Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy Eight. The
original concepts and characters within are my own,
however.
Later, in her room, Selphie lay staring at the wall. The
business of the small Garden was over for the day. Tears
streaked her face. The Headmistress of Trabia Garden was
a wreck.
She'd refused to answer the knocking on her door of
concerned students. Eventually, the knocking stopped,
and she was left alone.
That was fine with Selphie. She didn't want company
anyway.
*Look at me. I'm acting like Squall.* The brunette
sniffled, and sat up. She was an emotional wreck. And
with good reason Alaina had been her best friend as since
she'd arrived in Trabia as a child.
Selphie sighed. She'd wept almost as much as she had
when Trabia Garden had been demolished by the missiles.
She looked a bit better than after that, though. Before,
she'd stayed up all night, weeping, and when she did
sleep fitfully, she'd had nightmares almost as bad as
the dreams about Ultimecia and time compression.
No, it was only her face that was streaked with
tears and reddened. Her uniform was neatly folded
and placed on a shelf, and she wore a loose and
comfortable robe.
Wiping her face as clean of tears, Selphie slipped
on a pair of slippers. *Might as well take a bath.
It must be pretty late at night by now, so the main
bath must be empty.*
She didn't meet anyone on the way down to the baths.
Reaching them, she regarded the main bath, and the
small bathing chambers set aside from it.
Due to the limitations of space, and of material,
Selphie had decided that not every room could
have a shower cubicle like old Trabia Garden.
The tradeoff was a large bathing area on one of
the lower levels that was open to everyone. For
the shy, there were a few private bathing tubs
in little huts made out of the amyethest material.
Selphie usually opted for the private bath areas,
but since it was so late, and the night patrol
wasn't due to turn in for another two hours,
she stripped off her robe and slipped into the
larger tub of steaming hot water.
*The problem is,* she decided *That power tends
to isolate.* She remembered Quistis making a
comment to that effect. *There's too much
potential here for cadets to try to use my
friendship for self-gain. Even old friends like
Alaina...* Selphie frowned angrily, then dismissed
the thought from her mind. *Except for Seifer,
Fujin, and Raijin, I really don't have anyone
to talk to up here. I was so glad to see Zell...*
She sank lower in the water, submerging
everything but her head. *Which mustbe why Old
Headmaster Himemiya resigned.* Selphie remembered
the young woman from when Selphie had only been
twelve. Anthy Himemiya was a high-ranking SeeD,
originally from Trabia who wielded a sharp and
deadly rapier. The purple-haired beauty had been
loved by everyone, because of her sweet disposition.
While seemingly shy and mild-mannered, Headmaster
Anthy didn't shirk on punisments either.
Eventually, Himemiya had resigned within two
years, and returned to Balamb to reunite with
her shieldmate, Utena Tenjou.
*There's no SeeDs but me.* Selphie stared at
the water. *I'm alone up here. Quistis was
right.*
Sitting up, she yawned. The hot water had made
her sleepy. Pulling herself up out of the water,
she toweled herself dry, then wound her robe
around herself, and headed for the warm comfort
of her bed.
***
The next day, at breakfast, Alaina was nowhere
to be seen. That suited Selphie just fine. She
dug into the food with gusto, devouring the dry
fruit that was a treat in Trabia.
"Headmistress, mind if I take a seat?"
Selphie looked up and saw Moira. "Sure." She
gestured at the bench beside her.
"Word got round the Garden this morning that Alaina
was the one behind the rumors that have been
circulating about you being near a nervous breakdown,
or ready to go nuts." Moira bit off a chunk of
Mesmerize meat and chewed thoughtfully.
Swallowing, she continued "To Trabia, you're a
hero. The fearless leader, like Squall Leonheart.
So Alaina's getting the proverbial cold shoulder,
and no one's very sympathetic towards her right
now. Karma's a bitch and all that."
"Oh." Some of the righteous anger towards Alaina
went out of Selphie, and she began to feel
guilty.
"Don't be like that." Moira said, noticing the
guilty look. "She deserved what she got. Played
with fire, and got royally scorched."
"She was my friend, though." Selphie said.
"Not much of a friend if she's spewing your
secrets to any and all of her friends now, is
she?" Moira replied, staring at her instensly.
"No, she deserved what she got. Don't trust
someone who stabbed you in the back. It'll just
get you another stabbing." She clapped Selphie on
the shoulder. "Anyway, I've got practice with the
sharpshooting rifle today. Seeya." The redhead
got up and headed for the kitchen with her mostly
empty tray.
Selphie, looking after her, smile. Moira was
right, she decided. With a nod, she smiled.
The redhead had situation pegged, and Selphie
felt better for it.
Turning her attention to her food, she dug in.
Authors Notes: Don't worry, there is an explanation
on why Selphie blew her top like that, besides
stress and anger.
Also, I'm wondering if I should do a small sidestory
for Mara, set after the sixth chapter. I have plans
for my little redheaded character. Mwahahaha.
FYI, Selphie and Seifer are not going to be a couple.
Gah. It wouldn't work, even with my version of
Selphie, and I'm not going to even try.
Thanks for the reviews, and keep 'em coming!
original concepts and characters within are my own,
however.
Later, in her room, Selphie lay staring at the wall. The
business of the small Garden was over for the day. Tears
streaked her face. The Headmistress of Trabia Garden was
a wreck.
She'd refused to answer the knocking on her door of
concerned students. Eventually, the knocking stopped,
and she was left alone.
That was fine with Selphie. She didn't want company
anyway.
*Look at me. I'm acting like Squall.* The brunette
sniffled, and sat up. She was an emotional wreck. And
with good reason Alaina had been her best friend as since
she'd arrived in Trabia as a child.
Selphie sighed. She'd wept almost as much as she had
when Trabia Garden had been demolished by the missiles.
She looked a bit better than after that, though. Before,
she'd stayed up all night, weeping, and when she did
sleep fitfully, she'd had nightmares almost as bad as
the dreams about Ultimecia and time compression.
No, it was only her face that was streaked with
tears and reddened. Her uniform was neatly folded
and placed on a shelf, and she wore a loose and
comfortable robe.
Wiping her face as clean of tears, Selphie slipped
on a pair of slippers. *Might as well take a bath.
It must be pretty late at night by now, so the main
bath must be empty.*
She didn't meet anyone on the way down to the baths.
Reaching them, she regarded the main bath, and the
small bathing chambers set aside from it.
Due to the limitations of space, and of material,
Selphie had decided that not every room could
have a shower cubicle like old Trabia Garden.
The tradeoff was a large bathing area on one of
the lower levels that was open to everyone. For
the shy, there were a few private bathing tubs
in little huts made out of the amyethest material.
Selphie usually opted for the private bath areas,
but since it was so late, and the night patrol
wasn't due to turn in for another two hours,
she stripped off her robe and slipped into the
larger tub of steaming hot water.
*The problem is,* she decided *That power tends
to isolate.* She remembered Quistis making a
comment to that effect. *There's too much
potential here for cadets to try to use my
friendship for self-gain. Even old friends like
Alaina...* Selphie frowned angrily, then dismissed
the thought from her mind. *Except for Seifer,
Fujin, and Raijin, I really don't have anyone
to talk to up here. I was so glad to see Zell...*
She sank lower in the water, submerging
everything but her head. *Which mustbe why Old
Headmaster Himemiya resigned.* Selphie remembered
the young woman from when Selphie had only been
twelve. Anthy Himemiya was a high-ranking SeeD,
originally from Trabia who wielded a sharp and
deadly rapier. The purple-haired beauty had been
loved by everyone, because of her sweet disposition.
While seemingly shy and mild-mannered, Headmaster
Anthy didn't shirk on punisments either.
Eventually, Himemiya had resigned within two
years, and returned to Balamb to reunite with
her shieldmate, Utena Tenjou.
*There's no SeeDs but me.* Selphie stared at
the water. *I'm alone up here. Quistis was
right.*
Sitting up, she yawned. The hot water had made
her sleepy. Pulling herself up out of the water,
she toweled herself dry, then wound her robe
around herself, and headed for the warm comfort
of her bed.
***
The next day, at breakfast, Alaina was nowhere
to be seen. That suited Selphie just fine. She
dug into the food with gusto, devouring the dry
fruit that was a treat in Trabia.
"Headmistress, mind if I take a seat?"
Selphie looked up and saw Moira. "Sure." She
gestured at the bench beside her.
"Word got round the Garden this morning that Alaina
was the one behind the rumors that have been
circulating about you being near a nervous breakdown,
or ready to go nuts." Moira bit off a chunk of
Mesmerize meat and chewed thoughtfully.
Swallowing, she continued "To Trabia, you're a
hero. The fearless leader, like Squall Leonheart.
So Alaina's getting the proverbial cold shoulder,
and no one's very sympathetic towards her right
now. Karma's a bitch and all that."
"Oh." Some of the righteous anger towards Alaina
went out of Selphie, and she began to feel
guilty.
"Don't be like that." Moira said, noticing the
guilty look. "She deserved what she got. Played
with fire, and got royally scorched."
"She was my friend, though." Selphie said.
"Not much of a friend if she's spewing your
secrets to any and all of her friends now, is
she?" Moira replied, staring at her instensly.
"No, she deserved what she got. Don't trust
someone who stabbed you in the back. It'll just
get you another stabbing." She clapped Selphie on
the shoulder. "Anyway, I've got practice with the
sharpshooting rifle today. Seeya." The redhead
got up and headed for the kitchen with her mostly
empty tray.
Selphie, looking after her, smile. Moira was
right, she decided. With a nod, she smiled.
The redhead had situation pegged, and Selphie
felt better for it.
Turning her attention to her food, she dug in.
Authors Notes: Don't worry, there is an explanation
on why Selphie blew her top like that, besides
stress and anger.
Also, I'm wondering if I should do a small sidestory
for Mara, set after the sixth chapter. I have plans
for my little redheaded character. Mwahahaha.
FYI, Selphie and Seifer are not going to be a couple.
Gah. It wouldn't work, even with my version of
Selphie, and I'm not going to even try.
Thanks for the reviews, and keep 'em coming!