The Half of Me | Zuko

Chapter Seven: The Storm

The heat was burning on the volcano, the night sky illuminated by the lava. Ryoko looked around, her long hair whipping around her, only to find an older man blocking the lava from injuring him. He was deteriorating every minute, his knees weakening until he couldn't bare it anymore. 

She felt herself move closer and closer to him though she just wanted to walk away or even better, wake up.

The lava was surrounding them, inching closer and closer as they shield their eyes.

Ryoko jumps awake with a scream heard throughout the ship, clutching her chest. Her clothes were normal, drenched in sweat though. She breathes heavily trying to forget the dream. She heard footsteps rushing towards her quarters and she groaned in guilt. The door slides open revealing a soldier, Iroh, and Zuko. 

"What happened, Ryoko?" Iroh asks looking around the room for any danger. Ryoko sighs, sitting up from her bed to face the men. 

"It's fine, it's nothing, Iroh. I'm sorry to bother you all. You can leave." The soldier left with a bow of his head, leaving the other two there. They looked unsure still even if half asleep. "I'm okay. You can both go," she mumbles to them, turning back into her bed, facing away from them. 

Zuko and Iroh glance at each other, hesitant to actually leave. Iroh nods first. "Goodnight, Ryoko." He exits the doorway, leaving Zuko standing in there. He frowned at the girl whose eyes were wide open, yet had her back turned to him. 

"Goodnight," Ryoko hears his voice say before he closes the door letting the darkness take over the room again. 

---

The sun embraced her as she walked out of the inside of the ship onto the deck. There wasn't a cloud in sight. It was quiet, that made her suspicious.

Iroh sniffs the air as Ryoko goes to stand next to Zuko who looked through the telescope. "Why wasn't I woken up? I shouldn't be oversleeping." Her voice was stern, as if ready to punish somebody and herself for her own mistake of sleeping.  

"I told them not to disturb you for the morning. We were worried," Zuko says nonchalantly without taking his eyes off of the telescope. Ryoko turned away, composing herself and walking to the middle of the deck away from him. 

"There is a storm coming. A big one," Iroh says looking into the sky. Zuko looks away from the telescope for the first time and stomps over to his uncle.

"You're out of your mind, Uncle. The weather is perfect. There is not a cloud in sight."

"They say the clearest skies bring on the harshest storms," Ryoko speaks up from the middle of the deck. 

"Don't tell me you're getting metaphorical like my Uncle." Iroh interrupts the two before they could continue. 

"A storm is approaching from the North. I suggest we alter our course and head southwest." Ryoko clasps her hands together, straying towards the two. 

"We know the Avatar is traveling northward, so we will do the same." Ryoko sighs at the boy, giving him an unreadable expression.

"Prince Zuko, don't you think it would be better to wait out the storm and then continue? The Avatar will still be there when we go back to that direction." Zuko scoffs at her while Iroh continues to plead.

"Prince Zuko, consider the safety of the crew." Zuko approaches his uncle with a glare.

"The safety of the crew doesn't matter." The three turn their heads, their attention being brought to one of the crew members walk on the deck from downstairs. Zuko keeps the glare on his face, striding towards the lieutenant. "Finding the Avatar is far more important than any individual's safety." He leaves without another word, heading through the same door Ryoko went through minutes before.