Me: are you guys ready?

All: yeah!

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BOOK 3: FIRE

CHAPTER 3: THE PAINTED LADY.

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Suki: oh this! This will be fun.

Zuko: yeah.

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

(The episode opens with Appa, the kids in his saddle, slogging his way down the course of a sludge-infested river somewhere in the Fire Nation. Aang and Momo are frolicking in the putrescent water.)

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All: ewww.

Zuko: why are you there?

Aang: to maybe find fish.

Suki: I don't think your going to find any there.

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(playing hide-and-go-seek) Momo! (He ducks underwater before Momo sees him, resurfacing nearby.) Oh Momo! (He ducks again, surfaces again, and the lemur finally spots him.) Ah! Ha ha, you found me, buddy. (It seems to finally dawn on Aang that he is swimming in toxic filth. He airbends himself up into the saddle.) Hey guys, I think this river's polluted.

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Zuko: ya think.

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(He bends the residual goop off himself, sliming the rest of the gang in the process. Another blast of air and everyone's clean.)

(fishing pole in hand) Well, that explains why I can't catch a fish around here. Because normally my fishing skills are... off the hook! Get it? Like a fishing hook?

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Sokka: hahhahahaha.

Everyone but sokka: .....

Sokka: You guys have no sense of humour.

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(The sound of chirping crickets is actually audible...or maybe that's birdsong. Either way, the joke is a flop.)

Too bad your skills aren't on the hook. (Toph's sally is more successful; the kids laugh, except Sokka, who scowls.)

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All but sokkka: hahahaha.

Sokka: 😑😑😑

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It looks like we'll need to go somewhere else to get food. (A long scroll of paper unrolls in front of her.) Assuming that'll fit into Sokka's master schedule.

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Zuko: You guys have schedule?

Sokka: of course we do.

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(The camera pans outward to reveal the end of the scroll in Sokka's hands. He is studying it intently.)

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Suki: oh wow.

Sokka: yeah I know, it's the best schedule.

Toph: it's was a pain in the butt.

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Hm...it's doable. But that means only two potty breaks today!

Hey, maybe we can get food there.

(He points to the little village of Jang Hui, just visible down river.

Cut to a secluded spot in the nearby uplands, where Aang is covering Appa with a blanket of turf. Momo is already similarly concealed.)

Now you look just like a little hill with horns. Bye buddy!

(Appa grumbles. The kids head out.

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All: awww

Suki: aww appa looks so cute.

Aang: right.

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Cut to a shot of the kids standing on the cliffs that overlook the river, surveying the scene.)

I don't feel anything. Where is this village?

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Zuko: water.

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It's in the middle of the river!

Sure is! (Pan down to reveal the village eccentric in his boat.) My name's Dock. Mind if I ask who you are?

We're, um, from the Earth Kingdom colonies.

Wow... colonials! Hop on; I'll give you a ride into town.

(They hop, and Dock proceeds towards the village.)

Why do you guys live on the river?

Because we're a fishing town. At least that's how it was before the factory moved in. (Cut to a shot of the ominous-looking Fire Army munitions factory, visible through a gap in the cliffs.) Army makes their metal there. Moved in a few years ago and started gunking up our river. Now our little village is struggling to survive.

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Suki: so do they just drink that dirty water?

Katara: sadly yes.

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(They arrive in town and Aang waves goodbye as the kids head out to explore.)

Thanks for the ride!

(A montage of village life, which is stricken with poverty and enforced idleness.)

Look at this place. It's so sad. We have to do something to help.

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!

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Suki: but these people need help.

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These people are starving, but you turn your back on them?! How can you be so cold and heartless?

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!

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Suki: I know what happens but sokka has a point.

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(slapping her hand over Sokka's mouth) Hey, loudmouth! Maybe we should be a little quieter when we talk about taking out the

Fire Lord.

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Toph: yeah sokka.

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(a little quieter) Come on, Katara, be reasonable about this. You know our mission has to come first.

(relunctantly) I guess so.

Let's just get what we need and go.

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Zuko: well that obliviously wasn't the case.

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

(They approach the counter of an outdoor market stall, staffed, to all appearances, by the same aged fisherman who gave them a lift into town.)

Hey, Dock. You work here too?

I'm not Dock, I'm Xu. Dock's my brother.

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Zuko: sure...

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(The kids are baffled.)

But we just saw you. You're even wearing the same clothes. The only difference is your hat.

Dock works on the

docks, that's why they call him "Dock", and I work in the shop, that's why they call me "Xu".

I don't get it.

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Aang: I still don't get it.

Everyone else: same.

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Me neither. (He pulls out a crate filled with rancid grey seafood.) What can I getcha? Hey, I'll give you a special deal. If you buy three fish, I'll throw in a clam for free.

(The kids are revolted by the foul haul...but they do need to eat.)

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Everyone: 🤢🤢🤢🤢🤢

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We'll just take the fish. Mind telling your brother we need a ride back to shore?

(Dock ducks beneath the counter; when he reappears, he is wearing his original headgear.)

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Aang: se that's the same person!

Zuko: obviously.

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Hey, colonials. My brother says you need a lift.

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Aang: brother?!

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(As they turn away to follow him, an urchin runs up to Katara.)

Can you spare some food?

(sadly, giving him a fish) I wish I could spare more.

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Sokka: so that's why we were missing a fish.

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(The boy runs away and she watches him give the fish to a sick woman, presumably his mother.

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Katara: but he needed it.

Sokka: yeah I'll let that slide

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Cut to the kids' campsite back up on the cliffs. While the benders of the group bend the pollution out of their cooking water, Sokka ponders his schedule.)

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Suki: that's smart.

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Our detour into town today has completely thrown off our schedule. It's gonna take some serious finagling to get us back on track.

(sarcastically) Finagle away, O schedule master.

Well, for starters, it looks like we'll need to wake up forty-three minutes earlier every day.

Forty-three minutes?

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Zuko: forty three?

Sokka: yeah.

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Look, we only have a few weeks to get to the Fire Lord in time for the invasion and the eclipse - which, by the way, only lasts for eight minutes. And we just lost a whole day. So if we want to make up the time and stay on schedule, we have to wake up early!

Well,I'm not waking up early.

Or we could just cut out all of our eating breaks.

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Suki: I'd rather wake up early than cut the eating breaks.

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What?

No way.

Forget it.

I got it, how's this From now on, we'll take food breaks and potty breaks at the same time.

Ew.

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Everyone: ew

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Hey, it might be gross, but it's efficient. Either way, we have to leave here first thing tomorrow morning.

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Sokka: oh come on it's true.

Suki: true but no.

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(Close-up of Katara's face - she can't get the villagers' plight out of her mind.

Cut to the campsite, the following morning. Appa is lying on his side, groaning, while Katara ministers to him.)

What's the matter, Katara?

I think Appa's sick.

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Suki: what? appa's sick, awwww poor appa.

Zuko: must be that water.

Sokka: maybe.

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What, Appa's sick? That's awful!

Wow, Sokka, I didn't realize you cared so much.

Of course I care. I might as well just throw our schedule away now. (The rest of the gang gives him the evil eye and he quickly changes his tune, rushing solicitously to Appa's side.)

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everyone but sokka: 😑😑😑

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And I'm concerned because my big, furry friend doesn't feel well.

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Suki: that's better.

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(ends 1:37)

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

He must have gotten sick from being in the polluted water.

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Zuko: exactly.

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He doesn't look sick. You okay, buddy? (He pulls Appa's tongue out.) His tongue is purple! That can't be good. Katara, can you heal him?

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Zuko: purple tongue?

Katara: yes did you not see.

Zuko: No I did it's just there is this berry if you eat to much your tongue could turn purple and get a stomach ache.

Sokka,Aang,Toph and Katara: 😮😮😮😮

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It looks like he needs some medicine. Maybe we can find the right herbs in town.

(Cut to the village, which has experienced a renascence over night, bustling and prosperous.)

Is it just me, or does this place seem different?

Yeah, are the people...happier?

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Zuko: isn't it that a good thing.

Aang: it is. It's just the town was you know down just a day ago.

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(The urchin from the previous day runs by, bouncing a ball, and Katara smiles to herself. The kids walk up to Dock's market stall, where, by his hat, he is currently inhabiting his "Xu" persona.)

Hey, Xu, what's going on with everyone today?

Ah, something amazing happened last night. Food was delivered to our village by a mysterious and wonderful person...the Painted Lady.

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Suki: ah the painted lady.

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The Painted who now?

The Painted Lady. (He plunks a statuette of the Lady down on the counter: she is a heavily draped damsel with elaborate eponymous face make-up and capped with a wide-brimmed conical hat.) She's part of our town's lore. They say she's a river spirit who watches over our town in times of need. I always thought she was just a legend. Until now.

Suki: I don't get why I didn't realize it earlier but rangi also had that look.

Sokka: rangi?

Suki: Kyoshi's girlfriend.

Sokka: She had a girlfriend?

Aang and Suki: yes.

Katara: anyway what do you mean by she also had that look?

Suki: it's quite hard to explain.

Katara: that's okay.

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See, we don't need to help these people, they already have someone to help them. All we need is medicine for our sick friend.

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Suki: I guess?

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Medicine? Sorry, all the medicine we have goes to the factory. That's why there's so many sick people in our village.

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Suki: well that's just sad.

Katara: yeah.

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Looks like we need to stay another night so Appa can rest.

(exasperated) I guess you're right. You got any more food to sell?

(a piscine monstrosity in each hand) Would you like the

one-headed fish, or the two-headed fish?

(mulling it over briefly) Two-headed! (The kids are revolted.) What? You get more for your money that way.

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Everyone: EWWWW.

Sokka: but you've got to admit it's great for the money.

Toph: whatever you say snoozels.

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(Cut to the village, late that night. A mysterious figure, resembling Dock's Painted Lady statuette, glides over the water on a carpet of fog and enters the village. She steps into a dwelling, presumably an infirmary, where several people are sleeping on the floor, and bends over each of them in turn, Healing them. Her last patient is the mother of the urchin seen earlier, her son sleeping at her side. He wakes as the Painted Lady turns to go and silently follows her out the door.)

Thank you, Painted Lady.

(She stops, startled, acknowledges him with a nod, and glides away into the night.)

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Suki: Not gonna lie katara you look so pretty in the painted lady costume.

Katara: thank you.

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(ends 0:58)

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

(The village, the next day. Dock is polishing his Lady figurine with a rag as Sokka steps up to the counter.)