Hey Guys! Here is Chapter 2 of A Reaper Among Benders. So after the wonderful CaptainAsh did the first chapter, my story starts with this chapter.
saddas74: I'm slowly building up Ichigo in the story if I told who he was, where he came from, or how he got his powers all at once then it wouldn't be much of a story now wouldn't it. You will learn a little bit of Ichigo's past in this chapter though if that helps. Also, this story technically is being told in Korra's timeline but I don't want to spoil the chapter so have a read and PM if you have any questions.
Shiro Shinobi: The Southern Water Tribe is under siege! When Avatar Korra was attacked by a dark spirit, a mysterious teen jumped out to help her. After a little fight, Unalaq was the only one who calmed it down. So, Korra turned her back on Tenzin and chose Unalaq as her new spiritual mentor. This mysterious teen soon left after but not before giving a name. Tenzin and his family left for a vacation at the Southern Air Temple, while Korra remained in the Water Tribe. Will she be able to restore balance between humans and spirits? And who is this "Ichigo Kurosaki"? Stay tuned to find out.
Ichigo: Who is he talking to?
Korra: I have no idea. We think it is just a side effect from his job as an announcer at the Pro-Bending arena.
Ichigo: I'm still wondering who is talking to? Cause nobody here except us, wherever here is.
Korra: Let's leave him be and get out of here.
Shiro: Welcome back, folks! Now we begin our next chapter of our story.
Ichigo: Wait what?
"HOLLOW ICHIGO/ZANGETSU"
"Flashbacks/Thoughts"
"Normal Speaking"
Legend of Korra and all related characters belong to Nickelodeon, Bryan Konietzko and Michael DiMartino
BLEACH and all related characters belong to Tite Kubo
The Southern Lights
"That Water Tribe guy, he doesn't feel right to me." An orange haired, black clad teen spoke to himself as he was walking the tundra of the south pole.
"What's wrong, king?" A warped voice in the back of his head spoke.
"Oh you're back. I was wondering where you went?" Ichigo thought back.
"Huh? You were worried about me, little baby?" The voice insulted him.
"What? No you idiot just thinking whose butt I should kick around here." The black clad teen retorted in thought. He was so in distracted with the voice that he didn't notice that he was passing some water tribe huts and bumped into an equally distracted avatar, knocking her down.
"OOOPPPPHHHH! HEY WATCH WHERE YOU ARE GOING?!" Ichigo shouted to the person not knowing who they were.
"WHY DON'T YOU!?" The voice replied. Ichigo looked at the speaker. She was wearing a dark blue hooded parka lined with fur, pale blue baggy pants with an animal pelt tied to her waist with a belt, and a pair of beige boots. She had tanned skin, bright blue eyes, and her hair was a long dark brown colour split into three wolf tails. Two of them in the front, hanging down framing her face and one in the back, put up so it can stay out of her face. She looked up to her assailant.
"Oh it's you from last night." The girl spoke up when she caught his eyes.
"How do you do, Avatar?" The orange haired swordsman exchanged pleasantries, "Here let me help you up." He said offering his hand to help her up.
"Sorry about that, I was occupied with some thoughts." Ichigo apologized.
"Oh you're such a gentleman." The Avatar teased. Ichigo turned his head to the side and started to blush.
"Shut up, why don't you just take an apology, Avatar?" He retorted, still offering his hand. She took it and helped her up pretty easily. Noting his strength, Korra was helped up and started to brush off some excess snow from her pelt.
"The name is not Avatar. It's Korra." At those words, Ichigo's mind went back to a memory long ago.
"Well I'm off, Soul Reaper." A girl's voice echoed in his mind.
"The name is not Soul Reaper. It's Ichigo Kurosaki." Ichigo's own voice echoed back.
"My name is Rukia Kuchiki." The girl replied back.
The orange haired teen turned his shocked face to his normal, scowling one before she could notice. The water tribe girl looked back into Ichigo's eyes. He was taller than she was so she had to look a little bit higher than usual.
"I just wanted to ask about how you did that crazy firebending with that sword, last night?" Korra asked Ichigo while pointing towards his giant sword strapped to his back. The black clad teen just looked at her, a little bit shocked. He got in deep thought, thinking if he should tell her.
"Yo Ichigo, why don't you just tell her?" The warped voice was back in his head.
The swordsman was about to retort but then the Avatar waved a hand in his face.
"Ah hello? You kind of spaced out there." Korra got his attention, still looking for an answer.
"Sorry about that," Ichigo said as he put his thought in the back of his head, "but I already told you how I did that."
"Wait, no you didn't you just said that you know some firebending and a little bit about spirits. Not exactly how." The water tribe girl explained.
"Well that's all you need to know." The orange haired teen replied, not giving her an answer. Before the avatar retort, Ichigo beat her to it.
"So what are you doing up so early in the morning?" The orange haired swordsman asked trying to diffuse the situation before it escalated. Korra was calming down from the sudden question but still didn't forget to ask him his secret.
"I was just getting Naga and heading over to the artic camel stalls to meet up with my uncle." The water tribe teen replied to the question.
"You mean that water tribe guy that talked to me last night?" Ichigo asked again as he was curious of whom that guy was.
"Yes his name is Unalaq and he is also the Northern Water Tribe Chief." Korra gave a name to the identity. The swordsman made a mental note that he should keep a close eye to him, something was telling him that the guy was up to no good. Korra was looking at Ichigo's scowled face and waved a hand to his face again, the orange haired teen caught on that he was lost in his thoughts again. He put his thoughts aside and asked another question but before he could the avatar beat him to it.
"Do you always space out like this with other people?" She asked. Another memory filled in his head.
"What's wrong with you always spacing out like that? They're not going to show any mercy if they catch you like that." A girl's voice echoed again in his mind.
Ichigo quickly snapped out of the memory and gave Korra a slight glare then returned to his usual scowl. She saw the glare and immediately thought what did she say that got him angry?
"Anyways who is Naga? Is she your friend or something?" Ichigo asked to redirect the attention from him. That got the avatar excited as she changed from a confused look to grinning from side to side.
"Yeah she is my best friend. You want to go meet her?" Korra excitedly invited the orange haired swordsman. He was reluctant to go with Avatar but ultimately decided to go with her, as he had nothing better to do. They went together to a bigger hut that was close by, which confused Ichigo.
"Does she live this close to you? Why is this hut bigger than the others?" The swordsman asked clearly confused as to why it didn't take that long to reach another person's house and why it was so big.
"Well she is my polar bear dog so she needs to be close and also needs a lot of space." Korra replied in an obvious tone.
"A polar bear …" Was all Ichigo said as a big white ball of fur jumped on him and started licking his face. His hair was starting to look like the end of an ice cream cone when Korra got the white attacker off of the swordsman.
"You're best friends with a polar bear dog?" Ichigo asked while trying to wipe some slobber off.
"Yeah but she seems to warm up to you very fast." The female avatar replied while trying to calm down her friend. Ichigo, on the other hand was still trying to get the slobber off. Naga was as big as a polar bear but had some dog features, most evident in her face and hind legs. She was trying to slobber up Ichigo again but Korra was restraining her.
"Huh usually Naga isn't usually like this when just meets people." Korra a little confused as to why her friend was acting like this.
"So you're the first one to tame a polar bear dog, huh?" Ichigo asked another question.
"Well thanks Captain Obvious." Korra teased. The swordsman turned his head sideways to avoid eye contact, clearly a little bit embarrassed.
"Just wondering, I don't know your personal history with her." Ichigo said as he tried to validate his obvious response.
"Ichigo, this is Naga. Naga, this is Ichigo." Korra quickly introduced them. Ichigo came closer and held out his palm so the polar bear dog could sniff it, also to tell her that he meant no harm. She began to smell and then licked his hand, covering it up with slobber.
"Great I just got this off." Ichigo said while wipping his hand but gave Naga a heart-warming smile. Korra still snickered a bit and led Naga out into the tundra. She got on her polar bear dog and held a hand out to Ichigo. He got the silent gesture, accepted her hand and got on the back of the saddle. They head towards the Glacier Spirits Festival and soon past it, as they started slowed down towards the artic camel stables. The orange haired teen noticed somebody was there tending to a camel and recognized him as the Northern Water Tribe Chief, Unalaq.
"Welcome Korra and that boy from last night." Unalaq welcomed the both of them.
"The name is Ichigo Kurosaki." The swordsman introduced himself and put out his hand.
"Yes, you said that last night as well." Unalaq said while shaking his hand. "I am the Northern Water Tribe's Chief, Unalaq." The moment they shook each other hands, Ichigo noticed something was definitely wrong with the Chief. It felt like a dark spirit was standing right in front of him. He looked at Unalaq square in the eye, not willing to let him catch on his revelation. Ichigo just put on a fake smile.
"Pleased to meet you." He just replied.
"Pleasure is all mine. I think it would also help Korra as well if you are able to attend as well." The Chief replied, giving the same fake smile on as well.
"Why is that?" The orange haired swordsman replied to the request.
"She struggles a little bit in the spiritual side of being the Avatar and I'm going to be teaching all I know about spirits but it would help if she would have somebody closer to her age to teach her some stuff as well."Unalaq told Ichigo his reasoning. Ichigo looked back at him, again deep in thought.
"Partner, personally I don't think you should consider this as I'm seriously thinking of kicking his butt right now." The warped voice replied back in his head.
"No, Zangetsu, we need to be stealthy, we need to see what his plan is then we can kick his butt all we want. We won't get any information if we beat him right now." Ichigo replied back to the voice.
"Sure why not? Maybe I can teach the water princess here a thing or two." Ichigo accepted while creating a nickname for the avatar.
"What did you call me?" Korra asked, clearly annoyed with her nickname.
"You heard me, water princess." The swordsman told her nickname again, just to irritate her.
"WELL AT LEAST I'M NOT A STRAWBERRY!" Korra shouted, irritated from Ichigo's teasing and gave him a nickname as well.
"I'M NOT A STRAWBERRY! MY NAME MEANS ONE WHO PROTECTS!" Ichigo retaliated, pointing out the only flaw that her nickname had. The whole time that those two were arguing, they were butting heads with annoyed looking faces and making some growling noises. Completely, forgetting about the Chief until he cleared his throat that made them stop and calm down.
"You're early, Korra." Her uncle snapped his attention towards his niece.
"What can I say? I'm pumped up to learn that Unalaq spirit fighting." The avatar gave reasoning to her arrival.
"I'm not here to teach you to fight spirits, I'm here to help you begin your spiritual training. We're going to one of the most remote places in the world, the long neglected spiritual center of your tribe, the South Pole." Her uncle placed a hand on her shoulder. Ichigo knew what laid at the South Pole; he knew it couldn't be coincidence that her uncle was going to start Korra's spiritual training there.
"You're going to train me at the South Pole?" The avatar asked. Before her uncle could answer, the swordsman interrupted him.
"Sorry for interrupting but what kind of training are you going to do at the South Pole?" Ichigo asked.
"We will do more than just train. By neglecting the spirits, the people of the South have brought darkness upon themselves, and now it threatens to destroy our tribe. We must set things right. The Southern Water Tribe depends on the avatar." Unalaq said as he avoided the question entirely.
"Hey wait you didn't ans-" Ichigo was interrupted.
"A dangerous trip to the South Pole? Count me in!" Korra excitedly interrupted. Ichigo glared at her again for interrupting him. Before Ichigo can get the question out again, Unalaq decided to speak up.
"Then it's settled. We are going to the South Pole." The Chief announced the plan. The swordsman was in complete shock, he knew Unalaq was going to make Korra do something at the South Pole and if it was what he thinks it was then he needs to stop her.
They were packing up for the trip. Korra's boyfriend, Mako decided to join the journey as did his brother, Mako's brother and Unalaq's twins, Eska and Desna. Ichigo got introduced to them, except for Mako's brother as he was running late. Mako was packing things on to Naga just to make sure his girlfriend has everything for the trip. Ichigo didn't take any sort of transportation, just a cape, pair of googles and sleeping bag, which was strapped on top of his sword, as the trip would be overnight. He was waiting for everybody else to get ready; he was leaning on a tall rock when Korra approached him.
"Why didn't you get some transportation?" Korra asked.
"It would be easier for me to walk and also faster for me to respond if we get attacked by anything, especially dark spirits." The swordsman justified his reasoning. Korra looked at him like he grew a second head. "Look, I did wander around the South Pole a bit so I know how bad it can get. I'm perfectly fine. Why do you care anyways? Last time I checked you have a boyfriend that you should be more worried about." Ichigo replied in a harsh tone, not wanting anybody to worry about him.
"FINE THEN IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SOMEONE WORRY ABOUT YOU THEN BE IT!" The water tribe girl shouted as she bent some of the snow around her into ice in a fit of frustration. She stormed off towards everybody else, leaving Ichigo alone where he was. A distant engine sound came closer, the swordsman turned to see what was the cause of the noise and saw a man riding a snowmobile. The driver stopped the snowmobile and got off. He recognizes their visitor as one the people from last night's fight. Ichigo got a closer look at the man; he was tall, buff version of Unalaq, which made him wonder if they could be related somehow. The man was wearing blue fur-lined hooded parka with a design on the chest, dark beige gloves, dark blue pants and some moccasin boots. He had dark brownish hair; some of it was tied up in a wolf's tail, as well as a goatee of the same color. The rest of his hair was shoulder length. He has the same bright blue eyes as most people from the southern water tribe have. The Chief notices the man and scowls before approaching him.
"Tonraq, what do you want?" Unalaq addressed the man.
"I heard that you're taking Korra to the South Pole." The man known as Tonraq said as he crosses his arms. "I'm coming."
"Absolutely not. You're a distraction to Korra and a hindrance to what needs to be done." The Chief angrily rejected the man's claim.
"I think the more the merrier if we are going against dark spirits." Ichigo decided to interrupt the feud before it escalated. Both men were looking at him; Tonraq had a look of confusion as to who was this man then remembered him from last night. The burly man turned towards the orange haired teen and gave a polite bow.
"Thank you for saving my daughter last night." The water tribe man thanked the swordsman.
"Uhhh Thanks, I mean you're welcome but who is you're daughter, the only one I saved was the avat…" Ichigo stopped as the realization hit him square in the head.
"Yeah he is my father." Korra came up with Naga and Mako sitting behind her. "Dad, what are you doing here?"
"I'm going with you to the South Pole." Tonraq reiterated his reason.
"No he isn't." Unalaq repeated.
"My daughter is not going without me! She needs someone to look after her." The water tribe man replied.
"Why do you always think you know what's best for me?" Korra asked, deciding to get into the argument.
"Because he's misguided. The sad truth is, its men like your father who has put the Spirit World out of balance. He's ignored my warnings in the past and hasn't learned since." The Chief replied.
"What happened in the past?" The avatar questioned.
"It doesn't matter. What matters is the Everstorm." Her father ignored her.
"The Everstorm?" The avatar's boyfriend got into the conversation.
"It's a massive blizzard that's battered the South Pole for decades." Ichigo choose to enter the conversation once again. Everybody looked at him, like how could he possibly know that, he sighed.
"Look I traveled a bit and picked up a bit of info on some stuff, let's just leave it at that." Ichigo explained his knowledge.
"I'm going unless you think you can stop me, brother?" Tonraq challenged his brother. The two water tribe men stared until a loud noise was apparent once again. Ichigo looked at the source and found a young man driving a snowmobile. By his eye color, the swordsman probably guessed that he was from the earth kingdom.
"He kind of looks like Mako." The swordsman thought to himself.
"GUYS! HEY, WAIT FOR ME!" The young man shouted. He zooms in closer to the group. The man was wearing a weird snowsuit. He got closer to the group and slowed down. "Check it out, I'm traveling in style!" As he said that, the man accidently turned the throttle, which made the vehicle jerk forward.
"Sorry still getting used that throttle." He quickly apologized.
"Uh, where'd you get the ride, bro?" Mako asked his brother.
"Varrick; he's awesome! He also gave me this fancy snowsuit! It's inflatable; with an internal heater, emergency beacon, and food ration pouches! I mean, if I get lost, I can survive in this thing for like, like a month!" The brother told, as he reached into his snowsuit. "Who wants some freeze dried cucumberquats? Nobody?... Did I interrupt a conversation?" A fire ferret popped out of his suit and started to eat the frozen cucumberquats.
"No the conversation is over." Korra strongly ended the conversation, "Dad, come if you want, just don't interfere with my training." She demanded and rode away from the group.
"Ok I have one more question, why is the guy from last night here with us?" The brother asked the obvious question of the day.
"Does anybody remember my name? Come on I said it last night for a reason." Ichigo sarcastically said.
"Sorry about that, Bolin is a little bit bad with names." The policeman said.
"It's fine, I was just joking." Ichigo replied, he then turned to the brother, "The name is Ichigo Kurosaki. I'm a firebender and apparently the avatar's second spiritual guide." The swordsman extended his hand.
"WOW THAT IS SO COOL!" Bolin shouted, once he calmed down, he shook Ichigo's hand. "My name is Bolin. I'm a probender and an earthbender." The fire ferret popped once again and started to sniff, the orange haired teen's hand. "Oh this is Pabu, he is fire ferret." Bolin gestured to his small fury friend.
"Pleased to meet both of you." The swordsman replied. From the moment when they shook hands he knew Bolin was going to be a good friend.
Later that night, Ichigo was walking with rest of the group; he looked around and saw Mako teasing his younger brother about Bolin's girlfriend and her brother sitting in the sidecar of his snowmobile.
"GO AWAY, MAKO!" The earthbender brother shouted.
The swordsman tried to turn his focus somewhere else but then Tonraq interrupted. He rode his snowmobile towards him.
"I heard your Korra's second spiritual guide." The avatar's father questioned.
"Sort of." Ichigo replied. They both were in an awkward silence until the teen asked.
"Don't you think that you're a little too protective of Korra? I mean she is the avatar I think she can protect herself." The swordsman asked Tonraq.
"I had my family torn away from me, because of my foolishness once, I don't want that to happen again." The water tribe man replied, looking like it's a distant memory.
"Yeah I get you about families being town away. My mom was killed when I was 9 and then my father and two sisters were killed, when I was 15 because I wasn't strong enough to protect them." Ichigo empathized with the Avatar's father.
"I'm sorry I didn't mean to bring personal matters into conversation." Tonraq quickly apologized.
"It's fine, it happened a while ago, but it seems that the more you try to protect her the more she is pushing herself away from you. Anyways, you still have your brother, that is got to count for something?" The teen asked.
"My brother and I have a complicated relationship as you can tell but I wouldn't do anything to hurt him." The father replied.
"Well I could tell that is sensitive subject so I'm not going to pry anymore. But I think you should be less protective of Korra. She needs to make her own mistakes and also to make her own path, as well." Kurosaki told with wisdom beyond his years.
"She may need to find her own way as the avatar but she will still need her father." Tonraq affirmed his decision.
"Wow you are very determined but I don't mean her path as the avatar, I mean her path as her very own person. Only she can make it, nobody else can, trust me I have some experience in that." Ichigo once again argued in wisdom past his years.
"I will take it in consideration. Thank you for the talk, Ichigo." Tonraq thanked.
"You're welcome and it's no problem." The swordsman replied. The father looked at his daughter's second spirit guide with one of understanding and compassion, and then pulled away from the teen.
Ichigo noticed that Korra was talking to her uncle, he decided to tune into their conversation.
"At the South Pole, there is a portal that connects our world to the Spirit World, but it has long been closed." The chief explained their purpose of reaching the South Pole.
"And that's why the evil spirits are attacking?" The avatar asked, clearly confused of this whole ordeal.
"There are no evil spirits, there is light and dark in them all. But when they're unbalanced, the darkness takes over. If you can open the portal in time, balance will be restored." The thunder and lighting from the Everstorm can be heard and seen.
"What do you mean... in time?" Korra questioned her uncle with his proposition.
"There's a reason the Glacier Spirits Festival ends on the winter solstice. That's when the Spirit World and the physical world are close together. Only then can the Avatar open the portal." The Chief explained.
"The winter solstice is tomorrow." His niece stated the date.
"Exactly, and we can't afford to wait another year." Unalaq expressed the urgency of the situation.
Ichigo looked at the pair and decided it would be better to talk to Korra alone so he doesn't alert her uncle.
Ichigo was situated a little bit far away from the camp the others had made. Partly because he needed to be calm in order to meditate. The other part was because he didn't want people interrupting him when he was performing Jinzen. He stabbed his sword in the ground in front of him and sat down cross-legged. He closed his eyes and started to breath slowly. The swordsman heard the snow crunch from behind him and immediately called his uninvited guest over.
"I can already hear you, why don't you just come over, Korra?" Ichigo addressed the Avatar.
"How did you know it was me?" Korra came out of her hiding spot.
"I just have a knack for it" He told her a part truth. Truth he sensed her avatar spirit getting closer. "Anyways why are you here?" He continued. She sat beside him with her knees in front of her face.
"I just need some space from my father and just be with somebody who isn't trying to protect me all the time." The avatar said.
"Wow harsh it's not like I don't want to protect you. What happened?" Ichigo said and asked for the source of tension between the father and daughter. Korra told him about how her father was once a general of the Northern Water Tribe and the next Chief but was banished because he destroyed a sacred spirit forest. What got on Korra's nerves was that he didn't tell her any of it until now.
"Oh wow that means you really are a water princess" Ichigo was cracking up in laughter, seeing that he hit the nail on the head with his nickname for the avatar. Korra tossed a rock at his head and hit him square on the forehead.
Rubbing his injury, Ichigo looked over at her and remembered a time when he was in the spirit world. Some spirits came back angry and some came back in peace but he heard something that was frightening.
"The plan was success, now that prince will be banished and we can finally be free." A dark spirit said to his colleague.
"Shut up! Do you want the whole spirit world to know?" his colleague berated him.
"Sorry, just got so excited." The other one said almost jumping with excitement.
The swordsman's mind wandered back to the present and thought that this information should be better revealed later in time. Korra instead got a closer look at his sword. It looked like a giant meat cleaver with some white cloth wrapped around the tang, acting for the handle and the rest of it, which was acting for a sheath when it clinging to Ichigo's back, dangling in the wind. They sat in silence and Ichigo was about to start Jinzen but then the avatar interrupted him once again. An annoyed mark started to grow on his forehead.
"What are you doing?" Korra asked; as she thought it was weird, taking some time meditate in the tundra.
"I'm just meditating with Zangetsu." Ichigo replied casually like he was doing nothing special.
"Who is Zangetsu?" The avatar asked, confused, as there is nobody here except for them especially somebody named Zangetsu.
"My sword." The orange haired swordsman said and pointed to his sword. Korra just looked at him like he grew a second head again. Ichigo just broke out of his meditation and looked over at her.
"Look you have polar bear dog as your best friend and I have my sword as mine, okay?" The cape clad teen told her similarities between his relationship with his sword and Naga.
"Wow it's no wonder you are so distant, you only have a sword as your friend." Korra teased.
"Shut up" Ichigo turned his head again in embarrassment. After he calmed down, Ichigo continued. "Sorry for earlier, I kind of overreacted for what I said. It's just I don't want to be a burden on anybody also want to protect my friends." He said, putting some determination behind his voice.
"Wait so we are friends?" The avatar teased a bit. The swordsman turned into a shade red after hearing that. " But I don't need another person who is going to protect me and knows what's best for me." Korra clearly only heard the part about protecting others, she was about to get up when the swordsman grabbed her hand and pulled her back down. When he noticed that he was holding her hand, the swordsman blushed and retracted his hand. Ichigo then sighed, putting his palms on his knees and shaking his head from side to side. Korra looked at him again.
"You don't get it at all, water princess. Yeah I want to protect people but I also know some people are strong enough to protect themselves and the people they care about. I only come in when they need help. And about that "knowing what's best for you" deal, I don't. Only you can make your path in the world nobody else. I'm also feeling that it's your dad the one you were talking about, well sounds to me he is just doing his job as a parent. But I think he is a little over protective of you." Ichigo laid out his thoughts to the young avatar and agreeing with her about her dad.
"Yeah sorry for earlier, once I calmed down a bit, I realized that I was a overreacting a bit." Korra admitted.
"A bit maybe exaggerating much." The swordsman told her. Korra bent some earth at him, which hit square on his forehead again. Ichigo grunted from the impact that made the avatar chuckle a bit.
"He is lying." The swordsman decided to interrupt their little dispute.
"Who is?" The avatar responded.
"Your uncle," Ichigo accused, "he says that opening the portal will bring balance but it won't it will bring the opposite."
"Oh great now you're skeptical about my uncle as well." Korra replied. "Let me guess you're about to say that you don't want me to open the portal."
"Well no just giving you heads up. I'm supposed to be your guide in with dealing in spirits, I will guide and teach you what I know about them. The only person who decides what you should do in life is only yourself. " The swordsman said, expressing his wisdom, while rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment.
"I trust you to make the right decision when the time comes." Ichigo confidently expressed his trust towards the avatar.
"Thanks, Strawberry." Korra said with a slight chuckle between her lips.
"Watch it, Water Princess, I might trust you with decisions. I don't approve of the nickname you gave your spiritual guide." The Strawberry slightly annoyed about his nickname still. The avatar looked at him and then chucked another rock at him.
"Ha that same tricks won't work twice." He said while dodging the rock, Korra just bent another rock in the way and hit Ichigo straight in the face. She broke into laughter and Ichigo rubbed the area where the rock hit. He then joined in the laughter.
Mako was looking over at them from the campground. He looked at Korra, who now seems much calmer and happier then when she left. The firebender then took a look at the swordsman, who also had a smile on his face. He couldn't help feel a little bit jealous that he couldn't help his girlfriend or make her smile but some total stranger could. Bolin interrupted his thought when he put an arm his brother's shoulders.
"It's alright bro, Korra just needs blow off some steam." The earthbender said, completely ignoring the jealous look his brother was giving to the swordsman.
"Yeah maybe your right." The firebender saying to reaffirm himself that they still have their relationship. After a while Korra came back alone and everybody went to sleep.
The morning came and everybody was packing up his or her sleeping gear. The swordsman was already because he only had to carry his sword and a sleeping pack. He walked towards Unalaq.
"I'll scout ahead if there are any dark spirits ahead." Ichigo told the Chief.
"I don't think that is a good idea. We shouldn't be separated while getting close to the South Pole." He retorted.
"Don't forget about the Everstorm, brother." Tonraq said with a little despise towards his brother.
"Yes that as well." Unalaq corrected himself.
"I can go ahead and get the dark spirits attention and drive them away from you. Also the ones I do distract, I could also purify, so effectively cutting down some of the attackers." The swordsman justified his reason. He then proceeded to do what he said.
"Wait won't you need back up?" The avatar decided to join in before the conversation is over.
"Yeah but this is reconnaissance mission at the most, we need to be stealthy. Considering I'm the only one here who doesn't have a snowmobile, artic camel, or their polar bear dog/ best friend, I think I would be the most stealthiest." Ichigo explained.
"Yeah but…" Korra worried,
"Why am I so worried about Ichigo?" The avatar thought to herself.
"I'll find you guys in a couple of hours." Ichigo told the group and proceeded to take his leave.
A couple of hours and dark spirits later, Ichigo was running towards the group.
"Yo, Ichigo, that wasn't very smooth of you." Zangetsu appeared in his mind again.
"Oh you've appeared again." Ichigo replied to the voice in his head.
"You know back there before you left." The voice both ignored his comment and continued, "The avatar really likes you."
That made the swordsman blush slightly and turn his head away even though he wasn't looking at anything.
"Wh…What are you talking about?" The orange haired teen stammered, "There is no way that she likes me, she has a boyfriend."
"I can tell you like her too." Zangetsu continued his teasing, "Remember I'm in your head."
" I don't like her, anyways her emotions could be just from him." Ichigo denied his emotions and gave a scapegoat to the emotions, "Remember he was my best friend, after all." He reminded the voice back.
"Eh…Whatever King, I'm just saying there is tension between the two of you whether be friendly or romantically, I'm just pointing it out." The voice replied.
"That's right there is nothin-Wait what did you say?" Kurosaki finally processed what Zangetsu just said. "There is nothing romantic going on between us." The swordsman continued his denial. He stopped running to deal with this before anything.
"It's not what I see…Wait partner I sense some dark spirits." The voice warned Ichigo. "They're going after that group and your girlfriend."
"She is not my girlfriend!" Ichigo argued back before calming down and felt the energies of the dark spirits. "Yeah I sense them too." He said before he took off towards the group.
Korra and Mako fighting spirits with firebending. She somersaults out of the way and employs Unalaq's purifying move on one of the spirits. The spirit stops in a daze, but it manages to fight it, and pins the water tribe girl down.
"KORRA!" Her boyfriend shouted as he tried to fight his way to her
The spirit opens its mouth to reveal many rows of teeth. The avatar struggle to break free but it's useless, as the spirit doesn't budge an inch. Before it can continue its attack, a voice is heard through the battle.
"WHY ARE YOU GUYS ALWAYS IN TROUBLE WHEN I FIND YOU?" The cape clad swordsman shouted as he appeared upon one of the mountains.
The dark spirit looked up, saw the teen and started to attack him but Ichigo just jumped off the mountain, swinging his giant meat cleaver forward towards a spirit's face. It contacted, he sliced it down and the dark spirit's skin seemed to peel off revealing the light spirit from within. Korra was distracted and another dark spirit took the opportunity to attack but she was faster as she put some distance between it and tried to make the spirit tranquil again. She almost done it but the spirit snapped out of it and rammed into her. It had a fist raised and was going to squish her if a sword didn't appear out the side of its chest purifying it. Ichigo had thrown his sword to purify the spirit, the cloth used to wrap it, was acting like a rope to connect Ichigo to his sword. Another dark spirit pounced towards Ichigo.
"Ichigo look out!" The avatar warned the swordsman. The carrot top grabbed the cloth and pulled his sword back into his hands.
"Oh no you don't." Ichigo said while charging his firebending into his sword.
"GETSUGA TENSHO!"
The swordsman called out as he swung his sword towards the dark spirit and an arch of blue flames followed its path and knocked the spirit back onto the ground. It was about to get up but then water surrounded it and started to glow gold. The cape clad carrot top turned to see Unalaq use his waterbending to calm the spirit down again. Soon the spirit turned gold as well left off peacefully.
"Thanks." Ichigo thanked the Water Tribe Chief while sheathing his sword. He panted a little bit and broke a sweat.
"Wow did not have a work out like that in a long time." The swordsman said, letting pants of air.
"I should be the one thank you for showing up in time. I don't know what would happen to us if you didn't" The Avatar's Uncle replied.
"Is everybody ok?" The black haired firebender asked to all whom as around. Everybody nodded or gave sign that they were ok.
"Wow how did your sword purify the spirit?" Korra asked as the others grouped around him.
"Basically the same way your uncle does it with his waterbending, by putting some of my reiatsu into it." Ichigo finally gave an answer to the question that Korra was eager to find out, and then it confused her again.
"Reiatsu?" Korra asked and turned her head to the side, clearly confused.
"Look I'll teach you about it when we get the time. By the way, where is Bolin?" The swordsman asked the group. As if on cue, the earthbender was screaming at the top of his lungs when his snowmobile was hurtling from the group but then the twins pulled him from the machine, which crashed into a cliff and and Eska drop Bolin onto the snow, causing his snowsuit to inflate, revealing the fire ferret, Pabu.
"I'm a raft." The young eathbender said while sliding down a mountain while the twins bent some ice around their feet and made some ice skies as they slide down the slope as well, Mako stopped his younger brother.
"Uhhh, can someone please deflate me?" Bolin asked. Eska bends some ice spears from the ground and deflates him. "Thanks"
"Oh great. There goes our equipment. What are we suppose to do now?" The firebending brother stated the situation.
"The only to do is turn back." Tonraq replied.
"No the solstice is tonight. And we're so close." His brother replied.
"This mission is too dangerous. We're leaving." The former prince replied.
"No, dad you're leaving." Korra told her dad sternly.
Tonraq was packing up his stuff, getting ready to leave. He, Ichigo and Mako were standing besides the father's snowmobile.
"Don't worry sir, I'll keep an eye on Korra for you." Mako said confidently.
" And I promise to make sure everybody comes back in one piece." Ichigo continued.
"Thank you both." Tonraq thanked the two young men. He shook both their hands. Korra had an irritated looked on her face when her father left and Mako rode Naga with her. Ichigo still decided on walking so that's what he did when they resumed their journey. It was a few minutes after when Korra decided to break the silence that had befallen on the trio.
"So, what exactly were you guys and my dad talking about?" Korra asked Mako. Ichigo was walking next to Naga at the time so he heard the question as well.
"Nothing, he was just worried about you, that's all." The policeman replied.
"Y'know, sometimes I wonder whose side you guys are on." The Avatar, still iritated, said to the two firebenders.
"Like I said Water Princess, I'm not on anybody's side. My job is simply to guide you in dealing with spirits, that's all. If I able to help in any way then I will help. You just got to trust us." The orange haired firebender replied.
"He is right, Korra. There aren't any sides. We all just want to help however we can. You have to trust that we're here for you." Mako gave his answer and shot a the swordsman a glare.
"What's his problem?" Ichigo mentally asked.
"We've arrived." Unalaq said as they where approaching the South Pole. The group looked at the sight before them. It was forest but instead of the trees being green they where frozen.
"Ok then I'm going with you." Ichigo argued.
"Only Korra can do this alone." Unalaq rejected his demand.
"Ichigo, I can do this alone. Why don't you believe in me, like my uncle does?" Korra asks in anger.
"This is exactly why I got my dad to leave." The thought appeared in the avatar's head.
"I already said that I trust you make the right decision. I just want to make sure that whatever you that do, you do it properly." Ichigo said. Korra stared at him, thinking what he is going to say. "I'm not going to say that is best for you if you feel like you need to do this then that's fine."
"Thanks, Ichigo." Korra thanked the swordsman. "But I need to do this alo-"
"I'm also not an idiot; you will be outnumbered in there so that's why you would probably need some backup." Ichigo interrupted her and put a hand on her shoulder. "I told you that only you can make your own path in the world. Well the path I choose is to help you become stronger." The swordsman finished with his little speech. The thought about the night before about what he said, "How only you can make your path in the world nobody else". She silently nodded and accepted. He then walked up to Unalaq and spoke.
"Yeah she is the only who can open the portal but don't you think she needs back up, we are at the dark spirits' base after all." Ichigo said. Mako seemed to consider this and almost volunteer, as well, to help his girlfriend.
"I think I should be the one to go since I know a lot about spirits than most people. Unless you want to go, Unalaq?" Ichigo didn't mean it as a challenge but it certainly came out that way. The Chief locked the teen at a staring contest. Neither of them seemed to be backing down.
"This kid certainly acts like my brother. It doesn't seem he is backing down from this request." The Chief thought to himself.
"No I don't think that would be necessary. I will stay out here to provide back up if we get attacked by the dark spirits." The Chief opted out of the challenge.
"I want to go as well." Mako offered, hoping to be of help to his girlfriend. The swordsman looked at other firebender and noticed some determination mixed with jealously in his eyes. This got Ichigo thinking what was he jealous about? The orange haired teen stared back at Mako with a "what did I do look?" There was an eerie silence in the air and everybody just seemed to witness the stare down between the two.
"Wow I was wrong, I think he is the one that likes you, Ichigo." The warped voice appeared in Ichigo's head again. This caused the swordsman to instantly blush in embarrassment and turn his head to the side to address the voice mentally.
"No you idiot, he has girlfriend! Plus I know I'm not into guys and I think he isn't either." The orange haired firebender rejected the statement that the warped voice threw at him. The other firebender just looked at Ichigo confused of what has just happened.
"Ok weird, why did he just break the stare down like that?" The bending brother thought
Ichigo dismissed the voice again. He then sighed and addressed Mako.
"You're a good firebender, no doubt, but you know diddly squat about spirits. I think it's better if you stay out here, just in case the dark spirits attack." The firebending swordsman suggested.
"Wait, why can't I…" The policeman was interrupted when Korra pulled him into a hug. Mako blushed a bit and returned the hug. After what seemed to them like an eternity, Korra pulled away from Mako.
"Don't worry I know I can take care of myself. I also have Strawberry over there to help as well. Plus it would be better if you stayed out here. I don't want anything to happen to you." The avatar gestured towards the cape-clad swordsman, whom in turn made an annoyed face once he heard his nickname.
Ichigo and Korra separated from the group and trudged deeper inside the forest, through a cave going in the roots of the spirit trees, looking for the portal. Korra looking more and more scarred the farther they went in. The orange haired teen sensed that her spiritual power is fluctuating .The swordsman decided to end the pregnant silence between them.
"Calm down, Korra. The calmer you are the less likely that the dark spirits are going to attack." Ichigo calmly reminded the Avatar that he was still with her. Korra took a deep breath and calmed down as well as her spirit. "Good now let's find the portal." The swordsman continued.
"I thought that you didn't want me to open it." The water tribe girl said.
"No I don't but in the end it is your decision, I'm just telling it isn't the best idea to open it." Ichigo corrected her. They continued walking in the forest.
"Then why do you think it is a bad idea or that my uncle is lying to me?" Korra asked
"Look your uncle seems to me like he isn't one to do stuff out of the goodness of his heart if there is any, without anything in return." The swordsman took a deep sigh when he saw that Korra was giving him a look of disapproval.
"Everything he has told me about till now has been the truth." The avatar started to argue.
"I know but has he told you what would happen if both portals would open? Even if we open the portal here, we still need to open the northern portal as well."
"Unalaq told me that the reason that there were northern lights was because the North Tribe has spiritual harmony but the South doesn't. That's why the spirits are attacking. Opening the portal " The water tribe girl relayed the information that her uncle gave her.
"But ask yourself, why are the dark spirits attacking the south only? There aren't any other reports about them attacking anywhere else." The black clad voiced his reasons.
While they were busy arguing, a snake-like dark spirit nears Korra and screeches, causing towards them to turn around. In the distance, two dark spirits charge toward Ichigo, causing him to unsheathe his sword. She turns and starts to run from them, but they manage to catch her and begin to wrap themselves around her body and legs. Ichigo comes and slices some of the spirits holding the avatar, freeing her a bit. Another spirit attempts to attack the avatar, but she defends herself with a blast of fire, and frees herself from the spirit wrapped around her with airbending. The spirits charge back at them, but they run in one of the caverns and Korra bends some of the ice from the forest into a wall that stops them. They both breathe in to calm themselves after that close call. The avatar and the swordsman then look at each other, Korra still not convinced that Unalaq is lying to her. Ichigo decides to drop it and turns away for the newly formed wall. The water tribe follows suit and then stops as she gazes to where they have ended up. The two find themselves in a large cave, a glowing dome positioned in the center.
"This is it, the Southern Portal." Ichigo mumbled in disbelief.
"The spirit portal. Amazing." Korra said as she approached the portal.
In a room at the Southern Air Temple where there are three young airbenders who are asleep. One of them awakens and walks through the hall of statues in a daze. She looked to be the eldest with brown hair, in a bun. She breaks free from her daze in shock and surprise, finding herself in front of a statue of an unknown Avatar. Behind it, there was another statue, it seemed attached to the first one. She didn't think it wasn't another avatar, but something to do with this one. The first statue looked human-like with some sort of giant kite around it. The other one looked humanoid at first but then getting a closer look it had hole in the middle of its chest, claws at the end of its fingers and toes, a lengthy black sword, a skeletal face with horns protruding the side of its head, and what seemed to be hair growing out of the back of the skull.
"Woah, what Avatar is this and who is the other statue?" The young airbender questioned herself.
Korra and Ichigo are standing over the portal in the South Pole. Both of them are captivated by the glow that they can't stop staring at it.
"Ichigo, his presence is strong here." Zangetsu's voice replied in his head. Ichigo snaps out of it when he hears the voice.
"A light in the dark." The avatar said still shocked about the portal. She then snaps out of it as well and gets into a stance. Korra punches the ice above the portal with some airbending but it doesn't do anything. She then tries the same with firebending but it gives the same result.
"Why isn't working?" The water tribe girl asked with frustration.
"Why don't you try to waterbend the ice away?" Ichigo answered.
"I guess I could try that." The avatar accepted his suggestion and readied herself in a waterbending stance. She tried to bend the ice away but she still got the same results as her firebending and airbending.
"Come on portal open." Korra said as she striked the ice again and again with airbending.
"If it didn't work the first time, why do you think it will work the second time?" Her second spiritual guide questioned her methods.
"Well why don't help me then?" The avatar angrily questioned him.
"I don't how to open it." Ichigo responded, a little to fast, hopefully she doesn't notice.
At that moment, dark spirits crashed through the ceiling of the cavern. Three massive yeti-like spirits turned to face the swordsman, while more of those serpent spirits charge towards the avatar. They start entangling themselves around her. Korra is scarred when more wrap themselves around her and start pulling her towards the ceiling as she tries to firebending at the portal some more.
"KORRA!" Ichigo shouted when he saw the serpent like dark spirits wrap around her. While he was distracted, the brute like dark spirits he was facing knocked him to the other side cavern. The avatar has reaching for the portal while being dragged by dark spirits, desperately reaching at the portal. Once they thought that the swordsman was out of the way, the other dark spirits started to converge on Korra. They were about to attack her.
"GETSUGA TENSHO"
And suddenly a gigantic blast of blue flame struck the spirits. Ichigo reappeared from the pile of ice and leaped forward to purify some of the spirits. He got through 2 when the third was too fast and caught him off guard and was going to attack him until a bright orange light shone through and purified the spirits with them. The swordsman looked over to where Korra was and saw that she was in the Avatar State. Some cracks were forming on the ground, which created a blast, and knocked the avatar, Ichigo caught her and struck his sword to anchor them. They were force to close their eyes when a green beam light rises from the portal to the sky. It dispels the Everstorm and causes the Southern Lights appear in the sky. The two open their eyes and look at the sky, seeing the lights dancing in the sky.
"The lights dancing in the sky."Korra said while being awestruck.
"They are incredible." Ichigo said as well. He knew the consequences of opening the portal so close to Harmonic Convergence but couldn't help marvel at the sight.
"Yo Ichigo, I can sense his presence." The voice reminded him, "Also my dark presence seemed to have gotten stronger when the Avatar opened the portal. Be careful Ichigo, it will be harder to mask me now."
Ichigo now wondered what could he do to stop Harmonic Convergence from happening.
Back outside of the forest, the group was staring at the light that emerged from the portal.
"I can't believe it." Mako whispered.
"It's beautiful." Bolin said while rubbing his eyes.
Unalaq just smiled towards the light but if you looked closer then you would see that smile had just a subtle hint of evil in it.
Tonraq was speeding away from the spirit forest and trying to get back to his village. He stops his snowmobile and looks back at the lights. He smiled proudly when looking at the dancing lights.
"She did it." He said, very proud that his daughter accomplished her task.
Back at the southern Air Temple, the young airbender was looking at the now glowing statues in front of her. The statue of the unknown avatar glowing in a bright gold light and the monstrous one glowing an eerie black red. It looked like black flames that were consuming the statue.
"What is happening?" Jinora questioned, looking at the statues.
Korra and Ichigo were walking out of the spirit forest when Bolin was running towards them, more specifically to Korra.
"Hey, Ichigo and Korra, you're back." Bolin said to the pair.
"Thank you, Captain Obvious." The swordsman replied. Bolin ignored him and turn towards to the group still standing there.
"HEY KORRA AND ICHIGO ARE BACK!" The pro-bender shouted to the group. He hugs Korra, but an ice wall separates them and brings Bolin back to face Eska.
"Why are you initiating physical contact with another woman?" Eska asked her "boyfriend".
The earthbender just laughs nervously until the waterbender melts the wall. The avatar turned towards the swordsman.
"Thanks for helping me in there. If you weren't there, I don't think I would be alive right now." The water tribe teen thanked him.
"Well it's a good thing that I was there then. But there is really no need to thank me though if you didn't open the portal when you did then I would've been toast." Ichigo replied.
"Well then it's a good thing, I was there then." The avatar repeated his words. She then turned towards the Chief.
"Everything you said was true." She told her uncle. Ichigo glared at Unalaq, knowing full well why he wanted Korra to open the southern portal. Whether the Chief saw it or not, he didn't acknowledge it.
"Avatar Korra, you have taken the first step in bringing balance back to the South, and soon the whole world." He complimented his niece.
"You never cease to amaze me." Mako spoke up to his girlfriend.
"Thanks. By the way, I'm really sorry for being a total pain. Things were really stressful and pretty confusing. It's hard being the Avatar." Korra apologized for her behavior towards him the past couple of days.
"It's harder being the Avatar's boyfriend." He jokingly says to her while nudging her. They pull into another hug. While Korra couldn't see, the firebender glares at the swordsman, silently tells him to not get any ideas. Ichigo looks back at him, giving him another "I have no idea what you are talking about" look.
The journey back to the Southern Water was much easier since the dark spirits in the area were purified and the Everstorm dissipated because of the portal being open. They got back there in half a day. The groups looked out on the harbour and were shocked. They see a number of large battleships and some Northern Water Tribe troops marching in. Ichigo looks out to the sea where there are more battleships approaching the Southern Water Tribe. The swordsman's rage started to boil, seeing thru The Chief's plan. He quickly put some control on it before he loses control.
"What are all your Northern troops doing here?" Korra asked her uncle after a long silence.
"What do you think he is doing? He is invading the southern tribe." The orange haired teen expressed his controlled rage
"Ichigo, give him a moment to explain himself." The avatar tried to be the voice of reason in this.
"Opening the spirit portal was only the first step in getting the Southern Water Tribe back on its righteous path. There's more difficult work to be done before our two tribes are truly united." Unalaq explained his intentions.
"YEAH RIGHT!" Ichigo glared and pointed at him. "You don't care about the unification about the two tribes, you only care about power." The swordsman gave him a glare that could burn. He knew what was Unalaq was after he just didn't know how bad until it was too late. He calmed down a bit and started to walk away from the group. Korra immediately jumped off of Naga and tried to catch up to him.
"Where are you going?" The avatar questioned the swordsman.
"I'm leaving, your uncle is going too far with this. I need to tell my friend about his plans." Ichigo replied.
"But what about my training?" Korra reminded him about the promise of training her. The orange haired teen stopped then sighed and turned to face her.
"Your uncle is up to something and I know you don't see it now but trust when I say that he is up to no good. Just promise me that you won't trust everything your Uncle says. As for my friend, I guess I'll have to wait until morning to tell him." The swordsman told her.
"It's seems like you know what my uncle is up to, why don't you tell me?" The avatar questioned him.
"Ichigo promise me that when the next Harmonic Convergence comes, you will help my current reincarnation deal with Vaatu, should he escape from his prison." A old raspy voice replayed in his mind.
"Well why don't I just tell them about it then?" Ichigo's voice was heard.
"It's not going to be that easy. They won't believe you if they didn't see it for themselves. Let me deal with that part though. But before you need to lead me, guide me away from accidentally freeing Vaatu and also you need to be patience with me cause I might not remember anything of this or you and your powers(1). Also should I not stop him then I need you to do everything in your power to stop him, my friend" The raspy voice demanded.
"I promise with my very life." The swordsman replied.
"But for now I need you to take Raava and guide her to my next reicarnation." The old raspy voice told the black clad person.
"What I am a Spirit Reaper then? Wait that doesn't sound right. How about a Soul Reaper then?" Ichigo began naming his profession of guiding the spirit of light to the avatar's next reincarnation.
"That doesn't sound too bad." The old avatar responded to the Soul Reaper name, "Promise me Ichigo that you won't tell my reincarnation for the next Harmonic Convergence until I explain to them."
"Yeah that's a promise, Avatar Wan." The way Ichigo promised sounded like they were very close friends. The avatar proceeded to talk to the light spirit inside of him.
The swordsman's mind snapped back to the present when Korra gave that confused look again.
"I promised somebody that I wouldn't tell anybody about it until the time was right." The swordsman told the present day avatar. "But trust me when I say what your Uncle wants isn't peace between the two tribes."
"How can I trust you if you don't tell me what is happening or anything about your past?" The water tribe girl told him.
"Look I also promised you that I would teach you about reiatsu so I'm not going to leave permantely. Also, I'm not one to go back on my promises. About my past, I will tell you about it later." Ichigo said.
"Do you promise?" Korra said while making one of her famous pouts.
"Yeah I do." The swordsman promised. After the strawberry calmed down some more, they walked back to the group and everybody looked at the situation at hand. Ichigo looked over to Korra, who had a look of uncertainty. He then looked over to Unalaq, who had a slight smile on his face.
"Everything is going according to plan." The chief evil thought.
A Soul Reaper is born in Chapter 2 of A Reaper Among Benders! Also if you haven't guessed the warped voice in Ichigo's head is Hollow Ichigo/Zangetsu.
Anyways Chapter 2 is finally done. Thanks for being so patient, guys! With school and projects, I don't have that much time between to write that and once I'm done rough I send it to my friend who edits it. The reason why I do this is because I care more about quality of my stories and just need a fresh pair of eyes on the project. I already sent this to my friend so once she is done editing this I will update the chapter until then I will continue to work on chapter 3 (which I already started by the way).
Did anybody else see the Book 3 commercial from the Netherlands? It looks so beautiful! Hopefully Book 3 will air soon.
(1) That was taken from the first X-Men: Days of Future Past Trailer. Once I heard it, I wanted to use in this story so here it is.
What is Ichigo's connection to Avatar Wan or Rukia in that matter?
Chapter 3 of A Reaper Among Benders: Civil Wars and Revelations Part 1 will come out hopefully sooner than this chaper.
PLEASE REVIEW!