Author's Notes: After a lot of thought, I decided to scrap the first chapter and little bits of later chapters I initially wrote. Chapter 1, The Meagre, may have contained the turning point for Ramza and Delita, but I believe it's more effective to be told the way I'm planning it now. If anyone wants to see the scrapped pieces, I'll either upload them in a separate story, or include them after the end as a 'missing scenes' chapter. I'm too lazy to come up with chapter names, so I'll just call them Chapter 1, Chapter 2 etc.

I have to remind myself to keep true to my own characterisations. Although I am drawing inspiration from the fanfics before me, I also have to keep in mind that my portrayal is not the same. All too often I've typed something that my version of the character would not say/do. As a side note, has anyone typed Death Crops instead of Death Corps before? xD

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Final Fantasy Tactics

False Truth

The Manipulator and the Subservient

Chapter 1

--

Delita urged his chocobo faster, despite the little voice at the back of his head screaming at him to slow down. It was a dark night, raining. One stumble from the yellow feathered bird in this rugged terrain could throw him. His haste could easily cost him his life. But if he didn't hurry, he would jeopardise his mission. He had to arrive just after the other Hokuten had Princess Ovelia's bodyguards distracted. Dying now was not an option. He had to achieve his goal with the life that Teta had given him. He could see himself now, standing before…

"One step at a time, Delita," he chastised himself. "One step at a time."

Catching sight of Orbonne Monastery's tall spire under the moonlight, he reined in his chocobo. There it was, simple, yet majestic. The monastery may have been small, but with the shadowy trees circling it, along with the silvery orb in the sky letting its gentle rays play over it, Orbonne Monastery was nothing short of ethereal. Its huge stained-glass windows depicting angels and saints let the light into the darkness. And in this heavenly place would be the simple woman brought up in near isolation, almost waiting for him to sweep her away. In actuality, his 'official' job was to kill her, but to spill blood in a place such as this seemed almost blasphemous. Of course, Delita never truly intended to kill her anyway.

Delita lead his chocobo to the stone pier behind the monastery before dismounting. Perhaps in ancient times people used to flock to Orbonne Monastery by sea, but in present times, the small monastery was bypassed completely. Turning his gaze towards the land, he glimpsed the four Hokuten sent to distract the Princess' bodyguards. They had been told to retreat the moment he had the princess, but Delita knew that those four men were doomed from the beginning. They would not escape with their lives, not with the infamous Gafgarion there. It would not be beneath Larg to sacrifice men for the 'greater gain'. Watching carefully from the shadows, Delita saw the bodyguards pour out of the monastery. Holy Knight Agrias Oaks, her two knight assistants, Gafgarion and his two mercenaries, just like he had been told.

Wait…

He knew one of those mercenaries.

Delita shook his head in disbelief. It was a small world. What were the chances of seeing him again after so long? But he was disappointed at this revelation. "Joining with mercenaries like Gafgarion? That's beneath you, Ramza," he whispered, pushing open the backdoor of Orbonne Monastery. But then again, who was he to judge? He wasn't omniscient like almighty God.

Entering, he made his way to the raised balcony that was the grand centrepiece of the chapel. Moonlight filtered in from the stained glass windows at the side, tiling the floor with angels and saints. As the moon moved behind clouds, the light flickered, and the angels and saints seemed to dance. As he walked, Delita couldn't help but notice drops of blood leading to the balcony. As he raised his gaze, he saw a female knight lying on the ground, bloody. She must have been the lookout that the Hokuten attacked to bring out the bodyguards. An elderly priest hovered over her, the faint glow of healing magic on his hands. The princess…she knelt beside the priest, praying and aiding in the healing. Her small frame was wreathed in moonlight.

If Delita didn't know better, he would have thought she looked like a saint.

Seeing him, the old man stood to protectively shield the princess from view. "Who are you? What do you want?"

"I'll make this simple, Father," Delita replied, keeping his body language as open and as passive as possible. "Just give me the princess and no one will be hurt. I do not want violence in this holy place."

"I cannot allow you to take her away." The priest's tone was resolute. Delita could hear the man's soft chanting and the hand movements of an offensive spell.

Then you leave me no choice. Before the priest could finish his spell, Delita rushed forward and dealt a swift blow to his head with his metal-clad fist. The old priest dropped like a stone, blood oozing from the small cut opened by Delita's gauntlet. The princess' high pitched scream drew his attention back to her.

"You just killed Simon!" she shrieked.

Delita winced at her shrill voice. "And I won't hesitate to kill you too, if you don't come with me," he snapped angrily. Her damn screams would probably bring that Holy Knight into the monastery with a vengeance. That was the last thing he wanted. The princess didn't have to know he had only knocked out the priest.

Grabbing her hand, he dragged her behind him as he rushed for the backdoor. She continued to scream for help, for her bodyguards, for Agrias, for everything. Her piercing screams were giving him a headache. He would give almost anything for the ability to cast a silence spell over her right now. "Just shut up!" he snarled at her, flinging open the door.

"Why should I?" she haughtily replied, drawing herself up to her full height. "You're the one trying to kidnap me against my will."

He growled. He just knew she was going to give him trouble when he tried to make their getaway. The smug look on her face only further incensed his annoyance. He didn't have time for this, not when there was a holy knight that could potentially ruin everything. In the blink of an eye, Delita knocked her out like he knocked out the priest. She made a strangled noise of surprise before she slumped over. All too aware of the mad run that the holy knight inside the monastery was making, Delita hurriedly laid the princess onto his chocobo and strapped her down so she wouldn't fall as he rode. The chocobo made a complaining noise as he mounted it. "Sorry ol' gel. I'll make it up to you later with extra greens if you do this favour for me," he whispered to the chocobo.

Seeming to understand, the yellow bird ruffled its feathers proudly and warked in assent. Looking up, Delita saw Agrias Oaks and her knights burst through the back door. "Stop!" she cried, brandishing her gleaming sword as she ran towards him. He could already see the holy magic swirling around her weapon and hear the empty echoes inside his head that was so typical of a Statis Sword.

Now would be a good time to leave, before she comes close enough to actually release it, he decided, shaking away the echoes before they could gain a foothold in his psyche. The echoes would eventually turn into voices, and it was the voices that made the Statis Sword skill so dangerous. At the very least, they were distracting, and if the victim was of weak mind (or the wielder of the sword was particularly spiritual), the voices even stop the victim from moving. Delita nudged the chocobo forwards with his knees. Remembering the words someone had told him that had helped him decide what to do with his life, he yelled back to the holy knight, "You can only blame yourself or God for this!"

He found it interesting that she chose God.

--

"Delita, you're alive…"Ramza whispered, staring off into the trees where the knight had disappeared. "But…Why are you with Goltana's troops?"

"So Ramza, you know the kidnapper?"

Ramza mentally cursed himself for his bad habit of saying his thoughts aloud. He should have known better; Gafgarion had eerily acute hearing. All the better to hear titbits of information to give him the edge over other mercenaries, he supposed. Ramza didn't reply to Gafgarion's question. He already suspected the old mercenary knew more about who he was than he let on. Instead, he turned his attention to Lady Oaks' and her knights, Alicia and Lavian, as they exited the monastery.

"Simon is alright, but that knight got away with the princess," she said. "He'll probably be heading for Bethla Garrison. If we hurry now, we should be able to catch him before he reaches it. We'll have to leave Constance behind with Simon so she can recover."

"What makes you think you'll even be able to catch up to him?" Gafgarion pointed out. "He's on a chocobo. We aren't."

"I cannot simply give up!" she tersely replied. Ramza could hear the anger that was simmering beneath her calm exterior. "I have a duty to the royal family to keep the princess safe. I have to take responsibility for my mistakes, and that means doing everything within my power to get the princess back!"

"There's nothing in the contract about this. We're not required to help you search for the princess."

The holy knight's expression turned dark. "I was expecting you and your mercenaries to aid us, call it moral obligation, if you will. But I should have known better than to expect it from one such as you, dark knight," she said, referring to his questionable sword skills that had been banned from practice since the end of the 50 Year War. "Our responsibilities as knights require us to get the princess back, regardless of whether you choose to help us or not."

Ignoring the sounds of Gafgarion and Lady Oaks squabbling, Ramza knelt on the ground, drawing in the dirt with a stick a crude map of the Orbonne Coast. He pulled up information he hadn't touched since his days in Gariland from the recesses of his memory. "If Delita's headed for Bethla Garrison," he began with his soft voice. He was aware all attention was suddenly turned to him. "He'll need to pass through Dorter for supplies; I doubt he'll have enough for the whole journey. Unless he decides to go without, which is highly unlikely, since he'll want the princess in good condition, Dorter is a definite stop. He'll probably want to get to Bethla as soon as possible, so he'll pass through Araguay Woods and through Zirekile Falls. However, the terrain near Mount Algost is rocky and difficult for a yellow chocobo to traverse. You could probably catch up to him there if you can make it there within three days."

He didn't even know why he was telling the St. Konoe Knights this. If Gafgarion refused to help Lady Oaks, then Ramza was meant to follow Gafgarion's lead. As scheming and calculative as mercenaries were, the moment they sign up with Gafgarion, they pledge their absolute loyalty to the dark knight, even though Gafgarion's own loyalties changed on whim. By giving Lady Oaks information, Ramza had effectively ignored Gafgarion's 'order' to refuse to help the St. Konoe Knights. There was probably going to be hell to pay for his decision later.

Lady Oaks gave him a curt nod of appreciation for his small present of hope, but she raised an eyebrow. Ramza realised too late that he had let his connection with Delita slip. Again. "Then we'll set off for Dorter now so we can arrive at nightfall to rest and get supplies." Lady Oaks offered him a terse smile. "Your help will not be forgotten." She seemed to be addressing him only; her contempt for Gafgarion and the other mercenary, Rad, was obvious.

Ramza couldn't help but feel disappointed at the outcome of their job. To see Delita again…it was like seeing a ghost of the past he had thought he had left behind. Now he wanted to know why the dead was still walking, why Delita was working for the Nanten. But most of all, he just wanted to see Delita again, to talk to him. Someone, God or fate or something, was dangling bait right before his eyes. Should follow Gafgarion's orders and abandon the bait, or did he dare try to bite it and see where he would be reeled in?

He made his decision. "I'll come with you!"

Gafgarion glared at him, radiating disapproval at his insubordination. Before Lady Oaks could accept or decline, he growled at the blonde boy. "This doesn't have anything to do with us anymore!" That means you too, boy, Ramza could almost hear the mercenary say.

Ramza returned his glare, refusing to quail under it like he usually would. "I have to see him with my own eyes, I have to know that I'm not just in a dream! I have to know!" You don't have a choice in this Gafgarion, he added silently to himself, if you've really been sent to keep an eye on me. You don't want me to escape your watchful eye, do you?

"Fine," Gafgarion finally agreed, making his reluctance clear with a snort. "Just don't blame me if something happens!"

The knights were already moving. "Your words are duly noted, Gafgarion," Lady Oaks said dryly.

--

Delita had reined in his chocobo in at Araguay Woods when the princess had woken up. They paused for a brief reprieve while Delita collected his thoughts on what his next move should be. He had no doubt in his mind that the St. Konoe Knights would not give up the chase so easily. Vormav had assured him that he would take care of the pursuit, but Delita was more pessimistic than that. Now that he knew Ramza was with the knights, even if he was just a mercenary, it would be highly unlikely that the group would be wiped out. Delita saw the blonde as a cockroach; Ramza simply did not, would not die, despite the odds levelled at him. Also, Vormav hadn't said anything about any search and destroy parties that Larg would send one he realised Delita had betrayed him. Delita had no doubt in his mind that Larg would send Hokuten after him. He didn't think Larg would be stupid enough to sit on his ass if the only blockade on his road to the throne was still alive.

Delita had chosen to pass by Dorter completely. There were too many risks in the trading town. Delita knew that he would be able to go with minimal food for a few days, allowing him to give what remained of his rations to the princess. This way, he would hopefully be able to outdistance any party chasing him. Delita knew all too well that once he was past Araguay Woods, the going would get tough for his chocobo. Only black or red chocobos could easily traverse Zirekile Falls, but the former were not strong enough to carry two passengers and the latter were notorious for being volatile and bad tempered. Would it be faster to leave his chocobo behind and make their way past rocky mountain on foot? Once they were past the falls, though, it would be much faster on chocobo.

Delita had his supplies before him, assessing how much he had to go on. If he was careful with the food, it would be just enough to last the whole journey. He kept a wary eye on the princess, lest she made a break for it while he was seemingly preoccupied. He wanted to gain her trust, which would give him her cooperation. It would be much easier to have her working with him rather than against. Treating her harshly like he did at the monastery would only make her do something rash and stupid, like running away, wasting precious time. "I apologise for my rough actions earlier. As strange as it may seem, I don't want you to come to any harm. If you try to run away, you will be defenceless against the denizens of the woods. At least while you're by my side, I can protect you."

She didn't reply, instead sitting sullenly in front of a tree, her hands fisted on her knees. Delita inwardly frowned. What did he have to do to gain her trust? Perhaps living in a convent most of her life, having people wait on her without allowing her to do anything for herself, had made her feel helpless. Like she was a leaf being carried by the river of life, unable to stop or change her course. Maybe that would be his key.

Tossing her a bag of greens, he said gruffly, "Here, make yourself useful and feed my chocobo."

Delita saw her look of surprise as she awkwardly caught the bag. Smelling the greens, his chocobo inched her neck towards the princess. The princess wrestled with the knot of the bag before she finally opened it. Hesitantly, she offered the leafy greens to the bird, who immediately plucked them out of her small hands. Delita shook his head as the chocobo practically inhaled the greens in delight. Damn greedy bird. Good thing he had given the princess a half bag of greens, or else they would have to put up with having a sick chocobo for the rest of the journey.

When she had finished feeding, the chocobo crooned and rubbed her feathery face against the princess'. "It seems she likes you," Delita commented, not looking up from the potions he had laid out before him. "You can pet her if you like."

From the corner of his eye, he could see her smile for the first time as the princess ruffled the chocobo's head feathers. She giggled, a soft tinkling laugh, as the bird tried to lick her face. Maybe there was hope in gaining her trust yet.

He packed up his supplies and stood up, ready to leave. He held a hand out to her. "If you want, you can help me lead her around the rocky path of Mount Algost when we arrive at Zirekile Falls."

"…I'd like that."

--

As the party neared Dorter, armed thieves waited for them, flanked by two wizards, one male, one female. Their meeting clearly was not by accident. Already the thieves had drawn their weapons, and the wizards where in the beginning stages of their spells. Gafgarion hung back as he began his own spell while Lady Oaks and her knights rushed forwards. Holy energy gathered around Lady Oak's sword before she released it at the male wizard. He screamed horribly as he crumpled to the ground, blood pouring from his ears as red glyphs hovered about his corpse. Lavian suddenly cried out as an arrow lodged itself in her arm where her armour didn't protect it. Immediately, Ramza looked up, scanning the rooftops for the archer. "There!" he pointed out to Rad.

The other mercenary nodded and began chanting, the fire swirling around his hands with malicious glee. He heard a shriek as a rush of heat passed by Ramza and hit its target. Ramza had the nagging feeling there were more archers on Dorter's rooftops. Hearing the familiar twang of a bowstring, Ramza reflexively dived to the side. The arrow that intended to kill him only glanced off the side of his armour. Looking up, Ramza saw the archer who aimed for him suddenly fall forward, a crossbow bolt sticking out of her skull. Looking up, he saw very two familiar figures standing on the high end of the street. They were people he hadn't seen since Fort Zeakden. "Seth…Winter…" he murmured, deflecting a blow from one of the advancing thieves with his buckler.

"Need some help, Ramza?" the archer, Seth, called out, reloading her crossbow.

The wizard, Winter, added his own fire spell to the one Rad cast on the remaining wizard, engulfing her in flames. It was almost like old times, only…the others were missing. But there was no time for regret now. Ramza lead with his buckler hand, binding the thief's sword arm against his body. The thief took a step back, but found his foot hit a wall. Having limited options, the thief spat in Ramza's face. Ramza unconsciously took a step back, releasing the thief. He dove to the side, hearing the swoosh of a blade where he was before. As he rolled up onto his feet, Ramza wiped his eyes free of the thief's blinding spit only to see the thief felled by a spear of ice. Ramza knew exactly who had done it. Winter wasn't called that without reason.

With the combined effort of Lady Oaks and her knights, Gafgarion and the mercenaries and Seth and Winter, the would-be assassins were easily dispatched with few injuries. Alicia was seeing to Lavian's arm, but after pulling the arrow out, the wound was easily mended with a potion. Although Ramza appreciated their help, the appearance of Seth and Winter could only mean awkwardness.

Inclining her head, Lady Oaks said stiffly to the newcomers, "Your aid was greatly appreciated."

Seth grinned widely. "We ain't going to simply walk away while someone gets attacked. Especially when our long lost friend is with you."

Gafgarion crossed his arms and readied a disapproving glare at Ramza. "When your joined the mercenaries, you buried your past."

Ramza felt his cheeks flush. "I did not call them here for aid."

"Winter and I were actually on our way to an inn to stay the night before going to Gariland," the archer interrupted with her customary drawl. "We just happened to hear an awful racket so we came here to figure out what was happening." Looking thoughtful, she continued, "I think we'd better move away. Don't want to be caught hanging around here when the authorities come 'round." She shouldered her crossbow. "We could bring y'all to the inn we're staying in. You lot look like you need a place to rest the night."

The stares of Gafgarion and Lady Oaks readied at Ramza made him feel like he was on the wrong end of Seth's crossbow. Ramza almost felt like he was a child again, squirming under his eldest brother's gaze. Gafgarion snorted and looked away. After all, he had no say in the decision. It was Lady Oaks calling the shots. Her piercing, blue-eyed stare was fixed on Ramza, as if she was scrutinising his character, dicing it up and weighing the good aspects versus the bad. He resisted the urge to shirk away as he returned her penetrating stare. Did she believe that the newcomers may have been sent to kill them as they slept? Or did she trust him, a lawless mercenary, enough to acknowledge that they were simply his friends?

She was the first one to break eye contact. Nodding to the archer. "We'll accept your kind offer."

Seth cheerfully led them through Dorter with a constant running commentary about the city. The archer had, if he remembered correctly, grown up in the city of trade. Lady Oak's knights, Alicia and Lavian, quickly fell into conversation with the sociable archer. Gafgarion and Rad were in the middle of the group while Ramza and Winter brought up the rear. Ramza opened his mouth to speak to the black mage, to ask him how they had fared in the past year, but Winter cut him off with his icy voice. "We will converse later." Ramza could hear the wizard's implied, When we are away from the others.

Upon entering the inn, the owner called out to the group. "Seth! I see you've brought more friends!"

The archer grinned and leaned against the counter. "Yeah, old man. Reckon you can let them in for free?" She gave him a conspiratorial wink, gesturing at him with her other hand.

The man scoffed. "Are you trying to drive me broke, lassie? I'll give them a discount and four rounds of free grog, but that's it."

Seth gave him a swift peck on the cheek. "That's good enough for me!"

Ramza moved towards the window, leaning on the sill. He could hear Gafgarion and Rad haggling over the number of free drinks they were allowed while Lady Oaks and her knights attempted to organise rooms. Seth was laughing, but Ramza could hear nothing of Winter. It wasn't surprising though; the ice wizard had always been the silent one. He turned his gaze to the street outside as the others busied themselves. Dorter had changed very little since the last time he had been here. It was still dark and grungy, with its tall buildings making anyone looking up at them from the streets feel small and insignificant. The main difference between Dorter and other trading cities was that most transactions took place indoors in Dorter. No one wanted to be out in the streets with its oppressive ceiling of decrepit buildings pressing down on them. And he was all aware of how easy it would be to snipe someone from its buildings, as the earlier battle had proven. Seth had pointed it out herself when they had first arrived. They had used Dorter's buildings to their advantage that time…

"You're not going to eat?" Lady Oaks asked him, her voice jerking him out of his reverie.

He blinked, moving his gaze to her. "Oh…I didn't realise everything had been settled already. I was simply…recalling past memories."

She nodded, accepting his answer. Ramza gave her a short bow as he made his way to his two old friends. She watched him take a few steps before she called out his name. He turned.

"I trust that you will not let any hints or clues of our mission slip from your tongue," she warned. Her voice suggested dire consequences if he did anything otherwise.

"There is no need to fear," he reassured her, giving an air of professionalism he had picked up from Gafgarion. "No one knows a mercenary's mission aside from the employer."

--

Author's Note: I get the impression that Ovelia's screaming was the main reason why Delita was so rough on her in the beginning. I mean, having someone scream in your ear constantly would be pretty annoying. Um, let's just say the story began in the early, early morning, so early it's still considered night. Then everything makes sense ;) My Gafgarion in game was a chicken. He hid behind a building while I did all the work. The battle was kind of lazy on my part. Must've blown it all on the first version of Chapter 1. Btw, what's the name of the sea running on the bottom of Gallione and the north west coast of Lionel? No matter how much I squint at my map, I can't make out the word after Black. On that note, does anyone have a good map of Ivalice with all the locations named? I keep on forgetting where everything is.

Because I haven't quite finished the game yet, I get the nagging feeling I will stuff up (badly) somewhere. This is probably going to be especially notable when I write Delita's parts, because of the political intrigue that permeates everything he does. I actually have to plan for this story (something unheard of from me!). I just hope I get everything right Dx I have little notes everywhere that scream WHY THE HELL DOES THIS HAPPEN? and arrows pointing everywhere! My brain spontaneously combusts when I look at FFT's plot because some parts didn't make sense at all. At least not until my brain started oozing out of my ear. Then things made sense. Even lemmings made sense at that point. As you can probably see, anything involving brain power is difficult for me. Note to self, don't listen to the Katamari Damacy OST and We Love Katamari OST when trying to write something serious.

I hope my character portrayals are alright and my OCs aren't too overwhelming. The main reason for them is that the group will need some firepower at later stages (although admittedly in the latter part of the game the party gets a little too big). Unfortunately, I find my female characters tend to be rather…flat personality wise in contrast to my males.

Oh wow, this has got to be a record. Over 4k words of actual content. I usually don't get past 3k. As usual, comments, criticism and corrections welcome.