Garden of Roses
A/N: Hey all! Weird, seeing a fic of mine in a category like this, eh? Well, I hate to tell you, but it's major self insertion -.- if you don't like it, then don't click on the dang STORY LINK! Geez…I'm so annoyed with that. THE CHARACTERS IN THIS FIC ARE NOT MARY-SUE'S OR MARTY-STUE'S! If you think otherwise, well that's okay XD I don't care, cause it's my story!
Anyways…for those of you who DO NOT mind self insertions, I sincerely hope you enjoy this story! ) Just to tell you, the main characters of FF8 are not the main cast this time around! New cast! Yes…that's right. MUAHAHAHA! Yeah, cause this is about 1 or 2 years BEFORE FF8 begins. I'd like to figure out which time setting to choose with the help of your reviews, if ya don't mind! Stick to this story, cause there will be many chapters to come! Just going to tell you, Balamb Garden's curriculum is slightly matched to that as a highschool, as in, besides training, there would of course be actual subjects such as mathematics and English in reality. So, read the fic, have fun, and tell me what you think:)
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or any of its properties. I also do not own Melanie, as she is my cousin and I don't think you can buy family members o.O AND any new characters that are actually my friends in real life, I do NOT own. XD
CHAPTER I : PROLOGUE
It had never occurred to me that the plan I had begun would carry out this far. Yet, it was true; I was rescuing us. For years and years, me and my cousin, Melanie, who was more like my sister then anything, had dreamed and wished to escape our "house" in Deling city, and finally, a plan that seemed to be promising came up, opening the walkway from our home to new opportunities. Seeing this bridge, I was NOT going to let it go untouched, and immediately seized it.
At the age of four, Melanie, and five, me, while our parents were out on the highway, they suffered a fatal and horrible death. Our parents knew a couple living in Deling by the names of Hector and Bridgette Volent. We hadn't really met them, but they were apparently considered our aunt and uncle, although there was obviously no biological connection. The life from the time of our youth to the time of now, ten years later, was a living and breathing hell. Aunt Bridgette was abusive, and she hit us very often...Uncle Hector wasn't much of a help—perhaps if he were sober twenty-four-seven, he would take action to Aunt Bridgette's violent ways, but his idea of solving a problem was hard, cold liquor from the basement freezer.
By the time we were eight, being mistreated and realizing that nobody was coming to take us away from them, Melanie and I realized that the only one who would take proper care of ourselves was each other. She and I were inseparable, a barely EVER bickered. We didn't spend much time at home, which sure wasn't a problem since Aunty and Uncle weren't responsible enough to set boundaries. Instead, we let the historic beauty of Deling city amuse us, and by going out every weekend to do odd jobs, such as wash windows and what-not, we read novels while most of the other children around us watched their very own television sets propped right at the end of their bed. We did not pay much mind to this, as our imagination grew far stronger then theirs could ever grow.
It was at the age of twelve that I first, only once, listened to the words of my Aunt Bridgette. She had slapped me, and told me I should act more like a man. These words confused me, considering the age I was, so I asked her to be more elaborate. She basically ended up telling me I should be everything she should've been all those years. I doubt she realized this as she spoke, but something in me signaled, "Jesse! This is the sign! You have to do something!"
I had been in the school library, when I found a magazine all about Balamb Garden. It seemed so thrilling, to go to a military type of academy, where we could live, to learn how to fight and do battle, so that one day, we may be able to pass an exam, allowing ourselves into the military program SeeD! Melanie was sick that day...I ran home. I didn't think twice, and I didn't tell the school I was going, but I just ran, and barged in our bedroom, flapping the magazine in her face. I will never forget the pure joy on Melanie's face when I told her the plan. We would run to Balamb.
Such a journey to Balamb Island, would have a cost fair for the bus ride to drive us all the way to Dollet, and then more of a cost fair to get on a boat to Balamb, would be most expensive, and going to Galbadia Garden may have been easier, but we didn't want to have to transfer back to Balamb to become a SeeD. However, this was the only flaw in our plan. I confronted our aunt, and told her Melanie and I were going to Balamb—I didn't ask it as a question. The confrontation wasn't as dangerous as I had thought, and she seemed thrilled we would be leaving, and would be on the first bus away. At first I hesitated on this reaction, contemplating on whether or not I should have been sad she did not want me...then I realized I did not want her in return, and Melanie and I immediately began to pack...we didn't even say goodbye, we just collected our money and left. and now, here we are.
"Jesse..." Melanie called to me quietly, holding onto her heavy bag that slugged onto the ground. "It's raining..."
Indeed, the pouring pure substance from the clouds pitter-pattered its way onto us. I sighed beneath the trickling droplets rolling down my face, and swung an arm over her, holding her right. "It's okay." I assured.
"When will the bus be here...?"
"I dunno..." I shrugged and looked to the rode in the distance, as if two headlights would appear over the now pitch black horizon. "Life will be better there...right?" I asked her timidly. She was silent, and because of this, I chose not to ask once more. The blessed honking horn in the distance caused us to jerk our heads only to see a large bus come our way. It stopped in front of us, and it's squeaky, screeching doors opened, revealing a smiling, slightly chubby, bus driver.
Melanie stammered. "Woah..." she mumbled tiredly. I looked at my watch. It was 1 AM. Attempting to pick up both of our bags, I failed and sighed, growling and scowling at the luggage.
"Umm..."
"Need help?" The bus driver asked. We nodded, tiredly, looking at our feet in a daze. "No problem. Earl, help them out." He asked his assistant, who climbed down, grabbing our bags, and going back in the bus. He led us to the end of the bus, wear the entire back was a full leather seat. Melanie and I slowly walked to the back, and sat down tiredly. Earl reached into the cabinets and retrieved two fluffy, white pillows for us. The lights were dim, and the bus began to drive. As we left our home of Deling, Melanie and I stared at all our troubles go away.
"We made it, Jesse..." I heard her whisper beside me. Looking at her, I saw she drifted to sleep immediately, and I soon felt my eyes become heavy as well. Soon, I could not lift them anymore.
A bright light shone through my eyelids, causing me to see a soft, dreamy red color. Slowly, my eyes opened, and I looked around, almost forgetting where I actually was. No, I was in the bus, not my room...I was going to Balamb with Melanie. Melanie! I looked over beside me at her, wear she rested the pillow against my shoulder. The poor girl was still slumbering peacefully...I hoped dearly that she didn't catch a cold.
The first thing I had noticed was how the bus was now, in contrast to how it was last night. There were maybe three or four people in the seats far ahead of us, and I suspected them to be hitchhikers or something of that sort. Being careful not to disturb Melanie, I looked out the window to the bright prairies, and what I saw amazed me. In the distance, there stood Galbadia Garden...the largest Garden academy in all of Gaia. I wanted so badly to shake Melanie awake, but I knew she had a rough night and mentally stopped myself from doing so.
I did not understand. I could not comprehend. How had we come up with a plan like this? Why had it not occurred to us before? As we drove farther and farther away from Balamb, I felt Melanie stir, and soon, she sat up, letting out a long yawn, standing on the bus to stretch. As the bus jerked, she let herself fall back onto the seat beside me. I smiled at her. "Had a good sleep?" I asked. She nodded, humming in reply. "You missed Galbadia."
She frowned and her jaw dropped. "Aw, no! I wanted to see it!" I laughed slightly and gave a sympathetic smile.
"Don't worry, I'm sure we'll see it anyways, someday."
Melanie shrugged. "Yeah, I guess so." She chuckled. "What time is it?"
Looking at my watch, I let out a sigh. "2 PM. And we still have a looooong ways to go." I watched her groan and turn around to look at her passing scenery, sitting on her knees, resting her head on her folded arms.
"You asked me something last night..." she said, suddenly. I cocked an eyebrow.
"I did?"
"Yeah." She nodded. "You asked me if life would be better there, and I didn't really know the answer, so I kind of just went silent."
"Oh, yeah." I nodded, remembering.
"...The answer is 'yes'."
"How so?"
Melanie smirked at me, raising her eyebrows playfully. "Any life is better then the one we had."
There was a moment's silence, and I nodded. "Like my saying: there's always a bright side to everything! You just have to look. This is our bright side, right?"
"Right." She smiled.
"That's good." I giggled slightly.
"Are you scared, Jesse?" she asked.
"A little, I suppose." I admitted, as I pushed my light brown hair out of my eyes. My hair was a light brownish color, and went down to nearly the end of my neck. I wore it flat and un-styled, as I lacked the expertise to spike or mess it. I was about five-foot-seven and a half inches, and was extremely thin for a boy of fifteen. My green eyes seemed to match my hair all right enough for me. My fair complexion toned nicely against my lucky black hoody.
Melanie had long brown hair that slung just below her shoulders. She too, was fair, and had luminous blue eyes. She wore, at the time, a light blue sweater and blue jeans. "You don't need to be afraid." She finally said, after what seemed like hours.
"Yes I do." He nodded. "This is a totally new place."
"But isn't that a good thing?"
"How do you know? Last time we were brought to a 'new place', we met Aunt Bridgette and Uncle Hector."
Melanie sighed at me and gave a half smile. "Jesse..." she began, "Even if it was, we got through that didn't we? Look where we are! I seriously thought we'd be there for the rest of our lives, but we're not! We got out!"
I hesitated at her words, which in truth did touch me. I shrugged and nodded. "I guess you're right." I laughed slightly. "Crap, I need to start being more optimistic, don't I?" Both of us laughed, and turned to take note of the scenery, waiting for our arrival to Dollet, where we would take a boat to Balamb Town.
"Geez..." Melanie groaned. "Of course, we just HAD to arrive at Dollet at 1 in the morning. It's the bus all over again." She sighed as she tiredly carried her bag onto the boat, following me. "Jesse, slow down, it's heavy."
"You need help?"
She shook her head. "No, I can manage. But let's find a cot as soon as we can."
"Won't be too hard." I shrugged, winking. "Here we are." I gestured to two cots, and sighing in relief, Melanie immediately dropped her bag beside one of them. "Wanna just turn in?"
"If you want."
"Well, what do you want to do?" I asked.
"It doesn't matter to me." Melanie shook her head. "Depends on if you're tired or not."
I was, but I was certainly not bored. Tomorrow, we would arrive at Balamb Garden, and that certainly was a conversation to strike up. The two of us talked up until about three AM, laughing, and constantly bringing up new conversations. When together and awake, Melanie and I act very silly and extremely hyper and happy, laughing about everything and anything. Laughter was one of the things that got us this far, and I was most happy to see that it still had a place in our moods.
It was I who decided when to turn in, as usual, and I was not too happy about that. I hate to decide things. I always think it should be someone else who makes decisions, and not me. However, then I suppose the person I am forcing the decision on most probably thinks the exact same way that I do. All in all, as usual, the two of us had a good, solid night sleep, and were awakened by the fog horn at about 10 AM. Tiredly, the two of us raised our heads from the cots, and looked out the portholes to see Balamb Island extremely close. Collecting our things, Melanie and I walked to the exit, where we walked into the port of Balamb Town.
"Jesse, look at everyone!" Melanie said, gesturing to other adolescents and children under the age of about eighteen or nineteen years old, as young as about five or six!
I looked at them all for a moment, and mumbled, "They're all going to Balamb."
"How can you tell?"
"Cause someone's leading them in a large vehicle." I said, walking towards the strangely robed man. "Excuse me? Is this for Garden?"
"It most certainly is." He said cheerfully. "Are you coming to our fine Garden this wonderful September?"
"Yes sir, we are." I said, pulling Melanie a little closer to me to make sure she was noticed.
"Step into this vehicle then." He pointed to the door. Smiling at each other, Melanie and I climbed into the vehicle, and soon, the large car drove onto the highway, towards Balamb. I refrained myself from looking at Garden, only wanting to see it when we arrived.
"Melanie, seriously there, don't tell me what it looks like." I urged.
"Why?" Melanie asked, in a confused tone of voice.
"I want it to be a surprise..." I said meekly. Melanie laughed.
"Okay, okay, fine."
"It looks nice though, right?"
"Yeah." She nodded. "Very."
"...Great, now I wanna look!"
"Jesse, we're here, you can look anyway." She shook her head. The car door swung open, and Melanie and I stepped out, arriving in front of the humongous military academy, known only as the one and only Balamb Garden...