Act I

(The episode begins with a long, wide shot of Appa and the kids flying over a thick cloud layer. It is late afternoon, and the sun has begun to descend in a glorious array of golds and reds behind them.

Cut to a close shot from behind Katara's right shoulder. She is looking at the crumpled map of the Earth Kingdom's inland sea given to Aang by the messenger in "Bato of the Water Tribe." In front of her, Aang is on his back, looking up at the sky. A few large, puffy clouds glow dully purple and red, reflecting the light of the dying sun. His face is expressionless.

Cut to a frontal shot of Sokka, seated in Appa's driver's seat holding Appa's reigns. Momo is perched on his shoulder. Sokka's stomach growls.)

Sokka: (clutching his belly) Aww man!

(He turns around in his seat slightly to address the others.)

Sokka: We got any food back there, guys? I'm starving.

(Momo hops off Sokka's shoulder, chittering hopefully. He grabs a bag next to Katara and sticks his head inside and starts to rummage.)

Katara: (bored) No, Sokka, you ate the last of the possum chicken this morning.

(While Katara speaks, Momo straightens up, wearing the bag. His head pops out of a hole in the bottom. He blinks a few times to a sound effect and chitters unhappily.)

Sokka: (incredulously) Oh, you've got to be kidding! Why are we always out of food?

Aang: (smiling and turning on his side to address Sokka's back) Uh, because when we have food you eat all day? (laughing) Actually, I think you eat more than anyone I've ever –"

(Cut back to Sokka. While he speaks, Momo climbs over Sokka's shoulder. He has gotten out of the bag and holds it in his hands. He shoves it Sokka's face with an annoyed, accusatory chitter.)

Sokka: (cutting Aang off mid-sentence) Okay! Okay! I get it! (bats Momo out of the way, who produces a noise of indignation) But, I'm starving, can we at least go down and try and find a market? Besides, it's getting late. We should probably find a place to camp soon anyway.
Aang: (airbending himself to his feet) Sure!

(Cut to a frontal shot of Sokka. Aang drops into place next to him in the driver's seat. Sokka hands him the reigns. Momo hops onto Aang's shoulder, whimpering slightly and clutching his belly much like Sokka.)

Aang: (to Appa) C'mon boy, let's see if we can find you some moon peaches!

(Appa grunts in response. Cut back to the shot from behind Katara's shoulder. She puts the map down and turns around.)

Katara: (uncertain) I don't know. We're getting close to where all the fighting is. Shouldn't we keep on going until we get to Ba-Sing-Se?
Sokka: Nah, don't worry. We're still pretty far from all that. (Sokka's stomach growls) Trust me!
Aang: We'll be okay, Katara, you'll see! Yip! Yip!

(Cut to a wide, long shot of Appa coming down at an angle. Just before he hits the cloud deck, cut back to a view from behind the kids as they look out over Appa's head. The screen goes white as they enter the cloud layer. Wind and cloud rush by, blinding the camera. Appa is buffeted by the shifting air currents within the cloud bank, but he and Aang remain in control.

Suddenly, they break through the cloud deck. Below them is a broken, hilly land. The land is torn up and burned in places. The shattered remains of wagons, catapults and even a few Fire Nation tanks can be seen. To the east, a low forest rises among the hills. Near the forest a wrecked village stands mute in the gathering darkness. The whole area looks deserted.

Cut to a profile view of the three. They look ahead in horror.)

Katara: (in awe) What happened here? A battle?
Aang: I don't know, but we're going to find out.
Sokka: (turning in terror) What? Aang, please, dropping in on a combat zone is not what I had in mind! There's no food down there!
Aang: (determined) The battle's over, Sokka. We're going down. If there's any trouble, we'll just leave.

(Cut to a close shot of Sokka, who frowns and crosses his arms.)

Sokka: (exasperated) Yeh, like I haven't heard that before.


(Scene shifts to a wide, overhead shot that pans right across the main square of the wrecked village. Appa has landed and the kids have dismounted. Sokka and Katara have walked a bit away and are looking at the burnt and ruined buildings. Cut to a profile shot of Aang and Appa, Momo on the ground between them. With a sweeping motion of his staff, Aang airbends a pile of hay from nearby over to Appa, burying Momo in the process. A moment later, Momo emerges from the hay, blinking to the same sound effect heard before.)

Aang: (to Momo) Sorry, buddy.

(The lemur scampers up onto to Aang's shoulder, but then jumps off after an insect that buzzes by.)

Aang: (to Appa) Here you go, boy, I know it isn't moon peaches, but that's what's here.

(Aang hugs Appa, who grunts. He releases Appa and walks o.c. to the left. Appa shakes himself, groans, shuffles forward and begins eating.

Cut to a profile shot of Katara in the foreground, Sokka in the background. Their eyes are wide and sad. Aang comes up behind them.)

Sokka: I guess you were right, Aang. Looks like the war's over here.
Aang: What happened?

(Cut to a close, overhead shot. The ground in front of them is littered with broken Fire Nation spears, burn marks, chunks of stone and broken armor. No bodies are seen. Cut to a close up of Sokka.)

Sokka: (thoughtfully) I'm not sure, but whatever happened, it wasn't just about taking this village.

(Camera shot zooms backward to show the three of them, Sokka crouches down on bended knees and indicates some of the armor on the ground.)

Sokka: This Earth Kingdom gear is like the stuff we saw in Omashu and on General Fong's men. It's regular army, not local militia.

(Sokka gets back up on his feet. The overcast sky has begun to noticeably dim. Somewhere behind them in the west, the sun has begun to set.)

Katara: Well, as creepy as it is, we'd better camp here. We need water too, and we won't get far without that.
Sokka: (incredulously) But, I don't see any water around here!

(Cut to a frontal shot of Katara.)

Katara: The map said we're near the Song River, and I can feel water nearby.

(Shift to a wider shot of Katara and Aang.)

Katara: (archly and putting a hand on her hip) I am a waterbender, Sokka.
Aang: (smiling) She's right, Sokka. I can feel the water too.

(Aang smiles and points o.c. to their right. The camera pans rapidly to show one of the roads exiting the main square. The view then tilts up to show the road that exits the village via a ruined paifang gate and disappears into the forest to the east. Aang continues in voice over.)

Aang: We'll find plenty of water over that way.
Sokka: (exasperated and raising his hands in a gesture of capitulation) Fine! Okay, there's water around here. (looking up to the sky) Let's go get it then before the light goes or it starts to rain.


(Cut to a wide, long shot as if through a pair of binoculars, showing the kids emerging from the forest trail on the other side of the hill from the village. Each carries a few flaccid water skins. It has begun to rain. Aang wears his red hat, and Sokka looks miserable as he tries fruitlessly to cover his head with his hands.

Cut to shot from behind the Fire Nation officer who is looking through the field glasses. He hands the glasses to the soldier next to him, who in turn spies the kid's approach. In the foreground and much of the background is a flat, cleared area where resides a large, rudely constructed cemetery. In the foreground is a creek with trees and shrubs on both banks.)

Captain: They need water.
Corporal: (returning glasses to his superior) Looks like just a bunch of kids, captain.
Captain: (grimly) Two of them are members of the Water Tribe, enemies of the Fire Lord. The colonel will decide what to do with them. It will be dusk when they arrive. We must prepare an ambush on the far bank, corporal. (tuning to his subordinate) Now!
Corporal: Yes, sir!


(Return to the kids walking slowly through the cemetery. Their expressions are slightly haunted, their eyes tinged with fear as they pass row after row of grave markers. These are short, iron spikes that are stuck in the ground at regular, tightly spaced intervals. On most of them hang dented or smashed Fire Nation helmets. There are no grave mounds, only markers.)

Aang: You weren't kidding, Sokka. Look at all of them.
Sokka: No, I guess I wasn't.
Katara: (looking down) Let's just get what we came for and get back to Appa. This place is horrible.


(Shift to a shot of the three on the bank of the stream. The rain has slowed to a drizzle, but Aang still wears his hat. Cut to a close shot of Sokka's hands, holding a half full water skin. Cut again an instant later to a wider shot of Katara and Sokka. She is bending water from the stream in front of them into the skin he is holding.

Cut to an overhead shot of the three from the treetops above. Three Fire Nation soldiers on the edges of the screen are poised to drop on the kids from above. For a split second the soldiers observe Katara filling the skins, Aang behind them holding those already filled, then they jump.

Shift back to a frontal shot of the kids going silently about their work. A moment later the soldiers drop into the frame from above. One lands square on top of Aang, knocking him down, another grabs Sokka in a headlock as he drops, dragging him the ground. The third misses Katara and rolls out of the way. In the background, a dozen other Fire Nation soldiers, including the captain emerge from behind various trees and bushes. The captain fires a blast at Katara, who douses the blast with the water she had gathered for the skins.)

Captain: (yelling) Concentrate on the waterbender!

(Cut to a wider shot of the battle scene. Sokka has rolled to his feet. He blocks a soldier's sword thrust by grabbing the wrist of the soldier's sword hand, and then knocks him out with a neat club blow to the face. Aang, gasping painfully for breath, struggles to reach his staff just a few feet away, but is prevented by the weight of the corporal who is still on top of him.

Return to Katara who, whirling around in a complete circle, gathers up a large quantity of water and thrusts it forward o.c. Cut to a wider shot as Katara releases the water at a line of soldiers advancing on her in firebending stances. Cut to a profile shot of the line of soldiers. They're arms outstretched, their palms burst into flame. A moment later the water enters the frame from the right and wraps around their hands. The water freezes instantly to ice, extinguishing their fires. She turns to see Aang still on the ground. He has stopped struggling because the corporal now holds a sword point to the back of his neck. Cut to a close up of Katara, her eyes huge with fear.)

Katara: Aang!
Aang: Katara!

(Cut to a wider shot as she lunges forward to help, but the captain appears behind her, grabs her around the neck, and pushes a dagger to her throat.)

Captain: You are beaten!

(He drags her backward as the camera zooms back to show the full battle scene. Sokka has whirled about, but is frozen in uncertainty.)

Captain: Surrender or she will die now, in front of you!

(The dagger cuts Katara's necklace, which falls to the ground. She yelps as a drop of crimson blood emerges from her neck at the place where the dagger meets her skin. Cut to a close up of the corporal whispering earnestly into Aang's ear.)

Corporal: He isn't bluffing. Please, for her sake, tell your friend to stand down!

(Aang's eyes are wide with fear and agony. Tears shimmer, but do not fall. Cut back and forth between a close up of Aang's eyes, the Captain's hard, emotionless globes, and Katara's angry, frightened ones, then back to a wider shot of Aang's face.)

Aang: (after the pause) Do it, Sokka!

(Cut to Sokka, shaking with anger. Suddenly, he straightens and looks down, sullen, his club hanging limp by his side. Two guards appear from behind. They take his weapon and bind his hands behind his back. The soldier he clubbed appears and punches the water tribe boy in the stomach. Sokka collapses, choking for air, but is held up by his two captors.)

Katara: (crying) Leave him alone! He did what you asked!
Captain: (to the soldiers) That's enough! Bind the prisoners so we can get moving.
Aang: Where are you taking us?
Captain: To Colonel Diem.


(A wide, overhead shot of the kids being led away from the stream fades and is replaced by a night shot of them being led past several heavily manned Fire Nation watchtowers. These are surrounded by trenches and wooden fence work.

Once inside, cut to a shot from behind the patrol. Inside the camp is a large gathering of Fire Nation soldiers in formation. Shrouded in darkness a few low tents and buildings ring the clearing. Beyond the clearing and the tents another hill rises. The patrol comes close enough to observe and stops.

The patrol and the prisoners stop as they approach close enough to make out the scene. In front of them stands the profile of a Fire Nation soldier bound to a thick post. He is blindfolded and crying softly. Several fire pots burn nearby, casting shadows all over the compound. Near him stands a Fire Nation officer, and within ten paces stands a line of five soldiers wearing black armor, helmets and ornate white masks. It is difficult to see clearly, but the faces of the men in formation are taught, many look close to tears.

A soldier wearing a bright red sash runs over to the officer beside the condemned man and salutes the officer.)

Sergeant at Arms: Company ready, Colonel.

(The Colonel dismisses the sergeant without looking at him. The sergeant returns to stand beside the line of executioners. Cut to a close shot of the colonel. His face is unshaven, his expression is hollow. The shadows cast by the flickering fire pots play over his face.)

Colonel Diem: Do you have anything to say before receiving the Fire Lord's justice?

(Cut to a pan left shot of the front row soldiers in the formation. Some look at each other, then back at the camera. Others clench their fists tightly in silence.)

Colonel Diem: (after then pause, then raising his voice, which quakes with anger and pain) Do you?
Condemned Man: (still crying softly) No.

(Cut back to a shot from behind the three kids, their backs silhouetted against the light of the fire pots. In the background, a soldier gags the condemned man. In the foreground, Aang begins to struggle violently against his bonds.)

Aang: (yelling) No, no, you can't do this! What kind of people are –

(He is cut short as a blunt object strikes the back of his neck. He slumps forward. Sokka and Katara being to struggle as well, but the sword points at their backs stop them.

Shift to a wider shot of the scene as many soldiers look to see the source of the disturbance, then cut to a wide shot of the Colonel, eyes glazed, and the line of executioners in the foreground. His left hand has been raised, and the executioners are now in bending stances. The Colonel's eyes are momentarily distracted by Aang's commotion, but he refocuses, and brings down his hand in one swift motion. The executioners release a sheet of fire toward the condemned man o.c. to the left. The scene brightens considerably and muffled cries are heard against the explosion of flame.

Cut to a shot from inside the compound looking at the patrol, which begins to move again, pushing Katara and Sokka forward, and dragging the unconscious Avatar with them. In the background, a pillar of fire leaps toward the sky. Cut to a closer shot of Katara and Sokka, tears stream from Katara's face, sword points still at their backs, as they pass by in front of the camera's view of the flaming pillar behind. As they pass, the camera tilts up to the sky. Fade to black for commercial break.)