So much for my happy ending.

[talkyourwayout]

He'd thought coming here would help. Home sure wasn't doing him any favors, with most people trying to get him and Huey to make up. So he'd come to the Other Duckburg, but he'd been venting to Unca Scrooge and he'd revealed that he'd punched Huey first. He hadn't even known that Unca Scrooge didn't know that... And while he hadn't gone right to the other end of things and sided with Huey, Louie definitely felt like Unca Scrooge wasn't on his side anymore.

He'd excused himself, some excuse about getting some soda or something, he couldn't really remember, and he'd just... Left. He couldn't be with anyone else who didn't understand. It wasn't fair. Nobody ever understood - for a while, he thought... Well. Back home, things had been getting better, but now with the whole Huey blow-up...

He just felt so alone. And Louie was really sick of feeling alone. He wanted someone to be there for him, to hug him, to care and get it... But he could hardly even admit that to himself, much less anyone else. Instead, he'd been thinking about how he just wanted to be somewhere safe where no one who was mad at him - or at least, he thought was mad at him - would find him.

He was in the park when he noticed the large hole in a rock. Sure. It wasn't like anyone would see him in there, he figured, so he crawled in and curled up on himself. After a moment of silence passing, he took in a hitched breath, which lead to a sniffle, and the next thing he knew, he was breaking down, bawling into his arms folded over his knees.

Comments

[talkyourwayout]

Upon being assured that he hadn't cut in on a moment or something, Louie beamed. "Yeah! Yeah, everything's fine. I think I got it, Gobo!" He was so excited - it was nice to get excited. The last time he had let himself get like this had been over money, and that hadn't gone well, of course. Honestly, he was too hyped to even explain himself further.

[gobetween]

"Got it?" He looked at him for a moment in confusion, before it hit him what he must mean. "Oh! You heard it?"

[talkyourwayout]

Louie nodded, managing to calm down a little - but only a little. "I think so. I mean, I must have!"

[gobetween]

Despite his earlier sleepiness, Louie's enthusiasm was contagious, and he found himself bouncing a little.

"Alright, let's hear it!"

[talkyourwayout]

He sang with a soft voice, and not just because of the rest of the Fraggles being asleep. Still, throughout the song, Louie's voice was always certain, even confident.

♪It’s me, here I am
And I’m hoping you can understand
That I don’t know exactly
Who I want to be
But you can figure it out with me

Sometimes, the nights are long
And it’s hard to know where I belong
There’s so much to see
It’s scary to be free
But you can figure it out with me

And I know I’ll find my way
I’m closer every day
To someone I can be
No, it’s not easy
But you can figure it out with me♫

[gobetween]

Gobo positively beamed, lightly bobbing his head as Louie sang. When it was finished, he motioned for another round through it, reaching to pick up his guitar. As Louie sang his song, Gobo danced his fingers over the strings, supporting him but letting his voice ring. When, and only when, the last notes from them both had faded away down the tunnels, he hopped over to him and wrapped him up in a happy hug, laughing lightly, then came to stand beside him, keeping an arm draped over his shoulders. "That's a wonderful song, Louie! See? I knew you'd find one in you."

[talkyourwayout]

Louie chuckled, a bit embarrassed, especially as Mokey applauded the performance - but mostly, he was happy. Finding the song, and then sharing it, had felt really good. Like he was getting in touch with not only himself, but... The world.

"Well, I'm glad one of us was so sure. Thanks, Gobo."

[gobetween]

"Sure thing, Louie," Gobo said with a soft chuckle. "Just stop and listen, and you'd be able to find it."

Still brimming with pride, he looked up at Mokey with a smile. "Aw you shoulda heard him on the way down here, Mokey! We needed to light the tunnel and I knew there'd be some Ditzies about, and and with a bit of my guidance a'course, we had a little duet. I figured something like Muck and Goo would really wake them all up, and it worked!"

1/2

[thewisdomwithin]

"Oh!" Mokey gasped happily. "The song your Uncle Matt would sing to you! You've passed it on," she pointed out with a smile, as she lay a hand on Gobo's arm.

2/2

[talkyourwayout]

Louie's beak colored just a bit at that information. Learning that it was a song from Gobo's childhood made the duet earlier feel very special.

"...Thanks, Gobo."

[gobetween]

Gobo laughed gently, waving a hand. "Aww gee Mokey, it wasn't much. Every little Fraggle learns Muck and Goo."

Still, he smiled pleasantly at the whole thing.

[thewisdomwithin]

Mokey considered that for a moment.

"I think that must make our friend Louie an honorary Fraggle, then. Wouldn't you say?" she asked with a smile.

[gobetween]

He looked up at that, tail waving with a bright smile.

"I think that's an excellent idea! Louie?"

[talkyourwayout]

Louie chuckled. "Sure, why not? I mean, I guess you guys would know what makes somebody Fraggle-like, right?" But then he noticed the excited spark in Mokey's eye as he glanced over to her, and... That was kind of odd. He looked back to Gobo.

"Why is she looking at me like that?"

[gobetween]

Gobo looked at Mokey a moment, then snickered softly.

"I think you're about to find out," he said to Louie, and then to Mokey, "Red's not there, right?"

1/2

[thewisdomwithin]

"She's not," Mokey confirmed.

Louie only had a moment to look concerned before Mokey ran up to him, her energy apparently renewed, and half-pushed, half-carried Louie over and into the Fraggle Pool.

"An Honorary Fraggle!" she giggled.

2/2

[talkyourwayout]

Louie ducked underwater for a second, then popped up by the edge of the pool, right in front of Mokey, splashing her as he laughed, as well.

"Gee, thanks. I feel so honored."

[gobetween]

Gobo laughed hard at this sight, as did some other Fraggles scattered about, and of course this started a rash of cannonballs and bellyflops into the same water. Snickering, Gobo wiped his eyes with his hand and walked over to join them.

"That makes you official! Honorary Fraggle."

[talkyourwayout]

"Well, then..." Louie reached up and grabbed one each of Mokey and Gobo's hands in his own, tugging them in alongside him.

"That seems fair."

[gobetween]

He let out a startled cry when he was yanked into the water, disappearing beneath the surface with a large splash. Surfacing, he spit out a mouthful and looked at them both, then broke out laughing again.

[thewisdomwithin]

Mokey giggled again as she surfaced, sputtering just a little and none too brought down about it. After a quick splash in the boys' direction, she floated on her back.

"You two should get some sleep," she pointed out, if only because being the team mom was a habit that didn't die. She didn't sound like she had a great deal of conviction on the matter.

[gobetween]

"Aww, who could sleep now, Mokey?" He swam over and lightly rested his elbows on her middle, placing his chin in his hands. "Hey, what about a quick trip up to the Gorgs' garden? I bet Junior wouldn't mind a few Fraggles," a smile in Louie's direction, "grabbing a few radishes for breakfast later."

[talkyourwayout]

"Why are we going to eat radishes?" Louie asked hesitantly. "Also," and this was probably the more concerning part, "Gorgs?"

[gobetween]

"Because radishes are a Fraggle's favorite food, that's why! Though I guess there's also plenty of other vegetables up there, if you don't want those."

He dropped back off Mokey and disappeared underneath the water a moment, resurfacing nearer Louie.

"The Gorgs are the rulers of the universe, or they were until heir apparent Junior abolished the monarchy a while back. We used to be enemies, but now we're great friends! He won't care about us dropping through his garden at all, even if it is the middle of the night."

[talkyourwayout]

Louie watched Gobo's tail move above the water, and he snickered.

"Wait... What? The rulers of the universe? That's... What?" Still, it was an amused sort of confusion he was expressing.