of the sky;

All night in bed I am unraveling.

headcanon; aetherium & laputa

though sheeta comes from a bloodline of a superior civilization from a kingdom in the sky, she had been humbled on earth, among her family in their cozy cottage in the mountains. her idea of the power of aetherium had been greatly limited - aside from the knowledge that the amulet around her neck would serve as a protection from harm. 

the memories of her grandmother’s teachings were buried somewhere deep in her mind, because she told herself that she’d never need it, that the world was wonderful and kind. of course, this skewered perception comes from the peaceful environment she’d been raised in since birth, and that alone. but after muska kidnaps her from home and works to reach laputa by any means necessary, it triggers her to remember things about the aetherium crystal that only furthers her fear of its powers. regardless of her bloodline, sheeta has always identified and lived as a human being.  

laputa is a rich part of sheeta’s history, but isn’t home. and while her heart hurts for an abandonment of her ancestors land (as well as the vanished population), it makes perfect sense to her that the laputian people chose to leave. it confirms that all the power in the world couldn’t remove the innate drive to live and thrive among the rest of humanity, that even advanced civilizations would choose love above all else. so, her home is gondoa*, where her people migrated long ago and settled, where the hymn of spring echoes between the mountains and live true to the practices of ‘peace on earth’. 

“Now I understand why the people of Laputa vanished. This is a song from my home in the valley of Gondoa that explains everything. It says, ‘Take root in the ground, live in harmony with the wind, plant your seeds in the winter, and rejoice with the birds in the coming of spring.’ No matter how many weapons you have, no matter how great your technology might be, the world cannot live without love.” 

she’s very thankful for the aetherium that’s protected her all these years, but she doesn’t need it anymore*** (and, it’s long gone, since the spell of destruction). she is also extremely proud of the choice her people have made to preserve their morals (unlike muska, they learned that sometimes, leaving is the better choice), as she is proud of herself for standing up for the belief of those morals despite her ignorance in the culture’s history - at least, that is one thing she has done in their honor. now their sacrifice will have never gone in vain.

existing among the world naturally, learning and making mistakes along the way, honing patience and perseverance and wonder of the unknown is the kind of life sheeta is comfortable with, she wouldn’t change that privilege for anything. how could she ever want more when the universe creates so many phenomenal miracles each day?

all the power she needs is within herself.

(* it’s very likely that slag ravine also inhabits laputian ancestors, as uncle gom seems very knowledgable about aetheriums origins. he is probably also one of the last bloodlines, and remains underground to live the last of his days in tune with the earth.)

(***there are some ‘powers’ that are passed down in the bloodline that do not require the aetherium crystal for it to work: 

sheeta has a heightened sense of intuition, and is also an empath. she can sense other wordly things from another plane, more closely in-tune with spirits.

she is also more skilled at communicating and connecting with animals than a normal human being. 

she can anticipate the weather and other similiar changes in the environment, which comes in handy while working and living in the mountains.

headcanon; the spell of destruction

at some point in the royal chambers, as muskas deciphering ancient text, sheeta comes to the numbing realization that the spell of destruction was created for a reason. and that reason is because of where she is now, held prisoner by a power-hungry man who will do anything to revive laputa - even if it means destroying the very foundation the civilization was founded on, so long as he can become the most powerful being to rule.

this realization gives her the resolve she needs to use the spell of destruction. she’s entirely confident of her decision (also confident of the use of her crystal for the first time since the movie began), that she even tells muska that the throne room they’re standing in will be a tomb for them both. 

prior to ending up in the throne room, she gives her stone to pazu and tells him to leave laputa while he still can, because she knows she’s the only one who can stop muska for good. she doesn’t need her stone to cast the spell - the main source of aetherium is already present in laputa. 

her family is gone. she’d been taken from her home, thrown into the midst of war, and left witness the unnecessary deaths of thousands. her race of people are gone. there is nothing left for her to hold onto or to do but save the legacy of her people. sacrificing her life is all that remains. this is easier than anything else she’s faced (even if she’s scared). 

however, pazu comes back for her. he tells her to whisper the spell into his ear. he tells her that the others have already escaped because he’s also aware that he will die (and sheeta gives him a look that is almost apologetic and thankful). like her, pazu also has no family. his home is just an empty space. sacrificing his life to save the empire his father preserved to his heart and died for is all he has left to do. in this final moment, they accept that all they have left is each other.

it might even been destiny.

when they hold hands with the aetherium between them, they wholeheartedly pray* that the other, despite the circumstances, will live. this is the intention and power that saves them in the end.

love then love is pretending

there’s no end coming