ACT XIII: Comet, the Underestimated Chapter 13: Song Day

Echo Creek, Earth-Realm.

Nine months had passed since Prince Comet Dragonfly the Second came to Earth, and he had greatly enjoyed his time in the new realm. Since coming to Earth, his host family has introduced him to exotic new foods, exciting leisurely activities, and fun human holidays such as Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. They had even respected his beliefs enough to help him celebrate Stump Day and his fifteenth birthday separately. But the most significant takeaway from his interdimensional excursion was finding love. Marcia Diaz had proven to be the full package; strong, smart, beautiful, and the best friend he could ever hope for. She stood by him through thick and thin, defended him in his time of need, and made him feel safer than any Solarian ever could.

Sadly, Marcia's heart belonged to Jackson Lee Thomas, another friend Comet respected too much to try and steal Marcia's affection from. But despite his respect towards the two, Comet's feelings for Marcia never went away. During the day, he would cherish every fleeting moment she spent with him. And at night, he often dreamed of having her rule Mewni beside him as his queen and siring many children with her. Many times he had contemplated telling her about his new feelings, but he was too afraid of her reaction. Instead, he kept it a secret and hoped that he could eventually move on.

Thankfully, his Song Day was just around the corner to help him take his mind off of it. The prince had been so excited about his upcoming day that he could hardly sit still as he watched his favorite TV documentary series; Probing The Membrane Of Science with Prof. Membrane. Just then, Marcia opened the front door with Jackson behind her. With a heavy heart, Comet watched her kiss him goodbye before she closed the door and slumped down on the couch next to him. Eventually, she was brought out of her lovestruck stupor once she noticed the program.

"Ah, shit, I've seen this one." Marcia sighed and kicked up her feet on the coffee table. "It's the one where his kid goes nuts about some alien invasion. Jonah tried to call him and add him to his discord."

Comet let out a soft chuckle and looked down at the plastic bag in her lap. "What'd you get at the mall?"

"Oh, I'll show you." Marcia stood up and pulled out the contents of her bag. Comet's heart skipped a beat at the sight of the beautiful, clean white dressing gown with gold sleeves. Marcia held it up to her neck to give him an idea of what it'd look like on her. "Is this fancy enough for a Song Day?"

"Y-you… you look…" Comet blushed, brightly. "Yeah, it looks great. I can't believe you remembered."

"Hey, don't worry, Comet." Marcia gently rested a hand on her friend's shoulder. "I made a promise, and I'll keep it. I'm actually pretty excited to hear what Ruberiot wrote for your Song Day. Plus, I'll have plenty of time to spend with you and Jackson when summer vacation starts tomorrow."

"Summer… what?" Comet curiously cocked his head to the side.

Marcia blinked in confusion at her best friend's response. "Uh, yeah? We took finals last week? We had an end of the year assembly? Now, it's summer and you don't have to go to school?"

Comet's eyes widened at the idea. "What? Really? For how long?"

"Until autumn."

"You're making this up." Comet shook his head. "No way."

"What…? You seriously never had a summer vacation?" Marcia spluttered. "Three months of no school, no homework, no teachers? Literally every kid in America looks forward to it."

Comet was still struggling to grasp the concept. "But… what am I supposed to do if I'm not going to school?"

"Uhhh…" Marcia shrugged. "Whatever you want, I guess. What do you feel like doing right now?"

Comet once again fell into thoughtful silence. What did he want to do? There were several things on Earth he enjoyed doing, but most of them required Marcia with him. And after the devastating feeling he experienced after the Love Sentence concert, he decided he could use some space. He took the scepter out from his belt and cradled it in his palms, letting his finger gingerly trace the broken edge of the cleaved crystal. If he were to work with his father, they might be able to find Luna and retrieve the missing piece.

"Um… could I… could I go home for a little while?" He asked, innocently.

Marcia smiled, sympathetically. "So that's why you've been acting so weird lately. You must be homesick."

"Uh, yeah." Comet nodded, slowly. "Yeah, that's probably it."

"Then, yeah. You can definitely go home for a little while." Marcia gave him a pat on the back. "But you've got to come to my parents' party tomorrow. They throw one every year when I get out of school. Heh… first time in years I've looked forward to it." She reached into her backpack and handed him a few cards with dates written on them. "Feel free to invite some friends from Mewni, too, if you want."

With another nod and a smile, Comet accepted the invitations and slid them into his own backpack. He then pulled out his interdimensional scissors and opened a portal to his home. Once the prince was gone, the front door opened again. Angelo and Rosa rushed inside, carrying dozens of grocery bags into the kitchen. Angelo quickly went about putting up streamers and blowing up balloons while Rosa hastily began chopping slices of pineapples, apricot, orange, papaya, guava, strawberries, and passion fruit and mixed them in a bowl of water and sugar.

"What's up, guys?" Marcia asked.

"Oh, just getting a head start on the snacks for tomorrow's party, mija!" Rosa beamed as she taste-tested the fruit punch. After deciding that it needed more sugar, she noticed her daughter was alone. "Hey, where's your partner in crime?" She teased, playfully.

"Jackson? He'll be at the party tomorrow." Marcia let out a wistful sigh as she thought about her boyfriend. "I guess we are partners, huh?"

However, Rosa seemed slightly annoyed with her daughter's response. "Comet, Marcia." She sighed, rubbing her forehead in exasperation. "I meant Comet."

Marcia shook her head. "Oh, yeah. He's fine. He was just feeling a little homesick." She explained. "Yeah, I guess being away for so long was getting to him. I just can't believe I didn't see the signs."

"What signs?" Angelo asked in between breaths from blowing up balloons.

"Well, lately, it seems like whenever I see him, he acts all moody and sad." Marcia went on as she stole an orange from the counter and began peeling away to get the slices. "It's weird, though; he never acted like this until Jackson and I became a couple. Eh, but I'm sure after some time back home and a little rest from school, he'll be back to his cheerful self. Anyway, I gotta get ready for his Song Day. I'll be home late tonight."

Angelo and Rosa were dumbstruck as they watched Marcia make her way upstairs to get prepared. The married couple shared a knowing glance before letting out a heavy sigh. "Our daughter's a bright young lady." Angelo remarked.

"Sí." Rosa agreed. "But a little dense."

Jaggy Mountains, Mewni.

Comet stepped through the magic portal with his backpack slung over his shoulder. He hadn't arrived at his family's castle, but just near the peak of one of the Jaggy Mountains. A warm smile spread over his lips as he inhaled the crisp mewman air. In the distance, he could see the Solarian regiment training in Dragontown. Tucking his scissors into his belt next to his scepter, the prince began to jog towards the town, feeling much better the further he went; it was good to be back home on his own terms. One hour later, just as the sun began to set, he arrived at the training camp to find a familiar Woolet and his former bodyguards eating dinner around a campfire.

"Good evening, Kyle." Comet greeted, warmly.

"My liege." Kyle stabbed his sword into the ground and knelt before the prince, followed by Dama and the Solarian Trio. "It's good to see you again. What brings you here before your Song Day?"

Comet shrugged his backpack off of his shoulders and unzipped it to reach inside for the invitations. "Well, I actually wanted to know if you'd be interested in-"

"I would be honored to be your squire!" The blue-haired Woolet eagerly stood up with a gleam in his eyes.

Comet blinked in confusion as he processed Kyle's words. At last, he found his voice again. "Oh! No! Not that! I was gonna invite you all to a party my host family is having on Earth."

Kyle's smile was replaced with a bright red blush as he immediately composed himself and accepted the invitation. "Oh, um, yes. I would love to attend your…" He cleared his throat and read the invitation. "... 'Summer Vacation Start Party.' It sounds like fun."

"Great! I'll see you there!" With that, Comet began walking into the forest to search for Klutzy to give her an invitation. He had just come across a thicket of smurf berry bushes when he suddenly remembered something Kyle mentioned. "Oh, yeah… I don't have a squire."

"What's a squire?" A small voice called out.

The prince looked down to see a familiar blue-eyed pussywillow pixie collecting smurfberries. He cautiously laid down next to her with a smile. "Klutzy! Just the pixie I was looking for! I wanted to invite you to a party on Earth!"

Klutzy happily clapped as Comet used his magic to shrink one of the invitations and hand it to her. "Oh, boy! I've never been to a mewman party before!" She squealed in delight. "Thanks, your highness!"

"No problem!" Comet smiled. "Just make sure your parents know before you leave."

He was about to get up when Klutzy called out to him again. "Wait! What's a squire?"

"Oh, well, uh - a squire is someone who's in charge of protecting a member of a royal family." Comet explained. "They have to be brave, strong, compassionate-"

"Huh, sounds a lot like what your girlfriend does, your highness." Klutzy remarked.

Comet blushed, deeply. "Marcia is not my girlfriend!"

"She's not?" Another voice called out. Comet turned around to see Kyle and Dama behind him. "Could have fooled me."

"I certainly thought she was." Dama nodded.

"Wha-?! What're you guys doing here?!" Comet spluttered.

"None of us have interdimensional scissors, so we were coming to ask you if you'd pick us up for your party." Kyle explained. "But what's this about Marcia not being your girlfriend?"

"She's not his girlfriend?" Franklin scratched his head in confusion.

"No!" Comet shouted, angrily. "She is not my girlfriend, alright?!"

"What? You don't like her?" Vincent asked, taking a bite of an apple.

"Of course, I do, but-"

"Then what's the problem?" Harold grunted, crossing his arms. "A girl like her doesn't come along every day."

"That's not the-!"

"Does she favor ladies?" Franklin asked. "That would explain how she resisted my charms."

"Yeah, that explains it." Dama scoffed, rolling her eyes. "She'd make an excellent queen, don't you think, sire?"

"She's certainly on par with Queen Lake, I'd say." Kyle nodded. "You should ask her out!"

"Yeah! What've you got to lose?" Klutzy encouraged.

"Stop it, stop it, stop it, ENOUGH!" Comet finally snapped. "Her heart belongs to someone else, okay?!" Klutzy and the Solarian trainees fell silent at their prince's outburst. Comet did his best to compose himself. "Look, even if I did have a crush on Marcia - and I'm not saying I do - because I don't-! She's a human! I'm a mewman! And she's my best friend! It'd be too weird! It just… it just wouldn't work out! Now just get back to your camp! I'll pick you up and take you to the party tomorrow!"

As Comet watched the trainee warriors retreat back to Dragontown, he couldn't help but wonder if he was trying to convince them or himself.

Thirty Minutes Later. Castle Dragonfly, Mewni.

Comet opened the door to his bedroom, delighted to see everything was kept just as he'd left it. With two hours left until his Song Day, he quickly changed into his formal attire and set off to find his parents. The king and queen were just finishing up some of their royal duties and retired to the dining room for dinner before the concert. They were just about to sit down when someone softly knocked on the door.

"Hi, mom. Hi dad." Comet smiled. "I'm home."

Lake immediately rushed to hug her son and welcome him back. "Oh, I've missed you, sweetie! When'd you get back?"

"Just a little while ago. I wanted to get ready for tonight."

"Well, come have a seat." Mars insisted. "Chef Ray is preparing a marvelous roast beef."

Just then, another portal opened up and Comet instinctively grabbed his scepter, thinking it was Luna again. However, his eyes widened in awe and he lowered his family heirloom once he saw who was stepping through. Marcia's dress perfectly hugged her figure, showcasing her strong physique. She wasn't wearing any makeup, but her hair had been done up in a braided ponytail. It was a pleasant far cry from the bad girl's usual attire, but Comet loved every inch of it.

"Uh, sorry for barging in like this." Marcia apologized, softly. "I didn't want to be late."

"It's okay, there's plenty of time." Comet promised, tucking his scepter back into his belt to hug his friend. "Thanks again for coming."

"So…?" Marcia asked, giving a little spin to show off the whole dress. "How do I look?"

Comet blushed bright red once more and smiled. "S-super pretty." He stammered, timidly. "I-I mean, you always look pretty, Marcia. But that dress really suits you."

As they watched the bashful way their son spoke to the girl, Mars and Lake shared a knowing smirk. "Won't you join us for dinner, Ms. Diaz?" The king offered, politely.

"Sure, I could eat." Marcia agreed.

Later that night, the quartet made their way into the stadium outside the castle's barrier and took their seats at the royal loge. The stadium darkened and the crowd fell silent. A spotlight shone at the center of the stage, revealing Ruberiot with an electric guitar. The songstress strummed a few chords, kicking off the performance with an upbeat melody. Comet and Marcia shared an excited smile as Ruberiot began to sing.

"Who is the prince with the golden hair? Who sleeps on stardust and dances on air? With a voice like silk and a heart of gold, soaring through the sky like a mighty rocket, it's Mewni's underestimated king, our dear Prince Comet!"

Comet excitedly clapped his hands and shook Marcia's shoulder. "She said it! She said it!" He whispered, happily.

"And under the politeness and kindness and joy, lies hidden a fierce and adventurous boy! The forces of evil that lurk in the night will cower in fear when this shooting star...ignites!"

Suddenly, a stream of fireworks and sparklers erupted from the stage as Ruberiot's melody shifted into a propulsive rock beat. The crowd stood up from their seats and gave a deafening applause. To help illustrate her show, Ruberiot's crew operated a series of puppets that imitated Comet fighting Luna's army while she continued to sing.

"Weaving magic like a born spell-caster, and wreaking havoc like a natural disaster! He rocks his Narwhal Blast, to him I sing, he's gonna earn his crown, so hail to the king! 'Cause he's a traditional prince, he's the best, he's a ball of lightning with which Mewni is blessed! He's a thunderstorm roaring through the night, he's our shooting star, and he's lighting up the sky! Oooh-oooh! Oooh-oooh-oooh!"

Suddenly, the tempo slowed down and the lights began to dim. Comet leaned forward in his seat with anticipation, Marcia crossed her legs and rubbed her chin with interest, Lake threaded her fingers together and rested her chin on them as she too leaned forward, even Mars was curious as to what this change in melody meant for the song. The puppets displayed Marcia's kidnapping, Comet performing the Whispering Spell to save her, and Luna making off with half of the scepter's crystal.

"Shooting star, shining in the night so bright, he started to attract a pair of envious eyes! The villain rose up from behind the jester's cross! He drove her away but didn't know what he had lost! Indexia's mind and half the scepter, Luna took it for herself, and tarnished Mewni's protector!"

Comet frowned; he didn't like being reminded that some people still blamed him for what happened to the scepter. Likewise, Marcia clenched her fists at the judgemental lyrics that Ruberiot failed to mention while they were collaborating last month. However, both friends relaxed once the puppet show shifted forward to Comet's trial and Marcia's defense of him.

"Comet confessed to her parents, the Commission, and all of Mewni, full of dread! His uncle wished him dethroned, his parents wished him home, and his citizens wished him dead! But then a human stranger rose up, this is what she said: 'your prince is strong, your prince is brave!' And with the kingdom behind her, Prince Comet was saved! And seeing her like that awakened a flame, a prince's royal secret! A prince's royal shame!"

Comet arched an eyebrow and looked at Marcia, hoping for an explanation. Marcia couldn't help but shrug, unaware of what Ruberiot was talking about. But all was soon made too clear to Comet once the puppets of himself and Marcia began to dance with each other in front of a pink heart. The prince's face fell, his cheek marks split in half, and his entire body paled in dread as he feared what was soon to come. His brain screamed for him to get Marcia out of the stadium before it was too late, but his body wouldn't react. And so Ruberiot went on with her song.

"Royal secret - one last to tell - a prince who's under true love's spell! Who is the girl in the earthly attire? The princess of the prince's deepest desire! I don't need to show it, I think we all know it! But just to be certain, I'll say it again: Comet Dragonfly is in love with his best friend! AndhernameisMarciaDiaz. Forevermore!"

The concert ended with another round of applause. Marcia had bloated up from her seat and stared at the puppets in sheer disbelief. The entire kingdom of Mewni was now going to think that she and Comet were in love. How could Ruberiot get it so wrong? She turned to speak to Comet, but her friend was nowhere to be found. She followed the queen out of the loge to look for him while Mars shifted into his mewberty form and flew down to the stage. Enraged by her blatant disrespect for her son's privacy, the king magically shut down all of the speakers and special effects and announced that the concert was over.

He was just about to join his wife and Marcia in looking for Comet when Milo rushed up to him. "Your majesty! Reports have just come in from the scout patrols." The Solarian general reported with a salute. "We believe we've located Luna."

Mars looked back towards the castle, tempted to ignore the report and try to comfort his son. But as king, he also had a duty to the safety of his people. "Inform the Magical High Commission." He ordered. "We leave at dawn."

Meanwhile, Lake and Marcia instinctively returned to the castle to continue their search. At last, the pair found him hiding away in his bedroom. Lake gently insisted to Marcia that she would speak to him and that the human girl should return home for the time being. Reluctantly, Marcia heeded the queen's advice. She was too confused by Ruberiot's song to even try talking to Comet right now, anyway. So with a heavy heart, she made her way back to Earth. Lake slowly opened the door and quietly moved to sit next to him on the bed, taking him into her arms.

"Is it true, Shooting Star? Do you love her?" Lake asked, softly. Her son didn't say anything, he just wiped his eyes and silently nodded. "I see… have you told her…?" Comet shook his head. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Comet."

"I… I don't know what to do, mom…" Comet sobbed. "I don't know what to do. When I opened up to dad last month, I thought things were finally getting better! But now, the scepter's broken, Indexia's lost her mind, and my best friend knows I have a crush on her even though she already has a boyfriend!"

Lake glanced out the window to see the rising moon. "Can I give you some advice? Maybe the best advice you've ever heard? Sleep on it. That's when all your troubles clear out of your mind and the answer comes to you."

The queen kissed her prince goodnight and left him to ponder her advice. Comet took his scepter out from his belt and set it on the nightstand. He laid back on his bed, looking up at the glow-in-the-dark stickers that were still there; such a familiar sight brought a small comfort to the prince. He closed his eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep, thinking about Marcia as he did.

Echo Creek, Earth-Realm

Marcia quietly opened the front door of her house and made her way to the stairs. The house had been decorated from top to bottom for the party tomorrow night, and her exhausted parents had fallen asleep on the couch together. After placing a blanket over them, Marcia went upstairs to take a shower and head to bed. As she laid down for the night, she noticed she had a new text message from Jackson asking about how the concert went. Marcia was about to respond and ask him to call her, but she didn't have the energy. Instead, she turned her phone off for the night and tried to make sense of what had happened.

"Ruberiot just misunderstood what I told her about Comet." She reasoned to herself, trying to fall asleep. "Comet doesn't have a crush on me… does he?"

To Be Continued!

Epilogue:

"I'll be gone for a while, dear." Mars explained to his wife as he donned his suit of armor. "The Commission and I think we've finally found Luna. This could be our chance to take back the other half of the scepter's crystal. Are you sure you can handle things here while I'm gone?"

"Don't worry, dear, I'll be fine." Lake promised. "I was the representative of the entire Johansen kingdom for a while, you know. Just please be careful, alright? I don't feel comfortable with the idea of you taking on a monster with magic."

"I'll be fine." Mars nodded and gave his wife a quick peck on the lips. "I'll see you soon."

Once her husband left, Lake made her way downstairs to the castle's dungeon. The guards stepped aside to let her pass, then resumed their positions once she closed the door behind her. Ruberiot nervously squirmed and struggled to break free from her restraints, but the futility of her efforts was soon made clear as her queen hung up her coat and revealed her rippling muscles.

"Soooooo, Ms. Ruberiot…" Lake cracked her knuckles in front of the quivering songstress. "You thought it'd be fun to broadcast my son's secrets all over the world, hmmmm?"

Author's Notes: The cat's out of the bag and Marcia knows about Comet's crush. And now Mars and the Commission are about to take on Luna and her half of the magic scepter. As always, PLEASE READ AND REVIEW

And Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!