Prologue:

A male sits staring out to the city as the lights shine through the darkness. His raven wings slightly curled around him but he's careful to not block his view with them. "Some of the lights almost look like stars." He says quietly to himself. "I wonder what it is like to walk under those artificial lights at night. Not scared of being judged for what you are... For what those like you have done..." He falls silent as he continues to stare out at the city.

Another male walks up and settles down next to him on the grass. "Hey Ray." He greets keeping his golden eagle wings folded against his back.

Ray folds his own wings against his back and glances to the other. "Oh hey Michael." He greets. "What's up?"

"You seem down." Michael says looking a little worried. "What's troubling you?"

Ray sighs then turns back to the city. "I need you to promise me something. Promise that you won't tell Geoff or anyone else what I am about to tell you." He says.

"Okay. Anything for my friend." Michael confirms.

Ray closes his eyes softly with a sigh turning his head to look down. "I've just been wondering what it would be like to be a human." He admits opening his eyes half way and biting his bottom lip in the short pause as he turns to glance away. "What its like to be able to walk around freely. Without having to worry about being judged or worry about being found out about. Not being worried that someone will find out the truth about you... That someone will see through any disguise you might put forward to hide the truth. But it's just a dream... A fantasy... One you would tell your children at night... If you had any yourself..."

"That is a dream that won't come true." Michael says then he turns to look to the city with half open eyes. "They'd be after us faster than the blink of an eye. It's a little too late to go back after all. Do you really think that they'd just forgive us like that? If you really thought that they would just let us back in like that then you thought wrong."

Ray brings his legs up slightly curling up with his arms around his knees. He rests his chin on one arm as he now watches the city with half open eyes. "But I can't help but think about how we do understand." He says. "Sure the original banishment didn't happen when we were alive but we really do understand." His eyes close just by about a fraction more. "What its like to lose everything. What its like to be cast aside and judged. To be seen one way without exception for any middle ground. What its like to have all faith from anyone outside not even be there at the start for you. Understand the desire to become so much more than what you are... What others see of you just because you're a certain way. Understand how is feels like to be cast aside and not even given a chance to prove yourself." His eyes fall to close softly as he sighs again. "But even though we could understand all of that there is still so much we can learn. We've learned so much about darkness and the dark side of the world that it sometimes makes me curious about the light. What's it like to actually be loved for who you are and not what you make yourself be seen as. Like that your own beliefs and ideas of the world mixing well together and holding powerful feelings for each other that make you come together. What is it like to have your own culture and beliefs instead of having to share one with everyone."

"I don't know. I can't answer those questions seeing as I'm a changeling." Michael admits and Rays eyes open half way to flicker to look to him. "Though I doubt we'd even find out. There's no way that we could do something like that." He leans back bringing his arms up to cross behind his head acting like a pillow as he lays on his back. "Being what we are we have our way of life. A way that has ensured the continued existence of our kind. Being different from humans is a part of us. We don't understand real love and we don't understand being accepted even if others know that you think differently than everyone else." He closes his eyes softly and takes a deep breath through his nose then out his mouth.

Ray had turned his head to watch the movement but when Michael finishes speaking he turns back to the city. "Yeah you're probably right." He says then he turns to the other. "Do you think you might get stuck with Lindsay when the mating dates come around? You got paired with her for our first mating days right? If I remember correctly it's not too far away."

"It's possible and yeah I'm sure I'll get paired up with Lindsay." Michael sighs. "Though honestly I'm not looking forward to the mating days even if it's a part of us to keep our kind alive."

"You know I don't really want to do it either. But it's how things are. We need to keep our kind going without making it become too big or too small and this is the only solution known." Ray points out then flops down onto his back spreading his arms out careful to not hit the other. "I guess with the way we live we can't do what humans do and love then breed whenever we wanted. We have to regulate things to keep it under control."

"Yes. It's one reason that we don't have any abandoned young ones." Michael says in agreement. "Well we should head back." He sits up.

"Yeah..." Ray gets up and once they are both standing they head off away from the city. "There's no way that a silly dream like mine could come true."

AN:

Story mostly written on my phone so hopefully I caught any autocorrects.

I hope you enjoy!

Reviews are awesome and flamers will be used to make cake!

Kitkat.