Me: okay you guys ready?

All: yup.

Me: okay lets start.

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BOOK 3: FIRE

CHAPTER 5: THE BEACH

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Zuko: hmmm.

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(stops 2:23)

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(After the preview, the episode opens with the front of a ship and a calm sea. Suddenly, a giant Sea Lion bursts through the surface with a shrill cry. The shot pans out to reveal the Sea Lion is pulling a Fire Nation Ship. Ty Lee and Azula are visible on deck)

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Sokka: is that a sea lion?

Zuko: yup.

Sokka: I didn't know you could do that.

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I'm so excited to spend the weekend on Ember Island. (Cut to a close shot of Azula and Ty Lee standing on the deck, with Zuko and Mai sitting in the shade nearby) It's gonna be great to hang out on the beach and do nothing.

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Katara: oh you guys are going to ember island?

Zuko: yup.

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(Ty Lee rests her hands behind her head and closes her eyes with a satisfied smile. Cut to shot of Zuko and Mai sitting on cushions under a red canopy)

Doing nothing is a waste of time. (Zuko stands up) We're being sent away on a forced vacation. (Zuko walks over to the balustrade, leans on it and stares out to sea) I feel like a child.

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Sokka: well technically you still are.

Zuko: ....still.

Toph: dang the hair.

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(Cut to close shot of Azula)

Lighten up. So dad wants to meet with his advisors alone... without anyone else around. Don't take it personally.

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Suki: I bet she secretly toke it personally.

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(Cut to shot of all four teens)

(gestures at Azula) Doesn't your family have a house on Ember Island?

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All: yup.

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(turns toward Ty Lee) We used to come every summer when we were kids.

(enthused) That must've been fun!

(Cut to close shot of Zuko looking out to sea. Mai sits looking at him in the background)

That was a long time ago.

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All: ooh.

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(Cut to shot of a coastline. The camera pans inland to reveal small docks and extravagant stilted Fire Nation beach bungalows. The camera rests on a small dock where two twin figures stand. The Fire Nation Boat enters the shot moving toward this dock. Cut to a quick close up shot of all four teens gazing out at the approaching Island. Cut to a shot of Li and Lo standing on the dock. Cut to a wide shot of the four teens standing on the boat with Li and Lo waiting in the foreground to greet them. Cut to close shot of Li and Lo.)

Welcome to Ember Island, kids.

(The camera pans upward from Li and Lo's dock to a small shabby beach cottage. Cut to a shot of the four teens looking displeased and skeptical. )

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Katara: What's wrong with it?

Aang: yeah it looks cozy.

Zuko: one we aren't exactly used that.

Toph: rich kids.

Sokka: toph your not the one to say that.

Toph: eh.

Suki: second reason is?

Zuko: just wait until you get inside.

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(Cut to the camera panning upward through an ornate tropical room. The camera rests on a green curtained doorway through which Li/Lo steps. Cut to close shot of Azula walking skeptically into the room followed by Ty lee. Cut to rear shot of the entire party entering the room. Cut to close shot of Zuko and Mai standing together, ornate trinkets in the foreground.)

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All: ooh....

Aang: seems cozy.

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It smells like old lady in here.

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Toph: oh I wonder why.

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(sarcastically, looking toward Zuko) Gee, I wonder why.

(Cut to shot of Ty Lee looking at a painting of two young twins, twins standing back to back in a symmetrical seductive pose. Li and Lo approach her.)

: Who are these two beautiful women?

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Katara: That's probably them.

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(Cut to close shot of the painting in question, the camera quickly zooms out to include Li and Lo standing on either side of the painting)

Can't you tell (The elderly twins strike the identical seductive pose from the painting.) It's Li/Lo and me.

(Cut to close shot of the elderly twins rear ends touching in the foreground, while the four teens stand looking on, confused and slightly disgusted, in the background. Zuko covers his mouth to prevent himself from getting sick.

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Sokka: same zuko same.

All: um 0_0

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Cut to an above shot of a Maroon printed bead spread. Ty Lee lies back on to the bedspread.)

(snuggling against the pillow) Ooh, I love this seashell bedspread!

(Cut to shot of Mai) Are you serious? It looks like the beach threw up all over it.

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Toph: got to agree with gloomy.

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(Cut to wide shot of the entire room, Ty Lee is still snuggling her seashell bed spread in the foreground. The other three teens stand listening to Li and Lo.)

We know you're upset that you were forced to come here this weekend. But Ember Island is a magical place. (Cut to close profile shot of Li.) Keep an open mind. (The camera slowly pans around her face to reveal her twin standing next to her.)

Give it a chance...

...and it can help you understand yourselves and each other.

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All: hmmm.

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(Cut to shot of Li grabbing one of the smooth stones resting on table. Cut to wide shot from above. Li passes the smooth stone to her sister.) The beach has a special way of (Close shot of Lo rubbing the smooth stone) smoothing even the most ragged edges. (Cut to shot of teens. Ty Lee joins the group and Azula yawns. Cut back to shot of Lo and Li. In an identical series of motions, they clap and strip off their robes, revealing their elderly bodies in swimwear.) Time to hit the beach! (Cut to shot of Mai covering Zuko's eyes.)

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All: Oh my! 😣(°-°)

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(ends 1:04)

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Cut to the camera panning upward over rocks, revealing a crater filled with water at the top.)

(voice over) Aang, I know swimming is fun and all, (wide shot of Toph, Katara, Sokka and Aang lounging around the water.) but do you really think you should be exposing yourself like that (Close shot of Toph.) Cover up!

(Cut to Aang floating through the water, Momo curled up on his chest) What? I'm wearing trunks.

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Zuko: your tattoos.

Aang: there wasn't anybody but there plus the walls.

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(Cut to shot of Toph sitting on the rocks in the background, while Katara wades in the water in the foreground.)

I know...it's your tattoos (raises arms in frustration) I'm worried about. What if someone sees you?

(turning toward Toph) There are walls all around us. It's completely safe.

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Aang: see.

Zuko: I'm just saying you never know.

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(Cut to shot of Aang floating toward us, Momo suddenly perks up and Aang turns to notice something ahead and smiles. Cut to shot of rapids and a tunnel ahead of them. Aang floats into the shot and propels himself down the tunnel.)

(Shot of Aang speeding down through a water-slide like tunnel. Momo is firmly latched on Aangs head as they speed through the twists and turns.) Whoo, hey!

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Suki: that looks fun.

Aang: it was.

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(The camera pans over to reveal more of the rock water slide and Aang whizzing through it. Cut to close shot of Aang still riding the water slide tunnel and laughing. Cut to outside shot of a Fire Nation Officer 1 lounging on some rocks, fanning himself, while Fire Nation Officer 2 uses his sword handle to clean between his toes in the foreground.)

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Toph and zuko: see!

Aang: maybe that's somewhere else.

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This has got to be the most boring job in the fire nation. (Cut to shot of Fire Nation Officer 2 smelling his sword handle.) Nothing ever happens. (Fire Nation Officer 2's face fills with shock. Simultaneously, in the background Aang is yelling and falling down a waterfall into a basin of water. Officer 2 turns to look toward the splash, and then ducks down.)

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Aang: oh.

Zuko and toph: 😏😏😏

Sokka: if they saw aang how come they didn't know aang was alive.

Katara: true. hmmm

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(Cut to wide shot of the scene. The two fire nation officers lie on their stomachs behinds some rocks near their posts, peeking toward the waterfall where Aang just landed. Cut to shot of the waterfall. The shot is a circle framed in black, as though someone is looking through a telescope. Aang pops out of the water, into view. Momo is still clinging to his head.)

(to Momo) Let's go again! (Momo looks hesitant. Aang air bends out of the water springing back up the rocks. The telescope-like camera follows his springing motion up the cliff till he disappears over the other side. Cut to shot of the two Fire Nation Officers huddled cheek-to-cheek, sharing one telescope and shaking with fear. They duck back down and face one another.)

The Avatar's alive! We better send a messenger hawk to the Fire Lord.

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All: hmmm.

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(Shot of Fire Nation Officer 1 opening a hawk's cage. The hawk wears a Fire Nation Symbol on his chest and steps down on to the Officer's arm. Cut to shot of the back of the hawk. The hawk has a Fire Nation message tube strapped to his back. Fire Nation Officer 1 places a sealed scroll of parchment into the Hawk's tube and closes the lid. Cut back to the front of the Hawk, the camera zooms out as the hawk flies at the camera and then out of the shot.)

A black ribbon message. (Cut to wide shot of the two Officers. Officer two stands up in excitement and the Hawk flies into the distance.) This is so exciting!

(Cut to a wide shot of a black crescent shaped coastline, surrounded by green flatland cliffs. The camera pans right.

(starts 2:24)

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The beach is scattered with people and red and yellow beach tents. There are some smaller beach bungalows, as well as some larger, more magnificent properties interspersed around the cliff face. Cut to shot of a kid holding a skim board. He throws it on to the wash and rides toward the camera. Cut to shot of Azula, Ty Lee, Zuko and Mai walking along the beach, through crowds of beach-goers. Mai and Zuko share an umbrella. Cut to close shot of Mai and Zuko. Cut to shot of two young boys building an elaborate sand castle. Suddenly, a foot comes down and crushes their castle. Cut to shot of Azula looming triumphantly over the caste she has just crushed, Ty Lee stands next to her smiling.)

(Cut to wide shot of the group of teens and the two boys scampering away in fear) Ahh! (Azula kicks their sand pale after them)

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Katara: that was mean but it's azula.

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(Shot of Ty Lee standing somewhat confused with a large pink beach bag over her shoulder. A gawky young fire nation teen boy springs into view.)

(eager) Hey, you need some help unpacking?

Sure, thanks.

(Ty Lee dumps her enormous bag into the teens awaiting arms, knocking him to the ground. Cut to shot of Teen Boy 1 crouched by the bag, unpacking. He quickly throws every item out one at a time, lastly pulling out Ty Lee's pink towel. Cut to wide shot of him smiling and laying the towel out with a flourish as Azula looks on in the foreground. He hastens to make her towel perfectly straight as Azula turns away in jealousy. Cut to shot of Ty Lee from above, squinting into the sun.)

All: oooh.

Sokka: azula looks jealous.

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Could you scooch just a little bit more to the... (Cut to shot of Teen Boy 1 standing confused and then quickly moving to block out the sun for Ty Lee. Cut back to Ty lee.) Perfect. (She winks)

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Sokka: dang.

Suki: *cough*

Sokka: ...

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(Cut to shot of Mai and Zuko huddled together under an umbrella. A small child runs by laughing. Shot of Zuko looking to the side at a seashell, which he picks up. Shot of Zuko handing the shell to Mai)

Here... (Bringing the shell toward her) This is for you.

Why would I want that?

I saw it and I thought it was pretty. Don't girls like stuff like this?

(turns away from him) Maybe stupid girls.

(throws the shell away in anger) Forget it!

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Zuko: I don't get that.

Katara: you gave it to her because you thought girls like that.

Zuko: so?

Suki: your gift isn't as genuine. If you think about it, would mai actually like it.

Zuko: no.

Katara: exactly.

Suki: but lets say you still give it her and she ask well why would she want that. You say something sweet but mai might not be that type. But you know

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(Cut to shot of shell landing next to a robust Fire Nation Teen boy. Cut to wide shot of Fire Nation Teen Boy 2 surveying the beach. The camera quickly zooms in on Ty Lee who is still be shaded by Fire Nation Teen Boy 1. Cut to close up slow motion shot of Ty Lee flipping her hair and laughing as sparkles twinkle around her. Cut back to shot of Fire Nation Teen 2 gawking stupidly and then blushing and smiling. Cut to shot of Fire Nation Teen Boy 1 patiently shading Ty Lee and smiling. Suddenly Fire Nation Teen 2 crouches in front of him and presents the Shell discarded by Zuko and Mai to Ty Lee.)

(Close Shot of Ty Lee taking the Shell) Wow, thanks. This is so pretty.

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Sokka: so does that mean mai thinks tylee is stupid.

Suki: I'm pretty sure not.

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(Back to shot of Fire Nation Teen 2 crouched in front of Fire Nation Teen) Not as pretty as you are. (Fire Nation Teen 1 looks angry)

(Fire Nation Teen 1 moves to the side to get a closer look at the shell) That shell's not so great!

(Cut to close shot of Ty Lee with sun in her eyes) Ahem, shade... shade!

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All: oh god.

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

(Cut to shot of Mai still sitting under an umbrella, Zuko walks up holding two ice-cream cones and joins her under the umbrella.)

(Close shot of the two of them) I thought since it's so hot... Here. (He hands her an ice cream cone, but the scoop of ice cream falls off the cone into Mai's lap)

(She looks down at the ice cream) Thanks. This is really refreshing.

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All: yikes.

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