“I think that’ll have to wait,” Toph crossed her arms, an indescribable serious look to her face. Everyone looked at her strange, pursing their lips and crumpling their eyebrows.

Then, a low bellow came from Appa, the sky bison moving way and revealing the most recognizable figure.

“Hello,” he murmured, putting one hand up in greeting. Just the one person that always lingered in the background — Zuko himself. “Zuko here.”

The silent hung over everyone like a dark rain cloud, the group erupting in grumbles of their own as they got ready to attack.

Instead of doing so himself like he would routinely do, he just… stood there. Zuko rubbed the back of his neck, letting his fingers hang off of it as he glanced away.

“Hey, I heard you guys flying around down there, so, I just thought I'd wait for you here..” he hummed before Appa let out a low rumble, tongue darting out before licking him up his side twice. Zuko made a noise, scrunching his face up as he tried to wipe the slobber away with his bare hands. “I know you must be surprised to see me here.”

“Not really, since you've followed us all over the world.” Sokka rolled his eyes, waving his boomerang around lazily.

“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..!” Zuko gestured to Aang, whose expression was softened at Appa being comfortable about Zuko. Then, it hardened back at his words as he spaced back in.

“You want to what now?” Toph squinted incredulously, but it wouldn’t help anything since she was blind.

“You can't possibly think that any of us would trust you, can you? I mean, how stupid do you think we are?!” Katara in her furious rage, threw her arms up in the air as they watered balanced in her palms sloshes around.

“I can understand why you wouldn't trust me, and I know I've made some mistakes in the past.” Zuko tried to mediate the anger pouring out of the group, holding his arms up before Katars shifted her feet and sent the water slapping across 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!” Katara spat, so muddled in her anger she couldn’t even speak.

Then, he scrambled away. Back to up on the flat land, where his shitty camp was set up. The Western Air Temple was silent, until Katara groaned.

“This is just like when we were in prison together at Ba Sing Se. He starts talking about his mother and making it seem like he's an actual human being with feelings.”

You stared at the space where he once stood, eyebrows creased in emotions you once couldn’t understand.

He didn’t dare to look at you the entire time. He couldn’t look at you. Not once like he had a long time ago. It was painful, but maybe somethings are better broken.

Or not. Go find him.

“What’s up with you?” Sokka, after witnessing Katara rage and ramble to herself, had bumped his shoulder to yours. He still held onto his boomerang, not really relaxed after the interaction with Zuko himself.