Not Just a Breeze

"Agh, these boxes are too heavy!"

Two young men and a woman from a coffee company were unloading boxes of coffee beans from their truck. They were supposed to be carrying them into Kiki's Coffee House, but, as one of them had said, the boxes were "too heavy" to carry.

"I got an idea," said the leader, the only native Hawaiian of the group. "Let's take out summa the coffee beans, and then the boxes'll be half as light!"

"We're not supposed to touch them, Elilu," said a woman with long blonde hair in a ponytail, the aunt of a girl named Elena you may have heard of. "That's breaking the rules."

"Do ya really care, Kathryn?" asked the chubby man who had suggested that the boxes were too heavy in the first place.

"I don't, for one," said Elilu. "Let's just do it. It's hot out here in Kauai, and I'm tired o' liftin' all these coffee beans." He turned to the other man. "C'mon, Joe. Why do we care what this awful excuse for a worker thinks?"

"But it's against—" Kathryn sighed. She knew they wouldn't listen. "Elilu… please listen to me for once."

"No," said Elilu promptly. "Now who did Boss put in charge again?"

"You," said Joe instantly.

"You," said Kathryn sadly. "I suppose I'll have to listen to you." She sighed.

"That's more like it," said Elilu. "Now c'mon!" He opened the first box and dug his hands into it.

"You're a chicken," Joe told Kathryn, and started grabbing handfuls of coffee beans and throwing them out of the box and onto the ground.

"No, you idiot!" shouted Elilu. "Stop! Stop!"

He did stop, but it was too late. The ground was freshly watered and now all the coffee beans were soaked… including a large blue one that rolled under a table. And the three workers were too busy arguing to notice a light shining from under the table, and the "coffee bean" that was really an experiment pod turn into Experiment 521.

521 was a white experiment with a light blue stomach and insides of ears, and dark gray eyes. She had small, fluttery blue wings on her back and no claws on her fingers. She poked her small blue nose through the legs of the table and saw the group still struggling with the boxes.

"Hmm," said 521, and then she grinned. She blew gently on the boxes, and they lifted up into the air.

"Whoa," said Joe softly.

"Shut up!" said Elilu, who had his back turned. "If you're siding with Kathryn on this then fine but—"

"No, Elilu," said Kathryn, "look."

He did. "What's so—whoa," said Elilu.

The boxes flew slowly into the coffee shop, landing gently on the floor.

"I'm going mad," whispered Elilu.

"You're not. We can't all be imagining the same thing," said the practical Kathryn.

"Yeah, I see it too," said Joe.

"There can only be one explanation," said Elilu. "Angry Hawaiian spirits! And there's only one thing to do."

"What's that?" asked Kathryn.

"RUN!" shouted Elilu, and the three of them jumped into their truck and drove away.

521 giggled. "Nala varunda," she teased them. She had a high-pitched sort of voice with an accent like Stitch's. 521 jumped out from under the table; there was no point in hiding now that they were gone. She looked up and saw a large palm tree, its leaves blowing in the breeze.

"Oh!" said 521, intrigued. She turned her legs into a long white tail and flew up to the top of the tree. She was disappointed, however, when no other wind-controlling experiment was to be found.

"Nala iggie-takka," she told herself. She looked around. "Nags hugata." She sighed. 521 was lonely.

She flew down from the tree and turned into a wisp of air. That always cheered her up. But not this time; she had become the wind in vain.

The experiment pod container in Gantu's ship was beeping, and it had woken up Experiment 625. He grumbled and reluctantly got out of his bed, walking over to the container. He lazily pushed down the top. "This'll make it stop."

The container turned green and showed a picture of 521. "Warning: Experiment 521 activated. Primary function: controller of wind and atmosphere."

625 ignored the container and waddled back to his bed. "Goodnight."

It was noon.

Gantu walked into his ship to the sound of 625 snoring. "625!"

625 was still asleep.

"625!"

625 didn't wake up.

Gantu glared at 625 and kicked his bed over.

"Whoa!" 625 tumbled out of his bed. "Why'd ya do that, Fish-face? You coulda just shouted 'wake up' or something. I woulda woken up."

Gantu growled. "625, did anything happen while I was gone?"

"Well, let's see… I ate sandwiches, took a nap, tried to make Angel fall for me again—"

"I mean did any experiment pods get activated!"

"Nope," said 625. "Better luck next time, Chubby-chops."

From the back of the ship, a loud noise was heard, but Gantu assumed it was the phone and 625 didn't care. Fibber was beeping.

"The ancient Hawaiian spirits are the all powerful beings that run the world. Like Pudge for example. When you do something bad, the spirits get angry and the world comes to an end. That's why you gotta be extra careful."

"Ih!" said Stitch. Lilo was explaining to him what the Hawaiian spirits were after he heard something about them in the news.

"It's a wonder that the world hasn't come to an end yet with all your cousins being so naughty," Lilo went on. "But I guess Pudge forgives illegal genetic aliens."

"Yeah," said Stitch. "Cousins forgiven."

"But they might not forgive you 'cause you know how to behave," said Lilo. "So try to be good, okay? If the Hawaiian spirits are up and attacking people, then you'll be one of the first to go."

"Ooh." Stitch shuddered. "Okay."

"C'mon, let's go see if any if we can find any of your cousins, Stitch," said Lilo, gesturing towards the door. "Let's look down by the beach. No one, not even an experiment, can resist going on a hot day like this."

Stitch nodded. "Ih."

They were halfway to the door when Nani stepped in their path. "Where are you two going?"

"To the beach," said Lilo.

"Find cousins," Stitch added.

"No you won't," Nani said, frowning. "Lilo, you have hula class to go to."

"What?" asked Lilo. "But—"

Nani glared at her. "You wanted the lessons, you have to take them."

Lilo groaned and ran upstairs to get her bag with Stitch at her heels.

After hula class, Lilo and Stitch walked down the steps after Mertle, Teresa, Yuki, and Elena had run off.

"Look for cousins?" asked Stitch.

"Not now, Stitch," said Lilo. "I gotta practice my hula dance." She sighed. "Sometimes I wish we could just do whatever we want, whenever we want, like Bonnie says."

"Why not?"

"Grown-ups. They don't like that idea and they rule the world."

"Ah."

"Yeah…"

"Stitch wants to rule world!"

Lilo laughed. "It's not that easy as saying you want to."

"Checkers," Stitch reminded her.

Lilo laughed again. Checkers was Experiment 029. When you put him on your head, Checkers made you the ruler of the world. He'd once made Lilo the queen of Kauai, but things didn't work out so well.

"Cousin," said Stitch. "Ohana."

"Don't try to persuade me to go experiment hunting," said Lilo. "Remember the spirits."

Stitch growled and sniffed the air. "Lilo!" He grabbed Lilo's arm, worried.

"Stitch? What is it?"

Suddenly, a giant palm tree lifted up into the air and came crashing down right where they had been standing a moment before. Lilo screamed.

Stitch put a finger to his lips. "Shh."

"Spirit!" gasped Lilo. "It's one of the spirits; they're mad at you!"

"Naga," said Stitch, but then he gasped—another tree came crashing down and he pulled her out of the way.

Lilo screamed again. "Help! The spirits are attacking me and my dog! HELP!"
"Naga!" cried Stitch. "Cousin!"

"An experiment?" asked Lilo. "What—"

"Shh," said Stitch. He walked over to a grove of palm trees and looked behind one of them. "Cousin?"

521 shrieked and ran behind another. But Stitch had heard her.

"Cousin!"

521 ran, and was halfway down the road before she found herself face to face with Stitch.

"Hi," said Stitch.

521 shivered.

"Naga hurt cousin," said Stitch quickly.

"Coo…sine?" 521 slowly repeated. "Gaba coo-sine?"

"Cousin," said Stitch. "Friend. Achi-baba. Ohana. Family."

"Achi-baba?" asked 521.

Stitch nodded. "Ih, achi-baba," he said, holding out his hand.

521 gazed up at him. He did sort of look like her…

"Okataka," said 521. She took her hand in his, and together they walked off.

Lilo, Stitch, and 521 walked into the house to Nani's shouts of "What did I tell you about keeping experiments in the house?" and Pleakley's "Not another little monster!" and Jumba's "Ah! Experiment 521!"

"Eek!" shrieked 521, diving under the sofa for cover.
"It's okay, little cousin," said Lilo crawling next to 521. "They're friends."

"Achi-babas," explained Stitch.

"Naga knota," said 521 slowly, but she came out from under the couch even though she wasn't so sure.

"So what's this little monster do?" asked Pleakley.

521 shuddered. "Monster?"

"Pleakley naga mean monster," said Stitch quickly, "he mean you."

"Meega… is… monster!" 521 giggled and clapped her hands.

"This is Experiment 521," said Jumba. "She is having control of the atmosphere of Earth, also being called 'air.' Makes big storm or just tiny breeze… she was so-called 'Hawaiian spirits' on news, eh?"

"Meega on news?" asked 521.

"Ih!" said Stitch.

"Ooh, bootifa," she replied.

"I'm calling her Breeze," said Lilo. "'Cause I know she'd rather make a breeze than a storm. Right, Breeze?"

"Ih," said 521. "Meega is… Breeze! Bootifa!"

"It can't stay here!" said Pleakley angrily. "Just think about what it did on the news!"

"Oocha," said Breeze quickly, "nothing! They just got scared." She surprised everyone by speaking English.

"You can talk?" asked Lilo.

Breeze nodded. "Just remembered how."

"Well, it still can't stay here!" said Pleakley.

"She's not an it," said Lilo, "she's a she. And she'll only stay here until we find her one true place."

"I don't know, Lilo…," said Nani.

"Pleeeeeaaaaseeee?" begged Lilo and Stitch, and Breeze joined in, "Please?"

"Ok, fine," said Nani with a sigh. "But find her a home quickly. I invited Mr. Jameson over for dinner on Friday."

"Yaaaaayyyy!" said Lilo.

Stitch laughed. "Bachaca!"

"Bootifa!" said Breeze.

Nani sighed. "What were you thinking when you let Lilo adopt that thing?" she asked herself.

While Lilo and Stitch were catching Breeze, 625 was channel-surfing. Gantu glanced up at the screen just as the news story about the floating coffee bean boxes came on.

"Stop!" cried Gantu as 625 switched to the Sandwich Channel, channel 6283046. "Go back!"

"Okay," said 625, switching back to the National Turo Professional Wrestling League on channel 1029638.

"No, the news!" shouted Gantu.

"Oh, that one!" said 625, switching to channel 2895955, which was showing the fattest man in the galaxy of Okinat.

"No! The news from Earth, you miserable excuse for an experiment!"

"Ohhh! You should have been more specific, Fish-face," said 625, turning to channel 1, the Hawaiian news.

A reporter was holding a microphone up to Elilu's mouth. "And then what happened, Elilu?"

"The… the boxes started flying!" Elilu squeaked.

"They just lifted up into the air," added Kathryn.

"We thought we were going mad," chimed in Joe.

Gantu grabbed the remote from 625 and switched off the TV.

"Hey!"

"625, you told me that no experiment pods had been activated today!"

"Hey, I forgot!" said 625 indignantly. "And it was Experiment 521 for your information."

"521…" Gantu scrolled through the experiments on the container until he found her. "625?"

"Yeah?"

"We're going abomination-hunting."

"You're not taking me along!" cried 625. "Remember the last time, Chubby-chops? Eh?"

"You don't have to do anything," growled Gantu, "I have a plan."

"Here we go again," muttered 625.

"You see, 625, the little trog 521 probably has no idea what other experiments are designed to do. So if you just stand in front of it and growl or something it'll get scared… and then I'll pounce."

"If you say so," said 625, taking a bite of his sandwich.

Gantu had concluded that 521 was most likely at Lilo and Stitch's. And so he was hiding under their house and 625 was at the door.

"Remember the plan, 625," Gantu hissed.

"I know, I know," said 625, knocking.

Lilo answered it. "Hello—Sandwich Boy? What are you doing here?"

"Listen, Lilo, Gantu kicked me out."

"Really?"
625 nodded. "Yeah, and I was wondering if I could stay here and you could find my one true place like with all my other cousins. I see you've given me a name, that's a start. You never even tried to rescue me, imagine that!"

"Well…" Lilo thought this over. "I always thought you liked living with Gantu."

"Well you were wrong then, weren't ya? I never did. He was always calling me names—'Fatso' and 'Trog' and 'Freeloader.' He was always making me do all the chores while he went out experiment hunting. Why'd he get to do all the fun stuff?"

"Wow," said Lilo. "Um… c'mon in."

Gantu beamed. 625 was a good liar. He followed Lilo inside, but he stopped first to wink at Gantu, who chuckled, "Everything going according to plan."

Stitch growled when Lilo walked in with 625, but she put up her hand. "It's okay, Stitch. He's good now."

"You sure?" asked Stitch.

"Yeah, she's sure," said 625. He ran into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator, rummaging inside.

"Sandwich Boy, no!" shouted Lilo, dragging him out of the fridge.

"Aw, c'mon!" moaned 625. "I'm hungry!"

"No!" said Lilo. "If you're gonna live with us, you gotta learn to… um…"

"…eat less," Stitch finished.

They heard a giggle and turned to see Breeze standing in the doorway. "Funny."

"521," whispered 625. Gantu had never said that the experiment he was supposed to be tricking was female!

"Gaba?" asked Breeze, still giggling. "Naga sonika."

"Nothing," said 625 quickly, then adding, "Hey, 521, you got anything to eat 'round here?"

Breeze burst out laughing. "You funny! And meega is Breeze, naga 521. Kadu nala?"

"'Kadu nala?'" asked Lilo.

"What his name," Stitch translated.

"My name is—" 625 paused. Sure, his number was 625 and Lilo called him "Sandwich Boy," but he'd never really had a proper name…

"Well?" asked Breeze.

"I… don't have one," said 625. "My number is 625 though…"

"Hmm… your name 625y," said Breeze, "it sound good."

625 laughed. "'625y?'"

Breeze frowned. "You no like?"
"No, I do," 625 assured her. "It's just that 625y sounds more like a pet name, an affectionate name."

Breeze blushed. "Okataka…"

Stitch laughed. "Breeze and 625y… sittin' in a tree…"

"Stitch!" scolded Lilo, but she was smiling.

"…K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Stitch finished.

"Ki-ss-ing." Breeze sounded out the word. "Kissing?"

"Ooh…," said 625, and he whispered something in her ear that made Breeze turn positively beet red.

"Naga kissing! Naga!" she shrieked, laughing her head off.

625 grinned slyly. "I dunno… would it really be that bad to kiss meh?"

Breeze continued laughing. "Yes!"

"Oh…," said 625. He knew he should kiss her, then and there. It would have been perfect… but he didn't. Of course he hadn't gotten the time yet to know her, to love her, but… Angel had rejected him, and how many potential mates to you get? The only female experiments who were anything like him at all were Angel who liked Stitch and Bonnie who liked Clyde… and Breeze, who liked no one.

"You look sad, 625y," said Breeze. "Why?"

"What? Oh," said 625. He realized he'd been thinking about something else, and Lilo and Stitch had gone off. "It's nothing."

Breeze looked suspicious, but how could he tell her what he was feeling? Hi, I'm sad that you don't want to kiss me even though I've only known you for three minutes! No, that sounded stupid, he told himself.

625 suddenly remembered the plan. He leaned out the window and said "Oh, look, a bird!" rather loudly. There was no bird in sight, but this was all part of the plan. When he cried out "oh, look, a bird," Gantu would know it was almost time.

"Hey, Breeze, what are you designed to do?" asked 625, trying to sound mildly curious.

"Breeze control air," Breeze explained. "You?"

He leaned in closer to her. "I'm the ultimate weapon experiment," he whispered. "I'm all powerful."

"Hmm," said Breeze thoughtfully.

She doesn't seem to care, thought 625, but he went on, "I was designed to be a killer. And ya wanna know how I kill?"

"No," said Breeze.

625 ignored her. "How I kill is: I sneak up behind you…" He snuck up behind her. "…and shout… BOO!"

Breeze laughed. "You kidder, not killer."

625 froze. Gantu would come and try to catch Breeze any second now, but she wouldn't be paralyzed with fear like in the plan. She'd probably escape and Gantu would call him "miserable excuse for a trog!" or something like that. Panicking, he could only think of one thing that would momentarily stun Breeze. It was his only hope, and so he tried it.

625 jumped on top of Breeze, and kissed her.

It was very cramped lying under Lilo's house for a 20-foot-tall alien, but that's exactly was Gantu was doing. He was waiting for the signal, the signal so that he knew it was time to "pounce" on 521.

Sometimes, like now, Gantu wondered why he even put up with all of this. Anyone in the Galactic Alliance could give him a better job, and easier at that. And they wouldn't call him so many annoying names when he failed.

"Funny!" Gantu heard 521 giggling. He sighed, knowing that 625 would mess up. He had never told 625 that 521 was a girl, and he wondered if 625 had a thing for female experiments, or just liked Angel like his other cousins.

"Oh, look, a bird!" he heard 625 shout, much later.

"Almost time," Gantu muttered. "Almost." He crawled closer to under the kitchen to better hear their conversation.

"Hey, Breeze, what are you designed to do?" asked 625.

Breeze? Oh, great, he's getting attached to her, thought Gantu miserably.

"Breeze control air," 521 replied. "You?"

625 was whispering, and so Gantu crawled out from under the house to hear him better. "I'm the ultimate weapon experiment," said 625. "I'm all powerful."

"Hmm," said 521.

"I was designed to be a killer," 625 went on. "And ya wanna know how I kill?"

"No," said Breeze.

"How I kill is: I sneak up behind you… and shout… BOO!"

That's my cue, thought Gantu. And he was too busy getting up to notice the end of Breeze and 625's conversation—after the kiss.

"G-gaba?" asked Breeze, startled.

"Truthfully, I love ya, Breezy," said 625.

"But—but—love?"

625 chuckled. Breeze was paralyzed with shock, just like he had planned. And suddenly, the roof of the house was lifted off and an experiment container came down all around her.

"G-g-gaba?" She turned to 625 in shock. "Booshibu! Save me!"

Gantu laughed. "Didn't see that coming, eh, trog?"

"Huh?" She growled at him as Gantu lifted her into the air. "Meega 625y will save me." She crossed her arms, and then looked down at him, worried. "Won't you?"

"It's all over, 521," said 625. "I never loved ya. It was just part of the plan." He laughed.

"No!" Breeze's eyes filled with tears. "Naga!"

"Yes," said Gantu, "I'm afraid so. You fell for our little plot, 521."

And off they went, Gantu and 625 laughing, and Breeze still wondering why she was so sad that it was only a fake kiss after all.

Gantu put Breeze's container down and pressed a button on the TV. He saw her looking at him with interest.

"Gaba da taka?" asked Breeze.

"I'm contacting Dr. Hämsterviel," Gantu explained. "And then I'll send you to him and I'll be rich."

"He's trading you in for money," added 625, because Breeze still looked puzzled.

Breeze gasped, and then growled. "Both of you—evil."

625 looked at her. She was really mad at him. And from somewhere inside of him he felt pity for her. "It's not that, Breezy, I just—"

"Evil," Breeze interrupted. "Using love to torture meega."

"Huh?" asked 625.

"You said da bookily da booshibu," Breeze sniffled. "Meega loved you. But you evil." She turned away from him.

"What is going on?" Hämsterviel shouted, his face appearing on the TV screen.

"Dr. Hämsterviel," said Gantu, "I have finally captured an experiment!" He gestured to Breeze's container, but she was still facing the wall.

"Wonderful!" exclaimed Hämsterviel. "And which experiment is it?"

"Experiment 521, sir," said Gantu. "It can control the wind and Earth's atmosphere."

Breeze growled. She didn't like being called an "it."

625 frowned. "She's a she," he said, "not an it."

"I am not caring about the proper grammar!" roared Hämsterviel, which wasn't much of a roar. "Send the experiment to me at once!" And the screen went blank.

"You heard Dr. Hämsterviel's orders, get the container," Gantu told 625.

"I'm not your slave, you know," muttered 625, but he walked over to Breeze's container anyway.

Breeze gasped. "625y freeing me?"

"I'm sorry, Breezy, but I couldn't," he told her. He picked up her container and carried it over to the teleporter.

Gantu pressed a button. "Teleportation sequence activated. Teleporting in: one minute," beeped the computer.

"And now the little trog will be sent to Hämsterviel whether it likes it or not…," said Gantu, "as soon as I get back from the bathroom." And off he went.

"She's not an it, she's a she!" 625 called after him. "Hmph! He never listens to me."

"625y?" asked Breeze quietly.

"I carry the container all the way to the teleporter—like, a whole yard away!—and do I get a 'nice job' or even a 'thank you'? No!" 625 grumbled.

"625y?" Breeze repeated.

"Yeah?"

"You help meega escape?"

"You know, why not," said 625, and Breeze grinned. "It's not like ol' Fish-face ever does anything for me." He ran over to the controls and pressed a large red button.

"Teleportation aborted," the computer beeped.

Breeze cheered.

"Now, I'll let you escape in one condition, Breezy."

"Ih?"

"You take me with you."

Anyone in Kauai who looked out their window at around 8:00 that day would have seen nothing peculiar going on, but a whole lot of wind would have blown by them. Breeze and 625, both wisps of air, were flying through the sky together.

Breeze stopped and turned back to normal right outside of Lilo and Stitch's house. As 625 appeared, he frowned.

"What's wrong, 625y?"

"Why are we here?"

Breeze smiled. "Come."

625 followed her cautiously up the steps, and stood by her side as Breeze knocked on the door. "Are you sure about this?"

Nani opened the door before Breeze could answer. She screamed, and then realized that they were experiments and not monsters. "Hello?"
"Hello," Breeze pleasantly replied. "Can we stay here?"

"I… guess…," said Nani. "Hold on." She closed the door and called for her sister. "Lilo! There are some experiments at the door for you."

A moment later, Lilo answered the door. "Breeze! There you are! We thought the Big Stinky-head took you away!"

625 laughed. "The 'Big Stinky-head'? I gotta add that one to my list!"

"Sandwich Boy?" asked Lilo.

"He's all good now," Breeze said quickly. "Right, 625y?"

"Uh, right," said 625, looking at his toes.

"C'mon in," said Lilo.

"I don't think so."

Lilo gasped. Gantu was standing right behind them.

"I'll take the little trog back now," he said, reaching for Breeze, who shrieked.

625 growled. "Hey, if you want Breeze, then you're gonna hafta go through me!"

"You?" asked Gantu. "You're a traitor! I'll never take you back!"

"After all the help I was to you in catching Breeze?"

"You set her free!"

"Be quiet!" shouted Lilo. They did. "Look, you can have Breeze back, Stinky-head, on two conditions."

"And what's that?"

"Okay, number one: you can't send her to Hämsterviel."

"What? But that's the whole—"

"And number two: you have to take back Sandwich Boy too."

"That's ridiculous!" said Gantu. "Why would I agree to that? Baby-sit for two lazy trogs and get nothing in return?"
"You get something," said Breeze. "Ohana."

"Ohana?" said Gantu. "Is that your absurd name for another abomination?"

"Naga," Breeze explained, "ohana means family. Family means nobody gets left behind… or forgotten."

"Who taught you that?" asked Gantu, surprised.

"Cousin," said Breeze. "We're ohana. You need 625y. 625y need me. We come with you."

"But—"

"Nobody gets left behind," Lilo repeated.

Gantu stared at her. Here was a little girl who had beat him at everything, and why? He wouldn't be beaten by just her alone. It was because she had the help of her family… she had an ohana and he didn't. He didn't like to admit it, but he knew he'd be lost without 625.

"Fine," said Gantu. "Come along, you two."

Breeze purred, and 625 grinned.

"Ooh, shall we walk off into the sunset like in all those old movies?" he asked her, because the sun was starting to set.

"Naga, that's boring," said Breeze. "Let's fly away in the wind."

"Fly away in the—?" Gantu couldn't finish his sentence because he, Breeze, and 625 were the wind, flying off into the sky.

625 squeezed Breeze's hand. "I love you."

Breeze giggled. "But I'm just a breeze."

"No you're not," said 625. "You're something more, a lot more. You're my booshibu."

Breeze smiled. "You too, 625y."

And together they flew off into the sunset.

THE END