Aiko: We're back!
Chi: Of course!
Aiko: Just can't stay away!
Chi: Here's our next adventure-
Both: Sticks and Stones Will Shatter My Bones!
Sticks and Stones Will Shatter My Bones
Chapter One:
Sorrows and Smurflings
(I just thought we'd start right away(I'm eager, can you tell? XD) remember: this is an alternate reality. in this reality...
A. Aiko is alive
B. Chi's baby... well... is not... (SIDS in the middle of the night... dead before morning.)
C. Vanity can still walk, and does not have a scar.
D. Daisy is still in play and is like- a 2 year old toddler by now(WAS CHANGED TO FIVE LATER, SO DON'T BE THROWN OFF GUARD IF THE TWINS ACT YOUNGER THAN FIVE.)
And I am adding Melody who is about the same age, along with a surprise twin brother named Claymore.)
It was another quiet morning in the Vanity/Farmer household... Farmer was cuddled up to Vanity in almost a spooning position, his arm around his mate. for once, he actually woke up without the help of their little 'Alarm', and kissed Vanity's earlobe. "g'mornin, shugah..." he said softly as his mate began to stir.
"Mmm, morning." Vanity yawned and strectched, before snuggling closer to Farmer.
They stayed that way for less than five seconds before they heard Daisy come in.
"Daddyyyyyyyyy!" Daisy squealed, literally jumping on top of her dads. "Poppiiiiii! wake up!"
She squeezed her way in between them, snuggling contentedly under the covers.
"And just why," asked Vanity in mock confusion, "do you want to get up so early?"
He did his best not to smile; he already knew the answer.
"Cause it's th' first day'a th' harvest!" She squealed in delight, "Silly poppi! You knew tha'!"
Farmer chuckled a little and ruffled her hair, "An' are you gon' help Daddy pick all th' crops?"
She shook her head and her little wavy pigtails bounced excitedly, "Nuh-uh! Imma make mudpies fo' lunch!"
With the harvest always came mud. And Daisy LOVED mud.
Vanity blinked at her. "Make mud pies? All by yourself?" he asked, in mock shock.
She shook her head again. "Nuh-uh! Clay's gon' help too!"
Farmer raised his eyebrow in mock suspicion. "Ah'm gon' hafta keep'n eye on tha' lil' smurffriend'a yo's" he said, his smile betraying his playful protectiveness behavior.
"Daddyyyy..." Daisy giggled a little, pulling the blankets over her nose, "Clay's not m' smurffriend!"
Although, as much as she protested, she did have a little crush on Aiko and Gutsy's son.
"If you and Claymore are making mud pies, what will Melody be doing?" asked Vanity.
Daisy shrugged "Ah dunno... She dun' like mud pies too much."
she turned so she faced Farmer, "I think she's helpin' Daddy harvest ru'baga."
Farmer would definatly need help with the rutabaga. him and Daisy were deathly allergic. Just the touch would raise hives. and eating even a little bit would bring on ana-smurf-laxis.
"Well, sounds like we have a busy day," Vanity declared. "Better get up so we aren't late for breakfast."
They got up and went through the morning rituals, which involved Vanity helping Daisy do her hair and buttoning her overalls and Farmer helping her wash her face and pick out her snack for later that day.
When the family of three was ready, they headed to breakfast at the Mess Hall. Already seated were Hefty, Chi, Gutsy, and Aiko, the latter of whom was being tackled by her two twins, Claymore and Melody.
"Oy!" Aiko yelled, but her tone was playful. "Get off! Clay, Mel, come on now! Go bug your dad!"
Gutsy laughed as Aiko comically writhed under the onslaught of childish attacks. "They're not letting up anytime soon!" Gutsy roared jovially.
"Mommy, yer Gargamel!" Claymore told her seriously.
"And we're gonna stop yeh from findin' Smurf Village!" Melody added.
"Oh-you've-smurfed-me-!" Aiko choked dramatically before slumping lifelessly over the table.
Melody and Claymore retreated. They watched Aiko. She didn't move.
"Is she dead?" asked Melody fearfully.
"Ah don't know," Claymore replied, sounding scared.
"RAAAWWRR!" Aiko yowled, leaping up suddenly. The twins shrieked gleefully as their mother made a return attack.
"Haha, looks like they're having fun," Vanity laughed while Daisy bounced eagerly at the heels of her parents.
"Sho' nuff!" Farmer laughed a little, nudging Daisy in their direction. "Go get Garg'mel, shugah!"
Daisy quickly nodded her head and joined in with Clay and Mel, latching onto Aiko's leg. "I got'chu, Garg'mel!" she sang happily.
Chi watched the three kids going after Aiko, and laughed a little. she couldn't help feeling the little pang in her gut remembering her own little one... she'd never get the chance to play with these three... she shook the thoughts and pasted on a smile as Vanity and Farmer sat down catty- corner to her. "Ah!" She said, "You boys look well rested for having a toddler in the house."
"Pretty good, yeah," Vanity smiled.
"Rawr! I'll get you, you Little Smurfers! I'll get all of you!" Aiko yowled, scattering the Smurflings. "Divide and conquer! Victory will be mine!"
"No i' won'! No i' won'!" Claymore retorted, jumping out of Aiko's way.
"Beat th' wizard! And 'is mangy old cat, too!" Melody added.
Daisy snuck behind Aiko and scrambled up her back, coming to rest on her shoulders "giddyap, ya ol' looser wizard!" she commanded, holding onto Aiko's shirt like reins.
Farmer kept one eye on the smurflings at play- for Aiko's sake, not theirs- as he answered. "Yeah... Bu' Ah'll tell ya, sometimes it's downright 'mpossible t' get 'er t' bed in th' first place. an' Don' even start on brushin' teeth!"
"The almighty wizard Gargamel, treated as a common mule?" Aiko asked indignately. She got down on all fours and made a show of pretending to roll on top of Daisy. The Smurfling squealed and jumped off of the mother of twins.
Claymore was panting. "Ah'm hungry," he sighed.
"Ah'm thirsty," Melody agreed.
"And I win," Aiko laughed. "Come on, you three, breakfast!"
"Teeth are impossible," Vanity and Gutsy agreed together.
Daisy hauled herself up onto the stool and ate breakfast with the twins. Farmer turned his attention back to his friends. "An' Bath time?" Farmer put a hand to his head. "Ah cain't get tha' child t' stay in th' tub fo' mo' than five seconds, Ah swear!"
Chi nodded a little and forced herself to keep smiling.
"Chi," said Aiko quietly. "You can try again. I know losing Ukyo was hard on you-I don't know what I'd do if I lost Clay or Mel- but Ukyo doesn't have to be the only attempt you and Hefty have at having a family like mine and Gutsy's or Vanity and Farmer's."
Claymore looked at his dad. "Dad? Who's Ukyo?"
"Erm, no' now, son," Gutsy said awkwardly.
"Is Ukyo a Smurf?" asked Melody interestedly.
"Claymore! Melody! Hush. We'll discuss this later. Leave yer godmother alone."
Chi blinked hard, and ruffled little Claymore and Melody's hairs softly and murmured to them to eat their breakfasts. "Ai... You... you don't get it..." she said quietly. "women in my family... we have a lot of problems with pregnancy..." she daubed at her eyes, which threatened tears. "It's very likely I'll never be able to concieve again...and if I do... It's very, very likely I wouldn't survive the birth..."
She used one hand to cradle her broken womb and continued to daub her eyes.
Daisy looked at Chi, then up at Farmer. "Daddy...? Why's Ann'ie-Chi so sad...?" she asked quietly.
"Ah'll tell you some other time, shugah." he replied, "Go eat."
"Chi, if I had known that before Ukyo was born, I could have compiled a list of spells to help you!" Aiko insisted. "I won't let you die if you get pregnant again, do you understand?"
Tears Chi had been fighting spilled over, and she ducked her head ashamedly. "I-I don't wanna go through that pain again, Aiko...!" she said through her tears. "all that pain... All that hurt... All that work... And she dies before she even mumbles a first 'word'!"
Chi seemed to fold in on herself, crying and whimpering sadly. The pain of loosing her daughter was still very fresh. It was still fairly recent.
Aiko looked sympathetically at her friend. "I know, labor was hell," Aiko agreed. "But they are worth every bit if it. Every second of that pain is worth every millisecond with your baby afterwards." The bespectacled female paused. "You don't have to try again. But if you want to, I will be right there next to you the whole time making sure nothing happens."
Daisy sat with Claymore and Melody at the end of the table and kept eating. she noticed that the twins had something on their plates that she didn't- sausage. Greedy wouldn't give her any, even though it looked SO yummy... "Mel? K'ai try some'a your sausage?" she asked, watching the smurfling with curious eyes, "Ol' Greedy wouldn' give me any."
Little did the three of them, or their parents, know how bad a mistake that would be.
Melody glanced at the sausage. She liked it, but she had fried cake with butter and syrup on her plate too, and that was sweeter. "Some," she said finally. "But leave me some too. Claymore licks his as soon as he gets it, it's disgusting!"
"Thanks!" Daisy smiled, taking a littler piece of the sausage and popping it in her mouth.
What she didn't know was that Farmer didn't have any sausage either.
Melody suddenly looked up. Then she cried out. "Mommy! Daddy! Something's wrong with Daisy!"
Chi's tears stopped flowing, and she looked up to where the smurflings sat.
The instant he heard Melody cry out about something being wrong with Daisy, Farmer turned his head in their direction, and stood from his chair. Daisy was wide eyed, or at least she would've been if her cheeks had not started swelling up. she tried to cry for her dads, but it came out as more of a strangled gasp. Farmer immediately knelt down in front of her, his hands on her swollen cheeks and tried to keep her calm. he turned to Mel, panicking a little, "Mel, shugah, Ah need'a t' tell me 'zactly wha' happened." he said, trying to keep his voice even and his southern dialect-which seemed to get worse the more he panicked- understandable.
"Daisy asked me for some sausage and I told her she could have some," Melody whispered. "And when I went to ask her if she liked it she looked like that."
She turned to Aiko with tear-filled eyes. "I didn't hurt Daisy, did I, Mommy? I didn't mean to!"
"I know you didn't," Aiko assured her. "But Daisy is smurfing an allergic reaction. I have to go get Papa and tell him what's happened. Gutsy, watch Melody and Claymore." Aiko dashed off for Papa Smurf.
Meanwhile Vanity was busy trying to find a way to help Daisy.
Melody gave a wail at her friend's predicament as the adults fussed over her. Claymore hugged his sister tightly and hoped his friend would be alright.
Farmer felt himself panicking as Daisy's face started swelling so badly her eyes were nearly swollen shut. "Yo're gon' be okay, shugah..." he tried to assure her, "Daddy's not gon' let nothin' bad happen to ya..."
Chi tried to calm the twins, turning them towards her and away from the frightening scene. "Shh... Shh... it's alright, you guys, it'll be alright," she shushed them, "But you've got to be calm, or else Daisy's gonna be even more scared, and we don't want that to happen."
it only took a few moments before Aiko had returned with Papa smurf, who had a loaded syringe of epinephrine ready. Daisy saw the needle coming towards her, and immediately uttered a strangled shreik and tried to squirm away from Papa and the syringe. Farmer held her still, whispering soft words of comfort to his trypanophobic daughter.
Aiko leaned down by the still thrashing Daisy. Quietly she began to sing soothing words to the young Smurfling, though her voice was slightly choked as though this particular song pained her.
"Baby mine, don't you cry
Baby mine, dry your eyes
Rest your head close to my heart
Never to part, baby of mine
Little one when you play
Don't you mind what they say
Let those eyes sparkle and shine
Never a tear, baby of mine
If they knew sweet little you
They'd end up loving you too
Although some people scold you
What they'd give just for the right to hold you
From your head down to your toes
You're not much, goodness knows
But you're so precious to me
Cute as can be, baby of mine.
"
Daisy hadn't even noticed Papa giving her the shot with Aiko singing. Now the swelling was going down and she was able to breathe again.
Before anyone could do much else than sigh in relief, Melody leaped forward and hugged Daisy as tightly as she could. "I'm sorry!" she wailed, hugging her friend. "Do you forgive me, Daisy-san?"
"Dear," Aiko smiled, "I think you need to let her breathe so she can talk to you."
"Sorry!" Melody yelped, jumping backward and releasing Daisy from the bearhug.
Daisy nodded her head to Melody, still a little shooken up by the whole thing. tears in her eyes, she threw her arms around Farmer, crying little girl sobs. Farmer held her close to his chest, tears in his eyes as well. "Dad gum, shugah," he whispered, "Ya SCARED me... Ah thou' Ah'd lost ya..."
"I-I-I-I-I'm S-s-s-s-sorry Daddy-yyy-yy!" she whimpered in between tears.
"It's alright, Daisy. You're safe now, that's what matters," Vanity told her shakily.
Daisy sniffeled and snuffled a little, and nodded her head. Farmer adjusted her a little so he could look her in the eyes. "Shugah..." he said, calmly as the relief in his voice would let him, "How come ya ate some'a tha' sausage, even though Greedy tol' ya not t'?"
Daisy ducked her head a little. "It... it jus' looked so yummy..." she murmured. "Tha' was so s-s-scary, Poppi..." she turned towards Vanity and hugged him as tight as her small stature allowed.
"I know little one," Vanity murmured. "You're okay...sshh..."
Papa took a small piece from Claymore's sausage, despite Aiko's attempt to stop him, and took a bite. "hmm..." he thought it over, "Apple-rutabaga sausage. so that's why."
Melody was staring at Papa in horror before looking at Daisy. "He ate Claymore's sausage!" She told her friend.
Daisy laughed, while Vanity, Farmer, Hefty, Chi, and Papa merely looked their confusion.
Meanwhile Gutsy was paling at the news and Aiko looked very embarrassed.
Claymore inspected his sausage. "Hey! He did eat it! That was mine! I licked it and everything!"
Papa had a blank look of disbelief for a moment. they all held their breaths waiting for a reaction. Papa started laughing, a low chuckle at first, developing into a very large laugh. "I suppose I ought to know by now never to take food off a toddler's plate!" he laughed.
"Especially if it's Clay," Aiko teased. "Here, Shoakuma, you can have mine."
some time had passed since Daisy's ordeal, and she'd calmed down quite a bit. after a quick check up from Papa to make sure the medicine was working, he sent her on her way. she, in turn, ended up right where she'd planned: making mud pies with Clay while their fathers watched from the fields. "naw, this's no good!" she pouted, "We need more water!"
"We can get some from the tap," Clay offered. "I brought a bucket and everything!"
"Okay!" Daisy smiled, wiping her hands on her overalls and running with him to the tap next to the well.
Claymore filled the bucket. When water slopped over the edge, he turned off the tap and tried to pick it up. "It's heavy," he panted. "Want to help me, Daisy?"
Daisy nodded her head, then grabbed the metal handle of the pail, at least half of the water sloshing out when they carried it back to their "mudpie factory". they dumped what was left of the water into the large puddle, then jumped right in, sloshing the muck around in their hands and laughing. "Hey, Clay?" Daisy sat down on her knees, right in front of her friend.
"Yeah, Daisy?" Claymore was pouring water on the mud.
"Wanna do a dare?" she asked, sloshing the mud around between her bare feet.
"Sure, try me!"
Gutsy smirked at Farmer. "Before yeh know it, they'll be fallin' in love," he laughed.
Farmer laughed and leaned against his rake. "Ah'll b'lieve it, cuz," he said a smile on his face, "Van'ty an Ah were friends like tha' a' bout their age."
Behind the two joking fathers was Aiko herself. She smiled, rolled her eyes, and murmured, "Oh, my, my, my."
Farmer laughed a little, and watched the two of them playing in the mud. "Ah kin say this much fo' sho'," he said, returning to his raking absentmindedly, "Van'ty's gon' smurf a fit when 'e sees 'er" he said with a chuckle.
"Ah know Aiko's only gonna have a fit if he gets in a fight," Gutsy said seriously. "She doesn't care if they play in the mud, but bloody noses? She'll smurf ta Kingdome Come!"
"Really?" Farmer asked, a little surprised, "Ai, y' seem like th' las' one who'd smurf out about fightin'!"
Aiko grimaced. She glanced at her blonde son. "He likes to fight Curious, Snappy, Slouchy, and Nat at once. When he gets older I won't care, but they don't let him out of it easily."
Farmer shrugged a little, "Aw, shugah, boys will be boys," he said, "Ah cain't count how many times me an' yo' hubby, an grouchy got in a few scuffles at 'is age. 'E won' learn fo' while. they grow outt'a it."he rolled his eyes a little thinking of Grouchy, "Well, MOST'A 'em do."
Daisy sat almost on her haunches and smirked a little. "Okay... I dare ya t' kiss me!"
Claymore blinked; he hadn't expected that. But he couldn't back down! Besides, Daddy kissed Mommy all the time. Still... "Okay," he said, squaring his shoulders and readying himself.
Aiko suddenly laughed. "Gutsy, don't look now, but your son is trying to get a kiss from his girlfriend!"
Farmer looked over to where their smurflings were at play. he watched in disbelief as Claymore sat there, his lips all puckered moving towards his daughter. Daisy, however stood up and started moving away "Gotcha!" she yelled jokingly, "Imma tell your mama you tried t' kiss meeee!"she was laughing as she started running from him playfully.
Farmer found himself laughing partially in relief. "Tha' girl," he laughed a little, "Ah dunno WHERE she gets it from!"
"Well, I know where Clay gets his being straightforward," Aiko smirked in Gutsy's direction.
Farmer simply laughed a little at Gutsy. "She's got'cha there, cuz."
"Hey," said Gutsy defensively, "Ah wasn't gonna let her just waltz right by me. Good thing Ah didn't, too."
"Oh, really? Well, look who's trying to butter me up. What did you and the twins do THIS time?"
"Ya know, I'm bigger than you! I could beat you up! And I will, too!" Clay declared, furious that Daisy hadmade him look silly.
Daisy pouted at him and flicked some mud in his direction. "I cou' beat you any day!" she boasted.
"Wanna bet?" growled Claymore, before leaping forward to attack.
Daisy yowled in surprise and wrestled her friend in the muck, using some of the mudpies they'd made as weapons a d laughing like you wouldn't believe.
Farmer listened to the husband and wife pair bicker and casually looked over to their little ones, whom he found wrestling and fighting in the mud. Farmer put his rake down, then ran over to where the two of them were tussling in the muck. Farmer hauled them both up by their pants, separating them. "Orright, orright, smurf it up! Smurf it up!"
"He started it!" Daisy thrashed a little in midair.
"Ah dun care who STARTED it, AH'M finishin' it!"
"CLAYMORE!"
The blonde Smurf winced as his mother's angry snarl rang across the field.
A small, tinkling laugh also reached poor Clay's ears; Melody was watching. "Mom's gonna kill you," Melody informed him.
"I know, I'm as good as smurfed," Clay agreed, watching as a livid Aiko walked over and snatched him up by both the scruff of his neck and his scarlet sash.
"WHAT HAVE I TOLD YOU ABOUT FIGHTING?!" Aiko screeched furiously, glaring at her son, who had a small cut bleeding above his right eye.
"Ta not ta cause I'm not big enough and I'll get hurt, and because I need to learn to pick my fights more wisely so I don't hurt myself," Clay recited diligently.
"And?" Aiko prompted, eyeing him.
"Or I'll hurt someone else without meaning to," Clay added quickly.
"And why does Mommy get angry when you don't listen to her?"
"Because Mommy loves me and doesn't want me to get hurt because she loves me."
"Yes I do. No more fighting, I mean it. Or I'll have Papa find you a few chores to do, understand?"
"Yes, Mommy."
"Good." Aiko pulled her son into a small hug, then set him back on the ground. Now apologize to Farmer and Daisy for making poor desicions," she ordered.
Clay shot his mother a terrified look.
"Go on." she said, pushing him forward gently.
"Ah-Ah-Ah'm s-s-s-sorry, F-F-F-Farmer and D-D-Daisy. Ah-Ah m-m-made a b-b-bad ch-ch-ch-choice..." Clay stammered, staring up at Farmer and looking terrified.
Farmer chuckled a little and ruffled his muddy hair. "No harm smurfed, shugah. 'Cept to yo' eye there!" he raised an eyebrow at Daisy. "What do you say?"
Daisy looked at the ground sheepishly and kicked a rock. "I'm sorry I hurt your eye... and tha' I kicked your butt..." she mumbled, and Farmer suppressed a chuckle. "D'ya still wanna be friends?"
"Yeah. But if Farmer hadn't seen us for one more second Ah woulda won." Clay retorted.
"Quit while you're ahead," Melody advised. Her bouncy, slightly spiky russet hair fanned out slightly behind her as she ran to Gutsy. "Dadddyyyy...Ah want ya ta pick me up..."
"Come here, Ritorufaita," Aiko told Clay, holding his face and inspecting the cut.
Farmer scratched the back of his head. "Ah'm sorry 'bout his eye, shugah... Won' happen again, RIGHT?" he looked to Daisy again.
She looked like she was going to argue for a moment, but then nodded her head. "right..." she mumbled, uttering a little yawn.
Farmer checked his watch. "Oh, Looks like it's some'un's nap," he said, prodding her along gently, "C'mon, shugah, let's get you cleaned up."
"No problem, Farmer. Bye, guys!" Aiko called. "Now, let's go take care of your cut and then you and Melody can take a nap too, okay?"
Clay yawned widely, so that when he was done his jaw ached. "Sure, Mommy."
Farmer said his goodbyes and started leading Daisy back to the house. She immediately pouted and muttered something muddled with whining. "I can't hear you, talk in yo' big girl voice." Farmer said patiently.
"I'm not tirrrrrred..." she whined quietly, her voice betraying otherwise.
"Then jus' les' get ya cleaned up b'fore yo' poppi sees ya," Farmer tried to bargain with her.
"mmkay..." she mumbled.
When they got back to the house, Farmer found Vanity just sitting in the living room, reading a book as Daisy sulked to the bathroom, leaving little muddy footprints behind.
"Hi, Farmer," Vanity called. "Hi, Daisy. Anything interesting happen besides you coming home looking like you jumped in a mud ocean, Daisy?" asked Vanity, not looking up from his book but mentally cursing the wet dirt he would be cleaning out of his daughter's clothes.
Farmer started running warm water into the bathtub. "Well, a certain daughter'ours was jus' fightin' with 'er little smurffriend..." Farmer said, raising an eyebrow at his daughter.
"He ain't my smurffriend, Daddy!" she protested.
"Oh, did she, now? What were they fighting over?" Vanity asked, sounding curious.
"Ah'm not sure," he said, realizing he hadn't asked.
Daisy got out of her muddy clothes and grudgingly climbed into the tub. "Clay said he cou' beat me up if he wan'ed to, an' I told 'm I cou' kick 'is butt, an' we jus' started fightin'..." she said sheepishly.
"That doesn't sound like Clay," Vanity said slowly. "Did you provoke him?"
"Noooo... I didn't poke him!" Daisy said, holding her breath as Farmer poured some water over her head to get the mud out of her hair.
"Naw, shugah, provoke. Did'ja do somethin' tha' made him wanna say tha'."
Daisy looked down at the mud swirling in the tub. "Well I guess I mighta... Bu' it was jus' a little..."
"Daisyyy..." Farmer said warningly.
"Okay, okay... I kinda.. Sorta... Dared him to kiss me, then ran 'way an' said I was gon' tell on 'im... " she said, mumbling the last lines and looking down sheepishly.
"I see. Daisy, Claymore's parents, Gutsy and Aiko, tend to be very protective. Not just for Mel and Clay, but for the whole village. Both of them would lay down their lives to protect everysmurf. And yes," he added as Daisy opened her mouth, "even Brainy. Clay's parents are both very proud and very brave, and very, very strong, not nessicarily physically. With two parents who guard the whole village, Clay feels that he needs to be strong and brave, too. When you dared him to kiss you, he took it as a challenge to prove himself. And when you ran away and madd him look silly, you hurt his feelings and made him feel like he needed to prove himself another way."
Daisy cocked her head a little and looked at him in a confused manner. "Oh..." she said, still not seeming to understand.
Farmer rinsed the soap and shampoo off her, then drained the water and dried her off. "Bottom line is ya hurt 'is feelin's... an' you shou' say yo'r sorry." he told her.
"Yes, Daddy..." she mumbled, looking a little shamefaced.
"Van'ty, can you get her some clean clothes?" Farmer asked.
Just as he left, Farmer smiled and nudged her a little on the chin. "m'girl th' fighter... who'da thought it?"
Daisy had taken a nap, finding that she really WAS tired. With the day's resting completed, she and Farmer walked to Gutsy and Aiko's mushroom. Daisy's eyes widened.
Not two hours ago, Aiko had been furiously yelling at Claymore for fighting. With a pang of resentment, she realized Aiko hadn't been fearing Claymore's safety. She had been worried about her son hurting Daisy.
Now, the boy in the scarlet kilt was wrestling his sister, whose blue skirt was becoming dusty as she rolled in the dirt, dodging her sibling's attacks.
"She's going around behind you!" Gutsy called to Clay, who tried to spin around but failed.
Mel yowled in triumph as she caught her brother wobbling, off-balance. With a shriek of pride, she slammed into Clay, knocking him to the ground. Clay grabbed her by the ankle before she could scramble away, though, and Melody looked trapped.
Hissing in denial, Mel bowled her brother over, pinning him.
"We have a winner!" Gutsy called, ending the playfight.
Daisy felt jealousy rise like bile in her throat. Melody got to play rough with Claymore, and she didn't? That wasn't fair!
Melody gets whatever she wants. She gets pencils and erasers and cookies and she gets Clay for a twin. SHE'S A SPOILED BRAT!Daisy snarled mentally.
Mel and Clay shared a bond that Daisy would never know. She would never understand Clay's fierce protective ness of his sister, would never be able to forge the smae bond with him, nor break the one shared by twin and twin alike.
She wanted to hit Melody for knowing Clay like Daisy didn't. Melody knew everything about him, his favorite color, what animals he liked best, which birdsong was his favorite, she even knew that he licked all his food to claim it as his own! Daisy, in this infintesimal moment, hated Melody with every fiber of her being.
She suddenly felt guilt slowly falling down her like a slow waterfall, a calm stream. Why would she want to hit Melody? She didn't understand the feeling. It scared her. Maybe she'd ask Poppi.
Aiko was talking to Clay and Mel, who sat at attention, listening eagerly toher words. Their mother didn't seem to notice the guests.
"Melody, you're fast. Speed is good, as is agility. To make it better, we will work on your stamina, so you can go fast for longer periods of time. Remember that you're small, a disadvantage. Don't let your strong opponents catch you like Clay did. You wriggled out of it nicely and won, but it's always better not to be caught and risk the chance of injury."
"Yes, Mommy," said Melody quickly.
"Claymore, you're bigger and stronger than your sister. Those are your advantages. Unfortunately, your bulkier size makes it harder for you to catch smaller, faster enemies like Melody. We'll work on your speed and stamina as well. Work on deciding where your tinier foes willbe, not where they are."
"Okay, Mom. I can do that."
"We'll also work on reading your enemie's moves. Remember, a smart enemy is an effective, dangerous one. You can usually tell where a foe will go if you watch them, and be able to predict their moves. Some opponents are so clever, though, you don't know what they're going to do until they do it."
"Will we be strong and fast and clever enough to be like that, Mom?" asked Clay excitedly, his eyes shining.
"If you train hard, pay attention, and do your best, you will become as powerful as any opponent," Aiko told him.
"Cool!" breathed Melody.
"Use your gifts to your advantage, and turn your weaknesses into strengths. Oh, Farmer, Daisy, hello! What are you doing here?" Aiko asked warmly, just noticing them.
"Hi, shugah," Farmer smiled at them, "Jus' droppin' by t' see how th' little fighter's doin'... looked like a nasty cut earlier!"
Meanwhile, Daisy plopped down next to Clay. "Hey, Clay?" she said, "I'm real sorry 'bout your eye... I didn' mean t' hurt your feelin's..." she couldn't help but glare at Mel just a little, "My daddy an' Unca' Hefty helped me make a real smurfy treehouse yesterday! Wanna come see it?"
"Sure!" said Claymore excitedly.
"Can I come too?" asked Melody hopefully.
Daisy's once eager smile started to fade into a glare. no. she COULDN'T go. Clay was HER friend. just cause he's HER brother doesn't mean she had to go with him everywhere. But, Poppi wouldn't like it if she said no... "Sure..." she mumbled a little.
She stood and helped both of them up. "Bye Daddy! Bye Poppi!" She called out the door. "I'm gon' show Clay an' Mel my treehouse!"
"Be careful, shugah. Don' go past the Great Oak!" Farmer called after her.
none of the smurflings, not even the older ones, were allowed past the great oak without a grownup. a rule often broken, but a rule never the less.
Melody sensed that Daisy didn't want her to come. She felt her heart sink-was Daisy still angry with her over the sausage? She felt like curling in on herself and hiding.
"A-actually," she stammered slightly, "Y-you guys go...I have something to finish for Mommy..." In truth, she had no such project, but she'd rather lie than hang out with an icy Daisy.
Clay shot his sister a confused look, knowing something was wrong, but Daisy was gleefully skipping off.
"Suit yourself," he said quietly. "We'll be back soon."
"Okay," said Melody sadly, watching as her brother ran off with Daisy. She slipped quietly into the house, into her room. Clay's room was next door and Mommy and Daddy's was across the hall.
She closed the door to her room, a sign that ment she wanted privacy and was free to ignore the rest of the family, before curling up on her four poster bed. She pulled the hangings so she was concealed by light blue curtains, than she layed down, resting her fiery hair on the pillow, and crying quietly.
Daisy did feel kinda bad at first... Mel looked so sad when she went back into the house... but, of course, her toddler-attention-span was short, and she eagerly led Clay down a winding path out of the village, to a small sapling where Farmer and Hefty-with Handy's supervision- made a small treehouse. Daisy scrambled up the ladder, but before Clay could too, she pulled it up just out of his reach. "Halt, newcomer!" She said, playfully imitating a guard to some enchanted castle, "What's the password?"
"Erm- Melody?" Clay asked. He'd been feeling guilty about leaving her behind. Why was his twin so sad? He could feel-in the twin part of his mind, the part connected to Melody- that she was very, very sad and felt bad about leaving her.
Daisy rolled her eyes a little and dropped the ladder down the rest of the way. "okay, I guess that's close enough." she said, "C'mon up!"
Claymore, still feeling like he should head back and comfort his saddened twin, gingerly climbed up the rope ladder and followed Daisy inside.
A curious little squirrel was poking around inside, when Daisy shooed him away from something. She motioned for Clay to come over. "C'mere, I'm gonna show you somethin' I've never shown anyone before!"
She opened up a little wooden box "This," she said, showing him a smooth, almost glassy chunk of pale blue rock, "is my favorite treasure of all time!"
She displayed it proudly, offering him the half-a-fist-sized chunk of rock. "I found it with Miner, once. He says it's a sapphire."
"Pretty," said Claymore, inspecting it. Mommy always said his and Daddy's eyes were the color of sapphires, but this one was too light in color for Claymore to pretend it matched his dark blue irises. "Did Miner say if they come in darker colors?"
"mmhmm," Daisy said, "he said they come in all sorts'a colors. light blue, dark blue, yellow, clear...even pink!"
Just as she started to take it back, the little squirrel from before gave the rock a few sniffs with his cold nose, then promptly snatched it in his teeth and started to run away, towards the great oak. Daisy yelped in surprise, then her surprise turned into anger, or indignance. Or just plain tenacity."HEY!" Daisy yelled, tossing down the ladder, then clammoring down it to go rescue her precious treasure, "You bring tha' back, you mean ol' squirrel!"
Claymore followed her. His mother's voice seemed to be giving him hints.
Watch your opponent. Even the best can tell you their next move if you watch them carefully enough.
Soon, Clay was reading the squirrel's movements, and was right on its tail. He watched as the furry animal suddenly scampered into a tree.
Corner your opponent somewhere were they can't escape. Use their speed against them. There is always a trick left to use. "That mean ol' squirrel," Daisy grumbled.
As Clay tried to find a way up the tree, The squirrel nibbled on the rock, trying to determine if it was edible or not. when it decided it wasn't, he simply tossed it back down the trunk of the tree, and scampered away to find a new snack- preferrably something a little tastier.
Claymore caught the sapphire before it hit the ground and turned to Daisy, handing it to her.
"Here," he said dully, as Melody's sadness was beginning to affect his mood. He silently told himself not to tell her that; it would make her feel worse.
What Claymore was not expecting was Daisy's reaction for his simple gesture.
Daisy took the sapphire from his hand, then hugged him tightly, "Thank youuuu!" she said happily, "I thought I'd lost it for good!"
She let him go and smiled sweetly at him, then looked around to find out something quite scary indeed.
in their chase of the squirrel, they had run past the great oak.
And there was someone VERY unsmurfy indeed stalking behind them, a net poised and ready...
"GARGAMEL!" yelled Claymore, feeling terror wash over him. "RUN, DAISY, RUN! BACK TO THE VILLAGE!"
Claymore shoved her in the right direction before the net fell over him.
"CLAY!" Daisy shreiked, terror filling her eyes.
She scrambled inside a fallen tree, and waited for Azrael to go away before she started running for the village like a smurf possessed. As soon as she got there, she ran for Gutsy and Aiko's house, where she was sure her parents were still visiting, talking about some grown-up thing or another. she started pounding on the door with both fists, tears running down her cheeks out of fear. "DADDYYY! POPPIIII!" She wailed.
"Daisy?" asked Vanity, turning to stare at her. He bent down as she ran sobbing into his arms.
Aiko stared at her, horror and bile rising in her throat. Trying very hard not to snarl, she demanded, "Where is Claymore?"
Melody, who had been coaxed out ofher room by Gutsy, was sitting in his lap and staring at Daisy. She wanted to scream. WHERE IS MY BROTHER?! she wailed in her head. WHERE IS MY TWIN, CLAYMORE!?
Daisy tried to speak through her sobs,"H-h-He was s-s-smurfnapped by Ga-Ga-Ga-!"
"Garg'mel." Farmer finished gravely, standing from his seat, "Van'ty, stay here with th' kids. We're gon' get 'm back!"
Daisy still sobbed Vanity's arms, still flipped out from the whole experience. she started to mutter an explaination, but it was incoherant with tears and southern accent. more likely than not, he probably understood every third word or so."I-I-I'm sorry, Poppi..." she sniveled.
Aiko's fury boiled over. She was absolutely livid. A roar of rage rang through the village. "THAT GODSMURFED WIZARD! I'LL KILL HIM!" she shrieked, before blood red energy sparked at one hand, and crimson fire crackled into being on the other.
Gutsy followed as Farmer and Aiko took off running, with Aiko overtaking him quickly. An enraged mother was nothing to be smurfed with.
Meanwhile, poor little Claymore was curled up in a jar, watching as the old, grizzled wizard began preparing to turn him into a Smurf sandwich.
He hugged his knees and tried not to cry. Why was he so stupid? Why had he followed Daisy at all? Why had he gone after that sapphire?
Farmer and Gutsy followed Aiko, keeping some distance from her rage, to the disheveled and lopsided hovel. They climbed up the windowsil, only to see little Clay in a jar on the table, looking scared and unsure. He turned to Gutsy. "You distract Azrael. Aiko'll get Clay outta there, an' Ah'll keep tha' looser busy." he said. "Plan?"
without waiting for a response, Farmer bravely leapt over the gap that seperated the table from the window. "Hey, ya big ol' jacksmurf!" Farmer called up to the wizard, turning his attention away from the contents of the jar, knocking over beakers and test tubes."Jus' try an' catch me!"
while the three of them carried out their plan, Farmer managed to keep Gargamel away from Aiko and Claymore. and right when he saw she had broken the jar and got him free, he started running towards the window. however, that potions rack seemed to come out of nowhere... he crashed into it at full force, toppling it and spilling out all the noxious chemicals all over him, bubbling on his skin and making him scream in pain. especially in his left eye.
Aiko looked up. "GARGAMEL! DIDN'T ANYSMURF TEACH YOU THAT MAGICAL SMURFS ARE THE ONLY SMURFS WORTH HAVING?!"
She shot a handful of crimson fire at Gargamel, who yowled in pain, and tried to stamp the fire out of his robes.
Aiko ran over to Farmer and dragged him out of the potions. "Smurfit, I don't recognize these. Come on, Farmer, let's get out of here!"
Farmer kind of stumbled to his feet and shook his head, half his vision slightly blurry at first. He gave his head a few shakes, and ran to the edge of the table, "Gutsy!" he yelled, "Les' make like a shephard an' get th' flock outta' here!"
"Ah agree!" Gutsy yelled, snatching up Claymore and jumping out the window with Aiko at his heels.
They all managed to get back to the village, where Vanity and the girls were waiting for them. Daisy had by then calmed down, but immediately ran for Clay and Aiko, her head hung in shame. "Clay!" she and Mel hugged him tightly, "You scared me!"
she let him go. "Bu' you saved me too..." she smiled a little, blushing lightly. "Thank you..."
She slowly reached in her pocket and took out her sapphire. she turned it over in her hands a little, studying the pale-sea-glassy appearance. She pouted her lips a little, then held it out to him. "Here... I wan' you t' have it..." she said, still blushing and looking at the ground.
Farmer in the meantime had fallen slightly behind the family trio, and was still rubbing small bits of glass out of his eye.
"Um, thanks, Daisy," said Clay.
"YOU SCARED ME!" sobbed Melody, hugging Claymore tightly. "DON'T DO THAT AGAIN!"
"I won't," Claymore gasped slightly. "I'm sorry, Mel..."
"Farmer, I think I should look at your eye, you have a lot of glass in it," Aiko stated, moving forward.
"Naw, naw, shugah, Ah'm fine," Farmer replied, picking the last of the shards from his eye, " Ah got th' last'a it already."
Daisy walked up to Aiko, shamefaced and humbled, and looking QUITE fearful. "I-I-I-I-I-I'm sorry, Ai-Ai-Ai-Aiko..." she stuttered, looking up at her with fear in her face, "It's all my fault tha' happened... C-Clay was tryin' t' get m' treasure back from a squirrel, an' we wen' past th' Great Oak... an' when Garg'mel came, he was tryin' t' save me... please don' be mad at him..."
Farmer felt an inexplicable anger in the pit of his stomach. she'd diliberately disobeyed him! He'd have to talk to her later...
"I'm not angry. But you both disobeyed Farmer. You know the rules. Claymore, go to your room. Now. Daisy, I don't know what your parents are going to want to do, but I'm not angry with you. I'm glad you're okay. Farmer, Vanity, if you'll excuse me, I need to have a talk with my son."
Aiko looked at Claymore sitting on the bed. "You deliberately disobeyed me. You and Daisy could both have died. And for what?"
"Daisy's sapphire," Claymore explained quietly, holding it out. He sniffed slightly. "i just wanted to be brave like you and Daddy."
"Being brave doesn't mean you go smurfing for trouble," Aiko told him.
"But you and Daddy aren't scared of anything!" Clay insisted.
"I was today. I thought I might lose you."
"I guess even brave Smurfs get scared, huh?" asked Claymore.
"Yes," smiled Aiko.
"Ya know who I bet was really scared?"
"Who?"
"That stupid wizard and his mangy cat!"
"Yeah, cause they know not to mess with your mom!" Aiko laughed, pulling her son into a headlock.
"Ow! Mom! Let me go!" Claymore laughed.
Farmer took her by the wrist and led her the short distance to their own small cottage. "Ow, Daddy!" She whimpered a little, "I said I was sorry!"
"Sorry ain't good 'nuff, Daisy." Farmer found himself snarling a little, pointing a finger in her face "You cou'da been killed. Over wha', jus' a stupid rock!"
Daisy flinched under Farmer's anger. "It...it was my... my treasure, Da-Daddy..." she whimpered quietly, "It wan't jus' a stupid rock..."
"Ah dun' care if it was th' Hope Diam'nd!" Farmer scolded harshly, "Don' chu EVER deliberately disobey me like tha' again, understood?!"
Daisy didn't answer, just closed her eyes and quivered her lip. she'd never seen her daddy so mad before! "Tha WAN'T a resmurfical question, Daisy." he said louder, tightening his already tight grip on her small wrist. "UNDERSTOOD?!"
She nodded her head hard. "Y-Y-Y-Yes, Daddy..." she whimpered.
Vanity had followed them into the mushroom. "Farmer," he said quietly, "She's scared enough already, leave her be."
Farmer cast a quick glance at his mate, then let go of Daisy's delicate wrist. "Go to your room. I don't wanna see ya for th' rest'a th' day." he said plainly.
Daisy stood there a moment, trembling. "G'wan, GIT!" Farmer snapped at her, getting her moving towards her room.
Once he heard the click of the door, he slid his arms around Vanity's waist from behind, catching him mostly unawares. "Hmmmm..." he hummed, "th' kid's in 'er room... safe n' sound... Ah'm all done out in th' fields..." his voice turned into a whisper with almost a sinister edge, "Wha' say you'n me 'waste a lil' time'...?"
"Er, that was quite the mood swing," Vanity said cautiously.
"Ah'm sorry... Daisy jus got me all wound up, Ah guess..." he said with a little shrug, pressing his lips to the part of Vanity's shoulder that met his neck, "Mmm, yo' so tense, shugah..."
"I guess I'm still worried about how the kids are doing, especially Claymore. After all, Gargamel did catch him."
"Aw, don' worry 'bout 'im... 'E IS Aiko's son after all..." Farmer didn't really want to think about the kids with then and there. He just let his hands wander down Vanity's sides, landing at his waistband, "C'mon, Van'ty... Don' worry 'bout 'em... It's jus' you 'n me right now..."
"Farmer, not right now. Later tonight, when we're less likely to have a visitor come by."
Farmer's smile started fading a little. " c'mon, shugah... No'un's gon' come over..." he played with the waistband of his mate's pants a little.
"Actually, Farmer, I'm expecting Chisette and Aiko," Vanity explained. "Tonight, okay? I promise."
"Awww..." Farmer cozied up to him, still playing with Vanity's pants, "fine..." he added with a little grumble."bu' Ah'm gon' hold'ja to it."
"Alright," Vanity purred.
Chi: WHAT THE-!? WHO THE HECK STOPPED THE YAOI?!
Aiko: That would be me. We have impressionable minds we have to save from tainting.
Chi: *mutters obscenities*
Aiko: Oh, hush, you.
Chi: Well, you've read...
Aiko: Now, REVIEW!
Both: Until next time, BYE!