Title: Happily Ever After
Chapter: Icy Resort
Author: Raserei Hojo
Summary: FF Crossover. When you die, you're not really gone. In separate worlds, two men died. They were brought together in the darkness and a friendship began to grow. In an attempt to see an opera, magic is used, and witchcraft is called.
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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The inside of the ice cavern was really quite beautiful—translucent icicles hung from the ceiling and spurted artistically from the blue hued walls while the soft glimmer of light reflected this way and that. The light cast images that the two travelers would have found intriguing, had they not been freezing to near-death.
Kuja couldn't control his shivering at all. His entire body felt like it was being burned by fire. He sort of wished that it was true, currently preferring the heat to the cold. "C-Can't we just find a nice, m-mild… place to t-travel through?"
Sephiroth didn't answer.
Shaking his head and tightly hugging himself, Kuja lead the way forward. "It seems much longer than… than I remember." He glanced up at Sephiroth, who seemed to be unaffected by the cold. "Aren't you cold… a-at all?"
"Of course I am." Sephiroth shrugged and then slithered out of his trench coat. "But here, you're much colder than I am." He draped the coat over Kuja's shoulders. "I can live with a cotton shirt… You said it only took twenty minutes to get through the cave, right?"
Kuja pulled the coat closer to his body, sighing in relief as the warmth enveloped his body. "It was supposed to be only a twenty minute walk. I think an hour has passed."
Pointing ahead of them, Sephiroth directed Kuja's attention to the upcoming indoor blizzard. "Anything you can do about that?"
"I'm afraid not. I can't counter natural weather."
"Natural? It's snowing inside of a cavern, Kuja."
Kuja rolled his eyes. "Am I rubbing off on you?"
"Maybe. After I get my trench coat back, we'll see if you really are rubbi—" Sephiroth came to a sudden halt. "I…heard something."
Kuja's heart sank. "Don't stop, keep walking. Walk as fast as you can." He forced his frozen legs to run up ahead, into the blizzard.
"It's not like we can die…Right?" Sephiroth couldn't help but wonder what happened to people who died without having their soul destroyed. Was it possible to die still? He hated not knowing.
"Sephiroth!"
"I'm coming!" Sephiroth took a step forward and staggered. "Maybe not…" The sound of the bell ringing ricocheted off the walls of the cavern as he pressed the palm of his hand against his forehead. "I feel…sort of dizzy…"
"Come on, Sephiroth! Stop thinking about the situation and move! You'll die if you just stand there! Hurry up!" Kuja bit his lip, growing nervous. Sephiroth had never shown any weakness before, why was he showing it now? "Please! Don't you want your coat back?" He took a step towards Sephiroth.
Sephiroth understood what Kuja was saying, but he couldn't bring his body to move at all. All of his energy seemed to have drained completely away, and he was so tired… And he wanted to know why. The answer soon came to him.
A sleeping spell…Not even a normal one, but something…inhuman.
The bell rang again, this time more clearly and much more distinct. The harsh winds of the blizzard faded until all he could hear was the soft ringing of the bell and Kuja's muffled voice. He briefly felt himself collapse to his knees and fall forward into the snow, blacking out.
Panic swept over Kuja like a tidal wave. His protector had just passed out in the snow, and he was now alone, vulnerable to any attacks from anyone.
"Damn that bell! Damn that stupid Black Waltz!" He stared helplessly at Sephiroth from behind the blizzard. "He'll freeze… I don't want to take the chance of him dying again… But if I go any closer, I'll pass out too… Then we'll both die, or whatever happens to be when they die a second time." He slowly turned towards the path out of the cavern.
Curling his hands into fists, he gathered his broken courage and walked down the path. As he walked into the cavern that his first Black Waltz had always dwelt in, the trench coat fell from his shoulders and settled into the snow as he came to a stop.
Indeed, Black Waltz I was there, perched atop the highest ledge, staring down at him with gleaming yellow eyes.
I made it… I can break it. Kuja took a breath and held his head high. He resumed walking towards his creation and stopped only when he was under it. "I thought you would be here, Black Waltz."
The Black Waltz stayed silent, watching Kuja, never taking its gaze from him. Its eyes seemed to narrow as its gloved hand curled around the wooden staff it possessed.
"Answer me!" Kuja called. The silence made him feel uneasy. "I order you to speak!"
Refusing Kuja's orders for the moment, Black Waltz I hopped down to the lower ledge.
Kuja took a step back. He had made it pitifully weak, so…
Why am I so afraid…? Is it because… he's not with me? I mean, I can handle this on my own, I don't need anybody else. I've become dependant on him, haven't I?
"Kuja, breed of the silver-haired Genomes, seventh Genome created, first Genome to be given a soul."
Kuja forced out a laugh and placed his hands on his hips. "Thanks for the report, glad you still remember me. Now I order you to stop the blizzard this instant, before you're in pain." He narrowed his eyes and scowled for the full effect. He would seriously murder the Black Waltz if anything happened to Sephiroth.
"My Master wishes for me to destroy all Silver Breed Genomes." It pointed its staff at Kuja menacingly. "You're the only Silver Breed Genome in this world."
"And just who is your master, Black Waltz?"
"I am afraid that the information is not available to a lowly Genome such as yourself." Black Waltz I jabbed at Kuja with its staff, taunting him. "My orders are as my Master states, and that is to take you out. To wipe you completely from existence. To make sure you're never reincarnated as anything."
"So this 'Master' of yours…reprogrammed you. I'm not surprised, anyone with a bit of knowledge of technology and how it works could have done it." Unfortunately, that didn't narrow it down very much, and he had absolutely no idea who was in the World of the Dead. A few names came to mind, one in particular…
The Black Waltz readied its staff and began a spell.
It was a simple, normal spell. One that Kuja had seen that prototype "Vivi" cast before.
It was a Death spell.
The dark circle appeared in front of Kuja. His heart nearly stopped. The blood in his veins ran even colder, and Kuja knew his face was paling. The skeleton rose, scythe in hand, clothed in the Grim Reaper's black robe. It rose the scythe, and Kuja stopped breathing.
"Kill!" Shouted Black Waltz I.
As the scythe came down, he could feel the remaining "life" his body held being drained from him. The lack of energy forced him to his knees, and he stared with blurry vision at the golden bell. He reached out to snatch it.
But the Black Waltz pulled it away as the Grim Reaper vanished. It ran its gloved hands over the bell protectively as a mother would to her child. "You may not die, but you're weak enough to pass out."
"Give me the bell."
The Black Waltz tossed his golden bell into the air and caught it with both hands. Then, holding it by the handle, raised it above Kuja's head. If it had a face, Kuja swore it would be smiling. He didn't remember ever programming such cold emotions into that thing.
"Give me the bell!" Kuja lunged at his old creation, pinning it to the ground. But his minute weight wasn't enough to keep it there. Black Waltz I threw him off and gathered energy into the palm of its hand.
"I do believe you said you were cold?" It laughed a laugh that could make the hair rise on the back of someone's neck. "How about a little fire to warm you up?"
Kuja scowled. Sarcasm. Now I'm positive someone's completely reprogrammed my Mage.
It hurled the fireball at Kuja, and without any shield or protection, he took it full blast.
The fire burned his clothes and his skin, but he quickly managed to pat out any flames before they grew too large. He vaguely realized that he would have to get yet another set of clothes he hated.
Breathing hard and exhausted from the Death spell still, Kuja struggled, rising to his feet. "Okay, I'm through playing games with you. You're not keeping that bell any longer." He didn't care how cold he was. Gathering the energy for a magic attack, he felt his arm go numb, which truly didn't surprise him. With a graceful twirl and flick of his wrist, the Blizzaga spell shot from his fingertips.
Barely harming the Black Waltz by grazing its side, it merely laughed at him. "What lovely aim you have! Please, make sure that your lover doesn't put any apples on his head for you to shoot at."
The bell in Black Waltz's hand had frozen solid though, and it cracked.
Kuja stared blankly at the mage, completely clueless as to whom it would be talking about. But… the only person that I even know here is… Se…phi…roth…?
"What are you implying?"
The Black Waltz, unaware of its frozen bell laughed again. "We've been watching you."
Oh, great, now that Shenter Sage freak has spies. Ugh… Hey wait a minute! What did it mean by… "lover"? I really do hope it's confused. Greatly. Because Sephiroth's waaaay too manly to be bisexual. Or gay. Why am I even thinking this? I really do hate that thing…
Kuja gathered another energy ball and hurled the blizzard spell at the bell, which prompty shattered. "That's what you get for gloating."
Instead of simply falling over, powerless without its bell, Black Waltz I vanished in a puff of plumb colored smoke.
"It's definitely not dead. But I can't worry about that now." He quickly picked up Sephiroth's trench coat and ran back towards the previous room, hugging the coat to his chest.
"Sephiroth!"
Sephiroth was kneeling in the snow, brushing the snowflakes out of his hair, looking completely confused and ignorant of what had just happened.
"Oh good…you're still here…Sephy."
Sephiroth's head snapped up. "…What?"
"Passing out just because of a little cold? Hah! Someone's gotten a bit weak, eh?"
Snatching his coat from Kuja's grip, Sephiroth put it back on and glared down at the Genome. "Shut up."
"Eh…?"
"Don't call me 'Sephy.' It's…not my name, okay?"
"Heheh. Yessir, Sephiroth." A fun new way for Kuja to annoy him. At least he wouldn't be bored anymore.
"You're like a child who calls her parent by their first name." Shaking his head, Sephiroth patted Kuja on the head and started walking towards the exit.
Kuja followed and bowed his head. Lover… Even if there was the possibility… I could never satisfy Sephiroth. Our personalities don't match… and I'm thinking about it again. I wasn't before… Dammit. I hate this! But he is very handsome… And I don't think Sephiroth even has an interest in women! How could he like me?
Oh, but if he doesn't like women, he must like men then. But… maybe he's one of those asexual creatures who doesn't want sex? Gah! I don't know! I'm getting much too in-depth for my taste. Sephiroth is my friend. Sephiroth is my friend. Sephiroth is my really handsome dashing prince…but still just my friend!
"Kuja?"
"Uhm… Yes, Seph…iroth?" I'll only encourage these thoughts if I give him a nickname!
"Can you believe…" Sephiroth gestured to the land outside of the cavern, "that there is a beach outside of the Ice Cavern."
"Oh, I can believe anything just about now."
Stepping out into the warm sunlight, Sephiroth and Kuja both sighed heavily with relief.
"Praise the beings that made this place!" Kuja nearly purred as he stepped forward.
Sephiroth looked around, examining the premises. His SOLDIER skills always seemed to take over…
"I've never been here myself… but I've heard of this place."
Kuja whirled around to face Sephiroth. "Really? Finally! A place from your world. I must say, I like this place much better than the Ice Cavern. It's not even too hot! There's shade, there's the ocean, there are some shops… If only we had money."
"I have money."
"You have money?" Kuja leaned in close to Sephiroth, eyeing him suspiciously.
"Well… I have my world's currency. I'm not sure if they'll take it. But hell, it could be worth more than the current currency. It's called Gil…"
"We used Gil too." Kuja tilted his head, pleased to make a discovery that connected him and Sephiroth in a strange sort of way. "So what is this beach called?"
"As the sign reads…" Sephiroth pointed to the sigh behind Kuja and three feet above him, "Costa De Sol."
"That's a pretty name."
"If you say so."
Kuja took Sephiroth by the hand and forcefully dragged him off. "Come on! I want to see the beach and then we can buy some new clothes!"
"H-Hey! I don't want to go to the beach! Let go!" He pulled away, but he wasn't particularly trying. Rolling his eyes, Sephiroth allowed himself to be dragged down the steps and towards the ocean.
"Last time I saw an ocean, it was at Wutai, during the war."
Kuja peered down at the water. "Were they good memories?"
After a moment, Sephiroth nodded. "Yes, I suppose they were good memories. But what about you? When was the last time you saw an ocean?"
"When I killed my sweet Canary's mother."
"Oh, homicide, was it?"
Kuja smiled wickedly. "No, it was actually genocide. A lot of genocide…. It was fun."
"Ah, yes, shedding the blood of millions can be very fun indeed. Blood can be shed just as easily as tears can be shed from a person… But blood is much easier to attain."
"…Mr. Poet."
"And I didn't even know it." Sephiroth laughed softly and looked around the beach. Kuja closely followed his gaze.
There was an awful lot of women in bikinis there… But thankfully, Sephiroth's gaze didn't linger too long on them. Not that Kuja minded, or so he told himself. Sephiroth's eyes landed on a man though, and his eyes grew wide and his skin paled considerably.
"Uhm… Sephiroth?"
"Pro…"
Lounging on a beach chair was a middle-aged man with greasy black hair and long nose. Thick lens glasses were perched on the tip of his nose as he moved his legs every now and then. He was surrounded by women, all of them in bikinis.
Kuja caught a bit of their conversation, something about "never taking his lab coat off, even in this heat!"
"Professor…Hojo… He's here…?"
"Who's this Professor Hojo?"
Sephiroth shook his head. "…No one important. I just… know him. He 'took care of' me when I was a child. Of course, it really wasn't care. It was more of 'sit down, shut up, and deal with the examination' kind of thing."
"I see. Well, let's go over and talk to him."
"No, I really don't want to…" Sephiroth turned and began to walk away.
Sulking for a moment, Kuja turned to the professor and took a deep breath.
"PROFESSOR HOJO! Sephiroth wants to talk to you!" After saying the name again, he thought he had heard Sephiroth introduce himself as 'Sephiroth Hojo'… but he could be wrong. Maybe his mind playing tricks on him again.
Sephiroth froze in place as Professor Hojo sat up and looked at Kuja and Sephiroth.
"My, my, my… My dear Sephiroth has returned! I'm surprised you lasted that long."
Kuja was determined to find out who this professor was to Sephiroth. And, if Sephiroth hated his guts, he would be more than willing to give the guy a few lightning bolts down the throat.
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Author's Note: Wow, sorry it took so long to update. I've been in a very depressed mood lately, especially with a member of the family whom I live with died. Known him all my life. But ANYWAYS, I hope you liked this chapter. I'm sorta fond of it, but I also think it sucks. So please, tell me your opinions in your reviews! I hope you enjoyed it!