My Unsmurfy Valentine/Part 3

Tapper was in his tavern doing his cleaning when his friend Duncan McSmurf entered. "Greetings, my fellow Duncan, what smurfs to be on your mind today?" he asked.

"Laddie, there's something unsmurfy going on in the village today," Duncan said. "On my way here, I thought I saw Hefty and Tuffy smurfing with each other like they were Smurf and Smurfette."

"Like Smurf and Smurfette?" Tapper said, sounding curious. "Are you certain of that?"

"Of course I am, Tapper," Duncan said. "You think that I'd be smurfing this all up just to smurf your attention? And I think that I was hearing the same thing smurfing from Handy's workshop."

"Hmmm...most strange that this is happening," Tapper said as he rubbed his chin while pondering. "I could say that there's a demon at work here, but I can't sense in my spirit just what it is that's smurfing on."

"I'd be thinking that that angel Cupid has smurfed rogue on us or something if this is what he's smurfing with his love arrows," Duncan said.

"I can't imagine this ever being the work of Cupid, my fellow Duncan, but it is worth smurfing into nonetheless," Tapper said as he folded up his cleaning towel. "Come, we will smurf to the bottom of this together."

"Aye, laddie," Duncan said as they both stepped out the door together. However, the instant that they did, Duncan was struck with a heart-shaped arrow, and began showing the same symptoms as the others.

Tapper noticed that his friend was looking at him rather strangely. "Duncan, what's the matter with you?"

"Oh, nothing's the matter with me, laddie," Duncan said. "I'm just coming to realize how much of my true feelings for you I've been smurfing back...but no more. You've been more than a brother to me."

Tapper didn't like how his friend was trying to embrace him. "Duncan, please smurf to your senses right this instant!" he said sternly. "Whatever you're feeling right now for me isn't real!"

"Oh, it's very much real...you just don't know it yet," Duncan said as he tried to give his friend a kiss.

Tapper turned his head to avoid the kiss on his lips. Then suddenly he felt as if something tried to attack him, but it was instantly stopped by some kind of force field. He turned and saw who it was that was trying to attack him. "It's a cherub!" he cried out.

Eros was hovering over the village when he realized one of his arrows didn't work. "Curses!" he growled. "He must have some sort of spiritual protection over him."

"I should have known that there was a rogue cherub smurfing about among us," Tapper said as he struggled to break free of Duncan's embrace. "I must smurf this to Papa Smurf as soon as I can." He soon broke free and made a run for it.

"Tapper, laddie, come back!" Duncan called out as he chased after his friend, still smitten by the effects of Eros' lust arrows. - Empath and Polaris were still walking around the village together, hoping to find any sign of what was causing the strange behaviors among their fellow Smurfs. "Do you sense anything, Polaris?" Empath asked.

"This one doesn't sense anything, Empath," Polaris replied. "Whatever is responsible for these attacks must also be effective in keeping itself from being detected by this one's mental scans."

"Then most likely we're dealing with a magical being," Empath guessed. "We'll have to just use our eyes and ears to look for anything or anyone that seems out of place."

"Could this be just a random manifestation of savage behaviors that are inherent in your people, Empath?" Polaris asked.

"This smurf knows the Smurfs too well to see how they would just behave in a contrary manner out of the blue, Polaris," Empath answered. "Hefty is too much into proving how masculine he really is to ever find himself desiring a romantic relationship with anyone other than a Smurfette."

"His desire to prove his masculinity has been the source of various types of problems among your fellow Smurfs, as this one is fully aware of," Polaris commented.

"This smurf understands that, Polaris, but it has also been his greatest source of personal strength," Empath said. "And frankly, this smurf wouldn't have him be any other way."

Then the two of them saw Tapper running straight towards them. "Empath! Polaris! Thank the Almighty that I've been able to reach you!" he said, sounding grateful.

"This smurf senses that you know something about what's been attacking us, Tapper," Empath said.

"Indeed, Empath...it's a cherub, and one that smurfs like he came straight from Hades," Tapper said excitedly. "He's been smurfing flaming arrows upon us, and one of them had smurfed my friend Duncan."

"Great Ancestors," Empath exclaimed. "I'd hate to be in your position right now, having Duncan chasing after you."

"Where have you detected this cherub, Tapper?" Polaris asked.

"He was over my tavern the minute that Duncan and I were attacked, my fellow Polaris, but fortunately the arrow didn't smurf me at all," Tapper said.

"It's a good thing that this Almighty of yours is your protective shield, or else you wouldn't be here telling this smurf the news," Empath said.

"Empath, Duncan is coming this way," Polaris said, directing his friend's attention to someone approaching.

Empath saw that Duncan looked really crazed, as if he couldn't wait to get his hands on Tapper and start smooching him. "This smurf apologizes, Duncan," Empath said, and then instantly Duncan was knocked down unconscious with a sudden burst of telekinetic energy.

"Poor Duncan," Tapper said as he looked at his fallen friend. "I'll try to find a way to smurf you back to normal, I promise."

Then suddenly Empath and Polaris were both struck by the lust arrows. Tapper began to notice that they were looking at each other as if they suddenly found their partner quite attractive.

"Empath, Polaris...no, don't smurf this!" Tapper cried out.

Then suddenly the two of them began to kiss each other very passionately, to the point where it made Tapper's stomach turn.

"I'd better get myself to Papa Smurf soon...he's the only one who can smurf us now," Tapper said as he quickly headed in the direction of Papa Smurf's laboratory. - Eros was hoveing over the village, laughing at all the mayhem he was causing with his lust arrows. "Burn, burn, burn, you lovesick Smurfs...let your hearts burn with overwhelming lust!" Eros said with a sinister laugh.

Then suddenly another arrow came whizzing by, just barely missing Eros. "You foul pervert! How dare you spread lust among these noble beings!"

Eros turned and saw who it was that fired the arrow. "Cupid! I should have known you would come to the rescue of your precious friends!" he said. "These creatures are mine to do with as I please!"

"You'll regret the day that you turned against your fellow cherubs, Eros!" Cupid stated boldly.

"Wrong...it is you who will regret the day that you and your fellow cherubs rejected me!" Eros said, now aiming a lust arrow straight at Cupid.

Cupid tried to flee, but Eros fired the arrow and pierced Cupid with it before he could get far. Cupid cried out in pain as he fell to the ground, right next to a Smurf house.

Vanity was busy looking at himself in his mirror privately when Cupid landed close to him, wounded by the lust arrow. "Please...help...me...," Cupid moaned before he passed out.

Vanity looked and saw that Eros was high up in the sky, laughing at the fallen Cupid. "Soon I will have the entire village under the thrall of my lust arrows, and then nobody will fall in love with anyone...all they will have is just lust burning in their hearts forever!" he said maliciously.

"Heavens to Smurfatroid," Vanity cried out. "I need to get help for Cupid, or else it will be all over for us!"

To be expanded.