Good day, everyone! All I have to say about the delay is that this chapter was almost finished, and then everything got erased somehow and I had to start from scratch. On the bright side, its extra long for your reading pleasure and it's the one chapter you've all been waiting patiently for: the chapter where you meet the second and final main antagonist of the story…well, not meet in person, but you find out about him and a little bit of his history. But before that, let's answer the reviews!
babysmurfrock- Thank you very much. I think you along with everyone else will really appreciate this chapter.
Chloe- Misunderstanding? I think that Ipati was just nearly dying of starvation and Crafty, being a Smurfling, didn't necessarily know any better. Yet she still had the smarts to kick his tail.
Zinka17- I'm glad you liked it. You're actually going to see another flashback of Crafty in this one too.
Benny- Yup. Ice Age bug, but you have to admit it: what kind of writer would I be if I didn't do it? Crafty's friends will be there to help Crafty, they just won't necessarily be with her. Sorry. As for Gutsy licking her cheek, I just thought it would add a cute factor. He kinda was refreshed on what he did as a weresmurf and just does it to be adorable and get Crafty's attention. In a way, he is reverting back to a weresmurf.
Now, Ipati isn't really snobbish about fighting Scots, he just refuses to because if they're fighting for their girl/boyfriend, they will kill you. No question. If you so much as try to come at their S.O. with a weapon, you're dead. Kind of like the movie Law Abiding Citizen: "If they want you dead, you're dead."
I thought it would be a nice touch to add how snakes aren't always loyal, but they also live up to their word and Crafty was aware of it. Now, I don't want to be stereotypical, but snakes are mostly known for their deception, but I think that if you do them a favor, they will pay you back. At least, that's how I'm going to write the snakes in this story.
anon reader- I believe you're mixing up this chapter with the last one. But thank you very much for saying that.
Guest- I'm glad you think of Ipati that way. And how I came up with the name? Well, it was about in the middle of Cupid's Arrow when I decided to make his character. I was looking up Russian names because, well, as you would have read from the second story from Xavier, he was born and raised in Russia. So, I came across Ipati which means "most high, supreme" in Russian.
Sapphire777- I'm so sorry for you tragedy. I hope everything's all right now. Anyway, it's okay. I do hope you liked that little scene with Xavier and Misty. I thought it was very cute. I can answer those questions in order: Yes, Ipati's a good guy. Yes and No, the Drakonus in charge is their son but not in the way you think. And yes, he did go insane after Crafty left.
As a matter of fact, since the weresmurf/smurfpire incident was such a memorable event for Gutsy and Crafty, that's exactly why Gutsy does it. Good job, Sapphy. I think the most humiliating part about that scene with Crafty and Ipati was that she wasn't even trying to outwit him. Ha ha!
Candy Girl- I know what you mean. It's the last quartile of my senior year in high school and I have a ton of projects to work on, but let it be known that I have not forgotten these stories! Except maybe the parodies…he he. But don't worry! I'll have an update for them ASAP!
anon reader- Whoops. My bad. There were only supposed to be three Smurflings. Sorry.
SmallSunshine- Playing with fire with fiery red fur is right! Xavier should know better, but I can't help it. Badgers are "independent creatures" as Xavier says. Crafty is aware of what Ipati is and though it's sad, it's the truth. Snakes are just not the type of creatures that stick with ya through the tough stuff. Disclaimer time!
I only own Crafty, the Smurfettes, Creatugos, Hummer, Benevolent, Bronzo, and the Drakonai. Misty is owned by Sapphire777, Livy and Nanu are owned by flowerpower71, Jo is owned by CartoonCaster21, Noctuma belongs to Benny, and the Smurfs, Johan, and Peewit belong to Peyo. Let's get'er done!
"Your majesty! Your majesty!" Johan and Livy dashed right into the throne room at the Good King's castle, where the king himself was seated on his throne, though it was apparent that he was undeniably bored, not like it was a surprise to them. The only thing that kept them from going insane was the occurrence of recent events with the Smurfs, the Creatugos, and the Drakonai.
"Yes, Johan and Livy?" he mumbled, lifting his head slightly.
"Good! You're bored," Livy started. She clasped her hands together excitedly as she said, "What would you think if we said we have some guests stay here for a few days?"
"Royal guests, I might add," Johan added. Many of the servants stopped their work and perked up at the thought of new royalty arriving at the castle. This had definitely
"Guests? Royal guests?! How wonderful!" The king clapped enthusiastically. "Bring them in! Bring them in!"
Jo came in through the doorway and stepped off to the side as she announced in a fake, snobbish voice, "Presenting their royal highnesses from the far away wherever land of Drakoi, King Ichabod and Queen Morgana."
Ichabod and Morgana stuck their heads out from the archway, earning many shocked gasps from the people in the throne room, and looked at Jo strangely before the male Drakonus asked, "Was that really necessary?"
"MONSTER!" One of the servants cried out, making the rest of them go into complete chaos. Morgana and Ichabod stepped through, though their dirty, ripped robes didn't present a less-threatening pose for the people.
"No no! It's okay! They're with us!" Livy shouted, trying to calm the masses. It didn't really work, even if anyone in the panicked room could even hear her.
"We truly don't mean any harm upon you or your people, good human king," Morgana calmly stated and bowed her head in respect. "We come here out of unjust banishment and aid from a dear friend of ours."
"SILENCE!" The king bellowed, silencing the chaotic servers and freezing them like statues. "This is no way to treat our guests! Now set up the dining hall on the double! I'm sure that our guests are famished."
"Yes, your majesty," many of the servants bowed before rushing off to prepare dinner. Some of them hesitated, but went off anyway, either to obey their king or to get away from the dragon-like creatures.
"I'm so sorry about that," the king apologized as the teens and the Drakonai approached his throne. "It is a great pleasure to have you in my home."
"It's very nice to be here," Ichabod nodded, looking around the castle with overwhelming interest. "So strange…"
"What's strange?" The king asked with a raised eyebrow, the teens also confused.
"You're home seems to be entirely made of stone," Ichabod explained. "We would never use such a thing for building our homes."
Livy, Johan, and Jo looked at each other strangely. If they didn't use stone, what did they use? Wood? Metal? Glass?
"What do you use?" Johan inquired.
"Simple, we use the magma from our home volcanoes, build it into any shape we please, and let it solidify," Morgana said as if it were no big deal. "The magma is so abundant that we can destroy our homes and start from scratch if we so much as don't like how positioning is. That, and it makes good for growing our rare orchids and fruit."
"So you guys must get your Vitamin C then, huh?" Jo asked jokingly.
"What's Vitamin C?" Ichabod asked, tilting his head.
"She means you guys get plenty of fruit to eat," Livy interrupted, elbowing her friend in the side.
Ichabod and Morgana looked at each other, then let out a cheerful laugh. Morgana shook her head as she explained, "Oh, no! We don't eat the fruit! Fruit's for the herbivores and omnivores. We are full-fledged carnivores. Frankly, the only difference between us and the wild animals are we like to add spices and sauces for our meat."
The four humans smiled in a friendly way, but looked at each other from the corners of their eyes, each telling the other of how nervous they were when Morgana said carnivore with such enthusiasm. It made them think that if they were that full-fledged if they had any liking to their kind of meat.
"Really?" Livy asked, keeping a smile on her face. "What kind of meat do you guys like?"
"Oh, just your average, everyday meats: pork, goat, hawk, shark, and my personal favorite, human," Ichabod listed casually.
The entire room went silent, the kind of silent that if a pin were to drop, anyone could hear it. The looks on the faces of the humans could only be described as horrified.
"I'm kidding!" The male Drakonus laughed, slapping a clawed hand on his head. "You should've seen the looks on your faces! I've never even seen a human until today! Ha ha!"
"Oh, funny," Johan laughed half heartedly. The others started to nervously laugh along, hoping to lift the awkward moment.
"No. We have no desire for human flesh, anyhow. My favorite meal to eat is monk seal," Ichabod said, licking his chops at the very mention of his favorite dish.
They all looked at each other in confusion, before turning back to the Drakonai with Johan asking, "Erm, what exactly are monk seals?"
"You would love it," Ichabod said, waving a clawed hand as if they all already knew what they were. He then began to explain, "The only thing that's hard is cutting them open when they squirm."
Livy and the King winced a bit as he continued, "What you want to do is to capture the biggest, strongest, and fattest of the bunch. It gives you plenty of meat to go around and all the fat gives it all the more flavor when you simmer it, though the blood and its innards are always a nightmare to get rid of once it splatters out."
Morgana gave a nervous smile at how uncomfortable the humans were with hearing this. It looked as if their smiles were starting to become more and more strained. She lightly elbowed her husband, though he never even seemed to respond to her. Her smile faded as she elbowed him all the more harder and still she got no response from him.
"Oh, just the way the blubber simmers when you boil it in deer blood and tarragon sauce-"
"Ichabod!" Morgana slapped her mate on his head. "Stop it! You're making them uncomfortable. And you're only making me hungry."
She looked at them, noticing that they had relaxed a great deal as she said, "Anyway, we do trade our fruit and flowers for other things such as iron, silk, and of course, different varieties of meat. It's quite a wonderful system."
Ichabod looked around strangely, asking, "Say, where did that little blonde fellow go? He was with us no more than a moment ago."
"Peewit?" The king quirked an eyebrow, looking around as well. "I'm sure he's here somewhere. It's nearly dinnertime, you know. He's probably just bothering the chefs for some appetizers."
"Actually, sire, I believe he's still in the stables with Biquette. I think he knows it won't be long before she's gone for good," Johan said, frowning a bit in pity.
"Oh? The goat?" Morgana raised a non-existent eyebrow as she used her toe claws to feel around the the carpet underneath. "What seems to be the problem with her?"
"Looks like she's really sick. Not really much we can do for her. Poor thing," Livy shook her head sadly.
"Yeah. Poor Peewit. And Biquette, too," Jo blew out a breath of air.
"Why not just ask Crafty to heal her? I'm sure she'd be more than happy to-OWW!" Ichabod hissed, rubbing his arm. His slitted eyes went to Morgana as she glared at him, "What was that for?"
"Forgive my husband. He can't help but blabber about things that should be kept unsaid," the female Drakonus growled, not taking her blue eyes off of him. The entire room went silent, nobody saying anything after something so…cryptic was said.
"Um…I think I'm gonna go and see if dinner's ready," Jo awkwardly said, slowly walking backwards, then bolting down the hall o the kitchen.
"Hold on, Jo! I'll come and help with, uh, the appetizers!" Livy shouted after her, running as best as her purple dress could help it.
Just as she was about to get to the kitchen doors, she was pulled roughly to the side and into the storage room. Pulling herself out of the grip, Jo shushed her and locked the door.
"What is wrong with you?!" Livy snapped, keeping her voice at whisper.
"The real question is what's wrong with those giant lizards," Jo replied, completely ignoring her friend's irritation. "They're hiding something."
"Because Morgana hitting Ichabod for saying something he shouldn't have definitely didn't raise any red flags, right?" Livy asked blankly, raising an eyebrow at Jo.
"The point," Jo put a hand up, "is that they know something about Crafty that we don't. We're gonna have to find out what."
Livy looked around, as if she were looking for people to look at Jo like she were insane, "And we can't just ask Crafty because…?"
"We can do that if you want to do it the 'easy' way," Jo air quoted. "Just let me have this, girly. I need some spy work to do!"
"Fine," Livy whisper shouted. "Let's get dinner first. Then we'll do some snooping."
"I like the sound of that," Jo smiled in an evil way.
"You always do, Jo."
"Jo, it's hopeless! They're gonna know we're spying on them!" Livy exasperated, she and Jo in the library, coming up with ideas on just how they were going to get information out of the two Drakonai.
"You give up too easy. If there's anything I've learned from those detective shows is that the only way to get the information you want is to be sneaky," Jo explained, turning the page in a book.
"You mean like crawling through air vents or planting walkie talkies to listen in on them?"
"Exactly!" Jo gave her a thumbs up. "Now you're thinking like a sneak. We should do one of those."
"If only it were another five hundred years into the future," Livy rolled her emerald eyes.
The doors to the library slammed open, making the girls give out silent yelps and hide themselves into the couch. They heard footsteps rush in and the doors slam shut before hearing,
"What in the name of Yuro were you thinking when you said that to them?!"
It was Morgana's voice. Jo looked to Livy with a shrug and a grin, "I was hoping to be in a vent, but this works too. It's not as crowded."
"I just thought that it was something they could use. I know it's just a goat but she means a lot to this Peewit and they mean a lot to Crafty! What kind of reptile would I be if I kept that secret?" They heard Ichabod ask.
"A normal one," Morgana answered. "We swore to Crafty and to Favian to keep her Life Giving powers a secret! My dear, your heart is in the right place, but how do you know we're not walking into a trap? Not everyone can be trusted."
Livy and Jo looked at each other, completely confused. Life Giving? Jo mouthed to her, hoping she knew something. Unfortunately, Livy shook her head in confirmation.
"Well, Crafty does. I don't see why we can't tell them. I mean come on! What more proof do you need? They helped us when we had no shelter, they're allowing us to stay as long as we need to, and they even gave us a full table of meat! It's no monk seal, but it was still nice."
"Don't you think our trust with Crafty and the elder of the Creatugos is just a little more important?"
"I never said that! What's the worst that could happen if we told them?"
"Yeah, what's the worst that could happen?" Jo asked, poking her head over the couch.
"Miss Joannie!" The two Drakonai were taken aback at the fact that they were no longer alone. Or never alone to begin with.
"Way to go, Agent J-O," Livy mumbled, getting up with her raven-haired friend.
"And Miss Olivia! Hello!" Ichabod greeted, straining a sharp-toothed smile. "How much of this did you hear?"
"Well, we've been lying on this couch for about half an hour now. So, you tell us," Jo smirked at them.
The fake smiles on their faces immediately vanished and Morgana ran a golden, clawed hand down her scaly face, "We might as well tell them. They won't stop asking questions if they know this much now."
"Great! So…is Crafty, like, a healer or something?" Jo asked as Ichabod and Morgana spread their gigantic wings and glided over their heads and landed on the rug in front of the large fireplace, their flapping wings fanning at the lit flames.
"Yes. And no," Ichabod shrugged, his bronze wings folding into his newly sewn up robe. "Crafty is a Life Giver, you see. Much different from your average healer."
Jo and Livy looked at each other, clearly not getting it. They turned back to them, Livy asking, "Different how?"
"You see," Morgana interrupted. "A normal healer may heal small wounds immediately and use ounces of energy that could possibly kill the healer. A Life Giver can heal any living thing as long as they are…what's the right wording? Hmm…past the point of no return, I believe?"
"Huh?" Jo tilted her head.
"If all else fails, get a Life Giver," Ichabod clarified. "Their magic will only work on those who are on the very brink of death. They don't lose any energy at all and their patients are as healthy as the day their born. The only problem really is the anchor drawback."
"What?" Livy arched her eyebrows. "I have studied sorcery for years and I have never heard of that."
"Well it only applies to Life Givers, really," Morgana explained. "You see, take the magic of a Life Giver like…" she looked around, then brightened as she plucked a purple flower from a nearby vase, "this flower."
"Um, okay," Jo nodded.
"Let's say that this stem is Crafty," she ran a finger down the green stem, "and these petals will be the ones she heals. Now, a Life Giver's magic only works so much. The only thing you can't really die from are old age and many diseases. If one of her healed ones dies," she snapped a petal off from the flower, "nothing major happens. The magic used to heal them transfers back to her to heal another. However, when Crafty dies or heaven forbid she is killed," Morgana huffed, sending small amounts of flaming embers at the stem, which burned and moved to the petals very quickly, "then so shall the healed ones."
"Yikes. That's kinda harsh," Livy replied. She quirked an eyebrow as she asked, "Wait. Does that mean if you're healed by a Life Giver, you'll live as long as they do?"
Ichabod shrugged, "That's what we think. If we had that kind of magic, all the good that could be done would be infinite."
"What do you mean if you had that kind of magic? Can't you just learn it?"
"Heavens, no!" Morgana answered, waving her hands in denial. "Life Giver magic can only be wielded by a Smurf or Smurfette. Even if it wasn't, it is something you are born with. It cannot be taught."
"Then how do you know so much about it?" Jo asked sharply, pointing an accused finger at them. Livy scowled and grabbed her arm, pulling it down roughly.
"Quite simple, actually," Ichabod started, reaching into his robe. "We know from this. It was written by a powerful Drakonian sorcerer."
Out of his robe he pulled a thick, black leathered book. The title was etched into the leather itself with what seemed like claw marks, but it was in English and read perfectly, "The Blue Miracles." All Livy and Jo could do was have their jaws hang agape. The thing was twice as thick as any spell book that they've ever seen. If not, three times as thick.
"How can creatures that small have history as magicians that big?!" Jo asked, her blue eyes wide.
"Indeed, it is quite a read," Morgana said as Ichabod slammed the large text onto the table and opened the book. "But it really only tells of what we already told you, some side effects, and of course, the history."
Livy and Jo gathered around the table, Ichabod running through the pages which held ancient yet legible writing on yellowing parchment.
"Hey hey! Go back!" Livy said, grabbing onto the pages and flipping them back. She stopped and pointed at a picture, "Who's that Smurf?"
The Smurf in the picture…actually didn't seem much like a Smurf to Livy and Jo. He was obviously a Smurf due to his blue skin and familiar facial features. He just had such a gruff and rugged face and his smurfy blue eyes were just…not smurfy. They actually seemed cold, hard, and unforgiving.
As for his appearance, he wore a navy blue, rawhide trench coat whose sleeves were hanging at his sides with what looked like a gray turtleneck underneath. He wore the same white trousers they saw their own Smurfs wear only instead of a regular Smurf hat, he wore a white sea captain's hat lined with gold lacing and a golden anchor at the center. "The Father Life Giver" was named at the top of the picture.
"That, Miss Livy, is the Father Life Giver, Sailor Smurf. He is the very first Life Giver," Ichabod read from the writing. "It is said that he has the ultimate power of all the Life Givers when he discovered it billions of years ago."
"Wow. The guy had a lot of power, huh?" Jo asked, for once actually interested in a book.
"He still does. Nobody knows where he got the power, but what is true about him is that he's immortal now. He's still alive," Morgana replied.
Livy and Jo slowly lifted their heads and turned to Morgana, looking at her as if she had grown a second head. Morgana only nodded in confirmation and they just went back to the book.
"'A master shapeshifter, expert at manipulation and deception, and controller over all waters, Sailor Smurf is and will always be the strongest and most cunning of all Life Givers. Even his creature form, the ribbon seal, strikes fear into many of his countless enemies and even some of his loyal subjects: the creatures of the deep,'" Livy read. She raised an eyebrow and turned to the Drakonai, "Creature form?"
"Yes, another power of the Life Givers. They are able to turn into a creature to use either for combat or just to hide from unwanted eyes. Their forms are usually decided on their personalities," Ichabod elaborated.
"I hope Crafty's is cool. Like a hawk!" Jo exclaimed. "Or maybe a velociraptor! That would be so awesome!"
Livy looked at her strangely, "A velociraptor? Really Jo?"
Jo looked at her in disbelief, "Yes, really! Have you even watched Jurassic Park 3? They're the smartest things that ever walked the planet. They said so themselves!"
"It was a movie, Jo. We don't know that she'll be one."
"Fine, but if Crafty starts growing scales, sharp teeth, and a big toe claw, don't say I didn't say so," Jo smiled cheekily.
With a heavy sigh, Livy shook her head and went back to the book. Her eyebrows furrowed again and she asked, "Am I reading this right? It says that nobody at all is supposed to know about the existence of a Life Giver."
"Oh it's right, alright," Ichabod responded solemnly. "You're not supposed to know about them and even the writer of this book was not supposed to know of them."
"So, if you weren't supposed to know about them, how did you know Crafty was one?" Jo asked.
Ichabod chuckled roughly, "That, my friends, is a tale I never get tired of telling."
A younger Ichabod, though not much younger, gasped and panted as he used his shriveled walking stick o help him walk throughout the dense forests of the surrounding islands of his home and kingdom.
"You see, my dear Morgana was due to have our first child, but she grew very ill. Deathly ill. Not even our best healers could help her condition, so I set out to find a cure to save her and my unborn child."
Finally, he just couldn't take it and he collapsed, his chest heaving from exhaustion. Feeling completely worn out, he just closed his eyes and let himself rest. It felt like only a few minutes had passed when he felt a slight nudging at his snout.
"Excuse me? Are you all right?"
His yellowish, cat-like eyes flashed open in an instant. What looked like a teenage version of Crafty stood in front of his snout. She had her brown hair in a braidy lady hairstyle with a few bangs covering her forehead and slightly over her eyes
"Is he dead or something?" The male Drakonus' eyes drifted to the Smurfette's right to see a pair of black webbed feet with a white feathered belly. Looking up, he saw also a teenage version of Aurora. She was only just over twice Crafty's height and had a bundle of black feathers growing on her head, flipping down to cover her left eye.
Crafty frowned and rolled her eyes, "He just opened his eyes, Aurora. What do you smurf?"
"Pardon me? Smurf?" Ichabod asked weakly, lifting his head slightly. "Are you…are you a Smurfette?"
"Well, yeah," Crafty shrugged, dismissing the uneasiness she felt near the reptile. "Crafty Smurfette, actually. Who are you?"
"And just what do you think you're doing here?" Aurora sassily put her flippers on her hips. "This is supposed to be a secret place."
"You've met my moody friend, Aurora," Crafty said casually, jabbing a thumb at Aurora.
"Ichabod. My name is Ichabod," he responded, slowly getting to his knees.
"Hold on," Jo interrupted. "How did you find out Crafty was a Life Giver again?"
"I'm getting to that part!" Ichabod snapped, then proceeded to explain, "I had already read the book countless times and knew only a Smurf or Smurfette could possess the powers of a Life Giver. I didn't know it was Crafty at first, but then something amazing happened right in front of my eyes that only confirmed that she was one."
"What brings you out to this part of the jungle, anyway?" Aurora asked, sitting on a rock near the river with Crafty and Ichabod as company. A pile of fish was sat next to her and even though she offered to share, even with Ichabod though she was still skeptical of him, but both the Drakonus and the Smurfette respectfully declined.
"I am on a quest, you might say," he replied, blowing out a small cloud of black smoke through his nostrils. "It's important that I get back to it right away. As soon as I rest, of course."
"Well, what're you looking for? Maybe we can help you out," Crafty asked, taking a bite out of her Smurfberry.
"Speak for yourself. My dad wants me back at the CPPF in an hour," Aurora said, gulping down a trout.
"It is not necessary for you to help, but thank you for keeping me company," Ichabod explained sadly.
Aurora suddenly lifted a non-existent eyebrow as she spotted something in the river coming their way. It was kind of oval shaped and milky white, kind of like what an egg would look like.
Her smurfy blue eyes widened, It is an egg! A drowning egg!
"Egg!" Aurora gasped, slapping her flipper down on the river and creating a wall of ice above it.
"Huh? What?" Crafty snapped to the emperor penguin. Ichabod also turned his head and stood up as he squinted his yellowish eyes, trying to see what it was Aurora was trying to retrieve.
The egg hit the wall, twirling its way to shore just out flipper's reach for Aurora.
"Curse these stubby legs! Mmmph!" Aurora grunted as she wriggled her flippers in a desperate attempt to bring the egg to shore before the unborn creature inside would die. "I can't reach it!"
"I'm on it!" Crafty shouted, leaping into action and onto Aurora's slick back and into her flippers. "Come on! A little farther!"
"I'm trying! You're not exactly the candidate for reaching over long distances, you know!"
"Unless you want that egg to die, keep the insults coming!"
"What's going on? What happened?" Ichabod asked, still a little confused as to what the situation was.
"Egg! In the river!" Aurora squeaked as she slammed her eyes shut, straining herself to stretch her flippers even further out.
Ichabod trailed to the end of her flippers, where Crafty had her arms stretched towards the egg. He tilted his head, curious as to why they would try to salvage something that is probably already dead. Even if it were alive when they get it out, it seems that it would be very unlikely that it would still be alive.
"I-I got it!" Crafty shouted, the egg swirling into her arms. It was then that Ichabod saw something extraordinary.
As Crafty's hands flattened on the egg's smooth surface, her hands glowed with a faint, bluish aura. The male Drakonai's eyes widened as the light left her hands and seeped into the egg, though it seemed to go unnoticed to the two females as Aurora pulled Crafty back onto shore.
"Phew! That was close!" Crafty gasped, setting he egg down and draping her body over it, taking in rapid breaths.
"Is it still alive in there?" Aurora tilted her head, using the tip of her flipper to poke at the egg.
"I should think so," Ichabod whispered, his eyes still wide and has not yet been taken away from Crafty.
The egg suddenly jerked, making Crafty yelp as she was thrown off and face first into the dirt. Finally Ichabod's eyes drifted to the egg, the very thing he thought to be dead and surely wouldn't be brought back.
"We've got ourselves a hatcher!" Crafty grinned as she rolled onto her knees and stayed beside the jerking egg.
"What is it? What is it? WHAT IS IT?" Aurora excitedly squealed, hopping up and down as she clapped her flippers together anxiously.
A part of the egg suddenly burst open, a small, bronze clawed foot kicked out, another one appearing not too far away.
"Looks like it's a…reptile?" Crafty raised an eyebrow. "What the heck kinda reptile lays their egg near a river, anyway?"
The bottom end broke open and a long, thick tail flattened out, swishing a bit as the egg continued to shake. Finally, the top part completely broke apart as the creature inside squirmed. The creature made a strange squeaking sound, like it was some reptilian call.
"It's…a crocodile?" Aurora asked, now losing her enthusiasm that she was once filled with.
The little crocodile squeaked and squirmed as it rolled onto its feet, shaking itself of the gooey essence of the egg. It was entirely bronze in color except for its eyes. They were slitted, like a cat's, and they were a bright, smurfy blue as it looked around the world it had just been born into. Black splotches covered its back and the tip of his tail.
"I think he's cute," Crafty smiled as she patted her hand on the crocodile's snout, who closed its eyes and seemed to growl in content.
"What makes you so sure it's a he?" Aurora asked, wincing a bit at how her best friend seemed so fond of the creature.
"Smurfette's intuition," Crafty simply replied. "What do you think, Ichabod?"
She furrowed her eyebrows when she got no reply. She turned around and saw that the Drakonus seemed to have a blank look on his face.
"Ichabod? You all right?"
He shook his head and looked down at her, "Yes, yes. I'm fine. I do believe it is a he, as you say. I must ask you, though…"
"Yeah?" Crafty asked, turning her attention back to petting the infant reptile.
"Well, I wanted to ask a favor of you…"
"Yeah?" Aurora asked suspiciously, crossing her flippers as her sense of danger for him didn't cease.
"I need you to come to my kingdom immediately!" Ichabod blurted out, slapping his clawed hands over his mouth.
Crafty and Aurora turned to him, looking taken aback at such a forward command. It was either that, or it was that he had just said it was his kingdom. Only meaning…
"Y-You're a king?" Crafty asked in a whisper, ceasing the petting on the baby croc's head. He squeaked in protest and pushed his head into her chest to get her attention.
"Crazy lizard man says what now?" Aurora asked, lowering her head and her eyes staring up at him. She frowned heavily as she snapped, "No way in all of Antarctica is she goin' anywhere with you!"
"You don't understand, though! I need her assistance! I'm in desperate need of a healer!" Ichabod dropped to his knees, his eyes boring into Crafty's filled with desperation.
Crafty merely furrowed her eyebrows at him, having no clue what he was even talking about. Aurora's beak merely dropped a bit in irritation as she gave out a scoff.
"Wait," Livy said, interrupting the story. "So Crafty never even knew she was a Life Giver?"
"Not until I had told her later that day, no," Ichabod answered.
"A healer? Are you serious right now?" Aurora narrowed her eyes, crossing her flippers.
"What can I do to help?" Crafty suddenly asked, stepping forward with the little bronze crocodile waddling behind her as he tried to get her attention yet again.
The two looked at her, one with great relief and the other with complete disbelief.
"You cannot be serious right now," Aurora said, shaking her head at her, giving her the signal to get away while she could.
"I am serious, Aurora. Stay out of this!" Crafty snapped at her. Aurora's narrowed eyes widened again and her non-existent eyebrows shot up, then she humphed and turned away on her webbed feet. She walked towards the river and looked at the Smurfette over her shoulder.
"If you're not back by sunset, I'm telling dad to send over a squad to get you, Crafty," she said. She sent a quick glare at Ichabod before leaping into the river, leaping out of the river as she traveled down the river.
Crafty shook her head, sighing as she said, "Look. I'm not much of a "healer" as you think I might be, but you really seem like you need help. So, if you really think I'll be able to help you, I'll go with you."
Ichabod said nothing, but smiled at her, a genuine smile that showed off his sharp teeth. His eyes showed how ecstatic he was, though he was very good at holding in his excitement.
"Thank you. Thank you ever so much! I don't know how I could ever repay you, my friend!" He scooped both Crafty and the little crocodile in his large, clawed hands, holding them close. The baby croc growled happily again, content at being given attention again.
"Hold on there! I'm not even sure if I can help you," Crafty laughed, standing up in his hands. "But why not? Mama always told me I have unexpected ways in helping people."
You have no idea, Ichabod chuckled at the thought. He then said, "We have no time to waste, then!"
His large, lightly bronze colored wings spread from his back and flapped and flapped, lifting them slowly off of the ground.
"Whoa! You can fly?" Crafty breathed, peering over the edge of his hands as they hovered off of the ground. "Why the smurf were you walking in the first place when you could've flown?"
"Too much energy to waste, not enough time to rest!" Ichabod shouted, as his wings created so much noise. He shot off from the island they were on and out over the ocean, flashing over the water at a frightening speed.
The crocodile jumped up, snapping his jaws on a passing dragonfly, gingerly taking it into its mouth. Crafty smiled and patted his head as she laughed, "Your first meal on your first flight on your first day. What a way to start life!"
"You should give him a name," Ichabod smiled down at her. "It seems that he'll want to be with you from now on, so it's only fitting to give him a name."
"You're right," Crafty said, now thinking of possible names for the crocodile. She looked down at the reptile and smiled, "I think I'll call him Bronzo. Ya like the name Bronzo?"
The crocodile squeaked, pressing himself against the Smurfette affectionately. It seemed that he was happy with the name he was given.
"Ha! I think he likes it!" Ichabod laughed.
There ya have it. By the way, Yuro, the name Morgana mentioned, is the Drakonus' version of God, so you know. Now, the flashback isn't over just yet, so it will continue on in the next chapter. I decided to do it like this since well, this chapter is long enough and it's been a while since I've left ya guys on a cliffhanger. Don't worry, though. The updates will be more frequent now. All of my projects for the rest of the year in school are done, so it will be easier. Bye!