Fraggle Rock Short Stories

Mokey's Childhood (Part 1)

It was springtime; the flowers were all in bloom, the grass a vibrant green. It was a beautiful day; a gorgeous morning, just after sunrise. The sky was clear as crystal.
It was pleasantly warm down in Fraggle Rock. Claude Fraggle was painting a rare flower that grew in the Gorg's garden. He'd never seen anything like it before; its bright pink petals shone beautifully in the light of the sun. He couldn't take his eyes off it. He had no idea how to describe it other than 'beautiful'. Even though he'd painted thousands of flowers over the years, he'd never seen one that was so stunning. Suddenly, he heard footsteps coming towards him, drawing his attention away from the flower. He then heard a voice say: "How do I love you? Let me count the ways. Thinking of your fragrance fills my days. I love your redolent charm, wit, and style. My love for you is the winding mile." The voice was melodic yet soft. He turned around to find his mate, Jasmine. He smiled at her, setting aside his brushes and easel. She sat next to him on the stone. His hand rested gently on her shoulder as they both admired the view.
"Claude... what are you thinking about? You've been in a daze all day." Jasmine said.
"I don't know where to begin, Jas." He said. "You should know that there's nothing like that flower in the whole world. And I can't help but think about you and our unborn child. What shall we name it? What gender will it be?" Jasmine giggled softly. "We're almost there, Claude. But we still have a few weeks to think about those things." Jasmine anticipated the birth of her baby as much as Claude did. She knew that their child would be loved by everyone in Fraggle Rock. Her heart swelled with joy every time she thought about the child she would soon deliver. She could tell by Claude's face that he felt the same way. They both looked out across the valley together, watching the golden rays of sunlight shining through the lush greenery surrounding them.
Claude and Jasmine loved to spend time together. They've been together for nearly nine years. They fell in love when they were teenagers, and remained close since. Claude had always been an artist while Jasmine was interested in becoming an astronomer. She was also passionate about art and poetry and would spend most of her free time with Claude, admiring his paintings and reading her poetry to him. They already had a five-year-old daughter named Harmony. Jasmine loved being a mother. It brought back memories from when she was young. Claude often told her stories of his childhood. His parents died when he was a young boy, leaving him with his Aunt Melina. She took care of him until he got old enough to take care of himself.
She passed away when Claude was only thirteen, and her death hurt him more than he let on.  After Melina's death, he began to pursue his dreams of becoming an artist. When he was fourteen, he met Jasmine. They quickly fell in love with each other and became inseparable.  They shared everything and anything they possibly could without restraint. Claude would show Jasmine his paintings, and Jasmine read her poems out loud in return. Their relationship grew strong. They knew they belonged to each other, and they wanted nothing but happiness, even if that meant making sacrifices. They decided to give themselves freely to each other, knowing that the other would not hesitate to do so in return. Claude promised Jasmine that he would stay by her side, no matter what.