The kids have none of Pema's reservations. They've been waiting to be treated like grown-ups since they were born, and here's their big chance! Iki reminds her mom that their grandfather was a kid when he travelled the world to defeat the Fire Lord. Meelo insists that they will survive in the wild, excited about doing it, even refusing extra food. Pema has to inform Meelo that his favorite treat is packed with the extra food. Meelo varies between teenaged bravado and childish whining when his favorite treat has a smudge. Pema good-naturedly tells him to get used to smudged food in the wild.
Tenzin doesn't understand why Jinora hasn't been able to find Korra's spirit from Air Temple Island, but Jinora tells him she just needs to get far away from Republic City, away from the spiritual chatter, and she'll be able to focus. She tells her dad they'll be gone a few days. When Tenzin reminds the younger ones that Jinora's in charge, Meelo dismisses the instructions, ignoring his dad so he can issue the order to take off. It's Jinora, though, who's actually flying Pepper, and Pepper takes off when she calmly gives the order.
I can't actually fly the bison, but I can give orders!
Pema looks even more worried as the kids lift off from sight, but all Tenzin can do is put his arm around her shoulder and watch with her as the kids on their sky bison disappear into the distance.
First stop is some anonymous plateau with a fairgrounds on it. Meelo races off, frantic to find a bathroom, while Jinora quietly proceeds to a quiet corner, where spirits play, to start her spiritual search for Korra. When Jinora can't take Iki and Meelo's chatter any longer, Meelo tells Iki they're canvassing the nearby village with a detailed pencil sketch of Korra he says he drew. He tries to look mysterious as he tells Iki he has lots of talents. One wonders if lying about drawing pictures is one of them, but Iki and Meelo are too busy heading off for adventure.
The town, in the valley surrounding the plateau fairgrounds, is covered in pro-Kuvira banners. And the elderly lady they see has no time to look at Korra's portrait, because Meelo is just too cute. And his cheeks are just right for scrunching. She doesn't see Meelo as the mature man of mystery and danger that he is. Iki is mildly amused by the whole situation- Meelo is stewing as he demands his sister never speak of this, and demands they leave the town. Pepper flies off with them in the sunset.
Totally sure this will be quick
The next town is even sadder, as the guy drinking was not aware there still was an Avatar. Another town provides no information, but the tweenie girl Meelo approaches is impressed with his mission. Especially when Meelo uses it to flirt with her. Iki puts and end to it with her teasing, and insistence that they're moving on, but Meelo gets a flower out of the young lady, named Tuya. He rants that Iki just chased away the love of his life while he tosses the flower he just got from her aside.
Their first real lead is the fishing village Korra visited six months ago. Meelo is wandering, not even bothering to canvas for Korra, when he catches a familiar face and excitedly calls his sisters over. Iki expects to see Korra, but it's only a photo. The fisherman recounts how the Avatar was there six months ago, and Meelo is smug as he points out he got this lead. His smugness turns to frustration when the old man points out that she didn't look good when she was there. Meelo walks off in a huff, while Jinora and Iki remember that Meelo has always been this petulant and demanding.
Somebody needs a sit-down with Gloria Steinem
Korra has her own unsatisfactory companion. She's eager to do something, anything. But Toph is only interested in reclining on some conveniently placed rocks. Korra tries to get a little story time out of her: Toph can only remember that Sokka fell in a hole the day Aang learned earth bending, and that a big lion showed up on the day they defeated the Fire Lord. Her versions of the old stories leave something to be desired, and Toph can't stand Korra's fidgeting. So, she sends the Avatar off into the swamp, past the big boulder, in search of slimy mushrooms. Korra is bored enough to be happy to go.
Iki has made a terrible discovery- their food reserve is missing. Meelo announces, happily, that he threw it in the river to satisfy his living-off-the-land-fantasy. When he announces they'll be hunting for food, Iki reminds him that they're vegetarians. Meelo is undaunted while he waves a stick, with his lemur, Poki, on his shoulder. Jinora wants them both to shut up so she can meditate. With an uncooperative little brother, and an unconcerned older sister, is it any wonder that Iki decides to wander the forest alone, complaining about Meelo's farting and Jinora's detachment?
Iki has to chase down a forest squirrel after scaring it away from its breakfast, but she ends up losing her balance in the air and collapsing in a clearing. The squirrel manages to forgive her, but Iki soon is more interested in the fact that the clearing was made by people who cut down all the trees in the area. She's quickly spotted by two Earth Empire Soldiers, one of whom can bend earth to trap her hands and feet.
The soldiers quickly tie her to a chair in their barracks, and demand that they admit she's spying on them. Iki refutes the charge, crying as she predicts how disappointed her dad, Tenzin will be if they don't succeed in finding the Avatar. The older soldier, with a bushy mustache, wants a sidebar with the bender. He's figured out who this kid must be, and that her mission would be extremely interesting to Kuvira. We see a suspiciously familiar bag under the table in the barracks, and we also see Iki take her arm out and back into the ropes binding her to the chair, which means she's only sitting down as a courtesy.
When the soldiers agree to take her to Kuvira, they turn back to her and ask if she'd like to take them to her brother and sister; but Iki didn't run away from them so she could go back. She wants to stay in the barracks with her new friends. When the soldiers tell her that they have treats for her brother and sister, Iki gets suspicious of their source, especially when the bending soldier takes out a handwritten note about someone being Pema's special little man. Iki makes it clear to the soldiers that she doesn't want to see her stupid brother and sister, and would rather snack on the treats her mom made with them. The bending soldier is happy to feed a macaroon directly into her open mouth, but 'Stache loses his temper.
Making new friends with cookies!
Korra proceeds down the path, now worried that she's going to find more than mushrooms as it gets darker and closer. Behind a layer of tree fronds, is the vision she's been dreading: at one point, Amon takes away her bending, and she collapses again. At another point, Tonraq is forcing Raava out of her, to break her connection with past Avatars. At the last, Zaheer is poisoning her, to break the whole Avatar cycle. Korra lets out a cry of fear, and Zaheer and his acolytes turn to notice her. Her fear returns her to reality, where she's on all fours in a creek.
Meelo finally returns to camp, with a bag of berries. He's obviously eaten his fill, and offers them to Jinora. He says they're delicious, but Jinora's not buying his smile made weak with nausea. When he actually throws up into a nearby bush, Jinora throws the bag away and can give only a sarcastic comment about living on the land. She then asks if Meelo saw Iki, and when the two realize she's probably lost, Meelo can't believe the inconvenience to himself, acting as if it rests on him to do everything. Jinora gets annoyed at this point, and reminds Meelo that this is their mission, and he certainly hasn't been doing everything.
Well, he did manage to find poisonous berries
Iki has the two soldiers listening intently to her story. She's still bound in the chair, but the soldiers are really only keeping her prisoner in theory- she's happy to stay, snack on her mom's cookies, and gripe about Jinora and Meelo. In return, the soldiers confide that they've been left out of a massive troop movement to Zao Fu (Suyin's city - major plot hint!), and that once the Earth Empire has been totally re-united, they'll be left out of the party too. Iki laments with them- her brother and sister won't even let her help find the Avatar. The soldiers totally relate, and offer to help her, unrolling a map on the table in front of her.
Iki reveals that they've been traveling the West Coast of the Earth Realm; with only one lead, six months ago. 'Stache tells Iki pretty firmly that with so many soldiers stationed throughout the Earth Realm, they would have heard if she'd been seen anywhere. When Iki actually takes both arms out of her ropes and points to a big green blob in the center of the Earth Realm, 'Stache doesn't believe Korra could be there- they certainly don't have any soldiers there.
Oh, yeah, she'd never be in an isolated area
Iki is sure that Korra would be where no one goes, to get the alone time she'd been wanting. The soldiers are happy to have helped, and are about to untie Iki when the door is blasted open. Meelo and Jinora send another blast, throwing the soldiers against the wall, out cold. They tell Iki she's being rescued, but Iki tells them she's actually been getting a lot done with the soldiers' help. She takes the bag of reserve food back, slung over her shoulder, and tells them she knows where Korra is. Before leaving, Iki leaves each soldier one of her mother's treats for each of them. Because they've earned it.
Korra has forgotten about the mushroom-gathering, even if Toph didn't. When Toph finds Korra despondent while resting on a massive set of swamp roots, she asks for her dinner. All Korra has for her is a sad story of seeing her enemies hurting her again. Toph casts Korra's sadness aside. Yeah, she thought that might happen. Oh well. When Korra is hurt that Toph knowingly sent her to Fear Central, Toph explains that the swamp is trying to teach her what's been holding her back. She's been afraid of her past enemies, pushed there by one close call too many. But, maybe she could learn something from her past suffering, instead of letting it make her afraid.
Don't mind me, I'm just wallowing
Amon was obsessed with equality; Tonraq with spiritual awakening; Zaheer, with freedom. Their problem, and why they became villains, is that they took their ideals to extremes, blinded to the opposites necessary to create balance. Between equality and differing abilities; between spiritual connection and compassion for the human world; between freedom and order. Korra could learn something about balance from them. She could use her suffering to better understand how to bring about balance. And Toph knows just the place Korra can reconnect with her mission of balance. She makes Korra get up, stop despairing, and follow her to the Banyon Grove Tree.
Iki, Meelo, and Jinora are flying on Pepper. In addition to Poki, they've got a new animal friend - Iki's pal the squirrel, who stays close to her. They approach the swamp from above, and it's a collection of murky greens below clouds in the warm glow of sunset. Jinora pauses from piloting duty to briefly meditate. The swamp is indeed filled with spiritual energy. It would be, if it was the one place in the Earth Realm without human settlements. But, Jinora doesn't sense Korra and agrees with Meelo, who thinks searching the swamp will be a waste of time. Iki insists on giving it a chance, but Jinora turns Pepper around.
The swamp, though, has other ideas, and while Pepper is changing course, vines strike from the swamp, enclosing on Pepper's torso and dragging the sky bison down. They disappear into the murky green foliage, and crash into a pond in the swamp. Pepper and Meelo immediately get to work, blasting and ripping vines apart, until Pepper is free. Then, the team has a chance to debate why the vines pulled them down in the first place. Iki insists that the vines know that Korra is here, and the swamp itself wants them to find Korra here. Jinora repeats that she didn't feel Korra's spirit. Iki reminds her that she hasn't felt Korra's spirit the whole time they've been searching. Meelo doesn't care either way. He's grousing that he's never doing a co-ed mission again. Iki hangs her head in exasperation.
The Banyon Grove Tree is an ancient masterpiece of roots, combining together in a massive thing that isn't really a tree. It's like, if a tree was a castle. It's the Grand Canyon of trees. It's so massive, and so old, that its roots spread for miles. It's probably been Toph's source of information on the world, too. Placed in the center of the swamp, it has a view of the countryside all around. And it connects the spirit energies of the swamp as well. Toph has brought her here because Korra has decided to cut herself off from her friends, and from life; it's time to reconnect.
I guess I should have brought you here first. Oh well.
Korra gingerly kneels down and carefully places a hand on one of the roots. Energy immediately leaps from her hand, down the root, traveling and taking Korra's vision with it. It zooms through the swamp, finding the exact location of Meelo and Iki fighting over who to listen to. Jinora feels Korra make contact right away. When she turns and calls out to Korra, her brother and sister instantly stop fighting, and the whole team gets Pepper in the air right away.
Korra turns to Toph, to tell her the great news; she's just seen her friends, and they're here! And they're coming. Toph hopes it means she'll soon be rid of her charge. The three kids can't wait until Pepper reaches the Banyon Grove Tree. Once they see Korra, they leap off, open their suits and fly themselves to Korra's arms for a long, satisfying, well-earned group hug.
Get ready to be hugged to your limit!
Toph gets her introduction, first finding out the kids are the grandchildren of her old friends; and then Meelo puts the pieces together, declaring her Toph! Meelo's attitude gives Toph some hope for the next generation, as the kids admit they all helped find Korra. They also tell Korra that she's got to wrap up her spiritual journey. They tell her the world needs her, as Korra's face shows she doesn't think she can help this time.
It's crunch time in Toph's cave. It's night, there's a good fire blazing, and Korra is trying to face her fears so she can relax enough for the metallic poisoning to be removed. Toph repeats that she won't be doing it- her last attempt failed, and she doesn't want Korra messing up any other attempts. Korra has to clear her mind, focus on finding the metal and letting it escape, and not freak out! Korra's first attempt gives her another vision that makes her afraid; Toph reminds her that the fight is in the past; she needs to release the fear and focus on this fight with the microscopic globules of metal that start to re-appear on Korra's skin.
Korra's in the Zone now, as she works the last of the metal out of her system, and sends it gliding in the air towards Toph, who has a hollowed out rock ready to take it and seal it for good. Toph gives Korra her first compliment, as Korra did what Lin and Suyin did not. Korra found all the metal, and bent it out. And she faced her fear, ready to learn from her suffering. The kids cheer for Korra as she immediately reaches the Avatar State that has eluded her for three years. Korra quickly returns to reality, gratefully telling Toph that she feels lighter from removing the burden of her fear and the metallic poison.
Bye bye, fear!
Toph is pleased enough with Korra to allow herself to be hugged, with Korra does gently, realizing that connecting to people isn't Toph's strength, but letting one learn what she needs to learn on her own is. Toph can only mutter that she's ready for some peace and quiet as Korra and kids call out their goodbyes from Pepper, already in the sky and headed for home. Kicking the Avatar's butt for a couple days is fun, but can get boring. And the noise when other kids show up is unbearable.
Was Toph's indifference to Korra's healing real? Or was it an act to help Korra make her own discoveries, learn from her own failures? Why wait so long to bring Korra to the Banyon Grove Tree? Did it require a certain state of mind?
Will Kuvira really allow the swamp to be uninhabited and full of untameable spiritual energy for long? Or is her plan for the spirit vine extracted from Republic City part of a plan to take the swamp? And how long until the poop hits the fan, with Kuvira's troops massing at Zao Fu? Something tells me that Suyin may not be a matriarch much longer. And how will Bataar Jr. feel if his hometown is destroyed for Kuvira's Empire?
Korra has now learned that her enemies, though out of balance themselves, could help her learn how to achieve balance in the world. If she can release her fear long enough to find out how freedom, equality, and spirit combine into one. Is Kuvira ready for Korra's return? Kuvira has probably been preparing for the Avatar's eventual return to challenge her rule. For now, Kuvira's been content to amass serious military hardware and a vast army. Will they be enough to defeat Raava? Will Raava be able to defeat the most advanced war machine ever assembled?
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