Chapter 2: Where to begin?

Authors note: Thanks for the reviews so far and the favs! Please get more readers to read this! Anyway on this chapter we meet some of my own characters as well as some of the original ones. Just to add this IS set in the late 1970's. Enjoy!

Our story begins WAY before Gnomeo and Juliet. As a matter of fact the blue gnomes and red gnomes weren't even feuding at the time. Of course there were some situations with a certain stubborn/arrogant gnome that made the blue gnomes come to hate the red gnomes. But at this moment in time it was peaceful and quiet.

We first of all start in the blue garden.

Now the blues were peace loving gnomes who loved to spend time checking on each other and listening to the latest music that was available at the time. Lady Blueberry wasn't even the leader (YET). Her mother Lady Bluebell was in charge of the garden and all its inhabitants. She usually had 'complicated' word conversations with the red gardens leaders Lord and Lady Redbury. But today she was on her daily routine of inspecting the blue garden.

Things she would say to different gnomes were like "How are you today?" or "Keep up the good work!" She was so polite towards her fellow gnomes, and that is why the respected her and looked up to her as a GREAT leader.

Her daughter however was a different matter entirely. Blueberry was a laid back gnome who spent time with other gnomes. Her mother always tried to get her to take on responsibilities but she never listened. But her mother was a very patient gnome and she knew that eventually her daughter would be a great future leader of the blue garden.

As soon as Miss Montague, the new person who had recently moved into the newly built house, left the garden the gnomes sprang to life and Lady Bluebell immediately went to check on her daughter. Blueberry was sitting on the grass looking up at the blue, clear sky. She was happy until she saw her mother standing over her.

"Mother Don't do that!" Blueberry gasped standing up to face her amused mother.

"I'm sorry Blueberry I just figured you knew what time it was," her mother replied.

"No… wait. Let me guess… it's time for the 'daily' inspection of the garden," Blueberry said in a very sarcastic manner.

"Yes, indeed it is that. Now Blueberry you must learn to be more respective especially towards your fellow gnomes. You will one day be the future leader of this garden and therefore you MUST learn how to be a good leader," Bluebell went on as her daughter gave the "oh no another lecture?" face.

"I know mother… but I don't see the point of going around asking people if they are ok or not! Why don't we do what father used to do and let them come to us if they have problems?" When Blueberry mentioned her father it brought a look of pain to her mother's face.

"Well your father was a careless leader. Blueberry you must understand your father was not a good leader for this garden. He was a stupid and reckless man!" Bluebell explained letting her anger out as she said this.

"Is that why he walked out on us? Is that why you two didn't get married?" Blueberry asked.

"Yes. He treated this garden like a playground. And I still can't believe I loved him for it," it took Lady Bluebell a few moments to recover before she changed the subject. "Blueberry, why don't you go check on Wisteria and Toadstool. I'm sure they would love to see you again!"

"Sure mother," Blueberry sighed and headed towards her best friends pad. Her mother on the other hand went off to think about the discussion she and her daughter just had. She knew she would be very quiet today.

Blueberry made her way to the far corner of the blue garden where her hippie friend Wisteria spent her day in her pad. The sound of 1970's latest soul and disco music could be heard from the inside of her pad. Wisteria spent her day's listening to music whilst living with her little mushroom friend Toadstool. Today Blueberry smiled at the song that was playing, it was let's groove from the human group Earth, wind and fire. She always had a liking to that song; it seemed to make her smile. Wisteria then appeared from her hippie pad with another gnome who was carrying a cassette player. "Take good care of that and bring it back to me at the end of the week" Wisteria said coolly as always.

"Yeah sure, thanks Wistie!" the gnome replied walking past Blueberry whilst looking at his new music player curiously.

"Your welcome! Peace out!" Wisteria smiled doing her usual peace symbol with her small fingers. She then noticed Blueberry and ran up to her and gave her a tight hug. "Blueberry! It's so good to see you!"

"Yeah, likewise my dearest friend," Blueberry said as they released from the hug.

"Wow! It's only 10 o clock and you managed to get away from your mum so quickly. That is a new record!" Wisteria patted her friend on the back as they entered her pad. Her pad was a peace filled place full of colour and peace symbols. Wisteria on the other hand was a blue gnome with a normal dress. Wisteria had hippie styled brown hair with small flowers in it. And her hat had a hippie peace symbol printed on the centre of it. She looked entirely different to her friend Blueberry who had light blonde hair pinned up and a plain blue dress with a plain blue hat. But Wisteria was proud of her hippie ness and was glad to be different from the other gnomes.

"So how are you holding up?" Blueberry asked.

"I am fine. Toadstool is being a menace as usual," Wisteria replied sighing as her mushroom friend hid underneath a stack of records.

"Why? What's he doing now?"

"Changing my music. He is always changing the songs to ones I don't like. I guess he doesn't respect my music tastes anymore."

"I see," Blueberry tried to sound interested, but she really wasn't.

"What about you though? Are you ok?" Wisteria asked her friend.

"Well mother is still trying to get me to be leader material. But I really don't want to be. Then when I mentioned my father she went all moody on me. Yeah he may have walked out on us but I don't get emotional about it." Wisteria nodded as her friend spoke.

"Well maybe it had a hard effect on your mother. Don't worry Blueberry I am sure she will get over it soon."

"Do you really think so?"

"I know so!" Wisteria smiled "Now why don't you choose the next song?" Blueberry laughed and decided to do just that. Her friend always knew how to cheer her up.

…

Now we go on to the red garden where the story starts to take a turn.

The reds were kind of different to the blues. They had no time for asking everyone how they were. Instead they just went about their lives as normal. The leader's Lord and Lady Redbury kept a close eye on what everyone was doing but unlike Lady Bluebell they never asked people how they were (unless they had to). Lord and Lady Redbury were pleasant gnomes. They had one son called Redbrick and one daughter called Pansy. Redbrick was the next one to be the future leader of the red garden and his sister became jealous of him.

Pansy was an arrogant gnome with no respect for anyone who told on her or anyone who tried to foil her plans. She always claimed to be leader material and even though she WAS the oldest gnome, her father still wanted her brother to be the next leader. Pansy hated Redbrick for this and would usually bully him to get her way. Pansy was a pretty gnome (bah her attitude) she had a few freckles on her cheeks with flowing red hair that reached her back, and wore a normal red dress with a pansy on the side of it. That is probably where she got the name Pansy from.

Redbrick on the other hand was a completely different gnome entirely. He had no freckles or red hair. His hair was a chestnut brown colour and his clothes were yellow with a brown belt and green trousers. His hat was red of course like the rest of the red gnomes but he had no red clothes what so ever. Redbrick was a pleasant enough gnome (unlike his sister) and tried to be polite to his fellow gnomes to show his parents that he was leader material. His sister pansy never did this. As he recalled, she spent all her time causing mischief with some other gnomes in the alley way.

Today Redbrick was just admiring the garden when his sister came up behind him and smirked mischievously "good morning dear brother of mine!" she shouted annoyingly down his ear. Redbrick turned around to face his sister rubbing his saw ear. "What do you want Pansy?"

"Well I would like you to go into the blue garden and stuff your face down their toilet, but naturally they wouldn't appreciate you being in their garden. Also I have to say, you have never been in the blue garden have you?" Pansy smiled yet again mischievously. Her brother on the other hand just stood there and took in what his sister had to say with no expression at all.

"Pansy why don't you just go to the alley and create as much mischief as you want and just leave me to enjoy my day at least?" Redbrick sighed.

"Well that seems a very tempting offer. I may just accept it. Right now I have a certain hippie to make her life a misery. See ya around little brother!" Pansy laughed and flicked her brother's ear so hard that he immediately grasped his ear in pain. Pansy yet again laughed as she waltzed off towards the alley way. Redbrick sure felt sorry for the poor hippie gnome who his sister was about to make her life 'a so called misery.'

Redbrick sighed inwardly as his immature brat of a sister exited the garden. He walked off to continue what he was doing before he was 'oh so rudely' interrupted by his older sister. Redbrick just looked around the garden before his vision stopped. He could see the blue house that stood in the blue garden. His sister was right; he had never been in the blue garden. He wondered what it was like on the other side.

"You ok Redbrick?" Redbrick was startled and turned to face the mysterious voice; he then came face to face with his father Lord Redbury who smiled at him.

"Yeah, if you could get Pansy to leave me alone I would be even better," Redbrick still grasped his saw ear from where Pansy had flicked it.

"I'm sorry about her Redbrick. I guess she is just jealous that we are allowing you to become the next leader. But I can tell you now; it would be a BIG mistake if we allowed Pansy to become in charge of this garden," Lord Redbury shuddered at the very thought of this.

"If she was the leader, I would pack my bags and leave immediately!" Redbrick said jokingly. But it was true, if Pansy ever became leader… well let's just say there would be no peace for anyone.

"Your sister is bigheaded and stubborn unlike you my dear boy. I only hope you never make the same mistakes that she is doing right now," Lord Redbury said.

"I won't father. And when I become leader of the red garden, I will promise to keep a close eye on Pansy," Redbrick promised. Lord Redbury suddenly clicked; he then remembered what he had come to tell Redbrick.

"Speaking of whom, could you go get her please?" Lord Redbury asked.

"What? Why?" Redbrick asked surprised. Lord Redbury soon explained.

"Well me and your mother need to have a short word with her about what she did to our plants… can you go get her?"

"Uh, ok then," Redbrick said before leaving the red garden to find his sister.

…

"Come on Wistie, just a short walk?" Blueberry pleaded trying to get her best friend out of her pad.

"No! No way am I going out there! Pansy will be out there. I just know it!" Wisteria shuddered at the thought of Pansy. Every time she met her it was over something bad. And Pansy was usually the one doing bad things to Wisteria.

"Come on Wisteria she can't be all that bad can she Toadstool?" Blueberry looked towards the little blue mushroom for support. He just shook his head. He knew what Pansy was like towards Wisteria.

"No Blueberry! She bullies everyone especially me!" Wisteria explained with panic in her voice.

"Why?"

"Because I'm a hippie! Pansy hates hippies!" Wisteria turned her music off at this point and then leant against the wall.

"That is no excuse! What could she possibly do to get you to change the way you are?" Blueberry still didn't get what even happened to Wisteria. She had no idea what the other gnomes were like. No one told her what the red gnomes were like, but from what Wisteria was telling her… she didn't want to meet one.

"Well let's see…" Wisteria began "oh yeah just the odd… beat me up, tease me, push me into puddles and on one occasion ALMOST BREAK ME IN TWO!" Wisteria was very emotional at this point. Blueberry thought she was very close to crying. She had never seen her friend like this before. Wisteria was usually a happy, peace loving gnome who just loved listening to music. Today she was scared for her personal well being. And whoever this Pansy girl was… Blueberry was sure going to sort her out.

"Don't worry Wisteria. I will not let Pansy harm you. You have my word," Blueberry held out her hand.

"Are you sure?" Wisteria asked not very convinced.

"Positive! You have my word Wisteria," Blueberry said confidently. Wisteria also had a sudden confidence boost and took Blueberry's hand soon to be led outside into the alley way for what seemed a very short walk.

…

"Hey guys check this out!" Pansy shouted from across the alley way whilst attempting to do some stunt moves on the humans lawn mower. Pansy and her friends usually did this everyday outside the garden and no one stopped them. Well no one stopped them because no one had the guts to do so. Everyone hated Pansy including all of the blue gnomes. And if anyone started an argument, it was always Pansy. Pansy's friends consisted of some small little gnomes who just followed her so they wouldn't be her victims. She always got her way with them. It was a 'I say jump, you say how high' situation. That is how Pansy got what she wanted.

Pansy continued to do her stunt moves on her lawn mower as she noticed that her friends eyes were not focused on what she was doing; instead they were looking in the direction of the blue garden. Pansy suddenly stopped what she was doing and then noticed to blue gnomes exit the blue garden. They were smiling… well that was until Pansy crashed the party.

Blueberry and Wisteria were both happy to be out of the blue garden. No matter how many friends they had in there it was nice to get away from them every now and again. Wisteria started to feel happy and not nervous. But that happiness was short lived. VERY short lived. Blueberry noticed that Wisteria suddenly froze in her position. She turned to see what or who Wisteria was looking at in horror. Blueberry soon found out.

"Well, well, well… if it isn't my ol' buddy Wisteria," Pansy smirked Wisteria didn't. "Couldn't wait to get your butt kicked again could you? Oh and I see you brought a friend to join us in the butt kicking. How fun!"

Blueberry turned to Wisteria who still wore a horror stricken face as Pansy clasped her fist with her hand in a menacing way. "Wisteria? Is this that Pansy girl?" Blueberry whispered but it seemed that Wisteria wasn't the only gnome to hear this.

"Yeah and who are you? No wait a second. I know you; you're the crazy blue garden leader's daughter aren't you?" Pansy laughed and encouraged her friends to do the same.

"Yeah and you're the spoilt little brat who throws a tantrum when she can't get her own way right?" Blueberry smirked but Wisteria's eyes went wider than a home grown tomato.

"What did you just say?" Pansy snapped. She stormed closer so she was only a few meters away from the blue gnomes.

"You know when Wisteria told me about you, I considered you to be a real bad gnome. But now I am looking at you I can see a gnome who pushes people around for her own personal gain," Blueberry added putting her hands on her hips.

"Oh you wanna play it like that do you?" Pansy smirked turning to Wisteria. Then she suddenly, without any warning pushed Wisteria into a nearby puddle full of muddy water. Blueberry instantly went to her friend's aid as Pansy gave her friend's high fives as they laughed carelessly.

…

Redbrick didn't really want to go fetch her sister; after all he had just been able to get rid of her. And now his father wanted her back? Well whatever Lord Redbury wanted to speak to his daughter about, it must be very important. Redbrick said a polite "Hello" to his fellow gnomes as he headed towards the gate. This was why Lord and Lady Redbury favoured Redbrick over Pansy. He was so polite.

Once outside the red garden Redbrick scouted around for his sister but couldn't see her. He stepped further outside and looked around but still couldn't see his sister. Redbrick was about to go back into the red garden but he then heard a yelp and then some laughing. He quickly turned around and looked where the yelp had come from. It was outside the blue garden and Redbrick could see some of Pansy's friends and of course Pansy huddled around some gnomes. He immediately noticed that Pansy and her friends were laughing and giving each other high fives around two female blue gnomes. One had just been pushed into a muddy puddle and the other one was helping her up.

Redbrick walked slowly behind to watch the commotion and immediately found himself staring at one of the blue gnomes. The one who was about to stand up for her best friend.

"How dare you! What is your problem?" Blueberry yelled picking poor Wisteria, who was now drenched in mud and water, up by the arm. Wisteria shook her arms and wiped her face revealing her self to be crying. This made Blueberry even angrier towards Pansy; she had never seen Wisteria cry before.

Redbrick had never been so impressed in all his life. No one, not even his parents stood up to Pansy like that. That gnome had some courage to do that. He also noticed the gnome that was crying, she was lucky to have such a loyal friend who stood up for what was right. Redbrick was that impressed that he now admired that gnome… perhaps after this, he could find out her name.

"You blue's! You're so pathetic and idiotic; you make me proud to be a red! Now I suggest you go home to your crazy lady of a mother with you stupid cry baby hippie and leave the good gnomes to do what they wish!" Pansy snapped acting like a wannabe perfect girl.

"You make me laugh, you really do. Good? I see no good in you. I bet that is why you're not going to be the future leader of your garden any time soon," Blueberry smirked but stopped suddenly. That was the point when Pansy lost it. Pansy then grabbed Blueberry by her arms and then lifted her a couple of centimetres off the ground. She looked furious and Blueberry suddenly regretted what she just said.

"Oh you asked for it now blue! Just twitch and I will make sure you wish you had never been made!" Pansy was about to do something horrible to Blueberry and all her friends stood and watched.

Redbrick had watched this commotion long enough, he knew that the brave gnome's companion had been through enough to try and stop Pansy so it was about time he did. "Pansy!" Redbrick shouted. Suddenly everyone's attention including Pansy's diverted away from Blueberry and stopped at Redbrick "mother and father want to have an important word with you at once," Redbrick tried to make it sound as urgent as possible for Blueberry's sake.

Pansy turned away from her brother and back to Blueberry who was still held several centimetres off the ground. "You had better consider yourself lucky that you're still breathing! If I catch you standing up to me again, I swear to God I will-"

"Now Pansy!" Redbrick shouted again cutting Pansy off of her threats.

"Yes brother!" Pansy spat rudely as she dropped Blueberry and then made her way back to the red garden. She also rudely pushed past Redbrick with her other friends close behind. They soon made their way into the garden before slamming the gate hard behind them. Redbrick watched them leave and then turned back to face the gnomes he had just helped.

"Why don't you go back in the garden Wisteria? I will be with you in a minuet," Blueberry reassured her silent hippie friend who slowly nodded and made her way back into the blue garden. Once sure Wisteria had gone back into the garden, Blueberry turned around to face the red gnome who had just saved her from a fate worse than death.

Redbrick and Blueberry walked over to face each other and remained silent for several moments just looking at each others faces. "Well thank you for helping me back there," Blueberry managed to say blushing as she realised that they had been staring at each other for what seemed like a minuet.

"Your welcome Miss?" Redbrick smiled.

"Blueberry," Blueberry smiled back holding out her hand.

"Nice to meet you Blueberry, I am Redbrick," Redbrick grasped her hand and shook it politely.

"Likewise. Well thank you for saving me back there," Blueberry said again after shaking hands with Redbrick.

"No need to thank me. I just never saw anyone stand up to my sister like that before. You're very brave!" Redbrick assured her. Blueberry found herself blushing again at this comment. But why was she blushing? She had just met this gnome and now she was blushing? Blueberry never blushed, what was wrong with her?

"Well I was only standing up for my friend. Unlike me she is used to peace and doesn't know how to stand up for herself like I do. I'm afraid I must take after my mother for that," Blueberry sighed. She didn't really want to be like her mother but she knew that someday she would have to take responsibilities for her fellow gnomes. It was her duty to because after all, she was going to be the future leader of the blue garden one day.

"Well I still consider you brave! You're a credit to all gnomes and I am proud to have met you Blueberry!" Redbrick felt daring at this point and kissed Blueberry's hand. To her surprise she blushed harder and felt a sudden awkwardness around this gnome.

"Same here Redbrick…" Blueberry finally said "I had best be getting back before everyone wonders where I am." Blueberry was very eager to get away from Redbrick. He on the other hand didn't seem so eager.

"Oh, ok then… well goodbye Miss Blueberry!" Redbrick had a hint of sadness in his voice as he said this.

"Goodbye Redbrick!" Blueberry said quickly before heading back inside her garden. Redbrick soon did the same feeling stupid and disappointed in himself.

Authors note: Well how do you like it so far? Yes the Blueberry and Redbrick may seem a bit out of character but at this point they are young and have different feelings back then. And by the way the hippie gnome was called Wisteria for a reason as was Pansy. We will find this out later on in the story. Just to warn you the story is going to be quite long as it tells two stories from different point's of view. Please review and keep on reading! Thanks!