Fanfiction: The Fraggle From Outer Space

[The Count]

... Dunno, partially blind as a batty bat am I. Calcifer ended up stealing the show for me. BTW: So would that confirm the sneaking suspicion I got that from your other fic Antoine and Bunny (the cybernetically revived gar-goyle) were from Sonic?

Ungh... Must have more fic! Please? *Leaves mini muffins hoping it'll work just as well with Goldie as they do with Squeeky.

 

[Gold Demona]

lol, yes, it is THAT Bunnie and Antoine. =)
Yeah, Calcifer's my favorite, too. ^_^
And I absolutely loved the relationship between Howl and Sofie. ^_^
That fic's been completed since Christmas (after having been writing it for a year and a half), and I have yet to find a reader that has been able to point out ALL of the borrowed characters I used in the fic. =P

And don't worry, it looks like I'll be finishing this current chapter really soon. So we'll definitely have something up this Monday. =)

 

[muppetwriter]

Hey, G.D.

I read the recent chapter of the story, and it's really awesome. Your method of keeping us captivated 'til the next chapter is even better than cliffhangers on Lost. Haha!

I'm real curious to know whose cave is that...and I have a strong feeling that it's not anyone we've seen before on the show.

Looking forward to Monday's update.

 

[Gold Demona]

The Fraggle From Outer Space
Chapter 9​

The five fraggles stared in shock at the giant plant as it opened its mouth and spoke.

“Who is in my cavern?” it repeated.

“U-u-uh, w-we’re very sorry if we disturbed you,” Gobo stuttered, “We’re j-j-just a bunch of f-f-fraggles on a quest.”

“Que dices? Fraggles?” it replied, “Did you say you are fraggles?”

“Uh..... yes?”

“Well, then, in that case...”

The fraggles started to slowly back away as the rocks lit back up to reveal a large pink flower, the petals of which made up its mouth. Its teeth had all vanished and so had the thorns on its stem.

“That is magnifico!” it said in a softer female-sounding voice and a distinct Hispanic accent, “I simply adore fraggles! They all have such a wonderful taste for music.”

“Well, who are you?” Red asked.

“Oh, how rude of me not to introduce myself. I am the Biddy Biddy Bom Bom Plant.”

“The Biddy Biddy Bom Bom Plant?” Gobo repeated, “Can’t say I’ve ever heard of you.”

“Si, I’m a very rare plant. There aren’t a lot of us left, you know. It doesn’t surprise me that you never heard of me. I do believe that the last time I had a visitor was a very long, long, long, long, looooooooong time ago.”

“Oh, that’s so sad,” Mokey said.

“Yeah, no kidding,” Wembley agreed.

“Si, it is a very lonely existence, pero que sera sera, verdad?”

“What?” the fraggles all puzzled in unison.

“Never mind. It’s not important. What matters is that now I have someone to listen to my musica.”

“So, how is it that you can make music with these rocks?” Goldie asked.

“These are no ordinary rocks, chica,” the plant answered, patting on one of the boulders, “These are very special rocks I have collected from far and wide. They are one of a kind. And I have them in just the right place so I can make my musica exactly the way I like it.”

“So, was that you making that beautiful music just now?” Mokey asked.

“Oh you mean that garbage? PFFT! That’s just my sleep beat. It is the music I play while I’m sleeping. Just forget you ever heard that. Let my show you some real music.”

The plant raised all its vines and began to beat the boulders in front of it. The music that came out of them was a bouncy Latin beat that one could easily dance to. The boulders lit up with every beating they took. The song the plant played was so happy and upbeat, the fraggles couldn’t help but dance to it.

(Plant)​

Biddy Biddy Bom Bom.​

Biddy Biddy Bom Bom.​

Biddy... Biddy... Biddy... Bom Bom.​

Biddy... Biddy... Biddy... Biddy...

​

Every time.​

Every time a new face comes by.​

My heart starts goin’ crazy.​

And I beat the Bom Bom beat.

​

(Fraggles)​

Biddy Biddy Bom Bom, Oooooo-oo-oo-ooooo.

​

(Plant & (Fraggles))​

A sweet emotion! (Sweet emotion!)​

A magic potion.​

It’s so good it can’t be beat.

​

(Fraggles)​

Biddy Biddy Bom Bom, Oooooo-oo-oo-ooooo.

​

(Plant & (Fraggles))​

A sweet emotion! (Sweet emotion!)​

We make the motion,​

Moving to the Bom Bom beat. (The beat!)​

The Bom Bom Beat! (The beat!)​

The beat! The beat!

​

Biddy Biddy Bom Bom! (Biddy Biddy Bom Bom!)​

Biddy Biddy Bom Bom! (Biddy Biddy Bom Bom!)​

Biddy Biddy Biddy Biddy Biddy Bom Bom!​

Biddy Biddy Biddy Biddy Biddy Bom Bom!

​

At the other side of the cavern, in the entrance from the glittery tunnel, a shadowy figure watched nervously as the five fraggles sang and danced with the giant plant drumming on the boulders, with its huge mouth of sharp teeth and thick, thorny vines.

“Oh, this doesn’t look good,” Boober said to himself, “I have to do something. But what?”

Then he saw the plant wrapping a vine around Goldie’s body and lifting her up in the air. Goldie didn’t seem to notice at all what was happening. She just continued dancing and singing along with the others as she was hoisted closer and closer to the monster plant’s mouth.

“Goldie!” he yelled as he ran across the cavern, jumped into the air and grabbed Goldie’s leg and tail.

He hung there until she slipped from the plant’s grasp and landed with a thud right on Boober’s gut.

“UGH!” he grunted as the wind was knocked out of him.

“Huh?” Goldie said as she snapped out of the plant’s hypnotic trance. “What happened?”

“Uuugh...” Boober groaned as he tried to breathe with Goldie still sitting on his gut.

“Oh, Boober, it’s you!” She greeted as she stood back up and helped Boober to his feet, “What’re you doing here? I thought you stayed home.”

“No time for that now! We have to get everyone away from here!”

“What? Why?”

“ATREVIDO!” the plant bellowed in a louder, more monstrous voice. “HOW DARE YOU?”

“That’s why!” Boober answered as he pointed to the large and snarling plant.

The plant let out a hissing sound and the music came to a sudden stop. The other four fraggles were then released from the trance.

“What the--?” Red blurted out. “Hey, what’s going on?”

“RUN!” Boober yelled, and they all started running.

“YOU WILL NOT ESCAPE ME! YO SOY LA BIDDY BIDDY BOM BOM! I WANT TO EAT FRAGGLE!”

As the others kept running, Red and Goldie found themselves landing face-first into the dirt as the plant wrapped its vines around their legs. Immediately they started kicking and grabbing at the vines with their free limbs as they were slowly being pulled back towards the plant.

The others immediately turned back and tried to help release Goldie and Red. A moment later, they were knocked away by a swinging vine. Red and Goldie had arrived at the boulder drums when Red got an idea.

“Goldie, grab the boulder!” she yelled.

“What?”

“Just do it!”

They both grabbed one of the boulders. They kept a firm hold on it as the plant tried to lifted them up, resulting in the boulder moving almost an inch from where it sat. Then suddenly, the plant let out a monstrous scream and dropped the two fraggles in its vines. As soon as they hit the ground, they scrambled away as the plant began readjusting the boulder. The fraggles all took this opportunity to run like the wind out of the cavern and through the tunnel they entered from.

When the plant finally finished putting the boulder back right where it wanted it, it found that the fraggles were nowhere to be found. It snarled and let our an ear-piercing roar that could be heard from all the way down the tunnel, where the fraggles were all safe and sound.

They ran until they finally got back to the caves they were familiar with. They stopped just outside the Cave of the Rumblebugs and took a few minutes to catch their breath.

“Are you guys alright?” Boober panted.

“Yeah,” Gobo answered, “We’re all okay. Thanks to you, Boober.”

“That was so very brave of you, Boober,” Mokey commented, “Brave and heroic.”

“Yeah, that was really brave, Boober,” Wembley added.

“Well, I couldn’t just stand by and do nothing,” Boober replied, “I had to do something, or that thing would’ve eaten all of you.”

“So what were you doing all the way out there anyways, Boober?” Red asked.

“Out there?”

“Yes, out there.”

“Well... I was following you. From a safe distance. Where you couldn’t see me.”

“That’s right! I knew it!” Wembley replied, “I knew we were being followed! Didn’t I say we were being followed? I was right!”

“But why were you sneaking around behind us that whole time?” Goldie asked. “Instead of just joining us?”

“In case I should come to my senses and decide to go home.”

“Well, it’s a good thing you didn’t, Boober,” Gobo said, “If you weren’t over there watching us, we would’ve been goners.”

“Goners, yeah,” Wembley repeated.

“Well, I don’t know about you,” Goldie said, “But I’m ready to call this tour done and go home.”

“Don’t you want to find that cave the Storyteller talked about, Goldie?” Mokey asked.

“Yeah,” Red added, “And find out if that’s how your parents wound up in Outer Space?”

“Well sure, but if it means finding more places like that along the way, I think I’d rather just leave for somebody else to discover. We were lucky this time that Boober was around to come to our rescue, but that might not always be the case, you know?”

“I see what you mean,” Gobo said, “Exploring’s not for everyone, eh. We may not have found that cave, but we did make an important discovery. I can’t wait to get home and start marking it on my maps. We’ll call it the Cavern of the Biddy Biddy Bom Bom Plant.”

“Hey, yeah. Good idea, Gobo,” Wembley agreed, “That way everybody can know about it.”

“And avoid it,” Boober added.

“That’s the idea,” Gobo replied, “The tour is officially over. Let’s go home everyone.”

The tired fraggles all agreed and started on their way back home.

“So what was that you said to me yesterday, Gobo?” Goldie teased, “About the dangerous creatures never singing?”

“Hey, come on. I’d never heard of that plant before today. How was I supposed to know what would happen?”

“Relax, I’m just teasing.”

As they continued walking, Goldie started to feel a sharp stinging sensation on her skin all around her body.

“Must’ve been from those thorns,” she thought as she slowed down her pace, “Geez, can’t I go anywhere and not get hurt?”

“Are you alright, Goldie?” Boober asked as he also slowed down beside her.

“I think that plant’s thorns scratched me up,” she replied, “I’m stinging all over.”

“Well, I’ve got just the thing.”

He reached into the brown paper bag he’d brought with him and pulled out a small clay jar.

“Hold still a moment.”

The two of them stopped as Boober unplugged the cork from the jar and dipped his hand inside it.

“And what’s that?”

“It’s a cream I made with finely-ground jumble grass. It’ll ward off any infection you might’ve gotten. Now brace yourself. It’s gonna sting for a little bit.”

Boober began to rub it into her scratches. Goldie twitched as the cream made contact with her injuries.

“I told you so.”

When he finished rubbing, he plugged the jar back up and stuck it back in the bag.

“Hey, Boober! Goldie!” Red called, “What’re you doing? You comin’ or what? Keep up!”

“We’re coming!” Goldie called back.

She looked over to Boober as they continued walking.

“So, did it help?”

“Yeah. It feels a lot better now. Thanks, Boober.”

“Oh, don’t mention it. I figured my homemade remedies would come in handy. So I brought them with me.”

“You made them all yourself?”

“When you spend as much time as I do worrying about death and pestilence, you try and come out with ways to treat and prevent them.”

“Oh yeah, I almost forgot that you’re a germaphobe. I guess that makes sense.”

“Germ-a-what? That’s not a word.”

“It is where I come from. It’s used to describe people like you that have a freakishly strong fear of germs.”

“Well, germs aren’t the only things I’m afraid of.”

“There’s more?”

“Well yes. I'm afraid of enclosed spaces and death and pain and spiders and words with 'R' in them, and... you didn’t want the whole list, did you? .....Why are you looking at me like that?”

Goldie blinked at him for a moment.

“Words with ‘R’ in them?”

“Well yes. I’ve found several different entries in my book of superstitions revolving around the letter R. It’s just not safe.”

“You have a book of superstitions?”

“Yes.”

“And you actually believe it?”

“Of course I do.”

Goldie glared at him for a moment, and then she rolled her eyes and sighed. She sped up her pace so she could catch up with the others.

“What?” Boober asked, “What’d I say?”

“Say,” Goldie started as she rejoined the group, “Did anyone else find it strange that the plant spoke Spanish?”

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Song Credits:
- Biddy Biddy Bom Bom—based on Bidi Bidi Bom Bom by Selena

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[redBoobergurl]

Neat chapter! Even though the Biddy Biddy Bom Bom plant almost ate our dear Fraggle friends! Looking forward to read what happens next!

 

[muppetwriter]

Wow! Definitely a lot of action in this one. I knew there was something funny about that plant from the moment it started singing. LOL! And, yes, I for one found it strange that the plant spoke Spanish. What's up with that? Since when have they spoken in different languages on Fraggle Rock?

Looking forward to more, G.D. Keep up the marvelous work.

 

[Gold Demona]

Chapter 10

The Fraggle From Outer Space
Chapter 10​

The night was still and quiet. Everyone had gone to sleep, and the Rock was calm and peaceful. The light in the Great Hall was dimmed due to the lack of music, as was normal this time of night, so close to morning.

There wasn’t a single creature in the area that wasn’t fast asleep, that is until a peculiar sound resonated through the caves into the Great Hall. It was the musical sound of a strange and magical flutelike instrument.

The fraggles stirred from their sleep and awoke to this strange sound. It was a sound they were all familiar with. All except for Goldie, of course. Confused by the strange new sound, she stood from her bed and peeked out her doorway. She saw that the other fraggles had wandered out and began to follow the sound towards the Great Hall.

Then she noticed Mokey and Red emerging from their room, seemingly excited about what was happening.

“What’s going on?” Goldie asked. “Where’s that music coming from?”

“It’s Cantus!” Mokey answered, “Cantus has come back!”

“Cantus? Who’s Cantus?”

“You’ll see,” Red answered as she grabbed Goldie’s hand and started dragging her off, “Come on.”

As they got closer to the Great Hall, the music became clearer. The strange flutelike instrument was accompanied by a handful of other instruments. And the fraggles all sang to it as they walked.

(Fraggles)​

They come from the hills,
And they come from the valleys and the plains.
They struggled in the cold,
In the heat, and the snow, and in the rain.
Come to hear them play.
Play our cares away.

We're all following a strange melody.
We're all summoned by a tune.
We're following the piper.
And we dance beneath the moon.​

(Cantus plays a quick solo on his pipe)​

(Fraggles)
We're following the piper,
And we dance beneath the moon for him.
And we dance beneath the moon.

They come from the south,
From the east, and the north, and from the west.
They play for the Rock,
And they play because they are on a quest.
Come to hear him play.
Play our cares away.

We're all following a strange melody.
We're all summoned by a tune.
We're following the piper,
And we dance beneath the moon.

​

The fraggles gathered in the Great Hall as a tall and lanky orange fraggle of magenta hair and goatee, wearing loose lavender robes and a pink sash, marched in playing a strange pipe that resembled two hollow branches wrapped around each other, one green, one purple. He was followed closely by a small group of other creatures, all of whom had their own instrument to play in his band, though none as magical as his pipe.

They were the Minstrels, and Cantus was their leader. The fraggles danced and sang as they continued to play.

(Fraggles)
We're following the piper
And we dance beneath the moon for him
And we dance beneath the moon.​

Cantus played a last little tune to finally bring the song to its close.

He took the pipe from his lips and waved to the gathered fraggles.

“Hail, Fraggles!” he greeted.

“Hail, Cantus!” Wembley greeted and waved back, and everyone else did the same.

“Again we’d gone, and again we’ve come,” he continued, “Ever on our quest to unite the Rock with music.”

“Play us a song, Cantus!” Red bounced up.

The other fraggles chattered in agreement.

Cantus raised a finger to them.

“Patience, Fraggles,” he said, “The time for music will come when it is time for the music to come. No sooner, and no later.”

“So, what brings you to our part of the Rock, Cantus?” Mokey asked.

He looked at Mokey for a moment, and then he looked into the crowd, pointing right at Goldie.

“You.”

Confused, Goldie looked around her in every direction before looking back at Cantus, whose gaze was fixated on her.

“Me, sir?” she replied, pointing to herself.

“Yes, you.”

He then motioned his hand to have her come closer. Slowly, she made her way through the crowd and stopped right in front of Cantus.

“What is your name?”

“Uh... Goldie.”

“Goldie, you came here from Outer Space, did you not? And quite recently, I might add.”

“Uh, yes, I did. How’d you know?”

“Walk with me, and we will talk.”

He turned around and calmly walked away. Goldie hesitated for a moment, wondering what the deal was with this old hippie fraggle and what he could’ve possibly wanted with her. Slowly, she followed him away. The other minstrels stayed where they sat while they and the other fraggles watched the two leave.

“What’s going on?” Red asked the band’s guitarist.

“Beats me. He didn’t say a word to us the whole way here.”

“Hmm...”

------------------------------------------------------------------------​

Goldie was starting to get nervous. Just who was this Cantus guy, anyway?

He walked in front of her, tall and lofty like a willow in the wind.

“So um...” Goldie said to break the silence, “Where are we going?”

“Where we are going is not as important as where we will be when this is done.”

“Isn’t that the same thing?”

“It is,” he answered and then paused for a moment to turn to her, holding his pointer finger upwards. “And it isn’t.”

Goldie stared at him for a moment.

“I don’t follow.”

“Following isn’t necessary.”

He turned back around and continued walking. Goldie blinked a few times and then continued following.

“Do you ever give a straight answer to anything?”

“The answers I provide to you are all you’ll need to know.”

The conversation was beginning to drive Goldie crazy. She let out a sigh of exasperation right before noticing how far they’ve gone from the Great Hall.

“You brought me out here so we could talk, right?”

“That is correct.”

“What about?”

“About your problem.”

“Problem? What problem?”

He stopped walking and turned to face her. He then pointed upwards to the cave ceiling.

“What?” Goldie asked, looking up where he was pointing.

She was surprised as a big drop of water landed right on her nose. She wiped it off and moved aside just as another drop landed in the puddle below.

“Okay, dripping water. You’re saying I have some kind of water problem?”

“Do not assume. Listen. The Rock has many voices, and I hear all of them. All voices are joined together by one rhythm. A rhythm you seem to have trouble finding. I came to help you find it.”

“Wait. Find... what? What rhythm? What are you talking about?”

“When you first arrived, you sang a song you could not control.”

Goldie felt a lump in her throat when he said that. She swallowed hard, trying to figure out how he could’ve known that, especially since she was certain no one was around when it happened. She’d never mentioned this problem to anyone. How the heck did he know about it?

“I can see by your expression that I am not wrong. Let us begin.”

“Begin? Begin what? What is this? What’s going on? Just who are you anyway? How do you know all this? Why can’t I control my singing? How am I supposed to fix this? Just wha--?”

He held his hand up to halt her questions, and then pointed to his ear.

“Listen.”

She tilted her head and listened. After a moment, she shook her head.

“All I hear is the dripping water.”

“You hear, but you do not listen.”

“Well, what am I supposed to be listening for?”

“If you will listen, you will know.”

“That doesn’t really help me.”

“Listening is the first step, as it is also the last step. Once you can do this, you will understand.”

“But I don’t even know what I’m supposed to be listening to!”

“If you will listen, you will know.”

She glared at him for a long moment, her lips contorted into an exasperated sneer.

“Are you ON something?”

Cantus stared back at her, never changing his calm expression. He took a deep breath and shook his head as he let out a sigh.

“I can see that right now is not a good time for you. We will try again tonight when you’ve had some time to regain your composure, without which you will not be able to listen. And if you cannot listen, you will not know.”

“Know what? This is just getting more and more confusing!”

He said nothing as he walked past Goldie back through the tunnel from which they came, back towards the Great Hall. Goldie just blinked as she watched him leave, being left more confused than when they got there.

“Speak of this to no one,” he said finally. “I will see you again tonight.”

“Oh, come on!” She yelled. “You’ve gotta give me more to work with here! Cantus!”

Without another word, he was gone. Goldie looked up at the stalactites from which the drops of water were coming from.

“What does he mean by listening?” she asked quietly to herself. “I don’t get it.”

She hung her head in thought as she started walking through the tunnel. Only instead of going back to the Great Hall, she turned for home. She didn’t want to see anybody else at the moment, or even for the rest of the day. She needed time to think about what little information Cantus had told her, and perhaps try to figure out his cryptic suggestions.

It was obvious to Goldie that this was going to turn out to be a very long day.

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Song Credits:
- The Piper—by Abba, shortened and some lyrics altered

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[The Count]

Very nice... And you've given me an idea for another Fraggle to join my haunters, which isn't easy as I struggle to think of what monster or mythic being each could be turned into. Of the main five, only Mokey's been cast as the flashy storm cloud. Not entirely sure if Red could fit the role of the amazon. Other than that, I'm open to suggestions as for the boys.

Thanks for the update and the song. Take care.

 

[redBoobergurl]

Great chapter! I love the entrance of Cantus and what he knows about Goldie's life, I can't wait to learn more about it!

 

[Gold Demona]

Chapter 11

The Fraggle From Outer Space
Chapter 11​

“So then Cantus points at Goldie and says ‘you!’, and then Goldie says ‘who me?’, and Cantus says ‘yes you’, and then before we knew it, they were both walking away, and nobody’s seen either of them all day since then. Isn’t that crazy, Boober?”

“Wembley, why are you telling me all this?”

“Well, you were the only one who wasn’t in the Great Hall when Cantus got here, so you pretty much missed the whole thing. I just wanted to make sure you knew what was happening.”

Wembley stood behind Boober, who was busy scrubbing another shirt from his wash.

“Doesn’t seem to me like I missed much of anything at all. Cantus always has something up his sleeve when he comes here. It doesn’t surprise me that he’d be here to do something with Goldie this time.”

“Hey, Boober!” Gobo called as he and Red marched right in, “What’re you doing cooped up in here, eh?”

“Yeah! You missed the Minstrels’ arrival this morning,” Red added, “Didn’t you hear Cantus playing his magic pipe?”

“Oh, I heard it just fine. I simply chose to ignore it because I knew that whatever his reason was for coming here had absolutely nothing to do with me, which Wembley has just confirmed to me. So instead of wasting my time fussing over something I will have no involvement in, I will instead dedicate my valuable time to something more constructive. Namely, my laundry. So if you’ll excuse me, I have an enormous load of socks after this, and I do not intend to leave it for tomorrow.”

“Aren’t you even the least bit curious as to what Cantus is doing with Goldie?” Red asked.

“I know I am,” Wembley added.

“If he wanted us to know about it,” Boober replied, “He wouldn’t have dragged her off. This is obviously a private matter, and I for one have no interest in disturbing anyone’s privacy.”

“The other Minstrels don’t seem to know anything about this, either,” Gobo added. “What do you suppose this means?”

“Hmm...”

------------------------------------------------------------------------​

The Minstrels had all settled in a small cavern by the Great Hall by the time Cantus returned. They usually made it a habit to make their camp off to the side away from the fraggles they played for, and this time was no exception. Cantus walked up to his Minstrels as calmly as he’d left them.

“So, uh, what’s the deal with this new fraggle, Boss?”

Murray, the guitarist, a lanky creature of saggy eyes and shaggy dark green fur with streaks of purple, was pretty much Cantus’ right-hand man. He didn’t like being uninformed. A feeling that was shared with the other three Minstrels.

Cantus paused a moment to look up at his right-hand man, and then he went on to set up camp for himself, setting his magic pipe beside his sleeping bag.

“As I feared, she hears, but she does not listen.”

“Okay. So what’s this week’s definition of ‘listen’?”

“It is whatever you think it to be.”

“Yeah, that’s what I figured. How long do you suppose this’ll take?”

“It will take only as long as she does.”

Cantus then finished setting up his stuff, picked up his pipe, and walked away. Murray looked at his fellow minstrels.

“Why do I ask that guy questions? Should I even bother asking him questions?”

One shook his head no, one nodded, and one shrugged. Murray shook his head and sighed.

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Boober breathed a sigh of relief when he was finally left alone to tend to his laundry. He washed two or three shirts and had hung them to dry, every so often pausing to think. He didn’t realize until after the third shirt how often he was pausing.

He was uneasy. More so than he normally was, even with Cantus around. Normally, a feeling like this wouldn’t really bother him, except this time he had no idea what he was so uneasy about. At first he thought that perhaps it had something to do with Cantus’ arrival. There was always something about Cantus that made him nervous, but he never remembered feeling this uneasy about it before. All Boober knew was something was bothering him, and it was driving him crazy.

He tried to just ignore it and go about his evening. There was laundry that needed done, and he was very busy washing it. Normally, that would’ve been plenty enough to settle any inconvenient uneasiness, but for some reason something just didn’t feel right. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn’t get his focus straight.

“AGH! What is wrong with me?” he yelled finally, grabbing at his shaggy red hair with both hands.

“Boober?” Mokey called as she walked in, “Is everything alright?”

“I’m fine!” He retorted and grabbed another shirt to wash.

“Then why did you just ask what was wrong with you?”

“Ugh! I don’t know!”

He threw the shirt into the tub and walked over to his small pile of books. He tossed a couple aside before finding the one he was looking for.

“Maybe my book of terrible diseases will tell me what I want to know.”

“Oh, don’t be silly, Boober. You don’t have a disease.”

“What makes you so sure? My body feels all tingly. My stomach flutters. And sometimes my knees get weak.”

“Oh, Boober. It sounds like you’re just nervous.”

“No, Mokey. It’s more than that,” he said as he flipped through his book, “Being nervous is normal for me. I get nervous on a regular basis. I know full well what it feels like when I’m nervous, and this is not it. And it’s not like any of the fears I’ve ever had, either.”

Mokey walked up to him and patted him on his shoulder.

“Well, whatever it is, Boober, just remember that all your friends are here to help you however they can. Don’t you hesitate to come to us for help, okay?”

“Sure... Thank you, Mokey.”

“You’re very welcome. Well, I have to go now. I’m going to paint a portrait of the Minstrels, and I’m going to need all the paints I can find. I’ll see you later, Boober.”

“Bye, Mokey.”

She walked out and hummed to herself as she skipped away. Boober finished flipping through his book and closed it in his lap, sighing in frustration.

“There’s nothing in here with these symptoms. There’s only one thing left to do...”

He put his book down and walked out of his room.

“...And that’s to consult the Trash Heap.”

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Frustrated, Goldie paced around her room, sighing occasionally, trying to think of what Cantus was trying to tell her.

“He said something about a rhythm,” she thought aloud to herself, “Rhythm to what? What is it that he wants me to listen for?”

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard Mokey humming a tune as she skipped past the doorway. She reappeared and peeked inside.

“Oh, there you are, Goldie. We were all beginning to wonder where you’ve gone.”

“Oh, no place special.”

“I couldn’t help but notice that he dragged you off rather quickly, and the Minstrels don’t seem to have any idea as to what he’s up to. And since the Minstrels are still here, it leads me to believe he’s not finished with you. So what’s he doing?”

“I don’t really know, either. He wants me to do something, but I’m not really sure what. He didn’t really explain much to me, only that he doesn’t really want me talking about it to anyone, which is just as well cuz I don’t really feel like seeing anyone right now.”

“Oh, I see. Don’t you worry. I’ll leave you alone right now so you can concentrate.”

“Um, okay.”

“I’ll see you later, Goldie. I’m sure whatever Cantus has planned for you is bound to be something wonderful. I can’t wait to see what it is.”

Mokey giggled and then continued humming that tune she was humming as she trotted away. When Goldie was sure she was gone, a thought occurred to her.

“Cantus mentioned that song I sang,” she thought, “And how I couldn’t control it. Was my rhythm off? It sounded fine to me. It just went on longer than I wanted.”

She walked over to her bed and laid herself down so she could mull it over. After a couple of hours or so of thinking, she managed to drift to sleep.

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“...And you see that’s why I’ve come to you, Madame Heap.”

Boober had just finished explaining his problem to the all-knowing Trash Heap, who listened as intently as she always did. He held his hat with both of his hands, fidgeting with it as he talked.

“I see,” she said. “And when did you start feeling this way?”

“Oh, a few days ago, I think. And it keeps getting worse. I’m getting to where I have trouble thinking straight, and I don’t know what to do.”

“Oh boy,” Philo said.

“What?” Boober replied, “What is it?”

“You’ve got it bad,” Philo answered.

“Yeah,” Gunge added, “Real bad.”

“I knew it! I’ve caught some horrible disease! What is it?”

“It’s nothing to be frightened of, little fraggle,” the Trash Heap answered, “All you’ve got is a textbook case of lovesickness.”

“Lovesickness?”

“Yeah, you’re lovesick. Over who, I couldn’t tell you, but that’s what you’ve got.”

“Well, I don’t want to be any kind of sick! How do I cure it?”

“Cure it? Why would you want to cure it? Besides, it’s not something you can just cure away. This is a sort of thing that once it’s started, you’re just going to have to live with.”

Boober was shaking at this point, frightened out of his mind. He was sick, and there was nothing he could do about it. He hung his head and put his hat back on it.

“Don’t be so glum, little fraggle,” said the Trash Heap, “This is something wonderful. You should be rejoicing.”

“Uh... I dunno. At least now I know what’s wrong with me.”

“Oh, come now! There’s nothing wrong with you! You act like it’s the end of the world or something. Cheer up. All you need to do is figure out who you’re lovesick for.”

“Will that make it go away?”

“I can’t say for certain. What I can tell you is that it will help you figure out what to do about it.”

“And how do I know who it is?”

“You’ll figure that out eventually. For now just try not to worry about it.”

“But--”

“The Trash Heap has spoken!” Philo and Gunge interrupted, “Nyeh!”

Boober let out a nervous, slightly whiney sigh and then walked away. The three of watched him as he sulked his way across the garden and around the wall to the Rock.

“Boy, he’s really deep in it, ain’t he?” Philo commented.

“No kiddin’,” Gunge agreed.

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Boober grumbled to himself a lot of the way home. He tried to think back so he could figure out where he got this lovesickness from. Then it clicked, and he gasped at the very thought of it.

“It’s Goldie,” he realized, “I got it after she arrived. I knew it! I knew I shouldn’t have left the safety of my cave! I let my guard down, and now she’s given me this horrible lovesickness disease! Oh no! Oh no! I’m doomed! What do I do? What do I do?”

Then he shrieked at the top of his lungs as he ran the rest of the way home.