Hey, everyone! So far this year, I've been able to keep this run going of one chapter each month which is pretty consistent for me haha. There are four more chapters after this one so hopefully I can fully finish Book 3 during the summer which would be awesome. This chapter is quite a bit shorter than the last one and I hope you all enjoy it!


Chapter 10: The Stakeout


The hazy light of dawn had bloomed into another luminously sunny day in the Earth Kingdom as Team Avatar made their way in pursuit of the fugitive Aiwei. For all the talk of Korra leaving the Spirit Portals open and the immigration of spirits into the physical world, they hadn't seen any for some time. But here in the open desert, the land and sky were aplomb with them.

Korra led the charge on Naga, the polar bear-dog continually sniffing the ground and the air to track the truth-seer. The others were in a small jeep, driven by Asami. Eventually, they reached a small, run-down village in the middle of nowhere. The earthen homes were old and dirty and the village's denizens gave them curious and suspicious glances.

"Aiwei's definitely been through here," declared Korra. She pet Naga. "Nice tracking, girl."

"Let's ask around," Mako said. "Maybe someone's seen him."

Entering a dingy tavern, they received more of the same unwelcoming looks from the patrons inside. Ichigo shifted and met their gazes without fear, subtly stepping closer to Asami as he did so. No one moved to challenge them.

Bolin's eyes widened in wonder. "Ooh, look! They have a mover poster of me! Must be big Nuktuk fans. Yeah, I should go over and say hello."

Mako grabbed him. "No! Those are wanted posters. And there's one for each of us, Uryu as well. 'Wanted by Her Majesty the Earth Queen, for crimes against the kingdom'. I'm guessing this is because we took her airbenders?"

Ichigo shook his head in annoyance. "Typical."

"They weren't hers to keep!" Korra exclaimed. "I swear if I ever see her pinchy little queen face again, I'm gonna-"

The scrape of a chair moving against the floor stopped her threats. The men in the tavern were getting to their feet, clearly putting two and two together and recognizing the faces on the wanted posters. Weapons were slowly pulled out of scabbards and bending stances were taken. Even the bartender had drawn a sword from out of nowhere.

One man, braver than the others, stepped forward. "You're outnumbered by two to one. Come quietly, kids, and we won't hurt ya that badly."

"That's a potentially inflammatory statement," Bolin joked.

"There's no need for fighting," Asami said, holding up her hands. "Put away your weapons and we'll leave. No one will get hurt. Because trust me, you guys don't want anything to do with us. If you've read the posters, you know who we are and who's with us."

A ripple of fear went through the men.

"Is that the Avatar?" one asked.

"No, you idiot," his buddy retorted. "The other one is the Avatar. Can't you read?"

"We don't have time for this," Ichigo muttered and flashed forward. In a few seconds, all dozen men were on the floor either unconscious or crying out in pain. He paid them no heed and brushed past the others as he went back outside. "You guys coming? Soi Fon and Zaheer aren't getting any closer. Let's keep tracking."

"There goes my attempt at negotiation," Asami said sarcastically.


"Where is everyone?" Lin demanded, still at Zaofu. "I've been ready to leave for half an hour."

"And good morning to you too, Lin," her sister replied. "Don't get mad, Korra's fine. I'm just waiting to hear if they tracked down Aiwei yet."

"What? You let Korra go?! I thought we were on the same page about this, and then you go stab me in the back?"

"Oh, don't be so overdramatic. You can't control the Avatar's every move."

Lin stomped off. "I can try. Kuvira, ready my airship."

"Kuvira is Captain of the Guard, not your servant, Lin," Suyin chided with a giggle. "Kuvira, dear, why don't you enlighten my sister on why sending the Avatar after Aiwei was a good idea."

Kuvira nodded. "If the Avatar's polar bear-dog can track Aiwei, he'll lead them right to Zaheer and most likely Soi Fon. With the Avatar and Reaper together, they can defeat them and put them right back where they belong: prison."

"Don't be so sure," Lin said. "I've dealt with Zaheer and his cronies before. They're no joke. It took the strength of all of us, Tenzin, Tonraq, Fire Lord Zuko, myself and many others just to beat them once. And that was before Zaheer got airbending."

"You don't trust Korra and Ichigo?" Suyin asked.

"Oh, I trust them. Trust them to get themselves into trouble. They're very difficult to control, those two. Especially when they're together."

"Why do we need to control them?"

"Because the last time they got loose, they destroyed a city and turned that entire civilization against us."

Suyin sighed. "Lin. At some point in your life, you have to learn to relinquish control and stop making excuses for your need for it."

"Took you a while to relinquish control of your daughter. If you'd gotten your way, Opal would still be here training and might've been hurt."

"Oh, don't you go there. You just have to make everything worse, don't you?"

Lin grumbled and turned away. "Fine. I'm sorry. You did let her go… eventually. But I'm still going after Korra."

Kuvira shook her head. What a worthless argument, she thought to herself.


The cave was a peculiar one. At first glance, it looked like a large, diamond-shaped hole had been opened in a random boulder lying on the desert floor. You had to walk up some hastily bent rock steps in order to enter in but once inside, you'd see that it was actually a very spacious area with room for a fire, places to sleep and extra space for goods and supplies.

"How on earth did you find this?" Ghazan asked.

"Some call it luck, I call it destiny," Zaheer replied.

"Mmm, I love it when you speak like that," P'Li stroked his cheek affectionately.

"Get your own cave, weirdos," the lavabender muttered. "Hey Soul Reaper, you good sleeping in the same place as us? Wouldn't want to have that sword at my throat in the morning."

"I spent several days stuck inside that awful truck with you," Soi Fon said icily. "I welcome the change of scenery."

Ming-Hua plopped down against the wall. "So what's next? We failed to capture the Avatar in Zaofu and the Soul Reaper still lives. We're back to square one."

"Well apparently, we're going to work as a team now," said Zaheer. "Does our resident Soul Reaper have any suggestions?"

Soi Fon scowled. "Like I said before, we should draw them out into the open and separate them from each other."

"And how do you propose we do that?"

"Burn down another village?" Ghazan joked. "The Misty Palms Oasis isn't far from here."

"We didn't set out to destroy people's livelihoods. Our goals are far more important. I'm meeting Aiwei in the Spirit World this evening. He can give us an update on the Avatar's position, and how much we've been compromised. Then we can plan our attack."

"Holding the village hostage could work," suggested Soi Fon. "Kurosaki and the Avatar will come to their aid. People like them always do."

"I thought you said the Soul Reaper was a murderer?"

Her face twisted and she got to her feet. "He is. Don't wait too long to make plans. Kurosaki is coming and he will be out for blood, I assure you."


Naga led them up into the mountains above the Misty Palms Oasis. She bounded up the stony paths and dunes like it was nothing while the jeep trundled behind her. Mako and Bolin, sitting at the back, bounced up and down, clearly not having the time of their lives. Ichigo was clutching the doorframe as his girlfriend's reckless but talented driving propelled them up the mountain.

Sniffing along on the ground, Naga ended up in front of a huge rock that looked slightly suspicious, as if it wasn't naturally supposed to be there. Korra leapt onto the ground and bent it away, revealing another jeep. "Naga found something!" she called.

The polar bear-dog nudged her, expecting a reward. "Oh, sorry. I forgot to bring treats but good girl." Naga accepted her pets and then wacked her in the face with her massive tail.

"This must be Aiwei's jeep," Asami said. "He can't be far."

Mako walked over to indicate the town down below. "Bolin and I will investigate the Misty Palms Oasis and see if he's holed up there."

"Yes! I love it when you talk like a cop!" approved Bolin.

"I'm coming too," Ichigo said.

"No," Mako argued. "You three wait here and see if he comes back. Besides, we don't want to call too much attention to ourselves. Sorry, but your hair isn't exactly stealthy."

Ichigo crossed his arms. "And if Soi Fon and Zaheer are down there? What will you guys do? Sorry but with who we're dealing with, either Korra or me should go with you just in case."

"That's not-… fine. But you follow my lead."

"You got it."

"Ooh, Mako, Mako, Mako," Bolin said excitedly. "We should wear disguises to pretend we're going undercover. That way, no one will recognize us, and Ichigo's hair won't be a problem. Haha! Police work is so awesome!" He ran over to their jeep and rummaged through the trunk, eventually pulling out three bright yellow ponchos and goggles for them.

The boys put them on. Korra and Asami did not look impressed to say the least.

"Alright. Now we need our undercover identities. I'm an ex-United Forces operative named Ting-Ting. War was the only woman I ever loved until Ivy came along and showed me what real love is. Tragically she was taken from me by my arch-nemesis Dr. Razor and he-"

"Can we focus?!" Ichigo yelled.

"Please, enough!" Mako agreed. "Let's just find Aiwei."

"Wow," Bolin blanched. "You guys didn't even let me tell you your secret identities! I don't want to go with you if you're so grumpy."

"So stay here."

He glanced at Korra and Asami. "With them? No way. I know why Ichigo wants to come and it's not to protect us."

Korra sniggered. "Does he have a point, Ichigo? Do Asami and I make you uncomfortable?"

"Leave me alone," the Soul Reaper replied, already heading down the mountain.

The girls laughed. "Come back soon! We'll be waiting!"

With their laughter receding in the background, the three hooded figures strode quickly down the mountain where they found a path that headed straight to the Oasis. Spirits watched them quizzically, paying particular attention to Ichigo but they soon moved off. The haze of the desert faded as they drew closer, eventually reaching a paved road flanked by tall palm trees.

"Us guys should spend more time together, Ichigo said.

"I agree," nodded Bolin.

"We would if you weren't such a man-whore," Mako said.

"A what?" Ichigo exclaimed. "That's just not true. I have a girlfriend, bro."

"I know, I know. Just joking."

"He's jealous," Bolin whispered loudly.

"I am not!"

"You so are, Mako. And I would know. All my life, I watched you get the pretty girl, even the ones I liked. But the shoe's on the other foot now, big bro, because the ladies love Bolin!"

"They love Nuktuk," Mako corrected.

"Shut up. Let me have my moment."

They entered the Oasis and could immediately see that spirits were drawn to this place. But unlike in Republic City, they seemed to have integrated decently well. Well, almost decently. In the main square of the town, they watched as a barkeeper swept some tiny spirts out of his establishment with a broom.

"Shoo! Human customers only!"

"Let's see if this guy knows anything," said Mako. "Excuse me, sir? We're looking for a man, about 60, balding, wearing glasses and a long, green robe."

"And he's got this weird piercing that goes from his nose to his ear," Bolin added. "Freaks me out."

"And he would've come across as extremely pretentious and annoying," Ichigo finished.

"Yeah, sure," the man said. "Sounds like a guy who came in last night. I told him I had the best drinks in the Earth Kingdom and he called me a liar."

"That's him! Any idea where he is now?"

"I'm afraid not. But he was right. My drinks are terrible."

They moved on, asking different people and going into different stores, taverns and restaurants but no one knew where Aiwei was currently. Bolin, getting tired of the search, waited outside one of the last establishments in the town. A random spirit bit his fingers and he swore loudly, getting the attention of a man and woman across the road.

They peered at him suspiciously and he gulped. Both looked large and intimidating, much more muscular than he and both bore weapons as well. Mako and Ichigo stepped out and Bolin stopped them.

"I think there might be a couple bounty hunters over there who recognize me." As if on cue, the bulky couple stepped towards them confidently.

Ichigo cracked his neck muscles. "I'll handle it."

"No," Mako gripped his arm. "Let's not make a scene; it'll only attract more of them. Let's lose 'em."

They dashed off through the market. For all their considerable size, their pursuers were extremely slow and the three of them quickly ducked into an alley and hid behind some boxes. The bounty hunters passed on without a glance. Mako stood up. "Okay, I think we're clear. We should head back to Korra and Asami before someone else recognizes us."

Bolin gasped and pulled him back down. "We could or we could follow Aiwei instead. Look!"

At the street on the other end of the alley, the truth-seer was walking casually and eating some noodles for lunch. Ichigo was almost ready to launch himself after him but he took a deep breath and looked to Mako, having agreed to follow his lead. Mako pulled his hood up again.

"Alright, play it cool. Let's go."

"Ting-Ting always gets his man," Bolin murmured.

They tracked him across a few streets to the one establishment they hadn't checked yet: the hotel. He entered into a room across from the public pool and shut the door behind him.

"Keep an eye on him," instructed Mako. "I'll go get the girls. If he tries to escape, he's all yours, Ichigo."

The Soul Reaper nodded. "It'll be my pleasure."


Korra sat perched upon a rock looking out over the valley. It was an intriguing mix of lush grasslands near the oasis and then pure desert everywhere else. Behind her, Asami was tinkering on Aiwei's abandoned jeep, her engineering mind rearing its head. She glanced up, noticing Korra's almost forlorn posture.

"You alright?" she asked.

Korra sighed. "I'm just frustrated. What does Zaheer want with me? What's his plan?"

"Well, we know he tried to kidnap you as a child, right? Whatever is it, he's been planning it for years now." She went and sat next to Korra on the rock. "With Soi Fon, I thought it would be easy. We knew what she wanted but we couldn't stop her from taking Ichigo anyway. And we're lucky that we managed to rescue him. With Zaheer and her working together now, things are even more clouded."

"You're right about that." Korra sighed again and stretched her arms out. "Why can't everything just go back to normal, huh? Just for a little bit, is that too much to ask? I'm sick of looking over my shoulder every five minutes to make sure there's not some crazy Soul Reaper or criminal after me."

Asami chuckled. "I think about that every day. I just want to grab an airship, take Ichigo with me and fly far away to a beautiful island where we can lie on the beach, sleep in hammocks between the trees, watch the sunrises and sunsets and eat fruit all day."

"Listen to the city girl being adventurous," Korra jested. "You better let me tag along, though. Gotta work on this tan."

"You're tanned enough. I always wished I had something closer to your complexion."

"Really? I always wished I looked more like you, especially when we first met and Ichigo and Mako couldn't keep their eyes off you."

"Stop, Mako loved you the whole time."

Korra shook her head. "Definitely didn't. He's the last thing I want to talk about." She jumped to her feet. "Ugh, I hate waiting around for them. I feel useless. Did you find anything in Aiwei's jeep?" She offered a hand to Asami who took it and they headed over to the vehicle.

"I was just fiddling with the engine, but I didn't check any compartments." Asami opened the glove box. "No, nothing. Wait. Here." Pulling out a sheet of paper, she unfolded it. "Might be a clue. Xai Bau's Grove, sundown," she read.

"That must be when and where Aiwei is gonna meet Zaheer," exclaimed Korra.

Asami grabbed a map. "Alright. Xai Bau's Grove… where are you?" A couple spirits flittered down onto the parchment and squawked at them. "Go away! I'm trying to find something." They flew off in disappointment and she frowned. "I don't get it. There's literally nowhere in this area called that."

Mako came jogging up the mountain. "We found Aiwei hiding in a hotel."

"That's great! We found something too." Asami passed him the message. "It looks like he's going to meet Zaheer at a place called Xai Bau's Grove. But I can't find it anywhere on the map."

"Let's go bust Aiwei's door down and finally get some answers," Korra said.

Mako shook his head. "You are Ichigo are the same person, I swear. Once Aiwei knows we're onto him, we lose our advantage. The only time we should be attacking him is if he knows we're there and is trying to escape. I say we stake out his room, and when he leaves for the meeting, we follow him."

Korra pursed her lips but nodded. "Then he'll lead us straight to Zaheer and hopefully Soi Fon."

"Exactly."


Team Avatar gathered within the lobby of the Misty Palms Inn. It was a dingy, poorly-lit place with a grumpy-looking old lady behind the counter. As soon as the five young adults walked in, she put her hands on her hips in disapproval. Mako flashed his most winning smile as he approached the desk.

"Good afternoon. We'd like a room on the ground floor across from 102, please."

"Forget it," she replied gruffly. "Last time a bunch of teenagers came in here they trashed the whole room. And don't plead your innocence or say you'll be better, that fellow's ridiculous orange hair and that girl's muscles tell me all I need to know. You're delinquents. Get out of my inn."

"It's natural," Ichigo hissed under his breath.

"What's wrong with my muscles?" Korra asked of nobody.

"We found you!"

They whirled around. It was the same bulky couple who had chased them before. Cornered, they were forced to fight. Everyone raised their fists while Mako and Korra ignited flames on their hands.

"Hey!" the innkeeper yelled. "No bending in here, take it outside!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa," the male bounty hunter said hurriedly. "We're not here to fight you. We're here to meet Nuktuk!"

"We're your biggest fans!" his partner agreed, simultaneously unrolling a Nuktuk poster in front of Bolin. "C-could you make it out to Lily and Macao?"

"Uh… I'd be happy too," Bolin said awkwardly. "Always love meeting my fans."

Lily glimpsed Ichigo standing behind Bolin and her jaw nearly fell to the floor. Turning to her husband, she pointed unashamedly. "Macao, l-look who it is! The Reaper!"

"You're right, Lily," he sighed. "Okay. Go ahead."

"Huh?" Ichigo said, confusion written on his face.

"Didn't you hear?" she jumped. "Cabbage Corp Magazine named you the sexiest man in the Five Nations! When I married Macao, I made him promise that you were the only man I could cheat with!"

"What? Oh, no, no. That's not happening."

Korra burst out laughing. "Really? This guy? What are they smoking?"

Ichigo grabbed Asami's hand. "Let's get outta here, please."

"Why didn't you tell me your friends were mover stars?" the innkeeper said. "I'd be happy to rent you any room in the inn."

"We'll just take the one across from 102," said Mako.

"But that room is too small for the five of you."

"Trust me. It'll be perfect."


Soi Fon cracked her neck muscles with a slight wince. The ugly new scars on her face flamed with pain whenever she spoke or even blinked. One eye had seemingly lost its vision or at least, it hadn't come back yet. The rest of her body was healing normally but those facial wounds may never fully recover.

Bravado aside, her fight with Kurosaki had taught her one thing: it would be very difficult to defeat him one on one. His power exceeded hers by a great deal but her advantages lay in her superior fighting ability. And in my resolve, she thought to herself. Taking three deep breaths, she attempted to descend into her inner world but after several tries, found that she could not.

It was like a veil was placed over her eyes and restraints on her neck and limbs. She could make out faint outlines of what she knew to be her inner world but could not reach it. And in her limited vision, she saw great turmoil and anguish in the environment that her Zanpakuto called home.

Shaking her head to clear it, Soi Fon scowled and ignored the light footsteps of Zaheer in front of her. He stood facing away, watching the clouds go by overhead. His sturdy hands were clasped behind his back and when he turned, she almost caught a glimpse of something serene in his eyes before they returned to their usual, chilling seriousness.

"Trouble meditating?" he asked.

"You could say that."

"Hmm. I used to experience something similar. It took years of practice before I was able to enter the Spirit World on my own. But when I did, I couldn't get enough of it. The realm of the spirits is like a drug that continually spikes your brain with dopamine. It's wonderful and potentially dangerous to the inexperienced."

She stared up at him. "I don't care."

"I know you don't. That's why I'm talking to you."

Soi Fon stood up abruptly. "What do you want really? Whenever you speak with me, it's like you're a whimsical philosopher who's far too full of himself. But when it comes to the Avatar, you turn in a cold-blooded killer. Why?"

"The Avatar is an integral part of my plans. And in regard to what I want, I want freedom. Individual freedom for every person in this world."

"Bullshit."

"It's the truth. There are forces in this world, in government, in organizations, in antiquated systems that prevent the freedom I want from happening. The Avatar is tied up in all of that. That is why I need to destroy her. Your Reaper is an obstacle. Which is why I partnered up with you. You want revenge. I understand that. He took something from you. Or someone. Doesn't matter."

"It does matter," she replied coldly. "And don't pretend that you know what I want. You couldn't possibly understand that or how I feel about it."

"That's where you're wrong. I know because I know you, Soi Fon. I know the rage you feel and I know the emptiness you'll feel when the job is done. No matter what happens, you'll always be bitter and you'll always be alone. A useless, hollow existence, void of joy."

Her lips twisted in fury. "If you want to end this partnership prematurely, I am all for it."

Zaheer smiled. "You can't. He'll kill you if you fight him alone." Soi Fon was almost trembling in anger and indignation. He walked past, patting her shoulder almost comfortingly. "It's okay. You're also an important tool in my plan. But still only that. A tool."

She thought about slitting his throat, she really did. But deep down, she knew he was right. What her battle with Ichigo had shown was that maybe she couldn't beat him by herself. For the first time in a long time, doubt crept into her mind. Soi Fon grunted angrily, trying to dispel the thought. I should kill them all right now. They've caused me enough grief and trouble. But with their help I could finally finish this and put Yoruichi to rest.


"I'd just like to state for the record that this room is not perfect," Bolin grumbled. He got a slap in the face from Naga's tail as a response. The huge polar bear dog was splayed out on the single bed, having crushed it as soon as she got on. Bolin was sitting with his back against her belly while Pabu was curled up on the tiny bedside table.

Korra and Mako peered out the room's only window, keeping a keen eye on Aiwei's room across the yard. She was perched on a small box while Mako just stood against the wall. Meanwhile Ichigo and Asami were huddled on the floor next to the bed. Ichigo's finger drummed on the wall in annoyance.

"There he is," said Korra. Aiwei had taken a peek out of his own window and then shut the curtains again. Bolin got up and started pacing round the small area remaining in the room with his hands behind his head.

"I thought stakeouts were supposed to be exciting," he mused.

"Then you haven't seen any stakeouts," replied Ichigo. "They're boring. Really boring."

"You got that right." Bolin went to pet Pabu on the bedside table and then noticed the drawer. "Ooh, I wonder if there's snacks in here. Hey, look!" He pulled out a board game. "Pai Sho board! Mako, you wanna play?"

"Kinda busy here, bro," the firebender replied in his usual monotone way.

"I'll play," Asami offered.

Bolin smirked. "Oh, well, no offence but I learned street Pai Sho from Shady Shin and I am pretty good so… wouldn't really be a fair game."

"So? I learned to play from my dad, the diabolical genius? I'll destroy you."

His eyes narrowed. "Well… looks like we have ourselves a Pai-showdown. Ichigo, you can play the winner."

"Absolutely not," he replied. "I played against Asami once for a few hours and I do not want to relive that humiliation."

"Hey, why are you assuming that she'll win?"

"Trust me, man, she will. Asami always wins."

They set out the board on the floor in front of the bed. Naga and Pabu had turned their sleepy attention to watch the game. "Ladies first," said Bolin. They moved a couple pieces and then Asami paused to think. Bolin pursed his lips impatiently. "I don't wanna rush you, but let's speed things up a bit."

"Why?" she asked. "This game is all about slow, methodical strategy."

"No, it's not. This is a high stakes, fast paced, edge of your seat game of chance! Don't think, just go."

"I don't know what Shady Shin taught you but it wasn't the real Pai Sho."

"Oh, really? I think our friend Mr. Rulebook here might disagree with you. 'The origins of Pai Sho date back over ten thousand years'. Wow, Ichigo, did you invent this too? Actually, never mind. You're not smart enough to invent a game this fun. 'It is a game of both strategy and chance'. Wait. How could it be both?"

"Let me see that," Asami grabbed the book. "'There have been countless variations of Pai Sho over the centuries and each culture has its own rules and variations on the game."

"That's no help at all. Korra, as the Avatar, you need to standardize these Pai Sho rules."

"Okay," said Korra sarcastically. "I'll put that on my to-do list right next to bringing back the Air Nation and taking down the group that tried to kidnap me."

"That's cool, whenever you get to it."

"Assuming we do find Zaheer and Soi Fon, what then?" Mako asked.

"Then Ichigo deals with her, and I make him talk," Korra punched her fist into her palm.

"He was locked away for thirteen years, Korra. And never broke. I don't think a little bending is going to intimidate this guy. Even if you can use all four at once."

"You have a better idea?"

"Yeah. We spy on them. If Aiwei and Zaheer don't know they're being watched, they'll talk freely. Then we'll know who they are and what they want."

"Soi Fon won't wait around for that to happen," said Ichigo. "She's bloodthirsty and wants us all dead, me especially. We can sneak around Aiwei as much as we want but as soon as we encounter the others, we have to fight."

"You said that Soi Fon told you something back in Zaofu," remembered Korra. "What was it?"

He looked down. "She told me that when I was being controlled by Vaatu, he killed someone that both she and I loved very much. Vaatu killed my mentor, one of my closest friends. But to Soi Fon, there was no one in the world that meant more to her than Yoruichi. She was everything to her. Which is why she wants to kill me so badly."

Korra reached down and gripped his shoulder comfortingly. "I'm sorry, Ichigo. It wasn't your fault but I know how you must feel."

"Yeah. It's another part of my life that's gone because I couldn't stop Vaatu. But I'm okay now. I know what I need to do; I know I need to end this."

"How do you plan on ending it?" Mako asked.

"By any means necessary. My world had messed with this one enough."

"What do you mean?"

"There's something else that I've been waiting to tell you guys. Asami knows this but I didn't know when to bring it up. Um, so I was sent here by my Dad and Urahara with a mission that I had forgotten. And I only remembered it the other day. Korra, I don't know how to say this, but they wanted me to kill you. I was sent here to kill the Avatar."

There was silence in the room. Korra's hand moved hesitantly from his shoulder and then she shook her head, pulled him to his feet and hugged him tightly. "Thank you for telling me," she said quietly. "It must've been so hard to carry that with you these past few days."

"With all that's happened, I almost forgot. But you needed to know. It's a blessing that things went wrong and I lost my memory. Who knows what would've happened otherwise."

"Now I know why you want to take your sisters away from your Dad. He sounds like a monster. Why would he want me dead? What did I ever do?"

"He wasn't always like that," Ichigo admitted softly. "But he and Urahara believed the legends about the Avatar which was backed up by the only research on this world that the Soul Society had. They were afraid of you."

"And fear makes people do stupid and reckless things," Mako finished.

Asami patted Ichigo's leg. "As soon as we find a way, we'll bring your sisters here."

"Anything else you're not telling us?" Bolin joked.

"Nah, that's it," Ichigo chuckled. "As far as I can remember, at least. Anyone else have anything they need to air out?"

Korra frowned. "I wonder if your Dad and Zaheer have the same motive?"

"I doubt it. Zaheer has lived in this world his whole life while my Dad read about you in a book. But we'll make Zaheer talk and figure out what's going on."

"I was trying to find Yumi all that time I was sleeping at the police station," Mako offered. "But you guys already knew that."

"Yeah, we knew that, horndog," Bolin quipped. "Come on, Asami, it's your move."

She took out three of his pieces. "I win."

"What? Alright, that was just a fluke. Best two out of three."

"And here it starts," Ichigo laughed and sat down with Korra to wait. As they chatted and watched Aiwei's window, they'd hear Bolin announce new stakes with every loss. And the losses kept coming.

"Ugh, come on! Best four out of seven!"

"Eight out of fifteen!"

"Seventeen out of… thirty-three?"

Time passed. They ordered food and ate it, Asami and Bolin kept playing, but there was no movement from Aiwei's room. Korra yawned hugely and Ichigo had straight up fallen asleep on top of Naga. Mako just stayed watching vigilantly as the burning, afternoon sun turned to a warm, orange, evening glow.

"Haha!" Bolin cried. "Looks like you're on the ropes this time."

"I can't believe it," Asami admitted. "You might actually win this one."

With that, Pabu leapt down from the bed, accidently scattering all the game pieces across the floor. Bolin shrieked. "No, Pabu!" He curled up into a little ball, finally admitting defeat. Asami high-fived Korra and put away the board, humming to herself victoriously.

More time passed and Korra crossed her arms in frustration. "It's almost sundown. Why hasn't Aiwei left yet?"

"Maybe he slipped out when you weren't looking," said Asami. "We got pretty distracted here."

Mako shook his head. "No, I just saw him peeking out the window fifteen minutes ago. It's in my logbook."

"I'm going over there," Korra announced.

"Korra, wait! You're gonna blow our element of surprise."

She ignored him and marched over to Aiwei's room as the others followed quickly. With an airkick, she burst open his door. "It's over, Aiwei. Where's-… what?"

The truth seer was sat cross-legged on his bed in a meditative position, his eyes squeezed shut.

Bolin looked puzzled. "That's a weird way to nap."

"He's not sleeping. He's meditating. Wait! Asami, those spirits were trying to tell us something earlier. Xai Bau's Grove isn't on the map because it's not in the physical world."

"It's in the Spirit World," Ichigo finished. "Hate to admit it, but that's a brilliant meeting spot."

Korra nodded. "I'm going in after him."

"Can you follow her?" Mako asked Ichigo.

"No," he said. "Asami and I were only able to meditate into the Spirit World at the North Pole where the spiritual energy was extremely high. We'll watch over Korra's body and in case Aiwei wakes up. Be careful. You and I both know how scary that place can be."

"I know," Korra said, getting onto the bed. She sat down opposite Aiwei and shut her eyes with a deep intake of breath. When they opened, her environment had completely changed. Trees colored in oranges, yellows and reds were all around her and the sky was a brilliant but murky golden tone. A gigantic whale spirit flew overtop of her. It was always a rush to enter the Spirit World.

Korra jogged over to a gentle stream that split into two forks round a tiny island that was dominated by a massive red tree. Aiwei was standing there and she moved to confront him before stopping herself. Zaheer suddenly appeared right in front of him and he did not look happy.

"What happened back in Zaofu?" he demanded. "You told me we wouldn't have any problems getting the Avatar. Because of you, we've all been compromised."

"No," Aiwei replied. "Any evidence was destroyed when my library burned."

Zaheer began walking towards him. "Where is your physical body now?"

"At the Misty Palms Inn. But there is no need to worry; I was not followed."

"Where is the Avatar now?"

"M-most likely still in Zaofu. I left them no evidence to follow, believe me!"

"You left a loose end."

"No, I assure you. No one knows anything about us."

"No, you are the loose end." He gripped him suddenly and Korra leapt out from hiding to stop him. He whirled around and his eyes widened in shock at her presence but before she could move further, they disappeared and she was left alone. He returned seconds later at the base of the big tree.

"It seems Aiwei was mistaken. He was followed."

"That's right," she said. "We knew he'd lead us straight to you. So what did you do with him?"

"He'll be spending eternity in the Fog of Lost Souls. Which just leaves the two of us," he smiled chillingly and then stepped forward.

Korra jumped into a fighting stance. "Don't move, Zaheer. You're going to give me some answers."

"There's no need for aggression," he said, taking a seat on a nearby flat stone. "Neither of us has our bending and I'm not going anywhere. I'll answer whatever questions you have. You deserve that much. What would you like to know?"

Korra was surprised at his almost cordial attitude towards her. She dropped her hands. "First off, who are you people and why do you keep trying to take me?"

"We are part of a secret society that is dedicated to restoring freedom to the world. We are the Red Lotus."

"Red Lotus? Are you related to the White Lotus?"

"We are what the White Lotus was meant to be. But after the Hundred Year War, the White Lotus lost its true purpose. Its members came out of hiding and openly served the Avatar. They became nothing but glorified bodyguards who served nations. So a great man named Xai Bau broke from the White Lotus and began his own society. That man was my Master and the namesake of the very grove where you stand."

"That's a great story but it doesn't explain why you tried to take me when I was a kid."

"That was Unalaq's idea."

"What? My uncle was part of the Red Lotus?"

"Yes. I met your uncle when I was a teenager after we had both joined the Red Lotus. He and I were my Master's most promising students. He taught us everything we know and shaped our beliefs about the world but there was always room for us all to grow together. We learned about Raava and Vaatu and how Avatar Wan foolishly severed them, disrupting the balance of the world forever."

"Avatar Wan wasn't foolish," Korra shot back. "He was trying to restore balance."

"He closed the portals, severing humans from spirits. Even you realized the error in his ways."

"So all along you and my uncle planned to use me to open the portals and release Vaatu? That's why you tried to take me when I was a kid?"

"Yes, but it's not that simple. My Master had two schools of thought with Unalaq and I falling into either one. We both felt strongly on certain things. He was more interested in freeing Vaatu but I was more interested in training you. And with members of the Red Lotus as your elemental masters and Xai Bau's genius overseeing it all, we could've taught you so much."

"Sounds like you wanted to brainwash me so I'd do whatever you desired."

"No, Korra, all I wanted was to show the Avatar a better path for the world."

"And your Master that you keep raving about, what happened to him?"

Zaheer's face looked pained. "Xai Bau… was a brilliant man, truly he was, and I would never deem to question him. But he became obsessed with something that I did not agree with, and Unalaq partially did. We had many discussions, the three of us, some of them even turning to arguments. Nevertheless, I always trusted in my Master's vision, even though I did not always understand it. But one day, Xai Bau left us to enter the Spirit World and he never returned. We spent weeks and months trying to find him but to no avail. It is a true shame that such a wonderful mind and spirit was lost so tragically. Unalaq and I took over the Red Lotus but the split between our beliefs widened." He sighed. "It was in my solitude in prison that I finally discovered why my Master was so obsessed and why he was right to be so. Perhaps things would've gone different had I had the vision to see what he saw."

"If my uncle came up with the plan to kidnap me when I was a kid, then why wasn't he caught with the rest of you?"

"He wasn't with us that night. And he covered up his involvement afterwards."

"So he betrayed you just like he betrayed me."

"Yes. He allowed me and my friends to remain imprisoned while he pursued his own selfish goals. Unalaq becoming a Dark Avatar was never part of our mission. Not even Xai Bau had conceived of that possibility, even if he had wanted something similar."

"It makes me wonder why you'd partner up with Soi Fon. Surely you know that she'll betray you and how powerful she is. Why would you risk that?"

"Her rage makes her useful to me."

"Aren't you afraid she'll betray you? She's a master assassin and warrior who'd easily cut through all of you in your sleep if she felt like it."

He shook his head with a chuckle. "Your attempts at sowing discord and doubt in my mind are pointless, Korra. I have nothing to fear from her, nor from the Soul Reaper who travels with you. I learned everything I needed to know about Soul Reapers from my Master many years ago. They're powerful, yes, but they are still people. And people stay the same in any era, in any world. They are malleable and easy to manipulate."

"My uncle knew about Soul Reapers too. How?"

"Same reason. Xai Bau was gifted with knowledge gained from years of toil and research. That is why his obsession was so brilliant and why it became my sole mission."


Soi Fon paced grumpily around the cave. She was getting extraordinarily impatient. Having waited all day for Zaheer to have his meeting with Aiwei and then waiting more watching his serene meditating expression was infuriating. The others were getting antsy as well but were content to wait for his word.

The all of a sudden, his lips started to move. "Avatar Korra," he whispered. "Misty Palms Inn. Find her."

They all leapt to their feet except for P'Li. "You three go," she said. "I'll stay here to make sure Zaheer's body is safe. This is your chance, Soul Reaper. Don't mess it up."

Soi Fon didn't reply but followed Ghazan and Ming-Hua towards the town.

Back within Aiwei's room, they could see that the sun had fully gone down and night had set in. Korra and Aiwei still hadn't moved so Naga and Pabu had fallen fast asleep on the floor. Ichigo watched their bodies like a hawk while Mako kept his gaze on the outside street through a slit in the curtains.

"I don't like this," Ichigo muttered.

"She's been gone for a long time," Bolin agreed. "Are you sure you can't follow her?"

"I'm sure."

"Hang on," said Asami. "If Aiwei was meeting Zaheer, then his body must be just like this somewhere. They can't have gotten far from here and he's defenseless, apart from Soi Fon and the other three of course. If we find him, we could capture him and bring him back to Zaofu for questioning."

"His body will be protected just like we're protecting Korra. If it wasn't, then I'd absolutely take the chance."

"Uh," Mako interrupted from the window. "I don't know how but Water Arm Lady and Lava Guy found us. Oh shit, that's Soi Fon too."

"What? How?" Ichigo jumped up, his eyes wide with energy.

"I just said, I don't know how!"

Bolin grabbed Korra's shoulders and shook her. "Korra, wake up!" There was no response."

"What do we do?" exclaimed Asami.

Mako picked up Korra and placed her on Naga. "Get Korra out of here. Ichigo, Bolin and I will hold them off."

"Hold on," Ichigo said, "we're just sending Asami out alone with Korra's body?"

"Ichigo, I can handle myself," she said.

"I know you can. But Zaheer and that other freak show are still out there."

"I'll be fine. This is your chance, Ichigo. End this with Soi Fon. Korra and I will be okay."

He nodded reluctantly. "Be safe."

Asami leapt up behind Korra and grabbed the reins, positioning Naga just behind the door. Ichigo placed the Combat Pass on his chest and transformed, making Soi Fon's head instantly jerk in their direction. He burst out the window, distracting all three of them as Asami took Naga out the door and down an alleyway. Ming-Hua and Ghazan turned their attention to them but Mako and Bolin leapt in their way.

Soi Fon barely raised her blade in time to stop Zangetsu from cutting her open. They strained and she glowered up at him, ice cold eyes piercing into his fiery ones. Ichigo's concentration wavered as Ghazan caused lava to spew from the ground which forced the brothers to retreat. Soi Fon's elbow crunched into his jaw as punishment and he grunted from the impact, using Shunpo to avoid her next attack.


"And what is your mission, exactly?" Korra asked.

"I want what you want," Zaheer said. "To restore balance to this world."

She scoffed. "I don't think our ideas of balance are the same."

"Are you sure about that? You kept the Spirit Portals open, but why stop there? Bringing the spirits back should only be the beginning."

"What do you mean?"

"The idea of having nations and governments is as foolish as keeping the human and spirit realms separate. You've had to deal with a moronic President and a tyrannical Queen. Don't you think the world would be better off if leaders like them were eliminated?"

"No!" she hesitated. "I-I mean, I don't really agree with what they've done but taking out world leaders isn't the answer."

"It wasn't too long ago that the Airbenders were nearly all wiped out thanks to the Fire Lord's desire for world dominance. True freedom can only be achieved when oppressive governments are torn down."

"That won't bring balance. It will throw the world into chaos!"

He smiled. "Exactly. The natural order is disorder. Do you know who once said 'new growth cannot exist without first, the destruction of the old'?"

"No."

"The wise Guru Laghima, an Airbender."


Ichigo whirled away from Soi Fon as she lashed out with her blade and then heaved down with pace but she sidestepped and elbowed him in the jaw again. She ducked below another swing, landing two quick-fire punches to his gut. These hits didn't injure him, but they were painful enough to make him react, which is what she was after.

In frustration, he raised his spiritual pressure and fired a Getsuga Tenshou that cleaved through one of the hotel rooms. Fortunately, it was empty but safe to say the innkeeper wouldn't be allowing them to stay anytime soon. Soi Fon had avoided it yet again, spinning round a nearby tree and into the air.

Ichigo parried her attack and drove her upwards as she flipped twice and landed gracefully atop a roof. His eyes smoldered as he glared up at her but her own eyes didn't have the same fire. Instead, they looked calm and calculating. A lazy twirl of her zanpakuto made him even angrier.

"You're too slow," she called out.

"Don't push me, Soi Fon. I'd like to avoid killing you if I can."

"Aww, has the murderer grown a conscience? That's so sweet. Character development is something I encourage with everyone. I'm certainly benefitting from it."

Ichigo's attention was distracted again as Mako rolled away from Ming-Hua's attack next to him. He tried to punch some fire back but was overwhelmed by her watery limb. Defending desperately, he leapt away, peppering a shot back at her that was easily extinguished. She looked truly menacing as she pursued the panicked firebender.

Soi Fon used Shunpo to move off the hotel and Ichigo dashed after her, leaving the brothers behind. He had one mission in mind and she was it. They ended up in the desert outside the town where they clashed again. His strikes were getting stronger, the impact shattering the rock formations around them.

Swordplay wasn't her strong suit but with every mighty heave of Zangetsu, Ichigo left himself open for her punches and kicks that were beginning to become extremely annoying. All the same, he backed her down into tight spaces but she'd somehow squeeze away, always leading him away from the Misty Palms Oasis.

Bolin also was struggling as Ghazan's lavabending ate up any earth that he'd throw at him. He grunted loudly and dodged an attack, the lava singeing his clothes. "I can't beat this guy!" he called. "It's like I'm giving him ammo! Wanna trade?"

In response, Mako back-flipped off the wall and sliced through Ming-Hua's arm before the other one smashed him back up against it and turned to ice. She drew close in a flash, grinning into his scared eyes and then throwing him through a wooden door. Mako was down for the count and it hadn't even been a contest.

Bolin looked back in shock and quickly raised a wall to protect himself. Ghazan simply turned it into lava and flung two boiling rocks back. Scurrying away, Bolin slipped next to the hotel pool and then dived in as it was his only option to avoid the lethal hellfire.

This was a mistake and he realized it instantly as he glimpsed Ming-Hua at the edge of the pool, trapping him in a bubble of water and raising him into the air. "Go get the Avatar," she said casually. "I have these two under control." Ghazan nodded and rushed away while the waterbender held up the bending brothers with a smirk.

Meanwhile, Naga was bounding up the road away from the Oasis at top speed. Asami could hear the chaos of the battle behind her as she propped up the still unconscious Korra in her arms. Something caught her attention and Naga stumbled. A wall of earth jutted up in front of them and before they could turn, three more came and completely encased them, cutting off any escape.


"You know," Zaheer said softly, "being locked away for so many years, I was beginning to lose hope. But when I awoke with airbending, I knew I would be the one to destroy the old world and plant seeds for a new world to flourish. It all made sense to me. My Master's teachings, why he thought the way he did and the gift I was blessed with. All of it was to serve a higher purpose."

They both stood and Korra looked at him with something close to compassion. "Zaheer, please. As an airbender, you could help make a positive difference in the world instead of destroying it."

"You're a very smart young woman, Korra. But you must realize that once change begins, it cannot be stopped. Even by the Avatar. And even by the Soul Reapers."

"Enough of your philosophical mumbo jumbo. I wanna know one thing. If you do capture me, what are you gonna do with me?"

"You'll have that answer soon enough. The Red Lotus should have you by now and your friend Kurosaki may be dead." He smirked. "See you in the physical world."

"Zaheer!" Korra ran forward but he was gone. With worried eyes, she also left the Spirit World and awoke to find herself entrapped. A cold muzzle was on her mouth and her body was wrapped in a straitjacket and strapped securely to a massive dolly that was also chained to the wall. "Zaheer! You tricked me! Let me go!"

Korra turned her head to see Asami with her arms chained up towards the ceiling. "Asami, are you okay? Where's the rest of the Red Lotus?" she demanded.

"What's the Red Lotus? And Zaheer didn't capture us; the Earth Queen's forces did."

"Where are we?"

"I'm not sure. Some camp by the desert, I think. This must be just a holding cell. But I overheard the guard. They're taking us back to Ba Sing Se."

"No!" Korra struggled mightily but received a shock of electricity for her troubles.

"Don't move! They rigged this thing like an Equalist glove. Not even you can break out of it."

Korra swore. "I have to! Zaheer said Ichigo might be dead. Do you know what happened?!"

"What? Soi Fon and two of the criminals found us and I tried to escape with your body. Ichigo can't be dead. He- he wouldn't lose to Soi Fon."

"Zaheer was wrong about the Red Lotus capturing me. Hopefully he's wrong about Ichigo too."


Ichigo drove Zangetsu into a cliff face where Soi Fon had just been standing. She was now almost waiting for him cockily with a smug look in her eyes. He breathed deeply and turned to face her, aware of how far away from the Misty Palms Oasis they were. He didn't like leaving Mako and Bolin to fend for themselves but Soi Fon was right there, right in front of him. He had to end it.

If he could just take her down, she wouldn't be able to hurt anyone again. She wouldn't be able to hurt Asami again. His nostrils flared as their eyes met. Soi Fon cocked her head to one side.

"I thought you were one of the fast Shinigami, seemed pretty fast back in Zaofu at least. But I guess I was wrong."

"This would go a lot quicker if you'd just fight back," he replied. "I'm not used to chasing my opponents around the desert."

Ichigo stalked her down the sandy path, not rushing in like before. For her part, she egged him on, beckoning and hissing like a crazy person. He frowned. What was she even trying to do? The two of them rounded a corner and in the distance, he could see a peculiar looking cave opening built into a large boulder. A light was emanating from within.

Then his senses started flaring and an explosion knocked him clean off his feet. His ears rang painfully as the dust cleared and he glimpsed a tall figure come out from inside the cave followed by another. P'Li and Zaheer. A rush of movement cleared the cobwebs in his mind and he raised his sword to block a savage attack by Soi Fon.

Her eyes were no longer cold but alight with passion and venom. Ichigo shoved her away and surveyed the situation. So this was her objective: to lure him outside the town into the open where the others were waiting. At least he knew that Korra and Asami were safe.

"Well played, Soi Fon," Zaheer admitted. "This is what you meant by working together." He strode forward confidently. "Soul Reaper, we finally meet. It's a pleasure. Once we're finished with you, the Avatar will be in my hands, and you'll be dead. So our meeting will be short-lived."

Ichigo snarled in reply and boomed forward, catching Zaheer off guard but his quick reflexes allowed him to spring away. P'Li was not quite as fast and received a gash along her forehead, narrowly missing her third eye. She cursed and caught hold of his wrists with her hands, stopping him mid-swing.

Her strength was surprising but nothing he hadn't dealt with before and he broke through but then a torrent of air sent him flying into the dirt. Soi Fon was immediately on him, peppering his body with an onslaught of punches and kicks. They were so precise and so impactful that he almost felt the wind leave his body with each one.

Before he could retaliate, she leapt out of the way and he barely registered that P'Li was attacking. Ichigo held Zangetsu in front of him like a shield and took the full brunt of her combustion assault as it drove his feet painfully back but didn't knock him over.

Soi Fon and Zaheer came at him together this time with the airbender launching a spin kick from overhead while Soi Fon went low with her sword. Ichigo stretched out and gripped her wrist, flinging her up so Zaheer's kick clocked her in the gut and into the ground. As he landed, Zaheer was forced to instantly limbo under Ichigo's slash and thrashed him with air.

The Soul Reaper grimaced and then bashed the pommel of Zangetsu into Zaheer's jaw, knocking out a tooth. Then he screamed as the force of P'Li's combustion blew into his back. It burned. It burned and smelted badly and he fell to his knees. His superhuman body would heal but taking many more of those shots would not be a good idea.

Another one was already coming and he moved to dodge but Soi Fon had latched onto his leg and he could only raise his sword with one hand to block it. This attack broke his grip on the hilt and Zangetsu fell from his hand. A kunai knife that Soi Fon had pulled out of nowhere was jammed into his thigh and she raked it painfully towards his knee.

Ichigo's teeth gritted and he stomped down, dislodging her hold on the knife and nearly breaking the bone, forcing her to cry out. With an unbelievably quick handspring, he avoided P'Li's next attack and zoomed towards her, grabbing Zangetsu as he did so. Zaheer moved to intercept him but with a powerful blast of spiritual energy, Ichigo pushed him back too.

P'Li fired again in desperation but he sidestepped and kept coming. She was too slow to avoid him and could only raise her hands in a vain attempt to stop his blade. Suddenly lava burst up in between them, halting Ichigo in his tracks. He whirled around to see that Ghazan and Ming-Hua, still holding the suspended bodies of Mako and Bolin, had arrived.

Ichigo's face twisted with pain when he saw the brothers. Ming-Hua unceremoniously dropped them to the ground. They were gagged and their limbs were bound so there was no way they were getting free. He had left them and now they were captured. But he could still save them.

Soi Fon and the four benders surrounded him slowly. He gazed at them all with wary eyes. Fighting the three of them had been tough enough but now one on five would be far more difficult. He and Soi Fon locked eyes and he could tell she was loving this. All her earlier plans for finishing him off had been thwarted but this was different.

"Never thought I'd see you fighting alongside benders, Soi Fon," he said. "Have you gone soft on me or are you just desperate?"

"She's smart," Zaheer answered. "By working together, we accomplish both our goals. She gets her vengeance on you and my main obstacle to taking the Avatar is removed."

"You will never get to Korra."

"Oh, you'll stop us? Is that what you're going to say?"

"Yes. Yes, I will stop you. And even if I don't, I'll be damned if I don't take some of you with me."

Ghazan whistled. "Those are fighting words, boy. Can you back it up?"

"Careful," Soi Fon warned.

"What? He's just one brat. What's there to be scared about?"

Ichigo raised Zangetsu out in front of him and placed his left hand upon the opposite forearm. Ghazan's confident expression melted away as the ground began to shake and the winds picked up around them. Ichigo's power grew and the cave where they had stayed the night split open from the pressure.

"BANKAI!"

The benders all shielded their eyes as he transformed, revealing his slick, thin katana and tattered, tight robes. They breathed deeply almost in awe, too dumbstruck for a few seconds to even move into fighting positions. Only Zaheer seemed relatively unaffected. Soi Fon stayed stoic and tightened her grip on her zanpakuto.

"That's what is to be scared about," she answered. "Sting all enemies to death, Suzumebachi!" Her sword retracted into the sharp as nails stinger on her right middle finger and the benders looked at her with curiosity and a bit of fear. There was a menace about her now.

"Come on," she said. "If the five of us can't take down Kurosaki, then the four of you won't be able to fight the Avatar. Prove yourselves to me."

That certainly lit a fire in them as their indignant expressions could reveal. Zaheer rolled his shoulders and took a fighting stance. "She's right," he said. "We have nothing to fear from this Soul Reaper when we work together, my friends."

Ichigo narrowed his eyes, careful to not grow overconfident. They began circling him like lions around their prey but he remained still and collected, tightening and loosening his grip on his sword to avoid tension. Then he made his move, striking fast at the nearest bender which happened to be Ghazan.

His attack was frighteningly quick but Soi Fon was there to parry it in time. The shockwave nearly forced her to her knees with a grunt while Ming-Hua bashed a fist of water at Ichigo. He blocked it with his arm which she then turned to ice and attempted to fling him round and then into the dirt.

Ichigo broke free with a spin and then held his sword vertically in front of him as P'Li fired, splitting her attack in two as it tore through the ground on either side of him. She gazed at him in wonder. No one had ever just blocked any of her combustion bending. All the same, he was slightly shaken and Zaheer took the chance to knock him to the floor with airbending.

Soi Fon was onto him immediately, attacking like a madwoman. Ichigo leapt backwards and parried all her strikes. He was truly amazed at her speed. In his Bankai, he was one of the very fastest Soul Reapers even if his Shunpo wasn't as quick as Byakuya's or Yoruichi's but Soi Fon had trained her body to such a high level that she was almost able to keep up. Almost.

He swung down and caught her small blade at an awkward angle, driving Zangetsu down and slicing through one of her fingers. Soi Fon cried out and jumped away. Ichigo was about to follow but then a wave of lava came cascading down from overhead and he was forced to sidestep. A slight bit of it connected with his shoulder and he screamed as the superheated rock melted his clothes and skin.

Ichigo growled deeply and sudden rush of rage came from within. Before he could do anything, it took control of his body and blinded his mind for a few moments. He stretched out his left arm. A voice that was both like and unlike his came from his mouth.

"Cero."

Bam! A whiz of pure black and red energy leapt from his palm and rocketed across the earth. The quick-thinking Ming-Hua pulled Ghazan away as the blast incinerated the cave they had stayed in and left a small mushroom cloud in its stead. Ichigo gaped at his own hand even as the others did.

What the hell was that? He thought. A- a cero? The anger within him threatened to boil over and he went down on one knee to contain it. My Hollow? Before Vaatu, I never had problems with it in this world. I brought it under control! No. Not now. This cannot happen now.

Sensing the opportunity, P'Li fired and he rolled to one side, barely avoiding it before Zaheer battered him with air and Ming-Hua gripped his leg, flinging him about like a ragdoll. He could feel that accursed power bubbling up inside him, that blinding hatred and malice which threatened to tear him apart.

Ichigo needed to suppress it. There was no time to attempt to control the raging Hollow inside him nor whatever powered it. With a burst of speed, he got free of Ming-Hua's water arm and evaded more lava thrown by Ghazan. But then he felt a slight prick on his neck and then steaming pain. Soi Fon's poisonous Shikai had found its mark.

The butterfly symbol spread along the nape of his neck almost searing itself to his skin. He turned and blocked her second assault, meeting her crazed eyes with his own. "Losing yourself, are you?" she whispered like some kind of demon. "Finally letting the monster out? The monster that killed Yoruichi? You and I both know it wasn't any dark spirit that awoke that thing, it was you, and you alone, Kurosaki."

"You're wrong," he spat back, almost struggling to speak. "You'll always be wrong."

Ichigo drove her away and with great effort, attempted to stifle the Hollow's hold on him, shutting his eyes to block out the world. Of course, his opponents were having none of it. Zaheer beat him into the dirt with attack after attack and Ichigo had to stomach it because he knew that if whatever was inside got out, he'd never control it again.

"Zangetsu," he pleaded, "help me!"

The battle within him increased as Ghazan bashed his face with a heavy stone. Soi Fon went to work, pummeling his body again with her martial arts. Ichigo was just aware enough to keep his neck away from her weapon but she was landing more hits with it and the number of butterflies was growing.

He crunched his elbow into her jaw and then swung blindly as he felt someone's presence behind him. A bloodcurdling screech filled his ears when Zangetsu sliced through flesh. An arm clad in red flopped to the earth at his feet and then a powerful buffet of air launched him several dozen meters away.

"P'Li!" Zaheer's yell could be heard for miles. He cradled his lover as Ming-Hua quickly encased the stump that was left of her limb in ice. Ghazan dropped down to his knees beside them and the four benders huddled together like wounded animals.

In the meantime, Ichigo was winning the war with the Hollow. He also was on his knees and he took many deep breaths as he could feel Zangetsu striving inside him. The rage dissipated and he slumped forward, the effort to remain upright almost too much for him. He stabbed the tip of his zanpakuto into the ground and leaned on it.

"Thank you, Zangetsu," he said breathlessly.

"Fools!" Soi Fon yelled at her partners. "Can't you see he's recovering?"

She blasted forward, spinning wildly to catch him off guard. Ichigo raised Zangetsu to block and found it extremely heavy. Soi Fon was now on the offensive, driving him back as Zaheer turned a murderous gaze on the two of them. He closed his hand into a tightly clenched fist and his face trembled.

"This is what I have gained by getting involved in the business of Shinigami," he cursed softly. "Come, my friends. Let's end this." He stood and then marveled as P'Li forced herself to her feet. "My love, don't move. You have to recover."

She shook her head and used her free hand to grab his shoulder. "Never. If I can move, I can fight."

Ichigo parried Soi Fon and then felt himself up against a thick rock face. They stood there, exchanging blows as the shockwaves battered the earth around them. It took all Soi Fon had to not even now be flung back by his power. Only through pure willpower and determination was she making this a fight.

For his part, Ichigo knew he was stronger, knew he was more powerful, but the fight with the Hollow had taken its toll and he was finding it tougher and tougher to summon more reiatsu. Suddenly, the rock behind him enclosed around his limbs. Desperately, he broke his left hand free but Soi Fon had already struck.

"Shunko!"

An incredible burst of energy came out of her, boosting her forward as she jammed the point of her blade into his chest. The momentum of her shunko bulleted them through the boulder and out the other side, smashing them into the ground where she held him down, the blade nearly touching the earth beneath him.

Blood spurted from his mouth and the wound. But the triumphant look in her eyes faded as his hand gripped her throat and caught it with desperate strength. Soi Fon withdrew her weapon and tried to pry Ichigo's choking fingers away but they would not budge. She beat at his arm and chest but to no avail.

His haggard voice grabbed her attention. "You won't beat me. Not you. Never you."

The benders were approaching and he flung Soi Fon their way, momentarily taking out Zaheer. Zangetsu felt very heavy as he held it aloft once more. Then it wasn't in his hand anymore. P'Li's combustion attack had struck as if fired from a sniper and knocked it from his grip. Ichigo had no time to react as his feet were caught in earth and a blast of air nearly knocked him over, putting immense strain on his superhuman ankles. Any normal person would have two broken bones but Ichigo remained upright.

Ghazan tried to come close but received a punch in the face as his reward. Ichigo got one foot free and made to break for his sword but then another combustion attack struck him in the back and he was down. Soi Fon took the chance to kick him solidly in the head, sending him in the other direction before Zaheer knocked him right back.

Ichigo swore and with a great onslaught of reiatsu, pushed everyone back, cracking the earth but the benders were no longer cowed. They advanced relentlessly. He was almost tempted to let the Hollow out but he quelled that thought in an instant. It would do no one any favours to allow the Vasto Lorde to break loose of its chains.

Zangetsu was far away and Ichigo engaged Soi Fon in hand to hand combat in which he stood no chance. She beat down his defense and then delivered an axe kick to the top of his head, sending him crashing to the ground. A burst of speed was all that kept him from being eaten up by Ghazan's lava.

One arm was then trapped by Ming-Hua and her other limbs attempted to catch hold of his. Zaheer abused his chest and head with air attacks. Ichigo allowed some of his remaining reiatsu to shift to his right fist which he bashed into Zaheer's shoulder like a thunderclap, immediately dislocating it.

Ming-Hua deftly latched hold of that arm too and held them both tightly above his head. He transferred the reiatsu to his legs and feet to try and dislodge her footing but she simply raised him off the ground and then grabbed his ankles too. Ichigo felt his limbs being stretched apart as if he was being hung, drawn and quartered. The strength in his body was unlike anything Ming-Hua had felt before and she felt her grip on him failing.

Then Ichigo was hit full on by P'Li's combustion attack and his struggles ceased. It was the third one to have hit him now and only compounded his growing list of wounds and injuries. All along his body was the evidence of their titanic battle. Butterfly marks were here, there and everywhere, some quite close together, showing how nearly Soi Fon had killed him.

His shoulder was a burnt mess and oozed out pus from where Ghazan's lava had landed on him and his back and chests areas were pocketed wrecks from P'Li. The rest of his wounds, besides whatever spiritual damage had occurred from battling the Hollow, were all surface level from the repeated poundings and beatings he had taken. Ming-Hua slowly lowered his spent body and then collapsed herself, totally exhausted from the effort of holding him.

Soi Fon hefted Zangetsu off the ground and as Ichigo started to move again, she jammed it right through his chest, pinning him to the ground. His struggles finally faded and he could only stare blankly at the night sky. The benders all heaved sighs of relief. Zaheer allowed Ghazan to force his shoulder back into place as they then tended to P'Li.

Ichigo felt Soi Fon staring at him triumphantly. The look of pure elation and gratification in her eyes was palpable. After all this time, and several attempts, she had done it. She had defeated her hated enemy and he lay helpless at her feet. Grinning like a hungry wolf, she turned to the others.

"Our deal is done," he voice was cold and emotionless. "You had a chance to capture the Avatar but you failed. Again. But I have my prize. Better chase after yours while she's still close by."

"You're right," Zaheer said, getting to his feet. "Our deal is done."

Boom! Soi Fon screamed as the full brutal force of P'Li's blast impacted her back. She went down to her knees. Not as durable as Ichigo, the pain she felt was unbelievable. Ming-Hua unleashed a torrent of ice spikes into her while at the same time, Ghazan pummeled her head with a heavy stone.

Zaheer only watched with cruel satisfaction as the proud Soul Reaper was callously beaten into the dirt beside Ichigo. His eyes shifted to him and a small smirk touched his lips. Bending down, he patted Ichigo's wounded shoulder, drawing a groan of pain from his mouth.

"Fitting, isn't it?" Zaheer said. "We all knew that Soi Fon would die anyway once she finished her goal. So it's only natural that we sped up the process. You Soul Reapers can die here together as all of you should." He stood and unceremoniously stomped on her unconscious head. "You fulfilled your role well. It was a pleasure working with you, my greatest tool."

Mako and Bolin were still lying in the dirt, totally unable to move. Tears were in their eyes and as the first inkling of the rising sun illuminated the desert, all they could see the was broken silhouette of a body on the sand, with a black sword jabbed into its chest. The Red Lotus limped painfully over to them, mustering as much strength and pride as they could manage.

"So the Avatar escaped you?" Zaheer questioned.

"The Earth Queen's army snatched her before I could," Ghazan answered truthfully. "But we can still find a use for these two."

Zaheer paused and looked down at the bending brothers. "If the Earth Queen wants to get involved in our business, then she can reap the consequences. The Soul Reapers have taken enough of our time. But perhaps now we can kill two birds with one stone. I tire of this chase." He sat down to take a couple breaths. Never before had he fought a battle that intense and sustained such damage. "Load them in the truck. We're taking a trip to Ba Sing Se."


End of chapter 10! So what awakened the hollow inside Ichigo again and why did it choose that time to do it? Why was Xai Bau so obsessed with the Avatar and what was his ultimate goal? Hope you all enjoyed this one. And I promise this is the last time in Book 3 that Ichigo will lose a fight lmao. Let me know your thoughts and I'll see you all next time! Thanks for reading!

Review by JamesBlafking: Me encanta tu historia! Cada vez que la leo me sigo emocionado como la próxima vez que te lei algo tan bien hecho

Reply: Gracias mi amigo! Espero que también te haya gustado este capítulo. Tus mensajes siempre me hacen sonreír !

Review by Timothy Burr: Now Sui-Feng's hatred for Ichigo makes a lot more sense. So many important character deaths in this chapter: Ukitake, Yamamoto, and even Yoruichi. I'm kind of afraid of when we'll next see Kisuke considering he was also close to Yoruichi. I know that Kisuke is a lot more rational and reasonable than Sui-Feng, but I feel he would still have just a little feeling of resentment for Ichigo. In my opinion, a pissed off Kisuke would be many times more terrifying than a pissed off Sui Feng.
I like the growing bond that Ichigo and Kuvira have, and how you portray her as parallel to Korra in your writing, just like in canon. I wonder how this will affect her actions in the future, and more importantly: if it will be better or for worse.
Really looking forward to what comes next.

Reply: Yeah dude we'll see how Kisuke reacts because Soi Fon is the only one who knows, she buried Yoruichi alone and only told Ichigo. Maybe Ichigo will have to tell him at some point down the line.

And yeah Kuvira will obviously be such a key character in Book 4, and having her be a parallel to Korra makes her interactions with Ichigo more fun and also had a lot of possibilities like you said

Hope you liked this chapter too!

Review by anoyak111: Another great chapter. Seems like youre setting up a final confritation between ichigo and isshin. I hope you bring in the thousand year blood war in some shape or form

Reply: Isshin and Ichigo will for sure meet again and Isshin will play a role in the final bits of this story. His character and their dynamic is so key to everything that has happened so he has to be involved lol

And no promises on thousand year blood war but anything can happen

Review by Beteljosh: Holy shit man.
That was huge blow reading about Yoruichi's death and that makes it understandable why Soi fong would got batshit crazy… and here I thought she being a turbo bitch just for the sake of it XD
I guess this is the hard part of dealing with a villain, understanding their motivation and empathizing with them… oh well I'll love to read the resolution, my dude. Amazing chapter and until next time!

Reply: Yeah hahaha I wanted to make her as scummy as possible and then drop that reveal later on so it made sense

Definitely man I'm trying more and more to write the villains as people with goals and motivations and traumatic experiences, but obviously it's a work in progress. A lot of the villains in this story just end up going crazy but I tried to flesh out Unalaq in Book 2 a bit more and I'm gonna be linking Zaheer to some other things which were hinted at in this chapter

Hope you liked it bro!