Disclaimer: Bleach isn't mine, but I'm upset that the anime of Bleach is over. The bright side is that the manga is still ongoing, though I'll miss seeing it in motion and with voices. :(
It was a quiet day in Miniterra, the land of the Renes. Adults would go to work, children would go to school, mothers would stay in their house to do the chores and watch their babies, and it's peaceful in the thirteen villages of their world.
But meanwhile, in the Borderline which connects them to the world of the Fortes, two people are crossing it. The Borderline is already considered a forbidden place.
"Toshiro-kun! Hey, wait!" Inoue called, trying to catch up with the said boy who is walking at a fast pace. He ignored her and continued to walk forward, seeing a small hole that would be his door to the other side.
"Toshiro-kun! You know that it's forbidden to go past there. There might be a Forte there! And if you get caught breaking the law, I can't imagine what might happen to you." she panicked, running even faster towards him.
"So tell me, why are we not allowed to interact with the Fortes? Is it because they'll look down on us? All what the teachers said is that we must not talk to them or be seen by them, and yet they never told us why. Whenever we would ask, all what they would say is 'that's just the way it is'. And then, I figured out just a while ago that I don't care and I want to know about them."
He was always the curious and daring boy, but he never did anything as dangerous as this.
The consequences, oh... Inoue dreaded the thought of the consequences of breaking one of the most absolute laws in Miniterra.
Just a little more, and he would be in their world. The thrill filled every part of his body, that his hands reached out for the door but he stopped, his heart beating even faster. That gave his friend enough time to finally catch up.
"Okay... so... can we... just go home... now... pretend that this... never... happened..." she said between pants for she was already out of breath from constantly running. "You go home and act like nothing happened." he stubbornly replied, looking back at her.
"If people ask where I am, just make a good excuse about my whereabouts. And I'll be back, safe and sound." Toshiro added, and before Inoue could try and state her refusal, he already passed through the hole and what he saw before his eyes was something so shocking.
The world around him is possibly even larger than Miniterra, and it looks like his room though it's more simple in design. Beside him is an open book, a thousand times larger than their books that the words were as large as his head.
"Wow..." He allowed himself to be taken in with the surroundings, that he never knew the world he's forbidden to go to is just much like their own, it's just larger in size.
Then suddenly, the door opened. He quickly hid behind the large picture frame, his eyes peering out to see who it is. He could see a Forte, with the strangest hair color he ever saw (even though it's kind of ironic since he also has a strange hair color), who luckily didn't notice him. For once, he's thankful that he's so small he's almost unnoticeable.
"Are you okay, Rukia?" he heard the man talk, and quietly listened to their conversation as he sat down while continuing to poke his head out. "Not really. I don't think I'll be okay for a while." the girl who accompanied him replied, sitting on the bed with a solemn face.
"Now, can you tell me what happened?"
"Nii-sama... he got ill again. And this time, it's the 'bed-ridden' type of ill. Whenever I would go there and feed him and keep him company in his room, I would remember how much I fear losing him. He's my only... family left..."
Toshiro's face turned into that of pity when he saw the girl cry. Both of them are going through the same thing. He could see the orange head pat Rukia's head in an attempt to comfort her.
He watched the two friends hug silently for consolation, but the moment was interrupted when he heard something squeaking behind him. He could already tell it was a mouse even if he didn't turn his head to see what it is, and risking getting caught, he ran for his life.
He always had a fear of them, even though the Renes and the mice are on good terms. Behind him, the mouse just watched him run, looking confused before retreating. Lucky enough, he was quick to jump in an small can before they heard the small footsteps he made.
"You heard something?" Rukia nodded, "Maybe it's just some rattling pencils or whatever. " The boy shrugged and agreed with her, and Toshiro sighed in his head that they chose to ignore him.
"Well, I have to go home now. Nii-sama is waiting for me. See you later, Ichigo." Now that he is in an enclosed space, their voices sound even louder. But he tried not to make any noise this time, staying as still as a stone.
He took note of the man's name. Ichigo. It sounds cute, but it also sounds heroic in a way. 'One who protects' or rather 'number one' and 'guardian angel'.
He carefully took note of each sound, and heard footsteps coming out, then another with the door closing. No breathing, no moving around on the bed, no sound at all. It was safe for him to come out. He did, but he's still cautious to not make any sound.
"I have to get back. They might get worried." Making his quick escape back in the small hole that led him back to his world of Miniterra, he only had to cross a few paths surrounded with grass and rock before he reached his village. No one looked at him with suspicion, but he quickly received a hug from Inoue. He nearly suffocated from her large chest, but he knows that she's just very concerned about him.
"I told you, I'm back. Safe and sound." he said as she let him go.
"I'm glad. Nobody noticed something's fishy, but please... don't go back out there again." He smiled and nodded, but it's just a lie.
He may have stepped into forbidden ground, but he knows he's missing a lot more. Maybe tonight or tomorrow, he would go back up there and explore, and he may once again meet that Ichigo who is the first Forte he ever saw.
The thrill of doing something risky, he wanted more of that.
A/N: Reviews and constructive criticism are of course very much welcome. But no flames. Everybody hates flames. I hope the first chapter is enjoyable.