The first day of school was always a nerve racking time, especially when you got a new teacher.
Every school was different and every student's experience was different too. Some students lived near school and took a car or a bus to get there and get home after. Others lived at school in special homes called dormitories. And some... they learned at home with a private teacher.
In the case of the Skywalker-Jinn family, it was a combination of all three.
In colleges, you sometimes saw older adults attending along with the younger students for different reasons. But, most adult schools didn't usually have little kids as students.
But this one did.
Two days ago...
Garrett Heartwood was a very unique kind of guy. The kind of man every woman would wanna meet. He was handsome, smart, successful, and he was a natural with children. That last one was especially good, in part, because he was a teacher. But, Garrett was no ordinary teacher. He was a wizard, a magical one. Now, most people, when they imagine wizards, they probably picture a guy with a long beard and a pointy hat, and when they imagine teachers, they probably picture someone who just writes on a white board and gives boring lectures. Well, Garrett didn't match either of those descriptions.
Garrett looked like an ordinary man, but he was far from such. He was famous too in the educational world. Unlike other teachers, Garrett took a more hands-on approach to teaching lessons. Reading books and online research was okay, but Garrett believed students learned even better and took more interest if they did experiments and went on adventures where they learned as they went along. He did it in lots of ways too. Dance lessons to memorize facts, putting on a play to reenact historical times, and Garrett and his students' favorite, field trips.
Most school field trips were to zoos, aquariums, or museums. Garrett did take his students to those places sometimes, but he most often took them to places with more interactive experiences. Camping trips in the forest, hikes in the mountains, even on guided tours to wildlife preserves to see animals in their natural habitats.
Garrett took more special cases than any other teacher too. He modified his lessons in all kinds of ways to help students of all needs. He believed all students deserved equal opportunities. So, when he worked with disabled or 'special needs' students, he was always very patient, compassionate, and most of all, encouraging. He recalled having a classmate in elementary school who was dyslexic, which made learning a little harder. It didn't help that their teacher wasn't as sensitive to his needs. So, Garrett took it upon himself to help his classmate, and when his friend's grades and performance improved, that was when he decided he wanted to be a teacher.
Now, Garrett was a very respected professor, and he liked the life he had now. He got paid very well, he got a nice big office, he was making a difference in a lot of students' lives, and he got to travel for work too. Garrett had so much he was thankful for too. He had a beautiful wife with whom he had a practically perfect relationship with, an adorable and curious daughter, and they lived in a nice simple cottage in a remote village. It was a perfect place for Garrett to come home to after work; despite having grown up in a larger home, Garrett preferred to keep it simple when it came to lifestyle. And he liked that his wife liked simplicity too, and she taught him more about gardening than he could've ever hoped to learn from books. At least, they used to live in a cottage.
After hearing of the defeat of Lady Morpha, and that Mariverde was on the loose and the royal family of Solaris returned, Garrett's wife Mariposa insisted they had to move in order to ensure Goldie's safety and that Mariverde wouldn't have the chance to eliminate the royal family.
"If I know my sister," Mariposa had said. "She no doubt has a long term kind of plan in store. Mariana always liked to torment victims by hiding her real plans with a mix of smaller incidents."
So, Garrett and Mariposa found a nice apartment on the planet Naboo, where the royal family was said to live now, at least until the palace in Solaris was fully rebuilt and refurbished. They enrolled their daughter in Windy Falls Academy, and soon adjusted to a new life in the city.
On this particular day, Garrett sat in his office at the Enchantra High Commission Headquarters, answering letters from some of his former students, when there was a knock at his door.
"Come in." Garrett said. And one of the messengers for the leaders of the commission entered.
"Professor Heartwood," said the messenger. "Chairwoman Laverne is requesting your presence immediately."
Garrett was intrigued by this. He'd been called by the chairwoman before, and usually when she did, it was because she found someone high in power in need of his teachings. The first time Garrett was ever called for that, he was extremely honored. His teaching had to be better than he thought if royal people, socialites, and wealthy families sought him out as a private tutor. And when he got hired by these people, it usually meant a bigger payday, which was good for securing his daughter's future, and helping his wife further hers. Currently she was a nurse, but she wanted to be a doctor, and affording medical school didn't come easy for her.
Garrett placed his pen down and straightened his jacket before following the messenger to meet with the chairwoman in her office.
"You wanted to see me, Mrs. Laverne?" Garrett said.
"Yes, I did, Garrett." the chairwoman said. "I believe I've found a very special job for you. Have a seat."
Garrett sat down as the chairwoman explained to him that an entire royal family needed help practicing their powers. And this particular also needed a teacher who knew about Doresho Gypsies: the royal family of Solaris.
Garrett couldn't believe his ears.
"So the rumors are true? Solaris really has its royal family again?"
"Indeed."
The chairwoman showed a picture of the royal family from the news that was taken from Boba and Omega's coronation ball. Garret thought they looked like a wonderful family. There were definitely a lot of kids. But according to the chairwoman, most of them weren't classically trained in using their powers, mostly because some of them grew up in the Jedi Temple, got their powers late, or had to hide them. And two of them earned powers rather than being born with them. It also astonished Garrett to learn one of the younger members managed to perform a spell that brought back the two older members from the dead. It was an extreme rarity for anyone to have the strength to perform such an act even once. So, hearing it was cast twice, Garrett had to see this for himself.
"These people need a great teacher, and you are the best teacher we know. However, since this is a complicated case, you and your family would need to move in with them in the Naboo Palace. Room and board would be just one provision on top of a handsome payment for your services. If you need some time to think about it, I understand."
"I'll do it." Garrett said almost immediately. "I do enjoy a challenge."
"Are you certain you don't need more time, Garrett?" asked the chairwoman. "This isn't like that time you taught Lady Comedia."
"If I can handle numerous pranks, rogue werewolves, and parenthood, I can handle this too." Garrett said. "How soon can I meet with the family?"
"We can arrange for you to meet them in two days at earliest."
"That'll be fine. I'll let my family know, and we'll get packing."
Later that night, Garrett came home as his wife was preparing dinner and Goldie was sitting, playing with her caterpillar plush.
"Mari, I'm home." Garrett called.
"Daddy!" Goldie exclaimed happily, running into her father's arms.
"Welcome home, Garrett." Mariposa said, greeting her husband with a hug.
The couple kissed each other, much to Goldie's silent gagging, and they sat together for dinner. Mariposa was a great cook. She loved to use fresh fruits and vegetab;es and stuff she found in the forest back in their old home, but it felt odd going to the market to buy those things instead of growing and picking them herself. But, with her skills in picking the best produce, she managed to sniff out good bargains as well as perfect ingredients. She made some of the best meals ever with these ingredients.
"How was work today, Darling?" Mariposa asked, serving Goldie some butternut squash.
"Good. And, I got a new job." Garrett said. "I'm teaching the royal family of Solaris now, apparently."
"Oh my goodness! That's wonderful!" Mariposa said.
"That's not all, Sweetie. The chairwoman said for my new job, we have to move in with the family."
"Move in with them?" Goldie said.
"Yes, Baby. It means we're going to live in a palace."
Goldie was worried though. The royal family didn't know their new teacher's wife was a doresho gypsy, and after the way that they faced Lady Morpha, Goldie had no doubt they would not be too keen on running into another one, just like pretty much everyone was not.
"Don't worry, Sweetie." Mariposa said. "You've already gained the princesses' trust. We just need to gain the rest of the family's trust as well. When the time is right, we'll reveal to them what we really are. It will take some time, but with patience, we can make the galaxy safe again for my family's people, and maybe you won't have to hide your wings like I do when you get them."
"We have to be ready to move there in two days, ladies." Garrett said. "So, we best start packing tonight. Goldie, start folding up what clothes you aren't going to wear for the next two days, and start packing your toys and books too."
"What about my school stuff?" Goldie asked.
"Don't worry about that. You'll still attend your school. The palace isn't much farther from the school than here."
So, the Heartwoods got right to packing.
Two days later...
Early one Saturday morning, the Heartwoods were picked up by the chairwoman herself, and she brought them to the Naboo Palace.
Despite having been to a sleepover at the palace before, Goldie couldn't believe her eyes when she saw how big it was up close. Somehow, it just looked more beautiful each time she saw it. Goldie started to imagine what her room might look like once she moved in. Lots of little girls dreamed about being princesses, and Goldie was about to get a taste of what that would be like.
Meeting the royal family for the first time, it was exciting for Garrett and Mariposa. Qui-Gon was first to approach them.
"Your Majesty." Garrett bowed.
"Pleased to meet you, Prof. Heartwood." Qui-Gon shook hands with Garrett. "This lovely maiden must be your wife."
"Call me Mari." said Mariposa with a curtsy. "I see your granddaughters have met our little Goldie."
"Yes, she is a child as good as gold." Qui-Gon said. "We were just about to serve breakfast. Would you care to join us?"
"That would be great, thank you." Garrett said.
The dining room looked awfully crowded though. The table was huge for all the people, and there was also a special area where there were some horses eating from a special table made just for them. Garrett had visited a lot of royal families for his work, but none of them had horses eating in the dining room. None that weren't from one of the equine kingdoms, anyway.
"Allow me to introduce my queen-to-be, Shmi Skywalker." Qui-Gon said, placing an arm around his wife.
"Pleased to meet you." Shmi said.
"And you as well, future queen." Garrett said. "You're even lovelier in person."
"Our children, Kara, and the twins Anakin and Carmine."
"Which one is which again?" Mariposa said.
"I'm Anakin," said Anakin. "Carmine's the one with glasses. So, we're pretty easy to tell apart."
The twins' wives introduced themselves, and they introduced the children.
"These guys are Omega and Boba's biological brothers. The Bad Batch. Defective clones." Anakin explained. "Hunter, Crosshair, Wrecker, Tech, and Echo."
"And those are our horses." Gabby said, and she named each horse.
"You certainly have a big family here." Mariposa commented.
"It is large, but functional." said Tech, feeding Teatra her breakfast.
As the Heartwoods sat down for breakfast with the royal family, it definitely was a new experience for them in a lot of ways. Most meal times, it was just the three of them, and never at such a fancy table with such fancy dishes.
"Why don't you tell me about your abilities?" said Garrett. "I understand some of you are late in training?"
"Some of us had to be self-taught." Kara clarified. "Carmine did receive some training from our grandmother as a child. Anakin and I... we both grew up in environments that did not contribute much to our magic training."
Garrett got out his notepad to begin taking notes.
"Okay, so who has which powers again?"
"Well, Dad has super strength." Anakin said.
Qui-Gon steadily and easily lifted the table with one hand to demonstrate and set in back down.
"I grow plants." Anakin grew a rose in his hand for Padme.
"I basically have siren magic," said Carmine. "And Kara has super speed."
"What of the children?" asked Garrett.
"Gabby has too many to count." Anakin said. "Her eyes change color when she uses her powers of air, fire, or water, though."
"I can also heal people with a kiss," said Gabby. "And book jump, make bubbles, siren sing, and I can pretty much get around fast as a cartoon character. Lamenta can turn invisible and enter dreams."
"I can also see the truth." Lamenta said, suspicion clear in her eyes.
Mariposa could see that Lamenta was suspicious of her; she had to be extra careful around her. So, she tried changing the conversation.
"What about these two?" asked Mariposa, motioning to Boba and Omega. "Is it true they were originally born power-less?"
"Yeah. We earned our powers." Boba said. "After we helped create the liquid light that defeated Lady Morpha and saved our kingdom and the rest of the galaxy."
"What kind of powers do each of you have?"
"I can control and breathe under water and become a merman." Boba said.
"And I can do this." Omega waved her hand and made a bunch of sparkling lights appear, which made Leia and Luke start cooing and babbling as they wanted to touch the lights their big sister made.
"And when we combine our powers..."
Boba made some must appear as Omega shined some light and made a rainbow.
"As you might've guessed, Luke and Leia don't have any powers yet." said Anakin. "And we won't know what kind of magic they have for a few years. As of yet, no gold blood cells have developed yet."
Lamenta whispered into Crescent's ear when Mariposa wasn't looking. And then Mariposa was surprised when a droid put a plate of lots of fresh fruit in front of her. It looked so tantalizingly sweet; Mariposa wanted to eat it so bad, but she had to resist. You see, because both of Mariposa's parents were doresho gypsies, she shared a few characteristics with butterflies
"What's the matter?" Padme asked.
"Oh, nothing. Nothing." Mariposa said. "I think I'm just not hungry."
But Mariposa's stomach growled inconveniently. Lamenta also noted that Mariposa didn't drink anything either. And if her suspicions were correct, it was because her tongue was like a straw that she used to drink the juice from fruit.
Any time Mariposa drank anything in coffee shops, smoothie shops, or basically any beverage in a public place, she had to use a straw to ensure no one would see her tongue.
"Doesn't sound like you aren't hungry." said Lamenta.
"Um, where is the washroom around here? I'd very much like to freshen up." said Mariposa.
"I can show you, Mari." Caroline said, getting up. "Follow me."
So, Mariposa did get up to follow Caroline, and when neither of them were looking, Lamenta's horse Crescent bit Mariposa's cloak and pulled it right off, exposing her blue butterfly wings underneath.
Mariposa gasped as she felt cool air on her and her wings spread out a little.
"I knew it!" Lamenta exclaimed. "You're a Doresho Gypsy!"
That immediately set the royal family into a panic, and all those with magic threatened to use their powers. This was exactly what the Heartwood girls were afraid of! Luckily, before anyone could cast any spells, Garrett quickly got up in front of his wife to protect her.
"Wait! Don't hurt her!" Garrett begged. "Please, she isn't dangerous."
"I saw her in a vision." Lamenta said. "Your sisters are Mariverde and Lady Morpha, aren't they?"
Mariposa looked down with a sigh. There was no use denying it. She should have guessed Lamenta would see the truth quickly.
"It's true. They are. And my real name is Mariposa." Mariposa explained. "But I'm nothing like my sisters. I am quite the opposite."
"We've already met Lady Morpha and seen the powers of Mariverde." said Anakin. "Why should we believe you would be any different?"
Goldie took that as her cue to step in. She knew the story all too well about why her mom had to hide her wings, and how the entire universe looked at her mother's species and dubbed them as monsters.
"Because Mommy saved Daddy's life and went into hiding so they could raise me!" Goldie said. "And she came here because she wants to help you."
"Help us?" Carmine said.
Now the royal family was confused. Garrett and Mariposa expected this though. So, Mariposa stepped up despite the others still holding their defensive positions. She held her hands up to assure them she meant no harm.
"I'm sure you've heard of many terrible things Doresho Gypsies have done in the past, and much of it is true. But that's not the whole story." she explained. "Gabriella, Lamenta... during your sleepover, did Goldie tell you a story she called The Butterfly and the Lie?"
"Yeah, she said you wrote it," said Lamenta. "Why?"
"Because that story is not made up. It's true. All that stuff with Marisol and the prince, and the kingdoms attacking and destroying the village... all of that really happened."
Mariposa shared the origin story of how Doresho Gypsies real species name was Maricambas, and they used to live peacefully until one day their ancestor King Cornelius, Prince Griffith's father, arranged to have the tribe framed for robbery and destruction of property to have an excuse to send the army after them just to prevent Griffith from remaining married to one of them and arrange his marriage to a human princess. And in light of the deeming these people monsters, people started calling them doresho gypsies instead of maricambas, and because the declaration that any and all doresho gypsies on sight was spread to the other kingdoms, Mariposa's ancestors were constantly on the run, struggling to survive. Her family when she was young was no exception.
Before she was even born, her parents and older sisters struggled just to stay alive, and a few of them decided it was time for the enchanteds who denied them a normal life to pay. And that started by locating the remains of Solaris' ancestors and eliminating them for good.
Except... Mariposa's father Constantine decided revenge was not the answer, and believed that they could solve the problem in a civil manner. But his ex-wife Bettina argued, "Our ancestor Marisol tried that long ago, and look what happened to her. Solaris' royal family then wouldn't accept our kind, and they won't accept us now. When humans find bugs in their homes, they get rid of them. Well this time, it will be the bugs who get rid of the humans."
"I can't let you do that." Constantine had said. "It's wrong. And what about our daughters. Do you really believe they should spend their days in a war they didn't even ask for?"
"I am more than willing to do it, Father." Mariana, a.k.a. Mariverde, said. "It is because of their kind I have to hide behind this veil for the remainder of my life. And they will pay in one way or another."
"You're either with us or against us, Constantine." Bettina added. "So, what's it going to be? Either you aid us in our quest, or you leave this family and never come back."
Constantine couldn't believe his wife was making him choose. He'd been madly in love with her since they met, but now he was starting to wonder if he was blinded by attraction to her to see her true colors all this time.
"If that's what you want. But at least let the girls choose for themselves what side they are on."
Gray and Mariana didn't hesitate to choose their mom. But the youngest daughter, Mariposa... she was only three at the time. That was a huge decision for her to make. Some would say she was too young to understand, but Mariposa could clearly see her father was sad that her sisters didn't want to be with him anymore. So, she decided then to be the bigger person, and chose Daddy and a peaceful life.
Constantine embraced his youngest daughter then and there. He and Mariposa packed their things and went on their own, leaving the others behind, never seeing them again.
The royal family was shocked by all of this. An entire species made to be perceived as monsters because of someone else's actions, and to continue on leaving their descendants to suffer for generations... it was unthinkable. But it was also no wonder the Doresho Gypsies were angry at Solaris the most.
"During the reign of King Reginald, we thought the Doresho's revenge was exacted finally. Until we learned Princess Miranda escaped and eventually had a baby." Mariposa finished.
"But if Solaris was already destroyed, couldn't they just forget about it and move on?" said Crosshair.
Mariposa shook her head.
"It isn't that simple." She said. "Unlike Solaris now, Butterfly Meadow was never restored, nor have Doresho Gypsies been able to walk amongst other species without being targeted as beasts to destroy. Such as how moments ago the royal family was ready to attack the moment they learned I am one."
Suddenly, the royal family and the others realized she was right. Now they felt bad about getting defensive the way they had. They were no different than their ancestors had been years ago. But now, they could change that.
"But why come out of hiding now?" Carmine asked.
"Because I've seen what my sister Mariana, who you know as Mariverde, has done." Mariposa explained. "And I want to put a stop to it and clear my species' name. Your ancestors started this whole mess. If your family now can fix it, other Doresho Gypsies might stop seeking vengeance against your kingdom and all others, and my people can once again roam freely."
"Well, I'm not saying your ancestors should've done what they did," said Anakin. "But I can understand why they did it."
In Bellona's eyes, Griffith just believing his first love's people were monsters and marrying another woman shortly after losing her and their unborn baby, it was a betrayal to Marisol. And instead of helping her family, he let his degrade the maricambas' whole species and blacklist them from the entire Enchanted community.
"I knew your family would likely be prejudiced towards my kind. That is why I sent Goldie to your children's school." Mariposa explained. "Her mission was to become friends with Gabriella and Lamenta, and gain their trust so she could learn where the crown jewels are kept so we could prevent Mariverde from reaching them. They're what she's after."
"So... all that stuff we did together, Goldie?" Gabby looked at her friend. "Was all that a lie?"
Gabby suddenly had a hands-on taste of what Lamenta went through with fake friends who only used her trying to get to Count Crescendo.
"No. It is true my mommy told me to gain your trust and soend time with you," said Goldie. "But all the fun we had together and how much I love you guys, that was always real. I never had any real friends before. There aren't a lot of kids in the village I grew up in, and I've been homeschooled my whole life."
Boba and Omega started to sympathize with Goldie. They knew better than anyone what it was like to be stuck in the same place their whole life, never having real friends, and only their parental figures to talk to.
"And that is also why we came here. We want to aid you in defeating Mariverde." Garrett said. "Mariposa knows her better than anyone. She can aid you in how to fight her clavatized victims, how they work, and how to defeat her."
The royal family decided to speak about this privately. While the horses and Batchers kept an eye on the Heartwoods, the royal family huddled up.
"How do we know we can trust them?" Caroline asked. "They seem like nice people, but..."
"I used to think the same about my former friend Palpatine before I learned he was Darth Sidious." Anakin pointed out.
"I see truth, remember?" Lamenta said. "They meant every word."
"If Lamenta saw it, then it must be true, right?" Boba said.
"Regardless, they must earn our trust. It will take some time to figure out. But for the time being, let us allow them to help us until we know more."
It would take some time to gain the royal family's full trust. But, Mariposa continued in her father's footsteps of seeking a civil way to face the issue, and as the royal family spoke to each half of the couple separately, things began to grow more peacefully. Mariposa's father had always said talking about one's feelings and the problems that led to them was always a good solution, and the royal family agreed that talking was a good start.
And seeing how affectionate Mariposa and Garrett were every time they kissed, and how sweet of a child Goldie was, they figured, how bad could Doresho Gypsies really be? Now they only needed to work on another mission on top of figuring out how to defeat Mariverde: mastering their powers.
