Hero's Farewell (Hero Stories)

"Hero's Farewell" is a mini-story that takes place in the HERO: The Guardian Smurf story series.

The Story
It was during the time when Hero's generation of Smurfs were around their 700 years of age, the new Smurf generation were taking over the work that their parent Smurfs couldn't continue to do. It was over the past few years, that Saviour could sense her Papa Smurf's health was greatly deteriorating, her half-sister Miracle could also sense this.

Hero's health was deteriorating so quickly that he was bedridden during the final years of his life, with Smurfette spending most of her time caring for him, hoping he would soon get better. His two daughters, although they knew what was going to eventually happen, kept him up-to-date with how they were doing.

One day, both Miracle and Saviour could sense that their Papa Smurf's life signs were almost spent, they had no choice but to tell their Grandpa Smurf, Mother Smurfette, their uncle Abloec and Smurfette.

"Grandpa Smurf! Mother Smurfette! We can sense our Papa Smurf's life signs are almost gone!" Saviour said.

"Great Smurfs!" Papa said in shock.

"We need to smurf over there and fast!" Mother said, and soon they left the lab and headed over to Smurfette's house.

"I'll go get uncle Abloec!" Miracle called.

...

Meanwhile inside Smurfette's house, Smurfette was busy caring for her husband.

"Don't worry Hero, you'll get better soon, I promise you" Smurfette said sweetly. Just then she could hear several voices approaching, she looked out the bedroom window and seen Papa Smurf, Mother Smurfette, Abloec, Saviour and Miracle approaching.

"What's smurfing on here?" she called to them.

"Smurfette, can we come in? It's urgent" Mother said.

"Sure" Smurfette said, allowing them into her house, soon they all came upstairs and went to Hero's bedside.

"Hero, can you hear me?" Papa asked.

Hero opened his eyes slightly, "I hear you, Papa Smurf!" he said, sounding really weak.

"What's smurfing on here?" Smurfette asked, "I'm busy helping him smurf back to health".

The others looked at each and realized that someone had to tell Smurfette the grim reality of the situation.

"Mama Smurf...there is something I have to tell you!" Miracle said, sounding rather upset.

"What is it?" Smurfette asked, sounding concerned

Miracle found herself struggling to tell her, but she had no choice.

"Mama...Papa Smurf...is dying" Miracle finally said.

"WHAT!" Smurfette shouted.

"Me and Saviour can sense his life signs, they are almost spent!" Miracle said.

"Why did you not tell me?" Smurfette asked.

"We didn't know how you would smurf" Miracle said.

Smurfette ran to Hero's bedside, "Hero! Can you hear me?" she called.

Hero again opened his eyes slightly, "I can hear you, my dear" he said, sounding weaker than before.

"Hero! Please don't smurf away from me!" Smurfette said, with tears beginning to flow down her face, holding his withered hand in her own.

"My health...is weakening...there is nothing more...you can smurf" Hero said, "This smurf can only say sorry to you."

"Why are you sorry?" Smurfette asked.

"For making you...wait so long...to marry this smurf" Hero said.

"Don't be sorry, all that matters is that we were eventually married, and we had Miracle, she's the greatest gift you've ever given me" Smurfette said kindly.

"Hero, May the Almighty guide you!" Abloec said.

Hero smiled, "My time...is short...Miracle...Saviour...come here" he said. Both Miracle and Saviour were at his bedside.

"Before I smurf away...this smurf...has something...to smurf to you" Hero said.

"What is it, Papa Smurf?" Saviour asked.

"Smurf me your hands" Hero asked. Both Miracle and Saviour took their Papa's hands and soon they could feel large amounts of energy flowing through their bodies.

"What's happening?" Miracle asked.

"This smurf...has given you two...the last of my power" Hero said.

"Hero, we will never forget everything you've smurfed for us!" Mother said.

Saviour soon came to his bedside, "You know Papa, you will be with Mama Smurf again" she said.

"Yes, I can hear her calling for me to smurf beside her once more" Hero said.

Saviour smiled and gave him a kiss on his cheek.

Hero smiled, Smurfette soon came over again, "Here is my special gift before you smuf away" Smurfette said trying very hard to hold back her tears, before placing her hands on his cheeks and giving him a kiss on the lips and looked like she didn't want to stop.

Soon Smurfette had finished kissing him, Hero just smiled, "This smurf will always be with you" he said, before he closed his eyes and laid back in his bed, his life fully expended.

"Goodnight, my sweet prince!" Smurfette cried.

...

A few days later, there was a funeral held for Hero at the cemetery, just beyond the village border. Abloec was giving the role of minister, he stood before the coffin and began to speak.

"My fellow Smurfs, today we smurf farewell to a very special Smurf who has been our guardian for the many years we have known him, I know he wasn't the perfect Smurf as he tried to smurf a normal life like the rest of us. But regardless, he smurfed his life to the limit and he loved all his fellow Smurfs. Now I know we all have our own personal memories of Hero and what he smurfed for us, but first a very personal speech from our dear Smurfette" Abloec said.

Smurfette then stood up to speak, with her daughter Miracle beside her for comfort. "When I first smurfed into this village, as a pawn created by Gargamel, Hero was the Smurf who really cared about me, not because of how I looked, but how I felt inside." Smurfette said, slightly struggling to continue, "I know there were some unsmurfy events that smurfed in our past, but there were more happy moments. Everything I have in my life, my beautiful daughter Miracle, I owe it all to him" Smurfette said, before she started crying.

Miracle helped her mother as she sat back down, holding her as she felt tears coming down her face. Saviour was the next to speak, trying very hard not to cry.

"For the time I've known my Papa Smurf, they have been the smurfiest times of my life, he saved me when that evil Shadow Smurf smurfed me away and tried to smurf me, but Papa Smurf rescued me. He also taught me how to control the powers that I have, Everything that I have in my life, I owe it all to him, and I plan on repaying him by continuing to smurf where he smurfed in his life by keeping my fellow Smurfs safe." Saviour said.

Soon every Smurf stood up and gave their memories of Hero, there was hardly a dry eye as everyone expressed how a kind and caring Smurf he was. Finally, Papa Smurf stood up and gave the closing speech.

"Let us all join hands and smurf our hearts toward Mother Nature and Father Time, from whom we smurf our lives in this forest, that they may smurf us comfort and peace in our time of loss." As all the Smurfs joined hands together, Papa prayed. "O Mother Nature and Father Time, we smurf back into your hands that which you have smurfed us for a time, our guardian, Heroic Smurf, so that we may all know it is from you that we smurf our very being in this world. May you help us to cherish every moment of our lives and to smurf important lessons from them so that we may grow in wisdom and knowledge and smurf with others what we ourselves have smurfed. May he rest in peace knowing that his time on earth was time well smurfed. And so let it be."

"And so let it be," all the Smurfs said together, then Hefty, his son Brutus, Dempsey, Fergus, his son William and Handy joined together in lowering the casket into the ground and covering it in dirt to show their respects.

...

After the service was over, Papa Smurf, Mother Smurfette and Abloec had a private talk with Smurfette in Nikolai's Bar.

"Don't worry Smurfette, Hero is now smurfing in heaven" Abloec said.

"I just wish he was with me" Smurfette said sadly.

"Even though he is not smurfing with us physically, he is smurfing with us spiritually, he will never leave you" Abloec said comfortingly.

"Abloec's right! Smurfette" Papa said, "Hero will never leave you, he will always smurf over you and keep you and your daughter's safe".

"He's right my dear" Mother said kindly.

Smurfette only smiled.

Trivia

 * This story is a flash-forward story.