Okay, first things first. I don't own diddly squat. Square and Sony own
everything that Ted Turner and Bill Gates don't. (sigh) Though I wish
Squall was mine. Hehehe This is my first fic so please enjoy! ^_^
Chapter One: The Prodigal Student Returns
There was something about Balamb that always seemed too perfect to be true. Maybe it had something to do with the soft breeze that always blew in from the southwest harbor, smelling of sweetness. Maybe it was the always-perfect climate, never too cold never to hot. Maybe it was the flawlessly blue sky, it's perfection only enhanced by the occasional pure white cloud drifting by overhead. Whatever it was, it seemed like home, and that was just where Selphie was headed.
Five long years had passed since she had achieved her SeeD ranking, and it hadn't taken long after the return from Ultimecia's castle for her life to be turned upside down. Monotonous training day after day in the center at Garden, endless hours of listening to instructors babble on incessantly, then the traveling started. Once she had reached a decent ranking, Selphie had discovered her name preceded her on most jobs, and suddenly everyone contracting out SeeD seemed to want her, or Zell, or Squall. She had been to so many places it was hard to keep track of them all. Her suitcase was plastered with stickers and labels from the various places she had visited over the last few years, and just looking at it made her head dizzy with memories. But front and center on the large traveling case were the emblems of Trabia and Balamb Gardens, the two places Selphie Timlett could call home. And the later of the two was just coming into view over the pass.
Balamb Garden. It hadn't changed outwardly at all. The school's brilliant façade still shone in the late morning sunshine, it's golden spires and sloping rooftops still glistened brightly, exuding an inviting atmosphere. Balamb Garden, home of the illustrious mercenary group SeeD. Strange, to think this was where she would wind back up. Selphie had tried living back at Trabia for a short stint, but the feeling of security she once held there was gone and most of her friends had grown up and moved on. So she followed suit and when the headmaster sent in his request for her to begin mobile duty she accepted. After all, who was she to argue with her commanding officer? Even if he did make her nuts on occasion.
"Nervous?" The older man's voice made Selphie jump in her seat. She looked over at the driver who had a mischievous smile on his face as he kept his eyes focused on the road. "Not really," she said with a grin. It was a little white lie, but hey, she was entitled.
"Aaahh," he said knowingly, "then why don't I believe you?" Selphie rolled her eyes. "When do you believe me?" The driver chuckled as he turned onto the main road to Balamb Garden while Selphie focused her field of vision on a specific spot on the ground as it sped repeatedly by. For some reason, it was hard for her to take her eyes from that spot, especially since the sight of the school kept making the butterflies in her stomach do little flips. "I know," he said softly, "that everything'll be just fine, Selphie. And I'm sure the local students won't mind having another world famous instructor on their faculty." Selphie giggled at that. The thought of her standing in front of a class teaching was humorous, wearing snooty little glasses like Quistis and tucking her hair into a neat bun on top of her head every day. That'd be rich. Even the driver seemed to be enjoying some inner humor at the thought.
The car slowed and finally came to a stop at the front steps, and Selphie's escort jumped out of the car to help her with her things. As he helped her out of the car, the driver had to admit his friend had changed a lot over the last couple of years. He had known her for a while, and to look at Selphie Timlett now was a somewhat different experience. She was a bit taller than the first time they had met now, and though her hair still tended to flip outward on occasion, she had grown it out to just past her shoulders and she usually wore it pulled back into a ponytail, like it was this day. She had also dropped her love of extremely short skirts of late, opting for tight dark pants and colorful shirts that showed off her body. "Ya gotta flaunt it when ya got it," she would tell him. He had to admit, things back at the office would be pretty dull without her around.
Selphie stretched lazily in the bright sunlight and a big grin spread across her face. "I forgot how warm it gets here," she said to no one in particular as the driver set her suitcase on the pavement and handed her a very large backpack. She took the pack with a smile and shrugged it on. "Thanks for all your help. You really didn't have to drive me out yourself," she said. The older man shrugged, looking off at the school with a longing expression in his eyes. "Eh, forget it. I needed an excuse to get out of there anyway." Selphie giggled. "Gee, thanks." The man looked back at her as if snapping out of a dream and blushed slightly with a small smile. "And, uh," he said quickly, trying to recover, "I wanted to see the best secretary this side of timber off, make sure she'd be safe." Selphie moved forward and hugged the man tightly, a show of affection he gladly returned. "Thanks sir," she said with a smile.
He looked back at the school, shuffling one foot nervously on the ground. "You sure you don't want a hand inside? I mean it's no trouble, really." Selphie shook her head, grabbing her suitcase. "No thanks. I think I can handle it." She missed the frown that crossed his face and he sighed, heading back for the car. He paused for a moment at the car door and shot her one last smile. "Selphie, if you need anything at all, you call me. I know what a jerk he can be sometimes. Don't let him get to you." Selphie sighed for a moment. "Don't worry Sir Laguna," she said with a wry grin, "I think I can handle Mr. Crabby Pants." Laguna nodded. "I think if anyone can turn him around, it's you." He saluted her informally. "Take care of yourself Selphie." Selphie returned the gesture. "You too," she said softly as he got back in the car. The sound of his voice rang out of the window as he drove off. "Say hi to him for me!" And then, all of a sudden, Selphie realized she was back at Balamb Garden for the first time in five years.
Time stood still for a second as she took in the sights and sounds of her old school, and with a determined sigh and a big smile, she hefted up her suitcase and adjusted the Balamb Garden baseball cap on top of her head, running her fingers through the ponytail sticking out the back of the hat. "Welcome home, Selphie," she said to herself and started up the stairs. She would have a lot to do that afternoon, but first things first.
She had to see Squall.
Chapter One: The Prodigal Student Returns
There was something about Balamb that always seemed too perfect to be true. Maybe it had something to do with the soft breeze that always blew in from the southwest harbor, smelling of sweetness. Maybe it was the always-perfect climate, never too cold never to hot. Maybe it was the flawlessly blue sky, it's perfection only enhanced by the occasional pure white cloud drifting by overhead. Whatever it was, it seemed like home, and that was just where Selphie was headed.
Five long years had passed since she had achieved her SeeD ranking, and it hadn't taken long after the return from Ultimecia's castle for her life to be turned upside down. Monotonous training day after day in the center at Garden, endless hours of listening to instructors babble on incessantly, then the traveling started. Once she had reached a decent ranking, Selphie had discovered her name preceded her on most jobs, and suddenly everyone contracting out SeeD seemed to want her, or Zell, or Squall. She had been to so many places it was hard to keep track of them all. Her suitcase was plastered with stickers and labels from the various places she had visited over the last few years, and just looking at it made her head dizzy with memories. But front and center on the large traveling case were the emblems of Trabia and Balamb Gardens, the two places Selphie Timlett could call home. And the later of the two was just coming into view over the pass.
Balamb Garden. It hadn't changed outwardly at all. The school's brilliant façade still shone in the late morning sunshine, it's golden spires and sloping rooftops still glistened brightly, exuding an inviting atmosphere. Balamb Garden, home of the illustrious mercenary group SeeD. Strange, to think this was where she would wind back up. Selphie had tried living back at Trabia for a short stint, but the feeling of security she once held there was gone and most of her friends had grown up and moved on. So she followed suit and when the headmaster sent in his request for her to begin mobile duty she accepted. After all, who was she to argue with her commanding officer? Even if he did make her nuts on occasion.
"Nervous?" The older man's voice made Selphie jump in her seat. She looked over at the driver who had a mischievous smile on his face as he kept his eyes focused on the road. "Not really," she said with a grin. It was a little white lie, but hey, she was entitled.
"Aaahh," he said knowingly, "then why don't I believe you?" Selphie rolled her eyes. "When do you believe me?" The driver chuckled as he turned onto the main road to Balamb Garden while Selphie focused her field of vision on a specific spot on the ground as it sped repeatedly by. For some reason, it was hard for her to take her eyes from that spot, especially since the sight of the school kept making the butterflies in her stomach do little flips. "I know," he said softly, "that everything'll be just fine, Selphie. And I'm sure the local students won't mind having another world famous instructor on their faculty." Selphie giggled at that. The thought of her standing in front of a class teaching was humorous, wearing snooty little glasses like Quistis and tucking her hair into a neat bun on top of her head every day. That'd be rich. Even the driver seemed to be enjoying some inner humor at the thought.
The car slowed and finally came to a stop at the front steps, and Selphie's escort jumped out of the car to help her with her things. As he helped her out of the car, the driver had to admit his friend had changed a lot over the last couple of years. He had known her for a while, and to look at Selphie Timlett now was a somewhat different experience. She was a bit taller than the first time they had met now, and though her hair still tended to flip outward on occasion, she had grown it out to just past her shoulders and she usually wore it pulled back into a ponytail, like it was this day. She had also dropped her love of extremely short skirts of late, opting for tight dark pants and colorful shirts that showed off her body. "Ya gotta flaunt it when ya got it," she would tell him. He had to admit, things back at the office would be pretty dull without her around.
Selphie stretched lazily in the bright sunlight and a big grin spread across her face. "I forgot how warm it gets here," she said to no one in particular as the driver set her suitcase on the pavement and handed her a very large backpack. She took the pack with a smile and shrugged it on. "Thanks for all your help. You really didn't have to drive me out yourself," she said. The older man shrugged, looking off at the school with a longing expression in his eyes. "Eh, forget it. I needed an excuse to get out of there anyway." Selphie giggled. "Gee, thanks." The man looked back at her as if snapping out of a dream and blushed slightly with a small smile. "And, uh," he said quickly, trying to recover, "I wanted to see the best secretary this side of timber off, make sure she'd be safe." Selphie moved forward and hugged the man tightly, a show of affection he gladly returned. "Thanks sir," she said with a smile.
He looked back at the school, shuffling one foot nervously on the ground. "You sure you don't want a hand inside? I mean it's no trouble, really." Selphie shook her head, grabbing her suitcase. "No thanks. I think I can handle it." She missed the frown that crossed his face and he sighed, heading back for the car. He paused for a moment at the car door and shot her one last smile. "Selphie, if you need anything at all, you call me. I know what a jerk he can be sometimes. Don't let him get to you." Selphie sighed for a moment. "Don't worry Sir Laguna," she said with a wry grin, "I think I can handle Mr. Crabby Pants." Laguna nodded. "I think if anyone can turn him around, it's you." He saluted her informally. "Take care of yourself Selphie." Selphie returned the gesture. "You too," she said softly as he got back in the car. The sound of his voice rang out of the window as he drove off. "Say hi to him for me!" And then, all of a sudden, Selphie realized she was back at Balamb Garden for the first time in five years.
Time stood still for a second as she took in the sights and sounds of her old school, and with a determined sigh and a big smile, she hefted up her suitcase and adjusted the Balamb Garden baseball cap on top of her head, running her fingers through the ponytail sticking out the back of the hat. "Welcome home, Selphie," she said to herself and started up the stairs. She would have a lot to do that afternoon, but first things first.
She had to see Squall.