There are so many things I have told you about Joy Shelley, the little human girl I lovingly called ‘Dragon Little’. I do look at her as the daughter I could never have.
There are so many things to tell that I fear there will never be enough time to tell them all.
And yet, as much as she amazes me every day of her life, she ist human and bad things can happen to her when villains are involved.
I have already told you of the Evil Forest Fairy King, how he was caught by Dragon Father (the name I gave Dragon Little’s father) and how he was humiliated by Dragon Little when she was only two years old. I have told you that he had been imprisoned along with all the other villains that Dragon Little and Dragon Father defeat, imprisoned in the Infinite Prison in the belly of Bonny’s Revenge. I have also told you how the Evil Fairy King holds a grudge.
And now, perhaps, it ist time to tell you how the Evil Fairy King tried to repay that debt.
When Dragon Father was away in his waking world for 16 or more hours, Dragon Little would often spend her times in the Infinite Prison, talking mostly to the villain General Hawk but also to other villains.
Two weeks before the last story had occurred, the Evil Fairy King decided to speak.
“Little girl,” I heard him whisper to Dragon Little. For I cannot see the belly of the ship, but a dragon’s hearing can hear a whisper from the other side of the world.
“Oh! Look who started talking all of the sudden!” I heard Dragon Little say happily.
“That was quite a catch, little girl. To defeat the giant cobra god? Quiet a catch.”
“Thank you very much! We always catch the bad guys!”
“Yes… Yes, you do....” he whispered in a way that hurt the inside of my ears. “You always catch the bad guys… But this time was pretty dangerous, wasn’t it? I heard the cobra struck you so hard that if your father hadn’t…”
“Yeah. He always catches me.”
“But what if he wasn’t there? He isn’t always there to--”
“I don’t need him. I’m fine on my own. And he always catches me.”
“Hmmm… Yes… Yes, he does…” There was a short silence, and then he spoke again. “But who is there to catch him? Who protects him? He can protect himself, sure, but all it takes is one time… One time, one mistake, and something really bad could happen to him? Can you protect him? Can you catch him every time?”
“Yes! Yes, I can! Every time!”
“Ah… Good. I just wanted to know.”
“I can save him! Every time!”
Then there was silence.
And then, Dragon Little stormed out of the Infinite Prison and onto Bonny Revenge’s deck. She seemed upset, but it soon passed.
I did not give that incident any more thought. However…
As you may have guessed, this incident occurred about two weeks before Dragon Little, the little pirate girl who leapt into action without fear, began to doubt herself. This ist how that doubt began.
Tomorrow I will tell you of the consequences the Evil Fairy King suffered for what he had done to Dragon Little.
—Told by The Red Dragon