(Nausicaä sees a ship in front of her, and recognizes it as the valley gunship.)

Mito

Princess!!

Nausicaä

Mito!!

(Mito downs the Corvette with a single shot.)

Mito

(Cheers)

Nausicaä

Mito!! Master Yupa!

Mito

Princess!

(Nausicaä is incoherent in her desperation.)

Nausicaä

Oh, Mito… The Valley! The Valley!

Mito

We'll extend the retrieval hook! Master Yupa! The red lever on your right!

* * *

(The Tolmechian troops are beating on a door on board the Pejité brig.)

Guard

This is the only room left. Hurry!

(Inside the room.)

Asbel

The door… It's breaking!

Leader

Let them come. We'll show them the pride of Pejité!

Girl

What's that?? A bird…?

(A soldier at the rear of the brig notices the ship.)

Soldier

It's a gunship! From the Valley of the Winds!

Lieut.

What??

(Yupa jumps and lands on a hapless guard. He draws his sword and dagger.)

Guard

You bastard!

(Yupa fends off the three attacking guards.)

Lieut.

It's Yupa! A medal to the man who kills him!

(About a dozen men rush him but he leaps over them and easily overwhelms the Lieutenant.)

Yupa

Surrender! The corvette will not be returning.

Lieut.

Son of a bitch…!

* * *

(Mito and Nausicaä are pushing the gunship beyond all limits to return to the valley as soon as they can.)

Mito

Princess, this is crazy! The engine will explode!

Nausicaä

It just has to get us to the Valley! Push it up to 300! Please, God. God of the wind, protect my people.

* * *

(The valley folk have taken refuge in the wreck beside the Acid Sea. Kurotowa and K'Shana assess the situation.)

Kurotowa

They're as immovable as a goddammed mountain.

K'Shana

They're waiting for her to return.

Kurotowa

Her?

K'Shana

They believe their princess will return with the gunship.

Kurotowa

The gunship could be a problem. Shall we strike while we have the upper hand?

K'Shana

Do you know anything about that hulk?

Kurotowa

It was supposed to have been built before the Seven Days of Fire. I'm not sure I believe it, but they say it travelled to the stars. Our guns can't pierce the armour; it's made of some crazy tough shit. I say we just bury the whole thing--

K'Shana

I'd prefer to wait myself.

Kurotowa

What?

K'Shana

If that girl can survive the depths of the Wastelands and come back in one piece… I would like to have sat and had a conversation with her, once.

(K'Shana addresses her three aged prisoners.)

K'Shana

Well? Have you decided? If you promise to tell them to surrender, I'll let you go.
Do you want this to become another Pejité?

Gikkuri

I suppose you're a princess, too, but you're very different from our princess.

Goll

Look at my hand. I have the same disease Lord Yuri had. In half a year, it'll be hard as a rock. But my princess says she likes this hand. She tells me I have the hands of a noble and hard-working man.

K'Shana

Even while suffering from the Jungle, you still insist on living by it?

Gikkuri

You use fire… Well, I suppose we use it a bit too, but…

Goll

Too much fire can be nothing but destructive. Fire will reduce a forest to cinders in a day. The water and the wind will spend a century nurturing a forest to health.

Gikkuri

I'll stick with the water and the wind.

Niga

When the princess sees what's left of that forest, how she will grieve…

(K'Shana leaves. She seems to be lost in her own thoughts. A soldier pokes his head out of the tank.)

Guard

Chief. Any orders yet?

Kurotowa

(Sarcastically) Go back to your nap.

Guard

Sir.

Kurotowa

I'm not sure what's happened, but she's turning all soft.

K'Shana

Kurotowa! Release those prisoners!

Kurotowa

Ah, then we're going to wait?

K'Shana

One last meal for the troops. In one hour, we begin our attack!

Kurotowa

A meal, eh? May as well take my time…

* * *

(A Villager notices movement from the direction of the Tolmechians.)

Man1

Someone's coming!

Man2

It's Goll and the others!

(Goll stops in his tracks and looks up.)

Gikkuri

What is it?

Goll

There's no wind.

Gikkuri

No wind? You're right! The wind has stopped!

(Inside the wreck, Baba is agonized.)

Baba

Uggh…

Girl

Baba, what's the matter?

Woman

Baba?

Baba

Somebody… Somebody, please take me outside!

(Baba and the girls emerge atop the ship.)

Girl1

I've never seen the wind stop before.

Girl2

Baba, my ears hurt.

Baba

The air… The air is thick with anger.

* * *

(Nausicaä and Mito are finally nearing the valley.)

Nausicaä

We're close.

Mito

We've left the Jungle! Three minutes to the Acid Sea!

Nausicaä

Engines to low! Drop below the clouds!

Mito

What the hell are these lights?

Nausicaä

Ohmu!!

Mito

The ohmu are swarming out of the Jungle! They're headed for the Valley of the Winds!

Nausicaä

How? How did they get the ohmu to swarm?

(Nausicaä sees something out of the corner of her eye.)

Someone is calling the swarm! Mito! Take us towards Sirius!

Mito

Yes, Highness!

Nausicaä

There! Mito, give me a flare! Ready… Fire!

Mito

What is that?

(A baby ohmu, horribly injured, is being carried by a flying pod.)

Nausicaä

(Gasp) Oh, my God! They're using a baby ohmu to lure the swarm!

Mito

I'll blow them out of the sky!!

Nausicaä

No!! Don't shoot! Mito, please!!

(Mito swerves past the pod, managing to contain his rage.)

Mito

Why not?! Why the hell not?!

Nausicaä

If we kill the baby, we'll never stop the swarm!

Mito

What do we do?! If we don't do something, the Valley is doomed!

Nausicaä

Stay calm, Mito. I'll return the baby to the Ohmu. I think I can do it!

Mito

Princess, what are you doing?

Nausicaä

Go ahead and warn everyone!

Mito

Princess! You're not even armed! Wait!

* * *

(A Tolmechian soldier is observing the gunship's activity with high-powered binoculars.)

Guard

Those are not our flares.

K'Shana

Distance?

Guard

About 20 leagues. I think it's on the other side of the lake.

K'Shana

Do you think it's the gunship?

Kurotowa

Most likely.

(Another two flares erupt.)

A signal for help. It's definitely the gunship.

K'Shana

Their hour is up. Let's go.

Kurotowa

You're not going to wait any more?

K'Shana

All our paths are stained with blood.

Soldier

Infantry, forward!

Kurotowa

It's safer inside--

K'Shana

I'm fine here.

(A soldier notices the valley gunship approach.)

Guard

The gunship!

Guard

Air raid!

(The Tolmechians open fire on the gunship.)

K'Shana

Hold your fire! Stop it!! Are you deaf?!

* * *

(Goll sees the gunship.)

Goll

It's the princess!

(Villagers run to the ship.)

K'Shana

Wait for further orders! Hold your fire!

(From the other side, K'Shana also runs to the gunship.)

Kurotowa

Your Highness!! Urk!

K'Shana

What happened to your princess?

Goll

Where's the princess?!

Gikkuri

She's not in the back!

Mito

It's the ohmu! A swarm of ohmu are heading this way!

Goll

What?!

Man

The ohmu??

Mito

The princess stayed behind to try and stop the stampede. There's no time for bickering! Everyone, to high ground! Hurry!!

(Back in the wreck…)

Girl1

Baba, I can see red lights!

Girl2

There's more and more of them…

Girl1

They're coming closer!

Baba

Come, hold on tight to Baba… There's no stopping them now.

People

Don't panic!! There's still time. We're going to make it! Hurry!

Woman

Mito, I'm dying anyway. I'd rather die in the Valley.

Mito

No. As long as the Princess has faith, we must not give up.

* * *

(Meanwhile, K'Shana has her own plans.)

K'Shana

…Understood? Gain as much time as you can. I will return shortly.

Kurotowa

Your Highness! You're not thinking of using-- It's not ready yet!

K'Shana

If we don't use it now, then when?! Go!!

* * *

(Nausicaä is trying to communicate.)

Nausicaä

Don't shoot! Hear me out!

Commander

Dammit… What a slippery little bitch.

Gunner

I don't think she's an enemy; she was yelling something.

Cmdr.

Anyone who gets in our way is an enemy. If we don't drop the lure soon, we'll have more than a girl with wings to worry about. Here she comes. Draw her in nice and close before you fire.

(The gunner notices the royal garb and hesitates.)

Now! Fire!!

Gunner

No! Lastelle…??

Cmdr.

Damn you!

(The commander fires, hitting Nausicaä in the shoulder and the foot, but he is unable stop her from crashing into the pod. Minerva, on the other hand, glides away, unpiloted. Having lost altitude, the ohmu finally manages to gain footing on the ground and yanks the ship down. Nausicaä is first to regain consciousness.)

Nausicaä

Ohmu…!

Don't be angry… Don't be frightened. I'm not your enemy. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. How can I ask you to forgive us? It's too much to ask, isn't it?

(The ohmu begins to move toward the Acid Sea, towards its swarming brethren.)

Oh, you mustn't move! You're bleeding! Stop, there's a good child!

Cmdr.

Oh, God. They've spotted us!

Gunner

They're coming this way!

(Nausicaä is trying to stop the ohmu from entering the poisonous water.)

Nausicaä

No! You're wounded. This water will burn your wounds!

(Her foot enters the water, burning into her wound.)

(Screams)

(The ohmu extends its gold tentacles and helps to heal the wound. With the contact, Nausicaä recognizes the Ohmu as the one she protected as a child.)

You…

Thank you. I'm okay. Soon, everyone will be here to take you back.

(Nausicaä rests her head on the ohmu. Then, she notices the swarm is changing its direction.)

(Gasps) They're turning. Where are they going? Ohmu! No! That leads to the Valley!

They've been driven mad with anger. If I don't calm them, the Valley--!

(Tolmechian tanks are feebly attacking the swarm. The Pejité commander mocks them.)

Cmdr.

Fools! They're luring the ohmu all by themselves!

Gunner

We're saved.

Cmdr.

We take off immediately. Check the engine--

Wait! We… we can explain!

(Nausicaä, grasping the gun from the pod, is advancing toward them.)

Nausicaä

Transport us. I'm returning that child to the swarm.

Cmdr.

That's useless at this point. Nothing will stop the swarm!

(She fires. The man whimpers and dances around the hail of bullets.)

Nausicaä

Just drop us in front of the swarm. Transport us!

Gunner

But… that's suicide!

* * *

Girl

Are we going to die, Baba?

Baba

If that's our fate. We have no choice.

(Kurotowa is assessing their effect on the swarm.)

Kurotowa

Hardly a damned twitch.

Guard

We should retreat.

Kurotowa

Idiot. Where are you thinking of retreating to?

(Soldiers start panicking and running away.)

Hey. Don't retreat! Wait! Hey!! Stand your ground until the commander returns! Highness… It's Her Highness!!

(A tank crests the hill, followed by the Titan.)

Soldiers

(Cheers)

People

It's the Demon Giant!

(The Titan's waist disintegrates. It crawls on, on its arms.)

Kurotowa

It's rotten. It was too early.

K'Shana

Torch them! What's wrong? Are you not the last survivor of the most feared race in history?

(The Titan unleashes a piercing ray from its mouth. It swipes across the ohmu, and after a heart-stopping moment, a monstrous explosion erupts, vapourizing hundreds of ohmu in an instant.)

Kurotowa

Unbelievable… It's no wonder the whole world burned.

Soldiers

Commander K'Shana! Hooray! Hooray!

(The ohmu continue to swarm.)

K'Shana

Destroy them! What's wrong? Is one shot all you've got?

(The Titan fires a second shot, even as it continues to disintegrate. Several dozen ohmu are destroyed in the second explosion. Small bursts of light flash from its mouth as it tries to complete its orders with its dying breath. Finally, the Titan's skull comes crashing down on the tank. K'Shana and her entourage escape just in time.)

(The soldiers have a sudden change in heart.)

Soldiers

Oh, uh. Run! Aiieee!

(The valley folk cower atop the ancient ship.)

Girl

The Demon Giant died.

Baba

It's better that way. The anger of the ohmu is the anger of the earth. What's the point of surviving if you have to rely on a thing like that?

(The flying pod appears, carrying Nausicaä and the baby ohmu.)

Girl1

Princess!

Girl2

It's the princess!!

People

Princess! Princess!

(It drops Nausicaä and the baby ohmu in the path of the swarm.)

Man1

Look where they left her!

Man2

What the hell--

Woman

Princess!!

(To their horror, Nausicaä is struck by the ohmu and flung into the air. The swarm finally reaches the wreck. Fortunately, the ancient ship holds together as the ohmu collide with it.)

People

(Gasp and scream)

(From high above, Yupa and Asbel watch the destruction helplessly. Then, the sea of red eyes starts to change.)

Yupa

The ohmu's eye colour is changing!

Baba

The anger in the air is lifting.

Mito

They've stopped… The ohmu have stopped.

(The ohmu are gathering around the princess.)

Girl1

Princess!

The princess is dead…

Baba

She gave her life to quiet the ohmu's rage. That child was protecting the Valley!

Girls

(Wail)

(With their tentacles, the ohmu raise Nausicaä's lifeless body high into the air. They all work in concert to heal her wounds.)

Man

Look!

Yupa

(Gasps)

Kurotowa

What… the heck are these lights?

(Nausicaä comes to. She sees the young ohmu down below.)

Nausicaä

Teto. Oh, Thank God. Ohmu, thank you! Thank you!

(Nausicaä stands up and begins to walk along the carpet of golden tentacles from the ohmu.

Goll

It's a miracle! A goddammed miracle!

Baba

What godly compassion! The Ohmu are opening their hearts… Children, look well for me and my blind old eyes.

Girl1

The princess is wearing a deep blue dress.

Girl2

It's like she's walking through a golden field!

Baba

"He will come to us clad in a raiment of blue,
Come down from the sky to a meadow of gold." Oh…!!

Girl1

Baba?

Baba

The prophecy is fulfilled!

Girl2

Look!

(Minerva, unpiloted, miraculously spirals down straight towards them.)

Man1

It's Minerva!

Man2

The wind…! The wind has come back!

(The valley folk rush to greet Nausicaä. Baba is seen talking with Yupa. Asbel lifts Nausicaä by the waist and spins her above his head.)

(Credits roll, over an epilogue consisting of a series of voiceless vignettes: The ohmu return to the jungle. Nausicaä and K'Shana arrange a truce and K'Shana leaves the valley to return to Tolmechia. A new windmill is being installed, drawing clean ground water. New crops are planted. More ohmu husks are harvested. Nausicaä teaches the children to ride the wind. Yupa, accompanied by Asbel, leaves the valley once again, perhaps towards some new quest. Peace seems to have been restored in the world of insects.)

(Deep in the Jungle, Nausicaä's helmet lies on the sand. Next to it is a young sapling, pushing its way towards the sky.)

THE END