And so it ends. This chapter and the epilogue are the end.

I want to thank everyone as I am a horrible updater and should be stoned but you gave me support and lots of praise so I couldn't rightly disappoint you all.

So I'll just shut up now and you can get to what you really want. The story.

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VIII and I'm writing this for fun. Enjoy.

Chapter 10: The end

Zell watched as Ralhn locked the door behind Siefer. It was only a matter of minutes before Seifer got to the court room and SeeD was on the case. Zell just needed to stall for enough time.

"He sure moves fast. Is he that fast in bed?"

Zell bit his tongue, refusing to give Ralhn any enjoyment in his emotions. Instead he watched the other man closely, looking for a moment of weakness or a moment that he could escape. If he escaped then Ralhn would be forced to follow and everyone else would be saved.

"Not going to answer then? Oh well I can use my imagination. Now where were we." Ralhn put the ten of spades back in the deck and handed it to Cid to start shuffling.

"Now that someone has gotten out, this door isn't opening till it's broken down. Instead you will be going out the window."

Nysal, who was sitting next to the window, looked out and gulped. "That's quite a steep slope out there. One wrong move and you could break your neck."

Ralhn gave them all a crooked smile, "Then I guess you'd better be careful."

Zell was still wracking his brain for a good distraction that wasn't too obvious. Right now Seifer and Squall were probably coming up with a plan to save them all but he wasn't sure if there was a good way. He had to keep his resolve though and wait for backup. He just didn't know if he could keep guessing wrong.

That's when Cid stepped up to the bat, probably thinking along the same lines as Zell. "You're jealous of Seifer aren't you?"

Ralhn's attention snapped to him and the look in his eyes seemed to go slightly more crazy. "Why do you ask?"

Cid set the deck down and folded his hands. "It's pretty obvious if you ask me. Seifer was the Knight and had a lot of power. In fact he was only second to the Sorceress herself and had just as much power in directing what you lesser men did. And he has all this power only because the Sorceress fancied him."

"You however got a bad deal. You had a spell forced on you that made you stick close to Zell at all times. Even if you managed to kill Zell odds are the SeeD would kill you for killing one of their own. You were forced to do the dirty work and were given no power for it. You obviously have some skill with magic and I bet you think you're more powerful. Even after her death he has more sway over what the people feel and you are in his shadow. You are a threat but nobody sees it because Seifer is in the way."

For a few moments Ralhn didn't move and no one knew what to do or say. Then suddenly Ralhn started laughing.

"I guess you could be right about some of that. He was a little shit with more power than he deserved. But while he had her power I had her ear and knew more than he ever could. That's why I was selected to kill Zell. I was smart enough to do it."

"But she still didn't recognize you like she did him."

Ralhn was in Cid's face in a flash. "Do you wish to die old man, because you're coming pretty damn close."

Cid stared calmly back, "I will quit speaking. If that's what you wanted all you needed to do was ask. Aferall you are the one with bomb and therefore the power to bend us to your will. I will say this however. If we manage to escape alive you had better hope I don't get a hold of you."

Ralhn plucked the deck from the table and stepped back a few paces, mask of control back in place. Drawing a card he smiled at Zell. "So what could this card be Zelly?"

Sighing Zell pretended to think while hoping that Cid's little distraction had bought them the time they had needed.

Seifer's mind raced through his possible rescue strategies. He could try climbing up the steep hill and coming in through the window. All he had to worry about then was visibility and when he could actually get in the window. It would be impossible to hold the psychos attention for the time it would take Seifer to stealthily get through the window.

He was sure the security guards already were trying to open the door. He was also sure that that was a bad idea since Ralhn would probably blow them all to hell as soon as the door was opened.

It was then that he remembered the ceiling had removable panels. He just needed to get to a room down the hall from the conference room and follow a support beam to the right room.

Glancing around the corner he could see the security guards in front of the door. He needed to get past them but he wasn't sure how. Squall was probably rallying the available SeeDs and also planning for a possible rescue.

Deciding that outside was the only possible route to take Seifer slipped out the window. Glancing down the very steep hill he inched along the wall praying his footing would hold. Reaching the corned he glanced up at where the window where he knew Zell was being held captive. Since no one could see him from that angle he slowly inched up the slope.

Praying that Zell could keep guessing the wrong cards Seifer inched towards the window that would allow him to get into the ceiling and over that room.

Squall had never liked hostage situations. They always ended in at least one death, though that death was usually the deranged psychopath's. This one Squall couldn't figure out however. He had some excellent snipers assembled and was more than prepared to use them but couldn't because the meeting rooms were placed at the top of that extremely steep hill for protection.

He'd thought about pulling the Ragnarok around so they could use that to shoot off of but immediately dismissed it knowing that Ralhn would see it and kill everyone.

If the security breached the door everyone would die again but they wouldn't stop when he'd ordered them. Quistis was now rendering them unconscious with a few of the more magically inclined SeeD.

Attacking wouldn't work so negotiation was his second thought. He threw that one out the window knowing that since Ralhn was ready to blow himself up that negotiations were off.

Magic was his next plan of action. He thought if someone could get close enough to him they could use some magic to put him to sleep or something. After a quick conference with Edea that plan was out as well. Ralhn had an affinity with magic that would allow him to last long enough to push the button before the magic took effect.

Turning to Irvine, who was contemplating things as well, he decided on a plan of action. It was time for the gunman to earn his salary.

"If I get you into the air a couple hundred meters from the window do you think you can take him out?"

Irvine paused to think about it a moment before nodding. He hated to do it, but he knew that killing the crazy hostage taker was the only way to save everyone.

"Alright get Selphie and some magic users and set it up. They should be able to use some float magic to hold you up high enough. I'll work on providing a distraction."

Irvine walked off to set up his gun and gather his party while Squall continued to think. He'd need a decent enough distraction to keep them from seeing Irvine.

Grabbing a megaphone and Rinoa, Squall headed for the meeting room. Hopefully this all worked.

"Three of diamonds" Zell smiled as Rahln frowned yet again. For some reason he was requiring them all to play this stupid game even though he was certain that he didn't need to. He could have just blown them all to hell and yet something in his mind made them play this stupid game.

Cid guessed two of hearts and got it right. He was let out of the window. One of the other seated members rushed out the window right after and just managed to squeeze out before a fireball went crashing through the window. They all heard a scream that was obviously the man falling down the hill.

"The next one that tries that gets a sleep spell to fall down the hill under." Ralhn picked up the deck of cards and shook his head. "You're almost the last one here Zelly, and then our last game will come to an end."

"Why can't you just let everyone else go and we can settle this. Maybe someone will be able to remove the spell and then you can go about your life." Zell was grasping at straws but he needed something to stall.

"Do you really think they'd let me live Zell. I have intimate knowledge of the Sorceress and any lingering spells she may have left behind. I also obviously have the capacity for murder. I'm a dead man either way."

Zell watched fascinated as a panel in the ceiling began to move. Ralhn was continuing his monologue about how his life was ruined and didn't notice the moving panel above him. Refocusing on the task at hand Zell watched Ralhn intently pretending to listen.

"So I think it's time for another card."

Zell watched him pull another card and hoped he was wrong again. "Ummm… seven of… spades?"

A smile spread across Ralhn's face and he set the card down. "I guess your luck has finally run out and I actually win this time."

Ralhn raised the hand with the detonator and Zell was instantly out of his chair. Launching himself forward he watched in horror as Ralhn's finger lowered onto the button. A flash of steel and Zell was watching a dismembered arm fall to the floor.

Instantly all hell broke loose. Ralhn fell back with a scream against the far wall. The remaining members of the panel rushed for the door in order to get out. The door burst open and Quistis got hit by the exiting men. A shot sounded and a bullet went whizzing through the wall and into the hall. Seifer came dropping through the ceiling and slipped on the blood on the floor.

Ralhn lunged out the window and turned toward them all with a smile. Pressing his fingers into a few depressions on the ball it suddenly lit up and began beeping. "Manual control."

Zell did the only thing he could think of. Launching himself out the window he tackled Ralhn sending him to the ground. Rolling once Ralhn was able to knock Zell off of him. Zell tried desperately to claw on the steep incline but his momentum kept him going.

Ralhn wasn't so lucky as the bomb was now trapped beneath him. As Zell hit the bottom of the slope a loud noise ripped through the air and bits of earth and other things he didn't want to think about rained down on him.

Seifer was out the now partially exploded wall and looking at the damage. Skirting around the bits of burnt and acrid smelling flesh that were Ralhn's remains, he made it down the slope in record time.

"Zell you better fucking be alive." Grabbing the smaller blond and flipping him onto his back Seifer was relieved when Zell groaned in protest.

"I'm alive but if you move me any more I'm gonna have to kill you." Zell gave a small smile and looked up at Seifer. "I'd also feel better if you'd get rid of the gunblade."

Tossing the blade aside, Seifer gathered Zell into his arms and crushed him against his chest.

"I thought I said to stop with the moving. A little sore here."

Seifer gave a light chuckle and shook his head. Pulling back Seifer looked down at his treasure in his arms. "I love you."

Zell let his small smile blossom into a full grin. "I'm starting to think I might just love you too."

Originally was gonna do a romeo and juliet ending but it was too sad and the characters rebelled so you get this instead.

Next is the epilogue.