ACT XIII: Comet, the Underestimated Chapter 15: Back on Mewni

One Week After the Party. Forest of Certain Death. Mewni.

Comet was stirred from his sleep once the carriage he was riding in hit a bump in the road. According to his father, they were traveling through the Forest of Certain Death to find Indexia's Sanctuary to restore the Magical High Commission after being drained of magic by Taffy. The lifeless bodies of the Commission had been tied to the back of the carriage to prevent them from floating away, even as the carriage raced through the forest. The prince rubbed the sand out of his eyes and looked down at the hoodie wrapped around his waist. In his rush to join his father, Comet had accidentally packed one of Marcia's spare hoodies along with his own clothes, keeping it as a security blanket to comfort him during the trip. After taking a sniff from the hoodie, he opened the window to speak to his father.

"Dad? Are we there yet?" He asked, groggily.

"Almost, Comet." Mars replied as he steered the warnicorn towards the Sanctuary. "According to the map, it should be just beyond this hill."

"Is Lekhmat going to meet us there?"

"Um… yes." Mars nodded, keeping the horn filled with dust hidden from his son. "Yes, she'll meet us there."

Comet closed the window and sat back down to get comfortable. He dragged his lunchbox out from under one of the seats and took out one of the pudding cups inside. After peeling off the plastic cover, he set it on top of the lunchbox and waited for Indexia to crawl out from whatever hiding spot she was currently in. To pass the time, he tried rereading the Great Book of Magic, but he had memorized so many passages in the Book that he quickly grew bored. The prince took his compact mirror out of his back pocket and opened it up, contemplating whether or not to call Marcia.

He thought telling his best friend his true feelings would bring some sense of relief, but instead it just left a terrible pit in his heart. Ever since the night of the party, Comet would only see Marcia's startled face whenever he closed his eyes. She had chased after him when he tried to leave, but he didn't give her a chance to speak. He had even left in such a hurry, he hadn't even realized that he'd left the Solarian trainees and Klutzy behind. He'd hoped one of their superiors would notice that they were missing and send for someone to pick them up. But then again, Marcia still had her own scissors and could easily take them home whenever she wanted.

"Marcia…" He thought, sadly. "It always comes back to Marcia."

The carriage came to a sudden stop, jolting the prince out of his thoughts. Comet pocketed his mirror, closed the Great Book, and opened the door, only to have his father pull him into the shadows and cup a hand over his mouth. Mars held a finger over his lips, silently ordering his son to keep quiet, then he pointed past the bushes where he'd spotted three rat soldiers working for Luna. Comet readily drew his scepter to attack, but Mars stopped him.

"No!" The king whispered. "If you use the scepter, Taffy will find us!"

"Fine." Comet huffed. "Then I just won't use magic."

With that, the prince jumped out from the bushes and swung his scepter like a hammer at one of the rats, caving its head in. Before the other two had time to react, he threw the scepter as hard as he could. Striking the second rat, the scepter ricocheted to hit the third, then bounced back into Comet's hand. Mars wanted to be upset with his son for disobeying him, but he couldn't help being slightly impressed.

"Where'd you learn to do that?" He asked.

"I saw someone do it in one of Marcia's comic books." Comet replied. "I thought it looked cool and always wanted to try it for myself."

Not wanting to waste anymore time, Mars ushered his son back into the carriage and they continued on their journey. As he rode in the carriage, Comet looked down at his scepter, tracing the outline of the missing half of the crystal with his finger. He had destroyed the scepter and allowed Taffy to taint it, and now it was up to him to rectify that. At last, the royal father and son arrived at their destination; an empty lagoon.

While Mars made his way towards the water, Comet held onto the ropes tied around the Magical High Commission, carrying them like balloons as he followed his father.

"Uh, dad? Are you sure we're in the right place?"

"Don't worry, Comet. Kings of Mewni have been coming to this sanctuary for decades. Stop!" The king held an arm out in front of his son at the sight of a blue alligator sleeping in the sand. "The Gatekeeper…"

"The who-now?" Comet asked.

Mars didn't respond to his son; he just approached the sleeping alligator and got down on his hands and knees to wake it up. Once the reptile was awake, Mars let out a guttural growl.

"Bwaaah!"

"Bwaaah!" The alligator replied.

"Bwaaah!"

"Bwaaah!"

"Bwaaah!"

"Bwaaah!"

"BwAAAh!"

Comet was convinced that his father had gone insane as he watched the bizarre conversation go on until the alligator turned around and swam into the lagoon. When the reptile was fully submerged, Comet felt the ground beneath him begin to shake. Suddenly, the water in the lagoon began to bubble and rise until a mountain of alligators rose up. The alligators swam away, revealing a dome-shaped sanctuary beneath them. The water level of the lagoon had drastically gone down, allowing the king and prince to see a cobblestone bridge that led directly to the only entryway of the temple.

"Whooooooa…" Comet gawked in awe at the marvelous structure.

"Come along, son." Mars ordered, gently, as he led the boy by the hand.

On the inside, the temple was lined with marble sculptures and carvings of Indexia. And right in the center of it all was a fountain with four flower petal-shaped pods in the water. Mars stepped closer to the fountain, triggering a podium to rise from the ground. As he placed his hand on the podium, three flower-like pods surrounding the base of the fountain opened up.

"Alright, son, tie the Commission down to the pods." Mars ordered. "I'll open the floodgates."

Although he didn't fully understand what they were doing, he realized that his father knew more about it than he did, so he obeyed. As the prince secured the Magical High Commission to the healing pods, the king climbed a stairway to the top of the fountain to open a valve at the top. But the king gasped in horror once he saw a viscous green liquid pour out from the spigots. Hastily shutting the valve, Mars climbed even further to look down the well.

"Dad?" Comet called out. "Is everything alright?"

Mars rushed back down the stairs towards the door. Comet watched with uncertainty as his father slammed the stone doors shut and barricaded them with a marble pillar. He then made his way over to a vending machine to get some snacks. Comet was still confused.

"Dad? What's the plan?" He asked.

"Do you want Cornitos or Corngules? Our options are pretty limited considering when this place was last restocked."

"Dad!" Comet shouted. "I don't want any snacks! I want to know how we're going to help the Commission and stop Taffy!"

"Calm down, Comet." Mars soothed, gently. "Something's wrong with the Magic Well. It probably has something to do with Taffy's influence. But we'll be fine. We just have to sit tight and try to fix the Well."

"What about mom?!" Comet fumed. "She's still back at the castle, right?! What's she supposed to do while we're gone?! What if the citizens get antsy?!"

"Your mother is more than capable of taking care of herself and the kingdom. The citizens have been informed that the Commission and I are on a peace-keeping mission." Mars patiently explained, holding out a bag of Cornitos. "Here. Eat. Keep your strength up."

"I don't want any snacks!" Comet snapped, slapping the bag away.

"Comet!" Mars scolded, standing up from his seat.

"I won't just sit here and wait for Taffy to find us!" Comet went on. "There has to be a faster way to fix the Commission! What about Lekhmat? When she gets here, she can use her healing magic to-"

"Lekhmat is dead, Comet!" Mars took out the horn from his belt pouch and held it up to his son. "She sacrificed herself to save us from Taffy!"

Comet's eyes widened in shock at the sight of the ashes dripping to the floor. He clenched his fists in anger at the thought of Taffy killing Lekhmat, summoning sparks of dark red energy. His eyes slowly changed from bright blue to the same dark red. This frightened his father.

"And you just weren't going to tell me?!" Comet sneered as the dark red magic spread into the veins of his arms. "What other secrets have you been hiding from me?! Is mom even still alive?! Did Taffy kill her, too?!"

"No! Comet, I understand that you're upset, but you need to calm down!"

Being told to calm down of all things in a time like this only served to make the prince's blood boil hotter than ever before. The red magic soon spread towards his eyes as he drew his scepter. "You wanna stay here and let that monster hurt our people?! Swell! But I'm not a coward! I beat her once, I'll do it again! EXIT BEAM-!"

"Comet, no!" Mars used his own magic to telepathically yank the scepter out of his son's hands and into his own. Unfortunately, this action enraged Comet even further, as his dark magic caused the entire temple to tremble under his might. "Comet, don't do this! You can't face Taffy alone! I won't let you!"

"Why are you so afraid of her?!" Comet huffed, impatiently. "What happened to the cool warrior-king dad?!"

"I was never a 'cool warrior-king,' Comet! I was a selfish, arrogant, stupid kid who only cared about having fun! And then Taffy and her monsters…" For the first time in years, Mars began to cry in front of his son. "... killed my father."

Comet's eyes returned to their natural hue, widening in disbelief. The dark red veins on his flesh faded away and the temple stopped shaking. Silently, he watched as Mars sadly made his way across the room to sit down on a toppled marble pillar, burying his face in his palms. Mars' sobs echoed around the room, booming inside Comet's eardrums the longer he watched this go on.

Slowly but surely, the prince began to find his voice again. "I… you… but… I mean… that… mom told me you guys sent grandpa to live on a grandpa farm. So he could be happy with a bunch of other old grandpas."

"Oh, Comet…" Mars sighed at his son's naivety.

Looking back down at the scepter still in Mars' hands, Comet now finally understood why his father was so cautious. He made his way towards his father and sat down next to him. Comet gently rested his hand on Mars' shoulder to comfort him, and the two shared a gentle smile.

"Tell me." He insisted.

Mars let out another sigh; he realized there was no point in holding back the truth, now. "I was around your age when it happened." He explained, softly. "Mewni was on the brink of war. Your grandfather was dead, and the Commission was tripping over itself expecting me to come up with an answer. I was scared. Desperate. And all alone. So I… I did something I probably shouldn't have."

Comet was confused. "What do you mean?"

"In an attempt to kill Taffy, I sought out a power stronger than our family's usual source of magic." Mars took off one of his gloves and showed off the dark blue veins spreading from his palm down to his wrist, shocking his son. "In an act of desperation, I sought out a dark-magic spell that would kill even an immortal lizard. So I went to speak with… with Eclipsine."

Comet's jaw fell open in shock. "Eclipsine?" He spluttered. "As in 'King of Darkness' Eclipsine? But, he's been dead for over three hundred years, right?"

"That's the official story, yes." Mars nodded. "But the truth is, his studies of the dark arts made him too powerful for even the Commission to kill. So instead, Rhombulie trapped him in a crystal prison deep beneath Castle Dragonfly. But he is still I made a deal with him."

Comet listened with interest. "W-what… what kind of deal?"

"Ever since you were a child, I've taught you that our family draws power from the magic of the scepter." Mars elaborated as he held up the family heirloom. "But the scepter itself is merely a conduit for the magic from this Well. This type of magic is known as Light Magic. But Eclipsine was never able to tap into it. In the days of his youth, he sought out the power of the Dark Dimension. Very little is known about it, but the Commission believes this Dark Magic is the very thing that drove Eclipsine mad. Since his imprisonment, every king of Mewni has been warned never to dabble in the dark arts… but after I lost my father… I was so desperate to make Taffy pay, that… I offered Eclipsine his freedom in exchange for a spell that could ensure her demise."

Mars went on to explain every detail of that fateful day. From grieving his father early in the morning, to the meeting with the Commission to discuss the war, to his talk with Indexia that led to his discovery of Eclipsine's chapter, and all the way to when he finally met the infamous King of Darkness. He explained that the magic contract would bound Eclipsine's freedom to the success of the spell, and how the dark spell would permanently kill Taffy without the cost of his own life. But he had been so afraid of what Eclipsine would do when freed, that he hesitated at the last minute and cripled the monster instead.

"And so… I let Taffy leave with her life, taking only her finger as a warning to what I'm capable of." Mars went on as he slipped the glove back over his hand. "But at a price. Even though the spell failed and our magical contract remains unfulfilled, it was enough for the dark magic to leave a permanent imprint on my body. And because of that… it genetically passed on to you."

Comet fearfully looked down at his own hands. All this time, he had believed he'd finally learned how to dip down and use his family's magic. But now, he had no idea what he was capable of. He didn't know whether to be afraid or curious; every time he had used Dark Magic in the past, he'd succeeded in defeating his enemies and protecting his loved ones. Maybe this wasn't entirely a bad thing.

"So… are Light magic and Dark magic the only sources of magic in the universe?" Comet asked.

"Well, no. Not exactly. But they have proven to be the only sources of magic mewmans can tap into. After I scared Taffy and her army away, I sought out anything that would sever my connection to Dark magic. Heh, and your mother stood by my side every step of the way." Mars chuckled at the fond memories. "We traveled to the Demon-Realm to try wild magic, but that only works for witches and demons due to a genetic advantage. After that, we learned about a faraway land of sentient amphibians who worshiped the mystics of three gems of great power. But by the time we got there, the gems had been stolen and hidden away. We even dared to sneak aboard one of Homeworld's colonies in the hopes of a cure. Unfortunately, the Gems of Homeworld merely utilize technology so advanced it appears to be magic. Eventually, I gave up trying to cure my connection to Dark Magic, and instead chose to suppress it. Luckily, I had plenty to distract me from it. I had new obligations. New responsibilities. I had you and your mother. And that was enough… well, almost enough."

Comet glanced back down at his father's hands as they cradled the scepter. The heirloom hadn't changed back to his father's version - most likely due to the damage - but the prince could only think of one thing to say.

"... what was he like?" Comet hesitantly asked. Once his father arched an eyebrow, the prince cleared his throat. "Grandpa. What was he like?"

Mars' gaze turned away from the prince.

"Okay…" Comet nodded and got up from his seat. "It's fine. Forget I asked."

"... he tried to make peace with the monsters." Mars said, at last.

That surprised Comet even more. "Really?"

Mars smiled. "He convinced their queen to sign a peace treaty before Taffy betrayed them. I wanted to continue his work but… well, monsters don't exactly trust you when you have the power to kill an unkillable lizard. Still, I always admired how close he came."

Comet happily sat back down, crossing his legs in front of his father. "What else?" He asked.

"He liked to cook." Mars' smile grew wider. "And he was good at it, too. He made the best pies in all of Mewni. Possibly the entire universe. And everyone loved him. Especially your mother. He was brave, like any king should be. And smart, and kind, and patient. He tried so hard to be both father and mother for me. He supported all of my dreams and aspirations. And he never laid a hand on me, although Festivio knows there were plenty of times I was asking for it."

"Y'know, this is the most you've ever told me about grandpa, dad." Comet remarked, happily.

Mars let out a soft chuckle. "Hm, I guess it is, isn't it? I don't know…" The king sighed at the fond memories. "I guess it's been a while since I've talked to anyone about my father. It's just that… every time I think about him - even the good things - I can't help but also remember how I failed him… and who took him from me."

Comet frowned and reached out to hold his father's hand. "... we'll stop her, dad. I promise."

Echo Creek, L.A. Earth-Realm.

Jackson Lee Thomas skated his way towards the Diaz household with a grocery bag full of sweets. Once he arrived, he kicked up his skateboard and rang the doorbell. Angelo answered and warmly welcomed him in. As he made his way towards the stairs, he could see that Jonah was already there. The conspiracy theorist was happily catching up with his long-lost pen pal.

With Comet back home, the Diaz's missed having a guest in their home. Hilda Pearson and her mother had moved to Echo Creek after the destruction of their home in Trolberg. Johana was happy to have a temporary home with the Diaz's as she looked for work, but Hilda was still hung up over the fact that her home was gone. While she and Jonah talked about Trolberg and its Safety Patrol, Jackson continued upstairs to talk to his girlfriend.

By the time he got to her room, Marcia was too busy focusing on her punching bag to notice him. She huffed and grunted with each blow to the leather bag of sand, as if to drown out all of the millions of thoughts running through her head. She was angry at herself for not seeing the signs; her own roommate - her best friend - had been in love with her for who-knows-how long, and she hadn't even noticed. And now, he and his father were on their own, trying to take down the monster who almost killed her and coerced Comet into destroying the scepter. One last punch sent her fist straight through the sandbag, causing it to spill out onto the floor. Marcia pulled her arm free and sat down on her bed. Jackson dropped the bag and sat next to her.

"You okay?" He asked.

"It's bullshit." She sniffled. "Where'd he get off pulling that bullshit? Telling me he loves me and then running away? That's such a bitch move."

"Do you love him?" Jackson asked.

"He's a freaking prince, Jackson." Marcia huffed. "He's a long way out of my league."

"But that doesn't answer my question." Jackson placed a hand on Marcia's shoulder. "Do you love Comet?"

"I… I-I don't know." Marcia looked down at the plate of nachos in her lap. "I mean, I love things about him. How honest he is. How protective he is. How much he cares about people… I don't… not love him."

"Hmm…" Jackson murmured. He could see the conflict in Marcia's eyes and wanted to help in any way. Even though he was happy to be dating her, it was clear to him that Comet and Marcia shared a connection that he could never have with her. Especially after the prince's confession. Suddenly, there was another knock at the bedroom door. The couple looked up to see Kyle, Klutzy, Lady Dama and the Solarian Trio standing in the doorway. Kyle stepped forward and gripped the strap of his sword's scabbard.

"We need your help getting home, Marcia." He said. "You still have the inter-dimensional scissors Hekapoe gave you. We can't stay here any longer."

"I can already hear Sgt. Manhandle's lecture about lack of discipline." Harold groaned.

"That's the least of our worries." Dama piped up. "If our king and prince are to face impossible odds, they'll need all the help they can get."

Marcia glanced over at the drawer where she kept the scissors before looking back at her boyfriend. Jackson smiled and nodded. Marcia grabbed her jacket and used the scissors to open a portal. "Alright." She nodded. "But I'm coming with you. Comet and I need to talk."

"What about your parents?" Vincent asked.

"Oh, yeah." Marcia leaned out of the doorway to shout downstairs. "Mom! Dad! I'm leaving to go to another dimension and help Comet!"

"Okay, sweetie! Be careful!" Angelo shouted back.

"Don't get into too much trouble!" Rosa added.

To Be Continued!

Author's notes: This story's not dead, but I've started my Owl Haven story. I've decided that I'm going to alternate between chapters. I'll post one chapter of Kings of Mewni, then one of The Owl Haven. Please read and review both!