Chapter 4: The Game

Stitch yanked on Pleakley's dress, which was Nani's favorite. Nani didn't even notice, however, because she was so entwined on finding Lilo.

His fourth arm appeared, grabbing Pleakley's feet. Pleakley wrapped his arms around Stitch's neck and mouth. Stitch coughed, then said, muffled, "Pllleeeekwweee! Grap onpo mby arbs!"

Pleakley quickly switched his arms positions.

"We are wishing you good luck!" Jumba yelled, waving. Nani always waved, watery eyes piercing through them. Stitch crawled over a large slab of rock, and they were no longer visible.

628 suddenly sniffed the air, then hissed. "626..." he roughly said.
"How can you tell?" Lilo asked, wiping the tears from her eyes and sniffling. He pointed to his nose. 628 spotted a cave and zoomed in. Lilo was jerked back, falling from 628's grip. She screamed a very loud scream.

626 perked up his ears, hearing a high-pitched note in the distance. "LILO!" he yelled, leaping over and under rocks. As he dashed under a lower rock, Pleakley whammed his head against it. He put both hands to his face, then was hit again by another low rock. He slipped off Stitch's back.

626 grabbed one of Pleakley's legs and kept running. He was determined to get to 628 before he did ANYTHING to Lilo.

628 dashed down and caught Lilo just as she would have been knocked against very sharp rocks. Lilo looked up at 628, and suddenly, he didn't look so mean anymore.

"Thank you," Lilo said quietly. 628 widened his eyes, then got a confused look on his face. He shook it off, then headed for the cave.

Inside the cave, 628 set Lilo down. He gathered old timber and some rocks. He snapped his fingers, and a small candle-sized flame appeared. Lilo stepped back, but 628 only lit the fire-place he had set up. Lilo inched toward the fire, feeling the warmth seep through her body. 628 sat on the opposite side of the fire, staring in the direction of the entrance.

"WILL-- YOU-- STOP-- FOR JUST ONE SECOND!" Pleakley yelled. Stitch flopped to a stop, and Pleakley bounced up into the air. Stitch coughed Pleakley, then set him on his back. "Better," Pleakley commented.

Stitch got an idea. He leaped into the air and started twirling his ears. He closed his eyes and yelled, "MEEGA FLYING!"

A second later, 626 hit the ground. Pleakley bent down to Stitch's head and said, "No... I don't think you were..." Stitch grumbled something in alien, then trotted in the direction he had last seen 628.

Meanwhile, Lilo slowly walked over to 628.
"You want to play a game?" she timidly asked, fiddling with her dress in her fingers. 628 snapped his head toward Lilo. She took a step back. 628 stood up, then asked, "Whatttt iiizzzz a gammmmmme?"

Lilo smiled, then said, "It's something you do when you're bored, or when you want to have fun." 628 let out a hint of a smile, then said, "Shuuuuuuurrr. Howww doooo yuuuuuuu plaaaaaaaayah?" Lilo then told him, "Well, there are many kinds of games. But this game is called Tag. One of us is It. Whoever is It tries to tag the other person. If the other person gets tagged, then THEY are It. Understand?"

628 nodded, then reached out and touched Lilo. "Yuuuuuu'rrrrr IIIItttt." Lilo grinned, then ran after 628, who had dashed over to and behind a rock. Lilo snuck up behind him and leaped for him, just barely touching his tail.

"You're It!" she yelled playfully. 628 turned around, running after Lilo. He jumped toward Lilo, but she quickly changed her direction. 628 skidded across the floor, then dug a hole. Lilo looked around, stopping in place. 628 popped out behind Lilo and tagged her.