Ch 9
Snowgre was worried. His cousin hadn't been the same after what happened to Artie. To him, it felt like it was all his fault. Fiona knew that Charming had planned this to happen so that her husband would be like this as they made camp that night. In her room in Charming's lair, Gwen was thinking, brooding deeply over Artie. "I should've stopped Charming from sending Artie those terrible visions. That way he'd still be alive and come to help me when they show up to break the vanity spell. I never got to tell him the truth about my feelings for him… that I loved him at Worchester and wanted to befriend him when nobody else would.
But the price of being popular was too high as it meant I couldn't be with him or it would make me look like a loser like Artie was. I wish I could go back in time and change what I did but it seems impossible. Even Professor Merlin couldn't do it and he's a powerful enchanter. I owe it to Artie to dissuade Charming from his insane plan to take over kingdoms and make others shallow and cruel. But hopefully Artie's friends can stop that vain prince before he does something nobody can fix." She thought as she lay on her bed with her head on the pillow. A small tear ran down her pale face as Artie's face popped into her mind. Meanwhile Fiona watched as her husband tossed and turned in his sleep. Snowgre then brought out a vial of potion from his coat. "What is it? A potion to help him sleep without guilt?" she asked curious. "No. It's a go back in time spell. If we use this to turn back time for a while to when Artie was about to go to the lake, Shrek could stop him and things would be fixed so that it wouldn't happen and Artie will still be here with us." He explained gently as he opened the lid of the vial and poured a circle of potion around the camp fire where they had been sitting. Suddenly it glowed and they vanished. They then found themselves back at the camp fire that night when Artie left them. "Wow! Now Shrek can save Artie's life." Fiona said as her husband opened his eyes.
"What's going on? I thought Artie died." He told them yawning. "Sort of. Snowgre used magic to turn back time so we could save him. You have to prevent him from going to the lake." Fiona explained calmly. He then smiled as Artie woke up. He then saw him walk off. Fiona watched as he followed his young friend. He hoped he could stop him before it was too late. "Please Artie don't do what I think you're going to do. You've so much to live for. Charming's sending you those dreams so he can get rid of you. Don't give into him Artie, we'll destroy his dreams forever. Plus if you die, who'll look after Far, Far Away? All those people will still be under that vanity spell forever." He told the teen as he looked into the lake's water. It looked cool and uncaring. He knew what Charming was doing wasn't right and he and his friends were the only ones who could put things right.
"You're right man. So much counts on us especially me. I can't turn my back on those who believe in me especially you. You gave me the strength and courage to become a ruler. I know Charming is a brat who needs to be stopped before everything is ruined especially our friendship." He replied as he walked away with Shrek back to the camp fire. Fiona was relieved when she saw them come back. "Let me guess you managed to save Artie." She said to Shrek. He nodded as they were surrounded by another flash of light as they vanished. "What happened?" Artie asked as they sat around the fire when they came back to the present night. "I can explain. Snowgre cast a spell so that we could go back in time to save you. Shrek was really freaking out about what nearly happened if you'd jumped into that lake." Fiona told him. Artie nodded confused. "What was I about to do?" he asked her worriedly. "You jumped into the lake and drowned." Snowgre replied. Artie shivered at his frosty friend's answer. "Since when can you do magic?" Shrek asked his cousin.
"I'm not really sure. Ever since I turned thirteen last year, I've been able to cast spells and mix together amazing potions like Merlin nearly. But I... had a reason for joining you guys on your quest. Charming's vanity spell did something bad to my parents." he answered with sadness written over his face. "What happened to them? Will they be okay?" Fiona asked him gently. "I-I'm not so sure. The spell is making them dying. The vanity spell affected them too so I was able to disenchant them but that's what'll happen to any ogre with magic if their loved ones break the vanity spell on them. I'm really scared guys. If we don't stop Charming, I'm gonna lose my only family forever and that would hurt me more than you would ever know." he explained sadly with frozen tears in his eyes. Fiona felt sorry for him as well as Artie but Shrek was worried for Snowgre. If they couldn't stop Charming, Snowgre's parents would die and everything they ever knew and cared about would be lost forever. He knew that his cousin had a frozen over heart but he'd be really worried if his cousin's parents did die. Snowgre would be so upset, he'd try to end his life like Artie had. "Don't worry Snowg we can do this! We've faced Charming before and beaten him so why should this time be different?" he reassured them. Snowgre smiled at that. "You're right! Charming is nothing but a vain brute in prince's clothing. Let's take him out." he replied, his eyes glowing with frozen fire.
Gwen then made up her mind and climbed out the window of her room. "Sorry Charming but I never loved you. My heart belongs to Artie and always will!" she thought as she landed on her feet on the ground. She then ran into the forest before Charming came and found out what she'd done. She hoped Artie would understand when she told him how she felt about him. She then heard Artie talking to his friends as they sat around the fire in the middle of the forest. "Can I tell you guys something?" he said to them. "Sure. Go ahead." Shrek told him. "Let's just say I have this friend and he used to be a loser and now he's become somebody, his heart pines for somebody back at his old school but she doesn't know because back there, she only saw him as a loser like everybody else. Do you think she really likes me or just playing me?" he explained to them. A smile crossed Snowgre's face. "I think Gwen does like you. She's just too shy to admit it. Besides back at Worchester, she had to hide herself because she rolled with the popular kids, right?" he said chuckling softly. Artie shook his head sheepishly. "Yes it's about me. I really like Gwen from the first time I saw her at Worchester but she never gave me a glance once Tiffany and all those loser jocks got to her. When I look in her eyes, I see somebody I wanna spend the rest of my life with, even make her my Queen." he admitted quietly. Gwen couldn't believe what she'd just heard. Artie felt the same about her.
"Hey Artie. What's up?" she said to him as she came out of her hiding place. Artie ran over to her and hugged her tightly. "I'm so glad you're safe! How did you get away from Charming?" he said to her, his eyes gleaming with happiness as he gazed into hers. "I escaped by climbing out the window. After all he's done, I decided not to roll with him. I should've... never decided to roll with Lancelot and the jocks at Worchester. They took me away from what I really want. I'm tired of having to hide who I am and rolling with fakers. When I saw you the first day of school, I wanted to go over and talk to you but Tiffany said it wouldn't be cool so I buried my true feelings for ya deep inside my heart waiting for a time when those losers weren't around. I wanna be with you my whole life too." she explained as they shared their first kiss.
Charming saw this and was furious. "That little wench! She'll pay along with her royal loser boyfriend and those ogres!" he yelled but calmed down when he saw an image of Lancelot and the jousting team at Worchester. "Yes they'll do. They'll help me take away everything Artie cares about!" he cackled as he vanished in a haze of magic. Things were about to get ugly...