Hi folks! I started where I wanted to start, I know where I want to finish. It's the stuff in between that's blocking me and taking time to write - I keep having to add more stuff to support my plot. ^^; Readership is down with the last post - perhaps because I promised Zuko/Aang and instead suggested Aang/Katarta and Zuko/Mai. But trust me when I say that I'll get there - it's just going to take some time in fic. The next chapter will jump ahead a week or two, so I'm getting there slowly but surely.
By the way, last chapter was a flashback by about 5 years. It meant to clarify the reason why the new temple was being built, but instead wound up focusing on Iroh's war story. Now I've switched back to Toph and managed again not to talk about the temple. ^^;; But I think this chapter works well as a theory of what Toph does after the series - just remember that Toph has been blind since birth, so she has no concept of sight. All her internal visualisations would be based off imagined tremor-sense and sound. So when she 'sees' something, she's actually imagining feeling it through her hands, feet, or whatever.
Also - remember to comment, review, etc. Constructive criticism is always welcomed - and if you've caught typos or mistakes, please let me know so I can fix them. =3
Enjoy! =^-^= Vm
Toph walked through the inner courtyard, the polished tiles of the mosaic floor beneath her feet felt as though they glittered in their intricate patterns. She tapped a toe on the ground and saw that the thin monk was in one of the smaller nooks of many built into the garden area, seated in what Toph had come to think of as his default meditation posture.
"Good afternoon, Toph. I see you have returned from your task victorious."
Toph tossed her bindle down outside the alcove, which was large enough to admit two people besides the aged man, then settled down facing him.
"Hello, Guru Pathik. I am, although there is something that bothers me about their fighting style. It seemed, familiar somehow."
Pathik grinned, his eyes still closed and shifted into a slightly different meditation position. "With the number of people you have fought, my student, I would be more surprised if you did not recognize a fighting style."
Toph giggled, settling into the same sitting position she felt the Guru had adopted. "So, Boney. What's our meditation about today?"
"For today, perhaps to assist you in recognizing that which has eluded you, we shall meditate on the Sixth Chakra."
Toph tilted her head, remembering. "Hmm... the Light Chakra, right? Circulates through insight, bocked by illusion?"
Pathik chuckles merrily. "You are quite right, Toph. Let us clear our minds of illusion and allow our insight to function. One of the greatest illusions is that of time. Many perceive time as a constant stream, always pulling us forward into the future. But our perception of time is based on our memories of it having passed. Remove the forward impetus and all our memories and experiences shall lay themselves before us as the present of the moment."
Toph took a deep breath and considered the Guru's advice. /I only perceive the passage of time, because I have created memories that give the illusion of time passing. Therefore, I must retain a memory of every moment I've experienced, because I retain the perception of time having passed/
"Very good, Toph. Continue with that line of thought – you are almost there."
Toph held her breath for a moment, gently retaining her train of thought although it threatened to disappear at Pathik's comment. She released her breath and continued her meditation. /Since I retain those memories, I must simply return my consciousness to that memory and I can experience it again in the present of my mind./
Before her mind's eye, Toph felt an object float towards her. She reached out with her thoughts and gently brought it closer in. /It feels rectangular, but lighter in the middle than on either side. This is like a book./ Toph opened it with a flick of her mind and felt the pages blowing by as though in a stiff breeze. /Careful. Slow down. If it goes by too fast I can't feel any of it./
"Well done. Well done! Now, just find your place. You must know where you are before you can begin your journey."
The pages slowed, then stopped. Toph felt on the displayed page a strange thing – she saw that it was an image of her entering the alcove to join Pathik for their meditation, but as though there was a thin layer of sand all around her. /This must be my memory of entering the alcove. If I go this way.../ Toph gently moved the pages of her memory book from the right to the left until a good dozen had gone by.
Toph now felt her memory of resting across from the Guru and the vibration of his voice, congratulating her. She spoke softly "Wow – this is great. I've moved up from walking into the alcove to just a few memories ago - and I'm nowhere near the end of the book. What happens if I keep moving forward? Can I see my memories of experiences I've not had?"
Pathik chuckled again. "You are always such an apt pupil, Toph – and so clever. While it is true that the future is as much an illusion as the past, I would not suggest testing yourself in that direction right now – let us continue that exercise on another day, hmm?"
Toph grinned and flipped her pages the other direction. "Sure thing, Boney. You've never steered me wrong before. Let's go take a look at those lackeys I fought." /If I perceive a dozen pages as about one minute, then I'll need to go... about this far.../ The pages of her book blurred past her minds eye as she estimated how far back she would need to go.
As the pages flipped, she caught small tremors from the pages. They began to realign into a long string that she could feel stretching out from her center in two directions – and she felt a glimpse a few months of perceived time into the perceived future of herself thinking to herself while learning the technique the Guru had mentioned /See – you knew already and said so – now go back to work, me!/
Toph grinned at herself across time as she abandoned the book metaphor and flew through her memories to her fight with the brigands in the forest. She flitted backwards and forwards across the fight, replaying the vibration memories until she could pick out the minutest details – and comprehension dawned.
As it did, Toph felt herself loose her suspension of the disbelief of time and she was pulled back into the present - forcefully. Although she was seated, she hit the floor as though falling from a great height and slid backwards three feet – through the wall one foot behind her.
Toph groaned, sitting up painfully and rubbing her head. "Ugh... I feel like I've been run over by a Hippo-pede. What happened?"
Toph felt a touch and flinched a little – she hadn't felt the Guru approach her. Pathik gently ran his fingers across Toph's forehead and she felt some of the pain recede, although her behind and back still ached from the impact. Pathik clucked his tongue.
"It is quite important to slowly return to the perception of the present when completing this meditation. The physical impact gets worse the further away you are when you are interrupted. Your body is mostly unharmed, except for the damage caused by your involuntary earthbending right at the end. The majority of the pain you feel is caused by energy loops trapped in your Chakra – I've done what I can to alleviate it, but you'll need to clean the rest up on your own."
Toph nodded and sat up with Pathik's help, grinning from ear to ear. "It's not the first time I've had to clean some house after a session with you, Pathik – but that was one wild ride." Toph could feel Pathik's happiness as he grinned at her resilience. "Well, Toph – I must admit that I do not normally enjoy attempting to teach earthbenders - but you certainly do have a knack for livening up an old man's meditations."
Toph stood, cracking her neck and back with a few stretches. "All better, physically." Toph planted her feet and with gentle motions of her hands replaced the stone and dust she had knocked out and made the wall whole again. "But I think I'll wait for a little on the repair meditations – I figured out who the people I fought were."
Pathik nodded, returning to his seat in the center of the alcove as Toph reclaimed her bindle. "Your visits are always so short, Toph – I wish you would spend more time meditating on the Seventh Chakra so we could further your training."
Toph grinned and stopped in the doorway bowing to Pathik with great respect. "I know you do, Guru. But if I did – then I wouldn't be me, right? Besides, I caught a glimpse on my way out and we'll see each other again in... a few months, I think, if I saw it correctly."
Pathik's eyes twinkled in merriment. "Liven up an old man's meditations indeed. Safe journey, Toph – we'll see each other again further down the path." Toph grinned and raised her thumb in parting, then turned and began her journey south.
Note: I had to think up something it would hurt getting run over by. So I imagined a Hippopotamus with a hundred legs/feet. I imagined that it was quite fitting for what I needed, hence the Hippo-pede was born! ^_^ Vm Also, Toph deeply respects Pathik and has learned a lot from him about balance and conservation of force - the reason why she has become so delicate with her bending out of combat. But she's still Toph, so she uses nicknames and jokes and shortcuts. Also, since she's not the Avatar, she doesn't have to maintain pristine Chakras so as to be able to enter the Avatar state - hence her decision to nearly completely ignore the Thought Chakra. Also, Pathik is quite fond of her.
No, I'm not shipping Toph/Pathik. *shivers* I'll leave that for someone else to perv over. ^^;;;; It's just a close student/teacher thing.
