The Legend of The Crystals

[Yuna Leonhart]

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.

 

[meepmuppaphones]

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...

 

[meepmuppaphones]

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

 

[Yuna Leonhart]

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.

And I think I spotted a few nods to KH in here, maybe just my imagination...

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

 

[Yuna Leonhart]

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…

 

[meepmuppaphones]

OMG THAT WAS A GREAT CHAPPIE.

 

[Yuna Leonhart]

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.

 

[Misskermie]

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

Do more!

 

[Yuna Leonhart]

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

 

[Yuna Leonhart]

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.