CHAPTER 11
THE VOYAGE TO ZERATUL
Gideon walked into President Maclus's former office and his eyes widened in shock. Dead Zeratul soldiers lay scattered all around, and one was even pinned to the ceiling by a familiar, black sword. The man responsible was seated at the president's desk with his muddy boots propped up on the expensive wood finish.
"Cardinal Gideon!" Law exclaimed in fake surprise. "What a pleasant surprise! I heard you got promoted to the rank of High Chancellor."
High Chancellor Gideon looked around at the room and shook his head. "As always, Law, your taste in decoration leaves something to be desired," he muttered.
"Watch yer mouth, Gidster," Law chuckled. "You're talkin' to the de facto ruler of Zeratul; Grand Duke, Lord of Nightfall, Son of the Shadows, Penultimate Dictator Law." He paused and grinned. "I made it up myself. Like it?"
"Uh... Yes... Very... innovative," Gideon said as he tried very hard not to say that Law was an egotistical windbag. "Now then, where's the King? I heard he was here."
"Oh, last I heard, he was enjoyin' the attentions of the senators' daughters," Law chuckled. "ALL of 'em." He paused and put on a stern look. "'Let no one disturb me!'" he said as he imitated Delita.
Gideon turned red and his eyes darted about the room. "Perhaps another time, then," he said. "I have to go. My airship's waiting to take me back to Ivalice."
"Wait a sec," Law said as the tone of his voice changed to be quite serious.
Gideon, puzzled, looked at the bounty hunter. "What is it, Law?" he asked.
Law removed his feet the president's desk and instead leaned on it with his elbows. "That exotic assassin Delita's nailin'-" he started.
"Law!" Gideon choked. "For shame!"
"Fine, fine," Law said with an apathetic wave of his hand. "I'll just say Rafa. Anyway, there seems to be something wrong with her."
"What would that be?" Gideon asked.
"It's her eyes," Law said as his own eyes drew into a frown.
"Her... eyes?" Gideon asked.
"They ain't right," Law said.
"Well," Gideon started. "The Sheep Stone puts her under Delita's control, so I suppose she would look like she's in a trance, but-"
"She's lost her spirit," Law said, effectively cutting the High Chancellor off.
Gideon froze. "...What?" he asked.
"I didn't notice it until after we gave her that Chrono Stone," Law said. "I thought a while, and I think I've figured it out." Law paused to pull a bottle of wine and two crystal glasses out of President Maclus's desk and pour himself a glass. "The Sheep Stone doesn't affect the main part of her mind; it only affects the surface. Her real personality's still in there somewhere."
"Get to the point," Gideon muttered.
"The part of her that loves Ramza tried to revolt against Delita's, ah, wooing," Law said, trying to find good words without resorting to speaking bluntly. "Unable to fight against him and unable to accept what he was doing, her inner spark sunk into a state of deep depression and stayed there."
"I've seen no evidence of such an occurrence," Gideon said coldly.
"Without that part of her to restrain the Chrono Stone's power, it took full control of her body. Look around you; she did this."
Gideon scowled and pointed to the guy with Dark Rival implanted in his stomach on the ceiling. "That's YOUR sword, Law," he said.
"I had to put the poor sap outta his misery," Law answered with a shrug. "I got tired of watchin' him wriggle up there."
The High Chancellor looked up again and raised his left eyebrow.
"That chick is strong," Law continued. "A hell of a lot stronger than she looks. The Chrono Stone just removed all the remorse and guilt she'd get from doing something like this. As long as her spark... her 'attitude'... remains dormant, she's not even human. She'll only answer to Delita and whoever he says she can obey."
"...The King knows best," Gideon muttered as he left the room and flew away in his airship.
Law watched out the office window as the green-painted craft flew off towards Ivalice, and then he glanced up at Dark Rival. "Well, my dear," he said. "It appears that we're surrounded by loonies."
The sword pulsed with a faint, black light. Law nodded his head. "Well, that may be, but it's only until we find your sister; then I'll seek other occupation. "How does 'Master of the Universe' sound?"
The sword pulsed again, brighter than before. Law smiled a crooked smile. "I like it too," he crooned.
"Awright! We're off that lousy hunk of rock!" Seifer declared as the Cassiopeia sailed over the ocean towards the Zeratulian continent. All of the travelers from different worlds had gathered in the Cassiopeia's second-floor parlor. Seifer swung his gunblade around and laughed triumphantly. "Time to party!" he exclaimed.
"This is no time to party, Seifer," Celes said as she shook her head at the SeeD dropout's arrogance. "All of Ramza's friends are in trouble, and we have to help them."
"Ramza's helped us out, so it's time to repay the debt, I guess," Amarant snorted.
"What!..." Seifer exclaimed. "Aww, hell. You guys are such buzz-kills. Well, whatever. I'll stick with Ramza until I can get home."
"Good Seifer!" Ayla said as she bounced up and down. "We all help Ramza!"
"I just hope we'll all get out of whatever we're going into safely..." Tifa said as she looked out the window at the sapphire-tinted sea.
"We'll be all right," Cloud said as he put his hand on Tifa's shoulder. "Ramza'll make sure of that."
"Gau wonder why we all come Ramza's world anyway," Gau said as he sat on the wooden table in the corner and scratched his right ear with his right foot. "It can't be, um... uh..."
"...A coincidence?" Celes asked.
"Yeah, that," Gau said. "Maybe magic bring us all here for good reason."
"It could be a coincidence, actually," Cloud said. "You heard what Everhart said; the warps we came from were some kind of freak accident because Delita's been misusing his own Zodiac Stones."
"Cloud, you seem to know more about this world than the rest of us," Amarant said. "Enlighten us, will ya?"
"Ayla love stories!" Ayla said as she ran up and sat down in front of Cloud. "Tell all!"
"Well, all right..." Cloud said as he sat down at the table upon which Gau was grooming. "But it's long, so don't interrupt me..."
"This airship flies like a dream," Orlandu said as he watched the clouds whizz by the first-floor window. Ramza, Alma, Ovelia, Worker No.8, Everhart and he were down in the control area on the first floor, and things looked much different from on the second floor.
"The Juraians were skilled engineers," Everhart answered without looking back at the old warrior. Everhart was at the controls, and Ramza was sitting next to him, watching him work.
"You seem to know how to operate this airship pretty well," Ramza commented.
"I have had... previous experience," Everhart answered.
"Well, you're pretty darn good," Ramza answered with a smile.
"Ramza..." Everhart said as he turned to look at the young man. "One of these days, I shall leave your group to pursue my own goals..."
"Oh..." Ramza said.
"You're going to leave?" Alma asked as she looked in on the two. "Sorry, I overheard..."
"I won't be leaving for a while still," Everhart stated. "My point is this: Ramza, you must learn to pilot this airship in place of me."
"Really?" Ramza asked.
"You're going to need a pilot to fly this after I'm gone," Everhart continued. "As the leader, you are the best choice."
"Well, all right..." Ramza said.
"Sit," Everhart said as he got out of the pilot's seat. Ramza sat down at the chair and grabbed hold of the steering wheel that was in front of him.
"Now then," Everhart said. "This is how you fly the airship..."
As Everhart explained all of the dials and doohickeys to Ramza, the others started to get bored.
"I'm starting to get bored," Orlandu said as he reclined in a chair.
"You know, I could have sworn somebody just said that," Ovelia said. "Why don't we go and see what's on this ship? We haven't really seen a lot of it..."
Orlandu, Ovelia and Alma walked through the entire first floor. There were several small rooms on the craft, and each of them held a little fold-in bed. Some even held two.
"These must be living quarters," Alma noted. "It looks like there's enough space for all of us..."
"There's MORE than enough," Orlandu exclaimed as he looked into each room. "There's 24 rooms here... that's enough for all of us and plenty left over!"
"This must have been a grand airship in the old times," Ovelia said as she looked around. "So many rooms and such sophisticated technology..."
The threesome entered the last room on the first floor and gasped. This was another living space, but it was much different than the others. The other rooms had one or two fold-in beds, but this room had one double canopy bed with red satin blankets. It also had a bedside vanity and a strange machine in the corner.
"Wow..." Orlandu said. "I'd assume that this was the room of someone important."
"I bet the Juraian Queen owned this room," Ovelia said. Suddenly, in a strange break from her usual calm and soothing character, she rushed into the room and leaped onto the bed. The young ex-Queen bounced very high and almost hit the canopy top. It was a waterbed.
"Careful, there, Ovelia!" Alma said.
"Wheeee!!!" Ovelia cheered as she bounced a second time, and then a third. "I call this room!"
"We'll see," Orlandu chuckled as he watched his niece bound around on the satin sheets.
"Say, what's that machine over in the corner?" Alma asked.
Everyone turned and looked at the machine. It was a large, black box with an equally black screen built into the front of it. Beneath it was a flatter box with a slit in the front and several buttons adorning it. Beneath that there was a cupboard filled with several odd, book-like objects.
"What ARE these?" Orlandu asked as he picked up one of the objects. He opened the front of it and he saw a black box with what looked like tape on the inside of it.
"Ummm..." Alma hemmed as she took the object from Orlandu. "I think maybe it goes in here..."
Alma slid the object into the flatter box above the cupboard. Instantly, the screen on the machine activated and displayed bright images. Also, several sounds came from the machine. The sounds began to form a song, and the song actually made sense to the threesome.
"They fight, they fight, they fight and fight and fight! Fight fight fight fight fight fight fight fight fight" the machine went.
"What the heck?!" Orlandu asked.
Everyone watched the screen, which showed a blue mouse killing a black cat with a machete.
"Ewww," Alma said as she stuck out her little, pink tongue.
"Who would enjoy this kind of stuff?!" Orlandu asked.
Orlandu and Alma looked behind them to see Ovelia rolling around on the bed, giggling crazily. They looked at each other and rolled their eyes.
"...And that's what happened," Cloud finished, and then sat back and waited for his audience's reaction.
"So Delita used Ramza and the war that was going on to ascend to power?" Celes asked.
"And then he kill Ovelia, who rightful Queen?" Ayla asked. "That wrong! Very wrong!"
"You know it, sister," Seifer growled. "I don't like this Delita guy; he sounds like ME."
"Well, that settles it," Amarant muttered. "This guy deserves a long, hard smacking. I'm gonna fight."
"I'll fight too!" Tifa said. "He tried to hurt Cloud, and when that happens, whoever tried to do it has to answer to my fists and me!"
"Ayla fight!" Ayla ranted. "Get Ramza friends back! Destroy bad man!"
"Auoooo!' Gau howled in agreement.
"I won't let another empre appear," Celes growled. "I'll fight by Ramza's side!"
"Delita's toast!" Seifer said as he swung his gunblade around again.
"Well, it's good that we have a consensus," Cloud chuckled. "I can't wait to tell Ramza that we're all staying with him."
"Am I doing all right, Everhart?" Ramza asked as he steered the Cassiopeia around a large sea beast that happened to be lunging out of the ocean at the moment the ship was passing by.
"You are doing exceedingly well," Everhart answered. "You'll be a fine pilot."
"Great," Ramza said. Suddenly, the smile he had been wearing changed into a sad expression.
"What is wrong?" Everhart asked.
"I'm worried about my friends," Ramza said. "Who knows what Delita's done to them by now... Who knows what he's done to Rafa?..."
"I am... sorry... for your loss," Everhart said. "If we are to have any chance of freeing your friends, we must retrieve the remaining 24 Zodiac Stones."
"..." Ramza said.
"I am certain that Delita has not harmed your friends," Everhart said in an attempt to console Ramza.
"Hey, Ramza!" Alma said as she came in. "There're enough beds on this ship for everyone! It's going to be great!"
"Yeah... Wonderful..." Ramza sighed as he made the ship ascend a few meters.
"What's wrong?" Alma asked.
"He is worried about your friends," Everhart answered for Ramza.
"Oh..." Alma said. "...I understand..."
"...I must go and practice my battle skills," Everhart said. "Excuse me."
Alma moved to the side and the black-armored Lancer walked away. He climbed up the steel ladder that connected the first and second floors, and she could hear him walking over them and going up the ladder that connected the second and third floors. He was going up to the deck.
"..." Ramza said.
"Ramza..." Alma said quietly.
"Hey, Ramza!" Cloud's voice said, effectively breaking the solitude.
"What is it, Cloud?" Ramza asked as he looked back at his spikey-haired friend.
"I'm pleased to report that all of the time travelers are going to fight with us!" Cloud said as he mock-saluted and cracked a smile.
Ramza's eyes went from sad to happy. "That's great. Thanks, Cloud," he said.
"We're gonna kick Delita's sorry butt sky high!" Cloud declared. "Say, how close are we to Zeratul, anyway?"
"We're coming up by Porta Vista right now, actually," Ramza said as he pointed to the large mass of land that was rapidly coming towards them.
"Hey, that's good," Alma said as she looked down. "I remember Porta Vista. It's such a nice town, and-"
"Woah!" Cloud gasped as he looked. "What HAPPENED there?!"
All three of them looked down. Porta Vista was in ruins. Buildings had fallen over and others were ablaze. Boats were sunken in the harbors and soldiers ran through the streets, attacking men and capturing women and children.
"Oh, no..." Orlandu said as he walked up and looked down with the others.
"Look," Ovelia gasped as they passed over the tallest building in Porta Vista. A familiar flag was flying atop the flagpole.
"Ivalice's flag..." Alma said.
"Delita..." Ramza said sadly. "We're too late."
"We can't land here," Cloud said. "Let's go to that town near the Phantom Waterfall Temple; that's pretty far away."
"Searching..." Worker No.8 said as he activated (he had been sitting in the corner of the control room all this time). "The city closest to the Phantom Waterfall Temple is called Fello City."
"Then we had best go there before they see us," Orlandu said. "Come on, Ramza!"
Ramza sighed as he looked down at the horrible scene below. "Delita..." he sighed sadly. He then fired up the engine and the Cassiopeia Took off towards the northwest.
