Dead Men Smiling

2.1

Devils don't fly, so don't expect me not to fall.

_____

Sora let out a sigh as he wrapped his wings around his body, enjoying the warmth. All the other Angels were playing various games, happy to finally leave their classes for the day as Sora watched while making a flower crown.

When he noticed the attention wasn't on him, he slipped out of the garden and went into the palace, not allowing himself to get seen or caught.

As he treaded through the forbidden hallway, his eyes landed on a plain door.

That's curious. He thought as he pushed the door only to enter a room with the world and on the surrounding walls were tiny screens.

"Oh My Creator," he breathed, looking around in awe. His wings fluttered in excitement and he was soon flying towards the globe to take a closer look.

He placed his hand on the Sahara Desert and smiled at the sand he collected, "This must be where dad works."

He then furrowed his brow; his father made diseases, calamities and disasters. Where in the skies could those potions be?

He was about to leave when he heard laughter. Sora froze in his descent to the floor as he looked around before his eyes landed on four little children who were laughing amongst themselves. He flew towards the screen and watched as the biggest one -in size - among them waved as he ran to who Sora assumed was his mother before the only female in the group walked to a woman dressed as a maid.

"Well," the hazel eyed one grinned, "I better go, Dolly. I'll probably see you tomorrow ok?"

The one with white hair nodded with a small smile as the other left. Sora frowned, "He must be so lonely. I wish I could keep him company."

He placed his palm against the screen and found himself standing in a new area. He looked around, he was in the world he saw Dolly!

"You're new here," a voice noted.

Sora looked around, trying to locate the voice. "Up here, idiot."

He looked into the tree before looking behind him. Once he realized his wings weren't visible to the other, he smiled up at the boy in the tree, "Hello, my name is Sorin but everyone calls me Sora."

"Welcome to the Land of the Unwanted."

The boy skillfully landed besides Sora without making a sound. He then straightened his back before taking multiple steps away from Sora. He sent him a nervous smile as he pushed his hand into his hoodie pocket and later shoved something blue in his mouth.

After a few seconds, his smile was less nervous. "Sorry about that. I'm Dolan but I prefer Dolly. I'll say it again; welcome to the Land of the Unwanted."

"Unwanted?"

The word was complex to Sora. Why on earth would anyone be unwanted? He was pretty certain those weren't the rules in heaven.

Dolan broke out into laughter and threw his head back. "You really are new here," he said, wiping a stray tear.

He plucked the stick in hair and waved it, a faint trail of blue following the tip. "'Unwanted' is a term used for none humans; both half and pure bloods. This orphanage," he gestured vaguely, "Is a concentration camp for the younger ones. Anyway, its whatever."

Sora could sense that despite the casual dismissal, Dolan truly was hurt by their treatment and seeing that he always ends up alone at the end of the day, he must really feel unwanted.

"Want my flower crown?"

Dolan's gold eyes widened, "You want to give me something of yours? I can't take that from you."

"I insist."

He smiled as Sora delicately placed the crown on his head. "Thank you," he breathed, eyes gleaming in gratitude.

"It's no-"

"Dolly!"

Sora let himself turn invisible as a beautiful brunette with green eyes walked towards Dolan. "What are you doing alone?" "I'm not alone, I'm with-" he looked around before frowning, "Did I make him up?"

Sora placed a hesitant hand on Dolan's shoulder, "I'll visit again, soon ok?"

Dolan showed no sign of having heard the latter and walked away with the woman.

Sora closed his eyes and imagined the room he was originally in and smiled as he looked around, perhaps he made Dolan up.

_____

"-Do you have to go?"

Leilani always asked this question when Sora announced his need to depart. Even after two years of knowing him, she still hated him having him go.

"You know I have to," Sora reasoned.

The beautiful brunette, who he later found out was Mason, grinned fondly at the group as she tied Dolan' s hair. "Sora's only allowed so much time before having to go home. You'll see him tomorrow."

"Whatever," Maximus huffed as he stood, "I'm going to play with the big kids. Let's go, Rowan."

"I promise I'll be back," Sora whispered as he closed his eyes.

When he opened them, he wasn't in the room alone.

The disbelief in his father's voice was evident as he said his name. He then asked how the younger was in the room considering that only one young Angel was allowed in the room under discussion.

Sora eyed the other young Angel before sighing.

"Ah, fiddlesticks." Under his father's stern look, he explained his escapades of the last two years.

"Why didn't you say anything all along?"

"Why didn't who say anything all along?"

Sora felt the corners of his mouth face downwards as he realized how dire the situation was as he watched his father retell the story to none other than the Angel Uriel whose smile remained firmly fixed on his face.

Sora did not need to be told that what followed next would be for him to see The Creator who would decide the punishment for him.

"Sora," a voice sounded in his head once the door to the throne were closed behind him and he was on his knees. "I made you with free will bit I must know why you didn't tell anyone of your illicit and constant visits to earth."

"I- I don't know," Sora chewed his lower lip.

He was going to be banished to earth for some time. The dark haired male didn't ask the length of his banishment in hopes of the number of years being reduced.

Sora was created with sentience and empathy, so he understood that he was wrong and would accept any punishment but his wings were out of the question.

At his curious shift in posture, it was explained that while it was understood that he was nowhere near the age where wings were cut off and regrown, he was to feel the full impact of his punishment.

He felt everything dissolve beneath him and was falling to what would be a painful death until he landed on something soft.

"Someone call Mason; he's bleeding."

"Dolly try and ease up the bleeding."

"Maxi, don't you hate him?"

"He is bleeding all over my marsh mellow. He so owes me a new one."

"Earth to Sora."

That was belonged to an older Maximus who had already passed through adolescence.

Sora shot up, giving Maximus a good scare. He immediately reached for his sword, "Is everything ok?"

Maximus eyed the weapon warily, "You were whimpering in your sleep and I was worried. What's wrong?"

He eyed the lump a few meters away from them. Maximus noticed the movement and nodded, answering the unasked question.

Sora then let out a sigh while setting the sword besides him and recounted the dream