Sunny and her friends prepared their things and galloped up to the Unity Crystals as fast as their hooves could take them, standing together as the Unity Crystals began to shine brighter by each second. “I wonder where the crystals are gonna take us this time,” said Izzy before she gasped. “Maybe they’re gonna take us to meet the Smurfs themselves!”
“If the Unity Crystals acted on wishes, we’d get sent to ancient Equestria to figure out how to stop this madness,” Zipp said, lightly chuckling. “But since it doesn’t, well… we just have to deal with wherever we go.”
“Hold on, everypony!” Sunny cried out in a ready-or-not-like stance. “Here we go!”
The Unity Crystals sent out a bright white flash that teleported the group out of the Brighthouse and through the glowing portal, the tumbling and twisting strangely becoming normal for them now. What they knew was normal, but caught them offguard every time was the landings… especially when they were harder than other times.
And this landing was extremely rough, landing on top of each other, some of their faces planted into the dirt. “Owwwwww…” Hitch groaned, getting up out of the dirt. “You okay, Sparky?”
“Mmm-hmm,” Sparky nodded from on Hitch’s back, not injured at all as the ponies got up to look around. When they did, they realized they were surrounded by mushrooms that looked as big as houses, and the rest of the forest around them seemed even bigger… something that struck Sunny as… off. “Wait a sec… does anypony else find this familiar or is it just me?”
“Awwwww, they are so cute!” Pipp said, snapping a picture. “Totally reminds you of those Smurf houses from that journal, right, Sunny?”
Sunny said nothing for a moment, getting up and walking around the area, eyes as wide as saucers. “Guys… I think this is the Smurf village!” she said. “The Unity Crystals must’ve heard our questions, and I think this confirms that there might be a crystal here! Come on, we have to look around and see if we can--”
“Uh… excuse me?”
Sunny yelped at someone touching her rear, and turned to see a Smurf, a real Smurf, jumping back with a yelp of his own. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry!” he apologized. “I-I just wanted to know if you were lost or something!”
Sunny took a breath to calm herself as her friends came closer. “It’s okay. I’m sorry I startled you. See… we’re for a… mission, of sorts, and we read about Smurfs, and… well… it’s kinda hard to explain.”
Soon, more Smurfs gathered around the ponies, quietly murmuring to themselves.
“Oh, are they horses?”
“Where did they come from?”
“Are they dangerous?”
“Aren’t horses supposed to be bigger?”
“They could be fairy horses.”
The ponies were unsure to make of all this when a kind, gentle voice spoke up from all the murmurs. “Now now, what’s all the fuss about, my little Smurfs?”
An older Smurf with a scruffy white beard and dressed in red came closer, and Sunny was the first to come forward. “I’m sorry if we caused such a panic. Me and my friends, uh… we’re on a mission, and somehow, the Unity Crystals of Equestria sent us to your village,” she hesitantly explained. “You… you wouldn’t happen to be Papa Smurf… would you?”
“Oh-ho, how’d you know that?” Papa Smurf chuckled, and Sunny pulled out the journal she had found earlier. “You gave this journal to my dad… Argyle Starshine,” Sunny said, showing it to him. “Do you… remember that?”
“Argyle is your father?” Papa Smurf asked, and when Sunny nodded, a smile graced his face. “I haven’t seen my friend in many moons… not after he saved my life.”
“Her dad saved you, Papa?” a girl Smurf with blonde hair asked. “He did, Smurfette,” Papa Smurf nodded. “And while I was healing, he and I spent many a time together. Tell me, dear, how is he nowadays?”
“Well, I, uh… um…” Sunny wasn’t sure how to say it, but took a deep breath anyway. “My father passed away when I was a filly.”
“Oh… oh, you poor thing…” Smurfette said gently. “Papa, can they stay with us for a while? We can’t just send them into the forest alone?”
“Yeah!” said the Smurf who first found them. “They can stay for the Blue Moon Festival tomorrow!”
“And,” said a Smurf with glasses, examining Zipp’s wings, “it would give me an idea as to what magical properties these ponies possess.”
“Whoa, hey!” Zipp jerked her wing away. “I’m all for studying and research, but quit tugging my wing like that!”
“Well, I think we have a guest house available for you all to stay in,” Papa Smurf pondered. “Handy Smurf, is it in livable conditions?”
“It sure is!” Handy said, twirling a hammer. “Just made sure it was in top-smurfy shape this morning!”
“Well, if you all don’t mind us joining your festival,” Misty said, looking at Sunny as a smile graced her face, “we’d love to stay and join the fun.”
XXXXXXXX
As Papa Smurf gave Sunny and her friends a tour of the village, Sunny couldn’t believe that her father saved Papa Smurf’s life before she was even born. Which made her wonder…
…why did Argyle never tell her about all this? Was she too young to understand? Or was it for another reason?
Soon, the tour concluded with the guest house that the group was going to stay in, and Papa Smurf wished the group goodnight before leaving for the night. Everypony seemed really comfortable in the house, but… Misty noticed a change in Sunny’s aura, sitting down next to her. “Sunny? Is something wrong?”
“Oh, well… I guess I’m just confused on why Dad never told me about Papa Smurf or that Smurfs even existed,” Sunny shrugged. “I mean… this is huge! We could be on a breakthrough to steering your mom on the right path, and… the Smurfs might just help us do it.”
“Yeah… all the Smurfs seem really nice. But that Grouchy character we met on our walk… I don’t know how I feel about him,” said Misty. “Izzy sure seems to see the good in him though.”
“Yeah… she especially sees the good in everyone,” said Sunny with a soft smile. “Do you… do you think Papa Smurf can tell me stories about him tomorrow? He asked me if I was interested in watching him work with Smurf magic, and of course, I couldn’t resist.”
“I’m sure he would if you just asked him,” Misty said. “Maybe he has some sort of idea where the third crystal is.”
Before she could say anything else however, Misty let out a large yawn. “I’m gonna get some sleep. Izzy and I are gonna play with Clumsy tomorrow before the Blue Moon Celebration rehearsal, and we need our energy if we wanna keep our eyes open for the crystal.”
“Right. You go on ahead,” said Sunny. “I’ll be there shortly.”
“Okay,” Misty nodded. “Goodnight.”
“Night.”
Sunny watched as her friend walked off into the next room to sleep, but Sunny continued to stare up at the slightly blue moon in the sky. According to Papa Smurf, it would get its full blue color the next night over, and Sunny, like all the ponies, couldn’t wait to see it happen. But… before she had to go to bed with her friends, she whispered one thing to the stars above. “I love you, Dad. I’m gonna make sure my friends are protected… no matter what.”
With that being said, Sunny retired to the bedroom to sleep with her friends, unaware of what adventure may lie ahead.