Well, here's chapter four! I'm getting this out quickly, if you ask me. Like the other chapters this is dedicated to those who reviewed: Sweet-sorato, Lillyangel, m I k A t O, Silver Horizon (again!), kOorI cHaN, and Blue Wolf.
Read and review! and if you want a certain couple, please tell me, I have no ideas and some people don't seem to like Tai and Mimi... I could always change that....
..::--*--::..
"Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned,
Nor hell a fury like a woman scorned."
- William Congreve, "The Mourning Bride"
..::-- Willow, Chapter Four : Repulsions --::..
"Yamato, straighten your cloak. We want the Princess to just simply adore you!" his mother said as they sat, waiting in the throne room for the horror that was Jun Motymia to be escorted up.
*Yeah, or just simply kill me...* Matt sighed as he shifted uncomfortably, and straightened his cloak over his shoulders.
"Father, I still don't understand why..." he started.
"So you will have a family and an heir for when you inherit this kingdom! That's why!" his father spit out at him. For the last hour, Matt has been trying to talk his father out of making him marry that... that... beast.
*Sora, you better be damn grateful I'm doing this. For you.*
"Ah, there's the coach now!" his mother said as she glanced out the huge glass window. "There's the Queen... and the King... and Prince Daisuke... and there she is, Matt! Princess Jun!" Yamato groaned as his mother cooed at the sight of his soon-to-be fiancé. "She's so pretty!"
*Looks more like a horse that's been beaten their entire life...* he thought. *At least compared to Sora...* "No she's not. She looks like she got ran over by a carriage and..."
"Enough! You will stay here, Yamato, while we go and welcome the Royals. We will bring Jun with us." His father stormed towards the door and then turned to his son. "You should get used to this. There is no changing it."
Yamato slouched into his chair and folded his arms. *If they think they can make me do anything, they are seriously in trouble.
He sat, for a few moments, trying to think of someway to escape this horror. He walked little by little to the window and glanced out it. There were his parents, her parents and her brother. But she was nowhere to be seen. He shook his head and looked at other things. The marketplace, the wooden houses just beyond that, his brother and Kari riding into the forest on a horse...
His brother and Kari?!
He glanced again and sure enough, there were the two fourteen year olds, sharing a horse, riding into the boundaries of the forest. He kept looking and saw how possessive Kari was of TK, holding herself close to him for comfort and safety.
*Maybe I shouldn't be so hard on them...*
"Yamato Ishida! There you are! I've been looking all over for you!" A young, brownish-red haired woman latched herself onto him and squeezed as hard as she could. "I can't wait till we get married!!"
"Um, get off of me..." he said, realizing that this thing on him was Jun. The Jun. The monster Jun.
"No! We're going, right now, to my room. We need to get better acquainted, don't you think?" she said, with a devious smirk on her face.
"No. You need to go. That's what I think. Leave me alone." Matt threw her off of him and sat down in his throne. Jun got up as fast as she could and sat on his lap.
"Do you know what I want for Christmas? You!" she said, moving her face towards his.
Matt pushed her off of him and walked toward the door. "Just leave, Jun."
"No, Mattie-kun! We're getting married!"
Matt shrieked as she ran towards him. "Holy shit!" he yelled as he ran down the corridor, Jun close behind.
"Yama-kun! I'm right here!" she said, catching him and hugging him as tightly as she could. "We're going to have seventeen kids and I'm going to name them..."
"God, Jun, get off of me!" Matt pushed her into a wall, sprinting down the hall as fast as he could.
*Need somewhere to hide... I NEED somewhere to hide...*
"But Yama-kun, we were meant to be together! How can you deny our love when it is in both of our hearts?!" Jun whined and chanted as she ran after him, having a speed faster than she looked like she could possess.
"No! Jun, stay!! Bad doggie. Sit. Roll over. Play dead!!! DOWN DOG!" Matt screamed in agony as Jun pounced on him, throwing him on the floor and promptly sitting on top of him.
"Yama-kun, just sit still. We both know you want this."
As she leaned in closer to him, Matt's mind made itself up. *If she doesn't get off of the Heir to the throne of Odaiba, she deserves to be hurt.* He reached carefully and pulled his sword out of his sheath and placed the cold metal blade on her throat.
"Jun, get off of me, now. I will hurt you if you do not listen. I don't want to marry you, and I probably won't marry you, but for now we both have to deal with this." He slowly got up as she backed off, her eyes glistening with fear.
"Yama-kun..."
"Don't call me that." He put his sword back into its place and stared at the frightened girl in front of him. "I'm sorry, Jun, but I had to do it. Please don't follow me, I have personal business to take care of, but I will have to see you at the banquet tomorrow."
Matt whirled around and headed down the cold hallway toward the stables. He closed his eyes, thinking how he could've better handled that.
"Yama-kun! I love you!!" Jun yelled as she started down the hall after him.
"Holy hell, woman! Just leave me alone!!" Matt ran for his life, hoping that the stables were very close.
..::--*--::..
"Tai, don't you think we should help him?" Mimi glanced out the window in time to see Yamato swinging a rather large stick at Jun, while backing up towards Starlight's stall.
"Nah." Tai leaned against the windowsill next to her. "I think he can handle it." He watched in amusement as Matt's one true weakness was found: a psychopathic man-chaser.
"Tai! He's our best friend! He obviously wants to go somewhere, because he's trying to get Starlight. Come on, Tai. Quit chuckling at his misfortune and help him!" Mimi pleaded with him.
"Aw, Meems, how fun is that? Besides, he's on Starlight right now and is going through the castle gates." He pointed out the glass and sure enough, Yamato was galloping his way towards the dense forest, with Jun proclaiming their love behind him. "See?"
Mimi just stared at him. "Why wouldn't you help him?" she asked softly.
"Aw, Mimi. Don't get all sentimental about this, please? I just wanted to see what he was going to do. Besides, they're not getting married for a month, so I'll have plenty of time to save him from the wrath of Jun Motymia." He grinned at her. "Plus..." he trailed off.
"Plus what?"
"It's nothing... I just..." He grinned even more and wrapped his arms around her, pulling them close together. "I just wanted to do this," he whispered and kissed her softly.
"That's not an excuse. I'm not complaining, but it's not an excuse for not helping your best friend!" she said.
Tai pouted, giving her his best puppy eyes. "Please?"
Mimi giggled and gazed at him. "I can't stand it when you get cute like that."
"So that's a yes?" he said excitedly.
"No. That's a 'I can't stand it when you get cute like that'." Mimi smiled and turned around and walked towards the door.
"That doesn't even make sense! Hey. Hey! Hey, Mimi! Come back!" Tai ran after her, calling her name.
*Curse that Ishida!* he thought sarcastically.
..::--*--::..
"Gennai... please. I can't do that, you know I can't. It's... it's impossible. What would I do?" Sora looked up at the gray sky and glanced up towards the palace.
The Princess and her beloved friend were sitting, having a conversation, in the royal garden of Mendai. Wild flowers, with colors and varieties never seen by mortal eyes, bloomed year round, providing shade and a serene environment. The bluish-gray sky had no clouds to be seen, and the sun was silently slipping over the beautiful palace. It was a dull silver color, splashed with jewels of all shapes, colors, and sizes, and stained glass windows that depicted the eternal history of the faeries. There was no wall around it, as there was no one to protect it from, and the magick city of Mendai started right at the end of the palace lawns.
Faeries of all colors could be seen, running, walking, strolling along; with parcels, shopping bags, groceries, books, scrolls, children, and several other items, going about their day-to-day lives. Sora smiled as she looked upon this world: her world. Her people. The life she loved with all of her heart.
"Sora... my dear, dear Sora... you have to understand. If you do not try, there is no hope for our people. No hope for this beautiful city and the faeries that have existed here for eternity." He sighed and laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. "There is a way, Sora. You must find it."
Sora sighed impatiently. "You say that every time, Gennai! 'You must find the way.' What does it mean? I've scoured all of the books in all of the libraries and there is no word anyway! How am I supposed to find the way if no one has done it? Why can't you tell me?" she begged and pleaded with her old companion.
"Because it is different for any faerie. You have to find the way. It is in a book, yes, but in the kingdom of Mendai? Of that I am not sure."
The old man slowly rose from the golden chair, and walked with his hands clasped behind his back towards the palace. "In the immortal world is not the secret to mortal life."
Sora stared at his walking figure for a silent moment until it clicked in her mind. the only person with access to the book she so desperately needed.
"Yamato."
..::--*--::..
"Mattie! Oh Yama-kun! Where are you? Come here, my soon-to-be husband, so we can get to know one another!" Jun yelled, while running into the expanses of the Odaiba forest.
*Gotta get to the tree. Gotta get to the tree. Safe. Will be safe in the tree. Gotta get to the willow. Sora will help me.... I hope.* Matt galloped Starlight as fast as she could take it towards the now all-too-familiar clearing and the gigantic willow tree. The Princess was his only hope now. If she couldn't rid him of Jun, for at least a little while, then no one could.
He took another sharp turn, hoping to lose Jun even more than he already had. He sighed as he looked forward and saw it.
The twinkling leaves and the swaying branches of the willow tree.
*YES!*
Somehow, Starlight sensed his excitement and galloped faster than she was. Yamato stopped her right in front of the tree and hopped down off of the horse.
"Sorry, girl. I hope she doesn't go after you," he whispered to the horse, petting her neck affectionately.
"Yama-kun! There you are!" Jun came sprinting out of the forest, at an almost inhuman speed.
"Gotta go!" he said to Starlight, and ran into the sweeping boughs of the tree.
*Please don't let her be able to be in here... please don't let her be able to be in here...* he pleaded with himself.
"This is an almost unexpected visit, Prince Ishida. To what do I owe it to?"
Yamato closed his eyes softly at the familiar chiming voice. "Princess Sora. Again, we meet." He bowed gracefully, hoping he wasn't out-doing it. "Please, I beg of you, call me Matt."
"Matt." She smiled and sat down on the branch. Yamato studied her gaze on the ground very carefully; trying to see why see was staring at it so intently. "Is there something I can help you with, Matt?" she asked softly.
"Well.... actually..."
"YAMA-KUN!! WHERE ARE YOU?!"
"Yeah. She's... uh... been following me since this morning when she got here... and... uh... I can't get her to leave. I don't want to ask, I really don't... but I have to choice...."
"Don't worry, Matt. She can't see or hear you when you are here. But I can't do anything to help you. I'm sorry." She looked up for a moment at him, smiled, then her gaze went back down to the ground.
"Sora..."
"Yeah?"
Yamato took a deep breath and walked over to her and knelt right in front of her, looking deep into her eyes. "What's wrong? Anything I can help with? Unless is a woman issue... or a faerie one. Can't help you with those."
She smiled and Matt smiled back. "See? You shouldn't be so sad. You're much more beautiful smiling," he whispered, half to himself and half to her."
"Thanks for trying to cheer me up, Yamato. But, as much as I hate to ask since you're doing so much for us already... but this is more a favor for me." She lifted her gaze and melted in his cerulean eyes. "I... I need for you to get me something. A book."
"A book? Why do you want a book?" he asked curiously.
"I'd rather not say. But I need a book and I have good reason to believe it's in your castle.... Do you think you could get it for me and bring it here?" She bit her lip, hoping he wouldn't say no.
"Alright. Sounds easy enough. What's this book like? What's it called?"
"Actually, it has no name. But it is very thin and looks like it's almost empty. Except for one picture of twelve children..."
"The Chosen Children," Matt finished, remembering the legend he had read the other day.
Sora nodded slowly. "I have to get this book. Please can you get it for me?"
Yamato flashed his amazing smile and shook his head up and down vigorously. "Of course I will."
Sora smiled and stood up, getting ready to leave. "Thank you, Matt. Thank you so much."
She turned to go, and Matt held out his hand to her. "Wait, please," he asked softly. "I... never mind. I'll get you the book." He put his hand in his pockets and turned around and started on his way out of the willow tree.
Sora smiled and hopped up onto another branch. "If things were different, Yamato. If only things were different." And then she was gone.
..::--*--::..
"S'cuse me! Pardon me! Move out of the way, please!" Yamato shouted as he ran through the crowded marketplace to the castle gates. "Please! Kingdom emergency on hand here! Move out of the way!"
"Yama-kun! Where are you going?" Jun followed as best as she could, but the people and animals in the marketplace were blocking her path. "Yama! I'll be waiting right here for you!"
Matt looked behind him for a brief second and smiled. *I've finally lost her!*
"Hey, watch...!" a voice said.
"Whoa!" Matt turned just in time to see a boy, about two or three years younger than him, try and run out of him way. "Oh shi....!"
Matt tumbled and turned as he and the boy tripped over each other and landed in one of the stalls in the stables just outside the castle gates. Matt got up and proceeded to pick straw out of his hair, when he saw Jun running towards them.
"Are you okay....?" the boy started, but Matt shoved him under the pile of straw.
"If you value your life, just stay under here, okay?" Yamato whispered. "And be quiet."
He felt the boy nod and sat, as still as a statue, hidden by the straw.
"Yama-kun!" he heard soon. "Yamato, where are you? We have to go proclaim our love to my parents! Come on, Yama, we have to go!" Jun whined.
Matt sat for a few silent moments and then heard her voice getting quieter and quieter as she walked away, still yelling for him.
He and the blue-haired boy popped out of the straw (a/n: Like daisies! Sry, I just watched Mulan...) and stared at each other. Then, the boy's face went from confused to horrified.
"Oh... you're the Prince. I am dead, aren't I?" he asked quietly.
Matt just stared at the boy, who looked somewhat familiar. "Do I know you?"
The boy shook his head, still fearful of his life.
"What's your name?"
The boy still stayed silent.
"Look, I'm not going to hurt you. It's just that you look so familiar and I want to know your name," Matt said calmly.
"Ichijouji. Ken Ichijouji," he said shyly.
Matt's eyes widened. "Ichijouji..." he whispered softly.
...--- FLASHBACK
"Come one, Sam, you slowpoke! We have to save the Princess!" a small blonde boy said.
"Yeah. First one who gets her gets to kiss her!" a brunette yelled after him.
The two boys stopped waving their wooden swords around and looked behind them. "Where'd he go?" the blonde asked.
"Too bad I got the Princess! And I got the kiss before you could!"
The two boys looked up to the 'castle', a large tree, and saw a blue haired boy holding a young girl's hand. "I won!"
"What does that mean?" the brunette asked.
"That means that the Princess and me are getting married and I'm going to be King. King Sam Ichijouji!"
...---
"My Prince... are you okay?" the boy asked fearfully, thinking he did something to hurt the Prince.
"Are you... are you Sam's younger brother?" Matt asked him, amazed.
"You... you knew Sam?" the boy, Ken, asked, his eyes tearful.
"Yeah. We were friends. I used to play with him everyday. Until... until he just disappeared." Matt looked down at the ground, remembering his childhood friend.
"He didn't disappear. He died. Years and years ago." Ken looked at the Prince, a new look of appreciation. "So you were Sam's mysterious friend. We always used to wonder... My parents would've loved to have been able to meet you."
"They still can. I'd love to meet Sam's family." Yamato smiled at the young boy, but stopped when he didn't smile back.
"They're all dead. That's why I'm here. I was sleeping in here until you... tripped over me." The boy looked down at the ground, ashamed of what he was. "Don't kick me out, please. I have nowhere to go."
Matt stared at the little boy, about Takeru's age, remembering all the times he, Tai, and Mimi would play with his older brother Sam. "I'm not going to kick you out. Come with me." The Prince got up and started towards the castle.
"What are you going to do?" Ken asked, once again fearful.
"Well, I'm going to introduce you to tow other people who knew your brother, my little brother, who's about your age, and girl about your age." Matt smiled, then continued. "Then I'm going to talk to my parents and get you your own room in the castle and get you out of those clothes."
Ken looked up amazed at the Prince and then smiled.
"Is that okay?"
"That's great!"
..::--*--::..
Matt plopped himself down on the chair, and glanced at the large wooden door of his chambers, making sure (for the fourth time) that it was securely latched. He didn't want Jun running into his room in the dead of night and...
Well, he didn't want to think about that.
After running away from her all day, talking to Sora, finding the younger brother of his childhood friend, introducing him to Tai, Mimi, Kari and TK, and just all together having to deal with being engaged to that monster, Yamato was 100% tired. Worn-out. Ready to just lay down and never wake up.
That was only if he could dream of Sora for the rest of his life.
However many times he told himself not to, he always fell for the beautiful faerie from another world. Something about her drew him closer and closer to getting his heart broken.
"Please, Sora. Please don't let me fall in love with you."
He got up and decided that he would go to the library and look for this book that Sora needed. *I don't care how hard this is going to be... I'm going to help her all I can.*
The cold stone helped to wake him up from his half-dream state and he walked as quietly as he could down the corridors and especially quiet down the hallway where Jun and her family was staying. soon, he came to the library, but stopped when he heard two voices inside.
"Takeru... I don't think there's going to be another one like this in here. Maybe this book is special. I mean, it only has one picture and the rest is blank..."
("...looks like it's almost empty. Except for one picture of twelve children...")
*The book!* He stood silent and waited for the two to continue talking.
"It has to be, Kari. I mean, look at it! I just don't see why a book like this would be in our castle, that's all."
Matt decided just to go in, and confront the two young teenagers. He wouldn't yell, just ask calmly for the book. And make sure they weren't doing anything else.
"Kari, I don't know..."
"Ahem. But I believe you two are supposed to be in bed," Matt said in his most adult voice he could. He almost smiled at the shocked look on the two faces.
"Matt.. I ... we can explain..." TK started.
"I don't want to hear you explain. I just need that book you have. A friend of mine is looking for it everyway." He smiled and stepped towards them.
"No! We found it! You can't have it Matt!" Kari stepped in front of TK, who was trying to protect her. "You can't be mean like that Matt."
He sighed and looked at the two. "Okay, here's the deal. My friend needs this book. Now. So, you give me the book and go to bed, or I tell Tai where you two were all day. And don't think I didn't see you going into the forest. So what's it going to be?'
TK and Kari looked at each other, knowing what they had to do. "Okay, you can take it," Takeru said.
"Thank you. Now go to bed."
he sighed as the two ran out of the library and he grabbed the book off of the table.
"So let's see who these children are..."
He opened the book and gasped at the twelve Chosen Children.
"Oh God..."
..::--*--::..
always,
lily-angel
Read and review! and if you want a certain couple, please tell me, I have no ideas and some people don't seem to like Tai and Mimi... I could always change that....
..::--*--::..
"Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned,
Nor hell a fury like a woman scorned."
- William Congreve, "The Mourning Bride"
..::-- Willow, Chapter Four : Repulsions --::..
"Yamato, straighten your cloak. We want the Princess to just simply adore you!" his mother said as they sat, waiting in the throne room for the horror that was Jun Motymia to be escorted up.
*Yeah, or just simply kill me...* Matt sighed as he shifted uncomfortably, and straightened his cloak over his shoulders.
"Father, I still don't understand why..." he started.
"So you will have a family and an heir for when you inherit this kingdom! That's why!" his father spit out at him. For the last hour, Matt has been trying to talk his father out of making him marry that... that... beast.
*Sora, you better be damn grateful I'm doing this. For you.*
"Ah, there's the coach now!" his mother said as she glanced out the huge glass window. "There's the Queen... and the King... and Prince Daisuke... and there she is, Matt! Princess Jun!" Yamato groaned as his mother cooed at the sight of his soon-to-be fiancé. "She's so pretty!"
*Looks more like a horse that's been beaten their entire life...* he thought. *At least compared to Sora...* "No she's not. She looks like she got ran over by a carriage and..."
"Enough! You will stay here, Yamato, while we go and welcome the Royals. We will bring Jun with us." His father stormed towards the door and then turned to his son. "You should get used to this. There is no changing it."
Yamato slouched into his chair and folded his arms. *If they think they can make me do anything, they are seriously in trouble.
He sat, for a few moments, trying to think of someway to escape this horror. He walked little by little to the window and glanced out it. There were his parents, her parents and her brother. But she was nowhere to be seen. He shook his head and looked at other things. The marketplace, the wooden houses just beyond that, his brother and Kari riding into the forest on a horse...
His brother and Kari?!
He glanced again and sure enough, there were the two fourteen year olds, sharing a horse, riding into the boundaries of the forest. He kept looking and saw how possessive Kari was of TK, holding herself close to him for comfort and safety.
*Maybe I shouldn't be so hard on them...*
"Yamato Ishida! There you are! I've been looking all over for you!" A young, brownish-red haired woman latched herself onto him and squeezed as hard as she could. "I can't wait till we get married!!"
"Um, get off of me..." he said, realizing that this thing on him was Jun. The Jun. The monster Jun.
"No! We're going, right now, to my room. We need to get better acquainted, don't you think?" she said, with a devious smirk on her face.
"No. You need to go. That's what I think. Leave me alone." Matt threw her off of him and sat down in his throne. Jun got up as fast as she could and sat on his lap.
"Do you know what I want for Christmas? You!" she said, moving her face towards his.
Matt pushed her off of him and walked toward the door. "Just leave, Jun."
"No, Mattie-kun! We're getting married!"
Matt shrieked as she ran towards him. "Holy shit!" he yelled as he ran down the corridor, Jun close behind.
"Yama-kun! I'm right here!" she said, catching him and hugging him as tightly as she could. "We're going to have seventeen kids and I'm going to name them..."
"God, Jun, get off of me!" Matt pushed her into a wall, sprinting down the hall as fast as he could.
*Need somewhere to hide... I NEED somewhere to hide...*
"But Yama-kun, we were meant to be together! How can you deny our love when it is in both of our hearts?!" Jun whined and chanted as she ran after him, having a speed faster than she looked like she could possess.
"No! Jun, stay!! Bad doggie. Sit. Roll over. Play dead!!! DOWN DOG!" Matt screamed in agony as Jun pounced on him, throwing him on the floor and promptly sitting on top of him.
"Yama-kun, just sit still. We both know you want this."
As she leaned in closer to him, Matt's mind made itself up. *If she doesn't get off of the Heir to the throne of Odaiba, she deserves to be hurt.* He reached carefully and pulled his sword out of his sheath and placed the cold metal blade on her throat.
"Jun, get off of me, now. I will hurt you if you do not listen. I don't want to marry you, and I probably won't marry you, but for now we both have to deal with this." He slowly got up as she backed off, her eyes glistening with fear.
"Yama-kun..."
"Don't call me that." He put his sword back into its place and stared at the frightened girl in front of him. "I'm sorry, Jun, but I had to do it. Please don't follow me, I have personal business to take care of, but I will have to see you at the banquet tomorrow."
Matt whirled around and headed down the cold hallway toward the stables. He closed his eyes, thinking how he could've better handled that.
"Yama-kun! I love you!!" Jun yelled as she started down the hall after him.
"Holy hell, woman! Just leave me alone!!" Matt ran for his life, hoping that the stables were very close.
..::--*--::..
"Tai, don't you think we should help him?" Mimi glanced out the window in time to see Yamato swinging a rather large stick at Jun, while backing up towards Starlight's stall.
"Nah." Tai leaned against the windowsill next to her. "I think he can handle it." He watched in amusement as Matt's one true weakness was found: a psychopathic man-chaser.
"Tai! He's our best friend! He obviously wants to go somewhere, because he's trying to get Starlight. Come on, Tai. Quit chuckling at his misfortune and help him!" Mimi pleaded with him.
"Aw, Meems, how fun is that? Besides, he's on Starlight right now and is going through the castle gates." He pointed out the glass and sure enough, Yamato was galloping his way towards the dense forest, with Jun proclaiming their love behind him. "See?"
Mimi just stared at him. "Why wouldn't you help him?" she asked softly.
"Aw, Mimi. Don't get all sentimental about this, please? I just wanted to see what he was going to do. Besides, they're not getting married for a month, so I'll have plenty of time to save him from the wrath of Jun Motymia." He grinned at her. "Plus..." he trailed off.
"Plus what?"
"It's nothing... I just..." He grinned even more and wrapped his arms around her, pulling them close together. "I just wanted to do this," he whispered and kissed her softly.
"That's not an excuse. I'm not complaining, but it's not an excuse for not helping your best friend!" she said.
Tai pouted, giving her his best puppy eyes. "Please?"
Mimi giggled and gazed at him. "I can't stand it when you get cute like that."
"So that's a yes?" he said excitedly.
"No. That's a 'I can't stand it when you get cute like that'." Mimi smiled and turned around and walked towards the door.
"That doesn't even make sense! Hey. Hey! Hey, Mimi! Come back!" Tai ran after her, calling her name.
*Curse that Ishida!* he thought sarcastically.
..::--*--::..
"Gennai... please. I can't do that, you know I can't. It's... it's impossible. What would I do?" Sora looked up at the gray sky and glanced up towards the palace.
The Princess and her beloved friend were sitting, having a conversation, in the royal garden of Mendai. Wild flowers, with colors and varieties never seen by mortal eyes, bloomed year round, providing shade and a serene environment. The bluish-gray sky had no clouds to be seen, and the sun was silently slipping over the beautiful palace. It was a dull silver color, splashed with jewels of all shapes, colors, and sizes, and stained glass windows that depicted the eternal history of the faeries. There was no wall around it, as there was no one to protect it from, and the magick city of Mendai started right at the end of the palace lawns.
Faeries of all colors could be seen, running, walking, strolling along; with parcels, shopping bags, groceries, books, scrolls, children, and several other items, going about their day-to-day lives. Sora smiled as she looked upon this world: her world. Her people. The life she loved with all of her heart.
"Sora... my dear, dear Sora... you have to understand. If you do not try, there is no hope for our people. No hope for this beautiful city and the faeries that have existed here for eternity." He sighed and laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. "There is a way, Sora. You must find it."
Sora sighed impatiently. "You say that every time, Gennai! 'You must find the way.' What does it mean? I've scoured all of the books in all of the libraries and there is no word anyway! How am I supposed to find the way if no one has done it? Why can't you tell me?" she begged and pleaded with her old companion.
"Because it is different for any faerie. You have to find the way. It is in a book, yes, but in the kingdom of Mendai? Of that I am not sure."
The old man slowly rose from the golden chair, and walked with his hands clasped behind his back towards the palace. "In the immortal world is not the secret to mortal life."
Sora stared at his walking figure for a silent moment until it clicked in her mind. the only person with access to the book she so desperately needed.
"Yamato."
..::--*--::..
"Mattie! Oh Yama-kun! Where are you? Come here, my soon-to-be husband, so we can get to know one another!" Jun yelled, while running into the expanses of the Odaiba forest.
*Gotta get to the tree. Gotta get to the tree. Safe. Will be safe in the tree. Gotta get to the willow. Sora will help me.... I hope.* Matt galloped Starlight as fast as she could take it towards the now all-too-familiar clearing and the gigantic willow tree. The Princess was his only hope now. If she couldn't rid him of Jun, for at least a little while, then no one could.
He took another sharp turn, hoping to lose Jun even more than he already had. He sighed as he looked forward and saw it.
The twinkling leaves and the swaying branches of the willow tree.
*YES!*
Somehow, Starlight sensed his excitement and galloped faster than she was. Yamato stopped her right in front of the tree and hopped down off of the horse.
"Sorry, girl. I hope she doesn't go after you," he whispered to the horse, petting her neck affectionately.
"Yama-kun! There you are!" Jun came sprinting out of the forest, at an almost inhuman speed.
"Gotta go!" he said to Starlight, and ran into the sweeping boughs of the tree.
*Please don't let her be able to be in here... please don't let her be able to be in here...* he pleaded with himself.
"This is an almost unexpected visit, Prince Ishida. To what do I owe it to?"
Yamato closed his eyes softly at the familiar chiming voice. "Princess Sora. Again, we meet." He bowed gracefully, hoping he wasn't out-doing it. "Please, I beg of you, call me Matt."
"Matt." She smiled and sat down on the branch. Yamato studied her gaze on the ground very carefully; trying to see why see was staring at it so intently. "Is there something I can help you with, Matt?" she asked softly.
"Well.... actually..."
"YAMA-KUN!! WHERE ARE YOU?!"
"Yeah. She's... uh... been following me since this morning when she got here... and... uh... I can't get her to leave. I don't want to ask, I really don't... but I have to choice...."
"Don't worry, Matt. She can't see or hear you when you are here. But I can't do anything to help you. I'm sorry." She looked up for a moment at him, smiled, then her gaze went back down to the ground.
"Sora..."
"Yeah?"
Yamato took a deep breath and walked over to her and knelt right in front of her, looking deep into her eyes. "What's wrong? Anything I can help with? Unless is a woman issue... or a faerie one. Can't help you with those."
She smiled and Matt smiled back. "See? You shouldn't be so sad. You're much more beautiful smiling," he whispered, half to himself and half to her."
"Thanks for trying to cheer me up, Yamato. But, as much as I hate to ask since you're doing so much for us already... but this is more a favor for me." She lifted her gaze and melted in his cerulean eyes. "I... I need for you to get me something. A book."
"A book? Why do you want a book?" he asked curiously.
"I'd rather not say. But I need a book and I have good reason to believe it's in your castle.... Do you think you could get it for me and bring it here?" She bit her lip, hoping he wouldn't say no.
"Alright. Sounds easy enough. What's this book like? What's it called?"
"Actually, it has no name. But it is very thin and looks like it's almost empty. Except for one picture of twelve children..."
"The Chosen Children," Matt finished, remembering the legend he had read the other day.
Sora nodded slowly. "I have to get this book. Please can you get it for me?"
Yamato flashed his amazing smile and shook his head up and down vigorously. "Of course I will."
Sora smiled and stood up, getting ready to leave. "Thank you, Matt. Thank you so much."
She turned to go, and Matt held out his hand to her. "Wait, please," he asked softly. "I... never mind. I'll get you the book." He put his hand in his pockets and turned around and started on his way out of the willow tree.
Sora smiled and hopped up onto another branch. "If things were different, Yamato. If only things were different." And then she was gone.
..::--*--::..
"S'cuse me! Pardon me! Move out of the way, please!" Yamato shouted as he ran through the crowded marketplace to the castle gates. "Please! Kingdom emergency on hand here! Move out of the way!"
"Yama-kun! Where are you going?" Jun followed as best as she could, but the people and animals in the marketplace were blocking her path. "Yama! I'll be waiting right here for you!"
Matt looked behind him for a brief second and smiled. *I've finally lost her!*
"Hey, watch...!" a voice said.
"Whoa!" Matt turned just in time to see a boy, about two or three years younger than him, try and run out of him way. "Oh shi....!"
Matt tumbled and turned as he and the boy tripped over each other and landed in one of the stalls in the stables just outside the castle gates. Matt got up and proceeded to pick straw out of his hair, when he saw Jun running towards them.
"Are you okay....?" the boy started, but Matt shoved him under the pile of straw.
"If you value your life, just stay under here, okay?" Yamato whispered. "And be quiet."
He felt the boy nod and sat, as still as a statue, hidden by the straw.
"Yama-kun!" he heard soon. "Yamato, where are you? We have to go proclaim our love to my parents! Come on, Yama, we have to go!" Jun whined.
Matt sat for a few silent moments and then heard her voice getting quieter and quieter as she walked away, still yelling for him.
He and the blue-haired boy popped out of the straw (a/n: Like daisies! Sry, I just watched Mulan...) and stared at each other. Then, the boy's face went from confused to horrified.
"Oh... you're the Prince. I am dead, aren't I?" he asked quietly.
Matt just stared at the boy, who looked somewhat familiar. "Do I know you?"
The boy shook his head, still fearful of his life.
"What's your name?"
The boy still stayed silent.
"Look, I'm not going to hurt you. It's just that you look so familiar and I want to know your name," Matt said calmly.
"Ichijouji. Ken Ichijouji," he said shyly.
Matt's eyes widened. "Ichijouji..." he whispered softly.
...--- FLASHBACK
"Come one, Sam, you slowpoke! We have to save the Princess!" a small blonde boy said.
"Yeah. First one who gets her gets to kiss her!" a brunette yelled after him.
The two boys stopped waving their wooden swords around and looked behind them. "Where'd he go?" the blonde asked.
"Too bad I got the Princess! And I got the kiss before you could!"
The two boys looked up to the 'castle', a large tree, and saw a blue haired boy holding a young girl's hand. "I won!"
"What does that mean?" the brunette asked.
"That means that the Princess and me are getting married and I'm going to be King. King Sam Ichijouji!"
...---
"My Prince... are you okay?" the boy asked fearfully, thinking he did something to hurt the Prince.
"Are you... are you Sam's younger brother?" Matt asked him, amazed.
"You... you knew Sam?" the boy, Ken, asked, his eyes tearful.
"Yeah. We were friends. I used to play with him everyday. Until... until he just disappeared." Matt looked down at the ground, remembering his childhood friend.
"He didn't disappear. He died. Years and years ago." Ken looked at the Prince, a new look of appreciation. "So you were Sam's mysterious friend. We always used to wonder... My parents would've loved to have been able to meet you."
"They still can. I'd love to meet Sam's family." Yamato smiled at the young boy, but stopped when he didn't smile back.
"They're all dead. That's why I'm here. I was sleeping in here until you... tripped over me." The boy looked down at the ground, ashamed of what he was. "Don't kick me out, please. I have nowhere to go."
Matt stared at the little boy, about Takeru's age, remembering all the times he, Tai, and Mimi would play with his older brother Sam. "I'm not going to kick you out. Come with me." The Prince got up and started towards the castle.
"What are you going to do?" Ken asked, once again fearful.
"Well, I'm going to introduce you to tow other people who knew your brother, my little brother, who's about your age, and girl about your age." Matt smiled, then continued. "Then I'm going to talk to my parents and get you your own room in the castle and get you out of those clothes."
Ken looked up amazed at the Prince and then smiled.
"Is that okay?"
"That's great!"
..::--*--::..
Matt plopped himself down on the chair, and glanced at the large wooden door of his chambers, making sure (for the fourth time) that it was securely latched. He didn't want Jun running into his room in the dead of night and...
Well, he didn't want to think about that.
After running away from her all day, talking to Sora, finding the younger brother of his childhood friend, introducing him to Tai, Mimi, Kari and TK, and just all together having to deal with being engaged to that monster, Yamato was 100% tired. Worn-out. Ready to just lay down and never wake up.
That was only if he could dream of Sora for the rest of his life.
However many times he told himself not to, he always fell for the beautiful faerie from another world. Something about her drew him closer and closer to getting his heart broken.
"Please, Sora. Please don't let me fall in love with you."
He got up and decided that he would go to the library and look for this book that Sora needed. *I don't care how hard this is going to be... I'm going to help her all I can.*
The cold stone helped to wake him up from his half-dream state and he walked as quietly as he could down the corridors and especially quiet down the hallway where Jun and her family was staying. soon, he came to the library, but stopped when he heard two voices inside.
"Takeru... I don't think there's going to be another one like this in here. Maybe this book is special. I mean, it only has one picture and the rest is blank..."
("...looks like it's almost empty. Except for one picture of twelve children...")
*The book!* He stood silent and waited for the two to continue talking.
"It has to be, Kari. I mean, look at it! I just don't see why a book like this would be in our castle, that's all."
Matt decided just to go in, and confront the two young teenagers. He wouldn't yell, just ask calmly for the book. And make sure they weren't doing anything else.
"Kari, I don't know..."
"Ahem. But I believe you two are supposed to be in bed," Matt said in his most adult voice he could. He almost smiled at the shocked look on the two faces.
"Matt.. I ... we can explain..." TK started.
"I don't want to hear you explain. I just need that book you have. A friend of mine is looking for it everyway." He smiled and stepped towards them.
"No! We found it! You can't have it Matt!" Kari stepped in front of TK, who was trying to protect her. "You can't be mean like that Matt."
He sighed and looked at the two. "Okay, here's the deal. My friend needs this book. Now. So, you give me the book and go to bed, or I tell Tai where you two were all day. And don't think I didn't see you going into the forest. So what's it going to be?'
TK and Kari looked at each other, knowing what they had to do. "Okay, you can take it," Takeru said.
"Thank you. Now go to bed."
he sighed as the two ran out of the library and he grabbed the book off of the table.
"So let's see who these children are..."
He opened the book and gasped at the twelve Chosen Children.
"Oh God..."
..::--*--::..
always,
lily-angel