Empath The Wartmonger/Part 6

The six Smurfs and Polaris Psyche returned to the hiding place of the Pussywillow Pixies, where Empath got to know the pixies a little better than he did when he was a Wartmonger.

"This smurf apologizes for what this smurf almost did to you and your pixies when this smurf was still a Wartmonger, Elderberry," Empath said. "This smurf hopes that you will forgive this smurf."

"There's nothing you need to apologize for, young one," Elderberry said. "You were just being used by the Wartmongers for their evil purposes, that's all."

"But how do you manage to take care of yourselves when all that you have is each other for support?" Empath asked.

"We are very resourceful pixies, for being one in this hollow does require survival skills against anything that would try to harm us, including the Wartmongers," Elderberry said.

"But maybe you can stay here in the hollow and try to help us out, Empath," Holly said.

"We could sure use a Smurf like you to protect us from the Wartmongers," Bramble said.

Empath chuckled. "This smurf could sense that you're attracted to this smurf, which this smurf doesn't mind. Unfortunately, this smurf has a life back in the Smurf Village, and someone there who cares for this smurf."

"You sure that you don't find any of the pixies really attractive, Empath?" Smurfette asked.

"They're beautiful creatures, Smurfette," Empath said. "But you're the only female that this smurf finds 'really attractive'."

Acorn giggled. "I wish that I was old enough to be attractive for the likes of Empath."

"Someday, Acorn, you will be old enough for the pixie that you will fall in love with," Elderberry said.

Meanwhile, Lilac was alone talking with Polaris Psyche. "Oh, honey dear, I really wish that you didn't have to go back home with the Smurfs," Lilac said.

"This one appreciates the friendliness you have exhibited unto this one during the visit, fellow Lilac," Polaris said. "It's just that this one cannot reciprocate the kind of feelings that you feel towards this one."

"But when will I ever see you again?" Lilac asked.

"Hopefully we may have another visit in your world that this one will be a part of," Polaris answered.

Lilac kissed Polaris Psyche on the lips. "Remember me when you return home, please?"

Polaris Psyche felt a little awkward after the kiss. "This one will do his best to keep your memory in this one's mind, Lilac."

"Come along, my little Smurfs and Polaris, it's time for us to go home," Papa Smurf said as he started to head for the fog separating the hollow from the Smurfs' world.

"Goodbye, my friends," Elderberry said, as she and the other pixies waved the Smurfs goodbye on their departure.

"Well, laddie, it seems like one of the pixies has smurfed a likening towards you," Duncan said to Polaris as they were leaving the hollow.

"This one was not expecting for that to happen, fellow Duncan, but now that we have met each other, it will be difficult for this one to get the memory of her out of this one's mind," Polaris said.

"You're sure to smurf my blessing if you decide that you want to marry her someday, Polaris," Duncan said.

"Right, that will be some kind of wedding...a Psyche and a pixie," Hefty said sarcastically.

"Are you jealous that the pixies don't find you just as attractive as Empath or Polaris?" Tuffy asked.

"Why should I be jealous of that, Tuffy?" Hefty responded. "It's Smurfette that I'm after, and someday she's going to be the Smurf that I'm going to marry."

"Just keep believing in that fantasy of yours, Hefty," Duncan jested. "Maybe Mother Nature and Cupid will smurf you the blessing that you're smurfing after."

"It's going to happen someday, Gutsy, mark my smurfs," Hefty said.

"That's Duncan to you, laddie," Duncan said. -- Later on in the village, Empath was enjoying a relaxing evening at Tapper's Tavern when Tapper noticed Empath was sitting there with a distracted look. "Pray tell, Empath, what smurfs to be on your mind this evening?" Tapper asked. "You don't seem to be happy that you're back home in the Smurf Village."

"This smurf is still thinking of Princess Chamelianne, Tapper, and what she has shown this smurf about how the female Wartmongers are treated by the males, as if they deserve to live as second-class citizens," Empath said. "This smurf still feels like this smurf would want to help them achieve the status of equality that they so desperately want, but all the same this smurf doesn't like the feeling that this smurf was being used by the princess for different purposes."

"I could only imagine what it must be like for a female Wartmonger in the world that they smurf in, Empath," Tapper said. "And even if I could imagine it, the only thing that I could feel for them is sympathy. But if it was possible for them to be smurfed from the enslavement that they have to smurf, would they truly make Wartmonger society much better, or would it just add to the problems that already exist in it?"

"This smurf would never know for sure if Wartmongers would be better for males and females to live together as equals, but all this smurf would know is that things would be much different," Empath said. "At the very least, the females deserve to have as much of a life to live as the males do."

"In the meantime, I sense in my spirit that the memory of this princess is going to be hard for you to smurf out of your mind, as much as you don't like what she smurfed to you," Tapper said.

"This smurf does admit that she was attractive enough for this smurf to want to be alone with her while this smurf was a Wartmonger, Tapper," Empath said. "But to know that she is also a telepath that can manipulate minds, this smurf wonders how much of that attraction was real, and how much of it was what she planted in this smurf's mind."

"That's the dilemma that us males have to face in a world full of Delilahs and Jezebels, my fellow Empath," Tapper said. "That a beautiful woman would be so manipulative as to smurf whatever kind of evil she wants us to smurf is as attractive as the forbidden fruit that the serpent wanted Eve to smurf from."

"Well, if it isn't much of a problem with you, this smurf would like you to pray for this smurf's mind to be focused solely on Smurfette so that this smurf could resist the temptation of such other women," Empath said.

"Aye, Empath, that will be smurfed upon my prayer list as soon as possible," Tapper said, nodding with acceptance.