V - Confusion

Sakura slipped back into the room.

"Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo exclaimed. "How did it go?"

Sakura smiled, "Well... I guess."

"You guess?"

Sakura pulled the mask off and sighed, "I got the painting back and left it in a safe place."

"But?" Tomoyo asked as she settled back down on the bed.

"This thief is making it hard for me." Sakura said as she sat on the edge of the bed and slipped
her costume off.

"How so? You're the most powerful mage I know."

Kerochan sat on the bed, "The next time he sees her and she succeeds to take back what he
stole, she has to take off the mask."

Sakura put the costume on a hanger and then hid it in the back of her closet.

"Ohhh. I see." Tomoyo said.

Sakura pulled on pajamas and then sat down on the bed next to Tomoyo. "Ran?"

"Ran-san went home." Tomoyo said. "She said you would have wanted some time to talk about
the thief and magic."

Sakura smiled.

Tomoyo smiled back, "She's very nice, and," she placed a hand on Sakura's shoulder, "very
good for you."

Sakura nearly beamed, it was the closest thing to acceptance Tomoyo had ever expressed
about Ran.

"So..." Tomoyo said as she wrapped her arms around a pillow, "tell me about this guy."

Sakura paused for a moment, "What guy?"

"Sakura-chan don't try to lie, I know you well." Tomoyo said.

Sakura sighed, "Daisuke-san, you mean?"

"Daisuke? Cute name." Tomoyo said.

"Yes, well..."

"Is he cute?"

Sakura felt herself blush, "N-no."

"In Sakura terms that means yes." Tomoyo said as she found Sakura's brush and began to
brush her hair.

Sakura looked down at her hands. "You know that I can't bring myself to..." she trailed off.

Tomoyo stopped brushing, "Sometimes..." she took a breath, "... sometimes you don't have a
choice."

"Not if I can help it." Sakura said, "I loved him Tomoyo-chan, I loved him!"

Tomoyo smiled sadly, "You don't know how long I've wished that you two found a way to get
back together."

Sakura brought her knees to her chest, "Its too late." she whispered.

------

"Mask for a painting?"

She turned around, "Oh!" she looked back down at the paintings. "How did- I don't-"

"You don't do this often do you?" he asked.

"No." she said. "I'm used to catching magic not people."

Dark stood there with the canvas rolled up and strapped to his back.

"Why do you steal those paintings anyways?" she asked.

"I'd say its a family rivalry but that doesn't begin to scratch the surface." he said.

"Ahh." she said.

"What about you?"

She pulled out a card, "These are clow cards." she said. "I can control them and use their
magic."

"Nice." he said with a low whistle. "So what can I call you? You know who I am I bet." he said
with a lopsided grin.

She blinked and then shrugged, "I guess you can call me the Clow Card Mistress, since that's
what it is to have control of the cards. My guardians call me that."

He nodded. "Guardians?"

She nodded. "I have two."

/Interesting./ Daisuke said.

/Magic that is far stronger than mine./ Dark said.

/You aren't planning to steal those cards are you?/

/And face the wrath of her guadians? I think not. I may be a great thief but great thieves know
what their limits are./

Daisuke chuckled, /This is very interesting coming from you./

"Well, since I have the painting, I will be off." he said as he stood up.

She stood up, "Ma-matte!" she exclaimed.

He turned, "This time you were too slow." he said. He walked to a window, pushed the panes
open and threw himself out the window.

She ran to the window and looked down.

"You need to be faster." Dark grinned from his place in the sky.

She looked up at him, her hair ruffling in the breeze With's wings were creating, her lips parted.
She put her foot on the sill of the window.

"H-hey!" Dark exclaimed, "Wait! I-"

She jumped out the window and said, "Fly!" wings immediately unfurled themselves as she
raced up to meet him. Her costume which was a beautiful dress with ribbons, trailed behind
her as she rushed to meet him.

"With let's go." he said.

With complied and he flew away as fast as he could.

Daisuke laughed, "Well, I think you met your match."

/And a woman too./ Dark said.

"Well..." Daisuke said, "someone humbling Dark Mousy?"

/Don't get too cocky./ Dark muttered.

-----

"Niwa-san?"

Daisuke turned to see a beautiful woman with long blue-black hair. She smiled at him with a
pleasant look on her face. She stood at the cafe entrance as if uncertain she had found the
right person.

"Daidouji-san?" he asked.

She nodded and then smiled. She was dressed in a long skirt, a blouse with ruffled cuffs and
collar. He noticed that her shoes matched her purse. He felt slightly underdressed compared
to the matching Tomoyo.

He was surprised when he received a phone call asking him to tea. Tomoyo sounded so nice
on the phone. She explained that she wanted to meet Sakura's friends. Daisuke agreed to
meet out of curiosity. Sakura rarely talked about her childhood.

Daisuke smiled and bowed, "Niwa Daisuke." he said.

Tomoyo beamed, "Daidouji Tomoyo." she said as she bowed. "I hope you don't mind the short
notice, I wanted to meet you, and Sakura has been keeping her friends a secret."

Daisuke smiled, "That is understandable." he said as they followed the hostess to an empty
table.

Tomoyo smiled as they sat down at the table. "Sakura does not know that I am out with you."
she said.

"It is our secret then." he smiled a thanks to the waitress who gave them their menus.

/So this is the old friend./ Dark said.

/Yes. She's quite a happy girl isn't she?/ Daisuke said.

/Ummm she's staring at you./

Daisuke looked up from his menu to see Tomoyo looking at him. Her eyes seemed to drill
holes into him. If it weren't for her calm and happy demeanor he would have thought it was
creepy. He stared back at her. She smiled gave a nod and then looked down at her menu.

/That was strange./ Dark said. /Do you think she can see me?/

/She's not magical. Not that I know, I can't tell but she seems very ordinary./ Daisuke said a bit
shaken by her stare.

/She seemed to be sizing up something./ Dark said.

Daisuke smiled. "So..." he said as he browsed the menu, "Tell me about Sakura-san."

"Oh! I haven't heard anybody call her by that name since-" she stopped and smiled,
"Sakura-chan was so cute when she was little." she said as she pulled out a picture.

"Oh." Daisuke said as he looked at the picture, "I agree."

"She loved making friends, nobody was lost to her charms. Sakura-chan was very good at
anything athletic," Tomoyo said. "I was surprised when she quit the team."

"Yes." Daisuke said, "Kimi-chan said the same. She said that Sakura-san had a lot of talent."

"You could say that her talent was nearly magical." Tomoyo said with a smile.

"I wonder why she quit." Daisuke said.

Tomoyo turned a page in her menu, "Well, I'm not allowed to say." she said as she winked at
him.

"Oh. I guess its related to the death." he said.

Tomoyo turned another page, "Yes." she said. "It was very hard on her." She closed her menu
and said, "Well I'm ready to order."

Daisuke felt as if he was being tested. He felt as if he was under a lot of scrutiny as he ordered
or said something. He felt uncomfortable, but at the same time when she smiled at him he felt
as if he was over reacting.

"So..." Tomoyo said as they finished their meals. "What do you think of Sakura-chan?"

"She's really nice." Daisuke said. He chuckled, "We started off on the wrong foot. At first she
would ignore me and show her thorny side, but later we both became friends."

Tomoyo smiled, "I'm glad."

Daisuke looked up at her, he blinked. She was smiling straight at him.

/Huh./ Dark said, /Its as if you passed./

Daisuke looked down at the desert menu, "Yes... well... we both found we had something in
common."

Tomoyo nodded. "I see." she looked up at the waitress and said, "I'll have two slices of
chocolate cake, one boxed."

Daisuke ordered ice cream.

"Saving some for Sakura-san?"

Tomoyo shook her head, "No, its for a friend, he loves cake."

"Ahh I see." he said.

She smiled at him, "So what's your major?"

Daisuke smiled, "Art history." he said.

"Oh very nice." Tomoyo said.

"Its not very practical." he said with a shrug.

"But its what you want to do right?"

He nodded. "So I decided to take whatever business courses I could find."

Tomoyo smiled, "That's a practical way of doing what you love."

He smiled and then thanked the waitress as she left their deserts.

"Her father enjoys talking about ancient things too." she said as she ate her cake. "Has she
mentioned her father yet?"

"No yet." he said.

"Oh! Ooops." she said a she covered her mouth. She smiled at him, "Let's keep that a secret
then."

He nodded.

Tomoyo snatched the check from under his nose, "And I'll take this." she gave the waitress
some money and shooed her away.

"Hey!" he exclaimed.

She smiled, "Consider it a gift," she said as she stood up and took the boxed cake. She
looked at her watch, "Oh! Sakura-chan will be getting out class."

"A gift?"

She turned to him, "For being her friend. Sakura-chan values friendship very much."

"But I-"

She turned to him with a smile and said, "Really Niwa-san," she said as she wagged a finger at
him with a wink, "I mean it," her eyes turned serious as she turned to face him, "I haven't seen
her like this in years." they stepped out of the cafe and onto the sidewalk.

She looked up and down the street and then sighed a bit, her eyes losing its playful look.

"Daidouji-san?" he asked suddenly concerned.

She turned to him with a small smile, "I hope..." she stopped.

"Hope?"

"Ojousama." a suited lady said as she stepped out of a car, she bowed to Daisuke. He bowed
back.

Tomoyo stepped towards the car.

"Daidouji-san!" Daisuke exclaimed, "Wait!"

She turned to him with a smile, "I hope... well let's just leave it at that." she said as she got into
the car.

"Hope what? Daidouji-san! Wait-"

The suited lady bowed to Daisuke and got into the car.

"what do you mean hope?" Daisuke said to himself as he watched the car drive off.

For once Dark said nothing.

----

"Sakura-chan!"

Sakura turned to see Tomoyo waving at her from the sidewalk.

"Tomoyo-chan!" Sakura said as she met with Tomoyo. "I thought we were supposed to meet
later."

"I wish I could," she said, "but Okaa-sama wants me to come home."

"Oh..." Sakura said with a bit of disappointment. She had almost settled into a feeling of
happiness. "Toy company things?"

Tomoyo nodded. "Yes." she said, she made a face. "I will try to come back soon."

Sakura nodded, "Yes, I miss you." she said as she hugged her friend.

Tomoyo hugged Sakura back and said, "But I leave Kerochan with you, now that you're back
into business." she gave Sakura a box and a bag. "He's asleep." she said with a whisper.

"Thank you." she said.

Tomoyo turned to the door and then turned again. She hugged Sakura tightly, "Sakura-chan..."
she said.

"Yes?" she asked.

"I..." she trailed off.

"Tomoyo-chan, you can tell me, its all right."

Tomoyo let her go and held her hands, "Sakura," she said as she looked up at her, "I wish I
could just tell you but that would make things too easy."

"Tell me what?" Sakura said puzzled.

"Oh!" she exclaimed as she looked at her watch, "Okaa-sama is waiting, I'll be late."

"Tomoyo-cha~n!" Sakura exclaimed stamping her foot.

Tomoyo hugged her best friend again, "I love hearing you say my name like that," she
whispered, "you sound like the Sakura-chan I remember, promise me you'll stay that way
forever."

Sakura smiled and hugged her friend back, "Of course." she said.

Tomoyo got into the car and rolled the window down, "By the way," she said, "I met Niwa-san,
he's a great friend. Bye bye!"

Sakura could only stare.

"Hynnnnn~" Kero said as he poked his head out of the bag, "Na? Oh Tomoyo left." he looked
up at Sakura, "Why is your mouth hang'in like that? Oh! Is that cake!?"

Sakura snapped out of her shock and looked down at Kero, "We better get you home."

"Yes," Kero said with a nod as he crossed his arms. "I hope you have a TV so I can set up my
PS 2."

Sakura laughed and zipped him back up.

-----------
notes to come