Ryoko noticed a change in Zuko after they returned. He became more reserved, especially with her. She'd get close to him and he'd move away, she would speak with him and receive little responses. She groaned in frustration at another attempt of trying to talk to him during the day.

The ship stayed in the area, hoping for a chance of finding the Avatar around. There was a chance he didn't go too far. Ryoko could feel that they were too close to her father. The note never strayed from her mind. It stayed on the table where she wanted it to be. To toss it out would mean that she gave up completely on her father, and she wasn't sure if she was. Even after all he did, he was still her father, how could she hate him? That was the question that kept ringing in her head. 

There was a time when he valued her, was proud to call her his daughter. Yet something changed she just couldn't remember what. 

She stood inside with the helmsman and other crew members, keeping an eye on them as well as on Zuko who trained outside. Iroh sat playing Pai Sho once again, brutally beating the crew in the game. She watched Zuko's movements as he let his anger out on the soldier in front of him. "Ryoko, wouldn't you rather come learn some more rather than staring?" Ryoko turned her head around to the retired general and scoffed, ignoring the blush on her cheeks.

"I'm not staring." She moves away quickly from the window with ease, as if to show him it wasn't a bother and stood by him. Once again, Iroh won. "Are you ever going to let them win?"

"You're getting better," Iroh reassures the members who frowned and groaned. "Would you like to join this round, Ryoko?" Ryoko smiles politely but shakes her head.

"There's something else I have to do actually." She turns away, despite Iroh's unsure look and made her way down to the main deck. Her heart felt like it would go through her chest. The possibilities of what was wrong and why he was annoyed with her were endless she realized as she got close to the deck. The only way to find out was to confront him even if it meant she would get hurt.

Her steps make light sounds causing the prince and the soldier to turn their heads from sparring. Zuko stiffens, instantly clamming up at the sight of her. She turned to the soldier and smiled lightly. "I can take it from here, you can go." The soldier looks to Zuko for leave, while Zuko clenched his jaw at his friend. 

"Go." Ryoko watches as the soldier leaves, her eyes follow him until he disappears into the ship, leaving the two of them alone. Ryoko turns back to Zuko and smirks at him. For a moment the smirk reminded Zuko of her father, Zhao. The devious tendencies seemed to be passed down.

"I'm letting you spar with me, you should take it." Zuko breathes heavily and then without hesitation, kicks towards her, spreading flames. Ryoko avoids the flames with ease, her hands clasped behind her back. His nostrils flare as his glare hardens. He yells out, punching multiple times, fire shooting out. 

Ryoko avoids them and flips in the air, shooting out fire from her hands towards the prince. She takes the chance to start talking now that she had him there and intrigued with a fight. "Why are you angry with me? You've been acting like this since we came back from my father's base." Zuko's eyes avoid hers as he stays silent, giving away his reasoning for being angry. "So you're ignoring me because I came? I don't understand." 

Iroh stares from above, standing in Ryoko's previous position and sighs. He should stop them, he knew that, before somebody got hurt. He knew the teens were used to the pains of fire even when it was their main fighting technique.

Zuko ignored what she said and got into another fighting stance. "So you're not going to answer me? Is that how we're doing this?" She rolls her eyes at him, growing more annoyed. She aligns herself with his stance and swings her leg without warning, sending large flames towards him. She continues with a swing of her hand coming from the ground to him. He dodges her hits, rolling away and looking up at her. There was hurt in his eyes but his expressions tried to hide it. "Just talk to me! I thought we were close enough where we could tell each other things." She gets out of a fighting stance, walking over to him with her hand out to help him up. He shoves her hand away and stands, facing her with rage. 

"Says the person who lies." Ryoko furrows her brows in confusion, thinking of a time she could have lied to him. Her eyes slightly widen, but she tries to hide the realization on her face. "You can't even admit it, you lied to me about your father's note. He wants you back." She huffs, crossing her arms against her chest and getting close to him. 

"That's what this is about? That stupid note I got?" Ryoko asks trying to hide the importance. She paused, realization hitting her and clear on her face. Zuko avoids her eyes, the smug look already gone and turns out towards the sea. "How do you know what he said?" She stood beside him, facing him though he would not face her. She could only think of how he must have read it when he was in her quarters.

"It was right there. I read it." There was a hint of shame on his face, yet he still kept up with his side. Ryoko still glared at him. 

"That wasn't meant for you. You had no right to go through my things!"

"You're just mad because I caught you!"

"What?" 

Zuko turned to her, getting in her face. He pointed at her, his voice growing louder.

"You read the note, you were going to join your father and instead you found me and the Avatar." Ryoko shaking her head at the prince, backs away from him, starting to walk off. "Where are you going?!"

"Away from you." She steps inside, bumping into Iroh who looked as if he had been caught. Ryoko was too hurt to think and spoke before Iroh could give any advice or excuses for his nephew. "I don't want to hear any excuses for him."

Iroh looks back at the girl who walked with fury in her steps. He sighed, knowing there would be chaos on the ship soon between the two fiery teens. He steps out slowly onto the deck, being met with Zuko in the distance with his back to him. Walking across the deck, Iroh noticed how his nephew didn't bend with anger but stood still and quiet. "Prince Zuko, what happened?" 

Zuko didn't turn to meet his uncle's gaze but looked out into the water, trying to ignore the not so distant memory of Ryoko standing beside him. "Her father wants her back," he tells Iroh. Iroh didn't have to see Zuko long to feel the hurt he was feeling.

Iroh hears the news, shocked and taken back. To hear Zhao have a change of heart like that was something that perplexed him. He wondered what Zhao's reasoning was, different theories coming to mind, none of them good enough for a hopeful daughter who wanted a father's love. "Ryoko needs to figure this out for herself. You cannot force her decision." 

"She's already made it." 

In the middle of her room, Ryoko paced back and forth trying to control her breathing. She thought she'd have time to figure everything out, but the time was shortened now. Ryoko didn't know when she would have told him about the note, but that was no longer an option now. This wasn't about staying or going. Maybe for once in her life she'd get what she wanted. Or she would get something better. 

She took whatever she could, stuffing it inside a pouch. Ryoko threw the contents inside with no care. Picking up her sword last, she sighed. It needed to be done, she thought. To see her father again without being on the other side of a battle.

Ryoko walked through the ship, hoping to run into Iroh or Zuko before she would leave and apologize. After telling the crew she was leaving and would be taking one of the boats, the guilty feeling in her chest never left. She felt she was betraying Zuko and Iroh yet she knew she was doing what was right for her. She needed to know. 

She got closer to the edge of the ship where the small boats were located. Ryoko squints as she approaches the boats seeing two figures standing there. "I was looking for you two," she says as she walks past them towards one of the boats. She drops her bag in there and turns to them. Zuko avoided her eyes while Iroh smiled sadly at her. 

Without any words, Iroh moves closer and gives her a hug, shocking her. Even if he was a calm man, she assumed he would be angry with her, judging her for a silent decision. "Be careful, Ryoko." He lets go and backs up next to Zuko again. Zuko still would not look her in the eyes, instead focusing his stare on anything else below her eyes. "Safe travels." Iroh looks to Zuko, and then nods to Ryoko walking away from the two to leave them be.

Ryoko tried to meet his eyes, a frown on her face. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about the note. I was going to, but.." she trails off, not knowing what to say. "I'm being pulled in too many directions, I don't know what to do. This is just something I need to do now while I can." She approaches him, his eyes finally meeting hers. They weren't angry, but they were filled with sadness like before. He didn't say anything to her but examined her face, as if trying to remember the details. Her light golden eyes, her lips, her dark brown hair. "I know you're angry with me, but I didn't leave then to go to my father, I wanted to make sure you were safe and making the right decision, that's what I've always cared about-" she cuts herself off as she feels his arms wrap around her tightly. She exhales, closing her eyes as she gently places her arms around his back. 

Zuko knew there was nothing he could say to make her stay with him. She had the chance to reconnect with her father, he understood that. "I'm sorry," he mutters. He couldn't help but hold her close just for a little longer before he wouldn't see her again. 

Ryoko lets go of him, still feeling his arms around her that slowly start to release. Her hands still lightly held him. She looks up into his eyes, taking in a deep breath. Ryoko leans up, pressing her lips to his, feeling him respond but it was a chaste kiss. She backs up from him and her smile disappears. Without tearing her eyes away, she continues backing up until she goes into the boat and starts it, leaving him behind. The boat lands into the water and she is left with staring at him until she could no longer see him or the ship. 

The short journey to her father's base was uneventful and filled with her thoughts. She didn't know what the right thing was anymore. 

She had a connection with the Avatar. Every time she faced him she couldn't go through with her attacks. She was reminded of how she was on a terrible side, that terrorizes others and wants to conquer everyone. 

There was her father who expressed regrets to her. This was something she wanted since she was young and her father started to neglect her. 

Then there was Zuko. Her friend since childhood, the boy who depended on her as much as she did him. She wanted to help him as much as she could. 

She couldn't make a decision without hurting somebody. Why was she the one who was needed? Why was she chosen by Roku's animal guide? Why her? There was no one to explain to her and answer every question she has. 

Her mind was chaotic, but her feet led her to her father's base quickly. Not long ago she was there at night, escaping with Aang, but this time she was out in the open and would face Zhao head on. 

A soldier stood at the top of the wall, looking down seeing a small figure walking forward towards the doors. It became evening, but the soldier could still see her clearly. "Admiral!" the soldier yells out for Zhao, his eyes switching between the two, the figure still not stopping.

Zhao approaches the soldier, an archer on his tail with a notched arrow. The figure stops and looks up, her gold eyes meeting his darker ones. "Stand down," he tells the archer, "it's my daughter. Open the doors!" Ryoko stands firm, standing tall and strong. The large doors slowly open out, revealing the abundance of soldiers in the base. She walks in, feeling all eyes on her. "Ryoko," she hears. She turns to see her father standing on the ground now away from the wall. "I knew you would make the right decision. Come, let's get you inside." 

Ryoko followed behind Zhao silently through the base. Zuko must have gone through the same halls she was now, she thought. Except the difference between them was their goal. Ryoko knew her goal and was prepared to claim it from her father. 

Zhao approached a door and opened it, showing Ryoko a simple room, similar to the one she had on the ship. "I'm glad you came to your senses and left the prince. He made you weak, Ryoko," Zhao says as he looks back at her. Ryoko walks past him into the room, a heavy feeling in her chest. He had ulterior motives, he must have, Ryoko thought. "It's late, in the morning I will get you. Then we will hunt the Avatar together." He shuts the door and leaves Ryoko alone in the dim lit room. She sighed throwing her pouch and sword down. She crashes down onto the bed. It wasn't comfy but it was enough to get the minimum amount of sleep. Ryoko was used to not sleeping anyway. 

The night was filled with dreams and nightmares for Ryoko, the usual for her. She would gasp, jumping from her pillow. When her head hit against the pillow again, the dream she had was different.

She was in the room, yet Ryoko felt strange. There was a figure, moving too fast for her to see but then she saw an overwhelming figure above. Her head tilts up, facing the dark red dragon with gold eyes that reminded her of her own. "Are you Avatar Roku's animal guide?" The dragon sits still but his whisker moved towards her, touching her head. Her forehead glows as she is shown the previous Avatar with his dragon, Fang. "Aang told me you gave me abilities, I don't understand. Why me? I can't protect the Avatar when I'm the one he needs protection from."

Once again she is given a vision, she sees the volcano that was ultimately the end for Roku and Fang and all that happened before to Roku. She gasped. "That was like my dream. You think you failed to protect Roku?" Ryoko questions the dragon. She knew that the answer would be yes, but not why. "But you were there when he told you to go." She paused as the dragon barely made movements. She suddenly yells out in frustration. 

"People are putting expectations on me and I don't know what to do! I need guidance. Am I really supposed to help the Avatar and betray everyone I've known since I was born?" 

Fang touched her forehead and this time she saw herself, firebending, with identical eyes to the dragon in front of her next to the Avatar. She backs up with wide eyes, facing the dragon. "How can I do this? How can I go against those I love?" Her thoughts went to those in the fire nation, every person who was against the Avatar. Even if the Avatar was the right choice, it was the choice that quarreled with Ryoko. Her mind couldn't help but go back to Zuko. If he was truly her friend though, he would understand. Right? 

---

A/N: Hey guys! Thanks for reading so this chapter and the next chapter (chapter 10) are before "Bato of the Water Tribe", but these chapters are important to Ryoko and her character.