//------------------------------// // Fiona’s Secret // Story: Cinematic Adventures: Shrek // by extremeenigma02 //------------------------------// Later that same day, following their run-in with Monsieur Hood and the Merry Men, the group once more set forth for Duloc. Many were still rather in shock over the fact that Princess Fiona single-handedly took down those band of misfits, considering the fact this was the very same princess they were tasked to rescue. However, they also grew more aware of another growing development, something which had been going on during their travels. The developing feelings between Fiona and Shrek. The group first came upon a river with seemingly no path across, although clearly shallow enough to walk over. While Twilight Sparkle and her winged friends easily hovered across, Shrek climbed to the top of a tree and used his weight to bend it over and form a bridge. The remainder of the group, along with Fiona, were able to cross with relative ease. During which time, Fiona brushed a hand across Shrek’s back just as she reached the other side. Grinning, Shrek got up while Donkey was still crossing. The sudden whiplash sprung the tree back in place and launched the screaming Donkey in the air. Fortunately, Rainbow Dash zipped behind him and caught the Donkey just before he struck the ground flying him across the river. “Thanks Dash,” Donkey thanked her. “Don’t mention it,” Rainbow replied. Later, while trekking through a field, Shrek and the others were frustratingly swatting away a swarm of flies that had been following them about. Using her wits, Fiona grabbed a nearby spiderweb from a tree branch and raced through the field, swinging it around and ensnaring the little bugs. She soon spun the branch to form a sort of cotton candy treat and handed it to Shrek as a snack. As he walked off biting it, she licked her fingers. All the while, every pony else struggled not to vomit over the disgusting sight. “Sweet Celestia, how revolting!” Rarity cringed. “I never thought cotton candy would be so gross,” Pinkie shivered. “Me neither,” Maddie nodded in agreement. Shrek soon caught a passing frog and blew it up into a balloon to offer to Fiona. In return, Fiona caught a snake and blew into its mouth, fashioning it into a balloon animal which she presented to Shrek. Soon Fiona started a playful shoving match with Shrek, with the ogre ultimately flinging her into the bushes. She threw a twig at him as they both laughed, releasing their balloons as Donkey leapt after them. The floating balloons in the air had not gone unnoticed by a particularly concerned Pegasus. “Oh, those poor animals,” Fluttershy spoke worriedly. Quickly, Fluttershy used her wings to propel herself up to the two floating, and inflated, animals… <> High up in the air, for what felt like an eternity, a Duloc knight had been hovering in the air following the events of the tournament (See Doctor Dragon’s commentary). By now, the knight had given up on any hope of coming down and had since remained in place with his arms folded, and his eyes crossed. No longer was he terrified of being so high in the sky, but rather he was downright bored. All of a sudden, something caught his eyes and propelled him to turn. Two inflated animals, one frog and one snake, were seen floating toward him and he couldn’t help but wonder if this was an illusion or some form of magic. Before he could speak, a yellow winged Pegasus with a pink mane and tail flew toward the animals quickly catching them in her grasp. “I’m so sorry about this, little creatures,” She apologized. She soon caught sight of the floating knight, who merely just stared silently at the creature. For a few seconds, there was an awkward silence between the two. “Hello, sir knight,” Fluttershy squeaked nervously. “Afternoon…” The knight grunted. Without a moment’s thought, Fluttershy proceeded to flew her way toward the surface until the knight was left all by himself again. He took a deep breath and released a heavy sigh as he stared toward the wide horizon overhead. “This is stupid…” The knight grumbled. <> Moments later, Fluttershy quickly brought the two animals back toward the ground and proceeded to release the air out of them to the best of her ability. The animals were reasonably stunned by those previous seconds, but otherwise they were unharmed… to some extent. “There, you’re alright now,” Fluttershy spoke soothingly. “Now you go about your days now.” Soon, Fluttershy quickly took off to rejoin the remainder of the group all while the two animals just eyed one another and thought to themselves… ‘What just happened?’. <> Beyond the boundaries of the forest, there stood the old, abandoned windmill along a small rise. As our heroes broke out of the woods, strolling on without a care, Shrek and Fiona continued their bonding. Soon they were riffing, doing air-guitar, and pretty much acting like a pair of silly school kids. To suggest that Donkey, the Equestrians, and the Ever After girls were baffled by the sight was a gross understatement. Fiona (Scats): NYOO NYOO-NYOO NYAH-NYAH-NYEOW! Shrek (Scats): NYOO NYOO-NYOO NYAH-NYAH-NYEOW! Fiona & Shrek (Scats): WOW-YOW WOW-YOW WOWWIE-YOWWIE-YOW! Shrek (Scats): CHUCKA-WONK-WONK CHUCKA-WONK-WONK! Fiona (Scats): WIKKI-WIKKI-WIKKI… ETC… Eventually, Shrek gave Fiona a brotherly shove, which prompted her to shove him back. He shoved her a slight too hard, and soon she was flying off into some bushes… again. “You okay?” Twilight called out, concerned. “Yeah, I’m fine,” Fiona laughed. Seeing her emerge from the bushes, Shrek helped her to her feet. As they stood upon the fields of Duloc, which stretched all the way to Duloc Castle in the distance, for a moment the two were nearly nose-to-nose. “Yoohoo! We’re here!” Donkey called out. “What?” Fiona turned her head. “Oh, wouldja look at that,” Shrek pointed out. “What is it?” Fiona questioned. “There… there it is, princess,” Shrek told her. “It’s… it’s Duloc… where your future awaits you.” “Oh. That’s Duloc?” Fiona asked her. “It sure is,” Twilight nodded. “Trust me, it’s actually a lotbigger once you get up close.” “That’s what he said,” Spike snicked off the side. This caused him to receive a stiff jab in the ribs, courtesy of a rather annoyed Twilight Sparkle. “Ow!” Spike groaned. Fiona stood with her arm along Shrek, pondering about her fate. But all of a sudden, Donkey butted in-between them to which they shrugged at each other. “You know, Shrek thinks Lord Farquaad’s compensating for something,” Donkey spoke his opinion. “Which I think means he has a really…” Shrek quickly interrupted Donkey with a stomp upon his hoof, causing Donkey to fall over in pain. To which Fiona gave Shrek a suspicious look. “Oww!” “Geez, neither of us ever get a laugh,” Spike rubbed his ribs. “I tell you Donkey; this is just ridiculous.” “You said it,” Donkey winced, slowly getting up. “Boys…” Raven groaned, rolling her eyes. “You can say that again,” Apple agreed. “I didn’t realize we were so close,” Fiona observed. “No, me either,” Shrek shrugged. “Well… congratulations to you princess,” Rarity declared. “Your true love awaits.” “Yes… it does,” Fiona tried to smile. “I’m just going to need to sit down for a minute,” Spike replied. “No, no sitting down,” Shrek pulled Spike up. “We need to get the princess to Duloc.” “Alright—I guess we better move on.” “Sure…” Fiona nodded, then retracted. “No, wait, Shrek… I, um… well, Shrek? I’m—I’m worried about Donkey.” “What?” Shrek asked. “And what am I? Chopped liver?” Spike frowned. “What are you talking about, Fiona?” Cerise asked. “I mean, look at him,” Fiona gestured to Donkey. “He, he doesn’t look so good.” In the eyes of the group, nothing seemed wrong with Donkey apart from perhaps a minor bruise from earlier. However, Shrek smiled knowingly at Fiona as if he knew what she was doing. “What are you talking about?” Donkey asked confused. “I’m fine.” Fiona merely knelt beside Donkey, taking his head in her hands. “Well, that’s what they always say and then… then… then the next thing you know, you’re on your back.” Donkey merely gave her a skeptical look, which made Fiona dart her eyes back and forth. “Dead,” Fiona emphasized. “Aw, come on!” Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Don’t you think you’re being a little overdramatic?” “You know, she’s right,” Shrek played along. “You look awful. Do you want to sit down?” “Uh, you know, I’ll make you some tea,” Fiona added. “I’ll take that tea!” Spike called out. “I didn’t want to say nothin’, but I got this twinge in my neck,” Donkey admitted. “And when I turn my head like this, look.” Donkey sharply leaned his head to the side, letting off a loud crack. “Ow! See?” Hearing that awful cracking sound, everyone cringed. “Sweet Celestia, Donkey,” Rarity cringed. “I truly wish you wouldn’t do that. It is so unbelievably gross, not to mention uncouth.” “Hmm… déjà vu!” Pinkie nodded. “That sounds worse than the time Ah heard Big Mac and Sugar Belle getting’ busy in the barn,” Applejack added. This caused Rainbow to turn skeptically toward her marefriend. “You heard that?” She asked in disgust. “Well, they weren’t bein’ mighty discreet,” Applejack responded. “They sounded like two grizzly bears fightin’ over salmon.” “Okay, I really didn’t need that image in my head.” It was then Twilight noticed Shrek and Fiona giving each other happy looks, as if confirming they’d made up an excuse to stall for time. “Are you sure you want to do this?” Twilight asked curiously. “I thought you wanted to get to Duloc sooner.” “Well, I was just thinking…” Fiona admitted. “Maybe Duloc could wait until morning?” “Morning?” Shrek asked curiously. “Why not? I’ve spent my whole life without true love. What’s one more night?” “Alright, who’s hungry? I’ll find us some dinner.” “I’ll get the firewood.” Shrek and Fiona tried to head off, but of course walked straight into each other. “Oops/Sorry!” Shrek and Fiona apologized. “Were you gonna--?” Shrek gestured. “That’s fine,” Fiona brushed off. “I’ll go the other—” “Okay.” “You wanna go around/Should we just—” “Go together?” “Sure.” Eventually, Shrek and Fiona walked off together, leaving Donkey and the rest of the group sitting there. “Hey, where you goin’?” Donkey asked in panic. “Oh, man, I can’t feel my toes!” “Donkey, it’s kind of hard for you not to feel what you’ve never had,” Rainbow pointed out. Donkey looked down and began flailing his hooves. “I don’t have any toes!” He panicked. “I think I need a hug.” It was then Fluttershy and Apple approached Donkey from both sides. The girls quickly wrapped their arms around him, trying their best to calm him down. “Just do us a favor, Donkey,” Apple advised. “Take deep breaths.” “Everything is alright,” Fluttershy said soothingly. After a moment or two of deep breathing exercises, Donkey eventually calmed down smiling toward the two girls as they pulled away. “Thanks girls, I needed that,” He said gratefully. “No problem at all,” Apple replied. “What are friends for?” “They’ll be there for you whenever you need them,” Fluttershy nodded. “Always having your back, no matter what happens along the way.” Spike sighed to himself as he sat upon the grass. All of a sudden, he felt something massage soothingly against his ribs and he started feeling better. He turned to the side and addressed Twilight Sparkle, who massaged against the sore spot on his brother figure’s side with a caring, and slightly apologetic, look on her face. “Sorry about that…” Twilight apologized softly. “Nah, it’s cool,” Spike replied casually. “Just fooling around. No biggie.” Off to the sides, watching over the rest of her friends, a guilty look spread upon Maddie’s face. She had heard Fluttershy and Apple’s words from earlier. So many thoughts started forming through her twisted head. But unlike most of her thoughts, these were neither silly nor funny. ‘Friends will always be there for you,’ Maddie thought. ‘If they knew the truth, they probably wouldn’t be.’ <> After some time, the sun had finally begun to set over the horizon overlooking Duloc. Shrek had since built a fire, which he used to cook a dish on a spit. Some of the group sat along with them, just idly chatting while Fiona ate. A certain pink party pony and a Donkey were spying off to the side. Pinkie’s hooves were held over her eyes as if pretending she were looking through binoculars. “Donkey my boy, there’s definitely something going on around here,” Pinkie observed. “I’ve been watchin’, and the signals are clear.” “Yeah, that nervous laugh when she brushes his skin,” Donkey pointed out. ‘The sweaty palms, the big dopey grin.” “Hmmm-hmm-mmm…” Pinkie and Donkey stroke their chins. “Just a giggle and a flip of her hair, and I can smell the pheromones in the air!” Pinkie observed, taking a deep sniff. “Yep… I know that one very well.” “Makin’ goo-goo eyes over their food,” Donkey added. “They’re settin’ the mood and they’re not even realizing it.” “Whomever doesn’t believe love is blind, clearly haven’t met some friends who think otherwise. I’m telling you Donkey, some pony’s got to turn up that heat, butter the pan, and not be so scared silly about it.” “He’s just got to reach for her hand, maybe give her a kiss. See Pinkie? She’s just waitin’ for a move to be made.” “They just got to switch into gear, gotta buckle down and give it a whirl! The scene’s set right out of a book with a sunset, a beautiful girl, lying naked together on the beach…” “Uh… Pinkie?” Donkey eyed Pinkie uncomfortably. “Oh, sorry!” Pinkie snapped out of her fantasy. “I just got caught up in the magic of the night! The fireflies… uh, forget it.” While the two were talking amongst themselves from a distance, dinner went on without a hitch. If one would even call this ‘dinner’ at least. “Mmm… this is good!” Fiona spoke between bites. “This is really good. What is this?” “Uh, weed rat,” Shrek replied, taking another spit off the fire. “Rotisserie style.” “No kidding!” Fiona said surprised. “Well, this is delicious.” “Well, they’re also great in stews,” Shrek informed her, sitting beside her. “Now, I don’t mean to brag, but I make a mean weed rat stew.” The ogre turned and noticed that the majority of the group had ‘obviously’ overheard what he just cooked up. The sickly green color upon their faces was a dead giveaway. “Hey girls, take a bit of weed rat!” He called out. “You’ll love it!” “Wha—Ooh, er, perhaps not Shrek,” Rarity gagged. “I must agree with Rarity on this one,” Twilight groaned, trying not to vomit. Poor Fluttershy merely trembled at the very thought of those poor rats and the manner of which they were cooked up. All the while Applejack tried her best to console her, briefly looking around. “Where’s Spike?” Applejack asked. “Don’t tell me he actually ate the weed rat,” Rainbow groaned. To which Fiona turned over and shook her head. “Oh no!” She replied casually. “He took only one bite, and he suddenly went away to wash the taste out of his mouth.” She gestured with a thumb to the side and all eyes turned toward Spike, who screamed loudly as he knelt by a nearby pond. He furiously scrubbed his tongue with a toothbrush like there was no tomorrow. “SO HORRIBLE!” He yelled loudly. “I’ve had my fair share of meat in my life,” Cerise said, holding her hand over her mouth. “But that just ruined meat for me entirely.” “This is exactly why I insist on being vegetarian,” Ashlynn nodded. To which Fiona smiled in response. However, it quickly faded the moment her eyes caught sight of Duloc over the distance. “I guess I’ll be dining a little differently tomorrow night,” She spoke sadly. Shrek merely gave a small nod, as the smile disappeared from his own face. But the smile quickly returned the moment an idea popped in his head. “Maybe you can come visit me in the swamp sometime,” He suggested. “I’ll cook all kinds of stuff for you – Swamp Toad soup, Fish Eye tartare – you name it. I’ll even make a batch of S’nothers.” “S’nothers?” Fiona asked curiously. “They’re traditional ogre campfire snacks. A little bit like S’mores but instead of marshmallow and chocolate, we use squirrel gizzards and mulch. Oh, they just melt in your mouth!” “They sound delicious.” “And a little nutty.” After hearing all that, a few of the girls raced toward the nearby bushes and actually started vomiting over the mere thought. Somehow, the others managed to keep it down. “Honestly Shrek, are you trying to ruin food for all of us forever?” Briar asked bitterly. “I don’t think it’s that bad,” Maddie smiled. “In Wonderland, we have all sorts of bizarre cuisine.” “Maddie, most of them only make you grow or shrink,” Raven told her friend. “At least they still taste good.” “Good point,” Maddie nodded. Fiona now intently looked at Shrek, smiling. “Hmmm, I’d like that,” She replied to Shrek. “Really?!” The group raised their brows. “Well, I may not get another chance to try one of those S’nothers…” Fiona replied. “You eat one and you may not get a chance to do ANYTHING!” Spike called out. And yet, through all of that, Shrek was in the process of slurping down a rat’s tail and gave a laugh. For a moment, they gazed into each other’s eyes longingly for a few moments or two. “Um… princess?” Shrek asked nervously. “Yes… Shrek?” Fiona replied with a smile. “I, um—well, I was… I was wondering—I was wondering—are you…” Shrek realized he was starting to fumble over his words like a big idiot. With a heavy sigh, he pointed to the rat on her hand. “Are you gonna eat that?” He asked casually. Fiona, expecting a different question, removed the weed rat from the spit while Shrek sat annoyed by the words refusing to come out. As Fiona handed the rat to Shrek, he grabbed onto her hand. The two slowly leaned toward each other… until Donkey, Pinkie, andMaddie popped between them, interrupting the moment. “Man, isn’t this romantic?” Donkey asked. “Such a Kodak moment,” Pinkie nodded, wiping a tear off her eye. “As sweet as Earle Gray,” Maddie smiled. “What’s tea got to do with this?” Pinkie asked confused. “Oh no, I mean my pet mouse, Earle Gray,” Maddie explained. “I’ll show you.” Maddie reached out her hand and a tiny little gray mouse emerged from her sleeve, smiling toward Pinkie Pie with a tiny squeak. “Aww, he’s really cute!” Pinkie sighed adoringly. “You can say that again,” Donkey nodded, looking toward the setting sun. “Just look at that sunset.” Fiona’s mood quickly changed, and she sat up abruptly to face the sunset. “Sunset?!” She panicked. “Oh my gosh! Sunset! Oh no!! I mean… it’s late. I-It’s very late.” She quickly began to back up toward the mill, looking toward the sunset with deep concern. Shrek and the others merely followed her glance. “What?” Shrek asked confused. “What’s wrong, Fiona?” Twilight asked worriedly. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” “I-I-It’s nothing, Twilight,” Fiona responded nervously. “Really, it’s nothing.” “Wait a minute,” Donkey said skeptically. “I see what’s goin’ on here.” Fiona turned toward Donkey, frozen in panic. “You’re afraid of the dark, aren’t you?” “Yes!” Fiona quickly replied. “Yes, that’s it. I’m terrified. You know, I’d better go inside.” She smiled as she turned to walk up the windmill’s steps, breathing a sigh of relief. “Don’t feel bad, Princess,” Donkey assured her. “I used to be afraid of the dark, too, until – Hey, no wait. I’m still afraid of the dark!” Shrek groaned, while Fiona chuckled as Donkey looked around visibly spooked. Soon she was making her way to the door leading inside the windmill, ready to call it a day. “Good night,” She said to the group. “Good night,” Shrek respondd. “Sleep well, Fiona!” Twilight added. “And don’t let the bed bugs bite!” Pinkiy smiled giddily. “I’m serious about them bed bugs; they’ll creep up on you!” Fiona went inside the windmill, giving on final look to Shrek before closing the door behind her. Shrek looked over to Donkey, who now looked at him with a knowing eye. Rainbow Dash quickly floated alongside him, giving Shrek a look. “What?” Shrek asked. “Ohh! Now I really see what’s goin’ on here,” Donkey said suggestively. “Any pony with eyes can see what’s going on here, Shrek,” Rainbow smirked. “After all, you’re not exactly being discreet. And we did not come this whole way, puttin’ up with you and your body oder, just so you can let her walk away like that!” “What’re you talking about?” Shrek asked. Donkey trotted over to Shrek as he knelt by the fire, fiddling with one of the spits. “I don’t even wanna hear it,” Donkey replied. “Look, I’m an animal, and I got instincts, and I know you two were obviously digging on each other. I could feel it.” “We’ve seen it ever since we left the cliff side the other day,” Rainbow nodded. “You’ve changed, you both have.: “Oh, you’re crazy,” Shrek shrugged. “I’m just bringing her back to Farquaad.” “Oh, come on, Shrek!” Donkey rolled his eyes. “Wake up and smell the pheromones. Just go on in and tell her how you feel.” At that point, the remainder of the group approached and found themselves involved in this conversation. “I really must agree with Donkey on this matter, Shrek,” Rarity added. “It’s clear the two of you formed quite a connection in such a short amount of time.” “You two obviously share so many similarities and the same interests,” Fluttershy nodded. “You’re all crazy!” Shrek brushed off. It was then Ashlynn stepped up before the rest of the group until she stood alongside the ogre. “Take it from someone who’s had and lost love, Shrek,” She spoke sincerely. “When someone comes along and you truly feel a connection with them, you need to take that opportunity while you have it. Because one day, the person you care about could be gone forever and then you’ll be left wondering what might have been. My advice to you is to tell Fiona how you feel.” Shrek merely groaned in annoyance as he stood up and turned toward the young princess. “I—there’s nothing to tell!” He answered in irritation. “Besides, even if I did tell her that, well, you know – and I’m not saying I do, ‘cause I don’t – she’s a princess and I’m…” “An ogre?” Twilight and Donkey said in unison. “Yeah…” Shrek replied bitterly. “An ogre.” Shrek tossed the spit aside and trudged away. “You’re lyin’ to yourself sayin’ you don’t have any feelings for her at all, Shrek!” Applejack called out. “She needs to know.” “Where you goin’?” Donkey asked. “To get… more firewood,” Shrek replied. Donkey and Pinkie Pie turned suspiciously over at the large pile of firewood already piled up. The rest looked on knowing that at this point Shrek ‘did’ need more wood… before the fire began to die. Shrek himself sat upon the hill, where he could be alone to his thoughts as he gazed toward Duloc until night crept along the sky. It wasn’t until Shrek heard footsteps approaching behind him that he finally turned to see Twilight Sparkle, Spike, and the Ever After girls approaching. A sigh escaped his lips as he turned back around. “If you’ve all come to convince me to talk to Fiona, yer wasting yer breath,” He sighed. “That’s not why we’re here,” Twilight replied. “In fact, we figured we’d enjoy the view. This place does have its ups and downs, but you cannot deny the beauty when you take a good look.” “Where’re the rest of your friends?” Shrek asked. “They decided to take a walk with Donkey,” Twilight replied. “They won’t be gone long.” Soon, the purple pony princess, her dragon assistant, and the six teenage girls sat alongside Shrek. For a while, they did nothing but look out toward the night. The stars glittering along a dark canvas and the moon shining ever so brightly. “Twilight is right, it is a beautiful night,” Cerise said honestly. “Whenever I see the full moon up above, it always gives me peace of mind.” “I agree,” Raven nodded. “It’s the perfect atmosphere for thinking.” “Especially about things weighing heavily on your mind,” Briar added. “Alright, I’m leaving,” Shrek spoke quickly, getting up. “Whoa, hold up Shrek!” Twilight said urgently. “We’re not here to tell you to do anything; we’re just talking.” Shrek really wanted nothing more than to just walk off and act like nothing was wrong. To have that sense of normalcy he had before these strangers came into his life. However, he found himself slowly sitting back down with the group with a skeptical gaze upon his face. “Alright… talk,” He sighed. “Shrek, there’s no use denying you clearly have feelings for Fiona,” Apple stated. “For the hundredth time, no I don’t!” Shrek responded loudly. “Who are you trying to convince, Shrek?” Twilight asked. “Us? Or yourself?” Shrek took a deep breath and it appeared he was about to throw an angry response as usual. But then, once that breath eventually emerged, all he could really do was sigh to himself. “Look, let’s say I did have feelings for Fiona,” He spoke hypothetically. “It wouldn’t matter anyway. I’m supposed to deliver her to Farquaad tomorrow anyway, I’ll get my swamp back, you and that fairy tale lot can have your freedom, and none of what happened today will even matter. Besides, there’s no way she’d ever love a big, stupid, ugly ogre.” Twilight reached up and placed a hoof on Shrek’s arm, offering comfort. Shrek looked over at her, confused over the gesture but embraced it all the same. “Shrek, you’re not a big, stupid, ugly ogre,” She spoke honestly. “You’ve just thought that way for so long you’ve actually believed it. You think the idea of your ideal swamp is the most you can ever have, but the truth is… I don’t think that’s what you really want.” “Twilight’s right, Shrek,” Spike spoke up. “I know you don’t believe in true love right now. But if you did, we just want you to know we’re in your corner, buddy. Speaking from experience, you have to tell this girl what you’re really feeling deep down. If you don’t, you’ll never get another chance… and she’ll move on without you. Any reason you have to say otherwise will mean nothing. Just look into your heart… and you’ll find the answer.” Shrek sat silently, pondering over his options. Finally, he stood up and walked off passing the group. They watched as he pressed onward down the hill, to get something – like a man on a mission. They all sat in that spot, watching proudly as they hoped to see that the ogre was finally about to make his move. <> Later that evening, Donkey and the other Equestrians had just come back from their nightly stroll. They still felt down over the fact that they couldn’t convince Shrek to share his feelings with Fiona, and hoped the others stood a better chance than they did. Not knowing how long it was going to take, they decided it was all up to them at this point. And so it seemed to be as they made their way to the door of the windmill with Pinkie Pie knocking on the door. “Fiona? It’s your friendly neighbor Pinkie Pie!” Pinkie called out. “I know you don’t like to be bothered at this hour, but we really need to talk to you.” Pinkie Pie waited for a moment, while the rest waited with anticipation. But not a response was heard, not even the slightest stir. So Pinkie knocked four times in rapid session on the door once more. Without waiting, she knocked again… and again… but just as she went for another set of four, the door swung open in an eerily fashion. “That’s not ominous at all,” Rainbow remarked sarcastically. Fluttershy shivered at the sight of the darkness, as Applejack and Rarity stood by her side. With Donkey at the lead, they stepped through the open doorway and into the windmill itself. Due to its state of abandonment, everywhere they looked there were cobwebs hanging over the shadows of the windmill and fallen beams in every corner. The interior itself was deathly still and the princess was nowhere in sight. The ponies proceeded to follow Donkey with extreme caution. “Sheesh, what a dump!” Pinkie Pie remarked. “This place could use a bit of sprucing up, I must add,” Rarity cringed, looking around. “Princess? Princess Fiona?” Rainbow called out. “Are you in here?” “Princess, where are you?” Donkey called out. All at once, a group of birds flocked to the top of the open roof, starting Donkey and the others. Taking a deep breath, they pressed on with their eyes facing the darkness ahead. “Princess?” Applejack called out. “Your Highness?” Rarity came in. Unbeknownst to the group, they were so concerned over what laid ahead of them, they failed to notice a hand gripping the rungs of a ladder. “Fiona, it’s very spooky in here!” Fluttershy piped up nervously. “I really don’t want to play games; please come out!” “It’s okay Fluttershy, Auntie Pinkie Pie has just the remedy,” Pinkie Pie smiled. “When things get scary, just do what I do!” “Pinkie darling, please… don’t!” Rarity groaned. “Don’t do what?” Donkey asked, confused. Pinkie Pie (Sings): When I was a little filly, And the sun was going DOWWNNNAAAAHHHH!!! In a matter of seconds, everything happened at once. Pinkie Pie was starting to sing while Fiona looked down toward Donkey and the other ponies cloaked in shadow. She tried to sneak away, from up above on the platform. Next thing she knew, the wooden plank broke and she fell down with a crash interrupting Pinkie’s song before it began. She landed on the flour with a scream, which in turn launched a cloud of flour into the air and completely covering the ponies. “BAAAH—CHOO!!!” Pinkie sneezed. “Bless you!” Rarity and Fiona spoke in unison. Rarity gasped upon the sudden realization, and the group froze. “Who… said that?” Donkey asked slowly. Slowly, they turned their heads toward the darkness yet found themselves unable to tell who the figure was. But from what they could tell, it was so huge they towered over the Equines. Pinkie Pie started to shiver in panic, while Rarity stood completely silent and watched from the shadows all while the eyes of her friends went wide. “AAAHH!!!” Donkey and the ponies screamed. “IT’S A SCARY MONSTER!” Pinkie panicked. “EVERY PONY RUN!!!” Pinkie Pie started running head over heels, even up along the walls, trying to stay as clear from the mysterious monster in the dark. While every pony else screamed with fright, the monster approached with its arms up. “No, no!” “No, help!” Donkey cried out. “Please don’t eat us!” Fluttershy begged tearfully. “I beg of you! Please!” “I taste like Brussel Sprouts!” Pinkie screamed, mid-run. “Honest! Ask any pony!” “Shh!” Soon the creature emerged from the cloud of flour, an ogress. The beast approached Donkey and the girls as Applejack and Rainbow Dash stood their ground in front of the frightened group. “Shrek! Shrek! Shrek!” Donkey called out. “Twilight! Spike! Anyone!” Fluttershy cried out. “No, it’s okay! It’s okay!” The ogress assured. “Stand back! I’m warnin’ ya!” Applejack warned, stomping her hoof. “Don’t come no closer now!” “Yeah, what have you don’t to the princess?!” Rainbow threatened. “If you harmed her, I oughtta!” “Rainbow, shh! I’m the princess!” “A likely story!” Pinkie screamed. “HELP!!!!” “MOMMY!!!” Donkey cried out. “It’s me, in this body,” The ogress spoke softly. “Wait…” Rarity peered, noticing the similarities. “That voice… the dress…” “Oh my God! You ate the princess!!!” Donkey panicked. “Princess Fiona, can you hear me?” Pinkie called to the ogress’s stomach. “It’s me! Pinkie!” “Pinkie!” The ogress groaned. “Don’t panic! Listen, just keep breathing! I’ll get you out of there!” “Pinkie! No!” But Pinkie Pie was beyond listening at this point. She proceeded to thrust her hoof into her mane trying to find something that could free Fiona out of her predicament. She took out a glass slipper, a skull-shaped apple, a spinning wheel, a paper lantern, a saucy picture of Pinkie Pie and Cheese Sandwich… which she put back in her mane, and a whole bunch of baking tools that weren’t even close to what she needed. “Where’s a good scalpel when you need one?!” Pinkie squealed. “Shrek! Shrek! Shrek!” Donkey shouted repeatedly. “Twilight! Raven! Cerise!” Pinkie called out. The ogress, claiming to be Fiona, covered Donkey’s mouth while Rarity used her magic to literally zip Pinkie’s mouth shut. “Will you two quiet down and LISTEN!” Rarity yelled. “This… is… me!” The ogress insisted. “Fiona?” Pinkie muffled. Donkey, along with the rest of the ponies, looked deep into her eyes. As the ogress pet the Donkey’s muzzle, calming him down, every pony was able to get a good look at her. Indeed the dress she wore was similar to Fiona’s choice of gown and the voice along was recognizable. But the eyes and her hair… they also matched Fiona’s. They all looked surprised and confused, so much that Pinkie Pie took out some reading glasses (Rarity’s) from her mane just to get a good look. “Fiona?” The ponies, minus Rarity, spoke in unison. “Princess…?” Donkey realized. “What happened to you?” “Yeah… you’re, uh… uh… eh…” Pinkie fumbled her words. “Different?” Fluttershy finished nervously. “I’m ugly, okay?” Fiona spoke in frustration. “No… no…!” Rainbow Dash shook furiously. “I mean, maybe… no… no, you’re not.” “Wut happened to ya, yer highness?” Applejack asked calmly. “Was it something you ate?” Donkey guessed. “’Cause I told Shrek those rats were a bad idea. You are what you eat, I said. Now—” “Donkey! You aren’t helping!” Rarity scolded. “No! I—I’ve been this way as long as I can remember,” Fiona explained. “What do you mean?” Donkey asked curiously. “Look, I ain’t never seen you like this before.” “Neither have we,” Rainbow jumped in. “What is this? Some kind of secret super power or something?” “It only happens when the sun goes down,” Fiona answered. “So… it is a super power!” Rainbow smiled. “Now that’s awesome!” “Hun, please!” Applejack scolded. “Let her talk.” “Good Heavens Fiona, what happened?” Rarity asked. Fiona leaned over a barrel filled with water, gazing upon her reflection. She found only the ogress staring back at her, and not the beauty she truly wanted to see. “’By night one way, by day another—this shall be the norm,’” Fiona recited. “’Until you find true love’s first kiss and then take love’s true form.’” “Aww, that’s beautiful,” Donkey smiled. “We didn’t know you wrote poety.” “That’s not poetry, Donkey dear,” Rarity shook her head. “It’s… it’s a spell, isn’t it?” “It’s a curse!” Fiona sighed. “When I was a little girl, a witch cast a spell on me.” “A… a witch?” Fluttershy spoke nervously. “Yes. So now every night when the sun goes down I become this… this horrible, ugly beast!” Fiona smacked her reflection in the water, splashing it onto Donkey and Pinkie who shook it off like a pair of hounds. “Oh darling, that’s awful!” Rarity spoke sadly. “I can’t imagine any creature doing something so cruel to a child.” “Hold up! You said the person who cursed you was a witch right?” Pinkie asked curiously. “Was it a green witch? Did she have a pointy hat and wore black robes? Riding around on a broomstick, cackling with a raspy voice, and threatened to hurt your dog? That is, if you had one—” “I don’t really know,” Fiona answered sadly. “I was too young to remember; I only know because my parents told me that’s how it happened. I was since placed in a tower to await the day my true love would rescue me. That’s why I have to marry Lord Farquaad tomorrow before the sun sets and he sees me… like this.” Fiona held her head and started to cry. Pinkie Pie proceeded to take out a box of tissues as Rarity levitated one toward Fiona. “There, there… it’s going to be okay,” Rarity soothed gently. “I’m sure we can fix this somehow.” “All right, all right, calm down,” Donkey spoke up. “Look, it’s not that bad. You’re not that ugly.” “Yeah, it’s fine!” Pinkie brushed off. “We’ve seen wayworse!” “Pinkie!!!” The ponies groaned. Fiona merely looked up for only a few seconds. No matter how they looked at it, they couldn’t ignore where Fiona was coming from. “Okay, I can’t tell a lie,” Applejack sighed. “You are ugly, but you only look like this at night.” “No arguments there,” Pinkie nodded. “Yeah, Shrek’s ugly twenty-four seven,” Rainbow added, then realized. “Wait a second! This is perfect!” “Perfect?!” Fiona remarked. “Rainbow Dash, I’m a princess and this is not how a princess is meant to look. If Lord Farquaad finds out I look like this, he’ll never marry me!” “Your Highness, I understand this is quite tragic,” Rarity spoke up. “But never, ever, ever say that to yourself. Any creature, including you, are still beautiful in some way. It’s not about how you appear on the outside; it’s what’s on the inside that counts. That’s the Fiona you truly are, and we’ve seen it in the short time we’ve been together. “Look, we’ve been talking about this all afternoon and we all agreed… would it really be so terrible if you decided not to marry Farquaad?” “It’s not a bad idea!” Fluttershy piped up shyly. “I have to kiss my true love!” Fiona argued. “The kiss is the only thing that will break the spell and make me beautiful.” “I’m with my friends on this one,” Pinkie Pie popped up. “Speaking as a pony who found true love, what if neither you nor him are meant to be? And even if he does marry you, it would only be out of duty and not of the romantic lovely heart-shaped candy stuff. You’d never get to spend a night sharing a bed because you won’t stand the sight of one another, and you’ll never share a talk without coming off as awkward. Honestly, I think you’d be better off with someone else!” “Who?” Fiona asked sadly. “Well, you know, um… you’re kind of an ogre,” Donkey pointed out. “And Shrek… well… you got a lot in common.” “Shrek…” Fiona lifted her head. “Sure! He’s really not so bad once you get to know him,” Rarity nodded in approval. “Of course, he can be cranky, moody, and grumpy… not to mention rude, crude, and… no respect for personal hygiene. But it’s clear you both formed quite a connection. And whether you know it or not, the only reason Shrek is being nicer than he was when we met him… is all because of you. He’d never have been so open about himself if it weren’t for rescuing you. “The least you can do is talk to him about it. What do you think it would cost?” <> Speaking of Shrek, as all that was going on, the ogre himself was approaching the windmill as Twilight, Spike, and the Ever After girls followed closely behind him. In his hand, he held a sunflower and during his brief walk he had been rehearsing to himself. During the song, Shrek felt a claw upon his shoulder and turned to the side. Spike stood beside him, smiling with understanding knowing just what he was going through. And he knew then just how to help the ogre. “You’re going to be perfect, Shrek,” Ashlynn smiled. “You got this big guy!” Cerise gave a thumbs up. “Fiona will love the flower,” Twilight assured. “I promise.” “Okay… here we go,” Shrek nodded. “Go for it!” Spike nodded. With his mind made up, Shrek approached the windmill as the group looked on with anticipation. He stopped at the foot of the door and lifted his free hand to knock. But then, he suddenly overheard Fiona talking with Donkey and the other Equines. He leaned towards the door to hear what they were saying. “I can’t think about Shrek. Not now,” Fiona explained. “I’m a princess after all; I can’t just marry whoever I want.” “Who says you can’t?” Rainbow asked. “That’s a stupid rule if you ask me.” “Rainbow… please!” Applejack hissed. “Fiona… why are you so against the idea?” “Take a good look at me, Applejack!” Fiona demanded. “But we are looking!” Pinkie insisted. “I mean really… who could ever love a beast so hideous and ugly? ‘Princess’ and ‘ugly’ don’t go together. That’s why I can’t stay here with Shrek.” Shrek stepped back in shock, misinterpreting the conversation’s meaning. But from how he heard it, she was talking about him. She was referring to the ridiculous nature of a princess as beautiful as Fiona wanting anything to do with a beast as hideous as him. That all the comradery they had together, all the fun times they shared, and the meals they had, a whole day of traveling, talking, and laughing… all that meant nothing to her at all. “Are you sure there’s not even just one teeny, tiny chance for Shrek?” Fluttershy asked softly. “My only chance to live happily ever after is to marry my true love,” Fiona clarified. “Don’t you see, everyone? That’s just how it has to be.” Shrek heaved with a deep sigh, thrust the flower upon the foot of the door, and stormed away. Twilight, Spike, and the Ever After girls saw Shrek approaching them so angrily huffing the air so violently. “Shrek, what happened?” Apple asked concerned. “What did she say?” Twilight asked additionally. “Go away…” Shrek muttered, walking ahead. “Shrek, wait a minute!” Spike called out, following him. “Look, did she say anything? I’m sorry if whatever she said hurt you… I know what it's like to feel rejected when a girl doesn't love you back… but maybe if we can talk about it—” “WILL YOU JUST DROP IT ALREADY?!” Shrek snapped at Spike. “YOU’RE A DRAGON! WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT LOVE?! Why don’t you just go back to your mamby-pamby pony friends and get out of my life!!!” Spike stood frozen in shock as Shrek stormed off in a huff down the hill and into the dark toward the castle. Spike could feel tears struggling to leak out as Twilight and the girls gathered around him, comforting the young teenage dragon. And all the while, as Spike just stood there hurt and betrayed, Twilight turned back toward the windmill wondering just what happened. <> Meanwhile, inside the windmill… “It’s the only way to break the spell,” Fiona concluded. “Well, you at least gotta tell Shrek the truth,” Donkey advised. “If he knew all this, I think maybe—” Fluttershy offered. “No, he can’t know!” Fiona objected. “And you can’t tell him! You can’t breathe a word. No one must ever know.” “What’s the point of being able to talk if you gotta keep secrets?” Pinkie whined. “Believe me, I tried… it’s not as funny as it looks!” “Honestly Fiona, ya can’t keep something this big a secret forever,” Applejack warned. “Sooner or later, our friends are bound tah find out.” “Promise you won’t tell. Promise!” Fiona begged. “All right, all right, I won’t tell him,” Donkey sighed. “But you should,” Pinkie advised. “We shouldn’t have to do the telling. If any pony’s going to tell Shrek the truth, it’s you. One way or another, Shrek will find out. If you still want to at least be friends with him, you have to Pinkie Promise that you’ll tell him when the time is right.” To say that Princess Fiona was confused over her words was an understatement. “What’s a Pinkie Promise?” Fiona asked. “I never heard of it.” “Oh, it goes a little something like this,” Pinkie explained, with the gestures. “’Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.’ Now you try it.” “All right, I, Fiona, Pinkie Promise to tell Shrek the truth when the time comes,” Fiona promised, performing the moves. “’Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.’” “Good, now I reckon we all better get some sleep till we figure all this out,” Applejack advised. “But remember Fiona, ya wouldn’t be goin’ tah this weddin’ right now if not for us or Shrek. If Shrek done finds out what happens to you, and you didn’t tell ‘em, he’s goin’ to be miserable for the rest of his life. And that’s the truth.” With all of that settled, Donkey and the Equestrians proceeded to step outside the windmill and back into the cold night. “I just know before this is over, I’m gonna need a whole lot of serious therapy,” Donkey mumbled. “Look at my eye twitchin’.” Fiona peered through the open doorway and watched the group walk away back to the campfire. Her eyes darted down and spotted the sunflower left by the door. Picking it up, she looked around wondering how the flower got here or where it came from. She decided to head back inside, sealing the door behind her, and settle in for the night. As she closed the door, the girls and Donkey were just starting to gather by the fire when Twilight and the others returned. “Hey guys, how’s Fiona?” Twilight began. “Um, Twilight darling, can we talk about it tomorrow?” Rarity offered. “It’s been a long night and we’re very tired.” “Okay…” Twilight sighed, settling down. Rarity soon turned and spotted Spike making his way down the path far from the comfort of the fire. “Spikey-wikey, is everything all right?” Rarity asked concerned. “Not now…” Spike answered, without looking. Rarity was rather surprised as she watched the teenage dragon storming as far from the windmill and away from the group as possible. The group looked on worriedly as they took their positions around the fire. They hoped for Spike’s well-being as they slowly started to fall asleep. By now, Spike had hiked as far as he could before taking a seat on a stump in the woods. He sighed heavily, clutching his arms around his shoulders as the cold night air swept over him. Spike struggled to contain his sadness, as he looked up toward the sky and the bright moon hanging overhead. “He just said that out of a broken heart…” Spike told himself, sniffing. “That’s all it is, and he doesn’t mean anything. It’s not true. I’m a dragon yes, but I do know what love is. I know plenty about it… do I?” Spike didn’t really expect any answer nor that he cared if anyone would listen. He’d had his self-esteem tested before, and he usually recovered as swiftly as it came. So, how would this be any different? Why should he let what an ogre said affect him knowing that they likely wouldn’t see him again anyway? Why was it that when Shrek said stuff like that… it pained him? Turned out, someone was sharing his pain. Madelyn Hatter, standing within the shadows of the trees watching Spike as he sat alone on the stump. She took her little hat off her head, as she watched sadly toward the group. Reaching through her hat, she removed what appeared to be a locket of sorts. She opened it, and the locket played music as she gazed at two pictures inside. One was Maddie along with her family in a family portrait, and the other featured her… with all her friends… the ones she was with now… and all the others taken from them during the Red Thronecoming. A rare trace of sadness formed on her own face, as her own tears started to shed for a pain she’d been harboring for a while. “I went along my merry way, and I never stopped to reason…” Maddie sniffed. “I should’ve known, there’d be a price to pay… someday… someday…”