Kero-chan, also known as Cerberus, the gaurdian of the seal, prodded his sleeping master, Sakura Kinomoto. She blinked sleepily, resisted the urge to flop over and snuggle into the warm covers and drift back to dreamland, and turned off her alarm clocked and was dressed before seven o'clock.

"Good morning, Kero-chan." she said, still slightly bleary from sleep.

"Sakura, your hair ties are messed up." Kero pointed out the lopsided hairstyle. Sakura took heed of this, and carefully brushed and tied her hair again. Then she walked downstairs.

"I'm surprised I didn't hear any stomping around from the little monster." her older brother, Toya, remarked loudly. Sakura huffed a little, but didn't say anything or stomp his foot like usual. She'd been up late studying and was still sleepy.

"Good morning, Okaa-san." she said to her mother's photograph before washing her face with cold water, which finally woke her up.

Good morning, Sakura.

"Good morning, Sakura-san." her father said cheerfully.

"Good morning, Otou-san!" she exclaimed, equally cheerfully now that she was finally awake.

It was a normal morning for the Mistress of the Sakura Cards.

At school, Sakura was in seventh grade. Of course, she hadn't been very good at math in elementary school, but she'd decided to try harder and so, with Toya's help, she was now near the top of the class.

"Kinomoto-san, would you answer number nine for us?" the teacher, Kasumi-sensei, asked. Sakura nodded.

"Okay."

She was in Algebra 1, and she wrote the problem. 3y + 7 (2y - 4) = y - 12

Writing the answer, Kasumi-sensei praised Sakura yet again. Sakura smiled happily and sat back down.

"Sakura-chan, you're so good at math! I have lots of trouble, sometimes." Naoko said enviously. "Would you help me with the homework sometimes? Negatives really confuse me."

"Sure." Sakura liked to help people, especially when they were her friends and she knew they were nice.

"Oh, me too, please, Sakura-chan!" Rika said. "Just negatives, they are so confusing, aren't they?" she looked at Naoko and both girls nodded.

Then Sakura remembered to pay attention and she quieted her friends and they turned their attention back to the teacher.

"Daidouji-san, please answer number ten." the teacher said to the pretty girl in the back. She smiled graciously and nodded her head, a tiny little graceful nod. Sakura knew she was nice, but wasn't close friends with the girl.

Daidouji had beautiful penmanship, and she wrote flowingly and gracefully, with the answer accurate. The rumor was that she was the only student to get one hundred on every assignment for every class, and she was the smartest girl in seventh grade. But she didn't talk to anyone except for the teachers unless someone else talked to her, and she was very polite. Sakura knew that much.

"Good job," the teacher complimented her when Daidouji finished and got the correct answer. She smiled sweetly and sat back down.

"Daidouji-san is so stuck up." Naoko complained. "She's so smart, but she smiles whenever someone is nice to her and never talks to anyone. She thinks she's better than everyone else."

Sakura noticed that Daidouji had heard Naoko's comment. She also noticed the corners of the girl's mouth turn up and stretch even wider. She was a queer girl. Someone insults her, and she smiles?

It was English class, which Sakura really disliked although she was fairly good at it. They weren't doing anything too complicated, and besides, the cards had taught her many English words. She just didn't like thinking so hard. It made her head hurt.

"This semester, we will be doing something different," the teacher, Sarumi-sensei, said. "Instead of a book report, I will put you into partners and you will do a puppet show about your book. I've chosen your partners, so don't bother looking at your friends - and don't give me that face, Harukaze-san."

The short girl blushed.

"Partners will be Naoko-san and Rika-san..."

"Lucky!" the two friends whispered. Sakura smiled for them. She hoped she was paired with Chiharu or Yamazaki.

"... Chiharu-san and Yamazaki-kun," she said.

Sakura sighed. She couldn't wish, could she?

"... Kinomoto-san and Daidouji-san..." Sarumi-sensei continued.

Sakura was slightly disbelieving. The rest of the pairs were friends, but she hardly knew Daidouji! How could she do a puppet show with her?

But then again, maybe this would be a good chance to get to know the smart, nice, quiet girl. Sakura didn't even think of complaining once after that.

Daidouji walked over to Sakura's desk. "Hello," she said politely. "I'm Daidouji Tomoyo. I guess we'll be working together for this project."

Sakura smiled a little. "I'm Kinomoto Sakura, nice to meet you. Do you know what book you want to do?"

The other girl hesitated. "Well... I want to read Alice in Wonderland. I actually haven't read it before. Have you?"

Sakura was surprised. "Actually, I haven't. All of my friends have. That would be a fun book to read."
Daidouji smiled. "So we'll do that?"

"Sure!" Sakura said. "I guess, Daidouji-san, that we'll have to work hard together."

"Tomoyo is okay."

"Huh?" Sakura said, confused.

"You can call me Tomoyo." Daidouji said softly.

Sakura was surprised. "Well... in that case, you can call me Sakura."

Tomoyo cracked a smile, a real, friend smile. "Sakura-chan. It's a really, really pretty name."

The two smiled.

"Are you sure it's okay for me to go to your house?" Sakura said worriedly.

"Of course it is!" Tomoyo assured her. "Besides, we will need to read the book and make puppets. I love sewing and making clothes and stuffed animals, so this will be fun!"

Sakura giggled. "Okay, if you say so.

But the auburn-haired girl was shocked at the sheer size of Tomoyo's house. Not only was she smart, pretty, and nice, but she was also rich. Was this girl perfect?

Tomoyo payed no attention to Sakura's amazement. "Let's go to my room. Okaa-san won't be home for a while, so we can read the book. I'm sure I have a copy somewhere."

As it turned out, she did, but it was Through the Looking Glass, not Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. But Tomoyo decided that one was as good as the other, so the two read Through the Looking Glass.

The two finished reading the book quickly, because it was a fairly short book. Sakura smiled at the end. "The little black kitten was a strange Red Queen." she commented.

"Of course, and the White Queen was so tiny that Alice picked her king up!" Tomoyo said, and the two convulsed into giggles.

Tomoyo brought out a basket of cloth and a little box. "It may not be much for a full outfit, but these scraps will be enough for puppets." Tomoyo decided. "I also have ribbons and buttons, if you want."

The two spent nearly an hour giggling and sewing. By the time Sakura had to leave, they'd sewn puppets of Alice, the Red Queen, and the White Queen, and they had cloth cut out for the Black Kitten, the Knight, and the two Kings.

"Bye, Tomoyo-chan!" Sakura said, as she left to get on the train. Tomoyo stood at the gate and waved exuberantly. As Sakura got farther and farther away, a limo went through the gate.

"I guess Tomoyo-chan's Okaa-san came home." Sakura said to herself, and smiled.

Naoko was out sick the next day. Rika wondered what was wrong, and decided to call her after school. "Aren't you worried, Sakura-chan?" she said.

Sakura shrugged. "Yes, I guess. She'll be okay, probably."

Rika said that yes, Sakura was probably right. Then Tomoyo came in. Sakura waved and said, "Good morning, Tomoyo-chan!"

Tomoyo smiled and waved back. "Good morning, Sakura-chan!"

"Are you two friends now?" Rika whispered disbelievingly to Sakura. "In one day?"

Sakura nodded. "Yes! Tomoyo-chan," she said to Tomoyo, "come here!"

So Tomoyo walked over to Sakura and Rika. Her long, dark hair was pulled back and braided, and she was smiling again.

"Good morning, Sasaki-san," she said to Rika.

"G-good morning," Rika said, surprised that Tomoyo had noticed and greeted her.

Tomoyo smiled a little at Rika's reaction, but only Sakura noticed. Sakura again looked back at her earlier observation that Tomoyo was a little queer.

"Sakura-chan, I finished the puppets." Tomoyo said. "Here they are." she held up a woven covered basket.

Sakura looked through the stack of puppets in the basket in amazement. The stitches here were so fine... and this embroidery was fantastic... oh, here was messier sewing. Sakura blushed, recognizing her own work.

"You're amazing at sewing, Tomoyo-chan." she breathed, awed by the intricate designs embroidered on the fabric.

Tomoyo smiled. "Thank you, Sakura-chan. But you're more amazing."

"No, you're spectacular!" Sakura insisted. "You get good grades, you're nice, and pretty, and you're amazing at sewing..." she left out the fact that Tomoyo was rich.

"And you, Sakura-chan, are terrific in school and athletics, you're nice and pretty..." Tomoyo countered.

"Are you two a married couple?" Rika said, and the two burst out laughing. Rika looked from Sakura to Tomoyo, and back again, the expression on her face slightly put out. Then she started laughing as well, and everything was perfect.

Nia: Muwahahaha! It's Chapter One! I'm so happy! OMGOMGOMG!

Makena: Uh, sure. That's nice. For you.

Nia: Oh, you shut up.

Zoey: Why am I here? I hate anime!

Nia: Because I'm awesome and you want to frolic in my awesomeful awesomeness that is too awesome for you unawesome people to awesomely comprehend.

Makena: In other words, we're here because Nia's a moron.

Nia: Ahem!
Sakura: So, uh, I don't know Tomoyo-chan?

Tomoyo: Yes, that still confuses both of us.

Syaoran: And where the hell am I-

Nia: SECURITY!

(Gaurds come in and drag Syaoran out)

Sakura: O_o

Nia: He's not in here. It's a metaphor, kind of... because he's not in the room, he's not in the story?

Makena: You suck at metaphors and you're not funny, you know.

Nia: Oh, damn, I was totally trying to be funny. -_-

Makena: (strangles Nia)

Nia (choking): Pleeeeeease reviiiieww! OW! HELP!