A FEW DAYS LATER:
Gobo was in his room packing his bag. Since Jessa had mentioned not wanting to go to the Shazzle Realm to retrieve her late mother's journal, he decided to make the trip in her place. How hard could it be anyway? Boober walked by, and Gobo asked him for a few leftover meals he could take with him.
"Why in the world would you want leftovers?" Boober asked him in bafflement.
"I'm going to the Shazzle Realm to see if I can find aunt Morrigan's diary. Uncle Matt's visiting any day now, so that will be useful when he asks Jessa about her."
"Gobo, those other shazzles will kill you. And what does this have to do with leftover food?"
"It's a long trip from here, Boober. Why do you think I'm asking."
"What will Jessa say if she finds out you went there?!"
"The shazzles can't be any more dangerous than Poison Cacklers and Bloodwraithes."
"That's where you're wrong!"
The boys turned to see Jessa standing in the archway, glaring at Gobo.
"If you go there, boy, you won't be coming back."
"You think I can't make it to the Shazzle Realm by myself?" Gobo asked her.
"That's not what I'm saying, Gobo."
Boober watched his girlfriend walk in as she continued.
"Going to the Shazzle Realm as a fraggle is a serious death wish. And those Poison Cacklers and Bloodwraithes you mentioned? They're only a scratch on the surface compared to what I grew up with."
Boober held Jessa's hand out of sympathy, to which she melted.
"Is it so important for you to know more about my mom?"
"Can you blame me for being curious?"
"After what happened to my parents, I can't allow you to go."
What was Gobo going to do now? It's not like he could ask Jessa to go get it for him. While he was pondering on this, Boober hugged Jessa from behind.
"I never thought he would be this insane," she admitted to him.
"Gobo, why don't you think about this before you go, in which case you'll get too scared and decide to stay home."
"Gee, thanks."
"Will you not do this if I just go and get that dang journal?" Jessa asked her cousin.
Boober and Gobo looked at Jessa in surprise before either of them said anything.
"Jessa, no," Boober began while squeezing her.
"Hey, if it keeps anyone else from going to the Shazzle Realm, I might as well."
Boober knew without a doubt that she was dreading it, and he dreaded the idea of her venturing into the place that gave her nightmares to this day.
"Jessa, I wouldn't ask such a thing from you," Gobo said to her. "Why do you think I'm the one going?"
"It still doesn't change anything. Those other shazzles will find you and find every facet of torture in the book. That's how mean they are."
Boober shuddered in response, to which Jessa squeezed his hand in comfort.
"And I don't want any of you getting involved in this."
"You're doing what?!" Red asked.
"Since Gobo wants to know more about my side of the family, I'll be taking a quick trip to the Shazzle Realm and getting mom's diary."
"I didn't know you're mother owned a diary," Mokey replied to her.
Everyone had agreed that Jessa would be the one to retrieve it. Gobo was a bit stubborn, but he relented. Boober remained by her side since the decision was made, which Jessa didn't mind. He didn't want to let go of her. Not for one second.
"I hate that you have to do this," he admitted to her.
"I won't be long babe," Jessa replied while rubbing his shoulder. "I can just teleport there, turn invisible, grab the journal, and come back."
"Now I can see why you didn't want me going there," Gobo said to her.
"Please be careful, Jessa," Mokey said.
"I will."
Boober kissed Jessa's cheek before letting her get up from where they were both sitting.
"But before I go there, I need to take this off."
Jessa began removing her sword and holster.
"Why are you removing your sword?" Wembley asked.
"The sword contains magic that all shazzles can sense, even when its owner isn't easily seen or heard. So I can't risk taking it with me."
After putting it under her hole, Jessa mentally prepared herself for teleporting, the memory of Boober kissing her giving her enough courage to do so. Once she was gone, Boober hung his head down, his lips quivering.
"She'll be back, Boober," Mokey tried to reassure him.
But this did nothing to stop what came out of his mouth next.
"Why did you make her do this?!" He shouted at Gobo.
"I didn't make her, Boober, she volunteered."
"She wouldn't have had to go to the Shazzle Realm if you had left it alone!"
Before anyone could say anything else, Boober stormed out to go do some laundry to calm himself. What if Jessa died before she got back? What if the other shazzles caught her and were holding her hostage? These thoughts wouldn't leave his head, and Boober felt tears running down his cheeks on his way to his hole.