The gang sitting around a camp site with several other groups, listening to a man telling a story of 'airbenders'.
Storyteller: (Dramatically.) So, travelers. The next time you think you hear a strange, large bird talking, take a closer look. It might not be a giant parrot, but a flying man. A member of a secret group of air walkers, who laugh at gravity, and laugh at those bound to the earth by it!
Aang: (The Storyteller, having finished his story, is going around collecting coins from the other travelers.) Aren't airbender stories the greatest? (Talking to Katara and Sokka, who are sitting next to him.)
Katara: (Excitedly.) Was it realistic? Is that how it was back then?
Aang: I laugh at gravity all the time. (Chuckling to himself.) Gravity.
Faith: (Starts Laughing a little.) Yes Katara they were realistic. Just like old times.
Storyteller: (Arrives in front of the gang, having already collected money from the rest of the audience.) Jingle, jingle! (Jingles the hat in front of Sokka, asking for money.)
Sokka searches inside his heavy cloak, and manages to pull out a bug, a worm and a few crumbs.
Sokka: Sorry...
Storyteller: (Upset and somewhat downcast.) Aww, cheapskates! (Walks away as Sokka puts the bugs back in his pocket.)
Aang stands up, grabs Faith's hand and runs after the storyteller, who is kneeling in front of an old man.
Aang: (Happily.) Hey! Thanks for the story.
Storyteller: (Holds out his cap.) Tell it to the cap, boy.
The Storyteller shakes his cap behind him as he kneels in front of an old man. The shaking causes a coin to come loose and fall from the cap. As Aang searches his clothes for some money, Momo picks up the coin and puts it in the cap as the Storyteller turns around.
Storyteller: Aww, much obliged, little bat-thing. (He pets Momo on the head.)
Aang: (Having given up trying to find a coin.) It means a lot to hear airbender stories.
Faith: It must have been a hundred years ago your great grandpa met them.
Storyteller: (Confused.) What are you prattling about, child? Great Grandpappy saw the air walkers last week. (He indicates to the old man he was kneeling in front of before. The old man makes a sound in his throat akin to a laugh, and waves a greeting to Aang. Aang has a shocked and disbelieving expression while Faith just stares at the man with wide eyes.)
In the morning Appa flies through the pearl clouds.
Aang. (Sitting on Appa's neck, steering. He is talking to Katara and Sokka, who are riding in Appa's saddle, while Faith is sat On Appa's head looking forward with a bright smile on her face.) Hey, we're almost at the Northern Air Temple. This is where they had the championships for Sky Bison polo.
Katara: (Moving to sit at the back of the saddle with her brother.) Do you think we'll really find airbenders?
Sokka: (He is whittling a piece of wood. The design is indecipherable.) You want me to be like you, or totally honest?
Katara: (Crossing her arms, obviously angry with him.) Are you saying I'm a liar?
Sokka: (He shrugs, unconcerned with her mood.) I'm saying you're an optimist. Same thing, basically.
Aang: (Excitedly.) Hey, guys, look at this!
Appa flies toward a mountain with a large structure on top. It looks very similar to the Southern Air Temple, with obvious spires reminiscent of a temple's architecture. Around them are several dark specks. The specks are revealed to be people, flying around the temple in plane-shaped contraptions.
Katara: (Amazed.) They really are airbenders!
Aang: (His face falls as he sees the 'airbenders', and after Katara's excited outburst, he leans back and scowls while crossing his arms.) No, they're not.
Sokka: (Exuberantly.) What do you mean "they're not"? Those guys are flying!
Faith: (Bitterly. She is glaring at the direction of the people flying around the temple.) Gliding maybe, but not flying. You can tell by the way they move, they're not airbending. Those people have no spirit.
Suddenly, a boy sitting in an oddly shaped chair flies right above them, nearly hitting them, and laughing as he does so.
Katara: I don't know, Guys. (Katara points to the boy.) That kid seemed pretty spirited. (Katara indicates to the boy, who is flying dangerously close, but still laughing.)
The boy begins to fly away, shooting Aang one more look back as he does so while grinning. Aang grins devilishly, and opens up his glider to follow the boy. He leaves Faith, Katara and Sokka on Appa, and they quickly become surrounded by gliders as they get closer to the temple. Several gliders almost hit Appa, which causes Katara to knock into her brother and shout in pain as Appa moves sharply to avoid them.
Sokka: We better find some solid ground, before it finds us. (The three land Appa on the temple courtyard, out of the hazardous sky. Aang is still flying with the boy, and seems to be having fun at the surprise competition.)
Colonists: (Several children are on the ground, cheering on their friend.) Go Teo! Show that bald kid how it's done!
Faith: (Encouragingly.) Go On Aang!
Teo and Aang do two loop-de-loops as they fly around the air temple. The two boys do a spiral downwards.
Teo: (The boy doesn't seem upset at Aang, and seems happy that he isn't angry for nearly flying into him.) Hey there, you're pretty good!
Aang: (Nonchalantly, but with a smirk.) Yeah, I know. But I can do more than fancy gliding.
Aang begins flying closer to the temple, under a bridge. Aang jumps off his glider and allowing it to fly forward on its own. He begins running along a wall, switching to an air scooter halfway, before jumping off onto his glider again.
Teo: (He is looking amazed, before thinking of his own plan.) Wow, I don't think I can do that. But here's a good one.
Teo turns on a small canister that is positioned under his glider. White smoke begins to stream from the strange contraption, and Teo flies around in the sky. It is revealed that he has created an image of Aang's face, complete with an annoyed expression. The crowd below cheers.
Teo: What do you think?
Aang: (Annoyed; his face mimics the one Teo has just drawn.) It's great.
Aang lands beside Faith, Katara and Sokka. Teo lands soon after and pulls on the brakes. Other children take the glider off of the top of his wheel chair. Teo rolls up to Aang.
Teo: Hey, you're a real airbender. You must be the Avatar! That's amazing! I-I've heard stories about you!
Aang: (Rubs his head, embarrassed.) Thanks.
Faith waves at Teo and smiles while his face just fills with shock.
Teo: (Shocked.) Faith? Your Faith the youngest AirBending master?
Faith: (Smiles.) That's me.
Teo: (Holds Faith's Hand And kisses the back of her hand.) It's an honour. I've heard so many stories about you! I mean past stories and stories of your adventures with the Avatar.
Faith giggles slightly while Aang just looks irritated.
Sokka: (Sokka ignores all formalities, instead going over to Teo's chair and examining the strange shape and design.) Wow! This glider chair is incredible!
Teo: You think this is good, wait until you see the other stuff my dad designed.
All four walk inside the building. They enter a room filled with pipes and machinery. Aang looks around worriedly. Beneath the pipes, an original mural can be seen, although it has been destroyed by the pipes, which are sticking into the walls.
Sokka: Wow! (Runs up to machines.)
Teo: Yeah, my dad is the mastermind behind this whole place. Everything's powered by hot air. (Shows women using an elevator like contraption.) It even pumps hot air currents outside to give us a lift while we're gliding.
Aang: (Monotonously.) This place is unbelievable.
Teo: Yeah, it's great, isn't it?
Aang: No, just unbelievable. (Walks away.)
Faith follows close behind Aang as she places a hand on his shoulder causing him to turn around and look at her sadly.
Katara: (Katara approaches Teo, who seems disappointed at Aang's reaction.) Aang used to come here a long time ago. I think he's a little shocked it's so... different.
Sokka: So better!
Aang looks at a painted wall with pipes going through it.
Aang: This is supposed to be the history of my people. Our people.
Faith puts her hand on his shoulder. He walks over to a fountain with an air bison statue on it. He looks at his reflection in the dirty green water, Aang looks at it squeamishly. The sky bison statue suddenly has black smoke coming out of it's mouth.
Aang: Ugh!
Faith: (Turns Aang around to Face her.) I'm sure some parts of the temple are still the same.
Aang, Faith, Katara, Sokka and Teo walk across a bridge to a large room that looks well kept. The room has no roof, although around the walls there are statues of monks, mostly meditating.
Aang: It's nice to see that at least one part of the temple that isn't ruined.
Faith: (Smiles widely.) It feels like home.
Faith and Aang look at a statue of a long-bearded airbender meditating.
Man: Look out!
The statue is knocked down by a wrecking ball and all four cover their heads. Dust is coming from the statue, so all four cough. The dust clears to show six men standing where the statue used to be.
Mechanist: What the doodle? Don't you know enough to stay away from construction sites? We have to make room for the bathhouse! (He has approached Aang and the group, looking more surprised than upset.)
Aang: (He turns to the mechanist and yells angrily at him.) Do you know what you did!? You just destroyed something sacred! For a stupid bathhouse!
Mechanist: Well, people around here are starting to stink. (Waves his hand in front of his face, as though trying to dissipate a bad smell.)
Faith: (To Aang.) Aang, Calm down.
Aang: No! (Points at the mechanist.) This whole place stinks! (Using his airbending, Aang flips the crane contraption off of the edge of the building.)
The crane falls and lands heavily against the side of the cliff the temple is situated on. It is covered by a cloud of dirt and snow as it is utterly destroyed.
Aang: This is a sacred temple! You can't treat it this way! (Walks closer to the mechanist.) I've seen it when the monks were here! I know what it's supposed to be like!
Mechanist: The monks? But, (Scratches his beard.) you're twelve.
Teo: (Teo rolls up.) Dad, he's the Avatar. He used to come here a hundred years ago.
Aang takes a menacing step closer to the mechanist, who takes a step back.
Aang: What are you doing? Who said you could be here?
Faith: (Runs up to Aang and pulls his Arm away causing Aang to fall back a little and stand next to her; she faces Aang.) That's enough Aang!
Mechanist: (Turns away from Aang.) Hmm, doing here... A long time ago, (Points finger up.) but not a hundred years, my people became refugees (Walks behind his son's wheelchair.) after a terrible flood. My infant son, (Teo looks down sadly.) Teo, was badly hurt and lost his mother. (Sniffles.) I needed somewhere to rebuild and I stumbled across this place. Couldn't believe it! Everywhere! Pictures of flying people! But empty, (Looks around.) nobody home. Then, (Does a airplane like gesture, like he's flying up to Aang.) I came across these fan-like contraptions!
Aang: Our gliders.
Mechanist: Yes! Little, light flying machines! (Waves his hands up and down.) They gave me an idea. Build a new life for my son, in the air! Then everyone will be on equal ground! So to speak. We're just in the process of improving upon what's already here. (Faith wipes her tears on Aang's shirt, Katara wipes away her tears with her finger and Sokka looks like he's holding back tears.) And, after all, isn't that what nature does?
Aang: Nature knows where to stop.
Mechanist: I suppose that's true. Unfortunately, progress has a way of getting away from us. Look at the time! (Points at candles.) Come! (To other workers.) The pulley system must be oiled before dark.
Sokka: Wait, how can you tell the time from that thing? The notches all look the same.
Mechanist: The candle will tell us. Watch. (Candle pops four times.)
Sokka: You put spark powder in the candle!
Mechanist: Four flashes. So it's exactly four hours past mid-day. Or, as I call it: four o'candle. (Sokka laughs. The mechanist is clearly pleased that Sokka is interested.) If you like that, wait till you see my finger-safe knife sharpener. (He holds up his left hand, revealing that three of the fingers are made of wood.) Only took me three tries to get it right. (He pulls off the three wooden fingers, and throws them into Sokka's hand.)
Sokka: (Horrified.) Aaah!
Mechanist: (Pokes Sokka in the back with his one remaining finger and gestures for him to come.) Follow me! (Sokka runs after him.)
Teo: Hey, Aang, Faith. I want to show you something.
Katara, Teo, Faith and Aang walk inside a building.
Aang: I just can't get over it. There's not a single thing that's the same.
Teo: I don't know about that. The temple might be different (Picks up hermit crab from the ground.) but the creatures that live here (Hands it to Faith.) are probably direct descendants of the ones who lived here a long time ago.
Faith: (Pokes the hermit crab.) You're right. They're kind of keepers of the temple's origins. (Faith hands it to Aang. It moves around in his hand and he smiles.)
Teo: Besides, there's one part of the temple that hasn't changed at all.
Screen fades slightly and reappears at a long hallway with airbending symbols through it. The four children look at a door with an airbending contraption on it.
Katara: Hey, it's just like the one in the other temple!
Teo: (Confidently, with a matter-of-fact tone.) Only an airbender can open it, so inside it's completely untouched. Just the way the monks left it. I've always wondered what it's like in there...
Katara: (She looks at him, as though slightly scared of his reaction. Her tone is gentle and questioning.) Aang?
Aang: (He turns away from the door and his friends.) I'm sorry. This is the last part of the temple that's the same as it was. I want it to stay that way.
Teo: (Looks at Faith.) Faith?
Faith: (Places a hand on the door before taking it off and looking at Teo.) I'm very sorry Teo, but this is the only thing left of This Air Temple. I don't want it to be ruined like everywhere else.
Teo: (Somewhat disappointed, although he tries not to let it show.) I completely understand. I just wanted you to know that it's here.
Aang: Thanks. (The four start to walk away.)
People fly in the sky around the temple. Aang, Faith, Katara and Teo are on the ground.
Teo: The wind will carry you. It supports something inside you. Something even lighter than air. (Shows Katara holding a glider and standing at the edge of a building.) And that something takes over when you fly. (Katara puts down her glider and looks up at the other people flying.)
Katara: (Nervously.) I've changed my mind. I think I was born without that something.
Teo: (Laughs.) Impossible! Everybody has it!
Aang: Spirit.
Teo: What?
Aang: Spirit. That's the something you're talking about.
Teo: (Thoughtfully.) Yeah, I suppose it is.
Katara has the glider in her hands again.
Teo: Are you ready?
Katara: No! (Jumps off anyway.) Aaaaah! (Starts to fall down wards, but eventually starts to fly straight. Her scream peters off as she begins laughing.) I can't believe I'm flying!
Aang and Momo fly up beside her.
Aang: Just make sure you keep your mouth closed so you don't swallow a bug! (Momo flies by and eats a bug.)
Katara: Teo was right about the air. All I had to do was trust it, let it carry me.
Aang: Even though Teo's not an airbender, he really does have the spirit of one!
Faith: (Looks away from Aang and Katara flying.) I've been thinking. If you want to see what's in that room, I'd be happy to open the door for you.
Teo: Great!
Katara: Wait! (Katara flies by.) How do I land this thing? What if I land over a-ack-ack-bleck! Bug! Bug! Ack, that was a bug!
Faith, Aang, Teo and Katara stare at the door of the airbending room.
Teo: I can't believe I'm finally going to see what's inside!
Faith airbends into the door's contraption, flipping three dials so air comes out of them.
Faith, Aang, Teo, and Katara walk into the large room. It's filled with Fire Nation weapons, tools and a red hot air balloon with the Fire Nation insignia on it.
Aang: This is a nightmare.
Faith: (Gasps.) It's been ruined...
Mechanist: (Walks in with Sokka behind him.) You don't understand!
Aang: (Accusingly.) You're making weapons for the Fire Nation!
Sokka: (Angrily.) You make weapons for the Fire Nation?!
Teo: Explain all this! Now!
Mechanist: (He is hesitant, but resigned as he begins to explain.) It was about a year after we moved here. Fire Nation soldiers found our settlement. You were too young to remember this, Teo. They were going to destroy everything! Burn it to the ground! I pleaded with them, I begged them to spare us! They asked what I had to offer. I offered... my services. You must understand. I did this for you!
Teo looks away in shame and the mechanist leaves. The scene cuts to him in his workshop, placing two eggs with smiley faces in his hot air balloon model, along with a candle to make it float. He looks rather depressed. He lets go of the bottom and it starts to float. As this happens, the door opens, with Aang, Faith and Teo standing in the doorway.
Aang: When are they coming?
Mechanist: Soon. (Candle pops once.) Very soon.
Aang: You can't give them more weapons.
Mechanist: If I don't give them what they want, they will destroy this place! (The model of the hot air balloon catches fire and crashes. The mechanist puts the fire out with a cloth.)
Teo: How can I be proud of you when your inventions are being used for murder?
Mechanist: I need some time to think. (Bell rings on his desk.) You need to leave! Go!
Teo: We're not leaving!
Mechanist: Then hide! Quickly! (They hide behind some of his inventions. the mechanist pulls a rope that opens a trapdoor, and a war minister from the Fire Nation is lifted into the room.)
Qin: You know better than to keep me waiting. Give me what you owe us so we can be on our way. (The mechanist looks down.) Well? Is there a problem?
Mechanist: (Hurredly.) No, right this way. (Gestures toward the door.)
Qin is about to go out the door, but Faith airbends it shut. Aang jumps in front of the door.
Aang: The deal's off.
Qin: The Avatar...
Mechanist: Aang, don't get involved!
Qin: If I don't get what I came here for, the Fire Nation will burn this place to rubble!
Aang: Get out of here! (Slaps him in the face with an air swipe.) You're leaving empty-handed!
Qin: Then the destruction of this temple (Pointing at Aang.) will be on your head! (He leaves through the trap door and Aang airbends it shut.)
The five children are now talking on the tall bridge.
Teo: This is bad.
Sokka: Very bad!
Katara: Aang, what are we going to do? How can we possibly keep them all away?
Aang: I'll tell you how. We have something they don't. (Points to the sky.) Air power.
Faith: We control the sky. That's something the Fire Nation can't do. We can win!
Mechanist: I want to help. (He appears at the door.)
Aang: Good. We'll need it.
The mechanic is standing behind a table with Sokka. The model hot air balloon, a few plans, and a candle are resting on the table. Faith, Aang, Katara, and Teo are on the other side, surrounded by other colonists.
Mechanist: We finally got the war balloon working, thanks to Sokka. This boy's a genius!
Sokka: Thank you. You're a genius!
Mechanist: Thank you! (Katara and Aang exchange unamused glances.)
Sokka: See, the problem with the old war balloon was you could get it air-borne, (Places the candle in the model.) but once it did, it just kept going. (He pulls a string connected to the model, putting it on the table.) You could put a hole in the top, but then all the hot air would escape. So the question became, how do you keep a lid on hot air?
Katara: Ugh, if only we knew. (Teo, Katara, and Aang laugh.)
Sokka: A lid is actually the answer. If you control the hot air, you control the war balloon.
Katara: Huh, that's actually pretty smart.
Faith: (Smiles at Sokka.) That's like really clever.
Sokka: Okay, we've got four kinds of bombs: (He begins listing them off on his fingers.) smoke, slime, fire, and...
Mechanist: Stink! Never underestimate the power of stink!
Everyone is outside, watching anxiously for any sign of the Fire Nation.
Girl: (Looking over a ledge.) They're coming!
Teo: Are we ready?
Katara: (Worriedly.) Yes. But where's Sokka with the war balloon?
Aang: (Jumping off Appa, and helping Faith down; she rolls her eyes.) We'll have to start without it.
The people ready their flying machines for take off. They begin the assault as their gliders fly off into the air. Cheers from the crowd below. The Fire Nation troops climb the cliff path. They are attacked by the various bombs thrown at them. Aang, Faith and the other flyers go down through the clouds. The gliders fly over the Fire Nation troops dropping bombs below.
Fire Nation soldier: Take them out of the sky. Now!
More gliders drop bombs. Fire Nation soldiers cough and some fall off the cliff. Aang jumps onto an air scooter, moving across a ledge, causing snow to fall onto soldiers below before jumping back onto his glider. The soldiers retreat.
Aang: We've got them on the run! We need more slime!
The gliders fly up through the clouds to Appa and receiving more bombs from Katara. Hooks fly through the clouds nearly hitting Appa and latching onto the cliff. Tanks climb the cliffs via the chains. Faith sees this and manages to remove one hook. The tank falls before sending out another hook. The tanks close in. Gliders continue to fly dropping bombs in an attempt to slow the tanks down. Soldiers FireBend out of the tanks. Aang lands and airbends the tanks away. The tanks flip over and readjust themselves before continuing on. Faith lands and makes a giant air shield blocking the tanks from going any further. She stands in that position while the tanks continue to go through. Teo and Katara talk in the air.
Katara: Those things are unstoppable!
Teo: (Thoughtfully, trying to remember what he knew.) I think I know how they work. I remember my dad tinkering with the counterbalancing system. Something to do with water. Works great, huh?
Katara: Water? Can you get me close to one? And make sure Faith notices!
Teo: No problem!
Aang fends off firebending blasts. Katara landing next to him. Katara freezes multiple tanks with waterbending. Faith notices and breaks her air shield. She runs next to Katara and bends some water. This causes the tanks to freeze in there spot. More tanks approach. Aang defends Faith from fire blasts before Appa drops in front and knocks the tanks away. Faith, Katara and Aang climbing up his tail. Aang and Katara look down at the oncoming force. The four stand on a balcony.
Teo: We're out of bombs!
Katara: Come on Sokka. Where's that war balloon?
Faith: (Closes her eyes.) He's coming.
The war balloon appears behind Katara. The soldiers and tanks advance forward with the war balloon above. Sokka and the mechanist are on the war balloon.
Sokka: Hey, why aren't they shooting at us?
Mechanist: The insignia! (Balloon has the of Fire Nation insignia.) They think we're on their side.
Sokka: Then I guess they won't see this coming. (Slices rope attached to a large bomb.)
Mechanist: Bombs away!
The soldiers are washed away by the slime. Sokka has cut another rope. The bombs stop some of the soldiers and tanks. Sokka and the mechanist look down from the balloon.
Sokka: Oh no, that was the last one. (The tanks begin to scale the cliffs.)
Mechanist: Wait a second. You smell that?
Sokka: Rotten eggs! There! That's were the gas is escaping.
Sokka has the expression of having an idea. Sokka is levering the engine away from the bottom of the balloon in an attempt to get it free.
Mechanist: What are you doing? That's our fuel source.
Sokka: It's the only bomb we've got.
The balloon's engine drops to the crevice below. An explosion goes off and the temple is blocked from view. The chains hang off the cliffs, no tanks in sight.
Aang: Look! They're retreating! (Cheers from crowd.)
Sokka: (War balloon flies past.) We're going down!
Katara: No, Sokka! Hold on! (Faith jumps on her glider followed by Aang and flies toward them.)
The war balloon falls.
Sokka: (Sokka swings his boomerang around with a rope attached, the mechanist behind him.) Get ready!
Faith and Aang flying toward them. They circle it. Sokka throws the boomerang toward Aang which latches onto his glider. The mechanist gets pulled out of the balloon and dragged away, moaning in fright. Faith quickly ducks into the balloon and grabs Sokka's hand. She flies off following Aang with Sokka holding on tightly. The war balloon floats away.
Aang: You know what? I'm really glad you guys all live here now. (Aang picks up a hermit crab.) I realized, it's like the hermit crab. (Aang's hands surround the hermit crab.) Maybe you weren't born here, but you found this empty shell and made it your home. And now you protect each other.
Teo: That means a lot, coming from you.
Sokka: Aang you were right about air power. As long as we've got the skies, we'll have the Fire Nation on the run. (The crowd cheers.)
The mechanist turns away from the crowd and looks down as though sad. Faith comes up behind Aang and pulls him to the side. She hugs him tightly.
Faith: (Breaks the hug and smiles up at him.) I'm so happy that you accepted it. I know how difficult it is to accept.
Aang: (Hopefully.) Well the worlds changed in the last hundred years. Change is going to happen. Granted it may take me while to adjust but (Pulls Faith into another hug.) I'll always have you.
Faith: (Buries her head into his chest.) You'll always have me.
Katara turns around the corner to see Aang and Faith hugging, she smiles widely, then turns around and walks away leaving Faith and Aang to embrace each other.
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