( Warning: Mery-Berry realizes why her Mama hasn't " woken up "...so... yeah. )

After breaking out of the forest, the group arrives onto a small hill where an old, ruined windmill stands. The fields of Duloc stretch out before, and further in the distance stands the Duloc castle. Mery-Berry was standing beside Fiona, purring with a smile.

Shrek: There it is, princess. Your future awaits you.

Fiona: That's Duloc?

Mery-Berry's expression saddens a little, as she didn't want Fiona to leave. Donkey butts in between Shrek and Fiona.

Donkey: Yeah, I know. You know, Shrek thinks Lord Farquaad's compensating for something, which I think means he has a really-

Shrek interrupts Donkey by stepping his foot, causing him to fall to the ground in pain. Fiona and Mery-Berry gave Shrek a suspicious look.

Donkey: Oww!

Shrek: Um, I, uh- I guess we better move on.

Fiona: Sure. But, Shrek? I'm- I'm worried about Donkey.

Shrek: What?

Mery-Berry tilts her head to the side in confusion.

Fiona: I mean, look at him. He, he doesn't look so good.

Mery-Berry looks at Donkey and he doesn't seem to have anything wrong with him. Shrek smiled at Fiona knowingly.

Donkey: What are you talking about? I'm fine.

Fiona kneels down and grabs Donkey's head.

Fiona: Well that's what they always say and then...then...then the next thing you know, you're on your back. Dead.

After Fiona said that, Mery-Berry's ears flattened backwards on her head and her eyes widened as a few memories came into her head.

( Flashbacks )

Princess: ( coughs badly ) Ugh, that one hurt.

Mery-Berry: Mama, are you okay?

Princess: ( weakly smiles ) Yeah, cupcake, I'm fine.

- a few weeks later -

Princess is seen on the ground laying on her back. Mery-Berry was sitting beside her, thinking that she was asleep... she wasn't...

( In the real world )

Mery-Berry was now laying on the ground on her back staring at the sky with a sad expression by the fire while Shrek was cooking and Fiona was eating. Mery-Berry was listening to them while she was stuck in her own thoughts of realization.

Fiona: Mmm. This is good. This is really good. What is this?

Shrek: Uh, weed rat. Rotisserie style.

Fiona: No kidding. Well, this is delicious.

Shrek: Well, they're also great in stews. Now, I don't mean to brag, but I make a mean weed rat stew.

Fiona: I guess I'll be dining a little differently tomorrow night.

Shrek: Maybe you can...

Mery-Berry started tuning out the conversation as she sank deeper in her thoughts of realization.

Mery-Berry: ( thoughts: ) Mama is dead... She's never waking up... I'm never going to see or hear her voice ever again...... She's gone... And she's never coming back...

She was then snapped out of her thoughts when she saw Shrek walked off to the fields and that Fiona was now inside the windmill. Donkey looked at her with concern.

Donkey: Mery, are you ok-

Mery-Berry: My Mama is dead. I don't have a mama anymore.

Donkey: Oh... Hey, it's okay, Mery. You have us to take care of you.

Mery-Berry: ( tears up ) But... I miss my Mama...

Donkey sighed before he laid down beside her and she nuzzled into his fur for comfort.

After awhile, Mery-Berry and Donkey went inside the windmill. The abandoned windmill is filled with shadows and cobwebs. All is quiet and Fiona is nowhere to be seen. Mery-Berry's cheeks were had some barely noticeable tear stains.

Donkey: Princess? Princess Fiona? Princess, where are you?

A group of birds flocks out the top of the roof, startling Donkey, but he continues on.

Donkey: Princess? ( Looks back to Mery-Berry ) Mery, spit that out!

The camera turns to Mery-Berry, who currently has a bird in her mouth and was acting innocent before she coughs and spits the bird out, it quickly flew off.

Donkey: It's very spooky in here. I ain't playing no games.

Something then crash into a sack of flour from a platform. Donkey froze in fear, while Mery-Berry was curious of who the figure was. She then smiled as she saw that it was Fiona through the cloud of flour, she didn't care that Fiona was an ogre.

Donkey: Aah!

Fiona: No, no!

Donkey: No, help! Mery run!

Mery-Berry: ( confused: ) Huh?

Fiona: Shh!

Fiona emerges from the cloud of flour, approaching Donkey and Mery-Berry.

Donkey: Shrek! Shrek! Shrek!

Fiona: No, it's okay! It's okay!

Donkey: What did you do with the princess?!

Fiona: Donkey, shh! I'm the princess.

Donkey: Aah!

Fiona: It's me, in this body.

Donkey: Oh, my God!

Mery-Berry: ( thoughts: ) Yay, Uncle Donkey recognizes Auntie Fiona!

Donkey: You are the princess.

Mery-Berry: ( Thoughts, with a frown: ) Nevermind.

Donkey: ( to Fiona's stomach: ) Can you hear me?

Fiona: Donkey!

Donkey: ( still to Fiona's stomach: ) Listen, keep breathing! I'll get you out of there!

Fiona: No!

Mery-Berry: Uncle Donkey, calm down and listen to us!

Donkey: Shrek! Shrek! Shrek!-

Fiona covers Donkey's mouth and shushed him.

Donkey: ( muffled: ) Shrek!

Mery-Berry: Shush, Uncle Donkey! Listen to her.

Fiona: This is me.

Donkey looks into Fiona's eyes as she pets his muzzle, and he calms down.

Donkey: Princess..? What happened to you? You're, uh...uh...eh... different.

Fiona: I'm ugly, okay?

Donkey: Well, yeah!

When Donkey said that to Fiona, Mery-Berry gave him a stern glare which he didn't notice, and she walked off and grabbed a stick. She then went back and stood beside Donkey with stick in hand...or paw.

Donkey: ... You are what you eat, I said. Now-

Mery-Berry gently wacked Donkey on the back of his head with the stick.

Donkey: Ow!

Mery-Berry: ( to Donkey, with a serious expression: ) You do not just to get to call someone ugly without consequences, especially not to a lady. Bad, Uncle Donkey, bad.

Fiona: It's okay, Mery. I've been this way as long as I can remember.

Donkey: What do you mean? Look, I ain't never seen you like this before.

Fiona: It only happens when the sun goes down.

Mery-Berry sat down and listened as Fiona continued to talk.

Fiona: " By night one way, by day another. This shall be the norm... until you find true love's first kiss... and then take love's true form. "

Donkey: Aww, that's beautiful. I didn't know you wrote poetry.

Fiona: It's a spell. ( sigh ) When I was a little girl, a witch cast a spell on me. Every night I become this. This horrible, ugly beast! I was placed in a tower to await the day my true love would rescue me. That's why I have to marry Lord Farquaad tomorrow before the sun sets and he sees me...like this.

Fiona then holds her head and begins to cry. Mery-Berry quickly hugged her and started to comfort her.

Donkey: All right, all right. Calm down. Look, it's not that bad. You're not that ugly. Well, ok, I ain't gonna lie. You are ugly. ( Sees that Mery-Berry was giving him a stern glare while slowly reaching for the stick ) But you only look like this at night. Shrek's ugly 24/7.

Fiona: But Donkey, I'm a princess, and this is not how a princess is meant to look.

Donkey: Princess, how 'bout if you don't marry Farquaad?

Fiona: I have to. Only my true love's kiss can break the spell.

Donkey: But, you know, um... You're kind of an ogre. And Shrek...well...you got a lot in common.

Fiona: Shrek?

Mery-Berry: Yeah, you two stuff in common, and you don't even really know Farquaad that much.

Fiona: I can't just marry whoever I want. Take a good look at me, Donkey, Mery. I mean, really, who can ever love a beast so hideous and ugly? Princess and ugly don't go together. That's why I can't stay here with Shrek. My only chance to live happily ever after is to marry my true love. Don't you see? That's just how  it has to be. It's the only way to break the spell.

Donkey: Well, you at least have to tell Shrek the truth.

Mery-Berry: Yeah, Shrek at least needs to know.

Donkey and Mery-Berry walked over to the door.

Fiona: No! Either of you can't breath a word. No one must ever know.

Donkey: What's the point of being able to talk if you gotta keep secrets?

Mery-Berry shrugs in response.

Fiona: Promise you won't tell. Promise!

Donkey: All right, all right.

Mery-Berry: We won't tell Uncle Shrek.

Donkey: But you should.

Donkey steps outside and starts talking to himself. Mery-Berry stayed inside with Fiona.

Donkey: I just know before this is over, I'm gonna need a whole lot of serious therapy. Look at my eye twitchin'.

Mery-Berry then turned to Fiona with a soft smile and a hint of sadness in her eyes.

Mery-Berry: ( to Fiona: ) Many people believe that my Mama was ugly because of the scar on her face.. but, like what she always said, Beauty comes in all forms.. big...small. Covered in scars or not. Every living thing is beautiful in their own way. No one is ugly, no human or beast. Ogre or not, Auntie, you're beautiful, inside and out.

Mery-Berry then stepped outside and laid down beside the fire. She laid on her back and looked at the stars, she noticed a star that was beside her grandfather's star.

Mery-Berry: ( whispers: ) Goodnight Mama. I wish that you were here...

Mery-Berry then slowly fell asleep as she was looking at her mother's star.

______________________________________________________________________________________________

That's it for this chapter, I hope you like it.

Till next time my agents of mischief 😜