I. ...a Chance of Working for the School Newspaper

Sophie adjusted her glasses, then faced right, left, forward again. The teenager shook.

"W-who said that?"

The trash can behind her tipped forward. A cat sized, mostly white creature slinked from behind the can and stepped over crumpled up papers that crunched under his step.

"I did!" The creature "said," as it did not open his mouth.

Part of Sophie's being instructed her to run from this unusual thing. As before many times, however, it was ignored in place of the girl's natural curiosity. The pigtailed blonde crouched down to its level once it stopped within a meter from her. She smiled.

"Aren't you cute!" Sophie exclaimed.

It cocked its head. "My name's Kyubey."

"Mine's Sophie." She forwarded her hand, then immediately pulled it back to her side. The girl blushed.

"I presume you have a wish you desire to come true?"

"Oh yes," she absentmindedly replied, "I'd love to work at the school paper but my French grades have never been the best because of my dyslexia. It's kinda bad. It is better than it used to be but the teacher is pretty strict about who can get..."

The cute creature never changed expression. A little freaky. She scratched her head, nervously giggled.

"Oh why am I telling you this? I did everything I could to let Mister DuBois give me a chance, anyway..." I'll never be a reporter at this rate, she thought with a sigh.

"I can tip it in your favor, Sophie."

Crossing her arms, she raised a brow. "By cheating?"

"Only if you consider it. I came to you because I can grant a wish, any wish you desire."

"Uh-huh... And what's the catch?"

"If you let me grant your wish, we make a contract. You get your school paper job and I get my magical girl!"

"Like Soldier Luna?" A tap against her pimpled chin accompanied a deep hum. "I think I saw that once..."

"Unlike Soldier Luna, though, you get to save people yourself! You can also use your magic to help with your condition!"

Ah yes. She never did like being dyslexic. It was often the cause of her being bullied. Forget the magical girl mumbo jumbo for a second; she needed to know if this tidbit in particular was true. She understood the concepts of French grammar and the what not. When it was heavily revised her teachers marveled at her writing and passion to get to the truth. It was just difficult to write on her own without it being scrambled, as the words on the board, in books, or on her notebook paper always appeared distorted in her sight. If she could fix that herself, even if she couldn't outright "cure" herself, then maybe she could improve her grades enough to convince Mister DuBois to--

"Are you telling me the truth?"

A single nod further confirmed what she heard. "All your dreams can come true through me, but only if you make that contract."

Sophie shot up. "Then I'll accept your offer!"

He tilted his head toward her. "Very well, then. Sophie, what is the wish that will make your soul gem shine?"

Her nails stuck into the flesh of her clenched hands. With a deep breath she bellowed: "Kyubey, better my chance to start a reporting career! Treat my dyslexia until I don't need therapy anymore and I can show Mister DuBois the real Sophie!"

II. ...Saving His Squirrel's Life

Spirou gasped as an invisible force pushed him by his back into the air. Levitating horizontally a foot or so above the ground a bright light surrounded him before concentrating on his upper half. He watched in awe as a red egg shaped light emerged from his chest and floated above him. Shaking hands inched their way towards it with little thought.

"The contract has been made," Kyubey, sitting in the armchair, declared. "Your wish has prevailed entropy."

His hands cupped the warm light; red rays radiated through what his palms and fingers did not block. Gently he landed on his back onto his living room floor. For the first time in a few days tranquility embraced him like he did the now solid item in his grasp. He closed his eyes and smiled... Until a cell phone ring broke the mood. The call was from the animal hospital.

"You're kidding me," Spirou said upon hearing the vet's news.

"No, he's fine. Well, as fine as he can be. He has some movement issues but they can easily clear up. We have no idea what happened but it's a miracle no less. Squirrels like yours are no match for squirrel pox. There was a great chance he wouldn't make it to tomorrow. We'll keep him for another night to monitor him but I think otherwise he's good to go."

Spirou looked down at the shining egg shaped red jewel, encased in gold, and smiled. It definitely was a miracle, no less.

III. ...Getting the Man of Her Dreams

"Mister Gaston is nice, he really is," Jeanne said, drinking more coffee, "and funny, and sweet, and caring, but we're not really... together, you know?"

Kyubey really didn't know. He continued watching the redhead hold her hands to her chest, seemingly in pain.

"Like, we're good friends and I'd like to think of him as my boyfriend, but he really isn't. I've never even really heard a confirmation from him that he felt the same for me. Mister... Kyubey, that's your name, right?" She adjusted her glasses. "You said you can grant wishes?"

"That is correct."

"I don't know how I can cram spell casting or whatever being a magical girl has to do into my schedule, but I'll try my best. Just please, grant my wish to have Gaston Lagaffe be my boyfriend!"

IV. ...A Good Afternoon Nap

Gaston curled up more into the blanket he smuggled into his office.

"Gaston!" Kyubey snapped. "Please wake up. I'm not done."

"A wish, huh?" The man opened his eyes enough to see light before shutting them again. "That'd be cool..."

"It is, especially because you have enough potential to become a magical boy! You are not at someone's mercy but rather can do the work as you feel it needs to be done!"

A soft snore. "That does sound nice."

"Excellent. Now may you please wake up so we can make a contract."

Gaston's cat meowed. He mustered enough energy to crouch down and pick him up.

"Now, Gaston Lagaffe, you have one wish. Which is the one that will prevail over entropy?"

Stroking his kitty, he pondered with loud "hmms." "So hard to decide. World peace, for all my pets to be safe, Prunelle to know there's nothing to worry about, an engagement ring for Jeanne, cake..."

Kyubey's tail flicked. "Yes, those are all good choices..."

Gaston, yawning, snapped his fingers. "I have it! I wish for the best work nap that ever existed! No interruptions or anything else to stop it until work is over!"

The alien couldn't even blink. It had granted more insipid wishes before. A bright green light illuminated the room, causing the cat to flee to a corner and the seagull to squawk.

"Congratulations, Gaston." Already the man slept soundly, green soul gem landing on his desk after it slid from his loosened fist. "Your wish will help combat entropy even as you sleep."

V. ... The Chance to Fix the Whole Mess

Everything about this future was wrong. Completely, absolutely wrong. Fantasio excused himself to the restroom and threw cold water in his face. He called out "hello" to no audience in particular and indeed didn't receive a peep from inside the place.

He clutched his aching forehead. He didn't want to be with a "brand new" Spirou to grow with. He didn't want this seeming Utopia crap. He sure as hell didn't want an older Spirou all goo-goo eyed with that viper of a woman Flanner, or to imagine them kissing.

"But of course I can't leave!" He screamed. Now both hands grasping his temples. "I've tried to deal with it but I just can't!" Arms shot down. "Zorglub, Zorglub caused all this. If I could just go back in time one last time and make sure this whole mess never happen--"

A stall door creaked. Of course it would be the one right behind him, with his luck. Instantly he turned around.

"What the--?"

The strange animal on the floor advanced. "Hello. It appears you have just enough potential for me to reach you."

"Potential?"

"My name is Kyubey and I grant even the most impossible of wishes."

Fantasio blinked, then frantically rubbed at his eyes. "Okay, I'm hallucinating."

"You are not hallucinating. I am as real as you, Fantasio."

A pointer finger aimed at the incubator. "How did you--"

"I've come far to find people. Special people. People like you. People like you that desire a second chance. Make a contract with me and it will come true."

"And what do I have to do in return."

"Nothing much. Only to help me save the world, maybe even the universe."

"That's it?" He laughed once. "When I uh, get back to my regular time, sure. Spirou can help me. We always help each other." That's perhaps the most painful part of this whole thing, he thought as he recalled the older Spirou dumping him off in the countryside so he could spend his days with only his wife. All those years of friendship and I was abandoned like a no longer cute puppy. What could cause him to change like that?...Whatever happens when I return to the future I'll make damn sure it never happens again!

His hand covered his face. No way was he going to let this weird thing see him fight the urge to cry.

"Are you ready?" Kyubey asked.

"To say my wish?"

"To say your wish."

He nodded. After some deep breaths and knuckles cracking he was as ready as he'd ever be. "I want to go home, in my rightful time and place. I want to correct everything wrong with this future by preventing it from ever happening, to keep Zorglub from ever thinking this little adventure was ever a great idea in the first place. Kyubey, give me the finest deus ex machina you've got!"