The Half of Me | Zuko

Chapter Three: The Warriors of Kyoshi

Ryoko sat in her room, the dark surrounding her. Little light occupied her room as some candles were placed beside her. She couldn't sleep once again. She couldn't help but remember the past few days, seeing the Avatar in that state. She felt something ignite in her as she saw that beam in the sky and then when the Avatar exerted a powerful source. 

Every time she closed her eyes, memories came to her along with others she never remembered came to her. It was like a distant memory, was it lava? "What?!" She hears from rooms away. She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose before getting up and leaving her room with her robe. Ryoko knew she would not be getting sleep anyway. 

Stepping into the room as dark as hers she approached the two men. "Some people would like to sleep," she says to Zuko and Iroh. 

"I'm sorry," Zuko says quietly, with annoyance in his tone. "We have no clue where the Avatar could be." Ryoko strays forward and holds Zuko's the back of hand that held the map, pulling it closer to her, not noticing the red in his face. Lines were darted all around the map. "He is clearly a master of evasive maneuvering." Ryoko rolled her eyes and walked away from the two. 

"He's twelve, how can he be master?" Times of nights like these were when Ryoko threw her respect away, especially if the noise of the royalty corrupted her already ruined sleep. The two men noticed how she held an annoyed expression. It reminded them of her father as she stood like him and thought about the Avatar as a child. They forgot at times she held herself as the daughter of a leader, even if that leader was corrupt and cruel. "I'm going to bed. Please Iroh, do not anger the prince further. I already can't sleep." She walks out the door and into her room again, closing the door on the rest of the world.

As she closed her eyes on her bed, there were flashes in her vision. An older man, lava, and then nothing. Ryoko tossed and turned throughout the night, her head pounding from all the thoughts and memories. 

The next day she groaned to herself, wiping away the sleep from her eyes. 

"Did you not sleep again?" Zuko asks, sounding annoyed. She sat with him and his uncle to eat. 

"I did sleep, that's the problem," she sighs out. 

"You seem to struggle more recently," Iroh notes, his mouth just watering from the thought of food. Ryoko did not know what to say to them without sounding crazy. Memories that were not hers was not an explanation. 

"I'm just eager to capture the Avatar," she says, not even knowing what the truth was anymore. She still wanted to capture Aang, help Zuko regain his honor. There was still that chance she would earn the respect she deserves as being the one who helped him and she wanted to take that chance. 

A man comes up to the three and puts a fish down on the table. But he doesn't leave until he tells the Prince the piece of information that was extremely valuable. "The Avatar's on Kyoshi Island?!" He stands up in disbelief. "Uncle, ready the rhinos. He's not getting away from us this time. You'll be able to sleep tonight, Ryoko." Ryoko sighed. She didn't like lying to Zuko, she preferred to be truthful, but she knew he wouldn't understand. His obsession with the Avatar has grown immensely since finding out he was alive and back. Ryoko just hoped no one would get hurt through all this, but she would do what she has to. 

"Are you going to finish that?" Iroh asks.

"I was going to save it for later!" Zuko states, snatching the fish from his uncle, leaving him pouting. Zuko leaves and then his voice is heard, "Ryoko!" Ryoko pats his uncle politely before getting up from the table and to follow Zuko. 

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The journey to Kyoshi Island was not long and soon they were washing up on the shore. Ryoko sat on a rhino of her own, followed by Prince Zuko and six other soldiers on rhinos. "I want the Avatar alive," Zuko orders as they get onto the island.