(A/N: Sorry this took so long to update, but I've been so busy that it's been hard to get a moment to right. Anyway, I know you're all anxious about what happens, well, wait no longer. Enjoy the last chapter. Yup, this is the last one.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Chapter 11: The Return

"Stop wiggling!" Pazu cried, hanging onto the root as tightly as he could.

Both he and Avalon were at the very bottom of Laputa, clinging to one of the roots of the largest tree. Beneath them was nothing but air, and a seemingly endless drop into the ocean.

The sound of the root snapping made the two people holding onto it gasp fearfully. It didn't break, but it was getting close.

Pazu sighed in relief. "That was close. Avalon, will you stop moving around! The root is going to snap!"

Avalon growled, looking up at Pazu. Unfortunately for her, she was at the very bottom of the root. Her metal hand had an unbreakable iron grip on it, but she was trying to reach up and grab more of the root with her other hand, which constantly shook them, loosening the root even more.

"I said st-"

"I heard you!" Avalon snapped. "How else am I supposed to get up?"

Pazu growled. "I'll help you, just stop or else we'll both fall."

Despite the situation, Avalon couldn't help but laugh. "And why should I trust you?"

"Because I'm nothing like you. As cruel as you are, I won't let you die."

Avalon began grinding her teeth together in frustration, but decided that she had no other choice but to trust him. "Fine, then what do we do?"

Pazu couldn't believe that he was doing this. "I'll come to you. Just hang on."

Avalon watched in disbelief as Pazu climbed further down the root. A small smirk crept up her face. "Oh, Pazu, you really are a fool." She told him.

He ignored her comment. "Just shut up and grab my foot."

Avalon looked back up at him. "Well kid, you may be a fool, but you've really got guts. I'll give you props for that."

"This root isn't going to hold forever!"

Avalon didn't say anything as she reached up to grab his ankle. "A little lower."

Still unable to believe what he was doing, Pazu crawled down some more. Avalon reached up again, her fingers grazing the bottom of his shoe.

Pop!

Her metal hand disconnected, a result of not screwing it on properly in her anger when she realized she had been out of ammo. She cried out as she fell down to the open ocean. Pazu shut his eyes tightly, trying not to listen to Avalon's fading voice. Finally the only thing he heard was the wind blowing. Looking down, he saw only Avalon's metal hand tightly grasping the bottom of the root.

"I'm sorry, Avalon." He said. "I really am."

He began climbing again, this time going up. The root snapped some more as he got closer to the place it was breaking. Pazu froze, trying to remain perfectly still. He looked up, seeing the next closest root just a few feet away.

"I can make it." He said.

He began climbing again, getting closer and closer to the point where the root was breaking, barely still attached. It cracked some more and Pazu stopped. He didn't think he could go any higher without causing the root to snap.

He reached for the other root. This one looked much stronger than the one he was clinging to. His fingers grazed, trying to get a grip. The fact that his hands were sweating weren't helping. He was just inches away. Maybe he could grab it if he lunged for it.

There was a snap as the root finally broke.

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Dola led the weeping Sheeta over to the Wind Rider. She didn't know what to say to the girl. Her beloved had fallen to his death, and she'd had to watch. All Dola could think to do was to gently shush the girl and whisper words of comfort in her ear.

"Please, stop cryin', Sheeta. Pazu would be happy that you're safe. He wouldn't want you cryin' your eyes out."

Sheeta shook her head. "It's my fault. I told him to throw away the crystal. If he still had it, it would have stopped his fall."

Dola patted the girl on the back. "It's not your fault, dear. None of us knew that this would happen. And even if he did have the crystal, he would have been left out in the middle of the ocean and drowned."

This didn't help in the least, as Sheeta continued crying. Dola just sighed as she continued to lead the girl on. "I'm so sorry, Sheeta. If this is anyone's fault, it's mine. I got you and Pazu involved with Laputa long ago, and Avalon went after you because of it. I know this won't help, but I promise that it'll get better soon."

She began crying louder. "Oh, Pazu, what am I going to do without you? I can't go on without you! I need you, Pazu! Why, why, why? Pazu, I love you, come back! It wasn't supposed to be like this! We were supposed to grow old together and watch our children become parents! We were supposed to live happily together! We… we… Oh, Pazu!"

Dola wiped away her own tears. "Yes, it's not fair, I know. When we get back, we'll give him a proper funeral. We'll even make a grave for him. We can even-"

"Mom! Sheeta!"

Dola's boys were running towards them. Their joyful expressions became one of worry.

"What happened?" asked Henri. "Where's Pazu?"

Sheeta began screaming hysterically. Dola shook her head, earning shocked gasps from everyone.

"D-Don't cry, Sheeta." Said Lui.

"Yeah, you can come with us." Said one of the boys. "We'll take care of you."

"Lets just get out of here." said Dola. "The sooner the better."

Pops wiped his eyes. "W-Well then, lets get going. I've got the controls figured out. We can leave now."

Dola nodded as she helped Sheeta along. "Don't worry, dearie, we'll get you home, and everythin' will be all right."

"There is no home without Pazu." Sheeta replied.

They all boarded the Wind Rider, taking one last look at the ancient city of Laputa.

"Engines are ready." Said Pops. "Preparing for takeoff."

The Wind Rider began moving, separating from the landing platform of Laputa.

"Take her down, nice and easy." Said Dola. "Lets get Sheeta home."

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Speaking of Sheeta, she was sitting by the window, watching the castle in the sky as it slowly faded away in the distance. When she could no longer see it, she turned away, and it was in that moment that she saw it.

"DOLA!"

Everyone jumped when they heard Sheeta's cry. Everyone, save Pops, who was flying the Wind Rider, hurried over to the Laputan princess.

"Sheeta, what's wrong?" Dola asked worriedly.

"Look!" she cried, pointing out the window.

They did so. They couldn't believe their eyes. Hanging onto the wing of the Wind Rider was Pazu.

"I don't believe it!" Dola cried. "You, go out and get him."

"What?" cried one of the boys. "Why me?"

"Because I'm the captain and I said so!"

Reluctantly, the selected pirate tied a robe around his waist and went out to get Pazu. The others reeled them in, cheering happily when they were safely inside.

"PAZU!" Sheeta cried, throwing herself at him. "Pazu, I thought I had lost you!"

Pazu chuckled. "You almost did." He replied. "I managed to grab onto the roots at the bottom. Even then I almost fell, but I grabbed another root at the last second."

It had been a very close call. He would never forget it.

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Flashback

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Pazu's fingers were grazing the root as he stretched as far as he could. The root he was currently holding onto was about to give way. Taking a deep breath, he dove for it, a split second before the root he was holding finally snapped. It dropped away from Laputa, Avalon's metal hand still holding tightly onto the end.

Pazu received major rope-burn, or in this case root-burn, as he slid down the vine. He wrapped his feet around it and slowly came to a stop. Safe for the moment, he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Phew, hard parts over." He muttered. "I hope."

Looking up, he saw he had a long way to go before he reached any part of the castle. He began the long climb. He thought he saw an opening about 80 feet above him that would allow him to get back on solid ground, and he headed for it, hoping the ground was stable enough to support his weight.

He felt like he had been climbing for hours before he finally grabbed the edge. As he pulled himself up, pieces of the floor started to fall away, and he quickly scrabbled up.

Pausing for a moment to catch his breath, he laid on his pack, resting his aching arms. Then a single name flew threw his head.

'Sheeta.'

Pazu's eyes snapped open. Was she ok? What about the others? Avalon may be gone, but what about her gang? Did Dola's boys beat them?

"This is no time to rest." He muttered.

Hopping to his feet, he ran to as close to the edge of Laputa as he dared, looking around for any sign of the Wind Rider or the others. He was hoping to see where to go, but what he saw instead was the Wind Rider flying circling around towards him, or just a little below him to be exact. They were leaving, and he was still here.

This immediately let Pazu know that it had been Dola's gang that won the battle. It couldn't be Avalon's crew, since she fell to her death, and her men didn't know that, and they wouldn't leave without her.

But Sheeta and the others thought Pazu had fallen to his death as well, and they were leaving him. Unless he wanted to spend the rest of his life on Laputa, there was only one thing to do.

"I'm out of my mind!" he cried, as he jumped off the edge as the Wind Rider flew past.

He collided painfully with the wing of the aircraft, and held on for dear life. He cou7ldn't believe it, he made it. Now all he had to do was hold onto the wing until they arrived home, or until someone noticed him out here.

He prayed the latter happened.

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Flashback

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"Thankfully you noticed me." He said. "I didn't think I could hold on much longer, let alone for the rest of the way back home."

Dola slapped him on the back. "That's just like you! You're a true survivor! But what happened to Avalon?"

Pazu sighed sadly and shook his head. "She didn't make it. She was holding onto the root too, but her metal hand came loose."

Dola just snorted. "Well, good riddance!" She turned to her husband. "Now lets get out of here."

Pops nodded. "I'm on it." He looked at the teenagers. "I'll drop you off at your house before we return to Smuggler's Paradise."

Sheeta nodded, now crying tears of joy as she clung to Pazu. "Sounds good."

"Yeah," Pazu agreed, "I've had more than enough adventure for awhile."

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2 weeks later

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"For goodness sake, Pazu, will you stop fooling around and tell me what's going on."

Pazu just kept smiling as he continued to pull Sheeta along until they reached his destination.

"Do you know where we are, Sheeta?" he asked.

Sheeta looked around, wondering why Pazu had brought her to his work, before she took a guess. "Um, isn't this where I floated down and you caught me?"

Pazu nodded. "Yup. You floated right down here and I caught you in my arms. But you weren't the only one falling. I was falling too… in love with you."

Sheeta blushed. "Oh, Pazu, that's so sweet. I love you too."

Pazu smiled. "Do you think your ancestors would frown on a princess marrying a commoner like me?"

Sheeta chuckled. "Oh, Pazu, you're anything but common. And even if they did, I wouldn't care."

"Then… would you…" Pazu asked, "marry me?"

He got down on one knee and took out the ring he had gotten from Laputa. Sheeta's eyes widened in shock. "P-Pazu?"

"A ring worthy for a princess." Said Pazu. "I got this from Laputa. According to the inscription, this was the engagement ring given to the future queen, given to her by her intended." He gave her a smile. "Princess Lucita Toel Ul Laputa, will you become my wife?" In answer, Sheeta threw herself at Pazu, holding him so tightly that he couldn't breathe. "Is that a yes?"

"Not quite." Said Sheeta, crying tears of joy. "It's more of a dream come true. Of course I'll marry you, Pazu. I've been yours since the moment you caught me."

THE END

(A/N: And so ends another story. I hope you all liked it. I hope the ending didn't seem too rushed. I always have trouble with the endings of my stories. By the way, how do you like how Pazu proposed. Did you really think I would kill him off? I'm not that mean… well, not usually. If you liked this story, I hope you'll look into my next one. It's a Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind story. I think it's going to be better than this one. Well, thanks for reading and reviewing. Hope to see you again. Later.)