The Many Names of Atlas Stella Cornelius

When he was born, he was small, smaller than his parents were expecting. His little pink wisps glowed brightly against a shock of blond curls on top of his head. The whole day had been long and exhausting and his mother cradled him close, cooing to him as his father paced, throwing out names.

"What about Titus?" His father threw out.

"Titus is just too much like something that Fater would come up with." Replied his mother.

His father laughed at that. "True. So nothing so militant. What do you think about Sunflower? His hair is very sunny."

"I like that. What about firefly for how bright his wisps are? Firefly Sunflower?" His mother looked away from him.

"Your dad will hate it." His father grinned.

"Yes he will," his mother replied with a bit of smugness in her voice.

---

When his grandfather was allowed into the hospital room, at first he was pleased with how strong the child was. Then the parents dropped the name on him and he became furious.

"I am not calling my grandson 'Firefly!' You will change his name or so help me, Elaina!" The elder man growled.

"I will do no such thing. Firefly is a lovely name." His mother cooed and shot a sly look at her father. "I'm not a child you can order around anymore, father."

"You will regret this," His grandfather growled at her and went to the door. "Do what you will, but don't come crying to me whenever you need something. I'm done with this nonsense."

"We don't need anything from you, old man," His father replied smugly. "We're a happy little family now."

His grandfather narrowed his eyes at his father and left the room without another word. His parents laughed almost with glee at having one upped the older Knitten. They had won this round of whatever game they were playing, using the newborn as a puppet to dance at their will.

---

Firefly was five when he was dropped off by his parents at the front gates of a large estate. They left quickly with their laughter ringing in his ears as the wheels of their vehicle threw up gravel in their retreat. He didn't understand what he had done wrong. One day they were all just a happy family moving from place to place but now he was being abandoned.

He had heard them complain about how much of a burden he was when they thought he was sleeping. He tried his best to not burden them. He picked up after himself and sometimes even made himself food when they were both too tired in the morning to do so. He had only asked if he could go to school, was that so bad?

His father thought so. His father was very angry about that question.

"No son of mine is going to conform to the establishment! Why on Vantium would you want to go to school?"

"I wanna play with the other kids." Firefly replied, honestly, his chin tilted down some as he hid in his blond bangs.

"Pfffft. You play with plenty of kids." His father replied snidely. "If you want to go to school so bad, why don't you go live with your grandfather?"

Firefly made a face. "But grandpa is mean, right?"

"So are teachers." His father leaned real close to his face. "You are plenty of smart on your own, Firefly. You don't need to go to school."

His father sat back and huffed a bit. "Go get me a drink, Fly."

Firefly was a little crushed that his request to go to school had been quashed for now but he did not stop bringing it up. He would bring it up about once a week until suddenly they were on the road to Voxdella. At first, Firefly was confused by the fact that they were leaving Uria but he was just happy that his parents seemed to be nicer to him as they traveled.

That was until they pulled up to the gates. His mother got out of the car and plopped his little suitcase carelessly into a puddle.

"Well, pudding-face, this is what you wanted~," she said in a sing-song voice as she opened the door for him.

"What?" Firefly blinked and tilted his head, his small face contorted in concern.

"You wanted to go to school, so you'll go to school. On your granddaddy's dime." His father replied, looking at him over the back of the front seats. "Give the old geezer our regards."

Fear welled in the small Knitten. "But you said---"

"You just won't drop it, so you get what you wanted." His father shrugged. "Come on, babe, we gotta get on the road."

His mother closed the back door and climbed back into the car. "Too bad, so sad, Firefly. You didn't have to get left here, but you want what you want~."

It would be hours before someone else came down the road. A large, highly polished car pulled up to the gates and stopped next to the small, shivering child sat on his suitcase. The window rolled down and a stern older Knitten glanced down at him.

"This isn't an orphanage or a boarding school." The man said coolly.

Firefly hiccupped and wiped his eyes. "Are you my grandpa?"

The man in the car's face grew sterner and he frowned a bit more. "You're Miss Elaina's son?"

Firefly hiccuped and nodded, getting up from where he was sitting. "Momma and dad just... they left me here."

The stern man sighed and got out of the car. He opened the back door of the car and carefully lifted the shivering child into the seat. He was muttering under his breath, but nothing he was saying really caught Firefly's ear. He was tired, cold, and hungry.

The gate opened and the stern man drove up the gravel drive to the large, looming, and gloomy house. The man got out of the car and ushered Firefly out of the car. He went around to the back fo the car and pulled out groceries and the suitcase. Firefly trailed behind him as he walked up the steps to the door.

A woman answered the door and blinked at the small child trailing after the man. "Who is this, Mister Debois?"

"This is the General's grandson, it appears," Debois replied. "Can you get him washed up and fed? His grandfather should be home soon enough. Young master, what is your name?"

"Firefly," Firefly sniffled, wringing his hands in the bottom hem of his shirt.

Debois made a face and muttered under his breath as he left the entryway. The woman took his hand and lead him away to be cleaned up. Where Debois was cold, the woman, a maid by the name of Elisa Rudig, was quite kind. She asked him a whole lot of questions as she got him presentable and fed. She babbled endlessly and was very nice to him.

There was a gong that rang out and Elisa went quiet. "The General is home. We should get you to his office to meet him, Master Firefly."

Firefly made a face and followed along behind her. He had no clue that her calling him that was the last time anyone would call him Firefly for a very, very long time.