Hey, sorry it took so long to write this chapter. I'm trying to work on a bunch of stories and balance tenth grade!

Thanks to my reviewers:

Sleepihead

Japanese-cartoon-freak

ice-liger

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. Any unrecognized characters were created by me.

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Chapter Six

The Boundary of Darkness and Light

Location: near northern borders of the Earth Kingdom

Ryoku shook as she pulled her knees closer to her chest, hugging them to her. Inwardly scolding herself, she unbent and walked over to the small pool to gather some water. You must me strong, Ryoku, she told herself.

As she dipped the jug into the water, she froze upon seeing her reflection on the calm, mirror of the pool. Her eyes were again the golden color, her hair perhaps a few shades darker, her skin slightly paler than was normal for her.

She closer her eyes and shook her head, her hair flying everywhere, where she usually had it pinned up. Opening her eyes, she looked into the pool again to see her normal self. Her chestnut brown hair fell into long folds down her back, while violet eyes stared back at her from her tanned face.

"Hey Ryoku!"

Startled, she spun around and stood to face whoever had snuck up on her, only to reveal her brother.

"What do you want, Sessou?" she snapped.

He blinked, startled. "You've been up here for nearly an hour. We thought that maybe…"

He trailed off and studied his younger sister. She looked shaken, the way her eyes kept darting around, was if she was afraid of something.

"Hey, is something-"

"Nothing's wrong! Just leave me alone why don't you!"

Sessou sighed. "Well, you might as well come on," he said harshly. Taking his sister gently by the arm, he led her down to the small cabin they shared with their parents.

Later That Night

Ryoku curled up on her bed, pulling her quilt closer around her. She'd retreated into her room when the twins had come over. They lived down the street in their little town. Rin and Ayame were precious children and she didn't want them to see her in her current state. When they'd run through the door, begging her mother to tell them a story of the Great War, she'd hugged them both and went to the small room she slept in, saying she had a headache.

In truth, she Ryoku was terrified of the night. Of course, it hadn't always been like that. There had been a time when she loved the night sky with all its stars. It had been six nights ago, that the dreams had started and scared her out of her wits.

They had horrified her. In the dreams, she was a girl about her own age, although she knew she wasn't seeing herself. The figures and images were fleeting, but one face always stuck in her memory. It belonged to an angry youth, who always seemed to be yelling. He would constantly Fire bend at me and from my own fingertips, lightning would sprout shooting back at him. I remember someone falling from a height, about to die from the fall.

Every night, she would awake from the dreams, believing she was awash in a column of fire. She would jerk awake in her bed, perfectly safe. But the anger didn't dissipate with the dream images, always it was anger.

She felt so angry. She really didn't know who she was angry at, but it was directed at everyone she met in the dream, following her into her world. Lately, the normal sweet fourteen year old would snap at anyone who came near her. On one occasion, she'd actually punches, not slapped but punched, her brother, just for coming near her.

She'd written notes too. She didn't know what they meant, but it foreboding to say the least. Who was this Zuzu? she would wonder. Even more scary, she'd sent the one note using a messenger hawk.

Her mind ventured to the twin blades she'd stashed under her bed. She was a master at swords, especially her paired katanas. Afraid she would harm someone with them, she'd hid them from herself and she never carried them anymore, never practiced. Once, she would practice in any spare moment. She knew her family was wondering about her current state. She didn't want them to worry about her, but what could she do. For, right now, she knew only one thing.

She felt as she was turning into the girl from her dream.

She dreaded it.

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Sorry it was so short, but I needed to introduce you to our would-be villain. Try to guess what's happening to her! It might be a little bit too sci-fi, but review anyway… Please?!

Phantoms signing off.