The Final Fantasy. Esthar Under Siege (Episode 3)
By S.LionHeart
An FF8 FanFic
Author's Note: Here is a list of the previous episodes in order.  Please read these Episodes 
before continuing with the story.  They are on the FF8 fanfic list on this site.
the forgotten future (episode 1)
Darkness in blue (episode 2)

Well ladies and gents this is the third episode.  You've met nearly all the characters I'm 
introducing in this Fan Fiction.  Please send any comments, suggestions or whatever to 
lionheart6789@hotmail.com
or
S.LionHeart@fantasysquare.com 

Please Enjoy^_^

Seifer was slightly overwhelmed when he heard Eliza call Squall father.  Seifer never 
saw Squall as a father or a father figure for that matter.  Squall was leaning over a control 
panel at the bridge of the garden inputting the coordinates for Esthar after that he walked 
to elevator and went down.  After Squall was gone Seifer decided to ask the pilot about 
what has been happening in the garden. 
"Hey whats your name pilot?" asked Seifer
"Me? My name is Koji" replied the pilot
"What has been happening in this Garden for the last 20 years I feel like I've been missing 
something" said Seifer.
"Well after the fight of Ultimecia everything started turning back to normal.  The effects 
of Time Compression began wearing off.  Although there were signs of the past and the 
future in some areas they soon quickly faded.  Squall and Rinoa became the heros they 
were destined to be.  For a time we received many enrolments into Balamb Garden 
but.........after a few years everything literally fell apart.  The popularity of the Garden 
was withering, enrolments are now at an all time low and those who enrolled often were 
just here to learn self defence techniques before leaving.  No one really wanted to 
become a SeeD when the legends began fading.  But the real tragedy was when Rinoa 
died.  It really broke Squalls heart.  At that time Eliza was only 8 I think.  Rinoa was 
buried at Timber with a beautiful poem written on the plaque.  After that.......well the 
Garden was stationed at Fisherman's Horizon until now and as they say the rest is 
History." Koji explained his eyes staring straight ahead.
"What about the sorceress?" asked Seifer
"Sorceress? What do you mean?" asked the Koji.
"Well isn't there a sorceress in this era?" asked Seifer 
The pilot turned around, a look of confusion on his face.
"No the only Sorceress I can think of is Ultimecia but she was destroyed long ago....other 
than that there has been no sorceress except for Edea maybe but she is no longer a 
sorceress.."said the pilot as he steered the garden towards Esthar.
"But what about.........oh never mind. Thank you Koji" said Seifer
"Your welcome" said Koji.
Seifer walked out of the bridge and went down the elevator.
"But what about Rinoa's powers?" thought Seifer.
Eliza and Aiko were at their dorm room preparing their weapons for combat.  Eliza was 
sharpening her gunblade.  Eliza's gunblade looked like her father's but the blade part was 
far longer than her father's blade part.  It looked sort of like a long sword fitted onto a 
desert eagle magnum type gun.  It was handled in a similar manner to the way her father 
uses it but it was swung in a more rapier/fencing style.  It was quite awkward to use at 
first because of other training she had with other weapons but she soon liked it and it was 
her weapon of choice for the SeeD exams which was surprising.  Aiko however chose a  
blade edged crossbow.  She chose it because it was a weapon that would keep her away 
from the enemy.  In fact crossbows and guns were often very popular weapons because 
you don't have to be close to kill the enemy.  Aiko's weapon was a standard action 
crossbow that had a blade running along the top part of the crossbow allowing for close 
combat just in case.  After they had prepared their weapons and Aiko finished playing 
with her bracelet they both headed to the entrance of the garden where Lyle, Squall and 
Seifer were waiting.  Lyle had his sword sheathed.  Yes it was a normal sword.  Lyle said 
his great grandfather used it in the Sorceress War.  A time when Esthar was ruled by the 
evil sorceress Adel.  On the sword was the etching of a bird, a Phoenix to be exact,  the 
legendary Gaurdian Force of Rebirth.  The handle was made of steel and had an ornate 
pattern running around it.  The pattern appeared to depict a battle but even Lyle himself 
didn't know what it meant.
The three SeeDs stood to attention at the entrance as Squall addressed all of them. 
"This is your first mission as a SeeD and this is no errand." Squall started. "Soon we will 
be landing near the Presidential Palace at Esthar.  The monsters appear to be more dense 
in that area than in any other area of Esthar."
"Only us 3 are going to go out against them?" Lyle questioned
"Unfortunately, Galbadia and Trabia Garden reinforcements won't arrive for another hour 
or so.  You must go into Esthar and find out what the monsters are doing and stop them 
at any cost.  I also fear that the president is in grave danger......"
Lyle: "........."
"So is this a sucide mission?" Aiko asked 
"Of course not!" Eliza snapped "My father wouldn't put us in such danger."
"Ok now is there any questions?"Squall said calmly.  The SeeD's were silent. "Ok now go 
and do your best and most of all back each other up!" Squall finished.
The SeeD's saluted and ran out into the entrance gate and climbed down the ladder into 
Esthar.  After they were gone Seifer tried to ask about Rinoa but he was brushed aside by 
Squall.
"Ok guys here comes the true test of our fighting skills."Lyle started "We gotta penetrate 
the barrier of monsters guarding the entrance to the presidential palace after 
that.......well.....we'll cross that bridge when we come to it ok?"Lyle finished
The two girls nodded.  "Then let's goooo!!" Aiko cheered.
Ahead of the 3 warriors were the gates to the Palace and gaurding them were 5 or 6 blitzs 
and a few jelleyes.  The warriors raised their weapons.  They attacked the group of 
jelleyes, Aiko attacking them from a far firing crossbow bolt after crossbow bolt.  Lyle 
decided to attack them head on with a few slashes but the jelleyes responded with a fire 
spell and Lyle just dodged it.  
"Ok then lets fight fire with fire" Lyle said
He set his bracelet to cast a blizzard spell.  After the spell was cast it missed the jelleyes.
"Damn!" said Lyle as he punched the ground.  Now it was Eliza's turn.  She rushed at the 
Jelleyes and started to slash them with her gunblade.  One of them died.  
"Hey Eliza why don't you try to use the gun part of your weapon?" asked Aiko.
Eliza ignored that question.  Just as she was about to go for the other jelleye she was 
punched in the stomach by something.  It was a blitz.  The fighting drew their attention 
and now the SeeDs were outnumbered.  Eliza retreated back to her colleagues.
"Now what are we gonna do?" asked Eliza.
"Well maybe we should attack all of them head on."said Aiko
"No, we're outnumbered greatly our weapons just won't cut the mustard."said Lyle.  
"Wait.  What if Aiko and I were to cast two spells simutaneously?" Lyle suggested.
"Really? Can we do that?" asked Aiko hopefully.
"Well I've never tried it but there is no harm is there?"said Lyle.
Lyle and Aiko programmed their bracelets to cast 2 blizzard spells.  They both aimed and 
cast their spells.  A direct hit! The Blitz's were stunned but the spells were too weak to 
kill them.
"Yes!" Aiko cried.
"Now here's our chance to get in the Presidential Palace."Lyle said.
The three warriors ran through the gates only to find the transporter to the palace was 
encrypted with a code.
"Damn what do we do now?" Lyle said frustrated.
"Well let me have a crack at  decoding it." Eliza suggested.
"Well you'd better be quick because..............look!" Aiko cried
An army of monsters were approaching the gates to the palace and were mad.  All types 
of monsters were marching towards them.  Blitzs, grats, turtapods, toramas and a 
behemoth was leading them all!
"Man we have to be quick" paniced Aiko
"Yes ok" Eliza started calmly "You two keep the monsters at bay while I try to decipher 
the lock ok?"Eliza ordered.
Aiko and Lyle didn't argue. They ran towards the gate and started to program their 
bracelets to cast spells.  The two did the best they but the advancing hordes of monsters 
were much too strong and they withstood the magic attacks easily.
"Don't you think the monsters are acting strange, Aiko?" Asked Lyle
"I don't really care how they act...they're monsters for Hyne's sake." said Aiko
"Well they seem to be acting like soldiers.....they're all in line and are attacking 
systematically.  That is strange" said Lyle.
Eliza was having more trouble with the lock than she thought.  She attached it to a 
decrypting device that would help her decipher the code but it was useless as the 10th 
time it was used it did not crack the code.  
"What the Heck!" Eliza grunted as she tore the device off the code system and 
unsheathed her gunblade.  She struck the lock with one powerful slash and with a 
satisfying "beep" the teleporter was activated!
"Hey guys I.....err.......unlocked the code.........sort of." Eliza said
"Oh well you are known for your impatience." teased Aiko.
The three warriors got on to the teleporter and were sent to the Presidential Palace where 
a strange aura seemed to surround everything in the Palace.  The 3 SeeDs cautiously 
tiptoed their way to the main throne room where the President was thought to have been 
taken hostage.  To their surprise it was empty.  The glorious walls of the room were 
decorated with gold and silver leaf arranged in a splendid pattern.  The dome ceiling was 
made of quartz, It shone like diamonds as light filtered through it.  Nothing was here, it 
was so quiet then suddenly.........SMASH.  The quartz ceiling shattered and the shards of 
quartz turned into deadly icicles heading straight for the SeeD members.  The SeeDs 
rolled away out of danger as the icicles of quartz embbeded themselves in the ground.
"Damn I missed...oh well hehehehe" giggled a voice.
"What the HELL" said a breathless Lyle.
"heheheheHAHAHAHA gee you guys looked so tough out there but really your all 
WEAK" insulted the voice
"HEY I don't like smart asses who insult us and don't EVEN show themselves......come 
on WHERE ARE YOU!!!!??" Eliza shouted.
"hmph! you are all weak humans....very well I 'll show who I am then I'll have to KILL 
you HAHAHAHAHA." squealed the voice.
I front of the SeeDs amazed eyes a women materialised in front of them sitting on the 
throne and the president and his aides and assistants appeared beside her gagged, 
unconcious but they were safe.
The woman's eyes were staring straight at the soldiers.
"You pitiful SeeDs don't stand a chance against me" started the woman "for I AM A 
SORCERESS"
"Well if you're a sorceress then it's our duty to destroy you." threatened Eliza
The 3 SeeDs drew their weapons.  The sorceress stood up.  Her long blue hair had streaks 
of gold running through and her dress sparkled with jewels and sequins.  On her back 
were 10 thick blue ribbons that shimmered and streamed down her back making it seem 
her hair reached to her ankles.
On her chest was a locket with the symbol on it that glowed vibrantly,evilly.  
"Pitiful SeeD I have heard you defeated Ultimecia in this realm.  How sad she would 
have been a powerful ally to you but alas she lives in misery in my realm and when I kill 
all of you, you will be reborn too as a slave to the great Sorceress.  Rejoice for it's time 
for you SeeD to die a quick death!" The sorceress said.
"What?......What do you mean?.........Ultimecia an ally?" Eliza asked, confused.
Lyle decided he couldn't wait and attacked the sorceress head on.  The Sorceress saw him 
coming and a green aura surrounded her as she raised her hand and shouted "ARCTIC 
THRUST."  A pillar of ice materialised in her hand and charged with energy before it 
was unloaded onto Lyle and hit him directly.  He was knocked to the ground, shards of 
ice sprayed across his body.  He was unconcious.  Aiko quickly ran to his side.
"Lyle, Lyle come on please......."Aiko begged.
"HEY who do you think you are?" Eliza said.
"HAHAHAH...........what?..........but.........sorceress............I was just about to have 
fun...............oh ok...........but I think I'll leave a present."the sorceress said
"What?........What present?" asked Eliza
"Ohhh you'll find out my dear HAHAHAHA" the sorceress cackled as she disappeared in 
a flash of light."
Eliza: "..........."
Aiko "............"
Suddenly through the roof a ruby dragon landed making the ground shake and rattle.  Fire 
and smoke billowing out of his nostrils as it roared.
"Uh oh" Aiko squeaked.


Ok so I left you hanging.  So sue me ^_^.  this story will continue into the next episode as 
I wanted to prevent this one to become too long.  It may seem I have set the plot for this 
Fanfic but more is still to come in my next ep so keep your eyes peeled^_^

Oh yeah Send comments to lionheart6789@hotmail.com please coz I am rather dry on 
comments about this story.