Once again, Dragon Father disappeared in the middle of an adventure and did not return. He had gone back to the waking world, and Dragon Little, now five years old, the toughest and cutest human I have ever met in my long life, was stranded Big Boss Planet. 

Big Boss Lawyer’s minions captured her and brought her to their leader. 

As always, I was ready to leap into action and save her should worse come to worse. I may not be fast enough for all situations, but I was ready. Still, I was quite certain she was in no real danger. After all, the creatures were born from her father’s subconscious, and the creatures his subconscious created almost always protected her even when he was not there. 

The Big Boss Lawyer was a tall and muscular woman who always seemed in command. Her throne was in the middle of a room filled with chairs and tables and screens on the desks they had called ‘computers’ earlier in the adventure. 

“So this is the dreaded pirate Joy,” hissed Big Boss Lawyer and looked down at her. 

Dragon Little stared at her defiantly. “What do you want?”

“Oh, my my, such impudence!” Big Boss Lawyer continued to hiss. “I will order you killed!” Then she spun around and corrected herself, “I have no time to order you killed!”

She looked at Dragon Little. “Why did you invade my kingdom?”

Dragon Little opened her mouth to speak, but Big Boss Lawyer shushed her. “I have no time to hear you speak! I have no time to ask you questions!” 

Dragon Little looked around. Having seen her in hundreds of battles, I knew she was looking for a weapon. 

Big Boss Lawyer waved at her minions, “I have no time to speak with her! Throw her off the--I have no time to give orders! I have no time to deal with this dreaded pirate! What should I do with her? I have no time to debate with myself!”

Dragon Little felt ignored enough to take a few steps and climb on top of a table. She grabbed one of those screens called a computer. 

Big Boss Lawyer walked around in circles, ignoring Dragon Little. “I have no time for anything! I have to do so much before the baby comes! I have no time to think about the baby! I have no time to think about the baby! I have no time to--Ah-choo!” She sneezed, and immediately said, “I have no time to sneeze!” 

Dragon Little hit the top of the villain’s head with a computer. Big Boss Lawyer fell down to the floor, unconscious. 

Dragon Little looked at her minions. “I am the dreaded pirate Joy! Run if you want to live!” 

The minions turned around and ran way. 

Dragon Little jumped off the table and tied Big Boss Lawyer’s hands behind her back with computer cables. 

When Big Boss Lady awoke, Dragon Little led her, all by herself, back to Bonny’s Revenge and into an empty cell in The Infinite Prison in the belly of the ship. 

I felt so proud of my Dragon Little. At age 5, surrounded by villains, she defeated them without effort. This would give her a chance, only a small chance of survival, when she starts facing the dangers that awaited her outside her father’s dream. Where the villains are worse and her father’s subconscious would not protect her. 

I worried for her, as I worried every day, knowing how many are looking for her. But that day, for a few minutes, I felt hopeful. 

—Told by The Red Dragon