Chapter 14
The caves in this part of the Rock were dark.
These caves also housed many questions within their stony walls.
Dark? Obviously.
Quiet? Very.
Uninhabited? Hardly.
The World’s Oldest Fraggle’s cane clacked along the damp floor as he and Henchy traveled through the caves.
A drop of water fell from the ceiling, splashing on the floor and echoing throughout the many caves.
Henchy gasped and jumped from the floor. Shuddering, he looked towards the World’s Oldest Fraggle. "H-h-how much further?" asked the freaked Fraggle.
"We’re nearly there," said the World’s Oldest in a surprisingly mellow tone.
Henchy gulped. "Are you sure about doing this?" he asked. "I mean, remember last time?"
World’s Oldest half-nodded, while paying more attention to his surroundings than to Henchy.
"Well, I mean, after last time, how can you even consider this?" Henchy asked.
World’s Oldest broke his concentration on the walls of the cave and turned to stare directly at Henchy. "We’re desperate," he said quietly.
Henchy gulped. "I-I see," he stuttered.
"Good," World’s Oldest said, resuming his concentration on the caves.
The duo walked on in silence for a while. World’s Oldest paying attention only to his surroundings, Henchy overreacting to everything, including his surroundings.
Suddenly, World’s Oldest stopped abruptly. "Ah ha!" he shouted.
"Is this it?" Henchy asked frantically.
"Mm-hm!" World’s Oldest said confidently.
Henchy looked around, all he could see was a cave wall. "But- but this is just another wall!" Henchy said.
"That’s what you think, pebble-brain!" World’s Oldest said.
"But… World’s Oldest, I don’t see how-" Henchy started.
"Exactly!" World’s Oldest shouted. "You don’t see!"
Henchy stared at World’s Oldest. "What exactly am I supposed to be seeing?"
"Well I don’t know about you, but I see an entire other cave right there," World’s Oldest said, pointing at the wall.
Henchy tilted his head to the side, and looked at the wall again. "World’s Oldest… what in the name of Sir Blunderbrain are you talking about?"
World’s Oldest shook his head and sighed. "Would you like me to show you moss-mind?" he asked.
"Show me what?" Henchy asked, getting annoyed.
The World’s Oldest Fraggle chuckled, and then turned to face the wall. "Stay here," he said. Then the old Fraggle walked towards the wall.
Then disappeared.
Henchy’s mind was officially blown. "What the- World’s Oldest? World’s Oldest!" Henchy shouted into the caves, looking everywhere.
The World’s Oldest Fraggle suddenly reappeared, right in front of the wall. "You called?"
Henchy stumbled over words. "Wh-what…" he forced out.
The World’s Oldest Fraggle put the tip of his cane on Henchy’s nose. "I think you’re too convinced that there’s a wall there," the World’s Oldest said, pointing again at the wall.
"Well of course I am!" Henchy shouted. "It’s right there!"
"Nope," World’s Oldest said bluntly.
"But-"
"Would you just listen to me?" World’s Oldest asked. "If you’re not convinced that there’s a wall there, there won’t be a wall there, get it?"
"I-" Henchy started to protest, but was met with a glare from the World’s Oldest. "Okay?"
"Good!" World’s Oldest said. "Now, why don’t you try running right at the wall, and see what happens."
"Are you serious?" Henchy asked.
"Did you not just see me walk through that wall?" World’s Oldest asked.
"Good point…" Henchy mumbled.
Henchy lined up against the opposite wall. "Now?"
"Just go!" World’s Oldest shouted, making Henchy start dashing towards the wall.
Henchy gulped as he watched the wall grow closer and closer and-
"Ow! My nose!" Henchy groaned after he crashed into the wall.
World’s Oldest walked over and stood over Henchy, shaking his head.
"Wh-what happened?" Henchy asked, getting up to his feet while rubbing his nose. "Was I still too convinced?"
"No, silly," World’s Oldest said. "You missed the door! What you hit was a wall."
Henchy’s mouth fell open and he stared blankly at the World’s Oldest.
"Just follow me," said the World’s Oldest.
"How many times are we going to reference that song?" Henchy asked.
World’s Oldest turned around and looked at Henchy. Then he bonked him on the nose with his cane without a word.
The World’s Oldest Fraggle led Henchy to the wall again, and disappeared. Henchy was very careful to follow World’s Oldest exact footsteps, and was able to make it through the wall as well.
The room through the wall was illuminating, to say the least. The walls were lined with candles and lavish cloth tapestries hanging down to the floor. On the floor was a rug with an odd clown print on it.
"Is he here?" Henchy asked.
"Of course," World’s Oldest said. "Alright John, I’m back!" World’s Oldest called out.
From in front of one of the tapestries along the wall came a perfectly camouflaged Convincing John. The lavender Fraggle in a maroon plaid soot and bad teeth grinned at Henchy and the World’s Oldest Fraggle. "Welcome! It’s about time you got through; I was beginning to think I’d have to come out there!"
"You’ll have to forgive Henchy, John, he’s a little slow on the uptake," World’s Oldest said.
"Understood," Convincing John said. "So my old friend," he said to the World’s Oldest. "How can I be of assistance?"
The World’s Oldest Fraggle’s expression turned solemn again. "Well John," he said. "How much do you know about…"
"About what, World’s Oldest?" Convincing John asked.
The World’s Oldest Fraggle sighed heavily. Henchy turned his head slowly and looked at World’s Oldest.
"How much do you know about war?"
>< >< >< >< ><
Mokey sat with her eyes wide and her mouth agape. "The Gorgs… have broken into Fraggle Rock?" she asked Cantus.
Cantus nodded. "I only wish it weren’t true."
"Well then why are we waiting here?" Mokey asked. "We’ve got to do something, come on; we have to help those poor Doozers!"
Cantus shook his head. "We cannot."
"Wh-what? Why not?" Mokey asked.
"If we interfere now, Perfect Harmony can never be reached," Cantus said.
"Perfect Harmony?" Mokey asked. "What do you mean?"
"When the Fraggles, the Doozers, the Gorgs, and the Silly Creatures can all learn to live together, yet apart, so that Perfect Harmony is reached," Cantus said.
"Perfect Harmony…" Mokey thought to herself. "Oh that sounds wonderful Cantus, but how will that happen when the Gorgs have captured the Doozers?"
"You must trust me, Mokey," Cantus said. "This is the only way for Perfect Harmony to be reached, and if either you, myself, or Marjory interfere, it could shatter the entire process. Which is why the Fraggles should worry about this great tragedy, yet at the same time they should not worry about this new way of living."
Mokey nodded. "But what will happen to the Doozers? And the Fraggles?"
Cantus sighed. "Unfortunately," Cantus said, "I do not know."
"But… you and Madame Trash Heap acted like you didn’t know what the great tragedy was," Mokey said.
"Exactly," Cantus said, "we were acting."
"But why?" Mokey asked.
"Those two assistants of hers, Philo and Gunge, can’t be trusted to keep their mouths shut," Cantus said with a smirk.
"Then why did you tell me?" Mokey asked quietly.
"Because you, Mokey Fraggle, are special," Cantus told the purple Fraggle.
"Well, that’s very nice of you to say Cantus, but I don’t think—"
"No, Mokey, you are special," Cantus said. "You, like Marjory and me, cannot be allowed to interfere, or you’ll disrupt the Perfect Harmony that is trying to be reached."
"Me?" Mokey asked. "Why me?"
"Magic works in mysterious ways Mokey," Cantus said.
"I still don’t fully understand all of this," Mokey said.
"You will," Cantus said. "In time you will."
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