The Smurfs and the Foxfire (Hero Stories)/Part 4

As the three Smurfs ran for it, all their commotion caused all the nearby wildlife to flee in fear. The three Smurfs weaved through any nearby bush they could find in order to escape from the chasing Marsh Monster.

"Keep running, boys," Wonder said.

"Couldn't you just grab us and fly?" Panicky asked.

"Too risky!" Wonder answered. "Even if I did, I'll be smurfing behind an energy trail for him to follow us."

"That smurfs your idea out the window then, Panicky," Pushover responded.

"Cursed he who kills the flame, cursed he who gives me pain," the Monster chanted as he chased after them.

... Back in the Smurf Village, Papa Smurf was busy looking through his books in his laboratory when Brainy suddenly came running in.

"PAPA SMURF! PAPA SMURF!" Brainy shouted.

"Brainy! What's the matter?" Papa Smurf responded with a question of his own.

"The Smurfs are all ready for the parade but we can't find the Foxfire torch!" Brainy retorted.

"But I saw Panicky earlier and he said he had..." Papa Smurf said before a thought suddenly came to him. Whereas outside his laboratory, the Smurfs were gathered by a large group of fireflies. They were wondering what was keeping them from starting their parade.

"What's smurfing us up?" Hefty demanded.

"Where's Panicky?" another Smurf asked.

"Doesn't he have the torch?" a third Smurf asked, repeating what the others had said.

"I hate waiting!" Grouchy muttered.

They all soon began to voice their complaints at the same time before Papa Smurf came running out of his laboratory and towards them with several questions of his own.

"Has any Smurf seen Panicky?" he asked them all at once.

All the Smurfs voice their answers at the same time, saying they hadn't seen him for some time before Smurfette voiced her answer.

"I saw him at Pushover's house, Papa Smurf," she said.

"Pushover's house?" Papa Smurf said pondering that very thought. "Has anyone seen Pushover today?"

The Smurfs all voiced their answers once again at the same time, saying they hadn't seen him. Papa Smurf suddenly had a realization of what was going on.

"Well, I'm beginning to understand," he acknowledged before heading off to Pushover's house to see if he was there. Once he arrived he knocked on the door and called to him, but there was no reply. Suddenly, familiar voices came from close by pleading for Papa Smurf's help, followed by deep menacing groans.

"Who's that?" Brainy asked.

Smurfette felt her legs begin to shake with fear of what could be approaching the village, "Who's that?" she quaked.

When the three running Smurfs came close to the village, the others noticed the monster that was chasing them.

"Wha... Wha... Wha..." Brainy stammered, his legs rapidly shaking.

"Great heavens!" Papa Smurf said with severe shock in his voice. "They're leading him right to the village."

"Leading who, Papa Smurf?" Brainy requested.

"The Marsh Monster! They've awakened him," Papa Smurf responded.

"The... Ma... Ma... Marsh Monster!" Brainy trembled.

"Quick! Evey Smurf! Evacuate the village! Wait for me across the River Smurf!" Papa Smurf ordered.

"Yes, Papa Smurf!" all the Smurfs said before Harmony blew his horn causing them to all run out of the village, Papa Smurf watched on as they left before the voice of Marsh Monster sounded ever closer to the village.

"Papa Smurf! Help!" Panicky and Pushover pleaded as they approached.

Papa Smurf had left the village to meet up with them, but not before taking cover as the wildlife was heading in the opposite direction at the same time and they could've trampled him by accident.

"Cursed he who kills the flame, cursed he who gives me pain," the Monster chanted as Panicky, Wonder and Pushover met up with Papa Smurf.

"Papa Smurf! The Marsh Monster!" Panicky shivered.

"Panicky! I thought you said you didn't smurf out the Foxfire?" Papa Smurf said.

Pushover slightly lowered his head. "I did it, Papa Smurf," he replied. "But it was an accident."

"I can vouch for him, Papa Smurf," Wonder insisted. "I was with him when it smurfed."

"What were you smurfing with him for, Wonder?" Papa Smurf asked again.

"For personal reasons, Papa Smurf," Wonder replied.

"Personal reasons?" Papa Smurf responded sounding a bit unsure as to what she was talking about. "What personal reasons? You know I don't like any of you keeping any issues from me, if there was anything wrong; you know you could always smurf to me about your problems."

"If only it were that easy," Pushover muttered to himself.

"What was that, Pushover?" Papa Smurf asked.

"Nothing, Papa Smurf," Pushover replied quickly.

"Don't lie to me, Pushover," Papa Smurf said. "If there's anything wrong then you can smurf it to me."

Pushover's face clenched and he tightened his fists.

"Now's your chance, Pushover," Wonder insisted. "Maybe smurfing to Papa Smurf what you smurfed to me will smurf a huge weight off your shoulders."

Pushover took a deep sigh, "Well, Papa Smurf," he began. "It all began when..."

He was suddenly cut off by the Marsh Monster's groan; which sounded like he was now more closer to the village.

"We need to lure him back to the Great Swamp!" Papa Smurf insisted. "You need to smurf back there and relight the flame."

Panicky's eyes shot wide open, "You mean... go back?" he trembled before he began to violently shake much more than usual, as if he was about to suffer from a panic attack.

"Cursed he who kills the flame, cursed he who gives me pain," the Monster chanted from close by.

Pushover and Wonder looked at each other and nodded.

"Me and Wonder will go, Papa Smurf," Pushover said adamantly. "It was me who smurfed out the flame."

"I'll smurf alongside him for protection," Wonder added.

"I'll... I'll go too!" Panicky responded, agreeing to do it.

"The three of you aren't too frightened?" Papa Smurf asked.

"Who's frightened?" the three of them answered adamantly with slightly puffed out chests.

Papa Smurf proceeded to bring out a scroll and give them a good piece of advice, which would benefit them. Panicky was the one to take it from him.

"Here! Take this scroll and read it in time of need," he advised them. "It will protect you. Now go, and may the spirit of bygone Smurfs be with you."

"Yes, Papa Smurf," they acknowledged.

"One more piece of advice," Papa Smurf added. "It's alright to be afraid, everybody is sometimes."

"Yes, Papa Smurf," they all answered before Wonder wrapped her arms round Pushover and Panicky's waist and took to the air, flying right past the Marsh Monster who followed them using Wonder's energy trail.

"Cursed he who kills the flame, cursed he who gives me pain," the Monster chanted as he followed.

To be expnaded later.