CHAPTER 27
TRIUMPH OF SHAME
Past the rickety wooden steps there was a large, oak door. "The throne room is right beyond there..." Ovelia said.
"It's now or never, Ramza," Orlandu said. "Are you ready?"
"Yes..." Ramza said.
"Are you actually gonna go through with it?" Cloud asked. "Are you going to stop him once and for all?"
"I'll stop him..." Ramza replied. "I'm not gonna kill him, though."
"Ramza..." Rafa murmured.
"Every time we've met in battle, I've seen anguish and suffering in his eyes..." Ramza said. "He's still my friend. I don't care what anyone says. I've got to help him."
"Sheesh, Ramza," Seifer grumbled. "You just don't know when enough's enough, do you?"
"Ramza, the one thing worse than hardness of heart is softness of head," Mustadio said. "Delita's brought nothing but pain and suffering to everybody since Fort Zeakden. Why can't you see that?..."
"Because I just don't believe that he's as wicked as everyone says!" Ramza said. "There's still good in him... I KNOW there is!..."
"Guys, guys, we can sort this out later," Tifa said. "Right now, shouldn't we go in and stop the war?"
"...Yes, you're right," Ramza agreed. "Let's go."
"OK, guys," Agrias chuckled as she readied her Rune Blade. "It's time to kick some regal ass!"
With a mighty punch, Worker No.8 knocked the door down and Ramza and his friends rushed into a long, tall hall with a glittering, golden throne at the end. King Delita sat in the throne with a cold smile plastered across his face.
"So, you finally came, Ramza..." Delita chuckled. "Boy, it's good to see you again."
"Stuff the act, you phony!" Rad yelled. "We're gonna stop your crazy war right here and now!"
"So, you're Delita..." Amarant said. "Hmmph. I expected more from what I've heard..."
"Well, Ramza, it looks like you brought along the whole gang..." Delita chuckled."
"Delita, please stop this," Ramza said as his group came forward. "You're only making things miserable for everyone."
"It's far better to be feared than loved when you're in command, Ramza," Delita smirked as he rose and walked down to meet Ramza's little army. "Of course, you wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"
"There are things in this world that are better than absolute power, Delita," Orlandu growled.
"And you know what they say about absolute power..." Alicia said.
"It corrupts absolutely!" Lavian finished.
"Hmmph," Delita snorted. "You're preaching to the choir, kiddies."
"Haven't you seen what's going on out there?!" Ovelia yelled. "People are dying because of your greed, Delita! You're ruining Ivalice and Zeratul with your insane quest for power!"
Ovelia swung her hand to slap Delita, but Delita caught it and slapped her to the ground with the back of his hand. "How dare you address your King that way!" he shouted.
"How could you do that?!" Celes huffed. "Isn't Ovelia your wife?!"
"WAS my wife, my dear," Delita corrected. "She died, remember? This isn't Ovelia. This is just some cheap impostor that's working with you to overthrow me from my rightful place on the throne of Ivalice!"
"Impostor? Overthrow?" Ramza asked. "Delita, this IS Ovelia! This is who I went to rescue in Zeratul with the Chinese Zodiac Stones... And why would I want to overthrow you?"
"Shut up!" Delita yelled.
"Delita..." Ramza said quietly. "Why are you doing all this? We're best friends, remember?..."
"Best... friends?..." Delita asked as he hesitated for a minute.
"Don't you remember?" Ramza asked. "We were raised by my father, we played every day, we trained at Gariland Academy together..."
"Urrrgghhhh..." Delita growled as his eyebrow began to twitch.
"(I think Ramza's getting to him!)" Rafa whispered.
"(I hope so,)" Malak whispered back. "(I'm getting really sick of fighting crazies...)"
"Delita, what would Teta say if she saw you right now?" Ramza pressed. "What would she think of what you've become?..."
"...SILENCE!!!" Delita roared. "The Delita that was your friend died at Zeakden along with Teta, Ramza! THIS is the real me!!!"
"I don't believe it!" Ramza said as he helped Ovelia up and gently pushed her behind him. "I'll never believe it!"
"As one person told me a long time ago, 'never believe in never,'" Delita responded coldly. "And as for believing... Allow me to convert you!!!"
"Don't worry, buddy," Mustadio said as Agrias, Rafa and he hopped to Ramza's side. "We've got your back!"
"What's wrong, Ramza?" Delita asked. "Are you gonna hide behind your friends like the coward that you are?!"
"..." Ramza said.
"Your friends are always at your side," Delita taunted. "What does that mean? It means that you're too weak to attack me man-to-man!"
"Ramza..." Rafa pleaded. "Don't listen to him..."
Ramza frowned at Delita. "I'll fight you one-on-one..." he said. "But only to prove you wrong."
"...All right, Ramza," Agrias said as Mustadio and she stepped back. "It's your call."
"Good luck, Ramza..." Rafa whispered as she pecked Ramza on the cheek and moved away.
"Come on!" Delita laughed. "Let's start out by making this a weaponless confrontation! Just you, me and our knuckles, Ramza!"
"All right," Ramza said as he balled his fists and went into a fighting stance.
"I'm gonna beat you so hard that your dead dad will feel it!!!" Delita yelled as he charged at Ramza with his fists flying. He swung and Ramza ducked and rolled away from him. Ramza put his hands on the floor and swung his legs around. Delita was caught on them and crashed to the ground as Ramza got back up.
"Come on, Delita," Ramza said as Delita staggered to his feet. "I KNOW there's some good in you!"
"You're right..." Delita sneered as he ran at Ramza again. "You're gonna feel this next one BUT GOOD!!!"
Delita's fist came charging in and Ramza moved to the side, causing him to stumble forward. He leaned backwards and sent a swift kick towards Ramza, but Ramza moved away again.
"You're very quick, Ramza," Delita smirked as he stomped towards Ramza with his face red from anger and exhaustion. "But you haven't hit ME yet either!"
"I'm not doing this willingly!" Ramza declared before he charged at Delita.
"ERRRREAAAAAGGGGHHH!!!" Delita roared as he threw himself at Ramza and sent a volley of punches towards the Beoulve's face. Ramza held up his hands to block them and swung his foot upwards in a kick. He booted Delita in the head and the crooked king went flying off to the side. He crashed against a statue in the corner and it shattered into dust.
"Wow! Great move, Ramza!" Rad yelled.
"Rock 'em! Sock 'em! Yeah, yeah, yeah!" Seifer yelled as he punched his fists into the air.
Delita was lying on the ground in an uncomfortable position. "Delita, are you all right?" Ramza asked as he walked closer.
"Heh... I am, but YOU AREN'T!" Delita roared as he quickly got up and started punching at Ramza again.
"Agh! Ow!" Ramza growled as a few of Delita's punches hit him across the face.
"Ramza, you can't just be defensive!" Tifa shouted. "Get aggressive!!! He won't calm down until you knock some sense into him!!!"
"(I guess she's right...)" Ramza thought. "(I had better do something to get Delita to stop...)"
"Heh! Take that! And THAT!" Delita yelled as he flailed at Ramza again and again. Ramza held out his hands and caught Delita's arm. "Wh-what?!" Delita asked angrily.
"HAAAARRRRRGGGHHH!!!" Ramza yelled as he swung Delita over his shoulder and smacked him against the carpeted floor, then threw him upwards. Delita sailed up and his head smashed into the ceiling above.
"Woah! I didn't know Ramza could throw that high!" Beowulf exclaimed.
"Perhaps he's using a Monk skill..." Reis offered.
"Have you had enough, Delita?" Ramza called up to the ceiling.
"Urrrggghhh..." Delita grunted as he freed his head from the vault and grinned evilly down at Ramza. "Hell no!" He grabbed a piece of rafter next to him and let himself drop. As he fell, he flung the wood towards Ramza like a boomerang.
"Look out, Ramza!" Rafa cried.
"I'd better take things up a notch!" Ramza said as he pulled the Rabbit Stone from his pocket and held it up. After a bright flash, he was encased in glittering gold armor. He swung his arm and the wooden rafter shattered into splinters.
"Ooh, you're all shiny now!" Delita laughed. "Big whoop! I've got one too, ya know! Gideon, this one's for you!!!"
Delita held up the Rooster Stone from the future and donned golden armor too. Ramza and Delita's fists clashed as Delita tried to land on the Beoulve. Bright rays flew out from the crashing knuckles for a good ten seconds before they leaped away. Both combatants were panting hard.
"Nice one, Ramza," Delita sneered. "But now you're tired... and I'm still rarin' to go!!! HAAAAAHHHHH!!!"
Delita landed in front of Ramza and let fly with another round of punches. Ramza, who really was tired, took all of them in the face with gritted teeth. When he could bear it no longer, he hopped away and leaped up into the celing rafters (the Rabbit Armor allowed the wearer to jump very high). Unfortunately, Delita followed.
"Come on, Ramza, what's the problem?" Delita asked. "Has all that rich living made you a softie?!"
"OK, now you're starting to get personal!" Ramza growled as he leaped over to Delita's rafter. Before Delita could react, Ramza punched him across the face A trickle of blood dribbled out of Delita's mouth. "That was for Cinna!" Ramza declared.
"Who?" Delita asked.
"Cinna, the man you murdered in Zeratul," Ramza elaborated as he backed away but retained his fighting stance.
"Oh?..." Delita said as he grinned maliciously at his adversary. The blood coming from his lips made him look even more terrifying and insane. "Well gee, Ramza, if I had known that one person's death caused you so much pain..." Ramza leaped back to his rafter as Delita whipped out his Chaos Blade and swung it around ferociously. "I WOULD HAVE KILLED MORE!!!" Delita cackled.
"Why, you!..." Ramza whispered as he pulled out Rival. It shone with a bright, golden light as he held it against his foe.
"Great, now they're pullin' their swords out..." Meliadoul grimaced.
"Some blood's gonna spill now," Celia said.
"Ramza, please be careful!!!" Rafa and Alma yelled.
"Be careful, Rammy-Wammy!" Lede chirped.
Ramza and Delita leaped from their rafters and their swords clashed in midair. As they fell back towards the ground, Delita swung high in hopes of decapitating his opponent, but Ramza blocked the blow. They landed on the ground and separated, then charged at each other again.
"You're history, Ramza!!!" Delita screeched.
"I'm sorry about this, Delita!" Ramza shouted. He brought Rival down on Delita's Chaos Blade and the latter was broken into a million pieces.
"WHAT?!" Delita yelled as he cast the worthless hilt aside. "So, that sword IS powerful, just like Law said..."
"Do I have to break more than your sword to make you see reason?" Ramza asked. "You've been beaten, Delita. Do you give up?"
"H'rrrrrgggghhhh..." Delita growled as the crazy smile never faded from his face. "...NO!"
Quicker than anyone could react, Delita turned and flew past Ramza. A huge SNICKT sound was heard, and Ramza's eyes watered over in pain. His detached arm, still gripping Rival, landed on the carpet and started to form a pool of blood.
"RAMZA!!!" Rafa screamed.
"That cheating! He take Ramza arm off!" Ayla yelled.
"Uwaooo... Me think Delita no care he cheating..." Gau gulped.
"Argh... Uggghhh..." Ramza growled as he grasped what was left of his arm with his free hand.
"You didn't think my Chaos Blade was the only weapon I had on me, did you?" Delita asked as he turned around and revealed a bloodied knife. "Well, that's two for two, Ramza. This little wonder's gonna go through my two closest 'friends:' Ovelia AND you."
"That knife again!" Alma exclaimed.
"Delita, please stop!!!" Ovelia pleaded.
"Hmmm..." Delita thought. "...On second thought, it may just be more fun to beat you to death, Ramza! Here I come!"
Ramza could only watch in pained despair as Delita advanced on him and started pummeling him like there was no tomorrow. Each blow struck deeper and deeper, as if Delita was trying to get to his very soul and shatter it.
"RAMZA!!!" Rafa and Alma yelled.
"Come on!... Get up and fight!..." Celes growled.
"That's gonna be tough with only one arm..." Amarant growled as he winced at the carnage.
"Agh! Urrgh! N'Gaaahhhh!!!" Ramza yelled as Delita socked him again and he collapsed to the floor. His face was swollen, blood was running out of his mouth like a waterfall and his hair was a sticky mass of sweat and more blood.
"Well, Ramza, it's been fun..." Delita admitted as he knelt down and put one hand under Ramza's chin and the other on his back. "But I really should speed up my making an example of you. Heh heh heh... SAY GOODBYE!!!"
Delita tightened his grip on Ramza's chin and started to yank upwards as he pushed forward on Ramza's back. Ramza gurgled and groaned, but he couldn't get free.
"Delita's gonna break his neck if he does that much longer!!!" Agrias exclaimed.
"No!..." Alma cried.
"This can't be happening..." Ovelia sobbed quietly.
"Somebody help him!!!" Rafa wailed. "PLEASE!..."
"Heh heh heh heh..." Delita cackled as he could feel Ramza's armor snapping away. Soon the Beoulve would be dead and his troubles would be over. The thought of it made Delita throw his head back and laugh maniacally.
Suddenly, a bright light appeared before Delita and a figure emerged from it. Delita looked up and his pupils shrank to the size of tacks. "Wh-Wha?!" he exclaimed. "T-T-Teta?!..." He released his grip on Ramza, who promptly collapsed to the floor with a grunt of exhaustion.
"What's happening?" Balmafula asked. "Why'd Delita let Ramza go?"
"Look at him..." Olan said. "He sees something that none of us can... It's got him positively terrified!..."
Delita was babbling madly at the person that only he could see. "What?! No! No, I didnt'! No! No! NOOOOOOO!!!!!! AAAAAAGGGHHHHHH!!!!" he roared as he grabbed at his head and shrieked insanely. His armor flashed and disappeared as he wailed uncontrolably and rocked his head back and forth.
"Urrrgghhhh..." Ramza groaned as he staggered up.
"ARRRRRRGGHHHHH!!! NO!!! LEAVE ME ALONE!!!" Delita screamed. "AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!"
Ramza saw that Delita was completely vulnerable now. "HAAAAAAAAHHHH!" he roared as he swung his remaining armored fist. It caught Delita right in the face and he crumpled to the floor.
"All right!" Mustadio cheered. "Nice going, Ramza!!!"
"All the repressed guilt and sorrow that Delita had inside of him..." Ramza said as he looked down at the defeated King. "It manifested itself as his sister and took control of his mind long enough for me to finish him..."
"Ramza, are you OK?!" Rafa cried as everyone ran to the heavily wounded man.
"I... I'll be all right..." Ramza growled. "But... My arm..."
"Ugh," Seifer said with disgust as he looked at the severed limb. "He sure did a number on you..."
"What irony..." Orlandu said as he shook his head sadly. "Ramza defeats the most evil man in the world and his reward is the loss of his arm..."
It's all right, Orlandu," Ramza said. "I lost it in the fight for peace... and that's reward enough..."
"You're nuts; did you know that?" Amarant asked.
Suddenly, a bright sphere appearedover the severed arm and the room was bathed in a comforting, blue glow. "You've worked so hard..." a gentle voice whispered in Ramza's ear. "Please continue to take care of my brother..."
"What?..." Ramza asked. "Your... brother?..."
The voice quieted and a blinding white light filled the room. When it dispersed, Ramza was completely recovered and his arm was reattached. Rival hung in the hilt at his side.
"What the?!" Agrias exclaimed. "Ramza, you're... all better?!"
"Hey, I don't know why, but it's great, isn't it?!" Mustadio laughed.
"Oh, Ramza!..." Rafa cried as she hugged her lover.
"...I thought..." Ramza said as he hugged Rafa back. "I thought I heard Teta's voice..."
"Teta?" Alma asked. "But, Ramza, she's..."
"I suppose stranger things have happened," Ovelia said. "I mean, look at me..."
Suddenly, Captain Flite and a group of soldiers came crashing into the throne room. "Ramza! We are here to help you!" Flite announced.
"It's OK, Captain," Orlandu said. "We've dealt with Delita. His reign is over."
"Thank you for your help," Flite said. "We've got a nice, padded cell in Bethla Garrison for him."
"All right," Ramza said.
"Well, I guess we can go home now..." Rad said.
"No, we can't," Ramza said. "What about the time holes? How do we get Cloud and Amarant and everyone back to their own times?"
"Heh heh heh heh... I was hoping you'd ask that!..." a dark voice said.
"What?!" Agrias asked as she looked around. "Who's there?! Show yourself!"
"Delita did a good job keeping you busy while I found a way into the land of the living!" the voice laughed maniacally. "Now I can finally get my revenge on ALL of you!!!"
"No... It can't be!" Alma cried.
"Ajora!!!" Ramza hissed.
"Ah, Ramza Beoulve... How nice to see you again!..." the voice said. "Well, I know that you're going to try and stop me... That's what heroes do after all, isn't it?... Well, if I'm to confront you, I need two things: a body and a battleground. For the battleground, meet me at Orbonne Monastery. Our battle will take place in Murond Death CIty! And as for the body..."
"Body?! What're you talking about?!" Ramza asked.
Suddenly, a black cloud appeared over Delita's unconscious form and dove into the mouth. Delita got up and opened his eyes; they had changed from their normal brown to burning red, and they sent a chill running down everyone's spines. Delita's hair grew long and gray as he snapped his fingers and produced a new sword. Ajora floated off the ground and glared down at Ramza. "If you want your so-called 'friend' back, you'll come and fight!" Ajora said. "Besides, it's only the fate of the world that hangs in the balance, right? I'll be waiting for you in Murond Death City! Come soon, Ramza! UWA HA HA HA HA HAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!"
Ajora turned, crashed through a stained glass window and disappeared into the night. "Damn!!!" Malak growled. "I should have known this was too easy!!!"
"So, Ajora's back..." Orlandu said. "...And now he's using Delita's body as his own... This isn't a good turn of events..."
"Ajora..." Ramza murmured. "...Ajora... Delita... Damn it..."
