A/N: Okay, so here comes the last part of Book I. There's not much Zukira on this one (yeah, I came up with a name for them... it was just too easy mixing those names anyway #Iregretnothing), but Book II will bring more of it. I've been rereading it (couldn't help myself) and I'm already preparing the chapters. It's just that sharing my story is so exciting I can barely wait for you to read it.

Once again thanks to ALL my readers and reviewers and remember to check my grammar!

Chapter 10: The Battle for The North Pole, Part I

The days passed and Iroh came to see me a few more times, providing me with food, clothes and the information necessary. Zuko was hiding dressed as a soldier, in one of the soldiers' compartments, and the fleet was getting bigger and bigger with new warships arriving from the Fire Nation.

The huge purple bruises around my body turned into a nasty green and then yellow, and the gashes and burns I had got after Zuko's ship exploded healed up. I guessed it helped that I had placed cold water on them, clenching my teeth to stand the cold.

Some days later, I heard voices on the corridor outside. I sprang up and stuck my ear to the door.

'We'll be landing soon, eh? Are you ready for battle?' Iroh's voice said cheerfully outside.

After a second of silence, a deep voice answered. 'You shouldn't be talking aloud about such things, General Iroh, specially here'

'Oops' Iroh replied. 'My mistake. Won't happen again' and his long steps disappeared down the hallway.

I understood immediately. It was a warning for me. It was time for listening. I sat on my meditation pose and closed my eyes, focusing on hearing all the movements on the ship.

A few hours later I heard the first bombs being fired at the city, and I stiffened up, paying attention to the movements of the soldiers. Far away I could hear screams, and whirls of wind. Staying inside that chamber, not knowing what happened outside, was almost unbearable. I stood up and went to the window, trying to see something, but the window was too high and my cell was on the back of the ship, so I couldn't see the battle. I decided the best time to leave would be at night, when the Moon aided my bending, and the soldiers would be resting from the battle.

At nightfall all battle noises stopped, and I heard the clang of the anchor being dropped. I sat down next to the corridor wall, waiting.

A few hours later the ship was in complete silence, and I looked out the window and saw the nearly full Moon high up in the sky. Now was the time.

I drew water from outside, turning it into ice and covering the door with it. Then I drew a deep breath and I ran at the door, kicking it with both feet. It worked again: the door fell off the hinges and over the guards. I quickly ran out of there down the hallway and after the first turn I sneaked inside another empty bedchamber to lose them. When they passed, I went out and quietly found my way to the chamber where Zuko was supposedly hiding, disguised as a soldier. I opened the door and sneaked in. It was a large bedchamber with several bunks piled up. It was one of the soldiers' bedrooms, but it seemed empty.

'Zuko?' I whispered, but no one answered.

I quickly walked down the bedchamber to the other side, checking it was actually empty. Dammit, Zuko. Besides, it was weird that the soldiers weren't sleeping in their bunks. I supposed it was part of Zhao's plan, and that they'd be hiding somewhere in the Northern Water Tribe. Whatever.

Then a light clicked in my mind as I remembered the Blue Spirit disguise. Could Zuko have saved the mask and the katanas? Would he be wearing them now? I'd have to check. I went to the first line of bunks and rummaged the mattresses, the blankets and some bags that were there, but nothing. Then I passed on to the second line of bunks, with the same result. At the third, though, I gasped when I lifted a mattress and I saw a black set of winter-like samurai black clothes, the blue mask and the katanas. I involuntarily grinned.

I quickly changed into the black clothes, which suited me perfectly. I guessed they stretched, because Zuko was slightly bigger than me. Then I put on the black gloves and the boots resting on the side of the bed, and the mask. Whoa. It felt… great. I felt suddenly powerful and dangerous, like if Zuko's daring attitude was attached to the suit. I allowed myself a moment of weakness as the scent of smoke and ash Zuko used to wear like a second skin filled my nose.

Then I shook my head lightly, mentally slapping myself. Get back to business. I grabbed the katanas and unsheathed them, balancing them in my hands. Well, they weren't like my daggers but they would do. I practiced a few moves until I felt comfortable with them, like they were an extension of my arms.

Then I sneaked out, and up to deck, where I was suddenly confronted by hundreds of faces. Shit.

'The Blue Spirit!' someone shouted, and I had to unsheathe my katanas and force my way up to the bridge between the soldiers. With a single glance at the deck crammed with men I realized I could only escape by climbing to the upper tower, now cold, since the engines were off. I got to the feet of the tower and drew some water, freezing it in an ice ladder up the massive tower. After I reached half of it, I quickly dissolved the steps below me into water, and the soldiers following me slid down, screaming. I continued climbing as fast as I could, because they started to blast fireballs at me. When I reached the top I jumped inside the tower, hanging from the border with my gloved fingers. At that the soldiers on deck stopped throwing fireballs, and with a quick glance down I saw them running inside, probably going to turn on the engines to roast me alive.

I sighed in relief. All I needed was a few minutes to study the city and find a way in. Looking around I felt my heart sink when I lost count of the ships on the fleet. The Water Tribe would have a hard time.

But the main wall of the city seemed impenetrable. Still, I had to try. The city was encased on a bay, surrounded by an immense glacier. But I knew from experience that glaciers are dangerous places filled with cracks and underway tunnels. Maybe I could find a way in over there.

When I noticed a sudden heat coming towards my legs I knew it was time to get out of there. I stepped on the border, trying to balance myself for dear life, and then I launched myself at the water. In the midst of my fall, I quickly drew some water up to receive my body, so that the crash against the freezing water wouldn't kill me, and I swam away quickly as I removed the mask, feeling projectiles hit the water around me.

Thank the spirits, Zuko's black suit was more than good for staying warm, and since I was a waterbender it wouldn't be so difficult. In fact, I realized that if I didn't stop moving I wouldn't freeze to death. I swam all the way around the Fire Navy and aimed to the massive icebergs near the huge ice wall, trying to avoid being seen. Behind one of them, I saw a dark shape ahead and I quickly dove beneath the water. I warily approached the shape from underwater and I discovered it was a canoe, but I hadn't seen anyone on it before. I broke the surface and confirmed my suspicion: it was empty.

Who would come this far and why? I could only think of one reason: To get inside the city like I was doing. But who would do that secretly? Well, either Zhao, planning some mischievous trap… Or Zuko, trying to find Aang.

There were some sea turtles there, and I saw one of them dive into a hole in the iceberg a little ahead of me. I looked around. Whoever it was that had left the canoe there didn't have nowhere else to go. I raised a quick prayer to the Spirit of the Moon and threw myself in the hole. I swam all the way up to an underground cave, filled with more sea turtles, and I saw some footprints on the snow. I followed them all the way up to a small waterfall. I looked at it, confused. Which other way could they have gone?

After the few minutes that took me to waterbend the freezing water out of my clothes and get warm again, I faced the waterfall. When I tried to climb, I noticed my feet fell on previously marked spots, as if someone had stuck their feet in that same place shortly ago. Then that was the way they had gone.

I swam all the way up to a tiny space where I could breathe some air. Then I looked around and noticed only one tunnel coming out from the ice cave, and I didn't see no bodies, so my predecessor had obviously not drowned.

I took the tunnel and then I saw light above me. I quickly swam up and climbed out of the ice and into a tunnel. Phew! I'd made it. The problem was, someone had secretly entered the city before me. But somehow I couldn't picture Zhao doing all that swimming in freezing water, so either he'd sent in a spy, or it had to be Zuko.

I shook my head quickly. I'd better not think about that now. I bent the water out of my clothes and hair and put the mask back on.

I drew a quick breath and looked around. I had appeared on what seemed only a ventilation tunnel, not connected to the main city, but on a second look I saw on the second floor some stairs, not far away from me. I drew some water and created an ice ladder as I had done on Zhao's ship, and I climbed up. I looked around. I was now inside the frozen city.

The city was way larger than I had expected, and more beautiful than any village I'd ever seen. All the houses, temples and fountains were sculpted out of ice, and the water channels running through the city guaranteed enough material for waterbending and enough to deal with people's thirst. I could only hope they would be enough to drown the fireballs that were about to start falling everywhere.

This was the perfect place for any waterbender, where everything you could need was at hand. And yet, it made me feel strange. I was hoping to find my home, but this place didn't feel like home to me. I looked around, hoping for some lost memory to come up, showing me flashbacks of my life here. I could picture myself here as a toddler, running around and playing with snow, but it was only in my imagination, for no memory came out. In fact, the frozen city didn't stir anything inside of me nor feel familiar.

I sat down for a few minutes and tried to meditate, to reach my inner self and see what this place provoked in me. I examined my heart and I realized this was not my home. I had not grown up here. I had no family here. And it was not a place for me. It meant nothing.

I can't explain how I was so sure about that, I just felt it. I felt there was nothing attaching me to this place, and I realized I was only worried about four people: Aang, Sokka, Katara… and Zuko.

Somehow I knew they were all in the city, and I had to find them. But then, a whirling sound brought me back to Earth and I saw a fireball fly all over me and fall within the city. In the sky, the sun was slowly rising up.

What an idiot! I had wasted the entire night to just get there and meditate. I wanted to kick myself for my stupidity, but I realized that trying to help would probably be more useful.

I witnessed an immense warship approach the ice wall and pierce it with the bow. Oh, no. If the walls gave in that easily, the city was lost. I quickly tried to waterbend more ice to repel the ship, but I was too far away and the amount of water necessary was more than I could handle by myself.

I found my way down the wall and ran into the city, wearing my mask again. I ran past the scared citizens, who kept pointing at me and shouting, but I didn't stop. I had to make it to the front row of defenders.

It took me a while but I finally arrived, skidding in the snow, luckily not having to confront anyone before. I drew water along the line of defenders and washed out the first man to climb over the broken wall.

'The Blue Spirit!' everyone gasped around me.

An elder man approached me, and I stood still as he gently removed my mask. My black hair fell loose over my shoulders and back.

'Who are you?'

'My name is Kira' I replied. 'I'm here to help. I'm a waterbender, and I've noticed that most of your forces are stationed here. But the fire is flying past us and inside the city. You should send some benders inside to stop the fire from burning up everything'

The man frowned, clearly upset at having a teenager he'd never seen before, clad in the Blue Spirit disguise, telling him what to do. I realized he considered it a serious disrespect, and only the battle going around and his surprise prevented him from imprisoning me. But I was past all that, and I didn't really care. I knew what was in store for this people, and the survival of the Water Tribe was much more important than etiquette.

'We're short enough of people here. Where do you come from, anyway? Are you aware that women are not allowed to waterbend here?'

'I was raised in the Southern Water Tribe' I replied, choosing to ignore his last question. If he started to question me now, in the middle of a battle, we were all goners.

The man gasped. 'But then…' he interrupted himself, thinking. 'Kira. Yes, I think I know who you are. I'd like to know how you got here, but… We've got more important things to worry about' he said, clearly deciding to ignore the fact that I was a girl, for practical purposes.

'Wait!' I said, grabbing the man's sleeve. 'If you know who I am, you must have spoken with Katara or Sokka!'

The man smiled warmly. 'My name is Master Pakku, and I am Katara's teacher'

I beamed, happy to hear that my sister had found what she had always wanted, and wanting to hear more about her, but then a fireball hissed above us, falling nearby and bringing down an entire house.

I saw firebenders rushing into the city behind Pakku, and I ran past him, drawing some water and wiping them out, but more fireballs kept falling around.

'Where did you learn that?' I heard Pakku's voice behind me. 'I've never seen that technique!'

'I don't know!' I replied in earnest, as I threw shards of ice to the invaders. Soon two more ships broke the main wall, and the soldiers began to fight the waterbenders on top of the wall, while more men descended over to where we were, inside the outer wall of the city.

I watched the waterbenders fighting, and with each jet of water they could sweep out many men, but many more came in each moment, and the situation was growing worse by the minute. Then I remembered Iroh's lessons to Prince Zuko.

'Break their root!' I shouted to the benders.

'What?' Pakku asked.

'To beat a firebender you must break his root!' I yelled back, as I threw a slide of ice to a firebender's feet. He stumbled upon it and fell, and then I froze the water around him and threw him in one of the channels, where he sunk out of view.

The waterbenders around me began to imitate me, and the firebenders were the first ones to be knocked down. Still, not all soldiers were benders, and once they saw our strategy, the firebenders stood behind and non-bender soldiers entered first, as they dodged our attacks.

We fought all we could, and the men never gave up until being knocked down, but we were still being forced to retreat. One of the waterbenders ahead of me fell down, and the soldier fighting him took out his sword and aimed to stab him in the chest. I quickly drew my katana and threw it at the man. I ran there and helped the waterbender up, covering us with a wall of ice momentarily, and I dragged him back to the main line, not before recovering my katana.

I carried the barely conscious bender to Master Pakku.

'Take him with the injured!'

And then I decided the Blue Spirit should go into action. I put on the mask again and jumped forward, past the line of defense. I unsheathed my katanas and began slicing all that appeared in sight. Soon I was covered in blood, and around me there were many bodies piled up. I jumped forward and attacked more soldiers, but then they started shouting.

'The Blue Spirit! The Blue Spirit is a waterbender!'

Suddenly I was surrounded. I kept moving my katanas back and forth, and tried to retreat, but the men were all around me, and one of them let out a cruel laugh as they closed the circle around me. I bit my lip, and then I melted the ice beneath my feet and vanished in the water, among everyone's gasp of surprise. I made my way back through the ice to the line of defenders and Pakku congratulated me with a pat on the shoulder.

'I have really never seen such technique'

'It's called the Kira move' I replied jokingly, ignoring a painful memory of Sokka and that thing he always did of naming the moves.

But then I ran forward to attack the other flank of the advancing troops.

I did my best, and took down many soldiers, just as the other benders, but we were still being forced backwards. By early afternoon the rear lines of defenders had reached the second wall. Still, Pakku refused to give up on the outer wall.

I retreated for a second behind the line of defenders to look at the battle going on. Ahead I could only see red uniforms everywhere. I tapped Pakku's shoulder and told him I'd climb the second wall to get a good look at the battlefield.

I climbed up and studied the battle, removing my mask. It didn't look good. The warships were docking on the outer wall, and the few defenders still fighting there were about to be wiped out. At seeing that, I ran to my right and down the wall. I forced my way up until the first line of defenders, took a deep breath and drew water, freezing it over the soldiers' heads. Then I jumped up and, skating on it, I tried to reach the outer wall. At about half the way, the soldiers began to point their swords upwards, piercing through the ice and aiming to cut my feet, and I had to begin jumping over the tips of their swords as I skated. But then I looked ahead and my heart sank when I saw a sea of spears between the ice wall and me.

Miraculously, a rope came out of nowhere, and I clutched it for dear life, using it to jump over the heads of the surprised soldiers and crash against the ice wall, where I quickly created an ice ladder (I was getting good at it) and climbed up. The man who had thrown the rope at me was one in a group of ten benders that had been cornered against the glacier, where the wall ended.

'Thanks' I muttered as he helped me up. He gave me a short nod and then directed his strength at the firebenders assaulting the men.

I took one second to regain my breath and then I launched myself forward, sliding on the floor and kicking at the firebenders' feet. That way I swept some of them over the wall.

'Come on!' I summoned the waterbenders with my hand, as I battled the soldiers on the wall. With the coordinated forces of the waterbenders and my katanas, we cleaned up the top of the wall from enemies, good until the first opening, where many meters below the Fire Nation troops were still coming out of the bow of the warship.

I panted for breath, as I bent down and put my hands on my knees.

'Thank you' someone said behind me, and when I turned around I saw the man that had thrown the rope at me. 'I thought Pakku had forgotten about us. I'm Haroka' he said.

I straightened up and shook his hand, deciding against telling him that Pakku didn't want to lose the outer wall and was willing to risk their lives for it.

'Kira' I replied shortly, and then I had to bend again to dodge a fireball coming from across the gap in the wall. 'We must leave this place' I told Haroka.

'But the wall!' he protested in dismay. Then he shook his head sadly. 'You're right. The Wall's lost anyway'

'Is there another way out of here?' I asked him, pointing down at where I had come from, crammed with Fire Nation soldiers now.

'No' he said, looking down.

'Then we must make it' I replied, and I ran past him and past all the benders towards the glacier wall. I placed my hand on it.

I turned around to face the benders. They all looked extremely tired.

'We must dig our way through the glacier!' I announced.

'Are you out of your mind?' Haroka snapped. 'Have you any idea of how dangerous it is?'

'Yes, I do.' I said firmly. 'But it's either that or a sea of spears. Do you want to die impaled?' I paused a moment to let my words sink in. 'Then you must follow me.'

'Haroka, she's right' other man backed me up.

'We don't even have to dig deep! Just a passage all the way up to the second wall!' I said.

Haroka looked at the huge glacier, absentmindedly.

'Very well. But I'll go first. I know the glacier like the palm of my hand'

'Everyone, form a row!' I organized the benders. 'I'll take the rear' I told Haroka. He nodded shortly and stood next to the glacier.

He raised his hands and melted a piece of the glacier the size of a man. He stepped in the space he had just created and began to dig a passage on the border of the glacier, carefully feeling the ice with one hand and paying attention to the differences in color.

I waited until all the men were inside the passage, following Haroka. But as the last man was climbing in, a ball of fire flew past me inches from my head, and sank in the wall of ice beside me. I turned around and saw five firebenders climbing up the gap in the wall. I raised a wall of ice between them and me and jumped in the passage, following the row of men. As the men advanced, I rebuilt the ice in the space we had just occupied, preventing the firebenders from following us. But my ice was not the same quality than the millenary glacier, and it could be melted more easily, even by a firebender.

'Haroka, hurry up!' I yelled over the heads of the men, as I kept re-freezing the path behind us.

The men began to move more quickly, and I sighed in relief when I leaned over the edge of the glacier and I saw the firebenders looking at us from the wall, frustrated.

In a few more minutes we arrived at the second wall. As I descended, Haroka grabbed my hand.

'Thank you. If it hadn't been for you, we would have all died up there'

'It's ok. I just couldn't let it happen' I replied with a smile.

From the spot at the second wall where we were standing, I looked down at the battle. It was getting worse. The outer wall was already taken, and the defenders were retreating inside the second wall.

I looked up at the sky. It was still bright day, and night was hours away. How could we hold our ground until night?