Jedi Storytime: Wizard Of Omega

There's No Place Like Home

Omega felt herself laying in what felt like a hard surface for a while, until she could hear voices saying, "Over here!" "Is she alright?" and "Are they alive?"

"Omega!" a familiar voice shouted.

"G-Grandpa?" Omega managed to get out before she felt her eyes closing.

All sounded very muffled and blurred, and before she knew it, all was silent again.

______________________________________

Omega could hear some beeping as she slowly opened her eyes, her vision blurred a little at first from the bright lights she was seeing. She groaned a little and rubbed her eyes as she slowly sat herself up to see Diamond curled up and sleeping on her lap. With a gasp, Omega looked around and spotted a metal tray on a table next to her. She picked up the tray to look at her reflection, and saw her hair was back to normal, and she was now wearing a hospital gown.

They definitely weren't in Oz anymore. But were they home? Was it all just a dream?

"Diamond?" Omega said quietly, gently shaking the pegasus filly awake.

"Hmm? What happened?" Diamond said groggily.

Omega looked around and saw she and Diamond were in what looked like...a hospital bed?

"Where are we?" Omega said, sounding a little scared. "Hello? Anyone?"

Just then, Omega heard something outside the room.

"Sire, I must insist you wait in-"

"Step aside, please! I must see my grandchild." said a familiar voice that had Omega filled with anticipation. Could it be?

In came a nurse droid, but she wasn't alone. To the great shock and disbelief of Omega's eyes, into the room came... Qui-Gon Jinn.

A huge smile appeared on Omega's face right then and there.

"Grandpa!"

She happily jumped right out of bed and into her grandfather's arms. The two hugged each other tightly. Omega felt like she couldn't be happier to be in her grandfather's arms again. He was okay, and here he was to see her again, but how she got to the hospital, she didn't know. Right now she didn't care; she knew she was home now that she was once again in her beloved grandfather's loving arms, and feeling his kiss on her cheek never felt better.

"I was so worried about you," sigh Qui-Gon with relief. He caressed his oldest granddaughter's cheek. "Don't you ever scare us like that again!"

"Where's everyone else?" Omega asked. "How did I get here?"

Qui-Gon explained to Omega that he tried to use the Force to keep the Marauder from flying off too far, but the storm got too strong for even him to handle, but the moment the family got the all clear to go outside again, they immediately contacted all their friends on Naboo and even the Jedi to split up and search for Omega and Diamond. They looked all around until they eventually found the Marauder somewhere in the forest, surprisingly unscathed, and when they opened the ship, they found the girl and the pegasus out cold.

"We were never going to stop looking until we found you again."

Omega cried happily as she hugged her grandpa once more.

Omega smiled again and grew excited when the doctor said she and Diamond were cleared to go home.

"There is one thing I still don't know." Qui-Gon said.

"What's that?" Omega asked.

"Where did you get a new outfit and the quilt?"

Omega looked at a table where her clothes had been folded and neatly stacked, and not only was the green gingham dress she'd gotten from the Emerald City there, but the ruby slippers and the quilt Tech-Crow made her were there too! Diamond even still had the emerald green saddle on and ribbons in her mane. Maybe it wasn't a dream.

______________________________________

It felt good to Omega and Diamond to have a few pieces of memorabilia of their great adventure, and the new friends they'd made. But they were even happier when they saw the palace again for the first time in what felt like forever. Even though there was a mess of fallen branches, leaves, and debris in the yard still being cleaned up, Diamond and Omega were nevertheless happy to be home, and even more excited when the doors opened and they saw their family.

"Auntie!" Diamond exclaimed, galloping straight to her aunt.

"Diamond! Thank heavens." Sapphire cried happily, nuzzling and licking her niece.

You can bet Omega's parents were ecstatic to see she was okay. So were her siblings and everyone else in the family. Anakin spun her around, Wrecker took a turn too, Padme showered Omega with kisses, even Crosshair couldn't help but give Omega a big hug. Estrella even rushed home the moment she'd learned Omega went missing, and she licked her girl like there was no tomorrow.

"Where'd you get the outfits?" Lamenta asked.

"It was amazing!" Omega said. "The Marauder flew to a whole different world."

As supper was prepared that night, Omega and Diamond told the family all about their journey through Oz, even how they made friends who looked just her brothers in the Batch, and how the good witch and the wizard looked just like Padme and Garrett, and how they turned their bad day into a good one. No one could believe it though.

"That doesn't sound entirely possible," said Tech. "Then again, we do have friends from literally another universe, and we live among many enchanteds now."

"Is it possible for a tornado to take things to other worlds?" Sapphire asked.

"Maybe." Gabby said. "Remember, Mila created the portal from her world to ours by accident. Maybe the tornado was the result of a weather or portal spell gone wrong?"

"That could be," said Garrett. "Though there is the rare occasion that tornado may have actually been a magical vortex in disguise."

"Why would anyone do that?" Shmi asked.

"There have been some moments throughout history where such has been used for nefarious purposes." Mariposa said. "Such as sending enemies to alternate worlds with no way of returning to their own."

"We may need to dig a little deeper into this mystery about that twister." Garrett said.

"For now," said Padme. "I think we should take this time to be thankful that we all made it through this great trouble, and that our lost princess has been found and returned home, safe and sound."

Padme kissed her daughter's head. Omega never felt better being kissed. Even the babies looked super happy to see their big sister again.

"I missed you guys too." Omega cooed, and she laughed as the twins each gripped one of her fingers.

"Are you absolutely sure you weren't dreaming?" Kara said. "Didn't Carmine read the Wizard of Oz story to the children just a few nights ago?"

"I think I would've sensed if anyone were dreaming." Lamenta said. "I can sense dreams when I'm awake too."

Dream or not, Omega knew three things for sure. One, there truly was no place like home, and two... no matter what happened any day of the year, there would always be at least one thing to be thankful for, and three, as long as she had the people she loved, they would make even the darkest, rainiest day brighter.

Qui-Gon carried Omega into his and Shmi's bed that night. After losing her today, they did not want to take any risks tonight. So, for the sake of sleeping soundly tonight, Omega was tucked safely into bed beside her grandparents, her plush Little Star once again cuddled up in her arms.

"Sleep tight, Omega." Shmi smiled, kissing Omega's head.

"Sweet dreams." Qui-Gon smiled, also giving Omega a kiss goodnight.

Omega had no trouble sleeping tonight being in the loving arms of her grandparents.
Though rough this day began, it ended with Omega smiling as she drifted off into dreamland. And though this day was at its end, Omega's story was not. A good part about even bad days: they always ended when it was time to sleep, which meant tomorrow held hope for a better day. But for now, Omega was at peace, for there was no place like home, and no better place to dream Happily Ever After.

The End