You cannot leave the magic

[Fraggleforever]

Hey guys. Fraggleforever here. This story is a continuation my tale that I weaved a few weeks ago, "The end and the beginning of Traveling Matt." So, sit back and enjoy.

Chapter 1.

Ten years.
Ten years had passed after Gobo left Fraggle Rock to explore outer space. At this point in time, he was exploring somewhere in South Dakota. He was examining the faces in the rock, [Mount Rushmore], and drawing a sketch of them. Gobo's face was a example of ten years of age. His eyes now dignified and sleepy, like his uncle. On his chin and face, a beard had formed. He decided to grow his hair long, like it was in his younger days, but he slicked it back into a pony tail.
He took off his hat and backpack, and sat down on a bench.
"Boy, exploring the universe can be awfully tiring for a fraggle." His voice had deepened as well. He had already written a postcard and sent it to the Arizona workshop where Doc and Sprocket were residing. So, he dug into his backpack, and dug out a picture of himself and his friends. This wasn't a photograph, but as a well done drawing of him, Wembley, Red, Boober and Mokey. A smile etched across his bearded face.
He remembered all of them so clearly. Wembley, with his flip flopping, trying to please everyone. That was a characteristic of a great fraggle.
Mokey, with her art and knowledge of the heart and soul. She is a prime example of a mother.
Boober, with his constant worrying and germaphobia. But Boober was always there to help him when he was in trouble.
And Red. What was there to say about her? She was bossy, arrogant and fearless, just like he could be most of the time. But there was something about her that set his heart soaring.
Gobo sighed.
"I miss you guys."
He put his hat and backpack back on, and began walking down the road.
"But I know I'll be back someday. After all, the trashheap once said,
"You cannot leave the magic.""

 

[ReneeLouvier]

just awesome, fraggleforever. Love it.

 

[theprawncracker]

Wha ha ha!! Awesome so far Fraggleforever!! I want more!!

 

[Fraggleforever]

Chapter 2.

Gobo stopped by a bridge and looked out to the river.
"Wow. That's beautiful." He had a urge to jump right in, but, he didn't feel like it today.
"Oh, I wish I could visit Fraggle Rock, even if it was only for a little while."
Then, as luck would have it, a post man stopped on the bridge and stepped out.
"Are you Traveling Gogo?"
"Gobo." He corrected him.
"Oh, whatever. Letter for you."
"Oh...thanks." Gobo watched the postman climb back into the truck and drive away.
"Who would send me a letter?" He looked for a name on the letter, but there wasn't any. He opened it and began to read.
"Dear nephew Gobo. This is your uncle Matt. I know I shouldn't interfere with your quest, but it has been 10 years. Your aunt and I don't have that much time in this world nowadays, but we would like to see you again. Not just us, but all of your friends do to. I hope you accept our invitation.
Take care,
uncle Matt."
That was all that Gobo needed. He picked up his backpack and took out a map.
"Let's see, if I'm here, then I need to go, this way!!" He rushed off down the road.
He was going home.

A few days later, a bus stopped in front of the apartment complex in Arizona. Gobo stepped off and waved to the departing bus.
"Thank you!" he yelled to the bus. "What nice silly creatures."
He went up the stairs, and got to the screen door. He took a deep breath and knocked on the door.
"Who's there?" said a whethered voice.
"It's me. Traveling Gobo."
"Gobo?" The screen door opened, and it was Doc. He was a older man, with some of his hair gone, but grayer. Sprocket was older as well, but it showed in his movements.
"Woof! Woof!" Sprocket got to Gobo as quick as he could, and tackled him, showering him with kisses.
"Ha ha ha ha! Sprocket! Stop!"
"Come on Sprocket old boy, you're not as young as you used to be."
Sprocket got off of Gobo. Gobo got up, dusted himself off, and looked up at Doc.
"Hello Gobo, it is good to see you again."
Doc got down and hugged him.
"It's good to see you too Doc. It's been a long time."
"I know. I was starting to think you would never come back."
Sprocket started to whimper.
"Aw Sprocket. I told you I would be back." Gobo went over and hugged Sprocket. Sprocket's tail began to wag.
"But now that you are here, you can tell us about your travels."
"Hoo boy, I have alot to tell. Let's see, where to begin..."
"You can tell us later Gobo. Don't you want to get situated?"
"Situated?"
"You know, unpack and freshen up, back home?" He pointed to the hole.
"Oh yeah! It's been so long, I forgot. I can see the gang again!" He dashed down the hole, but was back in a few seconds, because Doc called him.
"Gobo!"
"Yes Doc?"
"Welcome home."
"Thanks. I'll be back to tell you about I saw."
He ducked back down the hole, and took a deep breath.
"It's good to be home."
He rushed down the cave, and began to sing.
"Dance your cares away!
Worries for another day!
Let the music play!
Down in Fraggle Rock!"
He finally got down the last tunnel, and was amazed at what he saw.
The Great Hall was bigger than he remembered, and had less fraggles. But, if you could imagine it, double the number of fraggles.
"Wow! I've been out of the loop."
He leaned against a rock, and watched the large activity going on.
"There he is! OK everybody! A one, and a two, and a one two three four!"
"WELCOME BACK, TGF, WELCOME HOME, WELCOME HOME, WELCOME HOME WELCOME HOME!
AGAIN!
WELCOME BACK, TGF, WELCOME HOME WELCOME HOME WELCOME HOME WELCOME HOOOOOOOOOMMMMEEEE!!!!! WELCOME HOME TGF!!!!"
Gobo scratched his head.
"TGF?"
A fraggle ran up to him.
"That stands for "Traveling Gobo Fraggle"!"
"Oh."
Gobo smiled as the large group of fraggles cheered,
"WELCOME HOME GOBO!!"

 

[theprawncracker]

*laughing with happieness* Wow Ff, I can't tell you how much this story's helping me right now!! I love it so much!! Welcome back TGF!!

 

[Fraggleforever]

Chapter 3.

"Nephew Gobo!" Gobo turned around and saw his uncle and aunt, looking very weathered, but still dignified. Matt had a cane.
"Oh Goby, you grew a beard." She rubbed her hand against it. "Shame, cause there are alot of lovely girl fraggles who want their mates to be clean shaven."
"Aunt Story." Gobo said, pleadingly.
"Oh, come here and give me a hug." Gobo did so, and smiled.
"It's good to be home aunt."
"It's good to see you again nephew." She said in reply.
They released, and Gobo faced Matt.
"Good to see you in the rock again, Gobo." He extended his hand.
Gobo looked at the outstretched hand, but gave him a hug instead.
"Thank you nephew."
"Your welcome uncle."
"So how is outer space? Quite dangerous, no doubt?"
"Oh yes, but I struggled through." Gobo went into a dramatic pose.
Storyteller sighed. "Like uncle, like nephew."
"Very good nephew. You should go unpack then."
"I should? But I don't have a place to unpack in."
"Of course you do. Your old room, remember?"
"But I thought Wembley was going to find a new roommate."
"He never got around to it."
Gobo looked in the direction of the private cave that he used to live in.
"Maybe I'll go now."
"Splendid idea. I'll meet up with you later."
Gobo waved to them and headed off to his room. But after Gobo was gone, Matt had started coughing uncontrollibly.
"Oh Matt. Here, sit down." Storyteller led him to a rock to sit on.
"[Cough] Story, promise me one thing."
"What's that?"
"Don't tell Gobo."
"But Matt....."
"Please. It will break his heart if he found out."
Storyteller sighed.
"OK Matt. If you say so."

 

[TogetherAgain]

Ff, I wish you could feel my heartbeat right now... it's RACING... Shame, shame, shame on me for not reading this yesterday... it is AWESOME! And I am so excited about it. I feel like I'm walking next to Gobo, and I wanna see the whole gang, too! I'm so EXCITED! (And I just can't hide it! I'm about to lose control, and I think I... am going to stop singing...)

I love the hints at Gobo's feelings for Red, and... Oh my gosh, I just love so much of it... And now these last few lines between Matt and Story... OH MY GOSH! Please, Fraggleforever, please, tell me more... please...

 

[theprawncracker]

WHOOOO!! This is awesome!!!!! More please!!

 

[Fraggleforever]

Chapter 3

Gobo entered the private cave. It was like he never left. Apparently, Wembley kept everything the same after Gobo left.
"Welcome home, hero."
Gobo turned around and saw his friend for the first time in 10 years. Wembley's face still looked young, but his voice was deeper, and he had a different banana tree shirt.
"Wembley!" Gobo rushed over to him and hugged him.
"How are you Gobo?"
"I'm terrific Wembley. How are you?"
Wembley stood up straight, as to show off to Gobo.
"I have stopped Wembling."
Gobo gasped.
"Really? How did you do that?"
"Well, I just decided one day that life was for living, and that sometimes, you have to make up your mind."
"But Wembley, I've been telling you that for years before I left."
"I know, but it was after you left that I truly understood it."
Gobo chuckled.
"Well, maybe I should leave more often."
Wembley chuckled as well.
"Hey, where's the rest of the gang? I would like to see them."
"Well, they're over in the Great Hall. Race ya!" Wembley rushed out of the cave.
"Oh no you don't!" Gobo dropped his backpack and raced after him.
In the Great Hall, everybody was chattering, playing, and singing in a large group.
"I win!" Wembley got there first.
"No fair! You had a head start!" Gobo gasped and chuckled at the same time.
"Hello Gobo."
Gobo looked over in the direction of his name, and saw Mokey, Red, and Boober.
Mokey looked relatively the same, but seemed to be more mellow. And had a artist hat on her head, like a burette.
Boober looked the same as well, but had a red beard to go with his hair.
Red, however, didn't have her pigtails, but had cut her hair, shorter than Gobo remembered.
"Guys, I can't tell you how good it is to see you."
Gobo extended his arms, and the five got into a group hug, even Boober didn't mind.
"What have you guys been doing with yourselves?"
"Well, I have decided to become a full time artist, along with full time radish picker. It's a hassle, but somebody's got to do it." Mokey said.
"I have been doing laundry....and cooking......and cleaning......so everything I have been doing all my life." Boober said.
"And I had conquered all of the fraggle sports, so I retired on top and became a coach to the younger fraggles." Said Red.
Gobo smiled, and was proud of them. But he couldn't keep his eyes off of Red for some reason.
"I am happy for all of you."
"We're happy for you Gobo!" Mokey said.
"Yeah, I mean, even if you risk you neck everyday." Boober said with a shudder.
"Boober." Red said pleadingly.
"Hey, why don't we go nibble on a Doozer construction somewhere?"
"Sounds great Gobo." Wembley said. "Lead the way."
Gobo lead the others to find a snack.
But before they got too far, Wembley stopped them, without Gobo knowing.
"I thought one of us was going to tell him about his uncle." Wembley said.
"Well, I wasn't going to do it." Boober said.
"I wasn't going to either." Red replied.
"We can't tell him! It will break his heart." Said Mokey sadly.
"Are we going to wait until it is too late?" Wembley asked.
The others looked down to their feet.
"I'll tell him at supper." Wembley said defeatedly.
With that, the others ran to catch up with Gobo.

 

[Fraggleforever]

Chapter 4

Later that day, a feast was prepared for all the fraggles in Gobo's honor. They were all in the great hall, seated at a long table. The food was prepared by Boober. Roast radish, radish stuffing, radish dumplings, you name it, radish. And radish cake and mushmellons for dessert. Gobo was seated at the head of the table. Wembley raised his glass of radish juice.
"I would like to propose a toast. To Gobo, the bravest fraggle I know."
"Here here!" The fraggles cheered.
Gobo blushed.
"Aw shucks. I wouldn't be who I am today without my uncle Matt." He raised his glass.
"To Matt fraggle. The best teacher I know."
"Here here!" Cheered the fraggles.
"Hey, can we eat now?" Large Marvin asked.
"I would have to agree. All the food I prepared is getting cold." Boober said grumpily.
"Good idea. Dig in!" Gobo stated.
The fraggles began eating, but, by everyone's surprise, Matt started to cough uncontrollibly again. He fell off his chair, making everyone gasp.
"Uncle Matt!" Gobo got down to the floor and helped him up.
"Oh....[cough]...it's nothing nephew. Just lost my breath there for a minute. I'm fine."
"No, your not fine. I'm taking you home right now."
"I'll go with you nephew." Story put Matt's arm over her shoulder, and Gobo likewise. They helped him to Matt and Story's cave.
Later, Gobo was getting ready for bed. He made sure that his uncle was fine before he left. Wembley entered the cave.
"Hi Gobo." He said in a whisper.
"How long Wembley?"
"Pardon?"
"How long has he been sick?"
"Well, it has been coming and going for a few months now."
"What do you mean?"
"We thought it was the fraggle flu, but that usually lasts a week. This lasted for a month or two before he got better. But soon afterward, he got sick again."
Gobo gave Wembley a cold stare.
"And you kept this from me?"
"What?"
"I was exploring outer space Wembley. You could've sent a letter or something. I should have been the first to know."
"We kept it from you....because we would be afraid that you would get worked up and upset...."
"WELL HOW DO YOU THINK I FEEL NOW?!?!" Gobo exploded.
"Gobo....please...."
"I SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE FIRST TO KNOW!!!!!"
"Calm down Gobo..."
"CALM DOWN?!?!? I CAN'T "CALM DOWN"!!!! THAT IS MY UNCLE!!!!"
Gobo took a deep breath, and spoke in a calmer tone.
"He raised me when my parents disappeared. I never knew my parents, but I always known uncle Matt. And now.......I don't know about now."
Gobo sat down on his bed and sighed. Wembley sat down beside him.
"Gobo, I hate to say it, but your uncle may not have that much time left."
Gobo looked at Wembley with a solidary tear drop rolling down his face.
"Then I'll have to make the best of the time I have left."
Wembley nodded.
"Hey Wembley...."
"Yeah Gobo?"
"I'm sorry for yelling."
"That's alright. I understand."
Wembley got off Gobo's bed and went up the ladder to his. Gobo took his guitar off the wall and began to strum a sad melody.