Spirit of the Season

Rapunzel was angry as she hid in a warm cave in the forest.

She wanted revenge on Shrek and the others especially Fiona.

"If it wasn't for her, I'd be Queen!" she muttered angrily under her breath.

But she was angry because she couldn't find her daughter Marini.

She had sea green eyes unlike her parents and had fair skin.

But she'd been lost a long time ago.

Artie walked into his room with hot chocolate and pumpkin pie for him and Snowgre.

"Hey you.

You up for something to eat?

I brought cocoa and pumpkin pie." Artie told him.

"Sure." Snowgre replied as he sat up.

He was still wounded but was recovering thanks to Artie.

Shrek was worried.

He hadn't heard or seen from Snowgre in a long while.

"I hope he hasn't been hurt or caught by hunters.

I would hate for that to happen." He thought as he went out into the forest.

But he found a girl with short silver hair, sea green eyes, slender and was out cold.

"Poor kid.

She looks harmless but cold.

I'd better bring her back to the swamp." He thought lifting her gently.

Fiona was with Snow in the forest sitting on a tree branch.

They were thinking about things.

"Why don't you ask the others if you can stay with them?

I'm sure they won't mind." Fiona said to her.

"But I don't feel right intruding on them especially at this time of year." Snow replied sadly.

But Fiona then saw Shrek show up with a young girl around Artie's age.

"I found her in the forest while searching for Snowgre.

Let's take her back to the swamp." he told her.

Fiona agreed as she went with him.

She felt bad leaving Snow there but her husband needed her.

The triplets were looking at the girl as she lay there by the fire place in blankets.

"Mom won't she hurt us, you know being a human?" Felicia asked.

"She doesn't look like she'll hurt us.

She needs help.

That's also what happens at this time of year, that we must help those who need us." Shrek answered.

She didn't understand.

The girl's eyes opened but all she saw was darkness as usual.

"W-Where am I?

This place doesn't smell like the forest." she thought.

"It's okay, you're safe. I'm Fiona and you're with me and my family.

My husband found you lying there in the forest.

What were you doing out there?" Fiona explained gently.

"I'm in a house, aren't I?

I-I'm Marini.

I don't know where I came from or where I used to live.

I've been on my own for a long time now." she answered.

Fiona noticed the girl's eyes staring blankly into hers.

"I never noticed that she can't see.

It's a wonder she's been still living on her own." she thought.

Marini smiled feeling Fiona's ogre ears.

"You guys are ogres.

Cool.

Like me." the girl told her. Fiona didn't understand what the girl meant.

"People were afraid of me because I was an ogre so the village shaman put a spell on me making me look like a human but it..... is also why I'm blind.

I've been alone ever since." the girl explained sadly.

Rapunzel gasped seeing the girl.

"Could it be?

It couldn't be her." she thought but smiled seeing Snow all alone in the forest.....