Winged Warriors of Uranus
Chapter One: Dreams of the Past

Nyra

Again? I moaned, yet another farsighted dream of the past filling my head as I slept. As usual, I found myself in the royal Uranian palace, with a boy named Kludd.

"My prince." I teased as I dipped a curtsey.

Kludd groaned. "You know I wish you wouldn't call me that." He grumbled.

I rolled my eyes as only I could. My brother/cousin claimed no one rolled their eyes like I did. "And that is precisely why I do it." I retorted, smiling. "To push your buttons."

He flipped me off before an evil look appeared. He mock bowed, going as deep as he could for comical effect. "My princess." He teased.

I beamed, not letting him annoy me, and channeled one Hatake Kakashi. "Hm, did you say something?" I grinned before adding something else as he groaned. "Thank you, thank you, I know I'm the greatest. Kludd-chan."

Sure, pissing off the prince of Earth probably wasn't my smartest idea. But Kludd was one of my oldest friends as well as my secret boyfriend. He knew I was only teasing, and besides, getting him to focus on nothing but getting his revenge in an annoyingly creative ways, he wouldn't focus on his upcoming Engagement Ceremony in just two short weeks, and the fact that he still didn't know who his parents had picked for his bride. However, I would be lying if I said I didn't enjoy pissing him off.

Sure enough, my secret boyfriend's face contorted into a look of mock rage. He hated being called Kludd-chan. "Oh I'm gonna get you Nyra!"

I unfolded my Goshawk wings and took to the air. "Missed me." I taunted. He swung at me. I dodged. "Missed me. Now you gotta—" He swung again. "Kiss me."

He grinned evilly. "Oh you want a kiss do you? Well I think that that can be arranged."

I grinned back. "You'll have to catch me first." I shot back. "Come on! I dare you to catch me, but you're probably too slow."

The scene warped and changed. Two weeks later, Kludd and I stood just outside the main room of a beautiful chapel on Earth. However, we were both way, way too nervous about what was happening to fully enjoy the beauty. We still had no idea who his parents had betrothed him to.

"Welcome," The announcer's voice boomed. "Peasants, nobles, and merchants alike, to the Engagement Ceremony of Prince Kludd!"

I paced nervously. "Damn it. Why did you parents have to do this to us? I thought they approved of our relationship."

Kludd shrugged. "I don't know. I thought they did too, but they might have just been indulging us and letting us think they approved when really they didn't. Or it might have been the council who said betroth me to Skench-teme or else. Stupid council bastards."

Someone laid a hand on my shoulder, causing me to jump. "You're pretty nervous about this, aren't you Nyra-nee-chan?" That someone commented. They seemed to roll their eyes at the idea. "If nii-san's bride is who we think it is, well then, your relationship is over for good. Stupid Skench-teme. She shouldn't even be in the running. She doesn't even have noble blood! I don't know why they don't just choose you instead, because unlike Skench-teme, you not only have Uranian royal blood, but you also are the daughter of Kumo's Raikage. You're practically twice royal. And you're the Jinchuriki of the ten tailed owl. What's it called again, the Juubi no Fukuro or something like that?"

I turned around, about ready to throw the hand from here to Timbuktu when I realized there were only two people in the entire solar system who called me nee-chan: Soren, Kludd's little brother, and Eglantine, his younger sister. I raised an eyebrow. "Soren, haven't I told you not to sneak up on me again? What are you doing here anyway? And where's Eglantine-imouto? Did said Eglantine-imouto run off on you again? How is it that she manages to do this?"

"Better yet," Kludd added. "How many times has she ran off on you?"

Soren channeled our friend from Earth, Hyuuga Hinata, and poked his fingers together. He seemed to think the floor was very interesting all of the sudden. "Well . . . maybe." He refused to tell us how many times Eglantine had run off on him.

I rolled my eyes at his answer. "Eglantine-imouto has given Soren-otouto the slip no less than one thousand eight hundred and thirty one times if you count this time."

"Eight hundred and thirty two," Soren corrected. "But don't change the subject."

I laughed. "One thousand, eight hundred and thirty two times, in what? Two years? Damn Soren-otouto, that's just sad, you know that?"

"That's roughly two to three times a day!" Kludd added after doing the calculations in his head. "Otouto, if I had even one cinder from every time she ran off on you, I'd be filthy stinking rich— without being a prince!" He looked down, did a couple of quick calculations on his fingers, and looked at his brother. "That's roughly two and a half times a day that she's given you the slip. That's just sad otouto, just sad."

For some reason, in this solar system, the coins were all named after coals. First were the cinders. In real life, they weren't much help and were more of an annoyance than anything else. The coin was made of bronze and generally found in the purses of peasants and not very successful merchants. Then were the ground coals. In real life, they were half way decent coals that smiths used to start their fires before they got them going good enough to use their hottest coals. The coins were made of silver and found in the purses of lower ranked nobles and successful merchants. Finally, there were the bonk coals. Those were the hottest coals caught in the air, on the fly, by only the best and most talented coilers, or coal catchers. They were used smiths' hottest fires. The coins were made of gold, and after a special hardening spell, they were found in the purses of high ranking nobles and royalty. The hardening spell they used I didn't know, sadly.

Before I could agree with Kludd's statement, the announcer called for him. I gave him a little push when he didn't move.

"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, I present to you— Prince Kludd!" The announcer boomed. I really wanted to strangle him. "And now, it's the moment you've all been waiting for! Presenting the woman who will rule by Kludd's side, the one, the only, the winged princess of the night— Nyra!"

Okay, no strangling then. So this was what Stryker, my first cousin, and my uncle were so gleeful about last night. I made a mental note to strangle them both for making me so worried. So with a grin that nothing could wipe off my face, I unfolded my wings and made a grand swooping entrance and lighted down beside my boyfriend. He looked as shocked, and as happy, as I felt.

Some noble went through the engagement ceremony while I listened with half an ear. Afterwards, Soren, Kludd and Eglantine's parents, the rulers of Earth, wanted to see all of us, although Eglantine was still Glaux only knew where, so that wasn't happening.

"Oh dear," The queen sighed as she noted her daughter's absence. "I don't suppose you know where to find her Soren-chan?"

"Mother!" Soren complained. "Must you really call me that in front of everyone?"

I gave a very unladylike cough. "Soren-otouto, I don't think this is the time for that. We've got to find Eglantine-imouto. I think she went to Neptune."

"Neptune?" The king echoed, bewildered. "Why there?" I shrugged, but before I could answer, sunlight shot through the dream, waking me up.

I groaned as I sat up. I looked at my clock. It was six exactly, so that left me just enough time to go hunting. I donned my bow and quiver after getting dressed and flew out the door without bothering to lock it. The villagers had long since destroyed it anyway. Movement caught my eye. It was a trio of rabbits, still plump from summer. They were perfect breakfast for Naruto and I, and Stryker, my cousin if he showed up as he often did on days when he didn't have missions with his team. I nocked three arrows, one right after another and fired. They went right through the eyes. Three perfect catches.