Author's Notes: Hello y'all! Yes I'm finally updating. This chapter is a semi-filler... things are about to get interesting. Thank you all for reading. As you might have guessed, the updates are less frequent because school has started. (I shall leave you to guess the what and where... haha) But I had most of this written out and I wanted to send this out as soon as possible. I'm estimating chapter six will be in 2 weeks, maybe later.

Date: 8/29/11 (Edited 14 Apr 2020)

Disclaimer: I don't own Nausicaa and Asbel, but I am now the proud creator of 2 new characters. Enjoy.


By the time Asbel returned to the Valley, he found a small airship waiting for him; people were hurriedly carrying the last of the supplies onto the ship. He immediately recognized Nausicaa, looking fresh as the morning sunshine, ducking into and out of the craft, making sure things were going as planned. As he approached, Nausicaa noticed him and smiled.

"Perfect timing." She chirped; it was early in the afternoon. He followed her into the airship, where he was greeted by Lord Yupa, Tersa, Mito, and a couple other people he didn't recognize. Altogether it was a group of about ten people; small enough to avoid turning it into a giant expedition but large enough to have different people handling different tasks in times of need or emergency. As soon as supplies and fuel were loaded, the party set out upon their journey. A few hours into flying and adjusting to the new living spaces, all sat down in the center cabin to discuss and be informed on the specifics of the expedition.

"It'll take us a little over a week to reach Belden Swamp; after that we may need more time to find the hut." Lord Yupa explained.

"Agreed; I've been in that area before and never noticed any trace of human habitation." Answered a sprightly young man. His eyes were of the most startling bright blue, and he had an exceptionally boyish smile. If it wasn't for his height, mature build, and his evident experience with flying through these remote lands, Asbel might have placed him among the twelve year old youngsters found running through the streets of Pejite.

"Just concentrate on piloting the airship through the trees, Jarel - the swamp is situated in some of the densest parts of the forest." The boy nodded; Lord Yupa continued. "Nausicaa probably has the best eyesight of us all anyway."

"I'll stay in the watchtower when we get nearer to the swamp." The Princess responded.

After fifteen more minutes of figuring out minute details, the crew dispersed to execute their designated tasks. Asbel himself was about to leave the room when out of the corner of his eye he noticed the young pilot walking towards him. The boy approached and with a genuine smile held out his hand.

"So you're Asbel, right? I'm Jarel. Glad to finally meet you; Nausicaa's told me all about you." Asbel wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

"Are you familiar with piloting an airship?" Asbel answered in the affirmative.

"Great; I might need your help if we hit any storms."

"Sure; I'd love to help." Asbel cordially replied. Presently Nausicaa waltzed into the conversation.

"Ah, you two finally met each other. Jarel went on an expedition to study the insects of the Toxic Jungle during the Festival, else you probably would have run into each other by now. He's one of the best pilots in the Valley." She bragged to Asbel, tilting her head in Jarel's direction as a nod of acknowledgement. The walnut-haired boy gave her a quizzical look; a quirk appeared on his lips.

"Oh I get a compliment from you today? That's unusual." The boy teased, a cheeky grin spreading across his face. Unfazed, the girl completely ignored him.

"He's also terribly reckless." She quipped mischievously to balance out the praise she just gave him, still staring straight at Asbel.

"That's more normal." He remarked dryly. "Also, I am not that reckless." He retorted.

"Remember the time you got stranded in the middle of the Toxic Jungle after you ran out of fuel? I had to start a search party for you; who in their right mind does not check their fuel gage before leaving on a trip?"

"I did check! I would have had enough if it wasn't for the blasted wind going against me." He insisted; Nausicaa scoffed.

"Hah! Wind indeed... " She drawled, clearly not buying his rationalizations.

The entire time Asbel had just stood there mutely watching the two of them banter. He would have laughed with them if he wasn't so disturbed by the level of closeness he noticed between them. Nausicaa observed the curious expression on his face and felt the need to explain.

"We've just known each other since we were kids, so you'll be seeing a lot of bickering around here. Other than being a complete idiot sometimes, he's a lot of fun. I think you'll get along really well." She chimed. Asbel smiled back; he took the opportunity to throw out a witty comment of his own.

"It's good to know I'm not the only one having trouble winning arguments against you." He smirked; Jarel laughed.

Over the next few days Asbel found himself carefully watching the interactions between the two of them. They seemed more like brother and sister than a couple. He knew he really shouldn't mind Nausicaa's friend, but sometimes he felt irked by the clever, sharp-tongued conversations which emphasized the level of familiarity she felt with another boy of his age. He was surprised to discover a bit of possessiveness lurking deep within him, although he usually managed to curb the emotion. He wondered if Tersa had noticed, however; that girl was constantly watching him and wearing the strangest smirk on her face.


Asbel sighed to himself; he stood alone in a small room on the side of the ship, staring out a large window. Watching the trees of the Sea of Decay sneak sluggishly beneath him, he wondered what answers lay ahead... if an answer existed at all. At the very least felt relieved to be putting all of his restless energy into this expedition. He had to try his best to solve it; he owed it to his mother and two entire nations. The Valley and Pejite had both endured too much, survived through too many things to be obliterated from mankind on account of one little disease.

Thinking about the present challenge would always eventually sour his mood, so he was glad to have Nausicaa and Jarel around. He envied them; those two had endless ways to keep their spirits up. They never childishly avoided reality, but managed to remain infinitely optimistic in the face of all the unknowns. He made a mental note to observe them one day and try to acquire that skill. Presently he heard someone walk into the room, interrupting his round of dark thoughts.

"You doing alright?" Nausicaa asked; her sweet voice, laced with a bit of concern, filled his ears.

"Yeah; just worried." He breathed.

"Mmm, I can tell. It's like there's a raincloud above you." She smiled; even that was an understatement.

"More like a monsoon cloud." She chuckled inwardly; but she quickly turned serious as well.

"Care to tell me what bothers you?" The girl prodded as lightly as possible, giving him time and space to open up. The man seemed lost in thought for a moment longer before slowly verbalizing his concerns.

"Just... what if no one knows the cure?" He postulated calmly, but his countenance was visibly weighed down and troubled. "What if we manage to find this Healer Kerlin, only to hear that there is no treatment?" The girl pondered carefully before answering; she heard the uneasiness in his voice and deeply desired to be the calming force to placate the restless emotions within him.

"We don't know that yet," She soothed gently. "I don't think Obaba would send us on a fool's errand either."

"True..." Asbel conceded pensively. Several seconds of silence passed by, but neither of them found the conversation stifling. Eventually the man spoke up again.

"I'm also thinking about my mother," He admitted very quietly. "If we really only have a month; every day it just... I can hear every second tick by." He sighed; his shoulders hunched down slightly and he looked down at the ground.

Nausicaa's heart ached out of empathy for him. She remembered the anxiety she felt when watching her father wither away before her eyes... and when the doctors gave her a time frame, it weighed heavily on her soul like an impending death sentence, rather than help her mentally prepare as originally intentioned. She gave the conversation time enough to acknowledge the gravity of the matter, before answering quietly. She so desperately wanted to ease his suffering.

"Your mother is strong; both mentally and physically." The woman consoled in an encouraging tone. "You and I both know that she'll hold on for as long as she can." A ghost of a smile traced across his lips; since when was she this adept at comforting people?

"Thanks. It's nice to be able to talk this out with you." He glanced over at her gratefully and observed a sympathetic smile on her features.

"Good; don't feel like you have to keep all your worries to yourself. I'm always here to listen." She reassured him; he nodded in appreciation. The two of them resumed staring out at the gloomy sky as it passed between them.

Presently she remembered there was one more thing she meant to re-emphasize. In order to convey her earnestness and capture his full attention, the woman reached out to him and placed a hand on his arm. Hazel eyes turned to regard her curiously.

"Asbel, remember that you're not facing this alone," she affirmed. "There are ten of us with you; and we are going to find a cure. I will personally see to that." She spoke softly but Asbel could hear a rock-solid determination underneath it. Her dark brown eyes twinkled with such certainty that he noticed himself trusting her instinctively, the corner of his lips curling upwards as he did so. Even his worries seemed to ease up slightly, as if someone else had come up alongside him to shoulder the burden.

"Thank you." He breathed.

The man was only beginning to realize the power she held over him, as though she was slowly charming her way into his heart. Her presence was a unique force of its own: comforting like a warm hug on a cold winter night, but refreshing like the cool breeze on a hot summer day. Her smile could brighten the room more than the sun, and her voice, sweet and uplifting, seemed to chase the clouds away.

He also realized how much he trusted her and how much information she had drawn out of him. Normally, deep conversations were more torturous than pulling teeth - either because he never felt quite articulate enough, or felt he could never trust people with his true thoughts. More amazing to him was the fact that he didn't feel an ounce of judgement coming from her, even when he confided in her as a nervous wreck of a boy. She had made it enticingly easy for him to talk, and for him to be himself.

He sighed aloud. He found himself missing her and her positive energy when she wasn't around.


Thanks for reading!