The Puzzler

Shrek came out and walked to the outhouse. About half way there something caught his eye and he stopped. Rumpel's cage was empty. That wasn't particularly odd on its own, Rumpel had tried to escape before. What was weird was that there was no obvious path he'd given himself away with, which he tended to do, and the door to the cage was still locked. Well, there's a puzzler for ya. Shrek thought.

Then he heard something flapping in the breeze. He walked over, there was a paper stuck in the tree roots. And not just any paper, it was a contract. "Hey Fiona!" he shouted. "Know any one named Anakin Skywalker?"

Fiona came around to where he was. "No. Why?" then she saw the contract he was holding. "Oh."

Donkey walked up. "Well, whoever he is, he must come from a galaxy far, far away."

"What makes you think that?" Shrek wanted to know.

"It says so right on the contract. See?" Donkey pointed with his hoof.

Shrek looked at the contract. Sure enough there was mention of a galaxy far, far away and of Rumpel wanting to go there, and something about the dark side. This was getting weirder and weirder all the time. "How are we supposed to get to a galaxy far, far away?" Fiona asked.

Shrek thought for a second. "Merlin. I bet he could get us there."

"Oh no. I am not being transported by him again." Donkey objected.

Shrek rolled his eyes. "Donkey, much as I agree with you, we really should look into this." Puss commented. "I'd be interested to see a galaxy far, far away. And this Anakin could be in a good bit of trouble."

"So it's settled." Shrek stated. "We'll go find Merlin."

"Fine." Donkey reluctantly agreed.

"We can watch the triplets while you're gone." Brogan offered.

Shrek sighed. I tell Fiona to come look and everyone in the swamp shows up. "All right. Great, let's get going." He said, losing patients.

Shrek, Fiona, Donkey, and Puss all got on Dragon and she flew them off to Merlin. It was decided on the way Dragon wouldn't come. She would attract a little too much attention. She landed in the clearing. Merlin's holographic head came up.

"What the-" Fiona, who had never met Merlin, was a little confused.

"Don't worry, it'll probably break and he'll come out." Shrek said.

Sure enough, the head disappeared and Merlin came out. He spotted Shrek. "Oh. It's you again is it?"

"Yeah, it's me." He got off Dragon. "We need you to get us to a galaxy far, far away."

"What is it with you and far, far away? First you need to go to a kingdom called Far Far Away, now it's an entire galaxy."

"Well, technically, we just need to find Anakin Skywalker." Donkey said, getting off Dragon. "At least, I think that's all. But he's in a galaxy far, far away so it's sort of the. . ."

"Well, that I can help you with." Merlin said. "Be right back out." While he got his magic ready the four of them got closer together. But no one touched the other this time. "Alright, I'll give it my best shot." He said, looking at his book.

"Oh, one more thing." Fiona put in. "I think you'll need to transport us back if we don't return by the end of the day."

"Alright, fine." Merlin did some muttering to himself. Then he started his spell. "Ogres, cat, and the talker, Take them all to Anakin Skywalker."

Blue lights came out of his hands and teleported them all, except Dragon, away. "Well what do you know? It worked." Merlin went back inside.