Chapter 12

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Chapter 12 I dropped Sokka off, and Appa and I kept going till we reached the Eastern Air Temple. As we descended through the mist at sunset, I spotted a small man sitting and meditating among the overgrown gardens and ruined buildings. He told me he was Guru Pathik, and that he could teach me how to control the Avatar state. He also said he knew my old teacher, Monk Gyatso. That's all I needed to hear. I was totally ready to learn from this guy. Guru Pathik took me to a cave deep inside a mountain and we began. He started out by explaining that controlling the Avatar state involves finding a balance between the mind, spirit, and body. Then he explained that energy flows through the body like water in a stream, and that the body contains seven chakras. These are pools of spiraling energy. When the chakras get blocked, the energy can't flow and my power as the Avatar is weakened. So my job is to open my seven chakras. Doesn't sound too tough! "First we will open the Earth Chakra. It deals with survival and is blocked by fear," Guru Pathik

explained. "What are you most afraid of?" he asked. "Let your fears become clear to you." I closed my eyes and began meditating. Visions and memories rushed into my mind—the Blue Spirit attacking me with swords, Katara being buried in rock by General Fong—and then, suddenly, Guru Pathik was gone and the Fire Lord himself was right in front of me! He filled the cave with flames. I've failed on my first attempt! And I'm responsible for bringing the Fire Lord here to destroy the sacred temple, to kill Guru Pathik. Then a calm voice cut through my panic and fear. "Aang, your vision is not real." I opened my eyes and saw Guru Pathik. No Fire Lord. No flames. It was all in my head. My hands shook and sweat poured down my face. "You fear for your survival, but you must surrender these fears. Your spirit can never die." "But Roku told me that if I'm killed in the Avatar state, the Avatar cycle will end!" "Once your chakras are clear, you'll be able to control the Avatar state so that you won't need to worry about that." Well, that makes me feel a whole lot better! Since

Roku told me about the Avatar spirit, I've lived in fear of the Avatar state. I don't want to be the one to end the Avatar spirit's cycle. But since I won't have to worry about that anymore, let's try this again. I closed my eyes and the Fire Lord stood before me. "Let your fears flow down the creek," Guru Pathik said softly. I don't fear you, Fire Lord. In fact, soon YOU'RE going to have to fear me. So go away. Get out of my head! Wow! It worked. The flames in the cave are flickering out, and the Fire Lord is vanishing into the shadows on the walls. "You have opened your Earth Chakra." Next came the Water Chakra, which deals with pleasure and is blocked by guilt. Again I began to meditate. "Look at all the guilt which burdens you. What do you blame yourself for?" My mind flooded with images of me running away from the Air Nomads when I should have stayed to complete my studies; of me screaming at Toph, blaming her when Appa was taken; and then, most powerful of all, of everyone I hurt and scared when I was out of control in the Avatar state. I hurt so many

people. I don't deserve to be the Avatar. "Accept that these things have happened, but do not let them poison your energy. If you are to be a positive influence on the world, you need to forgive yourself." He's right. I can't change what I've done in the past, but I can try do better in the future—I hope. "Remember how alive you felt at the moments of your greatest pleasure." Immediately Katara's beautiful face filled my vision and I was back in the Cave of Two Lovers.… "Well, I sense that chakra just opened up like a dam!" Guru Pathik said. Me too. I do forgive myself and I am ready to move on. I also can't wait to see Katara again! Next came the Fire Chakra. It deals with willpower and is blocked by shame. "What are you ashamed of? What are your biggest disappointments in yourself?" the guru asked. I instantly saw myself struggling to learn Earthbending. Then my mind filled with my clumsy attempt at Firebending and how I burned Katara. It's clear to me now—I can't ever Firebend again. I can't risk hurting Katara or anyone else. But when I told this to Guru Pathik, he told me I

was wrong. "You cannot deny this part of your life, Aang. You are the Avatar, and therefore you ARE a Firebender." Right. I have to learn Firebending. There's no way around it. I took a deep breath and pictured myself easily controlling fire—no shame, no disappointment, just the strong will to get it right. Then I let out a burp. "That chakra opened like a burping bison!" he remarked. The fourth chakra was the Air Chakra. It deals with love and is blocked by grief. Should be a piece of cake for a natural Airbender like me! "Lay all your grief out in front of you." Happy memories of when I was a little kid at the temple flooded my mind: when I first met Appa, when I started learning from Gyatso. Then, suddenly, Gyatso's laughing face melted into a bony skeleton. The grief bubbled up from deep inside, and tears streamed down my face. Don't block the grief. Let it flow out. Suddenly I was floating on a cloud in the sky surrounded by all the Air Nomads I knew growing