Everybody leaps into a battle stance. Stunned, I stay on my rock and watch it all unfold.
"Hey, I heard you flying around down there, so I just thought I'd wait for you here," he explains. He seems unsure of himself, especially when Appa ambles over and gives him a huge lick with his enormous tongue.
Aang half rises from his battle lunge, an expression of wonder and confusion on his face.
"I know you must be surprised to see me here," Zuko continues.
"Not really," Sokka interjects, "since you followed us all over the world."
"Right," Zuko grudgingly admits. "Well, uh, anyway, what I wanted to tell you about is that I've changed. And I, uh, I'm good now and I think I should join your group. Oh, and I can teach Fire bending," he looks right at Aang, "to you. See I, uh—"
"You wanna what now?" Toph interrupts.
"You can't possibly think that any of us would trust you, can you?" Katara accuses. "How stupid do you think we are?" Ouch, I think, that's harsh.
"Yeah!" Sokka agrees. "All you've ever done is tried to hunt us down and capture Aang."
"I've done some good things!" Zuko retorts. "I mean, I could've stolen your bison in Ba Sing Se, but I set him free. That's something!" Appa responded with another lick. I continue to drool over this guy's face, whilst being confused about the whole conversation around me.
"Appa does seem to like him," Toph mentions to our group.
"He probably just covered himself in honey or something so that Appa would lick him. I'm not buying it," Sokka loudly responds. Despite their unfriendly attitude towards the guy, they've dropped their battle stances.
"I can understand why you wouldn't trust me," Zuko responds, "and I know I've made some mistakes in the past."
"Like when you attacked our village?" Sokka accuses.
"Or when you stole my mother's necklace and used it to track us down and capture us?" Katara added.
"Look," Zuko pleads, "I admit I've done some awful things. It was wrong to try to capture you, and I'm sorry that I attacked the Water Tribe. And I never should have sent that Fire Nation assassin after you. I'm gonna try to stop him—"
"Wait," Sokka explodes, pointing his boomerang at him, "you sent Combustion-Man after us?"
"Well, that's not his name, but—"
"Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to insult your friend," Sokka mocks.
"He's not my friend!"
"That guy locked me and Katara in a jail and tried to blow us all up!" Toph exclaims.
"Why aren't you saying anything?" Zuko asks Aang. I'm partly hidden by Katara's skirt. "You once said you thought we could be friends. You know I have good in me."
He sounds earnest. Why won't they let him stay with us, at least for a few nights? If he tried anything, he wouldn't even make it to the next sunrise. Katara, Sokka, and Toph look absolutely murderous.
Aang glances at us and his face hardens. "There's no way we can trust you after everything that you've done," the kid decides, his voice cold as ice. "We'll never let you join us."
"You need to get out of here," Katara demands. "Now!"
"I'm trying to explain that I'm not that person anymore!" Zuko throws up his hands in frustration.
"Either you leave, or we attack," Sokka threatens.
He takes a step closer, as if to plead with us more. But the water Katara had just used to heal my head suddenly whips out and soaks Zuko, knocking him to the ground
"Get out of here and don't come back," she growls.
Zuko looks at each of us, his gaze lingering on me. After a moment of thought, he rises and shuffles away.
After we're sure he's gone, Katara asks, "Why would he try to fool us like that?"
"Obviously he wants to lead us into some kind of trap," Sokka answers. I roll my eyes, but stay on my rock.
"This is just like when we were in prison together in Ba Sing Se," Katara grumbles. "He starts talking about his mother, making it seem like he's an actual human being with feelings."
"He wants you to trust him," Sokka tells her, "and feel sorry for him so you'll let your guard down, then he strikes!"
"The thing is, it worked," Katara admits. "I did feel sorry for him. I felt like he was really confused and hurt. But, obviously, when the time came, he made his choice, and we paid the price. We can't trust him." She says the last part almost to herself.
"Wow, tell us how you really feel," I comment.
"I kind of have a confession to make," Aang announces. "Remember when you two were sick and I was captured by Zhao?"
"And then you made us suck on frozen frogs?" Sokka grimaces. "How could I forget?"
"Anyway, when Zhao had me chained up, it was Zuko who came in and got me out. He risked his life to save me."
"No way," Katara retorts, "surely he only did it so he could capture you himself."
"Yeah, face it Aang," Sokka agrees. "You're nothing but a big prize to him."
Aang hangs his head. "You're probably right," he mumbles.
"And what was all that crazy stuff about setting Appa free?" Katara adds to her argument. "What a liar!"
"Actually, he wasn't lying," Toph calls from her spot against the wall.
Sokka looks about ready to burst. "Well, hooray! In a life time of evil, at least he didn't add animal cruelty to the list."
"I'm just saying that considering his messed up family and how he was raised, he could've turned out a lot worse."
"You're right Toph, let's go find him and give him a medal," Katara's sarcasm matches her brother's. "The 'Not as much of a jerk as you could've been' award!"
"All I know is, while he was talking to us, he was sincere."
"Maybe you're just letting your hurt feelings keep you from thinking clearly," I pipe up. I glance at Toph, and she nods her approval.
"Easy for you to say!" Katara turns her rage on me. "You weren't there when he had us attacked by pirates!"
"Or when he burned down Kiyoshi Island!"
"Or when he tried to capture me at the fire temple!"
"You don't know him. Why would you even try to defend him, Starr?" Katara exclaims.
I roll my eyes again and remember what Zuko said about teaching Aang. "Because, Katara, you're all ignoring one crucial fact! Aang needs a Fire bending teacher (whatever that is) and you can't think of anyone in the world to do the job. Now one comes to us on a gorgeous silver platter and you won't even think about it?" I actually stomp my foot to emphasize my point.
They all look at each other as what I said sinks in.
"I'm not having Zuko as my teacher," Aang breaks the silence.
"Darn right you're not, buddy," Sokka agrees.
"Well, I guess that's settled," Katara bosses us.
"Ugh!" Toph groans. "I'm beginning to wonder who's really the blind one around here!" She stalks away to where Zuko was headed.
I look at the trio, and I shake my head. How on earth was I going to even try to find my way back home if I couldn't even convince them to see things my way?