Avatar: The Last Airbender

Dec 1, 2006 As Aang and Sokka fly back toward Ba Sing Se, it's clear that Aang is really shaken up. Sokka asks what kind of trouble Katara is in? Aang says he doesn't know exactly what's wrong but in his vision she called to him for help. Azula has taken over the Dai Li and subjugated Long Feng to her will. Now she has plans for the entire Earth Kingdom. She orders that Katara be taken to a secret place. She is betting that the Avatar will be stupid enough to focus on saving his friend instead of saving the city. The gang meets with the Earth King. Despite Aang's concern, the Earth King claims everything is going fine, and Katara is fine. It's not long before Azula captures the King, Sokka, and Toph. Zuko, also Azula's prisoner, and Katara are placed in a crystal prison chamber with no apparent way to get in or out. They two begin opening up to each other -- just a little. Katara discovers that Zuko is more honorable than she thought. She offers, if only momentarily, to heal Zuko's scar. But Zuko is not to be trusted. In a dramatic, season finale battle, he and Azula team up against Aang and Katara in the crystal chamber. The battle is fierce and evenly matched. Zuko announces, "It's over, Avatar... capturing you has always been my destiny." Aang responds, "You've got your destiny... and I've got mine." His eyes and tattoos begin glowing. But just as his powerful form rises heroically, Azula zaps him with a particularly forceful bolt of lightning. Aang falls, mortally wounded. Katara rushes to his side. She is able to get him to safety thanks to last minute cover from Uncle Iroh. Azula relishes their victory, and assures Zuko that he did the right thing. When he returns to the Fire Nation father will welcome him as a returning war hero. But Zuko's expression shows he is not sure if he made the right choice. All will be made clear when Avatar: The Last Airbender Book 3 unfolds.

Dec 1, 2006 Without their friends to bail them out, each of our heroes must discover and rely on their own inner strengths to solve their individual dilemmas. Aang arrives at the Eastern Air Temple with Appa and meets the Guru (from 2.16.) The Guru is delighted to finally meet the Avatar. He places his hand on Aang's arrow and says, "you are an emotional time bomb. If you do not deal with your inner turmoil and gain control of the Avatar state, you will become the most destructive force in the world." Sokka reunites with his father, Bato, and the men of his tribe. Hakoda is shocked to see his son again, and can't believe how much he's grown. He updates Sokka on their mission: for several months, the Water Tribe has been protecting the mouth of the bay (or river) from Fire Nation ships. If the ships get through, the Fire Nation could launch a naval assault on Ba Sing Se. Toph is in a metal box, being transported back home, by Xin Fu and Master Yu. The two men remark on how wealthy they will be once they return Toph to her father. When Toph realizes that her charm isn't going to get her out of the box, she decides to bend her way out. Focusing her chi, Toph tries to bend the small particles of earth that are present in the metal. Katara arrives at the King's palace, eager to greet Suki and the Kyoshi warriors. But as the girls turn around, Katara realizes something is wrong but before she can react, Ty Lee attacks Katara, taking away her bending. Katara is now Azula's prisoner.

Nov 17, 2006 After a joyful reunion with Appa, the kids are determined to visit the king to tell him of the conspiracy taking place in his city. Upon arriving at the palace, the kids realize Long Feng and the Dai Li have been expecting them. With Toph's help, they plow through and eventually find the king in his chambers, completely insulated, even from the ruckus going on in his palace. They spill everything to the king. He listens in disbelief as they tell him of the war going on, of the Fire Nation drill, and of the massive Dai Li conspiracy. He can't believe his eyes. "What is the Fire Nation doing at Ba Sing Se?" The kids tell him it's because they're about to invade his city. Long Feng protests, and the king has him arrested. As the king's men scour through what remains of the Dai Li offices, they find even more incriminating evidence several important messages that Long Feng has intercepted. There is a letter to Toph from her mother, who is apparently in the city trying to find her. And there is also a letter from the Water Tribe platoon written by Katara and Sokka's father! In addition, Aang finds a message attached to Appa. It's from a guru at the Eastern Air Temple. This mysterious stranger claims to have helpful advice for Aang. In a moment of tension, the kids realize they must separate in order to fulfill their individual needs.

Nov 3, 2006 In Book 2 Chapter 17 Aang is searching around Ba Sing Se for Appa. He is lead off track by the Dai Li and Long Feng, who actually have Appa and who don't want Aang to find him. The kids run into Jet who has been brainwashed by the Dai Li he has information on a secret underground prison could this be where Appa is? The kids try to deprogram Jet so that they can get the information about the prison from him. Meanwhile, Zuko finds out that Aang is in the city and decides that he is going to find the bison first. So the race to find Appa has begun!

Oct 13, 2006 Appa is taken by the Sandbenders from the library and sold to the Bedouins. Although Appa is tied down, he is hard to control so the Bedouins sell Appa to a traveling Fire Nation circus. At the circus, a cruel animal trainer "breaks" Appa and forces him to perform in the circus. Appa manages to break free from the circus and goes searching for Aang. Unable to find him, he looks for a place to rest. Appa finds shelter in a barn, but he is violently chased away by a farmer. Still looking for shelter, Appa finds a cave but realizes that the cave is home to another animal a Boar-q-pine. The two animals have a vicious fight and Appa is injured, stuck with Boar-q-needles. Appa is now becoming more animalistic and it shows when Suki (from Book 1 Chapter 4) comes across him. Appa is like an angry beast and Suki has to calm him down. She and the other Kyoshi warriors take care of Appa but it doesn't last for long the Kyoshi warriors are attacked by Azula, Mai and Ty Lee -- and Appa is forced to flee.

Sep 29, 2006 Katara and Toph have a girls' day out. Iroh helps out people in town. Aang helps a zookeeper build a new zoo. Sokka accidentally ends up in a poetry club. Zuko goes out on a date. Momo looks through Ba Sing Se for Appa.

Sep 22, 2006 Having finally made it into Ba Sing Se, the kids are given a house in the upper ring an upper class area of the city. The kids are anxious to tell the Earth King their plan but they find out they won't be able to speak to the king for a month. The kids decide that they can't wait a month and so they break into a private party that the Earth King is throwing they figure they can talk to the king here. Meanwhile, Jet and his small gang follow Uncle and Zuko, trying to prove that they are Firebenders. When Uncle and Zuko get jobs at a teahouse, Jet continues to spy on them. But when Jet can't get the proof he needs, he decides to fight Zuko -- certain that Zuko will have to use his Firebending to defend himself.

Sep 15, 2006 Having made it on top of the outer wall of Ba Sing Se, the kids see a frightening sight a Fire Nation army is heading right towards them, and leading the army is a giant, mobile drill. The drill is several stories high and moving like a caterpillar it is just a matter of time before it reaches the wall and drills through it putting all of Ba Sing Se in danger. The kids find an Earth Kingdom army who is trying to stop the giant drill but it is no use it seems unstoppable. While still on the ferry, Jet asks Zuko if he wants to join his group of freedom fighters. Zuko turns down Jet's offer and Jet become suspicious of Zuko and Uncle he suspects they are Fire Nation. When they all make it into Ba Sing Se, Jet and his gang follow Zuko and Uncle.

Sep 15, 2006 Still traveling without Appa, the kids are anxious to get to Ba Sing Se to tell the Earth King about their plan to attack the Fire Nation and, more importantly, to find Appa. But getting to Ba Sing Se is harder than they thought. The kids pass up taking the easy way to Ba Sing Se (a peaceful ferry ride across a lake) and instead vow to help a desperate family of refugees that are unable to take the ferry. The kids lead the family to Ba Sing Se the only other way they know, through the deadly Serpent's Pass. Suki, from Book 1 Water Chapter 4, returns in this episode she meets up with the kids and helps them to cross the Pass. This chapter also marks the return of Jet from Book 1 Earth Chapter 10.

Jul 14, 2006 Now trapped in the desert, the kids try to make it out on foot, heading towards Ba Sing Se (the capitol of the Earth Nation). Aang is upset at losing Appa and flies on his glider looking for him, but it is no use Appa is gone. The group is running out of water so Sokka and Momo drink some cactus juice which only makes them hallucinate. Katara tries her best to keep everyone together, but it's a tough job considering Aang is upset, Toph can't really "see" in the sand and Sokka and Momo are loopy. Zuko and Uncle decide that they need to go somewhere where Azula can't find them they decide to go to Ba Sing Se. But in order to get there they need passports and Uncle knows just where to get them. We learn for the first time that Uncle is in a Secret Society that spans across all Nations it's called the Order of the White Lotus.

Jul 14, 2006 Looking for information to defeat the Fire Nation, the kids meet an archeologist, Professor Zei, who knows of a secret library with an endless amount of information. The only problem is that library is hidden somewhere in the middle of the desert and Professor Zei has never actually been there. But the kids decide that with Professor Zei's knowledge and Appa as a means to get in and out of the desert, they can find the library. After a long search the kids finally find the library, buried, sinking into the desert. The kids enter except for Toph who decides to wait on the surface with Appa.

Jun 2, 2006 For Aang's first Earthbending lesson the kids come to a large, natural rock quarry. Aang is excited to start Earthbending but his first attempt to bend a rock results in him being thrown back and the rock not moving. Toph tells Aang that his is not connected to the ground enough. The element Earth is the opposite of Air and therefore Aang has a tough time being grounded being "Rock-like". Meanwhile, Sokka hunts a baby saber-tooth moose-lion, following the little animal into the woods. But right as Sokka pounces on the baby animal, he falls and gets stuck in a hole.