There was once a town called Winhill. It was small and peaceful, a place where nothing ever happened. In that town lived a lady named Raine Leonhart. Raine was the owner of the small town bar, and cared for a young girl called Ellone.

When Ellone was younger, around 2 years old, Esthar had put out an immense hunt for girls. They were hoping to find a successor for their current ruler, Sorceress Adel. Ellone's parents, however, refused to let her go, and so they were shot and killed by Esthar soldiers. Somehow Ellone managed to escape, and Raine graciously took her into her care.

One day, a wounded man was brought to Raine's doorsteps, Laguna Loire. He was a soldier fighting in the galbadian army, and had been injured during battle, so Raine took care of him and nursed him back to full health.

During that time, he had helped raise Ellone, and the two of them became very close; she had even started calling him "Uncle Laguna". Somewhere during their time together, Laguna adopted Ellone and so she took his last name of Loire. Eventually Raine and Laguna fell in love, and so when Laguna proposed, Raine said yes.

Although it was unknown to Raine and Laguna at the time, Ellone was no ordinary girl. She had the ability to manipulate time, and because of this "power", Ellone was taken away by Ethar's soldiers.

Laguna immediately left Winhill to find Ellone and bring her back home, but shortly after his leaving, Raine found out that she was pregnant with his son. Day on day she waited for her beloved Laguna to return, but she never saw him again.

Finally Laguna had managed to find Ellone in Esthar where she was being used for research purposes by a man named Dr. Odine. Laguna sent her home to Winhill to be with Raine, himself staying in Esthar with the purpose of finishing the war.

Raine gave birth on August 23 and named her son Squall. She died soon afterwards of birth problems, sending Ellone and her newborn child to live in an orphanage.

The orphanage was run by a lady named Edea Kramer, or as the children called her, "Matron". She took very good care of them, and they came to love her as a mother. Ellone was also very popular with the children at the orphanage, they all had come to know her as "sis", however Squall loved her the most. He hogged her away from the other children, and had learned to really rely on her.

Squall thought that Ellone would always be there for him, but when Cid and Edea Kramer learned that Dr. Odine wanted to do more research on Ellone's "power", they sent her away on a white SeeD ship to protect her. This was unknown to Squall, and so he thought she had deserted him. Day after day he waited for her return, but she never came, and it broke his heart. It changed his life forever. He decided never to depend on anybody except himself, and thus became cold and distant towards all people.

At the age of 5, Squall was sent to Balamb Garden, where he learned to use a gunblade. He grew up at Garden, and at the age of 17 became a SeeD, the one thing he had left to live for..