Hey, guys! We are now officially into the second half of Book 2. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.
Chapter 8: Beginnings Part 2
Korra's eyes were scrunched shut, her body still suspended in the net half-submerged in the glowing blue water. High above her, the Fire Nation priestess and her acolytes stood watching over her.
"Should we pull her up?" One of them asked.
"No," replied the priestess, "She is connecting with her deepest Avatar memories. She must confront her own past if she is to move forward. We can only hope that she survives her ordeal."
Korra's mind returned to her vision of Wan and Raava and also her friend… Ichigo. Her memory was still returning but she knew him for sure. He seemed to be out of place in that time however.
"How do I get home?" Ichigo said.
"You're the one who got here, I'm sure you can find your own way back." Raava replied coldly.
"I don't know how I got here! I just woke up."
"Your situation is none of my concern, Soul Reaper."
"Come on, give him a chance," Wan said. "He deserves that much."
"Lower your tongue. The human and spirit realms are headed toward annihilation!" Raava said loudly. "And it's all your fault. This is why humans have no place interfering in the business of spirits."
"This world is home to all of us," Wan answered. "And what happens here is everyone's business."
"Thanks to you this world may cease to exist! I only hope I can track down Vaatu before it's too late."
"Let me help you. Let us help you."
"I don't want your help. Do not interfere with me again, human."
She ascended into the air and began to leave.
"Wait!" Ichigo called out.
Raava ignored him and he swore loudly and clutched at the wooden object at his waist. Wan looked at him with genuine concern. Ichigo took several deep breaths and calmed down.
"I'm sorry," he said quietly.
"Why didn't you tell me you were from another world?" Wan asked.
"Because I didn't know! I thought about it but I just assumed this was just another place like Soul Society or… ugh. I feel so stupid."
"What was it that she called you? A… Soul Reaper?"
"Yeah. In my world, I fight evil spirits called Hollows and help wandering souls pass onto the other side."
"So, do you have powers?"
"Yeah. Here." He took the wooden object in his hand. "This is called my Combat Pass." He hit it against his chest and suddenly his clothes disappeared in a blue light and they were replaced by black robes. A massive sword was strapped to his back. "Normally," he continued, "my spirit and body would be separated right now but it's like they've been fused together."
Wan gaped at him with amazement. "Wow…"
"Sorry I didn't tell you this earlier."
"It's okay. I understand. Listen, I made a huge mistake and you tried to stop me. Now I feel responsible and I have to make things right in the world. I have to find Vaatu and stop him. But I also feel responsible for you. I have to help you get home."
"No, no," Ichigo said. "You don't have to worry about that. I can find my way on my own."
Wan shook his head. "Ichigo," he gripped his hand tightly and clasped onto his wrist. "You're my friend. One of the only ones that I have. And I'm making you a soul's promise right now that I will help you get home. I found my home with the spirits. Now I'll help you find yours."
Ichigo looked down then clasped Wan's wrist as well. "Thanks. I'm going to scout out ahead. I can sense some spiritual pressure coming from that direction."
"Scout out ahead how?"
"I'll see you soon."
Ichigo rose into the air and took off.
"Wait a second. You can fly?!" Wan sighed and got onto Mula. "Let's get moving."
Ichigo and Rukia stared at each other with wide, open eyes. It was difficult to believe that they were here, in the same space again after so long. They moved closer together, staring into each other's eyes. Ichigo gently and slowly held out his hand. Rukia looked down at it softly and let her own hand hover over his. They did not touch.
Rukia looked back up at his face. He had forgotten how short she was. Her hard but tender purple eyes were just like he remembered them, just like how he'd seen them in his dreams.
"Ru-" He stuttered. "I… I missed you." Those were the only words that came out.
She paused then slowly started to smirk. "Aw, really? Was wittle Ichigo lonely? Didn't know what to do without his precious Rukia, huh?" She mocked in a childish voice.
He scowled. "Hey! I didn't miss you that much! And are you really gonna make fun of me after all this time?"
Rukia laughed and smiled. "I missed you too. When you disappeared I… I didn't know what to do. I've been looking for you."
Ichigo frowned. "I'm sorry I've been gone. How is everyone?"
"They're good. They miss you." She narrowed her eyes. "You changed your hair."
"Huh?" Ichigo felt his now black locks. "Oh, yeah. It's a disguise."
"You look like Kaien Shiba now. I miss the orange hair."
"Yeah, whatever," Ichigo crossed his arms. "I didn't have a choice. It was the only way for me and Asami to get here without attracting too much attention."
"Who's Asami?" Rukia asked.
"Oh, she's my- she's my girlfriend."
"You have a girlfriend here?"
He nodded. "Yeah."
"Why would you bring her here? Why would you form attachments at all? You're not from that world, Ichigo."
"I didn't know I was in another world until I was already dating her! Besides I… I care for her, Rukia. I care for her a lot. She's the best part of my life here."
"How could you not know? Isn't it obvious how different things are there?"
"Yeah, but- I assumed-"
"You assumed what? Did it not occur to you that there was a reason why you were so different? My god, you are stupid sometimes."
"Hey, back off! I lost my memory, Rukia, I didn't know shit about this world, or about me, or anything! I made friends here, I won battles, I protected the people I care about, I was happy. But it was all a lie. You don't know half of what I've gone through."
"You think I haven't had it rough here, too? You disappeared, Ichigo! I have spent every day of the last year searching for you, stressing about you, being scared for you. And hardly anyone seems to care! Your family doesn't even know that you're missing!"
"They what?"
"Your father has convinced your sisters that you are off in Europe for university to "find yourself". How did you even get here? Why did you leave?"
Ichigo looked down. "I don't know."
Rukia sighed. "I'm sorry. We shouldn't fight. Not now. Not here. I want you to tell me everything, from start to finish. Everything you remember."
"Everything?"
"Everything."
Ichigo flew alone above the treetops. He berated himself viciously for believing he was in his own world. It should've been obvious, he thought, why was I so clueless? Now that stupid Raava spirit disappears and won't tell me how to get home. I'm thankful for Wan. He's a good guy. Whoa. That's some crazy spirit pressure.
He reached the end of the treeline and beheld a vast expanse of fog that stretched out before him for miles. The fog was thick and heavy and also had a peculiar scent, as if it held some kind of living creature. The spiritual pressure practically radiated from it.
There was a swirling in the air and movement in the fog. The air became hot and humid. Ichigo stared transfixed as a truly colossal creature emerged from the fog. A forest was on its shell-like back, it's great paws were the size of buildings, and vines tumbled down on all its sides. At last, it's massive head appeared and it stared at Ichigo with eyes that looked older than time itself.
He was awestruck. Never before had he witnessed a creature this grand or ancient. This must be the Lion Turtle that Wan had told him about. Ichigo felt compelled to lower his head in reverence for a split second.
"Soul Reaper…" The Lion Turtle breathed out slowly. "How came you to this world that is not your own?"
"I don't know. I woke up here," Ichigo answered.
"Hmm. There is a purpose in all things. But you must return to your own world. You do not belong here and your actions here could have grave consequences for the future of this world."
"I know that. Can you tell me how to leave this place?"
"I know the way. But your time is running short. Find Raava. She will tell you what to do."
"I already found her and she wanted nothing to do with me!"
"You must prove yourself to be more than your ilk, human. The great light spirit may yet acknowledge you and tell you what you must do. Harmonic Convergence approaches, that is the key to your quest. Great darkness is blanketing the world. If you want Raava to acknowledge you, you must protect the people of this world from the dark spirits of Vaatu."
Ichigo nodded. "Okay. Where do I look for her?"
"You already know where to search. Now fly, human, and prove your worth."
The winds rapidly increased in strength and buffeted Ichigo, swirling him up into the air and towards the land that lay on the great creature's back.
Mula moaned slightly as she strode down the path. They had not been walking long but they were vaguely following the path Ichigo took when he flew off. Wan figured that Ichigo knew what he was talking about when he mentioned spiritual pressure.
There was a rustle in the trees above them and Wan looked over to his left. A large tree laden with fruit was moving. Curious, Wan and Mula headed towards it and poked their heads through the foliage.
Wan's eyes widened. There were people here! Several bald men dressed in yellow robes stood beside the tree. They all had sacks slung around their bodies full of fruit. They rose into the air on what looked like small clouds so they could pick the fruit from the tree.
"Do you see that, Mula? People! And they look like they have some kind of wind power."
Wan urged Mula forward and they emerged into the clearing amongst the people. Each one of them bore a blue tattoo shaped like an arrow on their foreheads. "More humans!" Wan said. "I finally found you!"
The men cried out and instantly fled. "Wait! I'm friendly!"
Wan began to chase them through the forest but they were too quick. They breached the treeline and Wan yelled as he almost tumbled into a sudden foggy abyss, catching onto a hefty branch just in time. One of the men leapt right overtop of him and used his air power to float to another forest that arose from the fog.
Wan stared transfixed as the forest continued to rise. Interspersed with the trees were huts and buildings. He gaped as the Lion Turtle came into view. "The legends are true. Another Lion Turtle city. And it's flying! I have got to get over there!"
Using a rope, a rock and a tree near the edge of the abyss, Wan made a sling and secured it tightly with the rope. "There. Okay Mula, wish me luck." With that, he set the rope on fire and was launched into the air. He wind-milled his arms and screamed as he began to plummet. Reaching out, he caught hold of some convenient vines dangling from the Lion Turtle and breathed a sigh of relief.
"So yeah, then Asami and I travelled here. And that's just about everything." Ichigo said.
"Wow. That's quite the story," said Rukia.
The two of them were sitting cross-legged on the ground facing each other. Ichigo had just recounted everything that had happened since Korra had found him in the ice all those months ago.
"Yeah," he said, "what about your end? What happened back home?"
"Well one day I went to visit you in Karakura Town. I went to your house but you weren't there. Your sisters told me that you were off in Europe for university or something and that you hadn't told anyone but your father. That confused me because you were still in high school at the time. I asked people like Orihime and Chad and others, none of them knew where you were or why you'd gone. For a while I accepted the story that your father said about Europe because I didn't have any reason to not believe it. I was confused because you never contacted me and none of our Soul Reapers based in Europe had seen any sight of you. So Renji and I started searching. Urahara was no help and neither were the Soul Reaper captains. None of them seemed to care. We searched all over Soul Society and the real world, just looking for any trace of your reiatsu. Then one night in Seireitei, we felt your spiritual pressure. Perhaps it was from your first Getsuga Tenshou when you defeated Amon. From then on we've been searching non-stop until I sensed your presence near the Senkaimon and here you were."
Ichigo crossed his arms, deep in thought. "So my old man was the only one who knew where I supposedly was?"
"He said you told him the night before you left. Do you not remember at all how you got here?"
"No. I just remember waking up in the ice. The last thing I remember from home was… breakfast. I had breakfast with Yuzu and Karin and then Dad asked me to- oh what was it? Oh yeah. He wanted me to help him with something. That's all I remember."
"Hmm. This whole story is so confusing. I've never heard tell of anyone crossing over to this world or vice versa. I let you tell your whole story without interruptions but there's something we need to talk about."
"What's that?"
"The Avatar. This Korra girl. She's never hurt you?"
"Why would she hurt me? We're friends, I mean we were, I don't know where we're at now but she was my first friend here. She would never hurt me."
Rukia frowned. "I don't understand. Captain Ukitake said that the Avatar was a monster and that if you encountered it, you were in serious danger."
"No, the Avatar is like a guardian. She's a bridge, the world loves the Avatar, the world needs the Avatar. She holds everything in balance."
Rukia rubbed her face and sighed. "I don't know what to make of this. Either the legends are wrong or you're completely brainwashed. What we know of the Avatar caused us to called it Fukinko."
"Imbalance," Ichigo said. "That's the opposite of what she is."
"This is all so confusing. So you're not in any danger from her?"
"No. I mean before I got my powers back, she could probably easily kick my ass but we're friends so she didn't."
"But now that you have your powers you can beat her?"
He shrugged. "I don't know. I've never fought her. Besides, I don't think these are the extent of my powers. I can't use Bankai, whatever that is."
"You can't even use your Bankai?"
"No. I've been wondering, what is a Bankai?"
"Are you serious? You have to be joking."
"I'm not."
"Wow. You are in a real mess, aren't you?"
"I guess so. Tell me what a Bankai is."
Rukia sighed again. "Alright. Where's my sketchbook?"
"No. I don't need any of your shitty drawings."
Rukia ignored him and pulled out a notepad and started scribbling.
"Rukia…"
"So, as you can see from this Chappie here-"
Wan made his way into the village. Looking around he saw that it was quite different from his city. All of the homes were made of wooden huts and there were many open spaces. It appeared that these people were far more connected to nature and the spirits than his people were. Spirits were everywhere and the people interacted with them openly.
Beneath a tree sat three men meditating. Wan jogged over to them.
"Hi! How are you? I'm Wan! …I'm sorry to interrupt but it's been a while since I've seen other humans."
"Where did you come from, stranger?" One of the men asked.
"Another Lion Turtle city, far away. For the past two years, I've been living among the spirits and exploring the wilds."
"Remarkable. Come, sit with us. We would love to hear of your travels."
The man speaking had a spirit on his shoulder. As he finished his sentence, it suddenly turned deep red and lashed out at Wan. All around the village, the spirits changed form, becoming darker and evil looking. They tore into homes and began chasing the people. The humans cried out and ran in terror. A great shadow loomed over the village.
Wan looked up at it and scowled. "Vaatu."
"So, we meet again, human," Vaatu said. "Where is the Soul Reaper?"
Wan didn't reply.
"Why is the great spirit of darkness here but not his other half?" said one of the men.
"Uh, I'll explain later," Wan said awkwardly. He ran out to face Vaatu. "Leave these people in peace. They've done nothing to harm you."
The dark spirits converged on Wan and he fought them off with his fire bending. But they kept coming. Suddenly, Ichigo appeared and he slashed through several spirits with his giant sword.
"Ichigo!" Wan said with joy.
"What the hell are these things, Wan?"
"I don't know!"
"We have to protect these people."
Ichigo began to lay waste to the dark spirits before him but they kept reforming and coming for more.
"There's so many of them!" Wan yelled.
"Keep fighting!" Ichigo called back. The two of them fought back to back, drawing the spirits away from the people and fighting in tandem. But their opponents surrounded them and they were closing in.
"Soul Reaper!" Vaatu said. "Your presence is futile if you do not use your full power. Unleash it! Show it to me!"
Ichigo glared at him. "Protecting these people is more important than showing you my power. If I do, I could hurt them. And that is something I refuse to do!"
"Then you will perish!" Vaatu said with a laugh. "Foolish child."
"Begone!"
Vaatu grunted as Raava burst in out of nowhere and flew solidly into him. She swirled around Wan and Ichigo, instantly dispersing the dark spirits from the area. Vaatu flew back cockily, unveiling his full size. He was now many times bigger than Raava who had shrunk dramatically.
"How are you feeling since our split, Raava?" He said in a mocking voice. "I've never been better. When Harmonic Convergence comes, I will destroy you forever."
Wan breathed a sigh of relief and Raava turned on him angrily.
"I told you not to interfere!"
"I had to do something. These people were in danger."
"Great spirit of light," one of the men said, "We thank you for your help. But how did you become split from Vaatu?"
"Ask him," Raava said derisively.
"It wasn't my fault," Wan defended, "Vaatu tricked me into freeing him. I'd take it all back if I could."
"It's too late for that! Why wouldn't you just listen? Both I and the Soul Reaper told you not to free him. Perhaps if you had trusted more in your friend, the world would not be in the brink of eternal darkness."
"Enough," Ichigo said. "We can still stop him. What matters is that these people are safe. Why did those spirits attack them?"
"Now that Vaatu is free, he is turning other spirits dark. The more spirits he turns, the stronger he becomes."
"He's getting bigger," Wan said, "and you're getting smaller."
"As darkness grows, light fades."
Wan looked down. He clenched his fists with guilt. Then he felt a reassuring hand on his shoulder. It was Ichigo.
"Don't give up now," he said. "You can still fix this. This isn't my world. It's yours. It's your responsibility. And it's your mistake that has put its people in danger. So own that mistake. And tell yourself now that you're going to fix it. Don't let it define you.
Wan nodded and then turned to the people. "I'm sorry for endangering your village. But I promise you, I will set things right."
They looked at him with sorrow in their eyes. "How?"
Wan looked down at his hands. Then he clenched them again. "I know what to do," he said to Ichigo.
Together, they, Raava, and the villagers made their way to the Lion Turtle.
"Great Lion Turtle," Wan said, "I ask that you grant me the power of air so that I can defeat Vaatu before it's too late."
"You already carry the power of fire," the Lion Turtle said. "No human has ever held two elements at the same time."
"I'm not like other humans. I can learn to do it."
"Hmm, perhaps. But to do so, Raava must hold the power for you until you master it"
"Ancient one," Raava said, "why would I do that for a human? Especially one who's caused so much trouble?"
"Raava, please," Wan pleaded. "I can't let the world fall into chaos because of my mistake. Neither of us can defeat Vaatu alone but together we have a chance."
"Very well, I will help you to master the power of air. On one condition: the Soul Reaper must leave as soon as possible. He must not interfere in the affairs of this world any longer. Who knows what damage he will cause."
"So you go from saying Wan should have listened to me and refusing to help me get home, to saying I shouldn't interfere and that I need to leave? Are you serious?" Ichigo said with annoyance.
"In your world, they call your kind Shinigami, gods of death, am I wrong? Your presence may be what tips Vaatu's power over the edge. I will tell you how you may return to your world."
Ichigo crossed his arms. "You'd better."
Wan smiled. "Thank you, Raava. And in return, I will help you restore balance to the world."
"Your Zanpakuto is in its released form, it's shikai," Rukia was saying. "That is why you can use your Getsuga Tenshou attack. Bankai is the second release. It is most powerful form that your sword can reach, although you can still increase the power of your Bankai. Normally, it takes at least ten years of training for a Soul Reaper to be ready to attain Bankai; however, you and Urahara achieved Bankai with only three days of training by forcibly materializing your Zanpakuto and fighting for those three days straight."
"So, what you're saying is that I already have my Bankai. It's in there somewhere."
"Yes."
"And so how would I get that Bankai back?"
"By training."
"Right that's almost as vague and bad as your drawings. I'd forgotten how much they suck."
Rukia narrowed her eyes and swiped at him. Her hand passed right through his face.
"Whoa! What the hell?" Ichigo said in surprise.
"My body is not really here, we're not physically in the same space."
"How on earth does that work?"
Rukia began pulling out the notebook again. "On second thought, never mind," Ichigo said hurriedly. "So I just have to train."
"Yeah. Find a place that has very strong spiritual presence and see what you can do there."
"Alright, I think I know a place. Man, it is weird talking to you. It's been so long."
"Yeah. But we haven't really talked about the real reason we're here."
Ichigo shook his head solemnly. "No. We haven't."
"Should we? I don't want to interfere with your life. If you're happy there, if you're happy with her… I don't want to hurt you. Or cause you to hurt others."
He took a deep breath. "Yeah. I don't know. Just… just tell me everything. Then I can decide."
Rukia looked at him tenderly. "Okay."
Wan, Ichigo and Raava walked along a path away from the Lion Turtle in silence. The two humans rode Mula and Raava floated along beside them.
"What's this Harmonic thing Vaatu was talking about?" Wan asked eventually.
"Harmonic Convergence. That is when Vaatu and I must battle for the fate of the world. It is also the key to your return, Soul Reaper. It is only on that day that the two worlds are close enough for you to pass through safely. Any other time would be extremely dangerous and you may not even end up where you want to go, in time or otherwise."
Ichigo nodded but said nothing.
"How long do we have till then?" Wan asked.
"About a year in your time."
"Then we better start training."
Time began to pass and every day, Wan trained to master the elements of fire and air. Raava was a hard master but he learned quickly. They would stop off at random locations on their travels and commit hours and hours to training. Ichigo, having been forbidden from doing anything, would sit and watch and marvel at Wan. From what he'd seen of this world, he knew that Wan was special. And he of all people knew what it was like trying to control multiple powers within himself.
One day, they stopped near a volcano and Wan began practicing with fire. After some time, he turned to Raava. "Alright, I'm ready to try air."
"The only way for me to give you the power of the other element is to pass through your body and combine our energies."
"Great, so you've done this before."
"No. This has never even been attempted. It is very dangerous."
"That's what they said about living in the Spirit Wilds and I survived that. I'm ready. Give me the air."
Ichigo sat back and smiled. He saw so much of himself in Wan. He was willing to do whatever it took to protect his world. Even though his life had derailed by coming to this world, by meeting Wan, Ichigo felt he'd gained something that he didn't often have for others: admiration. Wan was inspiring. He had drive and selflessness like Ichigo had never seen.
Raava flew up into the air and passed through Wan in a blinding flash of light. Wan fell to his knees from the shock and then stood. He punched out a rush of air.
"It feels completely different. If you and Vaatu have the same fight every ten thousand years, why hasn't one destroyed the other?
"He cannot destroy light any more than I can destroy darkness. One cannot exist without the other. Even if I defeat Vaatu in this encounter, darkness will grow inside me until he emerges again. The same will hold true if Vaatu defeats me."
"That doesn't sound so bad. Even if Vaatu wins you'll come back."
"Yes. But you will probably not survive to see it. Vaatu will destroy the world as you know it. Darkness will cover the earth for ten thousand years."
Ichigo crossed his arms and frowned. "Why won't you let me fight then?" he asked. "If this is so important, then let me help. I hate just sitting here knowing I can't do anything."
"If you were to help, too many things could go wrong."
"That doesn't make any sense! If Vaatu wins, he will destroy this world! Shouldn't you be doing everything you can to stop that?"
"Think about the big picture, Soul Reaper. You focus too much on what's in front of you. You are here either on purpose or by accident. Either way, people from both worlds have never crossed over to the other side. What if what you do here upsets the balance between the two worlds? It could be the end of everything!"
"If there's a person in front of me who needs my help, or if someone is trying to hurt someone that I love or someone that I must protect, I would do everything to help them. Why waste lives and put yourself in danger when I can help you? With the three of us, we could easily defeat Vaatu!"
"Your motives are pure and admirable, Soul Reaper. But you lack the vision to see the potential consequences of your actions," she said loudly. "For the sake of this world and yours, do not interfere."
Ichigo stood up. "I can't understand your logic." He walked off and Raava sighed with exasperation. Wan looked after his friend and then took a deep breath.
"If I'm going to help you battle Vaatu, then I need to visit more Lion Turtles."
Their journey continued and they travelled to more cities; one on the ocean and one in a desert, where Wan received the element of earth and the element of water.
"Why is there so much conflict between humans and spirits in the first place?" Wan asked one day.
"This physical world is where humans come from. Spirits come from another realm. At the North and South Poles, the two realms intersect. That is also where the connection to the Soul Reaper's world is strongest. Over time, more and more spirits have drifted into this world. Humans have been forced apart, settling on the Lion Turtles who protect them, and losing touch with each other."
"Most people think they live in the only human city in the world."
"Most humans think only of themselves, no matter how many others are around."
Wan continued to train with the four elements, becoming stronger and stronger as each day passed. Raava would fly through him and he would switch elements, slowly mastering them all at the same time.
"When you pass through me, I feel an incredible rush of power. I feel like I'm changing, becoming stronger."
Every day, Ichigo would watch him. To him, it was like watching the birth of a god. Someone far more powerful than those around him. His friend's spiritual pressure was becoming ridiculous. He was proud of him. But his boredom and need to fight began to irk him.
One day, Wan was training and then he sniffed the air. "Smells like smoke," he said.
"Humans are nearby," Raava replied.
"Let's check it out."
Ichigo narrowed his eyes. There was a dark energy in the air. He could feel it. They jumped on Mula and headed towards the smell. Below them was a small settlement of wooden huts. People were milling about, working and setting up more huts. Beyond the settlement, a forest was burning. People were burning down trees with firebending and dragging them away to build homes.
Wan, Ichigo and Raava entered the clearing. The people turned and pointed at Raava.
"A spirit!"
One of them flung fire at her but Wan jumped in the way and dissipated it easily. He had mastered fire long ago.
"Easy there, fellas. We're friendly."
"I can't believe it. Wan?"
Wan smiled as he saw his old friend.
"Jaya! What are you doing out here?"
The two men embraced and Jaya laughed.
"You inspired us. Once we heard that you survived out in the wilds, we decided to try it too."
"Where's Yao?" Wan asked eagerly. "Did he come with you?"
"Yes, but sadly… he didn't make it. We- we lost a lot of good men along the way." He glanced up at Ichigo. "Who's this guy?"
"This is Ichigo," Wan said. "He's my good friend."
"Does he do anything besides scowl?"
Ichigo scowled deeper and Wan chuckled. Jaya crossed his arms. "Anyway, why were you protecting that spirit?"
"This is Raava. Don't worry. She's not like the dark spirits you've probably run into."
"Dark spirits? What's the difference? We throw fire at any spirit we see around here. Just like they attack any man."
"You have no idea what you're doing!" Raava cried. "You're only making things worse!"
"The spirits are coming back!" One of the men said.
"Let's wipe them out this time!" Jaya declared. "We'll burn down the whole forest if we have to."
"What happened to you?" Wan said. "When did you become so violent?"
"You showed me we could change the world if we stopped being so afraid. Now we're doing it." He ran off to join the others.
"This isn't what I had in mind," Wan said sadly.
Ichigo reached for his sword but Raava snapped at him.
"Stay back, Soul Reaper! Your power will only make things worse here."
The humans and spirits faced each other in a clearing. The humans, led by Jaya ignited flames on their hands. Then the aye-aye spirit from the oasis stepped forward.
"Get out of the forest, humans!"
Wan and Raava jumped between the two groups.
"Wait!" Wan said. "We can resolve this peacefully."
"Stinky? You came back!"
"It's good to see you again," Wan said with a smile.
"You and Raava are just in time to help us clear these tree-killing fire lovers out of here. Just like the old days."
"You're the one who's getting cleared out," Jaya said.
"There's no need for violence," Wan interceded. "I know there must be a way to work out a compromise."
"You have a good heart, Stinky. But these fire-tossers aren't like you."
"Sprits like them killed our friends," said Jaya. "I can't let them get away with that."
Ichigo looked up as dark clouds began to form above them and thunder rumbled. Every bone in his body wanted to get in between them and help but he restrained himself. Vaatu's laugh echoed across the valley and the spirits all turned dark.
"We are protectors of the forest. We won't let you burn it down."
"It's Vaatu," Raava said. "He's growing stronger, using their anger to turn them to his side."
Jaya threw fire and the spirits retaliated.
"Wipe them out!"
Wan defended desperately in the middle, blocking the fire and blowing the spirits away with air.
"Stop! Please!"
The spirits and humans kept fighting. Ichigo gripped his sword like a vice, his face skewed with mental pain.
"Raava!" Wan called. "We need to combine our energies. Maybe then we'll have enough power to stop this."
Raava beamed down into him and there was an instant shockwave. Ichigo stared as Wan rose into the air, bending all four elements simultaneously.
"Enough! You need to stop fighting now before you destroy each other!"
The aye-aye spirit returned to his normal state. "Stinky! What happened to you?"
"He's controlling all four elements," Jaya said in shock.
Wan began to groan. His body was in immense pain from the power within him.
"Wan," Raava said. "I have to leave your body or I'll destroy you."
"No! It's working. If you leave the fighting will start again!"
Suddenly he spasmed and he began to fall. Raava instantly left him. "Wan!"
Ichigo swooped in and grabbed Wan in his arms and flew him away from the battle which continued ferociously. He took him and Raava up to a cliff overlooking the battle.
"You fool!" Raava yelled. "I told you not to interfere!"
"Shut up!" Ichigo fired back. "Wan could've died if I hadn't been there."
She sighed weakly and collapsed onto the ground. Ichigo placed Wan gently down and sat beside him until he stirred.
"You idiot," he said quietly to his friend. "You amazing, reckless idiot."
Wan's eyes fluttered and he got up. The valley was in flames before him.
"We have to go back!"
Suddenly, Vaatu appeared. He was massive. "Don't bother," he said coldly. "Your human friends have already been annihilated."
"No."
"Enjoy your final days. See you at the end of the world."
Ichigo drew his sword in pure anger but Wan put his hand on his shoulder. "Stop," he said sadly. "You've done enough."
Behind a rock, Raava groaned. Wan picked her up in his hands. She was now truly tiny. "I'm sorry, Wan," she said.
He placed her in a tea pot that he had in a pack on Mula. Jumping on the cat-deer, he called to Ichigo.
"Ichigo! Come on. Let's get moving."
Ichigo turned to him with a defeated look on his face. "Wan… how can I protect anything if I'm not allowed to? This is all useless! I could help you. I could end this right now. Waiting and doing nothing is the exact opposite of what I usually do."
Wan sighed. "I don't know. All of this… is because I didn't listen. You warned me and I didn't listen. I think we both have a lot to learn here. But you're almost home. I can still fulfill my promise to you."
"Your promise? Wan, your world is about to end. You don't have to worry about your promise."
"Yes, I do. I made you a soul's promise, Ichigo. I will not break that promise."
Ichigo looked down. "I don't- I don't understand you. But at the same time, I do."
"It's because we're similar, right? You and I are similar. That's why we're friends." Wan held out his hand. "We're brothers. Now and forever." Ichigo took it and Wan helped him onto Mula.
"Brothers," he said with a smirk.
"Cheesy, I know," Wan said.
"No, it's good. I just wish I could do more to help you."
Wan smiled. "You've done more than you know. You inspire me."
"What? No, you inspire me. I've never met anyone like you."
"Well, then we inspire each other," Wan laughed. "I like that."
"Yeah. I guess so." Ichigo laughed too.
Wan cleared his throat. "Alright, just like Vaatu said, let's go to the end of the world."
"Okay, so I spent a lot of time researching this in Squad 12 so listen up," Rukia instructed.
"You went to Squad 12 for me? You really do care," Ichigo joked.
"Yeah, don't make me regret it. Do you know what Harmonic Convergence is?"
"I don't think so," he replied.
"Well, it's the key. Once every ten thousand years, the planets will align. This event is called Harmonic Convergence. If both Spirit Portals are open, it connects this world and the Spirit World together, this is also when the connection between this world and our world is the strongest. Now, if you enter an open Spirit Portal you will arrive in the place where the two worlds meet. You're in the Spirit World and the other portal is right across from you. When Harmonic Convergence happens, the portals will connect or something into a beaming arc of energy. You must fly into this energy and theoretically, it should send you back to this world to the place where you were last here."
"That sounds pretty risky. How do I know that I'll get sent back there?"
"I suppose that the fabric between the two worlds is extremely thin during Harmonic Convergence so that explains how you can get back."
"This is so confusing. What if it doesn't work? Where will I end up?"
"How should I know? I don't even know where this research comes from."
"Well that's reassuring. So both Spirit Portals have to be open?"
"Yes."
He sighed. "That's exactly what Unalaq wanted. I'm not sure this is such a good idea. Is there any other way?"
"This is the only way. If you choose to stay I'll respect you. But I can't keep up the lie that you're off in Europe. There's something strange going on here, Ichigo. I feel like you were sent to that world from here. I don't know how. But something isn't right. At the very least your family deserves to know where you are."
He nodded. "Yeah."
"Ichigo, if you've made connections there, it wouldn't be right for you to just leave. You're going to have to be careful. But this is your home. This is where you belong."
"I know. Thank you for coming. Thank you for telling me this."
"Are you leaving now?"
"Yeah. I've left Asami out there for too long."
"I don't want you to go." She reached out and their hands passed through each other's.
"I don't want to either. But I have to. She's waiting for me. All my friends are waiting for me."
"We're waiting too," she said quietly.
Ichigo's face scrunched up. "I know," he said again. "I'm sorry that this all happened. I'm going to make it right." He stood up. "I'll see you soon."
She stood up too. "Where? When?"
"Harmonic Convergence."
The two of them stood there facing each other. Rukia swallowed.
"So this is goodbye then?"
"For now."
"Okay. Goodbye, Ichigo."
"Goodbye, Rukia. Thank you."
He turned and steeled his face. Exiting the clearing, he took one last look at where she'd stood. She was gone. He sighed. I'll see her soon. I know I will.
Clouds were overhead as Wan, Ichigo and Raava rode across the icy tundra of the South Pole. Before them lay an expanse of snow and beyond was a forest where a thick beam of light stretched endlessly into the sky. Wan held Raava in her teapot in the crook of his arm.
"We're almost there," she said. "I was wrong about you, Wan. I had no idea that humans were capable of such nobility and courage. I'm sorry that we do not have much more time together."
"Let's not give up before the battle's even begun," Wan said. "Who knows what will happen? After all this is my first Harmonic Convergence."
"Soul Reaper," Raava said. "I misjudged you also. Perhaps in another time, in another place, we could've connected more."
Ichigo gave a small smile. "Yeah, perhaps." He nudged Wan. "Are you ready?"
Wan nodded. "I'm ready."
They entered the forest and reached the Spirit Portal. Its ethereal blue light beckoned to them as it swirled ceaselessly. A light humming sound emanated from it.
"This is the Southern Spirit Portal to the Spirit World," Raava said. "Here, Vaatu and I will do battle once again at the place where the two worlds meet. Soul Reaper, you know what you must do, correct?"
"Yeah," he replied. "Wait until Harmonic Convergence begins and then fly into the arc of energy that the Spirit Portals form."
"Precisely. I wish you the best of luck. It has been an honour traveling with you, Ichigo."
"Oh, so you actually know my name. You're right. I've enjoyed travelling with you too."
Wan and Ichigo dismounted from Mula in front of the Spirit Portal. The two friends looked at each other with sadness.
"Well," Wan said. "I guess this is it."
Ichigo nodded. "I guess so."
Wan swallowed deeply. "Ichigo, you are my greatest friend. I am so happy that I got to spend the time with you that I did. I only wish we had more."
"Yeah, me too. Thank you… for everything. I wish that our time together hadn't been so crazy and dangerous."
Wan chuckled. "Yeah. Maybe in another lifetime, we will be friends again and we can have fun together without worrying about the end of the world."
Ichigo smiled. "I'd like that."
They embraced and Wan wiped a tear away.
"Thank you," he whispered. "And farewell. I wish you all the luck in the world."
"Same to you. Kick that bastard's ass for me."
They laughed and then took deep breaths. Then together, they walked into the Spirit Portal. On the other side, they emerged into a rocky clearing shaped like a circle. In the middle of the circle was an old, gnarly tree that bore no leaves or fruit. On the far side was the Northern Portal. It glowed a deep orange. Ichigo stayed beside the Southern Portal as Wan, tea pot in hand, advanced into the clearing.
Vaatu reared his head and emerged from the other portal. He set down in front of them, his imposing form dwarfing everything around him.
"Are you ready for our final battle, Raava? Thanks to our friend separating us, I think this time I may be rid of you once and for all."
Wan set the tea pot on Mula. "Before you get to her, you'll have to go through me."
"No human can stand against me," Vaatu said with amusement.
"Haven't you heard the legends? I'm not a regular human anymore."
With that, Wan attacked, instantly blasting Vaatu with fire. The spirit dodged his attacks and whipped out at Wan with his tail, striking him and sending him rolling painfully across the dirt.
"I lived ten thousand lifetimes before the first of your kind crawled out of the mud."
Suddenly, Vaatu seemed to inhale and then he unleashed a giant, powerful beam of purple energy that slammed into Wan.
"It was I who broke through the divide that separated the plane of spirits from the material world."
He blasted Wan again and sent him tumbling into the rocks.
"To hate me is to give me breath. To fight me is to give me strength. Now prepare to face oblivion!"
He fired again but Wan used fire to throw himself out of the way.
"Raava!" He called. "The only way to win is together."
Raava weakly left her tea pot and flew into Wan. He yelled at the surge of power and his eyes began to glow white. Shooting off on a ball of air, he dodged Vaatu's attacks as the spirit attempted to hit him with his tendrils. Wan leapt into the air and hit Vaatu solidly with fire then he rolled again on the ground and launched himself into the air with earth.
He slashed at Vaatu with fire while getting hit with a tendril. His attacks were having some effect now, he was shooting holes through Vaatu's body but they would quickly refill. He started flying with air and threw several heavy rocks at Vaatu. Wan had never used this much power before. It was exhilarating but his body was paying the price.
He slid along the ground and groaned with pain as his body glitched and spasmed, rejecting the foreign spirit inside him.
"I have to leave you," Raava said. "If I stay longer, you will die."
"It doesn't matter," Wan forced out. "If you leave me now, Vaatu will destroy everything. We have to finish this together!"
Wan surged forward again and resumed his attack. He dodged another blast and shot bursts of fire at Vaatu. Then he was caught in a tendril and thrown up in the air. Vaatu hit him point blank with an energy blast. He fell through the air and then Vaatu caught him again and dragged him along the ground and held him tightly against the base of the Southern Portal, right near where Ichigo was standing.
Ichigo stared with rage at his friend. He trembled uncontrollably, every single cell in his body wanting to help.
"The Harmonic Convergence is about to begin," Vaatu said. "The era of Raava is over."
Above them, the planets aligned. The humming noise from the portals increased dramatically and they began to bend towards each other, meeting in the sky in the middle of the circle. A shockwave reverberated around the circle. The arc of energy sent bolts of lightning down to the ground.
"Ichigo!" Wan screamed. "Now's your chance, go!"
Ichigo nodded and began to fly into the air. Vaatu laughed.
"Leaving so soon, Soul Reaper? Don't you want to stay and watch as I blast your friend into a thousand pieces? You're missing the best part!"
Wan began to glow white and Vaatu began to glow purple. Vaatu inhaled again, the beam of energy ready to be shot right at Wan.
"Don't listen to him, Ichigo! This is your only chance! You must go! Go!"
Ichigo looked at the arc of energy. He could literally see the fabric of the worlds peeling apart for him. He was so close. His friends, his family, they were all waiting on the other side for him. All it would take is one more step and he'd be home. But then he turned back.
"I can't."
Drawing his sword, he teleported in front of Wan.
"Ichigo! What are you doing?"
"Protecting my friend!"
He raised his sword straight in front of him. "Alright you piece of shit, get a load of this. Ban-"
Vaatu's attack hit him before he could finish his sentence. It blasted him through the portal and sent him streaking across the icy mountains and into the ocean. He began to freeze instantly. His mind went blank. The spiritual energy inside of him quickly strengthened his body. His eyes remained open as the ice closed around him and the mighty waves sent him into a glacier. Then all consciousness faded and his mind receded completely.
"Hey King, wake up."
Ichigo opened his eyes. He was in his inner world and his white self stood before him. He was groggy and he couldn't speak.
"Don't worry, King. You'll survive. Your soul and resolve is strong enough. The energy inside your body will keep you alive but your mind is another matter. Don't expect to remember much when you eventually wake up. Who knows when that'll be though," he said with a cold laugh. "Anyways, sleep now, King."
The last thing Ichigo saw was a white hand that shut his eyes and then he knew no more.
"Ichigo!" Wan yelled frantically. His face raged with anger and he reached his hand out to the portal behind him. The energy from it blanketed him in a blue glow and Vaatu gasped. Wan fell to his knees and then screamed. Incredible rays of light erupted out of his eyes and mouth and into the air. The shockwave launched Vaatu away from them and cracked the ground beneath them.
Wan stood to his feet, pure power radiating from his glowing eyes.
"We are bonded forever," Raava declared.
Wan surged forward with his attacks and trapped the backpedalling Vaatu in a sphere of air. Then he added the four elements to orbit individually around the sphere and enclosed it into an unbreakable space. Vaatu could do literally nothing as Wan brought him over to the great tree in the center of the circle and forced him inside.
There was another flash of red light and then Vaatu stared at the red wall of pure energy that blocked his escape from inside the tree. He was trapped.
"This is your prison now," Wan said. "And I will close the Spirit Portals so that no human will ever be able to physically enter the Spirit World and release you."
He went to the Northern Portal and closed it and then he exited from the Southern Portal. One by one, he led the spirits there and they left the physical world and returned to their own. His friend, the aye-aye spirit bowed to him as he left. Then Wan closed the Spirit Portal.
"The spirits must stop fighting with humans and return to their home in the Spirit World. I will teach men to respect the spirits so that balance will be maintained. I will be the bridge between our two worlds."
The Lion Turtles receded from their position as guardians of humanity. Wan would take their place. "The world is entering a new age," they said. "Our time protecting mankind is over. We will no longer give humans the power of the element."
Wan searched far and wide for Ichigo for many years. But he never found any trace of him. Raava would always assure him that he was alive and to not give up hope. That was his only comfort. Ichigo's friendship meant everything to him and his last words: protecting his friend, remained with Wan till the end of his days. Ichigo's willingness to sacrifice his own home and future just to protect him became the cornerstone of his beliefs. That selflessness and decision to act always filled him with strength. He would always regret not keeping his soul promise to his great spirit friend. Soon enough, he found his purpose.
"Different groups of people must learn to live together. This is my mission: to use Raava's light spirit to guide the world towards peace."
Many decades later, Wan, now an old man, sat alone on a flaming battlefield; the last survivor of a terrible war. He slumped against a stone and stared up into the sky.
"I'm sorry, Raava. I failed to bring peace. I failed to keep my promise to him. Even with Vaatu locked away, darkness still surrounds humanity. There wasn't enough time."
"Don't worry," Raava reassured gently. "Your promise to Ichigo shall remain. One day, when he returns, you will see him again. And we will be together for all of your lifetimes and we will never give up."
Hope restored, Wan breathed his last breath and Raava's spirit left him, dissipating into the wind. And across the world, somewhere, a new-born baby gave its first cry.
Korra's eyes shot open and she sat up with a gasp.
"I remember. I remember everything. Ichigo… you were there from the beginning."
The red Fire Nation priestess stood on the ledge above her.
"Do you know who you are?"
"My name is Korra. I'm the Avatar."
The priestess led her outside the temple to a small enclosed field. Grazing on the field were several young air bison.
"We've been raising this herd of air bison since the Hundred Year War. I never thought I'd be able to present one to the Avatar."
"Thank you for all your kindness," Korra said. "I wonder how long I've been away."
"That I cannot say, but you do not have much time left. The Harmonic Convergence is only weeks away."
"I have to close the Spirit Portal before that happens."
Korra took one of the air bison and flew quickly away from the island where she'd lost her memory. Ichigo, she thought, why didn't you tell me you were there? The promise… the soul promise that Wan made. I have to fulfill it.
Asami was sitting against a tree at the entrance to the clearing. She looked up as Ichigo came through. Smiling, she got up and gave him a quick hug.
"How was it? Did you find out what you wanted to know?"
He nodded. "Yeah. I did."
"So, what are we going to do now?"
"We need to go to that Spirit Oasis."
"What for?"
"It's time I regained my Bankai."
And yeah that's the end of the chapter. A lot of stuff happened this chapter so tell me all your thoughts. I hope to be back soon with the next one. Thanks for reading I'll see you all next time.
