Chapter 8: Denial

A loud high-pitched ringing resounded on the beach. Squall Leonhart was immediately roused from his sleep by the sound. His head was buzzing and he couldn't find his own phone. He looked around. Everybody was still asleep. Great.

They all fell asleep right on the beach. No one, not even Ellone, was able to get up and go back to the house. Squall found his phone ringing under Rinoa, who was beside him. He picked it up, careful not to rouse the sleeping sorceress.

"Hello?" Squall said weakly.

"Commander? It's Xu. We have a situation in Garden."

"What?"

"It's about the sorceress."

"Rinoa?"

"Lady Sylphia. She was spotted by a Galbadian columnist in the SeeD inauguration party."

Squall walked to the other side of the beach, where no one can hear him.

Xu continued. "The columnist exposed Lady Sylphia. Now there are riots in Deling City and Esthar City. The people wants her sealed. They believe that Sorceress Sylphia is the future Ultimecia. Rumors have been circulating that she was a sorcerer and you know we can't stop that. And that white hair is not helping her case. We must decide our plan of action, Commander. What are our options?"

"Okay, Xu, stay put. I'm with Seifer here. We will discuss our plan of action and call you back immediately. Squall ended the call and ran to Seifer who was still sleeping on the sand with Quistis in his arms.

"Almasy." Squall tried to wake him up without touching him, to no avail. He tried again. "Almasy, wake up."

Nothing. Squall was uncomfortable with touching Seifer's bare skin, but he had no choice. He shook the blonde, still to no avail.

"Hyne! For a skilled fighter, this guy's too much of a heavy sleeper. Maybe if I wake Quistis up."

"Q." Still nothing. They're pretty hammered. Squall heard footsteps from behind. He sharply looked back and saw his son, Louie Leonhart walking towards the sleeping party, grinning.

"You need some help with that, dad?" Louie smiled. Squall nodded. Louie raised his arm and flicked his hand. In an instant, the blonde couple rolled over and was rudely roused from their sleep. Squall held back a laugh.

"What the hell, Leonhart?!" Seifer stood up. Quistis stood up with him.

"You better watch your back, kid." Seifer threatened Louie.

"Whatever." Louie replied as he walked away.

"Louie!" Squall ran to his son and grabbed his elbow. The young sorcerer turned around "About last night. We just... I mean I-"

"Save it, dad. I don't want to hear anything about it. I just wanna forget about it for now. Besides, it seems like you have more important matters at hand." Louie replied.

"You heard?"

"Sort of. Goodluck, commander" Louie made a salute before walking back to the orphanage.

It'll be better tomorrow.

"Yeah, you better run!" Seifer shouted angrily, spitting out the remaining sand particles that was rudely forced into his mouth by the sorcerer's gravity spell.

"You gotta admit, Almasy. It was pretty funny." Squall smirked as he walked back to the circle. The rest of the party started waking up, noticing the aggressive stance that Seifer is in.

"What the hell's going on?!" Rinoa stated as she scratched her eyes and stretched.

"Your son just made us swallow sand." Quistis replied, rubbing the sand of her pants.

Rinoa held back a laugh. "What?! Why would he do that?!"

"These two wouldn't wake up." Squall's face was priceless.

"Squall that is so unlike you." Ellone was also holding back a laugh, but was trying to be mature about it all.

"It wasn't me. It was Louie!"

"Well, I think you should teach that sorcerer son of yours to control his powers. Maybe he does need a knight."

"And what was so important for you to wake us up this early in the morning?!" Quistis snapped at Squall.

"Uhm. Q it's.. noon." said a groggy Zell.

"What?! No it's not." Quistis looked up the sky and saw the sun that was directly above them. "Oh."

"So why did you wake us up, Squall?" asked Seifer, sitting down on the log. He put his blue shirt back on.

Squall sat back on his log, changing his mood quickly. "Xu called. There are riots in Galbadia and Esthar. They're teaming up. They want Lady Sylphia sealed."

"There's nothing they can do, right? What about the International Council?" asked Selphie.

"Of course, there's that. But the International Council is slowly siding with the anti-sorcery movement with the help of Lamia Brasque. We don't know how long the International Council can keep foreign forces at bay. Besides, the council has no power on its own. Even if the council decides that it is not permitted to seal sorceresses in foreign countries, who are they to stop superpowers like Galbadia and Esthar?"

"Why do they want Lady Sylphia sealed?" Rinoa was worried for the other sorceress. She is just a child.

"They think she's Ultimecia." Squall answered.

"What?! That's crazy!" said Ellone.

"It's not totally crazy." Seifer stated.

"Oh come on, Seifer. You're not suggesting that this child will be the evil Ultimecia." argued Rinoa.

"I'm just sayin'. It's a possibility."

"Hold up. Just because it's a possibility, doesn't mean we do what we can to stop it. Besides, we can only know for sure that she's Ultimecia if she becomes Ultimecia, right?" stated Irvine.

"Here we go again with your destiny does not exist theory, Kinneas!" blurted Zell.

"No. Listen to me. What does Garden stand up for? Don't we believe that Ultimecia will exist if we continue this plight against Sorceresses?" They all nodded. "Then I say, we do what we can to protect Lady Sylphia. If she gets captured, we don't know what she can do. Her rage might fuel her powers and might actually turn her into Ultimecia. Do we want that?" They all said no.

"Heck. I keep forgetting how smart Irvine is." thought Squall. "So what do we do, now?"

"Bring the Gardens here." Edea Kramer walked towards them. She was listening the entire time. "No one would suspect to look for the Gardens here. And you've all just installed a cloaking device on the Gardens, right? That's why Irvine was in Trabia before you all went here to Centra."

Squall smiled. "Almasy. Is it alright if we bring G-Garden here?"

"Why bring all the Gardens?" argued Seifer.

"I thought you were all in this together. Garden's task is to protect the sorceresses from the evils of the world, right? Garden's task is to shield the sorceresses from anything that might turn them into Ultimecia, right? To change the world to a better place for sorceresses so that tyrants like Ultimecia wouldn't be motivated to change it themselves" Edea replied rather matter-of-factly.

There was silence.

Seifer looked up and breathed a heavy sigh. There was a great risk with this move, but it's what Garden's all about.

"Okay. Bring Galbadia Garden here."

After making some calls, they were all just waiting for the Gardens to arrive in a couple of hours. Squall was sitting on the porch that overlooked the flower field. A breeze blew petals away.

"Hey, Leonhart." Seifer Almasy called upon Squall Leonhart. The latter turned.

"How did they find out about how Ultimecia looked like?"

"It was Zell. He drew her for the public. Frankly, I thought it was a good move then. I never saw this coming."

Seifer laughed. "Well, we can't do anything about it now huh?" He stood up and started walking away when a thought entered his mind.

"Squall?"

"Hmm?"

"We're doing the right thing, right?"

"I don't know." Squall thought.

Silence.

"Yes. Yes we are." The commander finally said.

It wasn't by his own choice that Zell drew Ultimecia for the public. The people demanded Squall and company to draw Ultimecia, but none but Zell could do it. However, the memories were too chilling that he couldn't will himself to do it. It was Sophie who convinced him to do it.

"Come on, Zell. You're just gonna draw her." urged Sophie. The two were in the library. They would sneak in at night when no one was there. Sophie had a spare key.

"I can't sweetie. It's just... I can't risk having her in my nightmares again. Ughhh. I hate having to wake up in the middle of the night just because of her nightmares." replied Zell.

"I'll be here for your nightmares, sweetie."

"Thanks. but still."

"Okay how about this? What if I help you draw her."

"What?! Sophie, I'm the only one who saw her."

"So? You can describe her to me and I can draw. That means that you won't be alone when you draw her. You'll be with me."

"I don't know..."

"Zell, come on. Stop being a wuss and just do it."

"Don't call me a wuss."

"Fine. I'm sorry."

Zell sighed. It was a good offer. Moreover, he could practice his drawing skills and he get to be with Sophie all the time.

"Fine. I'll do it." Zell complied.

"Really? Oh my god! YEY! I'm so excited, Zelly! I love you!"

Zell's eyes widened. "Wh... what?"

"Nothing. I just..."

Zell smiled at the beautiful face that was reddening beside him.

"I... feel the same way, Sophie." said Zell.

And they kissed beside the draw point in the library.

Zell entered. "Hey, Squall. Can I talk to you about somethin?"

"What is it, Zell?"

"Well, I drew Ultimecia for the public to see. Sophie and I did, actually. I can't help feelin' that if I hadn't drawn her, the public wouldn't be so scared of her."

"That's true."

"Aww come on, Squall."

"Look, Zell. There's no denying that the drawing is an integral part of this whole thing. But if it wasn't you then someone else would've done it or juiced it out of us."

"You know that doesn't actually make me feel better, right?"

"Would you feel better if I assigned you and Sophie to a special mission?"

"Depends."

"You and Sophie do a background check on Lady Sylphia. Try to know everything about her abilities. Her heritage, the lineage of her sorceress power, her special skillset, everything you can find out. Maybe if we show the public her background, they won't want to seal her."

"Alright." Zell said as he started to go back inside the orphanage.

"Wait, Zell." Squall stood up. "Draw her for me, please. In the same pose that you drew Ultimecia? Better yet, draw another Ultimecia and Lady Sylphia in the same pose."

"What? Aww man, you know how hard it was for me to draw Ultimecia."

"Come on, Zell. Was it hard for you to spend all that time with Sophie back then?"

"Regardless. This is what started this thing in the first place."

"No it is not, Zell. It was that Lamia Brasque person."

"Fine. I'll do it. Just promise me, Squall. No one will see the drawings."

"I promise you, Zell. No one else will see your drawings this time."

Zell sighed. "Fine."

Here we go again.