What Makes A Hero Chapter 11

Ramza's Anger

By Nanaki

Lesalia Castle

If Ramza had not stopped him, Boco would have tried to run up the wall. As it was, the chocobo couldn't help but jump high into the air, launching Ramza up out of his saddle. He stabbed his Oberisk into the wall, and proceeded to climb up. Vincent arrived on the scene and tossed him the grappling rope again. "Seems a bit familiar, doesn't it?" Ramza called down to him.

"Let's just hope Velius isn't waiting for us, AGAIN." Vincent sighed, then began to hurry up the rope. Everyone else followed him, with Ovelia and Agrias bringing up the rear. Once they got to the top, Ramza started to sprint down the halls. The crew followed him closely. Their progress was uniterrupted until they came to a large, four way corridor. The Black Sheep Knights were blocking their way on two sides.

"Hold it right there, rebels!" The knight in charge snarled. "Whatever your plan is, it stops here."

Ramza turned back to Rad. "I'm sorry, but I-"

"Go." Rad cut him off, drawing his own Oberisk. "We can handle these guys. You have to get to him."

"Sorry!" Ramza shouted, then turned and ran down the only unimpeded route.

Rad turned back to the Black Sheep Knights. "It's too bad for you guys that now we don't have a plan. We're just going to wing it and see what happens. Everyone, attack! Eeaaaggghhhh!!!"

"Eeaaaggghhhh!!!" The rest of the crew echoed his cry, and the battle was joined.

.

Ramza risked running on an outside parapet to try to find his way into the throne room in the main keep. He turned the corner from the rear of the keep to the side, and suddenly came to a stop. Perhaps thirty feet away, Delita stood, watching the battle with the leader of the Black Sheep Knights. Ramza slowed his pace, and quietly walked up to them. He came to a stop about ten feet away. Delita slowly turned, then looked up at him. They glared at each other. The Black Sheep Captain rested his hand on the pommel of his sword, unsure of what to do. "Leave us." Delita said quietly.

"But sir-!" He began to protest.

"I said leave us!" Delita shouted angrily, but his eyes never left Ramza's.

"Y-yes sir." The captain bowed, and quickly walked back into the castle.

Ramza simply continued to glare. 'He's my good friend! We're like brothers!' The words he had spoken to Algus long ago thundered in his mind. Ramza tensed, but did not move. If there was going to be a fight, he would not start it.

Delita's gaze did not waver. 'Not all nobles are like you! I trust Ramza!' His words resounded through his head as well. "Why are you here?" He finally spoke out loud.

"You said you would protect her." Ramza said in an icy tone.

"What?" Delita really didn't like where this was going.

"Ovelia. You said, and here I quote, 'You can't save her, no matter what. I can protect her from everything.'"

"I tried! No one could tell that the chocobo-"

"I'm standing right here and you still think that I don't know the truth?!" Ramza yelled. "You stabbed her! The thing I want to know is, were you planning to all along?"

Delita responded in about the worst way he possibly could at that moment. He ripped his sword out of its scabbard, and shouted, "How the hell did you find out the truth?!"

"Was this part of your plan?!" Ramza ignored Delita's rant in favor of his own.

"Tell me!!!" They both shouted at each other. Delita charged forward, so angry he could barely hold his sword straight. Ramza whipped out the Masamune as he was jumping back, then brought it down on Delita's back as he went past. The king's cape was severed, and it flapped slowly to the ground.

"I told you I'd kill you if I had to!!" Delita shouted.

"Did you have to kill her?!" Ramza shouted back. They ran at each other again. The two blades clanged together first, then their momentum made their armor follow suit. Ramza could see the drops of sweat forming on Delita's brow as he struggled with his sword. He felt sweat forming on his brow too. Suddenly, he stepped to the side and released the pressure on his blade. Delita went flying forward. At least, until Ramza's gauntleted fist collided with his face, sending him sprawling back again the wall.

Delita quickly switched his sword to his left hand and whipped his arm out. The blade connected with Ramza's torso armor, rending a large tear in it. Ramza responded in kind. The Masamune was a lighter blade, but Ramza's fury lent him enough power to do as much damage as Delita's Royal Sword. They rained blows back and forth for a few seconds, before Delita realized what an advantage he had. He sidestepped, causing Ramza's next blow to hit the wall. "Holy Explosion!!" The blast of energy roared out of his sword, straight into Ramza's chest. He was hurled back, over the edge of the parapet.

Ramza faintly heard his gauntlet clank as he grabbed on. He watched in dejection as the Masamune dropped away toward the ground below. But then, his eyes widened in surprise as he noticed that every single soldier on the ground below was looking up at him. The battle had stopped. Disturbed murmurs ran through the crowd, then a chant started. "Ramza! Ramza!!" The knights pumped their fists at him.

Delita marched over to the parapet. "It would be in your best interests to tell me where you got your information." He held his sword up threateningly.

Ramza looked back down at the assembled knights. "You can do it Ramza!!" Their cheer drifted up to his ears, and then, "Eeaaaggghhhh!!!"

"Eeeaaaaaggggghhhhhhh!!!!!" The feral roar erupted from deep inside Ramza's throat. He whipped out his Oberisk with his free hand, jammed it into the wall underneath him, then pushed off and thrust himself back over the wall. He used the momentum to deliver a massive kick to Delita's chest. The king went sprawling to the ground, his sword clattering from his hand.

Delita quickly grabbed for his sword, but Ramza's giant spear descended just in front of his eyes. He flipped over onto his back and kicked Ramza in the stomach. Ramza staggered back, and Delita started to stand up. But before he could gain sure footing, Ramza was charging at him again. Delita tried to fall back down, but he was too late. The Oberisk head lodged in his armor, and he was smashed into the stone wall. Ramza lifted the spear up into the air, Delita still on the end, then slammed it back to the stone walkway again. Delita grunted as the wind was knocked out of him.

Glancing over the edge, Ramza saw that not every part of the wall was a clear drop to the bottom. He spotted a small balcony along the wall that was only about twelve feet down. He once again lifted up the spear, and swung it in a giant arc toward the balcony. Delita went flying off, and vanished over the edge of the parapet. Ramza followed. There was a tremendous thud as his armor landed on the hard stones, which was only eclipsed by the cheers that came from the knights below. Ramza winced as he landed, standing, next to Delita. His arms were burning from exertion, and he could feel the sweat pouring down his body, but he was enjoying this. Ramza brought the Oberisk down on Delita again. Again, the head lodged in his armor. Ramza swung it back up so Delita's head collided with the wall, then let him drop to the ground, where he slid to a sitting position. Ramza lowered the spear head against Delita's throat.

"STOP!!!" Ramza looked up to see Ovelia standing on the wall right above him. "Don't kill him!!" She pleaded.

Ramza lowered his Oberisk, but shouted, "Why not?!"

"Because I love him!" She swung her legs over the edge of the wall, and Ramza caught her as she jumped down to their balcony.

Ramza had thought that Delita was unconscious, but his eye that wasn't swollen shut opened wide. "Ovelia? You're... ..alive?" He asked in a whisper. Ramza glared at him, since the answer was standing right in front of him. "Oh God, I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."

Ovelia kneeled down next to him. "No, it was my fault..."

"What?!" Ramza's jaw dropped. "How in hell was it your fault?!"

"Agrias told you that I attacked him first, right?" He nodded raggedly, his muscles still ready for more action. "Well, I didn't just attack him. I had a knife. I tried to kill him, because I was so mad that he had supposedly gotten YOU killed."

"I shouldn't have lost my temper." Delita breathed shallowly, his body still recovering from all the impacts he had sustained. "It was just that I actually thought I could trust you, and it seemed that I couldn't. But I should have recognized at the time, even then, you couldn't bring yourself to do it. All I saw was the dagger though... I suppose that's why I did what I did, even though it's no excuse."

"You're either the best liar ever, or you've severely wasted my time." Ramza said darkly. "Either way, I never want to see you again." He stabbed his Oberisk into the castle wall, and propelled himself back up to the parapet.

"Ramza, wait!" Ovelia called.

"Forget it!" He shouted back. "I really am leaving this time, and nothing is going to stop me!"

.

"Damn it! Who am I? Who?!" - Delita Hyral

.

Go To Chapter 12

Return To FFT Fanfic