Inner Fire - ATLA fanfic

The Northen Air Temple

Zira leaned forwards in her seat, intrigued and fascinated as she, her friends and other travellers sat around a campfire listing to the story a man was telling them. Sokka and Katara had put their coats back on and Zira had a blanket wrapped around her shoulders due to the cold temperatures.  

"So, travellers, the next time you think you hear a strange large bird talking, take a closer look. It might not be a giant parrot, but a flying man" The man told, pointing to the sky "A member of a secret group of airwalkers who laugh at gravity and laugh at those bound to the earth by it"

As the man finished his story, he stood up and went around collecting coins from the travellers.

"Aren't airbender stories the greatest?"Aang grinned at his friends 

"They're amazing" Zira gasped, her eyes filled with wonder. 

"Was it realistic? Is that how it was back then?" Katara asked 

"I laugh at gravity all the time" Aang laughed "Haha! Gravity" 

"Jingle jingle" The storyteller sang, standing in front of the kids with his hat out. 

Sokka searched through his pockets for a moment before pulling out a bug, a worm and a few crumbs but no money. 

"Sorry"

"Cheapskates" The storyteller muttered, walking away. 

Zira and Aang got up and followed after him. 

"Hey, thanks for the story" Zira smiled 

"Tell it to the cap, kid," The storyteller said, shaking his hat at them. 

A coin fell out of the hat. Momo swooped down to place it back while the kids searched through their pockets for any remaining money.

"I spent all my money at the festival, you got anything?" Zira whispered as the storyteller petted Momo. 

"Nothing" Aang muttered back before turning to the storyteller again 

"It means a lot to hear airbender stories. It must have been a hundred years ago your great-grandpa met them" 

"What are you prattling about, boy? Great-grandpappy saw the airwalkers last week" The man snapped, pointing back at his grandfather. 

The kid's eyes widened, glancing at each other in shock.

There's no way...

*

"Hey, we're almost to the northern air temple" Aang grinned as they flew through the skies on Appa. "This is where they had the championships for sky bison polo" 

"Do you think we'll really find airbenders?" Katara asked Sokka as he was carving something 

"You want me to be like you or totally honest?" He replied 

"Are you saying I'm a liar?" 

"I'm saying you're an optimist. Same thing, basically" Sokka shrugged and Katara scowled at him. 

"Hey, guys, look at this!" Zira exclaimed as they flew closer to the temple. 

In the distance, they could see figures flying around the temple with gliders. The others all watched in awe but Aang frowned, his excitement disappearing.

"They really are airbenders!" Katara grinned 

"No, they're not" Aang grumbled, crossing his arms 

"What do you mean, they're not? Those guys are flying!" Sokka exclaimed

"Gliding maybe, but not flying. You can tell by the way they move they're not airbending. Those people have no spirit" Aang scowled.