ZukoUncle, I don't understand. What are you doing with the Avatar?
[glares at him] Saving you, that's what.
[Zuko starts to advance on him, but Iroh holds him back]
It's time we talked. [to Aang] Go help your other friends. We'll catch up with you. [Aang and Katara leaves]
Zuko
[not looking Iroh directly in the eye] Why, Uncle?
[seriously] You're not the man you used to be, Zuko. You are stronger, and wiser, and freer than you have ever been. And now you've come to the crossroads of your destiny. It's time for you to choose. It's time for you to choose good.
[Iroh is suddenly immobilized by crystals, startling Zuko]
[enters followed by two Dai Li Agents] I expected this kind of treachery from Uncle. But Zuko, Prince Zuko. You're a lot of things, but you aren't a traitor, are you?
Zuko
Release him immediately!
[slyly] It's not too late for you, Zuko. You could still redeem yourself.
The kind of "redemption" she offers is not for you!
[glares at him] Why don't you let him decide, Uncle? I need you, Zuko. I've plotted every move of this day, this glorious day in Fire Nation history, and the only way we win is together. At the end of this day, you will have your honor back. You will have Father's love. You will have everything you want.
Zuko, I am begging you. Look into your heart and see what it is you truly want.
[she gestures for the Dai Li to leave, then pursues Aang and Katara, as Zuko considers his choice.]
[Zuko tosses a portrait of him, his parents and Azula on the campfire]
[startled] What are you doing?
Zuko
What does it look like I'm doing?
But... it's a portrait of your family.
Zuko
You think I care?
Zuko
You don't know me, so why don't you just mind your own business?!
Zuko
No, you don't! You're stuck in your little Ty Lee world, where everything is great all the time!
Zuko
"I'm so pretty, look at me! I can walk on my hands! Woo!" [flops down in the sand, facing away] Circus freak!
[Azula snickers]
[tearful and angrily] Yes, I'm a circus freak! Go ahead and laugh all you want! You wanna know why I joined the circus?
Do you have any idea what my home life was like, growing up with six sisters who looked exactly like me?! It was like, I didn't even have my own name! I joined the circus because I was scared of spending the rest of my life as a matched set! At least I'm different now! "Circus Freak" is a compliment!
I guess that explains why you need ten boyfriends, too.
Attention issues? You couldn't get enough attention when you were a kid, so you're trying to make up for it now.
Well, what's your excuse, Mai? You were an only child for fifteen years, but even with all that attention, your aura is just this dingy, pale, grey-
I don't believe in auras.
Zuko
Yeah... you don't believe in anything.
[sarcastically] Oh, well, I'm sorry I can't be as crazy and high-strung as the rest of you.
Zuko
I'm sorry, too; I wish you would be high-strung and crazy for once, instead of keeping all your feelings bottled up inside. She just called your aura dingy, are you gonna take that?
What do you want from me? You want a teary confession about how bad my childhood was? Well, it wasn't. I was a rich only child who got anything I wanted... as long as I behaved. And sat still. And didn't speak unless spoken to. My mother said I had to keep out of trouble. We had my dad's political career to think about.
Well, that's it then: you had a controlling mother with certain expectations, and if you strayed from them, you were shut down. That's why you're afraid to care about anything... and why you can't express yourself.
[stands up, angrily] You want me to express myself? LEAVE ME ALONE!
Zuko
Hey, I heard you guys flying around down there, so I just thought I'd wait for you here. I know you must be surprised to see me here.
Not really, since you've followed us all over the world.
Zuko
Right... Well, uh... anyway, what I wanted to tell you about is that I've changed, and I uh, I'm good now. And, well, I think I should join your group. Oh, and I can teach firebending... to you. See, I uh...
You can't possibly think that any of us would trust you, can you?! I mean, how stupid do you think we are?!
Yeah, all you've ever done is try to hunt us down and capture Aang.
Zuko
I've done some good things. I mean, I could've stolen your bison in Ba Sing Se, but I set him free. That's something. [Appa licks him from behind]
Appa does seem to like him.
He probably just covered himself in honey or something so that Appa would lick him. I'm not buying it. Right, Aang?
Zuko
I can understand why you wouldn't trust me, and I know I've made some mistakes in the past.
Like when you attacked our village?
Or when you stole my mother's necklace and used it to track us down and capture us?!
Zuko
Look, I admit I've done some awful things. I was wrong to try to capture you, and I'm sorry that I attacked the Water Tribe. And I never should've sent that Fire Nation assassin after you. I'm gonna try to stop him-
Wait, you sent Combustion Man after us?!?!
Zuko
Well, that's not his name, but...
Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to insult your friend.
Zuko
He's not my friend!?
That guy locked me and Katara in jail and tried to blow us all up!
Zuko
... [to Aang] Why aren't you saying anything? You once said you thought we could be friends. You know I have good in me.
You need it to get out of here, now.
Zuko
Listen everybody; I've got some pretty bad news. I've lost my stuff.
Don't look at me. I didn't touch your stuff.
Zuko
I'm talking about my firebending. It's gone.
[laughs] I'm sorry. I'm just laughing at the irony. You know... how it would have been nice for us if you lost your firebending a long time ago?
Zuko
Well it's not lost. It's just weaker for some reason.
Maybe you're just not as good as you think you are.
Zuko
...I bet it's because I changed sides.
I don't know. Maybe it isn't. Maybe your firebending comes from rage, and you just don't have enough anger to fuel it the way you used to.
So, all we need to do is make Zuko angry... easy enough.
[he proceeds to nudge Zuko in the waist and head with the hilt of his sword several times]
Zuko
OKAY! CUT IT OUT! Look... even if you're right, I don't want to rely on hate and anger anymore. There has to be another way.
[after being judged by the masters and seeing their fire]
Zuko
Their fire was beautiful. I saw so many colors, colors I've never imagined.
Like firebending harmony.
Yes. They judged you, and gave you visions of the meaning of firebending.
Zuko
I can't believe there are still living dragons. My Uncle Iroh said he faced the last dragon and killed it.
Actually, it wasn't a total lie. Iroh was the last outsider to face the masters. They deemed him worthy and passed the secret onto him as well.
Zuko
He must have lied to protect them, so no one else would hunt them.
All this time, I thought firebending was destruction. Since I hurt Katara, I've been too afraid and hesitant. But now I know what it really is... it's energy, and life.
Zuko
Yeah. It's like the Sun, but inside of you. Do you guys realize this?
Well, our civilization is called the Sun Warriors... so yeah.
[Yon Rha is heading home in the rain; he hears someone following him several times, then finally stops]
YRYon Rha
Nobody sneaks up on me without getting burned!
[He Firebends at a bush behind him, but nothing happens. As he turns to continue, he falls over a tripwire; when he tries to get up, a fire blast stops him]
Zuko
We weren't behind the bush. [he advances on Yon Rha] And I wouldn't try Firebending again.
YRYon Rha
Whoever you are, take my money. Take whatever you want! I'll cooperate.
[Approaches and pulls back her hood] Do you know who I am?
YRYon Rha
No...I'm not sure.
[angrily] Oh, you'd better remember me, like your life depends on it! Why don't you take a closer look?!
YRYon Rha
Yes... yes! I remember you, now! You're that little Water Tribe girl!
[In a flashback, Yon Rha is shown confronting Kya and a young Katara during his raid on the Southern Water Tribe.]
KKya
Just let her go, and I'll give you the information you want.
YRYon Rha
You heard your mother. Get out of here!
KKya
Go find your Dad, sweetie. I'll handle this. [Katara runs off]
YRYon Rha
Now, tell me: who is it? Who's the Waterbender?
KKya
There are no Waterbenders here. The Fire Nation took them all away, a long time ago.
YRYon Rha
You're lying. My source says there's one Waterbender left in the Southern Water Tribe. We're not leaving until we find the Waterbender!
KKya
If I tell you... do you promise to leave the rest of the village alone? [Yon Rha grunts and nods]... It's me. Take me as your prisoner.
YRYon Rha
[smirks] I'm afraid I'm not taking prisoners, today. [In the present, he gulps]
... She lied to you! [turns away, tearfully] She was protecting the last Waterbender.
[spins around, furious] ME! [She bends the rain, stopping it mid-fall, then forms the water into a huge dome around them; Zuko watches, amazed. Katara morphs the water into ice spears and hurls them at Yon Rha, who cowers, but she stops them inches from his face, then dissolves them back into water]
YRYon Rha
[scrambling to grovel in front of her] I did a bad thing, I know I did! And you deserve revenge! So why don't you take my mother? That would be fair!
I always wondered, what kind of person could do such a thing. But, now that I see you, I think I understand. There's just...nothing inside you. Nothing at all. You're pathetic, and sad, and empty.
YRYon Rha
[whimpers] Please, spare me!
But as much as I hate you... I just can't do it.
Doesn't it seem kind of weird that we're hiding from the Firelord in his own house?
Zuko
I told you, my family hasn't come here since we were actually happy, and that was a long time ago. It's the last place anyone would think to look for us.
[Sokka comes running in]
You guys are not gonna believe this... there's a play about us!
We were just in town and we saw this poster! [reveals poster about the play]
What? How is that possible?
Listen to this: "The Boy In The Iceberg is a new production from acclaimed playwright Pu-On Tim, who scoured the globe gathering information on the Avatar, from the icy South Pole to the heart of Ba Sing Se. His sources include singing nomads, pirates, prisoners of war, and a surprisingly knowledgeable merchant of cabbage."
"Brought to you by the critically acclaimed Ember Island Players.
Zuko
Ugh. My mother used to take us to see them. They butchered "Love Amongst the Dragons" every year!
Sokka, do you really think it's a good idea for us to attend a play about ourselves?
Come on, a day at the theater! This is the kind of wacky time-wasting nonsense I've been missing!
By decree of Phoenix King Ozai, I now crown you Fire Lord...
What are you waiting for?! Do it!
[She looks up to see Appa landing in the square, with Zuko and Katara on his back.]
Zuko
Sorry, but you're not gonna become Fire Lord today. [jumps down] I am.
[laughs] You're hilarious.
[The Fire Sage attempts to crown Azula, but she stops him]
Wait. You want to be Fire Lord? Fine. Let's settle this; just you and me, brother. The showdown that was always meant to be! Agni Kai!
Zuko
...You're on. [Azula grins]
[to Zuko] What are you doing? She's playing you! She knows she can't take us both, so she's trying to separate us!
Zuko
I know, but I can take her this time.
But even you admitted to your uncle that you would need help facing Azula!
Zuko
... There's something off about her. I can't explain it, but she's slipping. And this way, no one else has to gets hurt.
[Katara nods. Zuko and Azula take up positions at each end of the square.]
[sneering] I'm sorry it has to end this way, brother.
Zuko
[grimly] No, you're not.
Zuko
[Studying a map detailing reported Avatar sightings scattered around] How am I going to find the Avatar, Uncle? He is clearly a master of evasive maneuvering.
[Cut to Sokka, looking at a similar map, which is blank]
[to Aang] You have no idea where you're going, do you?
No but I know it's near water [zooms out to show the ocean below]
We must be getting close, then.
(after diverting their ship to replace a lost game piece) I've checked all the shops on this pier. Not a lotus tile in the entire marketplace.
Zuko
It's good to know this trip was a complete waste of time for everyone!
Quite the contrary. I always say, the only thing better than finding something you are looking for [crew members begin to walk past carrying Iroh's purchases] is finding something you weren't looking for at a great bargain!
Zuko
You bought a Tsunghi horn?
For music night on the ship. Now, if we only had some woodwinds.
Avatar: The Last Airbender · 494 quotes
