Chapter 8: Secrets Reveal
It was still going to take a long time to get to Duloc. Shrek crawled up to the top of a tall tree to make it fall over a small lake so that Fiona won't have to go through the water. Shrek then gets up as Braedey was just about to cross the tree, and the tree swings back into its upright position, sending Braedey flying off, crashing into the ground a few hundred feet away. Chika sighed to herself, while Braedey shook his body to regain his balance and get the dirt off him.
Later, Shrek was swatting away and a bunch of flies and mosquitoes that were flying around him, Chika, and Braedey. Fiona grabs a nearby spiderweb that was on a tree branch and she runs through the field, swinging it around to catch the bugs like a large net, Shrek and the others watching on. Fiona then handed it to Shrek, who began eating like it's cotton candy. As he walks off, the Princess licks her fingers, Braedey and Chika taking note of this.
"How can she enjoy that?" Braedey asked.
"Fiona is not like the other princesses..." Chika commented.
Shrek then caught a toad, blowing it up like a balloon and presenting it to Fiona. Fiona then caught a snake that was about to bite her, now blowing it up, and she fashioned it into a balloon animal and presented it to Shrek, before they playfully shoved each other as they ran along.
"Looks like they're getting along." Chika whispered. Then, she sprinted ahead of Braedey, who flew overhead of her. "Oh, come on." She sighed.
"I'm just having fun, Chika." Braedey shrugged, now grabbing Chika by her shoulders, and they both began to follow on after both Shrek and Fiona.
Eventually, the whole group arrived at an old windmill that wasn't too far from Duloc. They could see the towering structure of Farquaad's castle in the distance, standing like a beacon on the horizon.
"There it is, Princess." Shrek told Fiona. "Your future awaits you."
"That's Duloc?" Fiona asked in surprise.
"Yep, that's it." Chika nodded.
"You know, Shrek thinks Farrquad is compensating for something, which I think means he has a reallyβ" Shrek cuts off Braedey by stepping on his tail. "YEOW! Damn, that smarts!" The humanoid dragon groaned in pain.
"Um, I, uh- - I guess we better move on." Shrek said to the girls.
"Uh... Sure, but Shrek?" Fiona sounded anxious, getting Shrek's attention. "I'm... I'm worried about Braedey."
"What are you talking about? I'm fine." Braedey interjected.
"That's what they all say." Fiona knelt next to the dragon human. "And then, next thing you know, you are on your back. Dead."
'Ohh, she wants to spend a little more time with Shrek.' Chika thought to herself.
"You know, she's right." Shrek agreed with Fiona. "Braedey, you look awful, don't you want to sit down?"
"Maybe you want some tea?" Fiona suggested.
"Well, I don't want to say anything, but I do get a twitch in between my wings." Braedey admitted, shaking his wings.
"Right. Who's hungry?" Shrek quickly changed the subject. "I'll go find us some dinner."
"I'll go get some firewood." Fiona agreed, and they all then went their separate ways, leaving both Braedey and Chika behind.
"Hey, where are you going?" Braedey then asked them. "Well, how do you like that? Just left us to our own devices." He sighed.
"Best we leave them be." Chika shrugged to herself.
A little later, Shrek and Fiona got some food and firewood, the ogre cooking weedrat rotisserie-style, while Braedey and Chika were watching the area in case somebody got the wrong idea and had decided to attack.
"I have to say, things have definitely been one heck of an adventure for us." Braedey commented to Chika.
"Well, for anyone else, it would just be anything else." Chika shrugged. "So, what exactly happened back at the dragon's keep?" She asked.
Braedey soon explained how he encountered the Monstrous Nightmare, was then rescued by both the Stormcutter and Deadly Nadder, encountering the rest of the dragon horde, who had helped to keep the Nightmare in the dragon's keep so Shrek and Fiona could get out.
"Wow, that's a close call." Chika commented. She then looked to the sky. "Do you think that dragon is still out there?" She asked.
"Maybe. We just have to keep an eye out." Braedey replied back. He then walked over to where Shrek and Fiona were. "Well, isn't this romantic?" Braedey smiled, then looked over to the setting sun. "Just look at that sunset over yonder."
"Sunset?! Oh, no, not now!" Fiona panicked, getting up from her seat. "I mean, it's late! It's very late!"
"Are you okay, Fiona?" Chika asked.
"Wait a minute..." Braedey sounded suspicious of the princess's behaviour. "Are you afraid of the dark, Princess?"he asked.
"Yes, yes, that's it. I'm terrified..." Fiona smiled back nervously. "You know, I'd better go inside."
"Um, okay." Chika said with confusion on her face.
Fiona then went into the old windmill before it would get too dark, and she left the others alone. Shrek looked a little unhappy about that as he finished another weed rat.
"Shrek, you should go in there and tell Fiona how you feel." Chika said to the ogre.
"What are you talking about?" Shrek looked at her like she was crazy.
"Oh, come on, Shrek. We can tell that you love her." Braedey said to the ogre. "Look, I'm half an animal, and I have instincts. And I know you two were hitting on each other. I could feel it."
"You're crazy. I'm just bringing her back to Farquaad." Shrek pushed it off.
Braedey signed. "Shrek, you're hurting yourself doing this. I can see it with you. Why don't you tell Fiona how you really feel?" He asked.
"There's nothing to tell." Shrek sighed. "Besides even if I did tell her that, well, you know, and I'm not saying I do, 'cuz I don't, she's a princess and I'm-"
Braedey nodded his head. "I understand."
"An ogre..." Shrek sighed, throwing a stick into the fire, then got up, and he walked away.
"Shrek, where are you going?" Chika asked.
"To get more firewood..." Shrek called back with a sigh.
The others didn't buy that for one second as they saw they had plenty of firewood nearby. Braedey breathed a sigh to himself, Chika sitting by the fireplace. The brunette then smelt something in the air, but it was something hostile. He looked to the skies above, and his eyes narrowed.
"I'm going to go and scout around the area. I smell something amiss in the air." Braedey said to Chika.
With a nod from Chika, Braedey took to the skies with his wings, heading off towards where he could smell the hostile. He flew away from the windmill, while Chika sat by the campfire. After a little while, the sun had finally gone down, with the moon rising high in the sky.
"Where is he?" Chika asked as Shrek had not yet come back with the firewood. She breathed a sigh, then she looked over to the windmill. "I wonder if the Princess is okay..."
Braedey, meanwhile, soars in the skies not far away from Duloc, looking out for anything suspicious. So far, he's still tracking the hostile scent from afar, but he's been unable to find anything that was linked up with the smell. He opted to turn around and head back to the windmill to await and rest until the rising morning.
Before he could turn around, he was suddenly tackled out of the air from something, sending the two falling towards the ground. Braedey shot a beam of blue fire, knocking down whatever tackled him into the ground, as he landed on the earth, looking at what had just tackled him down.
It was the Monstrous Nightmare from the dragon's keep, whose body was now engulfed in flames, and it's eyes were narrowed and aimed at him.
"You again?" Braedey snarled, his wings out and his dorsal plates glowing blue, while he widened his stance, ready for a fight. "I've had enough of you, and when I'm done with you, I'm gonna make sure you don't walk away." He snapped sharply.
The fire around the dragon then got brighter, forcing Braedey to shield his eyes. As the flames subsided, there stood a man standing 6ft tall, although any features of him were hidden under a helmet adorn with spikes and horns, a singular spike jutting upwards, while there are eye holes and a hole for the rest of the face. He's in a suit of armour that seems to be made out of fused metal with dragon scales, covering him from head to toe, while he has a black cloak on him to conceal his form.
"Who... are you?" Braedey asked in confusion.
"I am Kraken Silverback, the Monstrous Nightmare dragon hybrid." The humanoid announced in his dark tone of voice.
"You're... like me." Braedey realized.
"Wrong. I am superior to you, for I am able to change between human and dragon. You are an abomination that should cease to be." Kraken spoke harshly.
"What do you have against me?" Braedey asked. He wasn't getting anywhere with this guy.
"It's because of what you are. You're not a human nor a dragon. You're a... freak of nature." Kraken spat. "It is either one or the other. You cannot be both."
"And you're one to talk. You're half-human and half-dragon as well." Braedey countered back, his spines glowing a brighter blue than before.
"I classify myself as a dragon." Kraken spoke back. He then whipped out his claws, a set of glowing red eyes being seen within the darkness of his helmet. "And because of you and your family, both species were never meant to live together. Many of us in the dragon kingdom agreed to keep clear of humans, but your mother and father have caused unrest amongst us."
"I couldn't care less about you or the other dragons." Braedey snarled, his claws out, and bearing his teeth at Kraken. "If you have an issue with us, then I'll make sure you stay away from us."
Kraken snarled, and charged in, Braedey now racing forward at him. The two of the clashed against one another, clawing and biting at one another, Braedey ripping right through Kraken's armour, while the latter struggled on against the brunette's strength. Braedey gave out a roar, breathing blue fire right at Kraken, the latter kicking the former away, as the two rolled across the ground. Braedey fires another blast of blue flames at Kraken, the latter also breathing his red flames at the Nightfury humanoid, both draconic beings having a standoff.
At once, Braedey charged in on all fours, with Kraken shifting into his Monstrous Nightmare form, and the fiery dragon now tackled the brunette down, pinning him under its large foot claws. Kraken snarled, and shifted into human form, Braedey still pinned under his heel.
"You're pathetic. You claim to be as tough as a dragon, but you lack in being able to change into one." Kraken scoffed. "You're as weak as an ordinary man."
"There's the key difference between a dragon and a man..." Braedey grunted, showing a smirk. "Humans are unpredictable." With that, he suddenly grabbed Kraken's foot, and with an almighty twist, he snapped his foot with a dry crunch!
Kraken yelled out in pain, only for Braedey to pull out his legs from underneath him, the Nightfury humanoid rolling over and getting to his feet. Braedey then lets out a snarling roar of intimidation at Kraken, the latter shifting into his Monstrous Nightmare form, and he lets out a roar of his own.
The two charged at one another, with Braedey leaping into the air, and he then dragged his claws across Kraken's back, drawing blood from the red/black dragon, making him screech and snarl in pain, as the Monstrous Nightmare stumbled forward. Kraken turned back, as Braedey hovered in the air, his wings out, while his eyes and dorsal plates glowed.
"Leave. Now." Braedey threatened with a dark scowl and snarled in his voice.
Kraken snapped his jaws at Braedey, and breathed a jet of red flame at the Nightfury humanoid, who just performed a barrel roll, dodging the attack. He then fired a jet of blue flames at the Monstrous Nightmare, the dragon backpedaling away from the blue flames.
But then, a series of snarls and roars could be heard, and the group of Deadly Nadders from the dragon's keep arrived on the scene, standing in front of Braedey and the Monstrous Nightmare. The Nadders all snarled and snapped their jaws at the red/black dragon, telling him to leave. Kraken snarled back, realising he won't have a chance. He took to the air, and flew away, albeit with his wings wavering as he flew off, heading off into the night.
Braedey signed, falling to one knee, as he felt his wounds start to take hold. One of the Nadders walked up to him, the brunette holding onto the front horn, allowing him to get to his feet. He gave a nod to the dragons, as they took to the air, assuring Nadder helping him along back to the windmill.
Back over at the windmill, Chika made her way into the old windmill, wondering if Fiona was alright. She pushed the door open slowly, stepping into the old structure.
"Princess? Princess Fiona?" Chika whispered, closing the door behind her. "Princess, where are you?" She slowly walked on through the windmill, hearing wood creaking and groaning. "This isn't funny, Fiona. Come on out..."
There was then a crash and a woman's scream, which made Chika jump and turn to look to her right. She saw a cloud of dust, as a form rose up. Chika did feel fear running through her body, as the form rose up. She was about to scream, just as the revealed itself to be a female ogre dressed in the same outfit as that of Fiona.
"No, no, shh, it's okay!" The ogre princess told her.
"What have you done with the princess?!" Chika screamed.
"It's me, in this body." The ogre princess replied calmly.
Chika took a moment to look at the ogre Princess standing before her, then she realised something; the red hair and green eyes, it matched that of Fiona's. "Princess Fiona? Is that really you?" She asked slowly. "What happened to you?"
"I've been this way for as long as I can remember..." Fiona sighed.
"But, I've never seen you like this before, except for now." Chika commented.
"It only happens when the sun goes down." Fiona explained before reciting something. "'π΅π¦ πππβπ‘ πππ πππ¦, ππ¦ πππ¦ ππππ‘βππ. πππ‘ππ π¦ππ’ ππππ π‘ππ’π πππ£π'π ππππ π‘ πππ π πππ π‘πππ πππ£π'π π‘ππ’π ππππ'." She chanted.
"That's a spell, isn't it?" Chika asked.
"Yes." Fiona nodded with a sigh. "When I was a little girl, a witch cast a spell on me, every night I became this." Fiona explained before glaring at her watery reflection from the barrel and punched it. "This horrible ugly beast! I was 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." She felt like she was about to cry.
"Calm down. Look, it's not that bad. You're not that ugly." Chika sat next to the Princess. "But you only look like this at night."
"But Chika, I'm a princess, and this is not how a princess is meant to look." Fiona insisted back.
"Princess, have you considered that your true love might be closer than you think?" Chika asked.
"What do you mean?" Fiona raised an eyebrow.
"Who says you have to marry Lord Farquaad?" Chika continued. "Look at this way; you're a monster, Shrek's a monster, you have a lot in common... Maybe you should marry him instead?" She suggested.
"Shrek?" Fiona sounded surprised at that offer.
Outside, Shrek was coming back toward the windmill with a large sunflower in his hand.
"Princess, I - - Uh, how's it going, first of all? Good? Um, good for me too." Shrek spoke to himself, as he walked towards the windmill. "I'm okay. I saw this flower and thought of you because it's pretty and - - well, I don't really like it, but I thought you might like it 'cause you're pretty. But I like you anyway. I'd - - uh, uh..." He sighed to himself. "I'm in trouble. Okay, here we go."
Shrek was about to knock on the door, but he overheard the princess talking to Chika inside of the windmill.
"I can't just marry whoever I want." Fiona's voice said. "Take a look at me, Chika. I mean, really, who could love a monster so hideous and horrible? 'Princess' and 'ugly' don't go together... That's why I can't stay here with Shrek. My only chance to live happily ever after is to marry my true love. Don't you see? That's the way it has to be."
Shrek felt his heart break from hearing this. He sighed to himself, then threw down the sunflower in rejection and stormed off, not listening to anymore as he went to tell Lord Farquaad that he had found Fiona? and she would be ready for him.
"It's the only way to break the spell." Fiona then said.
"Oh, Fiona." Chika sighed. "You have to at least tell Shrek the truth."
"No!" Fiona pleaded. "You all can't say a word. No one must ever know!"
"Fiona, you have tell Shrek." Chika said back.
"Promise you won't tell, promise!" Fiona urged her.
"All right. I won't tell, but you should." Chika glared slightly. She exited the windmill, closing the door behind her, seeing no sign of Shrek anywhere. "I guess he just wanted some alone time." She sighed, and she made her way towards the campfire.
Fiona watched Chika go, she thought about what she said, and looked down to find the sunflower, picking it up. "If I can't decide, then this sunflower will..." She said, deciding to pluck the petals to decide whether or not to tell Shrek the truth.
Chika sat by the campfire, resting on the grass. She then looked over to see Braedey limping over to her. Chika got to her feet, helping her friend out to the fire.
"What the heck happened to you?" Chika asked.
"It was the Monstrous Nightmare from the dragon's keep. Turns out the dragon is a hybrid like me." Braedey explained with a groan, lying down next to the fire. "He claims he's a dragon, not like me, and he said that my family and I disrupted the balance between human and dragon."
"Man, talk about a nasty piece of work that dragon." Chika commented.
"Ain't that the truth." Braedey muttered, falling asleep next to the fire.
Chika patted his back, and she too fell asleep with the draconic humanoid, awaiting for the rising sun...