A/n:
Oh boy, it's been a while! Years! Sorry to keep you all waiting on such a cliff-hanger. It probably sounded as though I finished the story there, but rest assured, I have not! The reason I have been gone for so long is mainly because of life changes. In the past two years we built a house and moved into it and I have two kids now, a 3 year old and a 3 month old. I have had to put aside all personal time to focus on being a mum, including leaving my art accounts, moving on etc.
Things have settled down now, it took a while, but I found the time to get back to the story and finish it as I promised I would. I sat on this chapter for a long time though, nearly a year itself, because I was so apprehensive of finishing it and I felt as though I couldn't get it out of my head in the way I wanted. I had a vision for years in my head of how I wanted the end to go, I couldn't get it at first but I think I have got there now and I just had to accept it's probably not perfect and I can't make it so while fitting time in with my family life. I hope I encapsulated that vision well regardless.
This won't be the last note from me as the final chapter is a two parter! I thought I could squeeze it into one... and then I kept writing. -_-
Anyway, I hope you all enjoy the finale of Error #626, whether you're a new reader or a long time reader. Love it or hate it... either way, this story has been a milestone for me and I'm proud of how far I have come with it. :)
It was a few minute before Lilo's eyes adjusted to the light around her. Sitting up, she coughed and then let out a loud yelp of pain upon putting her arm down to push herself up as it had given out at an odd angle.
She'd felt this pain before. Back when she'd broken her wrist. Cringing, she held her arm to her body, trying to ignore the pain. It was the same arm, damaged once again.
Where was she? Looking around it took her a few moments to realise she must've been standing in the sewers beneath the street. Right now getting out was her main focus, as scared as she was.
"Jumba?" she called out, hoping for an answer, but there was none. "Stitch?"
She almost envied Stitch and his night vision for a moment. Because down here she couldn't see a thing save for the dull light entering the sewer from above where they'd fallen down with the collapsed road. Distantly she could hear the townspeople above shouting out but there was no signs of help just yet and she doubted there wouldn't be for a while, if at all.
Lilo put her good arm out until she felt a wall, and started making her way along it. As her vision finally adjusted, she was glad that she had landed on a small path around the tunnel and not actually landed in the water itself. When her foot stepped out onto nothing she paused and realised she was about to step into water. As good as a swimmer she was, here in the dark she feared drowning more than ever. Especially in that murk.
The girl shivered. Not so much from being cold, but from terror. She had to remain strong and she knew that Stitch would've wanted her to—speaking of, she had no idea what was going on with him but she was aware that something was very wrong. Seeing her best friend's body glowing like that had really terrified her. It was as if his insides were all showing through his skin. Where had that light been coming from? All she could think of was that it was the cell inside of him.
While Stitch had been acting really strange lately, mentioning about what would happen or how she would react if he hurt her or her family, she could have never guessed he was changing so suddenly. But with how Jumba had been today she wondered if this actually was it. Jumba had refused to tell her and she was mad about that but for now her main priority was her own safety.
So she kept walking. And then finally she made out a form in the darkness ahead, emitting a soft green glow.
"Stitch?" Lilo crept forward slowly, squinting as she tried to make out her angel's form. Her heart pounded.
It was him.
"STITCH!" Lilo screamed, bolting for him and kneeling down beside him. She felt his body trembling beneath her.
"Stitch? Are you alright?"
He finally moved, but when he stood up something about him wasn't the same. His movements were very mechanical and his eyes were glowing a bright green, not unlike the green she'd seen when he had glitched out, but she began to freak out when they started to turn red. At first she thought it might be his night vision but then she looked down to see that his chest was still glowing and she stared in a mixture of deep fascination and disgust as she could clearly make out the bones inside of him up this close. What appeared to be his heart was beating.
This image burned permanently into her mind. She'd never be able to shake it.
"S-Stitch...?" she tried again, reaching out for his paw.
He was still before a loud and sudden beep made her jump. It took her a moment to realise that the beep had come from him. Stitch twitched, before suddenly he flung an arm out and the next thing Lilo knew she was almost concussed from hitting the wall hard behind her. She slumped to the ground, sitting up shakily and feeling her head. Everything was spinning.
As her distorted vision gradually cleared she could make out Stitch beginning to approach her with his arm raised up high above her head. His claws looked massive—they had doubled in length of what they normally were and she screamed as she realised he was about to bring them down into her, covering her head with her good arm.
"STITCH NO! PLEASE!" she screamed out to him but he didn't stop. "It's me! Why are you doing this?!"
Trying frantically to back herself away from him, she hit the wall again. She was trapped. Lilo looked directly into his glowing eyes for a brief moment, hoping for something... hoping to see her best friend.
Her love...
...there was nothing, though she swore she saw faint binary code.
"I LOVE YOU!"
Lilo braced herself. It was too late...
...But just as he plunged his claws down suddenly a much larger figure had appeared in front of her from out of the water with a loud splash and she could feel herself being suddenly swooped up and held close to a warm, wet, mass. Stitch had struck the concrete instead and she could hear it crumble behind them. She hated to think what might've happened to her with how strong Stitch was.
"Lilo, listen to me..." A familiar voice echoed.
Jumba. Letting out an immense sigh of relief, Lilo could feel herself bob up and down in time with his movements as he ran further down the sewer tunnel.
"Uncle Jumba!" Lilo sobbed into him, feeling very broken. "S-Stitch just tried to kill me! Why?!"
"Lilo, you need to listen to me." Jumba paused, putting her down beside him. "Is not 626 anymore, is program—the Metamorphosis System. Stitch is gone, is nothing but system running now."
Lilo went into shock and her heart almost stopped on the spot. She couldn't bring herself to speak.
"No matter what you do or say you will not reach him and if you approach him, he WILL kill you. Just as he will kill me. Do you understand why 626 was persistent on asking you horrible questions now?"
Lilo stuttered. Her throat went dry. "Y-y-y... y-you mean...?"
"Yes. Programming is initialising today. Was never supposed to however Chopsuey was too late in stopping Demon 626, who already found a way to sabotage cell. 626 wanted to tell you... oh boy... how badly we both wanted to tell you..." Jumba was crying by that point. "He couldn't bring himself to because it was too soon but how could 626 tell you such a thing like this Lilo? How could I tell Nani and family after she's already lost child? How could I tell you, my precious little niece that your home will be destroyed TODAY when 626 IS your world!"
Lilo was quiet. Jumba wiped at his eyes with the back of his wrist before continuing, sounding almost breathless.
"...All we can do now is hope we survive, but I will not sugar coat situation—is only slim chance we will. Many will be badly hurt. Including us. 626's size is bigger than central city and he will kill people today. We have NO chance."
Lilo was blank for a moment or so. She wanted to hold onto hope, and she tried to. "But it's still Stitch, right? Maybe I can get through to him! You gotta let me try!"
Lilo turned to go back and run to her best friend, but she was yanked back instantly.
"LILO! THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO FROM THIS POINT FORTH!" Jumba roared, holding her by the shoulders and shaking her very gently but he also crying heavily, his once stoic stance now gone. The tunnel gradually became bathed in light around them thanks to Stitch's glowing eyes and body. He was coming closer behind them.
"You MUST understand this—! When 626 destroyed Turo, he went absolutely NUCLEAR! Entire planet was demolished! Thousands of lives lost that day and will be the exact same here! Jumba ALSO nearly died trying to stop him. Stitch... even that boy, Mitch, no longer exists in him now. No consciousness—is just system. His brain is only running code, not thoughts or emotions."
Lilo's eyes widened. She recalled the binary she saw flashing through Stitch's eyes and she watched as Jumba pulled up his vest suddenly. Lilo was greeted with the sight of the alien's body, something she'd never seen before. His entire flank looked as though it had been melted and the skin was distorted, heavily scarred and stretched. She quivered terribly.
"I only survived because I was able to lure him into ocean, where he tripped and back then Jumba flew cruiser he was piloting into his head. Explosion almost killed me but engine in cruiser was powerful enough to knock him out at mach 500. Cruiser here however, isn't. Is 310. No chance of inflicting the right amount of damage required to knock out 626."
"Wh—"
"Little girl, listen to me." He pulled down his vest and Lilo felt her alien uncle put his hands to her face as he looked deep into her eyes. "I need to try get you out of here, even if I die trying. He will see what I am doing. Right now his primary goal is only to maim and destroy because I created him that way. I am no longer a father nor creator to him just as you are no longer 'boochibu' to him."
Lilo bowed her head, tears flowing. Jumba put a finger to her chin and lifted her head. "But you need to be strong now. The strongest you've ever been, otherwise will not survive today... because you are going to see things that are unfathomable and you need to handle them as they happen. I wish I could've prepared you for this day... but all I can do is prepare you right now, in mere minutes, by telling you that you will need to keep moving and hiding, no matter what."
Lilo went to speak however at that exact moment, the area around them started shaking violently. Bits of concrete started to crumble around them.
"RUN!" Jumba roared, taking Lilo by the hand and swiftly pulling her away.
"What's happening?!" Lilo screamed, running alongside him in the dark and trying not to fall into sewer water.
"626 is becoming huge monster!"
"Like... like Godzilla?!"
"WORSE!"
Lilo choked slightly. She looked back and saw the entire sewer starting to collapse. There was too much dust in the darkness to see Stitch but she could still see the bright green glow.
The waters in the sewer started to swell and Lilo felt cold waves lapping against her pants as she ran. Inevitably, they reached a dead end. Bars lined the way of the forward water flow into a narrower tunnel and despite Jumba desperately tried to break them open he wasn't able to. There was another loud shake and before she could register what had happened, Jumba had thrown himself on top of her to protect her. He coughed. A huge slab had fallen on top of them and her uncle had used his body as shield to spare her from being harmed.
Lilo cried into him. He grunted and heaved the slab off.
"Are you alright Uncle Jumba?" the child gasped.
"Don't worry about me. I'm fine..." Jumba grunted again, but Lilo could see that he was hurt. Blood had started seeping down the side of his head. After kicking away concrete he went back to trying to break the bars.
"Where does that lead?" Lilo asked, seeing the water flowing into the bars more rapidly now as the ground continued to shake.
"Ocean."
BANG!
Before Lilo could say anything more, the entire area around them gave out. She screamed as Stitch had come into view now. Jumba tried his best to shield her again from falling debris, but then all of a sudden he was slammed hard into the wall behind her. Lilo ducked and shielded her body as another piece of concrete flew past her and she heard the metal bars clang loudly as concrete slammed into them.
Stitch had almost tripled in size. The walls of the sewer were beginning to collapse away around them underneath the strain of his form and as a result of the momentum the waters began to flood. Jumba looked up at his son, gritting his teeth.
"Lilo, you must try get away... is no way forward now, you have to go!"
"Where?!" He heard his niece shriek in panic as she looked up at the terrifying site of what was once her friend. His face had become massively distorted into something sinister. Something monstrous. "How?!"
"I don't know, but if you remain here you will die! I will distract him, give you chance but you MUST take it RIGHT now!"
Lilo began to hyperventilate as Stitch was almost right on top of them. She desperately tried to regain her breath.
"EXPERIMENT 626!" Jumba roared.
Stitch eyed him, hearing the noise. There was another loud bang. Before Lilo could process what was happening, Jumba was forcefully belted into the metal bars as Stitch focused his attention entirely on Jumba.
"RUN LILO!" her alien uncle screamed to her and she heard a sickening crack before the bars broke apart entirely and he was washed away into the tunnel by the floodwaters. The area above them opened up entirely and Lilo could see straight up into the sky as the sewer was destroyed.
"UNCLE JUMBAAAA!" Lilo screamed after him in tears as he vanished from her view, leaving her alone with Stitch. She couldn't get away and running back the way she came was impossible since the pathway was gone.
The monster focused his attention on her now, and as Lilo looked up at her former friend and love she could see how the creature before her wasn't him anymore. He didn't even look like Stitch. He looked like something from her worst ever nightmare.
She was too shocked to cry. Too dazed to move. She saw him reach out to grab her and was paralysed with fear. All she could do was close her eyes.
I will always love you...
There was another bang, and Lilo squeezed her eyes tightly shut even harder as she felt him take hold of her. The breath left her body as she suddenly thrown upwards very high over his back. Lilo could barely comprehend where she was; screaming and kicking her legs frantically it quickly dawned upon her what he was doing as she entered free-fall.
She was headed for his top spike. She remembered what he'd told her about the aliens he'd killed landing on them. Why he'd been so reluctant to tell her.
"NOOOOO!"
Lilo only had seconds before her life ended. She wondered if she'd end up in Limbo. She squeezed her eyes shut and prepared to meet her parents once again...
...
...
...And then suddenly the wind was knocked right out of her. Something had grabbed her roughly before she'd landed on Stitch's spike. She felt the wind against her face before she landed hard on ground again, tumbling a few times and shrieking loudly in pain as her broken arm was scraped along beneath her before she finally came to a painful halt on the gravel.
Lilo opened her eyes slowly, her blurry vision revealing a distorted figure coming into view.
Chopsuey.
He was crouched beside her, four arms out with two on the ground while his other two held onto her. Two antennae had emerged from his head although they looked slightly different to Stitch's. She hadn't seen him as a full alien before and all she could see in her minds eye was Stitch because they looked so similar.
Chopsuey had saved her life. They were out of the sewer now and back above on land.
Lilo was too shocked to ask how it was possible, but when the ground started to collapse in on itself around them the alien grabbed her up once more and began to run with her, leaving her no time to think about it. Whether or not he cared that he was exposed to the townspeople screaming and running beside them Lilo couldn't tell but after today she knew this was the end game. People would know the truth about her extended family being aliens. The government would be after them.
If they survived.
In a matter of an hour Lilo's life had turned around entirely. Nothing would ever be the same again. She'd just narrowly avoided death seeing how easily Stitch could kill her and he had been about to. Twice!
"Nani..." she breathed, her voice raspy. "David... Pleakley..."
"Nothing I can do for 'em till I get to 'em hatchling... just stay focused on the now." She heard the taller alien respond.
He eventually stopped. Lilo had her arms around his neck, holding on for dear life as he held her upright in his arms. They watched as people ran past them and then the screams intensified as Stitch suddenly burst out of the sewer, the ground giving way entirely. His body stretched out as he grew and Lilo could only look up in sheer horror as he surpassed the tallest building in the town in height. Within seconds that building had entirely gone, wiped out as as he reached up his arm and smashed it down into the ground. He began to destroy everything around him and the child watched as the only place she'd ever known as home was reduced to dust.
Lilo couldn't cry. She could only stare.
Stare as Stitch began murdering people. The deaths were violent. She wanted to look away as he crushed people and tore them in half, but she couldn't bring herself to. One unfortunate soul landed in the same place she'd almost ended up, and she heard a bang when the person exploded. Chopsuey forced her to look away instantly when he saw her looking but he knew the damage had already been done.
She had gone into deep shock.
"Shit..." he swore, more to himself as he cradled Lilo against him. "Damn you 626. Damn you Jumbo and damn that stupid program!"
Chopsuey ran for his life, dodging debris and human remains. He wondered how he was going to wipe this from her mind. For now all he could do was get her as far away from the monster as possible. He knew to keep moving.
When a car landed beside him he dodged it just in time. Seconds later a huge concrete slab crushed that same car and he reeled back, holding Lilo tightly.
"Where the HELL are you Jumba?!" Chopsuey seethed, pausing for a moment to look around as people pushed past him screaming for their lives. Lilo was quite still in his arms, locked in a deep state of shock.
Not seeing his clown of a creator around, the alien just continued on as Kokaua Town was destroyed behind him. 626 was following him and leaving a massive trail of death and destruction in his wake. If he kept this up the entire of Kauai would be wiped from existence in the next hour. Who knew what would happen to the earth after that if he kept going, which, Chopsuey knew, he would.
621 had no chance of defeating 626 in such a state. None. All he wanted to do now was keep Lilo alive. He knew that Jumba had to act fast if they had any chance of saving the planet, but he was nowhere to be seen.
"YOU ABSOLUTE IDIOT 626!" Chopsuey screamed in rage behind him as he ran, Lilo completely still in his arms.
Panting, Chopsuey finally came to a halt outside of the hatchling's residence after running as fast as he could through the last standing remainder of the town. Thankfully 626 had become interested in destroying buildings in the other direction.
For now.
He proceeded up the drive way, shouting out the names of Lilo's family members but couldn't hear any responses. The house was still in tact at least.
Hearing the names of her family being called had seemingly roused Lilo out of her state of shock. She blinked and pulled her head up to look over his shoulder. "N-Nani?" came a little voice, causing Chopsuey to realise she'd 'woken' up and he held her up to his face, holding her up underneath her arms. Only then he realised that she was in fact quite small.
"Hatchling? How ya holding up?"
"Where is Nani?!" she cried at him. "Where are they? My ohana?"
He snorted. "How should I know? That's why it's called LOOKING! Which, ya know? I'm currently DOING?"
Lilo looked upset, but then she glared at him furiously. When she lifted her good arm he'd realised she was about to slap him, but had stopped at the last moment. He pondered on that but then concluded she'd suffered enough as it was and she wasn't in the mood for it and so he changed his tone once remembering he was speaking to a child.
"Sorry, hatchling. I'm doing everything I can to find 'em for ya, I promise."
That made her relax slightly. Without warning she kissed him on the nose and his eyes widened in disbelief.
"Help me 621... please..."
Chopsuey closed his eyes. It was rare he felt appreciated and she made him feel just so. He was surprised she had it in her to talk after what she'd witnessed. She was incredibly strong for a hatchling.
He cradled her head to his chest again and ran about the residence, searching for said family members. Thankfully he found them shortly after, thanks to his nose—they were huddled up in the medical bay of Jumba's ship.
"Lilo!" Nani had screamed upon seeing her little sister, leaping up as Chopsuey opened the door and entered. They'd been scared of him at first, not realising who he was. David and Pleakley also embraced her into a hug as Nani noticed her arm.
"Oh my GOD baby your arm! What happened?"
"I think it's broken..." Lilo sobbed against her. "Nani! Stitch is a monster! He's killing everybody!"
"I know..." Nani sounded blunt. "Cobra came here to warn us. The Metamorphosis System was activated. The CIA and the other aliens are working right now to try and save as many people as they can."
Chopsuey flinched slightly when a very buff, tall black man approached him. "Experiment 621..." he cocked his eyebrow, lowering his sunglasses. "Fully reformed, I hear."
The experiment scoffed slightly. "Says who?"
"Says the fact you brought Lilo straight back to us. Where is Jookiba?"
"I actually don't know," the alien shook his head. "I couldn't find him. Damn moron, it's all his fault this is happening."
"H-he was washed away... in the sewer..." Lilo interjected quietly. "When we fell down... 621 saved me. Stitch almost killed me and he saved me from him..."
621's ears perked at that. The family looked down at Lilo in disbelief.
"Where to Lilo?" Cobra asked her.
"I don't know. He said the tunnel led to the ocean, so maybe he washed out there? He was hurt bad..."
"Maybe..." Cobra pulled out an intercom and stepped out of the room for a moment.
The ship began to shake slightly. Outside, they could hear explosions in the distance, causing Nani to automatically hold Lilo close to her.
Chopsuey meanwhile, was rummaging around Jumba's medical bay. He knew where everything was. To his dismay the humans of the hatchling's family, including that weird cyclops noodle alien, followed him to watch, making him feel annoyed but he knew now wasn't the time to show it.
"Here..." he turned to face the hatchling while addressing the sister. "Put this on her arm."
It was a type of splint, Nani realised. She took it from the alien as he helped her delicately put Lilo's arm into it and secure it. Lilo flinched, clearly in pain but she didn't cry out.
She'd always been a strong child.
As 621 wrapped a bandage around her sister's arm, Nani couldn't help but observe him. He was uncannily similar to Stitch in his movements that had he not been green and tall she would have thought it was him. It occurred to her then that like Stitch, he also had four arms, and it was the first time she'd actually seen him with them as well as his antennae, but something else seemed familiar to her as well. When he turned around to grab some tape to secure the bandage, it clicked.
The form she'd seen Stitch in while in the bathroom that day, during her wedding— it had looked exactly like Chopsuey's form. Of course, in his natural state, Stitch was smaller and bigger being related to Jumba but she couldn't help but notice this. And now as she observed 621 helping her sister, she realised she'd been correct. She was glad that 621 had been given another chance. Her sister really had helped reform him and Nani must have had encouraged Stitch to give him that chance as well that day she'd spoken to him in the car on the way to drop him to Kuakini's for the graduation.
If he had so, she was glad he did, even if he hadn't wanted to because the alien she'd once despised and feared had saved her sister's life. He'd tried to snipe her with a poison dart not too long ago.
As the alien finished bandaging her sister's arm and stood up, Nani went over to him. He was actually nearly as tall as her and just like Stitch, she got lost in his eyes a little as he stared back at her. Two familiar pools of liquid black—there were certainly little things she'd failed to notice about him before.
His stance stiffened a little in apprehension and he growled.
"Thank you," Nani simply told him, ignoring it. "For saving my sister."
He went silent, looking bewildered for a moment or so, before looking away. "Eh, it really was nothing, just don't speak of it."
Nani noticed his arm. Hesitantly, she went closer to him and he once again flinched back, apprehensive. "..."
"May I?"
"May you what?" 621 responded with a slight sneer, but she ignored it. She picked up his arm and stared at it. It was a very different shade to the rest of his body, being blue. He was tense beneath her but otherwise warm to the touch. His fur was also as soft as Stitch's.
"621 is ohana!" Lilo said at that. "Him and Stitch are family. He has Stitch's DNA in him now that his arm is all healed up."
"We do NOT speak of that, hatchling. Zip it."
Lilo managed to smirk a little, despite the mood. Another explosion in the distance rocked the ship at that point and Cobra came back in.
"We need to leave. Right now. 626 is headed this way and my team is currently searching the beach for Jumba."
Lilo and Nani looked at each other apprehensively. David just looked solemn while Pleakley looked completely blank.
"Are we going to die today?" he asked, making them all feel very uncomfortable.
"I hope not..." Cobra muttered. "Let's move."
Cobra began ushering the family out of the ship, they proceeded down to his truck where other CIA agents had been waiting, some of them armed with guns.
The ground shook once more as another building was destroyed by monster Stitch a short distance away. The family couldn't see out the truck as they drove away but it was for the best.
Kokaua Town no longer looked like Kokaua Town. Instead, it looked like a war-zone and close to half of the town had been completely destroyed. Stitch hadn't activated his guns yet, but the last time he'd only done so when Turo had fully been destroyed to raze it entirely. Wipe it from existence.
Jumba was aware of this. He figured Stitch would do the same here since he hadn't activated any of his organic guns yet but he had no idea what he was planning overall and he could activate them at any time depending on what the system instructed.
Jumba had survived the floodwater and had ended up washed out to sea, where he was able to pull himself back to shore up the side of a grassy slope. He'd broken his arm again when Stitch had slammed him against the metal bars but he was ignoring the pain, having no choice to. Shaking, he'd made his way back to the Pelekai residence as fast as his body would allow, narrowly avoiding 626's path as thankfully he'd started heading in the opposite direction. He'd located the cruiser easily enough and was now standing before it, unsure of where the family was but he had no time to find them. Everything was ready to go and all he had to do was execute his plan. He was glad he hadn't been too badly injured otherwise in the sewer but his mind had only been on Lilo and what had happened to her. Jumba didn't care for himself at that point.
Either way, he'd failed the child. Jumba hadn't been able to protect her and he had no idea if she was even still alive. If she had perished because of him, it gave him all the more incentive to carry out his plan as fast as he could. Truthfully he had no idea if the plan would work, but it was all there was to work with. The last remaining option. He didn't want Stitch to pull another Turo on this planet because as with 621, this was the only home he had left. Jumba called this place home.
He couldn't bear to lose it. He grieved for it, just as he'd grieved for the little girl he'd come to love like his own.
His decisions had always haunted him. How badly he'd failed her would do so as well. The one being in the entire universe that had accepted the monster he'd created.
Wiping away a tear, Jumba climbed into the cruiser and flew it up into the air, heading towards the direction of the monster he called his son.
The truck came to a halt and the family climbed out.
"Holy hell..." David remarked upon stepping out, his voice badly cracking. As soon as Nani heard that she instantly turned and made Lilo remain inside the truck.
"Stay here baby. Do not leave this truck... okay?"
"Why?" Lilo asked, although she had an idea.
"Just don't leave. Please..."
Nani kissed her sister on the head before shutting her inside. As she joined David by his side, the air left her lungs and tears stung at her eyes.
"Stitch... did all this?"
Around them was nothing short of a blood-bath. Human remains littered the sand, and it had turned red, while only fragments of the once beautiful surrounding buildings were left. She spotted the surf-shack she used to work at, completely flattened. And when she saw a bloodied hand sticking out from the debris with a gold wrist watch on it, she felt a strong wave of nausea creep up inside of her, far stronger than any sickness she'd ever had while pregnant.
Her former boss was dead.
David gripped onto her, his hand trembling beneath her grip. She felt very light headed.
"Oh god..."
Cobra stood in front of them. "I think it would be best for you both to remain in the truck. Trust me when I say this will stick with you forever. I know from experience."
Nani heeded his advice, as did David. They both stepped back inside, shock setting in. Never, ever would they have imagined Stitch was capable of such destruction. Nani had an idea of what had happened on Turo after Jumba had explained it all, but seeing it happening here in real time was something else entirely.
Lilo said nothing, simply hugging her sister closely.
621 just stared at the floor. How outside looked hadn't fazed him as he'd been in plenty of those environments before. He was just angry at this point that Jumba had allowed this to happen. He hated seeing the hatchling so distraught and it really pissed him off how badly this had affected her.
He stood up, exiting the vehicle and joining Cobra and the agents outside. The area around them shook again.
"We have less than one minute until the monster comes back this way," one of the agents beside Cobra said. 621 figured they'd been tracking 626's movements from far above.
"Any sign of Jumba?"
"Not just yet."
"Keep looking." Cobra turned to Chopsuey. "Do you think you could reach him?"
The alien crossed all four of his arms. "I can try. I have NO idea what he's going to do to stop him though."
"Experiment 621, right now you're our best cha—"
Cobra was cut off suddenly when a slab of debris fell from above, almost hitting them. 621 managed to push the agents out of the way before having to jump onto the truck containing the hatchling and her family, knocking away even more large clumps of falling debris.
"Get away!" he roared at the humans below. "He's almost here!"
He could see 626 from his position on top of the truck. He was approaching fast and he looked even bigger and more monstrous than before. With his eyesight Chopsuey could see blood covering his fur and teeth.
He snarled.
Cobra roared up to him, interrupting him over the deafening noise. "What should we do?!"
"There's nothing you CAN do!" 621 roared back at him. "Your puny guns won't work on him! Nothing will! Just go and get away while you can!"
Cobra yelled to the other agents. Chopsuey went to jump off the truck as Cobra and two other agents got in to drive the heavy vehicle away, however just as he had leaped off, a massive blast seared past beside him and into the back of the truck, causing an array of screams from inside. Looking back in the direction of 626 Chopsuey saw that he'd drawn one of his organic guns and had fired it towards them. He'd seen the truck.
"Blitznak!" he hissed. Picking himself up he heard Cobra telling the other agent driving to floor it and the wheels of the vehicle screeched before the truck sped off, but all of a sudden there was another loud scream—the scream of a child. It made his blood turn to ice.
Chopsuey's eyes widened and his ears shot right up as Lilo was flung out of the back of the truck through a massive hole, Nani screaming out for her. Her seat-belt had been destroyed by the blast and her side had been grazed. Chopsuey leapt up and caught her before she hit the ground and he looked back at the truck speeding away to see Nani leaning out with her arm extended, crying while screaming out for her sister in tears. David was holding her back, trying to prevent her from falling out.
"LIIIILOOOOO!"
Chopsuey knew it was too late to chase after them as 626 was already upon them. The experiment cradled the child close to him again, running as hard and fast as he could towards the sand before burrowing his way beneath the ground. 626 stepped over that area just as he did so and Chopsuey curled himself tightly around Lilo, protecting her. The noise was so loud he thought his hearing would give out.
He felt Lilo whimpering against him. When 626 passed over he looked out briefly before moving. More guns were raising from the monster's back and he was starting to fire them, leaving absolutely nothing but scorched land in his path. He turned and ran, heading as far away from 626 as he could all the while hoping the monster wouldn't spot him.
"He's going after a-after the truck..." Lilo cried, hiccups interrupting her voice. "We have to stop him!"
"We can't, hatchling. He'll kill us... there is nothing we can do for them now."
Lilo just buried her head into his chest, crying brokenly. "It's not fair...!"
Chopsuey rarely felt pain. The only time he had was when Jumba had told him that he was a mistake. But now he felt it again because Lilo was breaking him down.
The experiment stopped. He stood there and cradled the child. "I don't know if it will be okay... but I will try make it okay."
She hiccupped into him. He put his paw to her head.
"I promise."
Lilo sighed into him. As he started moving again he felt her hand slip into his lower one and he gripped her hand back.
Meanwhile, back in the truck, David could only console a hysterical Nani. She was panicking.
"We HAVE to get her. I can't lose my sister... I CAN'T! GO BACK!" she yelled at Cobra and the agents as she pounded on the divider window between them but they didn't stop.
"Nani, if we stop the truck now we are as good as dead. 626 is tailing us. The only thing stopping us from dying right now is an invisibility cloak." Cobra had turned to look back at them. "626 is having trouble seeing the truck as a result."
She threw back her head and put her hands to her eyes, feeling utterly defeated. Cobra spoke up again.
"Nani. I have every confidence that 621 will protect Lilo."
The woman paused for a moment, before looking at Cobra. "..."
"I know you do too. But for now we need to save ourselves first in order to get back to Lilo."
He was right. Nani just looked down at the floor while David and Pleakley sat by her side and comforted her the best they could, feeling helpless and distraught from how their small family had been severely shattered beyond repair.
Chopsuey had entered the centre of town. Or what used to be. The only thing that remained was a tree, which for some reason was still standing tall amongst the devastation.
For some reason it gave him a sign of hope.
Lilo was looking at it as well, her face still burrowed in his chest. "..."
"I wonder if there are any survivors..." the alien muttered, looking around. There was plenty of decimated bodies among the gravel and debris around them. He stepped over fragmented pieces of building and concrete as he walked. Around them was loud rumbles and shaking as 626 continued his rampage not too far away. The sounds gradually became closer but for now they had time.
"I never imagined my home being gone..." Lilo told him quietly. "What do we do now?"
"Rebuild." Chopsuey told her. "That's all you can do, provided this ends today."
"Was Turo rebuilt?"
"Yes."
She went quiet again. Chopsuey just continued to cradle her when suddenly a loud noise from above made him duck down in fear and arch his body over Lilo. Wind blew all around them, stirring up the debris.
A red police cruiser had landed beside them. Chopsuey's eyes widened but Lilo had already jumped out of his arms, screaming hysterically.
"UNCLE JUMBA!"
"Little girl!"
Never had Lilo felt so much relief in her life as she did at that moment, seeing Jumba alive. She wailed as she leapt into her alien uncle's arms as he climbed out of the ship, hugging him as tightly as she could.
"I thought you were gone!"
"Heh, takes a lot to knock me down. Was thinking YOU were gone, I was so worried!"
"621 saved me! Stitch almost killed me!"
Jumba closed his eyes at hearing that. "... Am just glad you survived..."
Chopsuey came over to them, looking out towards the side and into the distance. "He's coming back. We've got seconds."
"Then get inside. Hurry."
621 lifted up Lilo into the cockpit before jumping in himself and Jumba flew the cruiser back up into the air just as monster Stitch came into view.
Lilo looked down and out of the window. The last time she'd been up this high it had been with Stitch. They'd been in bliss, flying up to the moon, declaring their love for each other despite they knew the hardships that they would face when the were older. It all seemed like a distant, beautiful dream.
But now, as she looked down and saw the complete destruction of her home caused by the same being she loved more than anything in the world, she couldn't feel anything. Her heart was in pieces.
Up this high, it was obvious just how much Stitch had devastated parts of Kauai. Kokaua Town only had a small portion still remaining as Stitch was currently working on decimating that too.
Jumba was typing prompts into the on-board computer.
"Aha...! There they are."
Lilo leaned over to look, welcoming the distraction from what was outside of the window. A small moving dot was on the screen.
"What's that?"
"Truck containing family and Bubbles man with other agents."
"They're okay?!" Lilo exclaimed.
"For now, yes. I see Cobra has used cloaking device to shield truck from 626. Must've got bored chasing them as he's currently distracted by something else." He was right, down below Stitch was focusing on eating one of the buildings.
"Now is probably best chance..."
"For what?" Lilo asked quietly, but Jumba didn't directly answer her.
"I need to get him out of town towards beach, like I did before."
"And how do you plan on doing that?" Chopsuey asked, also looking down below them.
Jumba looked at his experiment hesitantly. "I... I will need your help for that, 621. I'll need you to lure him, get him to chase you to beach. Is only safe enough place for..." he trailed off. "Can you do it?"
621 was quiet for a long moment, but when he answered his voice darkened. "You caused all this in the first place Jookiba and I just want you to know that I will never, EVER forgive you for what you put me through. Put her through."
"..."
"Right now I have half a mind to throw you into his mouth. To watch you squirm as your own creation kills you slowly, tearing you apart as he eats you alive..." he sneered. "Justifying the innocent lives you selfishly took on behalf of your son because of your Rofplar-forsaken grudge against GDI and Gamada..."
Lilo looked scared and backed herself into the seat. Jumba perspired a little as 621 pulled his collar close to his face.
"I WOULD kill you right now but I won't. I will do it to save her, and save her family, and you can suffer on knowing you caused this not only once, but TWICE."
Jumba's eyes glossed over at that but he remained stoic.
"Perhaps YOU were the mistake after all."
That did it. Jumba pushed Chopsuey back against the window. "...Say that again you lit—"
"What are you going to do fatso?" Chopsuey cut him off. "Throw me out of the hatch and casually kill her in the process because you don't consider anybody other than yourself?"
Jumba quivered. "STOP IT 621! JUST STOP!"
621 shook his head. "...You're not worth it."
Lilo was crying. "Stop it, please! Both of you!"
The aliens went quiet at that. 621 leered at his creator.
"I can only hope whatever plan you execute will make you suffer for what you put me through. Put 626 through as well."
Jumba's eyes narrowed. "..."
Lilo held onto Chopsuey's paw. "Don't you love him? He made you...! He's your dad."
"..."
"My dad is gone! So is my mom! I'd give anything to see them again!"
Chopsuey lowered his head slightly but said nothing to that.
"There is always room for second chances. I didn't give Stitch one. I pushed him away instead and he died. I've already lost my parents. I've lost him. And now, this time, I've lost him for good, even if he's not dead. He's down there, destroying everything I've ever known. Everything I love... he's already been taken from me and it hurts so much! But I STILL know deep inside of that monster he's Stitch and he always will be. That's the only reason why I can look past the pain! Because of that!"
"..."
"Maybe you should fix things with Jumba. Because I know NOT fixing things hurts so much worse in the end."
Jumba put his head into his hands at that. Chopsuey just stared blankly. "..."
Finally, a sigh. Jumba turned to face his creation.
"621, I'm damn well aware of what I've done to you and 626. Nothing will ever excuse or make up for it. But for the LOVE of Rofplar, how much more do you think I can take right now? Because you KNOW I cannot take anymore. You know this plan WILL destroy me and at this point I cannot do anything else to make up for my actions. Isn't that enough? Because I do not know what more I can possibly do at this point! I'm out of options and you know it! Seriously!"
Chopsuey thought about that. "You're right. There isn't anything left. Maybe this is the one thing you need."
"I don't detest that. I don't seek forgiveness from you either. But, you are still something I made. And despite what I said before, I am proud of you. Even more so for doing this despite your hatred of me."
Chopsuey closed his eyes. Those words had been words he'd longed to hear from his creator but now they just felt cold and flat.
"...I do mean that and I know what you're thinking."
621's eyes narrowed. "If you mean that, then show it."
Jumba drew in a deep, stuttered breath, but nodded. "Then go and lure 626 to ocean."
Chopsuey nodded. He looked at Lilo before putting his paw to her cheek briefly and Lilo's eyes widened. "You are unlike any creature I've ever met before. 626 is lucky to have you."
Jumba's expression softened. "Nish'sh, khis dethl damnyat ab'hs sneba."
621 stared directly at him at that. "I will."
"Go."
And with that, Jumba pulled Lilo close to him from the back of the cockpit and opened up the hatch as 621 jumped from the cruiser. Lilo screamed out after him as he fell.
"Lilo. He'll be okay. Promise."
The child nodded as he scuffed her hair affectionately with his hand once the hatch was shut. Pushing her hands to the glass, Lilo looked down below.
"What happens now?" she asked her alien uncle quietly, looking at him. Jumba didn't look back at her, instead looking down towards the cockpit. Lilo only realised then he was looking at a picture of Chopsuey.
"We walk the plank."
Chopsuey ended up landing in a tree and scampered down to the ground as fast as he could. He wasn't near 626 and had a-ways to run to get to him.
But that didn't bother him. His only focus was on making sure Lilo was safe.
He wondered how many humans were dead at this point. Thick dust lined the air. This environment wouldn't be safe for a long time after 626's mass destruction. Possibly months. Eventually he tripped over something, barely catching himself. Turning back to see what it was, his ears perked up when he heard voices.
"What in Roflplar's name..." he muttered to himself, thinking he was imagining things. But when he approached what looked like a large piece of wood he realised he wasn't.
There had been voices under it.
Lifting up the wood, he found a small group of humans bunched together under the ground. He eventually realised this was the area where the sewer had collapsed. They all freaked out and cowered away from him, but one human stood up and stared at him, squinting from the light and he heard a raspy voice.
"Aren't you 621?"
Chopsuey looked at the man. He was covered in dust but his face seemed familiar. And then it clicked.
"Kuakini!"
The man came forth, a woman right behind him.
"What's happening out there?"
"You don't want to know..." 621 told him honestly. "How the hell did you all survive?"
Some of the humans flinched back as he looked around at them. He realised then they had never seen an alien, let alone one up close before and it only occurred to him at the last moment he was very much as alien as he could get with his features out.
"We jumped down here into the sewers. Once... h-h... he was out, he went away from here and didn't come back. God was looking out for us today."
Chopsuey could hear how broken he was. He knew the story behind 626 and his alternate identity as this man's son called 'Mitch', but he could sense a disconnect now after what 626 had done, and while he couldn't relate to it, pain was something he'd started understanding and learning more about on behalf of Lilo.
This man looked completely shattered. Chopsuey had enough of an idea of how much pain he was in. "Did you know this was coming?"
He nodded. "H— ...he... warned me. But I never ever expected this even after seeing... seeing what he did to Turo. Pictures of it all."
The red haired woman beside him gripped his arm tightly. Both of them had been crying heavily at some point as 621 could see trail marks in the dust on their faces. He looked up briefly before climbing down into the hole with the group. They all cowered back from him, save for the two Mitch related humans.
"Just know, 626 never wanted this. I'm sure the same of your son."
The man was quiet for a long while. "I know..." he eventually responded.
"It isn't his fault. It's Jumba's. All of it. And for that, I am sorry."
The man stared at him. The woman did as well.
As he was about to turn to climb back out, Chopsuey realised something. "Wasn't there a female with you before?"
"My daughter. She's missing."
Chopsuey didn't know what to say to that. "I... have to go. There is something I need to do. Hopefully this all ends soon."
He gave a nod, while the woman remained still.
"Is... is he still out there?"
"Not for much longer if Jumba acts quick enough."
The man closed his eyes. "Do... what you can then. We will stay here until it's over. I've already said goodbye. I just hope... my daughter is safe. I've lost one child... please to God I can't lose my other."
There was a loud bang. The ground shook around them and dirt could be heard falling around them.
Chopsuey wondered what he meant by that, but quickly figured it out for himself. He just gave a nod, understanding his pain a little more in that moment.
"I can't promise anything but I'll keep an eye out."
"Thank you, 621..." His gaze diverted down. "I'm... glad to see your arm back."
The alien nodded. Climbing back up out of the hole, he placed the wood down over the opening and then continued in 626's direction.
There was silence in the cruiser as Lilo sat in Jumba's lap. He was gently running his hand over her head in a soothing fashion and cradling her close to him as he hummed a Kweltikwanian lullaby to her. One he'd hummed to Stitch when he was a baby.
Lilo was motionless. Jumba knew she was in deep shock. She had her eyes closed.
He looked away from her and up into the sky above them, knowing these would be some of the last moments he would spend with his adopted niece. Moving his right arm out slightly, he pulled out a small vial, using his thumb to edge off the top of it. Staring at the contents, he gave a sigh and brought the vial towards the child's mouth.
"Lilo. Here, please drink this."
The girl roused slightly, before shrinking back into the seat when she became aware of what was in front of her.
Jumba sighed. He knew she'd be scared. "...I'm sorry Lilo. I wish I did not have to do this... but do not be worrying, is not dangerous. Is serum—to wipe memories of today. Will make you forget what you saw and help you move on."
Lilo had a flashback almost instantly at that. She went pale and before Jumba could react she threw up into the foot-well. Jumba quickly held up the vial as the contents almost spilled out before he put his hand to her back and rubbed it.
"Reaction to words is precisely why you should drink it."
The child sat back and wiped at her head. "But will making it all go away really help?"
"Yes. If not, you will end up with issues in future."
"What future?" Lilo responded quietly. "My home is gone. And now you just want me to forget that too?"
"I want you to forget what you saw happen to fellow citizens. You are only young Lilo, and I am responsible for you witnessing what you did. Believe me when I am saying, this will stick with you for rest of life. It will always be there, on back of mind. You will suffer... and after already suffering enough, I don't want that outcome for you. Even if means you have to forget everything."
"..."
"No child should ever have to bear witness to what you did today. I don't want you to end up like Jumba..."
"What do you mean?"
"Stress. Heart issues. I am plagued by the ghosts of my past, Lilo. Everyday. Is hell. And is why I am the way I am and I will never be able to move on from it. But I am giving you chance to."
"..." Lilo was quiet. She stared at the vial.
"You don't want to end up like Jumba, Lilo. It's misery... and such horrific incidents only create prolonged misery. You will never be happy again nor will you ever truly feel it."
"But I don't want to forget Stitch... even if he isn't Stitch anymore..." she rasped. "I want to remember him for who he was... please don't take that away from me!"
"You want to live with memories of 626 murdering, Lilo?" Jumba asked her quietly. "Taking home away from you? Wouldn't you rather forget about us than live with such knowledge? Only causes immense pain."
Truthfully, Lilo didn't want to live with those memories. She already had the memory of her parents dying that haunted her. But it was because of the memories she had of her parents, she was able to be strong. Even through the worst memory of all—the night she'd learned they'd died. It allowed her to experience and deal with strong grief.
But seeing Stitch murdering people was on an entirely different level. Jumba was right in that it was something that would haunt her for the rest of her life, however it still didn't feel real to her. None of this felt real, but she knew it was. She hadn't wanted to accept it, and as time went on, she knew the reality of today would begin to overwhelm her. She'd struggled to be happy for a long time and when Stitch had become a significant part of her life, she was the happiest she'd ever felt. But now, she wasn't sure she would ever feel that way again. She couldn't fathom thinking about the fact her only memories of Stitch now would be him killing the townspeople and destroying her home. Somebody that was her absolute world was so dark. And as for Mitch...
She went for the vial and was about to bring it to her mouth and take a sip, but then she paused.
Drinking it would erase the new, bad memories but it would also erase the happy memories she cherished. Could she go through life not knowing or remembering that Stitch had ever been a part of hers? He was the other half that had made her whole.
"I assure you, it will be more painful for you to live with memories of Stitch, and myself... and all of this destruction and loss of life on our behalf... than living instead with a memory of a natural disaster erasing Kauai."
"Huh...?" she looked up at him through tears. He pulled out a device from inside of his vest.
"This is a neuralyzer, Lilo. I created it during my days at GDI. With it, I can create a new memory for you to replace bad memories that serum will erase for you. You won't remember us but will have less painful memory of home being destroyed by something else. Like natural disaster."
Lilo processed this. "So I wouldn't have any memory of you or Stitch at all?"
Jumba gave a deep sigh. "In the long run, is for the best. Because everytime you see us, whether it be picture, or just hear our names... you will only think of today. It will override happy memories. Turn them sour... you will be miserable. And Jumba does not want that future for you. I want you to to have chance to be happy again... because I never got it, despite how much of a brave face I wear for 626 everyday."
"You mean, you haven't you been happy at all? Even with us?" Lilo asked softly.
"I have, yes. Of course I have Lilo... but as I mentioned, I am plagued by the horrors of my past. And today they have all caught up with me. My time has come, but yours hasn't. You have much to live for... and I want you to live. To be happy again. And I know without these memories, you will be able to do that... you just have to drink serum."
"I—I want to make that decision for myself," she told her alien uncle, pushing his hand with the neuralyzer down. "Will you let me do that?"
Jumba sighed again. He put his hand back on top of her head. "Lilo, you've always been strong. But you are also a soft soul. I know you're broken, and I know serum is option to heal pain. The option will be there for you if you need it to be. I would never force you to drink it if you truly do not want to. But I do worry for you, and how you will cope... because I won't be there to help you. Neither will 626."
Lilo felt her breath hitch. "Wh—what? What are you talking about?"
Jumba was fighting back tears. Lilo could see him shaking. He drew in a deep breath and put both hands on her shoulders, facing her.
"Lilo. As soon as I have contact from 621, I will be initiating plan. To spare earth, and to save you and your family and to stop 626. Is only one way to do that."
Lilo's eyes widened. "You're... you're going to die?!" she shrieked.
"I hope not. Jumba is not knowing what will be happening to him or 626. Is strong possibility we may both die... but as I mentioned before, you need to be strong now. You were strong today... and even seeing what you did... you're still able to talk to me now. I truthfully expected you to go mute."
Jumba sighed. "Just promise me one thing."
Lilo peered up at him. "What?"
"You will always keep bracelet on."
Lilo wiped at her eyes, showing him her wrist. "T-this?"
"Yes. For sake of 626."
"I promise... I promise I'll always keep it on, Uncle Jumba."
The alien nodded. As he hugged her close, he reached into his vest and pulled out a small picture, shoving it deep into her pocket before seconds later there was a noise from the ship's intercom and Chopsuey's voice came through.
"Jumbo... he's chasing me. Get to the beach."
Jumba gave a deep sigh. Lilo watched as he placed both hands on the ships wheel and the cruiser took off. Instead of looking out of the window this time, she closed her eyes, trying to imagine they were flying to the moon again. It helped dull the pain, if minimal. When the ship came to a halt, Lilo nearly flew into the windshield, save for Jumba stopping her. He'd landed the cruiser on the same cliff that Stitch had gone up on Mertle's trike when they'd first met. The memory briefly flashed before her.
"Is time for me to go." Jumba's voice broke through, the memory shattering, as did Lilo's world. He sounded short of breath.
"What?!" Lilo shrieked. "Go where?!"
"You need to exit ship now, Lilo."
"No."
Jumba sighed. He knew this wasn't going to be easy.
"Lilo. If you do not leave ship now, will be death sentence for you."
The child froze, Jumba tearing up again when she began to. He placed the serum into her hand, wrapping her small fingers around the container.
"Some days will be worse than others. Those days will be the hardest, most painful to endure. You cannot escape memories but trust me, you do not want to end up as prisoner of your thoughts, which is why I have given you serum. The option will always be there for you Lilo, should you wish to forget this day and what is about to happen. I am sorry... so deeply, deeply sorry, it has come to this. This is my doing, as 621 has said, and now is time to face the consequences. Not only myself, but 626. Because of me, you've no more home."
Lilo was shaking beneath him. Jumba drew her into a tight hug.
"You have given me a new life Lilo, one I never would have thought possible after Turo's destruction. I have had the best moments here with you... with my earth family. My ohana," Jumba smiled down at her, tilting her head up to face him with a finger underneath her chin. "I assure you, I will never forget them. And neither will 626. You are a strong girl, Lilo. Always remember that, because you gave 626 something I could never have."
"W-what?" Lilo sniffled.
"Hope."
Lilo buried her head into him. "Do you have hope?"
"Yes." Jumba admitted, looking out over Kauai's vast ocean. "You have taught me to hold onto it, no matter how slim—which is why am feeling confident in you and that you will get through this. And somehow, by some miracle, perhaps we will too." Jumba sighed before giving her a gentle kiss on the top of her head. "Future is uncertain. But things can always be rebuilt... as long as you have hope and you do not lose it. For as long as there is time."
Jumba picked up Lilo and put her down on the grass. Seconds later, the ground began to shake. Lilo could feel the dirt shift beneath her feet and wobbled slightly, almost falling onto her face but regaining balance. There was a beep from the ship's intercom.
"Truck headed here... family is safe. And I know you will be safe now Lilo."
"How?" Lilo cried up to him. There was mere seconds left as Stitch was almost upon them.
"Until we meet again, little one."
The hatch closed and the ship levitated upwards, a blast of air knocking her down as the engines charged. Jumba never looked back towards her as he flew the cruiser away. As much as he wanted to, it was too painful.
"JUMBA!" Lilo screamed after him, though deep down she knew it was no use. "UNCLE JUMBA!"
Frantically, Lilo bolted down the cliff, as fast as her small, battered body would allow. She felt the ground tremble beneath her, the soft dirt giving way with each step. Another massive tremor ripped through and that was when she saw Stitch properly in the daylight since being in the sewer. Lilo couldn't even scream—her breath hitched in her throat as he rose high above her.
She couldn't even begin to comprehend the site before her. A monster. Yet, this was her friend. Her soulmate.
It wasn't him. And Lilo finally realised that now upon seeing him in detail. He was well and truly was gone. The sight of blood smeared all over the monster's face wasn't what phased her—it was the smell.
The smell of death.
The stench of torn flesh, some of which was stuck to his massive, razor sharp teeth. Remains of what had most likely been people around the island she'd known for most of her short life. Lilo didn't know what this was anymore at that point in time. If she was still in reality or not. Awake or asleep. The line had become blurred.
It was too much, a nightmare she never thought she'd live to be a part of. She was tired; both mentally and physically.
Lilo just wanted her parents more than ever at that point. A voice screamed to her in her mind, and for the first time she just wanted her old life back. Her life before Stitch. Just her and Nani.
Something she never thought she'd want. Stitch had meant so much to her.
How could she accept this? Lilo had an open heart and mind, and she always had when it had come to her soulmate. Though she knew deep inside he never wanted this, the monster stood before her now was devoid of all emotion. But the real Stitch? He wasn't. Lilo had to weigh up the future and if it was worth Stitch being a part of hers. She'd convinced herself he would always be a part of that future, sheerly from how much he'd changed her life. But this change was more than she could handle. Lilo needed somebody strong to get her though this, in the same way that Stitch had got her though after her parents had died. But Stitch was gone now.
And even if somebody was there to convince her that Stitch was good? She struggled to see that anymore. Not after looking into the monster's eyes. She didn't know what she saw, but it wasn't her soulmate.
What she was looking at now wasn't the one that had changed her life. It was the epitome of evil.
Was Lilo really ready to let go of Stitch? Was the damage too great this time?
Maybe...
The child was utterly torn. She couldn't even think straight. She felt trapped inside of a rushing blur and her reality had distorted.
Perhaps Jumba was right about the serum after all. She was too stubborn to consider a life without Stitch, but now it seemed like the only option. The death, the destruction... this was a tipping point.
A life without Stitch? And Mitch? It almost pained her to think that... but not as much as she initially thought. Her parents were gone. She'd barely coped with that.
Would she cope with him gone too? Would she cope no longer accepting this was what he was now?
Lilo was unsure again if she was prepared to do that. In her heard she knew she truly didn't want to lose him again... even though she knew she already had.
"No..." Lilo breathed. "Stitch..."
And then she saw the monster's eyes lock onto her. All she could do was close her eyes as he swiped his arm past her, instantly obliterating what little cliff ledge was remaining that the child was perched upon.
Her thoughts vanished in an instant, replaced by static. And as Stitch let out a deafening roar, three organic guns emerged from his back as Lilo plummeted head-first towards the ocean.