Author's Note: Wow… it's been like, what, two months? Hey, I'm back! I hope y'all ain't mad at me. I wrote it, didn't I? I only took a long time because of the song… that darned song! Anyway, here it is, chapter 18, and Lilo and Stitch get reunited! Finally, eh? Okay… the reason I haven't been writing is because my art and my writing can never really coexist. As in, when I draw my best, I don't write too well, if I write my best, I don't draw too well… If you notice, the writing in this story isn't that good. Here's why: I'm thinking of making a graphic novel based on this story. Not with the same characters, and some parts are changed a little bit, but the plot is somewhat the same. Of course the girl flung into the different dimension is fourteen years old and blames herself for her parents' death… but it started out based on this story… So, what do you think? Should I do it? Well… until I actually draw out the whole thing and stop doing Lilo in a pirate's clothing, read my story. Okay? Oh, by the way, the reason I didn't translate Clopin's name into English is because it would be too strange for Lilo to go around saying: "Okay Mr. Limping Cowardly fool." Or him saying: "Hello, Mr. Limping Cowardly fool, at your service". So, sorry all who noticed that. READ AND REVIEW!
Chapter 18
Orange. Never before had Lilo seen so much orange.
Just a moment prior, she had woken up from a sleep that seemed to her to have lasted only a moment. Her eyes had opened slowly, heavy with grogginess, and what had been the first thing to greet her sight? Nothing more than a great expanse of orange, sloping downward from a blurred pole, and continuing well beyond the edge of her vision. It annoyed her for a bit when she had just come to, because, even though Lilo claimed to have loved every color possible, the bright orange wasn't too high on her favorites list.
Lilo turned her head for a moment, looking to the side where shadows lingered in the corners. Wherever she was, it wasn't very bright; the light was dim and only an unseen lantern illuminated a small portion of the chamber, flickering uneasily to the side. She could hear sounds, coming from outside, muffled by the draping orange that enclosed her. Some sounded something like voices, others like strains of music from an unfinished song, and some like animals. But whatever they were, Lilo couldn't see them, and didn't consider them anything that she should bother herself with just yet.
She attempted to lift herself up from the cushions that she had been set upon, groaning for the strange weariness in her joints. But, once she had propped herself up, she found herself falling back down, tears of pain and nausea pouring down her cheeks. Her head hurt like heck. A dull and throbbing pain, it felt as if she had some sort of migraine, not a nuisance that was too common with her. As we can all suppose, she didn't like it too much. She brought her hands to touch the back of her head, where she felt the rhythmic throbbing of her heart, and found her fingers running over the rough, loosely woven fabric of bandages. Apparently, as she had slept, someone had found reason to dress her head in them.
"What happened?" She finally found herself asking, laying herself back in as comfortable a position she could get. The unexplainable pain and the bandages were beginning to make her wonder.
Now that she thought of it, it was a little difficult to remember. She felt that she should know, and yet she wasn't recalling anything useful. Not much before her wakening could she remember; the things she did were too far back to allow her some explanation.
"Come on, Lilo," she muttered to herself, closing her eyes for a moment, hoping it would bring her easier remembrance, "think! What happened?"
Lilo reached as far as she could into her mind, pushing past useless bits, bringing forth things that seemed to hold some significance and putting them to the side for later examination. After shuffling through the unorganized thoughts and memories that filled her mind and finding little, she once again inspected those that she had saved. But even amongst those images, there seemed nothing that could generate any recollection, nothing important, nothing that would help; it all seemed fruitless … that was, until a certain shiny-skinned red fruit slowly glided into thought.
The apple… it had fallen from the basket because of the book… the book… it had knocked out the apple because the lady had taken it out… she'd taken it out so she could read it…
She remembered trying to return the apple. She remembered the young lady with the brown hair slowly walking away, still reading her book as if nothing happened. But everything after that was a blur… it was as if there was a big piece missing from her life during that time… of course, chances were she was knocked out like she thought, but since she didn't quite remember being conked on the head, she was storing that possibility for later.
What had happened? She remembered, just looking forward; she remembered walking after her, she remembered feeling hungry. She tried to call to her but… but… but what? What happened?
"Oh, who cares anymore?" Lilo exclaimed, near tears. "I wake up in a weird place for the second time in a week and the fourth time in my life, I have a big pain in my head, and I don't remember anything! Why don't the cannibals who probably kidnapped me just cut me up and cook me now because I don't care anymore!"
Lilo found herself crying again. There was too much, too much happening to her now. More than ever, even more than when poor Quasimodo had told her to go home, did she actually want to be with Nani, Stitch, Jumba, even Pleakley, she'd admit. She loved adventures, she really did! But being lost, and lonely, and not knowing what was going on… it was overwhelming, and it pained her heart heavily to have to go through it everyday in this damned place.
"Lost," Lilo muttered quietly, wiping away a tear as it made a path down her cheek. "I'm lost."
Lilo finally gave up and turned her head, nuzzling her face wearily into a strange blue cushion lying at her side. It was made of an odd fabric, almost fur-like, and its scent was inexplicably familiar… for some reason, she found herself calmed down by it. Sighing, she closed her eyes and did her best to relax herself; any more stress and her head would be hurting worse than before.
"Hey," a voice piped up, sounding half-annoyed, half-amused. It was louder than those other stifled tones that she had barely noted from without, and the little Hawaiian found herself twitching in a soundless surprise. Lilo opened her eyes, lifting up her head to look around at the room about her. She spotted no one.
"What the…?" Lilo asked aloud, obviously bewildered at the invisible perpetrator. She continued her search a second time, this time lifting herself up higher as if in hopes of seeing any enemy that might be concealing themselves closer to the floor. But no, nobody could be seen, and Lilo found herself getting a little frustrated with whoever had bothered her attempted relaxation. "Hello?" She said, her voice loudening as if in call. No one answered.
She turned back down to the pillow that she was lying on, only to find herself face to face with a pair of large beetle-black eyes.
The two stared at one another as if in shock, both searching for words that could not travel to their tongues, both examining one another as if the true existence of the other was in question. Lilo lifted a hand and ran her fingers down the side of the creature's face, feeling the blue fur as it brushed against her hand. She found herself crying again, and with tears in her eyes she called out its name.
"Stitch!" Lilo exclaimed, her arms flinging about the experiment's neck, tight with her happiness.
"Lilo!" Stitch said, returning the embrace with one of his own, as overwhelmed with happiness as she was. He buried his face in her shoulder, and found a comfortable spot between her shoulder and neck. He closed his eyes and felt her warmth, her childish softness and found himself falling back into a contentment that he had abandoned long ago. Oh, Lilo, his Lilo!
Lilo was both crying and laughing. She was relieved, but sad, happy, but weary… she wasn't sure how she was supposed to feel!
"Stitch missed Lilo," Stitch muttered to her, pulling away and wiping the tears that fell from her eyes.
"Same here," Lilo answered, sighing and rubbing away as much sadness as she could from her eyes. "What happened? How did you get here?"
Stitch cleared his throat, and began.
"Stitch told Jumba to use the wave finder to find where Lilo's transmitter went, even though Jumba said that Lilo might not be there, but Stitch told him to do it anyway, then Nani called the police and Pleakley gave her the wrong type of little talk, but the wave finder alarm went off so he didn't say anything and Stitch finally went to Paris, even though they wouldn't let him bring any weapons."
Stitch said all this in such a frighteningly quick way that Lilo didn't completely comprehend what he had been saying. Not to mention the fact that she had never heard him say so many English words ever before, the experiment more accustomed to his native tongue than the confusing language of English with its rules and its exceptions to those rules, and those further exceptions to those exceptions to those rules. She wasn't quite sure how to react to it all.
"Okay," was her only response. She leaned in again to give her "pet" another thankful hug, burying her face into his shoulder. She had missed him so much… "Nice hair, by the way," she added as she pulled away, a mischievous smile on her face.
"Shut up," Stitch muttered, an irked expression taking his once happy countenance. He wrapped his arms around his head as if trying to hide the golden trinkets that hung off his fur. Lilo laughed gently. Thank goodness Stitch was the same.
"Since when did you speak English?" Lilo decided to ask.
"English?" Stitch inquired, echoing Lilo's final word. "But… Stitch isn't speaking English…" he muttered, obviously confused. Lilo tilted her head in wonder.
"But how…" she began, lowering her eyebrows, trying to figure out what was going on. "Oh yeah…" She laughed. "I have a translator…"
Lilo let out a sigh and continued a long stare at the blue furred creature with a smile, content with just enjoying his presence in this place. Having not seen her O'hana for so long a time… it was just such a calming even to have one of them sitting before her after so many days… Not to mention the confusion she had to endure, here, where she had no idea what was going on half the time… which reminded her…
"Where are we, Stitch?" Lilo asked, hoping that he, who was hopefully not unconscious for most of his stay in this place like she was and might know a little more than she did. "What happened to me? How did I get here?"
Stitch let out a sigh.
"Lilo got hurt… Lilo got attacked by someone… The King took her here so that she would get better… We are in…"
"The king?" Lilo interrupted, curious.
"The king," Stitch said, nodding his head.
"You mean like one of those fat ugly people you see in those old paintings?" Lilo asked, trying to paint an image in her mind.
Stitch shook his head vehemently.
"No, no! The king is…"
"Is it just me, or did I hear a lovely little voice inside this tent?" A strange voice asked. It came from outside, and it drew Lilo and Stitch's attentions away from each other for the first time and to the far wall of the tent. Two flaps in the orange material were thrown apart like some sort of door, propelled away by two gloved hands. And, immediately afterward, in stepped a man that Lilo had never met the likes of before in her whole life.
"The king," Stitch muttered to her, turning away from the enterer as if in embarrassment.
The man whom had come in was somewhat strange looking. He had a rather large nose, not unattractive, but not exactly something a normal person would take claim to. He had a gigantic purple hat set upon his head, with a beautiful yellow feather hanging out. Over his shoulders he wore a yellow cloth, jingle bells hanging from the pointed edges of his cowl. His shoes were unusual as well, with their curling toes, and his legs were long and supple. There was a large smile on that goateed face, pleasant in its feel but mysterious nonetheless. Lilo couldn't take her eyes off of him. There was this sort of feeling, as if his mere existence called for the attention of others.
"Ah, welcome to the world of the living, my young lady," the man said, entering the room and taking a gallant bow before the foot of her pile of cushions. "How are you feeling this night?"
"Fine, I guess," Lilo answered, still feeling somewhat awkward. "Except my head hurts a little…"
"Well, that's understandable, my dear," the man said, laughing. "You've got quite a bump there, but it'll heal soon enough. You've worried everyone in this court… myself of course, poor Esmeralda… even that idiot of a gypsy Matthias… we've been waiting for you to awake…." He pointed at Stitch with a sort of smile. "That poor creature has been at your side since you arrived at this place."
Lilo turned her head at Stitch quietly, a happy grin creeping across her face. Stitch turned further away. Had any skin been visible she was sure it would've been red.
"Yeah," Lilo answered the man. "He's a good dog."
He let out another one of his pleasant chuckles, or, at least, he began to. He seemed to have stopped in the middle of their flow, somewhat taken aback at what she had said.
"A dog, did you say?" he asked, stroking his chin.
"Yup," Lilo replied, trying to hide the giggles she felt wanting to burst from her. "Can't you tell?"
"Of course!" the man replied, chuckling raucously. "Oh, of course! It's obviously a dog!"
Lilo didn't completely believe he felt that way.
"By the way, let me introduce myself." The man took of his hat and took another debonair bow. "Clopin Trouillefou, your rescuer and king of this court."
"You rescued me?" Lilo asked. Wait… Stitch had already told her that. "Well… thanks…" she said. She wanted to be polite really, and her thanks should've been much more pleasant than it was… but the king didn't really seem to care.
"No thank you needed, my lady," he said, sitting down beside her. "And may I know the name of this lovely girl I see before me?"
"Me?" she asked, pointing to herself as if in shock. Lovely girl? No one's ever called her that before! "Are you talking about me?"
"But of course!" The man said with a laugh. "Who else would I be talking of?"
"My name? I-It's…It's L- lilo," she managed to stutter out. He was flustering her quite badly, this man!
"Ah, lovely name," Clopin said. He stretched out a little, yawning. "Long day, it's been. For the both of us…" He sighed, scratching himself and turning to her with a grin. "So, young one, shall we to the court?"
Lilo tilted her head quietly.
"To the what?" she asked, confused.
"The Court of Miracles!" Clopin answered. "Outside! Shall we?"
"The court… of miracles? What is…? I don't know what you're talking about…"
"Oh, you must be joking!" Clopin said, an obviously shocked look on his face. He shot up, picking her up off the bed and rushing out of the tent.
"Hey!" Lilo exclaimed, struggling in the strange man's arms. "What's the big idea?"
Clopin pushed Lilo outward away from him quickly so that she faced out into the area out of her tent, beckoning her to take a glimpse.
"Look! This is the court! Don't tell me you don't know of which I speak!"
What Lilo saw then was something she had never come across in Hawaii. The "court" as Clopin had called it, was itself rather dirty, old and mildewing, large but crowded. It had high ceilings with a partly vaulted roof, and dark but for the large campfire blazing in the center of the square, its flames crackling wildly against the darkness. It was as if there was something important going on then, some sort of ceremony that Lilo didn't know about… Women with flowing dresses danced about the fire, jumping capriciously across the floor with long colorful ribbons gliding after them. Men edged sat to the side, playing foreign instruments, and a boy sat at one end of the court, surrounded by animals. Caravans and tents, much like the one she had been stationed in, lined the edges of the roofed plaza. Fiery fabrics draped the walls.
"It's pretty…" Lilo said after a moment, unsure of how else to respond. She wasn't lying. Despite what it was in itself, these people, whoever or whatever they were, made the court something more. It was amazing what they did to make this place what it was now.
"… but you still have no idea of what I speak," Clopin added for her, sounding somewhat aggravated.
"That's about right," Lilo said sheepishly.
Clopin sighed quietly, and put her on the floor as Stitch walked out of the tent, somewhat annoyed at having been left behind. She didn't want the king to feel so bad, but she certainly didn't think he had the right to be because she didn't understand everything he spouted out. Lilo let out a sigh of her own and shook her head in annoyance.
The man turned quietly, giving her a smile, and sighed, beginning to sing.
A place long ago hidden
'neath the somber stones of graves
Where live an ancient people
Titled sorcerers and knaves,
Past the lake of skeletons and
Well beyond the pale,
Just look around, my dear, you've found
The place where we all hail!
Lilo listened to his voice as he sang, to the strange tone, to the lilting notes. She liked the sound as she loved Quasimodo's bells… It was different… something that she had never heard the likes of before.
Clopin turned to her with a sort of serious look on his face, and Lilo began to feel a bit unsure about the whole situation. He looked as if he wanted to do something to her that she wouldn't at all enjoy, like he was plotting something. She gave him a stare, a long and challenging one, as if daring him to do whatever he was thinking of doing. He gave her something of an amused look, and found himself letting out a frightening and somewhat evil snicker. Lilo gulped down her fear… He had seemed so pleasant just seconds before… what happened to him…? What was he going to d-?
Suddenly, in a burst of startling spontaneity, Clopin grabbed Lilo beneath the armpits and threw her up in the air, screaming. He caught her just before she collided with the floor and brought her close, rubbing his pointed nose against her own.
Welcome to the court,
My pretty little girl,
Where miracles do happen
And stories do unfurl!
If you stay near you'll see and hear
The magic of our sort!
Our songs and dance, tales and romance,
So, welcome to the court!
The tone of the song had changed completely, and a livelier beat took the place of the enigmatic slowness he had at first been singing with. He danced along, holding her at arms length so that her feet hung four feet above the ground, twirling her about and randomly tossing her into the air.
"What's going on!" Lilo asked as he caught her for the fourth time. Clopin shushed her, still smiling gaily, and put her down onto the floor. Lilo struggled to regain the equilibrium that was thrown off as the gypsy had made her airborne, but had little time to get used to the ground, for he had grabbed her wrist and forced her to follow. He led her to the front of the bonfire, reaching beneath her armpits and bringing her up again. Lilo cringed, afraid that he might be thinking of actually making her fly for the fifth time, and this time near the fire! But he didn't. He put her atop a wooden barrel set before the fire and he whistled, beckoning all to come to attention.
"Gather round, all people of the court," he said, clapping his hands. "Our little guest is quite awake."
The girls that had been dancing stopped for a second, coming from their places and approaching the king. One, Lilo noticed, was with Stitch, holding the blue creature in her arms, apparently catching him as he had attempted to pursue her and Clopin. She was a lovely young woman with thick and messy curls that fell over her shoulders, which were bare and a lovely color of cinnamon. She looked rather exotic, and her eyes were a deep green, something that wasn't too common even in Lilo's world.
The rest of the court made their way closer, gathering about the old drum and the two dark-skinned people who stood next to and upon it.
"She's the brave little girl who made an attempt at Bartholomew's cart!" Clopin said, making an exaggerated gesture in her direction.
Half the court seemed to laugh or to scoff at the words, and Lilo felt embarrassment rising to blush her cheeks. Some looked at her as if she were something of a courageous hero, but most had this disdainful look, as if regarding her as stupid. She wasn't quite sure if she wanted to be here right now.
"Don't judge her intelligence too quickly!" the king added quickly, noticing the looks that his people were giving Lilo. "Apparently, she was sheltered somehow! My dear people, believe it or not, she has never heard of the Court of Miracles!"
Some laughed, others, including a puppet that had magically appeared on Clopin's right hand, gasped.
"Yes, yes, sad, isn't it?" Clopin remarked. "Whatever shall we do with her?"
He turned to face Lilo, looking upon her with one of the most frightening faces Lilo had encountered, and she gulped.
"Educate her!" Clopin's puppet exclaimed, bouncing on the gypsy's hand.
"Educate her?" the king repeated. He smiled at Lilo. "Splendid idea!" Clopin turned to the crowd, holding up Lilo's hand in his own. "Good people, should we educate her?"
The crowd cheered in agreement, lifting their fists into the air in a triumphant gesture. Lilo felt a little daunted at the notion, but remained silent as the crowd moved closer at the suggestion.
"Wonderful!" Clopin vociferated, and a moment later, Lilo found herself grabbed about the waist and thrown into the crowd.
The throng of men and women received her easily, and moved her along, holding her up in the air with their hands, Lilo obviously flustered. Clopin himself made his way atop the barrel and leapt onto the hands of his people, held up in a lying position, his head in one hand. He pulled a dagger from its sheath at his side and pointed forward.
"Onward!" He exclaimed, chuckling madly.
We've many things to show you
So let us take the helm,
We'll all pitch in to help you see
The beauty of our realm!
Although the bricks need fixing
And the mortar's crumbling bad
We have this home and love it
More than anybody's had!
Lilo was brought about the court and made to discover its wonders. The crowd had deposited her by the boy with the animals and distributed themselves among the square, Clopin and a couple of gypsies at his side. She was introduced to the animals, the goats, horses, and pigs that the group took along with them when they traveled. She went inside the caravans, where they showed her how they lived when they were traveling, heard and played the instruments that the foreign men had been playing.
Welcome to the court,
It's here we call our home,
A place of shelter for the time
We haven't gone to roam
Where ladies flounce
And we denounce
The laws of Frollo's fort!
Where beauty reigns
In structures strange,
Oh, welcome to the court!
The women that had been to the side for so long were dancing yet again, their flowing scarves still trailing their movements, their thick curls playing about their striking countenances. The beautiful one that Lilo had spotted before was dancing with Stitch, who didn't seem at all annoyed at having the woman's attention; he actually seemed to be enjoying the whole situation.
Clopin was smiling above Lilo and gestured for the woman to approach.
"Lilo, I would love for you to meet the lovely Esmeralda."
The dancer gave Lilo a smile, setting Stitch down beside her.
"Hi," Lilo said, extending a hand to shake. The woman gave it a strange look, as if she wasn't sure what was being asked, and Lilo withdrew her hand in embarrassment. "I want to be a dancer too someday!"
"Someday? You can be a dancer now!" Esmeralda said, and she pulled Lilo away from Stitch and Clopin and brought her into the center of the square.
While Esmeralda did her splits and different moves, striking a tambourine that she had magicked into her hands, Lilo found the beat and began her own dance. The hula, moving her hands across the air, drawing invisible flowers with their tips. Esmeralda clapped, laughing pleasantly, and Clopin joined her, doing his own strange little choreography.
Finally, the king took Lilo away and returned her attention to the court.
Oh how the fabrics drape along the stone walls,
And the campfire crackles gaily on the square!
The spirits exist
Forever betwixt
Here and beyond, and yet they're everywhere!
The man pointed to the reds, purples and blues that decorated the walls like tapestries, and the large bonfire who cast unusual shadows across the walls. The forms were black and frightening, and they moved and bended, morphed by the light, and Lilo found herself laughing. It was somewhat frightening, but it was interesting, Clopin likening them to spirits.
He pulled her back into the center of the square and tossed her into the air, bringing her into a tango-like position, leading her through the dance. He conjured a red rose into his hand and placed it in his mouth and dipped her downward, giving her a charming smile, then tossing her into the air and catching her happily.
Welcome to the court,
Come, listen to us sing,
And join the throng of gypsies
As we form a happy scene,
The dancing and romancing,
Stands out from all other sport!
So come be in our family,
Dear, welcome to the court!
The instruments began blazing ever faster, a mixture of violins, flutes, mandolins and many different things, forcing faster moves to the group, Clopin singing as they quickened. Finally, the song ended, and the whole gypsy group moved forward and pushed Lilo upward, so that she sat above all the people there, a gesture of friendship from the group.
"So," Clopin began as they replaced her on the floor and dispersed, "what do you think, my dear Lilo?"
"I like it!" She exclaimed, jumping in excitement. "It's great here!"
"That it is, that it is!" Clopin said, laughing. "You're quite the amusing persona, did you know?"
Stitch found his way back to Lilo and stayed at her side in usual doggy sitting position, tilting his head and waiting for the king to leave so that he might have a chat with Lilo. It had been so long since they had been together, or at least it felt that way, and he just wanted to be alone with her for a moment. And besides, now she could completely understand him. That was a definite plus, was it not?
Clopin looked at Stitch, stroking his chin as if a thought had entered his mind.
"Excuse me, my dear; I've some business to attend to. Matthias!" Clopin yelled out, turning away. "Matthias, I've got something to discuss with you!"
Stitch and Lilo watched as the king left.
"Weirdo," Stitch muttered.
"Yup," Lilo agreed.
"Lilo… tomorrow… Stitch and Lilo... we go home, okay?"
Lilo looked at Stitch, turning her head quietly.
"Tomorrow?" she asked, sounding somewhat incredulous. "You mean I get to go home… tomorrow?"
"Yes," Stitch answered, nodding.
"But… my transmitter…"
"Stitch has Lilo's transmitter," Stitch answered, holding up a metal band, somewhat burnt about the edges but in fine working order.
"My…my transmitter," Lilo murmured, reaching out and taking the bracelet. "Where was it?"
"In the middle of a field," Stitch answered.
"So that's why I couldn't find it!" Lilo exclaimed. She laughed quietly. "So… we go home tomorrow, right?"
"Right," Stitch said, looking quietly at the transmitter. Ten hours until the transmitter automatically sent him home… "Tomorrow."
Author's Note: End! Yay, wasn't that exciting? Okay… not really… the writing really sucked… Yeah… well… yeah… Any questions? Any comments? Review! And thank you, Yaarp16, for your encouragement… It really got me going… I mean, I just moved. Okay? Yeah… I miss my old house already… Next chapter up hopefully a lot sooner.
Fun Fact # whatever it is now…: The song in this story goes to the tune of La Jour d'Amour, from Hunchback of Notre Dame 2. I'm not a huge fan of that movie (not really much of a fan either), and the songs weren't exactly my favorite, so I tried to make my own version of it. I know I'm not a song writer; you don't have to poke at me for that… Actually, one version of The Hawaiian and the Hunchback was supposed to be a musical! Yeah, strange idea. We had Lilo jumping around the streets for a while singing a song called "Finally free" to the tune of the song "I'd stick with you", same movie. I dropped it because it's hard writing a musical down in a story (as you see in this chapter).
That was the fun fact of the chapter! Live long and prosper!
-Guille van Cartier