Fraggle Rock: Elder Clan Adventures

[The Count]

Perfect timing. Working on a slimy toad's wardrobe... And I simply love how your connectiveness works its magic. Must confess I just read the last two chapters for the first time now... Fishface, Blundik, Sir Blunderbrain, Mavis and Mallory... <3! Please, post more!

 

[RedPiggy]

Chapter 6

“So, where is this monster?” Princess Gwenalot asked Sir Blunderbrain as they raced down the tunnels toward the Great Hall.

He panted as he replied, “Well, Your Highness, no one has seen it, actually.” He jumped over a small plant as he ran. “Lots of things have been happening all over the Rock, and all we hear is laughing, and that’s all we know.”

Princess Gwenalot stopped dead in her tracks. Her body shivered uncontrollably, her eyes wide and her pupils constricted.

Sir Blunderbrain finally noticed she wasn’t next to him and he stopped and turned around. She was pale. “What’s the matter?” he asked her. Running over to her, he placed a hand on her shoulder. “Since when is our fair Princess afraid of monsters?”

She shook her head. “I’m not afraid of monsters – I’m afraid of laughing,” she told him wearily. She saw his confused and empathetic expression. “I can’t remember how I ended up awake and sore in some strange place, but it all started off with this frightening laughter,” she continued, shaking, hugging her knees. She started to cry. “I – I just don’t – want to end up like that again.”

Sir Blunderbrain kneeled down beside her and wrapped an arm carefully around the crying Princess. “You were alone when that happened,” he informed her tenderly. “Now you’re among your fellow Fraggles.” He patted himself on the chest. “I trained for months under the dedicated teaching of the brave fox-knight, milady. I would never let anyone or anything harm you. It’s a knight’s special responsibility.” He smiled. “I would overcome any obstacle, no matter how big or how deadly, to ensure the safety of Fraggle Rock.”

“Perhaps I have just the thing for our fair Princess,” another male voice cheerfully announced.

Princess Gwenalot looked up to see Crooner, smirking confidently with one hand resting on the tunnel wall and a small oval object dangling in his other. Crooner approached, using his now-free hand to slick back his black hair, and bent down to give her the object. “I had this, um, cooked up just for you,” he told her warmly.

She looked down at the amulet, with a large oval emerald set in a gold backing. Two tiny outstretched arms and two tiny close legs made it look like a headless Fraggle praising the coming of the new day. It was connected to a leather strap so it could be worn as a necklace. “Where’s the face?” she asked him.

Crooner shifted his weight uncomfortably. “Princess, it doesn’t need one.” He pointed at her. “You are the one who completes the image when you wear it around your neck. I couldn’t think of a face more fitting for such a fine piece of art.” He hoped that half-baked answer would convince her, for it was all he could think of at the moment.

She shook her head and gave it back to him, despite his shocked facial expression. “I’m not in the mood, Crooner.” She stood up. “I appreciate the thought, but we’ve got a monster --.”

“It’s always some monster or adventure or some problem with the water supply or a mushroom famine or something,” Crooner retorted bitterly. “Just once, can’t you forget you’re a Princess so we can have some fun?”

Princess Gwenalot glared at him, forgetting that Sir Blunderbrain was still there. “Why don’t you just continue making up a relationship in your songs? I hear that’s what you’re good at.”

Crooner sang a brief verse in reply:
If you think that this is just a game
I'm playing
If you think that I don't mean
ev'ry word I'm saying
Don't, don't feel that way
I'm your love and yours I will stay --.

The Princess rolled her eyes and shoved her way past him. “I can’t just forget about my job, Crooner. You may be able to just skip out on your duties, but I can’t. I dance and sing on my own time.” She pointed accusingly at him. “You wait to woo me until I’m needed elsewhere, then you get all mad at me when I reject these advances of yours.”

“I just think you’re taking this whole ‘leader’ thing a bit too seriously,” he protested. “You’re not the only Fraggle in the Rock, you know. You don’t have to do it all!”

“How can a sacred Minstrel have such a lazy attitude?” Princess Gwenalot shouted.

“For Rock’s sake, Gwen – I’m a glorified song collector,” he shot back angrily. “I’m like the fifth Minstrel in the last millennium – or something like that – I can’t really remember how many there’ve been. But that’s not the point – the point is that I think we’ve covered just about every song there is to sing. I don’t have to work all day and all night looking for new ones.” He wrenched his hands. “That’s what I’m trying to get across to you, Gwen – there is life outside of work.”

For several moments, they just stared at each other, seething.

“Awkward,” commented Sir Blunderbrain. They shot him a deadly glare. He stepped away from both of them. “You know, I’ll just scout ahead,” he told them timidly as he headed down further into the tunnel.

Finally, Princess Gwenalot sighed and turned her back on Crooner. “I’m a Princess, Crooner, not your best friend. I’m sorry.” She started down the tunnel after the Fraggle knight.

Crooner, struggling to hold back tears, grunted, staring at the ground. “I wish you knew what it was like not to have a best friend either,” he muttered under his breath.

 

[RedPiggy]

Chapter 7

“I’m telling you right now," Princess Gwenalot growled as she pinned Sir Blunderbrain to the tunnel wall, “my argument with Crooner is not up for discussion!"

“Y-yes, ma’am," he stuttered.

She dropped him and spied a warm yellow light coming from a tunnel just up ahead. It was so inviting, so mesmerizing, that she forgot all her anger and sadness and just ignored Sir Blunderbrain as she headed to the entrance of a large cave that turned out to be filled with thousands of crystals of every color, covering nearly every inch of the area – an area that rivaled the size of the Great Hall.

They stared at it for several moments before Sir Blunderbrain finally whispered, “This is the Crystal Cavern. My sources declare this is the likeliest place for the monster to hide.”

“But it’s so beautiful," she whispered back. She soaked in the sights as she entered the cavern, impressed with the high ceiling and the sparkling of the crystals. “I could stay here forever.”

“Well, dat can certainly be arranged," boomed a deep male voice that resonated throughout the entire cavern, followed by hearty laughter.

Sir Blunderbrain jumped in front of the Princess and held up his shield. “Monster – show yourself or fall prey to a brave Fraggle knight!"

There was a short pause before the voice replied dryly, “Knight, eh? I’m shakin’ in my boots. You both seem a little hardcore for a bunch of singing and dancing featherweights. I wonder if any of the rest o’ you guys are so cruel to your guests.”

“We’re not the ones who are cruel, foul beast!" retorted the Fraggle knight. “Four Fraggles have disappeared and now our own plants in Fraggle Rock are turning against us! They may very well start to eat us alive!"

“Well, I can’t say those plants have very good taste," the voice shot back with a chuckle. “Just take a look – a gander, if you will – and you’ll see just how happy and carefree you Fraggles REALLY are.”

The crystals dazzled with a tremendous brilliance. When the light died down, Sir Blunderbrain and Princess Gwenalot saw images of Fraggles all over Fraggle Rock portrayed within the crystals. Some were using paddles to whack rocks at tiny creatures, who looked terrified. Some were knocking down Doozer blocks with glee.

But what got Princess Gwenalot’s attention was an image of Fishface as he spoke to many capped Fraggles, including Blundig and Roughchin. He berated the Princess in front of them, warning that she would disappear just like the last time something important had to happen, like confirming her leadership by cracking the blue rock. Blundig nodded in agreement, saying that it was time that the Princess retired.

“You’re a liar!" Princess Gwenalot shouted angrily, her fists clenched tightly. “Blundig promised me Fishface wasn’t that mean!"

“Yeah, well, the proof is in the mushroom puddin’, ain’t it?"

“My fair Princess is right!" shouted Sir Blunderbrain. “Fraggles would never turn on each other.”

“Hey, look – it’s nothin’ personal, y’know?” the voice commented. “Fraggles are tired of ineffective leadership – always goin’ around havin’ fun while the rest o’ the poor slobs gotta scrape and save and toil under terrible jobs.” He laughed. “It’s high time Fraggles get a chance to enjoy life, too! I call for a change in government organization!” His laughter continued as the cavern began to rumble and shake.

The knight and the Princess started to dash back toward the entrance, but a shower of falling crystals stopped them. Suddenly, the knight pushed the Princess to the ground as the ceiling finally caved in ….

 

[The Count]

Got any more fic wanting to be posted? *Cackles with delight.

 

[RedPiggy]

Oh, I do! But I got some notes and stuff to type up first. I'll finish up the second arc (to ch10 tomorrow or so).

 

[RedPiggy]

Chapter 8

Princess Gwenalot finally worked up the courage to open her eyes. Sir Blunderbrain was still on top of her back, panting. She shook him off and turned over on her back to look up. The ceiling was now only about five feet above the ground, prevented from falling further thanks to several large crystal columns.

Sir Blunderbrain sighed. “Are you injured, my Princess?” he asked wearily.

She shook her head. “I’m okay. A couple of crystals hit my head, but I’m glad I had a helmet. You should probably look into getting one yourself.” She looked over at him, exhausted. “Are you okay, Sir Blunderbrain?”

He paused for a long time. Finally, he said, “Do you feel damp anywhere?”


“No ….”

“Then I’m fine,” he said with a shrug and a smile.

Princess Gwenalot sighed and relaxed her body. “Why would even a monster try to kill us?”

Sir Blunderbrain rubbed his head. “I don’t know, Your Highness,” he replied. “We’re just doing our job. It’s the job of a monster to be vanquished.” He smirked and chuckled. “It doesn’t seem too complicated a task, does it?”

“Right now, getting out of here is too complicated,” she noted sadly.

Sir Blunderbrain arched his neck back a little to spot the exit. “It’s only about ten feet away, and there’s plenty of room to get through it. Let’s get out of here.”

Princess Gwenalot sniffled. “Do you think those crystals were telling the truth? Do you think Fraggles really do hate me?”

The Fraggle knight sighed. “Princess Gwenelyn, you are the fairest, most responsible Fraggle in all of Fraggle Rock. You do tend to have a one-tunnel mind, though. I mean that in the most humble and respectful way, of course, milady.”

“But what good will it do to keep being the leader if it means no one likes me?” she continued, her lips trembling. “I’ve got some Fraggles telling me that they don’t want leaders, and I’ve got other Fraggles telling me they’re only comfortable if someone tells them what to do. I’m being pulled in two different directions. I’m running out of solutions, brave knight. It’s gone from Fraggles wagging their tongues at me to monsters all over the Rock trying to kill me.”

“You didn’t mind vanquishing monsters before,” he offered, trying to hide a bored and frustrated tone.

The Princess stared at the crystals, which seemed more scratched up now she was so close to them. In fact, life in general was starting to seem not quite so perfect upon further inspection. Such a revelation began to wear on her. Time seemed to slow down – even a bit of dust floating lazily in the still cave air seemed to stop midway. “I wish I had my cape,” she grumbled at last.

Sir Blunderbrain grunted as he tried to sit up. There was a large crystal overhead that made it a tight fit for him, but at last he succeeded. He glanced all around the Crystal Cavern. Even being nearly destroyed hadn’t tarnished its beauty in the slightest. In fact, now that the crystals were closer together, they illuminated the cavern with greater intensity than before. He wanted to take the Princess’ mind off things, so he began to sing…

All the days,
Through the haze,
I sought to be strong.
So I picked up
My shield and strode along.

Princess Gwen,
It was ‘round ten,
You wondered what went wrong.
So, later then,
You’d know if you belonged.

I tell you –
Shine your helmet brightly
And move on.
Don’t fear to tread lightly
And move on.

Princess Gwenalot sat up, staring at her loyal knight.

Sir Blunderbrain smiled and pointed to the exit. “The way out’s just over there.”

“But the monster may still catch us,” she begged.

The crystals, which had grown more dazzling with the song, spoke in a melodious voice. “Thank you for healing us, young Fraggles,” the voice noted happily. “We are the heart – the light – the pathmakers of the Rock. We are happy to aid you in your quest.”

The light grew so intense the two Fraggles embraced each other and clenched their eyelids shut. When they started to hear the shocked murmurs of a crowd of Fraggles, they opened their eyes and looked up. Far above them was a large hole leading to a darkening blue sky.

They were in the Great Hall.

 

[The Count]

*Huggles the chapter and the story overall. Like where this is going... Please post more when possible.

 

[RedPiggy]

Thanks! I wanted the Crystal Cavern to be the home of the Ditzies, which from a certain perspective would make it the Heart of the Rock.

I'm very concerned about how to do the Fraggle Wars right -- so I'm trying really hard to make a good lead up to that event, which is still some time away.

 

[RedPiggy]

Chapter 9

“Princess!” cried Blundig as she ran toward the two Fraggles who just mysteriously appeared in the Great Hole, as the bald Fraggles called it. She noticed the Princess tense up as she embraced them both. “Are you alright? How did that happen?”

Princess Gwenalot stood up and looked around. The Great Hall was filled with Fraggles with caps and there were even some Fraggles with hair here and there. A gentle snow drifted in from the hole in the cave ceiling. The cave reverberated with what sounded like a low moan among the mutterings of the crowd. She looked at Blundig with a sad surprise. “You really care about me?” she asked.

Blundig’s jaw dropped. “Of course we do – we all do!” she replied, amazed such a question could come out of the Princess’ mouth.

“But we saw you and Fishface,” Princess Gwenlot countered, pointing at Fishface, who wore a solemn expression, “and we saw you both agree that you didn’t want me to be leader anymore.”

Blundig opened her mouth to reply, but Fishface stopped her, placing his hand on her shoulder. His expression didn’t change. He stared intently at the newly arrived pair. “Fraggle leader not doing job. Job is --.”

Princess Gwenalot shot up and pushed him away. “How dare you!” she screamed. “I’m risking my life to protect you Fraggles and no matter how hard I work, you always find something to complain about!”

“Princess,” gasped Blundig and Sir Blunderbrain.

Fishface swallowed hard and eventually shook his head. Bowing slightly, he protested in monotone, “Job of leader to be there for Fraggles, not just protect them. We see Fraggle leader need help. I,” he continued, pausing with disgust at what he was going to say, “only … want to … help Princess.” He glanced briefly at Blundig, who nodded slightly and smiled. He glanced back at the Princess. “We have Legendary Rum-poop. Princess not read it. Blundig and Fishface read it.”

“We’re looking for ways to stop that monster,” Blundig offered. A small yellow-green male Fraggle with a thick green robe with red trim and white floral patterns appeared, taking a thin collection of paper out from under his yellow-green cap. Blundig took them from him. “Thank you, No-Neck,” she told him, making him smile sheepishly. She looked at the papers and frowned. “The Legendary Rum-poop says that the monster is indomitable.”

“Huh?” asked Sir Blunderbrain.

Blundig glanced over at Fishface with a worried expression. He nodded and sighed. “Means monster can’t be hurt,” he grumbled.

“Well, how does one defeat the undefeatable?” asked Sir Blunderbrain.

“It doesn’t say,” Blundig responded thoughtfully.

“Some all-knowing book,” Princess Gwenalot grumbled, glaring at Fishface, making him avoid eye contact briefly.

“The only answer is to lay down and kiss your tails good-bye,” boomed the deep voice from the Crystal Cavern. The falling snow turned into a thick mist that swirled around the Great Hall. When it stopped and dissipated, flowing purple and green robes fluttered in the air, soon filled with a green-skinned being with an upturned nose and purple wispy hair. He played with his gold earrings a bit, laughing to himself, his beady black eyes sparkling. Now that he had materialized, his voice no longer reverberated. “You Fraggles are a bunch of Doozers, you know dat?” he asked. “All you care about is cleanin’ your room and actin’ wit’ manners and pretendin’ to act all cheerful when ya do it.” He shuddered. “Life is wort’ livin’, folks. Dat’s the honest truth.”

Princess Gwenalot didn’t hear the frightened screams of the other Fraggles. She didn’t hear the bellowed orders of Fishface.

All she could do …

… was think of Crooner.

 

[The Count]

You know... Methinks I might know who this foe is, but I'm waiting to be pleasantly surprised... Just like when you revealed who that monster at the gates was back in Chapter 4. And the little things of light living in the Crystal Caverns. So all I'll say for now is... More please!