Cartoons » Star Wars Rebels » The Youngling
Author: Cassturn93
Rated: T - English - Family/Hurt/Comfort - Reviews: 44 - Published: 08-04-16 - Updated: 09-06-16 id:12085947
Note 📝 for anyone interested the above is the FanFiction.net information for this book 📚. Just to let everyone know that this was prewritten a while back. You can find and read ahead there. Just be warned that it has a lot of typos as I am editing it as I transferred it.
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Two years and a half years had gone by. Ezra was now nine. Kanan had made sure the kid knew how to use almost every weapon in the Galaxy the rebels could get their hands on. To say Ezra was well armed and trained was an understatement. Fulcrum had even managed to find a couple practice sabers for the two Jedi to train with and found a way for them to get them. (A/N: I challenge someone to write a story about Ahsoka finding two practice sabers somewhere.)

Kanan woke up early one morning sensing a disturbance in the force. Immediately he jumped out of bed to check on Ezra in the next room. He found him tossing and turning while mumbling something in his sleep. Kanan shook the kid.

"Ezra, wake up kid." The Jedi said. Ezra's eyes fluttered open.

"It's cold Kanan." The kid said. Kanan pulled his Padawan into a hug.

"I know kid. I feel it too." He tells him.

"Why does that dream feel so cold and sad?" Ezra asked as he snuggled into Kanan's chest. "It was like losing my parents again."

"You know how when you get hurt your supposed to let us know. Well that was the force telling us it was hurt really bad." Kanan explains.

"The force must be hurt pretty bad then." Ezra says matter of factly. "Maybe we should check it out."

"You sure you want to do that kid? A feeling like that normally means a lot of people where killed." Kanan says.

"Then we should see if there's survivors. Then they won't be alone like we were." The kid replied. Kanan chuckled and smiled at this as he ruffled his Padawan's hair.

"I swear kid your starting to sound more and more like a Youngling in the temple every day. Sometimes it's hard to believe you've only been training for a couple years." The older Jedi says. "I'll tell Hera we need to go to Lasant."

"Kanan can I stay with you until Hera gets up?" Ezra ask.

"Sure kid. I was just going to mediate so as long as you can focus and stay quiet your welcome to join me." Kanan invited him.

When Hera got up she went to wake up Ezra only to find an empty bed with a note from Kanan.

"Something happened on Lasant. Ezra and I both felt it. We're having early morning Jedi training in my room." The note said. Hera walked in to find the two Jedi trying to mediate.

"Focus Ezra." Kanan says.

"But I'm board. Is Hera up yet?" The kid asked.

"You'd know the answer to that already if you where focused Padawan." The older Jedi chuckled.

"Oh come on Kanan, he's just a kid. Like you could have sat still silently for two hours at his age." Hera said.

"Hera!" Ezra said opening his eyes and jumping up in one swift motion. Before she even had time to react the nine year old was right in front of her.

"So I guess we're heading to Lasant to see what's going on. I don't even get a say in this one do I?" Hera said.

"Nope you're out voted three to two." Ezra says.

"Oh and who's the fifth vote?" The Twi'lik asked the kid.

"The force." Ezra replied with an eye roll as if the answer was obvious.

"I didn't know the force had a vote." Hera say.

"It always has and it's vote always wins." Kanan says getting up.

On Lasant things looked horrible. Hera and Kanan tried to shield Ezra from the sight of the genocide. The Force had other plans.

Kanan watch horrified as Ezra walked off the Ghost almost in a trance.

"Ezra I said to stay on the Ghost!" The Jedi called out.

"You also said to trust the force. Right now it's telling me there's someone over here." Ezra says.

"Kid can't you let the adults do their job for once." Kanan says running after his Padawan. "It's hard enough to keep up with you normally." Just then Ezra disappeared around a corner. "Kid where'd you go?"

"What's a kid like you doing in a place like this?" Zeb said as Ezra crawled into his hiding place.

"We here to help." Ezra said.

"How's a kid like you supposed to help? Where's your parents at?" Zeb asked.

"There dead. My master Kanan and our captain Hera took me in and take care of me. They can help you to so you're not all alone." The kid says.

"Wait are you a slave kid?" Zeb ask.

"No! I'm Ezra Bridger and I'm Kanan's Padawan." Ezra says slightly offended. Then he quickly covers his mouth. "Opps. I wasn't supposed to say that."

"Ok kid first aren't you a little young to be a Jedi, even for a Padawan. Second, where is this powerful Jedi master of yours?." Zeb said.

"I might be young, but there's been other Padawans my age before. Besides there's not many of us just hanging around the Galaxy anymore." Ezra defenses himself.

"Well I guess you got me there kid. I can probably say the same about Lasats like me. I'm Zeb by the way." The Lasat said.

"Ezra? Where did you go kid? Hera's going to kill me if I lose you." The two heard Kanan calling out.

"That would be my master." Ezra says.

"We're under here! He's ok." Zeb called back. Kanan laid down so he could see into the small opening.

"How'd you get down there? You guys okay?" The Jedi asked.

"I'm fine Kanan. I just crawled down here so Zeb here wouldn't be alone. I don't think he can get out though." Ezra said.

"Does this kid normally do stuff like this?" Zeb asked. "Sure I can use a little help though. I hope you're not as insane as the kid though."

"He's used to being in tight risky places. This is something new though. Wait what do you mean insane?" Kanan asked.

"I might have let our secret slip by accident." Ezra confesses.

"Which secret Ezra?" Kanan asked.

"He asked me if I was a slave. I didn't realize what I was calling you." Ezra tried to explain.

"Ezra Bridger! I told you that secret is more important than being rebels." Kanan fussed.

"So you really are, but I thought the Jedi were dead." Zeb said.

"Well I guess since there's no point in hiding it. Ezra let's see if we can lift this off the two of you." Kanan says. "Ok, kid concentrate on lifting the beams around you. I'll do the same out here."

"Ok, Kanan." Ezra said closing his eyes. The kid took a deep breath and held his arm out in the beams that prevented Zeb from getting out. Everything was quite for a little bit but nothing moved. Then the kid dropped his arm and started breathing heavily. "Kanan I can't do it. They're to heavy."

"I know Ezra. I'm asking a lot of you right now, but I know you can do it. Just pretend they're crates we practice with. I'll get the ones out here, but you have to get the ones inside. Ok kid? Just remember what I showed you." Kanan said.

Ezra held his arm up again. He took a deep breath.

"Just concentrate and breath in and out like we do when were training." The older Jedi instructed the younger. Zeb watch as the beams started to move on their own. He started to move to protect the kid out of instinct. "Zeb don't. He's moving them. If you distract him they'll fall. Just trust us."

"Are you sure about this?" Zeb asked.

"Just watch. We'll get you both out." The Jedi said.

It wasn't very long before the exit was completely opened and Kanan got in there and helped Zeb and Ezra. Kanan keep Ezra very close to him on the walk back to the Ghost. Zeb followed them on the kid's request. Once the three male got back to the Ghost Hera met them at the ramp.

"Ezra! Don't ever scare us like that again. Come here, are you all right?" The Twi'lik said as she fused over the kid checking for injuries.

"I'm fine Hera. Just tired that's all." Ezra said.

"That's some kid you two are raising. He crawled into a fallen building just so I wouldn't be alone. Not everyone would do something like that." Zeb said.

"Ezra's not a normal kid at all. He's been through a lot in just a few years." Hera said after Kanan sent Ezra to his cabin.

"Tell me about it after what I saw and he told me. Are his parents really dead?" Zeb asked.

"Is that what he told you?" Kanan asked.

"You're not about to tell me you two are actually his parents are you? Because after seeing these two move piles of steel beams without touching them I might actually believe it." Zeb asked.

"No, we're not exactly sure where his parents are, or if they're alive or not. All we know is they were arrested by the empire two years ago. We took him in two months later." Hera explained. "Wait you saw what exactly?"

"He knows Hera. Ezra accidentally called me his master." Kanan started to explain.

"After I asked if he was some type of slave he told me that he was a Jedi Padawan and he was his master. At first I thought he was insane." Zeb explained.

"It actually made getting him out a lot easier and quicker that way. I trust you won't tell anyone." Kanan said.

"Who would I tell? No one but the empire would believe me and they'd still kill me." The Lasat said.

"What do you plan on doing now?" Hera asked.

"Don't know. I just can't stay here anymore. I might just travel for a while." Zeb answered.

"Well we have an extra cabin. We'll take you to any planet you like." The Twi'lik responded.

"You could also join us if you like. Fight against the empire and help the innocent. Ezra really likes you and we could use a fifth specter." Kanan offers.

"Please Zeb!" Ezra said.

"I thought I told you to go to your cabin kid." Kanan said.

"But if Zeb joins us it'd be like having a big fluffy stuff animal that can beat up stormtroopers, and help us on missions and stuff. It would be so wizard!" The kid said.

Zeb couldn't tell this kid no for anything at this point. Especially after what Ezra had just done for him. Honestly the Lasat had more reasons to join this crew then he had not to. Just fighting back against the empire sounded fun to him. Seeing who these rebels helped others, well Zeb definitely wanted to be part of something like that. Zeb took up Hera's offer first and said he'd think about joining them. That sounded two good to be true. After spending two weeks with the crew Zeb saw another reason to stay. This was more than a crew it was a family and they were inviting him to be part of it. Of course he wanted to be part of it as well. Zeb's biggest reason to stay was Ezra though. After hearing the kid's story about how he ended up on this crew, Zeb was going to make sure the empire paid for it's crimes.

Having Zeb on the team made things a lot easier for the crew. His strength help a lot. He also swore to protect the crew as best he could. Zeb actually enjoyed having the cabin across from Ezra's. The preteen boy and the droid loved pulling pranks. Zeb often joined in on the prank wars and it livened the whole ship. Sometimes Kanan and Hera would even join in.

•I feel like I should probably explain myself now. I've been wanting to write a young Ezra story for awhile. I finally worked it all out in my head. Figuring out how and when everyone joins in this AU was the tricky part. I also want to have the entire crew set in. That's why I jumped ahead a few years. The next chapter will jump as well. I don't really want to change Sabine's and Zeb's past too much. I might do a little Sabine and Ezra story later. This story is about if Kanan and Hera would have found Ezra first and how that would have affected everything. I wrote the first four chapters in one day. This chapter and the next are taking a bit longer to write. I'd like to thank all my readers who reviewed, favorited, and or followed this or any of my stories. Also to my ever growing PM friends on this website. Without y'alls support and help as well as other young Ezra stories this wouldn't exist. Actually without young Ezra stories y'all wouldn't be reading any of my stories because I would have never found this website.
Note for Wattpad readers: if any of you read ahead on FanFiction FanFiction.net and have any suggestions I'll send you a sneak peek at the final chapter so you know what direction I'm going with this.

•May the Force be with you always.

•Cass