The Tejina Chronicles: Final Days
By: Kioko the pirate
Chapter 7: Pleas
Like a fading dream, the feeling of his strong, warm embrace left her. The smell of tropical flowers and the salty ocean air was replaced by a humid, musty smell so overpowering that she had to hold her paw over her nose. But, despite her best efforts, the foul smell found its way into her nostrils, becoming stronger with each passing second. Soon the feeling of ice cold metal beneath her feet joined the horrendous smell in a growing picture of the world that lay ahead of her. Through the darkness she could begin to hear faint, repetitive beeping sounds, and the maddening hum of machinery that seemed to serve no other purpose but to welcome her home with pitiless laughter.
Then, the accursed world began to come into view. It was a sensation akin to when the blood rushes from one's head and vision shrinks down to a tiny, fuzzy dot in a dark tunnel. Slowly, the fuzzy dot grew larger and became clearer until finally the world she had come to loathe fell into focus. Her reflection stared back at her from the other side of the cramped glass tube, a mess of anger and sadness smeared across her face. She sat in the middle of a poorly lit room with black, metal walls and all the comfort of a dungeon. Flickering, yellow lights shining from the bottom edges of the room were the only source of light, adding to the room's bleak atmosphere. Machines randomly sat along the walls, their true purpose a total mystery.
Finally, across from the glass tube, beyond her reflection was a set of elevator style sliding doors, gnarled and rusted from years of neglect. On the other side was the reality that she never wanted to return to. A truly meaningless existence, at least… that's what it felt like after having been in the arms of paradise. Before she could step toward the door, the glass tube filled with a fine pink mist, a disinfectant, which stung her eyes and nose and did not help to mask the malodorous stench that hung in the air. A moment later the glass tube rose up into the ceiling, allowing the pink mist to flow down like fog across the floor. Then, for the first time in almost two years, Angel set foot back into Jumba's lab.
She hesitated for a moment, taking in all the familiar feelings that had accompanied her so many times before. It was the fifth time that she had stepped down from that glass tube and stared at the empty black walls; the fifth time that she had returned a failure; the fifth time that she had left a partner behind. But this time it was different, this time her heart ached not from the loss of the tournament, but from the fact that the person she cared about the most now seemed a distant memory. She would give anything to be back in his arms, to be back where she belonged. Reluctantly she made her way over to the doors, though meant to open automatically the aged doors did not move. In a momentary burst of frustration, Angel slipped her finger in between the two doors and forced them open, bending them in half as she did.
The corridor on the other side of the doors was just as appealing as the room. Pipes and bundles of wires of varying sizes, stretching on to the left and right, lined bare, jagged rock walls. Steam rose up from the grated walkway, saturating the walls with a glistening layer of condensation that dripped down from the ceiling in a depressing melody. With an aggravated snort, Angel turned to the left and began making her way down the dark corridor. She had hated Jumba's lab ever since she was created. Every little detail about it pinched at her nerves, especially after returning from a tournament. The lab was built in the core of an asteroid and so there were no windows for her to look out of. This also limited the size of the lab, which when filled with over six hundred experiments, made for cramped living conditions. She hated the smell too; alone experiments didn't have a particularly bad smell, but when locked in a sealed lab for any length of time the smell became akin to wet dog with a hint of skunk.
The only place in the whole lab that had comforts anywhere near as nice as the ones on Earth were in Jumba's personal quarters, where only the most privileged experiments were allowed to go. The more she thought about what she had come back to, the more Angel wanted to tear her way out. To break through the walls around her and get back to the life that she longed for. Yet, at the same time, she felt trapped by the protocols that had governed her life for so many years. They were like an invisible leash, guiding her every step. As much as she wanted to believe otherwise, she wasn't sure if she could break that leash or if Jumba would even let her try. It felt like her heart was on a roller coaster, rising and falling with each passing thought, twisting them selves into a sickening knot.
The feeling was so intense that she had to stop and lean against the wall for a moment. Already she could hear the sounds of the other experiments resonating from far down the corridor. Their droning voices marked the true end of the tournament. After some time, Angel forced her way through the knot in her stomach and continued down the corridor. A light became visible in the distance and the droning of voices grew into repetitive, ecstatic cheers. In the back of her mind she hoped that it was for her, that maybe by some fluke she had actually won. But that was nothing but a pipe dream. She finally reached the end of the corridor, took a deep breath, and stepped out into a massive, circular room. The walls transformed from rough, black rock to smooth, white, marble-like stone. Six monstrous pillars lined the walls, rising up into a towering dome, topped with a large circular light, designed to simulate sunlight. Between each of the pillars were multiple levels of balconies, all filled to capacity with experiments. But none of them noticed her; their eyes were locked onto a stage that sat on the other side of the room.
At the back of the stage she could see an empty glass tube just like the one she had arrived in. But unlike hers, it was highlighted by several lights encircling the tube. It was where Stitch would receive his grand welcome. To the front of the stage stood none other then the man who had given her life and who had essentially damned her to an empty existence, Jumba Jookiba. He was a large, round man with no neck and four eyes on his head. He was dressed in what he considered "dress attire", which consisted of his typical black pants, a blue undershirt, and a white lab coat with gold trim. To either side of him were his bodyguards, two experiments whose powers were unmatched. Standing to Jumba's left was an experiment named, Amar. He had a body similar to Stitch's but was slightly less bulky and his head was similar in shape and appearance to that of a bull terrier's. His fur was white with black streaks that crossed his back, while around his neck he wore a light purple scarf with three golden rings hanging off one end. He stood next to Jumba with his arms folded over his chest and his eyes closed in an almost meditative manner.
Amar was Jumba's most powerful experiment. He had won the tournament four times and had never gotten a scratch. His mere presence struck fear in the hearts of the other experiments. One reason why he acted as Jumba's enforcer. Amar was also Jumba's most loyal experiment; he saw the scientist not only as his creator, but also as a living god. Amar followed his orders exactly and without hesitation. Many experiments believed that Amar saw every other experiment as worthless trash.
To Jumba's right was a black, two tailed panther with purple markings around its eyes, her name was Pandora. She was Jumba's second most powerful experiment, and was a two time champion of the tournament. However, unlike Amar, Pandora did not hesitate to criticize her creator. As a matter of fact, she was the only experiment who was not afraid to stand up to Amar. This made her a close friend of many other experiments. Angel herself had received some comforting words from her after she had lost the last tournament. While Amar looked down on other experiments, Pandora treated them all like she was their big sister.
Suddenly, tiny, multicolored particles began to fill the empty tube, immediately catching everyone's eyes. "He's here!" exclaimed Jumba with a broad smile.
"About time." said Pandora as she calmly licked her paw.
"This is it everyone, so please to be quieting down now," yelled Jumba as he looked up into the balconies, "it's been a long tournament so we must give our victor the warmest of welcomings. Make it extra special too, it is being his first ever victory!"
The particles began to condense, their many colors blending into a solid white shape. Slowly, the amorphous white light took form and a moment later Stitch appeared in the tube, a solemn expression on his face.
"My dear experiments, may I be introducing our newest champion, Stitch!"
As the pink disinfectant filled the tube the entire room erupted with cheers and hollers. Angel was sure she even heard a handful of "boos" in the mix. The cheering continued as the tube lifted up and Stitch stepped down onto the stage. Yet the praise did nothing to change the saddened look on his face. Even from so far away Angel could easily see that Stitch was feeling the same as she. While his body stood on stage, his mind, and his heart remained back on Earth.
"My dear Stitch, I am being very proud of you," said Jumba as he clapped his hands together as quickly as possible, "you exceeded all of my expectations!"
"Very impressive, Stitch." smiled Pandora as her two tails waved in the air.
Amar remained completely still. "Well don't just stand there, come give evil genius big hug!"
Finally, snapping out of his somber trance Stitch walked over and was quickly scooped up in the large aliens arms. The little blue experiment's eyes bulged as he was crushed in Jumba's excited embrace. After a moment, Stitch was lifted up into the air for all the other experiments to see.
'This is more embarrassing then I'd imagined.' thought Stitch as he felt his cheeks burning.
After a full minute of being shown off Jumba set Stitch back on the ground in front of him. The room fell back into silence as Jumba cleared his throat and regained a more appropriate demeanor. "Congratulations, Stitch, on winning your very first tournament," said Jumba in a deep, professional tone, "you have now joined the ranks of a small, elite group of experiments. You now carry their pride and the pride of every other experiment on your tiny shoulders. I'm being most positive that your victory will serve as motivation for all new rookies to the tournament. Now, before we are moving on to rewards, I would… like to apologize."
Stitch's ears suddenly perked up. "I am being so sorry that I tried to forcefully bring you back with experiment 6-2-7. I do not know what I was thinking. Perhaps was having brain flatulations, I don't know," Jumba then noticed Stitch's eyes darting from one balcony to another, "Not to be worrying, 6-2-7 is not here. He was reverted to pod form as a safety precaution. You could not be believing big fuss he made upon his return. Amar had to be restraining him to keep him from tearing apart evil genius equipment. And if it is any consolation, 6-2-7 was getting many stitches as well."
Stitch's eyes drifted over to Amar, who had yet to open an eye. "Well that's… cool." said Stitch with a gulp.
"Now that apologizes are out of the way, we shall move on to best part, rewards!" Another round of cheers echoed through the room. "As winner of the tournament you will be receiving the usual goodies, full access to my personal quarters, where there are many cushy things to sit on, three months vacation in the lab spa, where you will be pampered like king, and five hundred lab credits for you to use to spruce up personal quarters!"
Angel sneered; such "prizes" undermined the true nature of the tournament. They made it all seem like some two-bit game without any consequences. There was no reward that could undo all the suffering that the tournament caused, for both the experiments and their partners alike. She could hardly believe that there had been a time when such things made her think it was all worth it. Stitch was feeling the same way, cushy things or not there was only one thing he truly wanted.
"Now, ordinarily evil genius would give also give you big, shiny medal for you to wear or pin to wall, but resources are limited at the moment. So, as an alternative, evil genius has decided to grant you a single request."
Stitch's heart stopped as his eyes widened in disbelief while Angel's sneer melted as her mouth fell open. "What?" asked Stitch, not fully believing what he had just heard.
"You heard me, I shall grant one request. You may ask for absolutely anything, just so long as it is within evil geniuses abilities of course. You may request an extra month in the spa, full fridge access, maybe a little alone time with a female of your choosing," said Jumba with a wink; Pandora rolled her eyes, "whatever it may be, just speak up, Stitch."
Stitch was frozen in place, his face locked in an expression of amazement. He kept waiting for Jumba to say he was kidding or for the world to grow hazy and him to wake up in his bed. It was too good to be true; there was no way his luck was that good. But nothing happened, he did not wake, Jumba did not say he was joking, it was all very real. Like a glowing hot ember, Stitch's excitement began to burn deep inside him. Even as his outward appearance remained unchanged the excitement, the joy, and the immeasurable relief swelled in his heart. His body began to quiver as he struggled to bring the words to his lips.
"I think he's broken." Pandora said, her head cocked to the side in curiosity.
"Hello, is there being anyone home," sang Jumba as he waved his hand in front of Stitch's face, "Come on, Stitch, it cannot be so hard to think of one little request."
'Say it, dammit.' thought Angel as she clenched her teeth.
Stitch finally blinked and swallowed hard once more. "Th… there is something,"
"Well good, let us be hearing it."
"I want… I want to go back to Earth!" Stitch shouted, all of his pent up exhilaration bursting forth at once, catching nearly everyone by surprise. "My request is to go back to Earth."
"You want to go back," said Jumba as he scratched his head, obviously puzzled by Stitch's request, "Oh I see, you want to see more of the planet. I suppose that makes sense, tournament does not allow for much sightseeing. Very well then, I shall grant you two weeks leave to go to Earth, but make sure to bring back souvenir for evil genius." The large alien said with a belly-jiggling chuckle.
"No, that's not what I meant! I don't want to go there for some little vacation! I… I want to live there, with my partner from the tournament!"
Jumba and every experiment in the room were dumbstruck, their faces void of any real expression. Yet Stitch could feel every eye looking down on him. It was a terribly unnerving sensation that made his skin crawl. A guilty pressure settled on his shoulders, as if his words were a blasphemy. But just as the pressure began to grow unbearable the thick silence was cut by Jumba's boisterous laughter, followed shortly by the laughter from all the experiments.
"Oh, Stitch, that is funniest thing evil genius has heard in long time," Stitch's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Bastard." growled Angel as she glared at Jumba.
"To think, one of my experiments living outside of the lab, how ridiculous! Perhaps, Stitch should consider becoming comedian. Could be splitting many sides with jokes like that."
"This isn't a joke," barked Stitch as he clenched his fists. Jumba's smile immediately straightened, "I want to go back and live on Earth with Lilo, my partner! It's the only thing I want. You can keep your spa's and refrigerators, just let me go live on Earth!"
"You are being serious aren't you?"
"Yes, I am."
Both Stitch and Angel knew the scientist put little thought into the request, for the pause between Stitch's words and Jumba's was far too short, even for someone with his intellect. "Absolutely not," Stitch's ears fell to his shoulders while his mouth dropped open ever so slightly, "I cannot allow you to go back to that planet to stay."
"Why the hell not? You said you would grant me any request within your power; you were about to let me go for two weeks so what's the problem with extending it… indefinitely?"
"It is not that request is beyond my abilities, it is that request could be causing big troubles for evil genius and all other experiments."
"Big troubles," Stitch asked while trying to copy his creator's accent, "what could happen?"
Jumba gave a heavy sigh as he rubbed his two lower eyes. "Is being too complicated to explain right now, just make another request."
"I don't want to make another request, all I want is to go back to Earth!" snarled Stitch, giving his creator a clear look at his pearly white teeth.
A low murmur rose up from the balconies of experiments as creator and creation stared into one another's eyes. Stitch's sharp hearing began to pick up faint criticisms uttered by his peers, steadily getting louder with each tense moment. His eyes began to drift away from Jumba's and toward the balconies, suddenly he felt like he was on trial.
"I know you hear them, Stitch," Jumba said with a condemning tone, "Like me, they know that you're request is a foolish one. An experiment's only home is in this lab, nowhere else."
Stitch was struck speechless, though the stupidity of Jumba's words made him want to scream. Fortunately for him, he was not alone in that feeling. "That's bullshit," yelled Angel, her words reverberating several times around the room.
"Angel…" Stitch said in surprise as he turned around to face the female.
"To think that any experiment could call this accursed place home is ridiculous! I know for a fact that we can find homes outside of these walls, because I have. Me and Stitch both have."
A condescending smirk popped up on the scientists face. "And just where is this home of yours? With that barely evolved monkey you had as a partner perhaps?"
"Don't you dare talk about him like that, you festering bag of fat," snarled Angel as she took a few steps toward Jumba, her fists tightening into solid balls. This could easily be taken as a threat toward Jumba and would undoubtedly draw the attention of his two bodyguards. Knowing this, Stitch acted quickly and raced over to Angel's side. He grabbed her shoulder and halted her advance.
"He cared about me more than you ever did," Angel continued, Stitch's firm grasp unable to silence her, "He was there for me when I felt weak and when I felt like I had no hope of becoming champion. Not like you, the last few times I returned from a tournament… you didn't wipe the tears from my eyes or hold me and tell me it'd be all right. No, you just shrugged your shoulders and said 'Better luck next time', as if this damned tournament were just some casual affair. But there won't be a next time because I'd rather spend the rest of my life with him than be stuck in this hellhole with you!"
For a moment Jumba was silent, then with a small chuckle he said: "He told you everything would be all right? But you lost… again; this boy is sounding like liar to me."
Stitch had to grab onto both of Angel's shoulders to keep her in place, even though he felt she had every right to beat his head in. He couldn't believe how Jumba was acting; it was a side of the scientist that he never knew existed.
"Give us a good reason why we can't go back to Earth, and I mean a good one." said Stitch, his patience rapidly deteriorating.
"You shouldn't be needing any reason other than me telling you it is not permitted," scolded Jumba with a wag of his large finger, "but if you are really needing reason, it is because the two of you are too naïve. Compared with other experiment's you are both still young and have much to learn about the universe. I cannot be letting you strand yourselves on primitive planet without knowing what dangers may lurk around corners. You may think I do not care as much as your partner, but whole reason I don't want you going is to keep you safe."
"But it's not like we'd be on our own. Our partners know more about that planet then you do. They'd keep us safe from anything we weren't familiar with." argued Stitch his voice spiking.
"Those fragile humans protecting two of my powerful experiment's, is ridiculous!"
"Those 'fragile' humans are tougher than you think," Stitch retorted, "in the fight against 6-2-7 Lilo suffered broken bones, deep cuts, and bruises galore, yet she was willing to keep on fighting!"
"My partner, Kioko, had the skin burned off his back but we still managed to beat 6-2-7!" Angel added, "You'd be a fool to underestimate them."
"And you would be fools to put your lives in their hands," yelled Jumba, his own patience for the situation gone. The mumblings in the balconies stopped as the alien's powerful voice echoed from the walls, "Jumba has had enough of your arguing for one day. Both of you are to return to your quarters and remain there until evil genius says otherwise. After that, Stitch, you may have your run of spa and other afore mentioned delights, but no request! You have blown chance."
With one last irritated glare, Jumba turned and started walking toward a door at the back of the stage. At the same time the balconies began to empty, an uncomfortable silence surrounding every last experiment. Stitch and Angel were left standing in the artificial light; their hopes of seeing their partners, their loved ones, slipping away from them with every step Jumba took. The two looked at one another, their eyes locking into an unheard debate. Words were not working against their father, no, creator, he didn't deserve the title of father. Only one option sat before them, but it was not a pleasant one. If Jumba would not let go of their leashes, they would make him let go… at any cost.
"Jumba!" screamed Stitch, stopping scientist and experiment alike, in their tracks, "we will not take 'no' for an answer."
Like a single entity, Jumba and all the experiment's turned around with astounded looks upon their faces. The spectacle wasn't over.
"Just because you created us, doesn't mean you have the right to deny us our happiness." said Angel.
"You may not like the idea of us living on another planet, but we don't care," continued Stitch, "you can't stop us from seeing our partners again. And if you try and stop us,"
"We will fight!" Stitch and Angel proclaimed in unison.
One could almost hear jaws hitting the floor as the two small experiments broke the biggest rule in the lab; never stand against the creator. But while the experiments gawked at Stitch and Angel, an unusually calm smile appeared on Jumba's face. The brows of the two experiments furrowed in confusion until suddenly their eyes shot open in terror. For just a few feet in front of them suddenly stood Amar, his arms still folded across his chest, his eyes closed, and his scarf falling down to his back, the only sign that he had even moved. The three rings on the end of his scarf chimed a haunting tune as his eyes slowly opened, revealing orbs of pitch black and iris's of a startling yellow. A weight like nothing they had ever felt suddenly slammed down onto their shoulders, like countless tons of wet sand. Their knees quacked as the immeasurable pressure compressed their bodies, stealing away their breath. In less than a second both experiments were forced down on all fours, gasping for air, as the pressure seemed to crush every organ in their bodies.
Their minds struggled to comprehend, after all their hard work, after all the strength they had gained; all it took was his presence to overwhelm them. All they could see was his feet and yet they could feel his cold, judging gaze piercing their bodies.
"Watch what you say," Amar spoke, his voice filled with power and void of any trace of feeling, "trash like you has no right to make demands of our father. You must know your place. It was his will that brought you life and thus it is his will that governs your life. Your feelings toward this fact are irrelevant. If his will is that you remain here then so it shall be." Jumba gave a nod of agreement.
"What little power you gained in the tournament is inconsequential, as are the connections you made with your partners. No matter the changes you feel you have undergone you remain a child of Dr. Jumba Jookiba. As such, it is your duty to heed his word as law. If you insist on breaking this law, you will be appropriately punished. Let this be a warning to you; I will not allow ungrateful filth, who turn their backs on all that he has given us, to lift a single claw against him. If you try and fight, I will destroy you."
"That's enough, Amar." ordered Pandora.
All of a sudden the pressure vanished from Stitch and Angel's backs, leaving them to collapse onto their stomachs in exhaustion. Every inch of their beings ached, from their skin to their bones. While they fought to regain their breath they raised their heads to see the pantheress sitting in between them and Amar. She sat with a statuesque posture, like some heavenly sentinel, a voice of sympathy.
"What do you think you're doing, Pandora?" questioned Amar.
"I should be asking you two idiots that question," said Pandora with the same tone of a mother scolding her children, "what the hell do you think you're doing, threatening these two, they've done nothing."
"Nothing? Your sympathy toward unworthy refuse such as them has blinded you. Not only did they disregard the orders given to them by our creator, but they then bore their fangs against him. Such crimes cannot go unpunished."
"The only reason they acted that way is because Tubbo over there isn't being reasonable," Pandora shot a glance in Jumba's direction, "All they want is to go back to their partners, people they obviously have grown attached to, and spend the rest of their lives living happily ever after. Now what's so damn wrong about that?"
"Our father already gave the answer to that question. Experiments belong in the lab, nowhere else. Their loyalty and honor lay with him; the idea that they could hold anyone in higher regard is ludicrous."
The pantheress's ears fell back as a toothy grin appeared across her maw. "You're such a liar," she chuckled as Amar raised one, perplexed eyebrow, "if you really believe that then why do you still wear the scarf that girl gave you?"
For a split second, Amar's detached persona broke, his eyes narrowed and his upper lip drew back into a sneer. Pandora had obviously hit a nerve, but the next second it was gone. His anger once again vanished behind an almost robotic demeanor. Yet Pandora's smile remained unchanged.
"Your partnership with her ended almost fifty years ago, but I haven't seen you take that scarf off since. To me that means that you held her in pretty high regard. Perhaps not as high as Jumba, but high enough that you wanted something to remember her by. So you can't tell me that you wouldn't jump at the chance to see her again."
Every ear in the room suddenly perked up, curious to hear Amar's response. He remained silent for a moment, it seemed that Pandora had trumped him.
"I'm afraid you're wrong," he said flat out, "when I became champion of that tournament I was no longer bound to her, my powers were my own again, as a result I have no reason or desire to ever see her again. As for why I still wear this scarf, I do it simply to show my gratitude. Without her help I wouldn't be able to serve our father the way I can today."
Pandora's head fell with an exasperated sigh. "You're such a stubborn ass, how she ever put up with you is beyond me. Well while you may not be able to accept the fact that you miss her, I on the other hand can say, without hesitation, that I'd love to see my first partner again. If I could… I think I'd even wish to stay with him,"
A solemn tone suddenly overcame her voice, "Unfortunately, that's impossible for me. Shortly after the tournament ended, a terrible plague swept across his planet. His species was all but eradicated. A little while later I found out that… he hadn't survived."
"You see, another prime example of why evil genius experiments should not be leaving lab," blurted Jumba, shattering the reminiscent look on Pandora's face "if you hadn't returned to lab when you did you might have been infected."
"I wouldn't have cared," snapped the pantheress, "I would have gladly risked my life to be with him in his final hours. It kills me to this day to think that I wasn't there to comfort him and it's your fault. It's because you made it necessary for us to join with a partner in these stupid tournaments that we develop these bonds. And by the end it's not as easy to let go as you may think. So if two experiments refuse to let go, it's because you gave them something precious to hold on to."
"If that is case then I hold the right to take that something away. They will just have to learn to let go." Jumba said callously as he crossed his arms over his chest.
"You're the only one who needs to learn to let go!" yelled Pandora as she got back on her feet, the fur on her back bristling in anger. Her outburst caught the scientist off guard and forced him to take an uncomfortable step back. "Are you still that lonely? Are you that afraid to be alone that you're willing to crush the happiness of two of your own creations in order to preserve your own?"
"Lonely?" asked Stitch to no one in particular as he and Angel sat back up, puzzled looks covering their faces.
"If those are the lengths you're willing to take then obviously you don't care about us the way you say you do. In which case, every last experiment here would be far better off without you!" Pandora hissed.
For the first time, it appeared that words had finally broken through Jumba's thick skin. His eyes darted off to a dark corner of the room while his head sunk down to his chest. The sight drew murmurs from the balconies.
"You may have given us life, but that life is ours now. We hold the right to live it the way we want. Wherever or whoever it's with is solely up to us. If you try and change that, we will not be responsible for the hopelessness you feel when your experiments leave you. You will have no one to blame but yourself!"
Jumba practically curled up into a ball on the stage. Guilt had found him and had spared him no mercy. Stitch and Angel looked at each other and then at Jumba. Some how, in his sorrow filled eyes, they could see their hope. Small smiles crossed their lips as they once again looked at each other, but their growing joy was suddenly halted as Amar raised one menacing paw up in front of Pandora's face.
"This treachery has gone far enough. I will not allow another foul word to be said about our father."
"Aww, does the doggy want to fight?" smiled Pandora as Stitch and Angel let out nervous whimpers.
"Joke if you wish, but you and those two weaklings will soon discover," Amar's paw began to glow with a magenta light, "that you're a thousand years too early to stand on equal ground with me."
The pantheress revealed her fangs in an anxious grin as she crouched down, ready to pounce. At the same moment Stitch and Angel started to push themselves backwards, an icy chill running down their backs. Every hair in the room stood on end as the air became dense with anxiety. But before the two titans could lift a single claw Jumba's booming voice sliced through the tension.
"Leave them be, Amar," the large alien commanded as he turned back toward the four experiments, "I'm afraid that she has a point."
Amar was silent for a moment as he looked over his shoulder at Jumba. "As you wish, my father." He finally said as he lowered his paw and backed away as if nothing had happened.
Jumba took a deep breath, held it for a second, and then let out a heavy sigh. Stitch and Angel looked on like curious children, along with the other experiments, as Jumba searched for his words. Despite having an IQ well above that of most beings, the evil scientist found it hard to put together even the first few words. Then, after another minute of thought, he found them.
"I know I've never told you why you were created in first place," started Jumba, speaking not just to Stitch and Angel but to all his experiments, "and I know you all have theories, but it is safe to be saying that none of you know the truth. So let me explain to you the truth behind your creation."
Jumba paused for a second as he held his hands behind his back and began to pace the stage. "Sixty-five years ago I was working as scientist in charge of experimental weaponry for the Galactic Defense Forces. While working on organic bomb Jumba began to dabble in more… advanced genetics. Nothing special at first, just some bacterium and other microscopic creatures, but then I became intrigued. Experiments with bacterium led to more advanced life forms, nothing compared to any of you, but enough to label evil genius as criminal."
Jumba stopped mid stride and turned back toward the four experiments. "The Federation banished me to this place! They took everything Jumba had, equipment, files, even favorite mug! But most importantly… they took away Jumba's life. Every member of evil genius family abandoned me, just as the Federation did. I was left all alone on this filthy rock. It was not long before evil genius began to hear voices," Jumba paused and looked around as if expecting one of the voices to speak up, "but that doesn't matter. What matters is that after about a month I was getting truly genius idea. I would use newfound knowledge of genetics to create company, to create… a family. I wasted no time converting supplies into the necessary machines, and before I knew it the first ten experiments were born."
Bewildered glances passed between the experiments as hearts fluttered wildly between tides of anger, sympathy, and excitement. To no surprise the meaning behind their lives left them without a voice, though what words could fit the moment?
"You made us because you wanted a family?" asked Angel in disbelief as she got to her feet.
Jumba gave a nod. "Wait a minute though," added Stitch, "if all you wanted was a family, why did you give us these powers?"
"Those powers of yours were not part of original plan. First ten experiments had no powers and were not as… sturdy as the rest of you. That is why they are no longer with us; rest their souls. After they passed I realized that this universe is not kind to fragile lives, so Jumba was deciding that experiments needed stronger bodies and ways to defend selves. That is how you came to have the powers you do."
"Ok, then the next question is what's the purpose of these damned tournaments?" Angel said as she folded her arms across her chest.
To her surprise, Jumba let out a small, nostalgic laugh. "That again was not part of plan. But when you lock up rambunctious little critters with super powers in a lab they tend to get a little out of hand. So I came up with tournament, which would allow experiments to vent their energy and would save Jumba money on repair costs. However, I couldn't let experiments go out alone to fight, would draw too much attention from the Federation. So I decided to pair experiments up with natives of underdeveloped planets, in hope that they would keep experiments powers in check and keep them from drawing attention, since the Federation does not watch such planets."
"You're such a hypocrite," scoffed Pandora, "you tell these two that they can't go back to Earth because it'd be too dangerous and yet you're willing to let your experiments go out and beat the crap out of one another. It makes no sense at all."
"I know it makes no sense," defended Jumba, "It is not like evil genius liked idea! That is why self-destruct devices were put in books, to keep experiments from killing one another. It worked too! Jumba has never lost experiment due to tournament ever."
Pandora dropped her head and gave a quick laugh. "You're such an idiot, an important part of a father's job is to protect his children, that much you have right. However, not only must they protect the children from the dangers of the world, but from themselves as well. A good father won't let his children go out and risk their lives just because they want to. That is where you failed. Fortunately, the chance to redeem your self as a father stands before you; grant these two their wish! And in case you've forgotten what that is," Pandora looked back over her shoulder at Stitch and Angel with a grin, "tell him once more what your hearts desire."
Stitch swallowed the stone that had grown in his throat and said: "We want to go back to Earth."
The pantheress's ears fell flat and her brows became wrinkled. "What the hell was that? Do you want to go back or not?"
"Yeah we…"
"Then say it like you mean it!"
"We want to go back to Earth!" Stitch and Angel screamed at once.
"There you go," cheered Pandora before turning back to Jumba, "Well you heard them, now what do you say, Dr. Jumba Jookiba?"
Beads of sweat rolled down the scientist's forehead as every eye drilled into him. He stood motionless in the spotlight, his mind racing between all the possible outcomes of the moment. The feeling of anxiety was amazing to the point of near tangibility. It coiled itself around his heart and mind like a thorny serpent. Its grip only grew tighter as he looked into the two pairs of black eyes that pleaded for an answer. But just then, something very strange happened. As he stared deeper into those eyes a feeling of confidence began to appear and the anxious serpent retreated. That confidence grew until finally it broke out in a smile across the scientist's face.
"I don't know why I'm saying this," started Jumba as he scratched the back of his head, " and it may come back to bite butt later, but if the two of you really want to go back to Earth, you are having my permission."
Smiles stretched so far across Stitch and Angel's faces that it looked like their heads may split in two. A second later both let out squeals of excitement as they turned and wrapped their arms around one another. Pandora couldn't help but laugh as the two began to bounce up and down together. They were like children on Christmas day. But once again their bliss was interrupted by the rough sound of Jumba clearing his throat.
"There is just one stipulation to this. As Jumba explained, it is not often that Federation checks in on underdeveloped planets but if they were to do so, non-native, super powered beings such as yourselves would stand out like swollen digit. If they found you it would not be hard for them to be tracing you back to me, so in order to protect evil genius and your fellow experiments… I cannot let you take your books back. Which means that you will be unable to use spells ever again. Are you understanding me?"
The two experiments glanced briefly at one another. "We understand." They said in unison.
"Are you sure," insisted Jumba, "it would mean losing all those powers you worked so hard for. Think about it, you both unlocked final spells, we've never had two experiments unlock final spells in the same tournament before, and they're only a fraction of their potential power! Are you positive you are wanting to give all that up?"
Stitch and Angel paused for a moment, each looking in different directions as they contemplated their decision. A small smirk began to form on Jumba's face as it seemed he had found their weakness, they wouldn't give up their magnificent powers just to stay with some measly humans. But then, to his surprise, the two began to laugh.
"The tournament is over, there's no need for those powers anymore." smiled Stitch.
"And losing them is a small price to pay for happiness." added Angel.
"I see," Jumba said with a sigh, "well then that settles it, you two are to prepare for deployment back to Earth. You shall leave immediately!" Jumba's expression froze for an instant and then melted into a sympathetic look, aimed at the other experiments. "Out of fairness to the rest of you… any experiment who wishes to return to Earth or another former battle ground may speak now. Take note that Jumba will never offer chance like this again, so think carefully."
Stitch, Angel, Pandora, and Jumba looked on curiously as the experiments began muttering amongst themselves. To Stitch and Angel's surprise there were no immediate takers and they couldn't understand why. Surely they couldn't have been the only ones who missed their partners.
"I want to go!" shouted a familiar voice from one of the higher balconies.
Stitch smiled as a purple speck shot out from the balcony and dove down toward them. In the next instant two clawed feet landed gracefully on the ground in front of Stitch.
"Snooty!" cheered Stitch as he wrapped his arms around his friend.
"Stitch, it's been too long," said Snooty as he wrapped his wings around Stitch, "I knew you would win!"
"I take it you are wishing to return to Earth as well, Snooty?" asked Jumba.
"Yes sir." Snooty said with a nod.
"Alright, anyone else?"
Once again there were no takers. "Oh come on, there's got to be more of you that want to get out of this lab!" yelled Angel as she looked between the balconies.
"Yeah, I'm sure your partners would love seeing you again," shouted Stitch. Just then his eyes caught another familiar face in the crowd. "Yin, I know you and Maria were close, don't you want to see her again?"
"It would be nice," replied the squid-like experiment, "but I just have no interest in going back to that planet. I don't like the idea of having to hide what I am all the time. Besides, Yang is here." Yin smiled as she nuzzled the volcano experiment next to her.
The room remained silent for a minute longer as Jumba waited for any last minute decisions. But when it seemed that no others would speak up he turned back toward the three experiments.
"It is looking like you are only ones. How lucky of you, getting run of tropical island to yourselves. Well, enough of this dilly-dallying, if we are wanting to get you back to Earth we must hurry. Go to deployment room, Jumba will go make necessary preparations. Come, Amar."
"Yes, Father."
With those final words Jumba turned and hurried off to the door at the back of the stage, followed closely by Amar. The three friends did not hang around to dwell on their victory, they too hurried off, but before they got out of the main chamber they were stopped by Pandora.
"I hope you three appreciate just how lucky you are," the pantheress said, "To be honest I'm rather envious."
"None of this would be happening if it weren't for you," said Stitch, "You can't imagine how grateful we are. How could we ever repay you?"
Pandora smiled and placed a large paw on Stitch's shoulder. "Darling, there are many ways you could repay me," she purred before walking away, running her tails underneath Stitch's chin as she went, leaving Stitch's face as red as a tomato. "If you really want to repay me though, there is something all three of you can do. Make sure that you savor every moment you have with your partners, both the good and the bad."
Pandora then looked at Angel. "You especially, Sweetie. You've been peculiarly unlucky when it comes to partners, I'm glad to see you finally got yourself a good one."
"Believe me, I won't let a minute slip by." laughed Angel.
"That's good, you two make sure to do the same."
"We will." said Stitch and Snooty.
Pandora looked over the three experiments one last time and then started to walk toward the stage. "Well, I wish you all the best of luck with your new lives, I really do. Now get your little butts moving, hustle!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
Finally, the end of this chapter! The Tejina series is virtually over! Just one more chapter to go, though I haven't decided whether or not the epilogue will be included with the chapter or not. Either way, I predict that before Christmas this series will be done! Please review.