Jinx looked so different since the Muppets had last seen her seventeen or eighteen years ago. She was undoubtedly taller but she looked so thin and wasted. Her right ear was torn and had a piece missing and her eyes looked wide with worry.
"Hi guys," she said to the Muppets as she came in. "How have you all been?"
Even her voice sounded different, quieter, fragile.
Suddenly, Jinx froze. Right in front of her stood a black-and-white cat. She knew exactly who it was.
"Ebony?"
"Hi little sis," he said.
It was the same name he'd called her the last time they'd seen each other. All those years ago.
"Oh, Ebony!"
Jinx burst into tears and threw her arms around him.
"I thought you were dead!" she sobbed.
Ebony shook his head. "No, I almost was, though."
Jinx drew back and looked at him worriedly. "What do you mean?" she asked.
Ebony turned sideways showing his tail. Well…what was left of it. His tail had been cut short, it was only about two or three inches long.
Jinx gasped but she didn't say anything.
Ebony tried to change the subject.
"I got you this," he said.
He took the guitar case off his back and gave it to her. Inside was Jinx's purple guitar.
"My guitar!"
"Uh…excuse me?" Kermit said. He had been watching this whole scene play out. "I hate to interrupt but…are you going to introduce us?"
A few other Muppets were dotted about but most of them were still in their dressing rooms. As it was quite early, Miss Piggy was still asleep.
"Oh yeah, sorry," Jinx said. Ebony, this is Kermit. He used to be my boss a few years ago until I left. And this is Scooter, Fozzie and Rowlf. Guys, this is my brother."
"Oh, he's your brother," Scooter said. "Right, gotcha."
"Well, I guess we need to discuss a few things," Kermit said. "But first, I know a guy who'd really like to see you."
"I bet I know who this is," Jinx murmured to herself.
In her seventeen years of being on the streets, many of her Muppet-related memories had faded, but one shone brightly, not wavering no matter how many years went by.
"Walter?" Kermit called knocking on said Muppet's door. "There's someone here you might want to see."
Walter appeared looking tired and a little irritated at being disturbed. But when he peered over the balcony and saw the cat standing in the hallway, his face lit up.
"Jinx! Oh, Jinx!" he cried tearing down the stairs.
He practically threw himself at Jinx and hugged her tight, happy tears running down her face.
Jinx was a little taken aback but she hugged him back remembering how much she'd missed him.
"I missed you so, so much, Jinx," Walter said.
"So did I, champ," Jinx replied ruffling his hair.
"Are you going to stay this time?" Walter asked.
Jinx and Ebony glanced at each other. It was strange to say so but that thought hadn't once crossed her mind yet.
"I-I don't really know yet, Walter," Jinx said. "Sorry pal."
"It's OK. It's just great to finally see you again!" Suddenly, Walter spotted Ebony. "Hey, who's this?" he asked.
"Oh, Walter, this is my brother Ebony," Jinx said. "And Ebony, this is Walter, my boyfriend."
Walter fainted.
Then there was chaos.
"It's OK, it's alright people, calm down," Kermit announced. "Don't worry he does this all the time. Someone just get me a jug of cold water."
Kermit got handed a jug of cold water with ice in it and he tipped it over Walter's face. Walter woke up immediately.
"What is the meaning of all this anarchy?!" shrieked an extremely annoying voice from the balcony.
Miss Piggy had emerged from her room after being woken up by the immense noise.
She spotted Jinx. "Well, well," she said in quite a different tone. "Look who came crawling back."
Jinx remembered when she had last seen Miss Piggy, seventeen, years ago. She was terrified of her then. But after being on the streets for so long, Jinx had learnt so much about friends, enemies, trust, fear. She still hated Miss Piggy with a burning passion, but standing there with her brother on one side, her boyfriend on the other and her best friend behind her, she just wasn't scared of her anymore.
"Was life in the big, bad world too tough for a scaredy-cat like you?" Miss Piggy sneered.
"Leave off Miss Piggy," Jinx said. "I'm not a kid and I'm not scared of you anymore."
"Ooh, tough talk!" Miss Piggy rested her elbows on the balcony. "Are you going to mess with my beauty-sleep as well as everything else?"
"Piggy, can't you just go back to sleep, please?" Kermit said. "We're kind of busy right now and your insults aren't helping."
Miss Piggy raised her eyebrows. "Getting the gentlemen to do the tough work for you, are you Fleabag?" she said to Jinx. "Hello, I don't think I've met this other Scruffbag."
She was looking at Ebony. Ebony crossed his arms.
"Not that it's any of your business," he said. "I'm Ebony, Jinx's brother. And I can't imagine that you are a friend so could you please push off and leave us in peace!"
"Yeah!" Walter added, determined to have his input.
"Alright, alright, I'm going," Miss Piggy said. "Although I hope that you two won't be staying long, I had enough of you the last time, ten years ago."
"Seventeen years, actually," Jinx corrected.
"Seventeen years, five months, eight weeks and three days," Walter said. Everyone stared at him. "Not that I'm counting."
Miss Piggy returned to her dressing room.
"Well I think that there are some things we need to discuss," Kermit said to the two cats. "Jinx and Ebony, could you step inside my office for a minute?"
So the frog and the two cats walked into the office.
Meanwhile, a much younger frog was secretly watching from the balcony. Jasmine smiled at Ebony. Was he going to stay? She had to tell her brother!