Hi guys! Hehe, one of these days I'll come up with a story that involves a cousin of Lily's. But this particular song had been in my head for a while and I thought, maybe I can use this with the creation of Aumanil, Lily's other identity.
This first part I wrote are tidbits from chapters of Lily's senior year of high school where she makes a mistake and learns from it. The rest of it is the result of her lesson. I hope you enjoy it!
DISCLAIMER: I not own anything related to "TMNT." Song is listed below. I only own Lilianna.
Song: "Waiting on the Sun" by Sixpence None the Richer
Family: Lilianna, April, Donatello, and Splinter
Timeline: September 10, 2041 - January 13, 2042
Setting: North Hampton, New York, USA
POV: Lilianna
September 10, 2041
"Why should we listen to you, turtle?"
"Okay, boys, that's enough."
"I may not be perfect, but I'm more than qualified to lead a team to victory."
"Well, maybe you don't belong here, freak!"
"Put me down, please?"
I felt myself shake in my sleep as an image of my injuring someone played in my dreams.
"You injured another student?"
"Why should I just sit back and do nothing?"
"I expected better from you, Lily Mae."
"LEAVE ME ALONE!"
"All hope is lost."
"I need time away from Dad for a while."
"Your father is right."
"You don't believe me either."
"My dad is my number one supporter."
"I'm so sorry, Dad."
I let out a loud gasp as I woke up in the middle of the night and sat up in my bed. I had nightmares about my incident with Travis ever since it happened. And those were the worst days of my life. Because my classmates saw the incident, I was going to serve lunch detention the next couple weeks. I had a nasty fight with my father and I thought my mother had abandoned me.
I never wanted something like this to happen again. I put a determined look on my face. Something about me was going to change, and it would start now. I drifted back to sleep, now knowing what I needed to do starting in the morning.
"I'm going nowhere and I'm going to take my time. All the questions of the world, I can leave in my mind. I'm waiting on the sunshine, the sunshine."
I got up at five-thirty and started sketching while thinking about what my new style would look like. I wanted this look to distract from my identity so that no one would ever see me use my powers in the wrong way ever again.
My favorite color was white. I also wanted some flexibility, so I would be wearing pants. Since I am a psychic, I could serve as a spy, so I would only have one sleeve in my torso; the other sleeve would be arms-length.
"Lily!" Mom called from downstairs. "Time for breakfast!"
I glanced at the clock and it was suddenly seven o'clock.
"Coming, Mom!"
I closed my sketchbook and went down the stairs for some breakfast.
October 4, 2041
"I'm waiting for answers. I'm waiting to figure it out. I trip over my chances. I slip through my doubt."
I could only sew in the morning because of my being involved with the cheerleading squad in Todayland. And yet I was making great progress on the pants. But one thing I did not want to do was wear this outfit all the time like Superman.
Suddenly, I heard knocking on the door.
"Lily, it's Mom. May I come in?"
"Is breakfast ready?" I asked.
"Not yet. Dad's making it."
I got up and opened the door to let my mother in.
"That's quite the project you've got going!" Mom said enthusiastically. "Is that for the homecoming dance?"
"No, I already got my dress done."
I walked over to the closet and took out my hi-lo sea-green dress I was going to wear to the dance tomorrow night.
"I love it!" Mom complimented me. "You could be Ariel in that. So now what's the white clothing for?"
I hurried over to the door, glanced both ways, and then closed it.
"Do not tell Dad about this yet. I want to wait until the time is right."
"I promise."
I let out a sigh.
"Mom, ever since the incident with Travis, I've been getting nightmares that it will happen again. So I'm creating a new identity."
I picked up my sketches and showed them to my mother.
"Wow! That's a look, alright. But what do you mean by, new identity?"
"I no longer want to be known as Lilianna, the girl with the powers. That got me in trouble. I want to be free, to be myself, and I can only do that with another identity. From now on, Lilianna Hamato is just a plain girl with self-defense skills."
"Lily, I won't stop you and I know your dad won't try to stop you either. But please let me tell you something."
My mother put a hand on my shoulder and gazed into my blue eyes.
"Daddy and I love you for who you are, Lily, powers and all. If you feel like creating another identity because you feel it's right, then we'll be behind you every step of the way."
I happily embraced her and she hugged me back.
"You know, Lily, I thought about creating a secret identity myself," Mom explained. "I had just destroyed the Aeon crystal that was possessing me and for a moment, I thought I might be able to do all those things that I did while possessed. But your father helped me embrace myself just as I am. Just plain old April O'Neil with psychic powers. It was enough for the clan, after all."
We smiled at each other for a moment.
"Well, go ahead and get dressed. I'm sure Dad will be done with breakfast any second."
I nodded and my mom left the room. I shut off the sewing machine and got myself dressed in school spirit.
November 6, 2041
"I'm going nowhere and I'm going to take my time. All the questions of the world I can leave in my mind. I'm waiting on the sunshine, the sunshine, the sunshine."
I heard knocking on the door just as I finished sewing my jumpsuit. I got up, walked to the door, and answered it. It was my dad, this time.
"Hey, Lily Mae," he greeted me with a smile. "I'm surprised to see your light on. What are you doing up this early?"
"Finishing making a jumpsuit for me to wear when I use my powers."
"Like Wonder Woman?"
"Uh-huh! Hold on. Can you... you know?"
My father turned his eyes away as I changed into my newly made jumpsuit. I grinned when I found it fit me perfectly.
"Okay, you can look now."
My dad turned back towards me as I spun around. I saw a look of awe on his face, his jaws dropped and his eyes widened.
"Now that's an outfit."
"I'm right-handed, so that's why I have nothing over my right shoulder. I am able to move my right arm in any way I need to. The waistline is very flexible in case I need to use my ninjutsu skills."
"But I take it there's a catch?" Dad asked.
"Yes. Would you make brown eye contacts for me? When I wear this, no one can know that I'm Lilianna."
"Now why can't you be like Wonder Woman and wear a tiara?"
I laughed.
"Because it'd still give me away," I answered, pointing to my teeth.
My father shrugged.
"Alright, that's fair. It wasn't the catch I had in mind, though."
"Oh? Then what were you expecting?"
"How are you going to change into that when you need to save someone's life?" Dad asked.
"I... haven't figured that out yet. Do you have any advice for me?"
"Besides wearing it underneath something? Though you might as well wear it as undergarments."
"Very funny."
"Well, I'm off to do some experiments in my lab."
"May I join you?" I asked with a gleam in my blue eyes. "Maybe you can inspire me."
"As long as you get your homework done while you watch me."
"Done!"
I gathered up my books and followed my dad down to the barn, totally forgetting that I was wearing the jumpsuit.
December 25, 2041
"Well, it seems that my weakness is sometimes my only strength. And in my incompleteness, you get your way."
I was still trying to figure out how to make this superhero thing work. Wearing my jumpsuit everyday was not an option. I'd have to make five jumpsuits if that were to happen. Then I thought about the famous spin Diana Prince performed to become Wonder Woman.
In the midst of my family celebrating Christmas, I snuck back up to my bedroom. I was not yet ready to reveal my other identity to the Hamato Clan. I got into my bedroom and I made a beeline for my closet to take out my jumpsuit. I held it close to me as I imagined the Wonder Woman spin again.
I tried the spin, spinning around to my left. But nothing happened. I was still wearing my red Christmas dress and I was still holding my white jumpsuit.
Suddenly, I heard knocking. The door opened and in came my dad.
"You're missing the party," he told me with a grin.
"There's a reason," I simply replied.
"I know. That's why I'm here, too. Here."
My father handed me a small wrapped box. With a smile, I opened the present and uncovered...
"My brown contacts... Dad, you did it!"
I embraced him and he hugged me back.
"Any luck with your jumpsuit issue?"
I shook my head with a frown.
"I tried the same spin Lynda Carter did but it didn't work."
"Well, you're not from Themyscira or Paradise Island."
I hung my head.
"Then I don't have a choice," I said. "I have to make some more jumpsuits so that I'm not just wearing this one every day."
"I'm sorry, Lily Mae. I wish I had another suggestion for you that involves your powers. Well, I'll leave you alone so you can come back to the party on your own terms."
"Thank you, Dad."
My father walked out of the room. I sat down on the bed, contemplating how I could use my powers to transform myself. I played with my hair while I did some thinking.
I can read minds. I can read every movement that goes on around me. I can fly. And I am gifted in the martial arts.
By the time I finished summarizing my powers, I had realized I created a fish braid. I chuckled, deciding to worry about the issue later and join my family.
January 10, 2042
"I'm going nowhere and I'm going to take my time. All the questions in the world I can leave in my mind. I'm waiting on the sunshine, the sunshine, the sunshine."
I put on my vision quest dress and ran to the mountains. I had brought my jumpsuit with me in my backpack. The trek from the farmhouse to the mountain felt effortless. But it was a trek I needed. I needed to find answers.
"Master Splinter!" I called out. "Dad! I need help!"
"What troubles you, Lilianna?"
I turned to the left and I found Master Splinter there with a kind smile.
"I'm creating another identity, sensai," I explained. "I got in trouble for exposing myself with my powers in school and I'm trying to change that so that it'll never happen again. I know wearing the same jumpsuit everyday underneath my clothes won't work. Because then I'd be washing it every other day. And I really don't-"
"Lilianna."
Splinter walked over to me and put a hand on my shoulder.
"You are who you choose to be, not what others make you. You have your mother's spirit. You want to help your family in every way. But you also have your father's intelligence. You want to do this the right way."
"Yes, I do, and also the more practical way. Do you have any ideas?"
"You had the right idea in the spin you attempted before. Do you remember what Leonardo told you in your vision quest?"
"Be bold like the sun."
"You will need to do that again, and you will need to think like the sun every time you perform the transformation."
"But when I went on my vision quest, I had to use my katanas to destroy my spiritual adversary. Does that mean I need to use my katanas again just to transform?"
"You overthink like your father. All you need is the sun. The sun lives inside you, Lilianna. On a sunny, cloudy, or rainy day, you are the sun."
I pondered Splinter's words as I took off my backpack and put it on the ground. I took out my jumpsuit and held it close to me. Then I got up and a song entered my head.
"I'll be around and I will find my way back down. And I'll see the sound of the sun!"
The sound of the sun... I grinned, realizing Splinter was right. I put my free hand on the tails of my white mask. Just as I took the mask off, I started spinning in place to my right. After a couple spins, I saw a bright light surrounding me, but I kept going. After I took a few more spins, I saw that I was no longer holding the jumpsuit. Instead, I was wearing it along with a pair of white boots. I let out a laugh and Splinter smiled.
"Now you know what you must do," he told me.
I grinned and nodded eagerly. I concentrated. Using my imagination, I got off the ground and flew above the trees. I giggled with delight and I flew to my heart's content.
"I'm going nowhere and I'm going to take my time. All the questions in the world I can leave in my mind. I'm waiting on the sunshine, the sunshine, the sunshine."
"The sunshine!" I sang at the top of the world... and my lungs.