I'm back, and I hope you are too. Where have I been? Let me just say this. In the words of the comic book guy from The Simpsons. "Worst Road TripEver!"
zornoid13: Here's the update. Do you ever say anything else?
WildfireDreams: Here ya go.
pinklove: Glad you like. BTW, nice screen name.
Griever Weapon: Nope, I think so too.
QueenAdreena: That's a bummer. BTW, I found the type-o
Lady-Rinoa: Glad you think so.
jasmine32: Yep, gotsta keep busy.
Sarah: What timing, huh?
CHAPTER 31:SHADOWS OF THE PAST
The Garden stayed in Balamb for a few hours to restock before Squall went up to the bridge.
"Where are we going next?" Quistis asked.
"I don't know." Squall said. Suddenly, the lift descended and then came back up, carrying Selphie with it.
"Um, have you guys decided on a destination yet?" Selphie asked.
"Not yet," Squall said. "Why?"
"Um, could I make a suggestion?" She asked. Squall nodded. "Um, can we maybe go to Trabia Garden? It's in the mountains on the northern most continent."
"I'll keep that in mind." Squall said. Trabia Garden was out of the way, but at the moment, there was nowhere else to go. So Squall decided to head there. Back at FH, Squall remembered how Martine said Trabia Garden WAS, in fact, hit by the missiles. As they got closer to Trabia Garden, Squall and company prepared for the worst.
They made the right preparation.
Trabia Garden looked like a skeleton; a shell of what was probably an incredible facility. Many Trabian cadets were seen outside struggling to survive, as if they were cavemen. Trabia, the smallest of the three Gardens, was in utter ruin. The halo was half gone, and the half that was there was pitch black. On one side, the Second floor had collapsed. The missiles had also damaged the foundation, and the Garden was leaning to one side. There were more holes in the wall than Swiss cheese. Trabia Garden was truly hell on earth.
"She's gone too far." Zell mumbled, referring to Sorceress Edea.
"She's gonna pay." Squall said. Trabia Garden was innocent in all of this, and they were hit by missiles for no reason at all. "Come on, let's go help." Squall and his group headed inside, with Selphie running ahead.
"I bet she's in shock." Irvine said, referring to Selphie. They spotted Selphie talking to one of her friends at the fountain.
"So, you've been looking after Selphie?" Her friend asked.
"Selphie's been a great help." Squall said.
"Awww." Selphie said
"Whats wrong?" She asked.
"That's not like Squall at all." Selphie said. "Guys, will you wait at the Basketball court in the back?" Squall led the others back there. Where they all hung out while Selphie made sure all her friends were OK.
"We're leaving as soon as Selphie comes back, we're on standby till then." Squall said. At least the Damage wasn't as bad as it could have been. Out of twelve missiles, only 9 of them actually hit the Garden. And out of those 9, only 8 detonated. There was one that was stuck in the Garden Festival stage. After several minutes, Selphie showed up.
"Thank you all so much for coming all the way up here." Selphie said. "I can't wait to fight the Sorceress, I want my revenge!" Squall could tell how serious Selphie was.
"Um...do we have to fight?" Rinoa asked. "Isn't there another way?"
"Yo, what are you sayin' all of a sudden?" Asked Zell.
"Maybe someone really smart could come up with a way so that we don't have to fight anymore." Rinoa said.
"You were part of a resistance faction in Timber, right?" Squall said. "Unlike others who were all talk, you took you your guns and fought."
"I guess I'm getting scared." Rinoa said. "When I'm with all of you, I feel like we're on the same wavelength. Then when the battles start happening, Everyone's tempo picks up and I get left behind. When I catch up, I wonder if everyone will be Ok."
"I understand." Irvine said. "Someone you love may disappear before your eyes. It's tough living your life thinking that way, but that's why I fight."
"What do you mean?" Rinoa asked.
"When I was a little kid, about four or so, I was in an orphanage." Irvine said. "Plenty of kids, all with no parents. It was near the end of the Sorceress war, so I guess it couldn't be helped."
"Hey, wait a minute. I think I was in an orphanage too!" Selphie said. "Was the house made of stone?"
"You guessed it." Irvine said.
"By the ocean?" Quistis asked, "With a lighthouse?"
"Bingo." Irvine said. "I knew right away when we first met. Spunky little Sefie and Bossy little Quisty."
"Why didn't you tell us?" Selphie and Quistis said together.
"Because you two seem to have forgotten." Irvine said. "It just kinda sucked that I was the only one who remembered."
"Hey," Zell said, "Do you guys remember setting off fireworks?"
"Hey, we did!" Quistis said. "Was Zell there too?"
"Yep." Irvine said.
"Yeah, I remember," Zell said. "I squealed on you guys and another kid."
"Yep." Irvine said. "That kid always picked on Zell. His favorite name to call Zell was either Crybaby or Chicken-wuss. His name was Seifer."
"Seifer was there too?" Selphie asked.
"Wait a minute," Zell said. "What about my parents in Balamb?"
"The Dincht's must've adopted you." Irvine said. "Because except for Rinoa, we were all there."
"Hey, that means..." Selphie said. All eyes turned to Squall.
"Yeah, I was there too." Squall said. "I was always waiting for Sis to come back. Though for some reason, I cant remember her name."
"We all called her sis," Quistis said, "But Squall, you called her Elle."
"Elle...Ellone?" Squall asked. It made perfect sense, that's how Ellone knew him! "So Ellone was sis."
"Isn't Ellone the one who takes us back to Laguna's period?" Selphie asked.
"She said she wanted to change the past." Squall said.
"If that's the case, I'm definitely up for helpin' her." Zell said. "She's part of our orphanage gang."
"Rinoa, that's what I meant when I said 'you wouldn't believe me if I told you." Irvine said
"How could we forget all these things?" Squall wondered.
"The difference between Balamb Garden and Galbadia Garden." Irvine said. "Our memories are the price we pay for using the GF."
"No way," Quistis said, "Headmaster Cid would never allow such a dangerous thing."
"But one of those former faculty bastardswould." Squall said.
"That's why I remember so much more than you guys." Irvine said. "I've never junctioned a GF until I met up with you guys."
"What about you Selphie?" Quistis asked. "Your first experience with GF was when you came to Balamb Garden, right?"
"No," Selphie admitted. "When I was twelve, I found a GF stone in a monster I defeated. I junctioned it for a while, but now I can't even remember that GF's name."
"So what do we do?" Quistis asked.
"Nothing," Squall said. "As long as we keep fighting, we're indebted to the powers of the GF. If there's a price I have to pay for that, I'll gladly pay it."
"Yeah," Zell agreed. "I would like to forget when Seifer used to pick on me. All I care about now is having the power to protect my parents in Balamb."
"Maybe we should all keep a diary." Selphie said. "That way, we can remember these things." Selphie had a good idea. Then Quistis spoke up again.
"Hey, do you guys remember the Matron?" Quistis asked.
"I remember she was always dressed in black." Irvine said.
"She was very kind. Long black hair, I really admired her." Quistis said.
"What was her name?" Squall asked aloud
"Lets see." Irvine said, thinking back. "I believe his name was..." Suddenly, Irvine's eyes went wide, his jaw hung open slightly, and he turned white. "Matron's name was Edea Kramer!"
"Edea Kramer?" Squall asked. Suddenly, the rest of them made the connection. "Matron. Our mother figure, our Matron. Is...Sorceress Edea!"
"No..." Selphie whispered.
"Squall, that's why I couldn't shoot her in Deling City." Irvine said. Squall remembered how kind Edea used to be. Squall remembered the Ice Spear in Deling City, just the memory of it all made it seem that much more painful. He remembered the first and last sentences She ever said to him.
"Don't worry Squall, you'll always have a home here."
"A SeeD, planted in a run-down Garden!"
"Why would Matron fire missiles and take over a country and whatnot?" Irvine wondered. "Guys. I'm gonna fight. Maybe we can get Matron to listen to reason. But even if we cant, SeeD was Matron's idea, right? So she must have already knew that a day would come where we would have to fight her. Like Cid said, SeeD was created to defeat the sorceress, right? At least it will keep us all together for a little while longer."
"Yeah," Zell said. "Let's do it. We can't run from her forever."
"It's such a bummer," Selphie said. "I can't believe we have to fight Matron."
"Zell's right Selphie." Quistis said. "We can't run."
"Rinoa, we're going to fight." Squall said. "It may be the only way we can move on with our lives. If that makes any sense, then come with us. I'm sure that's what everybody wants."
"I guess that's it then." Rinoa said. "You guys are fearless."
"No," Squall said, "If you think to hard, you become lost. I think that's what everyone's afraid of."
"Yo, you wanna go check out the orphanage?" Zell asked.
"Yeah, we might find a clue." Irvine said.
"Clue? You mean as to why Edea turned out like this?" Quistis asked.
"Despite what truth we find, it's not going to change the present." Squall said, "But I want to see too. I don't know what truth we'll find, but lets head for Edea's house." With that, the six of them headed back to Garden.
