So Close

Ch 3

Artie felt confused as he was with Snowgre in Leah's dorm room.

Things were messed up in the world.

Snowgre's eyes opened slowly.

"Hey how're you feeling?" he asked softly.

"A touch better.

The stuff Leah's been giving me is helping." He replied weakly.

He was angry as well as Shrek and the others.

Fiona saw her husband walking around in Carley's flat.

That was where she was staying but Shrek and the triplets were sleeping in Leah's house with most of the others.

"Don't worry we can stop this Gast person.

He doesn't seem worse compared to Charming." She said trying to reassure him.

"He is because he's his son." He replied sadly.

That shocked her.

"There's no way he'd pull this off without help from his father.

But Artie seems betrayed for some reason.

After we came here, he'd been quiet.

I wonder why?" she thought sadly as she saw him open a portal and was about to go through it.

"Goodnight honey.

I love ya." he told her as they kissed.

She nodded as he went through it and vanished.

David saw him return but looked sad.

He was worried about them coming here but their parents had gone on a cruise for a while with friends and wouldn't be back.

"Daddy!" THE TRIPLETS SAID AS THEY HUGGED THEIR FATHER.

"Hey guys.

I thought you were in bed." he told them.

"We were but we... were worried about you.

We thought you weren't coming.

Uncle Artie won't talk but keeps mentioning somebody's name." Spam answered as they went up stairs.

Hearing that bothered Shrek.

"I have to go talk to him." he thought opening up a portal.

Leah noticed Artie was very silent as they ate in her dorm room.

"You okay?

It's just you haven't said anything since Snowgre woke up a while ago.

You know you can tell us anything." she said eating pizza.

Artie sighed sadly.

"I guess I can tell her.

She might be able to help.

It's the feeling of hurt, that he'd do this." he thought as he was about to speak when Shrek showed up.

"What're you doing here?

Is something wrong with David or the others?" Leah said worriedly.

"No, no there's nothing wrong.

It's just the triplets said Artie kept mentioning somebody's name.

I'm just concerned." he answered.

"The name I mentioned was Uther, the name of my father.

He's the reason Charming and Gast banished everybody I care about along with magic.

He can't handle that I'm King and not him.

I feel betrayed.

I thought he'd be happy for me.

This is all my fault." he told them.

There was silence for a moment.

"It's not your fault Artie.

Your father seems evil but maybe this is Charming's doing.

He must've helped Gast to get strong and then spell your father into helping." Shrek told him softly.

"I highly doubt that.

My father sent me away on my thirteen birthday to Worchester and told me he wasn't my father and that he hated me.

My father is evil guys and nothing will change it." Artie replied.

Leah saw tears in his eyes at that.

But it struck a chord with Shrek.

He knew how being hurt by those supposed to care about you felt.

His father was the same.

He'd hated him since he was born and seemed happy while sending him into the world at seven years old.

He tensed up rememering.

"Don't worry Artie. We'll help fix this mess." Leah told him.

"Thanks." he replied smiling a little.

"Don't mention it. You're our friend." she told him.

Shrek then left back to Leah's house in Calvert County.

Meanwhile in Far, Far Away Uther Pendragon smiled as he looked at the kingdom.

It was in chaos and the humans were left but he had gotten rid of what made the kingdom special.

"This is the way things should be.

I can't believe my son let those... misfits live in this kingdom and let magic run wild in this land." he told Charming.

"Yes that's true." he answered as Gast returned.

He was nervous about what his father and Uther were up to.

But he wanted to rule.

Was this the price to do it?

Fiona saw Leah appear in the middle of the night.

"How is she?" she asked her.

"She fell asleep a while ago after I last checked on her.

She hasn't had anything to eat in a while." Fiona told her.

Leah smiled as she walked into her friend's room carrying a bowl of soup.

"You okay?

You haven't been yourself since the others came to our world." Leah told her.

"Yeah I felt sorry that Uther along with Charming and Gast were hurting my friend's world.

I also felt depressed after what Gast did but thinking about what he said." Carley replied pointing to the emerald rose mark on her neck.

"What if he's right?

I've always wondered why I have this mark.

But nobody ever told me." SHE ANSWERED AS lEAH SAW HER FRIEND'S EYES GLOW EMERALD GREEN.

"Wow cool!

You're a magical being but I don't know what one you are." Leah told her.

Uther growled as he felt magic from the human world.

"I knew the hybrid wench had powers!

With her gifts, she'll be able to stop us!" he told Charming and Gast as they joined him.

Fiona watched as Merlin examined their young friend.

Leah couldn't help staring at him.

"How is it you're twenty again?

You look awesome." she asked him.

"I was helping Artie when a spell back fired and made me twenty years old again.

But your friend is a magical being, half human, ogre and sorceroress.

Her powers might be enough to stop Uther, Charming and Gast with a little help." he explained softly.

Carley stared at herself in the mirror.

"Is that why... I don't look like normal people?" she asked him.

"He nodded.

"Yes your ogre appearance has been concealed behind this so humans won't be afraid.

Your magic has been in your family tree for a long time but nobody talked about it." Merlin answered her.

Leah watched as she went back into her room.

Fiona knew she was confused along with Leah.

"Don't worry I'm sure she'll be fine." she reassured her.

"I hope so." she replied as Charming entered the world...