Light in the Dark

"spirit"

- Let go of your attachment to who you think you are, and connect with your inner spirit.

"Light in the Dark" is the fourteenth and final episode of Book Two: Spirits of The Legend of Korra, and the 26th episode of the overall series. It was released to Nick.com on November 16, 2013, and aired on Nickelodeon on November 22, 2013. On both platforms, it was paired with "Darkness Falls" to form the second part of a two-part season finale.

Overview
''Tenzin urges Korra to connect with her own spirit in order to defeat Unalaq. While meditating in the Tree of Time, she manages to tap into the energy of the universe and astrally projects herself, instigating a fight with Unalaq at Republic City. After an intervention by Jinora's spirit, who brings Raava's residual light back into the world and illuminates her within the Dark Avatar, Korra manages to extract Raava from him, before using his own purification technique to dissipate the Dark Avatar Spirit. She returns to the Spirit World, where she uses the last energy of the Harmonic Convergence to permanently merge with Raava again, though the connection to the past Avatars cannot be restored. Korra leaves both spirit portals open, ushering the world into a new era where spirits and mankind can coexist.''

Synopsis
President Raiko prepares for whatever danger is to hit Republic City. Soon, Unalaq and Vaatu arrive and begin destroying the city. The United Forces attempt to defend the city; however, they are unsuccessful in driving away the waterbender and spirit.

Meanwhile, Avatar Korra, Mako and Bolin are still unconscious from the attack. Tenzin, Kya and Bumi arrive and Kya heals the three using spirit water. When they awaken, Korra reveals that Unalaq has destroyed Raava, thus making Korra the last Avatar.

Unalaq continues to wreak havoc on Republic City, using Vaatu's power to fill the city with vines. Varrick, who was in his prison cell exercising, notices that one of the vines created a large hole in his prison cell enabling him and Zhu Li to escape.



Korra, who is grieving over the loss of Raava, goes with Tenzin to the Tree of Time. Inside, Korra sees all of her memories being played inside the tree. Tenzin explains that the tree records the memories of every person and never forgets anything. He tells her that the ancients used to meditate in the tree to connect with cosmic energy; he recommends her to meditate inside the tree and try the same thing the ancients once did. She watches as Wan asks Raava why she could not just kill Vaatu to which she tells him that one cannot exist without the other. Once one is destroyed, it is absorbed and reborn inside the other. Korra meditates and sees her Avatar spirit. Her spirit leaves her body and grows in size, and her soul leaves the Spirit World to find Unalaq.

Back in Republic City, Unalaq is prepared to end the city when Korra's spirit arrives and lands on him. Both release a blast of energy, but Korra's energy overwhelms Unalaq's. She throws him into the side of a nearby mountain and begins to search inside him for Raava. However, Unalaq tells her that what she is looking for does not exist anymore and knocks her back.

Meanwhile, dark spirits begin to arrive near The Tree of Time. Realizing they are after Korra, Team Avatar defends the tree. Bolin gets into trouble, however is saved when Desna and Eska come to the rescue and decide to help their cousin defeat Unalaq.



Unalaq attacks Korra and prepares to corrupt her soul. When he is about to finish the job, a bright light falls from the sky. Ikki, Meelo and Pema, who were watching the battle from Air Temple Island, look through their telescope and realize that the light is actually Jinora. Jinora then reveals a small orb of light deep inside Unalaq. Korra realizes the light is Raava, reaches inside Unalaq, and pulls her out. Korra then begins to purify Unalaq using his own technique, and he vanishes in a swirl of golden energy. Raava warns Korra that the Harmonic Convergence is almost over and that they must reconnect before it ends. Korra's spirit leaves Republic City and returns to her body.

Jinora returns to the Spirit World and tells her father she will see him soon. Jinora returns to her body where she wakes up in Katara's care. She then tells Katara, Asami, Tonraq, and Senna that Korra saved the whole world.

Korra leaves the tree and flies with Raava up to the connection of the two portals and they are re-bonded. Everyone soon runs over to Korra embracing her for what she did. Korra then walks over to her cousins and gives them her sympathy about their father to which the cousins claim they will not miss their father due to his misdeeds with his children and that he never really cared about them. Bolin asks Eska to move in with him in Republic City, however Eska declines. Thinking she did not want to leave her brother, Bolin invites Desna to come as well, but Eska explains that she and her brother must return to the Northern Water Tribe. Eska tells Bolin that he will always have a special place in "the organ that pumps [her] blood" and says goodbye to her "turtle duck".



Tenzin travels with Korra to the Northern Portal so she could close it. Before she closes it, Tenzin asks her if she is still connected to her past lives. Korra checks and tells Tenzin that connection is completely gone, possibly forever. When Korra is about to close the portal, she hesitates. She asks Tenzin if Unalaq was right, regarding humans and Spirits living together in harmony. Tenzin then explains to Korra that, being the Avatar, whatever decision she makes he will agree with.

The next day, Korra is at the Southern palace with Mako and Mako tells Korra the truth about their fight. Korra explains she knew about the fight and explains when she was in The Tree of Time, it replayed that memory for her. Mako then explains that the reason he did not tell her was because he did not want to hurt her and a part of him wished that fight never happened. Korra then explains to Mako that they have different goals in life, and what they had will never work out, thus ending their relationship. Korra kisses Mako and he tells her he will always love her.



Korra makes a speech at the South Pole explaining the Water Tribe Civil War has officially ended and the Southern Water Tribe is now completely independent from the North. Korra explains that the Council of Elders decided to make Tonraq the new chief, and that she left both portals open so peace can be brought to both worlds; spirits can visit the human world and humans can visit the Spirit World. She explains that even though spirits and humans can now live in harmony, Unalaq brought a lot of imbalance to the world and she will continue to use Raava's spirit in bringing peace and balance to both worlds. She declares she will no longer be the bridge between both worlds, and that a new age has begun. She explains that Harmonic Convergence had caused a shift in the planet's energy and the world as they know it will never be as it once was as spirits freely roam around the physical world once more.

Credits

 * Written by:
 * Michael Dante DiMartino


 * Directed by:
 * Ian Graham


 * Starring:
 * Janet Varney - Korra
 * David Faustino - Mako
 * P.J. Byrne - Bolin
 * J.K. Simmons - Tenzin
 * Adrian LaTourelle: Unalaq/Unavaatu
 * Seychelle Gabriel - Asami
 * Jeff Bennett - Radio broadcaster
 * Richard Riehle - Bumi
 * Aubrey Plaza - Eska
 * Aaron Himelstein - Desna
 * Lisa Edelstein - Kya
 * John Michael Higgins - Varrick
 * Mindy Sterling - Beifong
 * Kiernan Shipka - Jinora


 * Also starring:
 * Darcy Rose Byrnes - Ikki
 * Logan Wells - Meelo
 * Jonathan Adams - Vaatu/Unavaatu
 * Dante Basco - General Iroh
 * April Stewart - Raava
 * Spencer Garrett - President Raiko
 * Steven Yeun - Wan
 * Maria Bamford - Pema
 * Dee Bradley Baker - Bum-Ju

Series continuity

 * The title is a callback to Unalaq's advice to Korra in "The Southern Lights" on how to open the Southern spirit portal.
 * Korra's vision of her spiritual self in space is the same as Aang had when he was opening his chakras in order to gain control over the Avatar State in "The Guru".
 * Korra asks Tenzin for advice on what to do, and his response that he would support her whatever decision she made, is similar to Korra and Mako's conversation in "Rebel Spirit".
 * Korra's speech to the Southern Water Tribe about her role as the Avatar mirrors Wan's at the end of "Beginnings, Part 2".
 * Tenzin telling Korra to bend not the elements, but her own energy, mirrors the advice that the lion turtle gave Aang in "Sozin's Comet, Part 4: Avatar Aang".
 * The Southern Water Tribe Council of Elders chose Tonraq as the chief after the end of the Water Tribe Civil War, despite his heritage from the North, whom the South had been fighting.

Goofs

 * When Bumi carries Mako and Bolin through the spirit portal, Mako's gloves have disappeared.

Trivia

 * On November 15, 2013, Korra Nation challenged fans to reblog a short video posted by Janet Varney on their Tumblr ten thousand times within twelve hours of its posting; if they did so, "Light in the Dark" and "Darkness Falls" would be available on Nick.com at midnight that same night. The task was completed by Korra fans within two hours, thus prompting the unlocking of the episodes.
 * When the Dark Avatar lays seige to Republic City, it is reminiscent of early Godzilla films.