Disclaimer: I don't own ff8. Never have and sadly more than likely never will. Darn

Note: ok, well this chapter is kind of a little shorter than the rest and maybe a little weird because, well I wrote it while I was on a coach (long story). Now I will tell you it is infact the second to last chapter, which you may be sad, or happy or indifferent about, but yes only 2 more to go. Well my thanks as always go to my reviewers Lilnaych, renegade seraph, r, and sayuri21, enjoy the chapter you guys and everyone else. Well this chapter starts with Squinoas situation, so I'll just go back and say remember they have just floored Seifer and are in the basement. Okay here we go. Peace and light xx

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Pulling away from the hug she was sharing with Squall, Rinoa said "Seriously. Lets just get out of here. We'll find the others and just go"

But opening the door at the top of the basement stairs she got a huge shock. She could swear she could smell strong smoke.

"what the hell?" Squall asked

"Smoke?" Rinoa wondered aloud. As they walked through the next room, it became very evident were the heavy smoky smell was coming from. There was a loud crackling orange fire in the hallway beyond the room, and it was spreading terrifyingly quickly! Flames licked at the panelled wooden walls, spreading to the curtains and up them to the ceilings.

"Holy crap" Squall muttered under his breath "Come on, we gotta get out of here "

"What happened?" Rinoa asked confusedly

"Doesn't matter what happened, it happened and come on, we've to go now"

"Hold on" Rinoa said, turning and heading towards the hallway. Squall reached out and grabbed her by the arm "what the hell are you doing?"

"what do you think I'm doing. I'm going to find the others"

"You are not." he said firmly "we're leaving now"

"What? Are you crazy?" she asked him

"are you? Are you trying to get yourself killed?" he said sounding a little angry

"No but…there your students, and our close friends, zell and Selphie, and Quistis and Irvine, we can't just leave them, we've got to find them"

"No we've got to leave right NOW. We don't have a clue were they are, for all we know they could already be out, and we wont make it out if we stay here any longer"

"But" Rinoa said tears starting to fall "But what if there inside, what if there trapped and they… die!". She shook off Squalls grip on her arm and headed for the hallway again, but she felt his arms wrap around her waist and he pulled her backwards.

"forget it, there's nothing we can do." he started dragging her backwards towards the exit

"But, but there your friends.." She sobbed as she tried to struggle against him.

"I know, I know. But I can't save everyone. And you're my wife. I wont let you die, I'm getting you out of here." Although she was still struggling against him, he managed to drag her towards the main doors of the house and out of them. Even injured, he was much much stronger than her and he dragged her down the path to a safe distance away from the house. Standing outside the house, panicked, were a few garden students, but there was no sign of Zell, Irvine Quistis and Selphie.

"We have to go back!" Rinoa cried, not clicking onto the idea that there was no way in hell Squall would let her go back anywhere near that house. Judging by the flames visible through all the windows , the fire had spread quickly to nearly every room in the house.

"Call the fire department!" Squall yelled across to the students standing around looking terrified. Rinoa forced her way out of Squalls grip "I'm going back for them" she sobbed. Squall reached out and pulled her to the ground. "Listen to me" he said holding her shoulders "There's nothing we can do now"

She was still trying to struggle against him, waving her arms around, and her voice became erratic "we…can't just….we can't just leave them?" she yelled "Don't you care…??Don't you care that their…." but at that point she stopped yelling and broke down completely into a fit of tears, and she buried herself in Squalls arms.

"it's so unfair" she sobbed

"I know, I know it is." he said trying to comfort her as she sobbed in his arms "I'm sorry. But there's just nothing I can do. I'm sorry Rinoa."

"I'll miss the all so much" Rinoa whispered, choking on tears

Just then she heard a familiar voice going "oh hell. Come on".

Looking up and blinking through the blinding tears she saw Irvine! He was struggling down the path towards them, and unconscious Selphie slung over one shoulder, and an unconscious Quistis over the other. When he eventually got to Squall and Rinoa, he lay both the girls on the ground and collapsed to his knees and started coughing.

"Irvine! Are you alright?" Rinoa cried

"Not really. Those two passed out, smoke or something I guess. I mean it wasn't at all difficult trying to get both of them out by my self" he said kind of sarcastically

"Sorry Irvine" Squall said "I didn't' know where you guys were, and I had to…"

"to get Rinoa out. I understand." Irvine finished "But…wait, where's Zell?"

"He's still in there" Squall asked

"We have GOT to go back" Rinoa cried again

"No way" Irvine said "I barely made it myself, you wont get in and out in time, that place is going to blow!!"

Rinoa knew Irvine was right, but that didn't stop the pain and guilt she felt. As the orange flames illuminated the night sky Rinoa sat and tearfully wondered what had become of her friend…

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Zell found it hard to keep moving, because the smoke was causing him to cough uncontrollably every few seconds. He was amazed at how quick the fire was spreading, it seemed to have spread to almost every room already. Zell was heading for the door, when suddenly he remembered something. "Squall and Rinoa!". He remembered how Rinoa had gone running off in the direction of the basement to find Squall. He had no idea of what state Squall was in when she found him and no idea if they were out or not. He hadn't seen Irvine, Selphie or Quistis around so he assumed they were out, but Squall and Rinoa he wasn't so sure about. Deciding it would be best to check, he headed for the basement weaving through the flames. As he opened the door he saw that the basement was one of the rooms the fire was yet to reach, but he knew it was close. He also saw that Squall and Rinoa weren't there, but someone was. Moving closer, Zell saw that it was Seifer. He was lying on the floor, just blinking back into consciousness. As Zell looked at him, he heard the fire getting louder and obviously closer and he tried to get Seifer up.

"get off me!" Seifer said

"Dude, I'm trynna help you. This whole place is going to go up the fire's everywhere , we've got to get out of here!"

Seifer jumped off the ground and picked up his gunblade

"Fire?. Well that's just too good to be true. Easy way to wipe you all out with no effort" he laughed

"What?" Zell asked, confused

"All this" Seifer said braggingly "this was all me. Well, maybe it didn't go exactly to plan, but oh well."

"what the hell. You were behind all of this. I knew we shouldn't of trusted you. Were are Squall and Rinoa"

"I think they got away. Couldn't kill that Idiot Squall myself, but you I can" he said pointing his gun blade in Zells direction, but he obviously wasn't in top condition because before he had time to do anything Zell executed a perfect leg sweep which floored Seifer surprisingly easily.

"you're evil man" Zell hissed as Seifer tried to get up and Zell pushed him backwards. He tripped loosing his footing, and fell backwards onto the stone floor again. Glancing around Zell saw the fire had now reached nearly the top of the stairs.

"Got to get out of here" he said racing up the stairs. But half way up he stopped and turned, Seeing Seifer lying half conscious on the floor. Was he really just leave Seifer to burn alive?"

"Damn it" Zell cursed, knowing he couldn't do that. Seifer was a jerk, and a bad guy, but he couldn't just let him did knowingly. Besides Seifer didn't deserve to just die and get away with everything he did. Zell ran back down the stairs and pulled Seifer up, supporting the half conscious man and dragging him up the stairs.

It was difficult, incredibly difficult. Flames had destroyed almost the whole house and were spreading like crazy. He tried to manoeuvre through them all to the exit, while still supporting Seifer. He just about made it to the exit, he swung the door open and hurried out of it just as the fire completely collapsed the staircase behind him. He dragged Seifer down the path a way from the house and saw majority of the SeeD students he had brought, Quistis and Selphie both lying unconscious on the ground next to Irvine and Squall comforting a hysterical Rinoa although he looked pretty close to passing out himself.

Zell made it to not to far way from them and heard Squall call out "Zell!". But that was the last thing he heard. Dropping Seifer to the ground, he bent over and then he collapsed...

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Nooo poor Zell!!!!!!! will he be okay???? well like i said only one more chapter to go so if you want to know you have to read that! ha! well i promise it will be soon and thanks for reading xx