AN: I was trying out a new fandom and a new pairing to see how it would turn out. I hope you all enjoy it.

This story is slash, meaning male/male pairing. You have been warned. Read further of your own volition.

Once Upon A Time

Once upon a time, in the Kingdom of Midgar far far away, there lived a man named Vincent. He possessed locks of silky ebony and eyes of scarlet that would make anyone look twice at its beauty. Unfortunately Vincent hid all this away behind tangled and unruly long hair. He was simply not the same after the love of his life had left him to become a noblewoman years ago. He gave her everything and yet he was thrown away like nothing when she started pursuing his former employer. All of this eventually led him to the situation he was in now.

"Vincent where is my dress!!"

"I'm coming!" He answered back.

"Vincent where are my shoes!"

"I'm coming!"

"Vincent did you make our breakfast yet!"

"In a minute!" he said a bit more forceful than intended.

"Are you talking back to me?!" a short stout blond man grumbled as he entered the room where his adopted daughters and Vincent had been rummaging through the wardrobe. He flicked some of his cigar ash on the ground and Vincent sighed as he knew that he would be to clean it all up again.

"No of course not President Shinra." Vincent mumbled.

"Good" The man stated. "Don't forget who took you in after you were thrown onto the streets."

"Father what do you think?" Tifa asked as she swished a nearly neon green dress in front of her. "They say that the Baron of Corel will be visiting the city. I hope to make a good impression."

"You look like a troll!" Yuffie, her younger sister, stated. "The Baron wouldn't be impressed by that!" She was swishing around a blue gown with a low cut V-neck, that according to Vincent's mental assertion made her look like a prostitute. "If you got it, flaunt it!" Yuffie asserted. Tifa however narrowed her eyes before saying "You have gotta have it first you flat chested gremlin!"

"How dare you call me flat chested!"

"The Baron is mine!" Tifa shouted. "Go find your husband somewhere else you hussy!"

"Father!!" Yuffie whined. "Tifa called me a hussy!"

'And a gremlin......' Vincent's mind supplied as he watched President Shinra try and calm down the ladies. "Now now girls. I'm sure both of you will get a man of substantial pedigree." Shinra tried to sooth. Vincent just let out a sigh and made his way down to the kitchens to prepare breakfast. His stomach was rumbling as well and he swiftly went to work knowing that he could only start his own simple breakfast after the family had eaten.

Vincent's days passed like that for the most part. The ladies were more demanding when President Shinra was away on business trips and they would constantly remind him how unwanted he was. Vincent hid his emotions behind his hair which he had grown very long, past his shoulders. A red bandana used to pull his bangs away from his face but now he couldn't care less. The only woman he had loved had left him for his employer who then proceeded to fire him and blacklist him from all jobs as he felt that Vincent was a threat to his new relationship. He spent Gaia-knows how long on the street before meeting President Shinra. The man offered him a roof over his head and food in return for his services. Even if he was treated like a slave, meant to bend to the whim of Shinra's daughters, this was probably the best job he would be able to get after all that had happened. He often wondered what had become of her now.

Meanwhile in the royal palace of Midgar a serious discussion was taking place. The Midgar king, Tseng and his partner Reno, who refused to be called Queen, looked down at their youngest adopted son, Genesis Rhapsodos.

"Genesis seriously!" Tseng growled as he threw down the paper. The headline read 'Playboy Prince at it again!' You have got to control yourself!" Tseng hissed. These headlines are damaging!"

"It was only two women this time...." Genesis muttered as he didn't meet Tseng's eyes.

"I don't care anymore!" Tseng stated. "Your dalliances have gone on long enough. It's time you thought about settling down. An invitation for a Royal ball has been sent to all eligible ladies and men. This weekend you will pick a bride from them that you will wed!"

"You can't do that!" Genesis shouted.

"Enough Genesis!" Reno now butted in, his voice harder than normal. "You've sown enough oats! It's time you settled down. You have been avoiding your responsibilities long enough. The ball will be held this weekend and you will choose someone. We want grandbabies!"

Genesis bit his lip in frustration "You have Zack and Aerith for that" He muttered under his breath. When his 'mother' got this serious he knew there would be no weaseling out of it. "Yes mother" He grumbled, at least satisfied with the twitch of Reno's brow, before leaving the room.

The messengers had indeed been sent out, their bags full of invitations to the Royal Ball. Vincent was working in the garden when one of the King's men approached. He accepted the invitations with eagerness upon hearing that everyone was invited. He had never been to a ball before and couldn't contain his excitement. He handed the invitations over when all were seated for lunch.

"We received a missive from the King today." Vincent stated as he lay the envelopes down. The table quieted immediately upon hearing that.

"From his Imperial Majesty?" President Shinra asked as he lowered the documents he had been reading.

"That's what I said." Vincent replied. He stepped back slightly as he anticipated the flurry of Tifa and Yuffie's excitement.

"Give it here!"

"No you give it here!"

"I'm older!"

"I'm more well developed!"

"In what dimension!!" Was retorted by Tifa as the girls were now at each other's throats.

"Don't be such a hag!" Yuffie stated.

"I am not a hag!"

"You had Baron Strife running AWAY from you instead of TOWARDS you!"

"Well you had Baron Strife's security escort you back out the window!"

"I was being creative!" Yuffie grumbled.

"Girls girls... GIRLS!" Shinra finally yelled. "Settle down! I will read it." He took the envelope, opened it up and silently read the missive. "It seems that there will be a ball."

"A ball!" Both women exclaimed eagerly.

"In honor of Prince Rhapsodos." Shinra stated as he twirled his mustache slightly. "It seems tonight he will choose a bride."

"Oh the prince!" Both ladies now squealed with excitement.

"And by Royal command every eligible woman and man is to attend."

"Oh that is us indeed!" Yuffie exclaimed as if she was on a sugarhigh.

"We are so eligible!" Tiffa added, for once agreeing with her sister.

"Then it means I can go too." Vincent stated, stopping the girls from their celebration to look at him oddly.

"YOU, dancing with the prince!" Tifa laughed and did an impression "I'd be honored your Highness, would you hold my wheelbarrow!" Now Yuffie also snorted.

"Well why not?" Vincent asked. "It says by Royal command, every eligible woman and man is to attend."

"Yes, so it does!" Shinra hummed. "I see no reason why you can't go. If you get all your work done."

"Oh I will!" Vincent eagerly promised.

"And if you find something suitable to wear." Shinra added.

"I'm sure I can!" Vincent told his employer eagerly before walking out of the room to grab some food for himself and finish the rest of his work.

"Father do you know what you just said!" Tifa hissed when Vincent was out of earshot.

"Of course." Shinra smiled. "I said if."

"Oh, if" Yuffie mumbled as she got it.

And so the week passed by. Vincent did his regular work as well as being called upon by Shinra and the girls more frequently to fix their dresses, shoes and anything else they could think of. It was more than once that Vincent had to break up a fight between Yuffie and Tifa over clothes. They had piled so much work on him that Vincent had spent several sleepless nights trying to stitch an outfit together. In the end Vincent sighed as he looked at his half-finished tuxedo, there was no way that he would be done by tonight.

It was with a weary sigh that he knocked upon President Shinra's study that evening. He held his head down as he made his way to the room. "Yes Vincent."

"The limo is here." Vincent told his employer.

"Why, Vincent, you're not ready." President Shinra remarked in mock surprise.

"I'm not going." Vincent sighed.

"Not going? What a shame, I'm sure there will be other times." Shinra added as he made his way out of his study not hearing Vincent's resigned answer of "Yes,..... other times". Tifa and Yuffie were already waiting in the foyer as he approached. Both were decked out for the ball in ridiculous poofy dresses and too much makeup.

"Now girls remember when you are introduced to the prince......... " Vincent tuned President Shinra out as he made his way to the backyard. He sat on an old tree stump as he heard the limo leave and the wrought iron gates close with a heavy clang and some screeching. He was sure his next chore tomorrow would be to oil those old gates. He hung his head against his pulled up legs. Tifa and Yuffie were anything but subtle. He had figured it out on the first day that they started piling extra work on him. They never intended for him to attend the ball.

With a sigh Vincent lay his head back against the tree, 'it was no use now anyways' he thought as he looked up at the night sky. All he wanted to do was go to a ball and look nice for a change, but even that didn't work out.

"Oh no... this won't do. This won't do at all." A voice suddenly said. Vincent's head shot up to see a black and white cat balancing on his hindlegs upon his raised knee. The cat looked anything but ordinary as it wore a small red cape and twirled a wand in his paw.

Vincent appeared calm on the outside but mentally his mind was screaming 'What the everloving pumpkin patch!'

"Who are you!" He hissed at the talking cat.

"Oh my...... no need for hostility!" The cat said as it jumped down from Vincent's knee. "I am Cait Sith." The talking cat introduced. "I am your fairy godcat."

"My what!!"

"Your fairy godcat!" he repeated. "Now, how about we get you to that ball huh?"

Vincent blinked wordlessly as he watched this fairy godcat look around in the little garden not so far away. "What are you looking for?"

"A good watermelon!" The cat replied. "Honestly, what were the other fairies thinking when they used pumpkins!" Vincent heard the cat mutter. "Throwing off the whole aesthetic."

"But....I can't go to the ball." Vincent said causing Cait Sith to still and turn slightly towards him. "I've got nothing to wear."

"Oh don't you worry your pretty little head. You'll be irresistible." The cat gave a toothy grin while lazily waving his wand around. "All it takes is a little bibbidi-bobbidi-boo."

"Uhm" Vincent didn't know what to say as he watched the cat get back to scrutinizing his watermelon patch.

Meanwhile the ball was in full swing at the palace. Tseng and Reno sat on their thrones as they watched Genesis be introduced to prospective partners. Not so far away stood Zack, the kingdom's crown prince, with his wife of two years, Aerith. They were watching in bemusement as Genesis got his foot stepped on during a waltz.

The crowd that surrounded the dance floor was filled with eager bachelors and bachelorettes hoping to catch the prince's eyes. There was however someone who was not so eager at all. And that someone was the new Duke of Nibleheim himself.

"Come now Sephiroth. Straighten up." His mother Lucretia stated as she settled next to him. "You will never get the Prince's attention if you slouch and stay at the back of the crowd all night.

"Perhaps mother I simply do not want the prince's attention." Sephiroth grumbled. "He looks like a prancing peacock."

"Sephiroth mind your tongue!" Lucretia hissed. "I spent long and hard getting you into this position of power. You marrying the prince is our chance to move higher up in status."

"Mother, the only thing you did was spread your legs and them poison your husband." Sephiroth told her bluntly. "Don't think I don't know what happened. I am perfectly content and don't have any ambition of moving up." Lucretia opened her mouth but no sound came out. She was too shocked at her son's words. Sephiroth excused himself and made his way towards a waiter to get some refreshments.

Sephiroth was lazily holding a champagne flute while watching the dancers. Prince Genesis had so far danced with several eligible people, two of them stepping on his toes, one blushing furiously and the current one who was talking the prince's ear off as they twirled around the floor. Everyone in the room could hear snippets of the conversation when they passed because the young lady was quite loud and possibly high on sugar. So far Sephiroth had heard that her name was Yuffie, she adored plaid, could chug a beer in a minute and hated her sister.

Sephiroth sighed and looked for a way out of the ballroom when his eyes caught someone at the top of the stairs. The champagne flute nearly slipped from his hand as he took in their new arrival. The man, with his silky black hair pulled back in a ponytail, was dressed in form-fitting black tuxedo that hugged all the right curves of his body. A blood red cravat sat in place of the customary tie and it highlighted his crimson eyes spectacularly.

Many of the guests now had also started to take notice of the man as he descended. Sephiroth noticed that one in particular was his mother. She had a look of pure shock on her face and something else he couldn't identify.

The crowd parted for this man and at the bottom of the stairs the mysterious stranger, 'the sexy mysterious stranger' Sephiroth's mind supplied, was met by Prince Genesis who immediately invited him for a dance.

Sephiroth watched, a bit jealous as the prince commanded this stranger's attention. For some reason he wanted to crimson eyes to look at him. Things were going smoothly at the ball. Tseng gave Reno a hopeful look as they watched Genesis and Vincent dance. "Do you think....?" Reno asked as and no sooner had he said that when an audible slap rang through the ballroom. The music stilled, the crowd stopped dancing and people had their mouths hung open in apparent shock. "Nevermind" Reno muttered as both he and Tseng facepalmed.

There on the dancefloor stood Prince Genesis Rhapsodos, second prince of Midgar, staring at his dance partner with suck shock while clutching a hand to his cheek. A red well-defined handprint was already appearing on his cheek. "YOU SLAPPED ME!" Genesis suddenly screeched. Vincent kept his cool and gave the prince a dismissive glance. "You're lucky that's all I did asshole!" He stated before turning around and leaving the dancefloor without sparing the prince a glance.

Sephiroth raised a brow and whistled appreciatively as he watched the man leave to one of the doors leading to the palace's gardens. Not many would slap nobility, and even fewer would have the moxy to call someone as high up as a prince an asshole. Sephiroth took a swig of his champagne before following the mysterious man out. He just had to get to know him better. He found the man sitting on the edge of one of the fountains and approached him. "That was something in there." He said startling the other.

"What?" Vincent whirled around to see Sephiroth standing there.

"That thing with the prince. It was something." Sephiroth repeated. "Where are my manners. I'm Sephiroth, Duke of Nibleheim. Pleasure to meet you."

"Vincent, Vincent Valentine." He stood up to shake the Duke's hand but Sephiroth turned his palm up instead and gave it a kiss causing Vincent to blush.

"Mr. Valentine, it's an honor to make your acquaintance." Sephiroth stated. They heard the music starts back up in the ballroom and Sephiroth asked "Might I bother you for a dance?"

Vincent looked slightly uncomfortable. "They're probably still gossiping about what happened." He indicated towards the ballroom. So many eyes upon him made him feel uncomfortable.

"Well you did give that prancing peacock a good slap." Sephiroth laughed. "I was wondering if I may be so bold as to ask what it was that he said to you?"

Vincent's blush intensified and he coughed slightly before mumbling "He propositioned me to....... Eh....... join him in his chambers for......an orgy with several other women and when I said no he offered to pay me."

"Oh my! Then the slap was rightfully deserved." Sephiroth actually let out an undignified snort at this before saying "We don't have to dance inside, here seems quite lovely." He indicated to the garden filled with lovely flowers that the two were alone in.

"It would be my pleasure then." Vincent stated as Sephiroth placed his hand around Vincent's waist before guiding him in a waltz. They danced the night away but soon the large clock tower struck twelve and Vincent hastily separated himself from the Duke. "I'm sorry but I have to go!" He said an hastily made his way towards the ballroom doors. He glanced back behind him and saw that Sephiroth was following. "Wait!" Sephiroth shouted and watched as Vincent threw open the ballroom doors, hitting someone in the face with them before disappearing inside.

Sephiroth ran inside and saw that it as Prince Genesis sprawled on the floor whining about a broken nose. He 'tisked' before catching a glimpse of Vincent on stairs leading out of the room. Sephiroth surged forward, intent on not letting this intriguing man escape. He finally caught up with Vincent just as he was about to step into some elegant horse-drawn carriage that looked like something out of a fairytale.

"Vincent please wait!" Sephiroth shouted as he caught Vincent's arm.

"You don't understand!" Vincent suddenly shouted. "I need to go now! This isn't me. The magic is ending!"

Sephiroth however was stubborn to a fault and tugged Vincent against him. "How is this now you?!" He asked as Vincent gave him a pleading look. The clock was quickly reaching its twelfth stroke and Vincent let out a sigh.

"This...... This...." He indicated to himself. "Is not who I am. This is magic. It ends at the stroke of twelve."

Sephiroth's eyes widened as the clock finally struck twelve and the carriage turned back into a watermelon and the horses and driver turned into mice. He looked down slightly at Vincent to see that his clothes had also changed. Vincent was back to wearing his work clothes which for all intended purposes looked like rags. His hair was no longer in his ponytail and now covered his eyes back up. Sephiroth moved the bangs slightly to the side to see crimson eyes staring back at him, waiting for him to judge Vincent and sneer at his appearance. But that didn't come, instead Sephiroth planted a kiss on Vincent's lips, shocking him.

"You owe me half a waltz." Sephiroth smiled. "And I would like to really get to know you better."

"You...... would?" Vincent asked uncertainty. "Not because I just might have broken the prince's nose?"

"No" Sephiroth stated as he kept his arm around Vincent's waist. "It was however very funny to see."

------------------THE END----------------