Carriages, limo-crafts, and many other flashy vehicles arrived at the Naboo Palace as the big night had come for the coronation of Princess Lamenta Jinn of Solaris.
Everyone was gathered in the ballroom to await the beginning of the ceremony.
The ballroom looked a little different this time around. There was a big curtain draped over the big doors where Lamenta would make her entrance from. The room turned dark, and a spotlight shone as Qui-Gon stepped up first to greet their guests.
"Welcome, friends, family, distinguished guests." said Qui-Gon. "On behalf of the royal family of Solaris, I would like to first thank everyone who came out to the coronation day of my youngest granddaughter. Every night, Lamenta ensures that every dream is good. She has never feared standing up to even the scariest nightmares and finding a way to turn them into dreams. And now tonight shall be a night where a special dream of hers shall come true."
Lamenta stood behind a curtain, feeling more nervous than she ever had before. Her biggest dream was about to come true tonight on her birthday, at her coronation.
Her hair was tied up in a ballerina bun and decorated with little silver stars she conjured herself. And she was dressed in a white and lavender ballerina dress, her lucky lavender ballet slippers topping it off.
"Okay, Lamenta." she whispered to herself. "You're about to do what you've dreamed of since... well, forever."
The curtains began to rise, and a spotlight shined on Lamenta as she stood in a preparatory position.
All eyes were on Lamenta and she felt frozen inside. But then, music started to play. The finale music from Firebird, one of Lamenta's favorite ballets.
Lamenta began slowly dancing, starting with simple walks and some simple kicks as she made her way to the altar. As she danced, she began to feel more confident as she continued, and as the music got louder, she began turning and throwing in some small leaps and jumps.
The ballroom turned dark and started to light up with fireflies and little twinkling stars as Lamenta unleashed the magic within her in her dance.
Lamenta turned again and again, pirouetting many times in a row, her passion so clear in every turn she did. From the hair on her head to the tips of her toes, she felt the dance in her soul, and as the song began to come to an end, Lamenta came up with the idea for a big finish.
At just the right moment, Lamenta jumped in a turn for her biggest leap yet!
Everyone was astonished at the huge leap Lamenta took. She looked like she was flying as she did her leap, and Lamenta felt like she was flying.
Carmine and Caroline were especially proud and astonished seeing how beautifully their daughter was dancing.
And as Lamenta fell to the ground, she landed perfectly on her feet, and her ballerina dressed transformed into... a beautiful midnight purple gown with sparkling diamonds aligned on the bottom of the skirt, her hair down and still adorned with stars.
People clapped as Lamenta completed her performance.
Suddenly, Lamenta felt something inside her burst. Her heart was beating so fast; she felt adrenaline running through her veins as everyone applauded her living her greatest dream come true. She'd actually danced in front of a large crowd of people, and she did it even though she was scared inside before, but when she danced, she didn't feel scared because she was doing the thing she loved the most, and it made her feel unstoppable.
All this little princess needed now was her crown to mark her achievement.
Qui-Gon picked up the crown from the purple pillow. The crown was beautiful. Silver with a crescent moon in the center topped by the biggest star among some more beautiful twinkling stars.
Lamenta bowed her head, and Qui-Gon placed the tiara on her head.
"Happy Birthday, my granddaughter. Princess Lamenta Valentine Mitchell-Jinn of Solaris."
The crowd applauded once more as Lamenta stood up, her tiara sparkling like the stars at night, the brightest star of the night tonight being the newest crowned princess named Lamenta.
Lamenta couldn't believe all she'd achieved so far. She made her first real friends in her long-lost cousins, she performed a song in front of her family, and now she'd just performed in front of a large crowd and perhaps just conquered her stage fright and fear of large crowds. Now, she got to thinking.
She spent all her time making sure people had sweet dreams while they were sleeping, and that every dream reflected the truth to the right people, as well as exposing the truth out of those who dared to lie in an attempt to take what they wanted. But she was afraid to speak her mind most of the time. Some things, she never even spoke to her parents about; just to her plush Lammy. That little white lamb had been pretty much Lamenta's first best friend since she was a baby.
With so many people wanting easy access to Count Crescendo, Lamenta found it impossible to make real friends even if she did stay anywhere long enough to make a real friend. People looked at her and once they learned she was the daughter of Count Crescendo's manager, they saw a plan.
Some members of the tabloids had children of their own, and tried to use them as guinea pigs by making them approach Lamenta to earn her trust. But then, once they shook her hand, hugged her, or high-fived her, that was when Lamenta discovered she had the power to see the truth, when she learned they were promised ice cream, a special toy, or a big increase in their allowances if they helped their parents get an inside scoop on Count Crescendo, namely finding anything potentially scandalous, or exposing his true identity.
Since then, Lamenta had a hard time trusting anyone and sometimes found it easier to hide from people; make herself invisible. Literally and figuratively. She thought it would just be her and her parents forever. But then, she discovered her family was bigger than she ever imagined, and together they taught her that even though the truth could be hard to face sometimes, there were beautiful truths in the world. Her bond with Crescent, her cousin Gabby's desire to be her friend and show her how much fun she could have with other kids, her aunt and uncle's genuine love and care for each other and their whole family, and her grandfather's sincerity in taking advantage of the second chance he was granted to be a better father and grandfather. And whenever she was with even just one member of her family, whether it was her parents, her grandfather, her aunt, her uncle, or either of her cousins, she didn't need her power to see that they were telling the truth when they told her they loved her.
Maybe now I can speak mytruth.
Lamenta stepped up, ready to speak. Everyone was silent. At first, Lamenta was too. But then, she spoke.
"Not too long ago, I was terrified of just the thought of getting up in front of people. I'd freeze up, my voice would decide to get really small, and sometimes I might even just disappear." Lamenta turned invisible for a moment and then reappeared. "Like that. But, I learned from a very wise couple I've spent my whole life beside that even the greatest speakers feel afraid sometimes. Even someone as confident and famous as Count Crescendo, truth be told, feels terrified before a performance. But something he told me helped me a lot tonight, "When you're doing what you love the most, your fears will fade." Tonight, I learned to wake myself up from the nightmare that was my fear and turn my own nightmare back into a dream in reality. And I never needed magic to make my dreams come true because I already have my best dream come true. I have my family, whom I can always trust to tell me the truth, and I love them more than anything else. They are the real reason I feel like dancing, the whole reason I was able to stand here tonight. With people like them, I never feel alone. Thank you, everyone for coming out tonight. For making this night one I will always remember."
People cheered once more, and soon Lamenta got to have a special dance with her father.
"I am so proud of you, Little Lamb." Carmine said. "You managed to conquer your fears on your own. Your mother and I always knew you could do more than even you knew."
"Thanks, Daddy." Lamenta said. "It's all because of the family. Especially you and Mommy. You always told me how you both started out as ordinary kids struggling to meet expectations placed on you by your parents or yourselves. But then you decided to stop trying to be perfect and just live your truths, and even when you struggled, you still believed things would get better, and they did."
Carmine smiled at his daughter. He still wasn't ready to reveal to anyone else that he was Count Crescendo, but he thought if Lamenta could overcome her fears the way she did and show such wisdom at her current age, maybe someday he would be able to sing on stage as Carmine Jinn. But for now, he was happy keeping that little secret with his family and making the most of his little girl's special night.
Lamenta felt a little song coming on now too.
Lamenta:
In the shadow of the city
When the days have disappeared
Some might say it's sorta gritty
Full of faces to be feared
But there are wonders that are waiting
Underneath the midnight sky
We got the stars illuminating
It's a place for a you and I
A little space for a you and I
Carmine spun his daughter around as they danced together.
At the top of the world tonight
Where no one ever has to hide
At the top of the world tonight
You're sittin' safe and starry-eyed
Carmine and Lamenta danced beautifully together as beautiful stars and fireflies lit up the night inside and out of the palace.
There is treasure you can find
In somethin' someone left behind
At the top of the world tonight
It can stay this way, at least until the mornin' light
People all around began dancing as Lamenta sang and began sharing a dance with the rest of her family as well.
Through the dark, there's someone's singin'
Like an old familiar song
Like you fell into a melody that's bringin'
You right here where you can belong
Lamenta even spun around in a dance with Gabby, the first real friend she'd ever made.
Gabby:
And there are wonders that are waiting
Underneath the midnight sky and
By the stars, we're navigating
To a place for a you and I
Gabby and Lamenta:
At the top of the world tonight
Where no one ever has to hide
At the top of the world tonight
You're sittin' safe and starry-eyed
There is treasure you can find
In somethin' someone left behind
At the top of the world tonight
It can stay this way, at least until the mornin' light
Lamenta:
At the top of the world
The top of the world
At top of the world tonight
And as if by magic, thousands of shooting stars filled the sky, just waiting for people who saw one could make wishes that would hopefully, someday, come true.
Featured Song:
"Top of the World" by Shawn Mendes (from the movie "Lyle Lyle Crocodile" such a cute movie)