Why? MAJOR SPOILERS WITHIN!

[Suvious]

Ok as we know Squall is the son of Laguna so what happened between them that lead to Squall being in an orphanage? I really wanna know.

[Creeping Shadow]

I think it was something like when his mother died there was no one to take care of him.

[Momiji]

FFI, FFII, FFIII, FFIV, FFMQ, FFV, FFVI, CT, FFVII, FFT, FFVIII, CC, FFIX, FFX, KH, and FFXI are ancient games, kids. Everyone who really cared about their stories or anything else you'd like to censor has already found out that information in the three to seventeen and a half years they've been available. (FFXI was released on May 16, 2002.) So really, don't bother with the spoiler tags unless someone makes a thread specifically asking you to censor that stuff because he never got on the ball because of some stupid excuse like "That game never came out in my country." You're breaking my heart over here, Mr. O'Malley, really.

The same applies to whatever miscellaneous media you're discussing in the Lounge or whatever. Three years is a pretty fair mark. This is our official stance here and failure to comply will find you banished to the Phantom Zone forever.

In other words, no need for spoiler tags. ;)

Anyway, Laguna joined the military, didn't he? Perhaps that's why Squall ended up in an orphanage.

[Suvious]

Hmm it didn't explain the link very well ^^
Laguna looses his son - then adopts another kid from the same orphanage!? I'd punch Laguna in the crotch if he was my dad!

[rubah]

it goes something like 'raine + ellone, then laguna. Esthar wants little girls. laguna goes to rescue her (flashback scene with doc odine and friends), he gets roped into leading esthar, raine dies, baby!squall and Sis get sent to orphanage along with all the other orphans of the sorceress war.'

[Jessweeee♪]

I wonder how old Squall was exactly when he was reunited with Ellone in the orphanage o.o

[theundeadhero]

They weren't reunited in the orphange. They both went together then Ellone left with him still there.

[Big D]

Laguna was away in Esthar when Raine died, so Squall ended up at the orphanage. I don't remember clearly, but I think Ellone ended up at the orphanage because Laguna didn't think he could care for her as a father whilst also getting involved in crazy stuff on another continent. The orphanage was one of the places he looked for Ellone after her abduction, which would explain why he chose to send Ellone there. He probably never knew that his son was there too.

[Jessweeee♪]

Oh...I was confused because everyone at the orphanage called her Sis, and they made no mention of her and Squall coming from the same family. Of course the GFs would make them forget :p

[Big D]

Oh...I was confused because everyone at the orphanage called her Sis, and they made no mention of her and Squall coming from the same family. Of course the GFs would make them forget :pThey probably never knew. I think it happened like this: Ellone gets abducted, so Laguna goes looking. Squall's born, Raine dies, Squall goes to the orphanage. Laguna finds Ellone, gets embroiled in Esthar politics, and sends Ellone back to Raine - not realising she's died. Winhill then sends Ellone to the orphanage too.

I could be wrong, someone's sure to correct me if that's the case.

[theundeadhero]

I always figured Ellone made it home when her mother was still alive and then went to the orphanage later.

[The Last Oath]

Laguna didnt know that he had a son cause he left before squall was born but he knew about ellone.
AMEN

[ReloadPsi]

What matters is that it's really funny to hear Laguna say that he's not related to her, but that "she's so cute! I wish I could hear her voice!"

The implications are sickening.

[Serapy]

I don't think Squall and Laguna knew that they are related to each other, especially not in the beginning. Maybe they have found out that they are related after the time compression.
If Laguna knew that he was Squall's father, he would of have told him at some point in the game, he didn't even tell him why he ended up being in the orphanage.

[Roogle]

Ellone and Squall are not related by blood in any way, shape, or form. I think that there may be some confusing occurring from the fact that Ellone was raised by Raine; however, Raine was only a foster child of Ellone because her parents were killed when she was a child for refusing to give their child up to the government.

Laguna arranged for Ellone to be taken back to Raine after the events of the flashback in Esthar; soon after, Raine gave birth to Squall and passed away, and, subsequently, Ellone and the newborn Squall were sent to the orphanage.

[leader of mortals]

This is how I think it happened...

__ Ellone is born
__ Ellones parents die
__ Ellone is sent to the orphanage
__ Raine adopts her
__ Laguna meets Raine
__ They get it on
__ Laguna leaves for war before Raine realizes she is pregnant
__ Raine has Squall and dies in Labor or shortly afterwards
__ Ellone, already knowing of the orphanage, goes there with her new brother
__ Ellone gets to the age of 18 and leaves to find Laguna. She tells Squall she will be back
__ Squall stays at the orphanage until Headmaster Cid takes the entire group in as SeeD trainees
__ Ellone hears of this and goes to the garden, where she finds Squall at the beginning of the game. Sometime before this, she learns that Laguna gets into trouble with something in the past
__ Ellone uses Squall to save his father and finds it better not to tell Squall of this so his actions in the dream sequence are what he thinks is correct

Seems fine to me...

[Ouch!]

I don't think Squall and Laguna knew that they are related to each other, especially not in the beginning. Maybe they have found out that they are related after the time compression.
If Laguna knew that he was Squall's father, he would of have told him at some point in the game, he didn't even tell him why he ended up being in the orphanage.
It's made clear in the game that Laguna, Kiros, and Ward are all aware of Squall's parentage, specifically if you talk to them on the Ragnarok before beginning to the assault on Lunatic Pandora. Laguna tells Squall that they need to talk when it's all over. Kiros tells Squall it's a good thing he looks like his mother. Ward does his little silent thing, and Kiros translate to something like, "Good thing you don't look like your father." They all know that Laguna is Squall's father. My only guess is that they do not wish to add the emotional burden of telling Squall outright to everything he already has to deal with (i.e. saving the world).

[Takero]

I don't think Laguna Knew at first That Squall was his son . But when Ellone left the white SeeD ship and went to Esthar she told Laguna all about Squall being his son .

[Big D]

This is how I think it happened...

__ Ellone is born
__ Ellones parents die
__ Ellone is sent to the orphanage
__ Raine adopts her
__ Laguna meets Raine
__ They get it on
__ Laguna leaves for war before Raine realizes she is pregnant
__ Raine has Squall and dies in Labor or shortly afterwards
__ Ellone, already knowing of the orphanage, goes there with her new brother
__ Ellone gets to the age of 18 and leaves to find Laguna. She tells Squall she will be back
__ Squall stays at the orphanage until Headmaster Cid takes the entire group in as SeeD trainees
__ Ellone hears of this and goes to the garden, where she finds Squall at the beginning of the game. Sometime before this, she learns that Laguna gets into trouble with something in the past
__ Ellone uses Squall to save his father and finds it better not to tell Squall of this so his actions in the dream sequence are what he thinks is correct

Seems fine to me...Ellone's parents lived right next door to Raine, so she'd have adopted Ellone without the orphanage being involved. We also know, from the game, that Laguna only left Winhill because Ellone had been abducted and taken to Esthar...
I'm pretty sure it's all detailed in the game, but it's a lot of minutiae really. What matters most is that Ellone would've brought (present-day) Laguna up-to-speed on what Squall is all about.

[Takara]

Ellone and Squall are not related by blood in any way, shape, or form. I think that there may be some confusing occurring from the fact that Ellone was raised by Raine; however, Ellone was only a foster child of Raine because her parents were killed when she was a child for refusing to give their child up to the government.

Laguna arranged for Ellone to be taken back to Raine after the events of the flashback in Esthar; soon after, Raine gave birth to Squall and passed away, and, subsequently, Ellone and the newborn Squall were sent to the orphanage.

Fixed.

Roogle's got it right. As for whether or not Laguna knew Squall was his son, the conversation in the Ragnarok implies he does. I'm not sure if he knew all Squall's life that he had a son or if Ellone told him after she left the White SeeD ship, though. That is never specified in game.

[Innes]

Raine died after Squall was born. Laguna was in Esthar at the time, overthrowing Adel and rescuing Ellone.

There was no parent for Squall, so he was sent to the orphanage.

[champagne supernova]

Here's a quote which should help:
Ellone: "You can't change the past. I just found that out. When I was kidnapped, Uncle Laguna went on a journey to find me... But because he did, Uncle Laguna wasn't able to be by Raine's side when she died. Rained wanted to show Laguna her new born baby... Raine kept calling out for Laguna. So no matter what, I wanted Laguna to stay in the village... But it didn't work."

But, I think Ellone was sent back to Winhill before Raine died. Laguna says: "It was a mistake to send Ellone alone back to Raine. Raine died, and Elle was sent to the orphanage. If I had only gone to Winhill with Elle... I would've bee able to see Raine one last time. Raine was dead. Ellone, missing. My job kept me busy. I was left here thinking about this and that and before I knew it, all this time had passed. Well, that's about it."

Also, the scene where Laguna is at the orphanage is before he rescues Ellone from Esthar. Edea asks Laguna about "this Ellone", to which Laguna replies:
"She was kidnapped by Esthar soldiers. I've been travelling, tryin' all I can to get inside Esthar, but...".

Putting the last two quotes together, it would seem that Laguna only found out he had a son when he saw Ellone again. The timeline should go something like this then:

----Ellone's parents die
----Ellone adopted by Raine
----Laguna and the Lunatic Pandora problem
----Raine rescues Laguna
----Raine & Laguna make Squall (a bit of an euphenism there)
----Ellone kidnapped by Esthar soldiers (this could have
occured before the making of Squall)
----Laguna begins his search for Ellone
----Goes to the orphanage looking for her
----Enters Esthar, saves Ellone, removes Adel
----Sends Ellone home, becomes President
----Raine gives birth to Squall, dies shortly afterwards
----Ellone & Squall sent to the orphanage.

[Cloudane]

Yep that last one is how I recall it.

Plus the following:

-- Laguna didn't seem to give a rats ass that his step-daughter was stuck in some orphanage as he was too busy playing President.
-- Ellone went to find him and tell him everything (including about Squall).

[champagne supernova]

A bit unfair on Laguna. Edea sent Ellone on a boat shortly after the orphanage to protect her. So, no one really knew where she was. He did know she was missing, and he sent ships to look for her (I mean, that's how he found her). He is a bit of a prat nevertheless.