Disclaimer: I don't own any rights to the book or the movie but I enjoyed the movie too much I couldn't hold back showing some type of appreciation for it.

Ribbon:

Maria paused, watching as he twisted a bit of blue material around a branch. He was so painfully alert. His eyes kept roaming the woods, as though he expected an attack any moment. Maria's gaze strayed from her study from the wild bird boy to the ribbon he had taken such care with. That shade of blue seemed awfully familiar.

He jogged to her side and the feathers around his neck seemed to glow in the patches of sunlight.

"What was that?"

He looked at her, dark eyes wide for a moment before his head swiveled back around to face forward. "False trail."

False trail? Oh! So that's why that shade of blue was so familiar! Maria didn't even try to keep the smile from her voice, "What were you doing with one of my ribbons in your pocket?" Now wasn't the time to question why the thought even made her smile in the first place.

Robin's gaze flickered over to meet hers and her smile grew. Feeling a bit shy to be the center of his attention at the moment she ducked her head, but not before she noticed the answer grin that was growing on his face.

She must not have been accustomed to the velvet material of her dress because her cheeks felt unusually warm. But it had to be the dress. Because she didn't blush. Had to be the dress.

They kept walking and Maria finally thought the time right to disclose the location of the moon pearls. "They're in a tree, but it's very distinctive," she intoned, "It has massive roots, twisting around a big dark hollow. And-"

"I know where that is."

Maria pivoted on her heel in an instant, facing him with curiosity alit on her face. She waited, her breath not daring to pass her lips, expectant.

As though her expectations were too heavy to bear he paused, leaning up against a slanting tree. "Suppose for a moment I do decide to help you." She fought back a grin but perhaps Robin sensed it because he pushed off the tree, wagging his finger in warning, "And suppose we actually manage to find the moon pearls." Well he didn't have to sound so disbelieving. "What then?"

Her gaze slid away. What then? She had been so focused on finding the pearls she hadn't even thought to start planning ahead. "Well, we'd…" oh dear what was she supposed to do next? "Return the pearls to the sea," Yes! That was it! Her voice grew stronger with confidence as she continued, "And then we'd go- "

"You know my father's coming after you." His interruption seemed to be more of a reminder for himself than for her. He tried to look menacing but she saw right through it. He didn't want to disappoint his father. But…but something in her words must have struck him because he still stood before her.

She looked away, not wanting to see the worry that he tried to hide. With more confidence than she felt, she boasted, "It's just a matter of finding them before he finds me."

Robin's answering hum was noncommittal as he straightened to his full height. And she didn't respond for a moment, letting her own words echo in her head, and building her confidence.

It was just a matter of finding them before Robin's father found her.