Artistic Differences
By theladyknight
Disclaimer: Digimon—not mine!
A/N: Yay! ACTs are done! They weren't pretty, but they're done! Sorry for the long wait on the update; I've got very little free time anymore. But read, review, and enjoy!
Cloud-821: -shrugs- It just kind of fit into the story. Under any other circumstances, it probably wouldn't have happened there.
Emotionlessangel37: Yeah, this story is kind of like Romeo and Juliet. I can't say I ever intended for it to be like it…it just…happened!
KatyRose: I hope things are looking up with your friend…
Yamatoishida27: Thanks for all the reviews…
Blondie121147: You changed your pen name back! Lol! I'm a bit surprised I came up with the chocolate milk thing too.
Jess: Mine aren't that bad. I came home from soccer the other day and my two year old niece was here, smiling and repeating my name—my mom said it was the only thing she said all day. I'm a bit more of a Hermione/Draco fan, but I still like Harry/Hermione.
Anxious: Yep, I've got a habit for writing way too much…
Cherryblossom Sky: I like root beer…particularly root beer floats…yum!
Windedlove: Go right ahead and make up new words! Lol! It's always so much fun! I have no free time anymore so I'm updating as fast as I can.
Ballet Kitty: Sure, Marcus is yours…
RW Grimm: That did sound a bit inappropriate. –laughs- oh well…
Indigowolf: Maybe I can practice shooting goals against him! I don't always have the best aim, but everyone tells me I kick a soccer ball really hard…
And thanks to: brat-always-day-and-night, Inconnu, Kuroi Black Nightingale, sora's-evil-twin, My Name is R.C., sorato-takari, scorpion05, KoumiLoccness, Mrs. Ishida-to-you, and Kay.
Chapter 19: Forming A Plan
Light entered the room, shielded a bit by the cloth curtains in the window. At the same time, a yawn escaped the redhead lying cozily in the bed. She rolled onto her side, clutching the covers around her and squinting from the light. Opening her eyes, she found herself in the middle of a large bed, yet not her bed in the castle.
"Good morning, Sleeping Beauty."
Sora sat up a bit, still holding the covers around her, smiling at the blond before her. He stood, buttoning his shirt, hair tousled around in different directions, but with a brilliant smile overtaking his features. "Good morning to you, too."
He walked over to the bed. Matt lightly sat down, placing a warm kiss on the princess's lips. "Did you sleep well?"
"Of course," Her reply came a bit shyly. "I was with you,"
The artist chuckled to himself at the light blush that had moments before appeared on her cheeks. He rose to his feet, picking up a silky, very heavy dress off the floor. "How do you women wear these? They must be uncomfortable."
She smirked. "You have no idea." The blond headed toward the door, aware his lover's eyes were on him the whole time.
"Where are you…"
"I'm going to make us some breakfast. Joe'll be here soon so you might want to get dressed."
Blood rose to his cheeks at the remembrance of last night. It was definitely not a bad thing, just something private, secret, not supposed to happen. But it did. "Okay, but I expect you to make something good."
Snapping back to reality with a grin, Matt left the bedroom. Sora stood up, rounding up her undergarments and gathering the dress he had hastily tossed to the ground, finally getting dressed…
The blond glanced around the kitchen. Pots and pans were stacked neatly in piles. Cups were lined up meticulously. Dishes lay untouched in a corner, so bright and shiny one would think they were made of the most precious metals on the earth. How is Joe so neat and organized? Vaguely remembering his bedroom in his homeland, he shook his head, blond locks slowly starting to fall back in place. My place is just the opposite.
He walked around the small room, hoping some idea would come to him as to what to make. There was bread. Fruit. Vegetables. Some meat. Sugar and flour. I may as well just make something new. Matt pulled out a pan, placing it on the flat rack above the glowing fire.
He gathered some ingredients, hoping they would taste good together. If not, they certainly appeared edible. He'd have to come up with some story to tell the princess if they were, in fact, not appetizing. Finally getting everything he needed, Matt grabbed a large bowl from the wooden shelf. Joe, I hope you're in the mood for some more cleaning…
"Mmhh…what's that delicious smell?" Sora asked. Her nose had immediately led her to the kitchen, anticipating what the blond had cooked up.
Matt grinned at her once more, pulling those shiny plates off their stack, careful as to not knock any of them over—they appeared to have cost the doctor a fortune—and began to set the table. He opened his mouth to speak but paused at the sound of a key in the door. The artist ducked down, fear still in him though fairly certain it was Joe. "Relax, it's me."
"How was the wedding?" The lone female wondered, taking another plate off the stack and grabbing some forks, preparing to set the table.
Joe shrugged. "As I expected it to be. There was nothing really special about it, but I did have a lot of fun."
"That's good." Matt took the plates from the table and began dishing out his creation. Sora glanced at the round, fluffy-looking food, taking each plate from him as he finished setting two rounded ovals on them.
"What's this?" Joe sat down at the table, greeted by the plate Sora set down. His stomach gave off a rumble, a result of the long walk home from the wedding feast.
"I really don't know. I threw some things together, and now, I'm hoping they taste as good as they look. Give it a try."
The doctor hesitated a bit. I hope he didn't do anything like he did to Lord Ichijouji. "Oka…okay."
He cut the golden brown food with his fork, placing a piece in his mouth. One second…Two seconds…Three seconds…
"Matt, this is really good! You should think of something to call this creation."
The blond raked a hand through his hair while watching the princess take a bite out of hers, sitting himself down next to her. "What do they taste like?"
The princess curiously chewed hers. "Yum, it's sweet…but not too sweet. Maybe you could add something like," she paused, "butter or syrup to them if you really want them sweeter."
He took a bite, finally, savoring the taste. Wow, that's not bad at all. I can't think of a taste to describe it. It's sort of like a cake and…"Pancakes!"
"Pancakes, that's two days in a row we've come up with something new. Sora, you should try the…shoot! I need to make some chocolate milk before your parents get here."
Sora picked up her clean plate, hurrying over to the water basin to wash it and the others plates. "They'll be here soon."
Matt began to help her as Joe brewed enough chocolate milk for all the Ishidas along with a glass for Sora. She wiped her hands on the dish rag, taking the glass from him, bringing it to her lips. "So?"
"I think the two of you came up with a winner. This could be huge someday."
"Matt, you'd probably better hide. I'm expecting them soon." Joe announced while starting to clean up the kitchen area.
The artist nodded. Sora grabbed onto his arm to stop him. "I'll wait with you. Joe, call me when you see them approaching."
He smiled as the two walked hand in hand into Joe's bedroom, Matt's hiding place, knowing this could well be the last time they'll be together for a long time. It would be hard for the princess to continue coming up with reasons as to why she should be allowed to journey into the village. People would get suspicious should she venture in a lot.
Joe put stoppers on the vials of chocolate milk. They're in love. I could tell from the very beginning. They'd better figure out who framed Matt, or I'm going to hear a lot of complaining from him about not being able to see Sora. They deserve to be together, and I'll do whatever I can to help them…
Sora shut the door, gazing at the artist whose back was to her. "So?"
"So…"
"When will I see you again?"
She sighed, taking his arm, and leading him down to the bed. She sat next to him and rested her head against his chest. "I don't really know. It's going to be hard getting into town without people wondering. The only time I could come would most likely be to pick up stuff for the Independence Day celebration, though, I'm certain most of the supplies are at the castle."
"So what's the story about the Independence Day thing?" he asked, gently stroking her red hair, valuing these last few minutes he'd be able to spend with her.
"It's a celebration of our independence from this old empire hundreds of years ago. The empire has since vanished, separated into all the kingdoms of this area. Every year, our kingdom celebrates our freedom, as we had the rebels and knights who stood up to the evil emperor. We were the first to gain our independence, and it's always a major celebration."
Matt nodded. "What all do you do there?"
"There's a huge feast outside the castle. Everyone from the surrounding villages and cities is invited. I have a strong feeling many of the people you met at the ball will be there as well. Anyway, there are fireworks, lots of food, singing, dancing, and Taichi, the others and I always put on some sort of performance—literary, historically, or otherwise. I have a feeling we'll be planning it soon."
"I wish I'd be able to see it."
"Maybe…"
"Sora, here they come!"
The two stood up. "I guess this is goodbye." Matt quietly said.
Sora stood up on her tiptoes, pulling him closer to her, and kissing him passionately on the lips. Matt responded to the kiss, and brushed her cheek as he pulled away. "We'll find a way to free you, Matt, starting the minute I get back to the castle."
"I know you will. Good luck with everything. Let me know the second Marcus tries anything, and I'll be there."
She grinned, placing a finger over his lips. "You're too sweet. But I'll keep him at bay. You stay safe too."
"Of course, I promise you that. I love you, baby."
"I…"
"Sora! They're coming up the steps!"
"I love you too, Matt. I always will." She kissed him once more before darting out the door…
Twenty minutes later, Joe walked into the room to find Matt lying on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. "Things'll get better."
"I know. Thanks for everything you do, Joe. Really, I don't know where I'd be right now without you allowing me to stay here."
"It's no problem, Matt. I'd do this for any of my friends, particularly if the princess is in love with them."
Matt couldn't hide his grin. "Actually, she and I are more than in love. Her father gave me her hand…"
Joe began to grow dizzy, landing with a thud on the floor. He awoke seconds later, Matt standing over him very concerned. "Well, this definitely means we're going to have to find a way to clear your name…"
"Excuse me! Could everyone please quiet down!" The King tried, failing dismally, to calm the people before him. He had called a meeting of everyone in the castle, directing them all into the dining room the moment he came back with Sora.
"The King's trying to speak!" Tai called, cupping his hands over his mouth. The brunette's magnified voice did the trick, calming everyone down, ceasing the gossip.
King Haruhiko smiled as every face in the room turned in Tai's direction. The boy's face grew an attractive shade of red. "Thank you, Tai. Now that I have your attention, I'd like to go over a few things. By now, I'm positive everyone is aware of what happened the night of the ball. The Ishidas are imprisoned, and there is a bounty on their eldest son, Matt. I will be the first to say Matt is not a dangerous criminal, and I do not believe it was he who was guilty for the attack."
A collective gasp emitted from the crowd. "What do you mean he's not guilty?" "Of course he is!" "Who do you believe it is, sire?"
"I'm quite uncertain, but I do have my reasons for feeling he's innocent. But the fact of the matter…our knights and guards are looking for him. No one here is in any danger; you have my word. If you have any further concerns, though, I'm open to meeting with people after this to address any other issues."
"Is that all you called us here for, King Haruhiko?"
The King shook his head, pulling out a paper he had written notes on. "As many of you also know, we have our annual Independence Day celebration in the next two weeks. Preparations are already underway, and I have specific instructions for all of you regarding your tasks. I have a feeling this year's celebration will be a memorable one."
His wife looked in their daughter's direction, nodding, almost as some sort of subliminal message. I know you want to talk to your friends, Sora. You need to discuss what you're going to do, and I have a feeling you'll want to talk about Matt and the Ishidas.
"Father, may the students and I be dismissed to my room to plan our performance?"
"Of course, Sora," He smiled at his daughter but frowned as Marcus remained seated, not even moving when Tai whispered something in his ear, most likely if he wanted to go with them. Marcus is up to something. I have a very strong feeling. I see the looks he shooting in Sora's direction. Something tells me he's going to be asking for Sora's hand in marriage. I've already given it to Matt, but if I hadn't, I wouldn't grant my daughter to Marcus. He doesn't deserve her. I do not trust him at all. There's something about him I don't like. But I have a feeling he wants to talk to me…
-Sora's Room-
"Guys, what are we going to do? We need to figure out what kind of thing we're going to do for the celebration and how we'll spring Matt and the Ishidas." Sora put her foot door. She'd locked her door upon the arrival to the room, getting right down to business.
They all knew they needed to come up with some sort of play or story to put on in front of the public. But none of them were really focusing on that task. The "Matt Situation", as Tai had recently dubbed it, happened to be weighing on their minds more than anything. The group knew it would be easy to come up with some impromptu act on the spot for their play, and people would love it. However, Sora's father required them to outline their plans, work on scenery, and contribute other materials. So now they faced two problems with no solutions to be found, it seemed.
"If only there was a way we could solve both at one time." Kari sighed.
Tai fell down onto Sora's bed. "Guys, we have to figure the Independence Day thing out first. We might get an answer to the "Matt Situation" from it."
Since when did Tai get to be so smart? Mimi's mouth dropped, and she could tell Sora thought the same thing. "Okay, what exactly did we do last year?"
The redheaded princess smirked. "Last year's was my favorite!"
Kari folded her arms. "I hated it."
Mimi let out a laugh, now remembering the situation. "It wasn't that bad, Kari."
"Are you kidding me?" the youngest teen exclaimed. "You two had it easy! Sora, you were the oldest princess. Mimi, you were next in line. I was the youngest girl, and Tai played the "baby" prince. I had to take care of him, and at one point, you two forced me to rock him!"
It was Sora's turn to giggle. "Do you remember when you dropped him? Holy cow, I was doing everything I could not to laugh!"
"That wasn't funny!" The lone male cried. "I had a bruise for a month!"
"As touching as this is, can we get back on task?" Mimi wondered.
Sora smiled her thanks, eyes looking around the room. "We need something big. Something no one is expecting."
They thought.
"I…nope." Tai shook his head ten minutes later.
And thought.
"Maybe we could…never mind." Mimi's head fell as her suggestion did.
And thought.
Kari's eyes lit up, half an hour after they started. "How about…nah, that won't work."
And thought.
"We could always…ugh! I can't think of anything!" the princess cried.
But nothing came.
"How about we figure out how to free the Ishidas?" Kari exasperatedly suggested.
Mimi shook her head. "They all looked so bored when we were down there."
"Do you blame them, though?" Her future husband asked. "What exactly could they do down there?"
"T.K. briefly mentioned something to me about really missing working on art. I talked to him for about ten seconds before we left." Kari stated.
Well, there's a thought. "If we ever figure out what we're going to do, maybe Lord Ichijouji will let them get involved."
"How, Sor?" A puzzled Tai asked.
She grinned. "They could paint and design our scenery and…"
"That's a great idea!" Mimi interrupted. "I'll be one hundred times better than last year's performance."
Tai turned crimson. "It's not my fault the castle fell over!"
"You insisted on building it. It was your fault!" His sister threw the evidence back in his face.
Giving a guilty grin, the boy had to laugh. "I guess you got me there."
"So, how are we going to save the Ishidas?" Mimi wondered.
"Anyone have any ideas?" Sora asked. At once, the girls all turned in Tai's direction, knowing he had come up with some fanciful plan. They weren't positive they really wanted to hear it, but an idea was better than staring at the beautiful mural in Sora's room, wishing the Ishidas hadn't been captured.
"Well," he gave a wide smile. "I was thinking of something."
Kari put a hand on her head. Oh brother. "Let's hear it, Tai."
He stood up. "Okay, we're all going to dress up like guards. Then, we're going to sneak down to the dungeons, pretending it's our shift, freeing the Ishidas along the way. Good, no?"
"Where would we hide them?" Mimi questioned. "They can't just walk out the castle. Guards are stationed all over the place."
"They could…they could hide in Sora's room. And if worse comes to worse, they could hide under…under her bed!"
The redhead launched into a laughing fit. "What's so funny?"
"It's not the plan, Tai. I've heard it's really dusty underneath my bed. They'd probably prefer the jail cell to the bottom of my bed. Anymore plans?"
The brunette pondered the question, though still rather puzzled over the reference Sora made to her bed. "We could go out to the garden, get some spoons, and dig a tunnel to the dungeon!"
Now all three girls burst out in giggles. "That would take years!"
"At least I tried! You come up with a plan if you don't like mine!"
"Fine!" Mimi's competitive spirit flew through. "I'm sure I'll have figured out the solution in no time…"
-One Hour Later-
"I can't think of anything at all!" The girl whined. "This is going to be impossible!"
Kari was close to tears. "Now T.K. and the Ishidas will be there forever. And who even knows about Matt."
Tai was asleep. No idea had come to him either.
Sora sat on her bed, knees pulled together, and head resting on them. She was focusing all her energy on any clues that would help prove Matt was innocent.
Her mind drifted back to the conversation she and the others had had the night of the ball about who they thought was guilty. If only there was a way to get them all in one place, allowing us to prove which person did it. You're guilty until proven innocent; Matt hasn't even had a chance to defend himself. Why can't you be innocent until proven guilty and have a bunch of impartial people decide whether or not you committed a crime? That's when the princess suddenly remembered something Tai had said.
And then…it came to her.
"Guys!" she shot up off the bed. Everyone faced her; her outburst managed to wake Tai up from his deep slumber.
"What?"
"I've got it!"
"The answer to which problem?" Mimi asked.
"Both!" Sora called triumphantly.
"Well…"
She was beaming with pride. "For our act at the celebration, we're going to put on a trial…"
"A trial?" Tai asked, very confused.
"Yeah, a trial," Sora paused dramatically, "to prove Matt and the Ishidas are innocent…"
A/N: Please review! I'm halfway done with "Game of Life". Hopefully it'll be up sometime in the coming week!