Separation Anxiety
By FlowerPower1o1
A/N: Thanks for the great reviews everyone! They are much appreciated.
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Chapter 4: That Old Waltz Of Mine
"Esuna!" Eiko yelled, waving her hands over Beatrix's body. White light flared up for a second, then flickered and died. Eiko sat back down and put her face in her hands. "I don't know what's wrong with her."
Beatrix looked awful. Her skin was pale, almost white, and the veins under her skin were an unhealthy green color. Her forehead was dotted with sweat, and her breath came to her in short, ragged gasps. She was still unconscious, and occasionally muttered something that was too garbled for the others to understand.
"I think I do," Blank said. "When the Plant Brain kidnapped Dagger, he planted seeds in her to make her become one with the forest or something like that. It incubates the plants. We cured her by giving her this medicine I picked up in Dali."
"So, we go to Dali." Amarant nodded.
"We can't do that!" Eiko said. "We need to go to the Ice Caverns first! That was the next place that Zidane and the others went."
"Don't be stupid, Eiko," Amarant said. "Beatrix doesn't have a lot of time."
"Why we not divide forces?" Quina asked. "Like we do in forest. Someone take Beatrix to Dali, rest of us go to caves."
"She has a point there," Blank said. "One of us can take the Hilda Garde 4 to Dali with Beatrix and get the medicine, and the rest of us can go through the Ice Caverns. We can all meet at Dali."
"Sounds like a good plan," Eiko said. She looked back to the cabin at Vivi, who was piloting the ship. "We're going to need a Black Mage in the caverns though. And a White Mage, and a fighter."
"I can take the Hilda Garde 4 to Dali," Blank said. "I know how to pilot an airship. I've had practice flying the Prima Vista. You, Vivi, Amarant and Quina can go through the caves."
The ship slowed to a stop and carefully landed next to the frosty cave opening. "It's all yours, Blank," Vivi said, giving him control of the ship.
"It'll probably take us an hour or two to get through the caves," Amarant said as he hoisted himself over the railing and to the ground. "We should try and hurry through here."
Vivi grabbed his hat to keep it from blowing off of his head as the Hilda Garde 4 lifted off with a cloud of sand and a rushing wind. "It shouldn't be that hard," he said. "The only reason this place was difficult before was because the first Black Waltz put everyone but Zidane to sleep. Zidane had to fight it and a monster it summoned by himself."
"What be wrong, Eiko?" Quina asked the White Mage, who was squinting at the entrance of the cave.
Eiko sighed. "Just thinking," she said. "If we lost the most powerful member of our party in the first location, what hope does that give for the rest of us?"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Beatrix was dreaming.
She was back in Cleyra, commanding the destruction of the city in the trees. She could feel the presence of the Black Mages behind her, casting Fira on everything they saw. And above it all, she knew that her Majesty, Queen Brahne, was getting ready to summon one of her daughters' eidolons at the city.
"It's not enough," Zidane said to her as they fought. "You'll never find me."
"We have to," Beatrix said as she cast Thunder Slash at him. "We have to protect you, Zidane."
(A part of her brain realized the irony of her telling him that she was going to protect him, while she was trying to kill him.)
Vivi stepped forward, preparing to cast a spell. "Beatrix, you have to wake up now. The others are going on ahead and having a wonderful time. Hide and go seek, all over again."
Beatrix blocked his Thundara spell and slashed him with the Save The Queen. The Black Mage fell down.
Quina and Freya attacked next, one with a Goblin Punch, the other with her Lancer attack. She deflected the attacks and slashed them both down. Freya looked up at her right before she died and whispered "it . . . is not . . . enough."
Her last enemy was harder. The dark sorcerer shook back his robes and raised his gloved hands. "I hold your precious monkey," the shape snarled. "We are both all right, in a place devoid of light, deep underground where we will not be found. Your dreams will show you the way."
Then he cast Death on her.
Beatrix twisted in her unconscious sleep, the venom coursing through her veins, and let out a ragged scream.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"This is damned cold," Amarant muttered.
They were already almost through the ice caves. The various enemies in the Ice Caverns - Flans, Wyerds, and Goblins for the most part - had not given them much trouble. Usually Vivi could take them out with one Firaga spell.
But if Eiko had to listen to Amarant complain one more time about the cold, she would curse him to spend eternity under Shiva's frosty gaze, and she didn't even care is Shiva wasn't one of her summons.
They reached a tall cave with ramps leading up to a brightly lit top. "At last," Vivi sighed. "We're almost to the top."
And that was when an explosion erupted the ramp in front of them, shattering it. A dark figure swooped down to hover over them.
The figure had wings. He wore a pointed hat. A purple and black robe draped over his figure. His gloved hands crackled with energy. His eyes glowed bright yellow in his black-as-night face.
"What in the name of Madeen are you!?" Eiko shrieked as she prepared to cast Holy.
The figure laughed.
"I am Black Waltz 2-1."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The Hilda Garde 4 touched down in the fields just outside of Dali, and Blank left the sickly general on the ship and ran into town. He made his way through the sleepy frontier town to the medicine store. "Quick!" he said. "I need the potion that stops the seeds from the Evil Forest plants from growing inside a person!"
The shopkeeper regarded the frantic thief, reached under the counter, and put a bright blue bottle in front of him. "That's gonna be 50 Gil," he said.
Blank put a handful of coins on the counter and ran back to the Hilda Garde 4.
The shopkeeper watched him leave, then walked into the back room and spoke clearly into a speaking tube. "There are new people in the town. They might try and stop production, like what happened six years ago. Keep an eye on them."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Black Waltz 2-1?" Amarant said, even as he mentally measured the interior of the cavern - rocks and other structures he could leap off of, his distance from the creature, ways to attack it. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Black Waltz, Version 2, Production 1," the Waltz said. "I am made superior to those paltry weaklings made six years ago. I am on a mission to search and destroy every last one of the people searching for Zidane - except for the summoner. That one is to be allowed through."
"And what if the summoner kills you?" Eiko shouted.
"Don't be ridiculous, girl," the Waltz snarled. "You couldn't possibly kill me."
"Don't be too sure about that," Eiko muttered. She wound up and cast Might on Amarant. "Go!"
Amarant bounded forward, jumped, leapt off of the cavern wall, and flew at the Waltz . . . Stopping about a foot away from him. The Waltz chuckled.
"How cute. The mercenary is going to play hero." Amarant went flying backwards against the wall with the sound of crunching rock.
As Eiko cast Curaga on the broken Amarant, Vivi twirled his staff. "Flare!" he shouted, unleashing the massive magical damage on the Black Waltz. The creature drooped in midair, flapped his wings harder, and stayed in the air.
Quina jumped forward, waggling her tongue. "Twister!" the Qu shouted. A cyclone of wind and energy appeared around the Black Waltz, thrashing it around in the air.
"So, you have three mages with you," the Waltz sneered. "White, Black, and Blue. And you think that that will save you?" He waved a hand and cast Break on Quina. To everyone's horror, Quina turned to stone.
While the Black Waltz cast that spell, Amarant leapt into the air again, slashing at the creature with his Rune Claws. The Black Waltz fell to the ground, magically healing the gash in its side.
Vivi wound up again. "Bio!" he yelled, casting the sickly green energy at the Black Waltz. The Black Waltz laughed weakly as it washed over him. "Pathetic," it said, but its voice sounded strained.
"Stona!" Eiko said, blowing in her Angel Flute and gesturing at Quina. Rainbow beams flickered around her, and suddenly Quina was flesh again.
"Stupid!" Quina yelled, shaking the aftereffects of the petrifying off. She raised her Gastro Fork. "Doom!" she yelled. A giant mirror appeared in front of the Black Waltz. Slowly, the Waltz's reflection faded, and an image of the Grim Reaper stood there instead. Then the mirror shattered.
"10 . . . 9 . . ." Quina muttered.
The Black Waltz shook off the spell and raised its hands. "Blizzaga!" it yelled, and a giant pillar of crystalline ice appeared between the fighters, shattering and throwing them all in separate directions.
"8 . . . 7 . . ."
Eiko raised her hands again. "Cura!" she said, healing all of her party members.
"6 . . . 5 . . ."
Amarant reached into a pouch at his belt and pulled out a pinwheel, throwing it at the Black Waltz. It stuck in his arm, and the creature roared in surprise as it tried to claw the item out.
"4 . . . 3 . . ."
Just as the Black Waltz ripped the pinwheel out of its arm, Vivi ran up and whipped the Black Waltz across the face with his Mace of Zeus before retreating out of the creatures reach.
"2 . . . 1 . . ."
The Black Waltz reared up over them, gathering his magic. "I guess I'll just have to cast Death on all of you!" it roared.
"ZERO!"
The creature let out one last cry of agony as light blazed through its dark. With one final scream, Black Waltz 2-1 sank to the ground and slowly faded out of existence.
There was no time for celebration; the walls of the cave rumbled and cracked as the strain from the fight shattered the Ice Cavern. "We got to leave!" Quina said.
"How are we going to get out of here!?" Amarant yelled. "The Black Waltz shattered the path leading up!"
Eiko closed her eyes and twirled her Angel Flute. "Phoenix!" she intoned. "Lord of fire, Lord of air! Come to your summoner! Fly us up from this place and out of danger!"
The air rippled around her, and then the great flaming form of Phoenix appeared, screeching and belting flames all over the place. "Hop on everyone!" Eiko yelled.
Amarant, Quina, and Vivi jumped on the eidolon's back, and the giant flaming bird lifted them to the top of the cavern. The four jumped off of Phoenix's back and out into the sunlight, and Phoenix disappeared.
The four collapsed on the grass, trying to regain their strength from the fight.
After a few minutes, Eiko put her head up. "A Black Waltz," she said. "Are you guys thinking what I'm thinking?"
Vivi looked up and nodded. "Kuja's back."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Steady, General Beatrix," Blank said as he helped the healed woman up.
Beatrix shook her head. "I had the strangest dream . . . Where are we?"
"Just outside the village of Dali. I flew here to get you the medicine to cure you. The others went through the Ice Caverns to try and find Zidane. They should be here soon."
"If my brother didn't take care of them already," a dark shape said, dropping from the sky. Dressed all in black, with long blue claws and glowing red eyes, the creature pointed a wooden staff at them. "Black Waltz 2-2, at your service. I'll be killing you now."
A/N: Thanks for the great reviews everyone! They are much appreciated.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Chapter 4: That Old Waltz Of Mine
"Esuna!" Eiko yelled, waving her hands over Beatrix's body. White light flared up for a second, then flickered and died. Eiko sat back down and put her face in her hands. "I don't know what's wrong with her."
Beatrix looked awful. Her skin was pale, almost white, and the veins under her skin were an unhealthy green color. Her forehead was dotted with sweat, and her breath came to her in short, ragged gasps. She was still unconscious, and occasionally muttered something that was too garbled for the others to understand.
"I think I do," Blank said. "When the Plant Brain kidnapped Dagger, he planted seeds in her to make her become one with the forest or something like that. It incubates the plants. We cured her by giving her this medicine I picked up in Dali."
"So, we go to Dali." Amarant nodded.
"We can't do that!" Eiko said. "We need to go to the Ice Caverns first! That was the next place that Zidane and the others went."
"Don't be stupid, Eiko," Amarant said. "Beatrix doesn't have a lot of time."
"Why we not divide forces?" Quina asked. "Like we do in forest. Someone take Beatrix to Dali, rest of us go to caves."
"She has a point there," Blank said. "One of us can take the Hilda Garde 4 to Dali with Beatrix and get the medicine, and the rest of us can go through the Ice Caverns. We can all meet at Dali."
"Sounds like a good plan," Eiko said. She looked back to the cabin at Vivi, who was piloting the ship. "We're going to need a Black Mage in the caverns though. And a White Mage, and a fighter."
"I can take the Hilda Garde 4 to Dali," Blank said. "I know how to pilot an airship. I've had practice flying the Prima Vista. You, Vivi, Amarant and Quina can go through the caves."
The ship slowed to a stop and carefully landed next to the frosty cave opening. "It's all yours, Blank," Vivi said, giving him control of the ship.
"It'll probably take us an hour or two to get through the caves," Amarant said as he hoisted himself over the railing and to the ground. "We should try and hurry through here."
Vivi grabbed his hat to keep it from blowing off of his head as the Hilda Garde 4 lifted off with a cloud of sand and a rushing wind. "It shouldn't be that hard," he said. "The only reason this place was difficult before was because the first Black Waltz put everyone but Zidane to sleep. Zidane had to fight it and a monster it summoned by himself."
"What be wrong, Eiko?" Quina asked the White Mage, who was squinting at the entrance of the cave.
Eiko sighed. "Just thinking," she said. "If we lost the most powerful member of our party in the first location, what hope does that give for the rest of us?"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Beatrix was dreaming.
She was back in Cleyra, commanding the destruction of the city in the trees. She could feel the presence of the Black Mages behind her, casting Fira on everything they saw. And above it all, she knew that her Majesty, Queen Brahne, was getting ready to summon one of her daughters' eidolons at the city.
"It's not enough," Zidane said to her as they fought. "You'll never find me."
"We have to," Beatrix said as she cast Thunder Slash at him. "We have to protect you, Zidane."
(A part of her brain realized the irony of her telling him that she was going to protect him, while she was trying to kill him.)
Vivi stepped forward, preparing to cast a spell. "Beatrix, you have to wake up now. The others are going on ahead and having a wonderful time. Hide and go seek, all over again."
Beatrix blocked his Thundara spell and slashed him with the Save The Queen. The Black Mage fell down.
Quina and Freya attacked next, one with a Goblin Punch, the other with her Lancer attack. She deflected the attacks and slashed them both down. Freya looked up at her right before she died and whispered "it . . . is not . . . enough."
Her last enemy was harder. The dark sorcerer shook back his robes and raised his gloved hands. "I hold your precious monkey," the shape snarled. "We are both all right, in a place devoid of light, deep underground where we will not be found. Your dreams will show you the way."
Then he cast Death on her.
Beatrix twisted in her unconscious sleep, the venom coursing through her veins, and let out a ragged scream.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"This is damned cold," Amarant muttered.
They were already almost through the ice caves. The various enemies in the Ice Caverns - Flans, Wyerds, and Goblins for the most part - had not given them much trouble. Usually Vivi could take them out with one Firaga spell.
But if Eiko had to listen to Amarant complain one more time about the cold, she would curse him to spend eternity under Shiva's frosty gaze, and she didn't even care is Shiva wasn't one of her summons.
They reached a tall cave with ramps leading up to a brightly lit top. "At last," Vivi sighed. "We're almost to the top."
And that was when an explosion erupted the ramp in front of them, shattering it. A dark figure swooped down to hover over them.
The figure had wings. He wore a pointed hat. A purple and black robe draped over his figure. His gloved hands crackled with energy. His eyes glowed bright yellow in his black-as-night face.
"What in the name of Madeen are you!?" Eiko shrieked as she prepared to cast Holy.
The figure laughed.
"I am Black Waltz 2-1."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The Hilda Garde 4 touched down in the fields just outside of Dali, and Blank left the sickly general on the ship and ran into town. He made his way through the sleepy frontier town to the medicine store. "Quick!" he said. "I need the potion that stops the seeds from the Evil Forest plants from growing inside a person!"
The shopkeeper regarded the frantic thief, reached under the counter, and put a bright blue bottle in front of him. "That's gonna be 50 Gil," he said.
Blank put a handful of coins on the counter and ran back to the Hilda Garde 4.
The shopkeeper watched him leave, then walked into the back room and spoke clearly into a speaking tube. "There are new people in the town. They might try and stop production, like what happened six years ago. Keep an eye on them."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Black Waltz 2-1?" Amarant said, even as he mentally measured the interior of the cavern - rocks and other structures he could leap off of, his distance from the creature, ways to attack it. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Black Waltz, Version 2, Production 1," the Waltz said. "I am made superior to those paltry weaklings made six years ago. I am on a mission to search and destroy every last one of the people searching for Zidane - except for the summoner. That one is to be allowed through."
"And what if the summoner kills you?" Eiko shouted.
"Don't be ridiculous, girl," the Waltz snarled. "You couldn't possibly kill me."
"Don't be too sure about that," Eiko muttered. She wound up and cast Might on Amarant. "Go!"
Amarant bounded forward, jumped, leapt off of the cavern wall, and flew at the Waltz . . . Stopping about a foot away from him. The Waltz chuckled.
"How cute. The mercenary is going to play hero." Amarant went flying backwards against the wall with the sound of crunching rock.
As Eiko cast Curaga on the broken Amarant, Vivi twirled his staff. "Flare!" he shouted, unleashing the massive magical damage on the Black Waltz. The creature drooped in midair, flapped his wings harder, and stayed in the air.
Quina jumped forward, waggling her tongue. "Twister!" the Qu shouted. A cyclone of wind and energy appeared around the Black Waltz, thrashing it around in the air.
"So, you have three mages with you," the Waltz sneered. "White, Black, and Blue. And you think that that will save you?" He waved a hand and cast Break on Quina. To everyone's horror, Quina turned to stone.
While the Black Waltz cast that spell, Amarant leapt into the air again, slashing at the creature with his Rune Claws. The Black Waltz fell to the ground, magically healing the gash in its side.
Vivi wound up again. "Bio!" he yelled, casting the sickly green energy at the Black Waltz. The Black Waltz laughed weakly as it washed over him. "Pathetic," it said, but its voice sounded strained.
"Stona!" Eiko said, blowing in her Angel Flute and gesturing at Quina. Rainbow beams flickered around her, and suddenly Quina was flesh again.
"Stupid!" Quina yelled, shaking the aftereffects of the petrifying off. She raised her Gastro Fork. "Doom!" she yelled. A giant mirror appeared in front of the Black Waltz. Slowly, the Waltz's reflection faded, and an image of the Grim Reaper stood there instead. Then the mirror shattered.
"10 . . . 9 . . ." Quina muttered.
The Black Waltz shook off the spell and raised its hands. "Blizzaga!" it yelled, and a giant pillar of crystalline ice appeared between the fighters, shattering and throwing them all in separate directions.
"8 . . . 7 . . ."
Eiko raised her hands again. "Cura!" she said, healing all of her party members.
"6 . . . 5 . . ."
Amarant reached into a pouch at his belt and pulled out a pinwheel, throwing it at the Black Waltz. It stuck in his arm, and the creature roared in surprise as it tried to claw the item out.
"4 . . . 3 . . ."
Just as the Black Waltz ripped the pinwheel out of its arm, Vivi ran up and whipped the Black Waltz across the face with his Mace of Zeus before retreating out of the creatures reach.
"2 . . . 1 . . ."
The Black Waltz reared up over them, gathering his magic. "I guess I'll just have to cast Death on all of you!" it roared.
"ZERO!"
The creature let out one last cry of agony as light blazed through its dark. With one final scream, Black Waltz 2-1 sank to the ground and slowly faded out of existence.
There was no time for celebration; the walls of the cave rumbled and cracked as the strain from the fight shattered the Ice Cavern. "We got to leave!" Quina said.
"How are we going to get out of here!?" Amarant yelled. "The Black Waltz shattered the path leading up!"
Eiko closed her eyes and twirled her Angel Flute. "Phoenix!" she intoned. "Lord of fire, Lord of air! Come to your summoner! Fly us up from this place and out of danger!"
The air rippled around her, and then the great flaming form of Phoenix appeared, screeching and belting flames all over the place. "Hop on everyone!" Eiko yelled.
Amarant, Quina, and Vivi jumped on the eidolon's back, and the giant flaming bird lifted them to the top of the cavern. The four jumped off of Phoenix's back and out into the sunlight, and Phoenix disappeared.
The four collapsed on the grass, trying to regain their strength from the fight.
After a few minutes, Eiko put her head up. "A Black Waltz," she said. "Are you guys thinking what I'm thinking?"
Vivi looked up and nodded. "Kuja's back."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Steady, General Beatrix," Blank said as he helped the healed woman up.
Beatrix shook her head. "I had the strangest dream . . . Where are we?"
"Just outside the village of Dali. I flew here to get you the medicine to cure you. The others went through the Ice Caverns to try and find Zidane. They should be here soon."
"If my brother didn't take care of them already," a dark shape said, dropping from the sky. Dressed all in black, with long blue claws and glowing red eyes, the creature pointed a wooden staff at them. "Black Waltz 2-2, at your service. I'll be killing you now."
