Artistic Differences

By theladyknight

Disclaimer: Digimon—not mine!

I'm sorry (times infinity) for the wait. I've been working on this chapter for over a month. I just haven't had time to concentrate on it. Maybe my New Year's resolution should be to update at least once a month…:D…I'll have to work on that. Thank you to everyone who reviewed last chapter, and I dedicate this last, final chapter (THERE IS NO SEQUEL!) to all you fantastic reviewers! Happy reading…

Oh, and a big thank you to all reviewers, both signed and otherwise. Thanks for hanging on for the ride. It's time for this story to end, but I'm very thankful for all the support you guys have given me.

Chapter 25: Two Weddings and a Croquet Game

They were as different as black and white.

Growing up, the younger of the two joyfully fulfilled her role as a noble child. She loved every bit of the life that was expected to her. She was the one who complied with the rules of society, conformed to its standards and fit in with the everyday living methods. Beautiful dresses in a multitude of colors lined her bedroom closets. One or two servants tended to her, but she was always polite and modest around them. She ate daintily, behaved like a proper young lady was expected and always wore a large smile on her face. Tea parties and doll playing were among her hobbies. A day didn't go by without dreaming of her handsome knight in white coming to rescue her from danger, ready to marry her at the blink of an eye.

But her best friend was the antithesis of her, the black to her white. How she loathed the life set out for her. What she longed for was freedom and adventure, opportunities that were anachronisms for her time period. Of course she behaved with impeccable manners and was loved and admired by all who saw her. But she despised her duties. Her father and mother yelled at her many times, finding her wearing mud-stained dresses before dinner parties, bearing waterlogged new shoes or having grass and straw in her hair. Swimming and hiking entertained her time. She wore dresses most often by force or if something was really important to her. A day didn't go by without dreaming of what life could be like if she wasn't a princess and wasn't required to marry.

Marriage…

Both girls knew it was required of them. All young ladies, regardless of their stature, were eventually married off. Luckily for the older of the two, her parents did not support an arranged marriage. Each girl was allowed to choose her future husband. And they'd both found Mr. Right and were ready to marry him.

Or…were they?

"Sora! Sora, don't leave me here!"

The redhead did everything in her power to pull herself out of the death grip her best friend had her in. Finally, her efforts were rewarded, though she did not escape without a few scratches from Mimi's long nails. "I was just going to step outside for a bit of air."

"No! Please do not leave!"

"Why? You have Kari here if you need anything. I don't know what's gotten into you, Meems. You haven't been yourself all day."

"Sora, I do not know if I can do this."

"What?" Kari asked, looking a bit concerned as she joined the two girls inside the "women's" tent. Kari and Sora exchanged a look, having a strong idea what Mimi was referring to but not understanding why. Mimi could talk of nothing but the wedding since the defeat of Lockton's armies a month ago. She and the other noble women had been making preparations for this day for awhile. Yes, it would be a small wedding, but everyone who needed to be there would be there. And when the clock struck twelve, the ceremony would begin.

Mimi bit her lip. "This whole marriage thing," she exasperatedly answered.

"Mimi," Sora put on the calmest voice she possessed, "you can do this. You and Tai are both ready for this. I have never seen the two of you happier."

"Are we ready?" she shot back.

"Why would you not be?" Kari hesitantly responded.

Mimi's face became flabbergasted, shifting from her—somewhat—previous calm expression of uncertainly. "Look at all the responsibility! It is not going to be like courting each other. We are going to be married! People expect things from married people. We're going to have to take care of each other. We're going to live together. I am going to be the one responsible for the "wife" tasks while he does all the "husband" tasks. We're going to live in the same house. I have to wake up next to him every morning! There is too much pressure!"

"But are those not the things most people look forward to about marriage?" Kari countered. "Do you not want to experience all those things with Tai?"

"Are we ready to be married?" Mimi looked like she was about to cry. "I do not know if we are. Everything is going to change once it happens."

"How do you figure?" Sora calmly answered.

"Things will not be like normal. I will not be 'Mimi Tachikawa' anymore. In the next few hours I will become Lady Mimi Kamiya. I am going to be married, Sor. It is like I am not going to be a child anymore. I have changed into a woman and now have to face the responsibilities. Will I be able to have fun? I cannot participate in the fun and games we always partake in. I am going to be expected to be the proper wife, following all etiquette and behaving the way people want me too. Will you two even want to be around me because I will be married? You all will abandon me!"

She was beyond hysterics now. Sora and Kari enveloped the girl in a large hug, hoping that this type of comfort would console her as their verbal reasoning failed. They exchanged a worried glance as Mimi's crying became louder. "I think Tai is the only one who could knock some sense into her, as strange as that may seem." Kari admitted, whispering her idea into the redhead's ear.

"But he cannot see her before the wedding. It is bad luck." She had an idea, motioning for Kari to leave Mimi on her own for a moment. "I will go talk to Tai and see if he has anything to tell her."

The younger Kamiya's face paled. "And leave me here with psycho?" she whispered, clearly not happy with the plan.

"Just go with it. You will be fine. Meems, I am going to go out and talk to Tai. Is there anything you want me to tell him," she quickly asked before Kari had a chance to interrupt her.

"Tell him the wedding's off!" a dramatic Mimi cried out. "There is too much stress! I cannot do this."

Kari's eyes narrowed in the princess's direction as she was left to console the weeping woman. I will get you back for this, Sora. "It will be okay, Mimi." Mimi only moaned louder…

Why do I have a feeling Kari's going to kill me? That's right; I would not want to be stuck there with an overemotional, crazy Mimi either. She is just overreacting. Hopefully Tai has something to say to her. She smoothed out her pink maid-of-honor dress, cursing the thing as she nearly tripped over it. Leave it to Mimi to pick out the most impractical dresses. I love the girl to death, but seriously, I would not wish these things on anyone. Sora stopped walking, unsure of where she was heading. Where would Tai be? Maybe if I can find Matt then I can find Tai.

Matt was probably doing the same thing she was for Mimi. He was Tai's attendant while his future wife served as Mimi's. The small wedding was going to be marked with a bride groom and two attendants. Unlike the regal affair Sora's was expected to be, this one would be more down to earth and subtle.

The redhead's ears perked up at the sound of a familiar harmonica. Sora slowly made her way, following the sound through the garden until she reached the rose section. A flash of yellow stood out amongst the brilliant red and pink flowers. She glanced down, surprised to see Matt lying down on his back and playing a sad melody.

"What is going on? If Mimi knew you were lying on the ground in your wedding clothes, she would freak out." More than she already is.

Matt abruptly stopped, sitting up to face his soon-to-be wife. "Tai wanted to be alone to think but asked me to play him a song. Why are you not with Mimi?"

She sighed and the artist immediately knew something was up. "Mimi has got a case of cold feet. She is back there freaking out on Kari and about ready to break down."

"Well, if it means anything, Tai is doing a little better. He has some pre-wedding jitters but is giving himself a pep talk over by the pond. I think he should be better in a few minutes."

"The pond?" Sora was shocked at that statement. "But Tai is terrified of the fish. He refuses to go anywhere near the pond."

"I think he decided that by conquering one fear, he would succeed in conquering this one."

Sora appeared impressed. "Wow, if Mimi heard that, she would probably get over things."

"Too bad she cannot come to see him now."

"My thoughts exactly," the princess answered as they approached the small pond. Tai's figure hunched over the pond, as if he was looking into a mirror.

"Come on; be strong," he encouraged himself. "Say it, Tai: man of the house. You can do this. There is nothing to be afraid of. Think about the good. Man of the house…man of the house…"

The repeated mantra somewhat calmed his nerves, and Sora and Matt could see him relaxing physically, as well. Tai did not notice their presence and continued on with his chanting.

"Tai?" Sora hesitantly asked.

The bushy-haired brunette nearly lost his footing in surprise, almost falling into the pond. "Oh, Sora. What are you doing here?"

"How are you feeling?" she asked, changing the subject.

"I am great! Peachy. I have never been better!"

Matt stared him down. "Really?"

"No. I am terrified guys. Every time I think I am ready to go, I get a new fear."

"Tai, you and Mimi are going to be fine," Sora calmly answered. "I just talked to Mimi, and she is feeling the same way." So what if she was lying just a little bit? It was, after all, for the greater good. And she had to figure out a way to keep this wedding on track. "You guys do not have anything to worry about, though. The two of you are each thinking of the bad that can happen. Focus on the good. Sure, marriage can be scary and uncertain, but it can also be incredibly amazing."

Matt decided to help her out. "You are going to be entering into a new stage of your life. You and Mimi are going to be together all the time as husband and wife. Yes, there are probably a lot of problems and things that can come from being married. The two of you might argue and yell at each other, but do you not do that now?"

"I never thought about it like that."

"Aside from the bads, you cannot forget about all the new things. You get a chance to be with her all the time. It is official that the two of you are together. You guys get to live together and wake up beside each other every morning. Imagine how exciting—not scary—starting a life together will be."

Tai had slowly begun to look more energized. "You know, maybe it is a good idea to think of it like that. Maybe I was freaking out over nothing."

"Too bad Mimi did not hear the same pep talk."

"Do you want to pass a message onto her as well?" Tai hesitantly asked. "I mean since she cannot be here right now, and in obvious Mimi fashion, is probably getting all crazy and hysterical on whoever she is with."

Matt fought back a smile. "That would probably be a good idea. Sora will go let her know. What do you want to tell her?"

"Tell her that I love her and that things are going to work out well. We have nothing to be scared of. It is a whole new world for the two of us, and we will never get to see the good of it if we clam up now."

Sora smiled at her longtime friend. "I will be back soon."

Soon apparently was too loose of a description. Matt and Tai stood together in silence, awaiting the princess's return. Time passed slowly. The two men exchanged a confused glance. Sure, the girls' tent was stationed across the lawn from the garden, but it should not have taken Sora this long to return. Both knew only one thing could be the cause of this.

"Any bets on what Mimi is doing right now?" Tai asked impishly. "I love the woman to death—obviously—but I do not want Sora to narrate a novel to me."

"I know what you mean. I am incredibly lucky that Sora is nothing like that."

"You two ready for your big day yet?"

Matt combed his fingers through his hair. "We are both enjoying the last days of freedom, but yes, I can tell that Sora is as anxious as I am. And I am fairly confident that there will not be something like this happening."

"Lucky," Tai stuck out his tongue, and the two laughed together. Their conversation continued around the subject of weddings until they heard footsteps. "Do you come bearing a book?"

"Close to one," Sora's sarcasm was very evident. She appeared a bit disheveled and irritated. "Here is the quick version: Mimi says to tell you that she loves you too, but she is scared. She cannot help to fear that something bad will happen to the two of you and that your marriage will fall apart after an argument. Her biggest fear is that you two will not be able to put up with each other."

Matt zoned himself out of the conversation as Sora continued to explain Mimi's side of things. How can these two be so foolhardy? If Mimi and Tai each took a chance to cool off and really think about the situation, things would not be a problem. Thankfully it did not take long to convince Tai. Mimi would be a different story though. Tai had now begun talking, and the blond shook his head once more. Try as I might, I will never understand women.

He was broken out of his peaceful state by an indignant shout from Tai. "Come on, Sor. I cannot go talk to Mimi without cursing our wedding. You have to go!"

"No!" she sincerely shouted back. "I quit! Resign! Give up! You do it. I am not going back to try and reason with the crazy women! She is beyond my help now."

The bushy brunette looked to his attendant. "Matt, could you please do us this favor."

The artist's face paled. They want me to reason with her? "I do not think that would be a good idea." Particularly as I have no idea what the two of you were just talking about. "What am I possibly going to say that will convince her otherwise?"

"Just repeat everything I told Sora just now."

"But I…"

Matt received Sora's icy glare with fear in his heart. He knew he was not the one who should discuss this with Mimi. If these two were in their rational minds, this would not be happening. Unfortunately for Matt, they were far from it. With a sigh, he relented. "All right; I will try," he bravely—or foolishly—called out as he forced one foot in front of the other out of the garden.

Ten minutes and the battle was over.

Matt slowly marched back into the garden, fatigue hardly allowing him to continue. "So?"

"Mimi says she will meet you at the aisle in one hour."

Tai let out a victory cry, and Sora pulled her war torn future husband into an embrace. It had not been easy. Faced with an overly emotional Mimi, Matt used every argument he could think of to reassure her. Listening to what Tai said would have, for once, probably made things easier for him, but the blond had somehow managed to persuade the soon-to-be Lady Kamiya that things were looking bright.

And he had come out alive; that was the important thing.

"You okay?" Sora asked, gently massaging his shoulder.

"Yeah…just promise me this kind of thing will not happen at our wedding…"

The trumpet fanfare alerted all that the time to rise would soon be upon them. Thousands of anxious and eager men, women and children of the Takenouchi Kingdom turned their attention to the archway just past the garden. A path of flowers, separating the loads of benches, drew an imaginary aisle for the large wedding party to walk down. Other brass instruments in the orchestra—stationed close to the castle entry—entered the welcoming melody as Takeru and Mimi glided down first.

"Calm down, Mimi. Save your tears for later." The youngest artist tried not to wince as she fought back another large sob.

"I cannot…hel…help it!" Sora's main attendant bawled. "It is just so beautiful…"

A clarinet and oboe took over the melody, joined together in a duet. Kari tried to focus on the music rather than her brother's ramblings while they, the second attendants, followed the first two.

"Marriage is a wonderful thing, Kari. There is absolutely nothing to fear. Look and Mimi and me. We have been happily married for over a month! I cannot wait until you partake in the joys of married life. And I look forward to the time Dad walks you down the aisle, and you see T.K.'s smiling face by the clergyman."

Kari attempted—but failed—to control the color in her face. "Tai, I'm only sixteen."

"So? Fate intervenes often." He nudged her just before they parted. "And I want to be an uncle many times…"

"This is incredibly exciting! I have never been given an honor this spectacular before. When mother called on me and told me that the princess wanted me in her wedding I was so shocked. I mean I hardly knew her at all, but she wanted something so big from me…"

Joe listened to Jun Motomiya babble incessantly as he walked her past the thousands in attendance. He, too, felt extremely honored and humbled to be invited into the wedding party of two of the best friends he had ever had.

They came to him a few weeks ago and asked for his participation in their wedding. "If it was not for you, Joe, the wedding probably would not be taking place."

Sora gave the blushing doctor a kiss on the cheek. "You have no idea how important everything you have done for us was. We do not know how to thank you. This is the least of what we can do…"

"Ken! Ken, walk slower!"

The boy genius rolled his eyes. "Yolei, if we walk any slower, Sora and the king will run us over." The final couple lethargically or hastily—depending on which person asked—trotted down to the second arch, this one adorned with hundreds of fresh roses. They reached the front, but Ken stopped before he could move to stand by a still-composed Matt and the men. "Yolei! You have to let me go!"

She turned a crimson color, one that matched perfectly with her gown. "Sorry," she mumbled amid the snickers of all the boys.

"Ken, maybe you and Yolei should be standing here instead of Matt and Sora."

"Shut up, T.K. You should not be talking."

Izzy, who was seated at a makeshift desk just beyond the boys, smiled at the now nervous groom. "Do you want all this written down, Matt?" His glare gave a perfect answer. "I will start writing things now instead."

The blond offered him a small smile, knowing he had been joking. The others around him continued to talk excitedly, but Matt did not want to open his mouth. He was way too afraid of loosing the breakfast Tai and T.K. nearly forced down his throat.

An abrupt drum roll ended the original song. Slowly the repetition continued eleven more times. All in attendance rose to their feet, immediately turning to the back.

This was it.

Matt felt his heart catch in his throat at the sight of the princess, his princess. King Haruhiko, dressed in his most regal, formal outfit, led his stunning daughter down the aisle. His dignified purple robes, jewels and golden crown shone in the midday sun. Sora looked equally, if not more, elegant than her father.

Maude and Mimi—along with nearly ten commissioned royal seamstresses—put together the bride's full gown. While all her attendants dressed in the deepest scarlet, Sora wanted her gown to be something different. Any other color seemed too extravagant or eye-catching. The designers were in a bind. That is when Kari came up with the idea. "Why not dress her in white?"

Dress her in white they did.

It was made of the finest imported silk, layered a few times to make a huge train. The strapless dress, accented with sparkling jewels and beads, fit her perfectly well and matched the black and white Mimi had decided would look the best on the men. No one in attendance had seen a more beautiful bride before.

Matt could barely keep his eyes in his head. She smiled at him—or at least he thought she did. He could not really tell as the laced veil hid most of her face.

His heart continued to beat quicker as she and her father approached him. King Haruhiko was all smiles, holding his daughter's arm for the last time. They took the final step to where Matt and the village clergyman stood. "She is yours now, Matt," the king said, placing their hands together. "And you are hers. Take care of each other."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

"Please remove the bride's veil."

The blond raised a shaky hand to push the veil away from Sora's face. She looked at him with shy eyes, a graceful smile on her face. Although his legs turned to jelly, he somehow managed to continue standing, willing his brain to keep him going. Looking at each other, they knew their time for happiness was finally here. Instead of the trials and tribulations they faced from the day they met, they would now be waltzing into their fairy-tale ending.

Matt and Sora had been preparing for this day since the defeat of the Lockton forces. But mixed in with the good lingered the bad. Sora and Matt spent about a week and a half talking with Joe about some nightmares regarding the final battle. Killing Marcus had to be done to preserve their own lives, but it haunted their dreams every night. Thanks to Joe, most of the monsters were finally fading away.

"Who gives this woman to this man?"

"I do." King Haruhiko proudly proclaimed.

The man smiled, instructing the bride and bridegroom to face him—hands still interlocked—as he opened up his large book. "We are gathered here today to witness the biding ceremony of marriage between these two loving souls. If anyone here finds reason for these two not to be joined, speak now or forever hold your silence!"

People looked around, as if expecting someone to open his or her mouth. Tai, with a very goofy smile, slowly opened his mouth. "Do not even think about it." T.K. nudged him hard in the stomach, covering his mouth with a hand.

"I was just joking!" Tai innocently exclaimed, pushing T.K.'s hand away.

"I would probably not be joking about it if I were you." Joe cautioned. He caught the glare Sora was maliciously directing at her longtime friend.

"I will just shut my mouth now."

Ken snickered. "That would probably be a good idea."

"Well," the clergyman cleared his throat, "if all interruptions are out of the way, we will begin with the passage King Haruhiko and Queen Toshiko selected."

Davis Motomiya rose from his seat in the front row. "Love is always patient and kind; it is never jealous, love is never boastful or conceited; it is never rude or selfish; it does not take offense, and is not resentful. Love takes no pleasure in other people's sins but delights in the truth; it is always ready to excuse, to trust, to hope, and to endure whatever comes. Love does not come to an end." He paused for a breath. "Some times it takes a lot for us to realize that love has hit us, but other times we realize it right away. However, we must always deal with the fact that the course of true love neverdidrunsmooth. We must accommodate to that. And anyone who has known Sora and Matt knows they have done just that. An artist and a princess? That would be considered blasphemous in some cultures. But to see them and not realize they belong together is blasphemy. On behalf of the kingdom and your future subjects, we hereby give our complete support to both Sora and Matt."

Upon finishing the reading, the boy stepped down from the platform he had been reading from. He handed the sheet of parchment to Izzy, and the boy genius furiously wrote down the last of the reading. As the official recorder, Izzy had been selected to write down every moment of the wedding. He was quite happy with the role—and much more comfortable with it than walking down the aisle.

Smiling at Davis, the clergyman cleared his throat. "As I am not familiar with Matt and Princess Sora, I will keep this brief. Their relationship is a love story in the making, from what I have been told. Someday, someone will record this story for the whole world to read. The Princess and Matt Ishida met and fought off all odds facing them even when it appeared all hope was lost. I am honored to be performing this ceremony for the future king and queen." He paused. "We will now have the exchange of rings and vows."

At that statement, eyes turned to watch Cody solemnly march down the aisle. He bore a small red pillow—one the servants used—with two golden bands. "Please join your right hands." Cody held out the pillow as the clergyman moved, and Matt and Sora shifted so the crowd could somewhat see them.

"These two young people have written their own vows and will be stating them. Matt, if you would please."

It was completely opposite of Tai's and Mimi's wedding day. When it came time for the male to read off his vows, the river outside the castle grew deeper at an alarmingly fast rate. It took nearly twenty minutes for Tai to get through his vows...

The tears just kept on forming.

Izzy offered up at least five handkerchiefs, and Sora and Matt attempted to help things along.

But Tai continued to blubber.

"I never thought that I would experience everything I did upon coming here. When I first met you, Sora, you and I both know things did not go over so smoothly. But as time passed and our maturity grew, we realized there was something more there. You saw what was inside me when no one else did. You were there for me always when no one else was. You fought to save me and claim my innocence when no one else held out any hope. And my love for you grows more everyday. I promise I will always be there for you no matter what. We are an unstoppable team together, and I thank my maker everyday for bringing me to you."

Sora's cheeks had lightened a little and some tears were streaking down her face. On her other side, Mimi had started up again. "Why can Tai not be that romantic? That was like something out of a book!"

"Matt is so perfect," Jun sighed longingly. "If only he had a twin."

"Now I cannot wait for my own wedding." Yolei mumbled to no one in particular. "I wonder how Ken will talk—did I just say that out loud?"

Kari shook her head, very glad Sora and Matt were so wrapped up in each other and those in attendance were focused on the ceremony. "I am stuck in the middle of a freak show…"

"Princess, if you would please."

"Matt, I am not going to deny the fact that I did not quite like you upon our first introduction. You were nothing like I had ever seen before. But that proved to be everything I needed. If you had not come into my life, none of the things that happened over the pastfew months would have. And I am wondering now if that would have been better than this."

Matt's face paled. Is she rejecting me? But…I thought…she and I…

Sora let out a small laugh. "But I would not have found you if that were the case. You stole my heart that day, and I willingly give it to you for eternity. I will always love you Matt, and no one can convince me otherwise."

"You had me worried for a minute," he murmured as the clergyman began to speak again.

"I am sorry. But the expression on your face was too priceless."

"Very funny," he answered as the man called for the rings to be brought forward. With a sheepish smile, Cody held out the pillow to the man.

"Do you, Matt Ishida, take Sora Takenouchi to be your lawfully wedding wife? To have and to hold? In times of prosperity and poverty, sickness and health, till death take you from this world?"

"I do,"

"And do you, Sora Takenouchi, take Matt Ishida to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold? In times of prosperity and poverty, sickness and health, till death take you from this world?"

With a squeeze to his hand as she slipped the ring on his finger, Sora choked out the words, "I do," before the tears continued to flow.

The clergyman smiled at the two. "With the power invested in me by the Almighty, I now officially declare you husband and wife. You may…well, I guess you do not need me to tell you."

The crowd laughed as Matt pulled his wife to him before the clergyman could finish his statement, giving her a large kiss of love and tenderness. "I love you."

"I love you too."

King Haruhiko walked forward with his wife, both bearing pillows with shiny golden crowns. "It is my pleasure to introduce to you…" a drum roll sounded as the crowns were placed on the newlyweds' heads, "Prince Matt Ishida and Princess Sora Takenouchi-Ishida…"

-8 Years Later-

"Uncle T.K.! Slow down!"

He laughed as the two eight-year olds chased after him. "Uncle T.K., we want to play with the sparklers."

"You are such a kid, T.K."

Darting over, he gave Kari a quick kiss. "You know it, love."

"Was Matt ever like this?" Kari gave an exasperated sigh as she took the seat next to Sora.

"Only at the beginning," the Queen admitted with a smile. "After the first few weeks he thankfully returned to normal."

"I hope that normal comes soon."

The idea of normalcy in general had slowly returned to the Takenouchi-Ishida kingdom. It had taken awhile, but things were progressing to a new, stronger land than anytime before.

Lady and Lord Kamiya—as they were referred to in court—made their home in a small cottage outside the castle. They were very frequent visitors at the castle, and their presence was never denied. Mimi was a housewife and played the role perfectly. Her husband was the first ever lawyer in the land and very popular among everyone. He had a knack for going about things differently, but they all loved his humor and caring traits.

Four months after their wedding, they were pleasantly surprised with some news: Mimi was pregnant. Little Edward, a spitting image of Tai but with more of Mimi's demeanor, came into the world.

And Edward was not without a friend. Sora and Matt celebrated the birth of their daughter Abby a few moths later. While she looked like her father, it was hard to say who she took after. Somedays saw her as stubborn as Matt but others found her as pleasant as Sora. She was a tomboy at heart, and Edward Kamiya teased her to no end, saying girls should want to play with dolls rather than be outside.

The sparks were already flying, in the way they do between two eight-year olds. Both the Ishidas and Kamiyas could see it. They did not want to be too presumptuous, but all were hoping for a marriage in the future.

T.K. and Kari were truly newlyweds, wed just weeks ago. For the moment, they were residing in the castle, but hoped to be on their own feet soon. T.K. and his parents now ran an artist's paradise in the village of Roselle, and people flocked from near and far to collect their art. The King came to visit quite often, and always put his talents to use.

"Look, it's Joe! Hi, Dr. Kido!" Abagail eagerly exclaimed.

Joe had been given the title of Royal doctor and upon her parents' unexpected deaths in a fire at their summer home, Sora knighted him. It had been quite the surprise for the humble doctor. He was married too, shocking them by courting Jun. The two were happily married and expecting their first child.

Jun's brother arrived at the annual Independence Day celebration, smiling and waving to his friends. Dutch Motomiya, as he had inherited his father's lands and title, entered with his soon-to be wife, Lady Catherine de Bourgh.

Izzy followed him into the castle grounds. He was a famous scientist, known for his work in astronomy and physics. He married a woman named Elizabeth Bennet, and the two had a three-year old daughter, Darcy, who loved getting into her father's things.

Yolei and Ken Ichijouji hugged Kari and Sora as they entered. The two had married nearly a year ago and were still in that stage of wedded bliss. Yolei stayed at home while Ken took over his father's job as Chief of Security. Things were fantastic under his rule, and he was beloved by both Sora and Matt.

And last, but by no means least, came Cody Hida. He was an almost adopted brother to the Ishida family and always remained close to them. Cody had been promoted to royal messenger and word had it that several young ladies fancied him.

So here they were, friends reuniting together on the same day each year, all with a full understanding of why this day was so important.

"Shut up, Eddy!"

"Make me, Abby! I could beat you so badly that you would end up crying."

"I never cry," the blonde taunted. "You on the other hand…"

The silent threat hung in the air. "They sound way too much like their fathers." Mimi commented with a sigh.

Sora smiled at her friend. "Tell me about it."

Speaking of the dads…

"Abagail Lynne Ishida! What have I told you about fighting?"

"He started it."

"No, she did!"

Tai stared at the youngsters. "What are you fighting about?"

They looked at each other. "I really do not remember. We were just bored."

"Bored? How can you be bored? I was never bored. I always found something to do. Until Blondie came, that is. That is when the boredom struck in. He was so…"

Matt began to protest, and Joe rolled his eyes. "Tai's big mouth kept him entertained."

"As did his ego. But I will never forget when Matt came, and Tai lost to him in…"

"That is it, Blondie! Let us settle this here and now." Matt tried to fight back a laugh, knowing full well where this was headed. "I challenge you to a game of croquet…"

The End!

Notes:

1) "Love is always patient…Love does not come to an end." Corinthians 13:4 from the New Testament. This passage is quite often citied at Christian weddings.

2) "The course of true love never did run smooth..." is taken from Lysander's lines in Act 1 of William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. It is a very funny comedy all about the ups and down of love, particularly when fairies attempt to interfere with things.

Lady Catherine de Bourgh, Elizabeth Bennet and Darcy all come from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Elizabeth is the protagonist while Lady Catherine de Bough is the antagonist. Darcy—actually a man named Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy—is the root of the ladies' conflict. But that's all I'm saying regarding plot. READ THE BOOK! It's fantastic…and the movie with Keira Knightley is AMAZING!

Once again, thank you to everyone for all the support and still following this even though it's taken me ages to update. You guys are so awesome! Please drop me a review and help me get to the 500 mark, and Merry Christmas to all, and God bless you in this holiday season!