Here it is! Chapter 1 of "The Exodus." YAY EXPOSITION! Yeah, not a lot happens in this chapter. But I promise that Chapter 2 will be FAR more interesting! Anyway, read and enjoy.
Damn that incessant beeping, he thought as he was rudely awakened by the disruptive sound. Cracking open his eyes slightly, he glanced around the room as slivers of morning sunlight filtered through the blinds. "Naga…" He grumbled as he rolled over, pulling his large ears over his face to block out the irritating noise. But 5 minutes later and Stitch could still hear the alarm clock wailing away. Finally achieving full consciousness, he realized it wasn't even HIS alarm clock going off.
Yawning loudly, he sat up in his small bed with a massive yawn, stretching his four arms and flexing his back spikes. He slid out of bed and went to the window, squinting his eyes as he opened the blinds. With a drowsy expression weighing down his features, he watched the bustling traffic rush past his window through the endless city. Skyscrapers extended as far as Stitch could see, the more distant ones shrouded in smog. Various vehicles navigated through the tall buildings, like hornets in a hive, each with their own destination and purpose. Deep in his gut Stitch felt an urge to break through the window and smash the city into ruins. But he would never do it. He was good now, and had been for 14 years. He had long learned how to ignore his destructive impulses. Besides, there were other less innocent things he could smash, like that alarm clock for instance.
Grumbling curse words in Tantalog, Stitch sauntered out the door of his personal quarters and into the living room of the small apartment. Everything in the room was a shade of white, from the upholstered carpet, to the simple furniture, to the walls themselves. Everything looked freshly cleaned and polished, just the way it was supposed to be. And Stitch hated it. It lacked personality and warmth, the very things he came to identify as home.
For the past three years he had lived in this humble apartment on the planet Turo, and not a day went by that he didn't miss Kauai. The sound of the ocean, the smell of the forest, the feel of rain against his fur, all this he ached for terribly. Not to mention his family. He knew it would be hard to leave behind Angel and his children for three long years, and indeed it was. The short visits he could schedule in around the holidays were not nearly enough. But he knew he couldn't take them with him; his children needed a safe place to grow and come to understand their abilities. That place was Kauai, not Turo. He still missed them, though. However, his pain would not last much longer. The three years were up, and today was the day he would begin his journey back to his 'ohana.
Still grumpy from his awakening, he dragged his feet across the living room to the other bedroom in the apartment. Opening the door, he grimaced as the sound of the alarm clock buzzed even louder in his sensitive ears. He stepped into the dark bedroom, and gazed upon the scene before him. Lying sprawled across her mattress, mindlessly sleeping through her irritating alarm, the 21-year-old Hawaiian woman drooled onto her pillow, completely unresponsive to the obnoxious noise. Stitch, forgetting his irritation, smirked at the humorous sight. He walked over to her bedside table and wondered if he could get away with smashing the stupid machine. He quickly calculated the chance that she wouldn't notice, and ultimately decided against it, instead simply turning off the device. He'd let her sleep in a little.
Closing her door behind him, Stitch walked across the living room into the kitchen, which was equally white and tasteless. Jumping up onto the counter, he opened the cabinet and pulled out his most precious possession on the planet Turo. Gingerly he set the machine on the counter, and reached into the cabinet to grab a plastic bag filled with a strange dark-brown substance. Opening the top of the machine, he carefully scooped the brown powder into the device, before scurrying across the counter to the sink and filling up a mug with water. He poured the water into the machine, closed the lid, and plugged it into the wall. With a satisfied sigh he listened as the coffee machine did its magic.
He hopped off the counter and onto the kitchen table, plopping himself down in a chair while he waited for his coffee to brew. He could hear the woman roll over in her bedroom, and he smiled to himself. At least he got to spend these three years with Lilo.
She had just turned 18 when the message came from the Grand Councilwoman. After eight years as an honorary member of the Federation Council, Lilo was being offered the opportunity to become a full Councilmember.
Of course, there were some stipulations. First of all, because the Earth was not itself a member of the United Galactic Federation, she would be part of a subcommittee of the Council, which was composed of worlds being prepared for introduction to the galactic community. Secondly, before becoming a full Councilmember, she would need to undergo three years of intensive training and education on the Federation capital world, Turo. And finally, after the three years, she would need to spend another two additional years on the Earth itself, preparing the global population for its incorporation into the Federation.
Lilo of course agreed without hesitation. Choosing a college, let alone a major, had been nothing but frustrating for her. And an opportunity to work for the Federation itself seemed like the perfect career move to her, even if Nani was a bit reluctant. Nani eventually agreed, but on the condition that Stitch accompanied her to Turo. Lilo had no problem with this arrangement, and after consulting her, neither did the Grand Councilwoman. Stitch, however, had a wife and three children to convince. But he knew Lilo needed him to protect her; she couldn't expect to last long on a completely alien world, surrounded by creatures who wouldn't understand exactly how fragile humans could be. Angel understood, even if she wasn't exactly enthusiastic. And thus, Lilo and Stitch set out for the planet Turo, where she would acquire an education in intergalactic politics.
Stitch started to dose off again as he laid his head on the kitchen table. However, the smell of fresh coffee brought him back to consciousness. Leaping from the table, he scurried to the machine on the counter and poured the coffee into a gratuitously-sized mug. Smelling the cherished dark-brown fluid, he took a small sip, enjoying the sensation of the scalding hot liquid sliding down his throat. He relished in the sharp bitter flavor on his tongue, and without further hesitation he downed the whole mug in 3 massive gulps.
Sighing contentedly, he absentmindedly scratched his chest with one of his upper arms, and decided now was a good time to wake up Lilo.
Waking back into her room, he approached the sleeping figure carefully. Reaching out with one of his arms, he gingerly shook Lilo's shoulder. "Lilo," he said softly, "isa time to get up." Lilo muttered nonsense and rolled over to the other side of the bed, pulling a pillow over her head.
But Stitch was determined. Leaping up onto her bed, he pulled the covers off her and said a little more forcefully, "Lilo, youga need to get up!" Still Lilo refused to respond, grumbling incoherently under her pillow. The day before had been her graduation ceremony, followed by an after-party that went well into Lilo's normal sleeping hours. It was frustrating living on a world with 36-hour days.
Finally, Stitch's voice became stone-cold serious. He muttered, "Naga make me do it." At this Lilo peeked out from under the pillow. "You wouldn't!" She whispered fearfully. "Meega would," Stitch replied menacingly. At that he leapt onto Lilo and began tickling her ferociously. She tried to defend herself with her pillow, but it was no use; Stitch's extra arms blocked her every blow, and tears began to form in her eyes as she was tickled mercilessly. "Okay! Okay- HAHAHA! STOP! YOU WIN! I'M UP!"
Stitch ceased his assault and stood on the end of the bed triumphantly with his four arms crossed. Lilo glared at him, her disheveled hair framing her face. She threw a pillow at him with a smirk, and climbed out of bed in her silver nightgown. "So," she said once she composed herself, "you seem excited about something. Was there an anarchy festival I wasn't aware of?" Stitch hopped off the bed and onto Lilo's back. "Naga funny, Lilo! We go home today!" Lilo glanced into her friend's eyes over her shoulder. "Indeed we do," she said cheerfully. "But not like this," she glanced down at her nightgown. Smiling mischievously, she pulled him off her back and hoisted him under her left arm. With her free hand she opened the door to her room and unceremoniously tossed him out. "Get out you vermin! I need to change!" she stated before slamming the door.
Muttering in mock-anger, Stitch walked back into the kitchen and ordered himself a plate of fried eggs from the replicator. The replicator could make any food or beverage Stitch or Lilo desired, but he still preferred real, machine-brewed coffee over the stuff the replicator churned out. It somehow tasted, plastic, as if something vital was missing from it, even though it was absolutely identical on a molecular level. He supposed it was probably psychological, but he couldn't be bothered to contemplate his mental stability as he wolfed down the steaming eggs. While eating his meal, he could hear Lilo turn on the shower in her bathroom, heard her nightgown slide onto the floor, and heard her inhale sharply as she stepped into the hot water. After finishing his eggs, he leaned over and sniffed the fur on his stomach. Yeah, he could definitely use a shower as well.
Walking back into his bedroom, he opened the door to his private bathroom. He still hated water with an instinctual phobia, but cleanliness was a necessity, and he could endure showers. After all, it was only as bad as getting caught in a rainstorm. Turning on the water, he waited a few seconds for it to reach his desired temperature. Being fireproof, he could withstand fairly high temperatures, and he preferred his water to be practically boiling before he bathed in it. Plus, it cleaned him faster, and thus made his shower as short as possible. Using a special soap Jumba had designed for him, Stitch lathered his fur as the water pounded on his small body. He paid special attention to the little nooks and crannies all over his bizarre physique, such as the space behind his ears, the spaces between his back spines, and the gaps between his arms. He also took the time to clean his reproductive organs, which were normally tucked away in a special sheath between his legs.
Feeling thoroughly cleansed, he turned off the water and stepped into the dryer, which was a contraption specially designed for him. With a loud roar, the floor and ceiling of the dryer blasted Stitch with hot, dry air, while the walls sucked away the water to be recycled into other systems. Using a towel, it could take Stitch up to 40 minutes to dry his beautifully luscious fluffy coat. The dryer reduced that time to about 30 seconds. Now dry and clean, Stitch stepped out of the dryer and used several brushes to comb down his ruffled fur.
Walking back into his room, he pulled on the small black jumpsuit he had laid out the night before, slipping his six limbs into their respective sleeves, and carefully navigating his back spines through the hole on the back of the jumpsuit. Finally, he placed his tiki necklace securely around his neck, the same necklace Lilo had given him 10 years ago. Now dressed, he grabbed the suitcase he had also packed the night before, and carried it into the living room.
Lilo was already waiting for him, lounging in one of the white chairs, her legs crossed and her suitcase on the floor beside her. Her now clean hair cascaded down her back, shimmering like ebony in the sunlight from the window. She was wearing a black jumpsuit like Stitch, with red trim around the collar. In her hand was a tablet, her brow furrowed from the apparently interesting information on the small screen. With a small whiff, Stitch new she had already eaten some waffles for breakfast. She glanced up at him standing in his open doorway, and smiled warmly.
"Ready?" She asked him. "Ih!" He answered excitedly. He hadn't seen his 'ohana since Christmas, and he was itching to leave this terribly boring place behind once and for all. Standing up, she picked up her suitcase, and with a bounce in her step, Lilo led the way to the front door of the apartment, Stitch following her eagerly. Suddenly he stopped in his tracks. "Wait!" He shouted, and Lilo looked after him puzzled as he dashed into the kitchen. She then rolled her eyes as he came back into view carrying his coffee machine under one of his arms.
Giving her a toothy grin, he declared "Now we can go!"
So, Lilo is now an official member of the Federation Council, and must now tell the world that aliens exist! Wonder how that's going to go... Anyway, thank you for reading, and don't forget to review! I can't get better if I don't know what I'm doing wrong.