"A hundred years ago all was right with our world." "Prosperity and peace filled our days." "The Four Nations:" "Water, Earth, Fire and Air Nomads lived amongst each other in harmony." "Great respect was afforded to all those who could bend their natural element." "The Avatar was the only person born amongst all the nations who could master all four elements." "He was the only one who could communicate with the Spirit World." "With the Spirits' guidance the Avatar kept balance in the world." "And then a hundred years ago, he just disappeared..." "BOOK ONE:" "WATER" "I'm sorry." "I'm sorry." "Hey, I'm sorry." "I'm sorry." "I'm sorry." "I'm sorry." "Sorry!" "Sorry!" "Hey, it worked better that time." "I thought about Mom." "Isn't that strange?" "Yeah, I guess so." "Stop doing that staff around me, I always get wet." "My brother and I live in the Southern Water tribe." "Which was once a base city." "Our father are fighting in the war." "My mother was taken prisoner and killed when I was young." "In this time of war food is scarce." "My brother and I often go hunting for food, but... unfortunately my brother isn't the best hunter in the world." " Tiger's seal." " Are you sure?" "I did everything that's set to do." "I was precise in the tracks that were more indented that shows you which direction they're going." "I saw how long the track skids are that shows you how fast they're going." "There's something under there." "It's caving." "Move out of the tracks." "Katara, don't go near it." "It's probably some Fire Nation's trick." "Just back away." "Really slow." "Katara, do not hit that sphere!" "Is he breathing?" "Did you see the light shot through sky?" "What's your name?" "How did you get here?" "How did you get in the ice?" "He's exhausted." "We need to get him back to the village." "What is this thing?" "It's trying to eat me." "Wow!" "How did you get all the way out here?" "I ran away from home." "We got in a storm." "We're forced under the water of the ocean." "Oh, I see." "It wasn't very smart." "I was just upset." "Thanks for saving me." "Lucky." "I probably should get home." "All will be worried." "You're not still upset?" "Not as much as I was." " Fire nation's here." " What?" "And they brought their machines." "Don't come out till I'll tell you it's safe." "Is something wrong?" "No!" "Please wait here." "What kid was this?" "We break him out of the ice." "Light shoots from the sky and now the Fire Nation is here with their machines." "Sokka, don't." "I am Prince Zuko." "Son of Firelord Ozai and heir to the throne!" "Bring me all your elderly." "Grandma." "Come on." "Katara, don't." "You're scaring this people." "Who are you?" "What's your name?" "I don't need to tell you anything." "Firebenders!" "I'm taking you to my ship." "If you don't come I'll burn down this village." "I'll go with you." "Don't hurt anyone." "They were looking for someone over." "They were looking for someone with the same markings the boy had." "They dragged Mom away the same way when we were babies." "She wouldn't have stood and watch us being taken away." "She would've fought." "We found that boy." "He's our responsibility." "We should fight." "What would you do if they tried take me away?" "I'll kill them all." "Why?" "Because you're my sister." "Because dad told me to protect you with my life." "Because I'm your responsibility." "And this boy is our responsibility." "What do you want us to do, Katara?" "How do we suppose to save him?" "There're on a ship." "We need a miracle to catch them." "I know you think everything's going to work out." "But I don't." "... creatures didn't float." "What do you want with me?" "My nephew wants me to perform a little test on you." "What kind of test?" "I assure you it won't hurt." "Performed hundreds of times." "It's only takes a few moments and you're free to go." "Would you mind if I put a few things in front of you at the table?" "It will only take a moment." "That's all you want?" "My name is Iroh and you have my word." "Grandma, I know that you're gonna try to stop us but this is just something I need..." "Sit down!" "I knew from the first time we discovered you were a bender." "That one day I would realize your destiny." "There hasn't been no water bender in the Southern Water Tribe." "Since my friend, Ham was taken away." "Today I found out that destiny." "Did you see that boy's tattoos?" "Tattoos like that haven't been seen an over a century." "I believe they are airbending tattoos." "How can that be?" "I believe that little boy might be the Avatar." "Once, a long time ago the spirit world kept balance over us." "What is the spirit world grandma?" "Oh, that's not a place made out the thing you can touch." "But it exists nonetheless." "It is filled with the most amazing forms." "Dazzling creatures." "And exists in the most exotic valleys, mountains, forests." "Each of these creatures is a spirit." "They have watched over us since the beginning." "They have guided us." "And only the Avatar can go speak to them." "Are that spirits here?" "Yes, there are some spirits that live hidden among us." "Sure, they're watching us with great sadness." "The Fire Nation doesn't wish to live by the spirits." "That's why they're so frightened by the existence of the Avatar." "What can he do?" "With his mastery of the four elements, he will begin to change hearts." "And it is in a heart the all words are one." "Now, go help this boy." "He will need you two." "And we all need him." "You are my prisoner, airbender." "I'm taking you back to the Fire Nation." "You said I..." "I apologize." "I should've explained further." "If you fill the test as all the others did you were free to leave." "But as it turns out you're the only one in the entire world who passed this test." "It is truly an honor to win your presence." "Don't even try to escape." "This is a warship." "Don't move." "You have nowhere to run." "Stop." "Thanks for bringing Appa to me." "The Fire Nation is up to something." "I have to go back now." "We'll come with you." "I can take you back to the village." "We're going with you." "You've found the Avatar." "From whom, I'll have my honor back." "Your destinies are tied Zuko." "That you can be sure of." "Aang flew us to his home." "He told us how he left there in a storm and got forced into the ocean where he almost drowned." "Aang airbended a sphere around them and ice formed and he couldn't remember anything after that." "Hey Ginzo, Monet." "I'm back!" "Hey, guys!" "I want you to meet someone." "This is where you live?" "They must be planning some trick or something." "Monk Gyatso is gonna try and jump out and scare me at any moment." "He is the teacher responsible for me." "He's kinda like my father." "Is it okay if you tell me your name?" "The monks named me Aang." "Okay, guys." "Enough." "Flying rat." "Boy, it's behind you." "He's a flying lemur-bat." "We keep them as pats." "Weren't they extinct a long time ago?" "Extinct?" "No." "There must be thousands of them on this mountain." "Your friends were monks?" "I know where they are right now." "They're through the prayer field." "Aang, wait." "I have to talk to you." "Aang, I think you're in that ice for almost a hundred years." "The Firebenders started a war." "I left a few days ago!" "Aang, the Fire Nation knew the Avatar would be born into the Air Nomads." "So they exterminated all the Air Nomads." "You're lying!" "This is Monk Gyatso's." "I made it for him." "Katara, stay away from him!" "Katara, stay away from him!" "...stay away from him!" "Your friends were monks?" "The Avatar, where have you been?" "Aang, don't think this all gonna be so bad." "It's Sokka and I will be with you as long as you need." "Talk to me about it." "We can do things together." "Aang!" "The banished prince." "Let's offer him lunch." "I wanted to thank to great General Iroh and young Prince Zuko who're dining with us." "As you know, the Fire Lord has banished his son the Prince." "He renounced his love of him and would not let him return to the throne, unless he finds the Avatar." "The Fire Lord believes his son is too soft." "By doing this you will become strong and become a worthy heir to the throne." "I commend the Fire Lord discipline." "For example, it seems I need to remind Prince Zuko that during his banishment he is an enemy of the Fire Nation and is not allowed to wear the Fire Nation uniform." "But we will let him wear it today, like a child wearing a costume." "One day my father will take me back, and you'll bow before me." "Southern Earth Kingdom" "You okay?" "I'll be fine." "You know, my grandma thinks because you're an airbender, that you could be the Avatar." "How much does the Fire Nation control?" "A lot of villages in the Earth Kingdom, like around here." "They haven't been able to conquer big cities like Ba Sing Se." "But they're making plans I'm sure." "So, are you the Avatar, Aang?" "What is this?" "Stay hidden." " That child is being arrested." " For what?" "He was bending tiny stones at us from behind the tree." " It really hurt." " He can't bend the earth." "Earthbending is forbidden in this village." "Leave him alone." "You're not taking him anywhere." "No one is taking anybody away." "She is a bender." "Katara!" "Move." "You too." "Dad!" " This is my father." " Hello." "Fire Nation's plan suppress all other bending." "How did this happen to your village?" "Fire Nation sent soldiers." "We fought and defeated them." "Then they sent their machines." "Huge machines, made of metal." "There is nothing we could do." "Those who cannot bend were allowed to leave in peace, if we were imprisoned." "Earthbenders!" "Why are you acting this way?" "You are powerful and amazing people!" "You don't need to live like this!" "There's earth, right beneath your feet!" "The ground is an extension of who you are!" "If the Avatar have returned, would that mean anything to you?" "The Avatar is dead, if he was here he'd protect us." "My name is Aang." "And I am the Avatar." "I ran away, but I'm back now." "It's time for you to stop doing this!" "The Avatar would have to be an airbender." "Are you an airbender, boy?" "Leave him alone!" " Why is he doing that?" " I don't wanna hurt anyone." "All airbenders should be dead." "Kill him!" "Fire benders, prepare!" "Okay, everybody can help us now!" "Don't be afraid!" "They took away any tools, related to bending." "The Fire Nation took this scroll from the member of your Water Tribe." "Waterbending Scroll!" "This is rare, my Mom told me about this." "This was you, when you were born an Earthbender." "Two lifetimes ago." "You came to our village." "Avatar Kyoshi loved games." "I do, too." "I mean, I still..." "A lot of the villages in this part of the Earth Kingdom are occupied by the Fire Nation." "Like this village was." "They pray in the weakest towns and villages." "We should go visit some of these towns, Aang." " I need to tell you something." " What is it, Aang?" "I ran away before they train me to be the Avatar." "I don't know how to bend the other elements." "Why did you run away?" "The day they told me I was the Avatar, they said I can never have a normal life." "That I can never have a family." "They said I cannot work with the responsibilities of the Avatar." " Why can't the Avatar have a family?" " I asked that!" "They said that's a sacrifice the Avatar always has to make." "Okay, so what if we found you teachers, teachers to teach you bending, which element would you have to learn first?" "Water." "Water comes after air in the cycle." "Air, Water, Earth, Fire." "But there are really powerful benders in the Northern Water tribe." "My dad told me about them before he left." "It's leaded by Princess because her father died." "There are teachers there for sure, but they are all the way on the other side of world." " We can get there on Appa." " That's what I was thinking." "And maybe we could stop in villages on the way, started changing the war at these far villages." " Should we try it?" " Yes, we should." "The scroll we had, was proven to be helpful." "Aang was practicing, but for some reason he was having trouble with waterbending." "We moved from town to town in the Earth Kingdom." "We tried to stay out of sight, but Sokka became concerned we're being followed." "The Fire Nation" "Sire, I have good news." "As you know I conducted a raid on the Great Library, which most said didn't even exist." " Get on with it." " I have found scrolls in the library." "We are deciphering them, but I believe they may contain information as to where the Ocean and Moon Spirits live in this world." "With this information, we could bring down the Northern Water tribe city." "We could show the world the true strength of fire." "I am pleased." "Well, Commander Zhao, are the rumors true or not?" "Our spies have discover someone claiming to be the Avatar." "They describe him as just a boy." "We should set a trap for this person." "We have many Earth Kingdom people under our control." "I can leave soldiers hidden in certain locations." " And my son?" " He had his chance...and missed it." "Let's hope, for your sake, my son doesn't find this person first, and he turns out to be the Avatar." "He would returned as a hero and for all purposes be your superior." "Well, I suppose it's a race then." "Northern Earth Kingdom" "Fire Nation Colony Fifteen" "We're close, uncle." "They've been moving farther and farther North." "We're catching them." "There are a lot of pretty girls in this town, Zuko." "You could fall in love here, we could settle down here." "And you could have a blessed life." "You don't have to continue this, Zuko." "I'll show you why we must don't go." "Hey, hey, little one, come here." "You look like a very smart boy." "Tell me what you know about the Prince, the Fire Lord's son." "He did something wrong." "He spoke out of turn to a General in defense of some of his friends who are going to be sacrificed in a battle." "Then Prince Zuko sentenced to an Agni Kai duel." "But when he showed up, it was his father he was to fight." "That's right." "He would not fight his father." "Then his father mocked him and said," ""I should bring your sister up here to beat you."" "Then the father burned his son, to teach him a lesson." "We'll catch him soon, uncle." "Then we can think about the pretty girls." "Northern Earth Kingdom" "Aang, try to keep your wrist bent like it should be." "What's wrong?" "You've really been distracted today." "I saw Sokka's maps." "We're in the Northern Air Temple." "Do you think it would be okay, if I just visit there and came back?" "I'll be back in less than a day." " Why?" " He had a vision at the Southern Air Temple prayer field." "He talked to a Dragon Spirit who he thinks can help us." "He thinks if he goes through another spiritual place, he can get back to the Spirit World." "I don't think that's a good idea." "We started a rebellion." "Try to talk him out of it." "I can't do this, I need help." " I guess your talk didn't work." " He'll be back in a day." "Fire Nation is following us." "We make the wrong move, they'll catch him." "Northern Air Temple" "Who are you?" "It cannot be..." "I've heard stories, are you?" "My name is Aang." "I cannot believe I've lived to see your return." "I'm an Earth villager, but I visit this temple remains of him." "Fire Nation has destroyed this temple." " They have ruined everything." " Oh, no, not everything." "There is a hidden chamber of statues." "I think you of all people should see it." "These are all the Avatars." "These are the reincarnations of you over the years." "The Avatar Roku was your last life." "And how did the airbenders know you were the Avatar, little boy?" "They gave me a test." "They put a 1000 toys in front of me, and asked me to choose four." "They said I chose the same four objects that belong to the previous Avatar." "That's when they told me I can have no family." "They told me I had a responsibility to the four nations." "In the ceremony when everyone bows to me..." "That's when I accept my role as the Avatar." "But when everyone bowed..." "I didn't bow back!" "You seem like a nice young man." "You really do." "You will forgive me, won't you?" " For what?" " For luring you down here." "I lived in poverty because of your absence, Avatar." "So, you will understand my actions today." "I lived in poverty because of your absence, Avatar." "I have seen the vision of the moon turning red." "The Fire Nation have stolen knowledge of us from the Great Library." "They're planning to misuse this knowledge." "I will stop them." "You must go to the Northern Water tribe." "If they take that city, more will suffer and die, as you're airbenders have." " You must go now." " Who would stop them?" "Wake up, little man." "My name is Commander Zhao, I set this trap for you." "Don't worry, I'm not gonna kill you." "Besides, you'd just be reborn again, then the search would continue." "So, where have you been all this time?" "And how is it that you're still a boy?" "I understand that when you free that handful of towns you were very impressive, but... you only used airbending against my soldiers." "Now why is that?" "Fire Lord and I have a plan." "To ensure our reign and the downfall of our enemies." "I'm sending a personal message to the Fire Lord, informing him that the one's feared Avatar, our prisoner!" "And no one can fight our might!" "Who are you?" "Wait, no!" "Stop!" "Fools." "Close the inner gates!" "The Avatar has escaped!" "Close down all gates!" "This is no practice area." "Do not kill the Avatar!" "He will just be reborn again." "Why are you doing this?" "Who are you?" "Open the gates!" "Let them out." " Is it some kind of spirit, Commander?" " Not at all." "Do it." "What is this?" "And how did he escape?" "I fear that your son is not only incompetent, but also a traitor." "Of course, I cannot prove this, sire." "You think my son, is this person the soldiers are calling the Blue Spirit?" "Yes." "Zhao's man were searching the coast looking for you." "They also searched the ship." "I told them you were on a vacation with the girl." "Where were you for the past four days?" "Nowhere." "We have to keep moving." "The Avatar is traveling again." "Take a rest first." "You looks like you went through a great deal, huh?" "When you wake, we'll have tea together, before we start engines, huh?" "Do not harm my son." "Leave him to his isolation." "You have my word, sire." "I will not harm him." "Zuko!" " And what of the Avatar?" " We assume he has rejoined with his supporters." "It has been confirmed that he is traveling North." "It is my strong belief that he is traveling to the Northern Water tribe." "I believe that child Avatar has only knowledge of his birth element, air." "I believe he's trying to learn in the discipline of water." "He's gone to seek out someone in the Northern Water tribe, where they live beyond our region openly practice waterbending." "We arrived at the Northern Water tribe." "We presented ourselves to the royal court." "My brother and the Princess became friends right away." "Aang showed them he was the last airbender and was accepted to train with the master." "The city knew our arrival would bring a great danger." "And they prepared for war they knew would come in the ensuing weeks." "The city was designed to withstand any assault." "If we keep them to the courtyard and the market place till night falls, where we have the advantage, we will succeed." "If you let too many of them into this city, their sheer numbers could overwhelm us." "As many far as in this city should be put out as possible, when the alarm sounds." "We want to minimize their bender sources." "I must assign a guard to be with you at all times, Princess." "Your presence is our inspiration." "I'll do it." "Let me to be her guard, nothing will happen to her." "I had the feeling you might volunteer." "I've had no word of my son for quite some time." " Do you know where he is?" " I've not heard of anything, sire." "I'm sure word of him will come to us soon." "The Northern Water tribe benders are given their strength by the Moon and Ocean Spirits." "They will be difficult to defeat." "Now, if for some reason, the spirits were not involved, that would be different." "What have you learned from the stolen scrolls?" "We have deciphered the location of the Moon and Ocean Spirits." "It is our destiny to have found this information, Zhao." "Eliminate the spirits, take this city and we will have plotted the Avatar in the process." " Water is what?" " The flowing element, the element of changes." "To master water, you must release your emotions, wherever they may lead you." "Water teaches us acceptance." "Let the emotions flow like water." "Aang, would you like to spar?" "I haven't sparred in a few days." "Now use offence, Aang." "General Iroh, I'm glad you could accepted my invitation to join us on this historic event." " Your invitation was most gracious." " You are a gifted strategist." "No one can argue that." "Your failure in the hundred days siege Ba Sing Se won't be held against you." "Your son died in that siege, didn't he?" "Yes, he did." "Again, I offer my condolences on your nephew burning to death in that terrible accident." "Thank you." " I'd love spending these week with you, Sokka." " Me too." "Should we see what the ocean is doing today?" "When there's some safety for all of us, I'll come visit our sister city in the Southern Water tribe." " To spend some time in your home." " That'll be great." "But I warn you, my grandmother will ask you a lot of questions." "What might she ask me?" "She'll say, "Why is your hair white, young lady?" "You look very odd."" "I would say to your grandmother, "My hair is white because when I was born I was not awake."" "And mother and father could not get me to make a sound or move." "So, they prayed for days to the Moon Spirit." "And they took me into the sacred waters." "My parents said that my hair turned white then and life flowed into me." "Wow!" " You didn't tell me that." " You didn't ask me." "But your grandmother did." "I'm sure Zhao was the one who ordered the attack on you." "Any problems?" "We have arrived at the Northern Water tribe stronghold." "They believe the boy is there." "Why are you so upset, uncle?" "Zhao has no sacredness." "Are you sure you want to be here?" "I will not be allowed to live in peace until I bring the Avatar to my father!" "Is that not clear to you?" "What is this?" "Yue, Fire Nation is here." "Now, be sure to keep your uniform closed up to your neck." "And remember, your Chi can warm you." "I know, uncle." "Be safe." " Aang needs to ask you something." " I have to talk to the Dragon Spirit." "He can help me defeat the Fire Nation." "Is there a spiritual place where I can meditate?" "There is a very spiritual place." "The city was built around this place." "But we must hurry." "Momo, be nice." "To get your airbending tattoos, you have to meditate for long periods of time, without losing focus." "Some of the great monks can meditate for four days." " I have to get back." " I'll take you." "I'll stay with him." "Aang?" "Aang, can you hear me?" "I knew you were real." "I always knew you'll return." "Me too." "Fire Lord's son." "You took him from our village." "Who are you?" "My name is Katara and I'm the only waterbender left in the Southern Water tribe." "I'm not allowed to go home without him." "The waterbenders get power from the moon." "They will get stronger as the day comes to an end." "General Iroh, I've been keeping a secret." "What is that?" "In my raid on the Great Library earlier this year, I found the scroll." "It tells the location of the Ocean and Moon Spirits." "To meet a Spirit would be a great honor." "Well, I hope I could give you that honor." "What happened?" "Prince Zuko's here in the city, he took Aang again." "I'll just wait till everyone's fighting everyone." "Then at night we'll slip out." "Aang, can you hear me?" "I knew you were real." "I always knew you'll be back." "Hello!" "Hello!" "Please, tell me how to beat the Fire Nation!" "You are not dealing with the loss of their people and your responsibility for their deaths." "You are stopping yourself from grieving, you're angry." "You must let this go." "As the Avatar you are not meant to hurt others." "Use the ocean." "Show them the power of water." "Go, do this now." "My sister Azul has always been special." "She was a firebender prodigy." "My father loves her." "He can't even look at me sometimes." "She's just unlike my mother." "I advise that you pull back your men soon." "They will be trapped in the city when the moon's power comes out." "Do not worry about the moon's power, General Iroh." " Why should you not be worried about the moon's power?" "Because your brother Fire Lord Ozai and I, have decided that it's in our best interests" " to kill the Moon Spirits." " What?" "Calm down, we'll find him." "Are you okay?" "Did this spirits tell you anything?" "Yes, the Dragon Spirit talked to me." "I know what to do." "Aang, we have to go." "You won't be killed by waterbenders if you stay hidden here." "We could be friends, you know." "They're getting stronger." "This is a scroll from the Great Library." "This is our map." "Our world is going to change soon, gentlemen." "See where they're going." "They called many names." "Yin and Yang, Push and Pull." "May I introduce you to the mysterious Ocean and Moon Spirits." "Why do Spirits take the form of such benign figures that leaves them so vulnerable?" "To teach man kindness and humility." "Commander Zhao, there're certain things humankind should not not tamper with." "The Spirits and Spirit World is one of them." " What are you doing here?" " Stop, Zhao!" "The world will be going out of balance, everyone will be hurt." "The Fire Nation is too powerful to worry about children's superstitions, General Iroh." "Commander Zhao, don't." "We are now the gods!" "No!" "You're too soft, General Iroh." "He made a fire out of nothing!" "As the Avatar you are not meant hurt the others." "You must show them the power of water." "All is lost." "You have been anointed by the Moon Spirit." " He gave me life when I was a child." " Then there is still a chance." "You can give your life back for the Spirits." " Don't listen to him, he is Fire Nation." " Nothing is ever truly lost." "Is it might to give back if I choose?" "There are reasons each of us are born." "We have to find those reasons." "This was the reason I was born." "Yue, please." " There is no love without sacrifice." " What are you doing?" " You don't know what will happen." " I believe that my life force." "Well, leave my body and return to the Moon Spirit." " And then what?" " My soul will no longer exist in this form." "Please, don't do this." "There must be another way." "I can't let you do this, I'm suppose to protect you." "My people are dying, Sokka." "Those who are in charge of others have a responsibility." "It is just time we show the Fire Nation that we believe in our beliefs as much than they believe in their own." "I'm scared, don't make me anymore scare." "I'll miss you more than you know." "I killed you." "Come away from him, nephew." "There are too many soldiers now, they would never let you take the Avatar." "We must leave immediately." "He wants to fight you so we can capture you, Zuko." "Walk away." "Come." "You stand alone, and that has always been your great mistake." "Water teaches us acceptance." "Let your emotions flow, like water." "Aang?" "They want you to be their Avatar, Aang." "We all do." "Our forces in the Northern Water tribe failed to take the city." "General Zhao was killed in battle, my brother's become a traitor, my son has proven himself as traitor." "Now, Sozin's Comet is returning in three years." "It will give all firebenders the ability of the highest firebenders." "The ability to use their own Chi to create fire." "That is the day we will win this war and prove the Fire Nation's dominance." "And we must stop the Avatar from mastering earth and fire." "You must give us the time to get to that day." "Do you accept this unspeakably important task that put in your hands?" "I do, father."