Alrighty, here we go restoring Karena's memories. Enjoy!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything related to "Meet the Robinsons" nor "TMNT," nor do I own Margaret Becker's "Never for Nothing." I only own Karena, Lilianna, Ryan, Venus, and Athena.
January 20, 2041 - Todayland, North Montana, USA
DONATELLO'S POV
I waited in the garage for Wilbur to return from the hospital with Lily and Karena. I wasn't sure who I was more worried about. Karena could not remember anything that had happened prior to her time in the hospital, nor who her friends were. Lily had felt heartbroken at the thought of not cheerleading until next fall, nor could she lead her cousins on their night patrols. Earlier today, I had prayed that April would pick the temporary leader with a clean conscience.
My thoughts were interrupted when the garage door opened, revealing the trio. Once Wilbur parked the car, he carried Karena out bridal-style in his arms. After he set her down, he took Lily's crutches and, with Lily yelling out in pain, helped her out of the car. I ran to my daughter and hugged her. She hugged me back.
"Dad, what am I going to do?" Lily asked me with a frown. "I know how important it is to be there for my cousins, but sitting on the sidelines is going to drive me crazy!"
"I understand, Lily," I replied. "I am so sorry you are going through this. Maybe you can talk to Uncle Leo about it?"
"Uncle Leo broke his foot before?"
"Actually, it was his knee. In fact, the Shredder had badly injured him during a fight. He was in a coma for three months, and it took three more months for his knee to heal. If there's anyone who has been in your shoes before, it's him."
Lily let out a sigh.
"Once again, two years later, it is Uncle Leonardo coming to my rescue. But first things first: Karena."
"Yes," I replied in agreement. "Wilbur, Lily broke her foot in your room. May we investigate there first? Maybe seeing the damage on your wall will help trigger a memory of Karena's."
"Sure."
Wilbur paused, realizing what I just said.
"What did you say about my wall?" he angrily asked, putting his hands on his hips.
"Just go!"
"Wait, Dad!" Lily yelled. "I don't think taking the travel tube is a good idea for me right now."
I smacked my head, realizing she was right. She could very easily injure herself again.
"Wilbur, take Karena to your room through the travel tube," I told him. "I'll follow Lily and meet you there."
It took us about five minutes for Lily to hobble herself from the garage all the way to Wilbur's room.
"So, did Karena remember anything about the wall damage?" I asked.
"No, she's very confused," Wilbur answered.
"Let me try something," Lily said.
Lily hobbled over to Karena on her crutches.
"Karena, I'm going to try to travel to your unconscious to recover at least some of your memories," she explained. "Do you trust me?"
"Do you mean... I'm having surgery?" Karena asked with fear in her voice.
"No, no! I can read your mind, Karena, and I can tell you're scared. It is okay to be scared. I'm scared too, because it's possible I may hurt you. But I promise to try not to hurt you, okay?"
I watched as Lily placed both her hands on either side of Karena's head, and she stared into Karena's green eyes. Only a few minutes had passed until Lily let our friend go.
"Alright, Karena, I want you to look at the wall and tell me what you can remember about it."
I watched as Karena placed a hand at the hole. Suddenly, she let out a gasp, and she turned towards my daughter.
"I remember!" Karena yelled excitedly. "I remember why there is a hole in the wall."
Her smile quickly faded away, and she started to cry.
"Everything is slowly coming back to me," Karena continued. "Lily, everything about you is becoming very clear to me. You had tried to reach my mind when I wasn't myself. I had felt... aware of what was happening to me. I was fighting you! You are the one person I can remember everything about now. I remember how you are Donnie's daughter. You're the captain of the cheerleading squad here in Todayland. You play Mrs. Potts in the upcoming musical. And you are psychic, but I remember how you are just as kind as your father."
Karena sobbed when she saw Lily's foot in a cast.
"I broke your foot! Lily, I am so sorry!"
"Karena, I am just at fault here as you are," Lily tried soothing her, but she, too, broke into tears. "I broke my foot trying to help you and I think I made it worse by giving you amnesia."
"Lily, please listen to me," I chimed in, putting my left hand on her left shoulder. "You are not at fault here. Karena is not at fault. That helping hat had controlled Karena's mind. As far as I'm concerned, Wilbur, your first priority is to find that hat and destroy it! Otherwise, that hat will try to control someone else and your father will die."
"I agree," Wilbur replied. "And Lily, you had good intentions. You were trying to help. You are helping us now. That's what matters. The good news is, Karena remembers you fully. I think it would be best if you helped each other for now. Lily, you could help Karena restore her memories. Karena, you can drive Lily to school and help her in the musical."
"Wilbur, what is my role in the musical?" Karena asked. "In case you didn't notice, I don't remember much of anything."
"Karena, you are directing the music."
"But before we jump in on that tomorrow, let's go to your apartment," Lily suggested. "Karena, do you remember how to drive?"
"I'm afraid not."
"Wait, Lily!" I yelled out. "I just realized something. Your left foot is broken. Not your right one. Which means-"
"That I can still drive a flying car," Lily finished my sentence, a big smile forming on her face. "I can teach Karena how to drive again."
"Wilbur and I will leave you two to it then. We need to find that hat!"
LILIANNA'S POV
Karena and I worked together to drive my dad's rented flying car to her apartment, which was still very much a mess. I went through the door first, considering the fact that I was on crutches.
"Where are we?" Karena asked.
"Your apartment. Do you remember anything about this place?"
"I'm afraid not," she answered solemnly.
"Let's clean this place up," I suggested. "I can help out easily."
"Uh, Lily, in case you haven't noticed, you're on crutches. You can't walk everywhere."
"I don't need much movement to help you clean. I have telekinesis too. Watch."
I closed my eyes and imagined Karena's clean apartment. I used my hands and my mind to declutter the living room and kitchen, lifting every broken plant and broken glass off the floor. It took me five minutes to clean up both rooms.
"So it looks like we'll have to call Cornelius regarding the window," I told my friend while shivering. "But it is really cold in here! Do you have another room that has heat?"
"There might be a bedroom," Karena suggested, also while shivering. "Also, who's Cornelius?"
"Wilbur's dad. Let's go then."
Karena and I went into the bedroom, which was not as messy as the living room and kitchen. It did not take me long to clean up that room either. I watched as Karena walked over to her nightstand and picked up a small green book.
"Hey, my name's on here!" Karena yelled out.
I hobbled over to the other side of the bed and examined the book.
"Karena, these are journal entries," I explained. "This is your journal! Maybe reading this would help jog your memories!"
"Maybe," Karena replied with hesitance. "But maybe we should go somewhere that's warm. I should have a coat in the closet- AHH!"
Karena screamed at the sight of a dismantled Lizzy.
"Oh! Lily! I remember what happened now. I had found his robot in my closet and..."
Karena suddenly started to frantically look through her pockets and her things.
"Where's my phone? I know I used it to call Donnie!"
"Relax, Karena," I assured her, putting a hand in one of the pockets of my yellow dress. "I got it."
I pulled out her cell phone and handed it to her.
"Oh!" Karena exclaimed happily. "Thank you so much! Anyway, I had called your dad and then I called..."
She paused her green eyes widening.
"Wilbur's dad Cornelius. Lily, is there anyway we can drive back to the Robinsons?"
"We may have to, anyway," I replied. "That's the only place you're safe at right now. There's no way you are going to live in this apartment without a good window to help keep you warm."
Karena took the wheel this time in her own car, while I drove my dad's rented car. Karena was able to successfully follow me back to the Robinsons' mansion, and we all gathered in the living room.
"Dad, Wilbur, have you found the bowler hat?" I asked.
"No," Wilbur answered, hanging his head down. "That hat could be anywhere in Todayland. Any news on your end?"
"I helped Karena clean up her apartment and she found her journal. Unfortunately, with how cold it is here, it is not safe for Karena to spend her time in her apartment. There's no window in the kitchen to keep her warm."
"That is a good point," Cornelius replied. "So we have quite a few problems here. Karena woke up in the hospital with amnesia, and she does not have a place to stay. Lily has a broken foot and cannot do much. And, we've got a rogue helping hat roaming around Todayland with my safety on the line. I have already asked Chief McDimples to escort me through Robinson Industries to make sure that I am safe."
"That is a start," Dad chimed in. "But I also have an idea. Cornelius, is that apartment Lily and I rented out still available?"
"Not that particular apartment, but we do have one that is vacant."
"Wait, Dad, are you staying here?" I asked. "What about being home with Mom?"
"Lily, it's not a good idea to hobble through the portal on your crutches," Dad explained. "And besides, Karena needs a temporary home. Until her apartment is fixed, she can stay with us. Maybe I can convince Mom to move in with us temporarily, even if she has to take the portal to New York for her job."
"I'm on board with that," Wilbur replied. "We're engaged, plus I'm still a minor. It'd be a little awkward right now to sleep in the same house as your future wife."
"I disagree, but I understand what you're saying," Dad said.
"Wait, what do you mean?" Wilbur asked with shock written in his chocolate eyes.
"April and I were still in that getting-to-know-each-other stage," Dad explained. "We had already known that the Kraang were after April for her special abilities. None of us knew she was psychic at the time. In fact, she didn't know. Well, one day, April calls me while my brothers and I were trying to stop the Kraang from experimenting with their mutagen in our water. She told me that Karai was chasing her. She had just started learning how to be a kunoichi, and I knew she couldn't take care of herself against Karai."
"I thought Karai was Leo's wife," Cornelius said with confusion.
"Eventually, Karai turned over a new leaf," Dad replied. "But anyway, April managed to knock Karai out using a distraction. Leo and Splinter decided she would live with us until the threats from the Kraang and Shredder were gone. The second time we had to live under the same roof was when the Kraang successfully invaded the planet and we were forced to relocate to the farmhouse."
"I think I understand what you were saying," Wilbur said with a smile. "But did you know April was going to be your wife?"
"Nope! In fact, Casey and I spent quite a bit of time competing against each other on who would win April's heart."
My dad paused, putting on a smile.
"But I think she decided that herself."
"But back to the point at hand," I finally chimed in. "I'd love to have Karena over. I've always seen her as the sister I never had, so living with a sister would be nice."
"I am the most comfortable with you right now anyway," Karena replied. "If you really are psychic, maybe you can help me get my memories back."
"No promises, but I can try."
"Karena, have you remembered anything at all since you were discharged from the hospital?" Dad asked.
"Yes, actually," Karena answered with a big smile on her face. "I remembered everything that happened right before I woke up in the hospital. I remembered coming home to my apartment being broken into, and then I saw the robot. I even remembered everything I saw while being under the control of that hat."
Karena paused to glance at me with a smile on her face.
"I have to thank Lily for all of this. I don't know what I would have done without her."
"You're welcome, Karena," I replied, returning the smile.
"And I actually remember you, Donnie," Karena continued, her smile getting bigger. "We met when you were a teenager, and then you came back into my life over two years ago as my college professor, and the father figure I never imagined."
"Fantastic!" Dad replied with a big grin.
"Oh, sure!" Wilbur remarked with sass. "Karena remembers the Hamatos but not the Robinsons."
"Donatello, Lilianna, why don't you stay for dinner tonight?" Cornelius offered. "Maybe it will help Karena remember who we are."
"Why don't you bring April over too, Don?" Wilbur suggested. "You can propose your idea to her then."
"I like that idea," Dad replied. "I'll give her a call."
APRIL'S POV
I emerged from the interdimensional portal and met up with my family in Cornelius's lab. Once my husband saw me, he ran to me. We hugged and kissed each other.
"How's Lily doing?" I asked.
"See for yourself," Donnie answered with a frown on his face.
I turned to see our daughter hobbling over to us on crutches. Her left foot was wrapped in a white cast with her three toes showing.
"Hey, Mom," Lily greeted me with a small smile.
"Hey, sweetie. Are you doing okay?"
"I could be better," Lily answered, this time with a frown. "I can't cheer anymore until fall. At least I can still do the musical. And besides, my hands are tied with helping Karena restore her memories."
"What happened to Karena?" I asked with a puzzled look.
"Karena was mind-controlled by a bowler hat," Donnie explained. "When Lily tried to help her, she kicked Karena in the helmet, accidentally giving Karena amnesia and herself a broken foot."
"So Karena remembers... nothing?"
"At first, yes. But thankfully, she's gotten her most recent memories back. She remembers what happened before she got mind-controlled, and she remembers me and Lily fully."
"Well, that's good news. So why do you need me here?"
"We have a game plan for the three of us plus Karena," Donnie continued to explain. "Plus, it may help Karena to recognize the Robinsons."
"Well, if that's the case, why don't we have the rest of our family come too?" I suggested.
"I don't think that's a good idea, Mom," Lily answered. "The Robinson family is a huge family. And our family, twelve people, is a lot, too."
"There's thirteen members of the Robinson family," Donnie chimed in. "I have to agree with Lily on this one. We can have Karena reunite with our family another time."
"Alright, then let's do this," I replied with a determined smirk. "Let's help Karena restore her memories."
The three of us went out of the lab. Donnie and I followed Lily all the way around the living room to the dining room.
"Look, everyone!" Cornelius announced happily. "It's the Hamatos!"
"Well, three of them," Wilbur said with a smirk.
"We saved you three a seat," Franny said with a smile on her face, guiding us to our chairs.
"Thank you, Franny," I replied, returning the smile.
"Dinner is now served!" Carl announced.
The smaller versions of Carl brought our dinners to each of us. Today, we had meatloaf with mashed potatoes and broccoli.
"Alright, everyone, let's have all of us re-introduce ourselves to Karena," Franny suggested. "And April, since you haven't seen Karena in a while, we'll let you go first. From what I have been told, Karena now remembers Donnie and Lily."
"Awesome," I replied, standing up and facing Karena. "I'm April Hamato, Donnie's wife. Or you may remember me as April O'Neil. I am not sure if you remember this yet, but I have also lost my mother at a very young age."
Karena pondered this information, and then her green eyes lit up.
"I remember you!" she yelled happily. "We also met when you were a teenager. In fact, I think you had made a big difference in my life, helping me to cope with the loss of my mother."
Karena smiled fondly, putting both hands over her chest.
"Thank you, April, not just for guiding me through grief back then, but also for giving me more of my memories back."
The entire Robinson family clapped.
"There's hope yet!" Donnie said happily.
"I'll go next," Franny announced. "I'm Franny, Wilbur's mom. Our first memory together was when you had shown up with a ripped sweater and ripped jeans. I had given you one of my dresses to wear to dinner that night in 2037. You, along with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, helped us fight a dinosaur to help a teenage version of Cornelius escape."
"You still have that dress, I believe," Wilbur chimed in.
Karena looked down to see herself in her solid purple dress.
"I'm sorry, Franny, I wish I remember, but I don't."
"We can take another look at your closet later, Karena," Lily assured her. "Who's next?"
"I'm Cornelius, Wilbur's dad. You had helped me learn from my mistakes and learn to be a better father for Wilbur. I don't think I have ever thanked you, but I want to thank you now."
Karena nodded as Wilbur's grandfather stood up and Cornelius sat down.
"I'm Grandpa Bud."
"I remember you!" Karena said happily. "You always wear your clothes on backwards despite you saying your head is on backwards!"
We all laughed at that. Bud smiled fondly at Karena as he sat down and his wife stood up.
"I'm Wilbur's grandma, Lucille."
"And you... with the pink hair," Karena continued on. "You love to dance while baking cookies."
Lucille sat down, and next came Cornelius' cousins.
"I'm Tallulah. I have designed all but one of your dresses. You often call me Tallie, and you have made me your maid of honor for your upcoming wedding!"
"Tallie!" Karena squealed.
She got up from her chair, ran around, and hugged Tallulah.
"You're one of my best friends!" Karena said happily. "And you've always got something up your sleeve."
"And I'm Laszlo," Tallulah's brother said with a smile. "I'll never forget the time when we had a little contest against each other to determine who had the best paintings."
Karena shrugged.
"Those paintings are hanging at Robinson Industries if you'd like to visit," Cornelius offered. "They may help jog your memory."
Karena, Tallulah, and Laszlo returned to their seats, and Gaston and Art stood up.
"I'm Gaston, and I'm the one who started the meatball battle against Franny in 2037."
"I very vaguely remember you," Karena replied. "Are you also the one with all the pizza deliveries?"
"That'll be me," Art answered. "I'm Art. I'm an intergalactic pizza delivery man."
"That's right! I remember now. When you're not delivering pizzas or shooting yourself out of a cannon, you make some of the most amazing pizzas together."
"Just don't tell Mikey that," I chimed in with a chuckle. "His pizzas are just as good."
Art and Gaston sat down, and next to stand was Wilbur's great-aunt.
"I'm Billie, and this is Joe. I'm the one with the big toy train in the living room."
"Ah, yes!" Karena replied. "I remember your train going all over the city. And what does Joe do?"
"He just spends his time exercising."
"That would explain why I don't remember him as much."
Billie sat down, and Wilbur's other great-uncle stood up.
"I'm Uncle Fritz," he started in a normal voice, and then he held up his puppet and started to speak differently. "And I'm Aunt Petunia."
"Right!" Karena replied enthusiastically. "I remember you both! Fritz, you always carry Petunia with you wherever you go."
"Wilbur, would you like to try again?" Franny asked with encouragement in her voice.
Wilbur stood up with his fingers crossed.
"I'm sure you've remembered my name, Karr."
"Wilbur, right?" Karena asked.
"Very good," he replied with a smile. "Now, what do you remember about me?"
Karena pondered for a long time until she shook her head.
"I wish I remembered something about you, Wilbur, but I don't."
"Oh no," I said with sadness.
"Wilbur, can you give me one hint about you?" Karena asked.
"Well, I'm not just a friend," he answered. "We're engaged to be married."
Karena spit out her drink.
"We are getting married?" she asked with laughter. "But you're just a kid!"
Wilbur's face turned red, and he looked like he was about to burst.
"Excuse me."
Wilbur ran out of the dining room.
"I'll go see what's wrong with him," Lily said.
I watched her grabbing her crutches and she followed Wilbur out of the dining room.
"Wait, he wasn't joking?" Karena asked.
The entire family shook their heads.
"Oh dear."
Karena shook her head.
"I feel terrible. I just wish I remember how we got engaged."
"You're wearing an engagement ring right now," Franny told her. "Not even that brings back a memory?"
"I'm afraid not," Karena answered, looking down at her ring. "The ring is beautiful though. Wilbur got this for me?"
"With my help, yes," Cornelius answered. "Wilbur's been wanting to marry you since you met four years ago."
"We've known each other for four years? Now I feel really bad. I should follow him."
"Wait," Donnie chimed in. "Let's see what Lily can do first."
LILIANNA'S POV
The first place I imagined Wilbur to go was his bedroom. Unfortunately for me, it meant hobbling all the way there through the living room on my crutches. When I eventually got there, I knocked on the door. I immediately sensed his presence there.
"Wilbur, it's me, Lily. May I come in?"
Wilbur opened the door. To my surprise, he was already dressed in his navy blue pajamas.
"Bedtime already, huh?" I asked.
"Lily, you shouldn't be here right now," Wilbur replied, his face red and puffy with tears.
"I shouldn't. But I want to be. I want to help you. May I?"
Wilbur gestured me in, and once I was in the room, he closed the door.
"How can you possibly help me?" Wilbur asked. "You heard what Karena said."
"Wilbur, this isn't the Karena you know, and you know that."
I tried sitting down on the cushions.
"Nuh-uh-uh!" Wilbur yelled, pointing a finger at me. "I don't want you hurting yourself any more than you already are. I will grab a chair from the hall."
I stood and waited for Wilbur to come back with a green chair. It did not take him long. I sat on the chair and he sat on the cushion.
"Lily, I'm sorry I snapped at you," he told me with his hands clasped together. "But what she said really hurt."
"Wilbur, she didn't mean to hurt you," I replied with an assuring smile. "She just doesn't remember your relationship."
"Yet she remembers everyone else?"
"Keep in mind, Wilbur, that she didn't remember your dad, nor Uncle Joe, nor Laszlo. You're not the only one."
"I'm very surprised she doesn't remember my dad," Wilbur replied before letting out a sigh. "Lily, what if Karena doesn't remember us, and if we try to help her, what if it was all for nothing?"
"It's never for nothing when you love with no return," I sung sweetly. "It's never for nothing. Light your candle in the darkness, 'cause it's never for nothing."
"Cute, Lily," Wilbur replied with a flat affect. "Naturally you break into song.
"Let me try again."
I paused, preparing myself to sing.
"Your friends say you're the fool for loving with nothing to gain. They can't see the reward that you'll claim. So hold on to the holy promise that says, no labor of love is in vain! Precious tears are changed to jewels in the rain."
"So you're telling me to... pretty much keep moving forward and don't give up on Karena?"
I excitedly pointed a finger at him.
"That's it!"
We heard knocking.
"Wilbur, Lily, it's Donnie and Karena. May we come in?"
"Sure!" Wilbur yelled back.
I turned towards the door as my dad and Karena entered the room.
"Wilbur, I want to say I'm sorry for laughing at you," Karena said solemnly. "I didn't think you were serious. I just... wish I could at least remember that you are my fiancé."
Karena sighed, taking a seat next to Wilbur on the cushions. My dad put his hands on the chair behind me.
"Could you at least tell me how we met?" Karena asked.
"You, Donatello, and his brothers Leonardo and Raphael were looking for their brother Michelangelo," Wilbur explained. "I was looking for my dad's past self, who was called Lewis back then. We ran into each other. We introduced each other, and we compromised on helping each other find our missing persons. But the memory that will always stand out to me, Karr, is when you comforted me when I felt like giving up. I had just gotten in trouble with my family for lying to them about Lewis and breaking one of the time machines. I had told you everything, and you still trusted me, even told me I was doing the right thing by correcting my mistakes."
Wilbur let out a sigh.
"You taught me to keep moving forward when I needed it the most. We may need to go to the past a little bit to get your memories back, but I need you to keep moving forward too, for me."
"And Karena, you are never alone," Dad told her with a smile. "You are part of two families here. You're engaged to marry into the wonderful Robinson family. And ever since you've come back into my life, we have developed this relationship I never thought we would have. I look at you like you are one of my daughters. I am very much looking forward to the day I will walk you down the aisle and pursue your dreams of being Todayland High School's music teacher. In fact, how would you like to come to your temporary home with me, Lily, and April? You and Lily will sleep in the same bedroom, maybe even the same bed. Lily sees you as her sister, and I think you are going to enjoy it with us. What do you say?"
Karena shot up out of the cushions, ran to my dad, and hugged him. My dad hugged her back.
"Thank you, Donnie!"
"You're welcome. I guess we'll be going. Lily, is my car here?"
"Yes, Dad, it is."
"Good. I'll text April to meet us in the garage."
Shortly after my mom met the three of us in the garage, we took off in my dad's rented car. We drove to that building that is now very recognizable to me as our first home in Todayland. Our apartment was to be on the very top floor this time, and with that came quite the view of the city.
"So we're going to be living here for now?" Mom asked.
"Yes, until Lily's foot heals," Dad answered. "Karena's only going to stay here until she gets her memories back and her apartment is able to be lived in again. Is that okay with you?"
"Yeah, it's fine, but what about the food that's in the fridge?"
"You do have the portal, April. You can always go back to the house if you need something."
"That is true."
I found Karena gazing out from the balcony with her beige coat on. I hobbled over to her, admiring the view.
"I never thought Cornelius would rent us a penthouse apartment," I said in awe.
"From what it sounds, Cornelius is a kind man," Karena replied before turning towards me. "Lily, be honest with me. Will I ever get my memories back?"
"Of course you will, Karena," I answered with assurance. "I mean, look at you! You remembered me and my dad first thing this morning after we discharged from the hospital. Tonight, you remembered most of the Robinson family. I'm confident the rest will come back to you in some form or another, even if it's through my intervention."
I felt my dad walking towards us.
"Hey, Dad, where's our room going to be?" I asked.
"Actually, we discovered a third bedroom. Mom and I have already decided which room will be ours. I'll let you two decide this on your own."
"So, are there any rules we need to follow regarding bedtime?"
"Lily, I'm not worried about you at all," Dad assured me with a smile. "You can't do much on crutches. And Karena, you're an adult. I imagine you'll be on your best behavior. I only expect you to be home safe every night."
"That won't be a problem," Karena replied. "But, um, what will I be doing tomorrow?"
"You work at Denny's," I reminded her. "You're the assistant manager there."
"What does that mean?"
"You pretty much overlook the restaurant to make sure things are running smoothly," I explained. "There's the hostess, the face of the restaurant that guides a family to their table. You got your waitresses taking their orders and brings out the food and drinks. Your cooks, obviously, cook the food. You just help wherever it is needed. Your schedule should be on your phone."
Karena turned on her phone and glanced at it. She put a frown on her face.
"It says I have to be there at seven in the morning."
"I'll make sure you're awake," Dad replied. "I'm usually up early with a pot of coffee ready to go."
"Thank you, Donnie."
Karena and I picked our rooms and changed into our nightgowns for the night. After I hobbled myself on to the bed, Karena walked in and joined me, sitting on the bed next to my right leg.
"You know, Lily, I'm not sure if my memory is correct," Karena started to say. "But I don't think I've ever had a sister before. I've always wanted a sister."
"Your memory is correct," I replied. "Your mother died before she could have any more children."
I let out a sigh.
"I remember seeing my dad's face when my mom told him she was pregnant again. He lit up as if it was the Fourth of July. The pregnancy had gone smoothly so far."
I paused, letting out a chuckle.
"Heck, I even remember my mom's belly getting bigger. And then one day, my mom clutched her belly in pain and fell to the ground. I called my dad for help. He told me to get into bed when he saw blood on the ground. He came into my room the next morning and told me that my baby brother had died."
Karena frowned at my story.
"Lily, I'm so sorry. That's awful."
I smiled.
"But I also remember what my parents did after Yoshi was buried with my grandfather Splinter. Before dinner, both of my parents picked me up, held me in their arms, and gave me lots of kisses. My dad told me that I was their little ray of sunshine and to never let my light die if anything bad were to happen. My mom told me that I was her moon and stars, and then they both told me, at the same time, that I was their world to love."
I saw a big smile on Karena's face.
"Donnie and April sound like wonderful parents. Maybe that's why I get this... feeling that Donnie is like my dad."
"They truly are amazing parents," I replied. "I wouldn't trade them for anything in the world. And yes, my dad does see you as his second daughter, even if you are older than me by five years."
Karena inched closer to me.
"Lily, I'm not from here, am I? Wilbur mentioned something about my meeting him when Donnie was a teenager."
"You were born in 1995," I explained. "You're from Los Angeles, California. Your mother was a singer who sacrificed life on the stage to be with your dad and start a family. When you were born, she was a music teacher. She died when you were seven because of a drunk-driving accident. Your life had not been the same since. You hadn't really begun to heal until you met my parents, and through my mom, you started to heal. When you and my parents visited the future in 2037, you met Wilbur and you saw Todayland. You felt something you hadn't felt in a long time: hope. It was because of that you decided to move to the future to start your own life after graduating high school in 2013. But Cornelius was able to convince everyone that you were born in Los Angeles in 2019. He's provided you with many apartments, because someone always had a grudge against you or Wilbur and kept destroying your apartment."
I paused, my smile getting bigger.
"Actually, I should thank you. Had you not moved to the future, my parents wouldn't have gotten married. And if my parents hadn't marry each other, I wouldn't be here helping you."
Karena pondered everything I told her, and then she put a determined look on her face.
"I know this is a huge favor to ask of you, but... could you read my journal to me?"
My smile turned into a look of shock.
"You want me to read your journal?" I asked with a surprised voice. "Don't get me wrong, I'm flattered, but are you sure this is what you want?"
"You've helped me the most so far," Karena answered. "And I want my memories back. Only you can help me out here. Will you do it, for me?"
I gave her a smirk.
"Is there anything juicy about me in there?" I asked.
"I guess we'll find out," Karena replied with laughter.
I opened Karena's green journal to the first page, which was dated September 29, 2040. I had read the first two paragraphs out loud to her, which talked about Karena's time as a student teacher at Todayland High School as well as a small description of Wilbur being nominated for homecoming king. The next paragraph, to my surprise, talked about me. My heart melted after every sentence Karena had written about me.
"When I first met her, she was a scared little swan who was taken away from her family and just learning about her newfound psychic powers," I read out loud. "Now, after successfully completing her vision quest and overcoming her fears, Lily is bold like the sun and calm like the dove. She has an inner strength like no other. Donatello and April have raised her extremely well and are the parents only Wilbur and I could dream of."
I paused, tears coming to my eyes.
"Aww, Karena! Come here."
Karena inched even closer as I pulled her into a hug. My tears fell onto her right shoulder.
"Are you alright, Lily? Can I help in some sort of way?"
"You already have, Karena," I answered. "I'm just..."
I let out a sigh.
"With this broken foot, I felt hopeless. I cried at the thought of not cheering."
"Hey, when a bird breaks its wing, the wing heals and the bird flies with an even bigger strength than before," Karena said. "Sometimes, you just need to have a little reset. You gotta fall before getting up. You gotta practice something to get stronger at it."
I smiled.
"That actually sounds like something my cousin Athena would say," I replied. "I think I needed this more than I realized."
"From what I've written, you've never given up. You can get through this, Lily. I know you can."
"Thanks, Karena. Shall I keep going?"
"Oh! Yes, please."
I continued reading the journal to her until it was well past midnight. We ended up falling asleep on the same bed with the bed lamp on.
January 25, 2041 - New York City, New York, USA
DONATELLO'S POV
"So what are we doing here?" Karena asked as we emerged from the portal.
"We are going to re-introduce you to my family," I explained with a smile. "You have done an amazing job getting your memories back so far."
"I'm still mentally laughing at the fact that Wilbur and I are engaged to be married."
Wilbur, who had joined us tonight, frowned at the thought.
"Yeah, that's the only place where we hit a snag," Lily replied, biting her lip. "But don't worry. Before you know it, you'll be excited about getting ready for your wedding."
"Lily's right," I said with a confident grin. "If you've gotten most of your memories back after a week, then I'm confident the memories of you and Wilbur will return too."
"Donnie, hi!" Leo greeted us from the dojo. "Karena, Wilbur, it's very nice to see you."
"It's nice to see you too, Leo," Wilbur replied.
"You're a turtle, too?" Karena asked nervously.
"Still working on those memories, huh?"
"Yeah, but she's gotten better!" I replied.
"I think I have an idea," Leo said with a smile. "Everyone, let's gather in the dojo. It's time for some sparring."
"What is sparring?" Karena whispered in my ear.
"Fighting each other," I answered. "Though it's more like we're practicing on each other."
"I don't know how to fight!" Karena panicked.
"Karena, please calm down," I assured her. "You know how to fight. You just need to watch."
We followed the rest of the family into the dojo.
"Let's start with our katas," Leo announced. "Donnie, I'd like you paired up with Karena, just like the first time."
"You got it!"
"Hajime!"
Karena, just like she did over two years ago, stood there with uncertainty. I started my katas out, and I yelled them out with a smile on my face to encourage her. Karena slowly started to join me in my katas, and towards the end, she was confidently shouting the katas back at me.
"Yame!" Leo shouted, and then he smiled. "Very good. Today, we are going to help Karena remember who we are."
"What do you mean, Leonardo?" Mona Lisa asked.
"Karena was in an accident which caused her to have amnesia," Leo explained. "She's gotten most of her memories back from being exposed to her life and her future family already. It's our turn now. We will each spar with Karena one-on-one, and we will start with the youngest. Athena, you may go first."
Athena, wearing a teal mask over her brown eyes, armed herself with her yuma, the bow and arrow. Her blonde hair flowed freely as she prepared herself to shoot at Karena.
"Karena, I want you to focus on evading Athena's arrows," Leo told her. "But I also want you to concentrate hard and try to remember one thing that stands out to you about your opponent."
"Okay."
"Hajime!"
KARENA'S POV
I stood in the middle of the dojo, but quickly had to move out of the way before Athena's arrows pierced my skull. To my surprise, I was adapting very quickly to the movement, as if I had done this before. This entire time, I had focused on Athena's appearance. Then everything about her suddenly came back to me.
"Athena, you're Belle!" I yelled out as I evaded another arrow. "You're Lily's cousin who loves to cook food."
"Yame!" Leo shouted.
Athena stopped firing the arrows, and she had a big smile on her face. She ran towards me and gave me a hug.
"You were amazing!" Athena complimented me with excitement. "Let's see how well you do against Venus."
I watched as a young creature, possibly a mix between a turtle and a newt, stood up and walked to the opposite side of the room, taking out a pair of tonged weapons. She wore a baby blue mask over her green eyes.
"Hajime!" Leo yelled.
This time, the creature charged at me.
"Karena, catch!" Donnie yelled, throwing a stick my way.
I easily caught the stick, but I couldn't decide whether to block this creature's blows or dodge out of the way. I ended up doing both.
"Come on, Karena, think!" this creature, a girl, yelled at me. "My name is Venus de Milo Hamato. I'm the daughter of Raphael and Mona Lisa."
I gasped, somehow remembering who my mother and father were.
"I'm Karena Edwards, the daughter of Jonathan and Evelyn Edwards!" I shouted as I started blocking Venus's moves. "My mother is dead! My dad is stuck in the year 2013 because I moved to the future!"
"Well, technically, he's here in this world," Donnie chimed in. "But he's much older now."
"Not the time, Donnie!" I yelled.
I gasped, another memory coming back to me as I pushed Venus away with the stick.
"Venus, you have a greenhouse here! I even remember all of us deciding you were going to do flowers for the wedding!"
"Yame!"
Venus and I froze in place.
"Impressive," Venus complimented me with a smirk. "You somehow remembered something about your parents, too."
"You were impressive also, Venus," Leo complimented her. "Your heritage helped Karena remember hers. You have done much better at keeping your anger in check. Remember that anger is a weapon to be used against your enemy when you head into your vision quest in the spring."
"Hai, sensei," Venus replied.
"I guess it's my turn," a smaller male turtle said, standing up and taking Venus's place.
I watched him take his position. This time, he had a spear in his hand. My green eyes were locked onto his brown ones.
"Hajime!"
The turtle, wearing a black mask, charged, trying to thrust his spear into me, but I blocked it with the wooden stick.
"And what is your name?" I asked.
"I'm Ryan, the son of Leonardo and Karai."
I gasped as I dodged out of the way of Ryan's spear.
"I remember how your name came to be," I yelled. "Karai had called your father Reonarudo when he proposed to her. That was his name in Japanese."
I gasped again.
"You're one of Wilbur's friends! You two had attended a concert recently while I spent the night here with the girls."
"Yame!"
Ryan and I bowed to each other.
"I'm very surprised you remembered my dad's Japanese name," Ryan told me with a smile. "I take it Lily is next?"
"Actually, my son, it is Uncle Michelangelo's turn. Karena already knows Lily and Wilbur very well."
This turtle, wearing an orange mask, did some amazing tricks with... I wanted to say they were nunchucks.
"Hajime!"
Michelangelo charged at me, and he was just as tough as Venus. I had trouble blocking his moves.
"Come on, Karena, think!" Michelangelo yelled at me. "What can you remember about me?"
An image of a cat made of ice cream first came to mind, and then an image of pizza appeared.
"You like ice cream cats and pizza?" I guessed.
"Ding, ding, ding! I have a pet whom I call Ice Cream Kitty in the freezer. And I have my own pizzeria."
"I remember now!" I said excitedly while dodging his nunchucks, and then I gasped. "Mikey! I remember your nickname!"
"Yame!"
"Yay, Karena!" Mikey cheered. "Donnie, you're up."
"Actually, Mikey, it's Raph's turn," Donnie corrected him.
"Donatello is correct," Leo replied. "Karena fondly remembers him. It is Raphael's turn."
This turtle, wearing a red mask, also had tonged weapons. It took me a second to realize I was about to fight Venus's father.
"Hajime!"
"I'm going to try to go easy on you, Karena," Raphael said with a smile. "Just do me a favor and remember one thing about me."
"Well, Venus revealed that you are her father," I replied. "So I can't use that."
I charged at him, and he deflected my moves. Raphael was definitely the strongest of the group. Somehow, I remembered him being in Todayland.
"You were in Todayland for something," I said, grunting as I defended myself. "Let me think of why."
"I can give you a hint, if you'd like," Raphael replied.
"Oh, come on, Karena, don't fall for it," Mikey shouted from the sidelines. "He's not usually this nice."
"I don't like taking advantage of a girl who doesn't know what she's doing," Raphael shot back.
I gasped, remembering how he didn't like working with Chief McDimples.
"You were in Todayland to help Donnie investigate the parasitica virus!" I shouted. "You shared a dislike of Giggle McDimples and you helped Donnie interrogate my boyfriend!"
"Yame!"
When Raph and I stopped fighting, I saw Wilbur wince.
"What do I do for a living?" Raph asked.
"You're a detective with the New York Police."
"Very good!"
"Well, at least Karena remembers that we're more than friends now," Wilbur said.
"It looks like it's my turn," Leo said, drawing one of his swords. "Now, Karena, I know we have been recently reacquainted. I want you to think about one thing: how we met. Hajime!"
Leo's sword looked sharp, so I had to be careful when defending myself. His sword could easily dismantle the stick. I tossed the stick back to Donnie and continued to fight with my fists.
"That was a bold move!" Leo said with surprise in his voice. "What do you remember so far?"
"I don't know!" I shouted, but then I gasped: another memory came back. "You and Karai came to free me from my chains at Theodore Roosevelt High School in L.A.! I remember being scared of Karai because... she was a snake?"
"Very good!" Leo grunted with a grin. "Now take your mind back farther. It was February of 2013."
Leo and I continued to spar against each other. It wasn't until I was able to kick the sword out of his hands that I realized my very first memory of the Turtles came back to me.
"I met you all through a television remote the Magician had made, transporting me here. I had accompanied Donnie and April to Dr. Rockwell's lab to solve the mystery of his mutation into a psychic monkey."
Instead of striking me, Leo bowed. I bowed in return.
"Well done, Karena. Let's see how many more memories we can relocate. Renet, you're up next."
This time, a woman stood across from me, carrying the most interesting type of staff I had ever seen. She wore blue armor, and her blonde hair was braided up in a crown.
"Are you ready to get your butt whooped, Karena?" the woman asked me.
"In another lifetime, Renet," I answered back with confidence.
"Hajime!"
"Renet!" I yelled. "Wait, stop fighting a moment! You're a teacher with the TIME agency! You work just down the street from April. And I remember how encouraging you are to Athena as her mother."
Leo had a startled look on his face, as did Renet.
"I also remember our first spar session together," I said with a smirk. "And I remember that it was I who whooped your butt."
"That you did," Renet replied with a smile. "You're getting the hang of this!"
"You have done amazing so far," Leo said, putting a smile back on his face. "Karai?"
This woman, this time with short black hair with blonde streaks in it, approached me, but not before taking Ryan's spear.
"Hajime!"
Karai charged towards me, and I dodged her spear.
"I'm very surprised you remember me as a snake, Karena," Karai said with a smirk. "But let's see what else you can remember!"
Karai and I continued to spar against each other. Karai was very aggressive, however, so it did not give me much time to remember anything. Then, Karai flinched away, and I noticed the source of pain here: a sapphire necklace with my initial on it. I gasped. Another memory had come back.
"You gave me this necklace for my birthday last year," I yelled as I continued to dodge her spear. "You and Shinigami had bought it together."
"Yame!"
Karai and I bowed to each other.
"April, are you confident that Karena knows about you?" Leo asked.
"Yes, Karena remembered me because we both lost our mothers," April answered.
"Then, Karena, you will be matched with the oldest member of our family: Mona Lisa."
This time, it was a giant salamander wearing a pink bandana around her neck getting ready to fight me. To my relief, her only weapons were her fists.
"You are a different kind of woman!" I said with amazement. "I can see where Venus got her looks."
"It's my pleasure to battle with you, Karena," Mona Lisa replied with a smile. "Let's see what you got. Remember to focus."
Mona Lisa charged at me. This fight felt really easy. I easily evaded her punches, her kicks, and her long tail. The more we fought, the more I remembered how I had met her.
"When we first met, you were talking about your origins," I said with panted breath. "You were from the planet Salamandria, and you met Raph when the Turtles went to space to save their planet. You talked about being the fiercest warrior on the planet, and then your love for Raphael prompted you to remain on Earth to protect her."
"Yame!"
Mona Lisa and I stopped fighting, and we shook hands.
"It looks like you remembered how to fight too," Mona complimented me. "Well done."
"Yes, I agree," Leo chimed in. "How are you feeling, Karena?"
"Well, I called Wilbur my boyfriend earlier today, and I'm confident that he's my boyfriend, so at least some of our relationship has been recovered."
"I will definitely take that over being laughed at," Wilbur replied.
"Donnie, what do you think?" Leo asked.
"Karena looks like she's one step closer to remembering everything," Donnie answered with a grin on his face.
"Thank you, everyone, for helping me remember," I said with a big smile on my face. "This has been fun."
"I had fun too," Ryan replied. "Especially because I did not have to face one of my cousins. Facing someone much older than me is a nice change of pace."
"I definitely want to come back here if I ever feel the need to clear my mind," I replied with confidence.
"We can certainly arrange that," Leo said, returning the smile. "In fact, I want to invite you to Wilbur's initiation into the Hamato Clan in May."
"I'd love to go," I replied.
"Thank you, Karena," Wilbur said, putting his hands over his heart.
We continued to chat excitedly about my memories coming back, and I actually had an amazing time with the Turtles and their family in New York City.