Featured song:
"Welcome to Rosas" from Wish
"Bad Reputation" by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts
In the dark halls of a castle walked a man in black and blood red robes. Lord Palpatine, who was as evil as he was well-dressed. This man was ruthless beyond belief. He hated anything to do with magic, and anyone who was not an ordinary human. He threatened all of them in many ways, and even after banishing them from Naboo, he continued to torture any he could capture and torture for information to find more magical creatures.
Screaming came from a room Palpatine entered, a young female victim being tortured by being forcibly dunked into cold water over and over again.
"Enough!" Palpatine told his accomplice Dooku. "She's ready to talk."
Dooku pulled the young woman out from the water. She had brown hair streaked with blue, and her blue butterfly wings were tied down to prevent her from flying away. But even if they weren't, she was too busy coughing and trying to catch her breath.
The girl was then chained at her wrists tightly while Palpatine approached her with a cackle.
"Butterfly, butterfly, fly away home… oh wait, you can't because you are chained." Palpatine taunted.
"You are a beast!" said Mariposa angrily.
"I am not the beast here, you are! You and the rest of those magical pests poisoning my perfect world." Palpatine got closer to her. "Now, tell me. Where are the others?!"
"Bite me." Mariposa spat in Palpatine's eye.
"Ugh! I've tried to be patient with you, but now you've forced my hand. Tell me what I wish to know, or I will-"
"No, please! Not my wings!" Mariposa begged as Palpatine began to pinch the edge of her wing. "My fragile wings."
"Tell me now. Where are the others hiding?!" Palpatine shone a bright light at her face.
Mariposa breathed heavily, and she was about to say something, when Captain Tarkin burst through the door.
"My lord! We've found it." said Tarkin.
"Well, what are you waiting for? Bring it in."
The captain pulled the cloth off of what looked like a beautiful golden mirror, and in the mirror appeared the image of a man Mariposa recognized.
"Garrett!" she gasped softly.
"The magic mirror." Palpatine smiled.
"Don't say anything, my love!" Mariposa cried, the man in the mirror looking distressed as his wife was taken away to be silenced.
It was a curse that trapped Garrett in that mirror. As long as he remained trapped, he was forced to share the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth to anyone who asked.
"Ahem. Mirror, mirror, on the wall. Is this not the most perfect kingdom of them all?" Palpatine smiled cockily.
"Pfft! You're not technically a king." Garrett smirked.
"Dooku."
And Dooku shattered a handheld mirror as a threat. In some cases, that would be the way to free Garrett, but in his… he had to be rescued by the reciting of one loving truth. Terrified of what might happen if the mirror was broken with him in it, Garrett changed his answer.
"What I mean is… you're not a king yet. But, you can become one. All you have to do is marry a princess."
"And where might I find one?" Palpatine asked.
"Well… why don't you sit back and relax, my lord?"
And Garrett changed his outfit to look like a game show host.
"Because it is time for you to meet today's eligible bachelorettes, and here they are!"
There were three princesses who were currently eligible for marriage.
"Bachelorette number one is a fiery redhead from a land of warriors. She likes barbecues and hot tubbing any time. Her hobbies include karate and fighting against enemy soldiers. Give it up for Bo-Katan Kryze"
Palpatine thought this girl sounded a little too fiery, but she was lovely.
"Bachelorette number two is a peaceful speaker from a land of persistent ones. Though she lives and works among many other men, she's not easy. Just show her a good time, treat her like a lady, and find out what a catch she is. Give it up for…. Mon Mothma."
Palpatine found this girl slightly more attractive. But, there was still one more bachelorette to see.
"And last, but certainly not least, Bachelorette number three is a gorgeous prisoner from a monster-guarded castle surrounded by what can only be described as a fiery sea of certain death. But don't let that put a damper on things. She's a loaded pistol who's got style and the desire of every man. Yours for the rescuing…. Princess Brenda."
Palpatine took a good look at all the eligible bachelorettes. They were all beautiful women, but being the shallow man he was, he only looked at what was on the outside and decided he wanted to go for who he thought was the best looking one, and so he decided to choose for his bride….
"Number three!"
"Lord Palpatine." Garrett said. "You've chosen… Princess Brenda."
Palaptine's men clapped and congratulated him on choosing who they also thought had to be the hottest bachelorette of the three they were shown.
"Princess Brenda….." Palpatine sighed, taking a look at how gorgeous the one dark-skinned princess of the three was. "She's perfect. All I need is someone who can pull off the rescue."
"But I should mention a little something that happens at night," said Garrett, needing to warn Palpatine about something.
"I'll do it!"
"Yes, but after sunset-"
"Silence!" Palpatine interrupted, not allowing Garrett to speak another word. "I will make this Princess Brenda my queen, and Naboo will finally have the perfect king. Tarkin!"
Tarkin and his men stood tall as Palpatine gave them new orders.
"Round up your finest men. We're going to have a tournament!"
Strawberry and Mace continued on their way until they arrived just outside a lovely green marble castle. It was a very long walk, but Strawberry knew the area a lot better than Mace imagined.
"See, right here? This here is Naboo." Strawberry said.
"So… that must be Lord Palpatine's castle." Mace looked up at the castle. "Do you think maybe he's compensating for something?"
"He'll be compensating for something alright." Strawberry snorted angrily, but then she shook herself out of it. "Let's go."
So the minotaur and the pink pegasus walked to the entrance to the town where they saw a couple being let in by a guard in a red uniform. Mace figured maybe he could lead him and his friend to Palpatine.
"Hey! Excuse me."
But the guard got scared the moment he saw Mace and started to run and scream.
"Hey, wait! Look, I'm not gonna eat you."
But the guard didn't listen. Mace just rolled his eyes and made his way through the turnstile, while Strawberry just flew over it.
"Show off." Mace huffed.
"It's not my fault I got wings." Strawberry said, blowing a strand of hair from her eyes.
Strawberry's eyes went a little wider when she looked around; it was as if she'd been there before, but the place looked different than what she recalled. Because it did. Mace noticed Strawberry looking particularly interested in a candy shop down the corner, tears filling the pegasus' eyes.
Strawberry could swear she was seeing a vision of herself as a little filly with her mom and dad, and a little girl with black hair tied in two pigtails.
"Strawberry? Are you alright?" Mace asked.
"I'm fine." Strawberry sniffled. "Just memories. This place is definitely different than when I last saw it."
"This is my first time, but I'll guess it wasn't a ghost town?" Mace looked around again.
"Yup."
Not another person in sight. The pair had no clue where everyone could be or where Palpatine was. But then, Strawberry saw something she did recognize.
"Hey! I remember this!" Strawberry smiled, running over to what looked like a booth of some sort with a switch, and above it was a sign that said Information. "This was something we had for newcomers and tourists to Naboo."
Strawberry pulled the switch with her tail, and out from the booth came… a droid.
"Welcome newcomers to the kingdom of Naboo. I am Guider, your tour guide for this lovely day in Naboo."
"I don't remember droids being the tour guides." said Strawberry.
"If you will kindly follow me, I shall guide you on the magic of this kingdom, which is ruled by a great lord who grants all the greatest wishes to all who ask for them."
"Granting wishes?" Mace and Strawberry said, both confused.
"That's right. Perhaps I best express it through song."
Guide droid:
Welcome to Naboo
Come on, come this way
Where the greatest creations are all on display
There's no other place just as full of surprise
Where your dreams and your reality can collide
The guide showed projections of people who'd had great wishes come true after coming to Palpatine and making a wish for something.
You wanna dance on beat?
Or to have hair touch down to your feet?
Go to outer space?
Well, hey, you've come to the right place
'Cause here in the city of Naboo
You can turn all your wanting to wishing
No what-ifs and no wonders
Oh, here in the city of Naboo
It's unlikely that you'll be unhappy
But for some reason, Strawberry had a hard time believing anything this droid was saying. And there were other droids across the city that joined in on the musical tour.
With so much to discover
A home for me (Other droids: me)
For you (you)
And all of us (us)
The city of Naboo
So like, we have this lord who's named Palpatine
And he fixed up Naboo many years ago
With lightning for hands and eyes that can glow
No, no, no, I'm totally kidding! But he is powerful
He's just like us with a twist
Serving droid:
And someone that I'd like to kiss (Strawberry: Oh, bleh!)
Guide:
A magic swish
And there you have it, poof, there's your wish!
Ooh and, hey did I mention if he picks your name?
You get to win your wish in a series of games?
And he keeps them safe, every wish he acquires
And everyday he grants someone's greatest desire
It could be you someday or maybe someone else
Droid 1:
Ooh, I can't wait!
Droid 2:
Does it hurt?
Droid 3:
Do you cry?
Guide:
Oh, no, and you won't even miss it when you say "goodbye"
'Cause here in the city of Naboo
You can turn all your wanting to wishing
No what-ifs and no wonders
Oh, here in the city of Naboo
It's unlikely that you'll be unhappy
"Well, I'm unhappy." Strawberry said.
With so much to discover
A home for me (me)
For you (you)
And all of us (us)
The city of Naboo
"This tour's been nice and all," said Mace. "But, could you droids please guide us to where we can find Lord Palpatine?"
The droids pointed the two friends to an arena Strawberry definitely didn't recognize.
"This definitely wasn't here the last time I was." Strawberry said.
"How long have you been away from here exactly?" Mace asked.
"Too long, by the look of it."
Inside the arena, there was a crowd of people cheering for a group of knights preparing for a tournament. Trumpets blew as Lord Palpatine stepped up to the balcony and began a speech.
"Brave knights. You are the best and brightest in all the land, and today one of you shall prove yourself better and more noble than all the rest. That champion shall have the honor… no, no! The privilege… to go forth and rescue the lovely Princess Brenda from the fiery keep of the beasts. If for any reason the winner is unsuccessful, the first runner up will take his place, and so on and so forth. Some of you may die, but it's a sacrifice I am willing to make."
The crowd cheered as the speech was concluded.
"Let the tournament begin!"
Except, before the knights could do anything, Mace stepped up.
"Excuse us, shinies." Strawberry said, pushing aside a few knights with her wings.
"What is that?!" Palpatine said, the entire crowd gasping at the sight of a minotaur. "Ugh! It's hideous."
"Oh, that's not very nice." Mace said. He looked at Strawberry. "She didn't exactly have time to brush her mane."
Strawberry snorted at the attempt at humor Mace made.
"You gotta work on your sense of humor," said the pegasus.
"Indeed." Palpatine then had an idea. "Knights, new plan! The one who kills the minotaur…"
Mace and Strawberry gasped at that.
"Will be named champion. Have at him!"
Mace backed up as the crowd chanted for the knights to kill the beast, while Strawberry hunched over and dug her hoof into the ground, threatening aggression as she backed up too. Both of them ended up backing into a table where there were cups of cider.
"Come on. Can't we just settle this over a drink?" Mace offered, picking up a cup, but the knights didn't seem interested. "No? Alright then."
Mace took a gulp of cider to hydrate, and bashed a barrel open with the empty cup.
"Fight on!"
Some knights were splashed with cider, and while Mace took to fighting on the ground, Strawberry spread her wings and took out a few other knights by swooping down and swiping their weapons.
I don't give a damn 'bout my reputation
Living in the past, it's a new generation
A girl can do what she wants to do and that's what I'm gonna do
Mace was a lot stronger than he looked. He jumped into a corral, where two horses jumped out, being afraid of the minotaur.
"Scaredy-colts!" Strawberry taunted. And she and Mace fought any knights that came in like professional wrestlers.
An' I don't give a damn 'bout my bad reputation
Oh no (x7), not me
An' I don't give a damn 'bout my reputation
"Behind you!" Mace exclaimed.
And Strawberry kicked another knight in the gut and made him hit his head, falling unconscious. Pretty soon, the crowd was cheering on the minotaur and pegasus instead of the knights.
Never said I wanted to improve my station
An' I'm only doin' good when I'm havin' fun
An' I don't have to please no one
An' I don't give a damn 'bout my bad reputation
Oh no(x7) no not me, oh no(x7) not me
"The chair! Give him the chair!" shouted one woman.
So, Mace bashed another knight with a folded chair. It mattered not how many knights Mace faced; none of them could beat him or his horse.
I don't give a damn 'bout my reputation
I've never been afraid of any deviation
An' I don't really care if you think I'm strange
I ain't gonna change
An' I'm never gonna care 'bout my bad reputation
Oh no, not me, oh no, not me
Pedal, boys!
Strawberry even took a humorous turn on one knight that made the audience laugh as Mace sat on the knight's back while Strawberry tickled the poor man's foot with her feathers as he begged her to stop tickling.
"Cootchie, cootchie, coo!" Strawberry sang,
An' I don't give a damn 'bout my reputation
The world's in trouble, there's no communication
An' everyone can say what they wanna say
It never gets better, anyway
So why should I care about a bad reputation, anyway?
Oh no, not me, oh no, not me
I don't give a damn 'bout my bad reputation
You're living in the past, it's a new generation
An' I only feel good when I got no pain
An' that's how I'm gonna stay
An' I don't give a damn 'bout my bad reputation
Oh no (x7), not me, oh no (x7), not me
"Hey, Strawberry! I think this knight wants dessert." Mace said, spinning another knight and then throwing him Strawberry's way.
Not me, not me
"Have a taste of Strawberry Sundae!" And Strawberry kicked the knight unconscious.
That was the last knight too.
Mace and Strawberry stepped up victoriously as the crowd cheered for the two of them.
"Thank you. Thank you very much. I'm here 'til Thursday." Mace said.
Strawberry whinnied victoriously for herself and her friend. But, the celebration stopped like a scratched record as all of Palpatine's knights aimed their crossbows at the two victors.
"Shall I give the order, Sir?" one knight asked Palpatine.
Palpatine thought, and he said, "No. I have a better idea." And he made an announcement. "People of Naboo! I give you our champion."
The crowd cheered, much to Mace's confusion.
"What?"
"I have no clue what's going on." Strawberry shook her head.
"Congratulations, Minotaur. You have won the honor of going on a great and noble quest."
"Quest? I'm already on a quest. A quest to get my mountain back!" Mace said angrily.
"Your mountain?" said Palpatine.
"Yes, Mount Gaia. My home, where you dumped all the Magics."
"Indeed. Alright then, Minotaur… I will make you a deal. Go on this quest for me, and I'll give you your mountain back."
"Exactly the way it was?"
"Down to the last dirty rock."
"And the squatters?"
"As good as gone."
Mace thought about it. One quest to get his home back and get the magical creatures back to their homes? It sounded like an okay deal… except…. With what Strawberry said about how ruthless Palpatine could be, he couldn't be sure if it would be worth it.
"What kind of quest?"