Cathryn/Locket's POV

"Go change," I Dagger said hurriedly. "You don't have much time."

I nodded and quickly ran to the curtain, where behind the curtain I changed from my trousers, two under shirts, tunic, and jacket into my dress. As I rushed back to Doll's side just behind the curtain that separated us from the crowd I fingered my locket. Although I had never found out what the crest on the locket was I kept it close to me. Obviously it meant something. I made it just in time, I took Doll's hand and we immediately walked out hand in hand before throwing our two hands up and posing like sisters. We were sisters. Not by blood, but we were. She always took care of me. Joker introduced us as the sister's with their heads in the sky and I laughed to myself. He always said that I had my head in the clouds because I was always just sort of in my own little world. Doll and I took opposite sides of the tight rope and started to climb the ladders. Joker told the crowd what we were going to be doing and the crowd ohhed and awed.

The music started and I took a step out on to the rope first. Doll followed and took a step as well. She opened her umbrella and swung it around a little bit. I smiled as the crowd responded and she took an few more steps. I let her get her little moment before she paused and looked at me, resting the umbrella on her shoulder. I took a few more steps out timidly, almost "falling" several times until I was the same distance as Doll was onto the tight rope. With that we took steps in time with the music and we met about half way. Two of us smiled at each other happily before she took another step forward and _ on the rope with her umbrella out to the side. I carefully turned around and prepared to do the flip. I looked down to the ground and it felt like a world away, hoping and praying that I wouldn't fall, because that wouldn't end well. I prepared and did the flip, in mid air putting my hand on Doll's head to keep me balanced. I felt the wire under my feet as I tried to regain my balance as quickly as possible. I struggled and the crowd went into shrieks and cries of panic, making me worry even more and taking my concentration off of regaining my balance. For the first time I panicked that I would actually fall and die. Suddenly there was a white umbrella at my side, I grabbed hold of it and quickly regained my balance. I looked up to see Doll with her leg extended in front of her and opposite arm extended behind her. I timidly took the same position and everyone cheered. I let go of the umbrella after a moment and Doll and I curtsied to one another, declaring an end to the performance.

"And now," Joker announced in his bombing voice, "please keep your attention in the air, for our princess' performance!"

While he talked I made my way to the platform opposite from where I came and climbed down the ladder hesitantly. Joker there to meet me at the bottom of the ladder, and after watching me come down when I got all the way down his coat was instantly wrapped around my shoulders and he lead me backstage. Once there he sat me down on a crate. While Doll performed an extended performance Joker and Dagger calmed me down. Joker was able to do that with a lot of effort, and he soon had to go announce Snake. He left me there and I took deep breaths and stood up, I just stood on the ground and convinced myself that I was alive and my feet were on the ground. I took a few deep breaths before taking some steps. Then Doll came back and gave me a hug asking if I was alright. She sat down on the crate that I had been sitting on and she just watched me. Dagger had gone off somewhere and came back. He came back as I started to do some flips and things and then I felt better. I cane out for the final bow but I didn't do my actual act that was on my own. When we were off the stage Joker commanded me to go to bed right away. Apparently almost dying means that I don't have to do chores, yes!

The next morning I woke up and rolled over. I didn't want to get up. I heard Freckles/Doll wake up above me. I had the bottom bunk and she had the top. It was moving day so we were supposed to get up early. I don't think that we did though. Joker came and woke the two of us up. He seemed a little upset that we didn't get up earlier, but he understood because we were both involved in a near fatal accident the previous day. Doll was Freckles now, wearing her boy clothes for the move. I wore my dress as normal. Since it was getting a little colder out Freckles draped my cloak over my shoulders while I brushed my hair out. She said that I had no reason not to wear it. I didn't argue.

"There you two are," Joker said with a smile when Freckles and I appeared amongst everyone an hour or so later. We had packed up our tent quickly, not wanting to be late we skipped breakfast. "Are you two ready?"

Freckles announced that we were and I nodded with a smile. This time we were going somewhere close to London. London apparently was a very important city, and Beast promised to take me shopping. I was happy with the idea. I had saved all of my money so that I could go and buy a new dress. I didn't have much, but Beast said that it would be enough. I had only been here for about four months, but I was already a part of the first-tier. They adopted me into their family and I was like their younger sister. Joker had me stay by him a lot of the time, he was like a big brother to me and I was his little sister. He always protected me and really did treat me like a little sister, and I had no objections. I stayed with Freckles a lot of the time because she had taken me under her wing and was like my older sister. When we started to head out Joker made sure that Freckles and I were on the wagon and then we started off. Wendy, Peter, and I didn't stay in the wagon for long. After about a half hour we jumped off and just walked alongside the wagon. I did some flips and things as we walked and everyone else was just sort of singing as we went. I really liked it. I loved traveling, I could jump up on the wagon, I could go sit by whoever I wanted, I could walk, I could do flips, I could hum, I could do whatever.

"Hey Locket, says Emily," Snake's voice called me. I looked up to see him leaning over the edge of the wagon. "Do another flip, says Emily." I did a flip backwards happily then ran to keep in time with the wagon. "Entertaining, says Oscar." I saw Oscar wrapping himself around Snake's arm and watching me. I did another flip, this time forward, and smiled. Snake laughed a little and I stretched my arm up towards him. Oscar tangled himself around my arm. He held on tight while I did a flip with him. I laughed and so did Snake. "Scary, says Oscar." Snake reached his arm down towards me and I reached up towards him. We kept pace while Oscar made his way back so that he was woven around Snake's arm and then I smiled before waving good bye and running to sit up by Joker.

Joker smiled at me happily, "Hey Locket. How are you?"

I gave him a thumb up with a smile before pointing at him.

"I'm fine. Having fun with Snake back there?" I nodded. "Want me to tell you about London?"

I nodded my head rapidly and my smile grew on my face.

"Alright. Let's see. It's a very big place; I don't want you going anywhere alone, by the way. There are a lot of nobles there, and whenever you see a gentle man and you talk to them I want you to curtsy or bow. They aren't going to like us, the adults, they really aren't going to like us. They don't like us because they think that we're lazy, so I don't want you getting down on yourself about what they say. You should just ignore them. London's also where everyone here met. We were all living on the streets when we met, now we're doing a lot better, aren't we?" I smiled, yeah; they were doing a lot better now. Joker smiled and laughed, looking back at me with a smile. "Maybe we'll find out where you came from," he said passably. I looked at him, startled. Joker hadn't said a thing about finding where I came from for three months. "It's your locket, that's what's making me wonder. Maybe we'll find out, ya know? Aren't you curious about it?" I shook my head no. I didn't care. "Kay, well I think that you should have Freckles move your locket to a garter. I've been meaning to have her make you one; your locket would look cute on one." My panicked look made him laugh, "Don't worry. You would still keep it with you; it just wouldn't be around your neck. More like a secret; we don't want people bothering you about the crest on it, would we?" I shook my head no and Joker laughed. I sort of agreed to that and the day went on as normal.

That night Freckles and I slept by each other around the fire. It was cold, so we were sharing blankets to keep warmer. She had made me a garter and helped me stitch the locket on. It looked nice, and you could only really see it when I was on the tight rope. I fell asleep next to Freckles, and with a smile I fell asleep and had a dream about Jumbo teaching me how to breath fire.