia said apologetically. "You shouldn't have to be wasting your day dealing with this mess."

Jackson shrugged his shoulders. "It's no problem, Marcia. Really," he insisted. "I didn't have anything better to do today, and it's nice hanging out with the people I like."

"Yeah, it is," Marcia admitted with a shy smile.

"Besides, the more people we have babysitting everybody's favorite prince, the better," Jackson also pointed out. "I'd rather not leave him with that 'Wacko Willy' guy."

"I was thinking he was more like a 'Loony Loveberry' myself," Marcia joked, earning herself a laugh from the skater, making her smile some more. Despite the headache that Comet was prone to giving her if this meant that she could spend some time with Jackson, then it would be worth it.

Focus, Marcia. You are here to look after Comet.

The conversation between the two teens ended as they approached the mud pits. Currently, a guide was leading a moderately-sized group of tourists and a few locals who had come to view the mud pits that day. Yet they couldn't see Comet or his new mentor.

"I don't understand it. Where could he possibly be?" Marcia narrowed her gaze as she scanned the area, looking for any telltale signs of the two errant Mewmans. Jackson did the same, wanting to help as much as he could.

Ultimately, it was Coryn that beat them to the punch. Lightly pecking Marcia's legs with his beak, Coryn gestured with his wings to the crowd of tourists. It didn't take the two teens too long for them to figure out what he was pointing at. Comet and Wilhelm stood before the crowd near the railings into the pits. While everyone else was busy listening to the tour guide, the two guys hopped over the guard railing and jumped into the mud pit.

"Oh nooo..." Marcia didn't want to think about the possibility that Comet would end up dragging all that mud into her house. Onto her furniture!

Meanwhile, Comet Dragonfly and his new teacher were wading through waist-deep mud together. How the tour guide or no one in the group seemed to notice the obvious intruders inside the mud pit. One could chalk it up to a real-life example of "Sunnydale Syndrome". It didn't matter much to Comet, though. All he cared about at that moment was listening to the words of wisdom from the greatest warrior in Mewnian history!

"All right, soldier," Wilhelm said as he turned about after making it to the center of the pit. "Now that we have stocked up on supplies and subdued my mutinous organs, your training can commence."

"Yes, sir! I look forward to learning from you!" Comet said, saluting the Solarian Warrior.

"At ease, soldier," Wilhelm said, letting Comet return to a neutral posture. "Now, your first lesson is learning to rely on your instincts. Let your body, not your mind, be the one that reacts to threats. Do not allow your brain to take command of things, which will invite doubt and hesitation. Warriors do not need to think, just do!"

Comet didn't understand what his hero was talking about, so he made an educated guess. "So...basically, it's like Ultra Instinct? Or having Spider-Sense?"

"I know not what those things are, but if they involve not thinking and just doing, then yes. Now, do it. Empty that head of yours!"

Comet then took a deep breath and turned his attention inward. He had no clue how he would do it, but he figured he should shut his mind off, and let his body run on autopilot.


Spongebob Narrator: Inside Comet's Brain...

A bunch of little Comets made out of brain matter got up from their stations and headed for the doors.

"Mandatory lunch break, everyone!" one of the mini-Comets shouted. "Everyone take the next hour off and let the autopilot run everything. It can handle it! Now let's go get some pizza!"

"PIZZA!"

The whole place was empty in less than five seconds.


"Done! What's next?"

"Hmm...you already mastered the first lesson?" Wilhelm asked as he looked Comet over from top to bottom. Then, as if to test him, he tried to smack him on his shoulder, only for Comet to quickly swat it away without breaking his line of sight. "Impressive, soldier," Wilhelm said, complimenting the boy. "Some people spend years trying to master how to do that! Yet you managed to do it in just a few seconds!"

"That's because I never think things through, to begin with, sir!" Comet proudly boasted, making Marcia facepalm in frustration.

"Why am I not surprised? I know I should feel surprised, but I'm not," Marcia complained aloud.

"At least we know that Comet has a brain now," Jackson said, trying his best to alleviate Marcia's stress. It did not work.

"Alright, that's it. I'm putting an end to this before it gets any worse." Marcia proceeded to march towards the mud pit with a determined look, much to the concern of Jackson and Coryn.

Meanwhile, the tour guide and his group continued observing the mud pits, completely oblivious to the two intruders using it as an impromptu training ground.

"Now, let us observe the wooly mammoth, a magnificent creature that may have trod upon these very pits tens of thousands of years ago. Sadly, since this place does not preserve fossils as well as a tar pit, so we don't know. But it's still fun to"

"Excuse me. I need to get by," Marcia said as she moved past the tour guide and stood by the guard railing. In her hand, she had her smartphone with an app meant to imitate the effects of a megaphone.

"Um, excuse me, miss, but you can't-"

"Sir, please. I'll be out of your hair in a minute," Marcia politely addressed the grown man before turning to the task at hand. Holding her phone up to her face like an actual megaphone, Marcia proceeded to start shouting at her best friend.

"ATTENTION, COMET. THIS IS YOUR CONSCIENCE SPEAKING. STEP AWAY FROM CAPTAIN CUCKOO AND GET OUT OF THE MUD PIT!"

"No way, Diaz!" Comet shouted back. "I just learned how to use Ultra Instinct! And Wilhelm's not crazy! He's my King Bumi!"

"Um, Comet?" By this point, Jackson had already made his way over to the others while Coryn was using the railings as a perch. "You might want to turn around and look at what your 'King Bumi' is doing."

When Comet turned around, he saw that Wilhelm was no longer in the mud pit. Instead, he climbed on top of the wooly mammoth statue and started shouting, "Come, mutated, hairy elephant thing. We must ride into battle against the Moose Men of Rigerion 7!"

"All right, that's it," the tour guide said, having watched this long enough. He didn't know who this guy was, but it was clear that he was being a public nuisance. "I'm coming in and taking you and your little friend out. I'm sorry, but you made me do this!"

That proved to be a bad idea, though. As soon as he got inside the pit, he started to sink into it like quicksand. "Oh, I immediately regret my decision!"

As if the Universe was delivering a dose of karma to the one responsible for this mess, Wilhelm's weight proved to be enough to make the wooly mammoth sink into the mud.

"NOOOO! Oh, cruel fate has felled thine mighty beast!" Wilhelm proclaimed in a manner that would make the hammiest of actors proud. "Curse you, Moose Men! I shall avenge my fallen comrade!"

Marcia, Jackson, and Coryn watched the entire thing in silence before giving Comet a look that said, "See what we mean?" Comet, however, brushed off their concerns.

"Oh, like you guys haven't seen me doing anything crazier before. I know you have!"

The three had to admit he did make a point.

"Now, NO THINKING!" Comet shouted before running over to Wilhelm, who had just stepped off the mammoth, now up to its own waist in the mud.

"Look, my faithful pupil. I am conquerer of the beasts!" Wilhelm proudly proclaimed to the young, impressionable teenager. "And you have completed the first stage of your training." Wilhelm then knelt down and scooped up a handful of mud before smearing it on Comet's face. "Congratulations, mud brother."

"B-b-b-b-brother?" Comet sputtered in astonishment.

"Yep. You are not just my student but now my brother-in-arms."

Everyone in the crowd couldn't help but go "ahhhh" at the display, despite not entirely understanding what was happening. Everyone except for the tour guide and Comet's friends, the latter of which had been pulling the former out of the mud.

Marcia's clothes were dirty, and her best friend had fallen even further under the influence of "Loony Loveberry."

"I feel another headache coming on, Jackson," Marcia groaned.

Poor Marcia.

Anyways, I would like you all to meet Wilhelm Loveberry. I got the name for Mina's counterpart from Tassji S' fanfic character art. I think it works pretty well. As for his personality, I combined Mina's insanity with the gruffness of Sarge from Rooster Teeth's Red vs. Blue series. I was a big fan of it after watching the Death Battle! episode, and Sarge is my favorite member of the Reds. And he's also crazy, though unlike Mina, he has a moral compass.

Anyway, this entire part of the story's going to be one big headache for Marcia. The only solace that she'll get is being able to spend time with Jackson. To find out if Comet will wake up to the fact that his idol is a terrible role model and needs serious therapy, come back to the next chapter two weeks from now.

Also, have you guys helped out KPRS4ever? She doesn't deserve her money problems.

Now, it's time for

READERS REVIEWS

SammieQ-Thanks, man. I hope you had some happy holidays.

Ted Glass-They really did. Karma sucks.

LockAndKey989-Umm...neither. Their biggest enemies are the Mewmans, especially the Dragonfly Family. I don't even know how you came to that conclusion.

NightAroma-To address everything one at a time:

Thank you

It really is, especially in the latter parts.

I have to agree with that.

And as cool as those VA's are (And I've seen most of their work), I don't think they would fit. Towsend Coleman was also the Tick in the 90s show, and I can't imagine that guy voicing Eternia Dragonfly. Corey Burton, though, might work.

Pedro-Good idea, but no. I can only focus on one thing at a time when it comes to fanfic writing...otherwise I might start resenting it.

Guest-I don't know who would voice Wilhelm, and I don't know any of those guys.

The Wandering Hippie-Yes, it is indeed time to get nervous.

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 in two weeks! Everyone will be back by then and ready for part two of the final season of The Owl House!