2 & 99 Sefikura please
Rules: Send me two (2) tropes from this list + a ship and I’ll describe how I’d combine them in the same story.
2. Royal AU
99. Magical Accidents
As a Prince, Sephiroth had never really known hardship or hard work. As the son of very cold and distant parents, he was very acquainted with loneliness. He didn't even miss his parents very much when they did die very suddenly, it was more of just an "oh, that's sad" moment. What was a shock was when, during his coronation, the ceremonial wine he was supposed to drink turned him into a cat. The fellows in black robes who put him in a bag and ran off were also very surprising. It was the first time he'd ever felt terror, but cat instincts kicked in, first to fight and claw his way out of the sack and then to run like hell.
Sephiroth ran all through that night and through a rainstorm, first to get away from his catnappers, then to get away from carts on the road that nearly ran him over, then to get away from a pack of dogs who were more than happy to tear him apart. He ran through the woods, yowling for help. He thought he was doomed until a light shot through the trees and a voice rang out yelling for the dogs to shoo. He tried to scurry off, but strong arms picked him up and efficiently pinned and carried him under and arm. "You're alright," the voice said, "We'll get you cleaned up." It was the first friendly voice he'd heard. When he finally entered someplace warm he was set down and saw his savoir. A young woman with wild hair. She wore a mousy brown coat, but had an unmistakable hat: she was a witch.
It didn't take very long for the witch to sniff out that the cat she found wasn't a cat. "It's a fairly powerful spell, huh?" she said cleaning up in a bowl of warm water and then fluffing him dry. "You're a handsome fellow nice and clean at least." Sephiroth clung to her desperately wanting his body back. She stayed kind and pet him and let him follow her, though she couldn't understand a sound he was making. "I don't know if I can turn you back. I'm not that sort of witch, but I can try. It might take a while though. You can stay until then, just don't kill the chickens." Sephiroth never let her out of his sight.
Cloud had been the local witch in the region for a while, and she was both feared and hated, though Sephiroth couldn't figure out why. She only ever helped people. Her days were long and busy solving crop problems, healing colds, birthing children, and protecting the villages and houses from the creatures in the woods. People sneered and glared at her behind her back while she helped them. A few even tried to kick Seph calling him her filthy familiar. But several, while silent gave her thank yous, baskets of food, leftover bread, a few articles of newly woven clothes, and even a nice new pair of boots. Cloud came and helped anyway. "Because I'm the only one who will, and I know it." She still made time everyday to try and work a counter-curse to Seph's spell. He remained a cat. He tried to make himself useful, catching the mice and rats, though he never could make himself kill them. He'd just cart them off outside and shoo them away.
After 3 months of being stuck as a cat, Cloud gave up. "I can't turn you back, but it's strange. A spell like this...it should have worn off a few weeks ago. The only explanation I have, is that you have a little magic yourself. And that the only thing keeping you a cat...is you. Why do you want to be a cat, pretty thing?" Sephiroth felt slightly ashamed, but he knew it was true. He was keeping himself a cat. He wanted to stay here, with Cloud in her thankless job. He loved it. He loved helping people and feeling that the little things he did made a difference. Even more than that...he loved Cloud. He loved her more than anything: loved the way she always looked over her shoulder to make sure he was there, loved her laughing at him being unable to kill a little mouse, loved sleeping next to her in bed and feeling her drowsy fingers scratching that perfect spot behind his ears. He wanted to stay with her forever.
Eventually the people of Seph's kingdom demanded an explanation to where Sephiroth had gone. Sephiroth's uncle Rufus, who had concocted the plan, found a scapegoat in Cloud. Found a way to blame the innocent witch of changing and killing the prince. Except Seph was very much alive. Before Cloud could be arrested, Sephiroth found the courage to spring back into himself. Cloud seemed surprised that her "pretty thing" was actually a fairly handsome prince. The guards were also surprised the "familiar" was in fact the living prince, considering he had been dead for months. Sephiroth acted more a royal in those few short hours than he ever did in his life. Rufus agreed to Sephiroth's demands, because the only thing worse than killing your nephew for power...was admitting you failed miserably at it. Sephiroth gave up his throne and his crown and walked happily back to a cabin in the woods...as Cloud's apprentice. Cloud welcomes her "pretty thing" into her home, her work, her life...and back into her bed for snuggles now and then.
