A/N: This story is really coming alive. :D I am so happy. I have a lot of people making suggestions for their favorite pairings now and I have 1,201 hits. YIPPEE! Please keep suggesting, and if the chapter you want isn’t up immediately, please be patient.

Summary: Two years has passed since Sephiroth attempted to destroy the world via Meteor. Since then, he and Cloud’s relationship has been on the rocks. He’s afraid that, with all the beautiful people around the blonde, Cloud will move on. How can he be sure of Cloud’s loyalty? Yuuko can give him the answers...for a price.

Pairings: SephyxCloud

Warnings: Yaoi and strong language, Aerith and Tifa bashing.

Disclamier: I don’t own xxxHOLiC or Final Fantasy VII. I do, however, own all of the Final Fantasy games.

Dedicated to: Darkneko666 who helped me by giving me the whole plot for this chapter.

D is for Devotion

Devotion. It was a powerful thing. After all, what makes a person stay with one significant other for years, even when the other was gone? That question bothered Sephiroth as he walked through the endless field of flowers that was the Lifestream. It had already been two years since his attempt on the planet and surely his blonde lover had already moved on? Only an idiot wouldn’t, after all. That thought only deepened the frown on his face. ‘Cloud is no idiot. He’s probably in another relationship by now, possibly even with that martial-arts slut, Tifa. At least I took care of the other, more evil problem.’ He smiled as he thought of the pink-wearing demon that his own blade had silenced. There was no way that girl would be getting any where near his precious blonde now. Masamune had made sure of it. His lips immediately turned down at the corners as he remembered something. ‘I may have gotten her away from Cloud, but I, myself, am no where near as lucky. Stuck here for who knows how long until my idiotic remnants revive me.’ He winced at the thought and continued to walk on. Walking, walking, walking though there was no where to go. He had no destination except for the field of flowers. It was either that or spending time with the pink demon and her cheerful sidekick. He winced again, heaving a sigh, and attempted to stop and sit down. His eyes immediately widened in alarm when he remained walking, his feet moving on their own accord and try as he might, the appendages kept walking, finally coming to a stop before a small Wutaian house. Silver brows furrowed as his feet continued to take him inside. “What is that pink ribbon wearing bitch up to!? I didn’t know there was anything other than flowers in this twice-be-damned place!” He was startled when he came upon the sound of a voice.

“There isn’t.” A tall woman, about the same height as himself, answered smugly. She was adorned in an oriental kimono, an attire worn mostly by Wutaians. Her eyes, though slanted in the same manner as Wutaians, were a deep, bloody red that almost made him shiver, but he didn’t. He was the mighty Sephiroth, after all.

“Who are you, woman?” His voice didn’t falter in the slightest from the strange occurrence he was suffering from and the woman didn’t seem surprised. She did, however, look slightly annoyed at being called woman.

“I am called many things, but today, you may call me Ichihara Yuuko, the Witch of the Dimensions. This is my shop of wishes.” Sephiroth’s brows furrowed once more, eyes filled with confusion. Wishes? What was this woman–this witch–talking about?

“Forgive me for saying so, but I’m a little confused. What do you mean by your shop of wishes?” The red eyes seemed to be laughing at his ignorance and his frown deepened.

“I grant wishes in this shop and since you are here, you, my good General, must have a wish.” The woman beckoned him inside and bade him to take a seat. “Watanuki-kun, please bring our guest some tea.” The green-eyed general watched a young Wutaian boy nod hurriedly and scurry off into another door, possibly a kitchen. The woman turned back towards him. “So...” There was a grin on her face and it bothered him.

“So?” He raised his eyebrow in bemusement, watching a pout fill her painted lips.

“So, what’s your wish, Sephiroth?” It was at that moment that the General of the Shinra forces realized that he’d never gave his name to the woman. She caught the realization in his gaze and grinned again. “Don’t worry, I’m all-seeing.” As if that wouldn’t worry a normal person. Good thing Sephiroth wasn’t a normal person, not by any standards. “Now, what’s your wish.” Her voice was demanding and strangely insistent. Sephiroth sighed and brought a hand up to rub the bridge of his nose.

‘Fine, I’ll just give her what she wants. She can’t help me anyways, she’s just a fake. Wutaian’s were always considered a bit melodramatic when it came to spirituality.’ He turned his emerald gaze to the woman, barely looking up when the Wutaian boy set a cup of tea down before him. “I wish my Cloud, my lover back in life, would wait for me, stay devoted to me, until I can return to his side.” The witch smiled smugly, obviously pleased that she could get some intimate information from the taciturn general.

“I can do that, for a price.” A price? Sephiroth raised an eyebrow, this time with indignation.

“And what sort of price would it be, oh Dimensional Witch?” If she could hear the skepticism in his voice, she didn’t show it. Her smile only widened, filling her whole face with a large, painted smile.

“A price well worth it, I assure you.” Her voice was filled to the brim with confidence. “My asking price will be your sword, your Masamune.” Sephiroth’s eyes immediately widened, no longer filled with amusement.

“My sword!? Are you crazy? Why would I give my sword to a faker?” Her lips turned down slightly into an annoyed frown.

“Do you really think my shop would appear here, in Lifestream, if I were a fake?” She had a point. There was no way the shop of a faker would appear in a sacred place like Lifestream, but Sephiroth was still loathe to believe it.

“That goody-two-shoes flower-girl probably put you up to it. She’d love to make a fool out of me, and take away my sword, because I killed her with it.” The woman scowled at him before taking a deep breath, as if to calm herself, and spoke to him gently, as if he were a particularly slow child.

“You know that’s not true. Even if she watches over things here, she has no authority to punish someone–anyone–no matter how bad they were in life. Lifestream is a place of redemption.” This time, he could hear he truth in her voice, see it in her eyes, so he nodded mutely, pulling his sword out of its sheathe. The Wutaian boy, who had been dusting near by, tensed up, but the witch grasped it in her hand, hmming in slight wonder, before calling two names. “Maru, Moro, please take this to the storerooms.” Two small girls ran up and took his precious blade away. The witch turned back to him. “It is done. You will soon return to the world of the living. Please be careful with Cloud’s heart. It is already fragile enough, mostly because of you.” He almost scowled at her, but held back, mostly because he knew it was true.

“Okay. Okay.” The woman smiled before guiding him out of the shop.

“Goodbye. Remember to use a condom.” Sephiroth jumped at her statement, face flushed and angry words at the tip of his tongue, but when he turned around both she and the shop were gone. He almost swore that he heard the sound of her laughter.

Sephiroth watched as Cloud and his remnant fought on a ledge. The boy was young and pretty and Sephiroth couldn’t help but hate him. He glared at the boy, hoping that he would fall, and his wish came true when Cloud knocked the boy off the ledge. He was disappointed when the boy held on and cursed the remnant’s determination, but his eyes widened when the box holding Jenova’s head, the box that was his salvation, fell. ‘You stupid brat! Catch that box!’ As if the boy had heard him, he let go of the ledge and caught the box, pulling out what was in it and slamming it into his own chest, pulling it inside himself. Sephiroth felt a strong tug and, before he knew it, he was within the small frame, stretching it until it fit him. He looked up into horrified blue eyes. “Why hello, Cloud. Did you wait for me?” Before he could finish the sentence, his arms were filled with his quivering blonde.

“Yes! Yes, I waited for you!” There were tears in the blue eyes and Sephiroth felt compelled to wipe them away. Wipe them away and make sure he would never cry again.

“Well you don’t have to wait anymore. I’ll never leave you again so don’t cry.” Cloud offered him a watery smile and the silver-haired man pulled him into his arms. “Shhh. I love you, Cloud.” He pressed a kiss into the blonde locks of the boy before smiling up at the heavens, where he knew the witch was watching. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” The witch said suddenly, in the midst of Watanuki’s cleaning.

“Eh? Did you say something Yuuko-san?” The woman blinked, as if in a daze, before offering him a wide smile.

“I said you’re welcome for my matchmaking skills getting you and Doumeki-kun together,” The boy immediately became flustered, waving his limbs around wildly. “But you still owe me a price.”

“You had nothing to do with that!? Why should I pay you!? I’m going to be stuck here forever, I just know it.” Yuuko only smiled and asked for more liquor.

A/N: I hope Darkneko666 liked this.

Thanks:

Chibigirlflower: I’m glad you thought it was smexy. :)

Mia Maria: I’ll have your LxLight one done soon. I already have the next couple of chapters planned, but be patient, yours will be up soon. :)

R&R: Review and tell Yuuko about your favorite pairing. She’ll give you a chapter, for a price–more reviews!