Disclaimer: Avatar the Last Airbender is created by Michael DiMartino & Brian Konzieko and owned by Nickelodeon.
Rewrite of "The Painted Lady" written by Joshua Hamilton.
"Previously, on Avatar, Team Avatar reunited and travelled to the Fire Nation. Aang went to school and threw a dance party. Later Aang confronted Katara about her relationship with Zuko. Aang also announced he won't be learning firebending until after the invasion," said Avatar Roku.
Appa, Momo, and Aang swam in sludge-infested river, while the others road on the saddle.
Aang played Marco Polo with Momo.
"Aang you should get out of the water," said Zuko.
"I am," said Aang as he landed and airbent the goop off of himself. "I think the river is polluted." Then he airbent the goop off of them.
"That explains why I can't catch a fish. Because normally my fishing skills are...of the hook! Get it? Like a fishing hook?" Sokka said with a fishing pole in his hand.
"Too bad your skills are on the hook," said Toph. Everyone laughed, but Sokka who scowled.
Aang hid Appa and Momo with a blanket of turf.
Then Team Avatar got a ride from Doc to Jang Hui.
The villagers were poverty stricken and lifeless.
"Look at this place. It's so sad. We have to do something to help," said Katara.
"No, we can't waste our time here! We have a bigger mission that we need to stay focused on. These people are on their own!" Sokka replied.
"These people are starving, but you turn your back on them?! How can you be so cold and heartless?" Katara demanded.
"I'm not turning my back, I'm just being realistic! We can't go around helping every rinky-dink town we wander into. We'll be helping them all by taking out the Fire Lord!" Sokka exclaimed.
Toph slapped her hand over Sokka's mouth. "Hey loudmouth!" Toph exclaimed, then said in a quieter voice, "Maybe we should be a little quieter when we talk about taking out the Fire Lord."
"Sokka has a point. Who know's what my father will have planned. We should focus on the mission. We can always come back later," Zuko said quietly.
"I guess," said Katara reluctantly.
"Let's just get what we need and leave," said Aang.
They got food from Xu/Doc. Afterward, Katara gave a fish to a boy whose mother was sick.
After she thought everyone was asleep, Katara attempted to sneak back to the village, but she bumped into Zuko.
"Zuko, what are you doing here?" Katara whispered loudly.
"Sh! You don't want to wake the others do you?" Zuko whispered softly.
They walked away from the camp and back to the river.
"I can't sit by and do nothing," said Katara.
"What can I do to help?" Zuko asked.
"I guess keep watch, and signal me if anyone wakes up. I have a plan," said Katara.
Katara healed the sick and Zuko kept watch.
The next morning Katara approached Appa who was on his side groaning.
"What's the matter Katara?"
I think Appa's sick," said Katara.
"Appa's sick? That's awful," said Sokka.
"Wow Sokka. I didn't realize you cared so much," said Toph.
"Of course I care. I might as well just throw our schedule away now," said Sokka. Everyone gave him a look and Sokka changed his tune and ran over to the bison. "And I'm concerned because my big furry friend doesn't feel well."
"He must have gotten sick from being in that polluted water," said Toph.
"He doesn't look sick," said Aang. "You okay?" Aang pulled out Appa's tongue. "His tongue is purple! Katara can you heal him?"
"It looks like he needs medicine. Maybe we can find the right herbs in town," Katara suggested.
They headed back to the village and noticed the change in the atmosphere, which Xu/Doc attributed to the Painted Lady. They learned that the medicine goes to the Fire Nation factory. Katara suggested they stay another night, and she sneaked out and healed the sick.
The gang returned the next day for more supplies.
"Yep, it's all because of the Painted Lady," said Doc/Xu.
"Can you believe ho much an entire village can be affected by one lady? I mean...spirit?" Katara asked.
"Well, I hope she returns every night. Otherwise this place would go right back to the way it was," said Sokka.
"Why would you say that?" Katara asked indignantly. "Look how much better off these people are?"
"Yeah, now, but without her they wouldn't be able to fend for themselves. If she really wanted to help, she'd use her spirit magic and blow up that factory," Sokka gestured and made funny noises.
"Spirit magic doesn't work that way Sokka. It's more like..." Aang did an elaborate dance and made funny noises.
That night, Katara slipped out of her sleeping bag and filled it with glass. Katara put on a costume, so she looked like the Painted Lady. She tried to sneak away quietly, but she was heard by Zuko and Momo. Momo started to chitter, and Zuko tried to calm him down since he knew it was Katara. Aang heard Momo.
"What's the matter?" Aang looked around and spotted Katara.
"Aang wait!" Zuko called as he followed Aang.
Katara ran away from Aang, but he caught up to her followed by Zuko.
"My name's Aang. I'm the Avatar," said Aang.
"Aang I think we should head back," said Zuko.
"Your friend is right, Avatar. I'm very busy," Katara said in a ridiculously false voice, while she attempted to keep her face hidden.
"Yeah, me too. I hate that," Aang said as he tried to look under her hat. "You know, you're really pretty for a spirit."
"Come on Aang, we should head back before the others notice we're gone and worry," said Zuko.
Aang became suspicious and air blasted both of them.
"Katara!" Aang exclaimed.
"Hi Aaang," said Katara defeated.
"You're the Painted Lady?!" Aang said to Katara. Then he turned to Zuko an said, "You knew?"
"I wasn't at first. I was just trying to help the village. But then everyone thought that's who I was so...I became her," Katara explained.
"So you guys have been sneaking out? Is Appa even sick?"
"Katara has been feeding Appa purple berries. I caught her the first time and kept watch," said Zuko.
"Katara, I can't believe you lied to everyone just so you could help these people," said Aang.
"I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't have," Katara replied.
"No I think it's great!" Aang exclaimed. Zuko's eyebrows went up. "You're like a secret hero."
"Well, if you want to help... there's one more thing I have to do. Zuko, could you go back and make sure the others aren't awake?" Katara replied.
Zuko nodded, and headed back to camp.
When he got back to camp he discovered Toph had woken up and so had Sokka.
"Where's Katara?" Sokka demanded.
"She's with Aang," said Zuko.
Sokka looked at Toph, and she said, "He's not lying."
"Where are they?!" Sokka demanded.
"Near the village," said Zuko.
"Sokka calm down. I'm sure they will be back soon," said Toph as she at some purple berries.
"Toph, stick out your tongue," said Sokka. Toph's tongue was purple from the berries.
"Whath wong with my tungue?" Toph asked with her tongue stuck out.
"It's purple like Appa's," said Sokka. Toph put her tongue back in her mouth. "Have you been feeding him the berries?"
"No," said Zuko.
"Katara must have been doing it," said Toph.
Zuko didn't say anything, but Sokka figured it out anyway.
"She's the Painted Lady," said Sokka.
A few minutes later, Aang and Katara arrived back at camp after they destroyed the factory.
"Hi, Sokka! We were just...out on...a morning walk," said Katara.
"Oh, really? A morning walk?" Sokka asked as he dumped the dry grass from her sleeping bag onto the ground. "I know you're the Painted Lady. I know you've been sneaking out at night, and I know you've been lying about Appa and feeding him purplizing tongue berries!" Toph stuck out her now-purple tongue and held up a bag of berries as evidence. "Katara, what you did put our whole mission in jeopardy. We're leaving right now!" He turned to Aang. "And how long did you know about this?"
"I just found out this morning?" Aang said.
"And you?" Sokka asked Zuko.
"Err," Zuko put his hand on the back of his neck.
"Sokka, I told him to keep quite," said Katara.
"What's that noise?" Toph asked.
"It's Fire Nation soldiers. They're headed to the village," said Aang.
"What did you do?!" Sokka demanded angrily from Katara.
"I...kinda destroyed their factory," said Katara full of guilt.
"You what?!" Sokka exclaimed.
"It was your idea Sokka!" Zuko exclaimed.
"I was joking. I also said to use spirit magic and made funny noises. Did you even think this through? The army's gonna blame the villagers. They're headed there right now to get revenge," said Sokka.
"Well, what was I supposed to do?" Katara asked.
"Leave! Do nothing!" Sokka said.
"No. I will never, ever turn my back on people who need me," Katara said as shegot up to leave. "I'm going down to the village, and I am gonna do whatever I can."
Katara left followed closely by Zuko. And after a moment of soul searching, Sokka followed them.
"Wait, I'm coming too," said Sokka.
"I thought you didn't want to help," said Katara.
"You need me, and I will never turn my back on you," said Sokka.
"Sokka. You really do have a heart," said Katara as she hugged her brother.
Zuko edged away and went over to Appa.
"He really does have a heart, doesn't he?" Aang asked as he was overcome with emotion. He wiped his tears away as he turned to Toph, who elbowed him.
General Mung came to the city with some soldiers.
Sokka devised a plan to scare the soldiers away, by having Toph and Appa make spooky noises while Katara created a fog and dressed as the Painted Lady. Aang helped Katara by using airbending.
"I knew you'd come," said the little boy who Katara gave a fish to.
"Thank you!" Doc said.
"Painted Lady, you're the best!" A random villager said.
"Me and my brothers really owe you a lot," said Doc, and as he looked at her, he was shocked by the recognition. "Hey, wait a minute! I know you! You're not the Painted Lady, you're that colonial girl!"
"Yeah, you're the lady that gave me a fish," said the little boy.
"You've been tricking us. You're a waterbender!" Doc exclaimed.
"She's a waterbender! How dare you act like our Painted Lady?" A random villager exclaimed outraged.
Zuko and Sokka both run forward to protect Katara.
"Maybe she is a waterbender, but she was just trying to help you. Because of her, that factory won't be polluting your river, and the army is gone. You should be down on your knees thanking her," said Sokka.
"Sokka, it's okay," said Katara. She turned to the villagers and said, "I shouldn't have acted like someone I wasn't, and I shouldn't have tricked you. But I felt like I had to do something. It doesn't matter if the Painted Lady is real or not. Because your problems are real, and this river is real. You can't wait around for someone to help you. You have to help yourself."
"She's right, but what should we do?" Doc asked.
"Maybe we should clean the river," Toph suggested in a disguised voice as she blended in with the village crowd.
The crowd agreed and they cleaned the river.
Katara went to the river at night and the real Painted Lady appeared before Katara and thanked her.
Meanwhile, Sokka and Zuko stood by the fire.
"I'm sorry about before," said Zuko.
"You were just helping Katara," said Sokka. "She means well, but sometimes..."
"At least she doesn't try to kill you," said Zuko, somewhat bitterly.
Sokka looked at Zuko confused.
"Azula wasn't always like that, but it's been a long time since then," said Zuko. "I wish things could have been different."
"That doesn't seem likely," said Sokka.
"I know," said Zuko.
"Well, at least she's not chasing us," said Sokka.
"That's true. Well, we'd better get some sleep," said Zuko.
To Be Continued...