Pavi and Nisha find shelter with the Faceless, but their future with the bandits is quickly left in doubt. Jae discovers Kayoko's disastrous plan and must reach the girls before it's too late!
The Anomaly feeds on fear. Nothing is more frightening than the return of the Avatar. Ellora believes Korra caused the Cataclysm. They live like this because of the Avatar. They've become consumed by this fear. Kayoko cannot listen to reason. She sees all her actions as justified because she's battling the most dangerous threat. She refuses to take responsibility for the destruction she causes. Everything in Ellora worsens under her leadership. She blames the Avatar. That's the easier path. She refuses to look inward to see the role her actions played. The same is likely true of the Cataclysm. Korra probably played a central role. It's not solely on the Avatar to keep balance. The threats are based on how the people decide to act. Spirit energy is incredibly dangerous. Far too often people are willing to mess with forces they don't understand. The Avatar must keep the balance between the human and spirit worlds. That doesn't make the Avatar the expert on everything that's happening. Pavi and Nisha don't have a greater understanding of the Anomaly. They simply know they can fend it off better than the people of Ellora. As such, they are willing to face the danger together. They will only do so to a point though. Fear still dictates their lives as well.
Pavi is afraid of being seen as the Avatar. Nisha is afraid of losing control. Nisha was confronted by her trauma. It plagues her when she starts to bend. The Avatar is initially welcomed by the Faceless. They have a lot in common. They are all being hunted by Kayoko. They want the chance for a better and more peaceful life. Nisha is finally celebrated as the Avatar. The Faceless cheer. The children want to see her bend. She can't deliver. The expectations are too much. She will only be invited onto the journey to Republic Forest if she can bend. If not, then it's not worth the risk. Even Agam comes to that conclusion. She needs a benefit to protect the Avatar. She likes Pavi and Nisha. She recognized their strength right away. She also knows they are spiritually blocked. Balance is off within them. She provides guidance on chakras. The root chakra is based in survival. It is blocked by fear. Pavi is more willing to admit she doesn't want to be the Avatar. She expresses her fear. She doesn't take action to change it. She's fine as her sister will carry the mantle. Nisha's position has changed. She also lies about her bending disappearing. She can still access it. The Twin Avatars remain repressed. They can accomplish some feats. They won't fully be unleashed until they're in better spiritual alignment.
Pavi saw the chakras when she connected with the Anomaly. She also sees her parents. Nisha knows the memory the Anomaly is forcing them to confront. She refuses to engage. She doesn't want Pavi to either. They don't have time to confront their past. The threat in the present is far more pressing and dangerous. It's so reckless for Kayoko to direct the spirit energy to the Old World Ruins where the Faceless are hiding. Ellora didn't know what lurked beneath the Haven. Kayoko believes she has stumbled upon the Avatar's secret weapon. She aims to use it herself. She will make any sacrifice to ensure that happens. Jae's horrified upon seeing how far she'll go. Datu only questions the tactics implemented once the Anomaly keeps growing. It can't be contained. So long as fear exists it will keep spreading. It's terrifying simply when it bubbles over the surface. Agam is very skilled as a bender. She can only delay the inevitable. The spirit energy keeps coming. This facility beneath the Haven may have kept it contained for two centuries. This is the energy that ended the world. It continues to inflict damage. Kayoko aims to use it against those who have betrayed her. She sees the Avatar as the ultimate enemy deserving of that vitriol.
Pavi and Nisha accept Jae's apology. He comes to warn them about Kayoko's plan. He's too late to stop it from happening. He doesn't even have time to acknowledge how far Datu has been willing to go to serve Kayoko. The Chancellor still questions Jae's loyalties. That's why she doesn't keep him informed about the plan or the location of the White Lotus. Karthik pleads with Kayoko not to tangle with such a dangerous force. She doesn't know what she's doing. She doesn't believe anything he has to say. He conspired with the Avatar. And so, all of his words have been tainted. He's trying to end the world. That's the role of the Avatar. That's how she sees things. She has no doubts. She weaponizes fear too. It's not hers. She obviously has it. It has driven her into full-on villainy. She sees the explosion of spirit energy as retaliation. It's not the root of what she did. Instead, it's the power on display from the Avatar. Pavi and Nisha can't control the Anomaly. They don't know what it wants or how to defeat it. They are lucky to have Jae who is loyal to Team Avatar. Agam won't forget what they did to save her people. The Faceless have been captured. Kayoko has succeeded in subjecting everyone to her rule. She will imprison those who betrayed her society. Pavi and Nisha escape. Jae has a plan. That may not be enough in the face of growing spirit energy.
