Chapter Twenty Five- Some New Friends, Some New Changes, and a New Member
Archer was silent for a long time. "You know, it wasn't your fault. They didn't listen to you."
"But I felt responsible for them." Papa said. "They were my family after all."
"Not a very nice family." Johan pointed out.
Papa nodded. "But it was all behind me. After the burial, Luna, Brave, and I moved on. Luna led us through the forest for three days before we arrived at a kingdom." Papa looked towards Johan. "There, we met a very interesting young woman."
"Are you sure about this?" Baby asked.
"Even I have to admit this doesn't seem like a good idea." Brave noted. "Papa always told us to be wary of humans."
"Don't worry." Luna assured. "We're looking for a specific human."
Baby and Brave still looked unsure, but they followed Luna across the drawbridge and into the castle walls. They stayed in the shadows as Luna led the boys through the castle and down to the kitchen. The only one there was a young human woman with deep brown eyes and pitch black hair tied up in a bun.
"This woman, as we soon discovered, was one of your ancestors." Papa told Johan. "She was very kind and very wise. She befriended Luna many years ago when she got lost in the forest. Which explained why she didn't freak out when she saw us."
"Amazing." Johan breathed. "I guess that explains how I got along with the Smurfs so easily." The three of them laughed.
"So then what happened?" Archer asked enthusiastically.
"Patience, my little Smurf." Papa calmed. "Patience."
"That sounds terrible!"
"It was." Luna nodded.
"Thanks again for the food, Miss Laura." Baby said.
"Not a problem." Laura waved it off. "Luna is a very good friend of mine."
"Wench!" A voice boomed from upstairs. "Where is my supper?!"
Laura rolled her eyes. "I'll be right back." She grudgingly picked up a tray of food and disappeared upstairs.
"That doesn't sound like a very nice king." Baby noted.
"The people don't like him much either." Luna sighed. "His brother was supposed to be king, but he went on a long journey and has yet to return. Laura says the king now is planning to keep the throne, even after his brother returns."
"Why doesn't anyone stand up to him?" Brave asked.
Laura suddenly appeared at the door, a large bruise over her eye. She immediately went to the water bucket and soaked a rag in the cold water.
"There's your answer." Luna said simply.
"Okay, all in favor of smurfing this guy into next week?" Brave offered.
"Don't worry." Laura assured. "The rightful king will return tomorrow, and then everything goes back to normal."
"What if the evil king resists?" Baby asked.
"We smurf him into next week." Brave shrugged. "I just said that."
"I don't think you should." Laura warned. "I think everything will be alright. Tonight, I will take you into the forest and you can find a new home."
"We should stay for a while." Baby insisted. "I got a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach."
Laura was still unsure, but when she realized resistance was futile, she left to make some makeshift beds for her guests.
But Baby couldn't sleep that night. The events from the past couple days raced through his mind. He still had trouble accepting it all; it seemed like a bad dream and he would wake up any second now. But he knew, deep down, that this was it. He had no family besides Luna and Brave. Papa was gone on a journey and would return to find his family dead. Baby desperately wished he could find Papa and tell him what happened, but he had no idea where he was now.
"Baby..." Luna said softly. "You asleep?" Baby didn't answer; he shut his eyes and pretended to sleep. He heard rustling of covers and then footsteps. Luna sighed. Then, her lips pressed against his temple in a soft kiss. She returned to her bed, leaving Baby a little more at ease.
"Just as I predicted, the evil king refused to give up the throne. So we helped Laura take back the kingdom." Papa said. "And she was made an honorary member of the king's court and even married the prince. Generations later, a descendant of the royal family had twins, and one of the twins journeyed off to make their kingdom elsewhere. That kingdom is the very same kingdom that the Good King rules today. That's why you, Johan, were born into the castle. Your family had been living there for many years."
"What about you, Luna, and Brave?" Johan asked.
"Ah yes." Papa nodded. "Well, as promised Laura took us into the forest we live in today, assuring us that it would be safe since it was far, far away from the nearest village. There, we decided to make a home for ourselves."
"Are we there yet?" Brave complained.
"Not yet." Luna said. "We still need to find the perfect place."
"We're almost there." Baby assured. "I feel something pulling me forward."
"Let's hope it pulls us towards food." Brave grumbled.
Baby kept moving, following the magical tug that led him through the forest. They already crossed a river and passed by a great oak tree. Ideas bounced around in his skull already. But he kept walking, almost running, through the trees. Brave and Luna had a bit of a hard time keeping up. They almost crashed into Baby when he finally stopped in a large clearing. It was a rough circle that had a clear view of the beautiful periwinkle sky.
"This is awesome!" Brave said, smiling broadly.
"This is it." Baby said. "This is where we're going to live."
"Here?" Luna clarified.
"We'll build houses for ourselves." Baby said enthusiastically. He set his bag down and started walking about, staring at everything and picturing how it would look. "We'll be safe here. There's plenty of room for more Smurfs. We can plant smurfberry bushes there! And some vegetable and fruit fields over there! We'll have a storage house for food in the winter and a dining hall!"
"A dining hall?" Brave repeated.
"We're gonna make friends." Baby said. "We won't be secluded like everyone in our last village. If we have powerful enough friends, we can protect ourselves from even bigger threats!"
"Uh, do you think we should start with those two beings trying to hide from us?" Luna suggested.
Baby and Brave whipped around just as two shadowy figures disappeared behind some trees.
"Who goes there?" Baby shouted. "Show yourselves!"
"Oh please don't be angry with us!" A woman's voice called sweetly. "Are you three Smurfs?"
Luna, Brave, and Baby exchanged looks. "Yes we are." Luna called. "And two of us happen to know magic. So unless you want to be toads, I suggest you come out."
"I would appreciate you not turning us into amphibians!" An elderly man's voice laughed. He and the woman stepped out into the sunlight. The man had a long grey beard and hair, thought most of his head was bald. He wore white robes with a brown belt and carried a scythe. The woman had white hair with a crown of yellow daisies. She wore a beautiful pink dress with a lighter pink skirt underneath. She carried a wand with a yellow star on the top.
"Hello little Smurfs." The woman greeted. "My name is Mother Nature."
"And I am Father Time." The man introduced. "Your Papa Smurf has said much about you."
"Papa told you about us?" Luna asked.
"Yes." Mother Nature nodded. "He told us to expect you. Father Time told me about your village. I'm so sorry the other Smurfs couldn't make it."
Brave nodded. "So, why did Papa tell you about us?"
"We're here to help you." Mother Nature said happily. "The Smurfs are some of my favorite creatures of the forest. And Father Time has known your Papa for many years."
"We are here to help with anything you need." Father Time assured.
The trio of Smurfs smiled, relieved that something was finally going right.
Mother Nature and Father Time remained with the three Smurfs for a long time. Luna came up with the idea of fashioning he houses to look like mushrooms to better camouflage them. Everyone like the idea, even knowing that only a Smurf or friend to the Smurf could find the village. So three mushroom houses were made, one per Smurf to decorate their own way. Luna also came up with ideas for a dining hall, a storage house, and a magic lab for herself and Baby. Baby even fashioned a special mushroom statue that he called a "Speaking Shroom". Father Time showed them where his cave was and presented his utensils of time magic. Mother Nature led them to where her home rested and invited them over anytime for tea. They were very thankful and promised they'd come over as often as they could. Brave, on the other hand, was eager to explore the forest and didn't return to their new home for at least a week. When he came back, he took up almost an entire day to describe the land around them.
Years passed. Brave, Baby, and Luna continued to live in their little village, though it was a little odd calling it a village since they were the only ones living there. As the years passed, love blossomed. Baby found it hard to hide how often he stared at Luna during the day. Luna only smiled, making Baby's face burn. Brave constantly ribbed them both for it, but neither would admit that they liked each other.
"Why don't you ask her out or something?" Baby asked Brave one day.
"Because I look to Luna as a sister, not a potential mate." Brave shrugged. "You two would look nice together, though."
Baby groaned, trying to hide his purple face under his red hat.
Decades passed. The Smurfs grew and changed. Brave's hair grew a little to actually cover his head in a buzz cut; however, his hair was usually covered by his hat, which now had a blue puffball on the tip. Luna cut her hair so it barely brushed her ear lobes. She started wearing simple, Renaissance-style dresses that were white and red. Baby kept his usual red clothing, but he started growing an umber colored beard and mustache. Things didn't get very exciting very often, much to Brave's disappointment. But they did have quite a few storms, animal attacks, and one or two human battles that almost crushed their homes.
Baby whistled as he picked smurfberries, stowing them away in his basket. He popped a few of the plumper ones into his mouth.
"Hey Sorcerer!" Brave called as he leaped down from a tree.
"You're never going to stop calling me that, are you?" Baby laughed.
"Nope." Brave shook his head. "Not unless you marry Luna and become Papa."
"Aren't you supposed to be the next Papa Smurf?" Baby pointed out. "You are the eldest." It was true that usually the first born took the role of Papa after his successor.
"I've thought about it." Brave admitted. "But I never really took an interest. Luna's my sister, not my daughter or mate. I'm proud to be Bravery Smurf."
Baby sighed. "Wish I could smurf the same."
Brave sighed as well. He took the basket from Baby and forced the younger Smurf to look him in the eye. "Baby Smurf, it doesn't matter that your first word didn't give you a name you prefer. I got my name from standing up to a savage wolf and punching him in the nose. You will get a name you deserve. And frankly, I think you deserve 'Papa' more than anyone else. Especially anyone in the village. I know you love Luna." He raised an eyebrow. "You do love Luna, right?"
Baby stared at the ground. "I can never stop thinking about her. It's like there's a hole in my chest whenever she's not near me. But whenever I try and tell her I can't live without her, my throat gets clogged like I'm choking on a smurfberry." Baby sighed. "I can't smurf my life without her by my side. I just don't know how to tell her."
"That way was nice."
Baby jumped while Brave only smirked in triumph as Luna jumped down from the tree they stood under. "I knew Papa should've named you 'Timid Smurf'." Luna laughed.
Baby's face burned. He opened his mouth, but could only stutter incoherent words.
"I'll leave you two lovesmurfs alone." Brave chuckled, disappearing through the trees.
I'm gonna kill you, Brave. Baby growled.
Luna smiled and came up to Baby. "Do you really mean all that?"
Baby's cheeks burned. "Uh...well, I think lying is very unsmurfy and...uh..."
"So you did mean it?" Luna guessed.
"Well, I think you're a very nice Smurfette and I wouldn't want to lie to you, you know, cause I already said that lying is unsmurfy and I wouldn't lie to you in fear of hurting your feelings and—" Luna's lips suddenly crashed onto his, halting his rant. When they pulled away, Baby laughed a little nervously. "That was a great way to tell me to smurf up."
Mother Nature couldn't help but smile warmly the entire time. Father Time straightened his robes for the thousandth time, even though the only guests at the wedding were many forest animals. Baby hyperventilated a little, despite Mother Nature constantly telling him to relax. A squirrel hurried in from the trees and chattered away excitedly.
The birds started singing in a symphony of tweets and whistles, playing out a beautiful wedding song. Mother Nature created a carpet of flowers that led from the trees to Father Time and Baby. Brave came down the aisle, dressed in his usual pants and hat but with a blue kilt. Baby couldn't help but laugh a little; ever since he was left alone with some of Father Time's books about Scotland, Brave had soaked up the Scottish culture like a sponge. He even wore a kilt and tried talking in a Scottish accent.
Luna's arm was linked with Brave's, and Baby stared at how beautiful she looked. Her sparkling, sleeveless white dress had a ribbon tied around the waist with a bow in the back. It trailed across the ground, almost blending with her train, carried by a couple chipmunks. Her veil was attached to a small tiara that Baby gave her as a proposal gift.
When Brave and Luna got to Father Time, Brave teasingly kissed Luna's cheek and stood aside to watch. Baby took Luna's hand and they stood before Father Time.
It was a bit of a blur. They said their vows. Father Time pronounced them mates. They kissed (both felt like fireworks were exploding in their chests). And the animals voiced their excitement as the newlyweds walked back down the aisle and into their shared mushroom. Baby scooped Luna up bridal style and carried her upstairs.
"Is this necessary?" Luna laughed.
"Brave threatened to smurf me over the head if I didn't." Baby shrugged.
Luna rolled her eyes and jumped down from Baby's arms. "I think not."
Baby shook his head. "Can I at least have a dance, my dear?" He bowed teasingly, holding out his hand.
Luna gigged and took his hand. They twirled and spun, holding each other close and smiling.
Luna leaned in and kissed Baby's cheek. "I love you."
Baby sighed happily. "I love you, too."
"We were happy as two Smurfs could be." Papa sighed happily. "And you'll never believe what we received for a wedding gift a week later."
"What?" Johan and Archer asked eagerly.
"A stork came." Papa smiled. "With a little bundle of joy."
"A baby?!" Archer nearly squealed.
"Yep." Papa nodded. "More specifically, Baby Gutsy."
"Gutsy?" Johan laughed disbelievingly.
"Gutsy." Papa confirmed. "He was our first child. And he resembled Brave so much that it was easy to see where he got his name. Needless to say, Gutsy and Brave got along quite well."
"Ready, Gutsy?" Brave called.
"Ready, Uncle Brave!" Gutsy Smurfling responded. He readied himself from the branch he stood on.
"And...jump!" Brave called.
Gutsy Smurfling jumped from the branch. He did a couple somersaults in the air before landing in Brave's arms.
"How was dat?" Gutsy asked in his cute little Scottish accent.
"Perfect!" Brave nodded.
"Gutsy Smurfling!"
The two Smurfs cringed a little and turned as Luna came up. She looked more worried than angry. "What have I told you about—?"
"Luna, dearest, we've gone over this." Brave interrupted. "You can't stop a Smurf for doing what he's known for. You couldn't stop me, so why stop Gutsy?"
Luna pinched the bridge of her nose, but smiled. "Can't you promise you'll be more careful? You're only fifty years old."
"Sorry Mama." Gutsy said sincerely. "Where's Papa?"
"Visiting his friend Homnibus." Luna replied. "You know how wizards are."
"I'm sorry, what about wizards?"
Luna laughed as her mate wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her cheek. "Back so soon, Papa Smurf?"
Baby Smurf, now known as Papa by his mate, brother, and child, laughed and nodded. "Homnibus is quite the wizard. I think he and I will get along just fine."
"Just don't visit too often." Luna said as she walked off. "You married me, remember." She swayed her hips a little as she disappeared.
"Yuck." Gutsy groaned.
"No smurfing." Brave agreed.
A/N: If you've ever seen the movie Brave, then you know how cute a little kid Scottish accent is. They're adorable! Just like Gutsy Smurfling!