Dislcaimer: don't own FF8.

Chapter 9

He could hear the sea gulls again. They were calling loudly as they flew over the crystal waters. He could smell the salt on the breeze as she played with his hair. The water tickled his toes and the sand was cool from where the water ran up on it. He hugged his arms around his small frame and stared out at the sea with depressed gray eyes. Sis had just left them, just left him. He felt empty, cold, alone…. The other kids were all talking with matron about why Sis had left. He didn't want to know. It would just make him feel colder. Before Sis had left she had made him promise her that he would be strong and protect the ones that he cared about.

Arms wrapped around his small frame and sounds like crystal bells hit his ears. He blinked slowly and looked up at the person holding him. Matron smiled down at him and hugged him. He looked away from her, turned his tear filled gray eyes away from her dark pity filled ones. The other kids were playing. He could hear them. One of them was calling to him, calling for him to come and play with them. He didn't want to. He couldn't. He heard someone calling his name as his legs carried him away from them, away from the pain and the emptiness that Sis had left for them. He didn't care where he was going as long as he got away from them. He didn't want anyone to hold him and tell him that everything was ok and that Sis had gotten adopted or whatever.

He felt arms circle around him and scoop him up. He struggled and fought to get away. He didn't want them to hold him! He wanted them to go away and leave him alone! He felt the arms tighten their hold around him and someone rubbing his back. Still he struggled to get away. He felt tears rolling down his face and slowly he stopped struggling and collapsed into tears, letting the person hold him. He could hear them murmuring something to him but he didn't care what it was. He wanted Sis back.

Blue gray eyes flickered open slowly and stared around the room. His vision was blurred by something and he could feel something rolling down his cheeks. He blinked and sat up slowly. Star was curled up beside him asleep. Squall wiped his eyes on his arm and blinked again. There was a cold, empty feeling in his chest and a lump in his throat. He swallowed past it and stood slowly form the bed. His legs shook ever so slightly but he grabbed a pair of jeans from one of the clothing bags and pulled them on over his boxers. He kept the large t-shirt on and walked quietly from the room, leaving the door open a bit so Star could come out when he wanted to. His hair was tussled from sleep and he could hear voices coming from the kitchen.

His legs carried him into the room and found Lony half asleep at the counter on one of the stools. May smiled up at him from the stove and went back to cooking whatever she was cooking for breakfast. Squall took a seat beside Lony and put an arm around her waist when she laid his head on her shoulder. May put a plate in front of each of them and brushed a finger across his cheek.

"Bad dream?" she asked. Squall blinked up at her and shrugged a bit.

"I guess," he said. May didn't question him further but placed a gentle kiss on his forehead before putting some pancakes on his plate. Lony sniffed the air and blinked her eyes open sleepily.

"I smell pancakes," she said and looked at her plate where May had just placed some.

"Chocolate chip pancakes," May clarified. Lony grinned and licked her lip before grabbing the syrup and pouring a generous amount on them.

Violet eyes surveyed the cityscape from the balcony attached to the hotel room and yawned slightly. He could feel the faintest caress of winter against his skin even though the sun drenched everything it touched with summer warmth. Diablos hid in the shadows of his mind and cursed the sunlight. Irvine knew that the guardian could sense Shiva's presence somewhere in this city. He also knew that Seifer and Ifrit could feel it too. The question was where was she? If they could pinpoint her location they could find Squall. But the problem was that her presence was incredibly faint and it seemed to be everywhere. Their chances of finding him would be like finding a needle in a haystack (pardon the cliché).

He felt something spark in him and Shiva's presence getting closer. He heard the faint voice of the newscaster on the television telling of another town being burned to the ground. They didn't have a lot of time before that demon would come here, or go to Garden. Irvine looked over his shoulder and saw Seifer snoozing peacefully. He scowled and walked over to the former Knight. Grabbing the side of the bed, the Galbadian Cowboy flipped the bed and dumped it's occupant on the floor. Seifer swore loudly and glared at him.

"We have to find Squall," he said. "Another town has been burned." Seifer looked at the screen and stood.

"Let's get dressed, grab some breakfast and start looking,"

Blue gray eyes darted around the massive park. Children were running around laughing or on the swings with May pushing them, or on the other things in the park. Lony chased the kids around acting like some sort of animal. Squall sat on a bench and watched them. His legs were aching and protesting the long walk to the park. His sides ached as well as his back and arms. His head pounded and the light was trying to blind him. The breath of winter graced his neck and the sound of crystal bells reached his ears. He was dimly aware of the kids cheering and someone laughing near him. A pair of strong, blue tinted arms wrapped around his shoulders and a cocoon of winter's air fluttered over him, leaving little kisses of icyness on his skin.

Blue colored locks fluttered into his vision and the sound of the crystal bells didn't fade. A sense of safety and peace washed over him before a warm hand gripped his. He blinked and turned his eyes down to meet the warm honey colored ones of a little girl. She smiled at him and tugged on his arm gently.

"Come one, Squall!" she exclaimed. "Leo's here!" Squall cocked his head to the side and stood. Winter's breath did not leave him and he felt his formerly aching body filled with energy and not the least bit achy. The girl tugged him over to the group of kids gathered around a man dressed in a black cloak. The cloak was buttoned closed and the kids were trying to get it open, saying something about presents. Lony was attached to the man's back and gnawing on something while May was standing near the group laughing. The little girl let go of his hand and ran forward. May put an arm around his shoulders and half hugged him. He blinked up at her and cocked his head to the side.

"Who's that?" he asked.

"That's Leo. He comes by every month with gifts for the children. Usually, he's somewhere in the world looking for new legends to share with Lony and me,"

"Oh," Squall turned his gaze back to the silver haired man and watched as the children tackled him once his cloak was open.

"He's a master of illusions and hides all the gifts he brings in his cloak," May said as the man pulled himself from the pile of gifts and children. Lony was still attached to his back and seemed quite content to stay there. Leo's honey colored eyes warmed greatly as they were placed on May and with a flourish he pulled out a bouquet of roses and handed it to her. May smiled and took them from his gloved fingers.

"For the lovely lady who continues to steal my heart every time we meet," he said. Squall instantly didn't like him. He didn't know why but something in him told him not to trust the guy. Lony hopped off Leo's back and took Squall's arm.

"Squall, this is Leo," she said. "Leo, this is Squall." Leo turned and smiled.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," he said, offering his hand. Squall stared at the hand then back up at Leo.

"You too," he said. Lony's grip on his arm tightened and he could feel her frowning at him. Leo smirked ever so slightly and Squall could swear that he saw a darkness flash in Leo's eyes. Leo turned back to the kids as they called to him and walked back over to them. Squall watched him until Lony's stare demanded his attention. He looked down at her and shook his head slightly.

"I don't like him," he said simply. Lony looked back at Leo still frowning but turned back to him and grinned.

"That's ok. As long as you two don't get into a fight or something then ok," she said. Squall smiled down at her and looked back to the kids. They seemed really happy to see Leo.

Seifer could have sworn that he felt a swell of power from somewhere in the park. He knew that Irvine had felt it too. He also knew that that was why they were racing there right now. Ifrit seemed agitated that they were heading towards the Ice Queen and had buried himself behind the wall of fire. He could feel them getting closer to the source of that icy swell and ran all the more faster. Irvine was a few feet ahead of him and jumped the railing of a hill that was part of the park. Seifer followed and slid down the hill after Irvine. The feeling grew and he knew that with just a few more steps they would find him. The sound of kids tackling some one reached his ears and he paused beside Irvine. The Galbadian Cowboy was staring at a pile of kids and a certain brown tuft of hair sticking out from it. The kids fell away from their victim and someone stood up from the pile. Seifer felt wave after wave of relief flood him as he saw Squall, alive and unharmed.

He glanced over to Irvine and saw the cowboy grinning madly. He felt blue gray eyes settle on him and looked back to see Squall staring at them. One of the kids tugged on his arm to try and get his attention but it didn't work. Irvine took a few steps towards and spoke his name. Squall just stared at them, a look of distant remembrance tracing his features. The kids continued to try to get his attention but failed. A girl with chestnut colored hair and blue eyes walked over to him and tugged on his sleeve. Squall continued to stare at them even as his legs gave out. The kids cried out in alarm and the girl caught him. Seifer followed Irvine closer to the group and stared back at the man whose blue gray eyes stared at them hollowly. Seifer didn't like that look in his eyes and prayed for it to go away quickly. Squall just continued to stare at them as the girl shook him and called his name. Seifer watched life slowly flood into those eyes again and watched Squall turn his head and peer up at the girl that held him.

"Who are they?" he murmured. Irvine felt his heart stop and a cold feeling race through him. They had found Squall. Relief had filled him… but now… Squall didn't remember them and cold fingers of some depressed emotion tore through him and ripped the only shred of hope he had had from his heart.

AN: ok in chapter 7 Lony started telling the story of the greater beings and i just re read that and wanted to tell you that the first two people in that story are not may and lony. they are two completly different people. both girls have coffee colored skin and may and lony are white. sorry if i confused anyone. kk bye bye and hope you enjoyed this chapter!!