ACT XIII: Comet, the Underestimated Chapter 18: Marcia Comes to Mewni
Trigger warning: Sort of self-harm in the epilogue.
Prologue:
Free from the restraints of his crystal prison, the King of Darkness silently made his way out of the dungeon. Luckily for him, none of the secret passageways built into the castle had been tampered with since his imprisonment; although he was a bit confused about the number of riddles randomly placed on every other corner. Nevertheless, he found his way out of the castle and headed for the old secluded corner of the forest where he and his wife would meet in their youth. Once he was certain that he was alone, he ate another snookers bar before getting down to business.
Eclipsine snapped his fingers and held out his hand, but nothing materialized. He slipped his glove off of his hand and tried again. But no matter how hard he focused, he couldn't conjure up any spells, activate his mystic abilities, or summon any of his artifacts. It was as he feared; after centuries in the crystal-induced Limbo, his natural attachment to the Dark Dimension had been severely diminished. This was a problem; without Dark Magic, he would be unable to find his family.
He was alone in a world he no longer recognized.
Eclipsine was brought out of his thoughts when he heard the distinct hissing of a king cobra sneaking up beside him on a nearby tree branch. But as it lunged at him, Eclipsine caught the cobra on instinct and stared into its eyes as it desperately tried to bite him. As he studied the unique pattern of the snake's scales, he remembered a ritual that would help him get the answers he needed without any innate Dark Magic.
"Very well…" He relented, keeping the snake at arm's length. "We'll do this the hard way."
End Prologue.
Castle Dragonfly, Mewni.
"C'mon, man! Fly higher! Higher!" Marcia shrieked with laughter as Comet carried her over the castle grounds.
"Are you sure?" Comet asked. "We're already pretty high up."
"Hey, man, it's my birthday! I say when we're too high up!" Marcia laughed.
"Alright! You asked for it!" Comet chuckled and flapped his wings and shot up twenty feet further into the air.
Now that Comet had activated his Mewberty form and repaired the scepter, he was feeling a much stronger connection to the Realm of Light. As such, his power had skyrocketed far beyond its former capacity. He still bore the mark of one who had used Dark Magic, but with the scepter repaired, it would hopefully not be a problem.
In the meantime, he was happy to use all six of his arms to securely hold onto his best friend as they flew around the castle at high speeds. "You wanna go faster?!" He laughed.
"Hell, yes, dude!"
"Alright, hang on!"
With a single flap of his wings, Comet took them out of the castle's perimeter and began flying along the Mewni's mountain ranges and rivers. Marcia took in the fantastic sights with a wide smile. Twenty minutes later, they returned to the castle and sat on the roof above Comet's room to drink in the picturesque view. Despite the fun they had just had together, Comet's heart sank. Because of what Taffy had done to him, his parents canceled his exchange student status and moved him back home for safety. This was his last day to be with Marcia, and it was almost over.
Suddenly, the mirror in his pocket vibrated, and he instinctively answered it.
"Comet!" Mars' image appeared in the mirror, seeming slightly panicked. "Where are you?"
"Don't worry, dad. Marcia and I are just enjoying the view from the top of the castle." The prince explained.
"Oh. Yes, well… hurry up and get back inside." Mars ordered, gently. "Your mother and I need you to look after Indexia while we attend to… an emergency."
"Yes, sir." Comet sighed and hung up the mirror. Taking Marcia's hand once again, he gently flew her back into his bedroom. "Oh! Before you go, I've got something for you."
Comet knelt down to reach under his bed and pulled out a neatly wrapped box with a bow on top. He handed it over to his best friend, who graciously accepted it and opened it up. Inside was a beautiful velvet cape with silver clasps that would allow Marcia to attach it to her hoodie. "Oh, Comet, it's beautiful!" She gushed as she put it on.
"Happy birthday, Marcia." Comet's smile wavered, slightly. "I-I promise I'll come visit you when I get the chance."
"You'd better." Marcia teased, lightly punching her friend's shoulder. In response, Comet hastily wrapped his arms around Marcia and pulled her into a tight hug, fighting back the tears burning his eyes. Marcia softly smiled and returned the hug, only for her smile to waver. "Well, uh… I better go."
"Alright." Comet wiped his eyes and put on a brave face before breaking the hug. Then, he respectfully bowed before her. "Marcia Diaz. It has been an honor to be your home's foreign exchange student. Please, extend my gratitude to your parents for their generous hospitality."
"... yeah. Sure thing." Marcia nodded and used her scissors to open a portal to her house. "Goodbye, Comet."
Once she disappeared into the portal, Comet finally allowed his tears to fall freely. "... I love you." He whispered.
When the portal closed behind Marcia, she wiped her eyes and immediately noticed that the lights in the house were still off. She flipped the switch and found herself surrounded.
"SURPRISE!" Everyone shouted.
Echo Creek, Earth. A few hours ago…
Angelo Diaz woke up bright and early to double check on the decorations, start the crock-pot to slow-cook the meatballs, and then quietly tip-toed out the door to drive to the airport. By the time he entered the terminal, the sun was already rising. At last, he spotted one of the two people he was looking for.
A six-foot-five tall, sixty-eight year-old woman with shiny white hair and a prosthetic left arm, dressed in a red trench coat and a matching fedora casually made her way from the terminal. This was Julia "Punching Julie" Diaz, CEO of Rodríguez Real Estate, a former traveling mixed martial artist, and grandmother of Marcia Diaz. Allegedly, in the prime of her youth, Julia had fought a trio of women with dreams of conquering the world with the mysterious powers of gemstones embedded into their bodies, which she claims is how she lost her left arm.
After defeating the Gemstone Women, Julia Rodríguez met Eduardo Diaz, the grandson of Carlos Diaz - who's family took in Prince Simon Dragonfly and his girlfriend Evangeline McSire when the pair first visited Earth-Realm. Due to the pair sharing experiences with bizarre adventures, Julia and Eduardo immediately hit it off, and within a year they were married. After inheriting her family's real estate business and raising Angelo to adulthood, the couple moved to Spain to enjoy retirement, only visiting on a few occasions.
"¡Mamá!" Angelo waved, excitedly. "Over here, mamá! Over here!"
"Huh? Angelo! Out of my way!" Julia roughly pushed her way through the crowd and ran to hug her son.
"Oh, mamá, I'm so glad you came for Marcia's birthday!" Angelo smiled, happily. "Especially on such short notice!"
"Well, of course, my boy!" Julia replied with a wide grin. "You're my one and only son! And if you need me to be somewhere, just give me a day and I'll cross the globe!"
"Aw, gracias, mamá." Angelo's smile widened as he tightened his arms around his mother.
"Angelo…? Hey, Angelo! The hug's over!" Julia remarked, raising her own arms in the air for emphasis. "Let go!"
"No! I don't wanna!" Angelo huffed. "It's been forever since you held me!"
"Come on, Angelo, you're embarrassing yourself!" Julia snapped. "Seriously, you're a thirty-eight-year-old man! You shouldn't be clinging to your mother like a child!"
"Oh! Now you've done it! I'm gonna tickle you!" Angelo teased before doing just that. "Tickle, tickle, tickle!"
"H-hey! Angelo, stop! Cut that out!" Julia firmly planted both arms on her son's shoulders and pushed him away to keep him at arm's length, noticing all the other travelers watching them. "What're you all looking at?! Haven't you ever seen a mother and son reunite?!"
"Oh! I almost forgot, where's papá?"
Julia turned to look behind herself. "Huh… that's funny. He was with me just a second ago. Ah, here he comes."
Sure enough, Angelo spotted an elderly man with white hair in a neat navy-blue suit slowly making his way through the crowd. Angelo hastily ran ahead to hug the man. "Papá! Welcome to Echo Creek!"
Eduardo smiled and returned the hug. "Hola, mijo. ¿Dónde está mi nieta?"
"Marcia's saying goodbye to a friend." Angelo explained. "But she'll meet us back at the house in time for her party."
Julia gently placed a hand on her son's shoulder. "You sound sad, Angie. What's the matter?"
"I know my daughter better than anyone." Angelo sighed. "In her heart of hearts, I'm certain she'd never want to be separated from Comet. That nice Agent Casoy told Rosa and me about a possible solution, but I don't know if I'll have the strength to go through with it."
Now…
"SURPRISE!"
Marcia yelped in shock and reflexively punched the person closest to her. Jonah grunted and fell to the floor, prompting Marcia to cup her hands over her mouth in embarrassment. Thankfully, Jonah was more amused than angry.
"Whoa… that was awesome." He laughed as Marcia helped him up.
"I am so sorry, Jonah!" She stammered. "I thought you guys were monsters trying to kidnap me again."
"Eh, no problem. Happy birthday, bud."
"Wait, are you telling us we actually surprised you this year?!" Rosa hugged her daughter tightly. "Then how did you know to dress up for it?"
"Oh, this? It's a gift from Comet." Marcia held up the cape to give her friends a better view, unintentionally getting a whiff of the fabric as she did. "Huh, it actually kinda smells like Comet…"
Jackson awkwardly cleared his throat. "Well, come on. Enjoy the party."
"Don't mind us." A grumpy voice called out from two rocking chairs in the corner of the living room. Marcia smiled and made her way towards them while the old woman went on. "We'll just sit here, in the dark, alone. None of you young folks give much of a hoot about older people like us, after all."
"Alright, alright, old lady." Marcia chuckled. "If you're done being such a drama queen, you wanna drag your decrepit old ass out of that chair and give me a hug?"
Julia laughed and got up to wrap her arms around her granddaughter. "Dios mío, Marcia. You were barely up to my waist last time I saw you! I can't believe you're already turning fifteen!"
"Pero te ves tan flaca." Eduardo remarked as he hugged Marcia. "¿Estás comiendo lo suficiente?"
"Are you kidding, Ed? Look at her soft tummy! She's been letting herself get soft!" Julia criticized, playfully. "She needs to get in shape! Just look at me! I've been retired for almost forty years but I still keep in shape, nieta! My belly's as hard as a rock! Go ahead! Hit me right here!"
Marcia shook her head in amusement before spotting Jackson. For some reason, the way he smiled and waved at her made her heart sink. She made her way over to him and accepted a cup of punch. He started to talk to her about what she'd missed all day while she was saying goodbye to Comet, but she wasn't really listening. She couldn't help but think of the last thing Comet said to her the last time he was on Earth. Her initial plan was to confront him about it after helping him take care of Taffy, but the stress of learning he'd almost died and relief in spending her birthday with him made her forget.
"-Marcia? Are you okay?" Jackson asked.
"Hmm? Oh, yeah." Marcia shook her head. "Sorry. I've got a lot on my mind."
It didn't take a genius to realize what was bothering his girlfriend, but Jackson asked anyway. "You miss him, don't you?"
Before Marcia could answer, the doorbell drew everyone's attention. Since her parents weren't expecting any other guests, Angelo was most confused as he went to answer. And yet everyone was surprised as a familiar government agent with an orange tie and sunglasses.
"Hello, Ms. Diaz." The agent greeted, as he held his gift towards her. "Happy birthday."
"Hello, Agent Casoy." Marcia nodded, politely, accepting the envelope. "Hate to break it to you, but Comet doesn't live here anymore. Guess you're out of a job."
"Au contraire." Alex grinned as he pointed to the envelope. "Why don't you open your gift before jumping to such a conclusion?"
Curious, Marcia glanced back down at the gift before tearing it open. It turned out to be a brochure for the Mewni-Earth Student Exchange Program. Marcia opened it up to skim through the requirements to participate in the program, all the benefits, and how long it could last. "I don't get it." She said, at last.
"Well, Prince Comet has been the only person who ever participated in the program." Alex explained. "And Uncle Sam isn't too happy that we've had a mewman on American soil, but they've never had a human on Mewni soil. So, since you're currently the only human who knows anything about mewman teens, we were hoping you'd like to spend a couple years abroad in another dimension."
"Me?!" Marcia's eyes widened. "You want me to be the first human exchange student in Mewni?"
"Yes. But strictly to ensure that Mewni is being fair with our alliance." Alex punctuated his sentence with a sly wink.
Marcia couldn't believe this. This was the perfect opportunity! Even though things were finally starting to turn around for her on Earth, she was much more interested in Mewni. Despite only visiting the alternate dimension a handful of times, she was fascinated with its culture and people. She was excited and confused at the same time. "I mean, I'd have to get permission from my school-"
"Already squared away." Alex held up the proper paperwork.
"I need time to pack-"
"Taken care of." Alex motioned to pre-packed suitcases.
"Will I need a passport?"
"Done." Alex handed her the passport.
"..." Marcia tried to think of anything else, but it was obvious Alex already knew her answer.
"Make sure you fill out the proper paperwork, Ms. Diaz." Alex winked again before grabbing a plate with a slice of cake and heading for the door. "Happy birthday."
Once Alex was gone, Marcia looked back down at the exchange form. Everything was filled out accordingly and all that was left to make it official was her parents' signatures. She turned around to find her father standing behind her with a basket in his hands.
"I'll trade you." He said, taking the form as he handed her the basket.
"...wh-what's this?"
"It's a care package." Angelo explained with a soft smile. "Your mom and I put it together earlier today."
"You… you knew Casoy would give me this?" Marcia's eyes started to water up. "But, dad, this means I'd have to leave."
"Marcia… fifteen years ago, a sweet little girl came into our lives. A girl filled with so much joy, that it warmed our hearts every day. And for the longest time, we've both tried our best to make her feel loved, respected, and appreciated. But somewhere along the line, even though our love for you never wavered or changed, you lost that joy. We tried to help you when others started to bully you, but your pride forced you to keep us locked out. But when Comet came into your life, we saw that joy return. So, if this is what keeps that joy inside you, then we'll let you go. On one condition…"
"What's that?"
Angelo hugged his daughter with tears in his eyes. "Promise you'll come visit us, sometimes."
Marcia smiled and returned the hug. Then she went over to her crying mother and hugged her as well. "Are you sure you're gonna be okay without me, mom?"
"Of course, Marcia." Rosa sniffled, wiping her eyes. "All I want - all I ever wanted - is for you to be happy."
"Thanks, mom."
Deciding to add some levity to the moment, Rosa made her way to Angelo and wrapped her arm around him as he finished signing the form. "Besides, this means your father and I will have more time for hanky-panky." She joked.
Marcia gagged and took the form away from her father. She looked at Jonah who simply raised his glass to her in silent approval while her grandparents beamed with joy for her. Then she spotted her boyfriend holding her inter-dimensional scissors. "Jackson, I-"
"Hey, it's okay, Marcia. You don't have to say anything." Jackson smiled, gently. "It was fun while it lasted, but if you're happy, I'm happy."
With that, they shared one last hug and Marcia gathered up her belongings for the trip.
Castle Dragonfly, Mewni.
Comet shuddered in disgust as he emptied Indexia's litter box. He knew that he owed it to his teacher for all that she'd done for his ancestors, but that didn't mean he had to like it. Still, he considered it his duty as prince to help those in need no matter the cost, and graciously carried it out with no complaints.
Still, now that Taffy was gone and Luna was missing, he didn't understand why his father had suddenly taken leave without a word. And with the dark red magic still lingering on his veins, the prince was feeling reasonably impatient for his teacher to get better so they could figure out a way to cleanse his body of Dark Magic.
He refilled the box with fresh litter then went about carrying Indexia to the kitchen As he walked, he looked out the window to see his parents frantically leading a group of Solarians and the MHC around the castle grounds in search of something. But, being too tired to question it, he shrugged it off and proceeded towards the kitchen where he gathered up a tray of mushed up meats and vegetables to carry back to his bedroom. He then proceeded with his attempts to feed his teacher.
"Globgal!" Indexia cried, shoving the spoon away from her.
"You can have pudding after you eat your meat!" Comet replied, sternly. "Now, eat! Eat, eat! It'll make you feel better!"
"Globgal!"
"Ugh, come on, Indexia! Work with me!"
"Uh, Comet-?"
"Not now, Marcia, I'm trying to-" Comet waved, dismissively, before he realized. "MARCIA?!"
The prince bolted up to see that his best friend was indeed back in Mewni. Indexia snuck away to find her pudding cup, but Comet either didn't notice or didn't care. His heart and mind were racing; he hadn't expected to see her again so soon.
"Hey, buddy." She greeted him with a smile.
"W-what're you doing here?"
"Comet, just… I need to know…" Marcia held Comet's hands in her own as she looked into his eyes. "Did you really mean all that stuff you said at the party?"
Comet bit his lip, nervously, but couldn't hold it in anymore. "... of course I did."
"That's crazy."
Comet frowned. "It is?"
Marcia smiled and gave the prince a soft peck on the cheek, causing his entire face to turn red. "It's crazy that I spent a whole year not realizing that the perfect guy for me was living in my house with me all along."
Comet's heart pounded in his chest as those words echoed in his head and his cheek-marks shone brightly. "So… does this mean… are we-?"
Marcia chuckled and took the pamphlet out of her back pocket to show to the prince. "Well, according to this student exchange form Agent Casoy gave me, I can be your roommate for a while."
"We're roommates?!" Comet smiled and took her into his arms again. "Oh, my Stump, we're gonna be roommates!"
Marcia laughed. "Okay, okay, easy, buddy." She gently pushed him away. "Let's start with dating, and we'll see where it goes. For now, I still need to figure out where exactly I'm going to school and where I'm going to live. I mean, I doubt your parents would approve of your girlfriend living with you."
The gears in Comet's head wildly turned until he came up with a brilliant idea. "Unless, it was your part-time job." He suggested with a coy grin.
"How's that?" Marcia asked before Comet gently prompted her to kneel before him. He took out his scepter and raised one hand.
"Do you, Marcia Diaz, swear to defend your prince from any threats, to be loyal and faithful, to use your knowledge and strength for the good of others, to share your nightly nachos, and continue to be his best friend until your dying days?"
"Uh… yeah." Marcia smiled. "No problem, dude."
"Then by the power vested in me, as the crown prince to the kingdom of Mewni, I hereby pronounce you 'Lady Marcia Diaz,' my courageous squire." Comet tapped both of Marcia's shoulders with his scepter to make the appointment official, then helped her stand back up. "There, now my family is obligated to provide you with room, board, education, and training."
Marcia hugged her new boyfriend. "So, should we tell your parents?"
"Oh, yeah! Hang on…" Comet tucked his scepter back into his belt, made his way over to the window, spotted the queen and waved, excitedly. "Hi, mom! Marcia came back! She's gonna be the exchange student and be my squire! Can she have a bedroom?!"
"Sure, sweetie!" Lake shouted back, absentmindedly. "Let me just deal with something first!"
Marcia shook her head in amusement. "Good grief. This is gonna be interesting."
To Be Continued!
Epilogue:
Castle Dragonfly Garden, Mewni.
It was only five minutes until midnight, and Eclipsine had gathered all of the items he needed; a king cobra, the ashes of a deck of tarot cards, and the tears of a widowed wolf. He also had a bucket full of snookers bars, but that was purely for himself. Thankfully, for him, all of the old secret passageways in the castle still existed, so he made his way into the garden he'd planted in his boyhood. A small smile spread over his lips as he breathed in the pleasant aroma of purple roses and black tulips.
After eating one more snookers bar, he set his items down in the center of the garden and grabbed a rose. Once the moon was in position, he squeezed the stem as hard as he could until the thorns pierced his palm's flesh, drawing blood. With his own blood, he wrote an incantation on the ground in ancient mewman and whispered the spell.
"I offer these gifts… and my blood… in exchange for an audience with the Acolytes of the Abyss… come before me Sisters of Shadows…the One Who Is Three… the Three Who Are One… the Oracles of the Dark Realm."
Suddenly, the blood spiraled, congealed, and formed an inky black portal on the ground. Black clouds blocked out the light from the moon. At last, three shadowy figures arose from the portal; three cloaked women of varying ages with eyes that sparkled like stars in stark contrast to their dark skin. The trio each took one offering into their arms.
Eclipsine smiled. "Hello, ladies." He greeted with a respectful bow.
"King Eclipsine Dragonfly." The eldest Oracle nodded in reply as she allowed the cobra to slither up her arm and into her mouth before swallowing it. "The King of Darkness, himself. We haven't seen you since King Carrion Beetle offered you sanctuary."
"The Gravedigger was most displeased when you refused his offer for an alliance." The second Oracle added before breathing in the tarot card ashes. "You would have made a powerful ally. So enraged was he that he personally asked us to assassinate you."
"Oh, come now, sisters. That was ages ago." The youngest Oracle cheerfully pointed out as she drank the vial of tears. "And he did help us find a cure for Mewbonic Plague. Let us at least hear what he has to say."
"Very well." The eldest Oracle agreed. "Speak, mewman. Tell us what you wish from us."
"Thank you, Oracles. As you know, I was betrayed and imprisoned by the Magical High Commission three hundred and thirty-two years ago." Eclipsine explained. "I wish to reclaim what they stole from me, save my family, and expose them for the monsters they are. But in order to do that, I must learn what they have done in my absence."
"Hmm… in exchange for the offerings you have given us, you may ask us three questions and receive three answers. And only three. Choose your questions wisely."
Eclipsine thought long and hard on how best to take advantage of the situation. At last; "Alright… my first question… my beloved Globgal was captured while trying to escape with our son when the Magical High Commission attacked. What became of them?"
"Your monster queen proved too strong for even the likes of Omnitraxus Prime to destroy. Rhombulie crystalized her beneath the castle you helped her to build while Hekaope stole your son away."
"Where?" Eclipsine asked, desperately. "Where did he take my son?"
"Ah, ah, ah, King of Darkness." The eldest Oracle wagged her finger as a mother would towards a disobedient child. "Three questions, three answers."
Eclipsine closed his eyes and sighed. Despite the vague answer, he decided that he could still find his wife and child once he reestablished his connection to Dark Magic. As such, he moved on to the next Oracle.
"My second question… after I lost the scepter, my friend Viktor Bulgolyubov gifted me with a scythe he used for harvesting corn. I used it as a replacement tool with which to channel the Dark Magic through my body. Who came to possess it after I was imprisoned?"
"The Scythe of Shadows… a rare and powerful artifact… most dangerous and deadly… but only in the hands of those who are connected to the Dark… it was passed down to Viktor's descendant, Yelena."
"Does she still have it?"
"Measure yourself carefully." The second Oracle smiled, coyly. "That is your second answer, King of Darkness… choose your final question and let us be on our way…"
"Very well, my third and final question… I also used an amulet to safely channel Dark Magic with and store spells. I gifted it to a human who was trapped within the Demon Realm while I was visiting the Under-Realm. Who has it now?"
"The Eye of Eclipsine… an even greater prize… able to grant forbidden knowledge to anyone who is worthy of its power…" The youngest Oracle giggled. "The amulet you seek is still within the Demon Realm… but it no longer belongs to Grace Wittebane… instead, it has fallen into the sinister clutches of he who invited you. The father of the dreaded Collector. The one called the Gravedigger; King Carrion Beetle of the Under-Realm."
Eclipsine huffed in discomfort. His most important artifact may not have fallen into the hands of the MHC, but now it was in the hands of a Colempian king. And he wasn't entirely sure which was worse. Nevertheless, he bowed before the Oracles once again. "Thank you for your time, Oracles. I don't suppose I could convince any of you to help me find my family and items?"
The Oracles cackled, madly, as their forms shifted and merged into one shadowy being. "YOU HAVE ASKED YOUR QUESTIONS!" Their voices echoed over each other. "AND WE HAVE GIVEN YOU YOUR ANSWERS! OUR BARTER IS COMPLETE!"
Their form spiraled into a black vortex which collapsed in on itself just as the clouds moved away from the sky. The King of Darkness collapsed from exhaustion and fell into a deep slumber. Hours later, he was awoken by the warmth of the midday sun. That was bad; if he stayed in one place for too long, it made it easier for his enemies to find him. Slowly rising to his feet, he heard rustling coming from one of his rose bushes and got into a defensive stance.
"Globgal!" Indexia cried as she hopped through the shrubbery like a rabid frog until her former student caught her in his grasp.
"Well, well, well, Indexia." Eclipsine smiled. "What a pleasant surprise."
"Indexia, stop!" A voice cried out.
Eclipsine looked up to see a young boy with blonde hair making his way through the brush, and his smile widened as he spotted his family heirloom tucked into the boy's belt. "Hello there… friend."
TO BE CONTINUED!
