Chapter Six: The Sleazy Bounty Hunter Finds a Ship.

Indeed, it took them two days to reach the harbor at Griffin's Bay, and by that time Donkey was angry beyond reason. Jack had been making constant passes at Puss, (who seemed completely oblivious to Jack's actions, offensive or sexual) and was unbelievably rude to Donkey, who was ready to jump him at the first opportunity.

'How dare he,' he fumed as they rode beneath the outer walls protecting Griffin's Bay. 'How dare he try to pull a move on my Puss. Just wait 'til he's alone with his back turned… wait. Did I just think 'my' Puss?'

'Yes you did,' another part of him commented sardonically. 'And he wasn't yours to begin with.'

'Shut up. He's my True Love. I should think that makes him something to me.'

'He may be your True Love, but who's to say that you're his True Love?'

'He's mine, and I'm his. That's the way it works. That's the way it always ends- with a happy ending. "And they lived happily ever after.'

'But there will be no happy ending for you,' the voice commented pessimistically. 'There will never be a happy ending for you if Puss doesn't love you. And he doesn't. You like him and Jack likes him. Who will Puss choose? And if he chooses Jack, what will happen to you? Will you turn back into a Donkey, and go back to annoying Shrek and Fiona for the rest of your undoubtedly short life? Or if Jack turns out to be Puss's True Love, what will happen to you then?'

Could that happen? Could one person have one True Love and then be a different person's True Love? Was that even possible? The mule wondered.

This was all too confusing for Donkey, and he decided to try and distract himself by looking around at the town, and concentrate on following Jack and Puss, who seemed to be too far ahead of him in the crowd. People pressed against him from all sides, and not all of them seemed nice. In fact, one of them was trying-to-slip-his-fingers-into-Donkey's-pocket!

Donkey made a snatch for the lightfingers, but the boy slipped away before Donkey could touch him. Frantically, Donkey felt for his beltpouch. Still there. He breathed a sigh of relief, but then he realized- it was empty.

"Damn it!" he swore, and spurred his horse through the mob, keeping his feet positioned over the saddlebag-covers and one hand on his remaining beltpouch.

"Where were you?" Puss asked when a panting Donkey pushed through the crowds to his side, carrying his saddlebags and leading his horse by the reins.

"Damn- pickpocket- stole my damn- purse," he gasped out in between breaths.

"You are kidding, right?" Jack asked incredulously. All three were now dismounted, and Jack was holding his own horse's reins close to the bridle.

"No- I'm not. It's kind of hard- to keep track of everything- that's been loaded on my horse in a busy town," he said, finally managing to catch his breath.

Jack threw him a glare over Puss's head that clearly read, idiot, before he turned around and began to lead his companions toward the one inn that actually looked reputable. They tethered their horses outside, under the glare of a one-armed guard that shifted his mace and scowled threateningly. Donkey picked up the packs and felt himself shrink under the man's gaze, but followed Jack, whose arm was around Puss's shoulders in a way that was making Donkey's blood boil.

When they got inside, the bounty-hunter arrowed straight for the bar and asked for someone named 'Caspian,' but then he glowered upon learning that Caspian was out to sea and wouldn't return for several months. He gestured for the other two to go sit at a table in the common room in the front of the inn, and Donkey took the offer gladly, eager to sit somewhere that wasn't going to make him get sores on his butt. He hadn't counted on human skin being so soft and tender!

Donkey grabbed Puss's hand and dragged him off to one of the tables farthest from the wall where Jack was making his inquiries. "Puss, I really think this is a bad idea," he began with no preamble.

Puss blinked. "Why?"

"Look at the guy! He's been keeping us apart since we set off on this whole thing, he hates me, and he's dragging us off on some harebrained scheme to catch some old hag in two lands we know nothing about! Not to mention he's been hitting on you ever since we met up with him," he hissed.

The cat actually looked startled for a moment, and then a small grin spread across his face. "Donkey, I think you're jealous."

Donkey felt mortified. "I am not! Just because I'm all worried about you, you think I'm jealous? Dream on, Pussy."

"Then what's bothering you?"

"Well, let's see… I get one of my purses stolen by a pickpocket, we're in a sleazy town with sleazy people, traveling with some sleazy bounty hunter, and looking for some sleazy old hag to get some money. The sleazy bounty hunter has his sleazy lil eye on you, has been putting his sleazy hands all over you, and you don't seem to care that we only have four days left! Four days, and you're getting distracted by Mister-Giant-Killer! We will never have another chance at this, Puss, and you're wasting the time we have left. What do I have to do to make you love me? Love me and not him?" Donkey tried to put all of his sincerity into his eyes, and looked searchingly at Puss, looking for any sign that he may have gotten through to the cat.

"Donkey," Puss begain. "I-" but he was interrupted by Jack returning to them, looking slightly angry.

"Come on," he said, grabbing Puss by the arm and pulling him out of his chair. "We need to leave now. I managed to book us passage on something other than the Jolly Roger, but they're leaving in the next half-hour, and we need to report to the dock and I need to straighten everything out with the Captain."

He dragged Puss out of the inn, leaving a startled Donkey in his seat, but then the angry mule stood up, grabbed their things, and ran after the two.

'If I didn't know any better, I'd say he was trying to leave me behind,' Donkey thought angrily as he chased Puss's retreating figure.

As Donkey caught up with them, he could hear Puss asking Jack about the horses.

"Horatio will take care of them until we get back. I've known him for a long time and I can trust him. Did that guy grab the bags?"

"'That guy' has a name, and his name is Donkey," Puss reprimanded him.

"Right, right," Jack sighed. He looked off into space for a moment before Puss asked another question.

"So who's the Captain?"

"Oh… I've never met him before, but he's supposed to be one of the best pirates on the seas. The ship's called the Black Pearl, and the Captain's name is Jack Sparrow."

Donkey blinked. Where had he heard that name before? Jack Sparrow… Jack Sparrow… the name rang a bell, but the bell was dirty and cracked… well, he'd probably remember when he met the guy. Hopefully it was something good, not bad- like the old Keebler Place. That place still gave him nightmares…. Elves… elves with big heads and small bodies that hit things with hammers. He'd never look at cookies the same way again.

Cookies… mmm. He wondered if there were any around this sleazy harbor town. Probably not, but he took a quick glance around anyway. Nope. When he looked up, however, Jack and Puss were gone, leaving him alone with the bags in the street, surrounded by people who didn't give a damn about anything. He sighed.

"Why me?"

And he set off down the street, laboring under the weight of the bags, and wondering how in hell he was going to find the Black Pearl.