Making a bit of a comeback with a story that I've been sitting on for a few months now, technically not too long after getting into Rebels, but this idea has come and gone for a while. I thought it would be an interesting idea to play with. An AU playing with Ezra's history that comes back to get him. This chapter may not be too exciting, but it's meant to help get it started. The title for the chapter is not all that interesting/original, but it does serve its purpose.

Dreams

The tears of torment drenched the seven year olds face. Kids had bullied him, spat on him, and even pushed him into the dirt. What made it worse was their words, seeping with malice. 'What's wrong with you', 'no one wants you', 'how does it feel to be unwanted' just to name a few.

It was because of those accusations and the honest fact that no one wanted to adopt him that prompted him to run away. The bitter cold of winter was what helped him find shelter in the form of an abandoned communication tower. The interior provided shelter and a decent amount of warmth. However, the dark and solidary atmosphere worsened his depression, which resulted in a screaming cry from the child.

Ezra's eyes shot open, his dream complete. He propped himself into a sitting position, the silence tell him that Zeb had already got up. For a brief moment, Ezra contemplated his dream based memory. It had been years since he had thought about the memory in question, which felt strange.

"Ezra! Breakfast's ready!" Hera stated from the other side of the door.

"Coming!" Ezra replied, hopping out of the bed.

He was the last to arrive in the kitchen, not that anyone was bothered by it. Once he sat to the table, everyone started conversing about their plans for the day. All the while, Ezra was silently eating his breakfast, still thinking about his dream.

"…and that's what we're going to do today, got it? Ezra!" Kanan called.

"What?" Ezra asked, coming back to reality.

"We're going to do some training then we have to deliver a shipment to Vizago. We need the credits, so be nice."

"No promises." Ezra replied with a sarcastic grin.

Kanan started off with some routine lightsaber exercises. Besides the slight mental distraction, Ezra was doing well. It was when Kanan transitioned to connecting with a stray Loth-cat, for the sake of being a refresher, that things were getting a little suspicious.

Ezra seemed to be doing fine. He was connecting with the Loth-cat just fine, but right as he made the connection, his mind went into a flashback.

The orphanage had been destroyed it had foreclosed earlier that year, and had been blown up to truly be rid of it a month or two later. The scent of ash and scorched debris still had yet to retreat in its entirety. How many people were in the orphanage when it was set ablaze, Ezra didn't know, nor did he care. He was alive and that's all that mattered.

"Ezra!" Kanan yelled, snapping out of it.

Ezra found himself standing there, limbs stiff, while the Loth-cat looked at him curiously.

"Are you okay?" Kanan asked.

"Yeah." Ezra sighed, ready to move on.

Training ended well. Ezra connected with the Loth-cat again without any interference. This left them the task of making their way to Vizago. One crate ready for delivery.

"Do you ever dream about your past?" Ezra questioned.

Kanan gave him a curious look.

"Not in a while, but yes, I have." Kanan stated. "Is that what's been distracting you today?"

"Just something that I dreamt up last night."

"Good or bad?"

"Just a memory that I haven't thought about in a while. It's not something I'd consider an issue, it's just odd more than anything. You know me, I'd rather not think about my past much, and I've kind of forced myself to repress some of it."

"That'll happen sometimes. Memories have a way of coming back when we least expect it."

"That may be true, but that doesn't make it any less odd."

They arrived at Vizago's rendezvous point with his shipment. They kept the encounter brief, like any routine exchange. Vizago gave them the appropriate amount of credits and Vizago got his desired shipment of ammunition. Whether they were for himself or to pawn them off later, they didn't know. Not that they bothered to question it. With all of the pleasantries out of the way, Kanan and Ezra left the crime boss behind.

This chapter was going to start of differently and focus on a different character, but I thought I would go with Ezra instead since there will be some warning signs. The next chapter or two will be giving Ezra some more to think about, as I didn't want to jump right into the start of the conflict right away.