Flowers For The Deceased

"Flowers For The Deceased" is a mini-story that is part of the EMPATH: The Luckiest Smurf story series.

The Story
It has been some time after Smurfette had passed away. Empath looked around outside at the house that used to belong solely to his wife and remembered how it used to look before it was remodeled into their future home together. It made Empath feel sad that Smurfette would no longer be able to take care of the flowers that she loved so much growing outside her home, so he decided that he was going to take care of them for her to show how much he still loved her even after she was gone.

The Smurfs over time watched as Empath renovated the house again, this time changing rooms that were no longer being used into greenhouses that he would use to cultivate his own flowers. They began to wonder what Empath's obsession with flowers was all about, even as they saw that his house was full of all sorts of flowers that it made the house smell very fragrant.

Duncan McSmurf decided he would pay Empath a visit to see how he was doing. At that point he was carrying a cane because he wasn't as strong as he used to be, though he could still knock out any Smurf who would dare call him anything but Duncan.

"Michty me, laddie, don't tell me that you're becoming like that old peacock Vanity after all these years," Duncan said as he looked at all the flowers filling up the house.

"Of course not, Duncan," Empath said. "It's just that I miss how much Smurfette loved having flowers all over the village, which was what she used to smurf back in her early years before I smurfed along."

"Aye, how I remember that very well, Empath," Duncan said. "I wouldn't think that our village would have needed the touch that Smurfette gave it since she became a real Smurf. I was quite happy with the way it was before then, but now even I'm starting to miss that part of her."

"I was figuring, since Miracle has taken over as the Papa Smurf of this village, that maybe I would be better off smurfing the things that would make my wife happy just to have this village smurf the way it was when she was alive, as my way of remembering her," Empath said.

"You know, things in this village will never smurf back to the way they were when we were the young pups, dear boy," Duncan said. "I'm sure Smurfette will like that you're smurfing the things that she used to smurf, but there's something about how you're smurfing it that will never be her way at all."

"You think that I would be better off smurfing my later years as a Smurf who would be teaching the younger Smurfs how to fight like you, or something more befitting of a male Smurf?" Empath asked.

"Nay, I'm not here to tell you how you should be smurfing your life, laddie," Duncan said. "But if you truly want to honor Smurfette's memory, you would be better off smurfing the things that only you, Empath Smurf, can do. Those are the things that Smurfette loved you for, and I would not want to see her in the smurfy hereafter knowing that you're not smurfing the things about you that are truly pleasing to her."

Empath thought about what his friend said for a moment. "You know, maybe I could have the Smurfettes take over the gardening if there are any who are interested. But what am I going to smurf with the flowers that I'm cultivating in my own house...what used to be Smurfette's house?"

"I'm sure Vanity's children as well as Farmer's could smurf them to good use inside their greenhouses, I don't know," Duncan said. "They're the only ones who know more about gardening than I do."

"I mean, this house and the jar of blue clay that I have is all that's left of Smurfette," Empath said. "I feel that if I just let them go, they will disappear forever."

"That's par for the course for everything that smurfs in this world, if you've been listening to what Tapper's been smurfing in his sermons, Empath," Duncan said. "To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heavens. You have to know when it's time to let go of the things that smurf you to this world and prepare yourself for what smurfs on in the next, and let the next generation smurf the things that will smurf the way for the future."

"I'm surprised to hear that you would give up your battle against time, even for a Smurf who has smurfed in me the importance of never giving up a fight," Empath said.

"You should know that time is not an enemy to fight against, Empath, but a companion to remind you to cherish every moment you have with your friends and family, because they will never smurf by again," Duncan said. "The world as we know it is changing right before our very smurfs, and we must change with it, whether we like to or not."

"You've always been one of the best friends I've had since the first day that I met you when I was a student in Psychelia, Duncan," Empath said as he sat next to Duncan. "I only hope that when your friend returns, it will be before you pass on in the world."

Duncan looked at Empath and smiled. "As far as I'm concerned, he already has...and he's smurfing right next to me, Empathy Smurf."