A small girl, blue of skin and kind of heart, waltzed through her village, head held high. A tune in her head and happiness in her feet, she made her daily rounds. Through the market and into the recreational area, a smile graced her soft features. Her bright teal dress glittered as she spun, the ends catching air. On her feet were round white wedges matching the white cap hiding the crown of her head.
Leaping onto a log, her black curls ruffled, framing her face. Mushroom houses surrounded her, a greeting passing in every direction. Smiling softly, she returns to the road, her destination clear in her mind. A gust of wind blows by, as she hums her village theme. Up the street, she can see her brother, Handy Smurf walking idly.
As the two meet, she hums lightly, her smile stiffening as he mocks her swaying steps.
"Good morning, Handy. I see you're in a good mood." He chuckles, waving away her greeting. Continuing on his way, our young girl heaved a sigh. Her fingertips turned to ice, her eyes trained on his silhouette. Turning to attention, she took in a deep breath, swaying as she stepped around the corner. In the distance, she can see Grouchy's bench. He was already there, seated comfortably and sitting grumpily as usual.
She approaches, carefully, her eyes hopeful as she sits on the farthest end of the bench. She can feel his glare as she cleared her head. Clearing her throat, her heart beating heavily in her chest as she waited. Time ticked along in her head, her hands growing clammy with the tenseness.
"Don't you got somewhere to be, you freak?!" Flinching, she lowered her gaze. She huffed a laugh, her voice shaking and dress swaying as she stood from the seat. Her movement was free of any music as she quickened her step. Her curls bounced with each rigid step, her eyes glancing around. She grasped her hands, Hefty's mushroom capturing her attention.
Freezing, she bites her inner lip as a bead of sweat trailed off her cheek. Taking a breath, her chest grew heavy. She could feel beads of sweat slowly making their way down her hands as she tried to move her legs. The limbs were stiff and frozen as if they were glued to the dirt. As she was about to turn away, returning to her own mushroom, she felt a hand cup her shoulder.
Gasping, she stepped away, her eyebrows turned up in surprise. Huffing a sigh, she shook her head. Placing a hand on her chest, she scoffed.
"Wow, Musette, I've never seen ya so Smurfy. You okay?" Smiling lightly, Musette places a hand on his shoulder, patting it. The rigidness melted from her body, Hefty sighing in relief. He was radiant, a pure soul, and a light she dearly needed in her darkness. A smile graced his face, warming her heart as he led her onto the messy lawn.
She treads lightly, stepping around dumbbells and over stones. Her steps were graceful and timed while the larger male walked clumsily, barely missing the heavy metal bars. Reaching the door, the duo shares a glance. Removing her hand from Hefty's shoulder, Musette watched as he pushed open the door.
Musette's world grows lighter as her gaze falls on her three other friends. Glasses flopped about sloppily, the four-eyed smurf turning to her with a meek smile. Clumsy waved, his actions ecstatic. Falling forward, he lands at her feet. Smiling brightly, Musette reached down, grabbing the lanky Smurf up off the ground.
"Hello to you, too, Clumsy..!" She mused, the smaller smurf laughing childishly. His cheeks brightened, scratching the back of his neck, sheepishly. "Hi, Musette.."
"W-We was waitin' for ya..!" His voice lightened as he turned. At the far side of the room, Brainy and Smurfette sat waiting on the couch. Brainy clutched his journal, the designed cover catching Musette's gaze. Small sketches filled the surface, messy scrawled handwriting, and a couple miscellaneous smudges.
It was a special book, the ripped pages, and various stains mapping out the friendship between the five smurfs. The first few pages described each smurf with eerie specificness. Musette, Shoulder-length black curly hair. Messy but entertaining. Big bright teal dress, flows nicely. It was a little odd even for a young Brainy Smurf.
The meetings began recently, about 20 years before that day, if exact. The five were causing more trouble than usual and in a shorter amount of time; they were driving Papa Smurf mad. They somehow always made their way past the Forbidden Forest's wall, embarking on missions and little expeditions. And while they loved their Papa with all of their heart, staying in the village was not an option.
Now sitting in a circle on armchairs and the couch, the group got ready for their 1040th meeting. Smurfette sat close beside Musette, lacing their arms together. Her smile was warm as she turned to the usually very anxious smurf.
"Good morning, sister!" The word still felt weird in her mouth, the resonance of brother vibrating off her bones. It was hard getting used to having a younger sister, the smurf always surrounded by the boys. Even more distracting, they make their presence known every day, while Musette could be found dancing in the bushes. Smurfette never lets a moment go by where Musette forgets, she has an older sister; hugging and greeting the younger smurf every day.
Brainy huskily clears his throat. "Let's begin with Papa's Input today."
The group grunts in agreement, Brainy eyeing the pages with distaste.
"Don't leave the village, don't sing anything but the Smurf song." Brainy meets Musette's gaze, his sheepish smile sending a chill down her back. Her smile fell as she ignored the warmth spreading along her temples and crown.
"What's the odds he's talking about you, Musette?" Frowning, she shrugs lightly. Her hands move to grip her chilled forearms as she gazes out the window. She had gotten into the habit of bursting into song. The music within her grew and grew until she couldn't ignore it.
She sang a song that wasn't about Smurfs. Out loud. In the mess hall. And man was Papa mad. Actually, he was more than mad, he was irate. He became a whole shade pinker. Or perhaps maybe he became more purple, Musette was too busy running away in embarrassment to notice.
"I.. May have sung in front of everyone..." Lifting her head, she sighed. Glancing at Hefty, she gave a hesitant smile. "But... Not the Smurf song." Chuckling heartily, Hefty slapped a hand against the small girl's back. Her breath left her in coughs, her chest tightening. Smurfette hummed happily, her arm loosening in the other's. Shaking her head, she turned to Brainy, butterflies filling her stomach.
"Anything for me, Brainy?" He eyed the book, reading it aloud.
"Manage your cake consumption, eat a couple smurf berries, train with Karate Smurf..." Shaking his head Brainy sighed. 'Some of these don't even sound like they're for us...' Smirking at the next words, he rolled his eyes. "Don't forget that Papa loves you each, equally." Clumsy made a sound of delight, his hands clapping, childishly.
Shaking his head, Hefty tried to hide his blush. His cheeks warmed quickly as he took in the words. That old man was always saying stuff like that. Soft notions, sweet words, he was a really great Papa. Purity and happiness flushed over the smurfs in the room, the softness reaching all but one. There was only one way she could describe how she was feeling about that old man.
Resentment.
As she dropped her gaze, she heaved a sigh through her nose. Papa loved each of his smurfs equally. When was the last time he had said that to her face? The last time he had even spoken one word to her that was remotely loving. He was always busy taking care of the other Smurfs, sure, but he had time for Brainy. And Smurfette and the Smurflings. Was there really no time left over to tell her he was proud of her?
It never really dawned on her how much she wished others would appreciate her. She wished they could understand her. Then, they'd really be a smurfy family. Perhaps what Grouchy said was true. Even if she was born of a Blue Moon, she was the freak. Her forehead creased as she crossed her arms. 'I'm sure he does... Somewhere in his heart...' Her back rested easily on the couch, the cushion softening and spreading to hold her figure. Heaving a tired sigh, she glanced out at the sunset.
A small light flickered in her chest at the oranges and reds that stretched across the sky. Reaching around Clumsy, she pulled open the window, the warm summer air brushing her cheeks. As she gazed out at the village, a sweet sound entered her ears. A voice. It had such a wide tone range, from soprano to alto and back again.
It seemed to be a love song, one of longing. It couldn't be anyone in the village, no one in the village could sing. To her knowledge at least. Glancing over her shoulder, her gaze fell on her family, questioning as they seemed to be genuinely confused by her behavior. As soon as the song had entered her ears, it left, the hymn dying in the wind. Musette settled back into the couch, her eyebrows furrowed.
Who could that have been?
Clumsy chuckled, the sound pulling Musette out of her mind. Reaching over and patting Musette's head, plum dusted his cheeks. "I know he's a lil tough on ya, Musette, but he means well!" She tried to let the reassurance calm her boiling blood, but she shook her head. He was disappointed in her and if she knew any better, she'd think she was disappointed in herself. She narrowed her eyes to the soft ground under her feet. Shifting, she glared at the dirt that smudged her white wedges.
"He loves me right down the road is how much he loves me, Clumsy." Sitting up, she gestured to the door. "H-He only loves me as far as he can chuck me." She rose slowly from the chair, her stomach knotting. A frown darkened her features as she moved to the window. Her fingers chilled as she watched Handy Smurf and Karate Smurf approaching the shroom.
"What are they doing here...?"
Hopping up, Hefty stepped to her side, glaring at the two disciples. They were the two smurfs that Papa would send whenever he was grabbing a smurf.
To 'talk'.
The last time they walked up to someone's house like this was with, Perceptive Smurf. He asked one too many questions and next thing the village knew, he was named missing. Never to return. Hefty knew better, though; Papa must have done something to him. Papa was a good smurf, he was sure of it, but when things didn't go his way... He could get a bit dark.
Shaking his head, it heated up with the apparent anger he was feeling. Glancing down, he froze at the paleness that took Musette's face. Her eyes grew dull as she turned to the door. It flew open, Karate smurf glaring at Hefty. Before Hefty could even mutter his distaste, Karate Smurf was on top of him, holding his arms behind his back. Growling in pain, Hefty watched as Handy led Musette out of the house.
"MUSETTE!"
"I'm telling you, Papa, it wasn't me!" Tears stung her eyes as she tried pleading with her father. There she sat on her knees as he stared down at her in distaste. Shaking his head, his fingers made their way to the bridge of his nose. Placing the other on his hip, he stepped to the window. The sun fell behind the horizon, the village darkening with the tension that filled the Shroom. Handy and Karate stood at the door, their gazes filled with pity as they watched what ensued.
"How many times do I have to tell you, Musette? Singing anything but the Smurf song is forbidden!" Musette sobbed as he turned to her, his gaze harsh. Her head fell into her hands as her blue skin greyed. Shaking her head, she sniffled. "Why won't you believe me...?" Her voice drifted on the stale air, the smell of dirt and disappointment thick on the air.
Papa shook his head as he approached her. Crouching, he placed a hand on her shoulder, his eyebrows still furrowed. "I wish I didn't have to do this, Musette... But I'll have to keep you locked away until you learn from your mistake."
Her eyes widened as the dirt behind her shifted. Two shadows hovered over her as Papa stepped away. She spun to attention as Karate and Handy approached, their hands held out delicately. Shaking her head, Musette stumbled up from the ground. Breathing heavily, she ignored her fatigue, looking for a way out.
"No.." As Karate went to grab her, she ducked away, running for the door. Throwing it open, she glanced back. Papa frowned in distaste, his eyebrows curved up in worry. As Karate and Handy regained their balance, their gazes fell on the empty doorway. Musette's now grey complexion gone in the dark of night.
The duo turned to Papa, the old smurf scratching under his hat. Pacing, he huffed a thoughtful breath. Musette would now be out and lost in the forest, thinking he hated her. His only pure-bred daughter. He made a mistake. A large mistake; perhaps it wasn't her. Perhaps...
Shaking his head, he trashed the idea, turning to his sons. It couldn't be that, never that. Years had passed and they were long gone. Furrowing his eyebrows, he stepped to them, placing hands on their shoulders.
"It's alright, she can't get too far... We'll wait until morning." The duo each nodded, Handy's expression glum with the loss of Musette. He was so rude to her. "If she's not back by then..." Karate looked on with suspicion, an eyebrow raised in interest. Shaking his head, Handy crossed his arms.
"No, she has to come back. With no Pack? She wouldn't last a day." Nodding, Papa turned to his desk. His arms linked behind his back, he stepped to the chair. As he sat, he glanced at his sons.
"No one must know of this. Keep all events of this night under wraps."
"Yes, Papa."
As they left the house, the door shutting eerily behind them, Papa breathed a sigh. If it did come that she wouldn't return, he'd have to come up with a backup plan. That was his daughter out there after all. What if she wandered out into the Forbidden Forest? Papa's bones chilled as he stared at the tall rock wall in the distance. A worried frown spread his already whitening beard as he imagined the dangers. The Smurf-eating plants, Gargamel...
Papa shook his head as guilt tightened his chest. "Musette... I'm sorry... Please come home safe..."