starlightcafe | D-D-D-Danger, watch behind you...

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D-D-D-Danger, watch behind you...

It was a nice night for flying. After spending most of her life told that being a Demon was something she should be ashamed of, Rapunzel still felt insecure about taking any form other than her human one - but with help from all the friends she'd been making, she was getting steadily more comfortable with who she was.

And flight was amazing, especially out here. Birchpointe was a little too smoggy and bright, especially for nighttime flying, but now? The air was clear and crisp, and the forested outskirts of Duckburg were quiet below Rapunzel. She weaved through the trees, feeling free as a- Well.

And then an odd sound, accompanied by a flash of light, caught her attention. It came from beyond the forest's edge, and Rapunzel - no longer the frightened young woman she'd once been - hurried over to check it out. It was a good thing she did, though what she saw left her feeling sickened. Unconscious bodies of unfamiliar creatures littered the ground, as men scooped them up, laughing cruelly all the while.

She managed to go unnoticed by those men as she landed by one of the creatures. A deep breath, and she focused her energy on shifting to a different form so she could make a stand - and start healing the little guys. The only problem? She didn't change. It wasn't the first time Rapunzel had been stuck, but it was certainly the worst moment for it. The next things she knew, she'd been picked up along with the creature she stood beside, apparently unnoticed in her very small current state.

And then she was thrown in a cage.

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"Like Fraggles? What does that mean?" Rapunzel asked, looking confused. Sadie sat up from where she had been lying on the cage floor with a smile.

"Oh, we'll show you," she said, nudging Flop with her elbow. "Isn't that right?"

Flop positively grinned. "It's about time we did something fun tonight."

Gobo instructed the others to find something "to work with", and so they did. Sadie grabbed a broken but still sizable - and thick - piece of a wooden plank up and pulled it in between the bars. Flop pulled off his knit cap, reached inside it, and produced a pair of finger cymbals.

Gobo watched them with an approving nod, and then turned. "Rapunzel, Juju, keep an eye out for the guards." He walked closer to the middle of the cage, bringing a guitar around from behind him and sliding the strap over his shoulders. "The rest of you, follow my lead, and give those bars some great hits."

He looked back one way, listening carefully just to make sure the initial coast was clear, and then he started to play.

♪ Well they threw us in a cage and there's
No key
We gotta find a way that we can
Get free
There's just one thing that
Might be found
Gotta rock this joint 'til the bars fall down
'Cause everybody here's gotta shout 'til we all break out
We gotta rock our way to freedom
We gotta roll right back and seat 'em
We gotta flip flop skipity hop
Back to Fraggle Rock ♫

As Gobo led the song, even as the others played their instruments they kept the beat on the bars of the cage, adding further percussion.

♪ Sadie took a stick and she
Banged bars
Flop started rockin' 'til he
Seen stars
Douglas blew a harp like a wild thing
Got myself a guitar and began to sing
'Cause everybody here's gotta shout 'til we all break out
We gonna rock our way to freedom
We gonna roll right back and seat 'em
Gonna flip flop skipity hop
Back to Fraggle Rock ♫

As their music and banging increased, something changed in the cage. Wherever a bar was hit, sparks flew out and left a glowing light, as if fire had been applied to the metal. Seeing this, Gobo grinned and glanced back to catch Rapunzel's eye, winking.

♪ Pack our backpacks back to Fraggle Rock
Pack our backpacks back to Fraggle Rock
Pack our backpacks back to Fraggle Rock

Don't need no key, don't
Need bail
Gonna bust right outta this
Old jail
Gonna beat those bars 'til they
Drop their locks
Gonna spring ourselves loose with a Fraggle Rock Rock

'Cause everybody here's gotta shout 'til we all break out
We gonna rock our way to freedom
We gonna roll right back and seat 'em
Gonna flip flop skipity hop
Back to Fraggle Rock ♫

The light increased, and cracks started appearing deep within. Gobo made a gesture, and hands reared back for final strikes.

♪ Gonna flip flop skipity hop
Back to Fraggle Rock ♫

He played a final bit on the guitar, leaning back before jumping down on the final note, timed with the rest of the group giving final bashes to the bars. They gave way like superheated metal, and the top of the cage suddenly jerked down as three of the four walls shattered. Gobo was quick, grabbing it and supporting it up, and using his tail to wave.

"C'mon guys, let's move it! I know they heard that, we gotta ge outta here!"

As Rapunzel caught on to the plan, a smile formed on her beak, and even as she kept watch, she whistled along to the tune Gobo was playing.

As soon as they were free, she flew into the air with a triumphant laugh, then started moving through the warehouse along with the others.

"That was fantastic! Gobo, what a great idea!"

"Just Fraggles doing what they do best!" Gobo flashed her a thumbs up, before putting on the speed to get to the front of the group. Already he could hear voices shouting outside.

"Don't go for the front, they'll spot us! Find some kinda back entrance!"

Rapunzel - having a literal bird's eye view - looked around for a better exit path. "That way!" she called upon spotting something, flying off just as gunshots could be heard through ringing through the air.

The sound caused a couple of them to shriek, but Gobo just charged on ahead, following Rapunzel. The exit door was locked at first, but a five-Fraggle battering ram took care of that, and they spilled out into the pre-dawn. Once they were in cover under one of the parked work vehicles, Gobo edged out to where he could see, breathing deeply.

There was a lot of noise outside, but none of it seemed nearby. It all seemed to be coming from around the other side of the warehouse, near the front. Juju edged up on hands and knees, looking up nervously.

"Think it's our rescue?"

"It could be, but..." Rapunzel trailed off, nervously fidgeting. If it was Uncle Scrooge, he could be in serious trouble. Sure, he could handle himself - logically she knew that - but that didn't stop the fear. What if he'd brought some of the others with him? Daniel, or Bridge, or anyone could also be in horrible danger right now. She felt the fear starting to take hold of her once more, but this time, she fought it.

She flew out from beneath the vehicle, and over the top of the building to get a view of what was going on out front.

What she's going to see up there is plenty of trouble. A few bodies are scattered- unconscious, not dead -and there's currently one other fight going on, though it seems very one-sided.

On Scrooge's side.

The poacher took a swing and then aimed a kick, but they both went over the old duck's head as he dodged them easily enough. Grabbing the man's ankle, he pivoted his body around and, with a sharp cry, flipped the poacher up over his head and CRACK down onto the sidewalk. He released him quickly and waited to see if he'd get back up, but when he didn't Scrooge breathed a sigh of relief.

At the same time were some other muted thumps and sounds of fighting from inside, then a bit of relative silence before Daniel came running out to meet Scrooge as he finished off the last poacher.

"Uncle Scrooge!" He stopped and raised his mask onto the back of his head, waving behind him.

"I found the cage, but it's busted all to hell. Wherever the Fraggles are, they aren't in the warehouse anymore."

"Bless all the heather in Scotland!" He nodded, then directed a hand. "Then you check o'er there, and I'll check over this way! Look for Rapunzel or Gobo, they're bound to be together with the rest!"

Rapunzel breathed a sigh of relief, and while her first instinct was to go let the others know she was okay, she knew she couldn't leave the Fraggles scared and confused - they might even run further off.

So she turned around and swooped back down with the others, only to immediately be greeted with a shout from Sadie.

"Where did you go?!"

Rapunzel smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry. But it is them. We're safe!" She laughed, disbelieving and breathless, as she flopped down in the dirt. "Everyone's safe."

Gobo scooped her up as she landed, looking at the others. "You hear that? C'mon, let's go!"

The others rushed out ahead of him, but he stuck back a moment to look down at Rapunzel, smiling gently.

"Hey. Thank you. You were a big help tonight, and I couldn't have done it without you."

She smiled, with another sigh of relief, and nodded. "Thanks, Gobo," she murmured, resting her head against his arm. "That means a lot."

His smile sweetened, and he held her close and carefully as he worked his way out from under the car and jogged off to meet the rest.

Already surrounded by the small group of Fraggles, both Scrooge and Daniel looked up as the stragglers appeared, and Scrooge broke away first.

"Gobo! Rapunzel! Oh I'm glad to see you both safe!"

"Likewise," Rapunzel breathed, hopping out of Gobo's arms and onto her feet. She smiled over at Gobo, then looked up at Scrooge. "I think you should give him a two-crop raise," she giggled. With the fear behind her, she was starting to feel light. Happy. So grateful to have met the amazing Fraggles, and so lucky to have friends - a family - who cared about her so much.

Scrooge laughed softly, giving Gobo a bit of a scruffle, then bending down for Rapunzel to hop into his palm, where he transferred her over to Daniel.

"Daniel, anyone else around?"

He took Rapunzel gratefully, giving her a little kiss on the top of her head. At Scrooge's question he lifted his head and turned some, stepping a bit away while he sniffed the air long and hard. A bit of a flinch and a head shake, and he brushed his nose with his free hand.

"No, just these guys. Let's clean these up, turn everyone in, and go home."

Rapunzel smiled brightly at the kiss, and glanced up at Daniel. "Thank you for coming," she whispered, before giving a decisive nod- and then glancing curiously down at the Fraggles.

"Where is home for all of you?"

"Some of the further outer reaches of Fraggle Rock," Douglas answered. "Nowhere near where Gobo's from, but we can manage alright."

Gobo glanced at him and smiled and nodded, then looked up when he noticed Scrooge giving him an odd look. "What is it?"

On the Fraggle's last movement he'd noticed something flash, peeking out from his tucked up shirt collar. When Gobo acknowledged him he reached out, pulling out a small tag attached to what he now saw was a collar.

"This is certainly new." He quirked an eyebrow, and flipped the music note-emblazened tag over to read the back. "'Perdita.' Well, I suppose I'd better give her a call. I don't know if she knows you're missing, but she'll want tae know you're safe."

Rapunzel blinked curiously at the mention of a "Fraggle Rock", but getting in touch with Gobo's... Friend? It didn't seem like Gobo would have an owner, though that was very much a collar... Anyway, that was definitely a bigger priority. She nodded her agreement.

With that decision made, Scrooge bundled Rapunzel and the Fraggles into his waiting car. Daniel stayed behind to meet the authorities and get everything cleaned up, a Sentinel a better candidate for that than Scrooge would be, though he promised Rapunzel he'd be back at the Manor as soon as he could manage.

Once at the Manor, the other Fraggles departed down a garden hole with smiles and waves and a promise to visit the Great Hall sometime (and vice versa on Gobo's part). Rapunzel, once her magic relaxed and let her transform back, was tasked with current company over Gobo, and then Scrooge went on to make the phonecall.

Why was the phone ringing? It was Perdita's first thought when she stirred at the sound. Grumbling to herself, she stumbled out of bed and into the kitchen, and yanked the phone out of its cradle.

"Who is this, and do you own a clock?"

The first thing she's going to hear is a snort, though it's hard to tell if it's offense or amusement, and then a very Scottish voice.

"I'm goin' to assume this is in fact Perdita. Gobo's owner?"

There's an indistinct, but sharp noise of some kind in the background, then the Scottish leaned away a moment. "Well you can enlighten me on the details later, but it'll do for now." He cleared his throat, then turned back to the phone. "I'm Scrooge McDuck. He's fine now, but Gobo was involved in a little trouble earlier, and I thought it best to alert you."

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