Chapter 14: True Balance
Hey everyone I'm back with a new chapter. I'm glad to see how you all loved my latest chapter with Shun's new clones and his reaction. Many of you were eager to see how this goes and after seeing some of the new Disney + series Star Wars Visions I am definitely getting some new ideas. I hope you like what I have planned. Please Review and Enjoy.
Upon returning to Coruscant, Obi-Wan was immediately given the cold shoulder by Shun as they entered the Temple.
"Hey! There they are!" At the front, they saw Anakin approach them.
"Anakin." Obi-Wan smiles.
"I heard you guys blew up the factory." Anakin said.
"Yeah thanks." Shun said in a dead tone as he walks past Anakin and to the quarters.
"What's with him? Someone die?" Anakin asks.
"No. Apparently, Master Tapal never told Shun the rule of attachment with the Jedi." Obi-Wan said causing Anakin to cringe knowing the moment he was told that all too well.
"How'd he take it?" Anakin asks.
"I'll put it like this. You handled it better than he did." Obi-Wan said.
"Is he gonna be okay?" Anakin asks.
"I don't know, when I told him he was crushed. I think it's gonna take him some time to come to terms with this." Obi-Wan sighs.
"Maybe I should try talking to him. You mind?" Anakin asks.
"Go ahead." Obi-Wan nods.
In the halls, Shun was walking through the halls looking at all the Jedi training.
'They were taught to suppress the very things that make us living beings. They fear the worst so they push anything away everything else, even happiness.' Shun thought.
However, as he turned a corner he ended up bumping into someone and staggering back.
"Oh I'm sorry." Shun looks ahead to see he had bumped into Barriss.
"It's all right, my head isn't really where it should be." Shun apologizes.
"A Jedi should always be mindful of his surroundings young Padawan." Luminara said walking over.
"Master Luminara, good to see you again." Shun nods.
"And you as well. I see you've met my Padawan." Luminara gestures.
"Barriss Offee, a pleasure to meet you." Barriss said bowing to him.
"A pleasure." Shun said bowing as well.
"Shun has the ability to heal just like you, Barriss." Luminara said surprising her.
"You do?" Barriss asks.
"Among other abilities." Shun nods.
"Perhaps you can show her sometime." Luminara said.
"Perhaps another time Master." Anakin said walking in. "I need to have a word with Shun."
"Very well. Come Barriss." Luminara said walking away.
"I hope our paths cross again." Barriss said as she followed.
"That's our cue. Walk with me." Anakin said.
"I really am not in the mood a lecture." Shun said.
"Yeah well I'm in a talking mood so too bad." Anakin said grabbing Shun by the arm and pulling him down the hall with him.
Leading him into an old metal garage, Shun sees chunks of metal everywhere before Anakin let go.
"Man what is with that grip of yours?" Shun asks.
"Metal hand." Anakin said holding it up. "Really comes in handy."
"Metal? What happened to your real one?" Shun asks surprised.
"Dooku cut it off." Anakin said as he picked up some metal. "I got a prosthetic but I used most of the metal I found here to make my hand as good as new."
"So I guess Master told you what happened?" Shun assumes.
"Yeah he did, you must have a lot of stuff going through your head." Anakin said.
"How would you know?" Shun asks.
"You're not the only one who was brought into the order at a late age. I was brought to the Jedi Order when I was 9." Anakin said getting his attention.
"Wait, you?" Shun said surprised.
Gesturing with his hand Anakin tells Shun to sit next to him.
"I lived on Tatooine with my mother. Working with machines and metal for as long as I could remember. Then one day I met Obi-Wan and his master who had landed on the planet. They sensed I was strong with the Force and managed to get me my freedom, but they couldn't free my mother." Anakin frowns.
"What happened to her?" Shun asks.
"She stayed on Tatooine, actually ended up meeting someone he freed her and then he married her. I was happy that she managed to have a good life for a while, but when I learned about the Jedi Rule of attachment it hurt because it meant I could never go back to her." Anakin explains.
"Never being able to see my parents again? I could never imagine that nightmare." Shun frowns.
"I know what you're going through, this Jedi Rule is by far the hardest to follow especially for guys like us who didn't grow up in the order." Anakin said.
"How did you handle it?" Shun asks.
"To be honest, not well. When I was still a padawan like you, I finally couldn't take it and went back to my mother when I began to worry about her…but I was too late. She died right in front of me." Anakin said as he choked a little bit.
Looking over, Shun saw Anakin wipe a tear from his eyes.
"I'm sorry." Shun said.
"Yeah me too. Shun take it from me, this is gonna be hard, really hard, but if you don't find a way to keep your head, you'll lose yourself. I found a way, but…I wouldn't recommend it for someone your age."
"What is it?" Shun asks.
"Sorry that's sensitive information." Anakin smriks.
"Don't you think it's kind of unfair though?" Shun asks.
"That's just the way things are." Anakin said getting up. "It's always hard to accept it at first, but it's one of those things we just can't change no matter how much we want it to."
As he walked out, Shun looked at him and frowned. Anakin was so much more than what he thought he was.
"Hey Master Skywalker." Shun calls out.
Stopping Anakin turns around to look at him.
"I know it might not mean much coming from me but I think your mom would really proud of you if she could see you now." Shun said causing Anakin to smile softly.
"Thanks Shun." Anakin said walking away.
Making his way to his room, Shun sat cross-legged on the floor.
"Some things we just can't change…is that I'm gonna be saying if I stay with the Jedi Order? The Jedi have the problems but they're good people and want to help. But the Sith, they're the exact opposite, they're all about lies and deception. They use their emotions but they don't use them right." Groaning Shun held his head frustrated. "Why is this so frustrating?"
Doing the only thing he could think of Shun began to meditate and when he did the spirit of Qui Gon Jinn appeared in front of him.
"Hello Shun." Qui Gon said sitting down.
"Master Qui Gon, what does the Jedi Order do if you form attachments?" Shun asks.
"While the Jedi Order allows cooperation between the Jedi that's far as it goes. Should you break these rules you could be expelled from the Order if the council decides it." Qui Gon said.
"All that just for breaking one rule?" Shun said in disbelief.
"The Jedi Council are the ones in charge. They enforce all the rules that the Jedi must follow. I was once offered a seat on the Council but I turned it down." Qui Gon said.
"Has anyone ever convinced the Council to change a rule?" Shun asks.
"No one." Qui Gon shook his head.
"So you mean I'm stuck following this rule and stay a Jedi but I end up being alone for the rest of my life or I leave and can no longer be a Jedi?" Shun asks.
"I'm sorry Shun, as much as I want to help you, you'll have to really look deep inside you to find the answer to this imbalance." Qui Gon said before disappearing.
Sighing Shun rested his head back. "Well talking to the Jedi didn't do much help Anakin and Qui Gon weren't fans of this rule either but neither knew how to fix it." Shun said when he heard a beeping.
Looking up Shun saw BD-1 hop off his glider and walk over to him.
"Well at least I know you like me, right buddy?" Shun smiles petting him.
Beeping happily BD nods asking if he could help.
"Thanks, I appreciate it but Qui Gon said I needed to look inside for this one." Shun said putting him down.
Taking a deep breath, Shun closed his eyes knowing he had only one place left to look.
Entering the Avatar State, Shun's eyes glowed.
Beeping BD looks at Shun curiously but he didn't seem to show any reaction to him.
Opening his eyes, Shun saw he was in the Spirit World.
"I haven't come here my airbending training." Shun said looking around he was in a spiritual forest. "I see not much has changed."
As Shun made his way down the path he suddenly heard footsteps up ahead with a bright light.
"Who's there?" Shun asks taking a defensive stance.
"Has being exposed to war made you jumpy to even your friends?" Emerging from the shadows, Shun saw he was face to face with Iroh who was holding a lantern.
"Iroh." Shun smiles feeling at ease.
"Nice to see you visit me for a change, Shun. Nice break from me having to do all the heavy lifting." Iroh smirks. "Come with me, you're a little late, but I might have some tea leftover."
"As tempting as that sounds Iroh I'm not really in the mood for tea. I'm dealing with by the far the Jedi's most frustrating rule and I have no idea how to handle it." Shun said following him out of the forest.
"All the more reason to have a cup. You need to calm your mind clear it of all angry and negative thoughts." Iroh said.
Leaving the forest, Shun saw Iroh's tea shop where many spirits were sitting around wooden tables enjoying tea and snacks some were even playing Pai Sho.
"Wow, busy day huh?" Shun asks.
"Yes, but I always make sure everyone has room." Iroh said leading Shun to a table. "Sit here, I'll be right back."
As Shun sits down, he noticed he was sharing the table with an Aye-Aye Spirit who was looking at him with interest.
"Uh can I help you with something?" Shun asks.
"You remind me of someone I once knew." He said.
"I guess I just have that kind of face." Shun said.
"Yeah, no way you're Stinky he's long gone." Aye-Aye spirit chuckles.
"Stinky huh? Was he a friend of yours?" Shun asks.
"Oh yes, not at first though. Stinky was one of the first humans to see the Spirit World, but let me tell you his views were not popular but even as the years went by and Stinky got old he always tried to help people change for the better." The Aye-Aye spirit said.
"Wow, wish I met him. I bet he could help me." Shun said.
"In a way you already have Shun." Iroh said handing him a cup of tea. "The human he's talking about is Wan, the first Avatar."
"The first Avatar?" Shun said surprised before looking to the spirit who shrugs casually before taking his tea and leaving.
"You've solved answers like this before, just not in this life. Take a sip of tea and try to find a way to solve it." Iroh said.
Grabbing the mug, Shun took a sip from it and as he felt the warm soothing liquid go down his throat he couldn't help but smile feeling better.
"Good tea." Shun said.
"Thank you." Iroh said when Shun felt a cool air.
Standing up, Shun looked to the coast and could feel something. Someone calling to him.
"I know that look. It's a look of determination." Iroh said. "Guess you found something."
"Thanks Iroh, I'll come to visit you more often. I promise." Shun said.
"I'd like that." Iroh said as Shun finished his tea and started walking towards the coast.
Walking through the trees, Shun followed the sound of the waves.
As he got closer and closer to the edge he could feel a strange power from the coast.
"What is going on here?" Shun asks when a light shined from him and landed in the tree in front of him.
"Hello Shun." Appearing in front of him was the spirit of adult Aang.
"Aang." Shun said.
"I understand what you're going through Shun. I too was put in a situation where everyone expected me to do something I couldn't do and with it I have struggled." Aang said putting a hand on his shoulder.
"So you know how I can fix this?" Shun asks.
"Yes and no. My situation was with taking a life, yours is a different struggle." Aang said causing Shun to sigh.
"I know I shouldn't be asking people how to solve such a difficult problem but I need something anything that can help me see this through. It's complicated. The Jedi are protectors but they don't allow emotions but the Sith are the exact opposite. 2 sides but no clear way to fix them." Shun said.
"Actually there is a way." Aang said. "An Avatar is in charge of keeping the balance but from the way you describe it neither of those sides is balanced."
"I know, that's the problem. How do I find the balance?" Shun asks.
"By making a new way." Aang gestures to the shore. "Go to the water."
Walking out onto the beach, Shun looked down at the gray sand before looking up to the water.
With his conflict still strong in his head he didn't notice something approach him from the fog out at sea.
As it got closer and closer, Shun saw the object get bigger and bigger.
Eyes widening Shun saw he was looking at a Lion Turtle.
"You seek answers." The Lion Turtle said.
Hesitating Shun looks to Aang who gestures to talk to him saying this is his problem.
"Y-Yes. I-I need help and you might be the only one who can. Jedi, previous avatars, friends, everyone says that this is a problem only I can figure out, but I don't even know how to do it." Shun said. "The Jedi don't allow attachments, for fear of what they can become and they train so many people to follow that belief, but I can't follow that rule."
"Emotions can cloud someone's judgment, make them go down the wrong path if used wrong." The Lion Turtle said.
"But emotions can do so much more, they can inspire you, give you the drive you need to keep fighting, to protect the ones you love, the little things that make life worth living. They can't push those things away." Shun said.
"The Jedi Order has been around for as long as the Avatars and longer. Changing something so old is not easy. Why do you want to do this?" The Lion Turtle asks.
"Because this way is wrong. This isn't true balance. They focus on only the bad, but you have to take the bad with the good." Shun said.
"Why do you want to help? They live for the very belief you cannot stand for." The Lion Turtle asks.
"Because I can't stand by and let this slide. I've walked the halls of the Jedi Order and watch everyone is taught to focus on instincts rather than emotions, they think forming attachments is bad. When Master Tapal brought me in I thought it was so I could help the Jedi win the war, but it's not. I have to save the Jedi. I need to help them know the true meaning of balance. The Jedi and the Sith see everything as light or darkness, black and white, but they forget there's one more color." Shun looks down at the gray sand at his feet. Bending down Shun picks up a handful of it and holds it out. "Gray. I need to help them see the gray."
Hearing this Aang smiles as the Lion Turtle looks down at him.
"Your intentions are noble, but know this. If you walk this path, it will not be an easy one. You will struggle, you will question yourself, you might fail and sometimes you might find yourself regretting this choice. Are you sure about this?" The Lion Turtle asks.
"I am." Shun nods.
Raising his claw, the Lion Turtle reached out and pressed one against Shun's forehead and another against his chest causing his eyes to glow and from it Shun saw a way to help but he also saw something else, a symbol.
When it pulled back Shun panted heavily and dropped to his knees.
"What was that?" Shun asks.
"Something you'll need to truly bring balance. Use it wisely young Avatar." The Lion Turtle said as it turned around and floated away.
Reaching to his head, Shun caught his breath.
"You okay?" Aang asks putting a hand on his shoulder.
"I don't know, the Lion Turtle showed me this new technique but I saw something else. A symbol I never saw before." Shun said.
"Sometimes people need a symbol to rally behind. Maybe it's the Lion Turtle's way of showing he's on your side." Aang said helping him up.
"Thanks Aang." Shun said.
"Good luck Shun and no matter what whenever you find yourself lost you know you have your past lives to look to for support." Aang said before disappearing.
Leaving the Spirit World, Shun appears back in his room.
Startled BD looks at him and beeps concerned.
"I know what I need to do." Shun said.
Instantly he got up and left his room with the droid running right behind him.
Running to the garage that Anakin showed him, he arrived to see tons of metal laying around.
Scanning around the room he tried to find something he could use.
Grabbing a small sheet of metal, Shun put it on a table in front of him.
Leaping up onto some scrap metal behind him, BD chirps wondering what he was up to.
Holding out his hands, Shun used his metalbending to lift the metal up into the air as he twisted, broke down and reshaped it until it formed into a small necklace chain and on it was the same symbol the Lion Turtle showed him.
It resembled the Jedi symbol but it was different, it had a lightsaber in the middle, with designs carved on either side of it. (Google Gray Order Symbol)
Grabbing the chain, Shun put it around his neck and looked at the symbol.
Beeping intrigued BD walks up to him asking what it was.
"It's the start of something new BD, a third choice for Force Wielders, not light and not dark, but the true color that means balance, the Gray Order." Shun declares.