When Stars Fall to Earth (A FubuYuki/AtsuYuki AU) (HIATUS)

Chapter 1: So The Story Goes

A philosopher once asked, "Are we human because we gaze at the stars, or do we gaze at them, because we are human?"

Pointless, really.

Do the stars gaze back? Now, that's a question.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. Our story really begins here, 150 years ago at the Royal Academy of Science in London, England, where a letter arrived containing a very strange inquiry.

It had come from a country boy, and the scientist who read it thought it might be a practical joke of some kind. But he duly wrote a reply politely explaining that the query was nonsense, and posted it to the boy who lived in a village called Wall.

So named, the boy had said, for the wall that ran alongside it. A wall that, according to local folklore, hid an extraordinary secret.

"I'm charged with guarding the portal to another world, and you're asking me to just let you through?!"

"Um. Yes." A man with short, dark purple-blue hair and glasses said. "See, it's a field, so I hardly doubt that there is any reason to keep people out."

The gatekeeper frowned, and the man sighed. He walked forward, placing a hand on the gatekeeper's shoulder and turning him out to the field beyond the wall. "Look, do you see another world out there? No. You see a field. Do you see anything nonhuman? No. And do you know why?"

The man with short hair threw his hands out towards the field. "BECAUSE IT'S A FIELD!!!"

The gatekeeper, however, was not having it. "Hundreds of years, this wall's been here. Hundreds of years, this gap's been under 24-hour guard." He replied gruffly, shaking a finger at the gap he guarded.

"Well—"

"One more word, and I'll have you up in front of the village council!"

The man blinked, nodding ever so slightly. "Well, that... that sounds rather final."

"Yeah."

"Better just go home, then, I suppose." The man turned to leave, letting out a soft sigh.

"Right, then. Night, Shimon." The gatekeeper said, placing a hand on Shimon's back and lightly pushing him forward. "Give my best to your father."

As the gatekeeper dropped his guard, Shimon turned and ran for the gap in the wall, leaping over it before the gatekeeper could stop him.

"Stop!"

Shimon didn't listen, letting out a whoop of excitement as he went running up the hill past the field and into the trees.

----

Shimon slowed as he reached the top of the hill, taking a moment to catch his breath as he looked down at a small town in the valley, lit up with activity beneath the moon. The entrance of the town closest to him was bright with colorful lights.

Were they having some sort of celebration?

Shimon made his way to the town; his breath being stolen away as he entered the bazaar. The streets were bright and smoky, filled with crowds of people. The wares were colorful and strange, things Shimon had never seen before in his small town.

He glanced at the wares of the table he was passing, his eyes widening at the sight of two miniature, living elephants. He quickly looked away, not wanting to seem unused to the strange things. He stopped at the next shop as he noticed what looked like a container of.... Eyes?