RedPiggy's Comeback King Saga (a re-write)

[RedPiggy]

First of all, the interludes sort of throw me for a loop. They are amusing and neat ideas, but they also throw me off as I'm reading. That is, after reading about what has been happening with Mokey, I get this 'program break', which sort of takes the overall mood away and detracts for me what she is going through or experiencing. That scene with Cantus was quite wonderful and I was left to wonder what has been happening to her, and what Cantus sees with her. Very deep and almost spiritual stuff going on here. Good jub. But, going from that to a 'program break' is very strange for me, as my mind is still with Mokey and not the digression.

Well, the Wembley one is admittedly due to writer's block more than anything else ... however, Tushingham's videos are meant to serve as his introduction to the kind of guy he is by Act 3 (the act primarily reserved for Dinosaurs). I do get what you're saying, though. The Cantus thing is mildly shippy, though I see their relationship as more of a mentor/mentee thing, myself.

Make sense?

*shrugs* Not everything works. It was an attempt to keep the whole thing from being somber from beginning to end.

Up to now, I have not seen how the overall picture is supposed to look. I am getting small glimpses, but not a complete image.

I've been told by others on other forums that I take awhile to get to the big picture.

Overall, it's still neat stuff, but at times it can be quite complex as well as hard for me to follow. It is very clear that you are a 'Labyrinth' fan and you have tapped into my becoming fascinated with that story, but I am sort of getting lost in the characters of who is who, and I realize that even a cliff's notes version of the story is not always going to help me.

Understood. Do you have any suggestions on how I could fix that? Though, it's also possible that the sheer volume of characters will make it difficult, nonetheless.

The other confusing bit is how you go from italicized writing at the top of the chapters to regular font in the later chapters.

The italicized portions at the beginning were supposed to be the Legends of Sir Hubris themselves, as they may have been written in Junior's book or Sarah's pitch for her play. Once Sir Hubris is revealed, I still use the Labyrinthine realm, but now it's in the present. Does that help?

 

[RedPiggy]

Chapter 42
(Fall, 2011AD)

Moulin knew something was wrong as she kneeled at the stream’s bank. They kept claiming that the stream was polluted, but she could see no trace of it. She threw pebble after pebble into the stream, watching how the multitude of ripples interacted. As two sets of ripples met, they clashed and canceled themselves out. Just as she was about to throw another pebble into the water, she heard gasps as a firm hand grabbed her by the neck from behind, yanked her to her feet and twirled into the torso of a very strong male, who maintained his grip on her throat. She didn’t need to see him, however. She had ridden in the same cab with him for what seemed like an eternity. She could smell him on all her clothes.

“Jar--.”

“Say one word and it’ll be your last,” Jareth snarled from behind her.

Robin unsheathed his sword, the metal glinting in the sunlight. His pale beige outfit with gold jacket stood out starkly from the rich greens and browns and reds of the forest. He pointed it at Jareth. “Unhand yon fair maiden,” he barked. “I do not suffer women to be harmed by violent brutes.”

“Put that away,” Spike rebuked him as he walked up on the situation, followed closely by Robert, who seemed rather tense. Spike yanked the sword from Robin’s arm. “What is it with you and that thing?”

“There must be some error, King Jareth,” Melora pleaded, her hands clasped together in a submissive gesture, her pale blue gown rippling in a brisk breeze. “Relinquish thy hold on Queen Moulin.”

Jareth ignored them all. He wore black riding pants and boots, a dark maroon long-sleeved shirt, and a sleeveless black leather vest, adorned with a Celtic knots and interlacing, with a high collar, his owl pendant hanging against his chest. It was the uniform he chose in his Escher-esque North Tower, where he simultaneously mocked and pleaded with Sarah as she had attempted to obtain her baby half-brother. It was the uniform he chose when he was in a dark mood. He had “scarier” ones, like the one he used when he first met Sarah … but it was designed only to frighten children. It was this outfit that suggested he was close to revealing just how much power he truly possessed. It was bold, simple, dark … a veritable mirror of his disposition.

He tightened his grip. “You knew,” he growled, mere centimeters from her ear. “There was no way you could not sense it.” He threw her to the ground with a painful thud.

She coughed and rubbed her throat, her face contorted in confusion. “What in the Underground are you talking about, Jareth?”

He smirked. “Esker.” He pointed at her and spoke in a low voice. “You sent him to find me … to distract me.”

Robin and Melora were about to protest when they were hushed by Eshe.

Spike glanced at each participant. Something was up and it was about to get ugly. He had no idea who this ‘Jareth’ guy was, but he had a thought nagging him in a far corner of his mind that it had to do with that seductive little water wench. He still didn’t know which of these new creatures to trust … but he got the gist that this Jareth character might be the one he needed.

Moulin coughed again and stood, straightening out her dress, nodding. “I asked my bodyguard to find you. We could simply have teleported here and I wanted to know where you kept going.” She grimaced. “I imagine, Great Goblin King, that you weren’t just scouting ahead.”

“What I did was none of your concern,” Jareth said finally.

Moulin’s eyes widened briefly with a flash of recognition. She scoffed and turned her back on him. She waved dismissively. “You really are just a raging batch of hormones, Jareth. You summon us for some important meeting and you can’t even stick around.” She turned her face toward him. “Have you enjoyed wasting our time?” She pointed to the two dinosaurs. “If you wanted a diplomatic meet-and-greet, all you had to do was ask.”

“How did you accomplish summoning your mother?” he retorted incredulously.

She whipped around, her face pale. “My mother is dead, Jareth! Your improvised little tour of Fraggle Rock made sure of that!”

“Wait, Mizumi is the threat to the Underground?” Eshe gasped. “Mizumi, one of the most powerful water elementals to ever grace the universe, is the menace you wished us to battle?”

Spike could barely breathe. They knew….

Eshe’s face reddened with fury. “You want us to fight your ex after she’s been dumped by you several times already? Have you lost your mind?”

“You’re a liar!” screeched Moulin, lunging at Jareth, only to be held back by both Robin and Melora, who could barely keep their own feet on the ground, she was pulling so hard. Moulin’s cloud companion darkened and grew as it flew circles high in the air above them.

Jareth smirked again. He tsk-tsked her. “Just ask him --.” He started to point in Robert’s direction.

He wasn’t there.

Spike followed Jareth’s gaze, though he didn’t need to. He already knew that Rob had sold all of New Pangaea down the river. He noticed Rob was gone as well. He glanced around and spotted some out-of-place gravel and some broken branches some yards away toward the mountains where the new Council of Elders met.

<><><><><><>

Robert Mark Sinclair ran as fast as he could, tossing his brown robe to the side as he ran so it wouldn’t slow him down, leaving just short-sleeved black pull-over shirt and his red-and-white sneakers.

He hadn’t felt this depth of fear since Baby’s sixth birthday (his “real” sixth birthday, as opposed to the “seventh” birthday they told him he had). Someone had let slip that he was only six. Soon the whole ugly truth came out: when he had turned two, he had become so terrifying and violent that the only recourse was to trick him into thinking he was three.

“You lied to me!” Baby protested in his high-pitched voice as he stood next to his cake. He wore a dark blue tank top and no longer wore diapers. He had been walking for some time now, so he was also a bit thinner. Losing weight made him look a bit awkward, but it was a relief no one had to carry him anymore.

The next morning he was gone. Mizumi had even offered her assistance, using her powers to find him. She wrapped an arm around Robbie as the Sinclair family (consisting of his sister Charlene and his aunt Pearl) cried over the bloated pink form before them as they stood near the banks of the largest river of New Pangaea. Mizumi wore a long face, her silvery robes not as shimmering as they usually were, her long silver hair tied up loosely in a bun. She wore an amber droplet attached to a small thin silver tiara she made for herself. “Words cannot express my sorrow,” she told him somberly. “Your baby brother will always hold a place in our hearts.” She turned him around to face her, looking up at him with sapphire-blue eyes. Patting him gently on his shoulders, she said, “Take time to heal thy spirit, Robert.” She smiled. “And remember my vow: I will do whatever I can to mold you into the leader you were born to become. Merely say the word, and I will assist you.”

Robbie tore himself away from her. “I want my baby brother back,” he told her, nearly choking in his own tears.

Mizumi let her smile fall into a frown. “Yes, I understand. This loss must be incredibly painful to you.” She pointed to herself. “I lost my daughter, so I understand the ache of losing loved ones. The only thing we can do in this life is learn to accept our destinies. We must let our emotions develop so they do not burn within us. We must grieve. We must strive to get on with our lives. We must always keep our future in mind, for dwelling in the past will only wither our hearts.”

Charlene had decided to learn more about the plants in New Pangaea, while Aunt Pearl stayed around for awhile to comfort Robbie.

Did Robbie really act like his father? He couldn’t believe how the years had turned him into just a skinner version of Earl Sinclair – a dinosaur embittered by loss, willing to go to insane lengths to scavenge any kind of meaning from life, desperate for progress while bemoaning the disappearance of a cherished, emotionally comfortable past.

And now it was all going downhill. Spike already acted like Robert had destroyed Pangaea. That Jareth guy didn’t seem real thrilled to hear Mizumi was alive, either.

He had to find Mizumi.

<><><><><><>

“Where is she?” Jareth asked Spike calmly.

Spike started to come up with smart-aleck response, but thought better of it and shrugged. “I don’t keep up wit’ politics.”

Moulin’s face was streaming with tears. Her cloud companion, now a light gray, tried to soothe her by cooling her cheek with its mist. She fell to her knees, her hands trembling, gritting her teeth.

Eshe bent down beside her with a compassionate look on her face. “It must have been difficult to lose your mother,” she noted quietly.

Moulin started laughing, surprising everyone present. She stood quickly and scoffed, “You think I honestly care about that?”

Jareth frowned. “So, you did know she was alive.”

Moulin shook her head and glared at him. “No. My whole kingdom, myself included, thought my mother dead. I would not have accepted the crown had I known she was alive.” She turned from him. “Idiot,” she hissed.

Eshe picked up on the intentional inflection. She stood up and faced the now laughing queen. “In battle you will be asked to relinquish your crown, then.”

Moulin glanced at her. “Over my dead body,” she replied coldly.

Eshe shrugged. “A warning, young queen … it may yet come to that.”

Melora hurriedly placed a hand on Moulin’s shoulder. Her voice was tense. “Surely, a mother would not strike down her only child! Even beasts and ogres tend to their young!”

Moulin put up a hand to shush Eshe before she could speak and turned to Melora. Her face softened in pity. “Naïve Princess … how you and your prince go about your lives oblivious to the trials of others is truly thought-provoking.”

Robin appeared behind his wife. “We have been fortunate, Milady. However, do not think we know nothing of trials. We had both been under frightening enchantments until love broke the spell.”

Moulin stepped back and glanced away. “How wonderful it must be to suffer only temporary trials.”

Robin and Melora’s lips trembled. They just couldn’t help themselves.

Robin started to sing, For now we’re happy….

Melora added a verse cheerfully, If not overjoyed.

Robin continued, And we'll accept the things we cannot avoid, for now....

They both sang For now three times and paused.

Soon, they continued,

Don't stress,
Relax,
Let life roll off your backs
Except for death and paying taxes,
Everything in life is … only … for … now!

Moulin groaned and rolled her eyes. What was with this group and singing?

<><><><><><>

Robbie had nearly made it to the staircase leading up the mountain to the Council of Elders cave. He heard sobbing and stopped. Following the sound, he soon found two elderly cavemen … though they appeared to wear modern clothing. One was dead, but the other, much older looking, bent over him and sobbed. He wore a white shirt and beige pants. Age had ravaged his face and whitened his thinning hair.

The sobbing one stopped and looked up, pain tearing at his face. “Have you come to finish me off?” he asked with a shaky voice.

Robbie shook his head.

The elderly man gasped. “Y-You … are that Robert from the video.”

Robbie’s eyes grew big as saucers. “What ‘video’? That would have been millions of your years ago.”

The man slumped against a tree resignedly. “You’re the one who made it, right? The one which chronicled your family’s trek to this valley?” He chuckled. “It was cracked, but something tells me the warranty’s past expired.”

Robbie shook his head. “I lost the camera….”

The man pointed at himself. “I found it.” He groaned as he tried to stand. Robert rushed over and helped him up, being careful to avoid stepping on the deceased human. “Thank you,” he said after straightening out. He tried to smile. “Our discovery changed our lives.” He looked down at the body at his feet, shaking his head. “Despite his end, he died knowing that the video really was about dinosaurs, after all.” He sniffled, wiping his nose with his shirt, his hands trembling with either sorrow or age. He looked up at the green iguanodon. “I want to thank you, Robert. You single-handedly gave us old men meaning in our lives again.” He sighed, looking distantly. After several moments, he continued sadly, “I … feel … home.”

 

[RedPiggy]

Chapter 43
(Fall, 2011AD … yes, still)

Sarah sat in the small dining area of her apartment, staring at her cup of tea she had made from a long golden leaf she found in the basement.

“Well,” she said happily, shrugging, “this will either taste really good … or it’ll kill me.” She shook her head as she smiled, turning the teacup in her hands over and over. “I can’t wait to see my brother’s eulogy: ‘My sis was a famous Broadway playwright. She made millions of people happy. My sis lived life like it was one long, torturous Peter Jackson movie. In fact, she even wrote her own ending. She drank tea made from a prop and plopped dead in her own apartment. For, while my sister could write really great stories … she just wasn’t the brightest bulb in the chandelier when it came to real life.’” She took a sip and closed her eyes. Didn’t taste poisonous.

In fact, it really did taste like Ceylon white tea.

After she drank roughly half the cup, the room started to spin and her head felt lighter.

Crap, she thought irritably.

She dropped the teacup, spilling the rest of the golden liquid all over the small oval table, dripping onto the linoleum floor.

The image of her dining area was swept away like blowing on a pile of sugar on the counter. She saw blurry images of a dark forest backlit with the setting sun. Red-orange blurs twirled and jumped around her.

Her heartrate began to quicken. The fierys were fire-elemental imps with detachable body parts, which they used for macabre sports and games. She realized she was viewing scenes from her teenage years, when she had been trapped in the Labyrinth. They sang to her, begging her to join them. When she refused, they jumped all over her, trying to dismember her. She couldn’t fend them off. “Stop it!” she found herself screaming. They wouldn’t. They wanted to “play” and if she didn’t want to go along … they’d make her. She closed her eyes, her skin growing cold, her heart nearly bursting out of her chest.

“HOGGLE!”

<><><><><><>

Hoggle, Prince of the Land of Stench, lounged around the top of the North Tower overlooking a stunning view of the surrounding countryside. He had taken an hour to break into the Escher room, with its multi-angled staircases. He had smirked as he climbed up a few stairs, created a few of his own doors, and jumped off one particular platform. The key to getting to the top of the tower was to cheat. The goblins said that Sarah had merely jumped off the platform, breaking the illusion and thus landing at the top. They also said that a teenaged Toby used water from Moraine to discover the direction he needed to go.

Hoggle sipped some ale under a large umbrella, a red leather book spread across his eyes to allow him a much needed nap. He had finally threatened those bullying goblins with a dip headfirst into his Bog of Eternal Stench.

…

It managed to make them submissive cowards except for the rare few who thought that sounded like fun.

Ah, he thought lazily to himself, it was good to be a prince, after all.

HOGGLE!

Hoggle shot up, the red leather book flying off his face and onto the stone roof of the tower.

It couldn’t be. Certainly it wasn’t Sarah’s voice he heard. Despite his offer to come whenever she needed him, he had realized at the Goblin Ball held for the teenaged Toby that she didn’t need him.

It had been the hardest thing for him to bear.

“What have I done?” Hoggle asked the lowly junk surrounding him. He looked up slightly with a fearful conclusion. “I’ve lost my only friend … THAT’S what I’ve done.”

Jareth had threatened Hoggle in order to give her a peach that would enchant her, tempting her with her dreams. He looked at the small bracelet she had given him. It was made with brightly colored plastic beads, but it was what it meant that impressed him at first and DEpressed him now in the junkyard outside the Goblin City. No one had ever given him a present before … at least, one that wasn’t going to tighten suddenly or blow up in his face. She had given HIM, caretaker of the Labyrinth, a present. As materialistic as she was, it had been a shock that she would do such a thing.

The sound of moving trash jerked him out of his somber thoughts. To his left a pile of rubble parted and out stepped a sparkling, almost glowing, dark-skinned woman with sea-green hair that fell to her shoulders like an algae-tinged waterfall. She smiled as she stood fully erect, adjusting her blue paper fan headdress. She wiped some dirt off her greenish-blue gown and walked over to Hoggle, sitting down beside him.

“What are YOU doing here?” Hoggle asked, glancing at the newcomer only briefly before staring again at a rat scrounging for some food on the ground. “I don’t want your jewels,” he added bitterly. “There ain’t nothin’ you can gives me that’ll fix things.”

For a few moments, Eshe was silent. However, soon she smiled and leaned back, looking at the darkened sky. “You’ve lost your only friend, Hoggle.”

Hoggle groaned. “Really?” he asked sarcastically. “Hadn’t noticed. I goes through them like Rumplestilskin goes through straw.”

Eshe stared at him, her smile waning. “Hoggle, do you want her back?”

He shook his head.

“Why ever not?” Eshe asked, honestly surprised at his response.

Hoggle glanced at her with an embarrassed, beaten-dog look in his eyes. “I AIN’T Jareth.” He shook his head. “I ain’t gots nuthin’ to offer that girl.”

“She took your jewels, didn’t she?” she teased. When he groaned, she quickly added, “Hoggle, why do you REALLY think she took them?”

He swallowed to keep from having his voice break. “She’s a manipulative little wench, just like that first one o’ his.” He glared at her. “She only took me jewels to make fun o’ me! I even threw her own words in her face … I told her it weren’t fair … and you know what she did?” Eshe shook her head. “ALL SHE SAYS IS, ‘NO, IT ISN’T!’ CAN YOU BELIEVES THAT?” he screamed, jumping up and kicking the rat, sending it flying through the air, squealing in terror.

Eshe sighed. “Hoggle, your innocence when it comes to friendship is both endearing and frustrating.” She stared at him, as though she were about to teach him the alphabet or something. “Hoggle – she needed you.” She pointed emphatically at him. “She … wanted … you … to … stay … with … her. She … was … frightened … and … she … wanted … your … company.” She shook her head and glanced at the sky again. “You really ARE just like him.”

“Who?”

“Jareth.”

“AM NOT!” Hoggle protested angrily, growling. “Jareth loves Jareth. Sarah loves Sarah. No one around to love Hoggle but HOGGLE!” he yelled, slapping his chest.

Eshe stood and stared at the opening from which she sprang. “Everything thrown away can be found again, Hoggle,” she noted calmly, avoiding his eyes. “When you rely only on yourself, you have no one else to blame for your loneliness.” She turned to face him as she stepped slowly into the opening, pointing to her right, where a large hairy creature and fox-terrier-like being chased a stream of bubbles. “The heart never forgets, Hoggle. It always knows.”

Hoggle watched her disappear under the pile of junk.

“It always knows.”

Hoggle took the small white beach towel he had been laying on, flipped it over, attached a string to one end, and pulled on it, revealing a new opening that led to a small sofa. He jumped through.

<><><><><><>

Sarah was curled up into a ball, crying, on her floor just to the right of the sofa if you were sitting on it. Exhaustion was setting in. Hoggle grabbed her and shook her. “What did you do?” he questioned her loudly.

“H-H-Help,” she responded weakly, sobbing.

He noticed a pool of liquid on the floor next to her. He reached over her quivering body, put his large hand in the liquid and brought it to his nose and sniffed deeply. His eyes widened, then he glanced at her sympathetically. “Hm, nirvana leaf tea … that’s a rare thing to come across. You almost never see those things no more.”

He thought for a moment. Nirvana leaves had different effects depending on what the consumer needed to see or do. Supposedly, the gnarled dead tree on the hill just south of the Labyrinth used to be one before it croaked.

And it wouldn’t wear off until the consumer accomplished their goal.

He wondered what Sarah needed to see so badly.

“F-fi-fire gang,” Sarah whimpered. “Get them off me.”

Hoggle looked around, confused. She drank tea made from a nirvana leaf and she saw those clowns? What kind of masochist would want to see them?

The heart ALWAYS knows.

Hoggle lifted Sarah’s head gently in his hands, shushing her quietly as she whimpered. “Ain’t none o’ them here. Only Hoggle.”

Sarah relaxed, her crying stopping so suddenly that Hoggle started to fear she had died. Her lips barely moved but he could just hear her with his large ears.

“You came to rescue me.”

Hoggle was flabbergasted, almost to the extent that he nearly dropped her head on the floor. He had thrown her a rope so she could climb away from the Fierys back when she was a teenager. That was when she kissed him in gratitude. That was when Jareth dumped them in the Land of Eternal Stench. He looked down at her. “Y-you wanted me to rescue you?” he asked quietly, stroking her hair.

She smiled the faintest of smiles.

If he did what he felt like doing … he might lose her forever.

Still … she had wanted him. She had needed him.

She could have called for the Goblin King. He could have made her swoon with his suave voice and enchanting eyes. Jareth would turn the world upside down for her.

Then again, Sarah had kissed him in the Labyrinth. Even Jareth couldn’t boast of that.

He pecked her on her forehead.

She inhaled deeply and opened her eyes. A last set of tears flowed from her eyes. “Hoggle … you’re here,” she noted with relief. “I thought I was either dreaming or dead.” She reached behind his head and lowered it, returning the kiss on his cheek. She smiled again as she let go, slipping into a more relaxed slumber. “Don’t go,” she said softly.

<><><><><><>

“Oh, Marjory,” Philo asked in his high-pitched, grating voice, “where did dat last remainin’ nirvana leaf go?”

“What nirvana leaf?” Marjory asked as she held a pair of purple-framed glasses up to her deep-set eyes, reading a small romance-themed magazine.

“Da one from dat pile you asked us to rake ovah here for ya?” he continued in a sarcastically sweet tone. “You know, da ones from that pile dat formed awhile back when dat ol’ Gorg lost his royal title?”

Marjory smirked and chuckled, flipping over another page with her free hand. “I must have misplaced it,” she said playfully.

 

[RedPiggy]

Chapter 44
(Fall, 2011AD)

The sky darkened over the valley of New Pangaea, sending some creatures scurrying, terrified that the Darkness that Came Before was returning.

Jareth and Mizumi stared at the sky and then glanced at each other. He nodded slightly, his body collapsing into a barn owl, and he took flight to the opposite side of the valley.

Prince Robin stared solemnly at the fleeing bird. “Is Jareth, King of the Goblins, afraid of a mere thundershower?"

Eshe shook her head, staring at the blackening clouds. “It’s Mizumi.”

Melora placed their supplies back in their carriage. “Why would he flee from her? Should he not defend his own honor?"

Moulin glanced at her. “How do you ever expect to live as queen if you can’t appreciate basic strategy?" she asked as though Melora had asked the present color of someone caught red-handed.

Before Melora could reply, a thunderous stampede jarred them all. Out of the forest came large quadrupedal dinosaurs, some with thick long necks and tails, as well as an assortment of vicious-looking bipedal dinosaurs. All of their eyes had bluish tinges to them.

Spike backed up slowly until he was even with Robin. His voice was almost a whisper as he continued to gawk at the horde approaching them. “Now would be an appropriate time to pick up your sword.”

Eshe approached Moulin. “Now what?"

Moulin smirked. “Mother has enchanted them with her powers.”

Spike nodded and added, “Dey all drank from the streams and rivers and stuff here. Turned dem all against us Scavengers.”

The swarm of dinosaurs growled and snarled, clawing at the ground with their feet.

Eshe put her hand on Moulin’s shoulder and whispered in her ear, “I have something to attend to. I’ll return shortly.” With that, she disappeared.

Robin turned to Melora. “The odds decrease in our favor every moment, fair Princess," he told her. “Drive the carriage to higher ground.” She nodded, rushed over to him, kissed him good luck, and sped away. Some dinosaurs wished to follow, but Spike put himself in between them and the princess. Robin spied Spike’s response, as the latter gave some sort of gesture with his hands to his enchanted compatriots, and nodded in agreement with the rogue’s decision to defend his nation. He followed Spike’s example. “To the death, then!"

“Not if ya wanna win!" Spike shot back as he started lunging toward some of the bigger ones. “You concentrate on the small ones first!" He grunted as he jumped over a swinging tail. “I got da middle-sized ones!"

“The biggest fall last and hardest!" added Robin gleefully, swinging his sword and aiming for the spots Spike had mentioned earlier.

“Dat’s da idea!"

Mizumi appeared in a whirlpool of water from the stream. Water droplets spread out like wings as they shot out from her body before falling back into the water. She stared at Moulin, holding out her hand. “Daughter … how noble of you to bring me the crown. The kingdom of Moraine shall never forget your loyalty and servitude.”

Moulin tried to gulp without being noticed. She was an experienced fencer and sorceress, but sparring against her mother had always been difficult. Furthermore, there was no telling how advanced she might have become in this valley.

Still, she smirked.

“Through irritations untold and conversations mundane, from my cold, limp fingers willst thou pry the Kingdom of Moraine!"

To Moulin’s (slight) surprise, Mizumi maintained her expression. “As you wish," she replied calmly.

A torrent of water from the stream built up around Moulin, her cloud companion shooting up into the air to avoid Mizumi’s absorption powers, for its own water-creating abilities were infinite and would feed Mizumi indefinitely. Moulin calmly let the water build up around her. She relaxed, letting her mind reach out, feeling the swirling vortex until it seemed to be one with her. When she felt comfortable, however, Mizumi clenched her outstretched hand and it contained the young queen in a watery cocoon. Moulin twirled around helplessly, trying to hold her breath, when she saw through the water several of the largest dinosaurs rearing up to stomp the others flat. She threw out her arms, the water following her command, rushing toward the nostrils of each quadruped. They panicked, unable to breathe, drowning despite the fact they were not in the ocean. They fell backwards, some breaking their tails. Moulin caught her breath just as Mizumi closed in while she had had her attention elsewhere.

Mizumi grabbed her obstinate daughter by the throat, starting the absorption process. As the moisture was pulled forcefully from her daughter, Mizumi started to see images of her daughter, disguised as a human young woman, laughing over dinner with a red-brown-haired woman in a business suit. She tightened her grip, her lips curling into a fierce scowl. “My own daughter! Plagued with attraction to a pathetic, mortal, weak-willed, unattractive human!" She flung her daughter across the now shallower stream, watching her land clumsily like a rag doll. She walked over the water to pursue the nearly lifeless form of her once-beloved daughter. “You would risk your immortality, your power … for an impudent little banker?"

<><><><><><>

Spike swept one spikeback dinosaur with his tail, grabbed two opposing dinosaurs with his hands and spun around and slammed them together, knocking them out. He ducked as a tyrannosaur lunged at his exposed arm-length neck from the side and body slammed him. Tyrannosaurs were notoriously imbalanced … the littlelest thing would topple them. In a brief respite, Spike glanced around for the human kid with the sword obsession.

Robin bellowed in triumphant glory as he crushed the broadside of his sword onto the skull of a small duck-billed dinosaur. He had not taken a single hit, while the pile of his defeated opponents grew.

Spike smiled as he continued looking for guys to fight.

He might grow to like the new kid after all.

<><><><><><>

As Mizumi approached the trembling girl, a black blur flew in front of her face. When her eyes finally caught up with it, it proved to be a rather large darkened version of Moulin’s cloud. It circled twice around Mizumi with a speed that would have frightened most other beings, rose up high into the air, and dove straight down.

“You will never defeat me," Moulin strained, now standing defiantly.

Mizumi took her eyes away from the cloud for a single second to watch as Moulin threw back her head, the ties containing her pigtails flying off, letting her pitch-black hair fall freely, her eyes wide and welcoming. Her thunderous companion rushed into Moulin’s open left eye until nothing was left. Moulin blinked twice and turned her head back to her mother, smiling darkly. The scar over her left eye faded, closing, until it too disappeared.

When Moulin was just a precocious toddler, she and her sister Drumlin had fought each other as toddlers were wont to do. However, Drumlin had nearly popped from draining so much water from Moulin that Mizumi prevented any future occurrences by splitting open Moulin’s left eye and draining her power into a near-sentient cloud above her head. While Moulin still retained the ability to manipulate water, the source of it had been externalized to keep her favored daughter safe.

Moulin trembled slightly, maintaining her deadly grin. Her arms stretched out, and the waters of the stream flew in opposite directions.

Mizumi smirked. “Do you really think draining the area of liquid water will help you?"

Moulin replied coldly, “No.”

Before Mizumi could react, all that water came rushing back at a pressure greater than that of a fire hose. Both streams of water hit Mizumi at the same time, nearly crushing her, and then started to spin rapidly. Moulin twirled one hand continuously as she gestured with the other hand towards the clouds, liquefying them. Enough water to fill the Great Lakes twice drenched the spinning bands of water.

<><><><><><>

Spike struck the last mid-sized dinosaur and glanced over at the roaring water as it spun. He sidestepped over to Robin, guided his gaze, grabbed his arm, and dragged him away from the fight. The defeated dinosaurs shook their heads and panicked, stampeding in nearly every direction away from what was fast becoming a ground-level hurricane in the valley.

<><><><><><>

Mizumi kept her eyes closed. She could breathe in water with only mild currents, but at the speeds this water was revolving around her, she couldn’t catch her breath. She tried to command the water, but there was far too much and what was worse, her absorption powers had shut down instinctively to prevent excessive, exploding bloating. She could barely feel her clothes start to fall apart, as well as strands of hair yanked from her head. Her tiara had been swept away long ago.

Just as suddenly, all that water dropped, nearly crushing them both, flooding the area briefly until it flowed downstream toward the entrance of the valley.

Mizumi gasped instinctively, but she had been without oxygen for too long. She fell to the ground in a heap of torn silver robes.

Moulin panted heavily, her fingers twitching uncontrollably. She lowered her arms, feeling her heart weaken. Her eyes rolled up as she slumped to her knees, and then she fell face-first into the mud.

Eshe appeared in front of Moulin, lifted her face from the mud, and listened for breathing. When she realized Moulin was still alive, she cradled the queen, wiping the mud from her face. “Noble Moulin, you threw away your chance for love to reign over your kingdom," she said softly, smiling. “Anything thrown away can be found again….”

They both disappeared from the valley.

 

[Yva Minstrel]

Up to Chapter 13

Hi again,

first of all, thanks for the PM and the clarification, that was very nice of you and it really cleared up a great deal of my questions and I was able to start reading again. Once I understood everything, I really settled in and was able to read through several more chapters rather quickly.

Now that the confusion has been shoved away, I love what I've read during these past few chapters. I loved the inclusion of Convincing John, and how he carried on a really great dialogue with Cantus. Your descriptions of the characters really are spot on. As I was reading I could see these characters in my mind. So good job there.

Of course, I'm still a bit worried about Mokey, but I fugure that this will get cleared up eventually. Since we're on the fraggles, I loved Boober's dialogue with Sarah. Those were some very sweet moments, and her understanding of them losing their home was really touching. It's little scenes like those that add so much to the story.

I thought the location of the crown, and Nicky having it was a stroke of genius. That bit was so cute, and I really enjoyed reading that part, but am glad they got it back. Piggy's actions and reactions and her working with Red were really top drawer writing. I loved it.

The interations with Sir Hubris and Junior were also good, but the Gorg part that really stands out in my mind during the last chapters was how Cantus validated Pa Gorg in the way that he did. That must have been really hard for Pa to contend with these kinds of changes and to not have anyone understand him was also hard. I think that you added something really remarkable to the story by giving Pa a little bit of validation. Perhaps he needed that since he was no longer king. I just felt that it was a nice and very sensitive touch.

This story is really great, and again, I do appreciate you taking the time to clarify everything with me. I don't feel so mush minded at this point, but now I can settle in and really enjoy everything that you are putting into it.

Many thanks for continuing with such great stuff.

 

[RedPiggy]

first of all, thanks for the PM and the clarification, that was very nice of you and it really cleared up a great deal of my questions and I was able to start reading again. Once I understood everything, I really settled in and was able to read through several more chapters rather quickly.

You're welcome ... maybe I need a tutorial or something

Now that the confusion has been shoved away, I love what I've read during these past few chapters. I loved the inclusion of Convincing John, and how he carried on a really great dialogue with Cantus. Your descriptions of the characters really are spot on. As I was reading I could see these characters in my mind. So good job there.

Well, their powers are kinda the same, though Cantus is more mystical and John is more exploitative. That, and I like pairing Jim's characters.

Of course, I'm still a bit worried about Mokey, but I fugure that this will get cleared up eventually. Since we're on the fraggles, I loved Boober's dialogue with Sarah. Those were some very sweet moments, and her understanding of them losing their home was really touching. It's little scenes like those that add so much to the story.

Mokey'll be okay. In Act 2, she has really come to grips about it.

I thought the location of the crown, and Nicky having it was a stroke of genius. That bit was so cute, and I really enjoyed reading that part, but am glad they got it back. Piggy's actions and reactions and her working with Red were really top drawer writing. I loved it.

I thought Red and Piggy were a lot alike. They'd make a good pair in other stories. Lots of characters dislike Piggy, but they all usually have similar issues. It's my attempt to sympathize with the "popular" kids that I despised so much in school.

That must have been really hard for Pa to contend with these kinds of changes and to not have anyone understand him was also hard. I think that you added something really remarkable to the story by giving Pa a little bit of validation. Perhaps he needed that since he was no longer king. I just felt that it was a nice and very sensitive touch.

I'm a liberal in a conservative family/neighborhood. I used to despise "narrow-minded" people, so this is my attempt at growth. Pa (and to a lesser extent, Earl Sinclair later) seemed to get the short end of the stick a lot. I've tried to balance that out a bit. I can now feel a bit sorrier for people who are distraught because their lives are in upheaval. I LIKE chaos , so sometimes it's hard to fathom the opposite personality.

EDIT: And THIS is why editing shouldn't be timed:

When she felt comfortable, however, Mizumi clenched her outstretched hand and it contained the young queen in a watery cocoon. Mizumi twirled around helplessly, trying to hold her breath, when she saw through the water several of the largest dinosaurs rearing up to stomp the others flat.

That SHOULD be Moulin. I thought I fixed that. Sorry for the confusion.

 

[RedPiggy]

Chapter 45
(Fall, 2011AD)

Prince Robin finally plopped down on a small boulder nearly three miles away from Mizumi’s battle with her daughter, while Spike leaned against a tree, panting. They had never had to run so fast, but they had to escape the ever-increasing wall of water. They spent several moments just catching their breath, their heads bent down in exhaustion.

Spike lifted his head first, listening intently. “Water’s stopped.”

Robin took a few moments to respond. He nodded weakly. “I don’t hear it either. I wonder about the identity of the victor.”

Spike wiped some sweat (or was it water?) from his brow. He took off his bandana and wrung it out, placing it back on tenderly. “Maybe it was both. Or neither,” he said, shrugging. He looked at his leather jacket and scowled. “Fightin’ these water chicks is gonna ruin my jacket.”

<><><><><><>

Mizumi twitched. Soon, she started to cough, bubbles of water spurting out of her mouth. She rolled over to face the sky, but had no strength to rise.

<><><><><><>

“Shall we go and check on them?” Robin asked his new fighting partner.

Spike lowered his head again. He didn’t want to go back. This was, as it appeared to him, a lover’s quarrel that had gotten out of hand. Still ….

He nodded. “I guess it wouldn’t hurt to see if we won, huh?” he replied with a weak smile.

They reappeared near the battlefield, nearly sinking in the muddy wasteland the area had become. The closest trees had been broken and washed away, the stream was a muddy mess … and Moulin was missing.

“Whoa,” came another male voice from far across the stream.

Spike and Robin looked over to see Robbie, wide eyed in shock as he surveyed the damage, carrying an elderly-looking human in both arms as though cradling a baby. He gently set the human down and approached the only two left standing. He had been crying, judging from the redness around his emerald-green irises.

Spike frowned. He looked around with intentional movements. “Why, the battle’s over, the environment destroyed – hey, look! Here comes Robert Mark Sinclair!” he proclaimed sarcastically. “Heckuva job, Robbo,” he added, slapping his arm on Robert’s shoulder. He started to walk away. “Hope you brought a big enough mop.”

Robert stared at the ground. His impulse was to lunge at his former friend. He gulped, twiddling his fingers. Finally, he bellowed, “You’re just going to walk away from me?”

“Looks like it, kid,” Spike retorted, waving him off dismissively as he approached Mizumi’s barely breathing form.

“Why did you kill him?” Robert shouted angrily, the tenseness in his voice threatening to make it crack like it always did when he was a teenager.

Spike stopped dead cold in his tracks. He slowly turned toward Sinclair. “Kill whom, may I ask?”

“My brother.”

Spike blanched. Spike changed his mind about seeing Mizumi and marched over to within arm’s length of Robert. “Care to repeat that to my face, squirt?”

Robbie jutted out an open palm, shoving Spike back a couple of feet. “You heard me, maggot,” he replied. “She told me everything. She showed images of you holding him down in the river.”

Spike’s eyes glistened. “You can’t be seri--.”

Robbie lunged at him, but Spike dodged. However, Robbie skidded in the mud, twirled around, and swept Spike off the slick ground with his tail. As Spike fell, Robbie crowed, “I’m lighter and more maneuverable on this terrain.”

He heard applause, but he didn’t dare look behind him after he had just started a fight with Spike. He tried to hide the surprised look on his face: he honestly hadn’t expected that to work that well. Spike must have really tired himself out somehow. Come to think of it, the whole area reeked of the panicked presence of dinosaurs. He must have missed an epic battle.

“Bravo,” a pained female voice announced. Mizumi wobbled slightly as she sat up, smiling. “Robert, you are a natural leader, an alpha male of the highest standing. Even with your former compatriots trying to deceive you, you know the truth. You are a dinosaur of remarkable integrity.”

Robbie nodded. “Yes, I am,” he replied loudly as Robin was too dumbstruck to move against him. Robbie seemed to tower over his former friend. “I mean, I got elected Elder because I could bring New Pangaea to greatness, Spike,” he added. His tone became more urgent and intentional. “But you? You’re a Scavenger – Scourge of the Swamp, Maker of Deals – and you can’t even live up to your name! A Scavenger excels in eating the injured and the dead.” He pointed at Spike accusatorily, with the slightest hint of a wink. “Unless you can defend your title, I demand it from you!”

Spike slowly stood, a look of confusion still on his face. A slight smirk, almost imperceptible, showed Robbie that he had understood. Spike glared at him incredulously. “So, I am to understand that you’re still bent on gettin’ my title, is that it, Scooter?”

Robbie looked at him with a pained expression. His voice continued to be defiant. “I will avenge my baby brother with every ounce of energy I’ve got!”

They both rushed Mizumi, though the mud slowed them down, their feet slipping every few steps. Mizumi’s eyes widened.

Could creatures with brains no larger than grapefruit seriously challenge her?

THUMP!

Robbie and Spike fell backwards as if they had hit an invisible wall.

Mizumi sat, stunned, her head cocked in confusion.

They sat back up, rubbed their snouts and glanced at each other with contorted faces.

The sound of flapping wings alerted them, making everyone look up. A barn owl flew in lazy circles as it descended. Upon landing, the wings fluttered as the bird grew into a tall thin man with feathered blond hair that reached to his shoulders. He wore an off-white unitard with white boots, cloaked in a thick cape made of white and tan feathers overlaying a sparkling gold fabric that reached to his ankles. He stared at the two, saying nothing.

They didn’t need any words.

She was his.

Behind him, a nearly invisible crystal wall shattered, peppering the mud below in between Jareth and Mizumi.

Eshe appeared behind Robin. She tapped him on the shoulder. “Help me get that elderly man to Melora. We need to take him somewhere safe. I know just the place.” As Robin began to walk over toward him, Eshe hunched over the two dinosaur males, who were now caked in mud. She whispered to them and they got up warily to follow her.

 

[RedPiggy]

Chapter 46
(Fall, 2011AD)

At last, the two were alone. Jareth turned toward Mizumi, who sat dumbfounded some yards away in the mud. He was radiant, an almost glowing god of unimaginable power, Mizumi thought to herself. One might have assumed he was but a mere earth elemental, what with his attraction to crystals and such, but he was instead an air elemental. She had spent many years dwelling on what happened in Fraggle Rock and she had finally figured it out. He could not create crystals. Rather, he summoned them from the ground underneath his kingdom. He had developed some symbiotic relationship with the living crystals that dwelt underneath the surface of the earth.

So, he had learned to depend on others after all.

A crystal wall rose up all around them, forming a large dome. Mizumi looked around and smirked. “Do you honestly think I’d run away?"

Jareth’s face remained blank, his voice monotone. “I don’t want you pulling any more water from the air or earth than I permit," he noted.

Mizumi frowned briefly, then smiled as she rose, groaning. She stared at him defiantly. “It’s a pity you think so little of me, Jareth. A dome won’t stop me. There’s enough water in this ground for miles around to feed this fight forever.”

Jareth smirked slightly. “What makes you think there’s no crystal floor beneath the surface?"

Mizumi laughed. “Oh, the glorious memories of the past.” She sighed wistfully. “I did so enjoy our last encounters.”

Sharp crystal shards from the last barrier Jareth had created flew up from the ground, pointing at her menacingly. They zipped through the air, converging on her. With a wave of her hand and a bored expression, mud swirled up ahead of her and caught every shard, dissolving the crystals with its own bulk before falling back to the ground.

She shook her head condescendingly. “Really, Jareth.” Her smile grew darker. “Let me mar those feathers of yours.” With a flick of her fingers, mud exploded around Jareth, making him fall backwards. She laughed triumphantly.

Until the falling mud revealed a crystal cocoon, which protected his white plumage.

She clicked her tongue on the roof of her mouth. “Well, do you wish to set a time limit, or shall universes die out before this ends?"

How was he keeping his boots white in this mud? she wondered silently with some irritation. She glared at his boots and noticed a slight shimmer. Ah. He had used crystal to form a barrier.

“How could you ever love a pathetic little worm like her, Jareth?" Mizumi oozed. “She is powerless and uniting with her would suck away your strength as well.” She smirked, wagging her finger at him. “Or do you want to start collecting senior benefits?" she asked, cackling.

Jareth smiled for the first time, approaching several steps. “And how is your fair queen daughter? I’ve heard she’s been in the market for some new bank accounts.” Mizumi started to fume, all humor obliterated from her face. He chuckled briefly. “To think, the Kingdom of Moraine wouldn’t be losing a queen … they’d be gaining an accountant.”

Mizumi roared, caking the entire dome in mud, making it drip endlessly upon them.

Jareth glanced at his robe, getting more soiled with every minute. He glared at her teasingly. “Do you know how hard this is to wash?" He paused. “The only thing to do is wait til it dried," he added, a fake hurt in his voice.

Mizumi, meanwhile, was too furious to respond, though he couldn’t tell how red her face was since she was drenched in mud.

Jareth sighed, tossing his shoulder-length hair back. “Ah well.” He snapped his fingers.

Flames appeared here and there and out popped a Fiery from each one until about a dozen had appeared. They looked around, scratched their reddish-orange furry heads and smacked their long pointy beaks. “He-hey! Where the heck is the par-tay?"

“Yeah!" shouted another one. “We were told there’d be barbecue chips and hot salsa!"

“Whoa, what the --?" another one blurted out as mud dripped on him. They all instinctively stared at Mizumi. “Do you know how hard it is for fire elementals to take a bath, lady?"

Jareth took a few steps back and crossed his arms with a smirk.

Mizumi rolled her eyes. She glanced angrily over at Jareth. “Your solution to our battle is a bunch of immature little imps?"

“Hey, who’s immature?" protested the tallest of them. He pointed at her. “You’re the one lookin’ like you been gettin’ some mud-wrestlin’ grooves on, baby!"

“Yeah," offered a fatter one, “at least we keep ourselves clean!"

“For the most part, anyway…," laughed another one as they began to sing…

We can show you a good time (show you a good time)
And we don't charge nothin' (nothin' at all)
Just strut your nasty stuff,
Wiggle in the middle yeh
Get the town talkin', fire gang

Chilly down with the fire gang (think small)
Think small with the fire gang
Bad hep with the fire gang (hey, listen up)
When your thing gets wild
Chilly down
Chilly down….

As they sang, they spread fire all over, causing the entire area to heat up substantially. They jumped and twisted and cavorted, pulling on each other and using the falling globs of mud for target practice.

Jareth noticed some areas of the mud ceiling begin to crack from the heat. He exhaled deeply. The mud that covered them would protect them from the heat somewhat, but he’d have to call this off at some point since the heat had nowhere to go under the dome. They’d also run out of air much more quickly.

Mizumi’s blood was nearly boiling, but not because of the heat from the fires. She thrust her arms out, but the mud had dried all around her and she could no longer summon her powers.

The Fierys noticed her frustrated gestures and cackled and giggled. They bounded over to her and jumped all around her, mocking her. “Why, you ain’t able to just fling yo’ arms off like that, lady!"

“Yeah," the fat one added, “you normal folks gotta get some help first.”

They leapt onto her, hanging on despite her twisting and turning and slamming them against the walls of the now very hot mud-caked crystal dome, cracking it.

“Yank her arms this way! Break the hinges!"

“You ain’t got that right, man! The shoulder a ball joint!"

“Well, let’s have us a BALL!" The Fierys nearly made themselves hoarse with laughter as they tried to pull Mizumi apart.

The crystal dome started to shatter all around them.

Most of the Fierys jumped off, playfully dodging the falling shards. “Hey! Watch out! You could put out some eyes wit’ dose things!"

The tall one plucked out his own eyes and cackled, holding them in his fist. “Hey, if we take ‘em out, we can put ‘em in our pockets and keep ‘em safe!"

“Man, we ain’t got no clothing!"

The Fiery popped his eyes back into place and shrugged. “Well, I don’t see no other solution, gang!" He backflipped back over to Mizumi, picked up a large crystal shard and plunged it into the base of Mizumi’s neck. “I guess we’ll just have to take her head off the fast way!"

Jareth snapped his fingers.

“Whoa, time’s up!" a Fiery shouted.

The leader jumped off and snapped his fingers, glaring at Jareth. “Man, when you gonna really let us cut loose?"

“Cut loose!" the others laughed as they disappeared in columns of flames.

Jareth calmly walked over to Mizumi as she fell to the ground, clutching her neck, the mud on her hands staining red. He could see her smiling.

“Do you find your demise so amusing?" he asked curiously.

Her arms were trembling. Her eyes rolled briefly before locking onto him. “You would never … do this … to that human," she said, her voice starting to sound congested. “She cared nothing … for … your … power. I … n … hand," she continued almost unintelligibly, “l-loved … p-r.”

He took her by the neck and encased it in crystal to help her speak more clearly.

She smiled, her eyes losing focus. “You … you …," she sputtered, “never … dis-disappoint.” Her breathing shallowed. “Y-you … really … did love … m-me.”

As she began to lose cohesion, he drew her liquefying form into a crystal sphere. He didn’t want to risk her recoalescing in the future.

 

[RedPiggy]

The End

Epilogue
(Spring, 2012AD)

Miss Piggy applied lipstick in front of her mirror in the Muppet Theater dressing room, which was decorated with pale pink paint, a large golden star nailed to the door, a small pet bed for her dog by a deep red chaise, and a large walk-in closet for all of her outfits. She smacked her lips as there came a series of knocks at the door.

“Hurry it up!” she growled. “I got a song comin’ up!”

“It’s Robin, Miss Piggy,” came a young male voice. “It’s important.”

The door opened and Robin the Frog looked up at Miss Piggy, dressed in a black lace dress, her ever-present lavender elbow-length gloves, and a sparkling pearl necklace. Her blonde hair was tied up loosely while she applied makeup. “Come in,” she said in a high-pitched voice. “How can I help vous?” she asked as she walked back to her mirror.

Robin sniffed and wiped his nose. “Miss Piggy, ma’am, it’s Uncle Kermit.”

Piggy stopped and turned, looking down at the foot-long frog. She frowned, a slight growl surfacing in her voice, “He’s not canceling my number is he?”

Robin shook his head vigorously. “Oh no! It’s nothing like that at all! I just,” he began, “I just … wanted to ask you something … uh ….”

“Spit it out, kid,” Piggy, trying hard not to tap her foot.

Robin gulped. He had seen what happened to those who asked something too personal. He gulped again. “Well, it’s just … I wanted to ask you … why you left Uncle Kermit,” he spat out finally, staring at the floor, trying to look as submissive as possible.

Piggy blinked, her lips tightly shut. Finally, she exhaled and nodded towards the small table under the mirror. “Hop on up, kid,” she said softly. When he did so, she inhaled and patted him on his tiny shoulders. “Want a bon bon?” She paused, looked at the small candy in her hand, grunted, put it back in a small drawer, and took out another piece. “On the other hand, how ‘bout a peppermint?” Robin nodded slightly and took it from her, thanking her quietly. Piggy resumed applying makeup. “Robin, mon cher, you are not yet old enough to appreciate the finer points of media presence.” She glanced at him warmly. “This petit on-and-off-again thing between me and your uncle Kermie is merely for the exposure, dear.”

Robin’s voice wavered. “But, he seems so sad all the time….”

Piggy dropped her makeup. She stared at her mirror for several minutes, her facial expression completely blank. At last, she cleared her throat and laughed demurely.

“And don’t say it isn’t real,” Robin cut her off. “I’m around him more than you.”

“Thirty seconds to curtain, Miss Piggy,” announced Scooter from outside.

“Stall!” Miss Piggy barked. She stared into Robin’s eyes. “Ma petite grenouille, I know it can be difficult sometimes to see adults feel sad, but it happens to everyone,” she told him in a soft, melodious voice. “Your uncle didn’t want you to be upset.” Robin lowered his head as he sucked on the peppermint. She sighed. “But, here you are, upset anyway, and if you won’t tell, I won’t.” He nodded, looking up at her. She tried to maintain a smile. “My little global adventure with Nick-y was simply to have fun. Kermie goes and dances with female celebrities all the time.”

“So, you guys are through?”

Piggy laughed. “No, of course not.”

“He says --.”

“I know what he says,” Piggy growled. She cleared her throat, returning to her sing-song tone. “You can thank that little shrimp for getting Kermie all worked up, dear.”

“Pepe?”

“Oui,” she replied, “he is the one who broke the news that the state of New York does not consider our marriage legal.” She pouted, but quickly recovered. “Ironically, that pork commerical has-been Vegan can be legally married, but we cannot.” She put her hand on his back. “So, that is why Kermie has been rather irritable lately,” she noted sadly.

Robin nodded. “Oh.” He had a flash of inspiration. “Maybe Pepe could con the state government into approving an exception for you!”

Piggy smiled, swallowing the tinge of hurt that he had inadvertently caused. She kissed him on the top of his head. “That is very sweet of you, but a real minister married us. I do not care what the government thinks.” She paused. “You see, dear little Rob-in … real love does not require approval. It only needs to exist. Do you understand?”

Robin stared at the floor for a few moments and nodded. He smiled finally and stood up on the table, pecking Miss Piggy on the cheek. He stood back. “Thanks, Miss Piggy. Good luck on your number!” he announced as he hopped off onto the floor.

Piggy wore a half-smile on her face. “A star does not need luck, kid,” she whispered as he left.

<><><><><><>

Jareth sulked in the dank tunnels underneath the Labyrinth. Soon, though, he could hear the False Alarms, which were large wall-sized faces carved into the stony walls….

“Go back, while you still can!”

“This is not the way!”

A soft light illuminated a small side tunnel, dainty footsteps occasionally stepping in puddles. Before long Eshe appeared, carrying a small lantern. She looked both ways at a T-junction and spotted Jareth moping on his behind to her left. She smiled.

“I suppose you’ve come to mock me,” Jareth mumbled.

Eshe said nothing until she sat effortlessly at his side, placing the lantern gently on the ground. She stared straight ahead. After several silent moments, she began to sing a somber song…

When you long for the height of the mountains,
When you long for the blue,
Leave your heart where it's deep and it's down again,
Lose your heart till it's new.

Jareth rolled his eyes, shaking his head slightly. However, he sang along, though his voice was more melancholy….

Once I thought I could fly like an eagle can.
Once I thought I was brave.
Now I wait till my heart starts to beat again,
Deep in the heart of the cave.

Sparkles illuminated the tunnel as the beat changed to a more primal beat as Eshe sang anew, staring doe-eyed at the Goblin King….

Listen up, cause this is all I have to say,
This could be the thing to get you on your way.
Just imagine what is old is new, again…
Maybe then you’ll understand …
I dare ya!

Small florets of various colors appeared, sprouting from the brick walls. Scenes of the entire labyrinth appeared on the opposite brick wall as though a projector was behind them. The brick wall maze looked like an invisible team was washing it, the hedge maze flowered, a flock of multicolored birds erupted from the dark forest, and even the Bog of Eternal Stench seemed relatively cleaner. The music swelled as Eshe belted out the chorus….

I see a Kingdom…
Shining bri-ight…
I can see the colors coming through! Yeah….
You find the beauty if you look at something ri-i-i-ight…
It’s all about your point of view …
In life, it’s … all about your point of view-ew….

Jareth watched his kingdom erupt with new life. He turned to Eshe.

While he didn’t say anything, she noticed his hand barely grazing hers as they continued to sit underneath the sentient maze.

<><><><><><>

Junior Gorg sighed as he dumped his pack at the gate leading to his parents’ castle. “Pa! Ma! I’m home!” He looked up at the roof and saw some strange metal box sitting up on the roof, glinting in the sunlight. He scratched his chin. “Huh, wonder what that is?” He shrugged, though, and walked into the castle.

What he saw was the strangest thing ever that had happened to all of Gorgdom:

His parents were dressed in all black, while a multitude of Fraggles sat on some shelves, Princess Melora and Prince Robin stood in front of the Gorgs on a dining room table, joined by Robert, Charlene, and Pearl Sinclair, who also all wore black, and a seven-foot-long case, what looked like Pa’s ornate cigar case, rested in the center of the table, surrounded by bright green and golden leaves, small piles of glittery round pebbles of every color of the rainbow, and a knitted gray and white blanket covering the case. Some device above their heads twirled around and around, making a welcome breeze in the usually stuffy castle.

Pearl Sinclair sniffed and began to sing a melancholy song with her country twang….

Saying goodbye, going away
Seems like goodbye's such a hard thing to say

Charlene sniffled and grasped her aunt’s and brother’s hands as she sang.

Touching our hands, wondering why,
It's time for saying goodbye.

Mokey, wearing a dark blue robe with small bright flowers in her silver-blue hair, held her hands up toward the case, her head lowered somberly as she intoned in a deep, smooth voice.

Saying goodbye, why is it sad?
Makes us remember the good times we've had
Much more to say, foolish to try --
It's time for saying goodbye.

Robin crooned, Don't want to leave, but we both know….

Melora sang, her voice choking, Sometimes its better to go.

Ma and Pa Gorg, their heads lowered, held each other as tears streamed down their faces.

Somehow we know, we'll meet again
Not sure quite where and we don't know just when.
You're in our hearts, so until then,
It's time for saying goodbye.

They all hummed the same melody for several more bars, gradually softening into silence.

Pa, wiping the tears from his face, cleared his throat. “Marjory, a Trash Heap we’ve come to know and love, has taught us all something very special about ourselves. The nirvana leaves we’ve eaten showed us that,” he continued, looking warmly at his wife, who batted her eyes, smiling, “we have loved each other for an eternity … maybe even more than that. Far before our ancestors even bothered counting days, there was a world which was forgotten in the mists of time, drenched in a blanket of snow … yea, even a blanket of woe. But now we see that we have not been alone in this universe of ours.” He gestured to the Sinclairs. “All my life I sought to hold onto my traditions. Now I see them standing right before me. The past and the future, connected for all to see.” He started to choke up, tears streaming from his eyes. He shook his head slightly. He couldn’t continue.

Robbie, who hadn’t stopped crying, took up the speech. “I’ve learned that family bonds transcend time and space,” he added, his voice cracking. “I’ve … I’ve learned that no matter what disappears, it lives on … somewhere, somehow.”

Ma nodded slowly, a motherly expression on her face. “And now, our friends, our family … we have spent so much time with each of you that it is time to put our sorrows to rest and plant the seed so that the tree may gain new life.”

She began to wail a new song as Pa gestured for Junior to come and pick up the case as Ma held out her hands to hold the Sinclairs. Pa picked up the two human royals and Mokey and followed Ma as she headed for the front door, leading to the garden where plants were just beginning to bud. Junior, realizing at last they were holding a funeral, carefully carried the makeshift casket and followed his father.

When my time to go is here,
Call my friends to gather near.
Tell the doctor and the preacher that I'm failing.

As they headed toward a small flowerbed near their gazebo across their property from the castle, they began to pick up the tempo.

But forget about your black,
'Cause I'm planning to come back.
Play some honky-tonkin' grief and Dixie wailing.

Once they stopped in the right place, the Gorgs let down their passengers, everyone soon brightening in their faces as they increased the tempo even more.

Pick me up and lay me down,
And spread the news all over town,
And tell 'em all to come or they'll be sorry.

Pick me up and shake me twice.
I'm coming back from paradise.
This poor boy is here to live in glory.

When it's time to say good-bye,
All my friends will sit and cry,
And they'll watch the coffin rockin' round and squirmin'.

Then they'll raise a mighty shout,
When my bones come marching out.
And I praise myself and preach the final sermon.

Junior solemnly lowered the casket into the grave that had been dug, as the Sinclairs smiled, placing wreaths on the coffin. The Gorgs spread the remainder of the nirvana leaves across the coffin, hugged each other, and beckoned everyone to the picnic table they kept outside, including now several smaller ones for Fraggles, humans, and dinosaurs, where a large spread banquet awaited them.

<><><><><><>

(Summer, 2012AD)

Pa Gorg sat in the gazebo, sipping some greaseberry tea. Junior had left the council early when it became clear that it was not what it was supposed to be, and Junior had refused to take part in what was essentially a personal vendetta. Rather than go home immediately, though, he had wandered east, and found a Gorg Kingdom still going strong after all these centuries.

He smiled. The blossoms of springtime had affected Junior as well, and when he finally arrived home, he waited only to participate in the burial of a being who had sought a magical connection all his life, which had taught him of his true legacy, after which Junior sprung the news that he had found a wonderfully cheerful young Gorg princess, who loved decorating. They planned to date each other for a couple of decades, but his mother (and hers) had already begun the wedding preparations.

He saw a flock of red-feathered birds fly across the sky, brighter now that the Universe was at peace.

He sighed, humming a cheerful tune to himself.

He felt whole … and content … for the first time in his entire life.

And outside the gazebo, a small seedling had appeared on a dirt mound, with tiny yellow leaves on a green stalk.

 

[RedPiggy]

Dear Readers:

It has been such a pleasure writing this story. For those of you who've been reading all this time, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I hope this tale has had a chance to move you as it has definitely moved me. I have been crying over my own story for the last few chapters.

I apologize for the amazingly long list of characters, but if the universe is in danger, I felt it had to be shown, not just mentioned casually. I learned a lot writing for all those characters, even the ones I've had the least exposure to.

I would like to thank the Henson folks (and Disney, now that they have the Muppets, and Sesame Workshop or whatever it's called nowadays), for making such a remarkable universe, even if those franchises weren't always connected. I always felt a connection could be made and I hope I've succeeded on that front.

With warm wishes that everyone have a wonderful life, forever more....

Remember that bad things are "only for now", and there's always room for hope for the future.

Sincerely,
Kelly