Ghosts
by
C. M. R.
part 1

Its good to be home, Quistis thought.  The exhausting events of the last few days had 
taken their toll on everyone.  After all, it wasn’t every day you saved the world and life as 
you know it from certain destruction.
	But here was an atmosphere of festivity.  The staff of Garden had welcomed their 
six friends back as heroes, and they were all at the moment roaming around the spacious 
ballroom, having fun, or in some cases causing trouble.
	She watched detachedly as Irvine made a fool of himself in front of a movie 
camera held by a typically perky Selphie.  At least they are able to relax, after what 
we’ve been through, mumbled Quistis to herself.  
	She spotted Headmaster Cid across the room and began to approach him, but was 
stopped by Irvine, still pranking while Selphie captured it on film.  Quistis smiled politely 
at the camera, and then shoved Irvine out of her way and walked up to where the 
headmaster was standing.
	“Ah, Instructor Trepe, I was hoping to talk to you this evening.  It’s so good to 
have you all back.  He turned and raised his champagne glass to Selphie’s camera, then 
returned to the conversation.
	“Headmaster, I talked to Seifer again today, and…”
	“Matron!”
	Quistis looked and saw Irvine running over toward them with Selphie in tow.
	“Oh, yes.  Edea, dear?”
	Edea came over from where she was standing and nodded her head to them.  
Irvine removed his hat as he and Quistis bowed humbly before their one-time surrogate 
mother.
	“I can’t thank you enough for bringing her back to me”, Cid said.  “You were 
saying about Seifer?”
	“He’s anxious to recover Galbadia Garden.  Its based in Centra right now, but I 
gave him advance permission to bring it to Esthar tomorrow.  He has a request to ask of 
all of us, concerning the leadership vacuum left in SeeD.  He wants you, your wife, 
Squall, the rest of us and the leaders FH, Deling city, Dollet and Timber to attend. The 
meeting is being held in President Loire’s office four days from now.  Squall is taking 
Selphie to Trabia tomorrow morning on the Ragnarok, along with some workers to begin 
rebuilding Trabia Garden.  Then he and Rinoa are going to Timber to oversee the 
Military withdrawl.  We will stay here and take Garden to the Esthar airstaion in two 
days.”
	“Good. We’ll be ready”
	“Quistis, come here quick!”
	it was Selphie, no longer burdened by the camera, which she saw was now in 
Irvine’s hands.  Selphie pointed to a table to their left, where Zell was turning a very deep 
shade of blue.  The women ran over and slapped him on the back repeatedly as he 
coughed.  The librarian who had been seated with him put her hands to her face as her 
eyes began to tear up with worry.  As Zell’s palor returned to normal, the less than tactful 
Selphie immediately remarked, “Nice goin’, motormouth.  Why don’t you try chewing 
your food next time?”
	“RARGHHH!” replied Zell, as he jumped to his feet. Everyone in the vicinity of 
the table scurried away, fearful of Zell’s rage.
	While the incident got a good laugh out of everyone in the room, Quistis 
maintained her composure and walked toward the ballroom’s open-air balcony, one of 
her private meditation spots.  She stopped however, when she neared the entrance and 
found Rinoa, arms crossed on the balcony’s stone ledge, looking at the sky.
	Quistis decided she had better go get some sleep anyway.  Whatever Seifer 
wanted to discuss with everyone would probably entail more than a little work.  

To be continued…