Beginnings, Part 2

"Beginnings, Part 2" is the eighth episode of Book Two: Spirits of The Legend of Korra and the 20th episode of the overall series. It was aired on October 12, 2013, for select cosplayers chosen among the attendees of the The Legend of Korra panel at the New York Comic-Con, and premiered on Nickelodeon on October 18, 2013.

Overview
Korra realizes what she must do to restore balance to the physical and spirit worlds.''

Plot
While traveling with Mula, Wan was disturbed by loud rumblings and he noticed that several spirits and animals fled from the noise. He investigated and reached a clearing where he found the source of the disturbance: an ongoing battle between the spirits Raava and Vaatu. Concerned about the destruction of the environment, Wan approached the two cautiously and begged them to stop. As he came closer though, Vaatu addressed him, begging Wan to free him from Raava's grip, tricking Wan in to thinking Raava was maleficent. Under the impression he was helping, Wan firebent at Raava's arms, freeing Vaatu. As the spirit made his escape, Wan was scolded by an angry Raava, who explained to him Vaatu's dark nature. Wan immediately tried to apologize but Raava demanded that he not interfere with her again.

Later, Wan discovered some Air Nomads and was thrilled to see people for the first time in ages. Frightened, the Nomads left and Wan was amazed when he found that they utilized air in a similar way to how he controlled fire. He tried followed them and nearly went over a cliff. Wan noticed one Nomad running towards him; believing the nomad would kick him off, Wan was surprised when he saw the nomad floating towards a lion turtle that was floating in the air. Wan eventually made his way onto the lion turtle and introduced himself to the Nomads. Immediately, Vaatu controlled the spirits on the island and began to terrorize the inhabitants. Wan tried to fight them off, but both Raava and Vaatu arrived. After gloating how he will destroy Raava, Vaatu fled with the Dark spirits. Confused, the Nomads asked why the spirits attacked; Wan explained himself and resolved to beat Vaatu by asking the lion turtle to grant him the power of air. Initially, the lion turtle declined but Wan was determined to undo the damage he had done. The lion turtle agreed and granted Wan the ability to bend air.

Raava warned Wan that every time Vaatu gained power, her strength waned; she also goes on to say that in one year, the Harmonic Convergence will occur and Vaatu will destroy everything around them. During the next year, Raava helps Wan master firebending and airbending as well as water and earthbending. Near the end of the year, Wan and Raava found a ravaged section of forest; it was discovered that Wan's friends and family left their city to create their own but were being attacked by spirits. Wan recognized several of the spirits from the oasis but they were soon corrupted by Vaatu, forcing him to fight them off with Raava. He ultimately fails in the attempt, and all the humans are wiped out by Vaatu's forces.

Raava, in a severely weakened state, asked Wan to travel to the southern portal for the convergence. In the final battle with Vaatu, Wan is severely beaten despite his bending abilities. As the convergence begins, Wan, in a desperate gamble, asks Raava to fuse with him and they become one entity, creating the Avatar Spirit. After beating back Vaatu and imprisoning him with all four elements inside a tree, Wan makes it his mission to bring peace to the world while acting as the bridge between spirits and humans to avoid another disaster. To do so, he has all of the spirits leave the material world, and return to the spirit world.

Many years later, an elderly Wan, seconds away from death, is seen laying amidst a war-torn battlefield and near death. He laments that despite all his efforts, chaos and destruction still exist in the world. Raava tells him that she will always be with him for all his lifetimes; Wan then passes away and the Avatar cycle begins.

After this, Korra awakens with her memory intact and the Fire Sages ask her who she is. Korra replies that she is the Avatar and knows what must be done. The head sage takes Korra outside to a herd of sky bison that were saved after the Hundred Year War. Korra takes one and flies off back towards the South Pole.

Trivia

 * One of the Lion Turtle cities shown is located in a place similar to real-world Monument Valley in Utah and Arizona, USA. Formations resembling left- and right-mitten buttes are seen.
 * The sky bison Korra departed with had a missing tip of its horn like Appa's mother.