Chapter 15: The Old Oak
Later in the evening, Shrek got up out of bed, since he couldn't sleep. He wandered around his wife's bedroom and looked at the figurines on the mantle piece. He saw a doll knight and doll princess with stuffed animals that were a dragon and a dead ogre. It made him feel bad about being himself, and thought maybe Fiona would be happier and better off without him, but what could he do? He soon saw a music box. He opened it up to find a diary, but then shut it as it played music. Fiona turned over in her bed, but she never woke up. Shrek then quickly snatched the book and shut the box it came from as he curiously opened the book to see what it was all about, and where it was about her hoping to be with someone named Prince Charming.
The first entry was about little Fiona wanting to go to a slumber party at Sleeping Beauty's house, but her parents told her not to, and she thought she would be going to a finishing school. Instead, she was going to be locked away in a tower and she someday hoped to become Mrs. Fiona Charming, which made Shrek feel sick to his stomach, and where that wasn't the only page. It seemed like every other page had that on it. There was then a knock at the door, snapping him out of his thoughts. Shrek looked over and put the diary away and decided to answer it and only looked down to see his new father-in-law.
"Sorry. I hope I'm not interrupting anything." Harold smiled nervously.
"No, not at all. I was just done reading a- a scary book." Shrek frowned.
"I was hoping you'd let me apologise for my despicable behaviour earlier." Harold then replied.
"Okay..." Shrek glanced at him oddly.
"I don't know what came over me." Harold replied. "Do you suppose we could pretend it never happened and start over... You could bring that friend of yours if you'd like."
Shrek began to think about this as this would be a perfect chance for him and his father-in-law to get along. "Look... Your Majesty... I just..."
"Please, call me 'Dad'." Harold replied.
"Dad." Shrek then continued. " We both acted like ogres. Maybe we just need some time to get to know each other."
"Excellent idea!" Harold cheered. "I was actually hoping you might join me for a morning hunt. A little father-son time? I know it would mean the world to Fiona." The two of them looked back to the slumbering Fiona. "Shall we say, 7:30 by the old oak?" He offered.
By the next morning, Shrek and Braedey were now walking through the forest, heading out towards where King Harold had told them to go over. However, they couldn't find where they're going.
"Face it, Braedey, we're lost!" Shrek complained, looking to the brunette, who was up in the air, trying to find where they were.
"Yeah. I agree." Braedey sighed, landing next to Shrek. "There's too much foliage around us. I can't make heads or tails of where we are." Shrek sighed in response. "Hey. Don't get huffy! I'm only trying to help."
"I know! I know." Shrek sighed. "I'm sorry, all right?"
"Hey, don't worry about it." Braedey shrugged. "No big deal."
"I just really need to make things work with this guy." Shrek said to Braedey.
"Yeah, sure. Now let's go bond with Daddy." Braedey smiled, following after the ogre.
The two of them began to walk along through the forest, trying to make heads or tails about where they are. Then, there was then a distant purr heard.
Shrek showed a small smirk to Braedey. "Well, well, well, Braedey. I know it was kind of a tender moment back there, but the purring?" He asked.
"What? What are you talking? I wasn't purring." Braedey countered back.
"Sure. What's next? A hug?" Shrek mocked.
"Shrek. Dragons don't purr. They snarl, growl, and roar. But they don't purr. What do you think I am, some kind of a..." Braedey was cut off as a form landed a few feet away in front of him and Shrek.
It was an orange tabby cat with green eyes and a Spanish accent. It has on a leather, broad-brimmed hat lined with red, plus a fluffy yellow feather), a black leather cape, a belt with a scabbard that contains his sword, and leather boots. He has very sharp claws which he uses in his adventures. His whiskers are curly.
"Aha!" The cat announced in a Spanish accent, armed with his sword. "Fear me, if you dare!" He added, hissing at the end.
"Oh, look, a little cat." Shrek commented.
"Watch it, Shrek." Braedey warned. "This cat's got some claws and a nasty hiss."
"It's a cat, Braedey." Shrek said calmly, and started calling to the cat as if he was normal.
The cat threw off his coat and hat, stuck his sword in the ground, and he scampered up without his boots, yowling loudly, and whipped out its claws. Braedey immediately pushed Shrek out of the way, as he was being clawed and slashed at, making the draconic humanoid hell out and snarl in pain, trying to shake off the cat.
"Get this little furball off of me!" Braedey yelled out.
"I got him!" Shrek called, then swung his leg, trying to get the cat, only to get Braedey in the crotch.
Braedey groaned in pain, grabbing his nether region, and fell to his knees. "Oh, sweet mother Changewing..." He groaned, curling himself into a ball.
"Did... did I get it?" Shrek asked in confusion.
"No." Braedey groaned in pain, looking at Shrek. "You got me right in the Gronckles..."
The cat suddenly jumped off of Braedey's back, leaping over Shrek, cartwheeling through the air, and it landed back in his original stance and clothes. "Now, ye ogre and dragon..." He said, watching the two from underneath his hat with glittering green eyes. "Pray for mercy from..." He carved a P with his sword on a tree. "Puss...in Boots!" He announced.
Braedey snarled. "I'm gonna skin that cat." He narrowed his eyes.
Puss in Boots began laughing, but then, he knelt down and began to cough uncontrollably for about a minute, coughing up a furry thing. He smiled sheepishly. "Hairball."
"Gross." Braedey muttered.
Shrek grabbed Puss by the back of his neck. "What you think we should do with him?" He asked.
"I say we get his sword, stick it down his throat, and I'll give him the rotisserie treatment!" Braedey spoke back.
"Oh, no! Por favor! Please! I implore you!" Puss prayed for his own life, Shrek and Braedey looking over to one another. "It was nothing personal, Señors. I was doing it only for my family. My mother, she is sick. And my father lives off the garbage! The King offered me much in gold and I have a litter of brothers-"
"Wait, wait, back up." Braedey stopped the cat from talking. "Fiona's father paid you to do this to me and Shrek?" He asked.
"The rich king?" Puss smiled innocently. "Si."
Shrek immediately dropped him. "Well, so much for Dad's royal blessing." Shrek sulked, walking over to a nearby small river.
"Don't feel bad." Braedey coaxed to the ogre. "You and I are in the same position."
"Thanks." Shrek wandered over to a stream, and stared down at the water. "Maybe Fiona would be better off if I was some kind of Prince Charming."
"Si! That's what the king said!" Puss In Boots spoke up brightly, only for Braedey to glare at him. "Oh! Uh, sorry. I thought that was directed at me."
"Listen, Shrek." Braedey walked over to Shrek, sitting down next to him. "You're the match for Fiona. She doesn't need a Prince Charming. Arguments are just things that happen in marriages. Anyway, you're both ogres, aren't you? Even if it was just you, I'm sure Fiona wouldn't care. She knows you'd do anything for her."
"Well, it's not like I wouldn't change if I could." Shrek said, although he'd pretty much said the opposite yesterday from what I heard of the argument. "I just want to make her happy."
Braedey's eyes widened. "Wait a minute..." He got the card that Fairy Godmother got last night. "Maybe this could help?" He gave it to Shrek.
"Happiness... 'a tear drop away'." Shrek muttered. "Braedey, think of the saddest thing that's ever happened to you." He said to the draconic human.
Braedey thought about the question, but sadly, nothing came to mind. "I guess I never had anything sad happen to me." He then snapped his fingers. "Hey, cat! Stab your sword into my foot!" He said to Puss.
"Gladly." Puss agreed, getting his sword, and stabbed it right into Braedey's foot.
That did the trick, as one tear fell from Braedey's left eye. Shrek then caught the tear on the card, which made a pink bubble appear.
'What? Is it on? Is it on?' Fairy Godmother asked before clearing her throat. 'This is Fairy Godmother. I'm either away from my desk or with a client. But if you come by the office, we'll be glad to make you an appointment. Have a happy ever after.'
With that little message, the bubble then popped into a bunch of glittering sparkles.
"Are you up for a little quest, Braedey?" Shrek asked to Braedey.
"Damn right! I'm more than ready." Braedey agreed. "Shrek the ogre and Braedey the Nightfury, two friends on another whirlwind adventure!"
"Stop, ogre!" Puss in Boots called after them. "I have misjudged you."
"Join the club, we've got jackets." Shrek muttered sarcastically.
"On my honour, I am obliged to accompany you until I have saved your life, as you have spared me mine." Puss vowed, bowing with a flourish, taking off his hat in the process.
"Hmm... I don't know. I'm still not really trusting of you since you tried to maul me." Braedey commented back. "Come on, Shrek. Let's get going." He then noticed that Shrek was walking over to Puss. "Shrek?"
Shrek walked up over to Puss, who held his hat in both paws, and he has his big eyes out, while letting out a soft purring sound. Shrek showed a small smile to the feline.
"Shrek! Come on." Braedey called.
"Aw, come on, Braedey. Look at him in his wee little boots." Shrek said to You know, how many cats can wear boots? Honestly. Let's keep him!"
"Say what?" Braedey asked, then he sighed. "Okay. He can come along." He rolled his eyes, and both Shrek and Puss followed.
"Aw, listen. He's purring!" Shrek said as he let Puss sit on his shoulder.
"Okay, okay. So he's cute." Braedey sighed, but then stopped. "Wait a second."
"Señor. You hear something?" Puss asked, ready to get into a fight.
"I smell something nearby." Braedey replied quietly, looking towards the bushes and trees over to the right of him. "Alright. Whoever is there, show yourself." He asked, but not in a hostile manner.
A moment goes by, then a figure stepped out of the bushes. The shadows of the trees hid the figure from sight, but once stepping into the light, it revealed who the figure was.
The individual looked to be not of any one species of animal, but rather that of a chimera: a mixture of several animals. He has the head structure and horns of a buffalo, the arms, claws and body of a bear, the eyebrows of a gorilla, the jaws and mane of a lion, the tusks of a wild boar and the legs, teeth, and tail of a wolf. He also bears resemblance to mythical monsters like the Minotaur or a werewolf. He also has blue eyes. He is shirtless, with ragged, dark grey breeches, and a ragged wine red/purple-colour cape with a golden colored circular-shaped clasp.
"Greetings." The humanoid chimera greeted calmly and politely. "I could not help but see you two walking through the forest, and I thought I could accompany you on your endeavour." He asked to Braedey and Shrek.
"Who are you?" Braedey asked to the chimera.
"My name is Adam." The chimera introduced himself.
Adam explained about his situation to Shrek, Braedey, and their newest feline friend. Many years ago, Adam was a handsome young man, but also selfish, unkind, and spoiled. He lived in a luxurious castle and had everything he wanted. One night on Christmas Eve, his kindness was put to the test when a beggar woman came to the castle pleading for shelter from the freezing cold and rain, with a single rose as payment. Repulsed by her haggard appearance, Adam sneered at the simple, but beautiful gift, and turned the woman away. The woman warned the Prince not to be deceived by appearances, for beauty is found within. When the Prince shunned the beggar woman again, her ugliness melted away and then transforms into a beautiful and powerful witch called the Enchantress. Seeing her beauty and realizing her power, the Prince tried to apologise, but it was too late, for she had seen in her disguise that there was no love in his heart. As punishment for his cold heart and cruelty, she turned him into a terrifying beast. She also casted a ghastly curse on the entire castle, transforming it into a dark, foreboding place, its lush green grounds into dark, misty, wolf-infested woods. Ashamed of his new appearance, the Beast concealed himself inside his castle.
Overtime, Adam has began to reconsider himself, as well as think about something else to do. He thought about what he's done over the years, realising how rude, selfish, unkind, and what he's done to those all around him. So, he began a path of redemption and planning on what he'll do next. But all the while, he does wish to return back to being human again.
"Man, and I thought both mine and Shrek's backstories were bad." Braedey commented after being told that.
"I agree, Señor Adam." Puss agreed.
"I guess he can come along." Shrek spoke up. "We could use someone like you around."
"And maybe, we can help you find your true love in the end." Braedey added in. "You're more than welcome to join us in our quest." He shook hands with Adam.
"Thank you." Adam thanked with a smile on his face.
With that in mind, and with a new quest ready to go, Braedey, Shrek, Puss-in-Boots, and Adam 'The Beast' began to make their way through the forest, off to Fairy Godmother's cottage.