The Waterbending Scroll

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"The Waterbending Scroll" *Avatar: The Last Airbender episode*
Waterbending Scroll
Book	One: Water
Chapter	Nine
Episode #	Nine
Prod. code	109
Airdate	April 29, 2005
Writer(s)	John O'Bryan
Director	Anthony Lioi
Guest star(s)	James Sie (Cabbage Merchant) Byron McKittrick (Pirate Barker) Jack Angel (Pirate Captain) Jim Meskimen (Fire Nation Soldier)

Previous episode "Avatar Roku"
Next episode "Jet"

"The Waterbending Scroll" is the ninth episode of Avatar: The Last Airbender's first season.

After Katara attempts to teach Aang waterbending, but realizes that he is learning it much faster than she is, she is desperate to improve her abilities. When Katara inadvertently stumbles across a waterbending scroll that can help improve her ability while Aang is looking at a pirate’s store, she decides to steal it after she realizes that she couldn’t hope to afford it; but will she be capable of stealing from the pirates without causing herself and her friends trouble?

[edit] Episode synopsis

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

After receiving Avatar Roku's warning, Aang has become anxious, as he now has so little time to master three entire styles. Katara offers to give him a boost by teaching him what she knows about Waterbending.

Meanwhile, Zuko is angered to find that Iroh has just diverted his ship to find a port in order to replace a White Lotus tile for his Pai Sho game.

At a waterfall, Katara begins to teach Aang her knowledge of waterbending. Unfortunately for her, Aang immediately masters the lessons she gives him, despite the fact that it took her some time to master them. While she tries to hide it, she begins to grow jealous of Aang's natural talent.

After Aang accidentally washes away their supplies, the trio goes to town to buy some more, where Aang impulsively buys a bison whistle. They come upon a ship docked with a barker trying to attract business. Ship's crew is selling items that they acquired by "high risk trading." Katara comes upon a training scroll, featuring several waterbending techniques, among their loot, which they're reserving for a wealthy client in the Earth Kingdom. They leave the ship, only to be chased by the crew, Aang and the others escape, only to find the reason they had been pursued: They wanted the scroll Katara had stolen. Katara convinces Sokka and Aang to keep the scroll and learn from it. One of the first techniques they try is the Water Whip, a simple technique where water is formed into an elongated shape and snapped at the target. Katara ends up growing even more jealous of Aang as not only does he learn the technique easily, she herself has trouble getting it to work. When her jealousy nearly get the best of her, she gives up the right to use the scroll, handing it over to Aang. But that night, she succumbs to temptation and steals the scroll to study the technique again.

Meanwhile, Zuko and Iroh arrive at the same port, and come across the pirates, discovering that they're pursuing Aang as well. Zuko joins forces with the pirates to hunt down Aang, and find Katara late at night practicing the Water Whip. Zuko ties Katara to a tree, attempting to interrogate her for information on the Avatar, showing her that he holds her mother's lost betrothal necklace in his possession, the last tie that she has to her mother.

Then, Aang and Sokka are found and captured. As Zuko and the pirates are about to make the trade (the scroll for the Avatar), Sokka convinces the pirates to sell Aang by revealing to them that he's the Avatar, despite Zuko's attempts to keep it a secret from the pirates. The pirates decide that they want to sell Aang to the fire nation, and the situation quickly escalates into a battle.

During the fight Aang, Katara, and Sokka escape. Katara and Aang use waterbending to get the pirates' boat into water and sail away. But the pirates (except for their leader) steal Zuko's smaller ship and start chasing after them. They battle the pirates, Katara learning the Water Whip in the process. Unfortunately, the ship is fast approaching a waterfall. Aang and Katara manage to use Waterbending to stop the ship, but the Pirates ram it with Zuko's boat, sending them falling over, where they are saved by Appa, who heard Aang's bison whistle. Back on shore, Iroh discovers that his lost White Lotus tile was stuck in his sleeve the whole time. Unfortunatley, Zuko grabs the tile from Iroh's hand and throws it over the waterfall in anger.

Later, Katara gives Aang a full apology, while Sokka reveals that he was able to regain the scroll in the fighting.

[edit] Notes

Katara finds out that Zuko has possession of her necklace.
In "The Desert," it is discovered that Iroh's Lotus tile actually holds some real significance outside of Pai Sho.
When the pirates are floating down the river, the head of a Jackalope-type creature can be seen.
This is the first time Aang Waterbends outside of the Avatar State.