Finally here's the second chapter to my story. Read it, judge it, review it.

Nausicaä's P.O.V.

After minutes of flying, Asbel and I arrived in the Valley, and children ran out from their homes with their arms outstretched. "Princess, you're back!" They called in their high little voices.

I knelt down and embraced them, "Yes, I'm back. Tell me, where is Obaba?"

The little girls pointed to the castle where my father used to live, "She's in there Princess. Are you injured?" They asked with worry apparent in their voices. I shook my head, "No, I am not. Thank you children, Asbel, come on." I turned and waved to Asbel who was having trouble landing his glider.

A smile crossed my face, I approached the area where he was to land, "Ease it down now, you must be gentle with the glider. It is not as quick as a gun plane. Lower it down easy." I instructed with my voice, Asbel was biting his lip in concentration. His glider wobbled slightly as he approached the ground, "L-like this?" He asked as the glider lowered gently to the Valley floor.

I nodded, "Yes, like that, and don't forget to put the--" I was cut off as he stepped off the glider, which tipped over and dumped Asbel onto me.

He raised his head and spat out a mouthful of grass, then scrambled up as he saw that he had landed on me. "S-sorry about that Nausicaä, are you alright?" I propped my arms underneath me and laughed, "Kickstand up." I finished.

The three little girls stood there watching Asbel and I, turning to them I motioned towards Asbel, "Say hello."

They giggled and bowed, "Hello Prince Asbel." With that, they ran off giggling and whispering to one another. I blinked after them, "Well what has gotten into them?" I murmured to myself.

A tickle against my breast reminded me that Tato was still snuggled into my top. I pulled the top open and looked inside, "Well hello Tato." I smiled at the little fox-squirrel. Tato peeked out and looked around the Valley. He squeaked and climbed up onto my shoulder, with his small nose twitching and bringing in the scents. I tickled his forehead and started moving towards the castle.

Looking back at Asbel I called to him, "Asbel, aren't you coming?"

He broke out of his revere and nodded, "Oh, yeah, coming Nausicaä." We walked through the village, and women came out of their homes to greet Asbel and I, "Welcome home Princess Nausicaä, welcome Prince Asbel." They greeted and bowed graciously.

I nodded in return and started running up the steps to the castle entrance, turning around I gestured for Asbel to join me, "Asbel, what are you doing?" I called from the top of the stairs. Asbel was still at the bottom looking warily at the giggling women and children who watched him carefully. He nodded, "Nausicaä, why are they inspecting me?" He asked as soon as he had joined me at the top.

Before closing the door, I glanced once more at the villagers, they were re-entering their homes again, but still laughing. "I'm not sure. Come."

Asbel squeezed through the door opening, and I closed it, shielding the two of us from the gazes of the villagers. I started going up the stairs, taking them one at a time, as Tato squeaked at us from the top of the steps.

After the staircase ended, a room was in front of us, and I approached it and put my hand on the knob and turned.

I poked my head inside the room and called, "Obaba, I'm back, Asbel is here too!" A rustle in the corner alerted me to the small hunched figure of the old woman known as Obaba. Throwing the door open I ran to Obaba and threw my arms around the old woman, "Nausicaä, you're finally back! Oh, and hello Prince Asbel. You accompanied our Nausicaä I presume?"

Asbel laughed and rubbed the back of his head with a hand, "Hello Obaba, it's wonderful to see you again. And yes, I did come with Nausicaä here."

A smile covered the blind woman's face, "Well that is good. Nausicaä, is something bothering you child? I sense that you are not yourself, please, share with old Obaba." The smile that had been covering my face a moment before vanished as quickly as spores could wipe out a village.

"Obaba, something is wrong in the forest again. Asbel and I, on our way back I wanted to stop and gather something from the forest, and when we were inside of it, we saw an Ohmu. But the Ohmu's eyes were red, something had angered it. We went the way that the Ohmu had come from, and strangely enough, there was nothing there but a tree. I approached it, and I touched it. It shocked me, and I am not sure what would have happened had Asbel not been there to pull me away." I finished with a shudder.

I buried my face in my hands and felt Asbel touch my shoulder with worry.

Slowly, I tilted my head up and looked at Obaba, her face was covered with the jeweled hood and I could not tell her expression. Leaning forward I whispered gently, "Obaba?" The old woman faced me and whispered with a husky voice, "Nausicaä, this does not body well. Ever since you left the Valley to fetch Prince Asbel, something did not feel right."

"I have a bad premonition about this, but as of now I cannot remember what could be wrong. Know this, be careful of the Toxic Jungle, and try to stay away from it as often as you can." Obaba said to me calmly. But I could tell that the words she uttered were pleas for me to stay away from the Sea of Decay. "I will try Obaba, but I must go in there from time to time. I promise you this though; the utmost care will be used when inside the Jungle."

This seemed to satisfy Obaba enough, for she settled down into my father's old bed underneath the tapestry. "Very well Nausicaä, go to bed now. You have had quite a long day, have you not? Asbel, Nausicaä will show you to your room, won't you dear?"

A smiled was forced onto my face, "Yes Obaba. Thanks you, come on Asbel. Tato!" I called to my friends and we together left the room and Obaba behind us.

We walked through the darkened hallway passing several doors in the castle; I kept my head down and ran things through my head. "Nausicaä, what's wrong? Why didn't you ask Obaba to check for injuries?" Asbel questioned.

My brain forced my body to a stop; I bit my lip and turned to Asbel. "I don't know what is going on, but something or someone is threatening the insects in the Toxic Jungle again. No matter what Obaba says, the safety of my people comes first no matter what. This room on your right is yours; go to sleep and we can talk more tomorrow." With that, I turned and pushed my way into my room and shut the door.

I heard a creak from an opening door and another one to signify it closing, and before the lock clicked, I heard an affectionate, "Good night, Nausicaä."

My room welcomed me, but I paid no mind to it. I leaned against the door staring into space. Asbel, thank you. Good night, but I cannot sleep. I too feel something in the forest is wrong. Perhaps my research can help give me a clue as to what that strange tree was earlier on today.

Finally my vision focused on my room, and the window at the far end of the room called in moonlight and starlight from outside. My boots clicked against the hard stone floor and crossed to the other side of the room. It was dark, and the moon was full. Beautiful, yet so strange and unknown, like the Ohmu in the forest. I vow that I will stop whatever is hurting the Ohmu, it will end soon. They will not get away with their wrong doings against the Ohmu.

xXxXxXx

Deep in the Toxic Jungle

"Nausicaä, so you have found my lair. No matter, you will not be able to pass through my barrier without me having to set it down. Asbel, Prince of Pejite... he cannot stop me from acheiving my goal, no one can. Nausicaä, you shall soon be mine, and the Sea of Decay will engulf the planet."

A man in a dark green cloak sat in a throne with his head thrown over his head.

His laughter echoed through the room, and around him lay the Toxic Spores of the Jungle, and small catipillar like creatures sitting in cages, waving their legs, and making sad clicking noises.

People, I'm really sorry for taking such a long time. I apoligize and hope you'll like this chapter. Once again, sorry!

PurificationArrow