Pippi 3 - Return to Narnia

Chapter 1

Pippi Hopper walked down the foggy path of the Storybrooke beach. With sand on her feet and a gentle sea breeze on her face, she looked out to the sea. Not a soul in sight. Pippi sighed and walked along the beach. She stepped on something strange and brushed it out of the sand. Pippi held the object in her hand as it shined on her face. It was a green ring.

Tick. Tock.

The clock tower of Storybrooke rang and Pippi turned back to see it. The clock got louder and louder...

Pippi flinched awake in her small home on a Monday morning. She turned her alarm clock off and got ready for school.

When she went to the kitchen, she found Archie feeding Pongo his breakfast. He turned to see his sister. "Good morning Pippi."

"Morning Archie. Are you ready to continue my lessons?" She asked.

"Now?" Archie asked.

"Do you have an early morning appointment?" Pippi asked.

"No. Not until 10. Pippi are you sure?"

"I need to practice. My test is this weekend." Pippi said.

"Alright." Archie said. He pet Pongo on his head. "I'll be right back Pongo."

Pippi crept the backyard door open. "Good morning Strawberry. I'll see you later." Her pet naaa-ed.

"Why do you need a driver's license when you have a flying horse?" Archie asked as they got in his car.

Pippi adjudged the driver's seat she sat on. "Because, this is my world now. I need to do normal things, and driving a car is one of those things." She turned the car on and put it into reverse, backing out of the driveway.

Archie peeked his head out the car window. "Watch out of the trash can."

"I see it." She turned the steering wheel and put the car into drive.

"Watch out of the stop sign." Archie said.

"The car is literally not moving." Pippi said, several feet away from the stop sign.

"Look out for those children." Archie said.

"They're on the other side of the road," Pippi said.

Pippi drove into the school parking lot and waved at Henry as he walked by, rolling down her window. "Hi Henry."

"Hey Pippi," he smiled at her.

"Hands on the wheel," Archie said.

"I know." She put both hands in the steering wheel.

"Just pull over. You're at school now." Archie said.

"I can park it Archie."

"You don't have to."

"I need to practice." She pulled into an empty spot and was really curved in her parking. She peeks outside the car. "Well I'm inside the line."

Archie peeked our his side. She was about 6 inches over the line. "Congratulations." He said. "Have fun at school."

Pippi chuckled and grabbed her backpack. "Have fun at work."

Archie chuckled.

Pippi has math class with Henry and Grace. She tilted her head as the teacher explained the quadratic formula.

Meanwhile Archie was in a theory session with Killian Jones.

During lunchtime, Pippi sat at a table with Henry, Grace, Hansel, and Gretel.

"Why are classes so much more different this year?" Pippi asked.

"Because we're seniors," Grace answered.

"I think the only easy class is Ms. Blanchard's," Gretel said.

"And what subject is that?" Pippi faced Henry.

He paused. "Ornithology."

"Otherwise known as bird studies." Pippi said. Pippi, Grace, Hansel, and Gretel chuckled.

"I know, it's not the most popular subject." Henry said.

"Dude there's only like 10 people in that class, including you." Hansel joked.

"You guys should've taken that class. I would've more interesting if you were there."

"Or you could have just told your grandma no," Pippi said.

"Oooohhhhh!" Hansel and Gretel said. Grace bit her lip.

"Pippi," Henry said, "Why didn't you take that class with me?"

Pippi paused. "I didn't want to."

"But I wanted you to. You wouldn't even consider it."

"Henry, I can't have every class with you. I'd get sick of you," she joked lightly.

The table got quiet for about half a minute.

"Our dad is dating someone." Gretel blurted.

Pippi walked out of her last class quickly. Henry met up with Roland and Hope in their classes. Roland waved goodbye to his friends Jenny and Mowgli. Pippi watched as they children embraced their parents and left to go home with them.

She met up with Jenny outside by the blooming tree and they began walking home together.

"How's my favorite sixth grader doing?" Pippi asked.

"Okay, I guess." Jenny said.

"Aw come on. That's all I get out of you?" Pippi asked.

"School is okay. But I prefer my volunteer time at the animal shelter. So many animals that want to be loved and taken to a good home."

"Weren't they all adopted at the last miner's day festival?"

"That was weeks ago. We have new pets now. I'm trying to convince my parents to let us keep them."

"How many pets do you have?" Pippi reminded her.

"2 cats, 2 dogs, a bunny, a lizard, 2 turtles, and a parakeet."

Pippi shook her head. "When we lived in the shoe, we could never have any pets."

"Oh yeah. I almost forgot about that." Jenny said.

Pippi paused for a moment. "Do you remember when I used to sing to you and the other children?"

"Well yeah... you had a pretty voice."

"I still do...Do you remember Jack and Jill?"

"I remember Jill. Jack is sort of a blur."

Pippi tried not to look upset as they continued walking. When they arrived at Jenny's home, they waved goodbye as Pippi continued to walk three doors down to her house.

Pippi gave her magical pet some attention before starting on her homework. Soon after, there was a knock at the door: Henry.
Pippi opened the door. "I looked at the examples from the math book and I think I get it now." She headed to the living room where her homework was spread out on the coffee table.

"Pippi, I think we should talk."

"We can do that after we finish our homework." Pippi said. She sat down on the couch and worked on the next math problem.

Henry stared at her with a frown on his face.

"Ooh, I got it right," Pippi said. "See, if you plug the numbers in, you check if your answer was correct."

"Do you still love me?" Henry asked.

"Don't be ridiculous. Of course I love you Henry."

Henry lightened. "Okay. Good. I was worried at lunch you said-"

Pippi kissed him. "Would you stop overthinking things? We need to get this math done."

"So we're okay. There's nothing you want to talk about?" Henry asked.

Pippi moved away from her textbook and put her homework down. "Actually..." She turned and faced Henry.

"What?"

"You know those dreams I have?"

"The ones my sister creates for you? With you and the Pevensies?"

"Edmund and Lucy, yes. Well lately, they haven't been there."

"They probably weren't asleep the same time as you."

"They've been there every other night. They know how this works."

"Maybe they've moved on. Pippi, it's been a year."

"Henry, they wouldn't just stop visiting me without saying anything."

"Sometimes it's easier that way."

"I'm worried about them."

"They lived over 70 years ago Pippi. They're dead."

Pippi stood up. "How dare you say that to me? You met them. How you be so-"

"You're right. I went too far. But you shouldn't worry about this." He turned to the math book. "This is something to worry about."

Pippi looked at him. He smiled back at her and seemed to be leaning. "I want to go to Narnia again."

Henry backed away. "Is that a joke?"

"No." Pippi said.

"Narnia is where my sister was taken! How could you think about going back there?"

"Because it's Narnia. It's magical. It's where I met two very dear friends of mine. It's where-"

"Jill died there." Henry said. "She became a villain there."

"Didn't you enjoy you're stay in Narnia with me?" Pippi asked.

"Honestly, I did not. Edmund was putting the moves on you, Lucy was attacking me, and you were acting like it was all okay."

"If it weren't for Narnia, I'd still be immortal, and so would Penny. Roland wouldn't hav this best friend. And your mother could still be the dark one." Pippi said.
Henry's face tightened. "I'm not saying Narnia was all bad, but I wouldn't want to visit again, and I don't want you to go either."

Pippi scoffed.

"It's dangerous." Henry said.

"Whatever."

"Don't 'whatever' me."

"Let's just finished this damn math homework."

"Fine." Henry said. They sat down and worked on their homework, discussing only math for the rest of his visit.