It was right at the end of Dragon Father’s and Dragon Little’s Backwards Day adventure that it ended the way Dragon Father had planned… but not exactly.

I have learned over time that dreamers often have a plan for their dream, but they never know what that plan ist. That ist their… subconscious… Something I have failed to have, apparently, as a dragon of the Dream.

Dragon Father had woken Dragon Little with the idea of Backwards Day and had slowly built their adventure backwards. They had first given stolen treasure to evil pirates. Then they had released the Jolly Pirate from the Infinite Prison in the belly of Bonny’s Revenge rather than putting him in it, then fought the pirates and lost, and now they came to an unnamed palace on a planet that had been created minutes ago by Dragon Father’s imagination. 

Dragon Little and Dragon Father entered a big chamber, where they saw the Jolly Pirate and his pirates run towards mountains of gold. Thankfully I could see the events from my high vantage point through the great windows of the chamber. 

“Stop!” A voice thundered around them. 

The pirates stopped. 

They looked around as did Dragon Father and Dragon Little. 

Out of every entrance to the chamber came soldiers, armed with pikes and swords. The King stepped in from one direction. 

“Ah! Finally! We have caught the Jolly Pirate and his gang red-handed!” exclaimed the King happily. “Arrest them!” 

“Huh? What?” Dragon Little, 4 years old and used to adventure, looked at her father, confused. 

“I told you, it’s Backwards Day!” Dragon Father seemed happy.

“Pirate Justin, Pirate Joy,” the King addressed them. “It turns out we will not need your services after all.” 

“Perfectly understandable,” Dragon Father bowed happily. 

“Huh? What! Dad!” 

“Shhh,” he whispered. “We would usually begin here, after the pirates escape jail here, steal the treasure, then we take the treasure from them bit by bit, one adventure at a time, then we catch the pirate, then we put them in prison. Now we released him out of prison, gave him treasure, led them here to the trap, and they end up being imprisoned here! Get it! It’s backwards! It’s perfect!” 

Dragon Little made a face. 

“Take them away!” ordered the King. 

The soldiers began to lead the Jolly Pirate and his minions out of the room. 

“No! No!” Dragon Little yelled. “We need them! We want them!” 

“It’s all right, it’s all right,” Dragon Father said to the king. “Joy, you’re making a scene. Let’s go!” 

She wrestled her hand away from him and was about to answer, when he disappeared. It had been a long adventure, and now his dream was over and he had woken up. Although Dragon Little did not know that. 

Dragon Father disappeared. And with him disappeared the King, the soldiers, and the minions. 

Dragon Little stood in front of the handcuffed Jolly Pirate, who looked around in confusion. 

“Come on, let’s go,” she motioned calmly to him with her finger. 

He bowed his head and came as requested. 

Dragon Little led him through the empty corridors to the now-empty ship bay they had landed in just a few minutes ago. I heard them climb aboard the rope ladder. I heard her lead him down the corridor. I heard her lock the door behind him. 

A few minutes later, she piloted Bonny’s Revenge away from the planet. 

It was not Backwards Day after all.

—Told by The Red Dragon