Chapter Four – The Zodiac Stars

The group of human shared a glance. "Uh..." Taichi started. "What?"

Tailmon shook herself, shivering for a moment like the cold wind now battering the windows and sending rain in harsh stutters. Hikari began to stroke her fur, scratching just under the ears until the tense coil of fur that was the cat disappated into something resembling calm. Finally, she said, "That... that is Dianamon, one of the Olympus Twelve. They are considered protectors, friends of smaller Digimon, they... many prayed to the Twelve."

Tentomon buzzed in irritation. "I've never heard that." The other Digimon nodded in agreement.

Tailmon shook her head. "You wouldn't. File refused the practice of prayer. Even Vamdemon prayed to Marsmon and therefore it became outlawed as it was seen as defamation of the true gods with no name."

"We do not wish to be worshipped." Sayo's comment almost went ignored. "Though my brother and I were often, as some would say, meddlers in the affairs of the young. That does not require worship, only ears and hands and words."

She sounded wry, and, Mimi couldn't help but notice, very old. She followed Sayo's gaze and noticed it resting very solidly on the outside window.

"That is so," the old lion said after a moment. "We were not taught worship. It was... unwise."

"Which unfortunately leads to why I am here. I believe." Sayo paused and walked closer to them. Limped a little, if they were being honest. "Most people are not taught worship, so I was driven out. At least, as far as I'm aware. Except..." She frowned. "It was a human, or of human form. There was a person who found me, and they were quite, quite powerful. Though," Her lip curled into a sneer. "That wouldn't have been possible without help. Still, they did not want a... what was the word, false god, in their equation. That likely means whoever it is is a supporter of your cause, Chosen Ones."

She spoke those words without much guilt, nor much care, at the way the room exploded into conversation afterwards.

Within five minutes, for the first time in years, Taichi and Yamato had actually gotten into a fistfight, with their siblings feebly trying to stop them, Jou-senpai had stormed out and Sora and Koushiro were trying to discuss... something.

Mimi? Mimi took her rabbit from the server and left.

Of course, this was only to scold her, and to text Meimei, who also, for some reason, hadn't shown up.

"You didn't have to say all that."

"You were asking me for more honesty."

Sayo was the strangest little purple-black rabbit. She was a digimon, yeah, but she was also... a rabbit? She was strangely compliant in Mimi's arms though, even as they took the long way in the rain so Palmon could enjoy it.

Palmon was skipping as they walked, taking extra time in puddles. Mimi smiled, a pout more in her voice than on her face.

"I'm gonna have to dry you off, you know!" Mimi called after her as she leaped ahead. Palmon's giggling reply was enough to warm her heart.

The rabbit shifted in her grip. "I didn't mean to cause such a fuss. I apologize."

Mimi frowned for a moment. Then she relented and began to stroke the wet fur that she could reach. "It's all right, everything's just been too tense and serious for ages now. Something would have set them off eventually." She shook her head. "Was it true? Did you help Tailmon?"

Sayo was quiet for a few moments. Then she exhaled. "I did try. I nudged her to food, I put some targets that she could defeat in front of her. I almost didn't but it kept Vamdemon from nosing about, trying to find us Olympus Twelve."

Mimi couldn't help but grin. "You're a modest one aren't you?"

She got the impression for a brief instant, that Sayo was blushing underneath that fur. "I have never heard such a thing about myself in my life."

"Aww!" Mimi couldn't help it; she poked the bunny rabbit's cheek. Sayo made a strange little noise at her and Mimi, having never owned a rabbit before, assumed it was normal.

The rain was starting to slow and Mimi heaved a sigh of relief. It would probably pick up later, but for now it would be a slightly easier trek home.

The second Mimi thought that (Jou would have and has warned her, Palmon started screaming. Without a single thought, Mimi ran towards her.

A kid from her class was leering over Palmon. A few other guys were staring cautiously at the two of them, noting the way Palmon was trying to edge back in the direction Mimi was coming from.

"Hey!" she shouted, loud enough to make her classmates all jump. They glowered at her together but Mimi glared right back. "What do you think you're doing?! She was just playing in the puddles! She hasn't done anything wrong!"

The boy looked to his friends, which Mimi saw were already starting to edge back. Now they had a witness. This had just gotten harder.

Good.

She wanted to put her hands on her hips, completing the feeling of making this yearmate feel like he was ten years old, but Sayo was still comfortably resting with her, so she didn't.

Instead, she stared right into his eyes (which her class hated) and started on him. "This Digimon is just having fun in the rain! Just because there are some bad ones on the news you think all of them will cause a mess! So you pick on one! And they're smaller than you! Hypocrite! Coward!"

Her classmate twitched. She didn't even know his name (which almost made her feel bad, usually she knew the name of every class member but she just hadn't been around long enough here). "You saw what they did on tv, "he started. That didn't phase her. Koushiro-kun could do much better. "These things are dangerous. For all we knw it was faking bein all happy, waiting to blow something up!"

"Sounds familiar," Sayo mused in her arms. The kid didn't react to the sound of a talking rabbit so Mimi ignored it for the moment.

"So... what?" Mimi glared as Palmon went scurrying behind her. Guilt filled her throat. She shouldn't have let her go so far ahead. Of course this would happen. "You go after her before she goes after you?! That's just more proof people need! You'd get yourself hurt if she wasn't so afraid of hurting you!"

"What?" The boy grinned now and leaned in close. "Is it yours?"

Mimi clenched her fists. She would get in so much trouble i she actually punched the guy in his smug mouth but she did want to.

Still, she had her words and her time.

"Yeah!" she said, glaring. "You have a problem with that?"