Discalaimer: I don't own anything except Sam.

Sam sat leaned against the stern of the ship. They had set off for Far Far Away about half an hour ago, gladly leaving Worcestershire behind. They were traveling along the shore close enough to where you could still see it. Artie came up and leaned against the railing beside her. "Can you believe this? I can't even wrap my head around it," he said.

"I know, it's crazy. It's amazing what can change in one day," Sam replied.

Artie glanced over at her. "I'm glad you came," he said. "Even though I'd take just about any reason to get out of that place, I'm glad I don't have to…face this alone, you know?"

Sam smiled. "I'm glad I came, too."

"Hey, Artie! Can you come help me with this rigging? It'd probably be a little easier if I had thumbs…" It was Donkey. Artie laughed and stood up.

As Artie was helping Donkey with the rigging, Puss came up and sat on the railing next to where Sam was leaning. "So, my lady, are you at all regretting coming on this trip?"

Sam closed her eyes and slowly breathed in the smell of the sea air. "Not at all," she said. "In fact, I think this is probably the best decision I've ever made."

"What makes you say that?"

She sighed and opened her eyes. "I don't know. It's just like, for the first time, I feel like I'm actually free. No one making decisions for me or expecting anything from me. I feel like I can be anything I want to be out here." She turned and glanced at Puss. He had a thoughtful expression on his face.

"What about that school? Are you upset to give that up?" he asked.

"Not at all. The only real friend I had there was Artie. Everyone else was just so…I don't know…concerned with things that don't really matter. Even the teachers." She paused for a second. "My parents sent me there so I could have more opportunities than I would have had otherwise. And I just don't think I was getting that."

Puss looked satisfied. Then a grin crossed his face. "It wouldn't have anything to do with a certain king-to-be, would it?"

It took a little bit for Sam to understand what he was asking. "Oh! No. No, nothing like that. We're not like that. I mean, he's my best friend, but he's like my brother." She thought for a minute. "I guess part of the reason I came was for him, but not the way you're talking about. I'm his friend, and I want to be there for him."

Puss nodded. "I understand, señorita." Sam smiled and they both turned back to the water.

From across the boat they heard voices. Shrek and Artie were talking at the bow of the ship. Puss got up and headed over there. Sam got up to follow. As they got closer they could hear what Shrek and Artie were saying.

"By the way, make sure you hit the boat just right with the bottle," Shrek was saying.

"Boat with a bottle? Any idiot can hit a boat with a bottle," Artie said.

Shrek was chuckling nervously. "Well, I've heard it's harder than it looks."

"Whoa. This is going to be huge. Parties, princesses, castles. Princesses." Sam couldn't help but role her eyes when she heard this. Of course that would make him excited.

"It'll be great, Artie," Donkey said as they reached them. "You'll be living in the lap of luxury. They got the finest chefs around just waiting for you to place your order." Sam crossed her arms and smiled as she stood next to Donkey. Now food is something you can get excited about.

"And fortunately," Puss jumped in, "you'll have the royal food tasters."

"Oh yeah? What do they do?"

"They taste the food before the King eats, to make sure it's not, uh, poisoned."

The smile on Artie's face fell a bit at this, replaced with a more nervous expression. "Poisoned?"

"Or too salty!" Shrek jumped in.

"Don't worry about it," Donkey said. "You'll be safe and sound with the help of your body guards."

"Bodyguards?" Artie asked, looking more apprehensive by the second.

"All of them," Puss said, "willing at a moment's notice to lay down their lives in devotion to you."

"Really?" Uh, oh, Sam thought. This is not going well. Shrek motioned to Puss and Donkey to cut it out. They didn't get it.

"The whole kingdom will look to you for wisdom and guidance," Puss continued. Shrek continued to scream silently at them to stop.

"Just make sure they don't die of famine!" Donkey said. Sam looked from him to Artie. Now he looked downright terrified.

"Or plague," Puss put in.

"Oh, plague is bad," Donkey agreed.

"The coughing, the groaning, the festering sores."

Shrek laughed loudly and pushed Artie behind him as he got up in Puss's face. "Ha, ha, ha, festering sores! Hey, you are one funny kitty cat," he said angrily.

"What did I say?" Puss asked.

"We don't want Artie here getting the wrong idea." He looked over his shoulder. Artie was gone. "Uh, Artie?"

All of a sudden the boat tipped, sending Shrek, Puss, Donkey, and Sam sliding across the deck. Sam hit the wall with a thud. She looked over to the wheel. Artie was turning the ship. "Artie, what are you doing?" she yelled.

Shrek had made it to his feet and over to the wheel. Shrek grabbed the wheel and shoved Artie off it. He hit the wall. The ship tipped again as Shrek turned the ship back around. Artie grabbed a broom and used the handle to stop Shrek from turning the wheel. "What does it look like?" he yelled.

Sam had just gotten to her feet when the ship turned again, knocking her back to the ground and slinging her across the ship.

"This really isn't up to you!" Shrek yelled as he took the wheel back.

"But I don't know anything about being king!" Artie yelled back.

The boat started to tip again. Sam reached out and wrapped her arms around a pole on the side of the cabin. "Artie!" she yelled. He was still fighting with Shrek over the wheel.

"You'll learn on the job!" Shrek yelled back. Donkey and Puss went sliding past Sam as she clung to the pole with all her might.

"Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm going back!" Artie continued to yank on the wheel.

"Back to what? Being a loser?" Sam's mouth dropped open. He did not just say that. There was a split second of silence as Artie glared at Shrek. Suddenly he let go of the wheel. Shrek kept pulling and ripped it clean out of the ship.

Well this certainly isn't good, Sam thought.

"Now look what you did!" Shrek yelled.

"Look what I did? Who's holding the wheel, chief?"

Donkey looked like he was going to be sick. He ran to the side and leaned over. He looked up. "Shrek!" They were about to run straight into the rocks sticking out of the water. Shrek tried uselessly to stick the wheel back in the ship and turn it. As expected, nothing happened.

For a moment, they all stood there watching as the rocks got closer. Then, just before the boat hit the rocks, Sam took a running leap off the boat and dived into the water, the others following as the ship was smashed into a thousand pieces.