Brothers and Sisters

[Twisted Tails]

Turning on patience switch until there is another post

 

[Slackbot]

Finally, the chapter you've all been waiting for, the Battle of the Redheads!

*****

Brothers and Sisters​

Part 10: The Great Traceurs​

by Kim McFarland​

*****

It was a cool and pleasant morning. Fraggles were messing around in the Great Hall, working up to the day’s scheduled frolic.

Skeeter found Red swimming in the pond in the center of the Great Hall with Wembley and Poncle. She called, "Red!"

Red glanced over, then told Wembley and Poncle, "Gotta go. See you later!"

"See ya!" Wembley replied. Poncle didn't notice; she was too busy splashing around to worry about minor casting changes.

Red swam for the edge of the pond and climbed out. Skeeter said, "You ready?"

"Yep!"

"Don't you want to dry off?"

"What for?"

"Never mind. Silly question."

**

As Skeeter led the way through the caves, Red tried to guess where they were going. Where could they hold an obstacle race? She knew these caves like the back of her hand, and she couldn't figure out what Skeeter had planned.

When Skeeter started down a stairway cut into the rock Red balked. "Wait a minute!"

"What?" Skeeter turned back.

"Do you know what this is? This leads to Outer Space!"

Skeeter grinned. "Of course. How do you think I got into Fraggle Rock in the first place?"

"But every tunnel leads to a different place. We could get lost!"

"Nope. I know where to go. But if you'd rather forfeit..."

"Hey! I'm no quitter," Red exclaimed indignantly, and followed her down.

"Okay, okay. Just wanted you to know I wouldn't think any less of you if you had to bail." Skeeter started to take the phone out of her pocket, then paused. They weren't supposed to show technology to Fraggles. Well... she could slip this by. She took it out and, hiding all but the screen with her hand, checked the second to last image. Then she looked around for the corresponding passage.

Red saw the screen. Oh, a camera, she thought. It looked like the one Doc had. She glanced around, then said, "It's that one over there, isn't it?"

Skeeter looked where Red was pointing. "Yeah." She put the camera away again and started for it.

Red gulped. Now it was official; she had been suckered into a race in Outer Space. She'd left herself wide open when she let Skeeter choose the course. Well, if Skeeter thought that Red Fraggle was too scared to follow her to Outer Space, she was wrong!

Skeeter led Red down the passage. When it became a mere dirt-walled tunnel Red had to force herself not to say anything. Dirt tunnels were unstable, prone to cave-ins and floods. Fraggles avoided them; why bother with them when they have more friendly, stable limestone caverns than they know what to do with?

They emerged in a forest. When Red's head popped out of the hole she looked all around. Trees everywhere! She was used to trees; they grew in and around the Gorgs' garden. But here they were all over! There must be dozens!

Skeeter watched as Red nerved herself to come out of the hole in the ground. She deliberately did not notice how scared Red was now. "First, a few lessons. Parkour is about going forward no matter what obstacles are in your way. Go over, under, through, but going around or backtracking is wimping out. It's usually done in a city, but this is more convenient right now. Unless you're up to a drive back into town."

"I don't care. Anywhere is fine with me," Red replied, trying hard to sound casual.

Skeeter had to give her points for bravado. "Uh-huh. Well, might as well race here; it'd take too long to drive to town and back. So, let's do a practice run. From here to the big tree past the hill." Skeeter pointed.

Red saw the hill, but beyond that it became a confusion of trunks and branches and leaves. "Gotcha."

Skeeter took a moment to stretch her legs, then dropped into starting position. "On your mark. Get set. Go!"

Both took off running. The hill was easy; one would have to be careless to be tripped up by the gravelly slope. On the other side, however, were some fallen trees. Skeeter ducked under one and vaulted the next, while Red jumped up on the first, leapt to the second, and hopped back down again. After that was a rocky patch requiring some minor climbing, and then a straight run to the obvious target, the biggest tree in sight. Red and Skeeter reached it at the same time. Leaning against the tree, barely breathing hard, Red scoffed, "Is that all there is to it? I've had tougher walks across the Gorgs' garden!"

"That was just a practice run," Skeeter replied. "Now that we're warmed up, let's get this on for real."

"Yeah!" Red thought, this wasn't scary. And it would be worth it to wipe that smirk off Skeeter's face. This Silly Creature thought Red couldn't handle a few trees and rocks? Hah!

Skeeter started walking. "The real run is a lot longer, and a lot more challenging," she said.

"I hope so!"

Skeeter led them through the forest. Suddenly Red realized that if she tried to find her way back to the hole she wouldn't be able too; there was nothing but trees and more trees in every direction. She tried not to think about that.

Skeeter led them to a huge slab of tilted stone. She said, "This is the start. We go over this rock, and straight forward. There's a little more forest, then a gully with a stream—"

"What's a gully?"

Skeeter paused, then realized that of course there were no gullies in stone caves. She explained, "It's a place where water has cut down into the earth."

"Oh, like when a stream wears a groove in the rock?"

Getting out the camera again, Skeeter said, "Yeah, but a lot deeper. Anyway, across that and up the other side. Then it's a straight run to this tree." She showed Red a picture on the phone's screen. It was a round tree silhouetted against the sky, much taller than the trees surrounding it.

"Got it," Red told her.

"Any questions?"

"Just when you're going to quit stalling."

"All right." Skeeter grinned. She posed, ready to run, then said, "You call it."

The Fraggle readied herself, then said, "On your mark! Get set! Go!"

Both started up the rock. It was steep enough that they bent forward to let their hands do some of the work, but it wasn't quite climbing. When they reached the top they were faced with a sharp drop. Skeeter leapt for the tree in front of herself. She caught the limb, swung, dropped to a lower limb, then landed on the ground with a rustle of leaf litter. Red was startled at the Silly Creature's athletic display. But only for a moment; she jumped too, then dropped to the ground, rolled, and popped up to her feet. Fraggles know how to fall.

The next part was a run through the forest. Easy enough. She had to detour around a few trees, deciding that it was just silly to climb over a tree. She did hurdle over and push through some bushes. Then the ground came to a stop, and she saw what must be the gully: a gouge in the earth as wide as the Great Hall, with water flowing in the bottom. Skeeter was halfway down the dirt slope. Red went down in a controlled fall rather than taking the time to climb down. The earth was soft—and, because she was still damp from her morning swim, it stuck to her. She hadn't counted on that. But there was the river, so the dirt wouldn't stick for long! She splashed in and began swimming. Though Skeeter started out with the lead, Red was the stronger swimmer, and soon passed her.

Skeeter was swept downstream, but not far; she knew the currents in this stream, and also the bank on the other side. She came out of the water in front of a stony rise, perfect for climbing while wet. She pulled herself up. Meanwhile, Red, who had gone straight across, was digging her formerly-clean fingers and toes into crumbly soil as she climbed up.

When she reached the top of the gully she pushed past the bushes. Beyond that was a grassy field dotted with erratic stones and scrubby bushy things, and, on the other side, more trees, with one big tree in front of them. They weren't as big as they looked in the picture, Red thought as she ran forward through the waist-high grass.

As she ran she looked around. The field surrounded her. Wherever she looked, there was empty distance. She suddenly realized that she could not tell how far away anything was; her eyes couldn't focus. It was as if she was in the middle of nowhere, with nothing to tell her where she was.

Skeeter shot ahead of her.

**

Skeeter ran, vaulting smaller obstacles and climbing over others. She had bet that Red was good with obstacles, but Skeeter would be able to beat her in a straight run. Now she was not so sure, so she ran as hard as she could, but not so hard that she couldn't put on a show for anyone who happened to be watching from behind.

She reached the shade of the tree and, barely having slowed down in case Red was about to overtake her at the last moment, cushioned her stop with outstretched hands. Then she turned around, ready to speak.

Red was nowhere to be seen.

The Fraggle must be up to something. Skeeter sat on one of the roots and leaned back against the trunk to wait.

**

Fifteen minutes later she was not so sure. At first she thought Red might have dropped to all fours to crawl through the grass unseen for whatever reason, but even if Skeeter didn't spot those big orange pompom pigtails she would have seen the grass move. There were no animals around that could do someone her size harm. And this tree was the biggest, most visible thing here. Even a Fraggle couldn't possibly get lost.

Could she?

Nuts. Red must be pulling some sort of prank, but Skeeter still had to check, just in case. She took off her gloves and laid them on the root as proof that she had been there, then started walking back toward the gully. "Hey, Red!"

She listened for a reply. There was none. She glanced back at the tree, half expecting to see the Fraggle there. She wasn't. Skeeter called louder, "Come on, joke's over! All-e all-e all's-in-free!"

No answer.

The last place she had seen Red was the gully. She jogged briskly across the field. When she got to the gully she shouted, "Red! Where are you?"

"I'm over here," said an unhappy voice from upstream.

Red stepped out from a hollow that the stream had cut in the bank. She looked painfully embarrassed. Skeeter hustled over. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. You won," Red said, looking away.

Skeeter had expected Red to be daunted by the open field. If Janken could barely grasp such distances even after living for years on the surface, it would knock Red for a loop! But she had only meant to take some of the wind out of her sails, not deflate her entirely. She said, "Sorry, I didn't think it'd be this bad."

"Yeah, well." Red wanted to deny she was scared, but she knew how ludicrous that would sound. She was terrified of this strange world, and ashamed of being afraid. She couldn't even go back to Fraggle Rock; she'd never find the hole hidden among all those trees!

Skeeter said, "Look, I left my gloves back at the tree. Let me go get 'em, and then we'll go back home. I'll be right back—" Skeeter said.

Skeeter turned to go. Red said, "Wait!"

Well, she didn't really need those gloves. "Okay, never mind-"

"I'm going with you!"

"What? Red, you don't have to. It doesn't matter."

Red exclaimed, her hands balled into fists, "Yes it does! I'm not a quitter! I can finish the race!"

Skeeter paused, then said, "All right. Let's go together."

They climbed back over the bank. When Red was standing in the grass she shrank into herself, trembling. Skeeter felt crummy when she realized Red was having a full-blown agoraphobia attack. But suggesting she turn back now would only hurt her pride more and make her angry, though. Well, what now? Fraggles are touchy-feely... She put an arm around Red's shoulders and, when she did not stiffen or pull away, started walking. Red came with her.

Fraggles like singing, Skeeter thought. At first her mind was blank. Then she remembered a song from her childhood, and sang,

"Put one foot in front of the other,​

And soon you’ll be walking 'cross the floor.​

Put one foot in front of the other,​

And soon you’ll be walking out the door.​

Red made a sound that wanted to be a laugh. Skeeter continued,

"You never will get where you’re going​

If you never get up on your feet.​

Come on, there’s a good tail wind blowing,​

A fast walking gal is hard to beat."​

Red joined in on the chorus,

"Put one foot in front of the other,​

And soon you’ll be walking 'cross the floor..."​

**

When they reached the tree Red touched the tree with one hand, technically completing her part of the race. Then she turned and, her back against the trunk, looked around. The land stretched away in every direction. She had no idea how far away anything was. When she had seen this tree in the distance she had thought it was small for a tree, barely a Gorg's height. But the closer she got the huger it became! It was frightening, but now that she was under it, shaded by its leaves, she felt a little safer.

Skeeter retrieved her gloves and put them on. Then she said, "This was an unfair race. Let's just call it a draw, okay?"

Red insisted, "No way! I lost fair and square. But I didn't give up! That's what I'm gonna tell Gobo."

"Then that's what I'll say too," Skeeter agreed.

Red slid down until she was sitting. After a bit she said, "How can you stand it, being out in the middle of nowhere with nothing but space around you?"

Skeeter shrugged. "It's not like that with us. Most of us would get lost in your caves, with nothing but rock all around you."

Red shook her head. She couldn't imagine not knowing where you were in caves. The rock itself told you where you were. "Uncle Matt must be out of his mind, coming out here. He can have it."

**

They sat under the tree for a while, not saying much of anything. When Red got her nerve up again they walked back, arms around each other's shoulders, singing the same song to keep up Red's spirits.

*****

Skeeter is copyright © The Muppets Studio, LLC. All Fraggles except Poncle are copyright © The Jim Henson Company, LLC. Put One Foot in Front of The Other is copyright © Rankin/Bass. All copyrighted characters and properties are used without permission but with much respect and affection. Poncle Fraggle and the overall story are copyright © Kim McFarland (negaduck9@aol.com). Permission is given by the author to copy it for personal use only.

 

[charlietheowl]

Awww! I like how Skeeter was able to help cheer Red up with the song after Red got overwhelmed. Another nice chapter.

 

[The Count]

So... Anyone else besides me, and the authoress of course, know where the song Skeeter sang came from?
*Claps for the Parker sisters. Now imagine what they could do with a better version of Battleship back in the Fraggle pond.

Thank you for posting.

 

[Slackbot]

So... Anyone else besides me, and the authoress of course, know where the song Skeeter sang came from?

Yer kidding, right? I have a hard time imagining anyone in the continental US not recognizing that song. Please tell me it's not obscure!

*Claps for the Parker sisters. Now imagine what they could do with a better version of Battleship back in the Fraggle pond.

?

 

[The Count]

Nah, I doubt it's obscurity. Just you know, the little moment of catching a reference to something out of the Muppasphere right away.

Erg, you had Skeeter and Red compete in a bout of Parker, which makes them somewhat sisters (if not eventual in-lawish types in however that family Tree of Life forks out with its knobblies). Was trying to go from there joking about Parker Brothers boardgames adapted for Fragglish fun.

 

[Slackbot]

Oh, OK. I didn't get it because it's spelled p a r k o u r, pronounced pahr-kooer (well, not really, but you can't phoneticize French very accurately for English speakers) so the connection wasn't obvious to me. And, heh, yes, Skeeter and Red would be common-law in-laws. I think they'll get along fine after all this blows over. Let's see if the other brothers and sisters can say the same.

I just happened to watch "The Tree of Life" this morning. Wanna buy a hat?

 

[The Count]

I'll buy two if you know what time they shifted to since Hub's got an AM version of their HubBoom superhero lineup taking over the Fraggles 7 o'clock spot.

 

[Slackbot]

Alas, as far as I know the Fraggles won't be on The Hub any longer. Not that it matters to me personally, as I don't get that or any other non-broadcast channel. I watch FR on DVD. But, still, I want the Fraggles to have TV exposure.

At least I own real, legal DVDs of FR. Those are infinitely preferable to the DVDs I burned from downloaded files of another Hub show because The Powers That Be apparently don't want my money.

Parkour Sisters. Dang, that would have made a better title for this chapter. Hardly anyone will know what a traceur is in this context. Well, technically traceuse, but then it wouldn't have made any sense at all.

 

[The Count]

Yeah... I got Seasons 1 and 2, haven't bought Seasons 3 or 4, so add those to my Muppet purchase list.

Yep, Parkour Sisters, has a certain ring to it. Oh well, looking forward to the next installment.
*Buys the two hats mentioned before, gives them as presents to the 2H Monster.