"Kaze to Tomoni"

A/N: ... And here it is, the long-awaited final chapter...! \^0^/ Enjoy!^^
Disclaimer: Until the bitter end, I DO NOT OWN "Nausicaä"! Got that?

Chapter 18: Epilogue~Eien no Aki no Yakusoku - The Eternal Promise of Autumn

Dusk had descended upon the Valley, bringing with it the long-awaited festivities. Lights were lighten all through out the Valley housings and the castle, giving the place the warm amber colours of autumn. People, Valley, Pejite, Tolmekians and even Kumians alike were bustling around, coming and going into the castle, bringing in and out food and all the other necessary equipment for the Autumn Festival. They were all working together, seeming to have forgotten the enmity between themselves.

Among them, the young Pejite prince was wondering about, searching for a certain person. But quite to his dismay, he could not find her. Not that he would have found anyone else in such a throng of bustling people...

Distracted as he was, he couldn't help it: As he set foot into the inner courtyard of the castle, in which the main feast and dances would be held, he collided head long into none other than his master, Lord Yupa, who had been currently occupied in helping out with the preparations.

But even as Asbel opened his mouth to mutter out an apology, the swordsman shook his head, chuckling.

"Where are you going, all preoccupied like that, eh Asbel?" Lord Yupa asked him, but again, he continued before his pupil could answer. "In any case, if you are looking for Nausicaä, you'll find her on the terrace."

The swordsman's eyes twinkled even more with amusement as he saw the priceless expression of Asbel that widened on his face as his jaw literally plopped open.

"Well, run along!" he said cheerfully and gave him a wink.

Then, as if to slip away from Asbel's attention, Yupa turned to Mito, who had just arrived carrying one large barrel, and he began instructing the man where the thing should be put, leaving the Pejite prince in a state of utter bewilderment. Then, he turned and began to make his way up to the terrace.

True to Lord Yupa's words, Nausicaä was indeed on the terrace. As Asbel came up the stairs and onto the terrace, the Valley princess turned to him. She smiled, quite unsurprised at his arrival. Then, she let her gaze fall upon the merry chatting down below, Asbel joining her. They stayed there in silence for quite some time, watching silently as the feast slowly began, each enjoying the presence of the other.

A slightly strong breeze blew in on the terrace, making Nausicaä's orange hair float lightly in the wind. Now that she was wearing her headdress, it emphasized the growth of her hair, now gently flowing out down past her shoulders. She had changed into her formal attire, complete with white long dress, belt and jeweled headdress. She had also replaced her usual bead necklace with the blue crystal pendant Asbel had given her.

Asbel seemed to have noticed it, because next second he said, "You're wearing the pendant..."

It was a simple statement and she knew it. All the same, she nodded, smiling and her hand unconsciously flew to the pendant. Her twinkling hazel nut eyes met his brown ones.

"Of course...!" she said softly.

Then, she closed eyes and breathed in deeply as she let the cool breeze gently blow into her face, then went back to observe the unfolding feast. As her eye caught her master, talking merrily with the old seer, she smiled.

"Did Yupa-sama tell you I was here?" she asked.

Asbel nodded and she felt a smile tug at her face. How very Yupa-sama-ish...

"I went to see Sedona, just a while ago." she said, her eyes trained unfocused on the courtyard below. "I talked to her."

"How is she? What did she say?" he asked, concern in his voice.

She sighed, a small sad smile tainting her lips. "She's all right. But she's still shaken by what's all happened to her and her brother. I don't blame her that she didn't want to come to the festival, instead tending to Nadasaru."

After that, the two fell silent again, not knowing what to say. Nausicaä occupied herself by watching the various people and guests being entertained, while Asbel began playing around with Teto. Time seemed to pass endlessly around them, and still none of them spoke.

Then, at last, Asbel drew breath.

"Nausicaä..."

She snapped her head up and thrust her hazel nut gaze at him, almost as if she had just been waiting for him to speak. Her face was lit by the warm lantern light coming from below, making her eyes twinkle. The clouds above them drifted apart by the winds and as they did, the magnificent silvery light of the moon in its full splendor pool down upon the two.

Asbel caught himself be literally drowning into those eyes, in which he could see all the stars twinkling and shining up at him. He marveled as how the silvery moonlight from above and the warm yellow lantern light from below touched harmoniously on her soft skin, how they made her usually orange hair look fiery red on one side and on the other pearly orange. It took his breath away how beautiful she was and he nearly abandoned himself in just staring dreamily at her. But then she tilted her head to one side as curiosity and wonder washed into her eyes.

"Asbel?" she asked. "Why are you staring at me?"

The words were out before he could stop himself.

"Because... you are beautiful..." he whispered.

Nausicaä's cheeks coloured gracefully rosy red. She thanked the heavens that the lantern light was strong enough to disguise her blush and to hide her blazing cheeks, she turned again to face the feast below.

She heard his shuffling feet as he neared to her, her pulse racing... then gradually lessening again as he placed a gentle hand on her own propped on the cold stone of the balcony railings. He settled behind her, he too gazing down at the merry courtyard. Nausicaä closed her eyes as she felt the welcoming warmth of his hand and she squeezed it without thinking. She rested her head lightly on to his shoulder, her eyes staring dreamily at the landscape before her.

"Nausicaä?" Asbel said softly in her ear. "Do you know what the pendant I gave you symbolized for the ShinLaputans?"

Having been asked, Nausicaä raised her and looked at him, a questioning frown etching on her face. She shook her head, making him chuckle.

"I thought so..." he muttered, then went on. "The ShinLaputians would give such a crystal to the one who was dearest to them and along it, an eternal promise."

Eternal promise. It didn't take long for Nausicaä to understand the full meaning of Asbel's words. Her hand drifted up to touch the pendant as she smiled to herself. She closed her eyes briefly; when she reopened them, they were already looking up at Asbel.

She took a step closer.

"Then," she said ever so quietly, her hazel nut gaze never leaving Asbel's dark brown ones. "It's time for me to accomplish my part..."

With three small steps, she was standing only a hands breath away from him. She reached up towards his face and let them hover for a fraction of a second.

"You gave me the Aerthium pendant. Now,"

Her hands curled behind his head and neck.

"I will give you my promise."

She let her face drift upwards so that their eyes were level.

"This is my promise, Asbel...," she whispered ever so softly, her eyes gently closing. "My eternal promise of autumn..."

And her lips were on his, sealing the princess's promise of eternity.

How long they stayed on the terrace, neither of them knew nor cared. Time passed on, yet they still did not release each other. Eventually, the notes of melodies and music began to drift up from the courtyard as the people began to dance.

So did Asbel and Nausicaä. With every new tune, they began to dance, twirl and skip around the terrace, their hands intertwined just as were their gazes were. They slowly began to edge towards the stairs and suddenly, they were on the dance floor, with everyone else dancing along them.

But song after song, the dancing pairs lessened steadily until the two were the only ones left on the dance floor: All others had retreated, contentedly watching the pair; some with surprise, others with interest while many others simply watched with a grin or a broad smile stamped on their faces.

Yet regardless of the many eyes following them with each turn or step they made, neither Asbel or Nausicaä seemed to care. In fact, they even seemed not even to notice, so deep were their own attention and thoughts snagged into the other's. The dark brown pools had never broken contact with the hazel nut ones.

One song ended and soon a new one was played; this time one of Pejite's infamously brisk tunes. Their dance changed and swiftly adapted to the new melody. And as the tune steadily picked up speed, they found themselves engaged in a fierce, brisk and lively dance.

Teto, who had until now been running and skipping up and down the two, found it now impossible to remain on any of the fast-moving bodies and with a leap, he snatched his little furry body away from the fierce dance. The fox-squirrel skidded away as fast as his small paws could carry him before someone could "accidentally" step over his precious tail, seeking shelter in the swordsman's old hat, propped onto a table.

Seeing this, Yupa chuckled, interrupting his deep conversation with Kushana. "I see it's even unbearable to you, Teto!"

The fox-squirel gave him an indignant squeak as an answer, then turned his green jaded gaze again at his mistress. This made even the Tolmekian commander smirk and she too began to watch the pair.

The song reached its peek and the two dancers became nearly only a blur as they turned, skipped and twirled, all the while accompanying their dance with the sound of the shuffling feet.

And then finally, they stopped abruptly in perfect synchronicity with the song's end. The crowd broke into a clamours cheer, clapping and whistling, bringing Asbel and Nausicaä upon firm earth. Both panting heavily, they looked around in disbelief, though of what they were astounded about was quite unclear.

They turned to look at each other again, Asbel's eyes twinkling in a way that made Nausicaä suspicious as she became suddenly aware of her very warm cheeks.

And without warning, Asbel leaned over her and kissed her under the eyes of the whole Valley as well as all other people. Mind going blank, the only she did instinctively was wrap her arms around him, deepening the kiss.

The cheers instantly became a roar of cheers, laughter, voices, whistles and hooting mixed all together. For them, they were as good as married.

When they finally broke away, they looked slightly timidly around. But then, being welcomed with all that laughter and merriment, they were soon swept away and they too began to laugh and brim with happiness, though their faces were still slightly flushed.

All was well and the moon beamed upon the newly found happiness, blessing them with her full radiance.

And so yet another part of the long-awaited prophecy has come to be. But it is not over yet, for this has only been the beginning, a mere part of the great legend of the Blue Clad One: After this, Nausicaä and Asbel will have to face many other difficulties, will have to make many other journeys and have many other adventures to finally fulfill their destiny. But this is another tale, a tale to be told in yet another new story... The next story, perhaps...

THE END

Afterword:

Well people, what do you expect me to say? I am quite beyond realization that I've done it! I've finished "Kaze to Tomoni". It's done.
It's quite unbelievable, only yesterday I was still thinking on how to end it... And then suddenly... it's finished! I don't know how other writer and authors feel when one of their long work has been finally completed, but... I just feel wonderful, yet a little sad and with the feeling that I just want to write more!
From when "Kaze to Tomoni" started, from the point in which I wrote down the first words of this story, I've been sitting each day for fourteen weeks at the computer, typing, writing, creating and working on this tale. It was quite a work, now that I think of it... Quite a few times throughout writing, I found myself be distracted by other stuff, but it never crossed my mind to dump writing this fic; I love it too much!
Speaking of this story, you might have noticed how I ended the prologue and if you just happened to have this question, I can answer straight forward: It's not over yet. And yes, there will be a sequel, but I can't promise one in the near future (sorry about that). It's just that I need a break; I've been inside Nausicaa's world too much and I have the feeling that if I stay a moment longer, it's going to turn into an out of character story, ruining my whole effort in keeping the characters and world in place. But the sequel will come, you have my word.^^
As for the next story I will write, I can already tell you that I'm planing to roam in the Ghibli and Miyazakian world a little longer. But as to which fandom, I can't really say yet, though I'm leaning on a spirited away story for the moment. But again, I can't promise you anything yet... Just keep your eyes open for any next stories (I'll be announcing upcoming stories on by profile)!^^
Right, I think that was all I wanted to say as a comment; now to the acknowledgements: A HUGE thank you, along with three hugs and three kisses, to Ponycrazy7597, who has been following "Kaze to Tomoni" from the very beginning and has warmed me up with each of her very welcomed long reviews! Thank you!
Also, a thank you to all of those who have added this story or even me as a favourite of theirs (seriously, I'm honoured!).
And finally, thank you to you, Reader, who has had the paitience to read this humble story of mine until the very end. Hontouni arigatou gozaimashita! \^0^/

Until the next,
Shimotsuki no Miko

(p.s. sorry for this definitely unbearable long afterword...!)