Hello hello hello! It feels so good to be on here again after a while, and I know I said in my last post I would put in another chapter quickly, but I have not been feeling well. I was under a lot of stress and couldn't concentrate on my writing at all and I'm sorry for being late, but I needed to get better. Nonetheless, I give you all another chapter, and I really appreciate your patience. I do not own TMNT, only my OCs. Enjoy:)

Chapter 25: Mending Wounds

Two Days Later…

The Sacred Palace, Kennistar…

Leo's P.O.V.:

"Alright Leonardo, I have cleaned your stab wound and healed it the best I could. Although it is a scar it will still need to be treated daily for a few days with a special oil. Your bruising and soreness will be gone in a day or two." Roirdin tells me as he washes his hands, "All you can do for now is rest to gain your strength and relax your body, I will make the oil for you today."

"Thank you, Sir." I said to him and get up from the chair. My eyes stare at my new scar and I sigh.

Riordin came up and put a hand on my shoulder, "Do not worry, Son. Verena is too head strong to give up and I know you know this from experience. Please, just do your best to be strong for my granddaughter, Leonardo."

I nod, "I will. I am curious though, when will Mr. Mortu know her results?"

"Hopefully today, at least that is what he said." Riordin checked the time, "Well I must check on my son in case he needs anything. Get some rest now, and try not to worry for it will be over with soon." He left my room.

I understand what he's trying to do, but how can I not worry? When we came here to their home, Verena was immediately taken to a medical room to be treated by the Utroms, and the rest of us were sent to the guest rooms. Since then Mr. Mortu and the other Utroms have been checking on her and running tests to see if she has improved. We don't know anything yet, but the Utroms will tell us what is going on when they finish. Until then I need to try and relax so I leave my room.

For the past couple of days being on Kennistar I haven't been able to take in all of the sights of this new world. Walking down the halls of the palace I begin to notice the beauty of everything that makes it so grand. The marble shining from the sun, centuries worth of art and weaponry mounted on the walls, just every single detail of this palace is amazing. Even as I look out the giant crystal window the ocean is so clear, the sky a bright blue, and the city is big and bold. It's all so cool. I can see why Verena loves Kennistar so much. We should really go sightseeing when she wakes up and gets better.

I walk farther into the dining hall and see my brothers and Master Splinter sitting down and eating. Liza and Archimedes walk in with their sons behind them greeting my family. I tighten my bandana and join them with everyone smiling at me.

"Leonardo!" Archimedes yells at me with a happy tone in his voice, "How are you doing my friend?" He slaps my shell hard.

"Ah!" I groan from his heavy hand hitting me.

Liza socks him in the arm, "Archimedes! Why did you do that?"

"What?" Archimedes shrugs his shoulders, "I was just saying hello."

"You need to be more careful with that hand of yours." Liza sees me roll my shoulders back, "See? Leonardo is still obviously sore."

"It's okay, Liza." I said to her, "It doesn't hurt that bad."

"Now that you mentioned it, how is your wound my son?" Master Splinter asks.

"A lot better, but Riordin said I need to put some oil on it to finish the healing process." I tell him as I rub the scar.

"That's great, Leo." Don said with a big smile.

"Yeah you're lucky that's the only thing ya got." Raph said.

"I know, I know." I tell my brother and look to Liza, "Have you heard anything?"

She shakes her head, "No, nothing yet. Father told me he will let us know as soon as Mortu tells him and Mother. The best we can do right now is pray… and hope."

"Momma," Her son Bryce tugs on her hand, "Aunt Verena's going to be alright, right?"

Liza kneels down and hugs him, "Of course she will. You know your aunt will never give up on her family, and she never will stop fighting for all that she loves near and dear to her heart."

"Your mother is right, Bryce." Archimedes held his son's hand and looks at Aragon too, "Both of you have to be brave for your aunt. If there's anyone that can handle anything it is Aunt Verena. Please, remember this my sons."

"Yes Papa." They said in unison.

Liza and Archimedes hug their sons close to them showing so much love and comfort that any parent would give to their children. It brought this deep joy to each of my family members hearts. A long time ago I would never have thought of the possibility of having a family of my own, but being with Verena and seeing her family gives me hope. I want nothing more than to spend the rest of my life with her and maybe have children together; growing old with my true love would be a dream come true. My life wouldn't be complete without Verena in it. I love her. I will love her until the end of time itself. Verena lifts me up from my bad days, gives me warmth when the world seems cold, and makes me feel so whole. I know deep down in my heart she will make it through and come back to her family; come back to me.

It will be amazing to have her wake up again and celebrate our victory. Without Verena and her family, we would've had Earth destroyed; life in our home would be nonexistent. We owe this family our lives. The very least we can do is give them support for Verena's recovery. I remember a couple of weeks ago Verena telling my brothers and I how incredibly strong her family is through any crisis; seeing them all this time I know it's a true fact. They can pull through anything no matter how bad things get, and I deeply wish that I have their strength to push back my negativity. I guess there are things I can't control.

I leave the others and continue to walk around the palace, trying to clear my head. My feet lead me to the healing center in the east wing; the air is cold as I go further in, everything turning bright from the white lights, and each room in here is empty. All of them except for one at the very end which is where I'm going now.

Aurora's (Queen Ishtar's) P.O.V.:

"Here, Beloved," I hand my husband his tea with a gentle smile, "this should warm you up."

He takes the cup and smiles, "Thank you, Aurora."

We sit down on the thick cushions of the couch and sip our hot tea. I have never realized how cold it really is in here as we are under the wide air vent. My husband and I have been in the healing center since we came back home, waiting for Verena to recover and awaken. Our friend, Mortu, has been tending to her injuries along with his team of Utroms showing us excellent work. We are waiting for the results of Verena's head scan to see how much damage has been done to her. To be perfectly honest the chances of our daughter having a minor concussion is very low. Ever since what happened a couple of years ago her head injuries seem to get worse and worse each time. Who knows what the damage will be and if Verena does wake up how she will be able to handle it in the future.

So many memories fill my mind, both good and bad memories. I remember the pain and sorrow we were all in when Verena did not open her eyes right away; seeing her face light up and give us relief. That was what we thought would never show, but we were completely fooled when my daughter finally revealed her eyes. It was one of the greatest miracles our family has seen and we would never take it for granted; the Gods and Goddesses answered our prayers. Moving forward since that time Verena has become stronger, wiser, and has given the people so much hope and determination to overcome any obstacle in our path. I see how much Verena has accomplished in her life not only as a princess and the Yin Warrior, but as our daughter and she has more than made us proud. Actually, both Liza and Verena have grown up into strong, intelligent, beautiful women that any parent can cherish and love more than anything in the world. They are our deepest treasure that cannot be replaced. Alistair and I love our daughters and always will.

The minutes of us drinking our tea, laying our heads against each other's, and holding hands have been oddly peaceful. We both know that we do not want to worry, but sometimes it can be hard. Alistair kisses my head and rubs my hand with his thumb to sooth me. A moment later we see Mortu appear in his exo-suit walking towards us while the other Utroms go their separate ways. My husband and I stand up and put our cups down on the table, feeling incredibly nervous.

"How is Verena, Mortu?" Alistair asks the question.

Mortu clears his throat, "Well her wounds were deep, but easily treatable with some cleaning and stitching. Those will heal in a couple of days along with the bruising all over her body. However, I must inform you the bad news…" He looks down with a sad expression and his eyes come back up, "your daughter's head scan results aren't good. The princess has serious damage to her brain from the blast waves of the bomb, and there seems to be no change in the past couple of days."

"My friend please, will our daughter wake up?" My husband asks wanting Mortu to get to our answer.

Our Utrom friend closes his eyes and shakes his body, "I am sorry to say this, but no she won't. Verena's coma is too major to overcome, and believe me we have tried everything to break her out of it. I am truly sorry my friends, but your daughter will not be coming back."

Alistair holds me close to him and begins to cry on my shoulder as I cannot seem to shed a single tear. We did not expect it to be true, but yet hearing the answer is depressing. This is the worse thing to ever happen to our baby, our little girl… I just cannot believe it.

"No." All of us face our eyes to Leonardo as tears welled up into his eyes and he tightened his fists. He is deeply upset, "… No!" Leonardo runs out crying.

"Oh no." Alistair groaned and cleans his face, "I need to talk to him."

"No Alistair. You have done your part, now it is my turn." I tell my husband as he faces me, "Trust me Beloved, I know what I am doing."

He nods in agreement, "I do trust you, Aurora. I have never doubted you in our years of marriage and I am not starting now. Do the best you can for Leonardo, My Beloved."

"Of course. If you will excuse me I need to catch up to him." I said to Alistair and Mortu and go on my way.

Leo's P.O.V.:

I run as fast as I can with all of my might to keep moving. I can hear my heart beating through my ear drums at a speeding pace, and it's the only pace it will go. Most of all, I feel my entire being shatter to pieces like breaking a beautiful glass window with a rock; that's how I am. Broken. Defeated. Angry. Depressed. It's too much to take in. All I can do is run to my room for comfort, not wanting to tell anyone the horrible news.

I get there and slam the door shut as I stumble inside, my legs feeling like jelly carrying my weight. I stop in the middle of the room and clasp my chest where my heart is with my hand, and I slowly fall on my knees. The weight of Verena's results are too much to wrap my mind around, and it is only getting heavier. I don't understand… I begged and prayed for her to make it,… but I guess it wasn't enough to heal her. I am angry that the bomb took my love away from us, her family, friends, and her loved ones. I slam my fists down onto the hard floor and scream to try and let it out. When I'm done there is nothing but silence and soon more tears begin to form.

"Verena…," I lower the rest of my body on the cold marble and cry, "Verena… please… come back. Come back…"

It's not fair. My beautiful Verena will never be fully alive ever again. I never even got the chance to tell her how I truly feel, how much she really means to me. Verena won't have the chance to experience the rest of her life, but will instead live it in a deep sleep to never wake up. I don't know what else to do for her… and I will never forgive myself. I have failed Verena.

Suddenly I feel something soft touch my head, rubbing my skin in a smooth pattern. What threw me off was the shushing noise it made near my right ear in a sweet tone. I look up and jump back in shock to see Mrs. Ishtar here in my room soothing me.

"Y-Your Majesty." I stuttered to her, still trying to calm myself, "I-I-I'm sorry-"

"Shhhh. It is alright Leonardo, you do not need to apologize to me." She said sounding relaxed, which is odd. Mrs. Ishtar stands up and holds her hand out to me, "Come, Leonardo…" I take her hand and she helps me up on my feet, "let us sit and I will make you some tea."

How can she be so calm at a time like this?! It's weird with Mrs. Ishtar acting this way and I am pretty much letting out my emotions into a giant mess. We sit down at the small table and I watch her make the tea at a normal pace; not even her body language is changing. Whatever this tea is it smells so good, almost having a cinnamon and vanilla scent that is making my body feel warm. Almost the same warmth Verena gives me… gave me. Mrs. Ishtar pours some cream, stirs it together with the tea, and hands me the cup with a smile. I blow in the cup and take a sip, it instantly made my throat feel better; the spice and sweetness of the tea is amazing. I look at the queen as I hold the cup, giving her my full attention.

"How are you feeling, Leonardo?" Mrs. Ishtar asks.

"No offense, Your Majesty, but shouldn't I be asking you that question? I think I need to be comforting you, not the other way around." I said and inhale the tea deeply.

"Please, do not try to avoid this by trying to give me comfort my friend. I am asking you to be one hundred percent open and honest to me, so I want you let out all of your thoughts." She tells me as her eyes look closely into mine.

I set the cup down and give her what she wants, "You really want me to be open? Okay, this whole situation sucks! Verena doesn't deserve any of this; no pain, no suffering, none of that. What's worse than that is she did not get to have a moment with her family, to tell you all how much she loves each and every one of you." I feel the tears stream down and I can't hold them back, "I did what I could to try to make her stay and not go, but she wouldn't listen. Her sense of honor is stronger than anything, even stronger than her passion. Nothing in the world can bring her back this time, not even me no matter how hard I try. Mrs. Ishtar… I-I am so sorry that I failed Verena."

Aurora's P.O.V.:

The poor boy. He is so heartbroken and lost that all he can do to ease the pain is cry. Believe it or not I too know what it is like to practically lose someone you love. Just try to imagine all of the thoughts and emotions that run through one's mind at the speed of light, never wanting to stop. And sometimes when they finally break you end up feeling much worse, almost depressed. It is the most awful feeling in the world. Yes I know how it is and I know I can help Leonardo through this sorrow for it is not over yet. There is still time.

"Now, now, Leonardo," I say to him gently taking his hands into mine, "I know your pain."

He takes a deep breath looking at me, "Y-You do?"

"Yes I do. It was a long time ago when Liza was eight and Verena was barely three months old. The Kennistar Army had to face an entire Dark Bender armada near the planet's atmosphere, threatening to invade and hunt down all those with the ability to bend. At that time it was Kennistar's worst event since the other threats of the past. My husband led the army into a battle in space to not let the Dark Benders pass and inflict more harm. They were all very brave and fought valiantly, but in the end Alistair paid a great price. The Dark Bender commander fired at Alistair's ship… and he crashed into the sea, hitting his head on impact. Luckily the soldiers saved my husband and brought him back here, but what happened next nearly broke me.

"Alistair had gone into a coma from the crash landing and his body was healing at a slow pace. I stayed by his side almost every day, but at the same time I had to take care of the girls. Our babies finding out was terrible, especially for Liza because she was the oldest. Day after day, month after month I prayed for Alistair to awaken, but he still would not. I was beginning to lose hope, but then one day a shaman came to us and gave me the answer to save Alistair. His solution was a loved one must enter the spirit world through the victim's mind and save their soul from being lost forever. So I took the shaman's idea, went to Alistair, and found him in the spirit world being pulled away by dark tentacles. I saved him before he was taken from us and gave him a reason to return. The girls needed their father to watch them grow, to teach them, to protect them, and to love them. A white light blinded me and I returned home… with Alistair finally waking up after ten months of his sleeping death.

"Our people celebrated the return of their king, the soldiers praised him, and all welcomed him with open arms. It may have taken us a while, but finally our family was together again."

"That's… quite a story Mrs. Ishtar." Leonardo said taking in my story.

I nod, "It is indeed. However, there is a reason why I told you this story."

"There is?"

"Yes. Leonardo, I was able to save my love from being lost for all eternity through a method that none dared to try because they thought it was impossible. I told you my story to help you find the solution for Verena."

"But Mrs. Ishtar how am I supposed to find her? I don't have magic like you do." He said still in disbelief.

"True…, but you do have something greater than any magic. Do you know what that is?" I ask him and he shakes his head, "Love."

"Love…"

"A love so strong that it overcomes any and all obstacles you face in life. It is your best guide in finding all the good you cannot see in the world around you when it is dark. The love you have for Verena is what keeps you pushing forward when you are tired and defeated, and it is the same love that will save her."

"… You're right." Leonardo stands up from his chair, "I have been so sad, angry with all of this that I forgot the reason for staying strong. I know what I have to do."

"And do it you shall." I stand up and put my hands on his shoulders, giving him a small smile, "You must enter the spirit world and find Verena through her spiritual sanctuary. Once you do, you must give her a reason to come home or else she will stay and be lost in darkness. I know you are the key to saving her… please Leonardo, bring Verena home." I shed my share of tears.

"I will Mrs. Ishtar. I promise." He bows to me.

"Then go while there is still time." I said and he leaves in a hurry. I laugh quietly and smile in thought, "He will be a fine, honorable prince."

Ta da! What do you think? I hope it isn't too bad, but I decided to let my OC's mother come in and tell her side. Now I know it is a little short, but I didn't want to do too much in this chapter so the final rescue will be in the next one; which leaves me only three chapters left to the story. I am starting on the next chapter as we speak and it will be up either this weekend or the next weekend after Thanksgiving, so I ask you for your patience. I want to thank you all that have favored, followed, and reviewed my story so far; you're all are truly amazing. R&R or PM me anytime. Until next time:)