A/N: Hey everyone! So its reading week and I've found myself with infinite amounts of time at my hands. So I decided to post something new, because I haven't in a very long time. My inspiration is from – it's the word of the day! Anyways, hope you like it – it's just a fun little (slightly bittersweet), spur of the moment oneshot! Enjoy!
Quietus: Final acquittance, as from debt also, rest; death
Mimi Tachikawa smiled indulgently at her friends as they played around with their digimon. The sky was clear and bright on Server, the trees a luscious purple, blue and green. The grass was softer than anything she had known at home, the sand whiter and the air much sweeter. She inhaled deeply and closed her eyes. 'Commit this to my memory forever: let me never forget' she thought to herself, humming slightly.
Taichi, Agumon, Koushirou and Tentomon stood in a group laughing and exchanging hellos. Daisuke and Veemon were wrestling on the ground with Ken and Wormmon, Iori and Armadillomon attempting to pull them apart mock exasperatedly. Sora, Yolei watched Hawkmon and Biyomon circle their heads, hands shielding their eyes from the intense sunlight. Even from her spot slightly apart from the group, Mimi could make out the happy glimmer in Sora's ruby eyes. Hikari and Gatomon were standing with Takeru and Patamon watching the other younger chosen with smiling, wise eyes, content to be silent and enjoy each other's company. Yamato, Jyou and Gabumon stood listening to Gomamon vividly recreate some of his various pranks. And Palmon stood at her side, practically purring while opening her arms to absorb the sunlight.
"Alright troops!" Taichi crowed, once he had gathered his bearings. All of the chosen children quieted down and faced their leader, faces eager and shining.
"Let's march out! Time to dig in!" Daisuke and Veemon cheered and quickly rushed past everyone to get at the picnic spread that lay just beyond the small group. Laughing, everyone else ambled along towards the chequered blanket to content themselves with good food and good friends for the next couple of hours.
"Mimi?" Takeru's inquiry made her abruptly come to. His sky blue eyes held a look of slight concern, but he was smiling. Taichi had stopped to look back at her as well, just slightly beyond TK.
"Give me a minute," she said softly, turning her head away slightly. Palmon looked up at her partner concerned, but Mimi reassured her with a slight twist of her lips. TK nodded slowly and turned away, clapping Taichi on the shoulder as he passed him. Taichi peered worriedly at his petite friend, lips pursed.
"Just a minute Taichi, that's all I need," she clutched the full tote bag closer to her body as she said it and Taichi nodded hesitantly.
"K...Just a minute though," and he and Agumon slowly walked away, glancing over his shoulder at the pretty brunette behind him. Palmon peered up at her through her pink flower and Mimi smiled again for her.
"Come on Palmie, there's a debt I've got to repay," Mimi turned away from the group and walked closer to the beach. The waves lapped lightly against the white shores and Mimi was, not for the first time, struck at how much the Digital World reminded her of a utopia. 'Utopias don't have nasty monsters that try to kill you...' she heard a voice snarl in the back of her head, sounding very much like her petulant 11 year old self. She pushed the voice back and continued on down the beach, slowly, so Palmon could keep up. She continued humming softly to herself and shaded her eyes to see she was close to her destination.
She stopped in front of 4 small mounds in the sand, beaten down by the tides, weather and age. The only thing that identified this patch of sand as different from any other dune was the four crudely made crosses cluttered around them. They had fallen out of the sand over time, and one of them had literally fallen apart, the string dangling uselessly from one of the sticks. Mimi knelt down heavily in front of them, not caring about dirtying her jean shorts or pink t-shirt. She dropped her tote bag beside her and bowed her head, her loose, wavy, honey hair covering her delicate face. Her hands reached up and grabbed the tear-drop shaped green pendant that hung around her neck.
The group (of older chosen that is) decided that they wanted something that they could always remember their adventure by. Although Yamato had clearly voiced his approval of crest tattoos (something that only she and he had secretly went ahead and gotten done), the unanimous response had been to get pendant necklaces. She fingered the cool green surface delicately before raising her head to look out over the ocean, eyes misty. Palmon stood by her side, head down and petals drooping. The two long-time friends stayed silent for a good while before Mimi sighed and began rummaging in her tote bag. She'd wanted, probably forever, to replace the spur-of-the-moment graves she had created when she was 11, but had never really had the chance. When Yamato had called her to inform her of the group picnic on the beach of Server, she knew immediately what she had to do. It wasn't every day that they visited this Island after all: the new chosen were much more familiar with File Island and thus many of the group forays were held over there.
From her tote she pulled 4 small, handmade dolls: a Wizardmon, a Piximon, a Chuumon and lastly, a Whamon. The dolls themselves had obviously been hand sewn and the detailing was near perfect: down to their almost lively glass eyes. She went into her tote again and pulled out a sizable chunk of polished granite. Together, she and Palmon dug into the beach and erected the small piece of stone. Sitting back on her haunches, Mimi looked over the stone.
'For your sacrifices and your friendships, we give thanks'. Palmon scampered off in search of flowers (or at least that's what Mimi thought she was mumbling about) and Mimi brushed some sand off, gently placing the dolls in front of the marker.
"They're not really dead you know," she heard a deep voice grumble behind her. She craned her neck to see Taichi standing behind her, hands shoved deep into the pockets of his khaki shorts and his pendant of Courage glinting against his white t-shirt. She could faintly see Agumon running off to the line of trees where Palmon was undoubtedly picking flowers. Mimi marvelled for a minute at how different (how handsome) Taichi looked then he had the first time they had been at this spot. She turned her head back to the stone and busied herself with making it stable.
"That's what Sora and Gatomon told me last time – it doesn't change anything," she said softly. She could feel a growing ball of fury in her stomach that she attempted to quell. It was time to channel some Hikari and Sora calmness.
"Yes, it does," Taichi argued somewhat irritated, remembering the discussion from so many years ago – and the lashing that Yamato had given him.
'Why don't you stop and think about other people's feelings for a change?!' the angry voice of pre-pubescent Yamato growled from within the depths of his memories. Taichi chased them quickly away – that was not a moment in their friendship that he liked to remember.
"You're making graves for digimon that aren't dead," Taichi explained slowly, as if he was explaining something to a three year old. Fists clenching in the sand, Mimi screwed her eyes shut in anger.
"Yamato was right Taichi – you just don't get it. You listen but you don't hear anything we've said!" Taichi recoiled slightly at the heat and anger infused in the brunette's voice – she sounded far too much like an angsty-12 year old Yamato for his liking. She craned her neck around to look at him, honey eyes blazing. Taichi had never seen anything as beautiful and as terrifying in his entire life.
"I understand that Whamon and Chuumon and all the other friends we lost were reborn – I get that! But they were our friends Taichi, and they gave up everything for us! Don't you get that!? It's not about mourning them – it's about recognizing their sacrifices! It's about thanking them and realizing that there was more to the story of the famed 'Chosen Children' then 8 kids and their digimon! We had so many friends that helped us in so many ways – it's about repaying our debts Taichi!" She took a ragged breath and turned back to face the stable piece of granite. Taichi's eyes softened as he watched her shoulders slump.
"I can never make us even," she continued softly. "But it's the best I can do." She traced the engraving with her manicured fingertip gently.
"I'm sorry" Taichi whispered quietly. When Mimi didn't say anything, he awkwardly took a step forward before kneeling next to her in the sand. "I never really looked at it that way – I always just contented myself with the knowledge that they would come back eventually. I'm sorry Mimi..." Mimi grasped his tan hand in her tiny ones and smiled slightly.
"It's okay Taichi. I know you look at it that way and I'm sorry I blew up at you. It's just...we all have a different way of dealing with things. You're way is to look at the silver lining of reality, and I have always really appreciated the strength you could give us all when we were in a tough situation...But my way is this way Taichi. And I don't need you to understand it, I just need you to let me do what I have to do," suddenly, Palmon and Agumon appeared with flowers. Mimi released Tachi's hand and grabbed the flowers from the digimon, thanking them. She went to work quickly, weaving the flowers together to form a colourful, beautiful wreath. She laid it beside the marker gently and sat back to admire her handiwork.
The two chosen and their partners sat in silence for a few more minutes, until Mimi sniffled and wiped her misty eyes. Taichi put a hand on her shoulder and she looked up at him.
"It's great Mimi," she smiled fully at him and stood up, brushing the sand from her knees.
"Thank you Taichi," they gave the monument one last glance before turning back and heading up the beach, Palmon and Agumon racing ahead.
Throwing his arm around her slender shoulders, Taichi drew Mimi into his side. She very happily curled into him, throwing her arm around his waist.
"Maybe, on another day, we can take a trip to Primary Village and ask Elecmon where our friends have gotten to. Maybe track them down and pay them some face-to-face thanks?" Taichi questioned unsure if Mimi would like his idea. She smiled up at him and squeezed him a little bit tighter.
"I'd really like that Taichi," they smiled knowingly at each other and came over the hill, the other chosen children waving upon catching sight of them.
"Taichi, wait," Mimi tugged his hand back and he slowed to face her. She stepped closer to him and brushed her soft, pink lips against his cheek ever so slightly. Taichi could feel his face getting hotter as she lingered there and could smell strawberries in her hair. Was the world spinning, or was that just him?
"Last one there is a rotten egg" she finally whispered, before taking off running for the blanket, her infectious giggling ringing through the air. Blinking, Taichi realized he had been had and took off after his friend.
"No fair!" He cried as Yamato and Daisuke howled in the background.
And the chosen children feasted and celebrated long into the night, with the twinkling stars illuminating them even in the darkest hour.