When Katalina returned to her bed, she was able to fall fast asleep. And when she awoke the next morning, she found that Jet was already up and gone. She assumed that he was at the wall to help start to cleanup of the city. So she got ready to go as well. Right before she left, though, there was a knock on her door.

"Iroh," she said as she answered it. "Good morning."

"Good morning," he replied. "Were you on your way out?"

"I was."

"We'll walk together, then."

So she finished getting ready, and then the two of them were off down the street. They were quiet at first, but Katalina couldn't stand the silence.

"So what happened to Zuko?" she picked the conversation up where they had left off the day before. "And don't tell me nothing because otherwise you would've told me when I asked last night."

"Nothing gets by you."

She laughed. "So what is it?"

"Zuko has had some tough decisions to make in his life," he began. "After he was banished, he started his search for the Avatar right away. He wouldn't even give his burn time to heal. That was the least of his concerns, though. His one and only concern was regaining the honour he had so wrongfully lost. And so he searched for the Avatar for two long years. Then he finally rediscovered him. But it still wasn't that easy for him."

"When is it ever?" she muttered, interrupting the story.

"You're in the right place to say that," he continued. "But Zuko never seemed to be in the right place. So when the time came and he had to choose between the Avatar and Azula, along with his country, he chose to help his sister. He then returned to the Fire Nation with his honour and reclaimed his rightful place on the throne."

"Wait, he betrayed you?" she exclaimed, eyes wide. "After everything you did for him he just turned around and betrayed you?"

"You mustn't blame Zuko or be angry with him," Iroh said, "for it wasn't his fault. He was still very confused at the time. He was probably as confused as ever, in fact. The choice he made didn't last long, though. By the time the Day of Black Sun came, he had chosen a new destiny for himself."

"What do you mean?"

"For so long Zuko believed that his destiny was to find and capture the Avatar," he explained. "He never realised that he could alter his destiny, though. And when he finally did make that realisation, he chose to help the Avatar."

"So Zuko played a part in ending the war?"

"He did indeed. And right now he's in the Fire Nation probably getting ready to become the new Fire Lord."

"Fire Lord?" she repeated. "He's actually going to be the new Fire Lord?"

"Of course," he answered. "He is the next in line, after all. I just wish I had known you were in the city before Sozin's Comet came."

"Why?"

"Because Zuko was here at the time, along with the Avatar's friends."

"He was? He was here?"

Iroh nodded his head once. "I had no idea you had been sent to the Colonies. Quite frankly, I thought my brother would've kept you away from this place."

"Oh please, he would've much rather had me causing chaos here in the Colonies than in the Fire Nation."

He laughed. "I guess you're right."

"Plus, my parents disowned me and pretty much shipped me here."

Now his eyes widened. "They what?"

Katalina shrugged her shoulders. "Hey, I'm over it. I was over it before it even happened."

"You do know that you're allowed to feel hurt and betrayed, right?"

"I'm fine, though. Honestly."

He eyed her suspiciously. "If you say so."

She nodded. "So how does it feel to have helped Ba Sing Se? I mean, the first time you had come here it was to seize it for the Fire Nation. And now you helped the city fight against the Fire Nation."

"I know. And I must say, I enjoyed helping the city much more than I had enjoyed destroying it."

Now she laughed. But the laughter didn't last very long. "When Zuko becomes, do you think he'll still come here?" she wondered.

Iroh smiled. "I know he will. Zuko and I came here as refugees before the Colonies had taken over, of course. But even though he didn't show it, I know this place grew on him. Plus, the Avatar and his friends won't be staying in the Fire Nation, and I doubt Zuko will let them return here without him."

"I am so proud of Zuko for helping the Avatar in the end," she then told Iroh. "I mean, he got his throne and his honour back, but he threw it all away again just to train the Avatar. That must've been really difficult for him."

"He claims it wasn't, but yes, I too believe that it was somewhat of a challenge for him."

"Yeah, but like I said before, when are things ever easy for him?" She sighed, pausing. "Do you know the story behind the Avatar's alleged death?"

"Yes. He was struck by Azula here in Ba Sing Se and everyone just thought he had been killed. Of course, Azula must've doubted this because she told Ozai that Zuko had killed the Avatar."

"So in case he was actually still alive, which he was, Zuko would yet again be seen as a failure."

"Exactly."

She shook her head. "Azula is too devious for her own good."

He chuckled a bit. "Oh, I hope Zuko will be back here in Ba Sing Se soon," he then said. "He would be so happy to see you again."

She tried to smile, but couldn't manage it. "Did he ever mention me after you two left?"

"More than once," he answered. "Despite the fact that you weren't around, you still influenced a good amount of his decisions."

That comment popped the smile onto her face. "So do you think Zuko and I will still be able to be best friends? Even after these three years of change?"

"If there's one thing that hasn't changed, it's the relationship between you and Zuko. If anything, this separation has probably brought the two of you even closer together."

"How is that possible?"

"Anything is possible. Zuko did train the Avatar after all."

She laughed. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

"Of course I'm right," he responded. "I'm always right."

She laughed some more. "Well, apparently this victory has gone straight to your head!"

He laughed along with her. "Looks like you're always right, too."

They continued to laugh together before falling silent.

"So you'll be staying in Ba Sing Se as well?" Katalina spoke up again.

"Yes, of course. I own a teashop here in the city called the Jasmine Dragon. I'll be reopening it soon."

"Why am I not surprised that you have a teashop?"

"You shouldn't be. It's also the finest tea in all of Ba Sing See."

"Very impressive. I mean, I always knew you made good tea. But the best tea in all of Ba Sing Se? Now that's some really good tea."

"I'll take that as a compliment." He smiled again. "What about you and that group of yours, now? How many people were a part of the Resistors?" he questioned.

"A lot," she answered. "A good thirty people, at least, give or take."

"That's also very impressive. Then again, you have always been an extremely good inspirational and motivational speaker."

"Thank you, but I can't take all the credit. Especially since I wasn't the speaker for the group."

"What do you mean?"

"I led the group along with three other girls I met here in the city."

"Oh, well, I'd love to meet them."

"I'm sure I could arrange that. There are also two guys from the group you'll have to meet. One of them is my roommate."

"Then yes, I certainly do have to meet him."

"Iroh, it's not like that."

"I don't care, he's still living with you either way."

She laughed. "Yeah, yeah…"

"Oh, and what exactly did the Resistors do?"

"We battled against the Colonies. We started riots and protested against them and just had all these surefire tactics to piss them off."

"Knowing you, insults were part of these tactics."

She smiled unsurely. "They make it so easy."

He shook his head at her, but he was chuckling. "Zuko will love hearing about all of this."

"It'll be almost weird seeing him again," she admitted. "I'm not sure if I'll be able to handle it."

"Stop, you'll be fine," he assured her. "Plus, you have some time to settle yourself and prepare yourself for his arrival."

"True enough." She paused. "Well, I really gotta get to the city's wall now to start helping with the cleanup," she then changed the subject. "When will I see you next?"

"Drop by the Jasmine Dragon with your friends at some point this week," he replied. "You'll see me then."

"Sounds good," she said. "Bye Iroh."

She departed to make her way for the wall. And for what was left of the walk, she was left thinking about her old best friend.

What happens to an old friendship in a new future?