Summary:

When Katara sees Prince Zuko in a Ba Sing Se teashop, she feels the urge to run. But…what if she didn't? What if she stayed, and saw the man that Zuko had become?

Hello reader! I'm back, with the first part of the promised reboot of 'Fighting Free'. It's been a long time coming, I know, but I am producing Zutara content again! I sincerely hope you enjoy the first chapter of this reboot!

And I know you'll all be wondering whether or not Iroh will die in this reboot. I haven't decided yet, but the reaction I got last time was pretty interesting. I guess you'll all just have to wait and see- we've a ways to go yet. I know this is brief, but I wanted to get something up before the end of the week.

Chapter Word Count (Excluding intro): 885

The sun shone down brightly on the bustling city of Ba Sing Se, illuminating even the darkest corners of the city. The warmth that the light brought with it…it made even the saddest person feel a little better. With the revolution of the Avatar being in the city, things had been rather…strained. Some felt it was a good omen. Others…not so much. Many believed, and with good cause, that the attention drawn to their city would entice the Fire Nation to finally storm the capital. It was for the latter reason that the avatar and his group of friends were rarely seen roaming about the city. The reveal of the destroyed machine just outside the outer walls had only made the situation worse. Despite the fact that Appa, their beloved bison, was missing, they knew that their presence- and the fire nation attack- had shaken the city- and had so reverted to venturing out at night- when a majority of the city was asleep.

Whilst it had so far proven useful to work under the cover of darkness, (they'd so far evaded detection), they were growing weary of staying indoors. One can only stay inside for so long before they start to long for fresh air and sunlight. And so, it was that, after a tense, arguably loud discussion, between the group, that Katara and Toph had ventured out. They'd been frequenting the popular spa that they'd visited near the start of their arrival, and so felt that it was safe for them to spend some time there. Toph initially objected, but even she gave in, knowing that this meant some time outside of the home that had been gifted to them. After all, Toph couldn't see well indoors- the floor covers prevented her from being able to 'see' properly.

Afterwards, though, Toph had given Katara the slip. Whilst Katara had searched for Toph at first, her actions proved unfruitful, leaving the waterbender no option to explore the city alone. Had she returned home, or sought out the others- they'd have insisted that they all return home. And she didn't think she could stand being trapped in that house much longer.

Garbed in Earth Kingdom colours, she more easily blended in with the crowds- and was able to navigate the city without any confrontation. With this ease of movement, Katara was able to see the city in a way she wasn't able to before. She was able to admire everything from the vibrant colours, to the ancient, refined architecture. Ba Sing Se was undoubtedly one of the most beautiful places she'd had the pleasure of visiting in her travels- even comprable to the icy walls of the Northern Watertribe.

However, she soon found the sun's heat overwhelming, and so sought out the nearest available shelter.

This shelter happened to be a structure that Katara hadn't seen before. It was a large building, seeming fairly new, with the outside elegantly painted in shades of green. The scent of carefully brewed tea wafted through the air, bringing with it a pleasant sense of refreshment. The mixture of intoxicating scents set the structure apart from the rest of the city centre.

Intrigued, Katara wandered closer, looking up when she spotted a wooden, carved sign hanging above the doorway. In intricately detailed letters, read 'The Jasmine Dragon'. From the looks of the queue coming out of the door, the Jasmine Dragon was worth the wait. And so it was that Katara joined the end of the queue. Whilst it may have seemed odd to wait in blistering heat for a mug of tea, the waterbender knew that the iced, cooled version of the normally fiery beverage was almost as refreshing as water. It made perfect sense to try the teashop out.

As she waited for her turn to enter, she heard a familiar voice, echoing above all the others in the bustling teashop. The voice was male, and rather distinctive. When she realized who the voice belonged to, she froze- for it surely couldn't be him.

He couldn't have gotten into Ba Sing Se- any firebenders would have been caught.

But then…she saw him, greeting the cheery people at the door.

Katara felt an urge to run- to go grab Aang- and leave…

But she didn't.

Something made her stay.

She watched as he engaged with the people, leading them into the bustling teashop with a wide smile that she'd never before seen on the angsty firebender. It seemed almost unnatural- the way he laughed, the way he acted so…normal. The man Katara saw before her was a far cry from the one she'd last seen. The Zuko that Katara saw now was friendly, warm…even seeming like he…cared. It was strange, so much so that Katara once more fought the urge to leave.

She took a few steps back...

Until she saw Iroh.

In their brief encounters, she had become fond of Iroh- despite his violent past, he seemed gentle, and level-headed- the counter to Zuko's wild, unpredictable nature. She'd often heard the former General try to reason with his nephew…

Had he finally gotten through to Zuko?

Or was this all a front?