Chapter Eight: A Plan is Smurfed

"I will use this hourglass to transport you and Molk back in time, Papa Smurf," Father Time explained, placing the hourglass he had come to collect from Mother Nature on the table. "I think it might be safer if your little Smurfs remained with me."

"Hey, wait a minute-" Hefty started. Papa Smurf held up a hand.

"I'm sorry, Hefty, but I fear Father Time may be right. If I succeed in helping Molk to stop his brother, the village and all my little Smurfs will be restored in this time. However, if we are unsuccessful, you three will be all that is left of the Smurfs. I'm afraid I cannot allow myself to risk your safety. Do you understand?" Papa Smurf spoke the words as if they were the most difficult he had ever had to utter.

Smurfette, Clumsy, and Hefty looked at each other uncomfortably.

"Gee, Papa Smurf," said Hefty, more softly than before. "I hadn't looked at it that way before." He straightened, his voice becoming firmer. "But, still, I don't think you should go there by yourself, with him," he pointed a distrustful finger at Molk.

"Come on, Hefty," said Smurfette. "You know Papa Smurf is right. This is the only way."

Hefty scowled and crossed his arms. "Yeah, I know it. But that doesn't mean I have to like it."

Father Time stepped forward. "If you will just come this way," he said to Papa Smurf and his alien companion. Placing his hourglass on the floor beside the two tiny entities, he spread out his arms in preparation for time travel initiation. Suddenly, he looked up.

"Papa Smurf, I have located your missing Smurf," he said. "He is nearly exactly one hundred years in the past. There are two other Smurfs with him, but they are of that period." His expression darkened. "It also seems that these three Smurfs are in very close proximity to this Nolk who's apparently causing all these problems with my timeline. I'll put you as near to these Smurfs as I can, but I must warn you to be extremely careful. I am only the guardian of time. I cannot make or change the events that occur within it."

"I understand, Father Time," said Papa Smurf. "And I thank you for all your help."

"Just try your best, Papa Smurf," Father Time smiled. "So far, it has always been more than good enough."

After a difficult farewell to his three remaining Smurfs, Papa Smurf turned to Molk.

"Well, it's time we got smurfing," he said.

"Just stand in front of the hourglass and watch the falling sand," Father Time instructed. "I will do the rest. If you are successful, you can be sure I will see at once to your immediate return. And to the return of your dislocated Smurf."

Papa Smurf and Molk nodded their comprehension. Rather, Papa Smurf did. Molk, not having a head per se, showed his comprehension with a seven handed thumbs- up.

Smurfette, Clumsy, and Hefty stood together on Mother Nature's table and watched soberly as Papa Smurf and the alien vanished from their time, perhaps forever.

"Oh, I do wish we could have gone with him," sobbed Smurfette.

"Uh, me too, Smurfette," Clumsy added.

Father Time lifted his hourglass from the floor and turned his gaze towards them. "We'll be finding out the effects of your Papa Smurf's interference soon enough," he said. "Almost immediately, in fact. We just have to give the resulting ripple effect the time it needs to reach us."

"And, how long should that take," demanded Hefty, impatiently.

"Actually," said Father Time. "It's already started to take effect."

"Is he breathing?" Smurf asked anxiously. He reflected that his younger companion had managed to set up the magical shield not a moment too soon. However, this time the younger Smurf had added a spell for invisibility as well. As Smurf lay on the ocean floor, gasping breath after much needed breath, the malevolent octopus had shot right past them. He knew that if he'd had to hold his breath a moment longer, he might have ended up unconscious, just like their unfortunate young friend with the glasses.

"No," the younger Smurf answered, his brows knitted in nervous frustration. "He was already unconscious when I was struggling to free him from that unsmurfy octopus's tentacle. I don't know what to do! Do you think he'll be all right?"

"Can't say for sure, youngin'," said the older Smurf sadly. Suddenly, a thought occurred to him. "Hang on," he said. "There might be something I can do."

The bearded Smurf knelt beside the unmoving Brainy. "I learned this from a mermaid, believe it or not, down on a tropical island somewhere. She used it to rescue human sailors who had been involved in shipwrecks. I just hope it works as well on Smurfs."

He placed his hands on the disturbingly still Smurf's chest and started pumping with his arms.

"Come on, youngin'!" he panted as he worked. "Breathe! You can do it!"

"Nothing's happening," the younger Smurf observed unhelpfully, wringing his hands with worry.

"Hang on," said the Smurf. Pinching the unconscious Smurf's nose, he leaned down and blew into his mouth. His chest expanded slightly as his lungs filled with air, like a balloon. Smurf resumed his pumping motions.

"Come on! Come on!"

Suddenly, the young Smurf gave a sharp jerk. As his two anxious companions looked on, he coughed weakly. This cough was accompanied by a gurgling sound and a rush of water spewed out from his mouth. Turning over onto his side, he continued to cough out water until finally he could take in a deep breath. After several more breaths, he was able to speak.

"Wha-what just happened?" he asked weakly. He blinked and looked around. "Where are we?"

The other two Smurfs could barely contain their happiness.

"Great Smurfs alive," said the older one with a broad grin. "Looks like it worked!"

"You're to be congratulated, Smurf!" the younger one smiled. "I never would have known to smurf that!"

"Smurf what?" asked Brainy sitting up. He was starting to get annoyed at being left out of their apparent celebration. "What's smurfing on here?"

The other two Smurfs turned to him as if they were noticing him for the first time.

"Well, my lucky little Smurf," said the younger of the pair, "you just very nearly drowned. If it hadn't been for Smurf's quick thinking, you might very well have been dead by now."

Brainy paled dramatically. "D-drowned?" he stammered. "Great Smurfs!"

"But you're all right now," the older Smurf assured him. He held out a hand and helped Brainy to his feet. "See," he said with a warm grin. "As good as new."

Brainy looked around himself. "I see you managed to smurf the magic shield," he said. "What happened to that creature?"

"It's gone," said the bearded Smurf. "We think it smurfed back to the other Smurfs it's got trapped in those crystal pyramids."

"If we don't think of a way to shatter those crystals, and soon," said the beardless Smurf, "I fear all those Smurfs may be killed."

His companions gave a start.

"What do you mean, youngin'?" asked the older Smurf. "Are you saying that thing's planning on killing every Smurf in the world?"

"That's certainly what it looks like," said the other Smurf grimly. "He can absorb magical energy. Spells are no good against him. Smurfing spells on him is just like smurfing seeds to a bird. He smurfs them right up, like food. His crystal pyramid of captured Smurfs is obviously designed to harness and direct the magical energy of the entire Smurf population so that he can absorb it."

"Then, if we're going to find a way to stop him," said Brainy nervously, "we're going to have to smurf it without magic."

"Speaking of magic, youngin's," said the older Smurf, "what's that over there?"

His companions looked where he was pointing. Just inside the magical shield Smurf had made, a faint shimmering could be seen. Slowly, the shimmering coalesced into two forms. As soon as the forms were recognizable, Brainy went rushing towards one of them, his eyes behind his glasses alight with elation.

"Papa Smurf!" he exclaimed. He was so excited, he started babbling. "Papa Smurf! You're here! Oh, thank Smurfness! You have no idea what we've been smurfing through! There's this horrible creature who can change shapes and he's trying to capture all the Smurfs in the world so that he can steal their energy, and he nearly drowned me, Smurf here saved me and I'm all right now, but we're the only Smurfs left free!"

Papa Smurf held up a defensive hand. "Brainy, Brainy, please!" he smiled, pleased to see his lost little Smurf was apparently well and completely unchanged. "I'm very glad to see you too, but we don't have very much time. Molk and I have been smurfed here by Father Time. We've come to help you and your two companions stop Nolk from his plans to exterminate all Smurfs."

The younger of Brainy's two companions from the past stepped forward. "So, this is the Papa Smurf Brainy's tried so hard not to tell us all about. It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm called Smurf." He stretched out his hand.

Papa Smurf hesitated for a moment before taking it. He studied the younger Smurf's face, as if it was somehow familiar to him. "Amazing," he said softly, grasping the other Smurf's hand warmly. The younger Smurf gestured to his companion. "And, this is Smurf," he said. "He's a great adventure Smurf and he's been all around the world."

"And I still haven't smurfed all there is to smurf," the older Smurf smiled, taking Papa Smurf firmly by the hand. Papa Smurf gave him a similar look, half bewildered, half astonished.

Smurf the younger turned to regard the tiny, silver-white Molk. "I don't mean to be rude," he said, "but, what manner of being are you?"

"I'm a Rwa'Taxian," he said. "From a moon that orbits a gaseous planet in Orion's Belt. The creature you're trying to stop is my brother."

"And, you're here to help us as well?"

Molk gave him his seven handed thumbs-up. "Yes, I am. I know Nolk better than any being alive. We were once two parts of the same being. I have the feeling that if anyone will be able to reach him, I will."

Smurf the younger nodded, not entirely understanding but feeling he grasped enough for the moment. "Well, we welcome your help. So, do either of you have any plans?"

Molk stepped forward. "I must speak with Nolk," he said. "Do you know where he can be found?"

"He's in the clearing of mushrooms in the forest, not far from the River Smurf," said Smurf the younger. "What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to try to stop him," said Molk. "Even if I have to use force. I know there is still time to find an alternative energy source. I just have to convince him of it."

"And, what do we do while you're busy chatting up the monster-no offense intended?" asked Smurf the elder. "Sit on our tails down here while all the other Smurfs are made to fade away to nothing?"

"Molk's attempts to talk with his brother should act as a distraction," said Papa Smurf. "It's possible that we could attempt to free the other Smurfs while they continue their argument."

"But, how, Papa Smurf," asked Brainy. "All the Smurfs are trapped within crystal pyramids. How would we smurf them out? Magic spells are useless. Nolk just absorbs their energy."

Papa Smurf looked thoughtful. "Then we're going to have to be innovative," he said. "What we need is a device that will emit a high frequency sound, like a whistle. If we're lucky, such a sound could shatter the crystals, freeing the Smurfs."

"I have a whistle, Papa Smurf," said Smurf the elder, reaching under the ragged remains of his white beard. He held the whistle out. "Here it is." Smurf the younger took it and turned it over and over in his hands.

"Do you really think this will work, Papa Smurf?" he asked, his voice skeptical but his eyes wide with hope."

Papa Smurf sighed. "I certainly hope so," he said. "Because if it doesn't, I'm afraid I don't have any good back up plans."