A/N:

So sorry for the really long wait! This story is kind of getting lost behind all my other fics, serves me right for trying to take on so much at once… My fault I know and I'm really sorry.

Hope you like this, and I'll try not to leave the next update so long! XD

I was trembling, Dib pulled me behind him defensively. Yes it had been a stupid plan, and near impossible to be successful but we had gone along with it anyway and now look. Something else was my fault. Zim was right, I should be locked up with a vice over my mouth to stop me talking. The smurfs scampered behind us towards the portal which was started to sizzle all of a sudden and heat up considerably. But right now I wasn't interested in that. None of us were. Right now we were all focussed on the mad man with magical powers that had just broken into the house! He was sneering at us triumphantly in a way that both terrified and infuriated me. It was like he was proud of himself and looked like a predator toying with its pray. I'd seen that look before with Zim, but there was a difference. With Zim, you knew that he was treating it like a game, like he was challenging you and pushing you to prove yourself. With Gargamel, it was like he was sealing your grave.

"All I need is the Smurfs, why must you resist like this?" he asked, "By the gods, it's greatly infuriating!"

"As is the norm around here." Zim announced. He flinched as Gaz glared at him and he raised his voice, "You have no right to intrude here human!"

"I am more than just a mere mortal, green… creature."

"Alien." Dib corrected.

"Is this really the time?" I muttered in his ear.

Gargamel took another step closer smugly. Something burned against my arm as the sparking from the machine increased. I flinched and just about dared to turn my head and see what was going on. By the looks of things, the machine was going crazy. The smurfs were seemingly not reacting to panic well and frantically adjusting buttons and levers, trying to make matters into their own hands. I didn't blame them. If I could get away from this guy then I'd take any chance I could get. But this was not going to end well! It was obvious! This was serious technology here that three humans and an alien were struggling with so a group of forest creatures weren't going to have much more luck than we'd had already!

But what really caught my attention was the look of awe on GIR's face at the 'pretty colours' and bright lights. A loose wire seemed to be getting most of his attention. A childish grin pulled at his mouth and he started to reach out for it. Zim seemed to catch this too and his eyes widened in unease.

"GIR!"

Gargamel sneered, "Your silver minion cannot help you now."

The electrical sparks lavished the metal robot and engulfed in the voltage. A blinding light erupted around the room. My eyes watered in pain and I tried my best to shield my eyes and the sounds of angered and horrified grunts echoed around us. The whirring of the machine made my ears go numb. Cries from the Smurfs made my heart pump in panic, my arms finding Dibs and clutching tightly in fear. Was this GIR malfunctioning? Or was this some other form of Gargamel's magic? Knowing our luck a mixture of both.

Struggling with the brightness, I forced my eyes to crack open. A white-blue whirlpool of static was held captive within the metallic circle of the machine. Snakes of electric were shooting out in an attempt to escape, coiling around the room and trapping us. My breath caught in my throat as the panic started to increase. Suddenly, one of the beams snapped out right towards us. And then, just like that, everything fell into a numbing darkness.

The air was suddenly knocked out of me as we were all thrown onto our backs. But the ground was suddenly a little softer and smelled fresh. Daring to open my eyes, I saw greens and browns everywhere. Trees? Grass? When had be gone outside, that makes no sense! The thuds of bodies sounded around me. Zim skidded around the ground just ahead of me while Gaz slumped down beside me. Dib was tossed to the side and collided into a shrub not far off. But where were the Smurfs and GIR? Where was Gargamel and that insane cat? And more importantly, where the hell were we?

The light had gone almost as soon as it had arrived, making little dots dance in my vision. Gasping for air, I extended an arm and shook Gaz, "You okay?"

She pushed herself up and glared coldly at the surroundings, "I've been worse."

Zim groaned and spat out mouthfuls of dirt, "Don't touch the machine Zim said; you don't understand such advanced technology Zim said; wait for Zim to give orders Zim said, well…" he pushed himself up and shook his fist in the air, "YOU DIDN'T LISTEN TO ZIM, DID YOU!"

"What happened?" Dib demanded, shaking leafs and grass from his hair and face, "Can't you keep that robot of yours under control for one second, Space-boy?"

"Silence human! I have perfect control over my minions!" he paused in mid-point and looked around at the sudden lack of minion, "GIR get out here now!"

Dib hooked it arms under my shoulders and helped me to my feet. I gave a quick smile of appreciation before swallowing nervously, "Where are we? And where did everyone go?"

"Away with any luck." Gaz mumbled, refusing her brothers help.

I disagreed with that greatly, but didn't feel the need to say anything as it was just her style. "Well we're going to go look for them, right? Before that creep finds them."

"Or finds us." Dib retorted, glancing nervously at the vast forest behind us, "This doesn't look like my house… or anywhere near it. Wait a minute! That machine, you said nothing larger than a toy or something could get through!"

"You dare accuse Zim of lying, human?"

"Well how else do explain this? There was never a castle back home, Zim!"

"Castle?" I wondered aloud, following Dib's gaze out to the distance.

Beyond the clearing was a simply amazing view that spread out over vast valleys and grassy mounds. Just in the distance was a grand structure made from a light grey and blue stone that reminded me of the medieval forts that we looked at in History. Or rather, the doomed ones we learnt about in History. Thanks Ms. Bitters… But seriously, what the hell was a castle doing here unless-

"We went through the portal?" I cried, but then sighed in the alien's direction, "Really should have seen this one coming…"

His eye started to twitch, "Zim would like to point out that such an inconvenience wouldn't have happened before the Amy-worm came along!"

"Hey! I'm not all to blame! It was GIR who started playing with the wires!" I narrowed my eyes, "And he's still missing if you haven't noticed, so are the Smurfs and Gargamel!"

"Not my problem." He shrugged, "My main problem is how to get home!"

"Well that's kind of our problem too, lizard." Dib huffed, "But we still do kinda have to find out where the Smurfs are too."

That took me by surprise. I would have expected him to be in the same boat as Zim in wanting to get home without a second thought, "Really?"

"Well yeah, I mean they're only little, especially the Smurflings so…"

At that, I had to smirk, "Don't tell me you've grown attached to the kids, Dib."

"Huh? No, no! I'm, well I'm not getting – That is they're just – No." he insisted, folding his arms, but his cheeks a little rosy.

Zim, clearly getting more irritated by the minute, clenched his fists and turned to Gaz, "And what prey tell is your views on the matter?"

In response, she just shrugged passively, "Whatever. Doesn't make a difference in the end."

At the lack of preference, the alien shook his fist at her, "You infuriate Zim!"

"I'm aware." Gaz arched an eyebrow before turning on her heel, "Whiner…"

Zim pointed after her, "Zim whines at nothing Little-Gaz!" A smirk tweaked at my mouth at the resurface of the nickname again. The alien picked up on this and slumped his shoulders, "You're going to start saying stuff now aren't you, human."

I shrugged wryly, "Maybe…"

In the end, after more debating or in some cases just pointless bickering, we ended up choosing to walk along the outskirts of the woodland in search of any signs of life, but after a tiring period of time, there still was none. I was getting worried now. What if the Smurfs and GIR were trapped back at Dib's house with Gargamel? What if they were here somewhere and in danger? I still didn't understand why we were all able to pass through here when clearly nothing bigger than Smurf size was able to before. Unless the wires had been completely fried and the power enhanced, but I had never been one for technology, alien or otherwise so it was all just guess work.

But if I was going to try and put a positive spin on this, it would be that at least this place was beautiful. The clear air and thick woodland compared to the almost medieval structures in the distance reminded me of so many things I'd read in books. But it was one thing to read it, it was something totally different to live it. Man what I'd give for my camera right now… Hey when did I start sounding like Dib? Yikes.

We'd been walking for ages. And shadows were starting to loom where darkness would soon be approaching. We didn't have much time left before it would get too dark to look. It wasn't that I was afraid of the dark, it was that we didn't know what was in it and we didn't have a place to stay. Spending the night here was not part of the plan. Heck, being here wasn't part of the plan! But I didn't have time to actually bring this problem to the table; something with glowing teal eyes sprinted out of the woods and crashed right into me, choking me in an embrace.

"Hi Amy-Cakes!"

"GIR?" I breathed in confusion before recognition set in and I ended up crushing the android in a hug, "GIR! Where've you been?"

He cackled, "Not here."

"You don't say." Gaz rolled her eyes.

Zim hoisted the robot from my arms and glared at him, "Do you know how much trouble you've caused? Just what kind of minion are you?"

"Gives me a Amy-Cakes hug and I'll tell ya!"

Dib scoffed, "Ready to admit my technology is better than yours Zim?"

"Never!"

"GIR, have you seen the Smurfs? Are they here too?" I urged, feeling a little bubble of hope inside my chest.

GIR suddenly scrambled to the ground at my question. He tugged on Dib's sleeve and started leading him nearer the trees, "You gots to stand here first."

Before anyone could question the reasoning, there was a cry of surprise as Dib was suddenly being dragged into the shadows of the trees, a rope tied securely around his ankle. Zim instantly burst out laughing, but in the end he had no choice but to follow as Gaz and I made chase after him. My heart was pounding and I made a lunge forward onto my stomach, hands clasping around his. Although, it didn't do much good as I ended up being dragged along after him. GIR jumped forward and sat at my shoulders, giggling loudly as he enjoyed the free ride.

We were getting deeper into the woods and I couldn't tell where we'd come from to where we'd end up. It was all the same. My arms jolted upwards as Dib was suddenly lifted upside-down from a branch. He swayed in the air, completely thrown off in a daze.

"Wh-What just happened?" he asked woozily.

"I honestly don't know." I answered, finally letting go and brushing the dirt from my front, "Are you okay?"

"Uh…"

"Yay! We won!" cried an excitable voice from above. A little blue figure with red pigtails and pink dungarees slid down the rope and clambered down do that she was hanging from Dib's glasses, making him cross-eyed trying to focus on her, "Beat you again, Dibby!"

I couldn't believe it. My hands reached out to hold the figure gently in my palm, "Sassy?"

"Who else?" she grinned, giving GIR a thumbs up, "Nice work puppy thing."

"Are the others here too?" I asked.

"Uh-huh; all home!"

"That's great." Dib muttered, struggling to stop himself rotating, "Now can you please get me down from here!"

A/N:

Poor Dib, he's become a favourite with our little Sassy XD Again, I'm really sorry for the long wait, it won't be so long next time I promise. And just to keep you interested, there'll be two new faces popping up next chapter. No, they're not OC's, they're canon to the Smurfs. Until next time, please review!