Garden

Garden is a group of elite military academies in Final Fantasy VIII. There are three Garden schools: Balamb Garden, Galbadia Garden, and Trabia Garden. Many of the game's leading characters are students (and later mercenaries for hire) of Garden, with the story itself beginning in Balamb Garden.

Balamb Garden
The story of Final Fantasy VIII begins in Balamb Garden. As the oldest and second largest of the three, Balamb Garden is situated on the island of Balamb, near the seaside town of the same name. The Garden is under the control of headmaster Cid Kramer, and takes on children between ages five and fifteen to be trained as mercenaries. The teachings of the school include martial arts, swordsmanship, manipulation of magic, and various offensive weaponry skills. It appears that each pupil may choose his or her own way of learning as well as weaponry, as Cid points out to Squall Leonhart there have been very few students to choose to specialize in the gunblade.

Balamb Garden is the only Garden to train students as SeeDs. Upon reaching the end of their studies, students may be tested for SeeD level, where, upon passing, they are enlisted as members of SeeD, mercenaries paid by the Garden and highly respected worldwide. It appears to be quite the challenge to achieve SeeD level, one that many fail to achieve.

At the beginning of the game, Squall Leonhart, Zell Dincht and Seifer Almasy are all students of Balamb Garden training to become SeeDs. Selphie Tilmitt, a student of Trabia Garden, transfers to Balamb for the SeeD exam. Quistis Trepe is also a SeeD and an instructor at the Garden. Like the others, Balamb Garden is a place for students to live as well as learn. Its campus includes dormitories, a canteen, a library, an infirmary and classrooms, as well as a training ground with wild creatures for more advanced students to improve their skills. Learning is hierarchy based, with older, more skilled students looking after and helping to train their underclassmen.

Later in the game it is revealed Balamb Garden has a shadow proprietor. Known as NORG, this initially cryptic antagonist is very straightforward and demanding, but claims to have never interfered with how Cid chose to administer the school. When NORG demands control of the Garden, the student body is divided into factions of opposing support, with Squall and his group supporting Cid and attempting to rid the Garden of NORG. When the group finds and defeats NORG, he places himself into a cocoon-like shell, which is a natural stage of the life span of his species, the Shumi.

Cid regains control of Balamb Garden and must decide on a way to protect the Garden from impending destruction by missile bombardment from Galbadia, who see the academy as a threat. Acknowledging the campus was once a Centra shelter, Cid sends Squall deep within the building to unlock the secret of the facility: it has the ability to become airborne. The halo-like structure above the Garden, when activated, transforms the Garden into a mobile fortress that hovers at low altitudes above ground or in water. The halo appears to be some sort of anti-gravity system.

The rest of the game continues with Squall and company's attempts to grasp control of the Garden's mobility (with the near-destruction of Balamb Town) and their adventure after finally doing so. Balamb Garden remains a school and institution continues regardless. As the face off with Galbadia and its new ruler, Sorceress Edea, nears, Cid steps aside and Squall assumes control of Balamb Garden and SeeD.

Galbadia Garden
Galbadia Garden is the largest of the three Gardens. Located on the western continent, the Garden claims to stay neutral of the Republic of Galbadia's actions. Its headmaster is Dodona (Martine in the English release), whom Squall and his comrades are forced to meet when they are stranded on the western continent during his first mission.

Upon first arrival at the Garden, Martine orders Squall's group to take it upon themselves to carry out an assassination of Sorceress Edea. Claiming the decision was made in conjunction with Balamb Garden, Martine assigns a cocky womanizing sharpshooter named Irvine Kinneas to assist the SeeDs. Later, when Galbadia and the Galbadian army fall under the control of Edea and Seifer respectively, Galbadia Garden is taken over and Martine is dismissed. This leads to an open conflict with Balamb Garden later on, as SeeD's ultimate goal is to destroy the sorceresses.

Galbadia Garden also becomes airborne around the time of Balamb Garden's launch. However, the aerial capabilities of the Garden building do not appear to be unknown to its authority as control appears to be grasped seemingly immediately; meanwhile, Balamb Garden continues to struggle with its secret mechanics. What happens to the garden after SeeD is victorious in defeating the garden remains unclear. But it is presumed that with the remainder of the Galbadia Garden students who survived, it continued wandering the world as Balamb Garden did as seen in the ending, at least after Seifer salvaged Lunatic Pandora.

Trabia Garden
Situated in the northeastern polar region of the eastern continent is Trabia Garden. Selphie originally studied at Trabia Garden before transferring to Balamb Garden to complete her SeeD application. Trabia Garden appears to have more of an amicable relation to Balamb Garden in comparison to the hostile and xenophobic front of Galbadia Garden. It is the smallest of the three Gardens.

During Galbadia's assault on Balamb Garden and Trabia Garden following the assassination attempt on Sorceress Edea, Trabia Garden is all but destroyed in a missile bombardment. While Balamb Garden is informed of the missile launch and activates its missile defense system to become airborne and therefore avoid the missiles, Trabia Garden is unaware and is struck. Many students survive, but the school itself does not. Following the attack, Selphie returns with the others to provide relief for the remaining students. Trabia Garden is never seen intact in Final Fantasy VIII, with the party only visiting the Garden after the attack.

Training
Students of Balamb Garden, Trabia Garden, and Galbadia Garden receive their education as cadets until they are approved for graduation. Following graduation, students are then assisted with enlisting in the armies of their choice around the world. At Balamb Garden, students and graduates may enlist in SeeD, Balamb Garden's world-renowned elite mercenary force. The enrollment process consists of a written test and field examination. Garden students are taught extensively to be skilled in fighting with the weapons of their choosing, as well to be proficient in magic and other various aspects that are essential to their success.

The SeeD written tests at Balamb Garden are a culmination of what cadets have learned throughout their education and are easily mastered by most. The field exam, on the other hand, is a rigorous trial of the abilities of a cadet. These trials can sometimes be dangerous as they are real situations where the cadet must apply their skills to the given tasks. The cadets are not only judged by their talent in fighting but also by their attitudes, actions, skills, and ability to follow orders. Those who pass are given ranking levels based on their grade during field exam. These rankings dictate the position and salary of a SeeD, and can be raised as the SeeD experiences success in missions or passes additional SeeD tests.

For Squall Leonhart, Zell Dincht, Seifer Almasy, Selphie Tilmitt and Nida, their SeeD field exam required them to travel to the city-state nation of Dollet to take part in a live combat situation. Dollet was suffering invasion by the neighboring Republic of Galbadia, its objective to secure an abandoned communications facility on the outskirts of the city. Against orders, Seifer went after the Galbadian soldiers with Zell and Squall reluctantly in tow. When SeeD began to withdraw, Squall, Zell, and Selphie were separated from Seifer, but all managed to escape. Squall, Zell, Nida and Selphie all became SeeDs for their efforts; Seifer, however, did not.

History
Balamb Garden was the first of the three Gardens to be built. Garden and SeeD were founded twelve years prior to the events of the game by Edea and Cid Kramer for the purpose of training elite mercenaries to quell the eventual domination of the sorceress Ultimecia. Before Garden was founded, Cid and Edea were caretakers of a small orphanage in Centra. Most of the first generation SeeDs were drawn from their charges. As time went on, Galbadia and Trabia Gardens were constructed in their respective regions. Over the years, the Gardens began to take on a more involved political role on the world stage.

Eventually, Edea fell under the sway of Ultimecia, and seized effective control of the Galbadian government. Galbadia Garden became a tool of Edea as a result. In the ensuing conflict, Trabia Garden was destroyed and Balamb Garden, under the command of neophyte SeeD Squall Leonhart, barely withstood the onslaught of the Galbadian army. Under Squall's command, SeeD manages to free Edea from Ultimecia's control and eventually moves on to vanquish Ultimecia once and for all.

At the end of the game, Squall travels back in time and warns Edea of Ultimecia's intentions. It is because of this that Garden and SeeD are created; thus the plot events of Final Fantasy VIII are rooted in a predestination paradox.