(Len's P.O.V.)

"AAAHHHHH!" I scream in pain as the acid burns my skin.

"You're in a circus!" "his" evil voice snarls. "Be happy! Smile! Act like you're having FUN!" He pours more acid on my face.

"AAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"

"He" throws me to the floor, making sure I land on my side so Rin doesn't get hurt. "You can learn from her," "he" says while pointing at my twin sister. "Next time I want you to smile so big that I can't tell the two of you apart!"

With that "he" storms off. I try to sit up, but since I can only use the left arm and leg it's not as easy to move as it once was. Rin uses her side to help me sit up and when we're sitting upright she examines my face.

"It's okay," I say to her, "I'm fine." Rin shakes her head. She knows I'm lying. "Don't worry about it," I try, "it wasn't as bad as last time." Rin shakes her head again, unconvinced. I guess nothing can be done about it. "Come on," I change the subject, "we shouldn't make Miku wait any more. She might worry if we take too long." Rin gave me a look that told me Miku was already worried.

It's hard being stuck together like this. We have to work together just to simply walk in a straight line. Simple task are hard for us now. If I want to do something and Rin wants to do another, then an argument breaks out. Well, not really an argument. I haven't heard Rin talk in so long that I'm begining to forget what her voice sounds like. She did this before, at the assulyum. She was, both then and now, choosing to not talk. I know she can speak, but nothing I do can convince her to open her mouth.

"Rin! Len!" Miku happily greets us when we enter the tent. After shows, we are all allowed some freedom. We can travel wherever we want as long as we stay on the circus grounds. Not that we can leave, anyway. This place is heavily guarded.

"Hi, everyone," I say. Luka's here, and so is Mayu and CUL. Those who used to be with us in the assulyum who are here now are Neru, Haku, Miki, and Iroha. Neru and Haku had their legs stretched so that they are now ten feet tall. Miki is also a diva, but instead of having "goat legs," as Miku calls them, her skin dyed hot pink. Iroha was brainwashed to believe with all her being that she's a cat.

"Len!" Miku cries. "Your face!"

"It's okay," I try to tell her. I just hate seeing her so upset.

"Don't tell me it's okay!" she hisses as she walks towards me. She takes my face with both of her hands and examines my new wound. She gently slides her fingers across the raw skin, causing me to moan. "I'm sorry," she apologizes as she stops what she's doing and turns my head so that she can look at a different angle. What she doesn't know is that I didn't moan in pain, it's just that her touch feels so good. No matter how badly the acid damages me, it's always a good kind of pain when she examines it. "At least it wasn't as bad as last time," she sighs.

"Told you, Rin," I say to my twin. She rolls her eyes at me.

"Stop acting as if it's no big deal!" Miku snaps as she walks back to her seat. I don't say anything. She sits so that everyone can see her while Rin and I sit in the back, away from the others. Miku continues the story she was telling before we arrived, the story of Jesus feeding the five thousand, but I don't pay attention. I begin to notice that Rin is chewing on her hand, a habit she never broke. I saw a lot of blood coming from the wounds she created so I try to stop her. "Rin, enough," I whisper loud enough for her to hear but not loud enough to interrupt Miku's story. When Rin ignores me I try to pull her hand away but instead she bites my hand before I take hers far from her mouth. I bite my lips to keep from crying in pain. Rin gives me a dirty look before she goes back to chewing her hand. Why did I ever think that she was more intelligent than me?

When Miku finishes everyone begins socializing and talking about their day. Sure, the days are pretty much the same for everyone, but every once in a while someone manages to get a good story to tell. I watch as Miku talks with Haku and Neru as if they had been friends their whole lives. I had always thought that Haku was mute, since she never so much as uttered a sound in the assulyum. Her best friend, Neru, however, never did shut up.

"Mind if I join you?" Luka says as she sits next to me.

"I don't care," I say, "and Rin's off in her own world." Rin continues to chew her hand and doesn't acknowledge Luka's presence.

"Miku has really brightened up our world," Luka says. "Before we had nothing, but since the three of you joined us Miku has brought the hope we never knew existed. We're always called 'the children God has abandoned,' but Miku says that He has not and never will abandon us. Why has nobody shared this message with us before?"

"Miku's different," I say. "I was always skeptical, but when you see the way she lives you can't help but wonder what makes her so different. She has a lot of faith in what she believes, so of course she has hope."

Luka nods slowly. "Are you still skeptical now?"

I shake my head. "I became a believer shortly before coming here." I smile. "It's an interesting story, or so I think."

"Please tell me," Luka says.

"Well," I begin, "you heard about the three of us living in a mental assulyum and later being mutated to be sent here?" Luka sadly nods. She was born deformed, so her parents just sent her to the circus instead of trying to care for her. She may not know what it's like to be normal then turned into a freak, but none of us knoe what it's like for your parents to voluntarily give you up because you're different. "When I woke up and saw that I was attached to Rin, I fully understood the whole purpose of the institute. I knew that sooner or later Miku would be mutated. I don't know why I did, but I prayed to God, asking Him that if He would just let me see Miku again then I would give up my unbelieving ways and give my life to Him." I laugh. "He answered, but I didn't give Him a fair deal. This isn't exactly that great a life."

"But you also hold the hope that Miku carries," Luka observed.

"Yes I do," I sigh. "Well," I say as I stretch, "I had better go to bed. Good night, Luka."

"Good night, Len. Good night, Rin."

Rin nods in acknowledgement. Her hand and lips are covered in blood. "You need to wash up," I tell her as we leave the tent. Rin smiles at me, blood completely covering her teeth.

We walk into our "room" and settle in the corner. Rin, noticing that not all the blood has dried yet, begins to use it as paint and draws on her side of the floor.

"Rin," I say, "why do you act that way? There's nobody here to drug us any more. You don't have to act crazy." Rin continues to draw, ignoring me. "Rin," I plead, "just say something. I miss the sound of your voice." Rin continues on as if she can't hear me at all. I sigh in defeat. I don't think there's anything I can do to convince her to speak.

After I'm sure everyone has gone to bed, Rin and I leave our "room" and head over to Miku's. "Miku," I say when we find her in her "room," a cage with concrete floors and tent-like material for the roof.

"Rin! Len!" she whispers with excitement. She opens the door and helps us up the small step used for stairs. Hugging us she asks, "What are you doing here?"

"Do we need a reason to see our best friend?" I tease. "How are you feeling?"

"A little tired," Miku sighs. "It hasn't been a good day for me. What about you, Len? What did you do to deserve being punished?"

"I didn't smile at all during the show tonight," I say.

"I knew that wasn't a good thing," Miku sighs. "I hate it when you get punished. You know I would rather be punished myself than see you get the acid treatment."

"You know that's true with me too," I say. It was. Rin and I had walked in on Ringmaster punishing Miku for the first time. I had hated seeing her in pain so much that I had attacked Ringmaster and had earned the punishment for the first time myself.

Miku sits in a corner and lies her head back. "I hate it here. I really do."

"We all do," I say as Rin and I sit next to her.

"If you could escape," she says out of nowhere, "would you?"

I didn't even have to think about it. "Only if you were coming with me."

"And if I wasn't?"

"I would never leave you."

Miku takes a deep breath. "You can't sacrifice your happiness for me."

"You are my happiness," I say before my mind has time to process it.

Miku looks at me with tears filling her eyes. "Do you really mean that?"

"You know I do," is my answer. Miku lies down and rests her head on Rin's and my lap. I stroke her hair like I always do. Miku - my best friend, my source of comfort, the love of my life. I wasn't always sure why Miku had effected me the way did, but as time went on I began to understand that the feelings I had for Miku were love. I love Miku, I love her so much and yet I can't bring myself to tell her. But how could she ever love me, anyway? I'm nothing but a freak; a monster who's purpose is to be entertainment in a circus. Besides, she probably thinks of me as a brother. I heard Miku call Rin her sister before, so that has to mean that Miku doesn't think of me in any other way. Doesn't it?

It doesn't matter, I guess. As long as I can do everything in my power to protect her and make her smile, then I can be happy. I'm happy that she does care for me enough to be upset by my punishments, but since we're best friends then I suppose it's only natural.

"Len?" she calls me.

"Yes, Miku?" I answer.

"I'm glad we were never separated," she says. "I'm glad that we were taken to the same circus and still get to be friends."

"Me too," I say as I arrange her fringe. We sit in silence for a few minutes.

"Len?" she says again.

"Hmmm?" I mumble.

"Will we always be friends?" Miku asks, as if unsure. "Will we always be together? Will you never leave me?"

"Why are you asking this?" I ask. "Do you doubt me or something?"

"It's just," Miku said, "that we've had each other for the longest time. Even if I could go back to my old life, it wouldn't seem right without either you or Rin in it. I can't imagine my life without the either of you. I don't want a life, no matter how perfect it may be, without the both of you. That . . . " she hesitates. "That would be a worse Hell than living here. I'm sorry," she shakes her head, "I'm probably not making any sense."

"Yes you are," I say. "I can't imagine my life without you either," I say. "And I know that Rin feels the same." I look at Rin, silently watching us. What was Rin feeling? What was she thinking in that head of hers? "And I could never be able to live without my favorite twin sister." Rin, looking down, smiles the smallest of smiles. The smile is so soft and delicate that I know Rin is saying that she feels the same.

"Rin?" Miku adresses her, "I love you. You know that, right?"

Rin looks at Miku and begins playing with her hair. It took me a while to notice that Rin is using her only hand to braid Miku's hair. "I'll help you," I say but Rin shakes her head. While in the institute Miku had taught the both of us how to braid. Rin was a natural while I on the other hand . . . You know what? Never mind.

After Rin had finished braiding a lock of Miku's hair, Miku sat up and did the same for Rin. "I can't ger over how cute you look with that bow," Miku giggled as she braided part of Rin's short hair.

Rin huffed, obviously not pleased with Miku's statement. When we came here the bow became part of Rin's costume, and she hates it with a burning passion. "I think it suits you," I say to here. "I almost can't picture you without a bow any more."

Rin punches me, or tries to since it isn't like it used to be. She has just as many limits as I do, and that's a lot.

"Don't move," Miku orders as she tries to fix Rin's braid. "There!" Miku smiles as she finishes off the braid. Rin gave Miku a look. I didn't understand what it meant, but Miku giggles and says "You're right, Rin. We should also braid Len's hair."

"No!" I yell in horror. "I'm a guy! You don't braid a guy's hair!"

"Sure we do," Miku says evilly. Rin uses her arm to hold mine down while Miku takes out my ponytail and braids a chunk of my hair. Despite my pleas, Miku doesn't stop until she finishes her work. "You look so pretty, Len!" Miku laughs.

I huff as I feel my face getting hot from Miku's laugh. I hate it when she laughs at me. I look at Rin, who is smiling from ear to ear, but not laughing. I sigh at this. I wish Rin would let me hear her voice again, but I can't figure out why she is so persistent on not talking anymore.

"Len," Miku says slowly after she calms down from her laughing fit.

"Yes, Miku," I say, trying, and failing, to not to sound mad about her braiding my hair.

"I need to ask you a favor."

Author's Note: Just a sweet, fluffy chapter. I like fluff. Fluff, fluff, fluff~. Now throw a little burning acid and blood into the mix and then you got something! XD

So yeah, I hope everyone enjoyed this little chapter. I enjoyed writing so I hope everyone feels the same reading it. If not, then I failed you all.

-Ray