Me: ok so are ready for this episode.

all: yeah

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BOOK 2: EARTH

CHAPTER 8: THE CHASE.

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suki: oh?

sokka: since toph just joined the group i think i know where this is going.

aang and katara: same.

toph: yeah i have an idea as well.

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[There should be a GIF or video here. Update the app now to see it.]

(Episode opens with a shot of the sun setting over a range of hills that have trees and a creek spread out before it. The camera tilts down to show Appa and the gang, now including Toph, sitting in what looks like a dried up section the creek. There is a bunch of white fur around Appa's feet.)

( Cut to a shot of Appa from his right side at an angle so his back is closest and his head is furthest. Aang sits in the basket and is passing a sleeping bag down to Sokka. Katara walks around Appa's head to the same side. Toph appears from the left and is closest to the camera.)

: Hey, you guys picked a great campsite. (cut to a shot of Toph's feet in the pile of white fur) The grass is so soft.

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suki: well thats not grass.

toph: yeah I know.

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(Cut to a shot that shows the full of Appa from his right side showing all four of them.)

: That's not grass. Appa's shedding.

: (Lifting her right foot out of the fur and balancing on her left) Oh, gross!

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aang: that's not gross.

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: That's not gross; it's just a part of spring.

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sokka: yeah katara.

katara: yeah i know 😑

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(Shot cuts to Aang atop Appa as a light melodious tone plays softly. A blue bird lands gracefully on his head and a yellow butterfly flutters by his right ear which Momo jumps up in an attempt to snatch.)

: You know, rebirth, flowers blooming, and Appa gets a new coat!

(Cut to a shot of Appa's head, Katara stands to its left.)

: Ah, the beauty of spring. (Appa, who sticks his tongue out to reveal it's covered in fur, sneezes, blowing fur everywhere.) Stop, Appa, stop!

(She coughs, and waves her arms to stop Appa from covering her in hair even more. Shot pans over to Sokka who is kneeling and rubbing fur on his head.)

: It's not that bad, Katara. (He stands to reveal he has piled the fur on his head to form a tall pillar of hair in a very Marge Simpson like fashion.) It makes a great wig!

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sokka: it does but really ichy though.

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: (Dropping into the shot from atop Appa, he has arranged the fur on his face to form a large mustache and beard.) And a great beard!

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aang: yeah that was ichy.

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(Sokka and Aang point and laugh at each other. Shot changes to Katara who is not smiling and begins to whip the fur off her sleeve.)

: (unamused) I'm just glad we finally have another girl in the group because you two are disgusting.

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toph: well.

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(Cut back to Aang and Sokka who are both slightly hunched with one arm over the other's shoulder.)

: Excuse me, (She walks in between the two breaking them apar.) does anyone have a razor... (She lifts both arms to reveal a mass of white fur emerging out of both of her sleeves, under her arms) ...because I've got some hairy pits!

(All three of them laugh until Aang gives one of his powerful airbending sneezes, thrusting him backwards into Appa's leg and then falling face down on the ground. He lifts his head to reveal his beard and mustache are gone but he now has a large mass of fur sticking jaggedly up on his back.)

( All three begin laughing again. Cut to Katara who at first looks disgusted, but quickly joins in the laughter.

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they all laugh.

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Fade into a shot of the same setting at night where Aang, Sokka, and Katara are setting up camp. Sokka is carrying some firewood, Aang, with a blast of air, sets up the tent, and Katara is swirling some water in a large pot. )

(They all eventually stop and look o.c. Shot cuts to show Toph laying lazily against a rock with her legs crossed, arms behind her head, and a piece of straw casually hanging from her mouth. )

(Cut back to a close up of Katara at her pot who looks slightly annoyed and stands up. Shot changes to a view from behind Toph's head. Katara enters the shot in front of Toph.)

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toph: oh gosh.

suki: this doesn't look good.

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[There should be a GIF or video here. Update the app now to see it.]

: So, Toph, usually when setting up camp we try to divide up the work.

: (Cut to her lying down) Hey, don't worry about me, I'm good to go.

: (Cut back to her, Aang and Sokka can be seen working again in the background) Well, actually, what I'm trying to say is, uh, some of us might fetch water while someone else might set up the fire pit or put up the tent. (Momo flies down dropping nuts into Katara's hand and flutters by her head.) Even Momo does his fair share.

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toph: i guess he does.

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: (Cut back to her as she takes the straw from her mouth) Katara, I'm fine. I can carry my own weight. I don't need a fire, I've already collected my own food, and look, (Now sitting upright, she uses her earthbending to create a stone tent.) my tent's all set up.

: (Cut back to her, as she becomes steadily more annoyed) Well, that's great for you, but we still need to finish...

(Cut to a shot of the both of them from the side, Toph sitting just outside her stone tent.)

: (Irritated) I don't understand. What's the problem here?

: Never mind.

(She walks away as Toph earthbends herself back into her tent. Fade in to Sokka and Aang setting up camp apparently a little time later.)

( Aang stands on Appa's head while Sokka stands on the ground. Using airbending, Aang lifts Appa's basket off his back and attempts to lower it down to Sokka, but accidentally drops it on top of him.)

: Aaaah!

: (Leaping down to lift the basket off him.) Sorry!

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sokka: as you should that was pretty heavy on my back.

aang: sorry again.

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(Shot cuts to Katara who places down her pot of water and looks over to Toph by her stone tent. Cut to Katara's face who smiles slightly before the shot changes to Toph eating something in front of her tent while Katara walks over to her.)

: Hey Toph, I wanted to apologize for earlier. I think we're all just a little tired and getting on each others' nerves.

: Yeah, you do seem pretty tired.

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suki: oop.

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(Cut to Katara's aggravated face.)

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toph: haha i love seeing her faces.

katra: 😑😑😑

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: (angrily) I meant all of us.

(Cut to a shot from insider Toph's tent showing her back and Katara standing outside it.)

: Well, goodnight.

(She turns around and lays done on her chest inside.)

: (half-heartedly) Goodnight.

(She walks away o.c.. Fade to a night scene. Aang is sleeping on Appa's front right arm, Momo is curled up on Appa's head, Sokka and Katara are sleeping inside their tent, and Toph is across the camp asleep in her tent.)

( Cut to a shot of Toph asleep in her tent. Quite suddenly she awakes and gasps, rising to her knees and feeling the ground with her hand.)

( Cut to a shot of her hand as she feels, then cut to her right ear as she listens carefully. )

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suki: oh.

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(Shot cuts back to her inside the tent as she rises, turns, and runs out.)

: There's something coming toward us!

(Cut to a shot of Appa and the tent. Aang wakes and looks up, Momo does the same. Katara and Sokka emerge from their tent.)

: What is it?

(Cut to Toph standing in the middle of the camp, she kneels to the ground again to feel it.)

: It feels like an avalanche... (Aang, Katara, and Sokka all enter the shot and stand behind her) But also not like an avalanche.

: Your powers of perception are frightening.

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toph: hey it was hard to descibe i never felt those vibrations before.

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: Should we leave?

: Better safe than sorry.

(Cut to an overhead shot of the tree line where, just beyond it, something is moving rapidly in their direction across an open area of ground, kicking up a large cloud of dust in its wake. Appa flies up into the shot from below. )

(Cut to a shot of Aang sitting on Appa's head. He turns around and squints his eyes to see their pursuer. Cut to a shot of the saddle where Sokka Katara and Toph are riding. We see all four of them looking back beyond.)

: What is that thing?

(Cut to a shot of the thing chasing them. It's a large train-like tank with smoke pouring out of it's smokestack. It has two large compartments connected to it, trailing behind. All have large treads. The machine is moving very quickly for its size.

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suki: probably fire nation since they have all those metal things.

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Cut to shot of the moon in the cloudy sky, partially blocked by them. Appa flies into the shot from the left and flies through. I)

(t is later that night. Shot cuts to Aang holding Appa's reigns. He now has bags under his eyes and yawns deeply. )

(Cut to Sokka who is using his right arm to support his head. Cut to the back end of the saddle, we see Toph holding the side of it while Katara sits in the middle.)

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zuko: well you guys look really sleepy.

toph: realyy?!

zuko: yeah I mean have you seen yourself.

toph: no not until now.

zuko: oh u i-

toph: save it sparky.

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( They both are trying to stay awake. Cut back to Appa flying through the sky over a range of hills below.

Fade to Appa descending onto one of the hills a little bit later. Once all six paws are on the ground, Toph jumps out of the saddle and lays flat on the ground. The other three climb out as well.)

: Ahh, land, sweet land! (Using earthbending to propel herself to her feet and slinging her bag over her shoulder.) See you guys in the morning!

: Actually, can you help us unload?

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suki: if i were you i wouldn't un pack anymore just in case that thing comes.

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: (Cut to her looking back.) Really? You need me to help unload Sokka's funky-smelling sleeping bag?

(Cut to Katara and Sokka standing beside Appa. Aang, of screen, hands down Sokka's sleeping bag to him. He takes a few sniffs, twitches in disgust making a matching facial expression, and falls backward.)

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sokka: yeah i should wash that more often.

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: Well, yeah. (Cut to Toph while Katara approaches her from the right) That and everything else. You're a part of our team now and...

: (Irritated) Look. (Pointing at Katara) I didn't ask you to help unload my stuff. I'm carrying my own weight.

(Toph walks left off screen.)

: (Hand on her hips.) That's not the point.

(The camera cuts to and follows Katara from her right as she walks from left to right approaching Toph. When she reaches her it stops at a side view of both of them.)

: Ever since joining us you've been nothing but selfish and unhelpful.

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zuko: but she did join you.

toph: sparky gets me.

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: What? (Doing a half turn and pointing at Katara again.) Look here, sugar queen,

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katara: there it is.

toph: and thats how the nickname was born

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(Drops arm and continues, Katara makes a gesture like she wants to interject.) I gave up everything I had so that I could teach Aang earthbending, so don't you talk to me about being selfish!

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suki: true but also you know you wanted to get out of there so you also took it to your advantage. I mean you didn't have to go but you didn't want to stay either so i say both you and katara are wrong.

katara and toph:.............

suki: ill take the scilence as i'm right. cause I know i am.

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(Camera backs away slightly to show Toph sitting quickly and making another stone tent around herself.)

: Sugar Queen!

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toph: yup.

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(Toph closes off her rock tent by brining a slab of earth up to cover the opening to Katara.) D-Did you just slam the door in my face!

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toph: yes what did it look like to you.

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(Shot cuts to show the tent from the front farther away with Katara moving erratically about it grumbling. Closer, we see the back of Sokka, Aang, and Momo as they watch on.)

: How can you be so infuriating!

(She continues to grumble while the others speak.)

: (Hesitant) Should we... do something?

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suki: no. not really but you can try.

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: Hey, I'm just enjoying the show.

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katara: of course you are.

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(Cut to Katara pounding on the "door" of the tent as Aang walks up to her from the left.)

: Okay, okay, you both need to calm down.

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suki: why did you say that?

aang: yeah I know.

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: (Cut to the back of her head) Both?

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toph: oh here it comes

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(Shouting, turning quickly to show a hysterical face.) I'm completely calm!

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katara face palms herself.

aang chuckled

the rest just laughed.

toph: oh gosh i always wanted to see how that looked. haahha

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(Cut to a view just over Katara's shoulder of Aang standing very still .He begins to back slowly o.c. as he replies)

: I... can see that.

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suki: aw poor aang. haha

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[There should be a GIF or video here. Update the app now to see it.]

(Cut to a shot of the nighttime sky through the trees. Then cut to Aang Sokka and Katara lying on the ground, the latter two in sleeping bags. Katara stares awake at the sky.)

: The stars sure are beautiful tonight.

(Sokka next to her wakes up aggravated and covers his head in his bag to drown out the noise.)

: Too bad you can't see them, Toph!

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suki and zuko: 😯😯

toph: well jokes on you can see them.

katara: haha. yeah i guess.

zuko: aren't you affected by this.

toph: before kinda but now eh

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(Cut to a shot of Toph's tent. We hear a grunt and see a rumble of earth emerge from her tent and crawl quickly across the ground, the camera follows it, as it strikes Katara's sleeping bag causing it to fly upwards and land on top of Sokka. Cut to a closer shot of Sokka, who flips his sister off him.)

: Hey, how is a guy supposed to sleep with all this yelling and earthquaking!

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suki: you can't

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(Cut to front of Toph's stone tent as she brings the "door" down and emerges, placing her hand on the ground.)

: That thing is back!

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suki: i knew it

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(Cut back to the Aang, Katara, and Sokka all sitting up and looking off screen at Toph.)

: Well, how far away is it? (Covering his head again, muffling his voice slightly) Maybe we can close our eyes just for a few minutes.

(Shot pans up over the tree to see the smoke from the machine's stack in the distance.)

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suki: yeah i don't think so.

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: (urgently in voice over) I don't think so, Sokka.

(Cut to Appa flying over trees and hills again, away from the smoke cloud. Cut to a close up of the machine from the side as it moves powerfully and swiftly across the terrain. )

(Cut to a shot of the rear of Appa's saddle, where Toph and Katara lay over the piles of strapped down supplies and equipment.)

: Seriously, what is that thing?

: And how does it keep finding us?

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suki: yeah how?

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(Cut to the front of the saddle, Aang leans over front lip of it while Sokka is asleep and snoring in it.)

: I don't know, but this time I'm going to make sure we lose 'em.

(Cut to various shots of Appa flying over the hills again. Finally, the last shot is of Appa landing on a large circular patch of land on a hill.)