Author's note: Due to unforeseen events my computer was down for repairs due to a virus problem but all is good now, I thank you all for your reviews and kind comments as this fic is far from over. Please forgive the lateness of my updates.
"Where am I?" a voice, an echoing whisper asks the dark abyss that now surrounds him. Time seemed to slow to a stone faced halt as all the light from the world his eyes closed themselves to winked out, Gantu last memories were listening to his heart slowing down before that final thump faded into silence. He felt himself floating as it being freed from a cold icy prison and into the quite almost peaceful void he now found himself in, it was dark yes but it lacked the hidden terror and evil that haunted his previous fever induced nightmares. The final slumber of death was not as he had expected it to be, it was so tranquil and almost warm in it's odd pleasantness. When he looked down the large creature saw that he was wearing nothing and his skin was milky and smooth in it two toned shades of slate gray, old scars and other marks had all but vanished as he looked at his hand and arms in amazement. Gantu whole body was pure and untouched now as it the ravages of time in his mortal life had never occurred when a pale flash off to his right side had caught his attention, turning his gaze fell upon an ever growing light as his mind could sense he was being drawn towards it. The light flickered and pulsated as through squinted eye he could make out an image forming in it's core, as Gantu drew ever closer still he finally saw that it was almost like a portal to another plane. What lay past it's rippling surface was breathtaking.
Rolling fields and beautiful forests and mountains in all their grandeur, a smiling blue sky and sapphire ocean seemed to stretch on forever. Aliens were seen there too of all kinds even some of his own race, they all wore white robes and were smiling and laughing with each other. Younger ones chased each other about in the happiest of ways for in this special place there was nothing harmful nor evil and everyone was everyone's neighbor. Gantu could feel it within ever part of his being as love, joy and eternal harmony was being radiated from this shining place, he felt as if his heart would burst as his wanted to join them all in the afterlife just to be set free from the pain and misery of the land of the living.
Slowly the gray giant began to move towards the door of the world beyond when as if he ran into an invisible wall stopped and not by any will of his own, the shimmering window shut before his eyes as a soft female voice from the other side spoke out to him in a tone of kindness and warm compassion.
"No Gantu….it's not your time..not for a long while yet…''
The space around him faded from a dark void to a clear starry sky only no earth could be seen below him, stars like millions of tiny diamonds glittered around Gantu as the voice having taken the form of one of those shining heavenly bodies glowed before his eyes.
"Yes it is,'' Gantu spoke after a bit of quiet though. "..there is nothing for me back in my old life. I've lost everything and besides nobody will care that I'm gone…no one.''
"Oh really?" the star spoke in an almost questioning tone as a new series of images passed before his eyes, they were fleeting pictures but they revealed much before his life had faded from existence.
One was of his body as his soul had left it and everyone was fighting to revive him but clearly to no avail, Lilo was crying and being comforted by Stitch as Jumba tried to jump start the captain's heart as Gantu watched from the world between heaven and earth in disbelief. The next scene he saw was of his small partner 625 standing on his chest screaming something at him as hot tears streamed down his face, the pictures had no spoken words but none where needed as Gantu could clearly tell what message they were trying to send.
"625...why do you stay…why?" the shark-like alien asked as a lump started to form in his throat as he watched the yellow being fall to his knees and throwing his arms around his lifeless friend's face and sobbing bitterly.
"He has always stayed with you even when you both were apart,'' the voice said sweetly as more images rippled before him like wind on water. " 625 risked him self to save you.''
Gantu swallowed as he saw 625 trudging through the stormy rain soaked streets towards a pharmacy, offering up his only bit of food in exchange for medicine to help his sick comrade in an unselfish act of love. He saw 625 next running for his life from a hungry dog and escaping by the skin of his teeth only to come face to face with bitter defeat as his meds were crushed and lost, but in the face of failure Gantu saw in the normal lazy sandwich maker an unfailing strength blaze through as he even was forced to go to their enemies for help. He had stayed by Gantu's side through it all as the shorca raised a hand to wipe his misty eyes even when he had acted like a monster and sicked his newest experiments Heat, Plasmoid, Hammerface and Thresher on him. When 627 had a burned and beaten him silly and Gantu allowed it as a sharp pang of guilt cut through his stomach, 625 still stayed. Gantu could only wonder what would make 625 go through all that just to save a creature not worth salvation, tears began to flow freely down his face as he let them come.
"I treated him like garbage…I was cruel and selfish…why did he even bother? I deserve death I was a monster.'' Gantu said his voice strangled with sorrow and guilt as he fell to his knees and put his face in his hands. "Why…?"
"Because I need you.'' a new voice spoke as Gantu lifted his weary head and couldn't believe who he saw before him.
Standing there before him amongst the stars with a soft kind square toothed smile on his face was 625, his deep dark eyes glittered with tiny dots of reflected light from the ocean of stars that shone about them.
"Please don't go G…I need you and I forgive you…please you're my pal.'' He said as he took a few steps towards where Gantu sat. "You never deserve to die Chief and you're not a monster, you're just as much a victim of o'l Rat face's cruelty as the experiments are. Maybe even more.''
As Gantu's tears fell at 625's feet he just looked deeply into the smaller alien's eyes and saw only understanding and total forgiveness, swallowing Gantu gently scooped 625 up in his arms and the pair hugged each other hard.
"I'm so sorry 625,'' the ex-captain whispered as streams of warm salty fluid trickled down his face as the orbs of twinkling light seemed to shine even brighter around them. "I'm sorry for being such a jerk to you…please forgive me..I don't want to be alone..I'm always alone..''
"Shhh it's okay G,''said 625 as he lay his cheek against his much bigger friend's massive chest as it was all he could do to keep from crying also. "You're not to blame…none of this is your fault. I'm sorry too for not being as helpful and understanding as I should and you're not alone cause you've got me.''
Gantu felt more touched by those words than any other thing in his whole life as he gently lay the side of his face atop 625's head, for the one thing he had been searching for since the days of his youth had been right in front of him that whole time.
"You were always strong G and no matter how tough things looked you never gave up, don't let the bad stuff get to you because you do matter…to me."
The stars faded around them as a new brilliant light shone casting a golden path before them as Gantu set 625 down after what seemed like and eternity of hugging, the doorway opened up that would take them back.
"Come on G,'' 625 said smiling brightly as he start down the road towards the light seeming to beckon them too it. " let's go home."
Grinning and nodding Gantu followed his yellow companion walking close to his side down the sparkling path, the duo's forms fading into the light of a new morning sunrise and the start of a whole new day.
"Where am I?" a voice, an echoing whisper asks the dark abyss that now surrounds him. Time seemed to slow to a stone faced halt as all the light from the world his eyes closed themselves to winked out, Gantu last memories were listening to his heart slowing down before that final thump faded into silence. He felt himself floating as it being freed from a cold icy prison and into the quite almost peaceful void he now found himself in, it was dark yes but it lacked the hidden terror and evil that haunted his previous fever induced nightmares. The final slumber of death was not as he had expected it to be, it was so tranquil and almost warm in it's odd pleasantness. When he looked down the large creature saw that he was wearing nothing and his skin was milky and smooth in it two toned shades of slate gray, old scars and other marks had all but vanished as he looked at his hand and arms in amazement. Gantu whole body was pure and untouched now as it the ravages of time in his mortal life had never occurred when a pale flash off to his right side had caught his attention, turning his gaze fell upon an ever growing light as his mind could sense he was being drawn towards it. The light flickered and pulsated as through squinted eye he could make out an image forming in it's core, as Gantu drew ever closer still he finally saw that it was almost like a portal to another plane. What lay past it's rippling surface was breathtaking.
Rolling fields and beautiful forests and mountains in all their grandeur, a smiling blue sky and sapphire ocean seemed to stretch on forever. Aliens were seen there too of all kinds even some of his own race, they all wore white robes and were smiling and laughing with each other. Younger ones chased each other about in the happiest of ways for in this special place there was nothing harmful nor evil and everyone was everyone's neighbor. Gantu could feel it within ever part of his being as love, joy and eternal harmony was being radiated from this shining place, he felt as if his heart would burst as his wanted to join them all in the afterlife just to be set free from the pain and misery of the land of the living.
Slowly the gray giant began to move towards the door of the world beyond when as if he ran into an invisible wall stopped and not by any will of his own, the shimmering window shut before his eyes as a soft female voice from the other side spoke out to him in a tone of kindness and warm compassion.
"No Gantu….it's not your time..not for a long while yet…''
The space around him faded from a dark void to a clear starry sky only no earth could be seen below him, stars like millions of tiny diamonds glittered around Gantu as the voice having taken the form of one of those shining heavenly bodies glowed before his eyes.
"Yes it is,'' Gantu spoke after a bit of quiet though. "..there is nothing for me back in my old life. I've lost everything and besides nobody will care that I'm gone…no one.''
"Oh really?" the star spoke in an almost questioning tone as a new series of images passed before his eyes, they were fleeting pictures but they revealed much before his life had faded from existence.
One was of his body as his soul had left it and everyone was fighting to revive him but clearly to no avail, Lilo was crying and being comforted by Stitch as Jumba tried to jump start the captain's heart as Gantu watched from the world between heaven and earth in disbelief. The next scene he saw was of his small partner 625 standing on his chest screaming something at him as hot tears streamed down his face, the pictures had no spoken words but none where needed as Gantu could clearly tell what message they were trying to send.
"625...why do you stay…why?" the shark-like alien asked as a lump started to form in his throat as he watched the yellow being fall to his knees and throwing his arms around his lifeless friend's face and sobbing bitterly.
"He has always stayed with you even when you both were apart,'' the voice said sweetly as more images rippled before him like wind on water. " 625 risked him self to save you.''
Gantu swallowed as he saw 625 trudging through the stormy rain soaked streets towards a pharmacy, offering up his only bit of food in exchange for medicine to help his sick comrade in an unselfish act of love. He saw 625 next running for his life from a hungry dog and escaping by the skin of his teeth only to come face to face with bitter defeat as his meds were crushed and lost, but in the face of failure Gantu saw in the normal lazy sandwich maker an unfailing strength blaze through as he even was forced to go to their enemies for help. He had stayed by Gantu's side through it all as the shorca raised a hand to wipe his misty eyes even when he had acted like a monster and sicked his newest experiments Heat, Plasmoid, Hammerface and Thresher on him. When 627 had a burned and beaten him silly and Gantu allowed it as a sharp pang of guilt cut through his stomach, 625 still stayed. Gantu could only wonder what would make 625 go through all that just to save a creature not worth salvation, tears began to flow freely down his face as he let them come.
"I treated him like garbage…I was cruel and selfish…why did he even bother? I deserve death I was a monster.'' Gantu said his voice strangled with sorrow and guilt as he fell to his knees and put his face in his hands. "Why…?"
"Because I need you.'' a new voice spoke as Gantu lifted his weary head and couldn't believe who he saw before him.
Standing there before him amongst the stars with a soft kind square toothed smile on his face was 625, his deep dark eyes glittered with tiny dots of reflected light from the ocean of stars that shone about them.
"Please don't go G…I need you and I forgive you…please you're my pal.'' He said as he took a few steps towards where Gantu sat. "You never deserve to die Chief and you're not a monster, you're just as much a victim of o'l Rat face's cruelty as the experiments are. Maybe even more.''
As Gantu's tears fell at 625's feet he just looked deeply into the smaller alien's eyes and saw only understanding and total forgiveness, swallowing Gantu gently scooped 625 up in his arms and the pair hugged each other hard.
"I'm so sorry 625,'' the ex-captain whispered as streams of warm salty fluid trickled down his face as the orbs of twinkling light seemed to shine even brighter around them. "I'm sorry for being such a jerk to you…please forgive me..I don't want to be alone..I'm always alone..''
"Shhh it's okay G,''said 625 as he lay his cheek against his much bigger friend's massive chest as it was all he could do to keep from crying also. "You're not to blame…none of this is your fault. I'm sorry too for not being as helpful and understanding as I should and you're not alone cause you've got me.''
Gantu felt more touched by those words than any other thing in his whole life as he gently lay the side of his face atop 625's head, for the one thing he had been searching for since the days of his youth had been right in front of him that whole time.
"You were always strong G and no matter how tough things looked you never gave up, don't let the bad stuff get to you because you do matter…to me."
The stars faded around them as a new brilliant light shone casting a golden path before them as Gantu set 625 down after what seemed like and eternity of hugging, the doorway opened up that would take them back.
"Come on G,'' 625 said smiling brightly as he start down the road towards the light seeming to beckon them too it. " let's go home."
Grinning and nodding Gantu followed his yellow companion walking close to his side down the sparkling path, the duo's forms fading into the light of a new morning sunrise and the start of a whole new day.