CHAPTER 31

QUEEN OF THE DAMNED

"Here we are..." Ramza said as the party entered the Phantom Waterfall Temple's entrance.

"Say," Mustadio said. "This may sound like a dumb question, but where's the waterfall?"

Suddenly, a loud WHOOSH was heard. The party ran ahead and saw that the next chamber had a gigantic waterfall rushing through it on the far side. Its crystalline water tumbled down the wall in a loud roar and disappeared into an inky, black chasm below. It was truly an impressive sight.

"Ask a silly question..." Mustadio said, shrugging.

"Well, we've come this far," Cinna said. "Time for you guys to do your thing and bring back your pal."

"I guess so..." Alma said as she pulled out the 12 Zodiac Stones. They started to glow and pulse in her hands. She let go of them and they floated upwards. They suddenly flew into the waterfall and vanished.

"What?..." Rafa asked. "...Did we fail?"

"I hope we didn't," Malak said. "Or else I'll be REALLY mad!"

Just then, the waterfall stopped flowing. The water dribbled away and revealed a large tablet embedded in the wall. The 12 stones had fused with the tablet in a large circle. Two candelabras with purple and blue-flamed candles appeared on the sides of the room.

"Now comes the time when we must battle the one we want resurrected," Orlandu said. "Who's going to do it?"

"I will," Agrias growled, standing up.

"But Agrias," Mustadio objected. "Doing a one-on-one is supposed to be Ramza's bit!"

"Not here, Mustadio," Agrias said. "Ovelia's MY responsibility, so I'M gonna bring her back."

"Everyone help Agrias wish for Ovelia," Alma said. The others closed their eyes and grew silent.

Agrias walked out into the large area between the candelabras. She knelt down on one knee and drew her Rune Blade. "Twelve Chinese Zodiac Stones, please hear my plea," she said. "Please call Queen Ovelia back into this world, I beg of you..."

"Please..." Alma said quietly.

"For all of us..." Ramza added.

"Come back..." Orlandu said.

"C'mon..." Mustadio muttered.

Just then, the stones began to glow. They all emitted a bright, golden light that shone like a laser on the center of the room, right in front of where Agrias was kneeling. Slowly but surely, a girl with long, blonde hair, regal robes and a red cape appeared.

"I understand what happens next," Agrias said, readying her sword. "And I am willing to defeat you in order to bring you back. Come on, Ovelia!"

Ovelia whipped around. Her skin was a sickly gray, and her empty eye sockets glowed blood red. A large, green saber was clasped in her left hand.

"Oh, grossness!!!" Cloud yelled. "Hey, that sounds really familiar..."

"That's not Ovelia," Ramza exclaimed. "It's ZomVeila, the Despairing Remains of Slain Royalty!"

"Nice drama," Meliadoul said. "Save it for the theater, Ramza."

ZomVeila gave an inhuman shriek and charged at Agrias. She swung her sword downwards, and Agrias jumped out of the way. The blade hit the stone floor and burned a hole straight through the rocks.

"Holy-" Beowulf gasped.

"Bad word choice," Reis said quickly.

"GRRRREEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAHHHHH!!!!" ZomVeila wailed as she swung at Agrias again, her accuracy improving.

"Stasis Sword!!!" Agrias yelled as she sent the attack at her old friend. ZomVeila held out her sword and absorbed the attack. Then she sent it right back at Agrias, blasting her backwards into one of the candelabras.

"Ooh, that's GOT to leave a mark," Meliadoul said as she winced.

"Ovelia, wake up!" Agrias shouted as she got up again. "You're under a spell! You died, but we're trying to help you! Don't you remember me? Agrias? Your bodyguard?"

"Agriasssssss..." ZomVeila hissed in a horrible, echo-like voice. "If you were my bodyguarrrrrd, where were you when Delita ssssssstabbed meeeee?... DIE!!!!!" ZomVeila charged at Agrias and slashed. The swipe got Agrias right in the side and she fell to the ground.

"Agrias!!!" Mustadio yelled.

"It's no use reasoning with her," Rad said.

"You can't get soft on her, Agrias!" Cinna called. "Show 'er your baditude!"

"Yeah... Baditude..." Agrias said, standing up. A cocky smile appeared on her face and she chuckled at ZomVeila. "You're nothing but an illusion, you stinkin' bag of bones!" she laughed in a sarcastic tone. "A boil on my bum scares me more than you! You couldn't hit Mount Rushmore if you were 4 centimeters in front of it with a 6-foot bazooka!"

This infuriated ZomVeila, who charged straight at Agrias and cast Split Punch. This knocked Agrias backwards even further, and when she stood up there was an unpleasant surprise waiting for her.

"Agrias, you have a countdown!" Mustadio yelled.

"Heh?" Agrias asked as she looked up. A little red circle with the number 3 in it hung above her head. "I guess I'm timed now. I have three shots to kill this cadaver... Here we go... CRUSH PUNCH!!!"

Agrias's devastating attack was merely absorbed by ZomVeila's sword once again. The number sank down to 2. "What do I do now, guys?!" she yelled.

"Try a Lightning Stab!" Cloud yelled. "That always works!"

"All right... LIGHTNING STAB!!!" Agrias yelled as she swung her sword. The electric attack hit ZomVeila, but it didn't do much else. The number on Agrias's head went to 1.

"What to do... What to do..." Agrias panicked as she thought.

"What can we say?" Malak asked.

"There's gotta be some way to take out that zombie," Cinna said.

"Take out that..." Mustadio said. Then his eyes lit up. "Agrias, use a Phoenix Down!" he yelled.

"Huh? What good will that do?" she yelled back at him.

"Just DO IT!" Mustadio yelled. "Trust me!"

"All right," Agrias said, walking up to ZomVeila. She pulled out a golden feather and poked ZomVeila with it. ZomVeila crumpled up like a paper lantern thrown into a fire. All that was left was a pile of ashes. The countdown faded, and Agrias was free again.

"YES!!!" everyone yelled.

"Nice job, Captain Agrias!" Alicia called.

"We knew you could do it!, Captain!" Lavian yelled.

"Heh heh heh," Agrias chuckled. "I rock!"

"Yeah, right," Mustadio snorted. "If it weren't for my idea, you'd be crystallized by now."

"Aw, shut up," Agrias said, bopping Mustadio squarely in the nose with her gloved fist.

"OK, stones," Alma said. "We beat her... Now give us Queen Ovelia!"

"Heh heh heh..."

A dark laugh echoed through the room. Everyone looked around in confusion.

"I know that laugh..." Ramza growled.

"So clever you are, boy," Ajora's voice said. "I'll release the girl if you defeat me."

"What?!" Rafa yelled. "We did what was needed! We have the twelve stones and we beat the zombie! You're breaking the rules!"

"I MADE the rules," Ajora chuckled. "Now come and find your prize... My mages have finished their chant and opened the way... Before you is the entrance to your final destination... The Realm of the Dead."

"The Realm..." Ramza said. Just then, a horrible, green portal appeared in the floor before them. Horrible groans and screams could be heard coming out of it.

"That jerk!" Agrias growled. "Now we have to go squash him before we get Ovelia back!"

"Not to mention whatever else is down there..." Orlandu said. "Remember, we have many dead enemies."

"Let's go," Ramza said. "And we have to hurry!"