Thanks Znpk. :)


~ Nightmares and Daydreams ~

Ryuu POV

Sokka wasn't going to let a grudge go with just a snap of his fathers fingers. No. He planned on giving me a hard time - so did his sister. They led me from the tent to a narrow path up the cliff to where they were camping. The Avatar, Aang, came bounding over dragging the Earthbender girl, Toph, behind him.

"Hey, I'm Aang. I think I remember you.."

"Hi there," I scratched my neck, "Ryuu's the name... I was Zuko's servant. Not anymore - I mean I want to join your lot... seen as I have no other actual plans or options... at the moment... hehe... he... "

Toph pointed her foot at me - I had no idea if that was a good thing. She smiled slightly and crossed her arms.

"Stabby! I knew you'd return."

Katara and Sokka glanced at Toph, confused at how she knew me. Aang just took my hand and began shaking it rather rapidly - he leapt backwards and the flying monkey thingy landed on his shoulder; heavy dark circles timmed his eyes as they blinked independently of each other. Sleep deprivation - I guessed. Sokka huffed and leaned closer to me to analyse my face. I felt rather awkward as he scowled into my eyes.

"I still don't trust her..."

Toph scoffed, "Come on, Boomerang boy, you really think she would try to run away or do something? News Flash: We're on an island! Not anywhere to run - unless she can bend. I'm pretty sure she can't. "

Katara set her jaw and was visibly untrusting of me. I don't blame her, to be honest, I had been with Zuko for all the time she's known me. But I had not come to the island or this Gaang of my own free will. It was all Gopala's fault. He had betrayed me... Damn you, Gopala!

"I can help navigate the Fire Nation capital? Please don't kill me..." I blurted.

Sokka leaned back and glanced at his fellow team members faces in turn, before grinding his teeth. Aang was eager; Toph, indifferent; Katara, mistrusting and them, for some weird reason, he glanced at the lemur thing and nodded. He hummed to himself.

"Momo makes a good point."

I gaped at him, "That thing has a telepathic link?! What?"

Sokka looked offended at me calling Momo a thing. He bit his lip and turned his nose up. I apologised quickly in hope that it would make him change his mind. Katara sighed and clapped a hand to her forehead. She gestured to me:

"It could be useful, Sokka. We may need her - In Ba Sing Se, she saved me from Zuko, too."

Aang nodded, "Please, can she stay? We do need her - as a guide. She can help me defeat-" Que dramatic pause and Aang throwing his hand in the direction of a macaroni Ozai "-The Fire Lord!"

We all stared at him as he shot a stone at the picture. He missed it. The Water Tribe boy threw his hands and grumbled but didn't throw me off a cliff - which I was eternally grateful for. Toph's signature lop-sided grin spread across her face as she stepped towards me. She punched my forearm, which caught me off gaurd.

"Welcome to the group, Stabby."

The 'group' consisted of the rag-tag kids, a flying bison (Appa) and the winged lemur (Momo). Despite Sokka also being fifteen years old, I was still older by a couple of months - Great, the oldest of this group of maniacs.

As the new guy, I was sent to collect fire wood, under Toph's watch. She stomped after me as we ventured into the wooded part of the island. Koala sherp swarmed around, searching and destroying all grass in sight. Toph kicked a stick out of her path.

"So, Stabby... How's Iroh?"

Her question caught me off guard - causing me to drop the fire wood I had collected.

"Iroh... he- he's fine. In prison... but mostly fine."

Toph bent up an Earth stool and flopped back onto it. She started picking at a colony of spots between her toes. I attempted not to vomit, instead returning to my work - collecting sticks. Night soon rolled around and the fire had been built and set alight by Sokka's flint and steel.

The other guys chatted among themselves - eating Water Tribe Seaweed Noodles and Dumplings. From the beach, the soldiers could be heard - thier voices echoing off of the cliffs. I picked at my meal, sitting at the very edge of camp. I couldn't look at the Fire. The flickering golden sparks reminded me painfully of Zuko's eyes. My insides churned at the thought that I was never going to see him again.

"Hey."

Toph plopped herself down next to me. I gave her a smile before realizing she couldn't see it. She leaned back in the grass with one foot firmly rooted on the ground, the other rested on her knee. I chased a rather fat dumpling around the bowl.

"Ya know, I can sense your sad. Whatszup?"

I sighed and hugged my legs, "I'm not sad..."

Toph scoffed, "You're lying. I can feel your heart rate through the earth. Tell me, these lips are sealed."

Toph's gentle smile encouraged me to ho and tell her the truth. But would she still be my friend if I told her? That was the rub.

"I- I miss him."

Toph laughed inwardly and started picked at the grass by her head, "Sparky? You got it deep for Sparky?! Hohoho, you are a weird girl..."

Shifting uncomfortably, I stared at the stars above us, "Can we talk about something else...?"

"Sure," Toph sat up, "You're name, Where'd it come from? I mean, ya sound Earth Kingdom... your accent. But your name - very Fire Nation..."

We talked about our hometowns and families until the fire began to die and we called it a night. I like Toph, as you can guess. It's great to have another Earth Kingdom girl I can talk to about anything. As I shut my eyes, my head on a Koala sheep, the others snoring and talking in thier sleep, I felt safe.

It was weird - I missed Zuko, but I knew I was safe even without him. For the first time in ages, I got a brilliant night's sleep - nightmare free...

...

"Sokka, get up! I needa know what day it is!" Aang's voice ran through camp. Sokka screamed and leapt up, only to be hit square in the head with a low-flying pebble. I clapped a hand over my mouth, pretending I was yawning instead of dying of laughter. Toph rubbed her feet and groaned.

"Relax! It's still two days before the invasion!"

Aang didn't relax, he took Sokka's feet and began dragging him across the grass, "Sokka, you've gotta get up drill your rock-climbing exercises."

I set my jaw and raised a brow at Toph, "Is he normally like this?"

She shook her head and shot to her feet. Great - crazy Avatar, Invasion, rag-tag team, my prosthetic leg somehow filled with sand... I removed it and started to brush it free of the grainy particles but Aang sped over and grabbed my hand. He took the leg and threw it into the fireplace. Luckily, the fire was dead and just ashes, but I was still shocked and quite upset.

"What in the name of Oma's bastard children are you doing?!" I yelled in his face, going to get my leg. Aang got there first and acted as if the thing was a great roaring Fire.

"In my dream, you slowed us all down because of your prosthetic leg! That can't happen! "

I held back tears by putting on an angry front, "That- I find that offensive! Just because I am not all in one piece doesn't make me slow!"

Katara gripped my shoulder to stop me from hitting the sleep-deprived Avatar. The skin around her jaw tightened in response to me swearing.

"Don't - he's not himself. "

She tried to talk Aang into sleep, but was ignored as he raced to stop Toph drinking. I growled and snatched my leg up, strapping it back into place. Sokka had stopped his attempt to ascend the cliff and came to stand by me as I brushed the last of the ash off.

"Sorry about that... he's very stressed about this whole 'Defeat-the-Fire-Lord-otherwise-we're-screwed' thing."

I sneered, "I can imagine."

Toph sighed at the canteen of water, ignoring Aang's warning of her 'tiny bladder'. Katara was now calming him down, telling him he was unravelling. He gripped her arms and agreed that he was indeed going insane. Taking up the fire-prodder that we used last night, I started swinging it about. I sorely missed my Ji and ornate staff. Even Tea trays would've done.

Sighing, I began to practice with this prod. Sokka stalked away - he muttered something about Avatar's and cliffs. Toph tried to gesture to Aang with the canteen, she pointed at a tree:

"Don't worry, Twinkle toes'll be fine eventually. "

I grit my teeth and haulted practice, "He doesn't know Firebending, does he?"

She pouted and shook her head, "I don't think 'e does..."

"Then how can he beat the Fire Lord?" I swished my stick. Toph laughed and walked away.

"No idea!"

Well, this couldn't get any worse.