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"I'm telling you, Mujitsu," Asbel tried to reassure. "Nigai was just trying to get a ruse out of you. I talked to Nausicaä last night. I promise she wasn't angry at you!"
Mujitsu believed her friend; she would trust his word any day over Nigai's. But it only helped her dour mood slightly.
"I still don't like it," she said. "It was bad enough when we were just being shunned and ostracized ... Now people are actively trying to turn us against each other?" She slumped back in the chair she was seated in, feeling more defeated than ever. "What's next?"
"I knew from the start it was a mistake saying here. We should have left these people to their own problems."
This statement came from Yūzai, who had met up with the two shortly after their encounter with Nigai. And it was unsurprising to hear for either of her fellow Pejites.
Given her role in the actions that caused the current stigma against the Pejites to begin with, Yūzai had protested them staying in the Valley from the very start. The tall, light-brown-haired individual had once been a low-ranking government official of Pejite, meaning this opinion would have once had at least some degree of power. But the ruin of their city left them with little means of governing themselves, meaning a once-powerful woman like her was now just another Pejite ... albeit one with more influence than most.
"And where would that put us?" Asbel demanded, arms crossed. "We don't exactly have anywhere else to go."
"We would find a way," Yūzai dismissed. "We always have. We don't need their generosity to continue to survive."
"Of course you'd think that!" Asbel shouted, growing agitated by her uncaring opinions of this Valley, past and present. "Anything to get away from facing what we did, and what we owe to these people!"
"Excuse me," Yūzai tersely responded. "Were we the ones who invaded cities, slaughtered royals, and forced people to bow to our wills?" Yūzai countered. "No. All we sought out to do was right the wrongs done against us. Protect our people. We might have even saved the world from this Decay had that foolish princess not stood in the way!"
"Hey!" Asbel snapped. "Don't ever talk about her like-"
Just before things got out of hand, however, a gasp from Mujitsu cut off the tense conversation.
They both looked at her, only to find her hugely widened eyes looking towards the entrance of the hut they were currently in.
Asbel turned to see what had her so surprised ... and in doing so, saw a small, furry, familiar creature limping its way into the hut. It was doing its best to rush inside, its tiny face scrunched up in pain. It kept a forepaw off the ground and one back leg shaking, as the creature darted as quickly as possible towards the Pejite prince.
"... T-Teto!?"
The fox-squirrel let out a whimper as he heard his given name and looked up at Asbel. His little green eyes expressed immense gratitude at seeing a friendly, familiar face after the struggle he had gone through last night.
"Teto ..." Asbel uttered, an airy uneasiness lingering in his voice. "What happened to you? Why aren't you with ..."
The boy's question trailed off as, in that moment, he felt his stomach nearly jump up through his chest.
Teto had accompanied Nausicaä pretty much everywhere, ever since Lord Yupa had given him to her. It was no surprise how quickly their bond had developed, given how much of a natural she was with animals. As he settled into life in the Valley, even Asbel had developed a soft spot for the frisky little guy, and the feeling seemed to be mutual.
So, to now see him here on his own was unusual enough. But to also see him clearly injured on top of that ...
... Something wasn't right.
His expression grew cold and pensive as he thought back to Nigai's suspicious behavior from earlier. How strange he'd found everything she had told him. How uncharacteristic it seemed for Nausicaä to behave in the way Nigai had said. The strong indications that she was trying to create more conflict between her and the Pejites ...
"... Asbel?"
The prince turned to see Mujitsu staring at him with deep worry. She was able to tell just from his body language that he'd had some dreadful realization. Yūzai just sat there, wearing a look of mild confusion ultimately muted by greater disinterest.
Asbel asked out to Mujitsu, "Where's Nigai?"
The heads of many swiveled in surprise when they saw Asbel sprinting out of the hut. Teto clung onto his shoulder as Mujitsu followed right behind.
That surprise turned into befuddlement when he began asking around if any of them had seen Nigai, insisting that he needed to speak with her. He was primarily given one of two responses: either they didn't know where she was - or at least claimed they didn't know - or in the case of many Valley citizens, he was told to leave them out of his business, refusing to help a Pejite in targeting one of their own.
Gratefully, he finally came across a Valley man who had seen Nigai and was willing to tell him. She was in the South side of the Valley, near a stable of Horseclaws that served as a common gathering spot for the people.
Thanking the man for this information, Asbel didn't let up as a he made a beeline there.
Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he could see another individual running in the same direction at the same speed, albeit in the shadows and keeping behind buildings. But he didn't stop to look and confirm. He couldn't stop. He ran along even faster, his speed causing him to bump into several civilians, many of whom sharply told him off in the mere seconds he could hear them. But he didn't care; Nigai was hiding something, and he needed to know what it was.
For all he knew, Nausicaä's safety could very well be on the line.
Rounding the corner of a tall hut, he finally saw her. She was conversing with a member of the Valley he couldn't remember ever seen before. He couldn't hear their conversation, and couldn't get close enough to hear without being seen. But the look of satisfaction plain to see on Nigai's face made Asbel even more concerned ... and more on edge.
"Nigai!" Asbel shouted, turning her and the strange man's heads.
Upon seeing the Pejite boy again, Nigai initially huffed, her head reeling back in annoyance ... But then, she clearly saw the fox-squirrel perched on his shoulder, for Asbel could see her eyes do their best to conceal the sudden worry.
That effort had to be doubled when Teto then leaped off of Asbel's shoulder with a shrill little shriek. His feet were planted firmly on the ground in a fighting stance as he growled and hissed at both Valley people. His hackles were raised, his golden-brown fur bristling. Nigai's entire body went stiff briefly, just long enough for Asbel to notice.
"Boy," Nigai said, trying to ignore the angry animal. "I do hope this is important."
Just like that, Teto struck. He sprang his way towards her, leaping to latch his teeth into Nigai's knee, tearing and scratching into her leg through the tight trousers she wore.
"TETO!!" Asbel yelled.
"AAGH!! GET OFF!!!" Nigai screamed. Hissing through the pain, she bent down, gripped the animal by the scruff of his neck, and harshly tossed away. He spun out and landed, more softly than when he'd been abused last night, but still with a pained growl.
He got up and prepared to charge again, but Asbel darted forward to grab him by the middle. Teto thrashed and squirmed in his hold, his claws lashing out at the air, but Asbel managed to keep him at bay.
"Nngh, Teto, stop!!" he shouted, his arms having to work surprisingly hard to keep control over a creature so small. "Nigai, what's going on?!"
He saw Mujitsu enter the scene, looking bewildered by what lay before her.
"What's going on?!" Nigai shouted back. "Would you care to explain why the princess's pet just attacked me?!"
"How about you answer that yourself!" Asbel fired. "What happened with you and Nausicaä last night?!"
The words left his mouth before he even knew what he was saying. He had just cut right to the chase: accusing her of lying and demanding the truth. The building fury and worry, combined with the tension of recent weeks, had caused him to skip past all curtesy. And what just happened was more than enough to confirm Asbel's suspicions of her. For Teto to react this hostilely even to Nigai, there had to be a valid reason.
With that, he started connecting dots in his mind. Nigai had claimed to see Nausicaä last night ... he now believed that part to be true. But it clearly wasn't a pleasant encounter, given Teto's actions. In fact, as the fox-squirrel finally began to settle in his hands, Asbel could see the animal wasn't just angry. He seemed ... truly afraid. His ears were pressed against his head, and his body was trembling.
The animal's presence also all but confirmed to him that Nausicaä had not gone on any expedition as Nigai had claimed.
Why would Nigai lie like that? To keep them away from Nausicaä? But she was still nowhere to be seen ...
... Just how bad did things get last night?
"Asbel ..." Mujitsu broke the tense pause that followed the prince's demand. "What's going on?"
"Nigai's been lying to us!" Asbel responded.
"Lying? Ha!" Nigai scoffed, regaining her composure from Teto's attack. "What is this nonsense? What would I have to lie to you about?"
"Last night," Asbel's voice began to bristle, a low growl building in his throat. "Something serious happened between you and Nausicaä, and you're trying to hide it from us!"
"What?" Mujitsu said. "Nigai ... Is this true?"
"Of course not!" Nigai snapped at the girl. "What kind of fools do you take us for?!"
... Us? Asbel thought. What is she ...
His thought trailed off, however, when Asbel looked around him. It seemed that as the confrontation grew in volume and intensity, more and more people had picked up on it and began gathering around. He could hear murmurs of confusion, and a few raised voices expressing annoyance at yet another squabble in their midst.
Seeing this, Asbel grew even more worried. With more people gathering to witness everything, many of them original denizens of the Valley, what he was doing right now was certainly not going to look good. Out of instinct, he wanted to keep pressing Nigai further, go more aggressive in his accusations. But many would likely dismiss him as simply trying to stir up trouble, and he'd be even worse off as a result.
So instead, he thought to what he'd learned from recent events; lashing out like that would rarely help.
He began asking around. "Has anyone here seen Nausicaä since last night?"
Everyone began looking back and forth, surprised by the question. But someone did quickly speak up. "She's out in the jungle with Utsu. At least, that's what I've been told."
"Yeah, and she was tired from yesterday, so she slept through the morning," another added.
Asbel huffed. The lies had clearly been spread around, accepted by many without a second thought. "But someone must have seen her leave. Anyone?"
"What's it to you?" a Valley native said derisively. "Afraid she finally got over you and is ignoring you for some other boy?"
Humiliation spread within him at that comment, but Asbel did his best to suppress it. He kept pressing further. "If she's really gone, then why is Teto still here?" By this point, the fox-squirrel had settled, going back onto the boy's shoulder, albeit still tense and afraid in Nigai's presence. "And why is he injured? Everyone, this doesn't add up! Has anyone seen her?!"
The prince was struggling to keep himself collected. With each second that passed, he grew more frustrated and more afraid. For in his gut, he was beginning to get the feeling that this wasn't just a matter of not being able to find her. That something far more serious was afoot than what appeared on the surface.
Nigai, meanwhile, took very little time to come up with a way to spin this all in her favor.
As even more people from both the Valley and Pejite came together, commotion was growing among them. She could hear their whispers of confusion as they tried to catch up on the everything, concern over these talks of their princess ... and distrust. Each side thinking the other was up to no good and producing smoke and mirrors, despite having so little actual information.
Nigai put on her best betrayed face as she finally spoke up again. "Oh ... I see what you're doing," she growled. "You're trying to turn the people of Pejite against us!"
"... Wh-What??" Asbel stuttered.
"I should have seen this coming eventually," Nigai said, the conviction in her voice startlingly believable. "You Pejites have finally realized the truth: that you have no place here. You knew it was only a matter of time before we cast you all out."
Mujitsu's mouth dropped open in shock. "What?! No, th-that's not-"
"And so," Nigai continued, "Before that could happen, you try to make yourselves look like heroes. Trying to paint me as some villain, so as to swoop in and expose whatever little scheme you've fantasized!"
She turned to the crowd and raised her volume. She summoned as much feigned passion as she could, declaring, "But I know my people better than that! They would never believe a plotting Pejite over one of their own!"
Asbel could feel his body quivering with rage. His scowl grew deeper and deeper, his nerves rising in a near-panic. He saw right through the woman's slander and treachery, and how it was being used to spur on what he had feared the most in all this: his own name being dragged through the mud.
It grew even worse when he heard the chatter in the crowds begin to intensify.
"Of all the no-good things these Pejites have done!"
"Is she serious? They really think they can fool us?"
"Like they haven't done enough already!"
These incensed voices were growing, building to a wave that threatened to wash over the trail to the truth. Asbel couldn't let it continue, but was starting to panic under the pressure.
"N-No, she's lying," he asserted. "Please, listen to me! I just want-"
"You think every word that comes out of her mouth is pure gold, don't you?!" a Pejite was now speaking up against the tide.
"Yeah, you're just looking for any excuse to get rid of us!" another shouted.
"Everyone, please!" Mujitsu begged.
"Don't deny it, Mujitsu!" a Pejite addressed her. "We all knew this was coming!"
"Wait ... where is the princess?" This question came from a middle-aged Valley man, trying to wade through this tumultuous sea of accusations.
But his voice was lost, barely audible as each side grew more aggressive, setting off yet another round of conflict and blind accusations ... completely losing sight of the pressing issue of Nausicaä's disappearance.
"We can't let them stay here any longer!"
"Over what?! What proof do you have?!"
"No ..." Asbel found himself wavering. "This isn't-!"
As every sound began to blur together, it was all becoming overwhelming for Asbel. Usually when fights like this broke out, he would have Nausicaä here with him to help calm things down. She was a source of inner strength and security him, providing the assurance that he could sort through whatever challenge was in front of him with her by his side. But now, seeing everything escalate beyond his control, seeing himself at the center, feeling the weight of the whole situation heavier on his shoulders ... he could feel his grip on his self-control slipping.
It was this that caused him to storm over to Nigai.
"You're lying!" he shouted, an accusing finger in her face. "You're the one trying to turn them against us!"
"HEY!! Stay away from her!" a Valley citizen broke through the crowd to similarly march over to him, looking ready to get physical.
"No, get back!" a Pejite woman pulled the man back furiously to protect her prince.
And from there, a domino effect ensued.
One Valley citizen came to push the Pejite woman aside. The Pejite pushed back, joined in by another. Seeing the Valley citizen being ganged up on, three others were prompted to try and yank the Pejites away. The people already in that fray fought back against that, but one ended up shoved into someone outside it, spurring that person to be sucked in as well.
Like a boulder tossed into the sea, one wrong move spread the chaos throughout the entire group. More people grew more aggressive and physical by the second, resorting to shoving, jabbing, and kicking the closest individual not considered on "their side". The attacks were spiraling out of control, the widespread anger and paranoia finally boiling over after weeks of barely-managed restraint. Roars broke out, seeming deafening. Shouts and slurs continued to be fired, accusations of each side plotting against the other exacerbating the violence.
All while the one actually plotting stood safely on the sidelines. Staring Asbel down with a heinous smirk that made his blood boil.
She knew exactly what she was doing. She knew full well that he was not interrogating her out of some ulterior motive, and was deliberately trying to make his intentions out to be worse than they actually were, spreading everyone's hatred and using it against him.
Realizing this, the boy's desperation shot up.
"NO!! Everyone, stop! This is just what she wants!" he cried, trying his hardest to get his voice heard amongst the roars of the people.
"You're not fooling anyone!" a Valley woman shouted. She stomped her way over to him, looking like she had genuine intent to harm him.
Asbel backed himself up. "I'm not trying to! I need your help! Why does no one believe me!?" Asbel shouted, his anger and fear rising exponentially.
But he wasn't being heard. There was too hysteria in her eyes for her to listen. The same hysteria that could be seen in the eyes of all who were swept up in this madness. He could hear Teto growling and feel his claws coming out, ready to put up a fight himself should any potential attacker get any closer.
The Pejite turned around in a desperate attempt to flee the scene. But much to his horror, he found that he was now surrounded on all sides by the audience-turned-rioters. He couldn't break his way out without squeezing and pushing his way through them.
Without thinking, he attempted to do so ... and as a result, ended up putting a giant target directly on his back.
As he found himself now getting swarmed, he raised his arms to fend the attackers off, knocking them aside and trying to defend the other Pejites. Teto leapt off him again, jumping from one to another and doing whatever damage he could to keep them at bay.
"STOP!! Please!! Mujitsu!!" he called out to his friend, having lost her in the fray.
He watched as the smug Nigai ended up blocked from his vision. Surrounded, overwhelmed, and with no one to protect him, he was left to drown in this sea of an angry mob.
This can't be happening!! Nausicaä!! Where are you!? We need you! I need you!!
That was when the gunfire rang out.
In that instant, the entire area went from a cacophonous mess of volatile voices and flying fists, to a dead silence in which one could hear a pebble drop. The sound of the shot echoed, lingering. No one dared move an inch, fearful of the consequences of doing so. Everyone silently wondered with hitched breath who had fired the shot. What they wanted ... Whether someone was hit.
But then, when they laid their eyes on the being responsible one by one, they were greeted with the sight of a very familiar individual holding up a pistol in the air, looking as displeased as anyone had ever seen him.
Asbel gasped. "Lord Yupa!"
"Do you think we could trust her to remain silent?"
This question came from Gisei. Since she and Utsu had taken off with Nausicaä in tow, it had been the first thing either one of them had said ... with Nausicaä's lack of speech being self-explanatory.
Her voice broke Nausicaä out of her concentrated effort for freedom. She had been lying on her side, her back facing away from her captors to conceal the subtle, tiny shifts of her wrapped-up wrists, looking for any weakness in the knot work. The rope was stretched, her hands twisting and fingers curling, the material of her gloves rubbing and creaking against the sturdy cords.
Utsu and Nigai paid her little mind, only hearing the feeble little grunts that slipped through her gag. Truthfully, they had assumed that she was still trying to get herself untied. But they weren't worried. Each rope had been carefully and effectively wrapped around the girl's supple body, ensuring that she couldn't possibly slip any limb loose.
Upon hearing one of her captors speak, however, Nausicaä paused, leaning herself up slightly. "Mmn."
"What? You mean do you think we could take her gag off?" Utsu replied.
Hearing this caused Nausicaä's auburn eyes to widen, shimmering above said gag still covering her lower face. She hated that she was anticipating an act of mercy from such terrible people, reacting like a starved animal being offered a scrap of food. But she couldn't help it. The gag was so tight, so stifling to have smooshed up against her lips. The pungent taste of the dirty rag in her mouth still persisted, her breathing increasingly strained and raspy. And of course, she wanted so badly to speak her mind, to be given even that basic freedom.
But much to her dismay, Utsu's response was not favorable. "A generous sentiment. But I'm afraid it will have to remain as such. She's much too righteous to restrain herself, and I see nothing to gain from hearing what she has to say."
"Rrrmmmph!!" Nausicaä moaned angrily. "Rmmnngmh rnnnmmr!!"
The furious girl kicked out her bound legs, the toes of her boots clanging together, the hem of her skirt riding up, exposing her hips and tight-clad thighs that throbbed from the relentless squeezing of the firm ropes. She once again thrashed her head to dislodge the gag, ruffling her hair, rubbing her face against the floor, her fingers tugging in a beyond-futile attempt to reach her face. "MMMRRRMMH!!!"
Utsu turned to Gisei, eyeing her to claim the sight behind them as proof to his point. Gisei nodded, and as their flight carried on, it was agreed that their prisoner would remain gagged as she was.
But Utsu had words to say of his own. Letting Gisei take control of the ship as copilot, he turned around to face their captive.
"Believe it or not, princess, I didn't want it to come to this."
Nausicaä paused again. Her chest heaved in fury, her arms still straining at the ropes. She swiveled herself around to sit up, her expression not softening in the slightest as she looked the man in the eyes.
"I had hoped our plan would be executed with no added difficulty. I had hoped that in the end, we would finally turn you against the Pejites and support the rest of your people in driving them all away ... taking the stand that your position demanded."
"Mmrmmn nmmphm mrmmnnhmmnn!!" Nausicaä tried to verbally fight back, but of course her argument was lost to the garbled mess that replaced it.
"But now that time has passed," Utsu continued. "And we cannot wait for you to realize the truth. Fortunately, you don't have to die. But you will have to live out the remainder of your life under lock and key. The Valley and Pejites must never know what has happened here."
"Mrrmh!" Nausicaä cried.
They acted as though such a sentence was a mercy ... but she would rather die than live her whole life as their prisoner! To be kept in the control of such heinous men and women, never seeing her loved ones again. Never venturing out to explore the beautiful world around her, or live her life the way she chose ... all while her home was torn apart by hatred ...
... Nausicaä's eyes began to brim with unshed tears, foiling the hardened glare she'd tried to direct at Utsu.
"It's terrible, I know," Utsu said. "All of this is. But I learned firsthand the consequences of mercy ... what is lost when one is not prepared to do what one must."
He hung his head low, in memory of his fallen father. Even now, Nausicaä could see the pain he harbored, pain that would never leave as long as he lived. It was the same pain that she felt when remembering her own father. The new empty space in one's life, and the lingering wondering of what could have been ... if a different fate could have taken place.
Keeping himself together, Utsu finished. "This is a cruel world, Nausicaä. And the only way to ensure the survival of what you care about is to respond with cruelty in kind."
"NMMMH!!"
This man's outlook was so foreign, so unbelievable, to someone as pure in heart as her. Had he endured so much pain and heartbreak that he'd allowed himself to believe whatever made it easier for him to accept it? Was it all merely his way of justifying this twisted quest for revenge, even subconsciously? Did he really believe that the way to stop the suffering was to spread more suffering?
It wracked her with terror to imagine what such thinking could - and already had - inflict upon the world.
Nausicaä let out a muffled roar as she gave one last, fiery thrash against her bonds.
But the ropes weren't breaking. She had to accept that they would not break. Nor would her gag come loose.
"Gmmmph!" The girl collapsed, bringing her bound knees to her chest burying her head into them. Her hair draped over her gagged face, concealing the misery it wore. Sobs broke through the cloth on her mouth, her bound body trembling and shifting in despair.
Utsu watched his prisoner sulk, broken down in realizing her new reality. He meant what he'd said to her; this was not what he wanted to put her through. But she had ultimately brought it all upon herself. And she had to pay the ensuing price.
And as the ship continued to soar across the skies of this poisoned world, its dull droning mixing with the sound of her cries, they got ever closer to that lifelong price.
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, and the characters of Nausicaä, Asbel, and Yupa, all belong to Studio Ghibli. The image used was made by Yalleo.
OMG, FINALLY!!
Seriously, I think this may have been the most challenging time I've had writing a chapter. Not only has my life suddenly gotten very busy, including two interviews for jobs so far, but the content in this chapter in particular was so tough to do justice. Trying to capture the intensity and scale of the mobs getting out of control, but still not making it too big to the point where the damage seems irreversible, was particularly difficult. As was trying to add in enough detail and buildup to make it all feel fully developed, but still needing it to be a fast-moving scene given the situation ... but not too fast, ugh!
Even Nausicaä's scene with Utsu was harder than I thought. It was much easier to visualize, but I still didn't want to linger on it for so long out of fear of retreading ground that was already covered, while still giving weight to what was added from the scene.
So I really hope the effort was worth it in the end. Thankfully I believe this will have been the hardest part of the story, so I can at least say it's out of the way. But let me know if the struggle showed in how good it turned out, or in how iffy. Either way, I deeply thank you for continuing to read the fic, and encourage whatever feedback you have! :D
But for now, I'm going outside.
Nausicaa's gag speech translated:
"Rmmnngmh rnnnmmr!!" - "Let me go right now!!"
"Mmrmmn nmmphm mrmmnnhmmnn!!" - "I would never let that happen!"
Mujitsu believed her friend; she would trust his word any day over Nigai's. But it only helped her dour mood slightly.
"I still don't like it," she said. "It was bad enough when we were just being shunned and ostracized ... Now people are actively trying to turn us against each other?" She slumped back in the chair she was seated in, feeling more defeated than ever. "What's next?"
"I knew from the start it was a mistake saying here. We should have left these people to their own problems."
This statement came from Yūzai, who had met up with the two shortly after their encounter with Nigai. And it was unsurprising to hear for either of her fellow Pejites.
Given her role in the actions that caused the current stigma against the Pejites to begin with, Yūzai had protested them staying in the Valley from the very start. The tall, light-brown-haired individual had once been a low-ranking government official of Pejite, meaning this opinion would have once had at least some degree of power. But the ruin of their city left them with little means of governing themselves, meaning a once-powerful woman like her was now just another Pejite ... albeit one with more influence than most.
"And where would that put us?" Asbel demanded, arms crossed. "We don't exactly have anywhere else to go."
"We would find a way," Yūzai dismissed. "We always have. We don't need their generosity to continue to survive."
"Of course you'd think that!" Asbel shouted, growing agitated by her uncaring opinions of this Valley, past and present. "Anything to get away from facing what we did, and what we owe to these people!"
"Excuse me," Yūzai tersely responded. "Were we the ones who invaded cities, slaughtered royals, and forced people to bow to our wills?" Yūzai countered. "No. All we sought out to do was right the wrongs done against us. Protect our people. We might have even saved the world from this Decay had that foolish princess not stood in the way!"
"Hey!" Asbel snapped. "Don't ever talk about her like-"
Just before things got out of hand, however, a gasp from Mujitsu cut off the tense conversation.
They both looked at her, only to find her hugely widened eyes looking towards the entrance of the hut they were currently in.
Asbel turned to see what had her so surprised ... and in doing so, saw a small, furry, familiar creature limping its way into the hut. It was doing its best to rush inside, its tiny face scrunched up in pain. It kept a forepaw off the ground and one back leg shaking, as the creature darted as quickly as possible towards the Pejite prince.
"... T-Teto!?"
The fox-squirrel let out a whimper as he heard his given name and looked up at Asbel. His little green eyes expressed immense gratitude at seeing a friendly, familiar face after the struggle he had gone through last night.
"Teto ..." Asbel uttered, an airy uneasiness lingering in his voice. "What happened to you? Why aren't you with ..."
The boy's question trailed off as, in that moment, he felt his stomach nearly jump up through his chest.
Teto had accompanied Nausicaä pretty much everywhere, ever since Lord Yupa had given him to her. It was no surprise how quickly their bond had developed, given how much of a natural she was with animals. As he settled into life in the Valley, even Asbel had developed a soft spot for the frisky little guy, and the feeling seemed to be mutual.
So, to now see him here on his own was unusual enough. But to also see him clearly injured on top of that ...
... Something wasn't right.
His expression grew cold and pensive as he thought back to Nigai's suspicious behavior from earlier. How strange he'd found everything she had told him. How uncharacteristic it seemed for Nausicaä to behave in the way Nigai had said. The strong indications that she was trying to create more conflict between her and the Pejites ...
"... Asbel?"
The prince turned to see Mujitsu staring at him with deep worry. She was able to tell just from his body language that he'd had some dreadful realization. Yūzai just sat there, wearing a look of mild confusion ultimately muted by greater disinterest.
Asbel asked out to Mujitsu, "Where's Nigai?"
The heads of many swiveled in surprise when they saw Asbel sprinting out of the hut. Teto clung onto his shoulder as Mujitsu followed right behind.
That surprise turned into befuddlement when he began asking around if any of them had seen Nigai, insisting that he needed to speak with her. He was primarily given one of two responses: either they didn't know where she was - or at least claimed they didn't know - or in the case of many Valley citizens, he was told to leave them out of his business, refusing to help a Pejite in targeting one of their own.
Gratefully, he finally came across a Valley man who had seen Nigai and was willing to tell him. She was in the South side of the Valley, near a stable of Horseclaws that served as a common gathering spot for the people.
Thanking the man for this information, Asbel didn't let up as a he made a beeline there.
Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he could see another individual running in the same direction at the same speed, albeit in the shadows and keeping behind buildings. But he didn't stop to look and confirm. He couldn't stop. He ran along even faster, his speed causing him to bump into several civilians, many of whom sharply told him off in the mere seconds he could hear them. But he didn't care; Nigai was hiding something, and he needed to know what it was.
For all he knew, Nausicaä's safety could very well be on the line.
Rounding the corner of a tall hut, he finally saw her. She was conversing with a member of the Valley he couldn't remember ever seen before. He couldn't hear their conversation, and couldn't get close enough to hear without being seen. But the look of satisfaction plain to see on Nigai's face made Asbel even more concerned ... and more on edge.
"Nigai!" Asbel shouted, turning her and the strange man's heads.
Upon seeing the Pejite boy again, Nigai initially huffed, her head reeling back in annoyance ... But then, she clearly saw the fox-squirrel perched on his shoulder, for Asbel could see her eyes do their best to conceal the sudden worry.
That effort had to be doubled when Teto then leaped off of Asbel's shoulder with a shrill little shriek. His feet were planted firmly on the ground in a fighting stance as he growled and hissed at both Valley people. His hackles were raised, his golden-brown fur bristling. Nigai's entire body went stiff briefly, just long enough for Asbel to notice.
"Boy," Nigai said, trying to ignore the angry animal. "I do hope this is important."
Just like that, Teto struck. He sprang his way towards her, leaping to latch his teeth into Nigai's knee, tearing and scratching into her leg through the tight trousers she wore.
"TETO!!" Asbel yelled.
"AAGH!! GET OFF!!!" Nigai screamed. Hissing through the pain, she bent down, gripped the animal by the scruff of his neck, and harshly tossed away. He spun out and landed, more softly than when he'd been abused last night, but still with a pained growl.
He got up and prepared to charge again, but Asbel darted forward to grab him by the middle. Teto thrashed and squirmed in his hold, his claws lashing out at the air, but Asbel managed to keep him at bay.
"Nngh, Teto, stop!!" he shouted, his arms having to work surprisingly hard to keep control over a creature so small. "Nigai, what's going on?!"
He saw Mujitsu enter the scene, looking bewildered by what lay before her.
"What's going on?!" Nigai shouted back. "Would you care to explain why the princess's pet just attacked me?!"
"How about you answer that yourself!" Asbel fired. "What happened with you and Nausicaä last night?!"
The words left his mouth before he even knew what he was saying. He had just cut right to the chase: accusing her of lying and demanding the truth. The building fury and worry, combined with the tension of recent weeks, had caused him to skip past all curtesy. And what just happened was more than enough to confirm Asbel's suspicions of her. For Teto to react this hostilely even to Nigai, there had to be a valid reason.
With that, he started connecting dots in his mind. Nigai had claimed to see Nausicaä last night ... he now believed that part to be true. But it clearly wasn't a pleasant encounter, given Teto's actions. In fact, as the fox-squirrel finally began to settle in his hands, Asbel could see the animal wasn't just angry. He seemed ... truly afraid. His ears were pressed against his head, and his body was trembling.
The animal's presence also all but confirmed to him that Nausicaä had not gone on any expedition as Nigai had claimed.
Why would Nigai lie like that? To keep them away from Nausicaä? But she was still nowhere to be seen ...
... Just how bad did things get last night?
"Asbel ..." Mujitsu broke the tense pause that followed the prince's demand. "What's going on?"
"Nigai's been lying to us!" Asbel responded.
"Lying? Ha!" Nigai scoffed, regaining her composure from Teto's attack. "What is this nonsense? What would I have to lie to you about?"
"Last night," Asbel's voice began to bristle, a low growl building in his throat. "Something serious happened between you and Nausicaä, and you're trying to hide it from us!"
"What?" Mujitsu said. "Nigai ... Is this true?"
"Of course not!" Nigai snapped at the girl. "What kind of fools do you take us for?!"
... Us? Asbel thought. What is she ...
His thought trailed off, however, when Asbel looked around him. It seemed that as the confrontation grew in volume and intensity, more and more people had picked up on it and began gathering around. He could hear murmurs of confusion, and a few raised voices expressing annoyance at yet another squabble in their midst.
Seeing this, Asbel grew even more worried. With more people gathering to witness everything, many of them original denizens of the Valley, what he was doing right now was certainly not going to look good. Out of instinct, he wanted to keep pressing Nigai further, go more aggressive in his accusations. But many would likely dismiss him as simply trying to stir up trouble, and he'd be even worse off as a result.
So instead, he thought to what he'd learned from recent events; lashing out like that would rarely help.
He began asking around. "Has anyone here seen Nausicaä since last night?"
Everyone began looking back and forth, surprised by the question. But someone did quickly speak up. "She's out in the jungle with Utsu. At least, that's what I've been told."
"Yeah, and she was tired from yesterday, so she slept through the morning," another added.
Asbel huffed. The lies had clearly been spread around, accepted by many without a second thought. "But someone must have seen her leave. Anyone?"
"What's it to you?" a Valley native said derisively. "Afraid she finally got over you and is ignoring you for some other boy?"
Humiliation spread within him at that comment, but Asbel did his best to suppress it. He kept pressing further. "If she's really gone, then why is Teto still here?" By this point, the fox-squirrel had settled, going back onto the boy's shoulder, albeit still tense and afraid in Nigai's presence. "And why is he injured? Everyone, this doesn't add up! Has anyone seen her?!"
The prince was struggling to keep himself collected. With each second that passed, he grew more frustrated and more afraid. For in his gut, he was beginning to get the feeling that this wasn't just a matter of not being able to find her. That something far more serious was afoot than what appeared on the surface.
Nigai, meanwhile, took very little time to come up with a way to spin this all in her favor.
As even more people from both the Valley and Pejite came together, commotion was growing among them. She could hear their whispers of confusion as they tried to catch up on the everything, concern over these talks of their princess ... and distrust. Each side thinking the other was up to no good and producing smoke and mirrors, despite having so little actual information.
Nigai put on her best betrayed face as she finally spoke up again. "Oh ... I see what you're doing," she growled. "You're trying to turn the people of Pejite against us!"
"... Wh-What??" Asbel stuttered.
"I should have seen this coming eventually," Nigai said, the conviction in her voice startlingly believable. "You Pejites have finally realized the truth: that you have no place here. You knew it was only a matter of time before we cast you all out."
Mujitsu's mouth dropped open in shock. "What?! No, th-that's not-"
"And so," Nigai continued, "Before that could happen, you try to make yourselves look like heroes. Trying to paint me as some villain, so as to swoop in and expose whatever little scheme you've fantasized!"
She turned to the crowd and raised her volume. She summoned as much feigned passion as she could, declaring, "But I know my people better than that! They would never believe a plotting Pejite over one of their own!"
Asbel could feel his body quivering with rage. His scowl grew deeper and deeper, his nerves rising in a near-panic. He saw right through the woman's slander and treachery, and how it was being used to spur on what he had feared the most in all this: his own name being dragged through the mud.
It grew even worse when he heard the chatter in the crowds begin to intensify.
"Of all the no-good things these Pejites have done!"
"Is she serious? They really think they can fool us?"
"Like they haven't done enough already!"
These incensed voices were growing, building to a wave that threatened to wash over the trail to the truth. Asbel couldn't let it continue, but was starting to panic under the pressure.
"N-No, she's lying," he asserted. "Please, listen to me! I just want-"
"You think every word that comes out of her mouth is pure gold, don't you?!" a Pejite was now speaking up against the tide.
"Yeah, you're just looking for any excuse to get rid of us!" another shouted.
"Everyone, please!" Mujitsu begged.
"Don't deny it, Mujitsu!" a Pejite addressed her. "We all knew this was coming!"
"Wait ... where is the princess?" This question came from a middle-aged Valley man, trying to wade through this tumultuous sea of accusations.
But his voice was lost, barely audible as each side grew more aggressive, setting off yet another round of conflict and blind accusations ... completely losing sight of the pressing issue of Nausicaä's disappearance.
"We can't let them stay here any longer!"
"Over what?! What proof do you have?!"
"No ..." Asbel found himself wavering. "This isn't-!"
As every sound began to blur together, it was all becoming overwhelming for Asbel. Usually when fights like this broke out, he would have Nausicaä here with him to help calm things down. She was a source of inner strength and security him, providing the assurance that he could sort through whatever challenge was in front of him with her by his side. But now, seeing everything escalate beyond his control, seeing himself at the center, feeling the weight of the whole situation heavier on his shoulders ... he could feel his grip on his self-control slipping.
It was this that caused him to storm over to Nigai.
"You're lying!" he shouted, an accusing finger in her face. "You're the one trying to turn them against us!"
"HEY!! Stay away from her!" a Valley citizen broke through the crowd to similarly march over to him, looking ready to get physical.
"No, get back!" a Pejite woman pulled the man back furiously to protect her prince.
And from there, a domino effect ensued.
One Valley citizen came to push the Pejite woman aside. The Pejite pushed back, joined in by another. Seeing the Valley citizen being ganged up on, three others were prompted to try and yank the Pejites away. The people already in that fray fought back against that, but one ended up shoved into someone outside it, spurring that person to be sucked in as well.
Like a boulder tossed into the sea, one wrong move spread the chaos throughout the entire group. More people grew more aggressive and physical by the second, resorting to shoving, jabbing, and kicking the closest individual not considered on "their side". The attacks were spiraling out of control, the widespread anger and paranoia finally boiling over after weeks of barely-managed restraint. Roars broke out, seeming deafening. Shouts and slurs continued to be fired, accusations of each side plotting against the other exacerbating the violence.
All while the one actually plotting stood safely on the sidelines. Staring Asbel down with a heinous smirk that made his blood boil.
She knew exactly what she was doing. She knew full well that he was not interrogating her out of some ulterior motive, and was deliberately trying to make his intentions out to be worse than they actually were, spreading everyone's hatred and using it against him.
Realizing this, the boy's desperation shot up.
"NO!! Everyone, stop! This is just what she wants!" he cried, trying his hardest to get his voice heard amongst the roars of the people.
"You're not fooling anyone!" a Valley woman shouted. She stomped her way over to him, looking like she had genuine intent to harm him.
Asbel backed himself up. "I'm not trying to! I need your help! Why does no one believe me!?" Asbel shouted, his anger and fear rising exponentially.
But he wasn't being heard. There was too hysteria in her eyes for her to listen. The same hysteria that could be seen in the eyes of all who were swept up in this madness. He could hear Teto growling and feel his claws coming out, ready to put up a fight himself should any potential attacker get any closer.
The Pejite turned around in a desperate attempt to flee the scene. But much to his horror, he found that he was now surrounded on all sides by the audience-turned-rioters. He couldn't break his way out without squeezing and pushing his way through them.
Without thinking, he attempted to do so ... and as a result, ended up putting a giant target directly on his back.
As he found himself now getting swarmed, he raised his arms to fend the attackers off, knocking them aside and trying to defend the other Pejites. Teto leapt off him again, jumping from one to another and doing whatever damage he could to keep them at bay.
"STOP!! Please!! Mujitsu!!" he called out to his friend, having lost her in the fray.
He watched as the smug Nigai ended up blocked from his vision. Surrounded, overwhelmed, and with no one to protect him, he was left to drown in this sea of an angry mob.
This can't be happening!! Nausicaä!! Where are you!? We need you! I need you!!
That was when the gunfire rang out.
In that instant, the entire area went from a cacophonous mess of volatile voices and flying fists, to a dead silence in which one could hear a pebble drop. The sound of the shot echoed, lingering. No one dared move an inch, fearful of the consequences of doing so. Everyone silently wondered with hitched breath who had fired the shot. What they wanted ... Whether someone was hit.
But then, when they laid their eyes on the being responsible one by one, they were greeted with the sight of a very familiar individual holding up a pistol in the air, looking as displeased as anyone had ever seen him.
Asbel gasped. "Lord Yupa!"
"Do you think we could trust her to remain silent?"
This question came from Gisei. Since she and Utsu had taken off with Nausicaä in tow, it had been the first thing either one of them had said ... with Nausicaä's lack of speech being self-explanatory.
Her voice broke Nausicaä out of her concentrated effort for freedom. She had been lying on her side, her back facing away from her captors to conceal the subtle, tiny shifts of her wrapped-up wrists, looking for any weakness in the knot work. The rope was stretched, her hands twisting and fingers curling, the material of her gloves rubbing and creaking against the sturdy cords.
Utsu and Nigai paid her little mind, only hearing the feeble little grunts that slipped through her gag. Truthfully, they had assumed that she was still trying to get herself untied. But they weren't worried. Each rope had been carefully and effectively wrapped around the girl's supple body, ensuring that she couldn't possibly slip any limb loose.
Upon hearing one of her captors speak, however, Nausicaä paused, leaning herself up slightly. "Mmn."
"What? You mean do you think we could take her gag off?" Utsu replied.
Hearing this caused Nausicaä's auburn eyes to widen, shimmering above said gag still covering her lower face. She hated that she was anticipating an act of mercy from such terrible people, reacting like a starved animal being offered a scrap of food. But she couldn't help it. The gag was so tight, so stifling to have smooshed up against her lips. The pungent taste of the dirty rag in her mouth still persisted, her breathing increasingly strained and raspy. And of course, she wanted so badly to speak her mind, to be given even that basic freedom.
But much to her dismay, Utsu's response was not favorable. "A generous sentiment. But I'm afraid it will have to remain as such. She's much too righteous to restrain herself, and I see nothing to gain from hearing what she has to say."
"Rrrmmmph!!" Nausicaä moaned angrily. "Rmmnngmh rnnnmmr!!"
The furious girl kicked out her bound legs, the toes of her boots clanging together, the hem of her skirt riding up, exposing her hips and tight-clad thighs that throbbed from the relentless squeezing of the firm ropes. She once again thrashed her head to dislodge the gag, ruffling her hair, rubbing her face against the floor, her fingers tugging in a beyond-futile attempt to reach her face. "MMMRRRMMH!!!"
Utsu turned to Gisei, eyeing her to claim the sight behind them as proof to his point. Gisei nodded, and as their flight carried on, it was agreed that their prisoner would remain gagged as she was.
But Utsu had words to say of his own. Letting Gisei take control of the ship as copilot, he turned around to face their captive.
"Believe it or not, princess, I didn't want it to come to this."
Nausicaä paused again. Her chest heaved in fury, her arms still straining at the ropes. She swiveled herself around to sit up, her expression not softening in the slightest as she looked the man in the eyes.
"I had hoped our plan would be executed with no added difficulty. I had hoped that in the end, we would finally turn you against the Pejites and support the rest of your people in driving them all away ... taking the stand that your position demanded."
"Mmrmmn nmmphm mrmmnnhmmnn!!" Nausicaä tried to verbally fight back, but of course her argument was lost to the garbled mess that replaced it.
"But now that time has passed," Utsu continued. "And we cannot wait for you to realize the truth. Fortunately, you don't have to die. But you will have to live out the remainder of your life under lock and key. The Valley and Pejites must never know what has happened here."
"Mrrmh!" Nausicaä cried.
They acted as though such a sentence was a mercy ... but she would rather die than live her whole life as their prisoner! To be kept in the control of such heinous men and women, never seeing her loved ones again. Never venturing out to explore the beautiful world around her, or live her life the way she chose ... all while her home was torn apart by hatred ...
... Nausicaä's eyes began to brim with unshed tears, foiling the hardened glare she'd tried to direct at Utsu.
"It's terrible, I know," Utsu said. "All of this is. But I learned firsthand the consequences of mercy ... what is lost when one is not prepared to do what one must."
He hung his head low, in memory of his fallen father. Even now, Nausicaä could see the pain he harbored, pain that would never leave as long as he lived. It was the same pain that she felt when remembering her own father. The new empty space in one's life, and the lingering wondering of what could have been ... if a different fate could have taken place.
Keeping himself together, Utsu finished. "This is a cruel world, Nausicaä. And the only way to ensure the survival of what you care about is to respond with cruelty in kind."
"NMMMH!!"
This man's outlook was so foreign, so unbelievable, to someone as pure in heart as her. Had he endured so much pain and heartbreak that he'd allowed himself to believe whatever made it easier for him to accept it? Was it all merely his way of justifying this twisted quest for revenge, even subconsciously? Did he really believe that the way to stop the suffering was to spread more suffering?
It wracked her with terror to imagine what such thinking could - and already had - inflict upon the world.
Nausicaä let out a muffled roar as she gave one last, fiery thrash against her bonds.
But the ropes weren't breaking. She had to accept that they would not break. Nor would her gag come loose.
"Gmmmph!" The girl collapsed, bringing her bound knees to her chest burying her head into them. Her hair draped over her gagged face, concealing the misery it wore. Sobs broke through the cloth on her mouth, her bound body trembling and shifting in despair.
Utsu watched his prisoner sulk, broken down in realizing her new reality. He meant what he'd said to her; this was not what he wanted to put her through. But she had ultimately brought it all upon herself. And she had to pay the ensuing price.
And as the ship continued to soar across the skies of this poisoned world, its dull droning mixing with the sound of her cries, they got ever closer to that lifelong price.
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, and the characters of Nausicaä, Asbel, and Yupa, all belong to Studio Ghibli. The image used was made by Yalleo.
OMG, FINALLY!!
Seriously, I think this may have been the most challenging time I've had writing a chapter. Not only has my life suddenly gotten very busy, including two interviews for jobs so far, but the content in this chapter in particular was so tough to do justice. Trying to capture the intensity and scale of the mobs getting out of control, but still not making it too big to the point where the damage seems irreversible, was particularly difficult. As was trying to add in enough detail and buildup to make it all feel fully developed, but still needing it to be a fast-moving scene given the situation ... but not too fast, ugh!
Even Nausicaä's scene with Utsu was harder than I thought. It was much easier to visualize, but I still didn't want to linger on it for so long out of fear of retreading ground that was already covered, while still giving weight to what was added from the scene.
So I really hope the effort was worth it in the end. Thankfully I believe this will have been the hardest part of the story, so I can at least say it's out of the way. But let me know if the struggle showed in how good it turned out, or in how iffy. Either way, I deeply thank you for continuing to read the fic, and encourage whatever feedback you have! :D
But for now, I'm going outside.
Nausicaa's gag speech translated:
"Rmmnngmh rnnnmmr!!" - "Let me go right now!!"
"Mmrmmn nmmphm mrmmnnhmmnn!!" - "I would never let that happen!"
Category Story / Bondage
Species Unspecified / Any
Size 700 x 700px
File Size 124.4 kB
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