Disclaimer: Io non possedo ne Digimon ne As You Like It da Shakespeare.

Author's Note: The disclaimer is in Italian, you know like Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew? Never mind. Anyways, who was the young (unabashedly handsome) man willing to risk his life to impress Sora thereby making a death wish? Hmm... anyways, nothing much to say really so here's the next part! Enjoy!

As You Like It Chapter 3

The wrestling match began. Mimi hoped the young man would not be hurt, but Sora felt the most for him. His friendless state and the way he had said he wished to die made Sora think that he was, like herself, unlucky. She pitied him so much and was so concerned about his danger while he was wrestling, that she might be almost said to have fallen in love with him at that moment.

The kindness of the two girls gave the unknown young man courage and strength so that he performed wonders. In the end he totally defeated the duke's wrestler, who was so winded that he was unable to speak or move for awhile.

The Duke Piedmon was delighted with the young stranger's courage. "What is your name good lad?" he asked, wanting to take him under his protection.

"I am Matt, the youngest son of Sir Ishida de Boys," replied the young victor.

"What!" screamed Duke Piedmon. Sir Ishida had been dead for some years, but when he was living, he had been a true subject and dear friend of Duke Gennai. When Piedmon heard Matt was the son of his banished brother's friend, all his liking for this brave young man was changed into displeasure.

"I do wish that you, Matt, could have been the son of any other man," he said in disgust, for he hated to hear the very name of any of his brother's friends. He left the place in a very bad temper.

Sora was delighted to hear that her new favorite was the son of her father's old friend. She said to Mimi, "My father loved Sir Ishida de Boys and if I had known this young man was his son, I would have added tears to my pleading before he should have tried his strength."

The girls went up to him, and seeing him hurt by the duke's sudden displeasure, they spoke kind and encouraging words to him. "Wonderful job!" exclaimed Mimi.

"Yes it was quite amazing that you should win against my uncle's wrestler," said Sora.

"Well I am quite glad that I have won the approval of two very kind and truly genuine ladies," said Matt.

"Yes, well, thank you," stuttered Sora for she felt his gaze was truly breathtaking. As they were about to leave, Sora turned back to give the young man yet another token of her praise. "Wear this for me," she said as she took a chain from around her neck. "I am out of luck at the moment or I would give you a more valuable present."

When they were alone, Sora's conversation was still full of Matt. Mimi began to realize that her cousin had fallen in love with the handsome young wrestler and she said to Sora, "Is it possible you could fall in love so suddenly?"

Sora replied, "The duke, my father, loved his father dearly."

"But," Mimi said, "does it follow that you should love his son dearly? Then I ought to hate him, for my father hated his father, but I do not hate Matt."

Piedmon was in a filthy temper after seeing Sir Ishida de Boys' son who reminded him of the many friends his banished brother had. Having been displeased with his niece for some time because people praised her for her goodness and pitied her for her father's sake, his spite suddenly broke out against her. While Sora and Mimi were chatting about Matt, Piedmon strode into the room. "How dare you speak of that man who is so deeply in association with your father! I demand you leave the palace right away and follow your father into exile!"

"Please father, let her stay," said Mimi, taken aback by the thought of being without her best friend.

"I will not! I have only put up with her on your account dear daughter, but I will not any longer!" said the duke.

"I did not then," said Mimi, "beg you to let her stay, for I was too young at that time to value her. Now that I know her worth, and because for so long we have slept in the same room, got up at the same instant, learned, played, and eaten together, I cannot live without her."

Piedmon replied, "She is too sly for you. Her smoothness, her very silence and her patience speak to the people and they pity her. You are a fool to plead for her. When she is gone you will seem brighter and better. So do not open your mouth ion her favor, for the judgement which I have passed upon her cannot be taken back."

When Mimi found she could not persuade her father to let Sora stay with her, she generously decided to go with her. "Your my best friend Sora, a sister almost. I couldn't let you leave without me."

"Oh Mimi, I'm so sorry things couldn't have been worked out."

"It's alright Sora. We'll be okay."

Leaving her father's palace that night, she went along with her friend to look for Sora's father, Duke Gennai, in the Digital Forest.

Mimi thought that is would be unsafe for two young women to travel in the rich clothes they usually wore. "Perhaps we should dress ourselves as country girls," said Mimi.

"It would be a still greater protection if one of us dressed like a man. Because I am taller, I think that I should wear the boy's clothes, and you should dress as a country lass."

"A wonderful idea Sora! Let us say we are brother and sister. I will call myself Aliena," said Mimi.

"And I shall be Ganymede," said Sora.

In these disguises, and taking their money and jewels to pay for whatever they needed, the two girls set out on their long journey. The Digital Forest was a long way off, and they knew they would need their strength to reach beyond the boundaries of the duke's lands.