A/N: Well, this is it. It's now or never for Lilo and the others. Lilith has taken on a new and more powerful form by fusing with her patron. (Which is not a demon in the religious sense, but I guess it would still qualify as true evil, as it does feed off the suffering of others.) This is the final battle, and it will take everything they have to bring down the nightmare for the last time.
Thru New Eyes
Chapter 16
Spirit vs. Spirit
Stitch backed away from the evil creature. This thing was the reason the Lilith clone had the original's memories. This thing was why Lilith had those strange shadow powers. But what was this thing, that fed off misery?
The creature spoke in Lilith's voice. "Behold my new form! I have been granted power beyond your darkest nightmares! You will all die here, and no one will stop me from purging this universe of all life!"
"Says you!" A beam flew at the monster, and struck her head on, pushing her back only inches. Lilo wasn't about to take this lying down either. "Just when I thought you couldn't become any worse." Lilo said as she narrowed her eyes. "And that other creature, it revived you, someone who wants to destroy the universe. And why, so you could kill a little kid? You're both sick" Lilo then took to the air. "You're outnumbered, so just give up."
"Oh, am I?" Devil Lilith said, the black shadows twisting and snaking on the ground. The experiments had already begun to back away from them, when Devil Lilith raised her arms. "This is what I think of your numbers!"
It was like the shadows suddenly sprung to life, as they shot forward towards the nearest lifeform, flailing and striking like whips. The room began to fill with panicking experiments, all trying to get away from the sea of dark tentacles. But to no avail, as it rushed forward to engulf the fleeing experiments.
"What the hell is this?" Kixx cried as it began to wrap itself around him.
It was the dark voice that answered. "They are larvae, feeding off your rage and fear." It laughed as the dark shadows continued to swarm. "You creatures are such a good source of nourishment; your hatred of my host is most delicious. But I believe the greatest delicacy has yet to be served." Devil Lilith narrowed her eyes in malice. "The throes of the dying."
"You're mad!" Lilo cried as she continued to fend off the creatures.
"Am I?" Lilith replied in her normal voice. "Am I really? The greatest minds of all time were once considered 'mad'."
"Yeah, but they didn't kill people!" Siron said as he charged upward at her. "And you won't be allowed to either!"
Siron rammed Devil Lilith at full speed, sending both of them flying towards the wall, but before impact, Lilith stopped herself in mid-air. She then took a hold of the red experiment by his neck, as shadows crawled up her arm towards him. "You think I'm that easy to defeat? I have news for you; I am way out of your league!" She smiled as the shadows crept over Siron's form. "Devour him, choke his lifeforce away!"
The shadows began to tighten around Siron, cutting off his oxygen. Then it started, the burning, wracking him to the very depth of his being. He felt like his insides were on fire, which was impossible, his armor should have protected him from energy of any kind!
"How does it feel, to have your lifeforce eroded away?" Devil Lilith said in the dark voice. "Doesn't it just make you want to give in and die?"
Suddenly, the shadows were cut away by a blast that then made contact with Devil Lilith's chest. Siron fell towards the twisting mass on the ground, when Lilo grabbed him. She then looked up as Devil Lilith looked down at both of them.
"Hey, ugly. How did that feel?" She said as she flew back upwards.
Devil Lilith howled in rage at the loss of her meal. "You, I'm not just going to kill you, I'm going to erase every trace of your existence!"
Siron struggled to catch his breath. This was far more than he could have ever imagined. This was not an experiment, not anymore. This was a demon, a creature hell-bent on devouring them all. He looked over the scene: experiments were fighting for their lives against a shapeless enemy as it tried to engulf them. In anyone else, this would have broken them with fear, but he knew that if this wasn't stopped here, it would spread over all of Earth. And to the little boy who was his first real friend. Siron turned to face Devil Lilith just as she charged, screaming. He narrowed his eyes as he and Lilo split to dodge, but he charged toward her! Devil Lilith opened her mouth in a hiss, her eyes wide and her claws at the ready.
The two appeared to be on a collision course, when at the last possible second, Siron dropped down, causing his opponent to fly past him. Devil Lilith stopped and turned, right into a blast! The shock caused her to fly backwards. Siron then turned down to look at Stitch, who was trying to free himself and several other experiments from the mass of dark tentacles. They're never going to free themselves if they flail around like that. They need a plan. Siron quickly analyzed the situation, and came up with a solution. "Stitch, free Kixx first, then have Kixx liberate Thrasher and Deforester, their spinning style of attack can hit the most targets at once. And calm Richter down before he opens a crack in the earth!" He then turned towards the other side of the room. "I need everyone on the right side of the room to work their way to the center. And remember, these things are only as strong as we let them be!"
Stitch gave a small smile as he turned to his left, tearing and thrashing away at the flailing shadows, which tried with no avail to grapple him. Upon being freed, Kixx gave a small nod as he began to work his way towards the two experiments he was instructed to.
Siron smiled in satisfaction as the two experiments systematically started freeing the experiments that could do the most damage, setting them loose to help other experiments. Then he heard the sound of a charge coming from behind him. He turned around to see Devil Lilith barreling straight for him! He braced for impact, but it never came. Opening his eyes he saw Lilo struggling to hold the demon back. She turned to look at him. "Help Stitch get the others out of here."
"Are you mad? What about you?" Siron asked, still prepared to rush in to help.
"She's my problem, my fear, and I'm not going to hide anymore." Lilo said as she turned to stare down her opponent. "Got that, you monster?"
"Works for me!" Lilith screamed in her normal voice. She started to fly upwards, Lilo in tow. "You have no idea of how long I've waited for this!"
"Likewise." Lilo said as she let off a flash. It wasn't enough too much of anything, but in caused Devil Lilith to loosen her grip, and Lilo flew free. By the time she'd cleared her eyes, Lilo was nowhere to be seen.
"Where did that little brat get to?" Devil Lilith exclaimed as she checked her surroundings. A beam from high above got her attention.
"Here I am!" Lilo yelled as she let loose a powerful Comet Blast. The energy flew downwards, headed right for Devil Lilith, when she blocked it with a blast of her own.
"Nice try. You're getting better. Almost as good as me." Devil Lilith replied as she reared back. "But try this on for size!"
Meanwhile, Siron turned to the battle on the ground. He knew that Lilo was making a foolish mistake, but he couldn't just stand around. He'd have to take advantage of Devil Lilith's lapse in attention to get the others free. He started on the few flying experiments. Freeing them would gain needed air support to get the experiments to safety. After a minute or so of cutting and blasting the shadow stuff, along with several close calls, he was able to get the four or so flyers in air.
"Alright. I need you to get the less powerful experiments to safety once they are free. Fly through one of the holes in the roof, but be careful to avoid the struggle."
The experiments nodded their heads as they set about their task. Stitch or one of the others would free an experiment, and one of the flyers would get it out of the range of the shadows, while Siron provided cover fire. To his surprise, however, the flyers came back with experiments; apparently hearing that their friends were in danger gave many of the energy experiments a second wind, and they came to help free the others, frying and blasting away the shades from the remainder of their comrades.
Siron then turned his eyes up towards the battle between Lilo and Devil Lilith. Lilo had been knocked out of the air, and Devil Lilith was heading in for the kill. Siron quickly turned to Stitch. "Stitch, I need you to take over. Lilo needs help."
"I'll help too!" Stitch replied.
Siron shook his head. "No, I will handle this. You need to help free the others."
"But she's my…"
"I know you love her, but what would she think if you abandoned the others?"
Stitch looked at him, his face showing the conflict in his heart. He then turned to attack a grouping of shadows near him. "Ok, but hurry up. And don't let anything happen to her!"
"I won't." Siron replied as he took off. This was going to end here and now.
Lilo struggled to catch her breath in the midst of Devil Lilith's ongoing assault. The situation was getting desperate, as it seemed that Devil Lilith had an unlimited supply of energy.
"Getting tired Lilo?" Devil Lilith mocked. "Just want me to end it now?"
Lilo looked up at her opponent with a defiant look. "Never. I'm never going to give up!" Lilo then let loose a blast bigger than she ever had. She'd been dodging until now, charging and hoping Devil Lilith would start to tire, but it was apparent that she wouldn't. It was now or never.
"Fine, we'll play that way! Let's see who can outpower who!" Devil Lilith replied as she followed suit with a blast that dwarfed Lilo's. The two blasts collided with devastating force, creating a powerful windsheer, which threatened to knock Lilo backwards. But she held on. She had to. If she let go for even a second, Devil Lilith would turn her blast back on her. Combined with her own blast, Lilo would be vaporized instantly.
Lilo's mind drifted to Stitch. Stitch. I have to come back to him. If I fall here, even if Siron manages to finally destroy Lilith, it will be the end of my bugee-boo as well. He'll end his own life in sorrow.
The blast center edged closer and closer to Lilo. Tears welled up in her eyes, this was it. She was finished. Goodbye Stitch.
Then, a fuchsia beam slammed into the blast center, combining with Lilo's own, forcing it back towards Devil Lilith. "We aren't out of this yet!" Siron screamed.
Lilo turned to look at him. He smiled as he turned to look at Devil Lilith. "I promised Stitch I'd make sure you came back safely."
Lilo gave him a weak smile as both turned to focus on their enemy. Devil Lilith just laughed. "This just saves me time. I'm going to wipe both of you from the face of the earth!"
"Oh really, then why is the blast heading back towards you?" Siron remarked as he gave it everything he had.
Sure enough, the blast was headed towards Devil Lilith now. The demon woman furrowed her brow as her beam grew wider with black energy. "You two have no idea of my power! I was holding back before, but now I'm going to give it everything!"
"As are we." Lilo whispered, as almost every part of her body lit up like the sun. Every part of her body was drawing in energy, causing a back-up of energy to form around her, which would normally harm her, but the excess was in turn absorbed by Siron's null barrier. Both poured everything they could muster.
Siron forced everything he had into this last assault. So many people were counting on him. His creator, his fellow experiments, and his best friend. Then it came to him, everything suddenly made sense.
The bards of long ago say that when one not of this world wishes to touch the worlds of us and others, he must find a single soul, one not for the world.
Not for the world could also mean not long for the world. An expression meaning destined to die! Chance's sudden bursts of wisdom, Lilith's losing control of her thralls in his presence, and his ability to sense her arrival! It all became clear.
"A threat that even the ancients feared. One they wished never to even comprehend." Siron said his voice barely audible over the sound of the blasts. "You are that threat."
Lilo turned to look at him. What on Earth is he talking about?
Devil Lilith cackled, the deep dark voice coming from her mouth. "Yes, yes I am that threat." Her body began to glow with the dark fire. "I am a Shadara, a devourer of sorrow and hate."
Lilo looked confused, causing herself to falter for a moment. The blast charged back towards them, immediately causing her to snap out of it and open fire, pushing the blast to the center.
"It looks like the little girl's a bit shocked." Devil Lilith said, still with that nightmarish voice. "What did you think would revive a creature such as Lilith? Her wave of destruction will feed many of my kind for a long time, and she will have eliminated our only threat."
"Not if I can help it!" Siron screamed as he pushed forward. He had found within him strength: the knowledge that not only this world's fate hung in the outcome, but countless others. "I will stop you here and now!"
"We will see about that!" Devil Lilith screamed as the black fire channeled into her blast, pushing it towards the two experiments. "You two don't stand a chance of defeating me! You never have."
The blast inched closer to the pair, despite their every effort to push it back. Lilith cackled and howled at their impending demise. Siron turned to Lilo. "We have to keep pushing. If we lose now, nothing will stop her from killing everyone we care about."
Tears fell from Lilo's eyes. She and Siron were giving it all they had, but it still wasn't enough. They were going to die, and there was nothing they could do about it.
The blast was mere inches away from the pair, when Lilith called out in victory. "Goodbye, you weaklings. Have fun in Hell!"
A final tear fell from Lilo's eyes. Stitch, help me.
Suddenly, a blast came flying out of nowhere, striking Devil Lilith on the side and shocking her with an intense charge. Her body shook and sizzled, and she screamed in pain.
Siron turned to Lilo. "NOW! Give it everything you have!"
Both thrust forward, sending the charge back at Lilith. With her own powers cut off by the charge, the blast overwhelmed her in a spectacular flash of light, dissolving her into nothing. She gave a dying scream as the blast tore her apart, cursing the victors.
Meanwhile, down below, Sparky had bitten off way more than he could chew. He had wadded right into the middle of the shadows to try and bail Kixx out, only to be swarmed. It looked like the end for both of them.
"Damnit, now I'll never see it." Sparky said as the shadows tried to drag him under. "Take good care of our baby Clip."
Suddenly, the shadows began to flail and loosen. Within seconds they dissolved into nothing, their tether to this world destroyed.
"What, what happened?" Sparky asked as he and several others looked around. The shadows were gone, and one only needed to look up to see why.
"THEY DID IT!" Jason yelled in celebration as the blast destroyed Lilith.
The others had been watching the battle from outside the ship. Richie slowly opened his eyes to see Lilo and Siron floating in mid air, Lilith nowhere to be found. "They did it?"
Victoria immediately grabbed her boyfriend and kissed him, with Myrtle looking on with a tired smile. It was finally over. The monster was gone forever, and she would finally be able to get on with her life. No longer would she obsess with Lilo's downfall, Lilo hadn't been at fault for what she did. And she had just saved everyone.
Lilo turned to the source of the blast, and there stood Stitch, with Cobra's gun in his hands. She gave a weak smile as her wings gave out. Stitch dropped the gun and jumped out to catch her, landing on the other side of the demolished roof. "You okay Lilo?" he asked as he set her down.
"I've never felt better." she said, a smile on her face. "We did it Stitch. Lilith is gone forever, and so is that thing."
"Yeah, it's over." Stitch said, tears in his eyes.
"But I can't help but think something." Lilo said as she turned to look at what had happened to Siron. He had landed on the other side of the dome, his crystal armor liquefying and retracting. He had gone back to his normal self, now that battle mode was no longer needed. "Siron said something during the fight, something I still don't understand fully."
"What?" Stitch asked.
"He said that that thing that revived Lilith and made her that monster, he said that it was a threat that even the ancients feared, that they didn't want to comprehend."
"You mean like in the legend?" Stitch replied.
"What legend?" Lilo asked. Then it hit her. "That's impossible, isn't it?"
Before Stitch could answer, someone's screaming got their attention.
Siron had landed just in time to be rushed by an overjoyed Jumba. "628, you did it! You destroyed evil monster. Am so proud of you."
He heard an 'ahem' from behind him. "So you made another one, despite what the Councilwoman said."
Jumba turned around to be face to face with Cobra. He sighed. He was in trouble and he knew it. But even if he went to prison, it would be worth it to have destroyed Lilith once and for all. "Yes, started process on 628 long time ago, but recently finished. I am understanding I am being in trouble."
"No Jumba, I will overlook this. You designed Siron for the possibility of Lilith's return. And he fulfilled his purpose and saved the galaxy. You have done no wrong."
Jumba gave a sigh of relief, when the only working monitor in the room went nuts. All three of them immediately turned their attention to the computer, which was displaying various red words in Turan.
"Jumba, what's wrong?" Siron asked. He knew what the words said, but he had no idea what it was talking about. Something about clearing a blast radius. The look on Jumba's face was one of pure terror.
"I…I thought it was only a rumor." Jumba stuttered out.
"What?" Cobra asked.
"The Sweeper Cannon. A weapon so powerful it can wipe out a city with one shot." Jumba replied. "And it's aimed right at us. We are all going to be dying!"
Siron's heart dropped. Lilith had gotten the last laugh. A quick review of the screen showed that the cannon was set to fire should Lilith's vitals flat-line. And she was very dead. He turned to Jumba, who was in a panic. "What do we do Jumba, is there anyway to stop it?"
"No. Console is locked. Am estimating only having a minute until death."
"What?" Lilo said as she and Stitch arrived at the source of the scream. "That's not fair." She then fell to her knees. "We lost Stitch. We could never win in the first place. Lilith made sure of it."
"That evil witch. I hate her." Stitch then held Lilo in his arms. "Don't give up hope Lilo, miracles have happened before."
"But what kind of miracle could stop that kind of power?"
Chance stood upon the small cliffside overlooking the ship. "I have to do it. There's no choice anymore."
I understand, but you assume the risk. The power could very well kill you at your age.
"It's my life or the life of everyone on the island." The young boy replied. "And I won't die, cause I believe in my destiny."
Very well little one. You have put the needs of others before your own, and shown maturity that not even I could have guessed at. Perhaps you are ready.
"I gotta be." Chance said as he turned his gaze upward. "For everyone."
Eyes turned to the sky as what looked to be a star formed in the heavens, right above them.
"What is that?" Myrtle asked.
"It's not good." Knuckles replied.
One of the experiments activated its sight, and realized that it was a giant beam, aiming right at them!
"That thing's going to hit us!" it screamed.
Everyone started to panic. Myrtle clung onto Jason, and many of the experiments clung onto one another as well. Richie looked frantically for Victoria, but she was no where to be found. Apparently she'd gone looking for Chance after they realized Lilith was dead. Before he could even try to find her to try and flee, the ground began to shake.
"What the heck is going on?" Stitch cried as the earth shook violently. "Is it Richter?"
"No, is not like quake. Is massive surge of energy." Jumba replied, noting that everything that had still been working was now shorting out. "This is it. We're done for."
"No." Siron said, who had been able to remain calm. "A cannon wouldn't cause this before it hit." He then looked up into the sky. "What is that?"
Jumba looked up. "Am not knowing, but cannon is going to fire!"
The star suddenly started getting larger and larger, as it revealed that it was indeed a beam of energy the size of a starship. Only one person had the courage to look as it came crashing down, and he was in for the surprise of his lifetime. The thing he had seen in the sky had stopped right in the path of the beam! On instinct he activated his telescopic vision, and what he saw nearly stopped his heart. Not from fear, but sheer awe.
There floated a man clad in shining red armor, his sword at the ready. There could be no mistaking who it was. Or what would happen next. The beam struck dead on, and that should have been the end, but the warrior held the beam back by what seemed to be a force field. Then it came, the atomic charge. Even if he held the beam back, the explosion's shockwave would destroy the island. But the wave never came. The red warrior swung his sword, striking the beam and its charge. After what seemed like an eternity, the sword gave off a blinding light, causing Siron to shut his eyes.
When he was finally able to open them, the beam was gone. In it's place was a large explosion up in space, the beam had been turned back on the cannon! He watched as the red warrior started to glow faintly, and began to descend back towards the ground. Meanwhile, everyone around him had looked up in time to see the beam returned to its source.
"That's…impossible." Cobra muttered.
"Amazing. What could being doing such a feat?" Jumba stated, his voice filled with both confusion and relief.
"A miracle did happen." Lilo said as she turned to look at Stitch. "You were right."
Stitch just stood in silence, also not believing what had just transpired. Meanwhile, Siron took off running. He knew where it was going to land.
The place he first met him.
On the ground, the experiments had gone from screaming to cheering once again.
"I don't know what turned that beam back, but I'm sure glad that it did." Bonnie said as she hugged onto her children.
"Are we safe now Mommy?" Jesse asked as her mother hugged her tight.
"Yes, baby. You're safe now." Bonnie said as she looked up at Clyde, who smiled back at her. "We're all safe now."
Myrtle looked up at the sky in amazement. "Wow, that was scary."
"Yeah, but I guess it's over now." Jason replied, still holding on to her. "But it was quite a ride, wasn't it?"
"One I never want to take again." Myrtle replied. Then both realized they were holding on to each other, and immediately separated, blushing madly. Meanwhile, Knuckles looked on with a smirk.
"Will wonders never cease?"
Richie had gone to look for Victoria, only to find her staring into space, a look of total shock on her face.
"Victoria, are you okay?" Richie asked. "Victoria?"
At first she gave no response, not even when Richie shook her. Suddenly, she turned to him, the look of shock never fading.
"I know why she wanted him dead." Was all she said before she fainted.
Siron ran as fast as he could to the bench along the path. Once there, he was greeted by the sight of an unconscious Chance lying on it.
"Chance!" Siron called out, but the boy didn't even stir. Closer inspection revealed that his breathing was slow and laborious and that his body had undergone an extreme amount of strain.
"What happened to you?" Siron said as he slowly looked over the boy in worry.
A voice called out from behind him, one he'd never heard, but seemed so familiar.
"He is alright. Tonight has been a changing moment in his life; he has shown courage in the face of death and embraced his destiny."
Siron slowly turned around. There stood the ghostly image of the red warrior, his namesake.
"I believe you may have questions for me."
End Chapter 16
Next Chapter
Namesake