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Author
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Topic: "Empath: The Luckiest Smurf" -- the full novel
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Vic George The ND Guy
Super Smurf
Member # 300
Member Rated:
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posted 03-27-2025 03:48 AM
Here is the full EMPATH: The Luckiest Smurf novel. Enjoy!
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Prologue
It was morning on a day that happened many years ago, when a figure sat at the top of a mountain, looking down upon a forest that stood for centuries untouched by human hands...a forest that was home to a group of beings he would call his family.
He wasn't human, but by his very stature he was the closest thing to being human. His skin was a shade of blue that stood him out against the lightest blue of the sky or the darkest blue of the sea. His body was rounded like a pear, yet it showed the slight presence of muscles even in his unassuming arms and legs. His face was oval-shaped with big ears and a big nose, but through the comical look of his face could be seen an actual serious expression of sadness.
Heaving a sigh, the being looked down upon the forest and thought about that place that he called home, the happy times his own people were having, and of how he wished he could be there living the carefree life that they were living. He had spent most of his life in another place, with another group of people who were so much unlike his own, and the fact that he wasn't allowed to go back to his own people whenever he wanted to made the longing that much painful.
In the distance this being could imagine seeing another like him, only older and wearing a beard, watching over him like an angel coming down from heaven to deliver him from the torment of this life. He knew somehow that this other being, who was real and who did live in this place called home, had the power to bring him back home, but he wondered when he was ever going to use that power. Each day that this being waited, having to live with people who never wanted to know the joy of living, who never dared to know what was beyond their home, was torturous. Hours with these people were long and hard, unlike the time that passes being with his own people, where even days were like minutes and yet were filled with something new and exciting to do. His people were always celebrating and they never seemed to be unhappy with their lives. It made him feel alone and isolated that he couldn't be with them at this time. He wondered how much longer he had to wait until he could see his own people again, and if anyone is still thinking of him not being there.
The being was then joined by two others who were much different from him in appearance. "You must return with us immediately or you will be punished," said one of the newcomers as he and the other one grabbed the being by his arms.
As much as he wanted to struggle and make a run for it, the being knew better than to do so because these two others could easily catch him. So he surrendered himself as his two captors lifted him into the air and flew with him away from the mountain.
This being wasn't supposed to show his emotions to anyone, even to his captors, but he couldn't keep himself from crying as he was taken back to the place he so wanted to leave behind for over a century.
Someday, he knew, it will happen.
He will leave and never return there again.
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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: 4088 | From: Westfield, MA | Registered: Mar 2003
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Vic George The ND Guy
Super Smurf
Member # 300
Member Rated:
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posted 03-27-2025 03:49 AM
A long, long time ago, deep in a forest,
there was a hidden village
where tiny blue humanlike creatures lived.
They called themselves the Smurfs.
And they were good.
No more than three apples tall, these Smurfs lived in peace, caring for each other and for all living things in the forest. Few humans had ever seen them, or even knew where their village was. But those who saw them knew how friendly they were with those taller than they were.
Then there was an evil wizard who came into the forest called Gargamel. Unlike the other humans the Smurfs had met, Gargamel hated them, and for years tried to destroy them, but each time he failed.
There had been many stories written about the Smurfs, the things they did, the places they went, the adventures they had. Where many of these stories came from, very few people know. But every story didn't always tell what really happened, and some of those stories never really happened at all.
But don't think that these Smurfs never existed just because half of what's told about them isn't true. They may exist now as fantasy, as myths, as legend, but...
They existed.
And with that said, it's time to tell one of their stories.
As it really happened.
Chapter 1
It really happened, as with most of their stories, during an age when fantasy and magic was as real and common as kingdoms and knights. Also as in most of their stories, the Smurfs were busy in their village doing their daily things: growing and gathering food, cooking, cleaning, building, repairing, creating, mending, playing, and most of the time talking with each other. Except that on this day, the Smurfs were busy setting up things for a party they were going to have. They celebrated many holidays as well as at least a hundred birthdays each year, which in this case this party happened to be. One Smurf was baking a giant cake, another was hanging banners and lanterns, and some others were wrapping up various kinds of gifts.
Smurfette, a female adult Smurf with long cascading blond hair and a simple flower dress, was walking around the village on this day with some younger male Smurfs and a young female, collectively called the Smurflings, when they noticed what the other Smurfs were doing. They had no idea that there was going to be a party that day, let alone a birthday party.
When she saw the Smurf wearing a baker's hat and an apron at work in his kitchen, she entered. "Say, Greedy, who are you smurfing that cake for?" she asked pleasantly.
"Wish it was for myself, Smurfette!" Greedy answered excitedly. "This is for Empath Smurf. It's his smurfday today!"
"Empath?" asked Smurfette, confused.
"Yep...the luckiest Smurf who's ever smurfed in this lifetime!" Greedy nodded.
"But who is Empath? And where is he?" she asked.
"Excuse me, Smurfette," Greedy interrupted. "I've got something in the oven that's smurfing out just about now! I'll smurf with you later." With that, he shooed her out of the kitchen, where the Smurflings waited for her.
She and the Smurflings tried to ask the other Smurfs who or where Empath is, but they were too busy with setting up for the party to answer her.
"Well, of all the nerve..." Smurfette huffed. "I didn't know how more important he is to them than I am!"
"Maybe we should ask Papa Smurf about Empath," said one of the Smurflings. "He isn't too busy today with anyone except Baby Smurf not to smurf us an answer."
Smurfette sighed. "Maybe we should."
"Okay, can we say 'Smurfette'?"
"Sminininurrpette?"
In a house set up like a laboratory, with shelves of books and a table full of test tubes and beakers, an older adult Smurf with a white beard and a red suit was busy with an infant Smurf, teaching him how to talk. The older Smurf was called Papa Smurf, for he was both the leader of the village and a father figure to all the other Smurfs for 150 of his 547 years of age -- or so the stories say. His time is constantly divided between working in his laboratory as an alchemist and being with the other Smurfs, whether it's dealing with a problem, directing them in their duties, or just socializing. He is also a master sorcerer who uses his power to protect the Smurfs from danger, though his real strength comes from the power of his heart.
Papa Smurf saw Smurfette and the Smurflings waiting outside his door. "Yo, Pappy, can you please tell us who Empath is?" asked Sassette, the young Smurfling with orange hair and a pink jumper.
"That's Papa, not 'yo, Pappy'!" he gently reminded Sassette as he let her, Smurfette, and the other Smurflings inside. "I'm sorry that neither me nor the other Smurfs ever told you about him. You see, Empath is a very special Smurf because he was born with an ability called ESP -- extra-smurfory perception -- which allows him to smurf things with his mind that other Smurfs cannot."
"You mean like smurfing objects without even touching them?" asked Sassette.
"Or like smurfing into the future?" suggested Snappy, a Smurfling with a yellow shirt, who was easily excited by anything new to him.
"Can Empath read other Smurfs' minds?" questioned Slouchy, who wore a red shirt with a turned-around hat and was more laid-back in his approach.
"Empath can smurf all those things and maybe even more," Papa Smurf replied with a slight chuckle.
"But where is Empath?" Smurfette asked. "How come he isn't in the village where anyone can smurf him?"
Papa Smurf's smile faded. "Empath doesn't live in the village, Smurfette," he answered. "He hasn't lived here for years. Empath was raised by similar beings like us since he was born, called the Psyches. They possess the same abilities that Empath smurfs, so they can train him how to use these powers wisely and safely. However, the Psyches don't know anything about teaching him how to be a Smurf, so he is allowed to visit us for a year once every ten years."
"Doesn't Empath get lonely living with the Psyches for a long time?" asked Sassette.
"He probably does, Sassette, but he must live as a Psyche when he is in their village of Psychelia, which means he cannot ever smurf what he feels to anyone. I don't know how he can live like that, but I do have to respect their ways and so does he. This year he is supposed to be released from their care; I just hope their leader would still honor that wish." With that, he let out a heavy sigh.
"He must really be that special to you, Papa Smurf," Natural Smurf, a ragged-clothed Smurfling, suggested when he noticed a certain sadness in Papa Smurf's voice.
"He is special to all of us, Nat. He is still a Smurf, no matter how different he really is."
Psychelia, the village of the Psyches, was located far from the reaches of the forest where the Smurf Village existed. It was very different in its appearance. Polished stonelike structures, simple in design and arranged in a specific logical pattern around a larger towering structure, filled the area outside the trees, with polished stone walkways threading their way through the structures. It was a beauty that surpassed even the disordered quaintness of the mushroom cottages that made up the Smurf Village, yet everything looked mechanical and lifeless.
The Psyches, who looked more like humans than like Smurfs with their hair and Caucasian-colored skin, looked as every bit as lifeless as their surroundings. Wearing black bodysuits with silver cuffs on their wrists and ankles, the Psyches go through their daily routine of working and studying without much talking and with blank expressionless faces. To them, life is only work and no play, no joy, not even sorrow.
Empath was with a group of Psyches, clearing down trees with axes, using his mind power only to make sure the trees fall without landing on a Psyche. He was about to start cutting a felled tree into logs when his instructor approached him. "Empath Psyche, the Psyche Master commands your presence in his chamber immediately," he told Empath.
"This one acknowledges," Empath replied without any hint of emotion. He turned in his axe and headed straight for the towering structure where he knew the Psyche Master monitored everything the Psyches do.
The chamber in the tower was dark save for a rainbow-colored beam of light in the center, where a face that barely looked anything like a Psyche appeared. This was how the Psyche Master chose to appear to all, for he barely concerned himself with having to leave his chamber to attend to his Psyches.
“Empath Psyche, designation 1137-K, acknowledging his presence," the Smurf announced.
“Empath," the Psyche Master spoke in an omnipotent tone, "I believe the being you call Papa Smurf requires your presence in his village to celebrate your birthday, as he does every ten years. Therefore, I grant you permission to leave here for the Smurf Village immediately."
"This one acknowledges," Empath replied, with an eye-level bow.
"However," the Psyche Master continued, "this leave I grant you this time is permanent. Once you leave Psychelia, you are never to return here again."
Empath looked surprised. "Psyche Master, this one does not understand why you do not wish this one to return here. This one's training as a Psyche is not yet complete."
"As I see it, that will be all the training you'll have from us," the Psyche Master answered. "I will not continue to train a Psyche whose mind is clouded by feelings and ideas that do not belong to a true Psyche."
"But I am not a Psyche," Empath explained. "You know that I am a Smurf, and feelings are part of what being a Smurf is."
"Don't call yourself 'I' in front of me, Empath," the Psyche Master rumbled, shaking everything and Empath with his voice. "I know you are a Smurf, but you were raised a Psyche, and here in Psychelia you must behave like one. Papa Smurf should not be wasting your time trying to teach you about such trivial things as feelings."
"Wait a minute, Psyche Master," Empath shouted, feeling insulted. "Papa Smurf has been everything but trivial or a time-waster. He cares enough to be with his little Smurfs, not above them all day like--"
"Silence yourself!" Psyche Master commanded. In that instant, Empath felt an incredible burst of pain in his head that made him fall to his knees.
"Now you will do as I say, Empath," he continued, with Empath still on the floor, feeling the pain. "You will leave for the Smurf Village immediately. You are never to return here again...ever. Is that acknowledged?"
"This one...acknowledges,...Psyche Master," Empath forced out from his lips. He had no choice but to obey.
The pain vanished, and as the cuffs on his wrists and ankles came off and clattered noisily on the floor, Empath picked himself up before leaving the Psyche Master's chamber.
Back in the house he shared with another Psyche, Empath changed from his black bodysuit to his white Smurf hat and pants. His housemate, Polaris, watched Empath pack his belongings. "This one sees that you are leaving for that other village again," Polaris said.
Empath nodded. "This time, this smurf will no longer be able to return here."
"Maybe it is time you need to be with your own people for more than a year," Polaris explained. "If only this one can go to this Smurf Village with you, this one would."
"This smurf understands," Empath answered. "There is nobody here this smurf would want to have with this smurf in my village than you. But you belong here, as this smurf belongs with my own people. This smurf will miss your presence."
"As this one will miss your presence here as well," Polaris replied as they looked at each other for one last time. “Farewell forever, fellow Empath.”
“Farewell forever, fellow Polaris,” Empath nodded.
Walking to the outer reaches of Psychelia where Papa Smurf sent a ride for him, Empath couldn't help thinking about living without Polaris, who was the only Psyche he made a friend with, and in time understood everything Empath told him about the Smurf Village. He was like Empath in that he really wanted to know what existed beyond the range of his own village. He wasn't afraid of the Psyche Master in wanting to know, either. But now they both had to go their own separate ways, and the next time Empath would see Polaris, he will know of nothing but what the Psyche Master would want him to know. Unfortunately there was nothing either of them could do about it. It was his time to go.
Instead of a crane waiting for Empath as usual, this time Handy was there, wearing flight goggles and riding a winged vehicle that looked familiar only in his thoughts.
“This is my latest invention, Empath -- a smurfplane," he called out over the noise of the propeller. "Not that you'd need something like this to fly, but since it's a long smurf to the village,..."
“It's an interesting invention, Handy!" Empath shouted back his compliment. "This smurf knew you'd someday find out how to fly."
"Hop in and smurf for yourself," Handy invited.
Empath did. This would be interesting, indeed.
Handy turned the smurfplane around and headed it down an empty stretch of land, causing the Psyches to flee from the oncoming vehicle. Slowly it lifted itself off the ground and circled away heading toward the Smurf Village.
Empath looked below to see Polaris waving him goodbye, then looked forward and relaxed in his seat as he and Handy climbed high over the mountains separating the Psyches from the Smurf forest.
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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: 4088 | From: Westfield, MA | Registered: Mar 2003
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Vic George The ND Guy
Super Smurf
Member # 300
Member Rated:
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posted 03-27-2025 03:51 AM
Chapter 2
A few hours into the day, Jokey was carrying a wrapped-up box containing his latest gag gift for Empath when Tailor called him secretly into his house for a surprise of his own.
"You're gonna smurf Empath a new suit for his smurfday?" Jokey guessed, laughing at his own guess. "Oh, sure, he'll be impressed...I don't suppose he has enough white suits in his closet already!"
"Joke all you want, smarty pants!" Tailor sneered. "But have you ever smurfed a suit like this before?" He pulled aside a curtain to show Jokey the new suit.
"Oh, wow!" Jokey whistled, truly stunned by what he saw. "Empath is really going to be impressed!"
"And that, my friend, is where you'll come in," Tailor hinted.
Tracker was watching the sky from atop a newly-constructed tower overlooking the entire village, keeping an eye out for anything, whether it be friendly or otherwise. So far the only things he could see are birds. He didn't need binoculars or a telescope since he was born not only with a keen sense of smell but also with incredibly sharp eyesight and crystal-clear hearing that allowed him to hear a pin drop about one league away. Dreamy, who was up there with him, looked around with a pair of binoculars, but was too interested in other things to be useful for watchtower duty.
Dreamy pointed his binoculars skyward and saw a red dot in the distance. "We got something in the sky asmurfing us from the south," he told Tracker. "Maybe they're visitors from another smurf or something."
Tracker looked at the red dot in the sky and focused in on it to get more detail on the object. Then he recognized what it was. "Not likely, Dreamy...just Handy's smurfplane up there with Empath in it!"
"Empath's coming?" Dreamy shouted excitedly. "Oh, my smurfness...we must let all the other Smurfs know!"
Suddenly every Smurf in the village heard Dreamy calling throughout the area, "Empath's coming! Empath's coming!" And at that instant, every Smurf dropped whatever it was they were doing and gathered around a clearing at the north end, talking excitedly and patiently waiting for Empath to reach the village.
"There's the village, right below us!" Handy cried as he was about to fly over it. "Hang onto your smurf, Empath...I'm taking her down!"
Empath held onto his hat, although he never really needed to, as Handy took the smurfplane into a circling dive toward the clearing where the Smurfs were gathered. Both of them were jolted as the plane toppled over a few chimney tops. But Handy finally got the plane touching ground. He had a hard time getting it to stop as it tore down a clothes line full of laundry. Empath was tempted to use his mind power to slow the plane down to a full stop, but it eventually did so on its own.
"Welcome home, Empath!" the Smurfs cheered.
"Well, not the best landing," Handy said as he and Empath hopped out of the plane, "but then again, any landing you can walk away from is a smurfy landing."
Empath couldn't agree more.
Smurfette watched Empath along with Sassette off to one side, both of them in amazement. "Isn't he the most handsome Smurf you ever saw?" Smurfette sighed. "Please tell me he is for real!"
"I think this Prince Smurfing is for real," Sassette giggled. "I wish I was in your smurfs right now!"
"Salutations, Papa Smurf," Empath greeted cheerfully as he embraced the Smurf leader. "This smurf is pleased to be back in your presence!"
"Happy to see you too, Empath," Papa Smurf replied. "How are the Psyches treating you?"
"Oh...the same as usual, like one of their own. That's why this smurf couldn't wait..." Empath stopped when his eyes looked off to the side and saw Smurfette standing there. He felt the same as Smurfette did when she saw him for the first time. "Great Ancestors! Whoever that Smurf is, she's so beautiful!"
Papa Smurf knew whom he was talking about. "Let me introduce you to one of the new Smurfs in our village," Papa Smurf said as Smurfette approached. "Smurfette, this is Empath Smurf!"
"Well, hello there, Empath!" she said pleasantly.
"Salutations, Smurfette!" Empath responded flatly with an eye-level bow to her. He did not return her smile, which left Smurfette astonished, unsure of what happened.
The other Smurfs gathered around Empath, trying to get him to talk to them and to hear the latest news that's happened. But Empath was more interested in meeting the other new Smurfs that came into the village since his last visit -- Sassette, the Smurflings, even their adopted puppy whom a friendly wizard had given the Smurfs two years ago. To Smurfette's surprise, however, Empath didn't react to them like he was just being polite to a stranger.
"Okay, my little Smurfs!" Papa Smurf interrupted. "We need to get back to work now. You can all talk to Empath later after he's settled in!"
About a dozen Smurfs groaned, but much of the crowd went back to what they were doing and left the clearing. Papa Smurf escorted Empath to his house while Smurfette, Sassette, the Smurflings, and Puppy followed.
Papa Smurf told Empath about their recent encounters with the humans over the past five years, beginning with Sir Johann and Peewit, a young knight and a court jester from a nearby kingdom. Peewitt had found a magic flute that belonged to their Smurf ancestors years ago -- a magic flute that made humans that listened to its music dance uncontrollably. When a human thief named Matthew Macreep stole the flute from Peewit and used it to steal other humans' valuables, Sir Johann and Peewit sought help from the Smurfs to get the flute back. They offered their services by creating a second magic flute with which Peewit used to defeat Macreep. Though Peewit wanted to keep one of the flutes, Sir Johann talked him out of it and they were both returned to the Smurfs.
Then Papa Smurf told Empath about Gargamel, the one evil human they've been living and dealing with in the past five years along with his cat Azrael.
"These humans seem like interesting beings to find out more about, how they live, what they do with themselves," Empath commented, "if they'll be sharing the forest with us as their home."
"I really don't know if these humans will smurf more good or harm smurfing here," Papa Smurf stated, "but I do know things haven't been entirely peaceful since Gargamel smurfed foot here."
"Well, this smurf would like to have some time alone to unpack my things," Empath told Papa Smurf as they neared his house. Papa Smurf nodded and let Empath go inside.
"I know you're only trying to smurf Empath feel at home, Smurfette," Papa Smurf explained. "It's just that there are still some things Empath doesn't know about us yet -- namely, that there are such things as female Smurfs."
Smurfette sighed. "I just wanted him to like me."
"All I can say to you is to smurf Empath some time to get smurf to the way things are around here now," Papa Smurf told her.
Empath's house doesn't have much in it except for a simple bed made of hay and woven shedded fur, a dresser, and a fireplace, but then he didn't need anything more than the basic essentials. The walls, however, were painted as one big wraparound mural, bringing the beauty of the forest inside his house. Most of his artistic creations -- poems, paintings, pottery, and such -- were upstairs in his workshop, which also had very little in the way of furniture. Empath felt that he worked better on a creation when there was less things within a small space.
As Empath placed what few things he had from the Psyches' village in his dresser, he didn't notice Baby Smurf in his house until he reached for his backpack on the bed and grabbed Baby's hat instead. Baby just giggled as Empath turned and saw him handing Empath the backpack.
"Sorry...didn't know this belonged to you," Empath said, slightly embarrassed as he placed Baby's hat back on his head. "You must be another new Smurf this smurf hasn't met yet. Well, little one, this smurf is certainly pleased and surprised to meet you. This smurf has never seen a baby before, much less a Smurf baby. But this smurf can see you're not too much trouble for a baby, so we should be able to smurf along with each other. This smurf's name is Empath!"
"Emmmmm - paffffff!" Baby repeated.
“This smurf can see you know how to talk as well...or at least you're learning," Empath said.
"What that? What that?" Baby asked, pointing to the yellow star on Empath's forehead.
"Oh, this?" Empath answered. "That is this smurf's smurfmark, which this smurf was born with. This smurf calls it a minds-eye, although it really isn't an eye."
"Peedee star! Peedee star!" Baby shouted.
"Pretty?" Empath responded. "Hmmm...didn't think anyone would think of this smurf's smurfmark as pretty!"
"So that's where Baby Smurf disappeared to," Papa Smurf said as he entered Empath's house. "I see you're busy smurfing to know Baby, Empath. Sorry I haven't introduced you to him earlier."
"He hasn't given this smurf any trouble yet, Papa Smurf," Empath replied.
"Well, Baby has never been any trouble with us since he came here," Papa Smurf said, "although we do need to watch him consmurfly just so he doesn't go where he smurfn't go. And speaking of going, I need to go into the forest to smurf some things for my experiments, so as long as he is with you, I would like you to watch Baby Smurf until I return."
"This smurf acknowledges, Papa Smurf," Empath responded. "You needn't worry...he'll be in good hands."
Empath watched Papa Smurf leave his house before he turned his attention back to Baby. "So what would we like to do next, Baby?"
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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: 4088 | From: Westfield, MA | Registered: Mar 2003
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Vic George The ND Guy
Super Smurf
Member # 300
Member Rated:
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posted 03-27-2025 03:53 AM
Chapter 3
Minutes later Papa Smurf was in the forest gathering whatever ingredients he needed for the experiments he was working on: spores, moss, fungus, roots, herbs, seeds, and other assorted things. In years past Papa Smurf could spend hours in the forest looking for his ingredients without fear of anything happening except a natural catastrophe or a mere change in the weather. But the past five years haven't been kind to the Smurfs as far as safety went. Even a wise leader like him could be a victim in this forest, no matter how careful he can be.
But what's happened around here hasn't been much recently, Papa Smurf was thinking. Strangely, he hasn't seen Gargamel for about a year. Could he have disappeared? Could he have turned a new leaf -- however unlikely that possibility could be true -- and done something else with his life other than going after the Smurfs? Could he be just biding his time? Or...
The sudden snap of a twig made Papa Smurf look around his immediate surroundings, fearing it could be Gargamel or somebody in the forest. But all he could see was just the trees, rocks, and shrubs. Then a flock of birds suddenly fluttered their way past him directly overhead, startling him again. Papa Smurf sighed in relief. Just some animals, he thought. He went back to his gathering.
Then Papa Smurf saw a shadow eclipsing him in darkness. He had a feeling he knew what it was, but before he could turn around and see it for himself, a bony hand grabbed him and brought him face to face with a hideous-looking bald person that Papa Smurf knew all too well.
"Gargamel!" Papa Smurf exclaimed.
"Well, well, well," Gargamel announced with a devilish cackle. "I always knew I could catch you somewhere in this despicable forest of yours. Now at last I can get from you and your little Smurfs the very thing you've always denied me -- my revenge!"
"This is your house, Empath?" Sassette asked as she and the other Smurflings dropped in while Empath was busy playing with Baby Smurf.
"This smurf doesn't really have much in here to provide comfort to anyone except this smurf," Empath answered. "This smurf doesn't usually entertain guests in here!"
"Wow!" Snappy shouted, pointing to the wraparound mural. "Papa Smurf doesn't want us to paint on our walls, and you have a whole painting of the forest on yours!"
"My animal friends might like it in here!" Natural Smurf added.
"And all this work is yours?" Slouchy asked.
"That and a whole lot more came from this smurf's hands," Empath replied. "Painter taught me the basics of painting art, and this smurf just took it from there. Of course, that's not all of what this smurf can do when it comes to..."
Suddenly Empath stopped, for in his mind's eye he could see, as clearly as he had been there, Papa Smurf being carried away by a giant being. Empath could feel that Papa Smurf was in danger. As the vision faded, Empath realized that he had to do something.
"Uh, Smurflings, as much as this smurf would like you to stay, this smurf needs you to take Baby Smurf back outside immediately. This smurf has an emergency to take care of." With that announcement, Empath headed for his door without looking back.
"Where are you smurfing, Empath?" Snappy asked as he looked out the door. He barely caught a glimpse of him as he was already well out of sight.
Smurfette had just reached Empath's house as the Smurflings left it, with Sassette carrying Baby Smurf. "Don't tell me I just missed Empath," she spouted.
"Okay, then...we just missed him," Slouchy replied.
"Oooh..." Smurfette stamped off in a huff.
"Uh, maybe we shouldn't have told her," he later said.
The forest was a green blur, but Empath moved through it incredibly fast without any problem. He was heading for where this giant called Gargamel was taking Papa Smurf. And less than half a mile away Empath found it -- a small rundown castle made of brick and thatching that was bigger than even the Psyche Master's temple, and more forbidding.
Empath saw a window he could look into to see what this Gargamel would do. He jumped, and with a thought his jump propelled him to the windowsill, which was a good three feet from the ground. He looked in through the smeary glass of the window and saw Papa Smurf bound in twine on a table, and there was not only one giant -- the one in his vision that was called Gargamel -- but a second smaller giant with strawberry blond hair and freckled skin who might just be a young boy, perhaps related to this Gargamel. Sleeping on a ragged pillow was a brown old cat with a chewed-on ear. Empath figured out this cat must be Azrael.
“Now pay attention, Scruple," Gargamel told the young boy as he put a black kettle on the stove to boil. "This formula for turning base metals into gold is very important for you to learn...unless you like spending your useless life out on your own, being the throwaway of every wizard who's ever taken you under his care. Its very important element is right here in this forest, and Papa Smurf is the key to getting that element!"
"But Gargamel, don't we need six of these creatures to make this formula work?" asked Scruple, reading from Gargamel's spell book. "How are we going to get more of these Smurfs if we only have one to work with?"
"Because, you simpleton, this Smurf is their leader," Gargamel explained. "Eventually they'll find that their beloved leader is missing, and when they do, more Smurfs will come into the forest to try finding him. When they do, we will get them and have more than enough to complete the formula. We will be rich, and those little blue lemmings will be no more!" He cackled at this thought. "Who would ever thought that I could destroy the Smurfs with the one thing I learned from them -- patience?"
Empath couldn't read the minds of Gargamel or Scruple, but he knew Papa Smurf was in a helpless situation. Either that, or he was bravely protecting the other Smurfs by letting himself be sacrificed rather than letting on anything about where the other Smurfs were. In any case, Empath wasn't going to let Papa Smurf die at the hands of these two humans. He needed to distract Gargamel and Scruple long enough to get Papa Smurf safely out of there.
So Empath reached out with his mind to the objects inside Gargamel's house and manipulated them around; moving a chair to trip the wizard, hitting him with things from shelves, and making the kettle on the stove boil over. Gargamel flashed an angry look at Scruple, who just stood there laughing at his mentor's mishaps, and accused his apprentice of playing pranks on him. Papa Smurf also laughed despite the fact that he was a captive.
Then Empath distracted both Gargamel and Scruple by causing the sleeping Azrael to float with his pillow in the air, leaving them to think the castle must be haunted by some evil spirit while Empath crept in and jumped over to the table where Papa Smurf was bound.
But Gargamel wasn't distracted for long.
"Well, what do we have here?" he announced when he saw Empath untying Papa Smurf. Azrael stopped floating in midair and was awakened by a sudden rough landing. "See, Scruple -- our waiting has given us at least one more Smurf to use for our gold-making formula. We should have at least six before the day is through."
"Gargamel, why does this Smurf have a yellow star on his head?" Scruple asked when he saw Empath. "Is he supposed to be a special kind of Smurf or something?"
Gargamel noticed it too. "Maybe it is a special kind of Smurf...the kind who's worth six times his weight in gold!" He tried to grab Empath from the table, but all he grabbed was empty air as Empath jumped so quickly out of the way Gargamel didn't notice until a moment later.
"Hold still, you little blue moneybag!" Gargamel hissed, reaching for Empath again and grabbing nothing. Empath flew around and led Gargamel on a wild-goose chase, leaving him frustrated.
Papa Smurf used the distraction to make a run for it. He made it to the floor when he saw Azrael coming straight for him. He picked up a handful of carpet dust and blew it into Azrael's face, leaving the cat blinded and sneezing. Papa Smurf ran for the door, but Scruple caught him and was bringing him back to the table to tie him up again.
Empath saw this and used his mind powers to pull a rug from under Scruple, knocking him on his back and releasing Papa Smurf from his grip. Empath caught Papa Smurf in midair before he landed in the fire on the stove.
"Maybe you should be closer to the village the next time you look for your ingredients," Empath commented as he flew Papa Smurf and himself safely out of Gargamel's castle.
"Well, I didn't smurf on this happening on your birthday, Empath," Papa Smurf retorted, "though I'm glad you came for me or else I would have missed the party!"
Soon Gargamel and Scruple came running out of the castle, cursing at each other as they headed straight for Empath and Papa Smurf, who landed a few yards away. Empath decided it was time to end this encounter with these two humans for the day and reached out again with his mind to trip Gargamel and Scruple over each other.
Gargamel and Scruple struggled to get off each other and back on their feet, but by the time they did, Empath and Papa Smurf were long gone.
Gargamel couldn't disguise the anger he felt when his latest and simplest plan for destroying the Smurfs had failed.
"You can run from me all you want, Smurfs," he shouted into the forest, "but you can never hide from me forever. One of these days, I will get you. I will get every single one of you if it's the last thing I ever 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: 4088 | From: Westfield, MA | Registered: Mar 2003
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Vic George The ND Guy
Super Smurf
Member # 300
Member Rated:
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posted 03-27-2025 03:54 AM
Chapter 4
"What did our people do to this Gargamel for us to deserve his wrath?" Empath asked Papa Smurf as the both of them were on their way back to the village.
"Years ago when you were away, Empath," Papa Smurf explained, "one of our Smurfs was kidnapped by him, though at the time we had no idea he was even in our forest. Brainy was the first Smurf to smurf us news of this Gargamel, and from there it took an entire village two days to rescue the Smurf from that wizard. We never smurfed any offensive action against him other than that, but since then he has vowed to smurf his revenge on us. No matter what we do to try helping him, he's still been spiteful and ungrateful."
"This smurf does not understand the concept of revenge," Empath commented, "but this smurf's encounter with Gargamel is not something this smurf wishes to repeat."
"It's a difficult world you've returned to here, Empath," Papa Smurf sighed. "We all must smurf with things we wish we could smurf without, no matter how dangerous they are."
Smurfette was waiting for Empath when he entered the village with Papa Smurf. "I've looked all over the village for you, Empath. Where have you been?" she demanded.
"Papa Smurf was in danger, so this smurf had to rescue him," Empath answered honestly. "Was there something important you need to talk to this smurf about?"
"Not really," Smurfette replied, "but you left Baby Smurf at your house with the Smurflings unattended. You shouldn't leave Baby alone like that!"
"This smurf couldn't see any real danger in leaving Baby in the care of the Smurflings, Smurfette," Empath said. "Is Baby Smurf your child or..."
"Not this again!" Smurfette huffed again, walking away in her own frustrated fury.
"As you said, Papa Smurf," Empath stated, "this is a truly difficult world this smurf has returned to."
"Don't feel too bad, Empath," Papa Smurf said consolingly. "You're not the only Smurf who has trouble trying to figure out Smurfette!" He let out a slight chuckle as he and Empath went to resume their personal duties.
Along the way, Empath decided to pay a visit to his friend Tapper Smurf, an Irish-speaking Smurf who ran a tavern serving sarsaparilla ale to his patrons, and Duncan McSmurf, a Scottish-speaking Smurf who was also Tapper's best friend. Tapper was recognized by the green tie and striped vest that he wore, including a hat that had a four-leaf clover pinned to it. Duncan was recognized by the fact that he was the only Smurf in the village that wore a green-plaid kilt. "Salutations, my fellow Smurfs," he greeted as soon as he entered the tavern.
"Greetings, my fellow Empath," Tapper said. "I'm sorry that I was too busy here in my tavern to smurf you upon your arrival in the village. How have you been for the past nine years that you were away from us?"
"For the most part, Tapper, this smurf was homesick," Empath said. "Being with the Psyches was an educational experience that this smurf will never forget, but it doesn't have the social aspect of being with you Smurfs and knowing you all personally."
"I don't suppose that you would recognize an old smurf when you see him, eh, Empath?" Duncan said as he turned around to face Empath.
Empath looked at Duncan and noticed something particularly different about him. "Great Ancestors, it's you, Duncan McSmurf!" Empath exclaimed. "This smurf almost didn't recognize you at first with the sideburns. When did you start wearing them?"
"I have been smurfing them over the past five or so years, laddie," Duncan answered. "They make me look and feel like a real Smurfsman, do they not?"
"This smurf wouldn't know what to say, except that you make this smurf feel jealous of you, Duncan," Empath said. "It basically completes the image in my head of how you would look as an adult Smurf, and how it makes you look, as Hefty would say, really 'gutsy'."
"Now don't you be calling me Gutsy now, Empath, you hear me?" Duncan said a bit sternly before breaking out in laughter and giving Empath a great big hug. "Oh, it's so great to be smurfing you back here where you belong with all your friends."
"This smurf has noticed that the village has gotten bigger with a few new Smurfs as part of the family, including this female named Smurfette," Empath said.
"Aye, that it has been, my fellow Empath," Tapper said. "What should matter is that we all smurf the same care and attention to the new arrivals as we smurf for the rest of us who have been smurfing there since we were wee ones."
"But this smurf senses from Smurfette that this smurf isn't treating her the way that she would want to be treated," Empath said. "Did this smurf do something wrong to her?"
"I'd say that you're just not used to smurfing a lassie in the village, Empath, especially one that all of us would want to marry someday," Duncan answered.
"That's what I would be smurfing there, Empath," Tapper said. "It may also be that she's not used to smurfing someone like you just yet, having experienced life in a place that she knows absosmurfly nothing about."
"This smurf does not mean to offend her, Tapper," Empath said. "It's just that this smurf knows next to nothing about how to interact with a Smurf of the opposite ***, particularly one who is the same age as us."
"You should have enough time during your visit with us to learn the basics of interacting with a Smurfette, Empath," Tapper said. "It's not going to easy for you at first, but we all had to smurf the hard way about how to interact with a Smurfette."
"Just think of how much fun you will smurf when you're alone with Smurfette, laddie," Duncan said.
"Duncan McSmurf, you should know better than to encourage Empath to ensmurf in a private activity that should be smurfed for marriage," Tapper said in a lecturing tone.
"I wasn't even thinking of that right now, Tapper," Duncan said with a slight laugh. "But honestly, who can think of smurfing anything else with Smurfette? She's such a fine lass that it makes me smurf such wonderful dreams of her."
"A female Smurf can make you have 'wonderful dreams' of her?" Empath asked, sounding curious.
"It's not something that I would be at liberty to discuss right now with you, Empath," Tapper said. "But trust me when I smurf that your life will not be the same with her being around as part of it now."
"This smurf understands and acknowledges, Tapper," Empath said, nodding with acceptance. "So is there anything special being planned for this smurf's birthday party this year?"
"I've only heard that Jokey and Tailor are smurfing on something together, but they've been very tight-smurfed about what it is," Tapper said.
"You're not going to smurf by his shop and give your old minds-eye a smurf at reading their minds to know what it is, laddie?" Duncan asked.
"Duncan, you should know that this smurf would never use his minds-eye in such an invasive fashion to know any Smurf's secrets," Empath said. "Besides, it would only ruin the surprise if this smurf knew beforehand just what it is that Jokey and Tailor are preparing together."
"Empath is right, my fellow Duncan," Tapper said. "We're not dealing with smurfing evil people who may be out to smurf whatever they want with us. This is our family, and we should let our family members feel free to smurf whatever it is they want without feeling like they're being smurfed on."
"Well, it was only a suggestion anyway, Empath," Duncan said. "Anyway, just smurf with me, and I'll make a real Smurfsman out of you."
"Would this also include having this smurf wear a kilt like you, Duncan?" Empath asked.
"How can you be a real Smurfsman without it?" Duncan said. "Of course, the real challenge would be to smurf it without your pants on, as real McSmurfs would wear their kilts...even though I may find it a wee bit embarrassing."
Tapper laughed. "I don't think our friend is in that much of a hurry to emulate the legendary McSmurf clan, my fellow Duncan."
"We'll see if the laddie is gutsy enough to smurf it, Tapper," Duncan said.
"Well, Empath is free to be whatever Smurf he wants to smurf himself after, my friend, and he is free to be his own Smurf if he wants to," Tapper said.
"Indeed this smurf is free, Tapper, for this smurf will no longer be able to go back to Psychelia now that this smurf has been permanently exiled from that place," Empath said.
"Permanently exiled? You?" Duncan said, not believing his ears. "Michty me, I didn't know that's what happened to you, laddie."
"You're going to miss your only friend in Psychelia, I can tell," Tapper said. "Well, I'm sure that you'll remember him for as long as you smurf, even if he doesn't remember you, Empath. For now, though, you still have a family to smurf with here in the village, now that you're free."
Empath smiled at the realization. "You are correct, Tapper. Things may be different here now, but at least this smurf is home with his family, and that's all that matters."
By late afternoon, Empath's birthday party was underway. Everybody who sat around the X-shaped table in the village center waiting for Greedy to bring out the birthday cake was entertained with some music the Smurflings performed with their jugband instruments, as well as Jokey's endless tricks and gags, some of which included some other Smurfs who didn't quite like being the butt of Jokey's humor. Clumsy didn't seem to mind, though, for he also had a juggling act of his own that wound up with him tripping over himself or getting bonked by his own juggling things. Empath enjoyed every minute of the show.
Then came Greedy with his cake, and every Smurf stopped what they were doing to sing: "We wish you a happy smurfday...we wish a happy smurfday...we wish you a happy smurfday...and a welcome back home!"
There were so many candles on his cake, Empath didn't know if he could blow them all out in one breath. So he basically faked it by taking as big a breath as he could and just exhaling it while snuffing out the candles with his mind powers. All the Smurfs cheered for Empath while he pretended to look slightly embarrassed for resorting to such a cheap trick.
"This year, Empath," Greedy announced, "we're smurfing up a new treat to go with your smurfday cake...it's called 'ice cream'. It took a small accident to make it happen, however, with myself creating the accident with Handy's air consmurfener. But I think you are really going to enjoy it, almost as much as I do."
Empath couldn't wait to try it out, but first he had to open up his presents to see what his fellow Smurfs had given him this year -- not that he preferred anything in particular, but he did appreciate the effort. Of course, Jokey turned out to be the first one to give him a present, which looked too much like all his gag giftboxes to all the other Smurfs. "Hey, Empath, I've got a little smurfday surprise for you to open right now!" Jokey announced with a slight impish snicker.
Empath recognized this present as looking like one of his gag giftboxes as well, for he opened one unwittingly years ago and was surprised to the point of total dumbfoundedness when it exploded and Jokey laughed. Papa Smurf had to explain that it was a harmless joke. It took years for Empath to realize and understand that concept.
"A surprise for me, Jokey?" Empath exclaimed. "This smurf would be honored to accept it."
Taking the giftbox, Empath felt tempted to use his mind power to examine its contents and find out what's really inside it, so he would not be fooled. But then Empath felt that that would ruin the surprise Jokey had set up for him. So Empath decided to take a chance and open the box to find out.
Jokey snickered in anticipation while everybody else tensed as they watched Empath remove the ribbon and open the box lid.
"Great Ancestors!" Empath exclaimed. "Is this for me?"
To everyone's relief, the box didn't explode. But now they were anxious to see what Empath saw in the box that made him perked with excitement. "What is it?" someone asked.
Empath pulled out of the box a Smurf hat and a pair of pants, both of which were black with silvery white stars embroidered on. The Smurfs were truly surprised by this gift.
"That gift was my idea, Empath," Tailor explained. "I felt that you needed a suit that made you smurf so distinguished from all the other Smurfs, so I used some black fabric and smurfed the stars on mysmurf. I wanted to surprise you, so I got Jokey to present it to you."
"Well, this smurf was certainly surprised by this interesting gift," Empath remarked favorably, "but this smurf doesn't know if this smurf should accept this gift..."
"Why don't you smurf it on?" Tailor suggested. "Maybe you'll like it after you smurf yourself in that suit."
Empath looked to Papa Smurf for what he would have to say about trying this gift out, since this didn't look like something a traditional Smurf might wear. "It's your gift, Empath," Papa Smurf told him, "but I have no arguments against you or any Smurf wearing anything out of the ordinary."
"Aw, smurf on, Empath," some Smurf cried out. "Let's see how it smurfs on you!"
Other Smurfs started encouraging Empath to try on his suit as well. "All right, everyone," Empath replied. "If it will satisfy your curiosity, this smurf will try on the suit, but this smurf can't promise that this smurf will be wearing it much!"
As Empath went to his house to change into the new suit, Greedy started serving the cake and ice cream to the Smurfs while they were waiting for Empath to return. Papa Smurf told Greedy to make sure he saved some for Empath.
"Ready or not, here this smurf comes!" Empath announced a few minutes later as he returned, wearing the new suit. All the Smurfs looked at him, not believing what they saw.
"Empath...is that really you?"
"Absosmurfly smurftabulous!"
"Awesome, man. Smurfally awesome threads!"
"Smurf about being a real star!"
"Really brings out the smurf in you!"
They couldn't say enough about how Empath looked now wearing the suit. Although Vanity, who was a Smurf who wore a yellow flower in his hat, said while looking at himself in his hand mirror, "It's a really nice suit, Empath, although I think it would smurf much nicer on me."
Smurfette, however, had more on her mind than just commenting. She went up to Empath and kissed him on the cheek. "Sorry I didn't have anything to give you for your smurfday, Empath," she said.
Empath looked at Smurfette, not knowing what to say. Her kiss made him feel so warm inside, so incredibly strangely warm like nothing he ever felt before.
"Attention, my little Smurfs," Papa Smurf announced. "As you all know, today we celebrate Empath's birthday. However, today is also the day that Empath is no longer a guest of the village...he is now a free Smurf and a member with all the rights and privileges. He will be with us for as long as he wants to be. So let's give him a toast!"
The Smurfs responded by raising their glasses of smurfberry juice, singing, "For he's a smurfy good fellow..." and cheering Empath afterward.
Empath was a very happy Smurf that night. He never thought that such a good thing would come from being released from the Psyche Master's care. Now that he was a full member of the Smurf Village, he started to see a bright new future for himself, full of hope and an entire family to help him make each new day of that future a good one for him.
For now, he hugged Papa Smurf and thanked him for a birthday wish that finally came true. He was free.
Later on after the birthday party, Tapper and Duncan were walking with Empath back to his house, with Empath wearing his new star-patterned black suit. "So you think you'd be smurfing those fancy new smurfs for a while now, laddie?" Duncan asked.
"It does make this smurf feel different and special, Duncan, just like you with the kilt and the sideburns," Empath said. "It's just that this smurf has lived so long with wanting to be like the other Smurfs, it's difficult to decide whether this smurf really wants to stand out among them."
"It's your choice if you want to smurf your new clothes or not, Empath," Tapper said. "But as far as smurfing out among your brethren, you've already accomplished that without the need of new clothes. There's been many a Smurf who would want to smurf the abilities that you possess."
"Except for Hefty," Empath said. "This smurf senses from him that he would never want to be anything like this smurf."
"There's nothing wrong with that, Empath," Duncan said. "If he wants to prove himself to his fellow Smurfs that muscles are the only thing a Smurf needs to smurf by in this world, he's gotta smurf what a Smurf's gotta smurf."
"That doesn't mean that Hefty can't change, my fellow Duncan," Tapper said. "But I would feel rather disappointed if Hefty tried to smurf himself as something that he is not. I guess I'm just too used to him being the strong Smurf in the village...at least one of the strongest."
"This smurf shares your sentiments, Tapper," Empath said as soon as they reached his house. "Anyway, it's been great being with you Smurfs again. This smurf will see you both again in the morning."
"Aye, have a good night's smurf, laddie," Duncan said.
"We will smurf you again tomorrow, my fellow Empath," Tapper said before he and Duncan departed.
Empath went inside his house to prepare himself for bed. As he looked up at the night sky, he could imagine his friend Polaris Psyche having to live his life in Psycehlia without him now. "Polaris, this smurf knows that you won't be able to read this smurf's thoughts now, but this smurf still wants to tell you very much that this smurf wishes that you were here with me," he said. "It's going to be hard being intimate with somebody who isn't a telepath like you or this smurf. But whether we remain friends or become enemies, this smurf will never stop thinking of you. May you rest well tonight in Psychelia, my fellow Psyche."
And with that, Empath got into his bed and fell asleep.
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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: 4088 | From: Westfield, MA | Registered: Mar 2003
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Vic George The ND Guy
Super Smurf
Member # 300
Member Rated:
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posted 03-27-2025 12:14 PM
Chapter 5
The next day, Empath in his new star-patterned suit visited Papa Smurf in his laboratory. He was busy cleaning his vials, tubes, burners, beakers, and jars when Empath entered. "You wanted to talk to this smurf about something important?" he asked.
"I'm just wondering what you're planning to smurf as a trade for the rest of your life here," Papa Smurf answered.
"A trade?" Empath asked. He knew Papa Smurf was asking about a job, but Empath hardly had time to think about it when he found out he would no longer be sent back to Psychelia.
"Well, smurfing a trade is part of what a grown-up Smurf does to support the well-being of his community," Papa Smurf explained, "since every Smurf does have something to contribute. You are of an age where you must smurf on the responsibilities of a grown-up. I know you're well smurfed in various tasks, maybe more so than any other Smurf here. But I do have to know, smurfer or later, what skill you'll be smurfializing in."
Empath felt a little uneasy about the question. "This sounds a little like being in Psychelia, except that the Psyche Master chooses for us what our future roles will be." That got Empath thinking. "Are you sure you didn't ask this smurf in here for something you had in mind for a future role, Papa Smurf?"
Papa Smurf felt slightly embarrassed that Empath pointed out what he was thinking and unwittingly hiding. "Sorry, Empath," he chuckled, "I knew I shouldn't beat around the smurf with you. It's just that I need someone I can train to be a sorcerer when I'm passed away, and..."
"This smurf thought you have already chosen Brainy to be your apprentice in that trade," Empath pointed out. "Is there anything wrong with him?"
Papa Smurf sighed heavily. "Only that in the past five years, he's been persistently smurfing my laboratory without my permission to perform experiments that have had disastrous results, and that I had to use my magic skills to smurf Brainy out of whatever trouble he's created. I just feel that he is too irresponsible as a Smurf to be seriously trained as a sorcerer."
"Brainy just wants to be like you so he can be respected by the other Smurfs," Empath commented. "He doesn't intentionally do what he does to hurt anybody. But he doesn't want to wait until he's your age to gain that respect."
"I pretty much know the value of patience by now, Empath," Papa Smurf said, "though I am beginning to wonder what good is it to teach a Smurf who doesn't have any patience to control what he learns."
"Brainy does have the patience, as does this smurf when it comes to listening to others," Empath said. "However, this smurf needs to know if you're truly being tolerant of Brainy or are you just smurfing too much weight for him to carry."
"I wish I could have more time to smurf with Brainy to work this out, without having to solve every Smurf's problem that smurfs along in the course of the day." Papa Smurf's voice dropped to a mutter when his mind came across an idea, and then he exclaimed, "Great Smurf! Why didn't I smurf of that sooner?"
Empath knew what Papa Smurf was thinking, because he had the same idea in mind, but he wanted to hear Papa Smurf say it.
"I was thinking that you could be my assistant in another area -- that is, being a counselor for the other Smurfs," he explained. "It's a difficult job, but I see no other Smurf who's more able to smurf to the others one-on-one than you, Empath. As you've just said, you're a patient listener. You're also a good obsmurfer of character; you're not afraid to be with others, and they're smurftainly not afraid of being with you. You can smurf how they're feeling, and you're very respectful of their feelings."
"The only problem this smurf has is that this smurf doesn't have your level of experience," Empath pointed out.
"You don't need my experience to start off as a counselor, Empath," Papa Smurf replied. "Your own level of experience right now is all that you really need."
Empath thought over the idea. "This smurf could possibly help you out in that respect, Papa Smurf, though it may not be what this smurf would want to do as a lifelong trade."
"It doesn't have to be, Empath," Papa Smurf said. "Any amount of assistance you can offer will be good enough. But in my opinion, I think you'll smurf an excellent job. If for any reason you have a problem you can't smurf by yourself..."
"This smurf can come to you," Empath answered as he was starting to leave. "This smurf would be honored to accept, Papa Smurf."
"I should thank you, Empath," Papa Smurf remarked. "You helped me decide what I should do with Brainy from now on."
As Empath left Papa Smurf's laboratory, he ran straight into Brainy who was heading toward the lab. "What did Papa Smurf want to see you for?" he asked.
"He needed this smurf's advice about what he should do about you," Empath answered. "This smurf didn't say much, but Papa Smurf decided to make this smurf his assistant counselor so he could smurf more time with you."
Brainy couldn't believe what he was hearing, but the news made him happy for the rest of the day. He felt like Papa Smurf was truly paying attention to him for the first time in a long while.
Through much of the day Empath found himself dealing with one personality problem between two or more of his fellow Smurfs after another, with an occasional odd job done when necessary, though none of them required anything more than mere muscle or ordinary mind power. Empath began to feel a little like Papa Smurf, whose intelligence and wisdom separated him from the others. Empath's youth, however, made this distance he felt more noticeable, for afterward the other Smurfs went on their own ways without much more to say to him. In any case, Empath felt that the peace he mediated somehow would last longer than in those situations that Papa Smurf had to come between, and that gave him some level of satisfaction.
Like Brainy had Clumsy, Empath had a fellow Smurf as a friend who was both similar to him and the exact opposite, a Smurf who listened to him without ever judging him. His name was Grouchy, and like Empath he had trouble interacting with his fellow Smurfs. Grouchy was a hard Smurf for any other Smurf to try talking to, since he doesn't like sharing what he feels to anyone, preferring only to spout "I hate this!" and "I hate that!" when he needs to say something. But alone with Empath, Grouchy was very friendly and had a lot of things to say to him. In fact, when they first met, Grouchy just opened up to Empath when nobody was looking.
Empath was talking to Grouchy in the midafternoon about things going on with each other and things that happened. Talking to Grouchy made Empath remember talking with Polaris Psyche, where in Psychelia privacy wasn't allowed and talking was inappropriate except for giving or accepting orders. Grouchy talked guardedly, sounding gruffer when he and Empath passed by anybody and easing up when they were alone again.
As they were talking, Empath saw a crowd up ahead chattering in excitement. Empath got closer to the crowd and saw, inside the ring of Smurfs, Hefty at a table arm-wrestling with another Smurf. Some Smurfs were cheering for Hefty, while others rooted for his opponent.
"Oh, brother," Grouchy said in disgust. "If there's anything I hate, it's watching Hefty testing his smurfhood again. I have better things to smurf!" He told Empath that he would see him later as he headed away from the crowd.
Empath stayed to watch as Hefty won the arm-wrestling match. Those rooting for him applauded as Hefty threw up his tattooed arms in a victory he could brag about. "Who's my next victim?" he called out to the crowd.
Tuffy, one of the Smurfs who was in the crowd, stepped forward and sat down at the table, where he locked arms with Hefty in hopes of winning a round.
The shouting match between the onlookers continued as Empath watched. During his watching, Tapper came around, serving mugs of sarsaparilla ale to the onlookers. "Fancy smurfing the likes of you here, my fellow Empath, watching Hefty smurf his mettle against his fellow Smurfs in his usual game of arm-wrestling," Tapper commented as he approached Empath.
"It's not something this smurf likes to watch for an entertainment on a regular basis, Tapper," Empath said as he took a glass of sarsaparilla ale to drink. "But Hefty's determination to prove himself in any kind of physical activity, whether it would be in work or a sport, remains a fascinating study nonetheless." He took a sip of the ale as he continued to watch.
"You should watch Duncan McSmurf arm-wrestling Hefty sometime if you're interested in a 'fascinating study', my friend," Tapper said. "Those matches will really last a long time since the both of them are equally strong." He then moved on to continue serving his ale.
Jokey, who was standing near the outside of the crowd and not saying anything, approached Empath. "Gee, doesn't Hefty ever get tired of this contest?" he exclaimed.
"How many times does Hefty win, Jokey?" asked Empath, taking another sip of his ale.
"Maybe more times than I smurf my surprises on anybody," Jokey replied. "He's so strong, I don't think any Smurf can ever beat him...except maybe for you..." His voice trailed off as he just thought of something, then he exclaimed, "Hey, Empath, why don't you go smurf old muscle-brains a run for his smurf in arm-wrestling?"
Empath didn't like the idea. "This smurf doesn't feel like this smurf should..." he fumbled in his protest.
Hefty won the round again, surrounded by more hurrahs as Tuffy carried himself away. "Is there any other Smurf who wants to challenge the undesmurfable Hefty?" he called out.
"I've got a challenger for you, Hefty," Jokey responded from behind the crowd. "Let's see you take on Empath!"
Empath looked at Jokey in shock as if he had just been betrayed.
The crowd fell silent as they looked at Jokey and Empath in astonishment. So did Hefty, who was now thinking Jokey must be going out of his mind.
Hefty didn't appreciate matching himself physically with Empath very much, not even the idea. He remembered that time he showed Empath how strong he was by lifting a big heavy rock high over his head with both hands. It felt straining, but at the moment he was just about to proudly say, "Now let's see you smurf this same rock with your hands," Empath picked up Hefty by the ankles and effortlessly lifted him and the rock above his head. Hefty was stupefied and humbled by the experience.
Now Hefty wasn't so convinced that Empath was really that physically strong. He had seen Empath lift larger things than that rock above his head, and sometimes saw him carrying these objects even when flying. Hefty knew that Empath had special abilities, but he was more apt to believe that much of Empath's strength came more from his mind than from his hands.
But before Hefty or Empath could protest, the crowd of Smurfs started encouraging Empath to accept the challenge. Empath slowly and reluctantly made his way inside the ring of onlookers, uneasy about the whole idea. Most of the crowd cheered for him.
"I have only one thing to say, Empath," Hefty grunted as Empath sat down at the table. "No smurfing your mind to make you strong, got that?"
One time Empath thought that Hefty's tattoos were what made him strong. But he had known better long ago.
"This smurf agrees," replied Empath.
He locked his arm with Hefty. Someone called "Ready...set...smurf!" And both Hefty and Empath exerted strength into their arms as they strained to push the other's arm down onto the table.
At first there wasn't any movement, but after almost a minute, the locked arms began to move slowly one way and then the other. The Smurfs watched both contestants and rooted for either of them. It was any Smurf's match at this point.
Hefty flexed and strained the muscles in his face, gritting his teeth and sweating as he pushed against Empath's arm. Empath, however, remained cool, composed, and focused. Hefty felt like was up against the impossible, but he would give it his all to show every Smurf that Empath was a fraud when it comes to strength.
Another minute passed, and both arms were moving only slightly in either direction. The crowd was getting more anxious for a winner. More of them were rooting for Empath.
The Smurflings, who were busy practicing their jugband music, saw and heard the crowd nearby. They dropped their instruments and went over to watch, sitting on Puppy's back to get a better view of the arm-wrestling contest.
"Jumping junebugs...that's Empath in a match with Hefty!" Sassette shouted. The other Smurflings cheered, knowing Hefty was in for a real challenge.
The crowd got bigger as more Smurfs saw Empath and Hefty arm-wrestling. Papa Smurf had left his lab talking over things with Brainy about new rules for using the lab when they came near the crowd and heard what was going on. They put aside their talk and watched, Papa Smurf remaining silent. Smurfette joined up with Papa Smurf carrying Baby Smurf along. Like Grouchy, Smurfette wasn't interested in watching arm-wrestling, but seeing Empath in the middle of it all made her stay to watch until it was all over, so she could talk to Empath in private again.
Yet another minute passed. Hefty felt his arm getting sore, his strength draining, and his confidence in besting Empath slowly giving way to defeat. Empath still looked as if he hasn't yet broken a sweat. The neutral expression on his face hardly changed at all. It was like arm-wrestling a living statue.
The shouting became more intense. Nearly every Smurf was now rooting for Empath, for his arm was now pushing Hefty's closer to the table. But Hefty wasn't giving up.
After four minutes, Hefty's arm started getting limp until, suddenly, Empath slammed it hard against the table.
The crowd gathered around Empath and applauded their new champion, patting him on the back and congratulating him in their own ways. Empath didn't know if he could take any pleasure in defeating Hefty in a contest he didn't want any part of, but he smiled and let himself be taken in by the crowd nevertheless.
Hefty, who felt the bitter hurtful sting of being shown up by Empath yet again, scowled at him and left the table cradling his limp arm.
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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: 4088 | From: Westfield, MA | Registered: Mar 2003
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Vic George The ND Guy
Super Smurf
Member # 300
Member Rated:
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posted 03-27-2025 12:16 PM
Chapter 6
"Now that you've just made Hefty smurf like a chump, Empath, where are you now smurfing?" Jokey asked playfully, sounding like he was a news reporter, as Empath tried to get through the crowd and away from the center of attention.
Empath missed the intended joke entirely when he saw Smurfette outside the crowd. He called out to her and left Jokey behind to deliver the punchline to whoever would listen.
"Well, you've smurfed it here, folks!" Jokey continued with his reporter act. "The one and only Empath is going off to Ditzy Land!"
"Smurfette, your presence here is certainly a surprise," Empath remarked when he got close enough to her. "What brought you to watch this type of event?"
"I just felt that I needed to say I'm sorry for how I treated you yesterday," she answered a little pleasantly. "Not that I like arm-wrestling much, but I see you have won out against Hefty. I don't know if I should congratulate you or not."
"Personally, this smurf would rather be anywhere other than here right now," Empath admitted. "This smurf could talk to you on the way if you don't mind."
"Not at all!" Smurfette handed Baby to Papa Smurf and walked with Empath away from the now-dispersing crowd talking among themselves.
"You know, I honestly never heard of you before yesterday," Smurfette began when she and Empath were alone, "but I believed you would be different from all the other Smurfs. I mean, I didn't think you'd be smurfing your strength against Hefty or any male-smurfing stuff..."
"Just because this smurf does those type of things doesn't necessarily mean this smurf enjoys doing those type of things," Empath explained. "This smurf just wants to be like one of them so this smurf wouldn't feel so isolated. That doesn't mean this smurf would jump off a cliff if they told me that was part of being a Smurf."
"Not that you'd fall from one, anyway!" Smurfette laughed a little before she continued. "But what I meant was if you smurf anything else besides...you know, like using your powers or trying to be like every other Smurf."
"Well, this smurf does has a passion for art and literature, for learning about nature, history, philosophy..." Empath responded.
"Would this include the nature of love?" Smurfette asked a little suggestively.
"This smurf would suppose so," Empath answered, ignoring the suggestion, "though this smurf has never seen such a phenomenon happen before even with the Psyches."
Smurfette didn't like how that sounded. "Are you saying that I'm just some phenomenon for you to examine?"
"This smurf never said that," Empath answered, "though this smurf has to admit that this smurf has never seen a female Smurf before, nor has this smurf believed that female Smurfs even existed."
"I'm feeling that I might not exist at all in your mind," Smurfette said, somewhat nonplused. "You certainly didn't smurf Sassette like she never existed."
"Sassette's a young child," Empath tried to explain, "and this smurf treated her as such. It's just that this smurf doesn't know how to..."
"Well, until you figure it out, just don't bother with me!" Smurfette snapped at Empath, walking away from him again in disgust.
That night, while all the other Smurfs were sleeping, Empath was still awake, working on a canvas painting by using his right foot to manipulate a paintbrush. He could easily use either of his hands or his feet to apply the brush strokes with the same mastery of his friend Painter, who could only use his left hand. Empath believed in making himself more physically skilled this way so he wouldn't be at the mercy of having to relearn simple hand skills if he should ever become disabled.
Strangely tonight, though, Empath was doing his candlelight artwork dressed up only in a hat and a towel, for his mind was thinking about Smurfette, who thought and felt that Empath had no feelings for her as if she wasn't anything important in his life. But since he first laid eyes on her, Empath felt such strong feelings that he had never felt before -- in his mind, in his heart, and now in his body -- and those feelings were only for her. She was all the beauty of nature and a warm sunshine in a living breathing physical form, the best things he knew about being a Smurf made into a real person, a female person. She was also like the forces of nature herself, unafraid to express both the strong and gentle sides of herself in any situation, while Empath felt so confined, so unable to do the same himself.
As he continued to express those thoughts about Smurfette onto his canvas, he now saw in his mind himself and Smurfette alone with each other, kissing each other very passionately, the only form of communication they would ever need, with nothing held back. He felt what he saw as well as if it had actually happened, which was a pleasurable and yet somehow disturbing experience. Empath's foot dropped the paintbrush as the feeling overtook him, and he had to take deep breaths to regain control of his thoughts before picking the paintbrush back up and resuming.
He was amazed by how this one Smurf made him feel all those things just by her presence alone. No other Smurf had ever made him feel this way. He never even felt it in Psychelia; there were both male and female Psyches in that place, but they never get together for anything other than working together, and they never had or expressed any feelings for each other. It didn't make any sense to Empath why there would be any females in Psychelia, especially since the Psyche Master creates all of his offspring in a manner beyond Empath's comprehension. It was just as puzzling to figure out how his fellow Smurfs came to be, with Papa Smurf being not only the only parent they knew, but also male. Someday, he thought, he will find out how.
Empath didn't finish his painting. He fell asleep sprawled out on the floor, his right foot clutching his paintbrush, his candle burned out, his mind still holding a picture of Smurfette in his dreams.
The next day, while Empath was busy being the assistant counselor, he saw the Smurflings playing with Puppy near their treestump playhouse. The more he saw them playing, the more he felt that he must be missing something important in his life, and the more he felt the work he was doing seem pointless and burdensome. Empath decided to just call it a day right at that moment and spend his time with the Smurflings for the remainder of the day. His fellow Smurfs were more than capable of dealing with their own problems, he thought.
"We were wondering when you were going to smurf around to us," Snappy said when Empath came to them. "We were beginning to think you were like the other grown-up Smurfs...always too busy and never having any time to play with us."
"This smurf hasn't forgotten what it's like to be a Smurfling, though this smurf hasn't had as much time as the other Smurfs did to enjoy this smurf's childhood," Empath said. "What this smurf wouldn't give to be like this smurf's favorite storybook hero, Smurfling Pan."
"Smurfling Pan...a storybook hero?" Snappy howled. "Just so happens that Smurfling Pan is a real Smurf; in fact, me, Slouchy, and Nat used to smurf in his adventures back on Smurfling Island, even as far back as when that female Smurfling named Wendy..."
"You mean...you were actually part of the Lost Smurflings?" Empath asked, surprised by his knowledge.
"It's what Snap said and meant, man," Slouchy replied.
Natural told Empath about the real Smurfling Island they came from...which, to Empath's surprise, matched the description of it from the storybook. On that island, there were both Smurflings and adult Smurfs that never aged for centuries. At first it was paradise, but then in time the children and the adults began to fight each other before they separated, the children becoming the Lost Smurflings and the adults becoming pirates and other hideous outlaws. One of the Smurflings became their leader and hero Smurfling Pan, who repeatedly took on the infamous Captain Smurfhook, the dreaded pirate king. Neither Pan nor Smurfhook got the upper hand over each other, though Smurfhook did lose his hand to Pan, and their lives became a never-ending series of childhood adventures.
"Baby Smurf came from that island as well, the first one born on Smurfling Island," Natural continued. "We rescued him from his pirate parents, but he could never grow up and become a Smurfling on that island. So we smurfed him by stork across the ocean to the Smurf Village where he could be raised."
"But we weren't gonna let these grown-up Smurfs turn the little tyke into a grown-up Smurf as well," Snappy interrupted, "so we followed Baby to this village. It took us longer to get here, since the magic that made us fly lasted until we smurfed the shore, but we made it and we even smurfed Puppy along from wherever he came from."
"Thing was," Slouchy broke in, "by the time we got to the Smurf Village, we had the urge to stay here. Maybe we just wanna grow up with Baby, or maybe we were so bored of Smurfling Island, but we knew we couldn't go back there."
"Maybe it was Sassette that made you want to stay here," Empath guessed.
"She didn't smurf along until after we came here," Natural answered. "Miner found her inside a crystal. None of us knew how she was smurfed inside there, but Papa Smurf used his magic to break the crystal open."
"Lucky for us that she knew her name, or else she would've been as dumb as that ragged doll she smurfs around with her," Snappy added.
"You two are the dumbsmurfs, because that's not how I came here," Sassette whined. "Pappy Gargamel made me out of the blue clay he used to make Smurfette, and Papa Smurf used his magic to save me from the evil spells I was under when I was created."
"I can't believe you still believe in that Pappy Gargamel story, Sassette," Snappy shot back.
Empath couldn't tell who was telling the truth since he couldn't sense any deception from any of the Smurflings, but the argument between them over her true origin was getting nasty.
"This smurf believes you both," he said kindly, "but the mystery of her origin isn't worth getting angry at each other over. She's here, and we're all her friends, and that's what really matters, right?"
"I can smurf with that," Slouchy replied. "It wouldn't be worth smurfing 'round here if Sassy didn't come along!"
"Word up on that!" Snappy agreed.
Sassette smiled a private thank-you to Empath.
"Now that you're here, and you want to smurf with us, let's see if you can fly like Smurfling Pan," Slouchy suggested, "that is, if you don't mind smurfing us!"
"Only if you will fly along with this smurf," Empath answered. He reached out with his mind and lifted himself and the Smurflings high off the ground until they reached the tallest trees bordering the village. The Smurflings were awestruck at first, but then as they were propelled along with Empath back downward and then flying over the rooftops of the Smurf houses, they became ecstatic with the thrill that they were experiencing the ride of their lives.
"Look...up in the sky!" Natural announced as he flapped his arms outward. "I'm a bird...I'm a crane...I'm--"
"Smurfling Pan!" Snappy shouted, "Defender of the Lost Smurflings, smurfing the never-ending battle for truth, justice, and good times galore!"
"You must have a lot of happy thoughts to be able to smurf this!" Sassette cried out as she coasted close to Empath.
"It only takes one for this smurf," Empath answered, pleased with himself and his company. "Now hang on to your smurfs, because it only gets better from here!"
And Empath flew with the Smurflings following him out into areas of the forest they have never seen from on high, or even like this. The Smurflings had to agree that this Smurf certainly can measure up to their own childhood legend from far away and long ago.
Smurfette, meanwhile, was taking Baby Smurf for a walk that day when she saw Empath and the Smurflings flying over her, having a good time. Baby Smurf looked up at them and was squealing as if he wanted to join them in flight. Smurfette was surprised to see Baby Smurf suddenly take off and follow the Smurflings in midair before she could grab him.
Frustrated at first by the temporary loss of Baby, Smurfette couldn't help admiring the passing scene. Empath certainly wasn't what she expected him to be, not even in the way of being a Smurf. She didn't know if that was a good thing or not, but she had to wonder what's it like to be him, with the powers he possessed. She figured that even if Empath didn't have any of those powers, he'd probably still never be anything like all the other Smurfs, who seem to be too full of themselves and of each other.
But why hasn't Empath ever really noticed her the way she wanted him to notice her, she wondered. Maybe she was just expecting too much from him too soon. Maybe she was expecting him to be like all the other Smurfs, who seem to fall in love with her at first sight. Maybe she has yet to understand him fully. Or maybe...
Smurfette sighed. Empath may not notice her yet, but she will try to get his attention -- and in time his affections -- no matter how long it takes.
Hefty, whose arm was still sore from losing to Empath in arm-wrestling, was still soured over his loss. He saw Empath and the Smurflings fly by over him and was feeling disgusted. Every Smurf seems to admire Empath over him, in fact so much that it made Hefty feel like he was nothing. He spent his life building himself to physical perfection, and if it weren't for his fear of heights, Hefty felt strong enough to let nothing stand in his way to greatness. But Empath was beyond the ordinary Smurf even in strength, and all those other abilities Empath had in addition seem to be taking all the glory away from him.
Hefty jogged away, still scowling at Empath. Somehow, someday, he was going to take Empath down from his pedestal and show every Smurf that he's no more special than anyone else. And then, only Hefty will come up on top, as it was meant to be.
At the same time, in a small park on the outskirts of the village, several Smurfs were busy doing some work with a statue. "You sure that Empath's going to like what we're smurfing here?" one of them asked.
"Trust me," another Smurf said, "when Empath smurfs a load of this, he's going to be so proud of us that he's going to wonder why he's never smurfed anything like this before."
"Gee, I don't know," mumbled a third. "Empath doesn't seem to be the Smurf who'd go along with something like this."
"Oh, how could he not?" the second Smurf exclaimed. "He knows how much we admire him, for the type of Smurf he is, and for all that he's done. But believe me, that will be nothing compared to what he's going to smurf against Gargamel!"
Papa Smurf was wondering what Empath has been up to for much of the day. He hasn't seen him around with anyone lately, though he certainly has been seeing more of the other Smurfs that day than he wanted to. Empath wasn't the type of Smurf who would just drop whatever he was doing unless it was some kind of emergency outside the village that required his attention. He and Brainy eventually found Empath, however, by the Smurflings' treestump playhouse, playing with the Smurflings, Baby, and Puppy. All of them were having a good time, and Empath looked as if he was really enjoying himself.
"Shouldn't you scold Empath for abandoning his duties as your assistant counselor, Papa Smurf?" Brainy complained.
"Brainy, I do believe you complain a bit too much," Papa Smurf chuckled. "I don't think he abandoned his duties so much as he just smurfed his job differently today. The Smurflings need somebody like him much more than anybody else here, even if only as a playmate who's got more time on his smurfs to spend with them."
"Well, it truly doesn't sound to me like he's smurfing his job seriously," noted Brainy.
"We'll smurf him be for today, Brainy," Papa Smurf said. "Besides, I think Empath does take his job seriously enough -- even if he doesn't act serious about it at times. With all that he's smurfed through, I think he's entitled to living it up this way!"
As Papa Smurf continued to watch Empath and the Smurflings, he couldn't help looking back and thinking of those things he felt was missing from his own life.
"Ah, what I wouldn't give to be young again," he sighed.
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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: 4088 | From: Westfield, MA | Registered: Mar 2003
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Vic George The ND Guy
Super Smurf
Member # 300
Member Rated:
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posted 03-27-2025 12:17 PM
Chapter 7
That night, it was Papa Smurf who couldn't sleep. He was tossing and turning around so much. He felt that there was something dreadfully important he needed to do that he desperately wanted to escape doing if it would give him any peace. A knock on his door prevented his last effort to fall asleep.
Papa Smurf answered the door. It was Empath, wearing a hat and a bathrobe, and looking like he had just been rudely awakened as well. "May this smurf talk to you?" he asked.
"Well, Empath, you smurfed me at the right time," Papa Smurf replied, allowing Empath to enter his house. "Is there something wrong?"
"This smurf just had a disturbing dream," Empath explained as he and Papa Smurf pulled some chairs together, "a reoccurring dream that this smurf just can't keep out of this smurf's mind."
"Well, if it's about Smurfette, rest assured that every adult Smurf here does have that kind of dream happening," Papa Smurf guessed before letting out a slight chuckle. "It's nothing you should be worried about. Every Smurf that I've ever known smurfs through that."
Empath felt a little relieved and yet a little sidetracked. "This smurf appreciates your explanation, Papa Smurf, but this reoccurring dream has nothing to do with the birds or the bees. In actuality, it is more like what you call a nightmare, and this has been happening long before Smurfette came along. In this nightmare, this smurf remembers being inside the Psyche Master's temple. You were there with this smurf, but your beard was brown and you were bigger than this smurf. You put this smurf down, looked at this smurf, and then walked away. This smurf called out to you, but you never turned back. And then came this incredible pain, and this smurf heard a scream before everything went black."
Papa Smurf listened to Empath's description of the nightmare, and found himself taken aback when the description matched something Papa Smurf remembered himself.
"Great Smurfness!" he finally said. "Empath, what you experienced wasn't a nightmare. You must have remembered something that happened to you the year you were born. I should have known because I was there as well."
"You were there?" Empath asked, puzzled. "How could that be? This smurf remembers first encountering you about eighty years ago in Psychelia, not anytime before then."
"Do you remember back at that first encounter with me that I told you that you were more Smurf than Psyche?" Papa Smurf asked.
"Very clearly, Papa Smurf," Empath answered.
"Well, Empath, there's a whole lot more to it than that," Papa Smurf added, heaving a sigh afterward. "I feared the day would come when I had to smurf you the real truth about yourself, but I owe it to you to tell you now."
As Papa Smurf began telling what was behind the memory Empath had experienced, Empath saw the events happening in his own mind as if he were there himself. He saw the Smurf Village as it was when he and his Smurf brothers were born.
"150 years ago," he heard Papa Smurf say, "all of my fellow Smurfs all had newborn children, and me and my wife wanted one of our own. It was very different back then. We didn't have any Smurf leading us except ourselves, and every Smurf wore their own colors -- it was how we could smurf each other apart, though only the children wore white. Anyway, that year we were blessed by nature, and nine months later the blessing became a reality."
As Empath continued to listen, he saw at that point a young version of Papa Smurf, wearing a brown beard and moustache, pacing around nervously outside a house until another Smurf wearing a green hat and pants, a thin graying beard, and a white smock came out smiling.
"Congratulations, Culliford, my Smurf," the older Smurf beamed, shaking Papa Smurf's hand. "Your wife just gave smurf to a bouncing baby boy."
The young Papa Smurf couldn't believe the news. "Smurfeka...I'm a Papa Smurf! I'm a Papa Smurf!" he cried out in excitement.
Empath figured out that Papa Smurf wasn't originally the name of the Smurf who would become the village leader he knew. The young version of Papa Smurf went inside the house less than a minute later, and saw his wife, a female Smurf with short brown hair wearing a red cap who looked almost as beautiful as Smurfette, holding their newborn child in her arms, smiling at both of them.
"We really made magic happen this time, Lillithina, my dear," he commented, kissing his wife on the forehead.
"I think you made most of the magic happen, Culliford," Lillithina remarked. "He smurfed his way into the world without any problem. If he's a special child, there's no doubt about whom he smurfs after."
"Then that must make you a special Mama Smurf," Culliford said with a slight tease in his voice.
"Could be," Lillithina laughed, holding the baby so that they could both examine him.
"Well, he's certainly got your eyes and your smile," Culliford pointed out.
"And he's got your ears," Lillithina added. "But I wonder who's hair color he'll smurf when he grows his first beard?"
"That we'd have to wait 300 years to find out," Culliford reminded her.
“Well, until then, I still have your handsome furry face to smurf at, my love,” Lillithina laughed as she stroked her husband’s beard lightly. "I'm sure that our little bundle of joy will smurf after his own Papa Smurf." Then she lifted the baby's hat and noticed something that surprised the both of them. "Well, I wonder who's smurf of the family he smurfed this from...a yellow smurfmark shaped like a star on his forehead!"
"Well, I'll be smurfed...!" Culliford exclaimed, noticing the smurfmark as well. The baby opened his eyes and saw his parents for the first time, smiling at them. "There's no doubt about it that he's a special baby!"
Empath at that point was surprised himself. Through Papa Smurf's thoughts he saw that their first child was Empath. Papa Smurf must truly be his real father.
Culliford was curious about the yellow star mark, though, and so he looked through many books in the village's archives house to find out something he only heard about as a Smurfling as just folklore. He found what he was looking for in a book about smurfmarks, written in ancient Smurf text: "He who is smurfed with the mark of a star is truly blessed by the stars, for it is this smurf who shall possess abilities beyond all imagining, beyond all the five known senses...abilities that only the strong of minds can harness."
Culliford was lost in thought, trying to figure out what that could mean. Could this mean that their child would be born a sorcerer with his own magical powers, he wondered. But Culliford knew that no Smurf except himself practiced sorcery for hundreds of years, and that his own knowledge of such arts came from a human wizard outside the village, not at birth. So what could these abilities "beyond all imagining", "beyond all the five known senses", and "that only the strong of minds can harness" actually be?
Over the following days, Culliford and Lillithina were showing their newborn child to their fellow Smurfs, and they were impressed. Culliford's friends toasted with him over brewed sarsaparilla, while Lillithina's friends gave her advice about baby care as well as recipes for baby foods and some clothing they thought would look good on her child.
Only thing was, neither Culliford nor Lillithina had any idea what they could name their child. Half their fellow Smurfs who had children were able to come up with names for them within a few days of their birth, while for others it took a month or so for them to draw any such inspiration, which for some certain others meant going as far as looking in the village dictionary. It was fortunate, however, that their parents could tell their children apart at all. For Culliford and Lillithina, having a child with a visible smurfmark on his forehead was more than enough of an indication.
In any case, Culliford and Lillithina took care of their child without any problem except for the occasional diaper change or feeding time. But even those times never felt too trying for this couple, and their child rarely raised a fuss at all.
It was about a month later, however, when Culliford came home from a hard day's work with his fellow Smurfs to his wife, when something strange started to happen. He saw Lillithina running to him, looking like she had seen a ghost...or worse.
"I can't believe what I just smurfed today," she blurted out. "Our son's just smurfing around and making things float around in midair, and he even made himself float around as well. It scared the smurf out of me!"
"There, there, my dear Lillithina," Culliford said gently, holding her in his arms. "You've probably been so busy today with Baby, that you're starting to smurf things!"
"What I told you is true!" Lillithina insisted, finding no comfort or belief in her husband's words.
Culliford decided to find out for himself. He looked into their child's room and saw the infant playing with his toys on the floor. Apparently he saw nothing out of the ordinary here. He told his wife not to worry, that he will take care of their son while she got some rest.
But after Culliford was left alone with the child, he started to notice it for himself. He reentered the child's room and saw all his toys floating around, moving as if they were planets in orbit, and his son in the center of the room, giggling as his watched. Culliford swore he could see his son's yellow smurfmark glow. Then before he knew it, Culliford found himself floating around the room as well, turning around upside down as his son watched on, squealing in delight.
Culliford was in a panic, unable to control his motion. "Smurf me down right now!" he yelled.
His son stopped squealing. Instantly, everything in the room that was floating around in orbit now dropped to the floor, including Culliford, who landed on his stomach.
Picking himself up, Culliford felt angry enough to scold his child when he realized that something incredible has happened, and his anger was replaced by curiosity.
"Now, son," he asked in a gentle voice, "can you show your Papa exactly how you made your toys smurf around like that? I promise that I won't be angry, but please can you show me how you smurfed it?"
His son looked at him as if he was willing to demonstrate. Culliford placed a smurf-in-the-box right in front of his son. "Okay, now, don't touch the toy, just show me how you smurf it in the air!" he encouraged.
His son sat there looking at the toy until, slowly and without him ever touching it, the smurf-in-the-box rose into the air high above Culliford's head.
"Amazing...simply amazing!" Culliford finally stated, excited by what he saw. "You certainly didn't inherit this ability from your Papa Smurf, and I'm not certain your Mama Smurf gave you that, either. You must truly have those of the legend, my son...the abilities beyond the five known senses!"
"I tested your newfound abilities even further, Empath," the current Papa Smurf's voice said, as the current Empath continued to see into his father's recollections, "even as far as smurfing your toys from plain sight, and you managed to perform each new test smurflessly. But even that didn't prepare me for the feats you managed to smurf around me."
Empath at that point saw his infant self, greeting his father at the door looking beaten from the day he had. His son wanted Culliford to play with him. "Not right now, my son...I don't feel very active!" he groaned.
The infant seemed to understand what his father was going through and crawled back to his bedroom. A while later, when Culliford entered the room ready to tuck the child into his crib, he saw his son painting on the walls with his fingers. Culliford picked up his son and was ready to scold him when he noticed the painting on the wall was a nearly professional-looking cartoon image of him, and above that, the words I LUV U POPPA with a heart next to it. He couldn't help feeling his anger disappearing again, replaced by amazement.
"Well, if I didn't smurf any better," he commented as he held his son up to him, messy paint and all, "I'd say that you're so full of empathy. Come to smurf of it, that's what I should name you -- my little Empathy!"
He told Lillithina about the name, and she agreed. She also let the child keep the painting of his father on the wall, despite having to expose him to another bath.
It was then, at this point in Papa Smurf's recollection, that Empath realized where his name -- now only missing one letter -- came from.
For the next few months afterward, Empathy became the center of attraction for the entire village as Culliford showed off his son's telekinetic abilities and whatever new abilities he began to perform. Culliford's fellow Smurfs were astounded, but Lillithina slowly began to feel estranged, as if her son and her husband no longer needed her in the world they inhabited. The other Baby Smurfs, both named and nameless, who saw Empathy displaying his abilities were either amazed by what they saw or just didn't care. Only a few of them cried out in disgust.
One night Lillithina couldn't contain her feelings about Culliford and Empathy anymore. She interrupted her husband as he was gently lullabying their child to sleep in his crib, and when they knew Empathy was soundly asleep, both of them went into the main room where they could talk without disturbing Empathy. Culliford knew Empathy could sleep soundly through anything, even through this talk which his wife started a little too loudly.
"I can smurf the feeling that Empathy is more your son than mine," she began, "and that you just want to smurf him off to the others as proof, but what I can't smurf is the feeling that you're just using Empathy as a smurfshow attraction, without even considering how'd he feel being smurfed to perform for you all the time!"
"I am not using Empathy like that," Culliford answered back as calmly as he could. "Besides, I do know what Empathy feels because he smurfs me how he feels with his thoughts. I don't make him smurf what he doesn't want to smurf."
"Okay, then, what about when Empathy grows up?" Lillithina asked. "He needs to learn how to use his abilities wisely, but more importantly, he has to be able to live with his fellow Smurfs. How do you think he's going to smurf that if you can't teach him anything other than those stupid mind tricks all the time?"
"You don't know how Empathy is going to smurf along with others anymore than I do," Culliford said. "I will make smurftain that Empathy does keep what he does learn of his abilities to himsmurf when the time comes."
"I can only hope so...for Empathy's sake as well as for yours," Lillithina finished before she headed off to bed.
Although Culliford said it with much confidence to his wife, the truth was that he had no idea how he could train Empathy how to use his abilities, let alone how to use them wisely. The next several days after that, Culliford spent some time thinking about his own experiences with having to fit in with his fellow Smurfs after spending thirty or so years of his childhood away from the village, raised by a human wizard named Palleadore who taught him the art of sorcery. Since the Smurfs had at that time put aside their age-old knowledge of sorcery in favor of technological advances they discovered over the years, Culliford was fearful that his exhibiting these abilities would make him worse than an outcast. So when he returned, he kept these abilities to himself and actively trained himself in other studies, including the creation of natural medicines. But nothing that Culliford had learned taught him how to deal with someone with abilities much different than his own.
One night, as Culliford was reading a book from the village archives house, he came across a story about another Smurf similar to Empathy who was born with incredible mind powers and was incredibly intelligent. However, this Smurf found himself to be too advanced and too dangerous to be accepted into the community of his fellow Smurfs, so he left the village to explore the world and find his own place in it. This Smurf had talked about creating a new race of people similar to his own but who would also share his mental capabilities and would be perfect in every way, since he considered the Smurfs were never really perfect enough.
Later on in the same book, Culliford found another story about how some Smurfs who ventured far beyond the village had discovered this other village with people that they described as "white-toned Smurfs", even going as far as including a name for their people -- the Psyches.
Culliford reread these stories over and over, thinking things over as he read. Could this Smurf actually have created this new race of people, these Psyches? Could these people be anything like the Smurfs besides their appearances? Eventually, Culliford was wondering: could these Psyches accept Empathy as one of their own long enough to train him how to use his powers wisely?
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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: 4088 | From: Westfield, MA | Registered: Mar 2003
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Vic George The ND Guy
Super Smurf
Member # 300
Member Rated:
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posted 03-27-2025 12:19 PM
Chapter 8
"A few weeks later," the current Empath heard the current Papa Smurf say, "I smurfed what I thought was the unthinkable for me at the time. I smurfed you outside the village to find this 'Psyche village', riding smurfback on a stork to make finding it easier. I had to smurf so under the guise that I was taking you on a picnic somewhere up in the hills. Your mother objected on the grounds that I was just smurfing her out again, but I succeeded in reasoning with her to let me smurf some private time with you." He laughed with some feeling of regret before he continued. "It was beginning to be late in the day when I finally smurfed the place that I was looking for beyond the mountain range. It was just like the explorer's desmurftion of the Psyches' village: all marvelous and smurfed out of polished stone. But as the stork dropped downward to the village, I smurfed the Psyches and had a feeling that they weren't going to accept you as one of their own."
As Empath continued to listen, he saw at that point Culliford carrying Empathy as the stork landed outside Psychelia. It seemed that Culliford's fear was realized when, as he approached the outer barrier of the village, he was greeted by a few Psyches pointing crystal-tipped spears glowing with energy at him and Empathy. Their faces were expressionless, but their tone was less than friendly.
"Outsiders are not allowed to enter the domain of the Psyche Master," one of the Psyches announced. "Depart freely and immediately, or we will force you on your way."
"I only wish to smurf with this Psyche Master for my son's sake," Culliford told the Psyches guarding the village. "He is a Smurf with the same abilities that your people seem to possess. He only needs to learn how to smurf them wisely."
"We are nothing like you or your child, outsider," another Psyche stated, "and no one is allowed to seek an audience with the Psyche Master unless he permits it. Again, you must leave here immediately or we will..."
"Cygnus! Centauri! Arcturus!" a fourth Psyche, who looked a little older than the guards, interrupted as he approached the scene. The three Psyches who were addressed by their names turned their attention toward the older Psyche. "The Psyche Master commands you to allow these outsiders safe passage into his temple immediately. You three are dismissed from duty."
"This one acknowledges," each of the three Psyches said in turn, bowing to the older Psyche afterward. They held their spears upright and stood back as the older Psyche quietly led Culliford carrying Empathy with him to the Psyche Master's temple.
Upon entering the temple, Culliford swallowed hard, for he had found himself in the presence of something that appeared bigger than himself. In the center of the majestic temple was a pillar of rainbow light that extended itself to the ceiling. Culliford couldn’t see if there was anybody inside this pillar of light, but then a face appeared, a bearded visage that to Culliford didn’t look anything like a Smurf. The doors to the temple shut themselves behind the two Smurfs after the elder Psyche guide left, sealing them in darkness that only the pillar of light before them could illuminate.
"I have allowed you passage into my temple because I sensed that you are the third of your kind who has learned about the legend of my people," the face spoke. "I was once a part of your people, born in your village as a Smurf almost two thousand years ago. But even then your people were so afraid of their own uncivilized ways they took it out on those that they thought were more unnatural than themselves. I could have shown your people through my abilities and my intelligence a better way for them to live. But they would rather live like savages and have everybody accept that way instead of mine."
"So you left the village and...created all of this...all these people?" Culliford asked.
"It was my decision to leave," the face continued, "but you are correct. Here I am known as the Psyche Master, and these beings, the Psyches, are of my creation, as is this village called Psychelia. They share not only my abilities, but also my ideas on how to live. Every male and female here lives, feels, and acts as equals with each other, so there is no disorder here in my domain. If you came here to prove otherwise, then you shall leave here immediately."
"That wasn’t why I came here, Psyche Master," Culliford said a bit defensively. "I came here only because I need your help. My child Empathy was also born with the same abilities that your people possess. I don’t know how to train him how to smurf his powers wisely, and my people still wouldn’t accept him as he is." He then went on to explain how he discovered his son’s abilities and what he was able to do.
"I will see if what you claim about your son is true and whether it is worth my attention to aid you in any manner," the Psyche Master interrupted Culliford. He placed his son on the floor and then watched as Empathy was bathed in a bluish-white glow that extended itself from a beam the Psyche Master projected. Empathy sat still and expressionless as the Psyche Master saw into his mind.
"Interesting," the Psyche Master remarked. "Your child does possess mental abilities that rival those of our own Psyches, although most of them are not under his control as of yet."
"So does that mean you will help him?" Culliford asked.
"More to the point," the Psyche Master answered, "we will accept him as one of our own and train him accordingly. However, we will require you to leave your child here. You must not interfere with his training in any way, and he will not be allowed to leave here until he has reached 150 years of age."
"What?!?" Culliford cried out, shocked by the Psyche Master’s offer. "That isn’t what I smurfed in mind. I didn’t come here asking for your asmurftance only for you to smurf my son away from me."
"You do not understand what I am saying to you," the Psyche Master rumbled, sounding displeased. "You will leave him here willingly and accept my offer...or you will never see your son again!"
Culliford fell to his knees as he felt an incredible burst of pain in his head. He wanted to keep saying no, but the pain was too much for him to endure.
"I accept. I accept!" he finally answered.
As the pain vanished in Culliford's head, Empathy crawled over to his father and looked up at him sadly. Somehow he knew what his father was going to say to him.
"I'm sorry I have to smurf you like this, Empathy, my son," Culliford said, holding Empathy one last time. "I can only hope that one day you will undersmurf why I had to and you will find it in your heart to forgive an old fool like me. I just wish you didn’t have to be born with these powers you have. I wish you could’ve been born a normal Smurf." He kissed Empathy on the forehead and set him down before the Psyche Master. "Until we meet again, I will always cherish you."
Empathy watched tearfully as his father turned and left the temple. Then he started to cry, wanting his father not to leave him.
Culliford heard his son crying as it got louder, even when he was outside the temple some distance away. Then it suddenly became a scream.
Culliford stopped in his tracks. "Empathy!!!" Fearing the worst, he raced back to the Psyche Master’s temple, only to find that its doors were sealed shut.
"Open up!" he shouted as he banged against the doors and tried to physically force them open. But nothing he did opened the doors, nor did it stop the screaming. "I won’t let you smurf my son! I won’t let you!"
Then the screaming turned to dead silence. It took Culliford a short while before he realized that his son was dead, and that he was responsible for killing his son by bringing him to the Psyche Master.
Culliford felt sad and guilty. He started to weep silently as he treaded slowly away from Psychelia, believing that he would never see his son again and that things in his own village would never be the same again.
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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: 4088 | From: Westfield, MA | Registered: Mar 2003
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Vic George The ND Guy
Super Smurf
Member # 300
Member Rated:
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posted 03-27-2025 12:20 PM
Chapter 9
Empath was interrupted from seeing into his father's memories when he heard Papa Smurf in his present sounding like he was ready to break into tears after what he told his own son.
"It really must have been painful having to go through leaving this smurf with the Psyche Master, assuming that it was really you who did that, and then being led to believe that this smurf died," Empath commented with some sympathy. "Maybe it would be better if we waited for another day before we continue on."
"I will be all right, Empath," Papa Smurf replied, taking a deep breath to regain control of his emotions. "I always feared smurfing you that because I didn't know how you would smurf the truth. But as painful as smurfing through that was for me, what happened after that when I came back to the Smurf Village was harder."
"How did my mother, Lillithina, react when you told her what you now told this smurf?" Empath asked.
"There was no fury that smurfed that of your mother when I told her," Papa Smurf said glumly. "She called me every bad name in the smurf, she accused me of killing her only son, she smurfed me so hard in the face that I couldn't look at mysmurf in the mirror, and finally she wanted me out of her life forever."
"Did you leave the village?" Empath asked.
"No, though at the time I wished I did because I felt so ashamed of mysmurf. I didn't want to be smurfed by anyone in the village, but I hated being away from my fellow Smurfs, and I didn't want to live away from them again. Instead, I smurfed a place to stay with a friend of mine who smurfed me his laboratory, and kept mysmurf busy with various experiments that I never got started on, living in isolation."
"What happened to my mother?" Empath asked.
"Lillithina smurfed happiness with another fellow Smurf of mine named Aristotle, a real intellectual who bored every Smurf but me with his ideas and opinions about everything. Somehow he took her in, and smurfed her back what I smurfed from her -- a son that she called Brainy, from the first day he laid smurfs on a book she read to him." Papa Smurf sighed sadly just thinking about that. "The only way I could give you back at the time was to have somebody smurf a statue of you, of the exceptional Smurf you might have grown up to be, as your memorial. When it was finished, I stood alone in front of it and I smurfed for you."
Empath was silent for a moment, thinking. "You said that I was your only real son, Papa Smurf. Then how did Brainy and all the other Smurfs started calling you Papa Smurf?"
"Fifty years afterward," Papa Smurf answered, "I had to witness yet another tragedy -- this time with my fellow Smurfs. It started when the father of Painter and Poet died from some disease that no Smurf had ever heard about, and then it started to smurf to every adult Smurf in the village. The best minds of medicine had no idea how to fight against the disease, so in desperation they smurfed to me."
As Empath listened to Papa Smurf continuing his story, he saw at that his father Culliford, fifty years older and slightly graying, watching as Poet and Painter's father was carried away on a stretcher by his fellow Smurfs. He then saw Culliford and some others examining other adult Smurfs who began to show symptoms of the same disease, and struggling to find the cause of the disease in order to find its cure.
"What baffled me as much as it did the best minds smurfing on the problem," Papa Smurf explained, "was that the disease had no effect on the little Smurfs or even me. But even that didn't help us. All of my fellow Smurfs were dying, and all I could do was watch them die. Watching your mother, Lillithina, die was the worst!"
Empath saw at that point his father sitting by his mother's bedside, looking at her as she struggled for the last several minutes of life left just to tell him something important. Brainy wanted to stay with his mother to the end, but Lillithina sent him outside to play with his fellow Smurfs so that they could have her last moment with her husband alone.
"Brainy has no father to look up to now since Aristotle passed away," she spoke with great difficulty. "Promise me, my dear Culliford, you will look after Brainy while I smurf care of Empathy in the hereafter. He's all that I have left to give you!"
"I promise to you I will!" Culliford answered, holding his wife's hand gently. "I want you to know that I'm sorry that I smurfed Empathy away from you like I did."
"I know," Lillithina whispered, "and I forgive you."
Then she drew her last breath and closed her eyes forever. As she did, Culliford wept for her.
"As more of my fellow Smurfs died," Papa Smurf continued, "I was left with more with their children, and as much as I yearned to be a father again, I didn't expect it to happen like this, with more Smurflings than I can handle by mysmurf. Fortunately, those few adult Smurfs that were still alive and active smurfed me all the help they could smurf, teaching whatever would be useful for the children to survive. Somehow, they smurfed that I would outlive them, so they trusted that I would always be there for the children when they themselves would smurf on, and that I would help the children grow into adulthood and someday smurf children of their own so that the village would survive."
Then Empath saw at that point his father, alone with 97 Smurflings -- Empath's own fellow Smurfs -- in the village, making a fateful annoucement. Most of the Smurflings looked uneasy as Culliford spoke, but they bravely listened.
"My little Smurfs," he said, "from this day on we now face a new way of life in the village. This is going to be as much difficult for you as it will be for me, so I am asking all of you Smurfs to help me. I know some of you are already very skilled in the essential tasks of the village while the rest of you may have little or none of those skills on hand. We will need to learn how to cooperate with each other, learn from each other, smurf out for each other, and just be there for each other. Only by working together can we smurf the strength to carry on and survive, as all of your parents would have wanted you to do. I will do my best to be there for each and every one of you and care for you as my own, because you are all now my little Smurfs."
"Don't worry, Uncle Smurf!" a Smurfling named Handy spoke out. "We'll help you smurf care of things so you won't have to do it all. We'll smurf our best to make you proud of us, won't we?"
"Well, if he is, then I smurftainly will!" another Smurfling named Hefty joined in.
"Count me in, too!" Brainy, the third Smurfling, insisted. A dozen other Smurflings made similar statements, and then finally all the others did the same.
"Uh, just one thing, Uncle Smurf," a fourth Smurfling named Clumsy asked. "What do we call you now?"
Culliford chuckled at the question. "I'm not your Uncle Smurf anymore, Clumsy. From now on, you can just call me Papa Smurf!"
"Papa Smurf?!?" every Smurfling exclaimed.
The current Papa Smurf chuckled himself, recalling that one moment when every one of his little Smurfs was shocked by having to call him that name now.
"From that day on," he continued, resuming his serious tone, "Culliford as my name died along with the rest of my fellow Smurfs, as I undersmurfed a transformation into my new identity as the Papa Smurf. I smurfed more hours being awake, as well as an incredible amount of energy, trying to settle every dispute, answer every question, teach every simple task, and just be there for all my little Smurfs at the same time. At first it exhausted me to the point where I wished I could enjoy the smurfful peace of my wife and my own fellow Smurfs in their graves, but after about twenty years of this, we finally became adjusted to this new way of smurfing and I became more relieved and friendlier."
Empath saw all of that as well through Papa Smurf's recollections -- his trials and tribulations with every single young Smurf, then that day when Papa Smurf just stood back and watched as his little Smurfs took care of everything in the village, feeling proud about what he accomplished through his efforts.
"That's how you became a leader!" Empath figured it out. "That must have made you happy!"
"Well, even a Papa Smurf needs time for himself," Papa Smurf mentioned, "so when fewer of my little Smurfs needed me for anything, I used what spare time I had to resmurf my projects in the laboratory, being careful to balance my time between personal work and being a father figure. But I still felt empty without you in my life, and just when I thought I could smurf on beyond the pain of losing you back then, along come a beacon of hope!"
Empath saw at this point a young Brainy Smurf approaching an even grayer-bearded Papa Smurf with a scrolled-up message. "I found this smurfed from the sky somewhere in the village, and it was addressed to Culliford Smurf!" he announced.
"Culliford Smurf?" Papa Smurf asked. Apparently, he knew it was for him, but he made no mention of that to Brainy as he took the message and opened it up to read.
"Your presence is required in the temple of the Psyche Master regarding the progress of your son Empath," Papa Smurf read aloud before he found himself surprised and starting a feel a little angry. "Empathy is alive?!? Oh, how dare he makes me smurf..."
"Is something wrong, Papa Smurf?" Brainy asked, concerned about Papa's reaction.
"Nothing that I couldn't handle, Brainy," Papa Smurf replied, controlling his emotions. "Tell Hefty that he's in charge until I return. This shouldn't smurf long."
"Yes, Papa Smurf, whatever you say!" Brainy said eagerly as Papa Smurf headed toward a stable in the village where a stork was waiting.
"The first time I remembered smurfing to Psychelia," the current Papa Smurf told the current Empath, "I truly felt the Psyche Master treated me like an outsider... nobody of any importance that he could smurf with on an even level. Well, when I smurfed back there seventy years later, I felt that my being a leader of the Smurf Village would make my next consmurftation with the Psyche Master more equal. More than ever, I wanted you back and alive!"
Empath saw at this point Papa Smurf as he was back then returning to the Psyche Master's temple, with nobody stopping him on his way. This time around, as Papa Smurf entered the temple, it was him who started talking.
"I am now Papa Smurf, leader of the Smurf Village," he addressed the Psyche Master in a tone that demanded respect. "The Smurf you once knew as Culliford died when you made me believe that my own son was dead. So tell me what have you smurfed with him that I never knew about?"
"First of all, Papa Smurf, I know who you are, so you will not try to talk above me like that!" the Psyche Master spoke ominously. "Secondly, your son, whom we have called Empath, is functioning normally and has begun his training as a Psyche with a satisfactory performance so far. What I did with him back then when you left him in my care is erase his memories so that he will not be distracted by them in his training. It would be in his best interests for him not to know anything of his true origins until he is released."
"What you did to him is unsmurflike," Papa Smurf protested, "and not letting me smurf how you do things is unfair. Besides, who are you to judge what Empath should know about himself or where he comes from?"
"You are not talking to a Smurf here," the Psyche Master responded, "so leave your ideas of fairness out of this. I do not allow outsiders to witness how the Psyches function as a society here because we do not need the outside influence of savage beings like you to shape how we are supposed to live."
"I'm not here to smurf about how you smurf your lives," Papa Smurf reminded him sharply. "I came here to see my son, and I want to see him now so that I know you are not hiding anything about him from me."
The Psyche Master sounded as if he too was getting tired of debating. "Since you are not convinced, I will allow you to see him in this temple. Acknowledge!"
"Thank you, Psyche Master!" Papa Smurf responded.
They waited a while until Empath walked into the temple, and Papa Smurf recognized him as he came in. He was the same age as the other Smurflings and still had the yellow star on his forehead. But now he wore a black bodysuit that concealed his hands, with silver cuffs on his wrists and ankles. Except for his bald head, Empath looked like one of the Psyches.
"Empath Psyche, designation 1137-K, acknowledging his presence," he announced in a voice of no particular emotion as he bowed to the Psyche Master.
"Empath Psyche, you have a visitor here from a place called the Smurf Village who claims that you are of his people," the Psyche Master introduced. "You are to address him as Papa Smurf."
Empath turned to Papa Smurf. "Salutations, Papa Smurf!" he started to say, but his voice fell away when his eyes noticed something about Papa Smurf that made his eyes open wide with curiosity. He went over to Papa Smurf and examined him all over with his eyes, noting every detail of this being -- his face, his body, his skin, even his tail. Then Empath ripped open a hole in his bodysuit and examined his own hand through the tear. He was shocked.
"Great Ancestors!" he exclaimed. "How could this be...that this one shares the same skin tone with a half-naked, misshapen, bald, bearded savage of a being?"
Papa Smurf frowned.
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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: 4088 | From: Westfield, MA | Registered: Mar 2003
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Vic George The ND Guy
Super Smurf
Member # 300
Member Rated:
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posted 03-27-2025 02:01 PM
Chapter 10
"After a brief smurf alone with the Psyche Master," the current Empath heard the current Papa Smurf say, "I was allowed to smurf you visit the village for a year, though it was under the condition that what I smurfed you about the Smurfs could not be smurfed back and expressed in any manner to the Psyches, and that I was never to smurf you the true nature of your relationship to me!"
"This smurf remembers making a similar agreement to the Psyche Master before this smurf left for the village on the day of my first encounter with you," Empath added.
"The rest of the story, you already know, but I do want you to hear from what I remembered experiencing, Empath!"
"This smurf will listen, Papa Smurf."
As the story continued, Empath now saw the young Papa Smurf taking the young Empath back to the Smurf Village on birdback, talking to him on the way.
"Why do you call this one a Smurf?" Empath asked.
"That is what you are, Empath," Papa Smurf answered. "You are more of a Smurf than you are a Psyche...you have just yet begun to realize that for yoursmurf!"
"This one is nothing like you," Empath insisted. "The Psyche Master has shown this one the true nature of himself already. This one speaks as a true Psyche, without the clutter of your backward language."
"The Psyche Master can't smurf you anything about what you are truly born as," Papa Smurf tried to explain. "He only wants you to believe that you are smurfed a Psyche. He can smurf you a lot about how to live as a Psyche, which is why I want you to smurf that there's more about you than you are led to believe yoursmurf to be."
"This one has difficulty understanding your words," Empath stated outright, "but there's nothing you or your savage race can do to change this one from believing that he is a true Psyche."
"Maybe not now, Empath," Papa Smurf said, "but you will find out!"
As the stork flew over the Smurf Village, Empath looked down and saw it for the first time. It looked more lively and colorful than Psychelia, though it also looked primitive and disordered. He also saw his fellow Smurfs down below, and noticed that like Papa Smurf they also weren't fully dressed.
"Do all of these Smurfs have no sense of modesty?" he asked Papa Smurf.
Instead of answering, Papa Smurf introduced Empath to his fellow Smurfs after they had landed. They greeted him back in their own ways, but Empath was confounded by how they sounded.
"Why does every Smurf seem to use that one word 'smurf' to mean anything besides who they are?" Empath asked Papa Smurf.
"It is also part of who they are," Papa Smurf gently answered. "It is the Smurf language, and in time you could smurf exactly what they mean and smurf how to say something in Smurf."
Empath shook his head. "That will not convince this one about what he is!"
Papa Smurf then took him into his house and gave him some clothes to change into -- a white cap and a white pair of pants. Upon trying them on, Empath had a hard time hiding his embarrassment when Papa Smurf saw him in those clothes.
"This one feels...underdressed," he managed to say.
"Well, why don't we see for oursmurfs how you look?" Papa Smurf suggested. He led Empath toward a mirror where he saw in his own reflection himself wearing Smurf clothes.
"Great Ancestors!" Empath gasped as he looked at himself. In that moment he felt all the doubts he had about himself fading away. He turned around and saw his own stubby blue tail for the first time. He even pinched it briefly to convince himself that it was for real.
"This one truly is...a Smurf! You have made it clear about what this smurf is...but honestly, this smurf doesn't feel like a Smurf!"
"That's where the other Smurfs as well as mysmurf will show you the rest," Papa Smurf said with a smile.
Over the course of the next few days, Empath was learning from Papa Smurf and the other Smurfs about how they live. Hefty showed Empath the various games they played, and Empath picked up on them so quickly and masterfully, Hefty thought he would have a worthy opponent. Greedy showed Empath the kinds of food they eat, including the one thing that Empath had never seen before -- smurfberries. Empath tried a smurfberry and found out how flavorful it was compared to the bland nutrient paste he ate with the Psyches. Harmony showed Empath the wonderful sounds of music, though he wasn't any good at playing any instruments, and Empath found himself continually humming over and over what he called the "smurfsong" -- a signature sound he heard all his fellow Smurfs humming. Brainy showed Empath the various works of fiction, history, and folklore in the library, and Empath went through almost every single book in those few days, even the first book that Brainy himself wrote.
Through what he read, saw, heard, tasted, and experienced, Empath was awestruck by what he learned about his own people. The Smurfs were truly an expressive group of people who were not afraid to share that side of themselves with anyone. Yet Empath still felt bound to being emotionless, not being able to express himself in any manner except as being like a Psyche.
That was until one day, Papa Smurf found Empath by himself crying. He went over to see what was wrong with him. "Papa, please don't leave me!" Empath called out.
"Empath, I'm right here!" Papa Smurf answered.
But Empath acted as if he couldn't hear Papa Smurf. And when Papa Smurf knelt down and turned him around, Empath somehow couldn't see him, either. He kept on crying, unaware of anything except what was going on in his mind.
Papa Smurf couldn't do anything to break him out of the crying trance, so he just held Empath to him and told him in a comforting voice that everything will be all right.
A while later, when Empath was back to his normal emotionless state, Papa Smurf asked him what had happened. "This smurf doesn't remember, but this smurf suddenly had an urge to cry," Empath answered. "This smurf shouldn't be able to show that side of himself. Psyches are not trained to show our feelings to anyone."
"Feelings are a natural thing that every Smurf has to show," Papa Smurf told him. "We can learn how to control our emotions, but we as Smurfs cannot hide all of what we feel all the time."
"But this smurf has no knowledge of all these emotions your people show," Empath pointed out.
So Papa Smurf took it upon himself to show Empath the full range of emotions that the Smurfs express. Whenever they saw a Smurf smiling as he was working or playing, Papa Smurf said that it was a sign of happiness. Whenever they saw a Smurf crying, Papa Smurf said that it meant sadness. Whenever they saw Jokey playing a joke on any Smurf, Papa Smurf said that it was a way of expressing humor. Whenever they saw a Smurf falling asleep through Brainy's lecturing, Papa Smurf said that it was an expression of boredom. Whenever they saw a Smurf with a mean glare in his eyes chasing Jokey for a joke he played on him, Papa Smurf said that it meant anger. And whenever they saw two Smurfs getting along with each other and laughing, Papa Smurf told Empath that they were expressing friendship.
Empath's learning about showing emotions took up a good part of that year. He had some trouble understanding all of what he saw and heard, but in time the many expressions began to make sense in Empath's mind, and he started to feel a little more comfortable about himself, even though he still never showed any emotion.
On the last day of his visit to the Smurf Village, when it was time for him to return to Psychelia, Empath was surrounded by all his fellow Smurfs who were gathered around the village square to see him off. After Empath made his individual goodbyes to his fellow Smurfs, he went over and thanked Papa Smurf for showing him the way that the Smurfs lived.
"This smurf understands now the true nature of himself, Papa Smurf," he explained, "but this smurf must still follow the way of the Psyches. Everything this smurf has learned about being a Smurf will not be of much use for this smurf in the presence of the Psyches because the Psyche Master forbids the expression of foreign ideas."
Papa Smurf sighed, feeling as if everything he had taught Empath was all for naught. "Well, if it means anything to you, we will miss smurfing you in the village, and you will always be welcome back to us should you ever visit us again. Just remember that you as a Smurf are no longer alone in this world, for you are one with us in our hearts, minds, and souls, and every one of us will always live inside of you."
Empath started to head for the stork who was waiting to fly him back to Psychelia, but then he suddenly turned around and embraced Papa Smurf, feeling as if he was never going to see him again.
"This is your way of expressing friendship, for this smurf will miss your presence as well," Empath said with a hint of sadness before he hopped onto a stork and flew away.
"Fortunately for us, Empath," the current Papa Smurf told the current Empath, "the Psyche Master didn't smurf us just this one chance of smurfing each other. He also allowed you to visit us for a full year once every ten years following that first visit, which was strangely generous of him consmurfering his strict condition of you not bringing anything of your being Smurf into his village."
"This smurf knows that, Papa Smurf," Empath said, "though this smurf does wonder how on all those following visits, this smurf managed to come home on this smurf's birthday. Not that this smurf didn't appreciate the effort of making this smurf feel more welcome in your village!"
"That was my smurfing, Empath," Papa Smurf confessed with a slight chuckle. "Anyway, as you got older, you became more knowledgeable about us as well more at ease with yoursmurf and your fellow Smurfs emotionally. They were so impressed, as was I, when you started to exhibit the various abilities you smurfed from the Psyches with each visit, even some that I never even thought you would possess."
"This smurf always claimed that this smurf never took pride in what this smurf learned, Papa Smurf," Empath said, "and yet being around all of you, this smurf couldn't help sharing the wealth of what I learned from the Psyches! But in all the years that this smurf wasn't here, this smurf wondered if anyone has forgotten about this smurf."
"I made sure that no Smurf here in the village had ever forgotten about you over the years!" Papa Smurf replied. "That statue I once had smurfed for you as a memorial for when I thought you died -- it became a memorial for your continued life outside the village!"
As Papa Smurf told Empath this, he looked into Papa Smurf's mind one more time and saw his father as he was eighty years ago, standing in front of the statue of Empath, telling his little Smurfs about it.
"Empath's smurfed back to Psychelia for now, my little Smurfs," he told them, "but he is here with us, in our hearts and in this park, as a reminder that he will return to us. Someday, when Empath is grown up like this statue's smurfness, he will return here for good. And on that day, we shall be free!"
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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: 4088 | From: Westfield, MA | Registered: Mar 2003
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Vic George The ND Guy
Super Smurf
Member # 300
Member Rated:
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posted 03-27-2025 02:02 PM
Chapter 11
It was still late in the night in Papa Smurf's laboratory when Empath heard the last words of his father's tale and saw the last image in his father's mind. Both of them were now silent, but Papa Smurf noticed that Empath seemed a bit too quiet, nearly deep in thought about all that he heard about himself.
Empath hardly felt the same way he did when he came in to tell his father about the dream. He wished he had nothing more to ask Papa Smurf about what he told him about the past he knew and didn't know. He wished that his curiosity had been satisfied. But he felt and saw something that made him suspect that what Papa Smurf told him wasn't entirely true.
He saw the younger Papa Smurf leave him again in the Psyche Master's temple. But this time instead of being sad about leaving him, he was angry and cruel, his words being spat out like venom. "You should've been born a normal Smurf, Empath! But you weren't, and because of that, you don't deserve to be my son anymore! You belong here, as an outcast with all these other Psyches!"
This image scared Empath, and it made him feel angry.
Papa Smurf now noticed this in Empath's face. "Are you all right, Empath?" he asked with concern.
"Why did you do what you did to me, Papa Smurf?" Empath asked, his fury beginning to show through.
"I thought that what I smurfed was for your own good, Empath," Papa Smurf answered, sounding a bit fearful. "I had to protect you!"
"What were you protecting me from, Papa Smurf?" Empath growled. "The truth about yourself...or the truth about myself? All these years you had me believing that I was a real Smurf, and that my being with the Psyches was just some accident that happened. Now you smurf this story that I was your real son, and that you yourself left me there because the Psyche Master made you. If I was your real son, you wouldn't have smurfed that. But you left him, and he died, and you're just smurfing me into believing that I was him!"
"What I told you was true, Empath," Papa Smurf insisted. "I am your father, and I did leave you there because I had to protect you from the Psyche Master. Why else would you still remember smurfing me leave you?"
"Maybe because you smurfed me from my real father," Empath shot back, "or maybe it's because you didn't want me to be your son, or even be part of your people. But whatever the real reason is, I don't think that I can believe you the same way anymore!"
Papa Smurf was beginning to feel frustrated with Empath's current lack of understanding. "I sincerely regret what I smurfed to you back then, Empath, but believe me, there was nothing more I could have done for you back then. If things were different in the Smurf Village back then, I could have kept you there and no one would have smurfed the worst about it. Can't you see that I didn't have any choice in what to smurf with you?"
"You had a choice," Empath retorted, "when you left your son -- this smurf -- with the Psyche Master. You could've smurfed up to him to protect me -- your son, whoever it was. You could have overpowered the Psyche Master, you could have smurfed anything. But all you did was smurf in the Psyche Master and left me there, like I was worth nothing to you. All my life, you had the chance of smurfing me away from the Psyches completely, and you failed to do it."
"I am not like the Psyche Master, Empath!" Papa Smurf shouted, losing his patience. "I do not force what I believe upon anyone whether or not they are Smurfs. I just try to undersmurf differences and work around them. Besides, even if I could, how could I raise you with almost a hundred other little Smurflings to take care of as well?"
"You're my father...you're supposed to figure that out!!!" Empath snarled. "But I guess you're not him if you couldn't, huh? You're just some disgusting old savage pervert who lies just to smurf back what he lost on purpose!"
"That's enough!" Papa snapped. "I don't know why you still won't believe me, but I am still your Papa Smurf, and I won't..."
"Won't listen to me call you a liar?"
"Empath Smurf, you will..."
But Empath was beyond listening. In one swift motion, he swung his fist toward one side of Papa Smurf's face, felling him to the floor.
As his father laid there feeling the bruise forming on his cheek, Empath looked at his still-throbbing hand that had been that fist, horrified by what he had done.
"Papa Smurf...this smurf is sorry," he said as he watched his father crawl to a table where he picked himself up.
Papa Smurf was too hurt to even look at his son. "No, just leave me...there's no more for me to tell you," he told Empath. He put some liquid witch hazel on a clean cloth and applied it to the bruise, then pulled up a stool and sat there, his back still toward Empath.
Empath understood this wasn't a time for any apologies and left Papa Smurf's house.
As he entered his own house and settled down in his bed, Empath felt an overwhelming wave of guilt from what he had done to Papa Smurf. This being who said that he was Empath's real father had never hit him, even when Empath did something he shouldn't. Up until now, Papa Smurf never did anything that would have made Empath want to hurt him. Hearing how his father left him in Psychelia as an infant, and feeling somehow that his father never really wanted him as his own son or even as a Smurf, made Empath feel so hurt and angry that he had to avenge himself, to make his father feel the same hurt he did.
But now that feeling of justice, of balance, and of satisfaction was replaced when he saw his father cowering on the floor in fear of his own son. Now he felt as if he had burned the very flag he once worshipped, had removed the ground from under the same tall being who lifted him up long before he learned how to fly. Even if he never used force on anyone like the Psyche Master did, Papa Smurf was still someone that deserved to be respected for taking care of his own, and what Empath did to him made Empath wonder if that was ever a way to respect anyone of Papa Smurf's stature.
As Empath drifted back into sleep, he remembered thinking about how his life would be different if and once he ever left Psychelia. Now he wished he never knew how different it would really be.
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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: 4088 | From: Westfield, MA | Registered: Mar 2003
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Vic George The ND Guy
Super Smurf
Member # 300
Member Rated:
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posted 03-28-2025 01:08 PM
Chapter 12
Empath woke up the next morning still not feeling good about himself, about what Papa Smurf had told him about his past, and about what he did to him. He didn't feel like being around anybody that day, and as he dressed up in his daily clothes, he also began to feel like he used to -- naked and exposed, fearful of prying eyes. So he put a bathrobe over himself after dressing and headed to the forest, where he could think things over in peace before he could even consider talking to Papa Smurf again.
The Smurflings, who were already up and busy playing their jugband instruments, saw Empath heading toward their treestump playhouse and then just passing it. They noticed him in the bathrobe and called out to him.
"Hey, what's up, Empath?" Snappy asked. "Gonna take a swim by the falls or are you just gonna sunsmurf out there? We'll smurf with you if you like. So what do you say?"
"Not today, Snappy," Empath answered glumly, not stopping. "This smurf just wants some time alone for myself. Maybe tomorrow we can do something together." With that, he continued on his way as the Smurflings just watched.
"Poor Empath," Sassette said. "I wonder what's wrong with him. Maybe he's sick!"
"More like he's sick of us, just like all the other grown-up Smurfs in the village," Snappy whined. "I thought he was gonna be more fun than those smurfs in the mud, but oooooooooooohhhh-nooooooooooooooooo!"
"Don't be so hard on him, Snap!" Natural scolded him. "Whatever is wrong with him, he'll smurf out of it in time. Just like all the animals in the forest, even a Smurf needs his own space to heal."
"Well, I know one thing for smurftain," Slouchy commented. "Empath sure smurfs like he's bluer than blue!"
Around the same time, Smurfette was just stepping out of her house, watering her flowerbeds and feeling really good about herself at the start of her day, when Hefty came huffing and puffing toward her house with more than just the day ahead of him on his mind.
"Well, Mr. Unismurf, you don't normally smurf up outside my house just to say good morning to me," Smurfette greeted him, surprised but not showing much suspicion by his presence.
"Hey, what can I say, Smurfette?" Hefty grinned slyly, all confident about himself again. "A lovely Smurf like you can always put smurf in my strides!"
Smurfette rolled her eyes at that comment. "Gee, and I thought you'd be too busy on your exersmurf machines to even bother with me. So tell me, Hefty, what's with the change in your daily routine?"
"Well, I'm just wondering," Hefty started to say when he caught his breath, "if you're smurfing nothing at the end of the day, maybe me and you can smurf something together..."
"Hefty, stop," Smurfette interrupted politely, still smiling. "I like you just as much as any Smurf here, but I can't keep doing this. You can't keep expecting me to smurf up my mind about whom I'm going to smurf with for the rest of my life with...all you Smurfs asking me for a date or something. I want to smurf my own things and make up my own mind...I want to smurf far beyond the reaches of the forest, maybe even smurf the world...and I want a Smurf who can respect me and give me all that!"
"So you'd rather not smurf around with someone like me, huh?" Hefty asked, starting to feel hurt and jealous, already suspecting something. "I don't suppose this has anything to do with Empath being here!"
"Empath!" Smurfette exclaimed in disgust. "What are you smurfing about, Hefty?"
"Oh, how could you not be taken in by him, Smurfette?" Hefty remarked. "All your life, you said you couldn't love any Smurf more than any other Smurf, so I thought maybe you'd smurf around someday and take me as yours. But now this Smurf who could be Mr. Perfect smurfs up and you won't even consider someone else!"
"Hefty Smurf, who I decide to be with is none of your smurfness," Smurfette said coldly.
"So let me guess," Hefty went on, "if you were to decide, you'd rather be with Empath -- the star-smurfed freak who probably wouldn't feel anything for you if he could?"
Smurfette decided that she had enough of Hefty's personal questions.
"If Empath had any feelings for me, he would feel them more from his heart than he would from here!" With that, Smurfette jabbed her knee into somewhere that made Hefty double over and clutch himself in pain.
"Just you wait and see, Smurfette!" Hefty howled, cursing in pain as she dropped her watering pitcher and walked quickly away from him. "I'll smurf you what kind of a Smurf that Empath really is!"
Smurfette needed to put some distance between herself and Hefty's personal questions. On her way into the forest to calm herself down and collect her thoughts, however, she saw Empath up ahead wearing a bathrobe over his day clothes. "Empath! Wait up!" she called out.
Empath stopped and waited until Smurfette caught up with him. "Salutations, Smurfette," he responded in the same way he did the Smurflings.
"Empath, you look like smurfthing that Puppy dragged into the village to bury," Smurfette said with some concern. "Are you feeling okay?"
Empath let out a heavy sigh. "This smurf is functioning normally, Smurfette. It's just that before this smurf came to the village, this smurf never knew what it meant to feel shameful. This smurf always took what I knew for granted, that this is how this smurf is, and then Papa Smurf comes along and changes everything, and it makes this smurf feel so confused, so vulnerable. He did this to me years ago, and now he does it again!"
Smurfette didn't quite understand what Empath was telling her. "Let's go down by the waterfalls and you can smurf me what Papa Smurf did to you."
Empath accepted the offer. When they reached the spot by the River Smurf where the waterfalls were, both of them sat under the shade of a tree mushroom. Then Empath began to tell Smurfette in brief detail what Papa Smurf had told him -- that Papa Smurf was his father, and how he left him with the Psyches -- and how it all made him feel angry enough to hit Papa Smurf.
"Part of this smurf felt so avenged when I hit him because he deserved it for all the trouble he caused me," Empath said sadly, "but most of this smurf feels so lowly because I hurt somebody that this smurf had always cared for and respected. No Smurf can ever look at this smurf the same way again because of that!"
Smurfette put her hand on Empath's shoulder. "What you did to Papa Smurf wasn't a smurf thing to do, but believe me, you're not the only Smurf who has ever hurt any other Smurf out of anger. Even a good Smurf like Papa Smurf can do the worst things possible to the people he loves. Besides, whatever happened between the two of you is only between the two of you. No other Smurf needs to know what you did to Papa Smurf."
"This smurf just doesn't feel like I'm being like all the others," Empath said, feeling futile. "Being a Psyche was easy for this smurf. There's only one way to do anything that needs doing, and you do it because it is the right way. Here there's so many ways to do anything that needs doing, they could all be the right way, but when this smurf does it, it feels like the wrong way. How can I ever hope to be a real Smurf when I'm not allowed to find out all the ways that I can be one?"
"Well, I know what it's like trying to be a real Smurf myself, Empath," Smurfette said with some empathy, "because five years ago, I wasn't even a real Smurf."
Empath looked at her incredulously. "You are only five years old? Great Ancestors, this smurf thought that you came from another Smurf village or something!"
Smurfette laughed, though not insultingly. "Actually, I came from the cauldron of that human wizard who's gone crazy over destroying the Smurfs!"
"Gargamel," Empath figured out.
"You see, Empath," Smurfette explained, "after Gargamel's first plan to capture and turn the Smurfs into gold had failed, he smurfed some time alone to study them, both from books and from careful obsmurfation. What he noticed was that there were no female Smurfs in the village to smurf another generation. So he smurfed some blue clay, used a spell to bring a clay figure to life, and...he created me. Only thing was, I was created by Gargamel to charm them long enough to destroy them."
Empath saw that from Smurfette's mind, as well as how she used to look -- with long stringy black hair and not much pleasant features. "This smurf couldn't see how you could've charmed the pants off this smurf's fellow Smurfs back then!"
"I admit, I really wasn't much to smurf at," Smurfette confessed, laughing at the thought of herself, "but that was the plan, and when I was accepted into the village, it had almost worked. However, when I tried to flood the village by smurfing open the sluice gate, I fell into the raging water and had nearly drowned. The other Smurfs saved me, but when I was ready to be exiled from the village, I confessed who I really was, and that Gargamel was controlling me."
"What you did back then wasn't your fault, anyway," Empath pointed out. "So how did you become a real Smurf?"
"Well, Papa Smurf took it upon himself to transmurf me into a real Smurf so that Gargamel would no longer control my actions," Smurfette answered. "I don't remember all of how he smurfed it, but I felt my clay body melting away onto the floor while my spirit was floating in a peaceful sleep. With each spell Papa Smurf cast on me, I felt myself changing more and more into who I am now. Finally, I found myself smurfing back into the clay and then smurfing into how I currently look."
Empath saw from Smurfette's mind the transformation that took place. To Empath, it looked like Papa Smurf made the blue clay come to life as it morphed into the current version of Smurfette. "That must have been incredible!"
"Well, what was more incredible," Smurfette continued, "was how I was greeted by the other Smurfs when Papa Smurf showed them how I turned out. They were more than awestruck, they were also lovestruck!" She laughed at that briefly before she went on. "But even then, I still haven't yet felt like a real Smurf. It wasn't until Gargamel had captured the other Smurfs did I prove myself by disguising myself as a male Smurf, and then Gargamel knew his plans with me had backfired."
"And when you became part of the Smurfs?" Empath guessed.
"Exactly," Smurfette replied. "It was hard trying to be a real Smurf, but after that I was having a problem with being accepted as anything other than a female Smurf. Every Smurf here, before the Smurflings came along, seems interested in me in only one way -- being in love with me. I don't mind their affections, but I don't want them to keep smurfing after me just to get me to marry them. I'm too young to think of smurfing the knot yet, and besides I can't even decide which Smurf I love more than any other -- well, at least until you came along! Even Papa Smurf tried to ask me to marry him!"
"Papa Smurf was in love with you?" Empath asked, surprised by what he heard. "This smurf could never think of Papa Smurf still being able to..."
"It was just a crush he had!" Smurfette cut him off, still laughing. "Anyway, I love Papa Smurf more like a father that I never had!"
"It must have been lonely being the only female Smurf in the village...at least before Sassette came along," Empath mused. "This smurf wonders how Sassette came to be, because she told this smurf that she was a creation of Gargamel, and the Smurflings say otherwise."
"Actually, Sassette was a real Smurf," Smurfette told Empath. "Three years ago, Miner found her inside a crystal in a mineshaft he was digging in. He couldn't break her out of the crystal with his tools because the crystal was smurfed of magic, so Miner brought her to Papa Smurf, who was going use a magic spell to release her when he was smurfed on an emergency. The Smurflings, meanwhile, were about to recreate the same experiment Gargamel smurfed to create me when they came across the crystal in Papa Smurf's lab, so they just proceeded to release her with the magic spell. Needless to say, the Smurflings were punished for going into Papa Smurf's lab without permission."
"But Sassette was released?" Empath guessed again.
"You know the story," Smurfette nodded. "Anyway, when she awoke, she knew nothing but her name, so we smurfed up this story about her being a magically-created Smurf just like me. We weren't prepared for her smurfing onto Gargamel like he was her real father, but me and Sassette got along very well since then, like we were sisters!"
"That sounds dangerous, telling Sassette that she wasn't a real Smurf and that some evil human wizard created her," Empath noted. "Why didn't Papa just tell her the truth about herself?"
"I don't think even Papa Smurf knew how she wound up in a crystal in the first place," Smurfette answered, "but the reason must be the same as why he smurfed you the truth about yourself now. Papa may make mistakes at times, but he cares enough not to hurt anybody, and he only wants you to feel like you're part of this family so you won't seem so by yoursmurf all the time. We tried for years to get Grouchy to open up, but even he knows that we care about him."
"You're truly amazing, Smurfette," Empath commented, his eyes opened wide as he looked at her and thought about what she said. "You make this smurf wonder why they don't call you Empathy. You understand this smurf better than this smurf does myself, and you don't even have a smurfmark or a minds-eye!"
"Well, at the very least I have two ears and a heart!" Smurfette said, showing her two ears to Empath. "Anyway, you don't have to feel ashamed of smurfing yourself, not even in front of me. I have seen enough male Smurfs to not be embarrassed by how they look. Besides, if I may be so bold to tell you, you do look good in just a hat and pants!"
With that, Empath eased himself as Smurfette helped him out of his bathrobe. He felt a little more comfortable in her presence, being alone with her.
Hefty still felt angry at Smurfette for her outright refusal of him and the following action that would have left him hitting the high notes for the rest of his life. He went into the woods after her, heading to that private spot by the waterfalls that Smurfette would usually go to. He hid in the bushes when he saw Smurfette and Empath there, talking to each other and laughing. Hefty never heard Empath laugh as loud as he did now, so he suspected something of him as he listened.
"You actually did that to Hefty?" Empath asked, surprised. "This smurf knew that Hefty can have such a big ego on him sometimes, especially when he brags about how strong he is."
"Well, some Smurf had to put his 'big ego' back in its place," Smurfette replied. "It makes me wonder why he smurfs his heart on his shoulders when it really should be elsewhere!"
"Some do need the little things in their lives in order to make themselves feel big," Empath commented before he found himself bursting into uncontrollable laughter.
Hefty felt outraged, seeing Smurfette and Empath together, talking about him with such mockery, being together like this. It was like Smurfette had forgotten about him almost completely. It was so unfair...he exhausted himself and fell on his face many times just to get her affections, and she still turned him down. Empath barely knew her and had hardly done anything for her, and now she only had eyes for him.
Hefty felt his hands balling into fists. Somehow, sometime, someplace, he swore to himself, Empath would have his fall from grace even if Hefty has to take him down 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: 4088 | From: Westfield, MA | Registered: Mar 2003
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Vic George The ND Guy
Super Smurf
Member # 300
Member Rated:
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posted 03-28-2025 01:10 PM
Chapter 13
Gargamel was at his wit's end, and looking through the last book in his castle's library, still not able to find what he was looking for. Scruple was busy picking up the pile of books that his master had carelessly discarded, also looking through them in case Gargamel had missed anything, while Azrael slept on a pillow in a corner.
"I just don't understand this at all," Gargamel said, closing the last book he read through in disgust. "There's no wizard who's more well-studied in the ways of those wretched blue creatures than I am, who's even been to their village and lived among them for who knows how long. So why can't I figure out anything about that Smurf who all by himself steals Papa Smurf from our hands and flies around and makes things fly in our faces?"
"Maybe all those years of failing to capture them had finally caught up with you, master," Scruple answered mischievously. "I heard you weren't the best student to have ever came from the sorceror's guild, so here you are stuck in this ranshack castle with no money, no luck..."
"And no respect from a vagabond child who's also a failure as an apprentice," Gargamel snarled. "If it weren't for me, you'd be on the streets right now as a filthy beggar. But if you don't respect the fact that I'm your master, that's where you'll be when I finally turn those Smurfs into gold!"
"If you finally turn the Smurfs into gold, Gargamel," Scruple shot back. "You still have to capture them, which you still couldn't do even with your eyes closed."
"My plans and schemes were flawless," Gargamel muttered. "It's just that for something with a small brain, Papa Smurf was always ingenious enough to figure a way out of them. He didn't even try this time, and still he got away from me. If it weren't for that flying Smurf with that yellow star on his forehead, I'd have the whole village in my cauldron by now!"
"Wait a bit, Gargamel," Scruple said, who just finished looking through another book before putting it away when he just remember something he read. "Did you say that Smurf had a yellow star on his forehead?"
Gargamel glared daggers at Scruple. "In case you weren't paying any attention, I did say that!" he shouted. "Don't you dare interrupt me when I'm miserable!"
"Well, take a sorry-looking glimpse at this before you start making things fly around in here!" Scruple said, showing him the middle pages of a book he pulled off a shelf.
Gargamel snatched the book from Scruple's hands and read the section in it. His eyes opened when he found that, in the ancient human text it was translated in, the section was about the legend of Smurf birthmarks, particularly the yellow star mark.
"'He who is smurfed with the mark of the stars is truly blessed by the stars, for it is this smurf who will possess abilities beyond all imagining, beyond the five known senses...abilities that only the strong of minds can harness,'" he read aloud. "Hmmm... beyond the five known senses...?" He scratched his bald head as he pondered about its meaning.
"Five known senses?" Scruple said, also pondering. Then it came to him. "That must mean the sixth sense...the ability to move things with your mind and such!"
Gargamel looked at him with a sudden flash of understanding. "That's it, Scruple!" he exclaimed, accidentally stepping on Azrael's tail and instantly awakening him with a painful yowl. "For a dullard like you, you can be brilliant sometimes! That Smurf has telekinetic powers, and judging from how fast he responded to rescuing his beloved leader, he must also be telepathic. That's how he managed to escape from our grasp with Papa Smurf and left us tripping over ourselves!"
"Okay, so now we know," Scruple stated, already sounding unimpressed. "That doesn't tell us how we can counteract that kind of power, Gargamel!"
"Actually, my know-nothing neophyte, I do know of a way," Gargamel replied, confident with his newfound knowledge. "From what I remembered of my years in the sorceror's guild, some wizard did mention that certain nonhuman telepaths and telekinetics are actually vulnerable to the effects of mystical energies, especially those wielded by human hands."
"Oh, I see it now!" Scruple exclaimed, this time being amazed. "Magic powers can cancel out mind powers...at least those minds that are not human. But how do we test this theory out on that flying Smurf?"
"We are not going to test out anything on that Smurf, Scruple," Gargamel bravely stated. "It is I, Gargamel, who will have that privilege. Tonight is the final phase of the full moon, which means that the Great Book Of Spells will awaken to give me anything I ask of from it. And tonight, I will ask that book for exactly what I want...the ultimate Smurf-smashing power that will allow me to take care of that beastly blue buzzboy and his disgusting hedonistic hive in one swift stroke. I have waited too long and have worked too hard to make this one dream of mine come true. Now at long last, I will have my revenge against the Smurfs...they will pay as my ticket out of this forest forever!"
The walls of the castle echoed Gargamel's loud lustful laughter throughout the forest as he allowed himself the luxury of a victory cry.
Jokey was waiting behind one of the houses on the outskirts of the village for Empath to pass by on his return. He was wearing a theatrical costume made in the image of Gargamel, with long stilted arms and a horrid-looking head carved from a well-preserved pumpkin shell. Through the eyeholes cut into the patched robe of the costume, Jokey watched until he saw both Empath and Smurfette walking toward him. He carefully and quietly lifted the costume's arms in anticipation.
Smurfette was telling Empath about the various weird schemes that Gargamel had used in his vain attempts to capture the Smurfs. "One time, Gargamel turned himself into a baby Smurf, and I still can't smurf over how...uh, how much he was unlike the real Baby Smurf, who came to our village a year later. And I thought that all babies looked so adorable, but Gargamel was smurftainly not one of them!"
"This smurf could only imagine," Empath said, trying to maintain his composure between a few stifled laughs.
Smurfette let out a sigh as she found herself all laughed out. "In any case, I'm glad I haven't seen that insmurferable wizard in over a year now," she remarked. "I guess he must have finally learned his lesson from all those years of torturing us that it's not nice to smurf on somebody smaller than yourself!"
"But you don't seem so relieved about that, Smurfette," Empath noted. "This smurf can guess that you're still frightened by his presence in the forest."
"It's probably more than any Smurf can ask for," Smurfette groaned, "and I'm not expecting you to smurf the job, but I just wish somebody would have the courage to smurf that evil Gargamel far away from us once and for all."
At that moment, Jokey stepped out from behind the house in his Gargamel costume, suddenly appearing in front of Empath and Smurfette. "I have you now, my pretty...and your wretched little blue friend, too!" he cackled, doing a perfect imitation of Gargamel's voice for added effect.
Smurfette screamed, but Empath just stood there calmly. "Salutations, Jokey Smurf. Interesting costume...it's very accurate in its detail of the person himself!"
Smurfette looked like she was ready to tear through Jokey's costume and strangle him when she found out who really scared her. "Jokey Smurf, that wasn't very funny at all!" she fumed.
"At least I know you'd still smurf for the same joke every time, Smurfette!" Jokey chuckled as he removed himself from his costume. "So, Empath, was that scary enough for you or what?"
"This smurf was never scared by your costume, Jokey," Empath answered, "but honestly, this smurf would most likely believe that the real Gargamel is more frightening than your costumed presentation of him."
"Now that is a joke, Empath," Jokey snickered in disbelief. "You are more scared of the real Gargamel? Aw, smurf real...I bet you can smurf that old wizard with one hand tied behind your smurf. I think Gargamel would be more scared of you if he ever smurfed into you in the forest!"
Before Empath could say anything about his first encounter with Gargamel, Sculptor Smurf had approached them, wiping the sweat from his brow, interrupting. "We're all set with the surprise we wanted to show Empath, Jokey!"
"Surprise? What's going on?" Empath asked.
"Jokey, this better not be something up your smurf..." Smurfette started to say.
"Relax, Smurfette...it's something you've always wanted, too!" Jokey cut her off as he took a blindfold and wrapped it around Empath's eyes. "Just don't smurf anything until we get there." To Empath, he whispered, "Don't worry...you won't regret it!"
Then he and Sculptor led Smurfette and the blindfolded Empath to a place on the outskirts of the village, where Smurfette saw most of her fellow Smurfs waiting there silently at the ready. Somehow, Smurfette had the feeling that she wasn't going to like what kind of surprise they were planning for Empath.
When they got there, Jokey pulled the blindfold off Empath, who looked around and found himself surrounded by his fellow adult Smurfs, all shouting:
"LONG LIVE THE LUCKIEST SMURF!"
Then Empath saw something above and behind the crowd of Smurfs and was stunned by what he saw. He saw it only in Papa Smurf's memories, but it was now that he saw it as it actually existed.
"It's the statue of this smurf!" Empath exclaimed, wide-eyed in wonder as he stared at it. The statue did look exactly as it did in Papa Smurf's recollections; standing tall and attentive, his eyes looking toward the sky, mirroring his obedient expressiveness in the presence of the Psyche Master, his mouth a slight frown.
"It's amazing how accurate in detail this statue is," Empath commented, examining it from every angle. Then he noticed something about it that he didn't recognize.
"Whose idea was this to put a red flowing cape on this smurf's statue?" he asked his fellow Smurfs. "Was it Papa Smurf's idea?"
"No...that was our idea, Empath," Tailor answered, stepping forward. "But he always wanted us to prepare for the moment you would smurf back to us for good, when you have the power to smurf us free."
"Set you free?" Empath asked. "From whom?"
"From Gargamel!" every Smurf answered in unison.
"Papa Smurf always knew before any of us did that you had a special purpose for smurfing in the village amongst us normal Smurfs," Poet announced, sounding like a preacher, holding his harp as if it were a bible. "Now it is time for you, my blue brother, to fulfill that destiny and smurf that human monster back where he smurfed from."
"Are you all out of your smurfs?" Smurfette addressed the crowd. "This is Empath we're talking about, a Smurf like the rest of you!"
"Empath is not just a Smurf," Jokey responded. "He's the one that old wizard could never smurf a finger on. He could smurf Gargamel on a one-way trip to the moon without breaking a sweat. I bet even nothing can harm him!"
"Wait a minute!" Empath shouted. "You mean...you want this smurf to actually hurt Gargamel? This...this can't be...can't be right. I mean, we are Smurfs. We're not supposed to hurt other beings in this forest, or even ourselves. Even Papa Smurf believes that..."
"We're never going to be free of Gargamel, Empath, if we keep smurfing what Papa Smurf says!" Tuffy, a hot-headed Smurf, said adamantly. "Papa Smurf's an old fool who still doesn't smurf it in his thick head that Gargamel will never change his ways, no matter how many times he smurfs otherwise. All that he's ever done to protect us from him only gives him another chance to smurf us in for good!"
"That's where you come in, Empath," Reporter Smurf, the voice of the village with a nose for news, added eagerly. "All you have to smurf is give that Gargamel back the hurting he's been smurfing us over the years, force him to leave, and presto! The forest is safe, we are safe, you'll be a legend, and Papa Smurf can smurf his head off without ever needing to know what you smurfed."
"Aye, just think of the rewards, Empath!" Miner Smurf, who spoke with a Scottish burr, joined in, giving him a sly wink. "Surely I see you've smurfed your eye on Smurfette, eh? Well, all you have to do is get rid of Gargamel and you can have the pretty lass...just like that!"
"How dare you!" Smurfette shouted, slapping Miner's face for making such a comment like that.
"Please, my fellow Smurfs...I do not want any part of this..." Empath protested in desperation.
"You have to do this, Empath. It's what you've been destined to do!"
"A true-blue Smurf like you would never say no to this opportunity!"
"Every Smurf's been waiting for you to do this!"
“It’s time to fulfill your destiny, Empath!”
"GET RID OF GARGAMEL!!!"
Empath found himself mobbed by his fellow Smurfs, who were too busy prodding and badgering him to even listen to his protests. He and Smurfette were trapped in the center, unable to escape the crowd.
Finally, Empath couldn't take it anymore. He let out an anguished scream, and as he did he looked straight at the statue of himself and threw a punch into the air in that direction. His minds-eye amplified his punch, turning it into a shock wave.
Suddenly the statue exploded into thousands of small pieces of rubble. Every Smurf who was around Empath heard the explosion, and those unfortunate to be standing around the statue felt it as well, though no Smurf was seriously hurt. The others had stopped shouting and just looked at Empath with expressions of shock and disgust.
"Is this all that I am to you Smurfs?" Empath yelled at his fellow Smurfs, now that he got their undivided attention. "Just some statue to be worshipped whenever any of you feel like it? Just a stone idol with no life or any feelings? Just some thing you can use for your own selfish whims? That's how I felt about the Psyches when I was living among them, only nobody worshipped me. All those years I've visited the Smurf Village, I thought you people were different, that you people actually cared about others who were like or even unlike yourselves. But now I see that all any of you really care about is your own selves...even that half-naked, ape-faced pervert that you call a leader...your father!"
Smurfette just watched Empath, a bit fearfully.
"The Psyche Master was right about the one thing he told me," Empath continued, his anger still not fully vented. "YOU SMURFS ARE NOTHING BUT A GROUP OF BACKWARD BLUE-SKINNED SAVAGES...and what's worse, I happen to be born as one of you! If this is what it truly means to be a Smurf, then I don't wish to belong to your pathetic kind anymore!"
With that, Empath tore off all his clothes from his body and ripped them to shreds. All the other Smurfs just watched, open-mouthed and appalled by what they saw Empath do.
"You Smurfs want somebody to save you?" he finished. "Go smurf yourselves off a cliff and save yourselves, because you're all smurfing helpless!"
"Well, well, well...look at what we smurf here!" another voice broke in. Hefty approached Empath, wearing a nasty smile on his face. "I guess the star-faced showoff really wants to show himsmurf off in all his glory. Say, Empath, how was Smurfette out there in the forest? Did she let you kiss her...or does she not kiss freaks?" He bellowed with laughter as his own remark.
Empath merely stepped toward Hefty and, with a single burst of psychic power, knocked him hard to the ground. He didn't get up.
"Shut up, you savage!" Empath snarled.
Then he ran away from the crowd.
Smurfette also felt that she had enough of what she saw. "I just hope you Smurfs are all happy with yoursmurfs now that you've totally disgraced Empath with this display of yours!" she spat at them before she followed Empath, who was way ahead of her.
Papa Smurf, who still had the bruise on his face from his last talk with Empath, saw Empath and Smurfette passing by him as he approached the crowd gathered around Empath's statue. He saw the broken statue, the torn clothes, and the stunned looks of the crowd.
"Great Smurfs of Fire!" Papa Smurf exclaimed as he approached. "What in smurf happened here?"
"Empath happened here, Papa Smurf," Handy Smurf answered. "We tried to get him to do smurfthing for us, but he got all upset, said some unsmurfy words about us, tore up his new suit, smashed his statue, and knocked Hefty to the smurf cold."
"I see," Papa Smurf replied, barely hinting a suspicion. "So this had nothing to do with you Smurfs wanting to make Empath into a hero, is that correct?"
"What do you mean, Papa Smurf?" Jokey asked.
"It means that I'm very disappointed with all of you," Papa Smurf said angrily. "You think I would be so foolish as to not ever notice all of you gathering around here, acting like Empath is some sort of god? Is this what I taught you?"
The others were stupefied. "But you said that someday Empath will return to us and we will be smurfed free," Tuffy insisted.
"What I meant at the time I said that," Papa explained, still angry, "was that we would be free from worrying about him being away from us. I don't know how any of you smurfed it to mean something else, but I will tell you one thing -- if I see even a single Smurf making anything of Empath into a shrine of worship, I will personally destroy it with my own smurfs! Is that understood?"
For a moment, nobody answered. "Y-y-y-yes, Papa Smurf," one of them said fearfully.
"Good," Papa Smurf barked. "Now I want you to clean up this mess and leave this park alone!"
As his little Smurfs rushed to obey, Papa picked up Empath's torn suit and walked away with it. He was angry, but now he was also feeling increasingly hollow. It was like losing Empath all over again.
Smurfette finally reached Empath's house, where she heard him screaming and throwing things around inside. A window broke as an object from within was flung hard through it.
Smurfette stayed her distance, but she could still feel his rage and anger through the walls. It was worse than any anger she felt from herself, or from any other Smurf. She wanted to reach inside and help him, comfort him, do anything to make his anger go away. But somehow she felt that Empath would see her like every other Smurf now, and that made her afraid for herself.
She couldn't enter his house, but she couldn't leave him, either.
"Empath, please!" she whispered. "We're not all like that!"
Empath's mind and body were no longer in control. His anger, his hate, his despair had taken over. His mind now saw every Smurf like a Psyche, like everyone in his life who wanted to control him. His hands found and tore through everything, as if they were also part of those who were controlling him. He was overcome with madness, and he had no way of escaping it. His life had become in every way like being in Psychelia, and he had enough of it.
Finally, his angry energy was exhausted, and Empath found himself slumped against a wall, his house a wreck, his mind numb with a sorrow that was engulfing and isolating him. He was sobbing.
Everybody was abandoning him again.
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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: 4088 | From: Westfield, MA | Registered: Mar 2003
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Vic George The ND Guy
Super Smurf
Member # 300
Member Rated:
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posted 03-28-2025 01:12 PM
Chapter 14
The peaceful silence in the village that night was shattered by a sudden explosion.
Empath's house was on fire. Those living nearby who heard the explosion were the first to witness and to call attention to the other Smurfs who lived further away but still heard the explosion.
Papa Smurf was one of them. Seeing Empath's house ablaze, he thought that his son would actually kill himself for what had happened to him and what he heard about himself. That scared him as much as was leaving Empath with the Psyche Master years ago.
"Get Handy and the fire brigade over to Empath's house immediately," he shouted out to his little Smurfs as he rushed out of his house in his nightgown.
Handy and his team were on their way, bringing out the experimental fire engine pump Handy designed a few years ago to take care of such situations. One Smurf put the end of one hose into the village well while others worked the pump by hand and Handy aimed the nozzle of another hose at the inferno.
"I just hope Empath wasn't in there when it smurfed up in flames," Handy shouted as he continued to spray the house down.
"I hope not myself!" Papa Smurf said, grimly watching.
Besides Lazy, who could sleep his way through almost any noisy disturbance, Baby Smurf was also still asleep in his crib in Papa Smurf's house. While the others were too busy with fighting the fire at Empath's house, a shadowy figure crept into Papa Smurf's house and gently lifted Baby from his crib.
Baby started to cry as the shadowy figure lifted him up. But with the glow of a yellow star on the shadow's head, Baby closed his eyes and fell back to sleep.
The figure left the house through the window and silently carried Baby away from the village and into the dark forest.
It only took a few minutes until the fires were completely out. Then Handy and his team went searching through the entire house with lanterns, seeing if Empath was inside when it exploded. A minute or so later, Handy reported what he found to Papa Smurf.
"Everything in his house was already desmurfed, Papa Smurf," he answered. "It looked like a tornado had smurfed through it or something. I did find some pieces of Jokey's surprise boxes in various places, which is what most likely caused the explosion,..."
"My surprises?!?" Jokey gasped. "I wondered what Empath did with all those surprises I smurfed him over the years. I had no idea he'd ever smurf them to surprise himself!"
"...but none of us could smurf a trace of Empath anywhere in the smurfage," Handy finished. "My guess is that Empath wasn't even in the house at all!"
Papa Smurf let out a sigh of relief, but he still felt bewildered. "Could Empath have left the village and possibly smurfonated the explosives from a distance so that he didn't want any of us to find him?" he wondered aloud, stroking his beard.
"Papa Smurf!" Smurfette cried out as she approached him with a piece of parchment. "I found this note left on your door...it's from Empath!"
Papa Smurf feared the worst. He pulled out his reading glasses as he took Empath's note and read it aloud:
If you are truly "the great Smurf" as everyone in your savage village claims you to be, it would be wise for you and your followers to continue on with your worthless lives, because this smurf will end his inside the volcanic heart of Mt Vesmurfius.
However, this smurf will not leave this world alone. For the life that you have taken from this smurf, this smurf will now take from the youngest of your kind.
Farewell forever and to smurf with all of you!
Empath
"Great Smurfs!" Papa Smurf said, overcome with shock from what he read and figured out from the note. "Empath's going to kill himself...and he's taking Baby Smurf with him!"
That news shocked the other Smurfs, some to the point of outrage.
"How could Empath smurf this to us?"
"I never smurf he could ever turn out like this!"
"What an unsmurf monster!"
"I never did trust Empath as far as I can smurf him!"
"He could've done that to any of the Smurflings!"
"Papa must've been crazy to ever bring a Smurf like that into our village!"
"Quiet, everyone!" Papa Smurf shouted, silencing everyone. "Whatever bad things you may be thinking that Empath is, he isn't like that at all. He's only been away from us for so long, he feels that no Smurf here truly cares for him. And now that he knows that I'm his real father, the anger and hurt he's feeling has most likely made him turn against us."
"What do you mean, you were Empath's father?" one of the Smurfs asked in disbelief.
"I was his Papa Smurf, long before any of you became my little Smurfs," Papa Smurf confessed. "All of you lost your parents when you were Smurflings, but Empath lost more than that. He lost his sense of self and his childhood, and if we don't come to his rescue, we may lose him and Baby Smurf forever. Now you can all come with me and help bring Empath to his senses, or you can stay here and live with losing him. But whatever you Smurfs decide to do, I'm going into the volcano to talk to him!"
None of the male Smurfs said anything or even moved. But Smurfette stepped forward.
"I'm going with you, Papa Smurf," she announced. "I don't know him as much as any other Smurf did, but I care for him enough to smurf him from dying on us!"
Papa Smurf was a little pleased to see that at least Smurfette was coming with him. "Anyone else?" he asked, looking through the crowd.
"Yo, Pappy, don't leave us out of the party!" Sassette called out as she and the Smurflings joined the crowd. "Empath's our friend, too, and we won't go for any Smurf making him take a jump in the river. Besides, we have a Smurf who's more than ready to beg for Empath's mercy!"
Papa Smurf was startled to see the Smurflings dragging along Hefty, who was gagged and tied with Sassette's jumprope as well as decorated with finger paint and Sassette's toy jewelry. Hefty looked angry as he struggled uselessly to break himself from his binds.
Papa Smurf was thinking of scolding the Smurflings for doing that to Hefty, but his concern with stopping Empath from killing himself and Baby Smurf made him only nod in acceptance.
Smurfette was more amused when she saw Hefty. "Why, Hefty, you truly do smurf so beautiful when you're angry," she giggled, winking at Sassette in approval. "I must do your facial more often!"
"I'm always with Papa Smurf, no matter what he does or where he smurfs!" Brainy announced, stepping forward to join Papa Smurf and his group.
"I just hate losing Empath!" Grouchy snarled, doing the same.
"Heaven forbid that I should let Empath smurf this to himself or Baby Smurf if there's a way that we can help him smurf to his senses," Tapper said.
"Aye, and that smurfs the same for me, laddie," Duncan McSmurf said.
One by one, the other Smurfs recognized how silly it was for them to be angry at Empath when both he and Baby Smurf needed their help, and slowly they decided to help turn Empath around. They knew that they would lose both of them if they didn't help. Seeing Empath's statue in shattered ruins was only a small measure of that loss.
Papa Smurf was pleased to see all his little Smurfs pulling themselves together. "Now the sooner we can get dressed, the sooner we can get ourselves smurfing to Mt. Vesmurfius before Empath makes good on his threat."
Everyone changed into their day clothes and headed off in one group to the mountain.
Meanwhile, in Gargamel's castle, the wizard quietly opened a hatchway into his cellar and crept down into it with a lighted candle while his apprentice and his cat slept. He didn't want to let Scruple or Azrael know exactly what the Great Book of Spells, the source for much of Gargamel's magical powers, would give him to finally defeat the Smurfs. Gargamel knew his previous experiences with the spirit that inhabited the Great Book of Spells were anything but successful. But this time, Gargamel told himself, he would get it right, and it would be a real surprise for his undeserving pupil, his unfaithful pet, and his soon-to-be-gold-crafted victims.
Gargamel could see the Great Book of Spells ahead of him in the darkness. The aging book sat on a lectern in an arched niche, flanked by two candles, protected by a magical barrier so it would not be disturbed. Now all Gargamel had to do was awaken the spirit of the Book by reciting a chant he learned when he first encountered it.
"Oh, Great Book of Spells, upon whose pages dwell," he began, speaking as quietly as possible so as not to awaken Scruple or Azrael, "the secrets that no one tells...awake, awake, awake for Gargamel!"
He waited for almost a minute to see if the spirit of the Book would awaken, but he couldn't see anything happening. It continued to sit quietly in the dark. Gargamel sighed, losing his patience. "Oh, Great Book of Spells,..." he began again, a little louder.
Then instantly, he felt the ground slightly rumbling, as if an earthquake was just starting. Suddenly, the two candles on the lectern lit themselves, and the Book opened itself to the middle pages.
Gargamel was ecstatic. The spirit of the Great Book of Spells was awakened at last. Now all he needed to do was tell it exactly what he wanted.
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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: 4088 | From: Westfield, MA | Registered: Mar 2003
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Vic George The ND Guy
Super Smurf
Member # 300
Member Rated:
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posted 03-28-2025 01:13 PM
Chapter 15
As the Smurfs reached the base of the mountain range which Mt. Vesmurfius was a part of, a few leagues away from their village, Papa Smurf told Brainy about the relationship between himself, Brainy, and Empath. Brainy was almost in shock.
"You mean to tell me I'm not your real son, and that Empath is?" he whined. "Why didn't you smurf any of this to me before, Papa Smurf? All these years, I wondered why you smurfed me as your apprentice and why you treated me special -- besides Empath, I mean?"
"I wanted to tell you and Empath together when you were old enough to undersmurf, Brainy," Papa Smurf explained. "However, Empath had a terrible nightmare about his past he couldn't figure out, so I had to tell him first!"
"So me and Empath had the same Mama Smurf, then?" asked Brainy.
"Exactly, Brainy," Papa Smurf answered. "But even if I was your real father, I still would've smurfed you as my apprentice, because you and Empath are all I have left of your mother."
"Empath and Brainy as brothers!" Jokey snickered, quietly to himself. "Is that too weird or what?"
They found a cave tunnel at the base of Mt. Vesmurfius that led straight to its fiery chasm. Puppy couldn't enter the tunnel because it was too small for him, so the Smurflings dismounted him and told him to stay put outside and wait for them to return. He laid down on the ground, faithfully watching them as all of them entered.
"This mountain's the same one that smurfed the village with lava five years ago," Tracker pointed out, "and it gave you a real bad allergy, too, Papa Smurf."
"Yes, I know," Papa Smurf responded. He sniffed the air in the tunnel, and felt relieved that whatever in the volcano made him sneeze back then wasn't present. "Must have been the ashes!"
Halfway in the tunnel, they heard a cry that turned into a scream that echoed through the mountain and inside the tunnel. Papa Smurf first thought it was Empath, but then he remembered it was the here and now, so he figured out he was hearing Baby Smurf screaming for help.
Brainy and the others watched Papa Smurf bolt ahead toward the orange glow at the other end of the tunnel, which looked like the gateway into the afterlife realm of the condemned. Some of the Smurfs including Brainy ran after Papa Smurf, also wanting to know and fearing what they would find ahead of them.
The tunnel ended with a ledge barely wide enough for even a dozen Smurfs to stand on, yet sturdy enough to hold the many that could. Beyond that was a chasm that reached high to the top of the mountain, its walls illuminated by the yellow-orange lake of molten lava many feet below them. Even where they were standing, the Smurfs could feel the heat of the lava rising from below.
It didn't take long before Papa Smurf saw what he expected to see -- Empath and Baby Smurf. Both of them were floating high above the magma lake in the middle of the chasm, far beyond Papa Smurf's reach. Empath was wearing only a loincloth and a blindfold around his eyes, and was holding Baby Smurf in front of him as if he was ready to let go of him at any moment to fall to his doom.
"Empath!" Papa Smurf cried out, scared by what he saw. "Don't smurf this to us!"
"This smurf told you to go on with your lives, Papa Smurf!" Empath shouted back over Baby's crying, turning so that he was facing Papa Smurf. "You and your savage tribe were foolish to ignore that advice, so now all of you can have the pleasure of seeing what kind of a Smurf you've brought into your village!"
"Look, I know you're angry, and you have every reason to be, Empath," Papa Smurf said, "but I know you're too much of a Smurf to take your own life and Baby Smurf's. I also know you want us to listen to you, so here we are...ready to listen to you!"
"Don't you dare say that you know everything about me, Papa Smurf," Empath shouted. "You don't know what it's like to live with the Psyches most of your life -- not being able to talk to anyone or share your feelings, always having to do what somebody tells you to do, and not being able to leave Psychelia whenever you want to. You also don't know that I have taken a life from a Psyche when I was with them -- all because I had no choice but to do so!"
"You're right; I don't know what it's like being with the Psyches," Papa Smurf replied, "but I do know what it's like to be forever seperated from the ones you loved. Even your fellow Smurfs know what it's like."
"All any of you really know," Empath shot back, "was how happy your lives have been, and how much the same you all are, and how childish and uncaring you all really are. You don't want me as I am, you just want me for what you want me to be!"
"That's not true at all!" Papa Smurf insisted. "What I did to you was my smurfing, but taking Baby Smurf like this is no better than the Psyche Master taking you away from me!"
"He didn't take me away from anything...you did!" Empath roared. "And now I'm giving you a chance to prove how sorry you really are for taking everything of my life away from me. If you're not willing to take that chance...well, smurfa la vista, Baby!"
This made every Smurf gasp in horror, except for Papa Smurf.
"What do you want me to do?" he asked.
"It's very simple," Empath answered. "Just walk off this ledge toward me to rescue Baby Smurf. But you must do this blindsmurfed, and you must not use your magic or any of your little Smurfs to help you. The instant you do, you will fall into the fire and so will Baby and myself."
"Don't do this, Papa Smurf," Tuffy whispered to him. "He might be tricking you!"
"I have no choice," Papa Smurf answered back. "We have to trust him...it's the only way to save Empath and Baby!"
With Smurfette's help, Papa Smurf had a blindfold put over his eyes, covering them up completely so that he was unable to see anything but darkness. Then the other Smurfs spun him around a few times to disorient him. Empath wasn't leaving anything to chance, so they weren't going to pull anything on him either.
Papa Smurf momentarily lost his bearings until he heard Baby's crying directly ahead of him. As the other Smurfs stood back, Papa Smurf slowly headed in the direction of the crying.
Everyone held their breath as they saw Papa Smurf stepping one foot off the ledge, barely getting solid footing on empty air. When he was sure that he wouldn't fall, he lifted his other foot off the ledge. He wobbled in midair on one foot, his arms flailing wildly and uselessly for a handhold, and then the other foot found the next safe solid step forward.
It was like a tightrope act without either a net or a rope, as the blindfolded Papa Smurf made slow and uneasy progress toward Empath and Baby Smurf. Nothing he did in his years had ever felt as dangerous and daring as doing this, and yet somehow he felt that Empath was playing fair with him, making this challenging but not impossible.
Then his hands found Baby right in front of him, and he grabbed hold of the infant as Empath released his hold. Everyone cheered, and Papa Smurf let out a sigh, relieved and triumphant.
"Now you must turn around and let go of Baby Smurf," Empath instructed.
Everyone groaned, and Papa Smurf felt a tinge of fear up his spine. Was Empath still intending on wanting to destroy Baby Smurf, and perhaps even Papa Smurf as well, making his own father walk across a chasm of fire with no sight to guide him, only to make him risk destroying Baby Smurf by letting go of him? There were things nobody in the village knew about Empath's life living among the Psyches. Could this be one of them?
Papa Smurf still had no choice, and was in no position to demand anything of Empath right now. He ended up swallowing his pride and did what Empath asked of him. He turned around and let go of Baby Smurf.
Everyone gasped by what they saw next. For contrary to what they expected to see, Baby Smurf didn't fall to his death when he was released from Papa Smurf's arms. Instead, he was floating on air, carried by an invisible force across the chasm back to the ledge, where Smurfette eagerly embraced and comforted Baby Smurf. Everyone cheered again.
Papa Smurf, realizing now that Baby Smurf was out of danger, decided it was time to resolve this matter once and for all. "What more do you want from me to prove to you how sorry I am for what I smurfed to you?" he asked indignantly as he pulled the blindfold up away from his eyes.
"I want my life back, Papa Smurf!" Empath shouted, still blindfolded and blinded by his own jealousy and rage. "That life you took from me when you left me in Psychelia years ago. I also want the freedom to smurf my life how I choose to without any Smurf trying to smurf me how I should live it. And I want to be treated like any other Smurf in the village -- not above anyone and definitely not below. If you can't respect me enough to smurf me what I want, then I want out of your village forever so that I don't have to smurf up with the never-ending misery of living with you or anyone else!"
"Empath," Papa Smurf shouted back, his voice choked with emotion, "if I had the power to smurf back time so you could have stayed in the village instead of being smurfed with the Psyches, I would have smurfed it to you already without regrets or hesitation. But that is beyond what I can smurf, even as a sorceror. As for wanting to be treated and respected as one of your fellow Smurfs, that I can make smurf that you're given as long as you can accept me for who and what I am. I am not a perfect Smurf...I'm just your father...a humble Papa Smurf with my share of faults...and my smurfcomings!"
While Empath and Papa Smurf were busy talking with each other, Brainy was already wondering how Papa Smurf was able to make it across the chasm to Empath. Maybe his minds-eye can allow me, his own brother, to smurf across as well, just to prove how important I am to all the other Smurfs who ever thought the worst about me, Brainy thought.
So without another word, he started out toward the edge.
"Brainy, what are you smurfing?" Smurfette asked, fearful of what she was seeing Brainy attempting to do.
The other Smurfs saw it as well. "Brainy, you dope, don't smurf off the ledge!" one of them called out. So did the others.
But Brainy ignored the warnings and stepped off the ledge. The first step was solid, but as he pulled his other leg forward, Brainy felt as if the invisible tightrope was giving way. He cried out to Empath as he flailed his arms wildly and then fell forward down into the abyss.
Empath suddenly saw Brainy falling with his minds-eye, but the instant he did, he lost all control over his levitation, and soon he and Papa Smurf joined Brainy in a fast free fall toward the magma pool.
"Empath!" Smurfette screamed.
There was nothing anyone on the ledge could do except watch the three Smurfs die.
As the bright glow of the fiery lake loomed closer and brighter, Papa Smurf saw his own life flashing before his eyes. It was like leaving Empath in Psychelia all over again, except that he and Brainy would now join Empath in a death from which none of them would ever return from. Also, just when he barely managed to bring his real son and his stepson together again, he would now lose them as well.
Papa Smurf regretted all of this. He also regretted not being able to see his other little Smurfs live on without him. Smurfette, Baby Smurf, the Smurflings...he would not live to see them grow, fall in love, raise a family, and be happy as well. And all because he had foolishly left Empath in Psychelia.
I can't let that happen, his mind cried out furiously. I can't let Empath die!
From his own lips, Papa Smurf chanted out an incantation he had learned years ago as a student of Palleadore...one he hoped he would never use, but one that now he needed more than anything to save the people that meant everything in his own life.
As he repeated the incantation, his hands began to glow with pure mystical energy, until a tendril shot forth from each hand, expanding in length. The tendrils found their targets and enclosed them in a bright glow that slowed their falling. Then the tendrils shrank unto themselves, and Empath and Brainy instantly were encased in transparent bubbles floating high above the magma, out of danger.
Papa Smurf's hands continued to glow, and then his whole body began to glow as well, turning him completely white. But it was too late for him. He was swallowed up into the lava and was gone without a trace.
Empath, who was so disoriented by the unexpecting falling that he was screaming for his life, saw and felt something similar and and yet different behind the blindfold at this point.
He was back in the Psyche Master's temple as an infant.
Papa Smurf, again younger, was looking down on his son, ready to say goodbye to him.
"I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive an old fool like me," he said gently and sadly. "Until we are together again, I will always cherish you."
Papa Smurf again put his son down.
Empath again saw his father leave, and he couldn't hold back the tears.
Papa, please, don't leave me here, he tried to call out.
Again it came out as a baby cry.
Again he felt the pain as the Psyche Master entered his mind and erased everything he remembered about himself and Papa Smurf, except for that moment.
Again he screamed.
And as he screamed, Empath heard the faint thunderous pounding of the door as Papa Smurf vainly tried to reenter the temple in an effort to save him.
Finally, again, everything faded to black.
And Empath had died.
"Empathy…are you awake?" a familiar voice called out to him.
Empath didn't expect to hear any voice calling out to him in the darkness. Nor did he expect to feel the hands of something or somebody bigger than himself carrying him away. He was supposed to be dead, wasn't he?
He opened his eyes and saw the brown-bearded face of his father. It was Culliford -- Papa Smurf. He squealed in joy.
"Empathy!" Culliford exclaimed, also surprised to see his own son awaken. "Oh, I thought you would be smurfed from me forever. I'm sorry I ever smurfed it in my head to take you to such a place like Psychelia, but I promise you from now on that I will never leave you like that ever again!"
"Papa!" Empathy finally spoke.
Culliford looked at his son, again surprised but still happy. "Empathy…you just smurfed your first word!" He hugged his son close to him as the infant closed his eyes again. "That's right, my little Empathy, that's who I am -- who I will always be. I am your Papa Smurf."
"Papa Smurf?" Empath asked, as the image of him carrying him away from the Psyche Master's temple had faded back into blackness.
But now he found that the voice that was his own is his current voice.
And something was lifting and carrying him away. But it wasn't the hands of Papa Smurf. It was something else, gentle and yet lighter than hands.
He removed the blindfold from his face and found out that he was now in a magic bubble, invisibly floating high up the chasm, away from the lava pool. He couldn't sense anything beyond the bubble, which must mean only one thing.
"Papa Smurf," he said to himself as a revelation, "he created this magic bubble to save me. And Brainy as well." He watched as another bubble floated past him, containing Brainy, who looked almost as surprised as Empath was over being rescued this way.
"But why did I see Papa Smurf rescue me from the Psyche Master, when I knew all along that years ago he couldn't?" Empath asked himself.
Then he knew the reason why. Though Papa Smurf couldn't save Empath many years ago from being taken by the Psyche Master, he truly did whatever he could to prevent the inevitable from happening, even as he left afterward thinking his own son was dead. And now, when Empath and Brainy had nearly fallen into the fiery pit of the volcano all because of Empath's own anger toward Papa Smurf, he had done the very thing that he had meant to do back then -- protect his own son from the jaws of death. That made Empath realize another thing.
"Papa Smurf is truly my own father!" he exclaimed. "He sacrificed his own life to save mine -- and now I have shamed him with my own anger."
That realization made Empath feel sad and guilty, wishing he could have a second chance to tell Papa Smurf how sorry he was.
The other Smurfs were more than relieved to see the two bubbles carrying Empath and Brainy rise from the abyss to the ledge, where they landed and disappeared, leaving only their passengers.
Smurfette was the first to greet Empath. "Thank Smurfness you're still alive, Empath," she cried out as she embraced him.
"This smurf is also happy to continue functioning," Empath managed to say.
Then Empath saw Brainy standing beside him, and at that moment he felt like he should have been angry with him for what he did, which cost them both their father's life. But instead, his minds-eye saw something in Brainy's mind, and then he realized something.
"You knew," Empath said. "Papa Smurf told you the truth about you and me."
Brainy didn't know how to answer that. He was so overcome with emotion -- from what he had learned and what he had lost -- that he couldn't find a single thing to say that was appropriate. The only thing he could do was embrace Empath.
"It is true, and I still can't believe it, Empath," he managed to say through his tears. "We're brothers!"
"Where's Papa Smurf?" Smurfette asked, interrupting the happy moment.
Empath took a few seconds to search out the entire chasm with his mind for Papa Smurf's presence. But there was nothing he could find -- nobody he could sense except for his fellow Smurfs.
"He's gone from us," he answered, sounding sad.
"Oh, no, it's all my fault, Empath," Brainy whined. "I should've smurfed my mind and stayed on the ledge like you smurfed me to, but no, I had to go and prove mysmurf that I could smurf the same thing as you could just because we are related! Papa Smurf died because of my foolishness and my arrogance."
"You are not to blame, Brainy," Empath said consolingly, though he was also mourning his loss. "You gave him a chance to prove who he was to the both of us. It's this smurf's fault to have led you all into this."
"So what do we do now without Papa Smurf?" another Smurf asked.
"We must honor him the best way we know how," Empath answered. "We must carry on with our own lives, to protect ourselves and the village, to work and live together the way Papa Smurf would have wanted us to do."
"I hate smurfing without Papa Smurf," Grouchy muttered.
Suddenly the entire chasm began to rumble violently enough to startle the Smurfs on the ledge. "What's smurfening?" Scaredy asked.
"Smurfs like this whole place is about to blow," Tracker guessed.
"Let's smurf out of here before we get smurfed to a crisp as well," Brainy cried out, prepared to leave.
"No...something else is happening, Brainy!" Empath countered, peering over the edge to see what could possibly be causing the shaking from below. Brainy, Smurfette, and the Smurflings also stood by the edge, looking fearfully, hoping that it isn't the volcano ready to erupt.
The lava lake stirred and bubbled like a heated pot of water boiling itself over. In the next moment, a small orange glob had burst upward from the surface, propelled at incredible speed. As it rose higher, the glob not only changed color but also its shape -- a humanoid shape that Empath and every other Smurf had now recognized as it got closer to the ledge.
It was that of Papa Smurf. He looked as if he were slightly sunburned, and his red suit was now a shade darker than before, but he was alive.
Every Smurf cheered for Papa Smurf as he gracefully landed back on the ledge in front of them. But Empath could see Papa Smurf was now staring daggers at him. It was a look that Empath couldn't stand to see on him. It made Empath feel ashamed of himself.
"Papa Smurf," he began to say, "this smurf is so sorry for what this smurf has done to you, to Baby Smurf, to everyone in the village. This smurf now realizes how wrong it is to question how much you care for any Smurf, even for this smurf."
Somehow it didn't seem like enough, for Papa Smurf's angry expression hadn't changed. Empath swallowed hard as he fell to his knees, feeling pathetic and humbled.
"This smurf is forever at your mercy, Papa Smurf," he added, his voice breaking, his eyes looking downward. "You may do what you will…for this smurf is not worthy enough to call himself a true Smurf…or even your son."
At that, Papa Smurf finally looked down at Empath and saw how low he had put himself in front of his own father. At that, Papa Smurf's expression of anger turned to sadness. At that, he realized that, as much as he wanted his own son to respect him even for the worst of what he did, he didn't want to treat Empath in the same way he saw the Psyche Master had treated him. He got down on his own knees and looked Empath in the eyes with those of concern and love.
"Empath, you have every right to question how much I care for you," Papa Smurf responded, taking Empath's hands in his own. "I know I was wrong for smurfing you in Psychelia, to even bring you there without ever asking you. Now I know how wrong I was in also leaving you there all those years. I was just too busy being a leader, wanting to be like the Psyche Master but in my own way. I should have known all the while that I was ignoring you, smurfing you for granted, when you were away from me. I should have smurfed my ground against the Psyche Master and kept you here in the Smurf Village when I found out you were alive."
"I know you should have done that," Empath muttered. "But now, all I want to know is if you do really care for me, even after what I smurfed to you and everyone here."
"Yes, Empath," Papa Smurf answered. "I still do care for you, and I always will, no matter what happens. I won't ever leave you like that anymore!"
Empath looked at his father and saw that he was telling the truth. As uncomfortable as it was now becoming, he couldn't hold back the need to embrace his father, to feel his arms around him as their warmth and strength soothed away the pain and isolation he had felt for a very long time.
Somehow the scene had affected all the other Smurfs who were watching. Some of them helped Empath to his feet, and one by one each of them told Empath how sorry they were, that all they wanted was to be his friend, that they would trade places with Empath in Psychelia if they had that choice thrusted upon them. It was a moment of such heartfelt honesty and sympathy that Empath felt he had been truly accepted not as an outsider who was now a member of the Smurf Village, but now as one of their own, a brother among many siblings, a part of one whole family. Even Hefty found it in his own heart to ask for Empath's forgiveness after the Smurflings had untied him. With each Smurf making their true feelings for him known, Empath found himself feeling better about himself enough to smile again.
"Here, Empath," Tailor presented as he handed Empath some clothes to change into. "I know it isn't your smurfday present, but after all we smurfed through…!"
It was an ordinary white hat and pants. But it was enough for Empath.
"Thank you, Tailor," Empath politely accepted as he changed into the white suit. "You are very thoughtful."
Finally, as the light of the new morning's sun started to shine down into the mouth of the volcano, the Smurfs left the chasm and headed back to the village, triumphant because they succeeded in bringing Empath from the depths of his despair and back into the family circle.
The long night was over.
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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: 4088 | From: Westfield, MA | Registered: Mar 2003
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Vic George The ND Guy
Super Smurf
Member # 300
Member Rated:
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posted 03-28-2025 01:14 PM
Chapter 16
A few days have passed. Scruple spent those days straightening out his master's laboratory, even though he hadn't seen Gargamel anywhere in that time. Part of him was hoping that his master had disappeared for good, since he wasn't very fond of being bossed around by an adult so obsessed with capturing those Smurfs and yet so inept at doing so. If that was the case, Scruple himself could take over Gargamel's castle as his very own, learn the many kinds of spells and formulas that his master had learned, and become a sorceror without ever having to deal with the headmaster of that sorceror's guild that he had last been apprenticed to.
Right now, Scruple was asleep clutching a broom with his heads, lying with his head propped up on a table, when he was awakened by a slow rumbling underneath his feet -- a rumbling that got louder, and then was followed by a crash as something emerged through the floor.
Scruple fell to the floor, startled by the sudden noise. It took him less than a minute to see what it was in front of him that knocked him from his sleep.
It was his master, Gargamel. But as he looked in amazement, Scruple noticed that he looked very different -- that he looked less like a wizard and more like a knight in some kind of armor that he couldn't recognize. Even more disconcerting were the pair of gauntlets Gargamel wore with the armor, each with glowing crystals embedded within that shone with an unearthly power beyond anything Scruple had seen.
"Behold, my pestilent pupil, the ultimate weapon against those wretched Smurfs," Gargamel announced, smiling proudly at himself.
Scruple was still too surprised by what he saw his master was wearing. "This...suit of armor...is your ultimate weapon?" he finally asked.
"Not just any suit of armor, Scruple," Gargamel explained. "This suit of armor is a magical creation of these, the Gauntlets of Gantharros, which the Great Book of Spells has led me to these past three days. These gauntlets respond to my every thought, and give me physical powers I've never dreamed possible, such as superhuman strength and the ability of flight." With that, Gargamel picked up the table with both hands effortlessly and threw it against a nearby wall, splintering it with such force. "They can also do this," he added, pointing one of his gloved hands toward the stove. From the palm of that hand, Gargamel generated a magical energy blast that struck the wood inside the stove, igniting it instantly and knocking the pots and cauldron to the floor.
"Okay, so you can fly and pick up tables and start up the stove with those fancy gloves of yours," Scruple humored, feeling himself becoming more uncomfortable and fearful with this display of Gargamel's latest weapon. "But, Gargamel, don't you think this is a little too much for such a simple thing as going after those Smurfs?"
Gargamel suddenly grabbed Scruple by the collar and lifted him high above his head before Scruple could react.
"I spent five years of my miserable life doing everything possible to capture them and turn them into the gold I need to get out of this forest," Gargamel hissed angrily. "And those Smurfs have never made it easy for me to do that, no matter how small they really are. All my best plans, even that little wench I created, Smurfette, have been turned against me by those blue vermins. I haven't given up my plans then, and I don't intend to do so now. But my patience with them has run out. Now is the time I will show them once and for all that I mean what I say that they will pay for crossing me...and their blue buzzboy won't be able to stop me from doing just that!"
With that, he flung Scruple to the floor and flew right through the roof, sending some thatching down on his apprentice. In seconds, Gargamel was gone without a trace.
Scruple still looked at the sky through the hole in the roof, unharmed but now paralyzed with the fear of what his master was about to do with his newfound weapon.
"Those Smurfs will never stand a chance of surviving Gargamel now," he said, more out of sympathy for his master's victims despite his own destructive nature.
A few days have passed without incident in the village as well. Empath had been busy with Handy and Hefty helping him rebuild his house. Nobody questioned the fact that Empath was wearing his old white hat and pants suit, let alone that he also wore a shirt to go with it now. Tailor went through the trouble of sewing up a new star-patterned suit for Empath, though he couldn't understand why Empath had requested a shirt to go with the suit. But as much as Empath appreciated the effort from Tailor, he still felt more comfortable wearing the traditional white clothes of his brothers and sisters, even if it is with a shirt. Tailor decided to hold on to Empath's new suit, just in case Empath had a change of mind.
Meanwhile, Empath had been staying with Brainy during the rebuilding. Of all the other Smurfs who had the misfortune of having Brainy being with them overnight, Empath was the most tolerant and the most patient with him. Both of them had very little in the way of personal habits that really offended each other. Empath was very mindful of Brainy's property and didn't ask anything of his host that Empath couldn't get for himself.
On this third day of staying over, with nothing much going on in the village that was out of the ordinary, Brainy was amazed to see Empath drawing a picture of Papa Smurf with the toes of his right foot holding the pencil and the paper suspended in midair with Empath's minds-eye.
"How is it that you were able to smurf that?" Brainy asked. "I've never any Smurf before smurfing a pencil so proficiently with their feet, not even you!"
"Years ago, when this smurf was visiting the village, this smurf's arms were broken in a rockslide ," Empath answered. "This smurf was learning how to draw and paint at that time, and when this accident happened, this smurf feared that I would never be able to continue learning. That was when Papa Smurf told me about one of the famous artists, Christy Smurf, who lost both of his arms but nevertheless learned how to draw and paint with his left foot. It taught this smurf, as one of this smurf's instructors taught the other Psyches, that just because one part of you is dead doesn't mean the rest of you must die with it. Fortunately, this smurf's injuries had healed in that time, but even to this day, this smurf has mastered the skill of doing artwork with both my feet."
"You know, I could only wonder what this Christy Smurf would had to smurf about seeing what you are smurfing right now," Brainy said, still watching Empath.
"He would most likely say that this smurf has two left feet," Empath answered, laughing to his own reply. He sighed as he put the finishing touches to his picture and showed it to Brainy.
"Hmmm, now this has got to be the most realistic picture of Papa Smurf," Brainy commented, raising an eyebrow as he looked at Empath's work. "Though it's not entirely accurate as far as detail smurfs, because I smurftainly don't remember smurfing Papa Smurf's beard covering up his ears!"
Empath smiled, appreciating Brainy's critique. "This smurf can always count on you for your expert opinion on this smurf's art style, Brainy. However, it is possible that this image of Papa Smurf reflects that of how he would appear before he gets his haircut from Barber, since the hairs in his beard do grow at a constant rate of...!" He stopped talking when his minds-eye sensed something.
Brainy noticed that Empath had stared off into space, the smile on his face instantly vanished. "Empath, what's smurfing on?" he asked out of concern. "Are you smurfing something in your mind right now?"
Empath barely heard the question as what his minds-eye saw was gone in a flash. He couldn't make out what it was, or whether it was real, long enough to make any notice of it.
"This smurf is not sure, Brainy," he finally answered. "But it's probably nothing to concern the attention of any Smurf."
Gargamel was having a time mastering the art of flying with his new magical armored suit created with the Gauntlets of Gantharros. He thought it would be difficult to do so, especially since he knew that the Great Book of Spells never gave him anything that did exactly what he wanted it to do without something going wrong. This time, all the Great Book of Spells gave him was the directions to a secret chamber hidden somewhere in the forest where the gauntlets of a legend Gargamel hardly ever knew about were located. And true to the legend, the gauntlets gave Gargamel exactly what he needed, what he thought he needed. It made flying feel like it was second-nature to Gargamel, and it made the armor feel very lightweight, not constraining but actually enhancing the wizard's physical movements. The only thing he had yet to know was how well it would protect him in a battle he knew he was going to win. He knew that he was going to find out soon enough.
But now Gargamel was too exhilarated by his flying high over the forest to even care. He remembered dreaming about flying around as a child, wondering how it would feel to be such a creature that could fly. It may have been a childhood fantasy back then, but now that he experienced it firsthand as an adult, Gargamel couldn't help feeling like a child again, letting the thrill of soaring high above the trees of the forest, seeing things below him from another angle as well as things beyond what he could see on the ground, overtake him.
As he reveled himself in flight, Gargamel saw the very thing he was looking for -- the Smurf Village. He knew that their village was somewhere in this forest, but he never knew exactly where it was even though he had been there some times before. Now, the village was right there below him...and the Smurfs were all there waiting for him as well.
Gargamel cackled with laughter. Finally, he had found them...and finally, he was going to get his revenge. "Prepare to meet your doom, my little Smurfs!" he hissed as he dived down headfirst from the sky toward the village.
None of the Smurfs were prepared for Gargamel's unexpected appearance, let alone even how he got there. They had only an instant to watch as the wizard fired an energy burst from one of his gauntlets that struck and completely destroyed one of their mushroom houses.
They had only time to scream and run for their lives.
"Help! Gargamel's in the village!"
"He's smurfing down our houses!"
"We need Papa Smurf out here to smurf care of him!"
"Somebody get Empath, too!"
The Smurfs reacted as Gargamel uprooted a tree with his gloved hands and threw it right on top of several more Smurf houses, crushing them on the spot. Some ran away. Some stayed and tried a useless assault on Gargamel, only to find themselves ensnared by an energy orb Gargamel had projected that pulled them inside like a black hole. Some barely had time to do anything before the same energy orb captured them as well.
It was quickly becoming a catastrophe that got the whole village involved as more houses got destroyed, damaged, or knocked over, and as more Smurfs found themselves prisoners inside the energy orb that absorbed them. Catapults and other weapons the Smurfs came up with to deal with something as big as Gargamel in Empath's absence did nothing against his armor or the gauntlets. Soon, even those weapons were destroyed.
Gargamel smiled viciously as he relished every moment he was exacting his revenge against the Smurfs. Even Puppy was no match for Gargamel, for one of his magical energy bursts had shrunken the brave dog down to Smurf-size. He had them right where he wanted them, and nothing they could do against him could ever stop his assault.
The only thing left that could was Empath. And Gargamel was waiting for him to show up.
Empath and Brainy were digging themselves out of the rubble when the roof of Brainy's house collapsed upon them. Empath's minds-eye was able to shield them physically from the rubble, so they were for now unharmed.
But when they made it outside to see what was going on that caused the damage, Empath and Brainy couldn't believe what they saw.
"It's Gargamel!" Brainy yelped. "But how did he smurf his way to the village like that?"
"That armored suit he's wearing may be the answer," Empath suggested. "This smurf needs to stop him before there's nothing left of the village or us. In the meantime, Brainy, try getting as many Smurfs as you can to safety!" He grabbed his shoes and put them on.
"Wait, Empath!" Brainy exclaimed. "You don't know what you're smurfing with...!"
But Empath leaped skyward and was gone.
Gargamel had captured at least a few dozen Smurfs by now, and almost half of the village was demolished. Most of the other Smurfs were left in disarray, and now Papa Smurf had come out to face him.
"So you've come to try forcing me out of the village again, haven't you?" Gargamel sneered. "You may be a master sorceror, but even your magic can't rescue your little followers who will soon be my little golden treasures...as surely as you will be, Papa Smurf!"
"You can't have the rest of us, Gargamel!" Papa Smurf stated boldly. "My magic will protect those that remain in the village in the event that I am ever captured by you. No matter what you do to me, the village will survive!"
"Not for long!" Gargamel hissed viciously, but just as he fired an energy burst straight at Papa Smurf, his target disappeared from sight before it had struck the ground where the village leader stood.
Gargamel turned to see Empath flying straight toward his midsection. There was a loud metallic clang as Empath rebounded off Gargamel's armor without even making a dent in it.
"Not expecting that to happen, now did you, my star-browed troublemaker?" Gargamel sneered as he saw Empath shake off the effects of the deflection. "Papa Smurf may have had an ace up his sleeve, figurately speaking, but now that he left his hand exposed, I will take advantage of it!"
Before Empath could react, Gargamel shot forth another burst from one of his gauntlets at Papa Smurf, instantly encasing him within an energy orb that soon joined the larger energy orb that contained a good deal of Empath's fellow Smurfs, including Baby Smurf and the Smurflings.
"You won't get away with abducting the Smurfs!" Empath shouted, furious at what he had seen happen.
"Oh...but I will!" Gargamel answered back. "And not even your vaunted minds-eye can stop me!"
Empath flew straight toward Gargamel, only to be instantly struck by a powerful energy burst from the wizard's gauntlet. The force of the blast was enough to repel Empath, sending him spinning out of control until he crashed into a rooftop and then fell to the ground, knocking him out cold.
Gargamel continued to capture a dozen more Smurfs, this time with little opposition of Empath's or Papa Smurf's magnitude to deal with, until he realized that the gauntlets' energy levels were running low. Still, he had enough Smurfs to begin making gold with -- including the traitorous Smurfette whom he had created to destroy them in the first place -- so there was no need to continue the assault. He felt that he had the Smurfs right where he wanted them -- on their knees, ready to surrender.
"You will give your worthless lives over to me by sundown," Gargamel demanded, "or I will return and destroy you and your village in a single blow. Either way, your days of living in the forest are over!"
With that, Gargamel headed back into the sky, eager to begin the very experiment with his captured Smurfs that he had waited years to perform.
His road to the future seemed very much to be paved with gold.
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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: 4088 | From: Westfield, MA | Registered: Mar 2003
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Vic George The ND Guy
Super Smurf
Member # 300
Member Rated:
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posted 03-28-2025 01:15 PM
Chapter 17
Brainy was the first Smurf to tend to Empath while the remaining Smurfs watched over Brainy's shoulder, half expecting Empath to be revived so he could explain what happened, and half condemning him for failing to stop Gargamel.
Brainy held Empath's hand, frightened at the thought of losing his only half-brother again. "Empath, please smurf to me that you're all right," he pleaded.
Empath's eyes slowly opened. He felt as if he had been hit by a boulder coming down the mountain, but otherwise there was no physical injuries. "Brainy...this smurf hasn't joined the Great Ancestors just yet," he replied weakly.
"Oh, Empath, thank smurfness you're still alive!" Brainy cried out, happy for the moment but still overcome with despair over what had happened as he helped Empath slowly up onto his feet.
Empath looked around and scanned the entire area of the village with his minds-eye. "Papa Smurf...Smurfette...Baby Smurf...the Smurflings...over 56 of our fellow Smurfs are now gone," he finally said. "Fortunately, none of those who are still here are dead or badly injured, but this smurf cannot even detect the presence of our captured Smurfs anywhere else in the forest."
"I know, and it's so horrible," Brainy added without the slightest trace of his usual arrogant tone. "If that armor of his is more powerful than you or Papa Smurf's magic, then I don't think we can smurf a chance against Gargamel. We have failed!"
"What do you mean 'we', Brainy Smurf?" another Smurf angrily said. "This is all Empath's fault. He smurfed us all down because he would rather follow Papa Smurf's example than smurf an example out of that wizard. If he had chosen to smurf Gargamel before he even had the chance to smurf us like he did right now, none of this would ever have happened!"
"Well," Brainy countered, "in case you all have forgotten, Papa Smurf never wanted any of us to smurf...!"
"We're sick and tired of hearing about what Papa Smurf wants," Tuffy barked, interrupting Brainy. "He isn't here to smurf the shots anymore, so let's start smurfing things our way for once...with or without Empath!"
"I'd say we smurf after Gargamel with Empath on our side!"
"Empath isn't a true Smurf...he's just a big crybaby who can't deal with the fact that he smurfed his life outside the village!"
"How dare you smurf Empath like that?"
"Yeah, Hefty...he's more of a Smurf than you ever will be!"
"He wants to be a true Smurf, let him prove it!"
"We're better off without Empath!"
Apparently, there was a lot of verbal chaos being thrown back and forth among the remaining Smurfs, uncertain about what to do, until Empath got tired of listening and silenced the crowd.
"Stop this arguing at once!" Empath shouted. "This pointing fingers and blaming other Smurfs for this event happening is not getting us anywhere. What we need right now is to get ourselves together and find out how we can defeat Gargamel's new weapon and rescue our fellow Smurfs from him."
"How can we even hope to smurf him down, when you couldn't even do it by yoursmurf, Empath?" one of the Smurfs asked.
"Have you Smurfs already forgotten about the time when you were all young Smurflings who had only yourselves and Papa Smurf to look after you?" Empath continued. "Back then, what he faced was a very difficult task, because he knew that he couldn't raise nearly a hundred young Smurf all by himself. You Smurfs found it within yourselves to unite with each other and make the task easier -- and when you did, you became more than just a village, you became a family. Together, there was nothing any of you couldn't do, because in that unity you gained strength from each other. Now, Papa Smurf wants us to work together once more, to put aside our petty differences and unite ourselves against the one common enemy we have -- the human wizard Gargamel -- because he is counting on us to rescue him, Smurfette, Baby Smurf, the Smurflings, and all our captive brothers. And most of all, I am counting on all of you Smurfs to help me make this possible, because now, more than ever, I do want to help you be rid of Gargamel and his shadow of evil once and for all!"
None of the other Smurfs knew what to say, but they knew from what Empath had said that he was willing to put himself on the line for them as well as with them, to risk everything they have to do the impossible. There was only thing left for Empath to say.
"Are you Smurfs ready to fight?" he asked with some enthusiasm.
Only a few of them said, "Yeah!"
"I said are you ready to fight?" he asked a bit louder.
More Smurfs now said, "Yeah!" a bit louder.
"Are you all ready to fight?"
This time the entire remaining Smurfs said their answer really loud. The enthusiasm was building as the chanting grew louder.
It was then the Smurfs knew they were declaring war against Gargamel.
And this was a war they intended to win.
The next few hours in the village was spent by the surviving Smurfs preparing for a battle against Gargamel. Handy went to work making some necessary adjustments to his smurfplane, which miraculously survived being blown to bits by Gargamel's energy gauntlets. Brainy went to work researching the very weapon itself and learning about the Gauntlets of Gantharros from Papa Smurf's books, discovering its weaknesses. Tracker had mapped out the layout of Gargamel's hovel and found out how they could sneak inside and around without detection by him or Azrael. Every Smurf was hard at work finding and cobbling together various forms of weapons they could use. Even Puppy, whom Brainy had restored to his normal size using one of Papa Smurf's spells, was given some training exercises for the battle ahead.
Empath, in the meantime, had fashioned himself a cape along with a breastplate that went over his shirt -- a breastplate that had a round head that looked very much like a Smurf hat, with a star at the point where the hat flopped forward. He put on the cape and breastplate and then looked at himself in the mirror. It looked very close to how he wanted it to look. But there was something missing.
Then he realized that what was missing was the star-patterned suit. He found it intact in the rubble of Tailor's shop and changed into it.
Everyone was all ready and waiting by the north end of the village when Empath finally joined them and took his place at the front. With his star-patterned suit, the cape, and the breastplace, Empath had the look of a hero and a leader of an army, with a face of grim determination that said it all.
"Okay, Smurfs," he said, "let's party!"
Papa Smurf, Smurfette, Baby Smurf, Sassette, and nearly 50 other Smurfs watched as Scruple prepared the formula for turning them into gold, following Gargamel's written instructions to the letter. They were held inside a cage that was sealed with a magic spell cast upon it so that neither Empath could break into it nor any other Smurf could break out of it. Its magic, Papa Smurf found out, could only be deactivated with the Gauntlets of Gantharros. They all had the feeling that this may be the last time they would see themselves alive, and if any of the Smurfs tried to rescue them, his fate would be the same as theirs.
Meanwhile, Gargamel's mind was on other things. He seemed to be looking at the whole world and worlds beyond his own through a magic portal he created with the use of his gauntlets, contemplating a much grander scheme than just merely capturing Smurfs and making gold out of them. It was a victory that he would remember for the rest of his days, Gargamel knew that, but now there was an irresistible hunger for more that he felt needed to be satisfied -- control and possession over everything and everyone in the forest, in the kingdoms surrounding the forest, in all the lands far and beyond, the entire world, maybe even the entire universe itself.
"I wonder if Empath is going to smurf up anytime soon to save us," Smurfette asked.
"It would be very smurficidal for Empath if he even tried, Smurfette," Papa Smurf answered grimly. "His own powers can be weakened by magic, as I had smurfed out years ago, and from what Empath smurfed me a few days ago, human minds are just too different for him to try entering."
"Pappy, I feel so ashamed of ever smurfing that Pappy Gargamel would ever change," Sassette sobbed.
"There now, Sassette," Papa Smurf consoled. "You're not at fault for believing that Gargamel's goodness, however little goodness he smurfed, could lead him away from smurfing up this disaster. His own anger and hate against us has smurfed the better of him and apparently made him cold and bitter to this unsmurfy extreme. I can only hope someone can stop Gargamel before he smurfs his selfish desires onto things beyond this forest after he smurfs his way with us. But remember that even though he can destroy us in body, he can never smurf the same to us in spirit."
"Quiet, you miserable losers!" Gargamel barked. "I can't even think with you having your last conversations with each other."
Scruple was about to add another ingredient to the formula when he started dancing out of control. Gargamel looked at his apprentice with disgust as the vial slipped out of his hand and broke against the wall, and Scruple just shrugged. "I couldn't help it, Master Gargamel...I just heard some music from outside and it made me want to dance to it!"
"Hmmm...must be that dreaded magic flute of theirs!" Gargamel guessed. "That shouldn't be a problem...Azrael will take care of those annoying little musicians!"
Outside Gargamel's castle, Azrael gave chase to the Smurfs playing the magic flute, only to find himself chased by Puppy. Squealing in fear, Azrael ran for safety into the bushes and right into a cage, which the Smurfs had sealed shut and locked tight to prevent Azrael from escaping.
Back inside the castle, Gargamel and Scruple relaxed again as they resumed their preparations and musings, happy that the music of the magic flute had ended. But soon they heard a sound like it was a bomb dropping.
They watched as a volley of cloth balloons filled with water broke through the thatched roof and exploded, leaving gaping holes. Gargamel had a feeling the Smurfs were trying to break through into his castle and projected a destructive magical burst upward toward the sky, creating an even bigger hole.
Then, all at once, the Smurfs came pouring in, surrounding and attacking Gargamel and Scruple, just as they did before when he had kidnapped a single Smurf years ago. But now he felt as if he was prepared to deal with them.
"Let's see you Smurfs try to deal with this," he sneered as he cast a spell that made everything in his castle come alive as mere machinations for destroying Smurfs. As if that wasn't enough, the Smurfs saw hideous things pouring out of the vortex Gargamel had opened up -- things that resembled images from their worst nightmares: a dragon spewing flame, a slobbering amphibious being, a giant Smurf-eating spider, a large bird with ravenous eyes, a voracious plant with tendrils that wrapped around its victims. They were so taken by these living nightmares that they nearly panicked and reacted in fear.
Gargamel is using the Gauntlets of Gantharros to create convincing magical projections in order to overwhelm and paralyze us with fear, my fellow Smurfs, Empath spoke to them through their thoughts, his voice calm and soothing. See those things for what they really are and they will dissolve.
One by one, the Smurfs saw through these hideous forms and fought against them. And soon, they had disappeared as though they never had existed.
Just then, a sack of flour was dumped on Gargamel's head, blinding his eyes, making it hard for him to see. He realized that no matter what he did with his gauntlets, the Smurfs had easily countered them and pressed on with their attack, even destroying the things in his castle that he brought to life through the gauntlets' dark magic. They all reacted as if they were of one mind.
Gargamel furiously pummeled the Smurfs with bursts of magical energy powerful enough to destroy a large boulder, but no matter where he hit, the Smurfs kept avoiding him completely, and his castle bore the brunt of the explosions. One of those bursts struck the cage that contained the captured Smurfs, removing the protection spell and making the cage vanish altogether.
"We're free again!" one of the formerly-captured Smurfs shouted in glee.
Focus all your thoughts onto this smurf, Empath commanded, instantly speaking to every Smurf through telepathy. It is time to defeat Gargamel's gauntlets.
At that moment, every Smurf including Smurfette realized what they needed to do. They concentrated all their thoughts toward Empath, allowing him to use their mental energies to combine and increase his own. Empath's body glowed as he felt every Smurf joining their thoughts together and giving him their power.
Gargamel now saw Empath glowing and projected a burst of magical energy toward him, hoping to destroy Empath on the spot. He watched in surprise and fear as the burst struck the outer edge of the aura and dissipated, not having any effect on Empath.
Now it was Empath's turn. He cocked his head so that his star mark was aimed at Gargamel's head and projected such a powerful burst of mental energy that penetrated Gargamel's brain and made him reel in anguish. In that instant, he felt as if every Smurf was now his size and tearing him to shreds, making him feel the same torment that he gave them for five whole years.
The attack lasted for less than a minute, and after it was over, Gargamel saw that the gauntlets that gave him the power he needed to destroy the Smurfs were rusted to the point that they fell off like brittle wood. Even the armor that the gauntlets had created for him fell off like it was paper mache.
Empath and Papa Smurf knew at that point Gargamel would resort to using mere physical force, and that was something Empath could handle by himself. But that meant Empath had to take Gargamel down before he had the chance to fully recover.
"Papa Smurf, get the other Smurfs out of here right now," Empath ordered. "This smurf will make sure Gargamel doesn't get his hands on them!"
Papa Smurf didn't even question Empath at that point. He merely called out to all his other Smurfs, telling them to leave Gargamel's hovel and wait out in the forest. But even as the last Smurf made his way out, Papa Smurf stayed behind. Though it wasn't befitting of his nature of not harming any living creature, he wanted to see Gargamel get what he deserved all along.
The human wizard barely got back on his feet when Empath slammed straight into him, knocking him into a wall with such strength and force that it hurt his back. Gargamel never felt the fury that a single Smurf like Empath was unleashing on him, moving way too fast for him to react and striking him with blows that felt like Bigmouth the ogre had paid him a very unfriendly visit.
"You like to torture creatures that are smaller than yourself, Gargamel," Empath roared as he struck the human again and again with his telekinetically-enhanced punches, "but it smurfs that you can't take it when something smaller than you fights back. Well, we won't smurf your abuse anymore…so go smurf on somebody your own size!"
With that last comment, Empath delivered an uppercut that felled Gargamel to the floor. Outside his hovel, the other Smurfs cheered as they watched through the windows and wherever else they could see the fight unfold.
Gargamel felt so wounded and bruised that it took effort to even open his eyes and see Empath standing on the tip of his nose, looking very fierce and mean. Gargamel could actually feel the fear in Empath's unyielding stare.
"Now you will smurf as I say," Empath commanded. "You will smurf back your vow of vengeance upon my fellow Smurfs, you will smurf all your belongings as well as your apprentice and your cat, and you will leave this forest and not come back…ever! And if you ever return, by the name of my fellow Smurfs and their ancestors, I will…!"
"No, please don't hurt me anymore!" Gargamel yelped, not wishing to feel the wrath of this one Smurf that felled him. "I'll do whatever you and your fellow Smurfs want from me. I'll leave you and your forest alone!"
The other Smurfs cheered. Gargamel was now at their mercy.
Though they were victorious, the Smurfs had the social grace to help Gargamel and Scruple pack their belongings onto a old cart for carrying hay. They couldn't bring the Great Book of Spells with them because the spirit of that book wished not to be moved from its spot. Instead, as soon as the last necessary item was taken from the castle, the Great Book of Spells cast a spell upon itself that made Gargamel's ranshack castle disappear from sight until there was nothing left but a barren field.
Empath, meanwhile, was busy giving directions to Gargamel for a nearby human village where he might find temporary work, and also described the area as a good geographical location for finding gold. The human wizard seemed to be on his best behavior as he listened to Empath's advice and as he and Scruple pulled the heavy cart into motion, heading off into the direction that Empath had sent him with the Smurfs cheering and saying goodbye.
No sooner than they were out of earshot and out of sight from every Smurf, though, did Gargamel's look of fear and friendliness turned again to anger. "I tell you, Scruple, that even though they may have succeeded in driving us away from this miserable forest, they still will never see the last of me," he cursed. "Someday, those Smurfs will find themselves without a forest or a village or even that monstrously strong and fast hero of theirs to protect them. And when that time comes, may the wrath of Gargamel haunt them for the rest of their days!"
Azrael just mewed like he had heard this all before, walking alongside his master.
As they saw the last of Gargamel, Azrael, and Scruple, Empath turned to Papa Smurf, who looked as if he was questioning the very thing he swore he would never allow happening to any living being, even the likes of Gargamel.
"I doubt that this will really be the last time we ever smurf Gargamel," Papa Smurf reminded Empath. "As long as he smurfs the desire to smurf his revenge on us, he may someday find a way to smurf the upper hand, and you may not be able to defeat him the same way."
"Then this smurf will watch the forest in case he or anyone else like him tries to 'smurf the upper hand' on us, Papa Smurf," Empath stated.
"And another thing, Empath," Papa Smurf continued. "I know that you smurf well, but we can't smurf the whole forest as if it belonged only to us and not any other living being that smurfs through or in it. We can't smurf it upon ourselves to smurf who should be in this forest and who shouldn't. If we smurfed that, we would be no better than the humans who smurf more than just their own lands and making unsmurfy judgements about others no matter how good or bad they are."
Empath understood what Papa Smurf was telling him. It was not a Smurf's place in this world to make such decisions that were better left to the higher powers that created everything in the forest and beyond.
"On the other hand, though," Papa Smurf added, his tone changing, "how you and the other Smurfs handled Gargamel today was appropriate for the smurfumstance. You will someday make a fine leader of other Smurfs with your bravery and ability to use the strengths and abilities of your fellow Smurfs."
Empath looked at Papa Smurf, confused. "You mean, you approve of what this smurf did to Gargamel today, Papa Smurf?" he asked.
Papa Smurf wasn't sure how to answer that. "Not as much as I approve of you being a true Smurf…and being my son!" he finally said, hugging Empath tightly.
The other Smurfs gathered around Empath, feeling more than grateful that not only did he defeat Gargamel, he also allowed them to help him defeat the human wizard. Empath found himself carried high over his fellow Smurfs' heads as they walked back to the village, singing a song of victory, the only real victory they had in a long time.
"I believe in me, and I believe in smurfthing more than you can undersmurf; yes, I believe in me!"
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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: 4088 | From: Westfield, MA | Registered: Mar 2003
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Vic George The ND Guy
Super Smurf
Member # 300
Member Rated:
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posted 03-28-2025 01:17 PM
Chapter 18
The village looked like it did when the Smurfs left it to confront Gargamel as a group and destroy the Gauntlets of Gantharros -- houses in various states of damage or completely destroyed; overturned trees and rocks blocking off sections of the village; the water well and the windmill still bearing the brunt of all their previous encounters with human and non-human invaders. The Smurfs were disgruntled over the fact that they had to go and fix up everything Gargamel had callously demolished in his attack. Fortunately, Empath was there to use his minds-eye for removing the rocks and trees, though the other Smurfs refused to allow Empath use anything more than his own physical power to help them put everything else back in order. As grateful as they were to have had Empath lead them into a victorious battle against Gargamel, they didn't want to be further indebted to him by having him do everything else for them, even if he could do them faster and better than any Smurf. Even Papa Smurf refused Empath's offer to repair his laboratory, since he already had his assistant Brainy and his friend Clumsy helping with that.
Fortunately, the Smurflings didn't refuse Empath, even though their treestump playhouse was the least damaged. The roof and chimney were the only things that needed fixing, and Empath put his efforts into doing both. He also asked the Smurflings for their help, which they provided even as they watched him floating high above their heads putting part of their house back together.
Otherwise, Empath put his efforts into fixing staircases, walkways, and other little things that didn't necessarily need immediate fixing but did anyway. The last thing he did, and what Smurfette saw him do, was reassemble the statue of himself that he had destroyed...only Empath didn't recreate the original image. Instead, by reducing the rubble to a fine powder and then mixing it into a thick gluelike substance with Handy's bag of cement, Empath refashioned it into two Smurf-shaped forms -- one that resembled Empath, the other resembling Papa Smurf.
"I thought you didn't want the other Smurfs to smurf you like you were some idol to be worshipped, Empath," Smurfette commented as she watched Empath put the finishing touches to his creation and use his minds-eye to harden it into a solid form.
"This smurf didn't, Smurfette," Empath answered. "It's just that this smurf thought this place could use something that could stand right along with the other Smurfs instead of above them all day. Besides, this smurf didn't like how my likeness looked in the first place...it was somebody else's vision of this smurf, all cold and lifeless. This is how this smurf wants to be seen."
Smurfette looked at the statue and saw the image of Empath now warm and smiling, one arm around the shoulder of the image of Papa Smurf, also warm and smiling, and the other arm extended out into empty space. Both of them also appeared to be wearing shirts. She was impressed.
"Sculptor and Painter would definitely envy the artist behind this statue," Smurfette remarked, smiling at Empath. Then she noticed that Empath was sweating, as if he finally did something that drained him physically of his energy. She suggested that he should take a break, and he accepted.
"I'm only wondering how you were able to oversmurf Gargamel the way you smurfed him with that minds-eye of yours," Smurfette asked as they walked around the outskirts of the village.
"Normally, this smurf wouldn't have been able to enter his mind because he is human, and with the Gauntlets of Gantharros protecting him, this smurf was unable to use any form of telekinesis against him," Empath replied. "But this smurf did learn something that this smurf believes the Psyche Master did before he left the Smurf Village to become the Psyche Master. This smurf is also able to harness the mental energies of this smurf's fellow Smurfs in a mindlink to increase the strength of this smurf's own abilities. It was this 'strength in numbers' that allowed this smurf -- or rather, all of us Smurfs -- to enter Gargamel's mind and defeat him from within."
"Gee, I had no idea that this Psyche Master was actually a Smurf to begin with," Smurfette said with some disbelief.
"This smurf wouldn't have believed it, either," Empath agreed. "He tried to take over the entire village years ago before Papa Smurf was even born, through this same mindlink. It failed only because his fellow Smurfs weren't cooperative and ended up resisting his efforts, banishing him into the forest where he created his own race of beings who would be easy for him to control through a mindlink and would also have a minds-eye."
"But the Psyche Master wasn't able to control you when you were smurfed there, was he?" Smurfette guessed.
"You are correct, Smurfette," Empath answered. "He must have realized that this smurf was too much his equal and feared that this smurf would wrest control of the Psyches away from him. He had to erase every memory this smurf had of being a Smurf when this smurf was an infant to even hope that this smurf would submit to his will. He succeeded in doing so up until this smurf had learned and accepted who this smurf was all along."
"And what you were, Empath, he could never change," Smurfette finished that thought for him. "Still...I just wonder if you've completely forgiven Papa Smurf for what he has smurfed to you, even if you could undersmurf what his reasons were for smurfing so."
"This smurf could understand a little better of what he and my Mama Smurf had gone through back then, something they and their fellow Smurfs and the ones before them had feared would happen again, that would make Papa Smurf send me away to Psychelia," Empath responded. "This smurf still can't forget what Papa Smurf has done to me...but this smurf can't hold that fault against him forever. He is the only real parent this smurf has in my life right now."
"Well, I guess there's only thing left to do," Smurfette added, feeling relieved to hear Empath resolving his differences with Papa Smurf. "How about smurfing me on a trip to Neverland this evening, if you have nothing to smurf you busy."
"Neverland?" Empath asked, almost caught off guard. He looked into Smurfette's eyes and saw that she was hinting at something.
Then he had a feeling he knew what it was -- Smurfette must have seen him and the Smurflings flying around the village a few days after his birthday, acting like he was Smurfling Pan and they were his Lost Smurflings. She was asking him to take her on a flight around the village -- or better yet, around the forest and maybe even beyond.
"This smurf would be honored, Smurfette," Empath replied. "Just keep your window open and wait for this smurf to appear."
"I'll be waiting...with tinkerbells on," Smurfette reminded Empath with a smile that was meant only for him.
Empath watched as Smurfette headed in the direction of her own house. He felt such a happiness and an excitement that he had never felt before with any Smurf -- even visiting the Smurf Village for the first time paled in comparison. He headed back to the center of the village with some bounce in his steps, eager for the moment of pleasing Smurfette that evening.
Some of his fellow Smurfs, Tapper being one of them, watched Empath walking past them in this fashion, looking much like how they themselves must have looked whenever Smurfette asked for their personal attention.
"Smurfs like Empath's got himsmurf a date with Smurfette," one of them said.
"More like Smurfette's found somebody she wants to smurf steady with," the other responded.
"You mean she only wants Empath? No way!"
"Hard to believe, isn't it? A beautiful girl Smurf like her who couldn't decide which Smurf she would want to smurf with now chooses a Smurf like him."
"Well, it just makes me wish I was in his smurfs right now!" the first one said with a wistful sigh. "He's truly a lucky Smurf."
"Nobody calls Empath the luckiest Smurf for nothing!"
Smurfette was in what was left of her bedroom, using a piece of her shattered vanity mirror to make sure she looked her best as she brushed her hair, when she saw Empath waiting for her on her balcony with a bouquet of wild flowers in hand.
Smurfette went to the balcony to greet Empath, flattered by the attention he was giving her. "Oh, Empath," she blushed as she accepted the flowers. "You didn't have to smurf this for me…not that the flowers aren't beautiful!"
"This smurf wanted to help make your house beautiful again, Smurfette, just like you," Empath told her as she put the wild flowers in an unused vase.
"I hope you don't mind how I smurf," Smurfette wondered, feeling a bit self-conscious about her appearance. "With everything still a mess, I'm surprised I still smurf a change of clothes in my closet!"
"You look beautiful just as you are, Smurfette," Empath assured her. "You do not need anything more to wear. Are you ready for your first flight over the Smurf forest?"
"What do I need to do?" Smurfette asked as she joined Empath by the balcony.
"You need only to hold onto this smurf's hand," Empath told her. "This smurf will do the rest."
Smurfette held onto Empath's hand as tightly as she could, and soon she found herself lifting high off her balcony, until she and Empath were at least several feet off the ground. She gasped as she looked down at her house, and then at the whole village as they sailed higher.
"I can't believe this!" Smurfette cried out, a bit fearful but also excited.
"It's as real as this smurf is flying beside you," Empath reminded her. They flew high above the trees, and Smurfette was startled by the sight of the entire forest from where she was right now. Somehow, flying with Empath was much different than flying with a stork or even with her invisible orange horse friend Blue Eyes from another world. She felt as free as a bird.
"But how high can you really fly?" Smurfette asked. "As high as the moon up in the sky?"
"Let's find out together," Empath answered. With Smurfette holding onto Empath's hand, they zoomed off toward the moon in the sky, passing through whatever clouds were in their way, until they stopped and saw the moon looming big in the night sky, free of any clouds blocking its view. Smurfette felt her heart racing up until that moment, and then it almost skipped a beat.
"Oh, Empath, it's so beautiful to smurf at," Smurfette commented as she saw the face of the moon shining down toward them. "How high are we, anyway?"
"About thousands of feet from the ground, Smurfette," Empath answered. "This smurf has never tried flying any higher than this, and this smurf isn't sure about trying to go beyond this point, since the Smurfs and the Psyches both believe that there's nothing that can exist out there among the stars. But from here, the moon above and everything else below is just breathtaking."
Smurfette felt drawn closer to Empath as she continued to stare at the moon, dazzled by its beauty. "I just wish other Smurfs could experience this feeling of being able to fly by themsmurfs," she sighed as she held onto his shoulder. "You must be happy smurfing up here all the time, Empath."
"Well, not all the time, Smurfette," Empath admitted. "But whenever this smurf does have the chance to do so, it makes this smurf feel more alive and happy to be as free as a bird."
Smurfette noticed that Empath's expression had somehow changed. "What's wrong, Empath?" she asked. "You don't smurf as if you are truly happy smurfing up here with just me. Did I smurf anything wrong?"
"No, Smurfette," Empath calmly replied. "It isn't you. There's something else this smurf meant to do while this smurf has the chance to do so."
As they flew back downward and returned to the Smurf Village, Smurfette noticed that they stopped at a graveyard where Empath had a bouquet of roses wrapped up in one of Papa Smurf's red hats placed at the marker of a Lillithina Smurfette, whom Smurfette now knew was Empath's mother…and Brainy's mother as well.
"This smurf knows that I wasn't the child you always wanted, Mama Smurf," Empath spoke sadly to the grave-laden Smurf, "but at the very least, you helped make Papa Smurf very happy. And though he broke your heart with what he had smurfed with me, this smurf wants you to know that I have forgiven him, and I forgive you as well. If only this smurf could have known you when you were alive, you could hear what this smurf had to say to you."
"Empath, wherever your mother is right now, I have a feeling that she smurfed everything you told her and knows you mean well," Smurfette chimed in, leading Empath's gaze away from the grave marker. "She might have smurfed you into this world, but I don't think she can ever love you the same way that Papa Smurf, your fellow Smurfs, and myself can."
"Then she is truly gone from this world, never to be a part of this smurf's life again," Empath muttered.
Smurfette nodded, gently holding Empath's face. "She is part of the past now, Empath, as is your life being smurfed away from us. I want you to live with us in the present, because there's no other Smurf I want to share tomorrow with than you."
With that, Smurfette pulled Empath closer and kissed him full on the mouth.
The kiss seemed to last forever, and when it ended, Empath felt like he didn't want it to end, for it was such a wonderful feeling, even more wonderful than when she first kissed him on the cheek. It made Empath realize that Smurfette would always be there for him, no matter what happened, and that she would always love him. It made Empath feel that he loved Smurfette as well.
"Great Ancestors!" Empath whispered. "This smurf wants to live and share that same tomorrow with you, Smurfette."
He gently took Smurfette in his arms and kissed her on the mouth. It was a kiss that this time felt like it had lasted forever for them both.
Meanwhile, Papa Smurf went strolling around the outskirts of the village after every Smurf had gone to sleep and saw Empath and Smurfette near his former wife's grave marker, kissing each other. He recoiled when he saw that this was no ordinary kiss that Smurfette was giving Empath. It was the type of kiss he recognized as the one that foretold their future…that these two Smurfs were meant to someday become soulmates for the rest of their lives.
"Well, I'll be smurfed!" he finally said, chuckling and smiling to himself. "It smurfs that my role as Empath's teacher in the ways of the Smurfs has been passed on to another, and it smurfs like they will have a whole lifetime to smurf from each other."
He made sure this one happy moment was never disturbed.
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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: 4088 | From: Westfield, MA | Registered: Mar 2003
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Vic George The ND Guy
Super Smurf
Member # 300
Member Rated:
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posted 03-28-2025 01:18 PM
Epilogue
"My little Smurfs," Papa Smurf announced, "it has been years since we have had a smurfous occasion like this among our own people, which as your leader and your father I have the pleasure and the privilege of joining these two Smurfs in the bonds of smurfy matrimony."
This announcement was made on a day 10 years after Empath’s return from Psychelia. Since then, many things had changed in the Smurf Village. First of all, Papa Smurf no longer wore a beard. Now wearing only a white moustache, Papa Smurf had felt years younger because of the change. He and his fellow Smurfs somehow also began wearing shirts as Empath did for the first time in years. They suspected that a bit of Empath’s sensibilities from his years in Psychelia had managed to rub off on them.
Empath over the years became more and more active with his fellow Smurfs -- not just the ones around his age, but also with the Smurflings and Baby Smurf, who was finally given the name Miracle -- that he felt the burden of his past weighing him down less and less. The time his father took from him was slowly being made up for in the time Empath spent in his village as an adult, and the fear of being returned to the Psyches had all but vanished from his memory.
Not that it was all good times that happened in those ten years. Neither Gargamel, Azrael, nor Scruple ever returned to the forest, but there were other threats, human and otherwise, that tried to destroy or control the Smurfs for their purposes. Fortunately, during those dire circumstances, Empath stood with his fellow Smurfs, fighting alongside them when they could defend themselves, and using his abilities to protect them when they could not. Nobody ever asked him to be a hero anymore, but Empath knew they could count on him to be there for them when it was needed. And his fellow Smurfs still admired him as one of their own.
Empath’s relationship with Smurfette had slowly changed over the years. As they understood more about each other, their friendship grew stronger and then became a romance. They had their differences and hard times, but they had the courage and the strength to help each other make it through, and they were very respectful of each other.
Then one day in that ten years later, Empath and Smurfette bravely announced to the entire village that they were going to be married. Their fellow Smurfs were shocked by the news, for they knew that the one Smurf they’ve been competing for her full affections had just given her heart away to the one Smurf their age that they could never hope to compete against. They were understandably jealous of Empath as well. But as they got past their jealousy, the other Smurfs decided to give Empath and Smurfette the best wedding they ever had, to express their best wishes for both of them.
As Smurfette had no other females besides Sassette in the village to join in the celebration, the Smurfs invited some of her forest friends to the wedding. Flowerbelle, a woodnymph who had once tried to charm Papa Smurf into marrying her, served as the matron of honor, joined by Laconia the mute elf, Marina the mermaid, Periwinkle the pixie, and a group collectively known as the Pussywillow Pixies, not to mention Gaia and Chronos, the guardians of the forest known best as Mother Nature and Father Time, and finally Handy’s mechanical Clockwork Smurf couple.
Polaris Psyche, Empath’s friend from Psychelia, was also present as the best man. He had been exiled from his own people for nine years and had since lived among the Smurfs, eventually feeling at home with his new community of friends. Polaris also had strong feelings for Smurfette as well, but he felt that Empath and Smurfette truly belonged to each other and so vowed not to interfere with what he saw as destiny in the making.
Empath, who wore his star-patterned suit with a cape and a princely buttoned-down shirt-jacket, nervously watched as Brainy escorted Smurfette down the aisle to him. With her dazzling white gown and veil, in addition to a black star-patterned hat she now wore as a reminder to all that she belonged to Empath, Smurfette looked beautiful beyond what mere words could say. Sassette in her pink and white dress carried the train of Smurfette’s gown before she took her place among the other Smurflings.
"However," Papa Smurf continued, "if there is any Smurf among us who has a reason that these two Smurfs should not be married, please speak now or forever hold your smurf."
Only one Smurf dared to speak out. "I hate..." Grouchy blurted out. Everybody looked at him, expecting him to finish what he was going to say.
Grouchy felt sheepish, unable to say what was on his mind. "I meant that I hate to see Empath and Smurfette not being married today." When everybody turned their attention away from him to continue the ceremony, he added silently, but I hate that it couldn’t have been her with me!
"Empathy Psyche Smurf," Papa Smurf proceeded, "do you take Smurfette to be your smurfully wedded wife, to love, honor, and obey, in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, for as long as you both shall smurf?"
Empath fumbled in his reply. "This smurf...that is, well...I do, Papa Smurf," he answered, looking at Smurfette, who smiled encouragingly at him.
"And do you, Smurfette, take Empathy Psyche Smurf to be your smurfully wedded husband, to love, honor, and obey, in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, for as long as you both shall smurf?"
Smurfette never faltered. "I do, Papa Smurf" she answered, with Empath now smiling at her.
"Then, by the powers invested in me by Mother Nature and Father Time, and by all the Smurfs who have smurfed throughout the ages, I shall pronounce Empath and Smurfette as husband and wife," Papa Smurf concluded. "May this bond between them smurf for all time and may nothing on this world ever break it." After the other Smurfs have applauded, Papa Smurf then turned to Empath. "You may now kiss your bride."
"This smurf wishes to have this one dance with Smurfette before we make our vow of eternal love known, Papa Smurf," Empath requested.
Papa Smurf nodded, and Empath then turned toward Harmony, sitting by the grand piano, waiting to play that one song Empath had composed for Smurfette. He knew that now was the time and he started playing it.
Most of the other Smurfs were half-expecting Harmony to do a horrible job playing Empath's love song, since he was pretty well known as the worst musician to ever play any instrument. But this time, Harmony surprised everyone, making the piano and Empath's music sound just as beautiful as the wedding itself. Empath took Smurfette's hand as they danced with each other in their arms and Empath sweetly serenaded his newlywed wife, telling her in words and music that he would truly love her until his time was through. Smurfette felt so captivated, she truly believed everything Empath had said and even sang along, vowing to love him forever as well. As the music came to a close, the other Smurfs cheered wildly as Empath and Smurfette kissed each other.
Jokey had his surprise packages exploding confetti as the newlywed couple made their way to the banquet table, making the first slice in their wedding cake that Greedy had baked and designed with two tiny figurines that Sculptor had crafted on top. The other Smurfs and their guests toasted Empath and Smurfette with smurfberry wine and sarsaparilla ale, some of which got poured on their heads, and even asked if they would ever name their first child after their fellow Smurfs. Vanity with Handy's photo-smurfer made sure he took enough pictures of the happy couple so that they could remember this moment for the rest of their lives. But for the most part, Vanity wanted to remember a wedding that was just as beautiful to look at as he was, every day.
Just before Empath and Smurfette were to embark on their honeymoon to enjoy their first few days of marital bliss, Papa Smurf had to tell Empath something very important that was on his mind.
"Promise me, Empath, that when you smurf your first child with Smurfette, that you wouldn't be foolish enough to smurf him away to Psychelia. I almost missed out on being a Papa Smurf to you the first time…I just don't want to lose the chance of ever becoming a Grandpa Smurf."
Empath knew what Papa Smurf was saying. "You can count on this smurf, Papa Smurf, to make sure that, whether it's a boy or a girl, this smurf will love and care enough for the child to prevent that mistake from happening again," he affirmed. "Of course, this smurf is hoping that it would take after Smurfette!"
"I know that Empath won't smurf anything that bad," Smurfette added, laughing slightly. "But no matter Empath might teach our child about being able to smurf for the stars, he or she will still need me to smurf them back on the ground and remind them about being a Smurf, first and foremost." She hugged Papa Smurf and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you so much for making me a real Smurf."
Papa Smurf blushed slightly. "I should thank you, Smurfette, for choosing to be a real Smurf. This wouldn't be possible if you hadn't smurfed into our lives."
The Smurflings were the last ones who wanted to say something to Empath, but weren't so sure of what to say. Finally Snappy decided to speak for them.
"Hey, Empath, you're not going to forget about us now, are you? I mean, it isn't going to be the same in the village anymore with Smurfette smurfing your reins."
"That is true, Snappy," Empath answered. "But you are part of my family now. No matter what happens between us, this smurf will still care for you and for all the other Smurfs."
"Hey, good luck, Empath and Smurfette," Slouchy said.
"May nature guide you in the right path," Nat said.
"Hasta lasagna…don't smurf any on ya!" Snappy said.
Sassette didn't know what to say, so Smurfette simply hugged her. "Take care of the Smurflings while I'm gone, little sister," she told her.
"I will, big sister," Sassette replied, wiping a tear from her eye. "And take good care of Empath for me. You're already making me jealous of you."
With those happy and heartfelt thoughts, Empath and Smurfette boarded the wicker gondola that a friendly stork was carrying to an island paradise far beyond the range of the Smurf forest. As the gondola lifted itself off the ground and the other Smurfs and guests gathered around it, Empath and Smurfette looked down at their fellow Smurfs as if it were the last time they would ever see them like this. Then Smurfette threw her bouquet to the crowd while Empath threw something frilly of Smurfette's.
"I can’t believe this!" Sassette jumped up and down with excitement. "I just smurfed the bouquet!"
"That’s nothing, Sassette!" Snappy jeered, holding up what looked like a garter. "I just smurfed something even better -- Smurfette’s slingshot!"
"Gee, Snappy, that’s a funny-smurfing slingshot you have there," Slouchy commented, sounding very sly.
"You know what they say," Nat added. "He who smurfs the slingshot must marry she who smurfs the bouquet!"
"Wait a minute!" Snappy whined, caught by surprise. "You mean -- I have to marry Sassette?"
"And I have to marry Snappy?" Sassette asked, also surprised.
Both of them stuck their tongues out at that thought. "Eeww -- that’s gross!" they both said together.
Nat and Slouchy decided to have more fun with that thought. "Snappy and Sassette sitting in a tree, s-m-u-r-f-i-n-g," they sang together, further teasing the both of them. "First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes a Smurfling in a baby carriage!"
Disgusted, Snappy and Sassette threw the bouquet and the garter at Nat and Slouchy as they laughed. They knew when they had enough teasing, even about something they certainly weren’t going to think about.
Meanwhile, Papa Smurf was watching the stork flying off into the horizon when he noticed Empath embracing Smurfette and kissing in the gondola. He didn’t notice Polaris Psyche standing right next to him until he spoke.
"Empath must have been a really special Smurf to you, Papa Smurf," Polaris commented, trying to understand what his new mentor was now thinking at this moment.
"He was my son, Polaris," Papa Smurf nodded. "He made a change in my life ever since he was born. He made me a Papa Smurf long before I became that name. He made me smurf myself in ways that I have never smurfed possible. He helped bring an entire generation of orphans together into a family, and then eventually became part of it. If he ever thought he lost anything from that, I would say he gained a lot more -- the best of the both worlds he lived in."
"So that must make you the luckiest Smurf that ever lived, Papa Smurf," Polaris said.
Papa Smurf sighed, smiling. "No, Polaris...Empath is. He is definitely the luckiest Smurf of all!"
And in the park where the statue of Empath and Papa Smurf had stood, the likeness of Smurfette had now joined them, being held in Empath's other arm.
Nothing else we knew survived of them except for their stories, but the forest that was a part of their world is still there. If you listen very carefully, you might hear the ghostly wails of Gargamel’s rage.
And if you’re good, then...perhaps...you just might catch a glimpse of them.
The Smurfs.
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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: 4088 | From: Westfield, MA | Registered: Mar 2003
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Vic George The ND Guy
Super Smurf
Member # 300
Member Rated:
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posted 04-02-2025 04:32 AM
NOTES:
* This novel started off as a comic book story I created called "The Luckiest Smurf" in 1984. In 1986 I wanted to expand that story into a fuller story, so I worked on the initial pages of the story originally in the form of a comic book. However, by 1992 I changed things about the story and restarted it as a text-only novel in 1993, and it was still being worked on until it was finished in 2000.
* Psychelia (which originally was called the Psyche Village) is a fantastical analog to the residential schools that I have been living in for 10 years: Our Lady Of Providence Children's Center in West Springfield, MA (from 1976 to 1981), and St. Vincent's Home in Fall River, MA (from 1981 to 1986).
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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: 4088 | From: Westfield, MA | Registered: Mar 2003
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