Shita screamed. The bedroom door opened, Mooscar rushed in. He saw the blue ray from the necklace, and gave a loud laugh.
"Excellent! Excellent! It was in the old manuscript--this light is the holy light," Mooscar said, amazed.
"Holy light...?" Shita asked. She was shaking from head to toe.
"Finally! The doorway to Laputa is open! Tell me those words, Shita!" he cried.
Shita looked frightened. The light continued to shine.
A guard came in and shouted, "Sir, the robot--the robot's alive!"
Mooscar nodded and smiled at Shita.
"My dear princess, your guardian has awaken," he said.
Shita looked alarm. What was going on?
* * * *
Mooscar grabbed Shita's hand and pulled her out of the room. They ran to the basement. Running on the steps, Shita felt an enormous amount of heat coming towards her. She heard strong footsteps coming up her way as she descended the stairs.
Shita looked down the stairs. She screamed. There was the robot Mooscar showed her before. But it was not laid on the ground like the last time she saw it. It was walking!
"This is your creation!" Mooscar cried to Shita, "You have awaken our soldier!"
The blue ray from Shita's necklace pointed to the robot. The robot looked at Shita and lifted its hands at her, as if it was trying to reach for her.
"It's the light! The seal on the robot was broken by the holy light. It has opened the way to Laputa!" Mooscar cried, with his eyes wide opened with excitement.
"What does it want?" Shita cried.
The robot saw Mooscar holding onto Shita's hand, and aimed its fire at him. Mooscar quickly let go of Shita and jumped. The gun missed him. The whole basement was on fire. Shita continued to feel frightened. She was speechless when the robot's big hands held her body. Carrying Shita, it ascended up the stairs, until it reached the top of the tower.
* * * *
Pasu walked up the stairs to his house, and reached for the doorknob. The door suddenly opened. A pair of strong arms pulled Pasu into the house and shut the door.
A big fat woman with pink hair was sitting on the table, chomping on a piece of chicken.
"Hello, dearie," she grinned, showing her big chapped teeth.
It's Big Momma and her giant sons! Pasu thought. "What are you doing in my house?" he cried.
"You have a nice house," Big Momma smiled. Suddenly, her facial expression changed, "Now, where's the girl?"
"Shita? She...," Pasu did not know what to say. He looked down sadly at the floor.
Louie tied Pasu hands tightly with a rope, and pushed him on the floor. He checked Pasu's pockets, and found some money Mooscar had given Pasu.
"Hey, Momma! He has money!" the man cried.
"Ohh, I get it," Big Momma smiled wickedly, "They shut you up with the money, didn't they?"
"No! Shita told me to go...she said...," Pasu could not continue anymore. He felt too miserable.
"What a romantic story! A girl sacrificed her freedom so her boyfriend could escape! Just like when I was young!" Big Momma laughed, "All of you--if you marry, find a nice girl like her." She ripped a big piece of chicken with her teeth and swallowed it with a loud gulp.
"You mean like you, Mama?" Henri asked, trying to keep from laughing out loud.
"Shita protected me from...," Pasu said. Suddenly he understood. How could I have been so stupid? I just left her there with Mooscar! he thought.
There was a noise from the radio on the table. Big Momma brushed all the food off the table with her arm, and slammed her fingers on the radio. She put on the head phones and began flipping through the little notebook from her jacket. The beeping sound continued.
"Hmmm, they changed the old code...but that doesn't stop me," Bit Mommma said.
"What is she doing?" Pasu asked quietly.
"She's trying to get the radio message from Mooscar's plane," Louie whispered to Pasu.
"I've got it! They're calling for the airship!" Big Momma cried, "They're taking the girl with them!"
All the men stopped what they were doing and ran out of the house. Pasu heard the sound of loud motor coming outside the house.
"Big Momma, where are you going?" Pasu asked.
"We're going to stop their plan, and get that flying stone of your girlfriend's," Big Momma said.
"Let me go, too," Pasu cried, "I want to save Shita!"
"The girl is nothing--it's the levistone we're after!" Big Momma laughed, "And all the jewels in Laputa!"
"But the levistone is useless by itself! If Shita doesn't hold that stone, it doesn't work!" Pasu exclaimed, "Please take me with you!"
Big Momma looked at Pasu for a moment. My, we don't see this kind of young man anymore, she thought.
She walked closer to Pasu. "I'm not responsible for your safety," she said.
"I can protect myself," Pasu said.
"We'll air pirates, ain't you scared?" Big Momma smiled.
"I just want to save Shita!" Pasu yelled.
Big Momma thought for a moment. "All right," she said, "you can come."
She bent down and cut the ropes around Pasu's hands, and handed Pasu a pair of air goggles.
They ran out of the house and hopped onto the small planes
"Follow me!" Bit Momma shouted.
She started her plane and flew into the night sky, the other small planes following her.
* * * *
On the tower, the robot set Shita free. It carried Shita on the top of the tower. Shita held her necklace tight, even if it was burning hot. She noticed that the blue ray shone straight towards the east behind the mountains, where the sun was raising. It was dawn.
To Shita's surprise, the robot bowed on the ground. Shita stared at the robot. She sensed that it was not trying to harm her, but to protect her! Where did I get that feeling from? she asked herself.
Shita heard the soldiers' shouts from the bottom of the tower. She looked down and gasped. There were soldiers with guns, tanks and canons beneath her. They were going to attack her, and the robot!
"No!" she cried. She spread her arms wildly, shielding her and the robot. "Don't hurt him!" she cried.
The robot also saw the attackers. It aimed its metal head at the ground and shot fire, burning the tanks and the canons. It aimed again and destroyed the rest of the mansion and the tower. Everything was burning. Shita looked around. All she could see was red light surrounding her.
"What are you doing?" she cried, "They're human, too! Stop shooting!"
But the robot did not stop, it continued to destroy everything insight.
* * * *
I'm coming, Shita, Pasu thought to himself, I won't let you go this time.
"Don't worry, we'll get there!" Big Momma said to him.
"How did you know what I was thinking?" he asked her.
"With that expression on your face, anyone can!" she smiled.
Pasu smiled. He did not want to become any hero, he just wanted to save Shita.
Big Momma's plane flew among the trees and houses. The other small planes quickly followed her.
Pasu saw red light not far in front of him.
"Big Momma! What's that red light?" he cried.
"That's from the old man's mansion! I've been there! Let's take a look!" Big Momma answered. She waved to the small planes behind her as they pick up their speed.
* * * *
Shita began to cry. I am going to die, she thought, I will never see Pasu again.
The robot stopped shooting fire, and looked at Shita. It stared at Shita, as if it was trying to tell her something.
"Why do I always feel that I know you?" Shita asked the robot through her tears, "Do I really know you? Are you trying to tell me something?"
The robot nodded. His hand pointed behind Shita. Shita looked behind her, and gasped. She saw a pack of airplanes flying towards her. She was a woman with pink pig tails, and...a boy with a cap on...Pasu!
"He came back for me!" she cried. She dried her tears, and waved wildly at Pasu and the planes.
Shita thought of something, and stopped waving. She turned back to the robot.
"You tried to save me, didn't you? After all that, you just tried to save me," Shita said, and smiled.
The robot nodded. It held its hand at her. Shita touched its big fingers, and shook it.
"Thank you. Thank you very much. Now I know I am really from Laputa, I will not let Mooscar and the others destroy it," Shita said, "I will always remember you, as I am your master." Shita suddenly thought to herself, why did I say that? Its master?
"Shita!" a voice cried.
Shita saw Pasu on the plane flying towards her. "Pasu!" she waved, "Help me!"
Big Momma's plane flew closer to Shita. Pasu stretched his arms towards Shita. It almost touched Shita's hands, but the plane was thrown back by the speeding fire.
Big Momma's plane moved back a bit and circled the tower.
"Hurry!" Shita cried, "The fire's getting closer!"
The robot spread its palm towards Shita's feet. Shita stepped in it. The robot held its hand up, bringing Shita closer to the plane. Shita looked at the robot and smiled, thanking it again in her heart.
"Shita! Get ready!" Pasu cried.
Pasu quickly hung his legs upside down on the arms of the plane, letting himself hang downwards. His arms reached out with all his might.
"Now, Big Momma!" he cried.
The plane flew towards Shita once more. Shita got ready. Pasu was flying closer. On the count, she jumped into Pasu's waiting arms. But Shita did not notice her necklace falling from her neck into the burning tower. The plane quickly flew far away. Pasu helped Shita stand back up. Shita glanced back at the tower. Suddenly a canon struck the robot, it exploded. Shita cried in silence. Her saviour was gone forever.
"Shita, are you okay?" Pasu asked. He put his arms around Shita to protect her.
"Yes, I'm fine," she said quietly. She straightened herself, "Where are we going now?" she asked.
"I thought we could help Big Momma in her search for Laputa," Pasu said with a smile. "And jewels," he added, winking at Big Momma.
"Do you have the levistone?" Big Momma asked Shita.
"Yes, I...," Shita said, she touched her neck. Oh no, she thought, it dropped!
"I think it dropped in the fire," Shita said slowly, "but I know which direction Laputa is."
"We can help you, Big Momma," Pasu agreed.
"Are you sure you two can handle the sky?" Big Momma asked roughly.
"Of course we can," Pasu said, "We're in it right now!"
"Please let them come, Momma!" Louie on the other plane begged.
"Yeah, Momma! The girl can cook and clean for us!" Charles said happily.
"Please, Momma!" Henri begged in the plane behind her.
"Oh, all right," she said quickly, "but I'm not responsible for you two!"
Pasu and Shita smiled at each other. "We're going to Laputa!" Pasu cried.
Shita nodded happily in response.
Chapter 6
The rain continued. Even though it was dawn, it was still raining. It had been raining since the canon shot the robot. It was as if the rain had been planned, just to calm the roaring fire down. The land was wet. The air was cold. There was no more tower, no more mansion. They were all burnt to ashes.
Mooscar and his remaining men stared at the remains of the mansion.
"All the royalty, all the great technology are gone," he said slowly. He could not believe everything he once had disappeared from him in one night. He thought he had found the route to Laputa. He called the General to arrange the large airship so they could begin their search. But everything was gone now.
"Sir, I believe we found something here," the man with the dark glasses said to Mooscar.
Mooscar nodded slowly. It was probably more dead bodies, or some remains of the mansion. He walked hopelessly with his head looking down at the floor.
"Sir, it's a necklace!" the guard cried.
Mooscar's head suddenly shot up. A necklace! Could it be...
He snatched it away from the guard, and looked closely at it hopefully. It was Shita's necklace, the levistone. She must have dropped it in her escape. The blue ray still shone east towards the black sky.
Mooscar began to laugh, slowly, and then loudly. "Ha ha ha ha!" he roared, "I am healed again! Even God is on my side! Laputa is still going to be mine!"
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