Fanon:Act 5: Vision

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This article is for the Pathik's Story chapter. For the Phoenix Chronicles chapter with a similar name, see this article.

Vision
Information
Series	Pathik's Story (part of Past, Present, and Future)
Chapter	5
Written by	Dudewaldo4
Episode guide
Previous	Wandering

Overview

The Guru describes his vision of helping the Avatar, and the experience of unblocking his chakras once again, as much "algae" had fallen into the river of his energy throughout his journey. He later travels to the Eastern Air Temple, in order to carry out this new mission.

Content

94 AG

I opened my eyes and looked around. It appeared I was looking at the nighttime sky. Countless stars and comets covered a sheet of dark blue—almost black. It was then I noticed that I was standing up, looking ahead. I couldn't have been looking at the sky. Yet I was. I turned around in a full circle, and I found that I was floating in space. Below me was the earth.

Pathik's vision

This must be a dream, I thought.

I turned and saw a gigantic version of an old, Fire Nation man. His eyes glowed white. His body had a heavy purple color to it, and he was almost entirely translucent, giving me a clear view of the stars behind him. His body floated, like mine. I realized it must have been Avatar Roku.

The figure descended. "Guru Pathik," Roku said in an old, yet powerful voice. "The current Avatar, Aang, was not killed along with the Air Nomads."

My eyebrows shot up. "How?"

"He ran from the Southern Temple after Tashi convinced Pasang that he must go to the Eastern Air Temple to complete his Airbending training."

My surprise vanished. "So Afiko isn't the Last Airbender..."

"Afiko was killed by Sozin for treachery five years into the war."

Oh.

"Aang will come to you," Roku continued. "You will teach him to master the Avatar State. It is your destiny to help Aang defeat the Fire Lord. And you will do so."

I nodded. "Have you been guiding me?" I blurted out.

Roku frowned. "Guiding you? No." Roku continued, "You must travel to the Eastern Air Temple. Aang will arrive there."

I nodded again. I knew my ultimate destiny; after nearly one-hundred-and-fifty years, I knew what I was meant to do.

I felt myself slowly descending toward the earth. Roku's image faded, and my eyes closed.

§ § §

I opened my eyes again. I was lying on the ground. I pushed myself up and saw that the streets of Ba Sing Se were deserted. Everyone must be inside the palace walls.

I rubbed my head. How long have I been here for? I wondered. I shakily stood up. I began to stagger toward the palace. You must go to the Eastern Air Temple, Roku's voice said in my mind. I turned around and walked toward the wall. I soon became less groggy and more aware of my surroundings. The words "I have killed someone" rang in my mind, but ignored them. I couldn't think about that again. I had to be at the Air Temple when the Avatar got there.

After a long walk, I finally reached the Outer Wall. Things were eerily quiet. I didn't see any attack going on. There were a few guards at the gate, as usual. I walked up to them.

"Excuse me, I need to leave the city," I said. No one was allowed to leave without proper authority and an escort of a Dai Li sqaud, but I thought if I surprised them with simply asking, they might just let me through.

It didn't work.

"Citizens are not allowed to leave, especially now," one of the guards said. "In case you missed it, the city is under siege."

"And what are you doing out of the palace?" a second guard asked gruffly. "All civilians must be inside the palace walls at this time."

"Yes, of course, but I must get through." I felt the spirit's familiar tug, insisting I leave the city.

The first guard's face softened. "I'm sorry, but I cannot let you through. It's against regulations."

I sighed. "Alright, I'll just be on my way." I turned around and walked back toward the deserted streets. The guards watched me go. I turned and walked into an alley to hide myself from their view. I stopped in the middle of it.

I tried to think of a way to get past them. I couldn't fight them, I couldn't open the gates myself; I had no way to get through. Perhaps I could sneak past them...

§ § § With my head down, hands behind my back calmly, I strode out of the palace gates. No one stopped me, though many guards saw me. I walked through the streets slowly, my green robes hovering just above the ground. I was disguised as one of the Dai Li. I reached the wall and avoided the guards' eye contact. They avoided mine, however, so it wasn't so hard. Apparently, even they were afraid of the Agents. They stepped aside, expecting me to open the gate myself, as is customary. I stood there, motionless, for a few seconds. Then, I slowly turned my head toward one of the guards. He swallowed, drops of sweat sliding down his face. He and the other guards opened the gate. I walked through without a word. That was easier than I had expected. Once I was on the other side, and the gate had closed, I shed my robes and pointed cap, and walked quietly toward the Outer Wall. I didn't see any battle so far. I began to walk through a long valley. The wind whistled through as well. I tip-toed across the grass cautiously. I knew that at any moment, a battle could break out. I was right. A ball of flame flew towards me. I dove out of the way just before it exploded on impact with the ground. Yells of war rang out in the air as both Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation soldiers leapt out from either side of the valley. They were about to do battle—and I was caught in the crossfire. I ran as quickly as I could toward the other side of the valley. Swords clashed around me, boulders and fireballs flew over me. Both sides ignored me. The spirit guided me through the battle, telling my body to jump and duck and dive to the side. I let this happen; if I didn't, I would have probably gotten myself killed. As I was nearing the end of the valley, one thrust of the sword came dangerously close. A long slice was cut through the back of my shirt as it cut through. I dove forward. If I hadn't, it would have gone straight through me. I ran away from the battle quickly. The entire way to the outer wall, similar events took place, but the spirit guided me through all of them. I eventually reached the outer wall. It had a huge, gaping hole in it. How the firebenders had broken through, I had no idea.

"Just outside was the Fire Nation's camp"

Just outside was the Fire Nation's camp. I thought about asking if I could go through, but that didn't work so well last time. I thought about turning back, but the spirit tugged at me insistently. I wasn't sure what to do. Two shadows whipped past me toward the camp. I didn't know what it was. After a few more passed me, I realized they were Dai Li agents, attacking the camp.

Sounds of war quickly erupted around me. I decided to take this chance and run through the camp and toward the docks where ferries filled with refugees would arrive, under regular circumstances. As I ran, I noticed the some Dai Li agents broke away from the fight toward the docks as well. They skated across the ground, out of the camp and toward the docks. I followed them, though not as quickly.

When I reached the docks, the fight had already started. I ran into it as if I was planning to be a part of it. Letting out a fierce battle cry, I actually ran around everyone and onto one of the boats. I hurried up the steps toward the bridge, and I started pulling levers and pressing buttons. I had never sailed a ship before, and had no idea what I was doing. Fortunately, it worked. The paddle at the back of the ferry started to turn, and the vessel pulled out of the docks.

No one noticed one boat leaving the docks as they threw their gloves and punched fireballs at each other. I was able to escape.

§ § § I pushed myself up a small edge of the mountain the Eastern Air Temple was on. After looking around, I noticed I was in between two short cliffs in the mountain. Inside the small canyon was a river comprised of separate pools. However, the water could not easily flow between the pools, because some kind of gunk was stuck in the openings between them.

These pools are a lot like chakras

These pools are a lot like chakras, I thought. I haven't studied chakras in a while. I forget a little about them. In fact, I'm not even sure if my own pools have...gunk...in them...

I realized that my chakras had become blocked. I could hardly believe I didn't recognize my own insecurities as this. I was a Guru! How could I let what I taught against happen to myself?

I hurried up to the temple. I would start the process immediately.

§ § § "First you must open the Earth Chakra, located at the base of the spine." I heard Gyatso say in my mind. It was what he had told me so long ago. "It deals with survival, and is blocked by fear. What are you most afraid of? Let your fears become clear to you." I watched as Afiko stood over Monk Gyatso's body, laughing maniacally. He walked toward and past me, and the scene changed to the Herbalist Institute. He grabbed Tamaki and Hebi by the neck, and he kicked Mori in the gut. He threw them all off the steps of the Institute, toward the city below. Images of burning Air Temples flashed through my mind, and a somehow beautiful but ominous comet streaking through the sky. "Let those fears...flow down the creek." I took a deep breath...and let the fears disappear. My vision crumpled together into a single speck, then winked out of existence. I had opened the Earth Chakra. "Next is the Water Chakra, located in the sexual organs. It deals with pleasure, and is blocked by guilt. Look at all the guilt that burdens you so. What do you blame yourself for?" "I ran away," I said aloud. I remembered as I left Taku, leaving the rest of its citizens to die. It was a selfish decision. Afiko laughed again as I stumbled down the steps. I heard Usami's voice yell my name as I ran from her and the crowd that hastily made their way toward the palace. "Accept the reality that these things happened," my memories of Gyatso continued, "but to not let them cloud and poison your energy." I took a deep breath once again, and I felt the water chakra grow clear. "Third is the Fire Chakra, located in the stomach. It deals with willpower, and is blocked by shame. What are you ashamed of? What are your biggest disappointments in yourself?" Swords slid away from my neck as the man thanked me for the information. I screamed at the Dai Li, telling them to capture the man. Instead, they killed him. I killed him. It was my fault. All he wanted to do was to tell his superiors where the palace was. Why, I didn't know. But it didn't matter. I had killed him. I realized that it wasn't me that had killed the man; it was the Dai Li Agents. Although it seemed as if I was putting the blame on others, it was true. It wasn't me. There was nothing I could have done differently. If I had let him go, he and his forces would have attacked the palace, capturing or killing the citizens inside. I didn't kill a man. I had saved many. "The fourth Chakra, the Air Chakra, is located in the heart. It deals with love, and is blocked by grief. Lay all your grief out in front of you." I saw the Air Temples burn again, and the unsuspecting people of Taku being killed by Fire Nation soldiers.

"I saw the Air Temples burn again"

Everyone I loved was killed.

"Let the pain flow away, down the river."

"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."

I remembered how I didn't think about what had happened at Taku when I lived near the Northern Air Temple. I lied to myself and pretended that it didn't happen."

"Once again, you must accept the reality that these things happened, but do not let that corrupt your energy."

"The sixth pool of energy is the Light Chakra, located in the center of the forehead. It deals with insight and is blocked by illusion. What can be found in your life...that is just an illusion?"

I remembered Tashi speaking to me venomously in the Council's room as the infant Aang played with some toys. I thought it was me that had caused Gyatso's grief for his lost friend Roku. I was wrong. As he had later tried to tell me, he would have mourned for his friend whether I had asked about him or not. Tashi convinced me otherwise. I now knew what had really happened.

"The Thought Chakra is located at the crown of the head. It deals with pure cosmic energy and is blocked by earthly attachment. Meditate on what attaches you to this world."

I thought of the Southern Air Temple, and Gyatso. I remembered Taku, Mori, Tamaki, Kuwabara, and even Hebi and Kotoka. I reflected on Usami, Ping, Dao, and my friends from Ping's Place. They attached me to the world. And I needed to let them go. They would be fine for the rest of the war, and so would I. I somehow...knew.

I floated in space above the earth, with Roku's image standing next to me approvingly. I let these images float away into space. Roku nodded, and I floated gently back to earth. I would wait at the Temple for the Avatar.

100 AG

In the middle of my meditation, a huge force pushed me down onto the ground. A gigantic tongue licked my entire body at once. I opened my eyes a crack, trying not to get the saliva now coating my front in them, and saw a flying bison staring back at me.

"Hello. I am Guru Pathik."

I grinned. "Hello. I am Guru Pathik."

Trivia

• This is the final and longest chapter of Pathik's Story.
• The Bos gave Dudewaldo4 the idea to have Roku tell Pathik to go to the Eastern Air Temple.

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