Chapter 11: Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow
As soon as the tremor stopped, the smurfs and smurfettes quickened their pace to load their belongings onto the ships. This, however, did not stop them from worrying about Papa and Mama Smurf as well as Brainy and Brainette. Not to mention, wondering how the rescue team was doing in bringing home the captured smurfettes from the nasty trolls.
"It's Ms. Blue!" One of the smurfettes cried out.
Each of the smurfs and smurfettes smiled with relief when they all see their elders and fellow smurfs on the blue heron's back. They all cheered and ran up to the bird as she came down for a landing.
"Ok, calm down my young smurfettes." Mama Smurf announced in a nurturing tone. "We are all right." She added as she got off of Ms. Blue's back to greet some of her smurfettes in a hug.
"Oh, Papa Smurf. We got so worried when we saw smoke coming from the volcano." Dreamy Smurf called out.
"Yes, my little Smurfs, we managed to escape just as the volcano started to erupt." Papa Smurf said as he too stepped off the bird's back to greet some of the smurfs as they too ran up to see if everyone was alright.
Brainy extended his hand to help Brainette off, but she jerked her arm away from him and leapt off Ms. Blue on her own. As Brainette landed she was greeted by a few of her sisters. Brainy didn't appreciate her attitude much, but decided not to let it bother him. He jumped off the opposite side of Ms. Blue and was greeted by Vanity and Harmony.
"Brainette! Oh we are so glad that you are alright." A blond smurfettes cooed as she gave the smart smurfette a big hug.
"I lost my abacus." Brainette simply replied with a sad, but monotone voice.
"Well," Craftette picked up Brainette's hand and began patting it gently for sympathy. "You are ok. That's the important thing."
"Sure. Thanks." Brainette attempted to smile at Craftette and the other smurfettes before making her way through the crowd. She headed for her home knowing that she only has a few minutes to gather as much of her personal belongings as possible for the evacuation.
"Mama Smurf!" Toughette cried out as she ran up to the crowd. The rescue team and other captured smurfettes follow close behind.
Mama Smurf looked over and smiled with relief to see her young smurfettes safe from the clutches of the trolls, although she does show a bit of concern on why Toughette's dress is all torn.
"Mama Smurf," Toughette repeated. "We just heard what happened and we now just saw the volcano smoking. Is everyone alright?"
"We are fine. How about you and the others?" Mama Smurf asked as she placed both hands on Toughette's shoulders.
"Oh you know me," Toughette waved off, like her experience meant nothing. She noticed that Mama Smurf was not convinced and that her attention was now on the blue dress. Her cheeks blushed as she tried to cover the torn sides. "Please don't ask about the dress."
"Alright. I won't." Mama Smurf sighed. "You best go get changed, and grab as much of your belongings then meet us at the ships." She then ordered.
"Where are we going?" Toughette asked.
"Papa Smurf offered us refuge back at the Smurf Village." Mama Smurf answered before heading off in the opposite direction.
"Oh, ok." The golden haired smurfette briefly gave Hefty a smile before running to her house.
"Hefty! Handy! Poet! Farmer!" Papa Smurf called out to the rest of the rescue team. "The others could use your help loading up the ships."
"Yes Papa Smurf!" All four respond in unison. Dreamy Smurf caught up to them as they ran towards the dock.
"So how did the rescue go?" The captain smurf asked out of curiosity.
"Would you believe it was taken care of before we even go there?" Poet answered with half a chuckle.
Dreamy instantly stopped dead in his tracks. Why did that sound so familiar? He then remembered. Dreamy Smurf turned to look at the jet-black haired gypsy smurfette. She was helping some of her fellow smurfettes pack some essentials for the long trip across the ocean.
'Is it possible?' He thought. 'Could a smurf, or in this case, a smurfette have psychic powers?'
Astrologette suddenly felt a presence staring at her. She turned to see Dreamy Smurf with a puzzled look on his face. She smiled knowingly at him. The gypsy smurfette then frowned as she brought her attention up at the smoldering volcano. She wondered what the outcome of this disaster would come, and how it would affect the smurfettes' lives.
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"This is horrible!" Valvette cried out in despair. "All of this is leaving me no time to pack. Not only that, but I just finished perfecting my decor. Oh, I feel so faint." She added placing the back of her hand onto her forehead in a dramatic posture.
"It'll be alright Valvette. I'll help." Smurfette said soothingly. She reached over and placed her hand reassuringly on the other's shoulder.
"Thank you Smurfette." Valvette gently patted Smurfette's hand and gave her a smile of gratitude.
"You can relax, Valvette!" An amber-haired smurfette called out as she ran up with a few dresses in her arms. "I've done most of your packing for you."
"You have?" Valvette asked in total surprise.
"Well, I have too. Honey, we spent too many hours designing and sewing these dresses. I am not about to let them get destroyed!" Sewette said before running towards the dock.
"Sewette! You're my hero!" Valvette cheered. She then turned to Smurfette with more confidence in her eyes. "Come Smurfette, there are a lot more things we need to get."
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Mama Smurf just finished putting her special herbs into a carry bag before she headed out her door. Most of her books and personal belongings were already on its way to the ship, S.S. Sister Smurf thanks to some of the smurfs and smurfettes that came and helped. The carry bag over her shoulder was to be her last bit of luggage. Before she opened her door, Mama Smurf turned to take one last look at her home. With a heavy sigh, she walked out and closed the door.
A sudden explosion caused her to stop dead in her tracks just outside of her home. Mama Smurf looked up to see that the volcano now shooting some lava and rocks. Even though most of the debris fell in the opposite direction from the village the scene was making her extremely nervous. At the same time she got a sinking feeling that something terrible was about to happen. Without any further hesitation she made her way down to the dock.
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Meanwhile, at the dock, the smurfs are helping the smurfettes board the ships with their personal belongings. They were also taking in mental notes on what is essential and what will become more weight then the ships can carry. Brainette was even helping by calculating everything that went on each ship. Without her abacus the calculations were taking longer as she wrote them down on a piece of paper. She counted every detail by amount and weight.
She did a quick scan on the S.S. Sister Smurf and jotted down one final calculation before leaning over the rail. "Handy! Dreamy! This ship has exceeded its' limit. I advice against allowing anything more be brought aboard, other then fifty smurfettes and five smurfs." She announced to the smurfs on the dock below.
"Alright, Thanks!" Handy Smurf waved back.
"Ok, we will see if we can fit anything more on the S.S. Smurf, but if we cannot then I'm afraid you will have to leave some things behind!" Captain Dreamy ordered to the rest of the smurfettes.
A flood of groans was heard from most of the smurfettes on the dock. Each of them began to look very concern as they ponder over their personal belongings.
"This is going to be a very tight trip." Handy said to Hefty, whom apparently had his mind distracted on the shore towards the Smurfette Village. He instantly knew that Hefty was worried about Toughette.
"Huh? Right. Tight trip." The strong smurf finally said when he realized that his friend had just told him something.
"I'm sure she will be here soon." Handy leaned up to him with a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Hefty turned his head to smile at him.
"I know." He simply nodded to the carpenter smurf.
"Then what's got you so wo- " Handy got cut off when and explosion attracted everyone's attention.
High above the trees the volcano is now beginning to spew out lava and rocks. Every smurfette and smurf looked on with worry on their faces. For the smurfettes this all was very new, and of course, very scary for them seeing a volcano going off. Klutzette focused more on the exploding mountain rather then where she was walking. In a result, she bumps into the back of the smurfette in front of her, which instantly caused a domino effect down the dock. The last smurfette to get knocked over is Melody. She ended up flying into Hefty's arms.
"Whoa! Careful Melody." Hefty said with a caring voice.
"Heh, sorry." Melody bashfully grinned. As Hefty placed his strong hands around her upper arms to help her steady herself on her feet, she felt safe even though there was a destructive force creating havoc just miles away.
"Are you alright now?" Hefty asked after he made sure the talented smurfette was firmly on her own two feet.
"Yes. Thank you." She answered softly, but at the same time disappointed of the fact that he just let go of her. Handy raised his eyebrow as he noticed Melody's reaction. He wondered if Hefty realized this behavior too.
"Here Melody, let me help you with your bag." Harmony Smurf suggested as he walked up to the amber-haired smurfette.
"Uh, th-thanks Harmony." She stuttered in response. Melody handed him her bag of spare clothes before letting him take her hand to guide her aboard the S.S. Smurf.
Handy couldn't help but to be concern with what he just witness. It sort of reminded him years ago when he and Hefty competed for Smurfette's affections. He also wondered if Hefty had any clue on how Melody must be feeling. When he turned to his friend, Handy noticed that Hefty wasn't even paying attention to Melody's departure, but is now focused again to the shore.
"Hefty?" Handy said. This was starting to bug him; he had to ask his strong friend.
"Yeah Handy?" Hefty responded, turning to him.
Before Handy could say anything a female voice called out to them.
"Hefty!" Toughette cried out from behind the crowd. She struggles in getting past some of the anxious smurfettes that were trying not to trip or be tripped as they made their way onto either of the two ships.
Hefty beamed a huge grin along with a sigh of relief. He glanced down at her usual gray smurf suit with light pink wrist guards, leg warmers, and cotton belt. She apparently even took a moment to wash off all the make up she had on her face. "Toughette, I'm glad you made it!" He said once she took her position beside him.
"Sorry I'm late. I had troubles with that darn dress." She snarled.
"You could have left it on." The strong smurf teased with a crooked smile.
"Yeah right," chuckled Toughette. "In your dreams."
"What's the matter with dreaming? Our captain here does it all the time." Hefty shrugged.
"Hey, I heard that." Dreamy Smurf scoffed as he helped another smurfette aboard the S.S. Smurf.
"What's the hold up, my little smurfs?" Papa Smurf called out from the S.S. Smurf's deck. "We got to get these smurfettes aboard before that volcano really starts going off!"
"We are moving as fast as we can, Papa Smurf!" Dreamy called up in defiance.
"Apparently it looks like you smurfs could use my help. What can I do?" Toughette asked sincerely.
"You can help by making sure none of the smurfettes are carrying more then just the bare essentials aboard the ships. Both ships are packed as it is already." Hefty explained.
"That's no problem." Toughette nodded. She took the bag in her hand and prepared to toss it upward. "Heads up!" She cried out just before swinging her bag up onto the S.S. Smurf. Poet Smurf turned his head in time to see a bag coming at him. He attempted to grab it, but the force of the toss caused him to fall down with the bag.
Poet stood up while rubbing his head and peered down to see who threw the bag.
"Hang onto that for me. I got to help these smurfs get my sisters aboard the ships." Toughette commanded. She then strolled back through the crowd to inspect what her sisters are carrying on to the ships.
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Mama Smurf almost reached the shore when a little robin bird landed on a low branch beside the path.
"Hello little robin," Mama Smurf greeted the bird gently. She frowned, concerned on why her feathered friend hadn't flown to somewhere safer. The smurfette elder leaned in to ask. "I thought you would have already flown for the hills with the other birds already."
The little robin began to chirp frantically while waving its' little wings up and down. Mama Smurf listened carefully as if the bird spoke in smurf language. She suddenly let out a loud gasp. Something the bird said made Mama Smurf extremely worried.
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"That should do her." Cowgirl announced as she, Tattlerette, Nursette and Farmer Smurf walk up to Hefty, Handy, Dreamy, and Toughette. "Both ships are now packed and ready to go. All of the smurfettes are aboard, all except us and Mama Smurf that is."
"I'm sure she will be here soon enough." Nursette assured everyone.
"I recon it will a long crowded trip back to the Smurf Village." Farmer said, whipping his forehead.
"Agreed." Captain Dreamy nodded.
"I wonder what's keeping Mama Smurf?" Tattlerette asked, tapping the end of her pencil on her chin.
"Oh, here she comes now." Hefty said, pointing at the shore.
"It's about time." Toughette huffed before nervously looking up at the erupting volcano.
As Mama Smurf approached the other smurfs and smurfettes on the dock, Nursette grew very concern with the expression the elder smurfette had on her face.
"Uh-oh, I recognize that look. Something is wrong." The braided blond smurfette deduced shaking her head.
"Mama Smurf. You made it. I was starting to worry." Papa Smurf cheered as he walked down the ramp of the S.S. Smurf to join the group on the dock. "Quickly, come aboard there is room on this ship, and -"
"Thank you, Papa Smurf, but no." Mama Smurf quickly said, cutting him off. "I cannot go with you. There are friends here that need my help. That explosion that just happened has managed to trap the Wood Sprits. They are unable to escape from their temporary shelters."
"No!" Nursette, Tattlerette, and Cowgirl cry out at once.
"Well, we have to go rescue them!" Toughette bravely stated as she holds up her fist with emphasis.
"Toughette I appreciate your enthusiasm, but -" Mama Smurf interjected, but was cut off.
"Mama Smurf you cannot expect to pull off such a rescue with just you. I'm coming too!" Hefty said, stepping forward.
"You can count me in!" Handy announced, taking a step up beside Hefty.
"Me too!" Farmer Smurf said, not thinking twice.
Hefty turned to them with a slightly confused expression on his face.
"What? Someone has to watch your back." The carpenter smurf grinned at the strong smurf.
"Thanks." Hefty said, grinning back.
"You can count me in as well." Dreamy volunteered.
"No Dreamy," Handy shook his head, "Someone has to 'captain' these ships."
Dreamy Smurf looked up at both ships and saw that a long rope is attached from the bow of the S.S. Sister Smurf to the stern of the S.S. Smurf. He suddenly felt the weight of responsibility that had been placed on him.
"There could be some Wood Sprits injured. I better come too." Nursette said, also stepping forward and patting the medicine bag she was carrying over her shoulder.
"Now you all know, you'd be needing my help as well. So count me in." Cowgirl stated as she gestured to herself with her thumb.
"And someone has to write this excellent scoop for my Daily Report, so that means I'm coming too." The fiery red-headed smurfette raises her pencil in the air.
"Perhaps I should come to and help." Papa Smurf offered as well.
"Again, thank you Papa Smurf. But I'm afraid I must ask you a desperate favor." Mama Smurf started giving the smurf elder a pleading look.
"Sure. Anything." Papa Smurf nodded before even knowing what she may even suggest.
"I need to go back to your village with my young smurfettes. Please look after them for me Papa Smurf."
"Alright. But what about all of you?" Again Papa Smurf asked. He was obviously reluctant to just leave any of the smurfettes, and especially some of his little smurfs behind while there was a volcano that is in the process of erupting.
"I understand your concern, Papa Smurf. You should have no worries about me and these brave volunteers. We will rescue the Wood Sprites and make it up that hill over there." The smurfette elder addressed by pointing at a large mountain in the opposite direction of the spewing volcano. "We shall be safe there from the destruction of the volcano."
"Ok. This is what we will do. Captain Dreamy and I will take the smurfettes back to our village. After we make sure everyone is alright there, we will turn on of the ships back here to pick up the rest of you." Papa Smurf suggested.
"That sounds like a good plan. We shall keep an eye out for your ship in a few days then." Mama Smurf nodded in agreement. "You better get going."
Papa Smurf hesitated for a moment before nodding his head. "Alright. Let's get aboard Captain Dreamy. We have a long trip ahead of us."
"Aye, aye, Papa Smurf." Saluted Dreamy Smurf. Before turning to board the S.S. Smurf, he looked over to his fellow smurfs. "Stay safe." He told them.
"Don't we always?" Hefty shrugged.
"Relax Captain Dreamy. They are with us. We smurfettes will look after them." Toughette said giving the sailor smurf a wink. The other smurfettes nodded knowingly, except Mama Smurf; she started walking up to the S.S. Sister Smurf.
"You are such a riot." Hefty said in a chuckle to his girlfriend. Toughette returned an 'innocent' grin.
Realizing the ships are still tied to the docks the four remaining smurfettes and three remaining smurfs rush to help untie and toss the ropes. With a heavy thrust, they managed to toss the rope up to the other smurfs aboard the ships.
"Mama Smurf?" Brainette called out from deck of the S.S. Sister Smurf. "Did I hear right? Are you staying? Do you want me to come and help?"
"No Brainette. I want you to stay with the other smurfettes." Mama Smurf said in a reassuring tone.
"But -"
"Don't worry, we will be alright. I promise."
"Be careful, Mama Smurf." A blond smurfette beside Brainette said.
"Yes Mama Smurf. We will miss you." Another smurfette with dark brown hair added.
"We will miss you too, my young smurfettes. Now mind Papa Smurf in my absence, we shall reunite soon enough." Mama Smurf gave her final instruction as the ship started pulling a way from the dock. "I hope." She added in a whisper, out of everyone's earshot.
The rest of the smurfs and smurfettes on the dock waved the ships off. All of them have a series look on their face.
"I hope they will be alright." Cowgirl sighed.
"They looked more worried about us than we do of them." Farmer Smurf pointed out. The others nodded in agreement. Another loud explosion quickly drew their attention up at the volcano once more. Each of them starts to swallow a large lump that was caught in their throats.
"Come my young ones, we haven't got a moment to lose." Mama Smurf commanded before bringing her thumb and index finger to her mouth. She blows a loud whistle that draws the attention of a blue heron sitting near the shore. Ms. Blue flew over and landed on the dock in front of Mama Smurf.
"Ms. Blue I have one last favor to ask of you." The smurfette elder said to the bird.