Earth.
Fire.
Air.
Water.
Only the Avatar can master all four elements
and bring balance to the world.
The Southern Water Tribe is under siege.
When Avatar Korra was attacked by a dark spirit,
Chief Unalaq was the only one able to stop it.
So Korra turned her back on Tenzin
and chose Unalaq as her new spiritual mentor.
Tenzin and his family left for a vacation
at the Southern Air Temple,
while Korra remained in the Water Tribe.
Will she be able to restore balance
between humans and spirits?
- You're early.
- What can I say?
I'm pumped up to learn that Unalaq spirit fighting.
- I'm not here to teach you to fight spirits.
I'm here to help you begin your spiritual training.
We're going to one of the most remote places in the world--
the long-neglected spiritual center of your tribe:
the South Pole.
- You're gonna train me at the South Pole?
- We will do more than just train.
By neglecting the spirits, the people of the South
have brought darkness upon themselves,
and now it threatens to destroy our tribe.
We must set things right.
The Southern Water Tribe depends on you.
- A dangerous trip to the South Pole?
Count me in.
- There it is, the Southern Air Temple.
Isn't it magnificent?
- Master Tenzin, welcome.
- Good to see you again, Abbot Shung.
- Is there anything you need?
Water? Dandelion greens?
Ah, perhaps you'd like to re-center yourself
by meditating in the gardens.
- No, thank you.
I'm fine.
- And you must be the honorable Pema.
Please, accept these gifts.
This is an ancient Airbender head shaver
we've refurbished just for you.
- Oh...okay.
- And Pema, these flowers once filled the mountainside.
Now they can brighten up your room.
- That's...sweet?
You didn't have to.
- Nonsense.
Whatever you need is yours.
Anything for the mother
of the next generation of Airbenders.
- No! That gift is mine.
- You don't even like to read.
- Naah.
- Yep, those are the world's next generation of Airbenders.
- Mommy, Daddy, look.
I finally got a lemur.
I'm gonna name him Poki.
Poki, come back!
- Ugh.
Phew.
Excuse me, a little help here.
- Sorry, I thought you were the servants.
- We're Tenzin's brother and sister.
- Avatar Aang had other children?
The world is filled with more Airbenders?
- We're not Airbenders.
- Oh. I'm so sorry.
- I thought you said Bolin was coming.
- He said he'd be here, but I can't worry about it.
I have to make sure you have everything you need
for a safe trip.
- Thanks, Captain Expedition, but I'll be fine.
- Tonraq, what do you want?
- I heard you're taking Korra to the South Pole.
I'm coming.
- Absolutely not.
You're a distraction to Korra
and a hindrance to what needs to be done.
- My daughter is not going without me.
She needs someone to watch after her.
- Dad, why do you always think you know what's best for me?
- Because he's misguided.
The sad truth is it's men like your father
who have put the spirit world out of balance.
He's ignored my warnings in the past
and hasn't learned since.
- What happened in the past?
- It doesn't matter.
What matters is the Everstorm.
- The Everstorm?
- It's a massive blizzard
that's battered the South Pole for decades.
I'm coming, unless you think you can stop me.
- Guys! Hey, wait for me!
Check it out.
I'm traveling in style.
Whoa! Okay, I'm sorry.
Still getting used to that throttle.
- Uh, where'd you get the ride?
- Varrick. He's awesome.
He also gave me this fancy snowsuit.
It's inflatable with an internal heater,
emergency beacon, and food ration pouch.
I mean, if I get lost, I can survive in this thing
for, like, like, a month.
Who wants some freeze-dried cucumber-quats?
Nobody?
Did I interrupt a conversation?
- No, the conversation is over.
Dad, come if you want.
Just don't interfere with my training.
- Does this sidecar have the capacity for two passengers?
- Sure does.
But, uh, who's gonna drive?
- Well, what do you know?
Looks like-- - Go away, Mako.
- So once we get to the South Pole, then what happens?
- You will open an ancient spirit portal.
- I'm sorry. What now?
- At the South Pole, there is a portal
that connects our world to the spirit world.
But it has long been closed.
- And that's why the evil spirits are attacking?
- There are no evil spirits.
There is light and dark in them all.
But when they're unbalanced, the darkness takes over.
If you can open the portal in time,
balance will be restored.
- What do you mean "in time"?
- There's a reason the Glacier Spirits Festival
ends on the winter solstice.
That's when the spirit world
and the physical world are close together.
Only then can the Avatar open the portal.
- The winter solstice is tomorrow.
- Exactly.
And we can't afford to wait another year.
- Easy, Naga.
- What are those?
- Dark spirits.
- Let's keep moving.
We have to find a safe place to set up camp.
- Uncle, why do you think the dark spirits
are following us?
- Can we not talk about dark spirits, please?
- My brother doesn't like ghost stories.
- Don't worry.
I will protect you, my feeble turtle-duck.
- Thank you.
- Sadly, this isn't a ghost story.
This is real.
- The spirits are angry because he's here.
Haven't you ever wondered how your father
ended up in the South Pole?
Why he's never taken you to visit his homeland in the north?
- Unalaq, this is not the time.
- You're right.
You should have told her a long time ago.
- Told me what?
- I left the North Pole because...
I was banished.
- You were banished from the North? Why?
- Because I almost destroyed the entire tribe.
20 years ago, I was a general in the Northern Water Tribe,
sworn to protect my people.
- Brother, we're being attacked.
Tonraq: I drove them out of the city and deep into the frozen tundra.
We tracked them deep into an ancient forest.
Many believed this forest was the home to spirits,
and the barbarians retreated there
because they thought we wouldn't attack
on such hallowed grounds.
They thought wrong.
- We captured the barbarians,
but in the process, we destroyed the forest.
I didn't realize the consequences
of what I had done.
By destroying the forest,
I unknowingly let loose angry spirits.
They threatened to destroy everything.
The entire city.
Unalaq was able to guide the spirits back to the forest,
but by then, the damage had been done.
For being the cause of so much devastation,
my father banished me from the Northern Water Tribe
in shame.
That's when I came to the South and started a new life.
- Whoa.
So you were supposed to be chief,
then he became chief.
No wonder you guys don't like each other.
Ow! What?
Isn't that what happened?
- I can't believe you kept this from me.
- I was protecting you from the shame
I brought on the family.
- Why do you keep hiding things from me
and then telling me it's for my own protection?
I'm tired of you protecting me.
- Korra.
Jinora: Wow.
The statue room.
- That's right, Jinora.
The most sacred place in the entire Southern Air Temple.
Here you will find statues of every Avatar who ever lived.
Where are your brother and sister?
- You can't catch me.
I'm the greatest air skater of all time.
Qof!
- Meelo!
- Korra, you have every right to be mad at me,
but I don't want you to make the same mistake I made.
I should have never gone into that forest,
and we shouldn't be going to the South Pole now.
Spirits and the physical world should remain separate.
- Dad, it's my job to be the bridge
between the spirits and the physical world,
and I finally have a chance to live up to my potential.
- You don't even know if what Unalaq says is true.
- You want proof?
Look to the sky.
Where I'm from, the spirits are at peace
and they light up the dark.
- The Northern lights.
- Yes.
There used to be lights in the South as well.
But during the 100 Year War,
the South was thrown out of balance
and the lights disappeared.
When the war ended, the North helped
to rebuild you physically as a nation.
But we have not rebuilt you spiritually.
Now the spirits no longer dance in your skies.
Instead, they rampage in the Everstorm.
- I think we're here.
- Is that what I think it is?
- We must keep moving.
- Oh, man.
I really don't like this.
- Bolin, just stay calm.
There's no reason to--
Panic!
- Aah!
- Korra, look out!
- Oh, it's in the engine!
- Is everyone okay?
I can't stop it.
- I'll save you.
I'm a raft!
Uh, can someone please deflate me?
Thank you.
- Oh, great.
There goes our equipment.
Now what are we supposed to do?
- There's only one thing to do.
We have to turn back. - No.
The solstice is tonight.
We're so close.
- This mission is too dangerous.
We're leaving. - No, Dad.
You're leaving.
- Don't worry, sir.
I'll keep an eye on Korra for you.
- Thank you, Mako.
- Let's open this portal and lead your father
and the entire Southern Water Tribe
in the right direction.
We don't have much time.
- Then what are we waiting for?
So, what exactly were you and my dad talking about?
- Nothing.
He was just worried about you, that's all.
- You know, sometimes I wonder whose side you're on.
- There aren't any sides.
We all just want to help however we can.
You have to trust that we're here for you.
- We've arrived.
- Trees frozen in ice.
- It's just like the sacred forest
Tonraq destroyed in the north.
- So what do I do?
- You must find your way to the heart of the forest
where the dormant spirit portal lies.
From here, you're on your own.
- Wait a second.
There's no way she's going alone.
- Yeah, if she goes, we go too.
- The Avatar must go alone.
- But I don't have any connection with the spirits.
In fact, it seems like they hate me.
- You have to believe in yourself like I believe in you.
What is it?
- I guess I'm just so used to people
telling me how to do things that I forgot what it was like
to have someone trust in me.
- Korra, all the past Avatars live on inside of you.
Let them guide you.
Let them help you find the light in the dark.
- Wait here.
I'll be okay.
- Good luck.
The spirit portal.
Amazing.
What Avatar is this?
- The light in the dark.
Why isn't it opening?
Come on, portal. Open!
The spirits dancing in the sky.
- I can't believe it.
- It's beautiful.
- She did it.
- Hey, Korra, you're back!
Hey, Korra's back.
Wha--huh?
- Why are you initiating physical contact
with another woman?
- Everything you said was true.
- Avatar Korra, you have taken the first step
in bringing balance back to the South,
and soon, the whole world.
- You never cease to amaze me. - Thanks.
By the way, I'm really sorry for being a total pain.
Things were really stressful and confusing.
It's hard being the Avatar.
- It's harder being the Avatar's boyfriend.
What are all your Northern troops doing here?
- Opening the spirit portal was only the first step
in getting the Southern Water Tribe
back on its righteous path.
There's more difficult work to be done
before our two tribes are truly united.