"Kaze to Tomoni"
A/N: Had to write this... just had to. Also, I've been told that this story is similar to the "Warriors of the Wind" by moviefan-92. I don't deny it, there are some parts, particularly the begging, that are similar, but mine will be far diffrent, so don't worry!
Disclaimer: No, I don't own "Nausicaä".
Translation Notes:
Sugoi: Wow
Gomen nasai: I'm sorry
Hime Nee-sama: lit. older sister princess. Since Nausicaa is like an older sister to the smaller girls, she let's them call her 'Onee-sama' or 'Nee-sama', which means older sister.
Chapter 4: Mezameru Omoi - Awakening Feelings; part II~Friendship or Love?~
As Nausicaä sped towards the castle, her heart was in turmoil, feelings and thoughts a battling gale.
'What has gotten over me! I can't believe I'm reacting in such a way to such simple compliments!'
'Some simple comments?' a small voice in the remotest corner of her mind said. 'Come on, Nausicaä! No one has ever told you such a thing like "you're cute"!'
Nausicaä tried to stamp out this annoying and embaressing voice. But it insisted.
'And anyway, how will you explain me those stealthy looks you keep shooting at him, eh? No, don't you dare deny it! You-'
But the voice did not get the chance to finish for Nausicaä heard voices from the far end of the corridor. Though not knowing why, she hid herself in the nearest cupboard and waited for the voices to pass by. She probably wanted to avoid any awkward questions.
As the voices drew nearer, Nausicaä was able to recognize the voices: two, both of some young women. They were somewhat giggling, one was quite high pitched. To Nausicaä's dismay, they seemed to have stopped right in front of the cupboard, thus making her hear, whether she wanted or not, their messy and giggling talk.
"So, come on. Just admit it: you like him, don't you?" one voice, a smooth and clear voice, said.
"Well, maybe..." came the somewhat embaressed other one's reply.
"Oh dear," the smooth voice said. "I can see your face turning nicely red, dear Lia."
"Oh Sana! Do you have to have to be so embarrassing!" the woman named Lia exclaimed.
"Mm... Now they're turning from light pink to cherry red. So deeply in love are we?" Sana prodded, teasingly.
"Sana!"
Nausicaä took a sharp intake of breath. 'Love?' Could this be the key and answer to her problems? She vigorously shook her head. No, it couldn't be... And yet...
"Well, you should get rid of that shyness before the Autumn Festival, otherwise he might end up with some other fiancée!" Sana said and chuckled.
The hidden girl heard a moan coming from Lia, then the two women's voices gradually fading away into the distance.
When she was quite sure that the way was clear, she stepped out of her hidding place. Teto nuzzled her in the ear; she took the small fox-squirel into her palms and stared into his big jaded eyes.
"Teto," she said quietly to her pet. "could it be... could I be in love with..."
But no, how could it be so? She shook her head again and tried to dismiss this, to her, very embarrassing and far fetched thought. But still, it clung to her, along with that small, unbiest part of her mind in that remote corner.
"How stupid am I? I'm acting so... so..." she tried to find a fitting word to perfectly describe her strange and unusual attitude.
"Distressed? Confused? Embaressed?" a deep voice rumbled from behind.
Nausicaä jumped, for the third time in a week. She seemed to have acquired the knack in getting herself scared out of her wits from behind.
"Yupa-sama! What are you doing here?" she said, striving frantically to stir the conversation out from the dangerous waters.
The swordsman chuckled, and not for the first time Nausicaä found herself been laughed at, though not unkindly, because of her jumpy reaction.
"Well, well. I was about to ask the same thing to you, my dear. I was just taking a stroll around the castle. What were you doing here, in this remote corner of the castle? Though by seeing you talk to Teto like that, I see you are quite in a desperate situation." Lord Yupa said, cheerfully.
Nausicaä tried to put on the best I-have-completely-no-idea-what-you-are-talking-abo ut- face she could muster. "Oh, nothing important! I was just telling Teto off because... because he was constantly pulling my hair!"
Just as the lie rolled out of her mouth, she mentally slapped herself. 'Damn it! I'm so lousy in lying!'
Her former master smiled; a kind and understanding smile it was, but underneath there was a hidden small bit of... what was it? Nausicaä couldn't really identify it. Was it teasing or playfulness? Then he started to shake his head.
"Nausicaä, Nausicaä."he sighed, slightly in a sad way, in another resigned. "I have seen so many take that attitude and all have ended up in the same way. It would best for you to give up trying to ignore it and accept that feeling you are denying."
And he gave her another half smile. Before Nausicaä could say or do anything, Lord Yupa had walked away, leaving a bewildered princess alone in the corridor. Though outwardly she seemed dazed, inwardly she was grasping the meaning of those words.
Then she quietly turned and left, heading outside.
Having nothing to do and seriously needing an escape route from everything which troubled and infested her mind like devilish imps, Nausicaä headed towards the forest.
Though it wasn't the big, vast and majestic forest of three hundred years, the one which had been unfortunately burned down months before, it still cheered her up.
When she had first seen the vast and dark patches of ash of what had remained of the beautiful and ancient forest, tears had welled up in her eyes. The Valley and herself had strived hard to rebuild the forest, and the results were not dissatisfying. Now, the trees that had been planted had grown to a descent size, but still nothing comparable to the forest before.
Nausicaä had always loved the trees and forest, since she was a small girl. When something had bothered her, or even when she had wanted just some peace and quiet, she would have gone in the woods and seated herself comfortably on the roots of some giant oak, closed her eyes and listened to the peaceful noises of nature around her. She would do this not only in this forest, but also in the Toxic Jungle.
Even though the roots of the trees were still a bit small, Nausicaä contented herself in sitting in a nice shady spot between two trees.
She had again changed into her white dress, her practical ones being now in the laundries to wash from the sweat of the practice of before.
Teto climbed lightly from her shoulder down to her lap, where he quietly curled up in a fur ball. Nausicaä smiled at the fox-squirel's cuteness and began to pet him absent mindedly, all the while staring up at the trees. She then closed her eyes and let the various sounds of the new-born forest sweep her mind and spirit away with them.
She heard birds chirping high above the tree tops, she felt her hair rustle gently on her cheek as the trees did when a light breeze swept through the woods, the beautiful sound of rustling leaves melting harmoniously with the kind and warm sunrays that filtered through the tree leaves.
It was a while before Nausicaä began to hear a peaceful melody from far away. It was played on a flute, it's beautiful and peaceful notes carried away easily far into the woods by the wind. As it drew nearer, Nausicaä began to make out the melody and when she had finally recognized it, her eyes widened in recognition. Tears brimmed up just as nostalgia and reminiscing memories welled up inside her.
This melody, for now she had completely recalled, was a tune that her father had loved to play long ago, when every thing was still in it's right place.
Nausicaä leaned back on the tree trunk and closed her eyes, listening to the flute. Images and memories flashed past her as the long forgotten melody brought her back to her distant childhood: Her father, still healthy and well, playing the flute at the fireside, his handsome face brightly lit by the fire. Next to him was her mother, but not the mother that Nausicaä remembered, who had always been distant and reserved. No, in this memory she was lively, full of life and laughter. She was surrounded by her ten children, both boys and girls. The smallest of her daughters, with two orangey pigtails sprouting from underneath her hat, was dancing along with two of her sisters, imitating their poses and steps. The two girls laughed and began to teach their small sister the how to dance properly along with the melody. Soon all three were dancing, along came then the beats of drums, then the tune picked up speed and everybody found themselves dancing along together.
Nausicaä, still with her eyes closed, stood up and began to dance. Even though the now playing melody was played only on the flute, the princess remembered perfectly the tune and the beat of the drums. She knew the melody and along with it the dance steps by heart.
So when she heard the soft, yet slightly fast flute tune, her body began to twist, turn and twirl automatically, as if each note would trigger the movement of a part of her body accordingly. Her hands clapped along with the rhythm in her head, then parted to make swirls. Her eyes were closed, but she didn't need to see. She knew what scene was hidden behind her tear glimmering eyelids. Her lips broke into a smile; a smile full of joy and happiness. And on it went.
What the dancing princess didn't know was that not far away, a young Pejite prince stood watching spellbound by her dance, struggling to convince himself that he was seeing a hallucination of a beautiful dancing angel: An angel garbed in white, her soft hair orange hair pouring out from the back of her jeweled headdress she was wearing. To her eyelashes clung pearls of shining tears. Her angelic face and dancing features were brimming with happiness, reminiscence and sorrow all together.
How long the dance carried on, only the surrounding forest could tell.
When finally the last and final note from the faraway flute died away, Nausicaä bowed deeply to her audience in her memory.
She was brought back onto firm earth, though, by the sound of a pair of hands clapping firmly, coming together and parting again and again. She spun around to find Asbel walking towards her, smiling.
"Sugoi..." he finally said. "I didn't know you could dance."
Nausicaä flushed. Not that she disliked being seen dancing, but it was embarrassing enough when she had been dancing so emotionally. And she thought of herself as a total idiot for not telling Asbel that she could dance, because now it looked as is she had been keeping a secret from him.
"Well..., now you know it!" she said, smiling. Then, thinking that an explanation was needed, she added, "The flute melody. It was a piece which Father used to play, and I and my sisters used to dance along it. When I heard the tune, I remembered the dance and so..."
She let her voice trail off, then she sat down onto the grass, looking upwards at the trees. "Now that I come to think of it, it's quite a good exercise for the Autumn Festival."
Asbel dropped cross legged next to her and gave her a puzzled looked. "Sisters? You never mentioned of having any siblings. And there's an Autumn Festival?"
She gave him a sad smile. "Gomen nasai, I never told you." Then turning her gaze to the grassy ground, she carried on. Her voice, though, had slightly changed, as if she had a sudden head cold. "Yes, I had nine older brothers and sisters. But they all gradually died from the toxic poisons of the Sea of Decay, when I was still a small girl, leaving only me as the sole daughter and heir to my parents."
"I'm sorry." Came the short, but sympathetic and slightly ashamed reply.
Nausicaä looked up straight into her friend's face, smiling. "You don't have to apologize, Asbel. It's definitely not your fault and anyway, it's something that happened long ago. I can hardly remember any of them, I was so young... Anyway, you've suffered much more than me, with Lastelle..."
And she placed a hand on his shoulder. 'It must still hurt him.' she thought, as she watched Asbel's face become grim.
"Arigatou." he muttered. Then he continued more cheerful tone, "Anyway, what about this Autumn Festival, eh?"
He was trying to avoid the subject that still hurt him. Nausicaä saw this, and agreed whole heartedly.
She nodded. "We celebrate the Autumn Festival every year to mark the end of the harvest and the beginning of winter, about three days long. And as every important celebration and festivals there's always feasts, dancing and lots of music. So, there you are..."
Asbel looked at her mischievously, then put on an air of supreme formality.
"Would it be possible, Oh Great Princess Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, for us humble Pejites to join in your illustrous festival?" he said, standing up and making up a ridiculous bow with a flurry.
Nausicaä laughed out at Asbel's hilarious behaviour and, finding it appropriate, followed the line.
"I would be honoured, Prince Asbel of Pejite!" she replied, putting an effort in not ruining the formal and royal effect with her suppressed giggles.
Their gaze met and together, they collapsed in fits of laughter. They stared together side by side, watching the high forest ceiling. To Nausicaä, it reminded her a bit to when they first met, in the caverns beneath the Toxic Jungle. She voice this thought out.
"Yeah, you're right." Asbel murmured.
"Asbel, do you want to come with me tomorrow to the Toxic Jungle? I've been needing a certain plant for ages." she asked.
"Yeah, sure!" he answered enthusiastically.
They lay there for countless minutes, talking and exchanging bits of information and past events, as if to better know and understand each other.
The sun had begun to turn yellowish when they finally stood up from their resting place and began to meander out of the forest, when, nearing to the villages, they began to hear music coming from the courtyard.
"I knew it!" Nausicaä exclaimed, somewhat triumphant. "They're practicing already for the Festival!"
And she began to hum along with the string tune, occasionally doing a small skip.
"Do you know the dance to this piece?" Asbel asked, noticing her small dances.
Nausicaä seemed to halt for a moment, lingering on the answer. Then, finally, she said, "Well, yes. But I would need a partner..." she said, ending the sentence in a small voice.
The princess blushed. She hoped she wasn't prodding or suggesting, let alone asking Asbel to dance with her.
'Don't be stupid! He's your friend!' she scolded herself.
'Yes dear, but the way you put it makes it quite clear...' said that small, embarrassing voice.
Nausicaä sighed. Again, that idiotic bickering and arguments would fire up between these two parts of her mind. This seemed to become a daily routine: a random and innocent thought chucked there, then one bit comforting, the other would soon charge in and away it went... Then fortunately there would be someone or something to interrupt the two disturbing voices...
"Look, if you want to dance that badly, you just have to say it!" Asbel said abruptly, cutting as predicted, the bickering of Nausicaä's inner voices.
Her gaze snapped up to meet his and instantly she flushed. Exactly what she had been dreadding...
"What! N.. no!" she yelped, waving her hands in a sign of (desperate) denial.
"You know," Asbel said, in a slightly resigned and annoyed voice. "I'm not that bad... I mean, having a twin sister... You don't know how many times she made me dance with her!"
"Well," Nausicaä said, swallowing hard. "There you are: I don't want to make you or so..." She added in a hurry, "You don't have to! If you don't want to, then don't."
There followed a prolonged and very awkward silence. Nausicaä longed to say something, to interrupt this uncomfortable silence, but just couldn't.
Then Asbel surprised her by taking her hand.
"I wouldn't mind." he said, not looking at her. "But you'd have to teach the dances of the Valley, I know only the ones of Pejite."
Had Nausicaä looked closely, she would have found a small blush coming on Asbel's cheeks, but because she was too intent in thinking what to say and controlling her own emotions, she completely missed this.
"All right." she said, finally giving in. Then, as a thought came into her mind, she grinned. "Let's dance. In swordamanship, Nausicaä: Four; Asbel: One. Let's see who's going to win in dancing!"
And she chuckled. To this Asbel could only do one thing: moan.
"You're turning more and more into Lastelle!" he said, but as he had started this, there was no way in turning back.
Nausicaä had him dance, twirl and skip around for three songs in a row, she constantly laughing and smiling and he all the while yelping here and there, tripping and making helpless faces.
At the end of the third song, a melody of flutes and drums, they bowed to each other, ending the dance. Nausicaä looked up at the exhausted Asbel, grinning impishly.
"Well, how are you feeling?" she asked, and upon hearing his moaning answer, her grin widened. "Let me see: For now three to zero. My win!"
Asbel let himself dropped down onto the grass and, groaning, he looked up at the triumphant Nausicaä, who was crouching beside him.
"It's not fair! I hardly know these dances! You can't expect me to dance like... I don't know what!" he burst out.
To this Nausicaä snickered, but before she could answer, there came another song from near by. Listening to it, she frowned.
"This isn't one of the Valley's." she said, listening intently.
True, because this song was very much different from the Valley's typical calm and soothing melodies played on soft flutes or strings, occasionally accompanied by some drums. No, this one was much more complex, having various different instruments, and seemed more lively and faster.
Hearing the tune, Asbel jumped up, all tiredness gone.
"Now that's what I call good timing!" he said happily. "That's one of our songs."
And without further saying, he crossed the short distance between himself and Nausicaä and pulled her towards him.
She collided with him with a yelp, and before she could say or cry anything, she found herself being led by Asbel in a fierce and rapid dance, full of quick steps, shuffling feet and head-spinning twirls. She had never experienced such a dance, and noticed quickly the huge differences between the Valley's and Pejite's dances: While the Valley's were more slower, calmer and had a certain distance between the dancing partners, Pejite's dances were fast and brisk, but nevertheless maintained a steady flow. Also, and Nausicaä (again) wondered why it should ever bother her, the partners were literally glued together, bodies pressed against each other, leaving no space at all for breathing.
She looked up into Asbel's face and saw that he was enjoying himself, just like she had in the previous dance.
'You should be enjoying yourself too.' Nausicaä didn't know whether this thought was her own or what Asbel's dark brown eyes told her. Nevertheless, she followed the suggestion.
She closed her eyes and let herself sink in into the rapid flow of the dance. She quickly abandoned any other thought, and began to understand the dance and it's rhythm.
And suddenly, a smile appeared, as she was dancing with more and more speed and confidence! Now Asbel wasn't leading her anymore, she seemed to dance this song as if she had danced it for years. Laughter rippled out of her throat, her voice ringing high. She soon heard Asbel's own laughing voice, very near to her. But who cared about the close proximity? Nausicaä certainly didn't; she was carefree and happy and nothing in the world was going to stop her from dancing in Asbel's arms.
The dance and song seemed to last forever; but even when it had finished, immediately a new one followed, this time one of the Valley's, and the two continued to dance, laugh, smile and giggle as the two unknown bands and musicians exchanged and competed with each other.
When finally the last flute note had faded away into the silence, it was dusk.
Nausicaä and Asbel began, for the second time, to make their way out of the woods. It was a while before Nausicaä had the feeling of been watched.
"Asbel!" she called, nearing towards him.
"Hmm?"
"Don't you get the feeling of been watched?" she said, quietly.
He stopped and turned to look at her. "Come to think of it, you're right! As if somebody were following us intently... Let's act as if we hadn't noticed and watch out."
Nausicaä nodded. Then, in a slightly louder voice, she said, "Wow, I haven't danced so much in years!"
Rustling leaves. Whispers. And giggles.
Nausicee frowned and looked side ways at Asbel, eyebrows raised in question. He merely shrugged, then walked swiftly and silently towards a throng of bushes. She followed him and when Asbel shifted some heavy branches, she blinked and stood in surprise, staring down at a cluster of children and teens, who all blinked up at the two, some grinning, some looking apologetic, and others wearing an expression of 'Oh oh, I've been discovered...'. At the most end of the rear crouched a very red and ashamed faced...
"Mother!" Asbel yelped, doubling back. "What...!"
But before either of them could continue, a large part of the huddled gang, which were girls, flooded out of their hiding place and literally pounced on Nausicaä, screaming and giggling.
"Hime Nee-sama!" the small girls cried, throwing themselves onto the princess.
She fell backwards with a cry, not sure whether to laugh or what. But she didn't have to wait much longer.
"Hime Nee-sama, is Prince Asbel your boyfriend!"
"You've been dancing with him?"
"Did you kiss?!"
All these questions flooded upon her mercilessly, what made them worse was that they came out from the mouths of carefree young girls. Nausicaä was left speechless as her face turned a deep shade of red.
"Wha.. what! NO!" she cried, in a helpless state of embarrassment.
The older girls, Valley and Pejite girls alike, floundering up and down, were even more ruthless.
"Now, now, Nausicaä. What do we have here?"
"I can't believe it! Nausicaä and Asbel!"
"Who would have ever thought..."
And so on. Nausicaä tried hard to hushen up these mortifyingly embarrassing comments and question, and naturally failed. Though little comfort to her, Asbel was in the same situation, only surrounded by boys and if only worse: They nudged, elbowed, ruffled, all the while accompanying these gestures with prodding comments.
"Asbel, what've you been doing Nausicaä, eh?"
"Ya naughty kid!"
"How far have you gone with her?"
And as Nausicaä, Asbel became very red and denied everything he could.
When the gang had finally seen fit to leave the two alone, and had departed with a "C'mon, let's leave the two lovebirds alone!" Nausicaä and Asbel were left, though far from in peace, alone on the outskirts of the forest. Both were visibly either fuming or embarrassed, red in the face. Then parted with very quiet and awkward goodbyes, and though having their quarters in the same castle, they went both went for a different course towards the castle.
Yeah, I know. I'm so devilshly evil. Both to Nausicaä and Asbel as well as you poor readers. Well, next chapter will be a bit more interesting. Let's see what exactly this Darkness is, eh? Sorry for the slightly long chapter; keep reviewing! ^o^
