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(I was supposed to post this earlier but I forgot so here anyway sorry)

Me: ok are you guys ready for this episode

all: yeah

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Book 2: Earth

Chapter 7: Zuko Alone.

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

: Not enough here for a hot meal. I can get you two bags of feed.

(Zuko looks down in despair, the gambling soldiers looking at him from the background. The soldiers turn back to their game as Zuko looks to the side o.c. at the sound of some laughter. A few kids peek from around the corner of the stall.

Cut to a wider shot of Zuko standing in front of the stall. At the side, a kids hands his friend an egg, who throws it at the gambling soldiers. It hits a soldier on the head and the kids run off. The soldiers get up and look over and see Zuko's back to them. The street is otherwise empty.)

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suki: oooh those kids.

zuko: yeah i know right.

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: Hey! (he and his friends approach Zuko from behind) You throwing eggs at us, stranger?

: No.

: You see who did throw it?

: (turning around and putting his hand on his sword hilt) No.

: That's your favorite word, no?

: Egg had to come from somewhere.

: (turning back to the merchant) Maybe a chicken flew over.

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they all chuckle

toph: nice one sparky.

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(One of the soldiers starts laughing, but a look from Gow silences him. Cut to a profile shot of Zuko at the merchant's counter. The merchant appears and drops two bags of feed on the counter. Gow swoops in and grabs them and throws to one of his men.)

: Thanks for your contribution. The army appreciates your support. You better leave town. Penalty for staying is a lot steeper than you can afford, stranger.

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suki: uh excuse me. those guys are jerks.

zuko: i know right.

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(Cut to a side shot of Gow from the chest down as he taps the war hammer hanging from his belt.)

: Trust me.

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suki: i wann akick him for treating you like that.

sokka: same.

Zuko: don't worry i handled it.

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(Gow and his men walk away, then cut back to Zuko, the merchant standing behind him at his stall.)

: Those soldiers are supposed to protect us from the fire nation, but they're just a bunch of thugs.

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aang: they sure are.

suki: no kidding

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(Zuko walks back over to his mount. A bright eyed boy appears on the other side of the ostrich horse as he is about to hop up.)

: Thanks for not ratting me out.

(Zuko gets on and starts riding away. The boy looks non-plussed, then a smile spreads on his face and he follows. Cut to Zuko riding, then the camera zooms backward instantly to show Lee holding the ostrich horse's bridle.)

: I'll take you to my house and feed your ostrich horse for you. Come on, I owe you.

(Cut to a profile shot as Lee lead's the banished Prince away. As the leave, Zuko grabs his grumbling tummy.

Shift to a wide shot of the road leading up to a farm. A variety of pigs oink and make noise all around them. The noise picks up as the pass the animals.)

: No one can ever sneak up on us.

: No kidding.

(Lee leads the ostrich horse o.c. and Zuko looks to his right. A rooster sheep stops atop a fence pole to his left. It crows at him. A man enters the frame, only his back is visible at first.)

: You a friend of (cut to a shot of Gansu's face) Lee's?

(Cut to a wide shot. At this question Lee runs out of the barn near them and addresses his father in an excited tone.)

: This guy just stood up to the soldiers! By the end, he practically had them running away.

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sokka: well not exactly

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(A woman enters from the right of the frame. She is dressed in simple green, as are her husband and son.)

: (in a friendly manner) Does this guy have a name?

: I'm, uh...

: He doesn't have to say who he is if he doesn't want to, Sela. Anyone who can hold his own against those bully 'soldiers' is welcome here. (cut to a shot of Gansu with his arms around his wife and son) Those men should be ashamed to wear Kingdom uniforms.

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aang: yeah they sure should be ashamed

suki: how can they call themselves earthkingdom solider. tsk tsk.

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: The real soldiers are off fighting the war, like Lee's big brother Sen Su. Supper's going to be ready soon. Would you like to stay?

: I can't. I should be moving on.

: Gansu could use some help on the barn. Why don't you two work for a while, and then we'll eat.

(Zuko nods his assent at Sela's suggestion, then fade to a shot sometime later that pans left across the farm, then cut to Zuko and Gansu atop the barn. They are nailing roof shingles to the frame. Near them Lee stands at the top of the ladder used to access the barn's roof. He watches his father and the nameless stranger working. This is followed by a frontal shot of Zuko on his knees using both hands to hammer in a nail. Lee's upper body is visible behind him poking up over the edge of the roof.)

: You don't seem like you're from around here.

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toph: no kidding

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: Uh-uh.

: Where are you from then?

: Far away.

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sokka: you sure are.

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: Oh. Where're you going?

: Lee, give it a rest. Stop asking the man personal questions, got it?

: (sighs dejectedly) Yes. (then brightly) So, how did you get that scar?

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all: ohhh

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(Zuko slams the hammer into his thumb at this and stifles a cry of pain through gritted teeth.)

: It's not nice to bother people about things they might not want to talk about. A man's past is his business.

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sokka: hmmmmmmm.

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

(Cut to Zuko, who looks up, lost in a memory. He begins to hammer once again, a look of fierce determination on his face. As he drops the hammer for the third time, a white flash fills the screen, and a flashback begins. The flashback is hazy and the colors in the animation are somewhat washed out so that the characters and the scenery look slightly faded.

The flashback begins with a pool of water. A hand with long fingernails enters the frame and touches the surface of the pool. A Fire Nation red robe adorns the arm to which it is attached. The person pulls her hand out of the water and opens her palm to reveal some small bits of food. A baby turtle duck enters the frame and squawks. It is fuzzy except where it is covered by its shell. It eats the offered food.

Cut briefly to a wide, long shot of the garden in which the pool is located. It is a sheltered compound and very beautiful two figures sit by the pool, though their features are difficult to see at this distance. One is a woman, the other a little boy of perhaps eight or ten.

Cut to a profile shot of the boy, a young Prince Zuko, and his mother, Ursa. In front of them in the pond hover four baby turtle ducks, hoping for more food. Zuko holds a stone in his hand.)

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suki: oh is that little zuko and-

zuko: mom?

they all look at zuko.

zuko: 😢😢😢

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: Hey mom, want to see how Azula feeds turtle ducks?

(He throws the rocks at one of the baby turtle ducks, which disappears beneath the surface of the pool.)

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all: 😦😦😦

aang: why would you do that????

zuko: i was just showing how azula would feed the turtle ducks

aang: hmmm that i would that is accurate but STILL.

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: (shocked) Zuko! (cut to a frontal shot of Zuko, Ursa continues o.c.) Why would you do that?

(Cut back to the surface of the pond. The baby turtle duck bobs back up to the surface unhurt; his shell protected him from the rock. The baby blinks and shakes his head as its mother swims into the frame to make sure the baby is okay. Once sure of this, she swerves and attacks Zuko loudly. She jumps out of the pond and bites Zuko's foot. The young Prince yells in pain. Ursa removes the angry turtle duck and drops her back into the pond. She swims away with one final squawk of protest, her babies in tow.)

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everyone but zuko chuckles.

zuko: that really hurt you know.

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: Stupid turtle duck, why'd she do that?

(Zuko hugs his knees and looks sullen. His mother sits next to him.)

: Zuko, that's what moms are like. (putting her arms around her son) If you mess with their babies, (she makes a biting sound for effect) they'll bite you back.

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katara: yeah....

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(She hugs Zuko and he laughs.

Fade to an overhead shot of another courtyard in the palace. This is quickly replaced by a shot of a young Azula and Ty Lee. Azula sets up for a cartwheel. She makes several successful flips but falls at the end. Ty Lee executes the move flawlessly and with incredible grace. She lands on her feet, but Azula knocks her over and laughs, pointing at the fallen girl.)

: (sans malice) Azula!

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Katara: why would azula do that?

Zuko: why are you asking its azula?!

katara: point taken.

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(Cut to a shot of a young Mai sitting with her back to a tree. She looks to her left to see Zuko and his mother walking down the path across the courtyard. She looks away, her cheeks blushing red and a small smile stealing across her face. Azula notices.)

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suki: oooooh mai~

Katara: gosh azula is gonna do something.

zuko: uhmmm

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: (whispers to Ty Lee) Watch this.

(She runs over to catch her mother and brother as Ty Lee laughs quietly.)

: Mom, can you make Zuko play with us? We need equal teams to play a game.

: (emphatically) I am not cart wheeling.

: You won't have to. Cart wheeling's not a game, (under her breath) dumb dumb.

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Toph:yeah sparky.

Zuko:😑😑😑

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: I don't care. I don't want to play with you.

: We are brother and sister. (her voice becoming sickly sweet) It's important for us to spend time together. Don't you think so, mom?

: Yes darling, (to Zuko) I think it's a good idea to play with your sister. Go on now, (she fluffs Zuko's head a few times) just for a little while.

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sokka: i sense something is gonna happen isn't it

zuko: yup

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(Ursa walks off, leaving Zuko. Cut to a shot of an apple hanging from a tree. Azula's hands picks it as she begins to speak in voice over.)

: (voice over) Here's the way it goes.

(Cut back to Azula and the others. Mai's back is to the camera in the foreground, Zuko and Ty Lee visible behind. Azula places the apple on Mai's head.)

: Now what you do is try to knock the apple off the other person's head. Like this.

(Cut to a close up of the apple atop Mai's head. The camera tilts down to show Mai's face. She looks unhappy. Azula fires a blast at the apple, whose stem catches on fire. Mai looks surprised, then cut to Zuko, Azula and Ty Lee. Zuko instantly springs to action to save the girl he thinks is in danger. Azula looks on smugly.

Zuko stampedes over to Mai. He jumps her, knocking the burning apple off her head, but also knocking them both into the pool.)

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all:ohhhh

toph: that was not so smart

sokka: hahah no kidding

zuko:😑😑😑

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: (to Ty Lee) See, I told you it would work.

: Aw, they're so cute together.

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suki: yeah

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: (getting up as Zuko walks off) You two are such... ugh!

(Cut to Ursa coming out of one of the buildings. Zuko enters the screen, dripping water, as she begins to speak.)

: I was just coming to get you. Uncle Iroh sent us a letter from the war front. (to Zuko) You're soaking wet.

: (with a gesture of frustration) Girls are crazy!

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sokka: yeah they are!

all the girls look at sokka.

Sokka: uh i mean YAY girls.

suki: better

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(The screen flashes white again. When the image returns the scene has changed to a night shot of an enormous stone wall. It has been breached and smoke rises from the piles of rubble. The shot pans down to reveal rows of Fire Nation soldiers at the base of the breached wall. On a stone parapet below is Iroh's headquarter tent. He begins to narrate the letter from o.c.)

: (voice over) If the city is as magnificent as its wall, Ba Sing Se must be something to behold.

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Aang: oh its iroh when he was invading ba sing se.

zuko: yeah

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(cut to a younger Iroh sitting at a desk, flanked by two guards, writing the letter) I hope you all may see it someday, if we don't burn it to the ground first.

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All: oh

Suki: iroh really looks younger.

toph: no kidding

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(He laughs at this, then cut back to a frontal shot of Ursa, the letter scroll spread open in the foreground, with Zuko and Azula on either side. They laugh with Iroh at this comment.)

: (reading the letter) "Until then, enjoy these gifts. For Zuko, (cut to Zuko running over and picking up a dagger offered by a servant on some sort of tray) a pearl dagger from the general who surrendered when we broke through the outer wall. Note the inscription (Zuko unsheathes the dagger) and the superior craftsmanship."

: (reading the inscription) "Never give up without a fight."

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zuko: 🙂🙂🙂

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(The shot pans right to show Azula standing in front of another servant. He offers her something on a tray.)

: "And for Azula, a new friend. She wears the latest fashion for Earth Kingdom girls."

(As Ursa speaks, Azula picks up a doll wearing Earth Kingdom green. The Princess makes a face of disgust.)

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katara: azula is sooo mean

toph: no kidding

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: If Uncle doesn't make it back from war, then dad would be next in line to be Fire Lord, wouldn't he?

(In the background, Zuko runs around practicing with his new dagger.)

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They all chuckle at zuko in the background

sokka: what are you doing?

zuko: practicing

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: (disappointed) Azula, we don't speak that way. It would be awful if Uncle Iroh didn't return. And besides, Fire Lord Azulon is a picture of health.

: How would you like it if cousin Lu Ten wanted dad to die?

: I still think our dad would make a much better Fire Lord than (looking at the doll with disdain) his royal tea loving kookiness.

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suki: defiantly NOT.

aang: yeah iroh would be a better firelord than ozai

zuko: no kidding.

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(She holds out the doll and makes its head burst into flame. The screen flashes white and the flashback ends.

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suki: she- she just burned it!

zuko: yeah

suki: how ungreatful

katara: no kidding

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

The screen flashes white and we return to another of Zuko's memories. He is in a room in the palace, wielding the knife he has just given away. He fakes death and falls over, revealing young Azula behind him seated on a chair.)

: You waste all your time playing with knives. You're not even good.

: (getting up, his cheeks flaming) Put an apple on your head and we'll find out how good I am!

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all: ohhhhhhh

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: (getting up and walking over to him) By the way, Uncle's coming home.

: Does that mean we won the war?

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sokka: NOPE

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: No. It mean's Uncle's a quitter and a loser.

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toph: gosh she so annoying.

zuko: its azula after all.

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: What are you talking about? Uncle's not a quitter.

: Oh yes, he is. He found out his son died and he just fell apart. (leaning against a nearby pillar) A real general would stay and burn Ba Sing Se to the ground, not lose the battle and come home crying.

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katara: he just lost a son that's really devestating.

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: (angry) How do you know what he should do? (looking down, sadly) He's probably just sad his only kid is gone... forever.

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katara: exactly.

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(Cut to an overhead shot. A shadow approaches the entrance to the chamber the kids were playing in. It is their mother.)

: Your father has requested an audience with Fire Lord Azulon. Best clothes, hurry up.

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all: oohhh