A/N: Sigh. I didn't love Castle in the Sky as much as I loved Spirited Away, or even My Neighbor Totoro. It was good, it just…was…forgettable. And I think this story will be as well.

But I wrote it, and that's all that matters.

Ch. 14—Sheeta and Pazu

Sheeta clung to Pazu and waved energetically at the pirates, laughing with Pazu at the comedic way they bobbed along in the air. She could never imagine she'd have such warm feelings towards those who had once filled her with such fear. She almost would have liked to go with them.

But she couldn't. She absolutely could not have gone along with them now that they were close friends. She cared for them too much to do that.

When they were out of sight, she buried her face in Pazu's back as he guided their little glider back to his valley. He whooped in excitement as the wind played with them, and every few minutes he would call out to Sheeta so he could point something out to her. She would always raise her head obligingly and look, murmuring appreciatively, but she was afraid of enjoying herself too much, so she always retreated into Pazu's back again. It wasn't because she was scared. She had absolute faith in Pazu to know where he was going, and to get them there safely. These last several days had been very traumatic and exhausting to her, but also some of the most exciting and wonderful days she'd had in her entire life. She would re-live them in a heartbeat.

But the days that were to follow were ones that she wasn't looking forward to at all. And Pazu didn't know that. He couldn't know that. She could never, never tell him. Which was why even though she kept her eyes shut and didn't appreciate the view around her, she was enjoying every minute of that flight, and silently wished it would go on forever.

But all too soon, Pazu landed back in his valley, at the foot of the hill that bore his little house. He laughed and jumped off the glider. "Look!" he cried. "The birds are on the roof! They're waiting for me! I thought they'd fly away, but they came home!"

Sheeta smiled with genuine joy. He had told her that he'd released the birds once he joined up with the pirates, because he knew there was a very good chance that he would not be returning home. But if the birds had returned, then at least Pazu would not be lonely living there by himself.

"Of course they came back," she said. "You're their friend. Friends always return to each other, someday. You came back for me, and they knew you'd come back for them, too." She gave Pazu a quick hug and then turned away. "Thank you," she said. "I'll see you around."

"What?" Pazu asked, just like she feared he would. She winced as he continued, "Wait, are you going somewhere?"

She turned back. "I'm going home," she said simply. "Where else would I be going?"

"Is your home still there?" he asked.

How could he have possibly known that? No, when she'd been captured, her home had been ransacked. And since she'd been gone for some time, her animals were either dying or had been taken by a neighbor who assumed she was dead. But she didn't say all that to Pazu. She simply said, "Well, it may need a little bit of love and attention, but it looks like yours does, too." She smiled. "And I have animals waiting for me too, you know."

He titled his head and looked at her. "But you were all alone," he said. "And so am I. I thought you'd stay here with me, so neither of us have to be lonely anymore."

Sheeta could have burst into tears at the simple and innocent way he said that. The very last thing she wanted to do was hurt him, but that was exactly why she had to leave. "You have the birds," she smiled. "And the boss, and his wife. And the pirates know where you live now. I bet you anything they'll be stopping in from time to time. When they get tired of travelling."

"But that's not the same," he protested. "That's not the same thing as having someone here all the time. And anyway, they're all grown-ups. You're the only friend I have who is my age."

Sheeta was really on the verge of tears now, and she had to blink to clear her eyes. "Please," she whispered. "Please, Pazu, just let me go."

"Why don't you want to stay?" he asked.

"I do want to stay, I just…I can't. You have to believe me, Pazu."

"No." He shook his head firmly. "You've said that before, and I came back for you anyway, and it was a good thing I did. I won't let you go this time. Not until you tell me why you can't stay."

Sheeta's tears began brimming over, and there was no longer anything she could do to stop them. But he was right. He had saved her life, several times. If she was going to leave him, for what could be a very long time, then he deserved to know why. She pressed her fingertips to her mouth as she looked at him sadly. "Because…" she said. "Because…you'll be in danger if I stay."

"What do you mean?" he asked, tilting his head again. "The pirates are our friends now, and Muska is gone for good. No one is after you anymore! And even if they were, that's definitely not a reason for you and I to be apart."

She shook her head. "No, no one's after me anymore," she said. "But…Pazu…there's something I didn't tell you about the spell of destruction."

"Yes?" he pressed, when she was silent for a moment.

"I told you I must never use it."

"Yes, because it would cause ultimate death and destruction. Isn't that why you were never supposed to use it? But it only killed one person, and he was a very evil man. And besides, it didn't destroy all of Laputa. It kept the nice parts, with the garden, and the friendly robot."

"You don't understand," she sighed. "That spell comes with a curse. It's too powerful not to have consequences. Otherwise people like Muska would just use it and not care."

"Oh," Pazu said, and fell quiet for a moment. "Well…what kind of curse?"

"It brings very bad luck to anyone who uses it," Sheeta replied. "I don't know for how long. Maybe a week, maybe a year, maybe for the rest of one's life. But either way, that's why I have to leave you. If you're around me…then you'll share in my bad luck."

To Sheeta's utter surprise, Pazu began to laugh and laugh. "But, Sheeta!" he cried. "Don't you remember? I used that spell, too! So I'll be sharing in your curse whether you're around or not!"

"Oh!" Sheeta had forgotten that, and after crying for a moment, she began to laugh too.

"So you see?" Pazu said happily. "You can stay here! I'm sure the boss or his wife will give you a job, and we can build you a little house next to mine, since mine kind of needs repairs anyway. We'll get through our curse together!"

"Oh, but what if we have to watch each other suffer?" Sheeta asked hesitantly. "I couldn't bear that."

"I do not fear bad luck," Pazu scoffed.

"Don't you?"

"Of course not! All you have to do is laugh it in the face, and make sure you're always smarter than it! And if we're together, we can overcome anything! Don't you agree?"

And suddenly, Sheeta did agree. She looked into Pazu's confident, smiling face and she didn't doubt that if anyone could make the most of bad luck, it was him.

"So, will you stay?" Pazu asked hopefully, reaching out his hand to her.

Sheeta knew she couldn't resist him any longer. And she didn't even try. "Yes, Pazu," she smiled, putting her hand in his. "Yes, I will stay."