Smurfette leaned against Smurfblossom as they continued through the forest. How far had they actually gone? It didn't really seem that far, but now it felt like she'd been walking for miles. She glanced up at the sky, trying to figure out what time it was. But the sky was gray and overcast. For all she knew, she could have been in labor for hours. The wind whipped her hair back, the cold air stinging her eyes. Another pain sliced her lower back, making her collapse against her friend.
"How...how far..." Smurfette could barely speak through the pain. "How much farther?"
Smurfblossom glanced around frantically, but the wind blew her hair into her eyes and mouth. Heavy rain began to pour down as the two stood helpless in the middle of the forest, lost. Smurfblossom then whirled around, spotting an abandoned hollow tree. She helped Smurfette to her feet once again and dragged her into the tree. It was dry, with a few dead leaves inside, but they were out of the rain. Smurfette gasped for air, sinking down into the pile of dry leaves.
"It's okay, Smurfette! Uh...uh...you want some water?" She offered her some water from her canteen. Smurfette accepted the small source of water and drained it, leaving nothing. Smurfblossom blinked. "Oh...Okay, that's - uh - that's good. Now you're hydrated! Now, uh...let's play a game! How about I-Spy? I'll go first! I spy with my little eye something...big and blue!"
Smurfette scowled. Smurfblossom laughed nervously.
"That's right, it's the SKY! That big, bright, beautiful sky! Yeah...Oh! Do you wanna hear my favorite song?! Hey. Hey. Hey. Hey. Hey. Hey. Hey. Hey. Hey. Heey. Hey!"
Smurfette smiled a bit at Blossom's efforts. She knew she was trying, but the pain was becoming too much to bear. With every restraint she had, she tried to hold back a moan. She gritted her teeth against it. Smurfblossom bit her nails.
"Smurfblossom..." Smurfette grunted. "Keep talking. It helps when I'm distracted."
Smurfblossom didn't need to be told twice. She poured her heart out, talking about butterflies and flowers and how much she liked everyone in the village. Smurfette tried listening to Smurfblossom, the rain, anything to distract her. She glanced at the rain, now a raging storm.
"I don't think...we'll be able to...make it to the...village...in time." Smurfette clutched her stomach as another contraction took effect. Smurfblossom crawled over and took Smurfette's hand.
"Don't say that! We'll be fine. You'll be fine!" Smurfblossom's voice was as bubbly and cheerful as normal, but her face held worry. Smurfette knew she was lying, but at least it was just to make her feel better. Smurfette turned onto her side, trying to calm herself. Her babies would be born in this tree, and she couldn't do anything to stop it.
Rain started to pour as the village came into view, and Hefty heaved a sigh of relief. As soon as Spitfire landed, Hefty flew from his back and full-on sprinted towards his house. To his surprise, as soon as his hut came into view, he was immediately greeted by everyone. Everyone, all of the 190 back in the village, was crowded around the front door. He was prepared to push his way through when someone grabbed his arm.
"Hefty, thank Smurfs you're back!" Clumsy, Smurfjade, and Tracker stood soaked behind him. Clumsy held his arm. "W-We...we were worried that - "
"Okay, Clumsy, that's great! I need to smurf into the house!" Hefty turned again, but Clumsy grabbed his arm again, sending them both into the mud. "Clumsy, what is your problem?!"
"Hefty," Smurfjade spoke up. "Smurfette isn't here."
Hefty's heart dropped and he rose to his feet. He slowly uttered the words, "What do you mean she isn't here?"
Smurfstorm and Papa gasped, having heard Hefty's voice on the brink of rage. Hefty whirled around to Smurfstorm.
"YOU! You were supposed to watch her!"
"I did! We went for a walk. She started having cramps, so I told Blossom to bring her home."
"THEN WHY AREN'T THEY HERE?!" Hefty hissed through his teeth.
"I don't know!"
"Enough!" Papa pushed them apart as they were now nose-to-nose. "Yelling won't smurf us to find them! Tracker!" Tracker straightened. "Gather a team and set out to find them! Smurfstorm and Clumsy, you gather another team and smurf from the skies! Hefty, guide the rest to their own teams!"
"What 'bout you, Papa?" Clumsy asked.
"I'm going to find Mother Nature."
Papa ran back into the forest, leaving the rest of them to search for Smurfette and Smurfblossom. Hefty didn't need to do anything really, everyone had gathered and set out searching. Hefty could only sit on a log and worry. After a few seconds of worrying, everyone had already gone. Except for Vanity.
"Vanity?"
Hefty stood up and drew closer, and he realized the poor Smurf was crying. His mirror was left dejected on the bench beside him.
"Hey, Vanity."
"It's all my fault! I should have smurfed her home!" he wailed.
Hefty sat down beside him. "Hey, don't smurf yourself up about it. There wasn't anything we could have smurfed. Heck, we couldn't have known she'd...you know."
Hefty picked up Vanity's mirror and held it out to him. "Hey, no more crying. It's gonna give you wrinkles."
Vanity glanced at the mirror before slowly taking it. He sniffled. "You're right. Let's find Smurfette."
Smurfette couldn't move. It was evident by now that, even if help did arrive before the babies were born, they couldn't bring her back home. The pain was too much; even if she could move, she was too far along. She gripped Smurfblossom's hand until both of their fingers turned purple. She couldn't hold them in any longer.
"Smurfblossom, I need to push!"
Smurfblossom's bubbly, happy spirit was gone, replaced with fear and panic. "A-Are ya sure?" Smurfette's scream answered her, and she wasted no time. She took off her cloak and put it over Smurfette's legs. "Okay, okay. Let's have some babies!"
"Have you ever done this before?"
"Uh...I pulled Brainy out from under a snail once. Same thing?"
Smurfette's head fell back. I'm going to die here, she thought. Why me? Her thoughts were shattered when another wave of pain struck her. It almost didn't matter now, did it? It's not like she had a choice.
"Ready, Smurfette?" She nodded. "Okay, 1...2...3...PUSH!"
Smurfette brought her chin up, drawing in her legs. Smurfblossom's jaw hit the floor, then she hit the floor. "Blossom? Smurfblossom?! Oh, great. Just smurfy!"
She was now in labor, her only companion had just fainted at the sight of her, and they were stranded with little hope of being found within the hour. All Smurfette could do was moan in pain, counting her contractions. The pain mixed with hopelessness as hot tears fell. And sobs of pain turned to cries for help. She couldn't remember a time where she screamed so loud. Someone had to have heard her then.
She peeked through blurry, tear-filled eyes at the opening to the hollow tree. All she could see was the rain, the empty rain. What was the point? No one could hear her. She sobbed, in pain and despair. She thought she could almost hear her beloved fellow Smurfs, calling out to her.
"Smurfette..."
It had to be her imagination, the pain messing with her brain. But she heard the voices again.
"Smurfette, where are you?!"
She turned her head back to the opening, and could just barely make out a Smurf-sized figure at the edge of the brush. She cried out to get their attention, unable to speak intelligible phrases. The figure waved someone over, Smurfette catching a soft, pink glow outside the tree. As the figures drew closer, she rubbed her eyes to see, clear as day, an Smurf-sized woman in a long bell-bottom dress and a white-bearded smurf.
"Papa...Mother Nature..." Smurfette breathed. Mother Nature stepped inside the tree, running her hand over Smurfette's hair. "But, how did you - "
"I brought them." Smurfette lifted her head and suppressed a glare. Smurfwillow's hair was stuck to her face and, if it hadn't been raining, Smurfette would have assumed she had been crying. "Smurfette..."
Smurfette turned away from her once-trusted leader. Papa rushed from Willow's side to comfort Smurfette. Mother Nature sensed her discomfort and turned to Willow. "Tell the others where we are. I'm sure they're worried sick."
Smurfwillow nodded and dashed back into the rain. Smurfette turned to Mother Nature. "I'm ready."
"Good, darling."
Hefty shivered, the cold rain beating on his back. He should have brought a raincoat, or even an umbrella would be alright. But he was too caught up in finding his wife that he'd forgotten. He trampled over wet branches and leaves, the dirt quickly turning to thick mud.
He rammed his head into a tree, water droplets pouring onto him. He sighed. "This is getting me nowhere. ARE WE EVER GONNA FIND HER?!"
Grouchy tapped him on the shoulder. "They already found her, genius."
"Oh, thank Smurfs! Kind of a Deus smurfs machina, but THANK SMURFS! Thanks Grouchy!" Hefty immediately jumped up and ran into the forest.
"Other way!" Grouchy shouted.
Hefty ran back past Grouchy again. "Thanks again, Grouchy!"
"I hate thanks..." Grouchy grumbled before following after Hefty. Hefty sprinted into the woods, following the hundreds of footprints towards an isolated part of the forest, a place far from the Village but not too far away to be dangerous. Dragonflies were landing in front of a particular hollow tree, every Smurf gathered around the entrance or huddling under logs or leaves for protection. Spitfire was curled up with Clumsy by a small fire under a large leaf. Smurfstorm probably found her. He rushed to the hollow tree and his heart shattered at the ear-piercing cry of his wife.
"Smurfette!" He couldn't take it any longer; he needed to see her. He began digging his way through the smaller crowd around the tree. A few fell into the mud, but were not entirely mad at him for it. He finally reached the entrance when a white-haired Smurf blocked his path. Hefty glared.
"Haven't you smurfed enough trouble?"
"Hefty," Smurfwillow began.
"No!" he snapped. "Okay, just - just no! I'm not sorry for what I said on the mountain! I'm going in there, and you can't stop me!"
He stepped forward to push past her, but Smurfwillow put a cold hand to his chest. "Hefty, no. You're right. I shouldn't have been so rash. I was afraid. But that doesn't matter now! What matters is Smurfette and those infants."
"Hefty..."
Over Smurwillow's shoulder, Hefty could barely look. Smurfette, pale and noticeably in pain, laid on a pile of dry leaves with Mother Nature at her feet. Her eyes were red and carrying dark circles under them. Hefty gently pushed Smurfwillow aside and knelt beside Smurfette, taking her hand. He winced at her grip, not knowing she could be this strong. He turned to Mother Nature.
"Is she..." he could hardly finish his sentence.
"She's doing wonderfully, but she's exhausted. What she really needs now is support."
Hefty caressed Smurfette's cheek, kissing her forehead. "I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere."
A smile barely crossed her face before she again cried out in pain. Hefty gripped her hand almost as hard as she gripped his before she finally relaxed for a moment. He loosened his grip, but her hold remained strong. Hefty knew he wasn't going anywhere, and he was happy with that.