The Legend of The Crystals

Hello and welcome to my next Muppet fanfic. This one's different than my previous works; it actually has nothing to do with them (except with the appearance of Julie). It's actually based on the Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts games. There are also allusions to these games throughout the story. Let me see if you can find them (but I'm going to post a list here when the story's over)
And now, without further ado here's my next fanfic:

The Legend of The Crystals

Chapter One

An Island In The Sun

The Muppet Island was a peaceful and beautiful place. White beaches and turquoise sea water, as well as the crystal clear water from the river and lake characterized the island. A small village was situated on Muppet Island. The citizens were all friendly and a little weird. One should never expect normal things to happen; it was as futile as trying to calculate the vertex of a linear function. The village had a school, various shops, an inn, a doctor, a carpenter, a farm and a small harbor. A mansion was at the end of the village, surrounded by a swamp. This was where the village’s leader lived. Near the village was a jungle, where no lion slept. The outskirts of the jungle were safe but the deeper one got in there the more dangerous it got. This was also the reason the jungle was off-limits. A fence marked the point from which on no one was allowed to venture. Then there was a high mountain. Rumor had it that a temple from ancient times was up there. But as no one had climbed up to the top of the mountain for centuries, no one knew if it was true.

The sun started to set on an especially hot summer day. Everybody had gone for a swim or kept themselves in the shadows to keep cool. As the sun slowly disappeared beyond the horizon, various villagers went home or to the bar, which was a part of the inn. A farmer watered the crops one last time. Mothers put their little children in bed, while the older children were doing their own things. Shops were closed for the night. Friends sat on the patio, drinking and talking. But a common meeting place for the adults was the bar. This was the place where they usually heard the newest things, save for a couple of women gossiping every day in the town square.
“Here you are, Gonzo”, said Fozzie, giving his friend his ordered drink. Gonzo thanked him before taking a sip. Next to him sat his and Fozzie’s best friend, and the village’s leader, Kermit. The frog did not often show up in the bar as he also had a nephew to take care off. But when he could, he would come. Nearby the school teacher, Sam, was conversing with the owners of the inn, Wayne and Wanda. On stage Rowlf played piano. Other patrons were Lew Zealand, Thog, Crazy Harry, Marvin Suggs and the Newsman. The bar itself had a sturdy, rustically look. It was built from dark wood, as were there the furniture. Paintings of dogs playing poker, an old married couple, a screaming person and something abstract decorated the place. On Wanda’s insistence, there were also flowers decorating the bar.
“Hey Kermit, who looks after Robin tonight?”, asked Fozzie. At the moment, he had no guests to take care off, for they all had their drinks.
“Julie’s taking care of him”, replied the frog, drinking from his milk.
“I bet that was easy”, commented Fozzie.
“Yes. I mean, she just can’t say no”, added Gonzo. He put an arm around his friend. “But at least you can spend a few hours with us.”
“But I can’t stay long. A guest arrives tomorrow early in the morning.”
That got Fozzie and Gonzo interested. They had heard of a guest arriving but nothing more. This was why both leaned forward to hear more about this.
“Really?”
“Who?”
“I don’t know myself. All I know is that he is also a leader but I don’t know from where.”
Now that was interesting. They seldom got visits from other leaders, only from tourists. What could he want? Maybe he would arrive for barter transaction? Although no one had any idea what for. They had all they need. What more could they possibly want? But for Kermit, that did not matter at the moment. He was in the bar to take a little break and besides, he would know the following morning.
“But enough of that. Let’s talk about something else”, he suggested. Now he was the one leaning forward and looking interested. “How are you two doing?”
“I’m working on a comedy act. Listen to this, what’s a frog’s favorite drink?”, replied Fozzie. He paused for a moment and excitedly looked at his two friends. They in turn looked at him expectedly and waited for the answer. “Croaka Cola! Aaaaah! Wocka, wocka!”
No one laughed at his joke.

Kermit left the bar around midnight and made his way to Julie’s house. He saw a blond haired girl wearing glasses sitting on the front porch and looking at the starry night sky. She was already in her pajamas and in her dressing gown.
“Oh hi, Kermit”, she greeted him. “Robin’s asleep in the living room. I’ll wake him for you.”
Julie disappeared and reappeared, this time in company of a little frog. Robin’s eyes were half-closed and he could not really stand on his flippers anymore. Kermit picked him up.
“Thank you for taking care of him tonight”, he said, his nephew fast asleep in his arms. “And don’t forget, you volunteered to give the visitor a reception. Actually, you agreed to do so as soon as I asked.”
“I know. Why do you think I go to bed when you two are gone?”, she replied, a smirk on her face and an eyebrow raised. Kermit bid her a good night and left while she went back into the house. The streets were empty when he walked back to his mansion. Only his shadow, cast from the streetlights, as well as Robin were his companions. Nighttime was the only time when it was quiet on the island. There was always something happening on Muppet Island but Kermit would not give it up for anything in the world. He considered the villagers as his friends and family, even if they all had their disagreements from time to time.
Kermit soon arrived at his mansion. He entered the empty building and made his way up the stairs to Robin’s room. He tucked the sleeping little frog in his bed before making his way off to his own bedroom. Both Kermit and Robin were the only occupants in the house, save for a robot that would clean-up. Once there were more frogs living here but they had moved out or, in case of Robin’s parents, gone on an expedition. So, it could be lonely in the mansion, which was the reason why both Robin and Kermit usually spent their time outside. Every day, Kermit did his best to ensure the others have nothing to worry about.

The following morning found Julie standing at the harbor. She looked straight ahead at the sea, waiting for a ship to appear. Every now and then, a yawn would escape her and she would wonder why she agreed to do this anyway. There was hardly anyone around, except some Muppets who work at the harbor. Many other villagers were still at home, asleep in their comfy beds. They would not get out and meet the visitor until after he spoke with Kermit. Another yawn escaped Julie as the sun shone brightly from up above. She wished there was a shadowy place nearby as the sun’s hot rays were slowly getting unbearable. No matter at which time Julie would go to sleep, she was certainly not a morning person. Six o’clock was just too early for her; actually everything before at least eight o’clock was too early for her. She saw something on the horizon. Could it be the ship the guest was arriving on? At least Julie hoped so as she watched it steadily coming closer to Muppet Island. After what seemed like an eternity for her, the ship arrived at the harbor. A tall imposing figure appeared. He had a stern look on his old face. His whole demeanor suggested he was their guest. There was an air of authority, pride and wisdom over him. It was clear that he had been a leader for many years. The Muppets put a ramp to the ship for the guest to walk off of his ship.
“Um, welcome to Muppet Island”, greeted Julie him, a friendly smile on her face but nervousness in her voice. “My name’s Julie and I’m here to give you a reception.”
He looked over to her as she thought that what she just said sounded stupid. But she kept her friendly smile and added:
“May I lead you to Kermit’s mansion?”
“You may”, he said in his deep voice. Julie nodded and led him away from the harbor, but not without waving the others goodbye. A few Muppets were on the streets by now, opening their shops for the day or simply taking a walk. Those who saw the visitor cowered in respect from his very tall, imposing form.

Both humans soon arrived on the swampy property and made their way to the mansion. Julie knocked three times and a robot opened the door.
“Good morning, we have been expecting you”, said Eighties Robot and led the guest inside.
“Well, I guess I’m not needed here anymore, so I’m off. Bye”, said Julie and left. Eighties Robot led the visitor to the library. Said room had many couches and various desks. Shelves with an overwhelming number of books filled the room. There seemed to be books on every existing topics and genres; it was a paradise for bookworms. Underneath a window, from which the sun shone a warm light into the room, sat Kermit, reading. He looked up from his book when he heard the visitor and Eighties Robot approaching.
“Good morning, sir. Sit down”, said the frog politely. The guest sat down on a settee, a bit out of the sunlight.
“May I bring you refreshments?”, asked the robot.
“A coffee for me”, said Kermit before looking at his guest and adding: “And what would you like, sir?”
“I’d like a coffee, too”, replied the guest. Eighties Robot nodded and left the two alone. For a moment, no words were said. The visitor sat on the settee like he would sit on a throne, upright and poised with an air of pride and supremacy. Kermit felt meek in his presence, so much that he even did not dare to say something for a while.
“Welcome to Muppet Island, sir. I hope your reception did a good job”, he eventually dared to say. His visitor looked over at him, studying his appearance, and answered in his deep, calm voice:
“She seemed to be a little inexperienced and she looked tired. But otherwise, she did a fairly good job.”
“Ah, yeah, well… she’s not known as a morning person here. But she was the only one who would take the job.”
Kermit decidedly neglected the mention that she was the first, and only, one he asked. Eighties Robot returned with a silver tray. Two cups of coffee, along with some milk and a bowl of sugar were placed on said object. He put the tray on the coffee table.
“Are you in need of anything else?”
“No thank you, Eighties Robot. I call you when we need anything else”, replied Kermit. Eighties Robot did something that resembled a bow and left them alone once again. From far away, random explosions could be heard at irregular intervals. The visitor gave Kermit a strange and perhaps a concerned look but the frog shrugged it off: “That happens all the time. By the way, I haven’t introduced myself. I’m Kermit The Frog.”
He walked over to his guest and held out a friendly hand. His guest considered him for a moment and, seemingly deeming him worthy, shook his hand, saying: “I am Henry Delwyn.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mister Delwyn. To what to we owe your visit?”

Crazy Harry cackled wildly while Fozzie, Sam, Wayne and Wanda were recovering from his explosion. Moments before, they had been talking about Mister Delwyn and Fozzie had said something about meeting him would be a blast. Unbeknownst to them, Crazy Harry was just behind them and what happened when he heard that little word was heard throughout the island. But as his explosions were common occurrences, they were ignored. Fozzie helped Wayne and Wanda cleaning everything up while Sam chastised Crazy Harry:
“Such a behavior is appalling and not of good form. You should be more like Wayne and Wanda. They bring so much culture in this story and have, unlike you, honor.”
“We only own an inn and a bar and we didn’t even do something in this story yet”, whispered Wayne to Wanda.
“Do we even get a scene?”, she asked.
“I have no idea.”
Sam continued chastising Crazy Harry… and praising Wayne and Wanda. But Harry seemed to ignore his words. While Sam ranted on and on, a feather held aloft and looking straight ahead with a stern face, Harry cheerfully dusted of a lit bomb.
“Will you hold it for me, please?”, he asked, holding out his bomb.
“Uh what? Of course”, replied Sam, taking the bomb. “Now then, as I was saying…”
He paused and looked down at his wings, having just realized what exactly he was holding. The bomb’s fuse was nearly gone by now. Sam looked straight ahead at the readers, his eyes half-open and his eyebrows forming a straight line. Then the bomb exploded, covering the eagle in soot. He had not moved a muscle when it happened. Harry laughed gleefully and Fozzie let out his “Wocka! Wocka!”. Even Wayne and Wanda were laughing, although they turned away from Sam and stifled it behind their hands.
“I find such behavior impious”, said the eagle tonelessly. The laughter eventually died down and fallen tables and chairs were repositioned and cleaned off of the soot. Wanda then pulled the males back inside.
“Come on. I have to cook for everyone and I could use your help. Yours, too, Rowlf.”
Said dog was currently on a couch in the reception area, taking a nap. He woke up when Wanda spoke to him and saying “Yes, ma’am.” he followed them into the kitchen.

A feast was held later in honor of their guest. Several tables were set in the plaza, which were stressed by the sheer amount of potatoes, meat, vegetables, fish, fruit and beverages. Every islander, adults and children alike, sat there as they filled their plates and cups. Kermit sat at the head of the table with Mister Delwyn to his right and Robin to his left. Most were chatting but Mister Delwyn simply ate in silence and just listened to their conversation.
“Uncle Kermit, can I play with the others on the beach later?”
“Sure. But only when someone looks after you. Would you do it, Julie?”
Said girl had just taken a bite out of her steak and thus simply nodded in answer.
“Did you get an answer for your application yet?”, asked Robin after she swallowed the bite. A crestfallen looking Julie let out a sigh:
“Nothing. I’ve sent applications to every magic institute I could think of but nothing.”
“Hey, it’ll be alright. You’re getting an acceptance letter sooner or later”, Kermit tried to cheer her up. “And if not, we’ll look for an abandoned island where you can try to teach yourself.”
A half-smile appeared on her face and she let out a chuckle.
“Magic institute?”, asked Mister Delwyn, who had listened to the conversation.
“Yes, Mister Delwyn. You see, Julie’s a mage but she can only cast low-level magic. She’s trying to get accepted to a magic institute to improve her magic.”
“Ah I see. And what kind of magic, Miss, do you specialize in?”, he looked interested at her.
“Um, elemental magic like fire and water and healing magic”, she replied in a petty voice.
“Hm, I’ll see what I can do”, Mister Delwyn said. Julie, Kermit and Robin looked at him questioningly but he did not say anything more on that matter.

When everyone had eaten their fill, the children ran up to the beach with Julie in tow. Setting up a net and marking the field with sticks, the children got ready for a little beach volleyball. Julie was supposed to keep track on the score. But because she was not fond of volleyball, or any ballgame for that matter, she did it with little to no enthusiasm. Thankfully for her, it was over soon. While she put everything away, Robin played a tag with his friends. A humanoid Muppet with brown hair was it. The others ran, or in Robin’s case, hopped away from him as he tried to catch them. With a big leap, he caught a blond kid. He was a little slower so it took longer for him to tag someone. They played for a long time until it was late afternoon when they all sat down, exhausted, underneath the palm trees, where Julie had watched over them.
“I could use a drink”, said the brown-haired humanoid Muppet, Stan his name.
“Me, too”, agreed his blond-haired friend, Adam.
“How about I get you something?”, Julie offered. The children assailed her with requests of what they wanted. Julie had a hard time keeping track on their requests before she announced she will simply get some water and juice.
“Hey, what are we gonna do?”, asked Sheldon.
“We could go swimming!”, suggested Robin.
So, when Julie got back with the refreshments, the children all ran to the turquoise water. The cool water felt terrific on a hot day like this. Even many adults joined them, like Fozzie, Rowlf, Gonzo, Lew Zealand and Kermit. Laughter was heard through the island from the playing Muppets and the Muppets, and human girl, watching.

Great start! I already want the next chapter to be out. And I think I spotted a few nods to KH in here, maybe just my imagination...

Oh yes, I forgot to mention, the Sam-Harry-bomb part was HILARIOUS. I literally laughed till my stomach felt like SuperGlue.

Great to know you like it
Chappie number two is in the process of being written but I can't say yet if I can post it today or tomorrow.

Maybe not. Just tell me what you found and I can either confirm or deny it

Yay, second chappie's here


Chapter Two

Night of Fate

Mister Delwyn left Muppet Island when the sun set. On his insistence, there was no big goodbye, just Kermit seeing him off. The others were meanwhile at the plaza, carrying the dishes and cutlery back to the inn. Those who did not carry the dishes and cutlery, carried the tables and chairs and the rest helped Wayne and Wanda washing the dishes. After Kermit had seen Mister Delwyn off, he went to help washing. Around him, the others talked about their visitor, speaking about the aura he emitted. It was awe-inspiring but there was also something that made them feel uneasy. But maybe it was just that they did not have another leader to visit them for ages. The last time was long before Kermit became leader, when he was still a little tadpole. Besides, the only visitors they got were tourists every summer; it was very rare when someone moved to the island. The last time it happened was when Julie came to the island after a shipwreck two years ago. It was around the same time Robin’s parents left to go on an expedition. Since then, she did odd jobs around the island while trying to apply for a magic institute.
“Here’s the last of them”, announced Fozzie, carrying a stack of dishes in his arms. Wanda instructed him to give these to Marvin and Clifford, who had just finished their stack. After he did so, he helped Camilla, Gonzo and Hilda cleaning the tables.

Everybody went home after they were finished. The sun was long gone now; the night sky was full of stars and a crescent moon. Children were sent to bed as soon as they came home but not every child was snuggled up in their bed. No, some secretly read a book or played quietly. Robin was one of those who quietly played with his toys after having been sent to bed by his uncle. Kermit, meanwhile, was with Julie in the library. The latter read a book about the mythologies of Muppet Island. Eighties Robot had given them both a cup of peppermint tea.
“What did Mister Delwyn want?”, asked Julie, looking up from the book.
“He asked me about the history and mythologies of the island”, replied Kermit. “But I couldn’t really give him an answer. It was too long since I last read about them. I told him to consult you. You are interested in this topic after all. I mean I wouldn’t be surprised if you knew them all by heart.”
“That’s true, but he didn’t come to me and ask me.”
Julie leaned forward to take her cup but when she saw a large spider crawling on the table, she jumped back. Kermit calmly took the spider in his hands and released it into the wild by throwing it out of the window before closing it. Julie gave him a nervous grin before emptying her cup of tea.
“I’ll go home now. Um, you don’t mind if I borrow this book, do you?”
“You don’t even have to ask anymore.”
Julie muttered something of how true that is and smilingly said her goodbye and left. Kermit quickly emptied his cup of tea and brought both cups to the kitchen. After putting them in the sink, he went upstairs. Passing Robin’s bedroom, he heard sounds coming from there. He opened the door to investigate and what did he find but Robin playing with his toys? The little frog looked up and tried in vain to hide his toys.
“Robin, shouldn’t you be sleeping now?”, asked Kermit, tapping his flipper and folding his arms.
Robin turned his full body around so that was completely facing his uncle.
“Yeah but I can’t sleep.”
Kermit smilingly shook his head and walked over to his nephew. He helped him putting his toys away. Then Robin was under the bedcovers, Kermit sat next to him and read him a bedtime story.

The islander continued their usual routine the following day. Children went to school, teasing and making fun of Sam, Hilda had her store open and would accept orders, Lew Zealand was out fishing and Marvin was selling groceries. Camilla checked how many eggs the chickens had laid, while the farmers were tending the other animals. Gonzo was out somewhere, plotting another stunt that would most likely earn him a bed at the doctor’s. In fact, there was even a bed reserved only for Gonzo. Julie helped Clifford in his rental for surfboards and diving equipment out. Crazy Harry tinkered with his bombs and other explosives which would blow up every now and then. Kermit made sure everyone had everything they need. With the explosion coming from Harry, Gonzo shooting himself out of his cannon, Fozzie annoying others with his jokes, Rowlf helping the doctor and making terrible puns and Lew throwing fish around, it was a perfectly normal day. A few women met at the plaza to gossip.
“Have you heard? The Newsman said Mister Delwyn was very interested in Julie’s magic.”
“Really? I only know he’s interested in our history and mythologies. Do you suppose he’s going to teach her some more magic?”
“I don’t know. For all I know, he could simply need a mage.”
“Then why doesn’t he look for one somewhere else? Her magic is weak.”
“Maybe he does know magic and he’s looking for someone to pass it on?”
“Well then, why didn’t he take her with him? Then we’d be rid of her.”
The other women stopped talking and frowned at the oldest of the bunch.
“Don’t be so mean, Heidi.”
“Yeah, even if you don’t like her, be at least tolerant.”
But Heidi stubbornly shook her head.
“There’s something fishy about her. She turned up around the same time Robin’s parents left and she has a good relationship with him and his uncle. And she shows great interest in our history and mythologies.”
“You sound like she shouldn’t”, said the youngest woman, frowning in confusion.
“Vivian, no one’s who is not from here is usually interested in our past”, reminded Heidi her. “For all we know, she can cast strong magic and one day she will use it to wipe us all out.”
“But she doesn’t strike me as someone who would do this”, said the third woman, a frown showing o her face.
“Well, I won’t change my mind about her. Good day.”
Heidi left superciliously the plaza. Vivian and her friends looked concernedly at each other. Why was Heidi that way with Julie? She had done nothing wrong.
“Do you think Heidi’s right about her, Betty?”, Vivian wondered.
“I doubt it; she’s too nice to do that. But I can’t understand why Heidi thinks that. I mean I don’t like Julie that much either, but I don’t think she would betray us.”

The very same girl they had been talking about was currently busy tidying up Clifford’s rental. She wondered if he ever had tidied up himself. From the looks of it, it did not seem so. Surfboards leaned against the wall or lay on the floor; diving equipment was strewn everywhere, making it difficult to walk around. Julie silently asked herself how he managed to stay on top of things while she picked up the diving goggles, the last of the diving equipment she had to put away. Just after she put them in the shelf, Clifford came back.
“Here for you”, he said, handing her a soft ice cream. “As little thank you for cleaning up the place.”
“Thank you”, said Julie, taking the soft ice cream. Clifford had now taken up to tidy up his rental while she tasted the cool chocolate-vanilla sweetness on her tongue. She leaned against the counter and watched him leaning the surfboards neatly against the wall. By the time she had finished her soft ice cream, the rental was tidy at last. In her opinion, it looked much better now.
“Good afternoon”, said the Newsman. Compared to the others in the background, who were all in their swimsuits and swim trunks, he looked out of place in his suit.
“Dude, don’t you think you should change before you rent somethin’?”, asked Clifford, eyeing the suit.
“I’m not here to rent, I’m here to speak to Julie.”
Said girl looked surprised at his. The Newsman was usually the one telling other news, hence his name. Did he even have an actual name? But there was never something for Julie.
“Yes?”, she responded, leaning forward to listen to whatever the Newsman had to say.
“It just came in. Mister Delwyn sends a boat to pick you up”, announced the Newsman. Julie, who had been balancing the chair she occupied on its two front legs, lost her balance and fell down. Clifford helped her up.
“When does the boat arrive?”, she asked, rubbing the side she landed on.
“I don’t know but I guess some time after sundown.”
“I guess I better go pack my things... uh”, Julie looked unsurely at Clifford.
“Go ahead”, he said. Julie said good bye to him and the Newsman and was off.

Muppet Island was engulfed in a warm orange light as the sun set. Gonzo and Fozzie were currently at the beach and tried to make a fire. But to no avail. Robin, Lew, Marvin and Clifford watched them. A bucket half-full of fish, a can full of flies and mosquitoes and a bag full of marshmallows were at their feet. Getting bored, Robin suggested a game of I Spy. Seeing that it would take a while until the fire would start burning, the other three agreed.
“I spy something tall”, said Robin.
“The palm trees?”, replied Clifford. Robin shook his head in negative.
“The mountain?”
“A whale?”
“Gonzo standing on Fozzie’s shoulders and holding a flamethrower?”
Robin, Lew and Clifford gave Marvin strange looks. He simply stared at Fozzie and Gonzo and the others followed suit. To their surprise, Gonzo really stood on Fozzie’s shoulders and had a flamethrower, wherever he got it from.
“With this baby, we’ll have a campfire in no time!”, announced Gonzo. The others moved away from them when a flame shot out, making the immediate area very hot. After all, one never knew what might happen with Gonzo around. They only returned when it was deemed save… only to realize that he had missed the wood and instead burned the sand. Gonzo lost his balance in astonishment and landed, nose first, in the sand. The wood still looked like it had been just collected.
“Need any help?”
Julie had just arrived at the beach, two suitcases in her hands. She walked over to where the others were and put her suitcases down. Then she directed both her hands at the wood and used a fire spell. A small flame appeared; it was not much but still better than what Gonzo and Fozzie had achieved. She tried it again and again until she was drained off of her energy. Nevertheless, a campfire happily danced in their circle. Julie sluggishly went back to her suitcases and collapsed on the sand, wiping sweat from her forehead. Lew Zealand put seven fish on sticks and handed everyone present one.
“What’s with the suitcases?”, wondered Robin.
“Well, the Newsman told me Mister Delwyn sent a boat for me, which will arrive soon, and I don’t know how long I’ll be gone”, replied Julie, holding her fish close to the fire.
“But you’re coming back, right?”, asked the little frog.
“Of course. No matter where I go or how long I’m gone, I can always come back here”, she paused and looked, a little unsurely, at Robin, Fozzie, Gonzo, Lew, Marvin and Clifford. “Right?”
“That’s right”, confirmed Fozzie, speaking for everyone. Julie gave him a warm smile. She then pulled her fish away from the fire and examined it. Deciding it was well-done, she began to eat it. Everybody else, save for Gonzo, did the same and ate their fish with the warm orange glow of the fire illuminating their faces. Robin told them about how a classmate had pulled a prank on Sam. It involved the eagle sitting on several water balloons and having a note attached on his back, all the while not noticing either of those things. According to Robin, he did not eve notice two kids taking a portrait of the founder of the school away and hiding it under the teacher desk during one lesson. The other laughed merrily about this and voiced their wishes of having seen it. It was so easy to pull a prank on Sam but still hilarious.
“Maybe we should think of something for April the first”, suggested Fozzie.
“Please, not another April Fools’ joke. I’m still trying to delete the memory of the last one out of my mind”, said someone behind them. It was Kermit who walked over and sat down between his nephew and his beary best friend. The last April Fools’ joke involved Gonzo doing a ballet on a pole above the trees of the jungle while reciting The Sorcerer’s Apprentice and to the music of Tchaikovsky’s Russian Dance from his popular Nutcracker Suite. Every now and then, he had pretended to fall into the dangerous part of the jungle, much to the frog’s shock. In the end, Gonzo was punished to do community service.
“I thought it was great”, commented their local weirdo. Kermit made a crunched face but did not say anything.
“Aw, don’t worry, Kermit”, said Fozzie, putting an arm around his shoulders. “This time we pull a prank on Sam.”
“Then I guess I don’t have to be worried… or maybe I should”, responded Kermit, muttering the last part to himself.
“Relax, Kermit, what’s the worst that could happen?”, contributed Clifford. He offered the bag of marshmallows to the others. Everybody took one, except Kermit and Robin. They each took some flies and, while roasting their marshmallows or flies, Kermit muttered that many things could happen. Sometimes, Lew Zealand would throw a boomerang fish and the others would take cover without even looking.

Time passed, they were out of fish, and there were only a handful of marshmallows left and the can of flies was empty. Clifford, Lew and Marvin had gone home and Kermit had brought Robin home. Although, he returned later to make sure the last three remaining would not cause any mayhem. It was not like he did not trust them but one could never know. To his relief, however, Fozzie, Gonzo and Julie still sat around the fire. The latter took a marshmallow and ate it without roasting it. They seemed to be talking about something.
“Hi ho”, Kermit greeted the, sitting back down. At that moment, he spotted a ship approaching the island. “I think your ride is almost here, Julie.”
The Newsman had told him about Julie leaving for a while. She looked over to the sea to see a white ship before letting out a little sigh. While she was keen to know what Mister Delwyn wants, she also felt a little sad. Muppet Island had been her home for two years and she would not have thought leaving could be so hard. But she cheered herself up by thinking it was not forever. With that in mind, Julie opened one of her suitcases and got a little bag out and a book out. She wordlessly gave Kermit the book.
“I made these myself”, she said and handed the bag Kermit. He looked inside and saw eight charms. They were all oval-shaped.
“It is said somewhere in this world is an oval-shaped fruit. When shared, friends would be bonded by destiny. But when lovers would share one of these, their connection would be deeper. I made these, for in case you guys find someone to love, you can give one to them”, explained Julie.
“I think I heard about this fruit but I didn’t know a charm could work”, responded Kermit, examining a green one. It was made from seashells painted in that color with pearls and feathers adorning it.
“It’s not as effective as actually sharing the fruit but according to superstition, those charms can protect one”, said Julie. She took a turquoise colored one. “I thought it would be a nice thing to do.”
“I like the idea”, commented Fozzie and took a yellow one. Gonzo agreed while taking a blue one. The ship was almost at the harbor. Julie used a few water spells to extinguish the fire, exhausting herself once again. Then she said goodbye to her friends and walked to the harbor.

A week had passed since that night. By now, summer holidays for the children had started, much to their, and Sam’s, joy. Heidi would use every opportunity to voice her happiness over Julie’s departure, much to the villager’s chagrin. Those who liked her would always defend her when Heidi said something nasty while the others would roll their eyes and tell her to shut up. But other than that, it was pretty normal on Muppet Island. Well, as normal as it could be. A few days ago, Gonzo caused excitement by letting himself shot out of a cannon and eating ice cream at the same time. Currently, he was trying to negotiate with a farmer to lend him his biggest and meanest bull for his next stunt. The farmer vehemently opposed to the idea and threw Gonzo out of his property.
When summer holidays started then it was usually just a short time before tourists start arriving. Thus, shops and other facilities, particularly the inn and the doctor, were cleaned up. But it could not be said for the Muppets who remained as crazy as ever. Still, a lot of tourists came every year. Maybe it was the excitement; maybe they did not know it any better. Nevertheless, summer season was the most lucrative time of the year.
Kermit took a walk through the village after the sun set at the end of a fine day. He passed Marvin playing music on the Muppaphones, Sam talking to the older villagers and kids running and laughing. That night, Robin would sleep over at a friend’s house, so Kermit decided to drop by the bar later. But for now he would gaze at the stars while playing his trusty banjo. But he never got the chance to…

Thunderclouds filled the sky, the soft breeze turned into a storm. The earth rumbled and an ear-deafening thunder was heard throughout the island. A dark, ominous cloud formed right above Muppet Island. Lightning struck, narrowly missing a couple of Muppets. Creatures of various shapes and heights materialized. From big burly ones to tiny little ones that would actually look cute if it were not for the fact that they destroyed a building the moment they appeared. One that had the build of a tiger slashed Thog, leaving three scars on his arm. Another one, which was shaped like a giant spider, jumped and imprisoned a few children under its body, with its long hairy legs as the bars. Their mothers and fathers tried to free them but their efforts were futile because the spidery dark creature emitted a kind of sticky gooey material which was not unlike a spider web, mummifying them. Other creatures attacked relentlessly, not caring whether they hit buildings or Muppets. Nothing was save from them, nothing at all. Children screamed for their parents, parents screamed for their children and those who found each other ran to the harbor. Kermit pushed through the crowd, desperately trying to find Robin. He felt somebody touching his shoulder. Scared it might be one of those creatures, he jumped and whirled around. To his relief it was only Rowlf with Robin by his side. Kermit took them both by his hands and they made a dash for the harbor.
But as they arrived there, they realized they could not use a boat to escape. Waves high as buildings raged the sea, so much that no one dared to go to the boats. Little children began to cry and clutched to their parents. Some squeezed their loved one’s hand to either assure them or themselves everything will be alright. Other frowned and alternatively looked to the village and the sea.
“LOOK OUT!”, somebody shouted. A spherical creature, as monumental as a boulder, rolled in their direction. It started jumping about halfway, making the earth quake horribly. Muppets lost their balance and when they tried to get up, they would only fall down again. Some even fell into the raging sea. The creature stopped jumping when it reached the docks but continued rolling. It rolled and rolled and knocked a number of those remaining off the docks. The others who were still on land had to try and dodge it, which caused them to loose their balance and also fall into the water. Upon falling into the sea, Kermit lost hold of both Robin and Rowlf. He tried to call out for them but his words were drowned by the water. He could see some Muppets trying and, to his relief, succeeding to stay above he water. But it did not really help, they could not swim anywhere. The enormous waves washed them all off to destinations unknown…

OMG THAT WAS A GREAT CHAPPIE.

Yay, chappie número tres


Chapter Three

The Beginning of The Journey

Kermit, who had lost his consciousness, awoke. His head was aching and he, while rubbing it, looked around. He could not recognize his surroundings or remember what had happened. Currently, he was in a small bedroom with the bed he was in, a cupboard, a table and a chair as the only furniture. The walls were white in color and the carpet was a simple red one. Memories returned to him. He remembered those creatures, the storm and him losing his friends, family and home. A feeling of desperation and worry surged through his body. Had they survived? He could not dare to think the alternative. They had to live, they simply had to.
“You’re awake I see”, said a voice Kermit did not recognize. A yellowish brown humanoid Muppet with a brown mop of hair had entered the room. He carried a tray with a bowl and a loaf of bread placed on it. The smell of onion soup filled the room and only then Kermit realized how hungry he was. The stranger handed Kermit the tray and, saying his thanks, the frog started to eat.
“I’m Walter, by the way”, said the stranger. “Who are you?”
“I’m Kermit The Frog”, he replied. He had finished half of the soup and bread by now. Kermit was thankful for the help; still he wanted to know where he was.
“You’re in my house near the village of Little Town”, Walter answered the question. He watched Kermit eating the rest of the soup and bread. After he had finished, Walter took the tray and placed it on the table. Then he looked curiously and a little concerned at Kermit:
“What happened? You looked like you almost drowned when I found you.”
Deep in thought, Kermit looked to his hands and reflected on what had happened. It was all so sudden; one minute, everything was fine, and then the next minute, everything changed. Kermit could not comprehend how it happened, it just did.
“We were attacked. Strange creatures attacked us, they destroyed our homes. We tried to flee but there was no escape. Then one knocked us all in the water. That’s all I can remember. I don’t know what happened to everyone else. I don’t know what happened to my friends, to my nephew”, Kermit recalled. All the time, he spoke in a slow, quiet voice. His body was hunched and his eyes showed his shock and sadness over the loss of his friends and nephew.
“How long was I unconscious?”, the frog wondered.
“A week”, was the reply. “I was actually worried you’d ever wake up.”
Walter reached for something at the end of the bed. A second later, it was revealed to be a banjo and a little bag. He gave both items to Kermit.
“You know, you can use a banjo as a weapon”, Walter told him. Kermit looked shocked when he heard this and, unconsciously, held his banjo closer to him.
“I’m not going to bash my enemies on the head with it”, he said.
“Not like that. I mean by playing music”, replied Walter. Upon seeing Kermit’s confusion, he elaborated: “You can use music to attack enemies or inflict negative status effects like sleep or poison on them or positive status effects on your allies. I can take you to a place where you can learn this.”
Kermit thought about this. He did not like fighting but when he remembered those creatures; he just knew he had to. There was no alternative, no peaceful way out if he wanted to return home with his friends and nephew. One look, full of resolve and determination, was enough to give Walter an answer.

Walter brought Kermit to an old place. It was a castle from times of old. A crest showing a flame, a water drop, a thunderbolt and a little whirlwind surrounding a flower adorned the entrance doors. Above the crest was a single word written: Sapientia. Inside the castle, everything was marble. Students were running around, much to Kermit’s surprise. He thought it was summer holidays. Should they not be at home?
“Why are there still students here? Summer holidays have started a week ago”, said Kermit.
“They are orphans or stay here because it’s not save at home. Many of them live in war zones, so it can sometimes be a combination of both”, explained Walter. A girl walked past the two, stopped and did a double take.
“Did you make your wife angry?”, she asked Kermit.
“Ah no. I don’t even have a wife”, he replied. The girl shrugged and walked off; leaving Kermit to wonder what was that about.
Kermit and Walter reached the office of the deputy headmistress, Madam Johnson. The elderly woman looked up from her paperwork when the two entered.
“Please have a seat”, she said. “I must say, I am surprised to see you her in this facility again, Walter. You haven’t been here since you graduated five years ago.”
“Kermit here needs help, Madam”, Walter explained. Madam Johnson directed her eyes at Kermit, who began to tell her about everything that had happened. She listened attentively, nodding at certain part or making shocked faces but she never interrupted him. When Kermit had finished, Madam Johnson stood up and paced in her office, deep in thought. She looked out of the window to the school grounds, where a couple of boys practiced spells on a dummy. After a few moments, she faced Kermit and Walter once again.
“Those creatures you told me about… there have been reports of them from all over the world, particularly the war zones. No one knows what they are but somebody coined the name Destroyer”, Madam Johnson sat back down and rubbed her temples. “It’s been stressful lately with all those Destroyers appearing and our headmaster’s disappearance.”
“You mean Mister Delwyn has disappeared?”, exclaimed Walter in shock. Kermit was surprised when he heard that name.
“Mister Delwyn? He has visited Muppet Island two weeks ago. I thought he was a leader”, said Kermit.
“He’s the headmaster of this school and the leader of Little Town”, explained Madam Johnson. “Two weeks ago was the last time we saw him. I personally saw him off. But he never returned from the island.”
“That’s strange, I saw him off too, when he departed. He even sent a ship for our mage the next day”, Kermit told her. Madam Johnson frowned at this.
“Perhaps something happened to the ship he was on… But tell me more about your mage, maybe I know something about your mage.”
“Well, her name’s Julie and she can only cast low-level magic. She’s been trying to attend a more advanced school for ages but she never got any answers.”
“Hm, there haven’t been any application letters from Muppet Island for thirty years. But could you describe her?”
“Well, her hair is dark blonde, she has had blue-gray and she wears glasses. She usually wears either blue or turquoise.”
“No, I can’t say I have seen someone like her around. But I wonder if her disappearances as well as Mister Delwyn’s are connected to the Destroyers. Well, only one way to find out”, Madam Johnson said. She stood up and walked out of her office only to return a few minutes later in company of a brown Muppet in a checkered jacket and white pants. He looked at Kermit and Walter with interest.
“Beauregard, I want you to take these two to the training grounds. Let Kermit learn the basics of a Bard and when he’s ready, drive him and Walter to Jamais Dormir Ville”, Madam Johnson instructed. Beauregard saluted and left together with Kermit and Walter. After they were gone, Madam Johnson tapped her chin in thought and wondered:
“Why did I forbid him to drive a car again?”

Beauregard set up a couple of dummies while Kermit was watching other students practicing magic. Walter arrived with a very thin book in his hands he had lent from a friend who had chosen to be a Bard and who would not graduate for another year. He gave him the book and Kermit began to read. The book began with the history of the Bards, how they used at first only harps. Later more instruments were added to the weapon assemble. Most of the book consisted of how a Bard could change the status of enemies and friends alike; depending of the song he played. He could also sing which would damage the enemy and cause a random status effect. A list of songs for beginners followed with the lyrics and tunes. Kermit decided to play the first song, Moon’s Lullaby. He studied the lyrics and tune for a while until he felt he knew it all by heart and started to play. The dummy he directed his banjo at fell over and a snore escaped it. Kermit stopped playing and stared at the dummy in surprise. Needless to say, he had not been expecting this. Walter chuckled at Kermit’s face and when he noticed Beauregard had fallen asleep, too.
“These are special dummies that react to attacks like an enemy would”, he explained. “We thought it would be better than practicing on sentient beings.”
Kermit had to admit it was a great idea. It was definitely better than on a living being. After all, who knew what could happen if something went wrong? He played the song again until he felt confident he could play it without any trouble. Then he practiced all the other songs in the book, which were not many.
“Sorry if there aren’t any more songs, Kermit”, Walter apologized. “My friend comes from a poor family. He couldn’t afford a better book.”
“That’s okay, Walter”, said Kermit, laying a hand on his shoulder. “At least, I know I can defend myself and besides, I’m sure I can learn more along the way, right?”
“Right! C’mon, let’s put these dummies away and then, we can go”, replied Walter, picking up a dummy. But it was too heavy for him to carry it alone, so Kermit went over to help. Both worked together and after some time had passed, they were done. By now, it was late afternoon.
“We better wake Beauregard. The streets can be dangerous at nighttime”, said Walter, looking at the sky. It took them some time to wake him, all curled up and cuddling his mop, up. When they finally succeeded, they wasted no time to get into a car. Although Walter had to return the book before they could go.

Later, Kermit found himself sitting in the passenger seat with his banjo and his bags of charms. He had attached the one he chose to his vest. Walter sat behind him and Beauregard sat on the driver’s seat. Beauregard started the car right after the two passengers had put on their seatbelts and lucky they did. He started the car like he was out on an auto race. People, Muppets and human alike, had to jump out of the way to avoid him. Beauregard gave obstacles such a wide berth that Kermit and Walter feared he would crash into something else. Somehow, their driver managed to avoid that. Just as Kermit asked to himself if he could ever survive the ride, Beauregard stopped.
“Beau, why did you stop?”, asked Walter. He leaned to the side to get a better look at the street. The answer to his question was a creature. It was fairly small and had big ears and eyes. But it had huge fangs and claws; if it did not have these, it would look like a rabbit-sized mouse. It curiously looked at the car before suddenly and unexpectedly, it slashed through the car, making a fine cut in the middle. The three Muppets looked at it in shock. What just happened?
“Should we fight it?”, Kermit asked. The creature ran up to Walter and made a pounce, which he could barely dodge.
“I’d say yes”, Walter replied, jumping on his feet. The creature made a dash for Kermit, who took his banjo and played the song Shadows In The Night. By the time the song was finished, the creature was only a few feet away from Kermit. It looked like the frog would meet its claws any moment now but it missed by a mile. The creature made several swipes in hopes of hitting someone but seeing that a black cloud hung over its eyes, it might as well try to sneeze with its eyes open. Walter stepped forward and produced a bell. He rang it a few times, the chimes damaging the dangerous critter. Kermit played a random tune; little notes flew to the enemy. It shrieked in pain. Kermit did it again a few times, while Walter stood next to him. He had his eyes shut and his face was in a frown, as if he tried to remember something. Then he opened his eyes and rang his bell again. This time, the chime was much louder, comparable to a church bell. It became very stormy; the creature could barely stand on the ground. But, miraculously, Kermit and Walter, as well as Beauregard, who stood on the sidelines, were unaffected by the storm. Two glowing crescents shapes appeared suddenly and slashed the enemy, defeating it.
“What was that?”, asked an astounded Kermit.
“I’m a Geomancer. I can use magic depending on the terrain”, explained Walter. He and Kermit looked at the car. Well, it seemed this one was up in the automobile heaven; there was no way to repair it. According to Beauregard, they could make it to Jamais Dormir Ville in an hour or two. So, they said goodbye to him before departing. Beauregard simply walked back to the Sapientia.

The way to Jamais Dormir Ville was a long winding road on a green field. A few hills were on the plains as were lonely trees. No one was out there; it was just Kermit and Walter. The latter told Kermit about the things one could learn at Sapientia. Students could choose what kind of magic they want to learn. There were healing magic, magic to hurt your enemies, geomancy, learning enemy skills, playing music and singing or dancing and singing. The first two could be combined as could the last two. Kermit told Walter about Muppet Island. He seemed to be very interested.
“I think I would have loved that place”, he commented after Kermit was finished.
“If it still exists”, replied Kermit, letting out a sad sigh. Walter put a hand o his shoulder and gave him an encouraging smile.
“It will and if not, we could always rebuild it. We find your friends, we find Mister Delwyn and this Julie and then we all go to Muppet Island.”
“Yeah, you’re right. We’ll find them.”
Confident and with hope filling his heart, Kermit walked waster down the road with his new friend by his side.

I have showed up late and wrong to this story, but I'm still going to say I liked it.

Do more!

Better late than never
But I'm glad you like it

More? Chappie Four's curently being written

And here's chapter Nummer vier


Chapter Four

Welcome To The City That Never Sleeps

It was already night when Kermit and Walter finally reached Jamais Dormir Ville. Along the way, they had to fight a few more of this rabbit-sized mouse-resembling Destroyer. The long walk and all the fighting had worn them out. There were only two things they wanted at the very moment; something to eat and a place to sleep. To their surprise, there were still people out and about. Neon lights made the city as bright as the day. Loud deafening music blasted from every direction, people partied all around. Some people danced on the streets or leaned out of cruising cars. Others sat around and laughed about the silly antics a man made. Every now and then, a stream of curses could be heard, which made Kermit grateful that no children were around. He certainly did not want Robin to learn those kinds of words. He and Walter tried to push through the crowds; occasionally coming across some people who did not seem to care they were in public. A couple of people pulled Kermit away from Walter. They danced around him or drank beer. Among them were a few, where he hoped they simply looked younger than they actually were.
“Come on! Dance with us!”, said a young man very loudly. He had an unsteady walk as he walked over to Kermit. He leaned close to the frog’s face, the revolting smell of beer and cigarettes reaching up Kermit’s non-existent nose. Kermit made a face.
“Say, you look a little green around the nose”, he slurred in a slightly drunken voice. A girl, whose clothes were more revealing than a bikini, appeared next to the man.
“He’s green all over. Did he eat something wrong?”, she said, poking Kermit’s arm.
“No, I’m a frog”, he explained. The girl stopped poking and shrieked. She ran back to her friends.
“Quick, wash it off or you’ll get warts!”, another girl shouted. The girl who poked Kermit nodded and ran off in a panic, a few of her friends following her. Other people around them had stopped dancing to see what all the commotion was all about.
“That’s just a myth”, said Kermit, but no one listened to him. The rest of the group who had dragged him away from Walter moved away from him. The only exception was the young man with the beery breath. He had his arm around Kermit.
“Girls. Tell ‘em something’s wrong with ya, and they’ll leave ya”, he said sagely. Well, as sagely as he could in his slightly drunken state.
“Um, yeah, I’ll keep that in mind”, replied a very unsure Kermit. He did not understand anything that had happened in the last five minutes and it did not matter that he felt tired at the moment. Even if he were wide awake, he was sure he would not have understood all of this either. The young man removed his arm and went to find his friends. Kermit shook his head while wondering if everyone in Jamais Dormir Ville was like this… and if every night was like this.

Walter did not notice that Kermit was missing at once. It was only when he found a place with relatively few people, he noticed Kermit was gone. He looked back to the crowd and scratched his head. When did he and his friend lose each other? Walter watched the big crowd singing and dancing and began to panic. What if something had happened to Kermit? What if he was all alone lying injured on the sidewalk with no one there to help him? Walter ran back to the crowd, looking for his friend. Pushing through the crowds, he asked the partying people if they have seen a frog. But they either did not hear him or were ignoring him. If somebody did answer him, however, it was always negative. Walter pushed himself out of the crowd to the sidewalks. Leaning against the exterior wall of a building, he overheard some people nearby talking.
“I can’t believe we touched a frog”, said a girl, whose clothes were more revealing than a bikini. Walter listened attentively as soon as he heard her say “frog”. Maybe they knew something about Kermit.
“I hope we won’t get any warts”, a boy, who looked like he was not old enough to drink alcohol. Walter approached the group.
“Um, excuse me, have any of you seen a frog?”, he asked. The girls looked revolted at his question but made no comment.
“Yes, we left one over there near the library”, replied one. She pointed in the direction of where the library could be found. Walter looked over to see a large building. Thanks to the bright light, he could read the word Bibliothéque. Underneath were the words Library of Jamais Dormir Ville.
“But if I were you, I would get some rubber gloves before touching him. Or you’ll get warts”, said the girl.
“I thought that as just a myth… but thanks anyway. Bye”, said Walter and left the group. They just watched him go and shook their heads, not comprehending why he would want to find a frog.

When Walter finally managed to reach the library, he only saw a couple of youths sitting on the steps of the buildings. The streets were littered with empty bottles and cans; somebody had lost her high-heel. He briefly wondered why no one had come to retrieve the shoe. Not far away was a man picking up all the littler in a garbage bag. Walter approached him.
“Excuse me, sir, have you seen a frog in a vest?”, he asked the gray-haired mustached man. The man scratched his chin in thought.
“I think I did, sonny”, he said after a few moments. Walter was relieved to hear this. Now if the nice old man could tell him where his friend was, Walter would be very grateful.
“I think he went to the park, but I’m not sure”, added the man and proceed to tell Walter the way to the park. Walter thanked him before leaving. The man smiled after him and played with a loose string on his jacket.
“Nice little fella, unlike some other people.”
He glanced at the youths while saying the last part. A boy threw an empty can on the street. He and his friends sang loudly, and in some cases off-key, to the songs. Some sounded drunk, but a few still sounded sober. Two girls stood up and started to dance. The boys whistled and cheered them on. The old man simply shook his head while picking up an empty bottle. How could one party his life away? Then again, he reflected, he was like that once, too. But in the end, he only got a job as garbage man. At least it was better than the fate that befalls many others who only party in Jamais Dormir Ville, homelessness. Most of the people in this city who got a decent job were the ones who were able to divide heir time in work and fun. And seeing the youths wasting their time away was kind of sad. He hoped they would see the light someday… before contemplating off seeing the pretty hotel singer sing.

After Kermit had been left alone, he decided to look for Walter. It was troublesome finding him in that crowd and no one seemed to be willing to help. No, they were too busy dancing, drinking and doing other stuff to care about the frog’s plight. In hopes of finding Walter or being found by him, Kermit diverged from the partying people and to a quieter part of the city. It seemed to be much darker now that no neon lights provide any lighting anymore. Only the streetlights cast off a dim glow but at least it was quieter. However, he could still hear the music from the party. At least, it was not as deafening as before. Indeed, when Kermit looked around, he saw this part of Jamais Dormir Ville was almost empty of people. The buildings were rundown or about to be demolished. Kermit could barely make out shapes of people sleeping in the alleys. Saddened by this sight, he sat down on a bench and took his banjo in his hands. He sat there for a long time, contemplating if he should play a little melody or not.
“Mind if I sit there?”, asked someone. Kermit looked up and saw a light-haired man who had a pale complexion and who was in his middle ages, wearing tattered clothing. Despite his obvious situation of poverty, he was smiling. The frog nodded in answer and the man sat down on the bench.
“You’re not from around here, are you?”, he asked.
“How do you know that?”, asked a bewildered Kermit. His mouth was wide open and he stared at the man in astonishment. The man laughed good-naturedly. But it soon turned into a sad sigh and an explanation:
“No one from Jamais Dormir Ville ever comes here. They don’t care about us living in poverty. I was actually the same once. Twenty-four years ago, I came here for a business trip and stumbled upon this part. I didn’t care about them back then; all I wanted was to find my hotel. I did and there I met the woman of my dreams. I quit my job and moved here. I found a new job in a company. I dated her for a few months before I proposed. Two years later, our daughter was born. We were happy.”
“And what happened then?”, asked Kermit slowly.
“You see those folks partying the night away?”, the man said, pointing at the direction from where Kermit came.
“Yeah. Does this happen every night?”
“It does”, the man confirmed. “And sadly many of those only care about drinking, dancing and doing other stuff. They did everything but actually caring about their future. I went there every night, too. I never cared for our daughter or my wife. No, I was too busy partying and even started an affair. When she found out, she left me and moved with our daughter away. I lost my job and couldn’t get another. I ended up on this district and lived in an apartment. It was demolished a few years ago. If I had spent more time with my family, maybe I wouldn’t be in this mess.”
The man fell silent as he looked over to the bright lights from where they could here music and even some people shouting.
“Some of those who live here in this part used to party like this every night. They didn’t bother to graduate school or get a job. But some were just unfortunate in life. It’s not easy living here.”
He stared at Kermit intently. The frog felt slightly uncomfortable in his gaze.
“I tell you, should you ever find the woman of your dreams here or any similar city, settle down with her in a quieter place. Somewhere you can actually get a job and keep it. And always cherish her. I didn’t do it and I lost her. Promise me you won’t make the same mistake I did, okay?”
Kermit had listened attentively the whole time. He was appalled when he heard how the man threw his family life away. But the frog could also see how much he regrets this and judging from the way the man asked his little favor, he did not want it to happen to others as well.
“I promise”, replied Kermit, even though he had no idea where and when and if he would ever the right one. But one could never know and besides, there were other things on his mind now. At first, he had to find his friends, Robin and find out if Julie and Mister Delwyn’s disappearances are connected to the Destroyers. Then they had to rebuild home or build an entirely new home. These things were more important than getting married.
“You know if you want to play that banjo then go ahead. I’m sure no one would mind some peaceful music”, said the man. “By the way, I’m Paul.”
“I’m Kermit”, replied the frog. He moved his fingers to the strings but paused. “You’re really sure they wouldn’t mind?”
“I’m positive, Kermit. Actually, I think it might cheer them up.”
“Alright…”
And he started to play a song, a song he had often played when he and his friends were gathered around the campfire. It was a beloved song that originated from Muppet Island. For a moment, he was back home with his friends and family. For a moment they sat around the campfire, telling ghost stories, playing music and worrying about Gonzo’s latest stunt. Kermit was so lost in thought he did not notice other homeless people gathering around him and Paul.

Walter had managed to get past the party and to get to the park. His eyes had first to get accustomed to the dim lights now that he was gone from the bright party scene. Then he walked through the gate to the park of Jamais Dormir Ville. Savoring the not-complete silence after having spent too much time around deafening music, he looked everywhere for Kermit. Walter often passed a girl, who had a pale complexion, sitting on a bench. Whenever he passed, she would look at him in interest until she finally spoke up:
“Looking for something?”
Walter stopped for a moment and looked over at her. Then he approached her.
“Um, I’m actually looking for someone”, he replied. Her mocha eyes filled with curiosity and she urged him to elaborate.
“I’m looking for my friend Kermit. He’s a frog wearing a vest and carrying a banjo around. You didn’t happen to have seen him, have you?”
“No sorry, I haven’t. The only frogs I’ve seen are those in the ponds here”, replied the girl, tucking her black hair behind her ear. Walter sighed and hung his head. He was so tired like he had not slept for days, even though it was just one day. The girl studied him for a moment before saying:
“Why don’t you sit down for a while?”
Well, he did need a break, so Walter sat down next to her.
“By the way, I’m Lenore”, she said, holding out her hand.
“And I’m Walter”, he replied and hook her hand. “How come you’re not at the party?”
“I’m not from here and I don’t feel like partying tonight. Besides, I rather like small parties with only your closest friends and family. You never know what might happen when so many strangers are there.”
Lenore had a point, Walter thought. Who knew what could happen with so many people, a considerable amount of alcohol and other stuff? If he had a choice, he would do the same as her.
“Is today a special day?”, Walter wondered.
“No, according to my mom, the citizens party every night. This is the reason why Jamais Dormir Ville is also known as The Never Sleeping City”, replied Lenore.
“Really?”
“Yeah. We used to live here but we moved away when I was little”, said Lenore, putting her hands behind her head and gazing at the moon. “I’m only here to visit my grandparents, which reminds me… I should head back before they notice I’m not in bed.”
“Don’t they know you’re here?”
“No, I left two hours ago because I couldn’t sleep”, said Lenore, grinning like a cheeky child. “But still, I better head back.”
She stood up, stretched her body and said:
“See you, I hope. And good luck finding your friend.”
And so, Lenore was gone. Walter said goodbye to her but decided to sit there for a while. His feet still hurt a little from walking around all day and half of the night and from all the fighting. Who would have thought that arriving in Jamais Dormir Ville was strenuous? Maybe it would have been easier if they had arrived during daytime? Or they should have simply tried to avoid the big crowd. Walter mentally noted to himself to put handcuffs around him and his friend the next time they try to make their way through a crowd. If he could get handcuffs… and if he could make sure to not lose the key. But hopefully it would never happen. Walter could imagine better things than trying to get handcuffs off. So, he simply decided to get a cowbell around Kermit’s neck.
“That would make it a frog bell”, mumbled Walter to himself and chuckled at the image of Kermit wearing a bell. Speaking of the frog, Walter should better continue looking. Thus he stood up and, repressing a yawn, continued to look for Kermit.

Walter left the park and as he stood in front of the gates, he thought about where to look. Perhaps he should go further down the street. After all, the old man said he was not sure when he told him he saw a frog heading to the park. So Kermit might as well have gone somewhere else and it only seemed he went here. Hoping to finally find him and to find a hotel, Walter made his way down the street. The loud deafening music gradually become even quieter but he could still hear it when he arrived in a rundown district. A couple of streetlights were broken, making this place much darker than the rest of the city. In the shadows were a few homeless watching his every movement but they made no attempt to mug him. No, they just looked at him with tired eyes and with a resigned face, as if they had given up on living a long time ago. Walter felt sad when he could make out their faces in the dark. He wished he could help them but did not know how. Walter forced himself to look away but his desire to help remained. That moment he promised himself to find a way to help them, even if it was just a little. Farther away, underneath a streetlight, he saw a cluster of people and heard banjo music… Banjo music? Walter made his way to where the people were and pushed himself through the crowd, apologizing all the way. What he found was a certain frog sitting on a bench and playing banjo. A man sat next to him. Walter slowly stepped forward and sat down, too. He found he liked the song but he kind of wished he knew what it was called. Kermit looked over to him but continued playing until the song was over.
“That was beautiful, Kermit”, commented the man with the other listeners murmuring words of agreement.
“Thank you, Paul. I used to play it often when I sat around the campfire with my friends.”
Kermit let out a sad sigh as he thought back to those days. The feeling of not knowing what had happened to them was unbearable. Walter laid a hand on his friend’s shoulder and said encouragingly:
“We’re gonna find them.”
“Yeah”, agreed Kermit. Next to him, Paul stood up and said:
“I don’t what happened, Kermit, but good luck finding your friends. I hope we see each other again.”
He left as did the others. Now it was only Kermit and Walter sitting on that bench.
“Well, let’s go find a hotel”, said the former.
“Yeah, I think I came across one while looking for you.”
And so, the two friends left this place under the streetlight, too.

And here's the next chapter


Chapter Five

First Day of Work

Walter led Kermit to the hotel he had found. Unfortunately, it was near the partying crowd but this time they made sure to stay away from them. Along the way, they came across a couple of drunken people sitting on the sidewalks and a few sober people helping them home. Actually, the number of party-goers had started to decrease and the lights were less bright than before. Still, there was a considerable amount of dancing and drinking people. Kermit could see how more and more of them left the party. He yawned loudly while his tummy rumbled. His walk was a little sluggish as was Walter’s. The hotel was situated across from the library. It did not look a five star hotel but Kermit still had a nagging fear in the back of his mind. Would they be able to pay? Walter seemed to have the same thought but they entered the building nonetheless. The foyer was well-lit but empty save for a single person at the reception. Quiet music came from his direction and they could see a small radio on his desk. He looked up when he heard the two enter.
“Bienvenue”, he said with a friendly smile, which did not quite reach his eyes. He had rings under his eyes and his shoulders were slouched.
“Um, we’d like a room”, said Kermit unsurely.
“Oh, you’re in luck. There are only two rooms left but both have only one bed”, said the manager. He proceeded to tell them the price. Kermit and Walter counted their money.
“It’s just enough but we need provisions for our journey”, said the frog. The manager watched both curiously while they were discussing whether or not to stay in this hotel.
“Excuse me but if you have money troubles we need a few relief waiters. We could discuss it all in the afternoon”, the manager offered.
“Then let’s stay in this hotel, I’m too tired to look for another place anyway”, said Walter. Kermit could not agree more. A nice cozy bed sounded so good. Thankfully everything went fast and soon Kermit had a room for himself as had Walter. Kermit wasted no time to let himself fall unto the bed and not even a second later he was out like a light, even though his tummy still rumbled.

He had slept until noon as did Walter. A maid had woken them up and had told them to go to the manager’s office. She led them to the office, where the manager sat behind his large desk, talking to someone over to the phone. There was another table, with a plate full of croissants, marmalade, chocolate cream, honey, butter and cheese, as well as two pots of coffee and tea. Just as Kermit and Walter entered he room, the manager hung up.
“Ah, bonjour”, he said. “Please have a seat. Tea? Coffee?”
Kermit opted for tea, while Walter chose coffee. The manager poured the hot beverages in cups. Kermit cut one croissant in half and spread butter on one half and chocolate cream on the other. Walter did the same, only he chose marmalade instead of butter.
“Now then”, said the manager and cleared his throat. “You would work from twelve o’clock until eight o’clock in the afternoon. You can live here while you work here. You get a discount when you use our services.”
“I take the job”, said Walter.
“Me, too”, added Kermit. “Is there anything else we need to take into account, Mister -?”
That moment, he realized he did not know the hotel manager’s name.
“I’m Monsieur Émile Malhomme. And oui, there’s actually something. Don’t make our hotel singer angry. Believe me; you’ll be lucky if the pain goes away the next day… or the next three days. Or if you don’t land in the hospital.”
Kermit and Walter gulped. But Monsieur Malhomme simply let out a belly laugh and slapped them both on their shoulders.
“Don’t worry; it’s actually easy to live with her”, he said, an indulgent smile on his face. “Now, hop along you two, the staff will help you get settled.”
“Um, only Kermit here can hop”, remarked Walter, his mouth widened into a grin. Kermit made a crunched face.
“Walter, do me a favor and leave the comedy to the bear.”

The waiters, most of them Muppet penguins, were all busy cleaning up the tables, taking orders or carrying plates when Kermit and Walter arrived in the large elegant restaurant. They ran back and forth in such a speed they were only colorful blurs. There were not many patrons; in fact, there were only a handful. But there seemed to be a lot of people eating here at lunch time, judging by the amount of plates that still had to be carried back into the kitchen. One of them, a purple Whatnot, rested against a wall and wiped off the sweat from his forehead with a tissue. Seizing his chance, Kermit walked up to him, with Walter closely behind.
“Um, hello. I’m Kermit and this is Walter. We’re the relief waiters.”
The Whatnot had stared at them in confusion, probably wondering if they had been patrons and were dissatisfied with the service. But comprehension dawned on his face after Kermit spoke to him.
“Ah yes, Monsieur Malhomme told us we might get some help”, he said. Then he stood straight and shook both their hands. “Let me help you get settled in for the job.”
He gestured them to follow him. He led them to the changing room where he handed them a few work clothes in different sizes, telling them to see which one fits. Neither Kermit nor Walter needed a lot of time to find one their size and once they did, the Whatnot took them to the kitchen. The giant room was filled with delicious, mouth-watering smells of a wide array of dishes.
“Hey, Remy, we have two new waiters here who need some training!”, announced the Whatnot. “He’s our chef here”, he told Kermit and Walter. Remy, it turned out, was a rat. He shouted orders at someone before turning to Kermit and Walter.
“A cooking rat named Remy? That sounds very familiar”, remarked Kermit.
“Alright, we get everything ready”, said Remy after having taken a good look at the new waiters.
Everything was prepared just a while later. The training turned out to be an obstacle course through the kitchen while balancing a tray full of plastic dishes and cups. A few of the penguins waddled around as part of the course while the other penguins watched, along with every other waiter and Remy. The latter blew a whistled and Kermit was the first to go through the course. Carrying the tray, he actually did a good job, except that he dropped a plastic cup about midway and bumped into a penguin when he almost reached the goal. It caused him to drop everything. Walter did it a little better but not by much. Remy let them go through the obstacle course a few more while he and most of the waiters went back to work. A couple of waiters took turns in watching them until both managed the course without dropping everything.

Kermit took a deep breath. Then he looked straight ahead and walked to a table where a young couple had just taken their seats. The man said something apparently funny for the woman giggled in answer. Both looked up when Kermit approached them.
“Good evening. I’m Kermit and I’ll be your waiter tonight”, he said and handed them the menu. If they were surprised that a frog was their waiter, they did not show it. “Do you already know what you will drink?”
“Ah yes, we actually do”, replied the man. “We’d like the champagne.”
“Okay”, replied Kermit and left them to get the champagne and the glasses.
“Darling, is that a frog waiting our table?”, wondered the man once Kermit was out of earshot.
“Yes, honey, but I guess they need as much help as they can”, replied the woman and looked around. The restaurant was stuffed; there was no empty seat around. They were lucky to have gotten a seat. Penguins, Whatnots, humans and a yellowish brown Muppet busily ran back and forth, carrying loads of trays to and from the kitchen. The young couple looked back to the menu and decided to share roasted maple orange glazed turkey and eat chocolate torte with blueberry wine coulis for dessert. Just as they decided on these, Kermit returned with the champagne. He poured the drink carefully in the glasses and placed one in front of the woman and the other in front of the man.
“Would you like to order now, Madam and Monsieur?”
“Ah yes, we both would like to share number one hundred forty three and number two hundred eleven”, replied the man. Kermit made a note and told them their order will arrive shortly. He then went to the kitchen to give the order to the chef. Along the way, he passed a Whatnot who said he was making a good figure out there. Inside the kitchen, Remy and other chefs ran back and forth while preparing the dishes. Kermit shouted the orders and one gave him the already prepared turkey as well as the dessert just a few seconds later.
“That was fast”, he commented and put both dishes on the tray and, quickly and carefully, walked back to the couple.
“Merci”, the woman thanked him with a friendly while.
“Thank you”, said the man. “Say, could you recommend us any places here in Jamais Dormir Ville? We’re on our honeymoon.”
“I’m afraid I can’t, I haven’t been here for very long to actually know this place. Sorry”, replied Kermit, an apologetic smile on his face. “But congratulations, you two.”
“Ah, it’s alright. Maybe we can find some places on our own and recommend them to you”, said the man in a jovial mood. “And thank you.”
Kermit quietly said “you’re welcome” and left the young couple alone. He noticed a family had just taken their seats, so he walked over to them.
Walter had already served his first guest, who was a middle-aged woman. Right now, he was currently waiting another table, this time an old couple. They ordered soup for the appetizer and then lobster. Right after Walter served them the lobster; the middle-aged woman had finished her dinner. Thus he went over to her, took the now empty plate and glass while she asked for the bill. Walter brought the plate and glass back to the kitchen and returned with the bill. She paid him and gave him a generous tip. This continued on until his and Kermit’s shift was over.
“You guys were really good tonight”, complimented a fellow relief waiter.
“Thank you”, said Kermit while changing back into his regular clothes.
“And what are you two up to now?”, asked their colleague. “Personally, I would recommend going to the hotel bar.”
“Sure, I wouldn’t mind”, replied Walter. Kermit agreed and so, the two made their way to the bar.

Said bar was very tiny but it gave off a cozy feeling. The tables were all round and the seats, which were midnight blue in color, looked more comfortable than the ones in the restaurant. The lights were dimly lit but enough to not bump into something or someone. A stage with a piano was at the wall, so that no matter where one sat, one would have a good look at the performance. There were relatively few people in the bar, only a few young men with their girlfriends. Kermit and Walter chose a seat somewhere not too far from the stage but not too close either. A waitress appeared and handed them the menu. After scanning it, they ordered their drinks, which arrived just a moment later. Kermit sipped from his drink and looked around. While the restaurant looked very elegant and was gold and white in color, the bar had more of a homely feel. It was kept in various shades of blue and purple. The quietness was relaxing after the stress of waiting tables, with shouting the orders at the top of their lungs to the chefs at the same time as the others and hearing countless people left and right talking about various things. There were still conversations around but far less than in the restaurant. And, while the patrons in the restaurant had talked about a hundred thousand things, the ones in the bar seemed to have only one topic of discussion and that was the singer here in the bar. Apparently she used to sing in the restaurant but got offended every time somebody ordered ham, bacon, pork loin and similar things. It once escalated to a very brutal fight where one guest had to be rushed into the hospital and half of the tables and chairs had to be replaced. Monsieur Malhomme had given her second and last chance, under the condition she would now sing in the bar and only there.
“We better don’t eat pig while we’re here”, said Kermit, a little frightfully. Walter simply nodded in agreement. It was then when Monsieur Malhomme appeared out of nowhere in front of them. His sudden appearance startled the two friends and his grin, which showed his yellowish teeth, did not help. Kermit put a hand over his fast beating heart and took a deep breath.
“Geez, you scared us”, he said. Next to him, Walter inhaled and exhaled a few times to calm himself down.
“My apologies, I just came here to see how you’re both doing after your first day of work”, Monsieur Malhomme explained himself. “I overheard the other waiters saying you two did very well.”
“Yeah, but it was stressful and Remy wanted us to run an obstacle course before we could start”, said Walter, holding his glass after taking a sip.
“He does that to every new waiter, no matter if they have a fulltime or part-time job. It’s his way to make sure no one drops anything”, replied the manager and let out a low chuckle. “But don’t worry, he’s very nice. Well, I still have to work. Good evening and enjoy the show. I think it starts any moment now.”
With these words, Monsieur Malhomme departed. Even though Kermit and Walter thought of him as a nice man when he gave them the job, they had now a strange feeling. They had no idea whether this was from their boss’s sudden appearance or from all that had occurred over the last few days. However, they were interrupted from their musings when a Muppet cat appeared on stage.
“Is this the singer?”, Walter wondered as she sat down in front of the piano. She began to play a little tune while a pig appeared on stage. The cat’s eyes never left the music sheets as her paws hit the ivories. The pig began to sing.
“Well, that explains why she gets offended when somebody eats pig”, remarked Walter but he received no answer. Kermit had taken a good look at her as soon as she started to sing. In his head, a romantic song started. There was something about her that mesmerized him, though he had no idea what. Was it her blond hair, which reached her shoulders and was curled? Or was it the white dress and her voluptuous figure? Maybe it was her sapphire blue eyes that showed her content and happiness of performing on the stage? Kermit did not know. Her eyes met his and he could see a glimmer in her eyes. Also he noticed she never stopped looking at him. It was only when the song ended, she looked somewhere else. The audience clapped and cheered and whistled, some even gave a standing ovation. Kermit was among those. He was also among the people who shouted for an encore.
“Thank you. Vous are so kind!”, she said loud enough for everyone to hear. Then she sang more songs and again she never stopped looking at Kermit. Of course, this did not go unnoticed by the other guests and many were curious to see what she was looking at. Upon checking, they would see a frog that was so absorbed by her that he did not notice anything around him. This caused a murmur between the guests and waiters and waitresses, which was not loud enough to disturb the performance. Some girls even giggled behind their hands.
“That’s all for tonight. Good night and kissy kissy!”, she said and blew kisses to the cheering audience. Walter poked Kermit after she and her piano player disappeared from the stage. That startled him and he rubbed his arm while he turned to look at him. At least, Walter got his attention.
“Ouch, what is it?”
“Are you alright?”, asked Walter. At Kermit’s puzzled face, he added: “You didn’t touch your drink at all; you were too busy to look at her. And I could swear I saw a glimmer in your eyes when you first looked at her. She surely had one when she first laid her eyes on you and she never looked anywhere else. It was like you two were in your own world.”
“Really?”, Kermit finally drank from his cocktail while Walter nodded in answer. “And did anybody notice?”
“About everyone in here”, was the reply. Kermit wondered, while emptying his glass, if this was going to be a topic of gossip among the hotel staff. One waitress, who came over to get the empty glasses, certainly smirked when she looked at him and a waiter raised his eyebrows and smirked.

“And he really didn’t stop looking at her either, Marie?”
It was early morning in Jamais Dormir Ville. A couple of maids were huddled in the reception area and talked about the previous night’s performance in the bar. One maid happened to be the fiancée of one of the waiters and he had told her about it. She just told her friends about it and they were intrigued by it.
“Yes. Charles said it was like they were in their own little world”, Marie replied. Another maid put her hands over her heart and sighed dreamily:
“Wouldn’t it be romantic if the two of them become a couple?”
It as then when they saw a frog in company of a yellowish brown Muppet entered the foyer. Both were talking about seeing the city before starting their shift as they left the building.
“Hey, that frog there. I think he is the one from last night.”
“Wait a minute… I saw these two waiting the tables in the restaurant yesterday.”
“Ladies, shouldn’t you be working right now?”
The sudden appearance of Monsieur Malhomme startled the maids and they shrieked. A few people briefly looked over to the maids before going on their business. Monsieur Malhomme stared pointedly at the women, who scurried of like frightened chickens. At the same time, they wondered where he came from and where he disappeared off to for he could almost never be found in the hotel. It was a miracle they had gotten so many guest there was no free room anymore.

---

And this is the song I imagine Kermit hears in his head:

This chapter's a little violent to show what the Destroyers are capable of.


Chapter Six

Attack

At this moment, Kermit and Walter walked through the city’s street. It was a stark contrast to nighttime when the streets were so full of life and music and people. In the morning, however, the streets were almost empty, there were only a couple off people hurrying off to work. The quietness was unusual compared to the loud, deafening music, which blasted through the streets when Kermit and Walter had first arrived. Empty cans and bottles as well as other garbage littered the streets. Everywhere were garbage men to pick these up. Since it was a pleasantly warm day, many people were sitting outside of the café to eat their breakfast. As they passed the café, a, to half of the party, familiar voice called out:
“Walter?”
It was Lenore, with a plate of crêpes with apple sauce and a chocolate muffin in front of her. She held a cup of coffee in her hands. At her feet were two suitcases. Her still sleepy eyes held merriment and there was a tired smile on her face.
“Lenore! Good to see you again”, said Walter, walking over to her. Kermit, who wondered who this girl was, followed him. Both Muppets drew up chairs and sat down.
“I see you found your friend”, she said and drank from her coffee. She put the cup down and started to eat.
“Yeah. Kermit, this is Lenore. I met her when I was looking for you. And Lenore, this is Kermit”, introduced Walter the human and the frog to each other.
“Pleasure to meet you”, said Kermit, shaking her hand. There was something familiar about her but he did not know what. It was like he had seen her face before, as if he knew a relative of her.
“Pleasure’s all mine”, Lenore smiled kindly. Then she leaned forward and looked curiously at the two Muppets: “So, how you’ve been doing since I left you in the park, Walter?”
“Ah, pretty well, I guess. Kermit and I have found a job here.”
“Really? Where?”, Lenore titled her head in question after she took a bite of a crêpe.
“We’re relief waiters in the hotel across the library”, replied Kermit.
“The hotel across the library…?”, mumbled Lenore to herself, deep in thought. Then her eyes filled with realization. “Oh! You mean the Rêvesde Couchage hotel?”
“Probably, we didn’t really pay attention to the name when we arrived. We were too tired to actually care.”
“Ah well, at least you’re lucky, guys. Many people who move here or even live here have trouble to find a job. At least that’s what I heard”, Lenore shrugged and sipped from her coffee. “But then again, you said you were relief waiters. So you plan to leave Jamais Dormir Ville?”
“Yeah, we’re traveling and we need money.”
Lenore nodded in understanding and asked what they planned to do that day after work.
“We go to the hotel bar, perhaps. Kermit definitely will. He’s got an eye on the singer there and she got hers on him”, grinned Walter.
“Do not”, mumbled Kermit. Lenore laughed.
“I think it’s cute”, she said and then looked at her watch. Her eyes widened in shock and she stuffed the remaining crêpes in her mouth and, after managing to swallow them, downed the cup of coffee in one big gulp.
“I’ve got to go. The train’s coming in twenty minutes and the station’s a fifteen minute walk away.”
She took her suitcases and grabbed her muffin and was off.

In a suite in the Rêves de Couchage hotel had a pig a remarkable amount of dresses and other clothes spread on her bed as well as on the bed of her roommate. Her roommate, a Muppet tabby cat, at in tailor-fashion on a chair and watched her picking out a dress.
“What do vous think?”, she asked, holding a short red dress.
“Nah.”
The pig looked a little miffed and threw the dress aside, which landed on the cat’s head. She removed it as her roommate held several dresses – a crème-colored one, a lavender blue dress, a bright yellow one that was more for a nice day out and a sparkly dark purple dress.
“Take the dark purple dress”, said the cat in a bored voice. Her arms were crossed over the back of the chair and she laid her head on her arms. With her half-closed eyes and her indifferent face, she looked half asleep. Her porcine roommate sighed and shook her head.
“Kitty, be a darling and put the other dresses away, will you?”
Kitty shrugged as she stood up and did what she was told. Then, without a comment, she sat down in front of the piano. She looked expectantly at her roommate who looked at the window, still the sparkly dress in her hands. Yet, she did not really look at it; she was in her own little world. Kitty tilted her head in question and walked over to her.
“Miss Piggy, are you alright?”, she asked in concern, putting a paw on her shoulder. Miss Piggy jerked and was about to karate-chop Kitty but could stop herself just in time.
“Don’t scare me like that!”, she exclaimed and put a hand over her heart.
“S-sorry, I was just worried.”
Kitty took a step backwards, her ears pressed flat on her head. Miss Piggy averted her eyes and played with the hem of the dress, clearly lost in thought.
“Do you think he will come tonight?”
“Who?”
“That handsome frog from last night.”
“No idea. But you know what we should do first?”, Kitty waited for no answer. She simply sat back down in front of the piano and added: “Practice for tonight’s show.”
A smile appeared on Miss Piggy’s face as she walked over to the piano and looked over the song list with.

The blinds were shut, leaving the office in darkness. A candle provided a small amount of light for Monsieur Malhomme, who was writing something, perhaps a report or a plan. Whatever it was, he was adamant to keep it a secret from the hotel employees. They would just stand in his way or even stop him. Monsieur Malhomme stopped writing and took a cigar. Leaning back, he lighted it just as he heard someone behind him approach. He did not bother to turn around; his guest simply stepped forward until the guest stood in front of him. It was a dark cloaked figure, smaller than him.
“The Superior demands to know your progress here”, the figure said. Monsieur Malhomme regarded the person with scrutinizing eyes. If the hood would not obscure the figure’s face, he would see the figure’s unrelenting face and glaring eyes. He did not answer immediately; he took his time to smoke his cigar.
“Well”, Monsieur Malhomme started, leaning close to the figure’s face. The figure made a face under the hood as the cigar’s smell reached up the nose. “I will start to carry out the plan tonight, in Veilleuse. No one will notice if anything happens in this old, rundown part of the city. I guess it will take a week until we have Jamais Dormir Ville under control. Then it will only be a matter of time until we have all of Fleurdelune in our possession.”
“Very well”, said the figure and disappeared. Alone once again, he looked over his plan one more time. Seeing nothing wrong with it, he pocketed the plan. He walked over to the portrait of a heavyset man with a walrus moustache and in a suit. It was a portrait of the man who built the Rêves de Couchage. In the golden frame was the name Alexandre Rêve engraved, along with the date of birth as well as the date of death. Monsieur Malhomme spun the portrait slightly to the side and a wall opened. He found the secret passageway years ago while looking over the old construction plans. It led to the catacombs just outside of Jamais Dormir Ville, where a village once stood, long before the city was built. No one knew of the catacombs, so it was a perfect place to hide or prepare something. He grabbed a torch and lighted it with a match. Descending the stairs, he angrily thought about the nerve of his guest. This person had joined their cause only a few weeks ago and had been taken under the wing of the second-in-command. Now, this person had a high rank among them even though he, Émile Malhomme had worked for them myriads of years. But no matter, he would achieve a higher position in the hierarchy when everything went according to plan.

Kermit and Walter returned to the hotel about half an hour before their shift started. They had a quick bite for lunch before they changed into their work clothes. Then they worked for eight hours, with a little break in-between, in the restaurant. Afterwards, the two friends went to the bar and, sitting in a corner, had a drink and listened to Miss Piggy singing again. No one in the hotel was aware of what was happening in the poor district of Jamais Dormir Ville. As the sun set and the streetlights lit and the party started like it did every night, dark creatures hid in the shadows. Swiftly and silently, one followed a middle-aged woman. She was dressed in rags but in a way that still retained her past as a successful businesswoman. However, bad investments caused her company to fall into insolvency and it caused a chain reaction, which ended with her losing everything. She had learned to live with it but she still longed for her past. But she was at least happy that her daughter had managed to find a job in another town. At the moment, she was on her way home to a little rundown apartment, unaware of her follower. When she did, it was too late. Her scream was not the only one penetrating the night. Yet, the screams of so many people were unheard of most people in the city. For most people, it was a night like many others, no matter where they were. Only those who lived in the Veilleuse could hear those scream, but they were unable to help, except to call the police.
The police’s investigations had attracted quite a number of people. Normally, investigations were not unheard of in the Veilleuse, but these were just petty crimes that were solved in a jiffy. This time, however, it was something bigger. Several corpses were found throughout the district. But their cause of death was not from human or Muppet hands, but of something much bigger and stronger, like a monster. The corpses were ripped apart, like a rag doll, and some body parts and organs could not be found. It was a gruesome sight for everyone who laid their eyes on them. Some passed out at the sight of the corpses, others had to throw up. Friends and families were crying and comforting each other while the corpses were brought to the morgue. But no matter how the citizens of Jamais Dormir Ville reacted, they all asked themselves the same question: Who or what could do such a horrible thing?
As soon as he heard of the incident, Kermit made his way to the poor district. He was worried for Paul and the other people for who he had played music the night he arrived in the city. Walter accompanied him. Both made sure to bring their weapons, in case the attackers would return. Just as they arrived, they saw one last corpse, the one of a girl who had barely begun to live, on a stretcher. The sight left both Muppets speechless. Who could be so cruel to murder an innocent little girl? Petrified, they watched the girl being brought to the morgue.
“That seemed to be the last corpse”, they overheard one police officer say.
“The last? How many did die?”, asked Kermit while watching the police investigate.
“About thirty-seven”, replied a very familiar voice. It was Paul who had come over as soon as he had spotted Kermit and Walter, who both had paled upon hearing the number. He put his hands on their shoulders and said: “Come on, let’s find a place to talk.”
Paul led them both away from the Veilleuse and to the park where they sat down on a bench. On the streetlights hung posters for an upcoming play called I Want To Be Your Canary. It was a beautiful, hot day; it was like the weather was mocking the horrible incident that had happened just hours ago. Word about this had spread out at record speed and by now, everybody was talking about it. Those poor people who had not been attacked were questioned by the police before they sent them to the newly constructed homeless shelter. Paul thought about what he was going to say before he opened his mouth:
“You sure want to hear about the attack, am I right?”
He listened to Kermit and Walter’s murmur of confirmation and started to explain:
“Well, it’s kinda hard to explain. I was minding my own business when I heard Monique Dufort scream. I knew her; she used to be a businesswoman. She wasn’t the nicest person, but she was alright. All I could see was some kind of monster attacking her. It looked kind of like a wolf, only much bigger and with horns. It was horrible; there was nothing I or anyone else could do. There were more of these strange creatures. Looked like animals, but really very weird, as if someone had made experiments with them. I swear, one of ‘em looked like a mouse in the size of a rabbit. I’ve never seen anything like these before.”
He became silent and watched people passing by. Kermit and Walter shared a look of concern as they digested what they had just heard. They had an idea what kind of creatures Paul was talking about, especially when he mentioned the rabbit-sized mouse. Kermit already knew how destructive those strange creatures could be, but he had never imagined them to be so savage. He clutched his banjo tighter as he reflected on his few encounters with the Destroyers. Their attacks on innocent people the previous night was just another proof that they had to be stopped.
“We better make sure they won’t attack more people tonight”, suggested Walter.
“Then good luck, mates. These are ferocious”, replied Paul, smiling dully.

Moments later, Kermit and Walter returned to the hotel to start their shift. Monsieur Malhomme was angry, furious in fact, at them for coming late and would not hear any excuses. He threatened to fire them should they be late one more time. The other waiters were angry too, but not to the same extent as Monsieur Malhomme. So, both Muppets got changed and started to work. They kept their ears, existent and non-existent, open in case there was another attack. During their eight hours of work, they heard nothing. It was only after their shift had ended when a wounded young man arrived in the hotel. A cluster of people, guests and hotel employees, humans and Muppets alike, huddled together around him. Some helped him to a couch and a maid left only to return a few minutes later with a steaming cup of tea.
“Come on, come on. Give the poor man some space”, she told the others. They stepped a few paces away from him and now Kermit had a better look at the man’s face. He recognized him at once; it was the same man who invited him to dance with his friends after they had dragged him away from Walter. The sight of this man who shivered so much from what he had endured and who breathed unevenly made Kermit feel sorry from him.
“What happened?”, asked someone in concern. Kermit recognized her as the piano player from the bar. The cat kneeled down in front of the man and looked worriedly into his scarred face.
“Monsters attacked the party, wounded many people”, he managed to get out, taking deep breaths. “We need help…”
“Let’s go and help”, said Kermit to Walter, who nodded bravely. Most, if not all, of the people present watched them go. There were murmurs, wondering how two little Muppets would be able to take on such murderous creatures. Other wondered if those monsters were the same who were responsible for the attack the previous night. The man and Kitty silently wished them good luck.

People screamed and ran, trying to avoid those horrible monsters. A rabbit-sized mouse-resembling monster scratched a youth rushing past. He cried out in pain and clutched his wound. Another monster, one that looked either like a very big cat or a very small tiger, leaped at him, ready for a life ending strike. It was prevented from doing so by little notes and chimes. It cried out in pain and backed off just as Kermit and Walter appeared. The man stared open-mouthed at the two defeating his would-be killer. He did not get his chance to thank them for they ran off to rescue other party-goers. He hoped they would be able to save them.
A couple of the Destroyers stopped attacking the party-goers when they noticed Kermit and Walter. Instead they started to approach them in a slow, menacing manner. The frog started to play Moon’s Lullaby. Unfortunately, it affected only one Destroyer and it would only last as long as he would play this song. He hoped Walter would be able to use a Geomancy attack in time. Walter furrowed his brow and had his eyes closed, as if he was trying to remember accounting records for purchasing a machine on credit that allowed a three percent discount. When the song was nearing its end, he opened his eyes and let his bell ring. The tolls caused the earth to shake, damaging the Destroyers and, by some miracle, not affecting him, Kermit or the party-goers. Some Destroyers were defeated and vanquished in a dark cloud. Those who were still there attacked Kermit and Walter with scratches and bites. They let their injuries not bother them. It was more important to get rid of the Destroyers. With their combined efforts, they managed to defeat a considerable amount of Destroyers before they suddenly disappeared, as if something called them. Nevertheless, they were able to rescue quite a lot of people. But sadly, there were still some who hovered between life and death or who already departed from life. The police arrived, as well as friends and family of those who were attacked while, unknown to any of them, a cloaked figure watched them from the shadows.

Ohhhh! This story has suspense. Please post more! I am getting ansty and impatient here.

Chapter Seven

A New Team Member

Neon lights still shone brightly, although it was darker than usual. Many lights were broken and the music had stopped. There was not anyone who could remember a time when the streets were so quiet. Wounded people were everywhere, biting their lips in pain or ignoring their own pain and instead trying to help a friend. Mothers took their sons and daughters in their arms, police officers started their investigations. Eye witnesses told them about the two Muppets’ deed, the injured were rushed to the hospital. An officer questioned Kermit and Walter’s account of what had happened before they were allowed to return to the hotel. The long battle had exhausted them but at least the Destroyers were gone… for now. Tired eyes followed them until they were out of sight. For the surviving party-goers, their friends and families, as well as the police, it was astounding how these two Muppets managed to defeat their attackers. They wanted to thank them but the two were gone before anyone could manage to mutter a single word. The cloaked figure in the shadows grunted angrily, unheard of anyone, and disappeared without any traces.
Meanwhile, Kermit and Walter returned to the hotel. There was no one in the foyer, except Monsieur Malhomme. Neither Kermit nor Walter could decipher his facial expression, only that it looked creepy. Feeling uneasy to be in the same room as the hotel manager, they quickly walked off to the direction of the hotel bar. He watched them go and as soon as they were in the bar, he made his way to his office. He knew what they had done, having overheard the maids talking about them going out to rescue a couple of youths. This was something had not foreseen, he just thought they were weary travelers with no money. Perhaps he would have to change his plans if he wanted to stick to the schedule. Not to mention, he would hate it if the cloaked figure would come to tell him how displeased their Superior was. The cloaked figure had an annoying way of doing so. Sure enough, this very person sat on his chair, with legs crossed and the head leaning against the fist, in his office. On the lap were some of his notes and the person doodled on them with the free hand. Monsieur Malhomme looked angrily at the figure, who sat there as if this figure owned this place. With clenched hands and teeth, he walked forward until he stood directly in front of this person.
“Oh good, you’re here”, said the figure. “You know, you did great last time. I really thought we’d be able to have Jamais Dormir Ville under our control. But it seems we have two little problems, a green problem and a yellowish brown problem. D’you have any idea what you’re gonna do?”
“I was about to think of something”, said Monsieur Malhomme coolly. He tried to sound polite. “Now, excusez-moi, I would like to check on the Destroyers.”
“You know, you’re not good in sounding polite. And I think I shall accompany you. Maybe I can help.”
Monsieur Malhomme grunted in response but nevertheless opened the secret passage to the catacombs. He took the torch and his guest lit it with a fire spell. It was a long way, one that he would rather walk alone. His guest was silent all the time but he was still annoyed. He wondered if the Superior had sent this person to keep a close watch on him or if the person was here on their own account. Whatever the reason, he would soon prove he was better than this person. Until then, he had to endure the person but, if he was lucky, it would be over in a few days.
The tunnel ended and the catacombs revealed countless cells. They looked like they had been recently put there. Many were empty but most were filled with an array of Destroyers, some watched the two people’s every movement in a glaring, a tired or an indifferent way, others simply slept. The cloaked figure walked around and looked interested at the Destroyers, as if this was a trip to the zoo. Monsieur Malhomme ignored the person as he looked at every Destroyer thoroughly, trying to determine which ones would be most suitable. His gaze fell upon a gigantic spherical one. Perhaps with this one, he would be able to get his job done much earlier.
“I got a question!”, called the cloaked figure in a sing-song voice from somewhere at the other end of the room. Monsieur Malhomme rolled his eyes and walked over to see what the problem was. He noticed the figure standing in front of a single cell, one that was farther away than the rest.
“Since when do we have human-resembling Destroyers?”
Monsieur Malhomme stared incredulously at the person. It was so obvious that this was a real human and no Destroyer.
“He’s our prisoner”, he said curtly. “And in case you’re interested, I’ve decided to use the Bouncy Iron to get the job done.”
“Good idea”, said the cloaked figure approvingly. “And when we find the Crystals, nothing’s going to stop us.”

It was like a heavy weight had been lifted from their shoulders when Kermit and Walter entered the bar and were not in the foyer with Monsieur Malhomme anymore. Whatever they thought about him when they first met him, he was scary. Trying to forget about him, Kermit looked around in the bar. He noticed it was empty, except for the waiters, the singer and the piano player. Maybe he was mistaken, but he could swear the singer’s eyes lighted up when her gaze fell upon him. She whispered something to her friend and both looked over to them. A waiter walked over to Kermit and Walter, handing them the menu. A waitress meanwhile was talking to the two on stage.
“Thanks. Um, how come nobody’s here?”, Kermit asked.
“Well, most people usually leave around this time of the night but we’re still open. So, you can still stay here”, the waiter replied. The waitress called him over. “Excuse me for a moment.”
Both waiters stood a little farther away from the only two patrons, talking in hushed and rapid voices. Whatever it was, the waiter nodded and he and his colleague approached Kermit and Walter.
“You can order whatever you want. The drinks will be paid by someone else”, the waitress said with a friendly smile.
“Really? That’s nice. And who pays for us?”, Kermit replied. The waiter quickly pointed with his thumb behind him while his colleague left to clean the unoccupied tables. Both Muppets ordered for their drinks and, as soon as the waiter left, looked to where he was pointing at. It was the stage where both the pig and the cat were performing. The former blinked her eye but it was so fast it might as well have been there imagination.
“Why do you think they do it for us?”, Walter whispered.
“Well, the piano player was present when we left. Maybe she told the pig about it?”, replied Kermit. The song ended and the singer went straight to them, her feline piano player in tow.
“Bienvenue. Would vous mind if we join vous?”, asked the former.
“Not at all”, replied Walter. The pig sat down next to Kermit while the cat sat next to Walter.
“I’m Kitty”, said the cat, raising her paw in greeting. “And this is Miss Piggy.”
“But you can call me Pigathius”, she said to Kermit. “It means”, Miss Piggy leaned her back against Kermit’s shoulder, threw her head back and dramatically put the back of her hand over her forehead, “river of passion.”
Kermit dared not to move any body part except his head to look incredulously at her. Kitty turned away from the others as she hid her laughter behind her paw and did not turn back for quite some time.
“So, how did it go? Y’know, the save-the-people-from-the-monsters thingy?”, she finally said after she had calmed down.
“Um pretty good, I guess. As far as we could see, there are more survivors than the night before”, replied Kermit. “And thanks for paying for the drinks… but why?”
“Because you two went out to help those people. Not many would have done it, they would’ve been too afraid”, replied Kitty with a smile. “That’s why we thought we could reward you.”
“But we also plan to come with you next time these monsters attack”, said Miss Piggy. “We do know very well how to fight.”
She looked at the men as if to dare them to defy her. Nothing was said, and she added in an angry grunt:
“We would have helped tonight if Malhomme hadn’t prevented us.”
“I know, honey. This is why we decided screw Malhomme, the lives of innocent people are more important than our jobs”, said Kitty in a soothing voice. Miss Piggy took a deep breath as if to calm herself down and then she cheerfully looked at Kermit, fluttering her eyelashes:
“So, where do vous come from?”
“I’m from Muppet Island”, replied Kermit. Kitty let out an excited shriek that made several waiters look at her:
“Oh, I’ve heard so much about it. I plan to go there on vacation!”
Kermit and Walter looked at each other with furrowed eyebrows. She obviously did not know yet what happened to the Muppet Island. But her lighted up eyes and her big grin made it difficult to tell her the truth. Still, she had to know.
“I, uh, I hate to tell you this but I don’t think you’ll be able to go there this year”, Kermit said. Kitty’s face quickly changed from happy to concern and Kermit told her and Miss Piggy what had happened.
“That’s why you went out there to help them. You’re so brave, Kermie”, said Miss Piggy after he had finished his tale. Walter and Kitty gave each other an amused look at the nickname and when Kermit looked flustered, the cat turned away to hide her snicker.
“Gee thanks, Miss Piggy. I don’t know what to say.”
“Well, looks like somebody got a girlfriend”, said Kitty, grinning like a Cheshire Cat and drawing the last word out.
“Do not”, mumbled Kermit. Kitty ignored him. She spotted his banjo and pointed at it:
“Is that your weapon?”
“Um yes, it is.”
“You’re a bard, I see. I got a song for you that might be helpful. It’s easy to learn”, said Kitty, flipping off a spider from the table. “Care to learn it?”
“Sure.”
Kermit followed her to the piano and Miss Piggy and Walter followed them. The cat handed him the sheet music and, looking it over, he found it was not very hard to learn, just like she said. And so, Kitty thought him a new song, with Miss Piggy and Walter listening.

A knock on the door woke Kermit up the next morning. He sleepily opened the door to see Miss Piggy. His first thought was the hat she was wearing was nice. Then he noticed she was dressed like on a jolly holiday.
“Bonjour, Kermie. Would vous like to go out and have breakfast with moi?”
“You mean just you and me?”, asked Kermit to clarify.
“Nope, me and Walter come along, too”, said Kitty, who appeared at Miss Piggy’s side. The latter frowned at her but it was gone so quick that it might as well had been a hallucination.
“Sure, just let me get changed, okay?”, Kermit replied.
“Of course, we’ll be waiting in the foyer”, said Miss Piggy. Kermit nodded in response and closed the door. Miss Piggy and Kitty made their way into the foyer, sitting down on a couch. It was full of people and Muppets socializing with each other. A long line was at the reception but no one was there. Across the women sat a man reading the newspaper. The front-page story happened to be the previous night’s attacks on the party-goers. There was an angry murmur from the long line until Monsieur Malhomme arrived at last.
“Isn’t it odd that he rarely seems to be around?”, whispered Kitty. “Maybe we should keep an eye on him.”
That she did while Miss Piggy decided to keep a lookout for something green and something yellowish-brown. The long line at the reception gradually became smaller and smaller, with guests checking out. A father took his little daughter by hand and rushed out of the hotel, followed by his wife and teenage son. But they were not the only ones; most of them if not everyone checking out tried to get as away from here as fast as possible.
“What’s with them?”, asked Walter. He and Kermit had just arrived to see a young couple rushing out.
“They don’t want to stay here after the two attacks. You may have done something against it last night but they’re uncertain you will always be there”, replied the stony-faced Kitty, who never took her eyes off of Monsieur Malhomme.
“And what’s with Kitty?”, asked Kermit. Kitty finally averted her eyes from the hotel manager and looked directly at Kermit.
“I’ll explain it later”, after she said it, she dropped her serious manner and became cheerful. “Let’s have some breakfast, shall we?”
“I have to introduce you to a friend of mine someday. You two would get along, I’m sure”, said Kermit as the four Muppets left the Rêves de Couchage.

The four of them sat outside off a café underneath a sunshade, waiting for their orders. Every now and then, people would walk up to Kermit and Walter and thank them for their efforts last night. Among them was a police officer, who told them that far less people had died than the night before and that the doctors were doing their best to keep those who hovered between life and death alive. They were relieved to hear about the first part but worried when they heard the last part. After the officer assured them that they did what they could, he thanked them again and left.
“Let’s just hope they’ll be able to save the rest of them, too”, said Kitty. She looked at Kermit: “So tell me, who’s the friend you mentioned earlier?”
“Her name’s Julie. She can switch from cheerful to serious and back again in less than a second, kinda like you. But I think she’s crazier than you”, said Kermit. Walter and Kitty leaned forward to hear more and something flashed in Miss Piggy’s eyes as soon as she heard the name of the friend. A waiter arrived with stacks of pancakes for Kitty and Miss Piggy, egg sunny side up for Walter and croissants for Kermit, as well as milk for Kitty, a cappuccino for Miss Piggy, tea for Walter and coffee for Kermit. Eating their breakfast, the frog told them more:
“But she’s nice and a good friend. She helps us out when we need help. She likes to read and draw and she was actually the one who made this.”
He pointed at his lucky charm that was attached to his vest. The attempt to make the seashells look oval-shaped was not very good but at least it was recognizable which shape it was supposed to be.
“Looks nice”, Kitty commented. Kermit meanwhile looked at Miss Piggy:
“Are you okay, Miss Piggy? You haven’t said anything for a long time.”
“Everything’s fine, Kermie”, she said cheerfully. “I was just thinking.”
Kermit, who tried his best to ignore the giggling Kitty, wanted to ask about what but did not get the chance. The youth, who had arrived in the hotel and talked about the Destroyers, appeared at her side. He looked better than before but the scars in his face were still evident.
“Hey, you two”, he said in an appreciative voice, looking at Kermit and Walter, “thank you for saving my friends yesterday. And,” now he looked at Miss Piggy, “thank you for patching me up.”
“Think nothing off it, Christophe”, the pig replied with a dismissive hand gesture, nevertheless she smiled friendly at him. Christophe smiled and left them alone.
“I didn’t know you could patch people up”, said Kermit astonished. Miss Piggy smirked at him.
“Well, moi has many talents”, she said. Just then the earth started to quake, knocking over their cups and mugs and spilling on Kitty’s half-finished breakfast, the table and Miss Piggy’s dress. She grunted an angry “great” under her breath while they heard rumble and saw buildings collapsing.
“LOOK OUT”, Walter shouted. Something giant and spherical jumped in their direction. The four Muppets could escape just in time for the Destroyer landed where they sat previously. It jumped again, revealing the table and everything that was situated on it to be broken and flat as pancakes. People screamed and ran away as fast as they could to avoid it. The Destroyer bounced around, just like Tigger or a kangaroo, making the earth quake every time. As Miss Piggy jumped out of the way to avoid being turned into a hammy pancake, she spotted Monsieur Malhomme and a cloaked figure. The former smiled wickedly and proudly at the destruction the spherical monster caused. The other had the arms crossed and simply watched. Miss Piggy could not tell whether this figure was male or female. The cloak hung loosely from the body as if it was several sizes too big. Something small and diamond-shaped hung right over the heart. It seemed to be container as it was filled with black and blood red liquid. A black portal opened behind the cloaked figure and the figure stepped through, both disappeared immediately. Miss Piggy then noticed a big shadow over her. Looking up, she saw the Destroyer right above her. She jumped out of the way, landing right in front of it.
“HIIIIIYAAAHHH!”, she screamed, karate-chopping his belly. But she only ended up hurting herself since its front was made of iron. She gasped in pain and cradled her hurting hand.
“Bouncy Iron! Finish her off!”, Monsieur Malhomme commanded. The Bouncy Iron jumped high in the air and would have turned Miss Piggy into a bacon pancake if she had not been pushed away by something green.
“Are you alright?”, Kermit asked her as he helped her to stand up.
“Yes”, answered Miss Piggy, catching her breath. Kermit sighed with relief and played the song Kitty taught him, A Flower Grows. She felt the pain from her hand going away. Further away, Walter and Kitty worked together by having him preparing a Geomancy attack and her distracting the Bouncy Iron. Walter’s attack happened to be another earth quake but unfortunately, the Bouncy Iron jumped high in the air just in time.
“Yes, my precious Destroyer. Now crush them!”, commanded Monsieur Malhomme. The Destroyer landed on the street and Kitty rushed forward and attacked its back with her claws. Then she jumped next to Walter and Kermit and Miss Piggy, who had run over to him.
“There’s a weak spot on its back”, she told Miss Piggy. Kitty pointed at an obvious red spot amidst the iron covering the Destroyer’s body. Just then, Bouncy Iron decided to roll around. It seemed not to care who it hit for it even rolled over Monsieur Malhomme. Kermit, Miss Piggy, Walter and Kitty winced and made disgusted faces over the nasty sound of Monsieur Malhomme’s demise. The Bouncy Iron stopped, its back turned to the four Muppets. Kermit, Miss Piggy, Walter and Kitty seized their chance to attack its weak spot. The men attacked from afar with music notes and chimes while the women rushed forward. Kitty attacked wildly with her claws and Miss Piggy karate-chopped it.
“This is for destroying the city! This is for endangering people’s lives! AND THIS IS FOR RUINING MY DRESS!”, the porcine shouted the last seven words with such an incensement that made the others cower in fear and her karate-chop was so strong, it moved the giant, spherical Destroyer a few centimeters.
“I don’t want to get on her bad side”, commented an amazed Walter. Kermit, open-mouthed, nodded in agreement. The Bouncy Iron swiftly turned around and started bouncing again. It was so fast, the four fighters barely managed it avoid it. A particular nasty bounce left Walter severely injured. He lay on his knees, breathing laboriously. With difficulty, he stood up on his wobbly knees and prepared an attack. He looked like he was preparing a Geomancy attack but there was something different about him. An indigo-colored glow surrounded him and his hair and clothes blew in the wind, even though it was calm. Then he rang his bell. The bell tolled like a church bell, but this time it was much louder. The earth quaked and opened up, swallowing the Destroyer. Silent moments passed and the earth spit it out again, severely weakened. It landed right next to Miss Piggy and she quickly attacked its weak spot. The Bouncy Iron disappeared in a dark cloud. Walter collapsed on his knees in exhaustion as did the other three. Slowly, the streets were filled with people and Muppets, who had witnessed the battle from safe distance. Paul and Christophe rushed forward to the four fighters.
“Let’s get them back to the hotel”, said the older man, who helped Kermit and Water stand up. Christophe nodded as he helped Miss Piggy and Kitty up.

The Muppets were brought to Miss Piggy and Kitty’s suite, where the former was patching them up. Despite her own injuries, she managed to make potions to heal them and herself. The pain and their wounds were gone and they felt refreshed. Still, Kitty decided to take a nap while Miss Piggy went to the bathroom to get changed. Kermit sat on the sow’s bed, while Walter was sitting on a chair, and passed time by looking around. There was a vanity, a huge wardrobe and a bookcase near Miss Piggy’s bed. In the bookcase were various books about herbs, potions and other things to heal as well as spacecraft and space traveling. He wondered if she read these books because she believed in it or if she happened to be a science fiction fan. Other things in this suite were a desk, two chairs, two beds, a piano and a dresser. There was also a kitchen area. All in all, it was not the biggest suite but it was still bigger than Kermit’s suite. Miss Piggy emerged from the bathroom, clad in clean clothes.
“So, what do we do now?”, asked Walter.
“Maybe go outside for a walk. You know, to figure out what to do next”, suggested Kermit, playing with Miss Piggy’s hat that lay next to him on the bed. He, Miss Piggy and Walter briefly looked at Kitty before deciding to let her sleep. They quietly left the room and walked down the hallway.
“What do you think is going to happen now?”, asked Walter. Before either could do as much as open their mouth, there was a loud scream. Wasting no time, they ran to the source of the scream. They soon came across a maid who was about to be attacked by a Destroyer. Kermit, Miss Piggy and Walter defeated it, rescuing her.
“Thank you”, the maid said relieved. More Destroyers came their way; all of them were the rabbit-sized mouse-resembling ones. It was like an army, coming from a certain source their way and attacking anyone they come across. The trio fought them wave after wave. The fights were long and exhausting but a couple of people and Muppets they rescued gave them potions to thank them. Still, they were not close into finding the source and other types of Destroyers had joined – giant wolves with horns, ones that were either really big cats or ridiculously small tigers and small ones with elfish ears and long pointy noses. A bellboy, chased by the new types, came running their way. He tripped and Kermit, Miss Piggy and Walter took it upon themselves to save him. The pig started with a hard kick, knocking two wolves into a wall. Kermit put one with the pointy nose to sleep while Walter used Geomancy. His attack instantly defeated the small ones and immensely weakened the wolves, but the feline was still strong enough to fight. Together, Kermit and Miss Piggy managed to defeat the wolves while Walter used his bells to weaken the feline until the other two joined him. With their combined strength, they defeated it.
“Thanks”, said the bellboy. “I saw them coming from Malhomme’s office. Maybe that’s where they’re hiding.”
“Well, I wouldn’t be surprised; he did control that giant Destroyer from before after all”, replied Kermit.
“He called it Bouncy Iron”, said Miss Piggy in a voice that suggested she did not like the name.
“But thanks for the info”, said Walter as he and the other two rushed of to the office.

By the time they got there, no more Destroyers were coming. They should feel relieved about this but they had a funny feeling, like something was wrong. Kermit, Miss Piggy and Walter cautiously stepped into the office, ready for another attack. When after a while nothing happened, they relaxed a little.
“Search the room. There may be something in here”, advised Kermit. The office looked nothing like when he first was here. Furniture had been thrown aside and notes covered the carpet. Kermit picked some up and skimmed through them. They were all about the hotel.
“Kermie, look what I found!”, Miss Piggy called. She had some notes in her hands, too. When she showed him these, he noticed at once these were different. They were plans for the destruction of Jamais Dormir Ville and Fleurdelune.
“So, Malhomme was responsible for the attacks”, mumbled Kermit, flipping through the notes. On some were doodles – smiley faces, Jack O’Lanterns, shapes, Cartoon characters.
“And who knew he liked to doodle”, said Miss Piggy, hiding a giggle behind her gloved hand. Kermit had to chuckle, too, but he had a feeling he had seen the drawing style before. Walter was on the other side of the room and examined a portrait. He found he could move the frame and as he did so, a wall opened behind Kermit and Miss Piggy. Both whirled around in surprise. Kermit carefully walked through the opening, with the other two following him. Right after Walter stepped through the opening, the wall slid back, leaving the three in complete darkness.
“Does anyone have a flashlight?”
“No, sorry.”
“I haven’t.”
“Well, we have to hold hands then”, said Kermit. He moved his hand in darkness until he touched something.
“That was my skirt”, said Miss Piggy, who took his hand.
“Sorry.”
Kermit took Walter by the wrist and all three carefully descended down the stairs. Halfway down, Miss Piggy missed a step, causing them to fall down the rest of the way. Miss Piggy was the first to land, then Kermit on top of her and then Walter. The men quickly jumped off of her, afraid she might get mad. She simply stood up and dusted herself off.
“Are you two alright?”, asked Kermit and after he heard them say yes, he took Miss Piggy’s hand and Walter’s wrist again. Their eyes had gotten adjusted to the darkness by now, so the way through the tunnel was not very difficult. But there was a sense of foreboding, as if something might leap at them from the darkness. When they reached the end of the tunnel, they heard sounds. They stopped and looked at each other. All three had fear in their eyes, as well as uncertainty.
“Let’s go”, said Kermit and, taking a deep breath, he stepped forward until he reached the door. He took another deep breath and opened the door, Miss Piggy and Walter standing behind him. The room behind it was lit but it was a shocking sight in there. Destroyers, the same types they had defeated earlier before they got to Malhomme’s office, were huddled at the other end of the room. Somebody screamed. Kermit and Walter took their weapons and, along with Miss Piggy, rushed into battle. Kermit started by attacking the felines with his banjo. Walter attacked left and right with his bell. Miss Piggy waited for the Destroyers to come close to her and when they did, she used kicks and karate-chops to hurl them away.
“Boys, keep them away from moi for a while!”, she called. Kermit and Walter briefly looked at each other, wondering what she was planning. Nevertheless they did as they were told. Miss Piggy, meanwhile, stood a little farther away, with her eyes closed. Her face was in deep concentration until she suddenly opened her eyes. She stormed into battle and karate-chopped several Destroyers. They were hurled to the other end of the room and disappeared before they hit the wall. Behind her, Walter used a Geomancy attack to defeat the last of the Destroyers. He, Kermit and Miss Piggy waited for a while for another attack. Nothing happened and they relaxed. Kermit walked to the place from where he had heard the scream and saw, to his horror, a man in a cell. His hair was long and thin and he had a very long beard. His clothes were dirty and an unpleasant smell emitted from them. Furthermore, his clothes simply hung loosely on his body, as if they were several sizes too big. Whoever this man was, it was clear that he had not been living in human conditions.
“Step aside”, said Miss Piggy and Kermit did so. The pig took the bars and, with all her strength, bended them so that the man could escape. All three flabbergasted stared at her, not comprehending what they had just seen.
“Come on!”, she demanded, giving them a start. The older man slowly walked over to the bars and out of his cell.
“Thank you”, he said in a weak voice, as if he had not spoken for a very long time, and revealing that he really needed a dentist appointment.
“You’re welcome”, said Miss Piggy.
“But who are you?”, asked Walter.
“I am Francois Bonnet. I am the mayor of Jamais Dormir Ville.”

More suspense I am loving this story. Please bring more! Until then, patience button for now.

Thank you and I'm glad you love it
It will ake a while to finish chapter eight but I'm working on it.

Chapter Eight

Leaving Jamais Dormir Ville

His words were followed by silence. It was like someone had turned off a radio. Mayor Bonnet held onto the bars to support himself. He was so weak he could barely stand.
“Let’s get him out of here”, suggested Walter. Then he and the other two looked around properly for the first time since he entered the place. They noticed they were in some kind of underground cave. It looked manmade, although the cells as well as the door through which they entered this place looked fairly new. Torches hung on the wall, illuminating the place. Kermit and Walter approached Bonnet and Miss Piggy took a torch from the wall. She waited for them by the door and when they caught up, they left the cave. Miss Piggy led them through the tunnel until they reached the stairs. Slowly they climbed the stairs until they reached the top and the closed wall.
“How can we open the wall?”, Kermit asked. This was a good question. Their concern was to get out of here and give the poor man a bath, a haircut and maybe a shave. But they did not think of they were going to leave this place. For all they know they could have gone into the wrong direction. Miss Piggy slowly moved the torch for them all to find a clue. The walls were made of concrete unlike the rest of the passageway where the walls were made of stone. It was like somebody had started to build concrete walls but never finished the job. But there was nothing that could help them, just a simple wall from where an unlit torch hung.
“Maybe we need to move the torch?”, suggested Walter. Kermit, who stood closest to the torch, let go off Bonnet and took it. Nothing happened. Sighing in disappointment because he, along with everyone else, had hoped something would happen, he put it back. Then it happened; the moment the torch was back in position, the wall opened and a ticking noise was heard. Somehow knowing what was happening; Kermit wasted no time and took Bonnet by his arm again. He and Walter dragged him off to the office and Miss Piggy followed them. The ticking noise stopped and the wall closed just after they had gone through. They collapsed against the wall in exhaustion, shielding their eyes from the bright light. Miss Piggy extinguished the torch and, with Kermit and Walter’s help, put a couch back into its proper position. Then they helped Bonnet to lie down on the couch.
“Wait here”, Kermit told him. Bonnet nodded and he closed his eyes, falling asleep. The trio left the office. Silence greeted them. There was no crashing, no screaming, nothing. Just silence. The hallway was still in a mess but hotel employees and guests had started to tidy up. Marie walked past them, stopped and turned around.
“There you are. Thanks again for saving us”, she said.
“Marie, what do you know about the mayor?”, Miss Piggy asked her suddenly. Marie looked taken aback at this unexpected question but nevertheless answered:
“Hm, I can’t remember him having a public appearance since his election and the only thing I know he did was to order the construction of the homeless shelter. But since then, no one has seen him but I heard there was evidence that he was in his office every day.”
“And what if it wasn’t him?”, asked Walter. Marie frowned in confusion.
“What do you mean?”
Kermit, Miss Piggy and Walter told her about the secret passageway they found and who they rescued. Marie listened closely to what they told her, her eyes widening in shock when she heard of the mayor’s condition. After they finished, she told them to get some rest while she would gather some friends and help the mayor. So, Kermit, Miss Piggy and Walter split to get to their respective suites.

The pig met her roommate on her way to her suite. Kitty did not look where she was going; she was too busy watching employees and guests tidy the hallway up. She obviously wondered what had happened since she and the others had returned after fighting the Bouncy Iron.
“Kitty!”, said Miss Piggy when the Muppet cat almost crashed into her. Kitty stopped and looked around, ready to fight any oncoming opponent. She relaxed after a few moments and spotted Miss Piggy:
“Oh hey! Um, did I miss something? Why’s everyone cleaning here up?”
“Really, you could miss the end of the world through oversleeping”, said Miss Piggy, shaking her head. Kitty, who had watched two Whatnots hanging a painting on the wall, looked back at her porcine roommate curiously. Miss Piggy put a hand on her back and led her back to their suite, telling her what had happened since her nap. After she was done, she retreated in their suite to rest and Kitty now stood all alone in the hallway. The feline Muppet had no idea what she could do. There was not much to do in the hallways since they were almost all cleaned up with the amount of help. Nevertheless, Kitty decided to walk through the hallways, maybe there was still something she could help with. But whenever she offered someone her help, she was politely declined. Kitty growled in frustration. She had no idea what she could do. Somehow the day had turned from excitement to boredom, at least for her.
“Hey you, we could need a hand here”, somebody called out to her. Kitty turned around to see one of the bellboys looking at her.
“Yes? What do you need me for?”
“We need some help cleaning Malhomme’s office up.”
“Okay”, said Kitty, shrugging. At least she had something to do. She followed the bellboy to the office where she found two Whatnots and three penguins moving the furniture to their old spots. She saw a man sleeping on a couch. Kitty knew this was the mayor, Miss Piggy had mentioned he was resting here. Looking at him, she saw he really needed a bath and a visit to a barber. But she was not here to look at him, so she bend down and picked up the notes. Every now and then, she would skim through them and chuckle at the doodles. Not bothering to arrange these in proper order, she put them neatly on the desk. Then she helped the penguins moving the table in front of the couch. The bellboys, meanwhile, picked up the decorations, throwing the broken ones away in a bin. Marie appeared with a tray of sandwiches and drinks soon after they were done tidying up. Around the same time, the mayor woke up from his sleep. He looked confused and disoriented for a moment.
“Where am I?”, he asked, looking around. “And where are the three Muppets who rescued me?”
“You’re safe now”, Marie gently told him, offering him a sandwich. Bonnet took it with a quiet “thanks”.
“Kermit, that‘s the frog, Miss Piggy and Walter are currently resting. It was a hard day for them”, replied Kitty to his second question.
“And it’s not even afternoon yet”, said one bellboy.
“At least they did something while you were slacking off again”, reprimanded Marie, looking sternly at him. The bellboy hid behind his colleague to avoid her gaze. The maid rolled her eyes and pulled him by his arm.
“Now, I want you two to get a nice clean set of clothes for Monsieur Bonnet. And he needs a bath and a shave and haircut. But first, let him eat and drink something.”
“Yes, ma’am”, the two bellboys said together. Marie gave them a look that made them feel uneasy before asking the penguins and Kitty to leave the room.

It was around early evening when Walter awoke. His first thought was he was late for work, which was why he hurried to the kitchen. He burst the door to the kitchen open, scaring nearby waiters. Walter skidded through the kitchen and stopped in front of Remy, knocking over some empty pots.
“S-sorry I’m late”, said Walter out of breath.
“That’s okay, Walter, we now what happened today”, said Remy in an understanding voice. “Oh, and the mayor would like to speak to you, Kermit and Miss Piggy. He’s in Malhomme’s old office.”
“Oh. Well, um, I’ll be going then, thanks”, replied Walter and left the kitchen. In his mind, he was back in the catacombs where he, Kermit and Miss Piggy had first found Bonnet, so weak and starved. He shuddered when he thought what might have happened if they had not turned up in time. But he wondered how no one had ever noticed their mayor had disappeared? Did nobody care? Or did his kidnapper use a decoy to fool the whole city? Then again, Marie did mention there was evidence. But what evidence? He hoped Bonnet could provide some answers.
In the foyer, Walter met Kermit, who was on his way to the kitchen. Walter grabbed him by his arm, stopping him. Kermit in turn, looked at him questioningly.
“Remy told me the mayor wants to see us and Miss Piggy”, Walter informed him. For a moment, Kermit looked puzzled, probably wondering why the mayor wanted to see them. His look passed and he nodded.
“Let’s go and get Miss -”, he began just as he spotted Miss Piggy coming towards them.
“The may-”, she started but both male Muppets interrupted her by saying “We know” together.
“Well then, come on”, said Miss Piggy after a moment’s pause, dragging them with her.

Bonnet sat in an armchair, a cup of tea in his hand. He looked much better now. His hair was short now and his beard was shaved off. It was almost like he was another person if it were for the evidence of his imprisonment. He was still fairly weak and incredibly pale.
“Ah, bienvenue”, he said as Kermit, Miss Piggy and Walter entered the office. “Please, sit down. Have a cup of tea.”
“I guess you have some questions, don’t you?”, he proceeded after they had taken their seats and each gotten a cup of tea. “I can’t guarantee I’ve got answers to every question but I’ll try.”
Walter asked his question first:
“How did you get kidnapped? And how come no one’s noticed your absence?”
Monsieur Bonnet set his cup on the table and leaned back, a far away expression on his face. Then he said in a slow voice:
“It happened two years ago, I’ve been a mayor for about two months. I remember André Lesauvage came to my office to discuss something with me. There was a spider on my desk and it suddenly transformed. I could only get a brief look at her – she was a Muppet – before Destroyers looking like spiders appeared and had me in their webs like a mummy. Then they somehow got me to the catacombs. They spoke to Malhomme, got me out of the web and threw me into a cell.”
“And what were they talking about?”, asked Kermit when Bonnet paused to take a sip from his tea.
“Hm… it was about fooling everyone else I was still there and came to the office every day, I think”, answered Monsieur Bonnet, looking thoughtful. “I don’t know how but I seem to remember them mentioning a dummy. That’s all I can help you with. But I did find out a few things in my two years of imprisonment.”
“And what did you find out?”, asked Miss Piggy interestedly.
“The names of some of the Destroyers”, replied Monsieur Bonnet. “Let me see, the spiders are called Dachnaria, the mice in size of rabbits are called Dronte. Lupus is the name of those wolves and the felines are named Coeurl.”
“And those with the pointy noses?”
“They’re simply called Goblin.”
“Well, at least we know what these Destroyers are called”, commented Walter.
“Is there anything else you learned, Monsieur Bonnet?”, asked Kermit.
“Oh please, call me Francois”, he said with a dismissive gesticulation. “But to answer your question, indeed, I learned more things there.”
Francois paused to refill his cup and take a sip.
“Malhomme spent a lot of time in the catacombs to train the Destroyers; he wanted to use them to destroy Jamais Dormir Ville and then all of Fleurdelune. At first I thought he was just a mad man but it later seems I was mistaken. Sometimes there was another person with him. I don’t know the name or the gender but from what I gathered, they are both part of a cause to take over the world and this person has been tasked with gathering four Crystals.”
“Four Crystals?”, Kermit repeated. Francois nodded. “I remember reading something about a legend involving Crystals but it’s been years.”
Just then, the door knocked and Marie appeared:
“Monsieur Bonnet, your secretary has just arrived. She wants to see you straight away.”
“Well then, send her in.”
Marie nodded and stepped away from the door, seconds later a woman older than her entered. Her blond hair was tied in a bun and she wore a gray lady’s suit. At first glance, she came across as haughty but looking closer, one could see uncertainty in her eyes.
“So, it’s true what’s been said. You were really gone and now you’re back”, she said, looking at Francois. Relief was evident in her voice. “I didn’t want to believe anything was wrong, even though it was suspicious that you never showed yourself for two years. I’m sorry I didn’t do anything sooner.”
Francois walked over to her and patted her on the shoulder, saying:
“It’s alright, Lara. I’m back, that’s what matters.”
Then he looked at Kermit, Miss Piggy and Walter, who watched the woman interestedly:
“This is Lara Richardson; she’s my secretary and an old friend. And, Lara, these are Kermit, Miss Piggy and Walter. They were the ones who saved me.”
Lara smiled and quietly said “hello” before Francois invited her to sit with them. She did so and also received a cup of tea. All the time, Miss Piggy watched her questioningly.
“Lara, how did you know about his rescue?”, she finally asked.
“This maid who just announced me, I think her name’s Marie, she contacted me”, Lara told them. “Right after she told me, I wanted to go to Francois’s office. But on the way, I overheard Lesauvage talking to somebody. Something about Francois being free now and he should flee while he can.”
“Did you hear any suggestion where he might flee to?”, asked Kermit. Lara shook her head.
“How does he look like? Maybe we come across him during our travels”, said Walter. Apparently, neither Francois nor Lara had expected them to leave Jamais Dormir Ville. Both looked at him with surprised faces.
“What do you mean with travels?”
“Well…”, Kermit started and soon he told them about their quest.
“When are you leaving?”, asked Lara.
“Walter and I will leave tomorrow. I don’t know if Miss Piggy wants t-”
“I’ll come with you”, she interrupted him. Then she stood up abruptly. “I better go and pack.”
And so she left the room. Everyone looked after her until Francois cleared his throat. That was when the other turned their attention to him.
“Kermit, if you and your friends arrive in Cœur de Fleur could you be so kind and go see my nephew and his girlfriend? He owns a pie shop and I would simply love to eat his delicious pies again. Convey them my greetings and ask them to send me a pie, would you be so kind?”
“Yeah, I’ll do it”, replied Kermit.

The next morning found Kermit and Walter in the foyer, waiting for Miss Piggy. To pass time, they watched more guests leaving and entering the hotel, sometimes a hotel employee would do the same. Some of them greeted Kermit and Walter when walking past them. No one actually worked in the hotel that day. It had been decided to close business to rebuild the city. Many guests had left upon hearing this but there were a couple of good-hearted Muppets and people who decided to stay for a while and help.
“Kermit! Walter!”, called Remy, carrying a tray full of bread and rolls and marmalade, cheese, sausage and curd. He put the tray on a nearby table and rummaged in his pockets, taking out a money bag. He handed it to Kermit, who almost fell over due to the money bag being heavier than it looked.
“Your wages”, Remy explained before either of the two Muppets could ask. Both Kermit and Walter were astounded that they earned so much. Remy took his tray and said:
“Well then, I guess this is goodbye. I wish you the best.”
“We wish you the best, too”, Kermit replied. Remy smiled in reply and left the hotel. A moment later, Miss Piggy and Kitty appeared. Truth to be told, Kermit was a little afraid Miss Piggy would come with countless wardrobe trunks but he was pleased to see it was not the case. However, he was worried she packed too little, seeing she had only a purse. Then again, he and Walter had even less with them, so maybe he should not worry too much. Kermit then noticed Miss Piggy wore high-heels; he hoped she packed some extra shoes in case her feet start to hurt.
“Moi is ready to leave”, she announced.
“Take care”, said Kitty. She was dressed in overalls and carried a tool box in one hand. In her other hand, she held a map.
“Here, thought it could be helpful”, she said, giving Kermit the map. Kitty then looked at him and Walter with a big grin: “It has been a real pleasure meeting you guys. I hope we meet again some time.”
“It was nice meeting you, too”, Kermit spoke for Walter and himself.
“And you were a great friend”, said Miss Piggy. She gave Kitty a hug, which she returned.
“Good luck on your journey”, said Kitty before walking to the door. She stopped at the threshold, turned around and pointed at Kermit and Miss Piggy:
“Don’t forget to invite me to your wedding.”
Laughing at Kermit’s bewildered face, she left the hotel. It took him several moments to compose himself.
“Right… um well, let’s go.”

Debris lay everywhere on the streets. Lights were broken; tables and chairs from the café were flat as a pancake. Young men and women worked together to clean the mess up, moving the debris away and looking for the things that can still be used. Several tables stood in the shadow of the Rêves de Couchage, laden with food and drinks. Every now and then, somebody would come and take something to eat. Francois walked around, overseeing everything. When he saw Kermit, Miss Piggy and Walter, he waved at them and they waved back. As they walked through the city, they saw more familiar faces. They saw Christophe and his friends salvaging books from the destroyed library. Not far away was Paul, helping men about his age moving bucketfuls of rubble. Farther away, a couple of women looked after the children.
“I’ve never seen everybody working together before”, commented one woman.
“Well, many did lose their homes. Maybe the time of crisis had bound them closer together”, said another.
“Let’s hope it won’t stop when the city’s rebuilt.”
Kermit and Walter, who had seen the living conditions of some of the citizens, hoped so, too. Miss Piggy knew of these living conditions, too, but since she had never gone to the district Veilleuse, she was unaware how bad it actually was. Still, she hoped everything would change for the better. And so, the three travelers left the city that never sleeps.
“Hey Kermit?”
“Yes, Walter?”
“How long do you think can Miss Piggy travel in these shoes?”

This is great, Yuna! I missed your great smirky and smart comments. No offense, but I really loved your story. More soon please!

Thank you
Don't worry, I'm not offended. It's not my best chapter but I try to make the next one better

On to the next chapter =)


Chapter Nine

Movin’ Right Along or I’m On My Way (Take Your Pick)

Flowers as far as the eye can see greeted Kermit, Miss Piggy and Walter the moment they left the city. It was a huge difference to Jamais Dormir Ville for there was only a very small amount of flowers in the park. Kermit took out the map as the smell of the wide variety of flowers penetrated their noses.
“If we continue south, we’ll come to the capital of Fleurdelune”, he said. After a three second pause he added: “Wait a minute, I thought Jamais Dormir Ville was the capital.”
“Jamais Dormir Ville is the biggest city, but Cœur de Fleur is capital”, Miss Piggy explained. Kermit mumbled “oh” as he put the map away. According to the map, Cœur de Fleur was not very far away but he knew it would be a long way walking. It might even take several days.
More and more flowers appeared as they walked further down the road. It was certainly no place for somebody with pollen allergy. Good thing none of the three travelers were allergic. Otherwise the journey would be unbearable. The journey was quiet; they met no one along the way.
“Hey, did any of you notice we didn’t get a description of Lesauvage’s appearance in the last chapter?”, Walter suddenly remarked.
“Now that you mention it”, said Kermit thoughtfully. “The author did forget to let Francois or Lara describe him.”
“And how are we going to recognize him then?”, wondered Miss Piggy. Somebody cleared their throat behind them. Turning around, they saw it was the author. She had her arms crossed and she glared dangerously at them.
“Ah, on with the story!”, Kermit declared, his arms flailing. The author nodded with satisfaction and disappeared. So they continued their trek through the stars… pardon, flowers. They never stopped, except to get a bite to eat from the supplies they had gotten alongside a bag where they stored the food and drinks. Nothing interesting happened, although there was a small incident where Kermit and Walter had to restrain Miss Piggy from eating it all up. It was only when they told her they would starve if she ate everything now, she stopped fighting. That, and Kermit had to promise to take her out for dinner someday. But other than that, it was just a quiet journey. When night fell, they rested underneath a tree. One of them would stand watch for an hour until the next one would relieve them. Then again, none of them could sleep well that night as various nocturnal animals somewhere in the distance disturbed the silence, though none came near Kermit, Miss Piggy and Walter. At daybreak, they continued their journey.

On the second day, the journey through the flowery wonderland was not so different than the day before. None of them had any idea how to feel about this. For one, they were relieved that so far nothing dangerous had happened but they also felt uneasy because nothing had happened. On their way to Jamais Dormir Ville, Kermit and Walter had been attacked by a Dronte at about every step. This time, however, it was like the Destroyers were avoiding them. The lack of attacks or anything actually made the journey boring, which did not help the still tired party of three. If anything, it made them feel more tired.
In the late evening, they sat among the flowers. The sun had started to set and they had decided to call it a day. None of them could sleep, despite feeling so incredibly tired and having aching feet.
“Walter, why don’t you tell us a little about yourself?”, Kermit asked. He thought that if they could not sleep, they may as well pass time by hearing more about Walter as well as Miss Piggy.
“There’s actually nothing much and nothing interesting”, said Walter, playing lazily with a flower.
“Ah, come on, Walter.”
“Kermie”, said Miss Piggy before Walter could answer, “why don’t vous tell more about yourself and your life on Muppet Island?”
She stifled a yawn as she looked expectantly at him with her big blue but also tired eyes.
“Didn’t I already tell you?”
“Vous told us about the attack but not about anything before that.”
“Well, I suppose I could. Then you can talk about yourself, Walter. And you, too, Miss Piggy.”
Walter nodded and said “okay”. Miss Piggy, however, did not look keen of the idea of telling about her past.
“Well, my family has lived on Muppet Island for ages. I think my ancestors came to the island about two hundred years ago”, Kermit started, pausing to have a good yawn. “I have hundreds of siblings. You know, being a frog you have a great number of siblings. Everyone moved away when they became adults, except me. I stayed. One of my brothers came with his wife and his son, Robin, back to the island. Robin has stayed with me since then but his parents have left just a short while later to go on an expedition. We spent a lot of time together and he found many friends. We liked sitting around a campfire with friends and tell stories and play music. It was actually a nice and peaceful life.”
“You have a nephew? I bet he is just as adorable as you are”, said Miss Piggy, leaning her head against Kermit’s arm. Kermit stared at her.
“Ah, yeah, well… what was I going to say?”
Miss Piggy had now started snuggling up to him. Kermit looked at Walter, hoping Walter would have an answer. But he just shrugged.
“Maybe I should start talking about me, like you wanted”, said Walter, whereupon Kermit nodded. “It’s nothing exciting, really. I was born and grew up in Little Town and attended Sapientia. I graduated a few years ago but couldn’t find a job. So, since then, I’ve been doing odd jobs before I met you. And, well, you know the rest.”
Walter finished the last sentence in a meek voice. He was aware his life was everything but interesting. Little Town was just a sleepy village, where nothing ever happens. It was only known as the town closest to Sapientia, the famous school for mages.
“I know it’s not much”, said Walter. “But I could tell you more about Sapientia if you want me to.”
Kermit nodded. Walter took a deep breath and started talking:
“Sapientia is one of the four most renowned schools in the world. It specializes in magic and was founded by Lord Hyne Ardito over five hundred years ago. At first, it was only for fire, water, thunder, wind and healing magic, as you can see by the crest. He added the other kinds later. Lord Hyne Ardito was very gifted in magic but also in non-magic combat. His school Virtute specializes in this. Dominus is a combination of both. Ultima is kinda the same, only it’s the elite. Only the best of the best can attend Ultima.”
“Wait a minute, I thought Ultima was one of the most powerful spells in existence”, said Kermit, a little confused.
“He named it after the spell”, explained Walter.
“Oh.”
There was a pause where Kermit and Walter both looked up to the stars. Miss Piggy was still snuggled up to Kermit, her eyes now closed.
“Miss Piggy, it’s your turn now”, said Walter after a few minutes. But Miss Piggy did not react, not even when he tried to shake her awake.
“I think she’s asleep”, Kermit said quietly.
“You better go to sleep, too. I’ll stand watch”, said Walter.
“Yeah, okay”, Kermit agreed. He lay down, closed his eyes and fell asleep. Walter, meanwhile, stayed awake to keep watch. He was tired but he fought off sleep. Somebody had to make sure nothing was going to attack them while they slept and he volunteered to do so for an hour until either Kermit or Miss Piggy relieved him. But for now, his two companions were fast asleep and dreaming. Sleep… Walter would just love to go sleep now. But no, he had to stay awake, as he reminded himself time and time again. It was hard because there was no disturbance. The night was peaceful and warm, with a breeze drifting sometimes. It was kind of like a warm day in a shadowy place, perfect for a nap. Walter could feel his eyelids becoming heavier and heavier…
The early morning sun shone brightly and warmly on Walter’s face, waking him up. He could not remember falling asleep. He looked around and smiled when he saw that Miss Piggy was still snuggled up to Kermit. Indeed, she looked like she had a good night’s sleep by using the frog as a pillow and he seemed to have slept through the night, too. It was quite a cute sight, in Walter’s opinion. His eyes widened when he realized that neither of them had stood watch. He screamed in terror, causing Kermit and Miss Piggy to wake up. The frog bolted upright in shock, causing the pig to fall hard on the ground with a loud thud.
“Ow! Watch it!”, she exclaimed angrily while Kermit asked:
“What’s going on?”
Walter ignored them as he looked through his things. Kermit decided, and advised Miss Piggy, to do the same. He found that none of his things, which consisted of his banjo, a little bag, the money bag and the bag of supplies, were missing. Miss Piggy did not miss anything from her possessions, either. Walter calmed down when he heard this.
“Walter, what’s going on?”, asked Kermit.
“I, um, I was kind of afraid that some of our things were stolen…”, his friend replied meekly.
“Why?”
“Because I, er, fell asleep on guard duty…”
“You WHAT!?”, Miss Piggy exclaimed, making Walter flinch.
“Calm down”, said Kermit, putting a hand gently on her shoulder. “I don’t blame for falling asleep. We were all tired last night; it could have happened to anyone. And anyway, nothing was stolen, right?”
“Right”, grunted Miss Piggy.

Shortly afterwards, the group continued their journey and, as before, it was rather uneventful. Kermit took out his banjo around midday. He had no idea why he did this; maybe it was just too quiet for his taste.
“What are you going to play, Kermie?”, asked an interested Miss Piggy.
“I… I don’t really know. Something about being on a journey, I guess”, replied Kermit, holding his banjo close to him. “Well, the author has given me a choice. Either Movin’ Right Along or I’m On My Way.”
“Not really a lot of to choose from”, commented Walter. The sentence barely left his mouth when a couple of Goblins and two Drontes appeared. Walter summoned his weapon while one Goblin hit him. It barely hurt him; it was actually more annoying than anything else. He retaliated with several chimes of his bell, defeating it a short while later. Nearby, Kermit and Miss Piggy fought together to get rid of the Drontes. One of them bit Kermit in the shoulder; Miss Piggy got it off with a quick karate-chop. Kermit put it to sleep while Walter ran over to them to help them. Together, he and Miss Piggy defeated the Dronte. Right after it vanished in a dark cloud, a Goblin attacked Miss Piggy from behind with a knife. She cried out in pain and wheeled around, trying to kick it but barely missing it. It cackled maliciously at her. She growled angrily and used her karate-chop on it. This time, she hit it in the stomach, sending it flying and hitting a few more Goblins. They landed among the flowers and, when they got back on their feet, they walked in a slightly dizzy way. Notes, chimes and a powerful karate-chop defeated those Goblins in a matter of minutes. The remaining Dronte dashed towards them, its fangs bared and ready to slash any of them with its claws. Kermit, Miss Piggy and Walter jumped out of the way, though it still managed to scratch Walter’s arm. He tripped over his own feet when he took a step backwards to avoid another attack and landed where the Goblins lay just moments before. Kermit, meanwhile, played Shadows In The Night to blind the Destroyer while Miss Piggy stood behind him, concentrating hard. Then she attacked the Dronte with particularly powerful kicks and karate-chops, just like she did in the catacombs of Jamais Dormir Ville. Her attack left the Destroyer severely weakened and, in his blinded status, none of its attacks hit them. Instead of Kermit’s leg, it bit – and ate – a flower; instead of scratching across Miss Piggy’s chest, it scratched air. The three Muppets actually stood on the sidelines, Kermit still playing, and watched it stagger before Walter defeated it with a chime.
“Well, at least something happened”, he commented, attempting to sound like he found it all amusing. He got something out of his pocket. “I found it over there.”
He indicated to the spot he had fallen down and where, before that, the Goblins lay. Both Kermit and Miss Piggy looked at his palm, seeing circular golden coins.
“It’s Munny”, Kermit stated, confused at seeing the currency used all over the world in the palm of Walter’s hand. “But how -?”
“Maybe the Goblins dropped it when they vanished?”, said Walter. “But at least we don’t have to worry about money anymore.”
“I guess”, replied his froggy friend while he added the Munny into the money bag.

They walked down the path for the next two days, only stopping to rest twice a day. Unlike before, however, it was less boring now. Destroyers regularly attacked them, so that at the end of the day, they felt so exhausted it took only a matter of seconds before they were fast asleep. For some reason, they were never attacked while sleeping. Of course, no one was complaining. It was not like they desired to be wounded or ripped apart in their sleep. With every battle, they felt themselves becoming stronger. They needed less time to take down a Dronte. The occasional Lupus was not so hard to defeat anymore and the Goblins vanished faster than gateau, waffles, pies, ice cream and donuts served to Miss Piggy.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”, grunted Miss Piggy angrily. The author gulped in fear and hurried to retype the comparison.
The Goblins vanished fast than one could say “Boom Shakalaka”.
“That’s better”, said Miss Piggy approvingly.
“Could you please stop breaking the fourth wall?”, said Walter.
“You broke it first and then Kermie. It was my turn now”, Miss Piggy retorted.
“Good grief”, mumbled Kermit.
Anyway, the three Muppets continued their journey until they arrived at a farm some time in the evening. Cows grazed calmly on the fenced field, a dog chased birds until it spotted Kermit, Miss Piggy and Walter. It ran to them with a wag of its tail and yipped playfully.
“Angelo!”, a female voice called. The dog ran to its owner. Just as she was about to pick the dog up, it ran back to the three Muppets.
“Oh, bonjour”, said the owner who had followed the dog. “Je suis Charlotte. Puis-je vous aider?”
Kermit and Walter looked at each other in confusion. They had not understood a word she had said, except “Charlotte”. She apparently noticed their confusion; for she now spoke in a language they could understand:
“Hello. I am Charlotte. Can I help you?”
Charlotte was a Whatnot with lavender skin. Her brown hair was tied up in a ponytail. She had large brown eyes and pink lips.
“Hi ho, I’m Kermit The Frog. And this Walter and this is Miss Piggy.”
Walter raised his hand in greeting while the lady pig said “bonjour”.
“You look like you had a long journey”, said Charlotte. “Come in my house and rest. You can sleep in the guest room.”
They followed her into the house, with Angelo trotting after them. They were led into a hall; the walls were decorated with a single photograph of Charlotte on arm around a horse and a male Whatnot standing next to her, his arm around her waist. Underneath the picture were a small table and a telephone and on the opposite wall were coat hooks. Charlotte entered a room to the right. She was talking to someone, who seemed to not speak her native language because Kermit, Miss Piggy and Walter could understand every word she said.
“Could you please prepare more spaghetti, dearie? We have guests.”
To the astonishment of Kermit, Miss Piggy and Walter, they heard the answer in clucks. Angelo followed his owner into the room and, a minute later, Charlotte reappeared.
“Have a seat, dinner will be ready soon”, she said. “I’ll be right back.”
She left them a split second before they entered the room, which turned out to be the kitchen. The wallpapers were in a pleasant shade of yellow, the furniture had a sturdy, rustically look. In a corner was Angelo, eating meat from his bowl. The sitting area was small and cozy. A chicken fluttered in front of the stove, somehow preparing dinner. Neither Kermit nor Miss Piggy nor Walter said a word as they watched the chicken, trying to figure out how she managed to cook. It was only when Charlotte entered the kitchen, they stopped watching the chicken.
“The poor dear was quite in a shock when I first met her”, Charlotte said. “She almost drowned in the ocean after her home had been attacked. She’s feeling better now but she misses her home.”
“How do you know all this?, asked Miss Piggy curiously.
“She told me all this”, the Whatnot replied. “I learned Chickenish since I was eight years old”, she added upon seeing her guests’ questioning looks. The chicken clucked something and Charlotte stood up from her seat. She then carried three plates and the chicken carried two plates and they set them on the table.
“Bon appé***”, said Charlotte but Kermit barely heard her. He had now gotten a good look at the chicken and this sure was one chicken he knew. And the way she looked at him, it as clear she recognized him, too.
“Camilla?”
“Bawk?”
Miss Piggy, Walter and Charlotte looked up from their spaghetti Bolognese.
“You know each other?”, asked the Whatnot, looking interested at Kermit and Camilla.
“We lived on the same island. Though I didn’t know she could cook”, said Kermit as Camilla clucked animatedly. Charlotte was the only one who did not look puzzled.
“To make it short, she says she’s glad to see you alive and she asks about the others”, translated Charlotte. Camilla clucked again. “And if Gonzo is alright.”
“I’m glad to see you, too”, said Kermit, managing a little smile. “But I haven’t found the others yet.”
Camilla clucked in disappointment.
“But we’ll”, he gestured at himself, Miss Piggy and Walter, “find them.”
And so, he told his poultry friend what he had happened to him since the attack on Muppet Island. When he was done, Camilla told him how she as found and how she helped out on the farm, with a translation from Charlotte.

After dinner, Kermit, Miss Piggy and Walter were led to the guest room by Charlotte. The small room had two beds, a couch, a drawer, a desk and a chair. A nightgown had been laid out for Miss Piggy. Charlotte bid them a good night and left.
“Miss Piggy, you can sleep in one of the beds”, said both male Muppets at once. They had a feeling she would use her karate-chop them if they would not let her sleep in a bed.
“Thank vous”, said Miss Piggy sweetly, taking the nightgown. Her two companions quickly left the room while she changed and did not return until she gave the word. When Kermit and Walter reentered the guest room, Miss Piggy had already gotten comfortable in the bed beneath the window. The question of who should sleep in the other bed was solved by a round of paper-rock-scissors, which Kermit lost by using scissor while Walter used rock. Having no night clothes, they both had to strip down to their underwear.
“Nice pants, Kermie”, Miss Piggy commented, giggling. Kermit blushed. Walter laughed at the sight of his heart print pants. Kermit made a crunched face as he climbed on the couch and pulled the blanket over him.
“Just let the chapter end.”