Me: ok guys are u ready for episode 16 of avatar the last airbender.

Aang: yea what's the next episode

Me: u will know in a few seconds but prepare ur self.

Aang: why.

Me: u will see.

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BOOK 1: WATER

CHAPTER 16: THE DESERTER.

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Aang: hmmmm

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[There should be a GIF or video here. Update the app now to see it.]

(Opening shot of the forest floor. It seems to be late afternoon. A split second later, Momo appears. He looks around, and then jumps out of the frame. In the background, a blurry shadow scurries among the trees. Cut to a long shot of Momo flying through the forest canopy. The view pans down as he flies and comes to rest on a circular notice board. Appa and the kids are there inspecting it. Cut to a side view of Katara walking up to read the notice board, Sokka in the background emptying a food bag right into his mouth.)

Katara: This should give us a good idea of what's around here.

Sokka (finishing with the empty bag): See if you can find a menu, I'm starving.

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Sokka: I'm starving right now.

Me: um there's food over there.

Sokka: great!

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(Aang rushes into the frame from the right and points at a colorful flyer on the board.)

Aang: I bet we'll find something to eat here! (Cut to a frontal shot of the flyer). The Fire Days Festival. (Reading the flyer.) Fire Nation cultural exhibits...jugglers, benders, magicians. This'd be a great place for me to study some real firebenders!

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Zuko: yea if u are going to preform.

Aang: hey it's hard to find firebending teachers.

Zuko: yea I guess.

Aang: I think I know now what's this episode about 😞

Katara: same

Sokka: I think I know.

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Sokka (from other side of the board): You might wanna rethink that. Look at this.

(Cut to a shot of the side of the board Sokka is looking at. The color flyer on top is a wanted poster of Aang. On the lower right is a wanted poster for the Blue Spirit. On the right is a wanted poster for a white haired man.)

Aang: Hey, a poster of me!

Sokka: A wanted poster. This is bad.

(Aang takes the poster off the board as Katara comes and looks at it as well.)

Katara: I think we better keep moving.

Aang: I have to learn firebending at some point, and this could be my only chance to watch a master up close.

Katara (looking at the ground, unsure): I guess we could check it out.

Sokka: What!? You want to walk into a Fire Nation town where they're all fired up with all their, you know, fire?

Katara: We'll wear disguises and if it looks like trouble, we'll leave.

(Katara and Aang walk over to Appa.)

Sokka (to no one): Yeh, because we always leave before we get into trouble.

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Toph: yea. There has not been one situation where we left before getting some trouble.

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(Sokka turns and walks toward the others while the camera zooms up to the wanted poster for the white haired man. Cut to an overhead shot of the kids and Appa coming out of the forest on a slight hill. In the distance, the walled Fire Nation town can be seen. It is now dusk. Cut to Aang looking backwards to speak to Appa and Momo.)

Aang: You guys stay out of sight here while we go to the festival.

(Cut to a frontal shot of Appa, Momo perched on his neck. Momo then flies up and then drops down into a small bush nearby. Appa follows and tries to hide behind the bush, which is about a foot tall. Cut back to Aang, who turns to speak to his friends.)

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Suki: aww appa is so cute.

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Aang: Ready disguises!

(Cut to Sokka, who pulls down the hood of a black cloak over his head, then cut to Katara who does the same thing. Finally, cut to Aang, who has pulled his red hood up over the top of his head in a completely ineffective attempt to change his appearance. He sees his friends and grins in some embarrassment. Cut to Sokka, hands folded, with Katara laughing to his right.)

Sokka (sarcastically): It's like you're a whole different person.

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Zuko: really?

Everyone else just chuckles

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Aang: Let's go.

(Cut to shot of them walking down the hill towards the town, then cut to a brief shot of a masked man, the shadow from earlier, watching them go to the town. Scene shifts to an overhead shot of the Fire Nation town and its main square, which is full of people. Overhead, the sky is filled with colorful fireworks. Cut to a frontal shot of the three entering the main square. Around them children frolic, revelers run by in ornate costumes, including several people almost completely concealed in a Chinese dragon outfit, and all participants are wearing colorful masks.)

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Zuko: oh I hate doing that festival. I don't like wearing the mask.

Katara: weren't you the blue spirit.

Zuko: uh- yea but that was different

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Katara: I think we need some new disguises.

Sokka (skeptical and annoyed): Where are we gonna get masks like that?

(Shot expands to show a stall selling masks on their right.)

Mask Merchant: Get your genu-ine Fire Festival masks here!

Sokka (as Aang and Katara rush over): That was surprisingly easy.

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Toph: sure was

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(Cut to three turning away from the stall, each now wearing a mask. At first Sokka is wearing a happy mask and Aang a sad one. Katara switches them, revealing Sokka's sour puss face and Aang's wide smile. The masks now match the temperament of the owner. They walk into the square.)

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Suki: haha it's a little funny how their faces matches the mask and that U had to change it.

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Aang (pointing ahead, o.c.): Hey, there's some food.

Sokka (running ahead): Finally! (To food merchant): What do you have?

Food Merchant: Flaming fire flakes! Best in town.

(Cut to a little steaming bag in the merchants hand. Sokka grabs them.)

Sokka: I'll take'em!

(He stuffs them in his mouth, then starts screaming and blowing steam from his mouth. He partially removes his mask to cool his tongue.)

Sokka: Aaahhh! Hot! Hot!

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Toph: of course u dunderhead FLAMING HOT.

Sokka: yea yea I know

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Katara (Crossing her arms): "Flaming fire flakes" hot? What do you know.

Aang (looking o.c. to his right): Hey, look at this.

(Cut to the three walking up to a Punch & Judy show that is about to begin. The audience is full of children. The curtain of the puppet stage draws open and a puppet of the Fire Lord appears. The audience cheers, then cut to a close up of the puppet.)

Puppet Fire Lord: Don't worry loyal citizens! No one can surprise the Fire Lord!

(Behind him an earthbender puppet has risen up, with a rock at the ready to strike the Fire Lord Puppet. Cut to the children in the audience who start to cry out warnings. The Fire Lord puppet turns suddenly and torches the earthbender puppet with a huge gout of flame. The audience cheers. )

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Everyone:😧😧😧😧😧😧😧

Toph: what was that?!

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(Cut to an overhead shot where the three turn away from the puppet show and head back towards another stage with a large crowd. On this stage there is a single performer.)

Katara: Aang, hold on! Where are we going?

Aang: I don't know, but there's a big crowd so it must be good.

Sokka: Knowing the Fire Nation, it's probably an execution.

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Zuko: I don't think we that publicly.

Sokka: ha but u still do.

Zuko: I don't really know it sorta depends on the treason.

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(Cut to a closer shot of the stage, which has four thin pillars with fire basins at their tops. The performer is a firebender who is manipulating fire for the crowd's delight. He concludes by extinguishing his fire and producing a small flock of white birds who fly off the stage. Cut to the three, with Aang partially removing his mask to follow the flight of the birds. He looks ahead, a big smile on his face.)

Aang: I gotta learn that trick!

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Aang: yea.

Zuko: oh that's fake-ish

Aang: it still looks cool

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Performer (to the crowd): Thank you! For my next trick I need a volunteer from the audience!

Aang (raising his hand and waving it about): Oh! Oh! Me! Me!

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Suki, toph and Zuko: 🤦‍♀️🤦🤦‍♀️🤦🤦‍♀️🤦🤦‍♀️

Toph: are u trying to get caught

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Sokka: What do you think you're doing?

Aang: I want to get a closer look.

Katara: It's better that we don't attract any attention to ourselves.

Performer (pointing at Katara): How about you, little lady?

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Toph: too late

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Katara (backing away and shaking her head): Uh

Performer: Awww, she's shy. Leeet's give her some encouragement, folks!

(Someone from the audience pushes Katara over to the edge of the stage where the Performer grabs her and hauls her up.)

Aang: Awww! That could'a been me.

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Toph: really?

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(View zooms into the crowd to show that the masked figure from earlier has penetrated the edges of the audience. )

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Suki: hey it's that guy we saw at the start.

Toph: here comes the trouble

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(Cut back to a long shot of the stage. The performer, carrying a chair, ushers Katara to the center of the stage. Once there he seats her on the chair.)

Performer: This next trick is called "Taming the Dragon." (To Katara) You will be my captured princess!

(He ties her up with a maroon ribbon and begins to firebend a huge fire comet from the fires at the top of each pillar. He loops it close to Katara and back out. He seems to control it by a flame rope that connects its head to the Performer's hand.)

Performer: Don't worry, young maiden! I will tame this fiery beast! (He plays with the fire comet for a bit more, then continues) It's too strong, I can't hold it!

Aang: We gotta help her!

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Zuko: it's a trick u know.

Aang: not at the time.

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Sokka: No, we don't want to make a scene!

Performer: The rope, it's breaking!

(The rope breaks and the comet charges right for Katara, who cringes and cries out. Shift to Aang airbending himself up and out of the frame, both Sokka and the masked man just failing to restrain him. Cut to a frontal shot of Katara in the chair. Aang drops in from the sky, turns and creates a whirlwind that dissipates the comet in with a shower of confetti.)

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Zuko: see

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Performer (from the stage floor where he'd fallen): Hey, you tryin' to upstage me, kid?

(Cut to Aang, watching the confetti rain down on him. Zoom back to reveal the crowd which starts to 'boo' him. Aang tries to amuse them with a lame dance while Sokka unties Katara in the background. Suddenly, someone speaks up.)

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Toph: really? Twinkletoes

Aang: what?!

Toph: ur dancing?

Aang: yes so?

Toph: 😑😑😑

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Audience Member: Hey! That kid's the Avatar!

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Toph: and there's the trouble

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(Aang freezes, a look of horror on this face. Cut to three Fire Nation guards who turn to face the camera at the mention of his name. They begin muscling through the crowd to the stage. Cut back to the three who have now removed their masks.)

Sokka: I think it's time to go.

Chey (from o.c.): Follow me! I can git ya outta here!

(Camera pans right to reveal a broken wall at the back of the stage. The masked man waves to them through it, prompting them to follow.)

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Toph: ur sure u can trust him.

Sokka: hey it's him or the guards.

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Guard: There they are!

(They run through the broken wall just as the guards burst onstage. The masked man throws a smoke bomb at the guards feet, obscuring the view. Cut to a few shots of the kids and the masked man running through squares and alleys.)

Guard #2 (pointing at them as they pass): Over there!

Aang: I'm calling Appa!

(Groups of pursing guards link up behind them as Aang produces his bison whistle and blows.)

Sokka: I hope he can really hear that bison whistle!

Chey (turning into an alley): This way! (It's a dead end.) Okay! Not this way!

(They turn, but the exit is blocked by guards. The masked man throws another exploding smoke bomb and then run past them into another alley. This one is a dead too. It ends in a high wall. On the other side is a huge supply dump of fireworks. Cut to an overhead shot that reveals Appa has arrived just in time.)

Aang: Appa! Down here!

(Appa lands between the kids and the guards, with his tail facing the guards. Appa flaps his beaver like tail on the ground and the gale that results blows the guards out of the alley to land in a confused heap some distance away. As the guards run back into the alley, Appa can be seen already airborne. )

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Suki: yea let's go appa.

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(Cut to the masked man on Appa's back. He bites the top off a some kind of bomb like object, whose fuse is now lit. He throws it at the fireworks supply and it blows up in an awesome display of colors and sounds. Cut to the masked man removing his hood as they cruise away, watching the town and the fireworks from afar.)

Aang: Nice touch setting off the fireworks.

Sokka: You seem to really know your explosives.

Chey (turning to them): I'm familiar.

Sokka (surprised): You're a Fire Nation soldier!

Chey: Was. My name's Chey.

(Cut to a night scene with Appa and the others around a camp fire. Appa is dozing.)

Chey: I serve a man. More than a man really, he's a myth, but he's real, a living legend, Jeong Jeong the Deserter. He was a Fire Nation general, or wait, was he an admiral?

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Zuko: I think I saw him Before.

Aang: really so what was he an general or an admiral

Zuko: I don't know I never really got to know before.

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Sokka: He was very highly ranked, we get it.

Chey: Yeh! Way up there! But he couldn't take the madness any more. He's the first person ever to leave the army - and live. I'm the second, but you don't get to be a legend for that. That's okay though. Jeong Jeong's a firebending genius. Some say he's mad - but he's not! He's enlightened.

Aang: You mean there's a firebender out here who's not with the Fire Lord? (Standing up) We've gotta go see him! He can train me!

Sokka: We're not gonna go find some crazy firebender!

Chey (standing up): He's not crazy! He's a genius! And he's the perfect person to train the Avatar! That's why I followed you into the festival.

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Suki: that's smart but why weren't u able to learn because as far as I know u learned from Zuko.

Aang: you'll see 😔

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Sokka (standing up): Look, thanks for the help, but we're leaving for the north pole in the morning.

Aang (hurt): Sokka, this could be my only chance to meet a firebending master who would actually be willing to teach me.

Katara (standing up as well): It can't hurt just to talk to him.

Sokka: That's what you said about going to the festival! Why doesn't anyone ever listen to me!?

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Toph: well I don't know.

Sokka: 😑😑😑😑

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