Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or The Last Airbender.
Bodyguard of Azula
Chapter 17: To Meditate and To Separate
"Talking"
"Thinking"
"Bijū/spirit talking"
"Bijū/spirit thinking"
(Location: Ba Sing Se)
It was the start of a new day in their new apartment. Iroh was standing over the stove, cooking, as Zuko walked in. "What's that smell?" he asked, rubbing his eyes and yawning. It had been the smell that woke him up.
"It's jook," Iroh answered as he stirred the pot. "I'm sure you wouldn't like it."
His nephew walked over to the pot and took a sniff. "Actually, it smells delicious. I'd love a bowl, Uncle," he said, holding up said bowl.
"Now that your fever is gone, you seem different somehow," Iroh noted as he poured some jook.
"I know, uncle. I'm looking forward to this brand, new day," Zuko replied as he walked over to the table. "We've got a new apartment, new furniture and today's the grand opening of your new teashop. Things are looking up, Uncle."
Iroh was shocked at what his nephew said, but he soon smiled. It may have been a trick of the light but for a second, he could've sworn he saw Zuko as a young boy sitting there instead of Zuko as a teenager.
(Location: Aboard Appa)
As they flew towards Chameleon Bay, Aang took a look. The area looked like a broken vase, with one cliff having two small cave entrances, giving it an appearance of a fossilized chameleon. That was how the bay itself got its name. The location is also suited for any guerrilla forces seeking to disrupt the Fire Nation's line of communications, as its waterways are often used by its navy for logistical purposes.
"You haven't seen your dad in over two years." Aang said to Sokka as he landed Appa on a nearby cliff. "You must be so excited!"
Sokka, however, was trying not to throw up. "I know I should be," he replied. "But I just feel sick to my stomach." Akela gave him the "this is not that hard" look. He tried to ignore it.
"You do not need to worry," Gaara said. "Be glad that you are able to reunite with your father." He never really had the chance to know his.
The Tribesman calmed down when he heard those words. "I guess you're right. Thanks, Gaara." He looked at Aang. "What about you? Are you nervous to meet this guru?"
"Not at all," the Air Nomad answered. "I'm ready to master the Avatar State. I'll do whatever it takes." He looked back at Gaara. "What about you, Gaara? Are you nervous?"
He shook his head. "I just wish to put this shadow away." It had haunted him for far too long now.
Sokka and Akela didn't waste time disembarking fromAppa. "See you in a week," Aang told them. Appa launched into the air and flew off, leaving them alone.
Sokka turned to look at the tents on the beach. He felt a nudge against his side. "Sorry, Akela." He took a deep breath. "We might as well get moving."
Both he and the wolf began to make their way to the camp. They entered the camp, getting the warriors' attention. Noticing the looks, Akela began to growl. "Take it easy," Sokka told the wolf. "They're friends." But he was nervous too. Would they treat him like a kid again, or as a man?
They kept walking forward, until they were blocked by a warrior. However, he, as well as the other warriors, welcomed Sokka warmly. They soon parted, allowing him and Akela to head to the big tent. They entered through the flap and that a council of war was meeting. His father, Hakoda, looked at the map in front of him.
Bato was by his side and had noticed that Sokka and Akela had entered. He nudged Hakoda, who looked and saw his son. "Sokka," he said.
"Hi, Dad," Sokka replied. Hakoda walked forward and gave him a hug, which Sokka returned with equal measure. Akela did nothing. He just sat on his haunches.
(Location: Ba Sing Se)
"Look, Bosco," the Earth King said to the bear. "The Kyoshi Warriors are here to protect us. Aren't you excited?" Bosco just yawned. "It's been a difficult week for me," he told the Kyoshi Warriors. "My most trusted advisor, Long Feng, and his Dai Li agents tried to take control of Ba Sing Se from me."
"It's terrible when you can't trust the people who are closest to you," Azula replied, kneeling in her Kyoshi getup. Mai and Ty Lee sat behind her, wearing the same gear.
"But there is good news. As we speak, the Council of Five is meeting to plan an invasion of the Fire Nation this summer, on the day of a solar eclipse," the Earth King explained with an excited voice.
"Really?" asked Azula, her face not showing anything. "Now that sounds like a fascinating and brilliant plan."
"Due to the fact that General Fong's base was captured by who we now know as the Scarred Dragon, the launch point has been changed," General How announced as he and the other generals stood over the map. "But nevertheless, in two months, the army and navy will invade the Fire Nation on the Day of Black Sun." He bent the Earth Kingdom pieces on the large map over to where the Fire Nation was. Momo leapt up onto the map and knocked down the pieces.
"Or we could send in Momo to do some damage," Katara said from where she knelt on the opposite side of the map, laughing. The generals did not laugh with her. "'Cause, the…sorry," she finally apologized.
"Never make jokes in a war council, Katara," Asuma told her from where he knelt by her side. It didn't help at all.
General How bent the pieces Momo had knocked over back up (scaring Momo, who ran back over to Katara). "All we need is the Earth King's seal in order to execute the plan." He bent a piece of the table over to where Katara, Team Asuma, and Shù Yè knelt.
Katara picked up the scroll and stood up. Everyone else followed her. "I'll get these scrolls to him right away. Thank you, General How," she told him. They bowed and walked away.
(Location: Aboard Appa)
They approached the Eastern Air Temple, sailing through the air. Aang could see that the Air Temple was just as ruined as the other two he had seen. But it did nothing to hide its beauty. As they came closer, he saw that someone was mediating alone. He had Appa land on the ground beneath the meditating man. "Umm…hello?" called out Aang. Both he and Gaara got off Appa and walked up the stairs, leaving Kankurō and Temari on the sky bison. "You're Guru Pathik, right? The person who attached the note to Appa's horn that brought me and Gaara here."
"Indeed," the guru answered. "I was a spiritual brother of your people and a personal friend of Monk Gyatso." The man sounded wise, as befitting his age.
Aang was briefly surprised at that revelation while Gaara kept his face emotionless. "In your note, you said you could teach me to gain control of the Avatar State," the Avatar said as they sat down. "How?"
"You must gain balance within yourself, before you can bring balance to the world," Pathik answered. "And the first step to gaining balance is this." He handed Aang and Gaara a cup each. "Drink up!"
Aang tried to drink it but spat it back out. "It tastes like onion and banana juice!" he complained.
"That's because it is!" Pathik drank his cup. "Yum yum!" With that sentence, he seemed to become less ancient and wise and more youthful. The change astounded the Air Nomad.
Gaara lifted the cup to his mouth and drank it down to the last drop. "How can you drink that stuff?" Aang asked him, surprised that he could stomach it.
"I've drunk worse." He put the bowl down and looked at Pathik. "Guru," he began. "You know of Aang through your friendship with the Air Nomads and with Monk Gyatso. But how do you know of what I have been through? Why do you think you can help me?" He wanted to know the answer.
Pathik smiled. "I've traveled all over the world, young Kazekage," he told the redhead. "While it is a bit different from what she went through, I believe that the same method I helped Mito go through will work with you."
Gaara's eyes widened slightly when he heard that last part. "You knew the Lady Mito?"
He nodded. "Of course, she was also a personal friend."
"Who is Lady Mito?" Aang asked. It didn't sound like anyone he was supposed to know.
Gaara explained it to him. "Lady Mito Uzumaki is the grandmother of Lady Tsunade, the Godaime Hokage, and the wife of Hashirama Senju, the Shodaime Hokage and one of the founders of Konoha. In a way, she is distantly related to Naruto." He turned to Pathik and bowed his head, while Aang's eyes widened after he had just heard this unusual bit of information about his enemy. "To meet someone who had known them is truly an honor."
Pathik chuckled. "Ah yes, I knew Hashirama quite well. He and Mito loved each other very much. A genuinely interesting time to be around, was when Mito was pregnant."
"Why?" Aang asked curiously.
"One day, she was trying to kill him. The next, she was pranking him." He answered with a full-blown laugh at the memories. "It is always interesting to watch a woman of the Uzumaki clan when she's carrying a child in her womb."
(Location: Earth Kingdom)
Master Yu and Xin Fu rode a cart that carried the metal cage holding Toph. Eventually they came to a choice between two roads. "I believe we need to go right," Master Yu told Xin Fu.
"What are you talking?" Xin Fu replied as he stopped the cart. "The Beifong estate's this way!"
"I'm quite certain you're mistaken!"
"Hey!" Toph called out, banging on the cage. "Can you two old ladies quit your bickering for a second? I got to go to the bathroom!"
"Ooooh…uhhhh, okay, but make it quick!" Master Yu took out a key and began to move towards the cage.
Xin Fu grabbed his arm. "What's wrong with you!?" he demanded.
"Oh, very sneaky, Toph," Master Yu said, realizing what she was trying to do. "Nice try, but you can't trick me." He sat back down on the cart.
"Let me out of here so I can kick both your butts!" Toph shouted at the two of them.
"Quit your banging!" Xin Fu shouted back, banging the cage. "You might think you're the greatest Earthbender in the world, but even you can't Bend metal." The cart started to move again.
Toph didn't say anything. She just placed a hand on the side of the cage.
(Location: Ba Sing Se)
Two of the "Kyoshi Warriors" sat in front of a large mirror, cleaning off their makeup. They had been given a large, very nice place to live in Ba Sing Se for the duration of their stay. "We've been presented with an extraordinary opportunity, girls," Azula said as she walked to the window.
"Mai finally gets to wear makeup that's not totally depressing?" Ty Lee asked with agitated sarcasm. Mai, whose remaining consistent of red makeup beneath her eyes, making the appearance of someone who was either crying with blood, or had a bleeding face, looked at her friend, Ty Lee was not one to use sarcasm, much less agitated sarcasm.
"I'm talking about conquering the whole Earth Kingdom," Azula told them, looking out the window. "For a hundred years, the Fire Nation has hammered away from the outside. But now we're on the inside, and we can take it by ourselves."
"Gosh, you're so confident," Ty Lee said again with agitated sarcasm.
Azula quirked an eyebrow but did not turn around. "The key is the Dai Li. Whoever controls the Dai Li controls Ba Sing Se."
Ty Lee snorted. "Like it's going to be that easy."
Mai turned to her friend. "What's going on, Ty Lee?" she asked, starting to worry about her friend.
"Nothing, I'm fine," the acrobat replied shortly, obviously not wanting to continue the conversation.
But her friend wouldn't let up. "No, you're not. What's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong, okay?!" She almost shouted the question at her.
Azula turned away from the window and walked over to the mirror. "Something is bugging you, Ty Lee," she told the acrobat, her tone surprisingly gentle. "We're your friends, you can tell us."
Ty Lee tried to stay angry but couldn't. She let her shoulders slump in defeat. "Sorry, guys. Something has been bugging me."
Azula sat down on a nearby chair. "What is it?"
"You guys remember the swamp and who I met?" The two other girls nodded. "Well, the woman who I met was wearing the Kyoshi Warrior outfit." And when she had started wearing the outfit she had taken, she began to worry but tried not to show it.
"So?" Mai asked, not seeing where she was going with this.
"So, if that woman was me, what does that mean? Does that I'll betray you guys and end up fighting for the Earth Kingdom?" Tears began to well up in her eyes. "I don't want that! You guys are my only friends! I don't want to fight you two!" She began to cry at the prospect of the idea. It scared her. It scared her very much.
Both of her friends just sat there in silence for what felt like a couple of minutes. "…I could be wrong," Azula said drily, "but I think Naruto would be insulted by the fact you don't consider him a friend. Besides, if you what you think happens, it won't matter."
Ty Lee stopped crying when she heard those words. "What?"
Azula gave her a hug. "Ty Lee, even if we end up fighting each other in this war, I will still consider you my friend."
"Same here," Mai said, joining the hug. Tears flowed down Ty Lee's face, but they were not ones of sadness. They were ones of happiness. They soon broke the hug and went their separate ways.
"I think I'm beginning to find my answer," Azula thought as she prepared to go to bed. She wasn't sure if she had all of it now, but it was a step.
(Location: Eastern Air Temple)
Aang and Gaara stood behind Pathik as he looked down at a creek. The sun had set, and the night life of the Eastern Air Temple had started up. "In order to master the Avatar State and to be at peace with yourself, you must open all the chakras," Pathik told the two of them. "Aang, Gaara, tell me everything you know about chakras."
"What are chakras?" Aang asked, rubbing his eye. He now only wore his pants and felt a little sleepy. The only time he had stayed up all night was during the whole tank-train thing (which wasn't a fond memory for him).
"There's only one kind of chakra," Gaara told the guru. He had removed the gourd, the belts and the vest but kept the remainder of his clothes on. And unlike the Air Nomad, he was fully awake. This wasn't the first time he had spent the whole night awake.
"From a certain point of view, yes," Pathik replied. He turned to the pool of water in front of him. "The water flows through this creek, much like the energy flows through your body. As you see, there are several pools where the water swirls around before flowing on. These pools are like our chakras." He stirred the water, causing the moss on the water to move around.
"So, chakras are pools of spiraling energy in our bodies?" Aang asked for clarification.
"Exactly," The guru answered. "If nothing else was around, this creek would flow pure and clear. However, life is messy, and things tend to fall in the creek. And then what happens?"
"The creek can't flow?"
"Yes. But if we open the paths between the pools…" He lifted the moss at the exit.
"The energy flows!" Aang exclaimed as the water flowed faster through the creek, taking all of the moss with it.
Gaara watched the water flow through the creeks. "The Eight Gates," he said to himself.
"Yes, the chakras are similar to the Eight Gates," Pathik said, catching on to what Gaara was thinking.
"The Eight Gates, what are those?" Aang asked the Suna shinobi. That was something he had never heard of before.
"Points in the chakra network," Gaara explained to him. "If opened, they grant the person immense strength and power. But the more Gates you opened, the higher the price is."
"What's the price?"
"Pain," The Kazekage answered shortly. "If someone would open all the Gates, they would have enough power to rival a Kage or possibly even you. But they would die in return." Aang could only gulp at those words. He couldn't even think of the kind of pain someone would get for each that kind of power.
Pathik took them to another part of the temple, coming to a giant cavern. It was a wide, open place and fog surrounded where they sat. "There are seven chakras that go up the body," Pathik told Aang and Gaara, who sat opposite of him. "Each pool of energy has a purpose and can be blocked by a specific kind of emotional muck. Be warned, opening the chakras is an intense experience, and once you begin this process, you cannot stop until all seven are open." His face had a serious expression that seemed to age him quite severely. "Are you two ready?" he asked them.
"Yes," Gaara replied.
Aang looked away for a brief moment but faced the guru with determination in his eyes. "I'll do whatever it takes," he answered.
"First, we will open the Earth Chakra, located at the base of the spine," Pathik told them. "It deals with survival and is blocked by fear. What are you most afraid of? Let your fears become clear to you."
Aang saw visions of the Blue Spirit, himself in the Avatar State, Sokka being beaten by General Fong, Sozin's Comet and then finally, he saw the Fire Lord surrounded by fire, all tinted with the color red. He screamed in fright at what he saw.
Gaara saw memories of himself when he had lost control, butchering people because he wanted to see their blood. "Stop it, stop it," he muttered to himself as he watched the memories repeat over again, always tinted red. "No more, please just stop!"
"Aang, Gaara, your visions are not real," Pathik's voice spoke to them, breaking through what they saw. "You are both concerned for your survival. But you must surrender those fears. Let your fears flow down the creek."
Both Aang's and Gaara's panicked expressions faded away as they calmed down and let their fear flow away. The images of their fear faded away as they heard a sound, almost like a chime ringing. "You have opened your Earth Chakra," Pathik announced.
He led them away from the cavern to behind a waterfall. "Next is the…"
"Water Chakra?" asked Aang. It was rather obvious because they were sitting behind a waterfall.
"Brilliant! Maybe one day you will be a guru too!" Pathik told the Air Nomad cheerfully. Then he grew serious. "This chakra deals with pleasure and is blocked by guilt," he told the two of them. "Now, look at all the guilt which burdens you so. What do you blame yourself for?"
Aang closed his eyes and saw orange-tinted visions of what he did. "I ran away," he said as he watched the memory of him running away from the Southern Air Temple. He saw what had happened at General Fong's fortress when he was in the Avatar State. "I hurt all of those people."
Gaara saw his past as well, seeing it all tinted with orange. "I had caused them so much pain," he said as he watched the people of Suna looking at him with scared expressions when he was a child. Another appeared before him, one where he was still a child but would kill anyone that earned his ire. "I have too much blood on my hands."
"Accept the reality that these things happened," Pathik told the two of them. "But do not let them cloud and poison your energy. If the two of you are to be positive influences on the world, you need to forgive yourselves." Both Aang and Gaara were able to do that, silently surprised by how easy it was, making them hear ringing chimes again.
(Location: Chameleon Bay)
"This bay leads directly to the outskirts of Ba Sing Se," Hakoda told Sokka. "We've been using these tangle mines to stop the Fire Nation ships from getting through." He looked at the mine that he and his son were sitting in front of while Akela sat by Sokka's side.
"Your father invented tangle mines himsel,," Bato told Sokka as he filled up the mine. Once he was done, he walked away.
Sokka looked over the mine. "Destructive, buoyant, and…" He took a sniff, which made him gag (Akela was smart enough to not try and smell what was in the mine). "Horrible smell," he finished.
"Very perceptive," Hakoda praised his son. "The mines are filled with skunk fish and seaweed." He placed the top on the mine, closing it. "When a ship detonates the mine, the seaweed tangles up the propeller and the foul smell forces people to abandon the ship." He used his machete to scrap off the remaining mix. "I call it the 'stink and sink.'"
Sokka laughed. "Good one, Dad."
"You're definitely your father's son," Bato said nearby, rolling his eyes. Akela nodded in agreement with the older Tribesman, even though no one saw him do it.
A Water Tribe warrior ran up. "Hakoda, our scouts have spotted four Fire Nation ships!" he told his chief.
Hakoda stood up. "Bato, get these mines loaded up! The rest of you men, prepare for battle!" he ordered his warriors.
They all ran off to do what they were ordered. "Uhh…what should I do, Dad?" Sokka asked, still sitting on the beach. Even though he had be tried and tested, he still felt like a kid who wanted to be a man.
"Aren't you listening?" his father asked back. "I said 'the rest of you men get ready for battle.'"
He brightened up when he heard those words, happy to hear his father treat him like a warrior. He stood up, nodded once, and ran off to prepare, Akela on his heels.
(Location: Ba Sing Se)
Zuko & Iroh stood at the back of their new restaurant, watching customers come in. "Who thought when we came to this city as refugees, that I'd end opening my own teashop?" Iroh asked his nephew. "Follow your passions, Zuko, and life will reward you."
"Congratulations, Uncle," Zuko told him.
"I'm very thankful."
"You deserve it. The Jasmine Dragon will be the best teashop in the city." With the way the customers were coming, that was going to be absolutely true, very soon.
"No, I'm thankful because you decided to share this special day with me. It means more than you know." He placed a hand on Zuko's shoulder.
Zuko gave him a hug in response. "Now let's make these people some tea!" he declared before walking to the back.
Iroh stared at him and again, he saw the young Zuko for an instant. "Yes, let's make some tea!" he agreed, following his nephew to the back.
(Location: Eastern Air Temple)
Pathik, Aang and Gaara sat on a ledge, watching the sun rise. "Third is the Fire Chakra, located in the stomach," Pathik said to the two of them.
"My Fire Chakra would like to eat something other than onion-banana juice," Aang said, holding his stomach. He was hungry and that stuff wasn't really cutting it. Gaara, on the other hand, didn't say a word.
Pathik chuckled. "Good one!" he told the Air Nomad. "Moving on," His tone became serious. "This chakra deals with willpower and is blocked by shame. What are you ashamed of? What are your biggest disappointments in yourself?"
Aang meditated and saw a yellow-tinted vision of when he tried to learn Firebending from Jeong Jeong and what happened due to his impatience. "I'm never going to Firebend again," he declared. "I can't."
"You will never find balance if you deny this part of your life," the guru told him. "You are the Avatar and therefore, you are a Firebender." Aang did indeed open the Fire Chakra but it did ring out a chime. Instead, it sounded like a soft whisper. "Hmmm…that chakra opened less like a flowing creek and more like a…burping bison." Pathik noted.
Aang then proceeded to burp (loudly). "Tastes like onions and bananas," he said. "But strangely something else…pickles?"
Pathik just shrugged. He turned to look at Gaara. "And what are you ashamed of, young Kazekage?" he asked.
What Gaara saw was the villagers avoiding him, his siblings staying away from due to fear, his father giving him only looks of disappointment. "I've caused them so much grief," he muttered as he looked at the yellow-tinted memories.
"And yet, they have forgiven you for what you did. You protected them from dangers many would run from. Let your shame flow away." Gaara concentrated, letting his shame drift away. They heard ringing chimes again. "That's more like it," Pathik told him with approval.
(Location: Bs Sing Se)
Two Dai Li agents slid down on the columns, listening in on what the "Kyoshi Warriors" were talking about. "I'm tired of wearing this girly disguise," Mai said as she sat on the steps. "I don't know how anyone can fight in this."
"Maybe that's way it was so easy to beat the Kyoshi Warriors and take their clothes," Ty Lee suggested as she practiced her chi blocking.
"How much longer do we have to serve the Earth King?" the knife wielder asked aloud. "If I have to clean up one more pile of bear poop, I'm going to throw up."
"Princess Azula promised we would go back to the Fire Nation as soon as we capture the Avatar. We just have to be patient." The acrobat started to practice her acrobatic movements.
"Shush up!" Mai ordered, standing up. "Do you want the whole palace to know we're Fire Nation?"
"Sorry!" she instantly apologized.
The two agents shared a look and began to climb back up the columns. What they didn't know was that in the shadows of the columns behind them was Azula. "Good work, girls," she said. "I'm sure the Dai Li will deliver the message."
(Location: Eastern Air Temple)
Pathik led Aang and Gaara to a ruined building where statues of past Air Nomad nuns stood. "The fourth chakra is located in the heart," he told the two of them. "It deals with love and is blocked by grief. Lay all your grief out in front of you."
Aang looked at a statue of an Air Nomad with sad eyes before closing them. He mediated and saw his people appear before him in a landscape tinted green. He smiled, but the smile turned into shock when they disappeared into plumes of smoke. "You have indeed felt a great loss," Pathik's voice said as it echoed around him. "But love is a form of energy and it swirls all around us." The Air Nomads reappeared, floating in the air. The smoke lifted Aang up into the air as well. "The Air Nomads' love for you has not left this world. It is still inside of your heart and is reborn in the form of new love." The smoke created by the Air Nomads began to coalesce together to form a face. To be more specific, it formed Katara's face. "Let the pain flow away." The chimes rang again and Aang opened his eyes, tears of joy flowing freely. "Very good," Pathik told him.
He wiped the tears away. "Can I have some onion and banana juice, please?" he asked. For some reason, he was slowly beginning to like the stuff.
"Of course, but first…" The guru turned to look at Gaara. "You say that you have caused people grief. But what has caused you grief?"
What Gaara saw was his family when they were younger, along with his father and his uncle. "They were afraid of me, and for good reason," the Kazekage said as he looked at his family, all tinted green.
"You felt that your father was disappointed in you and that your uncle tried to kill because of your mother," Pathik told him. "But even if they did not care for you, your brother and sister did. And in turn, so did the people of your village. Do not let the memories of your father and uncle trouble you anymore, let them drift away."
It was difficult but he managed to do so. They did not hear the chimes when he did, but the soft whisper instead. "Is that hard to let them go?" Aang asked him.
"Despite what they did to me, they are my father and uncle. I cannot help but love and remember them," he replied. His voice was quiet as he spoke.
"And there is what the Air Chakra is about," Pathik told him.
He led the two to a room that was dominated by a giant statue of an Air Nomad woman. "The fifth in the chain is the Sound Chakra, located in the throat. It deals with truth and is blocked by lies. The ones we tell ourselves."
Aang closed his eyes and saw a vision tinted sky-blue of when Katara asked him that one question.
"Why didn't you tell us you were the Avatar?"
"Because I never wanted to be," he said. He never wanted to be the Avatar. He just wanted to be another Air Nomad, hanging out with his friends and exploring the world.
"You cannot lie about your own nature," Pathik told him. "You must accept that you are the Avatar."
What Gaara saw was the time at the Konoha Hospital, when he was about to kill Lee. Naruto and Shikamaru had stopped him. The words he said came back to him.
"I live solely for myself. I love only myself."
"I was a fool," he muttered. What he had said that day now sounded completely idiotic to him now.
"Only if you think so," Pathik said. "But if what you thought about yourself was true, why did you stay in the village? Surely, you would have left the village in order to kill more people so you could prove your existence? The fact that you had stayed shows that you had lied. But you haven't lied to yourself in a while, have you?"
Both Aang and Gaara closed their eyes and accepted the truth. Aang saw a vision of him standing on a mountain cliff, looking down on the land and ready to protect it. Gaara saw himself standing on top of the Kazekage building, looking at the village he swore to lead, serve and protect. Both visions were tinted with the color of a clear sky.
The chimes rang again. "Very good, you two," Pathik said. "You have opened the chakra of truth."
He led them outside the temple. They sat on a curving staircase on the side of the mountain. "The sixth pool of energy is the Light Chakra, located in the center of the forehead," he told them. "It deals with insight and is blocked by illusion. The greatest illusion of this world is the illusion of separation. Things you think are separate and different are actually one and the same."
"Like the four nations," Aang said.
"Or the Elemental Countries," Gaara said.
"Yes," Pathik acknowledged. "We are all one people, but we live as if divided."
"We're all connected," Aang said to himself, coming to realize what he was talking about. "Everything is connected."
"That's right! Even the separation of the four elements is an illusion. If you open your mind, you will see that all the elements are one. Four parts of the same whole. Even metal is just a part of earth that has been purified and refined."
(Location: Earth Kingdom)
Toph stood in the metal cage, hitting the sides and the roof so she could feel the vibrations of it. Finally, she felt the traces of earth within the metal. She smiled and then took a deep breath. She took an Earthbending stance and struck the side of the cage.
"Come on, metal," she growled. "Budge!" She struck the metal again, this time causing a dent. "Wooo! Toph, you rule!" She threw another punch at the side of the cage.
(Location: Ba Sing Se)
Katara, Momo, Shù Yè, and Team Asuma walked by the Jasmine Dragon. "What do you say, guys?" Katara asked the group. "Let's get a cup of tea before we get back to the king." They were in no hurry.
"I don't think that's a good idea," Shù Yè said. "We should probably get right back to the Earth King." The sooner they did that, the better.
"She's right," Asuma agreed. "These scrolls need to be delivered ASAP."
"Oh, come on, sensei," Chōji said. "It won't hurt to take a small break."
"Yeah, it's just one cup of tea," Ino pitched in. "We have plenty of time."
Asuma thought it over. "…Fine, we can stop for a small break," He conceded. Everyone else, except for Shikamaru, who didn't care, cheered slightly at the small victory.
They walked up to the entrance. "Table for seven, please," Katara told a nearby waitress. They waited nearby. As they waited, Team Asuma checked the place. It was certainly busy, if the number of customers was anything to go by.
"Uncle!" called out Zuko as he walked through the teashop, holding a tray in his hands. "I need two jasmines, one green and one leechi!"
"I'm brewing as fast as I can!" Iroh replied from the back, also holding a tray.
Katara just look at the two of them with a stunned expression before bolting out of the restaurant. "Katara, wait!" Shù Yè shouted, going after her and Momo. "What's wrong?" she asked as she caught up with the Waterbender.
"Those two men were Prince Zuko and his uncle!" Katara told her. "We have to get back to the palace!" Shù Yè grabbed Katara's arm and sped up, leaving a dust trail behind them as they ran to the palace.
Team Asuma watched in surprise as the two girls ran off. They were about to follow when a man playing Pai Sho at a nearby table spoke, getting their attention. "Oh my, did she see something that surprised her?" he asked, looking at Team Asuma.
Team Asuma looked at the man. His hair may have been black, but his eyes were the kind of blue that belonged to only one person they knew. "Naruto," Asuma said.
"Hello, Konoha shinobi," he greeted them mockingly. "Did you enjoy the show?"
"What are you doing here?" Ino demanded.
"Why does that always seem to be the first question out of your mouths?" he asked them with slight exasperation. "Try something that's a little more original. But to answer your question, I am enjoying a cup of tea and playing a friendly game of Pai Sho. Speaking of which…" He moved a piece on the board. "I win."
"Another game?" asked the other person.
"Sure." They began to rearrange the pieces, ready to start again. "Why are you still here?" he asked Team Asuma when he saw they were still there, looking at him. "You should go after those girls. Who knows? They just might run into a nasty surprise." Team Asuma shared a look of horror before running out of the teashop.
(Location: Eastern Air Temple)
Night had fallen and the stars were out in their full glory. Pathik, Aang and Gaara sat on the roof of the temple, so they could see all the stars. "This is the last chakra, isn't it?" Aang asked.
"Yes," Pathik answered. "Once you open this chakra, you will be able to go in and out of the Avatar State at will, and when you are in the Avatar State, you will have complete control and awareness of all your actions."
"Let's do this!" he declared. Gaara nodded silently.
"The Thought Chakra is located at the crown of the head," the guru told the two of them. "It deals with pure cosmic energy and is blocked by earthly attachments. Mediate on what attaches you to this world." Aang saw images of Katara while Gaara saw images of his friends, family, and his village, both were tinted violent. "Now, let all of those attachments go. Let them flow down the river, forgotten."
Aang snapped out of his mediation when he heard those words. "What? Why would I let go of Katara?" he asked. "I…I love her!"
"Learn to let her go, or you cannot let the pure cosmic energy flow in from the universe," Pathik told him.
"Why would I choose cosmic energy over Katara? How could it be a bad thing that I feel an attachment to her?" he demanded. "Three chakras ago, that was a good thing!"
"You must learn to let go," Pathik told him sternly. They then heard the ringing chimes and saw that Gaara had opened his eyes. "I have never seen someone open the seventh chakra so easily. Even Mito had difficulty with it," the guru said with slight wonder in his voice.
"I had once thought I existed for myself and only for myself," Gaara replied. "You had wanted me to return to that same line of thinking. The only difference is that I returned with a positive look instead a negative look."
"An interesting way to open it." The guru stood up from where he sat. "Aang, I want you to stay here and think on your attachments. I have one last thing to teach to Gaara." He led the shinobi off the roof and into the temple. They walked through the empty halls and corridors that showed the ruined state they were in. Eventually, they came to a room that only held a large mirror on the opposite wall.
"Why are we here?" Gaara asked as he quickly looked around. It wasn't a big room and it's only defining feature was the mirror before him.
"We are here so you can open the eighth chakra," Pathik answered his question.
"But you said that there were only seven chakras." The Kazekage remembered that part of the conversation back at the creek.
"Do you remember when you realized that the seven chakras are similar to the Eight Gates?" Gaara nodded. "That is true from a certain point of view. However, the chakras and the Eight Gates are the same." The guru told him.
"But the Eight Gates are not located where the seven chakras are." He remembered his lessons on the location of the Eight Gates. They were nowhere near where the seven chakras were.
"Remember your basic lessons in chakra," Pathik reminded him. "It comes from both the physical energy that is in every cell of your body and from the spiritual energy gained from exercise and experience. The location of the Eight Gates is the physical side and the location of the eight chakras is the spiritual side. The Earth Chakra is the Gate of Opening. The Water Chakra is the Gate of Healing, and so on. Are you ready?"
He fell silent for a moment and then he nodded. "Yes, I am ready." He sat down in front of the mirror and looked upon himself.
"The eighth chakra is the Mirror Chakra, known to shinobi as the Gate of Death, located in the eyes," Pathik began. "It deals with acceptance and is blocked by denial. You must be able to accept who you are and what you have been. Look deep inside yourself and find the shadow of Shukaku."
Gaara closed and concentrated, trying to reach that level of depth. Visions of what he had seen before guided his way, the colors intermixing with one another. A part of him wanted to stop, but he pressed onwards. When the last vision showed itself to him, he opened his eyes again and saw nothing but darkness. That was all he could see, darkness. It felt like he was standing in a void. "Well, look who it is," a voice echoed all around him. "The Kazekage himself, I'm honored."
"Show yourself, Shukaku," Gaara commanded. He knew the voice well enough to know who it was talking.
Footsteps were heard coming towards him. Out of the darkness, another Gaara appeared. This was different because of the crazed grin he wore and that his eyes were not green, but gold. "Is that any way to speak to your mother?" Shukaku asked him.
"You are not my mother." He was a fool to even think of such a thing. But then again, he had no actual mother when he grew up, he only had Shukaku.
"You were the one calling me that." His gaze hardened. "That is, until you forsook me."
"I had to rely on my power, not on yours." He wanted to be a shinobi people could depend on, not a Jinchūriki they would all live in fear of.
"You abandoned me!" Shukaku accused him, his voice screaming into the void.
But he wasn't affected by the scream that seemed to echo all around them. "I did not abandon you," he replied. "The Akatsuki extracted you from me. You're but a shadow of Shukaku."
The shadow rushed forward and grabbed Gaara by the throat. "You think because you've opened the chakras, you'll be able to banish me? You'll never be rid of me! I will always be there to plague your dreams. I WON'T FADE AWAY!" he screamed, lifting the Kazekage into the air.
Again, the scream echoed in the void. And again, he wasn't affected by it. "I know, because I will not allow you to fade away."
His simple reply stunned Shukaku. "W-what are you saying?" he asked as his grip on Gaara's throat loosened.
The redhead landed on his feet easily enough and faced the shadow. "When I first came to this temple, I wanted to get rid of you so I could be free of past memories," he said. "But I now realize that if I were to do that, I would be denying a part of myself. I must be able to accept everything about me, which includes my past and you. You may just be a shadow of Shukaku, but you are still Shukaku. You are a part of me. So…I accept you. What you are and what you will be."
"So you'll just accept me? After all I've done to you?" Tears began to well up in Shukaku's eyes. "Why?"
"Because I can," he answered.
"…Thank you," Shukaku said before he disappeared. What Gaara heard this time was not chimes ringing but a bell tolling. He opened his eyes and looked at himself in the mirror. He couldn't say how, but he looked different somehow.
"Congratulation, Gaara," Pathik said. "You have opened the last chakra and have made peace with yourself. I have nothing left to teach you."
He stood up and faced the guru. "Thank you, Guru Pathik." He bowed to the man.
"You're welcome, young Kazekage." He returned the bow. "I have to get back to Aang and see what his decision is."
"Very well, I will go back to my brother and my sister." They walked out of the room and parted ways. As Gaara made his way down to where his siblings were, he looked around. Everything looked a little different and yet, they were the same as before. Maybe it had to do with what changed within him.
He was silent when he finally made it to where Temari and Kankurō sat next to Appa. "Got any three?" Kankurō asked his sister, holding cards in his hands.
"Go fish," Temari told him, also holding cards.
"Damn it! Now I know you're cheating!" he accused her. Ever since they had started playing, most of what he got out of her was "Go Fish" and it had finally gotten to him.
"No, I'm not!" she protested angrily.
"Is this because Gaara and I walked in on you and Shikamaru?" the puppeteer shinobi asked her. "Is that why you're always cheating now?"
"Oh, will you just that go already?" That was old news and the two of them would still not let it go.
"Let it go?!" he repeated. "We walked in on our half-naked sister straddling Shikamaru Nara and trying to take his shirt off!"
"Well you should've…!" She stopped when they heard footsteps coming towards them. They turned to see Gaara coming up the steps.
"Temari, Kankurō," he greeted them.
"Gaara, is everything okay?" Kankurō asked. His brother looked…different somehow.
"Everything is fine. I've opened all the chakras and have come to terms with Shukaku's shadow," he told them. "I can finally sleep peacefully."
"That's great," Temari congratulated her brother. "Do you feel any different?" Like Kankurō, she could see that he looked different.
He walked over to Appa and climbed atop the sleeping sky bison. "I feel a little tired. I think I'll…" He never finished the sentence because once his head touched Appa's fur, he was out like a light. Temari and Kankurō continued their game quietly. They weren't going to begrudge their little brother of his first night of peaceful sleep.
(Location: Ba Sing Se)
Katara ran into the throne room, Shù Yè right behind her. They noticed the three Kyoshi Warriors kneeling in front of the throne. "Thank goodness you're here, Suki," Katara said.
"Wait, Princess. That's not—!" Shù Yè tried to tell her, but Katara continued, ignoring her.
"Something terrible is going on. The Fire Nation has infiltrated the city," the Waterbender told who she thought was Suki. "Not only have we seen the Fire Nation Paragon, but I just saw Prince Zuko and his uncle! We have to tell the Earth King right away!"
"Suki" stood up and walked forward. "Oh, don't worry. I'll be sure to let him know," she said, her gold eyes gleaming in the light.
"That's not Suki!" Shù Yè finally said. Momo screeched and flew away. Katara was about to attack when Ty Lee leapt at her and Shù Yè, blocking their chi and knocking them out. They both fell to the floor unconscious, Katara landing in the water from her pouch.
"Not bad for a circus freak, right?" Ty Lee asked the unconscious Waterbender. "What? Got nothing to say!?" When she had heard that insult at the back of the drill, she had been enraged. And now, she had delivered payback.
"That's enough, Ty Lee," Azula told her as she and Mai stood over the two unconscious girls. "So, Zuzu's in the city, too? I think it's time for a little family reunion." They didn't notice the flying lemur escaping, nor did they notice the four shadows at the throne room door.
(Location: Eastern Air Temple)
Pathik rejoined Aang on the roof, having left Gaara to go back to his family. "I've thought about my attachments," Aang told the guru as he sat back down.
"And?" asked Pathik.
"I'm sorry, but I can't let go of Katara." He just couldn't.
"Aang, to master the Avatar State, you must open all the chakras," The old man told him. "Surrender yourself."
The choice weighed on him. It was either the Avatar State or Katara. And he knew what he had to do. "…Okay, I'll try." He closed his eyes and once again, saw an image of Katara.
"Now think of your attachments and let them go," Pathik's voice told him. "Let the pure cosmic energy flow."
The image of Katara disappeared and he found himself standing on bridge of light above the world. Looking at where the bridge went to, he saw a larger image of himself, the eyes and tattoos glowing white while everything else was black. He knew that this was the form of the Avatar State
He walked forward and his own tattoos began to glow. The Avatar State lowered itself to him and placed its hands on either side of him, encasing him in an orb of purple energy. It was going well, until he heard a familiar scream. Turning his head, he saw a vision of Katara in chains, demanding to be let go. He ran out of the orb, dissipating it, and ran onto the bridge, making the Avatar State disappear as well as the glowing of his tattoos. The bridge followed suit, disappearing under his feet and sending him falling to the planet.
He snapped his eyes open. "Katara's in danger!" he said, standing up. "I have to go!" He leapt off the roof and went down the side.
"No, Aang!" Pathik said, stopping him at the edge. "By choosing attachment, you have locked the chakra! If you leave now, you won't be able to go into the Avatar State at all!"
He hesitated for a second, but continued on, leaving behind a disappointed Pathik. He ran all the back down to where Appa and the three shinobi were. He woke Appa up and flew them away from the Eastern Air Temple.
(Location: Earth Kingdom)
They continued to drive the cart during the night. They stopped when they heard a loud noise coming from the back. Stopping the cart and going to investigate, they discovered the cage holding Toph had a giant hole in it. "It's another one of her tricks!" Master Yu declared.
"There's a giant hole in the box!" Xin Fu replied. "How is that a trick!?"
"It's not!" Toph declared from behind them. "It's the real deal!" She then bent the earth to jut out two walls from the ground. She then bent the two walls together, catching Master Yu and Xin Fu together, and then bent the walls into pushing them into the cage. She then leapt at the hole and bent the metal shut, sealing her two captors inside. "I am the greatest Earthbender in the world!" she declared after jumping to the top of the cage. "Don't you two dunderheads ever forget it!" She leapt off the cage and began to earth-surf away, heading back to Ba Sing Se.
"I'm going to be stuck in here forever with you, aren't I?" Xin Fu asked Master Yu. They crammed into the cage and couldn't really move.
"…I have to go to the bathroom," Master Yu finally said.
Xin Fu just banged his head on the metal.
(Location: Chameleon Bay)
Sokka was just finished gearing up when Hakoda walked up to him and Akela. "Ready to go knock some Fire Nation heads?" he asked.
"You don't know how much this means to me, Dad," Sokka replied, standing up. "I'll make you proud and I'll finally prove to you what a great warrior I am."
He placed a hand on his son's shoulder. "Sokka, you don't have to prove anything to me. I'm already proud of you and I've always known you were a great warrior."
"Really?"
"Why do you think I trusted you to look after our tribe when I left?" he asked his son. "I knew you would live to your namesake."
Sokka was confused by what his father said. "My namesake, what are you talking about?"
"You were named after the first Water Tribe Paragon. From what your grandfather said around the fire, he was both a great warrior and a great strategist." Hakoda told him. "From what Bato has told me, and from what I've heard, you've certainly done well in both."
He was silent for a minute as he went through what he had just heard. "…Well, that's ironic," he finally said.
"What do you mean?" his father asked. He pulled the Paragon Medallion out of his shirt to show him, the implication was clear. Hakoda looked at the Medallion, looked at his son, looked back at the Medallion, and then laughed. "That is ironic!"
Sokka joined in the laughter. Once they were done, they made their way to the ship when Akela turned around and started barking. Sokka turned to see what the problem was, only to see Appa land in front of them. "This can't be good news," he said when he saw Aang's concerned look.
After learning about Katara's predicament, Sokka and Akela boarded Appa, who then took off. As they flew away, Sokka looked back at the sailing ships. Hakoda looked back at the sky bison and smiled.
(Location: Ba Sing Se)
Two Dai Li agents led Azula towards Long Feng's prison cell. "What is this about!?" she demanded as they entered the cell. "Your agents show up in the middle of the night and dragged me down here? You will not treat a Kyoshi Warrior this way!"
"But you're not a Kyoshi Warrior, are you?" Long Feng asked, standing up. "Isn't that right, Princess Azula of the Fire Nation?" She went still for a moment when she heard those words. "It was rather foolish of you to come here without your bodyguard. Where is the Fire Nation Paragon?"
"I don't need him at my side constantly," she replied angrily. "I'm cable of handling myself, despite what he thinks." She made it sound like he was holding her back.
"Of course, you are," he replied with condescending sarcasm.
"What do you want?"
"I want to make a deal," he told her. "It's time I regained control of Ba Sing Se, and you have something I need."
"Oh?"
"The Earth King's trust."
"Why should I help you?"
"Because I can get you the Avatar," he said, walking closer to her.
"I'm listening."
He smirked. "What a foolish girl." He had her right where he wanted her.
Zuko & Iroh were closing up shop when a courier entered. "A message from the Royal Palace," he told Iroh, handing him a scroll and leaving.
Iroh opened the scroll and read it. "I…I can't believe it!" he said in stunned surprise.
"What is it, Uncle?" Zuko asked as he walked up to him, wanting to see what the message said.
"It's great news! We've been invited to serve tea to the Earth King!" his uncle told him before running off to the kitchen.
Zuko just smiled and continued to sweep the dust away. His smile faltered when he looked out to the city and thought that the Blue Spirit was watching him from a nearby roof. He blinked and the Blue Spirit was gone. But he didn't like what the chill creeping up his spine that came afterwards.
Azula was led out of Long Feng's cell. The Dai Li agents did not notice the small smirk she had. "Exactly right where I want him," she thought to herself.
End
Author's Note: Thanks for all the reviews you sent me.
I apologize for taking a while. I got back home for the holidays and had only gotten around to finishing up this chapter.
The seven chakras are actually real and I apologize to any practitioners if I have offended you. I came up with the eighth chakra so that the idea of the Eight Gates and the chakras being the same thing could stick. I had to be careful about that stuff in this chapter.
Now about Guru Pathik knowing the Shodaime Hokage and Mito Uzumaki, the way I figure it if this guy has been around for a hundred years, he would not stay to just one side of the planet. If I'm judging the timeline right, he would have been alive when Konoha was founded.
Very recently, a reviewer named Jmw gave me a challenge for another Naruto/Last Airbender crossover. This is what it was:
Naruto and Sasuke are tired of Konoha and the elemental nations in general. Naruto is tired of the hatred Konoha gives him for being a Jinchūriki and Sasuke for how they only care about for his bloodline and tired of all the marriage contracts he keeps getting. Deciding their both tired of Konoha and want a new start they decide to get help from the Kyuubi to see if he can give them a new chance at life. Kyuubi then transports them near the fire nation were they then befriend Zuko Azula Mai and Ty Lee and become best friends. Naruto and Sasuke also fall in love with Ty Lee and Azula.
Requirements
1. Naruto and Sasuke have brotherly relationship.
2. Naruto and Sasuke must be able to both bend two elements for Sasuke he can bend fire and lightning while Naruto can bend fire and air.
3. Pairings must be Naruto/Ty Lee Sasuke/Azula Zuko/Mai
4. This cannot be a harem
5. Naruto and Sasuke must leave the fire nation along with Ty Lee Azula and Mai.
While I am glad he offered an idea, I cannot write this. The reason is this idea has the hallmarks of a Naruto/Last Airbender story that dies early. The first reason is that most Naruto/Last Airbender has the Naruto characters being able to Bend with no real good reason. This has been used so many times that it actually has become cliché. This is why I kept the Naruto in my story a Nonbender.
The second reason is that you decided that the two lands are in separate dimensions. I say dimension because you have the Kyūbi "transporting" them, that sounds like another dimension to me. It does not hurt to have the two lands sharing the same planet, it really doesn't.
The third reason is that you would have Ty Lee, Azula and Mai leave behind the Fire Nation, just like that. It's not that easy, they all have ties to Fire Nation and the way you wrote them leaving is like they got rid of those ties easily. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure that's how Sasuke got the way he is now in the manga.
But still, I applaud you for coming up with this idea. It takes guts to come up with an idea and even more guts to suggest it to an author. But what takes the biggest guts of all is to take your idea and write it out yourself. What I think the reviewer should do is go over this idea and see what they can do to avoid the hallmarks I mentioned before (How are Naruto and Sasuke able to Bend? Or why exactly Azula and her friends are leaving the Fire Nation and how hard is itfor them?). If you do that and are satisfied with what you fixed, try to write it yourself (and you might want to work on your grammar as well). This is your idea, not mine. I'm not about to take something that wasn't mine to begin with and claim credit for it.
I'll see you all next chapter! Merry Christmas!