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Chapter 19

To Catch A Mocking Bird

WILLY'S POV

I was sleeping soundly in my bed unaware of the day I was going to have. Then I felt someone shake me gently. I continued to asleep ignoring the shaking. The shaking came again and then I someone whisper.

"Come on Willy. It's time for you to get up," said the voice. "Wake up now."

I sleepily opened a sleepy eye to find Finn's face above me. I sleepily sat up and stretched.

"Morning Finn. -yawn-"

"Morning. Now come on, I gotta drop you off at Tu Chi's place early today so make sure you get dressed in your training clothes OK?"

"Yeah..." I said sleepily as I got out of bed.

"Make sure you're wide awake too. You got your first actual day of training today," added Finn. "We'll eat breakfast and then I'll drop you off at the dojo."

"OK."

I was still feeling a little groggy from being woken up so early in the morning, but I soon started to feel more awake. I was feeling excited for today was the day that I was gonna start training. It made me wonder what Tu Chi was gonna teach me. How to walk on water? How to use that water star move that Finn used? Or maybe how to make an awesome weapon out of water? It made me excited just thinking about it, but then again it probably wasn't going to be that simple.

I got dressed in my blue shirt and black pants and tightened my white belt. Finn got dressed in his usual doctor attire. Then he made us breakfast as usual and soon we were off to the dojo. Soon we arrived at the dojo and Tu Chi greeted us warmly.

"Good morning you two," said Tu Chi. "I take it you'll be skipping out today?"

"Yes. Sorry Master. I have to work," said Finn.

"No need to apologize. It's your job. Someone's gotta take care of the people," said Tu Chi.

"Now then, Willy you be good to the master and do your best OK?"

"OK," I said. "Have fun at work Finn."

"Thank you, Willy. Good luck with your training," said Finn. "Make sure you do your best and do everything Master tells you."

"OK!"

"All right then. See you later."

And with that Finn left. Tu Chi then turned to me.

"Now then Willy, it's just you and me now," she said. "Are you ready to start your training?"

"Yes, ma'am!" I said eagerly. "I'm ready!"

"Good. Then let's get started."

"So watch gonna teach me first, Master?" I asked. "How to walk on water? How to make those water weapons you and Finn used yesterday? Or maybe how to throw those water stars?"

"Now, now, now. Hold your horses there," said Tu Chi. "You gotta get past my training before you can start learning the spells me and Finn know."

"Oh. OK. So what are you gonna have me do?" I asked. "I'll do whatever you tell me to do Master."

"Is that so? In that case, let's begin."

Tu Chi then gave a small whistle and then Jade came flying towards us. She circled around a couple times and then landed on Tu Chi's shoulder.

"For the first part of your training, all you have you to do is catch Jade," explained Tu Chi.

I raised an eyebrow at this. "Catch your bird thingy? That's my training?"

"Yes. You'd think that it seems pretty simple right? But what you don't know is, Jade's a pretty frisky creature, not to mention mischievous and is pretty fast on her feet. If you can't be able to catch her, you might as well give up on learning my spells."

"I'm not worried," I said with little confidence. "All I have to do is catch her right? It should be easy."

"You think so eh? Well then Jade, get running now. Don't let Willy catch you now. Oh. One more thing Willy."

Tu Chi raised her hand and a small white magic circle appeared on her hand and then a magic circle appeared in the center of my chest and also below me. Suddenly I felt a tremendous weight bear down on me making me almost fall but I managed to remain standing. It felt like my body had all of a sudden gotten heavier.

"What... the heck... is going on...?!"

"It's just a small gravity spell," said Tu Chi. "It can change an object's or a person's gravity. I just changed the gravity of your clothes. Your clothes now weigh about five times more than normal. It is a part of your training after all. Remember you have to catch Jade with the added weight and you can't take off your clothes or use your magic either. I made sure of that as you have seen before. The goal of this is for you to get used to the added weight so you can get stronger."

"How... am I supposed to catch Jade like this..?"

"The only thing I can tell you is that it may seem impossible, but it can be done," said Tu Chi. "Finn himself did this training need I remind you and don't worry, Jade has also been instructed not to fly away so things will be easier. Now then... Hajime!"

At the sound of that word, Jade took off with me following close behind. Due to the weighted clothing, Jade immediately left me behind going several feet away from me.

"Geez! This is impossible!" I complained as I trudged after her.

It felt like my body was made out of lead. I could barely walk with all these weighted clothes on. How in the world was I supposed to catch a bird when I felt heavier than a sack of fish? Then I saw Jade. She stood a few feet away from me motionless. I waited till I was close enough then I pounced on her! Jade simply jumped up making me face fall right into the ground.

"Hey! I thought you said that Jade wouldn't fly away?!"

"She didn't," said Tu Chi pointing on my head.

I looked up only to find that Jade was resting on top of my head. I immediately reached up to grab her slamming my hands on top of my head, but I heard something crack and something sticky went all over my head and oozed down on my face. Jade had laid an egg on top of my head and I had smashed it making it go all over me. I wiped the egg from my face and I saw Jade who chirping while jumping up and down like she was mocking me. Tu Chi couldn't help but chuckle.

"You see? I told you she was a mischievous one."

I clenched my fists shaking a little from anger and I gave Jade a smile that was determined but was also seeped with anger.

"All right little birdy, you better start running," I growled. "because I'm so gonna catch you and when I get my hands on you... you're gonna be so sorry!"

I used all of my strength to jump up and pounce once again on Jade, but she ran out of the way making fall face first on the ground once again. I got back up and chased after her trudging slowly due to the weight of my clothes. My body felt heavy, but I refused to give in to that lousy bird. I was gonna catch her and complete this training no matter what it took! Even if it would take days!

A few hours had passed since then. I still was trudging like a turtle and I still wasn't able to catch Jade. I was lying on my back taking a break from all the running I did. I was sweaty, my body felt like lead even more still and I was feeling a little hungry. Then Tu Chi came up with a plate of food.

"Come on Willy. Time for a break."

Feeling hungry I staggered over to Tu Chi and sat down and started eating shoveling the food into my mouth.

"My, my. Somone's gotten quite the appetite," said Tu Chi.

"Well I gotta get back to my training as soon as possible," I said after swallowing some food. "I gotta get even with that pesky bird!"

"You remind me so much of Finn," said Tu Chi. "It really takes me back."

Hearing Tu Chi gave me an idea. Since she was talking about Finn away, maybe she can tell me how he did when he was training and then I can figure out how to get through this part of the training. It couldn't hurt to ask.

"You know... I'm curious Master," I said. "What was Finn like when you were training him? And how did he fare against your training?"

"Well... let's see," said Tu Chi putting a finger on her chin thinking. "He was stubborn, a bit abrasive, and he had a habit of wanting to get even with anyone who mocked him. I swear I couldn't begin to count how many times he picked a fight with me when I was training him. In short, he was a rebel."

"And did he go under the training like what you were giving me now?" I asked. "If so... then how many days did it take him to pass this part of the training?"

"Yes he did," replied Tu Chi. "And as far as how long it took him, it took him about three weeks to complete this part of the training."

"Three weeks?!" I yelped nearly choking on my food. "You're kidding! You're telling me that it took Finn three weeks to complete the training?!

"Yes. I must admit it even I didn't think that he would last that long," said Tu Chi. "But he didn't give up and eventually after the twenty-first day from training, he caught her."

"Wow... That's awesome," I said.

"So, if you wanna get past this training you can't give up," she continued. "It's all about persistence and perseverance. It's not something you can teach nor can be taught. You have to find those things within yourself. Once you do, even the impossible can become possible."

Hearing those wise words made me feel a little confused because I didn't really get it, but hearing about Finn made me feel more determined to complete this training. Not only that, but it made me want to complete it even faster than Finn could. And so that became my goal.

A few minutes later, I had finished my food and I resumed my training. I was still staggering around from the weight, but I still kept on after Jade. She certainly didn't make it easy for me. Whenever she got a few feet away from me, she would wait till I got close and just when I would think I got her. she would then jump away and chirp at me taunting me which got me, even more irritated. To make things worse, she kept her egg attack coming. She would sit on top of my head and lay an egg on my head or whenever she jumped over me when I pounced, she would either fire an egg making it splatter on me or sit on my head lay one on me. Soon I was covered in egg whites, shells, and yolk. Not to mention my body was sore and I felt really tired, but I kept on going. Before I knew it, it was getting close to the evening. I was still chasing after Jade when I heard a voice call out to me.

"Willy! It's time to go home!"

I turned to the source of the voice and I saw Finn coming.

"Looks like that will do it for today Willy," said Tu Chi.

"Aww. Can't I stay a little longer?" I asked wanting to train some more.

"Now, now Willy. You're forgetting one of the most important things about training," said Tu Chi. Resting. It's important to rest as well as training. So go home and get some rest and we'll resume tomorrow."

"Oh OK," I said puffing my cheeks in a pout.

Then a magic circle appeared on my chest and below me. My body then felt lighter and I was able to move normally again.

"Hey you two," said Finn as he came up to us. "How did training..."

Finn trailed off when he saw me covered in egg. Then he looked at Jade.

"Ah. I see," he said. "So you're going through that kind of training huh? I remember my first day doing this. Still up to your old tricks eh Jade?"

Jade let out a chirp for an answer. I glared at her still feeling a little mad about what she had been doing to me.

"Just you wait, you lousy bird!" I growled. "I'm gonna get stronger and catch you! Just you wait!"

Jade answered me by turning around and wagging her tail feathers. She was practically mocking me, but I was too tired to even bother.

"Come on Willy, let's go home and get you cleaned up," said Finn. "When we get home, I'll make you a nice dinner."

"OK."

"Well then, I'll see you tomorrow Willy," said Tu Chi. "Remember everything I have told you. Persistence and perseverance and plenty of rest. Understood?"

"Yes Sensei," I said.

Later that night, Finn made me dinner which I ate happily and I was now taking a bath because I still felt sticky from getting egg on me. As I bathed in the water, I thought about the training I went through. Needless to say, I was feeling a little frustrated about it. I sank into the water letting the water help me relax and try not to think about it so much. Then I heard Finn call.

"Willy, you OK in there?"

"I'm fine," I said sitting up.

"All right then. Make sure you get dressed and ready for bed. You got another day's worth of training tomorrow."

"I know," I sighed and then I sank into the water once more letting out a breath making a bubbling noise.

After a few more minutes of sitting in the tub, I got out, dried off, and got dressed. As I got dressed, I happened to come across my necklace. As I looked at it, I couldn't help but think about Aquadia. It made me remember how I trained under her and whenever I was having trouble with the training, she would tell what I need to do. Tu Chi only told me about having persistence and perseverance. How was I gonna do both of those things when I was gonna be under that gravity magic?

"I really wish you were here to help me out Mama," I said to myself as I put my necklace around my neck. "I could sure use it right now."

As I came out of the bathroom, I heard Finn call me.

"Willy, could you come here for a moment?"

I went over to the kitchen to find Finn washing a couple of dishes in the kitchen.

"What's up, Finn?"

"Could you help me put some of these dishes away?" asked Finn. "I just finished washing and drying these dishes and I could use an extra pair of hands to put them away."

"Sure thing," I said.

So I took a couple of dishes that Finn had already dried and started putting them away.

"You doing OK?" he asked.

"Yeah I'm doing fine," I said. "Just feeling sore from training."

"You sure? You sound like you got a lot of things on your mind."

At first, I felt like not saying anything to Finn, but then I thought it was pretty much pointless to keep it in. He does have some sort of power of reading me like a book.

"Actually... to be honest. I'm feeling a little frustrated right now," I said.

"Let me guess, Jade's gotten your skin and you're wondering how do you plan to catch her with your clothes being weighted and without your magic power right?"

I looked at Finn who was still drying the dishes. I figured it would be pointless to keep it in.

"Yes... That's exactly right," I said. "It... just seems impossible. How am I supposed to catch Jade if I can't get use my magic and having to be weighed down like that? Tu Chi also told me that I had to have perseverance and persistence, but... what does that even mean? I mean..."

Finn stopped what he was doing. He then turned towards me and bent down so he was at eye level with me.

"Willy let me ask you something," said Finn. "You love reading stories correct?"

"Yes. More than anything," I replied.

"Well then, have you heard of the story of The Princess and the Frog?" asked Finn.

"Yes. I have. My Mama read it to me when I was little."

"How about The Little Mermaid? The children's version of course."

"Yes. That one too."

"And Hercules?"

"Yes. Wait...why are you asking me about this?" I asked.

"Hold on, I'm getting to that," said Finn. "Do you know what these stories had in common?"

"Hmm..." I hummed trying to think. "I... don't know."

"Let me explain," said Finn. "First off in The Princess and the Frog, the princess was a hard-working middle-class girl who had big dreams in life. Even in the face of adversity she never gave up her dream. In Hercules, he wanted more than anything to become a true hero. It was hard and he almost gave up, but he kept going and he became a true hero. Lastly, in The Little Mermaid, the mermaid more than anything wanted to win the heart of a human she fell in love with. It was hard and she even made a deal with the sea witch, but eventually, she won the human's heart. Do you understand now?"

I thought about it and at first, I didn't understand, but then it came to me. There was only one thing that these stories had in common.

"Wait... was it because... they never gave up?" I asked.

"Exactly," said Finn. "That is what it means to have perseverance and persistence. Take it from me, I also had a hard time with the training and look how I turned out. You gotta keep pushing and keep going. The only real mistake you can make is giving up. "

I looked at admiration. I've never seen him look passionate like this before. It made me feel inspired even more than before. Finn placed his hands on my shoulders and looked at me straight in the eye.

"Willy. No matter what happens, no matter how hard it gets, don't ever give up," he said. "Never give up till the very end. I'm sure your mother would want to tell you the same thing."

I stared at Finn. Then I smiled and I nodded with new confidence.

"OK! I'll do my best Finn!" I said. "I'll make you, Tu Chi, and everyone else proud! I'll master this training in about a week tops!"

Finn smiled and tousled my hair. "Atta boy. Now then... shall we get you to bed? You got another day of training ahead."

"Yes and Finn? Thanks a lot. I needed that."

Finn smiled. "Anytime. Now come on. You gotta get some sleep now. I want you awake bright and early tomorrow."

"Right!"

For the next couple of days, I continued to train over at Tu Chi's place while Finn was at work. Eleven days had passed since then. It was close to the evening and I was still chasing Jade as usual for my training, but this time around I was running around like I normally would. It took a while, but I was finally getting used to the weight on my clothes and was hot on Jade's trail. Jade noticing this change had stepped up her game and had no choice but to run as fast as she could. Tu Chi continued to watch with a big grin on her face seeing my progress while she was having tea with Finn.

I was still chasing Jade relentlessly. her being right there in front of me. I was so close! I reached out toward Jade as I ran, my hands getting closer and closer to her. Just when I thought she was within reach I pounced, but Jade jumped up and dodged me firing another egg at me. I caught the egg just before it hit me.

"Nice try Jade!" I said. "But I'm wise to your pranks! You're not gonna get me with your egg attacks this time!"

Jade squawked in surprise and went on the run once again with me following close behind her. Jade jumped up and fired a couple more eggs at me, but I caught them with ease and threw them back at her. Jade squawked and chirped dodging every one of them as they splattered into the ground. I jumped up and landed in front of her. Jade eyes went wide and ran in the other direction. I jumped up and landed in front of her again. Jade then began to squawk frantically in surprise and in fear and took off running.

"Not so funny now that you're the one being toyed with eh Jade?" I thought. "Now then, I think it's time I end this training!"

I once more chased after Jade. I slowly began to close in on her reaching out towards her. Jade ran as fast as she could, but she knew that I was closing in quick. And then finally, I jumped up pouncing on Jade and with a diving grab, I caught her. Jade struggled in my hands trying to escape, but I kept a firm and gentle hold on her.

"I... I... I got her..."

I straightened up and stared at the bird creature in my hands. Then I whooped with triumph and jumped up and down with Jade in my hands.

"I did it! I did it! I finally caught Jade!" I cheered. "Look Finn! Look, Master! I did it! I finally did it!"

"I see that Willy," said Tu Chi smiling with pride. "Well done. It's only been almost two weeks now and you've already gotten used to the weight. I'd expect nothing less." He could even beat my record for completing the training."

"You see? I knew you had it in you!" said Finn giving me a tousle to my hair. "I'm proud of you Willy. You even beat my record for completing the training."

I beamed with pride. I took Jade who was still in my hands and lifted her up. She flew on top of Tu Chi's shoulder and preened her feathers.

"Well now Willy, it seems you're ready for the next phase of your training," said Tu Chi. "Are you?"

"Yes I am," I said. "Are we gonna get started right now?"

"Whoa. Hold on there Willy," said Finn. "I know you're eager to continue, but it's getting late. Not to mention that you haven't eaten dinner yet."

"Finn's correct Willy," said Tu Chi. "Besides, you've earned yourself some rest. Why don't you take a couple of days off?"

"Aww... I guess..." I said slightly pouting feeling a little disappointed. "But I'd much rather train some more."

"I know, but I must make preparations for your next part of the training," said Tu Chi. "Until then take some days off. You deserve it after all your hard work."

"Yes Sensei," I said.

"Hey. If you're still wanting to do something constructive," said Finn. "You can always go to the request board and pick a job request tomorrow."

"Really?"

"That's a good idea, Finn," said Tu Chi. "It'll be a good way for you to see what a job is like. Think of it as another part of your training. You will take a job request by yourself. A simple one and easy one so you can get an idea of how jobs work and make some jewel on the side. Can you do that?"

"Yeah! I can do that," I said. "That would be great."

"Then it's settled," said Finn. "I'll walk you to the request board tomorrow. Until then, let's go Sid's. I'd say we should celebrate tonight. Orange chicken and rice on me!"

"All right!"

My mouth immediately started to water upon hearing the words orange chicken. My stomach started to get that hungry feeling as well.

"So when will you be ready to move on Sensei for Willy's training?" asked Finn.

"Don't worry. You'll know when it's time Finn," said Tu Chi.

"All right then," said Finn. "We'll see you later then Sensei. Come on Willy, let's get going to Sid's."

"Yes! See you later Master!" I said cheerfully as we headed back into town.

NO POV

As Tu Chi watched the two boys leave, she couldn't help but feel not only feel happy but also excited as well.

"I can't believe it. In almost two weeks, he's completed the training even faster than Finn did. I knew that I sensed something special before, but now I'm even more interested in this boy. Perhaps he is worthy of learning my spells." She petted Jade on her head. "Don't you think so Jade?"

Jade squawked in annoyance still trying to fix her feathers.

"Oh come on now. You had it coming as soon as you shot eggs at him," chuckled Tu Chi. "Consider yourselves even. Come on. Let's get go inside so you can rest up and while we're at it, let's get the next part of the training for Willy ready."

And with that, Tu Chi headed inside the temple with Jade still preening her feathers.

Chapter 19 completed!

I know the training for Willy was pretty obvious, but the next part of the training will be a little different.

Anyways, feel free to leave me a review and check out the other stories I have on here!

Dragoman out!