The main character Squall, having become a mercenary at military school, meets a girl named Rinoa at a party.
Though he had refused until then to get involved with other people, Squall finds himself coming under the influence of Rinoa's free-spirited ways.
Meanwhile, the powerful nation of Galbadia suddenly declares war on the rest of the world.
As the Galbadian president delivers his speech, standing beside him is a sorceress who had all but faded from the peoples' memory...