Chapter 9: Separate Ways
Sure enough, the sun was slowly starting to rise up. Braedey and Chika were still asleep, while Shrek was gone. Fiona was still inside with the sunflower, thinking of what to do about telling Shrek the truth.
"I'll tell him..." The princess smiled before coming out as it was dawn. "Shrek! Shrek! There's something I want-"
Fiona then looked to see Braedey and Chika were both asleep. The Princess then looked over to see the sun slowly rising above the horizon. Fiona shielded her eyes from the sun, as she glowed in a golden light, as she became a human again.
Fiona looked down at her form, then she smiled once she saw Shrek. "Shrek." She walked up to the ogre, but then took note of his attitude. "Are you all right?" She asked.
"Perfect!" Shrek sneered, walking past her. "Never been better!"
Braedey groaned, rolling onto his front, then he looked over to see Shrek and Fiona. "Shrek. Where have you been?" He yawned.
"Where do ya think?" Shrek snorted back.
Chika sat up, and rubbed her eyes. "Morning already?"
"I - - I don't - - I have something to tell you." Fiona said to Shrek.
"You don't have to tell me anything, Princess." Shrek snapped. "I heard enough last night."
"Wait, you mean you overheard everything?" Chika asked, Braedey raising an eyebrow at this.
"Every word." Shrek sneered.
"But... I thought you would understand." Fiona frowned at his anger.
"Oh, I understand." Shrek spoke back. "Like you said, 'Who could love a hideous ugly beast'?!"
"Oh, I understand." Shrek spoke back. "Like you said, 'Who could love a hideous ugly beast'?!"
"Yeah, well, it does!" Shrek replied, hurt and angry. Fiona looked hurt and shocked by Shrek's words. Before she could say something, the sound of a horse whinny could be heard in the distance. "Ah, right on time... Princess, I've brought you a little something." Shrek said to Fiona, as she turned around.
Farquaad had arrived with a group of his men. He looked very regal sitting up on his mighty horse. You would never guess that he's only like 3 feet tall. Chika and Braedey both go to their feet, and they move out of the way, as Farquaad walks up.
"Princess Fiona." Lord Farquaad smiled down to the princess in question.
"As promised," Shrek replied as he then firmly held out his hand. "Now, hand it over."
"Very well, Ogre." Lord Farquaad replied as he gave the paper to Shrek. "The deed to your swamp, cleared out as agreed. Take it and go, before I change my mind." Farquaad then he looked over to Fiona. "Forgive me, Princess, for startling you, but you startled me, for I have never seen such a radiant beauty before. I am Lord Farquaad." He announced.
"Lord Farquaad... Oh, no, no..." Fiona shook her head, as Farquaad then snapped his fingers to make his knights take him off the horse, revealing his very short height. "Forgive me, my lord, for I was just saying a short... Farewell."
"Oh, that's so sweet." Lord Farquaad said to Fiona. "You don't have to waste good manners on the ogre. It's not like it has feelings." He narrowed his eyes, looking over to Shrek, who was reading the scroll.
"No, you're right. It doesn't." Fiona agreed.
"Princess Fiona," Lord Farquaad took Fiona's hand, and he pulled her down slightly. "Fair, flawless Fiona, I ask for your hand in marriage. Will you be the perfect bride for the perfect groom?"
Fiona looked to Shrek as he had his back on her. "Lord Farquaad, I accept, nothing would make me-"
"Excellent!" Lord Farquaad cheered. "I'll start the plans. For tomorrow, we wed!"
"NO!" Fiona yelped. The others then looked over. "I mean... Why wait?" She then smiled nervously. "Let's get married today before sunset."
"Oh, anxious, are we?" Lord Farquaad chuckled, until he then thought about it, before he snapped his fingers and made his men carry him back on the horse with Fiona. "You're right... The sooner, the better... There's so much to do! There's the caterer, the cake, the band, the guest list. Captain, round up some guests!"
With that, Farquaad walked away with Fiona on the horse, alongside the guards, all of them heading off to Duloc.
"Fare thee well, Ogre and friends!" Fiona called as they rode off.
"Shrek, what are you doing letting her away?" Chika asked to the ogre, who was walking away.
"So what?" Shrek spoke back.
"Shrek, there's something about her you don't know." Chika stated to her. "Look, I talked to her last night. She's-"
"I know you all talked to her last night!" Shrek glared. "You're great pals, aren't ya? Now if you're all such good friends, why don't you follow her home?!" He then stomped off, heading back to his swamp.
Braedey sighed to himself, watching Shrek walk away. He looked over to Chika, and Chika explained to him about what had happened last night while he was in the fight with the Monstrous Nightmare. After that, using some of her magic, Chika became a shadow, and slithered across the ground, heading off towards the castle of Duloc, so she could see what's going on.
Once he got back to the swamp, Shrek began to try and fix up everything in his home. While he was fixing things up, Shrek saw a sunflower that was there, making him think of Fiona, but he threw it away into the fire, which burnt away in the flames. But, he felt like something was amiss. As he sat at the table, he began to realise that he did miss Fiona, even if he won't admit it.
Meanwhile, Chika managed to get to Duloc, and she was looking at what's happening inside, wondering what was happening with Fiona. She saw the redhead Princess getting into her white wedding dress, but all the while, she didn't seem very sure about even doing this. She even broke down into a crying fit at a table. Chika even found where Farquaad was, and resisted the urge to laugh aloud at how silly he looked.
Braedey, on the other hand, he was down by a lake under the shade of a large tree, contemplating all of the events that have transpired to now. He then heard the sound of an animal chittering nearby him, so he turned his head around to see the Stormcutter dragon looking over to him. Braedey sighed to himself, then he looked to the dragon, as he turned to the Stormcutter. The four-winged dragon noticed him, showing a small curious expression on its face, as Braedey wanted to tell her something.
Back in the swamp, Shrek sat down by the table in his home, but he was lost in his own thoughts. At that moment, he heard the sound of clunking and an animal grunting. He made his way outside, and saw Braedey lifting some wooden logs and boulders.
"Braedey?" Shrek asked in surprise, looking at the Nightfury humanoid. "Wh... What are you doing?" He walked over to the brunette.
"I figured that this is your swamp, I'd better live outside of it." Braedey stated, throwing the boulder overhead.
"Braedey, I said it before. This isn't just 'my' swamp anymore, it's 'our' swamp." Shrek reminded to Braedey.
"No, no, no. It's 'your' swamp." Braedey corrected. "You did the rescue, you got the Princess, and I was just there just for the sake of it." He fumed, his dorsal plates pulsing blue as a result.
Shrek then grabbed the rock that Braedey was about to grab. "Braedey, knock it off." He said.
Braedey scoffed. "No. You knock it off."
Shrek: "This is OUR swamp."
Braedey: "YOUR swamp!"
Shrek: "Let go, Braedey!"
Braedey: "YOU let go!"
Shrek: "Stubborn flying reptile!"
Braedey: "Stupid ugly ogre!"
Shrek finally had enough, and shoved the boulder back. "Fine!" With that, he began to walk away.
Braedey snarled back. "Hey! Get back here, Shrek!" He stormed your in anger, and blocked Shrek's path. "You just shut up and pay attention!" He said fiercely. "You are a mean and insulting individual, and you are always pushing others around or pushing them away!"
"Oh yeah?" Shrek challenged, turning to him. "If that is the way you see me, how come you came back?"
"Because I have nowhere else to go!" Braedey hollered back. Shrek huffed back in response, and he walked into the outhouse, slamming the door shut. Braedey growled out in frustration, punching a dead tree down with his fist. "You are so wrapped up in those layers, onion man, you're afraid of your own goddamn feelings." He ranted on, as Chika walked up.
"Go away." Shrek spoke out from the outhouse.
"See? You're now doing it again just like you did to Fiona." Chika spoke up. "All she ever did during the time we were around, she liked you, maybe even loved you."
"Love me?" Shrek asked incredulously. "She said I was ugly! A hideous creature! I heard the two of you talking."
"I wasn't even there to begin with!" Braedey yelled out
"And she wasn't even talking about you!" Chika added in. "She was talking about... somebody else."
A second later, Shrek opened the door, looking at the two with surprise on his face. "She wasn't talking about me? Well, then who was she talking about?" He asked, closing the door behind him.
"Uh-uh, no way. I'm not saying anything. You won't listen to me. Right?" Braedey turned away, his arms crossed, while Chika was caught in the middle between Shrek and Braedey.
"Braedey?" Shrek called.
"I said no." Braedey replied bluntly.
"Okay, look. I'm sorry, all right?" Shrek said, only for Braedey to open his wings to block any sight of the ogre. Shrek sighed deeply. "I'm sorry. I guess I am just a big, stupid, ugly ogre. Can you forgive me?" He asked.
Braedey closed up his wings, turning to Shrek. He looked to Chika, who nodded back, and the Nightfury humanoid walked over to the ogre. "That's what friends are for. Right?"
"Right. Friends?" Shrek held out a hand to the two teens.
"Friends." Chika and Braedey agreed in unison, now shaking hands with Shrek.
"So, what did Fiona say about me?" Shrek asked in curiosity.
"The wedding! We'll never make it in time." Shrek pointed out.
Braedey laughed. "Well, Shrek. When there's a will, there's a way, and I have a way." He then gave a whistle.
"The Stormcutter agreed to help us out, and I kid you not, it turns out she is actually my mother's dragon." Braedey explained.
Shrek laughed. "Aw, come here, you." He then gives Braedey a headlock noogie, the brunette laughed, as the Stormcutter landed in front of them.
"Okay, okay." Braedey laughed, getting out of the headlock. "I get it. Now, get onboard, and hold on tight." He said, Chika and Shrek getting on the four-winged dragon, the Stormcutter unfurling her wings. "I haven't had the chance to make a saddle." He laughed.
The Stormcutter dragon soon took off to the air, with Braedey flying on after her. The two of them soared through the cloudy skies above, with Chika and Shrek smiling as they carried on. They could see the sun was slowly approaching the sunset era, so they have to hurry.
With a roar and yell, Braedey launched ahead, with the Stormcutter following on after the Nightfury humanoid.