The Ruka Wild ↠ Book 3 > A:TLA

12

Ruka (3)

"It's because we care, Ruka!"

Sokka and Katara couldn't understand why I didn't want to talk about what happened and I couldn't understand why they were so bothered by it.

"You. Weren't. There." I pointed while bouncing my finger at them with every word. "It was a traumatizing experience that I don't want to relive."

"What about you and Zuko?" Katara asked carefully. I groaned, "There wasn't a me and Zuko! I was just traveling with him."

"You're lying." Toph said. I rolled my eyes.

"Answer me this then," Sokka's voice was soft while pleading for an answer. "Why did you leave?"

I sighed.

"I met Avatar Roku in a dream, kind of. He was with a woman that was friends with the family. They told me that my own destiny was to help Zuko on the right path... I thought that I did have an impact on him in some way, but I was wrong. All of that was a waste and I regret it."

They finally seemed pleased, like all of their answers were questioned. Well, not all.

"Were you two close?" Thalia asked. I shrugged, "To a certain extent, sure."

Toph knew I was undercoating, but she kept it to herself. Which I mentally thanked her for.

Katara grabbed her sleeping bag before turning around. "Why would he try to fool us like that?"

"Obviously he wants lead us into some kind of trap." Sokka responded.

"This is just like when we were in prison together in Ba Sing Se."

I furrow my brows, "You were down there with him?"

Katara nodded. "He starts talking about his mother and making it seem like an actual human being with feelings."

He never mentioned his mother to me.
Though I never brought her up.

But he does have feelings. I've seen them.
I think.
I hope.

"He wants you to trust him and feel sorry for him so you let your guard down then he strikes." Sokka sliced his arm in the air for emphasis.

Is that what he was doing with me?
Was I just an advantage to him?

"The thing is, it worked." Katara slightly frowned. "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." She opened her arm out to Aang and I.

I looked away in shame.

"We can't trust him." She finished.

"I kinda have a confession to make." Aang said slowly. "Remember when you two were sick and I got captured by Zhao?"

"And you made us suck on frozen frogs?" Sokka was disgusted at the memory. "How could I forget?! I had a wart on the flap that hangs down from the back of my throat for a month!" He proceeds to open his mouth and show us.

I cock a brow, "You mean your uvula?"

"Sokka, I looked at it and told you there was nothing there!" Our sister argued.

"I could feel it! It's my throat-al flap!"

I rolled my eyes. "Anyways, continue Aang."

"When Zhao had me chained up, it was Zuko who came in and got me out." He pointed to me. "He did the same for Ruka. He risked his life to save us."

"No way! I'm sure he only did it so he can capture you himself." Katara defended.

"Yeah, face it Aang. You're nothing, but a big prize to him." Sokka added.

"You're probably right."

"And what was all that crazy stuff about setting Appa free?" Katara crosses her arms. "What a liar!"

"Actually, he wasn't lying." Toph interjected.

I slowly nodded. "I was with him."

"Oh, hooray! In a life time of evil, at least he didn't add animal cruelty to the list!" Sokka mocked. "And you were probably the reason why he set Appa free in the first place!" He told me.

Not wrong.

"I'm just saying that considering his messed up family and how he was raised, he could've turned out a lot worse." Toph said.

I shrug in agreement. "Even worse than Azula."

"You're right. Let's go find him and give him a medal. The Not As Much Of A Jerk You Could've Been Award!"

I scoffed at my sister's sarcasm.

"All I know is that while he was talking to us, he was sincere. Maybe you're all just letting your hurt feelings keep you from thinking clearly."

She can sense that?

"Easy for you to say! You weren't there when he had us attacked by pirates!"

"Or when he burned down Kyoshi Island!"

"Or when he tried to capture me at the Fire Temple!"

"Why would you even try to defend him?!"

"Because, Katara, you're all ignoring one crucial fact!" She points to Aang, "Aang needs a firebending teacher! We can't think of a single person in the world to do the job. Now one shows up on a civil platter and you won't even think about it?!"

Katara looks away for a moment, slightly upset because she was right.

I sighed, "I hate to admit it, but it's true. Zuko is especially good now after learning more from Iroh."

"I'm not having Zuko as my teacher." Aang said.

Sokka steps forward, "You're darn right you're not, buddy!"

Katara crosses her arms, "Well, I guess that's settled."

Toph groans as she turns away. "I'm beginning to wonder who's really the blind one around here."

Thalia waves her off as she walks away from us. "She just needs to cool down." She then turns to my sister, a serious look on her face. "And you're right, Katara. We weren't there when those events happened. But we're here now and you guys should take what we all think into consideration since we're all a group. I think it's only fair."

She walks away when she finished.
Sokka goes after her.