Featured Songs in order:
1. "My Love, My Life" from Mamma Mia Here We Go Again
2. "Better in Stereo" from Liv and Maddie
Carmine cut the thread as he completed the embroidering of the letter 'A' on the royal blue jacket he made himself as a gift for his twin. If there was anything he'd learned from growing up with his grandmother and having almost nothing, it was that the best kind of gifts were not bought at a store, but made by hand and effort.
Last year, he was able to gift Anakin a locket like the one Qui-Gon gave him as a child, and they took a family photo that Anakin put into it. And Anakin got Carmine a new strap for his guitar with his initials monogrammed on it. They were simple, yet wonderful gifts. Initially, they'd tried to get other things, but faced problems with them being sold out everywhere or taking too long to arrive. But, both of them soon came to realize that they were thinking too much about thinking big and not enough about what kind of present the recipient would love and have a use for.
Carmine folded the jacket and put it in the box, which he topped off with a green ribbon.
"Carmine," said a familiar voice.
Anakin tapped the gift quickly to hide it so Anakin wouldn't see it.
"Hey, Anakin." Carmine said.
"What are you up to?" Anakin said, noticing sewing supplies. "What's with the thread?"
"Oh! Nothing. Just had to fix a torn outfit." Carmine said. "Can't dance with holes in a costume, right?"
"Nope. That would be embarrassing." Anakin shook his head.
"What's up?" Carmine asked his twin.
"I know our coronation isn't until tomorrow, but I thought you might like to see your gift from me now."
Carmine walked out with Anakin and they talked.
Some time ago, Carmine told Anakin some of his best memories at music school, and other than ones he made with Caroline, the most he made were with his old roommate Sanjay Peralta. They were practically inseparable.
Back in music school, they always sat at meals together, did a lot of school projects together, and when they weren't in school, they'd be hanging out in the town or jamming together. Sanjay played the drums, his dream being to play in a rock band. However, his parents were classical musicians and wanted their children to do the same, but like anyone with a dream, Sanjay followed his own path instead of one chosen for him. He was even a witness and best man at Carmine and Caroline's first wedding.
After graduation, the two friends wrote letters to each other, but then lost touch when Carmine became Count Crescendo. Carmine had hoped he would be able to be there at his second wedding, but sadly, he couldn't track him down. Carmine was devastated. He hadn't seen his best friend in quite some time and worried that he'd forgotten all about him by now.
"What could you have gotten me that it can't wait until tomorrow for me to see?" Carmine asked.
"You'll see," smiled Anakin.
The twins entered a room where Caroline and Lamenta were talking with a man Carmine did not recognize at first, Lamenta performing a few ballet movements.
"You're gonna be a great ballerina someday, Lamenta." said the man.
He was dressed in red leather and had black hair streaked with blue. But then, Carmine recognized his voice and got a better look at him as the man looked at him.
"Is that...?" Carmine gasped.
"Carmine!" exclaimed the man.
"Sanjay!" Carmine smiled and ran into a big hug with his old friend.
Carmine looked at Anakin and asked, "How'd you manage to track him down?"
Anakin recalled Gabby had used a spell that sent letters right to a certain person, and asked her to teach it to him. Once he figured it out, he wrote a message to Sanjay, telling him he was his old roommate's twin and was hoping he could come to the coronation.
The two friends looked as excited as two kids as they looked at how much they each changed over the years.
"Switched from turquoise to blue, huh?" said Carmine.
"Yeah. Decided to go with a new color." said Sanjay. "I can't tell you how great it is to see you and Caroline after all these years. And Lamenta's gotten so big."
"So, what have you been up to?" Carmine asked.
"I went for my dream. Ever heard of the Red-Hot T's?"
"That new rock group that won So You Think You Can Band last year?" said Carmine.
"Yeah. I'm their drummer."
"That's amazing."
"I wish you could've been there. Word on the street was Count Crescendo was asked to be a guest judge. But, apparently your tour got a bit busy then."
"Oh... well, choreographing for a big star is-"
"Carmine, I know about your alter ego."
Carmine's eyes went wide, and he looked at Anakin. "You told him?"
"No! I swear." Anakin said.
"Don't worry," said Sanjay. "Your secret's safe with me."
"How did you figure it out?" Carmine asked.
"We used to room, remember? I'd know your voice anywhere."
"Then how do more people not know?" asked Lamenta. "especially if they went to school with Daddy too?"
"One thing to know about those looking for fame above all else in the music business," said Sanjay. "it's that they don't take the time to remember whose voice is whose unless they intend to sabotage them. And your father spent more time playing instruments and dancing than singing in front of the other students, so not a lot for them to recall there."
"I guess that makes sense." shrugged Lamenta.
Carmine was excited that his best friend could be there for his coronation. He didn't hesitate to introduce him to the rest of his family. And they were happy to meet Sanjay too. But Sanjay was in total shock when Carmine introduced him to Qui-Gon.
"I heard about it on the news," said Sanjay. "But I thought it was just a crazy rumor to draw up buzz."
"Well, for once, a crazy story on the news was all true." Qui-Gon said, picking Gabby up. "And this little one led the magic that made it possible."
"She's also the reason Anakin and I reunited." Carmine said.
Gabby blushed at all the praise her family was giving her.
"I'm just happy that our family is together now," said Gabby. "And now Daddy and Uncle Carmine are gonna be crowned together tomorrow."
"You've really come out of your shell these days." said Sanjay.
"Mostly." shrugged Carmine. "I still only sing as Crescendo."
"And you do it well."
"My brother's pretty good too. We helped him get over his own stage fright for Padme's coronation."
"The Hero With No Fear had stage fright?" said Sanjay with disbelief.
"Maybe." said Anakin.
The two old friends laughed.
"You should've seen Lamenta's coronation." said Carmine. "She danced so beautifully."
Anakin was happy to see his twin happily catching up with his old friend. Carmine shared stories with his old friend about how he finally started getting some formal training in the Jedi Temple, where a lot of the rules changed, and now his daughter was being trained too.
"That explains the braid." said Sanjay.
"Yeah. not my favorite style," said Carmine. "But it's part of the uniform of a Padawan. Better late than never to start training. And Master Kenobi says I'm doing pretty well so far."
Carmine even showed Sanjay his lightsaber.
"Even made one of these babies in the Gathering." said Carmine, activating his weapon.
"Wow. Can't say I've seen a lot of brass lightsabers." said Sanjya, sounding impressed. "Or one with orange light."
"The younglings and Obi-Wan said the same thing. So... how's it feel to be in a band?"
Sanjay told Carmine about how the band was doing so great and just unleashed their first album called Hot Stuff. They'd played some great concerts, and according to him, the band's lead guitarist, Phoebe, was the girl of his dreams.
"After Anakin invited me to the coronation, I got her to be my date to the big day." Sanjay said. "That... won't be a problem, right?"
"Of course not. The more, the merrier." Carmine said. "Besides, I'll be delighted to meet the woman who won my best friend's heart."
"You really got Carmine a special gift, Ani." Padme said when she saw how happy her brother-in-law was today. "I know it's true when anyone says you care deeply about your family and friends."
Anakin wrapped an arm around his wife and said, "There's no greater gift than those two things." He caressed his wife's cheek. "And you're one gift I wouldn't trade for anything."
And Anakin leaned in and kissed Padme on her lips.
A very special honor in some Solaran royal family ceremonies was that when a prince or princess was receiving their coming-of-age crown, they got to pick a special friend to hold their crown at the ceremony.
Anakin chose Ahsoka as his crown holder. She'd saved his life so many times during the war and was like part of the family to him. Anyone who messed with her or underestimated her abilities was in for a real surprise. He couldn't think of anyone else he'd rather have than her. Well, he had to break the news to Obi-Wan that he didn't get the job. But Obi-Wan wasn't too upset. They'd already been each other's best man at their weddings.
Carmine, on the other hand, wasn't sure who he'd pick to hold his crown. His father was already the one who would place the crowns on their heads, and Anakin was also a recipient of a crown. But now... he knew someone who was there for him right from the start when he got a fresh start at music school. Someone who welcomed him with open arms when no one else would, and even helped him gain the courage to ask the girl of his dreams to the big dance where he got his first kiss.
Carmine presented a special box to Sanjay, and inside was a special sash with a sun symbol on it.
"I might not have made it through music school if you hadn't been there to support me on my first day." said Carmine. "I couldn't think of anyone I'd trust more to be my crown bearer than my best friend. What do you say?"
Sanjay smiled and said, "I'd be honored... Prince Carmine."
Soon came the big day for the twins' coronation ceremony.
Anakin and Carmine were just finishing getting ready for the big day.
Anakin flaunted the green jacket Carmine made for him in the mirror. It went perfectly with the suit made just for him. And Carmine's was red orange, his long hair tied back in a ponytail.
"You look great, Little brother." said Anakin, ruffling his brother's hair.
"Anakin!" Carmine whined. Then he ruffled Anakin's hair. "Ha! Got you back!"
"Aww!"
The twins laughed and fixed their hair.
"This'll be our biggest birthday ever." said Anakin, adjusting his jacket.
"Then let's make it perfect." Carmine said. "Big brother."
Music played as the rest of the royal family took their turns walking down the aisle. This time around, they were each followed by the crown bearers. Each of them held a royal blue pillow with a crown sitting on it, and each wore a special sun embroidered sash.
Ahsoka held a gold one that looked like it was made of leaves, like a crown in Greek mythology, and Sanjay held a crown with a treble clef. Each took a spot up at the altar at Qui-Gon's sides, and soon it was time for the twins' grand entrance.
Anakin entered first since she was the oldest, and kept his head up high, looking so confident and fearless.
Carmine peered into the room as his brother walked down the aisle first. He felt like he was going to start coughing up butterflies at any moment with the endless fluttering he felt in his stomach. He'd been preparing for this moment for so long, and yet he was scared to death. In his head, he thought of how life brought him back to the rest of his family.
Carmine thought back to how his grandmother always taught him to be strong, and that having powers was not the true magic in him. And the most powerful magic of all was love. No force was strong enough to penetrate true love. Not even death could destroy it completely. Even a broken heart could be mended with time and care.
"Oh, Grandma." Carmine said to the picture. "If only you could see us now."
Carmine kissed the picture and held the locket close to his heart. Soon, it was his turn to walk down the aisle. And as he did, in his head, he could feel a song coming on.
Carmine:
I've never felt this strong
I am invincible, how could this go wrong?
No, here, here's where we belong
I see a road ahead
I never thought I would dare to tread
Suddenly, Carmine could hear a voice he hadn't heard since he was a child. And he could swear he saw a spirit of the very woman who'd been his mother when his birth mother couldn't during his childhood. And only he could see her.
Miranda:
Like an image passing by, my love, my life
In the mirror of your eyes, my love, my life
I can see it all so clearly
All I love so dearly
Images passing by
Both:
Like reflections of your mind, my love, my life
Are the words I try to find, my love, my life
But I know I don't possess you
With all my heart, God bless you
You will be my love and my life
You're my one and only
Carmine could feel his grandmother's love running through him. So many memories running through his mind of all the wonderful moments he shared with her when he was younger.
Miranda:
I held you close to me
Felt your heartbeat and I thought I am free
Oh, yes and as one are we
In the now and beyond
Nothing and no one can break this bond
Like an image passing by, my love, my life
In the mirror of your eyes, my love, my life
I can see it all so clearly
All I love so dearly
Images passing by
Both:
Like reflections of your mind, my love, my life
Are the words I try to find, my love, my life
But I know I don't possess you
With all my heart, God bless you
You are still my love and my life
Carmine:
Yes, I know don't possess you
Both:
With all my heart, God bless you
You are still my love and my life
You're my one and only
Qui-Gon soon placed the appropriate crowns on each twin's head. And the twins stood together as the people clapped.
It was tricky, but Strawberry Sundae managed to come up with the perfect cake for the twins. Vanilla butter cake with lemon cream and berries.
Of course, as you can imagine, Anakin got messy when he got his piece.
"Oh, Anakin." Carmine rolled his eyes. "Will you ever get your cake anywhere other than on your face?"
Anakin smushed some cake into Carmine's face, making everyone laugh.
"How about on your face?" Anakin joked.
"Real mature, Ani. Real mature." Carmine licked the cake and frosting from his cheeks, but needed a bit of help with his glasses. "Can someone help me get all this frosting off my glasses, please?"
Caroline helped her husband clean his glasses, and that was when Gabby and Lamenta stepped onto the stage with Remix ready to start the music.
"Hello, everyone." Gabby called. "My cousin Lamenta and I have something we'd like to say. First, we wanna thank everyone for coming to Daddy and Uncle Carmine's birthday party tonight. It means so much to all of us in the royal family."
Lamenta took a turn to speak.
"My daddy and Uncle Anakin share the same face and the same birthday, but they are very different from each other in a lot of ways, which made planning tonight a bit of a challenge." Some chuckled, knowing from experience. "But one thing that is definitely the same about both of them is that they are both an important part of the family."
"Our daddies never got to spend their childhood together, and both of them started out having almost nothing. Each grew up in a rough beginning, but they each managed to stay strong in their own ways, be it becoming a great Jedi or overcoming shyness and anxiety to bring a great musical legend to life."
"Daddy and Uncle Anakin are both great in their own ways, and they each had dreams like so many do. And through hard work and believing in their dreams, they were able to make them reality."
"So..." Gabby took the microphone in hand. "We're going to sing a song all about how even though we're all different, we can make a great team."
Gabby:
I'm up with the sunshine (Let's go)
I lace up my high tops (Oh, no)
Slam dunk, ready or not
Yeah, show me what you got
I'm under the spotlight (Holler)
I dare you, come on and follow
You dance to your own beat
Lament:
I'll sing the melody
When you say yeah,
Gabby:
I say no
Lamenta:
When you say stop
Gabby:
All I wanna do is go, go, go!
Both:
You
The other half of me
The half I'll never be
The half that drives me crazy
You
The better half of me
The half I'll always need
But we both know
We're better in stereo
(Be-be-better in stereo) Oh-oh-oh
(Be-be-better in stereo) Oh-oh-oh
Gabby:
And when we're together (oh, yeah)
A sweet harmony, oh so rare
If we could just agree
Both:
We would go major league
Gabby:
When you say yeah,
Lamenta:
I say no
When you say stop
Gabby:
All I wanna do is go, go, go!
Both:
You
The other half of me
The half I'll never be
The half that drives me crazy
You
The better half of me
The half I'll always need
But we both know
We're better in stereo
Lamenta:
You say it's wrong, I say it's right
You say it's black, I say it's white
You take a left, and I take right
But at the end of the day, we both know
We're better
Both:
You
The other half of me
The half I'll never be
The half that drives me crazy
You
The better half of me
The half I'll always need, yeah
We both know
We're better in stereo
Oh-oh-oh
Better in stereo
(Be-be-better in stereo) Oh-oh-oh
Better in stereo
(Be-be-better in stereo) Oh-oh-oh
Better in stereo
(Be-be-better in stereo) Oh-oh-oh
Better in stereo
