ACT VII: Crescento, the Eager Part 4: Retirement

Crescento had been comatose for six years after his son's coronation. Ryan tried to bring him out of it with the scepter, but it was no use. The Magical High Commission promised to keep the king safe until he woke up, each of them taking turns looking after him. At last, on a warm Spleenax afternoon, the former king of Mewni woke up. He had no memories of how he ended up in a coma, or what caused it, but his doctors told him that was perfectly normal.

As he recovered, all of his friends came to visit him and inform him of everything he'd missed out on. This was how he learned that Sudora was indeed keeping the monster hordes away from Mewni under her reign just as he'd hoped. He also learned that Samantha had returned to her own kingdom and remarried three separate times. Finally, he also learned that his only son, Ryan, had successfully kept the kingdom under control.

Soon, the day came when he could leave the hospital. Crescento got himself dressed up and was about to leave when he noticed something missing. He began angrily tearing the room apart, trying to find it. Soon, the commotion earned the attention of the doctor. "Your highness! What are you doing?!"

"Where's my scepter?" Crescento asked, irritably. "Did you hide it from me?! That's treason! I'll have you thrown in the dungeon if this is some sort of joke! I swear to-!"

"Y-your majesty!" The doctor held up his hands in a calming manner. "You… you don't have the scepter anymore. Remember? You passed it down to your son, Prince Ryan."

Crescento's brow furrowed as he concentrated on her words. His mind felt as if it were on fire as he tried to verify the doctor's claim. At last, he remembered. "Oh… oh, y-yes. Yes, I remember now." He nodded, assuringly. "Yes, I-I knew that."

Crescento brushed himself off and tried his best to look confident as he strutted out of the hospital. He knew he had passed the scepter on to Ryan. After all, that was years ago. So why did he suddenly forget? For the sake of his burning mind, Crescento decided to shake it off and continue towards his family home.

As he entered the castle, everyone bowed in respect. The retired politician held his head up high, proud that his image still carried respect from the commoners. After sending a servant off to inform Ryan of his arrival, Crescento made his way towards the hall of kings to see if his own tapestry had been completed.

Crescento studied his tapestry in awe. The textile depicted him in the prime of his youth, holding the scepter aloft while striking a refined and dignified pose. But what truly lifted his spirits was the inscription beneath it, informing all who read it that he accomplished his lifelong goal. "I knew it." He proudly whispered to himself. "History will remember what I've done for Mewni!"

"Dad?" Crescento turned to see a red-haired young man dressed in a green tuxedo and bejeweled crown approach him. Ryan adjusted his glasses before flashing a smile. "I'd heard you'd woken up, but-"

"Ryan!" Crescento hurried over to his son, relieved to finally see a familiar face. He brought his child into a tight embrace before holding him at arm's length to look him over. "Ryan, my boy, look at you! With your suit and tie! And your - look! You finally got a haircut! And that crown! That crown looks amazing! You look amazing! You look… you look like a king, son. I couldn't be more proud of you."

"Uh, wow. Thanks, dad." Ryan smiled, quizzically.

As the duo made their way down the hall, Crescento continued his praise. "The castle looks great, too! Nice to see you've kept everything in shape!"

"Yeah, well, we were just cleaning the place up for Riddle Day next week." The new king proudly explained. "It's a holiday I created; everyone must try to solve at least one riddle. And I've offered a prize to the one who can solve my ultimate riddle."

"'Riddle Day,' huh?" Crescento rubbed his chin. "Okay! I've got one! 'I am around, white chest without hinges, keys, or lid, but golden treasure, inside is hid. What am I?'"

Ryan blinked in shock at his father's reaction. "Have you been drinking?"

Crescento chuckled. "No? That was your grandpa's vice, son. Why?"

"I, uh… I don't know." Ryan shrugged. "You just… you don't seem like yourself."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, y'know,you're loose. You don't seem as critical as you usually are." Ryan explained. "Honestly, it's kinda scaring me."

"Ah, well…" Crescento shrugged. "Now that I'm retired, I can afford to relax. So? My riddle?"

"Oh! Uh…" Ryan tapped his finger against his temple, reanalyzing his father's riddle in his head. At last, he solved it. "Ah! An egg!"

"You're good." Crescento nodded. "So… what else is going on?"

"Well, Jane's in the Underworld for a few days taking care of business." Ryan remarked. "And I actually have a meeting with the new delegates in half an hour."

Crescento's brow furrowed in confusion. "Who's Jane?"

Ryan frowned and held up his wrist, revealing the same red thread from years ago. "Jane Roachley. My wife. The woman you arranged for me to marry."

Crescento's mind began to ache once more. "Oh… uh, right. Sorry."

"Are you… sure you're okay?"

"Yeah." Crescento nodded as they reached Ryan's office. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"...okay." Just then, the new king spotted someone across the hall. "Well, so long as you're here, there's someone you ought to meet." Ryan snapped his fingers and whistled for that person to come over. Crescento's eyes widened in shock as a young boy with bright pink hair that covered half of his face ran up to Ryan's leg. The king brushed the child's hair away, revealing a crescent moon-shaped birthmark on his cheek.

"Dad, this is your grandson, Simon." Ryan introduced. "Don't be rude, Simon. Say hello to your grandfather."

Simon tightened his grip on Ryan's pant leg as he forced himself to speak. "H-hewwo…" He whispered.

Crescento felt his heart swell up in his chest at the sight of the beautiful young boy. He bent down and flashed his signature smile. "Well, hello, Simon! How are you today?"

Contrary to most people he'd met, the former king's grandson timidly hugged Ryan's leg and buried his face in his coat. A soft whimper was the only verbal response the child could manage. Ryan rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Sorry, dad. He's 'just shy,' apparently." The new king made sure to emphasize his disdain with air quotes.

"Oh." Crescento watched as Simon silently went over to play next to his father's desk. "Well, I'm sure he'll grow out of it."

"He'd better." Ryan muttered as he made his way over to his desk to pick up on his paperwork. "Otherwise he'll just be another miserable thing attached to an arranged marriage."

Crescento decided to power through the awkward silence. "Um, anyway, if Jane's out of town for a few days dealing with stuff in the Underworld, how about tonight you, me, and Simon go out to eat? Huh? We'll have a boys night out!"

"I can't." Ryan replied without looking up from his paperwork.

"What do you mean 'you can't?' You have to eat sometime." Crescento reasoned.

"I-I could eat." Simon timidly smiled.

"See? He could eat!" Crescento smiled, giving his grandson a pat on the back that made the boy flinch. However, Ryan was still unfazed. "Hey, c'mon. Just you, me, Simon, and we could even invite your Uncle Dirhenno, huh? The four of us will paint this town crimson!"

Ryan finally looked up from his work with a shocked expression. "I knew something was wrong with you."

"What?" Crescento blinked in confusion.

"Simon, go to your room for a minute. Dad, sit down. I'll get you some water." The new king ushered his child out the door.

"No, Simon doesn't have to leave." Crescento insisted as his son led him to the sofa.

"Just sit down and I'll get you some water." Ryan ordered before reaching for the scepter on his desk.

"What? What're you talking about-?"

"Just, please, dad. Sit down." Ryan used his scepter to conjure up a glass of water with one of his grandfather's spells and handed it to his predecessor. "Here. Drink this."

"Okay, okay. Fine." Crescento accepted the glass and drank its contents. Once the glass was empty, the former king set it aside and shrugged. "There, I've had my water. Now, what's the problem?"

Ryan sat down next to Crescento and let out a solemn sigh as he removed his glasses. "Dad… Uncle Dirhenno died." He said. "He died a while ago, remember? Before your coma."

Once again, Crescento felt his mind burning at the sound of those words. He sobbed, standing up and facing away from his son. "No… no! No, don't say that! Where was I?! What happened?!"

"N-nothing happened, dad. He was just old." Ryan explained, sadly. "You know; you're born, you live, you get old, and you die. Are you… are you crying?"

"I… I can't - this is - this is all my fault… I'm so sorry I barged in." Crescento hugged his son, sadly, and headed for the exit. "I-I gotta go."

"Wait, dad! We should talk about this!" Ryan pointed to his squire as he followed Crescento out of his office. "Reginald, push back my meeting!"

"No, no, go ahead with your meeting!" Crescento sobbed. "I have to go!"

Ryan could only watch as his father ran up to the castle's library. The distraught former king tore through the stacks of literary publications until he finally found the Great Book of Magic. He slammed the Book down on a nearby table and rapidly flipped through the pages until a familiar blue mage popped up. "Ah, hello, Master Crescento." Indexia bowed. "I haven't seen you in a while."

"Indexia, something's wrong with me." Crescento's breaths grew heavier as he spoke. "I-I-I keep losing my memories! My mind feels as if it's turning to ashes! I forgot that I gave Ryan the scepter! I forgot that I married him off to a Roachley! And I forgot that my own brother is dead! Indexia, I… I'm scared…" Tears began streaming over the bunny-shaped birthmarks. "I don't… I don't know what's happening to me. I need your help."

Indexia had never seen Crescento in such a mess. She instructed her former student to lay down on a nearby couch. Placing her hands on his temples, the gem in Indexia's forehead illuminated Crescento's mind, allowing her to see what was wrong. Much to her shock, a dark red light appeared over the hippocampus. After a few more minutes, Indexia ended her examination and hovered in front of him.

"Well?" Crescento asked as he sat up. "W-what did you find?"

"Nothing good." Indexia lifted the Great Book and pointed to a spell in Crescento's chapter. "It would appear that this particular spell - 'Regiis Solum Lacrimae' - has been slowly eating away at your mind. As a result, your memories are degrading. But that's not the worst part, I'm afraid. You've damaged a critical part of your mind, Crescento. I'd say in about… six months, give or take, you will lose all brain function and perish."

Crescento felt his heart jump into his throat. "... is there any way to cure it? Or treat it?"

Indexia stared at her former king for a brief moment before hovering towards the Great Book. "I strongly recommend that you get your affairs in order, your majesty." With that, she dipped down into the Book and disappeared.

Crescento sat in deafening silence. He would die in six months time, and he had no one to blame but himself. With a solemn sigh, he picked the Great Book off of the floor and gently placed it back on the shelf. He then went over to a desk with a stack of blank papers and an ink pen to write out a letter to Ryan, apologizing for his years of negligence and for using him as a tool in his political agenda. He sealed the envelope and headed towards Samantha's home kingdom.

Reluctantly, she answered his summons and met him on the outskirts of Nefcy Valley. "Hello, Cres." She greeted. "Long time, no see."

"I'm dying, Sam."

The noblewoman blinked in surprise. "That's not funny."

"Good." Crescento nodded. "Because it's not a joke. I've ruined my brain with one of my own spells. Look, I didn't come here for pity. I came to apologize."

Samantha's expression softened. "Really?"

"There was a time that I believed I loved you with all my mind, but I just couldn't love you with all my heart." Crescento admitted. "I should have told you that a long time ago, but I needed a queen to boost my status and produce an heir. And that wasn't fair to you. You were a good queen, Sam. And a good friend. I just wasn't a very good husband. And I can't really remember being a good father either… you and Ryan deserved better."

Samantha watched as her ex-husband turned around to leave. "Ryan's mewberty pains." She spoke up.

"What?"

"When Ryan was thirteen, he went through mewberty early." She elaborated. "His wings grew in too fast and tore up his back, and his extra arms didn't develop any bones. The change hurt him so much, he went into a coma. You were in the middle of a meeting with the Magical High Commission, but you left without a word to go visit him in the physician's ward." A gentle smile spread over her lips as she continued. "You had about a hundred other things you had to worry about, but you refused to leave his side until he got better. When he woke up, you spent a whole week teaching him how to control it. And he'll never tell you this, himself, but he was so grateful that you were there when he needed you."

"So?"

"So you weren't a terrible father." She shrugged. "And as for us, it wasn't all bad."

"Thank you." He smiled, extending his hand. "So… friends?"

Samantha nodded and graciously shook his hand. "Friends."

With that, Crescento mailed his letter to Ryan and headed towards the wharf. After purchasing a ticket to the first of the Waterfolk Iles, he boarded the luxury cruise ship and mentally prepared himself for his confrontation with the person he loved. Once he arrived at the Iles, the retired king used his inert magic to create an air bubble for him to swim down to the coral homes beneath the waves. For the next three hours, Crescento went around from home-to-home, having to return to the surface for air every ten minutes.

Finally, after forty-seven dead ends, Crescento knocked on a coral door and came face-to-face with the most beautiful mer-man he had ever known. "... hey." Eric smiled.

Crescento flashed a grin of his own before letting out an exasperated sigh. "Do you have any idea how many Kelpbottoms live down here?"

Eric chuckled. "Well, I didn't wanna make it easy on you."

"Eric?" An elderly mer-woman swam out from the kitchen when she spotted the former king. "Eric, is… is that…?"

"Mrs. Kelpbottom, it's a pleasure to finally meet you." Crescento bowed with respect. "I am Crescento Dragonfly. And I… I'm Eric's…"

Eric reached through Crescento's bubble and took his hand into his own, threading their fingers together. Then he smiled at his mother. "He's my friend."

The nobleman's mother smiled proudly. "Well, it's good to have friends."

The couple swam up to the beach just above the underwater colony to watch the sunset. Crescento apologized to Eric for what he had done when they last saw each other, and explained what was happening to him. "And so, Indexia says I only have about six months left to live. I already apologized to Sam and sent a letter to Ryan, but I never would have been able to rest easy until I apologized to you, Eric. You were the only one I could always count on. And I… I'm sorry for what I put you through. And I hope you can forgive me."

Eric cupped Crescento's cheeks with a warm smile. "Cres, if there's anything I've learned these past six years, it's that with time… you can always forgive the ones you love."

Crescento cried tears of joy. "Then I guess it's you and me, pal. You and me for the next six months."

"I'll take whatever you've got."

The two old friends shared a gentle kiss as they basked in the sunset.

When the one before him proved unfit,

Crescento the Eager took the role,

And along with his best pal, Eric,

Kept Monsters under Mewman control.

To Be Continued!

Author's notes: Not the best way to go out, but I live off of tragedy. Also, to that one guest; yes, I imagine that in Mewni, it was fairly common for people to be attracted to the same sex. Or at the very least, there was no social stigma that would have prevented it. And yes, divorce is also a common practice. Anyway, Ryan the Riddled is up next. As always, read and review!