Traverse Town is a small world, but its population is very varied
and somewhat polarized.  Longtime residents of the town now live
alongside an ever-growing group of refugees, upon whom they depend for
protection from the Heartless.

    News spreads quickly there.

    It spreads EXTREMELY quickly when it's being spread by a hyperactive
young boy with the ability to almost hit Mach One, who also has an even
faster mouth.

    People started heading for the orphanage, to see the Key they'd
hoped would arrive in their lifetime.



        Unsung Heroes part 2.2 - The Circus

                in the Second District


    Dash had been sent to find Leon.  Jane would later say that in
hindsight she should have given him more specific instructions - "Don't
tell anyone else."  But it was too late for that.

    He'd started at the hotel, which was the command center for the
resistance, but the girl at reception didn't know where Leon was, just
that he was out.  She had been quite excited to hear the Key had showed
up though.

    Cid wasn't in the inventor's workshop, and nobody was visiting Pongo
or Perdita, so Dash zig-zagged around the square a few times, asking
random passers by and telling them the good news.  But that was no good.

    So he ran for the first district, and saw someone he knew in the
cafe.


    A few minutes earlier...


    The waiter picked up the drinks from the counter and took them over
to table three.  A young, brown haired woman in a pink dress sat there,
opposite a small boy: a redhead with thick glasses clad in a white lab
coat.

    He sat the herbal tea down in front of the woman, and plonked the
hot chocolate in front of the boy.

    "Here're your drinks," the waiter said shyly.

    "Thank you, Shinji-kun," the woman replied, granting Ikari Shinji a
warm smile that made him blush.  He turned to walk away, but she
continued, asking "how are you doing?"

    "Huh?"  He looked back over his shoulder.  "Oh...  fine.  I'm just
fine, Aerith-san."

    Aerith nodded at him.  "That's good.  It looks like you're working
hard, too."  She took a sip of her tea.  "You're always busy here, and
it seems like Harry is the only one who sees you away from work these
days."

    Her tone of voice subtly revealed her worry.  Shinji had arrived
nearly four months ago - he'd been enraged and hysterical when he woke
up, yelling about someone named Toji and demanding to see his father.
But his demeanor had changed, as he'd calmed down and realized where he
was, and he'd grown much more shy and tried to isolate himself.

    Aerith was trying to break his isolation, but he was making things
extremely difficult for her.  He'd refused to talk about his world -
what he'd done there, his friends, his family.  It seemed like every
attempt to connect with him had ended in disaster.  Leon had tried to
motivate him into fighting back against the Heartless, but the mention
of fighting had turned Shinji against them, and he had grown suspicious
of the Resistance.  Trying to get him to talk about people was even more
disastrous, especially family - asking him about his parents had
produced an almost violently negative response.

    Aerith patted the back of a chair.  "You shouldn't work so hard,
Shinji-kun.  Come on, have a sit down.  I'll buy you some tea."

    "I...  shouldn't."  Aerith knew this was Shinji-speak for "I don't
want to," so she persisted.

    "Don't worry.  I'm sure Howmei-san won't mind."  Actually, Aerith
knew she wouldn't, as she had already cleared this with the Cafe's
proprietor, who was a friend.  She was relieved when Shinji relented and
silently sat down in the spare chair.  "Have you met Dexter before?" she
asked, motioning to the boy sitting opposite her.

    "Hallo."

    "Hi."  Shinji had seen Dexter around before, but never talked to him
really.

    "Dexter is an inventor," Aerith said, adding "something of a
prodigy, it seems."

    "Ah ha, yoou are too kind," Dexter replied, "but also accurate.  I
am a geenius, I confess."

    "He's humble too," Aerith wryly told Shinji, who tried to look
interested.

    "What do you invent, Dexter-kun?"  Shinji asked.

    "A little bit of everything.  I tend to go where my fancy takes me,
I admit.  I like to try everything."

    "So...  what's the biggest thing you've ever invented?"  Shinji
asked, alarming Aerith slightly.  Shinji didn't normally take an
interest in other people, but...  this could be a breakthrough.

    "Hm, well..."  Dexter scratched his chin, trying to think.  "I
suppose eet would be the planett deestroying space staation...  though I
never managed to launch that without my parents noticing, so eet
probably doesn't count.  And my pocket universe was only infinitely beeg
on the inside.  So I suppose it would be my Dextermech Mark Eight, which
was my latest and greaatest giant robot, which I allso piloted..."

    He was interrupted by Shinji smacking his palms on the table.  The
teen scooted his chair back and stood up, glaring at Aerith.

    "I thought so.  That's a coincidence," he stated.  "Aerith knows I
used to pilot a giant robot, and here she is, introducing me to a
builder of giant robots," he said cynically, gathering up his tray.
"Excuse me, but I should get back to work."

    He just walked away, and Aerith cursed inwardly, adding Robots to
the list of things that set Shinji off.  She'd hoped he might have been
interested to talk to another pilot...  might have opened up a little.
No such luck.  She could only guess that he hadn't liked being a pilot.

    "I'm sorry," Dexter said, confused, "deed I say something wrong?"

    "No, you didn't..."  Aerith shook her head, and stood up.  "Wait
here for a minute, I'll be back."

    She strode over to Shinji, now increasingly frustrated with his
obtuseness - and his rudeness to Dexter - and stopped him at the
counter.

    [OK, I admit it, I had ulterior motives for bringing Dexter here,
but it wasn't to get you into a robot or to get you to join the
resistance.  It was to get you to join the human race!]

    Shinji tried to ignore her, but she continued.  [Look, you might
think you can get along without other people...  but trust me, it's
really going to hurt you.  I've seen it happen.]  She looked down at
him, hoping some of this was getting though.  [You can't run away from
people all your life.]

    [Why not?] he asked, and Aerith tried to respond, but Shinji
interrupted her.  [I appreciate your concern, Aerith-san.  But...  you
are not Misato.  And you're not Rei, or Asuka, or Kensuke, or Toji, or
Akagi-sensei, and you're definitely not my father.  I don't have to do
whatever you say.]



    Shinji turned his back on Aerith and made for the counter.  He'd
made it out of the frying pan.  He wasn't going into the fire.



    Aerith glowered at Shinji's back as he turned and walked away.
Great, another disaster.  Defeated, she decided to take a cookie from
the counter to calm her nerves and left some munny in the bowl.  She
looked back to where she'd left Dexter, and saw him having an animated
conversation with an exceedingly agitated Dash.

    "Hi Dash," she said, heading back to the table.  "Whats wrong?"

    "Aerith!  Where'sLeon?"  Dash asked, jogging on the spot.
"JanesaysIgottafindLeon!  ThenewgirliscalledSakuraandshehasthekey!"

    Aerith almost choked on her cookie.

    She asked Dash to repeat what he said more slowly, as he couldn't
have said what she thought she did...  and when he did she almost choked
again and grabbed her jacket.



    Dash sped toward the harbor.  Aerith had quickly told him that Leon
was off-world, picking up some stranded agents, so his ship would
probably be arriving soon.

    The door leading out of the first district was large, and made of
solid, heavy wood.  Since arriving Leon and Cid had further strengthened
it, adding steel bars that not only barred the door but also sealed off
the gaps around the door frame.  No normal heartless could break through
if it was properly sealed.  The door to the Heartless-infested third
district had merely been nailed shut and barricaded, but people had been
in a bigger rush then, and nobody wanted to disturb those nails while
they still held.

    A long, red-bricked tunnel stretched out beyond the door, brightly
lit so that any Heartless in it would have nowhere to hide.  It was
about 100 feet long, and there were boltholes on both sides every thirty
feet.  Leon had taken a look at them and decided this security measure
hadn't been designed with Heartless in mind - against a large swarm,
those boltholes would either be traps for defenders to get caught in or
hiding places for attacking Heartless.  Nobody was to use them if the
town was attacked - they would depend on the door, and the magical
explosives now stored in the boltholes.

    The tunnel opened out at the end into the harbor, which was built on
a plateau in the center of a large circular valley.  There would be
almost a dozen gummi ships hovering in the valley at any one time.

    Dash made it down the tunnel in much less than a second, and blew
past the guards stationed at the end.  They were supposed to check
anyone going in either direction, and kids weren't allowed in the port
at all, but it had been established that there was no point trying to
stop Dash from going where he wanted.  Nothing except a carefully timed
Petrificus Totalus could bring him in.  So Dash hit the brakes when he
caught sight of a boy in his late teens wearing an incredibly messy mop
of dark hair, jeans, a sweater and a pair of glasses.  Better to just
topple over when paralyzed than to be sent tumbling at 200 Mph.

    "Dash!" a girl's voice yelled in somewhat stilted English, "what you
doing out here?"  She was in her late teens, with short black hair.  She
wore a blue and white dress that had once had a long skirt, but the
skirt had amateurishly been cut short.  She also wore a bandolier, which
strapped a huge, blackened metal spatula onto her back.  This was Tendo
Akane.

    "You should get back to town," the bed-headed boy - Harry Potter -
added, idly waving a wand he held in his hand.  "Leon'll be here soon,
and if he sees you about there'll be a lot of trouble."

    "Nuh huh!"  Dash yelled back.  "I'm supposed to be here, Jane sent
me to get Leon.  And that means you," he pointed an accusing finger at
Harry, "can't zap me!"

    "I wasn't going to zap you Dash," Harry said, groaning.  Dash was
holding a grudge from the first few days after he'd arrived.  He had
been completely out of control, and Harry had been asked to take what he
considered to be desperate measures.  "I'm just warning you.  Leon'll go
spare if he sees you here."

    "You go back to the First District, and wait there."  Akane
suggested.

    "I can't wait!"  Dash yelled.  "There's a new girl, and she has the
key!"

    Harry and Akane stared at him for a moment.

    "You're kidding," Harry eventually said.

    "No, I'm not!  She's got it hanging on a chain around her neck!
She's at the orphanage right now!"

    Harry and Akane stared at each other for a moment.

    Harry eventually opened his mouth and said "you're..." but Dash
interrupted him.  "I'm not kidding!  It's true!"

    "Okay, okay!"  Akane laughed, "we believe you!  But...  that's
GREAT!"  She almost leapt for joy.  "What she like?"

    Dash put his hands in his pockets.  "I dunno.  She's just a girl.
She's Japanese and doesn't speak English," - he scowled to himself and
continued - "and she's dressed really funny.  Anita and Jane are going
nuts over her," he said, pouting slightly.

    "I don't blame them," Harry replied, slightly zoned out.  "I didn't
think anyone would ever show up."  He looked up at the sky.  "Leon'd
better get back soon, I want to go meet her."



    The Illumina arrived almost five minutes later, slowly sinking into
a berth on the left hand side of the port.  Leon wasn't too happy to see
Dash here, but forgot all about it as soon as he got the news, heading
directly for the orphanage.  Dash ran ahead of him, and Harry and Akane
followed - completely missing the two new arrivals they had been
summoned here to welcome.



    Jane's wheelchair was wedged in the doorway that led to the
stairwell, and she wasn't going to shift any time soon.  At least until
Leon turned up and got rid of this mob.

    "I already told you, nobody's going up to see her," she said firmly,
cursing the fact she hadn't told Dash to be more discreet.  "And I want
all of you out of here, NOW!"


    Sakura had been shifted upstairs as soon as Ruri had spotted large
numbers of people heading this way.  She sat on the bed in their room,
with Ruri leaning against the wall behind her own bed and Anita hovering
near the doorway.  The sounds of raised voices arguing in English echoed
up the stairwell.

    [Are they arguing about me?] she asked.

    [Yeah...]  Anita replied, but then she smiled down at Sakura.
[Don't worry though.  Nobody's mad at you.  They're just really excited
to see you!]  And with that she sat down and gave Sakura a tight hug.
[I can't believe you're finally here!]

    [Hoe?]  Sakura gasped, startled, before pulling free of Anita's
clutches.  [But...  why me?  I mean, I know the key is magical, but...
not this special, right?  Most of my power came from my cards.]

    [Leon has an old book, that used to belong to a scientist from his
world,] Ruri said from beneath the window.  [It's extremely old, mostly
faded and illegible, and it is written entirely in pictograms.  It's
also the only book we know of that mentions the Heartless...  and how to
fight them.]

    Sakura listened attentively as Ruri continued.  [It's very difficult
to translate, but it seems to say that the Sword and the Key are the
only things that can defeat the Heartless.  It's obvious what the sword
is for, and we have many people here with swords that can kill
Heartless.  But the key's function is unknown.  We think the Key is
supposed to be used to lock a world's keyhole and prevent the Heartless
from taking the world's heart...  but this is just speculation.  Until
now, maybe.]

    She looked directly at Sakura.

    [However it's meant to work, the key's bearer will be a very
important person.  She might have to lead the entire fight against the
Heartless.]  Sakura nervously turned red and gulped as Ruri continued,
[she's not someone I would envy.]

    [Stop trying to scare her, Ruri!]  Anita said, raising her voice and
putting her arm around Sakura's shoulders.  [I think Sakura's lucky...
she'll be able to get off this rock, and look for her friends and family
while she fights the Heartless!  We're not allowed to do either!]

    [Why not?]  Sakura asked, looking sideways at Anita.

    [Leon thinks we're too young,] Anita scowled.  [Says we're under the
town's protection.  He won't even think about letting us go anywhere
except the collesium, and he definitely won't let us train against real
Heartless there.]

    Sakura just quietly sat and thought to herself.  The prospect of
being the linchpin of the battle against the Heartless was terrifying,
but she had to smile a little - there was a tiny kernel of pride that
came with being told you're the Chosen One...  for the second time, as
well.  And she really wanted to be able to leave here and look for her
friends and her family.  That would be worth any amount of danger.

    She raised her head to tell Anita and Ruri she would do it, but
there was a crash from downstairs.



    There had already been over two dozen visitors in the orphanage by
the time Aerith had arrived, and a few more hanging around outside.
Inside, she found a throng of people arguing with Jane, who had wedged
herself in the doorway leading up to the first floor.

    "We don't have time to waste!" a rough voice yelled.

    "we have the time to let a scared girl who's lost everything rest
for a little!"  Jane retorted.  There were mumbles and shouts of both
approval and dissent, and a few people started heading for the door.
"There's no need to drag her out by her ear!"

    "There were Heartless here in the second district a week ago!  We're
not waiting for Leon or one of his flunkies to turn up, if she's got the
key she can lock the damn keyhole right now!" the first voice roared.
Aerith had got a look at him - damn, it was Mauthus.  Six-five, broad
shoulders, lots of muscle, long greasy brown hair and absolutely,
intensely self-centered.  He was the sort of thug who steps in and takes
control though intimidation and force, and Aerith knew that nobody here
would actively try to stop him unless he did something truly outrageous.

    "That was a fluke!" she yelled, making her way though the crowd.
"The doors to the Third District are still holding!"

    "For how long, Aer-head?"  Mauthus sneered, getting a few sniggers
from some of the dumber people in the mob.

    "Long enough for this girl to get ready!  She needs time to deal
with what she's been though, you know that!"

    "She can mope and cry and whatever after she's locked the keyhole,
but she's coming NOW!"

    With that Mauthus started striding toward Jane.  Aerith ran forward
and tried to step into his path, but he grabbed her waist and threw her
onto the table.  He stood over Jane and glared down at her.

    "Move out of my way, or be moved," he snarled, but Jane wasn't
impressed.

    "No.  How dare you come in here, dictate to me and my kids and hurt
my friends." she hissed, bracing her hands against the door frame.  "Get
the hell out of our home."

    "Right, and I suppose you're going to stop me," he replied
sarcastically, grabbing her shoulder with one huge hand and starting to
to drag her out of her wheelchair - for about a second, until someone
held a small piece of white paper in front of his face.

    "Take your hands OFF her!"  Anita said from her position standing
behind Jane.  Her eyes were narrowed, her voice was level, and she was
shaking...  and not out of fear.  Mauthus glanced down at the blank
white paper and almost laughed.

    "What are you going to do, give me a paper cut?" he asked
incredulously, but Anita just smirked angrily.

    "I might," she replied, but Jane hushed her.

    "Anita," Jane said, looking back over her shoulder, "put that away
before you do something stupid."  She then looked up at Mauthus.  "And
you, get the hell out of here before she does something stupid, and
you're beaten up in front of all these people."  There was a stern
threat in her voice that suggested she really wouldn't be too upset if
Anita did something "stupid," and Mauthus found himself noticing how the
girl held that paper, as if it really *was* a weapon...  and, he also
realized, there were a lot of people watching him attack a woman with a
double amputation.

    He let go of Jane's shoulder in an uncharacteristic bout of self-
preservation, though he did roughly shove it back as he did so.  "Fine
then.  I'll wait outside," he growled.  "But I'll be back if she's not
out in an hour."

    "No, you won't," someone said, and everyone turned to see Leon in
the doorway, with Harry just visible behind him.  "That's quite enough.
Harry, 'port him to the cells."

    "What?"  Mauthus yelled, enraged.  "What the f**k for?  I didn't
hurt her!"

    "What about her?"  Leon asked, pointing at Aerith, who was
struggling to her feet after landing awkwardly on the table.  "You
attacked Aerith, right?"

    "No!"  Mauthus lied, even though a dozen people had seen him do it.

    "Yes!"  Jane and Aerith chorused, the latter slurring her speech
slightly as she had bit her tongue as she landed.

    Leon sighed.  "Right.  Harry, just get him to his usual cell.  We'll
deal with him after the keybearer."

    "Okay Leon," Harry replied, drawing a circular metal device from his
pocket.  It wasn't a portkey - Harry had no idea how to enchant them -
but Dexter had understood the concept and quickly been able to design a
technological equivalent.  "Cell three."  He looked at Mauthus.  "Can
you tell Carrot we'll be down in an hour or two?"

    Mauthus just kept a stony silence as Harry threw the device at him,
and then he vanished as it hit him, teleported to the cells.

    "Now..."  Leon addressed the mob, "what do the rest of you think
you're doing here?"  There was much looking at the floor and shuffling
of feet.


    Sakura had watched much of this from where she sat at the top of the
stairs.

    [Who was that?] she asked Ruri.

    [Mauthus,] Ruri replied, adding [he's scum] in a particularly
loathing tone.  [They should just put him in prison and forget about
him, but a lot of idiots like him and Leon has to release him.]

    Sakura shook at Ruri's description, and decided she was glad Jane
had kept him away from her.  She could hear a discussion coming from
downstairs now - it was in English so she didn't understand it, but it
was a lot calmer, and it was dominated by a single, authoritative voice.

    [That's Leon,] Ruri told Sakura.  [He's Commander of the Resistance
against the Heartless...  but don't address him as Commander.  He
doesn't like it.]

    Sakura nodded.  Leon's voice sounded cold and intimidating, and he
was already scaring her a little bit.  So she had to gulp down her
anxiety when Anita waved at her, and told her to come down and meet him.

    She slowly descended the stairs, and had a look around the room.  It
was emptier than she had expected.  Jane sat near to her, giving Sakura
a comforting smile.  A woman in a pink dress sat near Jane, and she
seemed nice.  Dash was zooming around, grabbing some food from one of
the cupboards, and a man - probably Leon - stood on the opposite side of
the room.  Sakura found herself shrinking back slightly - while the two
women looked happy to see her, the man looked disappointed...  like he
had been expecting someone taller.

    Sakura fought her urge to cringe, straightened up, tried to look
taller and introduced herself.  [I'm Ki...  Ki...] she began, and then
decided to be bolder, declaring [I'm Cardcaptor Sakura,] in the hope
that the title would impress him.

    It didn't, of course - the title of Cardcaptor only meant something
to about half a dozen people.  But he nodded to her and said, [welcome
to Traverse Town.  I'm Leon, and when it comes to fighting Heartless,
I'm in charge.]  He breathed out wearily, and kneeled so that he was
closer to Sakura's eye level.  [I'm told you have something we've been
looking for.]

    Sakura swallowed again and pulled out her chain, dangling the key in
front of her.  Leon carefully took hold of it, holding it in his palm
and running the tip of his thumb over it.

    [This could be it,] he conceded, before shooting Sakura another
critical look that made her feel small.  She could tell he doubted her,
and he compounded her hunch by saying, [we'll need to test it, though.]

    [Not today,] Jane said.  [Sakura should rest after...]

    [It's okay Jane,] Sakura said, interrupting her.  [Ruri and Anita
explained it to me...  if I can help by locking this world, I want to do
it.  But...]  - she paused, wondering if she should ask this, and
decided to even though it might not be appropriate - [I really want to
find my friends and family, so...]

    [If you can save this world,] Leon interrupted, [I promise every
world will be your oyster.]



    It only took half an hour for the preparations to be completed.
Sakura spent that time downstairs in the orphanage - she had suddenly
found her appetite returning, and Jane had been happy to prepare a small
omelet for her.

    "Hey JD, let me get that!"  Anita had yelled, offering to help with
the omelet.  She and Dash were getting giddy with anticipation of what
Sakura was about to do.  Even Ruri's mood had visibly lifted - Sakura
thought she caught Ruri smiling a few times, when she thought nobody was
looking.

    Aerith and Leon had left to go prepare for the sealing but they left
Harry and Akane on the door, to guard against more unwanted
interruptions.  Sakura had introduced herself to them, but had found
Harry difficult to talk to, because his Japanese was not very good.  She
found it very interesting to meet someone else who could use magic
though - but she was a little surprised that he hadn't heard of Clow
Reed, the great wizard had whose Cards and Key Sakura had used.  Akane
had needed to remind her that Harry came from a completely different
world.

    She also met another of the children who stayed at the orphanage, as
Dexter came back and introduced himself.  His Japanese was theoretically
very good, but his accent was so thick that Sakura found it very
difficult to understand him.  Especially once he started talking about
scientific concepts that flew so far over her head they achieved
geostationary orbit - whatever THAT meant...

    For once, Dash was a gentleman and got Dexter away from Sakura
before her head threatened to pop and her food got cold.



    Soon, they were leaving the orphanage, Jane and Anita leading the
way, Anita pushing Jane's chair.

    Sakura emerged into the street for the first time, and took a good,
long look at Traverse Town.  The entire town seemed very old fashioned -
all the open spaces were paved with flagstones, and there were even some
cobblestones in a few spots.  All the buildings were made of huge, dark
stone bricks, and there were rooftops made of deep-red slates far above
her head.

    She followed Anita to the right as She pushed Jane's rattling
wheelchair over the flagstones, and found herself in the middle of a
long rectangular plaza.  The plaza was on two levels - a lower central
area with benches around the edge and a beautiful fountain far to her
left, and a raised walkway around the edge.  Various shop fronts looked
out onto the raised walkway - a clothes shop, a jewelers, a bookstore
and more - but some of them had obviously been closed down for some
time.  There was a grand hotel directly in front of her, and to her
right a great clock tower dominated the right-hand end of the plaza.

    The plaza was almost deserted at the left-hand, fountain end; but
there was a crowd of people at the base of the clock tower and on the
raised walkway.  They were obidently waiting there, kept in check by
Harry and a number of guards, each of which had a gold armband around
their right arm.  Her gaze lifted up to the buildings where she spotted
dozens of people hanging out of windows, and then she saw another crowd
of people, clustered in a pair of huge doors just beyond the fountain.

    And they were all watching her.  A wave of cheers, encouragement,
chatter and quiet gossip hit her and she squirmed slightly, feeling her
stomach take a nervous tumble.  But she smiled, awed at the crowd's
reaction to her, and turned to look at Jane and Anita for her cue.  Jane
just silently raised a hand to indicate to someone behind Sakura.

    Leon was standing in the center of the square, waiting for her.  She
walked over to him, and he addressed her.  [Are you ready?]  She nodded,
and he continued.  [Good.  The keyhole here is hidden, to protect it
from the Heartless.  We'll reveal it soon...  then it'll be up to you.]

    [Up to me...]  Sakura thought for a second, and asked, [but...  what
do I do?]

    [Lock it,] Leon simply replied, and then turned his head away,
lifting a walkie-talkie to his mouth.  [Okay, ring the bell.]

    There were suddenly loud, deep peals from what must have been a
massive bell, and Sakura looked up at the clock tower to see its huge
bell swinging back and forward.  Then there was a slow grinding from
behind her, and she looked toward the fountain to see the bricks behind
it were shifting, sliding around to reveal a large, gold-rimmed keyhole.
This was what Sakura had to lock...  doing so would not prevent the
Heartless from appearing here, but it would permanently prevent them
from destroying this world's heart.

    The crowd was hushed now, and the atmosphere felt soupy.  Sakura
quailed a little under the attention, but gathered up her courage and
purposefully took a few steps toward the keyhole, lining herself up
directly in front of it.  She just had to do this...  and then she would
be allowed to go find Tomoyo, her father, Touya and all her friends...

    Sakura pulled her key off its chain and held it out in front of her,
on an open palm.

    [Key that holds power of the dark!] she said.

    Nothing happened.

    [Hoe?] she wondered, lifting up the key to take a closer look at
it...  and then she remembered her mistake.  The same one as last time!

    Embarrassed, Sakura held out the key once again and spoke more
energetically - [Key that holds power of the STARS!]  She was quite
relieved when she felt a spark of power in the middle of her palm, and
continued, [reveal your true form before me!]

    The crowd "oooooed" as a glowing magic circle appeared under
Sakura's feet and a wind that only affected her kicked up.  Then the key
started to float, and shine like a star, above her palm.

    [I, Sakura command you under our contract!] she cried
enthusiastically, and then she took a breath to shout "RELEASE!" in
English.  The key shook, and then started to grow...  enlarging into a
staff, nearly four feet long.  The golden star remained at it's head,
flanked by a pair of small white wings.

    Sakura snatched it out of the air, twirled it like an oversized
baton for a moment, threw it up into the air and caught it expertly as
it fell.

    And the crowd went wild, as the magic died away, a shock wave of
voices and applause hitting her.

    Sakura looked up at them, and couldn't help but feel amazed but
proud.  The secrecy of her role as the Cardcaptor had meant that she'd
never displayed her powers in front of a crowd before.  It was very
flattering to see their reaction, to hear their applause and whoops and
cheers.  She quickly turned back to look at her new friends and saw
Anita and Dash jumping for joy, and Ruri watching intently with a
surprised, and somewhat hopeful expression.

    [That's it, Sakura-chan!]  Anita yelled.  [Do it!  Lock it!]

    "OK!"  Sakura replied, and strode closer to the keyhole, buoyed up
by the support.

    And wondered what the heck she was meant to do.

    She stared directly into the keyhole, and held her staff in front of
her.  Normally when she had needed to use magic, the words and motions
had just occurred to her, given to her by the card she was using.  But
now she was genuinely clueless...  nobody had been able to tell her just
what to do, as if she was supposed to instinctively lock the keyhole.

    The roars of the crowd faded away as she wondered what to do, and
decided to just make it up...  all she needed to do was give a clear
command, right?  So she raised the staff, and pointed it at the center
of the keyhole.

    [Keyhole!  Seal this world's heart away!] she commanded, before
shouting, "LOCK!"


    The crowd fell silent, and nothing happened for several seconds.


    Sakura sagged slightly, and the crowd stopped holding its breath.
It hadn't worked!  One or two concerned whispers started to echo around,
just out of Sakura's hearing.

    She looked around at the crowd, who looked worried, but someone near
the doors yelled, "You can do it!" and they were joined by a few others.
"Come on!"

    Sakura nodded.  She was sure she could...  she HAD to!  She closed
her eyes and gripped the staff in both hands, raising it up above her
head.  She tried to will all her energy into her arms, and up into the
staff...  give it all the power she had.  Concentrate.

    [Keyhole!  Seal this world's heart away!] she ordered, sharply
bringing the staff down to point it at the keyhole.  "LOCK!"


    Nothing happened.


    Sakura opened her eyes in disbelief.  She hadn't felt the slightest
spark of magic, and now the crowd was silent...  apart from a rising
subliminal murmur.  She glared at the keyhole, and desperately thrust
the staff forward again.  "LOCK!"

    Nothing.

    [LOCK!] she yelled, trying Japanese instead of using an English
word, like she usually needed to.

    Nothing.

    Dismayed, Sakura's eyes widened and watered, and she thought she
heard a laugh - followed by some angry voices - among the ever-louder
murmur.  She looked up to see the crowd that had been lauding her, now
watching her with sad, disapproving eyes...  and a few people were
leaving.

    It wasn't working...  but it had to!  She had the key!  Everyone had
said so!  She couldn't go look for her friends if it didn't work!

    Sakura panicked, and the obvious solution occurred to her - if her
staff was the key, then maybe it needed to actually go into the keyhole!
She desperately ran forward and jumped into the fountain, bracing a hand
against the wall and almost throwing the staff into the keyhole.

    It bounced off the hole, forced back by some invisible field, and
Sakura sagged.

    [No...  come on...  please...] she begged, a tear starting to roll
down her cheek.

    She tried again, and again, but no luck - the keyhole steadfastly
refused to let her lock it.  Defeated, she looked up, begging for a
suggestion or a little help, but none was forthcoming - the crowd was
thinning, with a disappointed look on its face, and when she looked back
at Leon he just sighed and spoke into his radio.

    Sakura jumped in surprise as the bell rang and the wall behind her
started to shift, closing up and hiding the keyhole.

    [NO!] she shouted, and turned to yell at Leon.  [I can do this!  I
promise I can do this...  I need to!  Please!]

    But he just lowered and shook his head.  Sakura blabbered out a few
[buts] and found herself sinking to her knees in the middle of the
fountain, letting out a soft sob.  She couldn't help it...  she'd been
so sure she could lock it...  but she was completely powerless, and she
could never go look for Tomoyo now, and she was so completely humiliated
in front of so many people who'd been so happy to see her.  She couldn't
bear the thought of opening her eyes or looking up, for fear of seeing
someone staring angrily at her.  So she sat and cried in the fountain,
trying to wipe her tears away with fingers that were already soaking
wet.

    But after a moment she heard the rattle of a wheelchair crossing the
flagstones, and a kind voice said "It's okay, Sakura.  You did
everything you could...  come out of the fountain, and we'll get you
some dry clothes."

    Sakura opened her eyes and looked up at Jane, but even though her
words were kind, Jane was not superhuman and couldn't hide the
disappointed look on her face.



    Sakura was taken back to the orphanage and the last of the crowd
filtered away.  One of the last ones to leave was Ruri.

    "Aren't yooo comink?"  Dexter asked her.

    "Yes," she replied, staring at the fountain.  She looked down at her
hands - there were small red arcs on the middle of her palms, from when
her fingernails had bit into her clenched fists as she'd waited for the
keyhole to be locked...

    [Idiot,] she said to herself.

    "Vwat?"  Dexter asked.

    Ruri sighed.  "Nothing."



    Sakura was taken back to the orphanage, took a warm bath, and was
allowed to change into one of Ruri's dresses.  Throughout all this, she
avoided everyone else's eyes, and rarely spoke - she couldn't face them,
and some of them - Dash in particular - didn't want to talk to her.
(even if he could have)

    So she ended up hiding in her new room, lying on the bed and wishing
she could curl up and die.  She'd never been so miserable before...  of
all the terrible things that had happened today, to have her last spark
of hope snatched away felt like the worst.

    She lay there for hours, thinking about who she'd lost...  it grew
darker outside, as Traverse Town dimmed the street lamps to simulate a
24-hour day, and Ruri eventually opened the door and stepped inside.

    [It's late.  I'm going to bed,] she said coldly.

    Sakura didn't reply.  She couldn't bear to, for fear of what else
Ruri might have to say to her.  She turned her head away, and heard Ruri
getting changed and going to bed.

    [There's a spare nightdress in the top drawer.]  Ruri said, and she
rolled over to face the wall.

    Sakura lay there for a while, listening to the sounds of the
orphanage and the town outside quietly going to bed.  Eventually she
changed into the nightdress and lay down under the covers, trying to get
to sleep...  but...


    As she closed her eyes, a dark dream took her, and a Heartless
pounced...


    Sakura awoke again with a start.  A nightmare...  barely even a
nightmare...  barely a dream.  Just a single terrifying image.  But she
looked around, and saw she was surrounded by shadows, the entire room a
huge shadow bisected by a strip of faint streetlight sneaking though the
curtains.

    It occurred to her that there could be hundreds of Heartless in here
with her, and she wouldn't be able to see them.

    Sakura sat up and shuffled back into the corner, pulling the covers
up to her neck.  Her pupils widened and shot around the room, trying to
make out the silhouette of a Heartless in the shadows.

    She didn't see anything, which didn't really mean a thing.  But the
fact she was still alive probably meant there were no Heartless here...
she hoped.  All she caught sight of was the inviting yellow glow coming
from around the door - light would be nice right now.  A little light to
see the darkness by.

    She quietly slid out of bed, trying not to disturb Ruri or any
lurking Heartless, and crept to the door.  It was a relief to get into
the corridor, but she was still a little alarmed when she did...  she
could hear movement coming from downstairs.  So Sakura tip-toed down the
corridor and the stairs...

    And was surprised but relieved to see it was Jane.

    A door headed off from the kitchen, and Sakura could see it led to
Jane's bedroom.  The woman sat in her wheelchair, in front of an easel
and canvas, staring at the canvas with a pencil in her hand.  A few
unfinished canvasses lent against the walls, some just sketched out,
while others had had small dabs of paint, or even swathes of color
applied before being abandoned.  There was also a small dresser and a
wardrobe in the room, as well as a single person futon on the floor.

    Jane turned as she heard Sakura approach, before showing a small
smile.  [Oh, you're still awake.  I got Anita to check on you, and she
said you were asleep.]

    [I slept a little...]  Sakura started to say, but her train of
thought was derailed - Jane was not wearing that blanket over her lower
body, and Sakura could see the remains of her legs.  She wore a short
skirt, but below the hem there was just a pair of stumps, cut off just
above the knee.  One was slightly longer than the other and both were
wrapped in bandages.

    [They're a bit of a mess, aren't they?]  Jane eventually asked, and
Sakura started as she realized she'd been staring.

    [Hoe?  Oh!  I'm, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to...]

    [It's fine,] Jane reassured her.  [I don't mind.]  She turned her
chair toward Sakura, and started to roll it closer.  [You had a bad
dream, didn't you?]

    Sakura gulped and nodded.

    [That's OK,] Jane continued.  [Almost everyone does.  It's not
surprising, after all.  Trust me, there aren't any Heartless nearby, and
if there were, they'd be sorry when Leon found them.]  She got to the
door, and Sakura moved to let her out.  [Would you like a hot drink?
I'm sure it'll make you feel better.]

    Sakura accepted, and sat at the table while Jane heated some milk in
a pot.  Soon a frothy mug of hot chocolate was ready, and Sakura sat
sipping at it.

    [Jane?] she said.  Sakura wanted to make small-talk, but there was
only one big-talk subject on her mind right now.  [Can I ask you
something?]

    [Anything.]

    [What happened to you?]

    [Ah...]  Jane sighed, and her gaze fell to the floor.  [Well...  I
said you could ask me anything...  but I can't answer that.  I don't
really know.]  Sakura listened silently as Jane continued.  [They found
me in the first district three years ago, leaning against the big
lamppost.  I was in a hospital gown, and it took me three days to wake
up...  and when I did, I had no memory.  I don't know anything about
what happened to me before that.]  She waved a hand, adding, [well, I
have a few vague notions, but they're very...  sketchy.]

    [But you know your name, right?]  Sakura asked.  [That's something.]

    [No...  Leon and Aerith decided to call me Jane Doe,] Jane replied.
[It's a traditional western name for women with amnesia.]

    Sakura nodded, and took another sip of her chocolate.  She'd never
heard of that name before, but she had been wondering why an obviously
Japanese woman had such a Western-sounding name.

    [So you don't remember anything,] Sakura said into her mug.  [That
must be terrible.]

    [It can be a little scary,] Jane conceded, [I don't know anything
about what happened to me, or who I left behind in my past world.  But I
manage.  I get along.]

    Sakura nodded, a little impressed with Jane's resilience.  She
wished she could put her fears aside like Jane did...  to be as
courageous as when Sakura watched her stand up to that mean Malthus
person without even flinching...

    [You're very brave,] she eventually said.

    [You think so?]  Jane asked - she seemed genuinely surprised.
[Well...] she stumbled slightly on her own words, [if I am...  it's only
because of my friends.  I've been lucky enough to have made good
friends, and...  deep inside, I've always been sure I could depend on
them.  I've never had problems trusting people...  if I'm brave, it's
because I know they'll help me if I need it.]

    Sakura nodded.  She understood perfectly.  [You're lucky to have
them,] she added, slightly morosely.

    [We both are, Sakura-chan.  Because I'm sure all my friends will
want to be your friends too.  Then we can both be brave.]




    Sakura went to sleep with a slightly lighter heart, lying on the
futon in Jane's brightly-lit room.  Jane had offered it so that Sakura
wouldn't need to sleep in the dark...  she'd been reluctant to take a
handicapped woman's bed from her, but Jane had made it clear it wasn't a
problem.

    It was there that she drifted off to sleep, feeling deeply unhappy
yet oddly secure.


End Part 2.2 - The Circus in the Second District


The next part will be Part 2.3, "Sakura and the Wall of Faces" and will
conclude this arc.

I promise, things are going to start looking up soon.
That part was a long time coming... I actually sat on this completed 
version for at least a month, I think.
Thanks for reading, C&C and comments appreciated.


Cast of Characters (in order of appearance)

Dash Parr (The Incredibles): The second child of a superhero family,
Dash has the power of super-speed - which is of questionable value
against the Heartless.

Aerith Gainsbourgh (Final Fantasy VII/Kingdom Hearts): A kind and
sympathetic woman, and one of Leon's principal lieutenants.  In spite of
her empathic nature (or maybe because of?)  Aerith tends to get closely
involved in matters that don't really concern her.

Dexter (Dexter's Laboratory): A short young boy who is also a leading
scientific genius.  Dexter is content to just have time to invent and
research, but also enjoys getting into the action, which he regards as a
field test of his latest inventions.

Ikari Shinji (Evangelion): A fourteen year old Japanese school boy with
good reason for being solitary - his father's a jerk, everyone around
him was manipulating him and he was forced to pilot a giant robot,
causing him great mental and physical pain.  Shinji is probably the only
person here who appreciates the unwitting favour the Heartless did for
him.

Harry Potter: a seventeen year old apprentice wizard, Harry is high up
in the Traverse Town guard.

Tendo Akane (Ranma 1/2): A sixteen year old martial artist from Nerima,
Japan.  She has difficulty with the English language, though she's
better at English than Harry is at Japanese...

Leon (Final Fantasy VIII/Kingdom Hearts): The cold leader of Traverse
Town, Leon is in charge of fighting heartless, though he always
prioritises protecting the keyhole in Traverse Town.  Does not deal with
kids well.

Jane Doe: The wheelchair-bound matron of the Second District Orphanage.
Very good at organizing and looking after her charges, in spite of her
disability.  Fiercely protective of the kids.  Has no memory of who she
actually is or how she lost her legs.

Mauthus: A selfish thug who is opposed to the resistance.

Kinomoto Sakura (Cardcaptor Sakura): The genki star of Cardcaptor Sakura
is a potential "force of nature" if she has her cards.  So she doesn't
here.  No doubt she can find some alternate channels for her energy...
she does have a lot of magical power after all.

Anita King (R.O.D The TV): As the eldest of the children at the
orphanage, Anita is Jane's lieutenant, and is particularly close to her.
Apparantly originally from the UK, but has lived in Hong Kong and Japan
for the last few years.

Hoshino Ruri (Nadesico): A genetically engineered, technologically
enhanced, specially educated genius.  Ruri is not usually arrogant or
malicious, but she is always needlessly (or even offensively) direct and
frank to those around her.

All characters, names and concepts related to The Incredibles are the
creation/property of Brad Bird, Pixar and Disney.
All characters, names and concepts related to Kingdom Hearts are the
creation/property of SquareEnix and Disney.
All characters, names and concepts related to Dexter's Laboratory are
the creation/property of Gennedy Tartakovsky and Cartoon Network.
All characters, names and concepts related to Neon Genesis Evangelion
are the creation/property of Hideaki Anno, GAINAX and ADV.
All characters, names and concepts related to Harry Potter are the
creation/property of J.K.  Rowling
All characters, names and concepts related to Ranma 1/2 are the
creation/property of Rumiko Takahashi, Fuji TV, Genon and Viz.
All characters, names and concepts related to Cardcaptor Sakura are the
creation/property of CLAMP, Kodansha, NHK, Pioneer and Nelvana.
All characters, names and concepts related to R.O.D the TV are the
creation/property of Hideyuki Kurata, Geneon and MVM
All characters, names and concepts related to Martian Successor Nadesico
are the creation/property of Kia Asamiya, XEBEC and ADV.
Jane doesn't belong to me, but I'm afraid I can't say who she does
belong to as it would be a spoiler.  (a minor one, but still) She will
be properly disclaimed in later chapters.




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