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Korra's POV

After a few tries I managed to get up, stumbling on the stairs going even higher than before. Finally when I couldn't walk anymore I leaned against the wall and slowly sat down, gasping for air. Aang forgot to mention that opening the chakras was this intense. Asa gave me a cup of water and I immediately gulped it down, nodding my head in thanks when I finished.

"We're almost done," he assured me, sitting down next to me.

"What's next?" I simply replied. I wanted to finish this already.

"Located in the forehead is the light chakra," Asa continued. "It deals with insight and is blocked by illusion. The greatest illusion of this world is that of separation. Things you think are separate and different are actually one and the same."

When I closed my eyes, the woman's words from the rally, the event that had made me snap came to mind. 'You're our Avatar too!'

"Like Benders and Nonbenders," I replied, opening my eyes. "We are all one people. Being able to Bend or not doesn't make you any different."

He smiled and nodded at this. "That's right," the guru answered. "The Avatar cycle is also just one spirit that is born again and again. Each is different but their values are the same."

"We're all connected," I added. "Just like the guy in the swamp said. Everything is connected."

"That's right," he said before standing up.

I tried doing the same but I was just completely exhausted. I hadn't slept well for the last couple of days. Well, try a couple of years but Jason had been helping, even sleeping over at Mako's apartment had helped. Now everything was tumbling down on me.

Howl saw this and walked over to me, helping me stand and keeping me steady as we walked up. When we were near the top I pulled away from his hold and walked over to Asa, who was already sitting down. It was night time now and all the stars shined above us. I had to admit that it was beautiful out here.

"This is the last chakra, right?" I asked, a hint of hopefulness in my voice. Please, I mentally begged.

The monk chuckled at this and nodded. "Let us begin."

Senna's POV

Korra had been gone for three days. Three whole days. She hadn't even given us a chance to tell her that we had decided for her to keep Jason. But now…her abandonment did not help her case and Tenzin was trying to force Tonraq and I to take him away but we couldn't. We wouldn't.

Her absence had been tough on the boy, though he didn't seem at all surprised that she had left. It was like she had told him, and he had accepted it. It surprised me how understanding he was with her, despite his young age. It was as if both of them depended on the other, and he was suffering as much as she was.

I went to his room late at night when I heard sniffing sounds. I walked in to find him by the window, looking out, waiting for her to come back. I remembered the five years I had waited for her, and knew the anguish he felt, waiting for someone you didn't know would come back.

As I got closer, I noticed he was holding something in his hand. Jason turned to look at me and I held out my arms, which he took. I sat him on my lap and looked outside the window. We both sat in silence, both of our thoughts swirling around my daughter.

"I miss Korra," he whimpered, looking at me. I watched as tears fell down his cheeks and I brushed my thumb against them to wipe them away.

"I do too," I admitted. "She'll be back soon."

"She promised to come back," Jason whispered, looking at what he was holding. It took me a moment to realize it was picture though I couldn't see exactly what it was of.

"Shh," I soothed, rocking him in my arms. "Go to sleep."

The boy snuggled his head under my neck as he looked down to his hand. I grabbed a blanket nearby and he lit a small flame in his hand, to see the picture when I blocked the moonlight.

I watched as Jason held the photo in his tiny grasp. I moved my head to get a better look and saw it was, unsurprisingly, the one of him and Korra that day at the fair. In the picture Jason had his arms wrapped around my daughter's neck from behind, his dimpled smile bright as he looked at the camera. But Korra's head was turned away, so that she was staring at Jason, and I could see the beginnings of a smile on her face.

This was all the proof needed for me to know that she'd be back. The affection in her eyes was enough.

Asa's POV

Korra was doing great. The emotional turmoil she had kept bottled up inside was finally being released which is why she was so tired. I gave her a few moments for her to compose herself, giving her water and allowing her to rest. After a moment she nodded at me.

"Once you open this chakra, you will be able to go in and out of the Avatar State at will," I told her. "And when you are in the Avatar State, you will have complete control and awareness of all your actions."

The young Avatar seemed pensive at this, and for a moment I thought that perhaps she hadn't been listening but then her eyes locked with mine and she gave me a sharp nod. I tilted my head to the side. There had been something in her eyes…something I had not seen there before. I shook the thought out of my head before beginning.

"The thought chakra is located at the crown of the head," I said. "It deals with pure cosmic energy, and is blocked by earthly attachment. Meditate on what attaches you to this world."

Korra closed her eyes once again, connecting her fists and controlling her breathing. I saw her lips twitch into a smile and it wasn't hard to guess who she was thinking about. The small boy she had bonded with. Her smile faded a bit and I used the abilities the Spirits had given me to see her thoughts, using the water nearby.

The sentry seemed amazed at this, looking at the sphere and the thoughts that swirled around the young Avatars mind. There was a Firebender she was attached to. A memory of her kissing him came to view. Her parents, Katara and the Airbenders also made an appearance. I sighed putting the water away. Here came the hard part. I braced myself.

"Now, let all of those attachments go," I said. "Let them go down the river, forgotten."

"What?" Korra asked, opening her eyes. "Why would I let go of Jason? He needs me. And I need him."

"You have to learn to let him and everyone else go, or you can't let the cosmic energy flow in."

"I'm not letting him go," she replied, her voice going cold.

"You must learn to let go," I repeated.

The Water Tribe girl stood, fists clenched at her sides. "No," she replied before turning around to leave.

"Korra!" I shouted, getting up as well. "By choosing attachment you have locked the chakra! If you leave now you won't be able to go into the Avatar State at all!"

She stopped in her tracks before looking over her shoulder at me. I saw the same thing in her eyes that I had before we began the process to unlock the last chakra. I straightened at this.

"That's what you wanted, isn't it?"

There was a moment of silence. "I can't risk hurting people," Korra whispered.

"If you master this chakra, you won't hurt anyone," I tried, reasoning with her.

"Don't you understand?" Korra cried. "The Avatar State is a defense mechanism. I'm cautious all the time but one wrong move and it won't matter who's with me!"

"No, no," I told her. "That's not how it works; you will be able to enter at will. You have control over your actions, over your emotions."

"I can't take that chance, Asa," she repeated.

"Korra, listen to him," Howl, the sentry, practically begged. I could tell he cared about the Avatar. And he wanted to help. But I think we both knew this was a losing battle.

The young Avatar said nothing as she took off running down the steps. I didn't go after her. I could see that there would be no changing her mind. She was set on believing that she would never have control over her actions.

I had failed in helping her.