First Steps Into the Unknown

This article, , is a side-story entry in both Bleach: Cataclysm and Bleach: The Coven War, and is considered a prequel to the latter. It features Hotaru Hiroshi and Akira Hiroshi as the main characters.

Akira recalled fire and ruin as the earth shook beneath his feet and great jets of fire split the earth! Then Hotaru was in-front of him in a flash like a shield and Akira was reaching futilely for his brother's back. He recalled an encroaching darkness and his silver-haired uncle -- the legendary Meian Shiba -- rising into the heavens with both arms spread wide as his small room split apart on either side of him.

He remembered a mysterious smile on Meian's face and after that all Akira recalled was a soft golden light cradling him, but suddenly he -- and Hotaru -- where thrashed around like float-some in a storm.

He woke with a start!

"Hotaru!?"

"I'm here."

Hotaru was almost a perfect mirror of Akira. As twins this was hardly surprising. The two where tall and wiry with black-coloured hair; the difference, and only real means of telling them apart, where their differing hair length. Hotaru sported a neat ponytail and long bangs whilst Akira sported a short-cut and altogether neater style. Akira's features leaned closer to Ino however, whilst Hotaru took more after Kenji.

Hotaru hauled Akira to his feet.

"Where are we?"

"I'm still working that one out."

Hotaru offered his brother a magazine which was clearly a publication belonging to the Seireitei News Magazine. The cover page featured a black-haired Shinigami who was looking over his left shoulder, with piercing red eyes. In bold letters beside this figure read "The end of an era... And the beginning of a brand new chapter!" The issue itself appeared to be a special print and Akira quickly leafed through the pages.

"So?" He asked, with genuine confusion.

"Look at the publication date, you dolt."

Akira's face drained of colour. "July 2003? So its an old print."

"No, it was fresh out today. And to some anticipation, I believe. Either Meian threw us through time or..."

"Or we did what pops did and travelled to a new world?"

Ordinarily that would be considered a massive leap in logic. Only Hotaru did not look shocked; in fact he looked accepting! Only the sons of Kenji and Ino, who where well used to seemingly impossible feats occurring with regularity, could arrive at such a conclusion and be nonchalant about it. They had, after all, been used to such things their whole lives. Their father having a crazed doppelganger? Seen it. Their father leaping across alternate worlds as if it where as easy as popping out for a stroll? Seen that too.

"I'd prefer to think time travel myself." Hotaru chimed. "In that case we only need to be patient."

"And if it isn't and we're in another world?" Akira asked.

"Then you find me some aspirin."

It turned out Akira had been spot on the money regarding his alternate world theory. Hotaru had also been right as well because the whole thing gave him a headache, and aspirin wasn't helping. It turned out this world was very similar to their own but a number of differences where clear, especially in and around the time of the.

At present the twins where sitting reading through library books in Junrinan. Given that it was only a few weeks since the Blood War, and most of the Rukongai had been levelled in the attacks, it was nothing short of a miracle that they'd found a library that had weathered the invasion at all. The place was rundown as hell and hadn't been touched in weeks, but it was deserted, and some small amount of information could still be found.

"Look here." Akira pointed to a passage he was reading. "The Privaron Espada didn't attack, and I see no mention of Kagura either."

"That's hardly surprising. You'd need to see the sealed accounts to find any mention of Kagura. But yeah, I agree on the Privaron point. It seems we really are in an alternate world."

He pinched his nose between his thumb and middle finger. "I'll be back in a bit."

As the hours slipped past Hotaru retreated to the back of the library and began looking through census records; what he could find, at any rate. Whilst the library was mostly intact the books where strewn all over the place, and nothing was jumping out at him. Akira, meanwhile, continued to familiarise himself with this worlds history. When Hotaru finally tapped him on the shoulder night had fallen.

"Come with me."

If Akira had known what his brother had planned to do he would never have gone along with it. Now he had no choice but to go along with it, because two brothers reportedly related to the Shiba clan lay dead at Hotaru's feet. They hadn't looked like either Hotaru or Akira but anyone who could attest to that was dead: either the Blood War had killed them or Hotaru had. The names of the deceased where Yoshiro and Akira.

That was another twist of fate that Akira did not want to think on overlong.

"Come on. We're gonna join a Division and look for a way home."

Akira reluctantly followed.

Trivia

 * July of 2003 places this article in the month after the.