A/N: I wrote this at JG's request to contribute for a charity book. Much of the content is the same as the previous chapter as this is the extended fable portion only.
Beta'd by ShadowPast620.
In the meadow of life all of the animals were paired. The males matched with their females by love, honor and in some cases cunning. Out of all the animals living in the meadow, the matched pair of eagles was known by all; their love for each other felt far and wide to the animals below.
The male eagle loved his mate and protected her from everything, helping to build their nest when weather took it out, hunting farther than any of the others when food was scarce and always feeding his female eagle first before he took what was left for him.
They soared the area above the meadow of life for days at a time; a magnificent sight to all of the other creatures who watched them and could see the beauty and purity of their love.
One day the female eagle landed near a stream where a fox lay in wait.
"Who are you?" The fox asked, creeping forward as he witnessed the female eagle spreading her beautiful wings and then settle down to preen.
"I am female eagle," she answered in her musical voice. "Who are you?"
The fox tried to hide his shock. All of the forest creatures spoke of the grand eagles who lived in the sky above, their presence the sole reason the sun shone brightly above and providing the light to keep the forest happy and tranquil.
The fox also wasn't stupid and knew her mate would be there shortly to fend away any animal that posed a threat. The female eagle was young, though, and unaware of the fox's true nature. He decided to befriend her.
"I am called fox," the creature answered craftily, stepping out of the tall grasses so that the female eagle could see him better, his luxurious red coat a lure for most.
"Nice to meet you, fox. What brings you here to the river?" female eagle inquired politely.
Ever devious the fox spoke. "I use the river to measure how far I can run. Watch." Quickly he took off, dashing away and then returning, surprised when the female eagle laughed and congratulated him on his speed before thanking him for his kindness and returning to the sky.
Never had any of the other creatures trusted fox and he was surprised that the female eagle would do so. He had intended to kill her and instead found that he had enjoyed her company more so than that of a meal. Should he ever see her again, the fox decided, he would not hurt her for he was lonely.
She came back the next day and the day after, always treating the fox with kindness and respect as they exchanged stories of things they had seen in their travels, both on land and air. The female eagle cried in a haunting whistle of despair when the fox told her of his own mate being destroyed. He said some of the other animals were envious of her striking red fur and rather than trying to be her friend, they had killed her.
The female eagle was loving by nature and never once did she think the fox had lied to her, although he had. His mate had been destroyed and not because of her glorious fur, but because of her dishonest nature and being caught by a larger animal she had tried to steal from.
After some time, the female eagle told her mate of the unusual relationship when he asked her where she spent her afternoons. The male eagle knew better and didn't trust the fox, but because his mate was happy, he left it be.
As the days passed, the fox became jealous of the female eagle. She spoke of the land from above and the ability to see the tops of the trees, something the fox would never be able to do. One day the fox asked the female eagle why she didn't try to run like he did, telling her that because she was an eagle and he was a fox should make no difference. He knew she lacked the four legs required to run, but thought it would make him feel better to see her fail at something he could do so well.
The female eagle tried to run and failed, crying woefully and bringing her mate to her side instantly.
"What have you done to her?" he demanded of the fox, his talons flexing in anger.
"Nothing," wailed the female eagle. "The fox has done nothing to me except show me what I am missing by having wings and not four feet."
"You hurt yourself trying to live in a world that is unlike your own," the male eagle admonished his mate. "We are together and happy without this fox to tell you otherwise and while I have said nothing of your wish to be his friend, you cannot be a fox."
The male eagle took his mate back to their nest, telling her how much he loved her and how much she meant to him, but the female was not to be consoled. She wanted the one thing the male eagle could not give her and nothing would ever change that, no matter what he did or said.
"Mate, please let me live with the fox. If I stay on the ground like him perhaps I will eventually learn how to run and be happy."
Angrily, the male eagle dismissed his mate when she refused to listen to reason. "You cannot change what you are. You cannot go back to be born something else and I am upset that you cannot see this. You are forbidden to see the fox ever again!" Not wanting to hurt his mate, the male eagle flew away, soaring out of range from their home for many days to think about how he could better help her accept what she was and meant to him.
When the male eagle finally returned, it was to be greeted with the same sight he had left. His mate, her wings and feathers still an impressive sight to behold, had withered away. When she took short flights to stretch or peck at fish to eat, her wings no longer beat at the air with grace and happiness.
There was nothing the male eagle could do to help his mate see what it meant to be an eagle. He had searched far and wide and none of the creatures he had met could help.
"Please," the female begged again. "Please let me stay with fox and try to be like him."
It was then when the male eagle realized his love would never be enough for her. The fox didn't love the female eagle either; he just wanted a companion who would make him feel better about himself at the expense of her weakness.
The male eagle listened closely as his mate pleaded with him. She was always meant to be his mate and while she had tried in the beginning, she had been introduced to a poisonous thought he could not cure. He returned her to the fox, watching from the sky as she continued to fail at running.
Time passed slowly as the male eagle witnessed his mate attempt to be like the fox. Her talons became dulled and flat, the harsh ground not meant for those of a flying creature. He tried not to screech in protest when the sly fox helped her cut off her wings in the hopes that she would be able to run better without them. Nothing worked and the female eagle became even more despondent than before upon realizing that without four legs and without wings she could not return to the life she had before with her male eagle.
Despite all of her foolishness, the male eagle still loved her, although he could not take her back without her wings. He still sat and watched when the fox grew weary of the female eagle's woeful cries, reverting to his true nature and killing the female eagle who was unable to escape into the sky.
Once again taking to the sky, the male eagle's beautiful songs turned into a lonesome screech for the female eagle he would always love, but no longer had by his side.