Eagle

A SasuKarin story

Prologue: Tales from long ago


They came flying from far away, now I'm under their spell

I love hearing the stories that they tell

~Abba


My father once told me stories of a time long ago; a time when people lived in harmony with the land and sea and sky, and the beasts, and the birds. They would speak to them, and the land and animals would speak back.

The animals would impart tales from far away, and wisdom about living in harmony with nature. People would take only what they needed from the land and beasts, and nothing was wasted. The animals and birds also taught people the ability to change into one of them. For it was only in that way that man and beast could truly understand each other. Those were good days my father said, all the while he would smile his bright smile and his blue eyes would twinkle happily.

Then they would darken and grow serious like the clouds rolling in before a storm, and his smile would dim sadly. Then he would tell how people grew greedy and covetous. How it was no longer enough to live in harmony with nature, and people sought to take more than they needed, and wasted that which they could not use immediately. The beasts were saddened and horrified as people turned on each other, as they looked on their neighbors with covetous eyes, and used their ability to change forms to wage war on one another, and much blood was shed as men turned into beasts fought savage battles over resources that could be had by all.

And so the beasts called out to the land and the great spirits that ruled all of nature.

"Save us!" They cried. "Save us from the madness that is man! He has taken our gifts and turned them to bloodshed! He no longer lives in harmony! Now he only seeks destruction!"

And The Great Spirits heard their calls, and felt the despair in their voices. And lo The Great Spirits answered. With a frightful roaring and howling the winds blew and the earth shook; and the homes of men were destroyed. And with a crashing the waves and rivers rose and swept and flooded all before them. And those who had the ability to change form suffered most of all, for they found that they had become animals permanently, and their families and friend and kin no longer recognized them, and they could not speak to them because to their horror they found that men could not understand their speech anymore. But furthermore those who were human found they could not change at all anymore and they despaired for it seemed Nature had forsaken them and humanity was doomed.

And just as it looked like all was lost and people would be scoured from the earth.

"A miracle occurred." My mother would join in the telling, with her smile as warm as my fathers and her soft pink hair as bright as the cherry blossoms in the spring. Her emerald eyes bright with love as she looked at me and my father who looked back at her the same way.

She would then tell me about a great eagle who fell in love with a human girl. A beautiful young woman with bright red hair and a fiery nature that he could appreciate being as it matched his own fiery being. But he despaired because though he had always liked humanity, he too had seen the problems that humanity had caused, and he knew the Spirits were unyielding in their wrath.

Yet his love was strong and he did not want to see her perish, nor be unable to understand her, or not share the freedom of the sky with her like he did. So he prayed to the spirits for mercy for her, and for humanity. For a long time it seemed as if his prayers would go unanswered, and the disasters plaguing man continued. But just as his despair grew and he called out to her in his loudest cry, the waters receded, and the winds died down and the earth calmed its shaking, and the madness of the beasts was lessened.

"You shall have your mercy." The spirits spoke to him "But know this…" They intoned in a voice that darkened the sky, and he grew fearful as they continued. "…There is a price to be paid."

"Man has violated the covenants and thus is to be denied the Gift of the Wild." the Great Spirits intoned, and he despaired for it meant his love would be forever bound to the earth and would not know his heart. "But if she can find it within her heart to love you as you love her, we will reconsider. We will judge her heart and if it be pure then we will grant her the gift of the wild. And your children will have this gift and their children and so on, and thus will people slowly regain the Gift of the Wild should they prove themselves worthy."

The great eagle was elated for this meant he would have the chance to confess his love to the beautiful red headed woman. But day after day as he flew to her and sang his love for her; he grew sadder for she could not understand his cries, and though she found him beautiful she could only see the bird of prey that he was. Until that is one day a man came, and this man also wanted the young woman for his own. And here I would see my mothers warm sea green eyes become hard and angry only for them to soften as my father would pull her to him and sooth her anger with his kisses and hugs as he whispered sweet nothings too her before taking the story back over for her.

He decided he would give the young woman a gift and he wounded the eagle with his bow. But this infuriated the young woman and she sent him away. She cried then, for she saw that the eagle that sang to her each day was terribly wounded. She became determined to save him, and did everything she could to care for him. She fed him bits of meat and fish that she caught herself and wrapped his wounds in soft bandages. And day after day it seemed to be no help for the Eagle was in despair and he could see the sadness in her eyes and he would chirp softly to her telling her to not be sad for it hurt him so.

But she could not understand him. Then one day as it seemed he would waste away from the despair she held him close to her bosom and whispered to him softly "Don't leave me alone my beautiful Eagle, please don't leave. Stay and sing for me and I'll always listen to you for I love you and I would be alone if you left me."

And then she cried for she felt the life leave his small body and her despair was great. But Lo, The Great Spirits had been watching and they looked into her heart and they found her worthy, and they spoke to her.

"Despair not child…" They whispered softly. "Know that the Wild is harsh and can be cruel, but it is not as cruel as that." And she was stunned for before her eyes the Eagles proud chest began to move and his fierce heart beat once more, and his blazing eyes opened and he cried a loud cry of joy and called to her. And lo her eyes widened in shock for now she understood him. And she found that before her stood not an eagle for slowly his form changed and he knew, he knew that they had judged her worthy and that she too was marked with "the gift". Together they were married and as they proclaimed their love for each other they felt the unbridled joy surge through them as their forms shifted and changed and they both took to the sky with cries of joy. High above the land they soared. Many children did they have some born human, some born Eagle, but all had "the gift". For true to his word the Eagle and his red headed love taught them all to respect the land and live in harmony with all living things.

And each generation is judged by the Spirits to make sure that the new covenant is not broken. It has been a long time since then, and the time of judgment will come again soon. When an eagle and a human will be judged together and if they're hearts be pure, then will they're love be eternal.

Then they would smile and kiss me on the forehead, and tuck me into bed before saying "Goodnight" and "We love you angel." And I would smile back and tell them I loved them too before snuggling under the covers and going to sleep. My dreams each night would be of wings and flying higher into the sky until I could touch the moon, or I would dream of running on all fours as the wind whispered to me through the trees. And in this way I would miss my parent's eyes glowing softly in the dark as they watched me till I fell asleep before closing my door quietly.

-ooOoo-

"You tell that story too well." Sakura smiled at him as Naruto embraced her from behind and gently nuzzled her neck affectionately.

"Only because you're there to tell it with me…" He mumbled softly into her neck the vibrations of his voice and his warm breath sending a pleasant shudder down her spine.

"What do you think she's dreaming of?"The rosette whispered softly as she turned in his embrace and wrapped her arms around him before her lips softly closed with his in a long passionate kiss.

"What else?" he smiled softly at her and she chuckled knowingly.

"Do you think it well happen again soon?" She looked at him and her eyes were worried.

"Of course it will." He smiled brilliantly at her the same heart warming smile which had drawn her to him oh so long ago. Her heartbeat quickened as he caressed his hands through her mid-back length pink hair, but her worries for their children would not go away so easily.

"But how do you know…" She began only to have him cut her off as he kissed her and she moaned softly before he pulled back his blue eyes all but glowing in the moonlight.

"Because we did, didn't we?" he smiled again a much softer and warmer smile, and looked her in the eyes as he spoke again. "I've loved you all of my life."

Sakura felt her heart clench and go tight with love for him before she laughed softly a sound like a wind chime "You're a dork…" she began and laughed some more as he pouted childishly "But you're sweet too." She finished with a soft kiss which he eagerly returned as if she were a well spring of infinite pleasure from which he could never draw enough water. Then she looked out the window and smirked as he saw where she was looking.

The curtains fluttered and a pair of eagles winged their way into the night soaring high over the land riding on the breeze higher and higher. As the land changed beneath them from mountains stretching their great stone hands to meet the sky, to deep green forests rich with life, to the vast ocean and out over the waters they flew.

Together they flew for they were one always and forever and their joy knew no bounds because their love connected them as surely as the roots of a great tree and they cried to each other calling their love to one another over the winds as they flew onward.

Ever onward.

To be continued