Most of you probably know my Jedi Storytime series. Well, this time, I've decided to do something a little different. Starting with this story, I'm starting a secondary spin-off called Bad Batch Tales, which is like Jedi Storytime, except that one features mainly Clone Wars characters, whereas Bad Batch tales will feature stories focused on Bad Batch characters. So, I guess technically "Wizard of Omega" and "Tangled With Omega" belong in the Bad Batch Tales, but I think I'm going to write another version of the second one, but this time give Omega a love interest in the form of young Benni Baro.

Anyways, I hope you enjoy this story, the first official installment of Bad Batch Tales. Please be sure to tell me what you think in a review! :)

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If there was one thing that kids loved, it was fairy tales. Lots of children grew up being read lots of different fairytale stories before bed by their parents, their grandparents, during storytime at school by their teachers, or when the librarian reads a book to everyone at the library.

Of course, it was well known that kids liked to imitate these stories, whether they heard them from a book or watched a film version of it on TV. You know, "Monkey see, monkey do," and lots of kids followed that, especially when they were little. That included the children of the royal family.

Gabby, Lamenta, Goldie, and Mona all enjoyed fairytales so much. Most of that group, since they were very little, they loved hearing fairy tales.

Mona was still fairly new to fairy tales, but she loved when the grownups read them to her and the other kids before bed. And acting them out was a lot of fun too. She was going to get a chance to do it with lots of other kids soon too because Teatra was preparing for a spectacular school play at Windy Falls. The Little Mermaid.

Teatra was the best director the royal family knew. Since the success of Alice in Wonderland at Walker Prep, great word of mouth and viral videos of the play's success spread all around, and lots of schools were asking Teatra if she would direct, supervise, produce, or review their productions, and professional theaters wanted to hire her too. For now, Teatra was excited to put on The Little Mermaid.

Young Goldie Heartwood seemed most excited of all. When her father was a little boy, his mother would read him The Little Mermaid story every night, and now he read it to her.

"How are you doing with learning your lines, girls?" Teatra asked.

Gabby, Mona, Goldie, and Lamenta were all excited because they each had a role in the play Teatra was directing at their school. Mona was playing a seahorse, Lamenta was playing a castle maid, Gabby was playing one of Ariel's sisters, and Goldie got the star role of Ariel.

"I still can't believe I'm gonna be Ariel!" Goldie said. "My favorite princess ever! Too bad I don't look much like her though."

Goldie looked at her hand and a strand of her hair, knowing she had dark skin and dark hair, unlike the mermaid in the story.

"Don't sweat it, Goldie. The important thing is everyone does their part well. And you definitely have Ariel's curious mind."

"Why am I playing a seahorse?" Mona asked. "I don't know anything about seahorses."

"Don't worry, Mona. That's what rehearsals are for." Teatra said. "And a background role is just as important as the foreground and stars. Since you're new to this whole thing, it's a great place to start. I myself started out as a crew member, so you're one step ahead. Besides, you get to dance in a big musical number too."

Mona thought that sounded fun. And it would be the first time Hunter would see her dancing on stage. Ever since Mariposa and Garrett made him Mona's godfather, she just seemed to get more attached to him like a butterfly to sugar water.

The kids were all so excited, and they looked forward to every bit of the play from trying on their costumes to opening night. But of course, being kids, they had to do a lot of other things, like go to school, do their chores and homework, and of course go to bed on time.

Fitting with the upcoming play, shrimp rice was served for dinner that night, and the droids, per request of the parents, shaped it into different sea creatures for the kids.

"Mine's a starfish," Goldie giggled.

"I got a dolphin." Gabby said.

"Seahorse for me," said Mona.

"Mine looks like a little crab." Lamenta said.

The kids definitely liked when their parents shaped their food to make it more fun. Of course, after dinner, it was pretty routine. Brush teeth, wash up, get into pajamas, and then bedtime. But, before bedtime always came a time all the kids, young and even the teens loved: storytime.

Garrett was playing storyteller tonight. Qui-Gon was usually the best storyteller, but since not all the kids here were his grandkids, and they had other adults in the palace, it was only fair they took turns.

"Alright, children." Garrett smiled, sitting in the big chair. "Tonight, we're going to read a very special story I believe you know. An old favorite from my own childhood. The Little Mermaid."

"We're doing a play on that story at school!" Gabby said.

"Yes, I heard. And I believe hearing the story tonight may give you all a little inspiration for the production."

Goldie eagerly climbed up into her father's lap. Garrett chuckled; his daughter always loved to turn the pages when he read to her.

"Ready, Goldie?" Garrett said.

"Yes, Daddy."

Garrett opened the book to begin the story.

"Legends tell us the sea is filled with many wonders, and some believe one of the most mysterious of those wonders is the legendary mermaid."