Fiona slid down the volcano mountain along with Madison and Zor as they carefully slid down.

"You did it! You rescued me! You're amazing." Fiona spoke as she was happily out of the castle.

Madison smiled but then turned to see Donkey falling down the hill along with Shrek.

"You're... You're wonderful. You're..." Fiona turned around to see Shrek falls down the hill and crashes onto Donkey, "...a little unorthodox I'll admit. But...thy deed is great, and thine heart is pure. I am eternally in your debt."

Donkey cleared his throat to get the princess's attention. After all, he deserves some credit.

"And where would a brave knight be without his noble steed?" Fiona kneels down to him and Donkey smiled.

"I hope you heard that. She called me a noble steed. She thinks I'm a steed." he said to Shrek.

"And also, the knight's companions: Lady Madison and um..." Fiona looked at the baby dragon which she didn't get his name.

"Zor, your highness." Madison whispered.

"Zor." Fiona repeated and then turned to face Shrek, "The battle is won. You may remove your helmet, good Sir Knight."

"Uh, no." Shrek shook his head.

"Why not?"

"I-I have helmet hair." he lied. Shrek doesn't have any hair, but he doesn't want the princess to see his face.

"Please. I would'st look upon the face of my rescuer."

"I think it's better if you wouldn't princess." said Madison.

"But how will he kiss me?" Fiona asked as she looked at her and then turned to face him.

"What?" Shrek backed away but was bumped by a rock behind him and then looked at Donkey and Madison, "That wasn't in the job description."

"Maybe it's a perk." Donkey spoke as he raised his eyebrows.

"No, it's destiny." the princess spoke, "Oh, you must know how it goes. A princess locked in a tower and beset by a dragon is rescued by a brave knight, and then they share true love's first kiss."

"With Shrek?" Donkey spoke as he stood beside Shrek, "You think... Wait. Wait. You think that Shrek is you true love?"

"Well... yes." she answered.

Donkey and Shrek stare at each other and then burst out laughing.

"You think Shrek is your true love!" the donkey laugh.

Madison stood beside Fiona, looking at the two. She didn't find that funny, but Donkey was right. Shrek is Fiona's true love like in the movie.

"What is so funny?" Fiona was annoyed as she looks at them who are still laughing.

Shrek calmed down for a bit but still smiling behind the helmet. He looked at the princess and spoke, "Let's just say I'm not your type, okay?"

"Of course, you are. You're my rescuer. Now... Now remove your helmet."

Madison knew what was gonna happen and move back away slowly.

"Look. I really don't think this is a good idea." Shrek spoke.

"Just take off the helmet."

"I'm not going to."

"Take it off."

"No!"

"Now!" Fiona shout in command.

Madison and Zor looked at each other and then looked back at the others.

"Okay! Easy. As you command... your Highness." said Shrek and starts taking off the helmet to reveal his face.

Fiona watched but to her shock, was seeing Shrek's ogre face. Madison looked at her and then looked back at Shrek who smiled awkwardly at the princess.

"You're...an ogre." that was all the princess could say.

"Oh, you were expecting Prince Charming."

"Well, yes, actually." she spoke and the shook her head. "Oh, no. This is all wrong. You're not supposed to be an ogre!" she said as she walked off.

"Princess, I was sent to rescue you by Lord Farquaad, okay? He's the one who wants to marry you." said Shrek as he took the armor off of him.

"Well then why didn't he come rescue me?"

"Good question. You should ask him that when we get there."

"But I have to be rescued by my true love! Not by some ogre and his... his pet and some commoner."

Madison scoffed of hearing that word. Talk about a spoiled princess she bet.

"Well, so much for noble steed." Donkey looked disappointed on hearing pet.

"Look princess, you're not making my job any easier."

"I'm sorry, but your job is not my problem. You can tell Lord Farquaad that if he wants to rescue me properly, I'll be waiting for him right here." she said and sat down by a rock that was near her.

Shrek was getting impatient and walked towards her.

"Hey! I'm no one's messenger boy, all right?" he spoke as he gets up in Fiona's face, "I'm a delivery boy."

"You wouldn't dare."

"Oh, he would." said Madison and watched Shrek pick Fiona up and slings her over his shoulder like a bag of potatoes.

"Put me down!" the princess commanded.

"Ya comin', Donkey?"

"I'm right behind ya."

"What about you Maddie?"

"Zor and I are with you." she answered as follows them along with Zor.

"Put me down, or you will suffer the consequences! This is not dignified! Put me down!" Fiona screamed and tried to break free. Even hits Shrek's head.

Zor growled as she didn't like the screams.

"Don't worry. She'll calm down soon enough." Madison spoke to him, but she covered her ears from the princess's scream.

A little time has passed, Fiona was now calmed down and she didn't struggle or scream. She hangs limply while Shrek carries her with the others walking behind them.

"See, what I tell you." Madison whispered to Zor, "She's calm now."

Zor chirped as he was happy to hear that.

"Okay, so here's another question. Say there's a woman that digs you, right, but you don't really like her that way. How do you let her down really easy so her feelings aren't hurt, but you don't get burned to a crisp and eaten? How do you do that?" Donkey asks as he looks at the princess.

"You just tell her she's not your true love. Everyone knows what happens when you find your... Hey!" Fiona felt a shake which was coming from Shrek. She didn't like that. "Hey! The sooner we get to Duloc the better."

"Oh, you're gonna love it there, Princess. It's beautiful!" said Donkey.

"And you could say that Duloc is famous." said Madison.

"And what of my groom-to-be? Lord Farquaad? What's he like?" Fiona asked until Shrek put her down.

"Let me put it this way, princess." he said and head towards a pond. "Men of Farquaad's stature are in... short supply." he laughs along with Donkey as he was washing his face from the battle against Dragon.

"I don't know. There are those who think... little of him." Donkey joked and the two kept laughing except Madison.

She understands the jokes, but she doesn't want to laugh when the princess is around.

"Stop it. Stop it, both of you. You're just jealous you can never measure up to a great ruler like Lord Farquaad."

"Yeah, well, maybe you're right, princess. But I'll let you do the "measuring" when you see him tomorrow." said Shrek and starts walking.

"Tomorrow?" Fiona looked at the sun that was going down and looked worried as she looked at the others. "It'll take that long? Shouldn't we stop to make camp?"

"No, that'll take longer. We can keep going." the ogre answered and kept going.

Madison looked at the princess in concern and looked back at Shrek.

"Shrek, maybe it's a good idea to camp. The princess and I are getting tired and also my feet are sore from walking."

"We're not camping. You and dragon could stay here and maybe tomorrow you'll find us."

Madison gave him a glare at him.

"But there's... robbers in the woods."

"Whoa! Time out, Shrek!" Donkey stopped his pace, "Camp is definitely starting to sound good."

"Hey, come on. I'm scarier than anything we're going to see in this forest." said as he was about to turn but Fiona stopped him.

"I need to find somewhere to camp now!" she yelled.

Madison and Zor looked away, not wanting to be yelled at, but looked to see Donkey and Shrek starts to shrink away as their ears were lower from the princess's yell.

"Better do what the princess says." said Madison and Zor chirped in agreement.

On the cliffside of the forest, all five stopped at a certain spot. Madison looked at the princess as she was staring at the sunset and looked at Shrek as he found a cave but shoved a stone boulder out of the way to reveal it.

"Hey! Over here!" Shrek hollered to the princess.

"This might be alright for her." said Madison as she stood beside him and Donkey, looking at the cave.

"Shrek, we can do better than that. I don't think this is fit for a princess." Donkey spoke in disagreement.

"No, no, it's perfect. It just needs a few homey touches." said Fiona as she walked past them.

"Homey touches? Like what?" Shrek looked confused as he looked at the cave but heard a tearing noise.

They all looked to see Fiona tearing the bark off of a tree.

"A door." she answered and head towards the cave, "Well, gentlemen and miss, I bid thee good night." she said as she went in with the bark door blocking.

"You want me to read you a bedtime story? Cause I will." said Donkey.

"I said good night!"

All four looked at each other in silent for a second until then Shrek moves the boulder back a bit in front of the entrance to the cave with Fiona still inside.

"Shrek, what are you doing?!" Donkey asked and Shrek chuckled.

"I just... you know... Oh, come on. I was just kidding." he said and he along with Donkey walks away.

Madison was about to follow them but then Fiona's voice.

"Wait... Lady Madison." she spoke behind the door.

Madison and Zor looked at the door but hearing the princess's voice.

"Yes, your highness?"

"Would... would it be alright if you and your dragon stay by the cave with me? Please?"

Madison and Zor looked at each other and looked back at the door.

"Of... course. I'll stay." she answered as she sat down and lean back against the boulders with Zor on her laps.

"Thank you." Fiona answered and then everything went silent.

It was now nighttime, the campfire was still lighting up and Madison was still sitting beside the cave, petting her dragon. But she looked at Donkey and Shrek as they were lying down on the stone ground, looking at the stars.

"And, uh, that one, that's Throwback, the only ogre to ever spit over three wheat fields." Shrek pointed at the constellations, but Donkey look confused.

"Right. Yeah. Hey, can you tell my future from these stars?"

"The stars don't tell the future, Donkey. They tell stories. Look, there's Bloodnut, the Flatulent. You can guess what he's famous for." he chuckled.

"Alright now I know you're making this up." said Donkey.

"No. Look." he pointed, "There he is, and there's the group of hunters running away from his stench.

"That ain't nothin' but a bunch of little dots."

"You know, Donkey, sometimes things are more than they appear. Hmm?" Shrek looked at him, but the Donkey was still confused. "Forget it."

Madison looked up at the stars, it was hard to tell which constellation Shrek was telling but she thinks the stars looked mixed up except one constellation that she has only seen in the fall time and that was Orion's belt.

"Hey, Shrek, what we gonna do when we get our swamp anyway?" Donkey asked.

"Our swamp?"

"You know, when we're through rescuing the princess."

"We? Donkey, there's no "we". There's no "our". There's just me and my swamp. And the first thing I'm gonna do is build a ten-foot wall around my land." he answered and turned away from Donkey.

" You cut me deep, Shrek. You cut me real deep just now." he said.

Donkey got up and walked around the ogre to face him.

"You know what I think? I think this whole wall thing is just a way to keep somebody out."

"No, ya think?" he asked and turned away again.

"Are you hiding something?"

"Never mind, Donkey." he answered and lies back down.

"Oh, this is another one of those onion things, isn't it?"

"No, this is one of those drop-it and leave-it alone things!"

"Why don't you want to talk about it?"

"Why do you want to talk about it?" Shrek turned away.

"Why are you blocking?"

"I'm not blocking."

"Oh, yes, you are."

"Donkey, I'm warning you." Shrek spoke sternly to him.

"Who you trying to keep out?"

"Everyone! Okay?!" he yelled.

Madison shook her head at Donkey but as the two kept arguing, she heard the door opened a little. She knew that Fiona was awake from yelling but looked at the two. Madison wanted to look at her but decides not to and as she saw Shrek sat down at the edge of the cliff.

"Hey what's your problem Shrek? What have you got against the whole world anyway? Huh?" Donkey asked as he looked at him.

"Look, I'm not the one with the problem, okay? It's the world that seems to have a problem with me. People take one look at me and go. "Aah! Help! Run! A big, stupid, ugly ogre!" They judge me before they even know me. That's why I'm better off alone." he sighs as he looks down.

Madison felt sorry for him. She remembered back at how she and Belle were at the Beast's castle. How Beast was all alone is his monstrous form and isolated everyone, but he changed thanks to her and Belle until she heard the door close back. Thinking that Fiona now heard Shrek's words and felt sorry as she closes the door. Madison looked back to see Donkey sitting beside Shrek as the large moon was in front of them.

She let out a yawn, knowing that she's now tired and start closing her eyes until she fell asleep.

To Be Continued...