Thank you for being patient with me! The reason why it took a little longer for me to update this story is because... we are now at the point where Karena and Wilbur are getting married. This chapter is the wedding rehearsal, but not before Todayland's annual talent show. Chapter 47... will be the wedding. Enjoy!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything related to "Meet the Robinsons," "TMNT," nor "Toy Story" (yes, you read that right), nor do I own Christina Grimmie's "Rule the World," Michael W Smith's "I Will Be Here For You," nor Savage Garden's "Truly Madly Deeply." I only own Karena, Lilianna, Ryan, Venus, Athena, James, Lindsey, and Randy.
February 17, 2042 - New York City, New York, USA
APRIL'S POV
Donnie and I were lying down in bed in his old bedroom reading books when we heard the voices of our daughter, nieces, and nephew returning to the lair. Then we heard knocking on the door.
"Who is it?" I asked.
"It's me, Mom," Lily answered.
"Come in!" Donnie yelled.
The door opened to reveal our daughter, wearing black pants and a pink sweater. She closed the door behind her and sat on the bed with us.
"How was patrol, Aumanil?" Donnie asked with his grin.
"It was another peaceful night, Dad," Lily answered.
"No news is good news," I replied happily. "But I sense you want to talk about something."
"Yeah, this year's talent show," Lily explained. "The four of us auditioned together and made it on the show."
"Wonderful!" Donnie exclaimed.
"So what's your act going to be?" I asked excitedly.
"We are going to work together to sing Christina Grimmie's Rule the World."
"One of the songs that were released after her death," I replied solemnly. "That's a good choice, considering everything's that's happened."
"Yep, and I'm confident the eight of us are going to rule the world!"
"Wait a minute, eight?" Donnie asked, raising an eyebrow. "There's only four of you."
"This year's theme is family frolics," Lily explained. "Since the four of us are performing, at least one of our parents are performing too."
"And which one of us is performing?" Donnie asked.
"Mom."
"Absolutely not!" I replied with shock.
"Why not?" Donnie and Lily asked with the same time.
I raised an eyebrow at my husband.
"Thanks a lot," I flatly told him.
"You've got the confidence to sing, sweetheart," Donnie explained. "I hear you sing in the shower all the time."
"Yeah, but you have the flow to sing the song correctly." I replied. "That's why Lily sings so well."
"And besides, Mom, the song was originally released by two women," Lily explained further. "The point of the song is that women would rule the world for a day. The only male in this so far is Ryan because he's playing the bass guitar. Auntie Karai, Auntie Mona, and Auntie Renet are singing too."
Lily paused.
"Well, they'll be performing. It may not be singing."
"Mona Lisa is full of surprises," Donnie replied. "What will Athena and Venus do?"
"Play the guitar and the drums, as always."
"Well, now wait a minute," I chimed in with a grin. "I think I have an idea. Let's head to the dojo. Together, the twelve of us can figure out how to get involved in this."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Donnie exclaimed with an annoyed tone. "Wait a minute. Twelve of us? How did I get involved in this?"
"Ever since we met all those years ago!" I answered with a wink.
Lily and I walked to the dojo to find everyone else already seated on the carpet. Donnie was the last to join us.
"I guess we all had the same idea," he said, taking a seat next to me.
"Yes, it seems to be the case," Leo replied. "Let's talk about Lily and Athena's act for the talent show, which seems to involve our wives. Lily, would you like to lead this discussion?"
"Actually, this was Athena's idea," Lily replied with a big smile.
"So the four of us auditioned together," Athena explained. "And we got an act in the show. But the theme this year is Family Frolics, which means at least one of our parents would have to act with us."
"In our case, it's playing and singing Christina Grimmie's Rule the World," Lily explained further. "We chose our moms because the song, for the most part, is about girl power. Christina wrote most of it when she was sixteen and a singer named Ryan Brown helped the Grimmie family finish it."
"What would we all do?" Mona Lisa asked.
"The four of us would be in our normal parts," Athena explained. "Ryan would play the bass. Venus, the drums. I, the guitar. And Lily, the vocals. All the moms would sing with us."
"Whoa, wait a minute!" Karai intervened. "I cannot sing for the life of me."
Ryan gave his mother a weird glance.
"Mother, I've heard you sing. Your voice is beautiful."
"Who am I to argue with our son?" Leo replied with a smile.
"Okay, correction: I don't sing," Karai said adamantly.
"Now hold on," I chimed in. "May I offer a suggestion? Ryan's not a girl and yet he's in the act. He can't be the only guy there. It wouldn't make sense. What if you, the Turtles, participate too? You all did a song back in the day. What if you guys provided the music while us women sing?"
"Aunt April, I can't sing," Venus replied.
"This time, I'm in agreement," Ryan said. "No offense."
"None taken."
"Wait a minute, Venus, this is a talent show," Lily chimed in. "What if you displayed your flag talents? This is a song about girl power after all."
"Venus, if you go along with this idea, could you teach me some moves?" Mona Lisa asked her daughter. "I'd like to do that with you."
"Could you teach me too?" Karai asked. "I'd rather throw a flag than throw my voice out there."
"That's... actually a really good idea," Venus replied with a smile. "Okay. I'll teach you both!"
Lily and I gave each other a high-five.
"I played the bass guitar back in the day," Donnie chimed in with a smile. "I haven't played since April and I got married, but I can relearn how to play."
"Ryan and I can play the guitar together," Leo replied.
"I'll pick up the drums again," Raph offered. "After all, I was the one who taught Venus how to play."
"So what would I do?" Mikey asked in bewilderment. "I sang with Ice Cream Kitty back in the days!"
"Why don't you mess with the sound a little bit?" Lily suggested. "You're going to be the DJ in the wedding, which means you're good at giving music the right sound."
"And when you've got it, you can be a keyboardist," Renet suggested. "I think we've got it!"
"Alright, so here's what we'll do," Leo proposed. "Half of our training will now become practices for the talent show. I think we've all earned small breaks from training. But right now, we need to get some sleep."
We said good night to each other, now feeling confident about our act.
March 9, 2042 - Todayland, North Montana, USA
WILBUR'S POV
Karena and I attended the third annual talent show at Todayland University.
"That's strange," I said, rubbing the back of my neck. "I usually sit with my family and the Turtles. But I'm not seeing the Turtles anywhere."
"It is Family Frolics Night, Wilbur," Karena reminded me. "Maybe they're backstage. I wonder what song Lily's going to do."
"Lily and Athena are singing Rule the World. That's all I know."
"Oh nice!"
"Oh, there's my family."
Wilbur pointed to some seats all the way in the front row. We walked all the way up and greeted the Robinsons. Franny and Cornelius were not present.
"Come!" Aunt Billie beckoned to us. "Sit!"
We sat down between Aunt Billie and Tallulah.
"Karena, it's a shame you're not in the talent show this year," Aunt Billie solemnly told her.
"I'm not in college anymore, Aunt Billie," Karena replied. "I'm a teacher at the high school now."
"Well, it's a good thing you're watching with us then. We hear the opening is going to be quite the eye-catcher!"
We suddenly heard the microphone going off, and we turned forward to see my mom emerging from behind the curtains.
"Thank you, everybody, for coming to our third annual talent show," Mom spoke happily. "We've got a special night planned for all of you with the theme of family frolics. All the money we've collected will be donated to the families who have less than what they need."
We applauded loudly.
"And now, without further ado, we have a grand opening for you. I'm sure most of you have heard of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles from New York City who have saved the world on more than one occasion. Tonight, we have the Ninja Turtles: Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo, and their wives: Karai, Mona Lisa, April, and Renet giving a very special performance of Christina Grimmie's Rule the World with their children: Ryan, Venus, Lilianna, and Athena!"
We cheered loudly as Mom walked behind the curtain. The curtains opened, revealing the Turtles, plus Ryan, under a blue spotlight. Ryan and his father Leo both played guitar. Raph played the drums. Don played the bass guitar and Mikey played the keyboards.
Mikey started playing the keyboards.
"Take it over," I heard Renet singing off the stage at the same time Venus walked into the stage carrying a white flag.
"Rule the world!" April sang as Karai walked on the stage, also carrying a white flag.
"Take it over," Athena sang, and Mona Lisa walked on the stage, carrying a white flag as well.
"Rule the world!" Lily sang while Karai, Mona Lisa, and Venus lifted the flags over their heads.
Karai, Mona Lisa, and Venus started their flag routine as Leo and Ryan jammed on their guitars. We cheered wildly, clearly not expecting this at all, but we were loving it so far. After the rest of the Turtles chimed in on their instruments, Athena and Lily walked onto the stage holding microphones. Renet and April had appeared on the stage, but stayed off to the side for now.
"If I had a billion dollars," Athena sang to Lily. "All the rings upon my hands. I'd hold the key to every fantasy in this castle where I stand."
"I'd have a bottle full of wishes," Lily sang in return. "All my dreams would all come true. I'd have all I wanted. There's nothing I wouldn't do."
Ryan and Leo played some guitar riffs before pausing momentarily. April and Renet then started to walk next to their daughters, also holding microphones.
"We're gonna rule the world!" the four women sang boldly. "Take it over in one night. Strong like a million souls guided by the light. We gonna rule the world, rule the world, rule the world! We gonna rule the world, rule the world, rule the world!"
I took this moment to look at the outfits everyone was wearing while the Turtles and Ryan continued to play and Karai, Venus, and Mona continued to dance with their flags. The singers wore jumpsuits. Renet and Venus wore blue jumpsuits while April and Lily wore yellow jumpsuits. All four women wore their hair down. Karai, Venus, and Mona Lisa all wore black dresses with long sleeves. Renet and April switched places with Athena and Lily.
"And now the lights, they shine like diamonds," Renet sang to April. "They be screaming out my name."
"They be dying just to be me, oh, for just a second of my fame!" April belted out in return.
"We gonna rule the world!" the quartet sang again. "Take it over in one night. Strong like a million souls guided by the light. We gonna rule the world, rule the world, rule the world! We gonna rule the world, rule the world, rule the world!"
The four girls ran to either side of the stage as the Turtles and other women continued to play and dance. This act was planned extremely well, and everyone looked like they were having fun. Eventually, Renet and Athena started to walk toward each other.
"Oh, when did you get lost in your insanity?" Renet sang to her daughter as April and Lily started to walk toward each other.
"My reflection in the mirror shows me this isn't me, yeah," Athena sang as she and Renet took a few steps back and April and Lily met up.
"Jumpstart your mind and try to remember," April sang.
"Who you are!" Lily sang, belting out her last note and holding it for as long as she could.
We cheered wildly, even as Karai, Mona Lisa, and Venus stopped twirling their flags and the Turtles stopped playing as Lily continued to hold her note. We cheered even more when Lily stopped her note, and then Raph started playing the drums again, getting the group back on the beat.
"We gonna rule the world!" the women sang again. "Take it over in one night. Strong like a million souls guided by the light. We gonna rule the world, rule the world, rule the world! We gonna rule the world, rule the world, rule the world!"
The women sang the chorus one last time with Lily singing in a different octave. Karai, Venus, and Mona Lisa tossed their flags and continued to twirl them in front of them and behind them, sometimes dancing around the quartet.
"Take it over," Athena and Renet sang as Venus walked around April and Karai walked around Renet.
"Rule the world!" April and Lily sang as Venus and Karai crossed paths.
"Take it over," Athena and Renet sang again, the trio doing one more twirl of their flags.
"Rule the world!" April and Lily sang.
The song ended with the trio laying their flags on the ground and them sitting down. Karai and Mona Lisa sat with their legs away from them while Venus crossed her legs. We all cheered wildly as the curtains dropped.
"I got it on video!" Karena yelled over the applause.
"Good! That was an amazing performance!"
May 10, 2042
KARENA'S POV
The entire morning and afternoon were spent decorating both Robinson Industries and the Robinson house before the wedding. Wilbur and I had decided to go our separate ways for now since he knew more about Robinson Industries than I did I remained at the house, helping the Robinson family decorate. The girls of the Hamato family were also present, helping us decorate the house while the Turtles and Ryan were at Robinson Industries with Wilbur, Laszlo, Carl, and Cornelius.
First, we decorated the garden in the backyard for the ceremony, hoping that there wouldn't be any rain overnight and tomorrow. I had learned that Casey Jones and Donatello share a gift in carpentry, and they made a wedding arch together. Donnie had brought the arch with him so that Venus would decorate it. Venus, with a big smile on her face, started working on the arch right away, bringing her floral vision to life there. Gaston, Art, and Bud each set up the white wooden chairs that Cornelius had loaned to us from Robinson Industries. As we had agreed, there were ten rows of sixteen chairs, eight on each side of the aisle.
"Hey, Venus, did you make the floral decorations for the chairs?" Franny asked.
"Yes," Venus yelled in reply. "They're in that box up here. There's white tulle also that goes on the outside of the chairs."
While April and Billie set up the tulle, Lily and Athena rolled out the white carpet in the aisle. Once that was done, Renet placed two signs that said RESERVED in the front row of chairs. Lastly, I helped Franny and Karai set up the frog's instruments off to the left side of the altar, which is where they'd play the prelude music, and then I helped Mona Lisa set up the DJ station for Michelangelo on the right side. On the DJ station was a handheld wireless microphone for the bridal party to do their readings.
Once everyone was done, we all walked back to the beginning of the aisle to admire our work.
"What do you think?" Franny asked.
"Venus, that arch is absolutely beautiful!" I said in awe.
"It's all beautiful!" Tallulah chimed in. "Venus, you did amazing!"
"Thank you very much," Venus replied with a big grin.
"So everything looks good?" Franny asked.
We all nodded in agreement.
"Now let's walk down the aisle!"
We all walked to the altar and gazed at the setup in the garden.
"What do you think, Karena?"
"It all looks absolutely beautiful," I answered. "Thank you so much for your help! I can't believe the wedding is tomorrow!"
"Time flies when you're having fun!" Billie replied.
"Well, if everything looks good, then I'd day we're done here," Franny said. "Everyone, inside! We need to decorate the house for tonight's rehearsal dinner!"
I followed Tallulah upstairs to her room while Lily, Athena, and Venus decorated the guest room in the train room. Tallulah's room was going to be transformed into the bridal suite while the guest room would be transformed into the groom's suite. While decorating, I took a glance over at Tallulah, who was not in her usual attire. She was wearing a purple T-shirt and blue overalls.
"You know, I never imagined you wearing overalls," I told her, looking down at my yellow dress with white polka-dots.
"Me neither, but I didn't want to get dirty."
Tallulah cut up some fabric.
"Says the maid of honor," I retaliated with a smirk.
"You've impressed me, Karena," Tallulah said, measuring and cutting again. "For the most part, you stayed collective and calm throughout this whole ordeal. I was expecting that from Wilbur."
"I know, right?" I replied with a laugh. "Wilbur is usually collective and calm. And I thought I was the bride."
We cracked up laughing as Tallulah started to decorate the bridal suite with lavender-colored fabric. I helped set up a makeup and hair station for all of us to do each other's hair and makeup. Suddenly, I heard a gasp.
"Is everything okay?" I asked as I finished decorating.
"No! I forgot the dresses and suits at the shop!"
"No worries! Let's go back to the shop. Should we ask someone for help?"
Tallulah pondered this for a minute.
"Let's go talk to the Hamato cousins downstairs."
We walked out of the room and up the travel tube. We fell inside the train room, admiring Billie's train for just a moment. Just when we were about to enter the guest room, Lily emerged with Athena, carrying some sort of table.
"Hi, ladies!" Lily greeted us with a grunt.
"Do you need help?" I asked.
"You're the bride," Athena answered with a grunt. "We got it."
The girls set the table down in between the guest room and Billie and Joe's room, and they blew sighs of relief.
"So, we set up a clothes rack for the groomsmen's suits," Venus explained, emerging from the guest room. "And the boutonnières and handkerchiefs are set up on the dresser as well as some cologne in case the guys want to freshen up. This table will be for doing men's hair and other things. That is the best we can do."
"We should have switched rooms," Tallulah whispered to me.
"Thank you, ladies," I told the girls, elbowing my future cousin-in-law in the stomach. "But now we need your help."
"Yeah, I accidentally left the suits and dresses at the shop," Tallulah explained.
"It's no problem," Lily replied, also wearing blue overalls over a white shirt. "Athena and I are bridesmaids. We can easily carry our own dresses. And then Karena can carry her dress."
"Which probably means we need your mother too, Lily," Tallulah said. "Venus, would you carry Lindsey's dress for us?"
"Yes, ma'am!"
"So now we need to find a way to get the groomsmen's suits from the shop."
"Put Donnie in charge of that," I suggested. "But make him wait until after we're gone. I don't want Wilbur seeing my dress yet."
"I agree," Lily replied. "My dad has a lock pick and can enter any building with it."
"Okay, and then once we're done putting our dresses in the bridal suite, Lily, you guide your dad to put their outfits in that room," Tallulah told her.
DONATELLO'S POV
It felt like only yesterday that the Hamato Clan won the talent show. Now, we had made it to the day before Karena and Wilbur's wedding. I was told to gather my brothers as well as Ryan and head over to Robinson Industries to help decorate for the reception. Thankfully, setting up the ballroom was easy. There were already enough tables in the room, and all we had to do was move them towards the walls so we could make a dance floor. At the stage, there was a DJ station with two chairs where Mikey and Renet would sit, and then there was a sweetheart table for the bride and groom.
Thankfully, Raphael had brought his daughter's box of flowers to decorate the tables. They were already placed in glass vases, so decorating the tables would be easier.
"Do you folks need help?" I heard a male voice ask with a western accent.
We all turned toward the door to see a man dressed as a cowboy carrying a box of supplies. I felt very surprised when I saw the woman next to him: Dr. Bo Pride. Which meant that the cowboy was her husband Woody. There was also a younger blonde-haired girl with them, and she looked like she could be Lily's age. I deduced that she was their daughter Justine.
"Sheriff Pride, is that you?" Cornelius asked, walking up to the cowboy and giving him a warm embrace. "How have you been?"
"We've all been doing great!" Woody answered enthusiastically. "And we're all glad to be here for Wilbur and Karena's wedding!"
"Bo, it's great to see you," Cornelius greeted her, hugging her.
"It's wonderful to be back, Cornelius," Bo replied with her southern accent. "This is our daughter, Justine."
"It is wonderful to put the name with the face, Justine," Cornelius said, shaking her hand. "Congratulations on your admission to Todayland University!"
"Thank you, sir," Justine replied respectfully.
I could not help but walk up to the small family.
"Well, partner, your help is greatly appreciated," Cornelius told them.
Bo looked behind him and saw me.
"Donatello Hamato, is that you?" Bo asked with a big grin.
"In the flesh!" I answered, returning the grin.
"Oh my goodness!" Bo exclaimed, giving me a hug and I returned it. "It is great to see you again!"
"You know each other?" Woody asked with a surprised expression.
"He's the one who tested me here a couple years back," Bo answered. "Woody, this is Dr. Donatello Hamato. Donatello, this is my husband Woody and my daughter Justine."
I shook the sheriff's hand with a firm grip.
"I never imagined myself shaking hands with one of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," Woody greeted me with a kind smile. "I've heard a lot about what you've done in New York."
"Well, thank you very much!" I replied, giving him a gap-toothed grin. "Bo's told me some things about you. All good things, of course."
I glanced at his daughter Justine and I held out my hand. She also shook it while a firm grip.
"And Justine, it's nice to meet you," I greeted her. "I'm one of the professors at Todayland University, so we may see each other again."
"You teach there?" Justine replied, preparing to ask me another question. "How did you end up in Todayland?"
"That is a story for another day," I answered with a wink. "A day when we are teacher-and-student. Right now, we need to help Wilbur and Cornelius decorate this ballroom. Are you up for it?"
"Always!" Justine answered confidently.
I laughed, appreciating the enthusiasm.
"You know, I have a daughter who is about your age," I told her. "I think you two would hit it off."
"Will she be at the wedding?" Justine asked.
"She's one of the bridesmaids. You can't miss her. She'll be the girl with the long red hair. I'll let her know to try and find you."
"Sure!"
"So, what do you need us to do?" Woody asked.
"You could help me set up the tables!" Wilbur yelled from across the room with a smile on his face.
Woody walked over to the sweetheart table and shook his hand.
"Wilbur, it is nice to see you after all these years!" Woody exclaimed as he set his supplies down.
"Years?" I accidentally asked out loud.
I turned toward Justine.
"Have you met Wilbur before?"
"No, this is my first time here. And Wilbur's never been to Elkhorn before."
"I wonder if Cornelius invited your family here then," I said out loud. "Excuse me."
I walked over to one of the tables where Cornelius was setting up the tablecloths.
"Hello, Donatello!" Cornelius greeted me with a big smile. "What job do you have today?"
"Karena made these I Spy games to place at every chair on every table," I explained, showing him the pieces of paper I had held in my hands.
"Hey, that's a good idea! I'm sure the guests will love it. But you look like you have something on your mind."
"How did you come to know the Prides?" I asked. "Justine explained she's never met Wilbur before."
"It was actually Wilbur who invited them to the wedding. I do not know how he came to know them, but I'm not complaining either. I helped Woody and Bo get started in their little town of Elkhorn. Woody's the sheriff there. And I'm sure you've met Bo."
"Yes, I gave her the same exams you gave me all those years ago. From what she's told me, she's been saving a lot of lives in Elkhorn."
I let out a sigh.
"It looks like I need to speak with Wilbur then. Thank you, Cornelius."
"Thank you, Donatello, for helping us."
I walked over to the sweetheart table where Woody was showing Wilbur a wooden vase.
"I know you and Karena prefer a simpler look," Woody explained. "With these wooden vases, which are sealed with plaster, they will be unbreakable and the water will be able to stay in them to keep the flowers fresh. I wanted to help in some way."
"These are amazing!" Wilbur replied in awe before glancing at me. "What do you think, Don?"
"They are well-built," I answered. "And you cannot see the stems. Only the flowers, which is amazing. But it's up to you, Wilbur."
"I think we should go with those then," Wilbur told Woody. "Hopefully Venus won't mind. She's the one who did all the flower arrangements."
"Is Venus your daughter, Donatello?" Woody asked me.
"No! Venus is my niece."
I turned to Wilbur.
"May we talk for a few minutes?"
"Sure! I'm just about done, anyway."
"I'll make sure all these vases make it to their tables," Woody replied.
Wilbur and I stepped outside the ballroom.
"What's up?" Wilbur asked.
"How do you know Woody and Bo?" I asked with my hands on my hips. "I just asked Cornelius because I thought he invited them to the wedding. Justine says she doesn't know you."
Wilbur let out a sigh.
"Are you ready for a story?"
"Do we have the time?" I asked in reply, raising an eyebrow.
"Back in November, my dad had requested I go back to the year 2017 to help his past self propose marriage to my mom. Karena thought I was taking too long and try to follow me to the past. Unfortunately, she didn't know how the time machine worked and ended up stuck in Oklahoma in 2017. Needless to say, I was angry. I then traveled to Oklahoma in that same year and that's where I met Woody and Bo. They didn't ask me any questions about what was happening in the future and treated us like we were houseguests. We did tell them that we were getting married, though. Woody and Bo both knew Cornelius and so I decided to invite them to the wedding. Buzz and Jessie are here too."
Wilbur then smiled.
"That was the best time-traveling trip I had ever taken. Nothing got altered in the time-stream."
I smiled. Perhaps there was hope in the time-traveling field after all, if Wilbur and Karena found amazing people to take care of them. Suddenly, my T-Phone rang, so I answered it.
"Donatello."
"Hey, Donnie. It's Tallulah."
"Hi! What's going on?"
"So I forgot to bring all the dresses and suits from my shop to get our dresses. After we leave, I'll text you. Lily tells me you have some sort of lock pick that can access any lock."
"I take it she's talking about my digital lock pick?"
"Probably. It is an electronic lock. But anyway, after we leave, I'll send you a text and then you and the guys can get your suits and bring them to the house. I still want to respect Karena's wish of not seeing Wilbur before the ceremony and him not seeing her dress."
"Understood. I'll let Wilbur know."
"Thank you, Donnie. I'll see you tonight at the rehearsal dinner."
We hung up.
"You'll let me know what?" Wilbur asked.
"Tallulah left our suits at her shop. She'll let us know when to get them and bring them to the house. Meanwhile, let's finish here."
I blew out a sigh.
"I hope Venus won't mind the last-minute change to her floral arrangements with Woody's vases."
"I actually like these vases better than the glass ones," Laszlo chimed in, flying above us. "Nothing's going to break with these."
"And when in doubt, Venus is quite the artist herself," I replied. "She can just paint them."
"The day of the wedding?" Laszlo asked. "There isn't going to be any time. And besides, Woody picked the right color. They are green."
"And it's a beautiful shade of green," Wilbur replied, staring at the jade shade of the color. "Like, it's my favorite shade of green, and it's not even my favorite color."
"Well, I need to put these I Spy games on the table," I said, picking up the stack of papers.
We finished decorating the ballroom half an hour later, just in time for me to receive the text from Tallulah.
"Okay, all the men that are in the bridal party need to come with me!" I announced. "That does include Leo, Raph, and Cornelius!"
"What's going on, Donatello?" Cornelius asked me.
"We need to pick up our gowns and bring them to our dressing room in the train room," I explained. "Tallulah forgot all about them."
"So we'll carpool to Tallie's," Cornelius replied. "Now, can Karena see the groom's suit?"
"I haven't heard of such traditions," Leo answered. "But I think we're safe. It's just as long as Wilbur doesn't see Karena's dress. That's what Tallulah is concerned with."
"Then let's go!"
WILBUR'S POV
After a very frustrating hour of grabbing all of our suits and bringing them to the guest room inside the train room, I try to find my fiancée. I looked all over the house, including the bridal suite that she and Tallulah decorated and the dining room that was decorated for dinner. I cannot even find her in the garden, which was decorated beautifully for the ceremony. The only place left to find her was the front porch.
I opened the door and found Karena, wearing a yellow dress with white polkadots, sitting on the steps. I smiled and sat down with her.
"Hey."
Karena turned and looked at me with her green eyes. She gave me a smile.
"Hey, yourself."
"What are you thinking about?" I asked.
"My last day is Karena Edwards. I can't believe that tomorrow, I will be a married woman."
"Have you practice your signature yet?"
"Yes. I had to use my signature on our marriage license."
"Oh, that's right!" I exclaimed.
I laughed, remembering going to the city hall after I finished my final exams.
"This wedding and our marriage will change our lives."
"Yes, it will," Karena replied. "It'll no longer be just you and me. It'll be us. Us against the world."
"That should be our marriage theme."
"What?" Karena asked, letting out a laugh.
"Us against the world."
I placed my right hand on her chin and drew her in for a kiss, possibly our last kiss as an engaged couple.
"Well, we should go inside," I told her. "I don't want to ruin this shirt at dinner."
"We also don't want to disappoint our guests," Karena replied. "I need to change too."
"Well, you could keep that dress on. I like you in yellow."
"As flattered as I am, Wilbur Robinson, I had a different dress in mind for the occasion."
"Let me guess: Tallulah made it?"
"Yep. Once we both get dressed, we'll meet back in the living room."
"Sounds good to me."
ATHENA'S POV
The entire Hamato and Robinson families, as well as Lindsey and Randy, gathered in the dining room after we were done decorating and getting our gowns into the two suites. We enjoyed socializing with each other for quite some time until we heard the clinking of a glass. We turned forward to see Franny clinking the glass with a smile on her face.
"Let's settle down!" she announced. "On behalf of my family, I want to thank all of you for being here tonight. Tomorrow is a very big day, so we are hosting this rehearsal for both the ceremony and the reception. Afterwards, my brothers Art and Gaston would like to treat all of you to pizza."
We all murmured in agreement.
"Let's all go outside to the altar and Michelangelo will take over from there!"
We all walked outside and took seats in the front two rows. My dad took the microphone from the DJ station and spoke to it.
"Testing, one, two, wow!" Dad exclaimed with a big smile. "It sounds like there's three of me! Thank you all for attending this rehearsal. For those who do not know me, I am Michelangelo, Mikey for short. Or you may call me the Holy Chalupa."
We all laughed at that.
"As your DJ, I have put together a timeline of the ceremony and reception, both of which we will practice tonight. But first, the ceremony. Let's start the events at two o'clock, and I will give the first honors to Cornelius."
Dad handed the microphone to Wilbur's dad.
"Thank you, Michelangelo. First, I just want to say it is a privilege for me to be here tonight. All of our guests will start arriving at two o'clock. Franny's frogs will start playing classical and jazz music to set the scene for the next hour. We will have my dad Bud and my uncle Fritz greeting our guests into our humble home. There will be signs guiding our guests to the altar. And then Raphael and Mona Lisa will be our ushers at the ceremony, guiding them where to sit. We will have a cutoff time for guests to arrive at two fifty-five. Then, Raphael and Mona Lisa will escort Uncle Fritz to his seat while my dad will join my mom at the doors. We will then rely on Michelangelo's timeline. Michelangelo?"
Cornelius handed the microphone back to my dad.
"Thank you very much. When Fritz takes his seat, the frogs will stop their music. I will wait for Raph and Mona to take their places at the French doors. Raph, Mona, when I start the first song, that will be your cue to open the doors. This part of the processional will walk in the following order: the officiants, Leo and Karai; Wilbur's grandparents, Bud and Lucille; and Wilbur's parents, Cornelius and Franny. Wilbur will walk outside the door with his family, but he will not walk yet. Now, Leo and Karai will walk straight to the altar while the adults take their seats. I will change songs, and Wilbur, that is your cue to start walking."
Wilbur gave my dad a firm nod.
"Just so we're clear, once Wilbur walks outside, we're closing the doors?" Uncle Raph asked.
"Correct," Dad and Uncle Leo answered at the same time.
"Then, once I start the next song, Wilbur will walk stag down the aisle. Raph and Mona will open the doors again, and we will continue the processional in the following order: Ryan and Athena; James and Lily; Randy and Lindsey; Laszlo and Tallulah; Carl and April; Billie first, and then Renet. Raph and Mona will then close the doors."
Dad paused, putting a big smile on his face.
"I will start the next song once Renet takes her seat. Raph, Mona, you will knock on the doors to tell Donnie and Karena that we're ready for them. Donnie and Karena will emerge, everyone will stand, and Donnie will escort Karena down the aisle. After that, I will hand things over... to Leonardo and Karai."
"Why don't we try practicing the processional for right now?" Uncle Leo suggested. "I'd like to conquer one thing at a time."
"I think that's a good idea," Karena replied.
"Perfect!" Dad exclaimed. "Then, places everyone!"
I went inside the dining room with my cousins.
"That was a long walk!" Lindsey exclaimed. "My feet are going to kill me tomorrow!"
"Look on the bright side," Karena replied. "You'll only do this once tomorrow."
"Very true," Lindsey said, looking down at her shoes. "I hope all this practice will be worth it."
"Let's get to your spots, everybody!" Aunt April yelled over the commotion.
The song playing was our cue to get in our positions. I stood right behind the door next to Ryan. Meanwhile, I just stood and enjoyed the song.
"When you feel the sunlight fade into the cold night, don't know where to turn. I don't know where to turn. And all the dreams you're dreaming seem to lose their meaning. Let me in your world, baby, let me in your world. All you need is someone you can hold. Don't be sad, you're not alone. I will be here for you somewhere in the night, somewhere in the night. I'll shine a light for you. Somewhere in the night, I'll be standing by. I will be here for you."
"This is a really good song," I told Ryan.
"Yes, it is," he replied. "And it makes sense to put this song at the beginning. The parents shining a light for their children when they get married and venture off on their own. It makes the ceremony more meaningful."
"In this world of strangers of cold, unfriendly faces, there's someone you can trust. Oh, there's someone you can trust. I will be your shelter. I'll give you my shoulder. Just reach out for my love, reach out for my love. Call my name and my heart will hear. I will be there, there's nothing left to fear. I will be here for you somewhere in the night, somewhere in the night. I'll shine a light for. Somewhere in the night, I'll be standing by. I will be here for you."
The song suddenly faded, and Savage Garden'sTruly, Madly, Deeply started to play. Uncle Raph and Auntie Mona opened the doors, and Ryan and I started to walk outside. We weren't too far behind Wilbur, who had not quite reached the seats by the time the singer started to sing.
"I'll be your dream, I'll be your wish, I'll be your fantasy. I'll be your hope, I'll be your love, be everything that you need. I'll love you more with every breath, truly madly deeply do. I will be strong, I will be faithful 'cause I'm counting on a new beginning, a reason for living, a deeper meaning, yeah."
Ryan and I reached the aisle and started to walk through it.
"I want to stand with you on a mountain. I want to bathe with you in the sea. I want to lay like this forever until the sky falls down on me."
Ryan and I parted ways, meeting Shinigami in the middle.
"And when the stars are shining brightly in the velvet sky. I'll make a wish, send it to heaven, then make you want to cry."
I stopped at my position and watched Lily walking down the aisle with James. Lindsey and Randy were not far behind them.
"The tears of joy for all the pleasure in the certainty that we're surrounded by the comfort and protection of the highest powers. In lonely hours, the tears devour you."
Lindsey and Randy finished their walk down the aisle and Laszlo and Tallulah started their walk.
"I want to stand with you on a mountain. I want to bathe with you in the sea. I want to lay like this forever until the sky falls down on me."
Aunt April and Carl started their walk down the aisle.
"Oh, can you see it, baby? You don't have to close your eyes 'cause it's standing right before you. All that you need will surely come."
Billie started her walk down the aisle.
"I'll be your dream, I'll be your wish, I'll be your fantasy."
My mom pretending to throw flower petals as she started to walk.
"I'll be your hope, I'll be your love, be everything that you need. I'll love you more with every breath, truly madly deeply do."
The song faded just as my mom finished her walk down the aisle. Pachelbel's Canon in D started to play. I felt anxious, even though I knew today was not the wedding day. After a minute, I saw Uncle Donnie emerging with Karena, stopping at the aisle entrance for a moment. Uncle Raph and Auntie Mona were behind them at a distance. After a few more moments, Uncle Donnie escorted Karena down the aisle. They took their time, walking to the tempo. My dad messed around with the music some, editing out some parts of the song as they went.
"Now, Wilbur, you're going to greet Donnie at the end of the aisle," Uncle Leo told him.
Wilbur walked down the steps, shaking Uncle Donnie's hand. Uncle Donnie gave Karena a hug. Then, as the song concluded, Karena walked up to the altar with Wilbur while Uncle Donnie walked to his chair.
"I don't think we need to do a single thing again, right, Leo?" my dad asked with a grin.
"I really think this will work!" Uncle Leo replied enthusiastically. "What do you all think?"
We all murmured in agreement. My dad gave the microphone to Auntie Karai.
"Then you may take your seats," Auntie Karai said with a smile.
Everyone who wasn't at the altar sat down.
"Now this is the ceremony itself," Auntie Karai explained. "I will first greet everyone and explain that Leo and I are performing a marriage ceremony for Karena and Wilbur. The ceremony is mostly about readings from the twelve of us. Leo and I will do our readings first, and then every member of the bridal party will do a reading as well. It will start with Athena and end with Carl. Leo?"
"Then I will ask Wilbur and Karena to recite their vows and their I do's," Uncle Leo continued. "And then Lily will sing a song while Wilbur and Karena light their unity candle. Donnie will then say a prayer, and I will declare them husband and wife, tell them to kiss, and then Mikey will start the recessional."
Uncle Leo handed the microphone back to my dad.
"Alright, now we're going to practice the recessional," Dad announced. "It is only the bridal party exiting this time, and it will go in this order: Wilbur and Karena; Carl and April; Laszlo and Tallulah; Randy and Lindsey; James and Lily; and Ryan and Athena. Let's practice now."
Dad started to play Yiruma's It's Your Day. I patiently waited my turn. I watched Wilbur and Karena walk back down the aisle. When they reached the end, Aunt April and Carl walked down. We all timed the recessional perfectly, and by the time James and Lily reached the end, Ryan and I walked back down.
"That was perfect!" Dad yelled excitedly. "Now, we're going to do one more thing since this setting is similar to the setting at Robinson Industries. We will simply discuss how you will enter the reception. I will not reveal the song because it is a surprise, but please keep in mind that the order is the exact reverse of the recessional. We'll start with Athena and Ryan, and we'll finish with Wilbur and Karena. Sound easy enough?"
We all nodded in agreement.
"Perfect! Now, let's eat!"
LILIANNA'S POV
I sat between my dad and my boyfriend, enjoying my pizza dinner. The rehearsal went smoothly. Our practicing the processional went exactly the way Uncle Mikey dreamed of.
It made me smile seeing my family in their roles. Uncle Raph and Auntie Mona were the last couple in the family to get married, and they had married in 2020 during the COVID pandemic. From what my dad told me, it was a very intimate wedding with only the Turtles, their wives, Casey Jones, and Shinigami present. Each member of my family embraced their role in Wilbur and Karena's wedding, and I knew they were not going to take it for granted.
Suddenly, I heard the clinking of a glass, and I turned to see Cornelius preparing to make a speech.
"First, I'd like to say thank you to every one of you here. You have gone above and beyond to make this wedding a success, and you have supported Karena and Wilbur in every way. And now, I'd like to make a toast to my son Wilbur. You came into this world with a bang, and your spark never faded away. You have made life very entertaining here, from watching me invent things to chargeball to time travel. You have grown up so much, and words cannot describe how happy I am that you found someone to grow old with. I love you, son. Karena, welcome to the family, and we love you very much."
"Hear, hear," Franny said happily.
We all cheered and drank whatever beverage we chose for the night. I heard more clinking, but this time, it came from my dad.
"I'm technically not Karena's father," Dad spoke with a kind smile. "But since I am walking Karena down the aisle tomorrow, I feel that I should say a few words about the bride. Karena, I was only fifteen when you somehow entered our lives in 2013. And somehow, you changed the world for all of us. Meeting Wilbur was a huge piece of puzzle not just for your life, but for all of our lives as well. Karena, I am so glad you have found your happiness through your travels through dimensions and time, and I am extremely honored to walk you down the aisle as a father-figure, 29 years after our first meeting, though it probably only feels like five years. Karena, may you and Wilbur be blessed manifold. To Karena and Wilbur!"
"Cheers!" we yelled excitedly.
We drank again. I felt a tap on the shoulder and turned to see James gazing into my brown eyes.
"Would you like to take a walk with me?" James asked me.
"Sure! Did you want to go right now?"
"Actually, yeah, if you don't mind."
"Not at all. Let's go."
I followed James outside to the garden. The sky was bright with lots of stars in the sky. The city of Todayland was illuminated in the distance.
"I sense there's something on your mind," I spoke first.
"How do you feel about us being married someday?" James asked.
"It'd probably feel wonderful," I answered while thinking about the next thing to say. "But I know I'm not ready for marriage. I'm not even eighteen yet."
"Ooh, I didn't think about that," James replied, rubbing his neck.
"And besides, it's been nice knowing each other," I continued on. "Going to the same school has helped our relationship a lot".
"All of those study sessions together, those nights when we decided to go to the theater and watch a movie, it's been fun."
"You wanna know what I've cherished this whole time? Getting to know each other again. High school's been one strange adventure for us both."
"I still feel stupid for what I did my junior year," James replied. "I should have recognized you all that time and I mistook you for--"
I placed a finger on his lips.
"It's all in the past," I told him with a fond smile.
I pulled him close to me and I closed the distance with a sweet kiss on his lips. He moaned, pulling my body against his. I moaned in return, enjoying the pleasure.
"If this is what being married will be like, then I want it," I told him with a seductive tone.
James laughed gently as I rested my head on his chest.
"But let's maybe wait a little bit," James told me.
"I agree. And besides, when the time is right, please ask my dad for his blessing first. My dad Donnie... he's the first man to love me. He's the one who discovered me, not my mother. He's always held me with love and he's always given me this smile that tells me he loves me with all his heart. He'd give his life for me. I'm his precious little girl."
"I understand. So along with asking for his blessing, I'll also promise him I'll take care of his baby girl."
"I think he'd like that," I replied. "But also promise me that you'll be serious about this kind of thing."
"I promise."
I realized something in that instant.
"James, you trust me, right?"
"Of course. Why? Don't you trust me?"
I gazed up into his blue eyes.
"Marriage is all about trust. And it's time I tell you something else about myself."
I started to back up.
"I am Lilianna Hamato. But now..."
I did the spin, transforming myself into my other identity.
"I am also Aumanil. I am free to use my powers however I want to, and I want to use them to help people, save the world."
James chuckled.
"Lily may be my girlfriend, but Aumanil's a little sexy."
My smile disappeared, and I raised an eyebrow at him, putting my left hand on my hip.
"I'm the same person, James."
"I know, I'm teasing you. But why this change? Why can't you stay Lily the entire time?"
"I've made so many mistakes with my powers in public and I felt... trapped. Aumanil set me free. Lily has a pure and innocent heart, but Aumanil's heart is one of compassion."
"I think I understand," James replied. "You have to know your entire self, and Aumanil is just a piece of the puzzle to the one known as Lilianna Mae Hamato."
"Exactly!" I replied happily.
"So, what can Aumanil do?"
"I'll ask again: do you trust me?"
For the first time ever, I gazed into his blue eyes, and I felt... happy. Not just happy that I can read his mind with my natural blue eyes, but also because... I was in love with him.
"Yes, Aumanil, I trust you."
"Grab onto me, and hold on tight."
I felt James' strong arms around my waist. I closed my eyes, concentrated, and I felt us lifting off the ground.
"Lily, what's going on?" James asked in a panicked voice.
"Hang on!"
With all the confidence in the world, I flew all around Todayland with James holding on to me. It felt freeing flying in the air, but it felt romantic too with James holding on. I had laughed because my boyfriend screamed at first. Then he cheered. I cheered along with him as we flew circles around Robinson Industries.
"Why don't we check the ballroom out?" I asked.
"Sure!"
We flew into the window of an office close to the ballroom and approached it. James tried to open the door, but it was locked.
"Let me try," I told him.
I used my telekinesis to unlock the door, and we looked around at all the decorations. There were purple and green balloons that almost touched the ceilings. Venus' white flowers were absolutely beautiful in wooden vases that I had never seen before. I saw I Spy games on the tables next to napkins shaped like roses.
"It is absolutely beautiful!" I said in awe.
"Are you excited about tomorrow?" James asked me.
"I am."
Suddenly, I heard music playing. Our song was playing on the speaker.
"May I have this dance, Aumanil?" James asked, holding out his hand.
I giggled, taking it. We started to sway to the music.
"I can't call you Lily in public, can I?" James asked.
I shook my head, happy that he understood.
"Only my family and Wilbur know about my dual-identity," I explained. "Not even Karena knows."
"How does Wilbur know?"
"Wilbur was initiated into the Hamato Clan a year ago."
"Ah, ninja business. Got it. So you showing me all this means you trust me, huh?"
I gave my boyfriend a firm nod, placing my head on his chest.
"Your secret is safe with me, Lilianna Hamato, Aumanil."