CHAPTER 2
SCARE IN THE AIR
"Good morning, Frederick," Captain Flite said as he walked into the wing of the castle that contained Delita's headquarters. "How's the King today?"
"I haven't heard much out of him, sir," Frederick, a Knight, said.
"Well, keep up the good work," Captain Flite chuckled as he clapped Frederick on the shoulder and kept walking.
Ever since Delita's humiliating defeat at the hands of Ramza Beoulve, Captain Flite had been in charge of governing Ivalice. Needless to say, his public approval rating was much higher than Delita's had been. Flite had shortened the gap between the nobles and the commoners with his "New Deal," a series of programs that gave the commoners more opportunity to make better wages and live more comfortably. Flite had issued a formal apology to President Maclus of Zeratul for attacking them just to get at Ramza, and Zeratul had began to export goods to Ivalice because of it. Flite had also pardoned Ramza Beoulve and his friends, whom Delita had labeled as criminals (of course, they were still heretics as far as the church was concerned). Flite was also kinder and more civil to the soldiers than Delita had been... for one thing, Flite did not take advantage of the female soldiers. Also, he shut down Dr. Otto Furkkes's old laboratory and declared that no monsters would ever again be created by the government of Ivalice. Flite was the strongest and most well-loved ruler Ivalice had seen since the 50 Year War had begun.
"Well, let's see how the king is doing today..." Flite said as he walked up towards Delita's room. He turned a corner and almost jumped ten feet. There, standing in front of him in glistening gold armor, stood Delita.
"Your Majesty, what are you doing out of bed?!" Flite demanded.
"Surprised to see me?" Delita chuckled darkly. "Nice try, Flite... trying to remove me from my place on the throne..."
"What?" Flite asked. "Your Majesty, I had no intention of relieving you of anything, but-"
"Spare us your lies," Cardinal Gideon said as he stepped out from behind Delita. Law, Silas and Adela appeared as well. "We know Ramza and you conspired to put yourself in power."
"Who are you?" Flite demanded as he drew his Sky Render sword, the sword that had never failed him in his ten years of combat.
"My new governing counsel," Delita said. "And our first declaration is that you be ousted from my throne!"
"What?" Flite asked as he gripped his sword. "Is this some kind of game? How did you get in here, you four?"
"Aww, shaddup," Law said as he yanked out Dark Rival and slashed at Flite. The attack caught Flite off guard and sent him flying. He crashed into a wall and lost consciousness.
"Did you have to hurt him?" Adela asked. "I know he's a meanie, but..."
"Who said you could talk?" Law snapped. Adela shut up.
"Now then," Delita said as he rubbed his hands together. "We have some decisions to overturn. Law, you will go to Zeratul and demand they surrender to Ivalice for when they sheltered Beoulve. As for that rapscalion, put him and all his friends back on the wanted list while you're at it!"
"You got it, chief," Law snickered as he grabbed Flite and threw him over his shoulder like a sack of grain. "You two, come with me!"
"Yes, sir!" Silas and Adela responded quickly as they followed their employer out the door.
"Cardinal, you will stay here and be my NEW general," Delita said.
"And what about Ramza, sire?" Gideon asked, enjoying where this all was going.
"Give me the Rooster Stone," Delita said. Gideon obeyed. "I'll be back shortly," Delita laughed coldly and vanished.
"Ahhh, what a lovely breeze!" Rafa sighed as she let the winds blow her hair around as she stood on the deck of Davis's airship. "I could stay here forever."
Ramza Beoulve and all his friends had been sailing through the air in Davis's airship for as long as Delita had been pounting in his room. They were off in search of a habitable country where they could settle down and live in peace without fear of being attacked by Ivalice or Ajora.
"Yeah, it's nice, isn't it?" Ramza asked as he walked up and stood next to his lover.
"I'm just glad the last couple of weeks we haven't had to fight for our lives," Rafa said with a smile.
"I'm getting bored for the same reason," Agrias Oaks, Ovelia's bodyguard, grumbled cheerfully behind them. "Where's a good brawl when you want one?"
"Come on, Agrias," Mustadio, Agrias's lover, muttered from his position nearby. "Why do you always go looking for trouble? It's not healthy."
"And arguing with me is?" Agrias growled. Mustadio chuckled sarcastically.
"How is everything up here?" Ovelia asked as she walked up on board.
"It's just fine, Ovelia," Ramza said. "Nothing but the deep blue sea for kilometers around."
"Hmmm..." Ovelia sighed happily as she closed her eyes and let the winds blow her golden hair around. "I've never been this close to the ocean before in my life..." she said. "At least, the open ocean, anyway."
"Yeah, like we'd call that dumpy old bay near Zeltennia Castle part of the ocean," Agrias snorted in a lighthearted way.
"Oh, Agrias," Ovelia laughed. "You're always so funny!"
"Funny?..." Agrias asked, not used to having this adjective applied to her.
"Yeah, funny!" Mustadio said as he walked up behind Agrias and bonked her on the back of the head. "You oughta open up your own comedy club, Agri! You'd be a scream!"
"I'll show you a scream! C'mere!" Agrias roared as Mustadio dashed back inside the airship.
Rafa giggled and leaned against Ramza. "Ahh, those two are perfect for each other, aren't they?" she asked.
"You bet," Ramza said. "Say, why don't we see how everyone else is doing?"
"OK," Rafa and Ovelia said as they walked inside the airship cabin.
The cabin was large enough for everyone... and there were plenty of people. There were 17 people on board this ship, and miraculously there was room enough for everybody. Alicia and Lavian- Agrias's two apprentice Knights- were sitting in the corner and playing some card game. Worker No.8- a robot Ramza had unearthed in Ivalice- was sitting near the Knights and watching the game with interest. Malak- Rafa's brother- was in the middle of the room, teaching Alma- Ramza's sister- how to wield a Rod instead of her usual Staffs. Rad- Ramza's eager apprentice- was watching Davis- the pilot- as he flew the airship through the sky.
"I wonder where everyone else is?" Rafa asked.
"I think they're down in the lower compartments," Ramza said. "Come on, let's take a look."
Ramza, Rafa and Ovelia walked downstairs and took a look in the sleeping area. Beowulf and Reis were snuggling together in the back and reading a book; it was hard to tell which one. Cidolfus "Thunder God Cid" Orlandu- Ovelia's uncle- was napping in his bunk. Balmafula and Olan Durai were sitting in Olan's bunk and writing up some kind of paper. Meliadoul Tingel- the last of the Temple Knights- was sitting gloomily on the edge of her bunk.
"Hey, Meliadoul," Ramza said. "What's up?"
"Oh, hi, Ramza," Meliadoul said as the three approached her. "I was just thinking..."
"I see..." Ramza said. Meliadoul had been kind of quiet since Cinna Garnomm had died a few weeks earlier. He had always been teasing her and poking jokes at her and trying to get her to be a little more open to other people, but she had blown him off over and over. She finally realized she loved him after it was too late, and this haunted her.
"I can't believe he's gone..." Meliadoul sighed sadly.
"It's OK, Meliadoul," Rafa said. "Cinna'll always live on in your heart."
"Yeah, right," Meliadoul scoffed, and turned away from them. "Just leave me alone..." she said.
"Well, OK..." Ramza said as he got up and they left and went back to the upper decks.
"How's everything going, Davis?" Ramza asked as he approached Rad and the pilot.
"Things're going pretty smooth here, Ramza," Davis, a cranky and unshaven fellow with a taste for cigarettes, said. "I think we'll be hitting Steronn pretty soon."
"That's good to hear," Alma said. "I'm tired of traveling. I'm ready to settle down..."
"We're all ready to settle down," Rafa said as she moved a bit closer to Ramza again.
Suddenly the airship gave a violent rock. "Hey Davis, pilot right, OK?!" Ovelia yelled.
"It wasn't me!" Davis said as he looked over the monitors.
"Uh-oh," Rad said as he pointed to one screen. "What's that?"
Davis weaved a tapestry of obscenity. "We're being attacked!" he finally shouted.
"Attacked?! By who?" Ramza asked.
"See for yourself, Ramza!" a voice shouted from out on the deck of the airship.
The voice that said this was the same voice that made Ramza's blood run cold. "Delita..." he said quietly as he pulled out his trusty Chaos Blade and rushed out onto the deck.
"Ramza, wait!" Rafa cried as she and Ovelia rushed after him.
Ramza looked around outside on the deck. Nothing could be seen but clouds and ocean at the moment.
"Where are you, Delita?!" Ramza called out. "Stop hiding!"
"I'm not hiding at all!" Delita laughed as he appeared, looking truly terrifying in his new armor.
"What?!" Rafa exclaimed. "Ramza, that's the same kind of armor I had on when I beat Draco in Zeratul!"
"Yeah, I noticed..." Ramza growled. He knew it was the power of the Rabbit Stone that was giving Delita the armor, but he thought he still had all his Chinese Zodiac Stones.
"Looking for these?" Delita mused as he showed Ramza the Rabbit and Rooster Stones.
"How did you get those?!" Ramza demanded.
"But Ramza, how could he have those?" Ovelia asked. She reached into her pockets and pulled out the Rabbit Stone. "We have them, don't we? Wait! Where's the Rooster Stone?"
"Cloud's got the Rooster Stone. Delita's must be duplicates," Ramza said. "Still, it looks like they have the same powers..."
"Correct!" Delita laughed. "Well, Ramza, it looks like I'm finally going to get my revenge on you and your little posse!"
"Delita, please don't do this..." Ovelia pleaded.
"Shut up!" Delita shouted. "Say goodbye to your little toy blimp here! LIGHTNING STAB!!!"
"Stop!!!" Ramza cried. It was too late. Delita's attack hit the airship and the motor started to malfunction.
"Dammit!" Davis cursed. "Ramza, I've lost control!"
"Blast it!" Ramza growled.
"That's not all, folks!" Delita mused. "Let's see what else he's won! How about..."
Delita swooped down and grabbed Rafa. "...Losing the love of his life and most of his friends!" he finished his sentence.
"Aaahhh! Let me go, you monster!" Rafa yelled, angrily struggling at Delita. "Ramza, help me!"
"Don't worry, Rafa, I'll save you!" Ramza said.
"No you won't!" Delita said as he held the Rooster Stone up. Rafa, Delita, Davis and most of the other people vanished into thin air.
"What happened, Ramza?!" Ovelia cried.
"I don't know," Ramza growled. "But we're in BIG TROUBLE!!!"
With no pilot, the airship plummeted effortlessly towards a large land mass that was coming up in front of them.
"Well, problem solved," Delita said as he reappeared in front of Gideon. "13 of Ramza's friends are now in the dungeon."
"You used the Rooster Stone to travel to a different place in the same time?!" Gideon yelled angrily. "You fool!"
"What?" Delita asked.
"Using the stone like that can lead to creating rifts in the space-time continuum!" Gideon huffed. "There's no telling what could happen now!"
"Oh, who cares?" Delita asked. "The plan's going perfectly. Now then..."
Delita and Gideon walked into the dungeon. Rafa, Malak, Meliadoul, Olan, Balmafula, Alicia, Lavian, Rad, Davis, Agrias, Mustadio, Beowulf and Reis were all inside the cells, looking angry and confused.
"Hey, what just happened?!" Mustadio asked.
"Let us outta here, you big windbag!" Agrias cursed at Delita.
"Oh, yes, where ARE my manners?" Delita chortled. He took a key and opened Davis's cell. He grabbed the pilot and shoved him at Gideon. "Send him along to Law," he said. "I'm sure he'll be of some use."
"Ya know, usually it's pretty rude to refer to someone in the third person when he's right in front of you," Davis snapped.
"Silence!" Delita yelled.
Gideon dragged Davis away and handed him to two Knights. "Do I at least get a cigarette?" Davis could be heard asking as the Knights dragged him down the hall.
"What're you doing, Delita?!" Beowulf asked.
"Yeah, how'd you get the Stones, anyway?" Reis added.
"That's none of your business," Delita said. "Besides, you won't care in a little while..."
"What do you mean?" Balmafula asked.
"You'll all be working for me," Delita said as he grinned cruelly.
"No way!" Olan said. "I said it before, and I'll say it again! I REFUSE!"
"I don't think you have a choice in the matter," Delita said. "Hmm... Who shall I start with?"
Delita's eyes fell on Rafa, who was sitting silently in the corner of her cell. "Perfect," he chortled as he walked into her cell.
"What do you want with me?..." Rafa asked quietly.
"You, my dear," Delita said, "are going to help me kill Ramza and the others. Then, just for fun, you can be my new Queen."
"What?!" Rafa cried. "Never!"
"Wrong answer, Rafa," Delita said as he pulled out the Sheep Stone and thrust it at her. "You're mine!"
Hypnotic waves began to emit from the stone. Rafa gritted her teeth and tried to resist them, but it was no use. After about thirty seconds, she slumped to the floor, exhausted.
"Now then... do we understand each other?" Delita asked.
"...Yes... master..." Rafa said as she stood up. Her eyes were void of any independent thought.
"Good," Delita said darkly. He turned to all the other cells. "Pretty soon you'll ALL be as loyal as Rafa is! And then you'll be very useful to me."
"Urrrrrgh..." Meliadoul growled.
"Now then," Delita said. "Since you're under my control, I think you can get out of this smelly old dungeon, huh? Come with me. We have some important business to attend to."
"Yes, master..." Rafa responded.
Delita tossed the Sheep Stone to Gideon. "Brainwash the rest of them. I'll be in my bedroom and I do not wish to be disturbed."
"You... you sick bastard!!!" Malak roared from behind his bars. "Touch my sister and I'll kill you with my own two hands!!!"
"Do shut up," Delita said to the raging Hell Knight. "Well then, my dear, shall we go?"
"Yes, master..." Rafa said.
Delita and Rafa walked up the stairs and disappeared. Gideon grinned evilly as he looked down at the Sheep Stone.
"The King is wise..." Gideon said. "Now then, who shall become his next loyal servant?..."
"I think we're in trouble," Mustadio grumbled.
"DUH! What was your first clue?!" Agrias yelled.
