The next few months, Mara Jade worked arduously on the tasks that were assigned to her, one of the tasks that she really enjoyed was working in the garden. One afternoon she was planting flowers when a shadow appeared over her, she knew it wasn't Anakin. She turned around and saw Pooja, one of her master's nieces.
"Hi."
"Hey."
"What are you doing?"
"Planting flowers for next spring."
"Do you get to play at all?"
"Yes, I get the afternoon off at three before dinner."
"What's Uncle Anakin like as a Jedi Master?"
"He's good to me." Mara Jade responded.
"Have you ever seen him mad?"
"No, believe me I don't want to make him angry." Mara Jade replied.
"Ryoo and I are going to playing tag; do you want to join us?"
"Sure. I'm just about done here; let me put my tools away."
Mara skipped off to the garden shed and put away her shovel and gloves. After speaking with Padmé about going to play tag with Ryoo and Pooja; Padmé told her to be back before dinner, Mara agreed, running with the two girls. Pooja, Ryoo, and Mara played continuously. Anakin called out to Mara, "Wrap it up, Mara and come home." Mara heard Anakin's voice in her head, but chose to continue to play. Until the sun started to go down as she realized the time, "Poodoo, I have to get back. See you tomorrow."
Mara ran home and when she opened the door she saw Anakin standing in the doorway with his hands on his hips.
"Uh-oh."
"You are late, young one." Anakin scolded.
"Yes, master. I'm sorry, time escaped from me."
"Go get washed up and come down for dinner. We will discuss this later." Anakin replied
"Yes, master." Mara Jade did as she was told and joined the others at dinner. Padmé finished feeding Luke and Leia and went to give them a bath and get them ready for bed. After eating her dinner in silence, Anakin followed her to the meditating room.
Mara Jade sat on the mat and folded her legs as she watched Anakin do the same.
"Why were you late young one?" Anakin asked.
"I got caught up in the moment of having fun."
"You received no prior warning to wrap it up and come home?"
Mara Jade knew she was caught, she wouldn't dare lie, if anything she quickly learned with Anakin Skywalker as her Jedi Master, that to the tell the truth was easier all around.
"Yes, Master I did."
"So did you ignore me or did you choose not to obey?"
Oh, crap, how to answer this one.
"I chose not to obey."
"Do you feel that you have the authority to by-pass my instructions, young one?"
"No, master I don't."
"So why did you chose to disobey?"
"I don't know." Mara Jade cried.
"Yes, you do you know, young one. I want an answer, right now."
"I don't want to be in trouble, Master."
"It's really too late for that, Mara Jade."
"Pooja asked me if I always did as I was told and why I couldn't let my hair down and just for once be mischievous."
"Oh, I see. You decided to follow the crowd, instead of your own common sense?"
"I don't want Pooja to be in any trouble, Master. I'll take full responsibility."
"Yes, young one you will. You chose to listen to another child's taunts instead of to me, not very wise of you, Mara Jade."
"I'm sorry." Mara Jade responded.
"Apology accepted, however, for the next week your free time in the afternoons will be spent meditating on this error of judgment, as well as working harder on your physical exercise. You are now excused, young one, go to bed."
Mara Jade bowed to Anakin and left the room running to her room, she cried as she pulled on her nightgown. Anakin left the chamber and went to the porch; Padmé was sitting there sipping on a glass of wine.
"What happened?"
"She's been grounded on until next week, no free time; she's to work on meditation and physical training."
"Oh, that's tough, Ani. I'm glad you aren't my Jedi Master."
"Me too; being your husband is hard enough."
Mara Jade awoke the next morning, incredibly angry, she didn't know why her Master was being so hard on her. "Hmm, I'll fix him." Mara Jade thought to herself as she smiled. Anakin sensed a mood from Mara Jade and it was one of anger and she even seemed a bit vengeful. "Bring it on, young one." Anakin thought to himself as he greeted Mara Jade, this morning they would work on her telekinesis. He had several small colored blocks sitting out on the table.
"Good morning, Master." Mara Jade greeted.
"Good morning, Mara Jade, before we go onto this morning exercises, we need to meditate, follow me."
Mara followed Anakin to the wooded glade and sat across from each other. Mara was having a difficult time to meditate due to her anger.
"Is there something wrong, young one?" Anakin asked condescendingly.
"Yea, why did you ground me for a whole week? I was only thirty minutes late!"
"I didn't ground you so much for being late; I grounded you for being disobedient and willful."
"I'm just trying to fit in, Master!"
"If you have to choose to disobey me in order to fit in then your friends have no respect for you, nor do they care."
"At least I told you the truth!" Mara yelled.
"Yes, thank you for telling me the truth, if you had added dishonesty on top of your other misbehaviors then your lessons would have taken a harsher note, believe me."
"I bet you were just a perfect little padawan always doing what you were told, weren't you? You are the 'Chosen One' are you not?"
"Mara, believe me when I say, I was not a perfect padawan, far from it. I made many mistakes and Obi-Wan had to rein me in more than I liked believe me; he did not because he wanted to see me suffer, but rather wanted to prevent it. I did many things that shamed him and his teachings and I paid for those times where my wisdom was nowhere to be seen but my attitude, disobedience, and actually being willful were things that I was constantly being called on the carpet for. I'm trying to teach you that even if you do these things that I don't agree with or have to discipline you for, that I will always love you and care for you, no matter what. You never need worry about that young one."
"Even if I turn?"
"Turn?"
"I'm scared that I'm going to be evil." Mara Jade cried.
"Oh, honey, come here. Did you know that there is a big difference between being naughty and being evil?"
"No."
"There is being naughty means that you may be mischievous, you can still care about others, be selfless, loving, compassionate, to be evil means that you only care about yourself and your own dark desires."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. The consequences for being evil are far reaching; they corrupt your soul and turn your heart black. The consequences for being mischievous especially at your age are that you might lose some privileges or have to work harder at your studies, but you will always have someone to help you find the right path to love you unconditionally."
Mara felt comforted and forgot her vengeful threats and was ready to meditate on the subject of telekinesis.