The Echo Hole absorbed the silence that welled up between the two fraggles in the same nature as it did their voices, laying it like a uneasy blanket over the shorter green Boober who had at that moment taken to hiding his head in Mokey's cloak.
With the utmost care she reached down to lift his chin upward, sending Boober's hat gently tumbling off his long feathery red hair as she laughed softly.
"Silly Boober, that was just a joke..wasn't it?"
The small fraggles eyes were as always masked by his thick mane, that now in later age fell almost to the top of his nose, but his voice in reply held all the hurt and disappointment any on-seer would have needed to understand.
"No Mokey…it wasn't..I meant it…" Boober's own laugh was bitter and died halfway though. "I'm only two years younger than Red, but with my kinds' slow growth hormones you've only ever seen me as a silly…maybe I am…"
"Oh no, Boober..don't say things like that!"
Boober resumed his former hugging position against her side with an over-dramatic flare.
"It's okay, Mokey, don't mind me. You've got too much to contend with right now as it is without having to deal with my silly insecurities…I'm here for you…just for you..if you ever want..someday…if you..want…"
The Echo Hole, a void of the music-less whisper of wind being drawn into its depths provided acoustics to Boober's small steady baritone as he began to sing.
If my love was a song,
It would echo on and on…
Cobwebs around the two swayed like waves in the wind to the unheard beat around the pools of light the two fraggles were settled by.
And if life be a dream,
I hope I don't wake before I have time to sing…
Though I might get the lyrics wrong…
If my love was a song.
The scene began to melt away to a blurry memory that was just visible getting clearer and clearer with each of the shaky notes…
And if the stars no longer were to shine
And survived only in my mind
I'd give that memory to you…so you could sing it to…
If my love was a so…"
"Mokey, Mokey!" The ear splitting sound of Wembley's voice echoed, shattering the scene.
"Ma, ma!" A tiny voice interjected in agreement, as the a group of three fraggles and one mini-puff ball tumbled down the slope of the bridge and bumping into the couple, sending the smaller of the two over the ledge.
A small whimper came from the dangling form of Boober, where he now hung sadly from Red's tail overlooking the hole.
“M...my..song...”
Mokey hugged Poppy as the small pink fraggle giggled happily in her arms.
“My baby! Did you have fun today with your aunt and uncle?"
“Auntie Ed, Unc' Go!" Poppy nodded happily in reply, pointing at the two.
“Guys, you just interrupted my...” Boober began again at a whisper to Gobo and Red.
“Mokey, I've been thinking...” Red began, putting a hand on her friends shoulder.
“...that is, I had one more stanza and...” Boober tried one last time in a tone that barely made it past his throat and caught the sensitive ear of Mokey.
Oh Boober. She mouthed silently, patting him on the back.
“I may not be as brave as Gobo, or as smart a Boober, or as artistic as you...”
Red continued on though this exchange, unknowing, as Gobo just hid a slight smile and Wembley looked from Mokey to Boober, as if trying to read a secret code.
“...Or have as much imagination as Wembley...But there's one thing that I do know. Gobo taught this from an Outer Space song, I made it less mushy by fixing the words, you know...”
“Parody loop-hole copyright infringement, how enlightening.” Boober grumbled.
The five began their track back to the Great Hall, the first notes of a merry slow beat picking up as they crossed the bridge.
The sun will be there tomorrow,
Bet yer' last radish bar that tomorrow, there'll be sun.
Red said with a firm nod to Mokey, ending with a scream as they all slipped down the other side and landed with a loud bump.
Just thinking about tomorrow, clears away the cobwebs and the sorrow,
Red sang rubbing her head.
'till there's none
She grabbed hold of Mokey's hand, who grabbed hold of Gobo's in turn and then Whembly, who grabbed hold of a grumpy looking Boober's hand, making a living skipping chain of fraggles...
When I'm stuck with a day that's grey and lonely,
...ending with Poppy, who was hanging onto Boober's tail and every now and then tickling him with the end of it, as if hoping to make him cheer up.
I just stick up my chin, and grin, and say...!
As they pasts the Crystal Caverns and the Great Outer Maze in turn all types of Fraggle Rock creatures, from Toe Tickers and Inkspots, to Rumble Bugs, to the Blustering Bellowpane Monster, and The Glob, joined in.
Oh, the sun will still be there tomorrow
So you gotta hang on 'till tomorrow,
Come what may!
As the chain reached the Great Hall, countless fraggles perked up their heads, and others picked up their interments, adding the backing of an orchestra to Red's voice.
Tomorrow, tomorrow!
It's only a day away!
Red broke away from the others, walking around the rocks at the pond's ege like a balance beam.
The sun will be there tomorrow
Bet 'yer last radish bar that tomorrow, there'll be sun.
Just thinking about tomorrow, clears away the cobwebs and the sorrow,
'till there's none.
She hopped down, only to find herself in the middle of a group of boy fraggles, led by Marlon and Rumple, and all eyeing her as they sang, drowning out her voice.
When I'm stuck with a day that's grey and lonely!
I just stick up my chin, and grin, and say!...
Red retreated behind Gobo who shot the group a glare as they sunk back into the crowd.
Oh, the sun will still be there tomorrow
So you gotta hang on 'till tomorrow,
Come what may!
Mokey nodded as the five finished together.
Tomorrow, tomorrow!
It's only... a day... away!
Mokey hugged Red and smiled, as the music died back into the many melodies of the everyday Rock.
“Red..I was wrong. Why I think your one of the most mature fraggles I know.”
“Really?" Red replied happily, and turned to grin and tug Gobo's shirt. “Golly, did you hear that?"
“I always knew you were mature Red, you don't need any help at that eh!..” Gobo grinned. “But you could have just asked me, if it was really making you sad...”
“Why you! What do you think I was trying to do all day?" Red yelled, starting to go off on a half-hearted tantrum that included many pokes at Gobo's midsection.
Mokey laughed and scanned the crowd of fraggles surrounding her that all stood like furry pastel dots in their great number surrounding the pond with its countless see saws. swings, and musical interments.
“My friends...all my dear friends..The song of a midnight place always sings at birth and death...But maybe it is the time in-between that truly matters the most..It plays... for all of us...”
Boober was the first to nuzzle the folds of Mokey's sweater, following quickly by Wembley, and then Red, and Gobo last of all, reached out to rim them all in a giant bear hug that include the whole length of his tail when his arms were not long enough.
At that moment, as the four friends stood hugging their tearful storyteller, they could almost hear the sound of a magic pipe, carried by the wind...
~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~
Play me down on the ground,
Song comes singing from the midnight places.
Raise me high in the sky,
Song comes drifting through...
~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~
The End.
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). The ending and epilogue actually have two songs each in them, one I wrote, one I rewrote, and two silly creature songs I didn't :3
. In a way, Mokey and Boober's love is a sort of understated love, not quite the same as how I picture Red and Gobo's. Things will work out in the epilogue which I will post in this topic to, it's not very long and is made up of two silly creature songs like movie end credits