[This transcription is an exact replication of the one found on AvatarSpirit.net. This page is a tool for further exploration after the initial reading.]Act I

(Episode opens with a shot of the sun setting over a range of hills that have trees and a creek spread out before it. The camera tilts down to show Appa and the gang, now including Toph, sitting in what looks like a dried up section the creek. There is a bunch of white fur around Appa's feet. Cut to a shot of Appa from his right side at an angle so his back is closest and his head is furthest. Aang sits in the basket and is passing a sleeping bag down to Sokka. Katara walks around Appa's head to the same side. Toph appears from the left and is closest to the camera.)

Toph: Hey, you guys picked a great campsite. (cut to a shot of Toph's feet in the pile of white fur) The grass is so soft.

(Cut to a shot that shows the full of Appa from his right side showing all four of them.)

Sokka: That's not grass. Appa's shedding.
Katara: (Lifting her right foot out of the fur and balancing on her left) Oh, gross!
Aang: That's not gross; it's just a part of spring.

(Shot cuts to Aang atop Appa as a light melodious tone plays softly. A blue bird lands gracefully on his head and a yellow butterfly flutters by his right ear which Momo jumps up in an attempt to snatch.)

Aang: You know, rebirth, flowers blooming, and Appa gets a new coat!

(Cut to a shot of Appa's head, Katara stands to its left.)

Katara: Ah, the beauty of spring. (Appa, who sticks his tongue out to reveal it's covered in fur, sneezes, blowing fur everywhere.) Stop, Appa, stop!

(She coughs, and waves her arms to stop Appa from covering her in hair even more. Shot pans over to Sokka who is kneeling and rubbing fur on his head.)

Sokka: It's not that bad, Katara. (He stands to reveal he has piled the fur on his head to form a tall pillar of hair in a very Marge Simpson like fashion.) It makes a great wig!
Aang: (Dropping into the shot from atop Appa, he has arranged the fur on his face to form a large mustache and beard.) And a great beard!

(Sokka and Aang point and laugh at each other. Shot changes to Katara who is not smiling and begins to whip the fur off her sleeve.)
Katara: (unamused) I'm just glad we finally have another girl in the group because you two are disgusting.

(Cut back to Aang and Sokka who are both slightly hunched with one arm over the other's shoulder.)

Toph: Excuse me, (She walks in between the two breaking them apar.) does anyone have a razor... (She lifts both arms to reveal a mass of white fur emerging out of both of her sleeves, under her arms) ...because I've got some hairy pits!

(All three of them laugh until Aang gives one of his powerful airbending sneezes, thrusting him backwards into Appa's leg and then falling face down on the ground. He lifts his head to reveal his beard and mustache are gone but he now has a large mass of fur sticking jaggedly up on his back. All three begin laughing again. Cut to Katara who at first looks disgusted, but quickly joins in the laughter.

Fade into a shot of the same setting at night where Aang, Sokka, and Katara are setting up camp. Sokka is carrying some firewood, Aang, with a blast of air, sets up the tent, and Katara is swirling some water in a large pot. They all eventually stop and look o.c. Shot cuts to show Toph laying lazily against a rock with her legs crossed, arms behind her head, and a piece of straw casually hanging from her mouth. Cut back to a close up of Katara at her pot who looks slightly annoyed and stands up. Shot changes to a view from behind Toph's head. Katara enters the shot in front of Toph.)

Katara: So, Toph, usually when setting up camp we try to divide up the work.
Toph: (Cut to her lying down) Hey, don't worry about me, I'm good to go.
Katara: (Cut back to her, Aang and Sokka can be seen working again in the background) Well, actually, what I'm trying to say is, uh, some of us might fetch water while someone else might set up the fire pit or put up the tent. (Momo flies down dropping nuts into Katara's hand and flutters by her head.) Even Momo does his fair share.
Toph: (Cut back to her as she takes the straw from her mouth) Katara, I'm fine. I can carry my own weight. I don't need a fire, I've already collected my own food, and look, (Now sitting upright, she uses her earthbending to create a stone tent.) my tent's all set up.
Katara: (Cut back to her, as she becomes steadily more annoyed) Well, that's great for you, but we still need to finish...

(Cut to a shot of the both of them from the side, Toph sitting just outside her stone tent.)

Toph: (Irritated) I don't understand. What's the problem here?
Katara: Never mind.

(She walks away as Toph earthbends herself back into her tent. Fade in to Sokka and Aang setting up camp apparently a little time later. Aang stands on Appa's head while Sokka stands on the ground. Using airbending, Aang lifts Appa's basket off his back and attempts to lower it down to Sokka, but accidentally drops it on top of him.)

Sokka: Aaaah!
Aang: (Leaping down to lift the basket off him.) Sorry!
(Shot cuts to Katara who places down her pot of water and looks over to Toph by her stone tent. Cut to Katara's face who smiles slightly before the shot changes to Toph eating something in front of her tent while Katara walks over to her.)

Katara: Hey Toph, I wanted to apologize for earlier. I think we're all just a little tired and getting on each others' nerves.
Toph: Yeah, you do seem pretty tired.

(Cut to Katara's aggravated face.)

Katara: (angrily) I meant all of us.

(Cut to a shot from insider Toph's tent showing her back and Katara standing outside it.)

Toph: Well, goodnight.

(She turns around and lays done on her chest inside.)

Katara: (half-heartedly) Goodnight.

(She walks away o.c.. Fade to a night scene. Aang is sleeping on Appa's front right arm, Momo is curled up on Appa's head, Sokka and Katara are sleeping inside their tent, and Toph is across the camp asleep in her tent. Cut to a shot of Toph asleep in her tent. Quite suddenly she awakes and gasps, rising to her knees and feeling the ground with her hand. Cut to a shot of her hand as she feels, then cut to her right ear as she listens carefully. Shot cuts back to her inside the tent as she rises, turns, and runs out.)

Toph: There's something coming toward us!

(Cut to a shot of Appa and the tent. Aang wakes and looks up, Momo does the same. Katara and Sokka emerge from their tent.)

Aang: What is it?

(Cut to Toph standing in the middle of the camp, she kneels to the ground again to feel it.)
Toph: It feels like an avalanche... (Aang, Katara, and Sokka all enter the shot and stand behind her) But also not like an avalanche.
Sokka: Your powers of perception are frightening.
Katara: Should we leave?
Aang: Better safe than sorry.

(Cut to an overhead shot of the tree line where, just beyond it, something is moving rapidly in their direction across an open area of ground, kicking up a large cloud of dust in its wake. Appa flies up into the shot from below. Cut to a shot of Aang sitting on Appa's head. He turns around and squints his eyes to see their pursuer. Cut to a shot of the saddle where Sokka Katara and Toph are riding. We see all four of them looking back beyond.)

Katara: What is that thing?

(Cut to a shot of the thing chasing them. It's a large train-like tank with smoke pouring out of it's smokestack. It has two large compartments connected to it, trailing behind. All have large treads. The machine is moving very quickly for its size.

Cut to shot of the moon in the cloudy sky, partially blocked by them. Appa flies into the shot from the left and flies through. It is later that night. Shot cuts to Aang holding Appa's reigns. He now has bags under his eyes and yawns deeply. Cut to Sokka who is using his right arm to support his head. Cut to the back end of the saddle, we see Toph holding the side of it while Katara sits in the middle. They both are trying to stay awake. Cut back to Appa flying through the sky over a range of hills below.

Fade to Appa descending onto one of the hills a little bit later. Once all six paws are on the ground, Toph jumps out of the saddle and lays flat on the ground. The other three climb out as well.)

Toph: Ahh, land, sweet land! (Using earthbending to propel herself to her feet and slinging her bag over her shoulder.) See you guys in the morning!
Katara: Actually, can you help us unload?
Toph: (Cut to her looking back.) Really? You need me to help unload Sokka's funky-smelling sleeping bag?

(Cut to Katara and Sokka standing beside Appa. Aang, of screen, hands down Sokka's sleeping bag to him. He takes a few sniffs, twitches in disgust making a matching facial expression, and falls backward.)

Katara: Well, yeah. (Cut to Toph while Katara approaches her from the right) That and everything else. You're a part of our team now and...
Toph: (Irritated) Look. (Pointing at Katara) I didn't ask you to help unload my stuff. I'm carrying my own weight.

(Toph walks left off screen.)

Katara: (Hand on her hips.) That's not the point.

(The camera cuts to and follows Katara from her right as she walks from left to right approaching Toph. When she reaches her it stops at a side view of both of them.)

Katara: Ever since joining us you've been nothing but selfish and unhelpful.
Toph: What? (Doing a half turn and pointing at Katara again.) Look here, sugar queen, (Drops arm and continues, Katara makes a gesture like she wants to interject.) I gave up everything I had so that I could teach Aang earthbending, so don't you talk to me about being selfish!

(Camera backs away slightly to show Toph sitting quickly and making another stone tent around herself.)

Katara: Sugar Queen! (Toph closes off her rock tent by brining a slab of earth up to cover the opening to Katara.) D-Did you just slam the door in my face!

(Shot cuts to show the tent from the front farther away with Katara moving erratically about it grumbling. Closer, we see the back of Sokka, Aang, and Momo as they watch on.)

Katara: How can you be so infuriating!

(She continues to grumble while the others speak.)

Aang: (Hesitant) Should we... do something?
Sokka: Hey, I'm just enjoying the show.

(Cut to Katara pounding on the "door" of the tent as Aang walks up to her from the left.)

Aang: Okay, okay, you both need to calm down.
Katara: (Cut to the back of her head) Both? (Shouting, turning quickly to show a hysterical face.) I'm completely calm!

(Cut to a view just over Katara's shoulder of Aang standing very still and erect. He begins to back slowly o.c. as he replies)

Aang: I... can see that.

(Cut to a shot of the nighttime sky through the trees. Then cut to Aang Sokka and Katara lying on the ground, the latter two in sleeping bags. Katara stares awake at the sky.)

Katara: The stars sure are beautiful tonight.

(Sokka next to her wakes up aggravated and covers his head in his bag to drown out the noise.)

Katara: Too bad you can't see them, Toph!

(Cut to a shot of Toph's tent. We hear a grunt and see a rumble of earth emerge from her tent and crawl quickly across the ground, the camera follows it, as it strikes Katara's sleeping bag causing it to fly upwards and land on top of Sokka. Cut to a closer shot of Sokka, who flips his sister off him.)

Sokka: Hey, how is a guy supposed to sleep with all this yelling and earthquaking!

(Cut to front of Toph's stone tent as she brings the "door" down and emerges, placing her hand on the ground.)

Toph: That thing is back!

(Cut back to the Aang, Katara, and Sokka all sitting up and looking off screen at Toph.)

Sokka: Well, how far away is it? (Covering his head again, muffling his voice slightly) Maybe we can close our eyes just for a few minutes.

(Shot pans up over the tree to see the smoke from the machine's stack in the distance.)

Aang: (urgently in voice over) I don't think so, Sokka.

(Cut to Appa flying over trees and hills again, away from the smoke cloud. Cut to a close up of the machine from the side as it moves powerfully and swiftly across the terrain. Cut to a shot of the rear of Appa's saddle, where Toph and Katara lay over the piles of strapped down supplies and equipment.)

Katara: Seriously, what is that thing?
Toph: And how does it keep finding us?

(Cut to the front of the saddle, Aang leans over front lip of it while Sokka is asleep and snoring in it.)

Aang: I don't know, but this time I'm going to make sure we lose 'em.

(Cut to various shots of Appa flying over the hills again. Finally, the last shot is of Appa landing on a large circular patch of land on a hill. When he does, he falls over on his side spilling out the company in his saddle. Aang, Katara, and Toph simply stay lying where they fell. Sokka pulls out his sleeping bag and stuffs himself in it. )

Sokka: Okay, forget about setting up camp. I'm finding the softest pile of dirt and going to sleep.
Katara: (Cut to her as she pulls a bag close to lay her head on it) That's good, because Toph wasn't going to help anyway.
Toph: (Cut to her laying face up with her head on her bag.) Oh, I didn't realize baby still needed someone to tuck her in bed.
Aang: (Cut to an over head shot of Aang, Katara, and Toph all lying down.) Come on guys, there's something after us and we don't even know what (covers his head with the top of his shirt, muffling his voice) or who it is.
Katara: It could be Zuko. We haven't seen him since the North Pole.
Toph: Who's Zuko?
Sokka: (Cut to him in his bag from the front, his head perched up on the ground.) Oh, just some angry freak with a ponytail who's tracked us all over the world.

(Sokka puts his head face down in the dirt.)

Katara: (jokingly) What's wrong with ponytails, ponytail?
Sokka: (gesturing to his hair, speaking in a muffled voice) This is a warrior's wolf tail.
Katara: Well, it certainly tells the other warriors that you're fun and perky!

(Cut to a far shot of the group and Appa all lying down.)

Sokka: Anyway, whoever's chasing us, they couldn't have followed us here. So... now would everyone just (cut to him with finger to mouth) shhh!

(Sokka lies down as Momo jumps on him and chirps.) No, Momo, ssh! Sleepy time.

(Momo jumps off Sokka and continues to chirp. Shot cuts to him jumping around moving away from the group, his ears twitching. Cut back to the group, Aang standing. Sokka lays his head down again, muffling his voice.)

Sokka: Aww, don't tell me...

(Toph and Katara get up.)

Aang: That's impossible. There's no way they could have tracked us.
Toph: I can feel it with my own two feet!

(Aang runs to the right o.c.. Shot cuts to him standing beside Momo on the ledge to get a better look. Camera pans up to show the cloud of smoke, once again, approaching from the distance. Cut to close up of the machine as it crawls over a hill and continues to approach. Cut back to the ledge where, from left to right, Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Toph look down on their pursuer.)

Katara: Let's get out of here!
Aang: Maybe we should face them. Find out who they are. Who knows, maybe they're friendly.
Sokka: Always the optimist.

(Cut to the machine from the side as it abruptly stops moving. The side of the final compartment opens. White smoke pours out and a ramp descends. In the smoke, three figures are visible. The three figures descend the ramp out of the smoke, the middle one in the lead. They ride giant lizards. Shot cuts to a view of the riders as they file into the shot from the right. First Ty Lee, then Mai, followed finally by Azula. Cut to a close-up of Aang and Katara's stunned faces, the bags in their eyes very visible now. Then cut to a long shot of the hill where the gang stands and it pans down to follow a path down the hill to the bottom where we see the backs of the three girls. Then, cut to a close up of Azula's emotionless face.

Cut to black for commercial break.)



Act II

(Show returns with a shot of the three girls sitting in front of the machine. With a little grunt from their lizard mounts, they move forward. Shot cuts to a view from atop the machine, showing again the path from where it sits up to the area Appa and the gang are camped. Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee ride their creatures up the path at remarkable speed. Cut to an overhead shot of the three riding. Then another shot of the riding girls from the side, Mai closest, Ty Lee farthest. Cut back to Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Toph standing on the ledge looking down at the girls.)

Katara: It's those three girls from Omashu!

(All four assume their own unique battle stances, Sokka having drawn his boomerang.)

Toph: We can take 'em. Three on three.
Sokka: Actually, Toph, there's four of us.

(Cut to side shot of the four, Toph closest, Aang furthest. Sokka looks inquisitively at Toph while remaining in his battle stance.)

Toph: Oh. I'm sorry, I didn't count you. You know, no bending and all.
Sokka: (Dropping his stance and making a furious expression at Toph, while shouting in an equally furious way) I can still fight!
Toph: Okay. Three on three plus Sokka.

(Sokka growls furiously while his face turns red. Shot cuts to a view from behind the group to show the path down the hill again and the three girls proceeding up it quickly. Cut to a view of Toph who jabs her arms and fists in the air three times, while on the third opening her palms. Shot cuts to show the ground under Toph as a large rumble of earth descends down from her position, blasting rock everywhere. Cut to a frontal shot of the mounted girls riding forward quickly. Large rock formations rise from the ground to impede them but they simply ride over each one. Cut back to the ledge. We only see Sokka and Toph.)

Sokka: Well, we wanted to find out who they were. We found out. (Sheathing his boomerang and turning around.) Now let's get out of here.

(Aang, Sokka, and Katara run back o.c. to Appa. Toph, however, does not. She once again assumes an earthbending stance and stomps the ground once. Shot cuts to an overhead shot of the path up the hill. A large wall of earth rises up to block the path. Cut to frontal shot of Azula who moves her right arm under herself while blue electricity sparkles around it then brings her left arm over and across her chest. She releases a blast of lightning which destroys a portion of the wall which the girls ride through to continue their pursuit.

Cut back to side shot of Appa and the gang. Katara, Momo, and Aang are already in the saddle, Sokka is on the ground holding his sleeping bag, Toph remains at the edge of the rock looking in amazement. Cut to a shot of Mai who raises her left arm and releases four arrows from her wrists. Shot cuts to show these heading directly for Toph. A new shot shows her earthbend and cause the ground under her to rise quickly propelling her upward. The arrows hit the rock. Shot cuts to Appa as Toph lands in the basket.)

Aang: Appa, yip yip!

(Appa begins to fly o.c. Cut to Appa flying away from the hill just as a blast of blue fire emerges from the dust cloud Toph's earthbending created. Cut to shot of Azula with her right arm pointing up, her middle and index fingers extended. She lowers her arm and looks on as shot fades into Appa's sleepy face flying through the night. Shot pans up to see the basket where Sokka, Katara, and Toph all lean against various things. Aang is in the "driver's seat" on Appa's head.)

Katara: I can't believe those girls followed us all the way from Omashu.

(Cut to shot of Toph and Katara in the saddle.)

Toph: I still think we could've taken them.
Katara: Are you kidding? The crazy blue firebending and the flying daggers are bad enough, but last time we saw them (Cut to her alone) one of those girls did something that took my bending away. That's scary.

(Cut to shot of Appa flying over hills as the sun rises over the biggest one.)

Sokka: Oh no, the sun is rising! (Cut to shot of the basket, Sokka sitting at the lip of it gesturing to the sun off screen) We've been up all night with no sleep.
Aang: Sokka, we'll be okay.
Sokka: (Speaking desperately, shot cuts to him making erratic arm movements and crazy facial expressions) Are you sure!? I've never not slept before! What if I fall asleep now and something happens? And something always happens!
Katara: (Cut to shot of her and Toph) Every time we land, those girls are there, so we'll just have to keep flying.
Aang: (Cut to Appa flying over the hills with the rising sun in the background) We can't keep flying forever.

(Cut to a shot of two flowers in a grassland. Suddenly, the bottom of the tank train passes through the shot from right to left, the treads ripping the flowers away. We then see a larger shot of the grasslands as the tank passes with incredible speed leaving large tracks. We cut to a close shot of one of these tracks as, just beside it, we see the feet of a very familiar ostrich horse following. Cut to a shot of Zuko who at first has his head bowed but raises it with a look of determination on his face. Shot cuts to an overhead view of the grassland, the tracks from the tank going the whole length. Zuko rides beside the tracks following the cloud of smoke in the distance.

Fade to shot of Appa flying over clouds.)

Aang: (yawns) So, what's the plan?

(Cut to Toph slumped against the rim of Appa's basket, her face visible through one of the holes.)

Toph: Don't know... too tired to think.

(Cut to back of Appa's basket, Katara and Sokka lay against the strapped down pile of bags.)

Katara: I'm sure we'll come up with something after a short nap.
Sokka: Yes! Sleep!

(Suddenly, Katara and Sokka begin to rise as clouds rush by from the bottom of the screen to the top; Appa is falling. Camera pans right to Toph and Momo who are also rising as the bison they we're lying on falls away. Toph clings to the side of the basket, Momo clings to her foot.)

Toph (shouting): What's going on!

(Pan right to Aang who is holding on to the reigns while falling feet higher than Appa.)

Aang: Appa fell asleep!

(Cut to side shot of the falling bison. The kids try desperately to keep from falling away from him; Katara holds her brother's hand as he grips the bags. They all scream loudly. Cut to Sokka holding the bags while Katara holds his hand. Sokka pulls his sister closer to him and she grabs his chest and holds on tight. Shot cuts to Appa's sleeping face as Aang crawls down his forehead to look him in the eyes.)

Aang: Wake up, buddy!

(Shot cuts to an overhead view as the bison plummets to the ground. Cut to one of Appa's eyes as it slowly opens. Another shot shows the bison stop abruptly in its fall at the top of a tree line. Cut to the saddle as the falling kids land on the saddle as it stops falling. They cling to it, but are almost blown out of the saddle as the bison races forward. Shot cuts to Appa crashing through trees as he tries to slow down. Then individual shots of Toph, Sokka and Katara, and Aang as they brace from the branches and limbs that are crashing into them. Shot cuts to birds flying away from the trees, then pans down to show Appa having created a large trench behind him in his crash landing.

Cut to Appa's head lying on the ground, he's fallen asleep again. Aang slides down off the bison's head and walks away slowly.)

Aang: Appa's exhausted.

(Cut to Sokka and Katara walking away from Appa with their sleeping bags.)

Sokka: Okay, we've put a lot of distance between us and them. The plan now is to follow Appa's lead and get some sleep.
Katara: Of course, we could have gotten some sleep earlier (Cut to shot of Toph on her stomach asleep on the ground) if Toph didn't have such issues.
Toph: (Screaming, and springing awake slamming her hands on the ground causing it to break a little) What!?

(Cut to Toph, who stands up, and Aang approaching from the front of Appa's head.)

Aang: Alright, alright! Everyone's exhausted. Let's just get some rest.
Toph: No! I want to hear what Katara has to say. You think I have issues?
Katara: (Cut to her with an annoyed yet sarcastically placid face) I'm just saying, maybe if you helped out earlier we could've set up our camp faster and gotten some sleep and then maybe we wouldn't be in this situation!

(Cut to shot of the whole "camp" area. Sokka is off to the side rolling out his sleeping bag and falling down asleep. Katara and Toph stand next to Appa having a stand-off while Aang stands by Appa's head watching.)

Toph: You're blaming me for this!?

(Cut to Katara who throws down her sleeping bag and waves her hands back and forth in a "bring it on" gesture while Toph, fists clenched, enters the shot advancing on her. Aang zips in between them, trying to stop the fighting.)

Aang: No, no! She's not blaming you!
Katara: No, I'm blaming her!
Toph: Hey!

(With one hand, she throws Aang off screen. Shot cuts to Toph and Katara's faces each glaring at each other.)

Toph: I never asked you for diddly doo da. I carry my own weight!

(Shot cuts to full shot of Appa from behind, Aang sitting on top of him having been thrown there and Toph and Katara beside him.)

Toph: Besides, if there's anyone to blame, it's sheddy over here!
Aang: What? You're blaming Appa?!

(Cut to shot of Toph walking over to Appa's side.)

Toph: Yeah! You wanna know how they keep finding us?

(She grabs a bunch of hair from Appa's side and opens her palm to let it blow away in the breeze.)

Toph: He's leaving a trail everywhere we go!

(Cut to shot of Appa form the side, we see Toph's back and Aang on top of the bison as he jumps down and shouts at her.)

Aang: How dare you blame Appa! He saved your life three times today! If there's anyone to blame, it's you! You're always talking about how you carry your own weight, but you're not! He is! Appa's carrying your weight! (Camera zooms in on him) He never had a problem flying when (cut to Toph from over Aang's shoulder) it was just the three of us!

(Toph stands for a second then walks away off screen. Shot cuts to view of the camp again, Sokka now awake and standing. Toph approaches her bag and kicks the ground causing it to fly up into her arms via earthbending.)

Toph: I'm outta here.

(Cut to shot of Toph from the front as she walks away. Sokka runs in and stands in front of her.)

Sokka: Wait.

(Cut to shot of Sokka standing in front of Toph, arms raised from the side. Toph taps the ground with her feet causing the ground under Sokka to move to the side along with him. She continues to walk away.

Shot cuts to the sky as Appa's hairs drifts down to the ground. As the camera pans low, we see the tank zooming toward it, following the hair.

Shot cuts back to Aang who is raising his arms to the sky, his eyes black and watery.)

Aang: What did I just do!?

(He falls down to sit, shot cuts to side to show him and Katara who is standing.)

Aang: I can't believe I yelled at my earthbending teacher. Now she's gone.
Katara: I know. We're all just trying to get used to each other, and I was so mean to her.
Sokka: (Cut to him drinking from a cup, the other two visible over his shoulder) Yeah, you two were pretty much jerks.
Katara: (Sarcastically) Thanks, Sokka.
Sokka: No problem.
Katara: We need to find Toph and apologize.
Sokka: Okay, but what are we going to do about the tank full of dangerous ladies chasing us?

(Cut to Aang's hand pulling fur off of Appa, then to him opening his palm to let it flutter away in the breeze.)

Aang: I have a plan.

(Fade to Appa sitting in a river being washed. Aang and Katara stand on each of the banks using waterbending to create spouts of water that rise and splash onto the bison's back. Sokka stands next to Appa's head with a scrubbing stick. Shot cuts to stones in the river that the fur has caught on as it flowed down stream. Shot cuts to Momo who has a scrubber on his feet as he flutters down to land on Appa's back and scrub him. The stream of water, however, moves up Appa's back toward him and he quickly flies away to avoid it. Shot cuts to Appa's head which Sokka is scrubbing as Momo flies away. The stream of water instead showers Sokka who groans.

Shot cuts to the sky again and slowly pans down as Aang speaks eventually stopping to show Appa standing next to the river, his fur wet and hanging heavily instead of fluffy.)

Aang: Toph was right. Appa's fur was leaving a trail right to us. But now that he's clean, no more trail!
Katara: Are you sure that he's okay to fly?
Aang: (Cut to him standing next to Appa's wet head) He'll be fine as long as we leave his saddle and all our stuff here. (He moves to a pile of fur and places it into a bag) I'm going to use Appa's fur to make a fake trail and lead the tank off course.

(Cut to the tree line as Appa grunts and takes off. He doesn't manage to clear the closest trees and hits them, causing their tops to beak off and crash below. Aang walks into the shot watching him fly away, then turns around and walks. Shot cuts to show Aang running and taking off on his glider while white furs drops from him.

Shot cuts to a view of mountains and pans down to reveal Toph walking along between rocks and trees. When the shot cuts to show her again from the side, she halts. Cut to a shot of her feet to acknowledge she feels a vibration in the earth. Her feet then turn to the left. Cut to her face as the camera revolves slightly around her head. She takes a breath as the shot cuts to her in full as she earthbends quickly, causing a rumble of earth to jet across the ground to her left. Shot cuts to show the rumble hit a rock and cause a huge dust cloud to emerge behind it. A loud grunt is herd. Shot cuts to show, behind the rock, Iroh lying on the ground massaging his behind. Cut to view of Iroh on the ground from the front, his hair and beard are no longer nice and tidy, but long, shaggy, and unkempt. Toph stands in a stance on the rock behind him.)

Iroh: Ohhh... That really hurt my tailbone.

(Cut to the river and rocks again, the fur is still clinging to the rocks. A long nailed hand reaches in and feels some of this as Mai speaks off screen.)

Mai: Wads of wet fur. (Cut to show the three girls, Azula kneeling examining the fur while Ty Lee and Mai stand behind her.) How delightful.
Ty Lee: Hmm... They're not wads, more like... bundles. (Azula stands and looks around) Or bunches... It's got an "uh" sound.

(Azula walks off screen, there is a slight pause.)

Mai: Clumps?
Ty Lee: (Delighted) Clumps! (she jumps forward grabbing Mai around the neck in a hug.) They're clumps!

(Cut to Mai's blank face over Ty Lee's shoulder. She looks down, shot cuts to show the path of fur Aang made as he flew away. Shot cuts to Azula kneeling again, examining the fur as Ty Lee and Mai, in the background, break apart.)

Mai: The trail goes this way.

(Azula stands. Shot cuts to her head looking one direction then turns to look another. Shot cuts to a view of the tree tops Appa crashed into when taking off, Azula below looking at them. Then cut back to her as she turns to address her comrades.)

Azula: The Avatar is trying to give us the slip. (Pointing at the tree tops) You two head in that direction and keep your eye out for the bison. (Cut to shot of the fur trail again) I'll follow this trail.

(After a quick shot of Azula's determined face, the shot cuts to show Ty Lee and Mai riding their lizards down a trail. Once the two disappear from the shot, Azula's lizard enters it. Camera pans up to show her as she whips the reigns and creature dashes away. Cut to shot of the river band, the machine sitting away from it with steam pouring out of its stack. Two lizards ride off one way, one going to the other. Cut to Azula riding directly at the camera then to black as she meets it.

Fade to black for commercial break.)



Act III

(The shows returns to Aang gliding over the treetops. He is dropping Appa fur as he goes. The terrain below shifts from forest to desert, then cut to a close shot of the pouch of Appa fur strapped to Aang's body. The camera tilts up to show Aang's haggard face. He checks to make sure the fur is still escaping then bag, then looks forward resolutely. Cut to wide shot of Aang gliding towards a walled ghost town ahead of him in the distance.

The Avatar lands and folds up his glider. He walks down the towns main drag. The buildings have been damaged and there is debris everywhere. Shutters flap desolately on a window. A bell hanging on a porch rings in the wind. The town is deserted.

Shaking the last bits of fur out his bag, Aang opens his glider to leave, but stops himself. He turns and looks back down the trail of fur leading out of the ghost town. He thinks a moment, then closes his glider and sits cross legged at the end of the trail, waiting to face his pursuers.

Cut to Appa gliding among the trees. He looks exhausted. Sokka is in the saddle and Katara has the reigns. Cut Sokka moving around in the saddle to look out over the landscape from various angles.)

Sokka: Toph couldn't have made it too far. (Momo begins screeching.) What is it, Momo... oh no! Katara!

(Cut to an overhead shot from behind Sokka. Below them Mai and Ty Lee are in close pursuit on their lizards. Cut to Katara holding Appa's reigns.)

Katara: How did they find us?

(Katara shakes Appa's reigns, then cut to a profile shot of Mai and Ty Lee riding their lizards, both wearing expressions of determination.

Shift to a wide shot of Appa and the water tribe siblings. The bison is angling downward.)

Sokka: Appa, come on! We need to go faster!
Katara: He's too tired!
Sokka: Not good, not good!

(Cut back to Appa yawning, followed by a quick shot of the pursuers, then a rear shot from behind Appa that shows a river up ahead.)

Sokka: We just need to make it across that river!

(Another side shot of Appa shows him taking the tops off trees as he continues to descend.)

Katara: Come on, Appa, just a little further!

(The pursuers are now right below them. Mai throws several stilettos at Sokka, but he avoids them. Appa plows into the river and then into the far bank, leaving a deep trench in the earth. When he stops sliding, he is already asleep. The kids and Momo stand up and look to the other side of the river. Cut to a shot from the opposite bank, Appa's tail visible on the other side. Sokka and speak from o.c.)

Sokka: (voice over) We made it! We're safe!
Katara: (voice over) You did it, Appa!

(Cut to Sokka and Katara. They hug, then Katara gasps at what she's o.c. over her brother's shoulder.

Cut to a wide shot of their pursuers riding to the edge of the opposite bank. When they reach the river, their mounts rise up on two legs and run across the water. Katara launches a huge wave at them. The wave hits Ty Lee's mount, but the acrobat jumps gracefully off before the wave hits.

Ty Lee emerges from the top of the wave and lands among the nearby trees. She jumps from tree to tree, getting closer to Katara each time. Katara opens her water bottle and tries to whip the bubbly Fire Nation girl, but then has to dodge several strikes her opponent who is now in front of her. Katara then launches several sheets of water at Ty Lee, but she performs a series of somersaults and avoids them easily.

Cut quickly to Mai who has reached the near bank of the river on her mount and shoots several stilettos at targets o.c.

Shift again to a wider shot of Ty Lee closing in on Katara with a series of gymnastic maneuvers. Both girls turn as Sokka gets between them and the camera as Mai's stilettos fly into the camera, apparently aimed at Katara. Sokka destroys them with his club and boomerang before they strike. He throws his boomerang at her. Mai jumps off her mount, the boomerang flying through where she had just been sitting. She launches more stilettos at Sokka which he promptly destroys with his club. Mai then launches herself at Katara.

Cut to Ty Lee running at the camera. A ruthless grin on her face, she does a series of somersaults and jumps into the air. She comes down, then cut to a wide shot of her and Sokka. With a couple of rapid moves she renders Sokka's right arm useless. He drops the boomerang that was in his right hand, turns, and quickly finds his left arms useless as well, his club falling out of his left hand. He tries to kick her, but she deadens that as well. Then, as she tries to strike again, he head butts her outstretched hand. She pulls it back with an expression of intense pain.

She gets over it and then looks daggers at her opponent. Cut to her p.o.v. as Sokka replies.)

Sokka: Good try, but no.

(Cut to Katara who runs over to a tree on the edge of the river. She gathers up a wave of water from the river, but her arms are quickly pinned to the tree by stilettos thrown by Mai. The camera tilts to show Katara's frightened face.

A wide shot reveals Mai standing patiently several feet from Katara. A moment later Sokka hops into the picture and collapses between his sister and Mai, his behind sticking up into the air. Ty Lee enters from the right at a relaxed pace. Cut to a shot with Sokka prostrate in the foreground, Katara held fast to the tree behind him. Both look frightened and stare o.c. at their captors.)

Sokka: How ya doing?
Katara: (in a frenetic voice) Well, you know!

(Cut to a shot of Mai in the foreground, arms crossed, and Ty Lee in the background, hands on her hips. Both look o.c. at their prisoners.)

Mai: I thought when Ty Lee and I finally caught you guys (she slumps a bit and looks down in disappointment) it would be more exciting. Oh well, victory is boring.

(Suddenly, a blast of air blows Mai and Ty Lee out of the frame. Both scream as they land in the river some distance away.

Cut back to the kids and Appa, the latter of whom is now awake. He turns around to face them.)

Sokka: Thanks Appa. I don't know what we'd do without you.

(Appa responds with a tremendous lick which leaves Sokka sopping.

Cut to a wide overhead shot of Mai and Ty Lee emerging from the river away from the others, then a closer shot of them resting on the bank. Ty Lee is wringing her braid out.)

Ty Lee: (turning to Mai) Was it just me, or was that guy kinda cute?

(Cut to an afternoon shot of the ghost town where Aang waits patiently. The wind ruffles his clothes. Cut to a close up shot of his resolute face. A paid succession of shots from behind Aang, then of the trail of fur, then of Azula approaching in the distance on her lizard pass by. She reaches the main drag of the town and dismounts. Cut to a pan right overhead of the two as they face each other across the length of the main drag.)

Aang: Alright, you've caught up with me. Now who are you and what do you want?

(Cut to a shot tilting up of Azula.)

Azula: You mean you haven't guessed? You don't see the family resemblance? Here's a hint. (In an imitation of Zuko's voice) I must find the Avatar to restore my honor. (Cut to a shot of Aang who is nonplussed, then back to Azula) It's okay. You can laugh. It's funny.
Aang: So what now?
Azula: Now... Now it's over. You're tired and you have no place to go. You can run, but I'll catch you.
Aang: (standing up) I'm not running.

(Cut to a close up of Azula's mouth, the sun visible over her right shoulder. A cruel smile spreads over her face as the breeze blows a strand of her hair.

Cut to a mountain scene, the afternoon sun overhead. Toph and Iroh sit around a campfire on a rock ledge overlooking the scene. Iroh pours tea for them both. He offers her the cup, but she doesn't take it immediately.)

Iroh: Here is your tea. You seem a little too young to be traveling alone.
Toph: (she takes it) You seem a little too old.
Iroh: (laughs) Perhaps I am.
Toph: I know what you're thinking. I look like I can't handle being by myself.
Iroh: I wasn't thinking that.
Toph: You wouldn't even let me pour my own cup of tea.

(Toph takes a sip of her tea.)

Iroh: I poured your tea because I wanted to (making an emphatic gesture with his hand) and for no other reason.
Toph: People see me and think I'm weak. They want to take care of me. But I can take care of myself by myself.
Iroh: You sound like my nephew. (cut to a pan right shot of the landscape, Iroh continues in voice over) Always thinking you need to do things on your own without anyone's support. There is nothing wrong with letting people who love you help you. (cut back to a shot of the pair) Not that I love you; I just met you.
Toph: (laughs) So, where is your nephew?
Iroh: I've been tracking him, actually.
Toph: Is he lost?
Iroh: (looking o.c. with a concerned look) Yes, a little bit. His life has recently changed and he's going through very difficult times. He is trying to figure out who he is and he went away.
Toph: So... now you're following him.
Iroh: I know he doesn't want me around right now, but, if he needs me, I'll be there.
Toph: Your nephew is very lucky, even if he doesn't know it. (standing up) Thank you.
Iroh: My pleasure. Sharing tea with a fascinating stranger is one of life's true delights.
Toph: No, thank you for what you said. It helped me.
Iroh: I'm glad.

(Toph picks up her bag and begins to leave, but turns back briefly.)

Toph: Oh, and about your nephew? Maybe you should tell him that you need him too.

(Iroh considers this as he takes a sip of his tea before the scene cuts back to Aang and Azula, who still face each other across the length of the ghost town's main street. A brief shot of Aang is replaced by a close up of Azula.)

Azula: Do you really want to fight me?

(Suddenly Zuko bursts into the frame from an alley between the Avatar and Azula. He tumbles off the ostrich horse he is riding, and lands in a crouching position.)

Zuko: Yes, (he stands and throws his straw coolie hat away) I really do.
Aang: Zuko!
Azula: I was wondering when you'd show up, Zuzu.
Aang: (laughs a bit) Zuzu?

(Cut to Zuko in a firebending stance. He faces Azula, but his arms are outstretched both towards her and towards the Avatar on his other side.)

Zuko: Back off, Azula! He's mine!
Azula: I'm not going anywhere.

(She assumes a firebending stance. Cut to an overhead shot that zooms instantly outward to show the three facing off. Several zooming in close up shots pass by in rapid succession as the three eye each other, looking to see who makes the first move. Zuko looks wary, Azula confident, and Aang worried. Zuko's eyes shift from side to side and he scrutinizes his opponents.

The speed of the cuts between the shots speeds up until Azula launches a blast of blue fire at Zuko, who blocks with a wall of his own fire. Though he blocks the blast, it does knock him to the ground with a crash. Aang freaks out and jumps into the air with his glider. Azula knocks him out of the sky with a wave of blue fire. Aang lands safely, using his staff as a helicopter blade to both break his fall and dissipate the blue fire in his immediate vicinity.

Aang rolls over on the ground to get up, but Azula lands near him after jumping off a nearby roof. He avoids her, gets up with his staff, then cut to a wider shot. Zuko has gotten back up and is firing blasts at Azula in the background. Aang is between them now. Azula launches blast after blast of blue fire at Aang, but he dodges and runs around her. Several shots fly by in rapid succession as the three trade bending blasts. None land.

After a few moments, Azula chases Aang into the upper floor of a bombed out building. When the Princess enters, her expression turns to alarm, then cut to a wide shot of the building's interior. There is no floor and the drop is sheer to the bottom. Aang is on the opposite from the door sitting on an air scooter. Azula leans precipitously over the edge on the side with the door, her arms flapping comically. Cut to Aang, who smiles and waves at her, then back to Azula, who almost falls in, but recovers and manages to regain stability standing on a ledge next to the doorframe.

Right after she recovers, he brother runs in and promptly jumps into midair, screaming in surprise. He hits the ground below with a crash. Cut back to Aang, whose air scooter is dissipating. Azula fires several shots at him which miss. He dissolves the rest of the scooter, bounds over to her on the ledge and knocks her off. Cut to where she lands, gracefully and ready for action, next to Zuko who is struggling to get up from where he landed.

Cut to Aang who runs out of the door he originally entered through on the second floor. He runs down to the street level. Suddenly, the side of the building is blown open by a blast of blue fire and Zuko is blown out onto the street.

Azula appears and starts firing blasts at Aang. He dodges each, jumping up between the walls of a nearby alley, in effect scaling the buildings. As he reaches the top of the building on the left, Azula slices a triangular piece of it off with a blast of fire. The piece of the building falls out from under him, but he catches on to the remainder of the building. Azula repeats the process and this time Aang is unable to recover. He falls into the building beneath a heap of rubble.

Aang looks up from the rubble in which he is entombed inside the building. Azula enters and lights the rubble around the room on fire. Aang tries to free himself from being trapped underneath a large beam, but fails. Azula walks forward with a cruel smile. Cut to a close up of Azula as she assumes a bending stance. Over her shoulder, Katara is seen entering the doorway in the background.

Cut to a shot from behind Azula, where with one behind her for balance she is hunched forward in a firebending stance, her right hand raised to strike. Suddenly, a water whip grabs her by the hand poised to strike and yanks her backward. Cut to Aang who looks shocked, as the water whips appears from o.c. and breaks the wooden beam. Aang smiles and rubs his wrist.)

Aang: Katara!

(Azula whips around and fires a few blasts at Katara, who runs. Azula pursues her out of the building. As she passes an alley, Sokka jumps out at her and slices the air with his club, missing the Princess, but breaking her pursuit of his sister. Cut to a brief overhead shot of the Avatar, Sokka and Katara now forming an arc around Azula and pushing her back.

Zuko still lies on the ground nearby. He wakes up slowly. Cut to his p.o.v. A fuzzy picture eof Iroh resolves itself, a burning building in the background.)

Zuko: Uncle...
Iroh: Get up!

(Zuko grabs Iroh's offered hand and hauls himself to his feet.

Azula launches herself at Aang, who jumps out of the way. The Princess and the allies trade blasts and dance around each other, but it is clear that Azula is outgunned. She is falling backwards in an orderly fashion, when suddenly she is pushed to the ground from behind, revealing Toph.)

Toph: I thought you guys could use a little help.
Katara: (with a genuine smile) Thanks.

(Azula gets up and starts to run. Cut to a shot of her the view of a nearby alley. The others can't be seen, but she is clearly trading blasts with them. She turns and runs down the alley toward the camera. As she reaches the end, cut to a shot of her running into Iroh's belly. She bounces off, looking utterly confused.

Cut to a wide, overhead shot of Sokka, Aang, Katara, Toph, Zuko and Iroh closing in on Azula, whose back is now to the corner of a burnt out building. She has no place to go.)

Azula: Well, look at this. Enemies and traitors all working together. I'm done. (she raises her hands in a gesture of surrender) I know when I'm beaten. You got me. A princess surrenders with honor.

(Cut to a close up of Iroh, who shifts his gaze momentarily from Azula to the line up of his allies. Cut to Iroh's p.o.v., where se sees Toph, the girl with whom he had tea sometime earlier, and the camera zooms in on her. The shot then tilts quickly between the Avatar and his friends and Toph. Cut to Azula, who sees that her uncle is distracted as figures out the connection between the earthbender and the Avatar's party. Taking advantage of this, she strikes her uncle with a blast of blue fire square in the chest. Iroh spins in slow motion and falls. Cut to a zoom in close up shot of Zuko screaming.

All four benders then fire at Azula simultaneously and Sokka throws his boomerang. Azula makes a shield of blue fire, but the combined blows of the forces directed at her cause a tremendous explosion. Cut to a pan left shot of the rooftops as burning debris from the explosion begins to rain down. When the smoke clears, Azula is gone.

Nearby, Zuko kneels in despair beside his uncle, who lies still on the ground where he fell. Iroh groans softly as Zuko clenches him fist and teeth in anger. The others approach from behind. Cut to a view from over Zuko's shoulder. The banished Prince turns to address the Avatar's party.)

Zuko: Get away from us!

(Cut to Toph, who looks watery eyed. The camera tilts down to show her feet, then cut to Katara who places one hand over her heart and stretches out the other in a gesture of aid freely offered.)

Katara: Zuko, I can help!

(Cut to an overhead shot. Zuko turns and unleashes a wave of fire over their heads.)

Zuko: Leave!

(Aang and Katara look at each other, then cut to a wide, profile shot. The four leave Zuko and his uncle amidst the burning buildings. The shot tilts up into the rising pillars of smoke and fire emanating from the burning ghost town.

Cut to a night shot of Appa landing on a mountainside somewhere, then cut to the four sleeping peacefully, Toph and Katara next to each other.

Fade to white.)



[End Credits]