Katara improved quickly, leaving all other students of Paku far behind herself. Now she finally got the right instructions she had nothing that stopped her from learning. Zuko watched every day feeling like he was the worst bender of all time. He had had a teacher and still had struggled in learning every easy step he had been taught. Sure, it had made him be open for other techniques, but still he learned very slowly. It was not because he was dumb. He remembered that sword-fighting had come to him far more easily. But Firebending was just not the same. He picked up moves from the lessons Paku gave his students, but it took him forever to getting them to use. He would repeat the forms every evening after the lessons, and he got the moves fluently soon, but the energy-flowing thing didn't work out the way it should, and there really was not a lot of fire or sun to fuel his bending.
Katara got even praised by Paku, that she had proven that with fierce determination, passion and hard work you could accomplish anything. Zuko wasn't so sure about that. Talent was of the essence too, he was certain. And that was something he didn't have. Aang was only toying around, like usual. They were at a lesson, when suddenly the sky turned dark, and black snowflakes were raining down on them. Katara got pale instantly. The black snow turned the water and ice around them grey instantly. "Firenation-ships…" Katara muttered. Alarm-drums went off. Everyone started running to whatever tasks they were having.
They all gathered back in the throne-hall. It seemed like half of the town was present. The chief was holding a great war-speech about bravery and memory of the heroes that were about to fall in the following war. They called onto the spirits for help, but Zuko simply sighed. As far as he knew, spirits were having their own problems. As he asked for volunteers for a mission, Sokka volunteered himself and Zuko, without waiting for a better explanation, or asking Zuko if he was even willing to join. Other young males stood up too, offering their aid. As they were asked to step forward to receive a mark (another mark, what was wrong with these people?) Sokka pulled Zuko along towards the Chief.
They received three red stripes on their forehead. Zuko was sure he wouldn't want to know what the colour was made of. Standing on the entrance-wall, they awaited the arrival of the ships. It would be waterbending-battle first, holding the troops of from afar as long as possible. But as the first ship came in sight, so did a fireball, and it hit. It smashed a hole into the wall, sending them all stumbling and falling. From that moment on, Fireballs came raining down on the city frequently, destroying more and more buildings, bridges and pathways. Aang hurried to Appa to meet the ships for battle. The Waterbenders followed on boats. Several firenation-ships were destroyed or caught in ice. But there were far more than they could possibly handle.
The "volunteers" were called upon to receive their task. They were sent to infiltrate the firenation-navy in uniforms, Zuko was sure were really outdated. Sokka agreed with him by laughing as he saw the guy who proudly showed the uniform to the other fighters. Sokka explained that fire-navy uniforms wouldn't look like that anymore, and Zuko nodded in agreement. But the guy seemed to insist on staying stupid. He explained that the uniforms were the real thing, for they had actually belonged to firenation-navy-soldiers. "A hundred years ago, maybe…" Zuko put in. "Who are you, ha?" the guy went into his face. "Oh, no one. He's just the freakin' prince of the Firenation." Sokka hit back, causing literally everyone to stare on them. "He has changed sides…" Sokka therefor hurried to add.
The chief though called for silence and went on describing their task. They should find out the identity of the commanding officer. "Oh, I guess I can guess that name…" Zuko murmured "Zhao…" Sokka nodded in agreement "Who else would be so annoying…" he nodded. "I want you two to tell everything you know to Han." The Chief turned to Sokka and Zuko. Han was the guy who was wearing the ancient uniform, and had been given the task of leading the mission. Then Han was instructed to show them his respect, for the chief expected nothing less from his future son in low. Zuko simply knew that this would lead to disaster. If this Han-guy was the one promised to Princess Yue, and Yue not loving this guy, but Sokka, who loved her back but couldn't have her because of Han… well, it was bound to end in a catastrophe…
As the sun sank, the firenation-fleet stopped, giving them time to rest and do repairs. Zuko and Sokka tried to get as much information about the Firenation into that Han-kid's head, as they could think of. But Han didn't seem to be the quick-learning type. Even worse, that kid bragged about having courted a lot of girls, but he favoured Yue, because she was his way to the throne. Of course it ended in a fistfight between Sokka and Han. The chief finally separated them, much to Zuko's disappointment. He was just enjoying the thought about this Han-jerk getting the beating he deserved. Sokka and Zuko therefor were thrown off the mission, since Zuko had dared to step in, calling out: "What? This slug deserved it!" So the others went off without them. "Well, so at least we will survive…" Zuko tried to cheer Sokka up "With these uniforms they won't make it two steps on Zhao's boat…"
As Sokka went to sulk on his own, Zuko went to find the rest of the gang. He ran into them, as they followed princes Yue to a wooden door. "Where are we going?" he asked Katara. "Shouldn't you be on a mission, or something?" Katara asked back. "Sokka got us kicked out." Zuko shrugged "Better this way anyways… It was more or less suicide." Yue told them that she would take them to the most spiritual place in the entire north-pole and opened the wooden door for them. As they stepped through the door, they couldn't believe their eyes. In front of them was a green island, not covered with ice and snow, but with grass and bushes. They hurried towards it. It was far warmer there than outside. Aang threw himself on the grass laughing.
Inside a small pound two koi-fishes were circling each other. One was white with a dark dot on its head, the other black, with a white dot. Aang sat down and went into meditation to find his way to the spirit-world. Zuko sat down on the other side of the pound, watching the fish circling, while the girls whispered in the back. Aang got finally fed up with their constant whispering, asking for some quiet. It was only moments later he started to glow. "He made it." Katara explained to Yue. "He will be fine as long as we don't move his body. It is his door back to the physical world."
Unluckily daybreak came sooner than they had wished for. And as soon as the sun was up, the attack started over. Yue and Sokka came to see how they were doing. The princess seemed to have left to get some help protecting Aang, while he was in the spirit-world. "Can you handle this?" Zuko asked them "If so, I'll try to find something I can do to help…" Sokka nodded and so Zuko made his way back to the battle-site. As he arrived back he had to discover that the firenation-army had already closed in on the city. They had taken the first ring, and Paku and the other waterbenders did their best to hold the second. The tanks were there again. Katara had told them about their weakness, so Zuko hurried to pass the secret on to Paku and the other waterbenders. He did quite some running this day, hurrying wherever there were flames to put out or where he thought he could be of assistance.
He was dead-tired, once the sun sank. It really didn't help his bending at all, but it helped the waterbenders, reconquering their city step by step. It was then Zuko noticed some minor burns on himself, and that his breathing didn't hurt, despite all the running. Seemed like he would finally got back into shape. It was impressive to watch the waterbending-masters do their job. So he stood high on one of the bridges and watch. But suddenly something happened. And this something was not good. Not at all. The whole sky turned blood-red, all of a sudden. The waterbenders lost their bending-abilities and the firebending-abilities were strong as in daylight, despite it was still night. This was wrong, so wrong.
"Aang!" he called out, making his way back to the oasis as quickly as he could. Sure Aang was in trouble! This could not have happened otherwise. He came just in time to pay witness to Zhao threatening the moon-spirit he held in a sack. Aang and his friends had obviously just come out from hiding behind a bush or something like that. They tried to reason with Zhao, who wanted to kill the moon-spirit to defeat the watertribe once and for all, but Aang warned him that it would not only hurt the watertribe but would affect the whole world if they would lose the moon. But Zhao wouldn't listen and fried the poor fish in his sack with firebending. "No!" Zuko cried out, starting to attack Zhao and his henchmen, knocking the soldiers out with ease, since his Firebending was fuelled with rage now. Zhao did what he could do best and chickened out.
But it was too late anyways, the moon-spirit swam in the see, belly up, not moving and the sky had grown dark, so dark it was hard to see anything but shadows. But Aang started glowing again, and stepped into the water of the pound, not willing to give up yet. While the others watched him, Zuko hurried after Zhao. This monster would not escape without paying for his deeds! Suddenly the water beneath them started to glow in a perfect blue. Zuko noticed it, as he rushed after Zhao, who made his way back to his troops in a hurry. And then a creature appeared, made out of the glowing blue, destroying everyone who wouldn't bow to it in respect. The fire they threw at it went out as soon as the flames touched the blue skin, as if it would just be a burning match thrown at the ocean. Zhao continued fleeing from Zuko, until a fire-blast from the young prince stopped him in the run.
A battle broke out between them on the high walls of the city of ice. Zuko felt that he needed rest, but his anger about Zhao's acts were enough to keep him fighting. And Zhao was aware that he had already lost. So he was not the trouble Zuko had feared, since he was a Firebending Master and Zuko was not. And then suddenly, as Zuko threw Zhao back one ring after the next, the moon came back. Suddenly it was back and glowed prettier than ever on the dark-blue sky. Noticing that made Zuko's anger vanish, leaving him exhausted and tired. But Zhao hadn't backed away yet and was still attacking back with the same strength as before. And just as Zuko feared he had made a mistake, following Zhao, the blue glow raised from underneath the bridge they were standing on, like giant hands, picking Zhao up, as Zuko hurried away from its grip, lifting the Admiral up with ease.
"No!" Zuko cried out, hurrying back to safe Zhao, since despite the guy being a creep, he didn't deserve to die. But as he reached out for Zhao to pull him back to safety, Zhao pulled his hand back. He was too proud to take Zuko's help so he chose death instead. Zuko watched with horror, as the blue glow pulled Zhao into the water and then vanished. The war was over, and they had defeated the attackers, but to what price? A lot were injured, some missing, some dead, including Yue, who had given her life to the moon-spirit. And all the damage they had to face now. It was devastating. As he made his way back up to the inner circle to meet the others again, he noticed he needed rest soon. He arrived up at the throne room where the others where, just as the sun was rising again.
Master Paku told Katara he had decided to leave the Northern Watertribe and go to the south-pole together with some other benders and healers to rebuild the tribe. Aang would have to learn from Katara from now on, Paku decided, since she had developed to be a Master Waterbender now. Yue's father was sad about his daughter's sacrifice, but proud she had shown the bravery to give her own life for the sake of the world. So they bade farewell to the Northern watertribe to continue their journey, provided with enough food for the next days. "Where to now?" Zuko asked, as they were back on Appa's saddle. Katara was busy healing the burns Zhao had caused him. "Now we have to find someone to teach Aang earthbending." Sokka answered "So, off to the earth-kingdom." "We have been there the whole time before…" Zuko complained "Couldn't we have picked someone up on the way?"