Dolls - Original Short Story

I wrote this one at least six or seven years ago, maybe longer. I'd just started collecting the larger Sailor Moon dolls that were made around 2000-2002 again. While this story was inspired by my finding several of those dolls I'd been searching for on eBay, it's a homage to toy collectors and the joys of toy collecting, and could really apply to any kind of doll-like toys. (It's also a spoof of and homage to the fantasy-oriented girl action toy/cartoon lines of the 80's and 90's like Sailor Moon and She-Ra.)

Dolls
By Emma Redmer

“They’re here!” The yellow package sat quite literally on her doorstep, simple and almost overlooked amid the leaves and sticks on the porch that needed to be swept. She gathered the package in her arms and carried it in her house.

“I can’t believe it,” she said with a grin. “After all these years, I’ll finally have almost all of the Glitter Riders of Gemworld!” She’d looked forward to this day for a long time, ever since she’d found the two “Glitter Riders” dolls at a flea market. They’d been in their boxes and everything. She’d taken Diamondia and Amethe out of the boxes, but had kept most of their accessories on them, their shining dresses, fur-and-plastic-gem-trimmed capes, and fancy shoes. Their swords and wands were in a box in her attic.

She smiled as she pulled out each doll. “It’s like being a kid at Christmas again,” she said with a grin. She and her sisters were huge fans of “Glitter Riders of Gemworld,” a cartoon that was wildly popular when they were kids. They’d had some of the dolls, but had since thrown or given away their originals, something she‘d come to regret as an adult. Now, she’d finally found another small piece of a happy childhood spent creating new stories for the Glitter Riders, who fought the evil Lady Tourmelina and her trusted advisor, Garnet. Each Glitter Rider could control an element with her wand and her special sword. The Glitter Riders were led by the beautiful and always fair-minded Queen Opal, her mysterious husband King Obsidian, and their cute and feisty little daughter Amethe.

Here they were, just as they’d appeared on the TV show. Emeralda, the gentle Nature Rider, in her green cloak with it’s plastic jewel and leaf-like trim. Her dark brown hair was no longer in a bun, as it should have been, and there was a few marks on her arms, but her face, with it’s expressive green eyes and blushing pink cheeks, were just as they had looked online. She came with none of her accessories but her boots. She wasn’t terribly surprised the boots were still there. The dolls had larger feet than average for a fashion doll and it was very hard to get their shoes off.

Sapphira was the mellow, go-with-the-flow Water Rider. She also came with her cape, shiny blue gown, and shoes, but nothing else. There were no marks at all on her, and her shoulder-length, midnight-black waves only required brushing, as it had never been in an elaborate style. She didn’t appear to have a mark on her, though her boots looked like a child had hastily shoved them on. Her pearl bead-trimmed cape still had it’s blue jewel firmly in front.

Orange-haired Topaz and red-locked Rubelina were never seen without each other on the show. Topaz was the flighty, strong-willed Wind Rider; Rubelina was the hot-tempered, wild Fire Rider. Rubelina’s ruffled cape was missing it’s plastic gem trim. She figured she could easily find a red plastic “jewel” that would fit her cape. Someone looked like they’d tried to cut Topaz’s laced shoes to get them off. She supposed she could cut off the rest of the “laces” to make them look like ordinary boots. Topaz also had marks on her legs and arms, and there was a dirt smudge on Rubelina’s chin, right under her sweet crimson smile, but they could be washed with soap and water. Topaz’s puffy curls needed to be returned to their original ponytail.

She pulled out the last doll with a sigh. Though she already had Diamonda, the stalwart head Glitter Rider and the Earth Rider, she wasn’t able to buy the others in the lot without getting her, too. It might not be so bad to have two Diamondas. If worse came to worse, she could always donate the second one to a thrift shop or give her to her cousin‘s little girl.

On second inspection, Diamondia’s outfit seemed a bit too…tight…for her, more like a Barbie doll’s dress than one intended for the Glitter Riders. The makers of the “Glitter Riders” dolls proudly promoted their wares as being “more like a normal girl than any other doll on the market”…until it occurred to people that the dolls could wear no other doll clothes on the market but the outfits the company created for them and what their owners made themselves. This lack of versatility was one of the things that led to the demise of the “Glitter Riders” line of dolls, a year before the show itself came to an end.

She looked more closely at Diamonda’s face. Unlike the other dolls, this Diamonda’s eyes were painted with darker, heavier lines and eyebrows. Her lips were smaller and pinker, her cheeks lacked the rosy blush of the other dolls, her light blue eyes were wider, and her legs were a bit thinner. Her boots were nowhere close to the right size. She could tell just by looking at the way the heels stuck out of the plastic. Her hair fell into a loose purple-white mass that nearly went to her knees. She tugged the boots off and started to peel the dress off as well, knowing that the doll’s face seemed familiar from somewhere.

“Which character on the show had hair like that?” she asked herself out loud as she threw the dress aside. It was a simple, cheaply-made white bride’s gown, probably the seller’s approximation of Diamonda’s original outfit. Diamonda really looked more like a bride than a warrior in her lace-trimmed dress and cape, even on the show. It had always seemed a bit funny for a woman in a frilly white gown to be leading her “riders” to victory over some monster or evil wizard or the other. She actually looked a bit like an older version of Amethe, Queen Opal’s small daughter whose attempts to run away and follow the Glitter Riders provided several amusing storylines…

The girl’s eyes widened. THAT’S who this was! This doll WASN’T Diamonda! Diamonda’s hair was white, but without that purplish shimmer…or the more elaborate paint job on the face. She’d read about this online. This was Queen Opal, the benevolent ruler of Gemworld, cousin of Diamonda, and true head of the Glitter Riders! It was motherly, kind, somewhat mysterious Queen Opal who sent the Riders on their missions to collect magical objects from various corners of her kingdom, until her husband aligned with Lady Tourmelina and took over the castle in the third season.

“Wow! What a find!” She went upstairs to her attic, where she kept various odds and ends…including extra doll clothes intended for the Glitter Riders to wear for Christmas displays.  “I’ll bet the online seller didn’t even know what she had!” Queen Opal was part of the rare second line of Glitter Riders dolls that didn’t see nearly the sales that the first, popular line had. It was too bad. The dolls of the second line - Queen Opal, Amethe, King Obsedian, Lady Tourmelina, and Garnet - were much better made and designed than the first line, with nicer clothes and larger and more imaginative accessories. They’d just come out in a market glutted with similar dolls for various girls’ programming.

She pulled a yellow lace-trimmed dress she used for Dimondia at Christmas over Queen Opal’s body. She’d toss the outfit and boots the doll came in, which weren‘t really her size. She took Opal downstairs and settled in front of her TV, watching old movies as she brushed each doll’s hair. It was a fairly arduous task, as all of the dolls but Sapphira had long, thick locks. She found a soft rubber band and pulled Emeralda’s brown hair back into it’s bun as best she could. Another rubber band gently twisted Topaz’s curly orange puff into a ponytail. The other girls, thankfully, kept their hair down or came with their original rubber bands. Maybe she’d see if she could find a tiny tiara for Opal somewhere. She ran a soft, wet, soapy cloth over the dolls that needed cleaning, giving them a gentle scrub.

She smiled. She had room for four of the Glitter Riders on her desk, next to her computer. Dimondia was already there, guarding her desk from the forces of evil. She set up Topaz, Rubelina, and Sapphira on either side of her, around the computer monitor. Opal and Emeralda joined little Amethe, in her short purple dress with it’s marabou trim and small purple plastic gem. She grinned. Amethe was a cutie, though many fans of the show thought she was obnoxious. She sort of admired the feisty little girl, though. She never took ‘no’ for an answer, even when her ideas got her into trouble and the Glitter Riders would have to come to her rescue.

She leaned back in her computer chair and sighed. She loved collecting “Glitter Riders” dolls. You never knew what you were going to find. She switched on her computer, waiting for it to boot and the first screen to come on. She clicked her internet provider icon, connected, and went into her e-mail. She couldn’t wait to share her find with her best friend, and all of her friends who loved the show and the toys as much as she did.

“Leslie, you won’t believe what came in the mail today…”

Treasure Hunt - Original Short Story

Another story inspired by things my sisters and I did in real-life. In 1985, my family lived in a mid-20th Century-built cottage on the north side of Cape May. At the time, the high porch had an area under it that could be easily accessed by anyone, including inquisitive five and six year olds. Inspired by The Goonies and the Indiana Jones series, as well as the stories of real  pirates and treasure that abound in the Jersey Shore area, Rose and I used to dig under the porch, hoping to find treasure. The only thing we ever found besides broken pipes and glass was a thick concrete brick with letters on it. We never found out what those letters stood for, but that didn't stop us speculating about them. We thought we were on our way to finding a great treasure. Alas, the porch was repaired and the gap closed a little over a year later, ending our treasure hunting for good...but I never forgot all the fun we had in that speculation. 

Treasure Hunt
By Emma Redmer

“Come on, sis!”

It was a bright, sunny day, with a little bit of wind. Perfect for an adventure.

“I'm coming! You don't have to go so fast!”

Lissa is my big sister. I wish she wasn't so slow sometimes. Mom says she's growing. I think she's just a slowpoke. “Do you have your shovel?”

“Yeah!” She held out the yellow plastic bucket and the red shovel. “Do you have yours?”

I held out my blue scoop and the bright pink fish sand mold. “Of course!”

I lead Lissa under the porch. It's dark and kind of scary under there. There's all kinds of things there – grass, sand, pieces of glass, old pipes, rocks. We live in a really old beach town, one of the oldest in the US. Mom says our house dates to at least the 1920's. That was a long time ago. Surely someone left some kind of treasure there.

“Violet, look!” Lissa crouches down by our find. “It's still here!”

The big concrete brick is as thick as a tree, and as long as my arm up to the elbow. It's half-stuck in the sand. We wanted to get it out today. We think it might be the clue to a treasure!

Lissa starts digging first. She tugs at the sand around the edges. “Wow, it's stuck!”

I started at the other end. “How long do you think this has been here?”

“Who knows?” Lissa shrugged. “A really long time. Years. Maybe even centuries. Maybe since the town started.” She grinned at me. “Maybe since the pirates were here!”

Everyone in town has heard the stories about the pirates that used to travel up and down the East Coast many, many years ago. Pirates always buried their treasures.

Lissa pushed hard at her shovel. “Do you think pirates hid their treasure here?”

“Who knows?” Crunch! I hit something solid. “I got it, Lis!” I pushed more sand aside. “I think I got it!”

We both reached in at the same time. The thick concrete block was really, really heavy! It was much bigger than we thought it was. I looked like it came off of an old building.

“It can't be from our house,” I said. “Our house is made out of wood.”

Lissa nodded. “And the walls aren't this thick.”

I ran my finger along the pebbly sides. As I did, I saw something scratched into the solid mud. “Lissie, look!” I turned up the stone as well as I could to show her the letters – BL.

“BL?” She looked excited. “What do you think it means?”

“It could be anything?” I tried to really search my brain. “Maybe Blackbeard? Or Blake? Or Barry Lane, that really narrow road downtown where all the old houses are?”

Lissa was bouncing up and down as well as she could under the low, dusty wood. “Maybe it was the name of the first owner of our house.”

“The people who own our house live in the city.” I made a face. “It probably isn't them.”

She shrugged. “Maybe it's their great-great-grandparents.”

“Girls?” Mom poked her head in. She was smiling. “What are you two up to?”

“Treasure hunting!” I said quickly.

“We found a clue!' Lissa added.

Mom waved towards the house. “Tell me about it inside. It's time to get cleaned up for dinner.”

We followed Mom in the house. “Mom,” I said, “we found a concrete block.”

“It has letters on it,” Lissa went on. “They say BL.”

“Do you think it might mean Blackbeard the Pirate?” Now I was really excited. Maybe we found something that could lead us to fame and fortune! Like Indiana Jones!

Mom just smiled. “Honey, there were lots of pirates here, but I don't think Blackbeard ever left any treasure. At least, that I've heard.”

“But it could be him.” I looked at Lissa. “Or some great lady who was running away from the pirates She had to hide her jewels somewhere.”

“Or an explorer!” Lissa kept going, even as the door shut. “He found the treasure, but had to hide it so no one would steal it, and he left clues!”

We kept going, even as the front door shut. “Or...”

Won't You Play With Me? - Original Short Story

I wrote this one so long ago, I don't even remember when I wrote it anymore. This is kind of how I sometimes felt in my family as I got older and everyone's interests and schedules seemed so different than mine.

Would You Play With Me?
By Emma Redmer

“Mommy, would you have a tea party with me?”

“Sorry, sweetie, I have to get the pot roast in the oven. Why don’t you ask your father?”

“Daddy, would you play tea party with me?”

“Pumpkin, Daddy’s talking to a client. Why don’t you ask your brother?”

“Billy, would you play tea party with me?”

“No way! That’s baby stuff! ‘Sides, I’m at level five, and it takes forever to save this game! Go bug you sister.”

“Vicki, would you do SOMETHING with me?”

“Stop whining. I’m going on a date with Mike Parker, and I don’t want you bugging us while he’s here. Go play with your stuffed animals.”

“Oh, Susie, isn’t this a wonderful tea party! Everyone’s here! And the tea is just so divine, and you look divine, too! Don’t you think so?”

Her imaginary friend did not reply.

Poppy Died Happy - Original Short Story

This is another one I originally wrote for the Helium Network in the fall of 2012. My Uncle Ken died of cancer four days after I fractured my ankle in late September-early October. This response to the Helium prompt "died happy" was my way of dealing with the grief and all the other things going on around me at the time. 

Poppy Died Happy
By Emma Redmer

I turned to Dad. “He died happy?”

Dad nodded. His eyes were puffy and red, even though he didn’t want to admit it. Sarah said he’d been crying when he called her on the phone this morning. “Yeah, Ellie. He did. Judy didn’t want him to, but he asked them to take him off life support. He knew it was time.”

I took his arm. “You didn’t want him go go.”

He shrugged. “Ellie, Pop was the only relative I had left. He raised me and your Uncle Rick. I’m going to miss him.”

I leaned on his shoulder, wishing I could take all the hurt and grief away. “Dad, Poppy had cancer. You know it’s been spreading for over a year. He hasn’t been out of that chair in the den for six months, except to go to the bathroom. He’s better off this way.” I smiled at him. “He’s with Miss Ruth now. My old landlady. She died in the spring. Remember, they were really good friends. He’s the one who suggested I move into the empty room at her house when I had nowhere else to go.”

“Pop was like that,” Dad said softly. “Always thinking of others. He did like you, Ellie. He thought you had real spirit.” He leaned back, the tears coming again. “Damn, I’m going to miss him.”

I hugged him harder. “I’m going to miss him too, Dad. Pop was a great guy. Remember when we used to visit him on our way to the Jersey Shore when we were little? He was always the first person at the door to help with our bags and give us hugs.”

Dad nodded. “Yeah. We had great times when we were kids.” He looked out the big picture window in the living room, at the rickety dock by the river. “We used to go fishing off that dock. Mom would give us lunch, and we’d spend all day sitting together, making jokes about teachers and bosses, waiting for the fish to bite. It was nice to just be together. I know a lot of kids whose dads were too busy at the office to spend time with them. Not Pop. Pop was always there.”

“That’s because Poppy had his own business.”

“And a darn good one. Your grandfather was the best carpenter in the entire state. He could build anything. We never had to worry about having soapbox racers, or help with a project for school. Pop could do it all. Those shelves in the living room, the ones I use for DVD and the grandkids’ pictures? He made those.”

I sighed. “I wish I’d known him better. I’m glad he helped me, but I didn’t really see him that often.”

“He just wanted to help, Ellie. He was like that. He helped half the town.” Dad chuckled. “Did you know he used to hold parties for the local Democrats right here...and he was a dyed-in-the-wool Republican his whole life? He didn’t care. He helped anyone he could.”

“I’m going to miss him, Dad, but I know he’s with Miss Ruth, making shelves and tending their garden.”

Dad teared up again, but all he could do was nod and hold my hand. “Yeah, I know, Ellie. I know.”

The Stories - Original Short Story

Once again, this is based after real-life. From roughly 1988 through 1991, my sisters Rose, Anna, and I would tell stories to each other when our parents were at work and we were alone and bored. We would act them out, complete with sound effects. They mostly revolved around characters from Star Wars, which was my obsession at the time. In "The Stories," the characters were children our age who lived in an orphanage and had adventures that were usually based around whatever we were into at the time, such as the Disney Little Mermaid.  I never forgot "The Stories." They were probably my first brush with what amounted to fanfiction. It's to both of my sisters - and the memories of those hot, creative afternoons stuck inside - that this story is dedicated.

The Stories

By Emma Redmer

I looked out the window. Mom and Dad were gone, both to work. Karen came out to the living room. “Is it time, Emilly?”

“Yeah, it's time.” I grinned at her. “We can do the Stories now!”

Karen ran over to Jenny's bedroom. “Jen, they're gone! We're going to do The Stories now!”

“Yay!” Jenny's only little, and doesn't really contribute much to The Stories, but she likes to hear them.

“The Stories” are how Karen and Jen and I have fun when Mom and Dad are at work and we're at home together. We make up stuff based after everything we like. All the kids are in an orphanage, and all the adults are teachers, and they have adventures.

“Where were we last time?” I asked Karen as I sat down on one of the dining room tables. We need a lot of room to do The Stories. We jump up and act out some parts, or we do sound effects.

Karen leaned on her hand, trying to remember. “That scary story we were doing with 'War of the Planets,' I think. Weren't we on the part where Laura and Lucky just discovered that Harlon, the tough street boy, was really abandoned by a rich family?”

I nodded. “Yeah! And they met the ghost of his mother.”

Jenny jumped up and down. She gets so excited! “And they were in a spooky old castle!”

So, we began. Harlon, Laura, and Lucky are based after Harlon Arietta, Lady Laura Starlott, and Geofrey “Lucky” Suncatcher of my very favorite movie series of all time, “War of the Planets.” The stories were supposed to revolve around them being kids in an orphanage. The kind old wizard Alak was their head teacher. Sometimes, they even ran into the evil Black Knight Duke Darknight, but he wasn't in this story.

Lady Laura was Karen's favorite character. Lady Laura, even though she was a noblewoman, was tough and strong and took no guff from anyone, including Harlon, the space thief she eventually fell in love with. Karen liked Laura to be the main character in all the stories, but I wanted it to be Harlon for this one. I liked him best. He was so funny, the way he argued with Lady Laura all the time. “Ok, Laura, Harlon, and Harlon's friend Lance are all walking in the hallway. Lucky's gotten lost. They think a ghost might have gotten him.”

“Did he?” Jenny asked with her wide blue eyes.

“Yes,” I said, “the ghost of the evil man who killed Harlon's family captured him and is holding him in the tower, with all their money!”

“Oooh!” Jenny squealed. “How are they going to find him?”

“Harlon my child,” Karen said, picking up from where we left off, “this is your mother.”

I tried to sound more like a guy. “Mom? Is it you? But I thought you were gone!”

“I was killed,” Karen said, waving her arms around and trying to sound dramatic. “The man who did it has your friend in the tower! The boy with the white-gold hair. You must save him!”

“We will, Mom!” I said. I wanted to go for sad, but I couldn't help giggling. “Karen, why would that guy still be there?”

“He likes it there?” Jenny asked.

Karen jumped up from her chair. “Oooh, maybe he's dead, too! He was killed by the guards before he got away, but he hid the money!”

“What about the baby?” I reminded her.

“Maybe someone nice took him away?” Jenny gave us her little-kid smile.

Karen nodded. “A nanny took the baby to the orphanage, so he'd be taken care of.”

We can do The Stories for hours like that, coming up with ideas. The ghost of Harlon's mother lead them to the room where Lucky and the money was being kept. “But you have to be careful,” Karen said. “Sir Sistern is a very evil man, and he'll do whatever he can to hurt you and your friend.”

“Mom,” I made Harlon sound sad, “can I...hold you?”

I nodded for her. “Yes. Just for today.”

“But you can't hold ghosts!” Karen protested.

“It isn't fair that he can't hug his Mom!” I pointed out.

We finally got the kids into the tower. “Can I be Lucky?” Jenny begged. “I never get to be anybody!”

“Ok.” I grinned and took scarves, wrapping them around Jenny. “He's tied to a chair in the tower. The ghost of Sir Sistern is using him to bring Harlon, so he can kill him and all of his evil friends who are still alive will get the treasure!”

“Like Duke Darknight did with Lady Laura and Harlon in the second movie, when he wanted to bring Lucky to the Land of the Dust People and capture him?” Karen asked.

I nodded. “Yeah!”

Jenny let out a squeak. “Don't tie so tight, Emmie!”

“Sorry.” I tried to sound evil. “I didn't want your friend. I just used him to bring the rest of you here. Now, I will kill the Arietta boy, and my people will be the only ones who get his family's treasure!”

“Wait.” Karen jumped up, frowning. “Harlon is rich?” She waved her hands, tried to look like she was pointing at a box of fancy jewels or something.

“The Arietta family has been rich for generations,” I boomed. “I wanted their wealth and land. I killed his mother and father, but some servant got away with their baby.”

I stepped back, trying to look scared. “But I'm not a baby anymore! I'm a grown boy!”

Karen grabbed her foam football. “I won't let you hurt him!” She threw it at the wall. Being foam, it just bounced off of it. “I hope you like eating that ruby, you mean man!”

“But Karen,” I reminded her, “he's a ghost. That wouldn't hurt him.”

“But this would!” Karen grinned. “Laura and Harlon pulled the rug out from under the ghost. It made him fall into the closet!”

I was untying Jenny. “Lucky,” I said as Harlon, “did the ghosts say how to get rid of him?”

Karen opened the hall closet and frowned. “He's not here anymore. He went through the wall!”

Jenny tried to look like she was thinking. She screwed up her little nose in concentration. “Uh...yeah!” She looked up at me as I got the last scarf off. “Where did the ghost go?”

I grinned. “To Harlon's mom's room. He was going to re-enact how he killed her.”

“And they had to stop it!” Karen took her football and waved it like a sword. “They all ran downstairs. When they got there, they saw a man with a knife leaning over Harlon's mom. Laura grabbed Sir Sistern's leg and knocked him over!”

“Harlon took the knife and threw it out a window,” I went on.

Jenny beamed. “And Lucky made sure Harlon's mom was ok!”

“Harlon got to hug his mom good-bye.” Karen gave me a look. “I know you can't hug ghosts. You can in this story. Then, they took some of the treasure back to the school that they could carry and went to tell Alak the Wizard about it.”

“They could move the school into the larger castle,” Karen went on.

“And all the money could buy the kids new nice clothes!” Jenny finished.

“What do they do next?” I asked.

Karen yawned. “I'm getting bored with The Stories.” She grinned. “Wanna play Blindman's Bluff?”

“Ok!” I moved the chairs aside. “You're it!”

That's how it always works. We do The Stories until we get bored, or Mom or Dad come home. It's fun to tell stories and make up new worlds for our favorite characters. Maybe I'll write my own stories someday. I'll be able to decide if Harlon and Lady Laura live in a castle or an orphanage, or if they fall in love. (Karen doesn't want them to. I say it's part of the story.) Maybe someday, I'll make Stories of my own.  

Hurricane - Original Story

I wrote this story for the Helium Network in October 2012, during the two months I was at home with a broken ankle. It's based after real life. Hurricane Gloria struck Cape May in 1986. My family really did live in a house further inland on the island at the time. My stepfather was a commercial fisherman; I made the father here a journalist to give him a better reason for being out in the storm. He really did get photos of the devastation Gloria wrought on the Cape May boardwalk, including heavy flooding on Beach Avenue, the destruction of the Laura's Fudge building, and the gaps left in the wooden portions of the boardwalk by wind. Cape May wasn't evacuated. In fact, we got lucky - Gloria did worse damage in New York and Long Island. I was seven years old at the time. Even though it wasn't as bad as the news lead us to believe, to a seven-year-old, the day Gloria touched down was still pretty scary....

Hurricane
By Emma Redmer

I huddled close to my little sister Lisa. Dad was driving down Stockholm Road. Mom was next to him, pulling her raincoat tightly over her shoulders. My baby sister Louise watched us wide-eyed from her infant seat. Everything around us looked scary. Ocean Heights was being hit by Hurricane Andrea, the biggest storm anyone had seen in two decades. The wind was so fierce, it made trees bend over and houses shake, and the waves were as high as buildings overnight. Mom said the govenor of New Jersey called a state of emergency earlier this morning. Holly City and Rock Isle Harbor, the two big towns north of Ocean Heights, were being evacuated. It was only a matter of time before Ocean Heights was, too.

Dad and Mom insisted on staying. Dad is a part-time reporter for the Ocean Heights Register, the weekly newspaper. During the winter, when there’s less news in town, he helps out at marinas and takes writing jobs at other local papers. Mom works at a local restaurant.

“Where will we go?” I asked in a worried voice. “Will we stay in a hotel?”

“All the hotels will be underwater!” Lisa squealed.

I rolled my eyes. “We’d stay in a hotel on the mainland, silly.”

“Are there hotels on the mainland?”

“There’s hotels everywhere. Did you think Ocean Heights was the only town with hotels?”

“All right, all right,” Dad snapped. “Don’t make me come back there...whoa!” He just barely missed a downed tree on the road. He pulled the station wagon around it, almost running into a stop sign.

“Willie, be careful!” Mom gasped.

“I can’t help it when a tree jumps right in front of the road!” Dad growled.

Louise picked that moment add her two cents. She let out a wail that was so loud, it could actually be heard over the roaring winds. I turned around to make faces at her. That calmed her down a little, but she still looked upset. “Mom, I think she wants out,” I said.

“She’ll have to wait a few minutes. We’ll be at the boardwalk in a minute.”

I made a face. “Mom, it’s October. The only thing on the boardwalk that’s open is Harry’s House of Pork Roll, Julie’s Chocolateria, and the Skee Ball Arcade.”

“We’re not going to play skee ball,” Mom insisted. I thought I heard Dad mumble something about us being lucky if the Arcade was still there.

Dad stopped by the old stone church on Lincoln Avenue. There was a little water on the road, barely up to my toes, but it wasn’t anything worse than a usual storm. We all tumbled out, except for Louise. Mom unhooked her and wrapped her in a blanket. “We’re walking from here,” she said. She frowned, turning to Dad. “Willie, are you sure this is a good idea?”

“I need pictures for this week’s Ocean Heights Register,” Dad reminded her. “You wanted the girls to let off steam before they killed each other. Besides, if they’re going to live by the sea, they should know what they’re up against.”

“Still...” Mom started. I didn’t hear the rest of it. Lisa and I were already way ahead of her. Lisa pushed past all the old Victorian bed and breakfast hotels on Lincoln Avenue. They all looked silent and frightened. Their blinds and curtains were drawn for the season, their porch furniture moved indoors or into unseen sheds. They huddled against the wind like scared birds with fancy feathers.

I finally caught up with her at the corner of Ocean Drive and Lincoln Avenue. “The wind’s so crazy!” I groaned, putting up my arm to shield my face. “It’s like it’s trying to blow us away!”

Lisa took my hand. “I’m scared, Susie,” she gulped. “It’s so spooky. There isn’t anyone else here, not even a seagull. It’s like we’re the only people in the world.”

She was right. It was really spooky. The slate gray sky matched the graying wood of the boardwalk. Sand blew here, there, and everywhere. Maura’s, the most popular nightclub in Ocean Heights, had boards over its windows. The Princess Hotel on our left had covered its pool and removed all of the deck chairs and umbrellas. Someone forgot the Cabana Bar with the thatch roof that was supposed to look tropical. The roof was now thumping against the wall of the Princess’s restaurant, the Ocean Drive Inn.

Mom and Dad finally caught up with us at Ocean Drive. Mom cuddled Louise in her arms. She was crying again. Mom rocked her to calm her down. “I already got some great shots in,” Dad said, breathless. He put his arms around us. “How about the boardwalk, girls? We could use a good walk, before the rain starts again.”

“Willie,” Mom started, “I really don’t think...”

“Can we go to the Arcade?” Lisa asked immediately. There’s only two reasons she’s interested in Ocean Heights’ small boardwalk, and one of them was the Skee Ball Arcade. The other was to walk over it to the beach, so she could go swimming and bury Dad in the sand.

Dad shook his head. “Sorry, sweetie. First of all, I’m here on business. Second, I doubt it’s open today.”

“Lisa, the Arcade wouldn’t be open during a hurricane! It’s probably all boarded up, like Maura’s.”

“Well, you never know. People get bored sometimes.”

“Girls!” Mom took my hand. Dad took Lisa’s. “We’ll have none of that. The storm is bad enough without arguing.”

Even though there were no cars to be seen anywhere, we still looked both ways before crossing the street. It was pretty easy to get up on the boardwalk, but once we got there, the wind was even worse than on Ocean Drive. It blew sand into our faces and stung our eyes. My eyes started watering. Louise cried again. Mom rocked her and murmured softly to her.

Now, the boardwalk at Ocean Heights isn’t really big or fancy, like the one at Holly City. There’s no rides or games or long fishing piers. It’s mainly for walking and shopping. There’s two arcades and a couple of gift shops, candy stores, and little restaurants. The boardwalk down by Lincoln Avenue doesn’t even have those. There’s one arcade across from Maura’s and an ice cream store, and that’s it. Everything is much further down, near Queen Anne Street and Peters Avenue.

I wasn’t really paying much attention to anything but keeping my eyes out of the wind until I heard Lisa yelp next to me. She grabbed my arm. “Susie, look! Oh look!”

I finally moved my arm and gasped in dismay. The boardwalk on the corner of Queen Anne Street and Ocean Drive was a mess. The Skee Ball Arcade was boarded and closed. The tiny cupola on top of the roof was gone, but it otherwise seemed to be intact. Harry’s House of Pork Roll seemed to be ok, too, but we couldn’t get to it. The wood around Harry’s and the Arcade had been smashed to bits. The Convention Center, which was no bigger than our school auditorium, was missing its metal back railings. The windows were covered with tape, but the roof was there.

Julie’s Chocolateria didn’t get that lucky. Not only were there gaping holes around the boardwalk where it sat, but the waves had crushed the back walls. The wind took care of most of the roof. “Oh no!” wailed Lisa. “Where will we get our fudge now?”

I made a face. “There’s six other candy stores in town, Lisa. It’s not the end of the world.”

“But Julie makes the best fudge! She always makes it right where you can see it, too. And she has her kids give out samples.”

Mom wasn’t paying attention to the remains of Julie’s. Her eyes were trained behind us, to the street. “Oh my g...girls, Willie...”

We all turned around as best we could in the wind...and saw what made my mother’s face turn white. Ocean Drive and Queen Anne’s Street were flooded. The water was half-way up to the boardwalk. Dad pulled out his camera and made for one of the ramps that lead to the boardwalk.

“Honey, are you nuts?” Mom hissed.

“This will be a great shot, Chris,” Dad insisted. He whipped out his camera and waded into the water. The grayish water was so high, it was up to Dad’s knees...and Dad is almost six feet. He took pictures of the Queen Anne Bed and Breakfast and Caprice Motor Lodge under water, then handed Mom the camera and insisted she get some shots of him in the water, just to show how high it was.

“Can we go home now?” I complained. “The sand really hurts. I can’t see!”

“Yeah,” added Lisa. “I’m scared. What if our street ends up like Ocean Drive?”

Mom shook her head. “We’ll evacuate if we really have to, but we live in the middle of the island. We should be ok.”

Dad came back on the boardwalk, shivering like crazy. “Boy, is that water cold! It’s moving pretty fast, too. I wouldn’t wanna go swimming in that.”

Lisa tugged on Dad’s heavy rubber raincoat. “Daddy, can we go home now?” Louise let out a wail that indicated she felt the same way.

Dad squeezed Lisa’s hand. “Yeah, sweetums, we can go home. Daddy got what he wanted.”

We turned our backs on the boardwalk and headed towards the car. The wind was at our back now, and it seemed to be less than it was before. I joined Mom and Louise as Lisa chattered to Dad.

“Is the storm over, Mom? I don’t think the wind’s as bad as it was, and it hasn’t rained since last night.”

Mom shook her head. “No, honey. We’re probably in the eye of the hurricane now. It’ll start up again as soon as the eye passes.” Louise burbled, happy to be away from the blowing sand.

“Are we gonna be ok?”

She put her free arm around my shoulders. “Of course we’ll be ok. We’re gonna be just fine.”

The Party - Original Short Story

I started this story at least five years ago. I love my parents and I mostly enjoy their parties, but as a very shy and single introvert, I often feel left out. I thought about what I wished would happen, and that lead to the first half of this story. I never got around to finishing it until today.

The Party
By Emma Redmer

She sighed, standing in the corner with a drink in her hand. What was she doing here? She didn’t know anyone here. She never knew anyone at her parents’ parties. They were all her parents’ friends and her siblings’ friends. Never HER friends. Her friends didn’t live close enough to come to parties. Most of them wouldn’t even if asked anyway. They weren’t any more party people than she was.

The book she read on shyness said she should try to make conversation. How could she make conversation with people she didn’t know? She knew some of the neighbors and a few people, but not well enough to make conversation with them. She found it so much easier to watch cartoons with the kids, or play with the babies. Kids and babies didn’t want to make conversation. They just wanted to do something. They didn’t expect you to be pretty or amusing or fun to be around.

She stared at her soda. Most of the people at this party were drinking, having a good time. She didn’t drink. She’d tried in college, but it only took a few cocktails to make her sloshed. She had to take herself home and didn’t particuarly feel like being sloshed while doing it, even though she lived down the street.

She wished she were like everyone else. No one else was having any problems talking to people. Of course, everyone knew one another. She’d lived near her stepfather and mother for a while, but moved back here just a year before. Who WERE these people? How did one get to know them? What did they like? Where did they go for fun? They wouldn’t like her. She wasn’t fun. She wasn’t pretty. She was a cashier in a dull grocery store, not like all of these normal local people who worked in normal offices. What she wouldn’t give to be them! She hadn’t gone to college to work in a grocery store.

She was so lost in her worries, she didn’t notice someone walk up behind her. “Penny for your thoughts?” a soft, husky voice asked.

She whirled around. “Don’t startle me like that!”

She hadn't seen him here before. He was of medium height, with wavy dark hair. "You seemed kind of lost." She noticed he had a can of diet cola and a plate with two slices of cake.

"I'm not lost." She turned to the window. "I'm just..." What was she? Hiding, she thought. Feeling sorry for herself.

He joined her at the window. "Nice view. Your dad has a nice place."

She nodded at the river. "He does." They continued to just stare at the river for a few minutes, neither saying a word. He ate his cake. She sipped her can of soda.

He finally broke the ice. "Do you come here often?"

"Probably not as often as  I should." She frowned. "Who are you? Are you a friend of my parents?"

"Oh." He looked at his cake. "I'm, uh, new here. Just moved in a few weeks ago. I'm a kindergarten teacher during the season. Right now, I'm waiting tables at that little Italian place on Fourth Street."

"It must be wonderful to be a teacher. You're lucky to have such a rewarding job." She looked outside. "I'm not that lucky."

"I do like working with the kids." He frowned. "I just wish I could find something better to do when school isn't in session. I really don't like being a waiter. It's back-breaking work, and it's easier for me to deal with kids than with adults."

She gave him a wan smile. "Me too. I know what to say with kids. With adults, it's different."

"I'd love to write," he said wistfully. "Maybe kids' stories. I have a bunch in a file drawer at home. It's just...it's easy to write, but I'm not so good at selling things."

"I know exactly what you mean. I have stories I've written, but selling them is scarier." She smiled. "I didn't think there was anyone else around here who wanted to write. No one ever understood how I felt about it."

"It's my favorite talent."

"It's my outlet."

He nodded. "I'd go crazy if I couldn't get my thoughts out on paper."

"Do you write a journal?"

"Every day."

"Me too."

He set his untouched  plate of cake on the window ledge. "How would you like to meet at the coffee house on West Warrington Avenue and talk writing? Maybe tomorrow around 4, after my shift lets out?"

She smiled gently. "I think I'd like that. I work early tomorrow. I'll be long off by then."

He turned a little red. "By the way, my name is Scott."

"I'm Sarah."

He looked at the water again. "I'm not really much of a party person. I met these people a few days ago. They invited me to get to know the neighborhood. It's just..." He looked around at the crowded room. "It's too much, you know?"

"I know. I don't know half these people. I don't have too many friends here."

"Neither do I."

She looked at her watch. "I have to get going. I have work tomorrow." Her hazel eyes just barely looked at his. "See you tomorrow?"

He gave her a small, shy smile. "Yeah." He nodded. "It was nice talking to you."

She gave him a smile back. "You too."

Introduction - A Star Wars Fairy Tale: Return

And here we finally are, the last story in my Star Wars fairy tale series! You may notice that it's also the most changed from the source material. Yeah, as much as I do like the original Return of the Jedi, the script is...not always the best. Like why couldn't they have tied the Jabba's Palace opening in with the rest of the movie better? Why did Vader have to throw the Emperor down that convenient pit? Why didn't Han ever address Lando's betrayal of him in Cloudy City?

I thought I'd try answering some of these questions, while having a little bit of fun. This is the last flat-out Star Wars fantasy I have planned for a while. My next three Star Wars fanfics will have fantasy elements, but they're mostly historical comedy/action stories. I'm hoping to start the next one, a 1980's high school tale, by the end of this month.

In the meantime, look out for some original short stories, many based after my childhood, and maybe even some short fanfiction. Also, the story ideas entry has been updated.

A Star Wars Fairy Tale: Return, Part 1

Rating: PG-13 (violence, mild language)

Pairings: Han/Leia

Disclaimer: The franchise belongs to George Lucas and the Walt Disney Company. I just got back into this fandom after more than a decade away and decided I wanted to play, too.

Notes: One of the many inspirations for Star Wars was beloved fairy and folk tales. I decided to go back to the source, so to speak. Among the stories I'm borrowing ideas from are “East of the Sun and West of the Moon,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Sleeping Beauty,” “The Little Mermaid,” “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves,” “Goldilocks and the Three Bears,” “Rumpelstiltskin,” “The Girl Without Hands,” and “Robin Hood.”

Notes 2: This is based around the Original Trilogy, though a few characters from Star Wars: Rebels and the prequels have cameos.

Once upon a time, in a world very far from ours, lived a princess without a kingdom and a knight without hands. Young Force Knight apprentice Luke Skywalker left his training prematurely (and against the wishes of his teachers) in order to rescue his friends Princess Leia Organa and Han Solowolf. Alas, he arrived too late to save them. Han had been put under a sleeping spell by Leia's jealous father, the half-demon Lord Vader. He sheared off Leia's long hair to keep her from healing Han. Luke tried to fight Vader, but was no match for the seasoned war lord and lost his sword and his right hand in battle. He was in turn saved by Leia, the servants Cecil and Arthur, and huntsman-turned-nobleman Lando Calarissian.

When we last left our heroes, Calarissian and the Wookie Stallion Chewbacca were riding off towards the Kingdom of Tatoon in search of the carriage that carried the slumbering Han Solowolf to the greedy Ogre King Jabba. During their duel, Vader revealed to Luke that he was his son, making Leia Luke's sister. Having discovered their true relationship, the siblings now traveled in the gypsy cart the Falcon to the Dagobah Swamps to gain answers from one of Luke's teachers, the wise goblin sage Yoda.

Where Leia was concerned, the trip was nothing but a pain in the rear end...and not just because Han really needed to have the driver's seat re-padded. The Enchanted Woods had gone insane. The once-beautiful green trees were now lifeless black hulks that clawed at the Falcon and grabbed at anything they could get their limbs on. The colors seemed to have bled out of the plant life. The delicate, pastel flowers were gone. The glowing polka-dot mushrooms were slimy and blackened. Everything around them seemed to painted in deadened shades of black, white, and gray.

The general malaise affected the animals, too. Squirrels threw nuts at them and at each other. Wolves and wild boars growled and squealed at them, glaring at the cart and its occupants with menacing gold eyes. The tiny blue and green lights that once lead them through the darkness were replaced by a blackish haze that often made it difficult to see more than a few centimeters in front of one's nose.

Luke was trying to fight off one of the trees with his one good hand. “I really wish I had my sword,” he complained. “I'd be able to take down these branches with one chop.”

“If you had more than one hand,” his sister reminded him. For her part, Leia had been trying to guide their horse Tauntaun around the flora that seemed determined to knock them off the road. Arthur the Blacksmith leaned out of one of the cart windows, hacking at every branch with Han's ax. Cecil the Butler stayed hidden in the cart as much as possible.

Leia saw Arthur's fingers fly as Cecil leaned out the window, pulling away just in time to avoid a bramble of thorns with stickers as sharp as needles. “I agree with Arthur. Not to be blunt, but just what in the name of the Alliance of the Seven Kingdoms is going on? I don't remember the Woods ever behaving quite this badly before!”

Leia rubbed her head. She'd had a major headache ever since they'd driven into the Woods. “I think it's Vader's doing. Vader's or his master's. I feel the influence of dark Force magic.”

Luke nodded, looking more serious than she'd ever seen him. “I feel it, too. The negative energy is affecting everything. That's why the animals are so angry. They can sense it. So can the trees and the flowers and the plants. The darkness has taken control.”

“Well,” said Leia with all the determination she could muster, “I'm not going to let it control us. We just need to find our way out.”

“Pardon me, Your Highness,” Cecil began, “but when are we going to find our way out? Neither Arthur nor I have seen so much as a sign in days. I'm starting to think we're lost.”

Luke sighed. “I hate to admit it, Leia, but he's right.” He rubbed his temples, trying to ignore the throbbing between them. “I've been trying to talk to Master Yoda with the Force, but it's like thinking through my aunt's Spiced Cactus Heart Soup. I can't break through the mud in my head.”

Leia rubbed her head again. “You've been feeling the same way?”

He nodded. “Ever since we started through the woods.”

She winced, pain coursing through her head. “And it's been getting worse the further along we've gone.” Luke nodded, the pain showing in his own gentle face. “We have to get out of here.” She flicked the reins harder. “Whatever dark magic has taken over the Woods may be too strong for both of us to handle, especially in the condition we're in.”

That was when they heard wings swishing in the distance. Leathery wings that rubbed against each other, swaying in the thick mist that now enveloped the Woods. The brother and sister knew the sound of those wings, knew who they belonged to.

Luke recoiled. “It's him. He found us.”

Leia flicked the reins harder, ignoring the pounding in her temples. “Come on, Tauntaun! We have to outrun him. I won't let him toss us in yet another tower!”

They'd come to what appeared to be murky light at the end of the tunnel of ebony brushstrokes when an enormous, scaly figure swooped low over the Falcon's roof. It landed directly in the center of the path, its outstretched wings easily blocking the view from both sides.

“Children,” Vader hissed. “You have come to me.”

Leia's dark brown eyes glared hot molten lava at the unholy creature before her. “Get out of our way, Vader,” she snarled. “Unless you want an arrow in the other wing!”

He turned to Luke, ignoring his sister for the moment. “Son, the three of us could rule together as one, a family united. You don't know the power of the Dark magic. You'll be able to crush your enemies, take whatever you want, make anyone you want yours.”

Leia climbed out of the carriage, holding Han's Endorwood longbow and arrow level with the demon's rippled chest. “Vader, get it through your thick skull. All I wanted was Han and my home, and all Luke wanted was his family. The Empire stole everything from us. We won't let you take our freedom, too.”

Her anger only provoked a cruel smile. “Very good. Use your anger. Let go of your hatred. You're closer to embracing the dark magic than you think.”

“No!” Luke jumped off, his blue eyes wide. “Leia, don't give in! Don't listen!”

Vader inched closer. “Your powers are strong. Under my master's tutelage, they could be stronger. Strong enough to break the ogre's hold on your adored wastrel.”

Leia's bow didn't waver. “Han isn't a wastrel. He's a good, kind man.” Luke raised his eyebrows at her. “Ok, he is a wastrel, but he's MY wastrel, and I won't let you use him or us anymore. You are no father of mine!”

The demon was prepared for the arrow she sent towards his head. He easily brushed it away in mid-flight, along with the next two she shot after them. He only had to lift his claws, and the bow went flying from her hands into his.

“I would be honored if you would join me,” he said darkly.

“Never!” She launched herself at him, but he shot out at her with a red light. Luke screamed as Vader lifted the young woman into the air as if she were a rag doll. He flung her into a half-dead tree surrounded by slime-encrusted lichen. The tree's branches grabbed at her arms and legs, holding her down. A vine wound around her mouth, silencing her angry cries.

Luke was trying to reach for Vader's red and black sword when the enraged demon turned his attention to the boy. “This isn't yours, boy. Yet.” A red light dragged Luke towards Vader's grasp. “Come with me, boy. I can feel the growing anger within you. Release that hate.” Leia shrieked under the vines, writhing in the embrace of the branches that wrapped around her.

“No...” Luke struggled. “Father, this isn't you! You're not a monster. You're a man. There's still a man in you.”

“You are mistaken” He lifted Luke over his shoulder. “Now, I'll retrieve your sister, and we'll return to Bast Castle to begin your training.”

“Mistaken, you are, Anakin Skywalker.” That was when Luke saw the light. A small beam of bluish light appeared in the end of the tree tunnel. He saw a familiar green goblin waddling down the path. The two wolves by Vader's side glared at the tiny figure. “Take these two young people away, you will not.”

“That is not my name.” Vader sneered at the figure. “Master Yoda. I thought you died when we purged the White Knights from the Kingdoms.”

“Resilient, I am. I bounce back. Underestimate me, humans do, because of my size and age.” Yoda pulled a small, shining green crystal sword from his walking stick. “Fight you for the younglings, I will.”

“Very well. You know I'll trounce you, you old goat.” Vader concentrated. Luke was flung against the same tree as Leia. The tree limbs wrapped around both, holding them to the trunk. One of the vines snaked into Luke's mouth, cutting off his frightened bleats.

The two older combatants circled each other like vultures waiting for their prey to pass to the next world. When their sabers struck, it sent red and green sparks flying in all directions. Luke couldn't believe how agile his master was. Yoda circled and danced around Vader, avoiding his former pupil's enraged lunges and feints. He actually managed to hit Vader on his side, drawing blue-red blood and a snarl from the demon.

Vader hissed, holding onto his side. “I can see you are more than a match for me, old one.” He lifted his claw. “You were lucky enough to escape the White purges. Your luck runs out here.”

The moment the claws went up, the two wolves made a dash for Yoda. Luke and Leia screamed under the vines as they bit into the goblin's shoulder with their sharp teeth. The little green creature fell to the road with a startled cry.

Vader took his sword as the wolves circled him, looking for another place to bite. “I'll be taking my children with me now.”

That was when the back door to the Falcon slammed open. “Arthur!” Cecil ran as fast as he could after his stubby-legged friend. “Arthur, what are you doing? We're hardly Force Knights! You could get hurt, or worse! This is no place for us!”

Arthur rushed right up to Vader, his fingers flying. Vader swung around...and his repulsive, reptilian face suddenly showed very human recognition. To the surprise of his children, his fingers flew in the familiar symbols of the Language of the Mutes. Arthur's flew back.

Cecil watched them go back and forth. “You two know each other? Arthur, how do you know him?” Arthur's twisting fingers were now directed at his gold-clad friend. “You knew him from the Seven Kingdoms' Wars? Arthur, we were together through most of that conflict. How come I don't remember him? I would certainly remember meeting a demon!”

“Arthur?” Vader's voice sounded very different. It was lighter, softer, more brittle...more human. “Arthur, is that you?” He looked over at his friend. “And Cecil? Padme's butler? What are you doing here?”

“It's a very long story, Lord Vader,” Cecil began. “I'm not entirely sure this is the appropriate time or place to tell it. I don't even really recall much of it. So much seems to have simply vanished from my memory! We fled Aldran Castle with Sir Luke and Sir Kenobi when it was burned by the Sith Dragons three years ago.”

Luke and Leia were even more surprised when Arthur put his short arms around Vader in a hug...and Vader started to lean into it. “Old friend...” But the gold light came back into his eyes. His children felt him strain against the darkness, the lust for power and burning anger that had trapped him. He held Arthur out....but his eyes were gazing into the Woods. “Master...” He shook his head in confusion. “I can't...I have to go.” He pushed Arthur into Cecil's arms, then unfurled his wide wings and shot through the gray canopy, making for the open sky.

The moment Vader flew off, the trees released Luke and Leia, and the wolves darted back into the brush. Arthur and Cecil had already gone to Yoda's side. Luke tugged off his sleeve, using it to stop the bleeding. “We have to get him to his hut in the Dagobah Swamps. Master, can you hear me?”

“Hear you, I can, young apprentice.” Yoda definitely sounded annoyed. “I do not require fussing.”

Leia joined them, gathering Han's longbow in her hand on her way. “That's not what I'm seeing. You need medical attention, and you need it now.”

“Directions, I can give.” Yoda pointed a little claw down the road. “Hut not far. Only half of an hour.”

Leia looked at him. “Between the three of us, we may have enough magic to get us there the quick way.”

“Very well. Use our magic to return, we will.” When Yoda closed his eyes to let the Force flow, Luke and Leia did the same. After a few minutes, a series of weak blue lights gathered around them and the Falcon. When it subsided, there was nothing remaining but a few scattered leaves and sticks.

A Star Wars Fairy Tale: Return, Part 2

The lights subsided in front of a crude mud hut. Leia and Cecil gently carried the little goblin into one of the two rooms, laying him on his narrow pallet. Arthur and Luke followed, Luke with Yoda's green sword. “Master, I'm so sorry,” Luke was saying. “This isn't how I wanted to return to you.”

“Matter, it does not.” Yoda coughed as Luke brought him water from a clay jar. Cecil brought Leia bandages from the Falcon, which she wrapped around the little goblin's shoulder. “You are here. That is what counts.”

“Yes, but for how long?” Leia tied the bandages off. “Vader probably knows we're here, or has a good idea of it.”

“Hidden here, you are. Swamps have many powers.” The small goblin coughed again, harder and rougher this time. “This is why Vader did not find me until now.”

“Master Yoda,” Luke started cautiously, “is Lord Vader our father?”

Yoda shuddered, then turned on his side. “Rest, I need. Yes, a rest.”

“Oh, please.” Leia crossed her arms. “You're just putting off telling us.”

Yoda finally let out a soft sigh. “Your father, he is. Twins, you are.”

“Twins?” Leia sat down next to Luke. “That explains a lot. No wonder I knew where you were back on Bespin.”

The little goblin frowned. “Unexpected this discovery is, and unfortunate.”

Leia glared at him. “Unfortunate that we know the truth?”

“No,” Yoda wheezed. “Unfortunate, that incomplete was Luke's training...not ready for the burden, was he. Benjamin would have told you both years ago, had I let him.” He looked Luke in the eye. “Confront your father again, you must.”

“No!” Leia shook her head. “Why Luke? Why not you? I saw how you handled the saber back in the Woods.”

“Strong tongue you have, young Leia. Very much like your father, when he was your age.” Yoda frowned at her frustrated face. “Quick to anger, to judge. Always, you speak before you think.” The wizened creature clutched his shoulder, coughing. “I am old and frail. Much damage, this wound has done. Sick, I was. Now, it is much worse. The darkness has come to the Woods. Stop it, I cannot.” He looked up at Luke. “Stop it, you can.”

Luke shook his head. “Yoda, I need to know more. I've come back to complete my training.”

His master shook his head. “No more training do you require. Already know what you need.”

Luke looked surprised...and unconvinced. “Then I am a Jedi.”

“No.” Yoda's voice whistled when he spoke. “Face your father, you must. Restore balance to the Force. Out of balance, the Woods are. That is why the darkness has fallen.”

Leia frowned. “I'd suspected something like that. The Woods didn't act this way before. When Han and I were traveling here a few weeks ago, it was sunny and pleasant and warm. Now it feels like it's out to get us.”

“When light is gone, the darkness falls.” Yoda's voice was raspy and strained. “Luke...when gone am I, last of the Jedi will you be. Luke...” The two Skywalker siblings pulled close to him. “Luke...Leia...restore...balance...restore...l..lo...”

Yoda never finished his last words. His eyes closed before he could. Much like Sir Ben Kenobi, the moment he passed into the Force, he vanished before the eyes of the grieving quartet.

Leia put a hand on Luke's shoulder. “I'm sorry.” Luke just flung himself into her arms, tears rolling down his cheeks.

“Yoda will always be with you.” The Skywalkers and the servants all looked up at once as a tall figure surrounded by a blue light strode into the hut. He had gentle dark eyes, long, flowing gray-brown hair, and a dark mustache and beard. “You may get tired of seeing him. I wouldn't be surprised if he kept insisting on giving advice in the afterlife. He always was stubborn that way.”

Luke's face lit up, despite the tears in his eyes. “Qui-Gon Jinn? Ben told me about you. You were his master, one of the greatest Force Knights who ever lived! You taught him everything he knew. He respected you like a father.”

“And I loved him like a son.” He sighed. “But I don't entirely agree with what he told you, or his and Yoda's decision to separate the two of you. Benjamin and Yoda meant well, but they were always very strict in their teaching. They believed that the Jedi were infallible.” The ghost sat down on Yoda's bed next to Luke. “It was my decision to train your father Anakin as a Force Knight. He was living as a slave in Tatoon with his mother when we found him. I'd never seen anyone with such strong abilities.” Qui-Gon's long face lit up in a grin. “Did Ben ever tell you how your father won the Boonta Classic Carriage Race when he was only nine years old? To my knowledge, he's still the youngest person ever to accomplish that.”

Luke shook his head. “Uncle Owen never really talked about my parents. He told me Father was a merchant who was killed by bandits. He wouldn't talk about Mother at all.”

“I only remember a little about Mother,” Leia admitted. “Uncle Bail told me she lived for about a year after Father...after Father joined the Empire, but she was never really well. She died when I was a little over a year old.”

“I have no memory of Mother,” Luke whispered. “I never knew her.”

“You're like your mother in many ways, Luke.” Qui-Gon's eyes became far-away. “In looks, she favored you, Leia, petite and dark-haired and pale-skinned.” He smiled. “Looks can be deceiving. She had a will of iron...but more importantly, she had the most loving heart I ever saw. She could see the beauty in all things.”

Leia frowned. “What about me?”

Qui-Gon shook his head. “You seem to have gotten your father's side. He was a sweet child, and from what little I saw, a good man...but he had a temper, and a need to see justice, no matter what the cost. He would do anything to keep those he loved from harm, even harm others.”

“Master Jinn,” Luke began, “do you know how to lift the curse on our father? It must be some kind of a curse. I know there's good in him. I saw how he acted with Arthur. They were friends!”

Qui-Gon shook his head. “I wish I did. Your father fell years after I died in a duel with a Black Knight. I have no idea what curse was cast on him.” He nodded out back. “I do know where you can find Khyber crystals, though. If you are going to deal with your father, you'll need a weapon.”

Leia frowned. “I can't believe Father is a good man. Not after what he did to Han and me at the Kingdom of the Clouds.”

“He was a good child,” the long-gone Force Knight admitted. “I never regretted freeing him from Tatoon. He was never meant to be a slave. I didn't know him well as an adult.”

She held back as Luke went into the brush. “I want to do something for Luke.” She closed her eyes, trying to fight the tears. “I can't even restore his hand. I don't have my healing powers anymore.”

Qui-Gon made something long and flat appear in a blue light. “You can help in other ways.”

It was a knife, a knife with a long, shining steel blade and a silver handle trimmed with turquoise jewels and intricate water-like markings. “This was your mother's, one of the treasures of Naboo. It was among the few things Yoda and the remaining Jedi were able to salvage from Naberrie Castle before Palapatine vandalized it.”

“It's beautiful.” Leia drew her finger along it and winced when she saw blood. “And sharp.”

“Naboo crafted some of the sharpest steel in the entire Alliance.” Qui-Gon nodded as she sucked on her finger. “Ben could tell you more about it.” He nodded towards the edge of the mire. “You must return to his home. This is no place to forge a sword. Besides,” the ghost looked concerned, “with Yoda gone, the Swamps are no longer under his protection. My powers are limited. I can only do so much to keep the darkness at bay.”

Luke emerged at that moment. He was covered in dust, his one good hand was dirty, and the sling that held the stump of the other one was torn and streaked with some kind of noxious goo. Even so, he clutched a small pile of what appeared to be large, green, glowing stones in his palms. “Master Qui-Gon,” he gasped, grinning ear to ear, “I found them! I had to dig for them in the clay deposits, but I found them.”

“You also found a mess.” Leia wiped a streak of clay from his cheek. “I'll see if your little goblin friend left any fresh water to clean up your wound and get you some fresh bandages.”

Luke was too happy to fuss over Leia trying to mother him. His blue eyes roamed until they found the former Force Knight. “Thank you, Master Qui-Gon.”

He bowed before them. “No, thank you for watching over Yoda in his last hours. He was a cantankerous old cur, but I'm almost looking forward to seeing him again.”

“I think we'll stay here for the night.” Leia readjusted Luke's sling. “Start out fresh in the morning.”

Luke nodded, shivering. “I don't think there's anything else for us here.”

“Qui-Gon suggested,” Leia began, “that we might visit the Kingdom of Aldran. Just the fringes. Maybe your friend Ben left some material to make your sword, and there will be plenty of dry wood for a fire.”

“I like that idea.” The young man sighed. “I still miss Ben...and now, I have so many questions I wish I could ask him.”

“Oh, I'm sure he'll answer them when you arrive.” The older man finally bowed. “May the Force be with both of you.”

They both bowed for him. “You too, sir,” Luke said.

Leia raised her eyebrows as Jinn flickered out of sight. “I will never get used to that.”

“It's hard to adjust to at first,” Luke admitted. “Ben used to pop up at the most random times. He never seemed to startle Master Yoda, though.” The two siblings jumped when they heard the screech of an animal piercing the gloom. “I think we'd better tell Arthur and Cecil to come inside.”

His sister took his arm. “Right.” Another screech, this one closer to the trees Luke had emerged from, sent the duo scrambling for the safety of Yoda's hut and the Falcon.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

King Palapatine, Supreme Ruler of the Kingdom of the Empire, reclined in his gleaming obsidian throne in Bast Castle. He had once been simply Duke Sheev Palapatine, a minor nobleman and trader in Naboo. Through cunning, manipulation, and his growing dark Force magic, he had snatched the role of Prime Minister of Naboo and chairman of the Alliance of the Seven Kingdoms during the Seven Kingdoms' War. The blood spilled during the war had barely dried when he declared himself King of Naboo, now a true Empire.

He looked up as the figure in black armor knelt before his dais. “Vader,” he said. “You were to bring me your children.”

“I came very close, my master.” The yellow eyes behind the visor gazed up at him. “They are both far more powerful than we previously believed.” He clenched a fist. “Master Yoda, the oldest and wisest of all Force Knights, attacked me in the Woods. I took care of him. The children are no longer under his protection.”

Palapatine shook his head. “It is of no consequence. You will no longer try to go to your children. They...or at least, your son...will come to you.”

Vader was skeptical. “He will come to me? And what of my daughter? She's nearly as strong in the Force, and far angrier, especially after the loss of her lover. She may be easier to turn to our side.”

“I have my own plans for the fair Princess of Aldran.” Palapatine's smile was a fearful thing to behold, all sharp, pointy teeth and cruel intentions. “When your son comes to you, she will come after him...and I will take care of her.” He turned to Vader. “I want you to triple the current taxes in all of the Imperial Kingdoms. Take anything possible as payment, including jewels and other fine goods. Make sure this is spread widely.”

“For what purpose?”

Palapatine's smile made even his apprentice shiver with revulsion. “As bait. Soon, the Rebels In the Woods will be crushed. Your son will be your apprentice, and your daughter will be my wife. Everything is going according to my design.”

Vader wasn't as certain as he went to give the orders to his men. For one thing, he wanted to teach his children about the Force, not leave it to his master. But there was also something brewing inside of him. Something he hadn't felt, or allowed himself to feel, in twenty years. Seeing Arthur again stirred so many memories he thought he'd buried.

Padme... His thoughts always returned to her, to her long curling brown hair, to the wide brown eyes and laughing red mouth. She had been his light, his joy, his happiness. The two of them and Ben Kenobi side by side before and during the Seven Kingdoms' War, an inseparable trio.

He and Padme declared their love in the Woods, right before the Jedi rescued them from the evil black wizard Dooku. The Woods were beautiful that day, all green and glowing. He remembered the rickety old cart that lead them out, Queen and knight, bound and forced to fight every dark creature the Woods could spit out...

You love me? I thought we decided it would be too dangerous to fall in love.

She gazed into his eyes with her warm brown ones. That doesn't matter now. We're going to die anyway. I just wanted to let you know. You're everything to me.

She had been everything to him...but she'd died. He was a Force Knight, with the strongest powers in the kingdom, and the King of Naboo, and he couldn't keep her from dying. Not her, nor his beloved mother, who was killed by bandits in Tatoon while he was training.

He had to put them out of his mind. He had the children now. Their daughter, and the son he'd only just discovered. He wanted to train them, to show them power, but now he wondered if it was what Padme would have wanted. After seeing Arthur, he was starting to wonder if it was really what he wanted.