Kazha had gathered her best men for an important meeting that was about a certain subject, or rather, a certain person.
"I assume you are aware of the Avatar's presence in the city, right?" asked Kazha.
"Of course, lady Kazha." said the first man who looked very muscular.
"You know? I always wanted to meet her. To see how much she could withstand the fire." said the second man who had long hair and a sadistic smile.
That's when someone else entered the room.
"Where the hell were you, Hiro?" asked the first man to Hiro, who was carrying two swords on his back.
"Sorry for my delay. I had a little incident on my walk. What did I miss?" asked Hiro stepping up beside the other two men.
"Oh, nothing. Except that Avatar Korra is here, in city." said Kazha.
"What? Really? That would explain it." said Hiro.
"What do you mean?" asked the first man.
"It turns out that recently, I ran into Asami Sato." said Hiro.
"Asami Sato? The head of Future Industries and girlfriend of the Avatar?" asked Kazha slightly surprised.
"Yes, that's right." said Hiro.
At that moment, a sinister smile formed on the face of the only girl in the room.
"What are you planning, lady Kazha?" asked the first man.
"Oh, I was just thinking of a way to make the Avatar understand that we are serious about our plans, and I know how to do it. And the key to it is you, my dear Hiro." said Kazha pointing at the aforementioned.
"Me? What is it you want me to do?" asked Hiro confused.
"I want you to meet Asami Sato again and take her to a place where our people will make sure to give her a 'smooth ride' all the way here." said Kazha.
"Wait, you want me to lure her into a trap to kidnap her? I don't plan to do that!" said Hiro.
"It wasn't a request, but an order. You can refuse all you want but tell me…" began Kazha before raising her hand in which she formed a blue colored flame. "What would your family think when I tell them what you did?" asked Kazha with an evil grin.
Hiro panicked a little before gritting his teeth in frustration as he understood his leader's message and seeing that there was no choice, he lowered his head in submission.
"Fine, I'll do it, but that doesn't mean I like it." said Hiro.
"You don't have to. Now go and find her. The rest of you, get the troops ready for when our special package arrives." said Kazha.
"Yes, lady Kazha." said the first and second man as they bowed in respect while Hiro looked away with a frown on one side.
After that, the three went off to put the plan into action, leaving the leader alone, or so it seemed.
"Are you really going to do that? It could bring dire consequences." said Draco stepping out of the shadows.
"I know what I'm doing. When this is over, not even the Avatar will dare oppose me." said Kazha.
"You should keep an eye on that boy too, Hiro. I feel he could bring a lot of trouble." said Draco.
"He won't. Not as long as he has something he cares enough about not to disobey me." said Kazha.
"As you say." said Draco.
Meanwhile, at the royal palace, Team Avatar was using a private room to have a conversation regarding the newcomers who turned out to be Ichigo's friends.
For the next few minutes, after introducing themself, Ichigo was telling his friends all about that world and what has been going on so far.
"Long story short, in this world there are humans capable of manipulating one of the four elements with the exception of the Avatar who, due to her fusion with a spirit, can manipulate all four elements as well as reincarnate upon death. And because she opened the spirit portals, which communicate with the home of the spirits, humans and spirits now live together." said Uryu.
"Yes. That sums it all up." said Ichigo.
"I must admit that I had never imagined something like that. The idea of a human being fused with a spirit and possessing immortality, as well as humans and spirits being so connected is something no one in the Soul Society would imagine." said Rukia.
"Honestly, I thought the same thing when I heard about the shinigami and their duty in relation to the spirits and the world." said Korra.
"I would like to thank you for helping Ichigo so much." said Orihime with a smile.
"You don't have to thank us. It was the least we could do for someone in his situation." said Asami.
"Still, I'm sorry for all the trouble I caused." said Rukia bowing in apology.
"Hey, what do you take me for? I didn't cause any trouble." said Ichigo.
"Well, there was that time you pissed off a triad and nearly caused them to trash the city just to lure you in." said Bolin, receiving a scowl from the substitute shinigami.
"Yeah, that's kind of typical of Ichigo." said Chad remembering the times he and Ichigo took on some urban gang.
"And now you happen to be helping them with that group. What did you say their name was?" asked Rukia.
"Ascendant Ashes. They're a revolutionary group that wants to change things in the same way that happened with the Earth Republic. At first, things were handled peacefully, but since Kazha took over as the new leader, they've become a radical group that threatens to harm the people if Lady Izumi doesn't abdicate the throne." said Mako.
"*Sigh* I guess there's no use in leaving now that you're involved in this matter." said Rukia.
"That's right. I don't plan to return until this whole matter is settled" said Ichigo.
"In that case, we'd like to lend a hand too." said Orihime.
"Really?" asked Opal in surprise.
"The more the merrier, the faster this whole thing will be resolved." began Uryu before adjusting his glasses. "That way, it's a win-win for everyone."
"Plus, there's that other matter." said Chad.
"What matter?" asked Ichigo with an arched eyebrow.
"The arrancar you faced, Ichigo. We think it might be here." said Rukia.
That caused an expression of horror to form on the substitute shinigami's face.
"Y-You're sure about that?" asked Ichigo.
"It's a high possibility, since it was sucked down the garganta just before you. Did you seriously not keep that in mind all this time?" asked Uryu.
"With everything that happened, I was too distracted to remember. Plus, I couldn't feel his reiatsu anywhere." said Ichigo.
"So, either he's somewhere else or he's hidden his presence." said Rukia.
"Wait, wait, wait. I think I got a little lost. Are you saying that there might be an arrancar in this world?" asked Bolin.
"Yes, that's right." said Uryu.
"Mmm. That's certainly worrisome, but we haven't received a single warning about anything similar to one of those arrancar." said Mako.
"Still. Until we can confirm it 100%, we'll stay in this world for safety." said Rukia.
"That's fine with me. I'm even willing to help you if necessary." said Korra.
"I appreciate your help, but for your safety, it would be best to stay out of the way." said Rukia.
"Why? This is our world. What is it about this arrancar that's so dangerous?" asked Opal.
"He's not just any arrancar. He's a privaron espada." said Uryu.
"A privaron espada?" asked Asami confused.
"It's a long story." said Chad.
"Let me tell him myself." began Ichigo before turning his gaze to the Avatar and the engineer. "Remember when I told you about there being a new captain in the 3rd, 5th and 9th divisions?"
"Yes, you said something happened that caused the previous captains to leave." said Korra remembering when Ichigo told them about the captains of the 13 divisions.
"Well, when I started my life as a shinigami, the captain of the 5th division back then was a man named Sosuke Aizen. To many he was a kind and caring man who cared about others, but that was all just a façade." said Ichigo.
"So, what was this man really like?" asked Korra.
"In the end, he turned out to be the typical bad guy obsessed with taking over everything." said Ichigo.
"With his cunning and power, he managed to fool the entire Soul Society. All so he could obtain a weapon of great power called Hogyoku." continued Rukia remembering when that man ripped out that jewel that was hidden inside her.
"After revealing his true personality, he, along with the previous captains of the 3rd and 9th division left for Hueco Mundo." said Ichigo.
"Wait, why would a shinigami go to hollow world?" asked Mako.
"One of the Hogyoku's powers is to break the boundaries between hollows and shinigami. Not only was he responsible for creating the vizard, but it was he who created most of the arrancar." said Ichigo.
That took Team Avatar by surprise.
At first, Korra thought that those two races were created by training or normal evolution, but now it turns out that they were created by a powerful weapon.
Surely none of them actually desired such a thing and that was what made her nervous.
"With the Hogyoku, he created an army of arrancar with which to conquer all and fulfill his evil ambitions. The strongest arrancar were known as the espada who were ranked from 9 to 0 based on their power level." said Ichigo.
"Eh… Silly question. How strong are those espada?" asked Bolin nervously.
"Very, very strong. We faced the lower ranked ones, and we almost wouldn't have survived if the division captains hadn't shown up to save us." said Uryu recalling his confrontation with 8th espada.
"Even, from what I was told, it took the captains and the vizard to work together to defeat the higher ranked ones." said Rukia recalling what she was told about the battles with 1st, 2nd and 3rd espada.
Team Avatar was even more shocked to learn that these espada were so powerful that even the division captains had a hard time fighting them.
"What happened in the end to… Aizen and his?" asked Korra wanting to know more about the story.
"While the captains that followed Aizen died in the final confrontation along with almost all of the enemies, Aizen was defeated and locked away forever in prison along with the Hogyoku." said Ichigo.
Korra let out a sigh of mental relief knowing that this person wouldn't hurt anyone anymore.
"But wait, you said it was a privaron espada. What exactly is that?" asked Opal.
"Privaron espada are espada that lost their position, but that doesn't make them any less powerful." said Uryu remembering when he faced one of them on his arrival in Las Noches.
"But as I said, it's a possibility that he's here, so you shouldn't worry at the moment." said Rukia.
Despite the vice-captain's words, the members of Team Avatar couldn't help but worry a little at the image of that arrancar suddenly appearing to cause who knows what.
Of all of them, the most worried was Korra.
Over the years, she faced various dangers, both human and spiritual, but she had never faced anything like an arrancar and that was a privaron espada that was part of a group so powerful that it put the captains of the 13 divisions, who Ichigo said were very strong, in trouble.
If suddenly, that arrancar would appear in front of her, would she be able to stand up to him? Would she even be able to defeat him?
She knows that the Avatar is the most powerful person in the world, but she doesn't know if that's enough to be able to fight one of them.
After that meeting, everyone dispersed to rest for the rest of the day.
"Your name is Opal, isn't it?" asked Rukia catching the airbender's attention.
"Yes, it is. Did you want something?" asked Opal.
"Yes, I wanted to thank you for helping me and the others find Ichigo. It would have taken us longer if it wasn't for you." said Rukia.
"Oh, no need to thank me. I just noticed your outfit and knew you must know him somehow. By the way, what division are you in?" asked Opal.
"Well, I happen to be the vice-captain of the 13th division." said Rukia proudly of her title.
"Really? Wow. Impressive that you have that position at your age." said Opal.
"I may not look it, but I'm a hell of a lot older than I look. We shinigami live much longer than humans." said Rukia.
"Well, no one would think so. You look so young." said Opal.
"I know." said Rukia with pride in her beauty.
"Especially for someone with your drawing style." said Opal.
PAM
The next moment, Rukia left in frustration as Opal sat on the floor with a notebook over her head.
"Huh? Did I say something wrong?" asked Opal confused.
Chad was walking the halls of the royal palace, and he had to admit that the place was impressive in its own way.
He may have been in the main office of the Soul Society or the divisional quarters, but that palace was a lot fancier than all of them put together and that the shinigami had lived longer than the humans.
"Hey, I finally found you."
Chad turned around to see Bolin approaching him.
"Listen, I'd like to apologize for our first meeting. I may have overreacted a bit." said Bolin with a nervous smile.
"That's all right. You were just doing your job. By the way, what exactly do you do when you're not on missions with the Avatar?" asked Chad curiously.
"Oh, I work at City Hall of Republic City as an assistant to the president. It's not exciting work, but I like it." said Bolin.
"If you like it, then that's fine. Besides, you get to help both your friends and a lot of people from inside the government system." said Chad.
"Wow. I never thought of it that way, thanks. By the way, what exactly do you do? You don't look like a shinigami and you're not wearing some kind of uniform either unless what you're wearing is." said Bolin.
"It's not a uniform. I'm a fullbringer. A human who can manipulate the soul of things." said Chad.
"So, you're like a bender?" asked Bolin.
"Pretty much." said Chad with a shrug.
"Unbelievable. You must be very strong." said Bolin.
"Thanks, and I'm sure you must be very strong too." said Chad.
"Oh, don't stop. Keep talking." said Bolin smugly, much to the fullbringer's amusement.
Uryu was in another hallway contemplating the structure and decorations as if he were in a museum, as he couldn't help but be interested in the palace and what was inside.
"Excuse me."
His attention shifted to Mako who was walking towards him.
"Do you wish for something?" asked Uryu.
"Yes, I would like to apologize for my behavior when we met in the city." said Mako rubbing the back of his head.
"From the uniform you're wearing, you're from the police, right?" asked Uryu.
"That's right. From the Republic City police force." said Mako.
"Then there's no need to apologize. You were just doing your job when you saw someone suspicious. I would have done the same in your place. Although in my case, it wouldn't be that noticeable." said Uryu adjusting his glasses.
"From your uniform, I'd say you're not a shinigami, aren't you?" asked Mako.
"Of course I'm not. I'm a quincy." said Uryu.
"Quincy?" asked Mako confused.
"They are humans with supernatural powers. Since time immemorial, they have aimed to eradicate the hollows." said Uryu.
"Eradicate them? Aren't they supposed to be purified so they can pass on?" asked Mako.
"Beliefs on how to deal with hollows are very different between shinigami and quincy. That's why they've been at odds for centuries." said Uryu not counting the fact that the shinigami exterminated the quincy.
"But you and Ichigo seem to get along well." said Mako.
"Don't get confused. We're just partners on occasion. We're not exactly friends or partners." said Uryu.
"If you say so." said Mako with a shrug, accepting the quincy's answer, though it seemed he wasn't entirely sincere.
Asami and Orihime were in a garden enjoying tea and some sweets.
"Thank you for inviting me, Asami. To tell you the truth, I didn't think I could taste anything from this world." said Orihime.
"Well, better now than ever. Besides, I was curious about one thing." said Asami.
"What thing?" asked Orihime.
"What exactly attracts you to Ichigo? I may have only known him for a short time, but I can tell that he is someone strong, brave and kind." said Asami.
Orihime was a little surprised by the sudden question before a kind smile formed on her face.
"Yes, it's just as you say, but it's more than that. He's always there to help when you need it, even when the situation might cost him his life. Not only that, but he saved my life." said Orihime.
"Really? What happened?" asked Asami curiously.
"It was months ago, Aizen forced me to go to Hueco Mundo. When I was there, I sometimes feared for my life, but then, I found out that Ichigo and the others had come after me. I was worried about what would happen to them, but I also felt that they would be okay. That they could handle everything. In the end, I am where I am because of Ichigo, and I will always be grateful to him for that." said Orihime.
"Aw, that's so nice. And did you ever tell him how you felt?" asked Asami.
"W-Well, I wanted to a few times, but with everything that happened, I didn't think it was the right time. Besides, I'm not sure if he feels the same way about me." said Orihime.
"Well, I don't think so. If he didn't, he wouldn't have gone into enemy territory for you and only for you. As far as I'm concerned, you're more important to him than you can imagine." said Asami.
"Yes, you're right." began Orihime with a sweet smile. "While we're on the subject, how did you and Korra confess to each other?"
"Oh, well. It all started when she had to go away for a while. Of all the people she contacted, I was the only one she wrote letters to." said Asami.
"Really?" asked Orihime in surprise.
"Yes. That's when I realized how important she was to me. When we met again, I was very happy. After settling certain matters, we decided to take a vacation in the spirit world. That's where we had our first kiss and declared each other a couple." said Asami with a loving smile.
"Aw, that's nice! You two certainly make a cute couple. You have my full support." said Orihime.
"And you'll have mine too. Especially when you confess to him." said Asami before the two shared a light laugh.
Korra was on a balcony, contemplating the view of the city that was under an orange sky created by the sunset.
Despite the beautiful view, she kept thinking about what she had just discovered.
She had come there to take on a radical organization that was willing to hurt people in order to get their way and now it turns out that there MIGHT be an arrancar on the loose in that world.
Mako may have said that they hadn't received any news regarding him, but Rukia might be right that he was hiding or something and that was what worried him.
What if he was planning a big heist and they couldn't foresee it? What if he suddenly showed up? Or worse, what if Ichigo and his friends couldn't handle him?
She may have seen Ichigo in combat and may not have seen his full power, but from what he was told, a privaron espada, especially an espada, was very powerful.
Some being so powerful that it took two captains or a captain and a vizard fighting together to defeat just one.
If Ichigo and the others couldn't take him, then would Korra be the next to fight him? Could she even beat him? Could she even give him the slightest scratch?
Questions like that haunted her mind and those questions tormented and troubled her.
"Korra?"
Her thoughts were immediately interrupted as soon as she heard someone call out to her and she turned her head to see Ichigo.
"What are you doing here?" asked Ichigo.
"Oh, I was just… taking in the sights, nothing more." said Korra lying.
Ichigo could clearly see the lie as well as her expression.
"Are you alright? You don't seem to be looking well." said Ichigo.
Korra sighed seeing that there was no use lying to the substitute shinigami.
"I'm worried." said Korra.
"About the Ascending Ashes thing?" asked Ichigo.
"No, about the arrancar thing. I know it's only a possibility that he's here, but that's what worries me. You've said it yourself several times, you almost died fighting some of them. Even the captains needed help to beat them. Unlike you, I'm just a human who can manipulate the four elements. I'm afraid I'm not strong enough to be able to take them on and protect everyone I care about." said Korra with her head down.
It was then that she felt a hand on her shoulder and raised her head to look at Ichigo.
"Listen, I understand your concern. Believe me, I had it too when I decided to go to Hueco Mundo knowing that I would have to face them, but do you know what kept me from backing out?" asked Ichigo without waiting for an answer from the Avatar. "Thinking about the people who would be in danger if I didn't do something. I might die, I might fail, but I would go forward for the sake of protecting those I care about. Go forward without hesitation. If you run away and hesitate, you will die. The difference in powers may be overwhelming, but that shouldn't stop you from continuing to fight for those you love."
Korra's eyes widened like saucers at the substitute shinigami's words.
She began to remember when she had to face UnaVaatu after losing Raava.
She thought there was nothing she could do, that there was no hope anymore, that she wouldn't be able to defeat such an opponent, but Tenzin and her friends managed to lift her spirits and in the end, despite all odds, she managed to defeat him, get Raava back and start a new era for the whole world.
Now it was clear to her.
Even if she had to face that arrancar alone, even if there was a high probability that she would die in the process, she would carry on, not only for her duty as Avatar to bring balance to the world, but for the people in her life, her friends, her family, her girlfriend.
"Thank you for that, Ichigo. I feel better already." said Korra with a smile.
"You're welcome. And don't forget. You're not alone in this. We're all with you." said Ichigo with a smile and extending his hand towards the Avatar, who grabbed it in response.
If the arrancar suddenly appeared, Korra wouldn't fight him alone, but alongside Ichigo, the substitute shinigami, along with all her friends, old and new.