Throwing out the usual disclaimer: I do not own The Smurfs of Smurfs: The Lost Village in any way or form. They belong to Peyo and Sony Animations, respectively. Aria Smurf is my O.C. and belongs to me. SmurfAggie belongs to I.M. Rally. Now, let's get this chapter underway.
Autumn was in the air in Smurf Village, and it meant two things. Number one was that the leaves would be putting on a colorful display as they descend from their branches and fall gracefully towards the Earth. Number 2 was that now, the weather would be a lot chillier, and it will not take long for one unlucky smurf to catch an untimely cold.
"ACHOO"!
Which takes us to Aria's mushroom, were tucked into bed with a burning fever, an ice pack on her forehead, a nose so red it could rival Rudolph's, and a thermometer sticking out of her mouth was SmurfAggie, who was sick. If this did not make you think so too, you should've seen it earlier where SmurfAggie almost passed out at breakfast, her face narrowly avoiding a collision with her bowl of oatmeal. Wanting to help her friend out, Aria offered SmurfAggie to rest at her place until she felt better. Despite not wanting to risk Aria getting sick, she accepted the kind offer, and for most of the morning, has been there ever since. Aria, on the other hand, has been waiting on her hand and foot since tucking her into her bed and providing her assistance whenever SmurfAggie wanted/needed anything. At the moment, SmurfAggie took the thermometer out of SmurfAggie's mouth and looked at it before saying, "Yep. Sorry, Aggie, but you have a bad fever," as she went to clean the thermometer. SmurfAggie groaned in exhaustion as she complained, "This sucks! I should be out there enjoying everyone's company and having fun with the rest of the smurfs. Instead, I'm bed-ridden, my head hurts, I'm so stuffy I can barely breathe, and my stomach is doing loop-de-loops every time I think about food."
Aria returned with an empty bucket and a couple of books as she showed a sympathetic smile, saying, "It'll get better soon, and before you know it, you'll be well again, Aggie. Meanwhile, I brought you some books that you can read and a bucket...just in case." SmurfAggie picked up one of the books as it was titled Memories as she asked Aria, "Hey, what kind of book is this"? Aria noticed it as Aggie gave it to her before tucking in her face while letting out a harsh sneeze. Aria grabbed the book and looked at it before saying, "First off, gesundheit. Second, this is my memory book. Well, it's technically Stormer's and Lily's, but they lent it to me to look at, so I can remember the good times we had before the whole tornado incident. I've been looking at it every night and remembering each story that each picture resembles." This sounded intriguing to SmurfAggie as she said in a congested tone-of-voice, "Really? Now that I think about it, I remember Smurflily mentioning that book a couple of times before meeting you. Would you mind sharing some of those memory stories with me? At the moment, anything sounds like fun to do." Aria smiled as she pulled up a chair and sat next to her sick friend before opening up the book. The first photo that appeared was one of Aria when she was a baby. Wrapped in a red blanket and with a purple pacifier in her mouth, as well as small tufts of her original brown hair color sticking out from her tiny hat. Aria gave a small chuckle as she faced Aggie and showed her the photo while saying, "Well, the best place to start any story is at the beginning. Back when I was first brought to Smurfy Grove."
It was a sunny day in Smurfy Grove as a stork was flying through the clear, blue skies while holding a basket. Inside was something, but it was hard to tell since it was in a bundle. Then, the stork spotted Smurfy Grove and landed by Smurfwillow's treehouse and gave a small knock. Smurfwillow, who was a bit younger back in the day, opened the door and saw the stork, who gave her the basket, as well as a small note that came along with it, before taking off. Smurfwillow looked inside the basket and smiled when she saw a baby girl cooing and waving her arms happily. However, what surprised her was that unlike her other baby girls, this one had brown hair rather than the normally dark blue color. However, Smurfwillow smiled as she said to Baby Aria, "Hello there, little one. Welcome to Smurfy Grove." She brought Aria inside and brought her into a huge room, where lines of cribs were, and a couple of them were full of baby girl smurfs, who were cooing or trying to reach out to their mama. Smurfwillow walked towards an empty crib that had a cute bird mobile hovering it. Smurfwillow picked up Baby Aria and placed her inside as Baby Aria squealed and giggled, curious about what was going on.
Smurfwillow then opened the note and read it, saying, "Please take good care of this young smurf. Her name is Aria Smurf. She is extraordinary and has a love for music unlike any other smurf ever known. Plus, you'll be pleased to know that she is yesterday's delivery's younger sister by two days. We hope that they get along nicely and that they grow up to be happy, outgoing smurfs." Smurfwillow was speechless, but happy nonetheless, and believe it or not, she wasn't the only one. In the crib next to Aria was a Baby Smurfstorm, who wore a tiny version of her signature hat and was hugging what looked like a rattle made from an old arrow. She looked over and saw the newest delivery and did her best to reach her hand towards the new smurf. Aria noticed this and smiled, doing the same thing. However, both smurfs struggled due to the distance and how they were positioned. Smurfwillow noticed this behavior and was a little surprised initially because even as a baby, Smurfsotrm struggled to be as social as the other babies were. With that, she went back to the cribs and picked Smurfstorm and Aria up, holding them gently in her arms. Meanwhile, both babies reached out, and their hands connected, making both babies smile and look at each other happily, signifying that they were indeed destined to be close.
Aria spoke in a tender voice, saying, "That first day, I promise you, felt like the best day of my life because I had a family and a sister, whom I still getting to know, who cared for me." SmurfAggie, despite being sick, shredded a couple of tears as she said, "Wow. That was so beautiful. Ws it the same way when Smurflily entered the picture"? Aria nodded and turned the page, revealing another photo. This time, Baby Aria and Baby Smurfstorm played with a Baby Smurflily, slightly smaller than they were. In the photo, Smurflily and Smurfstorm were wearing small bowls on her head while Aria had a yellow pail on her head. Aria chuckled as she said, "When Smurflily came to our village, Stormer and I could tell that she was meant to be our sister, and we didn't need any note to tell us that."
A week after Aria came to the village, three other baby girls came, expanding the group even more. Still, even with a busy and constantly growing group, Smurfwillow managed to care for each one. After all, they were her smurfs, and her job was to take care of them. The expansion wasn't going to stop anytime soon, especially when she got a familiar knock on the door. She opened the door and received a new baby girl, and this one was bustling with energy. Smurfwillow thanked the stork and brought Baby Smurflily inside and placed her by Aria and Smurfstorm, who crawled over to their new sister. Smurflily clapped her hands and squealed excitedly, leaving Aria and Smurfstorm to look at each other nervously and confusingly. Smurfwillow knelt to their level and said, "Stormy, Ari, this is Smurflily, your new little sister. I hope that you two play nice with your new sibling." Smurflly rolled on her back and kept squealing in excitement as the pair watched her, unsure of what to do or how to respond to the new smurf's actions. Then, Smurflily spotted a small bowl and placed it on her head like it was a hat. Aria found it hilarious, and even Smurfstorm could not help but clap and squeal in laughter. Smurfstorm found a small bowl and placed it on her head. Meanwhile, Aria looked around the playpen for what looked like a bowl, finding a bucket and placing it on her head, covering her head and shoulders. Smurfstorm and Smurflily whimpered, thinking that their sister disappeared. Then, Aria took the bucket off and let out an excited squeal, with her sisters following her actions as well. Smurfwilllow watched in awe, happy that the trio was getting along nicely, especially with each other.
SmurfAggie laughed as she asked, "You actually thought that a bucket would make a nice hat"? Aria blushed in embarrassment as she responded with, "Well, I was a baby back then, so it seemed like a good idea t the time." Suddenly, a knock on the door caught her attention as Aria shouted, "Door's open. Come in." As the door opened, coming inside was Clumsy, who was holding flowers, Hefty, who brought SmurfAggie a comic book, and Brainy, who had a stack of educational manuals. They placed their gifts at the end of the bed as Clumsy said, "Sorry it took us so long to get here. We wanted to bring you some things that'll help you feel better." SmurfAggie held Clumsy's bunch of flowers and did her best to smell them while saying, "They're wonderful, Clumsy. I can't really smell anything right now, but I'm sure they smell wonderful. Thank you," as she put them on Aria's nightstand. Brainy then interrupted, saying, "I brought you some of my favorite manuals that I enjoy reading whenever I get sick." Hefty then spoke up, saying, "And when you become bored from reading his manuals, I brought you one of my favorite superhero comics to read." SmurfAggie gave a small giggle as she said, "Thank you, boys, for your wonderful gifts. I'll be sure to check them out. In the meantime, why don't you stay and listen to one of Aria's stories? She's been sharing some of her memories from her memory book."
The boys became interested as they sat down, with Clumsy saying, "Now, I want to listen to one." Aria laughed before saying, "Well, ok, but try to be quiet because SmurfAggie's sick and she needs her rest." Aria then flipped through a couple of pages before finding one that would seem most interesting to talk about. She showed the photo to them while saying, "I remember this day. It was a lot of fun, messy, but fun." It was Smurfstorm, Aria, and Smurflily, as well as a lot of the other smurf girls as toddlers, not yet smurflings. They were outside and covered in paint, including Smurfwillow, but everyone was smiling in front of what looked like a crazy abstract painting. Aria continued with, "That day, everyone got to express themselves creatively. Some might say, almost too creatively."
Inside a huge treehouse, all of the smurf girls were sitting at different tables, with each table having paintbrushes, palates of paint, and a piece of paper for each smurf. Meanwhile, Smurfwillow taught everyone how to mix colors and use the brushes to paint whatever they wanted. Everyone was following her technique and creating fun pictures. Some of them had decent shapes going on. Others were creating crazy lines and unidentifiable figures. At one particular table, Smurflily, Aria, and Smurfstorm were painting their respective pictures together. Smurfiliy was doing a flower, Smurfstorm was making her interpretation of a dragonfly, and Aria was painting a picture of the trio. When Smurfwillow came over to see their work, she was impressed, saying, "My, what excellent painting girls. Care to tell me what you are painting"? Smurflily showed her picture first, shouting, "Flowa," while showing a pink flower she painted on her paper. Aria then showed her picture, saying, "It me, Stawma, and Lily! We smurf group togetha foweva"! Smurfstorm then showed her picture, an orange dragonfly, or at least, it looked like it, though the wings resembled butterflies, and it had a puppy-like snout. She seemed to be proud of it as she said, "Dwagafy! It dwagafy like out in Grove"! Smurfwillow laughed as she said, "Very nice, Stormy, but it's pronounced dragonfly. Can you say dragonfly"? Smurfstorm tried but kept saying, "Dwagafy," as her sisters giggled while watching.
Then, a flying blob of blue paint flew past Smurflily, almost hitting her as this caught the group's, especially Smurfwillow's, attention. At a table across from them, some of the girls were cowering and covering their heads with their paintings as a young Smurfblossom was going crazy working on her painting. She was finger-painting, squinting it, moving it around, acting energetic, and it was showing. The flying paint made everyone duck or avoid getting their picture or themselves covered in stray paint blobs. However, some of them were getting covered in paint, as well as their pictures. Suddenly, before Smurfwillow could get things settled, the unthinkable happened. One blob of red paint was heading towards Smurfstorm as she held her picture up to avoid getting hit. It worked, but now, her dragonfly picture was completely messed up as Smurfstorm said in an upset tone-of-voice, "Dwagafy," before putting her picture down on the table. Her siblings called her name in concern, but then, Smurfstorm looked at Smurfblossom angrily and grabbed a tube of yellow paint. She pointed it at the energetic smurf and squeezed it, hitting her with a yellow glob of paint. Everyone, including Smurfwillow, gasped as they saw what had just happened. Smurfblossom stopped what she was doing to notice her messy self and saw who made her this messy. Smurfstorm expected Smurfblossom to cry or run to Smurfwillow, but what happened next surprised even her.
Smurfblossom thought that the paint throwing was a brand-new game and grabbed a tube of green paint, and squeezed it at Smurfstorm, covering her and her clothes in the green paint. Smurflily and Aria gasped as Aria grabbed a tube of red paint, shouting at Smurfblossom, "Hey! You no paint Stawma! I paint you," before shooting a gob of red paint at her. Smurfblossom laughed and dodged it, leading the paint to hit a young Smurfclover. With that, everyone was soon getting in on this new "game," throwing paint at one another like it was a paint war. Everyone was either getting covered in paint or getting the room covered in paint, but believe it or not, any residing anger or sadness towards what was going on seemed to fade. It was now replaced by a sense of fun and happiness, except for Smurfstorm, who was still bitter about her painting being ruined. What put an end to the battle was when Smurfwillow let out a shrill whistle, making everyone stop dead in their tracks. Some of the girls, including Aria, became scared that Smurfwillow would be mad. Still, the elder smurf actually chuckled before saying, "Maybe there's an easier way we can continue this outside and, at the same time, make a painting together. Does that sound like fun"? Everyone seemed excited to do this project as they grabbed their paints and started heading outside. Smurfstorm, however, crossed her arms and looked down at her picture, still upset that it got ruined. Smurfwillow then came up to her and said, 'Come on, Stormy. Don't you want to join your sisters and your friends"? Smurfstorm sighed as she responded with, "Fine, but me no happy," as she went to join the other girls.
Outside, Smurfwillow had set up a huge painting canvas for the girls to use. With a three count, everyone squeezed multi-colored paints as it splattered onto the canvas. Then, everyone got to kneel and paint all over the canvas what they felt see fit. Everyone was using their hands and getting messy, having the time of their lives. Smurfstorm was joining in the fun, but she was still not happy that not only Smurfblossom covered her in paint but messed up her picture. Then, Smurfblossom came towards her, saying, "Stawmy, me want to show you something." Smurfstorm, at first, crossed her arms and said, "No," but when Smurfblossom begged and said, "Pwease," Smurfstorm sighed and agreed to come with her. Smurfblossom took her to where she was painting and pointed towards a specific area, saying, "Look, Stawmy, look"! Smurfstor looked and was surprised to see that Smurfblossom painted a dragonfly, and not only that but a small version of Smurfstorm riding the dragonfly. Smurfstorm smiled and said excitedly, "Dwagafy. Me widing dwagafy"! Smurfblossom then shuffled her feet and said, "Me sawwy fo wuning picta. Fwends"? Smurfstorm nodded and said, "Fwends Bwossom! Fwends foweva," as the high-fived and went to finish heir paintings. Once everyone was finished, and there was no more room to paint, Smurfwillow lifted the canvas and placed it on the pedestal. Everyone was curious as to what it was, and the answer was, no one knew. It was a mixture of different colors in different lines, shapes, and splats. The only thing Identifiable was in the top right corner where Smurfstorm was riding a dragonfly. Smurfwillow then said, "Well, this painting can be anything you guys want it to be. You need to use your imagination." Hearing that, everyone started to share their ideas on what the painting could be, with everyone laughing at each funny response.
The boys were snickering and trying their best to hold in their laughter as Hefty asked, "So, what started as a peaceful day turned into a paint war that turned into a fun project"? Aria nodded, saying, "Yep, and in all of the craziness, Smurfstorm and Smurfblossom were able to make up in the end. We still have that painting to this day, which gets more and more hilarious to look at with time." There was another knock on the door again as Aria said, "It's open. come in," as the door opened softly. Coming in was Smurflily, who brought a container of soup, Smurfblossom, who had a quilt, and Smurfstorm, who brought a winter scarf. SmurfAggie lifted her head and said, "Hey, girls. What brings you three over"? Smurflily gave Hefty the soup as she said, "well, we came by to see how you were feeling and brought some things that could help you feel better. I made you my famous get-well soup," as Hefty went to put it in the kitchen. Smurfblosom placed the quilt over SmurfAggie as she said, "I made you a nice, warm quilt, so you can stay warm as you get better." Smurfstorm offered SmurfAggie the scarf, saying, "I brought you a scarf in case your throat started to bug you, and you were starting to lose your voice. I heard that wearing a scarf can make it better or anything like that." SmurfAggie smiled and said, "Thank you, girls, for the gifts. I am starting to fee a bit better, though I still feel incredibly lousy."
Aria then piped in, saying, "Speaking of lousy, let me tell you of the time we had that...*shivers* infestation in Smurfy Grove." The other girls shivered at the thought of it as Smurflily said, "I still get itchy thinking about that day." Brainy then asked, "Um...pardon me...but what "infestation" are you talking about"? Smurfstorm then said, "Well, you boys don't have to worry about it since you boys are a bald as a toad, but for us girls with hair, let's say that when were younger...we were prone to something..truly aggravating. You know how some creatures get fleas? Well, we girls, when we were younger, caught...smurf fleas." The boys shivered at the thought of it as SmurfAggie asked while yawning, "What are smurf fleas? I never heard of those bugs before." Smurflily answered, "Well, smurf fleas are similar to a bug humans face called head lice. Smurf fleas are tiny, tiny creatures that jump onto our heads, suck our blood, and lays eggs in our hair. And they don't stop at one head, no, they spread from head to head and let me tell you, their bites can really itch." Smurfblossom added, "Boys smurfs never have to worry about catching them for obvious reasons, but for us girls, it can be a struggle because they don't go away so easily. It takes days, sometimes weeks, to get rid of them, and when you have a village full of girls who caught smurf fleas...it's like a prolonging battle. " Smurfstorm tugged her hat while saying, "The itching can get so bad, it almost makes you want to go bald, just to get rid of them," as the gang shivered in unison. Aria shuddered as she said, "I remember when we caught it. It was the start of something terrifying."
It was a bright day as the girls were now in their smurfling years, which meant one thing. They all wanted to outside and explore their village and area around the entrance as well. So, Smurfwillow ensured that the girls went out and explored safely, ensuring they did not go where they were not allowed. On this day, Aria and Smurfstorm were making a huge leaf pile for the duo to jump into. Once it was big enough, they both stepped back to get some distance as Aria asked, "Ready, Stormer"? Smurfstorm nodded, saying, "You know it"! They ran and jumped into the pile in unison as leaves floated in the air once they landed. As they climbed out while laughing, Aria winced and scratched her head, saying, "Dang Smurfit! That's the fifth time today"! Smurfstorm looked at her younger sister and asked, "What's wrong? Something on your mind"? Aria answered while asking, "More like what's on my head. It's been itchy and bothering me all morning. It won't stop, no matter how much I scratch it. Can you see if there's anything on my head, Stormer"? Aria removed her hat as Smurfstorm looked but could not see anything. After giving Aria back her hat, she answered, "No, I don't see anything," before beginning to scratch her own head. She groaned and replied, "Great, now I'm itchy. What do we do"? As both girls climbed out of the leaf pile, Aria said, "We need Smurfwillow. She'll know what to do." With that, both itchy-headed girls went to see Smurfwillow, who was looking over some important documents.
What caught her attention was the two smurflings calling her name and coming towards her while scratching their heads. She asked then, "Hello, you two. What's wrong"? Aria said, "Our heads are itchy, and no matter how much we scratch, it won't stop"! Smurfstorm added, "It's driving us crazy"! Seeing the panicked looks on their faces, Smurfwillow reassured them by saying, "Don't worry girls. We'll get to the bottom of this mystery," as she grabbed a magnifying glass and a pair of tweezers. She then asked the girls to remove their hats as both girls removed their hats. Smurfwillow then used the magnifying glass to closely examine their heads before picking something off from each of their heads and placing them in a container. She looked at the container and said, "Oh no...it's as I feared. I'm afraid you two have a serious case of smurf fleas." Both girls became scared as Aria said, "What? You mean, I'm covered in bugs," as Smurfstorm added while scratching her head, "I thought fleas only affected animals." Smurfwillow reassured them by saying, "The good news is that these kinds of fleas only rest on the head, so you're going to be alright. The bad news is that if we do not stop them, they'll continue to grow and multiply, making your even itchier. Plus, we have to make sure it does not spread to the other girls because this can become a big problem if everyone has them." While scratching her head, Aria shouted, "We'll do anything! Just tell us how we can get rid of these smurf fleas! I feel like I'm going to scratch until I reach my brain"!
Smurfwillow then went to her desk, grabbed two large purple solution bottles, and one clear solution in an old perfume bottle. She gave each girl a bottle of the purple solution, saying, "This special solution will help get rid of most of the smurf fleas. Don't worry about running out because it's designed to refill after each use. When you girls have your baths, make sure you wash your hair with this and leave it in for one minute before rinsing it. And before you go to sleep, I'll have to spray your rooms with this to remove any residing fleas and eggs that could be hiding in your clothes, sheets, and mattress. You'll have to wear your pajamas for the time being, and we'll also have to talk about a temporary quarantine." Smurfstorm asked, "What's a quarter teen"? Smurfwillow sighed before saying, "Quarantine means...you'll have to sleep in separate rooms for the time being...away from each other, Smurflily, and the other smurfs." Hearing this, both girls gasped as Aria said, "Sleepaway from my sisters?! But...I love being with them." Smurfwillow replied with, "I know, but it's to help prevent the spread of the smurf fleas to the other smurfs, and it'll help make sure you don't catch them again. It won't be forever, just until we get rid of all the smurf fleas." Both girls looked at one another before saying, "If it's only for a little while, then...we'll do it." Hearing that, Smurfwillow was relieved that they understood that this would help get the situation under control. However, things were about to get a lot harder when Smurflily and two other smurfs came in with itchy heads, and pleading looks for help.
Over the next hour, Smurfwillow was visited by all of her girls and was surprised to see that they all had the smurf fleas, which meant this would be a tough battle. She gave each girl a bottle of the purple solution and sprayed their rooms, clothes, and everything with the clear solution from earlier, while everyone had to wear their pajamas if their clothes had any smurf fleas and their eggs. Afterward, she assigned each girl to one room that they would stay in for the time until this pandemic was at an end. Aria didn't like it one bit, especially since she was away from her sisters, and her sisters felt the same way. At night, when everyone was having their bath, they washed their hair with the solution, which proved to help remove the fleas that were hiding in their heads. Plus, once they were finished, they all had to wear shower caps as they went to sleep so that they could avoid having the fleas spread to their rooms again or climb onto their heads again. In the morning, after breakfast, Smurfwillow did a tight-comb inspection to see if there were any smurf fleas or flea eggs still in their hair, and the day repeated over and over again for over two weeks. It felt like this battle would never end. Finally, after the third week, things were clearing up, and more and more girls were smurf flea-free with each inspection. Though they still kept the practice up, just in case the smurf fleas still resided. Finally, during week four, Smurfwillow declared everyone, including herself, smurf flea-free for good. Everyone rejoiced that they could get to be with one another again, and Aria was happy that she could be with her sisters again.
Hefty shuddered as he said, "That must've been hard for you girls to deal with." SmurfAggie added, "I'll say. That sounds a lot worse than being sick." Smurfstorm responded with, "Yep. Comparing your sickness to our experience, I'd take being sick over that any day of the week, hands down." Aria was looking through her memory book before coming across one memory that surprised her. She turned to Smurfstorm and asked, "Stormer? You kept this memory,"? She showed the Smurfy Grove trio photo sweeping the village floor together, still in their smurfling years. Smurfstorm shuffled her feet and nodded, saying, "Well, despite the circumstances, I did. Only because that day was not only our first argument but the first time I really appreciated having you and Smurflily as sisters." Hearing that, Clumsy asked, "What do you mean? Weren't you three close when you were small"? Aria nodded as she answered, "Yeah, but that day, it almost felt like we were completely different smurfs. Plus, don't even get me started on us getting in trouble in the end." Smurflily looked at the photo as she said, "I think I remember that day. Wasn't it when you two never showed up to dinner, and Smurfwillow got really worried"? Smurfstorm nodded, saying sheepishly, "Let's just say...we got a little lost." Aria playfully retorted back, "A little? We were going in circles, and the map was of no use. To think, it all started when we went to ask Smurfwillow a question."
Smurfwillow was in her treehouse, working on a potion when she heard smurflings Aria and Smurfstorm come in, asking, "Willow? Can we ask you something"? The small distraction resulted in a small explosion, leaving Smurfwillow's face covered in black soot. Smurfstorm stifled her laughter as Aria said, "Wow! You made that liquid go all explodey! Do it again, Willow"! Smurfwillow cleaned the soot off her face and chuckled as she said, "Well, what can I do for you two"? Smurfstorm asked, "We were playing dinosaurs and cave smurfs, and Aria said that cave smurfs were not around when dinosaurs were roaming the planet. is that true"? Smurfwillow though for a minute before saying, "I'll need to check my books," as she went towards a bookshelf. As she did, she noticed that a container was empty as she said, "Guess I'm out of magnolia pollen. I'll have to make a note to get some later." Aria and Smurfstorm heard her as Aria asked, "What's magnolia pollen"? While Smurfwillow grabbed a book, she answered, "Well, magnolias are a type of flower, Aria. The pollen from magnolias is not only sweet, but it provides a good base for some of my potions. Too bad they grow deep in the forest. the trip can take hours if you're not prepared." Smurfstorm then got an idea as she said, "We can get the pollen for you, Willow," with Aria adding, "Yeah! Yeah! Let us get it for you! Please"? Despite their pleads and innocent looks, Smurfwillow said, "I'm sorry girls, but as kind, as your offer is, I can't let you go out there by yourself. The forest is too dangerous for smurflings left unsupervised. I'll get it later when my work is done," as she gave the duo the book. They said thank you glumly as they left to read the book.
Sitting on a log while the other smurfs played, both smurfs were getting ready to open the book as Aria said, "It's unfair! We're not little smurfs anymore! We're big smurfs! We're old enough to play out here while Smurfwillow works, so why can't we go out to the forest alone"? Smurfstorm added, "Yeah! Plus, I can walk through the forest and find that magnolia pollen with my eyes closed. In fact, we should go out there right now and get it for her and be back before she even notices that we're gone." Aria then said, "But we can't, Stormer. Even if we wanted to, we can't go out there without Smurfwillow." Smurfstorm sighed and said, "I know, I know. I wish there were some way we could go into the forest and find that magnolia pollen without needing Smurfwillow." As Aria opened the book they were given, something came out as Smurfstorm picked it up to look at. She unfolded it and smiled, saying, "Maybe we don't need an adult to lead the way." When Aria asked what it was, Smurfstorm said, "It's a map! Willow said that explorers used maps to find their way to locations and back. This map leads to the forest, and that red X must mean that that's where the magnolia flower is." Aria said, "It sure looks like it, but what was that map doing in the book anyway"? Smurfstorm hopped down while saying, "Who cares? With this map, we can find the magnolia flower, get some pollen, and bring it back for Smurfwillow. She'll be so proud of us. You with me, Aria"? Aria was hesitant, saying, "I don't know, Stormer. The forest is pretty deep, and what about what Smurfwillow told us"?
Smurfstorm held her by the hand, saying, "Come on, Aria! Where's your sense of adventure? Plus, you don't have to worry. I'm your older sister, so I'll make sure you're safe. No one will hurt us under my watch." While she was nervous, Aria could not resist the chance of going on an adventure, especially with Smurfstorm. She sighed and said, 'Ok, ok. Let's get our gear, and then we can go." With that, both girls rushed into their room and grabbed their backpacks, filling it up with a water canteen, bow and arrows, smurfberries, rope, binoculars, and other essential survival tools. Once set, they quietly snuck around the village, avoiding getting seen by any other smurfs if they questioned the duo about where they were going. They were in the clear when Smurflily saw them, asking, "Where are you two going"? They froze, unsure of how to answer to their little, little sister, as Smurfstorm said, "We're...playing pirates. We found a map in a book, and we're going to follow it towards the buried treasure. If Willow asks, tell her we're playing by...the great oak." Smurflily nodded and went to play with Smurfmelody, leaving the duo to sigh a breath of relief. Aria whispered, "That was close," as Smurfstorm added, "Too close. Let's go before anyone else spots us." With that, they both exited the village and went towards the forest.
Once they reached the edge where their village meets the forest, both smurfs looked at each other and took a deep breath before taking a step, entering the forest. As they walked, they took in the sights and sounds and were amazed at what it had to offer. The beautiful plants, the cute creatures living in harmony, and the feel of that soft breeze. Smurfstorm then pulled out the map, saying, "According to the map, to get to the magnolia flower, we first need to find a tall, skinny rock that looks like a gopher." Aria asked, "Let me hold the map, Stormer," but Smurfstorm resisted, saying, "No way! I'm leading this mission. I hold the map." Aria crossed her arms and asked confusingly, "Since when are you the leader"? Smurfstorm answered, "Because I'm older, and as Smurfwillow says, you have to respect smurfs who are older than you or something like that." Aria rolled her eyes before saying, "It's elders, and it's obvious because she's older than all of us. but you're only older than me by two days, and I'm your sister, so I have equal rights of holding the map as you do." Smurfstorm retorted back, "Well, who's idea was it to come out here? Mine. Therefore, my idea, I lead and get to hold the map. Let's go." As they continued, Aria responded with, "Sure thing...Ms. Bossy Smurf," muttering that last part in annoyance.
Once they made it to the gopher rock, Smurfstorm looked at the map before saying, 'Ok, from here, we should see a pathway lined with pink bark palm trees." Aria pulled out her binoculars to look, spotting it a couple of feet away as both smurfs started to head towards the path. However, a loud shriek caught their attention as up in the sky was a hungry hawk, who spotted the two smurfs. Aria nervously asked, "What kind of bird is that, Stormer"? Smurfstorm responded hesitantly, "I don't know, but pray to smurf it isn't a hungry kind who likes to eat smurfs." Suddenly, the hawk swooped at them as both smurfs dove for cover, avoiding its sharp talons. They ran and took cover in the bushes as Smurfstorm said, "Oh, smurf, that bird looks hungry." Aria responded with, "We need to distract it. I got an idea," as she pulled out her bow, an arrow, and a couple of smurfberries. She took the arrowhead off and placed the smurfberries onto the stick as Smurfstorm asked, "Ari, what are you doing? This is not the time for a smurfberry kabob"! Aria retorted, "For your information, the berries are not for me," as she fired her arrow behind the hawk, who caught a whiff of the berries and went after the arrow." With the hawk gone, the duo could safely come out as Aria said, "It worked. Now, let's get moving before that mean bird comes back," as Smurfstorm nodded in agreement while the two ran across the path, reaching the other side after a couple of minutes.
Gasping for air, Smurfstorm then straightened out her dress while saying, "Ok, back to our mission because that bird threw us off schedule, and we're wasting time. We need to get that pollen and return to the village before Smurfwillow notices that we're missing. Let me just get my ma-," before realizing that the map was not in her pocket. She looked in her bag and on the ground before saying, "It's gone! The map is gone"! Aria became concerned as she said, "What do you mean? You had it when we were running away from the hawk." Smurfstorm then said, "The hawk must've gotten it! Great! Just perfect! Now, how do we find the magnolia flower"? Aria was about to suggest something when Smurfstorm got up, saying, "Wait! We don't need a map! I got it memorized when I was looking at it. I'll lead us to the flower." Aria protested, saying, "I don't think that's a good idea. We should go back to the bush and see if the map is there." Smurfstorm didn't listen, though, as she said, "I made up my mind. We continue forward." Aria did not like this idea as she said, "This is a terrible idea! We can't just walk in one direction will-nilly. What if we get lost"? Smurfstorm brushed it off, saying, "Little sister, I do not get lost. I got this. Plus, I'm the leader, so what I say goes." Aria then asked, "Again, how are you the leader? Last I checked, it was I who found that map, so, shouldn't I get to lead"? Smurfstorm placed a rough hand on Aria's shoulder, saying, "I'm older, so I know what I'm doing. You learn from me; therefore, that makes me the leader. Get the picture? Now, let's go," as they started to walk in a random direction, Aria reluctantly following while angrily muttering, "Yeah, if the picture's a big bossy know-it-all," while crossing her arms in frustration.
Hours passed, and the duo wandered through the thick brush of the forest, going in completely random directions. Little did Smurfstorm know was that they were going in circles. What signified it was that while passing a tree stump, Aria asked, "Did we pass by that tree stump again for the fourteenth time"? Smurfstorm looked and replied, "Guess so," as Aria angrily shouted, 'Nice going, "Ms. Leader." We've been going in circles this whole time! Let's face it; we're lost"! Smufstorm rolled her eyes and said, "We're not lost! I've...been purposely doing it because...I like tree stumps"? Aria huffed and said, "Really? Like a rock, that excuse's as dense as your head"! Smurfstorm gasped and retorted, "Excuse me, but what have you've been doing to help? You suggested we make that right." Aria retorted with, "No, you made that suggestion and said that I had to agree because you're the "leader" Ms. Know-It-All"! Smurfstorm turned away from Aria, saying, "Well, first off, that's true, and second, if you've spoken up about us going in circles earlier, we wouldn't have been doing it fourteen times"! Aria retorted back, "I did! Thirteen times! And each time, you said you knew where we were going"! Smurfstorm then put her hands up in frustration while saying, "Look, let's not argue about this any longer. Let's just keep moving and find our way out of here." Aria crossed her arms and said, "For once today, we agree," as both smurfs angrily marched in a random direction, hoping it would lead them out of the brush.
After another fifteen minutes of wandering, they finally reached a stone path, much to their relief. However, before they could keep moving, Aria's stomach rumbled as she said, "Can we stop for a break? I'm getting hungry." Smurfstorm said, "We can't. We're getting closer to the magnolia flower. I can feel it. We can't waste any more time. We can eat after we return to the village." While walking down the path, Aria angrily muttered, "The only thing I feel right now is hungry and angry." Hours passed, and the more the duo walked and got hopelessly lost, the stronger their bubbling anger and resentment towards each other grew as well. By sundown, back at Smurfy Grove, everyone was inside eating dinner, but Smurfwillow noticed that two spots were empty. Aria and Smurfstorm have not come in to eat, and the more she thought about it, she has not seen them since this morning. She went up to Smurflily, who was eating her sandwich, and asked, "Smurflily, have you seen your sisters? They have not come in to eat." Smurflily swallowed before saying, "They're playing pirates by the great oak. They said they found a map in the book you gave them and are following it to find buried treasure." Smurfwillow was confused but went outside to look for them. Then, she noticed the book she gave them earlier was open as she picked it up and looked at the cover before gasping in shock. This book was not about dinosaurs and cave smurfs. It was about the dreaded Swamp of No Return. Plus, the map she kept hidden in the book was missing, which meant only one thing. Aria and Smurfstorm were following the map and heading towards the swamp and could be in great danger! Smurfwillow panicked and rushed inside, telling everyone that she had to run a quick errand and behave while she was gone. With that, Smurfwillow grabbed her mask, her wand and went to save her missing smurflings.
Meanwhile, Aria and Smurfstorm have arrived at the Swamp of No Return as Aria claimed in frustration, "Ok, I may not know about flowers, but I'm pretty sure this is not where they would grow"! Smurfstorm responded in annoyance, "Let's keep moving." Aria then stomped her foot down and said, "That's it! I've had it! Seriously, Stormer! Just admit it! We're lost, and you have no idea where we're going"! Smurfstom turned to face her younger sister and said, "I know where we're going! You're just mad that you're not leading this mission"! Aria retorted back with, "Oh, I'm mad?! All-day long, you've been nothing but bossy, stuck-up, and downright stupid! That's right! I said it! And thanks to you, we are in who knows where hungry, tired, and no one knows where we are"! Smurfstorm marched up to her sister and said, "Listen here. I know exactly where we are and where to go. You need to listen to me because I'm older, and I know a lot more than you could ever learn"! Aria then retorted with, "Oh yeah? If you know so much, Ms. Know-It-All, then tell me where we are right now? And more importantly, how are we going to get home"?Smurfstorm was about to say something snarky in response before realizing that Aria was right. She had no idea where they were going, where they were, and, most importantly, had no idea how they were going to go back home. She sat on a boulder and said in possibly the kindest tone of voice she's ever had all-day, "You're right—about everything. I have no idea where we are, and more importantly, no idea how to get home. Ari...we're lost...big-time...and the worst part is that no one knows where we are. Not even Smurfwillow. I'm an idiot...I'm a freaking smurf idiot, and now, we're lost because of me. I've ruined...everything." She covered her face with her hands and sobbed really hard. Aria saw her sister crying, and despite all the turmoil and animosity they went through today, she loved Smurfstorm with all her heart. After all, she was her older sister.
She sat next to Smurfstorm and said, "You know, you haven't been so bad today. I mean...that was a pretty good idea you had, wanting to get magnolia pollen for Smurfwillow. You wanted to do something kind, so, while this has not gone the way you originally wanted to, think of it this way. We got to see more of the world today, and despite our arguing, we did have a pretty fun adventure." Smurfstorm lowered her hands and looked at her sister in surprise. She sniffled before saying, "How can you say that? I thought you would hate me after all the arguing we did. I thought you wouldn't want me as your sister anymore." Aria chuckled before saying, "Nothing can break our bond, Stormer. No matter how many fights we have or what we say or do, I can never stop loving you. You're my older sister, always have been, always will be. Even if we stay out here forever, there's no one else I'd rather be with." Smurfstorm smiled as the two hugged it out, happy that they were able to make up, even after such a brutal argument. Suddenly, a familiar screech was heard as up in the sky was the hawk again, and this time, it looked starving. Both girls screamed and made a run for it as the hawk began to pursue them from the air. Suddenly, it did a nose-dive and landed in front of them; wings spread wide and talons ready for grabbing the duo. Aria hugged Smurfstorm and said, "Stormer, I'm scared. Is this how we go out"? Smurfstorm hugged her sister tightly and said, "If this is how it's going to be, I just want you to know Ari that you and Smurflily are the best sisters a smurf could smurf for." Aria nodded and said, "Oh, Stormer, you and Smurflily are the best sisters a smurf could smurf for too." They both closed their eyes and braced for impact or for the hawk to eat them whole, but it never happened. Instead, a masked figure jumped down from the hawk's back and came towards the girls. Both girls opened their eyes to see who it was, and once the figure unmasked themselves, their reactions could not have been happier. Smurfwillow was relieved that they were ok, as both girls shouted in unison, "Smurfwillow," and ran towards the elder, hugging her tightly. Smurfwillow embraced the girls, saying, "Girls, I'm so glad you are safe. I was worried something terrible had happened, but I'm glad to see that you are both safe and unharmed." Aria then asked, "Wait, Willow, you know the smurf-hungry hawk"?
Smurfwillow nodded, saying, "He's not smurf-hungry. He's our guard hawk, who is also a vegetarian. His name's Monty, and I equipped him to pursue any smurfs who decided to sneak out from beyond the village and its entrance." The duo then seemed to put two and two together as Smurfstorm said, "Oh, so it wasn't trying to eat us, it was trying to get us to return us to the village. Man, I wish we knew that before deciding that it liked to eat smurfs." After sharing a good laugh, Smurfwillow helped the two girls onto the hawk as it took to the skies and flew back to the village. Once they were home, Smurfstorm and Aria ate until their stomachs felt like bursting. However, before they could start getting ready for bed, Smurfwillow brought both girls to her place for a "discussion," which meant they were in big trouble. Aria and Smurfstorm looked down in shame as Smurfwillow said in a semi-stern tone of voice, "While I am relieved that you are both ok, it does not excuse the fact that you both went into the forest without me or my permission and did not even tell me where you were going. I told you it was too dangerous, but you still did it anyway. Though I am also at fault for not realizing that I gave you the wrong book, you two still went against my wishes and disobeyed me. So, while I am not mad, I am disappointed, especially in you, Smurfstorm. You know better than to do something like that." Smurfstorm solemnly responded with, "I know, and I'm sorry, Willow, and I'm really sorry, Aria."
Smurfwillow then continued with, "Aria, since this is the first time you've gotten in trouble, I'll let it slide for you this time, but only if you promise not to do something like that ever again." Aria nodded and said, "Oh yeah, Smurfwillow. I've learned my lesson and promise never to do something like that ever again." Smurfwillow smiled, saying, "Then, you're free to go. As for you, Stormy, let's discuss a suitable punishment for your actions." Aria had a solemn look and was about to protest when Smurfstorm looked at her, saying, "Don't worry about me. I only have myself to blame. I'll see you later, Aria." Aria nodded and walked out of the house, closing the door behind her. Smurflily was waiting for her as she asked, "How did it go"? Aria answered, "I got off easy, but Stormer is getting punished for our actions. I hope she'll be ok." They both went to their house and waited for their older sister's return. About half an hour later, Smurfstorm came into their house as her sisters asked what happened. Smurfstorm said, "Well, I have to do extra chores for a week, and I'm not allowed to leave the village for two weeks." Both sisters gasped, as Aria said, "That's unfair. It's not right. I shouldn't be getting off scot-free for something we both did." Smurfstorm placed a comforting hand on Aria's shoulder, saying with a small smile, "It'll be ok. I deserved this. It's my fault for dragging you along to begin with. I'll be ok...promise. Let's just get some sleep." However, no one could sleep that night because they felt for Smurfstorm having to go through this punishment, especially Aria. Luckily, she got a great idea that could make the experience for her a little better.
The next morning, after breakfast, Smurfstorm was sweeping the village floor, feeling terrible about what went down yesterday. If only she hadn't snuck out like that, and to drag her sister into the mess made it worse. Suddenly, she saw Aria and Smurflily coming towards her, holding brooms as well. She asked, "What are you guys doing here? I can't play right now. I have to get these chores done." Aria then said, "We're not here to play," as Smurflily added, "We're here to help." Smurfstorm was confused as she said, "That's sweet, but it wouldn't be fair because this is my punishment." Aria then said, "We know that. That's why Smurflily and I decided on something." Smurflily then happily exclaimed, "We grounded ourselves," as Smurfstorm was shocked but also confused. Aria explained, saying, "We were all involved in yesterday's incident one way or another, so if one smurf gets punished for it, we all pay the price. We do it together or not at all." Smurflily added, "Yeah, we will sit out your punishment with you." Smurfstorm felt deeply touched, saying, "Guys, I don't know what to say." Aria replied, "How about we stop speaking and start sweeping"? With that, the trio began to sweep the village floor together as Smurfwillow watched in awe of how the trio cared for each other so much. Aria and Smurflily were even willing to join their older sister in her punishment and sit it out with her. It dignified just how tight their bonds and it made her happy, knowing that they will always look out for each other no matter what.
As Aria concluded telling the story, SmurgAggie and the boys were in absolute shock. Hefty was the first to speak, saying, "That was really sweet. Did you two actually ground yourselves so Smurfstorm would not have to suffer her punishment alone"? Smurflily nodded, saying, "Yep, while it was tricky, especially when we had to miss a group trip to the bouncing mushroom fields one day, we stuck by her side and helped her with the extra chores." Aria added, "It's as I said before: we all go through it together, or no of us do. Smurfwillow was surprised about us grounding ourselves, but in the end, she said we acted like mature adults, though Lily was curious as to what mature meant." Smurfstorm placed a hand over her chest while saying, "Still, the fact that they both agreed to do that and stuck with it throughout the time really showed how much they cared for me. Plus, that experience taught us all a big lesson in following orders. We never did something like that ever again." Aria then replied with, "What about when you and the other smurfs followed Aggie back to Smurfy Grove to help retrieve her dimensional remote"? Smurfstorm blushed in embarrassment and scratched the back of her head while saying, "Ok, since our previous experience and that moment, we haven't done anything like that." SmurfAggie chuckled and said, "It's alright, Stormy. The only reason you guys followed me was that you wanted to help. Even if you guys got grounded in the end for 3 months, it was still worth it."
Aria looked through her memory book before finding one that made her smile and laugh. She showed the photo to her friends, saying, "Remember this one"? The photo was of a young Smurfstorm lying on a bed while her left foot, which was in a colorfully decorated cast, was resting on top of a pillow. Next to her was Aria, but she was dressed up just like Smurfstorm, even wearing her hair the same way. The only difference was that instead of the signature purple scarf, Aria had her red bandanna tied around her neck. The boys laughed as Clumsy said, "Talk about look-alike," as Brainy, who was actually curious, asked, "So, what's the story behind this"? Smurfblossom spoke up, saying, "I remember that one! Stormy got hurt and had to remain in bed for two weeks, and she was upset about it, so Aria decided to help by taking Stormy's place while she rested." Smurflily added, "She displayed being Smurfstorm so well, some of the other smurfs really thought she was actually Smurfstorm. Even Smurfwillow called Aria Smurfstorm by accident one time." Smurfstorm was blushing but also having a good laugh as she said, "I taught her everything she needed to know on how to be me." Aria added, "Man, I tell you those two weeks really helped to show me what it was like to walk in another smurf's shoes."
While still in their smurfling years, Aria and Smurfwillow were playing tag, a little older this time, chasing each other through the village. Aria took cover behind a rock as smurfstorm ran past her, leaving the little smurf to snicker in victory. Suddenly, she felt someone tap her shoulder as she turned to look and found her older sister smirking and saying, "You're it," before running off. Aria was in disbelief as it grew into determination as she shouted, "Oh, it's on, Stormer! I'm coming for you"! Aria chased Smurfstorm and did her best to keep up, but was beginning to become exhausted. Smurfstorm looked behind her and saw Aria beginning to trail as she shouted, "Sorry, sister, but I'm unbeatable"! Unfortunately, Smurfstorm was not looking where she was going, as in the middle of her path was an emerging, looping root that was popping from the ground. Smurfstorm's left foot got snagged as her foot and twisted, and she collided to the ground with a hard thud. Aria became concerned as she ran towards her sister, saying, "Stormer! Are you ok"?! Smurfstorm was holding her injured foot and whimpered in pain, saying, "Ow! My foot! It hurts bad! AH...Ah.." Nothing scared Aria more than seeing her older sister hurt or scared, and this time, she was both. Some of the other girls saw what was going on and they became concerned as well. Aria hugged Smurfstorm while saying, "You'll be ok, Stormer. We need to get you to Willow's. She'll know what to do." Luckily, they didn't need to go far as Smurfhazel already went and brought Smurfwillow to them. The village elder knelt towards them and asked, "Is everything ok"? Smurfstorm said while holding her foot in pain, "We were playing tag, and I tripped on some weird branch, and now, my foot hurts really bad"!
Smurfwillow could tell that Smurftorm was in absolute pain as she picked her up while saying, "Don't worry, Stormy. Let's get you to your room and see what's wrong with your foot." As Smurfwillow carried the injured girl to their room, Aria and Smurflily followed tout suite. Inside, Smurfwillow wrapped Smurfstorm's injured foot with a special bandage and placed an ice pack on top. Aria and Smurflily came in, with the latter asking, "Is she going to be ok"? Smurfwillow gave a reassuring smile as she said, "Don't worry, girls. Stormy's foot is only sprained, so there's nothing to worry about." Smurfstorm then asked, "My foot's sprained? What does that mean, Willow"? Smurfwillow answered, "Well, it means that when you fell, your foot twisted the wrong way and now needs time to recover and readjust. Luckily, your sprain is not too bad. It should be better in two weeks." The trio was in disbelief as smurfstorm shouted, "Two weeks?! I can't stay in bed for two weeks! I'll miss out on all the fun"! Smurfwillow cupped Smurfstorm's chin while saying, "I know, but if you don't rest, your injury will only get worse, and you won't be able to walk correctly for a long time. You don't want that to happen, right"? Smurfstorm sighed and glumly responded with, "No, but it sucks! I wish I didn't get hurt,"! Aria replied, "Don't be sad, Stormer. It happens to the best of us. I'm sure that it could have happened to Lily or me or anyone else in the village."
Smurfwillow, hearing this, added, "Your sister is right. We always try to be careful, but sometimes, we end up getting hurt one way or another, and it's alright. It's a normal thing that we learn from as we grow up. I'm going to get some books and games to help you pass the time, Stormy. Maybe your sisters will like to help cheer you up as well"? Aria and Smurflily nodded eagerly as Smurfwillow went to get what she could find. Meanwhile, Smurfstorm sighed as she said with a solemn expression, "It still stinks that I can't move for two weeks. I don't want to miss on all the action outside or whatever else goes on." Smurflily piped in, saying, "But Willow says that you need your rest or else you'll get hurt even more." Smurfstorm sighed again while saying, "I know, but I wish there were some way I could still be out there while staying in there. But, that's impossible, unless you can somehow make a copy of me." Hearing that, Aria got a great idea as she says, "You may not have a copy, but you have two sisters, one to help take care of you, and another who can be you! I can take your place while you rest up, Stormer"! That idea sounded so crazy; it could work as Smurfstorm thought for a minute before saying, "Well, it sounds crazy enough to work. Ok, you can be me, Ari, but if you really want to do this, first off, you need to dress like me." Ari looked in the big mirror and quickly readjusted her bandanna into a style similar to Smurfstorm's scarf. After posing, Smurfstorm then tossed one of her signature hats to Aria, who quickly swapped her own hat with the new one, placing her seed four-leaf clover in as well. Smurfstorm and Smurflily gave approving smiles as Smurfstorm then said, "Ok, now, you need my bow and arrows. My gear should be in the closet," as Aria quickly went to the closet and slipped the gear on with ease. Smurfstorm then thought for a minute while saying, "We're close, but something's still missing. What could it be"?
Smurflily then said, "I know! You both have different hairstyles! Aria's is a bit longer and goes past her shoulders. Plus, its color is different than yours, Stormy. Yours is shorter, and it seems to swoop up at the ends, and your bangs stick out at a slighter angle than hers." Smurfstorm seemed to notice it too as she said, "You're right, Lily, but what can we do"? Aria had a nervous look as she said, "I don't know, but as long as we do not resort to cutting it, then I'm open to anything." Seeing her sister grow nervous, Smurfstorm reassured her by saying, "I know, I know. No worries. We can just give it a try and make it look similar to mine. Lily, think you can reach into the nightstand and find the brush"? Smurflily nodded and went towards the nightstand, opened up a drawer, and grabbed a wooden hairbrush out of it, giving the brush to Smurfstorm. Smurfstorm smiled in success, saying, "Perfect. Now, come here, Ari, and I'll do my best to make your hairstyle resembles mine."Aria removed her hat and came close to the bed as her older sister began to use the brush, styling her hair to the best of her ability. After a couple of minutes, Smurfstorm smiled in success, saying, "Well, I've done all I could. What do you think, Ari"? Ari placed her temporary hat back on and looked in the mirror before stumbling back in surprise. For a moment, she almost did not recognize herself as she said, "Woah, I look almost just like you, Stormer"! To this was indeed true. With the outfit, the gear, and now the hair, Aria had almost become Smurfstorm. Smurflily was impressed as she said, "Wow, you both look almost exactly alike." Smurfstorm was happy as she said, "Perfect, we got the look, now, to work on the act. Aria, you know me better than anyone, so acting should not be so much of a problem, but let's work on the voice." Aria nodded and tried to mimic her sister's still-developing deep tone of voice, saying, "Hi, I'm Smurfstorm. I love action, shooting arrows, and going on wild adventures"! Smurlily broke into laughter as Smurfstorm applauded while saying, "Not bad. Could use a little more work, but I think you got a good thing going, kid."
At the same time, Smurfwillow came back with a pile of books and some board games while saying, "Sorry it took me so long, girls, but I brought some fun things you can do with Stormy while she recovers" Once the elder placed the pile of items down, she was surprised to see that there were somehow two Smurfstorms in the room as she asked. "Are you girls playing a dress-up game"? Aria said, "Sort of. I suggested that I could act as Smurfstorm for the time being until she gets better, so she and Lily helped to change me to look like her." Smurfwillow was impressed as she said, "That's so sweet of you, Aria, and you know something? This can give you a chance to walk in her shoes for a while." Aria looked down at her feet while saying, "I'm not wearing her shoes. I'm wearing my shoes." Smurfwillow smiled while saying, "When I say "walking someone else's shoes," I don't literally mean wear someone else's shoes and walk around in them. It means understanding them by going through their experiences, feeling their emotions, and thinking about what they could be thinking. There's another word to describe it, and it's called empathy. It means to relate to them because you've most likely have gone through the same thing." The trio looked at one another before Smurflily spoke up, saying, "So, if Aria was scared because of a nightmare and I can understand how she feels because I have gone through the same thing, that's called empathy"? Smurfwillow nodded as Aria said, "That's cool. So me getting to be Smurfstorm, I'll get to understand her and show empathy while doing so. Don't worry, Stormer. I'll make sure to tell you everything I do and what the others think of this as well." Aria then rushed out to be Smurfstorm while the real one laid back in bed, saying, "I hope everyone doesn't get too confused about this mix-up."
For the whole day, Aria did everything that Smurfstorm would want to do on a beautiful day like today, and believe it or not, most of the other girls were able to identify her easily but understood why she was doing this. At the end of the day, Aria returned to her house to see how Smurfstorm has been and walked into a funny surprise. She saw Smurfstorm reading a book to Smurflily, who was drawing something on Smurfstorm's cast, which was decorated with lots of colorful pictures. She did her best to stifle her laughter as she asked, "Did I miss anything"? Smurfstorm looked up and said, "Oh, hey Ari! I was just reading to Smurflily while she decorated my cast so that it wouldn't look so dull." Smurflily smiled as she said, "I made it look so pretty and cool"! Aria snickered at the funny images, ranging from hearts to lightning bolts and even a dragonfly, as she said, "Wow! So, I take it you had a pretty fun day"? Smurfstorm nodded as she answered, "We did, but how about you? How was it acting as me"? Aria sighed in exhaustion as she said, "Fun and exhausting. I went zip-lining, I did target practice, rode a rogue rabbit, and even did a trip-flip dive into the pond from the top of the waterfalls. Plus, I seemed to really sell the disguise to the others as everyone believed that I really was Smurfstorm until I told them that it was me." Smurfstorm and Smurflily had a good laugh as Smurfstorm said, "Wow, you did have fun." Aria sat next to Smurfstorm while saying, "It was fun, but I missed you. Doing all those fun things wasn't the same without you doing them with me." Smurfstorm knew that she felt the same way as she said, "I felt the same way. We had fun, but we missed having you do them with us. Hopefully, I recover quickly enough so we can all go back to doing those fun things together again." Smurflily and Aria nodded in agreement as they all huddled close and read another book together. By nightfall, Smurfwilow went to check on the girls and walked into a heart-warming scene. The trio was asleep, Aria laying her head on the right side of Smurfstorm's lap while Smurflily was lying on the left side. Smurfstorm had both her arms over her sisters as if she was hugging them while they slept peacefully and happily. Smurfwillow smiled as she quietly left the room, closing the room silently behind her.
Everyone was doing their best to remove any built-up tears or trying not to sob in happiness as Clumsy said, 'That was the most beautiful story I've ever heard." Smurfstorm let a stray tear fell as she said, "That memory is one of my favorites," as Smurfiliy, who also allowed her tears to fall, said, "Mine too." Aria nodded as she then asked SmurfAggie, "Aggie, what did you think of it"? However, she didn't get a response as SmurfAggie was asleep, snoring peacefully with a huge smile on her face. Smurfblossom gawked over her, saying, "Aw! Those stories helped poor Aggie fall asleep." Hefty then mentioned, "We should leave quietly so we can let her rest," as she began to stand up. Aria then got a great idea as she said, "You guys could, but I got a better idea," as everyone looked at her to see what she was about to suggest. Later on, as night fell over Smurf Village, Papa Smurf and Smurfwillow came over to see how things were going with SmurfAggie and see if her friends were with her. As Papa quietly opened the door, both elders were surprised at what they saw. Everyone was sound asleep in various areas of the room while SmurfAggie remained resting in the bed. The boys were asleep on the floor, Smurfblossom was laid out on the couch, Smurflily and Smurfstorm were leaned up against the wall, and Aria was sleeping peacefully in her chair with the memory book in her hands. They all looked so peaceful and happy with each other's company as the village elders smiled before quietly closing the door behind them.
The next morning, the sound of Harmony's horrendous trumpet playing awoke everyone, as Smurfstorm said while getting up, "Can't that smurf take trumpet lessons"? SmurfAggie opened her eyes and yawned, stretching while saying, "Morning, Aria," before noticing that everyone else had slept over. She smiled, asking, "Did you all stay over so I wouldn't be left alone"? They nodded in unison as Smurfblossom said, "It was Aria's idea," as Hefty added, "She got the idea based on one of her memory stories." Aria happily hopped out of bed while saying with excitement, "Well, thank you guys for taking care of me. Thanks to your care, I'm back and feeling 100% again. So, let's head out and make some new, fun memories together." With that, everyone happily walked out and were ready for what this crisp autumn day would bring, right until Clumsy started to get a familiar red nose and gave a pretty loud
ACHOO!
Here we go again.
And scene. Till the next time, stay safe, practice social distancing, and keep reading/writing, my fellow authors!