disclamation: I do not own the 'Digimon' anime at all, nor do I own the story of 'Cinderella'. the only thing here I truly own is this fanfiction. all the 'Digimon' anime's rights of ownership are reserved for Hiroyuki Kakudo, Fuji TV, and finally for Toei Animation. the rights to the 'Cinderella' story are reserved for the Walt Disney Animation Studios Company, Charles Perrault, and originally for The Brothers Grimm.
It is not long before Sora follows her stepfamily back into the house. She quickly encounters her stepmother in the room just next to the front door as soon as Sakura says…
Sakura Motomiya: Hello, dear Sora.
That is when Sakura extends her arms out for Sora to cry into. Sora obliges to her stepmother's comfortable request, but then Sakura places her left hand next to her on the foot stool. Sora starts to cry over her father leaving her on her own for the first time in her life, and Sakura extends her arms out to comfort Sora.
Sakura Motomiya (continued): Now, now, mustn't blub.
Sora Takenouchi: Yes, stepmother.
Sakura Motomiya: Oh, you need not call me that.
Sakura then wipes Sora's tears away just as her mother, Toshiko, used to. The only real difference being that Sakura seems afterwards to have had an ulterior motive for wiping away her stepdaughter's tears.
Sakura Motomiya (continued): 'Madam' will do.
Just then, Jun and Leilani come into the hall just beyond the room and fight up a storm… well, Jun fights up a storm with her sister, while Leilani simply gives her sister the silent treatment.
Jun Motomiya: I need more room than you do. My bed needs to be bigger. I need my own space.
Jun is doing all the arguing for both of them, while Leilani just continues to say nothing and even gives Jun a 'talk to the hand' motion if only to shut up her sister's griping and complaining.
Jun Motomiya (continued): Oh, you not just give me the hand. Well since you're not willing to talk, I guess I'm just wasting my breath arguing with you. And guess what, Leilani, two can play the game of 'silent treatment'. It's gonna be a library in here. That's right. You're about to hear pins dropping. I'VE GOT ALL THE QUIET IN THE WORLD.
Leilani finally talks to her sister if only to tell Jun that she was still talking and very bad at the silent treatment.
Leilani Motomiya: JUN, you're still talking.
Jun, however, saw what Leilani said to her as a win for Jun.
Jun Motomiya: Well at least, I got you talk while you couldn't get me to shut up.
Leilani Motomiya: I only spoke to you to tell you that you were still talking. The silent treatment is where you're being quiet in your fury. That's why it's called 'the silent treatment', and not the 'let's-all-talk-for-days-on-end-just-because-I-feel-like-I-could-do-it treatment'.
Jun Motomiya: You mean like the way you're doing it, right now?
Leilani Motomiya: The only reason why I am talking right now to tell you how 'the silent treatment' is supposed to work.
Jun Motomiya: Well then since you're so intent on making your point, why don't we ask mother about it?
Leilani Motomiya: It's no use, right now. She's busy with Sora.
Jun Motomiya: Don't care. We'll ask Sora about it, too… that is, if she can be of any help on the matter.
Sakura Motomiya: Well, if it isn't my so very… affectionate… daughters. How's everything going between the two of you, Jun and Leilani? Are the two of getting along well enough, or at least being civilized about handling your problems?
Leilani Motomiya: Why, yes, we are, mother and Sora. I even brought you some tea. Allow me to pour your cups.
Jun starts to look quite disgusted by Leilani's attempt at kissing up to their mother and being friendly towards their stepsister.
Sakura Motomiya: Why, thank you, Leilani. Isn't my Leilani such an angel, dearest Sora?
When Sora is not sure what to think of this, Sakura starts to get impatient with her.
Sakura Motomiya (continued): Isn't she, dearest Sora?
Sora finally acknowledges Leilani's actions as genuine kindness, since she truly believes Leilani to be the nicer of her stepsisters.
Sora Takenouchi: Oh, right. Thanks so much for tea, Leilani, but there was no need to go to all that trouble. What might you like in return for the tea? Jun, would you also like something from me?
Not even Sakura knew it, but Leilani was actually being genuine with this little gesture towards Sora in addition to her mother.
Leilani Motomiya: Nothing's all that necessary, Sora.
Jun, however, decided to ask Sora for a bigger room for both herself and Leilani to sleep in within the house.
Jun Motomiya: She's just kidding. There actually is something the two of us would both like, and that's a bigger bedroom that my sister and I can share with one another and still get at least an adequate night's sleep.
Unlike Leilani, however, Sakura was on the same page as Jun about the twin sisters' bedroom.
Sakura Motomiya: Do forgive my Jun for hers and Leilani's joint request, but I think they both find their sleeping quarters a tad bit… confining.
Sora Takenouchi: Well, my room's the biggest in the house, besides yours and my father's, madam. Perhaps Jun and Leilani would care to share my room with me?
Leilani was fine with the two of them merely sharing Sora's room with her, but Jun and Sakura had different intentions for Sora's offer.
Sakura Motomiya: What a wonderful idea. Oh, Sora, I always knew you were such a good girl.
Jun Motomiya: Oh, how very kind of you, Sora. I suppose that feministic tomboy streak of yours might have been nothing more than a passing phase.
Leilani Motomiya: Well perhaps then, Sora could always get to stay in…
Sakura interrupted Leilani's words before she could suggest Sora staying in hers and Jun's old room.
Sakura Motomiya: The attic. That's brilliant, Leilani. I don't know why I didn't think of it before.
Leilani Motomiya: Well actually, I was going to suggest she stay in…
Jun quickly scoots Leilani away before she can mention where she is really offering Sora to stay.
Jun Motomiya: Then, it's settled. Sora will be moving to attic as Leilani and I move into her room.
Sora is quite confused by this notion of sleeping in the attic, of all places.
Sakura Motomiya: I can assure you, dearest Sora, that it's only a temporary measure… especially since I have a wish to have my daughters' old room redecorated, for the sake of you eventually staying there, of course.
Jun Motomiya: Trust us; it'll be all nice and airy, and you can be free from all the fuss and bother.
Sakura also grabs a hemming tray and places it into Sora's arms.
Sakura Motomiya: And we can move all of this brick-a-brack up to your new temporary sleeping quarters with you. It should keep you amused, my dearest Sora.
Sora heads up to the attic where she is now to sleep. She then sets down the hemming tray that she has brought up with her.
Sora Takenouchi: Well, I suppose I could still be just as happy up here as I was in my old room. At least, it's nice and quaint.
Sora then grabs a small bedpost from the other side of the attic for her to place a mattress or at least a futon on where she could sleep during the night. While moving all of the attic furniture around, Sora eventually found her house mouse friends and a teeny, tiny table for them which they were all eating some cheese from.
Sora Takenouchi (continued): Hello, Gus-Gus.
That is when the house mice all scurry up the chair Sora has just turned right side up. Elena, Rosalie, and Maurice make it up the legs to the chair's cushion no problem. Greedy Gus-Gus, however, is having to put a little more effort into his climb even up the legs. Sora cheered him on, though.
Sora Takenouchi (continued): Come on, Gus-Gus. You can do it.
With that, Gus-Gus finally makes to the cushion.
Sora Takenouchi (continued): So, this is where you take refuge? Me, too, it would seem.
Meanwhile down the stairs to the attic, Sakura, Jun and Leilani have shown up and are quite disappointed with the way Sora now seems to be… that is, that Sakura and Jun were disappointed with this behavior of Sora's that was new to them. Leilani, however, only wished to ask a question about her dear stepsister.
Leilani Motomiya: Mother, are you really planning to give Sora our old room once it's done being redecorated?
Sakura Motomiya: Oh, heavens no. Yours and Jun's old room will be redecorated alright, just to suit me as a woman cave, my dear Leilani.
Jun Motomiya: You mean to tell the two of us that Sora's sleeping arrangements in the attic are actually permanent, and that they will actually last the rest of her life for as long as she lives in this house?
Sakura Motomiya: Exactly, my daughters. Sora will be staying in the attic forever or until she dies; whichever comes last.
Jun is quite overjoyed at this notion. Leilani, on the other hand, well…
Leilani Motomiya: But what'll become of Sora if she just continues to stay in the attic?
Jun Motomiya: Oh, sister dear, it's not like that's any of our concern.
Leilani Motomiya: Well, it might not be our concern, but what would happen to us if, worse times a billion, Sora finds out that our mother was never planning to redecorate our old room for the sake of Sora moving into it?
Sakura Motomiya: That is none of our concern, either. Well, it's not mine or Jun's concern, anyway.
Leilani cannot believe what she is hearing her own mother and sister say about if Sora ever finds out.
Leilani Motomiya: Are the two of you saying you're just gonna pin the whole rap for this crime on me and me alone? Is this place not still Sora's home? We're home nappers, that's what we are.
Sakura Motomiya: Since you already confessed to it for both your sister and I, there's no real need for the two of us to confess to it at all, dearest Leilani.
Sakura and Jun leave behind the attic's stairwell, giggling. Leilani does not want to be alone to potentially face her stepsister's anger if she were to find out the truth, so she follows her mother and sister, albeit a tad bit reluctantly and perhaps even with a crazy guilty and slightly even dirty conscience weighing atop her shoulders.
Meanwhile back up the attic stairs, Sora is still quite unaware of such a conversation between her stepfamily ever having taken place under her tiny nose.
Sora Takenouchi: This is absolutely perfect because at least there are no strange cats to eat any of you, and no stepfamily to drag me down while my father is away.
The next morning is quite a friendly morning at the start of it all for Sora… at least it is between her and all of the servants. Sora first goes out into the garden to get some breakfast stated for everyone in the house. She heads to the chicken coop for eggs and greets a male servant who is already in the garden.
Sora Takenouchi: Good morning, Mister Lawrence.
Lawrence: Good morning, Miss Sora.
Sora then greets the animals.
Sora Takenouchi: Good morning, folks.
That is when Sora finally reaches the chicken coop for the eggs.
Sora Takenouchi: Hello, don't mind if I do.
Sora takes a few eggs from the chicken coop, and then compliments the chickens on their work.
Sora Takenouchi: What lovely shades of both brown and white. Thanks.
Then, Sora heads back into the house with the egg basket and goes into the kitchen, where the kitchen maids are all just starting on breakfast. She greets all of the kitchen staff on her way to help prepare the eggs.
A kitchen maid: Thank you, Miss Sora.
Sora Takenouchi: You are very welcome, Miss Gwendolyn.
Miss Gwendolyn, as Sora had called her, is just finishing up with cooking the pancake batter when Sora, herself, sneaks a taste of the stuff.
Gwendolyn: Sora!
Sora Takenouchi: What? I was only tasting it to make sure it tasted right. Not that I don't trust your cooking, Miss Gwendolyn. I just wanted to make sure it tasted right for the others.