Lots of things had happened that morning... some good and some bad.
The good news was that the ponies and Smurfs were one step closer on getting back to Smurf Village.
The first set of bad news was that Clumsy accidentally sent the wrong ad to the company, and now Patrick was really upset and on his way to try and save his job.
And the second set, you may ask? Gargamel was now out of prison and at his New York castle, banging on his handcrafted machine to get more essence. “Come on! Come on! Blast. Blast you! There's got to be some essence in here somewhere!”
“Meow!” Azrael meowed from nearby. “Not now!” Gargamel asked, but Azrael was very persistent. “What? What?”
When he finally turned, he found Azrael with another tuft of Smurfette’s hair, causing him to chuckle evilly. “Very, very well done, my little friend. And to think, I almost ate you that time.”
Azrael rolled his eyes as Gargamel used the hair to get out another drop of Smurf essence, and once this was done, the wizard turned back to his pet. “Come, Azrael. We must find this Patrick, the rouge merchant. He will lead us to our elusive little blue quarry.”
XXXXXXXX
Patrick was quickly walking through Times Square, trying to get hold of someone who could take the ad down until he could get a new one up. “Don't you just have a switch or something to shut them off? Tomorrow? Are you kidding me?! Ron, Ron. If I don't get those ads down now, I don't have a job tomorrow!”
Frustrated, Patrick shut the phone down just as the ad appeared on all the screens around them... another haunting reminder that he may lose his job over this whole mess.
Then... there was the whole speech Grace gave him. What if she was right?
As he looked at the threatening texts from Odile, he felt an envelope in his jacket and pulled it out, pulling out the ultrasound picture that Grace left for him of the baby.
His baby.
Maybe Grace was right... maybe he was letting this blue moon moment slip away.
XXXXXXXX
The ponies and Smurfs ran down the sidewalk on their way to the bookstore, no one except Brainy knowing where they were going. “According to the searching device, we take the F machine two dots past the red circle to Chinaland.”
“Chinatown, birdbrain!” Grouchy insulted as they ran under a car across the street. “Smurftato, smurftato!”
They then ran down the stairs to where the large subway train was waiting for them. “Look! There it is!” Hitch cried, carrying Sparky on his back. “Come on, everypony!” Zipp cried. “All together now!”
“Are we sure about this?”
“What?”
“JUMP!!”
They jumped to get onto the train before the door closed, but Grouchy, Brainy and Gutsy got wedged between the doors. “Oooh…” Misty groaned. “That has to hurt…”
“Not happy…” Grouchy groaned as the train got rolling down the tracks. After Zipp, Pipp and Izzy got the boys out, Gutsy had the sudden urge to explore. “Come on, Brainy. Let's poke around this great steel carriage.”
“Is it safe?”
“Of course it is!”
“Well… Pipp and I are gonna go with you,” Zipp said, “just to be safe.”
“Wait, we’re gonna do what?!”
As Pipp waited for her sister to respond, the train made a sharp turn, causing the sisters, Gutsy and Brainy to stumble back, and some books to squish Brainy flat. “That was great!” Gutsy cheered as Zipp winced. “Oooh, ouch…”
Zipp sighed to herself as Izzy came forward. “You okay, Zipperoni?”
“I just… I feel bad for the way I scolded Clumsy earlier. I mean… his clumsiness can get a little annoying, but he generally has a good heart,” said Zipp in an ashamed tone. “I just wanna find the crystal and get these guys home.”
“I know your heart is in the right place, but… sometimes you gotta take it slow and enjoy the journey. That’s something Elder Flower once said,” Izzy explained. “We’ll find the crystal when we need to find it.”
“Yeah…” Zipp trailed off. “Thanks, Izzy.”
“Anytime. And for now, let’s enjoy the giant subway ride.”
XXXXXXXX
A little while later, the group hopped off the subway and took shelter under giant popcorn tubs in order for them not to be spotted. “I hope we find this place soon. I can't see out of this…” Hitch banged into a pole. “Heh,” Gutsy chuckled. “I thought that’s why we left Clumsy behind.”
“Grouchy, not nice!” Izzy scolded before Smurfette groaned. “It smells like butter in here.”
“Maybe that’s because people put butter on their popcorn,” Misty said. “At least… that’s what I’ve always heard.”
They made it a little further down the sidewalk until Pipp gasped as she saw the bookstore across the street. “There it is!”
“Oh…” Sunny groaned. “Too bad it’s closed!”
“We’ll just have to find another way in,” Papa said. “Come on!”
They followed Papa across the street, ditching the popcorn tubs in between, and climbed through the mailslot, some of the group falling on top of one another, making them groan in pain. “I said it once,” Hitch groaned, “and I’ll say it again… I HATE being this tiny.”
After the group got up, they stared in wonder at the books and artifacts around them on the high shelves. “Ohh…” Misty gulped. “This place reminds me of somewhere Opaline and Mom might go-- a creepy place.”
“It's not creepy, it's different. And I like it,” Gutsy told her. “Creepy or not,” said Zipp, “let’s just find the book we need and get out of here.”
“You’re right,” Papa told the white pegasus. “It's not creepy, it's different. And I like it. Every Smurf and pony split up and look around!”
XXXXXXXX
At the same time that the Smurfs and ponies were splitting up to cover the bookstore, Gargamel and Azrael were covering the streets, with Gargamel talking to himself about his frustrations. “I am but a simple wizard with a simple desire, limitless power and world adulation. Now why does it have to be so hard?”
Suddenly, an irritatingly familiar tune began to fill Gargamel's ears.
La la la la la la
La la la la la la
La la la la la la
La la la la la la
Gargamel glanced over to see the homeless man from a day or two strolling by, and ran over to catch up to him. “Pardon me. Please, wise sir. Wise sir. Please, please. Wherever did you hear that ear-damning squall?”
“It's your little blue men. I saw them going into the bookstore around the corner,” the man said before beginning to hum the song again before turning back to Gargamel. “You know, that song is really annoying.”
As the man strolled away, Gargamel felt his hopes rising. “Cautiously exciteeed…”
They had to find that bookstore… they had to!
XXXXXXXX
At the same time, the Smurfs and ponies frantically searched around the tall, skyscraper tall shelves, trying to find the magic book. “That’s not it. That’s not it,” Grouchy ran through the shelves with Izzy. “Hey! Oh, no, that’s not it.”
“Look at all these amazing books. It’s gotta be here someone,” Brainy opened one of the books. “No, this isn’t it. You see anything, Smurfette?” Zipp asked. “Nothin up here, guys,” Smurfette said from the top of the stairwell. “Look out below!” Sunny cried as she and Smurfette leapt down and landed on a nearby table. “I got nothing either,” Misty sighed. “Just a book about plants.”
“Pipp and I have got something, lads!” Gutsy called out. “Great work you guys!” Hitch smiled as Gutsy pushed the large, blue book off the shelf, landing on a table below. “Just a minute. That’s it.” Gutsy strained, lifting the book onto a stone holder. “L’Histoire des Schtroumpfs,” Brainy read the title. “What does that even mean?” Pipp asked, causing Grouchy to shrug as they turned the page to a picture of an older man. “Peyo...” Misty read. “That must be the author.”
They turned the next page, and the Smurfs and ponies gasped when they saw the familiar blue creatures in the pages. “That’s us,” Smurfette said, astonished. “Yes, this is the one!” Papa said with delight. “I can’t believe it. You guys were in books this whole time!” Sunny said. “But wait…” Izzy frowned. “How come we aren’t in the book?”
“Probably because it was made before we came along.” Hitch observed. “This book looks really old.”
“Look at that.”
“Wow.”
“Well I’ll be smurfed.”
“The secret tunes are hidden in the drawings.” Papa explained. “You see all that in there?” Grouchy turned to the next page. “Look here, at the patterns on this page.” Papa pointed to a column of individual Smurf drawings. “Yeah… yeah, I can see it!” Sunny said, getting out her journal. “I’ll copy these runes down and we can use them tonight at the waterfall!”
“Wait… what’s this?” Zipp noticed something in the back cover of the book and pulled it out… only revealing it to be the cutie mark crystal they needed. “The crystal! We found it!” Misty said. “But… why aren’t we being sent home?”
“I guess we can’t go until the Smurfs are safe and sound at their home,” Hitch said. “Sunny, keep copying the spell, and Zipp can keep the crystal safe.”
“Right,” Sunny said. “The Smurfs come first.”
XXXXXXXX
Unbeknownst to the gang, Gargamel made his way to the store entrance. He tried opening the door, but they would budge. “Openous-lockicuss.”
The doors slowly opened up, and the cat and his master walked inside. Azrael leaped onto the shelves housing all sorts of medieval trinkets and souvenirs. “Meowrr.”
“What?” Gargamel looked over to see Azrael hovering over a long stick with a dragon plastered on the tip. “Oh, you’re right, Azrael. This does have me written all over it.”
The wizard pick up the wand, and opening his ring, he poured the remaining magic essence into the dragon’s mouth. Blue mist began flow from its mouth and the dragon’s sockets flowed red. “Oh, that’s just plain naughty.”
XXXXXXXX
Sunny finished taking her notes with a cheerful smile. “Done! The spell is all copied down!”
“All that remains now,” said Papa, “is to return to the waterfall and invoke this spell, tonight.”
“And we can go home?” Smurfette asked excitedly, causing Papa to smile. “And we can go home.”
“Oh, you’re going home, all right,” Gargamel said as he approached the group with the dragon wand in hand, causing them to gasp, “to a little place I like to call BellVeedaRay Castle, where your essence shall finally be mine.”
Sunny and Papa immediately prepared to fight, but seeing the wand caused Sunny to gasp in shock. “The dragon wand!”
“No!” Smurfette cried. “It’s G-G-G-G…” Brainy tried to stammer. “Please, please, allow me,” Gargamel said before screaming. “IT’S GARGAMEL!!”
“Run, Smurfs!” Papa cried, and the ponies and Smurfs immediately ran toward the door, screaming and yelling over one another.
“Go go go!”
“Come on, Smurfs!”
“Wait for me!”
“To the door!”
“Smurfintine!” Papa cried as he was chased by Azrael on the shelves. “Smurfintine!”
“Yes yes, do resist, little Smurfs and horses,” Gargamel said, preparing to blast as the Smurfs and ponies as they struggled to get the door open. “After all… what is the hunt… without the thrill?!”
The second the magic blasted at them, Gargamel grabbed a small shield and deflected the blast at Azrael, causing him to fly backward, and at Gargamel, causing him to become trapped under a bookshelf. “Gotta go!” Smurfette cried. “Move!”
“Run!” Sunny cried. “Get going!” Gutsy cried. “Faster,” Izzy cried, “faster!”
At the heat of the moment, Papa gave the piece of paper with the spell on it to Brainy, confusing him. “Brainy,” he ordered as he moved the group toward the air vent, “take the spell, brew the potion and smurf the moon tonight. It has to be tonight.”
“Me? Smurf the moon?” Brainy stammered. “No, I-I-I’m not ready!”
“You have to be.”
“SMURFS!!!” Gargamel cried as the door flew open, and once all the Smurfs and ponies were inside the vent, Papa sealed it shut and locked it. “Go,” he ordered. “And no matter what happens… do not come back for me.”
“What?”
Sunny immediately realized what this meant, her eyes widening. “Papa no!”
“No!”
“Papa!”
Papa, however, wasn’t listening. “What are you waiting for, Gargamel?”
“Come to Papa… PAPA!!” Gargamel shrieked and grabbed Papa forcefully with his magic, Papa groaning as he watched the group watch the scene in horror. “Just go!”
“PAPA!!” Zipp screamed. “Nooooo!!!” Smurfette tried to reach out to him. “Keep movin’, lasses,” Gutsy said gently. “Do as Papa said.”
“PAPA!!” Sunny cried, horrified for Papa’s fate and trying to get back to him, only for her friends to guide her away. “Is that all you got, Gargamel?!” Papa asked as Gargamel cackled. Now, he would have all the magic he would need to gain all the Smurfs and their power!
XXXXXXXX
The Smurfs and ponies screamed as they tumbled from the vents, not believing what had just happened. Papa had just sacrificed himself for them to escape, and now… Gargamel was more powerful than ever before. Izzy found her breath and voice first. “W-What’s gonna happen to Papa…?”
“Papa told us to Smurf the moon,” Grouchy said, “and that’s exactly what we’re gonna do!”
“Come on,” Zipp said, trying to clear the tears. “We don’t have much time.”
“Come on?” Brainy asked. “Come on where?”
“How are we gonna get back to Clumsy…?” Smurfette asked, and as Hitch looked down at the pigeons below, he and Gutsy got the same idea. “We ride,” Hitch smirked. “Come on!”
He and Gutsy leapt down onto a pigeon, causing the others to follow suit. “I-I don’t think they’re friendly,” Grouchy said nervously. “Well, when we’re mad,” said Hitch, “neither are we!”
“Come on, Sunny!” Misty cried to her friend. “We have to go!”
Sunny hadn’t moved from the spot she fell, and it was honestly concerning with the way she was crying. “Y-Yeah. Just… give me a few minutes and I’ll meet you back at the apartment.”
So, she watched the pigeons pick up her pony and Smurf friends and carried them off into the night. “According to my calculations,” Brainy panted, dangling from a pigeon’s leg, “this is dangeroooooooouss!!!!!”
Sunny sat their for a few moments, waiting till her friends were out of sight before she activated her alicorn form and flew in the opposite direction that her friends did. She hated to disobey Papa, but... she was the last link to her father she had left.
She couldn't lose it.
Sunny was gonna save Papa and get her friends home... no matter what.
XXXXXXXX
Clumsy stood up, looking out the window as he and Grace waited back at the apartment. “It’s getting dark.”
“Yeah…” Grace nodded slowly. “Yeah, I think we'd better go look for them.”
“Yeah.”
Slowly, the door opened, and Patrick came through it, looking regretful after what he said this morning. “Hi…” he said, looking around. “Where are the others?”
“We think they’re still at the bookstore.”
“Grace… I…”
Suddenly, the phone rang, and seeing who it was, Patrick answered the call from his boss. “Hey, Odile.”
“Patrick…” Odile’s voice was heard before she began speaking Spanish very quickly and very angrily. “Listen, listen. Before you fire me, I know that the ads that ran weren't the ads I sent,” Patrick began. “But they're the ads I should have sent. The ads I almost did send. But I didn't 'cause… I second-guessed myself.”
This caused Grace to pause and look up at her husband as she continued. “I gave you what I thought you wanted, instead of what I thought was right. But this is right. It means something to me and... I don't know, I think it's gonna mean something to others, too,” Patrick said, holding his wife lovingly. “It's not just a moon, Odile, it's a blue moon. Once in a blue moon. That means that there are only a few moments in your life when something truly memorable, truly magical, happens to you. And, if you hesitate, if you're afraid, you might just miss it. That's what that image means. Don't let those blue moon moments pass you by.”
“I will call you back to tell you if you are fired.”
The call cut off at that, but honestly, Patrick didn’t care… he was with his wife… and that was all that mattered.
XXXXXXXX
“Whoa…” Misty shrieked as she tried to steer her pigeon toward the window. “Left left, right! Right right, bird!!”
“Brace for impact!” Brainy shouted. “The window’s open, you ninny!” Gutsy insulted. “Whoa!” Brainy said as his pigeon collided with a lamp in the living room. “We’re outta control!”
Grace and Patrick (who were kissing lovingly) and Clumsy turned at this to see the others entering the living room, some more gracefully than others. After the pigeons left, Brainy held up the spell. “Look! We got the incantation!”
“Where’s Sunny and Papa?” Patrick asked, rushing to them. “Sunny’s on her way here right now,” said Pipp, “but as for Papa… Gargamel’s got him.”
“What?”
Clumsy gasped in horror at that. “Oh no!”
“He took him to some place called BellVeedaRay Castle!” Smurfette said. “He’s gonna…” Grouchy began as Misty began to sob. “Don’t… say it!” Zipp said. “None of us can take it right now.”
“BellVeedaRay?” Grace questioned. “What is… BellVeedaRay?”
That’s when Patrick began to piece things together. “Belve... He's taken him to Belvedere Castle in Central Park.”
“To extract his essence!” Izzy blurt out. “What?!” Grace’s eyes widened. “Well, when Sunny gets here, we have to go get him!”
“No!” Smurfette argued. “Gargamel’s more powerful than ever!”
“Papa said no matter what happens we're not to go back for him,” Gutsy agreed. “He’s trying to protect us!”
“But we can’t let his essence get stolen!” Zipp said. “Papa and you Smurfs have done too much for us to give up now!”
“Zipp, you have the crystal now!” Brainy argued. “You guys can use that to get home and we can use the incantation! You don’t have to stay with this anymore!”
“No! They can’t go home!” Clumsy argued. “And we can’t leave Papa behind!”
“It was a smurf promise,” Gutsy said. “No no no! We can’t!” Clumsy persisted. “We promised Papa we’d do exactly what he said,” Brainy said, and Hitch nodded. “That’s right… us ponies were there!”
“I didn’t…” Patrick shook his head, causing everyone to look at him before he ran out the door. “I didn’t promise him anything.”
“Neither did I!” Clumsy agreed. “And there is NO WAY I’m leaving here without Papa.”
“Patrick wait!” Grace ran after her husband. “I’m coming with you!”
There was a moment of silence as the others figured out what to do, and Grouchy’s firsts clenched. “I’m in!”
“Aye… me too,” Gutsy managed to smile at Clumsy. “No Smurf left behind! Not Papa… and not you.”
“All for one,” everyone shouted, “and one for pony and Smurf!”
Suddenly, as everypony began to rush off to prepare themselves for battle, Hitch gasped. “Wait!” he cried. “What if Sunny isn’t on her way here? What if… she’s on her way to the castle to save Papa herself?!”
The others hadn’t thought of that… but it made sense. “Sunny is more attached to Papa since she learned her dad was connected to him,” Pipp said. “I bet she was so upset about Gargamel getting him, she’s gonna try and rescue him on her own!”
After taking a breath, Zipp took on a determined look. “If that is the case, we’ll save her too. No pony or Smurf left behind. Now come on-- we have a wizard’s flank to kick!”