"What do you mean, close the portals?" Asami asked. She wasn't sure she'd heard Tenzin right. If Korra defeated UnaVaatu, why would the portals need to close?
Tenzin frowned at her. "I mean permanently seal the portals," he said. "That was the Avatar's whole purpose in coming here. As soon as Korra comes back, she needs to close them for good."
"But why?" said Asami. "Korra said Vaatu can only break out of prison during this harmonic convergence thing. She said that only happens every 10,000 years. If she's able to imprison Vaatu again, then there is no reason to close the portal right away."
Tenzin's frown deepened. "Of course there is. Even without Vaatu, leaving a way open between our world and the Spirit World is incredibly dangerous. The first Avatar, Avatar Wan, sealed them for a reason that had nothing to do with Vaatu. We've both seen what happens when spirits are unleashed into our world, and humans have no business here, either. What if someone just wandered into the Spirit World one day?"
Asami glanced back at the direction Iroh had gone. She could just see him, a small black dot cresting a distant rise. "Tenzin, someone has."
Tenzin followed her gaze. "I know," he said softly.
"Then Korra can't close the portals yet!" Asami said. "Not until we know for sure if Iroh found… whatever it is he's looking for. He just left. It could be hours or even days before we know if he's successful."
"We can't wait for him," Tenzin said quietly. His face was pale. "Whatever happens to Unalaq if Korra is the victor, there is no guarantee that someone else won't step into his place. Even if Vaatu is imprisoned, there is no end to the trouble that someone could cause by stirring up dark spirits again. The portals need to close, Asami." He glanced again at Iroh's retreating form. "And I'd be very surprised if General Iroh didn't know that."
Asami followed Tenzin's gaze to Iroh again and saw him disappear among the rocks that lined the rim of the crater. Honestly, Korra closing the portals while Iroh was still inside the Spirit World had never occurred to her. If Iroh had considered the possibility, he hadn't mentioned it, either. Which, considering that sealing the portals had been Korra's goal only a few hours before, was a stunning oversight on both their parts.
"But if Iroh came back and the portals were shut, he'd be trapped here."
"He might be." Tenzin's voice was grave. "But if we don't close them, spirits will continue to be able to flood into our world. You've seen what they can do. It would bring havoc, even without an instigator. It could put millions of people in danger. We can't take that chance. The world can't take that chance." Tenzin's gray eyes met hers. "I've known General Iroh a long time, Asami. He wouldn't take that chance, either."
"He doesn't want to die here, Tenzin!" she snapped. "I know that much, I don't care how far you two go back. Is there even food in the Spirit World? He has nothing, there wasn't time, we can't… we can't…"
"Asami," Tenzin said. "Iroh would trust the Avatar's instincts, just as his mother and grandfather trusted my father. I know he would. Look me in the eye and tell me otherwise."
Asami couldn't do it. She knew what Iroh would say. She hated him for it.
"We'll wait as long as we can," said Tenzin. "That's the most I can promise him."
Asami turned her back on him and walked away.
Asami sat on a rock a little ways from the giant tree. She ran every argument that she could think of through her head. Of course, if Iroh couldn't find a way to Republic City and had to come back through the spirit portals he would be in danger anyway, but Asami was determined to tackle one problem at a time. As Iroh had said, the shortcut was just a theory, and she had no intention of leaving him without a way out in case it failed. She couldn't fight all of Team Avatar by herself though, especially if Korra entered the mix. Her only chance was to talk her way in to convincing Tenzin and the Avatar to keep the portals open.
She heard steps approaching behind her. Then, to her surprise, Bolin sat down next to her on the ground.
"I heard you and Tenzin yelling," he said. "You okay?"
"Hi, Bolin" she said. It was about the only conversation she could manage.
"Why don't you just tell Korra not to close them?" he asked earnestly.
"What?"
"Ask her not to close the portals for a while," Bolin said. "Tenzin will listen to Korra. Everyone listens to Korra. You know, it's all, 'Oooh, Avatar, I trust the instincts of the Avatar.' And you know"—Bolin glanced significantly back at Mako, who had rejoined Bumi and Kya by the tree—"it's not like Korra doesn't owe you. For… you know. Stuff."
"You really think she would listen to me over Tenzin?" Asami asked. She hadn't thought of simply asking.
Bolin shrugged. "Tenzin is her teacher. You're her friend." Asami smiled, then stood. She put one hand on his shoulder and squeezed.
"Thanks, Bolin," she said. She walked back to where Tenzin stood.
"Tenzin," she said. "Can I… can I see Korra?"
Tenzin nodded. "Of course. You understand that she can't hear you though. Her consciousness is with her spirit."
"I understand," Asami said. "I'd like to see her anyway, if you don't mind." Tenzin nodded again, then walked over to where Bumi, Kya, and Mako stood with Unalaq's twins. He spoke softly for a moment and then the whole group moved back, evidently to give her some space.
Asami walked over to the enormous tree. From its base it looked even bigger, like standing at the base of a skyscraper. It's bark was thick and gnarled, but worn almost smooth with what she assumed must be whatever kind of weather they had in the Spirit World. The crack in the tree itself was more than six feet off the ground, but she found that she could reach it easily by using the massive roots as stairs.
The gap in the tree opened into a surprisingly large space, perhaps the size of a bedroom, with a flat floor and a tall, vaulted ceiling. It looked less like a natural opening from inside, seeming instead to have been carved from the inside out by some expert craftsman. It was dim, but not dark. In the center of the opening, cross-legged on the floor, sat Korra.
Her eyes were closed, her hands resting loosely on her knees. If she hadn't been sitting up, Asami would have thought that she was sleeping. She'd seen deep meditation, of course, but this seemed like even more than that. There was an odd sense of absence, somehow. Whatever Korra was doing, it was clear that she wasn't here. Still, Asami had to try.
She walked over to Korra's body and knelt down beside her. The Avatar didn't move. Up close, it was hard to tell that she was even breathing.
"Korra," Asami whispered. "I don't know if you can hear me. But if you can, please. Listen. I need you to leave the spirit portals open, okay? Please. Everyone trusts you. Tenzin trusts you. Iroh trusts you. I… I trust you. I haven't asked for much. But if you ever, even in your deepest heart, thought that you owed me, or had something to atone for, please. Please, leave them open. Please. Just in case."
Korra opened her eyes.