Chapter 22
Silence reigned as the spaceship returned to the Gonzonian craft. Des Filmer landed the ship in the hangar and everyone departed, heads hanging down.
The group was met with the stares of Gonzonian eyes. There was no noise, just stares.
Zongo placed and arm on Flanzgo’s shoulder. She turned her head towards the man and he nodded. She closed her eyes and stepped forward from the group. "My people," she said very softly. "Exod has been destroyed."
The many Gonzonians cheered their princess and her Earthling friends. A riot of Gonzonian happiness spread throughout the landing bay.
But fifteen of them stood silently. Flanzgo began to break down in tears, Gonzo moved forward and calmed down the crowd. "Please, listen to me," he begged. "Exod may have been destroyed...But...But Onzgo...Onzgo had to sacrifice himself to do it. Onzgo...Is gone."
The ruckus ended, and again, it was pure silence. That was the funny thing about silence, it was so pure, and yet at the same time so heart wrenchingly nerve racking.
"This is your new leader," Zongo spoke up. "The Great Gonzo!"
Some murmurs emerged from the silence. Gonzo frowned and shook his head. "I can’t...I can’t lead these people."
The murmurs were replaced with gasps and "oh mys." Gonzo rubbed his head. "I...I don’t know these people...They need someone who knows them and knows what’s best for them. Someone brave and strong." Piggy cleared her throat and stepped forward. "That is why my niece Flanzgo will assume the position," Gonzo said. Piggy muttered and stepped back.
Flanzgo wiped her eyes. Brave and strong? She couldn’t believe that this was her Gonzo was talking about. "Gonzo...Not me...It can’t be me..."
Gonzo placed his hand onto his niece’s shoulder he stared into her eyes, showing all the compassion he could. "It is," the weirdo said blankly. "It
is you Flanzgo."
"We all have faith in you princess," Zongo smiled towards her. "All of us."
The other Gonzonians grew in appreciation for their princess. Their cheers of faith filled the hangar. Flanzgo’s tears of grief turned to tears of happiness with the jeers and support of her people. "Thank you all," she said through the salt water.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Dr. Teeth held the phone receiver to his head backstage at the theater. "You sure Lips my man?" he said into the phone, twirling the twisted cord in around his green finger. "Mmm, lost your voice? Man, I know the feelin’. See ya."
Dr. Teeth hung up the phone and turned to the questioning looks of the three remaining band members. "Well, it looks like we’ve got no other choice," Floyd sighed. "Bean boy, you’re up!"
A gigantic squeal emerged from behind the band as Bean Bunny hopped halfway to the ceiling. "Whee! Oh goody goody goody!" the bunny shouted. "I get to play some music in a group of music players!"
Dr. Teeth covered both of his eyes and moaned. "Listen up spunky bunny, we do not play some music in a group of music players," Dr. Teeth’s philosophically deep voice said. "We jam in a band of fantasting amastic voids of psychedelic groovieness!"
"Like fer sure little bean," Janice chimed in. "If we wanted to ‘play some music in a group of music players’ we’d get Sam to hire Bobby Benson and his all baby band."
"Wha’?" Zoot woke up. "Janice and Sam got a baby in a band?"
Sam shot out of a dressing room in the upper level backstage. "
Absolutely not!" he shouted, returning to the room, slamming the door.
"Rully," Janice said. "It would, like, never work out."
"Hey baby, that’s what we say about green stuff and pork rinds! But that’s only because they don’t have access to a gym! Heh heh heh!" Floyd laughed.
"So do I get to play my cute little harmonica or not?" Bean spoke up.
Clifford poked his head backstage. "Hey ya’ll, we
need the Mayhem on stage."
"We hear ya Cliff, but we
need our drummer!" Floyd said.
"I could invent a drummer that would double-NO! Triple Animal’s caffeine intake in a matter of moments!" Bunsen ran in, with Beaker at his side, as always.
"NO!" the group of Muppets (including Sam who had reemerged from his hermitage) shouted in unison.
"You mean I
don’t get to play my cute little harmonica?" Bean whined.
Scooter tapped Clifford on the shoulder. "Hey Clifford, should I be writing down all these fights for Kermit?"
"Man, will you get off my back?!" Clifford shouted. "And I’ve gotta get this thing off my chest!" Clifford pulled a rat off his chest. "What are you doin’ man?"
The rat shook violently in Clifford’s grasp. "The end of the world! It’s coming! IT’S COMING!!"
"Hey rat, I’ve been thinkin’ that since ‘89. It ain’t comin’," Clifford tossed the rat behind his shoulder, into Scooter’s hands. And picked up the Muppet Labs Interstellar Cellular Phone off the go-fer’s belt. Clifford held the invention up to his dread-locked head.
Well, there’s a ring tone, so it’s on. But Kerm still hasn’t tried to call. What is goin’ on up there? The co-host thought to himself, tossing the phone behind him. Scooter fumbled with it as he tried to catch it.
"Hey Clifford, calm down, I’ve only got two hands! Just like you!" Scooter said with both hands full.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Uncle Deadly and Death emerged from the black flames inside a dark room. Sounds of computers buzzing and monitors beeping filled the air. Deadly looked up at Death, "Where are we my fiend?" he asked.
"CURRENTLY WE FIND OURSELVES INSIDE THE GONZONIAN MAIN COMMUNICATIONS ROOM," Death said as he lay Xander’s body on the ground. "I AM HERE ON BUSINESS, THERE ARE SOME WANDERING SPIRITS THAT NEED MY INTERVENING."
"Am I to go with you?" the confused phantom asked.
"YOU ASSUME TOO MUCH DEAR DEADLY," Death grasped his scythe tightly. "YOU DO HAVE FRIENDS HERE AFTER ALL."
Death placed the butt of his scythe on Deadly’s back, pushing him out the door, closing and locking it behind him.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Kermit joined in the embracing of the newly proclaimed ruler of Gonzonia. The frog was suddenly smothered with Miss Piggy’s cuddling embrace. "Piggy, please," Kermit tried pushing her off.
"Oh mon capitan, don’t stop the love," Piggy swooned.
Piggy stroked his green head. "Piggy...Why do you insist on doing this, here, and now?"
"Oh Kermie, it’s just, such action-packed heroics makes moi feel like..." Kermit drifted off as Piggy’s voice trailed away. He looked around the hangar at a prominent blue speck that emerged suddenly. He stared hard at the blue blob, trying to figure out what it could be. He realized finally that it was Uncle Deadly. "I mean, vous wouldn’t want moi going off with Gonzo the hero, now would vous?" Piggy rubbed Kermit’s arms.
"Yeah...Yeah Piggy, okay," Kermit tried to push her off so he could go to Deadly.
"WHAT?!" Piggy screamed. She planned on sending Kermit to Deadly, just not how the frog would’ve hoped. "HI-YAH!!"
She smacked Kermit in the chest sending him flying across the hangar in front of Uncle Deadly.
"Oh...Kermit..." Deadly said, hoisting Kermit up onto his feet. "I see you flew in to see me, how nice."
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