Hello ten-thousand word chapter! Lily's birth chapter was that long and I chose to break it in half, but I won't do that this time. So we are on Lily's vision quest today. Enjoy! Oh, and also wrote a one-shot of Donatello & April's friendship called "Never for Nothing." Please go check it out!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything related to "TMNT" nor "Meet the Robinsons." I only own Karena, Lilianna, Ryan, Venus, and Athena. I also do not own Annie Lennox's "Into the West."


December 25, 2038 – New York City, New York, USA

KARENA'S POV

"Karena, wake up! Wake up!"

I felt bouncing on my bed. I stirred myself awake to discover that the daughters of the Turtles: Lilianna, Venus, and Athena were having the time of their lives waking me up.

"Merry Christmas!" Athena yelled excitedly.

"What the fudge, girls?" I mumbled sleepily. "Why don't you all bother your parents?"

"Well, my dad is awake already," Lily answered with sass in her voice.

"My dad just got home," Venus chimed in.

"Wait, Raph just now got home?" I asked with surprise. "I thought he works day shift."

"Nah, Dad always works on Christmas Eve," Venus explained. "He gets holiday pay for working and covering the cops who take Christmas off."

"Well, Athena, what about your dad?" I asked.

"I already tried," Athena answered with a flat expression. "His exact words were: Not now, Athena. Wake me up in five minutes."

"Now that is surprising," I replied, more awake than I was two minutes ago. "I had always pictured Mikey being the most excited about Christmas morning."

"He was the most excited," Lily said, still with her sassy voice. "I remember Dad telling me that once Athena came, Uncle Mikey was too exhausted to be excited for Christmas."

"So which one of you is the most excited for Christmas?" I asked.

"This year, I am," Lily answered. "After being kidnapped and spending two months in a new city, I have never been more excited to spend Christmas with my family back home."

"Is the sleepyhead awake yet?" I heard Donnie asking outside the door.

"Very funny, Donnie!" I yelled.

I got off the bed and opened the door to see a grinning Donatello standing there.

"You planned this, didn't you?" I asked, smirking at him.

"Merry Christmas, Karena!" Donnie replied in a singsong voice. "All fun and games aside, I was working in my lab when Lily tried to wake me up."

"Only to find you were already awake."

"Yep, so I suggested she wake you up."

"Is that what parenthood is like?" I asked.

"Oh yeah! For the kids, all the excitement started when Lily was three and understood what Christmas meant. Ryan had turned three a week later, so he got excited too. Lily woke me and April up, and Ryan woke his parents up. I remember how furious Leo looked when he was woken up."

The five of us laughed together at the memory.

"Raph had the exact same reaction Leo did a year later. And I remember Leo's exact words too: Now, now, Raphael. It's Christmas. Let Venus be excited about it."

"So what's the plan, Donnie?" I asked.

"Well, we're going to let Raph sleep in for a bit since he just got home from work. Then we'll do a sparring tournament, kind of like what we did last week."

"But everyone will be participating this time, right?" I asked.

"Yes," Lily chimed in. "Then Uncle Mikey will leave for his restaurant and make pizzas just for us. And sometimes if there is a homeless man or someone needing a meal, he'll make a small pizza for them free of charge."

"We have a period of reflection for Master Splinter," Donnie continued. "And then we'll celebrate our wedding anniversaries by dancing to the same songs we danced to at our weddings. Afterwards is the Christmas dinner, and then we all open presents. We've done this every year regardless of whether we celebrated Christmas here in the lair or at the farmhouse if one of us was expecting a baby. But we had all our children within three years and only had to celebrate Christmas at the farmhouse twice."

"It must have been crowded at the farmhouse during those years," I replied.

"Not really. If anything, it's more crowded down at the lair. Before April and Casey came into our lives, it was just the five of us: me, Leo, Raph, Mikey, and Splinter. April introduced Christmas to us after we first met her, and a year later, Casey joined us. We spent what may have been the worst Christmas celebration at the farmhouse in 2014 because Splinter was lost and Leo was unconscious. Our Christmas celebrations resumed the next year. And then, our celebrations changed again in 2017."

"Splinter was murdered earlier that year," I heard Leo chiming in. "But then later, Donnie and April got engaged and then they married Christmas Day. Mikey and Renet decided to make getting married on Christmas Day a tradition, so we had Christmas weddings four years in a row. The happy couple spent their Christmas week at the farmhouse, and the rest of us spent it here in the lair. The eight of us spent the next couple Christmases in the lair, doing what we're doing today."

"And then, April and I received the best news of our lives in September of the next year," Donnie said with a dreamy smile on his face. "We found out we were having a baby, so the Christmas celebration got moved to the farmhouse. We also spent next Christmas at the farmhouse because Karai was very pregnant with Ryan. We resumed our Christmas celebrations in the lair after both Venus and Athena came, because they were born a few months before, and we've been celebrating Christmas down here in the lair, the twelve of us, since then."

"I'm sorry for your loss," I finally spoke, remembering Splinter in high regard. "But despite that, your family grew."

"None of us thought we would get married and have children," Mikey finally chimed in, joining us in the lab. "When Donnie and April got married, that ceremony set forth windows of opportunities for us. Leo proposing in Japanese was enough to convince me that Renet was the one for me."

"Leo, what exactly did you say to Karai in your proposal?" I asked with curiosity.

"Donnie, would you do the honor of translating for me?" Leo asked with a grin.

"I'm all ears!"

"Karai, watashitachiha issho ni kanari no tabi o shite kimashita."

"Karai, we have had quite the journey together," Donnie translated for Leo.

"Watashitachiha jibun-tachi no shizoku de tagaini tatakatte imashita."

"We were fighting each other in our own clans."

"Shoshite, sensei wa anata o mitsukete, anata ga kare no ushinawareta musume no Miwadearu koto o ninshiki shimashita."

"And then Sensei found you and recognized you as his lost daughter Miwa."

"Anata wa jibun no joken de watashitachi ni modotte kimashita."

"You came back to us on your own terms."

"Soshite, anata wa mottomo utsukushi hebi ni hen'i shimashita."

"And then you mutated into the most beautiful serpent," Donnie translated while blushing.

"Watashi ga shuredda ni kansha suru yuiitsu no koto wa, anata ga ningen no sugata ni modoru no o tasukeru hoho o mitsukeru kotodesu."

"The only thing I will ever thank Shredder for is finding a way to help you change back into your human form," Donnie translated with confusion in his voice.

"Anata ga watashitachi ni modotte kite irai, watashi wa anata i motto koi ni ochimashita."

"Ever since you came back to us, I have fallen more in love with you."

"Anata ga watashitoisshoni toreningu suru hoho ga daisukidesu."

"I love the way you train with me."

"Anatanoegao ga daisukidesu."

"I love the way you smile."

"Watashi wa anata no meiyo to omoiyari no kankaku ga daisukidesu."

"I love your sense of honor and compassion."

"Soshite, watashitachi ga issho ni supa suru toki no anata no sasu ga daisukidesu."

"And I love your sass when we spar together."

I laughed.

"Anata no inai watashinojinsei wa sozo dekimasen."

"I cannot imagine my life without you in it, my love."

"Aishitemasu."

"I love you."

"Watashi wa hitomebore de anata o aishite imashita, kyo wa motto anata o aishiteimasu, soshite watashi wa shi ga watashi o ubau made itsumo anata o aishimasu."

"I have loved you at first sight, I love you more today, and I will always love you until death takes me."

"Miwakarai hamatooroku, kekkon shite kuremasen ka?"

"Miwa-Karai Hamato-Oroku, will you marry me?"

"That's gotta be a mouthful," I said with a laugh. "How did Karai respond?"

Leo smiled.

"Hamato Reonarudo, anata to kekkon dekite koeidesu."

"Hamato Leonardo, it would be my honor to marry you," Donnie translated with a smile just as big as Leo's.

Something immediately clicked in my mind.

"I think I understand why you named your son Ryan, Leo, and not just because of the character from Space Heroes," I said with a smile. "What's your name in Japanese, Leo?"

"Reonarudo. Karai learned it while recovering from her brain worm. It was Karai who suggested to give that name to our son. I told her Ryan was a similar name, and it stuck. Although Donnie enjoys teasing me for naming our son after Captain Ryan."

"I actually had no idea you had a Japanese name, Leo," Donnie replied, sheepishly looking down. "I am so sorry for teasing you after all these years."

"It's okay," Leo replied. "I guess I kind of earned it for being geeky about it for so long."

"You weren't just geeky," Donnie said, giving him a cheesy smile. "I remember your exact words before we went on our first patrol: Space Heroes is a great show and Captain Ryan is a great hero. Someday, I am gonna be just like him. You were always quoting him! And you were always coming up with the worst lines possible."

"Okay, this I gotta hear," I told the kids with a smirk on my face. "What lines, Donnie?"

"He'd always say something like, we're the Turtles of Justice! Or he'd call us the Mighty Mutants. Oh! And here's a good one: Prepare to dish out the mighty wrath of justice!"

"Ooh!" I exclaimed.

I cracked up laughing with everyone else. Leo stood there, blushing in embarrassment.

"I'm gonna wake up my wife," Leo mumbled.

Leonardo left the lab as we all continued laughing.

"Donnie, who got teased the most out of your brothers?"

"I think Leo and I tied for that one. Leo for being the leader and for loving Space Heroes so much. I got teased because of my crush on April. Thankfully, my being teased went down when April and I got more serious with our relationship, and so did Leo's once he became our sensei. But Leo still gets teased because of his love for Space Heroes."

"I'm sorry to break up the party, dudes," Mikey chimed in. "But I need to make breakfast."


Todayland, North Montana, USA

WILBUR'S POV

"So is there a reason why we're going to your shop on Christmas Day, Tallulah?" I asked as I followed my cousin-once-removed to her car.

"I want to show you Lily's surprise that you asked me to make," Tallulah answered with a grin. "Hop on in!"

"Oh, right! You got it done!"

"I had fun doing it," Tallulah replied. "Lily is going to love what you're about to see."

Tallulah almost got into the driver's seat when she paused.

"On second thought, why don't you drive? You need the hours, and I am old enough to watch you drive."

"That is true," I replied, pondering that thought. "Okay. Switch me."

I got into the driver's seat of Tallulah's teal flying car. Knowing that a flying car was just like driving the time machine, I took off, flying into the quiet city.

"You are a fast learner, Wilbur," Tallulah complimented me. "How did you learn to drive so quickly?"

"I am my father's son," I answered, smiling at her.

"Boy, is that the truth! Who taught you?"

"My dad. And then I… just kept taking the time machine, so I taught myself."

I bit my lip, hoping that I could trust Tallulah with my taking the time machine.

"What's going on, Wilbur? Are you okay?"

"You trust me, right?" I asked.

"Of course, I trust you, Wilbur! What kind of question is that?"

"Whew! Good. I was worried you were going to judge me for using the time machine, too."

"Wilbur, we all make mistakes at one time or another in our lives. And besides, you've more than proven that we can trust you. Otherwise, you wouldn't be driving at all."

"That's true."

We eventually reached downtown Todayland, and I parked Tallulah's car in front of her shop. I watched Tallulah unlocking the store, and we walked in. We walked straight past all of the clothing and into the back where her sewing machine and fabrics are. We passed the sewing area and into the biggest fitting room I had ever seen.

"Tallulah, you're not asking me to try on Lily's dress are you?" I asked with a raised eyebrow?"

"No! As much as I'd like to believe you two could be the same size, you'd be laughed right out of the park for wearing a dress. And besides, Lily's a woman. She has curves."

"Yeah, probably the most beautiful curves I have ever seen."

"Wilbur!" Tallulah exclaimed, letting out a scoff. "What about Karena?"

"Relax, Tallulah, I've already told Lily she is the sister I never had. Karena will always be first in my life."

"How is Karena doing anyway? Have you heard from her?"

"Yes. Not everyday, but she calls when she can. She's having a great time in New York. She's catching up with the Turtles and getting to know their wives and children."

"I think it is wonderful they were able to start their own families," Tallulah replied from a distance. "Okay, I think I've got it!"

I watched as Tallulah came out with something that looked like a ball gown.

"That looks like a prom dress, Tallulah! Not a dress for a winter ball."

"You've told me Lily's always wanted to go to a ball, so this is what she's getting. But what do you think?"

The dress truly was beautiful, and it was made just for Lilianna Hamato. It was a sleeveless gown that touched the floor. It was a white dress with a lavender sash and lavender decorations all around the skirt.

"It's beautiful, Tallulah," I answered. "Lily would love it. But by any chance, in case she has something else in mind, do you have extras of that lavender sash?"

"Yes. I have also set aside from fabric in case Lily wants to add sleeves to the dress."

"I think this will work! Thank you, Tallulah!"

"It's my pleasure! Oh! I have something else for Lily."

Tallulah led me back to the front of the store and to the accessories section. I watched her taking a small purse off the shelf.

"I was worried this wasn't going to sell," she said, admiring the simplicity of the purse with the lavender color. "But I think this will match Lily's dress perfectly. But the big question is… did you get the tickets?"

"No, not yet. That's going to be my first priority once school is back in session. I'm going to buy three of them and have Lily accompany me and Karena."

"I think that's a good idea. And besides, I know Lily will have a good time."

"I'll pay for the purse," I told her.

"No, no, this is going to be my Christmas gift to her," Tallulah insisted. "Let's go back to the house."

"Okay!"


New York City, New York, USA

LILIANNA'S POV

After Uncle Mikey made breakfast, we all took turns showing Karena how our family celebrated Christmas. We gathered around in the dojo and meditated into a deep trance… or at least as deep as we possibly could. I felt Splinter's presence in my mind, as did most of us. We meditated for about fifteen minutes before we realized someone had fallen asleep. We woke up, and we found Karena and Auntie Renet fast asleep. Uncle Mikey had more of his fun by throwing water balloons at them. Auntie Renet, being the angry wife she was when she got pranked, ran after her husband. Karena just shrugged and apologized for falling asleep. Uncle Leonardo was assuring, telling her that he and his brothers fell asleep very quickly at first.

Next, we had another sparring tournament, and we were again matched by age, which meant that I was paired against Ryan again. It had seemed that Ryan had learned his lesson from the week before, because for the first time ever, he defeated me in combat. Ryan was paired up with Athena, who had also beaten Venus for the first time. My dad had defeated Uncle Mikey and was paired against Uncle Raph after he defeated the sensei. Karena defeated Renet again, and then she faced my mom, who had beaten Auntie Karai. Auntie Mona had no opponent in the first two rounds, for she was the best in combat, even better than Uncle Raphael.

The next round of the tournament began. I watched with surprise as Athena took down Ryan. My dad, learning his lessons after all these years, and perhaps from watching me spar, won against Uncle Raph. My mom easily defeated Karena. So then Auntie Mona finally had an opponent, and she was to face my mom. Watching the match between Athena and my dad was very interesting. In fact, it was interesting to me to watch all of the matches going on. I felt relieved to get a break for a change. Athena and my dad were both agile and were excellent on defense. My dad deflected the arrows Athena shot, and when he charged, Athena used her bow to defend herself. Unsurprisingly, my dad ended up winning the match by finding Athena's weak spot on her body, using only his fingers to find a nerve. The match between my mom and Auntie Mona had proven to be fascinating also. Both were more on the offensive, but my mom eventually won using her own psychic powers, which took Karena very much by surprise.

"Now I know where Lily got her powers," I heard Karena say after the match. "From her mother. All the children seem to get their skills from their mothers. And I didn't even know April had psychic powers."

"That is not quite true," Uncle Leo replied. "The only one who learned from his mother more than his father is Ryan. Lily, Venus, and Athena inherited most of their skills from their fathers. Only Lily is a perfect blend of her parents. Speaking of which, it looks like it's Donnie against April."

"This is going to be fun to watch," Ryan said with a smirk.

"What do you think, honey?" Dad asked with his gap-toothed grin. "Should I take it easy on you?"

"Nah, then I'd defeat you in one second," Mom answered, returning the grin. "Give me all you got, sweetheart."

"Okay, but no powers for the first couple minutes."

"Deal!"

My parents first stared down at each other with grins on their faces. My dad posed with his bo staff behind him while my mom carried almost the exact same pose with her tessen. She eventually took out her tanto after some time. They yelled out their battle cries, and they dueled. My dad was the first to be on the offensive, thrusting his bo staff at her in all different kinds of angles.

"Donatello, fight without thinking!" Mom told him. "You think too much."

Then it was Mom's turn to be on the offensive. My dad knew the tessen would break his staff, so all he could do was move his body around, avoiding her tessen, her tanto, and her feet.

"Good job, Donnie!" Uncle Raph cheered him on.

"Come on, April!" Karena cheered for her.

We all cheered and took sides, clearly very entertained at the matchup between my parents. While fighting, all my parents could do was laugh. They were having fun.

"Is now the time for powers, D?" Mom asked.

"Let's see what you got!" Dad replied with his grin.

I watched Karena's reaction as my mom used her powers.

"You didn't know my mom had powers?" I asked my friend.

"No! She was just an ordinary girl when I knew her. You must have been born with your powers then."

"You know, after going through everything and the numerous times I have won sparring sessions, I think you may be right. That maybe I was born with them, but they didn't show until a few months ago."

"So was your mom born with them, or was she part of an accident?"

I bit my lip, unsure if Karena was ready for the truth about my mom. I read her mind, and she seemed ready.

"My mom is not entirely human," I explained. "She's part-Kraang."

"WHAT?!" Karena yelled, distracting everyone else for a moment before turning their eyes back on the match. "How is that possible?"

"My mom told me that the Kraang had experimented on her bloodline, starting from her great-grandfather when he built the farmhouse. The purpose of it was to perfect the mutagen they had carried over from Dimension X. My dad and uncles had thwarted their attempts to get my mother's DNA to perfect it, but it turned out that it was perfected anyway. While New York City turned into another Dimension X, my parents, uncles, and a family friend named Casey Jones fled into the farmhouse where I live now. My parents learned more about the Kraang this way, and they discovered how her mom truly died. Because my mom was part-Kraang, she somehow inherited psychic powers, so perhaps she was born with them, and I am born with them too."

I turned back to the match to see my mom pinning my dad down on the ground. The ladies and I cheered at my mom's victory. After my mom helped my dad up, they shared a kiss, and suddenly, a song started to play on someone's phone. I recognized it immediately: it was called Everything by Lifehouse, and it was the song my parents danced to on their wedding day.

"May I have this dance, Mrs. Hamato?" Dad asked with a kind smile.

"The honor is all mine, Dr. Hamato," Mom answered with a curtsy.

This year was different. Everyone decided to dance to this song. My uncles danced with their wives, and I watched Athena dancing with Venus in their own way. To my surprise, I watched Ryan walking up to me.

"Lily, would you like to dance?"

All I could do was give my cousin a smile, and he took my hand, leading me onto the dojo-turned-dance floor. I took a glance at Karena, who was very content at watching everyone else dance, and then my attention went to Ryan.

"You're a good dancer," I told my cousin.

"You are an amazing dancer," Ryan complimented me. "Did Uncle Donnie teach you?"

"Yes, he did. When I was little, Dad had always asked me to go on a date with him. He'd set up a picnic away from the barn. Mom always helped me get ready by putting a dress on me. Then, Dad would come get me, and we'd eat and play together outside. And sometimes, Dad would ask me to dance."

I laughed.

"What I remember the most about those dances is how Dad allowed me to step on his feet, and then some time after I stepped on his feet, he'd lift me up into the air with a big smile on his face. I'll never forget those moments."

"You and Uncle Donnie make quite a pair," Ryan replied. "Uncle Mikey and Athena are a dynamic duo and they do similar things as you and your dad. All Uncle Raph and Venus do with each other is spar in the dojo. Perhaps that's why Venus is the strongest of all of us… even stronger than me."

Ryan let out a sigh as the song transitioned to Lifehouse's You and Me.

"Lily, you can read minds. What is my best quality?"

I stared into his brown eyes, and I smiled at what I had found.

"Your best quality, Ryan, is loyalty, and that is strong in both Uncle Leo and Auntie Karai. You may act tough because you're a man, but deep down, you'd sacrifice yourself for family. You'd try your hardest to be with them no matter what. As far as spending time with me goes, this was a fantastic first step, and I'm happy you took it. I hope, after our argument last week, this will help us turn a new leaf."

"Me too. I really am sorry for being angry with you after all this time. I am jealous, but at the same time, if my dad does make you leader, I promise to listen to you no matter what. You have a fantastic insight."

I laughed. We finished dancing to this song, and then it transitioned to Sixpence None the Richer's Kiss Me. While my parents, aunts, and uncles swayed to the song, the four of us had quite the time on the dance floor. When that song ended, all of us except for Uncle Leo and Auntie Karai sat back down. Their first dance song came on, which was Ronan Hardiman's Fiery Nights. They had choreographed their dance as if they were auditioning for Dancing with the Stars, and they danced just as well as they did nineteen years ago.

After their dance concluded, I retreated to my dad's lab and got to work making the clothes and tools I would need to go on my vision quest. Unfortunately for me, it meant missing quality time with my family, but I knew it needed to be done. I remained in my dad's lab until it was time for presents. By the time we had opened all our presents and had Christmas dinner, I was finished with my work.


December 27, 2038 – North Hampton, New York, USA

I groaned as my alarm went off in my own bed back home. I grabbed my T-Phone, wondering what time it was. To my ultimate disbelief, my dad had set an alarm for four-thirty in the morning. I really wanted to go back to sleep, but I knew I did not have a choice this time. Today, I was to venture off on my vision quest, and I was to remain in the woods for three days before returning home.

I got out of bed. I went into my closet and grabbed the dress I had made just two days ago. It was a long-sleeved white dress with the skirt just barely touching the floor. There were two slits, one on each side of the dress, shall I need to use my ninjutsu skills during my quest. I put on my brown belt and sheathes, and I placed the katana blades I had made last week in them. I put on my brown boots that I had bought at a shoe store while in the city. I put on a brown cloak over my dress, as it was going to be very cold. Last but not least, I put on the white mask that I had made over my eyes, and I blended the tails of the mask in with my copper-red hair, putting all of it in an elegant braid. My bangs just barely touched the top of my mask.

I elegantly walked down the stairs to greet my parents in the gathering room. My mom was still wearing her yellow nightgown with her hair in a ponytail while my dad only wore his purple mask. My dad, wearing a proud smile on his face, was holding his phone up. I did not know if he was taking pictures of me or videotaping me walking down the stairs. He eventually put his phone away and opened his arms out. I hugged him, and he closed me in his embrace.

"You look like a warrior princess," Dad said. "Remember what Uncle Leo told you: have courage, and be bold like the sun. I'm going to miss you… again."

"I'm gonna miss you too, Daddy," I replied, wiping away the one tear that fell out of his mask and down his cheek.

"Dad and I made this for you," Mom said.

She gave me a brown backpack, and in the backpack were more supplies I would need to eat in the wilderness.

"You really are growing up," Mom said, trying not to let her tears fall.

"Oh, Mom!"

The three of us embraced one more time, and we all cried in each other's arms. My dad was the first to pull away, and he let out a gasp.

"Goodness, Lily Mae, the sun's coming up. You need to go! Be safe, make good choices, remember what you must do. May Splinter be with you."

"I love you," I replied, kissing both my parents on the cheek.

I opened the front door, but I looked back one more time. I saw proud but sad smiles on both my parents' faces. I smiled back, knowing what I must do. I looked forward, closed the door, and sprinted into the wilderness.


KARENA'S POV

I woke up with a smile on my face, very glad to be sleeping in such a comfortable bed. I put on my robe and walked down the stairs to greet April and Donnie in the kitchen.

"Good morning," I greeted them.

"Good morning," they both replied back.

They were both on their laptops and drinking coffee in the dining room.

"Is Lily still in bed?" I asked.

"She left for her vision quest," Donnie answered, and I could tell there was worry in his voice.

"Is she going to be okay?"

"I hope so. I am worried, but Lily is resourceful. Leo and I are confident she'll pass the test."

"Lily told me she became a full-pledged kunoichi earlier this year. What's the point of the vision quest?"

Donnie let out a sigh.

"Do not tell my daughter this, but Leo was planning on naming her the new leader of the Hamato Clan. If Leo were to be at the point where he cannot train the next generation, Lily would take over. Leo had Lily read a different story so she wouldn't let it get to her head."

"I guess that makes sense. But how's Ryan going to feel? He's told me how much he's wanted to be leader, to follow in his father's footsteps."

"Ryan will have opportunities where he will lead his cousins when Lily cannot. I did at their age. But it is not Ryan's decision to make, nor is it Lily's."

"But how will Lily lead if she's in Todayland?" I asked.

"The initiation ceremony for Ryan as well as the ceremony when Lily becomes the leader will be in May when we return to New York," Donnie answered.

"April, you're awfully quiet. Are you alright?"

The red-haired woman let out a sigh.

"I'm also worried for Lily. I went on a vision quest shortly after I married Donnie. It's the hardest trial possible."

"Did Splinter assign you?" I asked.

"No, it was Leo. He said it was necessary. But it was so hard being away from Donnie because we had just married. Speaking of which, you are handling this suspiciously well, dear."

"What else can I do, sweetie?" Donnie asked his wife. "I'm worried, yes, but there's nothing I can do but pray."


LILIANNA'S POV

After my first sprint so far from home, I had to learn how to make a fire due to it being so cold. It was no trouble for me to start one. However, it quickly went out.

"Okay, I'm gonna need some kind of shelter if I want to keep the fire aflame," I said out loud. "Maybe a tent of some sort. But where would I find one that's not in a store?"

I sat down and meditated, trying to travel back in time to learn how people found shelter.

"Master Splinter, please speak to me. How do I build a shelter?"

My mind found the Native American tribes before the colonists of England sailed there over 400 years ago, I watched while in meditation. I saw the Native Americans chopping down trees with their axes they had made themselves, and then they used the sticks and logs to make the frame and then the bark to make the roof and the walls.

I woke up from my meditation, and I know what I had to do. Praying that my katana blades would be able to effortlessly cut down a tree, I tried slicing a sycamore down. It took lots of slicing to the point where my arms were getting tired. But then, I remembered that I still had my feet. I backed up to a good distance. I mentally prepared myself, getting myself psyched up. I sprinted, feeling my dress moving with me, then I spun around, preparing to do a spinning roundhouse kick. When the time was right, I jumped and spun my right leg, kicking the tree right at its weak spot. I cheered as the tree fell.

"TIMBER!" I yelled happily.

I took my katana blades out again, and I got to work, cutting away the bark and making tiles to make the roof. Any branch I found was used to make the frame. It took me hours, but I had successfully built my own home away from home using my katana blades and some other tools my parents had packed for me. I tried again to start a fire as I grew cold again. Thankfully, I was not as cold thanks to the little warmth of my house. After successfully starting a fire again, I waited to see if it would stay lit. I took out my T-Phone and started a stopwatch. I grinned when the stopwatch reached five minutes.

Satisfied with my journey so far, I meditated again, and I felt Splinter's presence. We smiled at each other, but we did not say anything. I started growing tired, and I finally spoke.

"Tell my father I love him, Grandfather."

I let out a yawn, used my cloak as a blanket, and I let sleep take me.


DONATELLO'S POV

Monday was gone, and Tuesday was upon us. I put on my purple cloak and purple mask, and I walked out to the front porch April and I remodeled five years ago. I smiled as I watched the sun rising. My first thought was my daughter, who was probably well awake by now. My smile faded, and I became worried. I took out my T-Phone and was so very tempted to track her location. I shook my head, realizing that Lily may have turned her phone off during her quest. I put my phone back in my belt.

I walked back inside and started a pot of coffee, and I smiled when I felt my wife's presence.

"Good morning, Donatello," April said, coming up behind me and putting her arms around my waist.

"Good morning, honey," I replied. "How are you?"

"Worried."

"You too, huh?" I asked with a chuckle.

"I know Lily hasn't been kidnapped, but still—"

"Careful, April," I warned her. "One more mention of Lily possibly being kidnapped and I may actually be prompted to try to find her when I shouldn't be."

April let out a sigh, releasing her hug and taking a seat at the table in the dining room. The pot finished brewing. I took out two coffee mugs from the cabinet and poured each of us a cup. I put creamer in April's cup along with a dash of cinnamon. I brought the cups of coffee with me into the dining room and handed my wife's cup to her.

"Thank you. How do you think Lily's doing?"

"Well, I am worried about her being cold," I answered, taking a sip of my coffee. "But I think she's taking care of herself the best way she can."

"So you'll be here at the farmhouse alone today," April said, abruptly changing the subject.

"I won't be alone. Karena will still be here. Unless she's planning on going to work with you."

April blew a raspberry.

"Nah. I think it'll be nice for you and Karena to spend time together."

She paused, putting a smile on her face.

"May I see the pictures you took of Lily?"

I took out my T-Phone and opened up my photos app. I laid my phone down on the table so my wife could see the photos.

"Who knew Lily had so much talent with making her dress and everything?" April asked in awe. "I especially like how she included her mask in her braid. That is the most creative thing I have ever seen."

"Lily has learned from the best," I replied with my gap-toothed grin. "She has had amazing teachers, if I may say so."

"Speaking of teaching, don't you have to prepare for your next semester in Todayland? It starts next week, doesn't it?"

"No, I've got time," I answered, sipping my coffee. "It's the week after. College students get one more week of holiday vacation than high school students do."

"You lucky duck."

"Oh."

I tapped April on the shoulder, telling her to pull closer for me to whisper something in her ear.

"I've discovered that Karena is one of my students this semester."

"What?!" April yelled in surprise. "How are you going to break the news to her?"

"The same way I'll break the news to all my students," I answered with a grin. "I'll walk into the classroom and introduce myself."

"Boy, they're going to flip when they discover you're a mutant turtle!" April replied with laughter.

"I believe the word in Todayladn is genetically enhanced. But really, I'm excited."

"I'd be excited about seeing looks on everyone's faces when they see you in person instead of listening to your voice on the computer."

"Now don't give me any ideas, sweetheart," I replied with laughter. "Or else I'll be tempted to include a camera in the classroom and then show you over text."

"Oh my gosh, DO IT!" April yelled.

We fell into a fit of laughter. When we calmed down, I had a big smile on my face. I love being able to talk to my wife as if we were still teenagers. Sometimes having a dirty mind was a wonderful thing.

"Alright, I'll do it just for you," I spoke.

"Good morning, Donnie. Good morning, April."

I turned around to see Karena sleepily walking to the coffee pot.

"Good morning, Karena," I replied. "There's creamer in the fridge if you'd like some."

"And the sugar's in the cabinet!" April chimed in.

"Do you have Stevia per chance?" Karena asked from the kitchen.

"It's in the cabinet to your left," I answered.

I watched April stand up, and I stood with her.

"I take it that's your cue to go to work?" I asked.

"Yeah, unfortunately."

April and I hugged each other tightly, not wanting to let each other go. Then our lips met. I moaned, feeling the pleasure from her lips tasting like strawberries. I opened my mouth slightly and placed my tongue on her lips. She opened hers, letting my tongue in while she moved hers into mine. Suddenly, we heard Karena clearing her throat, and our make-out session abruptly ended. April smiled and kissed me on the lips one more time, and I returned it.

"I love you, D."

"I love you too, A. Have a good day at work."

"Have a good time with Karena today."

I watched April leaving the dining room, through the kitchen, and through the gathering room.

"Have I ever mentioned you two are cute together?" Karena asked with a smile.

"No!" I answered with my gap-toothed grin. "Thank you very much!"

"So what do you normally do this time of day?" Karena asked, taking a seat at the table with her coffee.

"Usually, I'd be in the barn taping my lessons to my students. But it's Christmas break, so I don't have to do anything today."

"Lily mentioned your lab was in the barn. I can't believe you haven't shown it to me yet."

I pondered this information, trying to remember if I showed Karena everything. After a few moments, I realized she was right.

"I'll tell you what. Why don't you give Wilbur a call, ask him how he's doing while I do the dishes?"

"I still can't believe you do your own dishes, Donnie. I would have thought you'd have a robot doing that."

"We've actually tried that. But for one, it's not the same as having Metalhead around. And two, Lily enjoyed breaking the robot as a child."

We cracked up laughing. We got up from the table and went our separate ways momentarily.


LILIANNA'S POV

My first sprint this morning took me to a mountain that stood tall and out of the wilderness. I knew I had to climb it.

"Okay Lord, what is your plan for me here?" I asked out loud. "I guess the only way is to go up."

I started to climb, using some more tools my dad made for me. My strength was tested again, as was my agility, as I continued to climb. Suddenly, I screamed, stopping in my place. I had a massive headache. An event was playing in my mind. I let out a gasp at what was happening: the teenage version of my dad was climbing this very mountain on his vision quest!

"Daddy?" I asked out loud, feeling freaked out.

"For all I know, this isn't the right direction," Dad had said at this very spot. "Boy, I really miss GPS guidance right now."

"Me too, Dad," I replied. "Me too."

I suddenly felt a strong force that almost knocked me off the mountain, and so did my dad. My dad and I both looked up and saw… Foot soldiers trying to knock the mountain down!

"You're gonna bring the whole mountain down!" Dad had yelled at the Foot soldiers above him.

"Okay, Lily, snap out of it!" I said loudly. "Donatello is not with you. This is just an illusion."

"Unless… you don't care what happens because you're an apparition from the spirit plane," Dad finished his thoughts out loud.

"Get out of my mind, Dad!" I yelled.

I glanced up to see part of the mountain falling towards me! I screamed, getting out of the way before getting hit. I looked up again, and the Foot soldiers were gone, and so was my dad.

"So what does this mean?" I asked. "Do I keep climbing?"

Nothing had moved. I continued to hike. The farther up I hiked, the thinner the air got, but the more I felt the sun's warmth. I suddenly felt a burst of energy through me, and I felt another presence. I did a roundhouse kick in the direction of this presence, and I knocked someone off the mountain! I looked down and discovered that it was a Foot soldier.

"Okay, that felt real," I breathed out loud. "Please tell me I'm not in my teenage dad's mind!"

More Foot soldiers showed up.

"You can't be real!" I yelled. "You're just an illusion from the past.. my dad's past. WHOA!"

I quickly drew my katana blades out of the sheathes just before a Foot soldier landed a blow. Once again, I heard a rumble above me. More Foot soldiers were trying to bring the mountain down! But I kept fighting, just like I was fighting my family back in Uncle Leo's dojo. I remembered everything my uncles and parents taught me, and I knocked each Foot soldier off his feet. I felt the rumbling again, and I looked up.

"You want to bring half the mountain down?" Dad furiously yelled above. "Fine with me!"

I watched my dad's illusion leap up toward the top of the mountain, and I was prompted to follow. By the time I caught up to the illusion, there was part of the mountain that was already cracked, probably caused by my father over twenty years ago. I used my katana blades to finish the Foot soldiers above me, and then I used my feet to kick them off the mountain. I let out a yell, stabbed the mountain with my blades along with my dad's axe, and more of the mountain came tumbling down.

"Ha! Hey, this Seishin syuyou is way easier than I thought. Right, Lily?"

"Wait, what?!" I asked, startled that the teenage version of my dad was talking to me. "You're not real! You're just an image in my mind."

I put my hand on my head and shook it.

"I must be going crazy," I said out loud.

"Trust me, Lily. This is very real."

I reached out my hand to touch my teenage dad, and he was right. Seventeen-year-old Donatello Hamato felt as real as I did.

"How is this possible?" I asked, feeling more freaked out than I was before. "Why are you here, Dad? And why are you a teenager?"

"I'm here for the same reason you are, Lilianna. We're both on a vision quest to master ourselves. I guess you could say I am here as your conscience."

"So your vision quest was here too. What did Uncle Leo—er, Master Splinter tell you to be?"

We suddenly felt a hand come crashing through the mountain, and we both screamed.

"We're just getting started."

I examined this new being, a man-sized tiger with lots of ammunition on him, and I immediately recognized him as Tiger Claw from Uncle Leo's pictures. He must have been my father's spiritual adversary, as I had never seen him in the flesh before.

"Let's see how quick your thinking is when I smash your head into the rocks," Tiger Claw taunted my father.

"Tiger Claw?" Dad asked in astonishment. "No, you're just a spirit, too. You can't be real."

Tiger Claw suddenly punched my father, sending him to the ground.

"DAD!" I screamed.

"Does that feel real to you?" Tiger Claw asked him.

"Absolutely," Dad squeaked.

I felt the temptation to run to him to help, but I could not move at all.

"Oh, come on, Lily, think," I said out loud as my father's adversary knocked him off the mountain. "What did Master Splinter tell Donatello?"

My thoughts were interrupted when Tiger Claw tried to bring the entire mountain down! He used my dad's makeshift weapon to smash it into the mountain. Suddenly, I felt a headache and a rush of energy, and I thrust my hands forward, screaming with worry that my teenage dad was going to die. I felt the weight of the world on my shoulders. To my horror, the mountain was standing still, and my hands and shoulders felt its weight.

"I just saved my dad's life!" I breathed out loud, straining to hold on. "But this is really heavy!"

"No!" I heard my dad say below me. "I gotta stand my ground. Immovable, right?"

"And they say YOU'RE the smart one?" I heard Tiger Claw taunting my dad.

I could tell my dad was struggling, as I felt Tiger Claw's weight on my shoulders as well. I screamed and cried as we both held on.

"I'm twice your size and three times your strength. You will fall!"

"I remember what Splinter told my dad now!" I cried. "He told my dad to be strong like the mountain. I must be strong, for Dad."

I closed my eyes and pulled my hands back, and then I thrust my hands forward, letting out a scream at the same time my dad let out his. I opened my eyes, no longer feeling the world on my shoulders, and I saw the mountain was fixed like it was never cracked or broken to begin with. I panted, and then I realized I needed to find my teenage dad.

"Dad?" I yelled out. "Are you okay?"

"I am fine, my daughter."

I turned around to see an illusion of my dad, only wearing the purple cloak and purple mask he wore on his vision quest. But I could tell he was still in his teenage form, for he looked and sounded younger than my dad does today.

"I don't understand," I finally spoke after some moments. "Why did you come to me as a teenage version of yourself?"

"Because I am of the spiritual plane, Lilianna," Dad answered with the gentlest voice I had ever heard. "I had completed my vision quest here, and I see that you will complete yours here as well."

"But how did you know that I'm your daughter?"

"The spiritual plane is a weird but amazing place, Lily. You can learn so much about yourself in the blink of an eye. Or in your case, a small glimpse of the past."

My dad walked up to me and carried the kindest smile I had ever seen. He caressed my cheek, much like my dad in the present did when he told me he loved me. I smiled, showing him a glimpse of my gapped teeth.

"There must be hope for me if you have April's eyes and my gap-toothed grin," Dad said, grinning at me. "Before leaving for this quest, I was so worried that April was going to be closer to Casey. I see now I had nothing to worry about. In fact, I see so many amazing things for me in my future, and I am staring at my future right now."

My dad put his other hand on my shoulder. The tears I had held back started to fall, but I kept the smile on my face.

"I don't know what I look like or what I am doing now, but I know that I am proud of you for what you are about to do. Just like I was strong like the mountain, you must be bold like the sun."

"There is so much I want to tell you, Dad," I replied, smiling and crying at the same time.

"Shh," Dad soothed me, wiping away my tears with his kind smile, the same smile he would give me when I would eventually be born. "I already know, just from looking into your eyes. I love you, Lilianna Mae Hamato."

"I love you too, Daddy."

My dad wiped the last of my tears away, and then he vanished into thin air, still carrying his kind smile. Putting a determined grin on my face, I continued to hike up the mountain. It was now afternoon, as the sun was not quite above me. Suddenly, I heard a noise. I stopped climbing to investigate the sounds around me. Around the corner… were Foot soldiers, the same ones my dad faced as a teenager. I drew my katana blades, ready to fight.

"I'm not afraid!" I yelled. "Come get me!"

The Foot soldiers charged at me, and I remembered Uncle Leo's teachings regarding the katana blades. I parried first, and then I knocked them out. The interesting part was that if I struck them, they just disappeared. I was starting to think my dad was right about this part of the vision quest: it was easy.

"Lilianna Hamato, Donatello's daughter."

I turned around toward the new voice, and I gasped, now feeling fear. It was a man with curly red hair wearing a magician's cloak. It was Carl Jackson himself, and I immediately grew terrified.

"You… you… you were the one who had me kidnapped! What did I ever do to you that justified taking me away from my family?"

"It is not your doing, dear girl," Carl replied with a smug grin on his face. "Kidnapping you was just my way of drawing Karena Edwards out of hiding. But when my men told me you were the daughter of one of the Mutant Ninja Turtles, I realized my plan was perfect… that is, until you ruined it by running away."

"I was right to run away!" I yelled furiously. "You used me to try to get to someone. You had already caused harm to the people I love, and somehow, you roam free. One day, I will put you back behind bars."

"I sense much fear in you, Lilianna. You will only be a pawn in my master plan."

"Then you'll just have to kill me to get to my family and friends!"

Carl charged, somehow able to make his own weapon out of thin air, and he tried to strike me down like he was wielding a bat. I parried with my katana blades, walking backwards on the defense. I remained mindful, knowing where I was on the mountain and knowing whether I needed to change direction or not. But at the same time, I was scared that he was going to take me down. I grew tired, and Carl swept me off my feet. I landed hard on the rock.

"You are weak, Lilianna. You are scared, young, innocent. What makes you think you are worthy of facing me alone? What makes you worthy of this quest?"

I turned my head towards the sun.

"Be bold like the sun," Uncle Leo, Grandpa Splinter, and Dad all told me at the same time.

I turned back around, somehow feeling a newfound confidence in me. I now knew that I was never going to be alone again. Right now, Grandpa Splinter was with me in spirit, and I felt the presence of a teenage Donatello Hamato in my soul as well. I stood up, now ready to face my adversary.

"You're right, Magician, I am scared. I am young. And I am innocent. But I am also GUILTY."

It was my turn to strike the Magician, and he stumbled back after I punched him.

"I am guilty because I disobeyed my father! And because I disobeyed my father, I was scared and ran away from him, only to be kidnapped by you."

I struck him again, this time with a kick.

"I may be young, but I am also SMART."

I tried to strike the Magician again but missed. However, I did not let that bring me down.

"I am the daughter of Donatello and April Hamato. I inherited Donatello's knowledge and April's resilience. AND I have inherited April's psychic powers, so I could read your mind. But I cannot, for you are of the spiritual plane. And lastly, I may be scared, but I have COURAGE!"

I used a roundhouse kick to strike the Magician again, hitting him square in the stomach like I did to Venus.

"I have the courage to face my fear of being kidnapped and being without my family again. And now, I have the courage to STRIKE. YOU. DOWN!"

I picked up my katana blades, and brought them up, the sun's light hitting them. Then I struck the Magician down with both blades. The Magician disappeared upon impact.

"If I can defeat you in the spiritual plane, Magician, then I will defeat you in the real world! You will NEVER take my body nor my spirit again!"

I finished hiking to the top of the mountain. The view was absolutely beautiful, and I felt like a goddess looking down at all the trees that surrounded the mountain. Knowing that I was successful in my quest, I turned on my T-Phone. I opened my camera app, and I took pictures of the surrounding views. I turned my phone off right away. I decided this was a good place to make camp and made a campfire. While making my refuge, I saw an elk approaching me from below. I smiled at him, and he looked into my eyes. While the elk could not think, I could tell he was here to help me. I spent the rest of my day meditating with the elk as my company, and once again, I was in Splinter's presence. I still felt the spirit of teenaged Donatello surrounding me, and I felt myself drifting away to sleep.

"I love you very much, Lily," I heard a teenage Donatello tell me in my mind.

"I love you too, Daddy," I yawned, and then sleep took me.


DONATELLO'S POV

It was now Wednesday. I had gotten so busy with working around the house yesterday that I never showed Karena my lab. I was thankful for Karena's help in fixing up the house and anything that was broken. April was at work in the city and Lily was still on her vision quest. Today, I intended to keep my promise to Karena and show her my lab.

"Are you ready?" I asked with a grin on my face.

"Yes!" Karena answered enthusiastically. "Show me what you got!"

I led Karena outside and to the barn. I unlocked the lab with my electronic lock, and I opened the doors. I heard Karena gasping with delight as I turned on the lights and the heater I had installed for the winter. I watched as she explored around. She noticed all the pictures I had of my family – my brothers as well as April and Lily. Her eyes then fell on the staff I used in space, and then the mutagen and retro-mutagen.

"This lab pretty much summarizes all of your adventures as teenagers," Karena said in awe.

"Pretty much," I repeated back with a smile on my face. "I'll never forget my adventures in space. Exploring the universe truly was a precious experience."

"I know you told me of what your favorite adventure was, but what was the one that stood out to you?"

"Back in New York, April had inherited a crystal from the Aeons, and it was controlling her to where she wasn't being herself. Her powers were getting out of control, and so was her temper. She had gotten so drawn to the crystal that it started controlling her."

"Donnie, wait. Do you hear that?"

We both fell silent, trying to listen to whatever noise Karena was hearing.

"It's probably just a squirrel, Karena," I told her. "I don't hear anything. But as I was saying, April was somehow able to leave the lair with the crystal, and I tried to stop her on top of the Channel 6 building. I tried to convince her to destroy her demons—"

"I'm sorry, Donnie, but I swear I hear something," Karena interrupted me. "Like someone singing."

"Let's go outside the barn," I suggested, putting on my purple cloak.

Karena followed me out of the barn, and now I heard the noise Karena had heard. It, indeed, sounded like singing. I glanced at Karena, who shrugged. We were both prompted to follow it.

"Where is it now?" Karena asked.

"Wait, I think I can hear it," I said.

"Hope fades into the world of night, through shadows falling out of memory and time. Don't say we have come now to the end. White shores are calling. You and I will meet again. And you'll be here in my arms, just sleeping."

I turned toward the sunset where the singing was coming from.

"What can you see on the horizon? Why do the white gulls call?"

I saw a blur ahead of me, and then the image became clearer. There was an elk with a rider slowly approaching us.

"Across the sea, a pale moon rises. The ships have come to carry you home!"

I let out a gasp when the rider was revealed to be my own daughter, singing to her heart's content. I started to walk toward her.

"And all will turn to silver glass, a light on the water. Grey ships pass into the west."

I ran towards my daughter. I saw her jumping off the elk and running towards me. We quickly met up and embraced each other. After a long moment of being in each other's arms, I kissed her on the forehead. She looked up at me with a fond smile on her face, and I started crying, just so happy to see her.

"I love you, Daddy."