‘The Squashbuckler Diaries’ are the daily tales of Joy Shelley’s Life in the Dream. The ‘Lost in Dreams’ books will tell the story of what happens to her at ages 6, 9, 12, 15, and so on. The diaries tell us what happens before, after, and between the books.

#245: Today At Last

For a few days now, two-year-old Dragon Little has been insisting to her father that she, with her wooden sword, will be the one to face-off with the villain. 

She was, of course, not fit for that. Going on daily adventure every day does not make a 2-year-old human girl become fit to defeat the villains of her father’s swashbuckling dreams. 

He had delayed her with various excuses multiple times. 

Now, they faced off another villain: The Ice Cream King. 

The Ice Cream King was using guns filled with ice cream to stop everyone who chases him and to commit robberies throughout Magma Planet. 

Dragon Father and Dragon Little had finally cornered the Ice Cream King in a bank, devoid of people, in a trap Dragon Father had set up. 

Dragon Father blocked the exit and pulled out his sword. “Prepare to meet your maker!” he said with a big smile on his face. 

“Uh-oh,” the Ice Cream King seemed concerned even as he drew his ice cream gun. 

But then Dragon Father disappeared, leaving the dream into his waking world in an instant. 

The Ice Cream King seemed surprised. “Huh?” 

Dragon Little was not surprised. She pulled out her wooden sword, smiling and happy to finally face-off a villain. “Prepare to meet your maker!” she said. 

The Ice Cream King looked around, probably searching for Dragon Father. 

When he saw that Dragon Father had not reappeared, he whooped and ran towards the exit. He jumped over the surprised Dragon Little and was outside the bank in seconds. 

He looked back, aimed his gun at the entrance, and shot a blast of ice cream that blocked the door. 

“Grrrrr,” said the frustrated Dragon Little. 

She examined the exit. She tried to push the ice cream, but the ice cream did not budge. 

She licked her fingers. “Hmmmm,” she said. 

She then began to lick the ice cream. 

An hour later, she crawled out the hole in the ice cream she had created and looked at the empty street. 

“Hmmm…” she said again and pulled out her sword. “Prepare to meet your maker!” 

And she began to run towards where the Ice Cream King had parked his ship a few hours ago. 

Tomorrow I will tell you what happened when they met. 

—Told by The Red Dragon

#246: The Ice Cream Showdown

#244: Maybe Today