What The Future Holds

A Golden Sun Romance by Father Hulk

A/N: Greetings! Well, I just finished the cutscene in Champa where Feizhi reveals her feelings for Isaac. And that means that somebody, somewhere, has got to do a pairing. So I boldly stepped up. I am trying to make it as believable as possible. Hope you enjoy, and give good reviews, lest Death Evan take your soul!

"Lift." Isaac whispered. Out of utter nothingness, two glowing hands formed, and with very little effort, they hoisted the huge bolder up into the air, suspending it there.

"Oh my! The boulder! It floats!" cried Feizhi, the lilac-haired young daughter of Master Feh, instructor at the nearby Xian School for Martial Arts.

Master Hama of Lama Temple, who was also present, nodded in satisfaction. The boy had obviously mastered a great deal of Psynergy. "Can you hold it a bit longer, Isaac?" she called. When Isaac nodded, she helped Feizhi pull her brother, Hsu, out from under the rocks.

"He is free! You can let go now!" Feizhi cried in delight. Isaac lowered his hand, and the boulder fell to the earth. "You have saved my brother, Isaac!" she cried happily.

"Oh… Feizhi," Hsu moaned, "It is true that I am free, but I cannot move."

"We have to get him back to Xian," Hama said. "Isaac, will you help us carry him?"

"Why have so many people carry him?" Garet interrupted before Isaac could answer, "Just let me do it." Garet, being the biggest and strongest of the group, effortlessly picked Hsu up and put him on his shoulders. "Hang on tight, buddy," Garet said with a grin, "You are now on board Garet's Piggy-Back Express!"

"Thank you, sir," Hsu whispered, and together the group trekked back to Xian.

"Feizhi, you have returned," said Master Feh when his daughter walked in the door. But then his eyes widened. "What is this? It is Isaac and his friends, and they have brought Hsu!"

"Yes, Father," Feizhi said as they laid Hsu down on the rug, "It seems Master Isaac is capable of more than just making trees fall." she said this with a small smile in Isaac's direction.

"Is that right, Feizhi? How so?"

"The boulder that pinned Hsu down floated in mid-air! The warrior raised his hands and it happened!"

Master Feh rubbed his chin. "The warrior's Ki must be stronger than I thought. Master Nyunpa has taught him well." Master Feh approached Isaac and bowed. "My eternal thanks for saving my son," he said.

"Ah, it was nothing," Isaac said, blushing a bit.

"We were happy to help you, Master Feh," replied Mia, bowing in return. Feh smiled amiably.

"It would do me a great honor if you would spend tonight in our company, Isaac and friends. We shall have a feast to celebrate Feizhi and Hsu's safe return."

"Oh, well sir, I don't know…"

Garet elbowed Isaac. "I think we should, Isaac. I really do."

"He's only excited about the free food," came a telepathic projection from Ivan. Isaac nodded to him silently.

Feizhi stepped forward. "Please, Isaac? We very rarely have company and I would love it… that is, we would love it if you would stay with us." She seemed quite earnest and sincere.

Isaac looked around at the others, and then nodded. "Well, all right, if you insist."

"Then I shall make preparations!" Feh declared, and he swept off.

"I must take Hsu to his bed," Feizhi said.

"Here, let me help you," Isaac offered, and together, they carried Hsu to his room.

"I was still amazed at the level of your power," Feizhi said as she tucked the blankets in around the sleeping Hsu. "The most Ki I had ever seen was a man lifting up a book and turning it over. You must be very special indeed!" she said with a smile, and for a moment, their eyes locked.

"Well, it's not like I had all this power right from the start," Isaac said, looking away. "I've been on the road for a long time now, and on my journey I have learned much. But there is still a lot to learn."

"Well, I'm sure you will do fine," Feizhi assured him. "I heard that you stopped the flood in Altin. It would take a very strong man to do that."

Isaac sighed. "Yeah, well… I guess." He really didn't have much to say.

Feizhi decided to be bold. "With all your power, it is no wonder that your companion Mia fancies you!"

Isaac looked up and shook his head. "Mia? Naah, we're… we're not together. I'm not really with anybody right now."

Feizhi's heart was beginning to beat faster. She was beginning to have a feeling for this boy that she could not explain. He was indeed the bravest warrior she ever knew. He came into her life, and within the first day of knowing her, gave all his strength to help her. The feeling could perhaps be called a deep admiration. But no… admiration did not feel like this. The feeling excited her, but scared her as well. What could this feeling be, so soon after she met him? It seemed almost foolish to take it seriously. She looked at Isaac again. "He is quite handsome," she thought to herself, then she gasped quietly. She was finding him handsome! Her father had once told her that she would get these feelings.

"Feizhi, one day a young man will enter your life. If he is your destined husband, you will be filled with love for him from the moment you see him. Then you shall become married, and bear children and begin a family. I do not know when that time will come, but you will know, Feizhi, when you feel the love."

Was this love? Is that what this feeling was? She pondered this as she lay a damp cloth on Hsu's forehead.

"Are you all right?" Isaac asked, looking at her curiously. "You got kind of quiet there."

"What?" she faltered. "Oh.. Yes, yes, I'm fine."

In perfect timing as to rescue them from this awkward conversation, the dinner bell was rung, and Feizhi got to her feet. "Come. Father will have prepared an excellent feast."

"And so then, I held my sword out directly in front of the stupid Skeleton, and waved it back and forth slowly." Garet was saying as they all sat around the table. "He was so intent on watching it, he didn't even notice when Isaac snuck up behind it and chopped its bony little head off!" There was laughter the whole table round. It was true that there had been many amusing and humorous events on their journey, and it was in the casual atmosphere at Master Feh's dinner table that they exchanged stories and spoke of the world.

"Once, when I was traveling with Master Hammet," Ivan began as a servant offered him the plate of roasted chicken, "A merchant came to Tolbi, which is where we were since it was time to sell the silk we had bought here. Anyway, he comes with no cart, no merchandise whatsoever, but he makes Hammet an offer that seemed too good to be true. He says, 'For two-thousand gold, kindly merchant, I will have delivered to you two wagon-fulls of the most beautiful rings the land has ever seen. And with these, you can sell them to lovers, or to other merchants for twice their value.'"

"2000 coins seems a bit cheap for so many rings," Feh commented.

"Yeah, I know," Ivan agreed, "And Hammet jumped right at the opportunity. So, two weeks later the wagons arrive, and as we soon found out, the merchant was Lunpian, and each and every one of those rings had a curse on it!" Laughter broke out from among the group.

"So what did you do?" Mia asked.

"Well first we caught up with the wagon driver… roughed him up a little bit, and we found out that the merchant's next stop was Suhalla. So Hammet got a whole squad of Kalay soldiers and we beat him there, and not only did we rough him up quite a bit, but we also made him pay us back the 2000 coins, plus the money it cost us to have our Sanctum remove all the curses. I tell you, Dodonpa must have been PISSED that day!" More laughter.

Isaac and Feizhi, who sat next to each other, were the only quiet ones at the table. But it was not an unpleasant quiet. As they ate, they only caught glimpses of each other as they looked back and forth at whomever was speaking, but still, they seemed content just to be near each other. Isaac, too, believed something had begun inside Hsu's room with Feizhi that was rapidly gaining strength and shape. Being in Feizhi's presence was somehow soothing, though he could not explain why.

Isaac then became so bold as to steal a direct gaze in Feizhi's direction, and was surprised to find that she, too, was gazing directly back at him. The noise of the conversation around them blurred and became almost inaudible to these two, whose eyes were filled with each other. Their bliss was interrupted, however, by Master Feh clearing his throat.

"Master Isaac, you have not touched your food!" he said, chidingly. "Come, eat. It is not on every evening that our cook prepares such delicacies." And so Isaac resumed his meal, as Mia began telling a story of she and Alex as playful children. Isaac and Feizhi did not look at each other again, but underneath the table, their hands met and locked, and stayed that way for the remainder of the meal.

"Feizhi?" said Master Feh after the servants had removed the dishes, "Kindly show Isaac and his friends to the guest quarters."

"Yes, Father," she answered, and she led the group deep inside the large house, down a hallway and another, until they arrived at a pair of doors that led into a large, richly carpeted room with six beds and all the usual furnishings. Garet and the others instantly went inside, but Isaac hung back.

"What is wrong, Isaac?" Feizhi asked.

Isaac was finding it difficult to find his words. "Well, Feizhi, it's just… I don't know… what happened at dinner, I've been thinking a lot about it, and…"

Feizhi interrupted him with a shake of her head. "We must not speak of it here. It is late at night already. Will you come have breakfast with me in the morning?"

Isaac smiled. "Absolutely."

Feizhi smiled warmly, and she brushed her hand across Isaac's cheek. "Sleep well, Master Isaac." And she turned and was gone.

"Hey, Isaac!" called Garet, "What are you doing out there?"

Isaac sighed deeply and said, "Nothing, Garet. I'm coming in."

The following morning dawned grey and stormy, the rain pounding upon the roof of the Feh manor like drumbeats. Isaac was up before the others, unable to sleep due to the noise of the rain. He decided to let the others sleep in, and he went down into the main hall to greet Master Feh.

"Good morning, Master Isaac," said Master Feh, bowing.

"Good morning, sir," Isaac replied, returning the bow.

"I know that your journey is still incomplete," Feh continued, "But it would not be good service to send my honored guests away in such weather. Therefore, I believe you shall remain here today."

"As you wish, sir," Isaac replied. His eyes then directly darted over to the Chi Master's side, where Feizhi sat, her face glowing as she smiled at him. She rose, and brought with her two breakfast trays.

"Father, we will be eating in the east room," she said. Feh nodded.

The east room was paneled in rich, deep tan wood, furnished by a large hearth and several ornamental painting and masks on the walls. There was a thick carpet beneath their feet, and they sat in front of the fire, enjoying each other's company more than the meal.

"I am so glad that you cannot travel today," Feizhi said quietly.

"Why?" Isaac asked.

She smiled. "Because it means I can spend the day with you." Her smile faded, and she looked away, seeming almost distracted by something, perhaps a nagging thought in the back of her mind. Isaac watched her curiously. She looked at him again, and she said, "Isaac, I have begun to have a feeling for you, I do not know what to call it. But, I do very much want to be with you as much as I can today."

Isaac nodded. "I… I think I have that same feeling for you, although I also am unsure of what it is." he said, blushing a bit. She smiled, and their hands locked again. The meal was finished, and with the plates discarded, they sat, side by side, gazing into the jumping and dancing flames. Isaac, every so often, would squeeze Feizhi's hand gently in his own, and she noticed and smiled.

"The wishing star will be out tonight," she said after a long while.

"The wishing star?" Isaac mused.

"Yes. In the summer, the constellation of Cygnus sits high in the sky, and the red star in the corner has magic power. If you make a wish on that star, it will come true, or so they say."

"I never heard of that." Isaac said.

"Well, you have now. I have decided that tonight, if it is clear, you and I shall go and see the wishing star."

"Okay." Isaac agreed. He gazed at Feizhi again before turning back to the fire. However, his gaze had not gone unnoticed, because in that moment, a warm hand moved from his own hand to around his waist, drawing him closer. He closed his eyes for a moment. He was unfamiliar with all these feelings that were rushing through him, but he welcomed them hungrily. He put his own arm around Feizhi and they held each other close long into the afternoon.

"Good morning, young sirs and lady," Master Feh said as he greeted Garet, Ivan, and Mia, who had just awoken. "Or, perhaps it is more fitting to say good afternoon."

"Have you seen Isaac?" Ivan asked.

Feh nodded. "He was having breakfast with Feizhi in the east room last I heard."

"Well, let's find him then," Ivan said. "I need to ask him something important."

"I must ask you to refrain," Feh broke in as the group started off.

"Why?" Garet asked, confused.

"I gathered from the way Feizhi was looking at Master Isaac this morning that she wishes to be alone with him for the better part of today. I simply ask that you let them be."

"But, I…"

"Let them be." he repeated with authority, ending the conversation.

"The fire is so lovely," Feizhi whispered, as she rested her head on Isaac's shoulder. They were still seated on the large bear-skin rug that sat before the fire. "It almost seems as if there are spirits in there, dancing their rituals."

Isaac smiled and held Feizhi closer. He was beginning to feel more and more drawn to her with each passing moment. "The fire is not the only lovely thing around here," he said.

"Why, Master Isaac," she said, looking at him reproachfully but playfully, "Do you mean to make advances on me?" She giggled and leaned closer to him, and placed one small kiss on the inside of his neck. Isaac got a chill for a moment, and almost spasmodically, he pulled Feizhi to him, so that their arms were wrapped completely around each other.

"Isaac…" she whispered, touching his face, running her hand across his cheek. The sensations that coursed through each of them built to a fever, and in the next moment they were kissing, holding each other tightly, as if one of them should fall into nothingness if the other let go. Their kissing was tender but passionate, and Feizhi truly felt that she was in heaven among the Gods. All morning and afternoon she had been longing to do this, to feel the touch of his lips upon her own, to feel his arms around her as they kissed.

It was several long minutes before they broke, and when they did, Feizhi's eyes were shining brighter than any lighthouse beacon in the world. "This feeling," she whispered, stroking Isaac's back, "I know now what it is."

"Tell me," Isaac whispered back, running his hand through her silky violet hair.

"It is called love, and I feel it for you, Master Isaac." She kissed him again, letting her hand stroke the back of his neck.

"I love you too, Feizhi," Isaac said, whispering it into her ear. The warm, wonderful feeling inside Feizhi escalated into a fiery passion, and they began kissing again, intensely and passionately. They shifted so that they were lying next to each other on the soft rug, and there they stayed until the dinner bell was rung.

The rain subsided early that evening, and the stars were aglow. Feizhi led Isaac by the hand out to the garden behind the manor, where they sat on a stone bench, gazing up at the stars.

"It is a beautiful night," she said. "Look, do you see it? There is Cygnus." She pointed to a cluster of stars. "And there, that red star? That is the wishing star."

Isaac leaned over and kissed her cheek, just to the side of her mouth. "Make a wish then,"

"I have known what I would wish for since this morning, but… oh, now I am embarrassed to say it!" She looked away from him, blushing.

"Oh, come on, you can tell me," he said softly, putting his hand on her shoulder. "Come on, tell me your wish."

She looked up and gazed directly into his eyes. "I know that you must leave tomorrow… there is no stopping that. But, I cannot deny that I wish you could stay here with me, and…" She looked away again, a tear coming to her eye.

"And what, Feizhi?"

"…And be my husband."

Isaac's heart panged for a moment. He had not yet come to accept that in a matter of hours he would be leaving the girl he loved so far behind. But in that moment, he wished to remain there forever with Feizhi, to do as she wished for. But he couldn't… he had to leave her. His eyes began to tear.

Feizhi threw herself onto him, burying her head in his chest, sobbing. "I don't want you to go," she cried. "Please! Don't leave me. I beg you to stay here with me."

Two tears slipped from Isaac's eyes and fell down his cheeks. "I… I can't, Feizhi," he said remorsefully. She cried harder.

"I fear I may never see you again!" she wept, raising her tear-stained eyes to his.

"But you will," Isaac said with determination.

"You mean it?"

Isaac searched deep within his feelings, and spoke his heart. "Feizhi, I promise to you on this night that after I have completed my journey, I will return to you in Xian. And on that day, I will become your husband."

She cried again, but with a smile, as she threw her arms around him. "Oh, do you mean it, Isaac? Truly?"

"I swear it to you," he assured her. They kissed, just once, and for hours afterwards they sat under the stars, arms entwined.

Isaac and his party left the next morning. Master Feh had bid them a very fond farewell, wishing them good luck on their journey, and sending them off with a small supply of extra food, to sustain them on their travels.

Isaac and Feizhi had exchanged a very heartfelt and tearful goodbye, but Isaac had repeated his promise, and she smiled through her tears and kissed him goodbye.

"Isn't he a handsome young man?" Feizhi asked her father after she had watched the group vanish out of sight along Silk Road.

"Well, that I would not know," Feh replied. "So you are taken with him, eh?"

"Oh, yes, Father! I do love him very much. And one day he shall marry me! He said so."

"Nonsense," Feh said. "Most likely you will never see him again. He has too much to accomplish."

"No! You are wrong!"

"Really now? Why do you say that?"

"Because," Feizhi said with a knowing gleam in her eye, "I had a vision of our wedding this morning. My visions have always come true, have they not?"

Feh shook his head. "I still say they are coincidence. If Isaac does return, that, too, will be coincidence!"

"Gaah!" Feizhi cried in frustration. "You still won't believe me! Stubborn, stubborn old man!" And she left the room in a huff.

Feh shook his head. "My poor daughter…" he mused, and then left the manor to go teach the morning Chi classes.

THE END!!!

What The Future Holds has been written by Father Hulk

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