FAQ About the Plot of FFVIII Part II

by Joshua Maciel

Well, here I am, back again. I'm tackling two new problems that have been brought to my attention in FFVIII. The first is the issue with the notion that Squall is Laguna's son. I'd like to prove, and plan to prove, that it's a load of hooey. The second illusion I want to dispel is that of the myths about the ending. I am going to try to explain (to the best of my abilities as the foremost authority in temporal physics) why it was the way it was.

Now I'm going to try to list the evidence that people give to suggest that Squall is Laguna's son. Let's see, Squall calls Ellone Big Sister -- obviously that is an automatic truth, not one we should dismiss as a nickname. First let me refute this whole notion that the nickname is necessarily an accurate depiction of their relation. Although I can't prove it wrong, I can shed doubt that it is a fact.

Where do we see Squall calling Ellone big sis at the earliest point in his life? At the orphantage. And where did Ellone partially grow up? In the orphantage, because Raine died. So we have no evidence that Ellone and Squall are siblings, since their earliest relation can be traced to a place of common origin, and we see Ellone alone before that.

Now let's even assume that the Big Sis is actually portraying the fact that Ellone and Squall are siblings. That would mean that all we have to do is trace Ellone to Laguna through Raine (who is obviously her mother). Now, the first time we really see Ellone and Laguna together, Ellone is old enough to talk well and run around, I would guesstimate 5, but it's just a guess.

Anyway, the point is that there is the assumption then that when Laguna and Ellone first see each other, that Laguna has been in the village for 5+ years, and already knocked up Raine's skirt. There is no evidence of that -- in fact Laguna pines away for Julia when she's mentioned in some respect, and won't admit to a relationship with Raine. They never get married. Chances are they didn't get it on.

There is one more possibility. That possibility is that somehow between his long stories, Julia and Laguna did it on the bed, and he managed to get her pregnant through that one time. Odds are all against that. In order to relate Squall to Laguna as child-parent, Laguna has to get someone pregnant, which there are NO allusions to in the actual game.

Now some say that Laguna marries Raine, because of the ending. Well, let me just take a wild shot at the ending the way I see it. Look at what we know about Time Compression -- Ultimecia is the only one left, and the whole world in a sense bends to her will. Note the whole Griever effect. You name your ring, it seems to be a guardian totem of sorts, but it becomes the "strongest" enemy. Reality was shaped according to thoughts (what Squall had named the ring.)

With that in mind, let's investigate the ending. Ultimecia dies, everyone leaves time compression, except Squall, who goes back to try to find his time. He's the only one left. He feels abandoned, alone, like when he was orphaned, which would explain the desert scene. That's how he feels, like there's nothing left, nothing to live for, nothing. Then he gets a thought of Rinoa, in the form of the feather, which falls down and brings back a flood of memories that takes him to a good place. The rest of the existence is based on his good feelings towards everyone.

Raine and Laguna get married, Seifer and the two goons go fishing, like real teenagers, Rinoa and Squall get together, and everyone in the world is happy. The world is more or less a Utopia, the way that Squall wants it. He shaped the reality in Ultimecia's realm, because he was the last one there. That isn't the reality of the game -- Laguna and Raine didn't marry in the real timeline, just in the alternate timeline the ending produces...

Of course, all of this could be wrong, but that's for you to decide. If you decide I'm wrong, please back it up with proof. I tried my best here, I'd love to hear rebuttals kick the snot outta my arguments, but they can only do that if they have proof. Feel free to e-mail comments, etc. to me if you'd rather not write a rebuttal, or just want to give me a big pat on the back (or money. Money's good).