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Water. Earth. Fire. Air. Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony. Then, everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked. Only the Avatar, master of all four elements, as well as the elemental lions could stop them, but when the world needed them most, they vanished. A hundred years passed, and my brother and I discovered the new Avatar, an airbender named Aang. We also found the first of the elemental lions. And although Aang's airbending skills are great, he has a lot to learn before he's ready to save anyone. But I believe Aang can save the world.
The flare Aang accidentally launched earlier soars lazily through the air in the distance. The figures of Aang and Katara appear over the horizon. The Southern Water Tribe villagers have gathered in the snow, waiting for the duo's return. Aang and Katara approach the village and the gathered villagers that stand outside the village walls. The children become overjoyed upon seeing Aang.
"Yay! Aang's back!" Said one of the village kids joyfully.
Some of them run over to him while the others remain cheerful in the crowd. The adults have more stern and offended expressions. The children reach Aang and Katara, crowding around him gleefully, and Aang responds kindly. Switch to Sokka, who breaks from the line of villagers and steps forward toward Aang.
"I knew it!" Sokka said angrily. He accusingly points a finger at Aang as he and Katara draw closer. "You signaled the Fire Navy with that flare! You're leading them straight to us, aren't you?"
"Aang didn't do anything! It was an accident." Katara protested.
Sheepishly as Katara glares at Sokka, Aang says, "Yeah. We were on the ship and there was this booby trap, and, well." Awkwardly rubs his head. "we booby-ed right into it."
"Katara, you shouldn't have gone on that ship! Now we could all be in danger!" Kanna said worriedly.
"Don't blame Katara. I brought her there. It's my fault." said Aang sorrowfully.
Angry and triumphant, having found an excuse, Sokka declares, "Aha! The traitor confesses! Warriors, away from the enemy." The children begin to sadly walk away. "The foreigner is banished from our village."
"You sure we should be blaming Aang? It was a mistake, not an intentional act," Lance questioned.
Irritably, clenching her fists, Katara says, "Lance is right. He didn't intentionally set off the trap. Sokka, you're making a mistake."
Stubbornly persisting in his anger, Sokka counters, "No, I'm keeping my promise to Dad." Pointing to Aang and then to Lance. "I'm protecting you, from threats like him! And him!"
Angrily, Katara says, "Aang is not our enemy!" She continues in a calm, soothing voice. "Don't you see? Aang's brought us something we haven't had in a long time: fun."
Annoyed, Sokka questions, "Fun?! We can't fight firebenders with fun!"
Optimistically, Aang says, "You should try it sometime."
"To be fair, we probably could if we did it right," Lance defended.
Angrily, Sokka demands, "Get out of our village! Now! Both of you!"
"Grandmother, please. Don't let Sokka do this!" Katara pleads.
Gravely, the grandmother decides, "Katara, you knew going on that ship was forbidden. Sokka is right. I think it best if the airbender and his friend leave."
Outraged, Katara yells, "Fine! Then I'm banished, too!" She drags Aang away. "Come on Aang and Lance, let's go."
Sokka demands, "Where do you think you're going?"
Angrily, Katara answers, "To find a waterbender. Aang is taking me to the North Pole."
Confusedly, Aang questions, "I am?" Brightening up, he responds, "Great!"
"Katara! Would you really choose him over your tribe?" Sokka questions, referring to the entire Southern Water Tribe. "Your own family?"
Katara had stopped in her tracks, right between Appa and her tribe. Katara looks down sorrowfully as Aang approaches her with a sad look upon his face.
Understanding, Aang says, "Katara, I don't want to come between you and your family."
Upset, Katara asks, "So, you're leaving the South Pole?" In a quieter tone. "This is goodbye?"
"Thanks for penguin sledding with me." Aang says goodbye.
Still in that quiet tone, Katara questions, "Where will you go?"
"Guess I'll go back home and look for the airbenders." Aang places one hand on Appa, but is suddenly struck with realization. "Wow, I haven't cleaned my room in a hundred years. Not looking forward to that." He uses his airbending to hop onto Appa's head. "It was nice meeting everyone."
"What about you, Lance? Where will you go?" Katara asked the teen.
"I will go with Aang. Maybe I can calm him down when he discovers what has happened," Lance sadly said to Katara. He then said to Aang, "Mind if I go with you?" Aang was quick to agree and allowed Lance to get onboard.
Sarcastically with arms crossed, Sokka says "Let's see your bison fly now, air boy."
Encouragingly, Aang calls out, "Come on Appa, you can do it. Yip-yip!"
Aang flicks the reins, but Appa merely rises and growls.
Mockingly, Sokka says, "Yeah, I thought so!"
A young girl runs from the crowd to stand next to Katara with tears in her eyes. "Ahhh! Aang, don't go! I'll miss you!"
Sadly, Aang says, "I'll miss you, too." Looks at Katara who frowns back at him, her eyes saddened while her hair loopies sway in the wind. "Come on, boy."
Appa turns and plods away, disappearing over the hill. The young girl sighs and trudges back to the village while Katara remains standing in the snow. Kanna walks up to her granddaughter.
In a consoling tone, Kanna says, "Katara, you'll feel better after you-" Katara quickly turns around and cuts her off.
Rounding on Kanna and interrupting her, Katara's voice is full of empassioned rage. "You happy now?" Gestures in the direction Aang took off. "There goes my one chance at becoming a waterbender!"
She marches away furiously, leaving Kanna looking saddened. Meanwhile, Sokka coaches the young boys to prepare for battle just outside the village.
"All right, ready our defenses! The Fire Nation could be on our shores any moment now!"
Stopping and dancing around, one boy says, "But I gotta …"
Authoritatively, a twinge of annoyance in his voice; he points onward, ushering the boy in that direction. "And no potty breaks!"
Meanwhile, at a snowy landscape dotted by several ice formations. Aang and Appa are resting in an ice formation, Appa lying lazily on his back in the lower section and Aang resting above him. Appa grunts.
Sorrowfully, Aang says, "Yeah, I liked her too." Catches sight of Fire Nation ship advancing toward the Southern Water Tribe; gasps. "The village!' He slides off the ice formation onto the ground. "Appa, wait here."
"Wait! I'm going with you, Aang. I'm not going to fail the Southern Water Tribe again!" Lance decided, turning into a lion, much to Aang's shock. The two then started to make a beeline for the Southern Water Tribe.
Appa responds by merely grunting lazily.
Back at the Southern Water Tribe, where Sokka prepares for battle inside a Water Tribe tent. He dons gloves, boots, bindings, and applies face paint. After necessary preparations, he puts his boomerang away on his back.
On Zuko's ship, servants are seen helping the Fire Nation prince to put on his Fire Nation outfit, complete with a red helmet ending in a sharp point. Through all this, Zuko never moves a muscle.
Sokka is kneeling inside the tent, grabbing his club. He glances at a candle that flickers as he exits.
Therelow-stooping wall surrounding the town. Sokka is seen standing atop the wall, overlooking the foggy horizon. In the village where there is a mother is seen squatting beside her child, but she suddenly jerks up upon hearing a loud, cracking noise. Her son gasps for air and the surrounding villagers also turn around in fright to see what the source of the noise was. Kanna, sitting on a log by a camp fire, rises and gasps for air. Suddenly, the ground begins to quake and a rumbling sound is heard in the distance. Kanna gasps louder this time and her face contorts in horror. At Sokka's feet there are bits of the wall cracking and breaking off. A mother carrying her child slowly backs away in fright. A watchtower on the wall is shaking under the pressure of the trembling, and completely collapses.
"Oh man!" Sokka said Disappointed at the tower's collapse.
Inside the village, the citizens are beginning to flee from the scene. Katara runs up and looks up at her brother still standing atop the wall and her look turns to one of horror. An enormous shadow of the bow of Zuko's ship comes into view.
"Oh maaan …" Sokka said, horrified.
The ship is approaching the village, cutting through the icy sea. Kanna is standing in the snow, looking up in terror at the vessel while backing up slightly. Villagers pass her in their haste to get to safety and the shadow of the large ships descends over her. The ship's bow plows through the snowy shores, splintering the ground. Sokka looks up, terrified by the large ship. The ship's approach creates a large crack that quickly travels toward the village and over the wall. Katara helps her grandmother into a tent when she hears a frightened scream. She gasps in terror when she realizes that the sound came from a small boy, kneeling on the ground. The fissure is rapidly approaching him, but Katara quickly runs over and scoops up the child before the ground splinters underneath. She sets the child down again in front of a tent which he quickly enters, and Katara turns back to view her brother.
"Sokka, get out of the way!" Katara said hysterically.
Sokka is standing on the wall, the bow of the ship plowing through the snow. Sokka raises his club in defense, ready to strike. Before he can make his move, however, the bow crumbles a large portion of the wall into snowy ruins. The snow slides downward, pushing Sokka several feet back before he lands to a halt. With a loud hiss of steam, the ship has come to a halt as well.
The villagers now curiously come out of hiding and are staring in complete shock at the large vessel. Katara is looking at the ship with her mouth open; she gasps. Sokka also gasps when he catches sight of the bow of the ship opening and creaking forward in a burst of steam, forming a walkway. He backs up and falls to the ground once the bow hits the ground with a loud thud. The villagers gather closer around for support and several people even cover their eyes. Katara takes a step back upon noticing the shape of three figures cloaked in the mist.
Prince Zuko emerges from the mist, two guards following close behind him. Cut to the villagers huddled together and Sokka who kneels in the snow in front of them, ready to defend his tribe. Prince Zuko descends from the ship along with the two guards. Sokka lets out a battle cry and charges at the prince with his club to the ready. Now even more soldiers trudge down while Sokka is traveling his way upward. When he reaches Zuko, the prince merely kicks the club to his left and, without ever resting his leg on the ground, kicks Sokka over to his right, sending him into the snow where his head becomes trapped. The warrior desperately tries to free himself as Zuko continues on his way to the village, followed by six more men. Katara covers her mouth in shock upon witnessing her brother's quick defeat.
Zuko and his men stand before them. Zuko approaches. He passes to the right when he does not seem to find what he is looking for and stops in front of Katara who is clutching Kanna.
"Where are you hiding him?" Zuko asked angrily.
Zuko surveys the crowd of villagers who fall completely silent. Without warning, he extends his arm out into the crowd and grabs Kanna, holding her by the hood of her parka.
Shaking Kanna; annoyed, Zuko yells "He'd be about this age, master of all elements?"
He shoves Kanna forcefully back into the crowd. The elderly woman shudders in fear and embraces Katara, while Katara shoots an angry glare at Zuko. Receiving no response, Zuko swings his arm out and releases an arc of fire that passes just over the heads of the people, causing them to cover their heads and cry out in fear.
"I know you're hiding him!" Zuko yelled angrily.
"Relax, "captain," the Avatar isn't here," Keith snidely revealed.
"What?! But you just said he was here! I saw him!" Zuko screamed.
"Well, now he isn't," Keith simply said. "He left some time ago."
Sokka's club was lying in the snow. Sokka runs over and picks it up, most of his war paint having come off at this point. He lets out another battle cry as he charges toward the prince. Zuko swiftly turns around just as Sokka approaches. He ducks under Sokka's wide swing and hurls the warrior forward. Sokka lands on his rear in the snow and is quickly forced to dart from his spot when Zuko fires a blast at him. He spins to the side and tosses his boomerang at the enemy who barely manages to miss getting hit by the weapon. Zuko growls and glares at Sokka in anger at the near hit; he follows the course of the weapon until it vanishes before looking back at Sokka in anger. One of the village boys tosses Sokka a spear.
"Show no fear!" yelled a village boy.
Sokka handily catches the weapon and charges at Zuko once more.. Zuko breaks off pieces of the spear with his forearms, pulls the remains of the weapon out of Sokka's hands and pokes him thrice in the head with the blunt end. Sokka falls to the ground as Zuko snaps the spear in two and tosses the pieces to the ground on both of his sides. A sparkle of light shines briefly in the distance and Sokka's boomerang spins into view, unnoticed by Zuko. The weapon strikes Zuko on the back of his helmet with a loud cling; he is momentarily pushed forward by the unexpected blow. Zuko rearranges his helmet and growls at Sokka. The boomerang has plummeted into the ground in front of Sokka's feet. Enraged, Zuko readies two fire daggers.
Aang is rapidly riding on a penguin toward the battle scene, with Lance following in his lion form. He holds his glider horizontally on the animal and he has a determined look on his face, his tongue is out of his mouth in pure concentration. Aang takes his feet out from underneath him, tossing Zuko off his feet; speeding past, Aang soars into the air as the prince lands on his face, his legs in the air. He spins around a few times before coming to a halt in front of his men, his helmet landing on his rear as they watch.
The villagers are cheering as Aang rides speedily toward them, still mounted on the penguin. The children cheer upon his arrival. They are showered in snow as Aang rides past, however, after giving each other silent, unamused looks for a few seconds, they begin cheering once again, shaking the snow off. Aang comes to a halt before the villagers. The penguin crawls out from under him, tossing him off. Aang falls on his rear, blinking stupidly. Aang smiles at the penguin when the animal quacks at him before waddling away. Lance stops right next to Aang and turns back into a human.
"Hey, Katara. Hey, Sokka." Anag said cheerfully, despite the present situation.
"Looks like we got here just in time," Lance sighed in relief.
"Hi, Aang and Lance. Thanks for coming." Sokka said moodily. "Wait. You're a lion?!" Sokka yelled in shock.
"Yeah, he is. I admit I was pretty surprised myself when I found out," Aang admitted.
Aang looks back at the Fire Nation soldiers, where Zuko just got back on his feet again. Upon his signal, his men spread out, surrounding Aang while Zuko assumes a fighting stance. Aang assumes a fighting stance as well, his staff held firmly in front of him as he is being surrounded by the soldiers. He sweeps the ground side-to-side with his staff, showering the men with snow. He subsequently slams the ground, sending a rush of snow at Zuko who braces for the impact. After being sprayed with snow, and heating it up so it would melt off, Zuko looks up angrily.
"Looking for me?" asked Aang.
"You're the airbender? You're the Avatar?" Zuko asked, shocked.
Aang resumes his fighting stance. "Aang?" Katara asked, surprised.
"No way!" Sokka said bewildered.
Zuko and Aang move about in a circular pattern, both awaiting the attack of the other.
"I've spent years preparing for this encounter. Training, meditating." Zuko said angrily. "You're just a child! And your lion is just another teen!"
"Hey!" Lance called out, somewhat offended.
"Well, you're just a teenager." Aang said calmly while tilting his head to one side with a somewhat confused expression.
Zuko launches a series of fire blasts at Aang in anger at the remark, who defends himself by twirling his staff, dissipating the flames. Zuko attacked Aang, the villagers watching directly behind him. Zuko fires another blast at Aang, who twirls his staff once again to ward the attack off. The villagers cower as the flames stream through the air over their heads. Aang widens his eyes in horror at the sight of the frightened villagers and immediately ceases to defend himself.
"If I go with you," He holds his staff in front of him as an offer, making sure Zuko understands that he does not wish to continue fighting. "Will you promise to leave everyone alone?"
Zuko's men still surrounding him, spears poised. After a brief moment of hesitation, Zuko erects himself and nods in agreement. Aang is apprehended by Zuko's men, who take his staff. Katara runs forward as they lead Aang away.
"No! Aang, don't do this!" Said Katara sadly.
"Don't worry, Katara. It'll be okay." said Aang, surprisingly calm. He gasps when he is shoved on the walkway. Katara's face contorts with sadness and fright. "Take care of Appa for me until I get back."
Boarding the ship up the walkway. Determined. "Head a course for the Fire Nation. I'm going home."
Aang stands at the top of walkway, smiling weakly, surrounded by Fire Nation soldiers, with Lance following not that far behind. Katara looks up, tears in her eyes, while Aang's smile changes to a frown as the bow rises and closes. The bow is locked into place with a thud.
Later in the day; there was now wreckage that the ship has left behind. A woman drops a pile of firewood onto the ground next to a camp fire in a rather melancholy manner. Several villagers surround the collapsed wall, surveying the damage and trying to repair the collapsed watch tower by digging it out. Several others work together to help put up a fallen tent. Katara is standing on the edge in the distance.
Sokka is seen carrying a pack as she speaks on a determined tone. "We have to go after that ship, Sokka. Aang saved our tribe, now we have to save him." Katara said in a determined tone.
"Katara, I -"
Making arm gestures to emphasize her words while she speaks in an objective tone. 'Why can't you realize that he's on our side? If we don't help him, no one will. I know you don't like Aang, but we owe him and -"
Cutting her off. "Katara!" Sokka said slightly annoyed. "Are you gonna talk all day, or are you comin' with me?"
Sokka gestures to a canoe floating in the water. Katara immediately grins and gasps in happiness.
Running over to her brother. "Sokka!" She gives him a hug.
"Get in, we're going to save your boyfriend." said Sokka in an inviting tone .
"He's not my -" said Katara, annoyed.
"Whatever." Sokka said nonchalantly while shrugging.
"What do you two think you're doing?" asked Kanna accusingly.
The two siblings turn around, look at her and try to act as innocently as possible; Sokka grins broadly.
"You'll need these."Kanna said while smiling warmly. Kanna holds up their sleeping bags. "You have a long journey ahead of you." The siblings glance at each other in surprise. Kanna walks over to face Katara. "It's been so long since I've had hope, but you brought it back to life, my little waterbender." Hugs Katara and who at the end takes the sleeping back out of her hands; to Sokka. "And you, my brave warrior, be nice to your sister."
Kanna hugs Sokka who slightly embarrassed pats her back. "Yeah, okay Gran." He smiles broadly when she releases him.
"Aang is the Avatar. He's the world's only chance. You both found him for a reason. Now your destinies are intertwined with his."
The two siblings look at each other uneasily.
Pointing at the ready canoe. "There's no way we're going to catch a warship with a canoe."
The camera pans up to reveal Appa appearing over an icy hill on the horizon. He makes his presence known by growling.
"Appa!" Katara said brightly. Begins running toward the bison.
"You just looove taking me out of my comfort zone, don't you?" Sokka asked annoyed.
Zuko's ship as it makes its way through the icy waters. Aang, Lance, Zuko, Iroh, Keith, and some of Zuko's men are standing on deck. Aang's hands are bound behind his back while Zuko holds Aang's staff.
"This staff will make an excellent gift for my father." Inspects the staff further. "I suppose you wouldn't know of fathers, being raised by monks." To his soldiers."Take the Avatar and his lion to the prison hold," Handing the staff to Iroh. "And take this to my quarters."
"You know you won't hold him forever, you know," Keith said to Zuko.
"What? Is that supposed to be a threat?" Zuko asked, anger entering his voice.
"No, it is a fact," Keith answered.
Iroh takes the staff and looks at it for a moment while Zuko walks away.
Turns to one of Zuko's men and gives him the staff; Iroh, casually, asks, "Hey, you mind taking this to his quarters for me?"
The firebender accepts the staff and Iroh walks away. Aang is pushed forward by two of the soldiers and he grunts as they roughly shove him ahead. Aang is being taken below while Iroh, Keith, and the firebender carrying Aang's staff are walking toward a door leading to the upper decks. Aang and his group begin descending a staircase leading to a compartment beneath the deck. Aang descends the staircase, the outside world disappearing from view. He tries to keep an eye on his staff for as long as possible.
The ship makes its way through the water, flanked by large icebergs, before changing back to the cuffed Aang walking through a corridor on the lower deck. He walks down a corridor, one soldier before him, one following after him.
"So, I guess you've never fought an airbender before. I bet I could take you both with my hands tied behind my back." said Aang slyly.
"Silence." said an unamused firebender.
"By the way, why did you come with me, anyway? That one guy was only looking for me," Aang asked Lance.
"Simple. As an Elemental Lion I am duty bound to assist you in any way I can," Lance answered.
"Can you escape well?" Aang asked in a whisper.
Lance nodded in response.
The party stops and Aang observes the soldier in front of him preparing to unlock a door. As the guard in front of him begins to unlock the cell, Aang inhales deeply and unleashes a powerful breath, stunning both of them. The firebender before him slams into the door subsequently knocked out from the impact. Aang is sent several feet back, slamming into the guard behind him. They both fly back even further, where they crash into the stairs. The soldier behind Aang is also knocked out by the impact, while Aang propels himself onto the deck and kicks open a door using airbending. He quickly runs down the hallway, panting heavily as Lance follows. He tosses a frightened look over his shoulder, afraid that he is being followed. With the helmsman overlooking the deck, a soldier emerges from the lower deck and addresses him.
"The Avatar and his lion have escaped!"
The helmsman immediately turns around.
Katara and Sokka sit atop Appa, who still has not gone airborne, but is instead swimming in the water. and Appa growls. Katara is sitting on top of Appa's head, while Sokka rests in the saddle.
"Go. Fly." Sokka said unamused. Katara glances annoyed at her brother. "Soar."
Pleading as Appa growls again. "Please, Appa. We need your help. Aang needs your help."
"Up. Ascend. Elevate." Sokka said blandly.
"Sokka doesn't believe you can fly, but I do, Appa." Strokes Appa. "Come on, don't you want to save Aang?" Appa grunts.
"What was it that kid said? Yee-haw? Hup-hup? Wah-hoo? Uh ... Yip-yip?"
Sokka startles at the sudden movement that the last command brought with it as it seemingly prompts Appa. His head bobs in the water as he grunts and beats the water with his tail. After what appears to be a brief running start, he takes flight and soars through the air.
"You did it, Sokka!" Katara said, thrilled.
Ecstatically looking over the rim of the saddle. "He's flying! He's flying! Katara, he's -"
Katara smirks at her brother. Seeing this, Sokka tries to play it cool.
Sheepishly, Sokka says "I mean, big deal. He's flying." Brightens quickly.
Appa rises higher into the sky.
Back at the Fire Nation ship, Aang is frantically running through the corridors. He and Lance stop in their tracks and yell when they encounter three soldiers standing with swords drawn in the middle of the corridor.
"You haven't seen my staff around, have you?"
The three men prepare to attack him, but before they can make a move, Aang sprints across the hallway at the speed of wind, along the floor and the walls, spiraling in circular patterns past the soldiers, through their legs, and manages to escape, with Lance managing to get past them by jumping over them, leaving the soldiers looking dumbfounded.
"Thanks anyway!"
They continue racing through the hallways of the ship and encounter a single guard when they rise another deck. The soldier fires a blast at Aang who leaps forward. Aang somersaults over the soldier and uses the sharp tip of his helmet to cut his bindings, thus freeing him. Lance, meanwhile, just breaks his bindings by pulling his arms apart. The soldier falls over from the impact and Aang proceeds down the hall. The young Avatar races through the interior, opening two doors leading to various compartments of the ship. Upon opening the third door, he finds Iroh sleeping blissfully, snoring. Keith is also asleep in the same room in a nearby chair. He begins closing the door, his mouth still visible through the crack.
"Sorry!" Anag whispered.
Aang is seen running past the doorway only to slow down and trace his way back upon catching sight of his glider. Aang's face brightens upon recognition of the object and he dashed through the open door. Lance stands guard outside.
"My staff!"
Aang enters the room, the door closing behind him. Zuko stands by the door, having clearly waited to corner Aang. Aang looks surprised upon hearing the sound of the closing door. He turns around, his face falling upon seeing the prince standing in the room.
"Looks like I underestimated you."
After a slight pause, Zuko assumes a fighting stance and fires a blast at Aang who yells and narrowly avoids the attack. Zuko fires again, forcing Aang into the corner of the room. Aang pants heavily from alarm. Zuko fires once more; Aang spins around out of the corner and against the back wall. He ducks to avoid another fire blast. Aang manages to roll over directly behind his opponent. Aang deftly manages to stay behind Zuko, utilizing circle-walking. Zuko spins around, desperately attempting to land a blow.
The window of the room where the battle is occurring illuminating two consecutive times from the fire blasts. Inside the room where Aang uses airbending to try and deter another one of Zuko's attacks by catching his flames in a current of air. After extinguishing yet another one of his attacks, Aang uses Zuko as a stepping stone. He pushes himself off against his head and creates an air scooter in mid-air that he uses to ride around the room and over the walls and ceiling as Zuko resumes attacking.
He avoids Zuko's repeated attacks; however, the prince manages to dissipate the air scooter by shattering it with a flame arc. Aang is smacked against the wall underneath a hanging tapestry. He quickly pushes himself up under the tapestry to avoid another fire blast. When he emerges at the top, he grabs the tapestry off its hooks and wraps it around Zuko's body, tangling him momentarily. This brief intermission gives Aang enough time to grab his glider and he turns around to face his opponent, pointing the end of the staff at Zuko who destroys the tapestry with firebending. Zuko assumes a fighting stance while Aang looks on with alarm. Aang uses airbending to propel a mattress lying in a corner toward Zuko. The mattress slams into the Fire Nation prince, sending him colliding into the wall, before falling onto the mattress. Aang propels the mattress upward, sending Zuko slamming into the ceiling of the room. Aang makes a break for it with Lance before the mattress touches the ground again. Zuko and the mattress fall to the floor and Zuko remains lying face down upon it. Zuko raises his head and glances around the empty room, fuming.
The wheel of the hatch for the ship's main control room located toward the back of the room begins spinning rapidly. The hatch opens with a small tornado of air and Aang and Lance emerge. A man is at the helm of the ship. Aang leaps from the hatch and runs across the room, leaping over a table and past the man who looks up in surprise. They exit the room and run onto the upper deck of the ship. Aang happily spreads his arms and welcomes the fresh air. He throws his staff over the balcony which opens into a glider and begins soaring away. He appears successful until Zuko appears on screen, leaping forward, his arms extended outward. While yelling, Zuko manages to grab hold of Aang's ankle. Aang's expression of triumph turns into one of despair as he begins losing altitude, struggling to maintain the weight of the extra, unexpected person.
The two plummet down to the lower deck of the ship and land with a crash. They bounce a few times before coming to a halt. Aang's glider closes again to a staff. Both lie on the deck for a moment. Zuko's eyes narrow in anger. Zuko begins rising, a look of persistence on his face. Aang rises and assumes a fighting stance, looking very unsure of himself. Lance, who was planning on using water bending to escape, turns around and prepares to join into the fight. Before the fight could begin, Appa's growl distracts all the fighters. Aang averts his gaze and catches sight of Appa heading toward the ship.
"What is that?" Zuko asked, shocked.
"Appa!" Aang yelled ecstatically.
He turns around to face Zuko and manages to deflect a firebending attack by spinning his glider around like a baton. However, he propels himself by accident into the air and lands on the ledge of the deck. He leans precariously over the side, unsteadily balancing himself, but manages to regain his balance only for Zuko to fire another blast at him. He twirls his glider again to deflect the attack. Two more blasts are fired his way before he loses his grip on his glider and the object spins away. The staff falls several feet away. Aang ducks, spins and leaps out of the way of blasts and lands on the very ledge, struggling to keep his balance. Zuko hurls more fire blasts his way. Aang holds up his hands in defense, but the last blast seemingly knocks him out cold and he falls backward off the ship into the water where he slowly sinks.
"Aang! No!" Katara yelled horrified from her position on Appa.
Aang sinks further underwater.
"Aang! Aang! Aang!"
Aang's eyes are closed, seemingly unconscious. Suddenly his eyes open, glowing a bright white, along with his arrow tattoos, and he frowns angrily. He steadies himself in the water and begins swiveling around, a waterspout forming around him. He rockets upward and erupts from the surface, riding a humongous spinning water vortex.
Zuko's ship is overshadowed by the waterspout. Aang appears atop the vortex. Zuko looks up in horror. Aang lands, summoning the water behind him. Aang's eyes and tattoos are still glowing, as he brings his hands around behind his head. The water swirls around him, forming a protective circle, before spreading outward, knocking Zuko and several soldiers off their feet. Zuko falls over the edge of the ship and shouts in surprise. Sokka and Katara are leaning over the side of Appa's saddle watching in shock.
"Did you see what he just did?!" Katara questioned, shocked.
"Now that was some waterbending!" Sokka said impressed.
Aang collapses onto the ground from exhaustion, his eyes and tattoos ceasing to glow. Appa growls and lands on the deck. Katara and Sokka slide down and quickly run toward the unconscious Avatar.
"Aang! Are you okay?" Katara asked worried.
She kneels down, holding Aang with Sokka following close behind.
"Hey, Katara. Hey, Sokka. Thanks for coming." said Aang weakly.
"Well, I couldn't let you have all the glory," Sokka says.
"I dropped my staff." said Aang weakly.
Rising, Sokka says, "Got it!"
Sokka runs over, grabs a hold of the glider and lifts it only to see Zuko's hand firmly gripping the other end. Sokka appears horrified as Zuko attempts to pull himself upward onto the deck. The two struggle for a bit before Sokka pokes Zuko repeatedly in the head with the end of the staff the way Zuko did earlier with him. Zuko grunts and falls backward as he lets go of the staff. He falls off the side of the ship, but manages to grasp the anchor chain.
"Ha! That's from the Water Tribe!" Sokka triumphantly.
Appa rises from a puddle of water after Katara helps Aang to climb atop his head. Katara still stands beside the large beast while Aang lies on top of his head. Three soldiers rise after being knocked down by Aang's water attack and menacingly approach her. Katara takes a step back and slowly and precariously bends a stream of water from the puddle, causing the men to slow down and gasp in surprise. She swings her arms around in an attempt to whip them, however, only succeeds in freezing a channel of water behind her on the deck, encasing Sokka's legs in ice in the process.
"Katara!" Sokka yelled in a complaining tone.
The soldiers resume their approach, with Lance ready to fight back. Katara turns around, her back facing them and draws another stream of water. She closes her eyes tightly, swings her arms behind her and turns around to see one of the soldiers completely frozen in a casing of ice, his arm extended outward to her, still twitching in effort to grab her. She backs away slowly, but turns around and quickly runs toward Appa, with Lance following not that far behind. She begins mounting Appa while Sokka is trying to cut himself free by smashing his icy chains with his boomerang.
"Hurry up, Sokka!" Katara yelled urgently.
Muttering to himself as he uses his boomerang to chip the ice. "I'm just a guy, with a boomerang." He frees his left foot. "I didn't ask for all this flying and magic!" He manages to break free and races up Appa's tail. "Yip-yip! Yip-yip!"
Sokka mounts Appa who grunts and takes flight, flying past the cabin of the ship. Iroh and Keith emerge on deck, having just woken up from a nap.
Rubbing eyes and staring up at Appa in surprise. "Duh? Huh?"
Appa soars away from the ship, while Iroh helps Zuko, grunting angrily with effort, to heft himself back onto the deck.
"Shoot them down!" Zuko yelled angrily.
Appa gains altitude while Zuko and Iroh synchronize a firebending move and fire a powerful blast at the bison. Sokka and Katara stare at the incoming attack in horror while Aang leaps onto the saddle. He opens the small tail wing of his staff and swings his glider around, using a powerful swipe of air to redirect the fireball into a nearby cliff side. The impact causes an avalanche of snow and ice to begin falling. Zuko looks up in horror at the event, raising one arm protectively. The front of the ship becomes buried in a mass of snow and ice while Appa climbs higher and higher. Aang, Katara, and Sokka laugh as they escape successfully. Aang waves goodbye as Appa disappears around the cliff.
The ship's bow is stuck in ice. Zuko is seen bending over in rage on the deck with Iroh erecting himself in the background.
"Good news for the Fire Lord. The Fire Nation's greatest threat is just a little kid." Iroh said calmly.
Zuko lifts his head and rises while his uncle is speaking.
Holding back rage. "That "kid", Uncle, just did this." gesturing to the damaged ship, the whole front covered in ice and snow. "I won't underestimate him again." Yells his order to the soldiers and points at the piles of snow. "Dig the ship out and follow them!"
Three Fire Nation soldiers are using their firebending to melt the icy encasings coating the three soldiers who were Katara's victims.
"As soon as you're done with that." Zuko said slightly embarrassed.
"I'll help," Keith agrees. He launches rainbow colored flames out of his mouth. Zuko and Iroh flinch believing he is aiming the flames at them before realizing that he is aiming it at the ice encasing the soldiers.
Zuko looks up in anger and determination.
Appa soars lazily in the sky while the sun is beginning to set. Aang is perched on the rim of the saddle, while Sokka and Katara sit at the back of it.
"How did you do that?! With the water? It was the most amazing thing I've ever seen!" Katara said bewildered.
"I don't know. I just sort of ... did it." Aang said quietly, slightly downcast, sitting on the edge of the saddle.
"You know, I could have done something similar with the water if I got the chance," Lance said.
"Why didn't you tell us you were the Avatar?" Katara asked curiously but also seriously.
"Because …" Turns away slightly; saddened. "I never wanted to be."
"What about you? Why didn't you admit to being one of the legendary lions?" Sokka asked.
"Because I forgot that it is no longer common knowledge. Besides, with my wrap sheet as a guardian of the South Pole, why would I want it to be?" Lance sadly answered.
The entire team sitting on Appa's saddle as a dark cloud passes overhead, shadowing their figures. Appa flying in the sky, shafts of sunlight streaming through the clouds. Aang is in front, looking downcast over the side with Sokka and Katara in the background.
"But Aang, the world's been waiting for the Avatar to return and finally put an end to this war." Katara says.
"And how am I going to do that?" Asked Aang downcast.
"According to legend, you need to first master water, then earth, then fire, right?" Katara asks for clarity.
Looking at Katara, Aang responds, "That's what the monks told me."
Brightening a bit. "Well, if we go to the North Pole, you can master waterbending!" Katara realizes.
Turning to face her, smiling and brightening up completely, Aang says. "We can learn it together!"
Katara faces her brother; cheerfully. "And Sokka, I'm sure you'll get to knock some firebender heads on the way."
"I'd like that. I'd reeally like that." said Sokka content.
"I'll go with you guys. Maybe I can do more good going with you guys then I did at the South Pole," Lance suggested, which the three nodded in agreement, though not without them also giving sympathetic looks, wanting to try and comfort him but not knowing what to say.
"Then we're in this together! " said Aang optimistically.
"Hey, maybe we can try to find the other elemental lions on our way there," Katara suggested.
"Yeah. We can. It would be great to see everyone again," Lance liked that idea.
Cheerfully, Aang pulled out a rolled up scroll. "All right, but before I learn waterbending and look for the lions, we have some serious business to attend to." He uses airbending to situate himself onto the saddle and unrolls the scroll, revealing a map of the Avatar World. "Here, here and here."
While stating this, he points to three locations, two in the Earth Kingdom, one in Air Nomad territory.
"What's there?" Katara asked curiously. Points to one of the locations.
Points to the location in Earth Kingdom. "Here, we'll ride the hopping llamas." Points to the location in Air Nomad territory. "Then waaay over here, we'll surf on the backs of giant koi fish." Katara and Sokka stare at him in wonder. "Then back over here, we'll ride the hog monkeys." The siblings glance at each other. "They don't like people riding them, but that's what makes it fun!"
Aang smiles enthusiastically as Lance rolled his eyes, Aang's eyes widened with excitement. Appa flies peacefully in the sky, sunbeams breaking through the clouds behind him.