Standard Disclaimers Apply

For MysticAngel1... cause I just realise I haven't even reviewed your latest chapter of Promising.... Arrrgghh! and I love it!

The Moral of the Story is….

A wish gone wrong, Squall has to save Yuffie by living different fairy tales, and the only way to save her is to discover the lesson he needs to learn.

Three Hours Ago:

"Come on, Squall!" Yuffie whined as she followed her partner back to their hotel. "Will it kill you to just give it a try?"

"It's Leon." Squall turned around and gave Yuffie a glare. They had just come back from the market where Yuffie brought a rusty old ring. The vendor told her it was a magic, and it could grant one wish.

"I can't believe you fell for that! What kind of ring grants wishes?"

"A magic ring! Aaaarrrggghhh! Come on, give it a go… I brought it for you!"

"You shouldn't have bothered. Why don't you make a wish?"

Yuffie rolled her eyes as she stamped her foot impatiently. "I can't! Whoever buys the ring can't make the wish! They have to give it to someone else. Come on, Squall!"

"Leon." Squall corrected as he looked at the outstretched hand. "Why don't you give it to Cloud or Aerith?"

A blush appeared on Yuffie's cheek as she stubbornly left her hands outstretched. "I don't want to give it to them! I want to give it to you!"

Squall crossed both arms across his chest. "Why?"

"Just take the ring and make a wish!"

"No." The older man replied as he turned away. "Go to Cloud or Aerith."

"I don't want to give the ring to Cloud or Aerith! I want to give it to you!" Yuffie repeated as she walked in front of Squall. She held the ring right under his nose with a determined stance. "Just take the ring and make a wish! Any wish! You can ask for anything, whatever makes you happy. You can even ask for Rinoa…"

"Don't say her name!" Squall cried our harshly, and swatted Yuffie's hands away as he made his way to their room. "Don't you dare say her name!"

Yuffie followed Squall, determined to give the ring to Squall. "Squall Leonhart…"

"How many times do I have to tell you? My name is no longer Squall Leonhart. It's Leon. Just Leon."

They entered their room and Squall deposited his gunblade back to it's case. "Just drop it, Yuffie."

"I won't drop it! All I want is to give you something special, So what if the ring isn't real? Don't you have anything you want, something you believe in? That's why I got this ring for you! Like some symbol or something… like when you blow your candles or make a wish on a falling star… Or…"

"Enough!" Squall shouted. Yuffie had not stop talking about the ring since she brought it. "I have nothing to wish for!"

Yuffie held the ring for him to see. "Gawd! You're always wishing for me to leave you alone… So obviously you do have things to wish for!"

"Fine!" His patience running thin, Squall grabbed the ring from the girl's hand. "I wish you'd go away and leave me alone!"

"Granted." A loud voice boomed out of nowhere, and before Squall or Yuffie could say anything, a cloud of smoke appeared from the ring.

"Yuffie! What the hell is this thing?" Squall chocked out as he opened the window to let the smoke out. He coughed a few more times before turning around. The smoke had disappeared, and so had Yuffie.

"Yuffie?" Squall called out, he looked outside their room for any sign of the ninja, but found none. "This isn't funny."

He saw the ring on the ground and picked it up. His eyes narrowed as he saw the inscription inside the band. 'Wish fulfilled. Ring no longer valid. Please do not re-sell under code 23.2 of magic artefacts.'

"Yuffie?" He called out again, putting the ring back in his pocket. He re-opened his gunblade case and took his weapon out. "Yuffie?"

"What's wrong? Yuffie annoying you again?" Cloud asked as he stopped at the open doorway.

"Have you seen Yuffie?" He asked instead as he walked downstairs. "Yuffie!"

"What did she do this time?" The blond warrior asked dryly. "I haven't seen her since you two left this morning.

Squall swore under his breath as he checked the kitchen, and the lobby. "Yuffie, this isn't funny! Come out now!"

Aerith rushed in, hearing Squall's voice. "Why? What's the matter?"

"Yuffie? Have you seen Yuffie?"

Aerith shook her head. "Wasn't she with you? Did you have another fight?"

Where could she be? Squall thought, not bothering to answer Aerith's question. The Gizmo Shop!

He walked out of the hotel leaving a perplexed Cloud and Aerith as he made his way to Cid's shop, randomly asking people if they've seen the young ninja. He climbed up the ladder and half expected to see Yuffie grinning at him, but found nothing. He gripped the wooden ladder so tight, he could feel it slowly cracking beneath his hands. He loosened his hold on the ladder and made his way down.

He looked around the streets but found no sign of his partner. He fished the ring out of his pocket and stared at it, as if it would tell him where Yuffie went. He looked back at the inscription and he shook his head. Impossible!

Not knowing where else to go, he found himself walking back to the markets, and back to the old man that sold her the ring. He quickened his pace when he saw the man packing up.

"Where is she?"

Old Man Mario looked at him and grinned. "Ah, it's you! Is the young sir happy with his wish?"

"Where is Yuffie?" He asked slowly, and watched the man very closely.

"Yuffie?" Mario blinked before he grinned again. "Oh yes, The young lady who brought the ring."

"You're not answering my question. Where is she?"

"What do you mean where is she? I don't know!…" Mario didn't finish his sentence when Squall showed him the ring.

"It says 'Wish Fulfilled.' What does it mean?"

Mario looked at Squall as if he grew another head. "What is says! Wish fulfilled. You made a wish, the ring gave you the wish. Wish fulfilled. You're not happy with what you wish for? Sorry, no refund… I explained that to the young lady."

"That young lady is missing." Squall said as he grabbed the man's collar. "Where is she?"

"I don't know!" Mario replied as he tried to release himself out of Leon's grip. "Why would I know?"

"Because you sold her this!"

"That's all I did!" Mario said as he regarded the young man before him. "If I may ask… what did you wish for?"

"I didn't make…" Squall didn't finish what he was saying when he replayed the events back in his head.

"I wish you'd go away and leave me alone!"

"That's impossible!"

Mario began to sweat under Squall's hold. "What did you wish for?" Hearing no reply, he tried another tactic. He had heard so many horror stories of wishes gone wrong. "What did you say before she… before she disappeared?" He asked instead, hoping to get an answer.

"I… I said that I wish she'd go away and leave me alone."

Mario nodded his head in sorrow. "Your wish was fulfilled."

Squall's eyes flashed as he tightened his grip. "I didn't mean it!"

"The ring does not distinguish what you mean or don't mean!"

"Undo it then!" Squall demanded as he released Mario. "Bring her back."

Mario shook his head. "I am sorry… I can not… I can not undo wishes!"

Squall took a deep breath as he grabbed the man's collar again. "How do I get her back?"

"You can not! She is gone! Your wish has been fulfilled!"

"I didn't mean it!" Squall hissed as he tightened his grip on the man.

"Then why did you say it?"

"I didn't know this would happen!" Squall replied, and saw the pity in the old man's eyes. "How do I get her back?"

Mario took a deep breath, and Squall released his hold. "There… there might be a way, but I can not guarantee it."

"Tell me. Please."

"First… we need to know where she is. Come with me."

Squall followed the old ma through the streets and into a small alley. Mario checked behind them before opening a small wooden door. "Come inside."

Inside, the walls were lined with books. Mario looked around the room before snapping his fingers. "See that green book to your left? The fifth shelf? Could you get it for me please?"

Squall looked at the old man before walking toward the bookcase. He took the green book and noticed the dusty cover. Mario took it from his hands and placed it on the table at the middle of the room. He grabbed a box underneath him and placed it on the table. "I hope… I hope this works."

Squall simply watched as the man took out a glass ball from the box and used his sleeves to clean the dust. "Stand aside young man."

Mario watched in satisfaction as Squall did as he was told. "You have not told me your name."

"Leon."

"Hello, Leon. My name is Mario Goettsfield. I wish we could have met in a much more pleasant terms… but it can not be helped."

Squall watched as Mario close his eyes and chanted in a language he had never heard off.

"May I have the ring?" He opened his palms and Squall gave the ring to the old man who nodded his head in thanks. Mario returned to his chant and Squall watched as the glass fogged up and the green book began to open. The walls started to shake, then there was stillness. Mario looked at Squall with a frown.

"You say your name is Leon?" At Squall's affirmative nod, Mario shook his head. "The ring does not recognise your name. What is your real name?"

"I don't go by that name anymore."

"If you want Miss Yuffie back, you must give me your real name."

"Squall. Squall Leonhart."

Mario closed his eyes and chanted. And once again, the glass fogged up, and the green book opened, it's pages flicked until it stopped on a page. "Oh, dear…"

"Oh, dear?" Squall asked as he saw Mario read the page. "Where is this Oh, dear?"

Mario cleared his throat before he looked at Squall. "She has been… transported to another world. Where fairy tales exist. That, is where you have sent her."

"I did not send here there." Squall said softly as he took the book from Mario's hands.

"Sent her unintentionally." Mario amended. "She is lost in the world of magic. Of lands far beyond our reach."

"How do I get her back?" Squall asked as he closed the book.

Mario took a deep breath as he stared at Squall. "You want her back?"

"Why would I be asking how…"

"You misunderstand me, Mr. Squall." Mario interrupted him. "Do you want her back because you want to, or because you feel it is a… duty of some form? It makes a difference. A big difference."

"I promised her parents that I would take care of her, protect her. It is my duty to get her back."

The old man closed his eyes. "Very well… I believe I can help you get to where she is. Getting her back, however… is entirely up to you." He looked at Squall from head to toe and nodded towards his gunblade. "Good that you are armed… however…"

He motioned for Squall to follow him. They reached the bookcase where Squall took the book from. Mario selected a book from the first shelf, and the shelf opened revealing a smaller room. "Here, take this cloak… this dagger… hmmm, what else… oh yes, these pouch filled with magic beans… ah, fairy dust, take two… no three bags of fairy dust…" Mario continued to take things of the shelves and handed them to Squall.

"Magic beans? Fairy dust?"

Mario ignored the bewildered tone. "There's instruction on the pouches. Use them well… let me see.. Here, use this bag to put all that stuff in. Oh yes, bow and arrow. Do you know how to use them?"

"I have my gunbalde."

"Fancy weapon you got there. What do you intend to do when you run out of bullets? Here take these." Mario said as he shoved the bow and arrow inside the bag. "There you go, all set. I've put a few other things here and there… I usually sell these, but for you… I think I might make an exception. Remember, I can get you to her, but bringing her back… it's all up to you."

Squall nodded, and Mario gently pushed him to a corner. "This will take you to where Miss Yuffie is." Mario said softly as he took a pouch and sprinkled some dust on the floor. "Step on it, and you will get to where she is. This other pouch, you use when the two of you are ready to return."

"Thank you."

Mario nodded, and stopped Squall before he could take a step. "Listen with your heart, you will understand."

Without any further word, Squall stepped into the dust, and disappeared. Mario took a deep breath before he sat on a chair, and used an old parchment to fan himself. "Oh dear…"

Present time:

Squall recalled the day's event as he underneath an old oak tree. He had no idea where he was, or how he could find Yuffie. The sun was about to set, and Squall knew he had better chances of finding Yuffie tomorrow, than in the dark in unknown territory. He looked at the bag Mario had given him and looked at the pouch labelled 'Fairy Dust. Sprinkle, think happy thoughts, and fly away!' He shook his head, threw the pouch away, and pulled another one. 'Magic Beans. Grows overnight, beware of Giants.'

"Magic Beans, yeah right." Squall muttered as he threw it as well. He leaned against the trunk and looked inside the bag, most of them useless items. There were so many questions that he wanted answered, but now was not the time. What important was getting Yuffie back. He closed his eyes and tried to relax, and soon, the Lion has fallen asleep.