I must be completely insane to be posting this.

As the description says, this is a response to a writing challenge. Noctepanther's conditions were as follows (and I quote):

1. Must be focused on Savyna and Lyude.
2. Must take place in Wazn
3. Must Somehow involve the Ice Sculptor
4. Lyude must comment on Savyna's feathers
5. And of course, must have a SDoL(Sudden Display of Love)

In short, I'm doomed. Dooooooomed!

I just have some more notes before I got on to the story:

No, Amethyst and Ruby has no connection to any other story I've written. I want that to be clear.

This fic takes place after the endgame. So there are spoilers. Just a warning.

Disclaimer: I don't own Baten Kaitos or it's characters. And there are no OC's in this fic for me to claim, so that makes it a bit easier.

So... here we go. Bonzai...

Amethyst and Ruby

Chapter I: All Kinds

… A wedding?

Lyude looked the invitation over again. It had not changed since the last time he looked at it. Or since the time before that. Or the time before that. The point is, that it still told him, quite cheerfully for a piece of stiff paper, colored the kind of pink that could fry one's optic nerves in about two seconds, to come to Wazn to celebrate the Ice Queen's marriage to Kalas.

That was fast. Thought Lyude, looking back down at the invitation. He looked out the window again, feeling somewhat depressed. Kalas and Xelha must be happy. They had found their soul mates. Hooray.

Lyude had not been surprised by the news. One did not have to travel with the pair for very long to realize that Kalas and Xelha were very close. Lyude had traveled with them for a very long time, and knew them both very well. At first it had seemed that Xelha had like Kalas, but he did not return the feelings for her. In fact, it seemed as if he was completely oblivious to Xelha's obvious feelings for him. Then came various disasters, after which Kalas had finally sort of shown that he had some feelings for Xelha. And when they were all saying goodbye to his Guardian, and Xelha had miraculously come back from the dead, it was a little more than obvious that they had strong feelings for one another. One generally did not embrace someone they disliked.

Lyude sighed. He looked out the window of the airship at the vast blue of the Ocean below. He really did not see what was so great about it. It was just a big puddle, with a really big fish in it. A lot of trouble and a lot of lives wreaked or lost for a large tub of salt water. Lyude had only been out on the Ocean in a prototype boat once since the islands had fallen to the Earth. He decided right then and there that he did not like sailing.

He sighed heavily again. "Something the matter, sir?" asked a voice. Lyude looked over at the ship's pilot, a tall man in an Imperial uniform. He had his hands on the great wheel, but he was looking over at Lyude.

"It's nothing," said Lyude, shifting position in his seat, "Don't trouble yourself with it." That was the disadvantage of being the only passenger on the airship: the pilot paid actual attention to him. Right when he wanted to be left alone.

The pilot said nothing, and simply returned his gaze to what was in front of him and his ship. Lyude looked back out the window, trying to find something to look at. There were only clouds and the Ocean. He tired to think of something cheerful. Well, he would see his friends again, and there would be a celebration. Who did not like parties? Parties were always fun.

And Savyna would be there…

He shook his head to dislodge the thought, bright red hair swinging. She would not care for him. He was seven years younger than she was. She was Lady Death, and he had been an exiled Imperial soldier. She had never expressed interest in him, and he never worked up the courage to tell her his feelings for her.

Oh well… the sooner he arrived at Wazn, the better.

Far off from Lyude's airship, Savyna, at that very moment, was sitting in a similar airship, bound from Anuenue to Wazn. She held an invitation identical to Lyude's, giving the same message. She had mixed feelings about this. While she was glad that Kalas and Xelha were going through with this, but she disliked parties. She was not exactly what one would call a people-person. And crowds made her irritable. So much in fact that just the speculation of being in a crowd made her cranky. She tapped her foot impatiently, wanting nothing more than to get off.

Savyna did not dislike flying. She did not however, like public airship systems. First, there was the security. Ugh… airship security. Long lines… Various gizmos and magicians checking people and luggage Magnus… People with the nerve to ask her who she was even after she had helped to save the whole dang world. Then it took an impossibly long time for the airship and its crew to get ready, and herd the passengers off to make way for the ones going the other way…. It was about as exciting as watching grass grow, and slightly less efficient. At least the grass kept growing.

Savyna stared out the window, trying to ignore the man sitting next to her, babbling about something or other. Her face was expressionless, and she kept her thoughts to herself. She wondered who else was going to the wedding? Probably the rest of the motley crew; Gibari, Lyude, and Mizuti. She did not know who else would be there. She shrugged to herself; it did not really matter, not right now anyway. She would find out eventually.

Right now she just wanted to get the hell of the airship.

As Lyude got off of the airship, he realized that he should have brought a warm coat. It was positively freezing, but then in retrospect, he should have gotten a warm coat just because he knew he was coming to Wazn, the great Ice Cube in the sea. He shivered as the airship he had just gotten off of started to fly away from the port, the pilot clearly intent on going someplace other than Cursa. Lucky man, Lyude thought, He doesn't have to freeze to death attending a friend's wedding.

"Heya," said a voice Lyude recognized, "How was the trip?"

Lyude turned to see Gibari, grinning happily as he ran up to the Imperial. "It could have been better," said Lyude, somewhat dismissively, while wondering, not for the first time, how Gibari could run around Wazn without a shirt on and not freeze to death. Or at least go without getting frost bite, or even frost nip for that matter. In fact, frost just seemed to get bored with Gibari, get up, and walk away.

"I'm sure it wasn't that bad," said Gibari, still grinning broadly, "Sometime I'll have to take you, and everyone else on a real airship. Just for the hell of it, what'd ya think?"

Lyude shrugged and said nothing. Gibari slapped Lyude on the back, in what was supposed to be a friendly, firm pat. It almost broke poor Lyude's back. "Oh… sorry Lyude," said Gibari, as Lyude lay sprawled on the ice, groaning a little, "Don't know my own strength," said Gibari, flexing an arm, "Ya know?"

"I can tell…" said Lyude miserably.

"Here," said Gibari, offering the soldier a large hand. Lyude took it and stood up, hoping he would not slip on the ice and fall, again.

"Who else is here?" Lyude asked, rubbing his back where the great fisherman had slapped him.

"Let's see…" started Gibari, "There's you, me, Mizuti…"

"Is Savyna here?" asked Lyude quickly. As the wide grin split Gibari's face, Lyude knew he should have just kept his mouth shut.

"Someone's got the hots for Lady Death," said Gibari, rather immaturely, "No, she ain't here. But I'm sure you're more than willing to wait for her."

"In this cold?" said Lyude, wishing that his uniform was made for extreme cold, and not for the extreme heat of his homeland, "You must be joking."

"Ain't that what lovers do for each other?" teased Gibari, "Wait for each other in any weather, for forever? Oh, we might just have a double wedding if you're lucky enough!"

Lyude sighed, "Gibari, I'm not in the mood for this…" he said, clearly very tired.

Gibari shrugged, "Fine with me," he said, "I won't tell." He added with a wink. Then the big fisherman turned on his heel and walked off in the direction of the palace, whistling a tuneless, cheerful tune, if such a thing is possible.

Why, oh why me? Thought Lyude dully, as he followed Gibari up to the palace, where Lyude assumed he would stay until the happy day of the wedding.

Two hours later, Savyna stepped off the airship as soon as it had landed at Cursa's port. The cold fresh air felt wonderful to her. Cool and refreshing after being packed onto the airship.

Just as Gibari came to greet Lyude at the port, Mizuti came to greet Savyna. "Hullo!" said the wizard, as she walked up to Savyna, waving an arm enthusiastically in greeting. 'Walked' is used only loosely, as Mizuti was actually hovering about three inches off the ground, as she always had. "How be you Savyna?" asked the gravity-defying sorceress.

"Good enough," said Savyna simply.

"You be excited Savyna?" said Mizuti happily, her now mask less face splitting into a happy smile, "There going to be big party! The Great Mizuti loves parties! Parties be lots of fun! Enjoyable! Entertaining! Delightful!" Mizuti cocked her head to one side, "Does Savyna like parties?" she asked.

Savyna shook her head, "Not really," the huntress admitted, "I've never been big on parties."

The Great Mizuti frowned, "Aw… Savyna no fun," she said, "The Great Mizuti love parties! Always lots of food!"

Savyna shrugged, "It takes all kinds," she said simply.

Note: This is a chapter fic, so I won't be meeting all the conditions right now. I'll just make you wait. He he...

Now, I desperately need reviews, particularly as I've never ever done Romance/Humor before. As with anything I write, I'll take anything. Good reviews, bad reviews, even flames. If I get enough flames/bad reviews I can surrender without shame. If I get good reviews I'll go on. Which would be nice...