After August

Our Purity (Chapter 7 of 10)

Mimi opened the door to her school's art room and poked her head in. Despite its generous size, it was cramped with cubbies, equipment, and students. Pieces in various stages lined the perimeter, ranging from paintings to pottery, with everything in between. Members of the many art clubs sat clustered at the tables, surrounded by supplies and equipment. Golden light flooded through the enormous windows, creating glowing rectangles of light that hovered overhead like halos. The chatter of students completed the vibe of a happy, busy studio.

"Hello," she called, smiling brightly, drawn in by the atmosphere. "Mimi's here! I asked about joining the painting club's activities today!"

A chair grated against the floor as a boy hastened to stand. The painting club president was a year older than her and struck her as a serious person, but he allowed her participation without reservation. "Here, Tachikawa-kun."

"Hi, Tamura-san!" Mimi entered the room, weaving between tables and easels. She came to a stop in front of him and slid the large tote off her shoulder. "Thanks for letting me join in."

"Of course. Anyone is free to use the school equipment, as long as you clean and store everything. If you have any questions, let one of us know."

"Thank you!" Mimi smiled, then turned to the table, hoping to find a good spot. She had a few friends in this club, and they waved her down and made room for her.

"Thanks!" Mimi chirped as she dropped her bag. She rubbed her shoulder and sighed.

"What's in the bag?" Haruka, a classmate and friend, peeked into the pink tote. Mimi removed the contents, piling little terracotta pots onto the table. Saki, another friend, tipped her head and frowned.

"That's right," she muttered. "You've been talking about plants a lot recently..."

Mimi felt her smile fade from vibrant to wistful. "Yeah. I guess I got a green thumb over the summer."

"So random!" Haruka laughed. "What kind of plants?"

"Mostly cacti and succulents." Mimi leaned forward for a better view of the paint colors and brushes stationed at the center of the table. "I have a few pups, so I want to give them to friends."

"Do you need any help? I know where to get more supplies, too." Saki looked away from the ceramic bowl she was painting and stood.

"Sure." Mimi followed her friend to the nearest set of cubbies, where she surveyed her choice of tools. "What works best for painting pots like mine?"

Saki helped her make selections and carry them back to the table. For a while, Mimi was quiet, focused on her work. After nearly half an hour, Saki murmured, "Mimi-chan?"

"Hmm?" Mimi was painting a curve in red on a pot, her brow furrowed in concentration. It turned out that painting free hand was more difficult than she had anticipated.

"Um... How are you feeling, lately?"

Mimi completed the arc with her brush, then placed it on her palette. "What do you mean?"

"You know what she means," Haruka sighed.

"Haruka-chan!" Saki hissed. "Come on!"

Haruka cocked an eyebrow, an expression that said, What? "You're the one who was worried about Mimi-chan."

Mimi looked from one girl to the other, not quite following the conversation. "Because you seemed so down after summer break," Saki explained. "You weren't quite yourself, but I didn't know how to ask about it."

Although her heart was heavy, Mimi smiled. "We're friends. You can ask me anything. I was sad because a friend had to go far away, and I can't see her anymore."

"Someone moved?" Haruka asked. "That stinks. I'm sorry, Mimi-chan."

"Mm." Mimi didn't like misleading her friends, but the Chosen had decided not to bring up the digimon outside of their families. Besides, Mimi knew she couldn't explain without crying. Telling people that a friend was out of reach was close enough.

"Are you going to send your friend one of your plants?" Saki asked.

Mimi imagined giving Palmon a cactus in a decorated pot. She'd be so happy... A complex mix of emotions overtook her, and she found herself wiping an eye.

"I wish I could. She'd like it."

"Why can't you?" Haruka demanded.

"Haruka!" Saki cried. "You can't easily ship plants from country to country. There are laws about it."

"Oh..." Haruka nibbled her lip, then released a long sigh. "I guess your friend is really far away. Sorry, Mimi-chan."

Mimi couldn't fight her sudden urge to see the sky. She turned in her chair, observing the blue expanse gilding along the horizon. Suddenly, the familiar Odaiba views were irritating, and she longed for an unbroken expanse of sky and lush vegetation.

Saki leaned in, placing a hand on Mimi's shoulder. Her kind, mature aura reminded her of Sora, and suddenly, Mimi wished that her Chosen friend was with her. "You can send a pot, though. You can come to our club meetings as much as you want to work on them."

"T-thanks." Mimi focused on her work for a time, hoping to calm down. When she felt steadier, she said, "I've been kind of out of the loop, lately. How are things with you two?"

She listened as the girls alternated between joking and bickering, grateful for their company.

XXX

"Tadaima," Mimi called as she entered her apartment. Her mother poked her head into the hall from the kitchen, beaming.

"Okaeri, sweetie!" She waved her spoon in greeting, then gasped as grains of rice rained from it. Mimi removed her boots as her mother stooped to pick them up. "How was your day?"

Mimi entered the kitchen, where the cooking rush was in full swing. "It was good," Mimi said. "I had fun at painting club."

"Oh! May I see your pots?"

With an air of pride, Mimi lined the pots on the edge of the kitchen table. Her mother put down her spoon and wiped her hands on her apron as she approached.

She inspected the pots with care, admiring each one. "Oh, sweetie! They're beautiful! Aren't these the crests you told me about?"

Mimi's hands clasped with delight. "You recognized them!"

"Of course! Are these for your Chosen friends?"

"Yes! Do you think they'll like them?"

"Oh, they'll love them! You're so thoughtful, darling."

Mimi launched into a narrative about painting club, interspersed with random tidbits about the Chosen and Palmon. While she chatted, she cut the fruits her mother placed in front of her. They worked together seamlessly, with no break in Mimi's monologue, until her father returned from home.

"Okaeri, Papa!" mother and daughter cried in unison. Mimi placed her knife down and ran into the hallway to hug her father.

"Oof! Easy, Princess!" He followed her into the kitchen, sticking to the perimeter of the space to avoid collisions with the bustling ladies. While her father washed up, Mimi transferred the cut fruit to a serving plate. Soon, they were eating fish, rice, and veggies with the signature Tachikawa embellishments of fruit, whipped cream, and candies.

As usual, the little family took turns discussing the day's events. When Mimi finished her retelling, her father said, "And how are you doing these days, Princess? We know how hard missing Palmon is for you."

Mimi smiled, hoping it was brighter than it felt. "I'm okay, Papa. It's still hard, but... Well, it's easier with you and Mama and my friends to help me."

"Aww, sweetie," her mother sighed. "It hurts so much to see you sad. We're so glad that you've been smiling more lately."

Mimi didn't know how to respond, so she nodded and ate a strawberry. The sweetness was so interesting against the salty zing of soy sauce. She tried to focus on that instead of recalling a summer break of tears and distracting indulgences rained on her by her parents. She had never visited Tokyo Disneyland and gone shopping so many times in her life.

"Thank you for supporting me," she said at last. "I don't know what I would have done without you and Sora-san." She scowled at her plate, struck with a sudden unpalatable thought. "Even though the other Chosen don't want to talk about it."

"Everyone has their own way of coping," her father said. "We'll do whatever we can to help you. You know that. But you can't force your friends to do anything before they're ready."

"I know," Mimi sighed. "I don't want to force it. But... It's been over two months. I'm feeling a little better, so I thought maybe it would be time..."

Her mother tipped her head. "Is that why you're giving them the pots? Like an invitation?"

Mimi frowned. The pot situation had snowballed from the sight of her first succulent pups, offshoots of the adult plants she had purchased. She hadn't consciously intended them as a message, but now that her mother mentioned it... Was sharing something among the Chosen a rallying call?

"I don't know," came her honest answer. "I do want to see them all together again. But most of all, I think... I just wanted to see them smile."

Her father patted her hand. "You're a good girl, Princess."

Mimi was unusually quiet for the rest of the meal and cleanup, but her parents didn't press. Although she often watched TV with them after dinner, Mimi retreated to her bedroom, four pink corners filled to the brim with stuffed toys, clothes, and little pots. Sighing, Mimi placed her tote bag on the floor by her bed, then collapsed onto the comforter.

School, time with friends, dinners with her family. After two months of stumbling around, lost and lonely, Mimi was finally starting to enjoy her normal life again. But this heaviness, this sense that she had so much further to go before the day was through… That was new.

Mimi slapped her cheeks and sat up, determined to snap out of her funk. She turned to the night stand beside her bed, where a cactus with two upturned arms was potted beside a framed picture from the Digital World.

"Hello, Toge-chan," she said, scooting closer. "I know you're not big enough to need a new pot yet, but… I made a special one for you today." She rolled towards the tote bag and dug out a specific pot, one larger than the others. It was painted light green, with a teardrop design in dark green. She placed the pot beside the cactus and inspected her work. It wasn't perfect- the two circles inside the bottom of the teardrop weren't totally round or concentric- but she was proud of it.

"I'll transfer you this weekend. I'm giving all the Chosen their pots with a baby succulent in them. I know it won't remind them of their partners the same way you remind me of Togemon, but… I still think they'll like it. And anyway, this gives me an excuse to see them!"

Scowling, Mimi flopped onto her belly, cupping her face with her hands. "They're so stubborn! Getting together and talking about it is obviously the best thing to do, but they're all so private about it. I know we're busy, and I know it hurts to think about the digimon and the Digital World… But not thinking about it is worse, don't you think?"

As cute as the cactus was, it couldn't answer her question. "Well," she said at last, "they say having plants around is good for your mood. I know they make me feel better."

That much decided, Mimi stood and moved to the opposite nightstand, where her collection of succulents was gathered. With great deliberation and care, she selected the pups that would soon belong to her friends.

XXX

Taichi returned to his apartment after school, ignoring the concern in his mother's eyes as they followed him down the hallway. He shut the bedroom door behind him and exhaled with relief. Moving through crowds of bodies at school and on Odaiba's sidewalks was strangely lonely. But making his family worry... That was really starting to weigh on him. His neck cracked as he rubbed his shoulders, shrugging off a discomfort that wasn't quite physical.

Taichi approached the glass door to his balcony, intending to close the curtains. Although it was mid October, the temperature was mild. Perfect soccer weather...

Unconsciously, he shifted his weight, loosening stiff muscles in his legs. For the first few weeks after returning home, he felt like a slug, with no energy for or interest in anything. His body felt tense and achy, like the rusted joints of a neglected robot.

But for the first time, he thought of soccer club with a hint of wistfulness. He wasn't sure if he felt like playing, but his muscles were begging for a workout, or at least a warm up. I can't just show up at practice for that, though... Scowling, he lifted his arms and stretched to the side, gasping at the tug of resistance above his hips.

"You okay?" a high-pitched, energetic voice called. "You sound like an old man!"

Taichi leaped with surprise, scrambling for purchase on the landing. He whirled around and found Mimi giggling in his doorway. He hadn't seen her in weeks, but she looked as chipper and vibrant as ever. She wore a pink sweater, a denim skirt, star-spangled leggings, and a star headband. A pink tote bag was slung over her shoulder.

"Mimi-chan," Taichi sighed. Mimi tsked and eased the bag onto his desk chair.

"Hello to you, too! Is that how you greet me after so long? You have some nerve after turning me down for a Chosen party! And don't tell me you're too busy with soccer, I know you quit! Sora-san told me."

Taichi blinked as the rapid-fire scolding walloped him like an ocean wave that he hadn't seen coming. Mimi crossed her arms and swung a hip out, the very picture of young girl irritation.

Taichi stared as the scolding continued, waiting in vain for a comeback to occur to him. Mimi's piques of temper were annoying; at least, that's how he remembered them. So why did he suddenly feel so at home?

"Sorry, Mimi-chan," he said, cutting her off at last. "How are you doing?"

Mimi's crossed arms slackened as her rant trailed off. "…That's better. I'm doing okay. I mean, you know, it's awful missing Palmon and the others. But... I'll be okay."

The pause that followed indicated that he was supposed to talk about himself. Taichi took a seat on Hikari's bed and cast about for a way to avoid responding. "Uh, what have you been up to?"

Mimi pulled out Hikari's desk chair and sat. "Normal stuff," she said, shrugging. "School, homework. I try to spend a lot of time with my family and friends, so I won't get lonely. I've been raising cacti and succulents, too."

Taichi bit his lip as memories forced their way to the fore of his mind. He saw Togemon towering above him, a living wall of needles. Familiar, nagging questions popped into his head: Was Togemon hollow inside? If someone put a light in her mouth, would she resemble a huge, green jack-o-lantern? And did she have hands inside those gloves, or were her limbs rounded out, like an actual cactus?

"Yeah? That's cool." He couldn't help feeling a little envious of Mimi, since he couldn't buy a miniature orange dinosaur to remind him of Agumon. Especially not a live one… That would be freaking sweet, though…

Mimi clapped her hands. "I'm glad you think so! I have a present for you and Hikari-chan!" Bouncing over to her tote bag, she called, "Where is she, anyway?"

"Photography club." Taichi eyed the bag warily. The Tachikawa family had… unusual culinary tastes. Whatever Mimi brought, he sincerely hoped he wouldn't be expected to eat it in front of her.

She pulled out two potted succulents, and Taichi smothered a relieved sigh. "Too bad," Mimi said. "I'd like to see her." She placed the pink pot on Hikari's end of the desk, then approached with an orange one. She was smiling, all warmth and happy expectation. She had no idea that something had seized in Taichi's gut.

She handed him the pot, and Taichi stared at the crest of courage painted in the middle. He told himself to thank her, to act happy, but he couldn't summon the strength. Mimi hovered over him, and he expected her scolding to restart at any second.

Instead, she sat beside him on Hikari's bed. "Taichi-san? What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he said quickly. "You made these by hand? For everyone?"

A soft smile touched her lips, but didn't lift her cheeks or brighten her eyes. Taichi stared, unused to half-measures or half-truths from Mimi. "Yeah. And it would have been a lot easier to give them out if we had a party!"

Taichi frowned. "Sora told you about that."

Mimi waved a hand impatiently. "Even if she hadn't, I would have brought it up. It's been over two months! We need to see each other!"

Taichi inched back. "You can meet up with the others any time you want."

Mimi's hand landed on his shoulder with surprising strength. "It has to be all of us. Don't you miss everyone?"

Taichi bent forward, gazing at the carpet through his knees. "Yeah," he admitted. "Yeah. But… I don't know." Discussing serious subjects with Mimi felt odd. In the Digital World, they often coddled her, taking breaks when she insisted and making camp for the night when she could go no further. He was used to dialing back to accommodate her and making decisions with Sora, Koushiro, and Yamato.

But when he looked at her now… Here she was, friendly and happy, but unafraid to let her struggles show, to accept help. Here she was, making the rounds to distribute handmade presents to each Chosen. Here she was, stepping into his world because he wouldn't meet her outside of it.

"Maybe I'm being stupid," he said, admitting that whispered fear out loud. "Except for Takeru, we all live in Odaiba. We can get together whenever, but… It feels like… If we get together again and the digimon aren't there…"

The painted crest of courage consumed his focus. Frankly, it was a little wonky-looking, but that somehow suited his mood. "Are we still the Chosen?" he asked, speaking to the symbol he no longer physically possessed.

"Of course we are!" Taichi twitched and turned to the girl beside him, caught off guard by the passion in her voice. "You have your digivice, right? You have your photo?"

"Well, yeah. But those… they're not Agumon."

"I know that." Her honey-colored eyes rolled in an impatient arc. "But if you have them- the digivice that evolves him and your memories together- then you'll meet again."

Taichi suppressed a sigh. He had spent entire nights making assurances like that to himself. Their comforting power, however faint, had long worn out. "I guess," he muttered.

"You guess! Taichi-san! Do you think out partners are gonna forget about us?"

His hand twitched towards his chest, a response to the stab of pain there. "No," he snapped. "Of course not. But they can't do anything about our worlds connecting or not connecting or whatever. That was all… some kind of higher power?" Taichi was thinking of Homeostasis, the spirit that possessed Hikari and told the Chosen a little about their role and history. But he never quite understood all of the details, and was edging towards areas that would be better handled by Koushiro.

Mimi stood, hands clenched at her sides. "Well, I'm not gonna hide and wait for them to come back! I can't ask her, but I know what Palmon would want. She wants me to be happy and live a good life while we're apart. And then, when we meet again, I can tell her about all the fun I've had, and she, she'll say, 'That's great, Mimi!'"

Her words spaced out more and more as her breathing grew uneven and liquid pooled in her eyes. "Mimi-chan," Taichi murmured. "Are you okay?"

She inhaled slowly, rubbing her face with her hands. "I just think… When I picture our digimon in the Digital World, I don't like the idea of them being alone. I think they're hanging out together, don't you? Or maybe with some of the friends we made? Or maybe they made brand new friends. I know people and digimon need some time alone, but… My hope for Palmon is that she's having fun with other digimon while we're apart, and she'll have lots to tell me when we meet."

Taichi rubbed the back of his neck. What would he be able to tell Agumon if they met tonight? Oh, me? I've spent the last few months avoiding everyone and everything. It was great. How about you?

Suddenly, he realized that Mimi was no longer the teammate who slowed everyone's pace. And maybe she never was- maybe she was the voice that reminded all of them that they were children, that no matter how scary and dangerous things were, they still had to rest, to eat, to attend to their feelings. He had an abrupt, intense urge to apologize to Mimi for something he couldn't articulate.

Instead, he exhaled and asked, "How are you doing it?"

Mimi's head tipped. "H-huh? Doing what?"

"You know!" Taichi waved a hand, a pointless gesture. "Getting out there. Meeting up with people. Acting like you did… before."

Mimi stared at him for a long moment, her expression strangely unreadable. Finally, she lifted a hand to her chin, a gesture that reminded Taichi of Koushiro. A tiny grin touched his cheeks. Now there's a comparison.

"It's not like I had a plan. And it was so awful at first! I cried and cried in my room, but Mama and Papa spent so much time with me. I started telling them about the Digital World and how much I miss Palmon."

Taichi edged back, half startled, half wary. He wasn't surprised by the crying bit, but he couldn't imagine telling his parents about the Digital World. His account had been cut-and-dry: we got sucked into another world at summer camp, we have evolving digimon partners, we fought a lot of evil digimon, Agumon is the man, we came back. His parents asked questions sometimes, and he answered, but he didn't provide more detail than was necessary. For one thing, he'd need a few weeks to tell the whole story. For another, there were lots of parts that he didn't want to share now- and maybe not ever.

"Did they… get it?" Even to his own ears, Taichi's voice was heavy with incredulity. Mimi scratched the side of her head, looking flummoxed.

"Yeah. I mean, a lot happened, and some of it doesn't even make sense to me, so maybe they didn't get all of it? But they listened."

Taichi was under the impression that most of the Chosen had tried to hide their partners when they came to earth, but they couldn't conceal them for long. It had made sense at the time- anyone would freak out if they found an orange dinosaur on their couch- but he wasn't sure why that urge to keep the Digital World quiet from his parents lingered. He nodded, accepting Mimi's story and unsure of what to add.

"So they knew I was sad. Mama and Papa were so nice! They bought me presents and took me out and cooked my favorite foods. And when I started feeling better, I visited my friends. I missed them so much while we were gone!"

"You didn't tell them about the Digital World, did you?" Because of Vamdemon's siege of Odaiba, plenty of people knew about digimon. Still, it was better to contain information about their involvement. The last thing they needed was to be interrogated by the government or researchers. And what if someone tried to make the Chosen responsible for property damage? Taichi's lip twitched as he visualized Wargreymon ripping the sphere off of the Fuji TV Station during battle.

Mimi slammed her hands on her hips. "No! Which was hard, because they could tell I was sad and wanted to know why. They were extra nice to me, and I've been meeting up with Sora-san a lot, and Jyou-senpai when he can spare time from studying. I was just at his apartment mansion. I dropped off plants for him, Eimi-chan, and Koushiro-kun. They all seem like me, you know. Hurting, but trying hard. Koushiro-kun looked tired, though! Eimi-chan and I scolded him to rest and take care!"

Though he managed a weak grin as he pictured the two girls ganging up on Koushiro, Taichi felt oddly guilty, and a little frightened. He had seen most of the Chosen since they returned to earth, and with each visit, the more obvious it grew that he was being left behind while the others moved forward. And, for once, he didn't see rejoining his world as abandoning the Digital World. He was beginning to see it as strength.

His hands clenched around the pot. Although he couldn't imagine spilling his guts to his parents or anyone else the way Mimi described, maybe talking to someone would help. And who better than the other Chosen?

Taichi stood, passed Mimi, and sat his plant on his desk. "Maybe we should get together…"

He couldn't bring himself to look at Mimi, but he heard her delighted gasp and knew the face that went along with it. "You'll go?!" she cried. "That's great! You don't have to do anything, just show up! I'll plan it! Maybe it can be at my apartment! Or anywhere, it doesn't matter! I just want to see everyone again! Ohhhh, I can bake treats and make invitations-"

Taichi smiled as Mimi's excited chatter filled his room. He already felt a little better at the thought of seeing everyone again, but he couldn't explain the accompanying rush of anxiety. He told himself that it was just a meeting between friends, but that was no help. If it were that simple, he would have gone along with it a long time ago.

Man, when did I start over-thinking everything? Agumon would be all over a party, especially if there's food.

His head jerked up as his shoulders stiffened. "Er, Mimi-chan? Did you say you'd cook for this party?"

"Yeah!" Mimi beamed so brightly that Taichi was tempted to squint to protect his eyes. His stomach sank as she rattled off possibilities for her menu.

"Uh- M-maybe you should talk to Yamato. He can cook. Sora, too. I, uh, I wonder if Eimi knows how to cook?"

She waved a hand carelessly. "Oh, don't worry! We'll think of lots of good things to eat! In fact, I'm going to see Sora-san and Yamato-san next, so I'll ask them!" With that, she spun around and picked up her tote bag. "I should get moving!"

"Sure." Although he felt pent up before Mimi entered, Taichi was drained beyond belief now. Mimi-chan is really something…

"Bye bye! Say hi to Hikari-chan for me! And cheer up, okay?" Mimi smiled, waved, and stepped towards the door.

"Yeah," Taichi grunted. With supreme effort,he pulled himself together enough to add, "Thanks for the plants."

"You're welcome!"

Taichi squeezed his eyes shut and reached deep, trying to tap the well of energy that once seemed endless. He found just enough to say, "Mimi-chan?"

She paused in the doorway. "Hm?"

He tried for that old, effortless grin. He didn't quite manage it, but he did at least produce something honest, something open. "Thanks for visiting."

A sweet, bright smile lit her face, the expression that won so many digimon over to their side. "Any time, Taichi-san."

Author's Notes: I don't think I understood Mimi as a kid. She seemed so whiny and spoiled (especially in the English dub), and to be fair… She was! She is. But her heart is so open, so willing to connect with other hearts, to help and be helped. I like to think that this is what's honored by her crest of purity.

Let's see, I believe Our Light is next. Please remember to review!