Title: What Happened Afterwards
Author: Deja Vu
Summary: A Donkey/Dragon story about what could have happened after the first Shrek.
Rating: Mild language, a little violence.
Disclaimer: I don't own Shrek, but this story is mine.
Characters: Donkey, Dragon, and others.

Now that the wedding festivities were finally over and everything was cleaned up, Donkey started to trot into Shrek's home to take a nap.

He was followed by his female partner, who abruptly stopped.

"Whaz wrong?" he craned his long neck back and then looked sheepish. "Oh. You're not gonna fit. Of course you're not gonna fit. You're a dragon. Shrek's an ogre. You're bigger than him."

The long-lashed dragon just looked sadly at him and then began to walk away.

Scampering quickly, he ran in front of her. "Aw, I'm not goin' inside if you're not!" His brow furrowed for a moment, then his face brightened, and one could practically see the lightbulb above his head. "I know! How about we go live at your castle?"

She made a face. Evidently she didn't like that idea.

"Why not?"

Making a circle in the dirt with a claw, the dragon shrugged. She pointed to her neck, mimed a sword being stuck into the ground and herself getting strangled.

"Ahh. Bad memories huh?"

She nodded.

"Well, uh..." Another lightbulb. "How 'bout we make a house here in the swamp? Then we could be next to Shrek and Fiona and go visit!" Donkey seemed pleased with himself. "Yeah! Then we'd be all neighborly-like and be able to go over to their house and ask for a cup of sugar!" He frowned, "'Course, I don't think Shrek even likes sugar...That boy has got to start eating a larger variety! And I'm not talkin' about no weedrats, either!" Donkey's eyes widened. "Speaking of variety, what do you eat?"

She thought about it for a moment and then let out a hoarse sound that somewhat resembled a moo.

"I don't think I've heard of Grroos before...Anything else?"

Looking a little perturbed, she tried to put horns above her head like those of a cow's.

"Nope, I don't think there are any devils around this part. What else?"

Narrowing her eyes, she pantomimed udders and squeezing milk out of them.

"No, I'm not gonna let you eat no money. Now. tell me what you really eat."

This time she showed the size of a cow. But, of course, a cow was near the size of a donkey.

"What?" his eyes widened. "Nuh uh! I ain't letting you eat me!...How about hamburgers? Everybody likes hamburgers!"

She rolled her eyes and gave him a big, dragon peck on the cheek. He could be so clueless at times.

Donkey blushed and waved a hoof at her in the air sheepishly. "Aww, stop it," he chuckled. Then he changed the subject. "How about we ask the Three Little Pigs—they owe us, you know—for some bricks, and you could carry them, and I could design and supervise the house, and maybe some fairies or something might help us get the job done quickly! It'll be fun! And I can make some refreshin' lemonade and wear a really cool hat! I'm not talkin' about those lil' dinky ones, no, I'm gonna get me a manly hat..."

Donkey continued his rambling, and his female companion just smiled at him.

"Whaddaya mean you ain't gonna help us build? We helped you, ya know, and it wasn't no peas and carrots neither!"

"You don't need our help," the purple fairy shrugged.

"Yes, we do!" Donkey insisted.

"Fine," the little voice squeaked.

A cascade of sparkling dust fell on Donkey's "lady friend," causing her to sneeze.

"Well?"

"I helped you." Mentally, the fairy added, In more ways than one.

"You didn't help us, twinkle-bugs, you just made her sneeze!"

Grinning, the dragon shook her head in amusement. "Silly Donkey."

"I am not s—" Donkey's eyes were wide with surprise. "You spoke!" he exclaimed.

The dragon's own eyes widened, "I did!"

Her voice was deep and warm, and both seemed surprised at hearing it.

"Hey—" Donkey turned to speak to the fairy, but she was gone. "Where'd she go?"

The dragon shrugged.

"While I'm thinking about it, what do you want me to call you? Unless you like being called Dragon?"

She thought about it for a moment and then answered, "Dalia."

He shrugged. "All right. Dalia. That's a pretty name...Dalia. I like it!"

"Nuttin' I like better'n a candle-light dinner." Donkey thought about it for a moment. "Come to think of it, I ain't never had a candle-lit dinner...But I'm sure it'll be great wit'you!"

They hadn't gotten very far on their house, but they stole Shrek's table, found some disgusting-looking candles, and went out and got some Kingdom burgers at McDuloc's, although the cashier had looked rather surprised at his huge order until he saw the large dragon waiting outside.

And so they were out under the stars, Dalia batting her eyes at Donkey.

"You get somethin' in your eye again? Maybe you better get some eyedrops or sometin'."

Dalia swallowed ten burgers whole at one time, "Mmm, delicious."

"Man you better watch yourself, scarfin' down those burgers like that. You'll get indigestion or dyspoopsia, or whatever they call that."

"Dyspepsia?"

"Dat's what I said, woman!" Donkey grinned, nibbling on his food, and sipping his Ultra-Incredibly-Large-And-Fit-For-A-King soft drink through a straw. "Man, why do they only have kiddie meals with toys? Us ad-ults enjoy a happy plastic face every now and then!"

Grinning, Dalia snuck her short arm towards Donkey's tail...