The group of seven, trudged through the land of straight up nothing, searching for The Western Air Temple, as Aang described it. It would be where they would stay to rest and plan out their next attack against the Fire Nation, if the day ever would come.
"This is humiliating." Katara groaned.
"You mean getting thoroughly spanked by the Fire Nation or having to walk all the way to the Western Air Temple?" Sokka replied, with the same tone.
"Both."
"Sorry guys, but Appa gets tired carrying all these people." Aang said, petting the Bison lightly.
"I wonder how the rest of the troops are." Said Teo
"They're probably on their way to a prison. Seems like my dad just got out and now he's going back in." Haru replied.
"I miss Pipsqueak." The Duke replied.
"I miss not having blisters on my feet." Sokka sighed.
Toph halted, stomping her foot in the ground. "Hey we're here! I can feel it." She said. The other six looked up, seeing the same thing as before. Straight up nothing.
Mari looked further, secretly hoping Toph was right, all she saw was a cliff edge in the distance, but again, no air temple.
"Uh, I think you need to get your feet checked." Katara retorted.
"No she's right! We are here!" Aang exclaimed.
"Wow! It's amazing." Toph gushed.
Katara and Mari looked at each other, the same confused look on their faces.
"Now's not really time for jokes." Katara muttered.
"We're not kidding! Come on." Aang smiled, mounting on Appa, telling everyone to do the same.
With a simple "yip yip" the bison took flight into the air. As it sailed over the cliff edge, Mari and Katara's confused faces fell and their eyes widened. The Air Temple was under the cliff. Upside down infact.
When Appa landed. The seven jumped off and looked around in astonishment.
"Let's go check it out." Haru said running off, Teo and The Duke following after. Aang tried to as well, but Katara pulled him back.
"You guys go." She said to Teo and The Duke. "I think we need to talk about some things."
"Why can't I go?" Aang whined.
"We need to decide what we're gonna do now, and since you're the Avatar, maybe you should be a part of this."
"Fair enough. So, what's the new plan?" Aang sat down.
"Well, if you ask me, the new plan is the old plan! You just need to master all four elements and confront the Fire Lord before the comet comes." Sokka suggested.
"Oh yeah. That's great, no problem. I'll just go do that." Aang replied sarcastically.
"Aang, no one said it's going to be easy." Katara tried to comfort him
"Well, it's not even gonna be possible! Where am I supposed to get a firebending teacher?" Aang replied.
"We could look for Jeong Jeong!"
"Yeah right. Like we'll ever run into him again." Aang said lying down on the bench.
"Who's..." Toph trailed off looking at Mari who shrugged, suggesting she didn't know who he was either. "Never mind. If it's important I'll find out." Toph said, folding her arms.
"Oh well, guess we can't come up with anybody. Why don't why just take a nice tour of the temple." Aang said, flying off with Momo.
"What's up with him?" Toph asked, concerned.
"There's gotta be someone who can teach him firebending.
---
Sokka, Toph, Katara and Mari flew up on Appa, chasing after Aang on his glider.
"Aang, can we talk about you learning firebending now?" Katara called out.
"What! The wind is too loud in my ears!" He called back, obviously lying. "Check out this loop!"
"Aang, I think we should be making some plans about our future!" Sokka yelled, as Aang landed, causing Appa to do the same.
"Okay, we can do that while I show you the giant Pai Sho table! Oh, you're gonna love the all-day echo chamber!" Aang responded.
" I think that'll have to wait." Toph said seriously. Toph points somewhere behind her. Appa moved slightly and there stood Prince Zuko, a shy look at his face.
"Hello. Zuko here." He said lightly, bringing his hand up to wave it slightly.
The gang fell into attack stances, angry looks on their faces.
"Hey, I heard you guys flying around down there, so I just thought I'd wait for you here." Before, he could continue speaking, Appa licked him twice with a happy growl, earning a shocked look from Aang."I know you must be surprised to see me here."
"Not really, since you followed us all over the world." Sokka scoffed.
"Right, well uh...anyway...what I wanted to tell you was that I've changed, and I uh, I'm good now, and well, I think I should join your group, oh! And I can teach firebending to you."
"You what now?" Toph exclaimed.
"You can't possibly think that any of us would trust you, can you? I mean, how stupid do you think we are?!" Katara shot back at him
"Yeah, all you've ever done is hunt us down and try to capture Aang!" Sokka added on.
"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!" He replied, earning another lick from Appa.
"Appa...does seem to like him." Toph softened.
"He probably just covered himself in honey or something so that Appa would lick him. I'm not buying it." Sokka butted in.
"I can understand why you wouldn't trust me, and I know I've made some mistakes in the past." Zuko protested.
"Like when you attacked our village?"
"Or when you stole my mother's necklace and used it to track us down and capture us?"
"Look, I admit I've some awful things. I 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."
"You sent combustion man after us?!" Sokka said drawing his boomerang.
"Well, that's not his name, but-"
"Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to insult your friend!" Sokka yelled sarcastically.
"He's not my friend!"
"That guy locked me and Katara in jail and tried to blow us all up!"
"Why aren't you saying anything? You once said you thought we could be friends. You know I have good in me." Zuko said turning to Aang.
"There's no way we can trust you after everything you've done." Aang said coldly.
"You need to get out of here. Now." Katara said to Zuko.
"I'm trying to explain that I'm not that person anymore!"
"Either you leave, or we attack." Sokka stepped closer to him. Katara's hand stretched out in front of Sokka, stopping him.
"Why don't we let her decide what we do with him." She said, a small smirk at her lips.
"Her?..." Zuko trailed off.
The group parted slightly, revealing Mari sitting down on a rock bench, her hands in her lap. Staring at the ground.
"Mari." Zuko whispered astonished. "Mari please, you have to tell them they can trust me."
Mari laughed lightly at this. "Trust you?" She said not looking at him.
Slowly she rose from the bench. " I trusted you. And you betrayed that for a life you knew would never would be good to you, no matter what you did to get it back. You threw every thing good you had for a seat in the throne room surrounded by people who casted you out becuase they thought you weren't strong enough, weren't honorable enough. When you betrayed your uncle and I in Ba Sing Se, you traded the only real trust you ever had, for the fake idea of honor. But now look at you. You ended up with nothing, neither. So no." She said turning her attention to the gang who's faces were shocked at her harsh tone.
She paused before looking back at Zuko, her cold eyes finally meeting his. "We can't trust him. So either you leave, or they attack." She said, repeating Sokka's words, before walking off, away from the group.