Sokka: (voice over) What's out here?
(Cut to a shot of the group from the front of Appa, Sokka, Toph, Katara and Momo standing behind Aang. Aang is holding a thin wooden flute in both hands.)
Toph: (kneels and places her palm on the ground) A lot actually. There's hundreds of little-
(Aang turns around and silences Toph.)
Aang: Shhh! I know you can see underground, but don't ruin the surprise. Just watch.
(Cut to a close up of Aang as he places the flute to his lips and plays a note. The view cuts back to the front as a prairie dog emerges from a hole on Aang's right and sings the same note.)
Aang: (watching as the prairie dog descends back into the hole) Heheheha, yeah!
(Aang plays another note, and another prairie dog emerges from a hole close to the camera and sings the same note, just as the previous prairie dog had done. Aang smiles and raises his hands and the flute above his head.)
Aang: I'm putting an orchestra together.
(Cut to a close up of Sokka, looking disinterested.)
Sokka: Orchestra, huh? Well la dee da.
(Sokka gestures from side to side with his hands as he says the last few words. Cut to a shot of three holes in the ground. One after the other, a prairie dog emerges from a hole and each sings a note in descending order. They all descend back down their burrows as Momo leaps down the hole to the left. A moment later, his head emerges from the middle hole.
Cut to a wide shot showing the group and several more burrows. Aang plays more notes, and each time a different prairie dog emerges from one of the burrows and matches it. Katara laughs as she watches Momo chase after each prairie dog. Cut to a shot of Aang as he is playing a note. Sokka runs up to Aang and plugs his finger into the other end of the flute, muffling the sound and causing Aang's cheeks to swell with air.)
Sokka: This is great and all, but don't we have more important things to worry about? We should be making plans.
(Sokka unplugs his finger and stands up straight, gesturing to his sides with open palms. Cut to a shot of Toph and Katara.)
Toph: We did make plans. We're all picking mini-vacations.
Sokka: There's no time for vacations.
Ben: Sokka, Don't Blow a Gasket
Toph: What's a gasket
Ben: y'know something you put in your car
Katara: what's a car
Ben: (sighs)
Aang: (Looking up at Sokka) I'm learning the elements as fast as I can. (Cut to a close up of Aang.) I practice hard everyday with Toph and Katara. I've been training my arrows off.
(Cut back to the group shot. Katara walks forward a few steps.)
Katara: Yeah. What's wrong with having a little fun in our downtime?
Ben: yeah, we should just take it easy
Sokka: (crossing his arms) Even if you do master all of the elements, then what? It's not like we have a map of the fire nation. Should we just head west until we reach the Fire Lord's house? (mimics the action of knocking on a door, accompanied by the sound effect) Knock, knock! Hello, Fire Lord? Anybody home? (Humorous background music plays as Sokka says this. He leans towards Aang, closing his fists and dropping them to his sides) I don't think so. We need some intelligence if we're gonna win this war.
(Aang plays one more note on his flute, and a prairie dog pops out of a hole directly underneath Sokka and sings, surprising him. Katara giggles at Sokka as Momo peeks down the hole. Aang drops the flute and bends a small gust of air to get up on his feet.)
Katara: Alright, we'll finish our vacations, and then we'll look for Sokka's intelligence.
(Cut to a shot of Aang and Katara. A sound effect plays as Aang chuckles at Katara's joke, while Katara places her hands on her hips and smirks. Cut to a close up of a map being opened by Aang. On it can be seen what appears to be a town with an iceberg in the middle. To the left of it is a mountain range.)
Aang: (voice over) Your turn, Katara. (cut to a shot from the side of Aang holding the map open and Katara looking at it) Where would you like to go on your mini-vacation?
(Katara leans towards the map and studies it, placing her hand on her chin.)
Katara: (placing her finger on the map) How about the Misty Palms Oasis? That sounds refreshing.
Aang: Oh yeah, I've been there. It's a pristine natural ice spring, and I usually don't use the word pristine. It's one of nature's wonders.
(The close up of the map's illustration fades to a wide shot of the actual Misty Palms Oasis, accompanied by the sound of the background music slowing down and changing. Appa stands outside of the oasis walls. To the left are three sand gliders. Inside the walls are several small houses made of dry mud. There are no palm trees, and the ice spring in the middle is barely visible. Cut to a shot of Aang, Katara, Sokka and Toph outside the gates.)
Aang: Must have changed ownership since I was here.
(The Avatar laughs nervously and proceeds through the gates with the rest of the group.
Cut to a shot from behind as the group walks through the gates. An old sign hanging overhead falls to the ground with a loud crash and shatters into several pieces, causing the group to turn around in surprise. Fade to a pan right shot as the group walks past the evaporating ice spring. It is only a few feet high, and a dog with black fur is licking it for water. Cut to a shot of the outside of one of the mud houses. It has a large doorway covered by a green cloth. Loitering outside the doorway are men wearing light brown clothing and wrapped in rags. They glance at Aang, Toph, Katara and Sokka as they head inside the building.
Before Sokka can enter, the man closest to him hocks phlegm and spits it at the ground. Cut to a shot of Sokka's feet as he steps back to avoid the spit wad as it lands. Cut to a shot of Sokka as he looks down in disgust. He glares at the man, frowning and balling up his fists. Cut to a close up of the man. He is wearing a white visor with thin, rectangular slits across his eyes. He then gives Sokka a toothless smirk.
Cut to a shot outside the doorway of Sokka, the man, and Katara. The man is leaning against the wall and Sokka is still glaring at him. Katara quickly turns around and pulls him away and into the doorway, in order to prevent a fight from breaking out. Cut to a shot from inside the building as the group enters and stares at their surroundings.
Cut to a pan left shot of the interior. It appears to be a restaurant, illuminated by dim lamps hanging from poles. To the left are two patrons sitting at a wooden table. One of them takes a swig from a cup he's holding. At a table in the middle is a man wearing a tall orange hat who has fallen asleep, resting his head on the table's surface. His shoulders rise and fall as he snores. To the left is a bar, decorated with various overhanging fruit. Sitting at a stool is another sleeping man wearing dull green clothing and a white headband.
The bartender is bald and has a short brown beard. He is wearing a green tunic, a white apron and brown armbands around his biceps. There are two thin swords hanging across his back by leather straps, forming an X. Speaking to the bartender is a man wearing loose white clothing and a circular white hat. Hanging from his back are a backpack and a sleeping bag. From his waist hangs a large leather pouch.)
Professor Zei: One mango, please.
(The bartender nods. Cut to a shot of the bartender from the front. To his left are stacks of bowls and to his right is a double handled pitcher with a long, narrow neck. The bartender pulls both swords from their sheaths. He swings at one of the bowls, cutting it from the stack, then picks it up with both swords and places it on a cutting board in the middle. He then cuts down four fruits that are hanging overhead, two large yellow ones and two smaller red ones. The bartender then proceeds to rapidly dice the fruit into several smaller pieces with both swords and dumps them and some water into a bowl to complete the drink.
Cut to a close up of the cutting board as the bartender places the bowl drink in the middle. He drops a bamboo straw and a small, green umbrella into the bowl as the finishing touch. The man in white takes the drink and drops an Earth Kingdom coin on the board which the bartender takes. Cut to a shot of the group standing inside the doorway. Aang and Katara are smiling at the bartender's skill while Sokka stares thoughtfully with his hand placed against his chin.)
Sokka: I don't see anything wrong with having one of those fruity beverages while we plan our strategy.
(The others turn to Sokka as he speaks. Sokka grins and walks towards the bar, shoving Aang and Toph in the process. Cut to a shot of the bar as Sokka runs towards it, followed by Aang and Katara.)
Sokka: (signaling to the bartender) Excuse me!
(The man in white takes his drink and turns around, but then bumps into Aang, causing him to spill it onto Aang. Cut to a pan up shot of Aang, Katara and Sokka. Katara gasps as she witnesses the accident, Sokka stares at the man in white, and Aang looks down at his wet clothes.)
Aang: (looking up at the man) No worries, I clean up easy.
(Cut to the shot of the bar. Aang places his knuckles together in front of his chest and bends a gust of air around his body, drying his clothes and causing everyone else's clothes to be blown back. The man in white grabs the brim of his hat to keep it from being blown away and gasps at Aang with amazement. Cut to a close up of the man.)
Professor Zei: (in awe) You're a living relic!
(Cut to a shot of Aang, with Katara and Sokka standing behind him. The man's back is facing the camera. Toph walks in from behind.)
Aang: Thanks. I try.
(Cut back to the close up of the man. He places a hand to his chin.)
Professor Zei: An Air Nomad, right in front of me. (Cut to a shot from side of the group at the bar. Sokka is handing Katara a drink and turns back to the bartender. The man places his right fist into his left hand and gives a slight bow to Aang, who bows as well) Professor Zei, head of anthropology at Ba Sing Se University. (grabs Aang's hand and examines it) Tell me, which of the Air temples do you hail from?
Aang: The southern temple.
Professor Zei: (begins measuring Aang's skull with a pair of calipers and speaking excitedly) Oh, splendid! Now tell me, what was the primary agricultural product of your people?
Aang: (nervously) Uh, are fruit pies an agricultural product?
Professor Zei: (placing a hand on Aang's shoulder) Oh, truly fascinating. That is one for the journal.
(Cut to a shot of the group. Katara, Sokka and Toph are all holding drinks and standing behind Aang and Zei. Zei pulls a pen and note pad from his back pack and begins writing in it.)
Sokka: So professor, you're obviously a well traveled guy. Do you have a more current map? Ours seems to be a little dated.
Professor Zei: Certainly.
(Cut to a close up shot of a table. Sokka unrolls a map onto it. Cut to a shot of the group standing around the table. Toph is laying across two chairs, her legs crossed and sipping her fruit drink. Aang is now holding a drink of his own. Sokka takes a moment to examine the map.)
Sokka: What, no Fire Nation? (straitening his back) Doesn't anybody have a good map of that place?
(Katara places a hand on the map. Cut to a pan right close up of the map. On it can be seen a large desert with several paths drawn on to it.)
Katara: (voice over) You've made a lot of trips into the desert.
Professor Zei: (voice over) All in vain, I'm afraid. (Cut to a shot of Zei and Katara) I've found lost civilizations all over the Earth Kingdom, (raises his fist slightly) but I haven't managed to find the crown jewel... Wan Shi Tong's Library.
(Cut to a shot of Toph laying down. Her feet are closest to the camera, showing her dirt stained soles.)
Toph: You spent years walking through the desert to find some guy's library?
Ben: sounds boring
Professor Zei: This library is more valuable than gold, little ones. (raises his palms in a gesture) It is said to contain a vast collection of knowledge, and knowledge... is priceless.
Toph: (sarcastically) Mm, sounds like good times.
Ben: (sarcastically)Very thrilling
Professor Zei: Oh, it is. According to legend, it was built by the great knowledge spirit, Wan Shi Tong, with the help of his foxy knowledge seekers.
Sokka: Oh, so this spirit has attractive assistants, huh?
Katara: (giving Sokka's head a small shove) I think he means they look like actual foxes, Sokka.
Professor Zei: (voice over) You're both right. Handsome little creatures. (reaches into his pouch and pulls out and unrolls a large parchment) Wan Shi Tong and his knowledge seekers collected books from all over the world, and put them on display for mankind to read, so that we might better ourselves.
(Cut to a close up of the table as Zei places the parchment down. On it is an architectural drawing of a building with many domes and spires. Shift to a shot of Sokka, Katara and Zei from the table's level.)
Sokka: If this place has books from all over the world, do you think they've got info on the Fire Nation? A map maybe?
(Aang enters the screen from the left, sipping his drink through the bamboo straw.)
Professor Zei: I wouldn't know, but if such a thing exists, it's in Wan Shi Tong's Library.
(Cut to a close up of Sokka. He puts a hand to his chin and thinks for a second.)
Sokka: Then it's settled. (cut to the shot of the group around the table. Toph is sipping her drink.) Aang, I do believe it's my turn. I'd like to spend my vacation (cut to a shot of Sokka as he points his finger into the air. The background changes to a rushing one) AT THE LIBRARY!
(Zoom back out to the group shot. Sokka still has his finger raised in the air.)
Toph: (waving her hand to gain the others attention) Uh, hey? What about me? When do I get to pick?
Sokka: (crossing his arms) You gotta work here a little longer before you qualify for vacation time.
(Toph slams her bowl on the table before crossing her arms and pouting. Cut to a shot of Zei.)
Professor Zei: Of course there's the matter of finding it. I've made several trips into the Si Wong Desert, and almost died each time. (in a depressed voice) I'm afraid that desert's impossible to cross.
(Cut to a shot of Sokka and Aang, who are exchanging glances.)
Sokka: Professor, would you like to see our sky bison?
Professor Zei: (amazed) A sky bison? You actually have one?
(Cut to a shot of Appa and several of the men in rags standing outside the oasis walls. Appa growls at the men and scoots away. Zei runs in from off-screen.)
Professor Zei: (commandingly) Sandbenders! Shoo! Away from the bison!
(Cut to a shot of the sandbenders as they walk away, then to a shot of two of the sandbenders onboard one of the sand gliders. One of them bends a whirlwind of sand underneath the sail, causing the glider to be driven forward, revealing Aang and his group behind them. Aang watches the sandbenders' retreating forms, with Sokka, Katara and Zei standing behind him. Shift to a wide shot from above of the two of the sand gliders racing off in the distance.
Cut to a pan down shot of the sun from below. Appa flies overhead and towards the desert horizon. Cut to a pan right shot of Toph, Katara and Sokka sitting in Appa's saddle. Sokka has taken his shirt off and tied it onto his head to protect himself from the sun. Sokka takes a spyglass and turns to the side. Cut to a shot from the front of Aang, Zei, and Momo sitting on Appa's head. Sokka is looking out in the distance with the spyglass. Zei climbs forward. Cut to a shot of Appa from below. Zei sticks his head out so he can speak to the flying bison.)
Professor Zei: Tell me, sky bison. Are you the last of your breed?
(Appa responds by giving a low roar.)
Professor Zei: (excitedly) Oh, delightful! I only wish I spoke his tongue. (Cut to a shot of Zei as he runs his fingers through Appa's fur.) Oh, the stories this beast could tell. (Momo comes to sit next to Zei and begins chattering. Zei turns to Momo and places a finger to his lips.) Shush, chatty monkey.
(Cut to a shot of Aang examining the drawing of the library.)
Aang: Wow, shouldn't be too hard to find a place like this out here.
(Cut to a shot of the drawing as it gently flutters in Aang's hands. Several scenes go by in rapid succession, making it clear that some time has passed as they search for the Library.)
Toph: (frustrated) Aw, does this place even exist?
Professor Zei: (smiling and holding his finger up) Some say it doesn't.
Toph: Shouldn't you have mentioned that before?
(Toph falls onto her side and groans, putting her dirty feet over the saddle's edge. Fade to a shot from above of Appa and Ben as Stinkfly flying. Appa gives a low roar. Cut to a shot of Zei in the saddle writing down notes. The camera pans to the left to show Toph who suddenly sits up and points out into the desert.)
Toph: (in excitement) There it is!
(The camera zooms out to show Katara and Sokka looking in the direction Toph is pointing. Cut to a shot of empty sand dunes that pass by. Katara, Sokka, Aang and Momo turn towards Toph and glare at her for tricking them. Cut back to the shot of Toph.)
Toph: That's what it will sound like when one of you spots it.
Stinkfly: Oh right, blind
(Toph turns to the others and gives them a blank grin, waving her hand in front of her eyes to remind them of the fact that she is blind. She quickly goes back to clutching the saddle. Cut to a shot from the side of Appa flying over the desert, then to a shot from the front of Sokka, Katara, Aang and Momo. Sokka is searching for the library through his spyglass and Katara is using her hand as a visor. Aang appears fatigued, and Momo has fallen asleep on top of the airbender's head.)
Katara: It shouldn't be this hard to spot a giant ornate building from the air.
(Cut to a close up of Sokka as he looks through his spy glass. Cut to Sokka's perspective as he peers through the device. He quickly spots a spire sticking out from the sand. Cut back to the shot of Sokka, Katara and Aang. Sokka points down at the spire.)
Sokka: Down there. What's that?
(Aang perks up, causing Momo to be awakened. He and Katara both look in the direction Sokka is pointing. Cut to a shot from above of Appa descending down to the spire. Fade to a pan left shot from above. The top of the spire is closest to the camera. On the ground are Aang and his group looking up at it. Appa is sitting behind them.)
Katara: (disappointedly) Forget it. It's obviously not what we're looking for. The building in this drawing is enormous.
(They all turn their heads as something glimmers atop one of the sand dunes in the distance. Cut to a shot of a large gray fox as it climbs over the top of the dune. In its mouth is a scroll. It pauses and turns to look at the humans, the scroll in its mouth glints in the sunlight. The fox continues and walks off-screen)
Sokka: What kind of animal is that?
(Cut to a pan right shot as the fox gallops towards the spire's base. Instead of stopping, the fox begins running up the spire at a ninety degree angle. The camera follows it up as it does so. Cut to a shot from the inside of the top of the spire. The camera is looking out at the group through one of the windows.)
Professor Zei: I think that was one of the knowledge seekers.
(The fox jumps through the window. Cut to a shot of Zei.)
Professor Zei: Oh, we must be close to the library!
(Cut to a shot of Aang, Sokka and Katara all looking at the drawing.)
Sokka: No, this is the library. (points up at the spire) Look!
(Cut to a shot of Sokka's finger pointing to the top. He brings his finger down and points at the drawing. The drawing of the library drops below the camera, showing the base of the spire.)
Ben: so It's completely buried.
Professor Zei: (voice over, shouting) The library is buried!
(Cut to a shot of the group standing in front of the spire. Zei runs forward before falling to his hands and knees.)
Professor Zei: (depressed) My life's ambition is now full of sand.
(Cut to a shot of Zei. Smiling, he lifts his head and reveals a small shovel in hand.)
Professor Zei: Well, time to start excavating.
(He attempts to unearth the library using the tiny shovel. Cut to a close up of the spire's surface as Toph places her palm against it.)
Toph: (voice over) Actually, (cut to a pan left shot of Toph, with Aang, Katara, Sokka and Momo standing in the background) that won't be necessary. The inside seems to be completely intact, and it's huge.
Sokka: That fox thingy went in through a window. I say we climb up there and give it a look.
(Cut to the shot of Toph and the others. Toph has her arms crossed.)
Toph: I say you guys go ahead without me.
Katara: You got something against libraries?
Toph: I've held books before, and I gotta tell you, they don't exactly do it for me.
(Cut to a shot of Katara. She gives a nervous laugh and scratches the back of her head.)
Katara: Oh, right. Sorry.
Toph: Let me know if they have something you can listen to.
Ben: I think I'll stay out to
(Cut to a shot of one of the windows at the top of the spire. Sokka's boomerang, with a rope tied to it, is thrown through the window. Cut to a shot of Sokka, Zei and Katara. Sokka begins climbing the rope as Katara and Zei watch. The camera pans left to show Toph, Aang and Appa.)
Aang: (petting Appa) Don't worry buddy. I'm not making you go underground ever again. You can stay out here with Toph and Ben.
(Aangs walks off screen. Cut to Toph who crosses her arms and both she and Appa look away from each other. They then look back at each other, Ben goes on his game system, Appa giving a soft grunt. everyone stares at each other a moment.)
Ben: Hey there, Buddy
Toph: What's up?
(2 hours later)
Ben: so you like um doing things, Toph ?
Toph: alright Tennyson what are you trying to play at
Ben: nothing I'm just trying to start a conversation because I'm bored
Toph: oh, right
Ben: and because y'know i kinda like you
(Toph blushes)
Toph: w-w-well uh thanks
Ben: uh, Toph? do Libraries in the desert normally sink
Toph: no, why?
Ben: Because that one is
Toph/Ben: The library's sinking!
(Toph runs up to the spire before jabbing her hands into its surface. The camera tilts up to show cracks spreading. Cut to a shot of Toph grunting as she attempts to hold the library up, her feet sinking into the sand. After much effort, the spire slows down and stops sinking.
Switch to a shot of Toph holding up the library and Appa standing behind her. Cut to a close up of Toph as she strains to keeps the building from sinking. Cut to a shot of Appa as he turns his head around. The camera pans to the left to show a dust storm approaching. Cut to a shot of Toph turning her head around.)
Toph: What is it now?
(Cut to a shot of three sand gliders driving through the desert. Cut to a pan left shot of the face of a sandbender, his face covered by wrappings and his eyes covered by a visor. Cut to a pan left shot of a glider as a sandbender bends a shock wave of sand. The sand shockwave quickly closing in on the camera. Cut to a shot of Appa as the sand hits him, swirling around him, then to a close up of Toph.)
Toph: Who's there?
(Cut to a shot of the sand gliders circling Appa. A sandbender jumps off of a glider, bending a whirlwind of sand as he lands.
Ben: well whoever they are they look like their bad news
Cannonbolt: Keep the library from sinking, I'll deal with theses guys
Cut to a pan left shot of the sandbenders surrounding Appa. Using a series of ropes with bags of sand tied to the ends for added weight, the sandbenders systematically pin Appa down. Appa resists, but begins to weaken. Cut to a shot of Toph still holding the library. She turns her head around the "see" Ben taking out the sandbenders.)
Toph: Don't make me put this down.
(Toph lets go of the spire and turns around to attack, extending her right hand and bending a wave of sand at the sandbenders. The spire begins sinking again. The sand wave passes by them, missing by a few feet. Toph turns back around and thrusts her hands back into the spire. Behind her can be seen Appa and the sandbenders. The camera quickly pans right to shot of Appa brought down and being dragged away. Cut to a shot of the sand gliders pulling the flying bison over the sand and away from Toph. Appa gives a frightened groan. Cut to a close up of Toph.)
Cannonbolt: hang on buddy, how's the library coming
Toph: how do you think No, stop sinking!
(Cut to a shot of Toph letting go of the spire. The camera zooms out to show her bending waves of sand in random directions, first to the right, then left, then right again. Cut to a shot of Toph turning back around and thrusting her palms back into the surface of the spire.)
Toph: No! (sadly) I'm sorry Appa.
(Toph squeezes her eyes shut. The camera pans right to show Appa being dragged away into a cloud of dust.
(the omnitrix times out)
Ben: Appa!! Aang is so gonna kill us
(Toph is still holding the spire. The camera pans up and right to show Aang, Katara, Sokka and Momo escaping the library through the spire's window. Cut to a shot of Aang gracefully landing on the ground by bending the air. Katara and Sokka both land on the sand head first. The rope and Sokka's boomerang land next to Sokka. Aang looks left and right.
Cut to a shot of Toph's hands pressed against the spire. Her fingers are dug into it, and several cracks have formed. Toph grunts and pulls her fingers out. The spire immediately sinks quickly into the ground. Cut to a shot of Toph falling backward and the spire sinking. The sinking causes a dust cloud to form which envelops Toph. Toph shields herself.
Shift to a zoom out shot from above. Where the spire once stood is now a large crater. Cut to a shot of Aang kneeling on the ground. Behind him stands Sokka, holding a rolled up parchment, and Katara with Momo on her shoulder.)
Sokka: We got it. There's a solar eclipse coming. (Katara and Sokka jump at and hug each other. Momo jumps off of Katara's shoulder) The Fire Nation's in trouble, now!
(Aang stands up and walk towards the camera. He looks left and right before looking towards the screen. Cut to a shot from above of Aang and Toph. Toph is sitting on the ground with her head between her hands. Aang walks towards her.)
Aang: Where's Appa?
Ben: (exhales) about that
(Cut to a shot of Toph with her eyes closed. Aang, Sokka, Katara and Momo are standing behind her. She groans and shakes her head sadly. Cut to a close up of Aang from behind. The camera pans around him to show his face. His mouth hangs open, and watering eyes are wide with horror. Aang gasps as a tear rolls down his left cheek.)