Beyond the seas to the East, further than Othard and Hingashi, there is in the middle of the ocean a mountain island called the Island of Flowers and Fruit.

On top of this mountain was a magic stone. Ever since it existed, this stone had been exposed to aether currents.

One day, the magic stone spawned a materia the size of a ball. When the wind carrying plenty of aether blew on the materia, it turned into a monkey complete with five senses and four limbs.

Of such great abilities was this monkey that other monkeys soon made him Handsome Monkey King.

However, his innocent high spirit could not last forever and one day he was rather depressed. The crowd of monkeys was startled and asked, “What’s the matter your Majesty?”

“I am depressed because I am thinking of the future. Because we are monkeys, when we die we will not get to enjoy the blessings of the Twelve.” answered the Monkey King.

“If your Majesty thinks so far ahead, you may be able to learn and master the art of magic like the people of Eorzea. That way you may be able to transcend the Void and live forever.” claimed one monkey.

“Where would I find a master able of teaching me such a feat?” asked the Monkey King.

“In Sharlayan, there are people of great knowledge.” answered another monkey.

“Very well,” said the Monkey King, “I will travel there to find a master of magic to teach me.”

The Monkey King traveled westward for years before reaching Sharlayan.

When he was close to the city-state of Sharlayan, he would often enquire about magic and its practitioners until one day, he heard of a school that had a very wise but somewhat disliked teacher.

He traveled to the school to see for himself, and soon found it, isolated in the forest. He approached the school, but its gates were tightly shut.

He spent some time around feeding himself on some pine seeds when a young lad opened the gates and called, “who’s making a row here?”

The Monkey King climbed down the pine he was perched on and answered, “I seek to educate myself and learn the art of magic, I would never dare to make a row.”

The young boy was surprised to meet a monkey but made nothing of it.

“So you want to learn magic? The Master just got up and said someone with significant aether was in front of the school and bid me to welcome them.”

“That must be me,” replied the Monkey King. “Come with me.” the boy said.

Within the school, the Monkey King saw a majestic library and a majestic classroom along with simple but clean and well maintained dormitories, everything was a sight to behold.

Once the Monkey King saw the Master, an elezen of a certain age sporting a short and lovely beard, he bowed low, knocking his head to the ground and claimed, “Master, your disciple pays his deepest respects.”

“You can’t be my disciple if I don’t know your name.” spoke the elezen. “I don’t have a name.” answered the monkey.

“Didn’t your parents give you a name?” asked the Master and the monkey replied “I don’t have parents, all I remember is that there was a materia and then I was born.”

“Where are you from, then?”, followed the Master. “I come from the very far East, Master.”

“Then I give you the name of Sun Wukong, ‘Monkey Awakened to Emptiness’”, declared the Master.

The Master then ordered the other students to welcome Sun Wukong and teach him the ways around the school.

When he attended his first class, the Master gave an exposition on the properties of aether and Sun Wukong was so overjoyed that he could not quite remain calm.

Seeing his student apparently distracted, the Master asked him, “why are you making such a row instead of listening?” “I did not intend to be a bother, it is just that your words fill me with unbound joy.”

The Master walked to Sun Wukong and said, “You have a very powerful aetheric presence within you. What kind of magic would you like to learn?”

“I do not know,” replied Sun Wukong, “I wish to learn magic and master the aether to transcend the Void. If anything involves magic, I will learn it.”

“Across the world, there are multiple schools of magic, all of them drawing some form of aether.” explained the Master.

“I will do what you think best, Master,” declared Sun Wukong.

“There is Black magic, the magic of elemental destruction, using the elements to harm your enemies and protect your loved ones,” said the Master.

“Can Black magic transcend the Void,” asked Sun Wukong.

“No more than one can repair a broken house by setting it on fire.” answered the Master. “Then I shan’t learn it”, declared Sun Wukong.

“There is White magic, the magic of healing and protection, seeking harmony with the elemental spirits,” said the Master.

“Can White magic transcend the Void,” asked Sun Wukong.

“No more than you can heal your enemies into submission,” answered the Master. “Then I shan’t learn it”, declared Sun Wukong.

“There is Summoning magic, calling magical entities to your aid in your time of need and getting to know wondrous creatures,” said the Master.

“Can Summoning magic transcend the Void,” asked Sun Wukong. “No more than you can grow yourself while relying completely on others,” answered the Master. “Then I shan’t learn it,” declared Sun Wukong.

“There is Arcane magic, invoking otherworldly geometry to alter your own reality, ever thinking of cause and effect,” said the Master.

“Can Arcane magic transcend the Void,” asked Sun Wukong. “No more than you can change the world without acting on it.” answered the Master. “Then I shan’t learn it,” declared Sun Wukong.

The Master knocked Sun Wukong three times on the head, then with his hands in his back, exited the room and closed the door behind him.

“You cheeky monkey,” clamored the other students. “You made the Master angry and there’s no saying when he’ll come back.” The students loathed Sun Wukong and were scornful to him.

But Sun Wukong was smiling. He understood perfectly his Master’s hidden message. And so all the students set themselves to study on their own that day and do their daily chores.

During the next night, Sun Wukong pretended to sleep but kept counting the time. Three knocks on the head meant to meet the Master on the third watch.

Sun Wukong got up and soon made his way to the Master’s bedroom. As he expected, the door was closed shut.

Leaving the room with his hands in his back and closing the door meant that the main door would be closed but the back door would be open.

Sun Wukong made his way to the back door and found it unlocked. Sun Wukong quietly entered the room, saw his Master sleeping  and prostrated himself next to the bed.

The Master woke up and asked, “What are you doing here Sun Wukong?”

“Your disciple is merely following your instructions, Master,” replied Sun Wukong.

“This monkey understood my cryptic message. He truly is a divine creature and may be able to learn the true magic and wisdom.” thought the Master.

After a few months had passed, on one beautiful day, the students were done with the classes and their chores and were reviewing their lessons in the forest, just outside the school.

“Brother Sun Wukong,” called one student, “is it true that the Master has taught you some extraordinary magic in secret.”

“It is true,” replied a proud Sun Wukong, “the Master taught me quite a bit of the true magic.”

“The true magic?” sneered a skeptical student, “what have you learned that we have not?”

“I learned the 72 earthly transformations. I can transform into many things, like a pine tree, in this forest, I would be perfectly concealed.”

Quite a few students were impressed and curious, “show us brother, please show us.” The students were very eager to see it for themselves and were shouting pretty loudly.

Sun Wukong transformed into a pine tree in front of everyone. Loud cheers of appreciation could be heard.

“What is happening here?” asked loudly the visibly upset Master who had been attracted by the noise.

“Nothing Master,” answered a student, “we asked Sun Wukong to show us his transformation into a pine tree and he did. It is amazing.”

The Master was angry now. “Sun Wukong,” he growled, “is this why you wanted to learn magic, to show off? This is not the behavior of a wise and educated scholar.”

“You are a bad person and will surely bring misfortune and unhappiness wherever you go. You are to leave immediately and if anyone asks, you are never to tell them my name, I want nothing to do with you, it will only be disasters after disasters.”

A saddened but not angry Sun Wukong promised, “I will never tell your name to anyone and if I am ever asked where I learned magic, I will say I taught myself.”

And that is how archon Louisoix Leveilleur kicked Sun Wukong  out of his school of magic.

When he got back home, Sun Wukong claimed the name of Qitian Dasheng; Great Sage Equalling Heaven.

But what exactly is the one true magic? Was Sun Wukong ever able to transcend the void? And how did Sun Wukong end up in Swallow’s Compass?

Ah, but alas, this is a story for some other time.

*****

Notes

This story covers about the second half of chapter 1 and almost the whole of chapter 2 of the novel. I condensed a chapter and a half into 5 pages.

Materia? I like FF6 better, why didn’t I make it a magicite?

Hmm, Sun Wukong goes from “I’ll learn anything” to turning down everything ridiculously quick. I went and reread that chapter of the novel and it turns out I’m being entirely faithful to the original.

I wanted to cover more schools of magic, but concern over the length of the story stopped me. Red magic, Blue magic, Astrology, Geomancy.

I really wanted to drop the name of Qitian Dasheng since it is the name used in FFXIV but that was rather forced…