"ROSIE!!"
The orange/red-banded turtle whirled around, surprised and happy, when a pink and green blur tackled her onto her shell.
"I missed you so much, Rosie! Are you okay? You're not hurt, are you?"
Tears filled crimson eyes as Rose hugged the turtle on top of her.
"…I was so worried, Terrie…"
Judie and Anne jumped into the hug, and the little pink-banded turtle giggled.
"What are you all so worried about? I thought you'd get eaten by Digimon!"
Terrie managed to pull herself from the hug, the brightest smile on her face.
"Whose this?" Mikey asked innocently.
Anne smiled, standing.
"This is our youngest sister, Terrie."
Pink eyes glittered with happiness as she stood up, smiling.
"It's nice to see you guys." She greeted.
"How was it when you got back, Leo?"
Raph, for reasons he didn't understand, felt…JEALOUS…when he knew Leo had already met her.
The pink-banded turtle was basically jumping around, grinning, and Don noted that she seemed as bad as Judie.
"Stop jumpin' 'round."
Raph put a hand on her shoulder, and she slipped away faster than he thought she could.
She was on his shell now, and looked content enough not to get down.
Raph noted Tsunomon's grin, and glared.
"Don't-Say-ANYTHIN'."
Rose smiled slyly.
"I think she likes you, Raph. She doesn't normally do that with everybody."
The red-banded turtle seemed to blush unnoticeably, looking down.
Judie grinned at the embarrassed look on his face, and turned to her only imouto's face.
"That's Raph you're on, this little guy's Mikey, and he's Donnie. But don't touch him! He's mine."
Don blushed as she latched onto his arm.
Leo tried to get everything back on track.
"We need to find the eighth child."
Rose's face turned serious.
"But we don't even know how much of a head start Myotismon has on us."
"Not even a minute has passed since he got here and we did." Don answered.
"Time moves much faster in the Digital World."
Leo nodded.
"It's the same day we left HERE, but it's been months in the Digital World."
"We need ta check thin's out." Raph stated decidedly.
"We can't walk around without disguises." Anne reminded.
"I think I have something that'll help with that."
Don reached into his belt, pulling out a box.
"What's in there, Donnie?" Judie asked.
"Gennai gave me these so we could search among the humans."
Opening it, it showed white watches, the faces buttons rimmed with different colors.
Judie pulled one out with a green-rimmed button.
"Whoa…what are they?"
"Hologram machines. They'll show us as we would've been as humans."
Strapping it on, the green-banded turtle pressed the button eagerly.
There was a flash of light, and it was like a completely different person was standing there.
It was a twelve year old girl with petal-soft skin and thin build, with light brown hair pulled into a ponytail.
There were streaks of green in her hair, matching her still-green eyes.
She wore a white tank top with a green flower design on it, along jean Capri's and green Convers.
"…WHOA…"
Don seemed speechless, but snapped out of it when Mikey started shouting.
"Me next! Me next!"
Don smiled warmly, nodding.
"Sure. I think this one's your."
Lifting out one with an orange-rimmed button, he let Mikey strap it on and press the button.
The flash of light revealed a thirteen year old beach-blonde, tanned 'surfer' with baby blue eyes.
He wore an orange t-shirt with baggy blue surfer shorts.
Anne even noted that his hair was tinted a gentle orange in the sunlight, but blushed at the thought.
"…DUDE…"
"How'd I know 'e'd be a blonde?" Raph teased, smirking.
"I'll go next." Anne volunteered, taking the grey-rimmed watch handed to her.
Strapping it on and pressing the button, the flash of light nearly blinded everyone for the third time.
The twelve year old girl before them had shoulder-length black hair and moonlight pale skin, and wore a grey belly shirt with black jeans over her somewhat average, slightly curved figure.
Looking uncomfortable at the stares she received, Anne kicked some grass with her black Convers.
Mikey seemed stunned, and a grin crossed his face.
"You look great, Annie!"
She blushed darkly.
"Thanks, Mikey…"
"I'll go next." Don stated, pulling out a watch with a purple-rimmed button, and strapped it on.
Once the flash of light was gone, a thirteen year old boy stood there.
He was pale compared to Mikey, but his hair was a dark brown, streaked with barely-noticeable purple.
He wore a dark purple/black t-shirt and baggy jeans, along with black sneakers.
Judie grinned.
"You look great, Donnie!"
He blushed a bit, but smiled back.
"Thanks, Judie."
Leo smiled, and grabbed the blue-detailed watch.
Strapping it on, he pressed the button, closing his eyes at the bright flash.
A thirteen year old boy with dark black hair tinted blue, covering familiar brown eyes and slightly tanned skin.
He wore a normal t-shirt, only blue with an orange flame design on the chest, and dark pants.
Rose grinned, blushing.
"I LIKE these watches…"
"You want to go next?" Don asked.
"Yes, please!"
Rose grabbed it eagerly, and she strapped it on snugly.
Pressing the button, she closed her eyes at the flash, and opened them to surprised faces.
She was a human with lightly tanned skin and a more…full-bodied figure than her sisters, and deep auburn hair that reached her hips in a low ponytail that was over her shoulder.
She was wearing an orange/red tank top with a jean skirt and almost knee-length black boots.
"…If you like these watches, I LOVE them…"
She grinned at her 'boyfriend'.
"How'd I know you'd like what you saw?"
Raph grabbed his own, putting on a gagging face so Mikey laughed.
Terrie jumped off his shell as he strapped it on and pressed the button.
He had dark red hair and a fairly muscled physique, and wore a red muscle shirt and baggy black jeans.
"There's one left. Probably for the eighth child." Don stated.
"Well, we should let Terrie use it for now." Rose replied, taking the pink-trimmed watch from the box.
Terrie jumped over so it could be strapped on, and her oldest sister pressed the button.
Terrie looked a bit younger than she was, with large pink eyes and silk-like silver hair.
It seemed tinged slightly pink in the light, and it matched her almost pale skin.
She wore a pink tank top with a white star-like symbol on the chest, and short jean shorts.
Terrie seemed as happy as the others, but Raph took a moment to stare.
There was this innocent aura around her, but it was different from Mikey's.
Hers was naïve and bright and soft, like sunlight on silk, and it made one want to touch it.
Mikey grinned, Patamon in his arms, as Leo picked up Koromon.
Don picked up Motimon, and Raph shifted his own partner in his arms.
"We need to head to the dojo. So we can rest." Rose stated.
"What if someone sees our Digimon?" Judie asked, hugging Palmon like a stuffed animal to her chest.
Anne shrugged, holding Gomamon close as Rose picked up Biyomon.
"They can be stuffed animals." Terrie suggested.
"Ya 'ear that? That means no talkin'." Raph added, giving every Digimon a hard stare.
Once that was clear, they went on their way out of Central Park.
"I remember our lair used to be around here before we suddenly moved…" Don mused.
"Why'd we do that?" Mikey asked innocently.
"I don't remember…"
Anne looked up at them through her long lashes.
"I remember when sensei threatened to move, too. It was because, about five years ago, there was a terrorist bombing here."
"Terrorist bombing?" Mikey asked, awed.
"Yeah. Sensei said it was one of the worst bombings of all time. No one found who was responsible, so people got scared and moved out."
Police sirens wailed, and everyone saw the police cars on the streets ahead.
"I bet Myotismon's involved." Raph growled.
The group ran after the police cars on the sidewalk, and stopped to see a large mammoth-like Digimon rampaging through the streets.
Don pulled out his laptop, turning on the Digimon Analyzer.
"It's called Mammothmon. He's a fully-Digivolved Digimon with the strength of a wooly mammoth. He shoots missiles he calls Tusk Crusher, and has a chilling attack called Freezing Breath."
A police car stopped, siren still on.
"Get away, kids. This is a danger zone!"
His radio didn't seem to work, but Mammothmon heard the cars shrill wail.
The car peeled out fast as Mammothmon seemed to see them.
He roared, and the Digimon bristled.
Tsunomon and Koromon jumped to the ground, though they knew they couldn't fight him.
"Just leave everything to me." Biyomon stated.
"Be careful, Biyo…"
"Biyomon, Digivolve to…BIRDRAMON!!"
Cawing, the Champion-level Digimon flew into the air, zooming by Mammothmon.
"Meteor Wing!"
The attack seemed somewhat deflected by his armor, and they hit telephone booths and made holes in the sidewalk.
Visions went through everyone's eyes, showing broken glass, bent metal, charred concrete…
Mammothmon used his tusks to throw an empty bus at the large bird Digimon, who flew out of the way.
Birdramon tried to fly at her opponent, but he smacked her back with his trunk.
"Tusk Crusher!"
She barely dodged, and started heading for the ground.
"BIRDRAMON!!"
"Two!"
Everyone looked at Mikey curiously, even Terrie.
"There were two monsters!"
"What's he talking about?" Judie asked.
"A few years ago, Mikey was insisting he saw two monsters. Sensei got mad at him." Leo explained.
"It happened right after the bombing."
"It all happened here." Anne stated softly.
"Tusk Crusher!"
Some pavement and tar flew into the air from the explosion.
"…It's like I remember it…" Raph muttered, watching the two Digimon fight.
"I feel like I was there, but I forgot somehow…" Leo agreed.
"Tusk Crusher!"
"MOVE!"
They ran from the coming explosion, but Rose stopped, seeing her partner fly back up.
"Meteor Wing!"
"I remember…A ball of fire destroyed the street." Anne stated.
"But the fire-breathing one couldn't fly." Judie mused.
"So they were different than these two." Don finished.
Birdramon grabbed Mammothmon's truck in her talons.
"Freezing Breath!"
Birdramon fell back, hitting the ground hard.
"BIRDRAMON!!"
Rose ran forward, Leo following in worry.
"Rosie?" The large bird asked weakly.
The Crest of Love started glowing…
"Birdramon, Digivolve to…GARUDAMON!!"
"Tusk Crusher!"
The Ultimate-level Digimon shielded the two disguised turtles.
The familiarity of the position seemed to jolt something in Leo's brain as both looked up at the mighty Digimon.
"Garudamon…"
"…The fire-breathing monster I saw…"
An image jumped into his minds eye.
"GREYMON!"
Rose looked confused at first, then it clicked.
"It WAS Greymon!"
Garudamon took flight as the others absorbed the information.
"Tusk Crusher!"
The Ultimate-level Digimon landed on Mammothmon's back, and she lifted him into the air.
"That was the day Koromon came into our house being chased by a little turtle…And then Digivolved to Greymon!" Leo explained.
Mammothmon was dropped, making a crater in the pavement.
"Wing Blade!"
Mammothmon disintegrated, now defeated, and Garudamon Dedigivolved.
Rose ran forward, catching Yokomon before she could hit the ground.
Don still seemed to be thinking about what they'd discovered earlier.
"Greymon and the other Digimon disappeared after they fought…" He mused.
"So the police called it a terrorist bombing." Judie finished.
"Somehow, the Digimon were involved all along." Raph grumbled.
"That must be why Terrie already knew Koromon."
Leo turned to the pink-banded turtle.
"I think she was the turtle chasing Koromon that night."
Sirens caught their attention, and the seven kids started running, finding an un-used basketball court far enough way for comfort.
"I always wondered why we were chosen to go to the Digital World…I suspected we were connected by some common event." Don stated.
"Now I realize it was the fight between those two Digimon five years ago."
"Then the eighth Digidestined must've seen them, too." Mikey stated, in a rare show of intellect.
"What if Myotismon has found them already? I mean, he's been looking all day!" Rose nearly panicked.
"I don't think so." Motimon replied.
"Mammothmon wouldn't be making all this commotion if they'd already found the eighth Digidestined child. Myotismon's still searching. I say the child is still out there. Maybe he moved, like you guys."
"Then we have to find them soon." Leo said determinedly.
Terrie looked at the scene curiously.
'I wonder who the eighth Digidestined is…'
