Hi, guys! So it's been a little while since I posted but not as long as it has been recently so that's good haha. This is the first official chapter of Book 3, (last one was a prologue), and I'm super excited to be able to post it. With all this crazy stuff going on in the world, I hope all of you are staying safe! Enjoy the chapter!
Chapter 1: A Breath of Fresh Air
The sun gleamed down on Air Temple Island. It was a bright, beautiful day as soft clouds lofted overhead and the sounds of Republic City were far away. Birds chirped in the island's many trees and waves lapped gently against the shores.
"Come back, Bum-Ju!" Bumi cried as he huffed his way along a dirt trail. The blue spirit chittered as it flew towards a large tree who's branches hung out over a steep cliff. Bumi panted as he crawled his way out on a thick branch over the expanse below. Bum-Ju kept a safe distance away at the very end of the branch. Reaching to his back pocket, Bumi pulled out a little pink and white cloth.
"If you don't want to wear the sweater I made you that's fine. I'm sorry I got mad!" He straddled the branch with his arms and legs and tried to shimmy his way towards the spirit but the branch began to shake with his weight. "Bum-Ju, I'm running out of tree! Can we go down now?" The branch began to tear at the base and he slid down it, barely managing to hold on to it with his hands. "Bum-Ju! A little help?"
The beach below him seemed very far away and Bum-Ju was taking far too long to get to him. The spirit gripped the back of his jacket but Bumi slipped out and screamed as he fell. He shut his eyes and put his hands out towards the ground then all of a sudden, he stopped falling.
Bumi opened one eye. Then he opened two. Gusts of air were flowing out of his hands, keeping him hovering safely above ground. "Look! I'm airbending!" The air gave out and he face-planted in the sand. "Wow, that still hurt a lot."
The air was murky and eerily humid as Korra, Tenzin and Jinora made their way through what once was a Republic City neighbourhood. It had now been totally overgrown and displaced by spirit vines. The vines grew everywhere and covered everything; even the sun was blotted out by their presence overhead. Behind them came a troupe of little spirits who followed them happily.
"How are we ever gonna clear away all these vines?" Korra said in exasperation.
A thin layer of vines was covering a doorframe in front of her. She fired a small plume of fire to burn them away, almost as a test. The vines retreated from the flames and then came right back. "Ugh! I don't get it! I can vanquish Vaatu but not a bunch of stupid vines?"
"I'm sure you'll find a way," said Tenzin.
"Why do you want to get rid of them?" Jinora questioned as she held one of the spirits tenderly. "You changed the world. We're connected with the spirits again. The wilds are their home."
"I don't think the people who used to live here are as excited about it as you are," Korra replied. She used her staff that she can been carrying to move aside some vines that served as an entrance to the wilds. The street outside was relatively clear of them but the neighbourhood was overwhelmed by the massive forest they had been walking in. "I gotta go face the press and tell them I still don't have a way to get rid of the vines. This should be fun."
Korra opened her staff to reveal the wings of a glider and flew up and away towards City Hall.
President Raiko was there in the midst of a crowded press conference. A giant tree had grown inside the building and burst out through the roof. Despite this, the front steps where the press conference was being held were relatively clear of vines. Along with the President were several police officers including Lin Beifong.
"Mr. President," said one reporter, "are you concerned that your approval ratings are nearly as low as the Avatar's?"
"Have you seen today's headline? It says "Raik-oh no! Polls pan, prez plans"."
"I'm not concerned with snappy putdowns in the press," Raiko replied. "I'm facing this calamity just like every other citizen. There's a tree growing right through my office. You think I'm not doing everything I can to get rid of it? Furthermore, these polls numbers are a bit of a farce. The so-called "Reaper" polls far higher than myself and he hasn't been seen for weeks! Now why wouldn't the great vigilante be out helping people in their time of need? Makes you think, doesn't it?"
Up above them, Korra came down on her glider, blowing clouds of dust into Raiko's face.
"Maybe his poll numbers just mean he hasn't been around to mess up yet," she said dryly. The reporters all instantly clamoured for her attention.
"Avatar Korra, do you regret the way you handled the Unalaq crisis?"
"Why are you forcing the integration of spirits in Republic City?"
"Listen," Korra responded, "I've been trying everything I can think of to get rid of these vines but-"
"Why can't you fix this?!"
"Are the vines here to stay?"
"Is this part of your new world order?"
"How can you prove that the Unalaq crisis was not actually a Reaper crisis?"
"Unalaq never used swords, after all."
"Look!" Korra said with annoyance. "Harmonic Convergence was just a couple weeks ago. I just need a little more time to get everything back to normal."
Raiko saw his chance to butt in. "The Avatar has put us all in a very difficult situation but my administration-"
"Oh, I'm sorry," Korra interrupted, "did I put you in a difficult position by fighting the giant force of pure evil that was going to destroy the whole world? Maybe your administration could've handled that."
Korra had drawn closer to him in her anger and Beifong stepped in between them. "That's all, no more questions," she announced firmly.
Raiko stalked back into City Hall while Korra looked down at the ground with troubled eyes. Asami, who had been amongst the crowd of reporters, approached her gently.
"This is a disaster," Korra said.
"Don't worry," Asami replied. "We'll figure something out."
"Easy for you to say. You don't have my poll numbers. Eight percent approval? Who are they asking?"
"You can't take that to heart. People are just frustrated."
"I don't blame them. I should be able to fix this. I'm the Avatar."
"Like you said, this will take time. It's not like it's the end of the world; we've already been through that."
"You're right," Korra laughed. "Sorry, I don't want to complain too much. I know you have your own problems going on."
Asami nodded slowly. "Yeahh, tell me about it."
Ichigo took a deep long breath. Straightening his back and keeping his posture firm, he placed his hands upon his crossed legs and concentrated. His face twitched slightly and his lips grew taut. In his mind's eye, he could see it: the burning ruins of Soul Society, covered in a layer of ash and dust with the bodies of the dead strewn about the pockmarked ground.
Sweat began to trickle down his brow as the memory took full form in his mind. A makeshift and bustling infirmary with rows upon rows of injured Shinigami, Toshiro and Byakuya standing defiantly before him and the charred remains of Captain Otoribashi on the ground below them.
Ichigo's breathing quickened and he felt a pang of pain in his chest. His eyes opened and the memory faded. Before him he beheld a low-hanging sun that would fully set in the coming hours. The sky was still clear and beautiful and a light breeze rustled through his orange locks. He relaxed his muscles and let out a long sigh.
He sat in a small gazebo made of smooth stone on Air Temple Island. It was positioned far enough away from the house so he could find some peace and quiet and it faced away from the city, showcasing a wondrous view of the ocean. Ichigo supposed that he should feel lucky to see this view every day. There were certainly worse places he could go to meditate.
"Have you been here all day?"
Ichigo turned his head at the voice and saw Asami with her arms crossed, leaning against one of the thin, stone pillars of the gazebo. Her expression was passive as he nodded.
"I guess I have."
"That's what I thought," she replied. "Well? Any luck today?"
"A little."
"I still don't really understand your reasoning for doing this. And I don't think you do either."
Ichigo laughed quietly and looked back out at the ocean. "Maybe." He took one last deep breath and then slowly rose to his feet. "Is it time for dinner?"
"Yep."
She started walking back to the house and he fell into stride beside her.
"So, what did you get up to today?" he asked.
"Not much," she admitted. "I went to the President's press conference. Korra spoke."
"Oh, yeah? How did that go?"
"Not the best."
"Figures."
"The reporters asked about you and Raiko made a couple comments as well."
He shrugged. "They don't bother me."
"Maybe they should. Some of them asked about Vaatu and if we can prove it was Unalaq who attacked Republic City and not you."
"Well, if we prove that then we'd be lying to them."
"When has that ever stopped you?"
Ichigo's face darkened slightly. "I guess you're right."
She touched his arm. "Sorry, I didn't mean to refer to you lying to me."
He shook his head. "It's fine."
They continued walking in silence until they reached a stone clearing to the side of the house. Ikki and Meelo were playing happily with Pabu. All of a sudden, Bumi came running into the clearing, panting heavily.
"You are not gonna believe what just happened," he announced to the kids. "Where's your father?"
Ikki turned towards the house. "Dad!"
Tenzin burst out the doors in anxious surprise. "What is it? What's wrong?" He came jogging out towards them followed by Jinora, Kya, and Pema who held the baby.
"The most amazing, wondrous, fantastical thing just occurred!" Bumi said. "Okay, Bum-Ju and I had a little fight, I made him this sweater and he didn't seem to like it and I'll admit it might need work but it was my first attempt at knitting. So I was a little hurt!"
"Hilarious." Tenzin deadpanned. "Time for dinner everyone."
"No! Check this out! I can airbend! Ahagh!" He thrust out his hands dramatically but nothing happened. "No, but seriously, I was doing it! Nyuh!" He tried again. "No, hold on. Maybe if I just uh… yah! No."
Ichigo and Asami walked past him smiling and entered the dining room. On the table was a large arrangement of food to feed all the hungry mouths seated round it. Both Ichigo and Asami had been staying on the island since their house had been virtually destroyed by the vines. They had taken up residence in a small guest house on the western side of the island so they could have a little more privacy.
Bumi was still prattling on about his airbending. "I swear I'm not making it up."
"Stop waving your arms around at the table," Tenzin said with annoyance. "It's not funny anymore."
"It's not a joke," Bumi pouted.
Korra entered the room and sat down between Bolin and Asami. "What's up with him?" she asked.
"Bumi says he airbended earlier but he can't now," Bolin explained. "Oh, and I guess he's not very good at knitting either. I gotta say, I love being a part of this family. You got the grumpy dad, the wacky uncle, the nice mom, crazy kids, this is great."
"Where's Mako?" asked Asami.
"Oh, you mean the brooding teenager? He's staying at the police station."
"Still?!" Korra exclaimed.
"I told him Tenzin invited us to stay here since our apartment is a vine habitat now but he said he had to "focus on work"," Bolin mocked, turning his voice into a lower register to match his brother's.
"Ichigo and I are very thankful you're letting us stay here as well," Asami said.
Ichigo nodded. "Yeah, seriously. We owe you guys."
Pema smiled. "Oh, it's no problem. We love having you all here. In fact, Tenzin won't admit it but even he was sad when you moved out."
Tenzin chuckled. "I wasn't sad but I will admit that it wasn't quite the same here without you. I think that after all that's happened, we're lucky to have us all together again and we should enjoy it while we can."
"I second that," Korra agreed.
Bumi trust his arms out at a napkin he'd placed in front of himself. "Did you see that? I think the napkin moved."
"You blew on it," Kya retorted.
"Wait! Maybe I can only do it when my life is in danger. Bolin, bend a giant boulder at me."
"Yeah, I don't think that's a good idea."
"Spoil sport. Ichigo! Go grab that big sword of yours and swing at me."
"If you're going to be bending giant boulders and swinging swords, then you can do it outside," Pema said.
Tenzin banged his fists against the table. "No one is bending giant boulders!"
"Look alive, Uncle Bumi!" Meelo tossed a small plate at his face.
Bumi gasped and held his hands out. Instantly, a spinning ball of air stopped the plate. "I told you!"
Everyone's jaws fell to the floor. Ichigo spit out his food.
"Unbelievable," Tenzin remarked in awe. "You're actually an Airbender."
"Wait until I tell Mom! She's gonna love this." The plate dropped and shattered on the table. "Whoops."
Captain Soi Fon of the 13 Court Guard Squads marched alongside her lieutenant Marechiyo Omaeda who despite his vast height, struggling to keep up with her brisk pace. The two of them were heading to a meeting between the captains and lieutenants of the Soul Society where Soi Fon would pick her stealth group to travel to the world of the Avatar.
"Wait up, Captain." Omaeda wheezed. "You don't need to walk so fast."
"I've heard enough of your whining, Lieutenant. This is exactly why I will not be bringing you on this mission."
"Aww, but Captain, I'm your right-hand man! You can't go on this huge mission without me."
"This is a stealth and reconnaissance mission, Omaeda. And you're about as subtle as a pig in a flower bed. Besides, this mission is personal. It can't go wrong in any way."
Omaeda nodded, becoming serious. "No one understands that more than me, Captain."
Soi Fon didn't respond as they reached the meeting place. Opting against the destroyed chambers where they usually met, the Gotei 13 had gathered in an open area that had been cleared of rubble. The other captains and lieutenants eyed her with anticipation and slight trepidation. This mission would be their first step in their goals of retribution for their destroyed city and all the lives that had been lost in the process.
She made sure to make eye contact with those she was suspicious of like Byakuya and Toshiro, and Renji especially. There were a number of Soul Reapers whom she didn't trust. It was more than likely that they were secretly allied with Kurosaki. But now was not the time for an investigation. Along with the lieutenants, the squads had also brought some of their higher-ranking seats with them.
Soi Fon looked to Captain Commander Yamamoto and he indicated for her to begin.
"As previously established, this mission is essential to our success. This will be our first foray into the other world and with the technology provided by Squad 12, it will not be our last. This mission will focus on reconnaissance primarily. We are entering unknown territory and we must be cautious. That is why I will only be bringing a small team with me."
Yachiru, lieutenant of Squad 11, raised her hand. "Ooh! Pick me, pick me!"
Soi Fon shook her head. "You stand out too much."
"What?" she pouted. "You're boing…"
"My choices are Captain Izuru Kira of Squad 3, Lieutenant Tetsuzaemon Iba of Squad 7, and Hanataro Yamada of Squad 4."
There was a stir amongst the Soul Reapers at the mention of the last name. Hanataro himself looked scared and confused. It was well known that he was a friend of Ichigo. It didn't make any sense to bring Hanataro on a mission meant to harm him.
"Are you certain with your choices?" Yamamoto asked.
"Yes," Soi Fon nodded. "Captain Kira carries a personal vendetta with this mission and I will require his unwavering loyalty along with the fighting ability of Lieutenant Iba. My case for Hanataro is this: we need a healer. Despite his previous friendship with Kurosaki Ichigo, I believe this is a chance to prove his devotion to Soul Society. Also with so many injured here in Seireitei, I do not wish to rid Soul Society of its two best healers, the captain and lieutenant of Squad 4."
Kenpachi Zaraki laughed. "Seriously? You're taking three weaklings with you?"
Soi Fon glared at him. "Unfortunately, we cannot afford to trust many of the people in this circle."
"Yet you bring Hanataro with you," Shinji Hirako joked.
"He will prove his loyalty and compliance. Isn't that right, Hanataro?"
"Ye-yes, Captain," Hanataro stuttered in fear.
She let a small smile creep onto her face. "Good. Team, come with me. We will discuss our strategies. Captain Kurotsuchi, I leave the rest in your hands. Inform me when the gate is ready."
Uryu Ishida wiped a bead of sweat off his brow. As he strode through the crowded streets of Ba Sing Se, the sun beat down against his back. He hadn't been in the city long; but his stiff school uniform from Karakura University was becoming more cumbersome by the second. Looking around he envied the locals in their thin, breathable garments and wide-brimmed hats.
His tight, foreign clothes had gotten a few strange looks but no one had confronted him as of yet. Uryu was thankful he hadn't descended into the poorer district. The streets here were confusing enough, down there he most likely would've gotten lost. He pulled off his coat and tied it round his waist, unbuttoning some of the top buttons of his shirt to let in some air.
Deciding to take a break and get his bearings, he exited the street and sat down in a shady stairwell that overlooked it. The shade was a bit of a relief and he cleaned his glasses on his shirt while breathing deeply.
"This must be what Kurosaki felt when he first arrived," Uryu muttered.
The city, the hot weather, the smell, everything was disorienting. Uryu knew that he had to remain focused on his goal to find Ichigo. It would be difficult for sure. This was an entirely new and different world after all. But someone as distinctive as Ichigo had to be somewhat famous here, especially if he was friends with the Avatar.
He looked out over the street he had just been on. The people went about their business peacefully but there was an air of agitation around them. He wouldn't call it fear but something loomed over them. Even the seedier characters who had eyed him up and down hadn't stopped to confront him or even speak with him. He needed someone with information about the city and the world. He needed someone well-travelled. He needed a merchant.
With this plan in mind, Uryu stepped out again onto the street and continued walking. He began to follow the general stream of people. A city like this had to have market squares or something of the sort. The street started to widen and people with carts and vehicles became more common. He was definitely approaching something. At last the street ended and opened up into a large square with stalls, carts, shops and people do their shopping everywhere.
There was a fair mix of rich and poor people here with some stalls looking more pristine than others. One of these caught his eye. It was one of the bigger ones with several tables and chairs around it with green-colored umbrellas to shade them. The stall itself was green as well but it was more like a permanent shop or outdoor restaurant. There were several banners surrounding it, giving it more pomp and importance than the other stalls. He read the banner. Cabbage Corp.
Uryu frowned. An entire restaurant devoted to cabbage? He decided to check it out and made his way over there. The man standing behind the counter looked friendly enough. His eyes were bright and jittery, reflecting his mannerisms and his plump jowls signified a well-fed individual. He wore a green cap atop his receding hairline and his fingers were adorned with rings.
"Hello there, stranger!" The man said.
Uryu nodded to him in return.
"I see my shop has caught your eye. No doubt you've heard tales of my wondrous, cabbage-based meals. So what'll it be? We have cabbage sandwiches, cabbage soups, cabbage-based noodles, cabbage sushi-"
"A water will do fine," Uryu interrupted.
"Of course! Will it be cabbage-flavored or regular?"
"Regular."
Some of the man's enthusiasm was cooled. "Very well. Coming right up. On the house, of course."
There was a line of stools right up against the counter like in a bar and Uryu sat down in one of them so he could speak privately with the vendor. He passed him the water and Uryu drank it gratefully.
"So where do you come from, stranger?" The vendor asked.
"I'm a student. I'm here as a tourist to explore the city."
"Oh, you must be from Omashu. I've heard good things about the schools there."
"Yes. That's where I'm from. Definitely."
"Perhaps you've met my cousin. We have restaurants in Omashu as well."
"I don't think I have. What is your business anyway?"
"Well, several decades ago, my uncle sold cabbages in the streets of the Earth Kingdom. He travelled far and wide and often ran into Avatar Aang and his friends. Over time, he built his company and started a family. We have stores and warehouses and restaurants across the Five Nations!"
"That's very impressive. You've had dealings with the Avatar?"
"Of sorts." The vendor sighed. "I miss Avatar Aang. You didn't hear it from me, but Avatar Korra might just be the worst possible thing to happen to the world."
Uryu leaned forward. "Really? Why do you think so?"
The vendor lowered his voice. "From everything that I've heard, she's arrogant, impulsive, rude, obnoxious and has none of the wisdom of the Avatars before her."
"What about her entourage, her friends?"
He frowned. "They don't inspire confidence. Bolin's Nuktuk movers were great, I'll admit but I don't know what else he can do. Him and his brother are little more than pro-benders, stage performers. My cousins have met with Asami Sato and her father and she's a real piece of work. Our families and companies have been rivals for years. And the Reaper? Well, the less said about him the better."
That has to be Kurosaki, Uryu thought. "Yeah," he said. "I don't really know what she sees in him."
"Same! I'm no stick in the mud but even I have respect for the police and the law. That boy just swings his sword around without a care in the world. Disgraceful, in my opinion."
"Where is the Avatar these days, anyway?"
"Probably fixing her mess in Republic City. Keeping the portals open was one of the stupidest decisions she's made yet. Do you know how bad it is for business? The square's alright now but sometimes it's stuffed full of these hideous spirit creatures! They scare away all my customers."
"That's very unfortunate."
"It is. You seem like a good kid. You're a tourist, right?"
"That's right."
"Let me give you some advice. Keep out of trouble. You don't want to get on the bad side of the law here. I've heard horrible stories about what the Dai Li do to criminals."
"Dai Li?"
"You've never heard?" The vendor's voice lowered to barely a whisper. "They're the Queen's personal agents. They police the city and do her Majesty's dirty work. Some say they're always on the lookout for suspicious activity. Many people are terrified of them."
Uryu adjusted his glasses. Perhaps that's why no one confronted me. They're afraid of causing a scene.
"I'll be careful. Thanks for the water, friend. And the company."
The vendor grabbed the front of his shirt. "Beware the Dai Li. They probably already know you're here and that you've asked about them. They have eyes in the walls and in the windows. They have ears in the streets and in the skies."
Uryu pulled away. "Alright, that's about enough of that. Thanks again." He got up and headed away from the vendor. While useful, his information is undoubtedly biased. I need to draw closer to this Queen and find out more about the Dai Li. But I was right. Kurosaki is famous here.
It was still dark in the early hours of the morning. The Republic City police station was lit as the first commuters of the day drove past in their Satomobiles. Inside, a bundle of blankets and pillows were underneath one of the desks and light snoring could be heard. The phone atop the desk suddenly began to ring and the person below cursed as they smashed their head on the bottom of the desk.
A hand came out from under the desk and felt around for the phone as Mako emerged, holding his aching head. He groaned and picked up the phone.
"Police. He what? Slow down. Okay, I'm on my way." Mako put down the phone and wrote the address on his notebook. As he gathered his clothes he bumped the desk and one of his folders fell to the floor. He sighed with annoyance and bent to pick it up. It had opened and one of his case's pictures caught his eye. The picture was of Yumi, the woman who'd made friends with them but had been working with Varrick the whole time.
After that had been discovered, Mako and Bolin had chased her across the city and eventually caught her. But then they discovered she was the daughter of their parent's killer. Mako had felt compassion towards her because of her life story but on account of her crimes, she was thrown in prison. However, during the Vaatu crisis two weeks back, she had escaped. Mako had been looking for her ever since.
He held the picture for a few seconds and looked at it, focusing on her striking light blue eyes. Then he shook himself out of it and put the folder away before heading to the address.
The front door was made of metal and Mako opened it then observed the mess inside. There was glass and pottery everywhere on the floor. The cabinets were smashed and some of the wall decorations were barely hanging on. The place had been trashed. The man who'd called him was slowly cleaning up with a broom and dustpan.
"What the heck did all this?" Mako said.
The man ran over. "It was my brother. He's out of control!"
Mako pulled out his notebook. "Okay, just tell me what happened."
"We were arguing about the books and Daw was yelling at me and all of a sudden things started flying around! He was creating this storm like…"
"Like what?"
"Well, like he was airbending."
"Sir, that's impossible. There are only five airbenders in the entire world and your brother is not one of them."
"I know what I saw. He was freaking out saying, "what's happening to me?!". Then he ran into the back room and locked himself in."
Mako went over to the door and knocked on it solidly. "Police. Open up."
"Go away!" Daw yelled from inside.
"Get out here, sir, or I'm knocking this door down! One… Two… Ugh!"
Mako and the door were sent flying back into a wall by a blast of air. Daw stared at his hands in fear.
"I'm so sorry!" He yelled crazily and then ran out of the room, boosting off the ground with an air-jump.
Mako shoved the door off of him and rubbed his sore face as Daw's brother came to his side.
"I told you! Airbending!"
Mako groaned.
Bumi grunted and swung his arms around while everyone watched. Try as he might, nothing was happening. Ichigo sat in between Korra and Asami but his mind was elsewhere. He was definitely interested in Bumi's newfound abilities but he couldn't drag his mind away from the broken memories of Vaatu destroying Soul Society.
"Ungh! I can't figure this thing out!" Bumi said in frustration.
"Do you think being in the Spirit World during Harmonic Convergence could've given him bending?" Korra wondered.
"I suppose it's possible," Tenzin said.
"Maybe Uncle Bumi is just a late bloomer," said Ikki.
Kya reached out to Bumi. "I have been noticing a change in your aura lately." she said.
"And you didn't tell me?" he replied incredulously. He kept punching as Mako and Beifong entered the square. They stared at Bolin in confusion.
"Invisible spirit monster attack?" Beifong joked.
"Lin, you won't believe this!" Tenzin said. "Bumi just started airbending."
"I'm afraid he's not the only one."
"What?" Tenzin and Korra said in unison. Ichigo sat up in response.
"I got a call early this morning about a guy who just started airbending out of nowhere," Mako said.
"You mean there's another one? Where is he now?"
"He… blew a door down on me and got away. We've got an all points bulletin out on him right now."
"We'll help you look for him," Korra offered. "Where should we start?"
"Oh, well, you know you should- you should really leave it to the police. It's… police business," Mako said awkwardly. "You know, it's uhh… official."
"Okay? How are you doing?"
Tenzin could see what was coming and stuck his tongue out and left. Ichigo got up as well leaving Asami with Korra and Mako.
"You know you're welcome to stay here instead of sleeping at the police station," Korra continued.
"No, I'm fine. I should just… get going. So. As you were. Ladies." He saluted randomly and marched off. Korra and Asami looked at each other in confusion. Asami called after her boyfriend.
"Hey, Ichigo! Korra and I are going into town. Wanna come?"
"You guys go ahead," he called back. "We can hang out another time."
"Hang out? We're not- okay, and he's gone."
Ichigo headed back across the island towards his meditation gazebo. Even after two weeks, he still didn't feel completely at home now that he was stuck in this world for good. After spending so long debating back and forth within himself whether to leave or stay and then finally leaving, it was strange to be back here with his friends.
He knew that he was lacking on quality time with Asami and the others. It felt like ages since they'd all hung out as a group of friends. He just had so much on his mind these days. The gazebo, looking out at the pristine ocean, was the only place where he found peace. But it was also where he confronted his memories.
Most of the memories of his old life had returned. He remembered all his friends back home and in the Soul Society. However, there were gaps in his memory when Vaatu was in control. He could see portions of it, but not all. He knew he'd done horrible things. He knew he'd killed many people, people he'd fought beside and cared about.
Ichigo wanted to get back into the swing of things in this world. He wanted to help Korra solve all the problems they'd caused. But something was holding him back. The gazebo was just up ahead and he breathed out a long sigh. The sight of the morning sky and calm waters made him smile slightly. In his own way, looking out at the ocean was almost as if he were looking out at home, some distant, far away land that he could never get to.
Sitting down cross-legged on the stone floor he began to meditate. After some time, he was having little success. Maybe today just wasn't his day. He felt like he needed absolute calm to be able to get into the headspace to remember what Vaatu did. The revelation of Bumi's airbending had left a trail of doubt and interest in his mind.
He heard footsteps and turned around to see Pema. She smiled at him. In her hands, she held a tray with a kettle and a small cup on it. Ichigo could smell her signature tea.
"I thought you might want something to drink," she said.
"Wow, yeah. Thank you so much, Pema. You're way too nice and considerate."
She laughed. "You've lived with us on and off for a while now. You know I like to make sure everyone is taken care of."
A wave of slight guilt washed over him. "I'm sorry, Pema. I should be helping out more around the house. You've got four crazy kids, not to mention us all staying here too."
She shook her head. "No, don't worry about it. You being here getting the help you need is more than enough for me, especially after what happened two weeks ago. You need time."
He looked down. "I feel bad. It feels like all I've done is sit here and meditate but I barely make any progress. Even my sessions with Kya aren't that productive."
Pema put her hand on his shoulder. "These things will pass. You'll get through this."
"Yeah. Can I at least do the dishes or something? I gotta help out somehow."
"Well, if you don't mind..."
He smiled. "I don't mind. I'll be in there in a little bit. Thanks for the tea."
"You're welcome."
"Captain Soi Fon!"
Soi Fon looked up as one of the members of her Squad came up to her. "What is it?"
"Captain Kurotsuchi has sent word. The gate is finished."
She nodded and rose to her feet. The team she had chosen got up as well. Iba cracked his neck muscles.
"Let's get it on."
They headed towards the ruins of the Senkaimon where Mayuri had built the gate. It was a vast double door built in the same place where the Avatar had emerged from and disappeared into two weeks ago. The captains and lieutenants stood there waiting to see them off while Kurotsuchi twiddled his fingers excitedly.
Soi Fon and her team had opted against wearing their Soul Reaper robes. In order to not stand out, they were all wearing generic black clothes which they could get rid of when they found more appropriate clothing in the other world. Soi Fon had chosen to wear her white haori overtop. They approached the gate and prepared to leave.
"You mind telling us how this thing works?" asked Captain Kyoraku.
Mayuri nodded. "Yes, indeed. After the battle, I harnessed the residual energy from the gate that the Avatar used to travel here. With the worlds being so close together, I was able to follow that energy and expand it to create our own gateway. However, this gate requires a massive amount of energy to power and it is very inefficient. Because of this unfortunately, we are only able to send a few through it. In time, I will create a gate powerful enough to send thousands through."
"Captain Soi Fon," Yamamoto said gravely. "Are you ready?"
Soi Fon nodded. "Yes."
"Open the gate."
Mayuri pulled a lever and Lieutenant Nemu pulled another one on the other side of the gate. There was an audible pulsing sound as energy was pumped into the gate. Slowly, it began to open. A white light shone from within the opened space. They couldn't see anything beyond it.
"Remember," Yamamoto said. "This mission is for information and recon. Do not be rash or hasty. We will have retribution but it will come in time."
"Where will we end up?" Soi Fon asked Mayuri.
"Most likely you will arrive in the place where Kurosaki and the Avatar came from to get here. That is where the space between the worlds are closest."
Soi Fon turned to her lieutenant. "I am entrusting Squad 2 to your leadership, Omaeda. Do not let me down."
He bowed. "I will not fail you, captain."
The gate had opened to its limit, which was about the width of two people standing side to side. Captain Unohana and her lieutenant Isane bid their goodbyes with the tearful Hanataro. Soi Fon led the way and then looked back at Soul Society one last time. She vowed then and there, deep in her heart that she would not return empty-handed. Her gaze returned to the gate and she walked confidently into the light.
Renji and Byakuya watched her go with stern eyes and unflinching faces. They bore no indication of how they felt about the situation and simply waited for Yamamoto to dismiss them. Even after Omaeda had flung himself after her to the surprise and shock of those around them, they remain expressionless.
Yamamoto slammed his cane on the ground. "Damn fool," he muttered. "With his luck, he'd be fortunate to stop them from getting captured, much less tortured and killed by the Avatar. Captain Kurotsuchi! Close the gate. We won't have any more idiots getting delusions of grandeur."
Slowly the white light from the gate began to fade and Yamamoto dismissed them. Instantly, Renji and Byakuya walked away, their robes flowing solemnly in the breeze. Toshiro and Rangiku fell into step beside them.
"So our worst fears have been realized," Byakuya said eventually.
"It's just a recon trip," said Rangiku. "Besides, it's Ichigo. He's one of the strongest Soul Reapers we know. Those guys can't beat him."
"Never underestimate Soi Fon," said Toshiro. "She won't stop until she gets what she wants. Right now, that's Ichigo's head apparently. This situation gets worse by the minute."
"Rukia is in solitary after Kensei brought her back after I helped her escape," Renji said. "We're not getting her out without a full-on battle. And with no way to warn Ichigo about Soi Fon, I don't know what we can do on our end to fix this."
"Opportunities will present themselves," said Byakuya. "But we must stay vigilant."
"You can say that again!" Yachiru jumped out of nowhere onto Byakuya's shoulder, almost knocking him over. "Ain't that right, Bya-chin!"
He groaned. "What is it this time, Madame President?"
She flipped back off of him and landed on Kenpachi Zaraki's shoulder. The Captain of Squad 11 grinned wide. "Looks like we got a little club going here," he said.
"It's not a club," Toshiro said. "And we can do fine without your loud mouth."
"Shut it, pipsqueak. You'll be thankful for us soon enough. Ikkaku here has something to say you'll all like."
Ikkaku stepped out from behind him. "Captain's right. I went with Kensei to capture Rukia. She met with some of Ichigo's friends from the World of the Living including that Quincy kid, Uryu. Long story short, I chased Uryu to Urahara's shop thing. We sent him to the other world so he could warn Ichigo about Soi Fon."
Renji grinned. "That's great news!"
Byakuya put his hand to his chin. "But we have no way of knowing if he can get to Ichigo before Soi Fon does."
Ikkaku shrugged. "He's got a head start and he's brainy. Good enough for me."
"So…" said Kenpachi, "we allowed in the club or not?"
"What's in it for you guys?" asked Rangiku.
"Ain't nobody gets to kill Ichigo but me."
"What he's saying is that we don't want Ichigo to be killed by them," Yachiru said. "We want to know the full story first!"
Toshiro crossed his arms. "Fine. But we have to keep this quiet. Soul Society already has it out for us as it is."
Kenpachi grinned. "Why keep it secret when we can fight them?"
Byakuya and Renji walked a few paces away as the others bickered.
"You trust Uryu? You know him better than any of us here."
Renji nodded. "I trust him. They couldn't have picked a better man for the job."
It was beginning to get dark. Uryu had wandered the middle ring for several hours, getting his bearings and finding out how the streets worked. He knew that somehow, he had to find his way into the inner ring. That was where the Queen was and it was where the Dai Li were most active.
Besides the vendor, several of the people he talked to were very closemouthed, especially when it came to the Dai Li. But he had got their attention. Even now as he strode along the nearly empty streets, he could feel their eyes on him. It was the slight differences in the reiatsu of the area, the smells of the area. He could feel the tension in the air and he didn't even know what a Dai Li looked like.
He'd also asked around about Kurosaki or the Reaper as they called him here. Most people didn't seem to know all that much about him or nothing at all. Perhaps he wasn't as famous as Uryu first assumed. Everyone knew about the Avatar though, and everyone had an opinion on her. Positive or negative, everyone had their thoughts and almost no one mentioned her name without bringing up Aang, the previous Avatar.
Uryu glanced up at the dark sky and frowned. He'd better find a place to stay the night. With the Dai Li around, he didn't want to be caught unawares by sleeping out in the open. Thankfully, he'd bartered away his school coat for some gold coins. He'd scammed the poor sod so badly he almost felt bad about it. Almost.
There was a small, quaint hotel up ahead and he walked into it. The tired lady at the desk yawned and didn't greet him. Uryu came up to her and sarcastically rang the bell.
"I'd like a room please."
"We're full."
"I'll pay you a gold coin for it."
"Deal. We have a free room on the ground level next to the seating area."
"Thank you." He slid the coin across the desk and took the key she handed him.
"Hey, where you from anyway, kid?"
"Omashu."
"Seriously? Ain't no preppy kids in Omashu last time I checked."
"It's a big city. I'm sure there are many different kinds of people."
"Don't get smart with me, kid. I'll call the Dai Li on ya."
Uryu stopped and she laughed. "I'm just playin' with you. The Dai Li are a bunch of dicks."
"I'm surprised to hear you say that. Most people in this city seem too scared to even talk about them."
"You bet they are. And that's exactly the way the Dai Li like it. Man, if some of the people in this city knew half of what the Dai Li did, they'd have left a long time ago. But I won't take up too much of your time, kid. You're probably tired."
"No, no, it's alright. I'd like to hear more."
"You sure? Alright then. Let me tell you the legend of Jet the Freedom Fighter."
"Jet?"
"Stupid name, I know. But boy, he was a badass. During the Hundred Year War, Jet rebelled against the Fire Nation as a Freedom Fighter. He had a run in with Avatar Aang and then gave up his freedom fighting ways and came to Ba Sing Se to start a new life. However, after he ran into Fire Lord Zuko, before he became Fire Lord of course, Jet tried his best to expose Zuko as a firebender. Then the Dai Li found out and took him to their secret headquarters where they brainwashed him. Thing is, no one in Ba Sing Se knew about the war. The Dai Li had made sure of that. To maintain power, they had even kept the truth from the king. Jet was just another victim and he was eventually killed by the Dai Li's leader."
Uryu was taken aback. "They kept a war secret from the king and this entire city?"
"Sure did. Resourceful bastards, the Dai Li."
"Aren't you scared they'll do something to you for speaking like this?"
She shook her head. "Not a chance. My mother Smellerbee taught me to never fear them after what they did to Jet. I don't fear them. I hate them. They can come for me if they want."
Uryu smiled slightly. "You're a brave woman."
"Nah, I'm just not stupid like the rest of them. Run along, kid. It's getting late."
Uryu bid her goodnight and then went into his room. I didn't understand the whole context of her story but it will be interesting to see who truly holds the power in this city. The Queen or the Dai Li? It's evident that Kurosaki has never been here. He would be more talked about if he had been. I'm beginning to understand his reasoning for coming home. It must've been horrible for him, not remembering anything and then slowly realizing that this world is not his own. Mentally, he must've been a mess. He's still an idiot, though.
At the docks of Republic City, Korra and Asami walked together towards Asami's hotrod car. The two of them had been spending a little more time together since the Vaatu crisis. With Korra and Mako broken up, and Ichigo in a weird funk, they'd found solace and friendship in each other.
"This is so exciting," Korra was saying. "New airbenders in the city? I bet we can find that guy before Mako does." Asami suddenly tossed her the keys to the car. "You know I'm not very good at this, right?"
"You're the Avatar, master of all the elements," Asami replied. "You should know how to drive. Besides, it's relaxing."
Two minutes later, Asami was about as far away from relaxed as you could get. "Clutch!" she yelled. "Clutch!" The car stopped and started as Korra fumbled her way with the peddles. The satomobiles behind them began honking as they came to a complete stop. "That's the brake. Let's try again. You ready?"
Korra saluted and the two of them laughed. "How long do you think talking to Mako is gonna be like pulling teeth?" Korra said as she drove off.
"Well, Mako has never been the most… in touch with his feelings guy. But it'll get better eventually."
"So, when I was gone, did he tell you we broke up?"
"Yeah. We all knew. Sorry."
"That's pretty embarrassing," Korra blushed.
"But Ichigo and I left before anything really happened. Although, I'm pretty sure Mako maybe had a thing with my assistant."
"Yumi?"
"Yeah."
Korra laughed. "No wonder he's so nervous around us."
"You're not mad about that?"
"No. I mean, I kissed Mako when he was going out with you. What goes around comes around, I guess."
"You what?"
"I'm so sorry! I thought you knew!"
"I'm just kidding. I knew a long time ago. Heck, even I started catching feelings for Ichigo while I was technically still with Mako."
"Yeah, you guys really hit it off, didn't you?"
Asami smiled as she remembered. "Yeah, we sure did."
"I was always a little jealous of you and him. You guys seemed way closer and more comfortable with each other than me and Mako ever were."
"Hmm, yeah, I get that. Something just clicked between us, I guess. I really cared for him, still do, obviously. We went through a lot together on our little journey. It's just too bad he was lying to me the whole time."
"I'm surprised you didn't dump him when you found out."
"I thought about it," she admitted. "I knew something was up and that he was conflicted. I guess I just didn't want to hurt him anymore than he had already been. And I felt like I didn't have anyone else and I didn't want to lose him."
Korra nodded. "I understand that."
"What about you?" Asami asked playfully. "Ever thought about dating Ichigo in the past? With you guys being so close and all?"
Korra laughed awkwardly. "No way. Well, maybe a little bit. I only ever really liked Mako that way. Ichigo was more like a brother or a best friend."
"Yikes. You friend-zoned him from the start?"
"Well, he was always just such an ass! A likeable ass, obviously, but he was a jerk!"
Asami giggled. "Yeah, he sure messed around you with lots back then. Me as well, to be honest."
"He called you Prissy all the time, right?"
"Yep. He hasn't called me that in a long time. I kind of miss it, to be honest."
"What do you think is up with him? Is he more honest with you now?"
"He's very honest. He's just… distant. I think he's trying to work through a lot of things in his head. I want to help him but I get the impression that he just wants to be left alone."
"Well, you guys have a lot of time on your hands to figure this out. He's here for good now after all."
"Yeah. He probably misses his family now that he remembers them."
"His family is here," Korra said. "With us."
Asami nodded. "You're right. He'll get through this. He just needs some motivation."
Korra laughed again. "Well, whatever happened with Mako and Ichigo, I'm glad it hasn't come between us. I've never had a girlfriend to hang out with and talk to before. Except for Naga. This is nice."
Asami smiled in response. Then she looked ahead. "Vine. Vine!"
Korra yelled and screeched to a stop. There was a massive vine that blocked the entire road in front of them. A huge hedgehog spirit materialized on the vine with an angry look on his face.
"Hey! Watch where you're going!"
"What are you doing living in the middle of the road in the first place?" Korra challenged.
"Don't ask me, Avatar. You made the world this way. We're just living in it."
"Look, I don't have anything against spirits but these vines are causing major problems all over the city."
"Spirits? Vines? We're all the same. It seems like the Avatar would know that." He stalked off and Korra looked back down at the steering wheel in thought.
"Korra? You okay?" Asami asked.
"I think that spirit just gave me an idea for how to get rid of these vines."
Tenzin sat serenely on a grassy space at the edge of the island, looking across the pristine water to the statue of his father, Avatar Aang, which had been repaired after the damage done to it by Vaatu.
"It's like a dream, Dad," he said. "After 170 years, new airbenders."
"Dad!" His three kids ran up to him and jumped into his lap.
"When a new guy gets airbending, does that make him our brother?" Ikki asked.
"Well, in a way all airbenders are our family."
"Does that mean I have to share my room because I like my personal space."
"Of course not. But we might have to get used to not being the only airbenders around anymore."
"I hope we have enough for an army," Meelo said. "I wanna be a commander like Uncle Bumi."
"Air nomads don't have armies, Meelo," Jinora said indignantly.
"But maybe there will be enough to fill the temples again," Tenzin said as he began to tear up.
"What's wrong, Daddy?"
"I just wish your grandfather were here to see this."
"Will you be airbender President?" Meelo asked.
"No," Tenzin chuckled. "But I think the new airbenders will need lots of help and guidance to understand what it means to be a part of our nation. That's a big responsibility."
"Don't worry, Dad. We'll help you." Meelo came over and hugged him.
Tenzin smiled and hugged his kids close. "I know you will."
"Straighten your back. Good. Now breath in. Now out. In. And out." Kya placed one hand on Ichigo's chest as she spoke and the other on his back. She closed her eyes and concentrated with her brow furrowed. "Your chi is still out of balance."
"Reiatsu." Ichigo corrected her.
"Sorry. Reiatsu."
"Is it any better?"
"A little. These healing sessions have definitely helped. How have your meditations been going?"
"Not as effective as I'd hoped," he admitted.
"Yeah, I'm not surprised. I don't understand why you think remembering what Vaatu did in your body will help you. Won't it just bring you more pain? Besides, no matter what he did, the worlds are closed off now. You can't go back there even if you wanted to."
"I know. I just feel like it will bring me more closure."
"Ichigo," she said gently. "you need to remember that it was Vaatu who did those things, not you. It's good to see you being honest about these things, but it's not on you to bear the guilt and pain for something you had no control of."
Kya removed her hands and got up from where she had been kneeling. The two of them were sitting in a pool of water where she had been doing some healing techniques to try and fix the damage done by Vaatu to Ichigo's reiatsu. Ichigo initially was lying down as she ran water over him but then she had sat him up to check the state of his spiritual energy. She sat down on the edge of the pool and started to wring out her wet clothes.
"There were things I could've done to stop it," Ichigo said in reply. "There has to be. If I hadn't lied, if I hadn't left, if I'd trusted people more-"
"If you didn't come back when you did, Vaatu would've won. He and Unalaq would've killed all of us and this world would be going through ten thousand years of darkness right now. You saved us. Sure, it didn't exactly go the way you planned it but in that moment before Vaatu took over, you saved us. You did good things too that day."
Ichigo got up as well and sat across from her in the small pool. "Korra saved us. It was her, and her alone."
Kya sighed. "Ichigo, come on. You know I can't keep doing this with you, right? Sooner or later you're going to have to pick yourself up and find something to strive for. If you're not careful, this Vaatu thing could become a crutch that prevents you from doing what you're supposed to."
"And what's that?"
"Being a part of this family! You're stuck here now and you've got to get yourself out of this funk you're in. Notice how Asami isn't here moping around with you? She's out there with Korra trying to get things done."
He ran his hands through his hair. "I know, I know. But I need time."
"I understand that. We all need a little time to recover from what happened. But it's been two weeks. Look, we are here to help you recover physically and spiritually but I genuinely believe you need purpose to truly heal."
"I've struggled with that a lot since I woke up in the ice. What is my purpose?"
"I can't help you there," she admitted. "But it's certainly not to sit around here. You have to get up and get out there. It's a big world, Ichigo. Maybe it's time to explore it."
Korra, Bolin and Beifong all stood on a small bridge that went over one of the city's canals. In front of them was a red apartment building absolutely covered in vines. The vines had sprouted up out of the canal and had wrapped themselves securely round the building and the far end of the bridge.
"I hope this works," Korra said.
Behind them, President Raiko and a small group of reporters strolled up with unimpressed looks on their faces. "What are you guys doing here?" she demanded.
"I was alerted that you had a new plan to wipe out these noxious weeds," Raiko replied, "so I thought you'd want everyone to be here to watch."
"Avatar Korra," one of the reporters began, "do you really think-"
"No questions!" Korra interrupted. "Just stand there… silently!"
Moving over to the building, she entered the Avatar State and began bending the water from the canal. Large tendrils of water encircled around the building, just like how Unalaq had taught her. They swirled several times and then met at the top. Korra raised her arms and a bright, yellow light began to flow up through the tendrils. The vines started to recede and eventually disappeared back into the canal.
Korra bowed solemnly. "Go in peace."
"How did you know what to do?" The reporters gathered round.
"Will you send the spirits away now?"
"How soon can we expect public water service to resume?"
Suddenly the vines blasted back out of the water thicker and stronger than before. They rewrapped around the same building and then stretched to another one on the other side of the canal. The weight and strength of the vines pulled the building out from it's foundation and it began to fall on the crowd below.
"Look out!"
Bolin and Beifong charged forward and shot pillars of earth into the building's wall to stop it. Korra burst inside so that the occupants could escape. "Let's go, people, hurry!" She flew up on her glider to make sure no one was still up there. A little boy was hanging out a window and she quickly grabbed him then gasped. "Hang on!"
Above them, a huge bit of the roof was toppling over. Korra jumped out into the air and set the boy on the ground before turning and catching the broken piece of roof with earthbending. She strained with the weight of it and then lowered it to the ground.
"I think that could've gone better," said Bolin.
The sun was setting on the little gazebo on Air Temple Island. Korra sat on the wooden floor in a meditative position with her legs crossed and her fists pressed against each other. Behind her, Tenzin approached.
"Can't talk," she said. "Meditating."
"You must be at the end of your rope," he replied. "You hate meditating."
"I thought that if I really tried, I might be able to contact my past Avatars. Someone who knows something to help me. But I can't. They're gone. And I'm all alone." Korra got to her feet. "Did I ruin everything by leaving the spirit portals open?"
"You didn't ruin anything. You did what you thought was best for the world." He put his hand on her shoulder. "And now things have changed. Change can be good or bad depending on your point of view."
Korra sighed. "I know the people's point of view. It's bad."
"You're not the President, Korra. Your job isn't to fix the daily problems of every person in Republic City. Your responsibility is to bring balance to the entire world and that means no matter what you do, some people are not going to be happy about it."
Korra slumped back down. "Great."
"On the other hand, some people will be very happy." He sat down beside her. "Like me. What you did during Harmonic Convergence may have brought back the Air Nation and that can only be good for restoring balance. That is the act of a great Avatar."
"It's scary. I have all this power and all these people depending on me but I don't know what I'm supposed to be doing half the time. It seems like I should be… wiser."
"True wisdom begins when we accept things as they are. You started a new age, Korra. There's no going back to the past."
"You guys are in my spot."
The two of them turned at the voice. Ichigo was standing there with his arms crossed and a small smile on his face. "Sorry, I hope I didn't interrupt anything."
Bolin came running up to them. "Mako called! The cops found the new airbender guy but when they tried to bring him in, he ran away and climbed to the top of Kiyoshi Bridge and he won't come down. Ooh, sorry. Did I interrupt an Avatar wisdom session?"
"I just said that," Ichigo muttered.
"Avatar wisdom is a thing of the past, Bolin," Korra replied. "Come on!"
"Oh, okay. Is that a good thing?"
"Depends who you ask!" She grabbed Ichigo by his collar. "You're coming too, buddy."
"But I-"
"No buts!"
Oogie grunted loudly as they made their way towards Kiyoshi Bridge. Ichigo, Korra, Bolin and Tenzin all sat on the saddle on his back. They set down on the bridge where the police had formed a blockade around the scene. Behind the blockade, a small crowd of people, including reporters had gathered.
Mako and Beifong were waiting. The two of them were looking straight up at the top of one of the towers on the bride. Beifong was holding a megaphone in her hand.
"Come down immediately," she said, her voice booming through the megaphone, "or we will be forced to take action."
The airbender, Daw, was holding on for dear life to the structure of the tower as the wind buffeted his body against it. Several police officers were making their way up the main cables of the bridge to his position.
"Stay back!" Daw yelled. "I'm dangerous!"
One of the officers fired a metal cable, spooking Daw who lashed out and knocked all the officers off with air. "Sorry!"
"You gotta get up there," Ichigo said to Korra.
She nodded and dashed forward, flying up towards him with her glider. Landing several meters away from him, Korra held her hand up non-threateningly.
"Don't panic," she said. "I'm just here to talk."
"Please! I don't know what I'm doing and I don't wanna hurt anyone!"
"Tell me about it. Rough day, huh? I'm kinda having a rough day myself. You mind if I sit down here?" Her voice softened. "Look, I know you're scared. You've gone through a big change and it's kind of my fault. But you're not alone. There are other airbenders and they wanna help you. Actually, they're really excited to meet you."
"Excited to meet me?"
"Yeah!" She smiled. "They can't wait."
"I- I don't want to be an airbender. Please, you're the Avatar. Make it stop!" He reached out to her pleadingly but then caught himself as he almost slipped.
"I'm sorry, I can't. But I promise you things will get better if you just give it a chance. Let me take you over to Air Temple Island and we can talk this through. Okay?" Korra reached out a welcoming hand. Daw looked at it for a moment and then tried to grab it but then he slipped and fell rapidly, screaming as he went.
Ichigo swore and started to run forward but Korra launched herself after Daw, catching him with one arm and flying off with the glider in her other hand. The crowd cheered as she brought him safely to the ground. Ichigo breathed a sigh of relief as Tenzin made his way over to them.
"Daw," Korra said, "this is Tenzin. He's gonna help you."
Tenzin bowed with a smile. "It is absolutely my pleasure to meet you, Daw. I've never met a new airbender before. Well, at least not one who's diaper I didn't have to change."
"Actually I just fell off a bridge so I could use a fresh diaper right about now," said Daw.
Their conversation was interrupted by President Raiko, who stormed his way through the reporters and the blockade.
"So is this the deal?" he said. "We have a crisis every other day now thanks to you?"
"Listen, I know you're having a tough time getting used to these changes and I'm sorry for that," Korra replied. "But you and everyone else are going to have to learn to live with it. The vines and the spirits are here to stay."
"Well, you know who's not here to stay? You! I order you to leave this city. You've caused nothing but trouble since you arrived." The crowd behind him gasped.
Korra narrowed her eyes. "Don't worry. I was already leaving." She turned her back to him.
Raiko noticed Ichigo standing behind her. "Oh, and now you turn up, "Reaper"?" he said mockingly. "Have you shackled yourself to her too, like the rest of these lackeys?"
Ichigo scowled and stepped forward. An insult was forming on his lips but he stopped himself. "The Reaper and the Avatar have always been connected. We fought Unalaq together, remember?"
"Then stay connected. I want you out of this city as well."
Raiko turned and walked back with his security through the crowd, ignoring all the reporters who clamored for attention. Ichigo watched him go and then sighed. A little girl who was at the front of the crowd climbed out from under the police barriers and ran up to him. She tugged on his pant leg.
"Whoa, hey," he said, trying to smile.
"Do you remember me?" she said.
"Ummmm…"
"Rena!" Behind her, he saw what was obviously her mother with her hands on her hips. "Come back here right this instant!"
Rena, he thought. Then remembered. "Yeah," he said. "I remember you, kid."
"You saved me from the fire at the Cultural Center. I never got to thank you."
Ichigo knelt down so he was eye to eye with her and patted her head. "You don't need to thank me, Rena. You being alive is all the thanks I need."
Rena beamed from ear to ear and hugged him tightly. "Please don't leave Republic City."
"It looks like I have to, kiddo."
"Mommy says the angry man is always wrong. Don't listen to him."
Ichigo laughed. "Does she? I wouldn't say he's always wrong but I understand how you feel. I've been through a lot lately and lots of people have been giving me advice on what I should do next. It's pretty annoying to hear him tell me to leave but maybe I should listen. It's a big world, after all. Maybe it's time to explore it."
"But what will Republic City do without you guys? You're our heroes!"
"You'll be just fine. This city has a lot of good people in it with strong leaders and a good police force. Besides," he joked, "I'll take all the bad guys with me when I leave."
Rena laughed. "Please don't be gone long."
Ichigo smiled. "I won't. You stay safe, Rena. And listen to your mom! She knows what's best."
Rena's mother came over and took her daughters hand. Ichigo smiled and nodded to her and waved goodbye to Rena before turning around. Korra and Tenzin had been watching him with wry smiles.
"What?" he said.
"Since when did you get so good with kids?" Korra asked.
"Since I got a girlfriend."
"Ha! That's a lie."
"You know me."
Korra took a deep breath as she had one last glance at Raiko then she looked to Tenzin. "I can see my path now. There are new airbenders out there and I'm gonna find them and rebuild the Air Nation."
"Don't think I'm not going with you," Tenzin replied. "It's so exciting. Who knows who's out there right now, discovering the gift of airbending for the first time."
Soi Fon opened her eyes and shivered. It was deathly cold. After she and her team had gone through Mayuri's gate, they had presumably blacked out. Wherever they were, she could tell it's wasn't in the Soul Society. The reiatsu here was totally different and foreign. She squirmed and tried to move. Something heavy was lying across her legs. Lifting her head, she could tell it was a body.
"Omaeda!" she yelled and kicked the body into the air. Her lieutenant woke up screaming and flopped down into the snow.
He groaned. "Hey, Captain."
"What the hell are you doing here, you imbecile? I specifically chose not to bring you on this mission."
Omaeda sat up groggily. "I know, Captain. But I also know that you need me. So when you guys went through the gate, I ran in behind before they closed it. You'd be proud of me actually. It was slick as hell."
Soi Fon glowered at him. "This could ruin everything. Why do you think I need you?!"
"Because I know you. I know why you're here. Maybe you don't think so now but you need me to keep you in check."
She scoffed. "Keep me in check? Fool. You'll only hold us back." She turned away from him and kicked the other members on their team who were still unconscious. "Get up."
Omaeda watched her with troubled eyes. They don't know you like I do, Captain. And I don't care how much you belittle me or insult me, I will continue to serve you as best I can.
Iba and Izuru slowly came to but Hanataro couldn't be roused. "Omaeda! If you're going to be here, then make yourself useful. Carry Hanataro," Soi Fon instructed.
"What is this place?" Izuru said in amazement.
"The world of the Avatar."
"No, he's right," said Iba. "What the hell is this place?"
They stood in the midst of a vast snowy tundra where a light snowfall was falling from the sky. It was dark out but the area was totally illuminated by the incredible lights in the sky. Behind them there was a forest that was frozen over and around the forest were the remains of what looked like an abandoned military camp or outpost. Within the forest was the most spectacular sight. A beaming column of pure, swirling energy shooting up into the sky, providing even more light to reflect back off the snow.
"Just feel the reiatsu," said Izuru. "It's so… soft. There's, there's a balance to it. Almost like different energies flowing into each other without stopping.
"And these lights in the sky, what are they?"
"I've heard of these," Omaeda said. "They have lights like them in the World of the Living. They call them the Eastern Lights."
"You mean the Northern Lights," Soi Fon corrected.
"It's freezing," Iba said. "Let's Shunpo our way out of here."
"No. That's far too suspicious. We're here on recon, remember? We'll check out the camp over there and see if they have any means of transportation."
They began to head over but then Omaeda called them back.
"Hey, wait! Check this out." He pointed to a small mound in the snow. "Feel the reiatsu. It's very dark here."
"It's a grave," Izuru said. "Hasn't been here for very long either."
Soi Fon narrowed her eyes. "Kurosaki Ichigo was here. His reiatsu is faint, a few weeks old."
"You're right," remarked Iba. "Do you think he could've killed the person in the grave?"
"Wouldn't surprise me." She turned away. "Come on. Let's head out."
Ichigo took a deep breath and put his fists together, descending down into his inner world. He hadn't been here often over the past two weeks. Vaatu's presence had infected the place. If it was a physical space with breathable air he had no doubt it would smell like smog and rotten food.
Once inside, he stood on the side of a building and looked around. All the webbing from when Vaatu was in control was gone. Everyone looked normal on the surface but coming down here he was bombarded by negative spiritual energy. He tried to ignore it but it made his movements labored and he struggled to walk around. His throat felt choked and tight.
Zangetsu appeared before him with a stern look on his face. "So, the King finally decides to grace us with his presence," he mocked.
"Shut up," Ichigo replied. "You know why I don't come down here."
"Yeah, I know. Because I'm the one who actually has to live down here, jackass. You know it rains here when you're all up in your feelings, right? Well, it's been pouring recently."
"That was a bad joke."
"It's not a joke! You seriously need to get it together."
"Yeah, well I can't just "get it together", okay? I got problems that I need to fix."
"Oh boo hoo, King. Sitting around having your own personal pity party, you don't even know what's it like to live down here with his stench all over the place."
Ichigo sighed, tired of arguing. "What's the Hollow situation looking like? I controlled it once a long time ago, I can do it again."
"I know. Just be careful. We don't know how much Vaatu affected your Hollow or how much of him is still in here."
"I guess so."
"You know what I think?"
"What?"
"I think you should listen to Kya. All this meditating you've been doing has done nothing. It can help in small amounts but you need some kind of purpose, King. You getting kicked out of Republic City could be a good thing. Go help Korra rebuild the Air Nation."
"I don't really have a choice though, do I?"
"King, if we're stuck here for the rest of our lives then the sooner you get on with it, the better for both of us. You can't just sit around on your ass all day. Take some responsibility."
Ichigo nodded. "Fine. Fine." He paused. "My future is so unclear. Like this whole time I've been here, I've always struggled with my purpose. But at least I felt like I had one to find. Whether it was to get my memories back, help Korra, get closer to Asami or find a way to go home, I was always striving for something. Now my life is just… full of uncertainty."
Zangetsu punched him lightly on the arm. "Uncertain? Maybe. Exciting? Hell yeah."
Ichigo grinned. "That was cringe."
"Piss off."
Ichigo smiled again and returned to his conscious state. There was a full moon above him as he walked to the edge of the gazebo and leaned out over the railing, looking out at the clear ocean. This would probably be his last time meditating here for a while. He pulled out his Combat Pass from his belt and rubbed some dirt off it.
They would probably set out tomorrow on the search for more airbenders. Ichigo chuckled. Zangetsu was right. He clenched his hand around the Combat Pass. A new adventure, he thought. No ties to my old life. Just guilt. No. Don't think about that right now. You're excited. Be excited. Taking one last deep breath, he turned around and headed to bed.
Somewhere up high in the mountains where the clouds lazed across the sky and covered the peaks with a thick mist stood two tall and thin plateaus. They were separated from each other by a wide expanse of open space and the mist covered the veritable void below. One of the plateaus was connected to a larger portion of the mountain. The other one stood alone in the mist and both of them had craggy, spiky structures built on their flat surfaces.
A metal bride moved from the first bridge across the massive gap towards the other one, creaking as it went. It crept out above the void, moving slowly until it stretched out and reached the second plateau. Several men dressed in white and blue robes with conical hats on strode off the bridge and towards the rough, metal building in front of them. In such a remote location, such a structure could only be built for one purpose. It held a prisoner.
The bridge receded behind them, leaving the men trapped on the second plateau. One of them held a tray with some food and drink on it. The others began to bend the doors of the prison and slowly opened them as they grinded against each other, revealing jail bars and a dark lonely cell.
"You know the drill, Zaheer," one of the men said.
"Of course," came the reply. The prisoner was a man of shorter stature with a broad, stocky frame and long, flowing grey hair with an equally long beard to match. His clothes were tattered and dirty but his snarky demeanor had not been diminished despite the obvious length of his stay here. He got up and faced the far wall with his hands behind his head.
"Hope you still like rice." The guard placed the tray through a small slit at the bottom of the cell bars.
"Have you ever read the poetry of the great airbending Guru Laghima?" said Zaheer.
"What?"
"Guru Laghima lived four thousand years ago in the Northern Air Temple. It is said that he unlocked the secret of weightlessness and became untethered from the earth; living his final forty years without ever touching the ground."
"Is that how you plan to escape? With something you picked up from an old airbender children's story?"
"Like all great children's tales, it contains truth within the myth. Laghima once wrote, "Instinct is a lie told by a fearful body, hoping to be wrong"."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means that when you base your expectations only on what you see, you blind yourself to the possibilities of a new reality."
All of a sudden, he whirled around and flung the guard against the cell bars with airbending and then wrapped his arm around his throat. The other guards moved to attack but stopped when they saw he had a hostage.
"Ah ah ah," Zaheer chastened. "You wouldn't want to singe your friend, would you?"
"How? You're not a bender!"
"Nature is constantly changing. Like the wind." With that, he grabbed the keys from the guard's belt and ripped open the cell door, throwing him back against the prison wall. Zaheer slid out and threw air from his legs, knocking over two guards and dodging the attack of a third. He leapt above another firebending attack and launched another guard into the prison.
The two remaining guards desperately attacked him simultaneously with fire and earthbending but he evaded them both with ease, using the prison as a place to leap off of. Zaheer flipped over and tossed them up in the air then blasted then into the cell to join the others. Then he closed the door, where the single bowl of rice had spilled over at the entrance.
"Now you might want to ration that bowl of rice. You've got three weeks until the next shift change. It's the dawning of a new age. The end of the White Lotus and soon the end of the Avatar."
Leaving the White Lotus guards petrified, he leapt off the edge of the plateau and began bounding safely off of the rocks below, making his way down the mountainside.
And that's the end of Chapter 1! Tell me what you thought! I'll start work on the next chapter soon, and I think I'll be able to post chapters more frequently. But obviously I don't want to make promises I can't keep haha. Also just a side note, this story recently hit 100,000 total views across all chapters which is just amazing and I know this isn't YouTube or anything but it's still pretty cool and I'm really grateful that people still come back to read the new chapters. Once again, thank you all for reading and stay safe out there!
(Replying to comments down below)
Comment from SentinelPrimeKnightOfCybertron: Yes! The Last Quincy has arrived in the Avatarverse! Great to see one of my favorite characters get a good role! I wonder what Uryuu will run into while hunting for Ichigo, hmm? Next up is the Red Lotus so that should be interesting.
Reply: Yessir haha! Uryu is such a cool character and it's fun to use him in this story. And yeah I love the Red Lotus I think they're some of the best villains in the Avatar universe.
Comment from anoyak11: Shit is about to go down. Not going to lie I hope ichigo confronts isshin. I forgot about that part of the story until one of the reviews mentioned it. Cant wait for zaheer to appear. I can feel a dark ending in this book.
Reply: Yeah there has got to be some sort of confrontation between those two at some point. And same, I love Zaheer haha
Comment from BrokenLifeCycle: Quincy vs Magic Martial Artists
So what do we got for Uryu? His bow has a rate of fire not unlike an A-10 Warthog strapped to his arm and hits as hard as one. Also, he can basically fly and teleport. Ransotengia will even allow him to override anyone's attempts to blood bend him. The world of the Avatar is probably chock full of spiritual energy since the portals aren't closed, so he's not low on energy. He's even good in close ranges if worse comes to worst. (Also, do Quincy arrows affect spirits? If so, does it have the same destructive effects as they have on Hollows?)
Compare this to most benders. Unless they get the drop on him, he's very hard to beat. Maybe an earthbender can bind him, but this is assuming he's in their range. I'm not sure if an airbender can deflect energy arrows. It'll take more than just a wall of water or ice of the non-spiritual kind (they're not Hitsugaya) to stop his arrows. Fire tend to not have the range unless it's Combustion Bending, but that's like trying to fight a plane with an artillery piece.
So yeah. Uryu OP. GM, plz nerf dis haxor.
Reply: Ikr he's so op lmao I feel like only a few select benders can fight him equally and he would still beat most of them. Good question about his arrows affecting spirits, one of the things in Book 2 I had was that they would reform after a while when Ichigo cut through them but with more powerful attacks he could just blow them away or basically destroy them so it would probably be the same with Uryu.
Comment from Raximus: Uryu ishida is on Ba Sing Se, the most intelligent member of the Karakura group is there. If he join up with Ichigo the intlligence of the group will skyrocket, not to mention how many answers he will have about the inner workings of the Avatar's world in comparison to the Bleach world.
OG worldbuilding here we come!
Reply: Oh yeah man, you know I love my og world building and character work. One of the things I want to play with in this Book is how the reiatsu's are different between the two worlds and how some people are able to sense reiatsu really well and others aren't.
And facts haha the only one in Team Avatar close to Uryu's intelligence is Asami the rest are all pretty stupid lolol
Comment from Guest Isa: Holy Hell, you updated QUICK. Wasn't expecting that, no offense.
Already looking forward to this. Between the Red Lotus and Soi Fon, our heroes will most certainly have their hands full.
But really, fights amongst parties who should for all intents and purposes be on the same side are disheartening. Hopefully Korra and Ichigo prove themselves and put a quick halt to any senseless bloodshed.
And indeed when Ikakku was announcing Squad 11s new shift, I saw what was happening...
Uryu in Ba Sing Se, that...Could turn out bad, with that awful Queen.
Lastly, I forget, does death effect this world, meaning we may yet see more of dead characters from the Avatar world?
Reply: hahaha ya I was fast with the last one, no offence taken my posting schedule is terrible lmao
Yup playing with multiple villains will be fun, especially when some used to be allies like you said. But don't worry it's not just squad 11 that wants to help Ichigo
Hey who knows, maybe Uryu could use the queen to his advantage…
I mean, besides Iroh, the only dead Avatar characters we've seen are the avatars themselves like wan and aang and now they're all gone too so I'm not sure if we'll see more dead characters, but you never know!
Comment from Freemaker: Will Ichigo ever have a two-way relationship? That is ... Will it be an Ichigo asamixkorra? because the truth could have worked a relationship between the three
Reply: Yeah I've been asked this question a lot and I've thought about it for sure. But right now I don't think it'll happen. I feel like it doesn't really fit the story but who knows things can change in the future, thanks for your question!
