Regarding exchanging Laputa's destruction for a wish, the two youngsters, a boy and a girl, had different thoughts—though the results weren't far apart.
Sheeta had always believed since coming here: a kingdom apart from history should disappear into history forever. She never wanted Laputa to reappear in the world because of Muska's greed, causing endless war and conflict.
The young girl was very clear and sober about what humans yearned for in Laputa.
As for Baru... he was just fulfilling his father's wish.
Now, he had seen Laputa, felt the air here, seen the miraculous flying stones and—Mori Tsukisa. Right, he felt that Laputa or whatever wasn't as miraculous as his sister.
She could pull many delicious lollipops out of her small handbag (though each one looked like a certain giant ship sinking), she had the Little Sprite and a cool, sharp snake-woman as companions, she had lots of money, and powerful magic—wasn't this more desirable than a city floating in the sky?
Miraculous sister.
So, the two children chirped for a while and quickly decided to agree to Bastet's exchange terms.
—Even if they didn't agree, Bastet had other ways (but there was a chance of her cat head being smashed by Mori Tsukisa; steady Bastet never takes risks!)
"Then... what is the wish?" Bastet, in human form, crossed her arms, guessing what wish the two children would make.
Resurrecting an elder? Or... a fixed amount of gold? Beauty? Spells?
Under Mori Tsukisa's teasing gaze, Sheeta resolutely reached out to hold Baru, leading him to stand before Bastet: "We hope... you can bless us."
"Huh?"
"As long as we can be happy, healthy, and spend every day joyfully—with the people I care about... that's enough." Sheeta's gaze towards Baru held something more; her affectionate look made Mori Tsukisa hug Nagini's arm tightly to watch the show.
'Whoa! Brave girl is not afraid of difficulties!'
The reason for saying this was that Baru's eyes were full of confusion—he didn't understand at all why Sheeta was staring at him now, and with that strange look... very weird.
What are you looking at?
Mori Tsukisa leaned over to resolve his doubt: "She's looking at a fool."
Receiving the wish, Bastet nodded and grinned maliciously: "So, I just need to turn you into two joined sculptures, staying together forever without decaying. Then, cast a spell to lower your intelligence... happy forever..."
Because the girl's wish was, in a way... even greedier.
"Bad sea urchin." Mori Tsukisa poked Bastet's waist with her finger: "I thought about it for a long time before I realized what you said..."
The girl talked to herself: "If it's as you say, any 'wish' has the possibility of being misinterpreted. This is a cognitive bias caused by information asymmetry. After all, the strength and vision of the person making the wish are always lower than the wish-granter's."
"An ant's understanding of 'forever' is clearly different from a human's; and a human's forever is different from a god's understanding of forever."
"So?" Bastet glanced at the girl, clutching her waist with a wary expression: "What do you want?"
"So I found a great solution!" The girl looked at Bastet with certainty and grinned: "It's..."
A small fist appeared in the cat's field of vision.
Arrietty:...I knew it would end like this.
The bright, black-haired girl raised her small fist and bared her teeth: "If I'm not satisfied after you grant the wish—I'll smash your cat head!"
"Squeeze you into a black bunny!"
"Pluck all your tail fur!"
"Throw you into a group of male cats in heat!"
You're too cruel, aren't you? It's just a wish... no need for that... Bastet sighed deeply, tucked away her malicious expression, and said helplessly: "I was just joking... you're too vicious."
"Not at all. That's my brother and his dear little girlfriend." The girl looked at the startled Baru and the shy Sheeta: "Don't you gods have blessings or something... Ah, I don't understand."
"Anyway, if I'm not satisfied, I'll call for help..."
"Bullying a helpless minor like me, deceiving my heart... deceiving my—"
"I get it! I'll satisfy it! Meeting you is like falling into the River Styx!" Bastet huffed and ruffled the girl's black hair. After nodding in agreement, she pointed to the slowly rotating crystal.
A soft light blue light hit their faces.
"When I get my divine power back, I will fulfill it—now," She said, "Please release my god box."
Sheeta held the pendant on her neck and remained silent.
Mori Tsukisa took the opportunity to lower her head and whisper with her Attendant.
'All the treasures...'
'Don't worry! Your Majesty, the Soldiers have moved them all onto the airship!'
'And the airship...'
'It's already under our control!'
'Great!'
'There are many gold coins and gems hidden behind that tombstone! I had the little ones move them all back to the airship!'
'Clap clap... wait, you said tombstone?'
'It's the door behind the tombstone. We smashed it and went in for a look.'
'...Arrietty, please, that's someone's family tomb.'
'I know, Your Majesty. But a three-thousand-year-old mummy has already joined you with his treasures and women. It's quite reasonable for me to rob a tomb...'
'...'
'True.'
Bastet was not surprised.
Bandits are Bandits. If one day Mori Tsukisa and her Little Sprite became pirates roaming the sea, pirate kings plundering everywhere, the black cat would probably find it normal.
Bastet felt there were many more crazy things about this girl, and only a tiny bit was showing now.
A tiny bit, no big deal.
Very normal, very normal.
What's there to be angry about?
How normal... Heh.
Bastard! Normal my foot!
Seti's treasures were all taken by them!!
The more she thought about it, the angrier she got.
Mori Tsukisa didn't notice Bastet, who was exploding with anger. She glared at Arrietty, intending to settle the score later—but the Little Sprite knew that with her Queen's personality, she'd probably forget in a while.
So she was fearless.
After the important things were said, Sheeta also took off the gem from her neck.
This is the end.
"Laputa was held up to the heavens by the Children of the Wind Clan."
The girl's voice was neither happy nor sad, stating the past: "It began with a King, and it should end with a King."
She held Baru's hand, took a deep breath, her face solemn.
Her voice, squeezed in her throat, became high and excited. This was the first time this descendant of the Children of the Wind Clan exercised her rights as a Queen.
And probably the last.
Her two black braids had been blown apart by the gale during the battle. Her black hair draped over her back; the messy strands didn't look pathetic but instead made the brave girl look more determined.
At this moment, she stood before the giant crystal like a true battle-hardened Queen.
Sheeta shouted loudly.
Her target didn't seem to be Mori Tsukisa, but that massive blue crystal, the distant sky, her grandmother and parents, her long-dead clansmen, and the sealed history.
This was the voice of the Children of the Wind, echoing through the heavens for the last time.
Mori Tsukisa looked at the determined, brave, and fearless girl, as if returning to the illusion, catching a glimpse of the woman half-lying at the head of the bed, old and weak, bowing her head and recording non-stop.
"I am Lusheeta Toel Ul Laputa!"
"—I am Miatitiir Doyeru Ulu Laputa, Queen!"
The figures, one large and one small, gradually merged in Mori Tsukisa's mind.
Two royals who seemed 'weak and easy to bully' in the eyes of others had, at some point, simultaneously overcome the fear of death and ignored the temptation of power: they firmly and decisively exercised their final authority, walking the path they believed to be right.
This is the most important characteristic of a King, and they... had long possessed it.
"I am the last descendant of the Children of the Wind Clan, the final Queen!"
"My clansmen have passed away, and the kingdom of old is sealed."
"We have become legends within legends, a dream hidden behind the azure sky."
"Laputa should not become a tool for ambition and greed—"
"Hereby, in the name of Queen Lusheeta, I declare:"
"Legends shall finally become legends, and Laputa will go where it belongs!"
"Barus!"
The ancient destruction incantation took effect.
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