Shrek's Little Sister

Prologue: Once upon A Time...

Once upon a time, in a swamp deep within the Forbidden Forest, there lived an ogre. He was very big, very green, and very, very lonely. While he wouldn't admit it, even to himself, he wanted a friend to call his own...perhaps, even, a family.

But all hopes of having a family were dashed very soon in his life, when he was just ten years old. His family's home had been destroyed, and his parents killed by angry villagers - leaving the young ogre on his own.

So the ogre went out on his own, and found himself a home where even the villagers did not travel. It was in a smelly swamp, surrounded by a hill, so no one passing by on the road would see his home. The ogre made himself a house there, and tools, a bed, and everything he might need to sustain his life there. However, he was not content. He always feared what would happen if villagers found him there.

One day, when he was seventeen years old, the ogre was traveling an ill-used road in search of items people had lost. He found a few trinkets worth salvaging, a blanket, a few spoons and bowls, but nothing major. He was preparing to head back to his hut when a carriage came hurtling down the road.

The ogre quickly dodged towards the side of the road, and watched with panicked eyes as the carriage sped past. A squadron of soldiers flew past soon afterwards screaming battle cries. The ogre watched as the soldiers overturned the carriage, dragging out struggling people, and cutting the horses free. The soldiers pillaged the carriage, then roped the people they'd captured and road back down the road. The ogre stayed hidden until he was sure all the humans were gone, then decided he'd better leave before anyone else came by.

As he started back, however, a sound caught his ear.

It sounded...like a baby crying. For a moment, the ogre debated what to do. He was worried about what might happen if any other humans came along...but he was also concerned for the baby. He knew that it was expected for ogres to be mean and cold-hearted but...he wasn't like that, not really. Despite his better judgement, the ogre approached the carriage, carefully prying off the roof and peering inside.

In a compartment hidden beneath the carriage seats, he found a baby. She looked as if she weren't very old, perhaps only 7 or 8 months.

"Hush," The ogre said, carefully scooping the baby up. The baby's crying became a little quieter when she felt someone holding her. "It's okay - yer all right, uh, baby."

Unsure what else to do, the ogre managed to wrap the baby in the blanket he'd found. Then, grabbing a basket of what looked like baby items that was also under the seat, he ran back to his cottage.

When he arrived back, he carried the baby to his room, and laid her on the bed. She still had tears rolling down her face, but she wasn't crying out loud anymore. The ogre rummaged through the basket, pulling out what looked to be a baby bottle with a liquid. He offered it to the baby. She gladly took the bottle, sipping it with a little help from him. Afterwards, she burped, to which the ogre laughed, and gave her head a little pat.

"I'll take care of you, baby." He said, smiling down at the girl. He knew it sounded crazy - a teenage ogre taking care of a human baby - but what other choice did he have? He couldn't live with himself if he left the baby there. Besides...adopting the baby would be fun. She could be his...little sister. "To make this a permanent arrangement, I'll need to name you. I don't know what your real name is...or was...but I'll pick out a new one for you."

The ogre stayed with the baby until she fell asleep, then he brought in some extra blankets and made a bed on the floor. That way he could still keep watch over the baby, but still have a place to sleep. As he lay on the make-shift bed, he pondered what name would best benefit his new sister.

"Maia..." The ogre whispered under his breath, glancing at the bed. "Yeah, that sounds like a perfect name."

Thanks for reading this story! I hope you enjoyed it - and I welcome any comments you may have (as long as their appropriate). I will warn you, I don't update a lot. I'm pretty busy, and as far as writing goes I don't write nearly as much as I'd like to. And, honestly, I tend to come up with new ocs and writing ideas before I've finished the current ones I've posted.