Title: Happily Ever After
Chapter: Convincing Ways
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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"Hojo, have you found them?" His slim finger pressed the video accept button, and Hojo's face appeared in four of the nine screens.
"Yes, Sage Shenter. They're in Costa de Sol."
Shenter smiled. "Well done, Professor Hojo. I want you to lure Sephiroth away from Kuja. If they're together, they'll probably overpower you and the Sage I'm sending."
"Very well. But, if I may ask, how am I to lure Sephiroth away from that Genome? They're attached at the hip, it seems."
Shenter's hand crept towards his face to cup it as he thought. "The Sage I'm going to send will bring you the Masamune. Sephiroth adores that sword, doesn't he?"
Hojo smiled as well. "Yes… He does."
"Don't fail this mission, Hojo. This is your final chance to prove yourself."
---
"Alright," he spoke softly, dropping his voice. "I'm lying."
"Stop mocking me." Sephiroth's hands curled into fists at his sides, smooth flesh without the leather gloves. "Did you plan this? Did you somehow talk to Kuja before? Tell him about me, the things wrong with me? How I'm a freak?"
Hojo chuckled and shook his head. "I haven't spoke with the boy yet, you needn't be so upset. If you are upset though, talk with Kuja. Go after him."
Cocking his head to the side, Sephiroth frowned. "No. If the little bastard wants to leave without me, he can go ahead and leave." He took a breath to steady himself, then turned his gaze back to Hojo. "I don't need him."
"Yes, 'I don't need him. I don't need anyone!' Is that were you going to say?"
"Shut up," he spat.
"Come with me." Hojo beckoned Sephiroth towards him with a white, bony finger, then gestured towards the library's exit. "I have a present for you."
Intrigued, Sephiroth took a cautious step towards him, forgetting for the moment that this dangerous man—this skinny, greasy haired man was the man he hated more than anyone.
No, no, that wasn't right. There was someone else he hated more than Hojo now. He would never forgive Kuja for abandoning him like that. Shaking his head to clear the vexing thoughts, he took another step. "What's the present? My death? Another experiment?"
"Stop being so morbid, Sephiroth." Hojo smiled, a strange, crooked smile, and turned. "Now are you coming or not?" He walked towards the exit, knowing Sephiroth would come. After all, with the syringes full of Jenova's cells, and his Masamune waiting for him outside, how could his body resist?
"Psh, shouldn't it be Komm mit mich, or something like that?"
"Bitter, bitter, bitter."
"Shut up, you worthless old man!" He exhaled angrily and stalked after Hojo.
Obediently being the predictable son he knew. Just like a child sitting in front of a pile of candy, unable to resist the urge to eat it, no matter how many times their parents have told them not to. Hojo laughed, tightly hugging his sides as he walked.
Sephiroth followed, rubbing his right hand over his left, deeply missing his black leather gloves. It just didn't feel right to be walking around without them. Why don't I have them on anyway—Oh…I was worried about Kuja. Stupid… Stupid… WORTHLESS brat…
"This is Maximilion, one of the Sages." Hojo gestured to the silver haired boy. He was tightly grasping the hilt of the Masamune as if would vanish if he let go, and his deep blue eyes were piercing into Sephiroth's green ones. It almost looked as if he didn't want to be there…
"My sword." Sephiroth tentatively reached out for it, his fingers slightly spread. "Give it to me."
And drawn by Sephiroth's will, the Masamune ripped itself from Max's grip and the hilt shoved itself into Sephiroth's left hand.
"So, it's true," Max smiled. "The Great Sephiroth's sword really does only heed…you."
"What did you do to my sword?"
Max shook his head. "Nothing. I was told to bring it here and so I did. The sheathe is there on the ground. Now then, Professor Hojo?"
Sephiroth and Max both turned their gaze on the older man.
"Well…! Sage Max, your job is finished. You may go back."
Max nodded, but didn't move.
"And Sephiroth…You were looking up information on Jenova, correct?"
"Yes… I was." Sephiroth gingerly took the sheathe from the sand and brushed the dust away. In a single, graceful sweep, he slid the gleaming blade of the Masamune into its home and attached it at his waist. The extra weight just made him feel right. It made him feel whole to have his sword back again, the only thing he had left.
"If you come with me, I can tell you all you want to know about your mother." Hojo smiled that crooked grin of his. "How does that sound? You can reunite yourself with Mother Dearest and be happy. You can rid yourself of the little brat forever."
"Look, I don't need you talking to me like I'm two! Just…Just take me wherever Jenova is. Give me the information I want, and just leave me alone with her." I don't know what I'll do alone, but it's better than being with a traitor.
"Good. Come to the airship with me, then." He roughly grabbed Sephiroth's wrist and harshly dragged him along.
Sephiroth didn't object, but he clearly wasn't happy about it.
Max silently watched them go. "…It isn't right. I know Kuja cares… and I know he'll be heartbroken if he finds Sephiroth isn't there."
Going against Shenter's orders was very… Well, no one has ever stayed in the World of the Dead for much longer after that.
---
Kuja stared at all of the choices of fine wines, most of which he had never heard of before. He had to admit that the bottles at least were beautiful—especially the blue ones with an elegant design that Kuja would buy it just to keep the bottle. Red wines and white wines, and even a strange blue colored wine that was high in alcohol. He couldn't very well go back drunk.
"They're all so high in alcohol content… I just want a good tasting one." He sighed heavily and rested his chin in his hands. "I never knew that choosing a good bottle of wine would be so hard."
Another sigh as he pulled out the stolen Shin-Ra card. Flipping it over in his hands, he prayed that Sephiroth wouldn't mind. After all, Sephiroth suggested that they drink some wine, Sephiroth was all that was on his mind, and Sephiroth was the one who encouraged him to be even more assertive and to do things bravely, by himself. So it was Sephiroth's fault!
"Well, maybe it isn't Sephiroth's fault… But still, I'm thinking about him while I choose the wine!" Kuja angrily shook his head. "I want some fun too, though. I could not drink and get him drunk. If he does get drunk… I'm probably not a very graceful drunk… I've never even had more than two glasses of wine."
"Sir? Are you ready to choose yet?"
Nearly startling, Kuja turned and looked at the young saleswoman. She couldn't tell that Kuja was Kuja at all because again, Kuja had taken the initiative and dyed his hair black, bought some new clothes and his tail was hidden neatly away. A very different looking person indeed.
"Ah… Yes! I'll take that wine over there… The blue wine in the lovely blue bottle?" He had to act smartly—engage the saleswoman in a delightful conversation so she wouldn't take too much notice of the name. He kept her talking, making sure there wasn't more than a second of silence. She swiped the card while looking at Kuja the entire time.
"I'll need your signature then."
"Uhm…Right! Signature…"
Impending doom. He really felt stupid not knowing how to spell Sephiroth's name. His fingers tightly wrapped around the pen as his brain tried to function properly. 'Seff' didn't sound right, but he wasn't sure if it was 'Seph' either. He closed his eyes, trying to remember that nametag Sephiroth wore on his uniform. "Dammit!" Kuja clamped his mouth shut. "S-Sorry…!" He decided to write sloppily and hoped he spelled the name properly. In the end, he chose 'Sephiroth'. It was pretty, it looked right, and it was accepted.
Kuja quickly grabbed the bag with his wine and hugged it to his chest tightly, sighing heavily in relief. Dear God! This is scary…I'm never listening to Sephiroth again!
As he turned to go, he nearly dropped his bags on the floor. One of the Sages was approaching, one he had seen in that palace before, but that wasn't who scared him. It was the blonde boy with those bright, innocent blue eyes and lightly tanned skin that scared him.
No… Why is he in the World of the Dead? How did he die…?
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Author's Note: Most of you should know who the blonde boy is… Considering Kuja knows him. I know this chapter is a bit strange, but I really wanted to update faster than usual! I know that you all wait a month or two before I get off my lazy ass, so I really hoped you like it! Sephiroth's still a bit/very out of character, due to his obsession with Jenova. (For those of you who don't know, Sephiroth's part of the Reunion, and therefore drawn to parts of Jenova, who is in fact dead).