Chapter 6 'The chase is on':
He started sobbing slightly; this was a nightmare become reality. He was a prisoner in this labyrinth, no way of escaping and no chance of contacting the outside world. He tried his mobile phone; thankfully it was waterproof so it survived his swimming escapade. But as he expected there was no signal underneath all these caves there was no chance of getting a signal.
Then he heard footsteps, coming his way. Nick's heart missed a beat. He said towards the direction of the noise.
"Who's there?" no answer, Nick listened again, they were getting louder.
"I demand you show yourself coward!" Nick shouted getting angry there was no escape so he had to fight whoever intended on catching him. Getting ready the figure finally came into view.
Unfortunately to Nick's horror it was Sethra, she had found him first using her magical powers to help her locate the Human. Nick froze again, this Fraggle was not like the other ones he encountered first, and he could almost feel the Evil aura around her. She looked at Nick coldly through her wicked cross eyes and walked to him slowly. Nick's senses were screaming danger but there was no escape, he couldn't go back that's where the Gorgs are.
Sethra finally spoke out;
"Finally I have you, my key to ultimate power, the holder of my destiny, the power which will finally let me rule the Fraggle and Gorg lands!" she said in a wicked excited tone. Nick didn't have a clue what she meant. Sethra let down her hood to reveal her face and long black shiny hair. She was attempting to use her woman charms to almost hypnotize Nick. She lifted her hands and started slowly waving them towards her, gesturing to Nick to come to her.
It worked; Nick was under her spell he suddenly found himself walking towards her slowly.
"Yes come to me my darling you belong to me now" cackled Sethra, as for Nick he unfortunately had no choice in the matter but to accept. As it would appear lady luck was on Nick's side for the first time this nightmare started. The floor cracked beneath him, it cracked more and more until it finally concaved in taking Nick with it. Sethra was as surprised as Nick, she had got him where she wanted him but now he was gone again, if the other Fraggles found him her plans would be in serious jeopardy. She tried to follow Nick in but suddenly the hole magically covered back up and the hole was completely gone, the cave was the same way it was before. Sethra finally realized what was going on and muttered to herself;
"Curse you Oracle this is your doing!" for you see the 'lady luck' that just saved Nick was the Oracle of Fraggle Rock, Sethra's arch-nemesis who you will meet later on in the story.
Nick found himself falling and falling, it was like a flashback of his nightmare, falling into eternal blackness. Except this wasn't his dream this was reality and he expected what would be certain death at the bottom. Not so, for he again landed with a 'flump' instead of a thump. He landed on top of huge mushrooms, the same ones he landed on when he slipped off the wall and fell just before he discovered Fraggle Rock.
He was relieved these mushrooms have saved his life twice today. He quickly got up and jogged away in case that witch he encountered above was coming down after him. He doesn't know how the floor suddenly collapsed under him, but he was grateful. With a sigh of relief he went on his way through the cave. It seemed to him maybe someone was looking out for him in all this madness. And he said a silent 'thanks' to whoever it was that helped him, he thought it was just by accident the cave concave in but he thanked the word 'accident' anyway.
Nick was so caught up thinking about what just happened he bumped into Gobo who heard the concaving rocks from above and came to investigate the noise.
"Hey guys I've found him" shouted Gobo. Nick turned in shock, he recognized this Fraggle, it was the one who he saw in the reflection of his cupboard door the reason why all his nightmares started.
Mokey, Red, Boober and Wembley then came into view; they weren't far away from Gobo. Boober looked at Nick in an almost disappointing way.
"That's him? That's the silly creature?" he said to Red who had seen Nick before Boober did.
"Yeah that's him" she replied whispering in a silly attempt to not startle Nick.
Boober felt silly, this Silly Creature who he had feared so much? Ever since Traveling Matt first wrote about the humans in his postcards, Boober thought the Silly Creatures would be hideous in appearance. This one didn't seem so scary. Gobo tried talking to Nick.
"Hi my name is Go…" before he could finish Nick was off again running in the opposite direction. However Gobo was (like his uncle) an explorer at heart and he had spent his whole life exploring Fraggle Rock and he knew the cave system well. He barked out orders to his friends, they were going to trap him.
"Red, Mokey you go left then turn right and cut him off from the cave entrance there, Boober & Wembley you go right and cut off the entrance there I'll follow him." The Fraggles did as they were told and headed to block the two exits to the cave Nick entered; they were going to trap him. Gobo ran after Nick. Nick had grown tired and was much slower than before, Gobo got him within sight soon enough.
"Wait I just want to talk!" Gobo shouted;
"Leave me alone you monster!" Nick replied he eventually came to a halt, Boober and Wembley were blocking his exit Nick tried to run back but Gobo had now got him trapped, Mokey and Red soon ran up from behind Gobo, the five Fraggles now had Nick trapped. Gobo again tried reasoning.
"Ok Silly Creature we're not here to hurt you" Mokey followed up;
"Please we are peaceful beings we just want you to come with us and tell us why you're here"
But it seemed the more questions the Fraggles threw at Nick the more confused he came, and the more confused he came the more scared he came. Looking for escape he looked above and again luck would have it there was a hole above him. He jumped for just grabbing the ledge he tried to pull himself up.
"C'mon arms don't fail me now!" Nick grunted as he struggled to lift himself up by the arms. He was slowly succeeding but not before Red grabbed his leg. She was hanging onto Nick as her legs were dangling above the floor as Nick continued to pull himself up. Red shouted.
"C'mon guys help me!" her friends then joined in by grabbing Red's legs then pulling. Nick couldn't take the weight of all five Fraggles he was beginning to loose his grip. Fortunately his left shoe to which Red was holding onto came off, Red fell on top of her friends sending them falling to the floor, this gave Nick the chance he needed. He finally got his legs into the hole which went upward he could now let his legs do the climbing.
Red got up helping her friends up as well.
"Sorry guys he got away, his shoe came off" Red moaned. But Gobo smiled.
"No he hasn't got away Red. He's playing right into our hands!" said Gobo as his friends looked at him with puzzled looks. Gobo finally decided to break the silence.
"That hole right there leads up to the great hall, everyone is up there come on we can get there before him if we're quick" and with that said the famous five ran for the great hall. Nick continued climbing up the vertical hole, puffing and panting and sweating. He was almost out of energy but he was almost at the top, the climb had worn him out completely. He finally reached the top and tried to lift himself out of the hole. But he suddenly felt a hand grab his and lift him out of the hole. It was Gobo who lifted him out, he and his friends got to the hall before Nick and alerted everyone in the hall. They were all waiting for Nick to come out of the hole.
Nick pulled his arm away from Gobo's hand and stepped back. He tried to go back for the hole he came out of, but no good, it was now covered with a rock they had set a trap for him by having two Fraggles waiting behind a rock next to the hole, and once Nick emerged out they blocked the hole with the rock. Now realizing he was trapped he backed up against a rock, he picked up a piece of that white construction that he had seen earlier to use as a weapon. He swung it around him violently to keep himself between the weapon and the Fraggles.
"Stay back vermin, you won't get me!" Nick started swinging the stick more violently, as they say a cornered animal fight more viciously. Wembley came forward towards Nick.
"Ha you think you're going to hold us back with that?" said Wembley.
"Why don't you come closer and find out freak?" replied Nick who thought Wembley was issuing a challenge. Wembley did come closer, close enough in range for Nick to hit Wembley. Nick raised the white construction stick and swung to the right aiming for Wembley's face. But Wembley just caught it in his mouth and ripped it from Nick's hands, he ate Nick's weapon! Nick was completely dumbfounded. Now realizing he had no way of defending himself he just simply broke down and cringed and pleaded.
"Oh please, please I didn't mean to come here and scare you all. I come in peace I swear!" he started to cry loudly now. "This is all just a nightmare, I somehow shrunk and now I'm lost here away from home, I've been chased by giants and witches" Nick kept rambling on and sobbing. Gobo was consulting with Mokey.
"Jeez Mokey the poor thing is a nervous wreck!" said Gobo.
"I know Gobo I was right he is scared, look at him he seems really upset about us chasing him" Mokey replied. Gobo then had an idea.
"Hey Mokey I have an idea" and he whispered in her ear. Mokey seemed delighted by it.
"Good idea that will calm him down" she said as she whispered it to Red, then Red whispered to Boober who whispered to Wembley and eventually Gobo's plan was been whispered to each Fraggle in the great hall.
Nick still holding his face in his hands crying didn't notice all the whispering going on, then he heard someone coughing, he looked up his eyes still full of water. He saw Mokey looking at him, the first Fraggle he had ever met except this time he didn't see the same scary beast as he did when he first came here, he finally saw the innocence on the face of Mokey, and the sheer feeling of no threat coming from her seemed to calm Nick a bit. Mokey cleared her throat again and broke into singing. You see the greatest hobby of all Fraggle is music and singing.
The voice was soothing and pleasant. She started to sing the first verse. In the background a musician band also started playing quietly with acoustic guitars and saxophones.
"You feel scared and you feel terrified,
But you should look deep down inside,
You know that we are not your foes,
We are not monsters, who want to break your toes,
We are Fraggles we love and we care,
Your friendship we hope with us you will share….."
Then Boober, Red, Wembley and Gobo Joined in;
"So come along and take our hands,
We want you to play and sing with our bands,
You feel like we are your enemy,
But in Fraggle Rock we show only love and sympathy….."
Nick suddenly felt himself much calmer than before but still confused. Mokey and Gobo extended their hands towards Nick. Nick felt as if magic just came over him and completely threw his fears away he once had. He raised both his hands into Gobo and Mokey's who lifted him up as all the Fraggles erupted into chorus and the musicians played their instruments faster and louder.
"Sooooooo be our friend, be our friend,
We don't want to drive you round the bend,
We love to sing and dance and play,
We'd really love it if you would stay,
And when you believe in the magic that is Fraggle Rock,
You'll have such fun and laughter,
That you'll want to be our friend forever"
During the chorus Mokey and Red were dancing with Nick shaking his arms about but he still stood still confused. But then he managed to crack a smile and started moving his legs, the Fraggles had got him to believe in the magic. They sang the chorus again but louder. Then came the final verse;
"You'll love it down here you'll never want to leave,
We'll show you more fun than skating on a greasy leaf,
You'll have such a crazy time,
You'll really start to enjoy life,"
Then a pause, all the Fraggles stopped singing and the band stopped playing, they were all looking at Nick. Nick looked around then looked at the famous five in confusion and raised his shoulders.
"Finish the song" said Gobo. Nick looked at Gobo in a "Are you crazy?" face, but everyone was looking at him, they really wanted it. Nick stuttered.
"Err. And you too will discover the magic that is Fraggle Rock?" he said hoping he got it right. Almost immediately after he said his line the cheers erupted and the band started playing again. Fraggles were leaping with joy and cheering, the Band then finally finished off the song with their ending music. That didn't stop the cheering though; they seemed thrilled by Nick's ending line.
Nick finally spoke out;
"Wow. That was utterly amazing music! Did you all make up that song as you went along?" he asked the five Fraggle friends.
"Yeah we Fraggles have an amazing ability to make songs as we go, it's our favorite hobby" replied Gobo. Nick could finally see that these creatures were nice ones and meant him no harm, he felt really guilty about the trouble he has put them through and he felt silly even more so, he spent hours running, risking his neck from a race of people that were actually a peaceful race.
"Jeez I am so sorry about the things I've called you all, you seem like a swell bunch and I'm also sorry for the trouble I have put you through…." Before Nick could continue Sethra came charging out of a nearby tunnel into the hall. She was shouting.
"Eeugh do I hear singing and Music? I hate singing and Music!" (Like I've said Sethra's traits are completely opposite to that of normal Fraggles) she saw Nick.
"Gasp! There you are!" Nick remembered the voice and turned to face her direction. He gasped in horror. He ran behind Gobo in terror.
"It's her! The witch! She, er she….she…she…" unfortunately for Nick the fear that overcame him on seeing Sethra was more than his already tired body and low spirit could handle and he fainted with exhaustion. The five Fraggle friends rushed to Nick (they knew his name because Mokey and Red knew that when they were talking to him earlier on in the story) Gobo tried shaking Nick's head.
"Nick, Nick wake up!" no use Nick was out like a light. Gobo turned to Sethra.
"What did you do to him Sethra" he shouted over in her direction.
"Foolish little Fraggle I did nothing to him, I followed the old man's rules no harm was to come to the Silly Creature, like he said!" she replied in arrogance.
"Well then why did you come barging in here looking for him? And when he saw you he was so terrified of you and collapsed with fear!" Gobo shouted back. At this point the Fraggles were turning their heads to Gobo then Sethra and back again like a crowd at a tennis match.
"No more scared of me as was of you and your little friends Gobo Fraggle!" replied Sethra, Gobo's response was quick.
"Well you're wrong he's our friend now, we sang a song to him to show we were his friends and he saw the truth. And how did you know he was running from us in the first place?" Sethra too was quick to respond.
"Do you forget that I am the sorceress, fortune teller and glorious mage of all Fraggle Rock? I know all and see all foolish Fraggle! And I also know that Silly Creature your calling 'friend' is an accident waiting to happen!" all the other Fraggles were saying 'what?' and other questions when Sethra continued.
"Are you all forgetting the magical essence of that creature? Deep down he has magical powers that none of you can comprehend, and this uncontrollable power could spell doom for all of Fraggle Rock!" The other Fraggles then started worrying and starting to believe in Sethra. Gobo had to get the crowd back on his side.
"Don't listen to her!" he shouted "She's a liar and she's trying to manipulate you all to believe that this innocent silly Creature is dangerous" Sethra chuckled at Gobo;
"Me, a liar Gobo?" she said coldly "The same way I lied about my Magic being genuine? The same magic that you fools come to me for to help you out of your little messes and problems in life? I the person that generously gives my magic to those of you in need of it when that old fool the Oracle refuses to?" The other Fraggles then started muttering to each other.
"She's right, she may not be nice but her magic has helped me out of some tight spots" one said. Another said;
"Yeah the Oracle the Trash Heap never used her magic to help me"
Gobo needed to think fast, he was losing the crowd even faster.
"Yeah the same magic you charge insane amounts for and not forgetting you only accept Gorg treasure and Gorg food so Fraggles have to risk their lives going into the Gorgs garden to get your payment" Sethra grew angry, no-one usually gives her this hard a time in an argument.
"My magic is the best magic. Therefore only the best food and treasure is worthy of being exchanged for its power!" Gobo was quick again to respond.
"Your greedy Sethra, and because of your magic all my fellow Fraggles are turning greedy. They think they can use quick solve all their problems well that is where the Trash Heap is better than you Sethra, she maybe magic, but she has taught us that there are more ways to solving problems in life than magic, like forgiveness when Fraggles fall out with each other, or teamwork when a Fraggle needs a tough job doing, that is why she rarely uses her magic to help us because she has taught us better ways to deal with life. Because of Fraggles relying on your magic too much they are now growing lazy, they use your magic for their chores or their social and personal problems they also have to steal, STEAL food and treasure to pay you, which is also wrong. Me and my friends know better that you don't need fancy magic to get you through the day and that is what makes us better Fraggles than you Sethra!"
Gobo's friends and other Fraggles applauded that statement, they were glad someone was finally standing up to Sethra and Gobo also had the advantage in this argument, he was revealing to everyone what Sethra really was a selfish, evil, careless witch who relied on Fraggles to bring her food and treasure for her magic. If everyone started to rely on each other instead of Sethra's magic then Sethra's magic shop business would be in trouble. She had one last ace up her sleeve though.
"What are you talking about Gobo Fraggle, you too have had to rely on my magic to help you in Outer Space!" everyone looked at Gobo in shock "is this true Gobo" they all said.
"No she's lying" Gobo shouted "I have never used her magic for anything not even for the dangers of Outer Space!" Sethra sensed something wrong, she felt Gobo wasn't lying (she had powers which could tell if a Fraggle was lying or telling the truth).
"But didn't your friend tell you?" she said. Gobo looked puzzled.
"No my friends didn't tell me anything about your magic" Gobo looked at his friends. "Unless they didn't tell me" to the would be liar among his friends. Mokey, Red and Wembley shook their heads at Gobo in a gesture that it wasn't them.
But Boober came up to Gobo, holding his hat and looking guilty.
"I'm sorry Gobo" he started "Do you know when I said I would make a special soup that would shrink that hairy beast in outer space to our size so we could take him on?" Gobo looked confused.
"Yeah what are you trying to say Boober?"
"Well the problem is the main ingredient which would give the soup its shrinking power; there was only one left of its kind in Fraggle Rock. And only….." before Boober could finish Gobo finished the sentence for him.
"Only Sethra had the last ingredient and you bought it off her?" Boober nodded.
"Boober how could you lie to me, I thought you were my friend?" Gobo frowned.
"I am your friend Gobo, I didn't tell you because you might have refused to use the magic soup on the Hairy Beast if I told you the truth and that would leave you defenseless. What if that Hairy Beast got its teeth on you eh? It would've eaten you alive!" Boober replied pleading for his friend's forgiveness. Gobo was going to argue more when he realized a slight small problem.
"Hey what did I do with that soup?" he thought. "Oh no I remember now! I got my postcard from Outer Space, and then the Hairy Beast chased me and I dropped it!"
Boober then thought.
"Wait Gobo, do you think this silly creature drank the soup?" pointing to Nick. Sethra then finally clicked on and was shocked.
"The silly creature shrank because of the soup?" she blurted out in disbelief. Gobo then clicked on as well.
"Of course, the silly creature drank the shrinking soup, that's how he shrank and got into Fraggle Rock that MUST be the explanation we've all been looking for" Gobo looked at Sethra, she was for the first speechless. Gobo had seized the initiative. If this was a chess game Gobo would've said 'checkmate'.
"There you go everyone that is inconclusive proof that the Silly Creature is not magic; he shrank because he drank the magic shrinking soup! Therefore he has no magic and he poses no danger to us!" Gobo had won the argument and everyone cheered. The Silly Creature was of no threat to them. Boober then came out with shocking news.
"There's a small problem Gobo" he said. Gobo replied;
"What problem is that Boober?"
"The soup was only meant to have a temporary effect, your only meant to rub it on your fur so it shrinks you then you wash it away so you can return back to normal size." Gobo then realized the horror of it all. He finished off for Boober.
"However if you drink it, then it gets into your bloodstream and the effect is permanent?" Boober nodded. Poor Nick was stuck the size he was and there was no way of changing him back.
"Oh no" Gobo said "He's going to stay this size forever?" Boober again nodded;
"I'm afraid there is no other way he can return back to normal. He's stuck that way for life!"
The Fraggles were puzzled what to do. They couldn't return Nick to normal so he could go back home. He'd have to stay here in Fraggle Rock, he couldn't return to Outer Space the way he was now otherwise people from Outer Space might click on about Fraggle Rock.
Suddenly the WOF came into view from the crowd.
"I know this is terrible news, but Fraggle Rock is a magical place, I am sure there is a way we can help this silly creature return to normal and we will find a way to help him. But right now what this Silly Creature needs is medical treatment." In the argument everyone had forgotten that Nick was unconscious and completely worn out physically and mentally. All the Fraggles helped to carry Nick away to give him assistance, they had to get him conscious again or he might fall into critical health.
Meanwhile Sethra remained behind. Still speechless, was the Silly Creature she went through so much trouble to capture, not magic at all? She then got that thought out of her head.
"No I refuse to believe he shrank through my magic in that Boober's soup. He has to be magic and I will find a way and prove to everyone that he is. And when they believe me that he's magic, they will also believe that he is dangerous, and allow me to him my prisoner!" you see when a Fraggle commits such a heinous crime they are sent to prison chambers in the bowels of Sethra's shop. There they would either spend eternity locked up or magically turned into animals. Nomrmally Once turned into animals; they would spend the rest of their lives as that animal. But it has been rumored Sethra used some Fraggles-turned-animal for her magic, an even more unpleasant rumor is that she eats them or feeds them to her monster pet in a well in Sethra's shop. She was in some ways the warden of Fraggle Rock prison.
Sethra again thought to herself.
"When he becomes my prisoner I will find out that he is magic, and if he is I will use his magic power to help me defeat the Oracle and with her out the way, nothing will stop me taking over Fraggle Rock once and for all!"