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rebelquilts512 · 6 years ago

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The Wizard of Fulcrum

So my high school’s musical this year was The Wizard of Oz and since I was in it, (For those of you who are curious, I was a tree, a munchkin, and a citizen of the Emerald City) I had been surrounded by the story and songs of The Wizard of Oz since we started rehearsals in late August. I decided that since I was seeing so much of The Wizard of Oz, I might as well put it to fan fiction use and make a Rebels AU. I hoped to get this done by the time the show was over (the show ran November 8 to 10) but that didn’t happen. (I had up to the scarecrow scene done by then though)

This is an AU of Rebel Assault where instead of crashing in the Capital City, Hera crashes her X-Wing outside the city in the plains around some rock spires or whatever the weird mountains are called. So Hera isn’t captured by the Empire (the Ghost crew finds her before they do), and a lot of the back-half of season 4 doesn’t happen.

Some scenes are a little iffy. It’s hard to combine Rebels characters with Wizard of Oz characters. That, and I think I’m overdue for a Rebels re-watch.

Now that all that’s been established, this fic has been brought to you by Star Wars Rebels, the Wizard of Oz movie, and the Wizard of Oz stage musical.

There will be a cast list at the end. AKA What Wizard of Oz roles each Rebel character played, or what I intended them to play.

Reblogs, comments, and likes are appreciated.

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Hera was disappointed, to put it lightly. She had hoped the squadron would have been able to get passed the Empire’s defenses on Lothal and destroy the Tie Defender factory. But alas, the Empire was ready for them and most of her fighters were either destroyed or shot down.

Hera herself had been hit and was now hurtling towards the planet’s surface. She, with a little help from Chopper who was fortunately unharmed, managed to steer their descent away from Capital City and towards the empty plains beyond.

Hera was starting to lose control as they fell towards a cluster of rock spires. Her X-Wing scraped the side of one of them and Hera banged her head on the console. The last thing she saw before she blacked out was......Minister Tua?

***

When Hera came to, the first thing she heard was Chopper cursing and yelling for her to wake up and see what was outside.

It took Hera a few tries to get the hatch open, but when she did she was assaulted with color.

Hera hopped out of her X-Wing and looked around. Chopper used his rocket to get out of the astromech socket.

They appeared to have crashed in some sort of town square. They were standing on a plaza of multicolored bricks arranged in strips that formed a swirl design. There were huge brightly colored plants everywhere and the plaza was surrounded by equally as colorful buildings.

“Chopper, I have a feeling we’re on Lothal anymore,” Hera said, looking at the droid.

Then Hera looked down at herself. The red pilot’s outfit she had worn for the attack had been replaced by a brown leather lace up vest over a cream colored shirt and a midi length orange skirt with matching leggings and brown boots. It was similar enough to her usual pilot outfit that Hera figured it must have been based off of it.

She started to walk around, trying to figure out where she was. Chopper followed close behind.

Then Hera heard music. She turned around and saw a small circle coming towards her. It almost looked like a bubble, but the outside of the circle was white while the inside was black, somewhat obscuring the bubble effect. The circle grew larger as it approached her, until it landed on the ground in front of her taller than she was.

“Definitely not on Lothal anymore,” Hera mumbled.

A woman emerged from the circle as it faded away. She was a tall Togruta with blue eyes, orange skin, and blue and white striped lekku. Her montrals were covered by the hood of the long white cloak she was wearing over her white dress. In her right hand she held a white staff with a ring on top. She seemed familiar, but Hera couldn’t place how, and Chopper wasn’t offering any suggestions.

Hera took a few steps back.

The Togruta stepped toward her and asked, “Are you a good witch or a bad witch?”

What?

Hera glanced around her. “Me?” she asked. “I’m not a witch at all. My name is Hera Syndulla, from...Lothal,” She decided to name the planet she had just been on.

“Oh,” the woman replied. “Well is that the witch?” she asked, pointing the tip of her staff at Chopper.

“Chopper?” Hera asked. “Chopper’s my droid. He may be a little mischievous and cranky at times, but he’s no witch,”

“Hmmmm,” the woman hesitated, “Well I have to say I’m confused. The Lonchkins called me because a new witch has just crashed a large metal contraption on Maketh Tua, the Wicked Witch of the East. And there’s the metal contraption,” She gestured to the crumpled mess of Hera’s X-Wing. “And here you are, And that is all that’s left of Maketh Tua,” She used her staff to point to the pair of legs sticking out from under the X-Wing wearing glittering pale blue shoes. “And so what the Lonchkins want to know, is are you a good witch or a bad witch?”

“I already told you,” Hera said. “I’m not a witch at all. Witches have mystical powers and do cruel and crazy things to people,” She based her knowledge on what Ezra, Kanan, and Sabine had told her of their experience with the Nightsisters on Dathomir.

Then there came the sound of high-pitched laughter.

Hera looked around to see where the sound came from.“What was that?” she asked when she couldn’t find anything.

“The Lonchkins,” the woman replied. “They’re laughing because I’m a witch. My name is Ahsoka. I’m the Witch of the North,”

“You are?” Hera asked. “Really? Well, you’re not what I expected a witch to look like,” But appearances can be deceiving, Hera reminded herself.

“People are often surprised by what good witches look like,” Ahsoka told her. Then she made a large sweeping gesture with her arms. “The Lonchkins are happy because you have freed them from the Wicked Witch of the East,”

“Freed them?” Hera asked, “You mean the Lonchkins, or whatever they are, were enslaved by this Maketh Tua, the Wicked Witch of the East?” Hera narrowed her eyes, feeling less sorry for landing on the witch. “What are Lonchkins anyway?” Hera asked as an afterthought.

The high-pitched laughter came again.

“Yes,” Ahsoka answered. “The Lonchkins are the little people that live in this land, called Lonchkinland. And now, you are their national heroine,”

Ahsoka turned and opened her arms. “It’s alright,” she said, probably to the Lonchkins “You may all come out and thank her,”

Then, a bunch of very small people (the tallest didn’t even reach Hera’s chest) emerged from their hiding places in the plants and buildings and moved towards her and Ahsoka. They didn’t all look human. Hera could pick out a few species that she recognized, just in miniature.

Chopper cursed aload and Hera hoped that no one else understood Binary.

Ahsoka lead her to the center of the swirl in the middle of the plaza. All the while encouraging the Lonchkins to come closer. “Come out and meet the one who has freed you from the Wicked Witch of the East. She’s come all the way from Lothal”

“Well I didn’t intend to crash on her,” Hera admitted as the Lonchkins surrounded her, “But from what you’ve told me, I can’t say I regret it all that much,”

The Lonchkins didn’t seem to care much about that as they started celebrating.

Hera was pulled into the mix and lead to a carriage pulled by two small black horses. She was sat down and promptly thanked by some of the Lonchkin citizens.

Hera was just going along with whatever they were all doing at this point.

“Let the news be spread that Maketh Tua is dead!” Ahsoka proclaimed, raising her hands above her head.

The carriage started moving towards one of the larger and more extravagant looking buildings as the Lonchkins continued to celebrate. Chopper, upset at being left behind, turned on his rocket and flew over to her, surprising the Lonchkins even more.

The carriage stopped in front of the door and a Lonchkin wearing a very tall hat and a large pocket watch came out followed by a few others, with less extravagant hats and no pocket watches.

He helped Hera out of the carriage (although Hera didn’t need it) and removed his hat before saying, “As mayor of the Lonchkins City in the county of the land of Fulcrum, I welcome you most regally,”

He was prevented from saying anything further by a little concern of whether the witch was really dead, which was solved when the coroner confirmed her death, that Hera didn’t pay much attention to.

Then the mayor turned to the crowd of Lonchkins and said. “Then, this is a day of independence, for all the Lonchkins and their descendants! Let the joyous news be spread, the Wicked old Witch at last is dead!”

A cheer erupted from the Lonchkins crowd before they went back to celebrating, letting everyone know of the witch’s death.

Hera was welcomed to Lonchkinland by assorted groups of Lonchkins. Then the mayor proclaimed that she would go down in history, which Hera just took in without thinking much about it.

The Lonchkins were still celebrating when there was boom and a cloud of gray and red smoke appeared, sending the Lonchkins screaming and running back to their hiding places.

When the smoke cleared, there was a woman standing there. She was human, with bobbed black hair and wearing a long gray dress and a tall wide brimmed hat. She held a broomstick in one hand. She started walking around menacingly, terrifying the Lonchkins. She stopped by Hera’s downed X-Wing and looked around it. She definitely looked like a witch, but at the same time, she had a familiarity that Hera couldn’t quite figure out.

“I thought you said she was dead,” Hera whispered to Ahsoka.

“That was her sister,” Ahsoka answered. “The Wicked Witch of the East. This is Arihnda Pryce, the Wicked Witch of the West, and she’s worse than the other one was,”

“Who killed my sister?” the Witch of the West asked threateningly. “Who killed the Witch of the East!? Was it you?” she asked Hera.

Hera stood up tall. “I did,” she admitted. “Although it was more of an accident,”

“Well my little Twi’lek,” Arihnda Pryce replied. “I can cause accidents too-!”

“Aren’t you forgetting the Kyber Slippers?” Ahsoka interrupted.

The Witch paused. “The Slippers,” she said with a grin. “Yes!”

“The Slippers,” she said as she walked back to where Maketh Tua’s legs were sticking out from under Hera’s X-Wings. As she reached for the shoes, they disappeared and the legs flattened.

“They’re gone!” the Witch exclaimed. “The Kyber Slippers!”

She turned and stomped back over to Hera, Ahsoka, and Chopper. “What have you done with them?” she threatened. “Give them back to me or I’ll...”

“It’s too late,” Ahsoka interrupted again.

“There they are,” she said, pointing to Hera’s feet with her staff. “And there they’ll stay,”

Hera was surprised to see that her boots had been replaced with the Kyber Slippers.

“Give me back my slippers,” Arihnda Pryce ordered. “I’m the only one who knows how to use them. They’re of no use to you. Give them back to me! GIVE THEM BACK!”

“Keep tight inside of them,” Ahsoka told her. “Their magic must be very powerful, or she wouldn’t want them so badly,”

“You stay out of this Ahsoka or I’ll fix you as well,” the Witch snarled.

Ahsoka smirked. “You have no power here, and you’d better go before someone crashes something on you too,”

The Witch took a quick searching glance at the sky. “Very well, I’ll bide my time. And as for you my fine lady,” she said as she pointed at Hera. “It’s true I can’t attend to you here and now as I’d like, but just try to stay out of my way. Just try!”

Chopper took this opportunity to zap Arihnda Pryce with his shock prod.

She jumped back and growled at him.

“I’ll get you my pretty,” the Witch snarled at Hera. “AND YOUR LITTLE DROID TOO!”

The Witch stepped away and disappeared into another cloud of gray and red smoke, which then turned into a pillar of fire, and when that disappeared she was gone.

“It’s alright. You can get up. She’s gone,” Ahsoka told the Lonchkins. “It’s alright. You can all get up,”

Then she turned to Hera. “I’m afraid you’ve made rather a bad enemy of the Wicked Witch of the West. The sooner you get out of Fulcrum, the safer you’ll be,”

“Oh, I’d give anything to get out of Fulcrum,” Hera said. “But...what’s the way back to Lothal? I can’t go the way I came,” Hera eyed her crumpled X-Wing.

“No that’s true,” Ahsoka said. Then she thought for a moment. “The only person who might know would be the great Wizard of Fulcrum himself,”

“The Wizard of Fulcrum?” Hera asked. “Can he be trusted?”

“Yes,” Ahsoka answered. “I trust him,”

“He lives in the Crystal City, and that’s a long journey from here. Did you bring your broomstick with you?” Ahsoka asked.

Hera gave her a confused look. “No,” she replied. “No I didn’t,”

“Then you’ll have to walk,” Ahsoka said. “The Lonchkins will see you safely to the border of Lonchkinland. And remember, never let those Kyber Slippers off your feet for a moment, or you’ll be at the mercy of the Wicked Witch of the West,”

“But how do I start for Crystal City?” Hera asked.

“It’s always best to start at the beginning,” Ahsoka replied. “And all you do is follow the Yellow Brick Road,” She gestured to how the strip of yellow bricks branched off and lead through the city.

Hera and Chopper moved to stand on what was now known to be the Yellow Brick Road and looked out in the direction they were heading.

Then Hera turned back to Ahsoka. “But what happens if I...” she started to ask.

“Just followed the Yellow Brick Road,” Ahsoka interrupted as she started fading into her white and black circle until she completely disappeared. Then the circle shrank and flew off.

The Lonchkins waved goodbye as it disappeared from sight.

“Well that’s one way to get around,” Hera mumbled.

Then she turned to her droid. “Come on Chopper. Let’s get going,”

They followed the Yellow Brick Road through Lonchkinland. And true to Ahsoka’s word, the Lonchkins stayed with them until they reached a gate that was probably the border of Lonchkinland.

They continued down the Yellow Brick Road as the Lonchkins waved goodbye. Hera spared a wave back at them before heading on her way.

After a while, Hera and Chopper reached an intersection. The Yellow Brick Road branched off into three separate paths.

“Now which way do we go?” Hera asked after looking down each path.

“Uuuuuh...” A voice said behind her. “Well that way is a very nice way,”

Hera turned around and saw a scarecrow hanging on a pole with one arm pointing to the path on her right. Then she looked around. “Who said that?”

Chopper started blabbering and pointed at the scarecrow.

“Chopper it’s just a scarecrow,” Hera scolded. “He can’t talk,”

“Course it’s pleasant down that way too,” the voice said again.

Hera looked up and saw the scarecrow pointing to the path on her left. “Huh, wasn’t he pointing the other way?” she asked Chopper.

Chopper replied that of course the sack of hay had been pointing the other way.

“Of course people do go both ways,” This time Hera saw the scarecrow cross his arms over each other and she was sure he was the one talking.

“You did talk, didn’t you,” Hera said as she approached him.

The scarecrow just stared at her. Then slowly he nodded.

“Are you doing that on purpose?” Hera asked, annoyed. “Or can’t you make up your mind?”

“Well that’s the problem,” the scarecrow replied. “I can’t make up my mind. I don’t have a brain, just straw,” He lifted his hat to show the straw sticking out of his head that looked a little like hair.

“Then how can you talk if you don’t have a brain?” Hera asked.

“I don’t know,” the scarecrow said. “But I guess I need a way to ask my questions somehow. And I’ve been told I ask a lot questions,”

“Alright,” Hera said, unable to come up with a good argument. “Are you okay up there?” she asked as she climbed over the fence and got closer to him.

“Not really,” he admitted. “I’m stuck up here with a pole up my back all day,”

“Can’t you get down?” Hera asked.

“No,” the scarecrow answered, reaching behind his neck. “Cuz’ I’m tied to the pole,”

“Little help?” he asked.

“Oh of course,” Hera said, walking behind the pole.

“Thank you,” the scarecrow said.

Hera started fiddling around to see how to get the the scarecrow down. “Hey Chopper, can you give me a hand with this?”

Chopper came rolling over.

“Have you tried pulling the nail down in the back?” the scarecrow asked. “I don’t know if it will work, but it might,”

Hera found the nail he was talking about and pulled. As soon as she did, the scarecrow slid down the pole and on to the ground.

When he landed, some of his straw flew out. “Oops, there I go again,” the scarecrow said as he started gathering the straw.

“Are you alright?” Hera asked as she came up to him.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I just need to stuff this back in,” The scarecrow said, sticking the straw in his green shirt.

Then he stood up and started to take a step. “It’s good to be free...” he said before he tripped over the fence and landed on the ground.

Hera gasped and rushed over to him.

“Did I scare you?” the scarecrow asked with a grin.

“No, I’d thought you’d hurt yourself,” Hera replied, concerned.

“But I didn’t scare ya?” he asked.

“Of course not, it takes a lot more than someone falling over to really scare me,” Hera said.

“Didn’t think so,” the scarecrow said disappointedly, resting his elbow on his knee and setting his chin on his hand.

Hera finally got a good look at his face. Besides the faded red patch over his nose, he had a brown patch that covered his chin. And his eyes. His eyes were a sparkling teal that stood out against the rest of his face. Hera also noticed a bundle of straw that stuck out the back of his head under his hat that almost looked like a ponytail. His features seemed familiar, but Hera couldn’t remember where she’d seen them before.

A crow flew over and landed on the fence beside them.

“Go on. Get outta here!” the scarecrow said, waving his hand at it. “Shoo!”

The crow poked at him a bit and then flew away.

“See? I can’t even scare a crow,” he said. “I’m a failure, because I haven’t got a brain,”

“Well what would you do with a brain if you had one?” Hera asked, unable to stop herself from getting pulled into this conversation.

“Well if I had a brain, I could find the answer to any question had,” the scarecrow answered, standing up. But he stumbled when he tried to take a step and Hera had to stand up and steady him.

“I’d been able to understand how things happen and why they happen a certain way,” he continued, starting to walk around. “I could even figure out new ways of doing things,” He said as he turned to face her and spread his arms out wide, walking backwards. Then he tripped on a loose brick and fell flat on his butt on the Yellow Brick Road. A few clumps of straw fell out of him when he did.

Hera couldn’t help but chuckle at his antics. She walked over and helped him gather up his straw. “Well there certainly aren’t any scarecrows like you on Lothal,” she commented, which was true.

“Lothal?” the scarecrow asked. “Where’s Lothal?”

“It’s where I was before I ended up in Fulcrum,” Hera answered. “And I don’t know how to get back. That’s why I’m going to Crystal City to see if the Wizard of Fulcrum can help me,”

“Oh, and Chopper too,” she added as the droid came up to her.

“You’re going to see a wizard?” the scarecrow asked. “Do you think if I came with you the Wizard would give me some brains?”

“I don’t know,” Hera answered, realising he was offering to go with her and she found she didn’t mind that prospect. “But even if he didn’t you wouldn’t be any worse off than you are now,”

“That’s true,” the scarecrow admitted.

Then Hera remembered the Wicked Witch of the West.

“Wait, maybe you’d better not. I’ve got a witch mad at me and you might get into trouble,” Hera said.

“Witch?” the scarecrow asked. “I’m not afraid of a witch. I’m not afraid of anything,”

“Except a lighted match,” he added, more quietly to just her, tugging on a bit of straw.

“I don’t blame you for that,” Hera replied.

“But I’d face a whole box of them for a chance at getting some brains,” the scarecrow said. He turned to face her. “Look, I would be any trouble because I don’t eat a thing, and I won’t try to manage things because I can’t think. Won’t you take me with you?” he begged.

Hera found that she couldn’t deny him his request. And it would be nice to have someone other than Chopper for company. Plus, who knows, maybe he’d be helpful in dealing with the Wicked Witch.

“Well of course you can come,” Hera said, standing up.

“Alright!” the scarecrow said as he joined her. “We’re off to see a wizard!” He jumped in the air. He stumbled when he landed and Hera had to catch him before he fell.

“You’re not starting off very well,” Hera said as she helped him stand again.

“Oh I’ll try. Really I will,” the scarecrow said.

“Well, to Fulcrum?” she asked.

“To Fulcrum,” the scarecrow confirmed, offering her his elbow.

“By the way, what’s your name?” he asked.

“It’s Hera,” Hera answered, taking his elbow. “And that’s Chopper,” she pointed to the droid. “What about you?”

“You can just call me Scarecrow,” he replied. “I don’t really have any other name to go by,”

“Okay,” Hera said. “Let’s get going,”

“Yeah, but which way do we go?” Scarecrow asked.

They ended up choosing the path that went straight through the intersection after Chopper pointed out that Ahsoka, the Good Witch, probably would have told them if they needed to turn anywhere.

They continued walking for some time. They talked along the way. Scarecrow told her about how long he’d been trying (and failing) to keep the crows out of that field and all that had happened during that time. Hera told him about what had happened before she ended up in Fulcrum and what she’d been doing since she arrived.

After a while, Hera started to feel hungry.

“You’re hungry?” Scarecrow asked. “But I thought only crows got hungry,”

“All living things need to eat,” Hera said, although she was reminded of how often she skipped meals in order to get more work done.

I don’t need to eat,” Scarecrow said. Then his eyes widened. “Does that mean I’m not alive?”

Hera shook her head. “No, Chopper doesn’t need to eat either and you both are some of the liveliest people I know,”

“Why, thank you,” Scarecrow said. “Just for that, you can eat as much of my hay as you like,” He reached in his shirt to pull out a handful and extended it to her.

Hera giggled. “That’s very sweet of you, but I can’t,”

“Why not? I’ll be fine,” Scarecrow said. “As long as my legs are stuffed enough to walk, it doesn’t matter what shape my top half is in. Besides I’d rather make sure you’re alright,”

“No,” Hera said. “It’s just that I don’t eat hay,”

“Oh,” Scarecrow said, lowering his hand. “Well if you say so,” He stuffed the straw back in his shirt.

Then Hera noticed something in the trees. “Oh look Scarecrow, apples,”

“Apples,” Scarecrow repeated. “What’s apples?”

“In the trees,” Hera answered, pointing.

Scarecrow looked. “You mean those little red birds hanging upside-down by one leg?” He asked.

“No, they’re something you eat,” Hera said as she walked up to the tree. Although some birds can be eaten, she thought.

Hera tried to pick one, but then her hand was suddenly slapped away.

“Ow!” she yelped.

“What do you think you’re doing?” the tree asked accusingly.

“Well we’ve been walking a long way and I was hungry,” Hera said automatically. Then she paused. Something wasn’t right here. “Did you just say something?”

“She was hungry,” the tree mocked to the other trees.

“She was hungry,” another tree repeated.

“How would you like it if someone came up and picked something off of you?” a third tree asked.

The trees had a point, but Hera would be more sympathetic if they weren’t actual talking trees that bore actual fruit that would eventually fall off and would grow back every year. Besides, Hera’s day had been crazy enough already and she didn’t need trees with attitude added on to that right now.

Chopper zapped the first tree, but it had no effect.

“I keep forgetting I’m not on a sensible planet any more,” Hera groaned.

“Come on Hera,” Scarecrow said. “You don’t want any of those apples, yuck,”

What was he doing?

“Are you implying that my apples aren’t what they ought to be?” the first tree asked.

“Oh no, it’s just that she doesn’t like little green worms,” Scarecrow replied.

“Did he just say we had worms?” the first tree asked the others.

“That’s what it sounded like to me,” the second tree said.

“I’ll show ya how to get apples,” Scarecrow whispered to Hera. Then he started leading her away, taking louder to the trees as he walked. “Sure you got worms; worms, caterpillars, probably a whole bunch of woodlice too,”

The trees gasped offendedly. “How dare you! Let him have it girls!”

The trees started throwing apples at them and Scarecrow turned around in time to start catching them. Hera turned around and gathered the apples that had ended up on the ground, with Chopper’s help.

They all had their arms full before the trees stopped throwing apples at them.

“Run, Hera!” Scarecrow yelled.

They ran down the Yellow Brick Road dodging apple projectiles.

Once they were out of range, Scarecrow turned around and performed a rather clumsy bow in the trees’ direction. “Goodbye ladies! Pleasure doing business with you!” he said before continuing to get away from them.

They ended up with more apples than Hera could eat. Fortunately Hera’s skirt had large pockets that held most of the leftover apples and the rest were tossed in the bushes for the wild animals to eat.

The Yellow Brick Road lead them into a dark forest. The bushes were so overgrown they covered parts of the Road, making Scarecrow stumble more than usual, and the trees blocked out the sun almost completely. Hera, Chopper, and Scarecrow stayed close together as unseen creatures made noises all around them.

“Don’t like this forest,” Hera said. “It’s dark and...creepy,”

“I’m not really sure,” Scarecrow commented. “But I think it’ll get darker before it gets lighter,”

“Do you think we’ll meet anything in here?” Hera asked, to both Chopper and Scarecrow.

“We might,” Scarecrow replied. While Chopper said he wouldn’t let anything touch her.

Suddenly the air was filled with a great roar of anguish that made Hera jump and Scarecrow stumble backwards.

“What was that?” Scarecrow asked once he recovered.

“I don’t know” Hera answered, glancing around.

Then there was a despairing cry that activated Hera’s kindhearted desire to help someone in need.

“Sounds like someone’s in trouble. Come on, we need to see if they need any help,” Hera said, gesturing for Chopper and Scarecrow to follow her as she left the Yellow Brick Road and took off in the direction of the cries.

“Are you sure about this?” Scarecrow asked as he trudged after her.

“Yes!” Hera answered, looking back at him.

“Is she always like this?” Scarecrow asked Chopper.

Chopper replied that yes, yes she was. Although Scarecrow couldn’t understand his answer.

Hera went around a tree and gasped at the sight before her. When Scarecrow and Chopper caught up to her, they were equally as shocked.

There were remains of over a dozen huts that looked to have either been burned or crushed.

A sob drew their attention away from the destroyed huts to a hairy purple beast kneeling in a pile of rubble.

“It’s...gone. It’s gone!” the beast sobbed and Hera, Scarecrow, and Chopper approached. “Why?”

“Are you alright?” Hera asked, concerned, as she kneeled down next to him. This close, Hera could see that he had heavily muscled arms, tall pointed ears, and lime green eyes. Again, he seemed familiar, but Hera couldn’t figure out for the life of her where she’d seen him before.

“It’s gone! The Wicked Witch destroyed everything,” the beast cried.

“What’s gone?” Scarecrow asked.

The beast finally looked up at them. “My village,” he answered. “It was my job to protect them and I failed,” He stood up and Hera stood up with him. “I failed. I don’t have any honor or courage,”

“Oh, don’t say that,” Hera comforted. “I’m sure you did everything you could,” She and Scarecrow started to guide him away from the village and toward the Yellow Brick Road. “That doesn’t mean you don’t have any honor or courage,”

“If I had any, I sure as hell don’t anymore,” the beast grumbled.

They were silent for moment, until they reached the Yellow Brick Road.

Then Scarecrow asked, “Hera, Do you think the Wizard could help him too?”

“I don’t see why not,” Hera said.

“Who? What?” the beast asked.

Hera turned to face him. “We’re on our way to Crystal City to see the Wizard of Fulcrum, and were wondering if you’d like to come with us to see if he can help you too,”

“Are you sure you want me to come with you?” the beast asked.

“Of course,” Hera reassured, placing a hand on his arm.

The beast looked at her, then at Scarecrow and Chopper. “Alright, I’ll come with you,”

Hera smiled. “Great,”

“Oh, and I’m Scarecrow, she’s Hera, and that’s Chopper,” Scarecrow said, pointing to each of them in turn. “How ‘bout you?”

“Lasat,” he answered.

“Okay, let’s go,” Hera said.

Lasat and Scarecrow both extended their elbows to her and Hera took them. They walked down the Yellow Brick Road for a few minutes before Lasat suddenly stopped.

“Wait, what if the Wizard won’t help me, or any of us, when we get there?” he asked.

“I’m sure he will,” Hera answered. “I doubt the Good Witch of the North would have had me travel such a long way if she didn’t believe he would help,”

There was a loud cackling laugh from one of the trees. The group turned to see the Wicked Witch standing beside the tree a few feet away from them.

“You call that long?” Arihnda Pryce snarled. “Why, you’ve only just begun,”

Lasat growled. “You,” he accused, approaching her with a fist raised. “You were the one who-”

He was cut off as a wave of the Witch’s hand sent him stumbling back.

“Yes, and it almost served its purpose,” she replied coldly. She took in the entire group. “And now I see your helping the little Twi’lek along, my fine gentlemen,”

Scarecrow slowly moved in front of Hera.

The Witch noticed.

“You stay away from her, scarecrow or I’ll stuff a mattress with you,” Arihnda Pryce threatened. “And as for you, Lasat, I’ll turn you into a throw rug,”

“I’m not afraid of you!” Scarecrow said bravely.

“Well that just proves you don’t have a brain,” she responded. Then she started doing something with her hands. “Here scarecrow, allow me to educate you. Want to play ball!”

The Witch produced a fireball and threw it at their feet.

Scarecrow was the one panicking the most as they all scrambled to get away from the fire, until Chopper put it out with one of his attachments.

“Just remember scarecrow, helping that Twi’lek reach the Crystal City could be you last burning ambition!” Arihnda Pryce finished as she disappeared in another cloud of gray and red smoke.

“I’m still not afraid of her,” Scarecrow said, straightening up after she was gone.

“I’ll see you get safely to the Wizard whether I get a brain or not,” he told Hera. “Stuff a mattress with me, heh!” He waved his hand at where the Witch had been.

“And I’ll see you reach the Wizard, whether I get honor and courage or not,” Lasat added. “Throw rug? Ha! Let ‘er try and make a throw rug outta me!” He glared at the spot the Witch had been standing.

“Thank you,” Hera said. “You’re the best companions anyone could ever want on a journey like this,

“Although I wish I could remember why you both seem so familiar,’ she sighed. “Well I guess it doesn’t matter anyway. We know each other now and that’s all we know right now,”

“That’s right,” Scarecrow replied.

“We do,” Lasat added.

“To Fulcrum?” Scarecrow asked, extending his elbow again.

“To Fulcrum,” Lasat repeated, copying him.

“To Fulcrum,” Hera confirmed, taking their elbows again.

They continued to walking down the Yellow Brick Road and out of the dark forest without any further interruptions. (Unless you count Scarecrow’s stumbling)

They continued down the Yellow Brick Road. Hera and Scarecrow filled Lasat in on their stories and why they were going to Crystal City while he told them about what his life had been like in his village.

Eventually, they came upon a light curve in the Yellow Brick Road. The group would have continued on if a flash of silver hadn’t caught Hera’s eye. When she turned to get a better look, Hera couldn’t believe what she saw.

She lifted her arms to stop Lasat and Scarecrow. “Wait,” she said.

Even Chopper stopped.

“Look,” Hera said, pointing. “ It’s a person made out of metal,”

Hera, Chopper, Scarecrow, and Lasat approached the figure. Up close, it looked distinctly female, but it was hard to be completely sure with the helmet they were wearing. It was stuck in a running position, as if they were frozen mid-stride, and they were holding a dagger in each hand. And although their body looked to be completely made of metal, the metal being was also wearing armor that, along with the helmet, was covered in faded streaks of color, like it had been painted at some point but had been left alone since.

As they were looking at it, a muffled noise came from the metal being’s mouth and they all looked up.

“Did you say something?” Hera asked.

The metal being repeated themselves and Hera understood what they said.

“They said oil can,” Hera told the others.

“Oil can what?” Scarecrow asked.

“Oil can,” Hera repeated, looking around.

“Oh,” Hera said when she saw Chopper found it. “Thanks Chopper. Here it is,” She took it from him and faced the metal being again. “Where do you want to be oiled first?” she asked.

The metal being tried to say something else, and this time Scarecrow was the first to understand.

“She said her helmet,” Scarecrow said, taking the oil can from Hera. He oiled the helmet everywhere he could reach on his side, including where the helmet met neck, before Hera took it from him to get the other side.

When they finished, Hera placed both hands on the helmet and tried to move it. “Can I take this off?” she asked.

After receiving a muffled affirmative, Hera tugged the helmet off.

“Th-th-thank you,” the metal girl said. “Now people can actually hear me. My helmet was so rusted I couldn’t get a sound out. Oil my arms please. Oil my elbows,”

With her brown eyes and multicolored metal hair, Hera thought she looked familiar, but she couldn’t quite remember where she’d seen anyone like this girl before, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that she had.

Hera, Scarecrow, and Lasat passed the oil can around and oiled her arms.

“And my legs too, please,” she added.

They continued to oil her until they were pretty sure they had gotten everywhere. Then Lasat tried to help her move her left arm and nearly got stabbed in the eye for his efforts. Hera tried to help her move her right arm and successfully pushed it down. It fell with a clang.

“Does that hurt you?” Hera asked.

“No,” the metal girl said with relief. “It feels wonderful. I’ve had my arms stuck like that for ages,”

“How did you ever get like this?” Hera asked.

“Well,” the metal girl replied. “When I was flesh and blood like you, I left my family to work for the Wicked Witch of the West. I was one of the people who made weapons for her armies and my family was proud. An accident cost me my body, but fortunately I knew a Beskar worker who gave me a new body just as good as my old one and I could still wear my armor. Then I got a little too carried away in my experimentation and the Witch took advantage of it, so I left. I tried to go back to my family, but they had heard about what my invention had done to our people and rejected me. They chased me out of their territory and I just kept running. Then I started to rain and I rusted solid before I could find shelter. And I’ve been here ever since,”

That was way more information than Hera had expected, or asked for, or what was considered normal any other place she’d been, but alright, at least it was informative.

“Well,” Hera said, putting a hand on her shoulder. “You’re alright now,”

The girl’s head turned sharply toward her. Her neck creaked and she grimaced. “My n-” she started, but Scarecrow already had the oil can and oiled her neck.

“Alright?” she asked. “Just bang on my chest if you think I’m alright,”

Hera, Chopper, Lasat, and Scarecrow hesitated. Hera certainly wasn’t expecting the conversation to go in this direction.

“Go ahead, bang on it!” the girl said again.

Finally, Hera hit the girls chest. There was a revertabrating bang.

“Wow, what an echo,” Scarecrow observed.

“It’s empty,” the metal girl sighed. “The Beskar worker didn’t give me a heart,”

“No heart!” Scarecrow, Hera, and Lasat all blurted out at the same time, although Hera wasn’t entirely sure why she did.

“Of course I don’t have a heart!” the beskar girl wailed. “How could anyone who did what I did ever have a heart!” She started to cry. Then her face started to stiffen unnaturally.

“I think you’re rusting again,” Hera said, drying the girl’s eyes with the handkerchief she just happened to have in her pocket. Then she took the oil can from Scarecrow and oiled her face again.

Lasat and Scarecrow started whispering. Then Lasat said. “We’re going to Crystal City. Why don’t you come with us to ask the Wizard of Fulcrum for a heart,”

He looked at Hera to see if she was okay with it. Hera didn’t have a problem with the girl coming along so she gave him an encouraging smile and a nod.

“Do you really think he would?” the beskar girl asked.

“At this point,” Hera answered. “I’d be surprised if the Wizard refuses to see any of us, with the size of our group,”

“Alright, I’ll go with you,” the beskar girl said after a moment,

“Great,” Lasat said with a grin. “I’m Lasat, she’s Hera, he’s Scarecrow, and that’s Chopper,”

“Call me Beskargirl,” she replied.

“Alright,” Hera said. “Let’s get going,”

The quartet linked arms and continued down the Yellow Brick Road.

***

Far away in her castle, the Wicked Witch of the West was watching them through her crystal ball.

“Aha!” she laughed. “So you won’t take a warning. All the worse for you. I’ll take care of you now instead of later,” Arihnda Pryce walked over to a nearby table and started mixing something. “When I have those Kyber Slippers, my power will be the greatest in Fulcrum!” She picked up what she’d been mixing and walked back over to her crystal ball. “And now my beauties. Something with poison in it I think, with poison in it, but attractive to the eye, and soothing to the smell,” She laughed and started sprinkling her mixture over her crystal ball. “Poppies!” she chanted. “Poppies! Poppies will put them to sleep,”

“Now they’ll sleep,”

***

Hera, Chopper, Scarecrow, Lasat, and Beskargirl followed the Yellow Brick Road through some more trees and came upon an enormous poppy field.

“There’s Crystal City!” Hera guessed, pointing to the tall sparkling city on the other side of the poppy field. Strangely, the Yellow Brick Road curved around the poppy field instead of cutting straight through. “We’re almost there. If only the Yellow Brick Road didn’t curve so much,”

“Well we could just run across the poppy field,” Scarecrow suggested.

“Yeah, that’ll be shorter,” Lasat agreed. “Let’s go!”

Hera couldn’t see why they couldn’t just cut across the poppy field. “Sure, come on Chopper. It’ll be faster this way,”

They all started running across the poppy field. It wasn’t long before Hera and Lasat started lagging behind.

“Come on! Come on!” Scarecrow called.

“Hurry! Hurry!” Beskargirl shouted.

Chopper was a bit concerned with Hera’s pace but continued moving.

Scarecrow and Beskargirl reached a small hill.

“Oh, look!” Scarecrow shouted, when he reached the top of the hill, pointing towards the city. “Oh. Look, you can see it here. Crystal City!”

Hera was the last one up the hill, and she was breathing heavily. Lasat was too.

“What’s happening?” Hera panted. “Something’s wrong. I can’t run anymore. I’m so tired,”

Hera didn’t understand why she suddenly felt so tired.

Scarecrow reached for her hand and Chopper put a manipulator on her back.

“Here, give us your hands and we’ll pull you along,” Scarecrow offered, taking her hand.

Hera felt like she needed to lay down. “No,” she said. “I need to rest for just a minute,” Hera lowered herself to the ground and laid down among the poppies.

“But you can’t rest now, we’re almost there,” Scarecrow protested.

Chopper prodded at her arm, but she had already fallen asleep.

“Ooooh,” Beskargirl groaned and sobbed at the same time.

“Hey, don’t do that. You’ll rust yourself again,” Scarecrow told her.

Then Lasat yawned. “Come to think of it,” he yawned again. “A couple of winks wouldn’t be so bad,”

He started to lay down but Scarecrow and Beskargirl stopped him.

“Don’t you start it too,” Scarecrow scolded, setting him back up.

“Maybe we could try and carry Hera,” Beskargirl suggested.

“I don’t think I could, but we could try,” Scarecrow replied.

They let go of Lasat to go over to Hera, and as soon as they let go, he toppled over and fell asleep.

“Oh, look at him,” Beskargirl groaned. “This is terrible,”

“Come here, Beskargirl. Help me,” Scarecrow said, reaching for Hera.

Both of them, and Chopper, tried to move her, but she wouldn’t budge.

“Oh, this is terrible,” Scarecrow said. “Can’t move her an inch,” He looked around. “This has to be a spell,”

“The Wicked Witch,” Beskargirl gasped. “What do we do?”

She looked around. “Help!” She screamed. “Help!”

“It’s no use yelling at a time like this!” Scarecrow shouted. “Nobody will hear you!”

He looked at Hera’s face again. Chopper was still beside her and was pointing her gently with his manipulator, but she wouldn’t wake up. She looked so peaceful.

“Heeelp!” Scarecrow suddenly yelled. “Heeelp! Heeelp!”

The Good Witch’s white lined circle appeared, although Scarecrow and Beskargirl couldn’t see it. She looked through it and saw their predicament.

“I hear you Scarecrow,” Ahsoka said. “And although I cannot undo the magic of the Wicked Witch, perhaps a little magic of my own will help,” She waved her staff and snow started to fall over the poppy field. Then she disappeared.

“It’s snowing!” Scarecrow exclaimed.

“No it isn’t,” Beskargirl replied doubtfully.

“Yes it is,” Scarecrow insisted as the snow got more visible. “Maybe it’ll help,”

“Oh, it couldn’t help,” Beskargirl said, already stiffening, as the snow covered the sleeping curse and Hera started to wake up.

“It does help,” Scarecrow said, kneeling beside Hera. “Hera, you’re waking up!”

“Oh,” Hera yawned as she sat up.

Lasat yawned loudly and sat up. “Unusual weather we’re having,” He commented as snow covered his head.

Then they all noticed Beskargirl. She was frozen in place as she was covered in snow.

“Look, she’s rusted again,” Hera said. “Give me the oil can, quick!”

Hera, Chopper, and Scarecrow got up and started searching for it.

“Where is it?” Scarecrow asked.

Lasat noticed there was something under his bottom and reached for it.

“I just realised something,” Lasat said.

“What?” Hera asked.

“I was sitting on it,” He replied as he got it out and handed it to her.

Scarecrow and Lasat helped Hera oil Beskargirl so she could move again.

***

Back at her castle, the Wicked Witch of the West saw that Hera was awake through her crystal ball. She was not pleased.

“Curses! Curses!” Arihnda Pryce fumed. “Someone always helps that Twi’lek! Shoes or no shoes I’m still brave enough to conquer her! And woe to those who try to stop me!”

***

“Come on, let’s get out of here,” Hera said once Beskargirl could move again. “Look! Crystal City is closer than ever,”

The group linked arms and walked through the rest of the poppies and back onto the Yellow Brick Road. They were almost to Crystal City.

***

The Wicked Witch snarled. “That’s it! I’m going to Crystal City myself!” She got on her broomstick and flew off towards the Crystal City.

***

Hera, Chopper, Scarecrow, Beskargirl, and Lasat reached the gates of Crystal City. They were shut, but there was a rope with a tassel on the end of it hanging from the doorframe. Hera pulled on it and a bell rang.

A small round door opened just above their heads and a man stuck his head out.

“Who rang that bell?” the guard asked. He looked old, had a bald head, fluffy white beard, and brown eyes. Just like almost everyone else Hera had met in this land, he bore a sort of familiarity Hera couldn’t quite put her finger on.

“We did!” Hera, Scarecrow, Beskargirl, and Lasat said at the same time.

“Can’t you read?” the guard asked.

“Read what?” Scarecrow asked.

“The notice!” the guard answered.

“What notice?” Hera and Scarecrow both asked.

“It’s on the door,” the guard replied. “As plain as the nose on my face,” He looked around as if he looking to point it out to them. “It’s...aahhh, oh,” he said when even he couldn’t find it. “Just a minute,”

He disappeared behind the door and reappeared with a sign that he hung on a hook next to him. Then he shut his little door.

Hera, Scarecrow, Beskargirl, and Lasat gathered around the sign and read it aloud.

“Bell out of order, please knock,”

Hera knocked and the guard opened his little door again.

“Well, that’s more like it,” the guard said. “Now, state your business,”

“We want to see the Wizard!” Hera, Scarecrow, Beskargirl, and Lasat all declared.

The guard shook his head. “The Wizard? But nobody can see the Great Fulcrum. No one’s ever seen the Great Fulcrum! Even I’ve never seen him,”

“Well, then how do you know there is one?” Hera asked, crossing her arms over her chest. She didn’t appreciate being made to come all this way for nothing.

The guard clearly wasn’t expecting that question. “Because he...ah... because...because...” the guard fumbled. “Well if there wasn’t a wizard, then why would you be here? Now go on, you’re wasting my time,” He moved to disappear behind the door again.

“But I’ve got to see the Wizard,” Hera said. “The Good Witch of the North sent me,”

The guard’s eyes flared in recognition. “Ahsoka?” he asked, then his eyes narrowed. “Prove it,”

“She’s wearing the Kyber Slippers she gave her,” Scarecrow said pointing to Hera’s feet. Hera stuck out her toes so they were more visible.

The guard bent over for a better look. When he saw the shoes he smiled. “So she is. Well bust my buttons! Why didn’t you say that in the first place?” He asked. “That’s a horse of a different color! Come on in!”

The guard disappeared again, but it wasn’t a full second before the gates opened and Hera, Chopper, Scarecrow, Beskargirl, and Lasat got their first look at Crystal City. There were people everywhere, just walking about their business.

A carriage pulled by a white horse rode up to them. “Cabbie! Cabbie!” the driver shouted. He looked almost exactly like the guard; the exception being he was cleanly shaven and wore a near permanent grin. This meant he also bore the same confusing familiarity as the guard. “Just what you’re looking for! We’ll take you anyplace in the city you want!”

“Would you take us to see the Wizard?” Hera asked.

“The Wizard?” the driver repeated. “The Wizard? Well...I... Yes, of course! But first I’ll take you to a little place where you can tidy up a bit,”

“Oh, thank you so much,” Hera said as Scarecrow helped her into the carriage, after which he and the others followed her in. “Although that really isn’t necessary as we need-” Hera cut herself off as she got another look at the horse pulling the carriage, for it had turned purple. “What kind of a horse is that? I’ve never seen a horse like that before,”

The driver laughed. “And I doubt you will again! There’s only one of him! He’s the horse of a different color you’ve heard about!”

“Oh,” Hera said as everyone took their seats.

The driver drove them through Crystal City as the horse continued change from purple to red to yellow and other colors, fascinating Beskargirl.

As promised, the driver did take them to a place where he insisted they get cleaned up.

Scarecrow got fresh new straw, Beskargirl was polished and got her dents fixed, Hera’s dress was cleaned and her nails were polished, and Lasat’s fur was washed and trimmed. Even Chopper was wiped down.

Just as they were all walking out, everyone looked up at the sky and the townspeople screamed. The Wicked Witch was flying above them, with a cloud of smoke trailing behind her, and she was writing with it.

“The Witch!” Hera exclaimed. “She followed us here!”

“Surrender Hera,” Beskargirl read aloud.

“Hera? Who’s Hera?” One of the townspeople asked.

“The Wizard will explain it!” Another one suggested.

“To the Wizard!” A third announced.

“To the Wizard!” the crowd repeated as it started to move.

“We’d better hurry if we’re gonna see the Wizard,” Scarecrow said. Then Hera, Chopper, Scarecrow, Beskargirl, and Lasat took off.

They didn’t manage to beat the crowd to the Wizard’s door. A guard was standing at the top of the steps trying to calm them down. He had amber eyes, strawberry-blond hair, neatly kept mutton chops, and wore a stoic expression. He was also yet another person Hera thought looked familiar but couldn’t remember why.

“Here! Here!” the guard shoutd. “Everything is alright! Everything is alright! The great and powerful Fulcrum has matters well in hand!”

“I hope,” Hera heard the guard say under his breath.

“So you can all go home,” the guard continued to the crowd. “There’s nothing to worry about. Go on! Get out of here. Go on home now,”

Hera, Chopper, Scarecrow, Beskargirl, and Lasat pushed their way up to the door as the crowd started leaving and approached the guard.

“Excuse me,” Hera said. “We want to see the Wizard right away. All of us,”

“Orders are no one can see the great Fulcrum,” the guard replied. “Not nobody, not nohow,”

“Please, it’s very important,” Hera insisted.

“Not nobody, not nohow!” the guard repeated.

“But she’s Hera,” Scarecrow piped up.

“The Witch’s Hera?” the guard asked. He thought for a moment. “Well that makes a difference. Just wait here and I’ll announce you at once,” He turned around and walked through the door.

“Did you hear that?” Scarecrow asked. “He’ll announce us at once! We’ll get what we want in no time!”

Chopper beeped out a long string of binary and waved his arms around.

Hera smiled. “Yeah Chopper, I hope we’ll get back in time to get back in the fight,”

“Yeah, things’ll work out for everyone,” Lasat added with a hopeful grin.

“Wait Hera,” Scarecrow said, placing a hand on her arm. “What do you mean ‘get back in the fight’? Is there something wrong in Lothal? What are you fighting there?”

Hera sighed. “Yes, you see-”

She was cut off when the door was flung open and the guard stepped out.

“The Wizard says go away,” he announced before turning around and going back inside, shutting the door behind him.

“Go away?” They all repeated.

“Looks like we came a long way for nothing,” Scarecrow said solemnly.

“Oh,” Hera sighed, sitting down on the steps, the others kneeled down and surrounded her. “I thought I was getting back to the Rebellion,”

“Don’t worry, Hera,” Beskargirl comforted. “We’ll get you to the Wizard,”

“We certainly will,” Scarecrow declared.

Behind them, the guard had opened a small window in the door and was watching them.

“The Empire has such a strong grip on Lothal and so many other planets,” Hera continued, crestfallen. “We were trying to destroy their Tie Defender Factory so the Rebellion would have a better chance of succeeding, but I don’t think we made it. Now I’m stuck here and I don’t know what’s happening on Lothal right now,”

The guard’s face softened. He was suddenly concerned about this Lothal and what the Empire was doing to it. “You needn't worry anymore,” the guard said, making everyone turn to look at him. “I’ll get you in to see the Wizard somehow. Come along now,” He disappeared behind the door again.

Then it opened and Hera, Scarecrow, Beskargirl, Lasat, and Chopper all walked through. There was a long corridor. They all walked down it until they reached a set of doors, which they all stopped in front of.

“Here we go,” Scarecrow said as they all steeled themselves.

“Come forward!” a large booming voice commanded as the doors opened.

“Karabast,” Lasat said.

They all linked arms and walked into the room. There were trays of smoke framing what looked like an organ. They erupted into fire as an face appeared on the organ.

“I am Fulcrum!” the face announced with the same booming voice from before. “The Great and Powerful!” Pillars of smoke and fire rose as he said those words. “Who are you?”

Hera stepped forward. “I’m Hera Syndulla,” she answered. “We’ve come to ask you-”

“Silence!” the Wizard interrupted.

Hera took a step back.

“The Great and Powerful Fulcrum knows why you have come,” he continued. “Step forward Beskargirl,”

Beskargirl had no choice but to do as he said.

“You dare come to me for a heart, do you?” the Wizard asked. “You clinking, clanking, clattering mass of malformed metal!”

Well Hera thought that was unnecessary.

“Y-yes sir... yes your honor,” Beskargirl stuttered. “You see, a while back we were walking down the-”

“Quiet!” the Wizard interrupted, sending Beskargirl scurying back the the rest of the group.

“And you, Scarecrow!” the Wizard continued. Scarecrow stumbled forward. “Have the effrontery to ask for a brain. You billowing bale of bovine fodder!”

Again, Hera thought that was a little to much.

Scarecrow had ended up on his knees. “Y-yes your honor... I mean your excellency...” He fumbled. “I mean your Wizardry...”

“Enough!” the Wizard shouted. “And you, Lasat!” Lasat stepped forward and looked up at the Wizard’s face. “Well?!?”

Lasat stood frozen, unable to get any words out.

Hera had just about enough of this. She pushed past Lasat to face the Wizard herself. “You should be ashamed of yourself!” Hera scolded. “Scaring us all when we came to you for help!”

“Silence, Twi’lek!” the Wizard ordered. “The magnificent Fulcrum as ever intention of granting your requests!”

Well he sure had a funny way of showing it.

Even Lasat perked up at the Wizard’s announcement.

“But first you must prove yourselves worthy, by performing a small task,” the Wizard continued.

Now what?

“Bring me the broomstick of the Witch of the West!” the Wizard declared.

That?

“But we’ll have to kill her to get it,” Beskargirl said.

“Bring me here broomstick, and I’ll grant your requests,” the Wizard repeated. “Now go!”

“But what if she kills us first?” Lasat asked.

“I said go!” the Wizard ordered.

“Alright, we’re going!” Scarecrow hollered as they all rushed out of the room.

Hera, Chopper, Scarecrow, Beskargirl, and Lasat received directions to the Witch’s castle from one of the guards and started on their way.

They reached the Haunted Forest some time later. Beskargirl had her daggers out and Hera, Scarecrow, and Lasat had all they could find in Crystal City that they thought could be of use.

There was a sign that read:

Haunted Forest

Witches Castle

1 Mile

It pointed in the direction they were headed.

Below it, another sign read:

I’d turn

Back if I

Were you!

They all took a deep breath and continued on. Lasat started growling as they walked.

Strange noises started coming from the trees. They looked and saw owls and vultures with glowing red eyes, and there was an unrecognizable howling noise that seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere at the same time.

“I have a feeling there are spooks around here,” Scarecrow said.

“That’s ridiculous,” Beskargirl replied. “Spooks. That’s silly,”

“Don’t you believe in spooks?” Lasat asked.

“No, why-” Beskargirl started to answer before she started flying upwards, much to everyone’s shock. She crashed down a few yards in front of them.

Hera, Chopper, and Scarecrow rushed over to her. Lasat had froze in the spot they’d all been standing before.

“Are you alright?” Scarecrow asked as they helped her up.

“Oh yeah,” Lasat said. “I believe in spooks alright,”

***

The Wicked Witch was watching them through her crystal ball.

“You’ll believe in more than that before I’m finished with you!” Arihnda Pryce cackled.

She turned to her best warrior. He had gray skin and eyes, sharp teeth, arms that were longer than his legs, and spikes that ran down the center of his very tall forehead.

“Rukh, take some soldiers to the haunted forest and bring me that Twi’lek and her droid!” she ordered. “Do what you like with the others, but I want her alive! They’ll be no trouble for you I’m sure,”

Rukh turned to leave but the Witch stopped him.

“Take special care of those Kyber Slippers. I want them most of all!” She added. “Now go! Go!”

Rukh left to gather some troops and set off to intercept Hera and the others.

***

Hera, Chopper, Scarecrow, Beskargirl, and Lasat had gotten back on track and heading towards the Witch’s castle. They stopped when they saw Rukh and the Witch’s white and black clad soldiers coming towards them.

Then quite honestly, they all panicked. There were way more soldiers than they were prepared for. They all took off in different directions. Chopper stayed with Hera, but everyone else was by themselves.

Rukh went after Hera while the soldiers chased Scarecrow, Lasat, and Beskargirl.

Hera tried to lose Rukh, and then tried to fight him, with Chopper’s help, but it was all in vain. Rukh grabbed her and headed back to the castle, with a disabled Chopper under one arm.

Scarecrow, Lasat, and Beskargirl did their best to fight off their attackers, but they all failed.

Once Rukh signaled that he had Hera, the soldiers retreated back to the castle.

“Uh, help! Help!” Scarecrow shouted when they were gone. He’d been, quite literally, ripped apart and his straw was everywhere.

“What happened to you?” Beskargirl asked as she and Lasat approached him.

“They tore my legs of and they threw them over there! Then they ripped my chest out and they threw it over there!” He said, pointing in all directions. “And-”

“Well, you’re all over the place,” Beskargirl interrupted.

“They sure knocked the stuffings outta ya, didn’t they?” Lasat commented, with a bit of humor.

Scarecrow didn’t appreciate the sentiment. “Don’t just stand there talking!” he barked. “Put me together. We’ve got to find Hera!”

Beskargirl and Lasat gathered up the loose straw and put Scarecrow back together.

“I bet that was the Witch’s men,” Beskargirl guessed. “Which means Hera’s probably at the Witch’s castle,”

“Good thing we were heading there anyway,” Lasat responded.

By that point, they had Scarecrow standing and were gathering the last pieces of him.

“Are you ready?” Scarecrow asked.

“As I’ll ever be,” Lasat answered. “Here’s your hat,” He handed it to Scarecrow.

“Thanks,” Scarecrow said, taking it from him. He secured the hat on his head. “Let’s go get Hera,”

***

Hera and Chopper had been taken to the Witch’s castle.

“What an interesting little droid,” Arihnda Pryce commented as she flicked Chopper’s antenna, much to his annoyance. Then she had Rukh grab him and carry him under one arm, as she turned to Hera and approached her. “And you, my dear. What an unexpected pleasure. It’s so kind of you to visit me in my loneliness,”

Hera tried to get Chopper away from Rukh but he growled when she approached. She turned back to the Witch and asked. “What are you going to do with my droid? Give him back to me!” she demanded, wishing she had her blaster.

“All in good time, my little Twi’lek,” the Witch replied. “All in good time,”

Hera was getting angry now. “Give me back my droid,” Hera threatened.

“Certainly,” Arihnda Pryce assured. “When you give me those slippers,”

Hera looked down at her feet where the Witch had pointed. “But the Good Witch of the North told me not to,” she protested.

“Very well,” the Witch growled. She marched over to Rukh. “Throw that droid off the mountain and let him get crushed!” she ordered.

“No!” Hera screamed. This Witch may be wicked, and who knows what she’d do to Fulcrum once she had the Kyber Slippers, but with her own galaxy in such turmoil, Hera had bigger problems to worry about, and she couldn’t lose her oldest friend over a pair of shoes. Besides, surely both Ahsoka and the Wizard would have enough power to stop the Wicked Witch. “You can have your old slippers but give Chopper back to me!”

“That’s a good little Twi’lek,” Arihnda Pryce praised. “I knew you’d see reason,”

The Witch knelt down to grab the Kyber Slippers. When her fingers were an inch from the shoes, lightning shot out of the tips and shocked her hand.

“Aahhh!” the Witch screamed as she recoiled.

“Sorry, I didn’t know that would happen,” Hera apologized. “Do I still get Chopper back?”

“No!” the Witch yelled. “Fool as I am, I should have remembered! Those slippers will never come off, as long as you’re alive,” she snarled.

Well that’s gonna be a problem Hera thought.

“But that’s not what’s worry me,” the Witch continued. “It’s how to do it. These things must be done delicately, or you hurt the spell,”

Chopper used this opportunity to zap Rukh hard enough to drop him and made a run for it.

“Go Chopper! Go!” Hera shouted.

“Catch him you fool!” Arihnda Pryce ordered.

Rukh chased Chopper through the castle.

“Go Chopper! Find the others!” Hera shouted as the Witch’s soldiers joined the chase before Chopper blasted off the drawbridge and disappeared.

“He got away,” Hera breathed a sigh of relief. There was still hope yet.

“Which is more than you will!” the Witch snarled. “You’ve been more trouble than you’re worth one way or another! But it’ll soon be over now!” She walked over to a table and picked up an hourglass. “You see that?” She asked, before she flipped the hourglass so sand was pouring into the bottom. “That’s how much longer you’ve got to be alive, and it isn’t long my pretty. It isn’t long! I can’t wait forever to get those shoes!”

Part of her wondered why the Witch didn’t get it over with now, but Hera supposed the Witch had preparations to make so she didn’t mess up the spell. Another part of her was thankful that she had some time left, if not so that Chopper would have more time to get the others and find a way to help her.

The Witch shoved the hourglass into the hands of one of the guards by the door. “Take her to the dungeon!” she ordered at him and his companion. “And make sure she knows how much time she has left!”

Hera tried to fight the guards, but they easily overpowered her. They hauled her out of the room and down the stairs to the deepest bowels of the castle where the dungeon was. Then they tossed her in the closest cell.

Hera landed on her hands and knees on the dirty stone floor.

The guards shut and locked the door behind her and placed the hourglass where she could easily see it, but wouldn’t be able to reach it.

Hera had just started to get up when she heard a noise coming from the dark corners of her cell.

“Hello? Is someone there?” Hera asked, standing up and taking a step forward.

There wasn’t any reply other than the sound of someone hiding.

“It’s alright. I’m not gonna hurt you,” Hera reassured as she approached where she thought the noises were coming from.

Her eyes had adjusted to the dark by the time Hera reached what she thought the noises were coming from.

What she saw surprised her. It was dirty, shaggy haired teenager who looked like he hadn’t eaten in a long time.

“Please don’t hurt me. The Witch has done enough,” the boy whimpered.

Hera placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. The boy stiffened at the contact.

“I’m not here to hurt you,” Hera said gently. “The Witch doesn’t like me either. Can you come into the light please?”

The boy nodded and followed her out of the shadows.

Hera gasped when she saw him in better light. He was human, with shaggy blue-black hair and bright blue eyes that poked at Hera’s memory but didn’t spark anything definite. His clothes were dirty and ill-fitting, and he was indeed as thin as Hera suspected.

Hera suddenly remembered the leftover apples that were still in her pockets. She took one out and offered it to the boy. “Are you hungry?” she asked.

The boy hesitantly took the apple from her and retreated a few steps back. He glanced at her nervously before digging into the apple.

He ate down to the core faster than Hera anticipated. He looked at her expectantly and took a step forward.

Hera smiled. “Don’t worry. I have more,”

She produced two more apples from her pockets and gave them to the boy.

The boy ate his fill of apples while Hera looked at the hourglass and how much sand was already at the bottom.

“What’s your name?” Hera asked, turning back to the boy. “I’m Hera,”

“The Witch and her guards just call me Lothrat,” the boy admitted. “I don’t think I’ve been called anything else,”

“How long have you been in here?” Hera asked.

“As long as I can remember,” Lothrat answered. “Since I was seven,”

“I’m sorry,” Hera said, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“What are you doing in here?” Lothrat asked. “The Witch is more of a kill or torture to death type. I’m pretty sure she’s forgotten all about me,”

“The Witch wants my shoes,” Hera replied as she stuck her feet out to show him the Kyber Slippers. Lothrat’s eyes widened when he saw them. Hera pointed to the hourglass. “The only way she can get them is if she can kill me without ruining the magic, so she given me ‘til that hourglass is empty to live while she gets things ready,”

“Wow,” Lothrat commented. “That sucks,”

Hera snorted. “Yeah, my only hope is that my friends can find a way to help get me out of here,”

“Good luck with that,” Lothrat said sullenly.

***

Meanwhile, Chopper had made it down the mountain and found Scarecrow, Beskargirl, and Lasat, who had just started on their walk through the woods again.

“Look there’s Chopper!” Beskargirl pointed out. “Where’d he come from?”

Chopper came up to them, tugged on Scarecrow’s arm, and started beeping frantically.

“Hey!” Scarecrow realised. “He can show us exactly where Hera is! Come on!”

Chopper took off in the direction of the castle and they all ran after him.

Eventually they had to climb the mountain. Chopper simply used his rocket to go from ledge to ledge. The others had a harder time. Beskargirl’s metal body made it difficult for her to grib the rocks properly, so she relied on Lasat to help her over the more difficult patches.

“I hope my strength holds out,” Lasat grunted.

“Me too,” Beskargirl added.

It wasn’t long until they reached the Witch’s castle and hid behind some boulders nearby.

“Is that it?” Lasat asked, pointing at the castle.

“That’s the castle of the Wicked Witch,” Beskargirl confirmed.

“Hera’s in that awful place?” Scarecrow asked.

“Oh, I hate to think of her in there,” Beskargirl sniffed. “We’ve got to get her out,”

“Don’t cry now,” Scarecrow said gently. “We haven’t got the oil can with us and you’ve been squeaking enough as it is,”

“Who’s them? Who’s them?” Lasat asked, pointing at the Witch’s soldiers guarding the front entrance.

“I’ve got a plan how get in there,” Scarecrow said, glancing at the guards.

“He’s got a plan,” Lasat repeated to Beskargirl.

“And you’re gonna lead us,” Scarecrow continued.

“Me?” Lasat asked.

“Yes you,” Scarecrow answered.

“I...I gotta get us in there?” Lasat asked.

“That’s right,” Beskargirl confirmed.

Lasat took a deep breath. “Alright, I’ll go in there for Hera. Wicked Witch or no Wicked Witch. Gods or no gods. I’ll tear ‘im apart! I may not come out alive, but I’m going in there,” He got more ferocious as he said each word. “There’s only one thing I want you guys to do,”

“What’s that?” Scarecrow and Beskargirl asked.

“Talk me out of it,” Lasat’s voice fell and his eyes were wide.

Scarecrow and Beskargirl shook their heads.

“Ooooohhh,” Lasat groaned.

***

The pile of sand at the bottom of the hourglass continued to grow.

***

Lasat, Scarecrow, and Beskargirl got closer to the castle.

They didn’t notice the three guards coming up behind them until the guard tackled them behind the rocks. Chopper joined in the ensuing fight.

By the end, all three guards were knocked out and Scarecrow, Beskargirl, and Lasat put on their armor. Or tried to. The armor clearly wasn’t made for a lasat, so Lasat couldn’t get it to fit right. It wasn’t perfect on Beskargirl or Scarecrow either. They watched the rest of the guards march into a line that looked to be going into the castle.

“Come on,” Scarecrow whispered. “I’ve got another idea,”

Scarecrow, Beskargirl, and Lasat crept up to the gate and situated themselves at the end of the line. Chopper sneaked up behind them as they made their way into the castle.

Once they were all inside, Scarecrow stuck his arm out and pulled them into an alcove as the soldiers went on to wherever they were going.

“Where do we go now?” Beskargirl asked.

“Yeah,” Lasat agreed.

Chopped did a quick scan for Hera. When he beeped and waved at the others and took of in the direction of the dungeon.

“There!” Scarecrow pointed.

They followed Chopper down the stairs and to the dungeon.

“Hera, are you in there?” Scarecrow called, taking off his helmet. The others did the same. “It’s us!”

Hera heard them and ran to the door of her cell. “Yes, it’s me!” she called. “I’m locked in!”

Scarecrow, Beskargirl, and Lasat came up to her cell door.

“We’ve gotta get her out,” Lasat said. “Open the door,”

“Hurry!” Hera said urgently, glancing at the hourglass. “We don’t have much time left!”

Scarecrow, Beskargirl, and Lasat shed their disguises and tried to open the door. They used one of Beskargirl’s daggers on the lock and the door swung open.

Hera rushed out. “Chopper!” she exclaimed, kneeling and running a hand across his dome. “I knew you could do it,”

“Hurry! We’ve got no time to lose!” Scarecrow urged, trying to get them to go.

“Wait,” Hera said, going back into her cell.

She took Lothrat’s hand. “Come with us,” she offered. “You can be free,”

“All I ever wanted was a home,” Lothrat admitted.

“The Wizard of Fulcrum could help,” Scarecrow suggested. “And if not, you can just stay with us,”

“Okay,” Lothrat finally said. Then he followed Hera out of the cell.

“Now we got to go,” Hera said.

They all rushed up the stairs and to the main gate.

The doors slammed shut before the could get through.

The Witch laughed and they all turned around and saw her standing at the top of the stairs to her room. The empty hourglass somehow in her left hand.

“Going so soon?” Arihnda Pryce sneered. “I wouldn’t hear of it. Why, my little party’s just beginning,”

“We’re trapped,” Lasat said as the Witch’s soldiers surrounded them.

The soldiers pointed their weapons at them but didn’t attack, yet.

“That’s right,” the Witch cackled. “Don’t hurt them right away. We’ll let them think about it a little further,”

Scarecrow looked up and noticed that the candle-lit chandelier above them was supported by a rope. He followed the rope with his eyes until he saw where it connected to the wall, which happened to be right beside him.

“Mind if I borrow this?” Scarecrow asked, taking one of Beskargirl’s daggers.

He cut the rope and the large chandelier fell right on top of the soldiers.

“Seize them! Seize them!” the Witch screamed as Hera, Scarecrow, Beskargirl, Lasat, Lothrat, and Chopper ran down a nearby corridor. “Stop them, you fools! Stop them!”

“Seize them! Seize them!” the Witch continued to scream, coming down the stairs to lead her men after them.

Hera, Scarecrow, Beskargirl, Lasat, Lothrat, and Chopper had hidden behind a wide pillar. They waited until the Witch and her men had past before they started up the stairs.

It wasn’t long before the Witch caught on and turned around.

“There they go! Now we have them!” Arihnda Pryce exclaimed when she saw them on the stairs.

“Half of you go this way! Half of you go that way!” the Witch ordered, planning on cornering them. “Hurry! Hurry!”

Hera, Scarecrow, Beskargirl, Lasat, Lothrat, and Chopper ran out to one of the walkways connecting the towers.

The tower they got to was just an empty room without a viable way out of the castle.

“Where do we go now?” Lasat asked.

Scarecrow noticed the walkway to the next tower looked clear. “This way. Come on!” he urged, motioning them to follow him.

They’d made it halfway across the walkway when the Witch’s soldiers started coming out of the tower they were heading towards.

“Back! Back!” Scarecrow shouted as they all turned and went back to the tower they were in before.

Soon soldiers were on both walkways and it wasn’t long before they were cornered.

The Witch laughed as she entered. “Well! Ring around the rosie. A pocket full of spears. Thought you’d be pretty foxy didn’t ya! Well!”

“The last to go will see the first four go before her,” Arihnda Pryce threatened, snarling gleefully and menacingly.

Now Hera was scared. She didn’t want to see the Witch kill her friends in front of her.

“And your scrappy little droid too!” the Witch added.

That was even worse.

Then the Witch stuck the brush of her broom into the torch hanging on the wall nearby. It easily spread the fire to her broom.

Scarecrow’s eyes widened in fear as she brought the broom closer to them.

“How about a little fire, scarecrow!” the Witch cackled.

She jabbed the broom at him and suddenly his arm was on fire.

Scarecrow started screaming. “Help! I’m burning! I’m burning!”

Hera screamed too.

Chopper was stuck behind Lasat, so Hera grabbed the bucket of water she found on the ledge behind her and threw it over the fire.

Enough water got on Scarecrow’s arm to put the fire out, but Hera overshot her mark a little bit and the rest of the water landed on the Witch.

“Aaahhhhh!” Arihnda Pryce screamed. “You cursed brat! Look what you’ve done!”

The water fused into her skin, which started to run down her face.

“I’m melting! Melting!” the Witch screamed as she indeed started to melt and collapse onto the floor. “Oh, what a world! What a world! Who would have thought a Twi’lek like you could destroy my beautiful wickedness! OOOhhhh!”

It wasn’t long before there was nothing left of the Wicked Witch than a pile of her clothes.

What just happened? Hera wondered as she stared at where the Witch was terrorizing them a minute before.

“She’s dead,” one of the soldiers said after a moment. “You killed her,”

“Well I didn’t mean to kill her,” Hera said. “I didn’t know that would. It’s just...” She pointed to Scarecrow. “He was on fire...”

“Hail to Hera! The Wicked Witch is dead!” the soldier announced.

“Hail! Hail to Hera! The Wicked Witch is dead!” all of the soldiers repeated, kneeling before her.

“The broom,” Hera murmured.

“May we have her broom?” Hera asked the main soldier.

“Take it,” the soldier answered, handing it to her.

“Thank you,” Hera said. She turned back to Scarecrow, Beskargirl, Lasat, Lothrat, and Chopper. “Now we can go back to the Wizard and tell him the Wicked Witch is dead!”

Hera, Chopper, Scarecrow, Beskargirl, Lasat, and Lothrat went back to Crystal City and were immediately brought to see the Wizard. Although there was a brief argument with the guard on whether Lothrat could be let in or not that was soon resolved.

“Can I believe my eyes?!?” the Wizard questioned when they came back to see him. “Why have you come back?”

Scarecrow, who had been holding the broom, handed it to Hera, who stepped forward.

“We’ve done what you told us. We brought you the broomstick of the Wicked Witch of the West,” Hera answered. “We uh... melted her,”

The Wizard chuckled. “Ah, you liquidated her, eh? Very resourceful,”

“Yes sir,” Hera replied. “So we’d like you to keep your promise to us,”

“Not so fast! Not so fast!” the Wizard shouted. “I’ll have to give the matter a little thought! Go away and come back tomorrow!”

“Tomorrow!” Hera protested, crossing her arms over her chest.

“You’ve had plenty of time already!” Beskargirl added, stepping up beside Hera.

“Yeah,” Lasat agreed as he and Scarecrow joined them. Lothrat hesitated before he came up behind Scarecrow.

“Do not arouse the wrath of the Great and Powerful Fulcrum!” the Wizard yelled. “I said come back tomorrow!”

Chopper picked up something on his scanners and decided to investigate. He rolled around a wall and disappeared behind a curtain.

“If you were really great and powerful you’d keep your promises!” Hera accused.

“Do you presume to criticize the Great and Powerful Fulcrum?” the Wizard retaliated. “You ungrateful creatures!”

Chopper pulled back the curtain to reveal a man standing in front of a bunch of mechanical contraptions.

“Think yourselves lucky that I’m giving you audience tomorrow!” the man spoke into a microphone and took the voice of the Wizard. “Instead of twenty years from now!”

The man turned around and noticed that they were all staring at him. “The Great Fulcrum has spoken!”

He frantically pulled the curtain around him.

“Pay no attention to the man behind that curtain!” the Wizard ordered. “The Great Fulcrum has spoken!”

Hera walked up and pulled the curtain back again. The man revealed had a straight white beard, mustache, and hair and blue eyes.

“Who are you?” Hera asked.

“Well...” the man answered. He turned back to the microphone. “I am the Great and Powerful...” He turned away from the microphone and back to them. “Wizard of Fulcrum,”

“You are?” Hera questioned. “I don’t believe you,”

“I’m afraid it’s true,” the man/Wizard admitted. “There’s no other wizard but me,”

“You fraud!” Scarecrow accused, clearly upset.

“Yeah,” Beskargirl and Lasat agreed. Even Lothrat nodded his head disapprovingly.

The Wizard nodded. “Yes, you’re exactly right. I’m a fraud,”

“You’re nothing but a liar,” Hera concluded. “The kind who’s a cruel man,”

“No,” the Wizard shook his head. “I am a good man. I’m just a... bad wizard,”

“What about the heart you promised Beskargirl?” Scarecrow asked, his voice rising. “And the honor and courage you promised Lasat?”

“And Scarecrow’s brain?” Lasat and Beskargirl asked together.

It’s not like they’d forgotten about Lothrat. It’s just that he wasn’t here for when the Wizard made his promise so technically the Wizard didn’t know what he wanted yet, and they figured right now wasn’t the best time to bring it up anyway.

“Well,” the Wizard replied. “I’ve figured out that having a brain doesn’t mean that someone is a good thinker,” He turned around and started rummaging through a box. “What makes a good thinker is being able to understand and apply information to anything,”

Finding what he was looking for, the Wizard stood and handed Scarecrow a gold and crystal blue cube. “This holocron possesses great knowledge, but only someone who yearns for it can access it,”

Scarecrow examined the holocron. All of the corners turned and a blue light illuminated Scarecrow’s face and traveled up his arms.

“The force acted on an object is equal to its mass times the acceleration,” Scarecrow suddenly said. His face lit up. “Hey! I’ve got a brain!” He turn to the Wizard. “I can’t thank you enough,”

“You’re welcome,” the Wizard said. Then he turned to Lasat. “As for you, now for what I know of Lasats, they have a strict code, particularly in the Honor Guard,” The Wizard walked over to a closet as he continued to talk. “You believe to have broken it, and that is why you do not believe you have honor or courage. I heard what the Witch was doing to Lasat villages and I can honestly say that the mere fact that you survived shows that you possess the traits you believe to be missing,” The Wizard took something out of the closet and handed it to Lasat. “Maybe this will convince you,”

Lasat stared at what the Wizard handed him. It looked like a weapon of some sort.

“A borifle,” Lasat whispered.

The Wizard smiled. “I thought you’d recognize it. You are worthy of it,”

Lasat continued to stare at his borifle. Then he smiled and tightened his grip on the weapon.

“Thanks,” Lasat replied. “I don’t know what to say,”

The Wizard turned to Beskargirl. “And as for you young lady. You want a heart,”

“Yes sir,” Beskargirl answered.

The Wizard looked her up and down and noticed her colors, some faded more than others.

“I think I have just the thing for you,” He said after a moment. He rummaged around a bit and produced a small, red, heart-shaped metal object. He handed it to her. “Hear you are,”

Beskargirl ran her fingers over the object until she found a hinge. She opened the case and gasped at what she saw inside. It was a case full of paints and brushes. Almost automatically, she picked up a brush and started painting her armor, helmet, and hair. It wasn’t long before she was covered in bright colors.

Beskargirl sighed. “I can’t believe I have a heart again,”

The Wizard’s eyes landed on Lothrat, who straightened up under his gaze. “I don’t believe we met before. Who are you?”

“I’m Lothrat,” the boy admitted. “I just want a home,”

The Wizard stroked his beard. “I’m afraid that I can’t help you with that, son,” He replied.

Lothrat deflated. Then Scarecrow wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

“Don’t worry. You’ve got us,” he reassured.

Lasat, Beskargirl, and Scarecrow all gathered around Lothrat next to Hera and Chopper.

“Hey!” Scarecrow exclaimed after a moment, turning back to the Wizard. “What about Hera?”

“Yes! How about Hera?” Beskargirl agreed.

“Yeah, Hera next,” Lasat added.

The Wizard stroked his chin again. “Yes Hera-”

He was interrupted by a loud siren and the whole room shook.

“What’s happening?” Lothrat asked panickedly.

There was a clatter from behind them.

“Hera look out!” Scarecrow shouted right before something collided with her head.

The next thing Hera knew she was laying on her back surrounded by blurry faces.

***

“Hera? Hera, can you hear me?” voices asked.

Finally Hera managed to open her eyes. She was surrounded by Kanan, Ezra, Sabine, and Zeb. They were all leaning over her in concern.

Hera reached her and down until her fingers brushed the top of Chopper’s dome. It was then that Hera realised she was in a medical bed.

“Hera, it’s us,” Kanan said, placing a hand on her arm.

Hera looked up at him and smiled, as everything started coming together. “I know,”

“You crashed pretty hard,” Zeb commented. “And we’re lucky we found you before the Empire did,”

“I’m fine. I think,” Hera said, trying to sit up. She touched a hand to her forehead. “Although I think I just had a really weird dream. Chopper and I were in a very strange place and all of you were there,”

“What happened?” Ezra asked.

Hera looked at all of them before saying the first thing that popped into her head. “ Well, Governor Pryce tried to set you on fire,” She told Kanan, pointing at him.

“Well I’d like to see her try,” Sabine said with smirk. “Especially now,”

“Why? What happened?” Hera asked.

“One of the Rebel fighters the Empire shot down landed in the fuel depot and it exploded, taking all the fuel with it,” Sabine explained. “All Imperial factories on Lothal are down,”

“So the mission wasn’t a total failure,” Ezra reassured.

Hera smiled. “Well I’m glad I’m back. And I know that I love you all,” She grabbed Kanan’s arm and pulled him towards her. “Especially you,” she said before she kissed him.

“Now I know I’m home,” Hera said after she broke the kiss.

Cast:

A very confused Hera Syndulla as Dorothy Gale

Chopper as Toto

Kanan Jarrus as The Scarecrow

Zeb Orrelios as The Cowardly Lion

Sabine Wren as a genderbent Tinman

Ahsoka Tano as Glinda the Good Witch

Maketh Tua as the Wicked Witch of the East

Arihnda Pryce as the Wicked Witch of the West

Rex as the guard to the gates of the Emerald City

Gregor as the carriage driver/owner of the Horse of a Different Color

Alexsandr Kallus as the guard to the Wizard’s chamber

Ryder Azadi as the Wizard of Oz

#star wars rebels #wizard of oz #star wars rebels fanfiction #hera syndulla #chopper #kanan jarrus #zeb orrelios #sabine wren #ezra bridger #ahsoka tano #maketh tua (briefly)#arihnda pryce #rex (briefly)#gregor (briefly)#ryder azadi #ironically the wizard was never actually a fulcrum #I spent way too much time on this

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