And it’s there, beyond the forest bathed in the moonlight, right next to the glowing waters of a river, that you see them.

Abodes made of white stones, artificial stars twinkling in the streets, giving light to people wearing white clothes and blue symbols. Nearby, a giant tower with its roof made of glass watches the sky in silence.

Their necks are adorned by the lights of the feathers of your brethren, gifts given to this tribe of people so dear to you.

The Star Menders, the actual ones.

Upon hearing the beats of your wings, a few of them raise their heads towards you and your friend, while the boy points at the ground.

He is trembling.

You cannot help but feel an odd sense of joy. He so wants to return to the ground below, but you cannot help but feel happy despite his fear, and your heart suddenly bursts with a feeling of pink, like the nose of a cat. It feels like when the mother fox grooms her pup in the safety of their den, when a human mother lulls their child to sleep.

You are careful when approaching the ground and you let him go, before you finally land.

Star Menders approach you, eyes full of surprise and joy, and you cannot ignore their awe and reverence at your appearance.

You strain your ear, but you do not hear the Star Hunters anymore, and it dawns on you that you and your friend are safe.

Your friend seems enthralled by the sight of the Star Menders, a smile on his face so big and bright that his teeth are showing, and they seem glad to see such a curious face.

But he must be cautious.

You poke your friend on the shoulder and he turns towards you, before you kneel on the ground and use your claw to depict lines. You depict weapons that pierce and weapons that spit fire, held by the Star Hunters. You make sure to make them as scary as you can manage, with pointy teeth and clawed hands. You depict a star in the sky like you have seen your friend depict them at the very start of your journey: a shape with five points, and a line behind it.

Then, your friend, far away from them all. You point at the Star Hunters, then at the star, then at your friend’s little figure.

Leave this place as soon as you can. The Star Hunters are skilled at following the trails of their prey.

Your friend looks at the lines you just made, ignoring the order you just pointed them in, and instead focuses on the horde of people holding weapons. Then, his eyes wide in realization and he nods. He uses his finger to depict a line that encircles his little figure, like a bubble, and then he depicts a line that points far away.

I will be safe, you think he means to say. His smile carries a meaning that words cannot convey, and you trust him to know the dangers of his own people.

A small group of Star Menders is watching the little depiction you made, some of them with squinted eyes and others with their heads tilted, when one of them nods in comprehension. He kneels down next to your friend and uses his finger to depict the Star Menders’ symbol right next to the line starting from your friend’s little figure.

Then, the Star Mender looks at you, smiling.

Both you and your friend look at him with eyes wide, as the boy’s head bounces from him to the depiction on the ground. He utters words, while pointing at himself, and the Star Menders nods. He then turns around towards his fellow men, and they all nod.

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

You understand. The Star Menders have taken the boy as one of their own, despite his upbringing. He has saved a star, therefore he is a Star Mender, much more honest than the fake one you met.

Your heart finally tranquil, you stand on your legs once more, when something hits you. It’s not a powerful hit: if anything, it’s quite pleasant. You lower your gaze and find your friend wrapping his arms around your body and burying his head in your chest.

Something wet falls on your feathers, right where your friend’s head is.

You stand still, unsure on what to do, when finally you remember seeing this gesture between humans. Mothers with their children, children with their friends.

You wrap your arms around the child, and the urge to squeeze him a bit overwhelms you. After a few seconds, you decide to indulge in it.

He doesn’t seem to mind.

When he finally lets you go, a sudden sense of cold pervades your body, even though you do not feel cold. Curious.

Your friend’s eyes are red and his nose is a bit wet, but he is smiling as he looks at you, before rubbing his hand on his face.

He utters words that you recognize. You often heard them after humans had finished their prayers. You understand them.

“Thank you.”

You stars never had the need of words but, right now, you wish you could utter sounds like humans do, to say “thank you” back.

This human child has saved you, more than once. He was the one who has struck you, true, but he has done anything in his power to amend his mistake. This child has shown you another way to live, unbound by the rules that bind mortal beings.

And the ones that bind you.

Humans can change. And so can you.

Stars have always followed the ancestral laws, but your actions have not been the first time they have been broken. You realize that you do not want to go back to your old view of existence, so small and cramped. You briefly wonder if any other stars would be ecstatic at the idea of meeting with humans.

You bow your head, like you saw humans do sometimes, and look at the Star Menders once more.

You now understand.

Your friend is saying goodbye to you.

Reality dawns on you.

You raise your head to the sky. The first rays of sunlight pierce the veil of the night, but some of your kin are still visible in the pale blue above you.

You look at your friend once more, and take in every little detail of his appearance. The hair is the color of the grain fields. The eyes are the color of a spring river. The body so small, but his spirit so fierce. His clothes now are less confusing that those you have met him with the first time, but the garments of the Star Hunters are not how you want to remember him with, so you ignore them.

Your friend nods, before brushing you off with his hand, a smile on his face.

You trust the Star Menders will treat him well.

He will have much to learn, under their care. And you also have much to do, once you’ll be back to the skies. You intend to let your kind learn from your tale.

You open your wings once more, and take flight.