Second To The Right, And Skate On Till Morning, 7/11
Title: Second To The Right, And Skate On Till Morning
Rating: G
Summary: Peter Pan AU. Yu-na and the lost boys are visited by wildlife, and Captain Morozov is truly evil.
Disclaimer: I own neither skaters nor magical flying children, and anything that happens to them herein is entirely fictional.
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6
The day after the battle began peacefully enough. Adam, the only one without any injuries, went out to gather fruit, and the rest of the kingdom stayed home. Blade made the rounds with bandages and slobbery kisses until Bear, armed with a needle he had sterilized in the fire, caught him and stitched up his torn ear. Evan hacked at the puddle until he had enough ice for his head, Yu-na’s ankle, and Mullet’s knee. His efforts left the puddle as more slush than ice, but everyone agreed that it was for a good cause. Johnny fashioned slings out of the stretchy leaves and made everyone wear them, even Jeremy and Quatchi, although only Bug and Googly really needed them. Yu-na sat on the throne Adam had made her, resting her ankle and adding jewels to a new dress. It was all rather cozy, until the bird arrived.
“HONK!” it said from the entrance to the icy tunnel.
“What was that?” demanded Yu-na. At the sound, she had dropped her dress and nearly fallen off the throne.
The bird waddled into the room. It looked something like a swan, but instead of being black or white, it was pink. “HONK!”
“It’s the Never bird!” said Bug. He ran over to her, wincing when he tried to open his arms for a hug. “How are you?”
She ignored him and waddled on over to Johnny. “Honk,” she said, and snapped her beak at him. “HOOOOONK.”
“Ow! What?” asked Johnny.
The Never bird nipped at his coat. “Honk?”
Johnny frowned. He had made the coat himself out of feathers every color of the rainbow, and he was very proud of it. “Stop that!”
“HONK,” said the Never bird, and dug through the feathers until she pulled out a pink one.
“Oh,” said Johnny. “Are those yours?”
“HONK.”
“They were just lying on the ground!”
“HONK.”
“You want them back?”
“HONK!”
“Okay!” said Johnny, and he plucked the pink feathers from the coat. Fortunately, there were plenty of other feathers left. “I didn’t want them anyway.”
“Honk,” the Never bird said cheerfully as she tucked the feathers under one wing. She then looked around, found the melting puddle, and settled into it. Her natural grace in the water shone through the slush, and Yu-na and the boys were appropriately dazzled.
“You’re beautiful!” said Yu-na, and the Never bird preened.
“Birds aren’t supposed to be pink,” said Evan.
“Flamingos are!” said Johnny.
“It’s not a flamingo!”
“HONK!”
Evan cringed under the Never bird’s glare. “Sorry. Um. Pink is nice?”
“Pink is perfect,” said Johnny, who thought of the Never bird more kindly now that Evan was on her bad side. “And she’s ‘she,’ not ‘it.’” He looked at the bird curiously. “Do you have a name?”
“Honkhooonk,” said the Never bird.
“Hooooonk?” ventured Johnny.
The Never bird made a sound somewhere between a snort and a honk that was probably her version of a laugh, then repeated her name. “Honkhooonk.”
Jeremy tinkled something to Bug, who translated. “He says it means Oksana!”
“Jeremy can speak bird?” asked Yu-na.
“They both have wings,” said Bug, as if that explained everything.
“Oksana?” said Johnny. The Never bird nodded proudly. “That’s a pretty name. How come you want the feathers back?”
“HONK,” said Oksana.
Jeremy and Bug translated again. “She makes things with them!”
“I make things too!” said Johnny. “I made this coat! Can’t I have a feather, please? Just one?”
Oksana studied Johnny carefully. It was hard for anyone to resist Johnny’s sad puppy eyes, and Oksana was quite a kind, motherly bird. “Honk,” she said at last, and retrieved a feather from under her wing.
“Thank you!” said Johnny. He took the feather and began the search for the perfect spot on his coat to put it.
“Your coat looks wonderful, Johnny,” said Yu-na. She held out her dress to admire it. The diamonds were a little crooked, but they were still diamonds. “We ought to have a fashion show.”
“Can we?” asked Johnny.
“Can we not?” asked Evan.
“Can you tell us what that is?” asked Bug.
“A fashion show!” said Yu-na. “It’s when we all put on our new clothes and show them off!”
“Aren’t we doing that now?” asked Mullet, who was wearing his Johnny-designed suit of sleek black fur with a sparkly red vest. Both the trousers and the vest had pockets.
“Not at all!” said Yu-na. “Here, I’ll show you. Googly?” Googly rushed to her side, and with his help, Yu-na hobbled behind the screen that served as her bedroom wall. “You can go now, I can get dressed myself.”
“Sorry,” said Googly sheepishly, and he returned to the other side of the screen.
Alone, Yu-na changed from her leafy tunic and leggings - as queen, she was allowed to dress like Adam - into the diamond-studded blue dress she had just finished. “All right, Googly, you may help me again.” Googly led Yu-na out into the open, and she sauntered as well as her ankle would let her. From the puddle, Oksana looked on in amusement. “Johnny? Won’t you announce me?”
“Here comes the beautiful Queen Yu-na Orser-Wilson,” said Johnny obediently, “wearing the very latest in Neverland style. Designed by the young genius Johnny Orser-Wilson-”
“Genius?” said Googly. “Really?”
“He did make us pockets,” said Bear.
“But he also made us feathers,” said Evan, looking dolefully at his wrists.
“You like feathers!” said Johnny. “You said so!”
“I said I liked them better than the snake idea, that’s all!”
“Yu-na!” said Johnny.
“Boys!” said Yu-na.
“HONK!” said Oksana. She flapped her wings, splashing defenders and complainers alike.
“Oh dear,” said Yu-na. “Perhaps we’d better play something else.”
“Like what?” asked Bug, who was comforting Johnny.
Yu-na hopped back to her throne. “Like being nice to each other, and apologizing if we hurt each other’s feelings.”
“That doesn’t sound like any fun,” said Mullet.
“Getting thrown in the dungeon sounds like even less fun, don’t you think?” snapped Yu-na.
“Do we even have a dungeon?” Mullet whispered to Bear.
Bear shrugged. “I don’t think so, but I wouldn’t test her.”
Oksana waddled out of the puddle and shook herself off. “Honk,” she said severely. “Honk honk.”
“What is she saying?” asked Yu-na.
Bug listened to Jeremy’s translation, scrunching up his face in concentration. “She says she knows we’re all touchy because we have broken wings-”
“I don’t have broken wings,” said Evan. “I don’t have any wings. I have a broken head.”
“Honk!”
“She says it’s a metaphor,” said Bug.
“A what?” asked Googly.
“A- it doesn’t matter,” said Bug. “Anyway, she thinks we should settle our differences like her babies do.”
“How’s that?” asked Johnny.
Oksana poked him with her beak and pushed him toward Evan. “Honk!”
Jeremy giggled and translated to Bug, who giggled and translated to the others. “Hugging!”
Johnny and Evan looked at each other warily. “My side hurts,” said Johnny. Which was probably true, seeing as a pirate’s sword had pierced it, but Oksana just pushed him harder.
“My head hurts,” said Evan. He had been knocked over when Miki killed the pirate he was fighting.
“HONK!”
“Okay, okay, we’re hugging!” said Evan, and he put an arm around Johnny’s shoulders.
“Honk!”
“Like you mean it,” said Bug.
“But I didn’t do anything!” protested Johnny.
“Maybe not this time,” said Yu-na. “Go on, hug!”
Sighing, Johnny held out his arms. Evan crouched down to his brother’s height and hugged him. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I don’t really mind the feathers.”
“I did give you black ones,” said Johnny, hugging back. “I thought they’d look nice with your medal.”
Oksana gave an approving honk, then looked expectantly at the others.
“Group hug!” said Bug, and rushed to put his good arm around both Johnny and Evan. Yu-na, assisted by Googly, was next into the group, and after some prodding by Oksana, Mullet and Bear followed. Jeremy landed on Yu-na’s shoulder, and Blade wormed his way into the center. They all hugged, taking care not to bump each other’s cuts and sprains and bruises.
“Thank you, Oksana,” said Yu-na after a moment. “And thank you, boys. I couldn’t ask for better subjects.”
“Could too,” said Bear.
“Could not!” said Googly.
“Could-”
“That does it!” said Yu-na. “I hereby outlaw not-too fights!”
“You can’t do that!” said Mullet, a glint of mischief in his eyes.
“Can t- oh!” Yu-na frowned and the boys laughed as the hug broke apart. “Just you wait until Adam gets home,” Yu-na said, trying to keep from laughing herself. “He’ll make you behave!”
“I think he’s home now,” said Bug. “I hear the sled!”
Yu-na turned toward the icy tunnel and was hit by a rush of cold air. It was followed not by Adam and the sled, but by a furry white creature that looked like a cross between a dog and a bear, with a tail like a lion. A thin layer of ice formed itself around its feet. “Oh!” said Yu-na. “You must be the zamboni.”
The creature nodded and grinned, revealing teeth like a crocodile. Blade growled at it.
“Shh, it’s all right,” said Bear, patting Blade’s back. “He’s just here to freeze the puddle. He always knows when it melts.”
“He won’t eat us?” asked Johnny.
“He never eats people!” said Googly. “Except for Captain Morozov’s hand. But that’s different!”
“How?” asked Evan.
“It just is! He likes us.”
“But-”
“Quiet, or I’ll make you hug,” said Yu-na. “Please, Mr. Zamboni, be our guest!”
The zamboni made his way to the puddle, trailing ice. Oksana splashed into the puddle and glared at him, but he simply nudged her out of the way and touched his nose to the slushy water. It froze instantly.
“Cool,” said Evan.
“Honk,” complained Oksana.
“Don’t worry,” said Bug. “I’ll help you find more water!”
“Did you freeze the lagoon again yet?” Mullet asked the zamboni, who shook his head. “Could you not? Or could you leave part of it unfrozen when you do?”
The zamboni grinned and panted, not clearly denying Mullet’s request, but not clearly agreeing to it, either.
“It was worth a try,” said Evan, who looked almost as disappointed as Mullet at the lack of a promise.
“Evan has a girlfriend!” sang Johnny, and Evan blushed.
“Enough!” said Yu-na. She turned back to the zamboni. “We thank you for your work, Mr. Zamboni. Is there anything we can do for you?” The zamboni nuzzled Yu-na’s hand in a gesture she recognized as one Blade made when he wanted his ears scratched. She laughed and obliged. “Aren’t you sweet!”
His ears thoroughly scratched, the zamboni nodded to Yu-na and the boys and returned to the icy tunnel. Oksana followed him, honking her disapproval and pecking at his tail.
“Well,” said Yu-na once the visitors were gone, “that was quite an experience!” She limped back to her throne, being careful not to slip on the ice the zamboni left behind.
“It was just the zamboni and the Never bird,” said Googly. “You should see the weird animals!”
“I’d love to,” said Yu-na. “Won’t you tell me about them?”
Googly opened his mouth, but before he could begin his lesson, a familiar crow was heard from the iceless tunnel. “Adam!” shouted the boys.
“Welcome home, General!” added Yu-na.
Adam flew into the room, his face hidden by the giant basket of fruit that he carried. “Thank you, Your Highness!” He put the basket down, and the others gasped. “What?”
“Your- Adam- your hair,” stammered Yu-na.
“What about it?” asked Adam.
“It’s straight!” said Bug.
Sure enough, Adam’s glorious curls had given way to flat hunks of hair hanging from his head like so much straw. Jeremy flew up to inspect the change, but couldn’t bring himself to touch the hair. Adam frowned. “It is?”
“Look in the puddle,” said Mullet, whose hair had lost its luster in sympathy.
Adam ran to the puddle, which was mirror-smooth after the zamboni’s visit. The others crowded around him. “It is,” said Adam in a hushed voice, brushing his reflection with his fingertips.
“What happened?” asked Yu-na.
“Voodoo!” said Googly. “Only Captain Morozov would do something this bad!”
“We won’t let him get away with this,” Bear promised.
“Does it really matter?” asked Evan. “It’s just hair.”
“‘Just hair?’” repeated Bug incredulously. “‘Just hair?’”
“Hair is very important!” said Johnny.
“Adam’s hair is more than important,” said Mullet. “It’s what makes Adam Adam.”
“It’s not the only thing that makes me me,” said Adam, but his voice shook, and he couldn’t look away from the puddle.
Yu-na put a hand on his shoulder. “We’ll make this right,” she said. “What can we do?”
“I don’t know.” Adam looked up. “Jeremy! Can you fix this?”
Jeremy flew all around Adam’s head, then nodded and reversed his flight, spinning and spraying fairy dust over the mistreated hair. Slowly, the curls returned, and the kingdom heaved a sigh of relief.
“Thank goodness!” said Yu-na.
“Not so fast,” said Adam, gingerly touching his hair. “Jeremy’s magic won’t hold forever, and if Morozov can do this, I bet he can reach us in other ways.” He stood and surveyed the room, grim with determination. “We need a plan.”
Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11
Rating: G
Summary: Peter Pan AU. Yu-na and the lost boys are visited by wildlife, and Captain Morozov is truly evil.
Disclaimer: I own neither skaters nor magical flying children, and anything that happens to them herein is entirely fictional.
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6
The day after the battle began peacefully enough. Adam, the only one without any injuries, went out to gather fruit, and the rest of the kingdom stayed home. Blade made the rounds with bandages and slobbery kisses until Bear, armed with a needle he had sterilized in the fire, caught him and stitched up his torn ear. Evan hacked at the puddle until he had enough ice for his head, Yu-na’s ankle, and Mullet’s knee. His efforts left the puddle as more slush than ice, but everyone agreed that it was for a good cause. Johnny fashioned slings out of the stretchy leaves and made everyone wear them, even Jeremy and Quatchi, although only Bug and Googly really needed them. Yu-na sat on the throne Adam had made her, resting her ankle and adding jewels to a new dress. It was all rather cozy, until the bird arrived.
“HONK!” it said from the entrance to the icy tunnel.
“What was that?” demanded Yu-na. At the sound, she had dropped her dress and nearly fallen off the throne.
The bird waddled into the room. It looked something like a swan, but instead of being black or white, it was pink. “HONK!”
“It’s the Never bird!” said Bug. He ran over to her, wincing when he tried to open his arms for a hug. “How are you?”
She ignored him and waddled on over to Johnny. “Honk,” she said, and snapped her beak at him. “HOOOOONK.”
“Ow! What?” asked Johnny.
The Never bird nipped at his coat. “Honk?”
Johnny frowned. He had made the coat himself out of feathers every color of the rainbow, and he was very proud of it. “Stop that!”
“HONK,” said the Never bird, and dug through the feathers until she pulled out a pink one.
“Oh,” said Johnny. “Are those yours?”
“HONK.”
“They were just lying on the ground!”
“HONK.”
“You want them back?”
“HONK!”
“Okay!” said Johnny, and he plucked the pink feathers from the coat. Fortunately, there were plenty of other feathers left. “I didn’t want them anyway.”
“Honk,” the Never bird said cheerfully as she tucked the feathers under one wing. She then looked around, found the melting puddle, and settled into it. Her natural grace in the water shone through the slush, and Yu-na and the boys were appropriately dazzled.
“You’re beautiful!” said Yu-na, and the Never bird preened.
“Birds aren’t supposed to be pink,” said Evan.
“Flamingos are!” said Johnny.
“It’s not a flamingo!”
“HONK!”
Evan cringed under the Never bird’s glare. “Sorry. Um. Pink is nice?”
“Pink is perfect,” said Johnny, who thought of the Never bird more kindly now that Evan was on her bad side. “And she’s ‘she,’ not ‘it.’” He looked at the bird curiously. “Do you have a name?”
“Honkhooonk,” said the Never bird.
“Hooooonk?” ventured Johnny.
The Never bird made a sound somewhere between a snort and a honk that was probably her version of a laugh, then repeated her name. “Honkhooonk.”
Jeremy tinkled something to Bug, who translated. “He says it means Oksana!”
“Jeremy can speak bird?” asked Yu-na.
“They both have wings,” said Bug, as if that explained everything.
“Oksana?” said Johnny. The Never bird nodded proudly. “That’s a pretty name. How come you want the feathers back?”
“HONK,” said Oksana.
Jeremy and Bug translated again. “She makes things with them!”
“I make things too!” said Johnny. “I made this coat! Can’t I have a feather, please? Just one?”
Oksana studied Johnny carefully. It was hard for anyone to resist Johnny’s sad puppy eyes, and Oksana was quite a kind, motherly bird. “Honk,” she said at last, and retrieved a feather from under her wing.
“Thank you!” said Johnny. He took the feather and began the search for the perfect spot on his coat to put it.
“Your coat looks wonderful, Johnny,” said Yu-na. She held out her dress to admire it. The diamonds were a little crooked, but they were still diamonds. “We ought to have a fashion show.”
“Can we?” asked Johnny.
“Can we not?” asked Evan.
“Can you tell us what that is?” asked Bug.
“A fashion show!” said Yu-na. “It’s when we all put on our new clothes and show them off!”
“Aren’t we doing that now?” asked Mullet, who was wearing his Johnny-designed suit of sleek black fur with a sparkly red vest. Both the trousers and the vest had pockets.
“Not at all!” said Yu-na. “Here, I’ll show you. Googly?” Googly rushed to her side, and with his help, Yu-na hobbled behind the screen that served as her bedroom wall. “You can go now, I can get dressed myself.”
“Sorry,” said Googly sheepishly, and he returned to the other side of the screen.
Alone, Yu-na changed from her leafy tunic and leggings - as queen, she was allowed to dress like Adam - into the diamond-studded blue dress she had just finished. “All right, Googly, you may help me again.” Googly led Yu-na out into the open, and she sauntered as well as her ankle would let her. From the puddle, Oksana looked on in amusement. “Johnny? Won’t you announce me?”
“Here comes the beautiful Queen Yu-na Orser-Wilson,” said Johnny obediently, “wearing the very latest in Neverland style. Designed by the young genius Johnny Orser-Wilson-”
“Genius?” said Googly. “Really?”
“He did make us pockets,” said Bear.
“But he also made us feathers,” said Evan, looking dolefully at his wrists.
“You like feathers!” said Johnny. “You said so!”
“I said I liked them better than the snake idea, that’s all!”
“Yu-na!” said Johnny.
“Boys!” said Yu-na.
“HONK!” said Oksana. She flapped her wings, splashing defenders and complainers alike.
“Oh dear,” said Yu-na. “Perhaps we’d better play something else.”
“Like what?” asked Bug, who was comforting Johnny.
Yu-na hopped back to her throne. “Like being nice to each other, and apologizing if we hurt each other’s feelings.”
“That doesn’t sound like any fun,” said Mullet.
“Getting thrown in the dungeon sounds like even less fun, don’t you think?” snapped Yu-na.
“Do we even have a dungeon?” Mullet whispered to Bear.
Bear shrugged. “I don’t think so, but I wouldn’t test her.”
Oksana waddled out of the puddle and shook herself off. “Honk,” she said severely. “Honk honk.”
“What is she saying?” asked Yu-na.
Bug listened to Jeremy’s translation, scrunching up his face in concentration. “She says she knows we’re all touchy because we have broken wings-”
“I don’t have broken wings,” said Evan. “I don’t have any wings. I have a broken head.”
“Honk!”
“She says it’s a metaphor,” said Bug.
“A what?” asked Googly.
“A- it doesn’t matter,” said Bug. “Anyway, she thinks we should settle our differences like her babies do.”
“How’s that?” asked Johnny.
Oksana poked him with her beak and pushed him toward Evan. “Honk!”
Jeremy giggled and translated to Bug, who giggled and translated to the others. “Hugging!”
Johnny and Evan looked at each other warily. “My side hurts,” said Johnny. Which was probably true, seeing as a pirate’s sword had pierced it, but Oksana just pushed him harder.
“My head hurts,” said Evan. He had been knocked over when Miki killed the pirate he was fighting.
“HONK!”
“Okay, okay, we’re hugging!” said Evan, and he put an arm around Johnny’s shoulders.
“Honk!”
“Like you mean it,” said Bug.
“But I didn’t do anything!” protested Johnny.
“Maybe not this time,” said Yu-na. “Go on, hug!”
Sighing, Johnny held out his arms. Evan crouched down to his brother’s height and hugged him. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I don’t really mind the feathers.”
“I did give you black ones,” said Johnny, hugging back. “I thought they’d look nice with your medal.”
Oksana gave an approving honk, then looked expectantly at the others.
“Group hug!” said Bug, and rushed to put his good arm around both Johnny and Evan. Yu-na, assisted by Googly, was next into the group, and after some prodding by Oksana, Mullet and Bear followed. Jeremy landed on Yu-na’s shoulder, and Blade wormed his way into the center. They all hugged, taking care not to bump each other’s cuts and sprains and bruises.
“Thank you, Oksana,” said Yu-na after a moment. “And thank you, boys. I couldn’t ask for better subjects.”
“Could too,” said Bear.
“Could not!” said Googly.
“Could-”
“That does it!” said Yu-na. “I hereby outlaw not-too fights!”
“You can’t do that!” said Mullet, a glint of mischief in his eyes.
“Can t- oh!” Yu-na frowned and the boys laughed as the hug broke apart. “Just you wait until Adam gets home,” Yu-na said, trying to keep from laughing herself. “He’ll make you behave!”
“I think he’s home now,” said Bug. “I hear the sled!”
Yu-na turned toward the icy tunnel and was hit by a rush of cold air. It was followed not by Adam and the sled, but by a furry white creature that looked like a cross between a dog and a bear, with a tail like a lion. A thin layer of ice formed itself around its feet. “Oh!” said Yu-na. “You must be the zamboni.”
The creature nodded and grinned, revealing teeth like a crocodile. Blade growled at it.
“Shh, it’s all right,” said Bear, patting Blade’s back. “He’s just here to freeze the puddle. He always knows when it melts.”
“He won’t eat us?” asked Johnny.
“He never eats people!” said Googly. “Except for Captain Morozov’s hand. But that’s different!”
“How?” asked Evan.
“It just is! He likes us.”
“But-”
“Quiet, or I’ll make you hug,” said Yu-na. “Please, Mr. Zamboni, be our guest!”
The zamboni made his way to the puddle, trailing ice. Oksana splashed into the puddle and glared at him, but he simply nudged her out of the way and touched his nose to the slushy water. It froze instantly.
“Cool,” said Evan.
“Honk,” complained Oksana.
“Don’t worry,” said Bug. “I’ll help you find more water!”
“Did you freeze the lagoon again yet?” Mullet asked the zamboni, who shook his head. “Could you not? Or could you leave part of it unfrozen when you do?”
The zamboni grinned and panted, not clearly denying Mullet’s request, but not clearly agreeing to it, either.
“It was worth a try,” said Evan, who looked almost as disappointed as Mullet at the lack of a promise.
“Evan has a girlfriend!” sang Johnny, and Evan blushed.
“Enough!” said Yu-na. She turned back to the zamboni. “We thank you for your work, Mr. Zamboni. Is there anything we can do for you?” The zamboni nuzzled Yu-na’s hand in a gesture she recognized as one Blade made when he wanted his ears scratched. She laughed and obliged. “Aren’t you sweet!”
His ears thoroughly scratched, the zamboni nodded to Yu-na and the boys and returned to the icy tunnel. Oksana followed him, honking her disapproval and pecking at his tail.
“Well,” said Yu-na once the visitors were gone, “that was quite an experience!” She limped back to her throne, being careful not to slip on the ice the zamboni left behind.
“It was just the zamboni and the Never bird,” said Googly. “You should see the weird animals!”
“I’d love to,” said Yu-na. “Won’t you tell me about them?”
Googly opened his mouth, but before he could begin his lesson, a familiar crow was heard from the iceless tunnel. “Adam!” shouted the boys.
“Welcome home, General!” added Yu-na.
Adam flew into the room, his face hidden by the giant basket of fruit that he carried. “Thank you, Your Highness!” He put the basket down, and the others gasped. “What?”
“Your- Adam- your hair,” stammered Yu-na.
“What about it?” asked Adam.
“It’s straight!” said Bug.
Sure enough, Adam’s glorious curls had given way to flat hunks of hair hanging from his head like so much straw. Jeremy flew up to inspect the change, but couldn’t bring himself to touch the hair. Adam frowned. “It is?”
“Look in the puddle,” said Mullet, whose hair had lost its luster in sympathy.
Adam ran to the puddle, which was mirror-smooth after the zamboni’s visit. The others crowded around him. “It is,” said Adam in a hushed voice, brushing his reflection with his fingertips.
“What happened?” asked Yu-na.
“Voodoo!” said Googly. “Only Captain Morozov would do something this bad!”
“We won’t let him get away with this,” Bear promised.
“Does it really matter?” asked Evan. “It’s just hair.”
“‘Just hair?’” repeated Bug incredulously. “‘Just hair?’”
“Hair is very important!” said Johnny.
“Adam’s hair is more than important,” said Mullet. “It’s what makes Adam Adam.”
“It’s not the only thing that makes me me,” said Adam, but his voice shook, and he couldn’t look away from the puddle.
Yu-na put a hand on his shoulder. “We’ll make this right,” she said. “What can we do?”
“I don’t know.” Adam looked up. “Jeremy! Can you fix this?”
Jeremy flew all around Adam’s head, then nodded and reversed his flight, spinning and spraying fairy dust over the mistreated hair. Slowly, the curls returned, and the kingdom heaved a sigh of relief.
“Thank goodness!” said Yu-na.
“Not so fast,” said Adam, gingerly touching his hair. “Jeremy’s magic won’t hold forever, and if Morozov can do this, I bet he can reach us in other ways.” He stood and surveyed the room, grim with determination. “We need a plan.”
Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11