114 years before Jim's time….

It was late at night on the planet Drion, the fresh air was cold against the dockmaster's azure colored skin.

The man sighed, taking one last look out into the streets before shutting the window.

He was a Cragorians. Cragorians are large humanoids, standing between 7 and 8 feet tall, and are made out of stone instead of flesh.

He wore simple long brown pants and a blue shirt with short tight sleeves.

'She said she would be home hours ago…' He thought. His magenta eyes shut as he sighed. What had his dear sister gotten into this time? Her line of work was messy, dangerous, and very stupid, one wrong move and she could get herself captured by the police, or worse.

Instead of working on the space port, she spent her days pickpocketing navy soldiers, gambling with pirates, and ripping off people for some extra cash. Some of her methods were more drastic and over the top then others, but she claimed it was all worth it.

He had debated sleeping till her arrival, but immediately dismissed such an idea. If it's taking her this long to get home, something has definitely gone wrong, and as the responsible one, it was his job to make sure her actions didn't have consequences, or who knows what would happen.

He took a seat at the dining table, tiredly rubbing his nose bridge.

They weren't poor, or at least they weren't that poor. They may be tight on money, but they have enough to get by. She didn't have to go risking her life for a few bucks, he wished she didn't do that. They could easily make honest money, living off what little they made each day.

It was and always will be the three of them. Ronan, Selena, and little Ezra, the Calico family, together till the very end. They never had much in this life, but they had each other.

He sunk into the chair, crossing his legs, and resting his head into one of his hands.

Suddenly, she came stumbling through the door, tail between her legs, holding onto the door frame for support.

"Ronan!" The Felinid woman gasped, looking up at him as she clutched the side of her stomach.

"Selena!" He ran to her, leading her to a chair. She stopped him, leaning against the kitchen counter. She winced as she regained composure. Her white fur seemed paler than it should be, if that was even possible. Her feline ears were flattened, her white hair spilling out of her headband and in front of her face, only slightly hiding her fearful expression.

"What did you do this time!?" Ronan stammered. He grabbed her shoulders and shook her. He didn't know whether to be grateful she was alive, or upset knowing she clearly got herself into trouble.

She chuckled, brushing him off. "I don't think Lieutenant Harrison was too happy about finding me sleeping with his wife." Ronan scowled. She threw her hands up in defense. "I'm kidding!"

Her smirk faltered as she looked down at her shirt. It's dark sage green color was stained with a dark red liquid.

Blood.

"Oh my gods…" Ronan whispered, a hand clasped over his mouth.

"Oooh, that's not good…" Selena's ears flattened back, her green eyes narrowed.

Ronan panicked. His anxiety was already at an all time high before Selena arrived, now he was on the verge of a heart attack. "Come on, let's get you to the couch, we've got to have some spare medical supplies somewhere, we can get Dyrak's medical robots-"

"Oh, Ronan, always the worried one, I'll be fine." She patted him on the shoulder.

"Selena, we need to get you to a doctor-"

"Ronan, no." Selena panted, her clawed fingers gripping her shirt. She grabbed a nearby rag and tightly wrapped it around the wound. "I can't… stay here…"

Ronan didn't say anything for a moment, taking her words in. What happened to his overconfident sister who was able to outrun every single obstacle and still make it home to him?

"What did you do?" His volume was lower than a whisper. He stared at her, waiting for a response. A small smile appeared on her face.

"Karma, I think." Selena laughed again, this time it wasn't cocky or smug, it was genuine. She wiped away the forming tears in her eyes.

Ronan thought he was gonna collapse right then and there. "Are you serious…?"

Selena stood straight, her expression serious. "I've got to leave, I promise I'll be back in a few days, we just have to wait till the 'cops get off my case, then I'll come straight home to you and-"

"Mom?" A small voice called out. Ronan and Selena turned to see Selena's nine year old son standing in the hallway outside of the kitchen, rubbing his eyes in tiredness.

"Ezra, honey-" Selena flinched in pain as she knelt down to him. "Hi. Aren't you supposed to be asleep?"

"No." Ezra yawned as he lazily wrapped his arms around his mother as she lifted him up, using her good hip to support him. " Ronan said you'd be home hours ago."

Selena opened her mouth to answer, then closed it. She glanced at Ronan, then back at Ezra. "I'm sorry, honey. Mama got caught up in some… thing."

Selena used a free hand to brush Ezra's white hair out of his face. She kicked her finger and pushed a few strands of hair back. "I know this is gonna suck, but I've gotta leave for a few days."

"Again?" Ezra groaned.

Selena smiled. "It's just for a bit, but I promise I'll be back soon, alright?" Ezra nodded, clearly disappointed. "Hey, I got you something."

Ezra's ears perked up as Selena sighed into her pocket. She pulled out a small metal ball with black wings on both sides of it, and handed it to him.

Ezra held it in his small hands. "It's the version with wings!" He gasped.

"Yes, yes, wings." Selena laughed. "When I get back, we'll fix it up, then it'll fly, and you can have your own personal star light, isn't that cool?"

Ezra giggled, already fidgeting with the gadget. "Now," She regained Ezra's attention. "You head off to bed, ok? Ronan will come tuck you in."

She kissed his forehead and set him down. Selena knew she was running out of time when her body was exhausted from holding her own son.

She took off her jacket, and wrapped it around him. "Run along, now."

Ezra ran off to his room, his little tail flicking happily behind him. "Night!" He yelled, disappearing up the stairs.

Selena turned to Ronan, her smile fading. "I'm sorry."

"Don't do this." Ronan trembled. Selena pulled him in for a hug.

"I promise I'll come back, for both of you." She whispered. Not too far from there, the sirens were getting louder as officers swarmed the streets.

Selena slipped out of Ronan's tight embrace. She slipped a golden ring off of her finger. She placed the ring in the palm of his hand. "You're an amazing little brother, you know that?"

"You say that all the time." Ronan stared at the ring. His fingers tightly wrapped around it.

"Because it's true." Her voice became nothing but a whisper. She looked down at her feet. "Here." She tossed him a small brown bag. Ronan caught it, opening it. Its contents being gold coins. "That should last you… A few weeks, if I'm doing the math right? I wouldn't know, I never went to school." She joked, cracking herself up.

Selena's attention was caught by the pistol laying on the table. She grabbed it, loading it with a 'click'.

"I can't believe this. I refuse, I can't- you seriously can't be doing this!?" He snapped, looking for the words to get her to stay. But there was nothing to say. Selena only made it a few feet before she had to support herself using the door frame.

She looked at her adopted brother one last time. "It's just for a few days. I'll be back." She ran, disappearing into the night.

Ronan sunk into his chair again, head slumped into his hand, the other lying motionless on the chair arm.

'Please come back, you idiot.'

-

2 years later…

"Ezra Calico!" The shop owner called out. The young Felinid ran as fast as his legs could carry him, carrying a loaf of bread and two purps with him. He shoved the three items in a brown satchel under his moms old black jacket that he now owned.

11 year old Ezra ran into the busy crowd, out of the sight of the shop owner. He knew he could easily run from Mr. Garge, and that the shop owner wouldn't put up a chase.

"Thief!" Mr Garge, a Kamelian man yelled. Kamelian are a race of reptilian creatures with pick-axe-shaped heads, chameleon eyes, with long necks, and arms with four-fingered claws.

Garge caught the attention of two police officers.

The two police officers snapped out of their lazy trances and began chasing Ezra through the market.

One of the officers was an male Aquanoggin. Aquanoggin are an alien race of humanoid Angler Fish with short legs, two toes, and Sharp toenails. They also have two slightly bulky arms with four fingers each. They also have tyrannosaur-like heads with Semi-reptilian aquatic features.

The other was a female Felinid with a brown coat of fur and blue eyes.

Both officers dawned blue uniforms that stood out against the common people.

Ezra carefully pushed himself through the crowd, doing his best to avoid people's glared or curious stares.

He hid himself behind street sellers with big backpacks carrying packages. He plucked a shiny dark blue necklace off of the seller, and shoved it in his pocket.

The officers kept on yelling for him to come back. People began to eye him with looks of suspicion.

"Get back here, kid!" The Aquanoggin yelled. They were getting closer.

Ezra looked at them, then back at the busy street. He could make it.

With a deep breath, he ran out into the street. He pulled the satchel to his chest as he slid under a wagon. He jumped back up, narrowly avoiding another wagon before joining back into the crowd on the other side of the street.

"There he is!" The Felinid officer said. They were still chasing him? Ezra sighed frustratingly. He ran again, maneuvering through the people like he was the air between them. "Where is that damn street runt!?"

Street runt.

A less harsh Drion term for homeless, orphaned children who resulted in stealing to survive. Where there was one, there were usually more. They worked at young ages to earn food for themselves, and places to sleep amongst the more commoner or poorer side of Drion.

Either they worked, or they stole, which was usually the latter.

His mother and were once given such a label, though they weren't homeless, they worked for the previous owner of their little, run of the mill, spaceport. They were orphans, finding each other on the streets and sticking together ever since.

Ezra wasn't a street runt, but many mistake him for one. He stole, though. He stole a lot.

"Just like his mom" he often heard folks say, not that it bothered him too much.

He's stolen so many times before, it was like second nature to him. His mom had taught him to pick pockets since he could use his hands. He used to help her on her "runs", distracting sales owners as she filled her own pockets.

"Well, if it isn't Ezra Calico."

Too bad he got caught this time.

Ezra froze, looking up at the man currently blocking his path. He was a tall, scrawny, considerably ugly, yellow fish faced looking officer, who has been trying to arrest Ezra for months after Ezra took his moms place as the local pick pocket, and now, he had finally nailed him.

Obi Strickler.

"Well, well, well." Strickler hummed, tapping a pen to a clipboard with each 'well'.

"Mr. Calico. Stealing from innocent booth sellers, are we?"

Remember what mom and Ronan said:

Deny everything.

"Uh, I don't know what you're talking about." Ezra said, hiding the satchel behind his back.

"Then what's this!" The Aquanoggin officer suddenly came up behind him, grabbing Ezra's wrist, revealing the satchel.

Both officers were out of breath, but did their best to stay confused in front of Strickler.

"It seems," Strickler smirked, and leaned down to Ezra's eye level. "You've been caught." Ezra knew Strickler was enjoying every second of this. Strickler began writing something down on his notepad.

"Looks like you'll be spending the night in the county jail, Calico."

Ezra glared at him, struggling against the other two officers' grip on his arms.

"-and all for what?" Strickler continued, mocking the child more, looking into the satchel. "Stealing food for the poor, aren't you noble."

Don't say anything.

Ezra gritted his teeth, his little fangs bared. He spat at Strickler's feet. A petty movie, but it felt great in the moment.

Strickler gasped, completely, utterly, offended. "How dare you- you'll be sleeping in the county jail till your can pay your bail!"

"Um, sir-" the Felinid tried to speak, but was cut off.

"Shut it!" Strickler yelled. He turned back to Ezra. "I hope you enjoy it, Calico, because you won't be getting out for a long time."

As the two officers restrained him, Ezra held his head high.

"Why so proud, Calico?" Strickler fumed. "You're just like your mother, are you happy yet?"

Ezra didn't move, speak or even look away. Then the faint sound of clicking was heard.

Click, click, click, click…

The sound began to quicken, becoming louder by the second.

"What's that!?" Strickler yelped, looking around.

Ezra elbowed the officer holding him, using his free arm to slam the smoke bomb on the ground.

The entire area blew up in a gray, purplish smoke, leaving everyone around distortented, giving Ezra the perfect chance to run away.

The market erupted into confused yells and screams.

Ezra pulled up his mask to his nose, getting away with the satchel.

"After him!" He heard Strickler scream.

Ezra ran through the people, hopping over two people carrying a wooden box, jumping over wagons, ducking under construction workers. No one made an effort to stop him. He ran through the open stalls, jumping over crates and boxes. He slapped a sign, just for fun.

He almost ran into a green-skinned, wealthy-looking woman and her bird-like accomplice. As he passed them, they looked at eachother, then back at him one last time before they lost sight of him.

Ezra moved like a shadow, slipping away until he ducked into an alleyway away from the chaos.

He hid behind two wooden crates, peaking out to watch the two cops closely. They would find him soon. He panted, lowering his mask. He closed his eyes and pressed his head against the wall.

Don't look this way, don't look this way.

"Calico."

An old woman behind him whispered. She was an old ape-looking alien with vermilion colored fur and light gray eyes, dressed in many different colored cloths and wraps, and a lot of jewelry like long beaded necklaces and fancy rings.

"Come." She said, gesturing with a figure for him to come out back into her shop. Ezra stumbled as he got up, but quickly ran into the alley way shop.

His Uncle always told him to never fully trust alley way shot owners, but these were old friends, practically second family.

"Thanks, Mrs. Miriam." Ezra said. Miriam closed the door. Her store was filled with strange antiques and furniture. Some people say she and her wives are witches, but they actually just sell medicine and are the town's local gossip ladies.

"Hush, child." She ushered him into another room. In said room, three other ladies sat playing cards and whispering into each other's ears.

They went quiet and paused their game when they saw him.

"Ezra Calico!" They all said cheerfully in unison, holding their arms out in welcoming.

"Why look at you!" One of them said, a Mantavors woman named Elisa.

Mantavors are a race of humanoid crustacean and insect-like hybrid creatures.

Elisa grabbed both sides of Ezra's face.

"Look how he's grown, Helen!"

Helen was a Bugardian woman with light brown skin, white hair, and a single green eye. She was probably the most serious out of all her partners. The Bugardians are a race of one-eyed creatures with large ears.

"Aye, I see him." She said, pulling out her cigarette and breathing out some smoke. "Looks just like his mother."

He did look like his mom.

The backs of his ears and his eyelids were black, just like hers-

His nose bridge was slightly dark than the rest of his face, just like hers-

His emerald green eyes, just like hers-

Ezra had grown a lot within those two years- soon to be three with Ezra's twelfth birthday right around the corner.

He wore a long tan colored tunic with short loose sleeves, with cross hatching lacing on the collar; thin, baggy dark gray pants, and old black laced boots. And, as always, his mothers black jacket.

He never cared for looks, not as much as other people. He just had to look unthreatening, and he would get along just fine.

Which is one thing he learned, from both his mom and , who were always two distinctly different people, one reckless and the other responsible.

"Yes, but he acts exactly like his Uncle !" Gabi chimed in. She was a Struthian. Struthians are a race of large flightless bird-like aliens, long necks, and large beaks.

"He looks almost nothing like his father!"

The only thing he got from his father- at least- he thinks he gets this from his father, is his fur being only slightly livelier and darker compared to his mothers, with a few strands in the back of his head leading all the way down to his back being different shades of brown.

Ezra winced, but he continued to let them pick at him. He never knew his father. For all he knew his dad was crushed by the mass of a ship during a storm, or ran off with pirates, the possibilities were endless.

Not that it bothered him much, no one ever really talked about his father, it's almost like he never existed. It wasn't that big of a deal.

Selena kinda served as both his mother and his father, in more ways than just being his only parent.

"Ah, forget his father." Helen spat, breathing out another wad of smoke.

"You know, I always thought that his father was that one guy…" Gabi chimed in.

"Which guy?" Elisa asked, leaning forward. Gabi lightly tugged on Ezra's jacket, pulling him forward.

"She promised to run away with him once he became the richest pirate in the Etherium." Gabi recalled, eyes wide and brows raised dramatically.

"She said that because she knew that sucker would never amount to nothing." Helen said, unamused. "Besides, she was 19 when she met him, she had Ezra when she was like… 25?"

"Well, I wouldn't put it past her." Elisa said, sipping her tea. She leaned in again. "I bet she isn't actually dead, I bet she ran away with him!"

The other two women gasped at her statement. Ezra shifted uncomfortably.

She's gone. Just let her be gone.

"Alright, that's enough." Miriam snapped, grabbing the three ladies' attention. "Don't you know not to talk about Selena when he's around." Miriam scolded. The ladies shut up, looking around awkwardly.

Miriam sighed.

"While we're on the subject of scrutinizing pirates…" Gabi began. "Did you hear about that Arcturian ship?"

"The one that was burnt to a crisp by the time Terran authorities found it?" Helen asked with a frown, but obviously intrigued.

"Yes, yes." Gabi replied. "Do you know who struck it down? Why, it was none other than Captain Nathaniel Flint!"

A name everyone has heard at this point. The notorious pirate captain that sailed the seven galaxies and destroyed any merchant ships in his path? The pirate who's rumored to have stolen so much treasure, it could fill a thousand worlds? The captain who leads his men into raids then vanishing into thin air?

"Well, he certainly is a character." Elisa spoke, looking around the table for sighs of agreement.

"You know that ship that's docking nearby," Gabi said. "The Escardian Jewel?"

The two other women nodded.

"I bet you all five shillings that ship will be gone by the time it leaves port again."

"I'll take that offer." Helen said. Technically, this wager didn't mean much, since they all shared the same bank account and shared their money, but don't question them about it. "There's no way that Captain Flint will take that ship down, he's probably halfway across the galaxy!"

"I second that offer!" Gabi said, taking Helen's side.

"Aye, yai, yai." Miriam sighed, pinching her nose bridge.

"Hey, look…" Ezra started. All eyes were suddenly on him. "I'm meeting Ruckus and Glem at the old observatory, so I gotta get going."

Ezra had two friends who were street runts, Ruckus, real name Rubert Jacobs, and Glem. They weren't his brothers, but he was theirs.

The old observatory was an old scholar building that stood high above Drion. Great view. Drion authorities have yet to knock it down due to its "historical history" so the homeless citizens have made it their playground.

"Now you watch yourself, young Calico." Helen warned, poking him in the chest. "You be glad your name's worth a little something down there, or they would eat you alive."

"I know ma'am." Ezra acknowledged, nodding.

"Why are you out here, anyway?" Elisa asked, tilting her head to the side, eyes fixated on her tea as she stirred it. "Running errands for your Uncle?"

"Y-yes." Ezra stumbled nervously. Unfortunately, he was a horrible liar. The women didn't believe him, and they were about to reprimand him till he told the truth.

"Ok-ok!" Ezra ran a hand down his neck. "I was just… earning some extra cash at the blacksmiths place, and it kinda got outta hand…?"

"That's why two cops were chasing you all the way down main street?" Gabi stirred her tea calmly.

"I- um…" Ezra crossed one foot behind the other, and hid one hand behind his back as he scratched the back of his neck. "It got… complicated?"

"You're exactly like your mother." Helen said, leaning back in her chair. Her eyes narrowed, getting a better look at him. "Splitting image of her at her age too."

"That's what everyone says…" Ezra laughed awkwardly. He almost jumped out of his own skin when Miriam came up behind him.

"Now, run along, boy." Miriam placed two hands on his back shoulders, leading him out the back door. "Take the Back Alley, you'll get there faster."

"Farewell, Calico!" Gabi waved at him. Ezra waved back, then turned to find himself in the Back Alleys.

The Back Alleys are a chain of shops and stalls all lined up against the walls of stores in always behind the mainstream market. Nothing illegal, just small businesses and sketchy looking sellers.

There were also street games, most cards, sometimes marbles, just gambling games. Ezra had mastered all of them thanks to his mothers teachings.

His Uncle never liked it here, but he never spoke badly about it.

The alley ways were lightly covered by a series of different colored sheets tied from one building to another, giving the people cool shadows on this warm day.

Ezra adjusted the satchel on his back with two hands. As he walked through the shops, the owners called out to him.

"Afternoon, Calico!"

"How's your Uncle holding up, Calico?"

"You have time to fix this engine, Calico?"

Like he said, second family.

He waved to each respective voice, calling out their names individually as he greeted them. Ezra decided to take a pit stop before going the extra way.

"Hey, Mrs. Windom!" Ezra said, walking into an old store. An old Canine lady sat in a rocking chair with a shawl on her lap.

"Hm" Windom acknowledged his presence. Ezra pulled out the loaf of bread from his satchel.

"Have you got any 2 by 4 wind up gears? My Uncle needs them for a customer. They won't pay the extra wages for new parts, and you know my , he won't budge." Ezra placed the loaf of bread on the counter.

Here in the back alleys, you didn't need money, you just needed something to trade.

"You tell that Uncle of yours to start defending himself, he can't hold himself like your mother could." Windom says sternly. She leaned back in her chair and yelled. "Grandbaby! We need some 2 by 4's!"

She turned back to Ezra.

"What have you got to trade?"

"I've got this." Ezra patted the loaf of bread. "Fresh. Comes straight from the mainstream market, oh, and this-" Ezra pulled out the blue needed jewelry he stole earlier, and placed it on the counter.

"Hm. That'll do." Windom nodded, her face still shaped in genuine unhappiness.

Just on time, a younger Canine came stumbling out holding two boxes on top of eachother. "Y-yes, grandma!" The young man stuttered nervously.

He placed the two boxes on the ship counter, and panted, exhausted by the simple labor.

"H-hey, Ezra." He smiled, wiping some sweat off his brow. "How've you been?"

"Francis." Ezra greeted him. Francis was Windom's 24 year old grandson. He was very different compared to the tough, cold characters of the back alleys. "I'm heading up to the observatory."

"Ah, the observatory." Francis swooned. "One day, I'll own my own observatory. I'll be out of these slums, I'll graduate and become a rich scholar!"

It wasn't uncommon for people to share their dreams. But it wasn't uncommon for people to destroy the thoughts of those longing for greatness. If Francis confided to anyone else about his dreams, he'd be shut out, not that he wasn't already an outcast amongst outcasts already.

Ezra hummed and nodded along as Francis told him of his grand plans.

"O-oh, here." Francis put around 5, 2 by 4's on the counter. He tipped his cap. "Have a nice day, Ezra."

"You too." Ezra said, pocketing the gears. He pushed the loaf of bread and string of jewelry towards Francis, then left.

He made his way through the mini market place. He admired the games going on, watching poor suckers get scammed.

There's butchers and food stalls, smoke and steam pouring out of each one. There were shops selling all things from knives to obscure jewelry.

All things Ezra knows well. He'd like it to stay this way, even if it wasn't the best life.

Ezra turned a corner, leaving the back alley market.

"Hey, kid." Someone whispered. A skinny man in a black cloak came up to him. Ezra didn't acknowledge his presence, but he knew the man was there. He learned to walk past these types of street buyers. They were scammers and people you didn't want to get involved with.

"Kid." The man said urgently, grabbing Ezra's wrist. Ezra's heart pounded in his chest.

"Hey, watch it!" Ezra tried to pull his wrist away, but the man was surprisingly very strong. Ezra pulled out a switchblade, to which the man hesitated and let go of his arm, stumbling back.

Ezra wasn't gonna hurt him. He didn't like hurting people, but he was going to defend himself if need be.

"What do you want?" Ezra said. "I'm not trading anything, so don't try it!"

"You need…" the man spoke, almost nervously. His voice was hoarse and raspy. "To keep watch… over yourself… they come for people like you… they everywhere! And when they find you, it'll be too late!"

Who?

Ezra stepped back. Alright, this guy was… weird. Probably just some crazy conspiracy theorist, or something.

The guy seemed… lost. Insane, maybe, but mostly scared.

Ezra held out the switchblade for a few moments, before bolting, running down the alleyways, taking multiple turns left and right.

He had to get to Ruckus and Glem.

-

The observatory was an old building, several decades old. It was pretty high, with a glass dome on top facing the setting sun. Half of the building was either rubble, and the majority of it was covered in vines and weeds.

He climbed his way up the half destroyed stairs. When he reached the top, he was greeted with a big messy room, half of the ceiling being a big glass window. The window was broken, creating somewhat of a balcony.

he came across a half destroyed balcony. Ezra stopped, and slowly took a step forward. Plants had grown over it and it was missing some of its railing.

Ezra peered over the edge, seeing how they were several stories above the ground. He looked back up at the view. He could probably see the entire town from here, and half of the space ports.

The observatory itself was surrounded by trees and woodland, which is rather uncommon for the cities of Drion, but everyone assumes the old owner didn't like people that much.

He carefully placed the satchel down, and took a seat. The sun was beginning to set, and it made the city more beautiful than it was.

"Hey, Ezra!" A voice called out from behind him. A gecko alien boy came up to him, wearing a blue vest over a dirty white shirt that popped out against his dark yellow skin, and dark brown pants. He wore a pair of goggles, one of the lenses was cracked, and a black headband holding up his messy brown hair under it. He also wore black gloves that ended at his knuckles.

This was Ruckus. He was 15 years old, and Ezra's self proclaimed mentor. He was a street kid, no parents and nowhere to call home, but he seemed happy with his way of life.

Next to him, a moth alien walked quietly next to their rowdy friend. This was Glem.

They were a colorful creature, with pink, purple and yellow tattered wings, and a fuzzy small body. They wore a black shirt and tan overalls, and a gray spacer's cap over their short light pink hair. They lacked shoes, but it didn't pose much of a problem, they preferred it that way.

Glem was 14 and also had no parents or no home, so they stuck with Ruckus. They've probably known each other their whole lives.

Glem rarely talked, only ever speaking if threaten or scared

The two took a seat next to Ezra.

"What's up, Calico!" Ruckus gave Ezra's shoulder a nudge with his fist. "How's Etherium's third best street thief doing?"

According to Ruckus, the best street thief was himself, second being Glem, but this was just the living list.

"Eh." Ezra shrugged. "Good, I guess."

Ruckus wrapped an arm around Ezra. "This is it, man." He pointed to a big mansion. Half of it was being prepared to be taken down for remodeling, it'll be empty in a year's time.

"Can you imagine how much stuff is in there? Just ready for the taking? I'm betting fancy necklaces, silver spoons and fancy paintings of old people! And better yet, the Mr and Mrs are gonna be out of town by then!"

"You're not planning on robbing the place?" Ezra turned to him, eyes wide. "There's gonna be cops surrounding the place, day and night."

"Ah, come on, don't be a baby! I'm just kidding." Ruckus laughed, shaking Ezra slightly. His voice began to somber. "I ain't stupid. I've already got cops trying to shoot me down for breathing."

"Ha heh… about that…" Ezra rubbed his neck nervously. "I might need to stay in the streets for a little while…"

"What did you do?" Ruckus asked, now very interested.

"I tried to shoplift some stuff, and I kinda… got caught?" Ezra explained sheepishly.

"Damn! The son of Selena Cal getting caught for something as simple as shoplifting?" Ruckus gasped over dramatically, draping himself over Ezra, crushing him. "I'd never thought I'd see the day!"

Ruckus had looked up to Selena Calico, given she was a big name for the street runt 'community'. To him, she was the best pickpocket on the planet. Ruckus even based his own short and messy hairstyle on hers.

Ruckus was devastated by Selena's passing.

"Phft- stop!" Ezra laughed, pushing Ruckus away. "It wasn't that bad. I'll be more careful next time."

"Hey, you better, man." Ruckus said sternly. Ruckus was getting oddly serious. "Sometimes there ain't a next time."

He stared at Ezra, something in his expression cracked, and he burst out laughing. "I'm playing again!"

Ezra let out a sigh of relief, and laughed. Glem laughed lightly too. Ezra grabbed his satchel, and pulled out the two purps, passing one to Ruckus and the other to Glem.

"Ah, sweet!" Ruckus took one big bite out of his, then savored the taste. "Life can't get better than this. I mean look at us! We used to be sleeping next to lamp posts or in peoples houses, but now we're leaving our best lives with no one to tell us what we can't do, and-" Ruckus gestured to all the observatory's textbooks. "Free education!"

There were two makeshift beds in the back of the room. Most of the furniture in the observatory was there originally and was collecting dust before Ruckus and Glem began calling it home.

"Did you hear about the Escardian Jewel?" Ezra asked, remembering his conversation from earlier.

"The what-ah-what?" Ruckus tilted his head, genuinely confused.

"It's a ship that's docked nearby." Ezra explained. "Gabi and Helen are betting if it'll get raided by Captain Flint or not when it leaves port again."

"Captain Flint!?" Ruckus jumped up. He grabbed a homemade wooden sword, and pointed it at Ezra. "Surrender, soldier, or I'll cut this weapon through yer throat, and take all yer gold and glory!"

"You're on!" Ezra grabbed another wooden sword, and struck first.

They went back and forth for a while, laughter filling the abandoned observatory. It was moments like these that they treasured, because this was the closest thing they would ever get to treasure.

They weren't skilled or good at these childish spars, but it was fun, going back and forth, considering a light touch of a sword a full blow.

"Why do I always have to be the commander?" Ezra asked, holding his ground as Ruckus's swords pressed down into his own.

"Because I don't wanna be, obviously." Ruckus rolled his eyes. Ruckus was older, so in his books, everything he says goes.

Glem watched their banter from afar, sitting down on a nearby table. They weren't a fan of swords, they were more of a pistol kinda guy.

They clapped when Ezra got a hit on Ruckus' leg.

"Oh!" Ruckus gasped, holding his leg. "I've been hit! One day, soldier, I'll come back to free all my brothers and sisters from your merciless prisons! Justice will triumph! Mark my words!"

Ezra and Glem laughed at Ruckus's show-worthy performance.

"I shan't not die like this!" Ruckus fell to the ground, draping an arm over his forehead. Ezra chuckled, rolling his eyes.

"Alright, come on, you've had your fun." Ezra offered a hand. Ruckus took it, then pulled Ezra down, pushing his sword between Ezra's arm and waist.

"Aha!" Ruckus cheered triumphantly. He stood up, placing his hands on his hips. "I win once again!"

"Hey, no fair!" Ezra yelled, but he couldn't help but smile. The two got up, dusting off.

"You're getting better, maybe one day, you'll get even closer to beating me." Ruckus said smugly.

"I'm pretty sure that was pretty close." Ezra replied, smiling proudly. He had never gotten that close to beaten Ruckus before, even if it was a trick to lower his guard.

"Eh… Ok, I'll give it to ya, this time." Ruckus shrugged, setting the sword down.

"Hey, this is private property!" Someone from below yelled.

Ruckus, Glem, and Ezra all look at eachother.

"Phf- since when." Ruckus chuckled, looking down the stairs. His face fell immediately. "It's the cops, hurry, let's get out of here!" He whispered, ushering Glem and Ezra away from the stairs.

"Hands up, now!" The cops began piling into the building, their footsteps echoing through the observatory.

"Now!" Ruckus pushed them all out the window. Glem grabbed Ruckus and Ezra by their shirts. Using their wings, Glem was able to show their fall.

They roughly fell on the dirt path leading up to the observatory, but it was a softer landing than just jumping out of the building without Glem, of course the jump was not without its bumps and bruises, though.

They scrambled up, running once again.

"Let's get outta here!" Ezra yelled, looking back at the observatory with a worried look. The three children ran as fast as they could down the path and back into town.

Their heavy breaths were soon replaced by laughter and wheezing. They made it all the way to the docks, the poorer side of them.

"The abandoned warehouse is just down the way!" Ezra said, pointing down a more 'left for scraps' area. "I've gotta get back!"

"Aye, aye, Captain Calico!" Ruckus yelled back. Him and Glem jumped the fencing around the abandoned port, getting smaller and smaller as they ran towards the warehouse.

-

Night had completely fallen as Ezra raced across his family's port.

The lights in his house were on. It was a two story house, all personal rooms kept on the second floor, like the bathroom and bedroom, while the kitchen, office, work and storage rooms were on the first.

Ezra hurriedly ran into his family's house, skidding to a stop as he entered. Adrenaline was still pumping through him, making his heart race and breath rapid.

He pulled out the multiple 2 by 4's and placed them on the kitchen counter.

There was a letter on the counter. It was open. Ezra carefully slid out its contents. He read through the paper, his eyes widening as he reached the last sentence.

It was an eviction notice.

No. No, no, no…

Not again.

There was a sick feeling in Ezra's stomach.

Why is he just hearing about this now?

"Evening, Ezra." Dyrek, Ronan's "best friend" tipped his hat as he leaned back in a kitchen chair. Dyrek was a somewhat tall, skinny, desaturated yellow fish looking man, with gills running down his face and yellow eyes. He wore baggy brown pants, a light purple shirt and a red jacket with black boots.

He's what Selena Calico would describe as a "pathetic, sketchy, business man".

For the past few years, Dyrek has been lurking around their house. Ezra's been assuming that Dyrek and Ronan were secretly engaged with each other, but that wouldn't make sense because they should know that Ezra wouldn't care.

Dyrak was an old friend of the family's, a bit of an ass maybe, but he was a good friend. Dyrak's been helping out at the space port for a while, he finally convinced Ronan to partner up with him.

Ezra quickly puts the envelope back, pretending he never even saw it.

"Hey." Ezra said. Dyrek has been around since Ezra was a baby, and was kinda like an Uncle to him, despite Dyrek pretending he didn't like Ezra. "Is Uncle Ronan around?"

"Yup, fetching something from the office. Why, you need something?"

"Oh, no." Ezra brushed him off. Dusk stared at Ezra' looking at him up and down with an almost amused expression.

"Me, Ruckus and Glem were… out." Ezra looked over his dirty clothes and the scratches all over his skin.

"Out, huh?" Dyrek let out an amused huff. Ezra had been out all day. The sun had now fully set, and the sky was a clear nebula. "Yer Uncles gonna be pleased to see this."

Ezra stared at Dyrek silently. "I got caught by Strickler, it's not that big of a deal." He whispered, turning away, but Dyrek heard him still.

"Strickler, ay?" Dyrek took a swig from the bottle on the table. Dyrek had gotten Ronan into drinking, to which Ezra despised, even though his own mother drank a lot. "That old fish face still whining?"

"You should know, isn't he your brother?" Ezra dug through the cabinets, looking for the medical supplies. Where is that damn med kit?

"Ouch." Dyrek hissed, taking another drink. "I'm not that foul faced. At least yer Uncle don't think so."

"Yeah, yeah, we get it, you're in love with my Uncle, blah, blah, blah."

"I ain't in love with yer Uncle- gah!" Dyrek huffed, throwing his hands up in frustration. "Does Ronan know what happened at the market today?"

Ezra froze.

"What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean, kid." Dyrek lit another cigarette. "That was obviously your handiwork."

Ezra went quiet. He stood up, staring at Dyrek like this was a foreknown betrayal.

"I've got to hand it to ya," Dyrek smiled. "Rather impressive for someone your age."

"Were you there?" Ezra shifted uncomfortably, crossing his arms.

"No." Dyrek shrugged. "Heard it was quite the show, though."

"And what of it? Are you gonna tell me what I'm doing is wrong?" Ezra

"Ain't my place to tell you what to do, I guess." Dyrek shrugged. "Your Uncle might not be so happy, just saying."

"I'm aware." Ezra said, attempting not to come off as too displeased with Dyrek's response. "Don't tell Uncle Ronan-"

"Ezra!"

Ezra and Dyrak quickly turned their attention to the man stepping out of the living room.

Ronan, looking as stressed and tired as ever, stood holding a few papers in his right hand. He looked relieved to see his nephew, but it was soon replaced with confusion after Ronan got a good look at Ezra.

"Ezra, what happened to you?" Ronan rushed to him. He cupped Ezra's face with his large stone hands, pushing the boy's hair back. "You look like you've been through hell and back."

"Eh." Ezra pulled away. "I'm fine."

"Dyrek, where's the med kit?" Ronan wasn't giving up his worried parental act just yet.

"Somewhere in the bathroom, I think." Dyrek sat up. "I'll go get it." He said as he left the room.

"Alright." Ronan said worriedly. He turned back to Ezra. "Come on, let's get you to the couch."

"Uncle, I said I was fine-"

"Look at you!" Ronan raised his voice, and immediately regretted it, looking down at the ground, ashamed. "Please… just sit down."

"Ok."

Ronan led him to the couch, his hands still firmly on Ezra's shoulders. "Alright, easy now." Ronan said.

He knelt down in front of Ezra, examining his hands. "What did you do to yourself…"

"Uncle, I was just hanging out with Ruckus and Glem, and we were just messing around."

"Yeah, messing around, is that what you call it these days?" Ronan said sternly, standing up. "Strickler came by today."

"I-" Ezra got up, wanting to explain himself, but Ronan shut him down.

"No, I don't care what explanation you have- what were you thinking!?" He scolded. Ezra's mouth was open, but no words came out. He sat back down, his head hanging low.

"I don't know." He shrugged, his voice quiet.

Ronan sighed, getting back on one knee, taking Ezra's small hands into his.

"Ezra, you don't have to be like your mom."

Ezra looked up with a face of regret. Ronan put his hands on Ezra's shoulders.

"Please. Don't be like her." Ronan pleaded. Ezra hated that look. He was just trying to help. He hated that his Uncle pretended that Ezra didn't see all the bills and eviction notices piling up, or the old rum bottles and cigarettes hiding in the trash can.

Ezra hated the fact that Ronan tried to conceive both of them that Selena was still out there, and that she would come home one day

Ezra lowers his head in guilt.

"Ok."

-

The next day…

Ronan cleaned off his hands with his apron, oil smudging its pale brown cloth.

He wiped the sweat from his brow and sighed.

He never thought he'd see the day he'd have to sell his family's beloved sail boat. He did his best to make sure it looked its best, giving it a new coat of paint, and a new engine.

He stepped back, and placed his hands on his hips and looked proudly at his work. He smiled widely for the first time in a long time, but it was still a sad smile.

He should get Dyrak to come see this. "Hey, Ezra, come see the boat, I think I outdid myself this time-"

He went silent as he watched the young boy through the open window. Ezra was slumped over the kitchen table, pushing around the Star light. It had been so long since Selena's disappearance and Ezra had spent hours on the damn thing.

Ronan had tried so many times to make everything work, but it was a fruitless effort. He could fix engines, and he could fix ship parts, but he couldn't fix that.

"Hey, bud. You alright?" Ronan placed a gentle hand on Ezra's shoulder.

After the first few days of Selena's absence, Ezra was completely fine, a bit bored, but… then after the first two months, he began to shut down, he didn't leave the house, unless it was to mess around in the streets, and becoming a carbon copy of his mother for some type of comfort.

-And Ronan wasn't much help, he too became emotionally distant in that time period.

It was one of his biggest regrets, leaving Ezra to deal with his emotions alone because Ronan himself was too distraught to deal with his own.

Ezra didn't even look at him, humming in response. Ronan stayed silent, chewing on his lip. He patted the young feline on the back, then shoved his hands into his pockets. "I'll, uh… talk to you later, then."

There was a knock at the door. "Give me a 'sec." Ronan went to open the door. "It's probably the buyers-"

Ronan's mouth hangs open. He got the sudden urge to slam the door, but he couldn't move.

"Ezra… go to your room."

Ezra nodded. He couldn't see who was at the door, so he shrugged, grabbed the starlight, and ran up to his room.

Ronan waited until he heard the door of Ezra's room close. "What are you doing here?"

"Mr. Sterling." The woman stepped into his house. She was obviously wealthy. A long dark green dress fitting neatly against her light green skin. Her white gloved hands fidgeted with her rust colored shawl.

Following her, a short, stubby, bird-like man joined them.

"You've got some nerve showing up here, Mrs. Harrison." Ronan growled, shutting the door behind him.

"You know me, perfect." She smiled.

"Oh, how could I not?" He glared at her.

"Take a seat, Mr. Sterling." She calmly said, all four yellow eyes narrowing as she got a good look at him. "And call me Eleanor."

"Don't tell me what to do in my own house." Ronan took a seat anyway, arms crossed over his chest, one of his legs crossed over the other.

Eleanor put on a fake smile. Her assistant pulled out a chair for her. She slipped her shawl off of her shoulders, revealing naked shoulders and neck. A familiar golden locket rested on her upper chest. Her hands rested on her lap and shawl as she sat down. "Mr. Sterling, we have many things to discuss."

"Yeah, well, I don't want to 'discuss' anything with you, so how about you just leave now." Ronan sneered, leaning forward.

"How dare you!" The bird assisted snapped, pointing an accusing finger at Ronan. "You listen here, Mr. Sterling-"

"Lucius." Eleanor cut him off, sending him a glare. "Please step outside, if you will." That wasn't a request, it was a demand.

"B-but my lady, you can't seriously-" Lucius stammered. Ronan almost let out a petty laugh.

"This is a private conversation between me and Mr. Sterling, now please, exit." She waved him off, nudging his shoulder towards the door.

"But-"

"Now, Lucius." Her voice raised. She turned away from him. "Don't make me ask again."

With that, Lucius shut up, grumbling as he walked out of the house.

There was silence between Eleanor and Ronan. Eleanor cleared her throat, striking up basic conversation.

"How have you been holding up?"

"Are you seriously asking me that!?" Ronan snapped. "What do you think!?"

"I was just-"

Ronan stood up and went off. "My sisters been missing for years, who knows where she is- she could be dead-" his thoughts drifted. 'Trafficked or kidnapped maybe, what if she's still alive waiting for him to come find her!?'

"-And I'm taking care of everything on my own, the space port, her son-"

"I'm actually her to talk about that." Eleanor interrupted.

"What about?" Ronan stopped, lifting an eyebrow.

"The boy." Eleanor said in a hushed voice. She covered her mouth with her fan.

"You leave Ezra out of this, you hear me?" Ronan sat back down, his finger jabbing in Eleanor's direction as a threat.

"Mr. Sterling, you and I both know you can't support yourself and a child." She stated.

"We're getting along just fine, thank you." Ronan crossed his arms again.

Eleanor glanced around the current room they were in, and side eyed him.

"Ok, it looks bad, I know, but we're doing fine. We're living honestly by making an honest living."

"Can you afford schooling for the boy?" Eleanor asked, pulling out a fan, lightly fanning herself as she avoided eye contact with him.

"Well, I-" Ronan stammered. "He's been homeschooled his entire life, by me."

"I've come to learn that you and Selena didn't go to school, correct?" Eleanor stared at him, her fan covering half of her face. "Only that you were partially schooled by the orphanage you grew up in."

Ronan's eyes widened.

"How much did Selena tell you!?"

"Enough." She looked back into the kitchen. "Do you have any tea?"

"I don't know how Selena stands you." Ronan growled, getting up and disappearing out of Eleanor's view. He came back several minutes later with a cup of tea, trying his best not to slam it down onto the wooden table in front of her.

Eleanor mumbled her thanks, sipping the tea. She carefully put the cup back down. She pulled out a letter, clearly old and weathered. It had clearly been opened before this interaction. She placed it in front of Ronan, who eyed it warily.

"What's this?" He grabbed the letter, in a hurry, he tore it open. His eyes narrowed, then widened as he read its contents.

He laughed. "Are you serious?" Tears formed in his eyes as he continued to laugh. "You have to be joking."

He slammed the letter down on the table. He stopped laughing, his tone of voice angry and threatening.

"There's no way in hell I'm giving you Ezra. I don't give a damn what that letter says, you're not getting him."

"You can't do this on your own-"

"Oh, yes I can." Ronan said. "And I've been doing it for years. You don't just get to come in here, and take him away from me, just because you think you and my sister had something." He laughed. He couldn't believe this. Not only does this lady think she can take his nephew from him, the letter from his dead sister wants him to give Ezra to her when they were about to get evicted.

"I don't care what you felt for my sister-"

"I loved her!" Eleanor slammed her hands down into the table, her cup of tea shaking at the sudden movement. For the first time in this interaction she finally showed some sentimentality.

"So did I." Ronan scoffed. He chuckled and wiped the tears from his eyes. "No. No, you will not take him from me. He's the only thing I've got."

"Oh, please." Eleanor threw her hands up as she spoke in a mocking tone of voice.

"What would your husband think of this?" Ronan let out a pitiful laugh. "I thought he'd be too scared to send you off on your own, now that he knows what you like to do in your free time."

"Harrison knows nothing. He's never home, nor does he have the time. So, I may go and do as I please." She stated. "He also doesn't let me go out alone, I have my assistant and four guards with me." She whispered.

"Wow, how troublesome that must be for you, getting to do whatever you want without a care in the world, I wonder how that must feel." Ronan mocked, legs now crossed. "You really think you can come into my home and take my nephew just because your husband doesn't pay enough attention to you. You already took my sister from me, what more do you want from my family?"

"Your family!? You're willing to sacrifice that boy's future for your happiness!?" Eleanor's voice raised.

"What are you talking about!?" He yelled, taken aback.

"Wealthy merchants from all over are buying out space ports! In less than a year, all single or family owned Drion space ports will be completely owned by one company, all its residents kicked out. If you keep holding onto this port of yours, you'll end up nowhere but the streets, or a scrappy bar for suck ups!" She said. She crossed her arms. "You know this, or atleast, you should."

"I…" Ronan's breathing slowed. He rested his head on one hand. He thought back to all the bills and eviction notices. "…Am aware… of the RLS Cargo's proposal."

"I can give the boy a life." She really emphasizes the 'life' part. For a second she looked sorry, but such an expression changed into one of disappointment. "Something you can't give."

Ronan stayed silent, knowing she was right. Eleanor continued:

"He could go to school, and get a proper education- he could have a chance in this galaxy."

Ronan sunk into his chair even more. There was a moment of silence.

"You and I both know he'll get taken, especially once they trace yesterday's market incident back to him." Eleanor said, in a tone as low as a stern whisper.

When there was no reply, she cleared her throat, and sat up. "I'll leave you to it then."

She made her way to the door.

"He'll be ready in ten minutes." Ronan croaked, his throat dry. He didn't look up to meet her gaze. Eleanor nodded and smiled reassuringly. As she left the house, the last thing she heard before shutting the door was the sound of a choked out sob.

-

Ezra sat quietly in his room, his ear against the door. He couldn't hear much, just some yelling and the front door shutting.

He heard the sound of Ronan coming up the stairs and he rushed to sit on his bed.

"Ezra." Ronan slowly opened the door. There was a look on his face that Ezra didn't like. It made Ezra nervous.

"Yeah, Uncle Ronan?" He said as he got up.

"I… I'm gonna need you to pack your things."

Ezra tilted his head to the side.

"What?"

"Just- please do this for me."

"You're… you're getting rid of me?" It sounded like an accusation. It was the exact opposite, Ronan just needed to explain, but…

How does he explain this?

"No, no, I'm not!" Ronan reassured. "I'm-" Ronan knelt down to Ezra, placing both of his hands on Ezra's shoulders. "You're going to stay somewhere for a little bit."

"But-" Ezra objected. "I don't want to! I don't wanna go! I won't! You can't make me-"

"Ezra, stop!" Ronan yelled. The room fell into a heavy silence. Ronan immediately regretted raising his voice. "Please… do this for me."

His head hung low. "If you don't like it, you can come right back- just, please… it's just for a little bit."

Ezra didn't seem convinced.

"Is this because of mom?" He looked down at the ground.

"It's because…" Ronan stopped. He couldn't do this, he couldn't let Ezra go, he couldn't-

He pulled Ezra into a tight hug. "You deserve everything, Ezra." He pulled away. "You deserve a chance to be something, someone."

Ronan put a hand to Ezra's cheek. "And I can't give you that."

Ronan swallowed harshly.

When he looked down at Ezra's hurting face, he couldn't say anymore. He couldn't take it. He chews his lip as looks away.

"What about my friends…?" Ezra asked quietly, as he stepped back, crossing his arms, looking away.

"I'm… I'm afraid you don't have the time to say goodbye." Ronan admitted.

"Oh." Ezra turned his back to Ronan.

"Ezra…?" Ronan looked up.

"Just give me a minute." Ezra said quietly, as he slowly made his way to grab his bag.

"Alright." Ronan sighed. He looked back at Ezra one more time before closing the door behind him.

-

Eleanor sat quietly in the carriage. The fan continued to hide her face, hiding her frown as she fanned herself.

Perhaps she had gone too far. But the letter from Selena read that Eleanor must do whatever it takes to give her son the life he deserves.

She was just doing what was right. She thinks. She grumbled, closing the fan, and rubbing her temple.

Lucius climbs into the carriage, sitting down across from her. "I don't know how you deal with such-" He paused for a moment. "People."

"Lucius." She warned, holding up a hand to silence him.

Lucius swallowed his words and sat there quietly.

After minutes of silence, there was a commotion outside. Eleanor peaked out of the carriage. Ronan and a young boy came out of the house, walking towards them.

The young boy clearly didn't have many belongings, all of his essentials packed in a brown bag.

Ronan didn't say anything when his and Eleanor's eyes met. Ronan's eye were puffy, his cheeks wet. He looked away, and down at Ezra. He knelt down to his dear nephew. He placed both his hands on the younglings shoulders.

"It's just for a bit, ok?"

Without any words, Ronan helps Ezra up into the carriage. "This…" he was gonna say nice, but he wasn't gonna step that low. "Lady… is gonna take care of you for a while."

Ronan attempted to make the situation as less unfortunate as possible. "You'll finally get to go to school."

"I'll be back." Ezra's face hardened, as much as a nine year olds face can.

Ronan chuckled.

"I know."

Ronan took Ezra's small hands into his own. Ronan took a golden ring from his pocket and placed it into the palms of Ezra's hands.

Ronan closed Ezra's hands, folding them on top of the ring.

"Take care of that. It's your mothers."

"I know." Ezra slipped the ring onto his finger.

Ezra begrudgingly shifted into his seat next to Eleanor.

"Hi…" He sunk into his seat. Eleanor smiled, and held out her hand. Ezra shook it, then quickly pulled away his hand.

"Hello there. My name is Eleanor Harrison. Your mother spoke very fondly of you."

Ezra's ear perked up. "You knew my mom!?"

"Yes, very well. She spoke of you often." Ezra's mood shifted, seemingly happier and more relaxed than he was before.

Ezra looked at his Uncle again. Ronan had taken several steps away from the carriage.

The carriage started moving.

Ezra waved, and he waved back. They both kept waving till they could no longer see each other.

"Where are we going?" Ezra asked when he turned back to Eleanor.

Eleanor looked straight ahead at the wall of the carriage, sitting up straight. She smiled fondly.

"Home."