Good ta see ya guys! I'm happy you guys are enjoying the story so far. This is definitely turning into more of a dramatic romance than a humorous one, ain't it? Well, the funny stuff will come in soon enough. Now, let's get down to business. It's time for the reviews!
flowerpower71- Yes, yes. We all know that Brainy has the most annoying fetish with messing with things when he isn't wanted.
Brainy: Hey! I resent that!
Oh. By the way, she gives you this, Brainy. (smacks Brainy across the head)
Brainy: YOOOWCH! What was that for?
Hey. You're the one who shot Don Smurfo with the love arrow. You deserved it if you ask me. Clumsy, you deserve some praise since you were right twice in this whole story. You predicted both of our male competetors were shot with love arrows. A round of applause for Clumsy, everybody!
Random Applause: YAY FOR CLUMSY! YAY!
Clumsy: Gosh. (shuffles feet sheepishly) I dunno what to say.
Then you don't have to. The daisies have been recieved and we thank you for that.
Next up is Frittzy- Glad to hear this story is getting exciting for you. It'll just keep getting better and better.
Zinka17- I personally think the real one to blame is Brainy. I mean sure, the Smurflings brought Don Smurfo out to meet Crafty. So what? They were just trying to do a nice thing. Besides, if you recall, it was Brainy who technically brought Don Smurfo out of his book. It was just the idea of the Smurflings to bring him out.
Smurflings: (sighs in relief)
Brainy: (jaw hanging with shock) B-but...But they tricked me!
Snappy: No we didn't! We told ya the truth! We just wanted Don Smurfo to come out of his book to meet Crafty and then go right back in!
Moving on, that is indeed true. Right now the two Smurfs hate each other's guts. It's gonna take a whole lot to make sure they don't kill each other over Crafty.
Chloe- Thanks for the invite to Rainbow Land. We'll have to check it out some time. And no, I don't have writers block and the Smurfs are fine. Things have just been really stressful lately and I haven't been on the computer all that often to finish the chapter. I'm sorry.
Crafty: Uh okay then. And yeah. That'd be great. But I think I need to take care of things here first. Maybe another time. But I am curious about that magical gift you spoke of. Anyway, thanks and tell me how it's going between you and Painter. I hope things are going well.
Ditto. Spring-Heel-Jacq- I know Jokey had it, but Don Smurfo does too. It was at the end of "The Return of Don Smurfo". He took off his purple hat when he said goodbye and then there was a white Smurf hat under it. By the by, I found the episode at last! It's on a website called . Just type in "The Return of Don Smurfo" in google or whatever and look for the site. It's the legit episode if you guys haven't found it yet.
As for the third clue...there was no third clue. I just said there'd be three clues so you wouldn't expect to meet Gutsy's rival until after the third clue. So, there were only two clues. Disclaimer time!
Snappy: All of us belong to Peyo.
Crafty: Me along with Hummer and Meena belong to frostforge44.
All: Have a smurfy day!
Gutsy walked back to his mushroom in silence. He had much thinking to do and he had to do it alone. Unfortunately, that wouldn't get done any time soon.
"You're really going to go through with this?" Angel asked floating near Gutsy's head as he entered his home.
"Aye. I don' 'ave much of another choice, now do I? 'sides. If I don' do it, dat no-good storybook Smurf will," Gutsy answered, his eyes starting to glow dark pink in hatred for his new rival.
"That's it. Get all pumped up. You're gonna need it," Devil sneered floating leisurely near the other side of Gutsy's head.
"What're ye talkin' about?" Gutsy asked.
"C'mon. You and I both know that Don Smurfo is real competition. He's a swashbuckling storybook hero! He makes all the ladies swoon! Trust me when I say that when it comes to charm and tenderness, he's got you completely beat."
And just like Devil was hoping for, Gutsy gritted his teeth in fury and his eyes glowed with anger and jealousy.
"But Crafty didn't swoon! Didn't you see the look on her face! She looked completely uncomfortable!" Angel argued, trying to calm Gutsy down.
"What I saw was Crafty not fighting when Don Smurfo was all over her like that. I'm getting the impression that her love for you is starting to expire," Devil smugly replied. "And remember what I said: She's gonna be taken away from you if you don't keep a good eye on her. Besides, Crafty said she was easy to please when you knew her well enough! You'll learn more about her and nobody gets hurt!"
"Except he'd be stalking her!" Angel snarled indignantly. This was so stupid, immature, and irresponsible! This is the complete opposite of how to get Crafty to love him over Don Smurfo! "That's not you at all, Gutsy! Why can't you just be the way you were before? She loved you plenty before all of this!"
"Yeah, but that's before you got competition! And what makes you think that the guy's gonna play fair?"
"Have you even read his books? Don Smurfo is a Smurf hero of honor! They always keep their word!"
"And they also would do anything to win the heart over the women they love. Anything," Devil smirked as Gutsy clenched his fists at the very thought of Don Smurfo going near Crafty again. "And what they do with those women...Just wow. They always act so romantic to them. Holding them so close. Caressing their bodies and faces. Dancing with them and dipping them. Oh, and the way they kiss them."
Angel cowered backwards as Gutsy started shaking. His face was flushed and his eyes were narrowed, radiating a pink aura so dark it was almost red. His pupils dialated as his anger took over his mind, now refusing to listen any reason. All he wanted to do now was get rid of Don Smurfo so Crafty would be his.
"But," Devil continued, now smiling widely. "You've been here longer that purple-dressed chump! You know Crafty better than he does! You're a good Smurf, aren't you?"
Then, almost as if he were going into a trance, Gutsy's eyes dimmed and glazed over as he nodded. It was almost as if he were giving himself over to a powerful force.
"And you deserve love. And it's obvious Crafty is the girl for you. You love her, don't you?"
"Wit' all me heart," Gutsy obediently answered.
"Stick with me then, kid. I'll get you the girl. Then, she'll be all yours," Devil baited.
"All mine," Gutsy whispered, now smiling to himself. But it wasn't a warm or humorous, or even gentle. It was more of a mischievous, maybe even evil smile. His eyes glowed back to a more pinkish color, but they were dark and filled with lust and desire.
"Just do as I say, and it'll all be a reality. The two of you together. Forever."
"Forever," Gutsy hoarsely repeated. He nodded, now agreeing in his not-so-clear state of mind.
"Gutsy! Don't listen to him! You'll never win her love this way-"
Angel was cut off as Gutsy swatted at him, knocking him clear to the other side of the room. Angel looked at him and saw no more kindness or sympathy in his face or his eyes. They were stone cold with absolutely no intention of showing any diplomacy or mercy.
"Ha ha! That's my boy!" Devil crooned patting Gutsy's head. "You're on the right track! Now, here are a few ideas to get you started."
Gutsy grinned maniacally and listened intently at the instructions Devil had given him. Angel picked himself up and dusted himself off. He sighed disappointingly.
This is not going to end well at all, He thought shaking his head sadly and poofing away in a cloud of white smoke.
Don Smurfo sat on a tree branch, humming dreamily to himself as he sharpened his sword with his special rock. Crafty was on his mind too much to really think about anything else. He loved everything about her as far as he could tell. Her eyes were bluer then the bluest of sapphires. Her braided hair was silky and styled to perfection. The fire she fought with when she cleverly fought him off of her burning with intensity. And though she didn't wear a dress, she was without a doubt the most beautiful woman he ever encountered.
"So, what're you going to do?" Don Smurfo's Devil Smurf sneered appearing at his side. Don Smurfo rolled his eyes and shook his head.
"Nothing," Don Smurfo said simply. "I will enchant my Smurfirina the way I always do. She'll be melting in my arms in no time at all."
Devil crossed his arms, shaking his head with disappointment, "You really think that doing the same thing every single time is always gonna get you the girl?"
"What do you mean? Of course I do!" Don Smurfo argued.
"You know, you're never going to get new things done if you don't spice it up a bit."
"I still don't think this is such a good idea," Angel muttered appearing the other side of Don Smurfo.
Devil pinched the bridge of his nose, "Oh, great. Here we go. The goodie-goodie has things he has to say. Again!"
Angel rolled his eyes but continued, "Don Smurfo. You don't need to do this! I mean, of course you can charm the smurf out of Crafty, but is it really necessary?"
"Uh, duh! Of course he does!" Devil scoffed. "Besides, it's not his fault. It was that dumb Scottsman Smurf! If it weren't for him, this would be so much easier!"
Don Smurfo's teeth gritted as he heard the very mention of Gutsy and his eyes began to glow dark pink. How dare he try to say that Crafty was his woman. And how dare Gutsy slam him into a tree all because he was holding his Smurfirina!
"Don Smurfo! Gutsy is your friend! You can't do that to him!" Angel pleaded.
Gutsy and Don Smurfo are (or in this case, were) friends. The two of them shared their love of adventure and shared a great kinship the first time they met. As a result of recent events, however, that kinship and any respect they might have had for each other was no more.
"So? Gutsy stomped his honor into the dust just so he could get his hands on Crafty!" Devil retorted smugly.
Don Smurfo narrowed his dark pink eyes as he scraped his sword with extra force, making sparks dance off of the weapon eratically. He had lost his honor and dignity in front of his one true love because of that uncivilized Smurf! It was humiliating and Gutsy was going to pay for it!
"Well, have you ever considered that Gutsy loves her just as much as you do?" Angel bellowed.
Don Smurfo frowned in confusion. Gutsy? Love Crafty? Is that even possible?
"Your point being what?" Devil spat. "Like that air-headed, skirt wearing Smurf could give Crafty what she needs. Not like you can, anyway. You know how to handle women: Gentle touches, shower them with compliments, you know, cheesy stuff like that."
"Okay, I didn't want to have to say this, but you leave me with no choice," Angel took a deep breath. "Don Smurfo. You are a storybook character! She's a real Smurfette! It could never work!"
"Why not? I thought love was supposed to have no boundaries whatsoever," Devil smirked.
"Well, how would that work then? Hmm? You would be in your book and she would be here in the village. Tell me how that would possibly work."
"Easy," Devil replied. "He could bring Crafty with him back into the book."
"WHAT?" Angel's jaw dropped in horrifying shock. Don Smurfo, however, relaxed his body in bliss at the thought of bringing Crafty into his world.
"Just think of it," Devil whispered into Don Smurfo's ear persuasively. "That's where you strut your best stuff. The two of you could have adventures all the time and it would never end. If she gets into any trouble, you can save her from it. But, I don't think that'll happen."
"What?" Don Smurfo and Angel inquired. Angel's tone held confusion while Don Smurfo's held that plus anger.
"Ya see, that's one thing Gutsy has that you don't. He is completely unpredictable. He's always changing things up. Nothing is ever the same! That's probably why he's had her with him for so long now! She wants excitement! Give it to her!"
Don Smurfo's eyes glazed over with them showing great want for his reward. Which would be his greatest of adventures and the hand and heart of Crafty Smurfette. He smiled confidently and nodded.
"I'll do it."
"Good," Devil grinned menacingly. "You know what to do."
Angel sighed and just decided to poof out of there. There was no talking Don Smurfo out of anything once he put his mind to it. He would just have to find another way to make Don Smurfo see what's in front of him more clearly.
"Huh. Gutsy and Don Smurfo in love with you. Crafty, I feel so sorry for you," Vanity said. He and a group of Smurfs were gathered at a table hearing the tale of the two love-struck Smurfs from Crafty herself.
"Gee. Thanks, Vanity," Crafty grumbled. She was seriously in no mood to hear any comments about her current situation.
"I mean it! Having those two constantly trying to win you over must be so smurfing annoying," Vanity argued, almost sounding sincere. The key word being "almost".
Just out of instinct and her irritable mood, Crafty used her arm and shoved Vanity off of his seat and onto the floor. Snickers could be heard around the table as Smurfette and Harmony helped Vanity to his feet.
"Aww, c'mon Crafty, ol' chum," Sweepy coaxed, handing her a cup of hot chocolate. "It can't be all bad."
"Actually, it could be pretty bad."
The Smurfs snapped their attention to Cupid, who had his hands behind his back and an embarassed smile on his face.
"As a matter of fact, it probably couldn't get any worse."
"What did you say to them?" Crafty asked suspiciously.
"Uh," Cupid rubbed the back of his neck. "Can we talk in private? Like maybe back at your mushroom?"
Crafty was perplexed, but nodded as she stood from the table and led the cherub back to her home. The two got comfortable in her living room and waited for the news to come.
"Okay. Before I say anything, I just want to say that what I said and did is only a temporary solution. Just for a few days. Not very long," Cupid laughed nervously.
"Oh no. What did you do?" Crafty asked now becoming more and more frightened.
"Uh, well...I might of...sort of...made them go into a sort of...competition for you...hehe," Cupid chuckled, trying to lighten the mood.
All was silent for a good moment. Crafty was completely shocked and absolutely horrified at what her ears had just picked up. Then, all smurf broke loose.
"YOU WHAT?" Crafty screeched angrily. Cupid flinched at her sudden loud tone but shook it off quickly. "HOW COULD YOU DO THAT? Do I look like a smurfing trophy for two eccentric, heart-throbbed Smurfs to fight over? Do I?"
"No! Not at all! But would you rather have had them duke it out there and then and kill each other?"
Crafty huffed and plopped down back onto her couch. She hung her head and took deep breaths to calm herself down.
"No. I don't. But...they almost did that because of me...didn't they?" She muttered sadly.
"What? No! That wasn't your fault," Cupid argued. That was the last thing he wanted Crafty to think. "Those two should know better than to tussle like that. You're not gonna win a lady's heart like that."
Crafty laughed silently. Then, she said aloud, "So. What's going to happen?"
"Well, starting tomorrow, they're gonna start...uh...courting you. But I put limits on it. And the best part is that you decide who would win the competition. Besides, I think I'm close to finding a solution to all of this without any emotional damage to either of the Smurfs. But I need some more time and I can't have them trying to rip out each other's throats."
Crafty giggled. Yes, she could definitely see the both of them doing that.
"Okay. So first thing in the morning Don Smurfo and Gutsy are going to try to impress me any way they can so I will pick them. And that would include flirting, hugging, or anything they might find romantic for the next few days. I think I can handle that."
"Oh. Uh, there is one more itty-bitty thing I forgot to mention," Cupid sheepishly said.
Crafty raised her eyebrows, "What?"
"Uh...Well, from what I told them, they way you'll decide who wins is by whoever you..." Cupid trailed off, gesturing his hands in a manner in which he wasn't comfortable finishing his sentence.
"Go on. How would I decide?"
"Whoever you...kiss first," He finished with a nervous chuckle.
Crafty's eyes widened. She appeared to go into a complete state of shock. Then, after a few seconds, she grabbed a couch pillow, held it to her face and screamed into it at the top of her lungs, which sounded more like a muffled, shrill humming. Cupid cringed and sighed.
Well. It's nice to see she took it so well, He thought sarcastically.