User:Coallen



 



"The Firebending Masters" is an episode from the animated television series Avatar: The Last Airbender, which first aired on the Canadian TV channel YTV on January 4, 2008 at 8:30 EST. It is the thirteenth episode of the third season of the series.

Plot
Zuko tries to teach Aang firebending. But as he tries to demonstrate, he realises that his firebending has become incredibly weak. After trying to firebend several times without success, he confesses to the rest of the group that he can't seem to firebend. At this Katara laughs and says that it's kind of ironic that he loses it now, instead of when he was chasing them. Zuko suggests that it might be because he changed sides. Aang supports this and says that previously, Zuko used rage to fuel his firebending and perhaps he doesn't have as much rage anymore. Toph suggests that Zuko learns firebending from the original source of firebending. When Toph was young, she ran away from home and got lost in a cave. While she was crying, a Badgermole found her, and they could both relate to each other because they were blind. So Toph learnt earthbending as an extension of her senses. And Aang says that the original airbenders were actually the air bison. But Zuko says that the original firebenders were the dragons, and they're all extinct. When Aang asks him why, Zuko turns away. However, the Sun warriors, who were the first to learn firebending from the dragons lived in a city near the western air temple. They too have died out a long time ago but Zuko decides to visit their city, in hope that he will learn some of their secrets.

Aang and Zuko fly out on Appa to visit the city. At the city, Aang almost falls onto a trap and asks Zuko if they should leave. But Zuko remarks that people only have traps if they have something to protect.

Zuko and Aang climb to the top of the city, where there is a giant temple like structure. On it is a painting of two dragons blowing fire at a sun warrior. Aang then asks Zuko what actually happened to the dragons.

Apparently, Fire lord Solzin started the sport of dragon hunting where firebenders would figth (and kill) a dragon to be recognised as supremely powerful. Iroh stated that he faced and killed the last dragon. Aang is somewhat surprised and says that Iroh seems 'good', but Zuko replies that he had a complicated past.

Aang and Zuko find that the door of the temple has a sunstone at the top and thus will only open when the sulight hits it directly, during the solstice. However, by using his swords to reflect the sunlight, Zuko makes the doors open.

Inside there are some scary looking statues which are arranged in a circle with each of them showing different positions. As Zuko looks around, Aang imitates the position of the statue in front of him, and notices that a stone below him moves. He asks Zuko to 'dance with him' as these positions are actually part of a firebending form.

After they finish the form together, a pedastel rises up with a golden egg on top. Aang warns Zuko not to touch it but Zuko removes it and green goo squirts out everywhere, preveting aang and zuko from moving and trapping them by a window. They are stuck there even at night and Aang cries for help. After Zuko says that this is no use, a real sun warrior appears and asks them what they are doing!!

After apologising profusely, Aang and Zuko say that they are really here to learn the true way to firebend. The sun warrior says that then, they must go see the firebending masters who will judge them. If they are worthy, they will learn the secret, but if they are unworthy, they will be destroyed. Zuko and Aang decide to take the risk and both carry a part of the original flame to the cave of the masters.

They climb to the top of a staircase (with two caves on either side) and bow to the masters. In response, two dragons come out and fly around them. The sun warriors bow to the dragons and one comments that they are about to have food!

However, Zuko and Aang do the firebending form together on the platform with the dragons, who then breathe fire of different colors all around them. As they walk down the staircase, Aang realises that firebending is life as well, and not just destruction.

Zuko asks the sun warrior how Iroh could have killed the last dragon to which he replies that Iroh too knows the secret as he was deemed worthy and lied to protect the dragons.

Zuko and Aang both then try firebending and realise that they can both firebend well. They then return to the temple.