Chapter 19: Scars of the past and present
Authors note: Ok sorry for not updating over the past week, life has put me behind a little. Anyway yet again thank you all for the reviews! I really do appreciate them! Now this chapter is mostly based on Pansy, Redbrick and Tybalt. But the blues are also involved. But the drama seems to be occurring more in the red garden with Juliet's birth, and Pansy's plans for Tybalt. But the blues parts will be in later on! Oh and some of this chapter is based in the past when Pansy was only seven and had to put up with the changes when her brother was born and all that, so Lord and Lady Redbury and young Redbrick and Pansy will be in the flashback. But enough of my rambling, enjoy the chapter!
Pansy wasn't always bad you know. There was a time she used to love life and her family. But that was during her childhood before her younger brother Redbrick was born. Then her world turned upside down after that. And from then she became a self-centred brat because of the way her father deceived her. And she hated him for that! But before she knew of that deception she was a nice enough girl with the right attitude. But soon that would change, and she would grow to become the worst enemy of the blue garden and her own family.
…
Before Redbrick was even thought about, Lord and Lady Redbury had only one child. Their daughter Pansy. They had called her that because she had a Pansy shaped flower on the side of her small red dress which was rather unusual considering neither parent had a pansy or any flower painted on them anywhere. But they still loved their daughter very much, and although Lord Redbury had always wanted a son, he was happy with a daughter. But secretly he wanted a son still but he never said it around his daughter.
"Pansy dear, could you come over here?" Lord Redbury asked one day as Pansy was playing with some other gnomes. She was only six years old at the time and one of the youngest gnomes in the garden. But she was liked and respected because her father was the leader of the garden.
"Yeah daddy!" Pansy smiled as she ran over to her father, he opened his arms and she soon went into his embrace. She had a good bond with her father, it was even closer than the one she had with her mother.
"Come here my girl, I want to show you something," Lord Redbury guided his daughter along the garden path with his arm around her tiny shoulder as she walked along with him.
"Is it a surprise?" Pansy enquired putting a hand over her eyes. Lord Redbury smiled and moved her hand away from her eyes before she tripped over.
"No my child, I just have some news for you," Lord Redbury then cleared his throat and stopped as the garden was in clear view from this point. "Do you see this garden Pansy?"
"Um, yeah…" Pansy said confusingly.
"Well one day my child when you are all grown up like me, you shall own this garden," Lord Redbury explained and Pansy's confused expression then cracked into a very wide grin.
"Really? All of it?"
"Yes Pansy, all of it. When me and your mother decide to give up leading the garden, the responsibilities will fall to you and you shall be a very good leader!" Lord Redbury exclaimed proudly. Pansy jumped up and down excitedly as she continued to hear about this news her father was telling her about.
"I can't wait till I'm a grown up! I will be Lady Pansy!" Pansy grinned, excitement still bubbling through her.
"Well it's a long way off yet my child, but you shall be a great leader! As you are my daughter after all," Lord Redbury then decided to change the subject "now come on you, let's go find your mother!"
"Ok!" Pansy chirped as she followed her father through their garden.
…
Things changed for Pansy over the following year, her mother and father had been keeping things quiet for a while but soon she found out there was some important news they would have to tell her. She had been informed that she was about to have a younger brother or sister. But Pansy didn't think it would result to anything, in fact, she was rather excited about having a younger sibling to play with!
"Pansy, come over here dear," Lord Redbury called out from the doorway of the garden shed. Pansy heard her father and immediately went over to him. She knew her mother was in labour earlier but had been told to stay out of the garden shed until she was called in. She was now seven years old and she was about to meet her younger brother or sister for the first time.
"Coming daddy!" Pansy called as she rushed over to the garden shed excitedly. She entered the shed cautiously, and there was her mother lying down on a bag of gardening fertilizer holding a small bundle in her arms. Her father was standing over her smiling adoringly at the bundle as was her mother. Pansy entered the room and walked up to her parents who glanced at her and grinned proudly.
"Pansy dear, we would like to introduce you to your younger brother, Redbrick!" Lady Redbury smiled sitting up slightly to show Pansy her tiny baby brother. Pansy glanced down at the little gnome and smirked.
"He looks nothing like me!" Pansy pointed at the small gnome with a small unusual brown beard and small bushy eyebrows.
"He takes after your father as you take after me," Lady Redbury explained "It's just something to do with gnomes Pansy. While the boys take after their fathers, the girls take after their mothers. It's just the way things work."
"Well that's stupid," Pansy muttered causing her parents to chuckle "Redbrick? Why call him that?"
"Well he is my son so we chose an appropriate gnome name to represent our garden," Lord Redbury explained proudly causing his daughter to be confused again.
"So how do you like your new baby brother dear?" Lady Redbury asked curiously. Pansy smiled and replied.
"He'll be cool to teach tricks!"
"Just think about it," Lord Redbury said "we are one big family now, and nothing can come between that!"
…
Over the years Pansy had enjoyed having a little brother around. But as she got older, she realized he got more attention than she ever did. He father and mother seemed to favour him over her and that made her feel alone and sort of jealous. But this wasn't the reason why she turned bad. But it was slowly building up to that point when she would turn against her own family. And it was on no particular day when she was fourteen and he was seven that changed the way she looked at life in general forever…
…
"Pansy, could you help me around the garden?" Lord Redbury called up as Pansy sat idly on her pedestal. Pansy did as she was told, but had no idea about what her father was about to tell her.
"What do you need me to do dad?" Pansy asked casually as she made her way up to her father. He put his arm around his daughter and guided her to a more private place.
"Nothing really, I would just like to speak to my favourite daughter," Lord Redbury encouraged and Pansy muttered.
"You mean only daughter."
"And what is that supposed to mean Pansy?" Lord Redbury released his arm as Pansy walked a few steps in front of him.
"Well you and mum seem to pay Redbrick more attention recently and I feel completely isolated! It's as if you two want him to be leader instead of me!" Pansy explained feeling a hint of anger in her voice.
"Oh, about that Pansy…" Lord Redbury began "me and your mother have been talking. And we have both came to the rather difficult decision of nominating your brother as the next leader. Now you were also nominated for this too Pansy, but your brother seems to have more social skills than you ever did. And I know he is only seven, but times are changing and I think he would be a fine leader when he is older!"
Pansy couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her father was confirming her thoughts right there and then. It was true; they did love her brother more than her! And now they were throwing her entire childhood dream and handing it over to her petty brother in the hopes that he would be better than she could ever be! This was unfair and untrue!
"So you're just giving up on me? I have tried to be a good daughter to you all these years and now you are just throwing it away for the sake of stupid Redbrick?" Pansy fumed feeling hatred and anger boiling throughout her body.
"Don't call your brother stupid Pansy!" Lord Redbury shouted back.
"Oh I am sorry; I forgot how much you prefer him to me. I bet you wish I was never even made now do you?" Pansy snapped.
"Don't you ever say that Pansy. We made a very difficult decision doing this. Don't make things harder than they already are."
"Well you're a bit too late for that old man! I have had it trying to impress you and getting nothing in return. It's because he's male isn't it? You only wanted to give the job to me when you had no other options but now a son comes along and snatches it away just like that! And I bet you made that decision in two minutes! Well I can tell you now; you will not be seeing me as I was. I will do whatever I can to make your life a living hell! And further more, I have had this suspicion for some time. And it has taught me a thing or two. Never trust your own parents for they can deceive you and put you down so much that they prefer some bozo brother of mine to be the next leader to this stupid garden! Thanks for dashing my dreams you stupid man!" Pansy then turned away and stormed off back to her pedestal. Lord Redbury sighed and put his head in his hands. He could have put that in a lighter more calm way but he didn't. And now he had created the daughter he never wanted. But he never realized how much she would rebel against him and how this would effect the future of the red garden and another future garden next door in the years to come.
…
"Pansy? Pansy? Are you alright?" Boris asked shaking Pansy back to reality. She had been recalling her thoughts and standing there in her own world for some time now. Pansy shook her head and glanced around getting grips on what she was supposed to be doing. She then nodded and shoed Boris away.
"I am fine Boris, just thinking as all," Pansy looked down and Boris then looked at the gnomes who muttered things around them.
"Alright guys, meeting dismissed!" Boris called out and the gnomes stood there for several moments much to Boris' annoyance "what do I have to do, punch you all to go away. Get lost!" Boris threw his fist in the air threateningly and soon the gnomes got the message and left before they got hit by an angry Boris.
"You alright Pansy?" Boris asked with a hint of concern in his voice. Pansy nodded but still looked at the floor with a hint of sadness on her expression.
"Yeah Boris I'm fine. I just got reminded of why my life has been meaningless," Pansy muttered much to Boris' confusion.
"I don't understand Pansy, what reminded you of this?"
"My father. Damn him! I just had a glimpse of the day he dashed my dreams for good. But now it has made me more determined than ever to get Tybalt on our side instead of our brothers!" Pansy then looked up and the sadness was completely gone from her features now. She looked more determined than ever as she decided to walk off to a more private place.
"He will Pansy," Boris replied "why do you have so little faith in your own son?"
"Because of that damn uncle of his!" Pansy threw her arms in the air in rage and Boris backed away a little from her "everyone knows that Redbrick and June will use their charm and now their pathetic daughter to get him to be like them. And that makes me furious and ashamed of myself and of him. I want him to succeed Boris! But how can he do that with those gnomes in the way?"
"You do realize those obstacles need to be controlled too. Now I have had an idea, as Tybalt grows and becomes more aware of the ways things work, we shall tell him a few lies about what your brother has done and will do," Boris explained.
"Yes but it's not just my brother that I am worried about. What about the blues? They are one of the biggest problems in this entire plan, and if he pities them, we can say goodbye to our ticket to ultimate control!" Pansy spat bitterly at the very mention of the blue gnomes.
"Well if he does so, just use forceful measures. You do such a good job in putting the fear into people, why not do the same with your own son?" Boris asked folding his arms as Pansy turned back to face him.
"What do you think I do? I have to teach him the right thing! But every time I do something, June is there to put an end to it! And I already have a reputation as the mother who beats her son as it is. But if he steps within one centimetre near that blue garden I may not be able to control my actions!" Pansy clenched her fists together and Boris smiled and put his arms around her.
"That's my girl, and we shall be in charge before you even know it! You'll see, not even the petty blue gnomes can stand in our way."
"Yes," Pansy began as her gaze went beyond the blue fence "indeed they won't."
…
"Alright fella's, here's the monopoly board you wanted so badly. You play that, while me and Gnomeo play a bit of scrabble and get his spellings into action!" Wisteria chirped as she laid two boxes in front of the little bunnies in the garden as she came from out of the garden shed. One was for the little bunnies and the mushrooms while the other was for her and the little baby who she was babysitting for her best friend.
The bunnies' ears clicked as they were communicating amongst themselves and surprisingly Wisteria could understand them. No one, not even Blueberry or Gnorman knew what they were communicating about but Wisteria seemed to know like it was her language. Wisteria go what the bunnies were clicking about and decided to speak as she made her way over to the little baby gnome she was baby sitting.
"No there is no red house in the set, I think Miss Montague threw them away when she realized how much she hated Mr Capulet. You'll just have to improvise with a stick or rock or something," Wisteria then sat down and placed the box on the grass. She then unpacked the box and set up the game. Little Gnomeo watched with a keen interest as she did this.
"What is this game aunty Wistie?" Gnomeo asked looking up at his baby sitter with a curious cute gaze that she found completely adorable. Gnomeo called Wisteria is aunt because she may not exactly be related to him, but she was like a family member to his mother and she was very much like a second mother to him when his real mother wasn't around.
"Scrabble!" Wisteria replied grinning as she tipped all the little words out onto the floor.
"Sqwabble? What's that?" Gnomeo asked with his usual baby voice.
"No, no Gnomeo, its scrabble, not sqwabble! And it's kinda like a word game. It will really help your spelling skills for later on in life!" Wisteria explained but Gnomeo still wasn't old enough to pronounce all of his words. He was only almost two years of age!
"Sqwabble!" Gnomeo exclaimed clapping childishly "I wanna play, I wanna play!"
"Ok then little man, we'll play scrabble," Wisteria smiled as she gave him the first pick of words. Gnomeo took his pick and attempted his first word with the small mixture of letter he had picked from the pile. As the game progressed his words soon became better and clearer as he was soon getting to grips with the whole concept of the game. It was Wisteria's turn and she put together quite a long word for Gnomeo to read, but this didn't stop him from attempting it!
"Hat-red?" Gnomeo asked as he looked over the scrabble board at the word Wisteria just made up. "Wait, isn't it those cool red gnomes with pointy hats next door?"
"No Gnomeo," Wisteria looked down a little distantly "the word is not the red gnomes next door, but it does have something to do with that. The word is hatred, and it is used quite a lot these days… unfortunately."
"Huh? What does hatred mean aunty Wistie?" Gnomeo asked his face full of confusion. It was obvious he wasn't aware of the feud yet, but that was something no child should really have to know about.
"The word hatred means a strong dislike for someone. You see, the red gnomes and us blue gnomes, we don't get along. I guess the word hatred could be used in this unfortunate case," Wisteria then glanced down at the still confused child and instantly regretted saying those words.
"But why do you not like each other? That's mean!" Gnomeo asked not understanding why the feud was actually going on… or who the real cause of it all was.
"I know it is Gnomeo. But we are all too different and that is mostly the reason why we are even fighting. But as you grow older you will realize. There are some very nasty people out there and soon you will realize that the world isn't as peaceful as we would want it to be." But when Wisteria finished saying this she realized that Gnomeo was no longer paying attention as his attentions were drawn to someone else.
"Mummy!" Gnomeo stood up and waddled over to his mother and grabbed her into a tight hug. Wisteria also stood up and smiled as she noticed Blueberry get over the shock of the very hefty little boy as he literally leaped onto her. Blueberry was holding her shovel in her left hand but dropped it on the floor as she hugged her son back. She then walked over to Wisteria picking up her tiny son in the process.
"So what have you two been up to today then?" Blueberry asked curiously. Wisteria shrugged her shoulders and allowed little Gnomeo to speak.
"We played some sqwabble!" Gnomeo exclaimed and Blueberry gave Wisteria a strange look.
"He means scrabble," Wisteria corrected chuckling humorously.
"Oh right, scrabble!" Blueberry laughed realizing what her son was meant to say.
"Yeah, and I now know what hatred means!" Gnomeo exclaimed and Blueberry decided to change the subject, she didn't just come to collect her son.
"That's lovely Gnomeo dear, why don't you go find your father near the plant area?" Blueberry then put her son down and he grinned.
"Ok then mummy!" Gnomeo then skipped off to find his father whilst Blueberry walked over to Wisteria who had now decided to pack her game away.
"So how are you Wisteria?" Blueberry asked curiously as she picked up her shovel after she had dropped it before.
"I am fine, why do you ask?" Wisteria asked not turning away from packing her game away.
"Well I was just asking, it is my duty to check up on my fellow gnomes and all that! But I am more asking you as a friend than a leader because you seem to be there for me no matter the situation," Blueberry explained speaking truthfully.
"Well you do the same for me Blueberry, and we have to stick by each other at this time," Wisteria hinted as she turned back around to face her friend.
"Of course, the reds are planning something… I know of that. And now Lord Redbrick has a little brat for a daughter, he'll use her as an advantage. But if he thinks for one second she would beat my Gnomeo, he's got another thing coming!" Blueberry spat speaking more to herself than she was to Wisteria.
"Have you even spoken to him recently?" Wisteria asked.
"We had a little banter the just a few moments ago actually. He had the nerve to insult our toilet! So I insulted his tulips, and that was when he went ballistic. It is rather funny to see Lord Redbrick wound up don't you think?" Blueberry chuckled at the very thought.
"Personally… no," Wisteria replied dully.
"Suit yourself. Oh sorry I have got to go and attend some gnomes at the front. I hear we are getting some new arrivals soon," Blueberry then rushed away leaving Wisteria to pick up her game and take it to back it was originally put by Miss Montague.
…
"Oh the nerve of that blasted woman!" Redbrick fumed as he stormed away back to where his wife and child sat playing.
"What is wrong now?" June asked impatiently as she stood up and walked over to her frustrated husband, and she too was getting frustrated. With his frustration!
"That woman!" Redbrick pointed accusingly toward the fence and June put her hand on her hip and let her eyes narrow casually.
"Who, Lady Blueberry?" June began knowing the answer almost instantly "look, you can't let her get to you! We have Juliet to think about, and you don't want to make her upset do you?" Redbrick then glanced at his one year old daughter who sat giggling on the grass as she watched a grass hopper jump about frantically. He smiled at her adoringly and shook his head.
"No, I guess not. But that Lady Blueberry gets on my nerve!" June sighed and placed a hand on her husbands shoulder.
"Listen, if it will help steady your nerves a little I will handle her from now on. It's time the two female leaders got chatting," June smirked and then clasped her hands together suddenly. "Now why don't we go have a bit of bonding time with our daughter eh?"
"Yes, of course dear," Redbrick grinned as they both made their way over to Juliet who sat now poking a small white butterfly with her little chubby fingers to see if it would move.
"Butterfwy!" Juliet pointed one of her small fingers at a large cabbage white butterfly that had now decided to fly.
"It's pretty dear," June smiled down at her daughter who giggled yet again.
"You're learning fast Juliet," Redbrick said proudly. Juliet then glanced up at her father and waved her arms about in his direction, Redbrick looked over to his wife confused and she just giggled.
"She wants you to pick her up!" June pointed out and Redbrick did as Juliet requested.
"My, my you are getting heavy for your age Juliet dear," Redbrick exclaimed as he balanced his one year old daughter in his arms. Juliet began to laugh and squirmed around in his arms causing her father to try and keep her under control. When Redbrick looked for June he noticed she was no longer there, in fact she had ran off to get something. But minutes later she had returned to find Redbrick still finding it difficult to handle his own daughter and she got out the object that she had just ran off to get and waved it in front of them.
"Say cheese!" June shouted and Redbrick noticed she had a camera and was about to take a photo.
"No!" Redbrick shouted but it was too late, June had already taken the picture.
"Too late!" June sniggered and stuck her tongue out teasingly before glancing down at the photo she had just taken "This'll be a great photo for our family album."
"Where did you even get that camera from anyway?" Redbrick asked finally putting his disappointed daughter down back on the grass.
"The garden shed," June explained "Mr Capulet never uses it. He keeps it there for some unknown reason, but since he isn't using it we might as well."
"So you're making a family album now?" Redbrick asked raising one of his bushy eyebrows amusingly. June just smiled and hugged him while they glanced down at their young daughter.
"Yes, because I love my family and I wouldn't ask for anything more other than having some great memories together as a family!"
…
Little Tybalt sat alone in his own little corner of the garden. His parents had forbidden him from going around and making friends of the friendly sought. He just wanted to be a normal kid like the other gnomes in the garden! But his parents had different plans of their own. Tybalt was still too young to really understand his garden were at war with the next door blue gnomes and that was about to cause him trouble. He had put up with so much abuse from his mother and father, and slowly but surely, he was becoming just like them. He kept himself away from the other kids and even his own uncle and aunt, because if he didn't, he would find himself beaten verbally and physically by his mother. Yet he still loved her! But he had no idea why his parents were doing this to him. Really Pansy and Boris were control freaks who desired power and sought to destroy Lord Redbrick and eventually take over the red garden using Tybalt to their advantage. But that wasn't all… oh no, Pansy didn't just want the red garden at her sons command. She wanted the blue garden too! She wanted Lady Blueberry and Lord Gnorman and that petty hippie Wisteria to bow to her and her son and feel the cruelty she had only dreamed of inflicting on them. And she would eventually achieve her goal! If no one stood in her way of course.
But Pansy would soon find several issues at hand that would stop her from getting her son to be just like her. And it would concern one certain little blue gnome who would eventually become her son's greatest rival. But he wasn't the only obstacle; someone else would also play a humungous role to change the feud around and eventually stop Pansy for good. And despite the fact this certain gnome hated the feud because it was against what she believed in; she wouldn't be able to control her actions on that certain day. But we are getting too far ahead of ourselves!
But over the next two years… something terrible was about to happen which would affect everyone in the gardens. Especially Tybalt. He couldn't become like his mother could he?
Well that was up to the fate of two young gnomes of different coloured hats to decide and determine friend from foe without even realizing it…
Authors note: Yeah over the next couple of chapters I shall be building up to the big moment when something drastic and unexpected happens! But I won't tell you because I want to see your reaction! Well in the next chapter two future enemies will meet for the first time! Guess who they will be? In the meantime you could tell me in the review! Thanks!