ACT XIII: Comet II, the Underestimated Part 9: Taffy's Return

The Remains of St. Olaf's School for Wayward Princes.

Comet's heart rate had skyrocketed once the deafening explosion that demolished St. Olaf's went off, but upon hearing that his best friend had been abducted, he feared it might flatline. "What happened?!" He screamed, shaking Kyle. "What do you mean, Marcia's been kidnapped?! Who took her?!"

"Prince Comet, calm down!" Kyle broke free from the prince's grip and grabbed him by the shoulders. "We don't know who, but we saw tracks leading towards Castle Avarius!"

Without hesitation, Comet picked up his scepter and started running towards the Forest of Certain Death. "Okay, you guys go back to Dragontown and rally the Solarian Trio!" He shouted back to Kyle and Dama. "Then go to Castle Dragonfly and tell my dad to meet us-!"

Comet was suddenly tackled to the ground by Pony Head and the three other princes who were responsible for the school's destruction. "You're not going anywhere until we get this sorted out, Dragonfly!" William shouted.

"What-?! Get off of me!" Comet ordered as he easily shrugged them off and rose to his feet, but they tackled him once more. "What is your problem?!"

"What do you think the MHC is gonna do to us if they find out we did this?!" James snapped.

"We're not gonna let you snitch on us!" Pony Head exclaimed.

"Look, I don't care about that, alright?!" Comet snapped back. He slammed the hilt of his scepter on the ground, blowing the four princes back with a light magic blast. "I just want to help my friend!"

"Then swear you won't tell anyone what happened here, Dragonfly!" Pony Head ordered. "How else are we supposed to know you won't turn us in to make yourself look good?!"

"Are you serious?!" Comet couldn't believe how shallow Pony Head was being, but decided to go along for Marcia's sake. "Fine! I promise!"

"No! Give us a royal-promise!" Pony Head demanded. "Say you royal-promise not to tell anyone what really happened here!"

Comet groaned in annoyance, but dropped to one knee and placed his left hand on his heart and held up his right hand in the air. "I royal-promise not to tell anyone what really happened here." He said, flatly.

James, William, Harry, and Pony Head nodded at each other. "Okay, now get out of here and let us handle the details." Pony Head remarked.

"Whatever." Comet rolled his eyes and made his way back to Kyle and Dama. "Like I said, Dama, go back to Dragontown and rally the Solarian Trio. Kyle, go to Castle Dragonfly and tell my parents to meet us at Castle Avarius."

"What about you?" Dama asked.

"I'm going to get Marcia!" Comet replied as if it were obvious. But as he turned to run towards the forest, he was stopped once more.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!" Kyle ran in front of Comet to block his path. "You can't go in alone!"

"I won't be alone!" Comet replied. "Once I save Marcia, she'll have my back!"

"Your highness, I must object!" Dama added, standing next to Kyle. "As a Solarian, my highest priority is protecting the royal family! And you-"

"Lady Dama, with all due respect, you forfeited the right to give that excuse when you asked my father for a transfer!" Comet replied, losing patience. "Now get out of my way and do as you're told!"

"But, my liege-!"

"That is an order!"

Dama sighed in defeat. "Yes, my prince." With that, Comet finally entered the Forest of Certain Death while Kyle ran towards the Dragonfly castle. "C'mon, we've gotta get to Dragontown." Dama waved, motioning for the other princes to follow her. "I hope the Trio were able to round up a few volunteers from the Solarian army."

Dragontown. Mewni.

"How many times are you gonna make me say it?!" Harold fumed, impatiently, at his commanding officer. "Headmaster Atrocious is about to execute four princes and drain their life force to fuel his immortality!"

While General Loveberry studied the photographs with interest, Sgt. Manhandle was a bit more skeptical. "These are serious accusations, son. Do you have anything more concrete?"

While Harold argued with their commanding officer, Franklin and Vincent had tried to rally some of their friends in the mess hall. But no none of them believed what they were saying. They knew that princes all over Mewni feared Headmaster Atrocious, but they all figured that some who worked directly under the Magical High Commission's thumb would risk killing future kings. Once they were alone, Franklin irritably turned around to see his friend, Vincent, emptying out the cafeteria's vending machine.

"Oh, that's lovely." Franklin huffed. "Right now, Atrocious could be killing four princes, the prince we were once tasked with protecting is risking his life to save them, and all because we asked for his help! And yet, still, you've managed to eat fifteen bags of Cornitos, two whole legs of lamb, an entire barrel of ale, and now an entire vending machine of candy bars?!"

Franklin punctuated his frustration by slapping Vincent's snacks to the floor. "Do not mistake my appetite for apathy!" Vincent angrily snapped back.

Suddenly, a mace landed on the table behind them as Harold angrily stormed in. "Idiots! They're all idiots! Manhandle refused to give us reinforcements!"

Vincent clenched his fists and drew his sword. "Very well, then! If our Solarian brothers in arms refuse to stop this injustice, then Atrocious' tyranny will be brought down by the Solarian Trio, alone!"

Just then, Dama burst in through the door, out of breath. "Dama? What're you doing here?" Franklin asked.

"Uh, Prince Comet saved the other princes…" She wheezed. "But Marcia got kidnapped… and now Comet's about to break into Castle Avarius to save her… so he sent me to get you, and Storkson to get-"

She was interrupted when the crowd of rescued princes outside gasped in shock. Something had landed outside of the barracks, and Kyle stepped inside to call them out. Dama and the Trio followed their friend outside and froze in surprise. King Mars, in his mewberty form, stood before the warrior quartet with his arms crossed.

"Your majesty!" Franklin said, as he and his comrades bowed in respect. "W-what brings you here?"

"Where is my son?" Mars growled, impatiently.

The Forest of Certain Death. Mewni.

Buff Frog was in a state of depression. Just a few weeks ago, she had been banished from Luna's army on account of too many failures to steal Prince Comet's wand and was now in the midst of building her own home in the Forest of Certain Death. Unfortunately, she didn't have any money to actually buy building supplies, so her "home" consisted of nothing more than a barren patch of dirt surrounded by trees, a dirty sofa, a dresser made of rotted wood, a broken lamp, and a single door with no walls to surround it. Ever since her parents had passed away when she was little, she had relied on her aunt Yulia to take care of her. But after her aunt had died, she joined up with Luna's army in the hopes that she had finally found a home. But now, she was once again all alone with no one to count on.

So, needless to say, she was surprised to see the little kappa who had banished her pulling a burlap sack through the dirt. Luna avoided making eye contact with the frog woman, but proceeded to tug the sack towards the door, much to Buff Frog's confusion. Once she reached the door, she took off her skull-crown and knocked on it.

She put on her best smile when her former lieutenant opened the door with a scowl. "Good evening, Buff Frog."

"What was the point of knocking?!" Buff Frog huffed. "You just walked right through my living room!"

"I'm sorry!" Luna gulped. "I never should have banished you, but I need your help!"

The frog woman scoffed. "What good would my help be? You'd just mess it up like you always do!"

"Please, I'll pay you this time!" Luna continued, holding up the sack. "You can have all of this if you'll help me, Buff Frog-"

"And stop calling me 'Buff Frog!'" She snapped, irritably. "You've been calling me that for years, and it's not even my real name!"

"Really?" Luna nervously bit her knuckles. "Uh, is it… Butt Frog?"

The frog monster scowled. "No. It's not 'Butt Frog.'"

"... is it Chloe?"

"My name is Yelena Bulgolyubov!"

"O-oh! So you're foreign." Luna stammered.

Before anything else could be said, Comet appeared out of nowhere and tackled Luna to the ground. "Give it up, Avarius! This is a new low even for you!"

"What are you talking abo-OW!" Luna grunted as Comet pressed his foot down on her face.

Comet spotted the burlap sack and immediately jumped to claim it. "Don't worry, Marcia! I've got you! I've got-!" He opened the sack and arched his eyebrow in confusion at what he saw inside. "… tadpoles?"

Yelena curiously leaned from her doorway to peek inside the sack. "Tadpoles?" She whispered. Much to the frog monster's pleasant surprise, the burlap sack contained eleven tadpole eggs. She picked one up and cradled it in her arms, a warm smile spreading over her lips. The tadpoles were the most beautiful things she had ever seen in her life; perhaps these little babies were just what she needed. She hastily snatched the others away from the prince for their safety when she noticed something odd. "Say… where is punching girl?"

"Wait… you guys didn't kidnap Marcia?" Comet asked.

Luna, seeing this as an opportunity to get the scepter, approached the prince. "Why, no. It must have been Taffy! She instigated a coup yesterday and kicked me out of my own castle! She must have kidnapped the punching girl to lure you here! Perhaps we can help each other! If you give me your scepter, I'll get you into-"

"No thanks." Comet pushed Luna aside and ventured on towards the castle.

"What?! Buff Frog! Help!" Luna ran up to her former lieutenant. "This is our chance to get the scepter!"

Yelena looked back down at the tadpole eggs and then back towards Castle Avarius. Acting quickly, she ran over to her dresser, put on her combat outfit, grabbed a glass tank full of water, gingerly placed the eggs inside, and strapped the tank to her back before running to catch up with the prince. "Wait! I will help you get punching girl." She offered.

"Look, I'm not giving up the scepter, alright?" Comet huffed. "I don't have time for Luna's schemes, okay?"

"I don't want your scepter. And I'm not offering for Luna. I am mother now." She pointed to the tank full of eggs strapped to her back. "So all I ask in return is that once you get rid of Taffy, you give me the castle to raise them in, yes?"

"WHAT?!" Luna gawked in disbelief. "You're going to work with him to steal my castle?! You traitor!"

"You can't betray someone who fired you." Yelena sneered before turning back to Comet. "Listen, I understand your doubt, but for now, our goals intertwine. You want to get punching girl out of castle, and I want my babies to grow up in castle. You don't have to trust me. But consider alternative."

Comet looked behind the frog monster to see Luna trying to sneak up on him and swipe the scepter from him. He looked back at the castle; he had never been inside Castle Avarius before, so the monsters now held the home field advantage. Whoever this Taffy was, she had thought this through. Taking a deep breath, he used his scepter to swat Luna away towards the other side of the forest and turned back to Yelena.

"Okay. It's a deal." He agreed and shook the monster's hand. "Now, let's get moving!"

"Whoa, hold on!" Yelena held the prince back. "Before we do this, you need to know what we're dealing with. Taffy is nothing like Luna. We need to be smart about this."

A few minutes later, the prince and his ally climbed the castle walls and snuck in through the tower. As they pressed on, they managed to incapacitate three other monsters to prevent them from interfering with a future confrontation with Taffy. Unknown to Comet, Indexia had been hiding inside of his pocket and was scanning his body with the gem in her forehead. Dring Comet's battle with Atrocious, she knew that the prince had not dipped down to defeat the wicked headmaster, but suspected that it was something else entirely. At last, her suspicions were confirmed when she detected a dark blue vein on the boy's heart; a connection to the Dark Dimension. Her former pupil's three-hundred-year plan was finally coming to a head.

She flew out of his pocket towards his ear. "Prince Comet!" She whispered. "I need to tell you something!"

"Not now, Indexia!" Comet irritably whispered back as he and Yelena peeked inside the castle's dining hall.

Taffy and the other monsters were all seated at the large dining table, eating an assortment of different meats. Boo-Fly kept pestering Taffy if she wanted a pillow to sit on, but the new leader insisted that she was not a child. Bearicorn and Battling Ram were in the middle of a friendly arm-wrestling match. Beard Deer, Giraffe-Neck, and Flower Power were playing cards. And all the way on the other side of the room, Marcia Diaz was strapped to a wooden chair sitting inside a glass box.

"My prince, I really need to tell you something!" Indexia tried again.

But once he had spotted Marcia, Comet immediately rushed into the room despite Yelena's objections. His first attack was aimed directly at the lizardwoman, blowing her entire right arm off and knocking her over in the process. Taffy stayed on the floor with a look of annoyance while her minions retaliated. Yelena shook her head in frustration and hurried to aid Comet in the fight. While she fought off Battling Ram and Bearicorn, Comet continued towards the glass prison.

His first attack was a standard narwhal blast, but that didn't even scratch the surface of the box. Before he could try something else, Giraffe-Neck slammed his head down on the prince. Comet merely blew his bangs out of his eyes and blasted the monster aside with a wave of his scepter. He conjured a spiraling flame in an attempt to melt the glass, but was cut off when Beard Deer tackled him to the ground. Comet transformed the scepter into a blade and sliced off Beard Deer's antlers before kicking him aside. He transformed the scepter into a hammer and threw it at the glass prison. It managed to crack it, but the glass immediately repaired itself.

Inside the glass box, Marcia had managed to slip one of her wrists through the ropes and untie the others around her ankles and other wrist. Then, she picked up the chair and started beating it against the glass, but only ended up splintering the chair. She tried punching it to break free, but it felt like punching smooth bricks. She shouted for Comet to look out behind him just as Battling Ram started to charge. Comet leapt out of the way, hoping that the monster would shatter the box, but it still remained undamaged.

"Enough." Comet declared as he set up a flaming barrier to keep the attacking monsters away from the box, Yelena, her tadpoles, and himself. Lifting the scepter above his head, Comet's cheek marks began to glow brighter than ever before. Everyone - even Taffy - watched in silent awe as Comet channeled all of his mystic strength into the scepter for a much stronger blast. As he aimed the scepter at the glass prison, his cheek marks suddenly darkened into a deep blue, and Marcia wisely ducked down out of the way before the beam shot forth.

Shards of broken glass burst into the air, but quickly shattered into harmless specks of dust. Once the ringing in her ears faded, Marcia cautiously sat up to look back at her best friend in bewilderment. Comet rushed forward to embrace her, the glass rematerialized out of thin air and the prince ran face-first into it. Marcia yelped in shock as the walls of the box began closing in on her. Comet fearfully scrambled to his feet and banged his fists on the glass.

"Don't bother." Taffy grunted as she got back in her seat and regenerated her arm. "That glass is twice as thick as before. The only way to get her out of there is if I allow it."

The prince of Mewni angrily gripped his scepter and in the blink of an eye he was standing on the long dining table, aiming it directly at the lizard woman's face. He closed his eyes and let out a furious breath through his nostrils. "Fine…" Comet held his arm out and unceremoniously dropped his family's scepter on a plate in front of Taffy. "There. You have the scepter. Use it however you want. Now, let Marcia go!"

"'Use it?'" Taffy scoffed and slid the plate towards Comet's feet. "No, no, no, no. I want you to destroy it."

Comet, Marcia, and Yelena gaped in shock at such a statement. "What…?"

"SURPRISE!" Taffy smiled, maniacally, for a split second before reverting to her deadpan expression.

"B-but… I can't destroy it." Comet explained. "It's been around for thousands of years. It's been used as a blunt weapon and never got so much as a scratch. How am I supposed to destroy it?"

"There's a certain spell that can do the job." Taffy grinned. "The first spell your father taught you."

Comet gasped in fear as he realized what Taffy was talking about. He looked down at the scepter resting at his feet; his family's most prized possession. The scepter was the only thing that could maintain the magic barrier around the kingdom and protect Mewni from its enemies. If he were to destroy it, he would condemn his entire home realm to anarchy and chaos. His own family might even disown him out of shame. But as he looked back at the glass walls closing around Marcia, he had no choice but to give in to Taffy's demands.

Comet dropped to his knees, picked up the scepter, and lifted it to his lips. Marcia helplessly watched as Comet prepared to sacrifice something of such importance for her sake. With tears in his eyes, the prince whispered the spell. "Break the bond… tear the fabric… cleave the stone… stop the magic…"

The scepter's crystal drained itself of color and a puff of black smoke rose from the bell; the scepter had been depowered. Comet wiped his eyes and dropped it back on the table. "There. Now let Marcia go!" He ordered.

"A deal is a deal." Taffy nodded with a content smile. With a snap of her fingers, the glass box stopped shrinking, returned to its original size, and formed a doorway for Marcia to step through.

As Comet got back on his feet, Indexia jumped out of his pocket and dove into the depowered scepter, much to her newest pupil's confusion. Suddenly, a pink crescent-shaped cloud popped up over the crystal, and the scepter began to violently shake on the plate. Uncertain of what this meant, Comet bolted from the table, ran into the glass prison, and closed the opening behind him.

"BUFF FROG! GET OUT OF HERE!" He shouted before tackling Marcia to the floor to shield her with his body.

Yelena gasped and hugged the glass tank strapped to her back. "My babies…" She whispered before bolting for the exit.

The scepter's vibrations grew stronger and the crystal in the center of the bell cracked in half. Taffy smiled as a bright light burst forth from the crack and a massive explosion decimated the castle. Yelena had escaped just in time with all of her adopted children intact, and slowly shuffled through the debris to search for survivors. The glass prison had been completely atomized in the blast, but thankfully the two prisoners had been spared.

Comet hadn't let go of Marcia since he entered the prison, crying into her shoulder even as she sat up to look at the crater where the scepter had once been. "Comet…" She spoke at last. "Comet, you destroyed your scepter."

"Forget the stupid scepter!" Comet sobbed as he held Marcia at arm's length. "I thought I was gonna lose you! I can live without the scepter, Marcia! I cannot live without you!"

Marcia gently wiped away Comet's tears, touched by his emotional declaration. "You really mean that."

Comet sniffled and flashed a small smile. "Well, of course." He nodded. "You're my best friend."

Before anything else could be said, Comet felt something scratching at his leg. The two teens looked down and gasped in surprise. Indexia was walking around on all fours with the scepter in her mouth. Comet quickly picked it up to examine it; other than half of the star-shaped crystal missing, the family heirloom appeared to be unharmed. The prince showed it off to Marcia, who happily patted him on the shoulder.

"Indexia! You saved the scepter! How'd you counteract the Whispering Spell?" Comet knelt down to help his teacher up on her feet, but the mage simply slumped back onto all fours. "Indexia? Dexy? Are you okay?"

"Globgal!" Indexia yelped as she pranced around in circles with a blank expression. "Globgal! Globgal! Globgal!"

"Ooooooh, that can't be good." Marcia hissed through her teeth. "I think she's broken."

Just then, the two teens heard a rumbling noise coming from the horizon. Comet hastily pocketed Indexia and aimed his scepter in the direction of the noise while Marcia threw up her fists. Yelena slowly crept up from behind, still carrying her tadpoles, and prepared to help in any way she could. "What now?" She asked.

"I'm not sure." Comet shrugged. "Maybe Atrocious rebuilt his robot goons and is out for blood."

"What?!" Marcia spluttered in disbelief as the crowd arrived. "Atrocious is still alive?!"

At last, the approaching crowd came into view. It was a group of Solarians riding on horseback towards the massive crater that had once been Castle Avarius. Comet instructed Yelena to stay put for her safety while he ran up to greet them. Marcia followed close behind.

"Kyle! Dama!" Comet called out. "Thank Stump you brought the cavalry!"

"Comet Galaxius Astro Celestio Cosmo Dragonfly the Second!" A familiar voice called out from the leader of the group. "What is the meaning of this?!"

"Dad?" Comet blinked in surprise. "What're you doing here?"

"What are you doing here, young man?! I have been getting reports all over Mewni! St. Olaf's has been destroyed! There was another explosion on our way here-" As Mars jumped down from his horse and took off his helmet, he noticed that the crystal in the scepter was missing half of itself. "What happened to the scepter?!"

Comet nervously bit his lip. "Uh… I… I-I… I can't lie anymore!" He wailed. "Dad, from the very first day I went to Earth, Luna and her rogue monster army tried to steal the scepter from me, but Marcia and I fought them off every time! So they kicked Luna out of her own castle and kidnapped Marcia to lure me here, but their new leader just wanted me to destroy the scepter, so I used the whispering spell to save Marcia's life, but Indexia fixed it, but now she's broken, and-"

"This is a lot of information to take in." Lake remarked in shock as she removed her own helmet.

Mars was livid. He grabbed Comet by the wrist and started pulling him towards his horse. "You kept this from me?! Do you have any idea how this looks?! Mewni is in a state of emergency, and Pony Head told the MHC that you saw who destroyed St. Olaf's!"

"He what-?!" Comet growled, but shook his head and resisted his father's pull. "Dad, wait, you don't understand!"

"Yeah! Atrocious was killing kids!" Marcia tried to explain. "Comet fought him off, but he's still out there!"

"We'll find him later." Mars replied, impatiently. "Comet, you have a lot to answer for! You lied to me and your mother, and put yourself in danger! You are grounded! And you can forget about going back to Earth!"

"Th-that's not fair!" Comet began to cry.

"No, what's not fair is that I have to clean up your mess!" Mars argued.

"Guys, can we please focus on the real problem?!" Marcia snapped.

Tearfully, Comet pulled his hand free from his father's grasp. "Dad, you never listen to me!" He shouted.

Mars blinked in surprise. "W-what?"

"Uuuuuh, okay." Marcia shrugged. "That's not really what I meant, but-"

Comet took advantage of his father's silence, pacing in front of the king as he let years of pent up emotions pour out. "I-I mean, you've been ashamed of me ever since I asked you about grandpa! So I've been trying my best to be a perfect prince to make it up to you! But even after all the etiquette lessons, studying the Great Book quietly, and going to that school I hate, you still barely talk to me!"

Lake cupped a hand over her mouth in shock and Mars' jaw dropped. The other Solarians muttered to each other, both impressed and surprised by their prince's sudden outburst. Despite that, Marcia began to smile. "This is good!" She encouraged. "Keep going!"

"You didn't listen when I said the other kids were bullying me, or when I said I needed to talk to you about serious stuff! And then, I burned down that village when I got the scepter so you sent me away to Earth because you were so disappointed in me! At first, I was afraid I made our relationship worse, but then I started to love living there! So when Luna started attacking me and Marcia, I knew if I told you, you'd try to bring me back! And now, you want to take me away because you still don't think I can handle myself even though I just saved Marcia! That means we have issues, dad! And we have to talk about it! Because Marcia says that unresolved parental issues can lead to premature hair loss, and I'm already short and I don't think I can handle being bald!"

The prince's words echoed throughout the forest, leaving everyone in stunned silence save for Comet's heavy breaths after non-stop talking. Mars shared a glance with his wife who mouthed for him to say something. Marcia stood next to the queen, nodding in agreement and giving the king two thumbs up. Mars looked back at his son, who appeared to be on the verge of tears. At last, he found his voice.

"I… I-I never knew you felt that way, Comet. I mean… I didn't mean to… I never thought you were…" Mars sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. A sad chuckle slipped through his lips as he started again. "You're right. You're right. The scepter, the fire, the Earth-Realm, I just… I don't- I don't know what to… your grandpa, he… he was good with stuff like this. But me? Heh. I guess I need a lot of work."

Comet wiped his eyes as he listened to his father open up. Lake was still shocked, but moved her hands away from her mouth and cupped them over her heart. Even Marcia calmed down a bit; feeling less excited that her friend was taking her psychological advice, and a bit more emotional at seeing father and son reconcile. Mars knelt down to look his son in the eyes as he went on.

"When I took the throne, it helped me learn how to be a king… but not a whole lot about being a dad." He sighed, but continued, earnestly. "But I'm still learning. You're teaching me. And I need you to understand that I am not ashamed of you. I have never been ashamed of you. And I love you, no matter what. And I'm sorry if I ever made you feel like… like that was something you had to earn."

Comet smiled, tearfully, and hugged his father. Lake took a handkerchief out of her pocket to wipe her eyes and blow her nose; she was so happy to see her husband and son like this. Likewise, Marcia happily crossed her arms as she looked on at the touching scene.

"We'll talk more about this later, son. I promise." Mars said as he broke the hug. "But you need to come home right now. The Magical High Commission have questions that need answered."

"Just a second." Comet ran back towards Yelena and her tadpoles. He took the scepter out from his belt and aimed it at the barren patch of land where Yelena had tried to build a home for herself. With a wave of the scepter, the prince conjured up a fully furnished two-story house for the frog monster and her newly adopted children. "I, uh, I know it's not exactly what we agreed on, but at least now your tadpoles will have a roof over their heads."

The frog monster was touched by the gesture. "Thank you, your highness."

"You know my name." He grinned. "Use it."

Yelena smiled and patted his shoulder. "Thank you, Prince Comet."

"No, thank you." Comet shook her hand once more, much to the disbelief of his parents and the Solarians gathered.

Castle Mortician. Mewni.

The next morning, the Magical High Commission had called for an immediate session to discover who had destroyed St. Olaf's. Every prince and princess in Mewni were subpoenaed into attending. Comet and Pony Head had been singled out as key witnesses to the crime and had been ordered by the commission to reveal the perpetrator, or face the consequences. Mars tried to convince the Commission of Comet's innocence, but Etherio Dragonfly - who had offered to host the trial in his kingdom - argued that having the King of Mewni as a character witness for his own son was a conflict of interest. Kyle eagerly offered to speak on Comet's behalf, but Etherio convinced the Commission that they couldn't take the word of a Woolet. In the end, the only person who was allowed to represent the prince was Marcia; his Earth-guide. Prince Pony Head, on the other hand, sat next to his father; Marcia scowled, having deduced that the backstabbing prince revealed everything to his father.

Once the Commission took their seats, Etherio called the session to order. "Prince Pony Head, your father has informed the Commission that you were a witness to who destroyed St. Olaf's. Is that correct?"

Pony Head cleared his throat. "Well, uh, I didn't have my contact lenses at the time. And it was very dark, so I can only guess."

"Prince Pony Head, you are trying our patience." Etherio sneered. "We offered you amnesty for your crimes that got you sent to St. Olaf's in the first place, but only if you cooperate! Now, do you know who did it, or not?"

Pony Head gulped. "Like I said, I didn't have my contact lenses in, so don't quote me on it. But they looked like Princes Harry Pottsmith, James Francopolis, and William Hunt." He admitted, at last. As he looked out into the crowd, he could see his three friends glaring at him for breaking their code, so he desperately tried to take everyone's attention off of him. "Look, why don't you ask Dragonfly? I mean, he was a lot closer."

As Etherio and the Commission conversed with each other, Marcia angrily glared at Pony Head and silently threatened the back-stabbing prince by sliding a finger over her throat. Regardless, she straightened herself once the Commission turned towards Comet. The prince nervously stood up from his seat and bowed before his great-uncle.

"Prince Comet Dragonfly the Second…" Etherio began again. "Were you, or were you not at St. Olaf's on the night of its destruction?"

"Yes, Uncle Etherio." Comet nodded. "I was."

"You don't wear contact lenses, do you?"

Comet shook his head. "N-no, Uncle Etherio."

"With your flawless, twenty-twenty vision, can you please tell us what you saw at St. Olaf's?"

"I-I already told you." Comet spoke into the microphone placed at his desk. "I saw Headmaster Atrocious draining the life force from certain princes to-"

"Comet, do not change the subject!" Etherio warned sternly. "We are not here to discuss any alleged crimes committed by the illustrious Headmaster Atrocious. We are here to discover the criminals behind the destruction of St. Olaf's School for Wayward Princes! If you refuse to answer our questions properly, you will face dire consequences. And by 'dire' I mean your very future shall be at stake! Now, tell us, Comet, what did you see?!"

"... I saw someone." Comet said, at last.

"You saw someone." Etherio repeated, nodding. "Good. And did you see what they looked like?"

"... yes."

"And what did they look like?"

"... they looked like… like…" Comet felt as if the entire weight of the universe rested on his shoulders. Because of him, the scepter had nearly been destroyed. If he were to expose the three princes who destroyed St. Olaf's, he could redeem himself in the eyes of the Commission. But something inside him wouldn't let him reveal the names. "... like anyone who attended St. Olaf's."

Etherio fought back the urge to smile while the rest of the Commission grumbled in frustration at the prince's lack of cooperation. Mars pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a heavy sigh while Lake comfortingly rubbed his back. Kyle looked down in shame, feeling absolutely helpless. Out in the crowd, Harry, James, and William sighed in relief, even as the other princes murmured to each other to discuss their surprise that the prince they had taunted refused to sell them out to save his own reputation.

Etherio cleared his throat. "Well, it seems that we are left with no real witness. Prince Pony Head's testimony is not only vague, it is unsubstantiated. The substance we were looking for, Prince Comet the Second, was to come from you."

"... I'm sorry." Comet whimpered.

"No, my boy, I'm sorry." Etherio replied, trying his best to sound sympathetic. "Because we must punish someone for this act of terrorism. And we cannot punish Princes Harry Pottsmith, James Francopolis, and William Hunt. And we certainly will not punish Prince Pony Head; he is the only one here who has displayed obedience and cooperation, and therefore is the only one worthy of calling himself a perfect prince. That leaves us… with you."

Marcia tried her best to silently comfort her friend as she looked on in disgust at the crowd. She could understand that Comet's parents wouldn't be allowed to let their personal feelings for him conflict with their duties, but after seeing Comet's own great-uncle intentionally corner him by manipulating the facts and ignoring the evidence against Atrocious, she felt a very familiar fire building in her chest. But she had made a promise to Mars and Lake that she would remain silent until called upon, and had every intention of keeping that promise in the hopes that there would be another chance to defend him. She told herself that she would not give in to anger this time.

And then, Comet began to cry.

"I'm going to recommend to the Magical High Commission that you be relieved of the scepter, dethroned as the heir to Mewni's kingdom, and returned to Mewni forever." Etherio said, sternly. Comet continued to look down in shame as his great-uncle went on. "You are a disgrace to your family's legacy, Prince Comet the Second, and you are a liar."

Marcia had finally heard enough. "But not a coward!" She barked, angrily.

Comet, Mars, Lake, the MHC, the citizens, and Etherio looked at the human girl in shock.

"I beg your pardon?" Etherio growled.

"Yeah? Well, you'll have to beg better than that." Marcia replied, smugly.

"Ms. Diaz, you are only here because-"

"This is such a crock of shit!" Marcia shouted, enticing a gasp from the court.

"Please, watch your language, Ms. Diaz. You are in a royal courtroom, not a fighting pit." Etherio scolded before clearing his throat. "Prince Comet, I will give you one last chance to speak the truth."

"Uh-" Comet tried to think of something to say, but Marcia silenced him with a wave of her hand.

"Prince Comet doesn't want it!" She declared, firmly. "He doesn't need to be labeled 'still worthy of being called a perfect prince!' What the hell does that even mean? What exactly is your motto, MHC? 'Princes and Princesses, rat out your friends! Save your own asses! Anything short of that, we'll burn you at the stake?' Well, let me tell you all something; when the shit hits the fan, some guys puss out and some guys nut up! Here's Comet, owning up to his actions - facing the fire - and there's Prince Pony Head hiding behind his daddy as he sells out! And what're you doing? You're gonna reward Pony Head! And ruin Comet."

Etherio rolled his eyes. "Are you finished, Ms. Diaz?" He huffed.

"No, I'm just getting warmed up!" Marcia spat back. Comet looked back at the crowd; all eyes were on the girl defending his honor. "What kind of a show are you jackasses putting on here, today?! Huh?! I mean, honestly, the only class in this act is sitting right next to me! And I can say for a fact that this guy's soul is intact! It's undeniable! It's unquestionable!"

"Ms. Diaz, you're out of order!" Etherio snapped.

"'Out of order?!' I'll show you out of order!" Marcia fumed, bolting up from her seat so quickly it startled Comet. "You don't know what out of order is, Mr. Etherio! I'd show you, but Comet's rubbed off on me in the short amount of time I've known him! And I'm all the better for it! If I were the woman I was six months ago, I'd take a wrecking ball to this place! But this guy, right here, is the most decent person in this dimension! And if you can't see that, then you five are the biggest dumbasses I have ever met! Comet has given you all valid evidence that Atrocious was straight up murdering the very students he was tasked to protect, and instead of assembling a mob to hunt down that bastard, you're gonna take it all out on the kid who busted him?! And why?! Because he's not a 'perfect prince!' Perfect prince." She spat, mockingly, as if saying the words left a bad taste in her mouth. "You hurt this guy, you're gonna be perfect assholes! The lot of ya! And Harry! Jimmy! Billy! Wherever you are out there…" Marcia turned to the crowd, hoping she was at least looking in the general direction of the princes she was calling out. "... FUCK YOU, TOO!"

In the crowd, Harry, James, and William slumped in their seats, trying not to be seen. Etherio was at his wit's end as he furiously slammed his gavel against the podium. "Sit down, Ms. Diaz!" He ordered.

"I'm not finished!" Marcia barked back. "Who gives a fuck if Comet was willing to give up the scepter to a monster to save his friend's life?! He still fucking has it! In the past twenty-four hours, this wonderful young man has single-handedly taken down a child-murderer and a terrorist monster group! And risked his own life to do it! That doesn't tell me that he's not a perfect prince! That tells me that he won't abandon his friends to save his own skin, or sell anybody out to buy his future! And that, ladies and gentlemen, is called 'integrity!' That's called 'courage!' Now, that's the kind of stuff leaders should be made of!"

Etherio's face was bright red at this point, but the rest of the Magical High Commission seemed to be taking what Marcia said to heart. Omnitraxus pursed her lips as she considered the multitude of options each decision carried, Hekapoe stroked his chin with an interested smirk, and Rhombulie and Lehkmat whispered to each other. Marcia took notice of this, and allowed herself to calm down, slightly.

"Now, I don't know what Comet was like before he came to Earth." She admitted. "But I can tell you this; he's faced many challenges. He has chosen his path in life. It's the right path! It's a path that builds character. That makes good people better. And I, for one, can't wait to see the kind of king he'll be when his time comes. So I ask you, Magical High Commission… let him continue on his journey. You hold this kid's future in your hands, Commission. Don't destroy it. Protect it."

Having said all she wanted to, Marcia haughtily adjusted her leather jacket and sat back down next to Comet, glaring daggers at Etherio. A long silence filled the air for what felt like an eternity. At last, Mars stood up with a warm smile and started clapping. Slowly at first, but then Lake started clapping alongside her husband at a much faster pace. Soon enough, all the other delegates, princes, princesses, and citizens gathered were applauding Marcia for her speech. Even Comet couldn't help but clap. Marcia blushed, happily, at the praise. The only person who was not happy was Etherio, who angrily slammed his gavel on the podium in an attempt to silence the room.

Once the applause finally died down, Etherio set down his gavel and took a deep breath. "The Commission will now schedule a second hearing to discuss the authenticity of the accusations against Headmaster Atrocious."

Comet and Marcia watched with interest as the Commission huddled together with Etherio, whispering their next move. No one could hear what they were saying, but based on how angry Etherio looked, Marcia knew it spelled out good news for Comet. At last, the Commission finished their discussion. Hekapoe wheeled Omnitraxus' crystal ball towards the podium while Etherio sulked in his seat.

"The Magical High Commission needs no further sessions. We have reached a verdict." Omnitraxus announced with a serious tone. "Princes Harry Pottsmith, James Francopolis, and William Hunt are hereby placed on probation for suspicion of destruction of private property. However, we are also placing a warrant for the arrest of Headmaster Atrocious for illegally endangering the lives of those placed under his care based on the evidence collected against him. Furthermore, it has been decided that Prince Pony Head will receive neither reward nor commendation for his cooperation. Lastly, Prince Comet Dragonfly the Second is hereby excused from any further response regarding this investigation, and shall be allowed to continue wielding his family's magic scepter."

"Fuck yeah!" Marcia pumped her fist, happily, before the crowd erupted into a deafening cheer for their future king. Mars and Lake clapped and beamed with pride while Kyle enthusiastically whistled and clapped alongside them.

Pony Head hovered towards his trio of friends. "Hey, guys, listen-"

"I don't know you." James growled as he, Harry, and William walked away.

"Don't ever talk to us again, sell-out." Harry added, bitterly.

"Come on, guys! Don't be like that!" Pony Head whined as his friends continued to walk away from him. "It wasn't personal! I was just-! Oh, what?! Are you gonna hang out with that loser, Dragonfly, now?!"

"Oh, yeah. That reminds me." Pony Head turned back around just in time to see Marcia's fist collide with his face. The floating pony head fell to the ground with a black eye and Marcia spat on him for good measure. "Fuck you, motherfucker." She hissed.

She was just about to rejoin Comet when she was stopped by the same crowd of princes she helped free from Atrocious. "We wanted to thank you, once again, Prince Dudebro!" Prince Jamie smiled, shaking her hand. "You've really opened our eyes! We talked it out, and we decided that when we all take over our family kingdoms, we're going to work together to form a lasting peace! And we want you to be a representative to the Dragonfly family!"

Marcia's eyes widened at such an offer. She was glad that the princes were thinking for themselves, but she wasn't prepared for such a responsibility. "Uh, look, I don't wanna hurt your feelings, but I'm still just a kid. I've got plans of my own for what I wanna do with my life."

The crowd whined in disappointment. "Well, would you at least let us market your image as Prince Dudebro?" Prince Joseph begged. "You inspire us, Dudebro! And having little mementos of you could help remind us what we're working towards."

While Marcia talked to her new prince friends, Comet spoke with his parents. "So… can I still stay on Earth? Please?"

"I… I'll let you go back to Earth, Comet. But on one condition…" Mars knelt down to be eye-level with his son again. "From now on, when I call you, just be honest with me. It scares me that you think you can't talk to me. And it scares me more that I make you feel that way. It's my job as your dad to step in when you're in over your head. Just promise you'll trust me…?"

Comet smiled and hugged his father. "That's a rule."

"I love you, son." Mars sighed, happily, as he returned the hug.

"I love you, too, dad."

With that out of the way, the king and queen of Mewni left to return to their duties. Comet began searching for Marcia when he was stopped by William, Harry, and James.

"Hey, Dragonfly! Thanks for not snitching." Harry said as he shook Comet's hand.

"Sorry for the hard time we've been giving you." James added. "I hope you know it wasn't personal. We just like to have fun."

"And sorry we thought you'd rat us out. I guess we were wrong about you, Comet." William smiled. "We should have known better."

Comet scowled at the group's pathetic attempt to make him forgive them. "Yeah, you should have." He grunted and pushed his way past them. William, Harry, and James watched with unease as their future king made his way towards his Earth-guide, knowing that when the time came for them to rule their own lands, they would have to work hard to earn his forgiveness.

Marcia walked away from the other princes, counting a huge stack of money. "Where'd you get that?" Comet asked.

"The princes offered to give me a six-hundred and fifty dollar royalty every month for making Prince Dudebro merchandise." Marcia smiled. "This is gonna pay for my college education!"

Comet smiled at his friend's good fortune, knowing full well that she deserved it for what she had done for him. Not just defending him in court, but for everything else she had done for him since they first met. She had been his protector, confidant, and advisor, and he was so grateful for it. The prince felt his heart flutter as he began to see her in a new light.

Marcia noticed he was staring at her and pocketed the cash. "You okay?" She asked, gently.

Comet wrapped his arms around Marcia in a tight hug, and she happily returned it. When they pulled apart, Comet wiped his eyes. "You stood up for me." He said, gratefully. "Even when no one else would. Even when I didn't stand up for myself."

Marcia smiled and lightly punched his arm. "Hey, what're friends for?"

Comet smiled, softly, at her declaration. Without hesitation, he took out his inter-dimensional scissors, opened a portal to Earth-Realm, and took Marcia's hand into his own. "Let's… let's go home."

To Be Continued!

Epilogue:

Luna grumpily dug through the remains of her castle, trying to find something she could use to get revenge on Prince Comet and his friend, Marcia Diaz. She was just about to give up, when she spotted an eerie green glow shining through the cracks in the rubble. She continued digging and found a green magic crystal.

Author's Notes: And so we've come to the end of the first act of Comet II's journey! Luna has half of the crystal to make her own scepter, Indexia and the Dragonfly scepter are broken, and Comet has some new feelings for Marcia. Stay tuned to find out what happens next! And as always, please read and review!