Pairings: Main: ShikamaruxNeji

Warnings: No warnings for this chapter

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto and don't make any money off this fics. It's just for the pure enjoyment of writing. Also the tittle and lyrics below belong solemly to the artist Maxwell, I do not own them either.

Author's Notes: Back with another story! I tried promising myself to only make oneshots considering I've never gotten very far in my other chapter stories, but I was inspired by the song "Pretty Wings" by Maxwell. In regards to my other stories, i'm not sure when I will be updating Shikahood, but we'll see. But enjoys!

"If I can't have you, let love set you free
To fly your pretty wings around
Pretty wings, your pretty wings
Your pretty wings around"

'Never have I seen something so...'

Astounding? Outrageous? Perhaps unbelievable? Honestly such words couldn't even begin to describe how Shikamaru felt as he stood paralyzed, surrounded by forest.

The day had started out normally enough. He woke up in the evening to the soft pitter patter of rain. Considering it was a Saturday, he started out with a light breakfast over a game of shoji with himself like he usually did. Once he grew utterly bored with stalemating himself repeatedly, Shikamaru decided that a walk in the rain sounded mighty tempting. Equipped with his umbrella, he stepped out his back door rather than his front. Instead of taking the paved path that lead down to aroad, he decided today he would take advantage of the lush forest that lurked around the side and back of his house as he often did.

It wasn't even a full 10 minutes and here Shikamaru was, standing in shocked stillness, his umbrella long forgotten on the ground.

Face down in the mud was a body, dressed in an unusual looking robe that was torn and stained, with long brown hair tangled together from the rain, mud and whatever it was doing before it ended up here. Though a body in the woods would be pretty shocking to the Nara, finding it wouldn't necessarily be 'astounding' or 'unbelievable'. Let's face it, there were murders in the world, and what sounds more stereotypical and unrefreshing than hiding a dead body in woods? A river? Well yeah that too.

But no, what made those words a pale comparison to what he was feeling were on said body, specifically a pair of giant, outstretched wings.

Covered in what must be hundreds of white feathers, the wings sprouted out of the body and laid by its sides with a wing span of at least 7 feet. But what caught his attention was the fact that the right wing wasn't laying perfectly flat, but rather was bent up towards the sky forming an obtuse angle and was caked in blood.

Finally snapping out of the gaping that went on for several minutes, Shikamaru slowly outstretched his right foot and lightly nudged the body on the ground, but it hadn't even twitched.

Is it dead? He would hardly be surprised considering the tremendous amount of blood on both its back and wings, which had reminded him that this... thing probably needs urgent care. Quickly dropping into a kneeling position, he grasp the delicate wrist of the creature, pressing his thumb and two fingers to feel for a pulse.

The skin was cool to the touch but there was a pulse, though faint. He needed to get the creature back to his house quickly if there was a chance of saving it.

The wings were sprawled out as if the thing had literally fallen straight out of the sky and flat on his face in earth. Grabbing one wing, he figured out how to tuck it back and quickly did the same for the other with a great amount of gentleness considering it was broken.

With a grunted swear and a lot of heaving, Shikamaru was able to scoop up the body face down, quickly scanning the area to make sure there wasn't anything left behind that belong to it.

"Fuck you're heavier than you look, must be the wings."

Shikamaru began heading towards his home, as well as towards what probably was going to be an even odder day.

I hope you guys liked the chapter even though it was a sort of prelude, I couldn't get it to sound the way I wanted and it's really frustrating me. But alas I can't change my writing style with the snap of my fingers sadly. See you next chapter!

Reviews and Constructive Criticism is always welcomed~~