Clovis was the one invader left.
"Come out, you beast." Clovis growled, taking out his sword. "I know you're in here."
"Looking for me?" growled Anakin, baring his sharp teeth. "Leave this castle now and I will let you live."
"I will not be told what to do by some monstrous beast." Clovis said.
"While my appearance may be frightening, it is people like you who are the real monsters." Anakin said. "Your eyes may be able to see what's in front of you, but they are blind to what's really there."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"It means that Padme deserves a real man, not one like you!" Anakin said, igniting his sword and swinging it at Clovis', slicing the blade in pieces. "Vile! Arrogant! Conceited! Corrupt!"
Clovis, for what seemed like the first time in his life, was terrified. He grabbed whatever he could to try and attack Anakin, and a few times, succeeded in hitting him and knocking him down, but each time, Anakin Force-pushed him away and got up and fought until he had Clovis on the roof.
"I am giving you one last chance to leave peacefully!" Anakin said.
"You wouldn't dare kill me." Clovis said. "You are too kind and gentle."
"Hence why I tried to negotiate peacefully first. But since you will not leave, I will use force to protect my family from you!"
But Clovis grabbed a sharp part of the roof and held it behind his back.
Padme came and tried to get to Anakin, but the rain made it difficult to move without slipping.
"Clovis, stop!" Padme begged.
Anakin, at some point, dropped his lightsaber, but used his claws to fight instead. He struck his paw at Clovis, leaving nasty claw marks on his face.
And Anakin telepathically grabbed Clovis by his throat and threatened to drop him from the roof.
"No! No! Please! I'll do anything!" Clovis begged, struggling as Anakin Force-choked him.
Remembering what Padme taught him about controlling his temper, Anakin brought Clovis back to the safety of the roof.
"Go. Leave this castle and never come back."
"Ani!" Padme called from the balcony.
"Padme." Anakin gasped. He climbed over to Padme and was about to grab her hand, when he was suddenly stabbed in the back by a familiar red blade shot by none other than Clovis.
Anakin cried out in agonizing pain as Clovis tried to strike a second time.
Padme grabbed Anakin before he could fall, but Clovis lost his grip and dropped from the roof to his demise.
—————————————————————————
Padme gently lay Anakin down on the floor as he took heavy, slow breaths.
"Padme..." Anakin breathed. "You really came back."
"I had to." Padme said. "This is my fault. I should've been able to stop Clovis."
"No. You did everything you could. I chose to fight for you. It's... it's better this way."
"No, don't say that. We're together now. Everything is going to be fine. You'll see."
"Padme... I..." Anakin weakly placed a paw on Padme's face, that paw turning back to a hand as the moon was once again behind a cloud. "At least I got to see you one last time."
"No!" Padme had tears in her eyes. "Please."
"I...love... you...Padme." Anakin exhaled, closing his eyes.
"Ani. Please don't leave me! I love you." Padme cried.
Just as the last petal on the rose was falling down, Padme pressed her lips against Anakin's.
Carmine, Kara, and Caroline arrived at the scene, and looked sadly as the last petal dropped. It seemed that it was now too late to break the spell or to save Anakin.
Everyone had tears in their eyes at this terrible tragedy.
Suddenly, magical sparkles began to appear on Anakin. And he was lifted into the air. The same started to happen to Carmine and to Kara.
Carmine's talons turned into hands, Kara's scaley skin started to disappear, and Anakin's sharp teeth started to disappear, and in a golden glow, the three royal children were lowered to the floor.
Caroline and Padme couldn't believe their eyes with what happened.
Kara and the twins looked at each other, all sharing the same look of delighted shock.
Anakin turned to Padme with a smile on his face.
"Padme... it's me." Anakin said.
Padme looked into Anakin's bright blue eyes.
"Caroline..." Carmine said, approaching Caroline.
Caroline looked into Carmine's eyes.
Both girls could tell when they looked into the princes' eyes, though they looked different on the outside, they were still the same people on the inside.
And both princes leaned closer to their girls, and shared the most passionate kisses they'd ever had.
And as they kissed, the sun came out and by magic, the castle changed as well, and all around the castle, the spell was breaking.
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Obi-Wan and Mace found themselves turning back into humans, Harmony turned back into an alicorn, Jango became a human again too!
Everyone was filled with delight as they changed back into humans or whatever species they were before.
"Boba! You're a little boy again!" Zam said happily, holding her son in her arms.
Jango immediately ran to his wife and spun her in his arms for the first time in years and hugged his son closer than ever before.
"Satine!" Obi-Wan exclaimed, taking Satine into his arms.
"Obi-Wan." Satine smiled, and she kissed her husband.
"Look at all this!" Kara told her brothers as they and the girls entered the scene. And then she realized something. "This means..."
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The royal children all rushed to the garden, where the last of the spell was breaking, and many gathered to see the statue sparkling.
And the statue of King Qui-Gon and Queen Shmi turned back into real humans!
"Mom! Dad!" the royal children exclaimed, immediately rushing in to hug their parents.
"Anakin, Carmine, Kara." Qui-Gon sighed happily.
Shmi gave her children lots of kisses.
"My babies." Shmi said. "It's been so long."
"Mom." Anakin sighed happily, hugging his mother, never wanting to let go. "I'm so sorry."
"You have nothing to be sorry for, Anakin." Qui-Gon said, hugging his son. "We're together again. That's all that matters now."
"It's a miracle." Obi-Wan smiled.
—————————————————————————
Sometime later, another royal ball was held in celebration of the marriages of the twins. Anakin married Padme, and Carmine married Caroline.
"Are they gonna live happily ever after?" Boba asked his parents.
"Of course, they are." Zam smiled.
"If they're anything like their parents," said Jango. "They'll make it last."
"Do I still have to sleep in the cupboard?" Boba asked.
Boba's parents laughed.
Caroline looked at Boba and then and Carmine. "This'll be an interesting story to tell the children."
"We'll get there soon, love." Carmine chuckled.
"I think we should have lots of children." Padme said.
"We'll have as many as you like... Princess Padme." Anakin said, kissing his wife.
Certain as the sun
Rising in the east
Tale as old as time
Song as old as rhyme
Beauty and the beast
Tale as old as time
Song as old as rhyme
Beauty and the beast
(Oh, oh, oh-oh)
(Ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh, ooh)
Beauty and the beast
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"And they all lived happily ever after. The end." Qui-Gon finished.
Gabby lay fast asleep against her grandfather's chest.
"How romantic." sighed Lamenta, falling asleep in her father's arms.
"I think now's our little beauties' bedtime." Carmine chuckled, carrying Lamenta to bed.
Qui-Gon carried his granddaughter to bed as well and tucked her in under the rose patterned blankets on her bed tonight.
"Sleep well, my little rose." Qui-Gon whispered, kissing his granddaughter's head as she slept.