ACT XIII: Comet, the Underestimated Chapter 12: Midterms

Echo Creek, Earth-Realm.

On Sunday morning at exactly six o' clock, Prince Comet got up, showered, and ate breakfast in advance to prepare for his midterms. The prince had diligently read every available chapter and memorized as many spells as he could in preparation. According to his father, the midterms consisted of two separate tests; one written, and one practical. Comet was confident that he had studied enough in the past to pass the written test, but with the scepter's crystal cleaved in two, he was worried he'd come up short in the practical test.

At the same time, Marcia was trying to pick up her slack in writing up a list of Comet's accomplishments for his Song Day. She knew better than anyone what Comet was capable of, but she had never tried writing a song before. Hopefully, Ruberiot would handle the actual songwriting while Marcia just told her everything that made Comet a great prince.

At last, there was a knock at the door and both friends hurried to open it. Marcia's hand was the first on the doorknob, shortly followed by Comet's. The prince blushed and quickly retracted his hand to back away while Marcia opened the door. In stepped a red-haired woman wearing a pale-blue dress, carrying a guitar and backpack full of empty music sheets. She made her way into the living room and immediately bowed before Comet.

"Your highness." She greeted, warmly. "It is an absolute honor to be chosen as the writer and performer of your song. I am Ruberiot."

Comet smiled, helped Ruberiot back to her feet, and directed her to Marcia. "The honor is mine, Ruberiot. This is Marcia Diaz. She'll be the one helping you write the song."

"Hey. How's it going?" Marcia extended her hand towards the songstrel.

Ruberiot happily shook Marcia's hand. "Ah, yes. The famous human guide. I've read all about you."

Just then, there was another knock at the door and Comet quickly made his way to answer it. The prince smoothed out his outfit and took a deep breath before opening the door. Marcia had to fight the urge to laugh once she saw who was waiting on the other side. Comet's test-giver was a white cat with a purple gem embedded in his forehead which allowed him to float through the air.

"Greetings, Test Master Baby!" Comet beamed his best smile.

The cat huffed and made a note on his clipboard. "Talking without permission."

Comet frowned and cleared his throat. "Apologies, sir. I meant no offense."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Let's get this over with, kid."

"Hey!" Marcia snapped. "You can't talk to him like that!"

"Actually, I can." Baby replied, snootily. "As a tester of their magical competence, I am ranked far above the monarchy. And you would be wise to know your place, human."

Marcia rolled up one of her sleeves, but was stopped by Comet's pleading face. "It's okay, Marcia. You stay down here with Ruberiot and let me worry about Baby."

Marcia angrily glared at the floating cat before reluctantly escorting Ruberiot into the living room. After a sigh of relief, Comet led Baby up to his bedroom to take the test. "I'm sure this will take no time at all, sir. I've been studying for quite a while-"

"Is it true that the scepter is broken?" Baby interrupted.

Comet gulped. "Uh, no! W-well, I mean, aheh, n-not exactly. It's just, uh…" The prince timidly held up the scepter, revealing the damaged crystal.

"Hmm…" Baby made another note on his clipboard. "Scepter maintenance leaves something to be desired. Let's move on. Both the practical and written tests are based on a score of one to one hundred. We'll start with the written test. King Festivio earned a score of sixty. Dirhenno never even took the test. Crescento scored a perfect one hundred. As did his son, Ryan. King Simon took the test late due to being denied the scepter until sixteen, but managed to score an eighty-eight. Prince Edward just filled in the test sheet so that the answer bubbles made a picture of a flower, but still managed to score a passing fifty-nine. Your namesake was the only king to ever flunk the test, but in King Edward's will, he demanded that King Comet the First take up the scepter so he could learn 'responsibility.' Hence, why the former Prince Etherio was denied the test. And your father, despite my expectations, managed to score a ninety-nine. Needless to say, Prince Comet the Second, you have a lot to live up to. Any questions?"

"Um… yes." Comet held up the Great Book and opened it up to Festivio's chapter. "Have any of the kings before Festivio taken this test?"

Baby shrugged with disinterest. "Only one." He declared. "The Commission was concerned that because Solarius was unable to Dip Down, his son would inherit that inability. It was actually the reason I was created by Indexia. So I created this test to determine whether or not Eclipsine would ever be able to wield magic naturally."

Comet's eyes widened in surprise at the mention of that name. Ever since he was a boy, he had been taught by his parents and the MHC that Eclipsine was an evil tyrant who betrayed his kingdom to run off with his monster lover. But according to Mother Time, Eclipsine was kind enough to apologize to her on behalf of his ancestors with seemingly no ulterior motives. Perhaps it was a lack of faith in him by the Commission and Indexia that drove Eclipsine away.

"But his test results were voided after it was discovered that he was practicing dark magic in secret." Baby continued. "So I created a separate test to determine how dangerous he was when we captured him. But we're here to talk about you, not the King of Darkness."

With that, Baby took out a test sheet and a test booklet and set both on the prince's study desk. Comet hastily grabbed a sharpened pencil and took his seat in front of the test. The prince saw that the written test was composed of one hundred questions before Baby set a timer in front of him for one hour. Comet plucked up courage and eagerly began the test.

Meanwhile, in the living room, Marcia was about to speak up when Ruberiot silenced her by pressing a finger against her lips. Despite her confusion, Marcia watched with interest as the songstrel laid out a picnic blanket on the floor and sat cross-legged as she proceeded to unpack her satchel. Ruberiot set out seven candles in a circle, lit them all, and placed a small canvas painting of a woman with a lute. Ruberiot took Marcia's hands into her own and closed her eyes.

"Queen Azure Saint, greatest musician in the history of Mewni and creator of the blessed Song Day, please give us the inspiration we need to create the best song for our prince, Comet Galaxius Astro Cosmo Celestio Dragonfly the Second."

Marcia cleared her throat and sat down next to Ruberiot. "Um… yeah. So, where do we start?"

"First, tell me about Prince Comet." Ruberiot instructed. "In order to write a song about someone, it helps to understand them. So… what makes Prince Comet the Second special?"

Marcia was surprised by how passionately Ruberiot spoke of her duty, so she reached for her notes in her pocket. "Well, uh, for one thing, he's really good at fighting monsters. Every single time one of them tries to invade and steal the scepter, he and I manage to kick their asses and send them running back to their mommas!"

Ruberiot considered this for a moment. "Hmm, yes, yes. That sounds very interesting. Warrior princes are always popular among the masses - uuuh… although, we don't want people to think he's just another Solarius, do we?"

"Oh, well, he's not just strong. He's smart, too!" Marcia added, reading from her next note. "He comes up with some great spells on the fly when he needs to! And he's always studying the other spells from the other kings along with his regular school stuff."

"Now, that's something good!" Ruberiot nodded. "An intelligent king would be very beneficial for the future of Mewni."She picked up her guitar and tried to play a few chords.

Marcia nodded along to the melody. "That's not bad." She complimented.

"Mmm…" Ruberiot sounded unsatisfied. "But does it really match the story we want to tell about the prince who exposed Headmaster Atrocious' crimes and defeated the Rogue Queen Luna?"

"Uh… I don't know." Marcia shrugged. "I don't know a whole lot about writing music. Let me hear it again."

One hour later, Marcia had to pour herself a cup of coffee after the fifteenth different melody. Ruberiot was nowhere near satisfied with any of the melodies she had tried so far, and hadn't even begun trying to come up with lyrics. Marcia slouched on the living room couch as she listened to yet another melody.

"I don't know what I'm missing!" Ruberiot groaned.

"I have an idea!" A harmonious voice echoed in Marcia's mind from out of nowhere. "Tell her to play in the key of D Major."

Marcia looked up from the music sheets towards the painting of Queen Azure. Rubbing the tiredness out of her eyes, she turned back to the songstrel. "Uh… maybe try it in D Major?" She suggested.

While confused about Marcia's sudden suggestion, Ruberiot adjusted her guitar accordingly and played the same notes. A warm smile spread over the songstrel's lips. "Hey, now that's more like it! I think we can work on some lyrics now!"

"Great! So, Comet's smart, strong, brave - oh, and make sure you call him 'Comet, the Underestimated' at some point in the song." Marcia insisted. "That's very important."

Ruberiot arched an eyebrow. "'Comet, the Underestimated?' Like Jason?"

"Who's Jason?" Marcia couldn't help but ask.

"Jason Argo of the Demon-Realm." Ruberiot elaborated. "Or 'Jason, the Underestimated' as he is more famously remembered on the Boiling Isles. He was a great hero whose feats were paramount in the downfall of the primordial Beetle Kings of the Demon Realm. As I recall, it was one of Prince Comet's favorite bedtime stories."

"Huh. He never mentioned that before…" Marcia shook her head. "But Comet's just as underestimated. Uh, in a good way. Trust me, he's done a great job protecting that scepter and fighting the monsters, and he's definitely saved my ass plenty of times whenever I needed him. Like, you heard about his trial, right? Well, I meant every word I said about him that day, and I'd do it all over again if he needed me."

"... it sounds as if the prince means quite a lot to you." Ruberiot noted.

"Oh, well, yeah. Comet's, like, the nicest guy I've ever met." Marcia shrugged with a smile as she listed all of her favorite things about the prince. "He's super reliable. He's a good listener. There's nobody I'd rather have watching my back in a fight. To be honest, he's the best friend I've ever had in a while. Not that I made it easy for him at first, but I really feel a connection with him, y'know?"

Ruberiot smiled and continued writing notes. "Hmmm, yes. I understand."

Back upstairs, Comet finally completed his test just as the timer went off. He handed the sheet to Baby who inserted it into the grading machine. After a quick scan, the machine let out a high-pitched noise that alerted the completion of its analysis. Baby plucked the graded paper and made another note on his clipboard.

"A perfect one hundred. You even correctly answered all fifteen bonus questions. Impressive."

Comet felt a twinge of pride build up in his chest. It was a relief to know that all those restless nights of cramming had paid off. But he kept himself composed as he realized the practical test was up next, and with the scepter damaged, he wasn't entirely certain that he could pass it.

Baby hovered over Comet's bed to explain the practical test. "In order to receive a passing grade in the practical, you must successfully cast three spells from three different past kings, as well as a spell you have created, yourself. But be forewarned; every failed spell will count as a strike against your final score. Do you understand?"

"Yes. I understand." Comet nodded and drew his scepter.

The prince closed his eyes and thought back to his long nights of study. With several kings and countless spells to choose from, he could hardly focus. At last, he settled on one of his grandfather's spells. He lifted the scepter above his head. " Summoning Razor…" He swung his arm downward, having the face of the scepter touch the floor beneath him. "... Crane Charm!" He shouted.

Suddenly, a dark cloud appeared under the room's ceiling, and twelve cranes flew to the ground as if they were searching for something. It was then that Comet realized his mistake; the Summoning Razor Crane Charm was only the second part of another spell meant to disarm twelve attackers. Without any weapons lying on the floor, the twelve cranes aimlessly wandered around. The prince cringed as Baby shook his head and scribbled more notes on his clipboard.

Comet hit his fist against his head to think of a better spell; an easier spell. Thankfully, he remembered something he had read in Crescento's chapter. Aiming the scepter at his bookshelf, Comet singled out a lone dictionary and focused. "Levitato." He whispered. A wobbly beam of purple light shot forth and enveloped the book, allowing the prince to telekinetically move it from one shelf to another. Baby raised both eyebrows and gave a slightly impressed nod as he scribbled some more.

Taking a deep breath, Comet decided to try something slightly more complex. He settled on one of Ryan's spells and held the scepter against his forehead. "I can bring tears to your eyes, make you smile, and travel through time. Although I can be lost, you carry me everywhere, because I live in your mind. What am I?" A green glow lit up from the scepter's crystal and phased into Comet's brain. "Answer; memories."

With his head still glowing, Comet handed Baby a book with a collection of poems and asked him to pick one at random. Baby arched an eyebrow as he understood what the prince had in mind. "Alright, recit line eighteen through twenty-six of Alfred, Lord Tennyson's The Charge of the Light Brigade."

"Yes, sir." Comet cleared his throat and began. "'Cannon to right of them, Cannon to left of them, Cannon in front of them Volley'd and thunder'd; Storm'd at with shot and shell, Boldly they rode and well, Into the jaws of Death, Into the mouth of Hell Rode the six hundred.'"

Baby nodded once more with a slight hint of a smile and scribbled more notes. "Alright, now I just need to see one of your own spells, and the test is over."

Comet nodded and tapped the scepter against his forehead as he thought of one of his own spells. He considered demonstrating the Narwhal Blast, but decided it was rude to use an attack spell in Mr. and Mrs. Diaz's house. There was also his own dressing spell he used in the mornings, but reasoned that it was too similar to the spells Crescento and Festivio had invented. At last, he decided to come up with a new spell at the top of his head by coming up with rhyming words.

"Sexes hexes!" He shouted. The scepter shot out two beams of light. One hit the mirror and deflected back at the prince, while the second beam went downstairs. Comet wiped the spots out of his eyes and gazed into the mirror to see if the spell hurt him in any way. But his jaw dropped to the floor at the sight in the reflection. The spell had transformed Comet into a girl with a frilly blue dress and long blonde hair. "Oooh, dear." She muttered.

A scream from downstairs prompted her to investigate. With the scepter still in her hand, she raced downstairs to see an equally shocking sight. The second beam of light had transformed Marcia into a boy with shorter hair and larger muscle mass.

"Holy shit!" Marcia gawked in disbelief. "I'm a dude! And you're a chick!

"Hehe… if it's any consolation…" Comet nervously chuckled. "You look just as attractive as a boy."

Marcia, however, was not amused; as evident when he grabbed Comet by the collar and pulled her close. "Change. Me. Back." He growled.

Comet gulped and held the scepter between herself and Marcia. "U-uh… sexes hexes!" She stammered, but nothing happened. "Uh… uh… boy-girl… super change swirl!" Again, the scepter just coughed out a few sparks. Feeling just as impatient as Marcia, the prince-turned-princess angrily smacked her scepter without noticing the red veins spreading through her wrists. "GENDER BENDER!" She shouted. At last, a stream of dark red ribbons shot forth and wrapped itself around the teenagers. Comet broke one arm free after a few seconds and pulled on it as hard as possible. The duo spiraled out of the wrappings, seemingly returning to normal.

Marcia hastily patted herself down, making sure she had her original anatomy back, and sighed in relief. "Don't. Ever. Do that again." She growled.

"Sorry." Comet yelped.

"I think I've seen everything I need." Baby huffed and wrote down his final note. "Prince Comet, your final score is-"

Suddenly, a portal opened up in the middle of the living room and a blast of dark green energy knocked Baby to the ground. Comet and Marcia got into a fighting stance while Ruberiot hid under the kitchen table. As Comet and Marcia expected, Luna Avarius hovered through the portal with glowing green eyes.

"Hello, Prince Comet!" She sneered, aiming her palm at the duo to reveal the crystal embedded in it.

"Aw, sick!" Marcia gagged at the sight.

"Yeah, that can't be good." Comet agreed.

Luna's crystal randomly fired multiple bolts of green lightning in every direction, prompting Comet to push Marcia out of the way. Instinctively, the prince thought of a protection spell and formed an aura of blue energy to shield Marcia from the lightning. With her body protected, Marcia rushed forward and punched Luna in the face. Despite being knocked back, the kappa recovered quickly and kept trying to blast the duo. But now that the second half of the crystal was within reach, the Mewman prince steeled his nerves and stood his ground.

Remembering one of his father's spells, Comet pointed the scepter straight ahead of himself before waving it back and forth four times. While he did this, he thought to himself, "Light of power, draw to me. Fill my scepter with majesty. Flames that burn with molten cold. A light sword form of blue-white gold!"

But instead of "blue-white gold," the sword that extended from the scepter was glowing with dark-red energy that matched the prince's heart-shaped marks. Thankfully, the sword cut just as well as it would have if it were the correct color. Luna sneered as she watched her enemy slice all of her magic arrows to ribbons. Unbeknownst to Comet, Baby flipped the paper on his clipboard over and made a special note.

Enraged, Luna continued blasting green magic at the prince. But while Comet easily deflected the blasts, he also noticed that the dark red veins on his palms had spread to his wrists. He finally managed to knock Luna to the floor, and retreated away from her. "Now's the time to cease your glow; let your magic scepter be a sword no more." The energy blade dissipated, and Comet glanced down at the red veins spreading further down his arms.

"Comet, you okay?" Marcia called out once she noticed her friend's distress. She rushed forward to check on him, unaware that Luna had recovered. The kappa monster angrily extended her arm forward and blasted Marcia into a nearby wall. Comet looked on in fear as his friend's body went limp and fell to the floor; his eye color shifting from light blue to dark red. Luna ducked out of the way just in time as Comet opened up his interdimensional scissors and threw them at her. Little did she realize that the action caused a portal to Mewni to open up behind her.

"No one… hurts… my Marcia…" The prince growled as he picked the scepter back up and marched towards Luna.

Taking a deep breath, Comet stood his ground and aimed the scepter at Luna. The dark red veins on his wrists spread through his palms and into the broken crystal of the scepter. Marcia, Ruberiot, and even Baby watched in awe as the prince bravely stood his ground before the possessed monster queen. At last, Comet's heart-marks turned the same dark red and he opened his eyes as he created a new spell on the spot.

"Super… nova… BLAST!"

A beam of dark red light shot forth from the crystal and struck Luna directly in the chest. The kappa screamed in agony, even as she focused her own magic into shielding herself from the blast. The concussive force of Comet's blast pushed her through the portal into the infinite abyss of space above Mewni's sky. A few seconds later, the dark red light dissipated and the portal closed. The red veins vanished from Comet's flesh and he collapsed to the floor, laying right next to Marcia.

"Comet!" Marcia struggled against her weariness and got up to check on her friend. She flipped him over and checked his pulse, sighing in relief when she felt it. "You okay?"

Comet's energy slowly built back up and his vision focused to where he could clearly see Marcia cradling his head in her lap. A small blush spread over his cheeks as he smiled. "Y-yeah. I'm okay. I guess that spell took more out of me than I expected."

After Marcia helped Comet back to his feet, Baby hovered over to the prince while still scribbling on his clipboard. The royal test-giver calculated the score of the written test, the two failed attempts at previous kings' spells, the three successful attempts, and finally the prince's own spells. Comet crossed his fingers behind his back, silently praying to his ancestors for mercy. At last, Baby came to a conclusion.

"Well, your highness… with today's performance, I have no choice but to grade you with… a B-!" Baby declared. The magic cat drank in the prince's startled expression as he opened his own portal back to Mewni. "Congratulations, Prince Comet Dragonfly the Second. I look forward to testing you again when you're eighteen."

Once Baby was gone, Comet happily cheered at his accomplishment; jumping up and down and hugging Marcia as she cheered with him. Ruberiot limped forward and gathered up her things as she watched the celebration. Marcia apologized for what happened to her and offered to continue their session, but the songstrel insisted that she had all the material she needed for Comet's Song Day. With that, Comet set about using his scepter to repair his host-family's house before he and Marcia retreated to the roof for leisurely star-gazing when she broke the silence.

"So, over the past year we've known each other, you never told me you had an idol?" Marcia asked, playfully. "You've been holding out on me."

Comet was confused. "What do you mean?"

"When I told Ruberiot to call you 'Comet, the Underestimated,' she said there was already some kinda superhero or something who was called that. Jason Argo or something?"

Comet's eyes widened in surprise. "Jason Argo! I totally forgot!" The prince smiled. "Yeah, it was one of my favorite stories my mom used to tell me when I was little. She heard it when she was around my age and her family tried to form an alliance with Empress Bella in the Demon Realm."

"I thought Tiffany's parents were in charge of that?" Marcia interrupted.

"What? Oh, no! You're thinking of the Underworld. Completely different." Comet corrected. "See, despite its name, the Demon Realm doesn't actually have real demons. It's more of their personal etymology. The realm is actually mostly populated by witches. Anyway, she picked up a book about it from some merchant witch and used to read it to me as a bedtime story. It's what inspired me to jump into my studies so seriously before I got the scepter."

"Oh, yeah? So how does it go?"

Comet let out a wistful sigh as he gazed back up at the stars. "Well, as it was told to me; Jason Argo was a hero from the Demon-Realm. He was the illegitimate son of a peasant witch and a Colempian King, but never knew of his father. You see, the Colempians were prideful and considered themselves gods above the witches they ruled over. Jason's mother taught him not to rely on them for help, as she had learned of their selfish nature firsthand. Now, Jason wasn't the first witch to hate the Colempians, but he was the first to start a revolution."

"A revolution against kings who were like gods?" Marcia sounded impressed. "That's pretty badass."

"I know. It sounds exciting, doesn't it?!" Comet cleared his throat and continued the story. "Anyway, after Duke Hyperbolon - uh, another half-Colempian - killed Jason's mother during his campaign to take his place among the rest of the Beetle Kings, he swore vengeance against the Colempians. He stole a caravel and sailed all over the Boiling Sea in search of others like him who wished to see the reign of the Beetles ended. In one month, he gathered a crew consisting of swordsman Percy Kraken, oracle Kassie Seer, strongman Herk Ulyssess, duchess - and his eventual lover - Medea Colchis, hunter Orson Star, and master thief Briar Clawthorne. Together, they set out to find the skin of the Golden Griffin; the only thing with the power that could kill a Colempian."

Marcia pondered what she was hearing. "This sounds like a Greek myth."

"Well, hold on! Let me finish." Comet insisted. "After many trials and tribulations, Jason and his crew found the Griffin's skin, only for it to seemingly crumble into dust once he touched it. Disheartened at first, the crew decided to get their revenge on the Beetle Kings a different way. They set course for the Boiling Isles to stop Duke Hyperbolon from completing the quest the Colempians gave him. While his crew fought off Hyperbolon's forces, Jason confronted him head on. He had every odd stacked against him, and yet through sheer will and determination, Jason triumphed and killed Hyperbolon. Unfortunately, after he stopped Hyperbolon from conquering the Boiling Isles, Jason was abducted by the Colempians just as he was about to reunite with his crew. They thought that by personally imprisoning Jason in Colempus, and exposing his true heritage to his friends, it would ruin Jason's image in the eyes of witches and demons all across the Demon Realm, and reinstate their fear of the Colempians."

Marcia frowned. "Well, that's a dick move."

"I agree. But…" Comet raised a finger with a coy grin. "Jason's name was not tarnished by the Beetles that day. His faithful crew didn't care that he was half-Colempian, because they knew that none of the pure-blooded Colempians would have done so much for them as Jason had. To honor his sacrifice and his life, they vowed to spread his story all over the Demon-Realm, giving hope to countless others who were oppressed by the Colempians and ensuring that his immortal spirit would live on so long as people believed in him. And so, the humble fisherman witch who was never expected to be anything more than that became a symbol for heroism and bravery. His name would be a comfort to witches and demons for centuries to come. And he would forever be remembered as 'Jason, the Underestimated.'"

Marcia had lingered on every word of Comet's story, and found herself both entertained and impressed. Thinking back to what Ruberiot had told her, she now understood why the songstrel took her job so seriously; stories were powerful. It was obvious how much the story meant to her friend, and she could tell by the way he gazed at the stars that he longed to be just as brave and inspiring as Jason. With a warm smile, she rested her head on her hands as she looked back up at the stars.

"Can I tell you a story?" She asked.

Pleasantly curious, Comet turned his head towards his best friend. "I'd love to hear a story from you."

"A long time ago, there was a magic prince from another dimension…" Marcia began, earnestly. "Ever since he was a boy, people expected great things from him, but never expected him to live up to it. One day, after he inherited an important family heirloom, the people were afraid he wouldn't be able to handle the responsibility or live up to his family's legacy. So they sent him away until they decided he'd be good enough for them. But while he was away, he constantly proved himself to be a noble prince, a caring soul, and a good friend. He guarded the heirloom with his life, took his studies seriously, and helped his best pal in any dimension out of whatever jam she was in. And when the day came for him to return home, his friend showed all those who doubted him that he was just as worthy as any king who came before him. And he would forever be remembered as 'Comet, the Underestimated.'"

Marcia finished her story with a chuckle and turned to see Comet's reaction. She was expecting the prince to be either blushing from the flattery or smiling because of how highly she thought of him. What she wasn't expecting to see was a pair of teary eyes, a runny nose, and trembling lips. "What's wrong?" She asked, propping herself up on her elbows.

Comet tried his best to choke down the sob building up in his throat as he sat up from the roof. He wiped his eyes and put on the best smile he could manage for Marcia. "Sometimes I forget how lucky I am to have you in my life."

Marcia was touched. "Aw, Comet."

The prince stretched his arms out and let out a tired yawn. "Well, I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted. Those midterms really took a lot out of me. I'm going to go ahead and go to bed."

"Alright, man." Marcia nodded as she took out her phone to text Jackson. "See you in the morning."

The prince carefully climbed back through the window to his room and closed the curtain. Once Marcia was out of sight, he finally allowed himself to let the tears fall freely. He changed into his pajamas, brushed his teeth, and sadly climbed into bed.

"Why…?" He silently cried to himself as he wrapped himself in his blanket. "Why did I have to fall in love with my best friend?"

To Be Continued!

Epilogue:

Dragonfly Castle, Mewni.

"Lake, you're overcriticizing yourself. It looks fine." Mars assured his wife.

"It's shorter than I wanted it to be." Lake griped, holding up the whittled deer-fox antler. "It looks more like a lumberjack's ax handle."

"Well, that'll just make it easier for him to carry around." The king reasoned, gently. "Just adjust the mold a little before you melt down the meteorite."

Just then, a portal opened up in the royal couple's chambers, and Baby hovered through with his report. Mars hastily set a bowl of fruit out for the magic test-giver to eat while he gave his report. "Thank you, your majesty." Baby mumbled through mouthfuls of apple. "You'll be happy to know that your son passed the written test with a perfect score. And even with the damaged scepter, he is still capable of casting spells."

"Well, that's a relief." Mars remarked, happily. Lake tried to snatch a vine of grapes from the bowl, but Baby swatted her hand away. Mars continued with a serious expression. "And what of that other test you were meant to conduct? Did you see anything?"

Baby swallowed an entire pear in one gulp before continuing with his report. "Ah, yes. It seems that your suspicions were correct, King Mars. Comet II has indeed inherited a connection to the Dark Dimension due to your dabbling in it to defeat Taffy. However, his use of it was unlike anything you've ever done."

"Oh, thank Jeshica…" Mars sighed in relief, rubbing his forehead. "So even though he inherited a connection to dark magic from me, his levels aren't anywhere near mine?"

"No, my king…" Baby paused to take a bite of another apple. "... his are above and beyond yours."

Mars' face paled in shock. "... what?"

"In spite of his ignorance to what's happening, Prince Comet II seems to have a healthy symbiotic connection to dark magic. Even with the scepter broken and little practice with the source, he was able to successfully channel enough dark magic into it to fire a spell with more destructive power than King Solarius' Total Eclipse Blast. As a matter of fact, I haven't seen this much mastery of the dark arts…" Baby paused once more to eat an entire ear of corn. "... since Eclipsine."

"Monster love…" Lake gasped.

Mars slowly removed his glove to stare at the dark blue veins on his own trembling wrist. Images of the King of Darkness flashed through his mind as he wondered what this could mean for Comet's future. "Oh, my poor son…" Mars thought to himself. "What have I done to you?"

Author's Notes: And so, Comet has passed his midterms and his Song Day is up next! But what does this inherited connection to the Dark Dimension hold for his future? And how will it change things?

New Character Unlocked: Jason, the Underestimated is the bastard son of the dethroned King of Mount Colempus in the Demon Realm. (both concepts will be expanded on in my other fic, The Owl Haven.) No one knows where Jason is right now, but his reputation is very important to witches, demons, and others throughout the universe.

Also, for those wondering, the Supernova Blast is based on the Kamehameha from Dragon Ball.

As always, please READ AND REVIEW