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Author
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Topic: "Smurphony Of The Night" -- the full story
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VicGeorge2010
Super Smurf
Member # 300
Member Rated:
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posted 10-31-2022 03:20 AM
Here's a classic EMPATH: The Luckiest Smurf story that you can read for Halloween.
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Chapter 1
Empath's personal journal, September 11.
It is that time of year for the annual three-day event in the village called Smurfstock, when any Smurf who has musical talent of any sort was invited to share it with the others. According to Papa Smurf, Smurfstock came to be when our Smurf ancestors decided to devote three days of the year to the commemoration of peace, love, and music. One of those ancestors who came up with the idea of Smurfstock was believed to be the one who came up with the "smurfsong" -- a series of signature notes that was believed to be the total musical embodiment of being a Smurf.
Smurfstock was celebrated every year since its conception, up until when this smurf's fellow Smurfs lost their parents to an unknown incurable disease and Papa Smurf had to step in and become the leader of a village. It wasn't resumed until three years before this smurf returned from Psychelia for good, when Harmony came up with an "original" symphony that was actually written by an entity known only as the Ghostwriter. A year later, the Smurflings appeared in the village and, with nothing better to do than show the adult Smurfs that they were pretty much capable of creating music themselves, developed a style of their own for Smurfstock called "smurf 'n roll". Their first song, "Smurfbop", became such an overwhelming hit at that year's Smurfstock that it literally inspired the adult Smurfs to come up with some new songs of their own using the Smurfling style.
Ever since this smurf first visited the Smurf Village, this smurf had been fascinated with the art of creating music, so this smurf took some lessons playing various instruments, eventually sticking to the piano because it was the most comfortable instrument this smurf has ever learned how to play. Now this smurf is also trying to compose some original music of my own, mostly to contribute something for Smurfstock, but partly to attract Smurfette's attention, since she is also interested in music. Harmony says that this smurf is too good to even bother playing music, but knowing that he has trouble doing the same thing himself, this smurf could only see that as a jealous reaction. This smurf does not mean to show up Harmony like that, but this smurf can be honest with myself in saying that this smurf can play any instrument better than he could. Now if only this smurf could create some music as good as this smurf could play it!
The village was so busy with activity as the Smurfs prepared for the musical event that was Smurfstock. A handful of them were busy at the Smurf outdoors theater setting up the stage with enough filtered boxes designed by Handy to amplify the sound of the musicians and their various instruments. Although a few Smurfs like Papa Smurf thought those "amplismurfers" were too loud and would most likely attract unwanted visitors to their village, Handy felt certain in the knowledge that at least Empath would be around to make sure such impromptu visits would be handled with utmost care.
Meanwhile, other kinds of preparations were underway, such as floral wreaths and streamers being made under the direction of Vanity, whose job was to make the village look just as beautiful during Smurfstock as he was. Tailor was boiling a big kettle outside his clothing shop full of a special multi-colored dye that Painter made up, twisting and tying up ordinary white hats and pants in random areas and sticking them inside the mixture to create all sorts of weird colored patterns. Clumsy along with a few other Smurfs were assembling beaded bracelets made from different-colored stones. Greedy and Tapper were both hard at work in their kitchens and breweries, making sure there would be plenty of food and drink to be enjoyed throughout the festival. Tapper in particular was designing a very unusual drink that looked like the amorphous blobs that constantly changed shape inside a lava lamp, but he had yet to find anybody else who was interested in trying it since this concoction was more for the novelty of its looks.
And, of course, there were the Smurfs who hoped to perform at the festival itself, getting together in small bands or being by themselves, practicing and rehearsing the tunes that they wanted to play. There was so much noise, so many different instruments being used during this time of day, that the very few Smurfs who cared very little for even being in Smurfstock chose to go off into the forest to find some quiet solace. Grouchy, as everyone would have guessed, was one of the few, while Lazy just simply went out into the forest to have a smoke of smurfnip and a quiet nap before the show started.
Empath had taken some time off from his duties as Papa Smurf's assistant counselor to do some rehearsing of his own, since Papa Smurf saw no immediate need for Empath watching over the village during Smurfstock. Smurfette was with Empath inside the Smurf outdoor theatre behind the closed curtains, listening to Empath playing a tune on Harmony's grand piano. Neither of them said anything, nor were they bothered by the presence of the other Smurfs still setting up the stage.
When Empath was finished playing, he asked, "How did you find this smurf's music to be, Smurfette?"
Smurfette wasn't sure how to answer that question. "Uh...it was...beautiful..." she started to say when she paused to think about something, and then she added, "but I do feel there's something missing to your music, Empath."
Empath was puzzled. "What do you mean, Smurfette?" he asked.
"Well, let's try something," Smurfette suggested. "Whistle to me the smurfsong just as you smurf it in your head."
Empath did as Smurfette asked. La, la, la la la la, sing a song of Smurf,... She listened very carefully to how he did it.
"Uh, that's just what I thought it would sound like from you," Smurfette sighed, seemingly not pleased after Empath finished. "You see, Empath, while you do smurf musical instruments very well -- even better than Harmony can -- the music you play smurfs to have a bit of sadness to it. Nothing in your music seems to say you enjoy being a Smurf. Even listening to you whistling the smurfsong seems to say that."
"This smurf has recognized that as a continuous shortcoming, Smurfette," Empath started to explain. "This smurf was brought up as a Psyche, where the only harmonious sound that existed among those people was that of many minds linked together, sharing thoughts with others in the collective. The smurfsong was never really a part of me, and for years this smurf tried to make it as much a part of me as what this smurf was born as, but this smurf still doesn't feel connected to its sound."
"It's a wonder you can still play music at all, Empath," Smurfette remarked. "I was thinking, maybe I can challenge you to smurf up with a piece of music that would make me feel all warm and...smurfy inside instead of all teary-eyed before the end of the Smurfstock festival."
Empath's eyes lit up at the prospect of a challenge. He wasn't sure what the outcome of his efforts would be, but he would do anything to prove himself to Smurfette.
"It sounds like something feasible for this smurf to take on," he mused. "Only this smurf wonders what the prize would be for this smurf succeeding in that challenge."
Smurfette looked skyward, making Empath think she was trying to come up with an answer. "Oh, just whatever it is you wish from me to smurf you, Empath…just as long as I approve of it," she suggested, looking at him again.
"And what would this smurf do for you if this smurf fails this challenge, Smurfette?"
Smurfette gave Empath that thinking look again. "How about breakfast in bed for the next three hundred mornings of your life…plus a fresh rose from the garden…and you not smurfing a shirt in front of me when you're serving?"
Empath had to admit…Smurfette certainly had a way with rewarding Smurfs, even when they lose. She wants this smurf to serve her breakfast in bed for three hundred mornings with this smurf not wearing a shirt? he thought. Hmmmm…
"This smurf would be honored to accept the challenge," he answered eagerly.
"Good!" Smurfette chirped, smiling again. "I can't wait to smurf what you can come up with, whatever it happens to be. And if you don't smurf up with anything, I can always smurf the next best thing from you. Well, I've got to resmurf for my performance tonight and find that dress I smurfed at the last Smurfstock festival."
"Just be careful around that musical group that calls itself Azrael Rocks, Smurfette" Empath warned. "They're still practicing their songs for the event."
"Oh, great," Smurfette groaned, as if she just heard a bad joke. "Like some Smurfs just had to pick the name of Gargamel's cat to drive the rest of us crazy along with their bad music. I just wish Sloppy could've stuck to smurfing a regular guitar or even a mandolin instead of that caterwauling guitar of his."
"Honestly, Smurfette, it's not that terrible of a musical instrument once you know how to play it correctly," Empath told her as she headed off the stage. "Maybe Sloppy can teach you how to play it sometime."
Smurfette gave Empath a look over her shoulder that said yeah, right, like that would be the day. And then she crossed through the curtains and was gone.
Empath sighed as he resumed his playing the piano. He remembered the story he heard from his fellow Smurfs about how Sloppy came up with this invention in the first place. One day out in the woods, Sloppy was practicing some chords on a regular guitar, trying to come up with some unique sounds that no Smurf had ever heard from a guitar. It was in the middle of this practicing that he heard a flurry of high-pitched squeals that sounded like Azrael getting on the business end of his master Gargamel's bad temper again. He noticed that the cat squeals had a very unusual musical sound that appealed to him, and so he quickly headed back to the village to try coming up with something that would emulate that sound.
Eventually, Sloppy used Handy's workshop to build himself a different kind of guitar that created not only high-pitched notes that squealed like a cat, but also low-pitched notes that growled like a fierce animal. The first time Sloppy played this guitar, every Smurf found themselves running for their lives out into the forest, thinking that Azrael or something even more dangerous found its way to the village. But eventually they found out what it really was, and even Jokey, who would normally be the one to fool his fellow Smurfs with such convincing trickery, was impressed. Since then, Sloppy had been busy at work trying to create more melodic sounds with the caterwauling guitar, though most of the time he simply preferred a good jam session to let loose the musical animal.
Empath could only hope that Smurfette would get over her disdain for Sloppy's instrumental creation, particularly since he wrote a good deal of songs about her that played very well on his caterwauling guitar, no matter how loud they sounded.
"Good morning, Empath," another familiar voice greeted him. "I see you're smurfing some time off to do some practicing of your own for the performances."
Empath stopped playing and turned to see Papa Smurf on the stage carrying Baby Smurf with him. Instead of his usual red hat and pants, Papa Smurf now wore one of the tie-dye colored suits that Tailor and Painter were producing, and Baby Smurf himself was wearing a hat, shirt, and pants combination with the same type of design.
"Salutations, Papa Smurf," Empath commented. "This smurf was making sure Harmony's grand piano was finely tuned to suit anyone's ear for music. It seems that you both must have been Tailor's first customers, for this smurf has rarely seen you wearing anything other your standard colored clothing."
"Yes, well, I figured I could smurf without the usual style for the time smurfing, Empath," Papa Smurf responded. "I have to agree that these suits certainly look…as Painter would say…smurfedelic, whatever he means by that! But please…don't stop smurfing the piano on my account. It isn't as if I needed you for anything smurfly urgent today."
"This smurf acknowledges, Papa Smurf," Empath said, feeling relieved. He turned his attention toward the piano and resumed his playing. As he played, Baby Smurf put in his mouth a kazoo that he was carrying and made some musical noises of his own.
Papa Smurf chuckled as he heard Baby Smurf's kazoo-playing in concert with Empath's piano-playing. "Smurfs like we've got a little performance going on right now between the two of you!" he mused.
Empath smiled at that thought. "Baby Smurf must have the makings of a true musician inside him, Papa Smurf. This smurf wouldn't mind having him teach this smurf a thing or two about creating melodies. By the way, are you having Brainy conduct the Village Smurphony Orchestra this year again?"
"Not really as many Smurfs left in that orchestra as there were a few years ago when the Smurflings played that 'Smurfbop' tune of theirs, Empath," Papa Smurf answered. "I do feel rather jealous of them, though, since their style of music has smurfed such a change in how the Smurfs wished to play music, with all these different bands like Smurfs Without Hats, Azrael Rocks, and such. But I guess even an old Smurf like myself can smurf a few things from this new style." He then sang a bit of a song that he was working on for a solo performance: "I was born in a smurf town, and I live in a smurf town; oh, I could die in a smurf town, oh, this Smurf community,…!"
"Brainy still thinks that the Smurfling style of music is not befitting of a true Smurf, Papa Smurf, which this smurf believes is why he would rather be conducting the orchestra," Empath said, unsure of what to say about Papa Smurf's work on a Smurfling-styled song. "It would be a disappointment for him to see even fewer of his fellow Smurfs playing for him in the old style."
Papa Smurf sighed at that thought. "Brainy's love for the classics may be the hardest thing for him to let go of, but to each Smurf his own. Come to think of it, I might even play for Brainy if he needs another Smurf to conduct in the orchestra."
"That would be a surprise for Brainy to be conducting you for a change, Papa Smurf," Empath commented, finding himself surprised just from hearing Papa Smurf saying that.
"Anyway, I'm sure that Brainy will make a smurfy performance no matter how many Smurfs are left smurfing in the orchestra," Papa Smurf said, finishing up his business with meeting Empath. "I might as well go smurf up my mandolin and try smurfing a duet with Baby Smurf before the concert."
"Good luck, Papa Smurf," Empath remarked. "This smurf would love to hear the end result of your possible collaborative work."
Papa Smurf snickered at that comment, and Baby Smurf went back to playing the kazoo as he and Papa Smurf left the stage area. "I've smurfed it all in a smurf town, had mysmurf a ball in a smurf town,…!" the elder Smurf sang.
Empath went back to playing his music again. He couldn't help thinking now how his music had sounded -- professional, yet it lacked the personality and the spirit of a true Smurf. Maybe the challenge of trying to impress Smurfette with an original composition might inspire him to create something that showed the true Smurf within himself.
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VIC GEORGE -- Westfield, MA, USA
"Cat and mouse games really aren't much fun for us mouse types" -- Empath from "Empath The Bandit Smurf"
Posts: 3920 | From: Westfield, MA | Registered: Mar 2003
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VicGeorge2010
Super Smurf
Member # 300
Member Rated:
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posted 10-31-2022 03:23 AM
Chapter 2
Meanwhile, Handy and Miner were busy in one of their mining sites, checking each shaft to make sure there was no possibility of a cave-in. Personally, Handy felt that he would rather be in the village supervising the set-up of the stage for Smurfstock, checking the lighting and the sound gear and making sure nothing falls on top of any Smurf or trips them up during a performance. However, since Handy was Miner's biggest customer when it came to using extracted metals for shaping into various everyday items, and since Handy also knew something about mineral extraction, Miner wanted the best Smurf to assist him in his inspections. So Handy left Hefty in charge of the stage set-up -- not that Hefty was technically minded enough to know the difference between two similar types of equipment, but he was good at following instructions and getting others to follow them as well.
They were near the end of their inspection, and Handy was checking each mineshaft off on his clipboard. "So far, everything in here is rock-solid smurfed, Miner," he commented, making his last checkmark.
"By the way, Handy, might I ask what would you be a-smurfing for a musical number at the Smurfstock festival?" Miner asked.
"Gee, Miner, I wouldn't know what I would smurf for any musical number," Handy answered. "I'm usually too busy smurfing sound checks to even smurf up with something."
"Well, Barber, Tapper, and Sweepy had asked me to join their Barber Smurf Quartet, which will be performing tomorrow night," Miner mentioned. "You could smurf in for a wee bit to listen to us smurfing some real old classics, back when your Papa Smurf was just a young laddie."
"Maybe I will do that, Miner," Handy said. "It's been a while since I actually listened to…!" He stopped when he noticed a boarded-up passageway in one of the mineshafts.
"Smurfin' Begora, Handy! What is that you just smurfed there?" Miner asked.
"Funny, I was going to smurf you the same question," Handy replied, looking at it as if an explanation was waiting behind the boards and rocks. "Whatever it is, they sure smurfed through a lot of trouble to make sure it's buried here."
"Then maybe it's for the best that we leave it that way," Miner suggested.
"And maybe we should find out for oursmurfs just what it is that somebody buried in here that's so important to them," Handy countered, lifting up his pickaxe.
"Hold on just a smurfy minute, Handy," Miner interrupted, sounding very concerned for Handy's apparent rashness. "What if what we smurfed behind those rocks is something very dangerous, like those Crowns of the Titans that we smurfed up a few years ago? I sure donna want to see Greedy or another Smurf try taking over the village again like that!"
"Somehow I don't think that it's anything like that, Miner," Handy answered. "Besides, being buried down here for so long, what danger could it smurf us?"
Unable to convince Handy otherwise, Miner joined in breaking through the boarded-up passageway. They didn't know how or why, but they had the feeling that something was compelling them to find out the secret.
Finally, they entered the sealed passageway with their miner hats alight, looking for whatever it was until they saw a low long black shape lying on the ground.
"Smurfs like a coffin," Handy remarked when he examined it closer. "And there's a Smurf symbol on it, painted in red with some inscriptions smurfed on it, with a seal on its side, probably to prevent someone from smurfing inside it."
"This place smurfs of something dark and menacing," Miner noted as he looked all around the cavern, somehow sensing an overall feeling of dread. "We'd better smurf out of here before we disturb whatever's inside that blighted coffin."
Just then, they heard sounds coming from inside the coffin. "Please, whoever it is that entered here, smurf me out of this casket!"
"Did you smurf something to me, Handy?" Miner asked.
"I swear I didn't smurf anything," Handy replied. "It sounded like another Smurf was trapped in that coffin."
"Another Smurf?!?" Miner exclaimed. "But…that's just too smurfy impossible!"
"Please, let me out so I can smurf some air!" the voice in the coffin pleaded.
Handy didn't even think of what to do next. He just picked up his pickaxe and broke the seal, causing the coffin's door to spring open and knocking Handy and Miner to the floor.
They looked and saw what appeared to be a male Smurf with black hair and a princely suit sit bolt upright in the coffin, shielding his eyes from the bright lights that shone at him.
"Miner, smurf the light away from him…his eyes may be sensitive to it," Handy advised.
As Miner removed his miner hat and aimed its light away from the coffin, Handy doused the light on his hat and approached the stranger. "Who are you, and how did you get smurfed down here like this?" he asked out of curiosity.
"The year," the stranger begged. "Tell me what the current year is."
Handy told him.
"Unbelievable that I have been smurfing in this casket for about 1,198 years," the stranger remarked, sounding puzzled. "Are there any kings that rule Smurvanya now?"
"Smurvanya?" Miner asked. "Canna say I ever heard of that place, but I can tell you there is nary a single member of any royalty smurfing our village."
"Then nobody rules this forest anymore," the stranger realized. "It was an ancient time beyond your own memory when Smurfs ruled the forest and everything that existed in it, which was the kingdom of Smurvanya. I was the last in the line of that royalty when I was smurfed in this coffin."
"The Smurfs actually were kings here?" Handy asked, surprised by this bit of information coming from the stranger. "That's just so incredible! Right now, we just have a single village, and Papa Smurf is the only one who leads us."
"A peasant ruler," the stranger mused. "Nothing more than just the foreman who smurfs the soil and leads the humble serfs to harvest its produce for the masses. It is a pity that such a kingdom is now nothing more than just a peasant's village."
"Well, it isn't all that bad," Handy commented. "We have all that we could ever smurf for right here in the village, and we have a female Smurf who…"
"A female Smurf?" the stranger asked. "Does this maiden have long golden hair?"
"That's our Smurfette," Miner answered. "Why are you so interested in the lass?"
The stranger thought about that for a moment. "Elismurfetta," he finally said, as if he was remembering something from that long ago that neither Handy nor Miner could recognize. "I must smurf to your village so I can besmurf what this maiden looks like."
"Well, you can smurf with us right now," Handy invited. "It isn't that far to walk from where we are now."
"No!" the stranger shouted. "I must be brought there in this casket, for the sunlight bothers me, and I am too weak to venture from here. I need my strength to awaken after sundown so I can smurf for myself this village of yours."
Handy considered that problem for a moment. Then he said, "In that case, I'm sure that Miner and myself can smurf you there without having to open your coffin on the way."
"Are you sure we want to be a-smurfing this…Smurf to our village, just like that, Handy?" Miner asked, cautious of that idea.
"I don't smurf why we shouldn't, Miner," Handy answered. "Besides, he's the oldest-living Smurf still smurfing -- I'm sure the other Smurfs wouldn't mind smurfing something about how this forest used to be with an actual member of Smurf royalty."
"I still smurf that we should be careful smurfing something or someone like this into the village," Miner advised, now speaking so low so that the stranger wouldn't overhear them. "If he's been smurfed in this cave for that long, it's possible that he could have been smurfed into some kind of monster."
"Miner, that just smurfs so ridiculous!" Handy protested, speaking only a little louder. "I can undersmurf Empath having premonitions of some kind of disaster, but smurfing from anyone else, it sounds like it should be smurfed in the Reporter's gossip papers. You can smurf all the bad things you want about this stranger Smurf, but I say we should still help him out!"
Miner sighed. He apparently was unable to convince Handy otherwise.
"All right, then, but I'd be a-warning you this one time about him!"
Soon Handy and Miner were carrying the sleeping princely Smurf in his coffin out of the mineshaft and straight toward the village.
"Empath Smurf, where the smurf are you? I need your help!"
That was the sound of Brainy crying out in frustration as he found himself beleaguered by his fellow Smurfs, all complaining about something very important to them. He was appointed to be the scheduler of all performances for the three nights of Smurfstock, to make sure every Smurf who was to appear on stage had enough time to perform their music. Apparently, Brainy's knack for organizing things had caused some conflicts that he wished he knew how to resolve if it weren't for the evident feeling that his fellow Smurfs were going to send him on another one-way flight out of the village.
He had buried his head under his hands, not willing to even look into the faces of his fellow Smurfs, when Empath finally arrived on the scene. "What seems to be the trouble, Brainy?" Empath asked calmly.
Brainy gasped as if he had been denied air for this long. "I've been trying to smurf together a program, as Papa Smurf had wanted me to smurf, so that every Smurf here gets to perform on stage on all three nights, and now they're mad at me because they didn't like the way I smurfed up this program," he vehemently explained. He handed Empath the proposed schedule of performances so that Empath better understood the dilemma while the other Smurfs spoke up.
"Brainy cut us all down to only one song from each of us, Empath!"
"Yeah! And why the smurf did he put us doing 'Smurfbop' on the last night?"
"Some of us don't even to smurf on stage long enough to smurf our guitar solos!"
"And where's my musical number? 'I'm too smurfy for my shirt, too smurfy for my shirt, so smurfy it hurts'!"
"How come Brainy and the Village Smurphony Orchestra gets to play the longest?"
"Yeah, who'd want to listen to Brainy smurfing us to sleep, anyway?"
Empath could feel the ire of his fellow Smurfs rising again as they voiced their complaints. But this time, he hoped to end this conflicting situation peaceably. From his minds-eye he emitted a pulse of his psychic energy that ever so slightly bucked the crowd of Smurfs away from Brainy and himself. He had hurt nobody with this pulse, but at least he got their attention as they stopped shouting altogether.
"Attention, my fellow Smurfs," Empath announced. "This smurf knows that you are not happy with the arrangement of Brainy's program scheduling, but he is only one Smurf doing the best that he could under the circumstances. Editor needs to get the program printed out and ready for distribution before the first night's concert begins, so please let Brainy do his duty and accept the accommodations in his schedule with some grace."
The other Smurfs grumbled and talked amongst themselves as they heard Empath's words, but at the very least they listened. They all left Brainy alone as they headed back to attending their own tasks.
Brainy exhaled as he felt the pressure lighten. "Thank smurfness they still listen to you, Empath," he said, wiping his brow.
"This smurf is honored to help you out, Brainy, though you could give some leeway to your fellow Smurfs and not make your schedules so tight," Empath suggested. "From what this smurf heard of your attempt to run a workday schedule, it had caused many of your fellow Smurfs to feel uncomfortable and overworked."
"I'm only trying to smurf up to my expectations as being the expert in organization, Empath," Brainy remarked defensively. "More Smurfs should be smurfing my latest book called The Brainy Smurf Daily Manager Plan. Then they would know how to smurf through their days better and not be jealous of how I can organize things better than any Smurf besides you and Papa Smurf can."
"This smurf is very certain that you mean well," Empath consoled. "By the way, you need to include Vanity's musical number somewhere and cut down the time on your own performance with the Village Smurphony Orchestra." His attention was soon diverted when he saw Handy and Miner carrying what appeared to be a coffin of some sort into the village. They were too far away to call their attention and ask what it was they had brought with them, but it still made him feel concerned nonetheless.
"Empath, what's going on?" Brainy asked, bringing Empath back to dealing with his half-brother. "Did you smurf something bad happening in the village?"
Empath shook his head. "This smurf didn't see anything happening yet, Brainy."
Handy and Miner put the coffin on the floor as soon as they reached Handy's workshop. So far, very few Smurfs that they managed to pass by even bothered to ask what it was they were carrying. Handy joked to the few that did ask, saying that it was a prop for a musical act by Actor's request. Miner said nothing, but he felt that bringing this coffin into the village was a mistake. "Where would you like us to smurf you now?" Handy asked.
"Kindly place me in your cellar where I can rest," the princely Smurf inside the coffin instructed. "I need someplace dark so I can resmurf my strength."
"No problem, your royalness," Handy responded as he lift open the hatch that lead into the basement. He and Miner then carefully lowered the coffin down, making sure that it didn't get accidentally opened. Handy found a place in the basement where they could set the coffin down. "I hope this spot is dark enough for you to smurf some shuteye!"
"Yes…this place will do quite nicely," the princely Smurf answered, sighing with relief. "Thank you for smurfing me to your village."
Handy and Miner climbed out of the basement and sealed the hatch behind them.
"I have a very unsmurfy feeling that what we just smurfed into the village isna going to be a very smurfy thing," Miner commented as he and Handy left the workshop. "And I'd be a-certain that Papa Smurf would smurf the same thing in my stead."
"Well, as long as he smurfs down in my basement, I don't think he's going to smurf any harm to any other Smurf," Handy responded. "Right now, I've got to smurf up on the stage preparations to make smurf that the concert smurfs along well for tonight."
"And I'd better join me fellow balladeers so that we can rehearse our songs for tomorrow's performance," Miner added. "I donna think you'd want to be hearing any of us smurfing out of key!"
Inside the coffin, the sleeping Smurf prince smiled wickedly, for he had successfully lured some unsuspecting Smurfs to bring him into the village. He hardly knew what had changed in it over the past one thousand years that he had been asleep. But it hardly mattered to him, for he had felt a female presence that lived and drew him here.
The presence felt like his beloved Elismurfetta. But how could that be…unless, like him, she somehow managed to live out those years with her youth and beauty intact?
He no longer cared how it happened. All that mattered now was Elismurfetta is still among the living. And pretty soon, they will be united once more and live forever in the dark symphony of the night.
That thought alone made him smile as he rested, waiting for the night to come.
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VIC GEORGE -- Westfield, MA, USA
"Cat and mouse games really aren't much fun for us mouse types" -- Empath from "Empath The Bandit Smurf"
Posts: 3920 | From: Westfield, MA | Registered: Mar 2003
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VicGeorge2010
Super Smurf
Member # 300
Member Rated:
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posted 10-31-2022 03:26 AM
Chapter 3
It was well past sundown. All the Smurfs were gathering around the Smurf theatre stage, getting ready for the first night's opening acts. Many of the Smurfs in the audience were all decked out in their tie-dyed shirts, pants, and hats and wearing flower wreaths and stone bracelets -- including Papa Smurf, who was holding Baby Smurf with him. They were eager for the music to begin as Editor and a few other Smurfs passed out the programs. Greedy and Tapper were standing by at the refreshment stands as well.
Empath met Smurfette again as he was ready to go on the stage and make his announcements. She was wearing a long flowing white dress and a flower wreath on her head with her hat, while Empath himself was dressed up in a tuxedo suit that went with his star-patterned suit.
Smurfette laughed when see saw Empath in the tuxedo. "You seem to be a bit oversmurfed for an event like Smurfstock," she commented. "How come you won't smurf on a tie-dyed suit like most of the other Smurfs?"
"This smurf chose to be this year's master of ceremonies, Smurfette," Empath answered, feeling only a little miffed that Smurfette would choose to laugh at his choice of apparel. "This smurf wanted to be in his best to announce the various acts, even if some of them are so...unusual, like this year's Smurfs Without Hats and such. Besides, this smurf always found those tie-dyed suits to look a bit too colorful on this smurf."
"Gee, don't smurf it too personal, Empath," Smurfette sighed. "It's just that I've never smurfed you looking this good before."
"And you are just as beautiful in that dress as you are in anything," Empath complimented her, feeling a little better about himself.
"So when are you going to smurf your musical number for this year?" Smurfette asked.
"This smurf is still trying to compose it, Smurfette, so you won't be able to hear it until the last night of Smurfstock," Empath answered. "This smurf hopes it will be worth your wait."
"Well, after hearing the likes of 'Smurfs Without Hats', I'm sure to smurf forward to hearing it," Smurfette assured him.
Every Smurf in the audience was waiting for the show to begin when Empath stepped onto the stage and they clapped for him. "Welcome, my fellow Smurfs, to the first night of the annual Smurfstock music festival. This smurf is here to introduce the first act of tonight, coming straight from the south end of the village, the Smurfs Without Hats!"
As Empath made his announcements, Smurfette could feel more than just a slight cool autumn breeze in the air. She felt a somewhat enticing darker chill, drawing her to look away from the stage and see a caped stranger approaching her. As the stranger got closer, Smurfette could see that he looked very much like a Smurf, except that he had a lot of head hair and his skin was very pale. But whoever he was, he looked very handsome, maybe even more handsome than Empath.
She turned away from looking at the stranger and back to the stage, where she saw four Smurfs basically without hats, as they called themselves, performing their song "The Smurfy Dance." "We can smurf if we want to, we can smurf your friends behind,..."
Empath walked off the stage, singing along quietly to the song being performed, and rejoined Smurfette. "What's the matter, Smurfette?" he asked concernedly.
Smurfette shrugged. "I don't know, Empath...I just have the feeling like somebody's smurfing me and it feels somewhat creepy."
Empath looked behind her and saw nothing that could make Smurfette feel that way. "Maybe it's just the excitement of performing on stage getting to you," he offered.
Smurfette looked behind her and noticed that the caped stranger was gone, but the creepy feeling remained. "I just hope that's what it was, Empath," she finally said.
Soon the audience cheered for Smurfs Without Hats as the performance of their song ended, and now Empath had to go back on stage and introduce the next act.
"You all know her, you all love her, but you have yet to know how she sounds," Empath announced. "Here she is…the one and only Smurfette!"
Everyone cheered and Empath watched as Smurfette went on stage. He could see that she felt a bit nervous, as did some other Smurfs that performed before others, himself included. But he had a feeling that she was going to do well performing whatever it was she was going to sing.
"You only see what your eyes want to see, how can life be what you want it to be..."
Throughout the act, no one could take their eyes off Smurfette. Apparently, as Empath had guessed correctly, they were truly astounded that she had a very beautiful singing voice. But Empath felt a bit tricked that she asked him to create a song that would make her feel all warm and happy inside while she went on and sang something that was just the opposite.
"...if I could melt your heart...we'd never be apart...smurf yourself to me..."
Smurfette could see again the caped stranger, this time from beyond the crowd itself. He looked at her with eyes that seemed to hypnotize her, that made her singing voice even more dramatic. None of the other Smurfs seem to notice it much, since they were already amazed by how beautiful her singing voice was.
"…you are the key…if I could melt your heart."
The crowd cheered for Smurfette. They wanted her to stay on stage to do one more song, but she politely thanked her audience and made her way off it while Empath went back on to introduce the next performer.
"You have such a beautiful voice, even more so than I last remembered you, my dear Elismurfetta," a heavily accented voice greeted her offstage.
Smurfette found herself face to face with the caped stranger, and she was very surprised by how he looked. He wore a fancy-looking Smurf hat with a princely vest and pants, and had head hair as black as the night. His skin was a very pale blue, but the pupils of his eyes looked blood red.
"I'm sorry, but I don't know who you are," Smurfette answered.
"I am Lord Vladimir Smurfula of the kingdom of Smurvanya, and you are my beloved, the fair maiden Elismurfetta," the stranger answered. "For a mortal Smurf, your youth and beauty has managed to remain as fresh as the day I last smurfed you one thousand years ago."
Smurfette giggled, thinking either this must be Jokey trying to trick her again or this Vladimir Smurfula was the real thing and confused her for someone else.
"Actually, my name is Smurfette, Lord Vladimir, but I do have the pleasure of smurfing you for the first time," she responded. "I have never met a Smurf of royalty like you before!"
"The pleasure is all mine, as are my sincerest apologies to you, my dear Smurfette," Lord Vladimir told her, taking her hand and kissing it. "You remind me so much of my beloved Elismurfetta, who smurfed into existence more than a thousand years ago. Your face of velvet sapphire, your hair of golden sunlight, your eyes of sparkling diamonds, your voice of sweet birdsongs…it is as though she had been resmurfed in the form you now possess."
As Lord Vladimir held Smurfette's face gently with his hand, she could feel herself being irresistibly pulled toward him. Then Empath's voice snapped her back to reality.
"Smurfette?" he asked. "Who's this Smurf you're talking to?"
Smurfette looked and felt as if she was rudely interrupted, though she seemed to take it all in stride. "Empath, this is Lord Vladimir Smurfula…he comes from the kingdom of Smurvanya," she answered politely. "He was just smurfing me how beautiful my voice sounded tonight."
"Ah, but it is you, my dear Smurfette, who are beautiful," Vladimir pointed out. He then looked at Empath. "I see that your friend has also smurfed a likening to you!"
"Yes, well, Empath is a very good friend of mine," Smurfette explained.
Empath extended a hand out to Vladimir as a greeting, but the minute he touched Vladimir's hand, the princely Smurf suddenly recoiled, as if his hand was burned in a fire. Smurfette looked at Vladimir's hand, feeling concerned, and then she looked at Empath, wondering what he did to make Vladimir react that way. Empath shrugged, for he had no idea what had happened.
"Foolish mortal," Vladimir snarled. "I can smurf that you have no song in your heart. That is why she will never belong to you!"
"Are you sure you're all right?" Smurfette asked Vladimir. "Do you need anything?"
"I will be fine, my dear Smurfette," Vladimir answered, sounding sweet and genteel around her. Toward Empath, he spoke harshly. "I only need to be smurfed away from the likes of him. His very touch can burn a thousand year old soul." He turned to Smurfette again. "Meet me here at the end of your musical symphony and you shall hear music from a true master…not some soulless poser!"
Vladimir kissed Smurfette on the hand again and then departed back into the night while she watched him, sighing as she felt her heart going out to him.
"Smurfette, this smurf truly didn't mean to hurt him like that!" Empath tried to explain. "Though this smurf has to admit there's something in his very touch that doesn't feel right…as if he was supposed to be deceased."
"Really!" Smurfette pouted, as if Empath had said something very insulting. "You know, sometimes, you can smurf people the wrong way without ever realizing it."
"It was just an observation, Smurfette," Empath said defensively. "Nothing more than that. If you wish to entertain his company, this smurf will not stand in your way. But this smurf would ask you to be very careful around him."
Smurfette heard what Empath said but didn't say anything further. She just watched the rest of the concert, trying to keep in the spirit of the festival, but her mind was on the stranger of the night that met and courted with her.
Later on, after the last song of that night's performance and every Smurf had gone to rest up for the next day's activities, Smurfette waited alone at the stage for Lord Vladimir to return. The night air had a slight chill that made her shiver a bit.
"I am grateful that you have awaited for me, my dear Smurfette," Vladimir said, appearing so suddenly from behind that it nearly startled her. "Your fellow villagers have performed such a cornucopia of arranged sounds, and yet they do not know what real music is. I wish to smurf you that, if you are interested."
"You said that Empath had no song in his heart," Smurfette reminded him. "What did you mean by that, Lord Vladimir, if I may be bold enough to ask?"
"Please call me Vladimir, for it has been a long time since titles of nobility have been smurfed in this region," he answered. "When a Smurf has no song in his heart, he cannot ever see the joy in the life that he lives, nor can he ever have passion for anything that his eyes can besmurf. He is simply an empty vessel that sails through the ocean of life, never knowing where he is going, cast to drift in the winds of fate."
"Funny that I don't smurf Empath as just an empty vessel," Smurfette pondered.
"How can a Smurf that does not feel music in his heart ever hope to create music that can capture one's heart?" Vladimir went on. "Music is what makes us who we are. It has a power older than time itself. It can communicate in sounds what words alone cannot do. It can smurf you to places where the night lives forever in all its dark beauty and sings in its own symphony of voices and sounds that command attention. It is a world that I intend to share with you if you would allow me to demonsmurf what I mean."
"Music can really smurf that?" Smurfette asked, intrigued by what he told her. "I'd love to hear whatever it is you would call music, Vladimir."
"Very well, then, my dear Smurfette. I shall play for you 'The Smurphony Of The Night'." He took his place in front of Harmony's pipe organ and began to play.
Smurfette sat by the pipe organ and listened to Vladimir playing his tune. The melody was eerie and haunting, yet had a beautiful and seductive quality to it. Smurfette could feel herself drawn into the music, carried through its rhythms into a world where the night in all its dark and hidden terror was no longer frightening to her. She could see in that music a world where death itself had no meaning, where the powerful preyed on the weak, where passion and love were eternal and nothing stood in its way. It felt like a world that she wanted to live in all her life.
Smurfette was so spellbound by Vladimir's music, she barely even heard him stop playing it. He looked at her and knew that she understood what it was all about.
"That was the most beautiful piece of music I've ever smurfed!" she said, feeling herself swoon.
"I know, my Elismurfetta," Vladimir replied. "I smurfed it many years ago just for you! It is as beautiful as the blue rose that sits beside my organ by the pale moonlight."
Smurfette felt captivated by Vladimir's words. It no longer mattered if he had mistaken her again for his long-lost Elismurfetta from many years ago. In that moment, nothing else in Smurfette's life ever seemed to matter anymore.
She pulled herself closer to Vladimir as he took her into his arms and kissed her on the neck. It was a kiss that felt like it had lasted forever.
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VIC GEORGE -- Westfield, MA, USA
"Cat and mouse games really aren't much fun for us mouse types" -- Empath from "Empath The Bandit Smurf"
Posts: 3920 | From: Westfield, MA | Registered: Mar 2003
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VicGeorge2010
Super Smurf
Member # 300
Member Rated:
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posted 10-31-2022 03:33 AM
Chapter 4
Empath's personal journal, September 12.
This smurf had an unsettling feeling about this Vladimir Smurfula who paid us a visit last night during the first set of performances in the Smurfstock festival. For a Smurf who has supposedly lived for about one thousand years, something in the way his skin felt when this smurf touched him for a handshake felt deathly cold. But what was even more unsettling was that Smurfette seemed to be attracted to this Vladimir Smurfula. This smurf knows she has the right to choose whom she wishes to be with, whether it's for a friendly or a romantic encounter, but this smurf still feels the need to protect Smurfette and make sure she isn't taken advantage of even by a nightly visitor. Right now, this smurf must check in on Smurfette, for this smurf has not seen her at the breakfast line bright and early like she normally does, nor has any other Smurf. She may not appreciate what this smurf is doing, but this smurf cares for her too much to not even bother finding out.
"Smurfette!" a familiar voice called. "Smurfette! It is time for breakfast!"
It was now morning, and Empath was knocking on Smurfette's door because she had not shown up for the breakfast line like she usually had done. And now it seemed as if she wasn't even answering Empath's knocking. He had a feeling something was wrong with her and took a chance of entering her house to find out.
"Smurfette, are you there?" he asked, directing his voice toward the ceiling. "It is Empath."
"Empath, will you please smurf out of my house and leave me alone?" Smurfette replied from her bedroom, sounding very weak.
"This smurf is very concerned for you, Smurfette, as are your fellow Smurfs," Empath stated. "You have not shown up for breakfast, and Greedy can't keep holding it for you."
"He can smurf my breakfast, for all I care," Smurfette shot back as she let out a yawn. "I'll be up and ready in time for lunch, so please tell Greedy that, okay?"
"What happened to you last night?" Empath asked, not wanting to leave Smurfette's house just yet. "Something must have kept you awake the entire evening to make you oversleep."
Smurfette sighed. "Nothing happened, Empath. Just let me rest here!"
Empath felt that talking to Smurfette through a wall was getting nowhere. He decided to go upstairs to her bedroom and talk to her face-to-face. As he entered the bedroom, he noticed that all the shades had been drawn, and Smurfette had buried her face in her pillow as she laid in her bed. It seemed to be even darker than any Smurf's house would be at this time of day.
"Empath, I thought I smurfed you to leave my house!" Smurfette scolded.
"Not until this smurf finds out what happened to you last night," Empath insisted, "and why you would have your bedroom so dark like this. We need to get some sunshine."
As Empath drew back a shade to let in the sunlight, he heard Smurfette scream and saw her quickly bury herself under her blankets. "Close the drapes!" she shouted fiercely.
Empath immediately blocked the sunlight, curious by Smurfette's horrified reaction to it. None of this made any sense to him.
"Smurfette, this smurf is not going to harm you in any way," Empath assured her as he sat by Smurfette's bed. "All this smurf wants to know is what exactly happened to you last night after every Smurf went to sleep."
"As I told you, Empath, nothing happened to me," Smurfette answered from beneath the covers. "I just smurfed the night listening to some music with a friend."
"That friend being the Lord Vladimir Smurfula that visited us?" Empath asked.
"So what if it was him?" Smurfette protested. "Is there anything wrong with that?"
"This smurf doesn't know too much about this 'friend' of yours, Smurfette," Empath admitted, "but this smurf does remember the handshake last night, and something other than this smurf's minds-eye is telling me that this Lord Vladimir is not entirely what he appears to be."
"Not what he appears to be?" Smurfette snapped. She suddenly threw back the covers and looked at Empath with dead-set eyes. "Are you out of your ever-smurfing mind? Lord Vladimir is a Smurf…a well-preserved Smurf for someone his age, but he still is what he is. And now I suppose you don't want me to smurf with him anymore?"
Empath sighed, not wishing to be on the defensive, but he had to be reasonable.
"All this smurf is asking of you is to be careful around him, Smurfette," he told her. "He may be doing something to you in order to take advantage of you…something that you might not even live to regret."
"Live to regret?!?" Smurfette steamed. She suddenly slapped Empath on the face as hard as she could to vent her rage. "Smurf out of my house right now, Empath, and smurf as far out of my life as possible. I will decide who I want to smurf with, not you!"
Empath looked at Smurfette in disbelief, feeling the sting of her slap on his face. She was angry beyond all reasoning, and nothing he could say could make her change her mind to see otherwise. He quickly left her house and headed for Greedy's kitchen.
As he felt his face, he noticed that same feeling he did when he shook hands with Lord Vladimir at last night's Smurfstock performance. It was as if something dead was still holding on to living flesh when Smurfette slapped him…something so cold that it burned like a hot iron when it touched something warm.
He went to tell Papa Smurf about Smurfette's behavior and what he observed from his visit to her house that morning. He looked at Empath intently while listening.
"Hmm, that is very peculiar coming from Smurfette," Papa Smurf finally said, stroking his beard in thought. "Did you notice anything about her that was different?"
"Well, she did appear to lose a bit of her skin color, Papa Smurf," Empath answered, "and this smurf did notice two tiny holes at the base of her neck when she slapped this smurf."
Papa Smurf looked a bit incredulous. "Sounds like something I've only smurfed in folklore, Empath, but though I don't remember just what it is right off the top of my smurf, it does make me concerned for her safety."
"There's also this very strange Smurf that came into the village last night whom Smurfette entertained his company called Vladimir Smurfula," Empath added. "He claimed to be a Smurf of royalty who lived more than one thousand years ago, and somehow his very touch felt very…unusual for a Smurf. Otherwise, this smurf is unable to sense anything from him."
Papa Smurf's eyebrows furrowed as his eyes looked skyward, trying to find an answer. To Empath, he seemed like he has having a hard time trying to remember what was beginning to sound familiar to him in his younger days.
Finally, the elder Smurf just shook his head. "If this Smurf you spoke of is responsible for Smurfette's recent behavior, Empath, he may show up at tonight's musical performances to seduce her again. We might as well watch the show and wait to smurf what may happen if this visiting Smurf shows up. In the meantime, we should smurf our best to keep Smurfette out of direct exposure to sunlight until that time comes."
"You mean we should keep Smurfette confined to her house and watch her actions as well, Papa Smurf?" Empath asked. He didn't like the idea of having to watchdog Smurfette all the time, even if she wanted that kind of protection.
"I'm afraid so, Empath. If this happens to be the very thing that I remember smurfing about, no other Smurf may be safe around her."
Empath was unsure what it was that Papa Smurf was trying to recall, but now wasn't the time to try extracting any more information. He had only his trust in Papa Smurf to understand what exactly he was doing for Smurfette's safety and everyone else's.
"This smurf acknowledges, Papa Smurf," Empath replied, nodding with grim acceptance. Then before he turned to leave, he had to ask his father the one thing that was on his mind.
"Papa Smurf, do you think this smurf has no soul because this smurf has no song in his heart?"
That question was even more confounding to Papa Smurf than figuring out who this Vladimir Smurfula was or what he was doing to Smurfette.
"Empath, all I can smurf to you is that if you truly believe in your heart what being a Smurf means to you, you will discover the answer," he said with some uneasiness.
Somewhere around noontime, Smurfette woke up from her sleep feeling hungry. However, it wasn't the normal kind of hunger that Smurfette -- or any Smurf, for that matter -- would feel when they haven't eaten food for a while. It was the kind of hunger that made Smurfette feel driven to a particular type of food, and she had no idea what it was or what made her feel driven to desire that kind of food. All she knew was that she was hungry for it, and she was going to find and satisfy her hunger with it.
Realizing that the daylight was now affecting her in a way that it never did before, Smurfette decided to cover herself the best way she knew how. Dressing herself in the same long dress that she wore at last night's Smurfstock performance, Smurfette also wrapped her face in a veil while covering her hands with white gloves and her feet with socks before venturing out of her house.
Everybody was too busy preparing for the next night's set of performances to notice Smurfette sneaking stealthily about dressed the way she did. She soon found herself outside Greedy's kitchen, where Greedy and his fellow kitchen helpers were busy preparing to serve the day's lunch. She sniffed the air and found the scent of what she was craving for, and it was making her mouth water at the prospect of feasting upon it. Now she needed to find just what it was she was hungry for.
Greedy and his kitchen helpers were too busy in the kitchen to notice Smurfette sneaking her way into the storage rooms in the back, rummaging through all the fruits and vegetables stored there, sniffing each of them to find that food she felt hungry for. She snarled and growled angrily as she flung the baskets of food everywhere, unable to find just what it was she was craving.
Just then, Smurfette heard Greedy tell one of his kitchen helpers to go find a ripe onion he needed. Smurfette realized that she needed to get out of there before he found her back there making a mess of Greedy's food supply. She quickly left through the back door before Greedy's kitchen helper entered the storage room to find it in total disarray, leaving him and Greedy puzzled over who would do such a thing.
Meanwhile, Smurfette hid behind some barrels behind Greedy's kitchen, watching as Brainy, Clumsy, and Jokey were walking toward her direction, talking about something rather important to them. She sniffed the air and noticed that the food smell strangely was coming from them. She waited until they came into range of her.
"No, no, no, Jokey," Brainy scolded. "Absosmurfly not. I already have enough problems having Azrael Rocks smurfing their song 'Smurf This Way' long enough for other performers to smurf their songs for tonight. I'm not going to have you smurfing your surprises on stage just to smurf the show more exciting than it probably already would be to the Smurfs listening to this ridiculous song they're smurfing."
"Come on, Brainy, be a good smurf about it," Jokey pleaded. "Sloppy was the one who requested to have the song smurf out with a big bang for tonight, and I smurfed enough of my surprises to smurf enough of a big bang to smurf the crowd."
"Gee, Brainy, I really think you should let Jokey smurf that for 'Smurf This Way'," Clumsy seconded. "It's the best song I ever smurfed since the Smurflings did that 'Smurfbop' song a few years ago."
"Clumsy, you obviously have no taste for good music," Brainy retorted in his usual berating manner. "The Smurflings' song smurfed nothing but steal gifted talent away from a truly deserving group of Smurf musicians like the Village Smurphony Orchestra. I mean, how long are we going to smurf the likes of the Smurflings, the Smurfs Without Hats, and this Azrael Rocks before Smurfs with a truly dissmurfing ear for music get tired of smurfing the same kind of songs they're smurfing out?"
"What's the matter, Brainy?" Jokey asked. "Feeling jealous because your music can't make Smurfs dance and feel happy about being Smurfs like theirs do? I bet even Papa Smurf can smurf a better song than you can, and without even being part of the village orchestra to smurf that!"
"Oh, really?" Brainy snorted. "I'd love to smurf the day when Papa Smurf can smurf a much better song than 'You're Only As Old As You Smurf You Are', and even be as big enough a hit as the Smurflings are with it."
As they were busy talking, Smurfette slowly sneaked up behind them, hoping to catch them unaware, when Clumsy suddenly stopped in his tracks, causing Smurfette to bump into Clumsy and fall to the ground. Clumsy turned around and saw who it was that was walking behind him so quietly, as did Brainy and Jokey when Clumsy stopped.
"Smurfette!" Clumsy exclaimed. "I didn't think I'd smurf into you since last night. I really loved the song you smurfed, about being frozen and all. I thought you had a real pretty singing voice."
"Thank you, Clumsy," Smurfette responded, speaking rather softly, but also sounding rather eager to find something.
"Hey, Smurfette, what are you smurfing out there at this time of day all smurfed up like that?" Jokey asked, rather amused.
"Just trying to smurf out of the sun," Smurfette answered. "Smurfs rather bright out here today. Anyway, I feel rather hungry, and I was hoping to smurf out for a bite before resting until tonight."
Brainy looked at Smurfette rather suspiciously. "Smurfs more like you're trying to hide something from your fellow Smurfs," he stated. "Maybe it's that secret admirer of yours you've been smurfing with last night after the concert."
"Who smurfed you that I even had a 'secret admirer', Brainy?" Smurfette asked, picking herself up off the ground. "Did Empath smurf with you earlier today about me?"
"I haven't smurfed a word about anything with Empath today, Smurfette," Brainy replied. "I was the one smurfing you, Empath, and that dark-smurfed stranger of a Smurf smurfing together at the concert last night after you had smurfed your song. I could tell that he was smurfing after your heart and wanting to smurf you after the concert for some secret smurfdezvous, and you smurfed like Empath means nothing to you now."
"Gee, Smurfette, you really shouldn't be smurfing yourself like that from everybody," Clumsy suggested. "You're much too pretty to smurf your face behind a veil."
But as Clumsy lifted Smurfette's veil from her face, Smurfette reacted with a very scary expression and a fierce hiss that made the three Smurfs gathered around her recoil in fright. Clumsy instantly covered her face again.
"Boy, I wouldn't want to smurf Smurfette's face like that again if she ever gets mad at me," Jokey remarked. "I wonder what's smurfed with her lately that would make her smurf at us like that."
"I honestly have no idea, Jokey," Brainy responded. "Let's get smurfing before she decides to smurf anything much worse."
"And I thought Azrael was much scarier to smurf at," Clumsy commented as he and the two other Smurfs started to walk on. "Did you smurf that she had two pointed teeth? I just wonder where she smurfed that from."
Smurfette watched, somewhat disappointed, as the three Smurfs walked on. Yet she could still smell the scent of that food she was craving for, and she felt like she needed it so badly. She continued on until she reached her house again, where she found her pet mouse Squeaky -- the second pet mouse she ever owned by that name -- hanging outside her door, waiting for his owner to come home. "Come here, my little Squeaky," she called out to her pet.
Squeaky came up to Smurfette as she approached her door, jumping into her lap as she sat down. He had no idea why Smurfette was dressed up the way she was, but he was nonetheless happy to be in her presence.
Smurfette sat for a while, stroking her pet mouse, enjoying the sight of him adoring her with every gentle stroke of her hand.
Then she sniffed the air, and found that the food she was looking for was right in front of her.
And now it was time to feed.
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VIC GEORGE -- Westfield, MA, USA
"Cat and mouse games really aren't much fun for us mouse types" -- Empath from "Empath The Bandit Smurf"
Posts: 3920 | From: Westfield, MA | Registered: Mar 2003
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VicGeorge2010
Super Smurf
Member # 300
Member Rated:
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posted 10-31-2022 03:41 AM
Chapter 5
"If you knew Smurfette like I knew Smurfette, then you would love Smurfette, too!"
Empath heard this coming from Barber's hair-smurfing shop, which was where he found Tapper, singing in chorus with Barber, Miner, and Sweepy. They were all dressed up with matching striped vests and bands around their hats. They sounded wonderful for a few Smurfs with slightly different accents, but that wasn't what he stopped over for. Nevertheless, Empath applauded them for their performance as soon as they finished.
"Smurfs like Empath approves of our musical number, mates," Sweepy told his fellow musicians as the four of them took a bow.
"He truly has a better ear for music than his brother Brainy does," Barber said, agreeing with Sweepy.
"Tapper, this smurf wishes to talk to you about something private," Empath requested.
"Great Smurfiny Crickets, Empath," Tapper exclaimed. "You sure don't look like you smurfed here just to hear us crooning away on an old smurfnut of a tune." He properly excused himself and then went to the corner of Barber's shop where Tapper and Empath pulled up some chairs. "Now what's been smurfing on your mind today, pray tell?"
"This smurf is very concerned about Smurfette," Empath explained. "Last night at the Smurfstock festival, a very strange Smurf visited us and courted with Smurfette. She spent the night entertaining his company, and now she is very angry with this smurf for supposedly trying to control her life."
"Ah, it smurfs like you're jealous over a possible rival for Smurfette's heart," Tapper suggested. "If that's all you're feeling, you're in very smurf company. Every Smurf here feels the same way about you and Smurfette, but I smurf no grudges with you over that."
"This smurf doesn't feel jealous about this visiting Smurf, Tapper," Empath continued. "Rather, this smurf feels something rather dangerous about that Smurf, though this smurf somehow cannot see into his mind to find out what his intentions are with Smurfette."
Tapper rubbed his chin in thought over this. "I'm not quite sure what to smurf of that, Empath, but I'm pretty sure Smurfette will eventually smurf him for what he really is. As long as you do not interfere in Smurfette's personal affairs until you are absosmurfly sure of this rival's intent, she will smurf that your concern for her safety is not out of jealousy."
"This smurf understands what you are trying to tell me," Empath said, feeling just a little better about himself. "But has Smurfette always been like this around anyone trying to seduce her?"
"Aye, she's only a Smurf, just like the rest of us, Empath," Tapper answered. "You think she's more easy to smurf under a spell just because she's a girl Smurf, and a beautiful one at that, then you still have a lot to learn about what being a Smurf is." He then glanced over at the other three Smurfs, looking anxious to continue singing. "By the by, I believe my fellow smurfadours wish me to join them in one more song resmurfal. I hope you will smurf for a spell after the last performance of tonight if you wish to smurf more about what's smurfing on with Smurfette."
"This smurf will consider that, Tapper," Empath said, getting up to leave Barber's shop. "This smurf hopes your performance with the Barber Smurf Quartet goes well."
"May the same smurf well for yours, my fellow Empath, if what I hear about you comsmurfing an original piece for Smurfstock is true," Tapper responded.
Empath had almost forgotten about Smurfette's challenge. Apparently, thinking about this Vladimir Smurfula possibly entrancing Smurfette to do very unsmurfy things to her was distracting him from what he promised Smurfette earlier.
He hoped to resolve this problem long enough to fulfill that promise. But he still had no idea on how to make a really smurfy song for Smurfette.
As Empath had walked away from Barber's hair-smurfing shop, he came across Duncan McSmurf and the Smurflings who were approaching him, with Nat carrying around an animal lying on a sheet. "Thank smurfness that we smurfed into you, laddie, because I wasn't sure whether to smurf this problem to either you or Papa," Duncan said.
"This smurf appreciates your concern, Duncan," Empath said. "What seems to be the problem, my fellow Smurflings?"
"We were just smurfing up on Smurfette because we haven't smurfed her all this morning," Slouchy reported, "and we smurfed across her pet mouse Squeaky, smurfing at her door like he was dead or something."
Empath quickly scanned the animal with his third eye. "This animal pet of Smurfette's has suffered a loss of blood, and there's also a bite mark on the mouse's neck, as if whatever attacked him drained his blood through his neck."
"Is Squeaky going to be all right?" Sassette asked, very concerned about Smurfette's pet.
Empath frowned. "Squeaky's lifesigns are very weak, Sassette. This smurf will have to take him to the infirmary in order to treat him and hopefully restore the blood that he lost from this attack."
"What kind of creature would smurf such a thing like this to Squeaky, Empath?" Nat asked.
"This smurf honestly does not know, Nat," Empath replied. "Smurfette herself has probably been attacked in a similar fashion, but by another Smurf calling himself Lord Vladimir Smurfula. He may be responsible for the attack on Squeaky as well, but until this smurf has definite answers, it is best for us to keep such speculations low and not jump to conclusions."
"I just hope Smurfette is all right, Empath, whatever this Vladimir Smurfula smurfed to her," Snappy said, sounding very concerned.
"This smurf will do everything this smurf can to help Smurfette, Snappy," Empath promised.
Duncan followed Empath as he brought Squeaky to the infirmary to begin the recovery process. "I don't like the idea of something or somebody smurfing after Smurfette like this, Empath," Duncan said.
"Hmmm, now this is interesting," Empath said as he examined the bite mark. "This smurf has noticed that the bite mark has the same two holes on the base on Squeaky's neck as those found on Smurfette's neck. But the difference is that the bite mark and the saliva left behind on the mark matches those of Smurfette."
"Michty me, laddie," Duncan said, sounding very surprised. "Could this mean...?"
"This smurf doesn't want to believe it, but judging from the evidence, it appears that Smurfette must have attacked Squeaky in this fashion," Empath said with some foreboding in his voice.
Duncan made a grimacing face that expressed his revulsion. "This is certainly something that would make even a McSmurf lose his lunch just smurfing about it," he said.
"This just makes this smurf even more curious to find out what it is that this Lord Vladimir Smurfula is doing to Smurfette, Duncan, and why it would make her behave this way," Empath said.
The second night of the Smurfstock performances began after sunset. Empath was wearing his usual purple shirt that went with his star-patterned black suit, a little dressed down from the previous night, but still eager to do his job as the master of ceremonies.
Everybody cheered as he took the stage again. "Now here comes the act that most of the fellow Smurfs have waited for. You wanted the best, and they're going to give you the best. The hottest, wildest Smurf musical band in Smurfland…Azrael Rocks!"
Empath felt that little introduction went a bit over the top, the enthusiasm not being quite there from how he felt, but none of the other Smurfs even noticed. They just roared with acceptance as the lead singer took over the stage and the rest of the band kicked the music into motion. "Smurf-door lover, always smurfing 'neath the covers, 'til I smurfed with my Papa who say, said you ain't smurfed nothin' 'til you're smurf on a muffin, then you should've been smurfin' your ways…!"
Papa Smurf stood behind the crowd, watching the performance from a distance. He too was no longer dressed for Smurfstock, choosing to wear his normal red suit instead. Like Empath, his concern for Smurfette was now a priority that had to take some precedence over making sure Smurfstock didn't go out of hand.
"Have you seen Smurfette come out of her house since the sun went down, Papa Smurf?" Empath asked as he joined him far from the crowd.
"No, Empath, I haven't," Papa Smurf answered, shouting above the din. "If she has, I wouldn't know where else she would smurf off to if Vladimir chose to see her elsewhere."
"This smurf can't even sense her now," Empath told Papa Smurf, feeling somewhat frustrated. "Whatever Vladimir did to Smurfette must have been mystical in nature, preventing this smurf from even knowing if she is still alive."
"Smurf this way, smurf this way, smurf this way, smurf this way…!"
"I don't want you to worry about me anymore, Empath," Smurfette said calmly, appearing behind both him and Papa Smurf. "Vladimir is coming for me. I can feel him smurfing through the shadows of the night, ready to smurf me in his arms and take me away to his castle."
Empath and Papa Smurf saw Smurfette now dressed in the most elegant gown that she had ever worn. Neither of them remember seeing Smurfette wearing anything like this, nor did they remember Tailor designing such a gown for her. If it weren't for the fact that her skin was paler than usual, her eyes were now tinted red, and her voice sounded so distant, either Empath or Papa Smurf would have complimented Smurfette for how beautiful she looked that night.
"Just smurf me a kiss…like this!"
"Smurfette, are you sure this is the very thing you want to smurf?" Papa Smurf asked. "All your fellow Smurfs will miss you very much if you decide to leave us to smurf off with that Lord Vladimir. Make sure you know in your heart what you are smurfing."
"I don't need to, Papa Smurf," Smurfette answered calmly. "He is the one Smurf I have waited for all my life. He is my eternal beloved, and I am soon to be his. I am very smurftain of that."
Azrael Rocks had finished their song with a standing ovation, and Empath was ready to take to the stage to announce the next act when a familiar voice rang out…a voice that Empath and Smurfette had recognized.
"Ladies and gentlesmurfs of the peasantry, I wish to dedicate my musical number to the one who shall be my eternal beloved for all time…the fair maiden Smurfette! I call this number 'The Smurphony Of The Night'!"
As Empath and Papa Smurf watched, as did every other Smurf in the audience, the curtains parted and Lord Vladimir Smurfula had taken to the stage, seated at Harmony's pipe organ, ready to play his music. Everybody gasped, while Brainy found himself more than appalled because this act wasn't even on the schedule for tonight.
"Excuse me, whoever the smurf you are," Brainy complained as he approached the stage, "but this musical performance is not on tonight's program, and if you can't smurf your performance for tomorrow, I'm afraid we're going to have to smurf you…"
Vladimir simply waved his hand, causing Brainy to be magically lifted into the air and dumped on his head on the far side of the village limits. Then he proceeded to play.
Most of the other Smurfs just sat there and watched, spellbound, as Smurfette approached the stage and into Lord Vladimir's arms. As the haunting melody began, with nobody even playing the organ, Vladimir and Smurfette danced elegantly all around the stage, swaying and stepping and spinning to the prince's symphony of the night. All the Smurfs were so impressed by this whole unexpected performance, they could only wonder who in the name of Smurf was playing the role of this dark princely romancer. Even Actor, whom the other Smurfs suspected was playing Vladimir, was curious.
Near the end of the serenade, Lord Vladimir pulled Smurfette close to him. "Tonight, you will be my eternal beloved Elismurfetta!" he said to her as he was about to sink his teeth into her neck.
Empath knew what was going to happen and rushed onto the stage. "This smurf will not let you touch Smurfette ever again!" he stated bravely as he approached the prince.
Lord Vladimir was offended by Empath's approach. "Be gone, mortal!" he hissed, attacking Empath with such a fast and powerful kick that caught him by surprise.
Every Smurf watched as Empath sailed high over their heads, apparently out of control, and landed in a mud pit nearby. "Whoa...did you smurf that?" one Smurf asked.
"Yeah, Jokey, that was smurfally cool!" another Smurf said, who was also blown away by what he saw. "We should smurf that same trick!" The both of them chuckled at the thought.
Though covered completely in mud, Empath could see not only the other Smurfs starting to dive off the stage into the crowd below, but also Vladimir and Smurfette transforming themselves into bats and flying off into the night sky.
"Empath, are you all right?" Papa Smurf asked when he saw Empath getting himself out of the mud pit just before a stage-diving Smurf was dumped into it.
"Besides accidentally starting a new trend for Smurfstock, and watching Smurfette being bitten by Vladimir, this smurf is still functioning normally," Empath answered.
That made Papa Smurf scratch his beard in deep thought. He had heard of something like this before, if he only knew where he heard of it.
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VIC GEORGE -- Westfield, MA, USA
"Cat and mouse games really aren't much fun for us mouse types" -- Empath from "Empath The Bandit Smurf"
Posts: 3920 | From: Westfield, MA | Registered: Mar 2003
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VicGeorge2010
Super Smurf
Member # 300
Member Rated:
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posted 10-31-2022 03:48 AM
Chapter 6
Empath's personal journal, September 13.
Every Smurf who thought that what happened with Smurfette on the previous night's performance with Vladimir Smurfula was nothing more than a stage act are now wondering where Smurfette is right at this moment. It seems as if the euphoria that every Smurf was feeling about Smurfstock was starting to diminish somewhat, but for this smurf, it had already completely worn off. This smurf has tried to keep the other Smurfs from knowing too much about what's been going on with Smurfette since it would not help if the entire village was overcome with fear and too many questions that this smurf does not have an answer for. Meanwhile, Papa Smurf is searching for what hopefully may be the answer.
During the early half of the next day, Papa Smurf spent it in the Smurf house of archives, searching through its books on various Smurf culture, history, and folklore. He had to find just what it is that he heard about that reminded him of this Vladimir Smurfula and what he did to Smurfette those two nights. He eventually found his answer in a book about vampires.
"Vampires are undead night creatures that live for the taste of blood from another living being," he read aloud to Empath in his laboratory. "They smurf the life force of others to sustain their own deceased forms whose souls have been poisoned by hate and destroyed by the taste of another's blood. They cannot live in the light because its power can smurf through their decayed flesh and destroy them from within. But while they live, they can possess great physical power and can smurf themselves into other nightly creatures, such as bats."
"That explains what Vladimir was able to do, Papa Smurf," Empath commented, recalling his current encounter. "But this smurf can only wonder how this Vladimir Smurfula became a vampire, and why he is after Smurfette."
"Here is where it smurfs really interesting, Empath," Papa Smurf replied, now opening another book he found in the archives. "Lord Vladimir Smurfula was the last Smurf in the line of royalty that existed in this forest for three thousand years. He was smurfed to be king, ready to rule after his liege had smurfed away, when he met a commoner by the name of Elismurfetta. Her own Papa Smurf forbade her to have anything to do with Vladimir, but she smurfed away from the village to secretly meet with him from time to time because she was entranced by his gift for smurfing beautiful music."
Papa Smurf showed Empath a picture of this Elismurfetta, and Empath was stunned by the fact that, despite the differences in dress and hairstyle, this legendary female Smurf had the uncanny resemblance to Smurfette. It now made sense to Empath why this Vladimir Smurfula would mistake Smurfette for his long-lost beloved.
"One day," Papa Smurf continued from his reading, "Elismurfetta left the village to meet with Vladimir in private, but she had not smurfed up either at the royal family's castle nor anywhere else in the forest. Both Vladimir and the villagers waited for her to smurf up again, but she never returned. Over time, the villagers began to suspect that Vladimir had smurfthing to do with her disappearance, and her own Papa Smurf confronted him in the castle, accusing him of smurfing the worst with his daughter. Vladimir himself believed Elismurfetta's father was responsible and had her smurfed away, but the accusation made by her Papa Smurf made things worse. Out of anger, Vladimir killed Elismurfetta's father and in a dark nightly ritual smurfed a cup of his blood so that the prince could live to find his beloved again and avenge her disappearance. The villagers, who now saw Vladimir as a threat who feasted upon their lives night after night, smurfed it upon themselves to end his reign of terror, smurfing him up inside a coffin that was to remain buried in an unknown location away from his castle. This coffin was sealed with a warning for any Smurf not to respond to the dark lord's invitation to be smurfed to the village at any cost."
"A coffin," Empath remarked, suddenly remembering something. "Papa Smurf, this smurf remembered seeing Handy and Miner bringing one into the village about two days ago, when this Vladimir Smurfula showed up here during the first performance. That must have been the coffin that Vladimir was resting in."
Papa Smurf had a sinking feeling that was the truth. "We might as well go smurf around Handy's cellar to find out for oursmurfs, Empath."
Handy looked shocked as if he didn't even know what he had brought into the village when Empath and Papa Smurf asked about the coffin he and Miner had stored in the basement.
"Next time you or Miner smurf something in those mines that looks like it doesn't belong in there, or that it does, you smurf me first," Papa Smurf scolded, not pleased by what Handy had done.
"You mean that princely Smurf inside that coffin was after Smurfette?" Handy asked, even more baffled. "And he was a vampire all along?"
"That's exactly what this Lord Vladimir is, Handy, and he believes that Smurfette is his long-lost beloved Elismurfetta from many years ago," Empath replied, more concerned for Smurfette than angry at Handy or Miner. "Vladimir was counting that some gullible Smurfs would ignore the warning symbol on the coffin and invite him into the village where he would hope to find Elismurfetta or some female Smurf in her form."
"Would you please smurf us where the coffin is, Handy?" Papa Smurf demanded.
"Okay, okay, Papa Smurf, I will smurf you where we smurfed it," Handy answered. He led Empath and Papa Smurf down into the basement where the three of them saw the casket had been opened and nobody was inside it.
Empath closed the lid of the casket and saw the ancient Smurf symbol marking on it in red, along with the inscriptions: "Doom smurfs for thee who will allow the dark Smurf entry into the village," he read aloud.
After a more thorough examination of the casket with his minds-eye, Empath concluded, "This must be where Vladimir was laid to rest inside, Papa Smurf. The coffin's contents are exactly 1,198 years old and well-preserved, plus this smurf could sense some decay that must have come from his undead body."
"So where would this Vladimir Smurfula be right now with Smurfette?" Handy asked, curious to know more about this Smurf who was a vampire.
"Right now, I would smurf that they are resting at Castle Smurfenstein, the place where Vladimir had lived before he had smurfed into a vampire," Papa Smurf answered. "If that's the case, they would only awaken after sundown and then around midnight Vladimir would smurf the final bite on Smurfette's neck that would forever transsmurf her into a vampiress."
"So how do we fight this vampire and prevent Smurfette from turning into one, Papa Smurf?" Empath asked.
"According to the legends, only one living being in a lifetime is fated to destroy a vampire, one who can sense the coldness of a vampire's unsmurfy touch," Papa Smurf answered. "I believe that smurf may be you, Empath, since you mentioned to me how it felt when Vladimir smurfed your hand. Anyway, the legends also smurf of things that vampire hunters have smurfed to keep vampires from attacking, such as ancient sacred symbols, sacred purified water, the aroma of garlic, and wooden stakes smurfed from the heart of an oak tree. However, the only thing that can destroy a vampire completely is exposure to direct sunlight."
Empath couldn't believe what he was hearing from Papa Smurf -- the part that he was fated to destroy a vampire. He shook his head in distress.
"This smurf can't do it, Papa Smurf. This smurf promised you years ago that this smurf would not kill a living soul even when it is dying."
"You needn't worry about 'killing' vampires, Empath," Papa Smurf said to him. "The part of Vladimir that once had the soul of a Smurf is now dead, and all that's left of him is the body kept alive by dark unsmurfy forces. All you have to smurf is to prevent Smurfette's soul from being destroyed by this being and smurf an end to his reign of terror by destroying his body."
Empath still felt uneasy by what he was compelled to do. But he knew that Smurfette's life and soul were now on the line, and Empath wouldn't know if he could live with himself knowing that he allowed Smurfette to be destroyed by Vladimir.
In the end, though, Empath knew the decision was up to him.
Brainy was surprised to hear Empath's request.
"You mean, you want me to smurf the announcements for the last night's performances in your place?" he asked Empath. "What's smurfing on that's so important for you to smurf out on Smurfstock like that? You were supposed to smurf a musical number tonight, anyway."
"This smurf knows, Brainy, but right now this smurf must handle an emergency situation that only this smurf can deal with, one which may cost Smurfette her life at the hands of a vampire if he is not stopped," Empath answered frankly. "This smurf is counting on you to make sure no other Smurf knows what had happened to Smurfette."
"Trust me, Empath, I know this is the time when my lips are definitely smurfed," Brainy answered, trying to sound honest. "No other Smurf ever needs to know that Smurfette has been smurfed off by an unsmurfy vampire and…!"
"Just promise me!" Empath sternly demanded, not wishing for Brainy to go on and on.
Brainy looked at Empath and immediately understood how serious it was. "Of course, Empath!" he managed to say.
Through the rest of the day, Empath prepared himself by getting the necessary things for keeping vampires at bay. From the heart of the Great Oak Tree in the forest, Empath extracted enough wood for making several pointed arrows with which he could use Archer's bow. From the Pool of Souls, a sacred underground aquifer that was located underneath the Great Oak Tree, Empath collected enough sacred water to carry with him in Tracker's water bladder. And from the food storage silo in the center of the village, Empath gathered some small ripe garlic buds. Though Greedy was planning to use them for garlic bread on the night he was going to make spaghetti, Empath felt it was necessary to sacrifice them for something other than giving certain Smurfs a bad case of garlic breath.
Tapper and Duncan watched as their friend was making the preparations. "I feel like I should be smurfing with you into that vampire's castle to rescue Smurfette, laddie," Duncan said. "I don't think that you would smurf a chance going in there alone."
"This smurf appreciates the sentiment, Duncan, but if this smurf is the only one who's fated to slay a vampire, then this smurf can't risk putting your life in danger just for the sake of rescuing Smurfette," Empath said.
"That only makes me jealous of you, Empath, that you get to be the one who will smurf a vampire," Duncan said. "Just remember everything that I have smurfed you about fighting, and I'm sure that you'll be able to smurf your way and the lassie's to safety."
"I'll be praying for you, my fellow Empath, that the Almighty shall guide and protect you as you smurf through the gates of that infernal place to rescue Smurfette," Tapper said.
"This smurf has a feeling that your prayers are going to be essential to the success of this mission, Tapper," Empath said. "It feels just like this smurf is going straight into the bowels of Hades itself."
"I wouldn't want to imagine the horrors of smurfing into such a place without the protection of the Almighty, but you'll have my prayers, and so will Smurfette," Tapper said as he placed a hand on Empath's shoulder to show his support.
By sundown, Empath was almost ready for his rescuing Smurfette from Lord Vladimir Smurfula. He had put on his flying cape for the occasion and some protective leather arm braces when he was summoned back into Papa Smurf's laboratory again.
"You will need this as your sacred symbol, Empath," Papa Smurf said to him as he handed Empath a silver medallion. Empath noticed that the medallion bore the image of the Smurf head symbol he saw in various places in the village.
"This smurf doesn't see how this can be used as a sacred symbol," Empath said, shaking his head.
Papa Smurf then closed Empath's hands on the medallion itself. "Listen!"
As Empath listened, he heard what sounded like a church choir of many happy voices all singing the same song in his head: La, la, la la la la, sing the song of Smurf, la, la, la la la la,...
Empath was astounded. "The smurfsong!" he exclaimed. "It's more than just some song made up for Smurfs to sing...it's part of what being a Smurf is all along!"
Papa Smurf smiled. "As long as you believe in what being a Smurf is and what it means to you, the song will never leave you. It is as sacred as the symbol itself, for as long as you hold it, it will always protect you from beings such as vampires. You may want to smurf that very song when you come face to face with Vladimir and Smurfette, for it may be the only thing powerful enough to smurf through his entrancing music."
Empath held his hand over the medallion to fill his mind and his heart with the music again.
He now felt like he was a part of that music, and it was now a part of him.
"This smurf will not forget that, Papa Smurf," Empath declared as he started on his way. "This smurf will make sure this would be the last time anyone ever hears Vladimir's symphony of the night!"
"Just be careful!" Papa Smurf called out to him.
"This smurf will," Empath answered back. As he left the village around sunset, he could still hear the smurfsong in his head, and now he started singing it with the same happy feeling that he felt from the medallion.
La, la, la la la la, sing a song of Smurf,...
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VIC GEORGE -- Westfield, MA, USA
"Cat and mouse games really aren't much fun for us mouse types" -- Empath from "Empath The Bandit Smurf"
Posts: 3920 | From: Westfield, MA | Registered: Mar 2003
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VicGeorge2010
Super Smurf
Member # 300
Member Rated:
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posted 10-31-2022 03:53 AM
Chapter 7
On top of a nearby mountain, a small castle tower overlooked the forest below. Inside, Smurfette looked out of a window at the full moon that shone down on everything. She felt as if the moon and the night gave her the very essence of life itself, as the sun and the day once did before she had met Vladimir. Now everything had changed, and Smurfette no longer felt as if her heart belonged in that life she lived in the village with her fellow Smurfs -- including the one Smurf she felt she had truly waited for her entire life, though she didn't feel truly ready to give her heart completely to him yet.
But Vladimir had shown her that he would be beside her for all eternity, and his love for her would never die. He had shown her that the world of night is nothing for her to fear in all of its beauty and passion. For that, Smurfette felt she would now give herself to whatever Vladimir wanted from her. She would become his immortal beloved.
"Behold, the ancient kingdom of Smurvanya," Vladimir whispered as he appeared behind Smurfette. "This was the world we had once ruled over when Smurfs were kings of the forest, and it will be that way again after tonight. Soon, my dear Elismurfetta, we will consmurfate our love for each other, and you will rule this land beside me as my royal bride. The children of the night we will smurf shall take back the forest from those who live for the daytime, even those who will seek to destroy us. And the riches of the forest will be ours for the smurfing."
Smurfette swooned to the thought of ruling the forest beside her beloved. "Vladimir, my darling, I will smurf anything in the world for you to prove my love for you!"
"But you seem to hold back," Vladimir noted. "This mortal you call Empath who has no soul for the creation of music still stirs within your heart, does he not?"
Smurfette felt embarrassed that Vladimir could sense that brief feeling she had.
"No, of course not, my beloved," she quickly answered. "It's just that…he will stop at nothing to smurf me away from you, the one I have always waited for all my life."
Vladimir chuckled gently. "You will not need to worry about his fate any longer, my beautiful blue blossom. This place is heavily guarded with creatures that are loyal only to my very whim, Elismurfetta. He will not easily best them to get anywhere near you."
As he spoke, Smurfette saw a dozen or more vampire rats, all with razor-sharp teeth and bloodthirsty eyes, roaming around the lower floors of the castle. They were very ugly creatures, to say the least, but as long as they protected the castle from any intruders, she would feel very safe here.
Even from the one Smurf that she now feared would come to take her away.
Empath had finally reached the base of the mountain where Vladimir's royal castle was located a good few hours before midnight. He somehow sensed that Vladimir had put some kind of magic spell on his castle so Empath wouldn't be able to use his minds-eye abilities in any fashion. Even though he had some knowledge of the castle's layout from the books he studied in the Smurf archives house, he still wouldn't be able to tell which room Smurfette would be in at this moment. For the most part, Empath was going in blind and nearly powerless except for what he was armed with for fighting vampires.
Attaching a rope to a thick sturdy tree, Empath descended down a hole that led into a secret room, where he felt his minds-eye powers already starting to ebb and fade. So far he had not made a single noise on his way inside, but from what his ears could tell him, he would expect some company of the worst kind to greet him soon.
Empath quickly and quietly sneaked into the cavernous passageway that forked into two different directions, taking the route that would least likely have any unexpected run-ins. He could hear the squeaking and hissing of some vicious animals approaching from another direction, sounding as if they could smell Empath's blood from miles away.
Fortunately, Papa Smurf prepared some other things for Empath to use, including one that would lure the creatures away from him.
Vladimir and Smurfette were busy dancing on the balcony to the symphony being played, though there wasn't a single organ anywhere in the room or near it. As the chimes of the old clock now rang in the midnight hour, he once again drew Smurfette close to him while dancing in preparation to bite her neck for the third time. But then he turned his attention away from Smurfette when he heard the sound of his vampire rats devouring what would be her former friend from the Smurf Village.
"Ah, yes, the sweet sound of flesh smurfing flesh," he beamed, sounding very proud of his minions. "A pity your friend became a feast long before he had the chance to smurf you away from me in person."
"It was an empty feast this smurf had given your protectors, Vladimir!"
Vladimir and Smurfette turned to see Empath emerge from a window on the far wall opposite of the balcony. He propelled himself toward the chandelier, grabbed it, and swung around on it until he landed on the balcony itself, separating Vladimir from Smurfette.
"This smurf created a straw Smurf imitation of this smurf for them to chew on," he explained. "They will have nothing but fiber in their diets when they find out the truth."
"So the Smurf who has no song in his heart wishes to take the heart of Elismurfetta away from me," Vladimir sneered. "Well, let's see if a Smurf like you truly has a heart for me to tear out!"
Empath screamed in agony as he felt Vladimir's hand suddenly plunge right through his chest, as if Empath's body was made of pudding, and closed his hand around his adversary's heart, intent to squash it like an overripe tomato.
Empath never felt such pain like this before. He concentrated all his will to keep Vladimir's hand from crushing his heart long enough to pull out his Smurf symbol medallion.
Vladimir looked at Empath, smiling viciously. "The pain you're feeling inside will only get worse if you don't give in to the sweet slumber of death, my young mortal opponent!"
Empath's hand fumbled as he took hold of the Smurf medallion and slowly raised it to make contact with Vladimir's arm that was inside Empath's chest. The vampire Smurf screamed as the medallion burned through his clothes and touched his skin, leaving such a brand of a scar that made Vladimir pull his arm out and convulse in agony.
Empath fell to his knees, trying to catch his breath and make sure no permanent damage was done to him. Fortunately, he could see no sign of entry on his chest where Vladimir had thrusted his hand into.
"That was one mistake I do not intend for you to repeat," Vladimir growled as he recovered from the sudden burning pain and reached for Empath again.
Empath reacted by grabbing Tracker's water bladder and spraying some of the sacred water from the Pool of Souls in Vladimir's face. He screamed again and writhed himself away from both Empath and Smurfette as he felt the water burn through his skin.
Empath quickly grabbed Smurfette, pulling her toward him as he fully recovered from Vladimir's sudden hand plunge. "Let's get ourselves out of here, Smurfette," he directed.
Smurfette was resisting Empath's pull. "How dare you smurf me away from my sweet beloved Vladimir, you unsmurfy ingrate!" she shouted. "Let me go right now!"
Empath needed to break through Vladimir's control over Smurfette's mind. There was only one thing he could do. "Remember your true self as you once were," he told Smurfette as he pressed the silver Smurf symbol into the palm of her hand and held it there.
Smurfette screamed as she felt the burning sensation of the Smurf symbol on her hand. She wanted to let go of it, but Empath wouldn't let go of her hand. With the pain came the flash of memories -- Empath, Papa Smurf, Baby Smurf, the Smurflings, Puppy, every adult Smurf she came to know, the village, the good times she had, everything that meant something in her life as a Smurf.
The pain seemed to go on forever, and then it suddenly stopped, and Smurfette found herself feeling like she had awakened from a dream state that she was in. The first face she saw was Empath's, who then let go of her hand as she now held the Smurf symbol without feeling anymore pain.
"Empath?" she finally said. "What happened to me? Where am I? What's smurfing on?"
Empath only responded by pulling Smurfette close to him as he heard Vladimir try to grab Smurfette after he had recovered from being sprayed with sacred water.
"This smurf promises to let you know everything that happened as soon as we reach safety, Smurfette," Empath told her.
Smurfette nodded, feeling ever so fearful as she saw Vladimir's face, all twisted and scarred and full of fury, seeing his would-be eternal beloved run away from him. She followed Empath as they fled from the balcony and down into the bowels of the castle.
"Run all you want with the fair maiden, cursed mortal," Vladimir growled. "I will not let you smurf away my soon-to-be immortal beloved from me. My minions will make sure your fate will be the same as those who smurfed before to destroy me."
As Empath and Smurfette turned the next corner that would lead into the caves, they were confronted by a large rat with bloodthirsty eyes and razor-sharp fangs, ready to sink his teeth into either of them.
Smurfette screamed and ducked behind Empath, who pulled a wooden arrow from his quiver and fired it point-blank at the rat's heart in one swift motion with the bow. The rat screeched as his body suddenly burst into flames and then became a mere lifeless skeleton.
Smurfette still looked fearfully at what was once a terrifying living creature, and then at Empath in disbelief. "You killed that rat!" she exclaimed. "Smurfs aren't supposed to kill any living beings."
Empath shook his head. "That rat was already dead, Smurfette. Its skeleton appears far too old and decayed to have come from any recently living creature. Vladimir must have used his dark magic to bring this poor thing back to life as one of his machinations."
Smurfette looked at the skeleton briefly as Empath guided her past it. He stumbled briefly when he felt the pain in his chest, barely able to breathe.
"Empath, what's wrong?" Smurfette asked.
Empath felt the pain diminish a bit, though it was still present. "Vladimir's sudden assault nearly removed this smurf's heart out of this smurf's chest, Smurfette. Until we can leave this place, this smurf fears that this smurf will not live long enough to protect you."
Smurfette helped Empath to his feet. "Let's keep smurfing until we can find someplace where we can smurf you up, Empath."
Empath nodded. Though injured, he vowed to himself that he wouldn't succumb until they left Vladimir's castle together.
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VIC GEORGE -- Westfield, MA, USA
"Cat and mouse games really aren't much fun for us mouse types" -- Empath from "Empath The Bandit Smurf"
Posts: 3920 | From: Westfield, MA | Registered: Mar 2003
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VicGeorge2010
Super Smurf
Member # 300
Member Rated:
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posted 10-31-2022 03:57 AM
Chapter 8
Back in the village around midnight, the last night of Smurfstock was coming to a close. The Village Smurphony Orchestra had finished with a brilliant masterpiece performed by whatever musicians were left in the orchestra with Brainy as its conductor. It wasn't anything that the Smurfs haven't heard before in the Smurfstock festivals of previous years, and Brainy's style of conducting just wasn't the same as Papa Smurf's when he used to conduct the orchestra. Still, the Smurfs who were still awake listening to the musical masterpiece cheered for Brainy as soon as it ended.
As Brainy had finished accepting the applause and the curtains closed while he approached the front of the stage, he made his final announcement. "Fellow Smurfs, I know that you may not like changes in the program anymore than I do for the sake of smurfing things running in order, but before we smurf an end to this wonderful three-day festival of music, I would like to present to you one final persmurfance by one already talented musician...and here he is, your village leader and my smurfonal friend and mentor, the one and only Papa Smurf!"
Every Smurf awakened at that point to cheer as Papa Smurf himself took the stage with a guitar. However, he didn't appear on the stage alone. The Smurflings, who already had performed "Smurfbop" sometime earlier that evening, appeared with Papa Smurf as his backup musicians. Brainy was rather surprised that Papa Smurf would even go so far as to have the Smurflings — the very Smurfs who dared to change the style of music that Smurfs would want to listen to — be part of his own performance.
"Ready, my little Smurflings?" Papa Smurf asked as he looked to his eager little musicians, who nodded back to him that they were ready. "And one...and two...and three...!"
Instantly the Smurflings followed along with Papa Smurf on his guitar. Snappy was on the drums, Slouchy was on his homemade horn, Nat was on the strings, Sassette was on the tambourine, and Baby Smurf followed along on a kazoo. The Smurfs who were in the audience were surprised that Papa Smurf was performing a song that sounded more like a Smurfling type of song. They were also clapping along as the village leader began to sing.
"I was born in a smurf town, and I live in a smurf town; oh, I could die in a smurf town, oh, this Smurf community,...!"
Even Sloppy was amazed by this unexpected piece of music coming from an unexpected source. "This is a song that really rocks harder than Azrael Rocks," he commented as he and his bandmates danced along to the rhythm.
Meanwhile, in the emptiness of Tapper's Tavern, the village bartender was alone spending an entire night in prayer. "O Lord Almighty, the Father of all creation, the Maker of heaven and earth, and the Source of all good things, give Empath and Smurfette safe passage from Vladimir Smurfula's castle and protect them from the evil one as he seeks to smurf their souls from this mortal realm. Let their hearts be comforted in the fact that You are there with them and that You have given Your only begotten Son as a ransom for their sins, that they may both smurf a hold of You in this desperate hour of need. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen."
The cavernous passageways underneath the castle were long and winding. Empath had a feeling they were going to get lost inside the caves and not even make it back out. Fortunately, Papa Smurf had given Empath a spell he could recite to alter the effects of time inside the castle so that the sun would come up much sooner, which Empath had recited at that moment. Now they just needed to survive long enough.
A swarm of bats suddenly flew down toward Empath and Smurfette, causing them to recoil in fright. Fortunately, Empath's cape and his garlic buds provided some protection from the bats, but they knew Vladimir could transform himself into one and attack them that way. As soon as the swarm flew away, Empath and Smurfette continued onward.
A narrow natural bridge that crossed over a high underground chasm was up ahead. They could feel a strong gust blowing from either direction, threatening to knock them both over to fall into the chasm.
"It's much too high, Empath," Smurfette said as she looked down. "I'm scared!"
"Just hold on to this smurf's hand and don't look down," Empath told her.
Empath led the way across the natural bridge, with Smurfette holding firmly onto Empath's hand as she followed behind. She could feel herself teetering this way and that as they slowly made their way over the chasm, making her even more afraid.
They were almost near the other side when a huge gust of wind suddenly knocked Smurfette off the bridge, ripping her from Empath's grasp.
"Empath…help me!" Smurfette screamed.
"Smurfette!" Empath cried out as he watched her fall into the abyss, carried off by the wind in the direction it was blowing in. He didn't come this far just to lose her like that.
Empath unhooked his cape and held onto its ends with both hands as he jumped off the natural bridge in the direction that Smurfette was falling in. The wind filled his cape and turned it into a parachute that allowed him to drift downward at an angle.
He saw Smurfette just up ahead, still falling. Using the wind patterns to his advantage, Empath quickly glided toward her. She saw Empath coming toward her and just grabbed onto him as they drifted away from the sharp spiked rocks below.
The wind lifted them up for a bit, and Empath saw a ledge where they could safely land up ahead. After they had landed, Empath reattached his cape.
"Thanks, Empath," Smurfette finally said when her heart was no longer racing. "I would have been a goner by now if it weren't for you."
Empath felt his chest hurting again. "If we don't find someplace to hide, Smurfette, this smurf is more likely to be 'a goner' sooner than this smurf would wish!" He then saw another passageway just up above where they landed and suggested they climb up to it
From a distance, in his bat form, Vladimir watched Empath and Smurfette nearly survive the fall from the natural bridge in delight. He was hoping that the fall would kill them both, but seeing how resourceful Empath was in rescuing Smurfette made him even more delighted. As long as she continued to live, Smurfette could be swayed back into believing she was his beloved Elismurfetta.
He would make very certain of that, and then he could kill Empath himself.
Or have Smurfette kill her friend when he would make her his immortal beloved.
Empath and Smurfette rested for a bit in a darkened alcove they managed to find. She noticed that Empath looked feverish, as if he would eventually be weakened by Vladimir's physical attack on him. Fortunately, Empath realized that as well, for he had pulled out a small flask from a belt he was wearing and swallowed half its black liquid contents.
"What is that stuff you're smurfing?" Smurfette asked.
"It's a laurel extract that Papa Smurf made, Smurfette," Empath answered, wiping his brow after the swallow. "It's supposed to help those who have been attacked by vampires regain their physical strength, according to the legends." He handed Smurfette the rest of the flask's contents as he felt his vitality returning.
Smurfette took a swallow of the laurel extract and nearly coughed afterward. "Bleah, this stuff smurfs so horrible, Empath!" she frowned.
"This smurf knows it doesn't taste very good, Smurfette, but as long as it keeps us alive, its flavor will be the least of our worries."
"How are we going to smurf out of here, Empath, if you don't even have most of your minds-eye abilities smurfing?" Smurfette asked.
"These caves go down to a secret place that the royalty that lived in this castle have used for sneaking in and out," Empath described. "That is how this smurf entered this place, and if we can get back there, we may be able to leave through the same way."
"But we won't smurf past those rats, or even Vladimir, as long as they're out there, smurfing for us," Smurfette mentioned.
"This smurf knows," Empath replied, pulling some other things out from his belt. Smurfette could see that some of those things were garlic buds, and now Empath poured some of the sacred water from the bladder over the buds. The other things looked like pieces of flint, and Empath was now striking them together near the buds. A spark was ignited, causing the garlic buds to burst into flame and release a thick gray smoke.
"What are you smurfing with those garlic buds, Empath?" Smurfette asked, holding her nose to block the pungent smell.
"We need to create a thick cloud of smoke that neither Vladimir nor those rats can smell our scent through," Empath answered, putting the buds out into the passageway and then ducking back into the alcove. The both of them watched as the fumes from the burning garlic buds filled the passageways and made it hard for them to see through.
The garlic cloud of smoke had its effect. The rats sounded as if they had trouble breathing in this air, and Vladimir had to transform back into the form of a Smurf to avoid colliding out of control into a cave wall. He fell to the floor, coughing and cursing Empath's talents as a vampire hunter, feeling even more determined to destroy him and retake Smurfette as his immortal beloved.
Empath and Smurfette took advantage of the situation. With Smurfette holding his hand, Empath guided her through the thick fog and ran as fast as they could in the direction of the secret room. Some rats that were disoriented by the garlic gas still blocked their way, but Empath easily picked them off one by one, putting these miserable creatures back to rest.
But then they had another problem to deal with. Empath and Smurfette heard the slight rumbling of something emerging from the ground, and then they saw what must have been the skeletal remains of deceased Smurfs surrounding them.
"Vladimir must be getting very desperate in keeping us here, Smurfette," Empath commented as he avoided the swing of a sword by one of the Smurf skeletons.
"Empath, they're smurfing closer," Smurfette cried out.
Empath knew these creatures could not be felled the same way as the vampire rats, so he resorted to using his quarterstaff skills. He detached the string from Archer's bow and used it as a staff to break enough bones on the skeletons to permanently disable them, while also delivering some powerful punches and kicks. Smurfette, meanwhile, just ducked and dodged her way around the skeletons, allowing them just to destroy each other in the process. But one of them got a hold of her from behind.
"Heads up, Smurfette," Empath called out. She ducked as he threw the bow at the skeleton's head, shattering it with such force that it also broke the bow in half.
Smurfette shook off the remains of the skeleton that grabbed her, and then looked down at the littered broken bones before she finally saw Archer's bow in pieces.
"I hope he undersmurfs what happened to his best bow, Empath," she finally said.
Empath noticed something. "The fumes from the garlic clouds are now weakening, Smurfette. We had better get ourselves away from here quickly before Vladimir catches up to us."
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VIC GEORGE -- Westfield, MA, USA
"Cat and mouse games really aren't much fun for us mouse types" -- Empath from "Empath The Bandit Smurf"
Posts: 3920 | From: Westfield, MA | Registered: Mar 2003
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VicGeorge2010
Super Smurf
Member # 300
Member Rated:
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posted 10-31-2022 03:59 AM
Chapter 9
Finally they had reached the room where Empath had entered the mazelike passageways of the castle. The rope was still there, but now they had to climb up to the surface before Vladimir reached them.
"Start climbing, Smurfette," Empath directed. "This smurf will steady the rope."
Kicking off her heels, Smurfette grabbed the rope and started climbing while Empath took the rope into his hands and held it steady long enough for Smurfette to make her way up the long shaft to the surface. Halfway up the shaft, though, there was a gnawing sound followed by that of the rope beginning to tear and fray.
"Empath!" Smurfette cried down. "Something's smurfing the rope!"
Empath had a feeling that Vladimir must have sent one of his vampire rats outside into the forest to gnaw at the rope. "Keep trying to climb higher!" he called back up to her.
Suddenly the rope broke, and Smurfette found herself falling back inside the room, screaming for help. Empath caught her in his arms as she fell, knocking them both down to the floor. They quickly picked themselves up and started to think of how else they could escape when they heard sinister laughter from the room's only entrance.
Finally Vladimir came into the room, blocking their only other way out. "There is no escape for either of you mortals," he chortled maliciously. "Smurfette will still be my immortal beloved, whether she wishes it or not, and you, my star-smurfed adversary, will soon become a repast for my rodent minions." He came closer and closer to Smurfette, hoping to bite her neck a third time and make her his vampiress companion.
Empath could hear that dreaded symphony start up again as Vladimir approached Smurfette, entrancing her in his spell. There was only one thing he could do at this point. He quickly whistled the "smurfsong".
Vladimir instantly reacted as if he heard somebody scratching their fingernails against a chalkboard. "Aaaaahh…," he growled, covering up his ears. "Stop that infernal music!"
Smurfette was instantly awakened from the spell of Vladimir's symphony. "Empath, what are you smurfing?" she asked.
"Whistle the smurfsong, Smurfette," Empath directed. "It's the only way to break through his smurphony of the night."
Smurfette did what Empath suggested. She whistled the smurfsong, directing it toward Vladimir, who continued to hold his ears as the charming tune assaulted his eardrums, making him writhe in torment and pain.
Empath knew they couldn't keep Vladimir at bay forever. It was then he noticed that, through the hole in the room's ceiling, a ray of sunlight was slowly peeking in. Morning must be beginning to break, and he remembered that direct exposure to sunlight was the only way to destroy a vampire. But it was aimed only at Empath, and both Smurfette and Vladimir were far to the other side for the sunlight to reach him. How could he get the sunlight over to where Vladimir is to destroy him?
He looked down at his Smurf symbol medallion and flipped it over when the sun's light was reflected off its backside toward Empath's eyes, briefly stinging them. He then realized that the medallion was purposefully polished on its backside to a bright sheen, and knew in that instant what he must do with it.
Empath used the backside of the medallion to reflect the light of the incoming sun, directing its beam straight toward Vladimir. The force of the reflected beam caught the vampire by surprise and knocked him to the floor, screaming as the sun's energy mercilessly burned through his decayed flesh and bathed his soul in its unyielding light.
"NO…it can't be…it must not end like this…!" Vladimir pleaded, struggling uselessly against the power of the light. "You can't stop the music…I am the smurphony…of the night…I am the smurphony…I am…I am…I…!"
Empath and Smurfette watched in horror as Vladimir's form became as charred as used firewood in the beam of the reflected sunlight, and then reduced to ashes that even the slightest winds easily blew away in every direction, until there was nothing left.
Empath and Smurfette continued to look in the spot that Vladimir had occupied, and then stopped to listen as the sounds of the castle had also died down, replaced by the quiet sounds of the morning outside as the forest awakened itself to face the new day ahead.
Empath could now sense his fellow Smurfs back in the village with his minds-eye again. That meant the magic spells Vladimir had used in his castle had worn off on their own.
"Is it over, Empath?" Smurfette asked, as if she needed to be certain herself.
Empath took a look at Smurfette's neck and noticed Vladimir's fang marks had disappeared, and that she was regaining her full skin color again.
He looked Smurfette in her eyes and nodded. "The smurphony of the night is over. You are now free of Vladimir's curse."
Smurfette looked into Empath's eyes and found her own beginning to fill with tears. "Empath, I'm sorry that I got angry with you and smurfed you like that!"
Empath took Smurfette into his arms and let her cry on his shoulder, gently soothing her with his voice. "It was not your fault, Smurfette. There is no need to apologize for anything. This smurf understands how you feel completely."
They remained that way for a long while as the morning light illuminated the room.
Empath and Smurfette had reached the village around the same time that Greedy had just finished serving breakfast. They could see several Smurfs beginning to take down the flowered streamers strung over the streets, dismantling the filtered boxes from the stage, packing up things to be put away for another occasion, and just generally cleaning up. Both of them looked dirty from having to escape the terrors of Vladimir's castle, but they were nonetheless alive and well. During the flight back to the village, Empath had informed Smurfette about her pet Squeaky, whose blood she had ingested and was now purged of, that though he was weakened by her attack, that he would soon recover. Smurfette felt sad that she did such a thing to her cherished pet, but Empath told her that she wasn't herself when she did that, and her pet would understand that.
"I can’t believe such a handsome Smurf like him was a monster who smurfed me like that, Empath," Smurfette finally said, still thinking over what Empath had told her about him. "Although I do feel sad that he would never get to smurf his beloved Elismurfetta ever again."
"This smurf may never fully understand what would drive some beings to such depravity in order to find their true love, Smurfette," Empath stated. "Many brave Smurfs have died so that Vladimir could live in the state he was in, and when all was said and done, Elismurfetta was never found or had returned to him. Perhaps she found it hard as well to choose between her peasant life and the life she could have lived as the queen of Smurvanya."
"I just hope no other Smurf has to smurf through the same thing in the here and now," Smurfette said, sighing.
"This smurf shares your sentiments as well," Empath agreed. He then noticed that Smurfette had something else on her mind now. "Is there something bothering you, Smurfette?"
Smurfette looked at Empath a bit crestfallen. "I just remembered that challenge I smurfed you a few days ago. It's too bad that Smurfstock is all over now. I'll never be able to smurf the happy tune you might have composed!"
"On the contrary, Smurfette," Empath responded, "on the night this smurf went to rescue you, this smurf did come up with an original tune of a happy sort." He saw Hefty and Tuffy carrying Harmony's piano away and asked them if he could borrow it for a bit. They agreed and placed it where Empath and Smurfette were.
Without any further ado, Empath started to play the original tune he composed. As Smurfette listened, it sounded very familiar and yet so original and upbeat. The way Empath played his tune on the piano, he seemed to put a lot of feeling into it.
Smurfette laughed. "Sounds like the smurfsong agrees with you now, Empath," she remarked when Empath finished. "An original interpretation of a classic. Now that sounds better than 'The Smurfy Dance'."
"Well, to this smurf, it is a smurfy dance," Empath replied very enthusiastically. "The smurfsong was fine the way it is, but this smurf thought it needed a bit more bounce to it."
With that, Empath immediately reached out to a set of drums with his minds-eye and started having them beat out a rhythm to go along with his piano playing. Smurfette was even more amused and amazed. His impromptu composition was really beginning to take form now.
Harmony stood and watched in jaw-dropping awe as he listened to Empath creatively giving new life to an old standby, even with his minds-eye. "Now, that is what I call a real smurfy tune you can smurf to!" he managed to say. He felt inspired enough to pick up his horn and play along to the beat, no matter how warbled it might sound in contrast.
Meanwhile, Empath's tune had also attracted the attention of other passing Smurfs, who were busy trying to clean up the village after their three-day celebration of music. They basically didn't expect Empath to be wasting his time composing music when he should be attending his duties as the assistant counselor of the village, much less even being able to create such happy-sounding music. But it had a chain reaction of its own, for some Smurfs started picking up their own instruments and playing along to the rhythm, further adding to the orchestration.
Papa Smurf at this point was busy with Baby Smurf, again giving him lessons on how to talk when he heard Empath's tune being played throughout the village. Baby Smurf heard it as well and started playing along on his kazoo.
"Amazing," Papa Smurf remarked, as he heard both the tune outside and the kazoo playing in time with it inside. He looked outside and saw that every Smurf was getting into the rhythm. He just had that feeling Empath was behind this, so that basically meant Empath had succeeded in bringing Smurfette back alive.
Back in the center of the musical scene, Empath and Smurfette were now dancing with each other as the other Smurfs continued to play for them. "So I wonder how wins this time around?" Smurfette asked, speaking loudly above the music.
"It doesn't matter, Smurfette," Empath answered. "For you, this smurf would serve you breakfast in bed anytime you want this smurf to."
"With a fresh rose from the garden?" Smurfette asked.
"That and with this smurf not wearing a shirt to greet you," Empath said. "Though this smurf was thinking of wearing a tie."
"Oh, Empath," Smurfette laughed, feeling all so giddy. "For a Smurf, you can still smurf a bit of class in whatever you do."
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VIC GEORGE -- Westfield, MA, USA
"Cat and mouse games really aren't much fun for us mouse types" -- Empath from "Empath The Bandit Smurf"
Posts: 3920 | From: Westfield, MA | Registered: Mar 2003
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