Along the Garden Path

I'm on a roll lmao. I'm enjoying writing again, so here is one I churned out in 2 hours. So it might not come up to much, but I liked it as I wrote it. I always liked this part of the game.


It had all been a blur. Kiros, Laguna and Ward, together again on a new adventure. Selphie couldn't even pretend to understand. Right now her head was in a daze, as she squinted, watching Zell look over Squall as he lifted himself up. Zell hadn't been there this time, maybe things in the dream land would have turned out better if he had. She scrambled around, clutching at the floor to pick herself up. Darn, mud in my nails. Zell noticed her crawling, and ran over, squatting down beside her, helping her to sit down comfortably.

Zell: Was it Laguna again?
Selphie: Sir Laguna's in BIG TROUBLE! I hope he'll be ok!
Quistis: Doesn't seem like the first time for you all. What is this?
Squall: We'll just be wasting our time trying to figure it out. Let's keep going.
Zell: Yeah, let's go! I think we're almost there.
Rinoa: Umm...Squall...I think I may have said too much. I'm sorry.

Zell helped Selphie to her feet as the others ran off. It was nice she thought, that he'd spend so much time wondering about her. However, his incessant questioning as they approached Galbadia Garden lost its novelty soon after the event. "Are you ok?" "You sure now?" "Gosh, I wonder what happened, you ok"
Selphie shook her head, her curls bouncing off of her shoulders.

"You know Zell, I'm FINE!"

Galbadia Garden was an immense, red structure, similar in appearance to Balamb, only much larger. It's red colour and its large whirring pendulum seemed slightly...intimidating. Selphie watched, bemused, as several students flew by in what looked to be flying robot suits.
A girl with a large red bow approached them, followed by a snotty, freckly boy.

"Which academy are you from? You sure don't look like students from Galbadia Garden."

Selphie frowned, she was glad she hadn't come to this place.Trabia and Balamb were far superior.

"Don't be too rowdy. Galbadia Garden isn't like your Garden, you know."

That's charming! Selphie glared at the boy, who straightened his shoulders and glared right back. Pfft! Who does he think he is?!

"Up until now, the headmaster here did what the Galbadian government said. I don't know about now, though. It'd be a different story with the sorceress in charge."

Oh my, Selphie gasped. The sorceress? Selphie turned to Zell, and they both looked lost in thought. Selphie's parents had died in the sorceress war, or so she had been told in Trabia. If there was another war...she didn't know what she'd do...She looked around again, no wonder this place was so influenced by machines. Wasn't the last sorceress from Esthar? The giant techno city in the east?

Selphie: Wow...Completely different.
Zell: Sure is quiet.
Squall:...I like it.
Quistis: Could you leave this one up to me? I've been here several times, and I know the headmaster pretty well. I'll go and explain our situation.

Quistis wandered, off, and Selphie looked around once more.

Selphie: It's totally different from Trabia or Balamb Garden.
Zell: I...I'm not sure I like it.

Suddenly a bell chimed, before a gruff, yet young man's voice was played.

"Attention, SeeD party from Balamb Garden: Please wait in the 2F Reception Room."

The group walked quietly through the halls, not uttering a word. Selphie wasn't too impressed. She wanted to go wild in this place. The stuck up fools that lived and worked here needed a bit of excitement. Maybe her group were the right ones for it!
Selphie giggled to herself, and recieved a sharp grunt in return from Squall, enough to silence anyone. Zelly will come wind them up with me, she smiled to herself.
They passed an instructor in the hallway, demanding pushups from his students. Selphie rolled her eyes. If Zell came with her, he'd probably end up in the hallway. Because he was silly like that. Dopey and slow. But oh so cute. Wait! Did she just think that?! She bit her bottom lip, stealing a look at the blond boxer...maybe she did? No! She couldn't! It wasn't like that. Friends, that's all. She reassured herself.

Oh good, she thought, as they entered the meeting room. As soon as this gets started, I won't have to sit here wondering about stupid things like that!

Making small talk, the group discussed Garden Festivals and Galbadia, until Quistis walked into the room.

Squall: How'd it go?
Quistis: They understood our situation. And Balamb Garden is safe. The attack on the president in Timber was classified as an independent action. There was an official notice from the Galbadian government saying that Balamb Garden is not being held responsible.
Zell: So, Seifer's taking all the blame?
Quistis: The trial's over, and the sentence has been carried out...

Wow. Selphie felt like she'd been punched in the stomach. That was such a blow...she looked around at the faces of her comrades. Quistis had specks of tears on her face, Rinoa's lip was trembling. But Squall, Squall and Zell...Zell...their faces, their eyes, were just...Selphie couldn't tell what they were feeling. Their eyes were burning holes into the ground. What's going on in their minds?

Rinoa: ...He was executed?...Of course he was. He attacked the president. He sacrificed himself for the 'Forest Owls.
Quistis: It was your group that got Seifer involved in all this. You're a resistance faction, right? You must have been prepared for the worst. I'm sure Seifer was prepared, too. So don't think of it as Seifer sacrificing himself for you. I'm sorry. I guess that wasn't much consolation.

Selphie looked over at Zell, she had to know what he was feeling.

Selphie: You really hated Seifer, didn't you, Zell?
Zell: Yeah, but...He was from Garden...He was one of us. If I can, I wanna get revenge.
Selphie: Kinda sad.
Zell: I didn't like the guy, but executed...? That...bastard.
Quistis: I don't have any good memories of him. I've seen some troubled children, but he was beyond troubled. Well, he wasn't really a bad guy.

Selphie edged nearer to Zell. She wanted to be comforted. She wanted to comforted by Zell.

Rinoa: I...really liked him. He was always full of confidence, smart...Just by talking to him, I felt like I could take on the world.
Selphie: Your boyfriend?
Rinoa: I don't really know. I...I think I was in love. I wonder how he felt?
Selphie: Do you still like him?
Rinoa: If I didn't, I wouldn't be talking about it. It was last summer...I was 16. Lots of fond memories...

Selphie sighed. What if that ever happens to her? The guy she loved, died? It was an awful thought. She shuddered. If HE died...no wait...what am I thinking?! Selphie sank into her chair. Why was she so confused all of sudden?
Selphie looked up, Squall had started to shake. Really badly. What was wrong? Was he trying not to cry?

Quistis: What's wrong, Squall?
Squall: I won't have it!
Zell: W-What?
Selphie: Are you MAD?
Squall: I'm not having anyone talk about me in past tense!

Squall ran out, and the group stood silently for a moment. Suddenly, Zell chased after him. Selphie gulped. I guess we won't be behaving here after all, she thought. Nodding at Rinoa and Quistis, who were sat, holding hands for comfort, she scampered after the pair.
As Selphie descended the stairs, she saw Squall walk past the instructor she saw earlier. Skipping off of the bottom step, she saw Zell, doing pushups on the floor. Argh! Stupid boy! I KNEW he'd end up doing this! She waved her arms slightly, pointing at the , grabbing his attention, before ducking behind a wall as the instructor approached.

Instructor: What are you doing girl!
Selphie: Nothing sir.
Instructor: Go get changed into your uniform!!

The instructor stormed back off, and Selphie glanced around the wall. Good! Zell had escaped! Now she had to find him. That could be tricky! After a little wandering around, Selphie ran into Zell.Literally. The pair went flying, and Zell yet again incessantly asked if she was "OK?!" Selphie smiled. He'd been looking for her.

The pair wandered around the campus. It was nice to talk about everything. She needed to deal with what had happened.

Selphie: Zell...what's happened to Seifer?
Zell: I don't know...I guess he was executed...In a way, I feel to blame for it too...if I hadn't said.
Selphie: How can you feel to blame?! It's nothing to do with you Zell! Seifer attacked the president, in an independent action, as they said!
Zell: I guess...hey Selph...do you ever wonder...what'd happen to us if we got caught? Selphie: Yeah...I mean...we attacked the president on the train, or so we thought.
Zell: Yeah. We've only been in this position a little while, but already I'm thinking about the end y'know?
Selphie: Yeah. It's just, I'm not even sure it's what I really want to do.
Zell: Really? This is all I ever wanted...but now I'm here.
Selphie: It's just...all I've ever known is Garden - so it's all I've been able to be. My parents, or whatever family I had...I don't anymore. And so I didn't choose Garden, it was the only path I could follow.
Zell: It's not such a bad path I guess.
Selphie: Hahah I suppose so! Some of the stones on the path are a bit..."rocky"...but.
Zell: Oh Selph, that was a baaaaaaaaaad pun!

Selphie giggled. He made her feel better.

Selphie: Well, you do better!
Zell: Okay, okay, some of the stones on the path were..."rocky" as you put it, hahah, but some of the flowers alongside the path are real pretty.
Selphie: Okay, Zell, THAT'S even worse!
Zell: Oh leave me alone would'ya?! I'm no good with metaphors and analogies! Listen, what I'm trying to say, is that...this job might lead us anywhere, into such bad territory...but I'm glad I'm doing it, otherwise I wouldn't have met you. And I'm so happy we're doing this together.

Selphie smiled.

Selphie: You're my best friend Zelly.

The pair walked happily and quietly into the reception, where they were greeted by the group. The stern looks on their faces reminded Selphie and Zell of the unhappiness they'd faced earlier, and all smiles were wiped from their faces. It was back to work. Just...too soon.

"Ok, it's time to meet. Let's go."


Welllllll I like it anyway :) Hope you did too. Read and Review. :) Be nice to meee :P