They were dancing again. She was in the aqua blue dress with the sparkles that she wore at King Kuei's ball. The way it hugged her hips drove him crazy. His fingers traced her curves as she twirled back into his body. The music ceased, their breaths heavy and ragged. His golden eyes met her blue eyes, and a small spark spurned between them. He leaned down closer, feeling her warm breath fusing with his own air.

"What are you doing?" She whispered. Her very voice made his knees buckle.

"Something that I've missed for years."

His lips brushed hers.

And then he was falling.

Zuko sat up, his arms flailing in his sleep. He steadied himself, his chest heaving with every exhale and inhale. He threw the green blankets off, forcing him to stand on his feet. The sunlight entering through the window made him squint, turning away from the sun. He wasn't sure what time it was, or when he got home. His shozoku was discarded on the floor, the mask ontop. He palmed his forehead, shuffling his feet to the mess. He wrapped the mask in the black clothes, tucking them under his head. With sleep still in his eyes, he pulled the door open, bumping into something soft and unfirm.

His uncle's tea belly.

"Good morning, nephew," Iroh said bitterly.

"What time is it?" Zuko replied, his voice groggy.

"Just a little past noon. You're late for work," Iroh smirked.

A heavy groan left his mouth as Iroh placed the white apron over his bare chest. Zuko removed it, slipping back into his room and putting on the green shirt and brown pants once more. With his brown shoes, which he was too tired to tie, Zuko trotted downstairs into the kitchen, the warm heat of it slightly waking him up.

"Hey, Zuko."

Damn her voice and the way it made him quiver.

Zuko peeked out through the small opening between the kitchen and Dining Room, seeing Katara, Sokka and Suki sitting there. He opened his mouth to speak, Sokka beating him to the punch.

"Iroh said you'd be working today, so we figured we might come and keep you company."

"But you're Captain… how did you get off work?" Zuko said, pouring himself a cup of chai tea.

"I'd pull some strings," Sokka said with a shrug.

Suki patted him on the arm, shaking her head as he leaned back into her. Zuko watched as Iroh walked past him, holding a plate of dumplings for his friends. Zuko leaned back into the cabinets, a small smile dancing on his face. These were his friends. It sometimes made him wonder why he hesitated to reconnect with them. Iroh would mumble some philosophical jumble about this. Zuko just grabbed his cup of tea, walking back out to the table, sitting next to Katara.

"Zuko, you look like Koh slapped you in the face," Katara said as he sat.

"That's what my uncle tells me," Zuko mumbled, taking a sip of the chai tea. The liquid burned down his throat, making him give a little small groan of appreciation.

"Uncle Iroh is right," Katara said. "His tea is amazing."

Zuko only gave a nod, his eyes turning towards Katara. She turned to face him, their eyes met his once again. He was back in the dream. They were dancing again. The way their lips inched closer flashed into his mind. Sokka and Suki were too busy bickering about something to notice. Golden eyes splashed with blue eyes, Zuko feeling his old emotions brewing. He was only hoping that Katara was as feeling the same way he was as well.

"Hey guys, check this out!"

That damn bald kid.

The connection was severed as Aang and Toph burst through the doors. He was holding the Ba Sing Se Daily in his hands. Grinning, he slapped the paper on the table, his index digit pressing against the front headline. Mysterious Masked Vigilante in Ba Sing Se? Under the headline was an image of the engraving Zuko left in the wall. His golden eyes traced the words with his eyes. The Blue Spirit.

"There was a witness," Aang said. "A prostitute named Song said this Blue Spirit guy jumped from the shadows and saved her."

"Yeah, I heard about that. Taking the job away from the cops," Sokka grumbled.

"Is someone jealous, Snoozles?" Toph snickered.

"No," Sokka snapped. "All I'm saying is, we don't need masked people running around this city causing up trouble."

"He saved that girl, Sokka. He's not causing trouble," Katara retorted.

"I think he's pretty cool," Aang said, a childish grin on his face.

Zuko tuned everyone out. He took the paper from Aang, nodding once as he scanned the picture. The way his own words stared back at him sent chills down his spine. He skimmed through the article, reading what Song had to say. Apparently, she described him as an angel sent from Paradise to save her. The only trouble was that Paradise didn't exist. At least according to the legend of The Blue Spirit.

"What do you think, Zuko?"

Aang's words broke him out of his thoughts, Zuko stumbling to find words to say.

"A man in a mask isn't really something to fear. Maybe someone's just had a little too much cactus juice," Zuko replied with a shrug, taking another sip of the tea.

"It's always good see someone inspire hope," Iroh said, walking down the stairs. "To have the little sliver of light in a world of darkness."

Zuko turned on his uncle, both pair of gold eyes glinting as Zuko took another, firm sip of the tea. Iroh only smiled at him, giving a slight bow as he walked into the kitchen.

"Hey, Katara, can I talk to you alone?" Suki asked.

Katara sat straight, all eyes on her. She only nodded.

"You can go up the stairs, if you want. More privacy up there," Zuko mumbled.

The two girls nodded their thanks, walking up the stairs. Zuko excused himself to go use the restroom. He walked past the kitchen, peeking over his shoulder once to see Aang, Sokka, and Toph discussing other stuff he didn't care for. He slipped through the back door, his eyes narrowing as his other side ventured out. Zuko climbed onto the dumpster, jumping up to the open window of his room. He rolled inside, tip-toeing to the door and pressing his ear against it.

"What do you mean, you've seen him?" Suki whispered.

"I mean, not The Blue Spirit. But a man came to a house a few nights ago, looking for Sokka. He said his name was Blue. I don't think this is a coincidence," Katara said.

He heard Suki gasp. "So you saw him too?"

"What do you mean?"

"About a week ago, a man came into my office. He told me something about The Phoenix King and how he needed to be stopped."

"Blue told me that King Kuei is in danger," Katara said slowly.

There was seconds of silence that Zuko feared that they had discovered his presence. He sucked in a breath, trying harder to listen.

"He came to Sokka, as well. He told him, 'We are here to help.'"

"We?" Katara's voice gave a little rise. "Does he have a partner?"

"How should I know?"

"You're Chief of Kyoshi, and Sokka is Captain. Wouldn't you know anything about this?" Katara rambled.

"Even if I did, I can't reveal anything to the general public."

The conversation died slowly after that. Zuko listened to the footsteps descending down the stairs. With a sigh, Zuko felt out the window again, off the dumpster and back inside. He went into the bathroom, flushing it once to give a sign that he was actually in the room. Strolling back into Dining Room, he saw his friends all standing up.

"Where you guys going?" Zuko raised a brow.

"Go get changed, Zuko," Katara gave him a smile. "We're going shopping."

Zuko groaned loudly as everyone gave good laughs.

The Tunnels were silent tonight.

Two small trucks pulled forward, reaching the Distribution Center. One of the men stepped out, his hair gray and spiky. A full beard matched his face, hands clasped behind his back as he walked towards The Guards.

"Papers and registration slip, please," One of The Guards spoke.

"I forgot them."

"Then I can't let you pass, buddy," The Guard said.

The other man from the other truck stepped out, hands in his pockets as he stepped forward, eyes narrow.

"What seems to be the problem, Jee?"

"Buddy here won't let us through."

The Guard took a step back, his hand reaching for the small revolver pistol held in the holster at his waist.

"It's standard procedure," The Guard snapped.

"You hear that, Yon Rha? It's standard," Jee snarled.

The man named Jee lunged forward, grabbing the Guard's throat and pinning against the small office wall. The other man, Yon Rha, leaned forward. The venom dripped off his words, despite his old age.

"Our papers are not needed, understand?"

"Easy, Yon Rha. We don't want to kill the poor man."

Jee and Yon Rha stepped back, Jee still holding the Guard in his grip. From behind the truck, another man stepped forward. He had a stocky build, his topknot standing high and proud. Traditional Fire Nation style. He stepped forward, hands clasped behind his back with a low chuckle as he stood in front of the Guard.

"We're invited guests, boy. Courtesy of The Phoenix King," The man hissed.

The Guard just nodded, waving the other Guards to let them through. Jee and Yon Rha returned to their trucks. The other man turned on his feel, slowly walking back to the back of the truck, a smirk on his face.

"What do we do now, Admiral?" Jee asked.

The Admiral stopped, rubbing his sideburns with a relaxing feel. He turned back to Jee, the same smirk on his face.

"To the city, Jee. We have to prepare for his arrival."