"So, the 1st division is led by Captain-Commander Genryusai Yamamoto, the 2nd division is specialized in stealth and assassination, the 4th division is specialized in healing and support, the 11th division is basically strong members and the 12th divisions is focused on the field of science and research, right?" asked Twilight, who was taking notes of everything she was learning from Ichigo about the 13 divisions along with Sci-Twilight.
"Yes. That's right." said Ichigo.
"And what are the captains like?" asked Sci-Twilight.
"Well, some of them are quite or very serious about their job, others can be very nice and a couple of them can become scary." said Ichigo recalling his various encounters with the captains.
"Fascinating. The structure and organization of the divisions is impressive. You can tell it has thousands of years of existence. Do you think they would be open to a meeting with Celestia and Luna?" asked Twilight.
"The ones that rule your magical world? Possibly, but I'd be wary of some captains. They might be too curious about them." said Ichigo knowing that Mayuri would probably want to analyze them and Kenpachi would want to fight them.
"Duly noted." said Twilight though a bit confused by the substitute shinigami's comment.
"One question. How was that going from a human to a substitute shinigami?" asked Sci-Twilight curiously.
"Honestly, it wasn't easy. My whole life changed in a single night and I went from studying exams to fighting bad guys and protecting the balance of the universe." said Ichigo.
"I understand you. The same thing happened to me when I was sent to Ponyville, where I met my friends." said Twilight.
"And me when I got here and met Sunset and the others. I wouldn't trade that for the world." said Sci-Twilight.
"Heh. Me neither." said Ichigo with a smile.
"You must have gone through a lot. I mean, in Equestria, the girls and I went through multiple dangers, but none like yours for sure." said Spike.
"Yes, there were times when I almost died, but those times helped make me stronger. Strong enough to be able to protect the people I care about." said Ichigo thinking about his family, his friends and most of all Orihime.
"I still find it hard to believe the fact that you died twice." said Dog-Spike.
"I know, but I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Orihime." said Ichigo with a smile.
"I can tell you care about her. After all, you went to another world for her." said Twilight.
"Well, it wasn't the first time. A bad guy took her and my friends and I went to rescue her despite what the 13 divisions said." said Ichigo.
"Aw. That's so cute. Like a prince saving his beloved princess." said Sci-Twilight.
That made the young man's face turn red.
"I-It's not that, okay? I simply did what I would do for a friend." said Ichigo.
"Yeah... 'Friend'." said Twilight before she and her counterpart shared a chuckle, much to the frustration and embarrassment of the substitute shinigami.
"It's so obvious, isn't it?" asked Spike to Dog-Spike in a low voice.
"Like water, buddy." said Dog-Spike before both dogs clashed paws.
"So, you couldn't always see spirits?" asked Sunset, receiving a head shake from Orihime.
"No. Like Ichigo, I was a normal girl, but then, I had an encounter with my dead older brother." said Orihime remembering when she encountered her brother turned hollow.
"Oh, I'm so sorry." said Sunset.
"It's okay. After that, I started using the hairpins he gave me and then somehow my powers were awakened." said Orihime.
"I assume it wasn't easy to master it at first." said Sunset.
"No. I had to train a lot to be able to master the shield and attack part, but the healing power was good to me from the beginning." said Orihime.
"I'm impressed that you can even raise the dead. I mean, you have the most amazing power in creation." said Sunset.
"Thank you." began Orihime blushing slightly at the compliment. "However, there were times when I felt like I lagged behind others. After all, I'm not as strong as Ichigo and the others."
"I can understand that. I tend to feel the same way myself, as my powers aren't exactly the best suited for combat." said Sunset.
"Maybe, but that doesn't mean you can't find a way to help her. I keep striving to get stronger and fight alongside them and I'm sure you will be able to too." said Orihime.
Sunset was surprised by her words before smiling gratefully.
"Thank you, Orihime." said Sunset.
"Hey, do you mind if I ask you a question?" asked Orihime.
"I don't mind. Go ahead." said Sunset.
"What is the kingdom of Equestria like?" asked Orihime, surprising the former unicorn, as she wasn't expecting that kind of question.
"Well, it is, to sum it up in one word, beautiful. The human world may have its wonders, but there are things that can't compare to the world I come from" said Sunset.
"Really? Oh, I'd like to see it someday." said Orihime.
"I'm sure you'd love it" said Sunset.
"And was it hard when you went from unicorn to human?" asked Orihime.
"Quite a bit. Yes. I used to use my horn magic to pick things up and my hooves weren't entirely useful. When I came to this world, I spent days learning how to do things with my fingers." said Sunset.
"Yes. I can imagine that." said Orihime chuckling as she imagined Sunset learning to use a pencil and write.
Sunset was embarrassed by that, but remembering it, she also saw it as funny and joined in the laughter.
"So you're into clothing design." said Uryu looking at Rarity's various dresses.
"Well yes. And let me tell you, your outfit is fabulous. Too much white, but it's fine." said Rarity.
"Thank you. I designed it myself. It is the regulation quincy garb, as well as the color white. It's what represents us." said Uryu.
"You made it yourself? You must have a good eye for design." said Rarity.
"Not to brag, but I'm considered a prodigy with needle and thread." said Uryu.
"Oh, yeah? Wait a minute." began Rarity before leaving to, shortly after, return with several fabrics of various colors. "Try making a dress out of these fabrics."
Uryu picked up the fabrics before beginning to analyze them thoughtfully.
By the time he was done, he stood at a table and began sewing.
15 MINUTES LATER
"Voila." said Uryu showing a perfectly sewn dress with the fabrics.
Rarity stared at the dress with her mouth wide open before dramatically fainting.
Fortunately, Uryu, who was a little surprised at first, was fast enough to reach her in time.
"Are you okay?" asked Uryu.
It was then that Rarity grabbed him by the shoulders tightly.
"You… have… A GIFT!" exclaimed Rarity with a big smile. "I've never seen a dress like that before and you made it by hand! I'd have to use the machine to make something like that! You're destined to be one of the best designers in your world!"
"To tell you the truth, I'm not really used to making clothes for others other than myself or stuffed animals." began Uryu making a certain talking stuffed animal sneeze before adjusting his glasses. "I hadn't thought about it until now. My father usually tells me to study medicine to be a doctor like him."
"Oh, don't listen to him. You should focus on what you're good at and I'm sure you're a better designer than you are a doctor. So don't worry about what your father is going to say about it and pursue your dreams." said Rarity.
"Thank you for your words, but my real dream is to be a great quincy. Designing is just a hobby for me." said Uryu.
"Well, to each his own." began Rarity with a shrug. "As long as you stick to your hobbies, it's good enough for me."
"Works for me." said Uryu with a shrug.
"Now…" began Rarity before leaving for a moment to return with a rack full of various fabrics. "Since you're here, what do you say we let our artistic side out?"
In response, Uryu pulled out a needle with thread.
"Where do we start?" asked Uryu.
Applejack set down a couple of boxes of apples in one area before wiping the sweat from her brow.
"Whew. Thanks for giving me a hand, Chad." said Applejack.
Chad nodded his head as he carried four boxes of apples before setting them down.
"You're welcome." said Chad.
"Hey, how exactly does the fullbringer powers work? I mean, I know you told it before, but I don't get it." said Applejack.
Chad turned his gaze to a glass of lemonade nearby and instead of giving an answer, what he did was touch the glass.
To the country girl's surprise, the liquid became like a mist that slithered like a snake into Chad's mouth, who gulped it down to the last drop.
"Wow. Impressive." began Applejack with a smile, receiving a nod from the fullbringer. "I have another question, how do you and Ichigo know each other?" asked Applejack curiously.
Chad was slightly surprised by the question before pulling an antique Mexican coin out of his pocket.
"A coin? What does that have to do with anything?" asked Applejack confused.
"This coin was given to me by my grandfather." began Chad, surprising the farm girl. "When he died, I swore I would only use violence to protect others even if my life depended on it. One day, I helped Ichigo fight some gangsters. Soon after, some thugs attacked me, but I didn't hit back, I just let myself be hit, but despite that, Ichigo came and saved me in compensation for the above. At that time, I told him the story of my coin, but unfortunately, the leader of those thugs heard it. Later, the leader and his gang kidnapped me and threatened to destroy the coin. Ichigo returned and not only saved me, but also protected the coin I treasured so much. When the gang was defeated, we made a pact to fight for each other and protect each other."
Applejack was moved by the story, it even made her want to cry, but all she did was smile.
"You really are a great friend, Chad. Ichigo is very lucky to have you." said Applejack.
Chad nodded at him with a grateful smile.
"And for a boy of few words, you know how to talk well. You remind me a little of my big brother." began Applejack before picking up the boxes of apples. "Well, these boxes aren't going to shift on their own. Shall we get back to work?"
"Eeyup." said Chad grabbing the boxes before the two heavies went back to their task.
"Come on… please." said Rainbow Dash.
"No." said Renji with his arms crossed.
"Please." said Pinkie Pie.
"No." said Renji looking determined.
"Please!" said Pinkie Pie with puppy dog eyes and with her face extremely close to the vice-captain's face.
"No way!" exclaimed Renji quickly pulling away from the party girl.
"Oh, come on. We're just asking you to show us your sword." said Rainbow Dash.
"It's an important weapon of the shinigami. It's not a toy." said Renji.
"But we don't want to play with it. We just want to see it." said Pinkie Pie.
"Exactly. What harm can it do?" asked Rainbow Dash.
Renji was about to say something when he stopped to think about it and then, he understood that there really wasn't anything wrong with showing her, as long as it didn't go any further.
"*Sigh* Okay, but just once, got it?" asked Renji.
"Good enough for me." said Rainbow Dash with an excited smile.
"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you." said Pinkie Pie hugging Renji who quickly pushed her away in annoyance.
Renji unsheathed his sword and showed it to the sporty girl, whose smile faded.
"Eh… Honestly, I expected more than that." said Rainbow Dash slightly disappointed.
"Oh, you want some more? Very well." began Renji with a smile before stepping back a bit and placing his hand on the blade of the sword. "Roar, Zabimaru!" shouted Renji running his hand over the blade, causing it to change completely, much to Rainbow Dash's surprise.
The sword now looked like a huge machete divided into six fragments with fang-like prongs protruding from the blade.
"Wow." said Pinkie Pie in amazement.
"What? How did you do that?" asked Rainbow Dash in surprise.
"You see, zanpakuto have two forms, each with different powers. This is the form known as shikai. It can only be accessed by knowing the name of the zanpakuto." said Renji.
"I think you said they had names. So your sword is named Zabimaru?" asked Rainbow Dash.
"Yes and even if you think so, it's not like naming a dog or a newborn baby." said Renji.
"What? Isn't it?" asked Pinkie Pie.
"And how can you find out the name?" asked Rainbow Dash.
"You have to find out the name directly from the spirit of the zanpakuto." said Renji.
That's when Pinkie Pie appeared near the zanpakuto.
"Hello? Zabimaru? Are you there?" asked Pinkie Pie knocking on the sword as if it were a door. "Is anyone home?" asked Pinkie Pie putting her ear close to try to hear something.
"Stop that already!" began Renji pulling the zanpakuto away from her. "Only I can talk to them!"
"Them?" asked Rainbow Dash.
"It's a long story." said Renji.
"What's the other form of the zanpakuto?" asked Pinkie Pie.
"That is the bankai. It is the ultimate form of the zanpakuto. While the shikai is about communication between shinigami and their zanpakuto, the bankai is about controlling the other, allowing the wearer to use as much dominion over the zanpakuto's power as possible." said Renji.
"And can everyone use one of those bankai?" asked Rainbow Dash.
"No. To get a bankai, it takes rigorous training and so far, only most of the captains possess a bankai, as well as Ichigo and myself." said Renji.
"Oh, right. You got them during a three-day training when Rukia's execution happened, right?" asked Pinkie Pie.
"H-How do you know that?!" asked Renji in total shock, as someone from another world wasn't supposed to know all that.
"Uh… Pure luck?" asked Pinkie Pie with a nervous smile.
"B-B-B-B-B-But… But…" began Renji before Rainbow Dash put her hand on his shoulder.
"Trust me, you don't want to try to figure it out. Just accept it." said Rainbow Dash.
Despite this, Renji decided to take the sporty girl's advice and avoid severe headaches.
"Ow. He's so adorable." said Rukia hugging Angel, Fluttershy's pet rabbit.
"Hey, Rukia, I have a question." said Fluttershy.
"Go ahead." said Rukia.
"If someone dies and goes to the Soul Society, then does he stay there forever?" asked Fluttershy.
"Well, maybe, but even though we are spirits that live for many years, we can die just like humans." said Rukia.
"And what happens when spirits… *Glup* die?" asked Fluttershy nervously.
"Oh, don't worry about it. When that happens, they just reincarnate into someone else in the world of the living. It's kind of like the cycle of the universe. Of course, we shinigami are in charge of maintaining that cycle." said Rukia.
"Well, in my opinion, it's a great job. You certainly do a good job. After all, you are vice-captain of your division." said Fluttershy.
"That's true. One doesn't get to my position easily. In fact, the position was vacant for many years." said Rukia.
"Really? How come?" asked Fluttershy.
At that moment, a sad expression formed on the deputy captain's face.
"The previous vice-captain was a great man. He instructed me and treated me in a way I would never have imagined, but he was very kind to me. I wouldn't have stayed in the 13th division if it wasn't for him." said Rukia with a nostalgic smile.
"What happened to him?" asked Fluttershy having realized that she was using the past.
"He died during a mission." said Rukia not counting the fact that a hollow possessed him and she was forced to kill him.
"*Gasp* Oh, how sorry I am." said Fluttershy.
"It's okay. It was a long time ago and it was nobody's fault. Since that, the stall remained empty except for the two who were from the third stall. I used to be an extra member until I recently got promoted." said Rukia.
"I'm sure he'll be happy that you took his place." said Fluttershy.
"Me too, Fluttershy. Me too." said Rukia with a smile as she looked up at the sky.