CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
It was 9:00 PM. The campsite at the slope was now TEEMING with humans and trogs and people in between. The space fleet was ready, the armor was set, everyone was armed.
Vee leisurely sliced up an apple with a long knife as she sat on a tree stump in the center of camp. People were whispering around her about her and Barty. When would he come? WOULD he come?...
Then they heard someone call her name.
"VOLTRINNIA!" Barty howled.
They all turned their heads and saw Barty, Jacques, Bellatrix, Grey, Rupert, Ariel and their child, Frank, Victoria and Jude were all approaching her. People cleared a path for them as they walked into the center of camp, all looking intently at her. Barty had a knife in the back of his pants and Jude stood by his side, looking at Vee with utter disappointment.
"When I let you go before, saving you from Samael having his way with you, I figured we were even. I thought that you'd be grateful." Barty growled.
Vee took a looooong peel of the apple and flicked the peeled strip off of her knife as she tossed him a distasteful look. "Years in prison gives one a REAL idea of when people are "even"." She said softly.
"Maybe so, but you should have brought it up with Barty instead of lying." Jude said. "Why'd you lie about him being in league with Samael?"
Vee grinned and tossed the knife in the air, holding up the apple. "No reason…" It impaled the apple with a "SCHLUP". "I just LIKE seeing him squirm."
"Well right now I'd like to watch YOU squirm too…" Barty growled, clenching his fists. "You and me, right now." He demanded.
Vee sneered. "One on one, huh?...you're crazy! But…so am I!"
She lunged at Barty, and the others quickly jumped away as the two began punching, biting and kicking each other. Vee tugged on Barty's hair, making him cry out in pain, so he promptly bit her on the arm and she let out a howl, getting off of him. Barty then grabbed a rock and threw it at her, and it hit the side of her head.
Vee groaned in pain as she held the wound, but Barty was not about to let up. He suddenly transformed into his human disguise and rushed over to the side, grabbing a baseball bat from out of Charlie's hand. He slammed it into the other side of Vee's head and she went flying back. He rushed at her and tried to slam it down again, but she caught it, then jumped into the air, kicking it out of his hands.
Vee then dove for his legs and knocked them clear out from under him, making him fall down hard. She delivered a few harsh, strong punches to his stomach, making him cough and splutter, but suddenly he shoved her off with a burst of strength and ran back in fear as she began to laugh evilly, hands clenching and unclenching, claws unsheathing slowly.
She tried to grab him but he quickly became a bird and soared up through the air. Vee gave him the worst smile that he'd ever seen and she pulled out her pistol, aiming it up at him. He quickly re-transformed into his experimental form but when he tried to turn into a bug to sneak away…he was out of power…stuck.
"You're dead." Vee said, slamming the pistol into her palm. "They know it. You know it." She raised the pistol. "You're dead!"
"NO!" Jude screamed.
"SHUT UP!" Vee howled at him, momentarily turning her head…
It was enough. Barty quickly reached back behind him and flung the knife…it struck Vee right on the hand. She screamed and held it as blood oozed down and she dropped the pistol.
"BARTY! CATCH!" Jude shouted, throwing a Hershey bar through the air. Barty caught it, ripped it open, and stuffed it into his mouth. Vee slowly staggered back up from her knees, but before she could do anything, she suddenly felt a terrible stinging sensation in her ankle. She looked down just in time to see Barty, as a snake, slithering in front of her, with an unmistakable grin on his face.
"Why you little!" She snarled, pulling out another gun.
"You might wanna think twice. You see, I'm now a Coral Snake. We have some of the deadliest venom in the world." Barty dipped his tail slightly in the air, and then held it back up, eyes glittering. "So you have two choices. One: we continue to fight, you get weaker with each exertion until finally you collapse and die in about…oh…" He bobbed his head slightly as he thought. "A couple hours, I estimate…or two, you can find somebody in the camp who MIGHT be able to get the poison out." Barty told her.
Vee bit her lip, looking down at her swelling ankle. Then, after a few minutes, she spoke.
"…alright…fine…" She tossed the gun away. "MEDIC! I need a medic!" She howled out.
Barty re-transformed back into his experimental form as Jacques patted him on the back.
"You're GOOD!" He admitted. "VERY good!"
"The best." Barty bragged.
"This…is…not…OVER!" Vee hissed as Heartwing tended to her leg. She pointed angrily at Barty. "I swear, one day…"
Frank and Victoria groaned. "Can't that dumb b—ch shut up?" Frank asked.
"I know, she's so…"
"Muy loco?" Frank asked.
Victoria tossed him a nasty look. "Just cuz you know some swears and insults-don't give me that look!" She added. "I've heard you, seen you…that doesn't mean you know Spanish!"
"You are just IMPOSSIBLE!" Frank shouted.
"I'LL GET YOU, BARTY!" Vee shouted at him.
"That's ENOUGH!" Jude shouted at her, shaking his fist. "I'm going to tell you what my father always said: love thy neighbor as thyself or so help me, I'll SMACK you one!!". GOT IT?!"
Vee shut up…but some other people were doing the exact opposite. Jay and Leroy were now talking with Stitch and Sandy. "I'm just saying that I think Jay's earned the right to a position in government with all the help he's give you all over the years." Leroy said.
"We all know what this is really about!" Stitch growled as Angel stood by him. "You want him to be in charge!"
"I'M the one who will be king one day!" Sandy insisted, jabbing at his chest with his thumb.
"Well I think I'd do a better job than YOU!" Jay said. "I'M the one who came up with the plan!"
"Guys, guys, stop it!" Grey shouted. "This is not the time or-"
It was as if all of the anger, resentment and prejudice that had been bottled up over the years were coming to full steam. Grey tugged his ears down as he watched brother scream at brother, sister tear at sister's hair, fathers and mothers punching each other and cousins of all sizes arguing. And worst of all, the air itself was dry and dead…unnatural…
Grey suddenly felt him…FELT him…he turned his head and looked up just in time to see a black blur flying away…a black blur with skeletal wings.
"You son of a-" He snarled. Then he shook his head. "No, no! The hating has got to stop!"
Then he looked over at Jude, who had just been punched across the face by Bellatrix. He was whimpering on the ground, holding his hurt cheek as tears slipped down his cheek.
He, Daveigh and Ashton ran over to him, helping him up. "Jude?" Ashton asked.
Jude's lip quivered. He closed his eyes and continued to cry. Then…suddenly…Ashton began to sing.
Hey Jude…don't make it bad…
Take a sad song and make it better!
He gently brushed the top of Jude's head, feeling the crystalline hair in his hands. Jude looked up at him, blinking slowly.
Remember…to let her into your heart…
Then you can start to make it better!
Grey looked up at Ashton, eyes widening. Could…could he be really?...
Ashton lifted Jude up and pointed at Bellatrix, who was now looking at the group with a strange expression on her face.
Hey Jude…don't be afraid!
You were made to go out and get her!
Grey immediately began to harmonize along with Daveigh. People were stopping their fighting and beginning to look at them.
The minute you let her under your skin,
Then you begin…to make it better!
Grey laughed and rubbed Jude's head, nodding.
Any time you feel the pain, Hey Jude, refrain!
Don't carry the world upon your shoulders,
For well you know that it's a fool who plays it cool…
By making his world a little colder!
Na na na na na,
na na na na!
Daveigh kneeled down next to him, brushing the dirt off of him. He had stopped crying and was now wiping his eyes.
Hey Jude…don't let us down!
You have found her…now go and get her!
Let it out, and let it in! David called out, nodding eagerly.
Now Charlie and Heartwing sang as well, and Jay and Sandy found themselves joining in too.
Remember to let her into your heart…
Then you can start to make it better, better, better, better, better, better, WHOAAAAHHH!
Everyone all came together and joined in the song, singing out. The song echoed into the night as the stars began to come out and Bellatrix slowly walked over to Jude, who walked towards her. They held each other's hands, looking in each other's eyes, slowly moving closer and closer…
Na na na na na na na!
Na na na na, Hey Jude!
Na na na na na na na!
Na na na na, Hey Jude!
Na na na na na na na!
Na na na na, Hey Jude!
Na na na na na na na!
Na na na na, Hey Jude!
They kissed. SMMMMMK!
Grey punched the air, cheering!
Ju-Judey, Judey, Judey, Judey, Judey!
Na na na na na na na!
Na na na na, Hey Jude!
…
…
…
…Jacques patted Frank on the shoulder, then nodded and walked over to Rupert, who was rocking his little son back and forth. Rupert looked up at his brother as Ariel came over with their dinners. "What are you up to, Jacques?"
"621 and 123's son Frank wanted some advice." Jacques said, looking a bit proud. "He's alright now though. Say…" He pointed across from their tent at Grey, who at least 100 feet away, sitting by Daveigh with Sandy. "Are they talking about what I think they're talking about?" Jacques asked his brother.
Rupert perked his ears up as he handed Ariel their child. "…oh my…yes, they are…I'd better get over there NOW!" He said, running over.
Grey brushed his hair back, sighing. "So now you know, Daveigh. I…I didn't want to admit it for a long time…but you deserved to know." He looked down at the ground as he sat on the canyon slope, sighing. "…I was afraid to admit this for a long time, that…that I cared about you in a way I shouldn't. And Sandy and Rupert, well…"
"It's true…" Rupert said softly, coming up from behind them. "I did…I did feel more than paternal love for you, Daveigh…I know it may come from the fact I idealize you, but the feeling was there all the same and nothing can change that." He kicked the ground slightly, putting his hands in his vest pockets. "I don't expect you to forgive me-"
"I forgive you." Daveigh said immediately.
They all looked at her, astonished. "R-Really? Why?" Grey asked.
"Stitch one told my grandma Lilo that sometimes he felt the same way about her that you all felt about me. It's no big deal. We all feel like that sometimes, feeling in ways that people think aren't normal. They're normal, there's nothing wrong with it." Daveigh explained. "I mean, it's not like I haven't thought about it a couple times. I mean, to be honest…" She scratched the back of her head. "I imagine that it would be kind of like hugging a dog too tightly..."
Sandy breathed a sigh of relief. "Phew…so, er…since this might be the last night we're all together as one ohana…maybe we should do something special…"
Grey smiled and brushed his hair back. "Good idea! What did you have in mind?"
"I…I'd like to see what my Dad used to be like…" Sandy asked.
"I'd like to see Grandma Lilo when she was young…" Daveigh admitted.
"I'd like to see Jumba back when he was alive…" Rupert asked of Grey.
Grey blinked, then nodded. "Okay…everyone crowd around me and put your hand on me."
They all did so. He smiled. "This feels just like the time I tried to stop Abraham Lincoln's assassination…"
"Oh yeah, that didn't turn out too good." Sandy admitted.
"How?" Rupert asked. "I've heard of Lincoln, he was a famous president…"
"Oh, remember how I told you about the "safe zone" that stems from my watch? It's called the "Reset Dimension." Grey explained. "Now…" He drew on the ground. "Suppose that we…" He made a little dot on the line. "Are here. The line represents the timeline that's unfolded. Now suppose you were able to go here…"
He drew a circle about the line, then drew "them" inside the circle. "THAT is the Reset Dimension, which is capable of travelling…"
He drew lines leading up from the timeline to the circle that represented the Reset Dimension. "To ANY point in the timeline. That's the Reset Dimension. But the problem is messing with the past often has BIG consequences…I wasn't wise or smart enough to do it properly. Abe ended up dying from a lot of...well, very wrong ways, so I tried to wean myself from using it. Now then…I'll show you a good memory."
He raised his hands, held them together, and concentrated. His rainbow aura swirled around them all, forming a large capsule…
Suddenly they were all in Kokaua Town, in the past. Daveigh watched as Lilo stood at the top of a hill, the wind blowing her raven hair back as it caught the sunlight. She was flying a kite along with two other humans, both of which were red-heads, Victoria and Keoni. Stitch sat by her side, happily looking up with Angel as they lay on their backs. Nani and David were sitting together, having a picnic while Pleakley was being tugged away into the air by a kite he didn't have the strength to tug down.
"Holding on, keep holding on!"
"I'm trying! WAAAA!" Pleakley howled.
Grey sighed sadly as he looked at his father, who was his mirror image, albeit a little hairier. He held onto the kite with Lilo, looking back into her eyes occasionally, a smile upon his face that was brighter than the sun itself.
"Good times." He said quietly. "Good times. Simpler…more innocent…I wish I could go back then."
Slowly but surely the image faded and they returned to the slope. Grey sighed. "I sometimes hate my powers…at first I thought it was great that my aura would hold my memories up like home movies for me to see, but then…then it got to be like torture…yet I couldn't stop…can't stop."
"There's nothing wrong with loving your past." Sandy told him comfortingly, putting a paw on his shoulder.
"…mahalo, Sandy." Grey said softly. "That means…that means a lot."
Rupert looked over to the left and saw Victoria looking over the river that ran across the slope, with Frank sitting next to her.
"What do you want?" She asked, a bit annoyed.
"…Victoria, there's something I need to tell you." He admitted.
Grey suddenly perked up. He turned his head and listened intently. "He's…he's gonna do it!" He ran into his tent, coming out with his guitar and going over behind them.
"Do what?" Rupert asked. Jacques approached them, smiling.
"Watch." He said. "Watch and listen…"
Victoria rolled her eyes and turned to look at her brother. "What is it?" She asked.
Frank smiled at her gently. "I haven't ignored Mom's heritage." He said. "In fact…you remember the song they said was played at their wedding?"
Victoria nodded. "Yes, Grey and Rupert brought them a copy of it for their anniversary, why?" She asked.
Frank smiled at her as Grey began to play his guitar.
Clavo mi remo en el agua…
llevo tu remo en el mío!
Creo que he visto una luz…
al otro lado del río!
Victoria blinked slowly. "You…you…?"
El día le irá pudiendo…
poco a poco al frío!
Creo que he visto una luz…
al otro lado del río!Sobre todo, creo que…no todo está perdido…
Tanta lágrima, tanta lágrima,
y yo…soy un vaso vasio!
Oigo una voz que me llama,
casi un suspirooo…
¡Rema, rema, remaaa!
¡Rema, rema, remaaa!
En esta orilla del mundo
lo que nos es presa es baldío!
Creo que he visto una luz
al otro lado del río!
"You…learned…their song?" Victoria asked, tears brimming in her eyes.
"I wanted to surprise you." Frank said. "I performed it for them before they went to Stitch's place, you were already out the door, so you missed it…I've been practicing for two years…fue muy duro, MUY duro." Frank said as Grey sang the rest of the the song.
Yo, muy serio, voy remando,
muy adentro y sonrío!
Creo que he visto una luz
al otro lado del río!
Sobre todo, creo que…no todo está perdido…
Tanta lágrima, tanta lágrima,
y yo…soy un vaso vasio!
Oigo una voz que me llama,
casi un suspirooo…
¡Rema, rema, remaaa!
¡Rema, rema, remaaa!
Victoria embraced her brother and their heads rested on each other as they finished the song all together. Rupert looked over at them, amazed. "He knew their song?"
"Yes, I told him now would be the perfect time to sing it." Jacques said.
Rupert looked over at his brother who shrugged. "What can I say? This occasionally "helping people" thing kinda makes me feel good." He admitted. "And I can't stand seeing siblings fight."
Clavo mi remo en el agua…
llevo tu remo en el mío…
Creo que he visto una luz…
al otro lado del río!
Slowly but surely the stars began to appear. Rupert lay in the tent on his stomach, looking at the starry sky, sighing. This might be the last night he, and so many others, would see as one big ohana. Nothing would ever be the same after tonight.
"Hey…Rupert…"
Rupert turned his head to the right. Grey was sneaking over to him, Jacques's and Ariel's tent. The baby was sleeping soundly in her arms.
Grey knelt down and took his watch over, wrapping it around Rupert's wrist. "Here." He said. "If…if anything terrible, anything AWFUL happens…then you should have this." He told the albino. "Then you might be able to make things right. I'm sure you or your brother would think of something."
Rupert looked bothered by this. "Gee, Grey, I…I don't think I should…I mean, this is your father's-"
"Rupert, you're the one who needs it more than I do…you've got a family to worry about, remember?" Grey told him gently. "Besides, I've lived a very, very long life. If I DO go down, well…" He shrugged. "At least it would have been for a really good reason. So don't try and take it back, alright? I INSIST that you have it, as a gift from one best friend to another."
Rupert took the watch in his paws, looking down at it and blinking slowly. Then he looked up and nodded. "A-Alright. I…I'll take it." He said.
Grey smiled and nodded. "Well, I'd better get some sleep. Goodnight, Rupert." With that, he quickly crawled off to his own tent and went inside. Rupert put the watch on his wrist, held it up to the moonlight for a few moments, then zipped up the tent and lay back in his sleeping bag, allowing peaceful slumber to overtake him.
Or, at least, that was the plan. But he heard a voice that was all too familiar…a voice that woke everyone up. Followed by another voice that got everyone murmuring and whispering, and other voices that got people running out of their tents to the center of camp…
And there, sitting all together, haloes around their head, was ohana they all knew so well. Pleakley, Jumba, Nani, David, Keoni, Victoria, Myrtle, Nick…and most of all, most wonderful of all…Lilo.
"MOM! DAD!" Grey screamed he ran over and hugged them…or rather, tried to. But he went right through them. His parents sighed.
"I'm sorry, Grey." His dad told him. "We're only here to be heard and seen, not…held."
"Rupert…Jacques…there's hope." Lilo said.
"Is big hope. Especially if using watch right." Jumba said, pointing at the watch on Rupert's wrist. "Remember, use only at very end, as last resort…but be sure to use."
"And by all means, don't you give up on us, you hear me?" Pleakley insisted. "I mean, when we saw you all fighting, it gave some of us a heart attack!"
"By "some of us" don't you mean only YOU, noodle man?" Jumba laughed.
"Honestly. Anyhow, I just want to say that…I'm proud of you, Daveigh…" Nani said.
"You're the best great grandkid we coulda hoped for, y' know." David said. "And…and I'm glad 627 named his kid after me."
"It-it was the least I could do, you…you were really something special, agreeing to be my kid's godfather when nobody else would." Legion said, almost tearing up.
"And I'm flatted you were named after ME." Victoria told Victoria. "Your dad and mom were so awesome. Oh, and they say "hi"."
"At least your dad does." Keoni added. "Your mom says "Hola"."
"Ashton, you…you and Daveigh make a cute couple!" Myrtle admitted.
"Samael has a very nasty trick up his sleeve. Luckily evil is parasitic and selfish. He wants an audience, wants power, wants, wants, wants and never gives back. And for all his so-called power, he lacks a few things that you have." Nick told them.
"One of them is quality of the numbers you have." Jumba said.
"Another is the fact you know where his men will come and where they'll be, so you have the element of surprise!" Pleakley added.
"You can use the surroundings to your advantage as well." Nani told them.
"They don't know the terrain at all. They're haoles." David laughed.
"And Samael lacks something very big: the one thing that can defeat evil in all forms: strength of heart." Lilo said.
"As long as you have that, there's always a way to win." Victoria agreed.
"So you better make us proud, alright?" Nick asked.
"You can do it. We believe in ya." Keoni said.
"Besides, the password is easy…it's you, "Milford"…" Myrtle chuckled.
Grey nodded his head, tears falling from his eyes. Daveigh walked over and put her hand on his shoulder and Stitch walked forward as well, whimpering like a puppy, longing to hold Lilo once more…and then all of the old Pelekai household walked forward and embraced them as best they could…before slowly vanishing into the night sky.
Finally, Stitch spoke up.
"L-Lets get some sleep, we…we got a busy day ahead of us."
"Maybe Jude should recite the Lord's Prayer." Daveigh suggested.
"All right." Jude remarked. "Let's see…now I lay me down to sleep, a bag of peanuts at my feet. If I die before I wake, give them to my brother Jake!"
Everyone drifted off, their own laughter echoing throughout the night.
…
…
…
…it was morning…and the troops were landing on Kauai, teleported in from a huge battleship. They teemed and pulsed, one huge sea of light grey-armored reptilian troops with flimsy-looking black face-covers, thick black gloves and boots while the battleship slowly hovered in space. It had a very large, circular bow with several gun turrets at the front and a triangular stern. It actually looked sharp enough to pierce the very earth itself and rip it apart. At the front of the troops was Chiron, and Garguiem.
"Ready?" Chiron asked.
Garguiem saluted. "Yes sir, Mr. Fishy sir!" He laughed. "Time to 'asplode 'em good!"
Chiron slapped his three-digit "paw" to his face and tugged downward. "Oh for the love of…stupid bomb-happy…"
He turned around to face the troops. "We now move out!" He howled, raising his a very long, thin, plasma cannon. He was bristling with guns from head to toe, and had a string of small handguns attached to his body, and grenades on his belt. "Remember: WE DO NOT TRAIN TO BE MERCIFUL HERE! MERCY IS…"
"For the weak." Everyone repeated back, by now VERY tired of Chiron's constant reiteration of this point.
"Hey…wait…where are they?" Garguiem asked, pointing at the town. The collective force of troops all turned their heads in a wave-like motion and looked at the town.
"…what the?" Chiron remarked.
"Nobody's there!" Someone shouted.
"The hell!?" Another person yelled out.
"Well where are they!?" Chiron snarled, clenching his fist, not noticing the sun was rising…higher…higher…
Samael rubbed his chin from up on top of a tree as what the people of Kauai were up to hit him. "This…should be interesting…"
It happened. There was a collective cry from the slope and all of the Galactic Federal Alliance forces heads turned just in time…as the sun caught the armor that the people of Kauai had custom made. It shone the sun down on the GFA's forces, blinding them all. Like one large, shining light, the people of Kauai raised their weapons, fists and friends high.
"CHAAAARGE!" Daveigh and Ashton screamed.
"CRY HAVOC AND LET SLIP THE TROGS OF WAR!" Stitch yelled.
"SNOOTH TO THE DUUUUUUDE!" Grey howled out.
"LET'S KICK SOME CORRUPT GOVERNMENT ASS!" Sandy whooped, moving his fist in a circle around and around in the air.
"It still won't be enough to-" Samael laughed. But then he heard a communication to him from his walkie-talkie.
"They came out of nowhere! Ships…ships everywhere! Felinians, Langolians, these freakish-AAA! NO, NO, STAY BACK! Don't you have the Three La-AAAACCCCKKK!"
Samael looked up into the sky, blinking. "They…phoned a friend?"
"Several." A voice said to Samael's right. He turned his head just in time to have a fox cut hm straight in half across his surprised face, dissipating his body in black smoke. The Foreign experiments all grinned and looked upwards at Vision and Daze, as the Lord of the Dreamtime and Anzac stood by Senkoukura in his fully-transformed form.
"I guess the main battleship is ours." Fenwick said politely. "They should have used a better password besides "rat", eh wot?"
"And if Rueben and the space fleet do a good job, the skies are ours!" Vision said.
"Let's GET them." Senkoukura said, grinning and showing off his pearly white fangs. "CHARGE!"
Author's Note:
And so the final battle begins! Things are looking up for once…the good guys caught the bad guys with their pants down, and while they might not outnumber them, there's enough hard-hitters to make sure that quality trumps quantity…
Of course, I'm sure you've realized by now that nothing is ever that simple around here. So stay tuned! I'm not even going to do a preview because that would give away too much juiciness!