"Mwoo hah hah," the evil laughter came to their ears.
Yelling something about deranged demons, Donkey quickly slid across the floor to hide behind Dalia.
"I am the powerful Genie of Mercklekpleyfiddlinheer," the voice behind the ruby eyes rumbled.
"Meck-what?" Donkey peeked out from behind the dragon.
"Mercklekpleyfiddlinheer," the impatient voice informed him.
"Gezundheit!" the pack animal exclaimed.
"Thank you." The voice paused. As an afterthought, it added, "I am also the Genie of Christmas Past!"
"That's funny," Donkey said, "'cause so is he." The donkey pointed a hoof at a hooded and pathetic-looking genie/ghost that was off to the side and whose head had an uncanny resemblance to a certain 'ghost mask' that struck terror into movie watchers of three films. This genie/ghost, though, was "riding" on a stick-horse that, while it had a tail, was headless.
"Bah humbug," it offered.
"You incompetent fool!" The red eyes flashed.
Donkey frowned. "Now that's not very nice. You shouldn't go around callin' people names like that. I mean, how are you gonna get any friends?"
Dalia tried to make a shushing gesture by dragging a claw across her throat while he was speaking, but he paid her no heed.
The genie was quiet for a moment and then, finally, sniffling could be heard. "So that's what it is?...I—" he sobbed, "I always wondered w-why—" sniff "—no one would ever—" sniffle "—play c-cops and robbers with me, or m-make me a balloon animal like a poodle with a cute little tail, or t-t-toilet paper my bottle, or kiss my boo-boos when I was hurt, or play videogames with me, or play with little bitty cars and make all those cool noises, or—"
Donkey interrupted, "Okay, that's enough, man."
"Oh," the genie was sheepish. "Sorry. Guess I overdid it a little, eh?"
"And what's with all this darkness stuff? Most people are afraid of the dark!"
The room was suddenly filled with light, and they could see the genie for the first time. It was rather obvious why he kept it dark; he wouldn't frighten anyone in broad daylight.
To put it plainly, he looked like some sort of a treefrog.
He was green, with red, webbed frog-arms to match his eyes. His feet were non-existent—his body ended in a cloud of green smoke. A small yellow bottle with colorful stripes stood wildly behind him, as if daring anyone to insult it.
"Pffht," Donkey tried to control his laughter.
Dalia smacked the insensitive beast over the head, admonishing him, "Be nice!"
"See?" the frog/genie sniffled. "How am I supposed to make friends when I look like this?"
"I'm sure there are a few carnivores out there that wouldn't mind to—Oof!" Donkey was hit in the stomach by Dalia. Indignant, he whined, "What's the big idea?"
Ignoring him, the dragon spoke to the genie. "Do you give the holders of your lamp three wishes?"
The frog nodded. "Sadly, yes. You wouldn't believe some of the wishes that have popped out of people's mouths."
"How about you help us, and then we help you?" Dalia suggested.
The frog thought about it. "Depends on what I have to do."
"It's simple, really."
Floating above its bottle, which was carefully set on the dragon's back, the frog-genie surveyed the swamp. "So, all I have to do is make a nice home for you guys here, and then I will be set free?"
Donkey nodded. "Egg-zactly."
"What about friendship?"
The mammal waved a hoof in the air. "Don't worry about it. There's plenty of frogs 'round these parts. You could hang out here! And us guys can have camp-outs! It'll be fun!"
The frog smiled shyly. "You would really use one of your wishes to set me free?"
"Shoo-err!" Donkey slurred.
"Well...Okay!"
Soon, Dalia had her claws grasped around the lamp, but Donkey seemed to want to be the one in charge. "Let me do it!"
"You don't have fingers," Dalia said patiently.
"What?!" Donkey's eyes widened and he looked down at his feet. "Ah, man. That bites!"
The lamp was soon rubbed, and the first wish was made.
The frog was not a typical genie, though, and rather than waving his arms or some such thing to cause the house to appear, the house came from his mouth.
The pair of wishers were too shocked to comment, instead standing and staring at the enormous castle.
After a moment of oohs and aahs, Donkey frowned. "Shrek ain't gonna like dis."
"No?" the frog sighed. "All right."
With a flash of smoke, the building was a lot smaller. Dalia gave it a skeptical look. "How am I supposed to fit in there?"
"It's magical," the frog explained, "and it changes size to accommodate whoever is coming inside, but it does not take up any more room than you see right now."
"Nice," Donkey cooed, admiring it.
Dalia smiled, "Now for your part of the deal..."
"Ribbit!"
Free! Free to hop, to run, to dance, to sing, to go to karaoke bars and bellow his heart out!
He no longer had to obey the wishes of other people! He was his own free spirit!
He finally had some spiffy legs to hop around on! He was one happy amphibian.
As for Donkey and Dalia, they were happy with their new home.
"Life's good," Donkey smiled. He was lounging on the bed with his eyes closed, his long ears spreading out behind him like a fan.
"Sure is," the dragon rumbled in agreement, inching closer to him.
"I could lie here all day."
"Indeed." Dalia brought her face down near Donkey's.
"The only thing that I can think of that would make it better right now is—"
A kiss.
Two different species in love sharing a moment of simple passion.
Love had no boundaries, as the donkey and dragon found out.
Shrek frowned at the sight of the house that had taken up some of the space in his precious swamp, but he entered his own dwelling with his wife, willing to wait to be enraged until he found out the reason his swamp was being cluttered.
A note on the table informed him:
Will explain about the house later. We've eloped and are now on our honeymoon. Feel free to check out our new place. It's bigger on the inside than the outside, which is kind of necessary to fit a dragon in it.
Donkey and Dalia (AKA Dragon)