Author's note: There should be more Nausicaa fanfics. Ahem, yeah. And also, I haven't read the manga, so there isn't even a HINT of a spoiler in that aspect. There are a couple movie spoilers, but nothing earth-shattering. Now that I've gotten that out, I just wanted to ask... really, why aren't there any Nausicaa stories under 'humor'? Is it just not done? Darn it, I wish people would tell me these things...

Anyways, I hope you enjoy the story!

Disclaimer: All I own is this keyboard, and you don't want it, trust me. (the space bar squeaks like a caffeinated mouse.)

The afternoon sun shone high over the peaceful Valley of the Wind. Things were returning to normal after the invasion of the Tolmekians four months ago. Everyone did their part in restoring the Valley to its previous condition; rebuilding the damaged windmills, flattening ruts in the ground left by the tanks, and finishing any general cleanup.

On this particular day, we find our esteemed Princess Nausicaa as she has been since the restoration began; bright and cheerful, beloved by all, and completely besmirched from the elbows down in dirt, ashes, and good, honest sweat, working with a crew of valley dwellers to replant the great forest they had lost to the infectious toxins of the wasteland. Though her blue coat had taken on more of a grayish hue over the past few weeks, (even with frequent washes), her spirit remained as joyful and vibrant as her unbound, flame-red hair.

"Princess Nausicaa! Princess Nausicaa!" Two young Valley girls, by the names of Nari and Kitsu respectively, scrambled up the hill to the edge of the burned forest, laughing and tripping over each other. They collapsed in a giggling heap on the new-grown grass in front of the smiling princess. Nausicaa rested her shovel on the ground near the small sapling she had been tending.

"Be careful, you two," She reprimanded the girls gently, but all the same giving them her full attention in anticipation of what they had come to tell her. Teto flicked his large, fox-like ears forward and steadied himself on the princess's shoulder.

Nari disentangled herself from her friend and leapt up to pull Nausicaa by the hand. "He's asleep! C'mon!" Kitsu took the princess's shovel in one hand and joined Nari in tugging Nausicaa along.

"Who's asleep? Where are we going?" Nausicaa laughed as she allowed herself to be dragged by the younger girls.

"You'll see!"

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Near the western edge of the valley, a large windmill stood, ever turning in the constant wind. On the green slope just in front of the stone structure, a single figure lay basking in the afternoon sun.

Asbel of Pejite had been visiting the valley for the past week, helping repair walls and fields that had been damaged by the Tolmekian's airships. The sleeves of his cream-colored work shirt were rolled up to the elbow to keep them from getting in the way of the day's work.

At the moment, however, he was taking a break. Really, he'd been doing so much these past few days, he felt like his hands would fall off if he so much as touched another stone, weed, or shovel. A guy was entitled to a little rest every now and then, right?

He heaved a contented sigh and pushed his round, brownish-orange cap over his eyes, not even suspecting that he was being watched.

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"Asbel? I thought he was helping Mito and the others fix the bridge to the castle." Nausicaa spoke in a hushed voice from where she stood behind the windmill.

The two younger girls giggled, "He's supposed to be!"

"Oh, is he?" The princess dropped into a crouch so she was at eye level with Nari and Kitsu. "Well then, we should wake him." Her brown eyes sparkled mischieviously.

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'Make way, make way for King Asbel! Most handsome, able, confident, brave, trustworthy, and incredibly brilliant man in all of Pejite!' The armor clad flagbearer in his dream announced for all to hear.

Then Asbel himself, clad in his finest array, strode through the cheering crowd of his beloved subjects.

'Hooray for King Asbel!'

'May he never feel the effects of the toxic jungle!'

'Make way, make way!'

"Asbel! Wake up!" This shout was decidedly clearer than the others. He furrowed his brow to try and think what it meant, but didn't get the chance before…

CLANG!

"Ah!" Asbel shot upright, his hands clapped over his ears. Two girls, one holding a shovel, the other a metal bucket, ran laughing and shouting up the hill and around the side of the large windmill.

His hat dropped to the grass as he stumbled to his feet in pursuit, "Hey, get back here!"

Suddenly, Asbel skidded to a halt. The girls were probably going to circle around the building to try and lose him. Sprinting around the other side of the windmill, he expected to see the two kids, shovel and bucket in hand, look surprised and run.

Instead, he crashed headlong into the princess of the Valley of the Wind.

"Ah!" The two tumbled to the ground, a tangle of arms and legs.

"A-ah, Nausicaa!" Asbel scrambled to get off, "I'm sorry, uh… did you see a couple of kids run this way?"

"It's okay." Nausicaa laughed and sat up in the grass, allowing Teto, who had leapt clear of the collision, to scurry up her arm and onto her shoulder as her friend leapt to his feet, looking every which way for the miscreants who had wakened him. "They're probably hiding in the fields."

"Figures…" He grumbled, offering a hand to the princess, "My ears are going to ring for a month. Hitting a bucket over someone's head… where do they get ideas like that?"

"Who knows?" Nausicaa's eyes danced with mirth as Asbel pulled her to her feet.

"Hmph." Asbel grunted in annoyance as he scanned the fields along the hill. Finally, he shrugged and turned to the princess, "So... what brings you to this side of the valley, Nausicaa?"

"I'm on my way back to tend the new forest." She reached a hand up to still Teto, who was playfully chasing his tail. "And you?" Asbel started as he recalled what he was supposed to be doing.

"I was… uh… just… going to the castle to help finish repairing the bridge!" He rubbed the back of his neck, giving Nausicaa a hopefully suspicion-averting grin.

The princess stifled a giggle, "Well, I'm sorry for stopping you. I'll see you later, okay?" Next thing he knew, she'd vaulted a low stone wall a few yards off. Turning to him, she waved once, "Bye, Asbel!"

The prince watched, feeling as though he was somehow missing something, as Nausicaa raced up the hill.

Suddenly, two girls broke out from the cover of a row of shrub-like plants. They ran, laughing, after the princess; one carrying a shovel, the other a metal bucket. The three of them paused on the crest of a hill to wave at him, Nausicaa's voice almost lost in the wind as she called.

"Oh, and Asbel! Don't forget your hat!"

He blinked, his short hair ruffling in the breeze. How did she know he hadn't just left his hat in his room at the castle? How could she have known unless… "Nausicaa, you-!"

With a final wave, the princess and her two accomplices disappeared over the hill.

Asbel watched them go, laughing at how easily he'd fallen for the trick.

"And the score stands," he bent to retrieve his hat from the sunny slope on his way back to his work at the castle, "Nausicaa: one. Asbel: zero."

Author's second note: Was it any good? Should I write another?