Fallen Star sat in his birthgiver’s dingy, gray room. Unlike the palatial black marble lined with golden adornments of his personal quarters, Anya Payne’s room was a dank box with a cheap wooden slab of a bed and rags for blankets. Where Fallen Star’s room had an exquisite painting on the ceiling that shifted to show the time of day, Anya Payne’s room had a popcorn ceiling and a single white light that looked like an eyeball. Or a breast. At the center of her wooden door was a drawing of one of Mr. Ares’ runic symbols. Fallen Star wasn’t sure why, but looking at them always creeped him out. Anya Payne had noticed this somehow and began hanging her sheets in front of the door whenever he would arrive.

“I still remember the first day I snuck out of Harrowstead with Sidney. She clung to me like a baby kangaroo” Anya Payne had been saying.

Fallen Star looked up from his seat on her lap. “Who is Sidney? And what is a kangaroo? The scholars have yet to teach me of those things.”

Anya Payne smiled and gently caressed his head. “Sidney is my sister, remember? And kangaroos are animals with pouches in their bellies. They’re cute, but they kick really hard!”

“Like Miss Limos?”

“Like Miss Limos!”

The two shared a laugh. “I see. Now, birthgiver, I demand you tell me more about this Sidney.”

And so she did. Growing up, Anya and Sidney Payne were both inseparable. They went everywhere together, doing everything together. As she spoke, Fallen Star noticed that she smiled in a way that he’d never seen from her. He hadn’t seen anyone smile like that. How was it possible for someone to look sad while they smiled?

”We were partners. Thick as thieves. We were… we…” She stuttered, staring down at Fallen Star as if in a new light. “We were… family. We were family… We were family…! We were family! We were family!” Anya Payne’s voice broke. “Oh, Sidney. How could I have forgotten about you? We were a family! We weren’t supposed to be split apart. What am I doing here? This isn’t family at all!”

“What are you talking about, birthgiver? This is a family.”

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

Anya Payne didn’t respond. Instead, she hugged onto Fallen Star as if he were about to be blown away by a hurricane.

“Birthgiver. I order you to stop crying.”

Nothing. She continued to sob. Seeing his birthgiver like that made something in Fallen Star snap. Unsure what to do, he did all he could.

“I… stop crying… You’re going to make me cry…!”

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry…!”

Anya Payne hadn’t stopped, and Fallen Star only got worse. The two held each other and cried in each other’s arms. Fallen Star wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but when they’d gathered their composure he heard sounds from the nearby kitchen ramping up. It was about time for dinner, but Fallen Star wasn’t exactly in the mood to eat.

“This isn’t family…?” Fallen Star found himself asking.

His birthgiver, the woman who had the same silver hair and gray eyes as him, the one who he’d felt the closest to aside from Mr. Ares, looked down at him with an expression he could hardly describe.

“No, Fallen Star. It isn’t. You won’t find family outside of this room.”

“So we’re family?”

“Yes, Fallen Star, we are. I promise. We are.”

“What does family mean?

“I’m sorry, but that isn’t something I’m capable of answering anymore. You’ll have to find that out for yourself in the world outside.”

With those words, Fallen Star had made his mind up. He’d been toying around with the idea for weeks but knew that if it failed it’d make Mr. Zelos angry. Seeing his birthgiver cry and hearing those words, though… He knew he didn’t have a choice anymore. Fallen Star would escape from his home, and he’d figure out for himself what “family” meant. Now, though, he decided that he’d bring Anya Payne with him once he was confident in his ability to break in and out on a whim.

“Our meeting today was most enjoyable. I, however, will unfortunately be unable to meet with you tomorrow. I have… er… math homework. It is quite difficult, and I will need a day to work through it.”

Anya Payne smiled once again in a way Fallen Star could hardly recognize. She looked happy, but she also looked at him like she’d caught his hand in the cookie jar. His birthgiver placed a hand on his head and ruffled his hair a bit. “I hope you enjoy your math homework, Fallen Star. I look forward to hearing all about it when you finish.”

“I will return with tales–… Wait, I mean… I’ll, uh, show you my work. Please look forward to it.”