Author's Comment:
The subject of Wimbly Donner... Garden Festival Chair and all around likeable guy, f anyone had ever known him well enough to like. An elusive fellow, I might add. Most of you will recognize the following letter as that from Squall's computer terminal. I saw no reason for him to log in to actually read the letter, but I didn't want to exclude the character of Wimbly Donner... Speaking of which... I can't remember if he actually appears in the game at any point... Could someone please email me with the info? Help is greatly appreciated. If not, then I'll simply write him in. Onwards and upwards!
Friday, June 1, 2007
Squall started down the hallway, reading the paper that had fallen from Quistis' desk.
Dear Lifelong Friends,
I, the Garden Festival chair, will be leaving the Garden for good. I did not strive to be a SeeD, and I won't even graduate. I devoted all my time to the Garden Festival... My passion.
But in the end, there was no festival. That's because no one volunteered to help out. But I have only myself to blame. I thought I alone could pull it off. I will be starting a new life, elsewhere, and I sincerely hope that someone will rise up to take over the Garden Festival Committee!
Goodbye Balamb Garden!
Wimbly Donner
Wimbly Donner? Squall had heard that name before, although he didn't think he'd ever met him. He wondered how few people actually had. Somehow, he doubted that this was what was bothering Quistis. Squall's thoughts were cut short (something that seemed to be happening increasingly often) as he was knocked to the floor. His first thought was that Seifer had decided to pay his respects, but a girlish wailing noise shot that out of the sky. A student he didn't recognize landed beside him, books scattering, and frightened screech echoing. She looked on the verge of tears. "I am so sorry," she managed before reaching for her books.
"Are you okay?" Squall asked, kicking himself for not paying attention.
"Don't worry," she said standing up whilst attempting to perform a feat of balancing with her unnecessarily tall tower of books. She must be new, Squall thought. "No harm done." She seemed to have cheered up quickly. She was about Squall's height, and looked his age. She seemed to have a bounce in the way she moved, which did well to compliment her brown hair, flipping outwards in a child-like sort of way. She seemed the type to join the cheer leading squad for the local Blitzball team. "Sorry, I was in kind of a hurry," she trailed off, looking down. "Oh yeah, did you just come from that class?" she pointed down the hall, towards Instructor Trepe's room. "Is... homeroom over?"
"You just missed it."
"Oh, not again," Selfie cried exasperatedly, kneeling down and almost dropping her books again. "This place is so much bigger than my last Garden." She paused a moment, inspiration filling her eyes. "Heeeey... If it's not too much trouble, do you think you could give me a quick tour?"
Squall's immediate instinct was to say no, but something stopped him. Part of him felt he owed her in some way, but that wasn't all of it. He would have denied it, had you asked him, but at that moment, he felt strangely drawn to her. As if they shared a history together. But that's stupid. You don't know her and she has nothing to do with you. Tell her to ask someone else. To his surprise, he answered, "Sure."
"Thank you so much!" she squealed, making Squall immediately regret his answer. "My names Selfie, by the way," she said cheerily, holding out her hand. Don't push it.
"Squall," he offered in return, walking past her. "We'll take the elevator to the first floor and I'll show you the directory." Betrayed by my own mouth.
The two turned the corner, crossing the open sky walk to the elevator. It was integrated into a towering glass pillar, marking the very center of the Garden. As they walked, Selfie strayed from the railings, as if afraid to fall over.
In the elevator, she stared out in awe at the students passing below, and gawked at the circular moat-like fountain flowing around the central spire. As they descended, Squall wondered just how new she was.