Title: Happily Ever After
Chapter: Glimmer of Hope
Author: Raserei Hojo
Summary: FF Crossover. When you die, you're not really gone. In two separate worlds, two young men with different goals died. In the darkness, they meet. But, within a short amount of time, will their souls be erased from time as the law states?
Rating: T
Feedback: Very much so desired!
Story Warnings: Male/Male, shounen-ai
Pairings: Kuja/Sephiroth
Disclaimer: Any recognizable characters of Final Fantasy VII or Final Fantasy IX belong to Squaresoft. Any that are NOT recognizable belong to me. However, feel free to use them in any story you wish.

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"My feet hurt," the Genome complained, grumbling to himself as he stalked behind Sephiroth. "How long have we been walking anyway?"

"Only for a couple of hours." Sephiroth suspiciously eyed his younger companion. "Those boots must be uncomfortable. They look more suitable for a fashion show than for a hike in the wilderness."

Kuja glared icily. "Don't patronize me. And we're not in the wilderness. Do you see any tress? Any bushes? Animals? Didn't think so."

Sephiroth reached back and grabbed Kuja's arm. "Now look, piss me off." He shoved the man ahead of him. "Now keep walking and stop complaining. You're the one that offered to come anyway, so shut up already."

Pouting, Kuja crossed his arms over his chest and walked as he had been ordered to. "I don't feel safe with you walking behind me like that. Who knows what evil thoughts are going through your head right now?"

"Did you ever think that I might attempt to kill you if you don't shut up?"

"...No." Kuja swallowed dryly again. He had been doing this for quite some time, and it was bothering him.

Sephiroth sighed and shook his head. "Why did you want to come along anyway?"

Folding his hands behind his back, Kuja stretched and turned his head sideways. "I don't know. I thought it would be better than heading out alone. Anything could be out here and it's best that neither of us are alone. And besides, we're both headed to the same place, are we not?" His eyes softened as he turned to look ahead again. "We need to keep each other's morale up as well."

"I see."

"No you don't. You think it's funny."

"I don't believe I said that... Kuja, was it?"

Kuja sighed, frustrated. "Why do you keep forgetting my name? It's not like it's common, it should stick to the memory right away."

"That's why I can't remember it. It's very unique."

"And is that a compliment?"

"If you want it to be." Sephiroth shook his head and stared down at the cracked ground. "It's just that I've never taken a liking to 'unique things'. They've always been a bother."

Kuja kicked at a rock and missed. He huffed and walked faster, angry at the rock.

"It's not like it moved."

He blinked and spun around. "What?"

"The rock." Sephiroth pointed at the pebble Kuja had tried to kick. "It didn't move."

"Well, of course not! I missed when I kicked at it."

Sephiroth tilted his head. "I know. But you shouldn't get so mad. The rock didn't move, so it's not the reason you missed."

Kuja put his hands on his hips. "So then, what was the reason why I missed?"

Sephiroth shrugged. "Bad aim."

Growling, Kuja bent down and scooped up another rock. "I'll show you bad aim!" He wound his arm up and hurled the rock at the swordsman who simply leaned to the right and avoided the rock.

"Don't even say anything, Sephiroth."

Sephiroth held up his hands in consent.

"Not even a word."

"Right. Not a word." Sephiroth stretched and rested a hand on the hilt of the Masamune. "Not a single word."

Kuja suspiciously eyed the sword before turning his back towards Sephiroth again. "Good."

For a few more excruciating hours, the duo continued to walk forward. Kuja grew impatient, and Sephiroth grew annoyed.

"When are we going to get to some civilization?" Kuja sighed and ran his fingers through his hair again. "This isn't fair."

"We'll get there when we get there. Or maybe we're expected to walk around this wasteland for the rest of our undead lives."

"We're not vampires you know."

"Well, you're not. I on the other hand..."

Kuja stopped in his tracks and stared wide-eyed ahead. "What?"

"Kidding, kidding. You don't have to get so shocked every time I say something."

"Will you quit joking around?"

Sephiroth crossed his arms over his chest and leaned forward. "Once I feel you're trying hard not to pester me, then I will leave you alone."

Smiling a vampiric smile, he straightened and stood stiff. Still smiling, he examined Kuja for the umpteenth time.

Tilting his head back at the swordsman, Kuja frowned. "Stop that. It makes you seem like you really are a vampire."

Sephiroth shrugged and marched ahead of Kuja. "Come on, I think I see some buildings in the distance."

Kuja hurried after the tall man. "Do you really?"

"Yes. I'm taller than you, and I hope those misty objects are buildings."

Pausing to stand on tip toes, Kuja rose an inch higher off the ground. He squinted his eyes and focused ahead. "But Sephiroth, I don't see anything."

Sephiroth rose a brow and peered back at Kuja. "An inch or two isn't going to help. You'd need to be more like a foot taller."

"You're not that tall."

"I'm a good head taller than you. Are all of your people that short?"

"I am not short! You're just inhumanly tall. What are you anyway, six feet tall?"

"No."

"...Well, how tall are you?"

Sephiroth frowned at Kuja's curiosity. There was simply too much curiosity contained in that man, it couldn't be healthy. "Six feet and an inch."

"One inch off. I see."

"Yes..." Sephiroth continued forward, sensing the presence of what he hoped to be other people. He glanced back at Kuja who seemed to be full of new energy. "What's got you so excited?"

"A few miles ahead could be a city! A city full of people and houses and baths..."

"What makes you think they'll welcome us with open arms?"

"..."

"What makes you think what I see is even a city? It could be a garbage dump or something."

"Way to lighten the mood... Wait, if there was a garbage pile there, that would mean people live there!"

"No, that just means that people lived here at one point in time. It doesn't mean that they still do."

"You're not very optimistic are you?"

"It's hard to be that way after you've been through too many wars." Sephiroth shook his head and continued walking, now at a faster pace. "When you've seen so many people die, you sort of lose hope for anything else."

"You were in the army?"

"You could say that. We called it SOLDIER. It was where only the elite fought. The rest were sent to Shinra's lower ranks, most likely never to enter battle. I envy them."

Kuja bit his lip and pushed harder, trying to get Sephiroth to present him with further information. "So you were in SOLDIER then?"

Sephiroth nodded. "Yes, I was. I was the general of it. They used to call me "The Great Sephiroth". I'm not so great now, am I, at least not now that I'm dead."

Kuja crossed his arms over his chest, hope rising in his chest as he saw the shapes in the distance grow larger as they neared them. "Did you ever... kill someone? With your own hands?"

"I told you when I first met you; blood has covered the Masamune many times."

"And yet it doesn't stain?"

"It doesn't stain at all." He unsheathed his Masamune, ignoring the breath of surprise Kuja drew. "I killed a girl with this sword. Her name was Aeris. She was supposedly the last remaining Ancient."

"Why would you kill off the last of the Ancients? That's a species, right?"

"You're full of questions, aren't you?"

"Well, we ought to know more about each other."

"Why? I doubt we'll be together for long. Once we get to the city, then I'll be rid of you."

Kuja ignore the last comment. " 'Once we get to the city'? My, my, my, we now believe in the city, I see."

"So?"

Kuja sighed and shook his head. "Never mind."

"It's a city. I can tell."

"Really!"

Sephiroth nodded. "Yes." He blinked and watched as Kuja sped off towards the city. "Wait! Where are you going? Get back here!" He sighed in exasperation and ran after Kuja.