Transcript:The Chase

	The episode opens to a forested area at sunset. The camera pans downward to show Team Avatar, now including Toph, preparing to set up the campsite. Aang hands Sokka a sleeping bag. Toph stands on the ground near Appa.
Toph	Hey! You guys picked a great campsite. [This directs everyone's attention to her. She wriggles her toes in the thick mat of fur covering the ground around the bison.] The grass is so soft.
Sokka	That's not grass. [Somewhat displeased.]  Appa's shedding.
Katara	[Displeased, raises foot warily.] Oh, gross!
	Cuts to Aang sitting on Appa, a bluebird perched on his head and a yellow butterfly fluttering past. Momo jumps up in an attempt to catch the butterfly.
Aang	[Cheerfully.] That's not gross, it's just a part of spring! You know, rebirth, flowers blooming and Appa gets a new coat.
Katara	[Sarcastically.] Ah, the beauty of spring.
	Appa, who had currently been grooming himself, sneezes, releasing a thick cloud of fur.
Katara	[Waving arms about, now coated in fur.] Stop! Appa, stop! Ugh! [Coughs.]
Sokka	[Bending over, his back turned to her.] It's not that bad, Katara. [He turns to reveal a wig made of fur, done up in a towering beehive.] It makes a great wig!
Aang	[Wearing a beard of fur.] And a great beard! [Aang and Sokka laugh while pointing at each other.]
Katara	[Wiping fur off her clothing with her eyes closed.] I'm just glad we finally have another girl in the group, because you two are disgusting.
Toph	[Walking up from behind the two boys.] Excuse me, does anyone have a razor? Because I've got some hairy pits!
	She raises her arms, revealing that she had stuffed fur in her sleeves. The three laugh; Aang sneezes, sending himself flying backward. The big sneeze causes him to crash against Appa's leg and for fur to blow off his friends and himself. The impact leaves some fur on his back. They continue to laugh joyfully, causing Katara to chuckle slightly. The scene cuts to later in the evening where the group is setting up camp. Aang sets up the tent while Sokka throws down a pile of firewood he collected. Katara, who spends her time stirring around water in a pot, notices Toph slumped lazily against a rock, chewing a piece of wheat. She approaches her.
Katara	So Toph, usually when setting up camp, we try to divide up the work.
Toph	[Shrugging casually.] Hey, don't worry about me. I'm good to go.
Katara	Well, actually what I'm trying to say is, [Holds arms out in gesture.] some of us might fetch water, while someone else might set up the fire pit, or put up the tent. [Momo flies over to her, dropping several berries he had collected into her hands.] Even Momo does his fair share.
Toph	[Breezily.] Katara, I'm fine. I can carry my own weight. I don't need a fire, [Pats bag.] I've already collected my own food and look, [Earthbends a rock tent over her.] my tent's all set up.
Katara	[Slightly irritated.] Well, that's great for you, but we still need to finish -
Toph	[Angered.] I don't understand what's the problem here!
Katara	[Waves her hand dismissively and walks away.] Never mind.
	Toph earthbends herself into her tent. Later that day, set up continues. Standing on top of Appa, Aang uses airbending to lift the saddle. He mistakenly causes it to land directly on top of Sokka, who had been standing on the ground beside the bison.
Aang	[Landing onto the ground to aid Sokka.] Sorry!
	Cuts to Katara, who sets down a jug of water. She looks over at Toph, sitting comfortably beneath her earth tent. Her dull expression changes to one of slight happiness. She approaches Toph who is eating some sort of food item.
Katara	[Rubs back of head sheepishly.] Hey Toph, I wanted to apologize for earlier. I think we're all just a little tired and getting on each other's nerves.
Toph	[Casually.] Yeah, you do seem pretty tired.
Katara	[Growing disgusted.] I meant all of us.
	Cuts to shot of inside Toph's earth tent as she lazily tosses the food item onto the ground and lays her head down to rest.
Toph	Well, good night.
Katara	[Slightly irked.] Good night.
	Katara turns around and leaves. The scene changes to nightfall hours later where everyone is asleep. Toph is suddenly startled awake. She rises and presses her left hand to the ground to feel the vibrations within the earth. Close-up on her left hand and ear, indicating she hears something. She rises to her feet and runs out of the tent.
Toph	There's something coming toward us!
Aang	What is it?
Toph	[Pressing hand to the ground.] It feels like an avalanche, but also not an avalanche.
Sokka	[Sarcastically.] Your powers of perception are frightening.
Katara	Should we leave?
Aang	Better safe than sorry.
	Cuts to shot of the forest, a cloud of smoke billowing toward them in a clearing in the distance. Appa appears on screen, the team riding atop him. Aang leans against the saddle to peer at the object.
Katara	What is that thing?
	Cuts to a shot of a tank train mechanism racing speedily along the ground. Cuts to shot of the night sky, the moon partly obscured by clouds. Cuts to Aang who yawns sleepily, dark circles beginning to form under his eyes. Cuts to Sokka who appears ready to fall asleep as he leans his head on his hand. Cuts to Toph and Katara sitting on Appa's saddle idly. Cuts to Appa who flies over mountainous terrain and lands on a smooth, rocky surface.
Toph	[Leaping off Appa and lying on the ground, relieved.] Ah, land sweet land! [Rises and says cheerfully.] See you guys in the morning!
Katara	Actually, can you help us unload?
Toph	[Sarcastically.] Really? You need me to help unload Sokka's funky-smelling sleeping bag?
	Aang hands Sokka his sleeping bag which he proceeds to smell. Sokka turns away, his disgusted face growing red, and falls backward, passing out.
Katara	[Curtly.] Well, yeah. That and everything else. You're a part of our team now, and -
Toph	[Points a finger at Katara in irritation.] Look! I didn't ask you to help unload my stuff! [Turns and begins walking away.] I'm carrying my own weight.
Katara	[Angrily.] That's not the point. [Approaches Toph.] Ever since you joined us, you've been nothing but selfish and unhelpful!
Toph	[Enraged.] What? Look here, sugar queen, [Points finger at Katara.] I gave up everything I had so that I could teach Aang earthbending. So don't you talk to me about being selfish!
	While she is saying this, a fuming Katara is seen tensing her muscles in frustration and raising her hand in an attempt to speak. After finished speaking, Toph sits down on the ground and earthbends an earth tent over her.
Katara	[Furiously.] "Sugar queen"?! [Toph uses earthbending to close the door of the tent.] D-did you just slam the door in my face?! How can you be so infuriating?!
	Cuts to shot of Sokka and Aang standing several feet away. Katara angrily bangs her fists against the door of the wall and kicks the tent's walls with her feet.
Aang	Should we do something?
Sokka	[Amused.] Hey, I'm just enjoying the show.
Aang	[Approaching Katara.] Okay, okay, you both need to calm down.
Katara	"Both"?! [Rapidly turns to face Aang, her expression crazed and her eyes bloodshot.] I'M COMPLETELY CALM!!
Aang	[Awkwardly.] I can see that. [Backs off.]
	The scene cuts to later at night, showing shot of the dark forest. Cuts to shot of Aang, Sokka and Katara lying on the ground. Aang is lying on the ground with Momo beside him while Sokka and Katara lie in sleeping bags.
Katara	[Mockingly.] The stars sure are beautiful tonight. Too bad you can't see them, Toph!
	Toph uses earthbending to release a fissure that channels underground and sends Katara flying into the air. She lands on top of Sokka, startling him.
Sokka	[Annoyed; pushes Katara off to the side.] Hey, how's a guy supposed to sleep with all this yelling [To Toph.] and earthquaking?
Toph	[Reopens her tent.] That thing is back!
Sokka	Well, how far away is it? [Lies down and pulls covers of his sleeping bag over his head; says in a muffled voice.] Maybe we can close our eyes just for a few minutes.
	The camera pans upward to reveal smoke billowing from behind the treetops.
Aang	[Notices the smoke.] I don't think so, Sokka.
	Cuts to a shot of Appa soaring away from the scene over the mountainous terrain. Cuts to a side-view of the tank train speeding across the land.
Katara	Seriously, what is that thing?
Toph	And how does it keep finding us?
Aang	[Resting against the saddle; Sokka is seen lying on his back, sleeping.] I don't know. But this time, I'm going to make sure we lose it.
	Cuts to a side-view of Appa flying past a mountain. Fades to scene of him flying between two mountain ridges. The bison lands on his side on a flat-surfaced rock bed, throwing everyone onto the ground along with their belongings.
Sokka	[Lands onto the ground.] Okay, forget about setting up camp. [Crawls along the ground in sleeping bag.] I'm finding the softest pile of dirt and going to sleep.
Katara	[Angrily; pulling her sleeping bag under her head as a pillow.] That's good because Toph wasn't going to help anyway!
Toph	[Irritated; lying on bag.] Oh, I didn't realize the baby still needed someone to tuck her in bed.
Aang	Come on guys, there's something after us and we don't even know what [Pulls top part of his shirt over his head; says in a muffled voice.] or who it is.
Katara	It could be Zuko. [Rolls over on her side.] We haven't seem him since the North Pole.
Toph	Who's Zuko?
Sokka	[Puts his head down.] Oh, just some angry freak with a ponytail who's tracked us all over the world.
Katara	[Mockingly.] What's wrong with ponytails, Ponytail?
Sokka	[Points to his top-knot.] This is a warrior's wolf tail.
Katara	[Jokingly.] Well, it certainly tells the other warriors that you're fun and perky.
Sokka	[Raises head, unamused.] Anyway, whoever's chasing us couldn't have followed us here, so, now would everyone just shhh?
	Momo hops onto his sleeping bag and chitters excitedly.
Sokka	[Hold up finger to silence the lemur.] No Momo, shhh. [Relaxes.] Sleepy time.
	Momo hops off Sokka and over to the ledge of the rock. He continues to chitter and raises his ears up in alert. Aang rises, followed by Toph and Katara.
Sokka	[Buries face in hands.] Oh, don't tell me ...
Aang	That's impossible. There's no way they could have tracked us.
Toph	I can feel it with my own two feet!
	Aang runs to the edge of the cliff next to Momo and notices smoke rising from the far end of the rocky pathway. Cuts to a shot of the tank train as it rumbles up a slope and onto level ground.
Katara	[Nervously.] Let's get out of here.
Aang	[Calmly.] Maybe we should face them. Find out who they are. Who knows, maybe they're friendly.
Sokka	[Hopelessly.] Always the optimist ...
	Cuts to a side-view of the tank train as it slows to a halt. The door to one compartment opens, releasing a burst of steam. From the mist emerges three Mongoose Lizards. Cuts to side-view as Ty Lee appears on screen, followed by Mai and Azula. Cuts to shot of Katara and Aang looking on in shock. The camera pans downward to where the three girls stand atop the Lizards. Cuts to shot of Azula, a determined look on her face. The three begin racing toward the group.
Katara	[Alarmed.] It's those three girls from Omashu!
	Everyone assumes fighting stances.
Toph	[Determined.] We can take them. Three on three.
Sokka	Actually Toph, there's four of us.
Toph	[Sheepishly.] Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't count you. You know, no bending and all.
Sokka	[Turning to her, his face distorted with rage.] I can still fight!
Toph	[Smugly.] Okay, three on three plus Sokka.
Sokka	[Face turns red.] Errrgh!
	Toph earthbends three columns in an attempt to hinder the girls, however, the Mongoose Lizards merely leap over the pillars and continues on their way.
Sokka	Well, we wanted to find out who they were and we found out. [Puts boomerang away; Aang and Katara are seen fleeing.] Now let's get out of here.
	Toph earthbends a huge rock wall in front of the trio. Cuts to Azula who moves her arms in a circular motion, generating lightning. She fires the bolt at the wall, blowing a huge hole in it. Shows the lizards as they clamber through the hole. Toph is clearly shocked at this. Cuts to Mai who swings her arm, releasing a flurry of stilettos. Toph launches herself off a pillar. The darts strike the pillar and she lands on Appa.
Aang	Appa, yip yip!
	They manage to escape successfully, narrowly avoiding a blue fire blast. Cuts to shot of Azula who lowers her arm and looks up at the retreating group. Cuts to a sleepy Appa.
Katara	[Shocked.] I can't believe those girls followed us all the way from Omashu.
Toph	[Grumpily.] I still think we could have taken them.
Katara	Are you kidding me? [Points fingers upward repeatedly in gesture.] The crazy blue firebending and the flying daggers are bad enough, but last time we saw them, one of those girls did something that took my bending away. That's scary.
	The scene cuts to a shot of the landscape, a prairie below, mountains in the distance. The sun is seen rising over the horizon as Appa soars past.
Sokka	[Complaining.] Oh no, the sun is rising. We've been up all night with no sleep!
Aang	[Calmly.] Sokka, we'll be okay.
Sokka	[Nervously.] Are you sure? I've never not slept before! [Holds hands up to his head.] What if I fall asleep now and something happens? [Freaks out; eyes bulge out.] And something always happens!
Katara	Every time we land, those girls are there. So we'll just have to keep flying.
	Cuts to shot of Appa flying past the sun.
Aang	We can't keep flying forever.
	The scene changes to a field where a few flowers are growing. The tank train speeds by rapidly, slicing the heads of the flowers off. Cuts to ground level, indentation marks from the train in the ground and a pair of ostrich horse legs galloping by. Zuko is seen riding on his ostrich horse, a look of determination on his face. Cuts to an overhead view of him running to the left of the indentation marks. The scene changes back to Appa.
Aang	[Yawns.] So what's our plan?
Toph	[Slumped against the saddle, exhausted.] Don't know ... too tired to think.
Katara	I'm sure we'll come up with something after a short nap. [Smiles.]
Sokka	[Relieved.] Yes ... sleep.
	The two begin nodding off before slowly rising into the air, wind blowing through their clothing as they lose altitude. The camera pans to the right, showing Toph hanging onto the saddle.
Toph	[Frantically.] What's going on?
	Camera pans to the right to reveal Aang hanging in the air, gripping Appa's reins tightly.
Aang	Appa fell asleep!
	Cuts to shot of Appa, whose eyes are closed and legs are sprawled out, as he falls through a cloud toward the ground. Katara hangs onto her brother tightly. Aang crawls over to Appa's head and leans over to face the bison.
Aang	[Urgently.] Wake up, buddy!
	Cuts to shot of one of Appa's eyes as it slowly creaks open and widens in realization of the current situation. Having awakened, he resumes his normal flight, soaring just above the treetops. Toph, Sokka, Katara and Momo sway to the side still tightly gripping the saddle. Appa soars through the trees, colliding into and snapping several branches. Cuts to shot of the team members who brace against the impact. The camera zooms out to depict a flock of birds resting in the trees, fleeing from the incident, before panning downward to show Appa on the ground, having created a channel way behind him from the impact. Cuts to shot of Appa sleeping once more; Aang slides off his head and onto the ground.
Aang	Appa's exhausted.
Sokka	[Trudging across the ground, carrying his sleeping bag.] Okay, we've put in a lot of distance between us and them. The plan right now is to follow Appa's lead and get some sleep.
Katara	[Irritated.] Of course, we could've gotten some sleep earlier, [Depicts shot of Toph lying on the ground sleepily.] if Toph didn't have such issues.
Toph	[Wakes up and slams the ground; screams furiously.] What!?
Aang	[Trying to calm the tension.] All right, all right, everyone's exhausted! Let's just get some rest.
Toph	[Rises and faces Katara.] No, I want to hear what Katara has to say. You think I have issues?
Katara	[Irritated.] I'm just saying. Maybe if you helped out earlier, we could have set up our camp faster and gotten some sleep [Shouting.] and then maybe we wouldn't be in this situation!
	Cuts to shot of entire campsite, Katara, Toph and Aang standing by Appa, while Sokka lies sleepily on his sleeping bag several yards away.
Toph	You're blaming me for this?
	Katara tosses aside her sleeping bag and gestures with her hands, challenging Toph to move closer. Aang jumps in between the two.
Aang	[Desperately.] No! No, she's not blaming you.
Katara	[Angrily.] No, I'm blaming her!
Toph	Hey, [Shoves Aang out of the way.] I never asked you for diddly-doo-dah. [Points her thumb at herself.] I carry my own weight. Besides, if there's anyone to blame, it's Sheddy over here!
Aang	[Sitting on Appa's tail.] What? You're blaming Appa?
Toph	Yeah, you want to know how they keep finding us? [Grabs a handful of Appa's fur and lets the sheddings blow away in the wind.] He's leaving a trail everywhere we go!
Aang	[Jumps down to face her.] How dare you blame Appa! He saved your life three times today! If there's anyone to blame it's you! You're always talking about how you carry your own weight, but you're not. He is! Appa's carrying your weight. He never had a problem flying when it was just the three of us!
Toph	[Stomps the ground, launching her pack into the air which she catches.] I'm out of here.
Sokka	[Moves in front of Toph, his arms outstretched to halt her.] Wait!
	Toph uses earthbending to shift Sokka off to the side, leaving him surprised. Cuts to shot of fur drifting in the sky. Cuts to ground level view of the tank train speeding across the terrain. Cuts to overhead shot of Aang who raises his arms up, his eyes sorrowful.
Aang	What did I just do? [Slumps.] I can't believe I yelled at my earthbending teacher. Now she's gone.
Katara	[Regretfully.] I know. We're all just trying to get used to each other. And I was so mean to her.
Sokka	[From afar, drinking from a cup.] Yeah, you two were pretty much jerks.
Katara	[Sarcastically.] Thanks, Sokka.
Sokka	No problem.
Katara	We need to find Toph and apologize.
Sokka	Okay, but what are we going to do about the tank full of dangerous ladies chasing us?
Aang	[Grabs a handful of fur and watches as it blows away in the wind.] I have a plan.
	The scene changes to where Appa lies in the water. The camera zooms out to a shot of him lounging in the Nan Shan River, two arched streams of water showering him on either side. Cuts to shot of the river's surface where clumps of fur collect in the water. Cuts to a shot of the top of Appa's head where Momo lands, holding a brush. He scrubs the bison's head and is forced to hastily take flight when a stream of water is bent his way. Cuts to shot of Appa's head, Sokka standing in the river several feet away, holding a brush. He groans as he becomes drenched by the stream of water. The scene changes to the campsite where Appa stands on the ground, his fur still wet from the bath. Sokka can be seen standing by the riverbank, wringing out his shirt.
Aang	Toph was right. The fur was leaving a trail right to us. But now that he's clean, no more trail.
Katara	Are you sure he's okay to fly?
Aang	He'll be fine as long as we leave his saddle and all our stuff here. [Kneels down and places pieces of Appa's fur into his satchel.] I'm going to use Appa's fur to make a fake trail to lead the tank off-course.
	Cuts to shot of the treetops. Appa grunts and takes flight, Sokka and Katara riding atop him. As he flies away, his body accidentally brushes against the treetops, snapping the topmost limbs off and causing them to fall to the ground. Aang watches as the bison flies away and turns. Taking a running start, he flies away from the scene on his glider, releasing patches of fur from the bag along the way, creating a misleading trail. Cuts to shot of a mountain range, fog partially obscuring their peaks. The camera pans downward to show Toph walking slowly along a pathway on her own. Cuts to side-view of her as she halts, having detected something nearby. Cuts to ground level shot of her foot which shifts abruptly in the opposite direction. Cuts to shot of her as she turns her head swiftly. She uses earthbending to send a stream of earth toward the unknown source. The stream of earth travels its way to a large rock ahead and a dust cloud erupts in the air from the impact. A grunt of pain is heard from behind the rock. Cuts to shot of Toph who approaches the rock still assuming a fighting stance. Cuts to shot of Iroh, his back to the camera as he kneels over and rubs his rear in pain. Cuts to shot of his face as he grimaces from the incident.
Iroh	Ow ... That really hurt my tailbone.
	The scene changes to the Nan Shan River, the camera panning slightly downward to show patches of Appa's fur clinging to rocks. Azula's hands appear on screen as she grabs hold of two patches of fur and lifts to examine them.
Mai	[Off camera; dryly.] Wads of wet fur. How delightful.
Ty Lee	[Thoughtfully.] Hmmm ... they're not wads, they're more like bundles, or bunches? [Scratching her head.] It's got an "uh" sound.
Mai	[Unamused.] Clumps?
Ty Lee	[Clasps her hands together and says brightly.] Clumps! They're clumps! [Hugs Mai.]
	Cuts to close-up of Mai, still being embraced by Ty Lee, who peers down. Cuts to shot of the fake fur trail, the camera panning upward to reveal the direction in which it is traveling.
Mai	[To Azula, pointing in direction of the trail.] The trail goes this way.
	Azula, who had been bending over, examining the fur, rises and looks in the direction of the trail. She averts her gaze upward. Cuts to shot of the broken treetops.
Azula	The Avatar's trying to give us the slip. [Pointing to the broken treetops.] You two head in that direction and keep your eye out for the bison. [Looking down at fur trail.] I'll follow this trail.
	Cuts to shot of Azula who narrows her eyes. Cuts to ground level shot as Mai and Ty Lee ride away on their mongoose lizards. As they disappear from sight, Azula's mongoose lizard comes into view, the Fire Nation princess mounted on top. She pulls on the reigns and heads in the opposite direction, following the fake trail. Cuts to overhead shot of the area, Mai and Ty Lee seen traveling to the right of the screen, Azula to the left. Cuts to shot of Azula, who races toward the camera. The scene changes to another area of the forest, a cluster of trees growing on a rocky ledge overlooking the rest of the forest, the river channeling right through the landscape. Mountains are seen in the distance. Aang comes into view, flying on his glider, releasing the fur from his satchel. He exits the lush, green landscape area and soars over a more arid, rugged terrain. Camera briefly focuses on him, his eyes tired from lack of sleep as he peers down and looks forward. The camera pans upward to depict an old abandoned town, Tu Zin, similar to historical Western towns. Aang heads toward the town, still dropping fur. Cuts to side-view of the front of the town as he lands on the ground. Cuts to show the rest of the town. Aang's legs come into view and he twirls his glider staff closed. Cuts to overhead shot of him walking through the middle street way of the town, casually dropping fur. Cuts to shot of old store, the shutters creaking and a bell tolling in the wind. Cuts to side-view of Aang as he continues walking forward. Cuts to close-up of him as he averts his eyes sleepily from side-to-side. Cuts to shot of building and a side-view of him walking shown from in between two buildings. Cuts to shot of the ground, the camera panning upward to show the satchel being held upside-down, the remaining fur dropping onto the ground. Cuts to overhead shot of him as he opens his glider. He turns to face the horizon. Cuts to shot of him looking into the distance, his back to the screen. He looks down. Cuts to shot of him standing at the end of the town as he twirls his glider closed. He sits down on the ground cross-legged. The camera zooms out on the town. The scene changes to where Appa lazily soars overhead in the forest. Cuts to shot of Sokka and Katara mounted on him.
Sokka	[Surveying the woods.] Toph couldn't have made it too far. [Momo begins to chitter and rears up defensively.] What is it, Momo? Ooooh, no! Katara!
	Cuts to overhead shot of Sokka sitting on Appa's tail, Mai and Ty Lee following the bison in hot pursuit, mounted on mongoose lizards.
Katara	[Shocked; urges Appa forward.] How did they find us?
	Cuts to side-view of Appa who flies dangerously close to the tree line, growing more and more tired.
Sokka	[Urgently.] Appa, come on, we need to go faster!
Katara	He's too tired!
Sokka	[Frantically.] Not good, not good! [Appa grunts. Cuts to ground level view of Mai and Ty Lee chasing after them. Cuts to shot of Appa heading toward the river.] We just need to make it across that river!
Katara	[Pleading.] Come on Appa, just a little further ...
	Cuts to side-view of Appa who continues his descent, snapping off several treetops in the process. Cuts to shot from directly beneath Appa who crashes into another treetop, causing it to fall toward the screen. Cuts back to Mai and Ty Lee who chase after them. Cuts to Mai who swings her arm, firing a flurry of stilettos. Cuts back to Sokka who narrowly avoids the weapons by ducking. Cuts to view of Appa skimming the surface of the Nan Shan River before crashing into the ground on the opposite side of the river. Cuts to shot from the other side of the river, Appa's backside seen in the distance.
Sokka	[Voice-over.] We made it! We're safe.
Katara	[Voice-over.] You did it Appa!
	Cuts to riverbank where the siblings embrace. Katara opens her eyes and gasps. Sokka turns around and becomes horrified. Cuts to side-view of the mongoose lizards paddling the water rapidly, allowing for them to walk over the surface of the river. Katara steps forward and spins around, sending a wave of water crashing into Ty Lee's mongoose lizard. Ty Lee leaps off the beast just in time and emerges from the water. She lands near the treetops where she gracefully dodges from tree trunk to tree trunk in pursuit of Katara, who opens her water skin. Ty Lee somersaults onto the ground. Katara attempts to lash a water whip in her direction, however, is forced to quickly dodge several of the acrobat's blows. She narrowly avoids having her chi-blocked and fires several sharp discs of water at her enemy, who cartwheels repeatedly to escape. Cuts to shot of Mai still mounted on her lizard. She turns around and fires several stilettos from uploaded holsters in her sleeves. Cuts to quick shot of the stilettos before one of Katara still fending off Ty Lee, her back to the camera. Sokka steps on-screen and knocks the stilettos off-target with his machete and boomerang. He throws his boomerang in Mai's direction, however, the knife thrower merely leaps off her lizard, avoiding the attack. She spins around and fires stilettos from a holster in her leg. Sokka knocks them away again with his machete. Cuts to shot of Mai, who runs forward. Cuts to view of Katara, Sokka seen in the background. Katara turns around and is forced on the run when Mai comes charging toward her. Cuts to shot of Ty Lee, who runs toward the camera. She somersaults and leaps into the air where she flips and lands on the ground near Sokka. She lands several quick blows on Sokka, using chi-blocking to incapacitate Sokka's right arm. Sokka drops his boomerang as a result of this. He swings his left arm toward Ty Lee who merely incapacitates that arm, resulting in him dropping his machete. Sokka looks about him nervously and resorts to kicking his leg in order to fend off the acrobat who proceeds to render his leg useless. Sokka proceeds to use his forehead as a shield. Ty Lee strikes his skull and injures her hand in the process. She backs away and shakes her fist in pain before turning to glare at Sokka.
Sokka	[Well off-balance.] Good try, but no.
	Cuts to shot of a tree growing near the riverbank. Katara appears on screen and halts in front of the tree. She begins to draw a stream of water with which to attack Mai, however, the knife thrower hurls two shuriken knives her way. Each of the two knives pins her wrists to the tree trunk. Katara gasps in horror. Cuts to side-view of the riverbank as the stream of water falls into the river again and Sokka hobbles on-screen as a result of the paralysis. He falls to the ground.
Sokka	How are you doing?
Katara	[Frantically.] Well, you know ...
Mai	[Dryly.] I thought when Ty Lee and I finally caught you guys, it would be more exciting. Oh well, victory is boring.
	The two are suddenly swept off their feet by a powerful gust of wind conjured by Appa's tail. They incidentally somersault into the air and land several yards away in the water. Cuts to shot of riverbank, Appa shaking his tail, his back facing the camera.
Sokka	[Still lying on the ground.] Thanks Appa, I don't know what we'd do without you.
	Appa sweeps his large tongue over Sokka's face, covering him in drool. Sokka expresses irritation at this, his eyebrow twitching. Cuts to overhead shot of the forest behind the river and pans downward to the opposite side of the riverbank where Mai and Ty Lee arrive at its edge, drenched.
Ty Lee	[Wringing out her braid.] Was it just me, or was that guy kind of cute?
	Mai casts an annoyed glance off to the side. The scene changes to Tu Zin where Aang still sits cross-legged, awaiting his enemy. Cuts to close-up of his face before a shot of him looking out over the horizon where Azula appears, riding on her mongoose lizard in a cloud of dust. Cuts to a side-view shot of her as she closes in on the town. Cuts to faraway shot of Aang sitting at the end of the village. Azula appears on-screen. Cuts to shot of the ground, covered in fur, where Azula's feet land as she dismounts. Cuts to overhead shot of the town.
Aang	All right, you've caught up with me. Now, who are you and what do you want?
Azula	[Coolly.] You mean you haven't guessed? You don't see the family resemblance? Here's a hint. [Covers her eye and deepens her voice, imitating Zuko.] I must find the Avatar to restore my honor! [Aang remains silent; back in her normal voice.] It's okay, you can laugh. It's funny.
Aang	So what now?
Azula	[Cuts to view of her left side.] Now? Now, it's over. You're tired and you have no place to go. [Cuts to view of her face.] You can run, but I'll catch you.
Aang	[Rises to face her.] I'm not running.
	Cuts to close-up of Azula, who smirks. Cuts to shot of the sun setting over the mountains. The camera pans downward to show Toph and Iroh sitting in a rocky outcrop. Cuts to shot of a tea kettle heating over a fire. Iroh can be seen in the background, sitting next to it. He pours tea into two tin cups.
Iroh	[Handing her a cup of tea.] Here is your tea. [Cuts to shot of Toph staring blankly at the ground and back to Iroh.] You seem a little too young to be traveling alone.
Toph	[Taking the tea from his hand.] You seem a little too old.
Iroh	[Laughs.] Perhaps I am.
Toph	[Casually.] I know what you're thinking ... I look like I can't handle being by myself.
Iroh	I wasn't thinking that.
Toph	You wouldn't even let me pour my own cup of tea!
Iroh	I poured your tea because I wanted to and for no other reason.
Toph	People see me and think I'm weak. They want to take care of me, but I can take care of myself, by myself.
Iroh	You sound like my nephew, always thinking you need to do things on your own, without anyone's support. There is nothing wrong with letting the people who love you help you. Not that I love you, I just met you.
Toph	[Laughs.] So where is your nephew?
Iroh	I've been tracking him actually.
Toph	Is he lost?
Iroh	[Looks away; slightly sad.] Yes, a little bit. [Cuts to shot of the rocky ledge where the two sit, the mountain region in the background; voice-over.] His life has recently changed and he's going through very difficult times. He's trying to figure out who he is and he went away.
Toph	So now you're following him.
Iroh	I know he doesn't want me around him right now, but if he needs me, I'll be there.
Toph	Your nephew is very lucky, even if he doesn't know it. [Gets up to leave.] Thank you.
Iroh	My pleasure. Sharing tea with a fascinating stranger is one of life's true delights.
Toph	[Happily.] No, thank you for what you said. It helped me.
Iroh	I'm glad.
Toph	[Rises to leave, but turns around briefly.] Oh, and about your nephew, maybe you should tell him that you need him, too.
	Iroh remains silent and sips his tea. The scene changes back to Tu Zin, the camera panning down to depict the town, Azula standing on the opposite side of town as Aang. Cuts briefly to Aang and to Azula who smiles smugly.
Azula	Do you really want to fight me?
	Zuko suddenly appears from an alleyway, leaping off his ostrich horse onto the ground, creating a cloud of dust. He stands up straight and throws his conical hat aside.
Zuko	Yes, I really do.
Aang	[Alarmed.] Zuko!
Azula	[Calmly.] I was wondering when you'd show up, Zuzu.
Aang	[Covers mouth to suppress laughter.] "Zuzu"?
Zuko	[Determined.] Back off, Azula! He's mine!
Azula	[Assumes a fighting stance.] I'm not going anywhere.
	Cuts to overhead shot of the street way where the three opponents stand, prepared for battle. Cuts to shot of Azula, confident as ever. Cuts to shot of Zuko, who averts his gaze first to Azula before looking toward Aang. Cuts to Aang who assumes a fighting stance, pointing his glider at Zuko in fright. Cuts to shot of the three from the perspective of the front porch of a store, the camera panning to the left from Aang to Azula. Cuts to shot of Zuko, who shifts the position of his fingers a bit. Cuts to Aang, who looks about him nervously. Cuts to Azula, who continues to smirk in confidence. Cuts to close-up of Zuko, a shot of Aang, before switching back to Zuko. Cuts to close-up of Azula, whose smile widens. Cuts to brief shot of Zuko. Cuts to Azula, who moves her arm forward, firing a blast of blue fire at Zuko, who conjures up a fire shield to deflect it. He falls backward onto a front porch. Aang, upon seeing this, expresses horror and attempts to flee the town on his glider. He begins soaring toward the back end of Tu Zin. Cuts to Azula, who swings her arm downward, sending a stream of fire at Aang, who turns over mid-air and closes his glider, twirling the object to deflect the flames. Cuts to side-view of the town as he lands on the ground, still deflecting the flames. He stops twirling his glider. Cuts to shot of Azula running along the beam of a rooftop, prepared to strike him. Cuts to ground level shot of Aang who rolls over, grabbing hold of his glider just as Azula lands nimbly on the ground, sweeping around, sending a stream of fire his way. Cuts to shot of the street where Azula rises and turns around, Zuko seen standing in the background. Aang leaps on-screen and lands on the ground, in between the other two. Zuko fires a blast at Aang who steps to the side, managing to avoid the attack. Azula fires at the Avatar and misses. After the three perform several unsuccessful attempts to land a blow, Aang runs past Azula, who sends another sweep of fire his way. Cut to slanted shot of three, Aang trying to escape toward the back end of town, Azula turning to face him and Zuko firing blasts of his own. Aang rounds a bend and runs past Azula once more, this time heading toward the front of town. Azula fires another blast at him, only to miss. Azula fires several more blows, one of which Zuko manages to deflect. He fires a shot at Azula and misses. Cuts to shot of Azula, who swings her arms about, sending attacks at her opponents. Cuts to overhead shot of the town, the three of them continuing to battle each other. Cuts to shot of Azula, Zuko appearing on-screen, leaping into the air directly behind her and striking the ground, unleashing a firebending attack in the process. Cuts to side-view of the two siblings as two walls of fire, one blue and one orange are created as a result of the impact. Azula fires a blast at Zuko, who ducks and attempts to knock her off her feet. He fires a blast her only for the princess to duck. She sweeps her arm upward, sending a stream of fire his way. Zuko leaps into the air to avoid the attack. Azula turns around and fires at Aang. Cuts to shot of the Avatar, who leaps into the air and lands onto an upper outdoors level of a nearby building. Azula runs up the stairwell leading to the upper level, forcing Aang to run through the open doorway. Cuts to shot of the inside of the doorway; Azula appears on-screen and her expression suddenly grows alarmed. She halts in her tracks and nearly stumbles. Cuts to view of the entire inside of the building, revealing that there is no floor, merely some jagged wooden paneling lining the edges of the wall. She windmills in an attempt to steady herself. Cuts to Aang perched atop an air ball, smiling gleefully and waving to her. After leaping about a few times, Azula manages to prop herself against the wall and regains her balance. Zuko suddenly appears in the doorway. He has the misfortune of inaccurate timing and falls roughly onto the first level floor with a yell, sending up a cloud of dust. Aang grimaces in sympathy. The air ball Aang is riding suddenly begins to dissipates. Cuts to Azula, who nimbly sends a blast of fire at him. Cuts back to Aang, who leaps out of the way just as the air ball is terminated. He runs along the edges along the thin floor paneling and knocks Azula onto the first floor in the process. Azula lands nimbly onto the ground near Zuko, who is still recovering from his fall. Cuts to the outside of the building as Aang exits through the doorway, narrowly avoiding a blue fire blast sent by Azula off-screen. He lands onto the ground just as Azula bursts through the wall of the building through the use of firebending. Zuko lands on the ground unconscious. Cuts to shot of Aang, who looks at Zuko before turning around and seeing Azula heading straight toward him. He flees and leaps out of the way just as Azula sends another blast at him. Aang begins alternately jumping between two buildings, with Azula firing blasts off-screen at each spot he lands on. Aang finally reaches the rooftop of the left building and scrambles to prop himself up. Azula sends a blast of fire, slicing a portion of the rooftop off. Aang leaps off the crumbling portion onto another spot on the roof, only for Azula to repeat the same action. Cuts to shot Aang, who scrambles to prop himself up only for the ceiling to cave in. He lands on the ground inside the building, trapped beneath a pile of wooden planks. Azula enters the building through the doorway and sends two streams of fire along the sides of the wall. The blue fire spreads around the perimeter of the room and turns an orange hue. Cuts to Aang, who looks horrified and attempts to break free. Cuts to Azula, who smirks and holds up one hand, two fingers pointing outward, her typical lightning generation pose. Katara suddenly appears in the doorway and sends a water whip at Azula, guiding her hand off course. Katara bends the stream of water around her and slices the wooden planks, thus freeing Aang.
Aang	[Thrilled.] Katara!
	Azula swiftly turns around and fires a blast at the waterbender, who races out of the building along the porch. Azula follows her in hot pursuit, only to be halted by Sokka, who emerges from another doorway and swings his machete her way. Katara runs off-camera, while Azula is forced to duck. Sokka begins chasing her. Cuts to overhead shot of the town where Azula is now being cornered by him, Katara and Aang. Cuts to shot of Zuko still lying on the ground as he regains consciousness. Cuts to shot of Iroh standing over him from his perspective, the shot slightly blurred to show the effect of being knocked out.
Zuko	[Slightly dazed.] Uncle ...
Iroh	Get up!
	He helps Zuko get up. Cuts to shot of Aang as he runs straight toward Azula, his back facing the camera. He leaps over her just as Azula fires a blast at him which heads directly toward the camera. She turns around and blocks a water whip Katara sends at her. She fires a blast at Sokka and swings her arm outward to prolong the blast. Aang appears on-screen behind her. She turns around and nearly manages to strike him with another blast. Cuts to overhead shot of the three Team Avatar members and Azula, who swings her arm outward, sending an arched fire blast at the three. Cuts to shot of Azula who stands, poised for attack. Camera pans downward to her feet. She suddenly falls over to the side; Toph appears from an alleyway, having just shifted the ground beneath her feet.
Toph	I thought you guys could use a little help.
Katara	[Happily.] Thanks.
	Azula rises to her feet and begins running away. Cuts to shot from the view of an alleyway, where Azula appears on-screen and runs through the alley. She leaps over some crates and tries to escape, however, Iroh intervenes, using his rotund belly to knock her off her feet. Zuko appears on-screen next to him. Cuts to overhead shot of Aang, Katara, Sokka, Toph, Zuko and Iroh all cornering Azula against the ruins of a stone wall.
Azula	[Coolly, backing up as her enemies surround her.] Well, look at this. Enemies and traitors, all working together. I'm done. [Raises her hands in surrender.] I know when I'm beaten. You got me. A princess surrenders with honor.
	Cuts to shot of Iroh, who averts his gaze toward the other members, who remain on high alert. The camera switches to his point of view, zooming in on Toph and shifting upward to Aang, Katara and Sokka, who still assume fighting stances. Cuts briefly to Azula, who smirks, before switching to Toph from Iroh's point of view. Cuts to Azula, who smiles and takes a step forward, firing a blast at Iroh, who gets hit. He screams in pain and falls to the ground.
Zuko	[Horrified.] Aaaah!
	The remaining five turn to face Azula, four of them bending their respective elements and Sokka throwing his boomerang straight for her. The impact of the elements creates a minor explosion, sending a thick cloud of smoke everywhere. Cuts to buildings in the town now set alight, burning embers falling from the sky. Cuts to shot of Aang as the smoke clears, who looks from his defensive position at the effect. Cuts overhead shot of the group surrounding the corner, the smoke clearing to reveal Azula having vanished from the scene without a trace. Cuts to Zuko, who kneels before his uncle, dismayed at the turn of events.
Zuko	[Angrily.] Ugggh! [Looks at Team Avatar.] Get away from us!
	Cuts to Toph, the camera shifting to her foot, showing that she can detect the vibrations using seismic sense. Cuts to Iroh, who is still breathing, indicating that he is still alive. Katara approaches Zuko.
Katara	Zuko, I can help.
Zuko	[Blasts an arc of fire.] Leave!
	The members of Team Avatar all run away off-screen, leaving Zuko still kneeling over Iroh. The camera pans upward to show thick smoke billowing from the fire. The scene fades to a mountain at nightfall where Appa lands. Cuts to shot of Team Avatar sleeping on the saddle. Camera zooms in on Toph and Katara resting next to each other.
	Fades to credits.

Cast

navigation

"Zuko Alone"
↓
"The Chase"
↓
"Bitter Work"

Article · More transcripts
Episode commentary

Main Aang Appa Iroh Katara Momo Sokka Toph Antagonists Azula Mai Ty Lee Zuko

Locations

• Nan Shan River
• Several campsites
• Tu Zin

See also

• "The Chase"