A/N: Finally played Path of Radiance! And I loved it. Incredible game in every way. Made me fall in love with these characters all over again, so here we go - another Leanne/Naesala piece from me. The first scene is when Naesala rescues her from Izuka's tower (which played out not at all like I had imagined!) I use the exact dialogue from the game, translating Leanne's Ancient Language into English, of course. The second scene is all my own, and it takes place as they are flying to safety. Hopefully that all makes sense.

Anyway, as always, please leave a review. I know there isn't much Leanne/Naesala out there, so perhaps not many fans, but I do get quite a lot of hits. So I know you readers are out there. Just take a few extra seconds and let me know what you think. It does wonders for a writer's confidence!

Words: 1520
Characters: Leanne, Naesala
Time: Late chapters of Path of Radiance
Genre: Friendship

Disclaimer: Everything you recognize belongs to Nintendo, not me.

When the mad little man left, Leanne backed away from the new soldier at first, wary. Her senses were dull in captivity, especially after so long asleep, for she could not tell if the new guard was kind or cruel, friend or foe. The soldier turned around to face her, only his mouth and the faintest glimmer of sharp eyes visible under his armor.

All of a sudden, her heart leapt against her chest. Quickly she placed a hand there to stop it, staring at the man in front of her as if he were a ghost. Could it be – could it possibly be - ?

He did nothing but smile and hold a finger to his lips. In that moment, she knew.

How many years since they had last been together? She knew nothing of the passage of time while she was asleep. Had he thought her dead? Had he thought of her at all? For she, within in the first few hours of her waking, had thought of him, and wondered if he was safe, happy, whole. And now, without warning, he was here, of all places.

Wordlessly he took her hand. As if it were the most natural thing in the world, he opened the nearby door and stepped out, not even bothering to glance around him as he led her down a narrow flight of stairs, his steps as light as the wind. Perhaps he was guiding her on an unknown passageway, for they met no enemy soldiers on their way. When they reached the outdoors, the sunset's warmth and fresh air filled her with hope and wonder, for the contrast to her confinement was so incredible; asleep during the massacre and imprisonment of the herons, Leanne had never before realized the value of this kind of freedom. But even in her joy, she realized that something was wrong. Very, very wrong; too many laguz were nearby, and yet they were not laguz, they were wrong. Close at her said, the disguised soldier stretched and yawned, crinkling his nose.

"Whew. I thought as much when I first snuck in here, but this really is an unbelievable place. What in Ashera's name is going on? Why are all these crazed laguz creeping about?"

At first, she didn't register the sound of his voice. Just his words, imitating her thoughts. "I hate this!" she said loudly, almost too scared to peer around the base of the tower and see the flames of battle.

"Hm? Oh, you don't like this, eh? Neither do I. This helmet and armor are horribly restrictive, you know?"

Quickly Leanne turned around, to see the man before tearing off the black Daein armor that had been crushing his strong wings. He pulled off the helmet, too, and his face looked exactly as she remembered it, right down to the proud smirk and piercing eyes. Her heart leapt again, though not as fiercely as it had before, but she still could not suppress a wide smile. Naesala grinned back at her.

"How's that, Leanne? It's been twenty years, but I'm still quite an eyeful. Don't you agree?" said Naesala, holding himself tall and smirking again. Throughout it all, he never took his eyes off her; his gaze glimmered with an unusual kind of warmth that made her want to run to him, embrace him, to convince herself that he was truly alive and real, after twenty whole years.

But all she did was smile again. "Uh-uh. You're very handsome, Naesala," she said. For it was quite true - she loved the way he smiled, especially when it was that one smile he saved just for her.

"Yeah, I haven't changed much, eh?" he said carelessly, brushing what had to be imaginary dust from his shoulders. "And you knew it was me back there right away, didn't you?" Leanne nodded, and Naesala smiled, in just the way she had remembered. He reached out and brushed his fingers against her cheek, very gently, and his touch sent a thrill through her heart as he spoke again. "Ah, I'm glad you survived. It's very good to see you again."

They were standing very close behind the tall tower now, for they could not expose themselves to the heat of the fight surrounding them. He is truly here, truly alive, Leanne thought, as his rough palm lingered on her face. "Yes… I am also pleased," she murmured, placing her hand over his. Something flickered in his warm gaze, something bright, reminding her of the many days they had spent together what seemed like so long ago.

But they couldn't stay hidden there forever. Tibarn, the Hawk King, and Ike, the leader of the kind beorc, were fighting against the strange laguz, and she knew that she had to use this chance to reach safety, as much as she would have liked to help.

She clung tight to Naesala as they flew together, her head pressed against his chest where his proud heart beat powerfully; she could barely hear it through the rush of wind around her, but she could feel each beat inside her, the pace matching her own. In the midst of the war and danger, she closed her eyes, trusting Naesala's arms and wings to guide her to safety.

They stopped suddenly, the moon high in the sky now. She didn't know how long they had been flying, but when Naesala situated the pair of them on the steady branches of a tall oak, she opened her eyes blearily and tilted her head in a question.

"We're stopping to let Nealuchi catch up," Naesala explained. "Mangy old bird."

"Don't say that," she chided at once, but Naesala only laughed.

Instinctively she rested her head against his chest again. His arms tightened around her, and she felt so very warm, safe, and content. But in the calm moonlight, she became aware of Naesala's heavy breathing as well as his rapid heartbeat. He has to be tired, if we flew a long way, carrying me throughout it all, she thought. Reyson would be angry, if he knew I allowed myself to be carried, and not fly on my own.

Reyson…

Thinking of her brother made her remember something else that he had told her, soon after they had reunited. The thought nagged at her mind, troublesome, surely an untruth – but she had to know for sure.

"Naesala? Can I… ask you something."

"Go ahead."

She pulled away from him a little so she could better see his face. His features were shadowed in the night, but she could just barely make out his clear, curious eyes. "It's not really a question, actually," she explained, a little nervous. "Reyson… told me that you were bad. That you couldn't be trusted… and that you weren't our friend anymore."

At first, Naesala didn't react. His face remained as carefully cool as ever, only the tiniest twitch of an eyebrow revealing emotion. When he spoke, his voice was light and casual, as if inquiring about the weather.

"And did you believe Reyson?"

"I didn't know. I didn't want to believe it. But I had been asleep for so long… who was I to argue with him?" Leanne shook her head before meeting his eyes again. "But I know what I believe now."

"So? What's the verdict?"

"You are not bad, Naesala," she said quietly but firmly. "I know something must have happened to make Reyson say that. Maybe something bad. But you are not bad, even if you have done bad things. You know?"

Ever so briefly, like the brush of a feather, Naesala touched her cheek again. A sharp look of pain and indecision flashed across his face for a moment, but then he smiled, his features reverting back to their usual coolness. "It does me good to hear you say that, Leanne," he said.

She nodded and smiled in return. Turning his head, Naesala gave a great sigh, squinting at something in the distance, barely visible in the night. "Looks like the crow is gaining on us. Up we go, Leanne."

He lifted her as easily yet as carefully as if she were a porcelain doll. With a sharp breath of effort, he threw himself back into the pitch-dark sky, leaving Leanne to curl comfortably into his strong shape, just as she had before. She closed her eyes and let the wind and Naesala's heartbeat and breathing roar through her mind.

Despite the war, despite her worry for Reyson, despite everything, Leanne's heart was serene and tranquil. For here in Naesala's arms, nothing could ever be wrong.