I do not own final fantasy 8 and never will and I know I've said this too many times but I don own the characters used in the game or this fic. The characters Zek ,James ,Julia and Hector are mine though so don't steal them not that anyone would want to.

Chapter 18: scars of memory

Even though it was 11 in the morning the Garden strangely wasn't too busy sure there were a few students were walking around and the small boy in the blue shirt was as usual running laps around the Gardens lobby.

"Ha I bet he's pleased Seifer isn't here" Zek remarked as the boy ran past him, the boy went around again and stopped just as Zek was about to enter the Infirmary "hi Zek" the boy chirped ,Zek smiled "hey kid what's up" Zek replied ,the boy smiled broadly "I punched a soldier in the face" Zek looked at him "ah okay interesting so kid why do you run laps around here everyday" Zek asked .The boy smile again "why do you ask" he said confused ,Zek laughed "well I was just wondering why in hynes name you run laps when you have enough of those in training anyway" Zek responded.

The boy thought for a moment "oh I just really wanna beat Zells all time record" the boy answered back, Zek chuckled "ah I see well good luck then" Zek told the boy waving as he began to walk again towards the Infirmary.

Zek looked at him for a moment remembering when Zell had first come to Garden he laughed at the memory of Zell doing just that "man its so easy to get away with stuff without the Faculty or Disciplinary Committee its kinda boring with no one reprimanding me for anything" Zek said to himself silently as he entered the Infirmary.

The Doctor saw him "hello Zek how are you" she asked looking him over ,Zek smirked "perfectly fine Doc" he replied ,he had decided not to bother with the cut on his leg it would heal itself after all he could just cast a cure on it.

"Is Hector here" Zek asked, Dr Kawdawaki nodded "yes he is Zek but he needs his rest" she replied seriously, Zek groaned "is Julia awake then" Zek asked again this time the Doctor stood up and frowned "I'm afraid Julia's still asleep she's very exhausted and has a few broken ribs so it'll be a while before she's awake but that girl I think her name is Tasha will be awake soon".

Zek cocked an eye at the Doctor "um I thought you weren't supposed to reveal patient information" he remarked, she frowned "well I thought you being a friend of hers would want to know" was her sharp response. Zek scratched his head slightly embarrassed by his blunt words "look I don't know her okay and anyway my mind just keeps going back to this dream I had last night" Zek said hoping no one would make too much of it.

Dr Kawdawaki smiled "a lot of people have been having that problem recently so don't be ashamed the battle out there was very violent and if I'm not correct it was a galibadian soldier who did that to you" she said sadly pointing at the scar on Zeks face.

Zek looked down sadly "yeah but It was ages ago" he replied sadly, the Doctor looked at him sympathetically "sorry I didn't mean to remind you" Zek looked at her faking a smile "nah its okay".

Zek entered the room Tash was in, it seemed she was still asleep according to the Doctor she

Would be awake and ready to leave soon as Zek looked at the girl who was sleeping, he could swear she looked just like the young girl from his dreams only slightly older.

Her eyes were the same blue from the dream and her black hair was the same only it was short and the little girl from his dream had long hair instead.

Zek looked at the clock and sighed it had been fifthteen minutes already he yawned still slightly sleepy from yesterday after about ten minutes of looking around the white boring Infirmary walls he soon found himself drifting into sleep.

Flashback

Six year old Zek sat on a large chair with his teddy bear in hand, he had been given it by a man named Henry from a big building called Timber Maniacs ,he had named it Cub after Tash had suggested it,Zek had liked it and it was easy for them both to say.

Zek sat there anyway fiddling with his teddy bears red bow, the Matron of the Orphanage had put it on for him a long time ago. Tash was off in the town with a friend of Jason's someone was interested in her for adoption so she wasn't going to be back for a few hours.

The other children were with a man in the next room who came in three days a week to teach the older children reading and writing, Zek already knew how to read so he was stuck playing by himself. Zek looked at the door knowing the other children would be finished soon, sure enough moments later 4 boys around seven or eight came running into the room before looking directly at their favourite pick on subject.

"Hey Zeke what you doing?" one of the boys snarled at the 6 year old, Zek knew where this was going and tried his best to ignore them.

"Nice bear Zeke it would be a shame if someone say...ripped it" another boy remarked grabbing the bear from Zeks grasp, Zek looked at him upset "give it back" Zek cried out causing the boys to laugh. Zek tried to take it back but the other two boys held him back "let go of me you you meanies!" Zek cried out feeling tears began to stain his face.

The eldest boy who was eight snared at him "okay but the bears mine now ...let go of him boys" he commanded ,they did as they were told and pushed Zek down onto the hard wooden floor with his fathers chain and dog tag falling down onto the ground at the same time.

One of the boys whispered something to the leader who in turn sniggered and then quickly grabbed the dog tag before Zek could get it "aww is this yours" the boy teased ,Zek looked at him "it was my Daddies give it" he demanded.

The boy shook his head "you know something Zeke your weak and stupid its no winder your parents abandoned you" the boy responded back throwing it back at Zek and laughing while walking off to tease another orphan kid.

Zek picked it up and put it around his neck again before running out of the room upset, he knew a place where he could hide and no one could find him well Tash could but she was his only friend besides Andue.

Jason had seen the whole thing and from what Zek could hear from his hiding spot the four bully's were being scolded by the Matron, Zek however could hear footsteps nearby, he knew it was Jason.

"Zek come back here!" Zek heard Jason yell out but did not respond.

"Zek you shouldn't listen to them you'll find your family one day they are just jerks" Jason said again to the now sobbing Zek.

Zek eventually decided to crawl out from his hiding spot and hugged Jason tightly "Jason what does jerk mean" Zek asked innocently Jason then explained it before realising he had taught the boy yet another word he shouldn't know.

Zek smiled up at Jason innocently ,he really looked up to him and for some reason Jason would always tell him what certain words meant but would then tell him never to say them ,being six he still didn't know what you should never say to people.

Zek looked at Jason confused as Jason seemed to be having a fit, Zek had seen his friend Andue have a fit just like this before, Zek grew impatient and started poking him with a stick saying "Jason ...Jason are you having a fit like Andue" Jason soon seemed to snapback to reality and smirked "no Zek I was just thinking come on I think dinners ready I can smell Matron burning it again".

Zek looked at the door and smiled he could smell it too he soon took Jason's hand allowing Jason to lead him into the room that he had just ran out of so hastily.

However just when they entered Zek heard a gruff voice yell "I know your holding rebels here so hand the rebel over or we'll burn it down with those things" Zek didn't know what a rebel was and looked at the man confused.

The man in a red Galibadian Army uniform was really big and seemed to be demanding something and pointing at the other kids in front of him. One of the soldiers seemed to disagree with the bigger man "sir they are just kids we can't hurt innocent children can we" Zek heard the Soldier ask.

The gruff man turned to the smaller man in a blue uniform and yell in a scary voice "what are you saying private are you challenging a superior"the Soldier gulped then bravely nodded "yes sir only a real prick would hurt innocent children."

The Sergeant seemed to be angry and grabbed Zek by his shirt ,Zek screamed out as he saw the man take out a seemingly big pocket knife out and attempt to stab him, Zek tried to squirm out of the mans grasp but failed and saw the man attempt to stab him.

Luckily for Zek the mans hands were slippery so his knife slipped out of hands and missed his target, but instead struck Zek on his left cheek leaving two large cuts across it, the man then attempted to grab it and dropped Zek in the process .

Zek fell onto the hard ground and began to cry ,Jason was furious by then and grabbed Zek away from the mans reach while taking a nearby cloth to stop the excessive bleeding on Zeks cheek. Zek was crying as his cheek seemed to hurt like anything despite Jason's reassurance.

What happened next was very fast and lasted for a few moments Jason suddenly left Zek with the cloth and lunged at the man yelling "How dare you hurt a child so cold bloodily" Zek then saw a man take out a gun and knock Jason back, Zek heard a loud bang and Jason lay there gasping in pain while holding his side wincing. The other soldier who had attacked Jason put his gun back and looked at his Superior "well I guess I'll have to burn it down after all" the mean man ordered.

As soon as the order had been given the Soldier that had been arguing with the big mean man grabbed Zek and a young girl called Julia. He ran out of the room avoiding some gunshots and ran along a longish street "where are we going,"the little girl managed to ask though sobs.

He faked a smile and knelt to her height "somewhere safe " Zek heard him say before the man looked at him ,Zek had been struggling to keep up so the man attempted to carry him Zek however was stubborn and refused by biting him "oww that hurt" the man yelled grabbing a nearby soldiers attention.

Zek saw a young brown haired man in a funny looking uniform come up to them and ask "wait are you kidnapping those children" that was when Zek lost consciousness.

End of flashback

"Zek ...Zek Loire wake up" a loud voice yelled at him causing Zek to wake suddenly shaking his head in confusion "man I keep seeing those stupid dreams" Zek muttered out loud causing the woman who happened to be Doctor Kawdawaki to laugh at him "ha ha well I think you should get out of here for a while when did you last eat" the doctor inquired.

Zek thought for a moment "uh I think it was yesterday before the battle" "hey wait did I just say that out loud you must think I'm ill or something" he told her nervously.

The doctor chuckled then remarked "the thought had occurred to me" Zek glared at her and left in a hurry.

An hour later in the Cafeteria

"Zek!" a girls voice yelled out, Zek turned to see Tash looking at him she was now adorned in a girls Balamb garden Cadet uniform "Zek smiled and waved and shortly after continued to eat his very late breakfast.

"Hi Zek darling" another more familiar voice said from behind him, making him almost choke on his hotdog "Julia uh never ever call me that again because I swear I'll…" Julia looked at him smirking "what come on Zek what you going to do about it".

(A/N ha a snake)

Zek suddenly realised something "Julia say that again but in a really childish voice" he asked,

Julia looked at him strangely "okay whatever you say Zeke" she said to his strange request.

"What you going to do about it" Zek smirked as he finally had figured out what his dreams

Had been "so those dreams are really memory's then" he murmured, Tash came up to

The two looking confused "what up Zeke" she asked ignoring the glare from Julia.

Zek smirked evilly "Julia you would tell me the truth if I asked you anything wouldn't you" Julia looked at him weirdly "uh yeah why wouldn't I" Zek looked at her innocently "do you remember Tash from a Orphanage in Timber and is that why you two hate each other so bad" Zek asked bluntly.

Tash's mouth was agape by Zeks statement even she wouldn't have been so blunt, Julia looked at Zek then Tash, Zek just had a stern look that said he'd know if she lied "okay you don't make this easy do you Zek" Zek shook his head .

"Okay yes your right but I just don't know anymore" she said feeling tears threatening her hazel eyes, Zek felt guilty he knew he had been too blunt but he really wanted to know "I'm sorry Julia I didn't mean to upset you or anything I guess I'm just" Zek spoke but was interrupted by Tash "shocked by the realisation of how much your changed".

Julia laughed at Zeks reaction "ha its okay Zek I know you wouldn't dare offend me your too nice for that" Zek scowled "Julia I could offend you if I wanted and I have every reason to say that you're a jerk after what I remembered but I won't as you're my friend so either you or Julia get over the past or I knock sense into you both" Zek said in a scarily serious voice for him.

Tash of course didn't notice and smiled ,Zek had sure changed from when was a child, Tash offered her hand to Julia "truce its all in the past" she said ,Julia smiled and shook it "truce its nice to see you again Tash so have you seen the headmaster yet about where your going to stay" Julia asked .

Zek just went back to his half eaten hotdog but then remembered what he wanted to ask "hey Julia have you seen James or Zell" Julia looked at him "sorry Zek only Hyne knows where they are".

And that is chapter 18 done done and done Yay this chapter took me 2 weeks to do and sorry if its been really serious recently I'll be sure to put in some humour in the next chapter .Oh and just as a note the next one will be set after they have beaten Ultimecia and somebody help I'm really stuck on Ultimecia so hints are a great help.