ACT IX: Simon, the Shy Part 3: Cosmic Secrets

Thirty years had passed since Simon became King of Mewni. He and Evangeline ruled over the kingdom with kindness and compassion, as well as raising their own son with the same sentiment. After Ryan's death, the couple made periodic visits to the Earth-dimension to check on the Diaz family as well as set up a Mewman embassy with California's government. It wasn't easy for the Shy Dragonfly to take on the demanding duties that came with being king - even with the spell the scepter used to help him speak in public - but with the love and support of his wife and son, he managed to pull through.

Presently, Prince Edward had finally tied the knot with his girlfriend; world-famous composer and lutenist, Azure Saint. As per Edward and Azure's request, the wedding was a small, private ceremony with only close friends and family present. Carlos Diaz and his own children were unable to attend, but offered to let the newly-weds stay at his family home while they were on their honeymoon. Edward was excited to revisit his honorary uncle, but Simon was a bit apprehensive to the idea.

"Are you sure you want to visit the Earth-dimension, Edward?" The king asked for the fifteenth time. "Carlos tells me there's a pretty nasty war going on over there."

"Dad, that's miles away from where tío Carlos and tía Patricia are!" Edward reasoned. "And for the last time, I'm not spending my honeymoon in the Ooo-dimension with that stuck-up Prince Gumball."

Simon sighed as he realized that there was no arguing with his son. "Alright, but be careful."

"Thanks, dad!" Edward beamed as he accepted the inter-dimensional scissors from his father. "Y'know, it was awful nice of tío Carlos to let me and Azure stay with his family while we're on our honeymoon. And when we get back, you and mom can start preparing for your retirement. I am gonna buckle down and study to become king. I'll make you proud."

"You already do that." Simon remarked with a gentle smile. "I love you, son."

"I know, dad." Edward chuckled, happily. "You tell me every day… and I love you, too."

The king and prince shared a hug just as Evangeline walked in alongside Azure. The queen of Mewni had requested some time alone with her son's new bride to talk. The former Solarian warrior smiled as she rushed to kiss her boy goodbye, while the musician hugged herself as she followed close behind her new mother-in-law.

"Baby, what did she say to you?" Edward asked in a concerned tone.

"Promises…" Azure whispered, fearfully. "So many promises…"

With a final goodbye, the newly-weds were off to the Earth-dimension to enjoy their honeymoon. Later that night, after taking Daisy for a walk around the kingdom, Simon decided to turn in for the night. The pitbull scampered over to her dog bed while the king changed into his pajamas and settled into bed, scribbling away into his poem book. Ten minutes later, the queen arrived and crawled up the bed. Evangeline snatched the book out of Simon's hands, revealing her silk negligee and hungry eyes.

"So…" She purred, seductively. "Edward and Azure are on their honeymoon, the MHC are doing their own things, and we have the castle to ourselves…"

Simon's cheek marks shone brightly. Even after all the years they'd been married, Evangeline still managed to get him hot and bothered. "Why, Queen Evangeline…" He smiled, bashfully. "Whatever is on your mind?"

That night, the entire castle was filled with the sounds of passion and euphoria.

The next morning, the king and queen awoke with their limbs intertwined, still bathing in the afterglow of the night before. Evangeline was the first of the two to get up, although she found her knees were still a bit weak as she made her way to the shower. Eventually, the couple managed to get themselves cleaned up and head downstairs for breakfast. Simon had just finished scrambling the eggs when he spared a glance at the calendar.

"Oh, yeah, today's my dad's birthday…" Simon remarked as he handed a plate to his wife. "Which means it's also Riddle Day… I always thought that maybe if someone solved that 'ultimate riddle,' then maybe he wouldn't have killed my mom."

Evangeline set her fork down and placed a comforting hand on her husband's shoulder. "None of that was your fault, okay? Your dad had a lot of problems other than that riddle. I mean, you've been working on an answer to that riddle every year since he went back to Hell."

"I know. It just seems like such an easy riddle! 'Seven came before Ryan, (if you subtract the princess), add four more reigns to his domain, and then what gets vanquished?' I mean, the obvious answer would be something about the kings that came before my dad, but there were thirty-one kings that came before him, not seven. Unless…" Simon's eyes widened in shock as the realization struck him. "Wait… that's it!"

"What?" Evangeline watched as her husband bolted up and ran to the library. She and Daisy got up and followed after him. "Simon, what's going on? What's it?"

Simon rushed towards the Great Book of Magic, flipped open the pages to his father's chapter, and counted backwards all the way to Skywind's chapter. "Of course! Everyone knows that there were thirty-one kings before dad took over, but after the first Great Book was destroyed in the fire, there are only seven kings before him in the second Great Book! Maybe the answer to what get's vanquished in four more reigns lies in the past before Skywind!"

Simon didn't waste any time after that. With nothing better to do, Evangeline helped him pull up a table while he set the Great Book in front of him, placed his tarot cards next to it, and set Omnitraxus' crystal ball in the center of the table. "I hope Omni won't mind me borrowing her crystal ball." Simon remarked.

"Oh, what's the harm?" Evangeline shrugged as she pulled up her seat. "Last time I checked; we're the king and queen. What's she gonna do, kill us?"

The ceremony of the Mewman Tarot Spread was surprisingly basic; Evangeline would shuffle the deck, let Daisy select a card at random, and then Simon would set it down on the spreadsheet. Thanks to the potions Simon had been feeding her over the years, the dog had also gained weak telekinetic powers in addition to her extended lifespan.

"Okay, the problem is…" Simon set down a card with a picture of Madame Indexia. "The Master of the Book. That makes sense; we're trying to understand dad's riddle. Okay, Evangeline, shuffle the cards again."

The queen nodded and did as she was told and shuffled the deck. She then held the deck towards their dog to draw again. Daisy mentally lifted one of the cards and placed it in Simon's lap.

"And, the past is…" Simon set down a card with a picture of a hooded figure next to a dead tree. "... Death? Oh! Probably because of the destruction of the old Book, and Skywind starting the new Book. Alright, next card, please…"

Again, Evangeline shuffled the deck and let Daisy draw it for Simon.

"Now, the present is…" Simon set down a card with a picture of a blue cat hanging by his tail from a tree branch. "The Hanging Cat? That means something is out of our control… I hope the crystal ball can elaborate… one more card, dear."

Once more, Evangeline shuffled the deck and presented it for their pet to hand it to the king.

"Finally, the path is…" Simon set the final card on the spread; it was a picture of Solarius' mewberty form, holding a sword in each hand. "Battle Strength! That means victory! We must be getting close to the answer! Everyone join hands as we converse with the spirits of the past!"

Simon, Evangeline, and Daisy held hands as smoke began to cloud up inside the crystal ball. Evangeline and Daisy watched in amazement while Simon chanted in old mewman; his cheek marks shone brightly as an image came into view.

Many years ago, Castle Dragonfly was set ablaze from an unknown source. Several servants had succumbed to the flames, and even the queen had just barely made it out with the help of the royal squire. King Hymnal, the Fashionable, had rescued his son just as the ceiling of the prince's room collapsed. As he cradled his unconscious son in his arms, Hymnal used his scepter's flight capabilities to lift them both out of the burning castle and flew to safety.

Prince Skywind coughed up a puff of smoke before waking up in his father's arms. "Dad…?"

"Shh, shh, it's okay, Sky." Hymnal soothed his boy as they flew closer to the ground. "You're alright. You're okay. Daddy's here. Daddy's got you."

"Oh, Skywind!" Queen Sara cried happily as Hymnal handed him over. "Hymnal, you magnificent hero! You saved our son!" Hymnal shared a kiss with his wife before mounting his scepter once more. "What're you doing?!"

"There are still more people trapped inside!" Hymnal explained, flying back towards the castle. "I've got to get them out of there!"

"Dad! Save the Great Book!" Skywind shouted from his mother's arms.

"Don't worry, son! I have everything under control!" Hymnal shouted back before kicking the pedal above the scepter's bristles, sending him off at high speeds faster than any king could hope to go with their mewberty wings.

The king maneuvered around the collapsing pillars and burning tapestries, escorting multiple servants away from the scorching cobblestone and out to safety. With most of the others evacuated, Hymnal flew back to his private study and propped the scepter up against the wall as he made his way towards the Great Book of Magic. With a glare, he made his way over to the fireplace that started the fire in the first place, making sure to tip-toe around the shards of glass from the whiskey bottles he had thrown into the fireplace to increase its temperature.

"I won't let you take him, you bastards!" King Hymnal growled as he held the first Great Book of Magic in front of the raging inferno. "You can take me, if you must. But my son will never be your pawn!" With that, Hymnal threw the Great Book into the fire and summoned the scepter to his hand. Once he was certain that the Book was reduced to ashes, Hymnal grabbed the Great Book of Fashion and kicked the pedal on his broom, causing it to lift him off the ground and fly himself away from the fire.

Simon opened his eyes as the vision faded. He and the queen shared a shocked glance. "Did you see that?" He asked her.

"I did." Evangeline nodded. "King Hymnal was the one who burned down the original Castle Dragonfly. That mystery's gone unsolved for decades!"

"But why?" Simon pondered out loud. "The vision indicated that Hymnal did it on purpose. And he did it to destroy the first Great Book. He mentioned something about his son, Skywind. As if he was in danger. Let's delve a little deeper…"

The next vision was years after King Hymnal, Skywind, and Solarius were all long deceased. Eclipsine was three years into his reign as king of Mewni and his marriage with Shastica Spiderbite. At the time, the king and queen were hosting the Festival of Hearts; a celebration of love and marriages. As per tradition, the royal couple shared a kiss after announcing the commencement of the festivities. However, once they were out of sight, Eclipsine angrily shoved Shastica aside and reached into his coat pocket for a bottle of mouthwash.

"Oh, you can't fool me, dear." Shastica boasted, even as her husband gargled the liquid in his mouth and spit it out. "You couldn't have kissed me like that if you didn't mean it!"

Eclipsine took off his hat and gave an exaggerated bow in a mocking manner. "Meet the greatest actor in all of Mewni!" He scoffed, bitterly. "I'd rather kiss a python!"

"You don't mean that."

"Oh, no?" Eclipsine snapped his fingers and pointed at the MHC. "Rhombulie? Let me see one of your arms."

While the Magical High Commission shared their king's disdain for the Spiderbite family, they all grew tired of his attitude. Shastica had often complained that Eclipsine outright refused to bear a child with her; he would not even sleep in the same room as her. At last, they took action to address the problem.

"Your majesty, please try to understand." Omnitraxus spoke up. "You have a duty to your kingdom to sire an heir to the throne."

("And like it or not, Queen Shastica is your wife.") Lehkmat added. ("Now, it is your responsibility to carry on your family bloodline.")

"I don't have time for this." Eclipsine rolled his eyes. "I have far more important things to do today."

Shastica scowled at her husband. "Do you have a mistress or something?" She pestered, intrusively. "Don't think I don't pay attention! Every other week you sneak off to Stump-knows-where, and then sneak back with such a shameless smile on your face!"

Eclipsine smiled as he glared at Shastica. "Well, if it's any consolation… even if I did have a mistress, I promise I couldn't love her half as much as I hate you."

With that, the king dismissed himself to take care of his other kingly duties. After Shastica stormed off, the Magical High Commission stayed behind to discuss their situation with Eclipsine.

"So what if he and Shastica don't have kids?" Rhombulie shrugged. "Maybe she'll die and he can remarry."

"This isn't about who he's married to! Eclipsine is the twenty-ninth king!" Hekapoe growled. "The only way for King Brian to return and conquer the other dimensions is for the thirtieth king of his bloodline to wield the scepter!"

"Exactly." Omnitraxus nodded. "And as the Magical High Commission, we have a responsibility to ensure that King Brian can return to rule over Mewni. We have destroyed entire kingdoms to prevent anything from interfering with his plan."

Simon's eyes snapped back open, unable to finish listening. "Oh, my Stump…" He gasped. "Th-the MHC… they're just using my family?"

Evangeline got up from her seat to comfort her husband. "We need to get out of here." She suggested, scanning the room. "For all we know, those bastards are listening in on us as we speak."

"Not yet." Simon shook his head. "Something doesn't add up. If King Brian only needed thirty kings to be resurrected, why didn't it happen when Festivio inherited the scepter? Let's try to get one more vision."

Reluctantly, Evangeline held hands with Simon once more as another vision appeared inside the crystal ball.

King Festivio threw a tremendous party in celebration of Princess Chastity's acceptance of his proposal. While the lovebirds planned their wedding, the MHC met in secret.

("I told you all it wouldn't work.") Lehkmat bleated, angrily. ("Without the Dragonfly bloodline in his veins, King Festivio will never help us resurrect King Brian.")

"Well, what were we supposed to do?!" Hekapoe spluttered. "Let that filthy hybrid monster take up the scepter?! King Brian never would have wanted Eclipsine's real son to inherit his scepter!"

"Indeed. That's why we replaced Meteoro with Festivio in the first place." Omnitraxus agreed. "We'll just have to wait. Perhaps if Festivio's bloodline produces enough heirs, it will eventually produce one magically powerful enough to do the job."

"Well, we better do it fast." Rhombulie suggested. "Even without the scepter, Meteoro… or, should I say 'Master Atrocious' has been able to extend his lifespan by absorbing the souls of the more troublesome and forgettable students at his academy. If we don't find a suitable heir for the scepter, he could eventually get wise to our plan."

Again, Simon opened his eyes. "So that's it… that's the only reason why Brian hasn't returned. But if Meteoro ever learns about his true heritage, he might start a coup to regain the scepter. And if that happens, all that magic will be used to… magic…" He whispered to himself. "That's it… that's the answer to what get's vanquished; magic! Dad was trying to warn me! King Brian's plan depends on magic in order to work! If we can stop the magic, we can prevent him from coming back!"

Evangeline blinked in shock at her husband's idea. "But how are we supposed to destroy magic?"

"There's a well beneath the castle." Simon explained, closing the Great Book and holding it under his arm. "It taps into the very realm where all magic originates from. If I can conjure up a counteracting spell, it'll negate Mewni's connection to all magic. We have to hurry. If the MHC have destroyed entire kingdoms for Brian, then I have no doubt that they'll… th-they'll…"

Simon lost his voice as he backed away from the table with a frightened expression. Evangeline drew her sword as she realized what had frightened Simon. "We'll what, your majesty?" Omnitraxus Prime's voice echoed from the confines of her crystal ball. The other members of the Magical High Commission slowly emerged from the darkness with a sinister gleam in their eyes. Simon and Evangeline were back-to-back to protect each other, with Daisy close to their feet.

But while Simon and Daisy were focused on Hekapoe, Rhombulie, and Lehkmat, Evangeline's attention shifted back to the table. The queen noticed the crystal ball rise up from the tablecloth; a feeling of dread built up in her chest as it began to glow brightly. It wasn't until the orb made a dive for the king that she sprung into action.

"SIMON! DAISY! LOOK OUT!" She shouted as she pushed her loved ones out of the orb's path. Unfortunately, doing so left herself vulnerable to the attack.

Simon looked on in horror as the crystal ball had vaporized Evangeline's head. Her sword slid over to his feet and he picked it up before he reached into his coat for a special potion. He smashed it against the ground, causing a shroud of smoke to blind his attackers as he and Daisy made a break for the door.

"Come on, Daisy! Keep up!" He shouted before casting a freeze spell to trap the MHC inside the room. After a few minutes of running, the king and his dog spotted a light in the distance. "There it is! The exit to the castle!" He shouted before his fist clenched around his wife's sword. "But that's not where I'm going! Evangeline sacrificed herself to save us! She knew, as well as I do, that King Brian's resurrection could threaten Edward, and so she gave me a chance to protect him! The only place I'm running… is straight for the Well of Magic!"

After hearing her master's rousing speech, Daisy felt her tail untuck between her legs and shot upwards as she growled in agreement. With their resolve strengthened, the king and his dog rushed downstairs. Hekapoe was the first to catch up to them due to his innate superspeed. Using his scissors, he slashed the king's ankle, sending him tumbling down the remainder of the stairs. Daisy angrily sank her teeth into the blacksmith's arms, forcing him to stumble down the stairs, too. Hekapoe roared in pain as he tore the dog off of his arm and threw her into a nearby wall.

"Stupid mutt!" He shouted, angrily stomping on the canine's ribcage. "You worthless stray! You miserable dog!"

"Stop! Stop it!" Simon cried out. He ran towards Hekapoe, only to trip on his tattered pant leg. As he fell, a crystal soared over his head, barely grazing his scalp and encased the door to the Well in a crystalline wall. "No!"

Simon tried to channel Solarius' crystal shattering spell through his hands, but Omnitraxus' orb began circling around him, vaporizing the ground beneath her as she went. Hekapoe and Rhombulie watched with interest, wanting to see when their sister would finally close in on their former king and kill him.

"It's a shame it had to end this way, Simon!" Hekapoe remarked, tauntingly. "Of all the false kings we've been forced to serve… I hated you least!"

What none of the MHC noticed was that Daisy was beginning to recover from Hekapoe's savage beating and limped towards Simon.

Simon was horrified as he realized the truth; the brave dog was trying to follow her master's last command. "Daisy, stop! Please!" He begged. "Don't risk your life because of me! If you try anything else, your ribs will sink deeper into your heart and kill you! Carlos never wanted this! He couldn't have known that this would happen! Besides, he told you to look after the prince, didn't he?! Well, Edward's the prince, now! You have to look after him, now! Keep him safe from the Commission in my stead!"

Omnitraxus' void circled ever closer, forcing Simon to his knees as he gave in to despair. The pitbull let out a soft whimper as she gazed into Simon's eyes. "... Adiós… Daisy." He smiled, sadly.

Once Omnitraxus' crystal ball reached the center, she reverted to her true form to survey the area. The MHC nodded to each other, pleased with keeping King Brian's secret safe. They were just about to leave the room when a few drops of blood fell from the ceiling. The trio looked up in shock to see their king suspended in the air.

"Dammit, Daisy!" Simon sobbed. "I told you not to waste your strength trying to save me, but you just had to show off, didn't you?!"

As far as the Magical High Commission were concerned, Daisy was just a filthy stray from Earth without resolve or pride. But by its very nature, magical abilities are a manifestation of the soul, and Daisy's had acted on its own accord. Her love for Simon had compelled her to use the last of her telekinetic abilities to lift him up into the air out of reach of those who wished to harm him. But her bravery had cost her her life, and as a result, her telekinetic hold on Simon was broken.

Enraged, Simon unsheathed Evangeline's sword as he fell back to the floor. Omnitraxus tried to grab him, but the sword dug into the center of her skull, splitting it open. "You're too slow for your own good, Prime!" Simon snarled, bitterly. The mistress of space-time collapsed to the floor, startling her brother and sisters. Simon tried to pull the sword out, but only broke it in half as a result. He stumbled backwards and he found himself before Daisy's lifeless body.

"... good girl…" Simon whimpered, leaning over the dog. "... good girl…" Another blast of crystals prompted the king to grab the broken sword and Book and flew up towards his bedroom at the tower.

"Disgusting." Hekapoe sneered as he tossed the dog's body through the portal.

Meanwhile, Simon deactivated his mewberty form once he reached the tower. His injuries taking a toll on him, he slumped against a wall and slid to the floor. He couldn't understand why his father's prophecy was proving so difficult to fulfill. It had been foreseen that magic would be vanquished, and his vision with the tarot cards all but guaranteed success. So how could Brian's underlings have prevented him from carrying it out?

It was then that Simon remembered the rest of his father's riddle; "Add four more reigns to his domain, and then what gets vanquished?" The prophecy couldn't be fulfilled by himself, but by his great-great-grandchild. Simon hated the idea of leaving this task in the hands of his descendants, and wished that there was something he could do to help them. His eyes lit up as he realized that there was something he could do. Taking advantage of the distance he had put between himself and the MHC, the Shy king used his wife's damaged sword to slit open the tip of his finger and opened the Great Book for one last entry.

"I cast this spell with blood of pure… my father's prediction, please ensure…" He chanted as he drew the symbols in the Great Book. "Let our family produce an heir… so that the Dragonfly name might be repaired… and to help him keep the evil one at bay… give him a true love along the way… give her strength that will surely last… the strength of our lovers from the past… and should he need us in his fight… the former Dragonflies will once more take flight!'

The symbols he had written in the Great Book began to glow with power until it closed and fell to the floor. His spell was now cemented into the scepter, and his victory was at hand. He was just about to run back downstairs when a fiery gust of wind blew in. The next thing he knew, Hekapoe was standing right in front of him with a pair of inter-dimensional scissors stabbed into his stomach. The blacksmith pulled his weapon out from the wound and opened a portal to the plaza inside the castle just as Rhombulie and Lehkmat arrived.

Simon fell to his knees as the traitorous Commission stared him down. After coughing up blood, the king smirked at his murderers; although they didn't realize it, he had beaten them. No matter how long it would take, his spell had been put into place, and they would face justice for their crimes. And more importantly, his beloved Evangeline - as well as many others - would live on in the future. So, with the last of his strength, he smiled at his murderers and breathed out one last poem.

"Betrayed by friends… my love is gone… I return to my father's side… but my son will live on… and thus, it ends… my time has come… I regret nothing…" Having heard enough, Hekapoe gave Simon a firm kick to the chest, knocking him into the portal. "It… was… fun…"

The citizens and delegates screamed in horror as their king landed on the ground.

One week later, Prince Edward and his new wife returned from the Earth-dimension. Azure went upstairs to freshen up while Edward searched for his parents. "Hey, dad! Mom! I'm home!" He called out. "I brought you some of that Earth food you guys like!"

But no matter how much he called out, his parents wouldn't respond. He couldn't even hear Daisy coming to greet him."Dad? Mom?" He repeated, starting to feel a bit more nervous. "Momma?! Pop?! Daisy?! Where are you?!"

"Prince Edward!" Omnitraxus gasped as she entered the room, along with her brother and sisters. "Thank goodness you're safe!"

"Aunt Omni, where are my mom and dad?!" Edward asked, desperately. "And what happened to you?! Your skull looks like it was split open! Were we attacked?!"

"I'm sorry to tell you this, your highness…" Omnitraxus rested her giant hands on the prince's shoulders with a sympathetic expression. "But while you and Azure were away, a rogue monster legion managed to infiltrate the magic barrier and… and they killed the king and queen."

Edward's heart sank as he gazed down at his family scepter. The rest of the Magical High Commission arrived with solemn expressions. Edward rushed over to Rhombulie with tears in his eyes. "Aunt Rhombie! Tell me it's not true!"

"I'm sorry, your highness." The crystalline being apologized. "But it's true. Those filthy monsters killed your parents."

Hekapoe stepped forward. "Forgive me for sounding crass, but with the king and queen gone, you will have to be drafted into the title of king early."

Edward's grip on the scepter tightened as a righteous fury built up in his heart. "Alright then." He growled. "Then get me an audience with General Loveberry. I want him to hunt down and kill the monsters who did this. We'll go back to war if we have to. But I want my parents avenged."

Later that night, the new king and queen of Mewni were fast asleep. Edward dreamt of his younger years, crying in his sleep as memories of his parents flooded his unconscious mind. Suddenly, his sunflower cheek-marks shone brightly in the dark and his eyes snapped open. Without disturbing his slumbering wife, Edward silently made his way downstairs into the library, where he opened the Great Book of Magic to his chapter. Still in his trance, he picked up the scepter - which, in his hands, had taken the form of an ink pen - and began to write as a soft voice whispered in his ear.

"Break the bond, tear the fabric, cleave the stone, stop the magic."

Edward broke from the trance and looked down at what he had just written. While he couldn't quite understand why he had written the spell, he was able to recognize its purpose. His father must have been trying to tell him something from beyond the grave. The drafted king dubbed this "the whispering spell," and closed the book.

"Edward?" Azure yawned as she entered the library. "What're you doing down here?"

"I'm… not sure." He admitted. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you, baby."

"You didn't." She softly whispered and wrapped her arms around him. "It felt like you weren't here… and I was worried."

Edward felt a soft smile coming on and he got up to kiss his new bride. "I love you." He whispered.

"I love you, too." She promised, happily. "So much."

What hides behind the golden mask

The hand does sweetly hold?

A trove of cosmic secrets

That never will be told.

To Be Continued!

Author's notes: Honestly, it never sat well with me that Celena didn't actually have any cosmic secrets. So here, I have given Simon at least one; the knowledge of the MHC's betrayal! And what's more, he did something about it! Bet you didn't see that coming! As always, please read and review.