Inside the sanctuary, Katara stayed close to Azira as promised. They went further inside and were shocked to find not a person but rows and rows of statues.
" Statues? That's it? Where's the meat?" Sokka complained
" Who are all these people?" Katara wondered and she, Aang and Zira stopped in front of some of the statues.
" I'm not sure. But it feels like I know them somehow" Aang replied before pointing at the statue in front of him.
" Look! That one's an air bender!"
" And this one's a water bender" Katara added, looking at the one in front of her and Zira" They're lined up in a pattern. Air, water, earth, and fire"
" That's the Avatar Cycle" Aang informed
" Of course. They're Avatars" Katara realised " All these people are your past lives, Aang"
" Wow, there's so many" Aang gasped, continuing to look at the statues
" Past lives? Katara, you really believe in that stuff?" Sokka scoffed
" It's true. When the Avatar dies, he's reincarnated into the next nation in the cycle" Katara explained
Azira saw Aang staring at a statue and left Katara to go over to him. He didn't even move when she stood next to him, his gaze was fixed on the statue.
" A-Aang?" Azira asked, gently shaking his shoulder.
"...Huh? "Aang muttered, snapping out of whatever trance he was in.
" Who is that?" Katara asked, joining the two.
" T-that's Avatar Roku" Azira muttered
" Yeah, he was the Avatar before me" Aang added
"You were a fire bender? No wonder I didn't trust you when we first met" Sokka commented
" There's no writing, how do you both know his name?" Katara wondered
" I'm not sure, I just know it somehow" Aang replied
" You just couldn't get any weirder" Sokka groaned
" What about you, Zira? How do you know him?"
"...M-my uncle told me s-stories when I was little" Azira answered, playing with her fingers again. "... M-my grandfather apparently betrayed A-avatar Roku to start the war..."
"I wonder if it runs in the family?" Sokka wondered out loud making Katara hit him again. Azira just looked down in shame.
The group then froze when they heard the sound of approaching footsteps and quickly hid behind the statues as a shadow was cast across the floor. Azira was hiding with Aang while Katara was with Sokka.
" Fire bender. Nobody make a sound" Sokka whispered
Katara hit him on the shoulder" You're making a sound"
Sokka only shushed her in reply.
Azira looked at the shape of the shadow and noticed how weird it look. It looked nothing like the Fire Nation armour.
YOU ARE READING
Inner Fire - ATLA fanfic
Fanfiction. The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all Disclaimer- I do NOT own Avatar the Last Airbender. It is not mine. I only own my original charact...
