She awoke and rubbed her eyes. She looked up expecting to see Momo there, but he was not. She was alone. She let her head fall.She regretted telling him to go. She had found his presence, almost comforting? She stood and looked around once again.

For a brief moment, she wondered what he was doing at this very moment. She stood and walked over to the balcony. Rain pounded on the door. She knew the stars had given her this gift because they wanted to comfort her, but for the first time in her life, she didn't want rain. She had just realized there was someone watching her.

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Zuko perched on the balcony across from the girl's. He was truly scared. He had felt something in the bottom of his stomach when she turned and told him to leave. He felt sympathy and, something similar to love and care. He would have said he didn't like it, but he would be lying. It reminded him of his mother. He would have liked to say that it was just a weird feeling of sympathy, but it wasn't. He had to admit it. He almost seemed to want to comfort her. He watched her with growing confusion. His heart told him to go and talk to her, but his mind told him to stay away. But he couldn't help it. Hisstomach wobbled dangerouslyas she looked up. She opened the door and stepped outside, watching him the whole time.

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She watched with growing interest as he climbed down the building and went to the bottom of hers. She knew he wouldn't be able to climb up. Wherever he had come up before was too slippery now that it was raining. She was sure of it. For some unexplainable reason, she wanted him to fail. She didn't feel like talking to him. She didn't feel like talking to anyone.

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Zuko wanted to succeed at everything. He was never taught that you made mistakes in life. Never had he heard someone tell him that. So when he came to the bottom of the lattice, he decided that this was how he judged whether that was true. If he could reach the top, then it was okay for mistakes to exist. If he could not, then he knew he was a failure. He stood at the bottom. He realized that the roses had not made it. He imagined thousands of roses, trying and failing to reach the top. All but one failed. He looked down in surprise. The rose was at his side, wilted and not as beautiful as before. He suddenly felt guilty. It disappeared as he looked up. He didn't care about the girl anymore. He gripped the wood and pulled himself up. In his subconsious mind,he smiled. This would be easy. Hisboot gripped the bottom. He pulled himself up, butiot was too fast. On the third step up, he had failed. He stepped off before he could fall. He kickedthe wall. Hethought of nothing but his failure as he walked away, vowing never to return.

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Katara sat on her balcony for an hour. She was numb all over. He had not come. She realized now that she had wished he would come. She hadn't wanted to talk to him. She just merely wanted to see him up close again. She moved from the balcony to her bedroom. She stood, looking around as if everything she saw was new to her. She sat down on her bed and fell asleep. She didn't dream or think about him. Her dreams were as if she had never met him.

She woke up very late in the morning. She didn't know exactly what time, but she knew it by the sun.

"The sun," she whispered. She never rose with the sun. A memory flew through her mind.

"You rise with the moon, I rise with the sun." She shuddered. Zuko wasn't what had scared her though. It was the familiarity of his stance.

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Zuko dragged himself out of sleep in the morning. Without opening his eyes, he knew something was wrong. He shifted so that his hand was gripping his dagger. His eyes flew open and he raised the knife.

"Uncle!" Zuko yelled. The old man had been inches away from his face. Iroh drew back. "Something bad happened last night?" he asked. Zuko was surprised. Then he remembered his Uncle knew everything just by judging a man's face.

"I-no, it's just, no, I was….arriving late last night, because of…." Zuko paused to think, "because of the people trying to get out of the city. There were a lot of them. I could barely make it through without being trampled."

Iroh sipped his tea while looking at Zuko expectantly. Zuko sat up and looked at Iroh expectantly.

"One, you did not arrive late, you arrived just ten short minutes ago. Two, you look troubled my young nephew, and I know that something happened. I also that it is common sense that since you told me you were going to get the mask back from the water bending girl, that something happened between you and her. And three, I waited at the gate last night, Prince Zuko. And guess who I saw?" Iroh's smile was larger than Zuko had seen in a long time.

"Who?"

"Guess."

"No. Just tell me!" Zuko's anger flared up, and he instantly regretted it.

"No! You must guess. It is a critical part of the story," Iroh said, ignoring Zuko's tantrum.

"The avatar?"

"Yes! Yes! The avatar and a water tribe friend. So I saw you weren't coming so I followed them!"

Zuko wanted to laugh.

"You followed them?"

"Yes! And there is a great competition. Full of fighting and losing and winning. It was a great thrill in my life. It was wonderful, Prince Zuko. No bending or anything. Just pure fighting. With swords and fists. And there is a reward. A cash reward. Zuko, if only I had some type of fighting experience-."

"Where is it?"

"It is in the forest around the city. Only a small patch has been cleared for the competition's but, Prince Zuko, you must come!" Zuko stoked the fire for a moment, then agreed he would go. But only if he wore a mask.

"Alright. But do not worry about getting caught," Zuko's face fell, "because lots of enemies come together to see these fights." Zuko fingered the dagger at his side. He wanted to exercise fighting. But he could not do it in front of Uncle. But what if he confessed to Iroh of his past? Actually, it would be nice to tell him of his brief unity with the avatar.

"Uncle, I have much to tell you." Iroh looked surprised. Then he smiled and sipped his tea.

"And we have all the time in the world."

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"Aang? What do you do at night with Sokka?" Katara asked as she and Aang walked around town. Aang looked at her with a wild expression.

"No, I mean, where do you go?" Aang sighed, relieved that he had mistaken her words.

"Well, we go to a competition."

"What! A competition? You go to one every night?" Katara stopped in front of a place that sold fruit. She wasn't interested in food right now though.

"You mean to say, that every night, you and Sokka leave me, so you can watch people fight?" She shook her head, mad at being left out, and disappointed that Aang and Sokka never told her.

"Katara, you have to understand, they are dangerous. And the people there are mean. And whenever girls come around, girls like you, they get into…a frenzy, and it makes them even more dangerous," Aang said, choosing his words carefully, but confidently.

"One, what do you mean, a girl like me?"

"Well, you're pretty and you are smart, and you can sew and cook. And that is just what people like m-, " he paused, and blushed, "people like them would like to have in their house every night when they come home. They would like a girl with personality and looks." He blushed even fiercer when he said this. Katara however, wasn't disturbed by it.

"Oh, so you're protecting me," she said.

"Yes! Exactly!" Aang nodded.

"From dangerous men who drink and fight a lot."

"And would kidnap you."

"And kidnap me," Katara said nodding thoughtfully. Aang nodded.

"In a heartbeat," Aang said.

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"So, Lu Ten taught you swordsmanship, eh? I should have realized. All thosenights inLu Ten's room, you twosaid that you were making battle strategy's, and you'd be tired. It is a graceful and wonderful art, but Prince Zuko…"

"Uncle! What? What is so important that I have to stop using them?"

Iroh sighed, suddenly tired from the truth he had just endured.

"Prince Zuko, swords are beautiful, but deadly dangerous and so lethal. Only certain warriors can wield such wonderful power," at this he looked up to Zuko.

"Pure warriors." he finished.Zuko sparked instantly. He could feel the pressure building up.

"I am a pure warrior. I have helped the avatar. I have done many things with those very swords that many would respect me for. I am a changed man holding those swords."

Iroh sighed.

"Exactly, Prince Zuko, you are a changed man. But only when holding the swords."

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A/N: My favorite chapter. Many signs of what is to come in future chapters. Oh wow! I love Zuko so much! In the words of my sister (dream royale) "I just want to hug him!" I agree with her. If he was real, I would grab him and just tell him that everything is okay. I had to change some things, because people finally told me the truth: I am going way to fast with Katara and Zuko. Not with Zutara, but with their emotions changing. I hope you like the new improved chapter 4.