Hello, people! Just one more chapter before the big announcement for the contest to happen! I don't know about you guys, but I'm pretty excited about all of this. Let's get to the reviews! I'm too excited to wait anymore. By the way, you guys did notice that there actually was a lot of biting in the last chapter, right? Everyone did a lot of biting: Ipati, Wild, Puppy, and even a little bit from Xavier.
flowerpower71- You have no idea how many reviews started with "Oh no! Poor Xavier!" He really is a beloved character on this story. As for Benevolent's voice character, you actually had the right idea going, but in this story, let's just say that he'll exhibit more of an...angry side. He's going to have a different voice in the next story. Speaking of anger, there's gonna be a lot of it in this chapter and I mean a lot. Not even joking here. By the way, you are right and wrong about Crafty's gift. True, she has a beautiful singing voice, but that's technically no her gift. But, you said something that's half right for her gift.
Benny- You have no idea how wrong you are. Glad you like form E77. I like it too. And you know, it's funny you should mention Gutsy and Ipati duking it out. Because that's exactly what they're going to do near the end of the story. And it's also a coincidence that you mentioned the power of love since it will play a vital part in this story. And yes, I've noticed you wrote a story of your own. Thoughtful sounds so sweet and kind. I'll try to leave a review when I get the chance to. And don't be afraid to tell me about new stories of yours. I'm more than willing to read other people's stories.
Chloe- Did Handy ever find out how it works? Or did he have to scram out of there before your dad came in and exploded? Ha! Just joking. But seriously, I hope things are alright. I hope you and Painter will still be going on strong even after everything that happens in the story.
Cutie Kyuubi- Sorry. That is not the right answer, but that's actually a pretty cool power! I wish I had that power. (clears throat) Anyway, that's not her gift either.
Sapphire777- Sorry if you guys got a little scared during this chapter. I probably should've put up a warning for violence and minor bloodshed. But at least everything turned out smurfy...for the most part, anyway. I'm glad you're okay and I'm happy you've gotten close with the others and their being so nice to you.
Smurf Lover- Thank you for the comments and I'm sorry, but none of the OCs for the Smurfs are coming until the next story. Well, all except for one Smurf, whom I will not name yet. And you're right, all Smurfs deserve a good soul mate. Every single Smurf does.
I own only Crafty, Hummer, Meena, Xavier, Benevolent and Ipati. The Smurfs belong to Peyo. Livy belongs to flowerpower71 and Jo belongs to CartoonCaster21. I know they haven't showed up yet, but I feel obligated to let people know that I don't own them. Enjoy the story!
Doctor 'hmm'ed and nodded as he checked over Xavier constantly. His tongue, heart rate, temperature, anything that could give him a proper diagnosis.
"And...that should do it," Crafty breathed as she twisted the missing left talons back into Monty's body. He clicked in happiness as he hopped to his feet, walking around on his two feet with glee.
"What the smurf happened here, anyway?" Wooly scratched his head as he looked upon the once-peaceful village. Not many, but some mushrooms were crushed and destroyed, with the other Smurfs working to fix them. The ones who weren't working on the construction were gathered around Xavier.
"Gargamel and Azrael, that's what!" Hefty snapped as he walked by with lumber on his back.
"Why doesn't that surprise or worry me in the least?" Crafty blandly said as she leaned against Puppy, making it sound more like a statement than a question.
"Well, you should be worried. Papa hasn't come back yet," Vanity replied, for once not sounding so posh or arrogant.
"He hasn't?" Sweepy asked. Many of the Smurfs shook their heads sadly. "But…but what about Xavier? He needs our help..."
"I have to be honest," Doctor sighed pulling his stethoscope out of his ears. "I don't think even Papa's magic can help Xavier. The venom from Ipati is unlike any I've ever seen. Then again, I've never had to smurf a cobra bite before."
"Really, though? Is Papa really the only one that ain't here?" Wooly asked.
"Well...no. We've noticed also that Clumsy is missing, along with Grouchy, Brainy, Smurfette and...erm," Doctor seemed to become uncomfortable with going on. He gulped loudly before finishing with, "and Gutsy, too."
Crafty tensed instantly upon hearing this, her fists turning white as they clenched around her crossed arms. The others couldn't help but shrink back and close their eyes, waiting for Crafty to just blow up. When they only heard silence, they immediately relaxed and opened their eyes.
"Ha. Phew!" Wooly chuckled. "Crafty, I really thought you were gonna smurf up there for a minute. Glad ya held together alright, Crafty."
Wooly raised an eyebrow as he saw no Smurfette next to Puppy, who looked off in the direction in which said female was walking.
"Crafty? Where ya goin'?"
"Where do you think I'm going?" She called back without turning around or slowing her pace.
The others looked at her worriedly, then at each other, and then went bounding after her.
"Now, Crafty! Let's try to be rational about this," Grandpa reasoned as she entered her mushroom. Crafty immediately reached for her dark blue cloak, wrapping it around her body.
"Believe me, Grandpa," She started. "When it comes to Gargamel, I'm never rational."
"But I thought you weren't worried at all," Sweepy tried to persuade.
"I wasn't, but if they aren't back by now, then something's really not smurfy in these woods," She replied. Then she turned to all of them with an obvious look on her face, "And you all know it, too. I mean, come on. This is Gargamel we're talking about."
"She smurfs a good point," Wooly nodded. "I mean, anybody could outsmurf Gargamel. I'd bet my own shears on it. Maybe even eat my own hat."
As the others threw in her agreements, Crafty sneaked away from the bunch and started off for the forest. Hummer hopped ahead to catch up with her to try to reason with her one last time, even if it was futile.
Crafty smiled softly as she continued on her way, rolling her eyes slightly, only to nearly choke as her cloak caught onto something. She came to a halt immediately and turned her head to see a cross-armed Hefty Smurf with a scowl on his face. His foot was firmly planted on the bottom of her cloak which kept her in place.
"And just where do you think you're smurfing off to?" He asked.
Crafty raised an eyebrow at him, turned to the forest, then turned back to him, "I'm going to find Papa and the others. What does it look like I'm smurfing?"
The brawny Smurf sighed, "No. You're not. You're gonna stay here where you're safe."
"The concern is appreciated, Hefty," Crafty began, pulling her cloak from underneath his foot and started to walk away. "But I have to go. They might be hurt."
"Which is why I'm smurfing up a search party for them," Hefty argued snatching Crafty by her arm in a powerful grip. "Crafty. You're not safe out there. Not with that cobra out there. You'll get yourself smurfnapped again!"
"Because I didn't know that was him!" Crafty snapped as she pulled against the grasp of the burly Smurf. "Now that I know, I'll be more careful."
"You wouldn't need to be careful if you just stayed here and left the search and find to us!" He snarled as he tightened his grip on her arm. Many of the Smurfs stopped their work and watched the scene that seemed to go down the path to become more and more violent.
"Well, why can't I just come and help the search party? You know I'm more than capable of smurfing them down and bringing them back!"
"Because I want you safe! And what about Gutsy? Don't you think he wants that, too?" He bellowed at her. The Smurfs watching started to shrink back and became more and more worried for the both of them.
Crafty looked away but still kept her determined posture. She looked back at him with anger flaring in her eyes, "That hasn't stopped me before and you are most definitely not going to stop me now, Hefty! So don't waste you're time trying to talk me out of it!"
Hefty smirked as he replied, "You know what? For the first time today, you smurf something that makes sense. I won't try to talk you out of it again."
The inventor Smurfette looked at him with a raised eyebrow along with a few of the Smurfs who were actually watching. Hefty was seriously just...giving in? But Crafty knew better. Hefty was up to something and she didn't like it one bit.
Hefty frowned and grabbed Crafty by her waist and threw her over his shoulder, making her yelp in surprise.
"HEFTY! What are you doing?" She screamed as she struggled to get out of his grip. Hefty, however, ignored her and only tightened his hold on her. "LET ME GO!"
The other Smurfs watched in complete horror and curiosity as to what Hefty was planning to do with her. Hefty walked further and further to Crafty's mushroom as she continued to struggle and even started pounding his back with her fists.
"Hefty! Put me down right now or so smurf me-" She hissed before the strongman Smurf bumped her, making her grunt in discomfort.
That gave Hefty enough time to push through the crowd of Smurfs that were in front of her mushroom and get to her front door, kicked it open and threw her nearly across the living room. Crafty shook it off and charged at the doorway, only to crash into the wooden door which refused to open. She tried the knob, only for it to barely turn at all. She pushed against it harshly, but it wouldn't budge at all.
From the outside of the mushroom, Hefty let go of the knob and with his strongest punches, hit each corner of the door in, jamming it into place. Even with the door stopped into place, Crafty continued pushing against it and tackling it with all the power her body could muster.
"As long as that snake is out there, Crafty. You stay in there and nothing changes about that until we find Papa and the others," Hefty growled through the door. He turned around, only to see the other Smurfs looking at him with a combination of complete shock, terror, and fear. He narrowed his eyes at all of them and announced harshly, "If anysmurf here sees Crafty try to leave her mushroom or this village, report it to me immediately. In fact, Harmony!"
The musician Smurf jumped back and warily made his way in front of the brawny Smurf. He clenched onto his trumpet as he asked, "Y-yes, Hefty?"
"You're gonna be guarding the mushroom. If you smurf anything suspicious, blow your horn as loud as you can. Got it?"
Harmony nodded rapidly and stood near the mushroom.
"Good. Smurfs! I need some volunteers to help me go and find Papa and the other Smurfs. We move out in ten minutes! Those who are coming, get ready and come with me!"
Hefty then started to walk to the Village Square. Few Smurfs immediately followed him, though some were more reluctant than others. Wooly and Sweepy looked at Crafty's mushroom sadly, feeling horrible that they didn't try to help her. But Hefty did have a point and they did want her to be safe. That and there was now way even the two of them together could take Hefty on. So, with their heads hung low, they slowly trudged behind the following Smurfs.
"Sweepy?" Wooly whispered.
"Hmm?" Sweepy mumbled in reply.
"She's not gonna forgive us for this, is she?"
"Oh, I don' know about that-" Sweepy then sighed, his head lowering even further. "No. No, she's not."
Crafty tried on more forceful tackle to the door before she relented. She slumped against the door, releasing one single tear from her closed eyes.
Crafty was spread out across her bed, forced to do nothing but stare boringly at the ceiling. She had to have been there for at least two hours and it must've been in the early afternoon. She looked over at her bookshelf, where she had a few books set there. One of them being the first books she ever received, which was the book Brainy had given to her. She smiled as she got up and walked over to it, struggling slightly as she took the book from the shelf and heaved it onto her bed. She ran a hand over the cover of the book and sighed.
"I wasn't joking when I said I'd always cherish this book, Brainy," She chuckled. She raised an eyebrow as she opened the book and skipped a few pages and started reading over one of the pages. No longer than seven seconds later, she frowned as she pushed the book back on the shelf and plopped herself back onto the bed. "Yeah, I can't do it."
"Oh, don't be sad Crafty," A soft voice muttered to her. She instantly recognized the voice to belong to Angel Smurf. He, along with Devil Smurf, came to her quite a while ago, the both of them knowing just as much about her past as she did. In her opinion, they were at times a blessing, and other times an annoyance.
Angel appeared next to her with sympathy in his eyes. His white wings fluttered as he glided down to her and hugged her cheek, stroking it tenderly with his small blue hand.
"The other Smurfs only wanted you to be safe. It's nothing to be angry about."
"Yeah, you keep telling her that, chief," Devil grumbled, coming into his physical form as he leaned against the side of her head.
Angel frowned and rolled his eyes, "Honestly. Don't you have anything better to do?"
"Oh, ho ho!" Devil laughed as he hovered himself up with his black bat-like wings. "So the little dove decides to squawk at me? Oh, how rich! You know, that's big talk coming from a Smurf in a dress."
Angel gritted his teeth as he replied with, "It is not a dress. It is a robe and you know it."
Devil smirked and he flew right at Angel. Though, instead of tackling him, he stopped right in front of him with an arrogant smirk still etched across his mouth. He pressed his red nose against Angel's light blue one as he growled, "Prove it, then."
Angel narrowed his eyes and pressed his nose in closer to his as he hissed, "I have nothing to prove. Especially to you."
And this is helping me how? Crafty thought with a raised eyebrow as she watched the quarreling Smurfs. Shesh, I thought these two were supposed to come when I needed help, not when Devil wants to pick a fight with Angel.
Crafty tuned out their continuous arguing and continued to look up at the ceiling. She relaxed herself and breathed deeply to help calm her nerves after what had happened earlier. Soon, her eyes drifted shut and kept it that way for quite a while.
"Why don't you go fly back to the chicken farm where you belong?" Devil taunted.
"Well, I'd rather be a chicken than a scrawny, evil bat like-" Angel was cut off as he turned his head towards his guidee, only to find her eyes closed and her breathing light.
"How long have we been fighting?"
"How should I know?" Devil rumbled, crossing his arms and rolling his eyes.
"Perhaps we should come back when she's better rested-"
Devil, however, didn't have the patience or the decency really to wait. He darted over to her ear and shouted, "Hey, kid! Are we boring you? WAKE UP!"
"I'M AWAKE!" Crafty shouted as she sat up immediately, her eyes wide from being woken up. She sighed irritably, "Seriously. Will there be just one time where you two won't get into a fight?"
"Probably not."
Crafty sighed and lay back down, her head coming down hard on the pillow.
"Now. Where were we?" Devil rubbed his chin. He snapped his fingers as he recalled, "Ah. Right."
Devil hovered only a few inches away from Crafty as he started, "Look. You're solution is simple. You wanna find the others? Then get out there and find them! Who cares what Hefty says? He has no authority over you, now does he?"
Crafty scoffed, "He wishes he does."
"But don't forget, Crafty. He cares for you and is only trying to protect you," Angel reasoned.
"By throwing her into her own mushroom and locking her inside?" Devil smirked. "And last time I checked, I believe it's the smurffriend's job to be protecting his woman."
Crafty turned to Angel with a raised eyebrow, "He smurfs a good point there, Angel."
Angel pinched the bridge of his nose, explaining, "I admit he does prove one thing that is right. Hefty could have been more reasonable and gentle with keeping you here, but that's besides the point."
"Which is...?" Devil raised an eyebrow.
"To think before you do something that might end up in being in the stomach of a cobra," Angel crossed his arms and smiled in triumph.
The Smurfette turned to Devil, "He smurfs a good point, too."
"Alright. Then go ahead. Listen to a Smurf who locked you inside your mushroom. Who won't even let you help even though he knows he won't find them without you," Devil grinned as he noticed Crafty was thinking, now becoming unsure of her decision. "And hey, why not listen to a Smurf who can't even hold you in a decent headlock for more than ten seconds."
"Alright, I'm convinced," Crafty stated sitting up abruptly and climbing out of her bed. She walked over to the hook where her cloak was hung up and took it off, draping it over her body as she prepared to leave her mushroom.
"Now you're talkin'!" Devil crooned, sending Angel a triumphant grin.
Angel glared at him as he said to Crafty, "You do realize, though, that you have no way out?"
"That's what you think," Crafty smirked as she went over to her wardrobe.
Opening it up, she smoothed her hand against the floor of the closet and seemed to find what she was looking for. She pulled on a handle, lifting up a hatch which led to a tunnel downwards.
"Now this is what I'm talkin' about!" Devil grinned maniacally as he peered down through the door.
Angel looked down at it as well and asked, "Where in Smurf's name did this come from?"
"Oh. It was supposed to be a surprise for Papa and the other Smurfs. We thought that if Gargamel ever did come into the village, there would be an easy escape right inside the mushroom. We still have quite a few more mushrooms to go, but we think it'll work. It's definitely working now."
With that, Crafty went to the ladder that was built and started to climb down. Devil snickered, following her down the dark hole. Angel stared down after them with his mouth agape. He grabbed his head and growled in disbelief, but sighed as he reluctantly followed after the two.