~Woohoo! Final chapter! . . . Enjoy! . . . And always Review. :3 ~
*** *** ***
We slowly moved up the rough stairs to the hammock where the two sisters where. Before we got to the top, a duck, very similar to the duckling in the book, waddled out into our path. We stared at each other. It then looked over it's shoulder and made a sound, and five younger ones popped out of the bushes, and followed their mother away.
It was as if Fate had grabbed me by the back of my head, and shoved it into Reality. Like Fate was saying, "Look, here, see that? You might have had a chance at this, but no, you where selfish. Now you'll never get a real chance."
"Lilo, honey. . . We have to, uh. . ."
"Don't worry, you're nice, and someone will give you a job. I would."
A sigh. ". . . Come here. . ." The young girl shifted into her sister's lap.
"Aloha 'Oe. Aloha 'Oe. . . E ke onaona noho, I ka lipo. . . One fond embrace, a ho'i a'e au. . .Until we meet again. . ."
As the sad song progressed, I involuntarily moved closer. Even 6-2-6 was listening intently.
*** *** ***
Now that I knew more about this planet. . .I felt that I should at least know all of what I had just destroyed. I decided to go and look at the object at which Lilo had said never to touch. The picture. It was a simple thing. . . Nani, and Lilo, and two similar looking natives. But even I could guess why this picture alone was cherished, for we had never seen the other two natives before.
"That's us before. . . It was rainy, and they went for a drive. . ."
I was surprised by the next question.
"What happened to yours?" Jumba is mine. . . Big Monster. . . But he's also out to kill, or capture me. Take away my freedom.
"I hear you cry at night. Do you dream about them?"
. . . I cry? I've never really noticed that before. . .I kneaded the pillow with my paws subconsciously.
"I know that's why you wreck things, and push me."
. . . That's right. . . Jumba made me like this. . . But I never knew it hurt this little girl so much. . . I made a decision. I was to leave. I didn't want to hurt this little girl any more than I had already. I would take the book, though. . . I needed a reminder.
"Our family's little now, and we don't have many toys. But if you want, you can be a part of it. . .You could be our baby, and we'd raise you to be good."
I don't think she understands. . . I wrecked it. Her family. She wouldn't want me around when she finally grasps that concept.
"O'hana means family. 'Family' means nobody gets left behind. But if you want to leave, you can."
I hesitated, then I put the book on the window sill. I stand by my earlier decision. I followed the book. Even so, I still heard her parting comments. . .
"I'll remember you, though. I remember everyone that leaves."
I had to take a final glance into the room. I did this. I made her sad. . . .It's all my fault. . .I have to remember this, though.
I don't want to make the same mistake twice.
*** *** ***
I crawled just out of site of the house. I couldn't stand to put to much distance between me and . . . Lilo. . . For now. I entered a clearing, and opened the book. It was still night, but I had no trouble reading it.
I placed a paw longingly on the family picture, then focused on the other.
"L. . .l. . . lost."
I sat down, defeated.
"I'm lost. . ."
*** *** ***
I'm not quite sure what woke me up. I was still in that clearing from last night. For a moment, I focused on the book before me, before I heard a sound in the woods. I glanced around quickly.
. . . Jumba.
We all growled in our mind at his appearance.
"Heh, heh, heh. Don't run. Don't make me shoot you. You were expensive."
I lowered my ears at that last comment. Was that all I was to him? An expense? He took my silence to be submissiveness.
"Yes, yes, that's it. Come quietly." I backed away slowly.
"Mmm. . . waiting." I protested.
"For what?"
His foot crunched down on my book.
"Family."
"Ah!. . . You don't have one. I made you."
I already knew that. Does he think me daft?
"Oh. . .Maybe I could. . ."
What could I do? How selfish was I?! I had just destroyed a family. . . And now I wanted one of my own? I could almost hear Stitch whispering the same things in my mind.
"You're built to destroy. You can never belong." This comment hit me right in the core. I felt. . . sick. But. . .it's what I deserved. I was almost ready to go with , when,
"Now come quietly, and we will take you apart." That woke 6-2-6 up. He'd been dozing at the back of my mind, but he was our survival instinct. What else could we do?
We ran.
"No, no, no, no, don't run! Don't run! Ayiee. . ."
*** *** ***
We didn't know where we were running. . . We just ran, with Big Monster hot on our heels. Eventually, we found ourselves on the road in front of the house.
'. . .Shelter! That way!' 6-2-6 shouted.
'. . .But Lilo's there! We'll lead Jumba right to her!' Stitch protested.
'Since when do we care?!' Shot back the other. We bounded towards the house anyway.
"Come back here you little. . .!"
I entered the house fairly easily. . . Jumba had a bit of a problem. . .guess why. Almost immediately, I spotted Lilo. How could I have been so stupid? We just led Jumba right to her!
"Stitch?" I panted as I ran up to her.
"What is it?"
"Shh. . ." If only I didn't have to be silent! I turned to lead her away. . .
Crunch! Jumba had arrived.
"Oh, hiding behind your little friend won't work anymore! Didn't I tell you? We got fired this morning!"
'Fired?' 6-2-6 said sarcastically in my mind. 'Why doesn't that surprise me?'
Big Monster cackled. "New rules. . ."
We had to protect Lilo! I shoved her into the side-room, and narrowed my eyes at my creator.
Bzzzzow!
"Ha!"
"Ooh. . ."
. . . Aparently, Jumba wasn't aware of my ability to manipulate plasma. . .
"Hee, hee, hee. . ." . . .Actually, neither was I. I didn't know it was so hot!
"Oh, ooh! Ow! Ow! Ow!"
I threw it. There wasn't any time to think! As I shot into the next room, I heard from somewhere else in the household a faint, "You ain't nothin' but a hound dog. . ."
"What are we going to do?" I thought quickly. . . We didn't have much time. . . Hmm. . . . A basic plasma explosive device should do the trick. . .
*** *** ***
"[Pliers?]"
"Pliers."
"[Screwdriver?]"
"Screwdriver."
Thank goodness for the similarities between Turian and English. . .
"Check."
*** *** ***
"Come out, my friend, from whomever you're hiding behind. . ."
I shoved out my old 'doll' (I never liked it much anyway) on some kind of small transport device.
"What the. . ."
BOOM!
. . . I didn't actually expect Jumba to fall for that. Thank goodness for small mercies. . .I couldn't help but laugh as I crawled on the ceiling above him.
"Come on! What's the big deal?"
"[I think you'd know, Big Monster. . .]"
"I'll put you back together again. I'll make you taller, and not so fluffy!"
Bang! Bang!
"I like fluffy!"
'What kind of retort is that, Stitch?!' asked 6-2-6.
'Best I could come up with. . .'
"[I wonder what you're mother would think if she could see you now. . .]" I nodded smugly at him from my position on the ceiling.
"Oh, leave my mother out of this!"
Crrrrrreeek!
"Oof. . ."
I was currently crushed under a small piece of ceiling. . . I'm getting rusty at these things! I barely heard Jumba speaking as I gathered myself up for a leap.
"You could do with a makeover. I tried to give you my good looks, but let's face it, something went wrong. . ."
Just as I was about to leap, Lilo appeared, trying to beat Jumba away with a broom and a shrill, "No!"
. . . As if that would do much, normally. . . But this time, it was timed right. . .just enough to turn Jumba the other way as I pounced. I snarled as I did so, flipping Jumba over myself and through a wall. I backed up towards Lilo's panicked voice.
"Quick! Follow me! If we make it to. . ."
"You're alive!"
Slam!
"They're all over the place!"
'. . .Was that Pleakley?' asked Stitch. There was a sinister laugh.
"Running away? Here. . . Let me stop you."
Twing!
Thud!
. . . What a time for Pleakley to open the door. . . I searched for something to use as a weapon. . .Oooh. . .
Crash!
"Blue punch buggy!"
Thud!
"No punch back!"
Beep!
'And that was any better than mine?' Stitch whacked 6-2-6 at the back of his head.
'C'mon, guys, we don't need internal battles now, you know. . .' I rebuked.
'Shut up!' They snarled in union.
After Jumba got up, I again threw the car at him. His expression was pretty funny. . . I need another weapon. . . The car's too firmly lodged in what was a wall a few minutes ago.
Hmm. . . Chainsaw. It was 6-2-6's moment to shine.
"Ahahahahahahahaaa. . . Rrrawr!" Suddenly, there was something on our head, and we dropped our weapon.
6-2-6 was out for the count. Stitch was up.
We're doomed.
Hey, was that. . .? I picked it up. It is!
"Ha!" Jumba's council-issued plasma cannon! But, as soon as I drew it. . .
Thunk.
"You shouldn't play with guns."
. . .Only one response to that. Hand over the malfunctioning and potentially lethal gun to an adult with a meek,
"Oh, okay."
"Thank you. . ." Jumba's words caught up with his eyes.
"Oh, I just remembered. It's your birthday! Happy birthday!"
"Merry Christmas!"
"It's not Christmas!"
"Happy Hanukkah!"
. . . Amazing how much you can learn about a planet's customs in only a few days. . .
"One potato."
"Two potato."
"Three potato."
"Four."
"Five potato."
"Six potato."
"Seven potato more!"
"My. . ."
". . .mother. . ."
". . .told. . ."
". . .me. . ."
". . .you. . ."
". . . are. . ."
". . .it.. . ."
"Ha! I win!"
. . . Idiot.
BOOM!
*** *** ***
. . . I wasn't unconscious for longer than a minute. I stumbled from the bushes just as Nani ran by.
'Who's Nani?' asked 6-2-6 as we retracted our limbs. It wasn't too hard to listen to the native's conversation from my vantage point. . . But I still felt guilty. . .
. . . Whatever chance Lilo and Nani had before was again ruined. By me. . . Again. I looked around for something to distract me. . .
There. . . On the ground. . . It was Lilo's picture!.
. . .We had to find her.
*** *** ***
I found her pretty quickly, thanks to my nose. I startled her, I know. . . I wanted to show I was sorry. . .
I gave her the picture.
She took it, and her expression turned from puzzled to resentful.
"You ruined everything." She finally realized it. Stitch and 6-2-6 stopped their bickering for a moment to listen.
What should I do?
'. . . Tell the truth. Like you should have done ages ago. She's done so much to you! . . . And you've done so little for her, aside from destroying her home and family. Tell her!' That was Stitch, if you hadn't guessed.
I couldn't look at her. . . I released my antennae and back-spines, then lifted my existing arms and re-grew my lower ones. I finally looked to see her expression.
". . .You're one of them?"
. . . That was disgust.
'I'm so, so sorry. . .' I whispered in my mind, more to her than my personas. She pushes me.
I did it so many times to her, and she's only done it once. . . But it still hurts.
"Get out of here, Stitch." She turns away from me.
I was about to break my vow of silence, when,
Cri-crunch
Vvvvwoop!
We
were captured!
. . .This can't be happening!
No! No! . . . Walls. . . enclosed. . . everywhere! I struggled.
I think you can tell I'm a little claustrophobic.
"Surprise! Hahahahahahaaa! And here I thought you'd be difficult to catch. . ." We were picked up. "Ho ho ho. . . Silly me. . ."
We were dumped into a containment unit. . . Aparently designed just for creatures such as me.
"There you go, all buckled up for the trip. . ."
Ch-thunk"And look—I even caught you a little snack."
'Mmm. . . Lilo. . . Low in cholesterol. . .' Drooled 6-2-6.
'6-2-6! We can't eat her!' Stitch protested.
'Hey, yeah, you're right. . . It's a long trip. We gotta save her for later!'
'No!' Stitch whapped the other persona on the back of his head. 'We don't eat our friends!' He paused. 'Well, not unless we're really hungry.'
'Uh, guys. . . We can escape, you know?' I interrupted.
'What? How?' They shouted together. . . It still creeps me out when they do that.
'Ummm. . . Remember that training sim we did less than three weeks ago? The escapologist one?'
They paused and accessed the memories.
'Oh, yeah. . .'
. . . If Big, Grey and Ugly hadn't thought of me escaping like this, he probably never actually read my profile. . . Fine by me. . . All the better to escape with, my dear. . .
'Did he actually just think that?' Whispered 6-2-6.
'Uh. . . Yeah, he did.' Confirmed Stitch.
We squeezed out through the tiny seam of the containment unit, but it was only when we'd escaped that. . . We realized that Lilo hadn't. Just as we realized this, Big, Grey & Ugly's ship took off with a jerk, and we went tumbling off.
. . . And didn't exactly have the best landing, either. We stumbled from the foliage, clutching our head. . . We had just barely comprehended what had just happened, let alone what to do. . .
Ch-Thwap!"Aah!"
Something had hit us.
"Okay, talk."
It was Nani.
'Who's Nani?' Asked 6-2-6.
"I know you had something to do with this. Now where is Lilo? Talk! I know you can."
We sighed.
'We should probably tell her too, you know,' I murmured to the others. 'Perhaps she can help?' I look over my shoulder and glare at her. I wanted to tell Lilo first, but. . .
"Okay, okay. . ."
"Aaaah!"
Thwap!
I groaned again. 'What was that for?!' 6-2-6 hissed.
"Where's Lilo?" I sigh, looking down.
"Lilo. . ."
Bzzzzzzow!I yell. 'Now what?!'
Be-boom! Boom!That can only be Jumba. . .
Re-tink, tink, tink!"Ha, ha! Now, all your washing is up!"
Something hard was shoved in my face.
"You're under arrest! Read him his rights!"
"Listen carefully."
My head was hit against something hard. Again. . . And again. I couldn't hear much of anything. . . Except my creators laughter. Heh . . .Big Monster.
The nickname fits better than ever. Somehow, I ended up under his foot. My eyes were being squeezed, and I could just barely make out the outline of Nani. I looked at her pleadingly, and whimpered against my will.
"Huh?"
"Don't interact with her."
. . .Well, at least I was no longer being crushed, but. . . I was still in chains. . . Well, manacles.
"Where's Lilo?"
"Who?"
Whap!
". . .What?"
"Lilo. . . My sister."
I drew back unconsciously.
"Uh, sorry, we do not know anyone by this, uh. . ."
"Lilo! She's a little girl—This big! She has black hair and brown eyes and she hangs around with that THING!"
". . . Uh. . ." Now I felt horrible. . . I lay my ears back against my head. . . This was all my fault. . .
A sigh. "We know her."
"Bring. Her. Back."
"Oh, we can't do that. Uh-uh. That would be misuse of Galactic resources." Jumba shoved Pleakley out of the way, and picked me up.
"See, problem is. . .we're just here for him." He brandished me at her.
"So. . . She's gone?" She looked down.
"Look on the bright side. You won't have to yell at anyone anymore. . . Heh, heh. . ."
Not to my surprise, but definitely to Pleakley's, Nani just knelt down and cried. Her world had come crashing down.
My fault. All my fault.
". . . Come. . ." Jumba whispered, and began to move away.
So did I, until Stitch shoved a memory into my mental face.
"O'hana means family . . ."
I slowed down, then stopped, and walked back to Nani.
At least I could offer a small comfort, and, if I played my cards right. . .
"O'hana." I said quietly. She looked up.
"Huh?" Nani croaked.
"Hey! Get away from her." Jumba snatched me up, but Nani pulled me back.
"No! What did you say?!"
"O'hana means family. Family means. . ."
". . . Nobody gets left behind. . ." She finished.
"Or forgotten." I nodded. "Yeah." After a moment, I turned.
"Hey! [Big Monster! Help us get her back?]"
"What?!" He picked me up and raged, waving me around in his hand. "After all you put me through, you expect me to help you, just like that? Just like that?!"
"[Yes.]"
"Fine." He got out his keys.
"Fine? You're doing what he says?"
"Uh. . . He's very persuasive." I think I saw his left main eye twitch as he said that.*
. . .Hmm. . .
"Persuasive?! . . . What exactly are we doing?"
"Rescue."
"We're going to get Lilo?"
I turned and grinned. "[Yes!]"
*** *** ***
We . . .Cough, 'borrowed-without-asking-for-permission-with-little-intention-of-returning' a motorcycle, much to 6-2-6's glee, and Stitch's annoyance.
While we where letting the wind in our fur, I held a discussion in my head.
'Okay, guys, we need to co-operate for now. I know that we all have become attached to Lilo. . . Don't look at me like that, 6-2-6! . . .I feel that we can all work together to rescue her. Capiche?'
We all looked at each other, then put our mental paws together.
'Yes!'
*** *** ***
We arrived in a little copse of trees. In the center of the plants, was the most beautiful ship I had ever seen. . .Way better than my own police cruiser!
I gasped.
"Oh. . . Yeah, yeah, yeah!'
I couldn't help but clap my paws together.
"What, did you think we walked here?"
*** *** ***
Ah. . . How I enjoy taunting Big, Grey and Ugly. . . After waving to Lilo, a reassurance, I did my little,
"Woo-hoo. . ." routine. . . His expression was priceless!
In the cockpit with Jumba, I was hungry. . .Big Monster always has some food lying around, usually in a glove compartment, or something. . .Hmm. . . How to open it? I pulled.
Snap!Ooops. Oh, well. . .
"Hey! Get that out of your mouth!"
*** *** ***
Ah! It was the time I'd been waiting for!
"Okay, is show time!"
6-2-6 immerged, and we laughed together with evil glee. I'd been suppressing my training for several days now. . . and it wanted out!
"This is it!"
At the opportune moment, I opened the side-hatch and flew out into open air with a loud,
"Go! Go! Go!"
I kept laughing, all the way down to Big, Grey & Ugly's ship. I landed, splat, right on target; the center of his windshield.
His face was a book; the spine read, '. . . the hell?'. I easily skittered along the top of the ship, until finally arriving at my destination; the containment unit, where Lilo was. Her expression was wonderful to behold, and it melted my heart. But I had to focus on the task at hand. I growled to prep myself up, and began clawing at the reinforced glass.
But, suddenly. . . Both of the plasma exhaust tubes where pushing at me. . . I couldn't hold on. I hit several objects as I went down, and I have no will to relive the experience.
I slid to a halt, and the blackness consumed me. . .
Ribbit*** *** ***
RibbitThe next thing I noticed was a weight on my head. . . It was that native from before!
. . . There was no time to think. In one solid movement, I was somewhere else, and there was a pretty large hole right next to me. I saw Lilo as the ship took her away from me. . .I heard her through the glass. . .
"Don't leave me, okay?"
"Okay. . ." All I could do for the moment was hold the green native and murmur despairingly,
". . .Okay. . ."
. . . Until a ground based transport came along. I dropped the native with a determined, "Okay." I flexed my limbs in preparation.
*** *** ***
I now had a plan. . .Well, semblance of a plan.
. . .I was driving blind, hoping to find some inspiration, okay?!. . . But it worked.
I found the lava. In a moment, I was in the center of an area that, if I wasn't fire-proof, I wouldn't have survived there past three seconds. As the ground-based transport sank down into the hot liquid, I left the cabin-area, and scuttled onto the top.
"Stitch!"
I turned. I could see Big, Grey and Ugly mouth the word, "Abomination." What else could I say?
"Stupidhead."
Rrrrrip!Vwooosh!
KaBLOOM!!!
"Yee-haw!"
Crash!
"Aloha!" I laughed maniacally.
'Now tell me we aren't cool. . .' I thought.
"You're vile, you're foul, you're flawed!"
Crunch!
I lifted his hand.
"Also cute and fluffy!" I retorted as I threw him from his ship.
'Also cute and fluffy?' mimicked 6-2-6 sarcastically. 'Nice one. . .'
I knew Big, Grey & Ugly would shoot at his ship, so I hurried to get to Lilo. This time, I didn't bother clawing, I just smashed the glass, and lifted her out with one fluid movement.
"You came back."
"Nobody gets left behind."
She kissed my nose. I had no idea such a simple action could have such a positive effect on me. Then I remembered our situation. I jumped, just as the ship exploded with a deafening,
Boom! Ka-FLOOSH!
We landed on Jumba's ship. For some reason, I grabbed Big, Grey & Ugly. . . I can imagine what'd happen if I didn't. . . He'd be flailing around in the water. . . I can just hear the dialogue:
He'd be like, "I'm drowning!" And we'd be like, "Stand up!"
*** *** ***
"So you're from outer space, huh? I heard the surfing's choice." In a split second, when I first noticed the security personnel, I thought, in vain hope,
'Perhaps they'll let me plead my case?'
Shnnnk. Shnnnk.
"We have 6-2-6!"
"Take him to my ship."
'. . . Guess not.'
I heard Lilo protest,
"Leave him alone."
"Hold on."
. . . Was that Cobra Bubbles? . . . Where'd the **** did he come from? I was being 'escorted' to the ship. (For 'escorted', read 'held-at-gunpoint-and-if-I-so-much-as-moved-without-proper-authorization-I'd-be-shot-without-warning. . . That kind of 'escorted')
"Grand Councilwoman, let me explain—"
"Silence! I am retiring you, Captain Gantu."
". . . Actually, credit for the capture goes to. . ."
". . .Goes to me. You'll be lucky if you end up on a Fluff Trog farm after we sort this thing out."
"Uh. . . I think I should. . ."
"You! You're the cause of all this. If it wasn't for your Experiment 6-2-6,"
'Hey, the least they can do is get our name right,' muttered 6-2-6.
". . . None of this. . ."
"Stitch." We said out loud.
The Grand Councilwoman turned.
"What?"
"My name Stitch."
English was still a little hard in coming.
"Stitch, then. If it wasn't for Stitch, ah. . ." Her brain caught up with her words.
She turned back.
"Does Stitch have to go in the ship?" I asked, gesturing with my bound paws.
"Yes. . ." She said slowly.
"Can Stitch say good-bye?"
". . .Yes."
"Thank-you." I said politely as I walked back towards Nani and Lilo. Lilo hugged me. . . Perhaps for the last time. If only I could hug back!
The Grand Councilwoman bent down and asked, "Who are you?" I turned. Since she already knew who I was, I assume she meant Lilo.
"This is my family." I looked down. "I found it. . . all on my own. It's little, and broken. . .but still good. Yeah. Still good." I then proceeded to walk to the ship. . . At least my conscience was relatively clear. . .
I heard Pleakley comment, "Does he really have to go?"
And the reply, "You know as well as I that our laws are absolute. I cannot change what the Council has decided. . ."
Then. . . "Lilo, didn't you buy that thing at the shelter?" . . .Hmm. . .I'd almost forgotten about that. . .And him, too. . . .Was this a way out?
There was a rustling of paper.
. . . I didn't know Lilo had pockets on that dress. . . "Hey!" She'd pulled on the Councilwoman's robe.
Then, her breathless voice, "Three days ago, I bought Stitch at the shelter. I paid two dollars for him. See this stamp? I own him." Then her voice turned cold, like she was about to announce the worst crime possible. "If you take him, you're stealing."
A pause.
"Aliens are all about rules."
". . .You look familiar."
"CIA. Roswell. 1973." He said it as if those words explained everything.
"Ah, yes. You had hair then." . . .Aparently, they did.
Then, the Grand Councilwoman picked me up, removing my manacles as she spoke.
"Take note of this. This creature has been sentenced to life in exile. A sentence that shall be henceforth served out here, on Earth." She placed me by my family, and I was embraced.
"And, as caretaker of the alien life-form, Stitch," She tapped my head. I normally would have retaliated, but I don't think that that'd be a good idea in such a situation.
". . .This family is under the official protection of the United Galactic Federation." She spoke to Cobra Bubbles. "We'll be . . .checking in, now and then."
I didn't hear the other comments. I was too busy thinking. I'd come to a realization.
I'm now Stitch.
I'll always be so, from now on.
Not 6-2-6, Stitch.
. . . Well, except on special occasions.
Tuesdays and bank holidays would be good. . .
The End
*** *** ***
* It really does twitch! Look for it! :3
*** *** ***
~All done! :3 What do you guys think? That was my longest chapter ever. :D *is proud of herself* R'n'R?~