Fraggle fic: The Minstrel's Path

[Slackbot]

Anyone care to bet? Or even choose teams?

 

[Slackbot]

In which a sensual experience changes Cantus's's's life...​

​

*****​

​

The Minstrel's Path​

Part 22​

by Kim McFarland​

*****

One head appeared at the exit of Fraggle Rock, then another. They looked around. There was motion everywhere. The trees swayed in a wind that did not reach the ground. Leaves fluttered. Colorful creatures flew between the trees. Small things buzzed by on blurred wings. Other creatures crawled on the ground. It was utterly unlike the stillness of the limestone caves. At first all the eye-catching motion had been alarming, but after several visits Cantus and Murray had become acclimated to it.

The one thing that was missing was the presence of the Gorgs. Cantus looked down the hole and said "It's safe."

He and Murray climbed out onto the sun-warmed rock. The other minstrels looked out uneasily. They had only come to the surface here once before, and they had immediately been attacked by the Gorgs. It was mere luck that the only one who had gotten swatted was Balsam, who was tough enough to take a blow that could have crushed any of the others.

Cantus beckoned from the grassy ground. He picked up a fallen leaf big enough to use as a cape and said, "Everyone, get one of these and hold it between yourself and the castle. If the Gorgs come out, stop and hide behind it."

Brool nodded. "Camouflage."

"Bingo," Murray said.

Each picked up a leaf, and they started across the yard, single-file, strung out to avoid attracting attention. They all listened for signs of Gorgic activity, and Cantus took peeks from behind his leaf. They could hear voices, but whatever the Gorgs were doing, they were doing it indoors.

They arrived at the aromatic refuge of the Trash Heap. It looked like an ordinary pile of garbage at the moment. A pair of ratlike creatures noticed them. One said, "Whoops, look busy, we got customers."

They scuttled up to place themselves between the Minstrels and the dump. The other remarked, "These don't look like the usual guys."

"Newbies, eh? Well, you are in the presence of the wisdom of the world, all in one big pile."

"The omniscient, ineffable—"

"Inexplicable, venerable—"

Behind them, the garbage was rising. They finished together, "Trash Heap! Nyeah."

One added, "She sees all—"

"I already said that."

"You did not."

"I did so! I called her omniscient!"

"That's not a real word."

"It is too! Remember that dictionary they threw out?"

"The one you kept reading at dinner? That's rude, you know."

"It was dinner! It's healthier to pay attention to your food." He turned back. "Isn't that true, Marjory?"

She said, "He's right. You should always be aware of what you put in your body." She glanced at the Minstrels, then told Philo and Gunge, "We don't need the patter, we've met before." She said to the Minstrels, "It's been a while. What've you been doing with yourselves?"

"We have been wandering the rock far and wide, teaching what we know and learning what we do not know," Cantus said.

Philo quipped, "Sheesh, make up your mind."

Marjory said, "Oh, I envy you explorers. I wouldn't mind seeing Outer Space myself."

Cantus asked, "What is Outer Space?"

"You've never heard of Outer Space? It's a world above the caves, full of 'Silly Creatures,' people taller than Fraggles but smaller than Gorgs. Hundreds and hundreds of them!"

Interested, Cantus asked, "What are these 'Silly Creatures' like?"

"You should ask Traveling Matt Fraggle. He's been exploring outer Space for over a year now. He sends postcards to his nephew Gobo Fraggle telling all about them."

Murray asked, "What a postcard?"

Gunge said, "You're fulla questions, ain't'cha?"

"Asking questions is a good way of finding things out," Cantus said mildly.

Marjory explained. "Postcards are a way Silly Creatures send messages to each other. Each card has a picture on one side and the message on the other."

Cantus thought, a lone Fraggle had left the caves altogether to explore an alien world. That was a brave Fraggle indeed! He hoped that he would one day meet this pioneer. "I have never heard of a Fraggle leaving the caves. Few Fraggles stray from their home colonies."

She nodded. "Yes, I know. Most of them are afraid even to come up here. "

Balsam nodded emphatically. Brool said, "Can you blame them?"

She sighed. "It's a pity the Fraggles and the Gorgs believe they must be enemies. I've tried to show them what they have in common, but they wouldn't see it."

"Have you given up?" Cantus asked.

She looked at him sharply. "Of course not! I'm in the wisdom business, aren't I?"

"Why do the Gorgs try to thump Fraggles?" Cantus asked.

"Because they don't realize that Fraggles are people. They think of them only as vermin who infest their garden and take their radishes. And the Fraggles think of Gorgs only as vicious monsters who want to exterminate the Fraggles. You see what I'm up against?"

Cantus nodded sympathetically. He asked, "What are radishes?"

That surprised the denizens of the dump. Philo said, "Are you sure you're a Fraggle?"

The Trash Heap said, "You must find the answer to that question yourself."

"How will I do that?"

She pointed over her shoulder with her thumb. "Go get one. They're the red things growing in the ground. Go ahead, the coast is clear."

Cantus picked up a leaf and went to the end of the low stone wall. Peering around it, he saw that the Gorgs were still nowhere to be seen. He glanced back, and saw that the other Minstrels were carrying leaves. Murray said, "Hey, we're curious too."

"And hungry," Brio added.

Cantus nodded, then started out into the garden. Like everything else out here, the plants were much bigger than anything that grew underground. Berries the size of his head, bean pods as long as his arm. It must be because they have more room to grow.

At the center of the garden were parallel rows of earth with clusters of leaves growing out of them. The leaves were attached to pinkish-red domes of varying sizes. Cantus examined one. It was some sort of root vegetable. Brio leaned close and sniffed. "Smells nice. It must be food." Cantus and Brio grasped the bases of the leaves and pulled. The radish came out of the earth, revealing a spherical body that shaded to white at its single root.

*

When the Minstrels returned to the Trash Heap, they were carrying not only the radish, but a small tomato, some berries, and a few pods of beans. Marjory watched as the two Fraggles sampled the radish, cautiously at first, then with more enthusiasm. She said, "Now do you understand why the Fraggles will risk going into the garden?"

Cantus swallowed. "Yes, I do." It was delicious, and satisfying in a way that no treat could be. He would be willing to bet that it was as nutritious as the morels back home.

Murray took a small bite, then said, "Eh, it's okay." Balsam and Brool did not try it; its smell did not appeal to them.

The Trash Heap told them, "The Fraggles need radishes. The Gorgs need radishes. Even the Doozers need radishes! There are enough to go around, they grow so fast. One day they will understand that."

*

The Minstrels shared the food they had gathered among themselves and with Philo and Gunge. Even Brool, though he was a carnivore, ate some beans and tomato. He had recently discovered that there were plants that were actually palatable once you got used to their textures, and picking food certainly was more convenient than having to hunt something down every time he got peckish.

When they finished their picnic, and Marjory cheerfully accepted the bean pods and other scraps, Cantus, who had been thinking as he ate, said, "You wish to unite the Gorgs and the Fraggles, just as we wish to unite the rock with music. You know about the Gorgs and the Fraggles, and we can travel."

"What are you suggesting?" she asked, feigning surprise.

"We have similar goals. Why shouldn't we work together?"

"Why indeed? It's a deal." She raised her left hand and declared, "When you come to me, I will share my wisdom and knowledge with you to help you unite the rock with music. Hey nonny nonny nonny, hey nonny ha-cha-cha."

Philo and Gunge's eyes widened, but they held their silence. This was serious!

Cantus asked, "What does that last part mean?"

Marjory said, "It is the Solemn Oath of the Gorgs. An agreement made under the oath cannot be broken."

Cantus said, "I will promise for myself, but I will not bind the other Minstrels."

"Nor can you. Very well."

Cantus raised his left hand. "When I come here, I will use my music to help you bring the Fraggles and the Gorgs together. Hey nonny nonny nonny, hey nonny ha-cha-cha."

"Not the Fraggle oath?"

"I don't know one."

She studied him thoughtfully for a moment, then said, "Do you consider a Gorg oath binding?"

"A Gorg is a person, as am I, as are you. Why should an oath be binding on one and not another?"

She said approvingly, "A promise is a promise, whatever ceremony you use."

Cantus nodded. Their words were different, but they agreed. He turned and said to the other Minstrels, "This could get dangerous. I will not expect you to risk yourselves."

Murray said, "What's this noise? You and I've been traveling together for millions of days. After all the monsters we've bluffed off and run from, the freezing winter tunnels and floods and collapses and everything else, you think we're going to flake out now? Be serious."

Brool said, "Yeah, that goes for me too." Brio and Balsam nodded their agreement.

Cantus smiled warmly. "Thank you."

"No problem. Someone needs to keep his eyes open while you're dreaming." He and Cantus both chuckled.

"And now, we should be getting back underground. Thank you for your time."

"See you soon," she replied.

Philo and Gunge, hearing an opportunity, chorused, "The Trash Heap has spoken! Nyeah."

*

The garden was pleasant enough when they didn't have to worry about the Gorgs, and they had enjoyed the informative if unusual picnic lunch, but they were glad to be back underground, in the safety of the caves.

Murray asked Cantus, "Are radishes really worth dodging Gorgs for?"

"I think so. Music is food for the soul, but Fraggles need food for the body as well. It is a pity that it has become be a point of contention."

Murray shrugged. He didn't get what was so special about a big, spicy root, but then Cantus didn't eat fish. Changing the subject, he said, "You really think you can change that?"

Cantus replied, "No, I do not."

Murray gave him a look. "What?"

"Long ago I learned that I cannot change people's minds. What I can do is plant the seeds of ideas in their minds. If those seeds grow, then people may make changes themselves."

"Sounds like you changing things to me."

"If I were to do so, the changes would be meaningless."

"Yeah, right." Murray understood Cantus's reasoning. He had once discovered the skill of convincing, and found it dangerous and immoral to manipulate people that way. But, semantics aside, Cantus comes in, and things change. He doesn't even do it on purpose. Was it the magic of the pipe, or Cantus's charisma, or the music? Murray honestly couldn't say. Maybe it was everything.

Cantus remarked, "Who knows, we may find another Minstrel here."

"A colony like this? Yeah, could be," Murray answered.

Cantus cocked his head and held up a hand for a moment. The other Minstrels heard the voice of a Fraggle singing softly to herself farther down the tunnel.

"Follow the song of your heart,​

Follow it into the sky.​

Never be frightened in thunder and lightning,​

Follow it way up high,​

Follow it way up high."​

She stopped skipping around and said to herself, "Oh, I love to sing."

Cantus said, "And I love to listen."

*****

Fraggle Rock, Mokey's little ditty, the episode Mokey and The Minstrels (excerpted here), and all characters are copyright © The Jim Henson Company and are used without permission but with much respect and affection. The overall story is copyright © Kim McFarland (negaduck9@aol.com). Permission is given by the author to copy it for personal use only.

 

[charlietheowl]

Lots to like here! Seeing Cantus and Marjory deciding to work together is great, as it gives Cantus another person who is trying to work at the same types of things that he is, plus another person who could speak in circles like he does. And I like how the seeds are being planted for Cantus and Uncle Matt to meet up with each other. That should be a great meeting.

Thanks for sharing!

 

[The Count]

Another steller update. So now Cantus and Marjory have pooled their resources and the minstrels have found what's so hot about radishes.
The binding process, that was well written, saying how everyone is a person and how there's no real difference between them and the other species of the Fraggleverse.

Thanks and hope to read more soon.

 

[Slackbot]

I've wanted to have Cantus and Marjory meet for a good long time, but couldn't come up with an excuse until I got to this fic. And when I started thinking about some of his roles during the FR series, it seems hard to imagine that he and Marjory aren't working together. Otherwise how would he know so much about Gorg traditions and lore?

Heh, I had a bad time with the oaths. Originally that happened earlier in the scene, but that just didn't work. Too out-of-nowhere. Marjory had to play him along a little, get his interest, before getting him to promise anything. Or so she thought; if she hadn't made the first move, he would have.

Cantus has seen enough different kinds of people to realize that the differences aren't as important as they may seem. "Peoples is peoples." That's something that he liked about Balsam; he caught on to that right away, as if it was a no-brainer.

I bet y'all can figure out what will happen in the next chapter.

 

[Slackbot]

To quote Darkwing Duck, "You ever get that creepy deja vu feeing?"

*****

The Minstrel's Path​

Part 23​

by Kim McFarland​

*****

It was a frosty winter morning. The Fraggle colony the Minstrels were currently visiting was comfortable enough, as they had blocked the breeziest tunnel mouths and placed fire bowls around the central cavern. That and the heat generated by dozens of Fraggles running about took off the worst of the chill. Still, everyone wore warm clothes. When it was the coldest, most dangerous time of the year, one couldn't be too careful.

Cantus was layered up, a thick sweater under his robe and a cape and scarf over it, mittens, and socks of bootlike thickness. Murray said, "You're out of your mind, boss," but he didn't mean it.

"I will see you soon," Cantus replied. "Enjoy yourselves."

"Yeah, you too."

Cantus left without fanfare. The other Minstrels felt strange about this. They had been traveling together for so long, they almost didn't know what to do with themselves. Cantus had assured them that they would be able to think of something. And, Murray thought, why shouldn't Cantus give them a break from the Minstrel act, and not coincidentally go off by himself for a while? Everyone's entitled to kick back now and again.

The Minstrels looked at each other. After a beat Balsam asked, "What do we do now?"

Murray answered, "I don't know about you, but I'm going fishing."

*

As Cantus walked through the cold, windy tunnels, he felt strangely nostalgic. His home had been far to the north, and he remembered some very bitter winters. This was cold, certainly, and perhaps dangerous for the Fraggles born here. But Cantus was covered by fur where they had bare skin, and in winter he had a little more padding for insulation. The cold was merely uncomfortable to him.

He daydreamed as he walked, recalling old faces, friends and family he had not seen since he and Murray left home uncountable days ago. There were things he had not tasted in that long. The morels that were a staple of their diet up north were unknown here. Some day, he told himself, he was going to go back there.

*

When he neared Fraggle Rock he could sense the excitement in the air, tension barely held in check. They were good and ready for the Festival of the Bells. So was he. After he had joined their celebration last year The World's Oldest Fraggle, who had officiated at the ceremony, had asked him to take over. Cantus had agreed, and had spent days with the Storyteller, learning the lore until he understood the meaning of the festival. Even though the Fraggles themselves knew the Festival by heart, it would not be enough for Cantus merely to mimic the World's Oldest Fraggle's performance.

He saw the light of the Great Hall. At the same time the Fraggles closest to that entrance spotted him, and began singing the Carol of The Promise. He sang with them as he walked to the center of the cavern.

"There's a rhythm, there's a rising,​

There's a dream of green that needs to wake.​

A password and a promise​

That the Earth will never ever break.​

It's coming, feel it humming​

In the hearts we share with rock and sky,​

So raise your voices high!"​

The song continued for several rounds, until by general consensus it came to an end. Cantus raised a hand and called, "Hark, Fraggles!"

Wembley raised a hand and called back gleefully, "Hark, Cantus!"

"I am happy to be with you today for the Festival of the Bells, the most wondrous of all Fraggle celebrations."

Red, who was at the moment restraining another Fraggle, said, "The same goes for us too, right, Gobo?"

Gobo answered, "Yeah, sure, but-"

A pile of clothes with Boober in the center said, "I know, Gobo. It's hard to register enthusiasm when you're freezing to death."

Cantus looked around, as if listening to the cold wind blowing through the cave. "Ah, the rock is slowing down. The ceremony must begin."

Gobo broke away from Red. "Excuse me-"

The other Fraggles listened raptly as Cantus continued, "The giant Weeba Beast guarded the bell in the days when the Rock was small-"

Gobo held up a map. "I know, I know, and look, I've got proof-"

Cantus held up a hand, silencing Gobo. "Now that the Rock has grown and layers of stone cover the Great Bell we no longer travel to the heart. At least not on foot. Instead, we remember."

Wembley gleefully interjected, "Oh, remember, I love that part!"

"All Fraggles the rock over ring their bells. All together. All at the same time." He looked around at the Fraggles who were listening eagerly. "Our bells wake the Great Bell. The Great Bell rings, and the Rock keeps moving for another year."

Red burst out, "Oh, isn't it fantastic?!"

Icy wind was ruffling Cantus's hair. "Oh, now it grows colder. Let the festival begin!" he cried.

The Fraggles cheered excitedly. They knew how the festival went; Cantus could watch and enjoy it with the rest of the Fraggles, only occasionally doing a little patter between one part and the next and, of course, leading the singing.

Gobo's voice rose above the others'. "No! Wait!" He asked Cantus point-blank, "Have you ever seen the Great Bell?"

"Not with my eyes," Cantus calmly replied.

"Well, then, how do you know that it really exists?"

Shocked, Red shouted in a whisper, "Gobo, what're you saying?!"

Gobo shushed her. Cantus said, "We see with our eyes. We know with our hearts." He pointed to his eyes, then tapped his chest. "Outside. Inside."

Red snapped, "There, he answered your stupid question!"

Gobo said, "What kind of an answer is that?"

"The kind that follows your question."

Gobo shouted to all the Fraggles in the Great Hall, "Well, I've got a better answer. I'm going to bring you the Great Bell of Fraggle Rock!"

The assembled Fraggles exclaimed in surprise. Cantus asked calmly, "Why do you want to look for something that's so easily found?"

"So I can see it and-and show everybody that it really exists! So this holiday will mean something!" Gobo blustered.

Wembley said, "But, Gobo, it already means something."

Cantus said, "You will find the Great Bell at the heart of the Rock-"

"I know. And that's where I'm headed."

Red exclaimed, "But, Gobo, what about the festival? What if you're not back in time?"

"We'd have to ring the bells without you," Wembley said, appalled at the idea.

"It's either that or freeze," Boober quavered.

"Don't worry, I'll be back in time. So wait, wait until I bring you the bell."

Red said, "But you could take forever!"

"The heart of the Rock may be farther away than you think. Then again, it may be closer."

"Well, I've got my maps! I know exactly where I'm going! So, so promise, promise you'll wait!"

Red began, "Not on your-"

Wembley answered, "We promise, Gobo!"

"Okay, now, don't worry, I'll be back in time. I promise!" Map in hand, Gobo left the Great Hall.

Everyone stared, aghast, after the Fraggle who had brought the Festival of the Bells to a grinding halt. This was shocking! This was unbelievable!

This, Cantus thought, was getting very interesting.

*

An hour later, the Fraggles in the great Hall were huddling around the fires and shivering. They had not had the heart to continue the Festival of the Bells, and without their usual energy expenditure, the chill was seeping into their bodies.

Boober said, "Am I mistaken, or is it getting colder in here?"

Mokey said, "Ooh, it always gets colder as the Rock slows down."

Red said, "Wembley, how could you have promised Gobo we'd wait for him?"

"Well, he promised to bring us the Great Bell of Fraggle Rock."

"Oh, fantastic. So why couldn't he have gone on his heroic search days ago, on his own time?"

Cantus stepped close, startling Red. "We do the things we have to do when we have to do them. Not sooner, not later."

Boober said, "Well, I think we're going to have to ring the bells a little bit on the sooner side."

"Gee, I wonder what it's like being frozen forever," Mokey mused.

Boober replied, "I wonder what it's like to be able to feel your hands and feet." To the others he said, "I think we should put on the Weeba Beast costume now."

"For luck?" Mokey asked.

"No, for warmth."

Red exclaimed, "Well, I think we should go get Gobo and drag him back here! I'm gonna go find him."

Cantus raised a hand to stop her. "No one must leave. The tunnels are too cold now. You'll freeze."

Upset, Wembley said, "B-b-but what about Gobo? He didn't even take his mittens!"

Cantus said, "I will find Gobo. You will wait here. We do not have much time and we must use all of it."

Boober stammered, "B-but what if the, what if the Rock stops while you're gone?"

"There will be motion in the stillness as there is music in the silence."

Cantus left the Great Hall. He heard some of the consternation behind himself. They would be all right a while longer. They were still fighting the cold. As long as they were determined to live, they would.

*

Cantus was able to follow Gobo; he had left clear footprints—and occasional skid marks—in the frost on the cave floor. Cantus was impressed. He mused, "I'm surprised he got this far. He may be as determined as he is wrong. I admire that." He looked around, then at his hands. "It grows colder. I should have brought my mittens." He folded his hands under his arms.

*

The wind blew harder and harder through the deep tunnels, trying to leach the warmth from Cantus's body. He could survive this, he knew. He wouldn't enjoy it, but he was in no real danger as long as he ignored the discomfort. Gobo, on the other hand—Cantus hoped that his resolve would be enough to keep him moving. If he gave in and stopped…

He heard a voice in the distance, and a metallic clinking. Gobo's voice. And metal? What would metal be doing in these deep caves? Cantus hurried toward the sounds.

He found Gobo looking back down the tunnel at a scrap of paper the wind had torn from his hands. "Oh, no! There goes my map! Oh, now I'll never find the way!" He clung miserably to an ice stalagmite, trying to stay on his feet.

Cantus walked toward him. Confused, Gobo shouted, "What're you?! Say something!"

"Listen."

"Oh, it's Cantus. What're you doing here?"

"Listen!" Cantus repeated.

"Listen to what?! All I can hear are my t-teeth chattering!"

"You should have brought your mittens."

"Oh, now ya tell me."

"Listen!"

Then Gobo heard the sound of metal clanking against rock. "The bell! I knew I could find it!" He let go of the ice stalagmite and forced himself to go forward, past Cantus, toward the sound. Cantus turned and watched him walk to a metal hoop attached to a door in the cave rock. "This is it! The cave of the Great Bell! Right where the map said."

"You have reached your goal. Now let's go back. Your friends are waiting," Cantus urged.

"They're waiting to see the Great Bell, and I'm gonna bring it to 'em!"

"You don't need to bring it to them. They already have it."

Grasping the hoop, Gobo said, "Aren't you going to help me?"

"I just did."

Gobo pulled with all this strength. The rock slab began to shift. "It's coming free!" Gobo shouted. He dodged out of the way as it fell outward with a billowing cloud of rock dust. Cantus watched as Gobo hurried into the cave beyond and looked around. "What? What?" Gobo stepped out and shouted, distraught, "The cave is—is empty! There, there is no bell! It's all a lie!"

Cantus put a hand on Gobo's back and began leading him back the way he had come.

*

Gobo looked close to despair. Cantus's heart ached for him. Gobo could not be content to believe what others told him; he had to find things out for himself. He had sought literal truth here it was not to be found, and he now believed that there was no truth. He had learned nothing yet. He must not give up now. Cantus gazed at the orange Fraggle, who looked so small and sad, and remembered the time when he had tried to tell others of his own message, and been ignored. It was a terrible feeling. He could not have endured for long had he been alone, and he would see to it that Gobo did not give up either. He must keep questioning, keep seeking the truths that nobody suspected. Gobo had the bright spark he had been looking for, Cantus realized. This young Fraggle might be the one.

When Gobo spoke, Cantus was glad to hear the anger in his voice. Anger would keep him going until reason set in. "There is no Great Bell. What'm I going to tell the others?" He folded his arms around himself and shivered. "Oh, Cantus, all of a sudden it seems so, so cold."

"What seems, is," Cantus replied. "It is the time. The rock stands still."

"Aw, that isn't true! That's just a story," Gobo said sullenly.

Cantus stopped and looked back at Gobo. "So you say," he said softly. He stopped Gobo with an outstretched hand, the gestured at the Great Hall, which was right before them. "Behold."

Gobo rushed forward. His voice echoed in the silence and stillness as he shouted, "Hey! Everybody! I've been to the cave of the Great Bell and there's no-" He stopped, and stared in horror. "Oh, no!"

Cantus walked slowly forward as Gobo rushed over to the still forms of his friends. "Boober! Mokey! Oh, oh, Red! I didn't mean to—oh, no, Wembley." He gazed sadly at his closest friend, now stiff and unconscious. "Oh, poor Wembley." He demanded of Cantus, "How did this happen?"

"You tell me," Cantus answered.

Gobo shook his head. "We didn't get back in time. We didn't have our, our festival. Aw, but what difference does that make? There is no Great Bell!"

"Are you sure?" Cantus asked.

"Well, I followed the map. You were with me. I've been to the center of the Rock." Gobo's voice cracked.

"But have you been to the heart of the Rock?"

"Huh? I don't understand."

Judging that Gobo was finally ready to learn, Cantus laid a gentle hand on his back. "Listen, and hear what I say for a change. Last year there was no Great Bell in that cave of yours and the Rock did not stop, did it?"

Unwillingly Gobo said, "No, but-"

"Last year the cold came, and it went away just as it always has. What is different this year?"

Looking at the ground, Gobo said, "Nothing, except…" He looked up. "We didn't ring our bells!' He picked up a bell that had fallen to the floor and rang it. "Aw, but what good does ringing bells do? There's no Great Bell at the center of the Rock!"

Cantus explained, "But there is a Great Bell at the heart of the Rock."

Gobo saw Wembley twitch. He hurried over. "Wembley? Wembley! He's moving! It's working!" He rang his bell again. Red, Boober, and Mokey began to stir as well. "The Great Bell is at the heart of the Rock! I went to the center, not the heart of the Rock!" Excitedly he exclaimed, "The heart is—is here! Here!" He rang the bell hard. "Wembley! Wembley! Ring your bell!" He put the bell in Wembley's hand. The stiff fingers curled around the handle, and Wembley swayed his arm, slowly at first. Bells clinked as Boober, Red, and Mokey, who were also recovering, picked them up. Mokey, quickest to bounce back, exclaimed, "Oh, yes!"

As Wembley softly rang his bell Gobo said, "The Great Bell is my bell. It's Wembley's bell! Our bells keep the Rock moving! It's our music that keeps the Rock alive!"

Cantus nodded. Gobo had learned what Cantus had known all along: that their belief was the reality of the Festival of the Bells. Faith was what they needed to stay alive in the harshest times. If he had told Gobo this at the beginning, Gobo would not have believed him. Because he had discovered it for himself, he would take it to heart, and be stronger for it.

All the Fraggles who had succumbed were now waking up, revived by the ringing of the bells, and were picking up their own bells. Soon they were ringing them loudly and shouting and laughing their joy of
living and defiance of the cold.

Happily Wembley said, "Oh, it's good to have ya back, Gobo!"

Gobo answered, "Aw, it's good to be with you, Wembley, at the heart of the Rock!"

Cantus pointed upward and said to them, "Listen."

Wembley and Gobo listened. In the ringing of the bells, just at the edge of their hearing, they thought they could hear a softer, deeper sound, like the beating of a heart. The Heart of the Rock.

*

Soon the Fraggles were back to their old selves. Gobo understood now; they kept each other alive with their music and their bells and, simply, each other. He hadn't needed to look for some ancient thing hidden away in a cave. He could see and hear and touch what was real: his fellow Fraggles, and the joy he shared with them.

He went over to the Minstrel, "Cantus, uh, I don't know how to say this, but, uh, thanks."

"You are welcome," Cantus replied with a smile.

"I feel bad about messing up the Festival of the Bells. Everyone was looking forward to it. I mean, it's not the same without the Weeba Beast and everything. Do you think we can…?"

"Give it another try?"

"Yeah."

"What do you think?"

Gobo looked around. Fraggles were running around and ringing the bells and having fun…but they did that every day, and The Festival of The Bells was special. He turned back to Cantus and said, "Yeah."

"Then…" Cantus began to sing the opening carol.

"There's a rhythm, there's a rising,​

There's a dream of green that needs to wake."​

Other Fraggles joined in, excited that the Festival was going to begin for real this time.

"A password and a promise​

That the Earth will never ever break.​

It's coming, feel it humming​

In the hearts we share with rock and sky,​

So raise your voices high."​

​

They began singing in polyphony.

"There's a rhythm, there's a rising,​

Deep beneath the snow​

There's a dream of green that needs to wake.​

A password and a promise​

Seeds begin to grow​

That the Earth will never ever break.​

It's coming, feel it humming​

Sun shines through the rain​

In the hearts we share with rock and sky,​

We will live again!​

So raise your voices high!"​

*****

Fraggle Rock, the song There's A Promise, The Bells of Fraggle Rock (heavily excerpted here), and all characters are copyright © The Jim Henson Company and are used without permission but with much respect and affection. The overall story is copyright © Kim McFarland (negaduck9@aol.com). Permission is given by the author to copy it for personal use only.

 

[The Count]

Aw, isn't it exciting receiving such comforting wisdom in this fic? Whatever it is.

*Leaves pair of mittens and some hot chocolate before dashing off to drop some other presents at the HV townhouse.
Thanks for posting, glad to read this as always.

 

[charlietheowl]

I like seeing this episode from Cantus' point of view. I think it shows why he likes this particular colony; they were willing to wait for Gobo on his trip even though it meant that they froze. It's a real family there. Thanks for sharing!

 

[Slackbot]

This fic is so ambiguously exact.

I wonder if anyone has noticed that what they call mittens aren't. They're fingerless gloves. The only one wearing mittens wss Boober, and in that episode it looked like Boober was wearing everything.

Cantus sees a huge potential in Fraggle Rock (location, location, location!) and has been "fishing for Fraggles" among its inhabitants. Red and Mokey, well, they're nice, but they aren't the ones he's looking for. Right now he has high hopes for both Gobo and Wembley, for different reasons. I have a feeling that in a later chapter he'll want to kick himself.

Maybe when Cantus retires he'll set up in Fraggle Rock. If he went back home it'd be kinda depressing.

 

[Slackbot]

The Transcribinator strikes again!​

​

*****​

​

The Minstrel's Path​

Part 24​

by Kim McFarland​

*****

It was early evening when the Minstrels arrived at the Gorgs' garden. They had learned to come by the hole near the well, as the one that led into the Gorg's castle was too risky. It wasn't the Gorgs they planned to see, anyway. Before leaving the tunnel they closed the shutters on their lanterns to avoid drawing attention to themselves.

The mother Gorg was in the Garden, hanging a huge, flat piece of fabric over a rope. When she finished and went indoors the Minstrels went into the garden and picked a few edibles, avoiding the water dripping from the fabric and the resulting mud puddles, then carried the food to the Trash Heap. Before they arrived they heard voices.

"You're kiddin'! Philo'd be a smoosh on the ground!"

"Me?! Who says it'd be me? You're the charismatic one."

"True, true. But I'm still not getting' flattened by no Gorg!"

Marjory, who was waiting until her companions' squabble ran its course, glanced over and saw the Minstrels. She paused, then said, "Never mind, boys."

Philo and Gunge looked up at her, surprised. She said to the Minstrels, "You have perfect timing. I need your help."

"Certainly," Cantus said. He and the other Minstrels sat down at the edge of the dump and began passing around bits of the produce they had picked.

Marjory pointed across the garden. "Do you see that?"

Cantus looked up. "Yes. It's laundry day."

"Not that! The moon!"

Cantus looked again. When he squinted Murray glanced over. "It's a thin moon, and it's blue instead of white," the Pisca said.

"That's right. This is the night of the blue moon. It will be a very important night for Junior Gorg. He will need guidance. I have the wisdom he needs, but you have one thing I do not have."

"Legs," Cantus guessed.

"Exactly."

"Tell us about this important night," Cantus said.

As the Minstrels ate their picnic Marjory explained the Gorgish tradition of the Royal Kazoo. On the night of the blue moon, the rising Gorg prince would play the Kazoo, witnessed by five Fraggles. If he played it, he would be destined for greatness. If he tried and failed, however, he would be banished from the castle for one hundred years. Junior would soon see the blue moon and want to play the Kazoo. However, he did not know the risk he would run.

"A hundred years?" Murray said in disbelief. A hundred cycles of the seasons. He did not reckon in years; cave inhabitants focused on day-to-day life. But he knew he had not seen a hundred winters. Less than half that, he guessed.

Cantus asked, "Is it our right to interfere?"

Marjory answered, "No. But we can offer guidance. Junior is old enough to become king, but because his mother and father treat him as a child, he still acts like one. He must grow up, and that begins with making his own decisions and taking his own risks."

Cantus nodded. That was an answer he could agree with. He asked, "What would you have me do?"

"First," she said, "he needs five Fraggle witnesses. Bring them up to the garden. Then…help Junior find what is within himself." She leaned close. "The Fraggles have told me all about you. I have a feeling you're perfectly suited for that task."

The other Minstrels chuckled. Cantus said, "I will do my best."

Murray asked, "How can we talk to Junior? When it comes to little folks like us, Gorgs stomp first and ask questions later. Except they don't ask questions."

Cantus said, "I will take that task. It is not a risk I would expect any other Minstrel to bear. Now I will go get the witnesses. You remain here. And…"

Murray said wryly, "Listen."

"Exactly," Cantus said. He took one of the lanterns, stuck its staff under his backpack to leave his hands free, and left to return to Fraggle Rock.

Balsam asked, "How's he going to get Fraggles to come? They don't like the Gorgs any more than the Gorgs like them, do they?"

"Eh, don't worry, he'll do it," Murray said, staring out at the garden. "I'm wondering bout how he's gonna talk to a Gorg without getting thumped."

*

Cantus walked through the tunnels leading to the Fraggle colony, playing his pipe as he went. As ever, flowers bloomed and cave creatures turned their faces to the music, as if all of nature was his audience.

He made his way to the cave where Gobo and Wembley lived. He had been watching them both, and he had high hopes for them. If anyone would be brave enough to witness a Gorg ritual, and empathic enough to understand its importance, it would be these two. And, as luck had it, they were both there. He lowered the Magic Pipe and said "Hark, Fraggles."

Excitedly Wembley said "Hark, magical mystical Minstrel!"

Cantus declared, "I need five Fraggle witnesses. You will do."

Gobo and Wembley exchanged confused glances. Gobo said, "Uh, but there's only two of us."

"Two can soon become five. Get three others and meet me as soon as you can at the entrance to the Gorgs' garden."

Gobo said, "Uh, Gorgs' garden? Tonight?"

"Tonight is the blue moon."

Wembley said, "I thought blue moons were only in legends."

"This particular blue moon is of particular importance to Junior Gorg. And you must help him." He raised the pipe and walked off. He knew they would answer his call; they were brave and, more importantly, curious enough.

*

Murray and the other Minstrels watched from the wall behind the Trash Heap as Junior bade his radishes goodnight one by one. It was a sight somewhere between cute and grotesque. "Him? A king?" Brool said.

"Who knows? What're the Gorgs kings of, anyway? A farm," Murray answered.

Junior glanced over his shoulder, then caught sight of the waxing moon. He exclaimed, "A blue moon?! Oh boy! Oh, wait'll I tell Pa! Hey, Pa! Pa!" He ran into the castle.

The Minstrels could not hear the conversation inside clearly, but they could tell that it involved the blue moon and a kazoo. Murray looked back and told the Trash Heap, "They're talking about it now. How did you know about all that?"

She replied, "I'm a trash heap. In time, everything comes to me. You can find out a lot about the world from its garbage."

"Oh, right. Yeah."

Cantus reached the surface. He said, "Hark, Murray."

He was deep in mystic mode, Murray noted. "Hark, Cantus. They're talking about the Kazoo now. Where are the witnesses?"

"They are coming. Now I must prepare to talk to Junior Gorg."

Cantus looked perfectly calm, but Murray knew what a good bluffer Cantus was. However, it would take more than clever talk to get them through this alive, let alone successfully. Murray said, "Yeah, I had a thought about that. Come with me. 'Round the back of the garden. Everyone."

He hopped down from the wall into the trash, then hustled away. Marjory didn't mind. Trash heaps weren't particularly sensitive. She only wished she could turn around to see what they would do.

*

Junior walked out into the garden and kicked a box, complaining, "Gee, I don't feel like checkin' the laundwy. I'm gonna go in there and tell Pa what I feel like doin' is playin' the kazoo! Yeah, I'll show 'em who's boss." He turned and marched to the door of the castle. Then he heard his parents talking about the Royal Kazoo, and crouched behind the door to listen.

The Minstrels reached the back of the garden. Murray, knowing they might not have much time, said, "See that sheet? Stand well behind it, with a lantern behind you, and throw a shadow onto it."

"A big shadowy figure," Cantus said thoughtfully.

"And one he'd have a hard time finding if he looks behind the sheet," Murray said.

Cantus nodded. "I like it. You all, stay hidden back here. It will be safest."

"And we'll be on hand just in case a song comes up."

Cantus laughed. What was the chance of that not happening? He said, "Thank you."

"Go get 'em."

They did not have time to test the principle. Junior backed away from the door, distraught at what he had overheard. "Oh no! Pa thinks I'm gonna fail! Then I'll be banished to the swamp for a hundwed years!" He sat down on a box and began to cry.

From well behind the sheet Cantus said, projecting as loudly as he could, "Ohhhh, young master Gorg!" Murray opened the shutter on the lantern and moved it quickly to center the shadow on the sheet.

They heard Junior say, "Who said that?"

Cantus turned so the profile of his shadow would face Junior. "Cease this weeping and get your chin up. Both of 'em."

"W-w-w-who are you?" Junior stammered.

Murray, Brool, Brio, and Balsam cheered silently. Junior was speaking to Cantus's shadow! It was working!

"You should be thinking less about who I am and more about who you are.

"You…could be a great Gorg king."​

Junior objected, "Me? No, I'm just a dumb Gorg pwince."

The Minstrels knew a musical cue when they heard one. They picked up their instruments. Cantus chanted,

"You could be a coward. ​

You could be a king.​

You could be the kind of kid who teaches us to sing.​

You could be whatever your little heart desires.​

You could be a walkin', talkin', breathin' ball of fire!"​

The Minstrels began playing. Cantus sang,

"Sometimes a mountain, sometimes a stone.​

Sometimes a river windin' 'round to find a home.​

You could crawl away. You could fly higher.​

You could be a walkin', talkin', breathin' ball of fire!​

You could be a walkin', talkin', breathin' ball of fire!"​

Junior turned away from the sheet. He sang,

"Why do I keep wanderin' in my dweams today?​

Why do I keep seeming like so many mes?​

How can I be turned awound so many ways?​

When will I know who I want to be?​

"Oh, oh, nuts!"

Cantus sang,

"You could be a cowboy! You could be a creep!​

You could be the king of all the good things in your sleep!"​

Junior exclaimed, "I could?"

"You could be the person that you most admire!"​

"Wow!"

​

"You could be a walkin', talkin', breathin' ball of fire!"​

"I could be a walkin' talkin' bweathin' ball of fire?"

"Yeah! You could be a walkin', talkin', breathin' ball of fire!"​

Junior, said, "Wow! I wish I could be a great Gorg wuler!"

Cantus answered, "You could! If you swear to play the Royal Kazoo before five Fraggle witnesses tonight when the blue moon is full!"

Junior hesitated. "Gee, I don't know. I just…"

Cantus cut him off. "Yes or no, no or yes."

"So many questions! Well, um…yes!"

"Do you swear by the solemn oath of the Gorgs?"

Both raised their left hands and chorused, "Hey nonny nonny nonny, hey nonny ha-cha-cha."

Cantus held out a hand. Junior slapped the sheet where its shadow fell. Cantus's shadow slapped back and said, "All right. Meet me tonight when the blue moon is full."

"Okay, your shadowyship."

Cantus laughed spookily. Murray closed the shutter on the lantern. The Minstrels waited in silence, not daring to make a sound, until they heard Junior go back inside. Then Murray slapped Cantus on the back and said, "Crazy Fraggle!" He grinned widely. On Murray, a grin was very wide indeed.

*

Cantus hastened down to the Fraggle colony, looking for his five witnesses. The moon would be full soon, and they must be there in time. As he neared Gobo and Wembley's room he heard Boober say, "Well, Cantus better have a great reason if he thinks he's going to drag me up to the Gorgs' garden in the middle of the night, and I'm going to tell him when I see him."

Mildly Cantus said, "Tell me what?"

Boober startled and squawked. "Cantus… uh….I wanted to tell you I have complete confidence in you."

"Thank you," Cantus said.

Gobo said, "Yeah, we all do. But it would be nice to know what's goin' on."

"I shall talk as we walk, and you will know all you need to know. Walk this way."

He sauntered out. The others looked at each other and shrugged, then sauntered after him.

*

When they arrived at the exit to the garden Cantus finished, "So now you know all you need to know."

"I don't know about that," Boober said.

"Even as we speak the blue moon waxes and Junior Gorg is putting the Royal Kazoo back where he found it. Come." He led them out into the garden, to wait just behind the low wall bordering the garden.

Gobo said, "Okay, we're here. Now what do we do?"

"Listen," Cantus said. "And look!"

Junior crept out of the castle. Softly he said to himself, "I did it. I did it! I put back the Royal Kazoo and they'll never even knew I took it. Then I won't have to be banished." Then he glanced at the sheet on the clothesline, and paused. "Oh…I gave my oath to the shadowy figure…the Solemn Oath of the Gorgs. I can't go against my oath, can I?"

After a long, thoughtful pause, he went back inside.

Red said to Cantus, "I still don't see why we should care about the Gorgs."

"We are coming to the time of answers. The moon is almost full."

Junior burst out of the doors, followed by his parents. The Fraggles ducked down behind the wall.

They watched as Junior confessed to his parents that he had tried to play the Royal Kazoo and failed. Ma asked Pa to show him how to play it, and Pa admitted that he had never tried to play it himself, and neither had the previous three generations of Gorg kings. None had taken the risk. Thinking the instrument might be broken, Ma attached it to a set of bellows.

It played. It was not broken.

*

The Fraggles waited, eager to see what happened next. The Gorgs went inside, then came back out again. Pa said, "Heh heh, go ahead, Junior, try it."

Junior was carrying something behind an arm, but in the twilight they could not see what it was. He said, "Are you sure this is gonna work?"

"Oh, trust me," Pa said.

Junior shrugged and raised the Kazoo to his lips. It sounded a single note. Gobo, Red, Mokey, Boober, and Wembley were impressed, but Cantus was not. Boober murmured, "Just when I thought I was gonna get rid of him."

Pa laughed. "It works! I'm a genius."

Junior looked unhappy. "Well, I don't-" he began, taking the bellows out from beneath his arm.

Pa shouted, "What are you doing? Don't—put that away! Somebody might see!"

Appalled, Red exclaimed, "That's cheating!" The others nodded indignantly.

Junior said, "Pa, that's cheating."

The Fraggles watched as the Gorgs argued over the playing of the horn. Junior ended the argument by saying in a surprisingly firm voice, "Please, Ma, Pa, I have decided to decide this myself."

Amazed, Red said, "I'm starting to like this guy!"

Junior told his parents to wait inside, and, amazingly, they did. Alone outside, Junior mused, "To kazoo or not to kazoo. What is the answer? Should I follow my parents? Or should I follow my conscience? Maybe I should just run away."

Behind the wall, the Fraggles were watching and rooting for Junior to face the music, to keep his oath.

Junior sat on a box. "What was it the shadowy figure said? I could be a cweep, or I could be all the good things that I dweam of in my sleep. Oh, me, a walkin', talkin', bweathin' ball of fire." He stood again. "Well, it's time to face the music. Or the lack thereof." He looked around, then spotted the Fraggles behind the low wall. He went over and crouched down. "Well, I'm here. I gave my solemn oath as a Gorg that I would appear, and here I am. You must be the five Fwaggle witnesses."

They answered, "That's us."

Cantus, unnoticed, crept away. He hurried over to the back of the garden where the other Minstrels were waiting for him. Enthusiastically Murray whispered, "The net's full of fish. Pull 'em in!"

Junior asked, "Where's the shadow? The shadowy figure's supposed to be here."

Murray opened the lantern shutter. The sheet lit up, and Cantus's shadow said, "I am here."

The Fraggle Five stared. Mokey murmured, "Does that shadowy figure remind you of someone?"

"Yeah," Gobo said softly.

The shadow pointed up. "The blue moon is full. Junior Gorg, do you have your Royal Kazoo?"

He held it up, still concealing the bellows behind one arm. "Yes, your shadowyship."

"Then it is time to hear you play."

"But I can't," Junior said, his eyes downcast.

"Why do you hesitate? The moon is full! It's time to play."

"I can't play it! He pulled the Kazoo off the bellows. "But I gave my oath, so I'll still try!" He dropped the bellows on the ground, raised the Kazoo, and blew.

A single note sounded in the night air.

Junior looked at the instrument in amazement. "I—I played it!" he exclaimed, astonished. "But how come I can play it now?"

The shadow answered, "Junior Gorg, you are the first Gorg in memory to take the chance to play the Royal Kazoo, and you succeeded because you honored your oath. That is the way of greatness."

"Yippee!" Junior cried. He raised the Kazoo and played a simple tune.

The Fraggles watched, amazed, as Cantus joined with his Magic Pipe. Cantus sang,

"You could be a walkin', talkin', breathin' ball of fire!"

Junior sang,

"I could be a walkin', talkin', breathin' ball of fire!"

The Fraggles joined the song, and Ma and Pa even came out and danced. In his enthusiasm Junior swung the Kazoo and knocked the sheet off the line. The Minstrels hurried away before they could be seen. When Cantus returned to the witnesses, they were cheering for Junior.

*

After the party quieted down and the Fraggles and Gorgs were back in their homes, the Minstrels returned to the Trash Heap. She said, "Oh, that was wonderful! I knew that you could show him the right path."

He raised his left hand. "I gave my oath," he told her.

"And you even brought the Fraggles and the Gorgs together for a little while. I've been trying to do that for years!"

"Thank you for the challenge," Cantus replied, grinning. He was pleased with himself.

Murray patted his back and said, "You're gonna be smug about this for days. Well, go ahead, you earned it. I never guessed I'd see it."

"What kind of king will he be?" Brio asked.

The Trash Heap said, "Who can say? But by taking the chance to prove himself, and talking to Fraggles, he's already done more than four generations of Gorgs have. Who knows what he will do when he has the crown? He might surprise us all."

*****

Fraggle Rock, the song Ball of Fire, Junior Faces the Music (heavily excerpted here), and all characters are copyright © The Jim Henson Company and are used without permission but with much respect and affection. The overall story is copyright © Kim McFarland (negaduck9@aol.com). Permission is given by the author to copy it for personal use only.