Sheeta and Pazu

The full moon shone like a bright silver coin as it drifted silently across an infinite number of stars. Like a solitary bird on a lonely migration, the airship glided persistently onward through the calm night sky. A hard day of repairs on the ship's components, followed by a hearty dinner of potato, cabbage, and carrot stew, sent most of the crew of Tiger Moth into a restful slumber.

Only the normal sounds of nightlife aboard the airship accompanied the watchmen on alert. The midnight crew kept a sharp eye on their heading, while damp clothes flapped in the cool breeze as they dried, and well-oiled propellers whistled through the air. The evening had been uneventful, much to the crew's delight, and the temperate weather made helm control easy.

Deep within the hull, an orchestra of muffled snores rumbled from rows of hammocks strung out across the bunkroom. Playing cards in mid-game, and half-empty food trays, the remnants of leisure-time, were strewn over the small dorm's main table. And nestled within the mess, bundled up and sleeping contentedly under the table itself, was the newest member of the crew, a young boy whose wildest dreams had never included life aboard a pirate vessel.

A gentle nudge to the head by a large brown shoe pulled yanked Pazu from his dreams. "C'mon, young pup," ordered one of the night shift crewmen. In moments, the young man rose, rubbing sleep from his eyes.

"Time to go on duty," the crewman informed. "It's cold. Take this…" he said, handing Pazu a thick wool poncho.

In the forward quarters of the airship, a young girl was jostled from her slumber on a floormat by a door creaking nearby, followed by footsteps on the wooden deck. Ignoring the snores of Captain Dola in a large bed on the other side of the cabin, Sheeta peered past a curtain through a portal in the steel door to see her best friend being led away by a crewman.

The boy's fingers were stiff from sleep and the frigid night air, causing him to grip extra tightly to the ladder rungs embedded into the airship's balloon chamber as he climbed to the crow's nest high above. "Keep your eyes peeled! Don't fall asleep," came a warning from the crewman below, which to boy acknowledged with a sleepy, "Aye aye! Sir."

Along the uppermost ridge of the steel balloon, sitting on a ribbon leather seat within a cramped crow's nest, the crewman on watch shivered to himself. "It's cold-d-d." Nearing the watchman, Pazu lept with confidence from the ladder to snag the metal frame of the nest, startling the shivering watchman inside. "I'll take over!"

"Thank you!" the crewman sang relieved as he traded places with the boy, descending the cold ladder, craving his warm bed.

Down below, on the main deck, the young girl left the coziness of her cabin, curious and eager to spend a few solitary moments with her best friend. Courageously, she soon began ascending the rungs protruding from the metal balloon, heading toward the lookout.

Up in the nest, the sound of clatter on the ladder alerted Pazu to some commotion off to port. Gazing intently, he quickly noticed a figure climbing the ladder. "Huh?" Was his watch a mistake? However, he couldn't help smiling at the long brunette pigtails fluttering in the cross-breeze as his lovely friend continued to climb her way up, stumbling a bit in her efforts.

"Sheeta!" Flipping up his goggles, the boy reached out a hand to help the girl into the nest. At the top rung of the ladder, Sheeta gauged the distance to Pazu before jumping into his arms, inadvertently flying up into the wind with a strained yell. However, the boy held fast, fighting against the current, and soon pulled her into the crow's nest.

"That was exciting!" Sheeta smiled with wild eyes, much to Pazu's astonishment. Exciting was not how he would have described that moment, but the girl soon forgot her brief flight, distracted by the altitude. "Wow! You can see forever!"

And she was right. It was too easy to feel microscopic when gazing at the sheer vastness of the open night sky, and the pair were soon lost to the immensity of innumerable stars founded by an endless sea of rolling clouds.

Despite the ineffability, the wind chill at those altitudes was overbearing, and Sheeta began to shiver. Thinking quickly, Pazu had an instant solution. "Sheeta, here," he said, whipping his wool poncho over the girl's head, pulling her close and warm to him. As her cute face popped up to meet his, any feelings of fear or caution from the mission melted away, and he smiled at his wonderful friend.

In the captain's cabin below, the comm-tube to the crow's nest was open, as per protocol in case of emergencies. However, at this moment, Captain Dola was between sleeps, and couldn't help but drowsily eavesdrop on the conversation up above:

You okay, said Pazu.

That's better!

We have to be really quiet. We don't want Dola to know you're up here.

Okay.

This is great! Now we can keep watch together.

…

…

Pazu?

Hmm?

I'm really scared. To tell you the truth, I don't want to go to Laputa.

You don't want to go to Laputa?! But, what do you mean? I don't get it. Didn't you tell Dola the truth?

At the sound of her name, the Captain perked up. "Huh?"

I didn't lie to Dola. What I said about the light's direction is true. But, what if someone else dies?

You mean like the robot?

He died to save my life. …I feel awful. All this is because of a spell that my grandmother taught me. She taught me all sorts of spells. A spell to use when you're looking for something…

At which point, Dola decided sleep was more important than the couple's conversation, and rolled over to close her eyes.

…A spell to sure sickness. There's even one she told me I must never use.

What kind of spell?

Even Dola couldn't help but listen.

The spell of destruction. She said that to give power to good spells, I had to know evil ones too. But she told me never to use them. I was so scared when I learned that spell, I couldn't sleep! I didn't know the spells were connected to my necklace! Uncle Pom was right when he said it was dangerous for us to misuse the power of the crystal. And what if Laputa has the same power that can also be used for great evil?

Rolling back to face the comm-tube, Dola began to have a new perspective of the girl. Sheeta was smarter than she had previously demonstrated, and the captain soon felt a blossoming empathy to the girl's struggles.

I wish I'd thrown the crystal away!

But then we never would have met… And even if you had, Laputa would still exist. Airplanes and flying machines are getting better and better. You know, eventually, some explorer or another will come across the city of Laputa one day, and claim it.

Warm gratitude curled Captain Dola's wrinkled features into a prideful smile as she listened to the young couple expressing their feelings to one another.

I can't say I know what's best, Pazu continued, but if Laputa has such great power, we can't let it fall into the hands of bad people like Muska. And…if we run away now, Muska's gonna chase us forever!

But, Pazu, I don't want you to become a pirate because of me!

Ah, I'm not going to become a pirate! And don't worry, Dola will understand. She's much nicer than she pretends to be.

At this, the captain could only blink in astonishment.

And when we've finally found it, the boy continued, I promise you we'll go back to Gondoa. I want to see it all, Sheeta! The old house where you were born, the valley, and everything!

Oh, Pazu… Thank you!

Down at the helm, the few crewmembers crushing on Sheeta were each heartbroken in their own way as they collectively eavesdropped on the young couple's conversation. And back in the captain's cabin, Dola figured she'd heard enough, and started closing the comm-tube just as Pazu's voice rang out with a sudden alarm.

Sheeta, what's that?!