I know the last chapter is exactly the same as Chapter 1 of I am Number Four, only I changed the names. Don't worry, the story line in this will be different.

And a New Home

'I'm going to miss this place,' I whisper, staring up at the house we've been living in for the past few months, and have never stayed in any of our homes for so long. It's two o'clock in the morning, so I cannot see our home that well in the light, but I still know it so well. This was easily the best place we've lived in- no doubt about that. It has three floors and a balcony, and it wasn't actually that expensive to rent, either. Not that money would be a problem or anything. When we arrived on Earth, we were given special Loric gems that are priceless on Earth, so we never need to worry about the cost of things. Our number one priority is staying safe.

'I know,' Zangetsu says, coming out of the house with our important documents, like IDs and wallets. When we flee to our next home, we will need to change our identities. Well, aside from the name 'Zangetsu'. He's had that since we arrived on Earth, and so he's become rather attached to it. Not me, though. I have to change my name on every move, so it's a lot easier if, between the two of us, I just go by my number, Four.

'Well. It's time for the burning,' Zangetsu declares. 'Do you want to do it or shall I?'

'I'll do it,' I say, stepping forward with a lighter. We have to erase all evidence of our life here, so that it will be harder for them to track us down.

I watch my identity as Sakebe Kashiwaba burns away, and I wonder who I'm be next. A new name, a new life, and a new home.

.

'Hey... Zangetsu... what do you think of the name 'Ichigo Kurosaki'?'

He's driving right now, and I'm sitting in the passenger seat, bored of the journey we've already spent two hours on. It's still dark and I'm seriously bored.

'You... you want to be called 'Strawberry'?'

'No!' I protest. 'It means 'He who protects', and also fifteen- you know, 'Ichi', meaning 'one', and 'Go', meaning 'five.'

'Uh huh. Strawberry it is.'

'Zangetsu!' I shout, and he chuckles.

Zangetsu is my Cêpan. On our home planet, Lorien, there were two different types of people: Garde and Cêpan. Garde are people like me with supernatural abilities, special Legacies we develop as we grow up. These powers vary from invisibility to telepathy to controlling the elements. When we are born we are assigned a Cêpan to train us as we grow up. Cêpans don't have any special abilities and so could easily pass as humans. Well, the Garde could too, if you didn't count our godlike abilities singling us out. I'm still too young for any of my powers to develop, but I as I am fifteen they should be coming along sooner or later.

So, nine of us came to Earth. Nine Garde, anyway. My previous statement did not include the nine Cêpans that came to act as our guardians. After all, we were only little kids when we arrived on Earth, and we would never have lasted without our Cêpans there to be our 'parents'. Of course, some Cêpans failed. After all, One, Two and Three are dead now. And I'm Number Four, which means that the Hollows from the planet Mogadore, the ones who destroyed my home planet, will try and find me next.

The fact that we can only be killed in order has secured me as their number one target.

'Okay, Four, here's your new origin,' Zangetsu says slowly, keeping his eyes on the road ahead. 'Right: you've lived in Japan for most of your life but your family is from America and you were born there, which would explain your obscure hair colour-'

'We've used that one before,' I say in a bored voice. 'Besides, there's nothing wrong with my hair.' I subconsciously run my hand through my orange locks as I state this.

'Anyway,' Zangetsu continues as if there was no interruption, 'we've just been living in Tokyo, okay? You have some training in martial arts-'

'Aw, don't say that or they'll think I'm a good fighter so they'll test me, and I'm so busy as it is!'

We both smile at this.

'No seriously, Zangetsu, I don't want want to become a bully magnet.'

'You know I don't want that, because it's dangerous for you to draw attention to yourself.'

'Yeah, that's what I meant. 'Cause it's not as if I was talking about my feelings or anything.'

'Yes, that too, of course,' Zangetsu says hurriedly. 'You know the drill, by now though. We have to be even more cautious than usual, now that they'll be trying to find you next.'

'Ah, the 'annihilate the Loric race' scheme again. Why can't they go bully some other aliens on some other planet?'

'This isn't a joking matter, Four-'

'Ichigo.'

'What?'

'My new name. Get used to using it, 'cause I'm gonna stick with it in our new home.'

'You've made up your mind, then? That's definitely the one you want? Because I'm going to have to print of your new ID soon.'

'Yeah, I'm set on Ichigo.'

'Okay then, Ichigo, you know that you are in even more danger than before now that Three is dead.' The smile is fading off both our faces as he talks. 'Cause we both know how serious this is. No more kidding around. 'You have got to keep a low profile, do you understand? We both got too attached to the home we're leaving. You made friends, which was a bad idea-'

'I didn't want to be different-'

'Yes, I admit, it was a very good move for blending in-'

'No, that's not what I mean,' I say coldly. 'I wanted to be like a normal kid, I did it to feel like I wasn't from some distant planet and the one of the last of my race. '

Zangetsu sighs. 'Look, I know you're under a lot of pressure, and it makes you want to feel human, but you can't forget the task you have. You owe it to the Loric people who sacrificed themselves so that you and the others could escape to Earth, so that one day you'll develop your Legacies and you will all be able to defeat the Hollows.'

'I know that! And one day, we will find the others! But until then, can't I just have the human teen experience?'

'It's too dangerous.'

'I was afraid you'd say that.'

'You need to be cautions, Fo- Ichigo.'

I close my eyes and lean up against the window, refusing to say another word on the matter.