Me: okay are you guys ready for this episode?

All: YEAH!

Me: okay lets start.

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BOOK 3: FIRE

CHAPTER 7: THE RUNAWAY

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Katara and toph: oh.

Sokka: Oh I think I know what this is.

Aang: same.

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(The episode opens with a bird's eye view of Fire Fountain Village, looking down on the giant flaming statue of Ozai that dominates the town square. The camera cuts to a close-up of the statue's face and pans down to the ground, so that we see Toph running out from a side street towards the statue. She reaches the base of the statue and turns around, only to be engulfed in a net flung from the direction of the camera. She falls to the ground, hogtied. As Fire Nation "domestic forces" approach her, she looks up accusingly.)

How could you do this to me? You betrayed me!

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Suki and Zuko: ???

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(Cut to Katara, standing over Toph with an angry glare.)

You brought this on yourself. I had no choice.

(She folds her arms and turns her back on Toph. The helpless earthbender is dragged away.

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Suki: wait wait hold on. huh?

Zuko: this can't be real.

Katara and toph look at each other.

Suki: it really can't be.

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(ends 2:16)

Cut to an isolated area somewhere in the vicinity of Fire Fountain Village,

three days prior to the scene described above. Toph and Katara face each other, apparently about to engage in combat.

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Suki: oh gosh.

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Aang stands up between them, tying his headband around his eyes for a blindfold.)

: Ok, I'm ready for some training!

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Suki and zuko: oooh

Katara: did you think we were going to fight?

Suki: yeah. I mean it defiantly could happen plus that opening scene makes it seem that way.

(He assumes a fighting stance and stomps on the ground with one foot. Immediately the screen switches to Toph Vision and we see concentric circles radiating out from the impact of Aang's foot: Toph is instructing him in her ability to "see" via earthbending.

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Sokka: I know we have scene how it looks but that seriously still really cool to look at.

Toph: ah honestly I miss seeing like that. Don't get me wrong seeing with my eyes are great but there is something about seeing with earthbending is just wonderful.

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She bends several columns of rock in his way and he dodges them with ease. Katara attacks with a water whip and Aang evades this as well, recoiling it back onto her and simultaneously hurling a boulder at Toph. Toph catches it on the end of her fist.)

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Suki: YEAH! go aang.

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Good job, twinkle-toes. Visualize - then attack!

(She propels the boulder back towards Aang, who corkscrews into the ground to avoid it. The boulder, obeying Newton's first law, continues on its trajectory and collides with Katara's chest, bowling her over.)

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All: ouch.

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(angrily) Maybe you should take your own advice, Toph.

(obnoxiously) What's the matter? Can't handle some dirt, Madame Fussy Britches?

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Katara: 😑

Toph: hahaha madame fussy britches.

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(Katara drenches Toph with a wave.)

Oh, sorry, did I splash you, mud slug?

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Katara chuckles.

Toph: mud slug really is that all you do.

Katara:😤

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(Furious, they career towards each other on ramps of rock and ice, respectively, collide, and fall to the ground with shrieks of rage.)

(still blindfolded) Are we taking a break?

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Sokka: nope.

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(Cut to Sokka, with an evil grin on his face. He rushes towards Aang from

behind, yelling.)

Yaaaaaah, sneak attack!

(Aang bends a column of rock in his path, then removes the blindfold.)

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Everyone but sokka chuckles.

Sokka: that hurt you know..well kinda....no not really but you get the point.

Aang: sorry sokka.

Sokka: I don't know if I can except that.

Aang: :(

Sokka: haha just kidding of course I do.

Aang: :)

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Sokka, sneak attacks don't work if you yell it out loud.

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Toph: no kidding.

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(Cut to Katara and Toph, wrestling in a pool of mud.)

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Suki: Oh gosh.

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Hungry for a mud pie?

(She kicks mud in Katara's face.)

I'll give you a mud pie.

(She mudbends Toph to the ground. Toph springs back up and earthbends Katara into the air. They are about to go at it again when they are interrupted by Aang.)

Uh, guys, I thought we were supposed to be training me.

(salvaging what dignity she can) Very well, pupil. I believe we've had enough training for today.

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Everyone but katara chuckles.

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(She walks away.)

(derisively) While Katara cleans up, let's go have some fun!

Yes! Yeah!

(Cut to Fire Fountain Village. Aang, Sokka, and Toph are strolling down the street. Messenger hawks are continually flying about, and Sokka takes notice of them.)

Look at all those messenger hawks. You know, I've been thinking about getting one for myself. That way, I wouldn't have to talk to anyone... I could just send them messages!

(jokingly) I gotta say, I like the idea of not talking to you.

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Sokka: -_-

toph: HAHHAHA

Everyone else just chuckles.

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So, guys, what are we gonna get with our last silver piece?

We can get more money. Right there. (She points to a street below, where a con man is fleecing a crowd of Fire Nation citizens with a shell game.) This is where you seeing people are at a disadvantage. Everyone guesses wrong because the dealer moves the rock at the last minute. But I can feel it with my earthbending.

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Zuko: so you could cheat the cheater.

Toph: exactly.

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(By this time the kids have descended and joined the crowd around the table. The con man spots the innocent-looking "blind" girl and decides she is an easy mark.)

You there. Want to play a friendly game?

How could I possibly play? I'm blind.

You don't have to see to be lucky.

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Suki: ah the blind card.

Toph: I mean it can be very useful.

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(She gropes her way to the table and lays down the last silver piece. The dealer practices his sleight of hand with the pea, sending it flying from one shell to another, but Toph can't be fooled. She guesses correctly and the dealer tosses money her way.)

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Zuko:hmm did he do that to make it seem that it is a fare game?

Toph: yup.

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Flamey-o, Toph!

Wow, fancy guessing. You are amazing at this. Would you like to make the game a little more interesting?

More interesting? How?

Well, let's say you toss in your friend's fine sword there. Then I'll put up twenty silver pieces against it, and that's more interesting.

(Toph grabs Sokka's sword and hands it over, to Sokka's distress.)

I'll do it for forty silver pieces.

Forty silver pieces it is.

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Suki and Zuko: ooh.

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(The shell shuffling begins again, faster and more furious. The dealer flicks the peas up into his sleeve, removing them from the game, but Toph earthbends one of them back just in time. She points at one of the shells. The dealer smugly lifts it.) Sorry, little lady, but... (to his shock, the pea is still there) ...huh?

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They all chuckle.

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I won!

(Cut to the gaang's campsite. Aang, Sokka, and Toph are returning, arms filled with provisions.)

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Suki: that sure is alot of stuff for people who are undercover.

Zuko: and basically broke.

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(startled) Where did you guys get the money to buy all this stuff?

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Zuko: they scamed and scamer.

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Toph got us money. She scammed one of those guys in town who moves the shells around all sneaky-like.

She used earthbending to win the game. Classic!

Ah, so she cheated.

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Suki: basically yeah.

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Hey, I only cheated because he was cheating. I cheated a cheater. What's wrong with that?

I'm just saying, this isn't something we should make a habit of doing.

Why? Because its fun, and you hate fun?

(indignantly) I don't hate fun. (She seizes Momo and drapes him on top of her head.) See? Fun.

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Everyone: ......

Katara: you guys don't have to say anything I know.

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(Momo slides off her head with an annoyed squawk.)

Katara, I'll personally make you an Avatar promise that we won't make a habit of doing these scams.

(He lifts his headband to reveal his arrow and solemnly bows to her.

"Avatar promises" apparently not being worth much,

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Suki: I guess those avatar promises are not so promising.

Katara: yeah I guess not.

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he scene immediately shifts back to Fire Fountain Village, where Toph uses her powers to rig a dice game, win a strongman competition, and extort a merchant after tricking him into thinking he had run her over with his carriage.

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Suki: hahhaha you made him think he ran you over that one is pretty good.

Sokka: yeah I know right.

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Cut back to the campsite, where Katara is remonstrating with the cash-flush flimflammers.)

Guys, I think these scams have gone far enough. If you keep doing them, something bad is gonna happen.

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Suki: I mean you guys have more money than you probably need.

Sokka: true.

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Could you for once stop being such a sourpuss and just lighten up?

Oh, I'm sorry. You think I should be more like you? Like some wild child?

Yeah, maybe. Maybe then, you'd see how great we have it. I mean, look at us. We're traveling around the world, making easy money, having fun, with no parents to tell us what to do.

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Zuko: you do kinda have a point.

toph: more or less

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Ah, I see. You're acting like this because of your parents.

(dismissively) Whatever.

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Zuko: must be that.

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They were controlling over you, so you ran away, and now you act like your parents don't exist. You act like you hate them, but you don't. You just feel guilty.

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Zuko: makes sense.

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I do hate them!

I don't think so. I think you miss them. But you just don't want to deal with that, so instead, you act like this crazy person.

Look. I ran away to help Aang!

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Suki: but also you wanted the freedom.

Toph: yeah that too and just so happened twinkle toes was the way out. Plus teaching isn't so bad.

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You know what? It doesn't matter. These scams put us all at risk, and we don't need that. We've already got some third-eyed freak after us.

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Suki: katara does have a point.

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Speaking of that third-eyed freak... I think I've come up with a name for him. What do you think of..."Sparky-Sparky Boom Man"! (The gaang are unimpressed.) Just think about it.

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Zuko: I thought it was combustion man?

Sokka: it is but before that it iwas Sparky sparky boom man.

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We have enough money. You need to stop this!

I'll stop when I want to stop, and not when you tell me!

(She walks away.)

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Suki: please don't tell me toph got arrested because of this fight. Cause why would katara do that to toph despite their differences she won't do that right.

Katara nodds.

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Speaking of money, I'm off to spend some. See you guys later (Cut to Fire FountainVillage, where Sokka hasjust fulfilled his dream and bought himself a messenger hawk.) Hawky.

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Sokka: Hey I remember hawky but what happned to him?

katara and toph look at each other.

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welcome to Team Avatar. My name's Sokka, and I'm your new owner. And as such, I should warn you that there's already a lemur in our group, so I don't want to see any fighting.

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Aang: but they did.

Sokka: I know.

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(He pokes the hawk affectionately and coos baby-talk at it.) Good wittle messenger Hawky. Who's got pwetty feathers? (He walks by a wanted poster of Toph, and does a double-take.) You're right, Hawky. This is bad.

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Suki: very.

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(The scene opens on the campsite. Sokka, with Hawky perched on his shoulder, walks towards Toph as she sits counting money.)

Toph, when I was in town, I found something that you're not gonna like.

(He unfurls the wanted poster.)

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Everyone:🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️ 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

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Well, it sounds like a sheet of paper, but I guess you're referring to what's on the sheet of paper.

It's a wanted poster. Of you. They've nicknamed you "The Runaway."

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Suki: cool nick name though.

Toph: right!

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(enthused) A wanted poster. That's so great. "The Runaway". I love my new nickname. Is there a picture of me? Does it look good?

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Suki: It looks pretty accurate.

Zuko: nah.

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(He checks her against her likeness.)