"Wahh!" A small child could be heard screaming out. "Please! Someone help me!" He screamed closing his eyes tightly.

"Stop struggling!" A women said dragging a screaming boy by his wrist. He was unable to cry, though he couldn't feel her dragging him he was upset by the fact she was being so rough with him. His small muscles tightened up.

"Where are you taking me Nagisa-sensei? Why! I don't want to go!" He yelled digging his feet into the ground. "

Youji! Shut up! Do you want someone to hear you! Goddammit!" She said in a fit of angry, she hit him across the face, leaving a big red mark on his face. He only blinked out of fear, he couldn't feel anything. His eyes saden and his ears dropped. She looked down at the small boy who she had a tight grip on."I didn't mean to hit you, but your driving me crazy! Where going to go see someone you can play with. He'll be your new friend." Nagisa said patting his head. He was confused. What's a "freind" he thought? "Oh and Youji, your name is going to be "Zero" it's your real name. If you hear someone talking about Zero then it's you." She said and started walking again.

"Zero? Why Zero? Why not Youji?" He asked innocently, confused on why she was changing his name.

"Zero it's no time to be asking such silly questions. I will call you what I want. After all I did create you." She said with a smirk.

"My name's Youji! Not Zero!" Youji said disobeantly. He pulled her hand off his. Angrily she glared at him.

"What did I tell you, Zero? I don't have to punish you for being bad again do I?" She asked Youji gripping his hand tighter. Punish...the word stuck in his mind. She had never hurt him before. He couldn't feel pain. Had she really hurt him? Punish was a bad thing. Youji knew the meaning of it. Why would she want to punish him? He hadn't really done anything wrong. He was so confused about everything.

"Why would you punish me Nagisa-sensei?" Youji asked, looking up at her for a moment and then looking down again.

"Bad children must be punished for their actions. You defied my orders. That's a bad thing, Zero. Learn from your mistakes, don't let this slip up happen again." Nagisa said in a clam yet angry tone. Youji gently nodded, and kept following her. These words played over in his mind: Punish, bad, Zero, mistakes. Why? Why did these things matter? What was his purpose. Couldn't he just live like a normal child? Happily playing with each other, running around acting like they were from different places. Such as in the old west, or as a samurai. Youji knew nothing of this "playing" he was still confused on what a "friend" was. Nagisa stopped in front of a large building. She had let go of Youji.

"Now Zero, this will be your new home for a short while. Just to get to know your friend a little better, you've never meet him before, I'm sure you'll be acquainted soon." Nagisa said opening the door and pushing him inside. A man stood over him.

"Well if it isn't the little missing puzzle piece." He said with a devilish smirk on his face. Youji quickly stood up, and stepped back away from him. Nagisa laughed.

"There's nothing to fear Zero." She said pushing him back toward the man. He winced, he knew this man was scary. He didn't like anything about him.

"Goodbye, Nagisa, and Ritsu. Until we meet again." The man said in a causal voice, waving them out the door. Nagisa nodded and began to walk again. At this point it was raining.

"Here Nagisa. I don't want you getting wet." Ritsu said draping a blanket over her.

"Thank you." She said with a slight smile as she walked.

Being in such a new place was weird for Youji. He didn't really get out much. He curiously looked around. Examining everything. "Umm...Sir? Where do I go?" Youji asked still shaken up around this man. He laughed.

"You go upstairs, here let me take you." He said gripping on Youji's small sleeve. He pulled him up the stairs quickly, almost making Youji fall over. He was a very slender, small child. As soon as the reached the top of the steeps, Youji blinked. There was a long hallway, the led up to a door. "This way, Zero." He said still pulling him along. He opened the door wide. There was a another small boy laying on the futon spread out on the floor. "Wake up Zero!" He said in a harsh tone, kicking the boy.

"But I am awake!" Youji said confused.

"No you dumb ass. This Zero!" He said angrily as he pointed down to the boy. The boys eyes slowly opened. As soon as he saw Youji his eyes widened. "Zero, this is your new partner Zero. See? He has the same name as you, unlike your past partners." The man said pushing Youji so he was on the floor also. Youji fell to the floor with a thump. "Now get the know each other, you'll be with each other for sometime." He said closing the door quickly and locking it. Youji shyly sat up.

"Hello..." Youji said to the boy who was looking at him weird.

"Hello." The boy answered back, sitting up so he could get another look at Youji. "What's your name?" He asked.

"ah, my name's Zero." Youji said quickly.

"No I mean your other name." The boy said with a smile.

"Oh umm...it's Youji. My name's Youji." He said nodding.

"Youji...my name's Natsuo!" He said with a bit of energy. Natsuo gently reached over and took Youji's hand. Placing it agaisnt his own, exmaining how big it was. Natsuo's face lit up with delight. "Look! Their both the same size! I guess you are my other half!" Natsuo giggled, wrapping his fingers around Youji's. Youji blushed.

"Your other half?" Youji asked confused.

"Yeah, that's what Nagisa-sensei says about us. Were connected she says." Natsuo said nodding.

"Wait. How do you know Nagisa-sensei?" Youji asked pulling his hand away from Natsuo.

"Umm well I guess the same way you do. I mean we are the same aren't we?" Natsuo said taking Youji's hand again.

"Were not the same! Why would you say some thing as stupid as that? I'm nothing like you, your weird." Youji said getting up and moving farther away from him. Natsuo blinked in surprise. No one was ever this bold to him. Youji glared at him from the other side of the futon. Natsuo didn't really know what to say, he bit his lip. Natsuo didn't want Youji to hate him, not this early in their relationship. He closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around Youji.

"I'm sorry. Please don't be mad at me, I hate having people mad at me." Natsuo whispered, his eyes were still closed. Youji looked away, he was blushing from the embrace.

"It's alright I guess...but were not the same, and we never will be, were only similar not the same." Youji said hugging him back. Natsuo smiled at him. They could both tell that they were going to like having a "friend" around.

The next morning Nagisa come around to visit the boys. Youji and Natsuo both went up to her showing her cute animals the had made out of clay. "Look Nagisa-sensei!" The said in-tuned together. She gave the a weird look, the she took the clay animals to have another look at them, then she threw them on the ground. The boys blinked in surprise they thought she would like them. Natsuo picked up the animals which were now in pieces.

"Don't you like them? We made them for you and Ritsu-sensei!" Natsuo said holding the pieces up for her. She gave them a disgusted look.

"No I don't. Why would you make something so stupid?" She said taking them out of Natsuo's hands and throwing them away.

"Ah...but we worked really hard on those."Youji said and his ears dropped.

"Don't look at me like that Zero. Your wasting your own time with stupid toys. Here, take this." Nagisa said handing him a hammer and nail. He blinked. What was he to use this for? Natsuo stared at the hammer and nail for a second and went back to eating his lunch.

"Nagisa-sensei? What do I do with this?" Youji asked pulling on the bottom of her shirt. A smirk came across her face.

"Well Zero, you will use it to kill of course." Nagisa said still witha smirk on her face. What did it mean to "kill"? Would that hurt someone? Why did she want him to kill? He shook his head.

"Don't make Youji kill people!" Natsuo said standing up. His fist were closed tightly. Though he was afraid of what would happen because of his outburst. Nagisa gave him a stern look and walked over to him. She grabbed the sides of his face pulling him over toward her.

"Don't make me angry Zero. You mean nothing to me. I could just create another set of Zero and kill both of you." She said digging her nails in the sides of his face. His eyes grew wide. Unable to speak he backed away and closed his eyes. Why do we have a life like this? What's our purpose? I just want to live. Killing isn't that hard. It's kind of fun. I don't want to die though. Not yet. Natsuo had some many thoughts right now. He looked over at Youji who was looking down, feeling bad about asking that. He had gotten Natsuo in trouble. Even after hearing what she said, he just didn't want Natsuo to die. He didn't care about his own life. "Now Zero, show the other Zero how to kill alright? I'm leaving." She said walking out the door.

"Ah, Natsuo...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get you in trouble." Youji said walking over to him. Natsuo shook his head.

"No, no its OK." He said with a slight smile. Youji reached out, pulling Natsuo into an embrace. Natsuo blinked with surprise since he had done the same to Youji the night before. Natsuo closed his eyes, feeling the warmth of Youji body next to him. Once Youji let go, Natsuo pulled him back. "Please don't leave, I don't want to be alone again." He said quietly.

"What do you mean? I'm not going anywhere I promise." Youji said breaking away from the hug.

"I mean Nagisa-sensei said that my other partners left me. She said that they didn't like me. I don't want you to leave me too." Natsuo saidholding onto Youji's hand tightly.

"Oh, I wont leave you Natsuo. I promise alright? We'll be together forever." He said smiling. Natsuo smiled back. Together forever. That was a long time. He knew Youji would keep his promise. He could just see it in his eyes. He brought Youji's hand to his lips. As soon as Youji felt Natsuo's soft lips on his hand he blushed. Natsuo let go of him.

"Forever and ever Youji." Natsuo said giggling. Youji nodded

"Forever and ever." He said repeating it.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi everyone! Thank you sooo much for reading! This is my first fan fic so please give me a break. But don't be afraid to leave reviews. Even if they are bad. But if you leave me a comment on how it's bad please tell me why you think so don't just say "OMG YOUR STORY SUCKED" or anything like that. Ok thank you all! 3 I'll continue writing the rest if you all keep reading.

With love 3 Lil Ham aka Haylee