Jinora in the Past

Chapter 5

In front of her was a young Fire Lord Sozin and Avatar Roku. Why does everyone have to be teenagers today? she thought bitterly. It seemed to be someone's birthday. After a moment, she realized that it was Prince Sozin and Avatar Roku's birthday. People in red robes and hats that curved up were coming through the crowd. Jinora had read about them before on Air Temple Island. They were the Fire Sages, protectors of the Avatar from the Fire Nation.

"Did something happen to my father?" Sozin asked.

"No, we are not here for you. We are here to announce the identity of the next Avatar." the head Fire Sage said. Roku and Sozin looked at each other.

"It is our honor to serve you, Avatar Roku." the sages said, bowing to him.

Jinora was pulled back to the present, with the eyes of the Airbender and his friends fixed on her. She looked away, concentrating on Bum-Ju.

"Are you going to tell us what just happened?" Lord Zuko demanded. She heard the splash of water and moving of rocks just before he said, "Ow!".

Katara was rolling her eyes when Jinora looked up. One thing that hadn't changed was her grandmother's smile. It was just as warm and welcoming now as it will be in seventy years. She set a hand on her shoulder and asked calmly, "Do you want to tell us?"

"No," Jinora said, to which Lord Zuko rolled his eyes and Katara got to her feet. She offered Jinora a hand and helped her up as Aang also got up.

"Come on," Katara said. "We'll go back to the house and we can sort this mess out there."

"And eat." Chief Beifong said.

They were all gathered around the fire that Lord Zuko had started and Jinora was sitting with Aang on one side of her and Chief Beifong on the other. She was sitting criss-cross with Bum-Ju in her lap, hugging him.

"So..." the Police Chief started. "Why don't you know why you're here?"

"It's complicated," she said.

"So say it like you're explaining it to Sokka."

"Hey!" Chief Sokka said, sitting up. Chief Beifong threw a small rock at him. He pouted.

"I... I'm not from here."

"Yeah, no kidding." Lord Zuko muttered.

"Just let her talk, guys," Aang said.

"I guess what I should say is I'm not from now."

"What does that mean?" Sokka asked, gaining a glare from Katara.

"You can figure it out." Jinora didn't want to talk about it. She didn't know what she could say and what she couldn't. She didn't want to mess up and change the future.

"Let me guess, you're from the future, so you know whether or not Aang here defeated the Fire Lord." Chief Sokka said.

Jinora nodded, then added, "Yes, I know whether or not he defeated the Fire Lord."

"Well?" the Chief said. "Did he?"

"I can't tell you." She was staring into the flames, not really listening to the conversation. Then she glitched.

"Welcome, Ursa, granddaughter of Avatar Roku. How may we help you?" It was the Fire Sages again. She seemed to be standing in Avatar Roku's temple in the Fire Nation. Wait, isn't Ursa Zuko's mom's name? she thought.

"I want to know if the Avatar was ever reborn into the Air Nomads, and if he was, where is he now?" Lady Ursa said.

"Well, madam, we know that he was reborn into the Air Nomads, but I'm afraid we don't know where he is."

Lady Ursa nodded, looking down. She turned to walk out saying, "Thank you for your time."

She continued staring at the fire as she contemplated this new information.

"Where- er, when did you go?" Aang asked, but before she could answer, Chief Sokka started asking questions.

"So, if he did, what do I do?"

"Better yet, is Zuko the Fire Lord?" Chief Beifong asked. All of them started asking her questions about the future and ended up all talking over each other. Eventually, Jinora couldn't take it anymore.

"Shut up!" she shouted, a gust of air coming out of her hands, knocking all of them over. They stared at her, unsure of what to think.

"You already know I'm an Airbender, don't look so surprised."

Aang sat up hesitantly.

"How though?"

"I can't tell you," she said. For the rest of the day, they trained. Aang was amazed by Jinora's abilities. She was even better than him with the forms she did.

"Aang," Zuko said. "Get back to Firebending."

"But... this is the first time I've gotten to see someone else Airbending in 100 years."

"It's not been 100 years for you." Zuko scolded, picking him up by his collar and setting him down in the middle of the courtyard. Aang sighed and reluctantly went back to Firebending training. He wanted to watch Jinora, he even wanted her to teach him how to do the things she did, but Zuko refused to let him.