Growing Heart

Ch 7 - A Common Goal

"Ahhh! What the hell are they doing out there?" Nami screeched, "Zoro knows full well that we're in here!"

Kaboom!

The adults landed hard against the rubble for the upteenth time while Aisa's fall was cushioned by Boo. They had been doing this bumpy dance for several minutes. The snake was thrashing around fiercely, sending it's passengers tumbling every which way. Because everyone had kept a watchful eye on the rubber boy, they knew the snake was reacting to whatever was happening outside of it's body.

Sid sat up and grabbed a rock that had hit her right in the small of her back. "This has Wyper written all over it," she groaned and crushed the rock in her hands. She tossed it over her shoulder and then rubbed out the ache in her back. "That maniac is probably trying to burn a hole through the snake."

"Is this what you mean by hurting instead of helping?" Aisa asked.

"No," Sid scoffed, "Because that would imply Wyper's doing it in order to help us. He's probably just trying to kill the snake because it's getting in the way of Wyper beating up that priest or even Enel, if he shows up."

"Demon...Wyper is a demon," Aisa whimpered.

The ground beneath them started to tremble again and Sid grimaced. "Brace yourselves. Here comes another one."

Aisa ducked further into Boo's cloud and Sid sucked in a breath. Soon, they found themselves high up in the air again but this time they kept rising higher and higher.

No!, Sid thought with a jolt and then looked towards Boo and Aisa for confirmation, We're not flying up...We're falling down! The entire snake is falling!

"What is going on?!" Nami shrieked and made a grab for her waver just as it was about to float past.

"I see an opening!" Gan Fall shouted and leapt onto Pierre's back. He pointed straight down with his javelin where there was a small circle of light, "The snake's mouth must be open! Let's get out of here."

"Ah! This could go on forever," Nami agreed, "Luffy! Grab onto the waver! I'm going to fire up the engine."

"Yosh!" Luffy shouted as Sid swam herself towards Boo. She climbed onto him but could only kneel right at the end since Aisa had taken up most of the space.

"Boo!"

"Okay. I'm ready, Nami!" Luffy cried out from behind.

"Let's go!'

Sid kept her eyes forward as Boo flew past Nami and they were hot on Gan Fall's tail. She heard the Blue Sea girl rev up the engine and then a bursting sound from the jet dial when she gunned it.

"AHHHHHH!"

A sudden scream caught Sid's attention but before she could even turn around she felt a hand grab hold of her her neck.

"GAK!" she gasped when the fingers dented into her skin and pulled her backwards off of her sky sheep.

"Sid!" Immediately, Aisa swiped her hand out but the child's reflexes were too slow and her reach was too small. She missed Sid's extended arm entirely. "NO!"

With the opening still in view, Sid made a split second decision. "Boo! Keep going! Don't turn away. Get Aisa out of here! Don't worry about me! Just protect Aisa!"

The ruckus caused Gan Fall to turn around and his eyes popped out when Sid and her assailant getting further and further away. "What are they doing?! Pierre, Go back! We have to save those two!"

"Pierre!" Pierre screeched and came to a full stop. Unfortunately, his rider did not expect his steed to be that obedient and Gan Fall flew over the bird and continued to fall downwards.