Picture Perfect

By: MegamiSilence

Disclaimer: Not mine

AN: First of all I am SO SORRY D- chan for not getting this out like almost a year ago, but seriously this was hard to start!!! I had few ideas, and not much time so I had to put it aside for a while, but it was time I was true to the challenge, and here you are!!! I'm attempting my first yuri so please forgive me if it's not what you were expecting!!! I really do hope you people like it... and for Kami-sama's sake REVIEW!

This is SO dedicated to D-chan... thanks for putting up with the suspense!
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The famous alarmclock rang for a full minute before automatically clicking off. The lump that had been covered by a large comforter laid still not even twitching from the annoying call of the morning. A few more minutes past and still the figure had not budged.

Having enough, an orange stuffed animal flew out of his little bed in the figure's top dresser drawer and landed on top of the lump shaking his head in his own leak of annoyance. He pulled back the top of the comforter to reveal a solid human head. It was the portrait of an extremely pretty fourteen year old girl. Her thick brown hair that had grown a good foot over the past couple of years lay messy all over her pillow and her face.

The stuffed animal took a good look at her trying to decide if his many attempts he knew he would make to wake her up were worthy of doing this morning, but in the end he always knew the answer... nothing was ever going to wake her up if he didn't try. "Sakura! It's time to get up...it's your first day back to school... Sakura!!" he tried but no answer.

So he took another approach. He softly walked closer to her face not trying to fall on his way. HE bent over and was going to poke her awake. It would have worked but when his fuzzy hand connected to her cheek her static hair had immediately shocked him backwards. It was like a human getting struck by lightening for him. He landed on his but and felt very angered. He jumped to his feet and subconsciously held his arms tightly behind his body and furiously shouted, "SAKURA KINOMOTO GET YOUR LAZY BUT OUT OF BED OR PREPARE TO BATTLE ME!!!" he thought it would be more effective if he added, "AS MY TRUE FORM!!!!!!!!"

This new attempt brought a smile to his face as Skaura's eyes flickered open. He noted that he should try his loud threats more often. Sakura turned her head toward her guardian and one of her best friends. Her glazed green eyes blinked a few times trying to get rid of the fogginess that still lingered in them. She slowly pulled herself up and out of bed, her stuffed toy look alike floating behind her still smiling from his accomplishment. Then Sakura turned around and looked at him..., "NEVER YELL AT ME LIKE THAT AGAIN!!!" she screeched. He winced and dove for his drawer where it slid shut upon his arrival.

Sakura cheekily grinned at the drawer and took one step forward when she heard him mumble, "Stupid pms... why can't she just skip puberty?" Sakura, still smiling knowing he couldn't see her, added herself, "I'M WARNING YOU KERO!!!!!" She nodded her head in satisfaction when a pleading for mercy had poured from Kero's mouth.

Sakura made her way through her clothes to find her school uniform. She rummaged through a couple drawers before picking out some wrinkled pieces of clothing that she wouldn't have any time to iron today. She had received her uniform a few weeks ago when she registered for highschool, meaning she passed her entrance exam... but not by much. Though she was still happy she would be going to her new highschool with Tomoyo.

She continued to make predictions for the day as she put her up. She pinned her two handfuls of hair on either side of her head and threw them behind her head clipping it there. She was satisfied with the look but rethought it. Tomoyo had taught her some handy tricks for long hair. Sakura took some more hair underneath the smooth line of her previous work and pulled it above the line of hair and clipped it there as it hung overtop her already pinned hair making it resemble water overflowing. She giggled at her feminist approach for the day and moved on.

She was looking for her school bag that she knew she had left somewhere around her room. She searched high and low and finally came across it. It sat inside another drawer. She picked it up and was about to slide the drawer shut when she realized she was staring at the Sakura Cards. She stared at them for a few minutes looking over every detail. The colour seemed so dull and distant. The book itself felt cold. Sakura shivered and looked at the clock, breaking eye contact with the one thing she cherished the most.

She was going to be late. She threw her messenger bag over her shoulder and ran out the door not forgetting to throw Kero a quick goodbye before she descended the stairs. He popped his head out of the drawer he made such accustom to live in and watched his master run away and his eyes dropped as he sighed. She would have to learn the truth sooner or later.

She took the stairs two at a time and jumped to the bottom of the stairs where she nearly collided with a tall figure. She looked up and gasped. Touya! He had waited for her before he left for college. He was still about two feet taller than she was but that didn't stop her from jumping into his arms and hugging him tightly, no matter how much he could still annoy her.

"I didn't want to leave until I saw my favorite little akuma first." He smiled smugly and let her down. He walked away before she could even speak a word but came back within seconds to give her a piece of toast. "I know what it's like being late for the first day of school, and believe me you don't want to go there." Now she smiled brightly feeling all the warmth from her brothers kind eyes.

"Thanks Touya! I'm glad you're here, because dad hasn't been for a while. He's been going to the University early for the past week for Kami know's what, it's been kind of lonely without you around anymore." she looked down reminiscing about her time at home the previous week. Yue and Kero ALWAYS hanging around and she doing all the chores and being bored to death with Yue and Kero's constant bickering.

Touya smiled again to cheer her up, and offered a hug again in which she accepted and then shooed her out the door explaining he was going to see their father before heading back to the campus.

Sakura hopped into her roller blades, stuffed her shoes into her bag and took off. She skated down the streets feeling more relaxed then ever. She enjoyed the rushing feeling she got every morning when she would go to school to be almost late everyday. She childishly giggled when the sakura blossom petals all ran into her smooth skin giving her a sensationally soft tickle. She caught a couple of intact sakura blossoms deciding she would give one to Tomoyo when she greeted her at school.

She was used to traveling down this road to go to school, however the school she was going to wasn't the same. Though it wasn't like she was going far; the highschool was next to her old school, only divided by a fence.

She skated over a patch of grass and it slowed her pace down. At last she saw her new school, and it was big.

In the near distance, she saw a group of teenage girls, and in particular, a girl with a long, flowing blunette mane. Sakura smiled to herself. 'I could never forget what Tomoyo looks like, even from the back.' Sakura finally reached the group, but on her way she tripped and fell on her rear.

"Hoi!" She sighed while rubbing her sore spot. Meanwhile the girls turned to look at what happened.

"Oh, Sakura!! You're finally here, we've been waiting for you." Tomoyo said, as she helped Sakura up onto her own feet.

"Yah, well, I sort of slept in again." Sakura said with a grin. All the girls sweat-dropped. Sakura looked at each girl carefully. First she noticed Rita. She was starting to physically mature, and her hair was not much longer than it had usually been every year, however she didn't quite look the same as she started to wear a little bit of makeup. 'Oh. She's so pretty.' She thought, not with jealousy. Next, she saw Nikki. Nikki didn't look so different, because of her large and round glasses, but her hair was long and she had a bit of a curl to it, instead of straight. She looked very nice, and conservative. And then she looked at Chelsea. She had lost the pigtails, and wore her hair very long and in loose curls. Although her hair was very lady-like, she had this new 'tomboy' aura. Something Sakura definitely would never expect Chelsea, of all people, to have.

Finally she examined her own best friend, Tomoyo. She was as beautiful as ever. Her pale complexion contrasted gorgeously to her dark tresses, that gently blew over her face in the wind. She never needed makeup, she was much too pretty for that. She, like Rita, was blossoming very nicely and she fit her uniform like a senior would. She looked much older than she really was.

As Sakura was admiring the new look of her friends, something had caught her eye. She looked at the school fountain. It was glowing a light shade of pink, but it flickered into black every other second. It seemed to put her into a slight trance, as she didn't notice Tomoyo snapping her fingers her face.

"Sakura!" Tomoyo said loudly. "Is something wrong?"

Sakura broke her eye contact with the fountain. "Did you see the fountain glowing?" She asked, looking deep into Tomoyo's eyes. All the girls looked at the fountain and then back at Sakura with a strange look on their faces.

Tomoyo looked too. "Where? I don't see anything!" She said.

"What do you mean? I saw it right th-" Sakura had pointed towards the fountain, but stopped speaking when she saw no more glow. 'Hm,' she thought, 'Maybe it was my imagination.' She shrugged her shoulders and then she and Tomoyo walked into the school. Sakura handed her the sakura blossom and smiled. "Best friends forever!" They giggled.

Chelsea, Rita and Nikki looked at one another. Then Nikki spoke, "Looks like another 'weird Sakura' year." And they followed the other two, laughing.

XVXVXVX

They all sat in class, waiting for their new teacher to appear. Sakura watched as Tomoyo was making conversation with a less popular-looking guy. 'Already the guys are attaching themselves to her.' She thought, this time with a bit of jealousy hidden underneath the humor of the situation. Tomoyo still held the sakura blossom in her hand, caressing her own skin with its soft petals.

Guys. That was something else, served on her plate as a freshman. She had never had a real relationship. Maybe it would start to happen this year.After all, girls were supposed to be obsessed with guys once they start highschool, weren't they? She didn't know the whole love rule book thing. That was Rita's department. Rita always seemed to attract the good looking ones, even their teachers. She wondered if her teacher was male or female this time, because if it was male and single, she immediately saw the future with that. Where was her teacher anyways? Still looking around, she noticed that a boy was looking her way, or rather directly at her. When he saw that she noticed him, he turned away with a blush. He didn't look like the other boys. He more dark than them. He had black hair and brown eyes. He also had piercing on his face. He was a goth, she figured. That was a bit different. She didn't see that very much.

Class had been well into its first half hour before they finally met their teacher. All the students where clamoring with excitement, gabbing happily to one another before they were scared senseless by the loud, booming voice of a young man behind them all.

Sitting in the shadows of the back of the class sat a young looking man wearing a suit and tie. His hair was short with longer bangs, but they were molded upwards by hair product.

"Aerodynamically the bumblebee shouldn't be able to fly, but the bumblebee doesn't know that so it goes on flying anyway." He suddenly said. The class stared, silently at him, not sure of how to respond to his queer statements. Their look of puzzlement drew a sigh. "What I am saying is-"

"Expectations." He looked forward. His own sentence was interrupted by his student. Speaking out loud was usually something to be punished for in school, however, this young lady seemed different. Perhaps she knew that he wasn't as strict as others.

"Very good Miss Tomoyo. It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education." He said to her directly, smiling. His complexion was of a sun god, very dark and tight, as well as his dark auburn hair- so wild and youthful. Tomoyo looked at him thoughtfully. She couldn't help blushing at the man, that looked deep into her eyes with intrigue. He was ver chilling yet full of warmth at the same time. "Care to explain what you have started?" He asked.

"Not at all. It means that a master can tell you what he expects of you. A teacher, though, awakens your own expectations." Her eyes sparkled and she looked at him differently than she would normally look at a teacher. He was not the same type of person. His character was a distinct match to her own, and that fascinated her.

Sakura watched the scene play before her. What in the? They seemed to be talking to each other as if no one was around. Had they met before? He already knew her name and everything! She noticed the blush on Tomoyo's face, and started to wonder. Na. He was much older than her, and besides they only just met. Then after disconnecting their gazes from each other, their new teacher strode to his desk at the front of the class, and behind it he wrote on the blackboard, 'Mr. Kazou'.

"Alright, class has now begun." And Sakura yawned, now fully accepting the newfound boredom of highschool, but the interesting affairs that may possibly begin afterwards.

XVXVXVXVXVXV

The girls gathered on the ground outside, during lunch. They were eating and laughing at each other's lame jokes. They were also watching the guys play a game of soccer.

'It's not that different from grade school.' Sakura thought as one of the boys scored a goal. She bit into some shrimp and chewed happily.

"I wonder what Syaoran looks like now?" Rita said. Sakura nearly choked to death on her food. The girls looked up at Sakura as her face turned different colours. "Are you alright, Sakura?" She asked concerned. Sakura nodded slowly.

She looked at what they were doing while chugging back a bottle of water, trying to clear her throat. They had a picture in their hands, all of them looking at it and making suggestions about appearances and what they would be doing now. Skaura, now curious, moved her way over behind them, to take a peek at the picture. She saw Syaoran, Meiling and herself. Herself? When was that picture taken, and by whom?

"I bet Syaoran is dating now, he wasn't bad looking after all." Chelsea added to the conversation. Tomoyo's eyes widened and she slowly looked at Sakura, but Sakura's head was bowed and her eyes closed for a few seconds before she took a deep breath and looked upwards again.

"Maybe. You know, Meiling very pretty, now that I think about it. I wonder how long her hair is now? Do you think she still keeps it up in those pigtails?" Nikki wondered.

"Hey, what's wrong with pigtails?" Chelsea fought.

"Nothing, nothing!" Nikki waved her hands, innocently and laughed nervously.

"Hey, Sakura. Weren't you writing to them or something?" Rita asked her suddenly. She looked at Rita, her eyes softening.

"I did. They just stopped writing back, so I didn't bother anymore." She looked down again.

The four other girls looked at each other. All thinking the same thing, about how sad Sakura must feel right then.

"You know... you and Meiling look really cute together in this picture, Sakura." Tomoyo said sweetly. Sakura looked up at her in a daze. Then she began to blush unfavorably.

XBXBXBXBX

School was finished, and Sakura couldn't believe how much homework she had. She thought to herself that if it was going to be like this all year, she wasn't going to make it. She skated around a corner and thought about Syaoran and Meiling suddenly. Then she pulled out the picture of them and herself. It was Tomoyo's, but she let Sakura have it. Sakura stared at it for a little while, standing in the driveway of her house. She too wondered how much older the two of them looked, now that they were five years older. Shaolin probably was gorgeous and had girls hanging all over him and Meiling... well, Meiling would probably be so beautiful... so beautiful she was probably engaged already. 'That was a bad joke...' Sakura thought to herself.

She threw her book bag onto her bed and ten dropped herself as well. "Uh... How am I ever going to get this homework finished?" She rubbed her temples in frustration. " Well... no sense in putting it off...I should just get it done!" She opened her book bag and let all the books fall out onto her desk, and then she sat herself down. Searching for a pencil sharpener, she stumbled across a box, tucked back in the very end of the drawer of her desk. 'Hm,' she thought,' I wonder what tat is?'

Pulling out the box and opening it, it revealed a bundle of letters from Meiling. Sakura gasped. She had forgotten all about that. She opened the last letter that she had received and began to read it.

It had said things like, 'I hope you are enjoying school,' and, 'Syaoran always makes sure that I write that he says hi too,' but never once did she wonder what Sakura was up to, or how the Sakura cards were doing, or anything that they would have said to each other, if she was still in Tokyo, with her.

She wondered if she should write another letter to her, for the sake of getting things off her chest, or not. After a ruffle duffle in her mind, she gave in and began to write.

Dear Meiling,

Wow, it's been a long time since we've written to each other. I wonder how you're doing now? How's your new school treating you?

Today, during lunch the girls and I were looking at a picture of you and Syaoran, and we were wondering what you would look like now. As we haven't seen you in nearly five years and all. Maybe if you have a picture or something, then we could see what a beauty you must have grown up like.

I noticed in your letters that you sent me, you never did ask about the Sakura cards. I guess that since they're all captured it really doesn't matter. Now they're safe and they aren't going anywhere.

Well, I know this letter isn't very long but I really don't know what to write to you about. It's been too long, and I feel like I don't know who you are anymore. I guess I don't like the sense of disconnecting with a dear friend. I'm sorry if I come across as a baby still, but I just can't help it. I really miss you.

I truly hope you'll write me back this time. Please tell me if you still want to be friends or not.

Sincerely Sakura

She finished up and immediately sealed it in an envelope. Addressing to Meiling in pink ink, she sat at her desk and stared at the letter for the longest time. In her brain, she was not that easily convinced to actually mail the letter. It was just some way to express her sadness without letting anyone know it. However, someone did know about it.

"Whoa, writing to Meiling, huh?" Kero said, crumbs falling off of his stuffed animal-looking features.

Sakura looked over her shoulder and then tucked the letter in her drawer, being calm about the new situation. "No.... it's just an old one.... actually it's from her." She scratched her head and laughed nervously.

"Well, I guess she needs to learn how to address her letters then, eh Sakura?" He said smugly, floating in the air with his little arms crossed. Sakura eye-balled him, but said nothing. "Why don't you send her the letter? How could it hurt?"

Sakura, still, refused to say anything. She didn't want to admit that she felt really hurt that neither Shaolin or Meiling would answer her letters. But she still contemplated what Kero was trying to get across. Maybe it didn't really matter if she sent the letter. She was already used to not getting replies, so how could possibly hurt? She bit her lip with indecision.

"C' mon Sakura, get the letter and take it to the mailbox!!! Do it, or I'll do it for you." He clarified. His little face was nearly pressed right against her own.

She could barley feel his fluffs of wind against her face as his wings fluttered. She was ready to sneeze, but when Kero almost threatened her, she knew he was right.

"Sakura!"

"OK! I'm going." She opened the drawer, grabbed the letter and bounded for the mailbox a little bit down the street. Standing in front of the mailbox, she once again glanced at her letter. 'Please write back to me, Meiling.' She pleaded silently. She deposited the letter and then walked back home, slowly.

After supper had been finished, and she said goodnight to her father, she snuck a little desert up to Kero, whom was still starving, even after eating half her food when she went to the 'bathroom', a little bit of food in a napkin, for Kero to eat.

She sprawled out on her bed, stretching a little and then closed her eyes for a little bit. Her eyes snapped open, however, when she heard violent shaking in her room. She shot up and looked at her desk. The drawer was moving, and glowing the same as the fountain had been earlier that morning. Skeptically, she got off her bed and walked to her drawer. Kero, too, had heard the noise and met her there. After moments hesitation, she opened the drawer.

Suddenly, in a whirl of strong wind, all the Sakura cards blasted out of the book and darted away from the house, in a cold rush. Sakura could barely see anything, being that she was standing in a small tornado of flying cards, however, she managed to grab one card. It began to burn her hand, her skin feeling as if it were on fire. She looked at the card, it was the Fiery. Throwing the card on the ground, Sakura stomped on it and it laid lifeless on the floor of her room. A second later, all the cards had disappeared from her and the book popped out of the drawer and landed on the floor, closing itself. Sakura ran to the book and tried to open it, but it would not let her. It was sealed tight.

She looked up at Kero, tears stinging her eyes. "WHY?" she screamed. "Why is this happening Kero?" She began to shake from the sobbing that racked her body.

Shamefully, Kero hung his head and began to tell her the truth. He had told her from the beginning that she must expect the unexpected, and realize that as long as she had the cards in her power, there would always be something that would happen with them. The shameful part was that he had never told her that she would soon lose contact with her beloved cards and therefore, allowing them to escape, waiting for her to prove herself to them. Somehow, in someway she would have to defeat the card at what it does best, or else she would lose the cards forever.

"NO!" she screamed and said nothing, unable to speak over her uncontrollable sobs. Kero stared at her, tears soon spilling from his own small eyes.

'I'm sorry, Sakura.' he said silently. 'I'm so sorry.'

SSSHHHSSSSHHHSSSSHHHSSSSSHHHHHSSSSSSHHHHHHSSSSSSSHHHHHHSSSSSHH Well, first chapter is finished, and I'm pleased it was as long as I originally planned. Once again, I'm very sorry to D-chan, who challenged me to this fic and so patiently for so long to be able to read it. But it's out and there's only one more to go now.... the next big problem will ce adding chapters LOL..... I'm such a procrastinator. Shame on me! Anyways. I hope a lot of people like this fic, and will review. Thanks

P.S. Can someone remind me what the real Japanese names are for Rita, Chelsea and Nikki? I'd appreciate it.

MegamiSilence