As the two companions walked on the edge of the lake, Raph couldn't help looking back to where they'd been.
"I'm sure Mikey's fine. Tokomon will take care of him." Gabumon assured, trying to stay clear of the water.
"Yeah…" Raph muttered.
He couldn't help but worry, though.
This was about his youngest brother, after all.
The fragile one, the one he needed to protect.
"Look! A restaurant!"
Raph's head snapped up and, sure enough, there was a restaurant up on a cliff before them.
"Let's check it out."
And so turtle and partner walked up the path leading to the restaurant, and only stopped when a familiar Digimon was thrown out the front door…
"Gomamon?"
Said Digimon perked.
"Raph? Gabumon?"
The small swimming Digimon smiled.
"It's so great to see you again!!"
"Hey, Gomamon. Where's Rach?" Raph returned gruffly.
"Follow me."
Gomamon led them through the slightly busy restaurant and to the kitchen, where a stressed, temperamental Rach was cooking.
"Raph? Gomamon?"
Surprise and then relief flashed through her smoky eyes.
"Well, long time no see, tough guy."
She punched his arm good naturedly, a gesture he returned.
"What are ya doin' here anyways?"
She sighed.
"After we left, me and Gomamon came here to eat…the jerks wouldn't take my money, so I decided to work it off…then, for reasons I don't understand, powerful forces have conspired against me and are making sure everything I touch breaks…"
A sad smile.
"So you can kinda tell I've been here a while, ne?"
Raph sighed, feeling a bit guilty.
"…I guess I can help ya out…but I'll need ta get Mikey first…"
"Really?"
She gave him a rare hug.
"Yer the best turtle ever!!"
"What's going on in here?!"
Rach glared.
"Nothing, Digitamamon…"
The Digimon encased in an egg, legs free, looked curiously at Raph and Gabumon.
"Who are they?"
"Friends." Rach answered defensively, Gomamon standing stubbornly beside her.
"Very well…you, come with me."
A bad feeling filled Raph's stomach as he followed the Digimon to his office.
"So, what are you here for?"
"I want to help my friend pay off her debt."
"Wonderful!"
"I need to pick up my little brother, though."
"That's not possible."
Gabumon bristled as Raph's crimson brown eyes turned hot, like live fire.
"And why not?"
"You wouldn't want anything to happen to your friend…a lot of accidents can happen in the kitchen…"
Raph's glare only turned hotter as he clenched his fists.
'Mikey…please wait…I'll be back as soon as I can…'
"Fine. But we can BOTH leave the moment we've worked it all off."
"Deal."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Both of their patience's were beginning to wear thin.
Rach got angry at herself for dragging a good friend into the mess, while Raph got angry at her whenever she messed up, tripping or dropping plates of food.
On this particular day, Raph's patience must've snapped.
"Why do ya have ta be so damn clumsy?!"
"Like I wanna stay here anymore than ya do?!"
Rach snapped back, her patience beginning to fray.
"If that's da case, stop messin' up!!"
"I don't even know HOW I'm messing up!! This stuff's never happened before!!"
They glared hotly at each other before Raph stormed out to the backyard to cool off.
"Stubborn knuckle-headed idiot…" Rach muttered crossly, turning back to the food she had on the stove.
Raph lay on the grass, looking up at the sky as he thought.
'…I guess its not her fault…I mean, accidents happen…just not usually at such a consistent pace…Great, now I'm thinking like Donnie…'
"Hey."
Raph turned his head to see a small Digimon with even smaller, bat-like wings.
"Who are ya?"
"I'm Demidevimon. I just thought I should let you in on something."
"…I'm listenin'…" Raph answered, sitting up.
"Your friend is messing up on purpose. She wants to keep you here so you won't leave her alone again."
His fists clenched as he ground his teeth.
"She wouldn't…"
"But she is."
Demidevimon smirked as he saw the red-banded turtles temper flared like a wildfire.
'And he holds the Crest of Friendship! What a joke!'
The Digimon heard talking inside, and flew off.
"RAPHIE!!!!"
Raph spun around in surprise, anger dwindling fast.
"MIKEY-?!"
The red-banded turtle was cut off when a Mikey torpedo rammed into his chest, sending him on his shell, a happy turtle hugging the life out of him.
"How'd ya get 'ere?"
"Leo found me and Patamon!"
Raph sat up to see his blue-banded big brother and his Digimon partner in the doorway to the restaurant.
"Leo?"
A smile fluttered across the eldest's face.
"Yep. Aren't you going to say hi?"
A smirk.
"It's good ta have ya back, bro."
That's when he saw the female turtle standing behind his older brother, and glared.
"Come on, Raph. We've gotta go find the others."
"I ain't goin' nowhere with HER."
Mikey looked up with confused blue-eyes.
"Why not?"
"She's been keepin' me 'ere on purpose! SHE'S the reason I couldn't go back and get ya!"
"I didn't do ANYTHING on purpose!" Rach countered hotly.
"Now yer lying!"
"TAKE THAT BACK!!!!" She snarled.
"You guys are so easy to fool!"
Mikey looked up, holding onto his brother tighter.
"Demidevimon!"
"I'll get you back for lying to Mikey!" Leo ground out.
"Lying…" Raph muttered, looking up with eyes that could kill.
"Ya lied ta me, didn't ya?!"
"How perceptive you are!" Demidevimon taunted.
"Why ya little-!!"
"Blue Blaster!"
Demidevimon fell to the ground as Digitamamon and Vegiemon came out.
"I'm tired 'a this! Gabumon!"
"Gabumon, Digivolve to…GARURUMON!!"
Digitamamon hid in his egg, and Garurumon's fangs didn't even leave a scratch.
"Howling Blaster!"
No effect.
"AHHHHH!!!"
'No…'
"MIKEY!!!"
Raph looked up to see Vegiemon holding the orange-banded turtle by his ankle on the edge of the roof.
"Call off your beast or the kid gets it!"
Raph growled, but he didn't see another choice…
"Gomamon, Digivolve to…IKKAKUMON!!"
As he tried to spear Vegiemon, Rach climbed up onto the roof.
"Let 'im go!"
She jumped on Vegiemon, who, taken by surprise, dropped Mikey. Raph jumped forward, catching him.
"AH!!!!!"
'Rach!'
Both looked up to see Vegiemon squeezing the grey-banded turtle in his grip, forcing out strangled cries of pain.
"RACH!!" Mikey called out, Patamon coming to comfort him after a tussle with Demidevimon.
"It's 'kay…doesn't hurt…that much…" Rach forced out through air-deprived lungs, trying to smile reassuringly.
'She saved Mikey…even though he isn't her brother…she's risking her LIFE for 'im…even when I accused 'er of lyin'…'
He didn't notice the blue crest over his heart starting to glow.
'She's a true friend…'
"RACH!!!"
A blinding blue light from crest and Digimon, then…
"Garurumon, Digivolve to…WEREGARURUMON!!"
Raph held the vibrating Digivice as the Ultimate-level Digimon cut Rach free, Ikkakumon catching her.
"You can't beat me!" Digitamamon challenged.
"We'll see about that!!" Raph shot back.
"Wolf Claw!"
Digitamamon flew into the forest, and Weregarurumon Dedigivolved all the way back to Tsunomon.
They left the restaurant as soon as possible, and were walking on a worn stone path by the lake.
Two beeping sounds, and the two eldest turtles looked at their Digivices.
"Mine says this way." Leo stated, pointing to the right.
"Mine says 'dis way."
And Raph pointed to the left.
"I guess we're going to have to split up…" Leo noted.
"Raph, you and Mikey follow your signal, and I'll take Rach. We'll all meet up at the base of that mountain, alright?"
Three nods, and the small group split up to find the others…