They say life itself is a fairytale. Dark times fall, but eventually things turn for the better and you live happily ever after. And it's true. Wishes do come true.
But what most fairytales probably didn't teach you when you were little was that you couldn't simply rely on a fairy godmother, a charming prince's kiss, or a knight in shining armor defeating a ferocious dragon to make those dreams come true. And in the world of Galaxy Isle, this was no exception.
On this particular night, though, two little girls were being read a classic fairytale while one of their mothers worked on a special dress.
Two little girls dressed like princesses sat as they were read the classic fairytale of The Frog Prince.
"The princess looked at the frog and said," the mother read from the book. "But you are a green, slimy frog. Why should I kiss you? And the frog said 'Oh, dear princess, only a kiss from you can break this spell that was inflicted on me by a wicked witch!"
"Here comes my favorite part!" whispered one of the girls whose name was Caroline, who was dressed like a princess.
The other girl, named Padme, with hair tied in two braided ponytails just sat and listened as her mother told the story.
"And the beautiful princess was so moved by his desperate plea," continued Jobal, Padme's mother. "that she picked up the slippery creature, raised him to her lips and...leaned forward, raised him to her lips..."
Caroline listened with anticipation, whereas Padme began to look disgusted.
"And kissed the frog!"
"Aww!" Caroline sighed adoringly, while Padme just gagged, looking almost ready to throw up.
Jobal turned the page.
"Then the frog was transformed into a handsome prince. They were married, and lived happily ever after. The end." She finished just as she cut the last ribbon for Caroline's new dress.
"Yay!" Caroline cheered. "Read it again! Read it again!"
"Sorry, Caroline." chuckled Jobal. "It's time for us to be heading home. Say goodnight, Padme."
Padme crossed her arms and solemnly declared, "There is no way in this whole wide world I would ever, ever, ever, I mean never kiss a frog. Yuck!"
"Is that so?" smirked Caroline. She looked at her pet kitty and placed a green beanie on him. "Well, here's your Prince Charming, Padme."
Caroline held the little kitty to Padme and tried to get her to kiss the "frog"
"Kiss him, kiss him, kiss him!" Caroline teased.
"I won't, I won't, I won't!" Padme laughed, pushing the kitty and her friend away.
"I would do it. I would kiss a frog." said Caroline. "I would kiss a hundred frogs if I could marry a prince and be a princess."
Caroline kissed the kitty dressed as a frog, but the poor kitty jumped up to the ceiling, the little girls laughing.
"You girls, stop tormenting that poor little kitty." Jobal scolded, getting the poor baby down, the scared kitten scurrying out of there like heck.
And that was when in came Caroline's parents.
"Evening, Jobal." said Nicholas Mitchell, Caroline's father.
"Daddy! Mommy!" Carolien exclaimed, twirling in her new dress. "Look at my new dress. Isn't it pretty?"
"Look at you." smiled Kathleen. "I'd expect nothing less from the finest seamstress in New Starlanes."
Nicholas picked up his daughter and said, "And I'd have nothing less than the best for my little princess."
Caroline looked at the dress the princess was wearing in the book Jobal had been reading.
"Ooh! I want that dress!" Caroline said.
"Now, Carrie." Nicholas said.
Caroline begged her father to let her have that dress.
Nicholas looked at Jobal and asked, "Jobal, you think you could whip up something like that?"
"Anything for my best customer." Jobal smiled. Caroline cheered. "Come on, Padme. Daddy should be home from work by now."
As Jobal and Padme left, Nicholas looked at his daughter and told her she was getting that dress, but that was it.
"No more, Mr. Pushover." And he pulled out something adorable for his little girl. "Now, who wants a puppy?"
"I do! I do!" cheered Caroline, cuddling the pup. "He's so cute!"
Padme and her mother soon boarded the tram to take them home to their neck of the woods. She looked out the window at all the beautiful houses in Caroline's neighborhood, and they soon came to a simpler part of town.
The houses were not as big or as fancy as the ones where Caroline lived. But, they were safe and they had just enough room for the families who lived there, and that was good enough for the Naberrie family. Now, something to know about them was that they actually used to be quite wealthy. Padme's father was set to inherit a fortune long before his daughter was born.
Sadly, just before he was supposed to be married, Ruwee Naberrie caught his fiancé cheating on him with his friend, and so he left her, and he met Jobal, who was loyal to him and a kind woman who wanted a family. When Ruwee's parents found out he'd chosen a girl from a lower class family, they gave him the ultimatum that either he marry his cheating fiancé or lose the inheritance completely, and as you might've guessed, Ruwee told them they could throw the money out the window for all he cared, because he would rather have a wife with no money and a ton of love than one with no love and a ton of money.
It was a hard life at first. Ruwee worked himself to the bone and eventually got a job clerking for the Senate. The pay was pretty good, and he and Jobal believed that one day they would be able to send their two daughters to good college. Their oldest daughter Sola had dreams of starting a business of her own where she could sell the clothes she and her mother designed. Padme, on the other hand, had different dreams.
"Mmm. The gumbo smells good, Padme." said Ruwee, getting a whiff of the gumbo his youngest daughter was cooking while her mom and sister were working on Caroline's newest dress.
"I think it's ready." said Padme.
"Yeah? Are you sure?" Ruwee said.
"Yup."
"Absolutely positive?"
"Yes."
Ruwee took the spoon and smiled at his daughter.
"Okay, I'm about to put the spoon in my..."
"Wait!" Padme realized something was missing. She picked up a bottle of hot sauce and poured a small bit into it and mixed it into the gumbo before taking a little taste for herself. "Now it's done."
Ruwee took a taste and said, "My little flower... this is the best gumbo I've ever tasted!"
Padme giggled as her father picked her up and gave her kisses.
"Ladies, our little Padme's got a gift."
"I could've told you that." Jobal chuckled.
"What about me?" Sola asked.
"Of course, we wouldn't forget you, Sola." Ruwee chuckled, ruffling his elder daughter's hair.
"Daddy!" Sola whined.
"A gift this special must be shared." Ruwee smiled.
So, Padme announced to the neighborhood that she'd made gumbo. The neighbors caught a whiff of it and all came to share the delicious gumbo with the Naberrie family.
"You know something about good food?" Ruwee said to Padme as he and Jobal tucked her in that night. "It brings people together from all walks of life. It warms them up and puts smiled right on their faces. And when I open up my own restaurant, let me tell you, people are going to line up for miles around just to get a taste of my food."
"Our food." Padme corrected.
"That's right, Flower." Ruwee chuckled. "Our food."
Suddenly there was a noise outside, and Padme looked out to see something in the distance.
There were cops chasing after some people on horses. A Kel Dor, a Cerea, and a Gungan, and all of them were carrying different goods like food, clothes, and pails of water. But they scattered and escaped to a wall on the far side of town, where no humans were allowed to cross.
You see, in Galaxy Isle at this time, segregation was in practice among the humans and the non-humans.
Humans lived in the safe, structured environment of civilization, whereas all non-human biped species were forced to live in the dank, dangerous conditions of the swamp and forests on the other side of the wall.
"Daddy? If we're not supposed to cross that wall, why are the people on the other side always crossing it to our side?" Padme asked her father.
"Well, Padme. Things aren't always as they seem." Ruwee said. "There are those who say non-humans are monstrous, dangerous, and therefore they isolated them from our society. People are afraid of the unknown. For some, it's just easier to hide from it than to learn about it. But one day, we'll find a way to end this way. Then perhaps thoe folks will be able to walk peacefully among our streets."
"Then I'm gonna make that change!" Padme declared. And then she saw something up in the sky. "Oh! Daddy, look!"
"What is it, Flower?"
"Caroline's fairy tale book said if you make a wish on the Evening Star, it's sure to come true." Padme said.
Jobal hugged her daughter and said, "Well, you wish on that star, Baby."
"Yes. You wish and you dream with all your little heart. But you remember, Padme, that old star can only take you part of the way. You have to help it along with some hard work of your own, and then you, your sister, both of you can do anything you set your minds to."
Jobal kissed her husband's cheek. His wisdom was just one thing about him that won her heart.
"Just promise your daddy one thing," said Ruwee, looking into Padme's big brown eyes. "That you'll never, ever lose sight of what's really important. Okay?"
Padme nodded with a big smile on her face.
Padme's parents tucked her into bed and kissed her goodnight.
"See you in the morning, Little Flower." Jobal said, turning out the light.
"Have sweet dreams, Baby." Ruwee said, blowing his daughter one last kiss.
But as soon as her parents left the room, Padme woke up and picked up a drawing her father had made of what his dream restaurant would look like. She looked out the window and gazed up at the evening star. She hugged the drawing and wished and wished with all her heart. But as she was wishing, she looked to her right and saw something sitting on the windowsill. A frog.
The frog croaked, and Padme screamed and ran away from it.