It was 3:00, the end of the school day. Kids who didn't have after-school activities to get to today either went to get picked up by their parents, boarded the bus pod, or sat on the benches to wait for their guardians to retrieve them.
Boba, Omega, Gabby, and Lamenta all met at the school's front yard and sat at the benches outside of school, where they waited for Anakin to come pick them up. They looked around.
Their speeder wasn't in sight among those arriving. Knowing Anakin, he had a tendency to be tardy, but he was usually on time where his children were concerned. Whether it was Boba and Omega cheering at a game, Lamenta dancing at a ballet recital, or Gabby giving a presentation for a school charity event, Anakin fought to be on time to support them, and to take them home in time for dinner.
Five minutes passed, that being the usual amount of time past dismissal Anakin arrived when it was his turn to pick up the kids.
"Shouldn't Dad have arrived by now?" Omega asked.
"He's probably just running late." Lamenta shrugged.
So, the kids waited, and they waited.
The kids began to get bored as ten minutes passed. Boba decided to get a head start on his homework while they waited. Omega started to do the same.
Gabby took out a book she'd been reading for class, and Lamenta started practicing her plies by a bar on the fence surrounding the school's rose bush garden.
Another ten minutes passed. Still no sign of Anakin.
"Okay, that's it. I'm calling him." Gabby said, getting out her phone and calling Anakin. "I hope he's okay."
But Anakin didn't answer his phone.
Gabby tried again a few minutes later. No answer again. She got worried.
"Daddy isn't answering his phone." Gabby said.
"Let's remain calm here." Boba said. "I'm sure there's an explanation for why he's not answering."
"Who's on our safe side adult list?" Omega asked.
The kids started to think of who else they could call. Some of their family wasn't even on-world, but then they remembered Carmine was simply spending time with Shmi today, so Lamenta phoned her father.
Thankfully, he answered.
"Hi, Daddy." Lamenta said. "Sorry to interrupt your time with Grandma, but Uncle Anakin hasn't come to pick us up from school, and he's not answering his phone."
"Funny, I was actually about to call you about that." Carmine said.
Carmine told Lamenta that he and Shmi just arrived back at the palace, and Anakin and Sapphire left the twins with them and left in a big hurry, saying he couldn't explain why.
"All he said was 'Kara, Dad, emergency, no time to explain!' and then he ran out."
That got the kids really worried. What if Mariverde struck?
"Stay where you are, kids." said Carmine. "We're coming to get you now."
Carmine soon arrived with the horses to pick the kids up quickly and brought them back to the palace.
"All of you, stay here." Carmine said. "I'm going to make sure the others are okay."
"But we wanna help." Gabby said.
"You can help by staying out of trouble. If this is Mariverde's work, this is something to leave to the grownups."
The kids reluctantly stayed behind with their grandmother while Carmine ran through one of the mirror portals to get to Coruscant quickly.
Carmine rushed into the Temple and met with Kara, and to his surprise, she was holding two babies who looked like Luke.
"Kara, I came as soon as I could." Carmine said, gently tickling one of the babies' cute little feet. "And who are your little friends, here?"
"It's Dad and Anakin." Kara said.
But Carmine was filled with disbelief.
"What do you mean?"
"Mariverde created a monster that turns grownups into babies." Kara explained. "Father pushed me out of the way before I could be transformed, but then Anakin got transformed too! And now that monster is headed for the Temple!"
"Okay, let's put Dad and Anakin in the nursery for now." Carmine said, taking Anakin into his arms. "Looks like I'm the big brother now, Ani."
Anakin started crying at that moment, so did Qui-Gon.
"Let's get these two to the nursery now." Kara said.
Kara shushed and rocked her father as she and Carmine carried the babies to the nursery.
Carmine got a pacifier for Anakin and placed him in a cradle, and Kara managed to get Qui-Gon to sleep as she put him in another.
"Looks like Grandma was right," said Carmine. "Dad was an easy baby."
"There'll be time for cooing over babies later," whispered Kara. "We have to find Rattle Snake."
Kara held onto Carmine, and super sped them out of the Temple to go find Rattle Snake.
The Jinn siblings stopped in the middle of the city and heard the sounds of a lot of babies crying. Neither Kara nor Carmine could believe their eyes! There were babies everywhere!
Babies were either crying, crawling, or grabbing everything in their path thinking it was a fun new toy or something to chew on.
Carmine and Kara quickly started to pick the babies up before they could hurt themselves, that proving very difficult to keep up with.
Kara quickly used magic to summon up some magical playpens to put the babies in to keep them safe for now, but the babies they saw now were just the first few of the batch.
All of a sudden, a ship flew out of control right near them. Kara used the Force to hold the ship steady while Carmine sprouted his wings and flew up to the ship and found a baby at the pilot's seat. Quickly, Carmine stopped the engines and picked the baby up out of the seat and got them out before signaling his sister to gently place the ship down.
"Piloting is not for babies, young man." Carmine scolded the baby Rodian.
The baby just gripped Carmine's nose and cooed.
"Yeah, you got my nose." Carmine said, unable to help smiling at how cute the baby was, and tickling him. "Cootchie, cootchie, coo."
"Look!" Kara exclaimed.
The two Jedi saw something turning the corner. Something green and scaley... with a giant rattle on the end?
They quickly rushed in to see what was going on, and that was when they saw... a giant snake!
However, this snake was rather odd-looking. On its front half, it looked to have the body of a teenage girl, but very scaley and hissing whenever she was angry. She currently had two grownups cornered against a wall, and she shook her rattle tail over them, transforming them into babies in seconds!
"Who's helpless now?!" Rattle Snake laughed, hissing every time she made an 'S' sound.
"Stop right there!" Kara said.
Rattle Snake looked at the Jedi.
"You again?! And you brought a friend. Didn't I baby-fi you already?"
"That was my twin, if you must know," said Carmine. "And if you know what's good for you, you'll turn the babies back into grownups."
"Why would I do that?" hissed Rattle Snake, slithering over to the Jedi. "They believe babies shall be treated as royalty. And so, they are babies again."
"Without adult supervision whatsoever?" Kara said. "Babies can't take care of themselves."
"That's not my problem. Perhaps, you need a taste of it yourselves."
But Kara sped off before Rattle Snake could baby-fi her. Carmine, however, wasn't as fast.
Meanwhile, the kids were finishing their homework. None of their parents had returned yet, and they were getting worried.
"I just don't get why they wouldn't let us come on this mission." said Lamenta, closing her last folder. "Other than needing to get our homework done."
"Your parents are just looking out for you." Shmi said. "Sometimes, the things parents do can seem out of reason, and at times maybe they are. But everything any good parent does, they do so out of love, even when it means they have to do something very hard such as being away from their little ones."
"It's true," said Crescent. "Even the toughest parents love their kids. You'd see what I mean if you'd grown up with mine."
"Daddy became general of the guard for a reason." said Carousella. "And mainly it was because he was willing to make sacrifices most others weren't. Like going against protocol if it meant protecting his family and his charges."
"But he let you both become guards while you were still kids." Gabby said. "I know you were trained for it, but isn't letting you go into the field still risky? And that's coming from a human who fought in a war at age three."
"We may age similarly to you humans, but equines have different rules when it comes to ages and careers. Even if we didn't, like you said, we trained really hard for that. Just like your parents trained to be Jedi or musicians."
With their homework done, and their parents away, the kids decided to go for a ride in the corral.
The Bad Batchers were doing a little riding themselves, and racing.
"I'm gonna win!" Wrecker shouted, riding Pinto.
"You mean we're gonna win!" Pinto said with a whinny.
"Not if I get there first!" Maybelle whinnied. "Yeehaw!"
"Giddyup, Maybelle!" Crosshair said, snapping the reins. And Maybelle ran faster, but Indira and Hunter were catching up.
"If you focus only on winning by being fastest, you lose sight of the true prize." Indira said, running by Maybelle as she caught up.
"What are you talking about?" Crosshair said, confused.
Hunter smirked and said, "She means, prepare to be beat!"
And Indira ran right past them, beating them to the finish. Wrecker and Pinto groaned or snorted in dismay.
"Way to go, Hunter!" Omega cheered.
"We almost won," said Teatra to Tech.
"Wanna race, Estrella?" Omega asked her alicorn.
"Let's see if any other horses want to race with us." said Estrella.
However, just as the kids were preparing to race, Gabby's phone rang.
"Aunt Kara?" Gabby asked as she answered. "Is everything okay?"
"No, everything is not okay." Kara said. "Listen very carefully. I need you to look in your spell books and find an age potion or a spell that can turn babies into adults."
"Mariverde's turning people into babies?!" exclaimed Gabby.
"Yes. She's already turned your father, grandfather, and Carmine into babies, and so many other people across town. And there's no telling how long until she reaches the Temple."
"You have to let us come and help you."
"No, Gabriella. Find the spell, give it to the Bad Batch and have them deliver it here so I can cast it." Kara said. "Currently, I'm the only one fast enough to outrun Rattle Snake and look after all these babies. And put a disabling spell on the mirror once they go through. We can't risk Rattle Snake getting into the palace or to the Encanto and turning even more people into babies."
"But, Aunt Kara-"
"Just get it done!"
And the older princess hung up.
"Well," gasped Gabby. "That was rude."
"Wait, let see if I overheard correctly," said Carousella. "Your aunt wants you to use the batchers as a delivery service for a spell?"
"Yup," said Gabby. "Because they're basically grownups, compared to us."
"Omega and I are technically older than them," said Boba. "So, why shouldn't we do it ourselves?"
"You know grownups." Lamenta said, shaking her head. "They freak out if we get one scratch."
"Well, I gotta find that spell." Gabby said, riding away on Carousella.
"I'm gonna help." Lamenta said, following her cousin.
Gabby looked through all her spell books and managed to find a potion that could turn an adult transformed into a baby back to normal. And, she found a spell that could launch a potion like a vapor to spread across a large city.
Gabby got right to making the potion. Shmi had to take care of something, so now she was also babysitting the little twins.
"See, Luke and Leia?" said Gabby, showing the twins the potion making supplies from a safe distance. "This stuff is for making potions. That's a magical liquid that can do all sorts of things."
Leia cooed and screamed happily seeing her big sister doing this interesting stuff.
Gabby giggled. Leia was a little spitfire, a very loud one sometimes.
"She's got a voice alright." Carousella giggled, nuzzling the babies. "So cute."
"Yes, they're adorable. And they're lucky they don't have to deal with what us big kids have to." Gabby said, putting some ingredients together."
"What do you mean?"
"If I'm old enough to make a potion myself, babysit twin babies, and to help defeat Lady Morpha, aren't I old enough to help with this baby problem?" Gabby said, stirring the potion.
"To be fair, that last one was a team effort." Carousella said. "And you always have supervision while making a potion."
"Any luck with the potion?" Boba asked, walking in. Of course, he stopped to say hi to the babies. "Hey, guys. Watching your big sis work her magic?"
"It's almost done." Gabby said, when something hit her head. "Ow!"
And she picked up a rattle, groaning.
"The babies are cute and I love them, but I don't love when Luke or Leia throws their toys at my head!" Gabby glared. "Whichever one of you threw this, you're not getting back until after I'm done with the potion."
"They're just babies. They don't know any better." Boba shrugged.
"That didn't seem to stop you from getting upset when I played with Fuzzy without asking when I was three."
"That's different, and I was younger then too."
Gabby rolled her eyes.
"Whatever. I gotta finish this potion and make sure Hunter and the others know what to do with it."
"I know I'm new at magic, but why would Aunt Kara want to let people who don't have magic to protect themselves deliver spells?" Boba asked.
"She probably thinks we're gonna get hurt or something." Gabby said. "But from what she said, only grownups are being turned into babies. And judging by the fact that we're in elementary and middle school, and still wear junior size clothes, I'm pretty sure we're kids, at least by human standards."
Gabby waved her hands over the potion until it turned a sparkly blue.
"There!" Gabby smiled victoriously. "Now to write down that spell."
Boba found some paper and a quill, and Gabby told him the spell so he could write it down.
Gabby gave the Bad Batch several bottles of the potion she made and the rolled-up paper with the spell.
"Take this potion and spell to my Aunt Kara, please." Gabby said.
"And... you want us to take care of this?" Hunter sounded confused as the kids were before.
"Yeah, she apparently doesn't want us kids doing any of this stuff."
Hunter and the other Batchers took the potion and got their horses ready.
"We'll be back before ya can say Howdy!" Pinto said.
"Be careful out there." Omega said.
"You kids, just be good for your grandma." Hunter said.
And so, the Bad Batch rushed through the mirror to go save the day.
But when the Batchers got into the Temple, they got a big surprise.
The halls were crawling with babies! Some crying, some cooing, some fighting over whatever they thought was a new toy to play with.
The Batchers and the horses rushed to stop the babies before they could hurt themselves.
"We've got a problem." said Kara, her hair very messy now. "First Rattle Snake turned Carmine into a baby, then she got to the Temple, and now the whole Council is turned into babies! Please tell me you have the potion."
"We do," said Tech. "The children are all safe at the palace as we speak."
"Good." Kara said. "I've notified Padme and she's evacuating as many people as she can right now."
However, that was when they heard someone screaming, and then another baby crying.
"She's here!" said Banjo.
"Let's get her!" Wrecker exclaimed, running into action.
"Wrecker, wait!" Pinto galloped after his rider, and then poof!
Wrecker was turned into a baby, and Pinto into a foal.
Pinto whinnied a cute baby neigh. Equinaro horses could only neigh when they were born.
"Uh oh." Echo said.
"Here's Rattle Snake!" sneered the villain.
"As cutsie as my brother is as a colt," said Maybelle, sounding angry. "You're gonna regret that!"
"Maybelle, don't!" Crosshair exclaimed, only for Rattle Snake to raise her tail.
Kara tried to run in and stop her, but Rattle Snake hit everyone with a strong boost of magic, transforming all of them into a bunch of crying babies!
"You weren't fast enough to stop me this time." Rattle Snake said. "Don't worry. If babies grow as fast as they say, you'll be adults again soon. Only this time, none of you will have any power over me. Who's helpless now?"
Two hours went by. It was dinner time at the palace, and the kids were all alone with only their grandmother and soon Caroline joined them.
"Does anyone know where Carmine and the others are?" Caroline asked.
"Daddy went to help Aunt Kara and Uncle Anakin." Lamenta said. "And then the Bad Batch and their horses went to help two hours ago."
"No one's answering their phones." Gabby said. "And Aunt Kara told me to cast a disabling spell on the mirror too, so that means we can't go to them either."
The kids really got worried.
"Where's Harmony?" Caroline asked.
"With the other horses." Omega said.
Caroline left to get Harmony and see what was happening at the Temple.
"Stay here with Grandma Shmi, children." Caroline said. "If I'm not back in half an hour, get anyone you can for help."
"We're losing more and more adults," said Omega. "We shouldn't be sitting here doing nothing!"
"Now, children. The grownups can handle this. I don't know much about magic, but all four of you need to stay here where you are safe. And I may not have magic, but as of now, what I say goes. All of you, go get ready for bed. It's almost bedtime."
Almost a full hour went by...
The kids were almost finished getting ready for bed, when they all received a text on their phones.
Rattle Snake has turned everyone in the Temple into babies. She hasn't gotten any magical artifacts, but the Temple is now on lock down. Please help!
The kids quickly met in the hallway, all still in their pajamas.
"Did you get Aunt Caroline's text?" Gabby asked.
"We all did." Omega said.
"Mommy isn't answering when I call or text." Lamenta said. "Rattle Snake must've turned her into a baby too!"
"Aunt Kara, Hunter, Echo, Tech, and the others must've gotten turned into babies too!" Boba said.
This was not good. Without any adults, the kids would be left without guidance, proper care, or protection. And most of all, they wouldn't have their parents anymore. Those babies couldn't take care of themselves, and assuming Shmi was the only adult left, couldn't take care of a whole planet of babies, and neither could all the children in the galaxy, most of them probably not knowing how.
Gabby suddenly looked determined.
"We're not gonna let Rattle Snake get away with this." She said.
"But what can we do?" Omega said. "We're just kids."
"We may be small, but we're not totally helpless. We all faced war, dark magic, and/or bounty hunters when we were much younger, but we lived. And our parents have saved us many times in worse situations. This time, it's our turn to save them."
"What about Luke and Leia?" Lamenta said. "We can't leave them here alone. Even if Grandma weren't already asleep, there's no way she'd let us leave."
"One of us will need to stay to take care of the twins and make sure Grandma doesn't try to come after us." Gabby nodded.
And so...Boba and Remix were put in charge of babysitting since Boba was the oldest child.
"Typical. Put the oldest kid in charge." Boba said.
"It's still an important job, Big Brother." Gabby said. "We'll call you if we need help. For now, make sure the twins aren't disturbed."
And so, the girls got onto their horses, and set out to go save the other adults from Rattle Snake.
Gabby, Lamenta and Omega were all so shocked when they found so many babies in the Temple.
Gabby picked one up and recognized her as...
"Ahsoka?!" Gabby said. "Aww, you were so cute as a baby."
"I think I found Master Yoda." said Crescent, picking up another baby by its robes with his teeth.
And when the girls saw him...
"Oh my god!" Lamenta squealed.
The girls couldn't take their eyes off him.
"He was so adorable as a baby!" Carousella squealed when she saw how cute Baby Yoda was.
"That's the thing about babies." Gabby said, holding little Yoda and giving him a bunch of little kisses. "Making you smile and wanna hold them and kiss them is their magical power."
That was when the girls heard hissing and gasped.
"Everyone hang on to me!" Lamenta whisper yelled.
Everyone held hands as Lamenta turned everyone invisible. The horses on the other hand, flew up to the ceiling so Rattle Snake wouldn't see them.
"What exactly is our plan?" Omega whispered.
"Well, the last time Mariverde transformed someone, she enchanted an object her victim was holding." Gabby whispered. "If we knew what was enchanted, maybe that's what needs to be blasted to defeat Rattle Snake."
"How do we find that out?"
"If Lamenta can get close enough to touch Rattle Snake, maybe she can find out."
"Maybe, but if her spell doesn't just affect adults, we're gonna need help to find out how Rattle Snake was made another way."
"If Tech weren't baby-fied, he could check security cameras and find out." Omega said.
Gabby called the horses down.
"Carousella, Crescent, Estrella, can you all go ask around and see if anyone knows anything about Rattle Snake?"
"We can try." Crescent said.
"Go to the police." Omega said.
"Good idea. They can probably access cameras." Estrella said.
So, while the horses went to look for answers outside the Temple, the girls did their own little search.
There were a lot of babies all around the halls. And the girls just couldn't leave them on their own.
"We gotta take care of these babies." Gabby said. "Lamenta, keep looking for Rattle Snake, Omega, go to the nursery and get as many bottles, pacifiers, and diapers as you can carry. I'm gonna call for backup."
Gabby got out her phone and made a call.
"Uncle Obi-Wan? I hope I didn't wake you." Gabby said. "We got a situation."