Title: Fire and Chronos

Author: pikachucranstongirl

Story Category: Baten Kaitos

Rating: Teen

Disclaimer: I don't own the Baten Kaitos universe. Title comes from Barry Manilow's Can't Smile Without You…I don't own that either.

Main Character: Lyude

Pairing: Lyude/OC, Lyuvann/Almarde (mentioned), Kalas/Xelha, Gibari/Savyna…

Generation: Eternal Wings and The Lost Ocean

Summary: As a reward for Lyude's help for restoring the ocean to the world, the Great Whale decides to physically bring his soul mate to the Baten Kaitos world...

Chapter 2

"Gibari, would you just tell me what you and Kalas are up to!" Lyude protested as Gibari and Kalas carried him into Dr. Larikush's clinic hogtied like an elderly pig gone to the slaughterhouse, wearing a blindfold which made the former soldier look absolutely ridiculous. Kalas quickly raised a finger to his lips to signal to Myst that he didn't want her to alert Lyude to his whereabouts. The two dumped him unceremoniously on the dirt floor, making a cloud of dust mushroom up and forcing Lyude to cough. "Very funny, you two. I suppose you've brought me back to Diadem?" Lyude asked before Kalas yanked off the blindfold. "Kalas, I ought to..."

"Take a good look around, kid...and you'll see why we brought you here." Gibari cautioned as he looked at Myst. Myst was sitting up and reading a scroll. While Larikush was unsure on whether or not it was safe for her to get up, he had asked her to remain in bed. She had no choice but to follow the good doctor's orders, wondering when Kalas would tell Lyude that she was awake and to come to see her. Now that she had seen the way Lyude was being told, she wasn't amused in the slightest. Glaring at Kalas, she rolled her eyes.

"Myst, you're awake!" Lyude exclaimed, getting up and sitting on the bed.

"You guys could have done without the theatrics, you know." Myst commented with a frown. Both Kalas and Gibari shrugged and left the clinic. "When I asked Kalas to tell you that I was awake, I didn't imagine it to be like this." Lyude laughed as she looked at him.

"They were probably wanting to have a joke played on me." Myst shrugged as he took her hands in his. "Things are changing, Myst, hopefully for the better this time. Lord Rodolfo has pledged to be more cautious to who he has visiting him in the future."

"I doubt he'll actually do so." Lyude's eyes crinkled when he smiled.

"King Ladekahn won't be so gullible next time, either." Myst raised her eyebrow. That was actually something that Myst believed. The king had believed that the Empire followed a code of ethics when he had stepped forward and had easily given them a letter to give Corellia to get her to join their cause.

"I believe that." She said with a smile.

"So, you're up." Lyude stated, surprised as he sat down on the edge of the bed. "How much do you remember before you blanked out, Myst?" She looked up, surprised herself.

"What do you mean, Lyude?" She asked in return.

"You told me that you loved me before you fell asleep. What I want to know is if you meant it. Did you mean it?" Lyude asked, biting his lip. His red eyes searched the depths of her blue irises. 'Please mean it…" Lyude thought to himself.

"Yes, I meant it." She admitted after a moment of silence. "Lyude…" Lyude leaned forward and captured her lips in a passionate kiss. When he pulled away, she grabbed his shirt and brought his head closer so that she could kiss him. There was no mistaking what was between them this time.

"Now I know how my father felt when he met Almarde…my mother." Lyude whispered, referring to the woman who, after bearing Lyude, became his nursemaid to protect the secret of his parentage. "Lyuvann couldn't live without her and I can't live without you." He admitted, gently resting his forehead against hers.

"Then don't." She whispered back. "You see what nobody else sees in me, Lyude. I finally feel visible for the first time in my life." Lyude looked down at the blanket before looking up at her.

"Then those guys were fools for not seeing you as you truly are…" He shook his head as his eyes once again fell on the blanket. "Now that I've found you, I don't plan on living without you now…" Lyude got on bended knee and nervously bit his lip before taking her hand in his. "Myst, I love you…and I would feel like the luckiest man in the world if you would become my wife."

Myst tilted her head as the thought ran through her mind. The opportunity to wake up next to the man that she loved, bearing his children, spending the rest of her life with Lyude. She couldn't imagine another woman in her place agreeing to his proposal. "Yes." She answered, her mind still spinning. Lyude grinned and hugged her. "I love you too, Lyude." He kissed her before leaving.

Melodia came to visit and told Myst what was happening in Alfard. "That's great, Melodia." Myst replied. She was thinking about her impending wedding to Lyude and how in her mind they already were.

"You're not paying attention are you?" Melodia asked impatiently.

"No. Melodia, Lyude has asked me to marry him." Melodia seemed to cheer up instantly at the news that Myst gave her. Myst guessed that the young woman was glad for her new friend getting what she had wanted.

"Come with me to Mira!" Melodia suggested.

"Why?" Myst asked with confusion.

"Because I want you to play dress up." Melodia replied right before she giggled at Myst's face. Myst hated to play dress up for anyone - including her father. "And because you and Xelha believed in me from the beginning. I want to repay the favor." They returned to Mira where Melodia currently lived with her adopted grandfather, the Duke of Calbren. Melodia had accumulated a lot of fabric and wanted to create a trousseau for Myst. Myst agreed, but asked that she be able to design her own wedding gown.

She set aside white satin, white flowery lace and white tulle. On a second thought, she put the white tulle away. While the dresses were made, Myst told Melodia of the traditions of her people. "They're a strange lot." Melodia observed.

"I like the tradition that says the bridegroom may not see the dress until the day of." Myst murmured with a grin.

"Yeah, I like it too, that makes sense. As odd as this may seem, I like your wedding dress that you designed." Melodia added with a smile.

"Thanks." Myst replied. "And thanks for this, Melodia."

"No problem…did your father ever meet my mother?" Melodia was curious about her parents and Myst couldn't find it in herself to blame the young woman for it.

"Milliarde, or rather Milly as she was called later on…was like you. Sheltered, spoiled and later on, she betrayed your father but made up for it by sticking by him in the hard times." Melodia looked down at the floor. "Melodia…it's okay. We all make mistakes."

"Right…" Melodia muttered to herself.

Meanwhile in Sadal Suud, Lyude was looking around for his fiancée. "Where is she?" Lyude asked Xelha. He was worried about her. Even though Dr. Larikush had given her a clean bill of health, like Kalas with Xelha, Lyude was loathe to let Myst out of his sight in case if anything ever happened to her again.

"She and Melodia went to Mira. They were planning a surprise, I guess." Lyude relaxed his features at Xelha's answer. "She'll be okay."

"She better be." Lyude sank into a chair as he muttered that. He thought of Vallye and Skeed, his siblings and wondered if there was a chance of Myst not minding if he named a couple of their kids after his siblings. "When do you think that she'll be back?" Lyude asked.

"They didn't say." Kalas offered.

Back at the Duke of Calbren's Manor:

"Is it another custom to wear so much white?" Melodia asked. Myst laughed as she smoothed the skirts of her wedding dress.

"Yes. Do you think that Lyude will like it?" Melodia tilted her head and considered the dress as she thought.

"Hmm…hard to say since I'm not Lyude." She quipped. Myst rolled her eyes. "But I think he will because you look really pretty in it." A quick knock sounded on the door. "Keep out!" Melodia yelled in panic. Myst pressed her lips together in amusement.

"It's just Savyna, Mizuti and I." Xelha's voice pleaded. "The boys are spending time with King Ladekahn, Queen Corellia and your grandfather, Melodia."

"Come in, then." Melodia invited. Xelha came in, Savyna and Mizuti right behind her."So what do you girls think?" Melodia asked.

"Lyude's going to love it and if on the slightest chance he doesn't, I'll clean his clock for you." Savyna declared with a wry grin. Mizuti and Xelha nodded in agreement, smiles on their faces as well. Melodia was looking at the dress, trying to think of ways to complete the ensemble.

"What was that rhyme you taught me, Myst? 'Something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue'…well your dress is new, so something old would be…" Melodia commented.

"Would be my locket and earrings set. My great - great grandfather had it made for my great - great grandmother for their wedding day." She crossed over to the satchel that she had made and grabbed the container out of one of the pockets. The necklace was a simple gold chain with a gold heart - shaped locket with a small diamond in the center and the earrings were drop earrings with a single diamond at the end. "It's the only thing I have left of my family."

"You were wearing these when you came." Xelha observed. Myst nodded as she set the container by the dress.

"Something borrowed…I'm debating on letting you keep it outside of the wedding." Savyna held out a bracelet that didn't match her set, but seemed to compliment the set perfectly. "My father gave it to me."

"Shanath…" Her eyes looked down at the floor.

"How did you know my father's name?" Savyna gasped. "Myst…" she started again after a period of silence had fallen.

"My father was guardian spirit to Melodia's father. It hurt my father to tell Sagi to let Shanath rot but when the only alternative was to let Sagi kill Shanath in front of you…" Myst started to cry. Savyna hugged her.

"My father's death was not your fault, nor was it your father's. My father made his own choices, Myst and your father led Sagi to make his." Savyna whispered into her ear. "I do not blame you."

"But you were deprived of your father…" Myst protested.

"If he had lived, I doubt he would approve of my choice of guys." Everyone laughed, as they all knew that Savyna was right due to the rule of pure-bloods couldn't marry outside the empire. "I want you to wear this when you marry Lyude. Please." Savyna rarely said please, due to her childhood upbringing.

"Fine. I'll wear it for you, Savyna."

"Thank you, Myst. If you ever tell Lyude that I said this, I will kick your butt…but I think of him as the younger brother I never had." Again, they all laughed.

"I swear that I'll take that comment to my grave." Myst solemnly promised after finishing her bout of laughter. Savyna smiled as she set the bracelet next to the container that held Myst's jewelry.

"So…back to business. What about something blue?" Savyna asked. Melodia looked amongst the various ribbons sitting on her bed.

"I don't think deep blue's the answer." Melodia mumbled.

"Baby blue! That will work, Melodia." Myst pointed out the pale blue spool of ribbon and Melodia grabbed it. She held it against the dress while Myst thought. "We'll use it as a sash for my waist." Myst carefully measured it while a servant sewed it on. Savyna smiled again. Myst stepped out of the dress and slipped it back on the mannequin.

"That's perfect." Melodia agreed. "Now, I think that Lyude's waited long enough to see you now…so…" Myst took a deep breath as she slipped her dress on, the one she'd been wearing when she arrived.

Author's note: I hope I got everyone right in this chapter! Please read and review. Criticism is welcome.