A/N 7 May 2020: Hello and welcome. This is a project of mine that has been going for nearly nine years... I am just a huge fan of the character of Nausicaa (loved the movie, recently bought the manga) and I wanted to try writing a fanfic for her. This was my attempt to immortalize her in a world that is a bit brighter than the manga. Thanks for checking it out!

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from the movie by Miyazaki. I have only a fraction of his imagination, at best!

Chapter 1: The Festival

There was not a single cloud hanging in the sky, just pure, clear air. Silhouettes of trees gradually appeared on the ever-changing backdrop of dark to chalky blue. The Valley began to stir, a bit earlier than normal, and a strange tingling sensation of excitement hovered in the air.

Up in a cozy-looking stone tower, a girl had just finished getting dressed. Walking towards the window, she took a panoramic view of the Valley, and let out a contented sigh. It was going to be a beautiful autumn morning. She daintily slipped into a pair of well-worn boots and turned to leave the room. As she placed her hand on the door knob, something caught her attention – a ball of fur lay curled up on the floor by her feet, soundly asleep. The girl bent down to run her hand along the side of the fuzzy pile; it stirred slightly.

"Teto," she whispered. The creature's ears drooped adorably on both sides of its head as a face and green eyes peered up sleepily at the young woman.

"I know, it's early. You don't have to come with me yet." She cooed.

Lazily the fur ball rose. The girl smiled lovingly as the fox squirrel lethargically climbed up her arm, stopped on her shoulder, hunkered down, and continued to snooze. She walked out the door and descended the stairs.

Outside, the people were busily working despite the early hour. Men and women returned from luscious green fields with baskets bursting with fresh produce, carrying melons, fruits and vegetables of all sorts. All were making their way towards the center of the valley. Others were hurrying across the fields clutching beautiful bouquets, their daughters skipping joyfully ahead of them. Two women stopped at a large and stately tree, and began to skillfully tie the flower onto the trunk. While they adorned the trees, others decorated doors and windows. Gradually the village began to light up; festive splashes of vivid red and orange appeared everywhere.

The girl, wearing a simple blue V-neck and pants, walked briskly through the village, admiring the activities of the people. Many sent her a cheerful greeting, to which she always replied with an energetic response and a warm smile. She stopped in adoration of a bright yellow wreath presently being tied to the side of a large stone windmill. The workers, a kindly middle-aged woman and her ecstatic four year old daughter, noticed the girl.

"How does it look, Princess?" they inquired.

"Absolutely wonderful." The girl in blue enthused. Her effect on the pair was instantaneous; their faces lit up from her praise.

The princess continued her morning stroll, and a gentle breeze played with her distinctive auburn hair. Presently she emerged from the top of a hill and surveyed the sight before her. There, in the center of the Valley, lay a wide grassy courtyard. On regular days it was nothing more than a large flat plain, but today it was the center of commotion. To the far left, villagers deposited their abundance of fruits and vegetables at the door of a large stone building. The clang of pots and pans reverberated from what was apparently a kitchen, while the head chef shouted out orders loud enough to wake the dead.

Seeing the state of hectic in the kitchen, the princess decided to leave them to their business and headed to the right of the courtyard. Eight or nine men were transporting with considerable effort several sturdy wooden planks. One man followed the procession, carrying a ridiculously large hammer, and another guided the group to the exact placement of the posts. Meanwhile, two men hauled out a colossal handwoven tarp. The one overseeing the entire procedure wore a scruffy-looking mess of a beard and an old brown sunhat. The princess mused how the villagers could even hear the man's instructions which were spoken through his overgrown mustache.

"Morning Lord Yupa!" the girl chimed happily. Her voice floated above the low hum of the general commotion, and the bearded man lifted his head.

"Ahh, good morning Nausicaa. Ready for the Autumn Festival?" The man droned in a deep calm voice.

"Yes! The people have worked hard this year; they deserve a break." She declared, before bouncing up a ladder to tie a limp end of the tarp to the top of a post.

Excitement electrified the entire Valley; this was the first Autumn Festival hosted by the Valley of the Wind. Shortly after the incident of the Great Warrior and ohm stampede, Nausicaa had every intention of maintaining good relations with neighbors Tolmekians and Pejites. The festival was the result of her ingenuity: a week-long event, every other year, hosted by a different country each time. It was a giant celebration scheduled at the end of the farming season, dedicated for the people to bring in their harvests. Food and merriment would abound, singers and dancers would entertain, and people of all ages would come to enjoy each other's company. If there ever was an excuse for outside travelers to play the role of tourists visiting the area, this Festival was the perfect reason. It served as recognition of nations' hard work, an interchange of cultures, and harmony on a national level.

Nausicaa passed by a nice-looking teenage boy about her age; the handsome lad gave a friendly smile and a greeting. The princess cheerfully replied, and continued walking. Suddenly she was reminded of another boy she hadn't seen in a while. Four years, to be exact, since she had last seen Asbel. She would have run into the dark haired, dark eyed boy at the last Autumn Festival over in Tolmekia. However, he had regrettably missed the last celebration on account of some issue regarding the materials for Pejite's outer wall. Both Nausicaa and Asbel had been incredibly busy rebuilding their land. Merely four years ago Pejite lay as a spread of rubble, and the Valley of the Wind had also sustained significant damage in its towers, fields, and forests. Both kingdoms had gradually recovered and were flourishing once more.

This Autumn Festival she hadn't heard any news from him and assumed – no, counted upon his coming. In truth, they possessed a unique connection, having survived similar hardships during that war and in the aftermath that followed. They also held each other in high regard (though they wouldn't ever tell each other that); their actions had proved their worth to each other and solidified their friendship. Nausicaa secretly hoped to see him more frequently than every four years in the future. Her thoughts were drifting into some farfetched possibilities when she suddenly realized what she was doing and quickly snapped herself out of her contemplation.

"Stop it!" She mentally scolded herself.

"He is a friend! Hopefully time hasn't distanced the two of you too much," she thought. As if trying to run away from her thoughts, she picked up speed and sprinted to help fix a windmill.

"I can't believe I'm doing this." Nausicaa mumbled, slipping into a form fitting blue dress. The simple yet elegant article of clothing had a very sleek design, hugging her slim body then casually flowing down to her feet. The dress was quite beautiful and she liked it very much; however the fact that she was wearing an eye-catching dress did not help ease her qualms about a quick welcome address she was to give to open the festival.

"Nervous?" asked a girl with her in Nausicaa's dressing room, helping her step into the outfit. The girl had dark hair in the form of a spiky pixie hair cut, square shoulders and a tall, lean form.

"I know it's just a few sentences, but I'm worried anyway."

"Don't be; people will be too excited to listen. Besides, you've done plenty of other things that require at least twice the amount of courage. This shouldn't be hard." Nausicaa smiled. A memory flashed through her mind: she was calmly standing next to a bleeding baby ohm, feet firmly planted directly in the path of an unstoppable raging stampede. In retrospect she was certainly crazy, but not afraid; her resolution to complete her mission had overpowered most of the emotions within her.

"Thanks, Tersa." She whispered, feeling slightly more confident, though still somewhat unsure.

"Anytime. Now walk out proudly before I transport you to the courtyard by force."

Nausicaa emitted a slight snort. Although her friend had a frightening outer demeanor and often spoke roughly, she had a kind heart deep beneath the layers of prickles and thorns. However, Tersa's words were not all empty threats. Nausicaa decided to take Tersa for her word, and walked toward the door. She inhaled deeply, and in one swift movement turned the door knob and confidently waltzed out to the courtyard.