//------------------------------// // Fairytale Wedding // Story: Cinematic Adventures: Shrek // by extremeenigma02 //------------------------------// In the land of Duloc, the time had finally come: Princess Fiona was to marry Lord Farquaad, both desiring for their own ‘happily ever after’. In the middle of the town, a large cathedral stood tall and mighty. An even larger group of guards stood outside the cathedral, all eyes on watch to ensure nothing interrupted this wedding under any circumstances. Inside the church, wedding music was concluding while the choir filed on singing. The bishop puttered on, as Farquaad and Fiona entered in wedding attire. A large group of assembled citizens sat in reverence as they watched with anticipation for their lord to marry the beautiful princess. Granted, it was all fake as there were men with cue cards that garnered their responses. Seriously! Do these people really need to be cued just to respond? What do you expect? You think ‘any’ of them like Lord Farquaad? At all? … Good point. Anyway… the priest proceeded to officiate the ceremony. “People of Duloc, we gather here today to bear witness to the union of our new King and Queen. And as the warm glow of this setting sun lifts our hearts, so too does the joy of this blessed…” “Um… excuse me…” Fiona interrupted politely. “Could we just skip ahead to the ‘I do’s?” This gained a chuckle of amusement from Lord Farquaad, who couldn’t help but admire her eagerness to marry him. “Go on,” He nodded to the priest. The priest found this quite irregular; however, he dared not defy his new king. With a slight nod of his head, he proceeded to skip through the remainder of the ceremony. Meanwhile, while this went on, several Black Knights and Lannister guards entered the church from all corners and positioned themselves around the area. After they all made their way inside, Regina and Cersei entered after. They were dressed in their best, and most wicked, queenly ensembles. “Last time I was at a wedding, I threatened an entire kingdom to take away their happiness,” Regina reminisced. “I suppose in a strange way, I’m doing the same thing today. Old habits never die.” “Where I come from, many weddings tend to end with bloodshed,” Cersei informed. “I had an entire house, and all their bannermen, killed at one wedding. One that became known as the ‘Red Wedding’.” “Okay, instead of going back down memory lane, we should really get this plan underway,” Regina reminded. “What exactly is it we’re doing again?” “All you need to do is what you do best,” Cersei informed her. “Once that’s done, those meddlesome brats will be in our clutches. And then, we can leave this infernal world behind us.” “Well, luckily we won’t have to wait long,” Regina smirked, overseeing the wedding. “Right, well then,” The Priest cleared his throat. “Uh, do you Lord Farquaad take Princess Fiona?” “I do,” Farquaad nodded. “And do you Princess Fio—” “I do,” Fiona answered quickly. “Yes, I thought you might…” <> Outside the church, the Dragon suddenly landed nearby and the Duloc guards ran away in terror from the giant dragoness. The group dismounted and made for the church, as Dragon turned back toward Donkey. “Go ahead, have some fun!” Donkey urged her. “If we need you, I’ll whistle. How about that?” The Dragon smiled with a nod, before taking off toward the town streets to pursue the frightened knights. Shrek raced for the cathedral doors, when suddenly the remainder of the group rushed into his way. “Get out of my way!” He demanded loudly. “Hold on a minute, Shrek!” Twilight urged. “We can’t go rushing in like white knights; we need to think this through.” “First you want me to finally fess up and confess to Fiona how I feel,” Shrek pointed out confused. “Now you’re trying to stop me?!” “Of course not, darling,” Rarity assured him. “But Twilight’s right. We can’t just stroll in there without at least a plan.” “Look what we’ve been through on this whole journey,” Spike said. “We have weird knights trying to kill us and we still haven’t stopped Tirek. Celestia only knows what else can happen.” “Besides, you wanna do this right, don’t you?” Donkey asked. “What are you talking about?” Shrek asked. “There’s a line, there’s a line you gotta wait for. The priest is gonna say, ‘Speak now or forever hold your peace’ and that’s when you say, ‘I object!’.” “Oh, I don’t have time for this!” Shrek groaned in frustration. Shrek quickly made a beeline past the group, but Donkey was not having it. “Hey, wait!” Donkey flipped himself around “What are you doing? Listen to me!” Donkey pinned the ogre against the door, forcing him to look him dead in the eye. “Look, you love this woman, don’t you?” Donkey asked seriously. “Yes,” Shrek replied. “You wanna hold her?” “Yes.” “Please her?” “Yes!” “Then you got to, got try a little tenderness!” Donkey said in sing-song manner. “The chicks love that romantic crap!” “Normally I don’t condone describing love that way, but I must agree with Donkey,” Ashlynn agreed. “It’s true!” Raven nodded. “If you really want to show love in the best way, tenderness is the way to do it.” “All right!” Shrek exclaimed. “Cut it out! When does this guy say the line?” “We gotta check it out,” Donkey answered. Unbeknownst to anyone in the group, Maddie turned just in time to spot a shadowy figure in a top hat disappear around the corner. The teenage hatter silently slipped away from the others to follow the elusive shadow. Just as she rounded a corner, a black gloved hand clasped over her mouth and pulled her completely around the corner, out of sight. When she was finally released, she stared into the dark soulless eyes of Uncle Howdy himself. “Revel in what you are…” <> Back inside the church, the priest nearly finished the vows. Unbeknownst to everyone in the chapel, Donkey was hurled up in the air to spy through the window. In addition, Spike, Fluttershy, Twilight Sparkle, and Rainbow Dash used their wings to hover over the window to peek in. This all went unnoticed by everyone as the priest continued the ceremony. “And so, by the power vested in me…” <> “What do you see?!” Shrek yelled, tossing Donkey into the air. “The whole town’s in there!” Donkey replied, coming back down. “I see a bunch of knights in there as well,” Twilight added. “My guess is Tirek is somewhere in there.” “They’re at the altar!” Rainbow yelled. “Mother Fletcher!” Donkey exclaimed in shock. “He already said it.” “Oh, for the love of Pete!” Shrek groaned. Shrek raced inside without catching Donkey, who the Ever After girls quickly caught before he hit the ground. All the flying individuals flew down quickly just as Shrek rushed into the church. “Shrek, wait!” Twilight yelled. Just as the priest pronounced the pair as King and Queen of Duloc, just as Fiona and Farquaad leaned in for the kiss… “I OBJECT!!!” All heads turned as Shrek burst through the doors, his friends not too far behind. Before the eyes of the bride and groom, the princesses’ friends (And even the ogre) raced down the aisle. “Stop the wedding!” Pinkie cried out. “Shrek?” Fiona spoke in shock. “Girls?” Initially, Fiona seemed happy, if not surprised, to see them… only for her expression to quickly drop. For she was reminded of what happened earlier today, the very words that made her upset. The bishop gasped at the sight, sealed his book, and quietly slunk off. “Oh, now what does he want?” Farquaad sighed angrily. The whole congregation gasped as they saw Shrek walk towards the altar, with the remainder of the group following behind. Surprisingly, the crowd responded positively and some even begun to do ‘the wave’. “Ooh, I love the wave!” Pinkie clapped happily. The pink party pony leapt right into the crowd and when she peeked out she now sported a Buckball jersey, some face paint, and even a soda hat. “Go team!” She cheered along with the wave. “Go, go, Gryffindor! Go, go, Gryffindor!” The rest of the group merely rolled their eyes before continuing to follow Shrek towards the altar. “Hi, everyone!” Shrek waved to the crowd. “Havin’ a good time, are ya? I love Duloc, first of all. Very clean.” “What are you doing here?” Fiona questioned Shrek. “Really, it’s rude enough being alive when no one wants you, but showing up uninvited to a wedding…” Farquaad added. “Cram it, short stack!” Rainbow snapped. The tiny lord reeled back in response to the angry Pegasus. Shrek, initially taken aback by Farquaad’s harsh comment, quickly brushed it off. The ogre proceeded to turn his attention toward Fiona. “Fiona – I need to talk to you.” “Oh, now you want to talk?” Fiona scoffed. “Well, it’s a little late for that. So if you’ll excuse me –“ She leaned over to kiss Farquaad, to get this ceremony over with. But Twilight used her magic to pull her away by the hand. “Fiona, please listen!” She plead. “This isn’t what you want. You know it and so do the rest of us. You can’t marry him.” The princess freed her hand from the alicorn’s magical grip. “And why not?” She questioned angrily. To which the rest of the group turned toward Shrek. “Tell her, big guy,” Spike nudged encouragingly. “Because – because he’s just marrying you so he can be king!” This caused the whole group to groan, shaking their heads in annoyance. “Come on, Shrek!” Applejack groaned loudly. “We done just talked about this coming here; ya can’t back out now.” “This is outrageous!” Farquaad spoke defensively. “Fiona, don’t listen to him—” “Fiona, think about it!” Raven interrupted. “The day we rescued you from the tower, you asked us why this man you’re marrying didn’t come to rescue you! It’s because he never intended to go to the castle.” “He set up a whole tournament willing to sacrifice any of his knights to do the heavy lifting for him,” Apple White added. “A tournament we were caught in the midst of and assigned to embark on this ‘quest’ for his bidding, and he probably didn’t even expect us to come out of it alive! And these people… they know it… they know what happened.” “He’s not your true love,” Shrek argued with Fiona. “And what do you know about true love?!” Fiona replied bitterly. “Well, I, duh—I mean…” “Oh for Celestia’s sake!” Rainbow exclaimed loudly. “He’s in love with you, alright!” The entire group gasped in shock, as the truth was suddenly unveiled. “What?” Fiona gasped in shock. “Oh… oh… aww…” Farquaad chuckled mockingly. “Oh, this is precious! The ogre has fallen in love with the Princess! Oh, good lord. Hahahahaha…” Farquaad gestured to the man with the prompter card, who proceeded to hold up a card that said ‘Laugh’. The entire congregation proceeded to laugh over the absurdity of ‘an ogre and a princess’. Shrek turned back toward the laughing crowd till his face leaned toward the floor, dejection striking him hard. Seeing his friend in such distress, Spike dawned a look of determinedness and stepped up to speak in his defense. “You people can laugh all you like, but there’s nothing wrong with our friend loving Fiona!” Spike spoke up. “Where we come from, I’m a dragon in a relationship with a griffon… and proud to be! We’ve got earth ponies who fell in love with Pegasi, some even with unicorns, and even unicorns have fallen for Pegasi. We’ve even had same-sex relationships… all different kinds and we’re proud to have such diversity.” “Yeah! We even have a Pegasus and a Draconequus relationship brewing soon, right Fluttershy?” Pinkie smirked to the shy Pegasus. To which Fluttershy merely blushed bright red, as she hid her face in her wing and mane. In all this, Princess Fiona stared toward Shrek, her face brimming with shock. “Shrek… is this true?” Fiona asked curiously. Just as Shrek opened his mouth to speak— “Who cares?! It’s preposterous!” Farquaad mocked in annoyance. “Guards, take these abominations out of my sight!” “No!” Fiona cried out. “Uh… I mean… let’s hear what the… monster has to say. It might be worth a laugh.” “Oh, you are awful!” Farquaad smirked, then faced Shrek. “You heard her, ogre. Express yourself… with as few grunts as possible.” “Can I hit him now?” Rainbow Dash asked Applejack. “Later hun,” Applejack assured. “Right… okay,” Shrek spoke tentatively, looking around. “Um…” Without any words, the ponies, Spike, and the Ever After girls calmly gestured to Shrek to speak his piece. The ogre eventually turned his attention toward the Princess, who waited to hear what he had to say. But when words failed… there was only ‘one’ thing the ogre could do…sing. “Awk-ward…” Farquaad snarked, side of mouth. The group’s eyes glared toward the tiny man, who made a gesture with his tiny fingers to indicate ‘a little bit’. But the man still gestured the ogre to keep going regardless. Shrek returned his gaze to Fiona, who at first turned her back to him during the first verses. Spike, seeing that the ogre still needed help, slowly approached his friend. Shrek’s bars eventually made the princess return her gaze toward him, hearing the sincerity in his words. Pleased to help push his friend along, Spike felt a presence so unfamiliar to him yet compelled him to look out toward the crowd. Only in his eyes, he wasn’t seeing the congregation nor even the walls or the door leading out into the town. But something drew him to look ahead, that he felt the presence of someone so close to him… someone he feels has been watching him this whole time. As he stepped forward, he could feel himself singing his own serenade as Shrek’s own song continued. And as Spike tentatively reached out a claw, as far as he could stretch his arm forward… his hand contacted an invisible force in thin air. A force seen by so few, yet a hidden wall of sorts where he could feel himself seeing something beyond the void of this world. His gaze toward a serene scene he left behind, where he could feel someone else reaching for him… waiting for him to come home. He was swept by this sensation known only by so few, as off the side Shrek grew more determined as the princess’s face slowly softened. By the time the song finished, Shrek waited with anticipation to hear what the princess had to say. At first she said nothing, but the tears in her eyes and the small smile on her face seemed to suggest otherwise. Leaving everyone else to wonder… ‘Did it work?’. “BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!” Groans emerged from the group as the tiny lord ruined what was a tender moment, the disruption even drew Spike back to reality much to his own annoyance. “Are we ready, darling?” Farquaad addressed Fiona. “Fiona, my love, we’re but a kiss away from our ‘happily ever after’. Now kiss me!” Farquaad held Fiona’s hand, puckered his lips, and leaned toward her. Fiona looked from Shrek, then to Farquaad, and up toward the stained-glass window. Then, barely a whisper… “I can’t!” Just as Fiona was about to rush off. “Stop the wedding!!!” A high squeaky voice led the congregation to erupt in pandemonium. All of a sudden, all the fairy tale creatures, with Pinocchio in the lead, stormed into the church. Carrying protest signs in their grip, they eyed the lord angrily crying out their message. “This guy is a sham!” “Up with fairies!” “Power to the cookies!” “I vanted to be zi flower girl!” “Ew! Filthy wedding crashers!” Farquaad groaned disgusted. “Stop them! Stop them!” “We’ve taken your abuse for the last time, Farquaad!” Pinocchio pointed angrily. “”Well no more!” Baby Bear declared. “It ends today!” The witch declared. “Power to zi piggies!” The three pigs cheered. “We demand our homes back!” Papa Bear demanded. “And our rightful place in Duloc!” Pinocchio concluded. “Right, guys?” Additional cries bellowed out amidst the rally. Farquaad darted his eyes to each of the creatures, accusing him of being a zealot and demanding he’d pay for his actions. But the tiny lord would not have it… “How dare you freaks interrupt my wedding?!” Farquaad called out. The girls, especially Spike, rolled their eyes over Farquaad’s choice of words. All stood silently, until Pinkie Pie stepped forth. A smile spread across her face as an amusing thought dawned on her. “Freaks, huh?” Pinkie questioned. “Well, I guess it takes one to know one. As a matter of fact, when we first met these creatures, I just so happened to stumble upon someone you’re very familiar with.” “What?” Farquaad asked confused. “Pinocchio… I believe a ‘reunion’ is in order?” Pinkie smiled. “Oh… yeah!” Pinocchio nodded. “Be prepared to have your mind blown.” Pinocchio gestured with one hand, signaling the fairy tale creatures to part ways. A very grumpy, not to mention small and angry looking dwarf, ‘Grumpy’ by name, stepped out from the crowd. Everyone eyed him with confusion, but Farquaad… he was shocked. “High-Ho!” Grumpy said loudly. “Daddy?” Farquaad reeled back. To which the crowd gasped in shock, suddenly mouthing to each other of this revealing scene. “I suppose my invitation was lost in the mail?” Grumpy huffed. “Well, maybe if you hadn’t abandoned me in the woods—” Farquaad argued. “Abandoned you?” Grumpy questioned. “You were twenty-eight and living in my basement!” This caused the rest of the group to burst out laughing. Surprisingly, it wasn’t even just the fairytale creatures nor even just the Equestrians. The entire congregation couldn’t help but laugh, even a few of the guards. “Heh-heh. Looser!” Rainbow laughed. “People of Duloc, your leader is a Halfling!” Pinocchio announced. “Which is a lovely thing to be!” Fluttershy nodded. “A freak, just like all of us!” Raven added. “No I’m not! I’m not a freak! I’m not!” Farquaad objected, throwing a tantrum. “I’m a king! I’m a big man! A big, tall giant man with a kingdom! Not-a-freak! Not a freak! I have a castle!” Fiona merely looked down on him with disgust, as the true nature of the little man was revealed before him. Not because of ‘what’ he was in the end, but rather… who he turned out to be. A man who mocked her friends and forced an entire population from their homes just for being who they are. A man who could only see the ugliness on the outside, not the beauty from within. A truth that was perfectly clear to Fiona… Lord Farquaad could ‘never’ be her true love. “Bring in the lanterns!” An announcement drew Fiona back to reality, averting her attention to the window. Sure enough, the sun was starting to set in the sky. The cathedral was growing darker, and a few members of the church were already bringing in the lanterns. As dawning as the sun, so too did it dawn upon Fiona of what was to come. “’By night one way, by day another’,” Fiona spoke, facing Shrek. “I wanted to show you before.” Fiona slowly started to back away, giving Shrek a sheepish smile. Then finally, when the sun had fully set, the magic of Fiona’s curse was put into effect. The magic hovered around the princess, who closed her eyes as the magic cast a shining radiance in the church. After a few seconds, Fiona had transformed into her ogress self. The crowd gasped, while one person fainted in shock. Shrek and Farquaad stared at Fiona, neither sure what they were seeing. “Fiona?” Shrek spoke. To which, the princess gave a smile in response. The ogre’s astonishment grew, as he too began to grin. “Well, uh… that explains a lot!” Shrek smiled. To which the Equestrians and their friends nodded in approval, as Fiona locked eyes with Shrek and smiled. “Ugh! Ew-ew-ew-ewww! It’s disgusting!” Farquaad groaned. “Guards! Guards! I order you to get that out of my sight now! Guards?” But Farquaad’s guards did nothing, they barely even moved toward their ‘Lord’. For now that they knew the truth about who, and what, their ruler truly was they felt no purpose to serve one as hypocritical as their ‘Halfling’ Lord. Farquaad looked around quickly as the Equestrian Heroes and their allies gathered toward him. But that didn’t stop either the Lannister or Red Knights to go for the ogres. “Shrek and Fiona are in trouble!” Twilight pointed out. “Come on every pony, let’s do this!” “Finally!” Rainbow yelled. “Time to kick some flank!” “Let’s pull off a Helluva Boss!” Pinkie declared. “I wouldn’t if I were you.” The collection of heroes froze when an icy voice spoke to them. All eyes turned toward none other than Cersei and Regina, who emerged onto the altar. “Who the hay are you two?!” Rainbow Dash questioned. “Who we are is of no concern to you,” Cersei replied plainly. “However, if you must know, I am Queen Cersei of House Lannister, the High Queen of Westeros.” “Regina Mills, Queen of the Enchanted Forest,” Regina added with a smirk. “What do you want?” Twilight Sparkle demanded. “We have no quarrel with either of you.” “Believe me, you lowly livestock mean ‘nothing’ to us!” Cersei retorted. “It’s them we want!” Regina stated. With one finger, Regina pointed toward the Ever After girls (Minus one). “Hello Apple…” Regina smirked. “Been a while. How’s the whole rescuing business treating you? I must say… it’s not been looking good.” “Don’t you dare touch her, you old witch!” Raven threatened. “Hmph… no manners!” Regina huffed. “And after all the trouble we went through to bring a special guest… just to see you.” Suddenly, the lantern lights started to flicker on and off as a portal formed amidst the chapel. The girls turned and became astonished when a certain centaur emerged. Lord Tirek, the very beast their Equestrian friends were searching for. But it wasn’t the smirking, hulking red beast that shocked them. For within the tight grips of his big palms was a familiar face that left Apple White’s face widened. In his hands was someone deemed the most beautiful woman in the realm of Ever After High. A woman with pale white skin, plump lips as red as blood, and dark hair with a few gray areas due to age. Her pronounced cheekbones were as natural as her very beauty, her eyes dark blue and her hair long and flowing down to her hips. Her bangs parted to each side of her face. A tall woman with a slim body, her fashion consisting of white, red, and gold. The woman known throughout the Ever After as… Snow White. “MOM!!!” Apple White cried out. “No… this can’t be!” Raven shook her head. “This isn’t real!” “Is it real?” Regina smirked. “You’re the ones following ogres and donkeys, talking ponies and dragons, all throughout a fairy tale. Reality just keeps getting fuzzier by the minute, little girl. But if she wasn’t real… could I do… this?” Regina plunged a fist right into the chest of Queen Snow White, ripping out her still beating heart. The girls gasped at the very sight of her actions, but then they saw through the cat. This was a spell, for no physical mark remained on Snow White at all. Regina held the heart in her hand, the heart completely encased in a magical red glow. She turned back toward the crew with hateful eyes as they stared back with concern. “It’s funny, isn’t it?” Regina chuckled. “Holding the power of life and death in the pawn of one’s own hand. Did you know that when you take a heart as I have that it becomes enchanted? Once I realized what I was capable of, everything changed. I always loved the idea of doing whatever I want… and make anyone do anything I please. And, if any of you even try otherwise, all I have to do… is squeeze.” On emphasis, Regina gave the heart a squeeze and Queen Snow cried out in pain. Apple dropped to her knees; tears streamed along her face having to watch her mother endure such torture. “STOP!!! Please, stop!” Apple begged. “We’ll give you anything you want, just please… please stop hurting my mother.” To which Cersei merely smirked wickedly in response. “If you want your mother unharmed, there’s only one option you have,” She said. “Hand yourselves over and then she goes free.” “Is that what you want?” Raven challenged. “Well, if you want us dead, then come get us!” “Dead?!” Regina chuckled. “No… you don’t really get it. Killing you girls has proven to be so… difficult. Not a single one of you deserve to die, oh no. Instead… you deserve to be broken down… torn apart… wiped from existence… just like all your friends…” The Ever After High girls turned toward their pony friends and Spike, who were initially concerned for their being. No doubt they would jump in at any point to prevent any harm from coming to them. But then these princesses thought of what was put in jeopardy, especially a Queen who possibly was the only surviving parent left. The parent of a very special girl now wanting to do something right… even at a great cost. “We will give ourselves up and you may do with us as you wish,” Apple White offered. “But you will leave our friends be… and my mother… she goes free.” “Apple, no!” Fluttershy whimpered. “There… now was that so hard?” Regina smiled wickedly. The villains, minus Cersei, grinned evilly as Tirek watched Regina place the heart back into Queen Snow’s chest. Apple’s mother gasped softly as she felt her heart return to its place, releasing a slow breath as Cersei gathered toward the weakened queen. One of her hands was closed shut, as Cersei eyed the silent parent. “Ready for that drink, your highness?” Cersei asked. All of a sudden, Cersei violently raised her sealed fist to Queen Snow’s lips, revealing a vial of the purple liquid. To the shock and horror of the Ever After girls, Cersei forcibly plunged the liquid down the queen’s throat forcing her to gulp every last drop. Queen Snow started to gasp violently as trails of the purple liquid slipped down her lips. As Tirek released her, he watched as the Queen clutched her throat, gasping for breath as she took a few steps. Even the congregation watched in shock as the Queen turned toward the girls, specifically toward Apple White. “Apple…” Queen Snow gasped, reaching out. “Mom…” Apple shook her head tearfully. And just like that, upon drawing her last breath, Queen Snow plunged face-first onto the floor… and she laid there silent and still. Apple cried out in agony at the sight of her mother’s death, practically falling to her knees with one hand covering her mouth. All her friends stared in shock as Regina watched her friend succumb to sadness. Then she angrily turned toward the maniacal queens and the centaur. “What have you monsters done?!” Raven demanded. “We had a deal! Our lives for hers!” “Indeed we did have a deal.” Cersei replied. “I did this because it felt good.” I burned your home to ground because it felt good to watch it reduced to ashes. I had your friends killed because it felt good to watch the life slip from their eyes. Now I’ve killed your Queen because it feels good to watch you lose the last hope you have left.” “If I recall correctly, your friend asked for your mother to go ‘free’,” Tirek spoke sinisterly. “I think we’ve all gotten what we deserve.” Apple White was now utterly horrified after her mother was killed in front of her, the light in her eyes gone. As she slowly crawled toward the body of her mother, the Queens hovered toward her friends who braced themselves. Alongside the queens, a number of their personal guards marched beside them. “It’s time you girls finally admit the truth,” Cersei declared. “That this world… and everywhere else… would just be better off without you.” As the villains reached toward her friends, Apple White was just inches away from her mother. She finally reached toward her, Apple’s hand brushing along her mother’s hair and the skin of her face only to feel nothing but a chilling sensation. She reached toward her mother’s shoulders, hoping to have one last look upon her mother’s dying face… but then she reeled back with a gasp. For instead of the face of her mother, instead it was the face… of Uncle Howdy. “Pardon me…” He spoke sinisterly. All of a sudden, the body in Apple White’s hands vanished into a beam which quickly cast a large glow that drew the attention of the villains. “What the—?” Regina began. But before she could finish, the trio were hurled backwards by the beam. The force was so strong, Tirek was sent flying backwards, crashing through the church and sent hurtling away in the air screaming. The Queens were sent skidding toward the floor, while all their knights scattered about in a metallic clutter from one spot to the next. Apple White stood kneeling on the floor with shock by what she seen, when Raven Queen gathered toward her friend and roommate. “Apple! You have to get up!” Raven groaned, pulling Apple by her shoulder. “We have to go!” “Get them!” Cersei snarled. “Get them all!” Soon, the Mane Six, Spike, and the remainder of the Ever After girls leapt into action. The gathering of Black and Lannister knights charged toward the group. “No, no! Shrek!” Spike turned as Shrek and Fiona tried to grab each other’s arms. But the knights grabbed hold of them, pulling them apart. A rage started to form within the young adult dragon, as smoke poured from his nostrils. Releasing a roar so loudly, Spike flew toward the knights and knocked them aside with a swipe of his tail propelling the knights off of Fiona and sent them crashing against the stone walls. The ponies gathered in defense of Spike and the ogres, while the Ever After girls aided the other fairytale creatures with keeping the other knights at bay. Farquaad began to fume with rage as he saw the chaos erupt within the cathedral. All the knights trying to either restore order or dispose of these freaks, only to be overwhelmed and tossed about like canned vegetables. His only remaining allies, the two queens, were still recovering from their own assault by a newly revealed intruder. This was supposed to be his wedding day, his shining pillar of greatness… and these freaks were not going to ruin this day. “This hocus-pocus alters nothing!” Farquaad growled, grabbing the crown. “This marriage is binding, and that makes me king! See?! See?!” “You’re not a king!” Spike accused. “Kings don’t—” Suddenly, one of the knights swatted Spike away with a mace, sending the dragon to the floor. As the dragon slowly recovered, the other knights tackled him trying to hold him down. “No, let go of him!” Fiona cried, hurling one knight down. “Spike!” “Spike!” Twilight cried out. “Don’t just stand there, you morons!” Regina growled to her knights. “Kill them if you have to—but get them!” The knights still in action charged toward the group, who did their best to defend themselves against their might. Twilight Sparkle and Rarity used their own beams to knock a few knights off their feet, while Applejack grabbed a discarded mace with her rope and swung it around colliding with the medieval weapon against the helmets of every charging knight. Rainbow Dash flew toward the knights trying to hold Spike down and proceeded to thrust a few uppercuts sending the knights in the air. “Out of my way!” Rainbow called out, facing Spike. “Spike! You okay!” “I’m fine—” Spike groaned, clutching his head. “Fiona… Shrek…” In the meantime, Pinkie Pie attempted to hold several knights back with streams of her party cannon shooting confetti and other forms of pastry. Despite being covered in icing, their visions partly blocked by confetti, the remaining knights still marched forth in grim determination. Then, all of a sudden, Fluttershy hovered over them and proceeded to unleash her ‘stare’ upon them, gazing intensely toward them. As it so happened, at least two of those knights recognized the yellow Pegasus… from the castle. “No… no… you!!!!” A knight screamed. Screaming in maniacal insanity, the knights screamed and raced down the aisle pushing their way through the fairytale creatures toward the doors. To which, their Queens were far from pleased as some of their troops ran away rather than fighting to the death. “COWARDS!!!” Regina snapped. Amidst all the chaos, Shrek angrily fought back and knocked out a few of the guards. Even Fiona managed a few stunning blows against several of the knights, deploying what self-defense training she had. But eventually, the sheer number of these growing knights proved too much for the ogres. Even the ponies and their friends felt the weight of combat stacking against them. And Farquaad, with the crown upon his head, stood at the heart of the cathedral overlooking the whole battle. “You beasts… I’ll make you regret the day we met!” Farquaad declared. “I’ll see you drawn and quartered! You’ll beg for death to save you!” “No, Shrek!” Fiona cried out. “Twilight! Spike! Apple!” But Apple White was too despondent to speak, as Raven Queen wrapped her arms around her while keeping her gaze on the knights circling the pair. Farquaad soon approached Fiona, drawing his dagger, and held it toward her throat. “And as for you, my wife!” Farquaad sneered. “Fiona!” The group cried out. “I’ll have you locked back in that tower for the rest of your days!” Farquaad declared. “No actually, you won’t!” Spike coughed. “Shrek, NOW!!!” Finally, Shrek managed to pry his arm free, and he whistled loudly. “What are you doing, you Insolent beast!” Farquaad demanded. “I am king! I WILL HAVE ‘ORDER’! I WILL HAVE PERFECTION! I WILL HAVE…!” Just before Farquaad could finish his rant, time seemed to slow down for the tiny lord. Initially confused, he suddenly heard a haunting whistle that seemed to echo around the church. As Farquaad tried to uncover the source of the scary, yet melodic tune, Farquaad’s eyes caught sight of a figure standing seemingly unnoticed by the crowd. The figure was a bipedal albino wolf with bright, glowing red eyes wearing a black hooded riding cloak, brown trousers, and a pair of razor-sharp collapsible sickles hanging on his belt. From his elongated, sharp teeth-filled muzzle, the mysterious wolf whistled the ominous tune for Farquaad to hear and gave an almost sadistic looking smile at him. Almost immediately as he suddenly appeared out of nowhere, the cloaked wolf seemingly vanished from the spot, leaving Farquaad very unnerved. Time resumed to normal speed when all at once… *CRASH!* A Dragon burst from the stained-glass window, the Dragon who guarded Fiona, and opened her jaws. The diminutive despot looked up, dropped his weapon, and screamed in horror as the Dragon’s head swooped down. The last thing he saw was the wide, teeth-filled maw and an eruption of flames flowing toward him. The dragon’s jaw covered the lord, as her fire breath engulfed him from within her mouth. Soon she swallowed him in one gulp, leaving nothing left but his charred crown. All the other guards, stunned by the act, ran away from the cathedral and those who remained stepped back. As it turned out, the Dragon was not alone as a figure stood upon her head. “All right! Nobody move!” Donkey ordered. “I got a dragon here, and I’m not afraid to use it.” The Dragon roared, causing most of the guards to back away with fear. The remaining guards released Shrek and Fiona, backing away. The two Queens got to their feet and looked up as the Dragon loomed toward them. “I’m a donkey on the edge!” Donkey cried out. “You insolent little…” Cersei threatened. But before she could do anything, the floor exploded a few steps before her and through the smoke Uncle Howdy, in his regular get-up, appeared before the stunned Queens. He merely stared icily toward the Queens and hovered one finger in front of them, waving it side to side silently. The Queens eyed this mysterious figure for a moment until Queen Cersei released a breath, and Regina got the message. “Fine! Have it your way…” Regina sighed. Regina took one snap of her finger, causing another portal to appear in the chapel. All eyes watched as the Lannister and Red Knights struggled their way through the portal in a hasty retreat. Regina was the first of the pair of Queens to enter the portal, as Cersei looked back toward the Ever After girls, the group eyeing the Queen with hatred. “Another time, another place…” Cersei declared. “But never forget… we made a bargain.” At long last, Queen Cersei stepped back through the portal, and it sealed shut. With a few major threats handled, the two band of heroes turned toward Uncle Howdy. Raven Queen, especially, was closely attentive to this mysterious figure. “Who are you?” Raven asked. “Who, indeed?” Uncle Howdy replied. “Such a shame for little Apple. Losing her mother, and her closest friends, and they’re not guilty of a thing! Now they are lost. Off with the shadows, into darkness.” “She just saw her mother killed you insensitive creep!” Raven growled. “No… no, not killed…” Uncle Howdy corrected. “Just… lost. Just like all the others…” Something in Uncle Howdy’s words rang hauntingly amidst the group, sending them in a state of unease. But in addition, it snapped Apple White back to reality thrusting her head toward Uncle Howdy. “You mean… you know where mother is?” Apple White spoke. “Tell us!” “If you are in league with the Dark One and the Benefactor, we deserve to know!” Twilight demanded. “Uncle Howdy has all the answers—but Uncle Howdy doesn’t always tell. Uncle Howdy does not work for the darkness… Uncle Howdy is the darkness. Uncle Howdy rules his own world, and in my little world… we’re all mad. “As for your mother, little Apple… she’s already left this world. I won’t tell which exit. But a little birdie offered an exchange, a high-ranking being of my choosing… in exchange for her freedom.” With one snap of his finger, smoke erupted at his feet. Through the black wave, Maddie Hatter tripped and fell into the arms of the Ever After girls. “Maddie!!!” They cried out. They hovered over the young Hatter, who coughed heavily trying to clear her lungs. She weakly looked up toward the girls, who eyed her worriedly. Twilight Sparkle walked past them, eyeing the malicious being. “What are you?!” Twilight asked intensely. “Let’s just say I only exist because someone refuses to accept their own faults,” Uncle Howdy spoke cryptically. “In exchange for one’s freedom from my vice, I get to add a little piece to my ‘charming’ little collection. And the party list keeps growing so long as I say so.” “You’re saying Apple’s mother is still alive? What of the others? How do we know we can trust you?” “To trust, or not to trust? I trust you’ll decide! Find me again…” Once more, Uncle Howdy snapped his fingers and vanished into the smoke before the group could do anything. All was silent amidst everyone still remaining in the cathedral. The stunned members of the congregation, all the fairytale creatures gathered around, the heroes pondering their actions, and even the ogres standing close by. Looking around, seeing all the calamity, Donkey tried to break the awkward silence. “Celebrity marriages,” Donkey spoke up. “They never last, do they?” To which, the congregation broke out into some slight laughter. Some of them even cheered, much to even the surprise of the group. Still, it was plain to see as the muzzles on their faces. For all the power and respect Farquaad demanded of them, they never truly admired a lord desiring to be king of all. And now that the little man was gone for good, it was no longer just the fairytale creatures who were free. Now Duloc was a free kingdom, a kingdom without a ruler true… but still, they were free. Seeing this, a recovering Spike turned towards Shrek. “Go ahead, Shrek,” Spike smiled. Nodding his head, Shrek moved closer toward Fiona now. “Uh, Fiona?” “Yes, Shrek?” Fiona smiled. “I – I love you.” “Really?” “Really, really.” “I love you too.” Without hesitation, Shrek and Fiona leaned toward one another and they kissed – a good kiss. Thelonious took one of the cards and wrote ‘Awwww’ on the back presenting it to the congregation. And they all responded on cue, to which some of the girls shook their heads but were proud, nonetheless. Suddenly, the magic of the spell drew Fiona away from Shrek. The princess began to ascend into the air, hovering above as a magical glow worked around her. Whispering winds started to whip up around the stunned ensemble, as Fiona’s voice was heard though her lips never moved. ‘By day one way, by night another – this shall be the norm, until you find true love’s first kiss and then take love’s true form… true form… true form…’ Suddenly, Fiona’s eyes opened wide and lit up as she could feel a magical transformation take place. The force of the spell blew against the crowd, filling the cathedral with a blinding radiance. A whirlwind of sparkling light so great that nearly all the windows exploded, all… except one, with an image of Farquaad on it. Spike hovered till he was level with ‘Elizabeth’s’ head and gave her a nod. The Dragon proceeded to break the stained-glass window with her fist, as bits of glass showered toward the floor. As the magic subsided, Fiona lowered toward the ground and Shrek raced toward her. “Fiona? Fiona… are you alright?” Shrek asked, concerned. Slowly, the Princess Fiona turned around to face Shrek. Only… she was still an ogress. Fiona looked at herself, completely dismayed. “Well yes… but… I don’t understand,” Fiona sighed. “I’m supposed to be beautiful.” “But you are beautiful,” Shrek replied. “You are more beautiful than you ever imagined,” Rarity promised. “Inside and outside.” And the two ogres smiled toward the group, as they turned their attention toward each other. And one thing was truly certain the moment Shrek gazed upon the ogress in the wedding dress… that ‘Beautiful isn’t always pretty’… and that was how he liked it. Soon, our heroes found themselves back in the swamp. It was Shrek and Fiona’s wedding day, and everyone was invited to bear witness to the two ogres sharing their kiss and joined together in holy matrimony. Among the few attendees along with Twilight Sparkle and her friends, aside from the fairytale creatures once banished to this very swamp, even a few Duloc guards came to witness this marriage. All were very happy to see the two coming together. “And that is how the little ogre came to live on the swamp with a beautiful princess,” Shrek declared. “And his best friend,” Donkey added. “And his best friends,” Pinkie corrected. “And a gingerbread man!” Gingy jumped in. “And a very handsome puppet!” Pinocchio posed. “Okay…” Shrek chuckled. “And a rabbit!” “And an Ugly Duckling!” “And a witch!” “And a cross-dressing wolf!” “And the three pigs!” “I just love a happy ending!” Pinkie cried tearfully. Everyone gave their applause and adoration to the newly married couple, ending this day with a joyous celebration of love and acceptance. And yet, the fun had only just begun… “ONE! TWO! ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR!” Soon the entire reception of fairytale creatures and normies alike clapped together as the Mane Six and Spike stood at the center now with instruments and microphones much like their Rainbooms selves. Rarity and Pinocchio played together on the keys, with Pinocchio using his long nose that left Rarity giggling. Pinkie Pie played the drums rapidly while Applejack and Rainbow Dash played their guitars, bass and electric respectively. While Fluttershy played the tambourine, Twilight Sparkle and Spike sang lead along with a few of the Ever After Girls for back-up. All but Raven and Apple, who sat together admiring the scene as Apple leaned her head on her roommate/best friend’s shoulder as Raven kept her close. The performance went on as Shrek and Fiona walked down the aisle to prepare for their honeymoon. In the midst of the song, Shrek and Fiona walked until they reached their awaiting carriage, which thanks to a little magic was conjured as a giant onion complete with the drivers and footmen being the Three Blind Mice. Once inside, Fiona tossed her bouquet which both Cinderella and Snow White (Of this world) fought and clawed to catch. Amidst this cat fight, Dragon caught the bouquet instead. Though Donkey looked nervous, Shrek and Fiona gave him a reassuring look. The party went on, as the guests danced and sung while Shrek and Fiona rode away in their carriage. And the Gingerbread Man looked on proudly as they proceeded to embark on their own journey. “God bless us, everyone!” Gingerbread Man declared, waving goodbye. All the while, as the song reached its end, Donkey proceeded to take over the performance. Soon, the wedding carriage carrying Shrek and Fiona rode far away down the swamp, disappearing over the horizon as the two ogres proceeded to go on ‘ugly ever after’. Just as the song came to an end, as everyone took a moment to catch their breath, a gust of wind picked up and before the eyes of the Equestrians the portal to Equestria opened up in the midst of the swamp. “Well… guess it’s time to head home,” Twilight declared. “Looks that way,” Spike nodded. “But what about Tirek?” “Eh… he’ll be fine,” Pinkie shrugged. “We’ll run into big, red meanie again… maybe in another story.” As they got ready to depart, the Equestrians and Spike turned back toward all the fairytale creatures looking toward them with smiles on their faces. And with the biggest smile of them all, Donkey stood in front of them. “Man, I wish you guys didn’t have to go,” He said. “It’s been way too much fun.” “You betcha it has!” Pinkie giggled. “But we have families and friends waiting back home,” Rarity informed. “And we could use a break after all this adventuring.” “And ah’m sure they miss us a heap load,” Applejack nodded. “Well, alright,” Donkey nodded. “If you’re ever in the area again, be sure to look us up.” “We most certainly will, Donkey,” Fluttershy smiled. One by one, the girls and Spike gave Donkey a big goodbye hug. Once they broke free, they turned their attention toward the Ever After girls. “It was really nice getting to know you all,” Apple smiled, sighing. “I just wish it was under better circumstances.” “Don’t we all?” Rainbow nodded. “I’m sorry… about your mom.” “I’m not… whether or not that Uncle Howdy was telling the truth, I’m starting to feel it now. Here I was thinking that we truly lost all our friends and family. But if what Uncle Howdy says is true, that they aren’t dead… but they’re lost… then it’s up to us to find them somehow and bring them back from wherever they went to. Even if that means really thinking about what we truly saw… and what was only a dark manifestation of our own minds.” “Luckily, Apple White won’t do it alone,” Raven nodded. “We’ll be right by her side as we try to figure out what to do. But for now, we have no home to go back to thanks to those wicked Queens. So we’ll have to find somewhere else in this place to live.” Twilight and the rest of her friends looked amongst each other for a moment or two. Eventually, smiles came upon their faces as a thought came to them. “You know, you’re welcome to come back to Equestria with us,” Twilight suggested. “A chance to start a whole new life, even temporarily.” “Seriously?” Briar asked in shock. “Absolutely!” Twilight nodded. “As a matter of fact—” The pony princess used her magic to conjure a magical orb before them. The orb showcased images of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, standing side by side. “Girls, allow me to introduce you to our faithful rulers,” Twilight introduced. “Princess Celestia and Princess Luna.” “Greetings, young ones,” Celestia’s image spoke kindly. “We’ve been watching your progress since this journey began and we cordially invite you to Equestria with open hooves.” Celestia’s image then turned her face toward Apple White. “And I am sincerely sorry about what happened to your mother, dearest Apple,” She spoke apologetically. “I know what it’s like to lose family. While I may not have the power to bring her back, and I can never truly replace her, all I can offer is to bring you here and welcome you as my own if you’d wish.” “And I’d be most willing to do the same for young Raven,” Luna’s image added. Both Apple White and Raven Queen exchanged looks, seeing the shock upon each other’s faces. Both girls tried to process exactly what these patriarchs were offering. “And what of the rest of us?” Cerise asked. “Where will we live?” “There’s always room in my castle for all of you,” Twilight offered. “What do you girls say?” The Ever After girls looked amongst themselves as they thought it over. It was clear they truly had nowhere else to go, not with their home burned to the ground. And here were these new friends offering them a place to reside amongst them in their own world, all out of the kindness of their hearts. There was no need to debate this topic, as they turned back and nodded. “We’ll go with you guys,” Raven agreed. Twilight Sparkle nodded, along with the images of Celestia and Luna, and the orb disappeared into thin air. Soon the ponies proceeded to march through the portal one by one, with Spike coming in last. As the Ever After girls made their way through the portal, the last two girls were none other than Raven Queen… and Maddie Hatter. “I suppose nothing will ever be the same again, will it Raven?” Maddie asked curiously. Raven Queen briefly turned back to the swamp they’d soon be leaving behind. All the fairytale creatures were gathered, even Donkey, making the most of their newfound freedom and a new life in this world. Staring at this scene for a moment, Raven smiled, sadly yet proud. She then turned back toward Maddie. “Well Maddie,” Raven began. “If we all work as hard to restore our world and recover our lost loved ones, just as these ponies worked hard to restore the freedom of these creatures, then someday… it will be.” And so the two girls proceeded to make their way through the portal as it sealed behind them. One story coming to an end, but another was only just beginning. For nothing lasts, and life goes on. Full of surprises as they are faced with new problems of all shapes and sizes. Until their lives are restored, they will have to make a few compromises… but only for now. For now, they were healthy. For now, they were together. For now, they are happy… if not overjoyed to be alive… and for now… they had a home. <> Bonus Aftermath Lord Tirek… having just returned from his own ventures in Duloc… sat away in a part of the Dark Order’s lair entirely on his own. A place where he could be away from all the commotion, especially after being chewed a new one from the Benefactor and the Dark One of his folly… again. Alone, Tirek sat upon his rump, huffing angrily to himself. But rather than relieving his stress with lifting weights or punching the already smashed walls, Tirek took up a rather ‘interesting’ hobby… knitting a pink and magenta… something. “Stupid… ponies…” He growled. “Stupid… dragons… stupid humans… stupid… stupid… Venrys!!!” “Mr. Tirek…” A voice interrupted Tirek’s train of thought as he quickly turned his head. For who should enter his private sanctuary than the last creature he wanted to see… Cozy Glow. “Mr. Tirek… what’s wrong?” Cozy Glow asked. “What do you mean ‘what’s wrong’?” Tirek rolled his eyes. “You’re furiously knitting instead of working out. Why?” The centaur sighed to himself as he stopped his knitting and gently set his work upon his lap. “If you must know… Venrys was in the meeting today,” Tirek answered. “Ooh… the new guy!” The Pegasus filly exclaimed. “I take it you two don’t get along, huh?” “Get along?!” Tirek growled, picking up the knitting sticks. “I had those pathetic ponies right in my grip, finally defeated. And what does that coward do? He took his little trinket and ran away! And was he there to help during the wedding? NO!” “… That’s it?” Cozy raised a brow. “I thought it be bigger.” “It’s HUGE! He’s more concerned with appeasing his ‘Queen’ rather than vanquishing his foes when he has the chance! You know what? That’s the problem I have with most of these other ‘villains’!” Tirek’s knitting grew more vigorous the more his rant grew, while Cozy Glow looked slightly scared. “This order doesn’t understand that by constantly running away, leaving our foes alive, it only enforces them to come back! Every time they do, it results in their downfall!” “Isn’t that what happened to you, too?” Cozy questioned. “Before we met?” “Grr… what I did was take magic from literally ‘every’ pony in Equestria—even their princesses! I drained them so hard; they were lucky… or rather ‘unlucky’… to be walking corpses! Even Twilight Sparkle ran away from me! “Our battle was inevitable… and she bested me!” Tirek roughly sighed. “But ever since that day, it only strengthened my resolve to come back again! Which is why they should’ve destroyed me when they had the chance!” Through it all, Cozy Glow stood her ground. While the centaur knitted away, she stood silently and thought to herself. True, she too managed to almost steal all of Equestria’s magic and she nearly got away with it too. But then she was defeated by those friendship students. Why? Because she left them captured, leaving them ample time to escape without her knowledge. And it all came back to bite her flank… hard. “So, what you’re saying is…” Cozy began. “That it’s best to… um… kill your enemies instead of leaving them as prisoners?” “Yes…” Tirek spoke, his vigorous knitting calmed. “I mean, sure, sometimes its fun watching prisoners get tortured. But at the end of the day, to win the day, it’s more effective to kill your enemies when you have the chance. Not even Chrysalis or Sombra did that. Maybe those Sirens… or even Ventrys, but they all still made that one simple mistake. “I admit I’ve made mistakes too. It’s like for every success we have, we simply can’t… win. And I don’t know why.” Cozy Glow nodded her head in understanding, choosing not to continue the conversation any further. Instead, she noticed Tirek’s string was running very low by now. “Would you like some more yarn?” “No…” The centaur answered. “I think I’ll just read… leave me alone.” “Okay.” And with a shrug, the little Pegasus fluttered off leaving Tirek in his own ‘peace’. Tirek proceeded to take the finished product, eyeing all the details for a moment, before approaching a wall and proceeded to hang it up on an embedded nail. Tirek then proceeded to go to a bookshelf and reached for an old book. He slowly opened the book, revealing a deep hole where a dagger sat inside. Tirek slowly lifted the knife out of the book, which he gently put back on the shelf. He eyed the dagger, his nostrils flaring as the rage returned, and then with a mighty growl he hurled the knife… And it pierced Twilight Sparkle’s face, at the very center of Tirek’s art piece.