Special thanks to Sora G. Silverwind, self-proclaimed Queen of Oddities, for forcefully adopting me as her big brother, and for allowing me to bounce my ideas off of her to finally come up with this idea.
Title sucks, I know. I'll change it if I think of something better. Too bad we can't have romance in these. I probably would have tried to write another Garet/Wise One fic. Originality makes the world go 'round. Oh yeah.
-Joker
Disclaimer: Golden Sun is owned by Nintendo and Camelot.
"Father!" screeched a female's voice, waking Master Feh from his trance. The old man rubbed his eyes and focused them on the door to his right. Moments later, his teenage daughter -- Feizhi -- burst through the door.
Despite her natural look of innocence, Feizhi was often referred to as a rebel. Her overall appearance differed greatly from the other females in Xian, with her violet hair and sometimes uncommon clothing. Her attitude was unusual as well. She generally opposed her father, and wouldn't stop until she got what she wanted.
Some called it being strong, while others called it being stubborn.
"What is it, daughter?" Master Feh asked with concern.
Feizhi's face was red, and her breath was short, indicating that she had been running. She slammed the door shut behind her, and stood still for a moment to catch her breath. After a moment of recovery, she glared at her father, and said, "I have just heard that you passed two more people from the basic level of Chi teachings! Two!" The girl took a few steps forward. "Why won't you pass me?"
Master Feh studied his daughter's cyan eyes. Seconds later, he sighed and stood up off of the wooden floor. He bent down and grabbed the rug that he was sitting and, and began to fold it.
"Feizhi...you are not ready. I still have much to teach you before you advance to the next level," he said, tucking the rug under his arm.
"But father! I am ready! You've taught me all that I need to know... Give me the final test! I will show you that I am ready!" Feizhi commanded. She refused to break eye contact with her father.
Master Feh sighed again. "Daughter, you are strong...but you are not ready. However, I would not deprive my daughter of something she truly wants. If you are sure of it, I will allow you to take the final test in the basic level," he replied sadly. He had hoped that Feizhi would learn to be patient. That was her greatest flaw that he was able to see -- her lack of patience.
"Yes! I want to take the test, father. I know I am ready. With all the lessons you have taught me, it won't be difficult," Feizhi stated.
"Very well..." said the old man. He took one last look at his daughter before turning his back to her and striding over to a table. On top of the table was a small jar, a few papers, and a covered plate of food. He opened a drawer that extended out from beneath the table and placed his meditation rug in it. He then moved a few things around, and pulled his hand out. In his hand he held a small box.
Master Feh placed the box in his left hand, and proceeded to close the drawer with is right hand.
"Your test," he said, turning around, "is very simple. The method you use is everything. Even though I say you aren't ready, I still believe that you can complete the task if you think hard enough."
Feizhi nodded, and awaited her instructions. She was expecting her father to tell her that she must run an obstacle course or meditate for an entire day to become enlightened.
"To pass the basic level of Chi training, daughter," he continued, opening the tiny box in his hand. As soon as the box opened, a common fly zoomed into the air, exiting the box. "To pass, you must kill this fly."
Grinning, Feizhi nodded. She killed flies with ease before, and this time would be no different.
Master Feh opened his mouth, indicating that he wasn't finished. "You have to kill the fly using your little toe."
The smile soon disappeared from Feizhi's face. She tilted her head slightly, and mouthed a few words. After a moment of awkward silence, the girl said, "Excuse me?"
"You must kill the fly with your little toe. If you succeed, you will advance to the next level of training. I have faith in you, Feizhi. I know you can do it if you try hard enough."
"Father..." Feizhi muttered, watching the fly zip around Master Feh's head. "This...is this really the final test? It seems like a cruel joke!"
Master Feh chuckled. "I assure you this is no joke. This is the test I give to all of my students. I will usually give them only five minutes to kill the fly. For you, however, I will grant you five additional minutes."
Feizhi's eyes lost the fly, but her ears had not. The continuous buzzing sound told her that the fly was near. "Ten minutes..." she said to herself. "Kill the fly in ten minutes..."
Her father walked to the door and opened it. "You may use whatever item you can to help, but the fly must be killed with your toe," he said. His eyes raised a little as he saw the fly zoom towards the door. With lightning quick reflexes, he extended his hand out and caught the fly before it could leave the room.
"I will return in ten minutes. Do not try to cheat. It is dishonorable," stated the old man, tossing the fly into the air and exiting the room. The fly recovered, and buzzed around in a circle before flying to the opposite side of the small room, landing on a pillow on the bed.
Feizhi glared at the fly, and said, "You...your speed won't save you from my little toe."
Reaching down, Feizhi slipped off her decorated sandals and tossed them into a corner. Continuing to ready herself, she stripped her dress off, revealing clothing more common to what the male students would wear, allowing quicker movement. Satisfied and prepared, Feizhi glanced up to see the tiny fly walking slowly along the pillow.
"My enemy, beware," she said dramatically. The girl tiptoed over to the bed, feeling powerful and ridiculous at the same time, like a furless dog chasing a cat.
Upon reaching the fly, Feizhi began to raise her right foot into the air. The fly -- her target -- was motionless.
"Perfect... Do not move..." Feizhi whispered. Every bit of her attention was focuses on the lone black spot against the white pillow. Lining her foot up carefully while balancing on the other foot proved to be difficult. After a few awkward and uncomfortable stances, she managed to aim her violet-colored toenail at the fly. Bracing herself carefully, she pulled her foot closer to her, allowing her to have a more powerful kick.
And then her target flew away. The fly buzzed around the air for a moment, and then landed on the opposite end of the bed. As if mocking Feizhi, the fly lifted up one of its back legs. A low growl could be heard coming from Feizhi, as she moved down the bed and regained her attacking position.
"Stay still..." the violet-haired girl muttered under her breath. Not taking a chance the second time around, she immediately thrust her foot out in hopes of catching the fly under her little toe. Unfortunately, the fly buzzed away at the last second, and Feizhi's foot hit the bed.
"Gah!" Feizhi cried as she lost her balance and fell over onto the floor. A loud THUD could be heard as she landed.
Growling in anger, Feizhi jumped up. She took a few seconds to get her hair out of her eyes, and then stood still. The girl scanned the room while keeping her ears open for any buzzing sounds. She heard the fly, but failed to spot it.
"This is impossible!" Feizhi said angrily. She was losing all of her patience, and quickly. Her mental clock told her that about five minutes had already passed, and she still hadn't even managed to touch the fly. Looking around the room for an alternative to just jabbing at the fly with her toe. The room consisted of two beds lined up against a wall, and some tapestries, as well as a table, on the adjacent wall. Vases were randomly placed here and there in no clear pattern. A few of them sat on the table, as well as the covered food and a few other charms and instruments used in teaching Chi.
Above the table, a large window allowed light into the room. Feizhi was just about to look away from the window when something caught her eye. In the center of the window, a tiny black spot could be seen. Smiling, and mentally applauding herself for having good vision, the girl crept up to the window, and the fly.
"I will kill you. I must," said Feizhi quietly. She didn't want to disturb the fly.
Sensing her presence, the fly positioned itself so that it was staring at her. It watched as Feizhi lifted her leg up above the table, it watched as she hobbled on one leg, trying to gain her balance, and it watched as she fell over backwards.
"Grr!" shouted the girl in disgust. Jumping back up, she quickly raised her leg above the table and launched it at the fly, which took off right before the toe smashed it.
A tiny POP was heard when Feizhi's toe smacked up against the window. The girl's face twisted into an expression of pain.
-- --
Outside of the room, Master Feh sat in a chair while reading his daughter's diary.
"Daughter...must you hate my cooking so much?" he muttered, closing the book and returning it to where he found it. As he made his way back to his chair, he almost fell over in surprise as a high pitched scream could be heard from the next room. Following the scream were shouts of obscenities at a certain fly. The next sound Master Feh heard was the sound of a vase shattering into pieces.
Sighing, the old man sat back down in the chair, avoiding looks from other students in the training room.
"She still has much to learn..." Master Feh murmured under his breath.
-- --
"You will die now!" screamed Feizhi, throwing both hands out in front of her at the fly. All of her concentration and energy went into launching a Chi attack out of her hands at the tiny insect. The fly buzzed around annoyingly, dodging the attack. Then, as if mocking her, the fly landed on her finger.
Feizhi went berserk. She smacked at her finger, and then bit it, in hopes of killing the fly. Looking down at her finger, the only thing she saw were teeth marks. The girl, angered and in a state of fury, scanned the room for the fly again.
Spotting the fly on the table, the girl wasted no time in going after it. Launched another Chi attack, and then leapt over to the table to see if she managed to hit her foe.
"I got you, I know I did. You better be dead," she said to herself, moving things on the table around to spot the fly.
A soft buzzing noise entered her ear, right before the fly itself entered her ear. Feizhi's eyes grew even wider than before, and she screamed. She jammed her finger into her ear, twisting it around wildly while she stamped her feet on the ground, jumping around in place.
While Feizhi bounced around in place, Master Feh entered the room. He watched in amusement as his daughter continued screaming while digging in her ear.
"Erm...daughter? Your time is up..." he said. When he saw that Feizhi hadn't heard him, he repeated himself louder.
Feizhi tiled her head over to one side, scratching at the inside of her ear. The fly, meanwhile, was buzzing around behind her, having escaped death yet again. The frustrated girl didn't seem to notice the small insect behind her.
"Feizhi!" shouted Master Feh. "Your time is up!"
Finally hearing him, Feizhi turned around to look at her father. She shook her head a few times to make sure the fly wasn't still in her ear canal, and then gave Master Feh a menacing glare.
"This test is impossible! How did those two buffoons manage to pass it?!" she nearly yelled. "They're mistakes with arms and legs! How did they do it?!
"Feizhi, do not speak ill of my students that way. They passed it because they were ready. You are not," Master Feh stated. He walked over to the table, glancing at the vase Feizhi had broken when he reached it. "You get frustrated so easily...and you are impatient."
Throwing her hands up into the air, Feizhi said, "Well how am I supposed to pass this test? The fly is too quick!"
Master Feh sighed, and smiled a little. "If I prove to you that it is possible...will you agree to listen to me from now on in your training? Not as just your master...but your father, as well."
"It can't be done. If you can show me how it is done...then...I will do as you say for the remainder of my Chi training," said the girl, wincing as she stepped on her sore toe.
"Very well. There was a lesson you did not learn about luring in enemies. That is just one of the many lessons you still need to be taught before moving on," stated Master Feh. He uncovered the plate of food, and took off one of the many square-shaped chunks. Making sure he covered the plate again, the old man spun around to show Feizhi the item.
"Do you know what this is?" he questioned.
Feizhi rolled her eyes. "Some of your terrible cooking, I bet. I am sorry father, but you just are not good at it."
Chuckling slightly, and shaking his head, Master Feh said, "No, that's not it. This is a special type of food that gives off a strong smell. Strong enough to lure flies within minutes."
Master Feh placed the food on the ground, and kicked off his slipper. He told Feizhi to stand back and allow the fly to get to the food.
"Wha...I didn't know I could use this..." Feizhi said.
"I informed you beforehand that you could use whatever item you needed to help you succeed."
"I...I don't remember that!"
"That is the reason you did not pass, daughter," said the older man. His eyes caught sight of the fly landing on the food. As quick as he could, master Feh brought his foot down on the fly, squishing the insect under his little toe. "You must learn to use your head. Chi is not your strongest weapon," he said quietly as he bent down to wipe off his toe.