As I slowly made my way through the game, I couldn't help but notice a particular element that kept forcing it's way into the story in some form or another. That element was water. Yes, water. Whether it be hidden in the words of the game, taking the shape of Squall, or even materializing itself on screen, water seemed to have it's own role in the wonderful complexity of this game.

First and foremost, H₂O can be found in the names of three very important characters: Squall Leonhart, Laguna Loire, and Raine Leonhart Loire. That's right, every member of Squall's birth family has a name which reflects this element in some way. Observe:

Squall ~ A brief sudden violent windstorm, often accompanied by rain or snow.
Raine ~ Water condensed from atmospheric vapor and falling in drops.
Laguna ~ A body of water cut off from a larger body. A rain-based occurence.

As you will notice, there is one key factor connecting all three of these things: Rain, much in the way that Raine Loire is the only real link between her husband Laguna and her son Squall. Laguna is away while she gives birth to Squall, but she dies before he is able to see the child. As a result of this, Laguna and Squall never know each other as father and son. Raine is the only one who knew of the blood relation between Squall and Laguna.

In this case, water can represent the relationship that these three automatically share by being family. Blood is thicker than water, yes, but who says water can't also represent this bond?

In my opinion, water is the perfect element to represent Squall and his overactive emotions. Water can take so many shapes and forms, one moment it can be the most serene and peaceful thing on the earth, while the next it can be a vicious and deadly storm. One element is so many very different things. In the same way, Squall has many contrasting aspects which all make up one person.

Sitting Water
Picture a pond sitting placid, completely untouched, it's surface smooth and flawless. Yet a pebble, or even something as delicate as a leaf hitting that surface would be enough to create a ripple that would resonate for ages. It is in this form that water seems to represent Squall's emotions. He has found a way to organize them so that they appear settled, however like a pebble in a pond, Rinoa's entrance into his life upsets that delicate balance and sends his world into chaos.

Water in this form, peaceful and settled water, is Squall as he appears to others. Cool and collected. Calm and introverted. Controlled. As long as you leave it alone, it will remain like this. As soon as you touch it, it's perfect surface is gone. As soon as Rinoa touches Squall's heart, his seemingly perfect surface is gone too and we realise that Squall is not quite so cool and collected as he once seemed.

Storm
In many ways, Squall is a storm. Famed about his school for his skills with a gunblade, he is a force to be reckoned with. As a storm makes splinters of a building, Squall takes down his foes with ease.

The symbol of a storm also resembles Squall's emotional state at times. When he loses Ellone, his world comes crashing down. He feels lost, alone, unsure, confused, a million different things at once. A storm consists of rain and wind and hail flying in every different direction, much in the way that Squall's emotions would have been when he lost the most important person in the world to him, his sister Ellone.

Once again, the storm brews up inside of him when he loses Rinoa. When he realizes that he has a chance to save her, he becomes careless and spontaneous. In the same way that we can not predict every little action of a storm, nobody could guess what Squall would do in order to save his beloved.

Ice
Squall has the tendancy to appear very cold and uncaring. His tough exterior resembles that of a bitter frost. That's what ice is really; a cold, hard surface. It won't warm you up and make you feel good. It won't cushon your fall.

This is the way that Squall is percieved by others. An icy uncaring guy, unwilling to comfort you, or to have you depend on him. But Rinoa warms his heart, and melts the ice to reveal his soft interior.

Rain
Squall's life can be separated into two major periods which can be represented by two very different kinds of rain.

Period A is the first part of his life, everything up until he meets Rinoa. This rain represents tears. No doubt that Squall cried many of these as he suffered his seemingly incurable sadness at the loss of his sister. Even if he didn't physically cry, his heart sure did.

Period B is his life after Rinoa's entrance into it. It is then that he finally finds peace and grows as a person. In the same way, gentle rain provides a sense of peace and utter tranquility. The storm is over and has been calmed into something beautiful.

Fog
Fog often acts as a barrier, stopping us from seeing things which may be right in front of us. Like fog, Squall's act of unfriendliness forms a barrier, stopping those around him seeing him for who he really is.

The only scene in the game which contains actual physical rain is Squall's dream sequence of when he was a child. It involves him standing outside of the stone orphanage alone muttering to his sister, wondering why she left him, telling her that he's going to be okay and that he'll take care of himself even though it is clear that there is no chance of his words reaching her.

"(I was always waiting for 'Sis' to come back.)
I'm...all alone. But I'm doing my best...
I'll be ok without you, Sis. I'll be able to take care of myself.
(...I didn't turn out ok at all.)
...Sis Elle..."

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