Part Three

" Quistis!" The Beast shouted a few minutes too late, after being told by Zell that the maiden had departed.

" Very swift, sir," Chickenwuss commented in deep sarcasm and in anger, the Beast swept the small chicken man across the room.

" I must go after her!" With that vow in place, the creature bounded down the hallway towards the stairwell and after Quistis.

The castle became eerily silenced after his departure and all at once, the miniature figurines began talking.

" Will he save her?"

" Did she have to leave?"

" The master has feelings?"

" I hope she never comes back and that the master is eaten by a Ruby Dragon."

The other three dolls stopped talking and faced Squall with an expression of disgust and disbelief.

" What?" Squall asked, oblivious to his action of words. " What?"

***

The forest had seemed even more frightening to the girl as she ran through the bitter winter cold. Trees were blackened, the sky was forever dark and no presence of life could be seen. Praying to Hyne, Quistis continued to run. Suddenly, the forest became quiet. It was a strange feeling, for the forest had been silenced by some unknown force. The trees stopped rustling, the wind stopped blowing and even her footsteps could no longer be heard.

Then she heard the growling.

Sinister and bloodthirsty Tri-faces stood behind her in a pack, very rare for this breed of creature. She let out a scream and ran deeper into the forest. Struggling not to panic when her foot became ensnared on a branch, she noticed a whip lying on the ground. While quickly retrieving it, she failed to notice the Beast come to her rescue and fight against the monsters.

When she finally did notice, she was shocked to see that he had only mildly hurt the monsters and was lying on the forest floor unconscious.

"Oh dear," She muttered, then looked at the whip in her hands. She faced the Tri faces and cracked the whip on all three of them. They fell down easily and Quistis quickly ran to the injured Beast's side. With much effort, she managed to carry him back to the castle.

~*~

" My, my, not only has she saved the master, she has managed to keep her dress clean!" Rinoa remarked in astonishment. Selphie nodded vigorously and they continued to watch Quistis in awe.

" I'm not as perfect as you may think I am," Quistis protested as she strained the cloth of excess water. " I ran away from the castle. I endangered the Beast and now look."

" Oh, no, you have not committed any wrong doings," Selphie said quickly.

" I agree. My lady, you are my hero," Zell said also.

" Whatever."

" Oh thank you. Now, Seifer--"

" Call me Beast!" The Beast managed to order from his delirium.

" Fine. Beast, this may sting a little."

The Beast's scream seemed to echo through the halls and shook the pictures hanging in the room they were in.

" Are you trying to kill me?" He shouted at Quistis. Her face turned red, and not from the glare of the cracking fire.

" If you never would have come after me, this never would have happened!"

" If you had not ran away, I would have no need to come after you!"

" I saved your arse, so there was no need of your presence."

The Beast huffed and turned away from Quistis.

" Fine, you are right. Are you happy now?"

" My intent was not to be right, it was for you to admit your truthful defeat. Now come, let me attend to your wound."

She lightly took his arm and he nearly recoiled from her feathery touch. How radiant her features were in the light of the crackling fire, how beautiful the sound of her voice as she hummed to herself. He had been close to losing her, to losing this woman whom he felt so strongly about. There was something wrong. He thought back to when he had heard about her leave and the feeling that had engulfed his heart. He could not explain what it was, but it was somewhat like, if he had learned that something had happened to her, he could not go on in life. He would shatter into a million pieces, and have no purpose for living.

" Thank you," He whispered, staring down at the lovely maiden. She stopped rubbing the cloth onto his arm and looked up feeling wary. Then she smiled.

" You're welcome."

~*~

The winter passed over them, but failed to freeze their hearts and spirit. Quistis made the best of her situation, and even managed to thaw out the Beast's heart. She read to him, played innocent pranks and even taught him some lessons on manner and speech. From her kindness the Beast began to feel for her in a way that he had felt for no other. He knew that he had fallen in love with the girl.

~*~

" I'm in love with her," The Beast declared to his servants in the midst of the early sunrise. " And it is not her looks that has captured my heart. She is funny, she is not afraid to contradict my word, she's the most intelligent person in this castle and lastly, she is everything I am not. I have never felt this way about anyone and...it feels so right."

The seamstress and dancer squealed with delight, clapping their hands together and thanking Hyne for this great blessing. Even Squall was ecstatic, for one would have thought that he smiled, then again, it may have been a mocking smirk.

" You must tell her at once!" Zell proclaimed. " One so fair cannot be kept in the darkness forever."

" No, no, no!" Selphie protested, much to everyone's bewilderment.

" Then what?" Zell asked, angered that Selphie had taken the spotlight away from him.

" It's really, very simple," Selphie said, smiling as if she held all the answers in the world. " We simply have the Master invite beautiful Quistis for a romantic ballroom dance beneath a moon lite night. That is when he reveals his passion for her."

" Oh, how utterly boring!" Squall said, with his faked enthusiasm which must have taken a years worth of energy to muster up.

" Oh hush," Rinoa scolded. " Take a look at the Chocobo. There is no more then two feathers left on his skeletal body."

" Then, what plan shall be go about applying?" Selphie asked. The loud clang of the grandfather clock that lay in the room seemed to echo menacingly throughout the castle and into their hearts, reminding them that their days were numbered. Any moment, they would be cursed with having to remain as creatures for the rest of their lives, and the prospect of that notion was too horrible to bare.

" Selphie, please tell Quistis to be ready tomorrow night. I cannot keep my feelings in any longer." With those words, the Beast swept out of his room, deciding to mourn the loss of his heart in solitaire.

~*~

" Nida!" The hoarse voice screamed again, scratching against every bit of Nida's ears. "Nida, you worthless son of a headless chicken, I demand that you come up here!"

Nida sighed, attempting to block out Irvine's voice, balance the tray of food and climb the stairs at the same time. When he had finally reached Irvine's room, he tripped over a wine bottle lying conveniently in front of him and sent the food sprawling across Irvine, who was lounging in his bed.

" Ah, you glutton!" Irvine shrieked. " Get this porridge off of me, for it burns worse then when mother would smack me with a spoon, freshly dipped in hot soup!"

Nida obeyed, using his own shirt to clean up the mess. While he was doing that deed, Irvine took the opportunity to reminisce about a dream he had the other night.

" I remember declaring that I would save fair Quistis from the clutches of that untamed mammal, then I would marry her and live happily ever after!"

" Oh, but you did say that in truth!" Nida piped, walking to Irvine's closet to retrieve him some fresh clothing. " Cid even agreed to it whole heartedly."

" You mean to tell me that Quistis is in the clutches of an untamed mammal?" And with that, Irvine fainted. Nida shrieked and ran hastily to his side, attempting to reawaken Irvine with his handy bottle of smelling salts that he carried, for Irvine was so very delicate. When Irvine had awoken, he laughed gaily, saying that he saw a Red Dragon outside, being the cause of him fainting.

" I will save dear Quistis," He vowed, walking down the stairs to begin his quest. " Of course, with your accompaniment."

" Yes, then tonight we shall depart?"

" The sooner, the better. Now fetch me my sword."

" Gladly sir, but I have one thing to tell you before you leave. Wouldn't it be wise for you to change out of your night dress before going out into the world?"

Looking down at himself, Irvine cursed and through bitterness, he told Nida that the new fashion was wearing nightdress's to fight horrible beasts.

~*~

She twirled around in her long, blue ballroom gown and all three of the women sighed at its incredible beauty. Ruffles adorned the skirt that swept past her knees, her gloves were long and silky, hair piled atop of her head with a single blue rose and finally, a sapphire necklace garnishing her slim, bare neck.

" You look so beautiful!" Selphie cried out. " When I had made that dress as a human, I never expected it to look so lovely on one woman."

" Had you made this dress for yourself?" Quistis asked in a worried tone. It would be most hurtful if she was wearing a dress that Selphie had made for herself but could no longer wear due to the curse.

" No, it was made specifically for the master."

Rinoa and Quistis both looked at one another with question, then at Selphie.

" Oh, no, not for him to wear." The girls breathed a sigh of relief. " It happened a few years ago, before the curse had struck. He woke me up one foggy morning to babble about a woman and a dress. His description of her is still vividly in my mind. Come to think of it, she looked a lot like you. Blue eyes like the hue set upon the sky as the sun set and moon rose. Long blonde hair like spun gold and the most enchanting voice and full, red lips. He told of her to me as if he had met her, and for a moment we both believed that he truly had. Unfortunately, this was not so. She was no more real then Squall having personality. But to console him, I created the dress he had seen her wear. Of course, I vowed not to tell a soul, but since I truly believe you were the one, I made an exception."

Quistis breathed out and placed a dainty hand on her bosom, shaking her head ever so slightly.

" Whom would have thought that man to be so romantic?"

Selphie and Rinoa cast one another the 'look'. Perhaps tonight would be the mark of their freedom and the start of something beautiful.

~*~

The pair continued to trudge through the woods, looking about and cowering from the dark and twisted trees.

" Are you sure that this is the way to go?" Irvine whispered to his companion. Nida nodded and pointed down to the massive footprints of what seemed like it belonged to a giant bear.

" I'm following these."

Then they both stopped and looked at one another.

" Is a girl really worth all this trouble?" Irvine asked.

" I believe so. Besides, it's in the script," Nida responded, holding up a small booklet. A wolf howled in the distance and for some reason, fog began to surround them. This was going to be one long and frightful journey.

~*~

While Irvine and Nida made their way towards the castle with destruction in their hearts, Seif--er, the Beast was toiling over how to express his love for the graceful Quistis. He knew that if she did not respond to his vow of love positively, then all would be lost. And so everyone in the castle prayed.

~*~

The ballroom was yet another room that Quistis was not familiar with. It reached high towards the heavens and on the ceiling of it was the most grand chandelier that she had ever laid eyes upon. The floor was made with marble and she was positive that the walls contained traces of gold along with the sparkling diamonds that adorned it.

" I have never been amongst such riches," She breathed. " The mere design of this room takes my breath away."

" I'm glad that you like it."

She turned 'round to meet with the Beast, who was wearing the most dashing suit and had a smile on his face. A genuine smile.

" May I say that you look very handsome when you smile, Beast?" She asked, flashing a coy one of her own. His cheeks held a hue of pink and his eyes were wide for a moment.

" Say something!" Selphie said, poking the Beast in the foot. He looked down for a brief second, wondering about how she had gotten down there in the first place. His first thought was ' I should get this over with...smash the doll, smash the doll!' but that was overcome with, ' Perhaps she is right.'. He was about to compliment the girl, but something caught his attention.

She was wearing the dress that he had had Selphie make so long ago. In fact, she looked exactly like the girl from his dream. So it was true that dreams could open a portal to fate, for she had the same smile, the same hair and the same eyes.

" Will you honour me with a dance?" She asked, breaking into his thoughts.

" I should be asking you that!" He snapped. Her eyes went wide but then became narrowed.

" Stop being so primeval!" She snapped back, grabbing his hands and placing one in her own and the other around her waist.

Selphie cued the music; she had gotten the other figurines to learn an instrument and play a score that she had composed herself.

The Beast and Quistis moved effortlessly along the ballroom floor, both lost in the other's eyes. Before Quistis never would have thought that she would find this man attractive in the least but there was something different now. His eyes no longer frightened her, but were welcoming and heart warming. His paws failed to cause her to shudder and his voice did not make her want to hit him with something. It was as if he had changed, from beast to man.

The room dimmed, and soon only the two of them were left in the others arms. The Beast knew that it was now he would confess his love for the beauty.

" I have never known love, only vanity and hate. That is until you stumbled into my castle and captured my heart. I have dreamt about the day when a woman would come and free me from myself. But I had never known that she would be as wonderful as you." He stopped and looked down to the glossy floor. " But I am a Beast. I understand that you can never feel this way about a creature. So you are no longer my prisoner. You are free to go back to your village and forget about me."

The Beast's hands dropped from Quistis' waist and he was about to sulk away when Quistis surprised him.

" Wait."

She took her fingers and gently ran them over the Beast's scar. He tried to move his face away from her sight, but she lifted his chin and met his eyes with her own.

" You are not a Beast," She whispered, a tear of joy falling down her cheek. " You are Seifer."

Then she leaned in and brushed her lips gently on his. A beam of light streaked through the sky and broke in front of the castle, sending shimmers of gold over the castle. As each heavenly drop touched the castle, darkness shed to embrace light. The hideous statues were transformed into gods, the castle became white and lustrous. It was a scene that could only be derived from a fantasy.

To their joy, the figurines grew back into the humans they once were, although Squall's tin hat remained, being so heavy that he toppled down to the floor.

" I cannot believe that she loves him!" Zell cried out, staring at his hands that were free of feathers. " Who could ever love someone like our master?"

" Will you ever stop talking?" Rinoa scolded, but her anger would not remain for long and she began to cry out. " I'm human! Human!"

" Oh, we must go see the master!" Selphie cried out, lifting her dress and running to the ball room.

There in Quistis's arms was the most handsome man anyone would come across in a lifetime. His paws were shed and the scar was gone but he failed to notice that the spell was broken; the only thing that held his attention was Quistis.

" I love you," He whispered and they kissed once more.

" Hurray!" Selphie shouted and soon the other servants joined her glee.

Suddenly, the sound of the door slamming silenced their festivities.

" Let go of her, you monster!" Irvine shouted, holding his rifle poised and aiming at Seifer. Everyone stared at him, dumbfounded.

" Oh, Irvine," Quistis said, smiling. " It's good of you to be here, but Seifer is no longer a Beast and I am no longer his prisoner."

Irvine's face flushed crimson and he began to back out.

" Oh, so very sorry," He stuttered. " I suppose that I am not needed here. Late, I should tell you. Those forests are so very cold and well...I should be on my way. Come, Nida."

" Perhaps you would like to stay?" Quistis asked, bestowing pity on the man. " There's always room for more."

Irvine stopped walking towards the door and turned around, a grin on his face.

" Fabulous! Now, where is the liquor?"

~*~

In a few days time, Irvine had fallen in love with Selphie the dressmaker, Squall was running from Rinoa, Zell was still alone, Nida had mysteriously vanished and finally, Quistis was wed to Seifer.

And they lived happily ever after.

The End.

~*~

( Author's Note: All done! So, what did you guys think? Personally, I love fairy tales, that's why I'm going to write another FFVIII one. In your review, please indicate which tale you want me to re-do FFVIII style and with what couple.)

The candidates are:

For couples:

1. Selphie and Zell

2. Selphie and Irvine

For fairy tale:

1. Sleeping Beauty

2. Cinderella

3. Shrek (not in truth a fairy tale, but it's still nice!)

4. The Little Mermaid *starts singing to 'Under the Sea' *

5. Rapunzel ( I've read some pretty disturbing remakes on that...*shudders* anywho...)

So review and place your votes! And as you all know, majority wins! ;)