Author's Note: This is essentially my first story. It's not the first story I ever made, but it is the first one I ever got really into. This first bit was written several years ago, back in Junior High, and is basically unchanged since them. Please be kind.

He wasn't anyone's child. He wasn't important. Nobody cared enough to give him a real name. When he was wanted they called for him by what he was - a crow. And so Crow became his name. Became more than what he was. Became who he was.

The boy perched on the roof of a crumbling building, several stories above street level. He surveyed the streets surrounding him with a faint disgust; hating this part of the city despite, or perhaps because of, the fact that it was his home. Sunset was nearing and even as he watched some of the inhabitants of Downtown began to stir and emerge from their daytime dens.
The boy could hear a conversation rising from the creatures below. He listened as the vampires boasted of whom and how they had eaten the night before, then turned away with a sick feeling in his stomach. He no longer wanted to be there. Preparing to fly off, the boy suddenly noticed another movement, this in the street that opened up across from his building. It was a girl, a human girl, not one of the creatures that inhabited this part of town. She seemed very unhappy and more than a little frightened, and she was heading right for the vampires in the street below. The boy launched himself from his perch and sped towards the girl.

The girl was lost and she might as well admit it. She was disgusted with herself. She had only lived her entire life in Maronx, but now had no idea where she was. Well, that wasn't true, she had to be in Downtown but she honestly hadn't the slightest idea of how to get home. As if this weren't already enough of a nightmare, now the sun was going down. Damn! Damn! Damn! If only she hadn't been so preoccupied with her dad's rally and . . . well, other things, she would never have taken a wrong turn.
In the midst of these thoughts the girl registered that there were voices coming from the street up ahead. At the same moment she noticed the large black bird swooping towards her. She ducked as it barely cleared her head and, turning to see where it had gone, caught sight of its transformation into a human boy. Before she could react, he had one hand over her mouth, her arms pinned to her sides, and was dragging her into the shadows behind a dumpster.
As the girl struggled in vain against his grip a voice hissed into her ear, "Would you like to stay alive or would you rather let the vampires know there's an easy meal nearby?" That caught her attention and she froze as the voices she had heard seconds before came closer. She could now make out the conversation and she started to feel sick.
When the voices had faded into the distance the boy let go and shoved her from the shadows to the slightly brighter street. "Idiot Townie! What are you doing in Downtown?" the boy's scorn was clear in his voice.
"I got lost," was the girl's defensive reply.
"Of course," he said in an exasperated tone. "I better show you out before something eats you." He turned and took several steps before noticing that she wasn't following. Turning with a look of impatience, he said mockingly, "I'm sure that if you wander around long enough you'll find your way out on your own or maybe someone else will offer to get you safely through Downtown." They stood staring at each other for several moments before the girl nodded and stepped forward. She didn't know if she could trust him, but she had no other choice. She'd just have to hope that he hadn't saved her only so he could eat her himself. The boy returned her nod then turned and walked on.

He was trying very hard not to look at the girl who was hurrying to keep up with him, and he was failing miserably. His only consolation was that he was not openly staring, but was instead merely glancing at her as they moved through the dark streets. She was probably slightly younger than him, maybe sixteen. She was several inches shorter than him, which meant she was a little tall for a girl. From what the boy had been able to see before the sun deserted them, she had fiery, chin-length hair and gray eyes. He couldn't say she was a classic beauty, but she could definitely be considered cute. He frowned at the thought, now where had that come from? Shaking off the strange thought he continued his observations as they moved into a brighter section.
The girl wore the rich colors, fashionable cuts, and expensive materials of Uptown, definitely a Townie. (How in heaven's name had she gotten into Downtown?) She was probably an Outer to, which meant the sooner he got rid of her the better for both of them. She must hate being near him, Majik that he was. If she knew the whole truth she'd probably run screaming from him. Now that was a depressing thought.
As the boy was trying to think of something happier, a blinding pain hit him. Oh, no, not now! A Summons! His thoughts whirled in panic. They were still ten blocks from Midtown and then he'd have to fly all the way to the other side of Downtown. He couldn't just leave the girl where they were now and even once they reached Midtown he'd have to get her to a safe area. This was not good. Even as he was trying to decide what to do the Summons intensified and he bit back a cry. The longer he delayed the more it would hurt and the angrier He would be. The boy broke into a run.

The girl was studying the strange boy as she half ran to keep up with him. God, he had a long stride, which made sense considering how tall he was. He seemed to be older than her, seventeen or eighteen. Everything about him was black, white, or shades of gray. His clothes were of good quality, which was strange coming from Downtown. His knee length, black jacket billowed out behind him, giving the impression of wings. The girl smiled at that. His skin was very pale, almost white, making it the only part of him she could clearly see in the near absolute dark of the alley they were walking through Doesn't get much sun, does he, she thought.
Both his eyes and his hair were deep black, reflecting no light. In the back, his hair was about chin length, but towards the front it came to about mid-ear length and seemed to have a tendency to fall into his eyes. The girl quickly pushed away the thought that this made him look rather cute. After all he had to be a Majik if he could turn into a bird. Though who was she to scorn, she thought with a wave of dread. She jerked her thoughts away from her problems and turned back to her rescuer and guide.
They were now coming to a brighter area and a better neighborhood, which had to mean that they were near, if not in, Midtown. As this happy thought came to the girl the boy broke into a run.
"What the . Hey! Wait!" The girl ran after him, fearing what would happen if she lost her guide.
"Hurry up! I've got better things to do and I'm not going to spend all night helping a Townie who can't even find her way home," his voice came floating back in reply.
If fear of losing him hadn't made her speed up, that statement would have. Glaring darkly at him she followed as best she could. After over a dozen blocks and a number of dizzying turns they reached a brightly lit street lined with shops and filled with late night shoppers.
"You can catch a hover here," the boy said, now slowing and lagging
behind her.
"Thank.," the girl started to say, turning, then stopped as she saw that the boy was no longer there. She looked up at the flutter of wings and saw a dark shape soaring back toward Downtown. Muttering darkly about "crazy Majiks", the girl flagged down a hovercab and gave the directions to her neighborhood.

The boy had already pushed the "crazy Townie" from his mind seconds after he had left her. He was in excruciating pain and all of his attention was focused on keeping that pain to a minimum. He had ignored a Summons, and now he was certainly in for it.

A week later the two ran into each other again, literally. The boy was in a hurry to complete an errand and avoid more punishment after what had happened the week before. He was still hurting from the results of his disobedience. The girl was once more lost in thought. Neither one saw the other coming. Both would have walked right by the other, never noticing how close they were, if they both hadn't tried to walk in the same spot at the same time. The resulting collision effectively got their attentions.
"You!" said the girl in surprise. She was actually rather glad to see the Majik boy again. He had been one of the troubling things she was thinking about. Quickly before he had a chance to disappear she asked, "Can we talk?"
The bird boy looked a bit confused and for a moment she thought he didn't remember her. Then he nodded, "Sure, but not now." He moved to walk around her and the girl quickly intercepted him.
"How about noon at the Moon Park fountain?" she wasn't about to let him disappear again.
He thought about it for a moment then once more nodded. The girl moved from his path and he hurried on. She watched him for a second before a thought came to her.
"Wait! What's your name?"
He turned, still walking, "Crow. What's yours?"
"Kat." Then he was gone again.