ACT XIII: Comet, the Underestimated Chapter 27: Long Live the King

Echo Creek, CA. Earth.

While Comet sadly prepared a plate of party food, Marcia pulled her parents, Jonah, and Agent Casoy aside to explain what had happened back on Mewni. At the set-up trial, it was revealed that the Magical High Commission had kidnapped Eclipsine's son and replaced him with Comet's ancestor. As a direct result, Comet was suffering from an identity crisis as this not only meant that he wasn't Eclipsine's descendant, but he wasn't even a true prince after spending his entire life preparing to become a ruler. Needless to say, the boy's former host family were taken aback.

"Wow… that's certainly a lot of information for a young man to take in all at once." Angelo acknowledged.

"I just hate to see him like this." Marcia sighed. "Ever since I first met Comet, he's always had this… this beautiful optimism about him. All he ever wanted was to help others, but he doesn't know how to do that without his political power… I just… I don't know how to help him…"

"At least you're trying to help him through this, Marcia." Rosa declared with a smile.

"Well, duh. After everything he's done for me, it's the least I can do. I mean, I really like him, he's super nice, and I think he's the one." Marcia's eyes suddenly widened in shock. "Whoa! What'd I just say?!"

"You think Comet's the one?!" Angelo beamed.

"Shhh! I know what I said!" Marcia whispered. "I just… what did I say?!"

"That you think Comet's the-!" Rosa began to repeat with a cheeky grin.

"I know what I said!" Marcia pulled her hood over her blushing face. "I just… ugh, what did I just say?!"

"That you think-"

"I KNOW WHAT I-!" Marcia whipped around to confront the latest person who didn't understand her rhetorical question, only to freeze in nervousness at the sight of her ex-boyfriend. "Oh, my god! Jackson, I am so sorry! I just-!"

"Hey, hey! It's okay." Jackson smiled. "At least you know you made the right choice, huh?"

"Oh, Jackson, I-" Marcia briefly felt a twinge of guilt before she noticed her ex was holding hands with someone. It was a young man around their age with dark skin, black hair, brown eyes, wearing a light green shirt with a green scarf and purple pants. "Who's this?"

"Oh, sorry!" Jackson cleared his throat with a smile and motioned to the teenager next to him. "Marcia, this is Pierre. Pierre, Marcia."

"Bonjour, madame." The french boy greeted, shaking Marcia's hand. "Nice to meet you."

"Uh, hi." Marcia smiled back and shook his hand. "So, are you the Academy's new foreign exchange student?"

"Mais oui." Pierre nodded, respectfully. "I've been going to Echo Creek for trois semaines now."

"Really? My folks didn't tell me they took in a new exchange student."

"Oh, uh, he's not staying with your parents." Jackson corrected. "He's staying with mine. Since your mom's pregnant, your folks felt like they wouldn't have enough time for the program. So, my family stepped up this time. I've been showing Pierre around town, introducing him to our friends at school, and in return, he tells me all about France and teaches me parkour!"

"Oui." Pierre nodded with a sly smile. "And then there are times when we embrassons."

Jackson blushed, brightly. "Heh, c'mon, Pierre… not in front of my ex."

Marcia was happy that Jackson had found someone else, but decided she needed to check up on Comet again. And it was a good thing that she did, as she watched Comet with horror as he poured habanero sauce onto an enchilada he'd picked up off of the snack table.

"Comet, wait! That's-!"

But it was too late; the mewman boy had taken a large bite out of the enchilada. His bloodshot eyes snapped open, he dropped the plate, and fell to the floor gripping his throat in agony as he choked on the spicy food. Marcia dashed to the kitchen and snatched the milk jug out of the fridge. She poured the entire gallon into Comet's mouth, watching him swallow it all in one gulp. Coughing and spluttering, Comet finally managed to sit up and take a deep breath. A puff of smoke billowed out from his mouth as he exhaled.

"I don't think spicy foods agree with me…" He remarked, shakily.

Marcia stifled a chuckle and helped him back on his feet. "Sorry, dude. I tried to warn you, but you were just so-"

Comet cut her off with a smile and a hug. "Thank you for being so patient with me, Marcia. I know I haven't been taking this revelation well. And thank you for bringing me here to share this amazing experience with your parents. I am starting to feel better, I promise."

"Hey, if you need a pick-me-up, check this out." Jonah giggled as he took out his phone. "I did some digging, and apparently that Agent Casoy guy was a total spaz back in high school! I found this!"

The video showed a much younger Alex Casoy dressed in casual clothes and facing the camera with a guilty expression.

["I'm totally honest! I mean, mostly. I always thought I was until the truth serum hit me."] The young Alex admitted, nervously. ["But since then, the truth just spills right out! Did you know that when I was in the seventh grade, there was this girl and I had a huge crush on her! Okay, except she wasn't just some girl, she was Cooper's girlfriend! I know it was wrong, but I was totally into her! And it's not like I stole her from him or anything… but I tried! I even started to dress like Cooper so she'd like me!"]

Just then, a red-haired young man around Alex's age walked into the video with a frustrated expression. ["When will this truth serum wear off already?"]

"Hey! Where'd you get that?!" Alex tried to grab the phone away from Jonah to no avail. "Those videos are confidential!"

Jonah laughed as he kept the phone out of the agent's reach. "And they're hilarious!"

Comet and Marcia snickered to each other as they watched the scene. "Now I feel really better." Comet whispered to Marcia.

The Magical High Commission's Secret Fortress. Mewni.

Meanwhile, the MHC were still in hiding as they prepared for their next move.

"Are you sure, they won't come looking for the scepter?" Rhombulie asked for the umpteenth time.

"Relax, sister. I crafted a fake and portaled it into the castle after I stole the real one." Hekapoe assured his colleague. "They'll never guess the difference. Now, what's the plan?"

"Well, one good thing about Eclipsine's return is that we have another opportunity to make a pureblooded thirtieth Dragonfly." Omnitraxus explained. "Thanks to King Ryan's turbulent marriage with Jane Roachley, we know that demon's can asexually reproduce by taking a sample of a partner's blood and combining it with their own. We can coerce a demon from the Underworld to steal a sample of Eclipsine's essence and create a new king. After that, we'll give him the scepter, and-"

The omnipotent being was cut off as the entire mountain trembled. Omnitraxus and her siblings cautiously scanned the cave when another tremor hit, this time causing chunks of rock to fall loose from the ceiling. Hekapoe drew a pair of scissors and split them apart into daggers while Rhombulie thought she'd figure out where the source of the tremors was coming from. Pressing the side of her crystalline head against the cave wall, she heard the distinct scratching noise coming from the outside. Suddenly, a large clawed hand burst through the stone wall and tore the mountain asunder.

"At last!" Meteoro roared in triumph as he entered the cave. Ignoring the shocked looks from the MHC, his gaze instantly targeted the stockpile of dark mewtonium on the other side of the cavern. "Surrender that dark power to me, and I'll let you all live!"

In response to his ultimatum, Omnitraxus left her crystal ball and grew to a size that matched the intruder and pushed him back into another wall. With the monster pinned, Rhombulie attempted to trap him within a crystal. But the giant took notice of her attack and swatted her aside with his tail. Then, he head-butted Omnitraxus and shoved her aside. Hekapoe created fifty copies of himself and surrounded the monster, all stabbing and slicing at his feet. Meteoro stumbled, but managed to stomp with such a force that created a shockwave to blow out the flames over most of the copies' heads.

Just as Omnitraxus recovered and tried to grab him from behind, Meteoro shrank to half his giant size and punched her in the gut. Fifteen Hekapoes jumped onto his back, taking advantage of his reduced stature. But Meteoro merely slammed backwards into another stone wall, crushing all but one of them to death. Rhombulie resorted to creating crystal spears to throw into his heart, while the surviving Hekapoe grabbed onto a scythe that had been lodged into his shoulder to prevent himself from falling.

Omnitraxus shrank herself to better do battle with the monster, only for Meteoro to sink his razor-sharp teeth into her shoulder and pin her to the wall this time. Rhombulie jumped up to help her brother, helping him pull the scythe out of Meteoro's back and try to strike him with it. But before the blade could pierce his neck, Meteoro dodged a cosmic blast from Omnitraxus' eyes by shrinking to his usual size, causing the blast to strike Hekapoe and Rhombulie instead. And before Omnitraxus could process what she had done, Meteoro weakened her with his own soul-draining eye beams. With his enemies beaten to submission, Meteoro stepped over their beaten bodies to claim his prize.

"You arrogant fool!" Hekapoe spat. "No one has ever survived direct contact with that much dark mewtonium!"

Meteoro ignored the blacksmith's comment and confidently strode towards the crystal walls and held one palm up towards it. A painful jolt of energy surged into his arm, prompting him to recoil. But after looking back at his reflection and noticing that his cheek-marks were glowing, he decided that this pain was a fair price for the power locked within the crystals. Without further hesitation, he clawed both arms into the crystal and roared in pain as the magical energy flooded into his nervous system.

The Magical High Commission shielded their eyes from the initial flash, but peeked through their fingers to allow their eyes to adjust. They wanted to see the monster of their own making destroyed by his hubris. But the longer Meteoro held onto the crystals, the brighter his cheek-marks and stripped fur glowed with dark green energy. The crystals began to lose their luster and crumble to dust while Meteoro continued feeding off of their power. Eventually, shards of the dark matter began to protrude from his spine, elbows, and knees. The halfling monster cackled with wicked glee as he felt himself becoming stronger.

"I-Impossible!" Omnitraxus trembled, fearfully. "No one can control dark mewtonium! It dominates and destroys everything it touches!"

Rhombulie tried once more to trap their enemy in a crystal prison, but her beams dispersed in close proximity to him. Once Meteoro had his fill, he relaxed his grip on the crystal walls and looked down at the sparkling green energy flickering around his fingers before he clenched his fist. He turned around and smiled at the trembling MHC.

"I… am the dominator!" Meteoro fired a pair of lasers from his eyes at Hekapoe, vaporizing the blacksmith. "I… am the destroyer!" He stomped his massive foot down onto Rhombulie, shattering her to pieces. Then, he turned his attention to the cosmic being and began draining her of her lifeforce. "I! AM! METEORO DRAGONFLY!"

With the trio of his most hated enemies vanquished, the size-shifter made his way out of the cave. His gaze turned towards the path of destruction he had created getting there without this new power. As he turned his attention towards the Dragonfly Castle in the distance, he felt the dark power growing stronger within him by the second.

"… soon to be King Meteoro Dragonfly." He remarked with a hungry grin, and he stomped slowly towards his next conquest…

… while the Scythe of Shadows, the Dragonfly scepter, and Hekapoe's scissors were left behind for a shadowy figure to collect them.

Echo Creek, CA. Earth.

Comet was having the time of his life. After his fiasco with the spicy enchilada, Angelo was kind enough to fix him up a pair of hot dogs with mustard instead. After that, he sat next to Rosa to look through a family photo album and gushed at Marcia's baby pictures. Marcia was still hanging out with Jackson and Pierre while Kyle, Dama, and Klutzy mingled with the other guests. Even Jonah decided to apologize to Alex by offering him a soda and watching TV.

"Thanks." Alex muttered, accepting the soda while Jonah sat next to him.

"So, you like boxing?" He asked.

"Eh, it's alright." Alex shrugged. "It'll do until hockey season starts up again."

"'Hockey?'" Jonah snorted. "What are you? Canadian?"

"Yes."

"Huh? Then why are you working for the US government?"

Alex smirked, coyly, seeing an opportunity to get under the rebellious teen's skin. "Well, I could tell you, son. But then I'd have to kill you."

Suddenly, a portal opened up in the middle of the living room. Comet instinctively reached for the scepter on his belt, only to remember that he had left it behind. Luckily, Kyle and Dama drew their own weapons in preparation. Even Marcia got into her usual fighting stance. But much to Comet's surprise, Eclipsine stumbled out of the portal with the scepter and scythe in his arms.

"Eclipsine? What're you doing here? And where's my dad?"

"Comet! We have an emergency!" Eclipsine handed the scepter over to Comet; it hadn't changed back to Eclipsine's version due to the fact that he wasn't actually holding it with his hand, but he still secured the scythe to his back. "Your father and I went to look for my son, but everything went wrong when he tried to fight us! Meteoro exposed Mars to more Dark Magic than he could handle! Your father's been corrupted!"

"What?!" Comet gasped. "Where is he now?!"

"I don't know." Eclipsine shook his head. "But I can't find him or save my son without help! I need you! Mewni needs you!"

"But… I'm not… the prince anymore." Comet remarked, sadly glancing down at the scepter in his hands.

"Alright, I've had enough!" Marcia snapped.

"Wha-? Marcia, I-"

"I'm talking, you're listening. Comet, that night when I acted as your therapist, you told me you cared more about protecting Mewni than being a ruler. Right?" When Comet nodded in agreement, Marcia went on. "Well, just look at all the good you've done as a protector instead of a ruler! You kept the scepter out of Luna's grubby little hands! You got your dad to give Eclipsine a chance to prove his innocence, and exposed the MHC for the crooks they are! You risked being killed to stop Taffy for crying out loud!"

"Your girlfriend-squire has a point, Comet." Klutzy pointed out, fluttering up to the prince. "You even saved my dad and friends when no one else would."

"You also stopped Atrocious from killing those four other princes." Kyle added, bowing his head in respect. "You are as courageous as any Solarian I know."

Jonah snorted. "He'd have to be to date Diaz-oof!"

Marcia cut off her old friend with an elbow to the ribs, then continued with her speech to Comet. "So, you're not related to Eclipsine. So, you're not a 'real' Dragonfly. So what? You're still the same awesome magical dude who kicks ass and takes names! And right now, that's exactly what your realm needs."

Comet opened his mouth to argue, but couldn't find the words. Everything Marcia and the others said was technically true; he had fought back hordes of monsters countless times while on Earth, and he even saved Marcia's life. He was also the only person who had seen firsthand what Meteoro's magic was capable of, and therefore the only one who knew how to take advantage of that information. And right now, there were thousands of innocent civilians trapped on Mewni with an enraged Meteoro.

"So what's it gonna be, buddy?" Marcia asked with a smirk. "Are you just a random guy who's gonna mope about not being a prince? Or are you a mean mother fucking protector of Mewni?"

Comet clenched his fists and nodded with conviction. "I'm a mean… mmrrmm-frrrmm… protector of Mewni." He declared, leaving out the swearing.

Castle Dragonfly. Mewni.

Comet had teleported himself and his friends back to Mewni with his own scissors. Jonah, Jackson, and even Pierre had insisted on coming with them to help any way they could, and with no time to argue, Comet agreed. As they ran through the halls, they finally came upon the war room where the Solarian generals were trying their best to direct the battle. Lake burst into the room, dressed in shining armor and wielding her spear.

"Mom! Dad's been-!"

"I know, sweetie. I know. We'll find your father. I promise. But first, we need you for something…" Lake held out the Great Book towards the prince. Comet swallowed hard and placed his left hand on the Great Book and raised his right hand. "Repeat after me; I, Comet Dragonfly…"

"I, Comet Dragonfly…"

"Do solemnly swear to lead Mewni to the best of my ability…"

"Do solemnly swear to lead Mewni to the best of my ability…"

"And will protect it with all of my mind, body, and soul."

"And will protect it with all of my mind, body, and soul." Comet nodded.

One general stepped forward. "We await your orders then, King Comet."

Comet made his way to the nearest screen which displayed a battalion of Solarian warriors facing Meteoro head on. The giant monster used his soul-draining powers to carve a path towards nearby kingdoms, but it was obvious his main target was Castle Dragonfly. The generals shouted over each other, trying to catch the acting king up to speed until he yelled at them for some space. Comet turned towards his friends.

"Marcia, Kyle, Dama, Klutzy, Jonah, Jackson, Pierre… the seven of you are the only ones who know that I am not a true Dragonfly…" Comet sighed. "And I am aware that I haven't taken that revelation with tact and grace. But Meteoro is on a warpath and we don't know where my dad is. So until my dad shows up, the citizens of the kingdom are depending on me to keep them safe. But if any of you wish to leave and save yourselves to be with your families… I won't hold it against you…"

Marcia was the first to act, walking straight towards Comet and promptly slapping him across the face. The others gasped in shock, but Marcia sternly poked her boyfriend's chest. "Comet Galaxius Astro Celestio Cosmo Dragonfly the Second, I didn't turn tail and run out on you the first three hundred times a monster threatened you…" She paused to kiss the tender flesh on Comet's cheek before cupping it, gently. "What the hell makes you think I'd do it now?"

Comet smiled. "Alright, that's one."

Kyle drew his sword and knelt before Comet. "I am at your service, my king."

"And I as well." Dama nodded with a smile.

Comet smiled. "Thank you, my friends."

"So what's the plan, King Comet?" Klutzy asked.

Comet conjured up a map and spread it out over the table. "Alright, we need to divide and conquer." He declared. "According to the generals, the Solarian Army encountered Meteoro on the edge of the Forest of Certain Death. I need volunteers to go and aid them while a few others stay here with me."

"What're you going to do?" Marcia asked.

"Eclipsine said that my dad's light and dark magics has corrupted him." Comet reconjured the image of his father. "I think he tried to go to the Real of Light in order to purge the dark magic from his system. A kind of… mystic reset or something. Simon's chapter in the Great Book has a formula for a potion that can let me astrally project my soul into the Realm of Light. Then, I can find my dad and guide him back to Mewni. So… any volunteers?"

"Well, Kyle and I are already trainees in the Solarian army." Dama reasoned. "We must join our brothers and sisters in arms."

"I agree with Lady Dama, my king." Kyle nodded, drawing his massive sword from the sheath on his back. "Our place is at the front lines."

"Alright. That's fair." Comet nodded in agreement. "I still need a few people to help me when I make the potion and my soul temporarily leaves my body."

"I got an A-plus in chemistry." Jackson volunteered. "I can help make a potion."

"And I would like to stay with Jackson in a world I do not know much about." Pierre added.

"I'm going with Kyle and Dama." Marcia declared, tying her hair up in a ponytail. "Or rather, Prince Dudebro is going with them."

"Marcia, no!" Comet objected. "If Meteoro sees you like that-!"

"Then he'll follow me." Marcia nodded with a knowing grin. "If even a shred of Atrocious still inside that monster, I can use his hatred of me to lure him away from innocent people in the line of fire. Plus, with all the training I've done with your mom - and those freaky green-hair powers I keep getting - I should buy you plenty of time to come up with a more permanent solution."

"But Marcia-!"

"'Divide and conquer.'" Marcia reminded him. "Your words. You've got your job, now I'm gonna do mine."

Comet sighed, knowing there was no time to argue"Alright, Jonah? Do you want to help me with the potion?"

"Hell no, I wanna fight." Jonah remarked, pulling a stun gun out from his coat pocket.

"Whoa! Where'd you get that?!" Marcia spluttered. "Even in California you have to be eighteen to carry a self defense weapon!"

Jonah shrugged. "This isn't California."

"Okay then. Marcia; you, Kyle, and Dama will go to divert Meteoro's attention. Jonah, Jackson, Pierre, and Klutzy will stay here, help me make the potion, and watch over me while I transcend into the Realm of Light." Comet decided.

"What about the prisoner?" Lake spoke up, tugging on Eclipsine's silver shackles.

Comet glanced over at Eclipsine, the one true king of Mewni. Over the past few weeks, Comet had come to see Eclipsine as a close companion he wanted to help. He even felt guilty about what the MHC had done to put his family in power. But after hearing about what happened to his father, something else came to mind regarding the King of Darkness.

"When we first met... did you know that I wasn't your descendant?"

"Comet, please, I never meant to hurt you-"

"Did… you… know…?"

Eclipsine hesitated, briefly, only to close his eyes and hang his head in shame. "... yes."

Comet closed his own eyes and used the scepter to create new silver shackles for the former king. "Mom… take Eclipsine to the dungeon."

"No!" Eclipsine protested, even as Lake took the Scythe of Shadows from him and carried him away. "Don't do this, Comet! My son can still be saved! I can reach him! All the guilt you've felt about what your family did to mine-! You have a chance to make things right! Don't let history repeat itself!"

But Comet ignored Eclipsine's plea to address his friends once again. "Alright, we all know our assignments. Let's go save Mewni!"

"Yeah!" The group cheered before splitting up.

"And Marcia…?" Comet called out one last time. When his girlfriend turned around, he gave her a longing kiss. "... you be careful, yeah?"

"I will." She promised, stroking his cheek before running after Kyle and Dama.

With that, Comet flipped through the Great Book towards Simon's chapter while he and the other rushed up to his bedroom. At the same time, Lake led the prisoner down to the dungeon and roughly shoved Eclipsine into a cell.

"Stay right here." She ordered, sternly.

Eclipsine could only smile, casually. "Of course."

However, once the queen was gone, the King of Darkness wiggled his tongue around in his mouth until he felt a small metal pick attached to his molar. Applying a certain amount of pressure caused the pick to come loose, and he pushed it past his lips and released it into his palms. With that, he began picking the locks to the silver restraints on his wrists.

To Be Continued!

Author's notes: Please, leave a review.