Separation Anxiety By FlowerPower1o1

A/N Thanks for the reviews, people! General_Beatrix666, I will try and keep you amused.

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Chapter 3: The Forest Doesn't Like Visitors

"Kidnapped?" Eiko said. "What do you mean, kidnapped?"

"I mean, kidnapped, Eiko," Blank said. "What did you think I meant? He's been taken by someone else, spirited away to some secret location, and kept prisoner. Here, read this." He handed her one sheet of paper, which she took and read.

'This guy sounds insane, but listen to him. I am being held captive by him. He's holding a dagger against my throat as I write this, and he says that if I try to write who he is or where I am, he'll kill me. He says that he'll kill me in a week if no one comes to find me. He wants a summoner to come for me, and if a summoner does not come, he'll kill me. I need Dagger or Eiko. My captor has agreed to send a copy of this letter to Dagger, Tantalus, Cid and Freya. Dagger, if you're reading this, I'm sorry for everything. I love you, and I need you like you once needed me. Please, come and get me. If Baku or one of the guys from Tantalus is reading this, don't come yourselves. None of you guys can summon. Keep in touch with Dagger in Alexandria, Freya in Burmecia and Cid in Lindblum though. Cid, if you're reading this, get Eiko. She's a summoner, she can help me. Freya, if you're reading this, put the dragon knights on full alert but don't interfere yourself or else he'll kill me. Please, I don't have much time. Zidane.'

"Why didn't you come and get me!?" Eiko said.

"I sent Cinna up to the castle to get you," Blank said. "But by the time he got there, you had already left for Alexandria."

Eiko stomped her foot. "By Fenrir and Phoenix! I'm gone for an hour and things fall apart!"

"Excuse me," Vivi said, speaking up for the first time. "But do we have any clues about where to start looking?"

Blank pulled out another piece of paper. "This guy that kidnapped Zidane, his letter goes on for pages, but in the middle of all his psychotic ramblings he said to follow the path that Zidane and the others took when you guys were adventuring six years ago, and eventually you'll find him."

"So the bastard that took him knows about where we went all those years ago," Amarant mused. "Where did they begin?"

"The Evil Forest," Vivi said. "When we were escaping from Brahne, the original Prima Vista was damaged. We crash-landed in the Evil Forest."

"It no more petrified," Quina said. "I go there for spices. Some good spices and plants grow there. Evil Forest yummy!"

"So we take the Hilda Garde 4 back to the Evil Forest, search the woods, and then move on to the next location," Beatrix said. "Let's go!"

"Give me two seconds," Blank said, turning to go back in.

"Hold on, Blank," Eiko said. "What makes you think you're going with us?"

"Because Zidane is like a brother to me, and I'm really worried about him, and if you don't let me go I'll just sneak on board the Hilda Garde 4 and follow you anyway."

"Good point. Get your stuff, we're leaving soon."

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About thirty minutes later, the Hilda Garde 4 hung over the Evil Forest. "We're going to have to set the ship down on the plains outside of the forest," Beatrix yelled over the noise of the engines. "The trees are too dense to allow us to land in the forest itself."

The ship touched down and its crew unloaded, standing on the path that led into the Evil Forest. Strange animal cries sounded from the depths of the woods, and the trees rustled uncertainly.

"Are we ready?" Eiko said.

"Just as long as I don't get trapped inside another Plant Cage again, I'll be fine," Vivi muttered.

And that was when the ground behind them erupted and a giant Plant Spider burst through. "Run!" Beatrix screamed as the others drew their weapons.

"No chance," Eiko said as she twirled her Angel Flute and blew into it. For a second, light shimmered around Beatrix as Eiko cast Might on the general. Beatrix ran forward raising Save The Queen high, slashing it down on the Plant Spider. The creature screamed as it sliced in half, collapsing to the ground. More Plant Spiders crawled out of the hole.

"What was that about running?" Vivi said, raising the Mace of Zeus and casting Fira on an unsuspecting Plant Spider.

"Come on!" Quina yelled as the group took off into the depths of the Evil Forest. As Eiko looked over her shoulder one last time, she saw giant roots coming out of the ground around the Hilda Garde 4, pulling the ship into the ground. "Oh, shi-"

"Eiko, jump!" Amarant yelled. Eiko leapt into the air, avoiding a swinging tree branch that had been swinging around to trip her. She landed on her feet, raising her Angel Flute once more. "Fenrir! Manipulator of Earth and Air! Come to me now! Inflict your Terrestrial Rage upon my enemies!"

There was the sound of a wolf howling, and then the glowing image of Fenrir appeared in front of Eiko. The eidolon howled again, and a giant rocky fist burst through the ground and sent a dozen plant spiders flying.

Quina shook her head, her long tongue waggling. "Frog Drop!" she yelled, and a giant frog leapt from nowhere, hopping on random Plant Spiders and crushing them before it disappeared again.

Blank finished hacking a Plant Spider up. "Is anyone else getting the impression that the forest doesn't like visitors?"

Amarant slashed his Rune Claws across a Plant Spider's stomach, slicing it open. "Shut up and fight, thief!" he roared.

Beatrix raised her sword and cast Climhazzard against four Plant Spiders. "There's too many of them!" she yelled. "We're going to have to run again!"

"We can't leave!" Eiko yelled as she cast Holy on a Plant Spider. "The forest took the ship!"

"There's another place!" Vivi called, casting death on a creature that was trying to rip him to pieces. "There's a grove with a fountain of healing deep in the woods. It's a sacred place where no monsters can go! We found it on our way through the forest the first time!"

Amarant leapt to the top of a tree, casting Demi Shock on a dozen of his pursuers, and leapt down next to Blank. "We need to go now!" he yelled, running up the path. Blank, Eiko, Quina and Beatrix started following him.

"I'll take care of these things!" Vivi called, raising his staff. "Doomsday!" The ground erupted in a shadowy explosion that enveloped the Plant Spiders. Vivi turned around and ran after his friends.

When they made it to the sacred grove, the remaining plant creatures following them squealed in alarm and ran off into the forest. Eiko collapsed, exhausted, as Beatrix and Amarant made sure no monsters were within the grove. "Being a princess softened me up," she said as she gasped for air. "I'm not used to this anymore."

"Look at it this way, Princess," Blank said, sitting down next to her and sheathing his Thief Sword. "It could be worse. . ."

"How it be worse?" Quina asked. "Airship gone, we surrounded by evil nasties, and I hungry and we have no food. We screwed."

"We're still alive, though," Beatrix said. "That's all that matters."

"How are we going to get out of here?" Vivi said. "We can't fight all those things. It's too bad Dagger isn't here, she could use her Scan spell to see if Zidane is around here anywhere. . ."

"That's it!" Eiko said. "Beatrix, you have white magic too! Do you know how to Scan?"

Beatrix slapped her forehead. "Of course! I'd forgotten that I even had that spell!" She closed her eyes and concentrated for a minute, then opened them again. "Zidane isn't anywhere in the Evil Forest. I'm absolutely positive."

"So now we just need a way out," Amarant said. "We need to find the Hilda Garde 4."

Blank looked at Vivi. "What if the Plant Brain is fully functional again and controlling the forest?"

"What is the Plant Brain?" Eiko asked.

Vivi blinked and adjusted his hat. "The Plant Brain is the creature in the forest that controls the other creatures in the forest, like the Plant Spiders. Zidane, Steiner, Blank and I fought it the first time we came here, when it had kidnapped Dagger."

"If the Plant Spiders are attacking again, it's safe to say that the Plant Brain is operational too," Blank added.

"And if this thing wanted to strand us here to attack us, it could have taken the Hilda Garde 4 so that we couldn't escape," Eiko finished.

"How far away is this grove?" Beatrix asked Blank and Vivi.

"Not too far... we could be there in a couple of minutes if we run," Blank said.

"The Plant Spiders will probably try and prevent us from entering the cave where the Plant Brain is located, though," Vivi said.

"So we should divide ourselves into two teams," Beatrix said. "Three of us can battle the Plant Brain while the other three hold our retreat."

"Vivi and I can take the Plant Brain," Blank said. "We've fought it before."

"I can assist the two of you," Beatrix said. "I have my white magic, so I'll be able to heal us also. I'm also a fighter, and we have a Black Mage and a thief. Eiko's a White Mage, Quina is a Blue Mage with fighting abilities, and Amarant is a great warrior, so the two teams are pretty well balanced."

"So, Quina, Eiko and I hold the Spiders off while Beatrix, Blank and Vivi fight the Brain," Amarant said. "Sounds like a plan."

"We need leave soon, though," Quina said. "There more Plant Spiders now."

"Leave that to me," Eiko said as she pulled out an emerald and held it up. "Carbuncle! Come to me now! Focus your power through this gem and give us the speed of the wind!"

An unseen force blew through the grove, and for a second everyone glowed with a strange green color. Then the light faded, and Eiko jumped up and down. "Come on!" she said. "I had Carbuncle cast Haste on all of us, but I don't know how long it will last!"

With blinding speed, the group blew out of the grove, past the bewildered Plant Spiders. The Haste spell lasted until the group got to the entrance to the cave. Beatrix and Blank unsheathed their swords as Vivi twirled his wand. "Good luck, guys!" Blank said as the trio disappeared into the darkness.

"You too," Amarant muttered as the first wave of Plant Spiders advanced. He leapt through the air, slashing three of them with his Rune Claws before landing.

Quina pulled out her giant Gastro Fork and stabbed at a Plant Spider. The creature dodged the attack and slashed Quina's arm before it jumped away. Eiko paused for a second before yelling "Cura!", blowing into her Angel Flute. Quina's wound disappeared. Eiko then spun around, casting Holy against three Plant Spiders. Quina bounded after the Plant Spider that injured her, casting her Mustard Bomb spell as she went. The Plant Spider caught on fire and toppled over.

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"Sure is dark in here," Blank muttered as they made their way into the cave.

"Hang on." Vivi's eyes began to glow a steady yellow color that illuminated the darkness. Up ahead was a large round chamber filled with plants.

"I don't like the look of this..." Beatrix had time to say, before the Plant Brain erupted from the ground and slashed at the group with its tentacles. Beatrix and Blank rolled out of the way, but Vivi was struck and went flying into the wall.

"Shock!" Beatrix yelled, holding the Save The Queen sword up. The sword shimmered white for a second, and then the Plant Brain exploded with silver light. Blank leapt forward and sliced his Thief Sword into the tentacle, severing it. The Plant Brain let out a howl.

Vivi stood up, waving his magic wand. "Firaga!" he called jumping in the air and pointing the wand. The Plant Brain erupted in fire, screaming in pain.

Beatrix smirked. "Good job Vivi, teach that plant who's. . ." It was then that the Plant Brain's other tentacle grabbed Beatrix and cast Venom on her. Beatrix reeled for a second, turning extremely pale, before finally collapsing on the ground.

"General Beatrix!" Blank yelled, jumping over a swinging tentacle and sliding to a halt next to the fallen woman. He pulled out a potion and made her drink it, but it did nothing to stop the venom.

Vivi wound up his magic wand one more time and pointed it at the Plant Brain. "Death!" he yelled. The shadowy figure of the Grim Reaper rose from the ground, slashing at the Plant Brain with its scythe before disappearing. The Plant Brain roared one final time before collapsing and withering.

"Vivi, watch Beatrix!" Blank said as he jumped toward the cave tunnel. He yelled up the tunnel, "Hey kids! Let's get out of here!"

A minute later Eiko, Quina and Amarant ran down the tunnel, pursued by Plant Spiders. "What happened to Beatrix!?" Amarant yelled.

"She was infected with venom during the fight," Blank said. "I can't cure it."

Amarant grabbed the general and picked her up. "Which way?"

"That way!" Vivi said, pointing to another tunnel. "It leads out into a big clearing."

"I slow nasty Spiders down!" Quina said, casting Earth Shake as the rest of the group ran up the tunnel. The cave floor cracked and fissured, knocking Plant Spiders over. The Qu turned and ran up the tunnel after her friends.

"There's the Hilda Garde 4!" Eiko yelled as they burst out of the tunnel. The airship was sitting in the middle of the clearing, seemingly undamaged. Amarant leaped into the air with Beatrix in his arms and landed on the deck. Blank jumped after him and did a tuck and roll, coming to his feet just as Amarant laid Beatrix on the deck. Eiko jumped, flapping the little wings her grandfather had given her, and glided to the deck. She picked herself up and ran for the control room of the airship. "Prepare for liftoff!" she yelled.

Quina summoned her Twister spell and used the winds to carry herself and Vivi up to the deck just as the ship began to lift off of the ground. Vines snaked from the trees, grabbing the airship and trying to hold it down.

"The forest is petrifying again!" Blank yelled, pointing at the nearby trees. The forest was indeed turning to stone again, with the death of the new Plant Brain.

"Cut the ship free!" Eiko yelled. Blank, Vivi and Quina ran to different sides of the ship and began to cut the vines loose. With a sudden lurch, the ship burst free of the Evil Forest just as the last of the trees turned to stone.

Eiko sighed with relief, engaging the forward engines, and then slumped down to the floor. "That was too close for comfort," she breathed.