In earlier days, Julia Heartilly had been nothing more than a lounge pianist. She played in the Galbadia Hotel, and while her songs were lovely, they were lacking that emotional spark. Many admirers came and went, but none caught her eye quite the same way as Laguna Loire, a Galbadian soldier who often relaxed in the lounge, drinking with his friends Kiros Seagill and Ward Zabac and enjoying her music. After one particularly unsuccessful attempt to talk to her, Julia decided to take it easy on him and asked him to come up to her hotel room and talk with her. Despite their mutual attraction, the pair spoke platonically for many hours, sharing experiences and emotions that neither had felt comfortable expressing before. At the end of their visit, Julia realized that he had given her inspiration to write lyrics for her songs and pursue becoming a reknowned singer. Unfortunately, one of the army's higher-ups was jealous of Laguna's instant connection with Julia, and had him assigned to a dangerous mission, one that led to him nearly dying, but being rescued and recovering in Winhill by the side of a woman named Raine. Of course, that's Squall's story, not Rinoa's, so let's move on. Julia put her feelings into words and composed the song "Eyes on Me" about her lost soldier love. The song became very popular, and Julia along with it, but something was still missing from her life. She confided in a friend, General Caraway, about her loneliness and the sorrow she felt at losing Laguna. Over time, the comforting friendship progressed into something more, and Caraway proposed. Smitten by her newfound amore, Julia accepted. Things went well for them for a time. Julia gave birth to their first and only child, a daughter named Rinoa, and doted on her endlessly. Tragedy struck, however, when at the age of 5, Rinoa lost her mother to a car accident. Grieving, Caraway threw himself into his work tirelessly, leaving Rinoa to emotionally fend for herself. As she grew, she became a beautiful girl with an open heart, ready to give those in need the comfort and support her father couldn't give her. Unfortunately, his absence caused animosity between the two of them, and finally the emotional schism and diametrically opposed political views drove Rinoa to run away. As a young teenager alone in the world, Rinoa quickly realized that she would not last long, so she headed to the besieged town of Timber, known for its many resistance factions. Along the way, she encountered a stray dog, and with her love and attention, it quickly became her trusted companion. She named it Angelo, since it was like her guardian angel by her side, and continued in her journey. Arriving in Timber, she found many groups already well-established, and those accepting members to be too disorganized. Selecting the most inviting of them, she teamed up with two men named Zone and Watts to form The Forest Owls. Her charming and outspoken nature quickly established her as leader of the group, and she built alliances with many other factions in the town. A fellow teenager named Seifer Almasy, whom she met while he was in town training, offered to help her learn how to fight, and she took him up on the offer whole-heartedly. Over time, Rinoa developed skills with a Blaster Edge, and as her training continued, she and Seifer grew close. They flirted and dated flippantly, generally having fun with someone who wasn't afraid of their brash personalities. Eventually, Seifer returned back to Balamb Garden, and the end of his trip brought the end of their romance. They didn't forget each other, however - when Rinoa realized she needed help to liberate Timber, and letters to Garden from a small, relatively unknown resistance faction went ignored, Seifer arranged for her to meet with Headmaster Cid and speak with him directly. Rinoa prepared herself for the meeting, dressing for the formal SeeD ball, where Seifer was planning to be inducted, and headed off to Balamb Garden. This is where the story of Final Fantasy VIII truly begins...