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Me: u guys ready for this episode. It's gonna be a roller coaster.

Sokka: oh dear. 🙃🙃🙃

All: yeaaaa.

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Book 1: Water

Chapter 18: The waterbending master

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Suki: oh

Katara: oh yay I guess.

Sokka: 🥲

_( the scene ends at 54 seconds stop there for now.)

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(Opening shot of some open water. Almost instantly a koala otter backstrokes into view. )

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Suki: aw how cute.

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(He looks up as a shadow passes over him. He ducks beneath the waves as Appa passes just overhead. Cut to Sokka leaning over Appa's saddle, looking backwards over his beaver like tail in the direction they came from.)

Sokka (petulantly): I'm not one to complain, but can't Appa fly any higher?

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Toph: really u not the one to complain. Hahaha yes right.

Sokka: 😤😑😑😑

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(Cut to a side view of Appa flying across an ice field in the open ocean. He is clearly tired. He glides lower, his feet brushes the water. Cut to a view atop Appa looking forward to Aang in Appa's driver's seat, Katara in the foreground behind him in the saddle, who turns around and answers Sokka angrily.)

Aang: I have an idea, why don't we all get on your back and you can fly us to the North Pole?

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Suki: ooh we are cranky here.

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Sokka: I'd love to! Climb on everyone (he wiggles his butt at everyone), Sokka's ready for takeoff!

(Momo jump up on Sokka in response to his invitation.)

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Toph: I guess momo wants.

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Katara: Look, we're all just a little tired and cranky because we've been flying for two days straight.

Sokka: And for what? We can't even find the Northern Water Tribe. There's nothing up here.

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Suki: yea looks pretty empty.

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(Suddenly a noise is heard up ahead. Ice is moving rapidly towards Appa. Cut to Aang who screams and pulls Appa's reigns to starboard. Appa banks right and avoids the ice, but almost tips his passengers off the saddle, who hang on for dear life. Appa then banks left as another jet of ice erupts out of the waves, but this one slams into Appa's underside, who drops in an uncontrolled spin into the water. )

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Toph: I bet that made u dizzy.

Aang: it did

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(Out of the icebergs several ornate wooden skiffs come to surround Appa. They are manned by people in water tribe garb.)

Katara: They're waterbenders! We found the Water Tribe!

(Cut to a wide shot of Appa trapped in ice, surrounded by Water Tribe ships, then cut to a Fire Navy port. Ships line the harbor in the background. In the foreground is a tent surrounded by guards. Cut to Admiral Zhao, looking at a map of the world, back to the camera.)

(the scene ends at 32 seconds I suggest to stop there for now.)

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Zhao: He's heading north. The Northern Water Tribe. The Avatar needs to master waterbending. He's looking for a teacher.

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Toph: how have they not found out that now.

Sokka: yes isn't obvious .

Aang: well I'm glad they didn't find out till later.

Katara: or else they might have beat us there and no more waterbending teacher.

Suki: yea that might have happened

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(Zhao has turned around to address the others in the room. His officers sit cross legged on the floor.)

Captain Li: Then what are we waiting for? Let's go get him!

Zhao: Patience, Captain Li. This isn't some little Earth village we can just march into. The Water Tribe is a great nation. There's a reason they've survived a hundred years of war. The frozen tundra is treacherous. The landscape itself is an icy fortress. We'll need a massive invasion force.

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Suki: true very true.

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(Start at 57 seconds for this scene)

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(Cut back to Appa swimming in formation with the Water Tribe boats. Aang gets up and points ahead.)

Aang: There it is!

(Cut to a view of an ice wall with towers and turrets.)

Katara (from o.c. with wonder): The Northern Water Tribe...

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Suki and toph: wow

Suki: wow do pretty.

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Sokka: We're finally here...

(Cut to a view of one of the water tribe skiffs, where the waterbender crew waterbends in unison. Cut to a view of the city wall, where the waterbenders have removed a semi-circular opening to reveal a tunnel that leads into the city. Cut back to Appa and the kids, one of the waterbenders on the skiff in the foreground. He motions them forward and Appa swims in. Cut to a view inside the tunnel as Appa swims in, then cut to the lock where the tunnel opens into. Switch to an overhead view showing that the lock is square and that the waterbenders line the tops of the lock's four walls. The three sides of the lock not adjacent to the main wall have water behind them almost to the height of the city wall. The waterbenders open sluice gates along the three walls of the lock to raise the water level. The wall opposite the main city wall begins to lower itself, ultimately to free a path for Appa to continue. Cut to a closer view of Aang and Katara.)

Katara: I can't believe how many waterbenders live up here!

Aang: We'll find a master to teach us, no problem!

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Suki: definitely

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(Cut to a long shot of the lock wall dropping beneath the water line, with a few boats waiting in the channel beyond as Appa swims out. Cut to a frontal shot of the kids on Appa, smiling and looking around them in wonder. Shift to long, overhead panorama shot of the city. It is made of ice and is breathtakingly beautiful. It also has three interior walls in addition to the main city walls. All the way in the back is apparently some sort of citadel or temple. Cut to an overhead shot of the roof of one of the buildings in the city. An older man and a young boy watch as Appa follows a Water Tribe skiff through the canals. Soon more people join them. In fact, as they go, small crowds of people begin to gawk at them from houses and foot bridges. Aang waves at them as they pass. The city is loaded with beautiful streams, waterfalls and fountains. They pass another boat with a waterbender and a beautiful young Water Tribe woman with white, elaborately styled hair and a slightly purplish coat rather than the normal blue. Sokka focuses on her, blushes and tried to follow her by running down Appa's tail.)

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Sokka: 🥲🥲🙁🙁🙁.

Suki saw Sokka. She'll admit she was a little jealous but that quickly faded and she just hugged Sokka and sokka hugged back.

Toph: ah I see Sokka liked yue.

Aang:Didn't u get that from the play.

Toph: I wasn't really paying attention at that part.

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Katara (from o.c.): This place is beautiful.

Sokka (looking dreamily at the girl as he boat moves away): Yeh, she is.

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Zuko: she was talking a-

Sokka: I know what she's talking about.

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(Start at 34 seconds for this scene and ends a 1:10 )

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(Cut to a view of the rapidly waning, almost new moon. The view pans down to reveal Prince Zuko's ship at dock. The sound of a stringed instrument can be heard playing a simple staccato tune. Cut to a close up of the instrument and the hand playing it. The view pans up to reveal the musician to be Lieutenant Jee. The tune is then accompanied by drums. Cut to a wider shot that reveal four men around a camp fire on the main deck of the ship. One of them is Lieutenant Jee, another is General Iroh.)

Iroh (singing slightly out of tune): Winter, spring, summer and fall. Wi/bnter and spring, summer and fall. Four seasons, four loves. Four seasons, four loves.

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Aang: yea irohhh.

Katara: yea Iroh

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(During the song, two crewmen dance in front of the fire. Then a group of masked Fire Nation soldiers board the ship including Admiral Zhao. The music stops as the intruders are noted. Iroh and the others turn to look at the newcomers.

(The scene starts a 2:19)

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Cut back to a view of the Northern Water Tribe city which is quickly replaced by a shot of three Water Tribe men playing huge kettle drums in unison. Cut to a wide shot of a plaza near the main citadel. A huge fountain dominates the rear of the plaza. On either side huge pews made out of ice provide seating for many onlookers. The closest side of the plaza shows the backs of the city's rulers as well as the guests of honor, Aang and his friends. Cut to a frontal shot of the city dignitaries table. Sokka is on the far side and down below Appa can be seen. A couple of attendants bring him a huge pallet of food. He roars and then and they run screaming, with Sokka smiling at this in the foreground. Appa begins to eat. )

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They all laugh at appa.

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(Cut back to a view of the center of the plaza, where four attendants lower some sort of huge steaming platter of food or something onto a stage in front of them.)

Chief Arnook (standing to address the crowd): Tonight, we celebrate the arrival of our brother and sister from the Southern Tribe, and they have brought with them someone very special, someone whom many of us believed disappeared from the world until now. (Indicating Aang) The Avatar! (The crowd cheers.) We also celebrate my daughter's 16th birthday. (He backs up out of the frame to reveal the beautiful girl with the white hair, flanked by two attendants, walking up to the table. They all bow, smiling.) Princess Yue is now of marrying age.

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Suki: really marrying age is at 16?

Katara: yea hey suki ur almost that age maybe Sokka will ask you.😏

Sokka and suki blush.

Sokka: Katara!

Katara: what! U guys always tease me and Aang. (She says getting a small blush that is not noticeable)

Sokka: yea but that's different.

Katara: hypocrite.

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(Sokka looks at her with wide eyes.)

Princess Yue: Thank you, father. May the great Ocean and Moon Spirits watch over us during these troubled times.

Chief Arnook: Now, Master Pakku and his students will perform!

(The Chief motions towards three men who now stand on the dais in front of the fountain opposite the dignitaries' table. The center man is clearly the eldest with a bald head, but long white hair on the sides of his head and down his back. The begin waterbending water from three enormous amphorae in front of them. The crowd begins to cheer. Cut to Aang and Katara who look at each in utter delight while they clap. )

(As the waterbending show continues, cut to Sokka stuffing his face full of food. A figure walks behind him and sits down next to him. It is Princess Yue. He gulps his mouthful and tries to strike a cool pose next to her.)

(The scene will end at 45 seconds I suggest u stop there for now.)

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Sokka (in a cheesy voice): Hi, there. Sokka, Southern Water Tribe.

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Toph: hahaha

Sokka: 🙃🙃

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Princess Yue (smiling and bowing slightly): Very nice to meet you.

Sokka (after a brief pause, trying desperately to strike up a conversation): So... uh... you're a Princess! (She nods and smiles)

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Toph: awkward.

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Sokka: You know, back in my tribe, I'm kinda like a Prince myself!

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Sokka just feels exposed as they all laugh.

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(Shot pans left to reveal Katara.)

Katara: Ha! Prince of what?

Sokka (angry): A lot of things! Uh, do you mind? I'm trying to have a conversation here!

Katara (with a mock bow): My apologies, Prince Sokka.

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Aang: hahaha nice one Katara.

Toph: yea sugarqueen.

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Sokka (turning back to Yue and trying to recover): So it looks like I'm gonna be in town for awhile. I'm thinking maybe we could...(then lamely) do an activity together?

Princess Yue: Do an "activity"?

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Suki: do an activity?

Toph: that's what u come up with? Hahahahhaaha

Suki: see u say to be aloof to aang. is that aloof?

Sokka: uh- I- well ok it was not.

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(Sokka, sweating, pauses then stuffs his mouth with some stuff on the table. Screens widens to the left to show Katara clearly enjoying her brother's lame attempt at courting.)

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Toph: very smooth. Hahahah.

Sokka: cringes at himself.

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Katara: Very smooth.