Alphinaud Leveilleur had much to think about after the betrayal of the Crystal Braves and his forced exodus to Ishgard, but the amount of thought he had been giving to the increasingly burning sensation he felt in his chest every time he saw Celosia Aigiarn was both unexpected and almost unwanted. He could only say "almost" because while the brilliant happiness that surged through his being whenever the famed "Warrior of Light" smiled at him was irrelevant to their mission of ending the Dragonsong War, he could not help but be, well, happy.

"Master Alphinaud?"

Alphinaud looked up from the patch of ground he had found to be very interesting and saw that the Doman leader, Lady Yugiri, was looking at him patiently. He quickly cleared his throat.

"Yes, Lady Yugiri?"

The purple-clad ninja bowed respectfully before speaking.

"Our scouts report that Mistress Aigiarn is en route to our location. She should be here soon."

Alphinaud immediately felt the tempo of his heartbeat increase. He took a quick breath before nodding.

"Thank you, Lady Yugiri. I will wait for her here. If I may ask, pray continue your search for any lingering Crystal Braves who might still be loyal to Ilberd."

The Doman ninja nodded in turn.

"Of course, Master Alphinaud. I will return shortly once we are certain the Rising Stones is safe."

Alphinaud smiled in gratitude.

"You have my thanks, Lady Yugiri."

Once the ninja had left, he thanked the Twelve as well that she hadn't caught on to the real reason he wished for her to secure the already danger-free Revenant's Toll. He looked around the stone walls and ramparts that made up the town's fortifications and was somewhat pleased to see no blue uniforms in sight. The young Elezen knew he and his companions weren't in any physical danger, but he worried that when Celosia arrived he might not be able to keep himself emotionally in check. After all, he had spoken of such lofty ideals when he had formed the Braves, and he had even asked her for her aid in helping his men establish themselves as the peacekeeping force he wished for them to be. That she would be with him here again at his remaining men's disbandment was both a desired blessing and a shameful curse. His mixed feelings suddenly churned themselves into a mess pit of emotional fever as he recalled the gentle smile Celosia had given him before telling him she would meet him in Mor Dhona. Gods be good, she already made him feel tiny with her power and heroics! That she could also pull the strings of his heart without even trying was some wonderfully cursed power she probably didn't even know she possessed. The young Elezen's face proceeded to turn deep red, his emotions readily revealing themselves, as his mind continued to reach further back into his memories.

He wondered what her scales felt like.

Alphinaud looked around the slowly dying campfire and saw that Ysayle and their Moogle guide, Moghan, were soundly asleep. Well, at the very least Moghan was comfortable in his slumber. The Lady Iceheart looked as if she would wake if a small stone turned over. Most likely she had trained herself to be ready at a moment's notice if any heretic-hunting knights stumbled upon one of her and her followers' hiding places. Estinien was nowhere to be seen, the dragoon having left a moment ago saying he would go collect some more firewood. Seeing as how he was the one who had gathered the initial bundle of kindling for the camp, Alphinaud cursed his lack of foresight in making sure there was enough wood to last throughout the night. The young Elezen silently looked over at the sole Auri member of the group and felt his self-criticisms melt away. Perhaps it wasn't so bad Estinien had gone to gather more wood. The dragoon's absence allowed him the perfect moment to study Celosia's features as she slept.

…

Perhaps that wasn't how he wanted to word it. He felt a tinge of shame and awkward embarrassment as his eyes rested on the dark black scales that covered Celosia's cheeks and the bridge of her nose. It wasn't as if he didn't see her constantly these dark days of trying to resolve Ishgard's conflict with the Dravanians. He had looked her straight in the eyes time and time again as he briefed her on his plans and how she might help him implement them. He hated to think it, but he was practically her commanding officer in their time together in these northern lands. It was the same when they and Cid were looking for the Garlean's airship in the Central Highlands. And yet, as her "commanding officer", he could not comprehend the power she commanded over him.

Alphinaud suddenly found himself walking closer to the sleeping "Warrior of Light", only stopping when he was standing right before her. He felt himself swallow down a mouthful of tense fear and crazed emotions before bending down on one knee to look at her, his awake face opposite of her sleeping one. What power she held over him indeed! She was a role model to him, but nothing more! And yet, why had he felt so completely assured that the future was going to be better when she was with him? Tataru's heartfelt speech and Lord Haurchefant's offer of hospitality had moved him to pick himself up after his Braves' crushing betrayal, but it was Celosia's quiet presence, the knowledge that she would undyingly support him as his friend and comrade that ultimately powered his will to do what he felt was right. She was…his champion. And right now, he wanted nothing more than to touch the scales on his champion's face.

The young Elezen took off his gloves, sending furtive glances at the other two sleeping figures to ensure he was not being watched. Slowly but surely, he reached out his right hand, his fingertips less than an ilm away from those beautiful black scales.

Celosia's eyes opened.

Alphinaud almost fell over backwards. Though he managed to keep his balance, he found himself frozen as his blue eyes stared at her glowing orange and red ones. Celosia blinked.

"I-I can explain!" the young Elezen almost shouted, his voice immediately keeping itself low to prevent the others from waking. Looking unperturbed and almost stoic as usual, Celosia said nothing, as if to allow him the opportunity to explain himself.

"I…I was…had…read about the Au Ra when I was young," Alphinaud said, the words stumbling out of his mouth. He didn't know why he wasn't just lying and taking a step away from her. He could have said anything! A fly was on her face! He was investigating…something!

Celosia tilted her head slightly.

"Young…er," Alphinaud continued once he realize what she was getting at, his already red face growing redder from her silent teasing. "I know we've known each other for some time now and I…"

The young Elezen stopped speaking once he realized how his words sounded. He immediately coughed.

"What I meant to say is that I was just…wondering what it was like to have scales and how they…feel."

Celosia's eyes widened slightly, a look of surprise on her face. Alphinaud almost felt like abandoning their mission and his life by leaping off the nearest cliff. Taking a deep breath, he began to stand up.

"I must apologize, Celosia," he said feeling almost regretful that he was going to just walk away, "I didn't mean to wake you."

Suddenly, Celosia reached out and grabbed his hand, the one still hovering near her face. Alphinaud froze again, entirely unsure of what she meant to do. She motioned with her free hand towards her, beckoning him to resume the position he had been in when she awoke. Feeling his throat swallow and uncertainty rise through his being, Alphinaud complied. With the hand that was holding his, Celosia guided his fingers to the left side of her face. Alphinaud felt himself take a deep breath as he felt the scales that adorned her cheek. They were somehow both rough and smooth, each ridge of each scale giving off a vibrant feeling of life. It was as if her skin that was not skin was telling a story of the trials and challenges she had gone through. Perhaps it was because of the emotions surging through his mind at that moment, but Alphinaud could not help but mentally wax lyrical.

His eyes looked at hers again.

She smiled calmly, completely at ease.

He knew he was in love with her.

Alphinaud awoke from his memories just in time to see Celosia ride up to the gates. He found himself blinking as she dismounted from her chocobo and walked beneath the archway he was standing next to. As if on cue, she turned to him and nodded. Alphinaud blinked again.

"Celosia! I'm glad you could make it," he finally said once he found his voice. Her timing was always eerily impeccable, as if she was trying to give him a heart attack. In more ways than one, anyway…

Celosia suddenly tilted her head questioningly and gestured towards his face. Alphinaud paused for a moment before realizing that she was seeing the bright red apparent on his cheeks.

"Er, nothing to concern yourself with," he said quickly. "I'm just…feeling a little unsure about what to say to the remaining Crystal Braves.

Celosia nodded understandingly before taking a step forward. She looked back at him and beckoned him to follow.

"Oh, er, Lady Yugiri was supposed to meet with us here before we went to the Rising Stones," Alphinaud said. "She went to make sure there aren't any more suspicious figures hiding around."

A look of further comprehension dawned on his companion's face, and she took a few steps back to stand next to him at the wall attached to the gate. Alphinaud began to doubt whether his decision to send Yugiri away was the best one. He stared at the ground again as silence filled the air. He knew perfectly well Celosia was rather taciturn and would only make small talk if she was trying to get to know the locals of whatever settlement she was visiting. Still, he didn't want to endure the silence and let his mind be alone with his feelings, so he decided to speak.

"…Celosia?"

The "Warrior of Light" turned her head to look at him.

"I…thank you, for being there with me throughout all of this," he found himself saying. His emotions were in a frenzy with her next to him, but he honesty did feel hesitant about his decision to disband the Crystal Braves.

Celosia smiled and nodded. Alphinaud felt his heart grow very warm again. He continued on.

"I wanted to just give up, to resign myself to a fate of exile and despair. But…I knew—I know—you wouldn't give up."

Alphinaud looked at Celosia and found a smile of his own forming on his face.

"You've always persevered in the face of adversity and without a doubt would do whatever it took to make things right. I…can't help but feel motivated by your example. Tataru, Lady Yugiri, Lord Haurchefant, Cid…all of them…and you… With all of you, I know I can put an end to this dark chapter. As unfortunate as it is, the Crystal Braves must be put to rest. My dreams won't die though, as we will still work together for a better Eorzea…"

His voice trailed off, hesitation and uncertainty clinging to his last word as if he meant to add a "…right?" to his speech. His eyes caught Celosia's, and he felt that uncertainty die away as he saw her orange-red irises shining brightly. He knew she would fight for Eorzea's future, always, standing by him as she did so. And he…would stand by her in turn.

"Thank you, Celosia, for listening," he said once he managed to collect himself. Celosia nodded and smiled once more, and Alphinaud could do little but stare. He quickly looked towards the center of town and saw Lady Yugiri beckoning them towards her. "Ah, it seems the moment has come. Let us go."

The two began to walk towards their Doman compatriot, and suddenly, Alphinaud recalled that during the night before their meeting with Hraesvelgr, Celosia had spoken little. As customary as that was, it was still a bit odd that she had chosen not to reveal anything personal about herself as he, Ysayle, and Estinien had. The young Elezen voiced his thoughts to his companion as they continued to step closer to Lady Yugiri.

"Something…about me?"

"Yes, it seems rather unfair that all of us—minus Moghan—spoke of ourselves whilst you remained silent," Alphinaud said teasingly. Celosia cocked her head slightly.

"Hmm…how about this? In my homeland, my name translates to the word 'burning.'"

Alphinaud blinked once more. "Burning." A fitting name for one so skilled in the thaumaturgic arts. The young Elezen glanced at Celosia and suddenly noted that she was smiling good-humoredly at him. Feeling a rush of blazing warmth sear through his heart, he suddenly realized that his chest was alight with that "burning" sensation again. He felt himself almost laughing at the irony.

What a fitting name indeed.