A/N: Another favorite Radiant Dawn pairing - Leanne and Naesala. Such an incredible relationship. I've never played Path of Radiance, and I know there's a big backstory with them in that game, so I hope I've done okay at incorporating those events into my story. This is a story in my typical style - a series of related oneshots going chronologically, with some amount of time separating each one.
I hope you enjoy. Though I love this couple, this was hard to write. In a good way, though. Anyway, as always, please take the time to review and thanks for reading! This will be a three-part series, so keep an eye out for the next chapter soon.
Disclaimer: Everything you recognize belongs to Nintendo, not me.
"Come on. Don't be afraid, Leanne. You can fly; it's not like we'll be plummeting to our deaths."
"Oh, but Naesala, it's so tall!"
"Exactly. More time to catch yourself. What are you afraid of? I'll be there too. I'll catch you if you panic."
The famous terrain of the bird tribes' land was perfect for such dangerous things as leap-falling, as Naesala called it. The cliff dropped off as suddenly as if someone had split the mountain straight down the middle like a worker splits wood for a fire. The valley was wide, with similar cliffs on all sides, and a narrow river winding below, surrounded by a dense, shady forest. Leanne stared critically at the view; it was quite marvelous, but she still couldn't help worrying a bit.
All the same, she stuck her chin out stubbornly, her toes barely hanging of the edge. "I will not panic."
"'Course you won't. You've been raised by ravens; you don't panic. Come on then!" Naesala's rough hand grabbed hers, swinging her slightly forward so that she almost slipped off the edge. Gasping, she scrambled backwards, beating her wings to regain her balance. Fiercely she glared at his smirking face.
"Wait until I am ready!" she scolded. Tentatively she stepped forward again and took his hand. "Count… to three?"
"All right," Naesala said cheerily. "Remember, let yourself fall for a while, right? It's more fun that way. Fly at the very bottom. I won't let go of your hand."
Leanne nodded quickly, mixed apprehension and anticipation trembling through her veins. Naesala's deep voice seemed somehow far away as he counted them off. When Leanne heard "three," she closed her eyes, bent her knees, and threw herself off the cliff, gripping Naesala's hand as if it were her only lifeline.
A split second after her feet left the ground, she felt Naesala leap, too. They shot through the air like a pair of beorc arrows, spinning and spiraling; from beside her, Naesala let out a whoop of laughter. She could feel the wind tearing against her face and feathers, so she pulled in her wings, and they went even faster.
"Open your eyes, Leanne! You'll miss it all!"
Regretfully Leanne opened her eyes to slits – she could do no more for the harsh wind slamming against her. She was going so fast, so fast it seemed impossible, zooming towards the ground as if she'd never be able to stop. And it was terrifying… but at the same, exhilarating.
She was so free. She and Naesala, with nothing touching them but hard, fast air and each other, his hand warm in hers and his delighted laughter ringing in her ears. She had never seen him so relaxed. Leanne laughed, closing her eyes again and drawing herself a little closer to him.
"Ready, Leanne? Fly!"
"Oh!" With a thrill of terror she opened her eyes again to see the ground rushing dangerously close. It was so close that she could see the individual trees and rocks, rivers, even leaves –
And then they had reversed, the strength of Naesala's wings pulling them back higher into the air. For a second, she simply clung to him. In her elation she had forgotten about the fear of the rising ground, forgotten that she needed to fly at the end. Once her heart settled, though, and they were hovering in place a few lengths above the treetops, she slid from Naesala's arms and supported herself, smiling boldly at him. "Reyson will be upset that you took me and not him," she said, though she could not bring herself to feel sad.
"Ah, Reyson's happy doing whatever it is he always does. You looked like you could use a little fun. Come on, then – now we have to get all the way back up."
Anxiously Leanne looked at the height from which they had fallen. But Naesala, noticing her sudden discouragement, simply laughed and took her hand again, pulling her back towards home.
Distantly, Leanne could hear the rumblings of battle; she could feel the fury of soldiers pounding in her heart. The intensity of their emotions – fear, bloodlust, righteous anger, pride – nearly made her sick. It was all too much, sometimes, to be burdened with not only her own fear, but also the mind-numbing anxiety of both allies and enemies as well. She closed her eyes and wrapped her arms and her wings around herself. Now the rumblings were deafening, screams and strikes.
Suddenly a strong arm pulled her in by her shoulders. For a second, she gasped, wondering if an enemy had somehow found her – but then she felt the erratic throbbing of her heart begin to cool and still, filled instead with a tranquility that she had come to associate with only one person. Not even her brothers could calm her so. Naesala was beside her, holding her close, his arm tense but careful. Glancing up, Leanne watched his dark, narrowed gaze flit across their surroundings.
"Don't stray into this battle, Leanne," he said roughly. "You had better not get yourself hurt, you hear?"
"But, Naesala, I wish to help. I can aid them as no one else can. You know that I - "
"Yeah, yeah, I know," hissed Naesala. "I don't care about helping that little beorc, really. You have to stay safe. These battles are already over your head. Stay with Nealuchi, and stay out."
Leanne bit her lip and struggled. The feeling of war made her sick, yet she longed to fight beside such brave warriors – for if Naesala was fighting with them, they had to be at least as brave as he. She could help them so much. Sensing a powerful wave of emotion rolling from Naesala's heart, Leanne turned around to face him, her head titled to the sky.
"Want to know why you have to stay safe?" he asked lightly, studying the battle in front of them. "You're too pretty to die."
Without a backward glance, he leapt into the air, his powerful wings whipping the dust and leaves at her feet into a storm. For a moment, she didn't move, her heart beating more rapidly than it had even when she was afraid. No, this feeling was different; she couldn't decide what it was.
Leanne watched him go, watched as he turned into a tiny black dot in the sky, watched as he dropped down to ground level and vanished in the fray.