Guys, hey!! Whattaya think? Varrick Industries built this prison, and I had this cell made special. I had a feeling I'd end up here, one day. (grins) Zhu Li, come on! We got guests! Whip up a pot of that green tea I love!
KorraZhu Li's in prison with you?
Of course! I don't go anywhere without my assistant. Do you?
(angrily) We're not interested in your tea, and this isn't a friendly visit.
Don't tell me you guys are still mad about everything that happened?! I did some good things, too! Korra, who warned you about Unalaq? I did. (Korra looks guilty) Bolin, who got you into the movers? I did. (Bolin looks guilty) Asami, who saved your company? I did. (Asami looks guilty) Mako, who got you thrown in jail? I did! (Mako looks angry) Oh, yeah, I guess that was a bad thing.
You stole everything from me, and you tried to kidnap the President! Those are pretty bad, too.
I wasn't going to hurt him, I just needed to start a war! Well, a bigger war.
Well, we're gonna end it! Where's all the stuff you stole from Asami?
The Future Industries stuff? It's on my battleship.
Korra
You have a battleship?
Of course I do! I bought the first one they made! Named her the Zhu Li.
You named your battleship after your assistant?
Yep! They're both cold, heartless war machines.
Korra this fight is not yet over.
Korra
Raava?
Vaatu cannot win. So do not give up!
RRoku
Do not give in at all costs!
KKyoshi
Do not give in to 10,000 years of darkness and chaos.
RARaava, and all past Avatars[all together]
For you are the one true Avatar!
KWKorra[with Raava's voice encompassing her own]
Darkness cannot win. You cannot win!
Were you able to stop Unalaq and Vaatu?
Korra
No. They fused, then Vaatu ripped Raava right out of me and destroyed her. Vaatu won.
[scared] No. I am too young to live through ten thousand years of darkness! Korra, can't you talk to one of your past lives or something?!
Korra
When Vaatu destroyed Raava, he destroyed my connection to the past Avatars too.
Korra
The cycle is over. I'm the last Avatar. [Tears up] I'm so sorry, Tenzin. [She starts crying]
[To Tenzin] She needs you now, more than ever.
The other Avatars may not be able to help you anymore, but perhaps I can.
Korra
[resigned] No one can help me now.
I know I haven't been the best mentor to you. But I realized it was because I had a lot of spiritual growth to do myself. There may still be a way for you to stop Vaatu.
Korra
How?
Let go of your attachment to who you think you are, and connect with your inner spirit.
Korra
Haven't you heard anything I said? Raava is gone. I'm not connected to her spirit anymore.
I'm not talking about Raava. Raava is not who you are. Come with me, I need to show you something.
Korra
Why are you showing me Vaatu's prison?
Because this tree had a history long before it held Vaatu. This is the Tree of Time, and the legends say its roots bind the spirit and physical worlds together.
Korra
And you think this tree can help me somehow?
Yes. I have read that long ago, the ancients would meditate beneath this tree and connect with the great cosmic energy of the universe.
Korra
These are my memories.
The Tree of Time remembers all. Korra, the most powerful thing about you is not the spirit of Raava, but your own inner spirit. You have always been strong, unyielding, fearless.
Korra
Avatar Wan.
Before he fused with Raava, he was just a regular person.
Korra
But, he was brave, and smart, and always wanted to defend the helpless.
That's right. He became a legend because of who he was, not what he was. He wasn't defined by Raava any more than you are.
Korra
Everyone in Republic City is in danger!
You have to help them, Korra.
Korra
How? They're half-way around the world.
Do as the ancients once did. Connect to the cosmic energy of the universe. Don't bend the elements, but the energy within yourself.
Korra
[pause] You really think I can do this?
Korra
[hugging Tenzin] Thank you for not giving up on me.
Now that you're bonded with Raava again, are you also reconnected to your past lives?
Korra
[pause] No. I think that link is gone, forever.
I see. Why don't you close the portals, then we'll head home.
Korra
Maybe I shouldn't.
Korra
What if Unalaq was right when he said the Avatar shouldn't be a bridge between the two worlds? What if Avatar Wan made a mistake when he closed the portals? What if humans and spirits weren't meant to live apart? [to Tenzin] Well, what do you think I should do?
[places his hand on Korra's shoulder] I think you should trust your instincts. There is nothing else I can teach you. You are the Avatar. Whatever your decision, I support you.
Korra
Can't talk. Meditating.
(amused) You must be at the end of your rope; you hate meditating.
Korra
(stands up, sadly) I thought that, if I really tried, I might be able to contact my past Avatars- someone who knows something to help me! But I can't. They're gone, and I'm all alone. (glances at Tenzin) Did I ruin everything by leaving the Spirit Portals open?
You didn't ruin anything. You did what you thought was best for the world, and now things have changed. Change can be good or bad, depending on your point of view.
Korra
(sighs) I know the people's point of view- it's bad.
You're not the President, Korra. Your job isn't to fix the daily problems of every person in Republic City. Your responsibility is to bring balance to the entire world- and that means, no matter what you do, some people are not going to be happy about it.
Korra
(sits down) Great.
(sits next to her) On the other hand, some people will be very happy. Like me. What you did during Harmonic Convergance may have brought back the Air Nation. And that can only be good, for restoring balance. That is the act of a great Avatar.
Korra
It's scary. I have all this power, and all these people depending on me... but, I don't know what I'm supposed to be doing half the time! It seems like I should be... wiser.
True wisdom begins when we accept things as they are. You started a new age, Korra. There's no going back to the past.
RReporter
Mr. President, are you concerned that your approval ratings are now nearly as low as the Avatar's? Have you seen today's headline? It says, "Raik-oh-no! Polls pan Prez plans!"
I'm not concerned with snappy putdowns in the press. I'm facing this calamity just like every other citizen. There's a tree growing right through my office! You think I'm not doing everything I can to get rid of it?
[Korra arrives on her glider]
R1Reporter 1
Avatar Korra! Do you regret the way you handled the Unalaq crisis?
R2Reporter 2
Why are your forcing the integration of spirits in Republic City?
Korra
Listen, I've been trying everything I can think of to get rid of these vines, but-
R3Reporter 3
Why can't you fix this!!?
R4Reporter 4
Are the vines here to stay?
R5Reporter 5
Is this part of your new world order?
Korra
Look! Harmonic Convergence was just a couple weeks ago. I just need a little more time to get everything back to normal.
The Avatar has put us all in a very difficult position, but my administration-
Korra
[sarcastically] Oh, I'm sorry! Did I put you in a difficult position by fighting the giant force of pure evil that was going to destroy the whole world?! Maybe your administration could've handled that!
[Lin comes between them]
That's all! No more questions!
[After Kuon refuses to become an Air Nomad]
Korra
In my head I saw that playing out very differently.
Maybe we should have stayed and tried harder to convince him to join us.
Or we could've thrown him into a potato sack and forced him into the ship.
That's how they got me to join the United Forces.
No, we can't coerce people. [pause] Or throw them in potato sacks. They must come freely. But not to worry, there are plenty of other airbenders out there who will be happy to come with us once they find out what the Air Nation's all about.
[cut to a montage of Tenzin trying to convince various people]
[to a mother] When your son becomes a master, he'll get tattoos all over his body, just like me.
[to a fat man eating meat] There's nothing more nutritious than our vegetarian diet.
[to a fashionable lady] I can tell that you're going to love wearing our ancient airbender robes. They're very breathable.
[in a speed montage] You'll never have to worry about your worldly possessions again because you won't have any. [door slams shut] You'll get to shave your head! [door slams shut] Your best friend will be a giant bison!
[back in the airship] I really thought I had that last guy. Who doesn't want a bison as their best friend?
Your majesty, may I present Avatar Korra.
[shouting at her servants] You're ruining the koi pond! It's completely overshadowed by the topiaries! Guards, take that buffoon away and get me someone who knows what they're doing! You! Rip everything out and start over! I am surrounded by idiots. [notices Korra] So I finally get a visit from the Avatar. Let me guess, you want something.
Korra
Well, actually, your majesty, I was hoping you could...
I hardly think you're in a position to ask me for favors after everything the last Avatar did to the Earth Kingdom. He and Fire Lord Zuko took advantage of my father's weakness, and stole our lands to make their own little empire. The United Republic is Earth Kingdom territory.
Korra
Well, I-I'm not sure what I can do about that.
Not that you care, but what's left of my kingdom is falling to ruin. Roving bands of barbarians are raiding villages in the countryside, and now, some of my subjects are refusing to pay their taxes.
Korra
I'm very sorry for your troubles, but actually...
[at her servants] That topiary is supposed to be an eel-swan, not a turtle-duck!
Your majesty, the Avatar has returned with the tax payments.
Finally. Secure it in the vault.
It's being done as we speak.
Korra
So now, your majesty, if I could start meeting some of the airbenders here in the city.
The Dai Li thoroughly searched the city, but it seems your reports were incorrect. There are no airbenders in Ba Sing Se. So you can gather your little band and be on your way tomorrow.
Korra
You make me do your dirty work extorting your own citizens for your stupid palaces and topiaries, and then you just want to send me away? We're not going anywhere until we find some airbenders! We know there are some here!
Korra
This isn't over! I'm going to find the airbenders!
I just got word from Lord Zuko and Tonraq.
Korra
Why is Lord Zuko with my dad?
Zaheer and the others have escaped.
Because Zaheer is an airbender now.
Korra
All right, hold on. Will you quit ignoring me and tell me what's going on? Who's Zaheer? Why is my life in danger?
Shortly after we found out you were the Avatar, Zaheer and three others attempted to kidnap you. Luckily, your father, Lord Zuko, Chief Sokka, and I were there to stop them. We apprehended the criminals and locked them away in prisons designed to impair their abilities.
Korra
So that's why you and my dad sheltered me away.
It was for your own safety.
Why were they trying to kidnap Korra?
We spent 13 years interrogating them, but they never broke. To this day, no one knows what their motive was.
Korra
Thank you for being so welcoming, and I'm sorry for how Lin's been acting. Can I ask, what happened with you two?
It's complicated. We didn't have a normal childhood. Neither of us knew our fathers, and Toph was always busy being chief of police. Because mom grew up in such a strict house, she gave us all the freedom in the world, hoping we'd figure out our own paths.
Korra
That sounds like a good thing.
And in a way, it was. But we both ended up fighting for mom's attention. Lin followed in her footsteps and became a cop. I was more of a rebel. Mom wasn't too happy with how either of us turned out. When I was 16, I left home to explore the world. I sailed the seas on a pirate ship, joined a traveling circus for while, and lived in a sandbender commune in the desert. It took me a while, but I finally realized what I was looking for was a family. So I bought this plot of land, found a brilliant architect who later became my husband, and created a place I could truly call home.
Korra
It sounds like you've created the perfect life here.
Almost. I've always wanted Lin to be a part of it, but I gave up hope long ago of her ever coming around.
(angrily) What happened back in Zaofu? You told me we wouldn't have any problems getting the Avatar. Because of you, we've all been compromised.
AAiwei
No- any evidence was destroyed when my library burned.
Where is your physical body now?
AAiwei
At the Misty Palms Inn. But there is no need to worry, I was not followed.
AAiwei
I assure you, no one knows anything about us-
No. You are the loose end. (he lunges forward and grabs Aiwei)
Korra
(jumps out from behind the tree) Zaheer!
(smiles) It seems Aiwei was mistaken: he was followed.
Korra
That's right. We knew he'd lead us straight to you. So what did you do with him?
He'll be spending eternity in the Fog of Lost Souls... which just leaves the two of us.
Korra
(raises her fists) Don't move, Zaheer! You're gonna give me some answers!
(sits down) There's no need for aggression. Neither of us has our bending, and I'm not going anywhere. I'll answer whatever questions you have; you deserve that much. (Korra lowers her fists, surprised) What would you like to know?
Korra
First off, who are you people, and why do you keep trying to take me?
We are part of a secret society, dedicated to restoring freedom to the world. We... are the Red Lotus.
Korra
Red Lotus? Are... you related to the White Lotus?
We are what the White Lotus was meant to be. But after the Hundred Year War, the White Lotus lost its true purpose. Its members came out of hiding, and openly served the Avatar. They became nothing but glorified bodyguards, who served corrupt nations. So a great man named Xai Bao broke from the White Lotus, and began his own society.
Korra
(sarcastically) That's a great story, but it doesn't explain why you tried to take me when I was a kid.
That... was Unalaq's idea.
Korra
(surprised) What? My uncle was part of the Red Lotus?
(whispering) Avatar Korra. Misty Palms Inn. Find her.
You two go. I'll stay and make sure Zaheer's body is safe. (Ghazan and Ming-Hua leave)
(to Korra) I met your uncle when I was a teenager, after we had both joined the Red Lotus. We learned about Raava and Vaatu, and how Avatar Wan foolishly severed them, disrupting the balance of the world forever.
Korra
(angrily) Avatar Wan wasn't foolish! He was trying to restore balance!
He closed the portals, severing humans from spirits. Even you realize the error in his ways.
Korra
So all along, you and my uncle planned to use me, to open the portals and release Vaatu?! That's why you tried to take me when I was a kid?!
Yes. And with members of the Red Lotus as your elemental masters, we could've taught you so much.
Korra
Sounds like you wanted to brainwash me, so I'd do whatever you wanted.
No, Korra. All I wanted, was to show the Avatar a better path for the world.
The Legend of Korra · 160 quotes
