Chapter 20: Forgive and Forget
The room was dull. And empty except for a brain, and a large machine. Underneath the crayon drawings was an empty apartment. Nothing on the walls. Nothing on the floor. Except for the motionless bodies of two frogs, and thier friends.
Elmo was down on his knees staring at Kermit and Robin's lifeless bodies. By now the rest of The Muppets had stopped crying. Zoe got down on her knees next to Elmo. She placed her hand on his. What has Elmo done? Elmo thought to himself. He looked at Zoe. Her face was full of worry. He had scared her. He looked at Kermit. His mouth barely hanging open, his eyes closed, and a bruise starting to form. He had hurt him. He looked at Robin. His eyes and mouth were closed and he had Miss Piggy's handkerchief on his forehead. He had hurt him to. He looked behind him and saw everyone. He had hurt them all.
"Elmo is so sorry." He said as a single tear dropped from his eye onto Kermit. Then more tears fell. Kermit's body was raised from the ground by Elmo's tears. Kermit's eyes opened. He was lowered back down to the floor.
"Piggy? Gonzo? Fozzie? I'm... I'm me. I'm okay. But Elmo he..." Kermit sputered.
"Elmo saved you Kermit." Zoe said. "His tears. They brought you back."
"Elmo? But he's the one who hurt me in the first place." Kermit said.
"Elmo is sorry Mr. Kermit. It was Elmo's destiny to take over the world. But now, Elmo realizes that he didn't want to." Elmo admitted.
"Elmo. If you didn't want to, you didn't have to." Zoe told him. "Elmo. You are blessed by how you bless. Not by how you hurt. You should be nice."
"Elmo likes being nice. Alot more than being mean. Elmo was mean to Elmo's friends." Elmo said. "Elmo was mean to Robin." Elmo looked at Robin. He realized that what he did was wrong. And he had to fix it. "But Elmo can fix Robin."
Elmo walked over to where his throne used to stand. He picked up the jar with Robin's brain, and walked it over to the Quadrilobal Brain Probing Machine.
The rest of the Muppets were speechless. They didn't know what to think. Was Elmo really good now? Or was he just tricking them?
"Mr. Kermit, bring Robin over here, and Elmo will put Robin's brain back in." Elmo told Kermit.
Kermit stared. He thought about Robin. He thought about a song. A song he'd known for a long time. It meant something now. He understood. Kermit picked up Robin and carried him over to Elmo.
"Just set Robin down, right there." Elmo said.
Kermit sat Robin down, and Elmo lowered the machine until it was on Robin's head.
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It took Robin a moment to recover. He blinked. Then opened his eyes. He saw everyone looking down at him.
Rowlf was the firt to notice. "Hey guys he's up!"
Robin heard cheers from all around him. Then the Count popped his head in.
"How many fingers am I holding up?" He asked as he held up all five fingers on one hand.
"Five. I'm five." Robin said.
"Oh no!" Beauregard said. "He's holding up four fingers and one thumb! Robin's brain must have been put in wrong!"
Robin laughed. He stood up, and looked around him. All of his friends were there. Rowlf, Sweetums, Gonzo, Floyd, Scooter, Miss Piggy, Big Bird, Ernie, Bert, Elmo, Zoe... Elmo?
Elmo was standing with his hands behind his back. He looked at Robin. Robin looked at him.
"What are you still doing here Elmo?" Robin asked angrily.
"Elmo is sorry Robin. Elmo is nice now." Elmo said.
"That's not true!" Robin yelled. "You hurt me Elmo! You took my brain and turned me into your slave! You made me hurt my friends!" Robin held back tears.
Kermit walked up to his nephew. He put his hand on his shoulder. "Robin. Remember the song I taught you?" Kermit asked him.
"Which one? Halfway Down the Stairs?" Robin asked.
Kermit shook his head.
"It's Not Easy Bein' Green?" Robin asked again.
Kermit shook his head once more and started to sing.
"If just one person believes in you,
Deep enough and strong enough believes in you
Hard enough and long enough,
It stands to reason that someone else will think,
If he can do it, I can do it."
Elmo listened to the words. He knew that Kermit believed in him. And Robin knew that as well.
Zoe walked up to Kermit and sang with him.
"Making it, two whole people, who believe in you
Deep enough, and strong enough,
Believe in you.
Hard enough and long enough
There's bound to be some other person who
Believes in making it a threesome,
Making it three.
People you can say, believe in me."
Now Elmo realized Zoe believed to. Kermit and Zoe. Robin realized that his uncle wasn't going crazy as Big Bird came to sing with them.
"And if three whole people,
Why not four?"
Miss Piggy joined.
"And if four whole people,
Why not more, and
more, and
more."
Soon everyone was singing with Kermit. Everyone but Robin and Elmo.
"And when all those people,
Believe in you,
Deep enough, and strong enough,
Believe in you.
Hard enough, and long enough,
It stands to reason that you yourself will
Start to see what everybody sees in
You."
Elmo looked at Robin. Robin looked at Elmo. Robin believed. Elmo believed.
"And maybe even you,
Can believe in you... too!" Robin finished the song.
Elmo believed in himself. "Elmo believes. In himself. And everyone."
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You are blessed by how you bless.
THE END