SMURFS: TIME SMURFED AGAIN PART SEVEN By Steven "Swarlock" Acevedo

THE STORY SO FAR: Witnessing the destruction of Smurf Village and Smurfland Forest for a second time, The Time Traveling Smurfs and The Alternate Papa Smurf, Baby Smurf and Good Gargamel bow their heads in shame for the evil Gary's Godfather had done in the name of greed.

Although the ground below them is a complete desert now, the resulting massive explosion has unearth the legendary Smurf Rainbow Lifestones.

It took nearly half a month for the radiation from the smoldering ground to cool down before The survivors could return to what has once been their home. Everything that Smurfland forest was had singe to the ground. Just a few barren burnt trees and lots and lots of rubble and grey dirt covered the earth. To be on the safe side both Papas cast a protection spell over the group that shimmered and glowed like a thousand night lights. Gargamel was the first to speak in a memorial service.

"And so it is with a heavy heart that this once plentiful land has been reverted back to its original state millions of years ago when the Earth was still new. Now this place is only a memory to all standing here. May Mother Nature and Father Time forgive us for not treating this world with the respect that was due it," he said mournfully.

"Let this be a final reminder to any other people who come here in the future. War no matter how romanticized it may seem can never undo the destruction around its wake for those still living in fear, guilt or sorrow for what has gone. But from the wastes we can rebuild, in reconstruction we shall move forward not in greater glory but one of peace."

Looking back one last time, Gargamel and the Smurfs took their leave of Smurfland for the very last time.

The next few days were busy as Gargamel and The Smurfs traveled into the neighboring city known as Hominbus a thousand miles away where a lawyer was waiting at the dock for them to arrive by boat. To the Time Traveling Smurfs this new alternate world they dropped into was far bigger than they had imagined. The city itself was an interesting contrast of Old and New World mixed together. Half had a medevil motif and the other half was planted firmly in the modern world. Places with the names of familar friends from their own time had them longing to return home as fast as they could. Right now however this took priority over their own needs.

"If only Dreamy could see this," Hefty said to the others while sitting in the big pouch Gargamel had slung on his back. He was taken aback by all that he saw but as afraid as he was, he decided not to be nearly as frightened as he was for everyone else's sake. If he had learn anything during their adventures, once you started on a quest you did not stop until it was over.

Arriving by nightfall they all checked into The Johan and Peewit Hotel where they would get a good night's rest and begin discussing what would be done after settling the affairs of Balthazar Corporation. There were still factory plants in some other parts of the world as Gargamel and The Smurfs found out later on.

Gargamel had other skills besides being a scientist and he decided now would be a good time to put them to good use. He stopped by the nearest tool store across from the hotel to get some wood, he then went across to the local toy store where he bought nineteen tiny doll houses for The Smurfs to temporarily move into. Both Papas magically turned them into Smurf houses along with the wood to be used as fences around their homes. Since no one had ever seen a Smurf he decided to say to anyone who came to his hotel room that he was a collector of Action figures and doll houses.

That night as everyone got settled in Gargamel told them about how things had changed in his world after the last king died.

"After the king was buried it was decided to keep parts of the old town as they were while other sections were later modified into the style you see now," he told them.

He paused for a minute to see what Smurfett, Handy, Clumsy and The Smurflings found so fascinating. It was The TV set on top of the dresser drawer.

"This reminds us of the time we had something called Mirror-Vision," Handy said to The Scientist. "A lot of what's on now is exactly what we did back then." "Unfortunately we hadn't counted on our Gargamel finding the magic glass that sent the signals out while Nat was telling everyone how to return to the village," Brainy chimed in.
He still felt he owed a reprimand to the young smurfling for that incident. But he didn't come on the journey through time with the others.
"You were the one who wanted to be a glory hog on the air, Brainy," Snappy snapped back.
"That must've been an experience." Gargamel laughed at the thought.
"Everyone threw their mirror vision sets out their windows when he began talking," Smurfette added to the conversation. At this point everyone laughed - except for Grouchy who didn't say anything and Brainy just felt a surge of indignation at the crack.

"Better get to sleep now, my friends, " Gargamel said. "We have a long journey back to find these lifestones." And they had the best night's rest in years.

The next morning they set off for the desert once known as Smurfland.

To be continued..