History
Due to the Sorceress War, many children lost their parents. Edea built her orphanage in order to provide these orphans with a loving home and she took in custody most of the main characters of the game.
The positive atmosphere in the orphanage began to change the day Edea met Ultimecia. Ultimecia was a sorceress, just like Edea, however, since she was dying, she had to find someone onto whom pass her power. Contrary to load any of her children with that burden, Edea herself decided to take it. This event forced her to move one of the orphans (Ellone) away1 and leave her in the care of White SeeD.
The second change was the gradual emptying of the orphanage. Some children, namely Quistis and Zell, were adopted and moved to their new hometowns. All the others were scattered among different Gardens: Squall and Seifer to Balamb, Irvine to Galbadia and Selphie to Trabia. Not a long time after their departure, both Quistis and Zell went to Balamb Garden. The reunion was completed when Selphie and Irvine joined their old companions a few years later.
Albeit using Guardian Forces2 prevented the children from remembering those years spent together, the dynamics that took place during the orphanage days, persisted in the characters’ teenager-hood (the rivalry between Squall and Seifer, Zell being harassed by Seifer, Selphie’s bond with Irvine…).
The third relevant event happened sometime around Selphie’s transfer to Balamb. Ultimecia took control of Edea’s mind and body, turning her into a puppet at her own begging. Edea left her orphanage and began her climb to power, concluded with her appointment as Galbadia’s ambassador. This ensued a war between Balamb Garden and Galbadia Garden.
The course of things lead Balamb’s SeeD to meet with Irvine. It is thanks to this meeting that they begin to remember their childhood. Finding themselves in the war between Gardens, they decide to fight, even though they would have to face the woman who took care of them for a long time.
Importance
Zell presumably spent a few years at the Orphanage before being adopted and moving to Balamb Town. Leaving Seifer’s teasing aside, Zell and the other children were in positive, warm environment. The Cape of Good Hope was a calm place, quite isolated from the rest of the world, far from the horrors of the war. Edea herself was very affectionate and truly dedicated to her “mission”. As she said, all the children were raised as they were her own.
Considering how much Edea did for her children, she meant a lot to them. Indeed, once they begin to recall their early childhood, they have a positive memory of that period. This explains why it is a terrible shock for them to learn the truth: the very same person, who only a few years back sheltered them, is now the evil sorceress they must stop. They are forced to engage a fight, which might also result in the death of their much loved Matron. Irvine himself, the only one who has the picture of the situation, kept silence until he could.
Eventually Edea is defeated and Ultimecia’s hold on her is broken. She returns to the Orphanage, together with her husband Cid. From there she will try to help SeeDs providing precious advices.
- Ultimecia was looking for Ellone in order to use her mysterious power. Since Ellone is able to send a one’s consciousness back in time, Ultimecia wants to send her own consciousness further into the past in order to achieve Time Compression. [↩]
- Guardian Forces are entities who lend their power to humans, but damage a person’s memory. Galbadia Garden is the only school where the usage of GF is prohibited, which means Irvine was the only one in the group who hadn’t forgotten. [↩]