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The Firebending Masters

Katara: WATER...

EARTH...

FIRE...

AIR.

LONG AGO, THE FOUR NATIONS LIVED TOGETHER IN HARMONY.

THEN EVERYTHING CHANGED WHEN THE FIRE NATION ATTACKED.

ONLY THE AVATAR, MASTER OF ALL FOUR ELEMENTS, COULD STOP THEM.

BUT WHEN THE WORLD NEEDED HIM MOST, HE VANISHED.

100 YEARS PASSED AND MY BROTHER AND I DISCOVERED THE NEW AVATAR...

AN AIRBENDER NAMED AANG.

AND ALTHOUGH HIS AIRBENDING SKILLS ARE GREAT

HE HAS A LOT TO LEARN BEFORE HE'S READY TO SAVE ANYONE.

BUT I BELIEVE AANG CAN SAVE THE WORLD.

♪

Aang: SO WHAT'S THE NEW PLAN?

Sokka: THE NEW PLAN IS THE OLD PLAN.

YOU JUST NEED TO MASTER ALL FOUR ELEMENTS

AND CONFRONT THE FIRE LORD BEFORE THE COMET COMES.

WHERE AM I SUPPOSED TO GET A FIREBENDING TEACHER?

HELLO.

ZUKO HERE.

I THINK IT'S TIME I JOINED YOUR GROUP AND TAUGHT THE AVATAR FIREBENDING

AND I KNOW MY DESTINY IS TO HELP YOU RESTORE BALANCE TO THE WORLD.

I THINK YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE MY FIREBENDING TEACHER.

[MEN VOCALIZING RHYTHMICALLY]

Zuko: I KNOW YOU'RE NERVOUS, BUT REMEMBER, FIREBENDING

IN AND OF ITSELF IS NOT SOMETHING TO FEAR.

[SIGHING]

OK.

NOT SOMETHING TO FEAR.

BUT IF YOU DON'T RESPECT IT

IT'LL CHEW YOU UP AND SPIT YOU OUT LIKE AN ANGRY KOMODO RHINO.

[GASPING]

NOW, SHOW ME WHAT YOU'VE GOT.

ANY AMOUNT OF FIRE YOU CAN MAKE.

[BREATHING HEAVILY]

MAYBE I NEED A LITTLE MORE INSTRUCTION.

PERHAPS A DEMONSTRATION?

Zuko: GOOD IDEA.

YOU MIGHT WANT TO TAKE A COUPLE STEPS BACK.

[INHALES]

[GRUNTING]

WHAT WAS THAT?

THAT WAS THE WORST FIREBENDING I'VE EVER SEEN.

I THOUGHT IT WAS NICE.

[GRUNTING]

[GROANING]

WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?

MAYBE IT'S THE ALTITUDE.

YEAH, COULD BE.

[GRUNTING...]

[YAWNING]

JUST BREATHE, AND...

THAT ONE KIND OF FELT HOT.

DON'T PATRONIZE ME.

YOU KNOW WHAT IT'S SUPPOSED TO LOOK LIKE.

SORRY, SIFU HOTMAN.

AND STOP CALLING ME THAT.

Sokka: HEY, JERKS.

MIND IF I WATCH YOU TWO JERKS DO YOUR JERK BENDING?

GET OUT OF HERE.

OK, TAKE IT EASY.

I WAS JUST KIDDING AROUND.

[CHUCKLING]

JERK BENDING.

STILL GOT IT.

[GROANING]

[GROWLING]

Zuko: LISTEN, EVERYBODY.

I'VE GOT SOME PRETTY BAD NEWS.

I'VE LOST MY STUFF.

DON'T LOOK AT ME.

I DIDN'T TOUCH YOUR STUFF.

I'M TALKING ABOUT MY FIREBENDING.

IT'S GONE.

[KATARA LAUGHING]

I'M SORRY.

I'M JUST LAUGHING AT THE IRONY.

YOU KNOW, HOW IT WOULD'VE BEEN NICE FOR US

IF YOU'D LOST YOUR FIREBENDING A LONG TIME AGO?

WELL, IT'S NOT LOST.

IT'S JUST WEAKER FOR SOME REASON.

MAYBE YOU'RE JUST NOT AS GOOD AS YOU THINK YOU ARE.

OUCH.

[GROWLING]

I BET IT'S BECAUSE I CHANGED SIDES.

THAT'S RIDICULOUS.

I DON'T KNOW.

MAYBE IT ISN'T.

MAYBE YOUR FIREBENDING COMES FROM RAGE

AND YOU JUST DON'T HAVE ENOUGH ANGER TO FUEL IT THE WAY YOU USED TO.

SO ALL WE NEED TO DO IS MAKE ZUKO ANGRY.

EASY ENOUGH.

[LAUGHING]

OK, CUT IT OUT!

LOOK.

EVEN IF YOU'RE RIGHT, I DON'T WANT TO RELY ON HATE AND ANGER ANYMORE.

THERE HAS TO BE ANOTHER WAY.

YOU'RE GONNA NEED TO LEARN TO DRAW YOUR FIREBENDING FROM A DIFFERENT SOURCE.

I RECOMMEND THE ORIGINAL SOURCE.

HOW'S HE SUPPOSED TO DO THAT?

BY JUMPING INTO A VOLCANO?

NO.

ZUKO NEEDS TO GO BACK TO WHATEVER THE ORIGINAL SOURCE OF FIREBENDING IS.

SO IS IT JUMPING INTO A VOLCANO?

I DON'T KNOW.

FOR EARTHBENDING, THE ORIGINAL BENDERS WERE BADGERMOLES.

ONE DAY, WHEN I WAS LITTLE, I RAN AWAY AND HID IN A CAVE.

[CRYING]

[CRASHING]

THAT'S WHERE I MET THEM.

[GROWLING]

[LAUGHING]

THEY WERE BLIND, JUST LIKE ME, SO WE UNDERSTOOD EACH OTHER.

I WAS ABLE TO LEARN EARTHBENDING, NOT JUST AS A MARTIAL ART

BUT AS AN EXTENSION OF MY SENSES.

FOR THEM, THE ORIGINAL EARTHBENDERS, IT WASN'T JUST ABOUT FIGHTING.

IT WAS THEIR WAY OF INTERACTING WITH THE WORLD.

Aang: THAT'S AMAZING, TOPH.

I LEARNED FROM THE MONKS, BUT THE ORIGINAL AIRBENDERS WERE THE SKY BISON.

MAYBE YOU CAN GIVE ME A LESSON SOMETIME, BUDDY.

[GROWLING]

WELL, THIS DOESN'T HELP ME.

THE ORIGINAL FIREBENDERS WERE THE DRAGONS, AND THEY'RE EXTINCT.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN?

ROKU HAD A DRAGON, AND THERE WERE PLENTY OF DRAGONS WHEN I WAS A KID.

WELL, THEY AREN'T AROUND ANYMORE, OK?

OK, OK.

SORRY.

Zuko: BUT MAYBE THERE'S ANOTHER WAY.

THE FIRST PEOPLE TO LEARN FROM THE DRAGONS WERE THE ANCIENT SUN WARRIORS.

Aang: SUN WARRIORS?

WELL, I KNOW THEY WEREN'T AROUND WHEN I WAS A KID.

NO, THEY DIED OFF THOUSANDS OF YEARS AGO

BUT THEIR CIVILIZATION WASN'T TOO FAR FROM WHERE WE ARE NOW.

MAYBE WE CAN LEARN SOMETHING BY POKING AROUND THE RUINS.

IT'S LIKE THE MONKS USED TO TELL ME.

SOMETIMES, THE SHADOWS OF THE PAST CAN BE FELT BY THE PRESENT.

Sokka: SO WHAT?

MAYBE YOU'LL PICK UP SOME SUPER OLD SUN WARRIOR ENERGY

JUST BY STANDING WHERE THEY STOOD 1,000 YEARS AGO?

Zuko: MORE OR LESS.

EITHER I FIND A NEW WAY TO FIREBEND, OR THE AVATAR HAS TO FIND A NEW TEACHER.

[WHOOSHING]

WE'VE BEEN RIDING FOR HOURS.

I DON'T KNOW WHY, BUT I THOUGHT THIS THING WOULD BE A LOT FASTER.

[GROWLING]

APPA'S RIGHT, ZUKO.

IN OUR GROUP, TYPICALLY, WE START OUT OUR MISSIONS WITH A MORE UPBEAT ATTITUDE.

[GROANING] I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS.

DON'T WORRY.

YOU'LL GET THE HANG OF IT.

WHOA!

Zuko: EVEN THOUGH THESE BUILDINGS ARE ANCIENT

THERE'S SOMETHING EERILY FAMILIAR ABOUT THEM.

I CAN TELL THE FIRE SAGES' TEMPLES ARE SOMEHOW DESCENDED FROM THESE.

OK, WE'VE LEARNED SOMETHING ABOUT ARCHITECTURE.

HOPEFULLY, WE'LL LEARN SOMETHING ABOUT FIREBENDING TOO.

THE PAST CAN BE A GREAT TEACHER.

[SCREAMING]

[AANG GRUNTING]

[WHIMPERING]

ZUKO, I THINK THE PAST IS TRYING TO KILL ME.

I CAN'T BELIEVE IT.

THIS BOOBY TRAP MUST BE CENTURIES OLD, AND IT STILL WORKS.

THERE'S PROBABLY A LOT MORE.

MAYBE THIS MEANS WE SHOULDN'T BE HERE.

WHERE'S THAT UPBEAT ATTITUDE YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT?

BESIDES, PEOPLE DON'T MAKE TRAPS UNLESS THEY'VE GOT SOMETHING WORTH PROTECTING.

LOOK.

THIS SEEMS PROMISING.

THOUGH I'M NOT SURE WHAT THIS TELLS US ABOUT THE ORIGINAL SOURCE OF FIREBENDING.

THEY LOOK PRETTY ANGRY TO ME.

Aang: I THOUGHT THE DRAGONS WERE FRIENDS WITH THE SUN WARRIORS.

Zuko: WELL, THEY HAD A FUNNY WAY OF SHOWING IT.

ZUKO, SOMETHING HAPPENED TO THE DRAGONS IN THE LAST 100 YEARS.

SOMETHING YOU'RE NOT TELLING ME.

MY GREAT-GRANDFATHER SOZIN HAPPENED.

HE STARTED THE TRADITION OF HUNTING DRAGONS FOR GLORY.

THEY WERE THE ULTIMATE FIREBENDERS

AND IF YOU COULD CONQUER ONE, YOUR FIREBENDING TALENTS WOULD BECOME LEGENDARY

AND YOU'D EARN THE HONORARY TITLE, DRAGON.

THE LAST GREAT DRAGON WAS CONQUERED LONG BEFORE I WAS BORN, BY MY UNCLE.

BUT I THOUGHT YOUR UNCLE WAS, I DON'T KNOW, GOOD?

HE HAD A COMPLICATED PAST.

FAMILY TRADITION, I GUESS.

LET'S JUST MOVE ON.

[GRUNTING]

IT'S LOCKED UP.

WAIT.

IT'S A CELESTIAL CALENDAR.

JUST LIKE THE FIRE SAGES HAVE IN THEIR TEMPLES.

I BET THAT SUN STONE OPENS THE DOOR

BUT ONLY WHEN SUNLIGHT HITS IT AT JUST THE RIGHT ANGLE, ON THE SOLSTICE.

MONKEY FEATHERS.

THE SOLSTICE AGAIN.

WE CAN'T WAIT HERE THAT LONG.

NO, WE CAN'T.

BUT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO SPEED TIME UP.

LET'S SEE IF WE CAN OUTSMART THE SUN STONE.

NOTHING'S HAPPENING.

COME ON.

[RUMBLING]

YOU KNOW, ZUKO, I DON'T CARE WHAT EVERYONE ELSE SAYS ABOUT YOU.

YOU'RE PRETTY SMART.

[GASPING]

RELAX.

THEY'RE JUST STATUES.

IT SAYS THIS IS SOMETHING CALLED THE DANCING DRAGON.

ZUKO, GET OVER HERE.

I WANT YOU TO DANCE WITH ME.

WHAT?

JUST DO IT.

[ZUKO GROANING]

LET'S FOLLOW THE STEPS OF THE STATUES.

DON'T YOU SEE?

THESE AREN'T DANCE MOVES.

THESE STATUES ARE GIVING US A LESSON.

I THINK THIS IS SOME KIND OF SUN WARRIOR FIREBENDING FORM.

THIS BETTER TEACH US SOME REALLY GOOD FIREBENDING.

HOORAY!

WAIT.

WHAT EXACTLY IS THAT?

IT'S SOME KIND OF MYSTICAL GEMSTONE.

WELL, DON'T TOUCH IT.

WHY NOT?

REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED OUT THERE WITH THOSE SPIKES?

I'M JUST VERY SUSPICIOUS OF GIANT, GLOWING GEMS SITTING ON PEDESTALS.

IT FEELS ALMOST ALIVE.

[SCREAMING]

OH, NO, IT'S ANOTHER TRAP.

[GROANING]

I CAN'T PULL FREE.

IT'S LIKE SOME KIND OF GLUE.

[GRUNTING]

[GRUNTING]

[GROANING]

I CAN'T MOVE.

ZUKO, DO SOMETHING.

ME?

I CAN'T MOVE EITHER.

[GROANING]

IT STOPPED.

AT LEAST WE HAVE AIR.

MAYBE IF WE STAY CALM, WE CAN FIGURE A WAY OUT OF THIS.

YOU HAD TO PICK UP THE GLOWING EGG, DIDN'T YOU?

AT LEAST I MADE SOMETHING HAPPEN.

IF IT WERE UP TO YOU, WE'D NEVER HAVE MADE IT PAST THE COURTYARD.

HELP!

WHO ARE YOU YELLING TO?

NOBODY'S LIVED HERE FOR CENTURIES.

WELL, WHAT DO YOU THINK WE SHOULD DO?

THINK ABOUT OUR PLACE IN THE UNIVERSE?

[SIGHING]

WHO IS DOWN THERE?

FOR TRYING TO TAKE OUR SUN STONE, YOU MUST BE SEVERELY PUNISHED.

WE DIDN'T COME HERE TO TAKE YOUR SUN STONE.

WE CAME HERE TO FIND THE ANCIENT ORIGIN OF ALL FIREBENDING.

Man: YEAH, RIGHT.

THEY ARE OBVIOUSLY THIEVES, HERE TO STEAL SUN WARRIOR TREASURES.

Aang: PLEASE.

I DON'T NORMALLY PLAY THIS CARD, BUT I'M THE AVATAR.

JUST HEAR US OUT.

MY NAME IS ZUKO, CROWN PRINCE OF THE FIRE NATION.

OR AT LEAST, I USED TO BE.

I KNOW MY PEOPLE HAVE DISTORTED THE WAYS OF FIREBENDING, TO BE FUELLED BY ANGER AND RAGE

BUT NOW I WANT TO LEARN THE TRUE WAY, THE ORIGINAL WAY.

WHEN WE CAME HERE, I NEVER IMAGINED THE SUN WARRIOR CIVILIZATION WAS SECRETLY ALIVE.

I AM TRULY HUMBLED TO BE IN YOUR PRESENCE.

PLEASE, TEACH US.

IF YOU WISH TO LEARN THE WAYS OF THE SUN

YOU MUST LEARN THEM FROM THE MASTERS RAN AND SHAO.

RAN AND SHAO?

THERE ARE TWO OF THEM?

WHEN YOU PRESENT YOURSELVES TO THEM, THEY WILL EXAMINE YOU.

THEY'LL READ YOUR HEARTS, YOUR SOULS, AND YOUR ANCESTRY.

IF THEY DEEM YOU WORTHY, THEY'LL TEACH YOU.

IF THEY DON'T, YOU'LL BE DESTROYED ON THE SPOT.

Chief: IF YOU'RE GOING TO SEE THE MASTERS, YOU MUST BRING THEM A PIECE OF THE ETERNAL FLAME.

THIS FIRE IS THE VERY FIRST ONE.

IT WAS GIVEN TO MAN BY THE DRAGONS.

WE HAVE KEPT IT GOING FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS.

I DON'T BELIEVE IT.

Chief: YOU WILL EACH TAKE A PIECE OF IT TO THE MASTERS

TO SHOW YOUR COMMITMENT TO THE SACRED ART OF FIREBENDING.

UM, MISTER SUN CHIEF, SIR?

YEAH, I'M NOT A FIREBENDER YET.

COULDN'T MY FRIEND HERE CARRY MY FIRE FOR ME?

NO.

THIS RITUAL ILLUSTRATES THE ESSENCE OF SUN WARRIOR PHILOSOPHY.

YOU MUST MAINTAIN A CONSTANT HEAT.

THE FLAME WILL GO OUT IF YOU MAKE IT TOO SMALL.

MAKE IT TOO BIG, AND YOU MIGHT LOSE CONTROL.

I'M SORRY.

I'M JUST A LITTLE NERVOUS.

IT'S LIKE A LITTLE HEARTBEAT.

FIRE IS LIFE, NOT JUST DESTRUCTION.

YOU WILL TAKE YOUR FLAMES UP THERE.

THE CAVE OF THE MASTERS IS BENEATH THAT ROCK.

HURRY UP.

I CAN'T.

IF I WALK TOO FAST, MY FLAME'LL GO OUT.

YOUR FLAME'S GONNA GO OUT BECAUSE IT'S TOO SMALL.

YOU'RE TOO TIMID.

GIVE IT MORE JUICE.

BUT WHAT IF I CAN'T CONTROL IT?

YOU CAN DO IT.

I KNOW YOU CAN.

YOU'RE A TALENTED KID.

FACING THE JUDGMENT OF THE FIREBENDING MASTERS WILL BE VERY DANGEROUS FOR YOU.

YOUR ANCESTORS ARE DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DRAGONS' DISAPPEARANCE.

THE MASTERS MIGHT NOT BE SO HAPPY TO SEE YOU.

I KNOW I WOULDN'T BE.

BUT ONCE THEY FIND OUT I'M THE AVATAR...

HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN THAT YOU VANISHED

ALLOWING THE FIRE NATION TO WREAK HAVOC ON THE WORLD?

THE DECLINE OF THE DRAGONS IS YOUR BURDEN TOO.

WE COULD TURN BACK NOW.

WE'VE ALREADY LEARNED MORE ABOUT FIRE THAN WE'D HOPED.

NO, WE'RE SEEING THIS THROUGH TO THE END.

WE'RE GONNA MEET THESE MASTERS AND FIND OUT WHAT'S SO GREAT ABOUT THEM.

WHAT IF THEY JUDGE US AND ATTACK US?

WELL, WE'RE THE FIRE PRINCE AND THE AVATAR.

I THINK WE COULD TAKE THESE GUYS IN A FIGHT, WHOEVER THEY ARE.

BRING 'EM OUT.

CHANTERS!

[MEN VOCALIZING RHYTHMICALLY...]

THOSE WHO WISH TO MEET THE MASTERS RAN AND SHAO WILL NOW PRESENT THEIR FIRE.

SOUND THE CALL.

[HORN BLOWING]

[CRASHING]

WHAT'S HAPPENING?

[GASPING]

ZUKO, MY FIRE WENT OUT.

WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO?

GIVE ME SOME OF YOURS.

[GRUNTING]

NO, JUST MAKE YOUR OWN.

I CAN'T.

[GRUNTING]

Zuko: GET SOME FROM ONE OF THOSE WARRIORS.

HURRY.

STOP CHEATING OFF ME.

Aang: QUIT BEING STINGY.

[BOTH GRUNTING]

[CRASHING]

Both: UH-OH.

[DRAGON GROWLING]

THESE ARE THE MASTERS.

YOU STILL THINK WE CAN TAKE 'EM?

SHH.

I NEVER SAID THAT.

OH, HERE IT COMES.

ANY MOMENT NOW.

DINNER FOR THE MASTERS.

QUIET, HAM GHAO.

WHAT?

EVERYONE'S THINKING IT.

ZUKO, I THINK WE'RE SUPPOSED TO DO THE DRAGON DANCE WITH THEM.

WHAT?

WHAT ABOUT THIS SITUATION MAKES YOU THINK THEY WANT US TO DANCE?

WELL, I THINK THEY WANT US TO DO SOMETHING.

LET'S JUST TRY IT.

FINE.

JUDGMENT TIME.

[DRAGON GROWLING]

[WHIMPERING]

[AANG AND ZUKO SCREAMING]

[GASPING]

I UNDERSTAND.

THEIR FIRE WAS BEAUTIFUL.

I SAW SO MANY COLORS, COLORS I'VE NEVER IMAGINED.

Aang: LIKE FIREBENDING HARMONY.

YES.

THEY JUDGED YOU, AND GAVE YOU VISIONS OF THE MEANING OF FIREBENDING.

I CAN'T BELIEVE THERE ARE STILL LIVING DRAGONS.

MY UNCLE IROH SAID HE FACED THE LAST DRAGON AND KILLED IT.

SO YOUR UNCLE LIED.

ACTUALLY, IT WASN'T A TOTAL LIE.

IROH WAS THE LAST OUTSIDER TO FACE THE MASTERS.

THEY DEEMED HIM WORTHY AND PASSED THE SECRET ON TO HIM AS WELL.

Zuko: HE MUST'VE LIED TO PROTECT THEM, SO NO ONE ELSE WOULD HUNT THEM.

ALL THIS TIME, I THOUGHT FIREBENDING WAS DESTRUCTION.

SINCE I HURT KATARA, I'VE BEEN TOO AFRAID AND HESITANT

BUT NOW I KNOW WHAT IT REALLY IS.

IT'S ENERGY, AND LIFE.

YEAH.

IT'S LIKE THE SUN, BUT INSIDE OF YOU.

DO YOU GUYS REALIZE THIS?

WELL, OUR CIVILIZATION IS CALLED THE SUN WARRIORS, SO YEAH.

THAT'S WHY MY FIREBENDING WAS SO WEAK BEFORE

BECAUSE FOR SO MANY YEARS, HUNTING YOU WAS MY DRIVE.

IT WAS MY PURPOSE.

SO WHEN I JOINED YOU, I LOST SIGHT OF MY INNER FIRE.

BUT NOW, I HAVE A NEW DRIVE.

I HAVE TO HELP YOU DEFEAT MY FATHER AND RESTORE BALANCE TO THE WORLD.

NOW THAT YOU HAVE LEARNED THE SECRETS AND YOU KNOW ABOUT OUR TRIBE'S EXISTENCE

WE HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO IMPRISON YOU HERE FOREVER.

JUST KIDDING.

BUT SERIOUSLY, DON'T TELL ANYONE.

Aang: WITH THIS TECHNIQUE THE DRAGONS SHOWED US, ZUKO AND I WILL BE UNSTOPPABLE.

[APPLAUSE]

Sokka: YEAH, THAT'S A GREAT DANCE YOU TWO LEARNED THERE.

IT'S NOT A DANCE.

IT'S A FIREBENDING FORM.

WE'LL JUST TAP DANCE OUR WAY TO VICTORY OVER THE FIRE LORD.

IT'S A SACRED FORM THAT HAPPENS TO BE THOUSANDS OF YEARS OLD.

OH, YEAH?

WHAT'S YOUR LITTLE FORM CALLED?

THE DANCING DRAGON.

[LAUGHTER]

[MEN VOCALIZING RHYTHMICALLY...]

♪