Everyone was camping out, looking miserable, when Reiko pointed behind herself, Team Avatar looked at her quizzically. Appa moved out of the way to reveal a shadow, it belonged to Zuko. They looked at him with shocked expressions, which subsequently turn into anger.

"Hello."

"Where's Kuri?" Aang snapped.

Zuko's expression changed to a fond one. "She's safe. It was her idea for me to come alone. She said I needed to convince you without her help."

The group prepared to attack.

"Hey, I heard you guys flying around down there, so, I just thought I'd wait for you here." Zuko continued.

Appa growled at him and licked him twice. Momo and Aang were surprised, and Aang lowered his staff slightly.

"I know you must be surprised to see me here."

"Not really, since you've followed us all over the world." Sokka said.

"Right. Well, uhhh ... anyway ... what I wanted to tell you about is that I've changed, and I, uhhh, I'm good now, and well I think I should join your group, oh, and I can teach firebending to you." Everyone was shocked. "See, I, uhhh ..."

"You want to what now?" Reiko asked.

"You can't possibly think that any of us would trust you, can you? I mean, how stupid do you think we are?!" Katara cried.

"Yeah, all you've ever done is hunt us down and try to capture Aang!" Sokka yelled.

"I've done some good things! I mean, I could have stolen your bison in Ba Sing Se, but I set him free. That's something!" Appa licked Zuko again, much to his surprise.

"Appa—" The siblings turned toward Reiko. "—does seem to like him."

"He probably just covered himself in honey or something so that Appa would lick him. I'm not buying it." Sokka said skeptically.

"I can understand why you wouldn't trust me, and I know I've made some mistakes in the past." Zuko continued.

"Like when you attacked our village?" Sokka shot back.

"Or when you used Kurai as a tool to track us down and capture us?" Katara snapped

Zuko's eyes widened and he had to extinguish his fire. "I NEVER—"

"I know Kurai loves you…but There's no way we can trust you after everything you've done. We'll never let you join us." Aang sighed.

"Why?! You once said you thought we could be friends. You know I have good in me." Zuko whispered.

He was hit with Katara's water whip. "You need to get out of here. Now."

"I'm trying to explain that I'm not that person anymore!" Zuko winced.

"Either you leave, or we attack." Sokka hissed.

'If you won't accept me as a friend, then maybe you'll take me as a prisoner." Zuko knelt down, bent his head, and raised his arms in surrender.

"No, we won't!" Katara blasted water at him. "Get out of here, and don't come back! And if we ever see you again, well, we'd better not see you again!"

Zuko walked away. His only solace was that he was walking into Kurai's arms.