Disclaimer-Let this be the disclaimer for the rest of the story: no I do not own Vocaloids in any way, shape, or form. This is purely for fan purposes only.

Author's Note- Fwah... I don't mean to start this off on a bad note but OHH my goodness I am SO frustrated. I had this chapter all written out and right when I went to go save it, the program crashed on me and I lost EVERYTHING. So sad asdgashdfsg... I stood up until 3AM rewriting it even though I have class in 5 hours LOL agh. Well that's my own problem. When I'm on a roll I can't stop hehe. Ok mini-rant over. Anyways, I was inspired to write this after rewatching a few performances from Cirque du Soleil. Really great stuff. This story will be pretty different than what I'm used to writing, but I hope you guys enjoy it nonetheless!

A young girl hummed quietly to herself as she laid under the lazy afternoon sun, basking in its comforting rays. The grass beneath her was soft and mildly cool, which contrasted nicely with the warm atmosphere. A slight breeze gently rustled the fabric of her white sundress, which caused her to giggle as it tickled the exposed skin of her thighs. To her left lay a boy, presumably about her age. He smiled warmly and lifted a hand to caress the girl's cheek, prompting her to blush several shades of pink.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

He shrugged, "Admiring you."

She blushed even harder, "Stop saying things like that!"

The boy laughed and ruffled her short-cropped, honey-blonde locks before lying back down beside her. Now it was her turn to observe him. He, like her, had honey colored hair, except his was somewhat lighter. His skin, too, was surprisingly light: a pale, creamy ivory, liken to the shade so avidly sought after by royalty. Her skin, on the other hand, was a healthy, sun-kissed peach, which by nobility standards was considered "dirty." The boy would always disagree, however, and tell her she was the most beautiful girl in the world, which in turn made her flush with embarrassment and reply that he was lying.

In actuality, she knew that he was the beautiful one, not her. He was the one with the mild temperament, the regal features, not her. Unfortunately, it was she who possessed the noble blood. He was a servant. A commoner.

"I love you very much, Rin…" the boy whispered, "Very, very much, you know…"

Rin's eyes widened in shock. She felt blood rising to her face and struggled to form some sort of reply, but then something happened.

The next events whirled by in a blur as the world around them suddenly grew dim. The sun's heat intensified to that of a raging inferno.

"Where… where am I?" the girl struggled to make sense of her surroundings. The air was laced thickly with smoke, and instead of grass the ground was replaced by polished wood tiles. It was covered by a dark, sticky liquid. Rin peered into the murky substance and almost didn't recognize her own reflection. Staring back at her was a grave, frightened looking girl whose body was littered with ashes and bruises. Tears streamed freely down her cheeks. Her clothes were torn, most prominently near her right shoulder where the mark of a butterfly was visible. The boy who had been accompanying her earlier was nowhere to be seen. She tried to call his name but for some reason no sound would come out. She saw shadows moving in the distance but couldn't tell who they belonged to because of all the smoke. Someone was screaming, but who? And why?

Just then one of the shadows began to disappear. Rin felt a mixture of anxiety and dread rise from within her stomach. "N-No…" she struggled to say, "No… don't go away! Come back! Wait! No!"

Rin Kagamine awoke with a gasp. It was a dream… only a dream. She breathed a sigh of relief and fell back onto her sweat-soaked pillow. "Again, huh?" she thought while attempting to calm her still frantic pulse.

There was a knock at the door. "Miss Rin?" a pink-haired woman inquired as she slowly let herself in, "Is everything ok?"

"I'm fine, Luka," Rin gave her a reassuring grin.

She nodded in understanding, "Alright, but if you need me I'm down the hall." Luka left a glass of water on the table before bidding her young ward goodnight.

Rin sighed as she snuggled back beneath her plush, white covers. Luka Megurine was her unofficial caretaker and the only other person currently in the house besides herself. She had lived as Rin's guardian at one point, but now that the heiress was legally an adult Luka could no longer stay. She did check up on her on occasion, which thankfully helped relieve the boredom of being alone in an empty house all day. It was a vast mansion with Victorian-style décor that would have charmed anyone by day, but at night it became a rather somber, lonely place. Rin had heard that it was much livelier before her parents died, but then again she couldn't remember much from that time since she had lost her memory shortly after the incident.

The Kagamine family descended from an ancient line of nobility that dated back to the time of the Kingdom of Yellow, and it was rumored that they had even once been royalty. Her parents held true to that legacy as they had been two of the most influential politicians in the country… until five years ago. They were murdered. She was 14 at the time. The police never managed to catch the culprit, though, since a large part of the mansion had burned down also, erasing much of the evidence. Luka said Rin had been in the house during the incident but when police arrived they found her already lying on the grass, unconscious but in stable condition, as if someone had carried her from the wreckage and to safety.

Rin figured the reason she kept having the same dream was because of that incident. Luka surmised that it was probably Rin's unconscious memories trying to resurface. But what Rin couldn't figure out, however, was the boy. Who exactly was he? If her dreams were correct then he must've been a servant boy she played with when she was younger. Some photos scavenged from the old mansion gave the impression that they had been very close. But if he was so important, then why couldn't she even remember his name? Why wasn't there any record of his existence aside from the few damaged photos she had? Luka couldn't offer much assistance regarding his identity since she really only started working with the Kagamine family following the murders. Luka had been her mother's secretary and most trusted confidante, which made her the closest thing to family since Rin had no other living relatives.

The other thing Rin couldn't make sense of was the butterfly mark on her right shoulder. It wasn't a birthmark, but it wasn't a tattoo either. It must have appeared sometime around the incident because her medical records indicated she never had such a mark before. Her doctors were baffled and the only explanation they could give was that it was probably a very unique discoloration of the skin.

Rin jerked as her alarm clock suddenly went off. Morning already, huh? How long had she been thinking for?

"Well, good thing it's the weekend!" she yawned and shut off the alarm before turning over to get some more shut-eye.

"Shit, shit!"

Rin cursed as she ran down the streets of Crypton at a frightening speed. "Sorry!" she called to several pedestrians whom she inadvertently hit with her bag. Even though it was Saturday Rin had totally forgotten that she promised to meet Meiko for breakfast and a shopping trip, and knowing how Meiko felt about being stood up... well, it was better if one didn't know.

"Hey, watch ou-AGH!"

Rin suddenly found herself sprawled out on the floor with a stack of papers fluttering about her like confetti. In front of her, a young man with long, red hair groaned.

"Crap, I'm so sorry!" turquoise eyes widened upon realizing what just happened, "I was just in a really big hurry!" Rin scrambled to pick up the papers, all the while blushing from all the weird stares she received.

"It's alright," the man smiled and Rin finally got a good look at him. He had a cute face but wore a strange, gothic-style costume. His ensemble consisted of a black vest which exposed his toned arms, a red tie, and a pair of black and red checkered slacks adorned with many chains and zippers. Rin found that she had been looking at him for a little too long and hurriedly gathered up the rest of the papers. As she picked up the next sheet, she noticed the heading said "Now premiering: Le Cirque de la Nuit". A circus? This was the first time she'd ever heard of one coming to Crypton.

"Thank you," the man smiled and took the papers from her. As the girl continued to ramble her apologies, he couldn't help but think there was something very oddly familiar about her… His gaze traveled to her right shoulder and upon seeing the butterfly, paled considerably, "Hey, that mark..."

"AH!" Rin squeaked and suddenly remembered the time, "Sorry again, but I really need to go! Bye, good luck handing out those pamphlets!"

"No, wait!" But she was already too far down the street. The man cursed and ran a hand through his bangs. He had to tell the others about this.

"Meiko!"

The 20-year-old looked up when her name was called. "Ah, finally!" she huffed and placed a single, perfectly manicured hand on her hip. "Where've you been, punk?"

"Sorry," Rin bent over to catch her breath, "I err… bumped into this guy on the way here and made him drop all his fliers, so I had to help him pick them up..."

"Geez," Meiko sighed, "You're such a klutz, Rinny."

Meiko Sakine was Rin's best friend and mentor during high school. The two had an older sister-younger sister type relationship, although at times it was more like older sister-punching bag. But Rin didn't mind. She knew Meiko only scolded her because she cared.

"Well, it's too late for breakfast now," Meiko said while fanning herself with a pamphlet, "Are you hungry, though? We could grab a snack or some brunch if you want."

Rin's eyes widened. "Hey! That's it right there!"

"Huh?" Meiko blinked, "What's what? This?"

"Yeah! That's the pamphlet the guy was handing out! It looked really cool! What is it for?"

"You thought it looked cool didn't even take one for yourself?" the brunette raised a brow and laughed, "It's advertising for a circus that's supposed to open tomorrow night." She handed the flier to the excited younger girl.

"Wow," Rin's eyes glimmered, "Why don't we go check it out? There's even a coupon here for discounted tickets to the first show! Look, there's a list of performers! La Demoiselle de la Voix... La famille bleue... Les Jumeaux de Feu…"

A few of the descriptions had picture attachments, the first of which being of The Maiden of the Voice. She was a stunning individual, with milky-white skin and long, teal-colored hair. She had a forlorn expression, which made her all the more captivating. She was the circus' diva and provided musical accompaniments to several of the acts. It was said that her voice was so beautiful it made even the coldest of hearts melt.

The second article was of a group of trapeze artists called The Family of Blue. And judging by the pictures, they were pretty damn good acrobats. Rin guessed that the one in the middle was probably the leader. He had a handsome face, with short, azure hair and matching blue eyes. Rin caught her friend staring at his picture too.

"Love at first sight, ne?"

"Shut it."

Rin laughed and continued to read off the pamphlet. The next description was for a pair of fire-dancing, siblings, the taller of whom Rin recognized as the guy who she had bumped into earlier. She blushed and hoped that she hadn't injured him in any way from performing. The flier went on to mention a sword dancer, contortionist, and jester, but provided no further pictures or explanation, probably in the interest of space or to keep readers in suspense so that they'd actually go to the circus and check out what it had to offer.

"We should go!" Rin grinned.

Meiko rolled her eyes. Really, even though she was already a university student, Rin really was still a child at heart.

"What for?"

"Come on, it looks interesting!"

"I'd rather go see a movie or something."

"Pleaasee, Meiko?"

"..."

"Pleaasee?"

She sighed. "Alright, we'll go tomorrow night."

"Yay!"

A beautiful young woman leaned against the windowsill of the caravan as it lurched to a stop. She couldn't have been older than 20, but her emerald-colored eyes spoke of a maturity far beyond her years. She wore a light teal, off-shoulder gown adorned with multiple frills and ribbons that helped to accentuate her femininity.

"So, this is Crypton, huh?"

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a young man smiling at her from the doorway. He looked to be about her age, probably a year or two older at most. He wore a ruffled shirt that was loosened at the top and a pair of dark blue slacks that clung to his slender legs.

Miku nodded at her companion, "Mhmm."

"Doesn't look very promising," Kaito yawned, "What're we doing in such an uppity place?" Usually they performed in big cities or places where the people seemed to appreciate a good thrill every now and then, but Crypton seemed the exact opposite of both. It was a small, clean, and industrious city full of upper-middle class members of society who frankly could care less about their circus.

"Who knows," Miku shrugged, "The Ringmaster said the city's wealth would bring good prospects."

"I see," Kaito sighed. Usually their Ringmaster was pretty skilled in being able to predict good venues but not even he could be right all the time. Well, one bad performance wouldn't kill them. As the two continued to observe the city in silence, a certain topic just wouldn't leave Kaito's mind. "Hey… how's the kid doing? He's been really antsy ever since he found out we were heading to Crypton."

Miku tensed visibly for a second, "Right now Teto and Neru are watching him. Last time I checked they said he was sleeping soundly, but who knows for how long. His nightmares have been getting worse and it gets harder for me to calm him down each time. I just hope we can hurry up and get these shows over with, for his sake as well as ours. I just can't stand seeing him kept in that cage like some sort of wild animal."

Kaito scratched his head in thought, "Well yeah, but… he is, in a way. I mean, he's a nice kid, but a dangerous one… Ted is still recovering from the wounds he got after trying to hold him down the other night. Heck, even you have scratches that haven't completely healed yet."

Her mind quickly flashed to said red-haired boy who had gone ahead of the troupe yesterday to start advertising and then to the boy Kaito was thinking of. Miku shot him a death glare that threatened to do horrible things if he continued.

"Heh, sorry. I guess what I'm trying to say is why do you care about him so much?"

An awkward pause passed between them. "…I don't know, to be honest. He just reminds me of someone who used to be very important to me."

"I see..."

The sound of hurried footsteps interrupted their conversation as a red-haired girl burst into the room panting, "Miku! Kaito! Come quick, Len is having another nightmare! H-He's hurting himself!"

Kaito barely had any time to react before Miku had already picked up her skirts and dashed past the flustered redhead. "Damn it," Kaito cursed as he and Teto quickly followed suit, "Not again."

As they descended the steps of the caravan, the sight that greeted them was not a pleasant one. Occupying a majority of the room was a steel cage lined with piles of haphazardly strewn hay, and in the center of it all was a young boy thrashing about violently. His brilliant, cerulean blue eyes were wide open but Miku knew his mind was far from conscious. Kaito winced at the fresh, bloody scratches on the boy's arm. He had never seen him become this violent before. Letting out an anguished cry, he grabbed at the steel bars of the cage and slammed his head against it.

"Len, calm down!" Neru cried, "We're your friends!"

"Len!" Miku ran to his side of the cage, "Snap out of it! It's me, Miku!"

"Monster…!" she heard him mutter in a strangled voice, "Monster! Demon! Murderer!"

"You're not a monster, Len," she whispered soothingly, "You're a kind and gentle boy. Nobody's going to hurt you."

But he wasn't listening to her. Instead he grabbed his head and sunk to a crumpled heap on the floor. "Murderer...! Murderer!"

"Shh, it's alright," Miku leaned against the cage, "You're not a murderer, Len. It's alright now, wake up." Suddenly, one of Len's arms reached through the bars and grabbed her by the throat.

"Shit!"

"Miku!"

Kaito leapt forward but Miku raised a hand to stop him. She gave him a look that told him to trust her, and the blue-haired male was forced to obey. He retreated but continued to watch them anxiously.

"You're a good boy, Len," she whispered, "I know you're not going to hurt me."

"No... no..." he shook his head as tears began to slide down his cheeks, "I killed them..."

"Shh... shh..." she cooed and put her hands comfortingly on his. Slowly, he began to let up and the room's occupants breathed a sigh of relief.

"At a small harbor straying from a town, alone a girl stands still," Miku sang, gently stroking the boy's back through the bars, "Here, at this sea from long ago, a secret legend…"

At the sound of the familiar melody Len instantly began to relax. His shoulders slackened and no longer shuddered. The song was a lullaby that someone used to sing to him in the past, he had said.

"Put a parchment with a wish written on it into a small bottle, and if it's washed away by the sea then someday, the thought will bear fruit…"

By now Len had quieted down considerably. He rested his head against Miku's shoulder and slowly began to let his eyes droop.

"You were always good to me, and would do anything. I've only always been selfish and gave you troubles… You who would fulfill my wish are no longer here, so the sea will deliver my thoughts…" As the melody wound to an end, Miku and Kaito helped ease the now sleeping boy back onto the straw. Kaito tried to arrange it around Len as best as the cage would allow him to while Miku continued to hum and stroke his face.

"Is he calm now?" Teto and Neru slowly approached them with apprehension. Kaito nodded.

"We need to get the first aid kit," Miku rose and dusted off her skirt. She glanced at Neru, "Can I trust you sing to him if he starts acting up while we're gone?"

Neru felt her face flush, "I-I… yeah, sure."

Miku smiled at her and left to get the kit. Teto and Kaito also left to get more pillows and blankets, leaving Neru alone with the sleeping boy.

She bit her lip nervously and reached a hand through the bars to brush a few strands of hair away from his face. Beneath his frightening exterior, he really was quite a beautiful person. His physique was lithe and athletic, no doubt having been toned from circus training. His complexion was lucid and surprisingly unmarred, and his golden hair was always disheveled yet unexpectedly flattering. Normally he kept it in a high ponytail and would refuse to elaborate as to why he preferred such a style. All Neru knew was that the reason was personal and she would always become jealous of not being able to know that side of him. He had soft, gentle features and the most incredible blue eyes she had ever seen. They were a vivid aquamarine on the outer part of the iris, but towards the center they became a darker, deeper blue, a shade more akin to that of the ocean. Yet, something about them was just so inexplicably sad... But the most interesting part about him was the butterfly marking he had on his right shoulder. It was an intricate design unlike anything she had ever seen before. What did it stand for, she wondered? And just who was Len? Where did he come from? Why did he have these nightmares?

He joined their troupe about five years ago when their Ringmaster found him, but even after living together for so long Neru still didn't know much about him. Yet, it was exactly this mysteriousness that attracted her, she thought with a blush.

"Rin..." Len stirred and groaned.

Neru quickly drew her hand back and blushed harder, afraid she might have inadvertently woken him. Her embarrassment was replaced with concern as a tear slid from one of his closed eyelids and down his cheek. Just who was this Rin person? Neru had heard Len say her name several times after his nightmares, but the one time she asked him about it he became visibly distressed and Miku had to pull her aside to tell her never to mention that name again. Miku said she didn't really know the story either, but if any mention of Len's past self brought him pain then it was best not to bring it up. Well, whoever Rin was, she was an awful person for making Len suffer this much. One thing for sure: if Neru were to ever meet this "Rin", she would never, ever forgive her.

"How is he?"

Neru nearly jumped ten feet in the air from shock. "Ringmaster Leon!" she gasped and bowed. He nodded in greeting.

"He's ok now," the blonde haired girl blushed explained, "But this is the first time we've seen him intentionally harm himself. His nightmares are getting worse."

Leon frowned and strode to unlock the cage. Usually, Len shared a bunk with Kaito, but since the nightmares started up again he requested to be put in a cage in order to protect the rest of the troupe. He approached the teen and examined one of his arms.

"The scratches are deep but not deep enough to leave any permanent damage," he said, "They should be able to heal quickly."

A few of the others poked their head into the room also to find out what had happened.

"Is Len asleep now?" a girl with short blue hair rubbed her eyes wearily. Beside her stood two boys who looked identical to her, except in red and green versions respectively. An older, lavender haired man appeared behind them. Miku and the others arrived then with the first aid kit.

"Big brother!" the girl squealed and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Kaiko?" Kaito blinked, "Akaito and Nigaito too? What are you guys doing awake?"

"We came to check up on the kid," Akaito said. Nigaito nodded.

"He's fine now. You all should get back to sleep," Leon ordered, "We've got a long day ahead of us." The trio opened their mouths to argue but Gakupo quickly grabbed the siblings by the collar and led them away. They frowned but did as they were told.

As the others began disinfecting and bandaging Len's wounds, Miku turned to her boss with a serious expression.

"I think we should cancel the shows in Crypton," she said, "Obviously there's something about this town that upsets Len and it's best we leave this place at once."

"I'm aware of that," Leon replied, "But we signed a contractual agreement with the town at the beginning of the year. We must perform at least one show here, and if we cancel now then that just means we must return at a later date to fulfill the promise. It's best that we get it over with tomorrow night."

Miku sat back resigned but dissatisfied. Well, one night was better than one week.

But, then again, a lot could happen in one night…

Rin turned over in her bed for the umpteenth time. For some reason she had an unsettling feeling deep in the pit of her stomach and couldn't get to sleep. Maybe some fresh air would do her some good. She kicked off the covers and went to the balcony. The cool night air felt refreshing against her skin. In the distance, she could see lights flickering from deep within the city. Rin wondered what all her friends were doing now. Meiko was probably out drinking with some of their other friends. Rin would have gone too, if it hadn't been for the fact that she was 19 and therefore underage. Luka was probably still in her office working. And what about that servant boy...? Where was he now? Well, wherever he was, Rin hoped he was at least living a good life. She wondered if he remembered her too?

"Drifting away, a small bottle of glass," Rin began to sing gently, "A message with a wish placed in, far beyond the horizon..."

It was a lullaby from when she was younger. Rin didn't know where she had heard it from, what it meant, or why she remembered it but was grateful that she did. It was a pleasant, comforting melody.

"Quietly disappearing, drifting away, a little wish: tears and a slight regret…"

On the other side of a city a boy laid on a makeshift bed of hay, his arms bandaged all the way to his elbows. His expression was haggard, weary, as if he hadn't slept in ages. Pale, silvery rays of moonlight seeped in from the window, broken by the thick, steel bars of his cage. A breeze blew in from the outside, gently ruffling his hair. Very faintly, Len could have sworn he heard the last few lyrics to a familiar lullaby...

"If we could be born anew, would you play with me like we used to…?"

Please leave a review! I'm still not sure of how I feel about this project, or even where I'm going with it, so I'd really appreciate some feedback.

P.S. Can anyone guess the 3 songs referenced in this chapter x3? Well, I guess the first one doesn't really count since it's Italian and not Vocaloid related... but extra credit to whoever does figure it out! (Hint: the lyrics are quoted in the dream) Josh Groban and Lara Fabian do amazing covers of it if anyone is into sentimental, opera-y ballads like I am lol.