Free Heart

Ch 56 - I am Hopeful.

By a stroke of luck, Emmy and her group were able to rejoin Vivi and the others right before sundown. The sky was a magenta and violet blend and the temperature was much more bearable. Everyone was in good spirits when they saw each other and that was only further fueled with the princess' announcement that Yuba was just within reach.

"Just over those two dunes up ahead," she said.

"Wahoo!" Chopper and Luffy cheered with vigor.

"Ugh, carry me, Zoro," Usopp said as he leaned up against the swordsman, "I'm so tired."

"Don't be a wimp," Zoro huffed. He brushed off the sniper like he would a fly and continued on his way.

"Oh! Carry me then!" Luffy exclaimed.

"And me!" Chopper shouted.

Zoro grimaced. "Rock paper scissors then."

"YAYYYY!" Chopper and Luffy cheered.

Usopp grinned and rolled up his sleeves. "Yosh! Let this legendary rock-paper-scissors champion show you how it's done!"

"Rock...paper...scissors!" Luffy, Chopper, and Usopp shouted together.

"I WIN!" Usopp cheered and raised his fist in the air.

"EHHHH?!" Luffy and Chopper screeched as both held up their scissors.

"Alright, Zoro. Carry me!" Usopp shouted with unabashed confidence. He threw his arms out and ignored the roll of the swordsman's eyes as he hoisted the sniper over his shoulder.

"Ahhh, this feels nice," Usopp sighed as he dangled over the swordsman's back.

Zzzzzzz!

Zoro's jaw dropped. "Asleep already?!"

The wind picked up, bringing through cooler air as well as more sand. The group covered their faces with their head wraps and walked the last couple miles towards Yuba. The wind only got stronger with every step they took.

"Up ahead. I see a light," Vivi called from the top of Lashes.

"Really? I can't see with all this sand," Luffy sighed.

Emmy tilted her head to the side when low rumblings tickled her ears. "Do you guys hear that?"

Hehehehehe.

"I hear...something but I don't know what..." Sanji agreed, "That...scratchy whistling noise?"

"Eh?" Emmy asked, "I don't hear that at all...Scratching and whistling?"

A strangled gasp came out of Vivi's throat and she nudged Lashes forward. "The city doesn't look right."

The group ran after her and as they got closer, they could see a sandstorm spiraling all around the city and fully consuming it in it's whirling wrath.

"Oh no!" Vivi cried.

Heheheheh.

This time Emmy knew for sure there was a person laughing and it was the same laugh they had heard in Erumalu. "Someone's there..."

Both Sanji and Zoro looked over at her in alarm. "You can feel someone through the sandstorm, Emmy-chan?!" Sanji asked, "Have your powers gotten stronger?"

Emmy shook her head. "No, but I think I hear someone. Someone's in the sandstorm."

Zoro glanced over at the princess, whose hands were twisting around and around itself as she kept her eyes on the city's faint silhouette. "Well, there's really nothing we can do about it until this storm goes away."