(Tolmechian ships, flying in formation, signal each other.)

* * *

(A boy is helping comb the valley for spores.)

I found some! Over here!

Right here. I guess there were spores on that ship after all, huh?

Good, it's not poisonous yet.

(The man burns the spores away.)

There's not much left to go.

Yup. If we miss even one, it would be really bad.

(Some villagers are gawking at the chrysalis of the Titan.)

What the hell do you think this thing is?

Even in that blaze, it didn't burn.

All right everyone, we'll deal with this later. Right now, they need help burning the spores.

Be thorough, everyone!

(Sarcastially) What a lovely present they've brought us.

Mito. Look here.

Hmm? It's moving…! Almost as though it's alive. Master Yupa, what is this?

During my travels, I've been hearing ominous rumours… That a monster from the ancient world has been excavated from beneath the city of Pejité where it had been sleeping.

A monster from the ancient world?

A Titan Warrior.

You mean a Demon Giant?? The monsters that burned the world in the Seven Days of Fire? This…?!

All the Titans were thought to be dead and fossilized. However, this chrysalis managed to survive for a thousand years.

Now that you mention it, it does look humanoid.

Tolmechia is a ruthless military state in the far west. With captives from Pejité… This is troubling.

(Nausicaä is helping to bury the victims of the crash, but stops suddenly.)

Take care of the rest.

What is it?

Tolmechian ships! Everyone, to the castle!

Everyone! To the castle! Everyone, take cover in the castle!

To the castle!

(She notices a lone ship descending separately.)

(Gasp) Father!

* * *

(Yuri, still in bed, unsheaths a long sword.)

Hide yourself, Baba.

I'm staying right here.

(Nausicaä hears gunshots, and runs to save her father.)

Princess!

(Nausicaä bursts into her father's sick room from a small back passage. She sees her father lying dead on the ground with Tolmechian soldiers surrounding him. She attacks.)

Bastards!!

(Burning with vengeance, Nausicaä fights fiercely and dispenses with everyone in the room. A second group of soldiers in full armour enters the room.)

Nausicaä!

(Yupa launches himself between Nausicaä and the Tolmechian soldier. He stops Nausicaä's sword thrust with his hand and holds a dagger to the throat of the soldier.)

Don't move! This knife is fashioned from an ohmu shell. One move and it'll pierce your ceramic armour like butter.

That man… That's Yupa.

I beseech the Tolmechian army. Last night, the people of this valley tried desperately to save your ship.

Even now, they are finishing carefully burying your dead. Is this the courtesy of Tolmechia towards such a small country as this?! If you're declaring war, you must have reason. Protocol dictates that you first send a messenger to state your grievances.

Nausicaä… Be calm, Nausicaä. If we fight now, everyone in the valley will be slaughtered. We must remain alive and wait for our chance.

Ugh, son of a bitch… you…!!

Wait, Kurotowa.

But…! Oh hell…
The little brat, she killed 'em all!

(To Yupa) You do us an injustice, sir. I presume you're Yupa Miralda, the greatest swordsman in the borderlands. Our objective is not a massacre. I wish to address the people. Sheathe your sword.

(Yupa complies, and then catches Nausicaä as she tumbles in a faint.)

* * *

(The villagers are assembled at the castle bridge. Nausicaä appears in front of K'Shana and faces the crowd.)

It's the princess!

Princess!

Listen up! This is Her Royal Highness K'Shana, Commander of the Borderland Expeditionary Forces of the Tolmechian Empire!

Our purpose here is to unite the border kingdoms and build a new land of prosperity and hope. You are all on the verge of being destroyed by the Wastelands. I've come to ask you to join with us, and cooperate in our undertaking! We will burn down the Wastelands and reclaim the land that is our birthright!

Burn down the Jungle?!

Is that possible?

We have succeeded in reviving the ancient powers that once gave the human race mastery over the planet. To those who follow me, I promise a livelihood without fear of the Wasteland poisons or the insects!

Just one moment!

(Baba walks up and faces K'Shana.)

You must not raise a hand against the Jungle!

Who is this old hag? You. Take her away!

Let her speak.

In the millenium since the birth of the Jungle, many people have tried to burn it down. But each and every time, a swarm of ohmu, red with fury, flooded the land like a tsunami.

They swallowed up cities, destroyed whole countries… The ohmu continued to swarm until they themselves died from exhaustion. In due time, using the ohmu's corpses as seed-beds, the spores took root, and even more lands were engulfed by the Jungle…

You must not raise a hand against the Jungle!

Shut up, woman! I'm warning you--

Oh! What are you going to do, kill me too?

Y-- you bitch!

Go ahead, kill me! I'm just a blind old woman; it's simple! Just like you killed Yuri…

Lord Yuri?

He was an invalid!

Murderers! Send them out!

Quiet them! Don't be lenient with them.

Everyone, wait! Please listen to me. I don't want any more bloodshed. Please.

Princess…

Please understand, Baba. We must obey these people.

* * *

(K'Shana and Kurotowa are overseeing the transportation of the Titan chrysalis. Valley people are dragging it.)

It's a pretty valley, don't you think?

I'm opposed to this. Our orders were to transport the chrysalis home as soon as possible.

Our orders were not possible. Even the transport crashed under the weight of that thing.

But… You're not thinking of establishing your own state here…?

What if I am? Do you think we should hand over that beast so it can be the plaything of the fools back home?

Well, that may be, but-- I'm just a simple soldier. It's not my place to make such a decision.

Hmph! Fox.

I'm returning to Pejité. Your top priority is the revival of the Titan.

Yes, Highness.

What's the condition of this gunship?

Excellent. It's a find.

* * *

(K'Shana, in a makeshift throne room, is speaking with Mito, Goll, and others.)

You don't understand. I'm not asking your opinion.

But! Taking our princess to Pejité--

Five hostages, the gunship, and food!

I'll let you choose the five. Be ready to depart tomorrow morning.

(Mito is helping some uncles load a ship with their collateral. Yupa sidles up and whispers.)

Thank you for volunteering.

Never mind us… Keep your eyes open. They're gonna screw us over, I know it.

I'm leaving for the time being. I'll return secretly and wait for an opportunity. We must stop the revival of that monster at all costs.

Yes.

* * *

(Yupa visits Nausicaä. Finding her bedroom door open, he enters.)

Nausicaä.

Teto, where is your mistress?

(He enters a secret door and descends the stairs to an underground chamber.)

Nausicaä, what is this? These are all Jungle vegetation!

I gathered the spores and raised them. It's all right. They're not poisonous.

Not poisonous?! The air in here is definitely clean, but… How can it be? This arsenic plant is in full bloom!

This water is brought up from 500 meters underground by the castle's giant windmill. I gathered the sand from the bottom of the same well. If you give them clean water and soil, the plants of the Jungle aren't poisonous… It's the soil that's polluted! Even the soil of the valley is polluted. Why!? Who could have done this?

You discovered this all by yourself?

Yes… I wanted to cure Father's illness. But this place will be dead soon. I just stopped the water. Soon, all this will wither away.

Nausicaä!

(Nausicaä runs to him and he embraces her.)

I… I'm afraid of myself. I don't know what my rage can drive me to do. I don't want any more blood on my hands!

* * *

(Nausicaä is about to board the Tolmechian ship when three little girls run up to her.)

Princess! Princess!

We gathered these.

Chico nuts.

They're for you!

Girls… This must have been so much work.
Thank you. I'll savour each and every one.

Princess, we're scared.

Hurry up! We're about to leave.

Come, everyone. Don't cry. It's okay. I'll come right back.

Really?

Hey, have I ever lied to you?

Never…

See?

Yeah!

Promise?

Of course. Now go on.

Okay!

(They run back to a safe distance.)

Promise!

Watch over the princess!

Take care!

* * *

(The uncles are in the valley barge, which is being towed by a Tolmechian ship.)

Are we there yet?

My back is killing me.

Heh, the Princess obviously chose the old whiners who'll be missed the least.

Wait a minute, isn't this strange? Why are we flying such a tight formation?

It's as if they fear an attack.

(Nausicaä contemplates the clouds below her.)

The clouds conceal a storm of horrible toxins.

(She sees something above and stands up for a better look.)

Sit down!

Gunship!!

(The gunship attacks one of the Tolmechian ships, which explodes immediately.)

(Gasps)

Enemy attack! Ship two is hit!

(The uncles watch from the valley ship.)

What did I tell you?

Oh, my good lord!

(Back on the Tolmechian ship.)

Perimeter defence! It's a Pejité gunship!

Pejité!?

Shit, ship three is out too! Where the hell's our corvette?!

(From ship three) Helm is dead! Helm is dead!

What a fragile excuse for a ship.

(A second ship explodes, taking a third ship with it.)

She's taken the rear-guard with her!

The barge cable!

(Nausicaä motions Teto to take shelter inside her shirt.)

Teto, hurry!

It's no use, we're going down too! Princess!

(Nausicaä climbs on top of the ship and screams.)

Please, stop! No more killing!

Stop!!

What the--?!?

(The gunship pilot, startled, veers off, and is shot down by the corvette.)

Princess! Augh!

(Nausicaä, on hands and knees, is making her way through the burning ship.)

Hurry, Mito!!

Ow! Ow! Ouch! Princess! It's useless!

(Nausicaä finds the valley gunship.)

We might be able to fly!

Are you kidding?!

Mito! Hurry!!

Y-- Yes!!

Start the engine! We'll blast open the door!

Yes, Highness!

(K'Shana appears, locks eyes with Nausicaä, and sneers.)

Come on! Quickly!!

(K'Shana takes the unexpected opportunity and jumps in beside Nausicaä.)

Hurry, get inside! Mito, ready?!

As I'll ever be!

Engine on full at the same time as the blast!

Roger!

Ready! Fire!

(They escape the Tolmechian ship.)

Put on your masks! We're going below the clouds to rescue the barge!

Still warm… Please don't die, Teto!

This is insane! I've never seen the vapours so thick.

Attention, two o'clock! Right next to us. She's still flying!

Oh! You're right. There they are!

* * *

(In the valley barge, the uncles are in a panic.)

It's the princess!

Princess!

Everyone! Hang on! I'll extend the cable.

The hook is broken! Aerial retrieval's impossible!

I don't wanna crash and get eaten alive by insects!

I'm gonna do away with myself right now!

Calm down, goddammit! Unload all your cargo!

Fare thee well, princess!

Goodbye!

Listen to me! Unload your cargo!

Mito, cut the engine!

What?!

The engine's too loud! Turn it off!

Y-- Yes!

(Nausicaä pulls her mask off.)

Princess! W-- What…!

Princess, your mask! You'll die! Put your mask back on!

Everyone! We are going to make it. Trust me! Throw out all your cargo!

Okay, okay, just put your mask back on, please!

The princess is smiling…!

We're going to make it!

Hurry!

The bow is falling!

Engine on! Find a place where we can land! Got… some of the poison… in my lungs…

* * *

(Nausicaä directs both ships to land in a lake. The uncles climb onto the wing to meet her.)

Princess!

Is everyone all right?

Freeze!

What the--

(K'Shana is pointing a gun at them.)

Son of a…

I'm so grateful for your efforts.

Princess! What's she doing here?

You're so naïve. Did you think I would just bow down and thank you?

You know nothing of where you are now. We're not in our own domain any more. This is a place where it's dangerous to use guns. And all these crashing ships have made the insects angry. Look up there. The Royal Yanma is the jungle guard. Any minute now, it will call the other insects. We have to leave immediately. (To the uncles) Get the spare rope!

Yes, Highness.

Mito, fix the hook.

Yes!

(K'Shana fires a warning shot.)

Don't move! I'm giving the orders here.

Please stop panicking. You're acting like a little lost foxrat.

W-- What!?

Don't be afraid. All I want is to take you back where you came from.

You arrogant little--

(The ships suddenly rock with the waves, coming from below.)

What is it??

They've come.

Quiet! Don't alarm them.

We're in an ohmu nest!

We're surrounded!

They're just curious.

Ohmu! We apologize for disturbing your nest. But please understand! We're not your enemies.

(The ohmu examine Nausicaä with their golden tendrils.)

Princess!!

(The ohmu leave Nausicaä and the others.)

That person is alive?? Wait, ohmu!

What's happening now?

The ohmu's eyes are blood red!

Princess! Where are you going with Minerva?

When the water calms down, take off and wait for me above the clouds. If I'm not back in an hour, return to the valley!

But what about--

Princess-- augh!

(Nausicaä takes off unceremoniously.)

There she goes.

I'll take that.

(Mito takes the gun from K'Shana.)

All right everyone, we have the princess' orders.
Princess…

* * *

(Asbel is fighting a hopeless battle against a horde of insects.)

Oh, shit!

Aaahhh!!

(He jumps from a cliff, and is menaced by a flying insect, before Nausicaä snatches him out of the air.)

Who are you?!

You've killed too many insects. Whistle and flares are useless now!

(A collision with the insect's tail sends them spinning and falling. Asbel comes to, and finding Nausicaä's mask, rushes to put it back on her. He suddenly sinks into the ground.)

Quicksand! Argh, crap!

(They both sink into the ground.)

* * *