A Day at the Beach
By: Kioko the pirate
Chapter 4: A days end, a new friend
Lilo and Kioko had only gotten back a few minutes ago and already most of the hotdogs were gone. The sun was half buried below the horizon; the sky was filled with shades of orange, red, yellow and gold. The ocean itself seemed to be made of gold. Jumba had made a small fire using some dry palm leaves that had been lying around. Everyone was now sitting around the fire eating their meal. Or at least most of them were eating.
"Hey Mom, look what Kina did." Said Ashley as he looked over at her mother.
Angel looked over at her son as he turned around to face her. What she saw almost made her laugh but she managed to keep a straight face. Kina had two hotdogs shoved up his nostrils; he had a big grin on his face.
"Kina get those out of your nose. Their for eating not for playing." Scolded Angel. She then turned to face Stitch. "Stitch, tell your son to… oh for goodness sake."
Angel gave a sigh as she saw Stitch also had two hotdogs shoved up his nostrils, and the same grin on his face. A moment later Stitch sucked the hotdogs up his nose, swallowing them with a gulp. Kina did the same, which made Angel give a disgusted look and his siblings laugh.
"Like father like son." Chimed Kioko.
"That's for sure." Agreed Lilo.
"So, what is there to do now?" asked Nani as she crumpled up the wrapper that her hotdog had been in.
Everyone seemed to think for a moment or two. Finally Lilo spoke up. "How about we tell some stories?"
"What kind of stories?" asked Stitch
"Any kind, scary ones, funny ones. Any you can think of."
"That sounds like fun." Agreed Nani.
"Ok, well who wants to go first then?" asked Lilo as she looked around at the group.
"Well you guys can start with out me, I'll take up the trash." Blurted Kioko as he started gathering the wrappers that were strewn across the ground around him. Every one handed their trash over to him. "I'll be back in a minute."
A minute later Kioko was coming up to a trashcan. He tossed everything in, he then took one last gulp out of the water bottle he had. He then pitched that into the can as well, leaving some liquid in it. But as he turned to walk away he heard something come from the trash can.
"Hey, watch it. I'm trying to sleep here!" shouted a very familiar voice.
Kioko looked back at the can, a very curious look on his face. He slowly walked over to the trash can, trying to figure out who or what had shouted at him. He kicked the trashcan almost knocking it over, in an instant a tan, furry head popped up out of the trash.
"Hey, I said watch it… uh oh."
The creature quickly ducked back into the trash can, but Kioko reached in and pulled out the creature by the scruff of the neck. "625, what the hell are you doing here?"
625 gave an innocent smile as he nervously rubbed his paws together. He didn't look to good right now; even though it was dark Kioko could still see that his fur was filthy and matted in some places. He had also lost some weight, as he no longer had the bulging belly that he had before.
"I was just uh… hanging out… th… that's all."
"In a trashcan?" asked Kioko with a disbelieving glare.
"Yeah… in a trashcan."
Kioko raised his eyebrow as he looked at the experiment. "Right."
Kioko then turned around and began walking back towards the fire, 625 still in his grasp. "Hey, where are you taking me?" asked 625 nervously.
"I'm taking you too Lilo and Stitch."
"What? No, I can't go back there!" shouted 625 in a terrified voice.
625 quickly wrenched himself free of Kioko's grasp and bolted back towards his trashcan. He hadn't gotten 5 feet before Kioko appeared out of nowhere in front of him. Kioko's arms were folded over his chest as the pirate stared down at the experiment. 625 could see he wasn't going to get past the pirate, so he took a few meager steps backward.
"Don't even try running, 625. You won't get far." Said Kioko in a serious tone.
"Listen, Kioko… I'm sorry about all the stuff that me and Gantu did. None of it was my idea; I didn't want to capture all the experiments." 625's voice became filled with fright and nervousness. "I didn't like anything that Fish lips and Hamster boy were planning. I'm sorry, so, so sorry… please don't kill me." Pleaded 625 as he got down on his knees and clasped his paws together.
There was a moment of silence as Kioko watched the experiment plead for his life, with a certain satisfaction. "I'm not going to kill you, 625."
625 slowly looked up at the pirate, a look of relief and confusion on his face. "You're not?"
"No, I'm not. But I am going to take you too Lilo and Stitch."
A look of fear once again swept over the experiments face. "No, didn't you hear me? I can't go back there!"
"You can and you will." Replied Kioko as he walked over and grabbed 625. This time carrying him under his arm.
"But you have no idea what my cuz will do to me if he sees me!" shouted 625 frantically.
"He won't do anything to you, not with me around."
625 gulped hard, knowing that he wasn't going to talk the pirate out of it. So he took what little comfort he could from Kioko's words. After a minute or two the fire that Jumba had started came into full view, both Kioko and 625 could feel the air getting warmer as they neared it. 625 gave small whimpers as he could already see Stitch sitting on a beach chair next to the fire.
Stitch wasn't the only familiar face he saw. On the other side of Stitch he could see Jumba, as well as the skinny, one eyed alien known as Pleakley. He also saw Lilo's older sister Nani, but he did not see Lilo. How ever he did see another young woman sitting opposite to Stitch, she looked like a younger Nani. By this point they were only a few yards from the group, Kioko stopped for a moment and set 625 down on the ground.
"You can walk the rest of the way, but you can stay behind me if you're too nervous." Instructed Kioko in a calm voice.
625 nodded in understanding as they once again started walking towards the group. Another moment later they had reached the group, everyone was laughing about something. 625 quickly darted behind Kioko's legs as they entered the ring of people.
"Kioko, you missed the funniest story!" shouted Lilo as the pirate came to a stop.
"Darn, oh well, you'll just have to tell me later."
"What took you so long, I thought you were only throwing away the trash?" asked Stitch as a curious look appeared on his face.
A smirk appeared on Kioko's face. "Well, I had a good reason. Look who I found."
At that moment Kioko stepped to the side, revealing 625, standing there trembling slightly. "He… hey guys." Greeted 625 as he timidly waved.
Seconds later Stitch began to growl angrily. "625!" shouted Stitch as he leapt off of his chair towards 625. His extra arms out and his teeth bared.
625 quickly covered his face with his arms expecting to feel the blue experiment tackle him. But nothing happened, instead he heard Stitch give a startled yelp. 625 slowly lowered his arms, finding that Kioko had Stitch in a head lock. "Thanks, Kioko." Said 625 quietly.
Kioko didn't even seem to acknowledge the experiments thanks. "Calm down, Stitch. He's not your enemy any more, he never was." Said Kioko as he held onto Stitch tightly.
"But he was with Gantu and Hamsterviel." Growled stitch quietly.
"I destroyed Gantu and Hamsterviel… remember." Replied Kioko. "Now behave, otherwise I'll do more to you then just put you in a head lock. Got it?"
Stitch gave a small growl. "Fine."
"That's a good boy." Kioko dropped Stitch to the ground with a thump.
"You should know better then to attack your own cousin, Stitch." Scolded the young woman.
Stitch lowered his ears. "Sorry, Lilo."
625's eyes shot open as he looked over at the young woman. "Is that you, Lilo?" asked 625 with a shocked tone.
"Yep, it's me." Smiled Lilo.
"You've really changed, what happened to the little girl that used to foil all of blubber butts plans?"
Lilo gave a small laugh. "She grew up."
Suddenly 625 heard a voice that he never thought he'd hear again. "625, long time no see."
625 quickly looked over towards where the voice came from. His eyes widened as he saw Angel walking up to the group. 625 couldn't believe that she was there, she looked just as she did the last time he saw her.
"A… angel? I thought Gantu still had you in his prison?" asked 625 in disbelief.
"He did, up until early last year. Kioko rescued me from him." Replied Angel as she walked over next to Stitch and Kioko.
"Aren't you worried that Gantu will come after you again?"
"Not at all, let's just say that Kioko made that impossibility."
625 seemed to think about this for a moment. "Where were you anyway, Angel?" asked Kioko.
"After you left Stitch told a scary story and the kids got scared. So I was just over comforting them; their in the buggy right now." Explained Angel as she shot Stitch a scolding glance.
"Wait a minute…" blurted 625 with another look of confusion on his face. "Kids?"
Angel gave a soft smile, as did Stitch. "Yeah, me and Stitch have our own little ohana now." Angel wrapped her arms around Stitch's neck in a light hug.
"Why don't you call them over, Angel? I'm sure they'd like to meet their uncle 625." Blurted Lilo.
"Good idea Lilo, Jumba, why don't you call them over? You can yell louder then me." Said Angel as she let go of Stitch.
"Sure thing, 6-2-4." Jumba then turned to face the buggy. "Children's would you for to be coming over here? We'd like you to be meeting someone." Shouted Jumba.
"I can't believe you two have kids." Said 625 as he looked over at Stitch and Angel.
"Why, after all, you knew how in love me and Angel were?" said Stitch as he smiled at Angel.
"I know…" started 625 with a certain displeased tone to his voice. "But, after awhile I started to have my doubts about our ability to… you know." Finished 625 with an uncomfortable tone.
Stitch nodded in understanding as Angel looked over to see three small figures running through the darkness towards them. "Well, here comes your proof that we are capable of such acts." Blurted Angel as she turned back towards 625.
Stitch looked over and saw the kids waking into the light; he motioned for them to come over. "625, we'd like you to meet our children."
The kids quickly lined up next to their parents, tiny smiles on their faces. "This is Oki, Kina and Ashley. Our three lovely children." Said Angel as she pointed to each one as she named them. "Kids, this is your uncle 625."
"Hello, uncle 625." Greeted the kids in unison.
"You know, it kinda creeps me out when they do that." Whispered Kioko as he leaned towards Lilo.
625 could only stand there with a look of astonishment on his face. But after a minute he finally came to his senses. "The… They look… great." Complimented 625 as he looked at the children. "They look just like you two."
"Thank you, 625." Said Angel.
"Uncle 625?" blurted Ashley.
"Yeah?"
"You smell funny." Said Ashley.
625's face went blank at the young females' words. "Ashley, that's no way to talk to your uncle." Scolded Angel.
Ashley's ears fell to her shoulders. "Sorry, Mommy. Sorry uncle 625." Apologized Ashley.
"It's alright, Ashley." Said 625 with a smile.
"Why don't you go back to the buggy, kids." Instructed Stitch.
The kids nodded and ran off towards the buggy. After the kids were gone Stitch turned back to his cousin. "Why do you smell funny?"
The question got Stitch elbowed in the side by Angel. "I found him in a trashcan, that's why." Said Kioko as he walked over and sat down on a vacant seat.
"Why were you in a trashcan?" asked Lilo in a shocked tone.
625 just sat down on the ground. "It was the only place I could find to stay." Said 625 solemnly.
"What do you mean? You could have come to us." Said Lilo in an almost shouting voice.
"I couldn't do that, not after being on chowder chops team for so long. I didn't think you would have anything to do with me."
"That's ridiculous, your Stitch's cousin as well… which means…" started Lilo.
"Which means you're ohana." Finished Angel.
"Right, ohana means family." Said Stitch.
"And family means no one gets left behind." Said everyone else in unison, except Kioko. This made Lilo look over at him questionably.
Kioko saw her look. "I'd like to keep some of my dignity as a pirate if you don't mind."
625 gave a deep sigh. "Well, that just proves that Gantu wasn't my family. Since he left me behind without any thought what so ever."
"Wait a minute, Gantu left the planet for good 3 years ago. You've been living on the streets all this time!" shouted Lilo.
625 gave a heavy sigh before speaking. "Yep, been living off of scraps out behind the sandwich shop and… stealing bottled water from tourists."
"That was very cruel of Gantu to leave you here without any supplies." Blurted Nani.
"He wasn't expecting me to last long anyway."
"What do you mean?" asked Lilo.
"Well, when he left me behind, he didn't exactly leave me with encouraging words."
FLASHBACK: 3 years before.
It was in the middle of the night on the island of Kauai, the tropical forests were dark and silent. Except for one small cove, the low rumble of rocket engines cut through the silence. Another sound also cut through the silence, but this one was more annoying.
"You are to return to my base immediately! Do you understand?" shouted a small white rodent from the other side of a small video screen.
"Yes sir, I understand." Replied a large whale like creature. "But, why are you calling me back there? I still haven't recaptured the repurposed experiments."
"I am calling you back here because I have plans that require your fishy fishiness! Besides, you always fail trying to recapture those experiments, you over sized fish fingered fishy thing!"
A dumbfounded look came over the large being's face. "Yes, well… I'll be back at the base in a few hours."
"Be sure that you are!"
At that moment the screen went blank, a small elevator also rose up from the floor revealing the tubby, tan experiment known as 625. "So was that Hamsterwheel or what?" asked the tubby experiment as he crawled up to a little seat next to Gantu.
"Yes, and he's not very happy."
"That gerbil is never happy. So, where are we going?"
There was a short silence before Gantu began to chuckle evilly. "We aren't going any where."
625 glanced up at him questionably, before suddenly being picked up by Gantu's large hand. Gantu pressed a button on the ships console with his free hand. The canopy rose up with a 'swish'.
"Hey, what do you think you're doing fish lips!" shouted 625 as Gantu held him outside the cockpit.
"We're not going any where because you are staying here. Hamsterviel has no use for a lazy experiment like you."
Gantu release 625 from his grip, sending the experiment tumbling towards the shallow water below. He bounces off the hull with a hollow thud a few times before landing in the water face first. 625 slowly pushed himself up out of the water, rubbing his head and growling slightly. He quickly looked back up at Gantu, his teeth clenched and his fists tightening.
"What is this Gantu? Why did you do that?"
"I'm leaving you here you worthless little trog. You are of no use to Hamsterviel or me for that matter."
"Hey, I may not be as rough and tough as my cuz, but you can't just leave me here! At least not without a sandwich!"
"No sandwich, besides I'm sure you won't be needing food."
"Why?" asked 625.
Gantu gave an evil chuckle. "Without any place to stay I'm sure you won't last long on this miserable planet."
The ship suddenly started to rise up out of the water, the powerful engines shaking the ground as it rose. Gantu let out another evil laugh as the canopy closed around him. In the next moment the ship blasted off into the sky, spraying the still shocked 625 with water. 625 remained silent, a look of fear and confusion on his face as he sat in the shallow water.
END FLASHBACK
Almost everybody had a look of disbelief on their face, not a word was spoken for the longest time. But finally Lilo broke the silence as usual. "That's terrible; Gantu was mean but… I never thought he would do something like that."
"Well he did, and like I said, I couldn't go to you guys for help because… I didn't think you would help someone who had been on the bad guy side. I also figured that if I even tried to come to you for help, that my cuz there would kick my patooki." Finished 625 as he looked over at Stitch.
"You're a fool…" blurted Kioko. "You're a fool and a coward. Stitch wouldn't have done anything to you, not with Lilo around. You should have known that."
625 looked over at Kioko as if he had just been scolded for something. "B… But I couldn't…" started 625.
"No, there are no 'buts'… you've always had a warm place to come to. You were just too caught up in your own worries and fears to realize it." Said Kioko as he folded his arms over his chest.
625 gave a deep sigh as he got to his feet. "Yeah well… it's too late now."
625 turned and began walking off towards his trashcan. Everyone glanced around at everyone else as 625 continued to disappear into the night. After a few seconds Lilo finally got to her feet and ran over to were 625 had been standing.
"6-2-5…" shouted Lilo. 625 stopped were he was and looked back over his shoulder at the group. "Where do you think you're going?"
"I'm going back to my trashcan, there's a half eaten bologna sandwich that someone threw away and I don't want to keep it waiting." Replied 625 almost shouting.
"No you're not." Said Lilo forcefully.
"Why not?" asked 625 with a small sigh.
"Because, you're coming home with us."
625's eyes widened in shock. "What?"
"I said you're coming home with us." Repeated Lilo.
"Since we now know that you weren't turned to ashes when Kioko destroyed Hamsterviel's base and now that you know that you're welcome at our home…" started Angel.
"There's no need for you to be sleeping in a trashcan." Finished Stitch.
"You… you mean… you don't mind me living with you?"
"Well, after we get you cleaned up and smelling better… we won't mind." Said Lilo.
625 was speechless, he couldn't believe his ears. They were actually taking him in, even though he had been with Gantu for all those years. Slowly a warm smile began to form on his face. The thought of a warm place to sleep and not to mention some good sandwiches made the fur on his arms and back bristle with excitement. But it wasn't just that… it was the thought of a family, a true family, which made him feel good inside.
625 stood there for a moment or two, his smile growing larger by the second. Finally Lilo broke out in a smile of her own.
"Well, don't just stand there… get over here." Shouted Lilo with a smile.
625's face was filled with happiness as he ran back over towards the group. He quickly got back to the group and was instantly surrounded by his new family. Lilo kneeled down next to him and started to rub his head playfully. Stitch and Angel also went to their cousin; they began talking about random stuff.
"It looks like Stitch has already gotten used to the idea of having 625 around." Blurted Kioko as he watched Stitch smile.
"It does doesn't it? That's good though, I don't want any fights in the house." Said Nani as she also watched the gathering.
"I'm surprised that you didn't object to this idea." Said Kioko as he looked over at Nani.
Nani gave a small shrug. "What can I say? I actually felt sorry for the little guy."
Kioko only gave a small laugh as he turned back towards the group. They continued to watch 625 get welcomed into the family for a few minutes before Nani finally spoke up.
"Well, we should pack up and get home. It's pretty late After all."
"Right, Nani." Replied Lilo.
Everyone, including 625 started gather things up and taking them to the buggy and jeep. Once everything was packed up they put out the fire and headed into the parking lot. They were some of the last vehicles there. They all started climbing into the vehicles they came in, but as 625 started to climb into the buggy, Kioko grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and walked over to his motorcycle.
"What are you doing, Kioko?" asked Lilo as she watched the Pirate.
Kioko looked back at her with a smirk. "I'm taking 625 to your house myself. But first I need to have a few words with him."
"What 'words'?" asked Lilo.
"Just a few ground rules, Angel knows what I'm talking about. Right, Angel?"
Angel looked over at him with a slightly scared look, but no one seemed to notice. She nodded slowly and then turned away, dropping her ears down to her shoulders. Kioko nodded and then placed 625 on the back of his bike.
"Uh, does this thing have seatbelts?" asked 625 as he looked around at the machine.
"No, but you'll be fine." Replied Kioko as he threw his leg over the seat of the bike. The smirk on the pirates face made 625 gulp with nervousness. A moment later the bike sprung to life, shaking rather violently for a moment. "See you guys at home." Said Kioko as he waved with two fingers. "Hold on tight. 625." The experiment quickly did what he was told, quickly grabbing onto Kioko's waist.
In a split second the bike tore through the parking lot, skidding onto the street at almost a horizontal tilt. The bike straightened up and continued to tear down the street. 625's screams could be heard screaming even as the bike disappeared around a corner. Meanwhile Lilo climbed into the jeep, feeling rather relieved. The day had been fun but, she was now looking forward to getting home and resting.
Well, that's the end of this chapter, just one more to go until this story is over. An important note though about my Tejina Chronicles. The next story may be put on hold for awhile. I'm afraid that I'm going to miss my planned deadline for the final story of this series. And I being all about getting things done on time has lead me to this decision. So… yeah. Anyway, please Review and thanks for reading.